2010-11-14: Back To Normal

Players:

Theo_icon.jpg Rashmi_icon.jpgDavid_icon.jpgConnor_icon.jpg

Summary: Theo and Rashmi learn from David and Connor about the mystery of the last month's events.

Date: Sunday, November 14, 2010. 5:46pm.

Log Title: Back to Normal

Rating: PG


Xavier Mansion - Boathouse on the Dock

A wooden dock stretches fifteen feet out into the water. Students can fish from the dock, or dive off if they like. A few rowboats, canoes, and paddle boats are tied to the docks for the students to use. A boat house where students can find paddles and life jackets sits at the edge of the water.


It's almost dark, but Theo doesn't seem to care. The sun is slipping away behind the trees. The technopath hasn't brought anything with him today. No laptop. No phone. No books. The hoody from his old high school has the green hood up over his head as he sits on the edge of the dock, watching the dark waters of the lake. He stares as if he had something he was watching, but nothing is out there. Only the quiet waters.

"Hey," comes a quiet voice from the other end of the docks. Tugging the brim of her stocking cap down over her ears, Rashmi walks slowly onto the pier, likely to give Theo time to tell her to not bother him. "So, it looks like everyone's back, huh…?"

Theo's head turns until he can see Rashmi approaching. He gives a slight smile. "Yeah." The technopath scoots to one side so that Rashmi has plenty of room to join him. "Haven't gotten to talk to any of them, they all seem to have just crashed today. I can't really blame them." He offers a shrug.

Rashmi's lips turn up at the corners at the tacit invitation to sit, and her steps move somewhat more rapidly toward the dock's edge, the redhead crouching down next to her friend. "Yeah… I mean, trapped wherever they were for all this time, and then just dropping into the lake? Yeah, I'd want a couple years worth of naps too, y'know?" Brushing at her skirts, she sits down, closing her eyes and letting out a long, slow breath. "I'm just glad it's over."

"Yeah," Theo answers, looking back over the lake. "Did you think they'd come back?" he asks. "I mean, after they were gone for more than a month. Christopher talked like he was so sure, like there was no chance they wouldn't come back."

There's a moment of silence that follows the question, then one of Rashmi's half-shrugs. "Demons took over the city, almost a year ago," she begins, her voice quiet. "A mutant wacko kidnapped a bunch of people and set them back loose on us to kill us. An even bigger wacko tried to screw with *time* to kill us." Her eyes drop, then flick sidelong toward Theo, an eyebrow rising and a wry smirk tugging at her lips. "And now a *magical* wacko nabbed a bunch of people and tried to take them away. What's the common thread, d'you think?"

The technopath's lips curl slightly up. "People want us dead." He pulls one knee up to his chest and hugs it, while the other leg hangs off the dock, his shoe brushing against the water's brim. "When I found Xavier's, I thought this place would be safer than it was back home." He laughs outright. "Shows how much I know, huh?"

"No," Rashmi says gently, "it's that no matter who tries to do what, it never works. Was I worried they wouldn't come back? Yeah… I was. You'd have to be God not to. Did I *really* think they'd stay gone? No. Because if a city full of nightmares from another dimension couldn't pull it off, if a time-traveling lunatic couldn't destroy any hope for the future… What could one guy with a spellbook *really* hope to accomplish, y'know?" Falling silent for a moment, she watches Theo's shoe tap against the water's surface. "…This place *is* safer than back home… Just, the world's also a little scarier."

"I didn't think they would." Theo is quite plain about his feeling on the matter. "I really thought they were already dead. I even wanted to find their bodies, just so I could stop the feeling of uncertainty. I was so sure that there wasn't any hope for them." He smiles. "I'm glad I was wrong, but…I dunno. I am trying to figure out if I betrayed them with my lack of faith."

"That's silly," is Rashmi's immediate answer. "How can that possibly be *betraying* them?"

"I dunno," the boy answers. "It's…complicated. I just didn't trust that they had the ability to make it through whatever it was, since it had been so long." He splashes a little harder with the foot that touches the water. "Have you ever felt like you shortchanged somebody you shouldn't have? Didn't give them the credit they were due? It's kinda like that feeling."

Rashmi nods slowly. "A lot of times… You probably remember a couple," she says, nudging the boy's shoulder with a smile. "But you shouldn't feel guilty about your perspective. I mean, you talk to computers with your head, so you're used to logic. Two plus two equals four, no matter what, right? Well, it's pretty *logical* to assume they wouldn't have come back… I thought so too, a couple of times. But sometimes faith doesn't have anything to do with logic. Sometimes two plus two really equals eleven, no matter what all the evidence in the world would say, y'know?"

Theo smirks at the analogy. "Logic isn't everything. Only to a computer. But I'm a realist. I don't believe in blind faith." His smile remains. "But it looks like even a broken clock can be right twice a day, right?" He pulls a splinter free from the edge of the dock, and flicks it into the water, where it barely disturbs the surface, floating in place. "So I guess you'll be going back to Barnes, huh?"

"Soon," Rashmi admits, loosing a heavy sigh. "First I have to make sure everyone's all right… And learn how to write an Incident Report." The redhead rubs the bridge of her nose with the side of a crooked finger. "I keep saying I never want to be a SHIELD agent, but I guess I don't have a choice for now. Then, back to all that lovely legal language and essays and midterms and Genosha census studies and all the stuff I'm *comfortable* with."

The teen lets go of his knee, which remains in place, and leans back on his hands. "I don't think I want you to be a SHIELD agent either. I met one the other day, and he got shot. It was pretty crazy. Lawyers don't get shot at as much. Though sometimes people talk about it an awful lot."

"Yeah… same with politicians. But it's not the getting shot part that bothers me—well okay that's silly to say, getting shot at bothers me a *lot,* but. Anyway. SHIELD agents are like the CIA and military, all rolled up in one big extranational package. I mean just the *standard* things they have to deal with, like AIM or Hydra? Makes you wonder if you're on the set of some new GI Joe movie, I swear…"

"I'm glad I'm not in Barnes," Theo declares. "I don't think I'd make a good soldier. Then they'd make me that guy in the movie that does the video uplinks and satellite imaging. They always try to make him look cool, but he's not. He's the desk jockey, and nobody buys his action figure."

Rashmi chuckles. "Yeah, well, Agent Kelly's a desk jockey too, but he'd have a pretty neat action figure. Probably like, snap-on clear-yellow armor or something."

"Wait," Theo holds his hand up as Rashmi finishes. "Kelly? Corrin Kelly?" he clarifies. "That's the guy I saw. He was following some jogger. I thought he was a creeper at first, but then a sniper started shooting him from the trees."

Rashmi blinks, head snapping up. "Someone was *shooting* at him?! Why?!" There's a short pause, and she shakes her head. "…Nevermind. Forget I asked, there's bound to be clearance involved."

"Somebody shot him," Theo corrects. "But he had some kind of SHIELD…shield. He made me come with him afterward. Man, I never answered the same question so many times in my life."

Rashmi bobs her head. "Yeah, I've seen that shield thing. It, um… sort of saved his skin when my powers went a little nuts at the Embassy shooting," she says with a blush. "I think I smacked him with the back end of a car…"

Theo tries to keep a straight face, but the laugh forces its way through his lips. "You hit him with a car?" he repeats. "That's hilarious. See, Emma would've grounded you for life. Though, I dunno. I got grounded for something stupid, and James tried to kill Lucas, and nothing happened to him." He shrugs, finding it horribly unequal, but doesn't try to dwell on it. "So did you get in trouble?"

"Well," Rashmi says, clearing her throat, "there were extenuating circumstances… like, my powers going crazy because of some noise-projector thingy that blew out my ears and all I could think about was *it hurt,* so… I ever tell you that they're mostly controlled by my subconscious? Well… they are. And when I get really terrified or hurt, all I can think of is *make it stop.* ….So… they tried to make it stop, and smacked a car in the process."

Theo's smile drops, no longer finding it as amusing. "Oh," he says in a more sober tone. "Sorry. I should've have laughed, that's really not funny at all. You probably felt horrible."

Rashmi lifts a shoulder. "Well… I was *really* embarrassed, but, Agent Kelly said it was all right, and he didn't look banged up when I met him properly. He said it was pretty much even after I helped him reorganize a box full of files that I sort of, um… scattered all over the place when I ran into him at the school…" Her cheeks darken, and she tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. "So yeah, I ever tell you I get kind of clumsy when I'm not paying attention?" This last, said in an airy, self-effacing manner that all but invites laughter.

The grin returns. "Its okay, you're just proof that grace and beauty don't have to both be present at the same time," Theo comments warmly. "And I think you got a lion's share of the latter."

Rashmi rolls her eyes, chuckling at that statement. "Well, thanks… And I mean that, really. It's sort of weird to hear, though… I mean, I've always been used to being the debate-club nerd, so I've never really thought of myself as pretty."

Theo arches one brow. "All the better to throw off the competition, right?" he answers. "But I bet its your brains that win you the debates more than your looks." He pauses for a moment. "When you're done with school, do you think you'll get elected to the Senate or anything like that? I mean, you got more ambition than most people. But…" he shrugs. "You just aren't mean like politicians need to be."

"Eventually," Rashmi admits, shrugging one shoulder. "It's on my list, anyway. I might even run for President, once I'm old enough to qualify. But either way, I won't *need* to be mean, when I do it." Glancing over at the boy, she grins. "I just need to be *right.*"

Theo considers that statement. "Being right only helps with people who think rightly," he answers after he's measured the thought. "If people don't think rightly, what is right seems wrong."

"That just means I need to be *convincing,*" is the immediate reply. "Which is what everyone else's doing anyway, they're just going about it all wrong. See?" And now, Rashmi looks genuinely amused, interested, as though Theo had broken out a favorite board game. "Two plus two equals eleven."

The dark-haired boy seems willing to play. "Fair enough, but what do you do if the competition is a mudslinger? They'll smear your name all over the place. You gonna be passive? If you are, they just eat up the drivel that sounds like juicy gossip, and they won't care what you say. And what if they find out you're a mutant?"

Rashmi blinks, raising an eyebrow. "I wasn't intending on keeping it a secret. Or *any* of it, really. Why would I want to, when I already know that what I want to *do* with my life is going to require me to be a public face? Not to mention, having an open mutant in the Senate or the White House would probably do some *good* for mutants in general, right? So no, I'm not going to be passive; I'm just going to undermine everything they'd try, five or ten years before they even try it."

Theo shakes his head. "Well, you got a while before you hit thirty-five," he says. "But don't hold your breath. Hating mutants is something the liberals and conservatives can agree on. It doesn't matter if you're a democrat or republican, mutants are frightening. We're different, and people are afraid of us. They don't want a mutant for President. They don't even want a mutant to serve them coffee!"

Rashmi shrugs. "The President we have now is black, right?"

Theo shakes a finger. "I know where you're going with that," he says before she can continue. "It's not the same thing. Blacks don't have the potential to shoot lightning bolts from their fingers, or explode, or reverse gravity, or knock cars around with psionic bowling balls." He holds his hand out and motions broadly. "Even the people who don't hate us are afraid of us, because they don't know what we might do on accident. We're a liability. A danger to society just by existing. How many times have you seen on the news some headline about a mutant kid who just discovered his powers killing someone, or hurting them? The media loves it. It bleeds so it leads. And as long as that's true, they'll be afraid."

Rashmi bobs her head. "That's true, and the best defense against that is numbers. Good, hard numbers. So studies should be done, if they haven't been. See how often it *really* happens, and compare it to the number of deaths per year in alcohol-related crashes. I'd bet you *cash,* Theo, that I know how the balance runs. And frankly, people *ought* to be worrying more about deaths that are somebody's *fault.*"

Theo gives a discrediting glare back at Rashmi. "Oh? Is that so?" he says. "So you think it's good to compare mutants to drunk drivers? Say, we don't kill as many people as drunk drivers do, so that makes us safe! I think you better come up with a better comparison."

"Well of *course* I do," Rashmi says, shaking her head and chuckling. "So it'll be one of my side projects after I've sat the bar."

David has arrived.

Theo shakes his head. "You're so…optimistic," Theo says, as if it weren't a compliment. He looks across at the girl on the other side of the dock as they sit in the evening light. "I don't know if you can even convince me that we're safe. I mean, some of us have pretty non-damaging powers. My powers aren't likely to hurt anyone. David's aren't likely to either. But some mutants do. Like Lucas, or Scott, their powers are really dangerous.

"Well yeah," Rashmi says, "but there's technology that can keep that from happening, right? The only immediate issue with that is, pacemakers don't exactly have the same kind of collateral damage, so… There's another mental note for me to make. Thanks, Theo," she says brightly, "by the time I get around to actually campaigning I'm going to be *insanely* well prepared."

Walking at the opposite end of the dock, David, dressed in jeans and Xaviers sweatshirt. The African-American mutant paces back and forth and appears to be in a rather hectic cell-phone conversation. "I'm sorry." can be heard repeatedly from his direction and when he thinks he hears his name mentioned, he spots Theo and Rashmi at the opposite end of the dock. He sighs a bit, "Sorry. Nori, gotta go. Love you. And I promise soon." He starts walking along the dock and waves at the two and smiles as he draws near. He is walking with a limp and he is without his signature cybergoogles. "You'd be surprised the damage I can do with and without my powers." He grins and then extends his hand to Rashmi, "I don't believe we've met formally, Ms. Franklin. I'm David Alleyne. I'm also an alum here and came back to help out with staff. Thanks for helping out while we were" He pauses a moment, "gone." He loses the smile a moment and looks around.

"Yeah, and people have a choice over whether they use pacemakers, or even drive cars. So they want a choice over they have us, too," Theo points out. "Thanks, I try," he adds with a smile. "There's another end, though, too. eople aren't afraid of us because we're different, they're afraid of us because we're the same —"
The technopath wheels around as he hears David's voice. "Where the hell have you guys been?" he asks. Not the best way to greet someone after they've been missing for a month perhaps, it's just his way of saying he cares.

Rashmi opens her mouth to reply to Theo's arguments, but like her friend wheels around at the sound of David's voice. "Mr. Alleyne, hi!" Scrabbling to her feet, she takes the profferred hand, giving it a brief shake. "…Actually yeah, that was gonna be my first question too. Also it's good to meet you, and why aren't you still in Medbay?"

Having only met Theo once before he was kidnapped with the others, he is not used to the student's brashness. David 'looks' at him for a moment and he exhales, "Tegu-Haaz." He shrugs, "Basically a very warpedvery twisted version of here. Something like a horror movie. Basically the institute was an asylum and Salem Center was something of a gothic novel from the 1700s." to Theo and then to Rashmi, "Well, I think I am as stubborn as the students." He laughs a moment, "I had to make a phone call and apologize to a lot of people for my extended absencw including a VERY MAD and WORRIED girlfriend and I'm trying to convince Nori not to come here and cause a scene. She wasn't a fan of Scott or Emma when we were students here. How're things here?"

Theo shrugs, "Oh, fine, you know. Just kickin' around and wondering when we'd be next." He shakes his head. "See, I like David," he says to Rashmi, not giving David the more formal title any better than he does most of the rest of the staff. "He actually answers your questions straight, and doesn't speak in riddles."

"Well I'm *glad* that you're all back," Rashmi says, trying and failing to hide a smirk at Theo's assessment. "And if that's where you were… I guess Robyn's going to be spending every waking moment in the art room for the next while." Letting loose a quiet breath, the redhead tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. "So what happened while you all were there? I mean it was over a *month* you were gone…"

Shaking his head in disbelief, "I figured it was something like that. Wowwhere to begin.basically that mage that showed up here the day we disappeared. He tried summoning a demon. It didn't work so the demon took us and him to his dimension. Basically we lived out our worst fears, some of the students had it a lot worse. Some were transformed into nightmare versions of monsters." He looks around,"And this place." David stares at the mansion, "Well. It wasn't a nice place. In that dimension, it was a warped world where Xavier's was an asylum and. *pause* bad things happened to the students and staff. But we made it." He looks down to the ground. "I think Jeri will have a lot of visits and counseling for awhile."

Theo nods, and doesn't ask anything further. "Well, you probably don't want to revisit it right now," he says. "I wouldn't. At least it's over now. Hopefully it'll never happen again."

"Hear hear," Rashmi says with feeling, though her eyes narrow speculatively at the very meaningful pause. "…Well I guess everything's all right, now… Um. I'm… probably going to end up having to find out what happened anyway, because it's going to need to go into my report when I get back at Barnes… But that'll keep for a couple days, I think. Y'know… Not that I'm in a lot of hurry to leave, now that everything's getting back to normal, right?"

"Well, you're right, Theo. None of us will forget about it anytime soon. I'm just glad we are back." His eyes widen when Rashmi mentions Barnes, "Oh god. Troy and Mike were with us. Mike is fine. From what I heard he was the one who got me through the 'silver waters'. But I am presuming you hadn't heard about Troy." He frowns a bit, "Shit." He curses under his breath, if there was a casualty then it would be Troy. "While we were there, Troy is. Changed." That is the best way he can think to say it.

Theo arches his brow as David speaks. He doesn't even know who Troy is, let alone how he's been changed.

Rashmi blinks sharply. "…Um. Wait, what? Troy's…. *changed?*" Her eyes flick to Theo, blinking and clearing her throat. "Sorry… Um. Troy's one of the powers trainers at Barnes. So what's *happened* to him, Mr. Alleyne?"

David exhales, "You can call me David." He frowns, "Well, he's not Troy anymore. He goes by Leo now. While we were there, certain of the kidnapped were transformed into their worst fears. Mike was transformed into what can only be described as a clockwork Frankenstein. I *pause* well in order to be returned to their dominant identities those who were transformed had to be killed to be returned. I ended up having to kill Mike to return him back to normal. But when Kenta fought Troy, his dominant identity returned, which it appears was not Troy, but Leo instead. I'm not 100% sure what was going on there, but Troy is a former student here named Leo. I don't remember him from when I was here though." His voice and tone are wrought with guilt and confusion for his part in Mike's 'death' and hjis suggestion regarding 'Troy'

Connor has arrived.

David exhales, "You can call me David." He frowns, "Well, he's not Troy anymore. He goes by Leo now. While we were there, certain of the kidnapped were transformed into their worst fears. Mike was transformed into what can only be described as a clockwork Frankenstein. I *pause* well in order to be returned to their dominant identities those who were transformed had to be killed to be returned. I ended up having to kill Mike to return him back to normal. But when Kenta fought Troy, his dominant identity returned, which it appears was not Troy, but Leo instead. I'm not 100% sure what was going on there, but Troy is a former student here named Leo. I don't remember him from when I was here though." His voice and tone are wrought with guilt and confusion for his part in Mike's 'death' and his suggestion regarding 'Troy' (repose for COnnor)

"So…is he really Leo or is he really Troy?" Theo asks. "I mean, are you saying the wrong one stuck around? Or did he have a split personality already?" The technopath is a little confused. He leans his heel over a slightly loose board on the dock, and puts his hands in his green hoody. "And what do you mean, you killed him? Mike's parents are so gonna flip over this, I'm sure."

"I… wait…" Holding up a hand, Rashmi glares toward the dock, a half-dozen spheres materializing behind her head and sketching a spirograph in the air above her. "…So wait, Troy is Leo… *Leo.* As in, *recent* former student?" She pauses, then her head flies up, eyes wide. "…Oh god, *that* Leo. He…" The spheres halt, briefly, in their sinuous movement, eyes turning toward David. "You did *what* to Mike?!"

While the three discuss, someone else can be seen coming along one of the lighted paths, a form that is taking the nighttime air to actually jog. Only a few people would do this kind of thing, and Connor's breath puffs out while he shifts in the track top and pants, trying to get an even pace going, despite having him in situations lacking this kind of physical activity for a while. Body a bit soft and slouched from three weeks on the crazy train, he's back to working his trim up once more. But with that he does spot the forms on the boathouse, and for a moment he pauses, jogging in place and watching.

Sighing and knowing how it sounds and their questions only add to the tremendous guilt he already feels, David responds somberly and looking away from the two, "Some of students were transformed into their worst fears and in order to be returned to normal they had to be killed by those fears. They had to face in death so to speak. Mike became Frankenstein and Frankenstein was afraid of fire. So I lit a spear on fire and stabbed him with it. *pause* Look I know how it sounds and I'm not justifiying what I did. I understand that I bear a lot of the responsibility for it and whatever punishment comes from it. I did a lot of things there that I'm not happy about. It was under y watch when Kisha was eaten by the pumpkin and Robyn and Troy were transformed and I couldn't do anything about it. The place was a living nightmare, literally. The students were losing themselves in their transformations. Everyone is back to normal, but *pause* to get them to normal we had to do the unspeakable. Mike is fine now. Robyn is fine now. I heard Kisha is back here. But it was either kill them or they stay stuck."

"Pumpkin! That explains why she was here." Theo snaps his fingers. "Man, you all should've gotten eaten by — eaten by a pumpkin?" This truly is a strange story. "Man, I would just try not to think about any of that stuff anymore. If some demon did it, there can't be anything good that it wanted to accomplish with you. That's why they're demons." He glances over and spots a dark figure. Now that the sun has set, it's hard to see, and so Theo reaches out with his powers and activates the boathouse lights. "Connor!" He is a little relieved. After this talk of demons and such, he wasn't sure who to expect. "Welcome back. You guys went and left Lucas alone with the serial killer. But it sounds like you would've been better off with her than where you were.

"*Hey,*" Rashmi says as the new arrival is revealed, visibly releived to have anything remotely resembling a change of topic to cling to, "Selene may be a lot of things, but she *did* agree to help me with my Latin. So, y'know, there's that. Anyway. Connor *get over here already.*"

Connor pants a bit, showing he's actually a bit out of shape for his usual… and then nods once as he moves towards the group, stopping close by so that he can pause and lean down to catch his breath. Looking back and forth between the two before saying, "Sorry I didn't surface right away… but I really needed about a day's worth of sleep and a shower. God but you don't know how much you miss hot water until it's gone. Among other things." Smiling over at David, he then manages to push up to standing, "I take it you're filling them in David?" Despite his usually somewhat rabbit-like nature, he actually seems calm and relaxed.

Sensing Rashmi's relief at the topic change, David frowns and looks over as Connor is called. A smile forms on his face as he is happy to see one of the heroes that freed everyone from Tegu-Haaz. "Yes, I was filling them in on all the fun we had there. But I didn't mention who the heroes were. Connor, with Heather, Mike, and Star were the ones who confronted the demon and freed us all from there." He smiles proudly at Connor, "Seriously, thank you."

Theo arches his brow toward Connor. "I think I wouldn't surface for a week," he says. "Or maybe ever. What ever happened to that guy who started the whole thing, anyway?" he asks. "Something Blackmoore, right?"

Rashmi looks from Connor, to David, to Theo, silent for a moment. The redhead, having ridden a rather turbulent emotional rollercoaster this past month, seems at a loss for words—a rare occasion, to be sure. As Connor straightens, she simply shakes her head, crosses the distance between them in two strides, and throws her arms around Connor, squeezing tightly. "…I'm glad you're all back," she says, voice tight. "I'm just… glad you're all home."

Connor winces a bit, "Hey… watch the arms… oof…" Laughing a bit as he does feel a bit of a press of the girl's arms tight to his form, "It's good to be back, honestly… I spent… what?" Looking at David, "Two and a half weeks as a cut-rate nutjob and walking version of Youtube?" Laughing softly before patting Rashmi and then returning the hug before looking to Theo, "Good to see you too. And as for Master Blackmoore… we tried to pull him out, but our host didn't take too kindly to his developing a spine… we ended up leaving him and his new friend all alone in their little halloween nightmare."

"Ah I was wondering if Alaric made it back. I think Heather and Kisha really wanted to kick his ass." David shrugs, "Well, we're back. I should still be in the medbay, I didn't realize what a whallop that blast from the demon would give me. God that thing was creepy!" He exhales and smiles, "But now back here and to work. You know. As much as we were stuck. We were actually worried about you guys here too."

"Serves him right, bringing all that crap here," Theo states with definition. "I watched Kisha's video from her computer. If it hadn't been for him, none of this would've happened." He grins toward Connor. "I guess you're probably gonna need some tutoring for our Blackbird training," he says. "You've missed some stuff."

Rashmi releases her grip on Connor, scraping the back of her sleeve across her eyes and drawing in a deep, bracing breath. "…Okay. So the guy responsible is gone, and everyone else is back. Okay… I guess that's all that matters most. But um…. so… you people were… turning into monsters….?"

Connor looks back and forth before saying softly as he puts his hands on Rashmi's shoulders for a moment, murmuring, "It's allright, you know.. we're here… nothing gonna happen for a bit… and it's almost Christmas." Sounding a bit more confident than before, moving around and over to Theo and giving him a back-thumping guy hug, "We were turning into movie-monsters from stories… I had Renfield from Bram Stoker's Dracula… James was the Werewolf… we're not sure about Jinx… but Star was the Zombie, Troy and Leo were Jekyll and Hyde… and Mike was Frankenstein. The longer we were under, the closer we were to being permanent residents. Thankfully, I had the book Renfield, and not the movie one… and he had his critical moment of conscience." Releasing Theo, he then turns to David, "It was a team thing. To be honest, I was so angry I forgot to be afraid."

"Well you did good, either way. You all did." David offers, "Ugh." He grimaces as he feels a slight pain sensation, "I think I better head back to the medbay." He turns to everyone and bows to Rashmi, "nice to meet you, Rashmi and please call me David from now on." He nods to Connor and Theo and limps his way back to the medbay.

David has left.

Theo returns the guy hug. "I can't picture you eating live animals," Theo says. "You with all your OCD habits." He nods to David as he heads back. "Well, if they have to zap me into a movie, I hope it's something a lot more gentle. You know, like Winnie the Pooh. Nobody goes crazy or dies in Winnie the Pooh."

Rashmi's eyes grow wider and wider, as Connor lists off each and every monster. Once finished, she glances Theo's direction, eyebrows rising. "….Um. …Didn't Eeyore's butt fall off once, though, and they had to nail it back on?"

Connor starts laughing some as he looks back and forth, offering a departing wave to David before he turns back to the others, "It was his tail, not his butt… but I see your point at least." He stops and sobers slightly, "I know it sounds totally weird, but there's things I did while Renfield that… kinda forced me to face some of it hardcore. I lived in dirt and filth, eating things I don't want to talk about… and about the only things keeping me sane were people like you both. I wasn't just going to let myself get taken away when I had people and things to come back to."

Theo laughs outright at Connor's statement. "I certainly hope that you're life isn't so miserable that I'm your happy thought," he says. "Rashmi I can understand." He wanders back from the edge of the dock, "Well, with Christmas coming, maybe we'll all find out Santa Claus is real instead of finding out that demons really like the month of October."

Rashmi snorts, turning the Look of Infinite Patience upon Theo. "It's called a *compliment,* Theo. People give them to you from time to time, remember?" The patience melts into a smile, which drops slightly as she turns her attention back to Connor. "I'm really, *really* glad to hear you held yourself together, Connor… You're okay though, right…? I mean, a lot of people don't handle this kind of thing well, so… You're going to be okay?"

Connor moves to sit down on one of the dock pylons, and then shakes his head, letting his eyes duck away to hide some of what's there, "I didn't really hold myself together. I snapped after a bit, because for a little bit I was in charge. I was gathering people and supplies… using every little trick I'd learned from here and from my Uncle Yuri. But… I'm not confident enough to be a leader… but I tried to lean on others. I was lucky that Miss Frost and Mister Summers showed up when they did, but by then I was vulnerable to the demon." Looking back up at the others, "I'm not saying I'm gonna fall to pieces any time now… but the stuff that happened?" And he falls silent before saying with a bit more of a cheerful smile, "It's just gonna take time. Like anything else."

"Well," he says, "It got dark on us." He looks around at the dark night sky. "I'm gonna head in, it's getting kinda cold out here." He looks back to Rashmi. "Don't be a stranger. Until I get off this absurd grounding, I can't go visit you. Well. Maybe." He starts to walk back toward the mansion. "Connor, it's good to have you back, man."

"Good night, Theo," Rashmi says, bobbing her head as the younger mutant makes his way back Mansion-wards. "Once I get moved back, I'll be showing up every Sunday again, don't worry." Turning, she drops down onto the dock next to Connor, tugging her braid over her shoulder. "Yeah… Time's the biggest thing you'll need… … …Connor… d'you remember one of those arguments we had in the library, back when you were still pretty new here?"

Connor waves as Theo departs, "Tomorrow night! Don't be late. I'll kick your butt if you are." And then laughing a bit at the departing words, he looks back to Rashmi and stands up, moving to stretch and keep himself limber, "Ummm… maybe? I'll admit my mind isn't exactly where I've been thinking about those first days."

Theo has left.

Rashmi looks up as Connor rises, tilting her head to one side. "…About when you said you felt like an outsider?"

Connor winces one eye shut, and then rubs the back of his neck, "Oh yeah… that one. I was a little weirder out, and I guess… it was because I felt like everyone was holding me at arms-length because of the whole Inferno thing."

Rashmi smiles gently, but only for a moment. "Yeah, I can see that… but… Now you've got your own war stories to tell." Drawing in a deep breath, she lets it out slowly. "So… welcome to the club, Connor. … …We have cookies. And Jericho. But mostly cookies."

Connor replies with a smirk, and then reaches over to touch Rashmi on the shoulder, "Screw that… I'm forming my own club. And I'll have lemonade, cupcakes, and movie nights. Definitely movie nights!" And with that he moves to help Rashmi stand back up once more, "One of my biggest fears… that I was like Renfield… I was only defined by what others expected. But saying it out loud, and admitting to it… two VERY different things."

Rashmi chuckles, taking hold of the hand and hauling herself to her feet. "Well, yeah… Everyone's got something sort of like that," she says gently. "And most people? Never get as far as the admitting part… Fewer still manage to believe it." Resting a hand on the boy's shoulder, she turns back toward the Mansion. "Just… if you have trouble sleeping? Just try to remind yourself that a lot of us have been through something or other… and it does get better. It does."

Connor's followup sounds odd, but it comes out almost in a tumble, "Am I at the wrong school, Rash? I mean… with everything I've heard about Barnes… am I in the right place anymore?"

Rashmi pauses at this, eyebrows furrowing as she turns to look at Connor's eyes. "I… I don't know for sure, Connor," she says slowly. "I'm sort of keeping myself on the fringes of Barnes on purpose…. for all that I ever manage to *do* that." Falling silent for a moment, the girl shakes her head, nodding back toward the Mansion. "Thing is… this place doesn't *want* anything out of anyone. You get to do whatever you want, once you've graduated. Barnes, though? No matter what, it's always clear from the very beginning, you are *going* to have all the training of a SHIELD agent, regardless of whatever else. Because there may come a time when SHIELD requires you to use it."

Connor nods once and then touches his forehead to Rashmi's for a moment and then moves to sit once more, before he rolls his neck, "Thanks for the honest answer. It almost sounds worthwhile. I mean… I'm a mutant… I can't really join the military, I'm not sure if the X-men thing is for me… but it's just too many choices. I've learned this much, I can't JUST be a writer. I've spent too much time doing something… sitting on the sidelines? Well…" And he smirks at the girl, "I guess you've rubbed off on me."

"Careful," Rashmi says, wrinkling her nose in response to the smirk, "optimism is contagious. But, if you're *really* serious about it? Let me know in a couple weeks. I'll see if I can find someone who'd be able to give you a more complete pitch than I could. … …And since it seems *Leo* is one of our powers trainers, I guess Mike and I aren't the only ones there who're familiar with the place."

Connor exhales hard and then looks back towards the mansion, "I'm probably going to take the recovery time and go home for a couple days after tomorrow. Spend some time with the family… get some familiar stuff. Decompress. You're welcome to come if you want." The words seem almost distant though, some of the lingering issues of the ordeal still hanging over him, but then he motions with his head, "So… we'll talk in two weeks… but for right now, it's too cold out here. Let's head in."

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