Laser Tag Fun: Jan, Yvette - Friday night

[x-penance.livejournal.com]

After the laser tag, Jan chats to Yvette and finds out why she's having so much trouble coping.



"So, what did you think? Did you at least manage to have a small bit of fun?" Janet asked her spiky red companion after they had left the usually Off Limits area and were back in normal, neutral territory. "I've never seen anything like that before, didn't even think something like that could exist!"

Yvette nodded a little. "The game, it is being... interesting," she replied. "But I am being the more interesting in the room. Mr. Forge is saying it is where the X-Men are being training, that they can be making it into anything?"

"Yeah," Jan said, nodding emphatically. "They can make up all sort of scenarios and play them out and then do it again, anything they can think up! That's really gotta come in handy for figuring out what to do before a situation comes up. I mean, think about it. Maybe they think one thing will work and they try it and realize oops, no, if we do this it won't work, so then they can try it again, but without actually risking anyone getting really hurt."

"Sometimes they are being hurt," Yvette said quietly, remembering Mr. Sefton's 'training accident' of December. "But I am thinking you are being right, that it is being the good thing for the practice. The X-Men, they are working very hard for to make it safe. There are being very many bad people out there who are wanting to be making us hurt."

"Well, yeah, I didn't mean no one could ever get hurt, I just meant that's a really great way to train," Jan replied. "Things can be programmed and saved and run again without needing to run around and train in different locations and transport all sorts of bulky stuff. Everything they need is right here." She looked down at Yvette. "Hey, you want to talk? I know everything's scared and worried and not really happy right now, and sure there are bad people out there, but there are a lot of good people, too. It's not good to be afraid all of the time and think about all the bad people out there."

Jan wasn't someone Yvette knew well, and she didn't want to make a fuss, given everyone was so worried about her. "It is being... difficult, for to be waiting," she said at last. "I am being afraid for my friends, and it is being hard to be thinking about anything else."

"So don't. Keep them in your thoughts, wish them well, keep in mind that no matter what they will be brought home and they'll be ok," Jan said, giving Yvette a reassuring smile. Poor kid.

"The teachers, they are being doing everything they can, yes," Yvette responded, looking down at the floor. Her powers had flared to the point she was back to crouching again, using her hands to keep her balance against the tightness of the skin of her back. It - and her colouring - had meant she'd been almost impossible to hit in the laser tag game, although she'd been a very poor shot. "Jennie and Marius... they are being helping me to be getting away from the bad people. I am wishing I could be doing the same."

"They did what? How? What bad people?" Jan hadn't really spoken to Yvette before today, but she knew that although the girl usually seemed to be shy and quiet, she also usually seemed to be happy. This wasn't happy. What had happened to her to make her so afraid?

"Back in Kosovo, I am being... how you say? Stolen. By the people wanting to be selling mutants." Yvette's voice, always soft, dropped even further. "Marius is being finding me when he is in Europe, and he is... helping me to be free. I was being... I think the word is being 'coma'. Not awake, but not asleep. Hiding, in my head and with my powers."

"Really? Shit." Jan stared at Yvette, stunned. "Um... sorry... but, well, shit. That had to suck." She shook her head. No wonder Yvette was so bothered by this, even more than other people. "I'm glad they found you and helped you, and the same thing is gonna happen for them. I mean, you won't be doing the finding and the saving, but think of it as happening on your behalf. They did this really great thing for you, so now they're going to be rescued, just like they did for you."

"Like, how you say? Karma?" Yvette suggested, tilting her head a little. She was less bothered by what had happened to her than Jan's reaction to it. Jan was a cheerful girl, and Yvette didn't want to make her less so. They needed cheerful people. "They are to be helping me, so someone is to be helping them?" She just hoped they wouldn't need too muxch help when they were found.

"Exactly!" Jan nodded and grinned at Yvette. "You got it. Hey, I don't know if you're much into stale marshmallows, some people think they're great but I much prefer them when they're fresh and super gooey and sticky, but I have some of those and hey, you're the one who's into apples, right? Want to go get some apples and cut some into silly shapes? I think I'd keep them away from Mondo right now, but Julio might like them." Having a serious talk with Scott was one thing, but being serious like she'd just been with Yvette for too long was majorly depressing. Yvette didn't need to dwell on all of the crap that had happened to her. The girl needed something fun to do, even if she would probably still be thinking about her missing friends the whole time.

Considering the older girl for a long moment, Yvette nodded and her eyes glowed brightly. "I think I would very much like to do that," she replied. "Thank you, Janet."

"Any time!" Jan beamed, looking down at the crouching girl. "Do you have a favorite kind of apple? There are so many, all different colors and stuff, maybe one time we could get a bunch of different kinds and do a taste test and we could invite everyone to come and take part and then we could..." Jan kept talking the rest of the way to the kitchen.