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Summary: Rashmi brings Skyler reassurance and naan.
Date: March 22, 2010
Log Title One Order of Sunshine
Rating: PG
Xavier Mansion - Holding Cells
Three cells line each wall each with an energy barrier that can be switched on and off with those with the security codes. The tech here is advanced and not something an average person can figure out. Inside the cells there are degrees of powers suppression, depending on who it's holding. There are cameras monitoring those held in here so there isn't much privacy. Each cell has a bed and a toilet in it and those held in here would be feed regularly. The door leading to the rest of the mansion is made of a thick, heavy steel, and is locked securely by advanced electronic means.
Despite the fact that Skyler has been given clearance to leave the mansion's holding cells, he's yet to actually leave them. The energy field is down, so he could leave at any time, but all he's doing is sitting on the bench with his head in his hands. Addison might have been able to repair his mind, but it's obvious that Sinister's physical changes remain: He still looks like a young version of the villain himself.
The slow tread of shoes on the hard floors is the first indication of someone new to the holding cells. Before long, there's a rap on Skyler's doorway, the smell of something sweet, almost pancake-like. There Rashmi stands, bundled up in full winter clothes despite the growing warmth of spring, and a knitted shawl draped over her shoulders. The lingering paleness beneath her skin, the dark shadows around her eyes, a possible indication why; having to recover blood supply more or less on her own, it's been tough to stay warm the last couple days.
The answer to Rashmi's knock isn't immediate. It takes a while before a muffled, despondent "Go 'way," can be heard coming from Skyler as he mumbles in his hands.
"I suppose I could," comes the out-of-breath voice. "But I'm really kind of tired… It's a long walk from the kitchens and all… So it'd be nice if I could rest a bit, first. Besides… I made you some naan. Kind of a 'welcome back, glad you're safe' sort of thing, you know…?"
There's a little bit of internal conflict within Skyler. On the one hand, he's still so ashamed of the kinds of things he'd done while under Sinister's control that he just wants to lock himself away for the rest of his life. On the other hand, Naan. Which smells heavenly. And it has been a couple of days since he's eaten and he's just started to get hungry. Thank you, Sinister, for making his metabolism hyper effecient. Eventually he looks up and sighs, scootching over on the bench to give Rashmi some room to sit down. There are dark circles under his eyes, which are now a solid red, devoid of any pupil, white or iris. "I'd be crying," he informs Rashmi, "if it wasn't for the fact that Sinister thought that function of the human body was weak."
Rashmi drops gratefully onto the bench, resting the plate on Skyler's lap as she spends a few moments to get her breathing back to normal. The walk, it would seem, took a lot more out of her than she'd've readily admitted to. A side benefit, it gives another part of her mind the chance to mull over his words. "Well," she says after a few moments of silence. "I guess… it's a good thing you don't *really* need tears to cry, right?"
"It helps," says Skyler miserably. He pokes at the flat bread curiously, never having Naan before before tearing off a small part of it to sample. "At least he didn't think having tastebuds was unnecessary." At least Skyler's sense of humor wasn't surgically removed either.
Not just naan, but dessert naan; almost a crepe, but a bit thicker and fluffier, with caramel drizzled about inside. "…Have you tried not looking like him anymore?" she asks, after a moment of silence following her appreciative chuckle at his joke. "I mean, you can still copy people, right?"
Skyler looks hesitant before answering, chewing the naan slowly. "Yes, I can," he answers, "But it's different now. I've got this as a … " he sighs trying to figure out how to explain. "Before I just kind of overwrote whatever genetics I had. Now I've got this as a kind of 'base form.' When I change, I can't stay as that person for too long, so I'm essentially stuck like this."
Rashmi winces at this news, leaning against Skyler's shoulder to offer some minor display of sympathy. "I'm *really* sorry to hear that… like, *really.* … …Maybe Dr. McCoy can help? I mean, if he has your old genes or whatever in the computer, maybe he can make it so that's what you go to for a base? I'm sorry, I don't know anything about all this genetics stuff. But… look. Skyler… you really don't have any reason to be in here, you know? I *did* just sort of walk right in, and didn't get zapped or anything…"
"Yeah, I know," Skyler says with a heavy sigh. "It's just that… I did an awful lot of bad things and no matter what I do, no matter what Addison can do, Sinister will always be a part of me. Always. Walking around out there looking /just like him/ isn't going to win me any friends. Especially after the things I did."
"Okay, just… stop right there." There's a hardness to her voice, a stubborn glint to her eyes behind the weary shadows. "That doesn't mean anything, Skyler. Not… not unless you make it mean something. I mean yeah… He's messed with you, and you're not going to get away from it easily… But don't you dare start telling yourself *you* did all those things, okay? This is *important,* Skyler, I mean that."
"But it was," insists Skyler. "I mean the others, yeah, I can see that since he really messed with their heads, but he did more than just that to me." He looks up and fixes her with those blood red eyes of his. "He turned me /into/ him. Addison did a great job of reassembling me from the bits and pieces that was left but I've still got that man knocking around inside of my head. I hate the the things that I've done and I hate the part of me that wants to go and do it all over again."
Rashmi looks right back, a mulish set to her jaw as she meets his eyes. "Yeah but it's *not you.* It's something that someone else *put there.* There's such a big difference, I can't even start. Look… When you copied me before. Did that mean everything you did was supposed to be all well-meaning and pushy and scatterbrained and stuff?"
Skyler gives Rashmi a tight-lipped smile. "Well that depends on how much of that is genetic. It's like… Sinister found the 'evil gene' and made sure that I have it, now." He sighs, looking at the barely eaten naan sitting on his lap. He plays with a corner of it, black fingernails a stark contrast to pale white skin, before picking another piece of it and chews on it thoughtfully.
Rashmi snorts. "Sorry, Skyler… But that line of reasoning is fundamentally flawed. Yeah maybe the scatterbrained part would apply… but that's only because I'm getting used to controlling my powers individually, and it means I'm starting to do a whole *bunch* of things on different tracks at once. But even that's not genetic, it's learned behavior. Don't forget, from everything everyone else was saying, Sinister's like this horribly powerful *telepath,* too. And that's not an evil gene, that's just a really really *convincing* suggestion like way down deep in your head. Which doesn't mean anything except that what happened to the others when they got taken by the demons? It's the same with you. Just… y'know… stickier."
Skyler scowls, fingers idly picking at the sweet bread. "I guess." he says, not really sounding all that convinced, though. "I think I'm going to need to start having sessions with the school psychologist." He sighs and shakes his head, closing his eyes to blink back tears that just won't come. "I've always had a very strong sense of self. I had to, considering my powers. But that was the first thing Sinister took away from me, and left me empty. Addison found most of me, though, but he couldn't rebuild that."
Rashmi is silent for a moment… Then leans over, wrapping her arms about the boy's shoulders and squeezing tightly. "I'm so… *so sorry,*" she whispers, closing her eyes as a tear falls down her cheek. "Just… *I* know who you are, okay? And everyone else who's friends with you. We know. So… Don't be scared of losing yourself, okay? We'll be here to help you, if you need it."
Skyler stiffens up at the initial hugs, but slowly relaxes as time passes. Not thinking of anything better to say he quips, "Well, on the bright side, at the very least I'll be able to get my drivers license, now."
