Players:
Summary: Chloe and Kieran try to help Sage a bit with his homesickness.
Date: September 14, 2011
Log Title: Homesick
Rating: PG
Xavier Mansion - Woods
Pine, Oak, Birch, and many other trees can be found in these woods. Paths lead all through out them for students to take walks. The occasional bench can be found along the paths. Students shouldn't worry about wandering too deep in these woods as its almost impossible for them to get lost here.
The first week of classes has come and now it's the middle of Sage's first week of school and he finds it overwhelming. Instead of going to the cafeteria for lunch he's come out to the woods for some comfort. Sitting in the dirt with his back against a tree and his knees up he fiddles with making a hemp necklace. His fingers don't seem to be working right as he keeps having trouble with the knots. Occasionally there's a sniffle from Sage as the back of his hand brushes one of his eyes.
The first week of classes were always a trying time for any student, even someone as used to take a rough course load like Kieran. He's just sort of walking in the woods today to try and relax. Currently he's humming Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen, his hands in his pockets and just sort of meandering. The sniffling does draw his attention to begin looking for the source of it when he actually notices it.
Hearing the sounds of footsteps of another in the woods, Sage straightens up and wipes his eyes huridly, even if they still are a bit red. He looks around as he quickly tries to appear absorbed in making the necklace. Spotting Kieran he gives him a smile. "Hello Kieran, how are you doing this afternoon?"
"Hey Sage, not too bad." Kieran says shrugging a little bit and flashes a bit of a smile,"You ok dude?" He asks curiously tilting his head a little bit. He might not be /the/ most observant person in the world but he does have the ability to connect the red eyes with the crying he heard.
"I…I miss home." Sage says as he's gotten quite homesick the last few days. "I've never been away from home before and it's been so long and the classes…it's all so different. Everything is different and I just want to go back home." He confesses to Kieran. "I know I can't but, I miss it terribly so."
"Yeah. I know how you feel." Kieran says sitting down into the lotus position,"I've never been away from my family either, and with all the stuff that happened I didn't get to spend much of the summer with them." He says casually,"But the classes aren't as different for me. I'm big on the classwork here. The harder the work is the better for me." He says seriously,"Don't have to think as much about what's not there."
"I've never had a class like this before. Math? American History? Mutant Ethics?" Sage says sounding just about as overwhelmed as he feels. "Sure we did reading writing and basic math and basic English history back home but nothing like this. I've never even had a text book before. Most things back home were related to the farm and…it's silly to me. It's all silly. I don't understand why it's important."
"History is very very important though. Those who do not know the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them." Kieran says as he places he sits opposite Sage. "And Algebra's really important. They probably have you doing that since you need the tools you learn there to be able to do Geometry. I'm taking advanced Algebra this year. These are things less specialized to the basic running of a farm and more about giving you the tools to interact with a broader society. And Mutant ethics is important since we're all mutants."
"But why American history specifically? I'm not American, I plan on moving back to England when I get all this under control." At least Sage hopes to. "And I want to live on the farm the rest of my life and raise animals and farm. Why is 'x' important when I'm helping a sow give birth?" He asks quite seriously as he hugs his knees towards his chest and rests his face against them.
With a gap between classes Chloe is making the best of (in her terms) a huge amount of free time by taking a little hike through the woods. A little hike at thirty miles an hour hefting a bag filled with bottles of water and maybe a few bricks. She very nearly breezes right past Sage and Kieran before skidding to a halt. "Who is a sow now?" she wonders. "And why is she pregnant in the first place?"
"X is just the unknown. When you're doing math you always have an unknown." Kieran says shrugging a little bit, before glancing towards Chloe and waving to the blonde girl,"Hey Chloe, and he means a /real/ sow, not the figurative one." He says seriously.
"The female pigs back home are Sows. Also my pet Cinnamon is but she's not going to be giving birth anytime soon." Sage says as he looks up at Chloe. "And she's pregant because we need the pigs to bread for food. We never bought our meat from the store back home." He explains. "I still don't think any of this makes much sense Kieran, I know you enjoy school but I am finding it quite difficult and most of it unnecessary."
Chloe laughs. "X is the unknown? Not just true in terms of math," she points out. "I bet it's why they call it the X gene. Either that or it just sounded good." The speedster shakes her head. "I kind of guessed the reason you would have pregnant sows when Kieran pointed out you meant actual pigs. What exactly is it about school which is causing trouble Sage? Perhaps if you spoke with some of the teachers they could sort something more suitable out for you."
"It's because you're trying to get an immediate concept of what use it is." Kieran says seriously, looking at Sage and then shrugging a little bit,"Sometimes it's about the gaining of knowledge. Knowing about other countries though can benefit you. Course you plan to live a life of almost seclusion, which sounds dreadful to me. I don't think that I could handle living on a farm. Not big on the farm animals."
"I love animals." Sage reponds. "I love gardening and cooking and learning about various plants but math? I don't love that." He admits. "I don't know Chloe it's just everything is so overwhelming to me. I'm just horribly home sick on top of the classes which are so much different then back home. I loved it back home. I know it's not for everyone but it's for me."
"Will you ever be in charge of the farm back home?" Chloe wonders, shrugging off her backpack which lands with a heavy thud. "Because if you do then you'll need to know math. To work out how much income you've got and what taxes to pay. That sort of thing. Better learn now when you can make mistakes than get in trouble later in life. I don't suppose much about the other classes will matter, but some things like science might help. Knowing about how weather works or the way plants gain nutrients from the soil."
"Least chemistry and biology, and do they offer botany classes?" Kieran says sounding curious. "And for being charge he might need to know accounting, which some people seem to struggle with the concepts involved. "There are plenty of things that you can find use for if you try. It's just going to take you awhile to really adjust to the classes. They are different. Your classes before were very much specific to what you were doing, where we do broad strokes and you learn about more things."
Sage blinks a few times a Chloe and Kieran and feels like crying again but he takes a few breaths and just shakes his head. His hair wraps around him a bit as if he's hugging himself with it. "I don't know, I think my Great-Grandparents handle that sort of thing. There are so many of but noone is really in charge. It's a community." Sage says failing about the subject.
"Well then you can at least learn some funny stories about the crazy stuff people learn in America?" Chloe offers as a last ditch suggestion. "So how about your Kieran, settling in okay"?
"I'm ok. My courseload's a little heavy but then it always is. The easiest class I have is probably music." Kieran says grinning a bit,"And just relax Sage. Try and just enjoy what you're learning. If nothing else that gives you things that you can teach the people back home." He says casually, his eyes going from Sage to Chloe and back again, before he turns toward Chloe,"I've gotten a little bit better control over my abilities."
Sage nods to Kieran's words as his hair still clings tightly around him. "There's definately plenty of crazy stuff here such as people's dependancy on the mag…uh laptop computers. Even the portable phones, we have one phone for emergancies back home." Sage never used one until coming here. He still hasn't really used it much. "I can't teach them back home any of this stuff. It'd be too strange and I think my brother would think I'm daft."
Chloe twitches. "You say they're mad but wouldn't everyone having a cellphone mean that if someone had an accident and broke an ankle they could call for help?" she points out. "I was hoping I'd stay on the Corsairs again, because even if he's a total jerk Professor Summers really does know how to push people into learning how they can use thier abilities. I don't really think the squad we're both on know is going to be half as…. challenging. I know I've said I hate the danger room before, and I do, but if I /must/ get sent in then I'd rather the time was well spent."
"I don't know about having Sophie on our team. I've done sessions with Sophie, and it was sort of hard. She has to be led around because she can't see." Kieran says seriously, frowning a little bit,"And not sure about Mason. I mean he doesn't seem to want to acknowledge he's a mutant in a way." He adds sighing a little bit,"I've been trying to learn to use my powers, but mostly it is just trial and error." He says casually, his eyes flickering for a moment before he says,"She's right. Cellphones didn't just catch on because they're cool. They're actually really useful items. They allow people to communicate whenever and wherever." He pauses for a moment before he says,"I think the Danger Room is as good or as bad as you use it. I know I wouldn't have been hurt a lot worse when Shane blew up Cerebra if it weren't for what I learned from Mr Gilpatrick in the Danger Room."
Sage pushes himself up takes a deep breath. "Stop it, just please stop it. I know you all like your fancy cellphones and magic boxes and television and video games and classes but I don't. I don't at all. I miss things back home, I miss my family and friends. I miss the animals, I miss the daily chores and I miss the market. I know everyone here loves the Danger Room and violence but I cannot stand it. Everyone wants to make me see that it's okay and necessary but I don't think it is. Why is everyone trying to make me like how you guys are, I'm not. And I'm happy with who I am and how my life was. I'm trying to adjust but it's not easy, not at all. I'm learning to accept you all for your way of life here but can't you just accept these things aren't for me? Please?"
Chloe scowls. "Did I not just say I didn't like the danger room /twice/ in a row?" she remarks. "I'm not even especially fond of computers or televisions. Nor can I play video games and I have no clue what a magic box is. Hell I can barely touch a book without the entire thing coming apart in my hands." She rolls her shoulders, then ducks down to retrive a bottle of water from her bag. "Out of interest why did you come here anyway? It's an aweful long way to travel when your ability isn't exactly a risk to the people around you. Are people really against mutants in Britain?"
"There's learning to fight and there's learning to defend yourself." Kieran says blinking a little bit at Sage,"There is a difference. And the school doesn't really take total pacifism as a course of action." He adds sighing a little bit,"Don't try and hurt, just learn to defend yourself." He says shrugging a bit,"The reason they do that is there are times where talking doesn't work." He moves his shirt to reveal a small scar on his right shoulder,"This happened because of when Shane was being mind controlled." He says sighing a little bit.
"I'm sorry Chloe but it's not just the Danger Room that I dislike, it's the actions that go on inside it and I'm sorry but it doesn't seem like you dislike it because all it involves is fighting." Sage is rather calm spoken about the whole thing, he doesn't raise his voice but more it's a pleading to be understood. "To answer your question, I was destroying a lot of things around the farm with my hair, I have trouble controlling it. I was spending more time reparing my disasters than I was helping around the farm. I came here so I can control using it. My hair is stronger when I'm not choosing to use it then when I try to." He looks at Kieran and blinks a few times trying to hold back a few tears. "You're doing exactly what I'm asking you not to. To me, there is no differance. I'm just asking you accept that is what I believe, please. I'm sorry you were hurt."
Chloe laughs. "Did you not consider shaving your head? Haircuts cost much less than flights," she wonders with dry amusement, swigging the water and then offering the bottle around. "I don't mind fighting in the least. I more specifically dislike fake fighting. And if I didn't care for fighting I'd likely be dead and not just missing my hand. Anyway as the topic seems to be upsetting Sage lets change it to something a little less divisive. Anyone got new roomies and are you getting along okay with them?"
"I've got Ashley but I ignore him." Kieran says shrugging a little bit and then putting his shirt back,"They aren't the same. Fighting you're trying to hurt someone. Defending yourself is not about fighting back or even hurting people. It would be like using your hair to block something, or to hold them still. See the difference? Defense isn't about fighting back. For instance when I got hurt I was defending myself by stopping shrapnel from my skin. I had to lightly deflect. See the difference?" He asks the last curiously,"Violence isn't fun. If you enjoyed violence there is a problem." He says sighing deeply.
Sage looks at Chloe like she just asked him to chop of his hand and every dread on his head flies back as if they're scared. "I haven't cut my hair since I was eight years old. My Mum and Dad gave me these dread locks then and everyone in my family has them. I am not cutting my hair." He says horrified. "I got a new roommate, I miss Tyler. Quenton is a bit…I don't quite know how to understand him. And I like Ashley just fine." Ashley's been one of the few people to not act like Sage is a complete weirdo. "Kieran please just stop trying to get me to see your point of view. I'm not going to. I've asked you nicely a few times." He's getting quite frustrated with Kieran.
"Ashley is the one who set fire to everyone, right?" Chloe asks, putting the water away when no-one seems to want any. "He's so very lucky I have calmed down now. When people started going missing I discovered I have unintentionally obtained a turbo charged capacity for being angry…. Not a pleasant thing to possess. Hmmm Quenton? Don't think I know the name. What's he like?" She winks. "Perhaps we can give you some tips on dealing with us strange modern types."
Shaking his head a little bit at Sage, Kieran says,"Tyler's a good guy. I actually pity him for his new roommate. I cannot see Theo and Tyler getting along well at /all/." He pauses for a moment,"Ashley or Jem? Jem I almost cut loose on with my powers after she used her powers and almost incinerated Tyler, and others. I don't get why people do that kind of shit." He says seriously,"I haven't met Quenton either."
"Theo can be quite angry at times but he's not that horrible. He was quite pleasant yesterday." Sage says. "And I don't know but Ashley has been quite nice to me since I came here. As for Quenton, he seems to have a lot of opinions and assumptions." He doesn't realize that Quenton is being sarcastic. "I do not believe I know Jem. And thank you for the offer Chloe but I have no issues with you and what you enjoy nor do I have any issues with what other people here are like. I just wish they would stop trying to make me like them."
"I was meaning if you wanted advice on how to approach your new roomie. You did just say you didn't know how to understand him," Chloe says, rolling her eyes in her special deliberately slow manner. "Theo is… He's really not as bad as rumours make out. When he first came here he'd had some pretty bad things happen and I think a lot of his early trouble was because of that. I don't really want to go into more detail without him knowing.. But yeah if you or Tyler do have problems let me know and I'll talk with him."
"Theo… I've had good conversations with Theo, and I've seen him behave in a way that is not very good." Kieran says shrugging a little bit,"He's a little… I am not sure what the right word would be for him. He has issues, and when something crosses them, I think that causes him to come off as an ass more than he might be otherwise. However, seriously… He has issues with people who are gay and they're rooming him with someone gay. This just doesn't sound like a good thing."
"Oh I meant I didn't understand him in the meaning that when he says something, it doesn't seem that he means it? Or if he does he seems confused about it?" Sage says with a shrug. "I just know him as the guy with the armour. He scared me quite good when I first saw him in the robot armor."
Chloe nods. "And if you knew why I think you'd understand, but I doubt he'd tell you. He's a very private person. Lets just say that he's had worse things happen than I have and I'm missing bits," she says quietly. Giving a quick demonstration of her removable cyborg hand for Sage's benefit. "You mean it seems like he's either not very bright or perhaps that he's making fun of you? Could be either I guess. Won't know until I meet him." She ponders for a moment, then adds "I wouldn't worry so much Kieran. Theo had been getting along a lot better with Robyn lately. So it hopefully means he'll be okay around Tyler."
""I don't know… When I met Theo, he seemed more… ignoring Robyn than being friendly." Kieran says shrugging a little bit,"Well, Theo can be antagonistic. He did think I was going to fry his little robot thing the first time we met. Course if he ever messes with Tyler, that might just 'accidentally' happen." He says grimacing a little bit,"Most of the time he seems like an ok guy, I wouldn't say he was a great guy, but he seemed… ok."
"Robin seemed so nice when I met her. I like her puppet that follows her around, it's quite interesting." The only Robin that Sage has met is the girl Robin so he figured they mean her. "I don't know Chloe, I just don't think I understood what he was really saying. He kept calling me Starshine which was strange since that's my Mum's name." He says sounding a bit confused like he didn't get the hippie joke. "He seemed angry at one time but sometimes people get angry. It's good to talk out things when you get angry."
Chloe glances at Kieran, then Sage, before shrugging. "I don't want to jump to conclusions Sage, but it sounds like he was trying to make fun of you. Most guys would find a name like Starshine a little offensive, he probably didn't count on it actually being a name you're used to," she replies, leaning up against a tree. "Oh and it's Robyn not Robin. Two different people. One's a gay guy who graduated and the others a girl who still goes to school here."
"Umm… Knowing Theo at all, I think we was poking fun at you a bit, maybe not trying to be mean but I think he definitely was." Kieran says sighing even more about it,"And yeah. Robyn's attending art school now. He's a very good guy. His powers are a nightmare to fight against. He can take people over." He adds casually as he stretching a little bit,"I've met Robin as well. She did seem rather nice."
"It wasn't Theo, it was Quenton." Sage says frowning a bit. "Well if it makes him feel better, I'm fine with who I am." Sage says with a shrug as it doesn't bother him that much. "Anyway I should be going I have English now, which doesn't make any bloody sense since I already speak English." He says with shrug. "Anyway I will see you both later. Cheers!"
Chloe waves. "Then you should get top marks then," she teases. "And Sage, it'll get easier with time. Pretty much everything does, even homesickness and feeling like the world doesn't make sense anymore. Most of us here have been through something similar. You'll figure out a balance that works for you and then you'll wonder how you ever thought it was strange." Or he'll go crazy and leave the school faster than you can say flight home. "Anyway Kieran what do you think we'll be doing in our squad sessions? Have you had Kenta as your squad leader before now?"
"Yes. He was my squad leader last term as well." Kieran says nodding his head a little bit,"I'll see you later Sage. Just relax and take it easy and just remember that when it's all over you'll be able to go home." He says smiling a little bit as he gets up and stretches a bit.
