ooc: Just an FYI that I'm posting for Flloyd over the phone , lol. So if his following post or two seem a little out of his usual style it's my fault ... He's just tellin me a general of what he wants to happen.

ic:
Raina sat staring blankly at the computer screen, the text of her distance education course staring back with a fuzzy neon glow. She was hunched over in her computer chair with a pencil behind her ear and a paperclip in her teeth. Nothing from the screen was sinking in. She stretched her arms and took a look about her room.

She had it mostly restored and then some- adding a few decorative motifs compared to before. She was thankful to pick up on the school's wireless internet signal and get back online for her university classes. She needed to finish these summer courses so she could officially be a music teacher for the school. Somehow the theories of Piaget and Marx just weren't keeping her attention today.

Her hand inched back to the mouse and closing her school window she opened another to a search engion and started pulling up the many sites she'd been obsessed with the past few days:
Mutations cured
Special treatment
Woman cured of dangerous power

She'd been researching a few doctors as much as she could in the evenings when her online class was finished. Finding a particular local article very interesting she suddenly found herself rather absorbed.

Flloyd found his way bumbling through the school after Naveed had dropped him off and given him sketchy directions on where to find her room. He thought he would stand out more than he did but it seemed many new mutants had taken up residence so he appeared to be nothing more than a new student/resident. This didn't stop him from being hit with every person's fear as he stalked the hallway.

Looking at the crudley drawn map on a paper napkin delivered by Navi Flloyd was finally able to see Raina's door. It was ajar and the light from the computer screen spilled out into the floor. He gave a knock on it "Hello?" without waiting he pushed it open and walked in. "Hi Raina." he said peering over her shoulder to see what she was looking at. "What are you doing? Naveed said it might be a good time to visit but if you're busy I'll come back later."

Raina jumped in her chair when she heard a greeting and accidently caught Flloyd in the chin since he was looking over her shoulder. "Flloyd!" she exclaimed spinning around in her chair closing the windows as quickly and non-suspiciously as she could. "I'm sorry." she touched his chin. "You shouldn't be snooping on me you goof." she stood up from the chair and offered it to him then crashed into a sitting position on her bed.

"Yeah, you can visit now. I was just finishing my course. I'm a little tired, but I miss you guys I don't mind a visit." she shuffled around a little bit of her mess from her bed onto the floor and then under it again with a sheepish grin. "What's up?"

It worked in his favour that Raina accidently smacked him in the chin. It was at that moment that he saw what she was looking at on the computer and was hit with her fear all at once. She obviously mistook the look on his face for pain and currently that was alright with him. He felt like he was indeed snooping when he saw people's fears... but he couldn't help it most of the time.

"Honestly your brother sent me to check up on you. He just didn't want to seem like a brute always following you." he answered her fake rubbing his chin trying to get the look of shock off his face. "Of course, I always want to see you too. We miss you Raina. I'm glad you feel like you have a place to belong here. But we miss you too. How have things been?" he wanted to reach out and push her hair out of her face. He knew what was going on inside her head. With some careful planning he might get it out of her yet.

"Sounds like Navi." she said with a sigh. "Good 'ol Navi. Good thing he's my brother or he might be a stalker." Stalker. That word hung in the air for a moment. It had a darker sinister tone to it now. A different meaning.
"Anyway..." she shook her head the clear her thoughts noticing the look on Flloyd's face. "Wow, hit you that hard eh? Sorry." She giggled. "I miss you guys too." she admitted. "...and you can visit me here anytime you like but I do have some good news for you..." she pulled out her citizenship card. "Look, I got my visa." she grinned from ear to ear.
"The new assistant headmistress got me a few jobs here. I'll get paid and have something to do and a way to legally stay here at least for another year. You guys are allowed in whenever you like but you'll have to go on record about your mutation for you know.. safety reasons... But I'm really excited and happy. AND I even made a new friend in the park because I was SINGING. How do you like them apples?" she laughed poking him in the chest.

Flloyd grinned from ear to ear when Raina showed him her visa. "That's excellent" he praised. "I'm very proud of you." he touched the spot on his chest where she had just poked him. "You'll make an excellent teacher and I'm glad you're not shying away from your singing but I'll admit there's been something on my mind and though I'd hate to admit to snooping your fears were hitting me like cinder-blocks when I walked in the room." He looked embarrassingly away and pulled at the hair behind his ears. "I may have seen what you were looking at online as well." he looked up at her with a concerned look. "Raina, are you planning to try and get rid of your mutation?"

He tried to wait calmly for her to speak though he already knew what he answer would be.

Raina beamed with pride while Flloyd praised her and put her visa safely back in her bag. Neena had helped her file all the papers but Raina still felt rather naked if she didn't carry the card around with her- like someone might question her at any moment. Her body froze however when Flloyd jumped topics and started seemingly reading her mind. Not reading my mind she thought reading my fears . She blushed a little and looked down at the ground. It felt even worse when he admitted to knowing what he did, and to seeing what was on the computer screen. She felt uncomfortable having him say it so boldly like that.

"Yes." what else could she say? He already knew the truth. "But it's not like you think. I've been reseaching and..." she searched feebly for words. "Oh Flloyd, i've got to try..." her face was burning and her hands were shaking.

"Not what I think?" he questioned angrily balling his hands into fists trying to control the tone of his voice. "Oh I think it's exactly what I think." he pressed. "You're still in love with that damned Cop." he was jealous- he knew it. "You shouldn't have to change yourself for anyone Raina don't you see that? Especially the person you're in love with! What's the point of love if it's full of those types of conditions. Real love... real love is unconditional Raina. Can't you see that?"

He stood up and paced around the room feeling angry and awkward. His power was temporarily heightened from the stress and he was now reading her fear much more specifically and realistically then he ever cared to. "Why can't you be happy with who you are?" he demanded.

"Still in love with the damned cop" parroted Raina. "Of course I'm still in love with the damned cop" she growled frustratingly. "Did you ever stop to think there might be other reasons why I don't want to be a mutant? Maybe something along the lines of the camps!" she yelled now standing up from her bed and staring at him. "Or maybe I don't want to be a freak?! Dealing with ice call was hard enough but now I get to have my legs painfully turn to jelly whenever I get wet! Any kind of wet! I can barely drink OJ in the morning or even sweat!" she was on the verge of tears again and in the back of her mind hoped that nobody heard her yelling outside in the hall. Flloyd was all she could deal with right now... no one else.

"Love love love. Someone to love me for who I am." she ranted. "you mean you ? you could do a better job Flloyd?! You could make me happy to be a mutant? Because I highly doubt that. "

She kicked her door shut and stomped around the room anyway. "Why don't you just come out and say it and stop dancing around it. You just want me for yourself."

Flloyd listened to her talk of all the reasons why she didn't want to be a mutant. He knew they were partially true- but every mutant even the proudest had moments of fear like this. He simply knew Raina better to know how she was really feeling. He knew this was about Rupert Kelly. He knew it was always about Rupert Kelly.

"you mean you ? you could do a better job Flloyd?! You could make me happy to be a mutant? Because I highly doubt that. " She yelled at him. Flloyd stiffened up.

"Given the chance, Yes. Yes I think I could Raina." and with that he forcefully pushed her against her wall and looked down at her. "Regardless of what I think this is about Raina- you brought up the camps yourself and this is likely to be caused by post-traumatic stress. "His eyes bore down at her. "You can't go making impulsive decisions like this. This isn't like dying your hair or getting a piercing. It's irreversible. It's dangerous. I don't care how much 'research' you've done if it hasn't reached mainstream public I highly doubt anything you find is legit. I don't want to see you die Raina, over a deadbeat cop."

""Why don't you just come out and say it and stop dancing around it. You just want me for yourself."

"Because I don't have to. And never will." he answered. "Because unlike Rupert Kelly... You know that I love you Raina. You know without a doubt that I love you." he let his face hang very close to hers when he said this. He practically whispered it directly into her ear. "I love you... and I wont give up on you. Even if you're being irrational and crazy. I wont give up on you for that, for being a mutant, for being young and naive... not anything."

Raina was actually a little shocked that Flloyd openly admitted to his feelings and intentions. Of course, she'd always know or at the very least suspected. She just never thought he'd say it.

She let out a whimper when he pushed her against the wall expecting violence but realized she'd been shaking so bad and moving so much that this was an effort to still her and calm her down. She really did feel calmer by the movement and even the touch of Flloyds skin-so warm- made her relax enough to listen to what he said while his lips lingered too close.

"I wont die." she responded. "Regardless of what you think about Rupert and I... I do have other reasons for living." she made no effort to look at him or move his arms away. "I want to see these kids live in a safe world." she said qith a qwivering voice. "I'm here with Neena and the others to help them feel safe. It'll always be my priority. But this is my life Flloyd. Not yours. I owe it to myself to investigate these possibilities if I think they will make me truley happy." she stared up at him now. Gray eyes meeting his deep oceans of blue ones. Her bottom lip trembled a bit. He was so close and she was so tired and in need of love. Just a little affirmation, a scrap of a touch, anything.

He regretted pushing her against the wall almost instantly knowing it would be mistook for violence but when she calmed down a bit he let his arms stay there. He watched her as she spoke avoiding his stare and eventually meeting it. She'd made up her mind then. She'd made her point. He let his arms drop.

"Despite what you may think I do understand" he told her. "I wake up every night with dreams that belong to everyone else. Not dreams. Nightmares. I see everyone's fears. I don't even know what my own are. I'd give anything I think to have it gone as well. But my sweet Raina you know there's a higher power. If it's the Gods of our tribe or the God of the Christian world or some other... we can't be sure but we know it's there. We've both felt it. I know I was chosen for this... just like you were."

He wrapped his arms around her in a hug now and held her tight. "Just do me a favour Raina. Keep researching. Keep really researching. Promise me if you make a decision you'll tell me. And please... please talk to some of your friends about it. Maybe someone you think will understand? You can't make a decision this big on your own. I know it's all your body and your right.... but it's like you said; you have responsibilities to the kids here. You can't let 'em down."

He savored the moment rubbing her back to keep her warm and calm and taking in the scent of her hair. His heart was pounding as if this were a lovers embrace and for the moment he let it be fooled.

Raina wasn't sure if she was relieved or saddened when he moved his hands and face away from hers. She took big breaths and tried very hard to listen to what he said. She knew it was selfish of her to think she had the market cornered on mutant suffering. Not when so many others had powers so much worse than hers.

She was pushed to shock again when Flloyd wrapped his arms around her but instead of fighting it she sunk in to it. She seriously wondered sometimes if he was joshing her about his mutation all along and he was really a telepath... but deep inside she knew Flloyd just knew her inside out and better than most. She needed this piece of attention, this warmth, this touch. She needed it badley and she hung on with her face burried in his chest while he spoke. He was right about everything of course and she muffled out a "Yes" from her hiding spot. "I promise. I promise everything. I'll do my best."

"That's my girl. That's my Raina." he said holding her tighter still and rocking back and forth a bit as if dancing in the center of her room. "You're going to make a great teacher. But I know you can't help anyone else until you've helped yourself. Even a big dummy like me knows that." he said pulling his head away to smile down at her sad face. He brushed her hair out of her eyes and kissed her forehead. Sure he was probably coming off a little father-like right now especially with the age difference... but that would probably be easier for her to take. He wouldn't take advantage of this situation and she needed to know that... but he also wasn't going to give it up. This was one moment Rupert Kelly wouldn't worm his way into.

He started thinking about the cop. He knew that Naveed knew where he lived. Maybe he'd pay the guy a visit. Reason with him. Ask him to tell Raina that she shouldn't change herself. If he didn't love her it shouldn't be any problem. He knew she'd been rejected which dumbfounded him even more as to why she continued perusing. Then again he thought of his own situation and a grin fell on his lips.

"If only this Rupert knew how lucky he is." he said to her letting go. "He missed out on so much." he straightened up his shirt and picked up his bike helmet from off the floor. "I'll be seeing you kiddo." he said with a devious smile. "Don't be a stranger." he turned and exited the room to leave her with her thoughts.

It felt good to be rocked like this - like they were tiny dancers in a music box without any music. She guiltily allowed herself to imagine it was Rupert holding her like this but when Flloyd looked down at her his face really was comforting. He kissed her forhead and the skin burned. She wasn't sure why Flloyd always made her feel so warm either. His mutation never had anything to do with heat and even around mutants like Ali Raina's skin would still feel cold to the touch. She wasn't a big fan of heat but there was always something so welcoming about Flloyd. She was glad they were ok again. She might not admit it to them but she really needed Flloyd and Naveed. More than they knew.

Flloyd spoke a bit more and Raina drifted in and out of the conversation. She was focusing on how it felt to be held like this and be warm. Raina was such an affectionate person and hadn't seen anything even friendly since Rupert shot her. It wasn't like the guards at the camps were handing out hugs. She didn't want to let go she was even debating asking him to stay so she could try and sleep but soon he let go and bid her goodnight,

When she was alone in her room she sat on her bed a moment thinking. Then she moved to the computer and flicked it on.

END