Players:
Summary: Theo offers Robyn a rather odd peace offering, and a discussion about happiness and human nature ensues.
Date: April 26, 2010.
Log Title Peace Offering.
Rating: G
Xavier Mansion - Art Room
The Art Room has pictures of classic artists and small sculptures of famous pieces of art around the room. Any art supply you need may be found in this room, a large variety of paints, charcoals, markers, pencils, clays, canvases, easels, paper, and much more are accessible for the students. A large kelm is in one of the far corners of the room as well. On one side of the art room are a few sewing machines with a large variety of fabrics and sewing supplies for the students as well.
It's two am and the lights are all on in the art room still. Robyn's been working on a project and sometimes when he gets started, he can't stop. It's a small project, nothing to complex which is why he was able to get it done in one night. Now it's in the kiln baking away but Robyn, as much as he tried to stay up, couldn't. His face is resting on the table, mouth a bit open for breathing, with one arm hanging down and the other on the table. The way he's still sitting in the chair and hunched over sleeping on the table doesn't look comfortable.
Squeak, squeak, squeak. There is the sound of a dolly wheel that is in need of greasing in the hallway. The dolly is visible first, a large cardboard box is the cargo, with the word "Robin" written on the top of it.
Behind the worn red dolly from the garage, in walks Theo. He's been nearly invisible for the last several days. Anybody looking for him has been rather unsuccessful unless he was in class, and he hasn't had much to say to anyone. Even his own Corsair teammates haven't been able to get more than a couple words out of him. He wears a greasy wife beater, and his jeans are dirty. As he steps into the art room, it doesn't take long for him to spot Robyn. He stops in his tracks, and stares at the other mutant. It's obvious that he wasn't expecting anyone to be here. He doesn't say anything, but he seems to be gauging his situation. He's clearly uncomfortable, though, looking a little awkward.
The squeaking wheels cause Robyn to stir and he sits up quickly. "What time is it?" He says outloud as he looks around daze, that is until he registers Theo's there, and he blinks a few times. "Theo?" He asks sounding confused with sleep. "What are you doing in here?" He yawns, apparently he's too tired to really think straight right now to think that Theo is the last person he wants to see when just waking up. "Holy crap it's two am."
Theo doesn't make any body movements immediately, nor does he say anything, he just looks back at Robyn, as if there's something he intends to say, but isn't sure whether he will say it. His left index finger taps on the handle of the dolly he still holds.
After a long moment, he puts his foot against the axel of the dolly, and sets the box down to rest. He doesn't off load it from the dolly, but he lets go, and shoves his hands in his pockets.
"Yeah," he says. "Didn't mean to bug you, thought everybody'd be in bed. This's for you." He doesn't look at Robyn as he speaks, but then starts to turn to go. Apparently, whatever he wants to say, he seems to have decided against it. Also, he misspelled Robyn's name, but he wouldn't know how it was spelled, anyway.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep in here, I just did." Robyn says with a yawn. "What?" He says as Theo says the box is for him. "It's not going to punch me in the face when I open it is it?" Yeah, he's a bit skeptical right now. "Also it's with a 'y', with an 'i' is the other Robin." He says as he looks at the box and opens the lid cautiously, half expecting it is gonna punch him in the face.
The lid isn't sealed, and there's no stuffing inside the box. It's a model of a train. About two and a half feet long, and made out of iron from the looks of it. It's a rather elaborate creation, but clearly not from a kit.
Theo stops at the door, and puts a hand on the doorjam, his finger tapping again for a moment before he spins around to answer. "Well, I wasn't worried about spelling too much," he says. "You know, I don't even remember what happened that day. I don't even remember what you said. I remember you pissing me off, but I don't remember the hit, and I don't even know why I suddenly felt like caring now." He sounds agitated, but it's not with Robyn. He doesn't answer the comment about whether the gift will hit him in the face. "It's a replica of a 2-6-0 steam locomotive, french design. Even works if you put some water in it and let it heat up a couple minutes." It's ALMOST as if he's apologizing, but not quite.
Robyn looks at the train for a bit and listens to Theo before looking up at him. "I said something stupid, I was purposefully trying to ruffle your feathers, I guess it worked. I was being a jerk too." He says as he can't stop looking at the train, but there's a confused look on his face as he finally look over at Theo again. "Why are you giving me this?
The technopath clenches his jaw when Robyn asks him the why. "That was my dad's favorite model of train. I never heard him say a foul thing about anyone my whole life. I can't ever think of anything to say about anyone that isn't foul. You like art stuff, I don't know anything about art. That's the closest I can make."
He paces briefly away, and spins back. "Don't go thinkin' it makes me sweet on you. I just think, if my dad was here, he'd say I should do this." His emotions are running high, and his voice is quick and staccato, but he seems to be winning the fight to contain it. "I'm not pissed at you because of whatever you said. It was just what's in your nature. Just like hitting you in the face with the pot was in mine."
Robyn shakes his head. "No Theo, I can't take something that was your Dad's." It just makes Robyn feel uncomfortable. "And honestly Theo, I don't think it's in your nature, and saying that isn't in mine. Just because I like who I like doesn't mean that comment is in my nature. I was trying to be mean. I just…Theo, I think you can say nice things about people you just don't want to." He's actually vocalizing his opinion of Theo to him. Robyn doesn't know Theo, he doesn't like him but, there's gotta be something everyone is missing if he's doing this. "Think about it Theo, you can't be a bad person if you're giving something that belonged to your Dad to someone you wanted to hurt physically."
"It didn't belong to my dad," Theo says. "I made it in the garage. It was just my dad's favorite type of train." He pulls his hands from his pockets, and gestures with them as if he wants to explain something, and pauses, trying to think of how he can put it.
"Robyn, you said what you said because you were offended, and when you were offended you wanted to lash out and damage me. When I was offended, I wanted to lash out and damage you. That is exactly our nature. Beneath the nice things we do, every soul alive has that somewhere hidden in the dark recesses of who we are. Something that wants to hurt people we don't like before they hurt us. Everybody tries to hide it because if anyone ever saw what's buried deep inside us, we know we'd be hated. And maybe we should be. That's why we'll eventually blow ourselves up, because beneath all the friendships and bonds we make, there's an animal in the back of our minds, souls, whatever you wanna call it, threatening to destroy everything around us for the most trivial reasons."
Robyn shakes his head. "Theo, I honestly don't care if you like me or dislike me, I just don't want you to dislike me because of what I am, I want you to dislike me for who I am." Meaning his personality not that he's gay. "I was raised that the most important thing in this world is to be true to yourself, I don't feel like I hide who I am. My dark recesses, people have seen them, I can't handle stress, I can't handle bad things happening, I break. I fall to pieces Theo, but if people hate me for who I am, that doesn't matter to me as much. As long as I like me, that's what really matters, that's what makes me happy, being happy with me. You did hurt me Theo, but because your words were for what I am not who I am. Honestly, I don't want to destroy what I have with my friends here over something trivial. Sure we've fought, disagreed, but at the end of the day, we'll always be friends." Robyn explains.
Theo wanders a few steps, and plops into an empty chair at one of the tables, sprawling rather disgracefully across it. He lets out a deep sigh. "I don't hate you because you're gay," he says. "I just…" he seems to be lost for his own words. "I don't hate you. I don't even know what I hate anymore. A month ago, I wasn't like this. My own best friend and I can't even carry on a normal conversation anymore over the phone." He traces a pencil engraving on the table.
"I don't want to be true to myself, because it just pisses everyone off," he states. "Me most of all. I don't know if something's changed, or if this was who I've always been, and I'm just now seeing it."
"Theo…you have to look inside yourself and find what will make you happy. For me it was sculpting, the cello and my family. Now, it's those three things and the friends I've made here. A simple thing like watching a movie makes me feel at peace, you just have to find what you like to do Theo. What makes you happy. You can't expect others to like you unless you like yourself first. And something did change Theo, for everyone at this school, their life was turned upside down the minute we found out we're a mutant. I know I'm more open with my emotions, thus why I tend to react emotionally easier, but you don't seem like the emotional type Theo. You have to figure out how to handle this big change, the fact that you'll never be normal again." Robyn says.
The thin teen laughs half-heartedly. "That's what I keep hearing," he says, still staring at the pencil marking on the table. He looks back to Robyn, but not really. He seems to be staring off at nothing for several long seconds before his attention returns.
"Well, I like giving you the train, maybe I'll build the track outside after it dries up a little, and there'll be something to run it on," Theo states, standing back to his feet. He starts toward the door. "I'll try not to be a dick to you, but I don't make any promises. So if I do, well, I'm sorry in advance."
"If you are a dick to me again, I'll smack you up side the head and tell you you're being one." Robyn says with a friendly smile. "Thanks for the train, really, thank you." He's not a train person but just the fact that Theo is doing it, touches him. Though he feels awkward taking it. "Just, find who you are Theo and what makes you happy and just go with it. It's not about money or popularity, it's about happiness."
