Players :Connor & Jinx
Summary: On the eve of war, Volk makes good on what may be the final promise to an old enemy, and in doing so both parties help each other heal a little more.
Date: 06-21-2020
My Immortal
Rating: G
Inside the Morlock Tunnels
OOC - Once more, the song chosen is to reflect some of the attitudes of the scene. In this case, it will be Evanescence's 'My Immortal' Enjoy!
Early morning cannot be really seen in the caves, and to assist Jinx as much as possible, she's been placed where the natural channels of air that some of the mutants keep moving in the underground naturally pull away scents, leaving something of a cushion there. A figure looms close by, resolving into the form of Connor… or Volk as he's apparently now called. Instead of being dressed in the stinking death and war combat fatigues, he is in a tank-top and BDU pants that smell of the outdoors and the stink of smoke from a fire someplace. Kneeling down next to you, he holds up a note and it says, -Come with me, please.-
Jinx has been sitting with her back to the wall and her tail curled around her legs. It is the safest posture for a prisoner, and Jinx has been a prisoner for long enough to forget any life that she has had before. Mostly. The fresh air has been a godsend, and she breathes it in with the relish of a drowning woman. She smells him before she sees him, her eyes focusing up on the face, then down to the note to read. Her head lifts from her knees. "Where?"
Flipping over the note, Volk writes down with a pencil, -Away. Away from us. Away from him. Away from everything here. I made a promise. I intend to keep it. You'll be safe.- Then he stands up and takes a breath, and you can notice for the first time that even in this state, there's still at least one pistol and a knife on him.
Jinx looks up at the man's face. She still remembers the boy he was so long ago. "Did you ever kiss anyone?" she asks. Her nostrils open, and she is flooded with the scent of the tunnels. For a moment, it is nauseating and overwhelming, and she swallows the lump in her throat as her eyes close again. She is scenting him, 'listening' for the truth of his words.
This time he actually whispers, "Rashmi. It…*COUGH* was a mis..*COUGH* take…" Some shame in his eyes as he looks down and away for a moment, and it carries on his scent, that but a healthy dose of male attraction at the mention of her name. But as quickly as it comes, it settles, and he looks back up, giving a a sardonic smirk before he exhales, and gives a 'what can you do' shrug.
Jinx eyebrows arch upwards in surprise. "You made out with a married woman? Never thought you had it in you, Connor," she mumbles. A blink, then two and she nods her head. "Okay. I will go." She brushes her hair from her eyes and makes ready to stand up and brush out her tail.
Wincing a bit, Volk gives another shrug and looks around for a moment, the subject obviously uncomfortable. Once he has her up and on the move, he stops and pulls out a pack of goods from inside of sconce on the wall, and holds it up for her to take. It has the smell of some clothes, some drinks… coffee and tea… and the hint of gunpowder and oil. Despite that he waits for you to take it… and then turns around and taking a faded picture from his pocket he begins to concentrate to create a portal.
Jinx checks out the bundle with her nose while he concentrates on his portal. She always hated the portals, though it was better than the cold nothingness of James' between. She leans over to look at what he's looking at, to try and get a glimpse of the picture.
As the portal resolves itself after several moments of concentration, and the sheen of fresh sweat breaking out on him for the action, you can catch a small glimpse. A beach… trees, a small cabin-like thing, and the ocean in the background with what looks like a larger island or the mainland visible in the distance. Slumping back a moment, his face showing a bit of grey, Volk politely offers Jinx to enter under her own power.
Jinx can see the beach beyond. And trees! And ocean.. and fresh air! She almost cries, the noise from her throat a noise of pleasure that she did not know herself capable of. She exudes pure relief and joy in that moment, swirling like the feeling of coming inside after a horrible snowstorm. "Thank you," she whispers, and bends to give Connor a kiss on the cheek. In a flash, she's through.
Waiting for her to head through, the kiss is a complete surprise, and leaves him stunned for a few moments. Shaking it off he looks around and seeing no one is present, passes through after you. As the gate closes behind him and he steps down on the sand, you're both assaulted by the warmth of tropical air, the clear water, the sounds of people in the background. It looks like some kind of local fishing village in the remnants of what used to be a tourist town. Walking up next to Jinx, he passes her a fresh note, -This is St. Martin's Island in Bangladesh. I'll be taking you to stay where I lived for few months. The family are Russian refugees, and understand the need for secrecy. You'll have privacy, fresh air, time to yourself. This picture will stay with me, and only one other person will know you're here. Anyone else will have to search the world to find you. I couldn't find an image inducer though, sorry.-
Jinx's feet touch the sand. She feels fresh air in her fur and breathes in to taste the sea and sky on her lips. Her arms spread. "I have never been anywhere so beautiful," she swears, even though her eyes are closed. She smells rotting vegetation and fish nets drying in the sun, and campfires and the tide leaving shreds of seaweed behind. "I don't care about any inducer. I can hide if I have to. I can *breathe* here." She smiles, though it drops bittersweet after a moment. "He won't be able to find me, will he?" More of a statement than a question.
Volk growls out softly in his unused voice, "Picture… has GPS… if got from me… but… wouldn't come… as Tooth. Come as… James. Promised… JAMES… keep you safe." Stopping before he goes further down the beach, the man actually takes off his boots after several long moments, and slings them over his shoulder. Walking along with Jinx, he turns his head and looks out over the waves, before saying softly, "If you can get to… mainland… can hide. Russia. India. lots of places. Under the grid. Best thing..*COUGH* About the third world is… tech goes *COUGH* down… nothing… changes." He's actually panting a bit after saying so much, and stops as you both get in front of what used to be a small set of tourist cabanas that have seen far better days, and now seem to be regular living spaces.
Jinx puts her hands on her hips, but she is watching her toes. Her claws sink into the sand. She will never get the sand out of her fur. Her head turns to the Cabanas and she squints, shading her eyes with her hand. "I want him to be able to find me, if he comes out of this. If he doesn't, I think I will know," she says quietly, the looks back to the man. "What happens to you now?"
Going to one at the end of the row, he takes a set of keys out from under the mat and unlocks it, seeming unconcerned about anyone trying to rob the place, and motions for her to go inside. The place is completely spartan in it's decorations, but the theme seems to be old Russian military. Even an old coat up on the wall with several medals on it. Volk's hand pauses to run over that, and an old bolt-action rifle next to it. Turning to face Jinx once more, he replies, "I… go back. Do what I can… *COUGH COUGH* Try and make all of it… pay off. Trying to… give them the peace I can't ever have." One thing though… the place smells of cats. At least three of them coming and going in the place. All female. Not marking, just the scent of their fur. More obvious is the giant blob of brown and orange warming itself on a sunny spot in the small home's kitchen counter. The beast looks up, squints, and goes back to bed.
Jinx breathes as she sees the cat, and walks over to stroke her hand over the creature's sun-warmed fur. "Okay," she answers after a moment. It seems a coward's game, to hide in a beach house while there is a war going on, and Jinx struggles with the concept. "Why don't you talk much?" she asks, since she has his attention. The provisions are evaluated with a casual scan of her eyes. It's plenty.
The hardened man sits down, and true tears… not of anger, not of regret… true tears of the man inside come up as his voice comes in almost a pained whine, "Twenty Eighteen… We'd… run out of places to hide… Uncle Yuri was dead. Rashmi… s-she promised… they'd be… safe. B-but… meeting… was an am-*COUGH* bush." Gritting his teeth to hold it back, if his scent would say anything else, it's an animal want to howl, to nuzzle and lick it's packmates that are dead, that maybe they'll get back up again, "D-damaged Sentinel… detected… my little sister… fired… gone… flash of light. I screamed. Kept screaming. Nothing but… *COUGH* Black Ash." A sniff comes as he continues to fight all but the barest of tears, "James… Tooth.. s-saved me… b-but… I was already… dead." And he taps his heart gentle, "Dead. here."
Jinx walks over to the man and places a hand on his shoulder. There is no hug there. It is the solace of a mutant who can influence emotion via touch and scent. There is forgiveness in her touch. "What did you tell me last night? You said everyone had to forgive themselves," she murmurs to the man, her eyes as purple as sunset beneath her lashes. "How did you expect me to listen when it's so obvious that you can't take your own advice?"
As he looks up he smiles, "Can't change… what happened. Can't change… who I became. I'm… Volk now. and… 'm Connor…" Coughing again as he winces at the raspy throat, "It.. hurtssss… hurtsss deep. Not b-because I… failed… I… I never trusted. You… said I shouldn't be alone… all those years ago. But… only now… 'm I… starting to listen." And with a bit of a chuckle he knocks the side of his head, "Just… as stubborn… as James. In my own way."
Jinx shakes her head and scowls lightly at him. "There's only one James. I think the world is better for that. Imagine if they cloned him and programmed them. They would be worse than the Sentinels. But all that we lost makes what we keep even more important." She turns her head and looks to the canaba. "When this is over, you need to let yourself have a life. You need to kiss a girl who isn't a mistake, and you need to let someone love you.. even if you don't love yourself. It'll do a world of good."
In a rather small, almost boyish voice, "Was thinking… of asking… *COUGH* Eliz-abeth… out. Psylocke. Maybe… hop… the border to… canada. Go out for pancakes… something… stupid normal…" But then he stands up, "Only one James… and *COUGH* Might kill him… soon. Might love him… like a… brother. But… we're… never friends. Never… again. Deeper now. But stained." And with that he starts to stomp back into his boots, "In the bag… a pistol. O-old… Tokarev… belonged to Yuri… keep it. So I know… something… of me.. is watching over you… too."
Jinx takes a step backwards, removing her hand and any influence over him. "Okay. Good. I'll keep it," she nods her head. The idea of two mutants going out for pancakes is a delightfully normal thought nd comforting in a way. "I know how to stay safe. I have been protecting myself for a long time without all you looking after me. I will keep doing it right here."
After the boots are on, Volk walks to the door and stops there for a long moment, turning his head to stare back at you for a long moment, "'s Different now… I got… something to fight for. You… something to live for. I'd… sell my soul… for any one of you… to get your happiness… back. Not… because… I lost hope. Because… I have it. No matter what happens… long as I'm alive… you need me. I'll come. Only one *COUGH* other… has that privilege. Allright?"
Jinx nods her head, even though he is sorta hard to follow. "Alright," she agrees, tentatively. "Don't sell your soul," she winks to him. Her hand goes back to petting the cat, who erupts in bubbling purrs.
