Players:
Summary: Lucas vents a bit to Robyn about relationships and Sophie meets a few students around Xavier's.
Date: February 20, 2011
Log Title: The Emo Blues
Rating: PG
Xavier Mansion - Living Room
Cream colored couches and chairs are placed among end tables and a coffee table. A large entertainment center covers one of the blue walls. The windows are set back a bit creating comfortable window seats for those who want to read.
Lucas is laying on one of the couches on his back. His barefoot feet are crossed at the ankles, propped up on the far arm of the sofa, his head propped on a throw pillow near the other end. He is holding a book in the air over his head, reading. It's a paperback, "Fran and Zoey," by JD Salinger.
Walking into the living room with a Tim Burton art book under his arm is Robyn. He waves at Lucas and plops down on one of the chairs. "Heya Lucas, how's it going?" He asks as he rests the large hardcover on his lap.
Lucas closes the book, looking over at the new arrival. "Robear. Hey." He offers a little smile, and sits the book on his stomach. "What up, yo?"
Robyn shrugs. "Not to much, looking through the art book of Tim Burton's that Rashmi got me for Christmas. Using it to get some ideas for my next project. I just finished up a wolf gargoyle. So What's up with you?"
Lucas' smile drifts off his face when he mentions Rashmi. "Oh." He chews his lip a moment, looking up at the fancy light fixture above them, then back at Robyn. "Hey. Can Ah ask you somethin'?"
Robyn sits up and nods to Lucas. "Sure, what's up Lucas?" He says as he is willing to listen to a friend. "Honestly you can ask me anything."
Lucas sighs, and then pushes himself up to a sitting position, laying the book beside him. He furrows his brow, and leans his elbows on his knees. He stares at the ground between them. "Has-" He huffs, his brow creasing more. "Does Rash ever… say anythin' about… me?" His eyes lift to look at Robyn then, worried but hopeful.
"Well we dont' talk as much as we used to, not anything bad but we've both been really busy. We catch up when we have the chance." Robyn says. "Last time we talked she mentioned that it was nice seeing you again." He offers with a bit of a shrug.
Lucas' shoulders slump a little. "It was nice…" he repeats, quietly. Another sigh, and he rubs the bridge of his nose. "She's with someone."
Robyn nods slowly and takes a deep breath. "She told me, she didn't tell me much just that while in Africa you met the guy she's now dating. I take it it's hitting you kinda hard?" He asks giving Lucas a sympathetic look.
Lucas purses his lips, thinking, and then nods. He looks off to the hallway as he answers, "When Ah came back here, Ah was gettin' my stuff to leave. Connor caught me. He told me she was captured, an' Ah…" His brow furrows again, looking for what he means to say. "Ah realized some things, Ah reckon…" He sighs, "Ah dropped everything to go save her. When Ah got her out, she…" He swallows, "Well, she had someone else."
Robyn nods slowly. "I'm sorry Lucas, but maybe you guys can at least be friends? I don't know if you can deal with that but I know she would. I don't know much about this guy she's dating, she hasn't talked much about it to me, but..I'm not the best for relationship advice. I've just had the one boyfriend."
Lucas sighs, "Ah KNOW we can just be friends, it's…" He shakes his head, "Ah realized a lot of stuff when Maw passed, an' when Ah was away. And… And Ah think Ah fucked that up." He gives a sort of embarrassed, soft chuckle, "Heh. Ah thought maybe Ah'd have another go." He leans back on the couch, and looks at the ceiling, exhaling slowly. "Ah love her. And Ah fucked it up."
"I'm really sorry Lucas." Robyn says to him with a bit of a frown. "It must be really hard for you. I don't know if I'd say you fucked it up but I don't know. I'm really bad at this."
Lucas nods, "No, it… It was totally me. Ah see that now. Ah'm… difficult." He sighs, and he picks up his book, fidgeting with it. "Her new guy? He's got six arms. How do Ah compete with that?"
Tara bursts into the room with a helpful question, "Six willies?"
Robyn opens his mouth to say something but before he can get it out Tara busts in with her comment. With a sigh, he facepalms and shakes his head. "That's just creepy Tara, and Lucas, what exactly is there to compete with. I mean six arms, it's just extra arms. And yeah, I can't deny that you are difficult at times." He says giving him a small smile. "And hello Tara."
Lucas looks up at Tara, and he rolls his eyes, smiling, "If'n Ah had six dicks, Ah wouldn't need a girlfriend." He looks at Robyn then, "He's better lookin' than me. An' he treats her like Ah shoulda. Forget the arms." He scratches his forearm, "Maybe Sting was right. If you love someone, you set them free."
"Yeah, I know," admits Tara, nodding to Robyn. "How would you even /pee/?" She, then wanders over to a free couch and flops herself into it, listening to Lucas some. "So you're still hung up over Rashmi?"
"Yeah well, love isn't always easy. Sometimes I wonder where exactly Jordan and I are going." Robyn says but doesn't elaborate on that. "I haven't met him so I can't really judge on things but don't get yourself so down Lucas."
Lucas nods at Robyn, and he gives a little scowl towards Tara, "Forget it."
Tara grins, "Forgotten. So. Hey. You two going to be at the dance?"
Robyn smiles at Lucas for a second and shakes his head. "Yup you're difficult." He teases. "And yeah I'm going to the dance. I got Jordan to go with me. It took some convincing since he hates Xavier's."
Lucas interjects quickly about the dance, folding his arms over his chest, "No."
Tara snorts in amusement. "Why am I not surprised?" She gives out a little chuckle from the couch she's on and jokes, "It's okay. I'll never see how bad you dance so have nothing to be embarrassed about."
"Eh, I think the dance is a bad subject." Robyn says to Tara trying to keep things a bit lighter. "So Lucas have you put more thought into the Superhero thing?"
Lucas shakes his head, "Look, it's okay. REALLY. Y'all go, have you're dance thing. Just…" He shrugs, gracefully, "Ah'd rather just not, ya know? Ah have a feelin' they'll be there, an' Ah reckon as much as it'd make me upset, it'll make them feel weird about it." He shakes his head, "Ah don't want that, so… They can have it."
Tara looks tempted to say something, for a moment, but apparently thinks better of it. "Yeah. That superhero thing. I bet you'd look bitchin' in tights."
Robyn nods to Lucas. "I know, I understand." He says to his friend. Then he just looks at Tara and can't help but laugh. "He does look bitchin' in tights, you can take my word for it."
Lucas furrows his brow, "Ah got chicken legs. He's full of shit." He sighs, shaking his head, leaning back onto the couch again, relaxing a little. "You're takin' Jordan," he says to Robyn, then looking at Tara. "What about you?"
Tara shrugs. "I don't have anybody to go with me, yet." she says. She doesn't seem too upset about it, however. "I'm sure I'll meet somebody to dance with. Especially after they see me dance. I'll have to fight them off with a stick."
"Or it'll just be you hitting them with a stick Tara." Robyn says teasing here. "And your chicken legs are no worse then mine. I'm skinny as hell thus my tattoo that says Thin as a Dime. I've always been underweight."
Lucas sighs, chuckling at Robyn, and then to Tara says, "You dance?" He smiles, "Is that like, you're superpower? Ah'm just sayin', because, high school kids don't dance at dances."
"I'm a gymnist, Lucas," Tara say sardonically. "Of /course/ I can dance." She shifts her position on the couch. "It's one of those things you have to learn how to do if you do any floor work."
The sound of soft tapping might be heard by the observant, coming from down the hall. Moments later Sophie steps into view. She's a young girl in her teens, wearing a blindfold wrapped around her head. In her hand, she carries a long cane; the source of the tapping, as she probes the ground in front of her with it before she walks. With her left hand she follows along the wall, carefully making her way down into the living room.
Lucas laughs, "A gymnast? That's hot on SO many innappropriate ways…" He stands nad steps to the dor, opening it again. "Ah recofd Ah best head off to bed. Night."
Robyn shakes his head with a sigh. "Sorry Tara, I can't find that hot. Unless your'e really a guy but I doubt that." He says before he nods to Lucas. "Good night Lucas, have a good night." He says before he notices the new girl in the room. "Hey, you need help?" He offers to the girl.
Tara's head cocks as she tilts an ear towards the familiar sound of the tapping. "Oooh," she says excitedly. "Another blind girl. Welcome to the living room! You've got a cluster of couches around a coffee table about ten yards in, which is facing the TV. Past that you've got some chairs and the windowsill couch thing." She just sighs and says, "Thank you, Robyn. Why do all the other guys here think that's hot?"
Sophie comes to a stop, and smiles softly. "Thank you, Senoritas," she replies, speaking with a Spanish accent. "You have known someone who is blind before, then?" She resumes tapping her cane, as she follows the directions given and finds a couch near to where she can hear voices from. She pokes about to make sure the seat she's selecting is vacant before settling down into it. "Thank you, both of you," she repeats. "It is only my first day here, and it is a big place. I will be a long time learning my way around I think."
"I'm not a girl." Robyn says to Sophie with a raise of an eyebrow as he doesn't think he sounds like a girl. "But Tara here is blind." He explains before looking back to her. "I dunno, male gymnasts are quite hot, I'll admit to that but then…" He blushes a bit and turns red. "Well then welcome to Xavier's. I'm Robyn Larkin, nice to meet you."
Tara begins, "No, I'm…" and then Robyn beats her to the punch. "Yeah. I'm blind, too. I'm Tara." She gives Robyn a little shrug. "Dunno. I guess it's like when you work at a candy store all day long, the candy just kind of loses it's appeal for me."
Sophie nods her head slowly. "I understand," she replies. "My appologies, Senor Robyn." She blushes softly. "You must understand, it is the first time I have been out of the place where I grew up… and the first time I have been out of Spain, and the first time I have been here. So I am perhaps a little nervous, and make mistakes." She clasps her hands over her lap, and bows her head. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Senorita Tara. Do you use a cane, also?"
Mason, the blond pop star, is exhausted. He's dressed to kill, though. He's decked out in a tux, black and white traditional look, and shiny black shoes so bright they could blind the blind. Well, maybe not literally, as two girls present can attest to. He wanders in a rather disoriented state toward an empty couch, knees clunking against the arm of the sofa and tilting him head first into the cushions. His body lands noisily flumps into the soft couch, and he lets out a heavy sigh. "Old people can be so annoying," he murmurs, muffled in the couch. A wonderful way to introduce himself to people, but he's not in presentation mode, he's in 'brain shut-down' mode. He doesn't seem to even have comprehended who exactly is in the room, and has yet to unbury his face to discover that information.
"Well it must be kinda hard when you can't even really see the eye candy. I mean Jordan's chest…and I should stop now." Robyn says blushing quite a bit, though only Mason can see it. "Well I'm gonna head to the art room now, I got something to check on there before going to bed." He says as he pauses for Mason as he's walking out. "Wow, Penguin! Have a good night Mason." He says as he heads out of the room.
"Only outside," Tara answers to Sophie. "I can use my power to tell where things are, so I don't really have to worry about bumping into things anymore. But it's not like I can read street signs or anything." She pauses when she hears Mason come in and flump into the couch. "Yes. Old people /are/ annoying."
Sophie ahhs. "You are lucky, Senorita," she replies. "I have no such ability… just the cane." She shrugs her shoulders. "It is no great thing. I have gotten used to it, in the years since I lost my sight." She tilts her head at the sound of another person coming in, and another one leaving. "Good night, Senor Robyn; and hello… Senor." She smiles, and shifts a bit in her seat to get more comfortable, and lay her cane across her lap. "I am Sophie; it occurs to me that I have not said yet. Sophie DeCosta."
Mason flips from his belly over onto his back, and sits up straight, his legs still draped over the arm of the couch. He props himself on his hands, looking across at Tara and Sophie. "Mason," he beams with a smile, "Mason Steele." It only occurs to him now that he is smiling at two girls…who can't even see him. He scoots his legs off of the sofa's arm and into a more normal sitting position before slumping back into the cushions. "Be glad you don't have to play Tchaikovsky for them. They all tried to pretend to be cultured about it, they really just want to impress their friends by knowing big words. Welcome to Xavier's Sophie. He fiddles with his hair momentarily before realizing that it is probably a rather fruitless endeavour, given the ladies he's speaking to.
Tara nods sympathetically at Sophie. "Yeah, that's rough. I've never been able to see, so I guess I don't really know what I'm missing." She doesn't seem too upset about it though. "I dunno. I got into gymnastics …. well… at first it was just to prove that I could do it. Then when my Mom found out it was mostly to keep her off my back."
Sophie tilts her head to face in Mason's general direction. "Ahh. But Senor Mason, I like Tchaikovsky. I play the flute, but nothing quite so complicated as that. You play the piano, then?" The blind girl shrugs her shoulders, and idly fiddles with the wrist-strap at the top of her cane. "Gymnastics, Senorita? I can only dream of such things. If I tried it I am sure I would simply hit my head upon something." She laughs, and shakes her head. "No, no; not for me. But it is good to hear that it works for you."
Mason shrugs, "I like Tchaikovsky, I just don't like it when people try to fake being really cultured," he answers. "But yeah, I play some piano," he acquiesces. The lack of his pop star status being identified by the spanish girl gives him a cause to relax. No raving fan girls this time. "Tara, you do gymnastics?" he asks, clearly they aren't very familiar with each other. "I think that stuff is really cool, but I'd be too afraid I'd break my neck or something. Have you ever seen when they — " he turns a little red. "Man, I'm an idiot, sorry." He heard Sophie say that she wasn't always blind, but still, it seems a silly question to pose to a couple of blind girls.
Tara gets to her feet. "Yeah, there were a couple of concussions at first," she explains. "But once you get a feel for where everything is, it all comes down to timing and stuff like that. Speaking of which, I'm late for my time in the Danger Room. I'll catch you all later." And with that she traipses off!
Sophie listens as she hears Tara leave. "Take care, Tara! Talk to you again soon." She pauses, and plays with the end of her cane "I miss running," she comments. "Without the worry of stopping suddenly, with a broken nose, I mean." blushes softly, and pats the air beside her, until she finds the armrest. She leans on it, and shifts a bit to get comfortable. "Uhm… so, tell me. What is this… Danger Room?"
"The Danger Room?" Mason grins. "It's pretty much the coolest thing to ever exist. Imagine a room that can turn into anything you want it too. It can make a jungle, or a city, or any of a million other things. And you can touch and feel all of the things it makes." He watches as Sophie gropes for the arm. "So…did it happen recently?" he asks, given her blindfold.
Sophie blanches visibly. "It… it sounds interesting," she replies in a diminished tone of voice. "What is it used for, that it can create so many things, and yet has earned such a name?" She pauses, pursing her lips in thought. "Did what happen recently, Senor? My… oh." She blushes heatedly, visible on her cheeks beneath her blindfold. "You mean my eyes. No… it happened when I was thirteen, some years ago. There was a fire; getting out of the building I… I had an accident. I…" She drops her gaze, and tilts her head to look away. "I do not want other people to see it," she mumbles.
"I'm sorry," Mason apologizes. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." He gets up and walks around the coffee table to sit on the same couch at the opposite side. "I feel terrible, I should keep my curiosity to myself." A few seconds after he sits down, a certain earthy smell seems to become present. Almost like the smell of potting soil. "But don't worry about the Danger Room. It simulates dangerous situations, but you can't get hurt in it. That way we can learn to use our powers without danger. I guess they should really call it the "Mostly Harmless Room", but that doesn't sound as cool."
Sophie looks up slowly, and her lips perk upwards into a ghost of a smile. "It is alright," she murmurs. Is she always so soft spoken? "I am used to curiosity. People often ask about the blindfold, and that is quite alright. I just am not very good yet at answering." She moves about a bit to face towards you more fully. Her left hand rists up to her chest, and gently touches the crucifix that hangs on a chain around her neck. "I… am not sure I would be much use in this Danger Room," she admits. "Even if it is mostly harmless. I'm blind; for Senorita Tara it might be different, but what use would I be in a dangerous situation? I would simply have to be rescued, I am sure."
"You could distract the enemy with your fantastic good looks," Mason says, his tone actually somewhat serious. Flirt much? "What's your powers? Maybe you can use them to help you compensate." As he talks, his eyes keep track of the mood ring on Sophie's finger. Hopefully a free way to gauge her responses.
The mood ring is… blue. Whatever that means. Sophie blushes heatedly at the compliment to her looks, and fidgets with the end of her cane. "Surely I'm not that good looking," she protests. "I mean… last time I looked in a mirror, I was pretty average looking." She breaks into a big grin despite herself, and shakes her head. "Still, it's good to hear that I'm… what's the proper English word. Cute?" She giggles softly. "Thank you, Senor Mason. And to answer your question… I can heal the people I touch."
"Wow, that's gotta be useful," Mason says. "See, everyone else could do the fighting, and then when they get beat up, they just come to you and you can heal them," he says cheerfully. "Of course you're cute," he contests, "and you have a cool exotic accent," he adds with his best spanish accent imitation. A terrible one.
Sophie nods her head slowly. "It is a gift from God," she replies in an earnest tone of voice. "And you are a terrible spaniard, Senor Mason." She giggles softly. "Though to me, you are the one with the accent." The blind girl pauses, and reaches up to adjust her blindfold a little over her face. "But, before you ask… yes, I have tried. My ability doesn't work that way; I cannot heal myself. Only others."
"Maybe you can meet another mutant while you're here who can heal you," Mason suggests. "You never know." He adjusts in the seat, leaning back against the arm of the couch. "In the meantime, you'll just have to go running with someone who can see, that way you can still run without worrying about running into a wall."
Sophie nods quickly. "Perhaps I might," she replies. "Or perhaps I won't. It was hard at first, but I have gotten uesd to it; if I am blind for the rest of my life, it is no great sorrow." She shrugs her shoulders emphatically. "Leading someone who is blind is easy, though. You just stick out your arm, I hold on, and follow where you go. Just do not forget that I am there and run too close to a tree, yes?"
The teen idol grins, "Well, that doesn't sound too hard." He holds out his arm. "Well, Sophie, it has been great to meet you. You can't see it, but I'm actually wearing a tuxedo right now, so it'd be nice to get out of it. If you're heading back to the dorms, I'd be happy to practice leading you. Maybe a warm up. If I don't run you into a tree next time we can go running," he offers.
Sophie flicks her cane out in front of her, and taps the ground around the sofa before standing up. "I probably ought to get some sleep," she admits. "My first day of classes here begins tomorrow. But, before we go, Senor Mason… would you allow me to see you?" She bows her head a little. "I imagine that you are quite handsome, in your tuxedo… and I would like a face to put with it."
Mason likewise stands to his feet in time with Sophie, and reaches to take her hand. "It's only fair, since I can already see you. But I'll warn you, I'm covered with horrible boils, and they ooze everywhere," he jokes. His own hands are rather soft, except some callouses at the finger tips, and he pulls her hand up to his face. His features are rather soft, contrary to his claim, and parhaps surprisingly doesn't seem nervous in the way that many people might when given such a request. He didn't even need an explanation as to what she meant. Once her hand is on his face, he releases is so that she can explore it on her own.
The blind girl's touch is gentle, after she lets Mason guide her hand up to his face. She just brushes her fingertips over his features; feeling his nose, his brow, his cheek. She is careful not to poke him in the eye, of course. Once she has explored well enough, she withdraws her hand, and lets it drop back down to her side. "You are quite handsome," she murmurs. "Thank you, Mason; not everyone is comfortable with such a thing, but it is the only way I can learn what you look like, as you might well imagine."
Mason smiles as Sophie feels his face. "Well thank you," Mason says. "It's nice of you to say so." He holds his arm out, and lets his forearm linger close enough to Sophie's that it brushes her arm so that she can know it's there. "It's not strange to me at all. Shall we?" he suggests.
Sophie pauses for a moment, before accepting the offered arm with her left hand, and keeping her cane at the ready with her right. "Certainly," she replies, and bobs her head. "Lead the way, Senor Mason. I… admit that I do not know the way to the dromitories from here, so I would be a long time searching."
