InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Hagane no chibi-san!"

Connor (leconnortemple) wrote in vas_captio_rpg,
@ 2010-07-06 14:17:00

Entry tags:

connor temple, illyana rasputin

Who: Ilyana Rasputin and Connor Temple
What: Going to go play at a carnival, of course
When: Mid-morning, day 2
Where: Starting at the shops, then heading around town
Rating: PG to PG-13, I'd guess, mostly for language
Status: Incomplete

Connor was, admittedly, a bit nervous about the morning's adventure. Things had changed around town. There were places with electricity, for one. That hadn't happened before. And he'd found himself locked into the library the night before, which had never happened before. Not that he'd been in any hurry to leave, but it was just plain weird. The library itself had even changed, hardly the piece of junk it had been before. Not exactly sparkly and new, but it really didn't look like it was about to go crashing down, either. And there were houses, which was where Ilyana was staying. Actual houses? Now he knew he'd remember if those had been around before.

Then there were the people. Some people seemed to remember most things, like he did. Others only had vague recollections of having been there before. And then there were the others, the ones like Ilyana, who didn't remember a thing. So she wasn't going to remember running around playing with them when she'd been brought there as a six year-old. She didn't remember Andy, she didn't remember Rose and Lexie and Sarah Jane, and she didn't remember Dora. The girl he was meeting? It was definitely not his little friend playing April anymore. It was another woman entirely. Mostly.

He had his hands in the pockets of his pajama pants as he made his way over to the shops. He had to wonder if it was still as easy to just grab what you needed, like a bunch of pathetic looters after a natural disaster or a riot. A pair of shoes never hurt anyone. Neither did a jacket or, say, pants that weren't his jimjams.

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ex_darkchyld899
2010-07-06 08:26 pm UTC (link)

Illyana closed her journal and tucked it into the handbag she'd nabbed from the clothing shop the day before. Wasn't her style at all - it looked more like one of those carpet-bags that she saw older women with on planes - but it held a fair amount of stuff, and it had been how she'd gotten the things she'd taken back to what she was considering "her" place, at the moment. She stood, flexing in her new shoes, glad she'd opted for the mens' loafers rather than the high heels. While she could handle heels, she didn't like doing so. How Betsy and Ororo and Madelyn had done it every day, she had no idea.

As she headed out, bag slung over her shoulder, she wondered yet again why she didn't remember being here before. It put her at a disadvantage, which she didn't like at all. People knew her, knew things about her that she wouldn't tell random strangers. Which meant she'd been here long enough for them to have become friends, or at least to trust each other. She frowned. Not the sort of thoughts to have when she was going to meet one of her former friends. At least, he seemed like he was one. Connor hadn't questioned her at all when she'd offered to go to the carnival with him, and even Gambit, who claimed to know her from home, was wary around her. What did and didn't Connor, or the others, know about her?

Too many questions. Not enough answers. Illyana smirked. Wasn't that how things always were?

She approached the shops, not entirely sure whom she was looking for, aside from a man, probably a youngish man, if they'd been friends before. She was banking on him remembering her. She didn't think she looked different than she did last time she was here, but, without her memories, how could she tell?

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leconnortemple
2010-07-07 04:17 am UTC (link)

By the time Connor popped out of the thrift shop, he had a pair of old trainers that fit okay as long as he wore an extra pair of socks, and it was better than running around town in his stocking feet. He'd also found a light jacket, denim and full of patches but at least it fit and would keep him warm if it got too cool. It was something, at least.

As he leaned against the wall, he watched. It was still relatively early, but it wasn't like the small town of kidnappees was ever exactly bustling. He just had to assume that Ilyana looked at least mostly similar to how she had before. Andy had always thought she was 'bangin', and with good reason. So when a basically gorgeous blond showed up, he perked up a bit, brushing his hair out of his eyes and wishing like hell he had one of his hats. Never mind that he was missing his almost-girlfriend and the one that might've been had they stayed there. An attractive girl was an attractive girl.

"Yana?" Of course, it occurred to him a breath later that Ilyana didn't remember him and therefore, probably didn't remember ever having a nickname in his presence. It also occurred to him he didn't really need to phrase it as a question. As 'adults', they hadn't necessarily been close, but he'd still recognize her. "Hi. You...don't remember me, I know. I'm Connor." He gave a shy little wave of one hand, then tucked it into the pocket of the jacket, grateful to have it just for that reason.

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ex_darkchyld899
2010-07-07 04:54 pm UTC (link)

Illyana kept her eyes moving as she headed up the street, assessing it for any problems, like many people over the years had taught her to do. First, her brother Piotr, then Logan, then Stevie, then Magneto. So she noticed the slightly-oddly dressed young man from a ways off, leaning against the wall of one of the shops. She kept her eyes on him, wondering at the quiet of the morning, as she approached. Something about him read 'familiar', but she couldn't put a finger on what or why, so she had to assume it was some trace of memory from her time here before.

She stiffened instinctively when he called out to her. 'Yana' was a nickname only her closest friends at home called her. Dani, Sam, Kitty. This man had known her well enough that she let him call her 'Yana before? It should be a reason to trust him. If she'd been willing to before, after all. And goodness knew she needed someone she could trust. Gambit, for all that he was like her, was an outsider, and read as such to her, and not in the same way that Logan had.

So, she offered the young man a smile as she came up to him, smirking at the shy wave and sudden shyness of manner as he introduced himself. It kind of reminded her of Sam. "Hey, Connor," she said, trying not to sound too nervous herself. Illyana Rasputin was not nervous about social things, not usually. "I wish I could say it was good to see you again, but...." She trailed off and shrugged. She glanced over his apparel. "Doing some shopping?" she asked. "Haven't seen any food, have you?"

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leconnortemple
2010-07-08 03:45 am UTC (link)

Connor gave a short laugh, but it wasn't a genuine one. It was an angry one, really, because no one should have to be there. Especially twice. And especially twice without knowing they'd ever been before. It felt like they were simply being set up for disaster. What sense did it make? Well, then again, this was the big glass cage. It wasn't exactly known for making sense.

"Yeah, no big deal. Frankly, I thought I'd dreamt you and everyone else. It was all kind of a blur by the time I woke up and I was right where I had been so I just...moved on." Time travel. That had to have been the cause, but he still couldn't quite grasp it. Obviously he believed in it, he worked with gaps in time every day. But controlling it was something the ARC hadn't managed yet.

Mmm. Food. Wouldn't that have been nice. "No, not yet," he admitted. "But they had some before. Rations, I guess, those gross pre-packaged meals, but at least it was food. So it's got to be around here somewhere. Though they have been known to let us starve a day or two before." His face scrunched considerably in thought, refusing to dwell on the fact that his ensemble probably looked really silly when he was used to being on the edge of hipster fashion. And he really refused to consider the fact that he looked really silly in front of a pretty girl. There were enough things to worry about without adding another cute blond to his issues.

"There used to be a general store...a petrol station? But they've definitely redecorated, I don't know if it's still around."

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ex_darkchyld899
2010-07-08 03:56 am UTC (link)

Illyana understood Connor's laugh. It encompassed a lot of how she felt, being here, apparently again, and not knowing what was going on. Angry, because she felt cheated by not knowing what had come before. And, listening to his explanation of how he'd rationalized it, it just made her more upset. Why couldn't she remember, even if as a dream? She scowled. "It is a big deal," she said. "It freaking sucks that I can't remember, when apparently we were friends before. I don't flake on my friends, and this place is making me do just that." She shook her head. Temper wouldn't help anything, and might make the Darkchylde decide to stir. Calm, 'Yana. Keep calm.

Illyana made a face at the idea of pre-packaged meals. Logan had some of those. He called them 'comfort food'. She and Kitty had long ago decided that the Canadian man had odd tastes. "I guess," she admitted. "But after yesterday, I really want a burger, you know? All those smells...." She trailed off, remembering the aromas that came from nowhere yesterday, and her stomach growled in response. She rolled her eyes. Figured.

"There's a lot more here than just that, have you seen?" she said, seizing upon a subject she was actually familiar with. "You found the shoe store and stuff, I see, and there's a decent selection of things not just in the thrift store, but in the little boutique-y place. Found my jeans there yesterday, and a hairbrush. Although Gambit might have taken anything you would want. He was being kind of grabby yesterday." She looked him over, smirking at the pajama pants Connor wore. "Maybe we can find you a pair of jeans, though, if we dig. Those won't hold up well if you have to wear them all the time."

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leconnortemple
2010-07-08 03:54 pm UTC (link)

The smile he gave her was sympathetic and he simply nodded. "Yeah. I know. And it doesn't make sense why they'd do it. Probably a weird question, considering but uh...how old are you?" She'd been in her late teens, he thought, and that might make the difference. What if they'd gone and gotten her from before she'd been this time? That would explain why she couldn't remember, but it wouldn't explain why they'd gone and done it in the first place. "I think the thing that freaks me out the most is that they have the ability to do it at all."

Another wry laugh escaped, this one barely a chuckle. "They do love torturing us that way. I think..." His forehead scrunched, trying to remember. "They put us through hell here once, and I mean up and tried to kill us all... Oh, yeah, be prepared for that, by the way. Anyway, they treated us to a feast after. Serious feast, food everywhere type feast. I downed two burgers without batting an eye." And Andy had saved them for him. And Kimberly and Elliot had been talking nearby. And now he didn't see any of the above anywhere around and it was freaking him out, quite honestly.

"There's a boutique?" Connor yelped a breath later. First of all, that was so not there before. Secondly, that meant there were real clothes. Things to actually wear that didn't involve his jammies which was, besides embarrassing, just plain impractical, as Ilyana pointed out. Ignoring the smirk and the slight rise of pink in his cheeks, he shrugged. "Wait...Gambit...is that the super creepy red-eyed guy who's way too happy to be here?" He and Chris and Stephen, too, had all had a good laugh about that one. "Frankly, I could take him. Or maybe I couldn't, but I'd be more than happy to find where to steal them back from." After all, Connor was a lover, not a fighter. Actually, he was just a crap fighter. Where the hell was Abby when he needed her?

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ex_darkchyld899
2010-07-08 04:11 pm UTC (link)

"Not quite so odd a question," Illyana said, although another smirk graced her features when she said it. The topic of her age was still a matter of debate at home. "About 19," she offered, after thinking a moment. Really, she should be about 11 or 12, all things considered, but thanks to Belasco, she'd missed those years, at least the way most people experienced them. "Why, how old are you?" she asked. He didn't seem that far off from her age, maybe a little older. It was hard to tell. Shan didn't seem that much older than her, either, and Rahne didn't seem quite as much younger as she really was.

"I can think of several people who'd have the ability to do this," she said, her expression darkening. That crazy Mojo thing, for one, the one who'd kidnapped Betsy Braddock a few years back, and who'd held Rachel Summers hostage as well. That thought had her tense again. What if it was Mojo, and they were stuck in some sick reality show of his, on some crazy inter-galactic cable channel? The more Connor described the place, the more likely it sounded, at least to her mind. Torture, trying to kill, then a happy feast for surviving, like the prize in a game show? Definitely like Mojo. She'd slaughter him if it turned out he was behind this.

Illyana's mood lightened again at Connor's delight in there being real stores. She nodded, grinning now, and pointed down the street. "Just that way, about two up from where we are," she said. And she nodded at his description of Gambit. "He's not that creepy," she said, feeling a token need to defend someone from home. "He...he's from my home, but in my future, I think. Knows some of the same people I do. And no, you couldn't take him." She had no idea what Gambit's actual powers were, but if he'd been an X-Man, there was no way a regular human like Connor would be able to win against him in a fight. "No offense, or anything, I just know the type of people he'd have hung out with."

She looked down the street toward the shops again. Maybe she'd missed something she could fit into when she'd come looking yesterday. "So, wanna go see what we can find before we hit up this Carnival, wherever it is?"

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leconnortemple
2010-07-09 02:09 am UTC (link)

The 'about' in front of her age wasn't wasted on him. Just another of the tiny details that would sit and fester in his head. One day he'd have friends who could say exactly what they meant. "I feel like you're about the same age as before," he said thoughtfully. "Or maybe a year or two older? Around there, at least. I'm twenty-three." Andy's laid back voice in his head felt the need to remind him that at least she wasn't jailbait this go round, but he refused to think too much on it. Mostly because...well, Andy wasn't there.

He'd also let the fact that she knew people who could pull this off slide, too. It took a new level of evil to manage a mass kidnapping through time, and potentially space, too. Not to mention setting up whatever this place was before everyone got there. And doing it all over again. And erasing memories. Hell, that was evil even Helen Cutter couldn't pull off, and Connor really had a lot of faith in just how evil Helen could be.

Connor was okay with her letting him know flat out that this Gambit was no one he wanted to fight with. Funny how she knew that and hadn't even seen him in action. Though he'd come a long way since starting at the ARC, he still wouldn't put himself up against anyone in a one-on-one unless he absolutely had to. No, sadly, Connor wasn't afraid to let a girl fight his battles. "I guess," he replied, regarding Gambit's level of creepiness. Maybe the crazy redhaired bloke with barely a word of English was better behaved now that he'd been dragged back yet again. "Either way! Let's get going then. I could do with a bit of exploring, especially if it leads to food at the end."

And exploring meant he wasn't hanging around the library looking pathetic, waiting for a girl who wasn't going to show up. He felt it in his gut and hated it, but he had to go on. Only months ago, he'd forgotten Kimberly had even existed. He could keep going without her. If only he knew she was okay back home, he'd be just fine. "Can't deny, jeans do sound a lot nicer. These are comfy, just not long term." Shoving his hands back into his pockets, he started off in the direction that Ilyana had pointed in.

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ex_darkchyld899
2010-07-09 02:27 am UTC (link)

Maybe a little older? How much older? What had happened between then and now, Illyana wondered. "I don't suppose I talked a lot about what was going on at home before, did I?" she asked, trying to keep her voice casual. The whole not knowing grated on her the more she thought about it. When Connor mentioned his age, she grinned. "That's about my brother Piotr's age," she said. Since she wasn't entirely sure when she'd left New York, thanks to the wonders of Limbo and time-space teleportation, she couldn't be exactly sure. For all she knew, she'd missed his birthday and he was 24 now. She hadn't exactly had a chance to ask during the Inferno.

Her grin only widened when Connor seemed keen on exploring with her for a bit. If they were really lucky, they'd find something to eat. There had to be food in this place, despite the idea of starvation Connor had mentioned. If it was a Mojo-world, there'd be something, but it would be hidden. She fell into step beside Connor, keeping her eyes open for any little cameras that would let her know if her hunch was right. "Boutique's here," she said, turning toward the shop she'd rummaged through yesterday. "It's mostly girly stuff in the front, but there's a bit of mens' clothing nearer the back of the store. That's where I found this." She tugged on her shirt collar.

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leconnortemple
2010-07-10 04:24 am UTC (link)

Connor was trying desperately to remember all the details people kept asking him for. Her brother's name brought up a spark of memory, but he couldn't remember why. "I remember you had one hell of a temper on you," he teased. "But I can't remember much else. No specifics. Oh! But you had a friend who had a pet dragon? Katie or Katya or something?" Or had that just been her younger self? Then again, he had the feeling little Yana had been much more talkative than adult Ilyana had.

For once, Connor was actually quiet as Ilyana showed him the boutique. It hadn't occurred to him until they reached the door that boutiques were typically known for their women's clothing. He might be desperate, but he was not going around dressing like a chick. The relief on his face had to have been obvious when she mentioned men's clothing towards the back. "Care to join me, my lady?" he asked, opening the door and tilting slightly in a mock little bow. His social life might be, but chivalry wasn't dead.

The store smelled old and musty and drudged up more memories for Connor. Well, they did say scent was the strongest link to memory. He remembered hunting for warm jumpers and socks and blankets. He remembered trying to find people, Tonks being propped up near the shop after one of those horrible experiments. Maybe this hadn't been the best idea, but Ilyana was right. He did need better, more sturdy clothes. Especially in this place.

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ex_darkchyld899
2010-07-10 03:43 pm UTC (link)

She couldn't help but grin at his description of her. One hell of a temper? That could be putting it mildly, depending on the circumstance. And she doubted that Dani or Sam would contradict him. Or Kitty. She blinked as Connor went on, though. She'd trusted him enough to tell him about Kitty and Lockheed? And not just about Kitty, but about the nickname she and Piotr had for her? "Her name's Kitty," she said, automatically correcting him. "She's my best friend." She glanced down, then back up at Connor. "She's abroad right now. Well, back home. Went to Scotland to see a doctor." She had no idea how much she'd told Connor before, or how much of a memory the information could trigger for him, if she'd told him more, but she didn't feel comfortable explaining the whole story. Not yet. Maybe in time, if she'd trusted him this much before, she could.

As they stopped in front of the store, Illyana had to work very hard not to laugh at Connor's expression, first at the horror of seeing the dresses displayed by the window, then the relief when she mentioned they had some menswear at the back. It wasn't nice to make fun of someone who'd had an identical reaction to your own the day before. She did laugh, well, more like giggle, at his sudden burst of chivalry, and grinned. "Thank you, kind sir," she said, doing a mock curtsy, which was really more like a plié, thanks to Stevie's merciless ballet lessons. She stepped through the door and into the boutique proper, waiting just inside for Connor to catch up.

"Past the taffeta and crinoline display, there," she said, pointing toward the back corner. The selection wasn't huge, but there had to be something for him. She switched the carpet bag to her other hand as she walked back toward the menswear. And maybe more for her as well.

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leconnortemple
2010-07-13 03:27 am UTC (link)

Connor just desperately wished he could remember more. He knew he was lucky, retaining at least some solid memory of the place from the time he'd been before. He wasn't walking around with large gaps in his recollection of the place, or no knowledge at all. That didn't make it any easier to deal with the fact that some things still weren't coming together for him. How well had he known her? Or was it all from that silly period of time when they were just innocent six year-olds with no sense of keeping secrets?

Letting things go was something he was learning to do slowly. Not completely, of course. Connor was determined to stick the tiny details to memory this time around. He'd have sworn Ilyana had said her friend was Russian, like she and her brother. So why was 'home' Scotland? But he wasn't going to dwell. His friends and people he could trust here were few and far between, and he knew when people he did like didn't remember anything, he had to be more careful and start from scratch. So instead of hounding her with questions, he did what he did best. Making her smile was officially at the top of his list of things to do. "What the hell is crinoline?" he asked, picking up one of the huge, itchy skirts on his way towards the back. "Who could possibly find this comfortable?"

The choices for men's clothing were limited, but not impossible. Idly, he played with the skirt as he browsed, twirling it around, draping it over his head, and eventually dressing the sole male mannequin in it. "There, sir, that's much better. And in return..." He pulled the long-sleeved t-shirt the non-living male was wearing off and tossed it over his arm. "Good old fashioned bartering. Just like our ancestors," he teased in Ilyana's direction. Jeans were more important, of course, and an extra pair of shoes if he could find them. But, admittedly, it would make all the difference in the world between feeling clean and feeling filthy if he had a full change of clothes.

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ex_darkchyld899
2010-07-13 03:02 pm UTC (link)

She looked back as Connor picked up the skirt and laughed. "Crinoline is supposed to make the skirt puff out more. It's a meshy sort of fabric that's really stiff. Had to wear it under a dress for a party once. It's really itchy when you sit down." She made a face.

"I dunno, I think my friend Rahne would like it." She looked over the dress in question. "She likes girlier things than, say, Dani and I do." Ilyana shook her head. She'd never seen the appeal in skirts and dresses like that. Way too cumbersome.

By the time Connor made it back to the meager menswear section, Illyana was laughing straight out. She tapped her chin and regarded the male mannequin thoughtfully. "I think it suits him," she said at last, unable to quite keep the grin out of her voice. "It looks way better on him than it would on you."

Satisfied that the mannequin was at least decent, she turned her attention to the clothing at hand. "Most of the mens' pants are too big for me, but I bet there's at least something in your size," she said. "Gambit's a bit taller than you, and maybe a bit wider in the hips, but I haven't exactly made a study, so I can't say for sure. But I don't think he took everything that might fit you." She glanced down at Connor's feet. "And there's a shoe store next door. That's where I found these." She kicked her own foot up so he could see her loafer. "Got a pair of sneakers in my bag, too. The shoe store is mostly mens, believe it or not, so you should be able to find something there."

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leconnortemple
2010-07-16 06:15 pm UTC (link)

"Your friends all have these ridiculously awesome names," he commented with a grin. "Seriously. I have ones with boring names like Abby and Sarah. Where do you collect these people?" Sure, Dani was probably a nickname for like, Danielle or something, but still! And Rahne? Kitty? Definitely nothing like anyone he knew. Maybe it was an American thing.

Or a Russian thing, the little voice that occasionally invaded his head stated. But this one didn't sound like the mentoring voice of Nick Cutter or the teasing voice of Stephen Hart. No, this was definitely his own, just curious. Hmm.

He listened to her talk about the clothing as he thumbed through, picking up a pair or two that looked like they might fit or would, at least, be too large. Better than too small. That screamed 'uncomfortable and will make you look like a dork'. "You don't have an advanced degree in Sizing Men From a Distance?" he teased, glancing over at Ilyana. "Color me amazed. Who'd have thought?" Still, if the creepy Gambit was the one Connor remembered from the day he and Chris had arrived the last time, he knew exactly what she meant. Connor was all shoulders in comparison to the redhead. Grabbing another shirt, this one with longer sleeves, he started looking around for something to carry it all in. "Where'd you pick up the old lady bag?" he asked, then blushed slightly, wondering if it was actually something of her taste and not...well, in fairness, it was really ugly no matter which way he looked at it.

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ex_darkchyld899
2010-07-16 10:29 pm UTC (link)

"We go to a private school in New York," Illyana said, shaking her head a little and smiling. "It recruits internationally, so we get lots of interesting names." Although, there was no one from England at the mansion at the moment. Not since Betsy disappeared.

She snorted when Connor mentioned the 'advanced degree'. "Sorry, no, failed that class," she said, smirking. "Too easily distracted." Oh, how Rahne would have blushed if she'd heard. And Dani would have rolled her eyes, and 'Berto would have wiggled his eyebrows at her.... She turned away, looking through the shirts again. Illyana Rasputin did not get weepy about things, damn it.

At the mention of her 'old lady bag', Illyana chucked a thumb toward the front of the store. "There's some near the more Donna Reed-style dresses," she said, chuckling. "Trust me, I'd rather have a backpack, but at least it can carry a decent amount of stuff. And it's easier than Gambit's shopping cart." She looked back at Connor. "Although, you'll look about as ridiculous carrying one as I do, if not more. We're both, like, 80 years too young for these things."

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leconnortemple
2010-07-21 03:12 am UTC (link)

"Ah, yeah, I was a private school kid, too. Just not as international, I guess. Mostly kids from the UK, English mostly, a few Scottish, some Welsh." At his casual mention of the Scottish kids, he could almost hear Cutter's brogue in his head and he could still feel the painful memories it brought back. Times like that he missed Abby more than he could imagine. She would have understood. Hard to believe it had only been two days.

He refused to dwell, not when Ilyana was teasing about men's sizes and old lady bags and he really did need to just deal with the fact that he was stuck here. Again. "No idea what you're talking about," he joked, "I am going to look awesome with a big old carpet bag. Like Mary Poppins or something. It'll be insanely brilliant." In truth, he was horrified at the idea, but it was still something to carry things in, and it meant he wouldn't have to drop his things off in the library before they went off to inspect the carnival. Wincing, he tried to grab the one the least 'girly' looking, a blue one with no pattern. "This is so...wrong," he finally declared, throwing the pants and shirts he'd found in there without a second thought. What was he going to do, worry about wrinkles? Hardly.

"All right, one pair of shoes should be enough for now if you want to go ahead and head over to the carnival. To be honest, I'm a little creeped out thinking what we're going to find over there but..." Shrugging, Connor gave her a sort of sheepish look. "Around here, it's usually better to just face things head on. If they want you to experience something, they'll make you do it regardless."

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ex_darkchyld899
2010-07-21 07:16 pm UTC (link)

"We had an English girl with us for a while. Betsy Braddock. She was closer to Piotr's age, though, than mine, although she was really good friends with Doug...." She blinked. Now was not the time to dwell on the dead. But thinking of Betsy made her remember the day they'd come back from the Ani-Mator's lair, bringing Doug's body with them, only to see the X-Men supposedly killed in an explosion in Dallas - Betsy and Piotr with them.

The Mary Poppins comment had her laughing again, though, leaving her little chance to dwell on the past. "You're more of a Bert than a Mary," she laughed, thinking back to the film. Rahne had it on VHS back home, or did at one point. "Although, if one of these can hold as much as hers did, I could deal with it looking way too old-lady." She watched Connor try to pick out one of the bags, and shook her head as he grabbed the plainest one of them all. She walked over to him, picking up one of the floral-print ones and waving it in his face. "Sure you don't want this one instead?" she asked, teasing very much in her tone of voice.

She tossed the bag aside, not caring to put it back where it had been hanging. It wasn't like there was a clerk to yell at her, or anything. "We'll be fine," she said. What could be in a carnival that would creep him out? Unless it was like one of Arcade's carnivals.... She shivered a little at that thought. She'd been six when she'd been trapped in his Murderworld, and it was the scariest thing she'd ever experienced, until Belasco had stolen her away, and shown her what scary really was like.

"I'll protect you from the scary clowns, don't worry," she teased, but the intent behind the comment was sincere. If there was anything that could harm either of them there, she'd take it down. She was still a New Mutant, still a sorceress and, hell, still a demon. And nothing in that carnival could be scarier or more dangerous than the Darkchylde.

Enough of that thinking. She grabbed Connor's free hand and started toward the door. "Let's meet whatever's waiting for us head on, then."

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