Players:
Summary: Star gets confused and Cloud gets stuck.
Date: October 19, 2010
Log Title: Will You Remember
Rating: PG-13 (For language)
Tegu-Haaz - Xavier's Insane Asylum for Adolescents (Thick Woods)
Inside the woods, the world outside all but ceases to exist. Silence fills air as Fall-colored leaves stand motionless; no wind, no birds, no insects. It's as if the entire area were devoid of life—yet one might feel watched the entire time. The trees themselves are thick and in abundance, and there aren't many travelable paths through the forest itself. Not without spending the next several hours traversing thorny bushes or hacking at thick vines at least.
The thick woods around Xavier's are teeming with dread. But that doesn't seem to affect Troy/Leo at the moment. The sparkling young man is standing at the edge of the woods looking about. Bright glimmers of light pop and burst about his body regularly, visible even in the light. He's scratching his chin as he looks at the trees. "There has to be something in there. It's too overgrown to NOT have something." He mutters. A second voice comes from beneath. "It's just woods." That voice is darker and more malevolent sounding.
With everything that's happened, and the fact that dying apparently took her powers along with her heartbeat, Star has been spending as much time alone as she can possibly manage. At least that way she isn't reminded of the fact that she's dead when she can't smell what everyone else is feeling. The zombie-teen shambles toward the woods, muttering softly to herself as she walks at a slow shuffle. It's only when she sees the shining figure near the woods that she stops, her face expressionless and silent as she just watches for the time being.
Looking up, Leo/Troy ponders for a second. Without warning, he backs up and breaks into a run. He runs up to the tree and takes a few steps up ON it before he backflips, catching a fairly high branch at the last second. "And that's how it's done." The pleasant, cheerful voice says. Followed by "Showoff." in the darker voice. "Oh, you're just jealous. Mr. SHIELD agent." He laughs at the empty air.
A very confused frown pulls Star's brows together and she starts forward again, lengthening her stride so as to try to catch up to the living before he vanishes into the trees, "Hello?" She sounds uncertain as she calls out her greeting, reaching up to run one hand through hair that has gone as limp and lifeless as the rest of her. She pauses for a moment, her step hesitating before she continues forward, "What's SHIELD?"
The deeper voice intones, "Strategic Hazard Intervention and Espionage Logistics Division. They're a major force in the real world. Not this place." The lighter voice laughs as Leo rolls his eyes, sparkling brightly. "They're all high and mighty and think they control everything, but in reality they don't." He grins. If Star gets within the range of the sparkles, they feel like LIFE. Pure unadulterated life.
"Okay…" Star sounds even more confused now, reaching up to run one hand through her hair and giving it a little twist at the nape of her neck to contain it and keep it back out of her face. She takes one more hesitant step into the sparkles, her eyes widening slightly at the feel of them and coming to a stop. She licks her lips lightly, the light making her look even more goulish and pale, "And you're a member of this… SHIELD?"
"Oh, no, not me. I'm a former Xavier's student." Leo laughs, bright and cheerful. "I just left there about the time I would have graduated cause I lost my powers." He says with a nod. "I gave them all up to save someone close to me. But then, well, things went crazy. My plane crashed, and I woke up here. No, Troy is a SHIELD agent. I'm Leo. Troy's over there." He angles his head in a random direction where no one is visible.
"Xavier's?" More confusion, "You mean the Asylum here?" Star blinks once at the mention of Leo having lost his powers and frowns at the sparkles of life that dance around them, "If you lost your powers, then what's with all the light, then?" Beat, "And what's a plane?" Wait… Isn't she from the school, too? She offers a faintly cautious smile at the introductions, her eyes flickering over to look in the direction indicated, "Um… Nice to meet you. I'm Star." She peers into the trees for a moment before she turns her attention back to the young man above her.
"No, Xavier's Institute. Back in the real world. Where you're from. Not this place." Leo says, tilting his head as he looks over his shoulder and frowns. The other voice comes out. "They're going batshit crazy. Maybe they belong in this asylum." Leo grumbles. His own voice returning. "Don't talk about her like she isn't here. This place is affecting lots of us. Look what it did to you. You're mr. super-mega mean now." He says, before doing a forward flip to land on the ground a few feet from Star.
After wandering the woods a while (having been told his sister was seen heading this direction) Cloud finally hears voices up ahead and an odd light narrowly avoiding tripping over a log as he speeds up, dressed in blue jeans, red sneakers, a red and white checkered shirt, his dark roots are beginning to show though his bleached blond hair and there is a strip of cloth around his right knuckles, "Hey Star!, that you?"
"I…" Star shakes her head, "I know I'm not from here, it's just… Everything's getting kinda fuzzy. Like I can't remember stuff anymore." She raises one hand to her head and grimaces, flinching back slightly when she's called crazy, "I just want to go home. I'm sure Mother and Father are worried sick about me." She winces and looks down at her black tinted fingers and grayish looking skin, "Not that they'd be that happy to see me like this…" She stumbles back a step when Leo flips down to land near her, looking in the direction of the voice that's calling her name, "Cloud? I'm over here." At least she can still remember her brother…
"Oh, I'm sure other people are having issues to. I've become more positive and happy than I've ever been. And Troy's become Mr. Gloomy Gus." Leo snickers, light shimmers popping around the edges of his eyes. "But such is life. Especiallyw hen you wear or have worn the X on your belt."
Breaking out of the last of the woods to where Star and Leo are standing Cloud half-smiles when he sees his sister, "Why do you continue to wander off at every chance you get?", standing next to his sister he raises an eyebrow at Leo, "Whose the firecracker?", still he can't help but think that he's seen Leo before, he just can't place him.
"And I died." Star's voice is bitter when she admits that. She smooths the period skirt she's wearing down over her hips, having finally traded in the boy's clothes she's been wearing for something a little more feminine, though she's still wearing the boots that go with her Alpha Squadron uniform. She looks back at her brother when he finally finds them and wrinkles her nose slightly, "Because it's depressing being reminded that I'm not like the rest of you anymore." Not living, that is, "And what in the world are you wearing?" She, apparently, expects him to be wearing something else? She sighs and rolls her eyes at the firecracker comment and makes introductions, "Brother, this is Leo." Beat, "And he's got a friend named Troy around here somewhere. I think my eyes might be not working right now because I can't see him…"
"Leo. former X-Student and New Mutant." Leo offers, extending a hand. of course, if the hand is taken, there'll be a jolt of energy, as if one had had about five espressos… only without the jitters. Just pure living energy. And it feels good… to most people. "I got pulled here after my plane crash. Troy got sucked in because he was near campus." he explains. The light is pure white, there is no color to it at all.
Cloud sighs at the 'not like the rest of you comment', "Star we will find a way to fix this, trust me", looking down at himself with a rather confused look on his face, he shrugs, "My clothes?", he reaches out to shake Leo's hand, "Wow, buzz", with the 'x-student' info, it clicks into place, "Thats where i know you from, you used to hang out with that Owen guy", not seeing the patronising guy from the other day anywhere, he whispers to Star, "Not just your eyes, there isn't anyone there".
Star wrinkles her nose and shakes her head, "Kind of hard to fix dead, brother…" At least from what she knows, anyway. She sighs and rolls her eyes at his confusion about his clothing, "They're weird, though…" And completely normal for the real world, unlike her. She looks like she just stepped out off of a stage or a historical reference book. She shakes her head, not having known either Owen or Leo, and not likely to remember them even if she had. She sighs in relief when told that she's not just missing a whole person standing nearby, "Oh good." The relief lasts only a moment before a small frown is born, "Wait… He's got to be here. I've heard him talking." She, too, lowers her voice for the moment, but it's not quite a whisper.
"Yeah. I miss my Owen." Leo makes a mock pout. "And nathaniel, but that was a doomed relationship from the start. Owen, though… he was the darkness that matched my light. Darkforce and Living Light…" He sighs softly. He nods. "Don't worry. The buzz will go away. And Troy's right there." He does the headtilt thing again. "He's just hard to see sometimes. Something to do with his powers, I guess." He shrugs.
"Star, i will fix it, ok?, and these are normal clothes, or are you just mocking my fashon sense?", ok… so Leo is convinced theres someone standing next to him, thats odd, Cloud leans against a tree, "So what we're you guys talking about before i got here?"
The zombie girl just shrugs, not commenting further on whether or not she can ever be really alive again. Instead she just asks another question, "Who're Owen and Nathaniel?" Two people that she doesn't know, anyway. She shakes her head, looking into the trees instead of at Cloud, "No… it just looks odd, that's all." The question about what they're talking about gets another shrug, "Just talking, really." Beat, "I suppose I shouldn't be out here alone talking to a strange man, but…" She trails off and doesn't finish the thought.
"Oh, I'm not strange. That's Troy." Leo nods quickly. "I'm just a typical mutant gymnast. Owen was my best friend. Dark Force manipulator that sometimes went all monster. He needed me then, because I could unmonster him." He explains. "Nathaniel was my boyfriend. Until I dumped him because he didn't understand why I got weird when my powers left. They turned me really… not-nice. I can't explain it. but, I don't know where either of them are anymore."
Cloud has met the monster side of Owen, not his favorite expirience but not particuly dangerous by Xavier standerds, "I heard Owen moved back home, got the bat thing under control, not sure what happened to Nathan though", "Mind if i ask you something?, How can you stay all sunshine and rainbows when everyone else is freaking out?"
"Oh." Alright, then. Star grimaces in sympathy for Leo not knowing where his friends are and nods, "I wonder how Mother and Father are dealing with not having us there…" She gives herself a little shake and straightens her shoulders, "We'll all get home." Except maybe her, "And I guess it's a good thing that you got your powers back, then?" Beat, "How did you get them back, anyway?" There's mild hope in her voice, "I… I can't feel what anyone else is feeling since…" She grimaces and doesn't finish the thought, but it's obvious enough where it was going: Since she died.
"Living light. It's the source of life and positivity. I have too much of it in me. So, it keeps me from getting down or depressed." Leo explains with a shrug. "I don't know all the details. And… I don't know how it came back. Plane crashed. I walked away. I woke up here." He says, looking around. "Don't know anything else about it."
Star sighs and nods, "Well… It was worth a shot, anyway." It really was too much to hope that he knew how to make her… normal… again, "I never thought I'd miss feeling everyone else's feelings…" Seems she could use some extra living light herself. Being dead is depressing!
"Well, I could see if this will at least give you some positivity…" Leo offers, as his hand begins to glow, a more concentrated version of the sparkles around his body. "If you like."
Cloud stares at the light coming from Leo's hand, "I don't know if thats a good idea, we don't know how this whole 'dead' thing works, a jumpstart might make things a lot worse".
"How much worse could I be? I'm already dead." And decaying, too. The smell isn't that noticable, but anyone with enhanced senses would be very aware of it. Others can only smell it if they get really close and Star moves just right. She holds out the arm that still has a bandage on it, and has the strongest decayed smell, her palm up and hand trembling slightly. Evidently, she knows that it could get worse. His power might negate whatever magic it is that's keeping her animated and make her really dead.
Leo simply holds it there for her, having no idea what might happen. But… with the exception of Dark Force users, his power has never hurt anyone. It's a healing force, so who knows? The glow coalesces and continues to condense to a bright sphere around his hand. It's not solid, though, it's power radiating out from him. Whatever will happen will, when she puts her hand in the sphere of brightness.
"Star don't", Cloud knows that on a whole, him ans his sister have bad luck since they got their powers and throwing others into the mix is BAD news, he doesn't want her hurt more.
Star hesitates when Cloud tells her not to and drops her hand without touching the light, "Fine." She seems almost relieved that he didn't want her to follow through and just shakes her head, "I think I'm going to go find somewhere to be alone for a little while." She gives Cloud a sharp look through clouded eyes, "Don't follow me, brother. I'll come back to the tavern when I'm ready. I just need to be alone for a while." Beat, "I need to do some thinking…" With that she turns and walks off toward the asylum, going to explore a little and find herself a quiet corner to sit in.
There's a pause, and then the sparkles vanish completely. "Fucking chicken. Why is everyone around here so damn scared of everything?" The deeper, darker voice comes from Leo's throat as he shakes his head. All the bright, life-filled light is gone as he rises from the ground. "That's one of the reason I fucking hate these X-Brats."
Cloud sighs and waves as his sister leaves, he will follow her, he's just gonna wait until she's far enough away that she won't see him, but then theres Leo going all scitzo, "Ok, what the fuck are you on about Leo?"
-"Who the hell are you talking to? Leo's over there. I'm Troy. Get your facts straight before you try to start shit, kid." The man says as he rises from the ground, hovering a few inches off of it. All the light has been replaced by whatever this is, now. He glares, staring the kid down from his higher vantage. "You really need your eyes checked."
Raising an eyebrow Cloud hmmmms, "So Leo's standing over there?", and a minute ago Troy was, is everyone here turning into freaks?, still he finds being called 'kid' sorta irksome, "How old are you exactly Troy?", he doesn't look any older than him.
"As far as you need to know, I'm only a year old. When I became SHIELD I gave up everything I was and everything I had. Nothing else matters, after all." Troy states, feet angled down a little bit as he hovers. "You got any more questions? Or should I just assume you're done, so I can go back to enjoying the silence?"
The sudden cursing and sound of 'Troy's' voice coming from Leo has Star turning around to look at the odd young man in surprise, "There's no call to be crude…" Her voice is low when she mutters that and shambles back over to stand at Cloud's side, remaining silent for a moment, though she reaches up with one hand to pull her hair over her shoulder and twist it a couple of times so that it's a tail hanging down her arm. "Or rude."
Cloud actually grins, how he misses the occasional arguement with the school psycho back atschool in Boston, and this one seems extra crazy, "Awww one?, is that why your cranky, is it your nap-time?", he sighs when his sister comes back, "Don't bother Star, Leo or Troy, whoever he is, has gone utterly bat-shit".
Troy holds a hand over his mouth in a gasping appearance. "Oh no! Is mother going to wash my mouth out with soap and water? Use palmolive. It tastes less annoying than the others. That is, if you have the balls to match your mouth." He says with a darkling grin, just waiting for someone to make a move. Just like the other day, he seems to be itching for something. At Cloud's annoying words, Troy simply glares, waving a hand in his direction. A stick field forms over the boy's face. He smiles innocently as he waits for everything to be realized.
Star shakes her head at Cloud's taunting, "Well he might not have if you wouldn't provoke him." Forget that the other guy is the one that started it. When challenged, the zombie straightens to her full height and takes a step forward, "Someone should do something about that mouth of yours, that's for sure!" And this would be the Star that Cloud is likely most familiar with; the Star that's been missing in action since they all woke up in this freaky new world, "You could learn a thing or three from Leo, I think." She doesn't notice the stick field he put on Cloud. Not yet, at least.
Cloud goes to talk when his mouth becomes stuck together, he then touches his mouth with his left hand, which of course gets stuck, "mmmmm mmmm mmmmhh mmmmh mmmm!", translation "What the fuck did you do?!", he hasn't blinked just yet, but it's only a matter of time.
"Ah, that's much better. After all, children should be seen and not heard." Troy says with a brilliant smile. "And Sure, I can learn from Leo. but I don't have any desire to. He cries too much. He gets these pouty puppy dog eyes when things don't go his way, and that's just plain disgusting." He says, just watching the fun of Cloud fighting with himself.
"Brother?" Star's tone is questioning when Cloud mumbles and she looks back at him, a deep scowl dawning on her face when she turns to look back at Troy, "What did you do?!" She takes another step towards the other mutant, anger evident in every line of her decaying body, "Whatever you're doing, stop it! You can't just go and do whatever you want to my brother and think you can get away with it."
Cloud continues to struggle to get his hand off his face, but he has figured out whats going on, so he's trying not to blink, but as everyone knows if you try not to, you start to really need to blink.
Troy, technically, isn't a mutant. "I can. He insulted me. By right of superiority, I can do whatever I need to to shut him up. As long as he doesn't try to pinch his nose shut, he's fine. I just made him sticky." Troy is laughing at all of this, rising higher in the air as he does so. "If he hadn't been a dick, I wouldn't have to be. But now that he has and I am, it's funny!"
Cloud continues to struggle to get his hand off his face, but he has figured out whats going on, so he's trying not to blink, but as everyone knows if you try not to, you start to really need to blink.
"Well stop it!" Star glares, "Just because you find it funny doesn't mean that it is." She looks back at Cloud for a moment before focusing again on Troy, "It's cruel!" She grimaces faintly, "And just because he was rude doesn't mean that you have to be." Her voice turns chilly, "And I'll be talking to him about that later…"
"I have every right to be. Because I CAN. And that's reason enough." Troy laughs. "But you two are ceasing to be fun. I hate whining." He rolls his eyes as he raises into the air further. "I may as well go back to my exploring." He shakes his head, grinning before zipping away into the sky.
Star just keeps glaring at the rude man, "I'm not whining. And just because you can isn't a good reason!" As he zips off into the sky, she turns back to Cloud, her expression worried, "Brother?" She sounds almost scared that he might still be stuck at the moment, "Are you okay?" She looks back up in the direction Troy went, glaring heatedly, "I swear, I might make an exception about brains with him… He's a freak." As soon as the words are out of her mouth, she turns faintly green and swallows hard.
As soon as Troy is gone and Cloud's mouth unsticks, a long and detailed manner of curses and insults aimed at Troy come spilling out of it, and his hand is straight in his pocket for the diamond, as he absorbs he starts running in the direction Troy flew off in, he is well and truely pissed off.
Running is somewhat beyond Star now, but she takes a step backwards at the string of curses that erupt as soon as Cloud's mouth is unstuck, "Brother!" She shakes her head and moves after him as quickly as she can, "Leave him alone. He's gone now and you're fine." Maybe?
