Players:
Summary: Robin and Shane aren't the most lively bunch.
Date: April 4, 2011
Log Title: Must Be Something Going Around
Rating: PG-13
Xavier Mansion - Kitchen
This kitchen was designed to feed large numbers of people, and looks it with its bright white walls and stainless steel appliances. The stove, refrigerator, and dishwasher are all larger than normal. There is an island with stools around it for people to sit and eat around along with a table for twelve by the windows in back. Along the wall is a hole in the wall looking into the dining room so food can be passed back and fourth. Anything you want to cook or eat in the kitchen you will find the food and supplies to do so.
Sitting on one of the chairs, leaning over a plate of steamed vegetables that are cold and haven't been touched, is Robin. She busies herself by prodding the veggies lightly with a fork while simple staring forward with a tired and detached look in her eyes. She's clearly not been sleeping well. A black hoodie covers all the way up to her wrists and she also wears a pair of simple blue jeans. Lifting the fork slightly, she glances around the kitchen.
The kitchen door bumps open, admitting a very wrung-out looking Shane. Her hair is frizzy, the bloody red dye fading to mouse-brouwn over the crown of her head, as though she'd not colored it for some time. Her eyes have dark rings beneath them, and her face is sallow and unhealthy, as though she's had a very nasty bug for a good while now. Instead of her costumes, she seems to have simply thrown on a black long-sleeve shirt and a pair of jeans a size or two too large. Without comment, she makes a beeline for the fridge, only looking at Robin long enough to note the other girl's presence.
Daisuke can't cook, he's just not good at it, so he doesn't even try. He comes into the kitchen with bag from a local Japanese place and sets the bag down and starts pulling out a tray of sushi, miso soup, gyoza and a salad. Once he's done pulling out his dinner he looks at both Robin and Shane. "You two okay?"
"I'm doing okay, just fine," replies Robin, seeming to actually register that there are people in the room once she is adressed. She looks between Shane and Daisuke for a moment and pushes up her glasses to rub her eyes, not being particularly careful to keep her destroyed eye hidden like she usually is. She raises her hand in greeting now at Shane and puts down her fork. "Just a rough couple days, no big deal," she notes.
"Been sick," Shane mumbles, tugging open the fridge door and removing a can of soda. "No big deal. Not throwing up anymore, so." Holding the can in gloved hands, she slinks toward the counter, nudging the chair away with a foot and sitting down.
Daisuke picks up his styrofoam container of Miso soup and offers it to Shane. "You want some Miso Soup, it's good if you're sick. It's like Chicken soup but better." He says giving a smile. "Sorry to hear that Robin, I hope the rest of the week gets better for you."
"Must be something going around," mumbles Robin in response to what Shane says, rubbing her temples lightly. She readjusts her glasses and actually picks up one of the veggies on the plate with her fork, "I'm hoping the rest of the week's better myself. We'll be approaching the end of the year soon, and I need to do well, can't fall behind again."
Shane looks blearily at the bowl of soup, then shrugs, nodding toward the counter for him to put it down. "Thanks," she says dully, popping the soda open. Of Robin's worries about falling behind, she says little; she knows she has fallen back, but at the moment can't seem to work up the energy to care much about it.
Daisuke puts the soup down as he goes to dig into his dinner, snapping his wooden chopsticks in half. "Well if you need any help I don't mind, after all it's my excuse for not leaving here, working as a tutor." He says with a shrug. "So if you need help not falling behind I really don't mind setting something up."
Robin looks up and nods at Daisuke, "Oh. Oh, thanks… I might need that. I just haven't been able to concentrate properly, that's all. I'm usually… pretty good." She crosses her ankles across each other and shrugs, glancing towards Shane for a few moments. She doesn't actively look /at/ Shane, though, rather just happens to start staring in that general direction.
Shane drags the bowl of soup over to her, picking the can of soda up and resting it against her forehead. The more astute among the two may notice that her gloves are in fact standard black knit gardening gloves… the kind with the pads to help with grip. Silently, she pops open the lid of the bowl, dropping her head to breathe the steam in, and reaches for a spoon… fingers shaking, every so slightly.
Daisuke looks at Shane and just watches her. "Are you sure you're okay Shane? You really don't look well. You want me to take you down to the medbay, see if a nurse can take a look at you?" The gloves do strike his curiosity but he doesn't vocalize any questions about it, right now he's worried she's still got the flu or something. "Just let me know how many days a week and at what time you want to get together Robin."
Robin seems to make a face when she notices the gardening gloves, but her expression softens slightly as she's distracted from the not particularly fashionable gloves by the trembling. Her eyebrows raise slightly, and she looks away, touching under her eye and placing her own hands firmly on her own lap only glancing over at Shane again before looking at Daisuke. "For sure. Probably just a little to catch up and get the assignments done…"
"I'm *fine,*" Shane says, stressing the word a touch. "Told you, it's mostly over." A spoonful of soup is eaten, slowly, and another. By the look on her face, the fact that she meeds to take it slow is irritating, more than anything else, and quite embarrassing… but she continues to act as though nothing is terribly wrong.
Daisuke looks at Shane for a while and just watches her. He's worried since he doesn't think she looks fine or that whatever it is, is mostly over, but he's not one to really push things. "Okay, just if it starts to get worse see the nurse. I don't want to see you get worse." He says before eating. "I've actually forgotten what it's like to feel sick."
"You don't get sick?" asks Robin, raising her eyebrow. "I'm a bit jealous if that's the case… I get sick plenty. I don't have the best immune system on me." She folds her hands together and looks down at them, "I just need to shake this thing, then I'll be fine."
"Fine, fine," Shane mumbles, closing her eyes for a moment. Letting out a rough breath, she returns to her eating. "It sucks. Be glad you've forgot, you're not missing anything."
Daisuke shakes his head. "Once I got powers, something happened where it's just not possible for me to get sick anymore. I've got this super metabolism or something." He says with a shrug. "Thanks Shane."
"I wish I had a super metabolism," says Robin, frowning slightly, "That would help things a lot." She glances under the overhang towards the floor, where her puppet is curled up on the floor. "Whatever, I guess…"
Shane eats her soup, slow and quiet, her free hand spread out flat on the counter. While normally, she'd be actively trying to stay out of the conversation, it seems like she's becomes someone else entirely; passive, ignorable, and for once not even sporting her headphones. "…'S good," she says finally, of the soup. "Thanks."
Daisuke's phone starts going off and Daisuke frowns as he looks at it. "Sorry, it's my grandmother, I have to take it. Feel better you two and get to the medbay. If either of you need anything let me know. I can get you guys more Miso Soup if you want." He says as he offers them a small smile and heads out of the room speaking in Japanese as he chats away with his grandmother.
Robin watches as Daisuke leaves and glances back towards Shane. She stays silent for a few moments and looks down towards her hands and back up to Shane. Awkwardly, and a bit quietly, she notes, "I think I've got what you've got…"
"Doubt it," Shane mutters, grateful for the pads on the gloves to keep the soda in her hand. "You'd have to be real stupid to get this. It's a special Dumbshit Flu."
"Yeah, I mean… I think I've got a special Dumbshit Flu. I've definitely been a bit of a dumbshit lately…" says Robin, frowning for a moment. She adjusts her glasses slightly and looks down to her cold rubbery vegetables.
Words which cause Shane to pause, slowly looking up from her soup. "….Yeah? How long?"
"Around the middle of March…" says Robin, putting her hand through her hair. "And then I screwed up a few times since then…"
Shane grunts, turning back to her soup. "…Few times. Lucky. Spent a week and a half screwing up. Got found out. Now I have the Dumbshit Flu."
"I just can't stop screwing up, that's all… Emma mindblasted me the first time. It hurt," says Robin, shrugging, "I just can't get it out of my head."
Shane sets the spoon down, pushing the bowl away and laying her head down on the table. "…Yeah… you got it." Closing her eyes, the frail little girl draws in a deep breath. "…She caught me too. Accident. Made me give it over, said she wouldn't say anything. 'N then she saved my butt when I was walking home from the City. Big drug war thing. Almost got carted off." Lifting a shoulder, she scoots the less-cool can to her temple. "…So I'll deal. Don't stop wanting it… but I saw what happens. Buncha crazy shits blowing each other away cos they can. 'S like angel dust, only worse."
"Yeah, I know that I'm a total jerk when I'm on the stuff," says Robin, crossing her arms over her stomach, "And I don't like being like that. And it's keeping me from focusing on my schoolwork… I want to get into premed, but that's gonna get shot down the drains if I can't beat this thing. I have a coping mechanism but… it's not really very healthy either."
Shane shrugs, folding her arms over her head. "Just gotta deal. Been looking up places for advice, stories 'n shit. Said it won't ever go away, but after awhile it's something you can just… live with. Iunno. I was broken enough before this, I'm shit for telling people what they ought to do."
"Yeah, I'm not… well, I'm not good at being, um, not broken, myself. I'm in no position to say much about it, I guess, I'm just scared I'm going to screw up /again/," sighs Robin, rubbing her eyes. "Sorry, shouldn't burden you. I was just wondering if you wanted to talk about it, any."
"Not really," Shane murmurs, though without any real rancor. "Usually wanna just be left alone. Wish people could get that, but whatever." She falls silent for a while, the conversation seeming to require a good bit of energy, before speaking again. "…So why'd you go back?"
"Well, if you want me to leave you alone, just say 'go away', I'll get the hint," says Robin, kicking her foot against the wall of the counter lightly, "I went back 'cause I was hurting myself to cope with the cravings. I, um, cut myself. Have for years. It's stupid, but it's what I've got. So I thought just taking more would solve my problem. I mean, I didn't genuinely think that, I just… deluded myself."
Silence, for a while. Then, if slightly muffled; "….I'm paranoid. Don't trust anyone. Don't *like* anyone. Haven't for a long time, 'cos it always got me hurt. Everyone I see, I wonder what they think about me. Then I think they think I'm a huge bitch or whatever. Doesn't matter if I've never met them. Then I wonder if I disgust'm enough they wouldn't piss on me if I was on fire. Then one of you'll want to talk to me." Her arms tighten over her head. "…And then for two hours a day I could stop caring."
Robin frowns slightly as Shane speaks and she nods, "Well, um, I don't expect you to trust me or anything…" She glances down towards her still sprawled puppet and shakes her head. "I guess I don't really know you well, so I never really thought of you much. Just that you're quiet…" The mutant nods sadly at the last part, "Yeah, the not caring is kind of what I really wanted. I have, um, some anxiety."
"'Cept there's all that other crap too. Powers going nuts, people trying to stop you… Two hours a day I *was* a huge bitch. Probably you were too. Just, I just laid there on my bed and didn't give a damn, so it was fine. …So like I said. Dumbshit Flu. I hate it, wanted to die for the last week, want to cry every couple minutes, and those two hours are like Hell's own self-help group. Whatever. I'll deal. You? Probably want to talk to a counselor or something. They got those here right?"
"Yeah, they do… I'm just scared to go see them, 'cause I don't want it to go into any permanent record stuff or anything, 'cause that'd hurt my chances at med school and, well…" says Robin, furrowing her eyebrows slightly. "I made it for four days last time. It's only been two days since I ran out again…"
Shane's shoulder rises and falls. "Tell Ms. Frost first, then. Guess as long as you're makin' the call she's not out for blood, right?"
"Yeah, I was thinking of telling her directly… I mean, she kind of intimidates me, but she's still kind of like an important role model even if that's maybe a little crazy…" says Robin, "So disappointing her sucks."
Shane grunts. "…Like I said. I'm shit for being all encouraging and wise and stuff. All I know's Ms. Frost's the only person who's ever apologized to me and meant it. …Besides Mason, anyway. So, yeah."
Robin shrugs and says, "Well, um, I'm not expecting encouragement and wisdom or anything, but yeah, I figure I'll go to her." She rubs her eyes lightly and sighs, "I hope that your recovery goes well, though."
"Mmn," Shane says, picking up her soda and finishing it off. "Probably it's as good as it's going to get."
"Yeah, I guess. But I mean… it'll kind of fade after awhile, right?" says Robin, picking up her plate to clear it of its contents and put it in the dishwasher. "At least a little…"
Shane shrugs. "Iunno," she says after a moment. "Probably? But I'm not looking for it…. Easier just to think this is how it's gonna be, and get used to it. That way… there's no surprises."
Robin nods slowly and says, "I guess that makes sense… If it gets better, that's a bonus, but if it doesn't, no expectations anyways…" She bites her bottom lip between her canines for a moment. "Either way…"
"Yeah," Shane says after a moment, raising her head and scrubbing at her face. "…Yeah." Raking a hand through her hair, she slips off the chair, clearing her throat. "…So yeah. Thanks."
Robin brushes her hair away from her face and nods at Shane, "Um, thanks to you too." She drops her silverware into the dishwasher as well once she remembers it's still open. "I think I'm going to head to my room and try to read for a bit…"
"'Kay. G'luck," Shane mumbles, carting the empty take-out bowl and soda can to the trash to drop in. "Think I'm just gonna pass out. Easier."
Robin nods at Shane and says, "Thanks. Sleep well…" She blinks hard and summons Blank back to herself, and the exhausted puppet synchs with Robin as they both leave the room.
