[ It's a noncommittal sort of question, the kind where she can go yup and not say anything else about it. He figures, it's nothing they really need to dig deep for—but he does want to, you know. Let her know he's back. And around again.
And that maybe, he's got a piece of news he oughta share. But he'll get to that in a bit. ]
Yes. [ Seemed straightforward enough. She did make it back okay, but she suspects he would know that even without texting her like this. He'd have ways to check up on her if he wanted to - so he must want something else. ]
How are you faring? I've been trying to track you down, but you are as elusive as ever.
[ Charles, huh? Probably sound advice. He knows who Scott really blames, and it ain't her.
There's a delay between replies. He's told Karen. He's talked to Laura, kinda—a real conversation, after the shit blanketing the city seems to have calmed down.
He's been thinking about the X-Men, though. At the end of the day, that's her people as much as they're his. ]
[ It's enough of a delay that she thinks that's it, and maybe she'll run into him again somewhere. The invitation for coffee comes as a bit of a surprise. ]
Sure. Tomorrow? I'm driving in from out of the city and have a few errands to finish.
[ Same spot being the Big Top diner that Charles herded them into a couple months ago, that's now become their occasional space. He supposes they were bound to carve out a nook for themselves, whether that was in a mansion on a piece of land in Westchester or a half-decent diner in the middle of a hollowed-out planet.
When Storm shows up, Logan's already cornered a table by the window, morning sunlight streaming through the crooked blinds. He looks a hell of a lot better than when he took off, though it probably helps she didn't see him at his worst, either.
It helped, a bit. Talking to Charles. Helped that he spent...well, time might be a stretch, but it was more than what he'd had with Laura before.
[ The Big Top's been a semi-regular stop for Storm too, not that she meets anyone she knows here when real regularity. But the staff are friendly, and she's learned not to take that for granted. A couple of familiar-looking servers get smiles and brief hello's from Ororo before she takes a proper glance around to finally find him. She's not sure what to feel about him getting here ahead, or that he looks perfectly fine after these last few weeks... Relieved, maybe? ]
Hi. [ She lingers at the edge of things - his table, the words that she's still searching for - before she finally settles on something sincere. ] ... You look well, Logan. I'm glad.
[ She's mostly the same. Different clothes since she's picked up an odd job or two here and there to keep the days going. A bit windswept from coming from the outside. Some cuts and scratches over her fingers and up to the back of her hands, but they're healing, and nothing of real consequence. Overall, Storm's usual, general projection of "I'm okay" is there — but that’s always been something she had a hard time turning off.
She takes the seat across his after another pause, choosing one that'll give her a shorter route to the door. ]
[ He flashes a brief smile back—casual, a little noncommittal but undoubtedly warm. She sees more than she lets on, he knows, but maybe that's half the reason he doesn't feel compelled to explain himself. He's already explained himself to too many others as of late, and it leaves a sour taste in his mouth, a feeling like he shouldn't have to, like he's got eyes on him from folks where it's none of their business.
She's different. The X-Men have always been different; no matter how far he pulls away, he ends up back here, and right now, he's okay with that. ]
So do you. And yeah, actually. He's— [ A goddamn mess? Getting himself together? ] Finding his reasons.
[ To move on, to stop hiding in his misery. His conversation with Scott was...more than he's said to most people. In a way, it wasn't anything he expected to lay out on the table, but here they are.
Anyway, he's not gonna beat around the bush. ]
I wanted to tell you something. About the girl. Laura.
[ They spoke that once, that much he knows, at least, but. He isn't sure if they ever talked after. If she found Laura during...the whole thing. In the park. ]
[ Finding his reasons. She can't help it; for all her composure, the mention of Scott finding his reasons makes her eyes soften considerably. She'll never understand it, how they failed to do the same for him at home and how something had just worked for him here, but she's glad. All she wants is for him to be okay, no matter who or what he needed to find that with. She swallows past the relief and makes a promise to herself to try and talk to him again soon.
The mention of Laura is a little out-of-left-field, and abrupt enough to make her blink. ]
Laura. I've talked to her, she's... from the future too, yes? A future. [ It's a bit unclear, but she's getting the nuances. She smiles sheepishly. ] I told her once that she reminds me of some of our students at home. I'm not sure she appreciated that.
[ Hell, Logan will never know, either. Might be the lack of anybody trying to kill them. Might be that Scott had a chance here, to fall apart without getting destroyed by what was left of the woman he loved. Frankly, he's surprised anything he said to Scott registered.
Like her, he's just relieved Scott seems...better. 'Cause however he feels about him, Logan wants the team intact. Y'know, he wants his people together, and that includes Scott, stick up his ass and all.
His lips quirk. ] Think she just needed a moment. [ He gets it. He wasn't jumping to join up with anybody at the start. He grows quiet again, setting his mug down. ]
She said Alkali made her. Implanted women with mutant genes so they'd have mutant kids. And uh— [ Shit. ] Laura got mine.
[ So. There it is. A girl he didn't ask for, but after these past couple of weeks, he can't say he doesn't want her. It was simpler, to think that. Tell himself it was never gonna work out, that something like her and him, God, he was only gonna ruin the fuck out of it so why bother? Why put either of them through the kinda bullshit that was gonna only end in pain?
It's not like that anymore. Now he's caught somewhere in between—now he finds himself wondering if he can, if he could be more than the asshole who managed to keep her from dying before dying himself. Some part of him's been inching a closer to the idea that it might turn out okay. And that by itself feels dangerous. Feels like he's courting fucking disaster. ]
[ Pardon her for a moment as the first part registers before the second one does. Ororo's control only goes so far, and while she manages to keep her voice at a speaking volume, something in her blood makes the sky rumble unpleasantly. ]
Alkali was implanting women with genes? [ For or against their will? She could take a guess, but she really didn't want to. That was a dangerous train of thought and led to other questions: like why would such a project be conceived of in the first place.
She wishes she'd asked for some coffee sooner, so her hands had something to clench around. Right now, all they clench into are fists on her lap. They unclench in just a moment as she shakes her head to clear her thoughts. ]
Sorry, but - that's... Why would they do such a thing? And Laura... [ Ororo's voice trails off, trying to recall what Laura has told her. ]
She mentioned knowing of me, but that she'd met you already. [ Which is a funny way of referring to someone who may or may not be more than just a genetic donor. ]
It must've been a shock to hear. Are... things alright with you two?
[ Logan's expression flickers. ] You know why. Stryker started something. They wanted to finish it.
[ Yeah. She can take a guess. None of those women survived. And if it was built on the bones of what that bastard left behind, then it isn't hard to put two and two together. It isn't hard to guess why they used his DNA. He was their first, right? Their special little animal that could survive anything and tear through anyone.
It's her claws. It's her claws that bother him, that he can't stop thinking about, because they're exactly like his. Sharp, gleaming adamantium, not the natural bone she would've been born with. ]
She did. Apparently, I helped her escape. Then after... [ Fuck it, he's had enough dancing around this shit after Scott. ] After, I died. Must've fucked up my healing factor.
[ It's happened before. Between the cure and the collars and everything, losing their powers was as much an axe over their heads as anything else for a mutant. He's obviously not that torn up about the concept of him biting it in another future. Y'know, he saved some kids and keeled over, that doesn't seem so bad a way to go. It wasn't learning about his death that set him off.
But he isn't dead here. ]
Hell if I know. Maybe. [ He helped her find some shoes? Does that count for anything? ] She's a good kid. I wanna see her stick around. [ With the X-Men, he means. The other mutants. ] I just— [ He's gotta wonder if he's a walking reminder of all the shit she went through. ] I don't know if I'm a reason for her not to.
[ Oh. It's still hard - she doesn't know how anyone does it, living with knowing someone, even their own self, has died in some other timeline. Logan seems fine with it in a way that seems to completely contrast Scott's reaction, but she figures that's just another way that they differ. Whatever the case, she reaches out to touch his arm briefly, looking at him with concern. Is it worse that he doesn't seem concerned? She'll feel it for him. ]
Maybe she will, maybe she won't. It'll depend on what she wants, but... she said she'd heard of us. I imagine that's a reason for her to try to stay. [ Especially since hearing of them through comic books had seemed to be... a good thing? It seemed like a good thing to her, a good memory.
Her hand draws away, back to herself. ]
Is there something about you that would make her prefer to keep away?
[ Okay, so he could've cushioned that news a bit more, but—listen, he's fine. It's not like Scott where a stray bullet could take him out any minute. He's gotta lose his regeneration first, and right now, it's working good. Grew back a whole eye a couple of weeks ago and everything.
But her hand on his arm gives him a little pause. He almost says I'm okay. Then she asks him that, and it sidelines him in a way he wasn't expecting. Laid out plain how she did, it just—
Any answer he's got feels fucking impossible to put into words. Because to him, it's so goddamn obvious. When he thinks of himself in her shoes, he wouldn't want to be around him. He wouldn't want some guy he never knew longer than three days poking around in his life, reminding him of everything about what he went through and became that's wrong. ]
[ She meets his gaze steadily, a touch of wryness in her smile. She had a lot of thoughts about Logan, about what he did or didn't do, or how he responds in high stress situations. But he was someone who was fiercely protective, too. Well — protective over most people who've earned it. It seems that Laura has already earned it. ]
Maybe she isn't looking for cuddly. [ She points out, looking to the counter so she can finally ask for some coffee. Maybe a bagel, too, she's starting to get hungry. ]
She knows you already - maybe she wants you to stay around, but has trouble saying so. Perhaps she gets that from... [ her... father? ] Perhaps it is hereditary.
She's got a way of pinning him down, don't she? He rolls his eyes lightly—a touch exasperated, but not really.
Logan follows her up, leaning against the fingerprint-covered display case full of mismatched bagels and pastries. He's silent while she orders, takes a doughnut for himself. Not 'til they've settled back down does he pick up the conversation again.
He takes a bite, brushes the sticky glaze on his fingers off on his jeans. ]
Let's hope that's all she got from me. [ Karen asked if he wanted to get to know Laura, and he'd said he did. That much still stands. He just. It feels strange. Feels like nothing he ever thought he'd find himself dealing with—the sort of idea he'd given up on ages ago, if he'd ever granted it much room to take hold to begin with.
He pauses. ] It wasn't just my genes. Her claws, they're bonded with adamantium, too.
[ Just not through her entire skeleton. Right? If she'd had the metal bonded since she was ten—or younger—it can't have been. Adamantium's not exactly known for being flexible. She wouldn't have been able to grow. ]
Eventually, yes. I promised to open it to people. But I haven't asked around yet, the place looks...
[ hm. it looks less like a social gathering spot for community and more like an abandoned cult place. she needs to get rid of some weird altary things. ]
[ Oh, she catches the roll of his eyes. She quirks a brow at him for it, but purses her lips against the smart comment, but not the smile, that the action pulls from her as she goes ahead and gets some breakfast for herself - a whole wheat bagel, cheese on the side. A mug of dark coffee and too much sugar. She keeps the bagel in a paper sleeve for later, but wraps her hands around the mug to keep her hands warm and from reaching out to him again when the rest of his Laura Report continues.
Because that's a little what it sounds like, a report. She was there when Jean first reported her findings to them, showed them Logan's x-rays on that first night she and Scott brought him back to the mansion. The adamantium was bonded to his whole skeleton. Was it the same for her? ]
Just the claws? [ She looks at the backs of his hands, then outside as she tries to picture them sliding out of Laura's own knuckles. ] Even if it's just the claws, I can't imagine what that must have been like. She's... so young.
You said she said they'd made her. I'm sure she'll want to talk to someone about that. Perhaps... you're the closest she can think of who would understand it.
[ A report is easier. Saying, they coated her claws in adamantium is easier than They did to her what they did to me, and I don't know what the hell I'm supposed to do when there's nobody left to kill over it, and it was always too fucking late for me to protect those kids.
But maybe she can read between the lines in the way he watches her, then lets out a breath. ]
Yeah. I don't know about that. [ Laura's not much of a talker. Another thing that's hereditary, it seems. There's a reason he told Storm, though, why he plans on telling the X-Men, and it's 'cause he just. Look, he did spend a little time with her, and she's not some secret he wants to hide. He doesn't know what the hell he's meant to do with her, but she exists. She's one of them.
He shakes his head. ] Anyway. Wasn't what I thought was gonna be waiting for me, that's for damn sure.
You say that like you know what is going to be waiting for you. [ Or, well, maybe he sort of does. He knows what's waiting for her - she just hasn't asked for much of the details. What this future of war and fighting was going to be like, what else he knew about her.
It feels strange to ask about, so she isn't asking. And she thinks: isn't it healthier to treat the future as they should? As something malleable and uncertain? ]
Whatever the case, she is here now. And she's told you. I suppose the question is simply... what will you do with knowing? [ She stirs a couple teaspoons of sugar into her coffee as she talks, anticipating the extra sugar rush it'll give her to get her through the rest of the morning. ]
If you're worried about how she'll get along around here, well... I quite like her already, and I hope to see her more often. She's been offering to come drive me out into the Fringes.
[ It's hard to put into words. It's that he went back in time, yeah, but it's also that there's been a pattern to his life. There's shit that usually happens to him—an endless river of blood dogging his heels—and then there's shit that just doesn't ever feel like it could, like it should, and finding out he's got a fucking kid falls under the second umbrella.
Probably isn't healthy, no. But it is predictable. Was.
He drains the rest of his coffee. ]
You should take her. She could use someone like you.
[ If he's dodging Storm's question, it's not an accident. He means it, though. Wasn't for no reason that Charles left her in charge. Whatever he feels about his place in Laura's life, he knows the X-Men will be good for her, in the same way they've been good for him. ]
[ She rolls her eyes, smiling a little that the reaction he has is... quite predicactable actually. But maybe she's just reading it differently. Because of course she would take her; that didn't change that she wanted Logan. ]
Maybe. I don't know what I could offer her other than a name behind a comic book character that you haven't already.
[ But he's finishing up, and she still has her bagel. She waves him off and takes her phone out to scroll through some messages. ]
In any case - sure. I'll text if anything comes up. It's getting to be really unpredictable out there.
i've seen it a couple times. don't look like anyone ever uses it
( He's spent more than enough time wandering the area to be able to easily follow the directions. )
on my way
( It doesn't take too long for Daryl to get there from where he is. She'll hear the rumble of his engine a minute or so before he pulls up closer to the entrance. Sliding off the bike, he reaches for his crossbow, holds it across his body in a familiar posture. Being in this area hasn't been dangerous so far, but he isn't going to take any chances.
He at least has the sense to send her a quick message that he's arrived before he makes his way towards the entrance, crossbow lowered but ready. )
[ The inside of most buildings, including this one, was safe on most days. Ororo hasn't had any trouble with petty crime in this neighborhood yet, so she's taken to leaving the door unattended.
Not that there's much of a door even left. It's... on the list of things to replace, eventually. A heavy, makeshift curtain does the trick well enough for now, and moving it lets in enough of a draft that Ororo's senses are immediately alerted whenever someone comes in.
Daryl gets a smile when he approaches, warm and friendly. ]
Hey. Glad you found the place. I'd ask you to feel at home, but... [ She glances around. ] It doesn't exactly look anything like that yet.
( That smile and greeting are met with a nod of his head and a soft sound in response. Daryl's never been much of a talker on a good day. Less so with people he doesn't know well. At least, Ororo seems to be friendly enough, talks enough without being overbearing or annoying. Something he appreciates.
He offers her a quick look before turning his attention towards the door. Or well, the lack of it. The sight of it makes his shoulders start to draw up, tense, disapproving, and he spends a moment near it to run his hand along the door frame. )
You ain't got no damn door. ( He sighs, slinging his crossbow before stepping past the curtain-door to look around the rest of the place.
And she's right - it doesn't look like anything yet. Except a whole lot of nothin'. Changing that is what he's here for, though.
He takes a couple steps further into the space, looking around carefully, one hand curled around the sling of his crossbow, the other hanging at his side. )
First thing I'mma do is fix your door. ( The lack of one makes them vulnerable. Unsafe. And he doesn't want her puttering around in here by herself without a way to close herself in if she needs to. But he does finally turn his attention back to her. )
[ No she doesn't have a door, thanks for pointing out the obvious. She's gestures to the big, blocky, weighty board set next to the frame. ]
I block things off when I'm not around, but yes, there is no door, and it's at the top of the list of things to fix when I finally find one that fits. Or else I'll just have it made, somehow. [ It's a wide frame! It used to be a temple after all, and she would be surprised if there was no door at all in the first place. ]
As for the rest... I have a few ideas. [ She points things out, easier things to replace and repair. It sounds like she's just aiming to get things functional, and doesn't mind having mismatched furniture if it means people can come in and have a moment to themselves. ]
Money'll be a problem, I think, but I hope to make it work. I've been moonlighting at the Dome here and there and it pays pretty decently.
( The look Daryl gives her says he's got feelings about that door, but he doesn't bother to give them a voice. Instead, he follows her around the space as she points out different things that need to be worked on, mentally making a list of what might be easier, what kind of equipment they might need.
It ain't gonna be cheap, something he realizes before she even mentions money. And when she does, he sighs and nods his understanding. And he surprises himself when he offers a low, grumbled, ) Never thought I'd miss a world full of damn walkers, but at least I didn't have to pay for shit. ( No, not having to wonder about a paycheck or how much shit cost had been a weird but loved perk of a zombie apocalypse.
But he he does turn to face her fully, regarding her critically. )
I'll see what I can do. Plenty of shit out there I can get so you don't gotta keep doing that.
( He's done worse for money, but that doesn't mean he wants people out there fighting for some damn cash. )
[ Walkers. It's a new word, and sounded heavy. She puts her own things down - a handy multi-tool she'd been using to fix a couple of tricky cabinet doors - ready to ask more about walkers, but he's already moved on to something that makes her frown. ]
Don't gotta keep doing what, exactly? The Dome? [ Her hands find her hips. ] Why not?
( Daryl knows that posture. That tone. He's seen it from Carol, from Maggie, from Beth. He's guessing he hit a nerve.
He sighs as he takes a step closer, reaching out to pick up the multi-tool, and rolling it from one hand to the other as he looks down at his hands. It's an excuse not to have to look at her for a minute. )
Yeah, the Dome. ( His jaw flexes, and he does look up from behind messy bangs after a moment. ) You're just doin' it for the money, right? The more I can find, the less money you gotta make. No reason to be fuckin' around with that if you don't have to.
( And maybe she can sense it through their bond - the quiet worry he feels imagining her in the Dome, fighting someone with a power like hers or stronger. What might happen to her. He's seen what people will do for money, and it ain't pretty. )
( A holiday market isn't really the kind of place he'd ever go by himself. Too many people, too much happening, and too cheerful. But the idea of it is less off-putting with someone else to keep him company. And for better or for worse, Storm's the one person who seems to pick up on the subtle changes in his mood enough to know when he's gotten tired of shit.
For now, though, Daryl's more focused on making sure she's at least enjoying herself as they walk through the market. It's nice in its own way - especially with the scent of different foods and drinks in the air. Much better than the rot of the dead back home, that's for damn sure.
After a few minutes of walking, he disappears for a moment, long enough to grab a pair hot chocolates before wandering back. He offers out one cup as he makes his way back to her side, already lifting his own towards his lips to breathe in the steam coming off of it. ) Put some extra marshmallows in yours. ( A little extra flavor, he hopes. )
[ Ororo, new Xavier beanie mashed over her hair in an effort to feel connected to home and also just... to attract less attention for her odd hair, had been waylaid by a stall with dainty, sparkling earrings in the market. The vendor had seen her interest and tried valiantly to tempt her into making a purchase, but she ultimately declines. The absence of Daryl had moved her into looking for him - and she has a look that's equal parts relieved and curious once he makes his way back, armed with hot drinks. ]
Oh. Thank you. You could have told me where you were disappearing off to. [ She takes one, warms her hands with it with a smile. ]
I didn't know I looked like someone who needs extra marshmallows.
( Daryl lifts his cup, motions in the direction of the stall where she'd been accosted by the vendor. There's a soft edge of amusement to his tone, one brow quirking behind messy bangs. He could have stepped in, dragged her away, but it had been harmless enough. Not like anyone was trying to pull the wool over her eyes to sell her something shady.
He brings his cup to his lips, taking a sip. It's still hot, stings a bit against his lips and the tip of his tongue, but not enough to stop him from taking an assessing gulp. And after a few seconds, he tilts the cup to look at the brightly colored designs on it with a soft hum. ) Ain't bad. Better than that stuff you get in packets.
( Which is to say... that's the only hot chocolate he's ever had. But the more important thing for the moment is:) There something you wanted to check out?
[ She's been doing a lot of knitting when it gets slow while working overnight shifts in the diner. She's managed to get her hands on a green, shiny bow to wrap around a house plant with a hand knitted pot cozy.
[ At some point during the holiday gathering, Storm will find a small box with her name written on it. It's a simple mug along with a couple of tea samples, and a small note. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
few days after he talks to Charles.
[ It's a noncommittal sort of question, the kind where she can go yup and not say anything else about it. He figures, it's nothing they really need to dig deep for—but he does want to, you know. Let her know he's back. And around again.
And that maybe, he's got a piece of news he oughta share. But he'll get to that in a bit. ]
no subject
How are you faring? I've been trying to track you down, but you are as elusive as ever.
no subject
[ To get his shit together goes unsaid. He doesn't want to get into it, though Charles could probably fill her in. ]
You talk to Summers?
no subject
[ i.e. "No." ]
I've been advised not to worry overmuch.
no subject
There's a delay between replies. He's told Karen. He's talked to Laura, kinda—a real conversation, after the shit blanketing the city seems to have calmed down.
He's been thinking about the X-Men, though. At the end of the day, that's her people as much as they're his. ]
Got a spare morning a coffee?
no subject
Sure. Tomorrow? I'm driving in from out of the city and have a few errands to finish.
no subject
[ Same spot being the Big Top diner that Charles herded them into a couple months ago, that's now become their occasional space. He supposes they were bound to carve out a nook for themselves, whether that was in a mansion on a piece of land in Westchester or a half-decent diner in the middle of a hollowed-out planet.
When Storm shows up, Logan's already cornered a table by the window, morning sunlight streaming through the crooked blinds. He looks a hell of a lot better than when he took off, though it probably helps she didn't see him at his worst, either.
It helped, a bit. Talking to Charles. Helped that he spent...well, time might be a stretch, but it was more than what he'd had with Laura before.
He greets Storm with a lift of his coffee mug. ]
Hey.
no subject
Hi. [ She lingers at the edge of things - his table, the words that she's still searching for - before she finally settles on something sincere. ] ... You look well, Logan. I'm glad.
[ She's mostly the same. Different clothes since she's picked up an odd job or two here and there to keep the days going. A bit windswept from coming from the outside. Some cuts and scratches over her fingers and up to the back of her hands, but they're healing, and nothing of real consequence. Overall, Storm's usual, general projection of "I'm okay" is there — but that’s always been something she had a hard time turning off.
She takes the seat across his after another pause, choosing one that'll give her a shorter route to the door. ]
Have you two spoken since?
no subject
She's different. The X-Men have always been different; no matter how far he pulls away, he ends up back here, and right now, he's okay with that. ]
So do you. And yeah, actually. He's— [ A goddamn mess? Getting himself together? ] Finding his reasons.
[ To move on, to stop hiding in his misery. His conversation with Scott was...more than he's said to most people. In a way, it wasn't anything he expected to lay out on the table, but here they are.
Anyway, he's not gonna beat around the bush. ]
I wanted to tell you something. About the girl. Laura.
[ They spoke that once, that much he knows, at least, but. He isn't sure if they ever talked after. If she found Laura during...the whole thing. In the park. ]
no subject
The mention of Laura is a little out-of-left-field, and abrupt enough to make her blink. ]
Laura. I've talked to her, she's... from the future too, yes? A future. [ It's a bit unclear, but she's getting the nuances. She smiles sheepishly. ] I told her once that she reminds me of some of our students at home. I'm not sure she appreciated that.
no subject
Like her, he's just relieved Scott seems...better. 'Cause however he feels about him, Logan wants the team intact. Y'know, he wants his people together, and that includes Scott, stick up his ass and all.
His lips quirk. ] Think she just needed a moment. [ He gets it. He wasn't jumping to join up with anybody at the start. He grows quiet again, setting his mug down. ]
She said Alkali made her. Implanted women with mutant genes so they'd have mutant kids. And uh— [ Shit. ] Laura got mine.
[ So. There it is. A girl he didn't ask for, but after these past couple of weeks, he can't say he doesn't want her. It was simpler, to think that. Tell himself it was never gonna work out, that something like her and him, God, he was only gonna ruin the fuck out of it so why bother? Why put either of them through the kinda bullshit that was gonna only end in pain?
It's not like that anymore. Now he's caught somewhere in between—now he finds himself wondering if he can, if he could be more than the asshole who managed to keep her from dying before dying himself. Some part of him's been inching a closer to the idea that it might turn out okay. And that by itself feels dangerous. Feels like he's courting fucking disaster. ]
no subject
Alkali was implanting women with genes? [ For or against their will? She could take a guess, but she really didn't want to. That was a dangerous train of thought and led to other questions: like why would such a project be conceived of in the first place.
She wishes she'd asked for some coffee sooner, so her hands had something to clench around. Right now, all they clench into are fists on her lap. They unclench in just a moment as she shakes her head to clear her thoughts. ]
Sorry, but - that's... Why would they do such a thing? And Laura... [ Ororo's voice trails off, trying to recall what Laura has told her. ]
She mentioned knowing of me, but that she'd met you already. [ Which is a funny way of referring to someone who may or may not be more than just a genetic donor. ]
It must've been a shock to hear. Are... things alright with you two?
no subject
[ Yeah. She can take a guess. None of those women survived. And if it was built on the bones of what that bastard left behind, then it isn't hard to put two and two together. It isn't hard to guess why they used his DNA. He was their first, right? Their special little animal that could survive anything and tear through anyone.
It's her claws. It's her claws that bother him, that he can't stop thinking about, because they're exactly like his. Sharp, gleaming adamantium, not the natural bone she would've been born with. ]
She did. Apparently, I helped her escape. Then after... [ Fuck it, he's had enough dancing around this shit after Scott. ] After, I died. Must've fucked up my healing factor.
[ It's happened before. Between the cure and the collars and everything, losing their powers was as much an axe over their heads as anything else for a mutant. He's obviously not that torn up about the concept of him biting it in another future. Y'know, he saved some kids and keeled over, that doesn't seem so bad a way to go. It wasn't learning about his death that set him off.
But he isn't dead here. ]
Hell if I know. Maybe. [ He helped her find some shoes? Does that count for anything? ] She's a good kid. I wanna see her stick around. [ With the X-Men, he means. The other mutants. ] I just— [ He's gotta wonder if he's a walking reminder of all the shit she went through. ] I don't know if I'm a reason for her not to.
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Maybe she will, maybe she won't. It'll depend on what she wants, but... she said she'd heard of us. I imagine that's a reason for her to try to stay. [ Especially since hearing of them through comic books had seemed to be... a good thing? It seemed like a good thing to her, a good memory.
Her hand draws away, back to herself. ]
Is there something about you that would make her prefer to keep away?
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But her hand on his arm gives him a little pause. He almost says I'm okay. Then she asks him that, and it sidelines him in a way he wasn't expecting. Laid out plain how she did, it just—
Any answer he's got feels fucking impossible to put into words. Because to him, it's so goddamn obvious. When he thinks of himself in her shoes, he wouldn't want to be around him. He wouldn't want some guy he never knew longer than three days poking around in his life, reminding him of everything about what he went through and became that's wrong. ]
I ain't exactly cuddly, Storm.
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Maybe she isn't looking for cuddly. [ She points out, looking to the counter so she can finally ask for some coffee. Maybe a bagel, too, she's starting to get hungry. ]
She knows you already - maybe she wants you to stay around, but has trouble saying so. Perhaps she gets that from... [ her... father? ] Perhaps it is hereditary.
707 - 4930 | text (ps i owe u a tag)
got some free hands if you need em
no rush! ✨ assuming they traded numbers at some point
I do need help if you can spare it. Just getting started on stripping is bound to be troublesome
Paint stripping, I mean.
yee! charles gave him her number too lol
yeah, i can help. you need supplies too?
that works!
Thank you for offering. I think I underestimated how big of a job it will turn out to be.
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She's got a way of pinning him down, don't she? He rolls his eyes lightly—a touch exasperated, but not really.
Logan follows her up, leaning against the fingerprint-covered display case full of mismatched bagels and pastries. He's silent while she orders, takes a doughnut for himself. Not 'til they've settled back down does he pick up the conversation again.
He takes a bite, brushes the sticky glaze on his fingers off on his jeans. ]
Let's hope that's all she got from me. [ Karen asked if he wanted to get to know Laura, and he'd said he did. That much still stands. He just. It feels strange. Feels like nothing he ever thought he'd find himself dealing with—the sort of idea he'd given up on ages ago, if he'd ever granted it much room to take hold to begin with.
He pauses. ] It wasn't just my genes. Her claws, they're bonded with adamantium, too.
[ Just not through her entire skeleton. Right? If she'd had the metal bonded since she was ten—or younger—it can't have been. Adamantium's not exactly known for being flexible. She wouldn't have been able to grow. ]
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you got other people helpin?
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[ hm. it looks less like a social gathering spot for community and more like an abandoned cult place. she needs to get rid of some weird altary things. ]
If you're free now, you can come and take a look.
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text from Charles
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ok with moving to log? :›
[ She sends over a couple of directions, coming from the Dome; it shouldn't be difficult to follow! ]
Used to be a temple, I think. Hard to miss, and no one's using it.
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Because that's a little what it sounds like, a report. She was there when Jean first reported her findings to them, showed them Logan's x-rays on that first night she and Scott brought him back to the mansion. The adamantium was bonded to his whole skeleton. Was it the same for her? ]
Just the claws? [ She looks at the backs of his hands, then outside as she tries to picture them sliding out of Laura's own knuckles. ] Even if it's just the claws, I can't imagine what that must have been like. She's... so young.
You said she said they'd made her. I'm sure she'll want to talk to someone about that. Perhaps... you're the closest she can think of who would understand it.
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But maybe she can read between the lines in the way he watches her, then lets out a breath. ]
Yeah. I don't know about that. [ Laura's not much of a talker. Another thing that's hereditary, it seems. There's a reason he told Storm, though, why he plans on telling the X-Men, and it's 'cause he just. Look, he did spend a little time with her, and she's not some secret he wants to hide. He doesn't know what the hell he's meant to do with her, but she exists. She's one of them.
He shakes his head. ] Anyway. Wasn't what I thought was gonna be waiting for me, that's for damn sure.
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It feels strange to ask about, so she isn't asking. And she thinks: isn't it healthier to treat the future as they should? As something malleable and uncertain? ]
Whatever the case, she is here now. And she's told you. I suppose the question is simply... what will you do with knowing? [ She stirs a couple teaspoons of sugar into her coffee as she talks, anticipating the extra sugar rush it'll give her to get her through the rest of the morning. ]
If you're worried about how she'll get along around here, well... I quite like her already, and I hope to see her more often. She's been offering to come drive me out into the Fringes.
🎀 wrap soon?
[ It's hard to put into words. It's that he went back in time, yeah, but it's also that there's been a pattern to his life. There's shit that usually happens to him—an endless river of blood dogging his heels—and then there's shit that just doesn't ever feel like it could, like it should, and finding out he's got a fucking kid falls under the second umbrella.
Probably isn't healthy, no. But it is predictable. Was.
He drains the rest of his coffee. ]
You should take her. She could use someone like you.
[ If he's dodging Storm's question, it's not an accident. He means it, though. Wasn't for no reason that Charles left her in charge. Whatever he feels about his place in Laura's life, he knows the X-Men will be good for her, in the same way they've been good for him. ]
wrapping! 🎀
Maybe. I don't know what I could offer her other than a name behind a comic book character that you haven't already.
[ But he's finishing up, and she still has her bagel. She waves him off and takes her phone out to scroll through some messages. ]
In any case - sure. I'll text if anything comes up. It's getting to be really unpredictable out there.
yes! also sorry, i am all caught up now
( He's spent more than enough time wandering the area to be able to easily follow the directions. )
on my way
( It doesn't take too long for Daryl to get there from where he is. She'll hear the rumble of his engine a minute or so before he pulls up closer to the entrance. Sliding off the bike, he reaches for his crossbow, holds it across his body in a familiar posture. Being in this area hasn't been dangerous so far, but he isn't going to take any chances.
He at least has the sense to send her a quick message that he's arrived before he makes his way towards the entrance, crossbow lowered but ready. )
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Not that there's much of a door even left. It's... on the list of things to replace, eventually. A heavy, makeshift curtain does the trick well enough for now, and moving it lets in enough of a draft that Ororo's senses are immediately alerted whenever someone comes in.
Daryl gets a smile when he approaches, warm and friendly. ]
Hey. Glad you found the place. I'd ask you to feel at home, but... [ She glances around. ] It doesn't exactly look anything like that yet.
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He offers her a quick look before turning his attention towards the door. Or well, the lack of it. The sight of it makes his shoulders start to draw up, tense, disapproving, and he spends a moment near it to run his hand along the door frame. )
You ain't got no damn door. ( He sighs, slinging his crossbow before stepping past the curtain-door to look around the rest of the place.
And she's right - it doesn't look like anything yet. Except a whole lot of nothin'. Changing that is what he's here for, though.
He takes a couple steps further into the space, looking around carefully, one hand curled around the sling of his crossbow, the other hanging at his side. )
First thing I'mma do is fix your door. ( The lack of one makes them vulnerable. Unsafe. And he doesn't want her puttering around in here by herself without a way to close herself in if she needs to. But he does finally turn his attention back to her. )
You got any ideas for the rest?
( This is her show. He's just here to help. )
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I block things off when I'm not around, but yes, there is no door, and it's at the top of the list of things to fix when I finally find one that fits. Or else I'll just have it made, somehow. [ It's a wide frame! It used to be a temple after all, and she would be surprised if there was no door at all in the first place. ]
As for the rest... I have a few ideas. [ She points things out, easier things to replace and repair. It sounds like she's just aiming to get things functional, and doesn't mind having mismatched furniture if it means people can come in and have a moment to themselves. ]
Money'll be a problem, I think, but I hope to make it work. I've been moonlighting at the Dome here and there and it pays pretty decently.
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It ain't gonna be cheap, something he realizes before she even mentions money. And when she does, he sighs and nods his understanding. And he surprises himself when he offers a low, grumbled, ) Never thought I'd miss a world full of damn walkers, but at least I didn't have to pay for shit. ( No, not having to wonder about a paycheck or how much shit cost had been a weird but loved perk of a zombie apocalypse.
But he he does turn to face her fully, regarding her critically. )
I'll see what I can do. Plenty of shit out there I can get so you don't gotta keep doing that.
( He's done worse for money, but that doesn't mean he wants people out there fighting for some damn cash. )
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Don't gotta keep doing what, exactly? The Dome? [ Her hands find her hips. ] Why not?
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He sighs as he takes a step closer, reaching out to pick up the multi-tool, and rolling it from one hand to the other as he looks down at his hands. It's an excuse not to have to look at her for a minute. )
Yeah, the Dome. ( His jaw flexes, and he does look up from behind messy bangs after a moment. ) You're just doin' it for the money, right? The more I can find, the less money you gotta make. No reason to be fuckin' around with that if you don't have to.
( And maybe she can sense it through their bond - the quiet worry he feels imagining her in the Dome, fighting someone with a power like hers or stronger. What might happen to her. He's seen what people will do for money, and it ain't pretty. )
market mingle!!
For now, though, Daryl's more focused on making sure she's at least enjoying herself as they walk through the market. It's nice in its own way - especially with the scent of different foods and drinks in the air. Much better than the rot of the dead back home, that's for damn sure.
After a few minutes of walking, he disappears for a moment, long enough to grab a pair hot chocolates before wandering back. He offers out one cup as he makes his way back to her side, already lifting his own towards his lips to breathe in the steam coming off of it. ) Put some extra marshmallows in yours. ( A little extra flavor, he hopes. )
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Oh. Thank you. You could have told me where you were disappearing off to. [ She takes one, warms her hands with it with a smile. ]
I didn't know I looked like someone who needs extra marshmallows.
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( Daryl lifts his cup, motions in the direction of the stall where she'd been accosted by the vendor. There's a soft edge of amusement to his tone, one brow quirking behind messy bangs. He could have stepped in, dragged her away, but it had been harmless enough. Not like anyone was trying to pull the wool over her eyes to sell her something shady.
He brings his cup to his lips, taking a sip. It's still hot, stings a bit against his lips and the tip of his tongue, but not enough to stop him from taking an assessing gulp. And after a few seconds, he tilts the cup to look at the brightly colored designs on it with a soft hum. ) Ain't bad. Better than that stuff you get in packets.
( Which is to say... that's the only hot chocolate he's ever had. But the more important thing for the moment is:) There something you wanted to check out?
( He's out of his element, here. )
Left outside her door on Christmas morning
It comes with a box of homemade Christmas cookies.
Attached is a brief note: ]
Merry Christmas, Ororo
-Rogue
a little holiday treat
Happy holidays,
— EL