absence makes the heart grow fonder
She wanted to be on the space station. Sure she could have gone sooner, but it was the first week of classes and she didn't want to make a bad showing. Now she heard that the people that had gone earlier were trapped, and she cursed herself a little at not making the trip. She had more than a little experience with space travel, after all, and she could have helped. Should have helped. Her one chance to be an X-Man in this place and she blew it.
Reaching the basketball court she dropped the bag she'd brought, some snacks and water, a towel to dry herself off now that the heat had returned full-force. She'd been planning for Sundays to be her lazy days, no classes, no workouts scheduled, she could just go to the beach, or the Compound, or just stay at home and chill out. But not in the mood she was in today. Today she needed to work off some aggravation. Today she wanted to work until she couldn't anymore, until she could sleep without dreaming and worrying about things she couldn't change. Here or at home. The court, with it's relatively even surface, was ideal. She wouldn't have to worry about tripping on a root or getting tangled in the underbrush.
Heading to the center of the court, she started to stretch, warming up with a combination of regular stretches and the yoga she was learning from Niko. Once she was warm, she began to move, muscles bunching and stretching under the athletic top she wore, back tattoo peeking out from behind the fabric. The moves would be familiar to those expert in the martial arts. Karate flowing into Tae Kwon Do morphing into Tai Chi, bits and pieces of everything she'd been taught since childhood. Towards the end of the set, she even began a new routine, recognizable only to those that sparred or trained with Cable on a regular basis. It was the preferred style of the Asakni warriors, which was really just a remix of all those other styles plus those that were contemporary to the Clan. She should know, in another life she'd developed most of it, but those memories were locked away and she approached the forms as a novice, learning it from her brother. Finishing with a short tumbling pass that would make Kurt proud back home, Rachel handspringed, flipped and ended in a roll that left her in a corner of the court, facing the jungle... where a slight gleam caught her eye.
Moving to explore, she stepped into the cooler shade of the trees alongside the path and stopped, immediately recognizing the object stuck into the ground. It was a sword, but not one that looked typical to most people. Over-sized, it was hard to imagine anyone being able to wield it comfortably, which was part of the point. As imbued as it had been with a piece of the Phoenix Force, it had been light as a feather for the man using it. The Force that had dominated so much of her life, bound to her and binding her to him. Closer than she'd ever been to anyone, able to feel his pain and him hers. That Force, she used to think it forced them together, that she couldn't trust what she felt around him, trust that it had been real. She'd thought she was manipulated, but eventually... maybe it was just showing her something she'd been missing for so long. Since Franklin, really, and how long had it been since his death?
And yet... she'd never told Korvus that she loved him. He said it to her all the time, that she was part of his soul, even. And she thought she loved him, was almost certain that she did. Anytime he got hurt, she felt herself break a little at the thought of losing him, he was there when she awoke and there when she fell asleep and she didn't want it any other way. She couldn't really imagine being without him back home, even during the time she'd pushed him away, she still wanted him. But she hadn't really thought of him here. She'd thought of her family, she had to, anytime she met someone new and they couldn't take their eyes of her face, her back. But him? He was locked away in her heart, where the worst of her pain hid. Where the screaming fury and crushing grief were denied and ignored.
She didn't think about him because it hurt too much to admit he even existed. And yet here was a blatant reminder, sharp as the edge in front of her.
With a mighty heave, Rachel pulled the sword from the ground, grunting from the effort. She was strong, but she didn't have his shoulders and she had to balance the blade with a hand to carry it back. But carry it she did, sliding down on the ground cross-legged next to her pack so she could hold it on her lap. She could see her reflection in the dark metal, marks and all, and as a tear ran down her cheek she sent a thought out to that distant and familiar mind.
I love you, Korvus. And I'm sorry I couldn't say that before. I miss you and I wish you were here.
[ooc: Despite her sadness, you can come say hello, and even have been watching long enough to see the work-out before she disappeared into the jungle. All tags will be assumed to be after she sits back down by her pack. I'll be out for a few hours on Sunday afternoon but will return and tag what I can't get to before then. Open to new tags and ST forever.]
Reaching the basketball court she dropped the bag she'd brought, some snacks and water, a towel to dry herself off now that the heat had returned full-force. She'd been planning for Sundays to be her lazy days, no classes, no workouts scheduled, she could just go to the beach, or the Compound, or just stay at home and chill out. But not in the mood she was in today. Today she needed to work off some aggravation. Today she wanted to work until she couldn't anymore, until she could sleep without dreaming and worrying about things she couldn't change. Here or at home. The court, with it's relatively even surface, was ideal. She wouldn't have to worry about tripping on a root or getting tangled in the underbrush.
Heading to the center of the court, she started to stretch, warming up with a combination of regular stretches and the yoga she was learning from Niko. Once she was warm, she began to move, muscles bunching and stretching under the athletic top she wore, back tattoo peeking out from behind the fabric. The moves would be familiar to those expert in the martial arts. Karate flowing into Tae Kwon Do morphing into Tai Chi, bits and pieces of everything she'd been taught since childhood. Towards the end of the set, she even began a new routine, recognizable only to those that sparred or trained with Cable on a regular basis. It was the preferred style of the Asakni warriors, which was really just a remix of all those other styles plus those that were contemporary to the Clan. She should know, in another life she'd developed most of it, but those memories were locked away and she approached the forms as a novice, learning it from her brother. Finishing with a short tumbling pass that would make Kurt proud back home, Rachel handspringed, flipped and ended in a roll that left her in a corner of the court, facing the jungle... where a slight gleam caught her eye.
Moving to explore, she stepped into the cooler shade of the trees alongside the path and stopped, immediately recognizing the object stuck into the ground. It was a sword, but not one that looked typical to most people. Over-sized, it was hard to imagine anyone being able to wield it comfortably, which was part of the point. As imbued as it had been with a piece of the Phoenix Force, it had been light as a feather for the man using it. The Force that had dominated so much of her life, bound to her and binding her to him. Closer than she'd ever been to anyone, able to feel his pain and him hers. That Force, she used to think it forced them together, that she couldn't trust what she felt around him, trust that it had been real. She'd thought she was manipulated, but eventually... maybe it was just showing her something she'd been missing for so long. Since Franklin, really, and how long had it been since his death?
And yet... she'd never told Korvus that she loved him. He said it to her all the time, that she was part of his soul, even. And she thought she loved him, was almost certain that she did. Anytime he got hurt, she felt herself break a little at the thought of losing him, he was there when she awoke and there when she fell asleep and she didn't want it any other way. She couldn't really imagine being without him back home, even during the time she'd pushed him away, she still wanted him. But she hadn't really thought of him here. She'd thought of her family, she had to, anytime she met someone new and they couldn't take their eyes of her face, her back. But him? He was locked away in her heart, where the worst of her pain hid. Where the screaming fury and crushing grief were denied and ignored.
She didn't think about him because it hurt too much to admit he even existed. And yet here was a blatant reminder, sharp as the edge in front of her.
With a mighty heave, Rachel pulled the sword from the ground, grunting from the effort. She was strong, but she didn't have his shoulders and she had to balance the blade with a hand to carry it back. But carry it she did, sliding down on the ground cross-legged next to her pack so she could hold it on her lap. She could see her reflection in the dark metal, marks and all, and as a tear ran down her cheek she sent a thought out to that distant and familiar mind.
I love you, Korvus. And I'm sorry I couldn't say that before. I miss you and I wish you were here.
[ooc: Despite her sadness, you can come say hello, and even have been watching long enough to see the work-out before she disappeared into the jungle. All tags will be assumed to be after she sits back down by her pack. I'll be out for a few hours on Sunday afternoon but will return and tag what I can't get to before then. Open to new tags and ST forever.]