InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Mendoza!"

Logan (canucklehead) wrote in colligo_threads,
@ 2012-07-27 02:33:00

Entry tags:

james howlett, raven xavier

Who: Logan and OPEN
What: Wandering, maybe going out to find a drink, but namely just wandering.
Where: Near the Mansion, drifting where ever.
When: Late evening, July 26th
Rating: R, at the least.
Notes:

To say this place was strange? That was an understatement. From what he could tell, a lot of the other mutants he knew were here, but next to none of them came from his time -- least of all Xavier, Magneto, or Mystique. He could hardly believe the change he'd heard in both of them, just from the few communications they'd had on the network. The professor seemed a lot more collected than he remembered, and certainly didn't seem to be his usual self. Telling him there was no need to resort to violence? It was like he hadn't figured out that telling him that didn't really do much and the Xavier he knew, well, he'd have said something with a bit more force behind it.

The whole thing was just confusing, not that such was anything new for him. Most of his life he'd spent time with the wrong memories, if any at all, and whenever he did remember something? It never really ended well for him, or for many of the people involved. Even now, he knew his brain felt fuzzy. He figured that something to do with the whole Nitro nearly disintegrating him, never mind the subsequent being yanked into a new reality, was likely responsible for it. He even gave his head a brisk shake, trying to shake off the fog from his mind as he trekked down the sidewalk.

He had grown to really dislike having his memories so shaken, or being confused in general. It was much, too much, a common theme in his life. It also meant he could never really trust himself, or anyone else who seemed to remember him. It was likely why he was so hesitant to tell anyone he was going out walking. He hadn't even told Kitty, who at least had a notion of who he was and an understanding, never mind actually seemed happy to see him. He'd just decided to go out for a walk, see what was out there and -- with a bit of luck -- wouldn't run into any kind of trouble.

He knew better than to bank on it though. His luck, be it as James, as Logan, or even as Wolverine, had never been that good.

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canucklehead
2012-07-28 12:42 am UTC (link)

"And I'm just supposed to believe that?" He asked her pointedly. "Most people who just go walkin' down the street don't make a habit of tryin' to avoid my attention, unless they got a damn good reason for it." This may not have been entirely true, but, in his experience, it absolutely applied to her.

Then her words rattled on his ears and gave him pause to consider just what she'd said with a skeptical raise of his right brow. She certainly had a way to draw the point and rather sharply at that. Coming from him, that said quite a bit actually.

"Now why not simmer down? You keep carrying on like that you're going to pop a vein and turn all blue -- not that I think you'd mind." He added, in a teasing tone. Teasing? In a friendly way? Why yes, yes he did. He held his hands up passively toward her. "And you look like you're havin' a bad enough day as it is."

While it might not have been entirely like she knew him, these were extenuating circumstances. She clearly had no idea about him, though it was interesting to learn that he'd been here before, and she clearly wasn't the Mystique he knew. Part of him understood that, after all his life was populated with people who knew him so many ways it was almost dizzying.

He'd gone by so many names over the years, been so many different people. Who was he, really, to sit here and judge her for doing the same thing? Did he really believe her? Well, that was the real question, and it was one his eyes were rapidly studying her to try and find the answer to at that moment.

He wasn't so sure he did when it really came down to it, but what did that matter? This wasn't where either of them were from. His gut screamed at him for even having the debate, a stimuli he normally took pretty seriously, but he just shook it off with a bit of graveled laugh.

"He's a big fan of that lecture." He commented, before shifting his weight to adopting a more relaxed posture. If she was from a different time, which would have explained a lot of the confusion that hung between them, he wasn't so ignorant to the notion that maybe he could change her in some way. That would certainly save him some considerable headache in the long run, and it would surely be a good thing for a lot of the people he knew. Still, there was that nagging notion from Bishop about fucking with the past, the future and...

He snorted. He'd never cared for those kind of rules. He played by his own and, at least most of the time, they worked. Why change things now just because of some babbling Jamaican who always showed up claiming to be from the future and trying to make things right. The guy was a fucking hypocrite.

He turned on his heel and started walking away before looking back over his shoulder.

"You comin' or what?" He asked her. "I don't make a habit of offerin' drinks or bein' a gift horse -- an I sure as hell don't like standin' around in the snow."

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whoeveryouwant
2012-07-28 03:43 am UTC (link)

Raven blinked in mild surprise when Logan turned to ask her if she was going to tag along or not. That... was definitely not expected. In fact, she had been pretty sure he was probably going to stab her just to stop her from continuing to point out how she was not the Mystique that he knew. Not that she had any intentions of joining the side of 'humans are great and we should work with them' but, fortunately, that wasn't really a viable debate in Colligo. Which meant her future as a freedom fighter on the behalf of mutants was definitely on hold until she either went home or it somehow became necessary in the city.

And, as that had nothing to do with what was currently taking place, Raven quickly forced those thoughts from her mind and focused on the here and now. Namely, apparently going for drinks with Logan.

Brows knitting together in mild confusion, she gave a snort as she immediately moved to catch up with him. "Offering?" she echoed, her tone definitely teasing rather than hostile. "Is that what you call it?"

Not that she minded the offer. If she had, she wouldn't have started to catch up with him. And okay, so maybe going for drinks with a guy who could slice her in half with literally a flick of his wrist wasn't the smartest idea she'd ever had. But, once again, good ideas were far more Charles' territory than her own. Besides. It was her night off and, if there was ever one where she could use a drink, this was definitely it.

"So where are we going?" she asked almost immediately after making her comment, her internal thoughts not taking very long. What could she say? She wasn't a very introspective person. Just say it and be done with it. That tended to be how she handled things. And, so far, it hadn't led her too wrong.

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canucklehead
2012-07-28 11:30 am UTC (link)

"What else would you call it?" He asked flatly. "It ain't like it's somethin' I do." Which, even he knew, was entirely true. Logan was not the kind of man who invited anyone out for a drink, or very few people anyway, and certainly did not make a habit of it with people he'd openly battled with on more than one occasion. The very idea of going out for drinks with someone like that struck him as cause to phone ahead, just because it might have been nice for the owners of the bar to know they probably wouldn't have a business come sunrise.

Still, she had stressed she wasn't that Mystique, and there was something about the statement that gave him at least a pause to consider it. Was his guard up? Absolutely, but when wasn't it? Short of Kitty, or maybe Rogers, being the one out walking the streets with him, his walls would have been miles high. That was just the way he was, the way he'd always been, and the way he likely always would be too.

"Out for a drink. Don't you know how to listen?" He spoke, not looking over at her. "If you don't, this will probably be a real short little chit-chat." Was he teasing her? Was he being serious? It honestly would have been hard for anyone to tell. If she looked though, if she took that time to actually examine his expression, there was the faintest hint of a smile tucked under his unpolished features.

He slipped one finger up to tap the side of his nose. "I'm just followin' where ever this thing tells me I'm goin' It don't make a habit of doin' me wrong." Which, also, was incredibly accurate. It was his nose, after all, they had to thank for being in this situation at all. Logan still figured he should probably hold off on those thanks. It wasn't like people spending time with him had a high probability of actually having fun. Well, other than him anyway.

"So if you ain't runnin' around, bullyin' humans 'cause you got picked on, what is it you are doin' here?"

Just like her, if he had a thought, he often just came right out and said it. If people didn't like it? Well...

Fuck 'em. It wasn't like he cared -- at least not most of the time.

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whoeveryouwant
2012-07-29 01:42 am UTC (link)

Raven glanced over at him when he asked if she knew how to listen, snorting softly. The truth was, no, she really didn't know how to listen very well. Or, at least, she often chose not to listen. It made life more interesting that way. Especially when it came to interacting with Charles. However she didn't say that to the man beside her. She really didn't see the point and was pretty sure he wouldn't care, besides. Plus, unless she was seriously mistaken and he was one of the biggest idiots around, she was fairly certain he was teasing her. Which was odd but she couldn't say she necessarily minded.

Once he had answered, without really offering much of an answer at all besides announcing that apparently his nose was going to be picking where they wound up, Raven turned her attention back to the path in front of them. This was definitely going to be an interesting outing, that was for sure. She just hoped it wasn't going to be one she'd wind up regretting.

"I work security at a nightclub called the Serpent's Den, mostly. And bug my brother and Erik. And hang out with Hank. And pretty much do everything in my power to not get roped into dealing with the school in any way, shape, or form. Oh! And Steph and I spend time training Abu," she responded in answer to his question, purposefully offering a veritable laundry list of things that kept her occupied in the city, mostly because she could.

Glancing over at him once more, Raven's eyebrows knit together. "And bully humans because I was picked on?" she echoed. "That... you really think that's why the me that you know does what she does?" The scary thing was, he could be right. Raven had read up on the her from the comics, but she couldn't say she fully understood the woman's motivations. She knew why she had decided to join Erik rather than stay with Charles, but as she had pointed out several times to many people, she was not the same woman as the her from the comics.

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canucklehead
2012-07-29 04:34 am UTC (link)

"No." He answered, his tones rather sharp, but more in the way they always were, rather than anything directed at her. "Way I see it, you and her? Same person. I know you say it ain't so, and the fact that we ain't tradin' punches right now gives me reason to believe you. Fact is, people don't change that much. Never have. Never will. You're her, and she's you, somewhere in there." One could have said it was remarkably philosophical for the man, but well, he'd been around awhile.

"You're young, an I wager that on account of you calling him Erik, and still call the Professor your Brother, which means you ain't her.." His voice trailed off. "Yet, and yet is good enough for me. That don't mean that you ain't gonna be her someday, that you aren't gonna sign on board with all that all over again." He looked at her seriously. "But that ain't no reason to judge you now."

If he were to be entirely truthful, he knew some people did change. What never did, however, was the heart of a person, what they believed, and what they'd die for if they had to. Mystique, at least the one that he knew, was cunning, smart, and willing to die to see that Mutants, her kind, homo-superior (which he'd always thought was garbage), should never have to live anywhere but above common humans. They'd never agreed on that but, with everything he'd seen leading up to the war? Well, he wasn't so convinced anymore. That didn't change the fact that he saw a genuine chance to do good.

"It ain't easy growin' up with blue skin and a bitchy attitude, I bet.." He spoke calmly, almost in the way one would when they were telling a story. "People likely didn't take too kindly to you -- ever. I stay say you're one of the lucky ones." While he didn't know much about her history, he'd never heard tale or tell about her being the source of some experiment, though she'd been used no doubt, just by the lot she tended to throw herself in with. "You get to hide, make due -- not that you should have to." He added that last part genuinely.

"But that don't make it any easier, even if it makes you lucky. Always havin' to be someone else, always movin' on, goin' from place to place, scrapin' by with whatever scraps of generosity you can beg, borrow, an steal outta' peoples pockets." This was honestly more of a first persons tale for him, but he imagined it was much the same for most of her generation of mutants. "That can do things to people, and not many of 'em good. Toughens ya' up, sure, but it makes you see the world through angry eyes..."

His voice trailed off again. "An if you know anything about me at all, you'll know I know all about that whole anger thing." Maybe he'd worked at the school too long, or maybe Xavier had rubbed off in him a bit, or maybe it's because he saw his world on the brink of collapse because too many mutants liked to fight each other. The Truth? If he could do anything to make that place just a little better, he'd try.

All those years in Japan had taught him that, and it seemed to be the one memory that remained constant now, no matter what happened to his head.

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whoeveryouwant
2012-07-29 05:24 am UTC (link)

It wasn't often that Raven was silent. She almost always had a comment for anything that was said, and tended to have a bad habit of interrupting people to make her opinion known while they were still busy giving their own. However, every so often, she was capable of keeping her mouth shut and actually listening to someone else. That's how it was this time.

She didn't know why she didn't feel the typical urge to interrupt. It wasn't because she agreed with him. Sure, he had valid points, but he also seemed to be way off base when it came to his idea of why she had the views she did. Yet she still stayed quiet until he'd finished speaking, and even for a few seconds after he'd stopped while she really thought about what she was going to say in return.

"Okay," she finally began, her tone curiously light given the topic of conversation. "I don't know where you're getting your information but... no. Until a few months before I showed up here, no one but Charles even knew I was a mutant. I didn't travel from place to place. I met him when I was a kid and I grew up in Westchester County, as Raven Xavier, with my super smart older brother, an ass for a step-father, a jerk for a step-brother, and an alcoholic mother. The toughening up wasn't from being treated like crap by humans in general. It came from the things Charles and I went through while we were growing up."

Pausing to draw a breath, as well as wipe the snow flakes from her cheeks before they could freeze on her skin, she continued in that same curiously light tone as before. "For a long time, I believed Charles when he said that humans would someday accept us. I mean, sure, I still considered it to be him and me against the world, but he made it seem like, one day, that really would change." She snorted softly and cut a sideways look at Logan.

"Until a bunch of us helped save the world and, instead of thanking us, the government tried to wipe us all out in one go." With a shake of her head at the memory, Raven pushed it out of the forefront of her mind and continued. "Then I came here. And, low and behold, looks like my brother was right. People really can get along, for the most part. Even Erik had to admit that's the case in this city." She gave a slight shrug. "But I'm not holding out any hope that's going to happen back home anytime soon. So maybe I will someday become her. If I go back home, and I don't remember any of this, there's no maybe to it. I will keep fighting alongside Erik, and eventually Charles will die, and the humans will come up with a way to strip our mutations from us, and I'll wind up alone, human, and bitter to the point that I won't even recognize myself anymore. Thing is, though?"

She once again glanced over at him, her tone hardened with determination. "I plan on never leaving this place. And, if I do, I'm sure planning on remembering it. Because it's not that I'm not her. It's that I don't want to be her. I've seen what my future holds and it isn't pretty."

Her eyes shone as she added with conviction, "I'm mutant and proud of it. But not at the cost of who I am." Pausing for another second, she added almost as an afterthought, her tone more teasing than anything, "And I'm not bitchy, thank you. I'm petulant, and adorably so. So there."

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canucklehead
2012-07-29 06:58 am UTC (link)

"Huh." He replied, and it seemed for a moment like he would say no more for a moment. There was a long pause while he genuinely debated over her words, and seemed to come to some conclusion. "I think I liked you more when I thought you'd just become a bitch because you'd been mistreated." He replied, rather frankly, before stuffing his hands in his pockets.

Truth be told, he didn't have much knowledge about her, even where he was from. He knew she was, somehow or another, related to Juggernaut and The Professor, and somehow or another tied to Rogue, but she was such a shifty person, no pun intended, that it was often hard to sort out the facts on her. The only thing he knew, for absolute certain, was that when they saw one another, violence tended to follow. He was rather enjoying this change of pace.

"You think you're the only one who's ever had it stuck to 'em by a bunch of suits and brass bars?" He half growled at her, even taking the time to hold up one hand and extend the adamantium claws toward the sky. "You think these claws were always made of adamantium? You think my memory has always been like a piece of Swiss cheese? You think I like knowin' that every day someone might come up to me, tellin' me all the terrible things I've done and don't remember because some stuff, white collar, human decided it would be a good idea to go stickin' needles in my head?"

His response was aggressive, to say the least, but if that was the best reason she had for being the way she was, well, he though it was absolute crap. "That ain't the way the world works. People are always gonna be afraid, of you, of themselves, of dyin'. It's the one thing we all got in common, and you think, just because you go runnin' around tryin' to teach 'em a lesson, it's gonna get better?" His words grew sharper by the moment, but it was just that kind of thinking that was driving his world to ruin and ashes. It was what was turning friends against one another, and setting a stage that made sure literally everyone lost.

"And what are you talkin' about? Humans findin' a way to strip your mutations? That ain't gonna happen. No way. You've got more to worry about in terms of mutants fightin' mutants -- which is half the damn reason humans are afraid of us in the first place -- than you ever do about some cockeye'd lab rat brewin' up a way to take our powers away." If there was such a thing, he'd have heard about it for sure, and he'd have torn the world apart to see that someone put a stop to it. That wouldn't have been right.

"Even so, it don't matter. You're tellin' me you've seen a better way. That's what counts. If we ever get outta here, if we ever get to go home, you remember that, and remember this chat. Remember the time I took you out for a beer -- 'cause there ain't gonna be too many good memories if we don't seriously start tryin' to do things better."

He looked at her, rather seriously.

"An everyone deserves a good memory, at least one."

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whoeveryouwant
2012-07-29 07:23 am UTC (link)

Raven didn't flinch when he seemed to grow angrier at her words. She didn't even bat an eye. She knew, in a way, he was right. Her reasons for joining Erik were a bit more convoluted than she'd stated, but they still weren't very sound. However, her point was that she didn't necessarily feel that way now and Logan seemed to get that much. That was all that really mattered.

Although she did shoot him a somewhat dark look when he all but called her a liar about the supposed 'cure' that her older self had been injected with. Back straightening a bit and her chin rising a few notches, she bit out a terse, "They called it a cure and it exists, in my future. They went after Erik, intending to use it on him. I got in the way."

Her nostrils flared a bit at the memory, eyes shifting to their normal, yellow hue for the briefest of instants as she struggled to focus on keeping her human guise in lieu of the anger of what her future held. As her eyes shifted back and she once again regained control, she added, "Believe me about it or don't, I really don't give a crap. But it's the truth. Not that it matters, of course, since I already said I'm not leaving here if I can help it, but it is the truth."

She fell silent then for a long couple of moments after that, simply listening to the sound of the snow crunching as they walked. Drawing in a breath, finally, she glanced over at Logan and asked in a much lighter tone, "So. Has that nose of yours picked a place yet? At this rate, I'm liable to be blue from frostbite by the time we get there. And while blue is definitely a good look on me, I'm pretty attached to my fingers and toes."

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canucklehead
2012-07-31 10:44 am UTC (link)

"I never called you a liar." He retorted flatly. "You say we're from different times, so maybe what you're sayin's already happened, but I'm sayin' it didn't happen to me." He was remarkably able to deal with the concept of different times, but this wasn't exactly his first day at the office. Time traveled happened, not everything was the same as you remembered it when you left. It wasn't that hard to consider, but he was used to seeing a lot of things change.

"An I'm sayin' that, if it did, it's hardly gonna be the biggest thing you have to worry about." He turned to look at her as they walked. She might have been trying to drop the subject and let it go, but that just wasn't his style. "I seen mutants and humans go to war, an I get. Humans get scared. Humans just wanna know they're safe, that they can go to sleep in their tiny boxes and make the world all sunshin' and fuckin' rainbows. That don't make what they do right.." Logan would never, ever, agree with it.

"..but that ain't the worst thing we have to worry about. One day, someone's gonna come along with an idea. They're gonna put some mutants on some reality show about stoppin' people from hurtin' humans. Great idea. Buncha kids. Way outta their league." Logan's tone was a soft growl, not at her, but at just how stupid the whole thing sounded. "It all goes wrong, and then you know what happens..?" His voice trailed off, but the question was clearly rhetorical.

"..Humans get scared, as they do. They go demandin' registrations, that we all gotta give up our identity, and, top put the icin' on the cake? Some of us start agreein' with it." He turned to look at her. "I'm tellin' you. I been through more wars for more stupid reasons than you can imagine, so, when I tell you I can smell one comin', it's a good idea to take it pretty seriously." He turned to look at her, his eyes sharp, but genuine. "And ain't none of us gonna come out of that 'on top'. So maybe humans are the problem where you're from, I get that, but if we keep bickerin' and carryin' on like we're better than them, like they owe us somethin', they're gonna keep findin' reasons to lock us up, and they we all lose."

It was then his turn to let a silence fall, before he glanced down a side street and gave a sniff. "This way." He said, changing topics rather all at once. "If there's one smell I know, it's the smell of good drink."

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