Logs:Inclusion

Inclusion
Dramatis Personae Remi, Rhydian
In Absentia Kieow	2023-04-14 Rhydian sits in a bush.
Location <XAV> Conservatory - Xs First Floor
Tall panes of glass and a many-gabled glass ceiling protect this large indoor garden from the elements, while welcoming in sunlight to keep it warm year-round. Adjoined to the southern face of the venerable mansion and surrounded by more conventional gardens beyond, the conservatory is all Old World elegance from the outside. Within, however, it is lush and green and in certain corners--whether despite its careful tending by the groundskeeper or because of it--seems practically wild. Footpaths and a burbling artificial steam wind through the space, connecting its disparate parts. Benches are scattered throughout, thorough soft grasses or mosses under certain trees also invite rest. The outside wall is lined with tropical and subtropical plants. The ferns and cycads and epiphytes are kept moist by artfully hidden misters that also give the place a sort of magical ambiance, dense foliage wreathed at times with drifting patches of mist. Nearest the building is a desert in miniature, with a few impressively sized cacti as well as palo verde and other trees adapted to arid climes. Between these, and by far the largest section, is dedicated temperate zone plantlife from around the world, the beds growing more carefully manicured and the pads less winding as one approaches the center, where a clearing with a small ring of seats is a popular spot for some teachers to hold court. Having a break in his class schedule Remi had brought himself to the conservatory to try and identify some plants that he was looking for in order to make ointments and lotions with. The conservatory was fairly quiet at this time which was quite peaceful when added to the beautiful nature that grew inside the glass cage. Remi was walking around in a pair of dungarees, embroidered with a small little red cross above the heart, his hair was tied up in pigtails as he cross referenced the image in his notebook to the plants before him. His snack pouch swung freely from his neck, gently brushing against the occasional leaf, which Remi would then turn around and say "oops! Sorry!" To said flora. Rhydian was laying in a medium sized, moss covered bush listening to the room’s natural ambience. Her hair was tied up in a bun atop her head and the cardigan she wore upon her first day at the mansion was present once more. She had just begun to doze when the sound of another student being present cut through the peacful atmosphere. She recognized the voice as one she had heard in the common room a couple nights prior but couldn’t recall who exactly it belonged to. She remained where she was in hopes that the person would disappear soon so she could go back to lazily dozing. Remi found one of the bushes he'd been looking for. "Oh! We do have some!" Noticing that this particular bush seemed to have sprouted a...bun? He pulled back some of the leaves to check it out. "Kieow is that you??" Seeing Rhydian in the bush he chuckled, "oh, I gave you a cookie. The wall girl. You know...Arnica can't help your sore muscles unless you make it into a balm or an ointment you know.." Rhydian opened her eyes when she felt the bush russle. Slightly turning to glance at the other student, Rhydian was glad to see it wasn’t anyone she had but heads with yet. “Yes you did. I actually was not aware of that. Nor was I aware the bush I layed in was anything but a bush.” she remarked in her typically blunt tone. Remi pried open the leaves gently, making sure not to damage any of the flowers or leaves. He held out his hand, inviting Rhydian to climb out of the bush and join him. "Care to join me on a bench or something? I'm sure it'd be better than a bush. I have another cookie if you'd like that too." Rhydian regarded his hand warily for a moment before reaching out and taking it. She then carefully climbed out of the bush and stood to her full height. After brushing cobwebs and dead foliage off her clothing, Rhydian mimed for Remi to lead the way.* He lead Rhydian to a nearby bench, where he carefully placed his notepad down and sat beside it. Immediately he reached for his pouch, looking inside to find a suitable snack. "Oh...I only have one left. I guess I gotta fill up the snack pouch..." He hesitantly reached inside, the cookie wrapper crinkling under his fingers before he pulled it out and handed it to Rhydian. "So, I have two questions. One, for curiosity, the second, for mental health purposes." He cleared his throat and brushed his fringe out of his eyes. "One: why were you sat in a bush? Two: Are you ok?" He smiled warmly at the new girl as his feet dangled off the edge of the bench, kicking happily at the air. Sitting on the bench herself, Rhydian took the cookie and unwrapped it. She was about to take a bite when she heard that it was his last one. Splitting it in half, Rhydian held one patr up for the boy to take. “It looked comfortable.” she responded to his first question with a shrug. It took her a little longer to answer his second question though. “I’m not sure what you mean by ok.” "Well..." Remi sighed. "Let's just say you might be making a name for yourself amongst the other stuff as...difficult." he smiled gently at Rhydian. "Now, I don't want you think im calling you out or anything but, recently i kind of went through my own thing with my roommate and his friends and i got a bit of a bad rep too. But that was because everything was so new and uncomfy and i just didnt know how to handle it" he took the other half of the cookie, needing it for some form of comfort in this uncomfortable situation. "What i'm trying to say is I hope you're ok and if you need to talk to someone who understands, i'm here for you" “I’m fine. Don’t need to talk about nothing.” she insisted slightly stubbornly. Truth was, she wasn’t anywhere near being any form of fine. Remi didn’t need to know that though, did he? She took a bite of the cookie to keep from answering. Remi chuckled, maybe slightly too enthusiastically. "Sure. You're totally fine. After being dumped in a school full of mutant kids, not having any friends and sitting all alone in the schools conservatory." He took another small bite oh his half of the cookie. "It's ok not to be okay, ya know?" He sighed and swung his head back emphatically. "I was so confused I blew up a tub of cookies and I'm pretty sure I scolded some kids. And I upset quite frankly one of the sweetest kids that I've ever met. Spence, when you meet him, you'll love him. Trust me. So yeh...if you're not okay. That's also okay" he said as he stared at the ceiling “I prefer being alone. If I’m alone, I don’t have to keep my wards up. Not keeping my wards up means not using my powers. And that’s the goal.” Rhydian remarked monotonously. "I understand wanting to be able to control your mutation. Totally, trust me...but, what goods that gonna be when you have no one once you do learn to control it?" He smiled warmly at Rhydian. "You don't have to learn alone, I understand it's difficult being around folks when you don't wanna see everything and stuff but, we all have our things. And a lot of the kids here have been here a fairly long time, they could help. The staff too!" “I don’t want to learn to control it. I want to eradicate it. I doubt any of the staff here would help me do that.” she remarked as she looked down at the floor. How could everyone here see this curse as a gift? The minute Remi here's those words his lower lip begins trembling. His eyes well up, the sticky, syrup-like substance oozing from the corners of his eyes, slowly making it's way down his blushed cheeks. He turns his whole body to face Rhydian. "but..." he chokes on his words, the more he speaks the more his sugary tears begin falling. "But you're so special Rhydian. We all are. There's a r-reason...for everything" his tears begin falling into his hands that he was holding open so it didn't ruin his clothing. As they touch his hands they turn into small yellow sweets with sad faces on them. "I know not everyone like us because we're not normal but, i th-think, it's a blessing. We can help people...we can help with our abnormality..." as the tears continue and his voice cracks and wobbles as he talks to Rhydian the sweets are slowly filling up his cupped hands, close to spilling onto the floor. "I'm so sorry you feel like this Rhydian..." Rhydian turned to look at Remi for a moment before turning away in shame. She didn’t want to make her new friend cry but she also wasn’t good at sugar-coating her words. After another moment of hesitation, Rhydian turned and gave Remi an awkward hug, while slightly suggesting that Remi have peace via her powers. “You have no reason to apologize. It is not your fault. I shouldn’t have opened my mouth.” she commented quietly after she pulled away. Remi, very emphatically squeezed her back. "Do not apologise, not about your feelings. Not to me at least." he squeezed her tightly before pulling back, cautious of getting his tears on her. "We're in the same situation. I'm always here to listen. Always!" he nodded with a smile, smearing his tears along his cheeks. "Eww, this is one thing I haven't gotten used to yet, tears shouldnt be STICKY!" he shouted at the sky, chuckling as he did so. "Have you spoken to any of the staff here about it yet? Maybe they can offer counselling or something. I usually just text my Okasan and she helps me through things so I'm not sure but I can check for you if you'd like." “I have not expressed this to staff. I have a feeling they would throw me out or somehow coerce me into changing my mind. I don’t want that. I just want…” she trailed off, trying to figure out how to explain what she wanted only to find that she didn’t really know herself. "To not be afraid anymore? That's how i felt at least. Also, I very much doubt you'd get kicked out. At the end of the day you're still a mutant. Xavier's is a home for kids like us. If you need help, you should always ask. The teachers are here to help us not punish us for not being like everyone else. I'm sure you're not the only person that felt this way." he sighed, always exhausted after crying after his mutation. Shoving the remainder of the cookie in his mouth greedily. "Shorry" he said with a full mouth of cookie. "If i cry I kind of ooze shugar, my blood shugar then dropsh and i get all shaky and tired. Sho i gotta eat." he tried to smile with his cheeks puffing like a small hamster A small hint of a smile teased the corner of her lips when he tried to apologize around a mouthful of cookie. “it’s ok. I’m sorry for making you cry. That was not my intention.” she apologized as she stared at the ground once more. He gulped, quite audibly. "No worries! I cry a lot, i just feel things a little too hard I think. I recover quickly!" he said, this was made evident by the now widening smile on his face. "Anyway! I'm super sorry for dipping but, i have some more research I gotta do. I'm trying to find a couple more plants I can use in herbal remedies. In case people get cuts and bruises. I'm always here to talk, you can find me in the boys' dorm most of the time! I like to stay in and read!" he chuckled as he stood up and walked to the entrance of the conservatory. "IT WAS GREAT TALKING TO YOU RHYDIAN!!" He shouted back to her, attempting to fill the whole conservatory with his affection before he slipped through the door humming a happy tune. “Good talking to you too!” Rhydian called back. She found his departure slightly odd but what wasn’t odd around here? Hopefully she hadn’t upset him too much! She sat there awhile just staring at her surroundings before standing up. With a sigh, she too left the conservatory to find something to do.