Players:
Summary: Robin talks to Skyler about her frustrations regarding the school's facilities.
Date: August 31, 2009
Log Title Body Image
Rating: PG
Xavier Mansion - Ramsey Dormitories Lobby
The lobby of Ramsey Dormitories has two elevators at one end of the wall along with the entrance to a cafeteria. On the wall are three pictures that say 'In memory of'. One is of Douglas Ramsey, another of John Proudstar and the last one is of Jean Grey. There are several couches and tables down here for students to relax. Large windows in the front and sides allow for a lot of light in the room.
Eyes peek around the corner on the boy's floor. Even though many people already know about Robin's situation, she tries to keep it as under wraps as possible. Her constant presence on the boy's floor, however, is something that might blow that cover. As soon as she feels sure that nobody is watching, she makes a dash to the elevator to bring her back down to the lobby. Her stealthy attempts would likely be more successful if Blank (who, to her credit, seems to be trying her very best to be stealthy) wasn't a glowy blue person.
Skyler is just walking out of the showers, wearing little more than pajama bottoms and a moist towel. He seems fairly oblivious of Robin's attempt to emulate the Ninja by shouting out, "Hey, Robin!" waving a hand at her.
Pitpatpitpatpitpat pit pat… pit… pat. That's the sound of Robin's footsteps as she slows down upon hearing Skyler's voice. She seems a little bit disappointed, and she and Blank turn around in unison to greet Skyler. "Oh, hi," she says flatly. She tilts her head slightly and says, "Did you just clean up? I hate using the showers here. I get up at 4:00 am to use them."
Skyler arcs an eyebrow. "Four in the morning? That's awful early." He chuckles and shakes his head, figuring he knows the reason why. "I can't get embarrassed that easily myself. Hell, I've /been/ half the people here." He nods at the shower doors that he just exited. "But, yeah, sometimes after a hot day like today, I like to clean myself up."
Robin glances towards the shower room and then back towards Skyler. She nods and notes, "That's a good thing. I just try not to use the showers often, I guess." She and Blank shrug and Robin says, "It will probably be easier to avoid it in the winter, when I don't sweat as much."
Skyler wrinkles his nose. "You don't have anything to be ashamed about," he says. "Except for the smell if you don't take a shower."
Robin shakes her head and says, "Well, I shower as often as I need to, I just hate it." She crosses her arms and notes, "And I know you say I have nothing to be ashamed about, but you get to use all the girl stuff when you're a girl. You even have a room on the girl's floor."
Skyler mms and nods, moving over to lean against the wall. "You should talk to the headmaster about it. You shouldn't feel like you have to sneak around just to take a shower." A slight pause before he amends, "or the bathroom, I bet."
Robin nods and says, "Yeah, I know…" She scratches her head lightly and notes, "People tell me to go talk to him about it and stuff, but he's busy with headmastering and superheroing and shooting eye lasers and he'll probably think it's silly… But I do hate trying to, um, hold it until I'm sure nobody's in there."
Skyler gets a stern look on his face and folds his arms. "He's /not/ too busy to see you about this kind of thing. If he was he'd resign as Headmaster. This is part of his job." He chuckles and shakes his head, "Look we have to deal with all kinds of situations here. If you think that we can't accommodate you while we can accommodate somebody who can eat only raw meat, or sheds constantly, or who is a brain in a jar then you're very mistaken."
Robin nods slowly and notes, "But they are being accomodated 'cause it's part of their mutations… they can't help it.." She bites her lip lightly and says, "I'll talk to him, though. Set up an appointment or whatever it is that I have to do." Blank and Robin tilt their heads slightly and she notes, "I guess it's what we have a headmaster for, though. These kinds've situations…"
"…. Aaaand can you help being what you are?" asks Skyler. "People are more than the sum of their mutations. While we're here they have a responsibility to our welfare, which includes not only the physical but the mental as well. Take Daisuke for example. He… I don't want to get into his past but let's just say that what he went through makes the kind of thing you have to deal with a walk in the park. But he's come a long way from when I met him two years ago. He's actually physical with somebody and… well… that's saying a lot." It's hard to keep just the slightest hint of jealousy out of the tone of his voice when he says that.
Robin shakes her head and she notes, "Sounds like he has had a very tough life." She scratches the back of her neck lightly and says, "And I can't help feeling the way I feel, but I do choose what I do about it. It would really suck to go back to boy mode but… I mean, I always have that option, technically." She sighs and says, "I'd probably benefit from a shrink." To that, Blank just nods her head.
When Skyler catches himself nodding in time with Blank he just chuckles. "We've got those here, too." He stretches his arms over his head, thinking. "You know, I never thought about seeing one myself now that I think about it. I mean, one would think that having to deal with a different body image on a regular basis, or having your parents convinced that you're dead no matter what, or never being able to return to your old body would be a good reason to go to one but…" he shakes his head in wonder, "I don't know. I think I've just gotten used to it by now. I've still got pictures of what I used to look like, but they just don't seem like me anymore."
"Really? It would really be strange to me to just… change bodies, all've the sudden. I mean, I've imagined and fantasized it happening, but if it actually did? I dunno. That would be so strange to me," says Robin. "As much as I hate my body, it's still my body." She and Blank shrug synchronously. "I guess if you don't feel the need to see a shrink, that's a good thing, though. Maybe your body image is more fluid as a part of the mutation? Even when I change my appearance a lot, I have a hard time changing how I picture myself."
"It… I dunno. It's just a natural thing for me, now," admits Skyler. "Like putting on a different pair of underwear. At first it was kind of strange, but then I was a little freaked out about how quickly I adapted to it. I didn't think I would… or sould, I guess… get used to it as quickly as I did." He chuckles, "It's funny. When I look in the mirror, no matter who I look like I always see 'me'. Or.." a dark flash crosses his eyes quickly before he shakes his head as if to clear it. "Ow. Dammit, headache. I'm getting them a lot more, now."
Robin tilts her head slightly and asks, "Is it your form that gives you a lot of headaches? Maybe you should change out of it soon…" She shrugs and then notes, "I look at myself in the mirror sometimes, and I marvel how pretty my reflection is, but I sometimes forget that that's what I look like, and maybe other people see a different person when they look at me… Body image is so hard for me to master. I kinda envy you with that."
Skyler laughs lightly and shakes his head, "I think it's just that I've come to terms with who and what I am, so it doesn't bother me." He gets up off the wall and lays a friendly, reassuring hand on Robin's shoulder. "I may have the advantage in that I can look like anybody I want to, I admit." He nods at the thought of the body causing the headaches. "Yeah, maybe it is. I'll have to switch sometime soon, then." With a chuckle he squeezes her shoulder, "Look I've got to go back to my room and get dressed. If you ever need anybody as a lookout for the showers or anything, you can count on me." With that he turns and starts back down the corridor, "Take care!"
