xp_logs | Homes Fires: Yvette, Marius, Jennie, Sooraya and Kurt

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Those who are left waiting do their best to support each other.

Yvette never thought she'd think somewhere, especially the suite, would be too quiet. But with three of the six residents in medlab, deep in that unnatural sleep and Jennie downstairs, it was just her and Sooraya and things were far, far too quiet. Curling up in a corner of the couch with Kevlar Piglet, the small Albanian girl tried to focus on the television program, without much success.

Jennie slipped into the Teen Girl Suite, followed closely by Marius. Even though both now had medlab training, they were pretty much useless and subsequently kicked out by Amelia. The halls had been strangely quiet as well, what with a good percentage of students suddenly KO'd by a mysterious coma.

She tilted her head at the younger girl, and then turned to Marius and shrugged. "Think she could use a distraction?"

Marius snorted softly as he stepped fully into the room after her. "At present the odds of findin' one who doesn't fall somewhere between slim venturing on to the increasingly closer shores of none." The boy turned to smile at the tiny girl on the couch, raising his voice. "Oi, Yvette. Beware, company has now arrived."

A relieved smile crossed Yvette's face at the sight of them, her eyes flaring brightly in the slightly dim room. "Marius! Jennie! It is good to be seeing you." She paused, worry dulling the glow of her eyes. "Is there being any news?"

"Not so much at the moment, unfortunately. Herr Doktor kicked us both out." Not that Jennie minded that much, seeing her friends and teachers laid out on the two rows of beds in the medlab completely unconscious was vaguely creepy. She walked over to the couch and sat beside Yvette. "How you holding up, honey?"

The younger girl's hair was spikier than before, the rasp of the toughened material of the stuffed toy against her cheek an indication her skin had thickened too. "I am being worried," she said in a small voice. "Sooraya is being staying in the room with me - it is being too quiet with Laurie and Angel and Miss Crystal being... asleep." She bit her lip. "Is it being like when I am asleep? Because I am being gone for a very long time."

Marius could actually see the "urk" that mercifully never made it further than the lower stages of Jennie's throat. He couldn't say that particular reaction was entirely unique to her. They exchanged a brief glance, then Marius turned his yellow eyes resolutely back to Yvette's blue. The boy shook his head. "Nah. She serves a good euphemism, but it wasn't the same. Now an' again you'd at least move a bit, an' . . . that. This lot seems just . . ." Marius waved one hand as he groped futilely for a word and failed, "asleep."

"Yeah, I mean, that's what the Doctors said. That everyone's just asleep, and they're trying to figure out how to wake them up." Jennie tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. A small part of her noted that the conversation they were having was bordering on surreal. "So, we should just trust them I guess. And amuse ourselves in the meantime."

Yvette nodded, taking their words with the utmost conviction. "The doctors and Mr. Professor will be helping them, yes," she said, the words coming a little stronger. She looked at Jennie, then up at Marius. "You are being staying with us for the little while? Sooraya is being in the kitchen, getting the food."

"Eh . . . yes, we shall linger. The sudden lack of peers is rather off-putting. An' those other options left to me would be, ah . . . Mondo. So." Given her daily exposure to Sooraya Marius suspected Jennie had fewer thoughts on this mention than he, but that knowledge did absolutely nothing to stop those that suddenly came up on him at the younger girl's words. . . . Right, Marius thought, suddenly acutely focused on the care with which he positioned himself in his chair, Because when half your mates have once again ended up in Medlab under mysterious circumstances and you're powerless to help, of course what you do is willingly place yourself in the same room as the only two current inhabitants who have at one point been illegally purchased.

There came then a strange noise as Sooraya slowly nudged the door to the suite open, her arms full with a heavily-laden tray full of steaming food, fresh fruit, and what looked to be several versions of dessert. If this was Sooraya's normal response to times of worry and stress, she would probably be 400 pounds overweight by the time she graduated.

The Afghan girl wore a expression of deep concentration, though she brightened as she spotted Yvette, Marius and Jennie. "Hello," she told them, slightly bent under the weight of the tray. "Are you hungry? It is dinner, and I think there is food for many people here..." She smiled sheepishly. "I do not mind to share."

"Here, let me get that," Jennie said, standing and walking over to relieve Sooraya of her tray. She brought it over and put it on the coffee table after some of the magazines were moved over with a foot. She sat on the floor next to Marius's chair in order for Sooraya to have the couch. Jennie smiled at the Afghani girl. "When in doubt, food. Bad grade on a test? Food. Boyfriend dumps you? Food. Many of your friends didn't wake up this morning? Food, damnit."

Yvette giggled a little at Jennie and looked over the tray. "I am thinking we are to be having the leftovers, even with help," she said, amused. "Maybe we can be taking Mr. Angelo something to eat later?"

"Yes, this is a good idea," Sooraya agreed, retreating to the suite kitchen to retrieve extra plates and napkins for everyone. "Many times he is not eating when it is important. And there is much food to be spare," she added knowingly. When she returned to the small group she arranged napkins in front of everyone, then took a seat next to Yvette, tucking her hands between her knees and given the others a shy smile. "Will you like for me to serve the food?"

"Ah, if you do not object I should like to assist in effectin' distribution. You are hostess, yet knowing you were left to struggle under that tray yourself the concept of being served creates strange conflict." Which was not aided by the fact knowledge of her origins were informing what was becoming phenomenally unfortunate subtext for him, but with far more pressing trauma to consider Marius made the executive decision to ignore it completely. He grinned at the young Afghan girl as he rose from his seat, going to the cabinet to retrive glasses. "At any rate, I cannot afford to have the status of First Wife with Jen challenged."

Yvette looked from Marius to Jennie, and back again. "You are being married?" she asked, obviously confused. "Like Miss Terry and Mr. Bobby?"

Jennie clapped a hand over her mouth to cover the laughter. "Ah, I've been waiting for that," she said, trying to get herself under control. "Sorry, honey, I'll let you handle that one, call it payback for the first wife comment," she grinned at Marius.

Marius gave Jennie an imperious look as he set a glass in front of her. "That was generous. No, we two are married only in soul, an' the fact Jen's abuse of me knows public sanction."

Yvette frowned - or tried to, as the finer movements were difficult with the hardening of her skin. "I think I am understanding," she said after a moment. "It is being the game, yes? Pretend, for the making fun?"

The boy's head bobbed as the quiet Afghan girl moved past him to the refridgerator for drinks to pour. "Indeed -- cheers, Sooraya -- you shall find the bond shared by Jen an' I is that of nintey-five percent of our existence bein' for show. So now you are warned. But share it not, for the information is quite privaleged." Marius turned his attention to the covered platters. Among the assorted foods there was very nearly a whole cheese. And knives, but . . . Marius hesitated, glancing at Yvette's stiff face. He positioned his hand against the plate as if making to pass it to her, heavy eyebrows lifted as he said, "Be so kind as to do the honours?"

Yvette's eyes flared a little brighter, and then she nodded, pulling off one of her gloves. "I will not be saying anything," she said, slicing into the cheese with one talon, pleased she was able to help. She hated feeling as helpless as this. "I am hoping people are being hungry."

"Yes, the marriage thing is just one of our little running jokes. We will stop pretending to be married when it stops being funny. Or annoying." Jennie got up on her knees to grab herself a napkin, and then placed a few snacks on it. In times of stress, Jennie's recently acquired manners fled screaming.

"And at least our fake marriage is intentional, unlike Terry and Bobby," she added.

Kurt had been spending as much time as he could spare in the medlab with Amanda, but he did have to leave at times, having other things to attend to. Checking on the remaining students was one of those, and so he knocked on the suite door now as part of his rounds.

Yvette had been about to say something in response to Jennie, but the knock distracted her. "Please to be coming in!" she called, and then managed another of those small smiles as she saw who it was who opened the door. "Hello, Mr. Sefton. Is there being the news?"

"No change yet, I am afraid", he said apologetically, moving into the room. "I came to see how all of you are."

"As can be expected," Jennie said, making a little face. "We have food. Lots of food." And small girls to administer it. Yes, this is how we cope at Xavier's, she thought, but didn't say out loud. "Would you like to join us, Mr. Wa--Sefton?"

"Yes, please to be joining us?" Yvette knew Mr. Sefton's sister was one of the people in the medlab, and if she'd learned anything, it was people in the mansion tended to forget to eat. She glanced at Sooraya. "We are having the plenty of the food."

"Yes," Marius said, gesturing to the plate Yvette had finished with, "for as exciting as playing the waiting game is, we have to distract us an assortment of cheeses which are marginally less sentient than the holiday puddings. An' also possessing the lone Y chromosome in the room is somewhat intimidating."

"You have more estrogen than me, some days Marius, I don't see the intimidation factor." However, they were in a room with two girls who arrived under similar circumstances. One of which he was responsible for. She gave his leg a small squeeze before waving Kurt over to the couch. "Please sit and take a breather."

Sooraya collected an extra glass for Mr. Sefton, carrying it carefully back to the living room for the teacher and presenting it to him with a shy smile. "I will be happy to get other food for you if this is not the thing you like to eat," she told him.

"It looks very good", he reassured her, accepting the glass with a smile in return. "Thank you, Sooraya. I am glad to see you all looking after each other."

"At times bein' a student at Xavier's is rather like bein' a soldier's wife. And thus, for those of us spared drama, needs must." If a ghost of irony reared its head in the tone it was smothered beyond recovery by Marius' grin. "So in the interim, who else will take a very fine cheese?"