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Rogue Darkholme (a_pale_rogue) wrote in mirage_rpg,
@ 2008-09-15 15:52:00

Entry tags:

complete, day 15, rogue darkholme, temperance brennan

Day 15
Who: Rogue Darkholme and Temperance Brennan
When: Day 15, 10am
Where: The garden
Why: Accidental run-in.
Rating: G I’d imagine
Status: In Progress

Rogue had been keeping a low profile since the party, keeping to her room for the most part and occasionally venturing out to grab something to eat. Nothing bad had happened at the party but being so close to a crowd of strangers had put the teenager into a blue mood. It reminded her of just how difference she was and just how separated Rogue was from her team. Yes, Bobby was here but he wasn’t even the Bobby from her world and Rogue hadn’t seen him in a long while. So, because of all this, Rogue had pretty much kept to herself.

Yet when the planet changed overnight from a tropical island to hilly vineyard even Rogue couldn’t ignore that. She ventured out that morning, dressed casually in pair of black jeans, a black tank top, a see-through long sleeve green shirt and her ever-present gloves. The air had that fresh scent that came after the rain and Rogue could see that the grass and soil was still wet. Since she wasn’t hungry yet, Rogue idly walked around the resort and studied the new exterior with interest. I can’t believe this place can really change, she thought, laying a gloved hand on the wall. She had heard the rumors but there was nothing like seeing it for yourself. Too bad I wasn’t awake when this happened.

The white and auburn haired teenager soon made her way to the garden and realized that not everything had changed, well, not completely anyway. There were parts of the garden that looked pretty much the same and other parts that fitted more with the new landscape. As Rogue contemplated the metamorphosis ability of Mirage, she noted that it seemed to only change on the surface since the resort itself technically stayed the same on the inside. She didn’t have too long to contemplate this when she heard a noise over her shoulder. Rogue spun around then to find that she wasn’t alone in the garden when she spotted another woman.

“Oh”, Rogue said with surprise. “Umm, hi. I didn’t know anyone else was out here this morning”.

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braver
2008-09-15 01:39 pm UTC (link)

It had been a while since she'd seen Booth, but knocking on his door hadn't produced him. She figured he was out interrogating people and trying to figure out how to get them both out of here. She knew she was a pain in the ass sometimes. And she knew he probably got a lot more done when she wasn't around to say something that would offend someone.

Walking away from his door, she'd gone down to get some coffee and a bran muffin for breakfast. Since she'd been indoors the whole time, it was a great shock to walk outside and see that the Planet had decided to change it's appearance once again. Instead of the wonderful beach resort she'd enjoyed yesterday, there were rows upon rows of grape vines, rolling green hills of grass, some foresty trees in the distance and some tallish mountains further away. There was still some body of water a distance away that she could see, but it was no longer the white sands beach.

She took a sip of her coffee and wondered when this nightmare was going to end. Sighing, she decided it was probably for the better if she explored and got to know her new surroundings. But her stomach didn't seem to be agreeing with her. A wave of nausea hit her before she knew it and it was all she could do to keep from retching her coffee all over her shoes. She closed her eyes and steadied herself against the building a minute before it was gone and she felt almost as good as new.

Shaking her head, she ventured away from the building toward the garden. It reminded her of the gardens outside the Jeffersonian and it brought a swift pang of longing to her chest. She hated this place. It made her sick, literally. Setting her coffee and muffin on a stone bench, she moved down the rows of flowers and bushes and crouched down to look at one more closely.

She stood up, and as if by magic, another woman...no...girl, stood nearby. Brennan held out her hands when the girl spun around to stare at her in shock. "Sorry! I didn't mean to startle you. I was just admiring the flowers." She walked back to the bench where her muffin and coffee were waiting and picked them up before sitting down on the bench. She crossed her legs and tucked the coffee cup between them before peeling the wrapping away from the muffin.

She didn't often associate with youth, but she did have a tender spot in her heart for them. Especially if they were orphans or had been abandoned by their parents, like she had been. "I'm Dr. Temperance Brennan. I don't think I've seen you before." She didn't offer to shake hands, but she did notice the gloves on the girl's hands that snaked up her arms. It seemed like the wrong climate for such an article of clothing. "Bit warm for gloves, isn't it?"

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a_pale_rogue
2008-09-16 07:26 am UTC (link)

“That’s okay”, Rogue replied as her eyes settled on Temperance, relaxing slightly. The brunette woman certainly didn’t look like a threat and really, how bad could she be if she enjoyed smelling the flowers? The teenager’s eyes fell on the flowers, noticing the beautiful, delicate petals. “Can’t say I blame you. It’s a pretty place, isn’t it?” she added, making polite conversation. The stranger was already moving to a bench nearby and after she took a seat Rogue took a few steps closer to the bench till she was about ten feet away. Rogue was surprised to realize she wanted to talk to this woman and silently wondered if her self-imposed isolation was getting to her. Maybe this outcast needed more contact then she was willing to admit to herself.

“Nice to meet you Dr. Brennan”, she said, surprisingly polite in her southern accent. Just because Rogue tended to be a loner didn’t mean she didn’t have manners. Her foster mother Irene Alder had taught Rogue better than that. “I’m Rogue”, she added, sharing the only name she knew. Darkholme was simply a last name she had adopted after Mystique took her in. The teenager shifted on her feet with a slight nervous air as she talked, one gloved hand clasping the wrist of her other hand. “No, you probably haven’t seen me around. I’ve been keeping inside most of the time….because of the weather, you know”, she quickly tacked on. “Some hurricane, huh?” Rogue added with a weak laugh.

When Temperance mentioned the gloves, Rogue looked down at her hands and bit her lip as she thought of how to explain the gloves. If she was back in her own world Rogue might have just given the allergy excuse but her time in Mirage had quickly taught the teenager that the other residents had experience with strange or stranger things than mutants. Instead she assured Temperance, “Yes but it’s safer if I keep them on”. Wanting to get off the subject of her gloves, Rogue thought to distract the doctor with her own questions but it remained to be seen if Temperance would be fooled.

“You’re a doctor? What kind of doctor? Pediatrician, psychiatrist, neurologist or am I completely off track?”

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braver
2008-09-16 11:14 am UTC (link)

Tempe had donned a pair of slim jeans and a ruffly blouse devoid of sleeves today. Something comfortable without appearing too laxadazical. Her feet were clad in a pair of strappy sandals, and her hair (as per her usual) was worn loose and slightly curled around her shoulders. Blue grey eyes observed the girl who kept herself at a distance. Breaking off a piece of the muffin she held the rest of it out to her. "Would you like some?"

At the teen's comment, Temperance nodded. "Yes. It reminds me of the gardens at the Jeffersonian Institute where I work." Worked. Brennan just couldn't bring herself to say it as if she no longer worked there. Although, if she'd really been gone from there for as long as she'd been in Mirage, she probably didn't work there anymore. Her team probably thought she and Booth had run away together. What other explanation was there for the two of them to disappear within five days of each other?

Brennan patted the empty place on the bench next to her. She liked that the girl called her Dr. Brennan instead of Temperance or .. Bones. "It's nice to meet you, too, Rogue. Have a seat." Brennan knew a damaged kid when she saw one. She'd been one herself. She had a feeling that Rogue, especially if she called herself such a name, had probably experienced a troubling home life.

"You and me both. This place kind of creeps me out, to be honest." Not that Brennan really ever revealed her fears for fear of being mocked. Especially to Booth who seemed to make every single one of her weaknesses out to be something tragic. "It was a wild one. I guess we're lucky it didn't last any longer than it did."

Her eyes drifted to the gloves, following Rogue's own gaze. She looked puzzled at the teenager's answer that it was safer to keep them on, but she didn't press. It wasn't any of her business. Perhaps she had scars that she didn't want people to see. Perhaps it was herself she was keeping safe. She knew that the next line was an attempt at a subtle subject change, and she wasn't fooled, but she went along with it anyway.

"Forensic Anthropoligist." Pride laced the statement. She knew she was smart, but sometimes too intelligent for her own good. Didn't see the forest for the trees, or whatever. She often skipped over more important things because she tried to point out the scientific aspect, rather than focusing on the personal aspect. She wasn't a good people person. Except when it came to kids. And for a woman who didn't want any, she was surprisingly maternal.

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a_pale_rogue
2008-09-16 12:00 pm UTC (link)

Rogue took a seat on the bench next to Temperance, being careful to make sure there was enough space between her and the older woman. Even though most of Rogue’s flesh was covered, she knew she still had to be careful. A simple slip up or a simple tear in the fabrics that protected her could put the good doctor at risk, something Rogue had firsthand experience in. “Thanks”, she said softly. It was good to hear she wasn’t the only one who found this place creepy and was on edge. So far Rogue had been here for seven days and had yet to learn why she had been brought. Probably because you never venture outside the damn room, she silently reprimanded herself.

The teenager nodded when Temperance said she was a Forensic Anthropologist but given Rogue severe lack of knowledge of science (it just wasn’t her favorite subject) she wasn’t sure what that meant. “Uh huh. That’s cool”, Rogue said but her tone showed that the teen didn’t know what she was talking about. With a slight, rueful sigh Rogue swallowed her pride an asked.

“So what does a forensic anthropologist do exactly? Is it something to do with the police?” Beast would probably be rolling his eyes right now if he could hear Rogue but the teen just hoped her question didn’t annoy the doctor.

“Have you been here long Doctor Brennan?” Rogue asked. “I’ve been here seven days with still no clue as to what’s goin’ on or why we were brought here”. Of that was the general question everyone seemed to be asking but no one had the answer. Rogue suspected the same might be true for the good doctor but there was no harm in asking right? “Still, I guess it could be worse”, she added shyly, looking down past her black boots to the lush green grass underneath her feet before looking up and out into the distance.

“I could think of worse places to be trapped”. Just that sentence brought up memories of Tibet and being in the tomb of Apocalypse and caused Rogue to shiver despite her layers of clothes.

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braver
2008-09-17 11:05 am UTC (link)

Temperance opened her mouth to give a very technical scientific explanation of what she did before she realized that she was talking to a young woman, not a colleague. She closed her mouth into a small thin smile before hitching it into a half smile and trying to think in her head about how to explain it.

"Basically, forensic means the application of a science to a court of law. And an anthropologist is someone who studies the human evolution and genetics. Yes, I work with the police. Well, mostly the FBI. I identify the remains of victims who have been more or less skeletonized." She often had to translate their "squinty" speak for Booth, but she didn't often do that great of a job. She hoped that what she said was basic enough for the girl to understand, though.

She popped another piece of her bran muffin in her mouth, chewed before she answered Rogue's next question. "I haven't really been keeping track of the time I've been here, although I probably should." She paused again, thinking back to how many days it had truly been. She sighed softly. "Ten days, I think." Her lips tightened into a thin line. Ten days and no one had found them yet.

Could she really be dreaming? Did dreams cover ten days at a time? Wouldn't she have to wake up soon? None of it made sense and that, above anything else, bothered her the most. "I don't know why we were brought here, either. I think my partner, Booth, must be out looking for answers. I haven't seen him for a few days."

Tempe raised a brow when Rogue said it could be worse. She wasn't so sure about that. She'd been up to her armpits in decomposed bodies in Peru, and she would far prefer that over this. She wondered what experiences Rogue had had that would prompt her to say something like that. And to shiver in the warmth of the sun.

"I couldn't." Well, no. That wasn't true, either. She'd been buried alive once, and that was one of her biggest fears. She would rather stay trapped in this expansive resort than be buried alive again. "Actually, I could. Nix that." She put the muffin down between them and took a sip of her coffee.

"So where did you come from, Rogue?"

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a_pale_rogue
2008-09-18 07:44 am UTC (link)

"Originally Mississippi", Rogue replied, which no doubt explained her accent. "But the past few years I've been living at the institute in Massachusetts", she added before realizing how that sounded and Rogue quickly corrected herself. "Not an institute like a mental institute", she explained, "But a school for...uh, special kids". Dangerous kids, the teen silently added.

"It's run by Professor Charles Xavier. He's done a lot of research in genetics", Rogue told Dr. Brennan and wondered if she had heard of Xavier. It was possible but Rogue wasn't about to hold her breath over it. Her encounter with Bobby had taught her that people were being brought her from different worlds and realities. "So someone you know is here too?" Dr. Brennan had mentioned a partner. "I ran into someone I know too....well, kinda know. He's not exactly like I remember him from the institute. I don't know if you met him yet or not but he's name is Bobby Drake".

Rogue eyes Temperance a little hopefully, maybe she would know what had happened to Bobby since Rogue was having trouble finding him lately. Even when she knocked on his door, he hadn't answered. "It's been a few days since I've seen him though", the teen said out loud, a worried frown crossing her forehead a she thought about. "I knocked on his door a few times at different hours but still no Bobby". Rogue's worried feeling started to increase then as did her guilt. Instead of being holed up in her room the past few days perhaps she should have been out looking for him.

"I hope he's okay. I mean, he's gotta be, right? This planet's got rules about killing and hurting each other and all that". Rogue didn't know why she was saying all this to the good doctor but it felt more reassuring to say it out loud then to simply repeat it in her head. Besides, who knows? Maybe the Doctor could help shed some light on the situation or offer advice or better yet, maybe she had seen the missing teenage boy.

Not that Rogue was holding her breath. This place was pretty big and it seemed like there was a number of people here. What were the chances Dr. Brennan would have seen Bobby?

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braver
2008-09-19 11:20 am UTC (link)

Brennan had to grin when the girl explained what she meant by institute. Because she worked at the Jeffersonian Institute, she didn't always associate the word institute with a mental hospital. "Don't worry, I wasn't thinking you came from a mental institution. I work at an institute myself, and I always associate the word with museums and labs first." She imagined the institute was something like a school, with the age that Rogue appeared to be. And then Rogue confirmed it, so she nodded.

"I've never heard of Professor Xavier, though that isn't saying much. I'm not very good at looking outside my own lab. I may have read some of this work if it has been published, though. I just don't recall at the moment." And then she nodded to her question before elaborating. "Yeah, Special Agent Seeley Booth of the FBI. He's my partner. We work on cases together. He showed up about five days after I did."

Shaking her head she spoke again. "I don't recall anyone by that name, but I haven't met very many people here to begin with. I'm sure he's fine. Maybe he found a way to get home. Apparently this Planet doesn't allow killings so not only do I not have a job, but I imagine your friend isn't dead." She tried to give her a reassuring smile, but she wasn't very good at it, and it came off more as a grimace.

"So, what is it you learn at the institute?"

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a_pale_rogue
2008-09-23 05:26 am UTC (link)

"I hope not", Rogue said softly but maybe the doctor here was right. Maybe the planet could return people as easily as it took them and that thought gave Rogue a little hope. Maybe she wasn't as stuck here as she thought. Still, there was no point in hoping for something that may never even happen so the teen pushed those thoughts aside. When Temperance asked her what she learned at the institute, Rogue had to grin to herself. Now how was she going to explain that?

"Well, you see me and the other students, we're kinda.....we're kinda talented. Special gifts the professor would say although I gotta admit some of those 'gifts' are more like curses". Rogue's talent would be a prime example of that and so would Scott's the teen silently thought. That was part of the reason she had developed such a huge crush on the other mutant in the first place. He knew what it was like to be dangerous to those around him.

"Anyway, Xavier and the other teachers instruct us in how to better use our talents and how to help people with them. We go to regular school too though, at the nearby highschool since Wol-- I mean, Logan and Ororo don't exactly teach us art and math", she added with a chuckle. "I imagine you must have had a lot of schooling in order to become a doctor and all. Don't know if I could do that", Rogue said with a wry smile. "I can barely stand making it through highschool, let alone college".

It was odd for Rogue to be such a chatterbox but she was surprised to find that it was nice just to talk to someone. Besides there was something about the doctor the that made it easier for Rogue to talk. Maybe it was because Temperance seemed kinda odd herself;. Not entirely weird or anything but not like other people either.

The teen cast another look at their surroundings, taking in the vast valley. "So what do you think of the new look this place has?"

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braver
2008-09-23 10:27 am UTC (link)

Bones listened as Rogue vaguely described what went on at the institute. She was about to open her mouth and ask if these special talents were things like hula hooping or firebreathing. Maybe this institute was for those kids who went on reality shows and tried to win money with their talents.

But, at the last minute, she bit her tongue and waited for Rogue to continue. She nodded again when she said that they went to high school as well at a nearby public school. "Yes, it does require a bit more than high school studies to be a doctor." Brennan gave her a half smile. "I graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor's degree in anthropology, a Master's degree in anthropology and a PhD in physical anthropology. A total of eight years of school, not counting the physical aspect of helping other forensic anthropologists and going on digs and things like that."

Temperance shrugged lightly and wrapped the remainder of her uneaten muffin in the wrapper and set it aside. She took another sip of her coffee before she spoke again. "School isn't for everyone. But there is the opportunity to lead a meaningful life even without a higher education. You just have to find your niche and make it work for you."

Brennan wasn't much of a chatter box, either. She was, for the most part, the observant partner. Mostly because she often offended someone when she spoke because she didn't think, or even care about, if it would hurt someone's feelings. She spoke what she felt was the truth without regard to the other person's opinion. She'd been given dirty looks almost on a daily basis since the beginning of her partnership with Booth. But, on occasion, she could carry on a decent conversation.

She glanced around at the prompt from the young woman and frowned slightly. "I like the look. Aesthetically speaking it's beautiful. Logically speaking it's impossible. I can't help feeling like this is all some nightmare I'll never wake up from. None of it makes sense." She shook her head slightly, closing her eyes for a moment before giving Rogue yet another half smile. "Do you like it? It reminds me of Italy. Have you ever been there?"

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a_pale_rogue
2008-09-24 05:14 am UTC (link)

“Well, you’d be amazed at what’s actually possible”, Rogue said with a shrug. “I’ve seen some things I never thought were possible this year”. She nodded in agreement with the nightmare comment. While everything looked nice and neat on the surface there was something sinister about this place, like the fact they couldn’t leave. “I do”, Rogue answered. “I like it a lot more than I like the beach but that’s probably because I found it too warm. I sorta need to keep covered up most of the time and a beach resort is a hard place for that”. The temperature wasn’t cold by any means but the heat didn’t bear down on the teen like it had during the sunny days at the beach. As for Italy...

Strange, hearing the country's name did stir up memories within the young girl's mind but she had never been there so how-- They're not my memories, Rogue realized with a slight bitter taste rising in her mouth. They were Magneto's memories. He had traveled the globe and visited a number of countries. Thanks to her power and the multiple times Rogue had touched the older mutant, she could recall such details. For a moment a glare flickered on her face as she stared out at the garden but it disappeared as quickly as it came. "No", she said finally. "I've never been there". If she pushed Magneto out of her head long enough though Rogue could admit she wouldn't mind visiting such locations. The teen secretly desired to travel the world but as she stared out at her surroundings she knew that traveling was out the question. "The way things are going, looks like I'll never get to see Italy either", she added outloud, unable to hide the bitter note in her voice.

Not wanting this to turn into a 'poor me' conversation, Rogue shook her head and asked Temperance the same question. "What about you Dr. Brennan, have you ever been to Italy? Or down South maybe, around where I'm from?" The bitterness was gone from her voice now and was replaced with forced light-heartedness as Rogue tried to disguise her disappointment. For a few moments Rogue managed to forget that she was trapped here but that illusion never lasted long before reality brought her down.

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braver
2008-09-24 12:15 pm UTC (link)

Temperance watched the girl. Training in kinesiology allowed her to judge pain, pleasure, genetic abnormalities, weakness in the bones, as well as a multitude of other things, just from observing the way someone moved. She was not as apt as Booth at judging emotion, or life experience from a person's face or the way they reacted to things, but she could read plainly on Rogue's face a sort of pain or... aversion to something she was thinking about.

Again, she didn't pry. She knew it wasn't her place, although she was intensely curious. "You never know, we could all be rescued somehow." She just didn't know how or when, if it was even possible. She gave another, not so reassuring, half smile before answering her questions. "Yes, I've been to Rome. A few excavations and digs produced some skeletons that needed to be dated and cataloged. It's a beautiful country. I highly recommend it if we ever get out of here."

She turned back to the girl, watching her and nodded to the second question. "Yes, Louisiana, shortly after Hurricane Katrina. They needed me to help identify bodies, victims of the hurricane." She failed to mention that she'd also been cursed by a man who practiced voodoo and had nearly been blamed for the death of a man who was helping in the morgue. She'd been implicated, and it didn't help her case that she had hunting licenses in four states and was trained in three types of martial arts. It had all worked out in the end, however. Thanks to Booth.

She wondered again where he was and hoped he hadn't gone the way of Rogue's friend Bobby. She gestured toward the flowers that were growing around them. "Which is your favorite?"

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