Players:
Summary: Theo and Rashmi head into town on one of Theo's few nights he's permitted off campus during the semester.
Date: Sunday, October 31, 2010. 7:50pm
Log Title: Taking the Night Off
Rating: G
Xavier Mansion - Quad
There is a square side walk of pavement with a nice grassy area in the middle with a few stone benches and trees along the corners. The pavement leads to the paths to the grounds of the school, the Dining Hall in Xavier's and the Ramsey Dormitories. It's not particularly large but it's a nice place for students and teachers to relax and enjoy the outdoors.
The sun has gone down, but even though decorations have been put up, and pumpkins carved — some in especially elaborate fashion, thanks to the talents of one young plant-shaping student — the atmosphere about the Mansion is less jubilant than usual, owing to the continuing absence of those that had disappeared at the beginning of the month. And with the horror-movie marathon in the Rec Room taking up the attention of the student body, Rashmi has settled onto a bench in the Quad, studying her SHIELD-issue PDA with an air of sickened determination.
Theo had started out at the marathon, but he finds horror movies rather cheesy at their best, and just plain lame most often. With his hands in his pockets, he exits the main mansion, and spots Rashmi. "Rashmi!" he calls out, arms close to him for warmth, given that he's not wearing a jacket. "I gotta get out of here before I go crazy. You wanna go do something?" he asks. "Something anywhere but here?"
Rashmi blinks sharply as Theo's voice rings out, pulling her eyes from the screen. "Wha—? Oh! Hi, Theo! Um… Sure! Just, um… give me a second to put this away." The PDA is tapped a few times, and her relief is palpable at being given the excuse to shut down whatever it was she was studying. Getting to her feet, she brushes down her skirts. "So where did you want to go? I mean, we're supposed to be on lockdown, but between your panic button and my school contacts it should be fine, right?"
"Well, let's start by going to get my car," the technopath suggests. "It's had your birthday present in the trunk for like a month." He hops up the steps. "Hold on, though, I'm gonna grab my jacket." He pulls his phone out of his pocket and dials 411, getting the number for a cab as he goes inside. After no more than about ninety seconds, he's coming back through it with the hand-me-down he got from someone last spring. It's a little frayed, and doesn't at all meet with most of his now more stylish wardrobe. "Yeah, 1407 Graymalkin Drive." He hangs up the phone, and stuffs it back in his pocket. "I gotta get a new coat," he says. "Maybe I can pick one up while we're out."
Rashmi chuckles as Theo emerges from the mansion, bobbing her head in agreement. "That's not a bad idea… So, start with the mall then?" Falling into step next to the youth as they make their way toward the car, she taps in a quick message to the remaining staff on her PDA, nodding as confirmation is received. "And I told you you didn't *have* to get me a present, but thanks. …. …Oh. Right. You'll probably want to know that the stuff you gave Magneto panned out."
"I guess," Theo says, "Or we can go get your present first. You pick." His pace is quick as he makes his way to the car, as if he's in some sort of hurry. Not as if he's running from something, but just a sort of nervous excitement of actually leaving campus. He hops in the passenger side of the car. "Yeah, I knew it's be helpful — Wait. What?" He stares at Rashmi as if he was just caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
"Then, present first," Rashmi says, rolling right over Theo's dismay. "Why didn't you tell me you were tracking down Game stuff, anyway? I mean it's not like I didn't know anything about it, and anyway getting involved was kind of a stipulation of working at the Embassy. Besides… I've already been involved in a couple of attacks, so… yeah."
As they reach the cab at the front gates, Theo goes to the far side and gets in, still a little shell shocked at what Rashmi just said. He slowly reaches across his chest, pulling the seat belt down and clicking it into place. "You mean you aren't going to give me some song and dance about how I shouldn't be taking things outside of the law and engaging in vigilantism or some other garbage like that?" he asks. "You realize what Magneto will do with that kind of information, right?"
"I know exactly what he's going to do," Rashmi says quietly. "He's going to get as much as he can on those… *people,* and find a way to use it to make sure as many as possible go to the block party. …And no, I'm not going to lecture you yet, because Magneto made sure any evidence would be admissible in court. He bought the property at estate auction, so everything we took away is his."
"He's not interested in courts," Theo says. "Make no mistake, none of those sludge will ever see a jury if Magneto has his way." He settles back into the seat for the ride. "Tell me you're just playing coy and you understand this." Part of Theo hopes that she really doesn't understand, that she is really that innocent in her thoughts.
"Every step *I* intend to be in is going to be above board," Rashmi says, voice hard. "He knows that, and if I have to be involved, that's how it's going to stay. Up to and *including* due process whenever possible." Slipping into the back of the cab, she pulls on her seat belt, closing the door behind her. "So did you just want to go to the mall, or go to the city?"
"Salem tram," he says to the cabbie, to answer the question. "You've never seen my car," he says. "And besides, everybody in the school is always going to the Salem mall. The place is dull. There's a subway stop close to Stark Towers, we'll get my car and your present, and then we can go to one of the cool malls there. Besides, we get to ride a tram, which is as close to a train as I get these days." The cabbie takes off down the road. He doesn't continue the conversation about Magneto's plans with the cabbie present, choosing to be a bit more discretionary.
Rashmi chuckles quietly, shaking her head. "I guess you've never wanted to learn the subways, huh? I know I'm probably going to have to get my license at some point, but I can't help it. Cabbies, truckers and government cars are the only things that belong on New York streets, and I could probably race you to Stark Towers from my Mami's place and win with time to spare, right?"
"No," Theo says. "I love all forms of railways. My dad was a train engineer," he adds. "I could probably take apart and rebuild their R160's." He grins. "Well, maybe not completely." He points at Rashmi, "I'll take that bet. The lights like me," he says, implication obvious. "As does anyone with an OnStar system in their car. Still, you don't mind taking a while to get somewhere when you drive what I drive."
"Well, I can't blame you *there,*" the redhead admits, lips twitching upward at the mention of how lights like the young mutant. "All right, it's a bet then. Soon as we get the time to spare, okay? And loser buys the trip back to Hell's Kitchen and dinner at Burgers and Cupcakes."
Westchester - Train Station
In a small red building is the Salem train station. Inside the wood floors creak with age, and there are few benches for those waiting for a train. An old man sits behind the ticket counter for those wishing to purchase tickets inside. Outside the cement platform raises about four feet off the ground so passengers can get on and off the train to New York City. There is a covered area of the platform for when it's raining.
"Sounds fair," Theo answers. The cabbie pull up to the tram station, and Theo pulls his card from his pocket and hands it to the driver. After a quick scan, he hands him the receipt to sign, and shortly they are on their way to the trains. "Anyway," Theo says as they leave the cab behind. "Don't expect Magneto to change his methods on account of you. He'll do what he's going to do with or without you."
"I don't," Rashmi says quietly, once the cab drives off. "…Just the parts of it where *I* help him. So far, at least, he's been willing to go along. Which doesn't mean it'll *stay* that way, but…" A shoulder lifts, falls. "I can hope."
Theo sighs. "As long as you realize," he responds with a very unemotional attachment. As the train pulls up, his eyes light up. "Wow! An R32 series!" He points. "Look at that! I thought New York changed all of their 32s out for 160s. I guess that production halt caused more of a holdup than I realized." Of course, to someone who doesn't care about trains, it just looks like every other metro rail car. He pulls out his phone, and takes a picture. Yeah, he's a bit of a geek.
Rashmi tries not to chuckle at Theo's interest, instead clearing her throat as the car pulls up. "…So, um… What's the difference between this car and whatever others run this line?" Fully identifying herself as not a train geek, but perfectly content, it would seem, to indulge her friend's hobby.
Theo snerks, "They're only the oldest passenger trains still in service in the entire world," "One of my dad's co-workers swore they still operated, but I thought he was full of it." He runs his hands on the outside. "The corregated design on the outside here?" he says, feeling the ridges. "Serve absolutely no purpose, but it was the sleek futuristic look back in the 60s when these things were built." He hops on board, and looks around. He clicks another picture of the cabin. "I'm so posting this."
"…Wow… The Sixties, huh?" Rashmi's eyes roam over the side as she steps on, brow slightly furrowed. "Huh… I guess they really did know how to build them back then, huh?" Glancing back at her friend, an eyebrow rises, accompanied by a small smile. "You sort of sound like I do when I manage to go to the Historical Society, y'know?"
Theo shrugs, taking a seat on the train. "Trains are built to last now, too." He says. "I think that's part of why I like them so much. The R10's were built in the 40's and they're made it to the late 80s, and they are considered some of the crappiest cars in history. The R142 is what you mostly see around here. They made like a thousand R160 in the last five years. Hard to think there's that many cars cruising around, huh?" He seems to have completely missed her attention to his obsession. He's in his own world. He seems to snap out of it suddenly, though. "Sorry, I'm going way too nerd. You probably don't care."
Rashmi laughs, dropping into her seat. "I asked, didn't I? Besides, you've never heard me going on about the First Continental Congress. Seriously, I could go on for hours too, don't worry about it." The PDA is pulled out again, a brief message tapped out, and stored away. "Besides, it was pretty obvious you were getting ready to go stir crazy. If it's something you like, hey, gab away, I'm not bored."
Theo doesn't continue, however, now still self-conscious. "Well, trains are pretty cool stuff," he concludes. "If people really wanted to go green in America, they'd just devise a national railway system and get rid of cars all together." He watches the city fly by as they head toward Stark Towers. "It's so good to get out of the school. "It's like living in a zoo."
"That's not a bad idea, really… You'd just have to convince America that they've outgrown the most tangible proof of America's prosperity." Chuckling, she shakes her head. "That'd be a hell of an uphill battle, though. But I totally understand how you feel. I *like* it there, but yeah, it's nice to get out, even if it's just Coldstone or something. My school's the same way."
"Eh," Theo says. "Trains are already that, but it's the jump to rapid transit that makes the issue. It's not like anybody's holding us back, or any groups are opposing the idea. Maglevs are a reality in other countries because it doesn't involve changing existing railways, since most other countries didn't have a lot of dependence on railways the way America did before cars were invented. But it takes a lot of money. It'd take a combination of federal, state, and private investments to make it happen. Trains are really expensive to begin with. Maybe I can convince Tony to take up that movement. But it'd take a couple hundred people with Tony's money to make it really happen." The train comes slowing to stop outside, and Theo zips his jacket up. "I hope you like your present. It was hard to find."
Rashmi tugs on the sleeves of her sweater, pulling herself to her feet as the train slows. "I'd be startled if I *don't* like it, Theo," she says with a chuckle. "And thanks in advance for taking all that trouble. But I guess we'll have to see… maybe it'll help since the global reserves are starting to tighten up, we'll have to cut the costs somehow. Still, it's something to look out for… A much nicer side project than the one we're working on, right?"
NYC - Stark Towers (Main Lobby)
The main lobby is the entranceway to the 93-story Main Tower. The modern architecture of the building itself is complimented by the comfortable furniture placed about the vast space with small glass tables between facing chairs for people to place their belongings upon. In the center of the room against the far wall as you walk North lies an information desk where people go to get directions. To the left and right of the information desk is a series of elevators.
Theo shrugs, "You'll probably like my car, then," he says with a grin. "But you gotta promise not to tell anyone. It's not being produced yet." As they reach Stark Towers, Theo goes to the retinal scanner, and gains access to the buildling, followed by the elevator.
"Lips, sealed," Rashmi says, smiling… but as Theo bends in front of the retinal scanner, her face falls slightly. "Um… should I sign something, or wait here, or…?"
"Nah," Theo says, "It's fine since you're with me. We're just going to the parking garage. Make you feel like you're in James Bond though, huh?" he asks. He waits for Rashmi to enter the elevator before hitting the key for the parking level. After they arrive, it isn't hard to figure out where his car is. There are only 4 cars in the whole garage. "Yeah, thought they'd put me on the bottom level, since I wasn't going to be moving it very often." In the very back, a small silver sports car can be seen of sorts, sitting all by its lonesome.
A question with pulls a laugh from the redhead's throat. "I've been called a *lot* of things, Theo… Bond girl? That would *definitely* be new…" Falling silent for the ride down, her eyes widen as the car comes into view. "Oh, wow… *Nice.* I'm not really all that big on cars, but that is just *pretty.*" Stepping closer to the silver prototype, she pauses, tilting her head. "…Out of curiosity, you're not one of those drivers that helps people find religion, are you?"
The car is a Ferrari, definitely sleek, but it's a smart car sized, which makes it a little silly looking perhaps as well. "It's powered by an arc reactor," he tells her. "It won't need gas. Ever." He unlocks the doors, and hops in the driver's seat. "Hey baby, you miss me?" he asks the car. "Find religion?" he finally adds to Rashmi. "Well, I've never had a wreck yet," he qualifies himself. Of course, he's only been driving a couple of months. The car purrs to life.
"Y'know," Rashmi says, dropping into the passenger seat. "'Oh God, oh God, please don't let this car flip over,' that kind of thing. It's sort of related to that old line about atheists and foxholes, right?" The seatbelt is fastened, and she takes a moment to squirm in the seat. "…Wait is this thing heated?"
"Oh! Your present!" Theo smacks himself in the forehead. "I'm such an idiot. Almost forgot why we came out here to begin with." He hops back out, and rushes around to the trunk. To answers Rashmi's question, the heat starts to kick in after a few seconds. "It's not really wrapped properly," he admits. "But here it is." The package is still the packaging from…Warner Brothers. It's long and thin. and he approaches Rashmi's side of the car.
Apparently Rashmi forgot about the present briefly, as well. It is, after all, a very nice car. Thus, the look on her face as Theo approaches her side could be charitably called owlish. "…That's not the store's wrapper," she says slowly, in a less than startling display of attention to detail. "Theo…. what is this?"
"You said you liked Lord of the Rings," the technopath answers. "So I thought you'd like something from the movies. I know you're probably one of those people who always complain about the movies not following the books, but maybe you'd like it anyway. "Go ahead, open it." He hands the box over to her, and shoves his hands in his pockets.
Rashmi looks down at the package, then back up at Theo, eyes widening slightly. "Theo, what… you didn't…" Her attention drops back to the box, hands moving carefully to tug the box open.
Inside is a sword. It isn't one of the famous swords like Glamdring or Sting. It's a brutish looking orc blade. It isn't flashy or particularly glorious looking. Inside is a certificate of authenticity and a note. "Dear Mr. Fegenbush, thank you for your purchase of the prop "Uruk-hai Sword". Be certain to retain the certificate of authenticity which proves that this sword is not a replica, but an authentic prop from the movie Lord of the Rings: Two Towers. Sincerely, Warner Brothers Prop Sales Dept."
Theo quickly explains. "All the really cool stuff was already auctioned off at way more than I could ever hope to afford. But they had a few of these left, and I thought you'd like it."
Rashmi picks up the note, jaw falling open as she reads halfway through the second sentence. "Theo," she breathes. "This is just…." The certificate, slowly extracted, eyes wider still. "I… wow… *wow.* The box is turned in her arms, fingertips trailing over the back side of the blade. "I *love* it, Theo… Thank you. Seriously… Thank you."
Theo's smile broadens as Rashmi seems to truly enjoy the present. "You're most welcome," he answers politely. Then, his expression suddenly changes to one of mild panic. "Oh, shoot," he reaches into the box and feels about inside of it until he manages to find a slip of paper underneath the packing. He looks at it quickly, then folds it into his pocket, his grin a little sheepish. The invoice no doubt. "Well, the night is still young, let's go find a jacket." Of course, by now the night is not so young anymore, and the likelihood of finding a store open on a Sunday night is dwindling quickly.
Rashmi pretends not to even see the invoice, hurriedly closing the lid of the box once Theo's hand is free, the box secured beside her legs. "…You *do* realize,* she says once the car begins to pull out of the parking lot, "that you're going clothes shopping with a *girl,* right? Just, y'know…. making sure you realize exactly what you're getting yourself into…"
The boy laughs as he walks around the front of the car, and hops back into the driver's seat. "I grew up with seven sisters," he tells Rashmi. "I'm quite aware." He puts the car into gear, and pulls back and around. "But my fashion sense is horrible, so at least you can help me know what looks good and what doesn't."
Theo slips the car into drive, and adjusts his grip on the steering wheel. There is the subtle sound of his fingers gripping the leather. And then he helps Rashmi find religion.
