Players:
Summary: Heather sees the glass as half full, Nicholas sees it as half empty
Date: April 6, 2012
Log Title: The Water Is Thick
Rating: PG-13
Xavier Mansion - Pool
A large Olympic size pool sits outside at the edge of the property over looking Breakstone Lake. The pool, always heated to the right temperature, starts at a depth of 4 feet at the shallowest end, and gradually reaches a depth of 20ft. A diving board sits at the far end of the pool. Off to the side of the shallow end, a hot tub is built into the ground for those wanting to relax. Pool chairs and tables sit along the side of the pool for those just wanting to enjoy the sunshine.
It's early evening and the sun is setting on Xavier's School for Gifted Children. With there being no school today, Nicholas has spent the majority of the day with his horse Orion. So after a day of physical activity, he's found the hot tub and is currently trying to relax in it. His towel is in a pile at the side of the water as he leans back, just watching the sunset, his mind a on a million things a million miles from Xavier's.
Heather arrives outside in a blur, wearing her own swimsuit, a black one piece. Given the simplicity of the swimsuit, it doesn't take away from her appearance in the same way as the garrish and clashing outfits she often chooses do. She seems to be bee-lining towards the hot tub, but that takes her across the surface of the pool. A few fast steps over the water keeps her from falling through the surface, but a misstep causes her to fall and almost, for just a moment, skid across the surface before sinking in. She flails back to the surface after the plunge.
Nicholas's thoughts keep him from noticing to much until he hears the splash of water that is cause by Heather running across the surface of the pool. Looking over, he's just in time to see her slide the sink in. "Uh…I think it's a bit cold for swimming in there." He says as he goes to get up out of the hot tub to offer Heather a hand. "Need help?"
Heather thrashes about a bit until she notices the hand. At that time, she offers her hand, but holds it limply, to allow Nicholas to grip her wrist without actually gripping him in return and nodding once at the question. In her high pitched squeaking voice, she says, "Iwspractisnbtigusimntasgutasithot."
Nicholas doesn't exactly use his strength to help Heather out, instead there's a blue glow to his eyes are he telekinetically lifts her out of the pool without even grabbing onto her hand. The hand he reached out is used to guide what he's doing. "I'm sorry but I don't have a clue what you just said." He puts her gently on the ground and grabs his towel to offer it to her as he stands there starting to shiver as the cool air hits his wet skin.
Heather raises a hand and headshakes at the towel, gesturing towards the hot top, dashing back to pick up her translation device (her old school tape recorder) to put it next to the hot tub and slip in, letting it play, "I said, I was practicing, but I guess I'm not as good as I thought. I am sometimes able to overcome the surface tension… Thank you for your help. Water is strange to swim in."
Nicholas puts his towel back down and then settles back down into the water. "What else would you swim in?" He asks obviously finding it a strange comment. "And no problem on the help." His eyes glance to the tape recorder defiantly feeling weird about having a conversation with it. "Uh, so….you don't always fall in?"
"I'm not sure. I'm not big on swimming in anything. Water is too thick, though. I wish there was something less thick to swim in," decides Heather, nodding her head slowly, or at least, slowly for her, "And no, most of the time I just skip across the surface and then I am on the other side. You have to be very careful."
There's a raised eyebrow from Nick at Heather's words and the boy is in disbelief. "The only thing less thick to swim in…nevermind. You're just pulling my leg or something. Water's too thick, you almost had me there." He says honstly thinking she was trying to pull his leg. "I've never succeeded in running across water so I wouldn't know."
"I suppose I did almost have you," decides Heather, considering that for a few moments before she shrugs, "It takes a lot of practice to run across water, and it involves becoming very wet very frequently, and then you have to hold your breath, and it's such a hassle." She lowers her arms carefully under the surface. "Do you come to the hot tub frequently?"
Nicholas shakes his head. "No, I just found out the school had one. After a day of riding and working with Orion, I'm sore so I figured it would be a way to relax." Physically at least, there's no way Nick's mind is going to shut down enough for him to relax. "What about you?" He says and he can't help but wince in the regards that it feels like a horrible pick up line.
"I seldom come out to sit down in water. But lately, I feel like I need to relax, and it seems that people come to these things to relax. I am unsure if it is working," decides Heather, tilting her head lightly. "I have many concerns pressing upon me, and I think I am beyond my abilities in many of them. I must wait on others to come through."
"It doesn't help me relax mentally, but I had a long day with Orion so it's more helping my sore muscles." Nicholas says as he hasn't been that active all day in a while. "I'm in the same boat, too much crap on my mind and just have to sit here and do nothing while I wait on others to play hero."
"I suppose I must do the same, for the moment. I have a different experience of time, as well. I would prefer to do everything with immediacy, but no options present themselves. Now, I find myself dealing with vampires and crime syndicates and I have heard that there are more vampires involved in other affairs," says Heather, shaking her head with some exasperation, "Frankly, I have had enough of vampires."
Nicholas gives Heather a confused look. "I only know about one thing involving Vampires, that's something with Jill I think. Vampires and Werewolves and Capitol One thugs." He says letting out an audible sigh. "I just want this all to be over. To just have things just be…easy again."
"I am not sure when things were ever easy. But I suppose you mean easy for you, and that is harder for me to judge the peaks and valleys," says Heather, eyeing Nicholas for a moment and then glancing at the surface of the water, "I expect things will become easier. I will be helping where I can with the rescue effort, depending on what I'm allowed to contribute. I have heard rumours that Connor is also working on it, and he is quite capable."
"Connor?" Nicholas says before leaning down in the water so only his head is above it. "That guy doesn't like me." At least his believes it. "Though one minute Q's trying to get me to join them, and I eventually agree then he tells me I'm not good enough to go and that I'd be his responibility." He rolls his eyes at that. "Any way, yes, I mean easy for me. And they were. Before I woke up here."
"He doesn't like you? Really? I mean. He might not like you, but I doubt that he dislikes you either. Unless you have caused him some great offense," says Heather, considering that. "I am close with him, and that is something I can say of few people. As for you being asked to stay behind, perhaps it is for the best. Even if I get asked to go, I admit that I am unsure how much aid I can provide with the little information I have been offered."
"I dented his car." Nicholas says with a casual shrug. "Though he didn't seem pissed at it, though usually when we've talked there's just been a lot of yelling. But I was doing a lot of that then, yelling." Nicholas says as his temper has calmed a bit but it's faded to more of a misery. "I just hope they all get back safe, 'specially…her." He says looking away from Heather. "She's the closest friend I got here and I need a friend like her."
"I understand. There are sometimes people who have better shoulders to lean on than others," says Heather, nodding a couple of times, "Chloe is the first friend I made." She pauses for a moment and says, "Real friend, I suppose. Friend made of flesh and blood. I would be nervous if she disappeared."
"Jill's the first person here that made me forget about the crap that's happened, made me feel normal for a few seconds." Nicholas says letting out another sigh. "She was the first friend I met her, cause she wouldn't really let herself be anything other than a friend. Anyway, yeah, I'm worried, I'm miserable and I want to go home and hide under my covers until everything feels manageable, but that's not possible since I don't have a home anymore." The bitterness and anger in his voice isn't hidden.
Heather nods her head quickly and then says, "Unfortunately, this is a place where many go who do not have homes… I am sorry that you have had that painful experience. We will return Jill. I do not say that as a promise, necessarily, but an expression of hope. The people here are very skilled. Not infallible, and they are adept at handling cases such as this one. I want other people here to be comfortable in their lives even if those lives are different from what was previously led."
Nicholas frowns at that and shakes his head. "Well sorry but I have little room to rest Jill being okay on hope. Oh I want her to come back, I want her and the rest of them to be back last week but I know things don't work out in the end. What people say, it'll all turn out all right and, it'll be okay in the end, that's all just bullshit."
"Sometimes. Sometimes you wait thirty years for the bullshit to cease, and eventually it will. But that may still mean thirty years of waiting…" says Heather, looking down at the surface of the water, "There are ups and downs, seemingly nonsensical and unpredictable… when there are downs, eventually ups will come. If you endure."
Nicholas stands up and goes over to grab his towel. "I think it's the opposite, after all what goes up eventually comes down, that's the saying right? But there is no reverse to that saying, what goes down must eventual go up." Once he's dried off a bit he slips on his shirt. "I'm heading back inside to find some dinner. Take care."
Heather nods at Nicholas and says, "Both things are true. For each valley, there is a hill, and for each hill, a valley. Enjoy your dinner. I shall be here. Relaxing."
