Remnants of a Shattered World: Remember me?
The voices in his head had been growing steadily louder in nicks mind for quite some time now, the thoughts from the patients in the med bay had been accompanied now by those from the hallways and rooms nearby, and although it was not at a level that would cause him to have random outbursts of anger it was still enough to confuse the agent and disorientate him. Right now he was standing just outside of the shower wrapped only in a towel, warm droplets of water rolling down his muscular yet scarred chest and stomach, the drops tracing the curves and indentations of his muscles on the way downwards their path down his body to the floor blocked only by the pristine white towel that hung loosely round his waist.
There was only so much he could stand as he battled to remain in control of his own thoughts amidst the sea of others, it had been so much better when hank had first administered the suppressant drugs, only that was several days ago now and his body had been conditioned to reject poisons and be resistant to tranquillisers… the side effect of this being the rejection of drugs of all kinds after a while. Slowly Nick padded towards the small sink and mirror to one side of the rather cramped shower room, for this very reason he had left the door between this and his room open so as it did not get to claustrophobic for him.
Staring in the mirror at his face he barely recognised himself again, when he had arrived back in this world he had not been able to shave for ages, and since he had done so he could not believe the transformation, as his features were once again uncovered. But it did serve as a rather unhappy reminder of his dead partner, having to look upon his likeness every time he looked into a mirror was hard for the agent and he slumped forwards, his left hand on the wall next to the mirror he rested his head against it and stared at the sink for a second or two with a sigh.
A small puddle of water had now formed itself under his feet after a few minutes of standing in the same spot, his wiggling toes realising that fact brought him back from his dazed world of other peoples thoughts. Standing straight again the agent rubbed his bare back with a hand, it was rather sore still from his injuries for though he did normally heal quite quickly in his current state his body was probably concentrating on other parts that needed healing more urgently.
*Not a time to admire yourself nick* he thought sarcastically as he realised that he had begun to stare at the scars and healing wounds scatered around his body and arms in the mirror, another thing that he had been deprived of during his time in the order, they were not keen on agents staring at themselves in mirrors and had strict rules against such a thing. Leaving the bathroom now Nick took up another smaller towel and began to dry himself off, running the soft warm towel over his moist naked body as he walked towards his clothes lying on the bed. Dropping the towel carefully on the floor to pick up after he had dressed the agent reached out to the hospital gown that lay on the bed waiting for him.
As his hand touched the rather rough fabric nick silently wished he had more clothes… but there was no one he knew from this world who could bring him any and the agent did not like to scrounge from people anyway. his dressings and bandages had also been removed by him before taking a shower and lay neatly folded on the bed next to the gown, hed probalby put them on later though.. let some air get to them for a while he thought as he lifted the gown. Before he could reluctantly pull the garment on though a gentle knock on the door prompted him to withdraw his hand and look over… Hank did not normally knock like that “come in” he called towards the closed doorway, his voice returned to normal from the dry and croaky version of him that had arrived only a few days ago.
Getting a call from the X-men… now there was something that still had Jennifer’s mind rolling. The Rogue slayer had been around when the school fell, when the walls were engulfed in flames and the captured students and teachers were displayed like broken scarecrows along the city streets. A warning to anyone who entered the town, a warning to those that lived within. Some still remained up, some were taken down only to be replaced by newer victims and any who rebels who dared try and take the mounted fatalities down were almost always caught, given their own gruesome dismantling and displayed with those they tried to pull down.
These were the thoughts that dwelled on Jennifer’s mind as she walked through the halls of the school, even Hank’s voice haunted her, to think such a being could have changed so greatly, the madness that consumed the doctor in her world, the things he did out of rage, the monster he became… the end he finally forced upon himself as he gave up on his unbearable life. The now honey blonde Slayer let her fingers brush through the ringlets of her hair, this world was so different, the people were different, they had life, they had fire they had rebellious tendencies! They would not sit down idly as their world lay shattered about them, they lived, most anyway… Some whined about how terrible their life was with their lack of… whatever petty morsel of ‘whatever’ they thought they were missing. Let them spend a day in her world, then how greatly would they realize the luxuries they have and cherish the things they can do. Shops, pets, freedom, choice, sunshine… everyone took them all for granted. It was so hard for the Slayer to walk the streets at day, to see all she had ever hoped for to be taken with such a disregard, it hurt too much, and tears always threatened the hardened soul of the wayward young woman.
To be told that someone needed her… well… back in Lost Angels that wasn’t anything rare but here? According to everyone she knows her counterpart in this world was killed, bringing in another slayer named Tasha, who Jennifer had only briefly met. Nick Thompson. While the other dimensional mutant couldn’t quite pick the name at first it was easy to realizes who Dr McCoy was referring to, after all, there weren’t that many people from her world still in this one. The situation was explained and yet Jennifer still found herself wondering what she could actually do to help, some people held such high expectations of her just because she was the slayer… she was stronger, she was faster, she was more durable then most people, but hell, that hardly made her able to save everyone from everything that inflicted their lives. She was just a kid still, barely able to act as a child should, never able to be half way normal, she didn’t have the experiences others her age did, let alone older, how could so many expect her to know so much?
The black leather jacket was left unbutton, the day was wet but hardly cold enough for her to button up, fingerless gloves hugged her hands in the same dark leather fabric, her left hand raising to tap against the door. It was hard for Jennifer to change but gradually she was… Angel lightened her hair from its raven colour and for now that was big enough a step, even if he brought her so many new clothes. Black was still the colour she was so used to, growing up in a world of black it seemed the only colour she knew, white tops were strange to her and all the colours between even stranger. Given time she'll start to change... only rare moments would she dress in something light and each time she felt odd. The lighter hair was an effective change, it helped her stand out even when downed in black, flat heeled boots and tight black jeans with a rather plain black tank top. The top crept up just enough to allow a slither of her finely shaped stomach to be seen, not a great amount but enough to reveal that she had a firm tone. The provocative wear was always a trade mark of the Rogue Slayer, even when she didn’t try her exceptional figure always made even the simplest of attire flaunt her body, the skin of which was now lightly tanned for the first time in over seven years.
It was hard to really remember Nick, what with Spike and Riley there, and Catherine too.. It hurt a little seeing Riley, in her world Jennifer felt she let him down, in this world it was like he wasn't having much more luck. At least he was still alive, still human anyway. Death didn't take him away, it just turned him nasty, turned him into an enemy she couldn't deal to face, Catherine seemed to care about him and that too gave Jennifer a touch of nostalgia. There had been moments were she and Riley had gotten close, they'd dated for a while but never slept together. He was sweet, silly ideals of the 'perfect relationship', where he body was commited to the relationship only if a life time commitment was able to be given and with Jennifers hot and cold approach to things back then it stopped things from getting serious.
And with Angel in the background, Riley never liked that, nor Spike lurking around, Agent Finn liked to know where he stood with people and if he wasn't sure then he was fragile and vulnerable. She'll always blame herself for Riley's capture and transformation in the Initiative, he needed her help and all she did was push the guy away.
It became a safety switch for Jennifer, not letting people close to her anymore, pushing everyone away, only the guilt she bore was enough to heed the call of this man who needed help. Even if she wasn't sure what she had to offer, if there was something, anything, then she'd try her best to give it. After all, they may be in another world, but as the Slayer, it was her duty to serve and help. More importantly, it was the right thing to do.
“come in” The voice from the other side was unfamiliar to Jennifer, but she knew that the moment Hank tried to explain things to her. This wasn't someone she knew, wasn't someone that had ties to her group, that had relied on her in the past or and at best they had passed by each other in a brief moment that ended as quickly as it begun. Nick Thompson... the name did ring some vague bell, the guy who sat in the back of the car she had taken control of when meeting to help Catherine and co on her run from the Initiative.
"It's Rogue." The Slayer announced in her silken voice, strict from years of commanding authority and yet femanine all the way through. The Lost Angels Slayer was all the more renound for her nick name, Rogue, then her birthname, it was her name, few ever referred to her as Jennifer and it had been so many years since anyone had even spoken her last name. The girl who was born as Jennifer Demore faded more every day after she became the Slayer, but she seemed to have died the moment darkness engulfed the world, all that was left of her was the Slayer, it's all anyone ever needed from her, it's all they ever cared about.
There was a moment were Jennifer's dark honey brown eyes paused in surprise as she saw the form of the man before her, her brow arching slightly. Not exactly the traumatized image she had in mind when coming here, but she'd not say she was disappointed! A small curve touched the edge of Jennifer's lips as the Slayer let the door slip shut behind her, dark golden lockes shifting slightly over her shoulders as her head tilted gently to the side.
"You're looking better then when we last crossed paths." The tease was softly spoken, considering he had apparently tried to kill himself or something, Spike had given him a good smack at some point and with the attack after they got to the school it was all such a blur Jennifer wasn't sure what was going on.
Re: Remnants of a Shattered World: Remember me?"It's Rogue." Rogue, the name was familiar but unfortunately nick’s memory needed a little more to get itself working lately, though it had good enough reason to need it after what had happened. As the owner of the voice entered the room his eyes passed over her quickly, he knew at once that she was the slayer, he vaguely remembered her from the escape from the initiative before he was taken back to his broken world, and of course he had seen her before they had even arrived in this world from theirs, but that had only been momentarily.
It was a surprise to say the least and as the door closed behind her he could not help but wonder why she was here, for although hank had said to expect a visitor in the next couple of days the telepath couldn’t see how Hank saw a connection between the two of them. Still far from him to question the good doctor’s methods, if he thought that Nick needed to see more people to get his wayward powers under control then Nick would go along with it, and if they were all like this he should have no real cause for complaint and it was not merely out of politeness that he gave her a small smile of greeting, she didn’t seem to mind either.
"You're looking better then when we last crossed paths." There was a moment of confusion on the man’s face as he struggled to remember the particulars of their last meeting… ahh yes, the back of the truck suicide attempt, he turned his head away from her slightly and stared at the floor, somewhat ashamed of his actions back then, though since his arrival he had not done much better. “Looks can be deceiving” he laughed quickly, trying to make light of his situation though it was followed by a soft groan as the headaches that had plagued his life for the past year or so continued to make themselves known. Rubbing his temple with one hand he glanced up at her, it was easy to tell that he was having a hard time.
For a moment he caught her voice in his head, her thoughts were clear for but a second thought it was long enough for Nick to realise from them that he was still not dressed; having expected Hank to walk through the door not the young lady the telepath had forgotten that he was only wearing a towel. But nick was not unused to embarrassment and could deal with it well under the circumstances “so… I guess you are the visitor Hank mentioned earlier then” slowly he reached out to the hospital gown on his bed and picked it up
“Excuse me for not being fully clothed but to be perfectly honest I was not expecting any lady visitors, not sure what I was expecting actually” his apologetic voice was a shock even to himself, it seemed as if things were slowly getting better now for although there was still a constant blur of noise in his head it was getting easier to distinguish his own thoughts from the mess in the last few minutes, and his ability to converse had improved greatly. The embarrassment factor was probably a good sign as well, for up until a few days ago he was pretty much a emotional wreck, one that Hank was trying to rebuild as best he could and this visit was clearly meant to do that as the telepath’s emotions were certainly in working order right now it would seem.
Emotions were something that had been frowned upon by the order from its field agents, ‘emotion gets you killed’ was something that had been drummed into the agents as they trained and both he and Michael had learnt to suppress them over the years in training. The only thing that mattered was a devotion to the cause, their utter unswerving loyalty was all that the superiors needed but it was something that Nick had come to question since he had first arrived in this world.
It had been a shock to his system to see the sunlight again after so long, to see all the students in the school and all the people around the town going about their business without fear of death and torment lying in wait round the corner. Perhaps that is why he was having so much trouble fitting in, the emotionless Agent was never going to be able to fit in and had therefore died off, its replacement was Nick Thompson, a person rather than a military asset. He now had emotions, feelings, needs… all things that had been denied to both him and Michael through their childhoods and early stages of adulthood.
Though he did not hate his fellow agents and mourned the loss of the organisation that had looked after him for so many years even after all that had happened because of them, it was something that he felt they had done out of necessity, they had to keep the world safe and certain sacrifices had been made to do so. But it was all right now, that time was passed for Nick and he would never have to return to his shattered world again, life could finally begin and the memory of all that had gone before would remain as just that… a memory. Now he could concentrate on himself without the obligation of having to conform to strict codes of conduct, right now for example was going against at least three of the orders rules, not just having a woman in your room but to be feeling anything towards her at all was strictly forbidden.
As his muscular yet slightly scarred arms pulled the gown in front of his still dripping chest he did not feel inclined to attempt to put the item of clothing on, as that would require the removal of his towel… not a good plan seeing as the door between his bed and shower room had suffered in an outburst not long after he had arrived and no longer shut properly. So for now he would have to make do with holding it in front of himself even though he knew for a fact that it probably looked rather silly from where she was standing.
Re: Remnants of a Shattered World: Remember me?
At the Slayer’s comment the former agent from one of Lost Angels many orders ended up looking away and casting his eyes downwards, leaving Jennifer with the more familiar air of gloom that loomed about not only this man, but almost anyone the Slayer came into contact with, which were limited and few but a miserable few at that.
“Looks can be deceiving” Something Jennifer was more then aware of, she spent her entire youth hiding the fact she was a mutant, but not because she thought she was one, but thought instead that she was some sort of demon, a demon hunting demons, the mockery of it all was pitiful. Catherine Hall had been the only one to open her mind to the possibility that instead of a demon she was a mutant, and since then Jennifer had been assured that she was indeed a mutant, not demon. It still didn’t stop her caution, but it helped once someone was brave enough to speak their mind, and Catherine was a pretty brave girl when she needed to be.
It was nice to see him smile though, regardless if the laugh was forced or not it drew a feeble attempted smile that seemed hinted at a charm it could possess. The opposite sex was never really a main focus for Jennifer, not since she hit fifteen and was plunged into a world of chaotic monsters bent on killing her, if not doing worse deeds before hand. Anyone she liked ended up dead, either they came to her dead as Angel had, or ended up dead as one guy had that she only just started seeing. Still, her inability to date didn’t mean she wasn’t interested in guys anymore, she was just disheartened enough to not really bother, looking wasn’t going to hurt anyone though, surely? Who could possibly blame her anyway… strutting around in a towel, if she didn’t recognize the fact this guy was a Lost angels demon hunter during their first real encounter then she’d have assumed he was trying to show off… but people in L.A. didn’t have tim in their lives to show off, they had more important things and lacked a lot in personality and relationships. It was hard for Jennifer to tell what was normal or not as far as personalities go, because to her, Nick was acting relatively normal, everyone else were on some sort of drug induced high to her, she wasn’t used to so many bubbly personalities, sure it was nice to see… but a little overpowering too. It was nice being with someone who she could connect with, Nick may be a little broken, but weren’t they all? At least she understood something of what caused the cracks in his mentality.
“so… I guess you are the visitor Hank mentioned earlier then” A slight shrug came from the Slayer’s slender shoulders, she could be, but then again, she could be one of a few visitors Hank had lined up for all Jennifer knew. “Excuse me for not being fully clothed but to be perfectly honest I was not expecting any lady visitors, not sure what I was expecting actually” Again Jennifer’s lips curved at their edges, she was hardly going to complain and yet the Slayer wasn’t sure he’d feel comfortable with her coy comments that she often had a habit of giving with guys around her. It made Logan uncomfortable, not that Jennifer realized that her former Watcher, Logan Blake, had actually fancied her. Everyone but Jennifer seemed to know that, perhaps part of her knew deep down, but another part refused to let her register it. Not because she didn’t like Logan, he was great, and if things weren’t so complicated between them… well… anything was possible, but she was his tutor, and he was supposed to protect her, as she was supposed to protect him, and one way of doing that was not letting him fall into the void of death that encompasses anyone who dated Jennifer.
The fact Nick was apologizing perhaps being the reason Jennifer contained herself, he was like many she’d seen over the years, and yet at the same time, not exactly… To survive some people trained to ignore their emotions, ignore the sense of self and survival, sometimes that was the only way one could over come their enemies, even if it meant certain death. As a Slayer, the young woman, often referred to as Rogue ,appreciated the idea behind the extreme need to survive… but that didn’t stop her from feeling pity towards any agent she ever met, especially after seeing what the Initiative had done to Riley.
It seemed Nick was hesitating getting dressed, and the reason took a moment to dawn on Jennifer, but it was amusing when it did, still she didn’t rush to give him some privacy, instead taking a step forward. Most people felt honoured by being in the presence of the Slayer, common day people that was, back in Lost Angels, very few people lived who knew anything about the coming of Darkness almost eight years ago now doing with the fact that Angel lost his soul in a moment of honest happiness, which meant no one would know that it had been Jennifer’s fault unless they figured out the fact that Angel was cursed and Jennifer had broken it unintentionally. And her short lived relationship with Angel wasn’t really publicized. That didn’t stop her from feeling unbelievably guilty and blaming herself for Angelus cursing their world to darkness, something she often stated on the odd occasion to people she felt needed to know the truth… which was everyone who simply wanted to know the reason why their world turned out the way it did.
"You know, I’ve been called a lot of things in my life, but I’ve never been called a ‘lady’ before." With a light chuckle softly given as she spoke, Jennifer looked over towards the window, more out of distracted as she stared, the stream of light still something she wasn’t sure she’d ever get used to again. Her dark eyes turned towards the former Agent Thompson again, letting their gaze graze across his scarred skin. There was still a scar from her last moments in Lost Angels where a rock elemental had been summoned, apparently by Dorez, a disgustingly vile demon who was more a rumour then anything else as far as the Rogue Slayer cared to think of him. When they stabbed her it had been Catherine who came to help her, followed later by someone Jennifer vaguely recalls, they both helped her survive, but the scars never healed, neither the mental nor the physical ones from that day. "You know, flattering the Slayer here just doesn’t earn the same cookie points it did back in Lost Angels." The lighted hearted tease was more that of a thoughtful statement, though part of Jennifer was actually rather glade her rank as Slayer was not only overlooked in many regards, but most other demonic hunting agencies thought her a fairy tale according to this worlds watchers council, it was rather hilarious! "Not entirely sure what McCoy wants us to do, but.. I’m open to ideas, we could go for a walk outside if it’d make you feel more relaxed, and if you keep up the flattery I might even let you dress up before we leave." Another tease, though the coy grin was somewhat impish as she played with him, it was always fun trying to explore the wit of others, and even if they didn’t have one, you’d be amazed the small things they could say or do that just seemed priceless and could be captured for ever if you were patient enough to wait for it.
Re: Remnants of a Shattered World: Remember me?
From her continuing to step towards him nick could tell that she was not about to give him the chance to put any clothing on and it did make him feel a little uncomfortable even if he did not show it at all. "You know, I’ve been called a lot of things in my life, but I’ve never been called a ‘lady’ before." Should he apologise… no it was not a complaint, if it were she would not be laughing, but in the end she was a young lady underneath the veil of being the slayer just as he was a man under the agent, and he made her a small smile, wishing that he could offer a larger one but his mood was quite low still.
Following her gaze to the window he could see the way she looked at the sunlight for it was the same as he did, though in that moment the former agent realised that for all his efforts to return to this sunlit world he had still not been outside of the building to bask in its warm glow. Though that was not likely to happen any time soon as Hank had already made it quite clear that until Nick showed definite signs of improvement he was not allowed to go anywhere unattended.
"You know, flattering the Slayer here just doesn’t earn the same cookie points it did back in Lost Angels." Her soft lighthearted voice broke his daydreaming, his eyes darting back towards her accompanied by a smile rather unfamiliar to him before all this had happened. There was a slightly sarcastic laughing noise, Nick back in lost angels before Michael’s death had been sent to lost angels to protect the slayer because their order believed her to be weak in comparison to its agents, well perhaps compared to the pair of them she was indeed weaker. But it was not the same now and his attitude had changed almost completely, with the order all but destroyed and chaos descended in their world Nick could see how much of a difference the slayer actually made. Without her to distract the forces of darkness other organisations like their order became number one enemy, and whilst a single girl was a hard thing to trace a huge organisation was not so difficult.
The wondering if things would have been different had the slayer and the rest of them not hopped into this world was always there, things would always seem as if he could have done something to prevent a certain event that had occurred since he’d gone. The order was a prime example of this, had he not been missing they would not have sent more agents to lost angels to find out why and therefore the headquarters would not have been so horrifically undermanned.
"Not entirely sure what McCoy wants us to do, but.. I’m open to ideas, we could go for a walk outside if it’d make you feel more relaxed, and if you keep up the flattery I might even let you dress up before we leave." The telepath raised an eyebrow, trying to latch on to her thoughts for a second before remembering that it was a stupid thing to do in his situation “well that’s rather generous of you to let me get dressed, though I’m afraid that I have nothing but this to wear” he joked holding the hospital gown out a bit wondering how bad it would look if he were to go walking outside in it, it would probably look as if he were a mental patient… though technically he was.
Again Nick glanced to the window longingly, an idea popping into his head. Quickly he turned back to her, a spark back in his lifeless eyes for the first time since being back “though I suppose if I ask nicely Matt might be able to lend me a pair of trousers, my boots are wearable still, could probably scrounge a t-shirt or something as well” he sounded strangely excited about the thought of going outside for a bit, even if it were just a minute or two.
Moving backward to the bed he sat down, taking the weight off his feet for a bit as he’d been standing up for a while, realising quickly that it didn’t matter if he had clothes or not “no, wait… there’s probably no point” he spoke in a dejected tone “I’m confined to quarters, when I got here I took out a classroom full of chairs and tables and almost attacked two X-Men thinking they were demons, Hank wont let me out of here in case something happens and I lose it, guess after all this effort to get back to a world thats safe I’m too dangerous to actually be a part of it” he sighed, his head drooping to stare at the floor again, it had been a nice idea.
Re: Remnants of a Shattered World: Remember me?
“well that’s rather generous of you to let me get dressed, though I’m afraid that I have nothing but this to wear” Something told her this guy didn’t get much in the way of light humour, which was pretty common in Lost Angels and yet Jennifer always felt sad at the thought, people deserved humour in their lives, sometimes it’s all that made life really worth living. Though as Nick finished speaking there was another laugh and Jennifer smiled, if her humour confused him before it didn’t change the fact that he still possessed the ability to laugh, and if he could laugh and find humour in things, even if only mild, then here was still chance for this guy.
Honey chocolate eyes watched Nick carefully, the soft smile brightening with a kindness she never really got to show in her life, not in a world where being a rough tough warrioress was a matter of others living or dying. If people didn’t have faith in her strength then Jennifer wasn’t given a chance, the tougher people saw her act, the more faith they had in her abilities, which made things hard, but when the situation called for it Jennifer knew how to be soft and gentle, sweet and kind, she just had made sure to do it in private. There was a shine to Nick’s eyes and seeing it was wonderful, if only because he was from Lost Angels as she was, she knew how hard it was to have that spark of hope and longing after everything ones been through over there.
“though I suppose if I ask nicely Matt might be able to lend me a pair of trousers, my boots are wearable still, could probably scrounge a t-shirt or something as well” Jennifer knew for a fact they had shirts and trousers hanging around, she had been dressed from head to toe herself on arrival as most of her basic wear had been bloodied and tattered. While he went to ask for something, she could always help find whatever he was missing, and the Slayer was about to suggest just that before noticing the shift of mood as Nick moved off and sat down. “no, wait… there’s probably no point” The excitement faded, the hope, the pleasure, just as if Angelus came and sucked the life out of the poor guy all over again. “I’m confined to quarters, when I got here I took out a classroom full of chairs and tables and almost attacked two X-Men thinking they were demons, Hank wont let me out of here in case something happens and I lose it, guess after all this effort to get back to a world thats safe I’m too dangerous to actually be a part of it” Sympathy rose and Jennifer moved towards now clean shaven man, her slender form taking a seat beside Nick and her hands folding over her lap as she thought.
"I’m sure those tables and chairs put up a good enough fight but I think I’m more capable then them, not that I’m trying to diss them, but what with my experience and all I think I have an advantage over them." Glossed lips smiled at Nick as Jennifer spoke, her honey gold curls hanging about her shoulders a much more feminine way then one would have ever associated with the Slayer back in LA. "Besides, the deal’s I come here to help right? Well, as nice as the view is in here I’d much rather not lurk about the medical bay all day. I’m sure the doctor would let you out, I not have the same privileges as I did back… in Lost Angels, but I’m sure he’ll see I’m more then capable of handling myself should the need arise." The slight hesitation was from readying to say ‘from back home’ and yet the word home just didn’t want to be part of that sentence, it was getting to the point that Jennifer guiltily enjoyed not thinking about that place and moving on, and yet that only made her guilt all the more vibrant. "Go ask Matt for some clothes and whatever you can’t get I’ll find something and we can talk to Hank on our way out." Sometimes Jennifer was too used to getting her own way, and she accepted that that just wasn’t going to fly in this world, just because she wanted something didn’t mean others would just accept that. And part of her enjoyed not having that sort of power but it still took some getting used to, what she considered to make sense didn’t always seem so to others. What was the harm in getting Nick outside anyway? Surely he couldn’t be any worse off, and keeping him cooped up would just send him over the edge again anyway.
Re: Remnants of a Shattered World: Remember me?
He let out a short sigh from his seat on the bed, not a loud one but loud enough to be distinguishable, just as things had seemed to be looking up the reality of the situation hit in, this had happened many times before but it was always depressing when it happened. Though she didn’t seem to be put of by his changing of mood, instead the slayer made her way to the bed and sat down next to him "I’m sure those tables and chairs put up a good enough fight but I think I’m more capable then them, not that I’m trying to diss them, but what with my experience and all I think I have an advantage over them."
A smile could not help but creep across his face no matter how hard he fought against it, Nick gave her a sideways glance, clearly amused by the thought of the tables putting up a fight. It occurred to him that although he had seen her before in lost Angels Nick had not actually paid much attention to her looks, she was actually quite attractive, especially with the light from the window playing across her features… though that was not something that he would have ever seen in their world.
"Besides, the deal’s I come here to help right? Well, as nice as the view is in here I’d much rather not lurk about the medical bay all day. I’m sure the doctor would let you out, I not have the same privileges as I did back… in Lost Angels, but I’m sure he’ll see I’m more then capable of handling myself should the need arise." He knew exactly what the hesitation should have housed, the reference to their world as being home was out of place in any conversation for since the sun had turned black it didn’t seem like that world wanted its occupants any more. Since arriving in this world the first time it had become more of a home to the telepath than he could have ever thought it would, and all the time he survived in the ruins over the past year the thought of returning had kept him alive, kept him searching for his way back.
though apart from her reference to Lost Angels the rest of what she had said was uplifting, if she was willing to take responsibility for him whilst she took him out of the medical bay then Hank would surely not mind too much, after all he had summoned her here . "Go ask Matt for some clothes and whatever you can’t get I’ll find something and we can talk to Hank on our way out." Orders… he could take orders fine enough and having never failed to deliver on orders so far he was not about to start now.
“well” he started, his voice happier “having summoned you to visit I doubt hank would mind if we took a stroll outside, I mean what else would he expect us to do” it was a rhetorical question and almost as soon as he finished talking Nick stood and carefully made his way to the door, keeping hold of a corner of his towel as it threatened to fall to the floor when he stood.
Glancing back at her he reached out with his free hand and took hold of the door handle “I’ll be right back, hopefully he’s around but I know Matt tends to like a wander every now and again” with that he smiled and made his way across the hall.
A few short minutes later he was back at the door, now sporting a crisp pair of black trousers, rather too good for his normal standard but no matter how much he protested at not taking something a bit less new looking the guy would not hear any of it, and had furnished him with some socks and a t shirt as well (though his first offer had been for a shirt Nick had politely refused). It was actually a relief to be wearing normal, non damaged clothes again and helped to make the telepath feel more at ease around her as he re entered the room, again smiling in her direction, still pulling on the white T shirt.
“Ok, pretty much ready…” he still had to put his boots on, walking round the bed they were on the floor one side so he crouched down and pulled them on slowly. a large black pair of army type boots that had seen better days, the laces had clearly broken off at uneven sizes as one boot only laced three quarters of the way up, they were an effort to put on causing him to grunt a good deal. “Are you sure about this though” he continued, giving her the option to back out before they got outside and he lost control again “we’ll have to keep to quiet places so as not to cause too much trouble upstairs” he referred to his mind, taking a break from lacing the boots to point at his head with one hand, if they were in a crowded place the chances are he would be overcome again and start to become a problem “and I have been told that I can be a bit of a handful if I lose it” the boots were finally laced and he stood and looked over to her, trying to pretend like this was not the most exciting thing that had happened to him all week.
Re: Remnants of a Shattered World: Remember me?“well” Right away Jennifer could see the change in Nick's mood, and being a Slayer there were more then enough times of her having to deliver bad news, so it was nice that for now instead that the former Rogue huntress was able to give something people found nice to hear. It always made the mutant happy to improve peoples moods and give them something to look forward to, usually in Lost Angels however she was the last hope and so it meant she either made or failed someones day to a more often then not fatal degree. “having summoned you to visit I doubt hank would mind if we took a stroll outside, I mean what else would he expect us to do” Now that was more the spirit, Jennifer gave a nod as she agreed, her eyes watching as the former agent stood, an amused smile tugging at the corner of her lips as he made an obvious attempt of grasping hold of his towel.
“I’ll be right back, hopefully he’s around but I know Matt tends to like a wander every now and again” Whoever Matt was, Jennifer nodded still, happily waiting for the other Lost Angels residence to return from his wander to find fresh clothes. Standing up, the graceful slayer made her way towards the window, the warmth of the sun pouring in gently, the clean air and fresh smell of recent rain had made the walk here pleasant and Jenn looked forward to getting back out in it.
Upon Nick's return her doe eyes turned back to meet him, dressed in a crisp fresh pair of trousers and yet still his bare chest was visible, making it hard not to avoid staring at the toned torso. Being a Slayer wasn't always bad, the amount of times she got shacked up in a male orientated group, full of sweety well built bodies made suicidal runs against overly powerful demons worthwhile, at least she thought so when trying to think of positives to humour herself with.
“Ok, pretty much ready…” The last surviving member of the now demolished order said as he tugged on his shirt and finished preparing himself for their walk outside. The Slayer noted the boots, worn with wear and nearing the ends of their days as 'protective' footwear. It was hard not to find it amusing as Nick proceeded with an unusual display of odd noises, though she could tell he most likely didn't have any intention of it sounded shifty, that's what perhaps made it even more amusing.
“Are you sure about this though” Just like Jennifer feared going out and exposing herself to enemies while part of a group, the fear of her secret mutant form being discovered back in Lost Angels had kept her flyign solo a great deal of the time even when she thought she needed help. He too was hesitating with trusting himself with her, and while Jenn could understand it to a degree, she could also say she trusted herself with the fact that regardless of what was thrown at her now was hardly the time the slayer would start questioning her abilities. “we’ll have to keep to quiet places so as not to cause too much trouble upstairs” The gesture to his head didn't leave Jenn with discomfort or concern, she was worried but more because so many from Lost Angels lost their self esteem and if one could not believe in their own strengths than it was hard for them to survive and be happy. Well... as happy as one could be in the reality they were cursed with.
“and I have been told that I can be a bit of a handful if I lose it” Instead of facing the window and looking over her shoulder, Jenn turned her body around, a smile trying to assure Nick that her mind was made up and once Jenn's mind was on something it was rather difficult to change it's course.
"Everyone's a handful when they lose it." The reply was returned with a gentleness despite the attempt to be matter of fact. There was a chuckle as Jennifer added, "Especially the Slayer, and just because everyone thinks they know me doesn't mean I don't still have a few secrets up my sleeve." Her hand motioned towards the door as she moved towards both him and the rooms exit, "Speaking of secrets, I know everyone's used to calling me Rogue, but I was thinking, considering where we are and all... I would prefer if you called me Jennifer." A hand moved out towards Nick, she knew his name and there was no doubt that he knew hers, but they'd never been introduced and the slayer never felt comfortable with people who she wasn't properly introduced with.. As silly as it was, but that's just who she was.
Re: Remnants of a Shattered World: Remember me?
She turned towards him in a manner that suggested that she was not going to be dissuaded from taking him outside, he had been hoping of that "Everyone's a handful when they lose it." True enough, he had dealt with several handfuls in his time and doubtless that she had done also… but Nick did somewhat think that she could be underestimating the magnitude of his problem, he’d sent matt and himself flying across the medical lab on his first night.
"Especially the Slayer, and just because everyone thinks they know me doesn't mean I don't still have a few secrets up my sleeve." She motioned towards the door, and though he assumed it was merely a polite gesture it felt as if he were being invited into the outside world for the first time. The feeling was nice to know that in but a few short moments he would be out of the medical facility and wandering the grounds in the warm sunlight, unspoilt by the evil that had tainted their world for so long, and it was even better that he had someone there with whom to share the moment… someone who could appreciate the beauty of the world just as he did now.
Slowly as if in a daydream he began to move to the door, her voice cutting in "Speaking of secrets, I know everyone's used to calling me Rogue, but I was thinking, considering where we are and all... I would prefer if you called me Jennifer." A surprised look crossed his face for a moment as she offered out her hand in a friendly gesture. He would never have presumed to call her anything up until now, thinking that a formal address would have been the best approach to someone who in his world was considered a leader of sorts, to some even a saviour.
With a nod to her and the edges of his mouth no longer pointing towards his feet in a dejected manner his hand reached out to hers “ok Jennifer…" it felt so strange to be calling her by that, but then again it was what she wanted and he would not be complaining about her friendlyness "so long as you call me Nick, Agent Thompson is in the past now” his voice had lightened now with the prospect of having company for a while to break his otherwise tiresome routine of seeing only the Doctor and other patients. Pausing for a moment after finishing his introduction Nick thought of his dead partner, out of respect he would keep the name on his armour if it had not been destroyed along with the rest of his clothing though he felt sure that it was not beyond repair like his other garments.
The introductions over it was his turn to motion through the door, holding it open politely, there was one good thing about the Order… they knew how to teach proper etiquette at least. Outside his room the telepath stopped “you had probably better go first, then if we bump in to anyone you can do the explaining…” he paused for a second, that was not the only reason he wanted her to go first “plus I feel safer that way… not from you of course and its complicated.. I can explain as we go, but If its ok I’d rather do it outside” he stopped before adding with a chuckle “that way its too late for you to change your mind and lock me back here”
Re: Remnants of a Shattered World: Remember me?
Even for Jennifer it would take a while for her to get accustomed to being referred to as her birthname, sometimes it felt as if people didn't want to think she was human, all that mattered was that she had become the Slayer and for them that was all Jennifer would ever be.
“ok Jennifer…" Apparently the Slayer wasn't the only one having to get used to the name change, though there was no way she'd have Spike or Angel or any others start calling her that. It was odd, but Jenn would be rather selective of who could call her what. Finally the two had started their way out of Nick's room, one thing was for certain and that was Nick had a decent flare for manners and was curt enough to help Jenn feel like the 'lady' Nick had earlier referred to her as being.
“you had probably better go first, then if we bump in to anyone you can do the explaining…” Explaining of what? Of them going for a walk? Perhaps he meant if they ran into any nurse aids or Hank McCoy himself. “plus I feel safer that way… not from you of course and its complicated.. I can explain as we go, but If its ok I’d rather do it outside” If that's what he wanted then Jenn didn't really see why he felt the urge to explain it to her but if he thought it'd help than she was all ears. Though it seemed for now they were all smiles as the former agent broke into a light chuckle as he continued. “that way its too late for you to change your mind and lock me back here” Lavish lips curved once again into a pretty smile as she looked back at him, her feet carrying the Slayer forward as her eyes remained content with look back at the pleasantly odd man.
"Most men do prefer to walk a few feet behind the women if they can... it gives them a better view." Another tease but the flirty remark was a bold form of jest than she did with people she'd known for a slightly longer length of time. The girl growing up was always a tease in a playful and intentionally harmless way, some friends played off her and she them, which in the end made for some pretty humerous retorts with some hefty underlaying meanings. When people suffered, sometimes the only time they could ease their pain was by filling time with humour, and laughing was important, and as impossible as it seemed to most people, Jennifers close knit group managed to keep their spirits up at dire times despite the years of nightmares they had suffered.
"I'm taking him for walkies in the garden Sir, we'll be back sooner if he doesn't behave himself." The heels of Jennifer's boots tapped against the floor of the medical bay as she walked, her stride as concise as the decision to take Nick out was in her mind.
Re: Remnants of a Shattered World: Remember me?
He followed her not too far behind, glancing around outside of his room he had a nervous air about him as if they were doing something that was forbidden. Surely Hank would be furious if something went wrong outside and then she would be in trouble… he could burn down the school and it would be Jennifer’s fault. So she was putting a lot of trust in him to behave and Nick was not about to break her trust, once outside the building he would explain his problem fully and if it were to arise he would be telling her immediately so as not to cause any disturbance.
"Most men do prefer to walk a few feet behind the women if they can... it gives them a better view.""A better view of what" he asked though after thinking for a second and glancing over her as she walked the telepath soon realised what she meant and had to look away quickly, though now he understood Nick was forced to take the odd glance. It was a natural reaction to someone telling a child not to look at or touch something; they had to do it after the suggestion had been placed in their mind and that was exactly what was happening with Nick.
But then another problem arose, with him concentrating so hard on not looking at her that he began to think that it was becoming too obvious. And therefore if he didn’t look at her it might seem like he was wanting to… a dilemma that weighed upon him as they exited the medical facility and into the corridors.
Though for all his concentration Nick had finally managed to forget the noise in his mind, the constant drone backing off almost completely as he was focusing his mind on Jennifer. But he did not realise this at all, he was far too engrossed in the rhythmic tapping of her feet on the floor as they progressed towards the great outdoors, a form of excitement growing within him but also being joined by the bitter taint of fear.
Not fear of them… fear of himself, for all the time he had spent in the darkness fighting countless creatures that would make even the strongest of souls quiver with terror he was never really afraid of them or himself, there was no one to harm there if things went wrong. But here, here there were so many children… the student’s minds were not only confusing him but the confusion was causing him to see things that were not there, demons where there were students and that was what frightened the telepath so much. If he were to hurt one of them he would never forgive himself.
ooc: okies, perhaps if we move it along to outside on your next posty?? I would but as she’s walking first she’s gonna get out first… he’s going to be rather hesitant and perhaps if there are some people out there?
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