Players:
Summary: Robyn decides him, Rashmi and Mike need a day way from Xaviers and has a picnic as the reservoir.
Date: March 26, 2010
Log Title Picnic Escpae
Rating: PG-13
Westchester - Titicus Reservoir
Surrounded by trees and plenty of green, Titicus Reservoir is a peaceful spot. There is a fence surround the water to keep people out of the watershed. Sorry but there is no swimming in the drinking water. Before the fence is a small park with picnic tables, grills, and a large grassy area for recreational activity. The park is well maintained by the state of New York so it seems clean almost all the time.
After trying to get Rashmi and Mike to go with him to the Resviour in near by Salem Center, they are now pulling up to the grassy picnic area in Mike-the-Motorcycle compelete with sidecar, which had Rashmi and Robyn sitting close and comfortable. A large blanket and a picnic basket with sandwiches, chips, soda, typical picnic foods, has been brought with them. "I'm glad I got you two to come out with me, just…I knew I needed to get away and…" Well he thought that the two of them needed some time to just relax as well.
"It is nice to be really out for a change," Rashmi agrees, patting the rim of the sidecar. "And thank *you,* Mike, for the help… Don't worry, I made sure there's something in here for you, too." Drawing in a deep breath, she casts her eyes around the reservoir, a shadow passing over her eyes for a brief instant. "…This place looks a lot different, during the day…"
Mike-on-the-motorcycle looks a lot like image-induced Mike in an appropriate set of leathers and helmet, and it doesn't hurt that the motorcycle had become a BMW 1200 (the motorcycle voted most likely to become a small car when it grows up). Easily large enough to carry the sidecar that is big enough for two and the picnic basket.
After the two are out of the sidecar, Mike-driving steps away from himself and the bike reverts to the smaller 1965 cruiser that is his personal baby and the somewhat skeletal framework of a driver disappears.
"Yeah, it is a lot nicer in the sun. And I'm glad to get a chance to drive, I haven't really been out for about a month now. What'd you guys bring?"
Robyn looks in the basket and pulls out some sandwiches. "I got roast beef cause I remembered Rashmi saying something about red meat, I had Mr. Parker-Mayfair make stuff." Since Robyn really doesn't cook much, sandwiches he can make fine but there's that horseradish mayo that he puts on the roast beef that makes it taste better than what he can do. "And for you Mike, we made sure we brought you some really gasoline, it was in the canister in the garage marked 'premium'." He says as he starts unfolding a blanket, it's the comforter from his bed which the school provided.
"Sandwiches work," Rashmi says, setting the picnic supplies out. "It's a nice change, at least…" The thermos of gas is given a cursory sniff, and the redhead recoils. "Augh… I'm hoping it tastes a lot better than it smells, at least for you?" Shaking her head, she places the thermos in front of what she's decided — probably arbitrarily — will be Mike's spot, and sinks onto the blanket herself with a sigh of relief. "Okay… This is turning into a *really* nice day."
Oh, Mr. Summers' special treat for his little red sports car, Mike grins at that but doesn't say a word. Doubt it would be a problem in any case. Not for two cups of the stuff, which is what his thermos holds.
"Thank you, Robyn, that's very thoughtful. And it's the good stuff. Smells like chocolate to me, Rashmi. Dunno why. Ordinary gas smells like whatever I'm hungry for but the highh-tezt is always chocolate."
He finds his way to his "spot" and sits cross-legged. "Thanks again, Robyn, this is really nice."
"Maybe cause you always think of chocolate as 'the best' and this gas is 'the best' to you?" Robyn says as he figured 'premium' meant, the really really good stuff. "Well you said you needed a 'normal' day and I figured we all did. Away from stresses." He says relaxing on the blanket and pulling out a can of coke and a sandwich. "Next time we'll have to have a big picnic." But right now, the small amount was needed. "Jono looks like he's doing better, I visited him last night."
"That… makes a weird kind of sense… like drawing Max as the Prince of Time, actually," she says, tipping Mike a grin and a wink. Conversation pauses as she takes a bite of her sandwich, eyes closing in pleasure. "Oh, wow…. thanks, Robyn… so, wait, you visited Jono last night? Where was he?"
Mike nods at the explanation, it makes sense to him too. He sips the gasoline through a straw as usual, and listens to the discussion. Haven't seen Jono in far too long, and definitely NOT going to hug him like James suggested. MAY put centipedes in James's bed though. Though he might consider them a light snack late at night. That wouldn't work. (Interior dialogue by Schemes and Plots, makers of fine mischief, in a mall near you.)
"He was recovering in his room since Hank apparently did some work on him. He's doing a lot better, and I met his sister. She didn't stay long but…I'm glad she came. I don't think he'd be able to get through this without her. He seems to have a bit of himself back." Robyn says taking a bite of his sammich. Nomnomnom. "I just have to stop worring so much I guess."
Rashmi nods. "She's going to be staying in the City for awhile, too. At least a year, she said, with her family. Jono's an *uncle,* did you know?" Ah yes, girls and children, and the unspoken gushing and squeeing that follows. You'd think toddlers were made of unicorns, sometimes.
Mike perks up. In an attempt to practice his "look human" he takes the straw away from his mouth, and asks, "Wait, Jono has a sister? Is she a mutant as well? I… just a sec," and he pops his cell out of his collar to look at the screen. "Wait what? No way."
LARGE smile on Mike's face here. "Hey guys, you know those families where the kid goes away to school and the parents can finally have time to themselves and then there's suddenly one last kid?"
He starts return-texting.
"Wait…Jono's an uncle. How come I think he'd be a horrible uncle and a great uncle at the same time." Robyn says with a smile as he chuckles. "Yes she's a mutant too Mike..she's a….wait..what? Are you saying you're going to be a brother?" Robyn asks as he is putting two and two together since Mike's texting away on his phone. "Don't text your parents, call them."
Rashmi perks visibly, sandwich lowered to her lap. "…Wait, seriously? Wow… that's wonderful, Mike, I'm so happy for you all!"
Mike nods to Robyn. "I will once we get back. Mom's at the doctor's office in Olympia and Dad's getting ready to fly out there. The garage is in Indiana, and she works in Washington. I'll call her and get the news."
All this said absently and without too much distortion as he makes the clickies on the handset … there. "There, appointment made with the folks for later."
He grins, and looks over at Rashmi.
"Thanks, I'll let 'em know … not sure whether I want to tease them for 'doing it' or give them the 'you couldn't wait to replace me' line, and by the way, Jono's niecephew? You haven't even SEEN this child and you already want to hug it and cuddle it and call it George," he accuses, in an utterly mock-serious voice.
"Hey, that's great Mike, it really is. And I'd vote for the 'couldn't wait to replace me', I mean…teasing your parents about it means picturing means…" Robyn shudders as no teen wants to think of their parents having sex. Nope, no thank you, get that mental image out of his head. "Well we now learn that Rashmi goes nuts over kids, she'll want to met your baby sibling as soon as he/she is born. Do you have any other brothers or sisters Mike?"
"Yes I *have,*" Rashmi says, looking almost put out. "Elaine's a mom, she had a whole bunch of pictures all ready to show. And it's *nephew,* anyway. He's four." She blinks, flushing slightly, and busies herself with her sandwich. "…Oh shut up."
"Nobody else that they've told me about," Mike says, "But I used to ask them when I would be getting a baby brother or sister to experiment on, and they would threaten to take away my TV priveleges."
He reaches over and nudges Rashmi very gently, as, stabbity may-not-be-healed gently, and says, "You know we only do it cause it teases."
Robyn puts an arm around Rashmi and smiles. "Oh, there's nothing wrong with that Rashmi. There's something cool about babies, it's the whole new life thing. And Mike's right, it's a light teasing, and I do it cause I know you and care about you. You're one of my closest friends at the school." He says as there's something about Rashmi he likes being around her and Mike, Mike's cool as well and he's Rashmi's 'bro'.
Rashmi snorts. "I *know,* guys, c'mon. I'm not *really* irritated with you… and besides, even if I was, why waste the day, right?"
Mike ponders Robyn's reaction from earlier to the parents-having-sex thing, and laughs suddenly. "Oh man, I didn't catch that before. I just realized Dr. McCoy reminds me of my dad!"
He commits the image of Robyn and Rashmi to memory. Tonight, there will be a sketch made. Or perhaps even breaking out the photoshop.
"Wait…why does Dr. McCoy remind you of your Dad? Is he blue and furry or something? Or is he a Doctor?" Robyn's not sure of that at all cause there isn't anything about Dr. McCoy that would remind him of his father. "If you decide to waste the day, I don't know if I'm gonna invite you on another picnic." Robyn says sticking his tounge out jokingly at Rashmi.
Rashmi nudges Robyn back, wrinkling her nose and chuckling. "Wait, he does? But—" The redhead trails off, as the different threads of the conversation suddenly experience a brain-grinding pileup. "Oh, EW! Ew ew ew ew NOT GOING TO THINK ABOUT THAT!"
Mike nods to Robyn and starts to answer when Rashmi has her Brain Cramp and makes CalvinFaces. He grins and says in an aside to Robyn, "Papa's six five, and he weighs 265, and he has back hair almost as thick as Dr. McCoy's. Doctor of Theology, Masters in Mechanical Engineering. And no, I refuse to make the comparison Rashmi is making. My Papa doesn't have prehensile feet and his hair is blond not blue."
Between Rashmi's vocal need of brain bleach and Mike's description, Robyn just winces. "Can we please stop talking about your father. I mean…" He's trying not to get the mental image, closing his eyes and trything to think of something else. "Um..um..um…Anyway…uh..have you been doing any better Rashmi? Healing alright and everything?"
"Yes!" Like a drowning girl on a piece of driftwood, Rashmi latches on to the change of topic. "Yes I'm healing perfectly well just still tired a lot probably won't be in Danger Room tonight thank you *so much* for asking!"
Sure is nice change of topic we've been having lately! Mike takes a sip of his not-chocolate, trying hard to banish the mischief from his attitude, and considers.
"Hey, I hear Lucas got back last night."
Robyn wanted this to be a positive outing, and with the mention of Lucas and the last thing he heard was that Lucas hit Rashmi, Robyn kind of sighs. "He did?" He asks as he puts a hand on Rashmi's leg. "Is…everything okay?" After all he's not sure what that was like for her. At least with Jordan stabbed him he wasn't in his 'right mind'.
Rashmi nods quietly. "He's back. We talked. He knows he's in trouble, and he's going to try and make it up to me. His *reasoning* was sweet, if incredibly stupid, so…" There's a light shrug, and she polishes off the last of her sandwich, reaching for a second. "He brought cupcakes and himself, voluntarily. That's a good start."
"Cool. Glad to hear he's aware of it, and cupcakes are a nice beginning," Mike says. He looks around. Let's enjoy the picnic, Mike. No diversions back to regular life.
"So," he asks, "Is there a special name for the color of a spring sky? Blue seems too prosaic."
Robyn gives Rashmi a concerned look that says 'if you want to talk later, let me know' as he squeezes her leg gently. "Well Lucas is kind of a sweet and stupid guy so I guess I'm not surprised his reasoning is?" He says giving her a smile. "And the sky…I dunno, I guess Sky Blue? That's the colour my Mom always called it and she's an illustrator."
Rashmi tilts her head. "Well… There's like this Enya song I found once… Caribbean Blue? I dunno, maybe it's an idea, there?" Meeting Robyn's eyes, she bobs her head in a nod, smiling away his concern.
Mike finishes his meal, one last teaspoon, and nods, "Caribbean Sky it is," and the mystery is therefore satisfied. Until the next day when the sky is slightly different. He stretches out on the grass beside the blanket, and just enjoys the sunshine for a while.
