Players:
Summary: Connor, Hooligan, Rashmi and Travis talk about the previous night and work on getting past it.
Date: February 3, 2011
Log Title: Into The Morning Light
Rating: R
Africa - Rundown Village
The lush green trees of the rainforest hide the small village, with only one road that leads out. The road clearly doesn't get much use, high grass growing up the center. It's nestled next to a beautiful river, flowing with the clean source of water. Still, it is a good walk down a slippery slope to get there.
The village here is poor, but hardly unpopulated. There is one solid building standing at the middle of town, and that's the church, though even that is a roug stucco building. It also seems to double as a clinic. There is no steeple, it is a simple block building, but a cross stands high over the main entrance of the buildling. There are no white people who live here, a dark shade of black on the skin tones of each inhabitant. Though it is small, there are people who live and play. Children run amidst dogs, the women wash clothes and cook while men bring in the food. Some traces of civilization can be found, playing cards and checkers seems to bethe popular activities among the elderly, and they can be found in the shade of any of dozens of trees or around the large fire kept burning at the center.
The rest of the buildings in town are all the same. They are grass huts, and offer little privacy. None of the inhabitants seem to mind, content with their community life. This might offend some of the sensibilities of Americans, but they don't seem bothered by such things.
Everything from leaving Nero's camp to now is a bit of a blur to Travis. He got a bit of sleep last night but it didn't leave him feeling rested. His wounds have been rebandage and there are cuts and bruises on his body. He's lost a bit of weight in the last two weeks but he's finally gotten to get cleaned up and a clean pair of clothes. He's sitting on the river bank looking across the water just trying to process the last week and a half, which feels like it was much longer. Two of his arms rest on the back of his head while the other four are wrapped around his knees, he's just very unsure of things right now.
Maxwell hasn't slept since coming to Africa, jetlag and the strain of the fight are taking it's toll on the vigilante. His armor damaged in several places with bulletholes and shrapnel revealing the dented and cracked steel plating under the kevlar and leather, but it seems to have held up. The Hooligan has paced the camp since the fight ended, keeping watch for remmnant of Nero's forces and helping out where he can. Though how he got from new York to Nero's camp is still a mystery, and he's wondering if he can beg a ride off the mutants to get back. He sways a bit on his feet but remains steady as the heat of the african morning beats down, refusing to even remove his mask.
"Hey, mister," comes a quiet voice from the doorway of the village chapel. "Sit down a while, okay? You're making me nervous." Leaning against the doorway, a glass of water in her hands, is one of the captives from the camp, the dark-skinned girl with the bad haircut. "I mean, thanks for… um… helping… but that mask doesn't do a whole lot to tell me we're *out* of that place, you know?" Blinking, the redhead tilts her head, brow furrowing. "…Who *are* you, anyway? I thought I knew everyone on this trip."
Travis hears Rashmi's voice from where he is on the river bank and isn't quite sure how to approach her. It isn't until he hears he asking who Maxwell is that he turns and looks. He just figured he was another one of the folks at Xavier's. He slowly pushes himself up so he's standing and looks over at Maxwell. "You mean, you're not part of the whole Xavier's crew?" He asks as he bends down to pick up the canteen of water he's been drinking. He starts walking towards Rashmi and leans against the wall of the chapel next to where she stands in the doorway. "How you feeling?"
Maxwell looks over as Rashmi speaks and nods "Yeah well I'm still a bit on edge.. the intel I gathered on Nero's forces indicated that he had reinforcements on the way to his compound that night, hard to tell wether the forces stationed there were comprised of those troops or wether they're still out there. As for the mask.. well they call it a secret identity for a reason. You can just call me Hooligan." He walks towards the chapel, absently turning the studded baseball-bat he carries in his hands. Looking to Travis as he walks over. "Nope, this whole thing was kinda of a spur of the moment thing. Long story really."
Rashmi nods slowly. "That makes sense… sort of… anyway," she says, leaning against Travis' shoulder and closing her eyes, "thanks. We um… probably weren't going to survive much longer, if you all hadn't shown up when you did."
Travis moves one of his arms around Rashmi's shoulders and nods. "Yeah, thanks. We weren't gonna get out there on our own." He doesn't like admiting it but there wasn't a way out without help in his opinion. "If you got hurt at all last night, let me know. I can heal you." Then he looks down at Rashmi and gives her a faint smile. "Same goes for you too."
Maxwell shakes his head "Naw I'm good, armor held up pretty good all things considered. Frankly if the attack hadn't happened when it did I wasn't sure what I was really gonna do. So I suppose the whole fight was just a matter of all the elements coming together at the right time."
"Practically a miracle, is what is was," Rashmi murmurs, crossing her arms over her stomach and shivering, leaning into Travis' arm. "So um… how did you even *get* here, Mr. Hooligan?"
"It's just you have prefect timing, what was it that got your attention with Nero." Travis asks as he shudders ever so slightly when he says the name. "Also I want to know what that explosion was." He comments as things were very chaotic last night but at least it's all over.
Maxwell gives a stretch for a moment, a few audible pops heard under that armor. "Nnngh.. damn." He looks back to Rashmi "Nero had been pumping drugs into New york faster than anything I'd ever seen, I'd been smashing Nigerian drug dens and taking out his street dealers for the last 3 weeks or so practically non-stop. Stomp one down and two more slithered out of the alley to replace them. Finally I managed to 'persuade' one of his dealers to reveal the location of the main supply house. When I raided the warehouse I caught one of his Lieutenants talking to an amercian genetic scientist about working for Nero and using some sort of drug given to him by an alien to make a mutant army. After smacking them both around and ransacking the place I found the information packet the Lieutenant was going to give the scientist.. private plane ticket, city contact, the whole nine yards. So I packed up my gear, passed myself off as the scientist and they brought me to the compound." He nods to Travis "Very good timing really, well I'm not sure what the first explosion was, I thought it was somthing the Mutants were doing. The second explosion was me getting a rocket launcher from the Armory and blasting the generator building into scrap.
"…Which is what got us our powers back," Rashmi finishes, shaking her head and managing something like a laugh. "I guess Sugar Man made him a dampening field. He turned that on, he didn't need the collars. Every mutant in the camp didn't have their powers anyway. So, yeah… thanks very much for blowing up the generator, Mr. Hooligan."
Of the group present, only Rashmi would be used to the sight of a portal opening in mid-air close to where the camp was set up for the visiting Americans to the small village. A six foot wide swirling blue-green disc of power floating in the air like a pool of water… complete with rippling surface. Through that steps Connor, carrying a few things with him in the form of a pair of plastic totes… one marked with a red cross, the other marked with the IGLOO logo. It's a foot drop from the edge of the field, but he makes it easily enough. Dressed back down into civvies, about the only sign of the black-clad warrior from before is the combat knife on his belt. There's a curt nod of greeting to the small group as he makes his way into the supply tent for the moment, before saying loud enough to be heard, "Rash? Can you and your friend come here for a minute?"
"Thanks again Hooligan. I am really grateful that you did that. Came, when you did. It was a godsend." Travis says. "And it's nice to have my powers back, the arms just feel weird without them. And I didn't realize he was spread out so far." When the portal first appears Travis tenses a bit, he's jumpier than he thought he'd be. It's not until Connor steps out that he relaxes. He gives a wave with one hand to Connor and nods. "Sure."
Maxwell begins to answer Travis when the portal opens, spinning around to face the opening and immediatly dropping into a fighting stance and whirling the studded bat a moment out of sheer reflex. It's fairly obvious this is a man who has seen a great deal of combat to move that fast even as fatigued as he is. He relaxs after seeing neither of the other two are reacting like this is a threat and lowers the weapon. "Now that's a neat trick, a little unnerving but a neat trick." He returns the bat to it's scabbard on his back and walks over to help out if needed.
Rashmi lifts her hand in greeting, as Connor drops to the ground, lips twitching up slightly at Maxwell's reaction. "That would be Connor, Mr. Hooligan," she says, pushing off the doorway. "And if you think it's unnerving now, wait until you go back to the City. He's probably going to be our ride home." Falling into step next to the older man, she approaches the tent, chewing on her lower lip for a moment before pulling the flap aside. "What, um… What's up, Connor?"
Connor is removing some vials of milky-looking fluid from the first aid crate as the group walks in, and then gives a smile, giving a nod to the pair, and then a slightly wary look to the Hooligan, "Staff back at the academy say hi… and wanted to get some preliminary work done before you're all back for a full medical exam." One vial is handed to Rashmi, the other to Travis, "Broad-spectrum antibiotics. The bottles have their own dermal injection systems. Just put it to your arm, the sensor on the cap detects the vein, and it does the work for you. It'll sting." Then out comes a second set, these with a small set of pills in them, "Specialized vitamins. Take one every morning while you're recovering and still here." Once those are passed out, he then opens the second box, and takes out two bags from a Hindi food market close to where Rashmi's family lives, "Comfort food. Butter Chicken, Curry, Jasmine Rice, some Biryani, and plenty of Naan to go around."
Travis sits down in the tent and takes one of the vials and looks at Connor. "Thanks, I can heal people but not myself. Which, if you need anything fixed up, let me know." He says as he looks at the vial before using it as instructed. "And the name's Travis if you forgot." He says to Connor since they met briefly before the whole fiasco. He takes the pills but when the food comes out, Travis turns a bit greenish.
Maxwell chuckles under the mask and gives a nod to Connor's wary gaze "And hello to you too." He looks around and sighs "I could have rigged up power for this place if Magneto hadn't reduced the entire motorpool to metal sludge, nothing left at the compound to salvage. So I don't suppose you can conjour up one of those portals to Hell's Kitchen? My ride here was regretably one-way and airport security gets really bitchy when I try to get this stuff through customs." He's about ready to drop over, telling jokes is the only defense mechanism he's got left.
Rashmi quietly takes the antibiotic and pills, arranging them on her lap, and as the food comes out, the redhead pauses, beginning to tear up. After a moment, she leans over the boxes, wrapping her arms around Connor's neck and squeezing tightly, before settling back and resting a hand on one of Travis'. "It's okay," she murmurs. "This is for surviving. Nothing else. Share with me, please…? I… didn't get all that much to eat, I'm not sure how much I can keep down." Looking over her shoulder up at Hooligan, the redhead smiles gently, nodding. "Mami and Papi live near Hell's Kitchen, sir… If I'm in the neighborhood and there's anything you need… let me know, okay?"
Looking to Hooligan, Connor replies, "Sorry… it's nothing personal… but yeah, I can give you a lift. If you think you can handle the trip. Otherwise, they're still having Kisha look back over the Bla… our aircraft to see if anyone left any surprises." Rashmi's hug is returned with one just as fierce, and he reaches in to take out a couple aluminum-wrapped flat items, handing one to Travis, "Naan… it's just plain flatbread. Your stomach should be able to handle it." Nodding once to him before offering a slight smile as he looks around again, "Hooligan, right? Thanks… and Magneto was my fault. When Rashmi was taken, I made a decision, and contacted the Genoshan Embassy. He wasn't here for Nero… he was here for The Sugar Man. I've also taken a laptop and a couple hard drives, along with a bunch of files I swiped to a few interested parties. Nero might be beaten, but his organization is still there. But with everything I have, we might just break the back of the beast. What we did
"…What we did could have repurcussions for years in the region. But good ones for a change. People will have to act now."
Travis takes Rashmi's hand and squeezes it. "It's not that, I want to eat, trust me, it's just ever since…the fight. I barely got anything to eat there and then on top of that, I just feel sick at the idea of food. Water is okay but…" He does reach out and take the offered bread from Connor before he lets out a sigh and looks down at the ground. "I didn't want to do it Rashmi, and that's not me. I don't even know if I did the right thing, why should he have died for me to live. I don't ever want to do that again, I'm not a killer but…what I did, does that make me one?" He doesn't mean to be a downer but it just kind of all comes out as it's been the focus of most his thoughts. What Connor says is given a nod but he doesn't really want to think about all that right now.
Maxwell nods "Hey no problem, trust me dressing like this I've gotten worse reactions but it gets the job done. I think I can handle a bit of Stargate jumping if you're up for it." He nods to Rashmi "Well we may run into each other again, stranger things have happened." He looks to Connor again "Eh you did what you felt you had to, trust me I can relate with that." Finally he looks to Travis "You do what you gotta do to survive sometimes, I know advise from a guy dressed up like the hell's angels meets Jason Vorhees won't be much comfort. But it's not just the decisions you make in life that define who you are. It's what you do in the aftermath of those decisions and how you choose to act int eh future that really counts. We are everyone we've ever been, Soldier, killer, Brother, Husband.. all of it. It's how you meld all those aspects of yourself into a single whole that says who and what you really are." He looks to Connor "Ok ready when you are before I really start getting sappy. If you ever need my help again, I'm not too hard to find if you try hard enough."
Rashmi starts to open her foil-wrapped naan, tears springing to her eyes as the steam drifts up to her nose. "What you did doesn't make you anything, Travis," she murmurs, leaning against the six-armed mutant's shoulder. "Neither of you deserved to die… neither of you was given any other choice. You chose to survive, Travis, that's all there is to it. It was a horrible, horrible thing you had to do… but that doesn't make you any more of a monster than I am," she says, eyes haunted as she looks down at the flatbread. Tearing a small piece off, she tucks it into her mouth, chewing slowly. "…Oh. Did the girl get back okay? He'd… told them to give her some food and send her back here."
There's a moment of pause from Connor, before he takes a breath, "Everyone's back in the village… everyone that we could find. Those that were Mutates or mutants Magneto had me ferry back to the Embassy so he could contact the proper authorities and have them taken home… he's supposed to call me to help get them where they need to be. As for the ones who the Sugar Man altered… apparently, he's dealt with this before, so hopefully they'll be able to be turned back from what they were turned into." There's a long sign as he finishes, and flops down, looking back and forth, "Travis… don't think about it right now. You're still in shock over what happened. It was the same way with me during the Mutant Town attack. Just… give it time to click together in your head. And when you're ready to talk to someone, you pick who you want to talk to, and about what."
Travis puts two arms around Rashmi as he unwrapps his own naan bread and goes to chew on a small piece. Hooligan's words do bring Travis some comfort and he smiles at him before he leaves. "Thanks again, for everything." He says as he eats slowly. "That's good, I just hope those that were in the cell with me can find a way to go back to normal. And what girl?" He asks as he finds the bread a bit easier to handle than he thought. "Were….our parents notified what happened…do you know that?"
"I told him I wouldn't be his wife," Rashmi says, softly, quietly, staring down at her bread. "When I woke up, after…" Closing her eyes, she ducks her head, pressing against Travis' side. "He said if I was going to be a solider… I had to prove I would be worth it… So he brought in these people. … …Told me to pick which one was going to die…"
Any sense of discomfort is hidden at the thin line that forms where Connor's mouth is, and when Rashmi begins to speak, he just remains silent. The usually verbose young man does go to where the water is stored, and fills a fresh water bottle for Rashmi and Travis, coming over and settling it down next to them. After that, comes a handkerchief from his back pocket that he hands to his friend. No reassuring looks are exchanged. Almost like a cat watching something it doesn't understand, his head tilts slightly as he listens.
Travis nods as Rashmi talks his eyes starting to tear up a bit as well. "What gives that asshole the right to fuck with people like that." He says barely above a whisper he takes the water from Connor and nods his thanks. "That man…" He says just clenching his jaw and squeezing Rashmi's shoulder lightly.
Rashmi reaches out, taking the handkerchief with a small nod. "I couldn't… I couldn't choose. So… He killed them both. Just… shot them in the head, right in front of me… and brought two more in. Told me to choose… choose who was going to die." Drawing in a deep, shuddery breath, she presses the cloth to her mouth, her voice starting to waver. "I told him to kill me instead… and he just laughed. Said I… wasn't one of the options. Killed them. Right there."
Connor opens and closes his mouth a couple times, as if trying to find some words, but then stops and shakes his head… mostly to himself.
Travis wraps four arms around Rashmi and pulls her into a hug. "It's not your fault Rashmi, it's his." He says. "He killed a boy infront of me cause I told him I wouldn't kill for him. I also told him to kill me and he wouldn't, instead he shot the kid. I..I hate that I couldn't do anything for but, I had to remember it was his fault not mine. He's using people like they're pawns. The worst part was watching that poor kid die…"
Rashmi burrows into Travis' arms, tears falling freely now. "…So he… brought in two more. From the village. An older man, and… and a little girl. One of the girls who played with my hair, she called my name… I… The older one, he looked at me, and he knew… he knew what had to happen… so… I did it. I pointed at him and he died. They shot him in the throat… he fell face first on the other ones, bleeding… Oh God, he was bleeding so much…" Pulling in a shaky breath, she looks to Connor, then up at Travis. "You're not a monster, Travis, you're not… You're *not.* Because if you are… I am too."
Connor finally murmurs out, "Neither of you are monsters." His glowing eyes looking back and forth between the two, "I know what a real monster is… if it would surprise you. I've seen the things I'm capable of if the right choices or circumstances come… but even when they come, you still have to accept them before they have meaning." There's a pause as he takes a piece of naan and some yogurt dip for himself, and has a bite of the cooling bread, "Monsters wouldn't be talking about what happened like this… they'd be eating and chatting about the weather, or talking about their next step. Monsters don't think of people as people. Don't let the names and lives affect them, because the only one that is important is their own. What you both have to remember is that he did not break you. In the end, you won."
Travis runs a hand through Rashmi's shortened hair before bringing it forward to lift her chin up to look at him. He's crying a bit himself but not bothering to wipe away the tears. "You could never be a monster Rashmi. And I don't think of myself as a monster just…I feel guilty. Like I let my Dad down. Though I will say this, I am never taking another life again. I am not a killer." He's saying that more for himself. "I…I just..I don't want to be like the guys that killed my Dad. And then they were hurting you for stuff I did Rashmi…and they told me they'd kill you too if I didn't win and, and, I couldn't lose someone I care about again. I can't go through that again."
Rashmi sighs heavily, resting her head against Travis' chest. After a moment, she cracks open an eye, looking to Connor. "…Him and his Mom and in Witness Protection," she supplies. "So… yeah. They were going to hurt me no matter what, Travis… You just gave them an excuse… and an idea. They ended up holding some other girl hostage to my good behavior too… But Connor's right. He couldn't break us. It was the only way I could fight him, not letting him win like that… So… I don't mind that I got beaten… I… don't mind that he… cut off my hair…" And here she trails off, throat tightening around another round of sobs.
There's a nod of reply as Connor takes another deep breath and stands up, "I've told both schools about what happened… wrote up a whole report for them, including what I could about your conditions. But they'll still want to interview you about the events that occurred. Since you're both over the age of consent, no parent signatures were required for the trip… so I think they'll leave it to you to inform your parents about this. I'm not sure, to be honest."
Travis winces slightly as Rashmi leans on his chest but he doesn't move her. He's still got that stitched knife wound across his chest. He nods in agreement about the Witness Protection program. As the hair is brought up, Travis brushes his hand through it. "You're allowed to mind about the hair Rashmi. I know it may seem stupid but it's okay to mind now that it's over." He looks at Connor and nods. "Connor, really, thanks for coming. I don't know what we would have done without you guys."
Rashmi pulls away, nodding quietly, and gets to her feet. Turning, she crosses the space between her and Connor, wrapping her arms around the teen and squeezing in what would be a bone-crushing hug, were she much stronger. "Thank you *so much,* Connor… Thank you…"
Connor shakes his head, but then the hug hits, and his hands come up to wrap around Rashmi's waist that he accepts the hug once more, "If I hadn't done it, I would have made sure someone else came. It's why I called Magneto in… we needed someone that Nero couldn't play his games against. Someone that if we failed, could make sure the job got done. Truth be told… I was so scared… I almost turned into something you wouldn't have liked. This was a bit of a test for all of us… and we might not have come back the same, but we came back as something we can live with, I think."
Travis stands up and offers Connor a hand in thanks. "Yeah..Magneto…he's pretty intense. So is that woman, Hilde?" He met her on the way over. "I wouldn't want to get on her bad side." There's a slight smile that shows on Travis' face as Connor says he was scared. "I think we all were. I honestly wasn't sure if I was going to get out of there, but I couldn't kill him. I didn't want to because that would have proved him right, that he did make me a killer. I just hope taking away the use of his hands makes it so he can't kill anyone again."
Rashmi squeezes Connor once more, stepping back to allow Travis to offer one of his hands. Leaving an arm around Connor's waist, she reaches out to take hold of one of the five other hands Travis isn't using at the moment. "It's over," she says quietly. "That's all that matters to me right now… It's over, and we can go home. After that… I guess we'll just have to figure out what to do when we get there."
Connor shakes Travis' hand as Rashmi remains close, "Well… the dumb sonuva-…" Stopping himself before swearing, "This all did kind of interrupt any birthday plans I'd tried to make." As he turns his arm and draws away from Travis, the long red mark on his arm can finally and plainly be seen, looking like a recently healed cut, but also like something dug a furrow in his skin, "And there's the dance coming up… so there's plenty to focus on that's not here." But then there's a sigh before he adds, "I don't expect we're going to talk much about this place, no matter what good things everyone tried to do."
Travis takes Rashmi's hand and closes his eyes and nods. "Watch the superbowl." Is his comment to Rashmi's figuring out what to do when they get home. He can't help but smile and chuckle at that, it's so small but it's something that makes things seem…normal and relaxing. "Oh man, I forgot about the dance, I'm going to have to get a suit." He says with a smile at Rashmi before he notices Connor's arm. "Dude, do you want me to heal that?" He says of the mark on his skin.
"Probably not," Rashmi agrees quietly. "Not for awhile anyway… not until it doesn't hurt so much." Squeezing Travis' hand, she blinks cheeks paling at the mention of the dance. "…Actually I, um… think I know where to get a suit. I… need a replacement uniform anyway, and 20s stuff should be fun for him. But y'know what? A dance actually sounds really, *really* nice. I hope the others handled the rest of the arrangements."
Looking down at his arm a moment, Connor replies, "No, it'll go away in about a week. Kinetic bleed. My gravity shields can block physical objects, but the energy and inertia still carries through to a degree. Right now every time I look at it, I'm reminded that you're all safe again." The more casual talk does make him smile, and he goes to unwrap another piece of naan, tearing it in two and giving each half of it, "I forgot to tell you… I'm taking Heather to the dance." A small smile then comes, "And before people start pointing out we're becoming a couple… I did it because no one else would understand her if she needed to leave early, or put in headphones because of uncomfortable sounds. I did it because she wants to go, and well… we get along. I don't think we'd ever BE a couple in that way… but we're good friends, and we understand each other. Which is more than I can say for some."
Travis looks at Rashmi again and smiles down at her, brushing a strand of hair aside. "You know, you might be able to get a really cute short twenties style hair cut." He says as he looks at Connor and shrugs. "You don't need to explain yourself to me. I don't know this girl but take who you're gonna have fun with." He puts an arm around Rashmi and smiles a bit, seeming a bit better emotionally. "Though, I want to tell you something, after what we went through I want you to know who I really am. It just, can't leave this tent, please."
Rashmi manages a small smile. "Honestly, Connor? That's more than I can say for some *couples.* So… don't worry so much, all right? You care enough to make sure she has a good time. That's good. Anything else?" She shrugs, then blinks as Travis pulls a strand of hair away, brow furrowing a bit as she looks up at the six-armed teen, nodding. "No problem… I know how much it means that no one else knows…"
With that being said, Connor stands up and then starts walking out of the tent, "I also brought an MP3 player and some speakers with the food… if you want to cover the conversation, turn it on and up. People will think you're starting a party." Not waiting for a thank you, he steps outside of the tent, and moves to a spot to indicate the people inside are looking for privacy.
Travis wasn't expecting Connor to leave but there is a look of releif on his face before he tells her. "Don't laugh but my real name is Aloysius." Travis states as he lets out a deep breath. "Aloysius Joseph Gardner, but everyone used to call me AJ. I had to tell you, not having your name and not being able to use it, it's like always wearing a mask. I know Aloysius is a horrible name but it's my name and feels the most comfortable. But at least Travis Smith is better than Liam Otter."
"Lia…" Trailing off, she simply coughs away whatever else she was going to say, nodding slowly. "All right… AJ. Um… it's, um… okay if I snicker at Liam *Otter* though, right…? Because, seriously, who *thought* that one up?"
For no apparent reason, Connor begins whistling 'Swing on a Star' outside of the tent, his hands his his pockets as he bounces himself to the beat while walking back and forth.
Travis nods. "Oh yeah, Otter was horrible. And that's what was on the back of my uniform when I played Baseball. I was called Otter a lot in High School. Anyway..so that's who I really am. When we get back home…do you want to go on a date? Like, a real date. I'll take you out to dinner and we can go out and do something." He asks Rashmi as he glaces back where Connor is and frowns a bit. "I kinda feel bad about your friend feeling like he might have been kicked out.."
Rashmi smiles gently, nodding. "Y'know… I think I'd like that a lot." Leaning against Travis, she glances toward the door, raising an eyebrow. "What, Connor? Actually that's kind of surprising, in a good way. I mean… he was really socially awkward when he first came to the school. Back then he'd be trying to keep talking himself into the conversation, y'know? No no, this is good… at least in that he did it without looking like someone kicked a puppy at him."
"Aaaand you might just swing on a star… carry moonbeams home in a jar… 'cause you're better off as your aaaaaare… or would you rather be a fish." The song continues as Connor belts the chorus softly, and goes back to whistling the tune as he forgets the words. His tenor is no Sinatra, but it's passable at least.
Travis nods to Rashmi. "Okay, well, he seems like a great friend to have. And seems like he has a good heart. And if he doesn't mind well, then I don't feel as bad about doing one more thing." He says before leaning in to give her a kiss.
Rashmi smiles gently, leaning up to press her lips to Travis for a moment, lowering herself back onto her feet and snuggling back into the boy's chest. "…Just one thing that's going to be a little awkward," she murmurs. "…That blond guy who was with you when you all came in? That's my ex-boyfriend."
