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Summary: James and Robyn have an interesting conversation involving powers.
Date: June 15, 2010
Animal Instincts
Rating: PG-13
Xavier Mansion - Communications Tower
This large metal tower has many mysteries and stories surrounding it. Deep in the woods it supplies most of the radio frequencies of the school. Danger and High Voltage signs hang all around the tower, but that doesn't stop the occasional group of students from trying to climb it.
Late evening and James finds itself…no 'himself'…sitting on a rather large boulder out near the communications tower. Leaning back and propped up on his arms, the hyena looks up at the stars, quietly contemplating the chain of events that let to his current condition and where to go from here.
Robyn has been back from visiting his parents for maybe two hours and he's already heard about James. After hearing some confused youngster mutter that he saw James wander into the woods (then comment who -wants- to find that guy who doesn't want his pants stapled to a tree?), he's been wandering around until he eventually spots his friend on a rock. "Hey James….how you holding up?"
James looks over his shoulder squints just a little, "Hello Robyn." He's only been here a few days…but with Lucas' coaching a little, and a quick scan through a yearbook, the hyena has what he needs to pull off a rough approximation of the host. "Could be better. But, you probably heard, right?" There's a forced sigh, "Never a dull moment."
"I heard something about you getting hit with a spear?" Robyn says sounding confused as the rumours are always altered. "And something about Cam going missing and getting turned into the male version of a leather clad Madonna?" Though he's surprised that James didn't wave it off and say something about being fine with his regeneration. "Nope, there never is. So…you wanna talk about it at all?"
"Hmmm!" James says with a shoulder shrug as he turns a little more to look his friend over. The smile is a wide one. After all, the last time Robyn was in its sights, he was trying to get James t ogive chase. "Honestly…there's not much to tell. I blacked out. A lot of it I don't remember. I spent 2 days in the infirmary." He pats the rock, singling Robyn to come closer, "I hear I have Connor to thank for it. He hit me with a rock. Until that moment I had it under control." Of course. "After that…it's all blank. Oh…and I bit a nurse."
Robyn climbs up on the rock and laughs shaking his head. "Well I guess you're back to yourself again." In regards to biting a nurse. "Yeah, Connor's really the 'father protective' type even though he's got all his OCD stuff, though it's much better rooming with him over Zack." He says as he really does like Connor. "So you have Connor to thank….cause he hit you with a rock?"
James nods, returning his gaze to the stars, "Well, boulder. really. Apparently, he threw one without considering his line of fire. So, I got hit—at which point Ror…Ahab took the opportunity to skewer me." He chuckles, taking a moment to dispel any rumors, "Apparently I started speaking in tongues or something. Really freaked the guy out. But…well…I 'did' just get Connor's fastball special. So I was a little stunned."
Robyn winces and shakes his head. "What is it with me, one of my closest friends and my boyfriend are magnets for trouble. But really, I'm glad you're okay and whose Ahab?" He asks as he's been gone for a bit so he's missed the memo on who he is. "So I take it between the Mall and getting hit with a bolder by Connor then stabbed you're gonna be staying here for a while?"
James looks over, "Ahab…well…I dunno, but that's what he called himself." On the subject of staying around, he gives his friend a bump, "As long as I can get away with it!" A pause. "But, no…I'm here for the summer. Apparently, I have a 'history' class to retake." The hyena snorts, "I talked my way into retaking the final. So, after tomorrow I'm free until fall. Not sure what to do yet. I might spend some extra time on X-Force security. You know…get a better idea of what goes on now that I don't have classes to get in the way. What about you? "
"The occasional weekend at home but I'm gonna be working with Forge on self defense and more with Addison on mental defense, which I'm getting much better at." Robyn says as he returns the bump. "Lucky for me I don't have to take any extra classes, I got all C's and B's!" No A's unless you count art. "Though it's gonna be lots of classes with just getting myself better with my powers."
James says, "Sounds like a great idea," James says with a nod, "Make you harder to chase the next time I come after you, eh?" Another bump, a toothful grin. And probably more silence than there needs to be. "If you need any help, let me know.""
Robyn rolls his eyes and shakes his head with amusement at the chase comment. "Yeah, well…that's all over and done with. I don't expect to see you threatening to chew my face off anytime toon, besides, I trust you, you're my friends." Robyn says with a nod. "I'd like that, the help, it's just self defense though not really hand to hand."
James chuckles at the response, but leaves it alone. However, on the self defense, he says, "Well, every little bit helps, doesn't it? But, you have some pretty interesting powers. So, who knows. Maybe a fresh perspective can help those too? I know you've been worried in the past." And while the temporary resident don't have access to James' memories, they do have plenty of their own from listening to the hyena emote about their friends.
"Yeah…well…at least I'm getting a bit more comfortable with being a mutant, I mean, still not my preference of choice but with things calming down, despite you getting impaled, I don't mind being a mutant when things aren't all chaotic." Robyn says as he stretches his legs out in front of him. "Interesting though…I dunno, what about yours? I mean, I think they're pretty awesome."
James shakes his head, "The hard part isn't being a mutant, Robyn. We each learn to live with it because you can't change what you are. It's coming to that realization on our own that's the challenge." And with that James takes his eyes off the stars again to look at Robyn, "It's when things arn't chaotic that you should worry. Life, which the X-men so nobly serve, comes from destruction, disorder and chaos." Eyes go back to the stars, "Powers? Well..let me ask you what you think my powers are?"
Robyn shifts a bit on the rock and shakes his head. "I dunno, when things are chaotic that's when…well you are right if there wasn't chaos there wouldn't be crime fighter types." He has to admit if he likes it or not. "And what your powers are? Well you have claws, the heightened senses, regeneration and your charming way with strangers and Jono's sister?"
James nods, agreeing, "All things a common animal has. Yet, this 'common animal' has sentient thought. So, 'it' has the ability to reason, to make rational decisions. Except where these things are concerned." He holds out his paw, displaying the claws. "That, Robyn, requires instinct. And to use it, you have to give up some of that rational thought. So…by that very definition, my power is Instinct. Something most humans lost touch with a long time ago when they decided to use reason as their weapon." James tilts his head, "You can't reason with instinct. What's reason to a hyena? To hunt. To kill. To run with the clan."
"James…you might be stuck in the form of a Hyena but you're still human under all that fur. It's up to you if you just give up and let instinct take over or listen to what's inside you James, what's here…" Robyn says as he reaches over to touch James's chest to indicate his heart. "You're not a 'common animal' James, it's not the powers that define us, it's us that defines our powers and I'm sounding like the teachers here." He says with a sigh.
James smiles in that way that only shows off his front teeth, "I'm not human Robyn." 'It' nods to that idea, but adds, "No more than you are. We may carry most of the same genes, but in the end we're not. We're our 'own' class. And, I know you don't share the same opinion, but I like how my powers defined me. I'm nature. Timeless." Chaos. He takes Robyn's hand and gives it a little squeeze, "Speaking of class. I have a History final to Ace in the morning." James lets go, and slides off the rock, "I'll see you around. Robyn."
Robyn squeezes James hand and nods. "See ya later James." He says as he just finds a lot of that last statement odd as opposed to what they've talked about previously about liking his powers and such. He's just wondering if he missed something in his friend's change of feelings recently.
