Nico/Bobby

[x-coldhands.livejournal.com]

When one of the newest members of the X-Mansion comes to look through a few of the things Terry left in storage, Bobby takes a trip down memory lane. The two also discuss the mansion and a few of Nico's more unique gifts.

Backdated to last night.



Navigating carefully, Nico reached the suit of the man that presented himself as Bobby Drake, married man and apparently postable refrigerator, or something like that.

Knocking softly, the girl waited.

"It's open." Came the voice of Bobby from inside the suite. He had been stacking boxes all morning, and took a step back to survey them as he wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. It was hard going through all of Terry's stuff without her with him, but he had done his best to justify it by constantly reassuring himself that she would want to help the young student as well, and would be right there with him if it wasn't for Interpool. Slowly he turned towards the door, a warm smile on his face. "It's Nico, right?"

Nico returned half the smile, the sight of the boxes making everything a little harder. Why the hell she didn't asked about clothes privately? Besides of not liking the prospect of using someone else's clothes, the fact it was that person's husband who had made the offer.

"Well, I'm here; you can still change your mind though."

"Of course I won't change my mind." Drake added, shrugging off the idea. "I don't know where I'd be if there hadn't been people around here to help me out with the quirks of the mansion when I first got here. Of course I didn't randomly pop up in someone's room, so I can understand the need for this stuff even more." Turning back, Bobby pulled one of the boxes down from the stack, and with a slight umf, put it down in front of the girl. "So, what do you want to go through first? Shirts, jeans, skirts?"

Heh, I do know where I would be; in the corner of a street, doing whatever necessary to survive.

She didn't voice her thoughts of course, but simply nodded at Bobby. Crouching next to the box, Nico decided to at least take a peek at the contents; she was still unsure of taking anything with her. "Eh, Bobby -can I call call you Bobby?- did Terry -can I call her Terry?- was also...a mutant? You two lived here?" As she talked, her hands started to move slowly around the contents of the box, and then she simply pulled something at random. Nico's face went scarlet when a particularly luxurious bra appeared hanging from one of her hands; the girl almost let it fall, but instead managed to put it back in. "Not my style...", muttered under her breath.

Bobby let out a laugh at the girl, he couldn't help himself, but decided not to push the subject and embarrass the girl, instead deciding to go back to her earlier questions. "Yes, we were both students once upon a time." Leaning back against the wall, he crossed his arms in front of him, trying to give the girl some privacy. Plus he knew that if he looked at Terry's stuff there was a good chance he would be hopping on the next plane to Dublin. "And feel free to call me Bobby. I remember how much of a rush it is when you first move into this place, but I'm here to do my best to help you out."

"Hmph."

That was all Mister Drake got from the still blushing goth as she kept rummaging without looking. Her hands stopped on a pair of dark blue jeans that looked her size, so she set them aside, and then found the Interesting Stuff; it was a black tee, with a golden star on a side of the chest, and it was totally awesome and well taken care of. "Does Ms. Drake...sing rock and roll? This one looks really good."

Drake had to stop himself from doing a double take as soon as he heard the words. "Yes, she was actually." Taking a few steps forward, Bobby let his had drape across the front of several of the shirts folded inside the boxes. Each one was a different memory of Terry, and forced a smile on his face. "And you can call her Terry. She's... she's something else."

Nico turned, giving Bobby a meaningful look as she moved. "Well, I'm finding it really easy to believe; I can't believe I'm taking clothes from a rock singer...I'm so going to Hell." She grinned though, feeling a little more at ease. A couple of shirts after, Nico decided she wasn't going to cannibalize the box. "Eh, this is more than enough..." There were other boxes though, but the girl hoped Mr. Drake would decide to keep those for himself; well, half of her at least, since the other half wished to know what other things the enigmatic Ms. Drake could have left behind.

Bobby couldn't help but let lose another roar of laughter. "She may have been a rock singer, but she was also an X-Man. And an X-Man could never pass up a chance to help someone else. So I wouldn't stamp that tick to Hell just yet. Save it for when you do something more deserving." He flashed another quick smile at the girl, happy to see that she was feeling more comfortable. "How's the rest of your transition going? Is there anything else I could help you out with?" After all, Bobby's clothes may not be as cute as Terry's, but he had spent a large portion of his life at the mansion.

Laugh was easy to caught, so Nico allowed herself to loose a little. "Wait, X-Man? As in the X-Men?? The guys on leathers?!" The girl stood, suddenly giving Bobby a concerned look. She was so slow! "Superheroes on the basement...people talking about planes leaving from the basketball course..." She started to walk in circles, almost ignoring the man's second question. "Oh, it just got a lot more confusing, you see?" She stopped to look at him again, almost as if she were trying to read his mind, or just staring; she resumed her circular walking again. "Oh God, oooooooh God, and here was I, thinking that Mr. Sefton was putting pretty damn well done act when he talked about demons on the mansion..."

Drake had found himself lost in the world of memories as he was still thumbing through Terry's boxes, and lost control of what he was saying. "Yeah, X..." Suddenly he spun around, gaining full control of his cognitive abilities. "Wait, you haven't had the 'talk' with the professor about the full facility of the mansion?"

Nico shrugged, but she was still a bit stiff and worry was evident on her face. "Well, he kind of said something about training and protecting mutants, but no, he didn't declare himself as the leader of some sort of superhero/teachers gang of mutants; also, I don't think I was really that receptive, taking in count I wasn't even thinking on stay for too long." Nico shrugged again, this time more relaxed. "I don't mind the fact you risk your lives to save people and what not, but I'm not dumb, I've seen the news, and if I'm half right -which I think I am- you guys really play big." Nico stopped walking, trying to put words to her thoughts, or at least less chaotic words.

"Makes more sense now, a lot more...of course; where else would I be this safe?" That last bit seemed to be directed to the air than for Bobby.

"I've never really thought of us as 'playing big', but yeah we're here to make you guys feel a little safer." Bobby smiled at the notion. It had been a while since he had been able to refer to the X-Men as a 'we' instead of a 'they'. "That's one of the main reasons I'm back here. I felt like I needed to use my gifts to help out others the same way they helped me back when I was just a strange little teenager." Throwing himself into one of the chairs near the boxes, a smile crept across his face again. "Although I still wish we'd change the whole uniform."

Nico cocked her head to a side, giving him a very expressive look. "Yeah, I get the part of mobility, maybe? Hey, you should be happy they are at least black, because any other color would show...features."

"Anyway, rather than feeling safe, I want to know I can take care of myself; not that I'm not calm knowing you guys are...around, but yeah, I don't plan to depend on others for too long, not if I manage to learn how to control my...inconvenient."

Bobby nodded at the girl. It was a feeling that he had felt, and was sure that almost every other person that had passed through the doors of the mansion felt the same at least once. "Well I know that they're people here that can help you with that feeling. We've all had problems learning how to learn a proper way to use our 'gifts', and I know that I would do whatever I could to insure that you feel like you're safe even outside of these mansion doors."

"Yeah well, I don't have much options than learning and mastering this little thing of mine, an with only one possible teacher that I know, I hope things go smoothly." Nico smiled at Bobby, a little in appreciation, a little out of a feeling that they were talking about different things. "Do you know what I do, Mr. Drake?" The tone was soft, since Nico wasn't sure, and wanted to ask without sounding impolite. She looked at the black T-shirt she had picked, focusing on it as the man answered.

"No," Bobby answered curtly, rubbing his hands together. "But as long as you don't freeze things faster than I do, I doubt we'll have any problems getting along. What's your niche?"

Without a word, Nico placed the T-Shirt on the box, although on the top where it was easy to see, and then bit her finger carefully, making a small cut on the side of the index of her right hand; it hurt anyway. "When blood is shed, let the Staff of One emerge", uttered, and then the Staff of One came out of her chest, causing her to arch a little forwards, still feeling uneasy with the sensation. Pulling it out, Nico gave a good look to it, and then looked at Bobby, smirking. "I'm a latent, which means no powers, but I got the consolation prize; my own ancient tool of destruction; this thing is what teleported me here, and made Amanda decide I was better here. I'm supposed to have classes with her, but I don't know if she really wants that; I wouldn't blame her though; this staff only means Bad Things."

It had been some days since she had summoned the Staff, and Nico realized she felt a little better after taking that out of her chest, literally; maybe she needed to call upon it from time to time? "Pretty wicked huh?"

Bobby had to stop himself from rushing forward as soon as he spotted the blood on the girl, but now he still wasn't quite certain what he should be doing. Hesitantly he stood up and looked over the staff in the girl's hands. He reached his hands forward but quickly pulled them back, afraid that if he touched it, it may cause the girl some kind of pain. He still didn't know about the whole magic thing. "It looks like you got the right place to teleport into though. Amanda knows more about magic than I know about ice cream, and that's saying a lot."

Nico looked at her bleeding finger. "Just a little wound; I've had some chances to practice." She gave an interested look at the man's sudden movement and retreat, and couldn't happen to smile. "It doesn't work like that, you know? There is no problem if you want to hold it. Hey, you could even try a spell or two." She waved the staff slowly, the golden ornament always shinning coldly no matter the light falling upon it. "Yes, Amanda looks knowledgeable, so I hope we get along...eventually."

The waving staff halted as Nico looked at Bobby, her interest picked. "Ice cream? I know it's really cold, but I would love some ice cream..."

Bobby perked up at the notion. "Well, then it shall be done." As he kicked up his feet and began walking towards the door, he turned and continued his pacing backwards. "But with me, you don't get any of the regular flavors. Let me ask you a question? What's the kind of food you would eat all day if you were sick?"

Staff on shoulder, Nico followed Bobby. "I guessed that much", commented with more interest than before. "When sick? I guess..." Nico went up on the scale of pinks again. "Mom did..." She went from a lovely blush to a sickly pale color instantly. "Just...knock yourself out with the ingredients."