Amara and Lex | Friday Afternoon

[x-volcanic.livejournal.com]

Two old friends run into each other in the gym, and chat about District X.

One of the few things Amara didn't typically admit to people was her fondness for spending time in the gym. Originally it was simply just a way to get her in shape and staying in shape for being a member of the X-Men, but it was now such an ingrained habit. And when she didn't bring a textbook with her to read on the treadmill, it was a great time to zone out.

But she hadn't done that today. Today she was working through her weights program, deliberately pushing herself a little further than she usually did. Stepping down from active X-Men duty hadn't meant she'd slacked off, but during semester time she often found herself with less time to spend in the gym. She winced a little as she released the cable on the weight machine she was using, shaking her hands out. She'd overestimated how much she could move, and attempting to had caused a little bad pain.

Lex knew he spent too much time in the gym, but that didn't stop him from going to it every day to workout. Sometimes he felt like it was some holy place where he worshiped some earthly gods, but for the most part he realized it was the safety of not having to deal with his problems for an hour or two. It had been weeks since he and Vanessa had broken up and things were starting to resemble life without a significant other once more. He couldn't say that he liked it, but something in him felt like it had returned to a more natural state.

He immediately noticed the only other occupant when he entered, and a small smile broke onto his face. Amara Aquilla held a special place in Lex's heart, the place only truly good people got to reside. She had taken him off the reservation to see her home in a time when he was barely hanging on to his own identity, and the gesture had made it easier for him to come to terms with his forced residency at the mansion. Since then they hadn't talked too much, but then again he hadn't talked to almost anyone since losing his powers.

"Hey, Amara, how's college treating you?" He asked as a way to announce himself, he hated being surprised while working out so he thought he'd make it clear that he was going to be joining her.

"Hey Lex," Amara replied with a smile, turning to look at the new entrant to the room. It was true, she and Lex hadn't spoken much recently, but Amara wasn't the type to hold it against them. Her life was certainly too busy most of the time to adequately keep up with everyone she considered a friend, though she did try.

"It's keeping me busy," she continued. "Or at least I'm keeping myself busy, and college is a large part of that. I can't seem to settle for anything less than having my plate being entirely too full." She shrugged sheepishly.

"How have you been?" Amara had a tendency to be seriously behind on gossip, partly because of aforementioned busy-ness, partly out of a distaste for it, so she wasn't at all appraised of the situation with him and Vanessa. But she did remember something of a distancing while she'd still been on the team.

Lex inhaled deeply and shrugged. "That's an interesting question," he admitted, the pain seeping through for a moment before he could cover it. There are still people who don't know? That's difficult to swallow. He stretched as he stepped forward, moving towards one of the treadmills for a good round of cardio. "Vee broke up with me just before Valentine's Day. I've been a little lost since then, but keeping myself busy with teaching the kids how to defend themselves, visiting my favorite bar in District X, and generally trying to stay out of trouble."

"I'm sorry," Amara said sincerely. She hadn't known about the break-up - to be honest, she'd been barely aware of the relationship to begin with, but now she felt bad that she'd reminded him of it.

"I haven't spent much time in District X," she continued, following a thread of his conversation to steer it away from Vanessa. "Which seems so silly given how much time I spend in Manhattan. What's it like?" She moved over to the treadmills to join him, so they could keep chatting without yelling across the room.

"Thank you," he said, smiling weakly. He didn't really know how to respond to someone who was giving him condolences for being broken up with so he shifted his focus to her statements about District X. "I love it, actually. I can blend in there without feeling like I am absent from society. Plus, I know this amazing bar where the bartender is immune to heat and fire. It's pretty entertaining." The place was quickly becoming his sanctuary. "I think you'd enjoy it, some of the art and dance is crazy since people aren't afraid of incorporating their unique mutations into their art."

"It does certainly sound interesting," Amara replied sincerely. It was true, the idea of incorporating mutations into art and dance sounded fascinating. And spending time in a place where mutants weren't afraid to show off who they were? That sounded great to her. "Maybe you could give me a tour sometime? I'd certainly like to see what it is like."

"I'd enjoy that, it's a great place to feel unrestrained by all of the outsider nonsense that we have to deal with on a near-continuous basis. I mean, even though my powers are not physically apparent I have to restrain myself every time I hear one of those bigoted idiots ripping on mutants who do have physical changes. I mean, Vee was blue and if anyone ever said something negative to that effect I probably would have kicked their ass from here to New Jersey without a second thought." He realized that the statement sounded like they were still together a moment after it left his mouth and he blushed unconsciously. There were still times that he felt like they were meant to be together and it was hard to just let her go completely, but that wasn't an issue he wanted to dwell. "Besides, I don't know anywhere else on the planet I can get a corn dog deep-fried by hand."

Amara nodded, the smile on her face understanding. "You'd be surprised how much people are negative about the company you keep. HeliX has quite a few members that are obviously mutants, and I often get asked what a pretty girl like me is doing hanging out with freaks." She frowned a little at it. "I can never quite figure out the appropriate response. Either I prove I'm a 'freak' as well, and somehow validate their belief in segregation, or I stay silent about what I am, which I do not think is right. So far I have mostly ignored them, but I do not know if this is the best response."

"No, I wouldn't be surprised at all. I had to hide amongst people who hated them, the army breeds a loathing of mutants." He paused, thinking about the jeers that his unit made against mutants when they came across them in the field. He always thought it was a way to reinforce the no mutants in the military policy that he ignored to get away from his mother. "They don't do anything overt, but it's there. The older men, especially the commanders, are particularly locked in their ways."

"And the famed open mindedness of college students seems to be mostly reserved for underaged drinking and sexual experimentation," Amara said with a little bit of a smile. "Or causes that are a little less controversial than mutants. There are some people that are willing to be open minded about us, but even amongst the most liberal of thinkers, you still find prejudice against mutants." She shrugged. "But I have faith that we'll be able to change their minds."

Lex laughed a little at her comment. "That, I suppose, can only be expected of them. It took me a long time to come to terms with being a mutant, I suppose that someone who has never known the fear would have an even harder time accepting that which they don't understand." He stretched slightly before continuing. "As for getting them to change their minds, I have seen men kill men for no reason. I have a hard time thinking they won't eventually want to kill us. Some part of me will always be terrified that they will start a massive hunt and I don't like the thought of that."

"I don't think things will get that bad." Amara paused. "Or at least, I hope they don't. Not everyone is completely unreasonable, even when they've had bad experiences with mutants. Yes, there will always be people who fear us no matter what, but... I do not believe everyone is like that." Of course, Amara was something of an optimist, even when she was fully aware of the reality of the situation. She believed the best in everyone.

"I hope you are right, I would love nothing more than for us to be free from having to hide who we are. I wanted to rejoin the military and fight alongside men I trust, now I see that there are people here that I can trust and as I get to know them more I can even find some who I enjoy. It's difficult but I think that the Professor's philosophies are so strong in this place that I can't help but acknowledge the hope you all have." Lex could imagine a world where humans and mutants were equals in all things, he could just as easily imagine one where either side had wiped out the other. He knew what humanity could do and he would not let that evil harm those he'd come to care for here at the mansion. "However, there's no need to worry about it at this moment. We should think of happier things, like getting a damn good beer in District X."

"I hope one day you will be able to as well," Amara replied sincerely. "But I have to agree, getting a drink in District X sounds like something far more pleasant, at least in the short term. Remind me to check my calendar once we're out of here, and we can organise a time for you to show me around."

"Sounds like a plan, I'm pretty much free all the time these days. Just let me know what works for you." It would be interesting showing more people his little place to escape. He didn't think anyone would enjoy it as much as he did, but he could definitely use it as a way to tell who he considered himself to be close to.