Jared and Yvette - backdated to August 24/10

[x-penance.livejournal.com]

Following this thread in Jared's journal, Yvette goes to check on her friend.



While Yvette hadn't gone so far as to actively hide, she hadn't been very sociable in the week since her powers were returned. Except for visiting Kevin, but even that was difficult and confusing, since he was apparently back with Jean-Paul. But when she'd seen Jared's post, she'd realised she had been very self-absorbed, wallowing in self-pity, and that there were other people having just a hard a time. More so, since there were people who seemed to feel they had the right to tell him how to react to having his powers back. She couldn't do much about her own situation, but she could at least be there for others.

Besides, she had to get away from the journals before she completely lost her temper at Morgan, Vanessa, whatever the rude blue woman's name was.

Jared hadn't dropped by, so she decided to visit him instead. After a thorough checking of herself to make sure she was covered up, she headed up to the graduate floor - which, she supposed, would be her floor soon enough - and knocked on the door belonging to her fellow Untouchable.

"Jared?" she called. "Would you like the visitor?"

Literally jumping to the door, Jared, as usual half naked, opened the door just enough to let his head appear. "How could I not want to see my favorite person on the entire East Coast? He winked. "Just gimme a sec.' Leaving the door open, he walked back to get a shirt in the drawer. He was pleased to get a visit from the only person who actually cared about him, but conversation was not his best thing. Still, for her, he was trying hard.

"So... What's up? I see you're... back to the spikes, uh? Well, same here. Nothing get past the shield again..."

"Yes, back to the spikes," she replied with a wry little smile. "It was the right thing to do, but still, it is sucking, yes?" She came in, politely not noticing the very boy state of the place. "You sounded like you could do with the company, so I thought I would visit. It is more productive than arguing on the journals, also."

"You know I'm no fighter. I just want people to love me. But I think I already lost that fight with Kevin and his bf... This guy is just weird." He shrugged. "Kyle seems like a nice guy, though. And he likes football, that's a start." As usual, Jared rolled on his bed to lie on his stomach, then crossed his arms under his chin. "Can I ask you something? You mentionned a list of things to do while we were... touchable. What did you actually do?"

"That is why I said something - I knew you would not." Yvette perched on a chair that wasn't covered in stuff, her long toes curled over the edge of the seat. "And yes, Kyle is the very good person. He would be the good friend for you, I think." She was quiet for a moment, then, pondering his last question. "You might think it is silly and childish, but... simple things. I played with Kyle's cat. I went swimming and sunbathing. I wore the not-heavy sundresses and went to the mall with Angel and her cousins in Seattle. I hugged my friends."

"I should have gone for stuff like that. I was so all over the place that in the end, I did nothing. Well, I flew with Crystal - not that fun - and I cut myself with glass - that was an accident." Jared looked disappointed. He had secretly written a list of his own, but nothing had gone that well. Working all nighters, he had spent most of the summer days sleeping instead of enjoying the warmth of the sun, and his obsession with jello or salsa wrestling had freaked out a bunch of people. "Funny thing is, I sort of feel my fingers. Maybe I should work on that, experience things... I don't know. Did anything change for you?"

"You can? How very strange." Yvette considered the news. "I have not noticed anything for me, but then again, I have not really tried to do anything new. But I know Cammie can taste the normal food still. Do you think Derek taking our powers changed them?" Her glowing eyes grew brighter at the thought. "Perhaps we will be able to learn to control them?"

"Oh, I wouldn't go that far... Plus I'm no doctor or power specialist. I barely try to work with mine." Jared was thoughtful. "That Derek kid was weird too. You know, we met in the lab. He was halfway between freaked out and depressed. How could he, he was a powerhouse. He could have kicked our asses just like that..." That was the only way Jared could imagine his power to be cool. "You know, sometimes, I don't feel that useful. Even my power doesn't help at anything."

As he was talking, Jared was still thinking about the college football season approaching, and connected that though to his guest. "By the way, congrats! You're done with high school, right? How about now? Any plans?"

"Well, I know I am not always happy having my powers - Derek had a lot of powers that were not so comfortable all piled together. I was surprised he was not more depressed," Yvette admitted. "With me, he was happy to know that he had made my life better by taking my powers. It was... strange." And thought-provoking. If Derek could still be positive with all his issues, how could she not try and do the same with only hers? "As for my plans, well, I am going to the Empire State University in the autumn, and I am going to continue with the Red X field leader training. It is what I want to do for the job, I think - to use my powers to help people." She tilted her head at him. "Actually, it could be something for you to consider also, if you are thinking you are not so useful."

"I'm not the kind of person who makes plans. You know, I went to college thanks to a scholarship, then I lost it, so I had to leave." Again, he shrugged. "But, whatever... It's not that bad, after all."

With a little help from his hands, Jared pushed himself off the bed, falling flat on his face as he had been used to for some years now. "I'm alright, don't worry." Back on his feet, he went to his desk, then faced Yvette, hiding something behind his back. "It's not much. It's just, we were all back to normal and boring, and I was making good money, and somehow, it reminded me of you. Then he opened the little red box to reveal a medium-sized dark red pearl with a light blue asterism.

"When I saw it, I thought "That's for my little Red". 'Red also turned out to be his pledge name, back in his Tau Kappa Epsilon time... "Don't know if it's gonna fit now with the spikes, but..."

Yvette eyes glowed brightly and she sucked in a breath, letting it out in an awed 'oh' sound. "It is so beautiful," she said, all thought of drafting Jared into coming with her to the next Red X meeting gone in the face of the gift. "Are you sure you mean it for me? It seems so..." She couldn't think of a word that fit and made a slight flailing gesture with her hands before settling for. "Thank you?" She could send it to Tommy over at the West Coast Annex and have him change the chain to something more durable against her neck.

"You're very welcome", he said, jumping back on the bed, but this time, lying on his back, his head shaking from left to right. As he said, it wasn't much, and he didn't want it be be seen as more than it actually was, a simple gift to a caring friend.

"I have a silly question", Jared added, still looking at the ceiling. "What's your point of view about body art? You know, tattoos, piercings, stuffs like that. I was considering getting a tattoo while it was possible, but I couldn't decide what and where, so I lost my chance. But, thinking about it, i still feel my tongue, so I could get it pierced. What do you think?" Worst is, he was being serious...

Talking to Jared was a little bit like riding a rollercoaster, all twists and turns and sudden changes in direction. Yvette tucked the box carefully into the pocket of the dress she was wearing over the top of her body suit and considered his question seriously, as odd and sudden as it had been. "I... do not know," she admitted at last. "It is not something I can ever do for myself unless I ask Mr. Logan to carve something on my skin, so I have never really thought about it before. Why would you want to pierce your tongue?"

"I know it sounds strange, but think about it. Everybody here has scars, or something to show. Plus it's kind of hot, isn't it?. So I was thinking: I don't have any scars, nothing to show. And I think it would be an interesting experience, in terms of sensitivity." The fact that his power went back so soon was seriously bugging him, and he was ready to try and do anything to make it less bothering. He held a thought, based on what Yvette just said. Making a bad joke about Logan carving people was out of place.

"What are your plans for the week?" Then again, Jared was bouncing back to a normal conversation. Why bother putting order in his thoughts?

"If it is something you want to do, then perhaps you should do it," was all Yvette could really say. She kind of understood the lack of connection to the world, given her own powers tended to reduce sensation too, but she was also not the sort of person to go in for permanent decoration. Even if it was 'hot'. "There are people here who could suggest places to go who are friendly to the mutants."

"As for my plans," she continued, with a little shrug. "I have school to be getting ready for, and moving out of my student room. I am the RA now, so it is best I move. I just need to find the new roommate in the senior suites."

'Yeah, I forgot about that..." Jared knew this situation might be temporary. A single room in a school, who could imagine that. Some had that chance, but who was he to pretend to such advantages? A roommate might be good for him after all. "Hope they give me someone nice. And fun too..."
Jared looked at his watch. "Damn, I'm gonna be late... again." Hopefully, Harry was an understanding boss. Still... "Gotta hit the shower and go to work. But I'll see you soon, right? Even though college, and Red X, and RA stuff!"

"Of course you will see me. And thank you again, for the present. I will take the very good care of it."