un_gloved: (flaunt it!)
Rogue ([personal profile] un_gloved) wrote2009-08-19 11:37 pm
Entry tags:

Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters

After enough time on the island, it wasn't unusual to wake up and notice things were different. Weather changed and the atmosphere smelled different, the bed you were sleeping in wasn't quite right, the skin you were sleeping in wasn't yours.

Which was just creepy.

This time, though, as Rogue stretched into the sheets and turned her face against the pillow, instead of the nag of unfamiliarity and the typical roll of dread in the pit of her stomach, she felt a deep flood of comfort. She breathed in deep and opened her eyes, slowly, letting the creme colored paint and familiar furniture come into focus. The light from the window meant it was morning. Distantly she could hear sounds of movement, but it was far off, in some distant room of the mansion. The mansion.

She sat bolt upright, suddenly hyper aware of her surroundings. Her room looked exactly as she had left it. This was zero help. The island never pulled the same trick twice in a month. Hell, the island never pulled the same trick twice in a year. She started for the door, turned back and found some shorts so she wasn't running around in a thong and a t-shirt, and then headed out, bewildered and skeptical. She stomped barefooted down the hall for the stairs, her thoughts turning rapidly. If she was home, what did that mean? Shouldn't she have been on that barren plateau holding an unconscious Remy Lebeau in her arms? Or did the world reset itself after the M'kraan hit, and then unhit? It was possible, maybe, that the rift in the timeline Legion had created had done something similar to all the X-Men, sent them someplace else and brought them back. Siege Perilous had done similar. And if that were true, and she was about to be surrounded by a bunch of grumpy, agitated, confused mutants (she'd prefer Sentinels, good Lord) then after the dust settled and they'd been debriefed, maybe she could just give Gateway or Lila Cheney a li'l visit 'n see...

See if the island was even a real place? Home two minutes and you're lookin' for a way back? How is that right...?

The thought had stopped her and she looked up, seeing where she was for the first time since her room. Muscle memory, years of habit, knowing the place so intimately- she'd made straight for the kitchen. Beast stared at her from the beam he hung upside down on, coffee in one hand and newspaper in the other, and Iceman sat with a spoon poking out of his mouth and a bowl of rapidly disintegrating cereal in front of him.

"...What?" she said, startled.

"Good morning," Bobby said around the spoon before pulling it out.

"And I inquired as to how you were feeling on this particularly lovely day," Beast added. "But perhaps it's earlier for some of us than others. Coffee, Rogue?"

The young mutant known only as Rogue blinked, twice, and tried to get a grip on reality as she said, "Oh. No thanks, Hank."

[identity profile] un-gloved.livejournal.com 2009-08-24 09:26 pm (UTC)(link)
"From what I gathered from Hank 'n the... talkin' to I got from Scott," she mumbled, "'s about two weeks after the M'kraan crystal wave did not destroy th'universe."
howmanylives: ([xf] Give me reason.)

[personal profile] howmanylives 2009-08-24 09:31 pm (UTC)(link)
"That's...that's what I thought," he said, remembering one of their earlier conversations. Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his nose once again. He was going to need some Aspirin. Or a gun. At this point, either would suffice. "I'm, uh, dead. Not me, obviously, but right now? Everyone thinks I'm dead. From the Legacy Virus."

[identity profile] un-gloved.livejournal.com 2009-08-25 05:28 am (UTC)(link)
"......Well, shoot," Rogue said.
howmanylives: ([xf] Ugh. Life's hard. Get used to it.)

[personal profile] howmanylives 2009-08-25 05:53 am (UTC)(link)
"Yeah," Madrox agreed shortly, tipping his head back in defeat. "If I remember correctly, I'm not due for a reappearance for...well, not for a while, at least."

[identity profile] un-gloved.livejournal.com 2009-08-25 06:30 pm (UTC)(link)
"Well, great," Rogue sighed.

"I mean, sorry for your loss, 'n all," she added, rubbing her back of her neck.

"I dunno what you wanna do 'bout it. You c'n take my car if you wanna split, it's the red convertible."
howmanylives: ([xf] Ugh. Life's hard. Get used to it.)

[personal profile] howmanylives 2009-08-26 12:37 am (UTC)(link)
"Well, it's not like we don't come back from the dead all the time, but it might be better off in the long run," he pointed out with raised eyebrows. He tapped his temple -- gently enough to not create another dupe. "Less headaches."

[identity profile] un-gloved.livejournal.com 2009-08-26 04:18 am (UTC)(link)
"Keys're in my room," she told him with a weary sort of half smile.
howmanylives: ([ed] Inner monologue.)

[personal profile] howmanylives 2009-08-26 04:37 am (UTC)(link)
"Your room. Right."

He nodded once, and started for the door. As he turned the handle, though, he hesitated, and turned to look back at Rogue. "Uh, I could Sherlock my way to your room, but it'd save me some time if you just gave me some directions."

[identity profile] un-gloved.livejournal.com 2009-08-26 05:31 am (UTC)(link)
She looked up at him, shook herself slightly, and pushed herself up off the desk.

"Ah- yeah, c'mon, sugar." Her head felt cloudy. No surprise there. But she'd forgotten how bad it could get. Because it was bad.

She started down the hallway, making an effort not to look distracted, with limited success.
howmanylives: ([ed] These things I've seen.)

[personal profile] howmanylives 2009-08-26 05:59 am (UTC)(link)
"Thanks," he murmured, following behind her. He considered, briefly, whether or not to comment on her sudden bout of distractedness, but he ultimately decided against it. If she wanted to talk, she would. There was no point in forcing the subject, especially if it would end up with her in tears again.

"I'll make sure no one sees me on the way out," he added just as quietly, mostly to make conversation. Silences made him uncomfortable. "I can be very sneaky."

[identity profile] un-gloved.livejournal.com 2009-08-26 06:04 am (UTC)(link)
"Sure," she murmured. It felt like something was trying to come up, while something else was trying to bury itself, slip deeper down. It was making one of her temples throb.

"Prof'll probably be too busy grillin' me t'bother ya. He's gotta know somethin's up, even if me'n Wolvie ain't talkin' 'bout it." She stopped in front of her door and opened it, going to the bedside table.

It was strange. Her tv, her laptop, her book collection, the small collection of stuffed animals on her bed. It made her feel painfully homesick and embarrassed at the same time. She opened the drawer in the nightstand and pulled out a keyring, and tossed it to Jamie.

"Should be a full tank."
howmanylives: ([xf] Spanner in the works.)

[personal profile] howmanylives 2009-08-26 06:30 am (UTC)(link)
Madrox caught it easily, sighing as he absorbed the dupe created by the impact before he had a chance to say anything. He'd lived with his power all of his life, but that didn't make it less tiring, especially when it came to performing such mundane activities as catching things.

"Great," he said, pocketing the keys. He was already heading back to the door before he added, " And Rogue? Have a nice visit."