Players:
Summary: The lack of knowledge makes people a bit tense, even among friends.
Date: October 15, 2010
Log Title: Tension Is High
Rating: PG
Tegu-Haaz - Xavier's Insane Asylum for Adolescents
A large mansion stands on top of a hill made of red brick. Turrets and towers just from the building marked 'Xavier's Insane Asylum for Adolescents'. Gargoyles hang from various edges of the roof, their mouths gaping open and wings spread. The path runs up past the gates and circles around to the front doors. There is a statue of a woman in the center of the lawn the pathway circles. Off to the side is an old horse carriage with a small cell in the back designed to lock animals, or people, in. Pathways lead to other areas of the grounds of the Insane Asylum. The gate seems to circle the outside of the area locking those inside that it can.
After rinning into Jinx at the cliffs edge while hunting a rather large, black, beasty, James brought his teammate and friend back to his home—which just happens to be an asylum. But as many questions as this raised, few were answered: James promptly fell asleep and stay that way into the late afternoon. Now outside with her, the two paint an interesting scene for any passerbys. Sitting at an old, white, rusted table, a human male adorned in de-sleeved straight jacket speakes with a black-n-white forest creature, trying to get her caught up on what he's discovered. Namely, that he can shift in and out of being a hyena. With some success at least. His face: None that anyone but the girl will recgonize.
Jinx wears a long cloak that she has stolen from someplace. She withdraws a couple apples from inside and hands one to the man before her, looking not unlike some classic withc offering her enemy a poisoned fruit.
Carrying a pumpkin in his arms, Robyn has been wandering. He isn't looking too good and looks tired, pale and a bit lost. He's been sleeping a lot, or just passing out a lot, the last day or so. He left the farmhouse to hunt for food and said he was gonna stay in the area but just wandered off, not remembering his task. He's still dressed in his black jeans and t-shirt that he's been wearing for the last few days with a brown jacket and gloves. He looks disheveled and dirty as he wanders up the hill passed gate. "Jinx?" He asks uncertaintly as he spots her.
When Robyn never reported back in with the small group scavenging the town and the areas around it for their current base in the farmhouse, Connor sent others back and began a search alone for Robyn… mainly due to knowing that in this state, anyone else might touch the wrong spot and end up comatose and leaving his friend horribly guilty. It's been a long set of rooftops and a couple of near-sick moments later before he finally finds Robyn on the steps of the Asylum… the place the main group seems to have avoided for the large part. As he runs up the hill, he does not yell out, still too nervous about this place to want to draw attention to himself. But in case… a knife is ready in one hand.
The would-be 'yena stops midsentence to turn his head towards the approaching Robyn. He nds to Jinx, "Looks like we're not the only ones who got trapped here." He turns down the apple, his eyes firmly on the pumpkin, not the boy holding it, "Put the vegatable down and Step away from the pumpkin, son!" His body language turns unkind, hand reaching for an old farming plow piece he's wearing on a belt.
Jinx turns her head towards the sound of her name, her ears lifting, though they twitch uncertainly and the man next to her would notice a tightening of her figure. But… a pumpkin. Of course it's a pumpkin. "Robyn?" she says back hesitatntly. James' intitial encounter with her has taught her to be cautious of people who look like people you know. She tightens her grip on her apple and raises up a little. "Is that you? Say something… Robyn-like! She sees a flash behind him (probably Connor) and fluffs. "Incoming!"
Robyn jumps at James' demand to put the pumpkin down and complies as to not cause trouble. "Pumpkin's down?" He says as he looks at Jinx and is confused by her question. "I..I don't know." Robyn says to Jinx before the Incoming is yelled and turns quickly and pulls out a woodman's axe that he was carrying in the back of his belt. He's holding it completely wrong and not in any good way to be defensive. He looks around to see what Jinx was talking about. "Who are you with Jinx?" He calls back to her.
Connor skids to a halt, and from this distance, might not be recognizable to the others, given his current attire is much more suited to the region than Robyns. Dressed in tan pants, a white shirt with the big sleeves, a grey wool waistcoat, and riding boots he looks more like a stablehand or someone's assistant than anything else. But the boarhunting spearhead that's been converted into a knife in his hand looks no less dangerous. Stopping a few feet from Robyn, he pants out, "You told me you were just going to rest for a moment… not wander off all the way up he-…" Stopping as the Elphaba-like form and her straightjacket clad consort are spotted. He seems to have missed Robyn's words in his trek but his disappearance and sudden reappearance behind Robyn's back to cover him from the seeming strangers is enough for those familiar with him.
"Step *farther* away from the pumpkin," jacked-James says in a voice that's not at all familiar, "If you don't, I'm not responsible for what's going to happen." If it looks like a threat, and sounds like a threat, it probably is! He looks back at Jinx, "Thought you said you were alone? Looks like Connor followed us to hell too." He draws the plow piece, "If I tell you to run, you do it, 'kay?"
When The figure zaps in behind Robyn, Jinx is pretty sure who it is now. "Connor," she says under her breath. She holds her hands up as the situation appears to escale rather quickly. Connor and James have knives and she and Robyn have produce. "Okay, everyone needs to chill out!" she raises her hands higher, palms spread towards James and the pair. "Connor, you look all 'Wuthering Heights'. Looks like all of us aren't in Christmastown anymore. You guys find the doorway on the tree with the big 'X' yet?" She glances behind again, just in case James is less stable than usual.
Robyn takes a few steps further away from the pumpking. "Why am I moving away from the pumpkin?" He asks before turning back around once he realizes it's Connor. "I don't remember. I just..was walking." He doesn't even remember where he got the pumpkin. "I thought it was a pumpkin on the tree?" Robyn says to Jinx as he falters a bit in his step. "How…you're okay Jinx?" He asks as he looks at James, still wondering who the hell this guy is. "Run?" He asks still sounding a bit confused.
Connor's eyes remain focused on the other armed individual as he moves to one side and puts a hand on Robyn's shoulder, steadying him somewhat and saying softly, "You're not focused… you need to get back to the house Robyn. I'll find Miss Frost, I'll find someone who can help you… but we don't know what's here, and with you wandering around like this… you could get hurt, or worse." Shaking his head once and taking a chance based on the speaker he sheathes the first of the pair of makeshift blades, leaving it away with it's partner before saying a bit more loudly, "No… we haven't seen anything like that. We're on the other side of town in the farmhouse where you can see the chimney smoke. Most of the students we could find are there… we've got boiled water, and some passable food. Miss Frost and Mister Gilpatrick are here, and are searching for others. You should come with us, Jinx." Seeming to emphasize the last part.
James moves his head as if Robyn's question about 'why' is an unusual one, "So I can KILL it. That thing needs to die before it eats us all!" The pumpkin. One of the few edible things in the area. And the guy in the straight jacket is bent on its destruction. James steps closer to Jinx "Don't worry, I'll keep you safe. Even if they don't believe me." He shoots a look over at Connor, "How many more are in town?" He tilts his head back, "Oh..yeah…Guys, it's me, James."
Jinx's ears move sideways as she considers Connor. "This is James… he can shift," she says, and really tries hard to keep the envy out of her voice. Her hands lower and she steps down. "James seems to think that people can like.. masquerade or something," she says, her brow furrowing. "James, leave the pumpkin alone. It may be our ride home."
Robyn tucks the axe he's holding back into the belt of his pants as he walks over to Jinx. He looks at James and blinks a few times. "Kill a pumpkin? And James?" He does believe him but it's just things are taking a bit longer to add up in his mind and eventually there is a relieved smile. "James…" He doesn't know what to say on his new 'look' also combined with the fact that there's a killer pumpkin. He then looks at Connor with confusion. "What farm?"
"James Who…" Connor retorts, "James Dean? James Bond? James and the Giant FUCKING PEACH?" Very slowly he attempts to guide Robyn back down the trail away from the pumpkin and unfortunately further away from Jinx, "Jinx… remember that the best lies are seeded in the truth. And he's the second person I've seen so far I don't know… the other one is unconscious and under watch… We'll… come back for you. I promise." The decision obviously tearing at him as he attempts to prioritize Robyn over the girl for the moment.
Looking over at Jinx, 'James' says, "Well, that's Connor alright. He has that detail to lameness no demonic creature could fake." "How many are here?" he asks again, "And are you well armed? Can you fend off an attack? Are you guys setting up guards yet?" Inquiring minds want to know. He puts his plow piece away and puts a hand on his hip, the other on Jinx's shoulder, "This is worse than I thought."
Jinx snorts towards Connor and leans back on her heel, her hands dropping to her hips. She turns her head briefly towards the hand on her shoulder, a brow arched. "Yeah, That's Connor. I am glad to see nothing has changed there at least, besides the swanky costume," she nods her head towards the boy. "And all I got was a cape! Clearly this farm is the place to be," she grins to James, then clears her voice. "Connor? Um… James, like in can-transform-into-a-gnoll-and-will-kick-your-ass James. I'm sure he'll show you how when he catches up to you."
Robyn pulls away from Connor trying to drag him away as he doesn't want to leave Jinx and James right now. "I have an axe but…I don't remember how many. And guards, I think we are. There are…others here." Meaning people from Xavier's though he doesn't mention that he can't really use his powers. He looks at James for a long time, not in a bad way but just kind like he's looking for a trace of Gnoll. "Worse?"
There's a particular set to Connor's jaw, and while James is in human form, the more delicate nose of Jinx can pick up the rampant anxiety, anger, and fear rocketting back and forth through him… overshadowing even his normal almost rabbit-like scent. Eyes flick back and forth between the pair, and a sense of lingering distrust remains, and he moves to at least interpose himself some between the semi-comatose Robyn and the pair, "Why not come with us and find out… if you're really James, then you'd know we'd need you. If you were really James you'd remember you're X-Force and all that means."
There's a nod to Robyn, "Yeah, worse, like alien-busting-out-of-your-chest sorta worse." Turning to Connor James shakes his head, "Yeah, it means I'm a student spending his free time watching CCTV because I'm not *on* any team. Your cluster fuck of a training team included, thank god." "Jinx," h says with some elevated volume, "You're free to go anywhere you want. But, I'm not going back with these two yahoos. I'll take my chances here at least until someone with some rank shows up and tells me it's okay. Until then, it's Lord of the Flies."
Jinx read that book. It didn't end well for anything female. She eyes the chromosomal odds here, and it doesn't look so good. "Uhh…." she curls her hand around James' wrist lightly to keep him from marching off. "How would you know it's an authority figure anyways? Or rank? Wouldn't it be better to go and see who else is here rather than being all Lone Ranger?" she asks of the kid, wincing inwardly as the analogy makes her James' Tonto. But then, he had all the best ideas anyways. "C'mon James. If they are full of shit, we can throw the pumpkin at them and run away."
"An alien is gonna pop out of my chest?" Robyn asks nervously, like that's an actual possibility. He puts a hand over his chest and looks around. Then he looks at James and shakes his head. "Thanks, if I did something to piss you off.." He's not sure if he likes being called a yahoo. "Sorry, I'm just…hungry. Thirsty." Robyn says looking at the pumpkin and Jinx's words make him ask "Is the pumpkin really evil? And Connor, why are you saying he's not James? If he's really James, he's gonna do things on his own terms."
Connor's reaction to James' words is almost palpable… whatever is fueling his mood, it was gasoline, and his eyes light up like pale torches, cutting through some of the gloom. When he speaks, there's a jaw-aching bitterness in his tone, "Yeah… it's exactly what he's good at. Self-important…" Cutting himself off before it turns into something more that it needs to be. Reaching out with one hand, he shoots out a grav-bolt to encase the pumpkin, and unless some force stops him, he'll implode the field and burst it while launching it at the same time off the side of the trail, the act mollifying himself some, "It meant you had a duty… a trust. To the people at the school… and to us. To watch out for the things we don't know to look for. Pardon me if some yahoo has to remind you of that… but if you wanna stay up here and play that… don't come around. That means you're Roger, and I'm Piggy… only this time I'll see you coming."
James keeps his gaze trained on Robyn and Connor, eyes peering out from under long, black, disheveled hair. "I'm not going to touch that pumpkin. Not after the last one. Those things will rip off your hands and beat you to death with them." He sounds quite convinced of this. "It's evil! Pure And Simple!" But maybe not from the 8th Dimension. He watches Connor's tantrum and nods to Robyn, "That's the exact reason why I'm here and why I'm staying here." He gives Robyn a nod, "Go if you want, but I think I know what's wrong with you Robyn. You haven't fed, right? We've talked about this before you widget." He's not sure how being a widget is an insult…but apparently Robyn is one. "Jinx, you're free to stay or go. Tomorrow we can even go looking for the others if you want."
Jinx looks at the assembled boys after the major pumpkin freak-out. Her ears pin back and after a moment's silence, she makes a strangled noise and stamps her foot, hands folded into fists. "No!" She growls to everyone and anyone. "You guys are *not* going to do this! I am not going to sit here and be deprived of my own drama freak-out while you all take selfish turns. No!" She gathers her cloak around her shoulders in a humph. "I put up with it enough in the normal universe, I am not putting up with it in Hammar Films Land, too." She points to James. "This is James. He is not going to save you or take control. It is James and that's way too much commitment for a loner like him. Robyn, fuckin' eat something or I am going to slap you into next Tuesday, and Connor… let it go. Stop trying to be in charge because you know you suck at it and it's pissing everyone off." Her fists set firmly on her hips. "Got it?"
Robyn is about to open his mouth to say something but Jinx starts in first and he walks over and goes to sit down on the Asylum steps. "Thanks Jinx." He says as he nods in agreement. "We can't be fighting each other. We know we're safe…for now and we know each other are safe but we can't force one another to make the decisions we want to make. You're making my headache worse, I am having trouble remembering things, I'm confused and James is right. I haven't fed in three days cause there is no one here I won't hurt." To his knowledge. "The second I feed off of one of you…you won't do well. Now…there really isn't any chest popping aliens right? I hope?"
Connor doesn't join the others, instead he turns to look down the trail and back towards where the rise of smoke wafts up… like a beacon, and perhaps a warning. Then he looks back over his shoulder at the others, and stops, "Someone had to Jinx. Because not enough of us really know how to fight, not enough know what to do. Kenta and Miss Frost are here, trying to find others, and I told them all the stay away from here. Not until we had the safety of a place to fall back to. I'm sorry." Shaking his head once, he begins back down the trail slowly, "Robyn… if I see Miss Frost, I'll tell her you're here… she can help you." His shoulders slump a bit then.
James shakes his head and sighs, "Half right Robyn. You're going to hurt one of us now that you haven't been feeding. Had you just…I dunno…taken some responsibility for your powers instead of being 'you' about them again, you wouldn't be in this shape. I dunno how many people are here…but there had to be *someone* there you could have fed from. I mean, seriously, dude." So says the kid in the straight jacket. Looking at Connor as he leaves, he says, "If he does tell Emma, she'll be in contact with us shortly and we can tell her about what's going on then. If not, well…we'll figure something out."
Jinx's ears pin back. It is so completely obvious to the skunk. "Robyn, then don't feed off of just one person. If we all hold hands and stuff, you can suck off the chain or whatever… that is if Connor can get over himself long enough to help someone," she says the last a little loud, not really willing to let the boy go off and sulk in his self-imposed martyrdom. "Connor, if you walk away now, I am going to know you're a coward. Come over here and sing kumbaya with us," she holds her hand out to the boy who seems to be slinking away. Under her breath, she mutters softly. "It's never my turn. It's always someone else's turn," then, again, louder. "Heal ourselves, then heal others. C'MON!"
Looking up at James, Robyn shakes his head. "People can't function with migraines, better just me than all." But then he hasn't gone this long without feeding in a long time. "No one here is like Addison or Jono with the extra." Except for probably Emma. "James, I'm glad you're here and okay. You were gone for a bit and I was worried. But you're found." He doesn't remember how many days James was missing at Xavier's, just that he was. "Connor….you're doing that thing you do again. The knowing thing and over planning thing. Running from having control so you can have control." Does it make sense, probably not but it does in Robyn's mind.
Something snaps again, but in a different way, "Would you listen to yourself Robyn… for God's sake, you could teach Jesus lessons on self-sacrifice. Man up. People've freely offered, but you continue to refuse, like it's soooooo much more important that you hurt." Turning around for face the group, Connor's face is neutral and a bit more normal once more, "Can't you look around for a moment and see people are scared for you? Can't you just… realize for one moment that YES… you -are- important." Stepping back towards Jinx, he stops in front of her, "I'm not a coward, I'm an idiot, and there's a big enough difference… A coward would never have tried to keep so many people going and safe. He would have hidden away. But that doesn't mean I'm not as afraid as you are." There's a slightly diffident shrug as he walks past and towards Robyn, "You've got a choice… you can sit there and I can touch your cheek for a five count, or you can get up, get some control again, and tell us how to help you."
James 'phhhts' and turns to head back into the Asylum, "Alright, enough of this. I'm going to go eat. You guys come tell me when you're done bickering because I have more important things to do than sit out here and spout words none of you all listen to anyways." He gently pulls his hand out of Jinx's grasp, "You coming or staying? 'Cause, if you stay, keep in mind all this squawking is only going to attract a bigger bird."
Jinx is ready to kick everyone, and Robyn's total ignoring of her efforts in order to focus on his brokeness. "Okay. Whatever. Die then. Go do it someplace else, because I am not going to stick my neck out for you if you're just going to flail. Do something helpful and go eat a bad guy," she frowns at Robyn, and turns her back to him. To Connor, she nods. "Thanks for helping. Thanks for coming back. I know you are trying, and that's good. Someone has to. I think I will stick it out here and see if I can find anything out. I'll report in to you all if I know anything," Then, as James asks her, she nods. "Sure, I'm coming. Wait up!" and she starts after him into the nut house.
Robyn looks at everyone and sighs. "If you really want to help, just…pull away after a few seconds. I might not be able to and it's not going to be good for you either." He warns as a part of him would rather not do this but he also knows it's getting bad. "I don't mean to be bickering if I am, I'm not mad at anyone or anything just…pumpkins, aliens, headaches, I can't concentrate. Honestly, I don't know if I want to go back to the farm. There's people but the wrong people."
Connor watches James begin to walk off, and shakes his head, "If you don't have anything now, you won't make it back… so here…" And with that he brushes his fingers against Robyn's cheek, and then arches as he feels the pull from his own mind into Robyn's body. Gritting his teeth, he grinds out, "One… T-two…" A count is skipped as he has to take a hard breath, "THRRRREEE!" And he teleports three feet from where he was standing and ends up going to one knee, panting and holding one hand over one eye for several moment, "Ow… wasn't… so bad…"
Robyn drains a bit from Connor as his eyes flash purple. There's a drain that Connor would feel on his mind and he'd be left with a killer migrant. Once done he pulls his knees in on himself as he feels better but not one hundred percent. "I'm not thinking right Connor, I can't. I'm still thirsty, hungry, whatever. Now you're probably not able to really concentrate and….if I do that to several people a bunch of us are out for a bit. I need some sleep." He says as he just feels out of place in more than just that fact that he's in a different world.
Connor stands up back and takes a shuddering breath before he turns to look towards the farm, then back at Robyn, "Will you stop that… seriously… I just let you feed off me, I'm in clothes that itch like a pain in the butt, and someone's probably gonna be ticked when we get back for making the rules and then breaking them." Shaking his head and giving a pained smile as he reaches out to take Robyn's arm, "Let's get you back… hopefully Miss Frost will be there."
