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Summary: Hilde shows infinite patience in regards to a depressed Nicholas.
Date: May 7, 2012
Log Title: Nice Night for Depression
Rating: PG
Xavier Mansion - Left Path
A brick path off the courtyard cuts through the grass to lead to the other areas on the outside grounds of Xavier's. There are a few benches that line the path so students can sit and enjoy outside. Either side of the path the grass is well manicured and has enough room for students to have a picnic, play Frisbee, or relax and study. At night there are small lamps that raise three feet off the ground to provide light.
The sun is setting over Xavier's and Nicholas is lying in the grass looking up at the clouds. His backpack is next to him just sitting here, books and his laptop spilling out of it. His earbuds are in as he fools around with his powers. He has a hand reaching up in the air as it guides a rock through the sky as he just seems to be moving it around. His eyes glow blue as his power is in use.
Hildegarde was glancing out one of the windows in the mansion when she noticed Nicholas outside. After debating for a moment whether or not now would be a good time to speak with the boy, she decides to head outside. The woman is wearing a long skirt and a light jacket, carrying a glass of lemonade as she strolls down the path. She passes by Nicholas and slows down, turning as though she just noticed him before heading back. "Nicholas, how are you tonight?"
Hearing his name bieng called, Nick loses his concentration for a moment and the rock falls a few inches from him with a soild 'thud' on the ground. He jumps a bit and then looks up. "Hello Ms. Hilde. I'm okay." But that's his standard answer for everything. "Just looking at the sky. How are you tonight?"
The woman smiles, "Oh I am doing well." She glances up at the sky and frowns slightly. "Oh it looks like it might rain perhaps. I will be happy once it is warmer." She swirls her drink slightly, the ice clinking in the glass. "So. Have you seen Mikhail at all today? I feel he is perhaps too concerned with which college to choose." Hilde watches Nick out of the corner of her eye while still looking up.
"I don't mind the rain and yeah, the nicer it is means the more time I can spend outside." Nicholas is one of those kids who loves being outdoors. Then at the mention of Mikhail, he sits up and pulls his knees to his chest. "Nope, I barely know the guy. If you're too concerned talk to him not me." He says with a tone of annoyance in his voice.
Hilde looks down at the boy now. "Oh? I thought you knew him bettwe I suppose. May I?" She motions to the ground, sitting before getting a response from Nick. "Do you mind if I ask…Have you thought about what you will do when you are of college age? Do you have any plans?" She takes a sip of her lemonade.
Nicholas shakes his head. "Cale's more becoming my friend than the other guy. I never really had a chance to talk to him." Then at the question, Nick tightens up on himself and takes a deep breath. "Not any more. The stable's gone so I've got nothing."
Hilde stops drinking and lowers her glass, turning to the boy slightly. "The stable is not gone, I was just there earlier today…" Then it occurs to the woman that he is not speaking about the school's stable. "Ah. A different stable. I see. One from your home?" She pauses. "I am sorry to hear this, but it does not mean necessarily that you cannot go to college if you want to."
"My family's stable back home." Nicholas says looking away from Hilde. "I was supposed to take it over. I was gonna either just learn the trade from my parents or maybe go to a local college in North Dakota for Equestrian studies and stuff but…it just doesn't matter anymore. Why's college so important anyway? I'm not going to be some stuffy business guy."
Hilde does not want to pry too much, but things seem slightly unclear. "The stable is gone now? And college isn't important only for business. It teaches you to be more independent. You are exposed to many people unlike yourself. You learn many things at college that prepare you for what they call the real world." Hilde leans back on one arm. "Also unfortunately many jobs now require degrees. It will help you get ahead in life."
Nicholas slams a hand down on the ground and looks over at Hilde. "I've had exposure to people unlike me, assuming you're talking about mutants. They all threw me to the wolves as soon as they could so I'd rather not make the mistake of trusting people unlike me again. They'll just act like they care about you until they stab you in the back. And the stable is gone now because my family and home is gone now."
Hilde will not press about Nick's family anymore tonight. This could be a delicate subject for the boy. He will talk about it when he is ready. "I meant people unlike you as in people of differing religions, national origins, physical ability, world views." Perhaps not too unlike here at the school. "And you have to realize that not all non-mutants are like those that treated you harshly. Believing that all humans are out to get you is a dangerous belief. It leads to…Well I've seen mutants who feel that way and they never end up happy in the end."
"That's this school already." Nicholas says. "Noone is like people back home here. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person whose not into all that weird stuff that people like Shane and Taylor and Cale like whose developed mutant powers." He doesn't want to say he's the only non-social outcast. "I don't know what to believe, people I trusted and who were closest to me just…some days it gets a touch better other days…other days just suck."
Hilde is quiet for a few moments. "Yes sometimes things do just suck. I haven't really mentioned it to many of the students here, but my family and my home are gone now as well. It is why I took such a long absence last year." She glances over at Nick, "You're not alone here. There's always someone to talk to. But don't give up on your future because one door has closed. There are many paths we can choose."
"I know I'm not alone. Cale just lost his parents too but he…I don't understand how he can smile so easily as if…." Nick's voice gets caught in the back of his throat and he stops talking, squeezing his eyes shut and taking a few deep breaths before speaking again. "My best friend here Jill has been missing for months and I'm afraid she's going to be like my parents and I'll never see her again either."
"Ah, Jill." Hilde frowns. "I think it may be too early to give up on ever seeing her again. Things have a way of working out in the end, you know." Hilde is quiet again for a moment. "Everyone deals with loss differently. I do not know the exact circumstances of Cale's life up to now, so I cannot comment on that I suppose." She decides to try the college approach one more time. "Well what would you like to do when you grow up? Do you have a goal?"
"I want to run a horse stable." Nick is quite certain of that. "What I'd like to do is different than if it's possible to do. I'd want to run Silver Crest Riding Stables but I don't know what happened to them. Anything with horses, that's always been my goal."
"Silver Crest? I'm not familiar. You don't know what happened to them? A bit of internet research might point you in the right direction." And as for the stables, "And we have horses here, obviously. Have you thought about speaking to Miss Frost about maybe taking a heavier hand in its maintenence? College is a good thing, but experience is sometimes just as desireable."
"The horses that were stabled there." Nicholas says. "I assume that they were either destroyed in the fire or their owners came and picked them up or they sold my parents and Bodie's horses or something. I know they have a stable here, I keep Orion stabled here. Well I wouldn't mind a better riding area but I doubt that's possible."
Hilde ponders for a moment, "Well this IS Westchester county. I'm sure there are better riding areas around the area." She might be able to pull some strings, but she doesn't want to get the boy's hopes up. "Have you not looked into it? The horses would probably pass on to you if they were your parents', would they not?"
"Who knows, last I knew I was wanted for their murder. So who knows if anything passed to me or not. Besides if they did, I'd probably let the school have them so others could ride 'em and stuff." Nicholas says using his powers to pick up the rock again and float it around. "I miss competing and stuff too but it's not the same anymore."
"I…See. Yes well being wanted for murder could I suppose make things more complicated." She pauses for a moment. "Well I don't see why you could not compete. I went to a rodeo up north a few months back where they had a barreling competition. It would not be so difficult to travel up for those if you feel that is something you would like to do."
"I'm to old for barrel races, at this age it's mainly a girl thing." Nicholas says. "Also I'm…I'm terrified that if I go out there the wanted for murder thing will lead the Purifiers back to me. I…I don't know Ms. Hilde. Things are just so complicated."
Hilde sighs and pulls her knees in toward her chest. "Yes I suppose it is a bit more complicated than I assumed. But if it is truly something you are interested in doing, you should persue it anyway. You cannot spend your entire life in hiding, no?"
Nicholas puts down the floating rock and stands up. "I don't know but right now, I'm just trying to make it day to day. That seems to far away when tomorrow already seems like a challenge. Even sleep is a challenge with all the dreams and nightmares and I should head inside and do some homework. Thanks Ms. Hilde."
Hildegarde nods and offers a short wave to the boy. "Alright, yes go and do your homework. Come and see me if you ever need anyone to talk to, yes? And have a good night." She will stay outside a bit longer. It is not too bad out and the rain has yet to start falling.
