ArchivedLogs:Travel Plans

Travel Plans
Hopefully with less flames
Dramatis Personae Aloke, Mallory	2014-01-18 Future plans are discussed, some including travel.
Location <XS> Aloke and Mallory's Room - FL3
This is a couple's suite at Xavier's. A little more expansive than the basic teacher's rooms, this suite includes a living room, a larger bedroom, and a decent-sized private bathroom, as well as a small study. The living room has been made into a fairly cozy entertaining space. Just inside the door is a small side table set by itself in a relatively prominent position in the room, where one could easily visit either on the way in, or out. A skilled, hand-painted, 8x10 image of Lakshmi sits on the table, leaning against the wall. Just in front of the painting is a shallow, silver bowl of water with white and yellow flower petals floating on the surface. The bowl is flanked a pair of white candles. The living room sports a large, soft L-bend couch in a dark gray color. A simple coffee table, often dotted with papers waiting to be graded, sits at just about knee hight in front of the couch. The couch presents comfortable seating facing a good-sized flat screen TV mounted to the wall. Flanking the TV, and then covering most of the walls not taken up with hanging art or /doorways/ are bookshelves filled with a huge collection of neatly arranged books. The collection is perhaps a bit over organized, sorted first by genre, then by author, and then series - it screams A Librarian Did This. Among the books, in the occasional empty spaces are little trinkets and knick-knacks that add a touch of personality to the otherwise obsessively organized shelves. At the back of the living room is a well-appointed kitchenette. It doesn't have an actual oven, but it does have a couple of stove top burners, a small refrigerator with a microwave mounted above it, and sink. A round, polished wood table with two open back chairs make for a cozy little dining area; an old, worn looking teapot sits in the center, a small African violet growing happily in it - one sprout has even ventured out the spout to bloom in cheery purple. The fridge is often adorned with some of Aloke's favorite student work, usually a printout from a digital photograph of the work. Occasionally, a particularly good essay or poem from one of Mallory's students is tacked to the door as well. The study is in an alcove at the other corner of the living room, opposite the kitchenette. It looks like it would be big enough to host a nice desk and chair, but is instead lined with more neatly arranged bookshelves, and a collection of nice quality easels and art supplies. The only seating in the study is a big, gray rubber yoga ball. Another door leads off to the sizable bedroom, neatly kept and decorated in dark neutral colors occasionally interrupted with a contrasting flash of brilliant color. Sturdy, simple furniture in a medium walnut tone make up the bedroom set, a pair of matching dressers and a king size bed flanked by two nightstands. Ashy gray satin sheets are topped with an extra fluffy, near-black comforter; a reversible duvet is folded at the foot of the bed, the visible side a cool silver-blue, the hidden side a myriad of brilliant colors in a paisley design. A variety of throw pillows in cheery colors break up the darkness of the bed set, some occasionally being tossed onto the cream colored fainting couch beneath the window. Soft gray curtains, which look thick enough to be black-out curtains, frame the window, though more often than not they are pulled back to let sunlight through the thin white sheers beneath. Saturday afternoon at Xavier’s comes with a pleasant quiet on this cold January day; most residents are pursuing quieter activities, or have left campus entirely to enjoy the three day weekend elsewhere. The soft clack of hooves against the hardwood floor of the hallway precede Mallory’s entrance into the shared suite of rooms. It sounds as though she walked past the new room at first before the scrape of the key in the lock is finally heard. She could not be stealthy if she tried, though she is not particularly trying right now. Mallory leans against the door to close it behind her, her attention focused entirely on a packet of papers held in one hand. She is dressed casually today, wearing a simple pair of dark jeans and a loose fitting tunic top in a chocolatey brown color. Long hair is pulled back into a loose braid that hangs nearly to the base of her tail, accentuating the curl of the horns on either side of her head. The short sleeves of the tunic do not cover the small wad of gauze and medical tape in the crook of her elbow, stark white against her red skin. The librarian is more than just a little bit distracted as she makes her way into the room, her eyes finally glancing up from the paperwork in her hands once she needs to navigate the still unfamiliar room layout as she heads towards the kitchenette at the back. "Welcome home, honey," Aloke says with a sardonic grin. He's wearing plaid, blue PJ pants and a white t-shirt, without any makeup or any other effort to hide his glowing skin, though he's somewhat dimmer today than usual. He's also standing in the kitchenette, already holding two glasses of red wine. "Well, I guess I can't just have both of these now. Here, you better take one." He grins, and holds out a glass, finally focusing on Mallory's work. "I hope you're not working too hard. It's Saturday, and we don't have classes again until Tuesday. Like my no one ever said, 'Never do today what can be put off until tomorrow'." He nods sagely before sipping from his wine, causing it to glimmer ruby red in his glass. “Honey, I’m home,” Mallory chuckles lightly, responding perhaps a touch out of order on the greeting, continuing into the kitchenette to greet Aloke. She leans in for a kiss, still leaving him holding both wine glasses for the time being. “Have you just been standing there looking handsome and /waiting/ for me to get back?” Mallory asks with a pleased smile, accepting the offered glass of wine gingerly, holding it by the stem to avoid warming it too much. Lifting the glass to her lips, she smiles at the shimmering of Aloke’s wine, and makes a quiet ‘hmm’ sound at the question about work. “Not actually work,” she responds at last, waving the packet of papers demonstratively, sighing softly and eyeing the papers with distaste. “Been talking to Hank about, uh, well, possibly running some tests. For me. In the Danger Room,” she says, a bit hesitantly, leaning against the counter and swirling the wine idly in the glass, “He needed me to answer some more in depth questions. Apparently a great deal of in depth questions.” Mallory sighs and glances curiously at Aloke, taking another dainty sip of her wine, taking in the dimmer than normal glow, but perhaps hesitating to ask. "Well, I was standing here pouring one glass, but, I kinda heard you coming." Aloke grins, the light in his eyes just as bright as ever. He plants a peck on her lips as if apologizing for being able to hear her coming, and shrugs. "I'm glad you're working with Hank though, good for you. Although, in the interest of full disclosure…" Aloke clears his throat and glances at the window for a moment, and then back to Mallory. "I've actually been doing some testing with him too. I kept meaning to tell you, but I didn't want you to worry. However!" Aloke holds his free hand up, trying to forestall any worry. "We've had two fully successful tests, and /zero/ accidents. I was going to tell you after the third, but well…" He gestures around the room, and shrugs. "We're… /really/ together now. /Living/ together, I mean. I figure, you deserve to know certain things. I'm so-s'pologize for not telling you before." Mallory snorts and grins at the fact that he heard her coming, “Oh, that. Right. My stealth rating is pitiful. Especially in the mansion. Damnable hardwood flooring.” She nods, dropping the packet of papers onto the counter with a solid ‘thunk’, “Thomas and Hank have both agreed to help with this. Thomas because he knows enough about his own transformation, and he’s the only translator I have for when I’m…” trailing off and waving her wine glass in exasperation as though that completed the statement. She is midway through another sip of wine when Aloke mentions that he and Hank have been testing, repeatedly; she makes a shocked choking noise, lowering the glass and coughing quietly to clear her sinuses. A worried frown creases her features as she looks over him, as though not quite believing what he is saying about the safety of whatever testing was done. There is a protracted silence from her as she stares into her wine, gathering her thoughts, taking several deep breaths before finally speaking, “Testing what, if I may ask?” The words are obviously carefully chosen, but she doesn’t quite manage to keep the hurt tone entirely out of the question. Aloke nods at Mallory's explanation of her own test procedure, furrowing his brow slightly until he puts together her telepathic connection with her brother. He's seen first hand what her other form looks like, and can probably imagine how difficult it is for someone to speak in such a state. He takes a deep breath, obviously aware of the extent to which he has stuck his foot in things when Mallory reacts. "Mallory… you know I've been afraid to use my… travel ability. Ever since the accident." Aloke pauses, running his fingers through his hair, brushing past the gray at his temples. His expression, his sadness at having hurt Mallory makes him look older than ever, the crows feet at the corner of his eyes growing deeper. "But. But it's really - it might one day be our best bet to get away from a bad situation. Or," he glances out the window again. "Or for you to meet my parents. In India. I just… living /without/ this ability for these last months… it's been like, I mean I can only imagine, but it feels like a part of me was amputated. Just /walking/ everywhere is…" He sighs and looks down, his voice suddenly shaky, and moisture in the corner of his eyes. "I never realized how much I used it." He sniffs and sets his glass down before leaning back against the kitchenette counter top. "Actually, it's not like an amputation," Aloke says, staring at floor. "It's like someone came along and said, 'hey, don't use your hands, for /anything/. Or you'll die.' But they're still there. They're /right/ there, on the end of your arms. But you're terrified to use them…" He trails off again. Mallory’s expression softens considerably as Aloke begins to speak, her mouth falling open as she listens. When he sniffles, she sets her glass on the countertop and just silently moves forward to wrap him in a comforting hug, keeping him close to her while listening. “I know,” she says quietly, when he is finished speaking, resting her head against his shoulder, “I’m glad that you’re working with Hank on this, I am, truly.” Her tone is careful, but sincere, as she speaks, still keeping her arms loosely around him unless he tries to step away, “You could have told me about it, though. I would have worried, yes, but… I’m happy for you, that you’re trying again, in a safe environment. But I would have appreciated it if you had let me know.” The hug tightens momentarily, as though she is afraid he will just vanish in front of her, “I was there when the accident happened. I… I still remember you, reaching out to me for help before…” She takes a deep breath, and forces herself to loosen her grip, at least enough to let him breathe, “Hank never told you, I don’t think. I came by, every day, to check on you, to sit with you, before you woke up.” Her voice breaks, and her cheeks grow warm at this admission as she keeps her face pressed against his shoulder, “It would be worse, now. Not getting to see you again, never being able to talk to you again. Not knowing why it happened, or what had gone wrong, if something did happen.” Another deep breath, “I worry about you. That’s what people do when they love someone. They worry. But keeping this from me? It would have made anything that went wrong that much more unbearable. “I cannot say I know how that feels, precisely,” she admits quietly, relaxing her hug so that her hands rest at the small of his back, “Not in that way, anyway. But it sounds like torture.” Mallory looks him in the eyes at last, leaning forward to offer a gentle, lingering kiss. “Being terrified of a part of yourself? Of the potential consequences? That… that I understand,” she says with a breaking voice, shivering despite her considerable warmth, her eyes closing tightly, “Mine is always there. Like a whispering voice, asking to be let out. Reminding me of just how fragile and flammable everything is. Reminding me of what I can do, what I have done.” Mallory meets his gaze again, the warm light in her eyes flickering and smoldering like dying coals in a fire, "We have said we can talk about anything. I'll be here. Whenever you need me. Always.” Aloke is silent at first, looking down at her shoulder while Mallory begins, and then he lifts his eyes again when she talks about coming to visit him in the medical center every day. "Damn… No, Hank never mentioned it. I had no idea." He holds her gaze for a long moment, and then pulls her close when she goes to hold on to him. "I should have told you, I know. {I'm sorry,} I wish I had done that differently. There are no more secrets, I promise." He lets her pull away a bit when she loosens her hold on him, but keeps his hands on her waist. He's just pulling himself together when Mallory reveals she can indeed relate to his sense of loss. His face falls, and he looks up to stare at the ceiling briefly, obviously frustrated with himself. He keeps one hand on her hip and runs his other hand through his hair when he's able to meet her gaze again. "Oh my god, I'm such an idiot. I can't believe how insensitive that was. Of /course/ you get it. {I'm so sorry}," he says, shame burning in his eyes. "I've been so wrapped in up in my own head, I didn't stop to think… On so many levels." He sighs, and tries to hold Mallory's gaze again, but is clearly embarrassed. "Can you forgive your boyfriend such thoughtlessness?" “Promise?” Mallory finally asks, after remaining quiet for several long moments, maintaining her hold on Aloke throughout his apology. She leans forward to plant a warm kiss on his forehead, her eyes closing, “We are both still learning with this relationship. I don’t think either of us has, ah, exactly had much experience with this sort of thing.” At the repeated apologies, she kisses his temple, and then his cheeks, finally holding his gaze, “Apology accepted. I am just quite glad that you have had success with your testing. And that you are safe.” She pulls him close again in a fierce hug, whispering into his shoulder, “I love you. The thought of losing you and not being able to say good-bye scares me more than anything.” She sniffles quietly, nuzzling into his neck for a moment and composing herself before releasing her tight hold on him to just look at him intently. “I had actually been wanting to ask, well, if you would be there, with the testing,” Mallory asks, quietly, dropping her gaze, faltering over her words, “F...for me.” Picking up her wine once again to take a shaking sip, Mallory glances at the paperwork abandoned on the counter. “I completely understand if you would rather not. You have seen w… what I am,” she says, looking down into her wine glass, “But, um, I… I’m more than just a little bit nervous about actually doing this, willingly. I would appreciate you being there, but I really do understand if you do not want to.” She cradles the wine in one hand, while the other runs anxiously along the curl of a horn as she looks downward; the nervous, fidgeting actions make Mallory look quite young in comparison to her normal confidence and posturing. Aloke lets out a long, slow breath and leans his forehead gently against Mallory's when she accepts his apology. "I love you too, Mallo. I don't know what I did to deserve someone as amazing as you, but I'm glad for it." He holds her close for another long moment and then watches her intently when she pulls away to say more. He nods at her request and smiles. "I will definitely be there for you. I wouldn't miss it for anything. And yeah, I've seen what you can do, but Mallo… that's not /who/ you are. And you're definitely not a 'what'. That's right. I'm pulling grammar on you. I know how you feel about your mutation. I get it. But you're not any kind of monster, love. You're my Mallo." He picks up his wine and gently clinks it against her glass. "Wild horses couldn't keep me away. And with any luck, I'm hoping we'll eventually be able to practice with me taking you in my travel form. On /purpose/ this time. Uh, taking you /with/ me, I mean." Aloke clears his throat and sips from his wine to cover the potential awkward moment. Taking a sip of her wine and smirking, Mallory eyes Aloke, “If I remember correctly, it was asking for help on a research project that started all this. So - a burning academic curiosity?” The impish smirk at the terrible joke about their first encounter comes with a nervous chuckle. A blush starts to color her cheeks, and she glances down into her wine again when he chides her for putting herself down. She starts to open her mouth to protest, but closes it again and smiles nervously, “Thank you, my love. For that.” A hand reaches out to take his hand, squeezing it for reassurance that he’s still there, and real, “You remind me that I’m more than the sum of my mutations. That I’m human.” Mallory arches an eyebrow at the ‘taking’ comment, chuckling quietly and hiding the deepening blush behind another long pull of wine. “I’m not sure quite how /that/ would work,” she says quietly with an impish grin, eyes twinkling mischievously, “But the whole purpose behind these tests is to be able to safely travel with you. That’s the hope, anyway.” A nervous expression crosses her features as she remembers something from earlier, and she glances to Aloke again, “Ah, India? Are… are they not intending to return to New York?” Aloke smiles as well and nods at the accusation of his 'burning curiosity'. He squeezes her hand when she takes his, and then leads them both over to their big new couch to sit, making room for her to sit 'side-saddle' to allow for her tail. "We're all human. It's hard to remember sometimes, the way some people want to quantify and classify us. But deep down, that's all any of us are. We just… come in more flavors now." He smiles and sips his wine and seems equally embarrassed by his foot-in-mouth comment. "Yeah, hopefully we can do that. I mean, travelling in general would be nice, but honestly my main thought was that it might be our best way out of a tight spot some day. I mean, neither of us are gonna be happy if our last resort is to change forms and just… burn everything." He sighs and nods as he considers India. "Yeah, they just don't see a compelling reason to come back. They're seriously freaked out about the 'secret government facilities' and all that. They figure the Indian government can't get their act together long enough to get something so sinister up and running." Aloke clears his throat and adds, "And there's been a little mutation in my family for awhile now. It's… all been hideable before I came along, but yeah, they can live at the family estate and be pretty safe. They'd even be mostly ok with us coming to visit. I mean, they'll probably need a little time for adjusting, but they definitely won't just throw us out. I've told my parents about you and me at least. My new change, and that the love of my life has some… obvious mutations." He sets his wine down on the coffee table and takes Mallory's hand in both of his. "After all that, they still want to see us. I just figure… we probably can't take a commercial flight." Mallory smiles and allows herself to be led over to the new sofa, taking a few moments to settle in comfortably beside Aloke. “It is difficult at times, yes,” she agrees quietly, squeezing his hand and smiling, “But thank you for the reminder, none the less.” Taking a deep breath, Mallory nods, looking nervous, “I’m looking at some time this week to do at least the preliminary tests, after which we can likely experiment with travelling in the safety of the Danger Room.” She snorts at the irony of that statement, shaking her head and running a hand along a horn nervously as she does. “I figure we’ll have fire extinguishers on hand, just in case. I… admittedly haven’t ever /tried/ to keep myself from transforming using that, but, well, it worked for Thomas, and in theory, it’ll work for me, too,” she says uncertainly, adding after a beat, “I hope.” Listening intently to his explanation of his parents situation, she chews on her lower lip anxiously. “Commercial flights and I disagree, yes. I take up two seats because of, well,” her tail twitches demonstratively, curled as it is on the sofa, “But… I want to meet your family, and I’m relieved that they want to see us.” A soft sigh escapes her lips, and she glances down nervously, blushing and squeezing his hands, “I just hope they like me.” Aloke listens thoughtfully, mulling over the implications of their testing, and finally nods. "Yeah, I think this'll be great. With Hank and your brother there, I'm sure we'll make some progress. I mean, even my accident isn't much of a mystery anymore. Hank figured it was my prolonged lack of proper diet, and probably over-use, so I'm pretty confident that my travel thing is under control. But it would be pretty tricky if you're going to burst into flames every time we go somewhere." He offers a small smile, aware that he's treading on sensitive subjects. Then he nods reassuringly, "Of course they'll like you," Aloke says grinning. "They kind of /have/ to, actually. I already told them it's both of us, or neither. They caved to my demands." The twinkle in his eyes (literal and figurative) lets on that he's only half kidding. "I hope I get to introduce you soon." He leans forward to press his lips to hers, lingers probably longer than he meant to, and sits back again. Mallory looks less than enthusiastic about the testing, shuddering slightly. “I’m glad you’ll be there with me. I am… not exactly looking forward to doing the tests, but I need to know, and I need to face this part of me,” she says quietly, her voice wavering a bit with nerves, which she takes a sip of her wine to quiet. “It may take a bit of practice, but you’ve been helping me with meditation, and this will get me closer to understanding what exactly happens, I hope,” Mallory continues, nervously running a hand along a horn, chewing on her lip. It sounds as though she is trying to convince herself, as much as explain her motives for testing; though she takes a deep breath again, offering an apologetic smile. Setting aside her wine, she takes his hands in hers again, bringing them to her lips, “I am glad that Hank was able to figure out what went wrong. The dedication he had to helping you is part of why I feel willing to test this at last. Though I’m nervous as hell, it’s worth it if it means I can travel with you.” Her jaw drops open at the statement about offering his parents a bit of an ultimatum, eyes widening in surprise. “You… what… but,” Mallory seems a bit confounded, blushing, “That’s sweet, but... I don’t want to cause damage to your relationship with your family. I mean, I have done it bad enough with mine, and, it’s…” She is quieted by the kiss, however, eyes fluttering closed as she leans in contentedly. When they part, she sighs, looking at Aloke with a timid smile, “We’ll see how soon we can travel. I do look forward to meeting them, even if I’m just a bit nervous that I’ll make a mess of things.”