(no subject)
5/1/2007
Logfile from Jubilee.
=XS= The Roof - Xavier's School
Through a small little door accessed from the attic, one may stand or sit out here on a flat section of the mansion's roof on cool summer evenings, or anytime really, to think. Most of the mansion's grounds can be viewed from here as well as Westchester on, beautiful in the spring and fall when all things are blooming anew or the earthy, patchwork quilt of autumn lays across the land. Visible in the distance is the city skyline of New York. Over by the gardens, a tall oak tree boasts a treehouse in its branches. Someone feeling adventurous could probably jump and make it...
It's the middle of the day, and the mansion is strangely quiet save for those rooms serving as classrooms. Jubilee has climbed to the roof to take advantage of the warming spring day to catch a few rays, trying to leach the institutional cold of Rogue's room from her bone. A large towel has been laid across the rocks littering the rooftop, and she's stretched out on her stomach in short shorts and a bikini top that's been unlaced. Her arms fold under her chin and she's either asleep, or very nearly so.
Bobby half-pulls himself from the small door, his nostrils expanding flared to draw in as much air as he can on a breath. And then he pulls himself entirely. He's fully clothed, white polo, black pants, and this already puts him in contrast to the sunbathing Jubilee. Who is hard to miss. Who is, Bobby muses as he begins forming a modest iceball between his hands, hard to leave alone. Even in these times, these times of darkness. So forth.
Jubilee bends a knee and waves her foot idly in the air, entirely ignorant of Bobby's advance, though the door opening onto the roof had not gone unnoticed. She turns her head to peer over her shoulder, pulling down her sunglasses and yawning. The angle of door and her sprawl make a Bobby-sized blindspot.
Bobby hesitates, but he who hesitates is lost. Besides, the ball is complete and requires depositing. He lowers himself into a crouch and double-steps until he can roll the ball up against her knee. The knee connected to that raised foot.
Jubilee jerks away from the cold kiss of the iceball with a small shriek, rolling to her hip in a flail. Unfortunately, untied tops tend to /not/ roll with a person. It's a half-second flash before she shreeches louder and grabs the towel up, falling off the support of her elbow as she does so. "BOBBY!"
Oh, Bobby cannot help himself. He spreads his hand over his mouth and insufficiently subdued a laugh. A cackle, really. "And I could have put it /so many/ other places," he manages.
Jubilee glares and sits up, firmly taking the towel and what remains of her dignity with her. "Ok, frosty. You'll get yours one o' these days," she promises.
"Yeah, yeah." Bobby arranges himself into his own leaned sitting position. Still snickering. "Sure. Hi."
"Turn around," she commands, flushed from the combination of embarrassment and sun. She waits until he's turned around before dropping the towel and wrangling her top back into place. "'kay," she grumps glumly. "Whada ya doin' up here anyways?"
Bobby does dutifully turn away. He doesn't even cheat. See, good man. Good man. But a wan smirk is back in place as he turns back. "Just to think. Rogue being back and all."
Jubilee scrubs her cheek with the flat of her hand, thne curls and pulls her knees up to her chest. "It's such a relief," she agrees.
"Yeah." Bobby stretches one arm behind his head. "I can't wait until she's . . . completely back and herself, right?"
"Mhm." She rocks back and forth a little, digging brightly painted toes into the edge of the towel for traction. "Though I don't think anythin's ever gonna be /quite/ the same."
"Yeah, well, what ever is. Another day, another change. And it could be, you know, a change for the better." Bobby completes his stretch and lets his arm lay across his knee.
Jubilee just grunts. She, perhaps, isn't /quite/ ready to take up the banner of unmitigated optimism again.
Unmitigated optimism is all that Bobby's about! Still, there's a degree of exhaustion under his (expectably) hopeful words. "They like to say that adversity /is/ what makes us better, right?"
"If so, then I'm perfect and they can leave me the hell alone." She's not particularly angry; she rocks to her knees and crawls over to Bobby's side, flipping around to sit net to him. "So... You gonna do anythin' /special/ for her when she's certified sane?" she asks with an impish gleam.
"I mean to!" Bobby says, exclaims, slightly perking. "But I'm not sure what yet."
"Well. I got one word of advice. If it involves the attic, put a lock on the door." That cryptic bit of advice delievered, she nods and pulls her knees up again, this time to fold her arms on top of them.
Bobby chokes out a cough, and turns it into a laugh. "Well, /sure/, but the actual act'd have to be pretty quick."
Jubilee shoots a look at him out of the corner of her eye, then drops her chin on her arms and stares out across the estate.
Bobby glances back, then follows her gaze outward. "If you have any better ideas," is slow and unusually awkward.
Jubilee bites the inside of her lower lip and hitches a shoulder. Ok, getting into weird territory now... "Er... well. I don't know. Um. Maybe a... um. Really big scarf?"
"Uh. I don't see how'd that'd work." Bobby needs to scratch the back of his neck first. "Wouldn't it-- I don't even like thinking of how-- yeah."
"Oh. Well. Yeah. I guess so. Not that I'm an expert or anythin'..." She curls her hand against her cheek and finally dares a glance at him. "Have you looked in one of those sex shop places? Maybe they've got somethin'?"
"Possible." Bobby is somewhere between a blanch and a blush, which leaves his complexion mottled. "Maybe. I'll see."
"Un-huh." Well, /that/ was awkward. "Maybe I'll see if Ro has any... er. Um. Requests."
"Oh. I know what she wants. But unfortunately, I couldn't sustain a kiss real long either." Bobby's eyes have decided to fix on the sky, which is neutral territory.
"Well... Maybe instead of focusin' on makin' it the real thing, focus on makin' it fun?"
"What do you mean? I mean-- is it fun if it's not real? Do we pantomime?"
"No! Just... it doesn't have to be all wet an' wild for it to feel good!" We're backinto embarrassing territory again, Merv. Jubilee buries her face int he crook of her arm.
Bobby coughs twice. "Maybe we could do it by degrees. A quick little bit at a time." Now he's just being mean. /Really/.
Jubilee gives up and groans. "Dude... Whatever it takes!"
"I'm trying! I'm fearless, you know!" Bobby spreads his arms. "But she does have this special way of laying me out."
"ACK! Lalala! CAN'T HEAR YOU!" Jubilee sticks her fingers in her ears and sings.
Bobby loops both arms behind his head and snickers a little.
Jubilee hits his knee and flop back. "Turd."
"Yeah, a little bit," Bobby says, snickering a little more.
Jubilee grins, something like fond exasperation creeping into her expression. "You'd better figure it out, Bobs. She deserves it."
"Of course she does. I'm working on it." No more snickering. Bobby's expression sets more serious. "After she's sane. Unless I figure it out faster. She ended up turning into /me/ last time I kissed her, I think."
Jubilee giggles, covering her mouth with her hand, eyes laughing at him over the top of her fingers. "And that didn't do it for you? I'm surprised you hadn't tried that one before."
"What? I'm not kissing myself!"
"Why? Don't you think you're cute?"
Bobby pauses. "No." There.
Jubilee blinks and grins. "Well, there might be a bigger problem than Rogue's no-touchy. Poor Bobby. No self-confidence." her lower lip sticks out in a mock sympathetic pout.
"Yes." Bobby clears his throat. "I am desperately depressed."
"I should have known. The circles under yer eyes, the puffy cheeks." Jubilee pokes his cheek. Just for emphasis.
"Hey." Bobby opens his palm to slap after Jubilee's poke. "Don't call attention to them."
Jubilee's hand darts under his slap to tweak his nose before retreating to the cover of her lap. "Sorry," she laughs, ending the exchange in a bit of a sigh.
"I may--" But Bobby loses the joke. "Anyway, don't touch me," is even lighter. If joking without a punchline. Laame.
"Not touching, can't get mad," Jubilee retorts without even going to the effort of hovering a finger near him.
"I can get mad whenever I want," Bobby mock-sulks, complete with folding his arms.
"Un-huh."
"Can so."
"Whatever, Sherbert."
"I'm mad now." Look at him! Folding his arms.
Jubilee looks sideways at him, smiling slightly. "Did you come up here /just/ to bug me?"
"Maybe." Bobby smiles slightly as well. "Perhaps."
Jubilee hits his knee again and stays quiet.
Bobby does not retailiate. He simply sits.
And so does Jubilee. She /may/ appreciate the company. Maybe.
And, hey, Bobby isn't moving.
So they sit. Jubilee is better prepared to endure the warmth in her skimpy sun-bathing outfit than Bobby in his black pants.
And, eventually, quietly, Bobby does stand and Bobby does depart down.
5.1.07 - Jubilee and Bobby sitting on the roof.