Log: Manny and Jubilee

[x-jubilee.livejournal.com]

Who: Manual De La Rocha, Jubilation Lee
When: Tuesday, October 19th, 2004 8:30pm
What Happens: Jubilee and Manny spend time looking at the stars. Manny asks her to help him train.
Song: Fragile by Sting


Jubilee had changed into a pair of Dolce and Gabana jeans and light yellow t-shirt. The jeans had been a present from Monet during their shopping spree in Paris but the top was an old favourite. Her ever present yellow jacket was spread over the grass below her head and she was using it as a makeshift pillow as she lay back and gazed at the stars. She'd decided on a spot not far from the front of the house, deciding it would be easier to see the stars from there.

Finding Jubilee was never difficult, and tonight even less so than usual. Manuel had taken the time to change into quite ordinary, if well-made, blue jeans and a simple black button-down. He plopped down next to her on his back and stared up at the sky. "You know, it still doesn't look quite right to me?" he said.

Jubilee turned her head, a bright smile evident. "The stars?"

She looked back up at the sky, noticing the star that was really the planet Jupiter. It really was the most perfect of nights. Clearest sky she'd seen this near civilization in a very long time and the weather had turned the night pleasantly warm.

Manuel nodded, even though Jubilee couldn't really see him that well. "Yeah. I got used to the sky over Europe. This is - different. Not better, not worse, just different." he said as he streeeeeeeetched himself out like a cat.

Jubilee nodded, watching him appreciatively as he stretched. Even if she couldn't particularly see him all that well right now, she could use her imagination. "One of these days, I'm going to see those different stars. So totally not going to spend the rest of my life in the US of A. When you were a kid, did you ever wonder what you were going to be like when you were the age we are now?"

Manuel shook his head. "No. I always knew, from when I was very small, what I would do when I was older. Alphonso groomed me very carefully to take over the family businesses when I was fully-grown. Hence the fencing, the dancing, the multiple business trips all over the Continent, the opera, the ballet, all of it. All to produce the de la Rocha heir." He seemed saddened by all of this, and quickly fell into a pensive silence. He broke it after a few moments by asking "How about you? Any ideas what you wanted to be when you were older?"

Jubilee smiled wistfully. "An artist, I think. Not the painting kind though. My mother was a gymnast and then a pianist when she got too old to be the other. When I was a kid, I wanted to be just like her when I got older. She was so elegant, moreso then I'll ever be. I remember watching her put on makeup when I was very little and begging for her to show me how."

She turned her head back to the stars, a single small tear tracing its way down the side of her face.

Manuel spotted the tear, and gently reached over to wipe it away with a fingertip. "My mother was a dancer. I didn't know much about her - she was common, lower class. But I know that my father slowly wore her away and destroyed her. Take strength from your memories - at least you have them."

She smiled wistfully, leaning into his touch for a second before pulling away. "I always wanted to learn to dance. Just never much had the time. You ever have a memory that was so strong that it was both painful and joyful at the same time? That's what the memories of my parents are. I love that I have them but it reminds me of what I lost too. I'd give everything to just have 'em back, even for a day. And it's always there, no matter how much progress I make with Samson. I miss them so fuckin' much, Manny. All the time."

"Dance isn't that hard? You've got good flexibility and you can memorize a pattern of moves in series. That's all dance is, at its core. I could teach you, no sweat. And you should miss them. They're your PARENTS. Best way to honor their memory, in my mind anyway, is to live as they would have liked for you to live."

"You'd teach me? I think I'd like that. As to livin' my life. Well, I think they'd be proud of me bein' in a place like this. A good place with people who care about helpin' the world. Don't know if they'd have cared for what I did before though. Hustlin' people probably wasn't what my Dad had in mind for his little girl."

Jubilee sat up, curling her arms around her knees as she pulled them up to her chest. "I was always surprised at how gullible people could be. Especially when you're some kid in pigtails with a bright smile."

Manuel shrugged. "You _survived_. You got by. You're here, now. They'll look onto you from the Other Side and smile. I can practically guarantee it." he said with a relaxed smile.

"Maybe. I could do better though. I'm tryin' to do better. Keep messin' up, sometimes I think it's cause I don't quite believe in this place. I've never been one for the easy road, just seems to damn good to be true, ya know? Gotta be a catch somewhere, sometime."

"Believe me, I know all about looking for the catch in offers too good to be true." he said ruefully. "But as good as this is, I don't think there's a catch - unless you regard working towards becoming a better person a catch." His voice went flat and repressed on that last bit.

"I'd like to be a better person." she replied wistfully.

She finally noticed the tone in his voice and looked over at him, trying to see his expression in the darkness. "Manny? What's wrong?"

Manuel shrugged as best he could while laying flat on his back. "I am... struggling ... with precisely that problem. Becoming a better person. It is not going very well. I want to learn how to use my power to help people, but I can't. I can't practice, and if I can't practice, there's no way I can learn."

She frowned, looking down at him in concern. "What about Xavier or Moira? Have you asked them for help? Dude, I don't know all that much about Empathy powers but if anyone could help you practice, I'm sure those two could."

Manuel nodded. "I have, both of them. Moira can help with the biology of it, but she's not a psi. She can't tell me how to read the threads, or what the colors mean without feeling the feeling myself. As for Xavier - he is ostensibly teaching me, but all we do is sit and talk. Not good enough! I need to learn how to project. I need to _soon_."

"Dude, Chuck's a damn smart guy. If all you're doin' is sittin' and talking, maybe that's what you should be doin'. It's not good to push yourself too fast. Manny, I so don't wanna see you put yourself in the Medlab cause you did somethin' you weren't ready for. You sure this projection thing is that important?"

Manuel nodded. "Yes." he said without any hesitation. "Too many important things ride on my ability to project as well as receive. And I'm sure Xavier means well, but his pace is _too slow_. I know I have the power to project - I've pushed feelings into entire concert-halls before - but what I lack is finesse and skill. I can't do it on my own!"

She was taken aback by the urgency in his voice, yet he seemed perfectly calm outwardly. That wasn't surprising with Manny's power though. It worried her, if he wanted it this badly he might do something stupid, something that could get him hurt.

"What do you need?" she asked softly.

"I need someone who trusts me enough to allow me to practice upon them. I'd use Amanda - she trusts me well enough, but the link skews things. She's out an as option. And there are few here who trust me at all, let alone with something of this magnitude." he said with frustration starting to leak into his voice. "And no one believes me when I tell them that it won't necessarily be just the bad emotions. I can bring joy, happiness, confidence, that sort of thing just as easily as lust or fear or anger."

Jubilee sat in silence for awhile, thinking about what Manny had just revealed. She trusted him, he'd never yet used his power on her without her asking him to that she knew of. She wanted to help him, would have offered in an instant if it wasn't for the fact that it would get him killed.
>
"I trust you." she said simply before she pushed her power outward and watched a small shower of fireworks burst over their heads. "But I'm dangerous. You ever wonder why I spark when I'm angry? It's cause my control of this, is directly linked to how I'm feelin'. A slip up with me wouldn't be you gettin' a little headache, ya know?"

Manuel nodded. "I know." he said quietly. "That's why I didn't want to ask you right away - I wanted to find another way. But I am getting desperate, and I find that I am left with no choice. Will you do this for me? I think I can work around the possibility of plasma death."

She wanted to say no, she was scared to death of what might happen if she lost control. She also knew Xavier had to have a good reason why he hadn't chosen to teach Manny projecting yet. But he was her friend and he was asking for her help. It wasn't something she could refuse easily and then it came to her, a way of saying no without seeming to. And if he did manage to convince Amanda, well, at least she wouldn't need to worry about him getting hurt.

"Okay, I'll help you. One condition though. Amanda has to be there. She can shield against my powers. So, if somethin' goes wrong, she'll be able to protect you both. That's my condition, Manny."

Manuel frowned. "I'll see what I can do." he said, and left it at that. "It really is a very pretty night. And there's no one else around..." he said with just the slightest hint of insinuation.

She laughed but moved closer to him, running a hand up one of his arms. "You, are incorrigible." she replied.