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Bobby's managed to get himself settled back into the Institute over the last few days, made most of the necessary introductions, and maybe even made some headway in preparing to teach a class or two. But for now, he has a bit of free time. And what does the Iceman do when he's not obligated to something serious? He frolics. Yes, you heard me; Bobby Drake is out on the grounds building a snow fort.
Of course, for Bobby, building a standard snow fort is pathetic. He's got a full-on snow castle going, complete with turrets, a (kind of) functional drawbridge, and a moat. The Institute is nicely secluded, so he's not worried about being seen; besides, it's not like he's making an Ice Fortress worthy of a Disney movie and a musical score. It's just for fun. He's Fun Bobby!
There's someone not frolicking in the snow, instead trudging through it with her sturdiest boots on. Blonde hair is loose, bright against the black of her woolen peacoat, the splashes of red in her scarf and gloves. Her arms are empty now on this return trip from the cabin at the edge of the woods, so that is a blessing.
But.. there's a snow castle. And not enough people to have built it normally in the time she was gone. She'll creep closer, eyes on the structure with curiousity. This she has to see.
"Who goes there?" Calls Bobby from the highest tower, leaning out over the ice to look down at the approaching intruder. Yes, it's a grown man, covered in blue ice, playing King of the Castle like a pre-teen at recess. Don't judge, it's awesome. There's a clear smile on his face as he focuses on Thea, and he shouts down to an invisible minion, "Lower the drawbridge! Perhaps she has come to offer terms!" And with that, the ice-forged gate lowers with a loud creak and crack of shifting ice.
She'll look up, laughing out loud as she pulls blonde hair back from her face to tuck behind her ear. She's clearly not judging, admiring the castle and the handiwork it takes. "It's I, Lady Thea! I have come to offer terms of peace!" She can play too! Her head will turn to stare at the ice forged drawbridge. "Holy… you did all this?" She'll look back up, brown eyes wide.
"Enter, my lady! Join us for a feast!" Bobby hops down from the tower, sliding on an ice-chute to the ground floor to meet Thea on the other side of the draw-bridge, inside the castle. "The grounds are so boring otherwise, aren't they? Needed something to liven things up," he says with a grin as he approaches Thea. As he moves forward, the ice around his body melts away, showing his face and skin. He offers a hand to the woman in greeting. "Bobby Drake. Welcome to Castle Drake!"
Thea will be a little tentative on the ice bridge, because.. well, it's ice and she's not sure how supportive it will be. "We haven't met before." She'll state the obvious, before she'll reach out to shake his hand. "Thea Harman. It's.. amazing. So.. that's your power? Ice and snow and things?" She's half distracted by the castle, but it could be taken as a compliment.
"I am pretty amazing," Bobby says with a grin as he shakes Thea's hand lightly. When he lets go of her hand, he lets the ice cover his body again, and motions around him. "Pretty much, yeah. Making things out of ice, freezing things. They don't call me Iceman for nothing," he says with a bit of a chuckle. "Nice to meet you, Thea. Are you a student here, or just a friendly visitor?" There aren't any unfriendly visitors on the Institude grounds. At least, there better not be!
There's a laugh, gloved hand moving to push hair back again. "I'm a bit old to be a student, I think. Unless you're trying to flatter me. I'm a ..friend. I've met several people around the place, and I.. stop by from time to time." There's no need to get into things, explain things that don't matter. "Warren Worthington introduced me to the place."
"Nonsense! I'm told we're branching out into college-level classes now," Bobby says with a smile. "But it's good to see friendly faces around, not limited to students or staff. Back when I was a kid here, it was pretty secluded. Still is, I guess, but seems like things are a little more open these days than they used to be." Which is probably a bit of a double-edged sword. Bobby takes a moment and looks Thea over rather obviously. Not ogling, more like taking measurements. It takes a moment or two, but he holds up a hand, and a ball of ice forms in it. Over the course of several seconds it reshapes and forms into a delicate-looking crown. A tiara, which he holds out for Thea. "A Lady needs her proper decoration, you know."
"I had not heard about the college level classes. I'm already a bit established in my chosen field, after all." Thea will smile back, a smile with warmth that reaches her eyes. "I'm a nurse, by trade." She'll shrug. "Part of the whole using my powers for good, deal." She'll smirk, then, instead of smile. She won't comment on whether things are more open or not, but Bobby will get to see pure wonder on her face when he creates that tiara. She'll reach out to take it gingerly. "It's art."
"Using powers for good is.. good!" Bobby laughs a little at that. "An honourable profession, to be sure. Need more people in the world who want to help, rather than hurt, if you ask me." Which is kind of why he's back at the Institute, right? "It's just frozen water, nothing special. So what brings you by today, Lady Thea? Official business, or just visiting friends?"
"Just frozen water that I couldn't do anything with!" She points out, laughing even as she'll perch it on her hair. "Well, I'm a double edged sword that way. I could hurt, I've used my powers to make someone hurt and slow, so they could be caught by authorities." She shrugs. It's still sort of do-goody, right? "Just.. dropping some things off."
"Everything comes with the good and bad, right? I mean, I can make super awesome ice castles, but I could also freeze someone in a block of ice. Not exactly friendly, you know? Just gotta choose to do the good thing, not the bad thing." He stands back a step, and frames Thea between his hands as she puts the tiara on. "A vision of loveliness," he says with a smile. "What kind of things?" He's friendly, but dear god, Bobby is pushy. Probably not going to get away without an explanation there.
"I think most things have plus and minuses, yes. Mine are just.. a little more stark than some, perhaps." She'll laugh as he frames her with his hands, mock curtsying as if she was in a ball gown. "Just returning some things." She'll shrug.
"So hey, I hate to ask, but I also hate having to guess. What exactly is your gift? Mine is pretty self-explanatory, and well-demonstrated, but you're still a bit of mystery. If they're not exactly demonstration-y, no worries, but I'm always curious about other mutants. Clearly I'm not afraid of showing off a little bit, myself." Bobby smiles disarmingly, and looks hopeful.
"I'm a biokinetic. I could show off, but you're not injured, so there's nothing showy and impressive." She grins at him, head tilting. "Can you make me a piece of sharp ice?"
"Alrighty," Bobby says, and puts his hands together for a moment before drawing them apart; between them, a long piece of ice forms as they move apart, and he holds out a thick icicle about two feet long, which comes to a point. "Careful with that," he says. She's not going to do what he thinks she's going to do, right?
Of course she is. Her teeth will tug off her glove as her other hand takes the icicle. She'll use it to scratch her bared hand, giving it a moment to let it bleed. He wants to see, doesn't he?
Whoa, see, this is what Bobby meant by not easily demonstrable. But what's done is done, looks like. He frowns, seeing the blood start to seep from the shallow wound. At least it's just a scratch. Even so, not cool man.
But that scratch will heal over. It's not as fast as it would be for some with healing factors, but soon enough there's just a trace of blood and no wound at all. "Minor use, but there you go. I can move your blood around, heal you, blah blah blah."
"That seems like a hell of a lot more useful than ice sculptures," Bobby say, relieved to see the wound close up. He's not trying to be self-deprecating, but there's no doubt in his mind that healing others, or yourself, is the better option. "Bet you've saved a lot of lives with that right there," he says after a moment.
She'll pause, before she will carefully set her ice scalpel down a moment. "I'm sure there's a lot more you do than ice sculptures." Thea will argue. "I've saved some. Helped more. I work at the free clinic in Harlem, for instance."
"Eh, ice in various configurations, pretty much all it is," Bobby says with a smirk. Yeah, he can do lots of things. But it's all just frozen water. "Well, you probably don't hear it enough, but I for one really appreciate people who go out of their way to help strangers. Nurses are under-appreciated. Nurses who happen to also be mutants, probably even more under-appreciated."
She will actually flush, as she pulls her glove back on. "Appreciation noted. I.. it made sense, when I was finishing high school. I can do things that other people can't see, can't diagnose without more tests.. " Thea will shrug. "I'm still pretty hush hush on the mutant thing. No one would hire me, if they knew."
"Pretty sad state of affairs if you ask me," Bobby says with another frown. "I hope we can get to a place soon where we're all just treated like people. Human, mutant, whatever. Guess it's all about small steps though. If it ever became an issue, I'd bet there'd be a place for you here." The school certainly isn't going to turn away qualified help.
"It is, but small steps. If you try to run before you can walk, and all of that." Thea will respond, a hint of a smile. "Even if I'm nowhere near as patient as I seem to be." She'll turn her head, glancing in the direction of the mansion. "So the Professor told me, once."
"He's a good man that way, that Professor," Bobby says, smiling again. "Well Lady Thea, I really ought to be getting back to actual work. Play time can't last all day, I'm afraid," he sighs, and looks around the castle whistfully. "Hopefully it stays cold enough that I don't have to completely rebuild you tomorrow, Castle Drake." There's a grin cast to Thea. "Glad to have met you, Thea. Stop by and visit me sometime. Next time you're dropping unnameable things off," he says with a smirk. With that, Iceman lifts a bit off the ground atop a moving mound of ice, and 'surfs' across the drawbridge and out, back toward the mansion. "Enjoy the castle!" He calls back happily.