01st transformation . video . locks for erik & charles

[permutates]

[ She greets the barge with a smile. Her appearance is 'normal' - normal for a human. No blue skin or yellow eyes in sight. ]

Hi. [ And a little wave. She regrets it immediately. That's kind of embarrassing, isn't it? And not something that she should be doing, because she's here for a purpose. ] I'm Raven.

I heard a few of my friends were here, so I thought I'd come… help. I'm a warden.

And I'm here because I really believe that even if you're trapped, you still should have a chance to figure out who you are. I think that's important.

[ locked to Erik ]

Well, you thought I was crazy for trying, but I found you.

[ locked to Charles ]

[ She considered her approach to this for a long time. There are a lot of things that they should probably say to each other, and she's supposed to be responsible here. She can't just avoid him, as much as she wants to, while she gets her head together. ]

You should know that I'm here.

Comments

private/video

[tolaywaste]

Okay. I'll do that tomorrow.

[This is important. Oliver can hold his manpain while he makes copies, damn it.]

[Alex goes to turn off the feed, and then hesitates. There was one other thing.]

Don't worry about Ben. He's a friend. He - does that sometimes.

private/video

[permutates]

[ oh yeah what the hell was that ]

What did he want?

private/video

[tolaywaste]

I'm not totally sure. I'd say ask him, but I guess he's done talking for now.

He might've been worried.

private/video

[permutates]

[ She sniffs again, and wipes her hand across her nose. She's managed to pull the tears back again. Patch whatever it was that burst. She half-wishes he'd just come over, so they could hug and stop all of this talking. ]

About you?

private/video

[tolaywaste]

I don't know. Maybe.

Or else he was trying to make a point I'm too dumb to get. That happens sometimes.

private/video

[permutates]

I bet.

[ With a forced smile. She's trying to joke, to rib at him a little. But it hits a little too close to home for her too, because how often did Charles make some remark about genetics that she didn't understand? How much smarter than her was he? ]

private/video

[tolaywaste]

[The flicker of a smile. Not much, but it's there, and he means it, and for a moment he's purely glad of her presence, not resentful.]

[It doesn't last.]

Anyway. I just wanted you to know. He wasn't trying to freak you out. That's just how he is.

private/video

[permutates]

Thanks.

- For telling me, too. [ About Darwin. ]

private/video

[tolaywaste]

You don't have to thank me. You have a right to know. You were his friend too.

private/video

[permutates]

You're angry because of Charles.

I didn't know he was so badly hurt.

private/video

[tolaywaste]

[You didn't stay you find out either, he thinks, but just shakes his head.]

Not talking about that now.

private/video

[permutates]

Alex...

[ She wants to talk about it. To someone. ]

private/video

[tolaywaste]

No. I don't want to fight with you anymore.

private/video

[permutates]

I don't want to fight about it.

[ She's sniffing again. She hasn't cried this much in - she doesn't remember. Someone turned the tears to 'on' and she can't turn it back off again. ]

private/video

[tolaywaste]

There's nothing to talk about.

[She wasn't there. There's nothing to talk about.]

private/video

[permutates]

I don't want to talk either.

[ Because that'll turn into an argument. She doesn't understand why Charles let them go, pushed them away, even, if he needed them. ]

private/video

[tolaywaste]

Then what the hell do you want, Raven?

private/video

[permutates]

[ She shakes her head. Because she doesn't have an answer.

He doesn't want to be near her. It means she can't need him. ]

Nothing.

private/video

[tolaywaste]

[He just stares at her, uncomprehending. How could she need him? Any of them? She left.]

[Finally, he just shrugs, a defeated gesture, and gives up. Then cuts the feed.]