Subject: [OTL]: Atomic (Xi'an, Kitty): Notes
Date: Sun, 23 Feb 2003 09:13:41 -0800 (PST)
From: D Benway <d_benway@yahoo.com>


Atomic: Notes

ex Benway

1) This was originally a 2-part story that grew another four parts
while I was trapped at home due to inclement weather. The first two
parts are the original.

2) The characters are:

Xi'an Coy Manh, 29, an immigrant from Viet Nam, having the power to
possess the minds of others and force them to do her will. She works
for the city of Chicago in a clerical position, lives on Lawrence Ave
near the Kimball subway stop, and is also the foster parent to her
brother Leong and sister Nga, who are in junior high school. Being
upper middle class and from Viet Nam, Xi'an speaks French. One of the
first members of the New Mutants.

Kitty Pryde, 20, American from suburban Deerfield, possessed of the
power to phase through solid matter as if she were a ghost. A veteran
of 8 years fighting with various incarnations of the X-Men and
Excalibur, she lives in a nice apartment on Roscoe near Clark and works
at a bar that most people wouldn't take their parents to in the
neighbourhood when she's not off in Hyde Park working on her PhD at the
University of Chicago. She lost it at 17 to her colleague in Excalibur,
Pete Wisdom (age 31), and they broke up 9 months later.

3) Some French, translated. Note that I last took a French course in
1980, so native speakers are free to point out errors in translation.

Gauloises = a famous brand of French cigarette

"Oui" = yes

"Non" = no

"Tu es sur?" = You're sure?

"Cochon! Il m'a dit qu'il n'allait pas dire quelqu'un!"

= "The swine! He told me that he wasn't going to tell anyone!" (I hope)

"Excusez-moi. Je suis stupide." = "Sorry. I'm being stupid."

"Non, non. Tu es belle. Tres, tres belle."

= "No, no. You're beautiful. Very, very beautiful."

"Tu?" = "You?" (note: this singular second person pronoun is only
generally used among close friends and family in French; Xi'an is
reacting to the degree of intimacy implied).

"Vraiment" = "Really"

"Je t'aime" = "I love you."

"Moi aussi." = "Me too."

"Je m'excuse." = "I'm sorry." (I hope)

"Rien." = "Nothing"

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