xp_logs | ... I feel happy! I'm not dead yet!

Alison attempts to make some headway into the brick wall that is Em-not-associating-with-anyone. Go Alison!

Peering into the library, Alison nodded to herself as she saw Marie sitting by herself at a table, textbooks open and laid out before her, earphones firmly set over her ears - as they tended to be anytime someone saw her of late. Drifting over slowly, the blonde walked around the table so as to not startle the studying girl, pulling a chair facing her and sitting down slowly.

Noting the inquiring look Marie gave her, yet without taking the earphones off, Alison leaned forwards, chin resting on her hands, and smiled.

"I'd like to talk to you a bit, if you don't mind," she said quietly.

She *had* been deep in an article on mutant screening in preschools when Alison sat down. The motion distracted her and she tried to keep her irritation out of her expression. She could read the other girl's lips and so pulled off her headphones with a sharp motion. "About what?"

A slightly raised eyebrow greeted the gesture but the expression remained genial as Alison spoke once more. "Mmm. Me being an annoying worrywart maybe," she said slowly, a rueful look flitting over her features. "You've been awfully quiet. I'd say lately... but it's been going on for a while now."

She dropped the headphones on the table with a clatter and scowled. "I thought people would be pleased no end with me being quiet. Is there a new rule against studying too much?" She sighed and flung herself back in her chair. "I can't believe you found time in your schedule to come point this out. I suppose I should be flattered, right?"

A faint snort greeted her last words. "Hardly anything to be flattered about, really. And although I'm really tempted to make a joke with that line, I won't." Tilting her head and giving her an unreadable look, Alison leaned back into her own chair, stretching her legs out. "Sounds like something is bothering you." She paused, jumping in before Marie could snap at her. "None of my business, I'm sure... but-" she hesitated, uncertain. "Would you like a training session or something? Y'know, just to let the steam out?"

Marie tapped her highlighter on the table and bit her lip, weighing her options. Rejection would just satisfy the notion that there was something wrong and possibly send Alison fluttering off to chatter at someone, probably Sam, about 'poor Marie'. On the other hand, participation opened her up to more questioning. Still, there was only so much talking that someone could do while they were in a session. "Sure. Let's go." She started packing up her books.

Alison nodded once and without further comment, got to her feet and waited for Marie to get all her books and things gathered. "The gym's usually free at this hour. If you like, I can go on ahead and set things up while you get changed. Unless you keep a spare set of workout stuff in the locker room there as well?"

"I'll change upstairs," she said brusquely. "I'll see you there." She was going to be civil but that was all she had it in her to manage. She tucked her books under her arm and headed for the stairs.

Alison nodded and headed off for the gym. A quick stop by the locker room to change into her workout clothes and she headed off to take out some of the equipment they'd need - arm guards and the like were quickly laid out and Marie trotted in soon afterwards, slapping on the required protection without a word.

The session itself revealed more to Alison than Marie had probably intended. The younger girl had clearly been training and following each of Logan's combat sessions and she showed some of the typical aggressiveness of his fighting style, but her moves tended to be restrained and sometimes even stiff despite that. She was fighting more on automatic than anything else - competently, assuredly, but not giving her full attention to things.

An hour and a half later, Alison raised a hand to call the session to an end, breathing evenly as she peeled off her arm guards. "You're angry," she finally said simply while unwinding the tape from her hands, the first words she'd spoken since Marie had entered the room.

Marie gave her a sideways look. "No shit, Sherlock," she snapped. "Didn't know you'd been reading psych texts." She was stripping away her gear with short motions but stopped when she was down to her chin to ankle bodysuit. "Is this personal or is this some kind of scouting mission?" She leaned against a locker, feigning relaxation.

"Been taking psych with the Professor actually," was the chuckled reply. Alison sat down on one of the benches and planted one foot firmly on the locker facing her, starting to tug on the leg guards. "Personal. I've barely seen or heard you, or of you for that matter, in the last... six weeks or so?" She paused, thinking that over. "Longer even. At first I did figure it was the studying."

She stopped tugging at one of the straps, clearly considering doing something permanent and fatal to it from the gleam in her eyes. "But then... I got concerned." She shook her head, and gave Marie a rueful smile. "And I'm trying not to pry. But it's hard to say 'I'm worried' without it coming across as just that on some levels, I guess." She tugged one last time at the strap, then sighed and turned a faintly pleading look towards Marie. "Help?"

Marie approached and crouched down to get a grip on the strap. "And now you want me to believe you can't undress yourself?" She shook her head and gave the strap a sharp twist, popping it loose. "Yeah, shit's wrong, okay?" She stood up, tossing her braided hair back. "But unless I'm endangering a team or crashing out academically or being harmful to another student with my behaviour, I'm not obliged to talk about it. Right?"

She leaned on the lockers again and stared up at the lights, reaching for a concession to give Alison to repay her concern somehow. "Look, you and the others can play 'normal' all you like, but I'm just not up to it. I'm not even sure this is where I want to be some days, whether this is right for me, but it's all I have. I'm making do. That's all."

"No, you're not obliged to talk about it. Certainly not with me, anyway," she nodded, worry sharper than ever, although the edge of it remained well hidden for now. "Saying I'm here if you need anything's not much in the grand scheme of things I guess, but it's all I have really. So yeah. That. And... er, can I ask you a favour?" she finished weakly, changing the subject while sliding a wry look towards Marie.

Marie sighed and shook her head. Meddling from anyone was the last thing that she needed right now when she was managing to hold things together. "You may do something for my own good in the guise of asking me a favour, Alison, but it's really not necessary." She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Alison with an arch expression. "I can't wait to hear what I can do for you." The moves were all classic. Include, absorb, assimilate; it was all typical mechanics to get someone back in step with the good old team. Quite the leadership skill, that.

"Lorna needs a sparring partner. I've been threatened with death by repeated spoon stabbing if I try to add her to my training schedule." Alison shrugged, ignoring the sarcastic look Marie was giving her - it wasn't entirely undeserved, after all. But if it at least kept Marie connected to someone in a sense, it was worth a try. "I don't know if doing that to you is a favour really," she added as an afterthought.

Trapped like a rat, and being watched as curiously. She sighed. "We'll see how it goes. Once in a while. She can come find me when she wants to try it." She pushed away from the lockers. "I've got to get back to those articles. Look, I'm sorry if I'm not being perky like some of the crew or angsting in public like the rest. I don't mean to be rude, but I don't need fixing by you or anyone else. I just need to get my work done."

"Fair enough," was the simple reply. "I'll let you and Lorna work things out as you prefer." Repressing the urge to say 'Talk to you later' or 'Take care of yourself', Alison just nodded a last time while smiling faintly. She returned her attention to peeling off the rest of the gear, giving Marie a way to leave gracefully.

Marie stalked back to her room, wearing her 'Don't talk to me' expression. The weeks had perfected it. Her irritation with Alison's interference was almost overwhelming, but she stifled it and tried to focus on the work ahead for the week.