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Summary: Robyn finds Rashmi to confide in her, Lucas comes in and helps with the lightening of the mood.
Date: March 6, 2010
Log Title Letting It All Out
Rating: PG-13
Xavier Mansion - Observation Deck
Glass windows surround the circular room giving a full view of the school grounds. Two telescopes sit in front of the window for students to looks at the stars. A few comfortable chairs are placed up here for students to relax. Its a quite place up here that allows the fresh air in through sky vents in the summer and is well heated in the winter.
Late afternoon, and in the Deck one of the squashier chairs has been dragged to the window. Within, Rashmi sits, curled up almost completely, knees pulled up to her chest, an open, well-thumbed copy of 'A Wrinkle in Time' the subject of today's retreat into fantasy. Now and again, she looks up, eyes moving out the window, as though searching for something… or perhaps someone. But, with a heavy sigh, her gaze always returns to the pages of her book.
With a 'ding' the elevator opens up and out walks Robyn, wearing the same thing he wore yesterday and it looks quite wrinkled and his hair is disheveled. Spotting Rashmi on the couch he stops, he's not sure what to say. He's just feels weird out right coming to someone for emotional help. If they ask, sure, but as Rashmi knows, Robyn tends to hold it inside until he explodes. "I..saw Jono last night."
Rashmi looks up as Robyn speaks, biting her lower lip; from the look on her face, she already knows, and the news has extracted a terrible toll on her heart, as well. Putting the book aside, she uncurls, standing up from the chair and approaching, wordlessly, to wrap her arms around the young artist in a tight hug. "Mike told me," she murmurs into his shoulder. "Are you okay?" A stupid question, perhaps, but the way she avoids his wounded arm, lends a different wight to the question.
Robyn returns the tight hug and rests his chin on her shoulder. "Honestly no, he…he wasn't Jono." He says sniffing a bit and a few tears finally leak from his eyes. "I'm glad you didn't see him Rashmi….he was…not him." It was weird he doesn't even know how to describe it. "He was powerful, he didn't seem to care about stealing or harming people and when Julian got there…I didn't realize Jono could even do that stuff."
Rashmi's arms tighten slightly, shoulders quivering with her own unshed tears. "Maybe he can't… or maybe he just never wanted to, you know…? I… I don't know, Robyn… Just… I'm glad you all are mostly okay, I guess."
Jonothon pages, "Angsting already? ;) (Teasing!)" to you.
Robyn continues to cry and nods. "It could have been a lot worse, you're right but…I'm scared Rashmi. Jono, I don't know what he did to him, but..I don't know what's going to happen. What about the others." It's been on Robyn's mind all night. He's not sure what's going on but it's scary.
"I don't know either," Rashmi whispers, voice thick with fear and sadness. "I wish I did… All I know is, it'll be okay. Sooner or later… you'll see. It'll be okay."
"It won't be okay Rashmi…you didn't see him last night." Robyn, Mr. Optimistic, but right now he's just freaked out and upset. "I'm sorry Rashmi, I don't mean to be crying on your shoulder but I just needed someone. I don't know what to do, how do you stop that?"
"We can't," Rashmi says, miserably. "It's out of our hands, Robyn… we just have to have faith, that the X-Men can get them back. And, I believe they can, Robyn… I know they're scared of him… but… they've also faced him before, right? How would they know so much, otherwise?" Sighing quietly, she squeezes again, shaking her head. "Don't be sorry, Robyn… you *need* this. And I'm happy that you came to me… really."
Robyn squeeze hugs Rashmi before finally pulling away and drying his eyes. "Yeah, they have but I not like you, where I can keep up this endless hope. I guess I just always fear the worst lately and that way I'm prepared. I'm not usually such a pessimist but I'm just so scared. He changed Jono so much, he…he had a face and was talking and drinking."
Rashmi shakes her head. "It's not endless, Robyn… It's just… sometimes it helps to keep me from losing it, you know…? I'm scared, too… So I have to believe that somehow, it'll be all right." Sighing, she dabs at the corners of her eyes, biting hard on her lower lip. "It's okay to be scared, Robyn. I am too."
Seeing Rashmi cry is kind of a relief to Robyn, it's just not him with the water works going. "I just keep trying to find stuff to keep my mind off of things but when I'm alone, and that's all I can think about, I don't want to do anything. I don't want to see what he's done to Jordan." He says as he /knows/ Jono is changed. "Last time Jono was so helpful in making me feel better but now…he's gone and I'm afraid I'll never get my friend back either."
Rashmi nods quietly. "I know… I'm terrified of what's happened to Jordan, too… and Skyler…" Letting out a long, slow breath, she sinks onto the nearby couch, twisting her skirt in her hands. "When I'm really scared, I start thinking… it's like he knew. Like he *knew* that everyone he took means the world to someone… and maybe that part of why. I don't know if it's true… but it's hard not to think about those things, when you're trying to sleep…"
"I don't think that had anything to do with it as everyone means the world to someone." Robyn says thinking that, for the most part, someone has someone who would feel like their world was crushed if they were gone. "I hope Robin's doing okay. I know her and Skyler are really close and Skyler's done so much for her. And Brian…Addison's worried too and I think he's hearing voices or something.
Rashmi tilts her head, brow furrowing. "…you mean besides all that super-telepath stuff? …You sure it's not just him talking to someone and forgetting not to say it out loud?"
"Well he says someone's talking in his head, but he doesn't recognize it. He could be hearing /someone/ though, I don't know Rash." Robyn says as Addison was the only teacher he could think to go to. "Addison…he's been helping with my powers since I got here, he's gonna help me with more than just basic mental shielding and convinced me not to run after Jordan. But…it's just so unsettling, all of this. At least with the demons…I don't know why it seemed less scary."
Rashmi nods. "…You know… we should talk to Jericho, I think… both of us. Maybe he can help us understand why it's so much worse, this time? I mean… if anyone can figure it out, it's him, right?"
"I don't know, maybe. Dr. Parker-Mayfair helped me with the whole….Nathaniel thing." Robyn's doing a lot better with that mentally and it doesn't haunt him as much. "Maybe cause the second time is worse, maybe cause the teachers weren't so scared last time. I think it's the panic of them that's making it seem so scary."
Rashmi nods quietly. "You're probably right… I mean, when I *saw* the Headmaster like that… and Lorna almost losing it? …Yeah. That told me it was just… way more than the demons."
"And this is really the first lockdown that's happened since I've been here. I mean I lived through when our powers got swapped and I ended up with Headmaster Summer's powers, I lived through getting kidnapped by MGH dealers and then being a frog, but this…is the scariest and I'm in these walls supposably safe." Robyn says pushing his hair back. "I guess the best we can do is wait and practice, and do you have enough hope for both of us that they'll be okay?"
At this, Rashmi manages a gentle smile. "That's the nice thing about hope, Robyn… the more you have, the harder it is to take away… Don't worry. If I have to… I'll keep hope enough for the whole school."
Robyn can't help but smile and chuckle. "I honestly don't know when I got so pessimistic." Maybe when he feel in love and things went crazy. "And do you mind if I try to lean on you for a bit? Just so I can try to feel better. I really don't want me to get as depressed and lost as I did last time."
Rashmi shakes her head. "Not at all, Robyn… I guess… it sort of helps me, too, you know? I mean… It just seems like whenever anything really bad happens, every time I open my mouth all I hear is 'thanks, but you're wrong.'" Flushing and looking away, she shrugs. "So… it's nice, knowing that I'm actually helping, I guess…"
"Well, you're not all gung-ho to go after Lucas this time, you're the sensible one." Robyn's being honest about what he thinks. "Does it suck that we have to stay here and do nothing? Oh god I hate it. I felt like I didn't do much last time and it's like I want to make up for it. I don't know, it's like you feel like you have to prove your love to go out their and risk your life to save them." Ridiculous, he knows.
Rashmi chuckles. "I don't think it's that… it's just… If there's someone you really love… You want to keep them safe. You want to *help* them, no matter what, even if it hurts, even if it could kill you. And… I keep *telling* people, it's not just that it was Lucas," she says with a shrug. "…But I know how you feel."
Robyn puts a hand on her shoulder and looks at Rashmi with honest eyes. "You keep telling people that it wasn't just that it was Lucas, but it was a big part of it, wasn't it? I've seen the way you are when you're with him, you get giddy. There's nothing wrong with it, there's nothing wrong with wanting to save the one you care about. But as much as I want to save Jordan, it is Jono too and Skyler and Brian and Daiuske." Okay one of them he doesn't know and another he barely know's but it's Jordan and Jono that hurt the most.
"….Okay fine but not as much as people seem to think," Rashmi murmurs. "If it was James, or Jordan, or anyone else who texted me… I'd've gone."
Robyn chuckles and looks at Rashmi, but doesn't say anything else. "Well James is good, he was there when Jono attacked last night. You've got quite the guy on your team whose willing to protect people." Robyn really likes James as a friend and has found that the Hyena teen is quite cool.
Rashmi bobs her head. "They're all good people on my team, one way or another… I'm glad James did so well in there, actually. Maybe now he'll start paying attention to the tactics classes, you think?"
"Sometimes I wish I had better people on my team." Robyn says with a half chuckle. "Antonio's barely around and Annalisa…" Roybn can't help but roll his eyes at her. "Jordan, Mikhail and Jared aren't so bad, it's good to have a healer on your team." Then the thing about tactics, Robyn lets out an actual chuckle. "It's James Rashmi, I some how don't see him paying attention to that."
"Yeah well I can dream, can't I?" Rashmi says wryly, a smirk twisting the corners of her mouth. "…Everyone honestly has good people, Robyn… I guess it's just a matter of being willing to *do* the work, you know? In some ways, it's really not all that different from my debate teams. Finding out where people are strongest, and using that to make up for their weaknesses."
"I think that's what bugs me about Annalisa, I don't think she's willing to put fourth the work to get over her fear of her powers, but that's not important." Robyn says waving his hand. "So this student protection class, evacuation thing. Yeah, I'm gonna take it. Give me something to do and something to help out incase the school gets attacked again."
Rashmi bobs her head. "I'm glad to hear that. I'll see who else might want to, too." Smiling slightly, she tilts her head, eyebrows rising. "…Feeling a little better, then?"
Robyn waves his hand back and forth to say 'sorta'. "I don't feel like I'm about to cry anymore?" Robyn says but then he did that a few minutes ago. "I just think it's the worst when I'm alone, cause that's what I can think about it the most. but I really think friends need to stick together right now other wise, I don't know about anyone else, but I know I'll fall apart."
"Well," Rashmi says, sitting with Robin on the couch, "you don't have to worry there. Anytime you feel like you're starting to lose it, let me know, all right? I may not be able to do everything… but I'll help, any way I can, okay?"
Robyn leans against Rashmi and nods, his eyes still a bit red from a good cry not to long ago. "I'm not asking you or expecting you to do everything, just asking you to help if it looks like I'm going down the not eating, sleeping, taking care of myself route. Which I did eat a sandwich today so I am eating thought sleeping last night wasn't easy.
The elevator opens, revealing Lucas. He's wearing a pair of sweats and a wife beater, and is holding a Jim Butcher book, Storm Front. He also has something else in his hand, and as soon as he spots the others here, he quickly sort of hides it behind his back. "Oh— um…. Hi. Heh…" Nervous shuffle of feet.
Rashmi drapes an arm over Robyn's shoulder, sighing in clear relief. "I'm glad to hear that, Robyn… I was *really* scared last time…" As the door opens, the redhead looks up, smiling as she notes Lucas entering the Deck. "Oh, hi Lucas! …Giving the book another try?" The tone of her voice, on its own, speaks volumes; yes, she knows what he's trying to hide, yes, she thinks it's silly, no, she's not going to out him herself.
"Well, as I've said, I'm more scared this time but maybe I'm more…well less stupid?" Robyn says as he's probably just as dumb as he was before. "Hey Lucas, hope you don't mind me stealing your girl for a bit. I think I'm going to leave Jordan and try to steal her away." He says obviously joking since there's no way he'd leave Jordan. He doesn't care about the book Lucas is reading, it's not like he's going to judge him on that.
Lucas tilts his head a little, "Come on, Robyn. We all know you'd leave him for ME, not her." He smiles, and steps off the elevator, still hiding his hand. "What's goin on with ya'll?" He looks at the book in his open hand, "Huh? Oh…" He shrugs, "Ah dunnow. Maybe."
"Just talking," Rashmi says, chuckling at herself at the banter. "…Some of the kids saw Jono at the Grindstone, yesterday…" She bites her lip, beckoning Lucas over to the couch. "…It was… it was pretty bad, Lucas… Nobody got hurt, but… It's scared everyone I've talked to a lot."
"Sorry Lucas, long haired, skinny blonds with a girlish figure aren't my type." If Robyn is teasing him or being serious it's hard to tell, but it's probably a bit of both. "I'm just venting to Rashmi since I was with James, Quinn and Mike and we ran into Jono last night. It's Jono but…it isn't." He nods in agreement that it was scary. "It wasn't scary because anything happened, it was scary to see how much Sinister changed him. Make him someone different."
Lucas furrows his brow, "Ah ain't skinny!" He huffs, and folds his arms over his chest, which inadvertantly reveals the eyeglass case in his hand. "Changed how?"
Rashmi nods to Robyn, repeating the gesture. "Please, Lucas… C'mon over and sit with me a bit? …Maybe show me what's in there?" she asks, nodding to the eyeglass case. It's clear, from her expression, that she's only trying to lighten her mood, with varying degrees of success.
"Change as..um.." Robyn tries to figure out how to word it before just spouting it out. "He had a face, like a whole face, was /talking/, /drinking/ and he robbed a bank. He didn't care about any of us really, he was cocky, he didn't care, he believed that he was answering to that….Sinister fuck."
Lucas sighs, "Maybe he was offered that fix. Like Ah was offered about my hands by the demon." He walks over and sits next to Rash, but he keeps the eyeglass case sort of out of view at his side, ignoring her suggestion to show her. "What would Jordan have wanted or been tempted by?"
"I don't think so," Rashmi says, looping an arm around the blond's waist and pulling him close. "…Jono and Lorna didn't say anything like that… Just… he takes who he wants, for whatever reason… Does things to them. I don't know what. But it's not like the demons, I know that."
"I don't think it was a deal besides, the only thing I could think is that Jordan would want to meet some Superhero he likes." Robyn says knowing his boyfriend is a bit of a hero worshiper. "And Jordan wasn't tempted by the demons, it happened in a different means than you and some of the others. I…don't know, I'm just trying to focus on other things but it's not easy."
Lucas nods, "Sure. Okay, well, Ah just figured… Ah mean, Ah reckoned Ah'd just ask." He leans back, sitting the book in his lap, and hanging his arm over Rashmi's shoulders. "We need a karaoke bar here."
Rashmi blinks, as Lucas makes his feelings plain. Then again. And a third time. Finally, she turns her head slowly, peering into the blond's face. "Um… I thought you *hated* getting up and showing off your voice…? O-kay, enough now. Who are you, and what have you done with the pod?"
"Karaoke Bar?" Robyn asks raising his eyebrows. "I dunno, I'm not really a great singer or anything, I didn't get my Dad's talent…well maybe that's cause I'm not his biological son but yeah." He says with a grin. "But that's not a bad idea, a karaoke night, maybe get us doing something fun so we're not all sulking…well I'm not sulking."
Lucas smiles, and nods at Robyn. He glances at Rashmi, "What?" he asks, innocently. "Look, Ah just… Ah dunnow." He sighs, "We don't have a theater class here, so…" He shrugs, "Yeah."
"…So you miss singing, and you'd like to have an excuse," Rashmi finishes, nodding. "Well… what about those?" she asks, nodding to the Rock Band equipment. I mean, they've got like just about every gaming thingy you can have, here. Would that do anything to help?"
"That's right, they have all that video game stuff down stairs." Robyn says as he doesn't really play video games. "I never got into video games much, but I know a couple of the students here are really into them. Could be fun Lucas, you can arrange a Rock Hero night or something."
Lucas makes an 'eep' face, "Oh… Um… You know, maybe that's, uh…" He sighs, "Forget it, okay?" He nods at himself, and looks over at the elevator doors as they close. "It was a dumb idea, Ah reckon." He scratches the back of his head, and leans back.
Rashmi's eyebrow rises. "Oh… Was it that bad?" Glancing at Robyn, the redhead shrugs. "Honestly…? I *really* liked hearing you sing, that one time. So, yeah, if there's a way I can get you to sing again? You better believe I'm for it. Besides," she says, settling in against Lucas' shoulder, "we could all use something nice like that, for a change."
Robyn looks at Lucas with confusion. "What, because you have an idea and it's a good idea and people agree with you you have to say it was dumb and change your mind? What's up with you Lucas? You have to have more confidence in yourself. I think it's a good idea, help people relax a bit, and I'll get up there and sing too if you do it." No that Robyn wants to but hey, he's trying to help.
Lucas looks at Rash, then Robyn, then he sighs. "Ah dunnow. Ah just…" He leans forward, looking at them. "Do y'all like soup beans an' corn bread?"
Rashmi blinks quietly at the change of subject, eyebrow rising. "I couldn't say… I mean, I've had cafeteria cornbread… Ugh," she says with a slight shudder. "But, that's completely different from real cornbread… if the complaints I heard are anything to go by…"
"You just what Lucas?" Robyn says pressing the subject a bit, but he's curious. Even though he doesn't usually press issues he's in a odd state of mind. "I dunno, I've never had soup beans but I've had store bought corn bread and it's good?" He doesn't knwo anything about Southern Cooking. If you told Robyn that cornbread should be made in a cast iron skillet he'd be confused.
Lucas sighs, looking over at Robyn, "Christ." He sighs, "Ah just miss it, and Ah know ya'll prolly'll judge and make fun of me." He shrugs, "An' it pisses me off that Ah give a shit."
There's a gentle impact at the back of Lucas' head, almost as though he'd been given a very light 'stupid-slap' by a ball of glass. "Lucas… come on, now. What's to make fun of with *singing?* I mean honestly, I *heard* you, you're amazing. He's *amazing," she repeats to Robyn, as though the artist hadn't been right there. "What're they going to make fun of you for? Being *good?*"
Robyn laughs at Rashmi's reaction to Lucas and shakes his head. "Okay Lucas, would it make you feel better if I got up there and sang too, and I'm not a singer. I'm a cellist." Though playing the cello in front of a group of students wouldn't be as fun he thinks. "Honestly Lucas, what's more important, you don't stuff that makes you happy or being the 'cool kid'?"
Lucas sighs, and shrugs, "Look… Y'all don't need to pep talk me. Hell, Robyn, you've got bigger problems then me not wantin' to deal with folks about singin'." He smiles a little, "Ah'm sorry Ah sorta just drama queened this whole fuckin' thing."
Rashmi shrugs. "Honestly, I'd rather nag you about things you want to do anyway, than worry about things there's no way I could ever hope to control, you know?"
Robyn shrugs at Lucas and shakes his head. "Honestly, I'd rather be drama queening with you over this. It's kind of a welcoming thing to pep talk you into having fun. And I've kinda grown to like you, ya pain in the ass." He says grinning at Lucas as he's somehow become someone he's considering a friend. "You can either agree to doing it willingly or kicking and screaming, cause right now, I think we /need/ something fun."
Lucas sighs, and points at Robyn, "Don't get mushy," he instructs. He looks at Rashmi, "Ah'd rather you not nag at all, thank you."
"You're welcome!" This, and a bright grin, the only reply from a clearly unrepentant Rashmi.
"Oh if I was gonna get mushy I'd write you horrible emo love poems and cut your name into my wrist, you know, all those emo things." Robyn says making fun of himself a bit. "But then, you're lucky I'm not into long haired skinny blonds." He says with a chuckle. He's actually similing for the first time in days so he's going to keep it up as long as possible.
Lucas scowls, "Dude, Ah ain't skinny!" he says, once more, folding his arms over his chest. "Ah'm SO not singin' now." he says, looking away.
( Continued at the end of Heroes or Monsters )
