the weight of the world -- open to immemorial_time

[kateriffic]

Muir Island. It is a small island off of the northern coast of Scotland, near the Orkney chain of islands. The size if the island is insignificant. There are several small islands that litter the North Sea. What makes Muir Island significant, is that it just happens to be home to Earth's most comprehensive mutant research complex. There is also a

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[immemorial_time]

Muir Island. It's been a long time since Niccolo has been here; not since shortly after being released from the bubble of time he'd been trapped in for sixty years--and that's been years, too. He doesn't find the place quite so cold and miserable as he had back then; now, there's a part of him that, disenchanted with loud nightlife and city traffic (that's exponentially greater than that he was accustomed to), can appreciate such solitude as a remote island. He arrives at the hospital and signs in as a visitor, gets his pass (that goes into his pocket) and surrenders his cigarette case at the door so that he won't feel the compulsive urge to indulge his habit. He is that courteous, after all.

An orderly shows him in the direction of the garden, and Niccolo slides his hands into his pockets, trying to adopt a casual look that will mask his concern. He's worried about Kate; that someone on the island would think to call him, of all people ... he'd tried to get back to Cardiff after leaving, to no avail, and that had been concern

[kateriffic]

The spot that she's chosen to sit in is peaceful. The waves crashing into the shore are very relaxing to listen to. Kate comes here often and sometimes she manages to find a small measure of peace.

Kate doesn’t look the same. She's dressed rather simply in a pair of denim overalls and a t-shirt with a sweater thrown over that. She's not the well put together woman that she once was. Mostly, she just looks tired but there's more to it than just that. There is a defeated quality about her.

She hears the footsteps as the crunch into the gravel walkway. Slowly, Kate turns her head to see who it is. A look of confusion soon graces her face. "Nic? What are you doing here?"

[immemorial_time]

"Hey." Niccolo pauses just after she turns around, taking time to study her expression, then falls into step again for the bench. He doesn't wait to be invited, just goes ahead and sits beside her in the way of one who's intimately comfortable with another. "Heard you were here ... thought I'd come visit."

He manages an easy grin despite his concern, and reaches for her hand. "How are you doin'?"

[kateriffic]

"You did?" For a few moments she has a far and away look in her eyes. "That's nice of you." Kate regrets that she doesn't say that with any amount of sincerity. It is a nice gesture. She recognizes that, she just doesn't feel it.

Kate flinches when he reaches for her hand. She doesn't shrink away from him but it's been a terribly long time since she's had this sort of contact. "I'm . . . " That is a terribly difficult question for her to answer. "I don't know."