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Summary: Robyn and James speak outside the Med Bay about current events.
Date: July 21, 2010.
Log Title: Stay off the Moors
Rating: PG-13
Xavier Mansion - The Sanctuary
Through the large double doors lies the main sanctuary, pews and alter still set up as they were when it was in use, however, the ash is still thick within, and the smoke has stained the walls and chairs and wood black. Back and to the left lies and opening the fire left, a charred passage to the grounds. Leaves and dirt have made their way into the room, concentrated the most heavily in that area. Behind the alter on the back wall, there is only one place left unblackened, which seems to have once been under a large cross, as the shape, if not the cross itself, is outlined on the wall.
It's early evening at Xavier's and Robyn, well, even though he's getting better there's questions and he doesn't want the questions so he's decided to go for a walk around the grounds which as lead him to the Sanctuary. He's got a few hours free before he's supposed to head back to the medbay so he just enjoys the freedom he has, even if it's just hanging out in one location. He's wearing a pair of Xavier's sweatpants and a t-shirt at the moment and he wanders into the Sanctuary looking around for a bit with a sigh. "Why am I here." He mutters to himself.
James emerges from the guest room carrying his book bag and a sack of collected trash. Nodding over to Robyn he gives his friend the standard greeting, "Hey there." Shutting the door with a click, he walks over, big black eyes scanning his friend as his other senses do the same, "Just leaving. What brings you out here, Limpy?"
There's a smile at James and a greeting back. "Hey James…I dunno, avoiding questions. I didn't realize you were out here." No one told him but then he doesn't get a whole mess of visitors down in the medbay. "Just…I dunno, lots on my mind. Feeling better and feeling…crappy at once." It's hard to explain but then Robyn's always had a hard time hiding his true feelings from James.
James nods, "Walk with me." It's not a offering so much as it is a instruction, the big broad-shouldered beast already heading towards the hole in the far wall. Once outside, James starts his shtick, "You little guys heal slow…you know that? But, on the upside, you don't have to worry about ending back up in that place because of me. With the Wicked Witch out, I think you're safer than ever."
"Thanks James. Just case I'm skinny." Robyn says joking as he goes to walk with James, but there's a little bit of a nervousness that comes off of him. Not because it's James but because of the memory of the last walk he went with the Hyena. "Yeah, I'm glad she's out, and I'm glad your back. But, in regards to healing slow, my ribs are healing well and so is my arm. Just, they said I'll have a few scars but nothing that won't recover."
James makes a low grumble as Robyn's scent reaches him. He stops and looks his friend over, "Story I gotta tell you. Need you to listen real close. Okay?" He starts walking down the path again, one that will eventually reach the school. "I was asleep the entire time Selene was running the body. But I dreamed. And I did it the entire time." He glances down at Robyn, "It was always the same dream. I was walking down a path just like this. But, it never changed. Just got longer and longer and longer. It stretched for days."
Robyn sighs and hangs his head. "I'm sorry James..it's not you. It's really not you, I swear. I'm sorry." He says and he feels ashamed as he takes a deep breath. "Let's walk." He says as he listens to him. "So you want to see if there is an end to the path?" He asks his friend as he really has missed James.
James looks over, "You gonna talk and ask questions or you gonna listen?" There's an irritated slant to his voice, his pace picking up a little, "Taking about my dream, not *this* path." After a few moments of silence, he starts up again, "So…literally, I walked for a week it seems. Never stepped off of it, just kept walking because I was sure that it lead somewhere. Even if it just looked like the same scenery. Well…meanwhile…it'd turn night every once in a while…but that's when things changed. Eyes would follow me. Asking me to step off. To come join them."
Robyn keeps his mouth shut and just listens, he doesn't want to interrupt again after being snapped at so he keeps any questions to himself. He just walks along with his friend and listens.
James keeps walking, keeps talking, "So…three weeks in, I just couldn’t take it anymore. They're following me all the time—even during the day; just out of sight. I could hear their voices, all their promises…and being that I'm stuck there…well it finally wore me down." He comes to a sudden halt, raising a shaking hand as his face gets a concerned look, "I stepped off the path, Robyn…I *stepped*off*the*path!" He pulls his hand back before Robyn can get a good look, or touch it. "And almost instantly, all the voice and dark shape were gone. And then, there was this…chest…like a treasure chest in all this grass. So…I opened it." His face screws up a little, "And…do you want to know what I found, Robyn? In this chest that had been promised to me by shadow creatures with red beady eyes??"
Robyn shakes his head as he listens to James. "No, I don't really know." He figures it was a rhetorical question but he doesn't really have much to say. He brushes his hair out of his eyes with his good hand and waits for the answer.
James shrugs, "Same thing I've been feeding you the last 5 minutes—nothing by a big pile of shit." The hyena continues down the path, letting the punch line to his fake story set in. "Fact of the matter Robyn is that you can concentrate on the details of your own story until you remember ever sour detail; every bad thing that has happened. But, in the end, it's still just another crappy tale. And someone else's bathroom humor."
Robyn turns and playfully punches James on the arm. "I missed you you jerk." He says as he sighs. "I know, I'm not supposed to be afraid anymore. I made a pact with Lucas. I'm trying ya know. I'm trying really hard." He says as he knows that he has to get over it. "I'm really sorry, I'm just an idiot is all. It's been a rough week that I'm trying to get passed. I'm getting better though, Jinx has been great and her and Lucas seem to getting along really well."
James takes the punch and feigns a hardly believable whine, "Oww." He listens to Robyn's summery of his feelings and all that has gone on before responding. "I'm not expecting you to just blink and be okay with it. It doesn't work like that. But…just accepting it for what it was *does* help. And what it was is not your fault most of all."
"I..I know it wasn't my fault. Just the way you said, 'walk with me', it was like right before I was pushed out in front of the car. It wasn't you I was afraid it, it was the stupid memory. You had no way of knowing that and it's not your fault either." Robyn says as he gives him a smile. "I know, I haven't been blaming myself anymore, I just, hate being so weak you know? I'm trying to get better but I'm still just a kid and I hated..hate it. But are you saying that just to me or yourself as well?"
James shrugs, "Which part? That part, the earlier part, or the one in between?" Judging by the hyena's ready-made question, it's nearly a guarantee that Robyn isn't going to get the answer he's looking for, no matter which response he takes. And thus is how James discusses his feeling. By not doing so at all. "You know she's still on the Mansions grounds, right?"
"All." Robyn answers to the question before sighing. "I know, she's in the Emergancy Living Quarters. I saw her there, I'd be staying there like you did when I'm not in the medbay but no luck. And really, I don't wanna be in my room, it's just…I know -he's- not staying there but I want my roommate back, not this guy from the future. He…really got to me with the stuff he said to the point where I need to ask Addison to make me forget it."
James comes to a halt in his steps, "Okay, about that. I can smell lies, right? Well…the moment I wanna go and find this guy to hear his story, he's gone. *POOF* Not around anymore. Coincidental to this next point. How do we know he's from 'anywhere?'" Because 'staff' said so? The same staff that said I was cured twice now? The same staff that is letting Selene stay *here* after trying to kill you? The same staff that lets Magneto have visitation rights? The same staff that keeps trying to make me eat green beans? Yea…Scott, Addison and Emma *totally* have my backing on this Connor thing. Fucktards!" Taking a breath, he goes off on a final point, "And all that aside…if he really is from the future…why wouldn't he be playing the lottery, or ponies, or something? No…instead his M.O. is hiding in our backyard and insulting people. Meanwhile, the very fact that you know the future would change it, right?"
"Honestly….I don't know. But…I really don't know if I want to tell you everything." Robyn says as he doesn't really know how to process what Connor said to him but it hit him..hard. "Oh and Jordan's officially gone.
We're gonna try to make it work still though." And Robyn leaves it at that. "Hey James…you just wanna hang out and watch a movie tonight? Just do something that doesn't involve thinking about all this shit? I..I need a break."
With the mansion in sight, the hyena nods, "Then don't tell me any of it! I've watched you and everyone else tear themselves up inside at the idea that some guy pops in, claims to be a Rush worshipper from 2112 and that underwear has been illegal for 20 years. What future is he from again?! Oh yeah…not mine. 'Cause my future involves time-traveling velociraptors that go to the past to step on butterflies. Sound crazy? Well, it beats worrying about anything Connor 2.0 had to say." At the idea of a movie, the hyena shuts up long enough to agree, "Yeah, you bet. No more of this fake-future BS. We'll effigy it with Terminator 2!"
Robyn shakes his head. "No…I just want to make sure Connor doesn't turn into that jerk, that's about it. Connor doesn't deserve to become him." Robyn says as he grins. "Terminator 2 sounds good. And Jinx actually met my Mom today, it was an interesting display of awkward." He says with a chuckle as he walks back to the school with his friend. "I can't wait to have this stupid cast off, I want to sculpt again."
James ignores the remark about this strange elusive creature that he and the other Lost Boy's of Xavier's hear rumors of. Parents? Pair a' whats? His eyes widen a little, "Dude…you want that cast off? I can do that right now if you're ready." He picks up a good sized rock from the path, "Seriously…we can have it off in 30 seconds."
"Do I want it off…yes, but I don't think it'd be a good idea seeing that my arm still hurts if it hits something. Apparently they had to put pins in it to set it so it's more than just the cast." Robyn says as he's not sure if he's grateful or not that his friend is ready to bash his arm with a rock. "Though the good news is, I should be out of the medbay at the end of the week."
James puts his ears back and tosses the rock over his shoulder as he sighs disappointedly, "Yeah…Sure…" Setting foot back on the X-Lawn proper, James continues his walk towards the Quad. "So…at the end of the week maybe we should get some proper fast food?"
"Anything to get out of here James." Robyn says as he side nudges his friend lightly with a yawn. "Okay so let's get something to eat and then movie. Let's just hide away for a bit." He says with a nod thinking that Terminator 2 and hanging with James is a great plan.
