𝑳𝑶𝑮𝑨𝑵. (
carcajous) wrote in
diademlogs2025-06-09 11:56 am
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Entry tags:
[ CLOSED ] june.
Who: Logan + Kimiko, Scott, Jesse
Where: Panorama
When: June
What: Catch-all for the month, including a little misunderstanding at the barbershop (oops)
Warnings: A bit of violence, probably!
Where: Panorama
When: June
What: Catch-all for the month, including a little misunderstanding at the barbershop (oops)
Warnings: A bit of violence, probably!
no subject
What's it to me? [ He retorts, running a hand through his slightly damp hair, before resting both on his hips. ] Thought you already know how teams work, Logan. Or do I have to spell it out for you again? Give you a text book definition?
[ The warehouse, naturally, doesn't have proper ventilation, and with continuous manual labor and the sweltering heat even during nighttime, Scott has built up a sweat. He glares a bit more at Logan, shaking his head, before lifting the hem of his shirt to wipe off sweat that has gathered on his forehead and brows.
Not letting that hem drop all the way because goddamn it's really hot Scott takes a breath and heaves it out in a sigh. His glare dissipates, reminding himself Logan is Logan and they have to stick together here, so he pivots to business. ]
You were gone longer this time. Found anything interesting? [ Other than the usual stuff, not that Scott's not grateful for them. ]
no subject
Fuck, he's gonna have to spend the next six hours here with the guy, isn't he?
He rolls his eyes. ] Only one of us can walk off a shotgun to the chest.
[ What, he wants him to leave a note every time he goes out scavenging? Which he does for all of them, by the way. It's not that difficult to understand. He can take a lot of damage. The rest of them can't. That makes him the prime scout for the Fringes. And it also means he goes alone. He doesn't need anybody to look after. He doesn't need to take someone he'll only risk losing. Again. ]
Yeah. [ He slaps another crate onto the shelf. If he notices Scott's increasingly shrinking wardrobe, he mostly just looks annoyed about it. Because he is. Annoyed. And Scott doesn't even know the reason why, the oblivious motherfucker. (Which is Logan's fault, but this place's fault, too, for dragging the guy back from the dead.) ] Some peace and quiet. [ A beat before he relents an inch. ] Siphoned a tank of gas. You're welcome.
no subject
[ Even without any warnings, Scott always takes note of the day Logan leaves to venture alone in the Fringes for all of them and counts the days he's gone. Never not counting because Plan B exists and he's going to execute it whether the other likes it or not.
Carrying another box, Scott lets that hem drop now, but his tank top is increasingly getting soaked with perspiration. ] Hate to break it to you but I can also handle myself just fine.
[ Slightly slams that box down. Wipes off some sweat again with the back of his hand, runs it through his hair, shakes off some more sweat. God, the humidity is almost insane. ] But this doesn't mean I'm not thankful. I am, Logan. Us mutants have to stick together, you know that.
[ Probably heard it from him numerous times to the point it's infuriating, but Scott will repeat himself if he has to. He's going to remind Logan he's not alone and that he needs to depend on him, too.
And you know what, he's also just going to lose the tank top now. Fuck this heat. ]
no subject
Who says it's you I'm worried about?
[ 'Cause he's not. (He is.) Summers is right: somehow, Scott trying to be sincere, slinging his gratitude, it only digs that much further under his skin. His eyes narrow as Scott's shirt comes off, and he's left with the distinct urge to jump into the delivery truck outside and drive it off the nearest fuckin' cliff. Would prefer that over standing here, listening to Scott lecture him on sticking together for a tenth fucking time.
He slams a hand down on the box Scott's reaching for. His voice drops low. ] Save it. I don't need to hear it from you. You've got no idea what it's been like since—
[ He stops short. Damn it. He grips the handholds. If Scott doesn't tug back, he'll yank it right out of Scott's grip. ]
Just gimme that.
no subject
His grip firm and tight around the box he's currently holding, Scott doesn't relent, and instead frowns at those words that managed to escape from Logan's lips. ]
Since what?
[ Scott's unyielding hold is his reply to Logan's gimme that. It's a solid no and he's sticking by it no matter what the other thinks, says, or does. ]
no subject
Since what. Since what. Since Jean died? Since the school went under? Since Rogue disappeared? Since they buried Hank?
He doesn't want to say it. It's not about Scott. He hasn't talked to anyone. What the hell for? What's it gonna do? And Scott's the last person he wants to confide in.
He disappears around the other side of the shelf, shrouded by his silence. He's not dicking around with Scott anymore, and he's not giving him shit. Doesn't even seem angry with him, either. Truth is, if he could walk out, he would've. Actually? He's still thinking about it, job be damned. ]
no subject
Huh. How odd.
But Scott lets that linger for a few minutes as he carries the box to point B once again. They have six hours in this shift whether they both like it or not (they don't) so there's time to press for answers.
When Scott ultimately decides to, he's gentle about it, approaching the other mutant without any hint of aggression or annoyance. It's definitely something that bothered Logan enough to stop arguing with him. That's something.
Leaning against the shelf, hands crossed against his sweaty, and slightly matted, chest, he looks at Logan. ]
Come on, Logan. Talk to me. [ No trace of a demanding nor domineering tone present in his words. ] Since when? I wanna know. [ There's only genuine curiosity and concern there. ] The Professor briefly talked about the future. I told you about it at the resort.
[ Scott remembers Logan even mentioning he drowned but he'll put a pin on that for now. He'll address that later. ] What happened? To us mutants, the school... [ To me, he wants to say, but Scott always puts others before himself. ] To you.
no subject
Logan sighs, hands braced against the box as he refuses to turn around. It's simple to push Scott away. Scott never liked him, he never liked Scott. Isn't much else to it. But he never hated him, either. Not like that. Scott was an easy target. Predictable. Hell, maybe Scott thought of him the same way. They had their roles. And back when the man was playing team leader, Logan could focus on other things. (Like getting his shit together.) He could do what he was good at, and Scott could do the same.
Now it's a jumbled mess. ]
You know what happened, the Professor told you. [ His fingers flex against the flimsy metal shelf. He's aware that's not what Scott means. Fuck it. ] Look, what d'you wanna hear? That it all went to hell? They took the school. You know, they just stormed in like they fuckin' owned it, turned it into their little Frankenstein lab. After that, we were...we started rescue operations on the camps. Every dozen we managed to save, they'd round up a hundred more. So no, I don't want you running around with me 'cause I don't need to see another mutant dead in the ground.
[ A beat. Across the warehouse, a pimply faced kid is staring at him, and Logan realizes his volume's been steadily increasing.
He takes a breath. Goddamn it. ]
And 'cause you're a pain in my ass. [ He lifts the other crate onto his shoulder and starts moving. ]
no subject
Admittedly, he doesn't know if he's prepared to talk the moment the other does. That was a lot to process, a lot of moving parts he has to digest to make sense of the future he has yet to live. He told Charles it doesn't sound so promising. Robots exterminating mutants. Nothing about that spells of a good future for all of them. And for a while, Scott doesn't want to know more. Because deep down, he's afraid to find out he disappointed everyone. Scared that he let everybody down and was powerless to stop their inevitable downfall.
Standing straight, one hand on his hip while another rests on the shelf frame, Scott lets his head hang low as his brows furrow. He doesn't know how much time has passed. He should really get back to work. But this takes precedence. It's literally a matter of life or death.
They turned the school into a lab to experiment on mutants. Hundreds of them dead. Logan doesn't want him to go with him because he had seen so many of them fall, he doesn't want to see him in that position, too. Something within Scott's chest stings. Jaws clenching, he finally looks up at Logan wherever he is at this point. ]
Do we survive? [ The question is quiet, but loud enough for Logan to hear. ] You told me you drowned. Don't tell me you died on me.
[ There's a hint of concern there if Logan squints, masked beneath the brevity of that last line. ]
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He comes back. Scott's standing there looking like the world came crashing down on him. Suppose it did, in a way. On all of them.
He's at the pallet when the question floats his way. We. Who's we? The X-Men? The mutants? The humans caught in the crossfire when Trask and friends decided they were gonna exterminate the X-gene out of existence? There are more of them dead than there aren't. That's the truth. He didn't just come from a war. He came from a losing one. He's been in enough of them to see the writing on the wall. ]
I always survive, [ he says quietly. That's the joke. He ducks under the pile of crates to snag a dusty plastic bottle of water. ] Magneto fought with us. Last I heard, he helped save Rogue. You wanna know how bad it got, that's how bad it got.
[ Did some part of Erik feel responsible for what happened at the bridge? Might be. Logan's not sure. He knows it wasn't that alone. There wasn't one single incident that started the war. (Sure as shit didn't help, though.) That even if he'd managed to shift the future, there was every chance a different kind of war would start. The point was just to keep the Sentinels from being built. Not to usher in some guarantee of peace.
Anyway, if Scott's wondering why Logan hasn't been gunning for Erik's throat, that's why. That's part of it. ]
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[ Is all Scott can reply after hearing all of that. Knowing more details about the grim future he has yet to live is a bit overwhelming that Scott runs a hand through his hair and silently goes back to his task like a kicked puppy. His brows remain creased as he picked up another box to carry.
It's exactly what Logan said - it got so bad that they had to team up with Magneto. To be fair, he already knows from Jean that they had a temporary alliance with him and Mystique to rescue him and the Professor at Alkali Lake. He already talked with Charles about the confrontation he had with Magneto, the Professor explaining more things to him. He still doesn't like the guy but he always goes back to those few glimpses of kindness he received from Magneto when he still knew him as Henryk. And for these things alone, Scott doesn't possess outright animosity for the guy.
Still, to know the future has gotten that bad fills Scott with dread and, as much as he hates to admit it, hopelessness. He's trapped here with this knowledge without any way to do something about it. It's infuriating, frustrating even, and it shows by the way he almost slams the box when he drops it.
Fuck. What a bleak future. Scott drags his hand through his damp hair again, letting in a deep breath and heaving it out in an exhausted sigh. For a moment, he just stays like this, hands on his hips, head hanging low, letting rivulets of sweat cascade down his naked torso. His muscles are taut, tensed, dips and ridges highlighted by the artificial light overhead. He feels like he's going to burst in discouragement any time.
But Scott locks it in, doesn't allow any of that to seep out more than necessary, pectoral and abdominal muscles tightening when he takes in another breath. He glances towards where Logan is. ]
For what it's worth, [ He has been saying these words quite a lot, he realizes. ] thanks for taking care of our own, Logan. For being there. [ For being here, he wants to add, but decides Logan doesn't like him that much for him to say those words. ]
Glad you always survive. [ A beat, as he considers. ] I won't insist I go with you when you leave again if that's what you want. [ He respects the trauma Logan must've gone through, seeing so many of them get captured. Get killed. He wouldn't wish that to anyone, not even to his worst enemies. Not especially to his friends and allies.
Scott's silent for a moment as he approaches the other man, and for the first time since arriving here, and perhaps for the first time ever, he places a hand on Logan's shoulder. ] I mean it. Thanks.
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He gets it. It's a lot. It's why he didn't wanna bring it up in the first place. What's it gonna do for Scott to know? For any one of them to know? The war didn't follow them to this world, wherever it is. He isn't sure what's happened to the war, actually. If there's a timeline where it's ongoing, if it's been erased out of existence for good. The way Charles explained it, if things worked the way they should, then that version of the future was never supposed to exist. But if that's true, then how does he explain Rogue?
Glad you always survive, says Scott, and Logan can only think: That makes one of us.
His gaze lingers on Scott's face, then drifts to the hand on his shoulder. Yeah. Sure. Maybe don't thank him yet 'til you get the full story. Still, he doesn't argue the sentiment, only grabs Scott's shirt off the pallet and pushes it against his chest. ] Just put your fuckin' clothes back on, will ya?
[ Jesus. No, he's not getting distracted. Mostly. Whatever.
He's going back to work. This is more words than he ever meant to exchange with Scott. It's easier not to feel like he's hiding something when they don't talk. He can tell himself they just haven't seen each other. Put it out of his mind. Except it's never entirely out of his mind, is it? Anyway, if Scott's got more questions about their bleak future, there's a slim chance Logan might keep answering, but the sense Logan's giving off is that he's pretty much done with the topic. ]
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So, when the other mutant shoves his damp shirt back to him, Scott just looks at it and then arches a brow at Logan. ]
Didn't know decency's your top priority. [ Look, Scott's all up for it, but when he has been doing manual labor in this sweltering heat, it's just not practical. He tosses his shirt back on the pallet. ] It's already very wet. I'm not gonna put it back on.
[ Crossing his arms over his chest, Scott doesn't leave and just continues to raise an eyebrow at the other man. ] Also, this coming from the guy who loses his shirt every time he does manual labor, too.
[ Pot calling kettle black, Logan. ]
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And if Scott asked, he'd tell him. Somehow.
Logan rolls his eyes. Uh-huh. Fine. He carts the empty pallet off with the shirt and all, dropping it in a corner. Some nights, he checks to see what's being unloaded, but tonight, he can't be assed to bother. ]
You keep talking like that, I'm gonna need you to buy me dinner.
[ This time, he dumps the next crate into Scott's arms. Well? Gonna put it on the shelf or what. Since they're working together. This is him, participating in teamwork. At least for the next...well, five and a half hours now. ]
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It's honestly a good thing Scott has enough ego to think he must've survived all the terrible things that happened to them in the future. Learning about how dark the future's going to be lets him wallow in it for a bit, satisfied with the idea that he's doing his best to lead the charge. Knowing more will just frustrate him because he can't do anything about it. What's more important is focusing on the present and find ways to survive.
When Logan dumps the next crate on him, Scott carries it with ease, shaking his head. ]
With the kind of appetite you have? No thanks. [ He teases back, dryly. Two could play this stupid back and forth, Logan.
As much fun as it is to pick on Logan and tease him back, Scott circles back a little. ] Speaking of mutants, how sure are we there aren't any more out there? Met some during your long time away?
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All he knows is, Scott's never going to be okay with what Logan did. Why would he? But Logan can't exactly swipe at him forever, either, if they're gonna invariably end up together. Doing shit. Which they will, no matter how much Logan avoids it, 'cause the only two X-Men who're field ready right now are him and Scott. That's it.
(Place could've at least coughed up Storm, too. He could really use her right now. They all could.)
The kid on shift still sort of scurries around the two of them—mostly around Logan, actually, and he can't bring himself to feel bad about it. ]
We aren't. What, trying to recruit already? [ He's on the other side of the shelf, obscured by the crates. ] Two of them, I wouldn't hold my breath.
[ Wade and Cable are both well aware of the X-Men; they wanted in, they'd have showed up by now. Doesn't matter. Scott might try to fold in the mutants all formal. Logan? Logan's never seen it that way. The team, the school, he's with them now, but that wasn't the reason he stayed at the start.
No, it's got nothing to do with being part of the X-Men. It's about who might need the Professor's help.
And exactly one mutant fits that mold. ]
I found a girl. Her name's Kimiko. Fast, strong, heals quick. [ Sound familiar? ] I think the Professor might wanna meet her. If he hasn't already.
[ Charles has a way of picking them out. ]
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Putting a pin on those two aforementioned mutants for now, Scott's lips curve up into an amused smile as soon as Logan talks about her. He doesn't say anything for a moment as he grabs his wallet and pulls out a piece of napkin, which has a drawing of Logan in it.
Scott's smile broadens when he approaches the other mutant to give it to him. ]
I met her, too, and gave me this. [ Hands on his hips, Scott's abdominal muscles flex as he unsuccessfully fights back a chuckle. ] Thought she captured you perfectly. Same angry face.
I'd ask the Professor if he already met her. Pretty sure he has, though. You know how he's like. [ Charles does have a way of picking them out. There's a brief pause on Scott's end as his next few words come out quieter, void of any amusement, gentler and with the respect they deserve. ] She told me she also got experimented on. Like you.
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Oh, yeah, look at that. We got a resident Michelangelo on our hands. [ He folds it up and tucks it into his back pocket. (In the days and weeks that follow, he will not, in fact, throw the ridiculous drawing away. Instead, it'll end up living somewhere between the pages of an old book buried in a drawer.)
Somehow, Scott's words don't surprise him. He didn't know, but he knew. He knew there was something. He can't explain it. Just the way they met and how she was. There's a reason she doesn't talk, he thinks. Considering how fast she heals, he's gonna go out on a limb and say that reason probably isn't physical. For a long moment, he's quiet, too. He studies the rough, splintered wood grain of the crate, the haphazard edges of graffiti somebody must've sprayed on years ago.
She didn't understand it. The word mutant. So either she's not entirely from a world like theirs or she's been so isolated, she never had a chance to figure out there are others.
It's another minute before Logan realizes he hasn't answered. He frowns. ] She came at me. Like a damn freight train. I dunno, it was like— [ He lifts his hand, making a vague gesture around his head. ] —the lights were on but nobody was home. I don't think she meant to hurt me.
[ Or she did, but not in the same way. That first punch she threw at him compared to when she attacked him after, it was different. Everything about it felt different. He recognizes it. Not entirely consciously, but...yeah. That little piece inside your brain that sometimes snaps without warning. ]
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For a moment, Scott just stands there and takes in the information given. From what he has seen from Kimiko, he knows she won't mean to hurt someone else. If she got experimented on by the terrorist group like she mentioned, then that should explain it.
The lights were on but nobody was home. Scott's brows knit together. That's not good. ]
She did tell me she stabbed you. [ Of course, he assumed it was Logan's fault. But he won't tell him that. ] Didn't know that's how it happened.
[ A beat. ] I'll try and find her again. She needs community and maybe we can provide that for her if she wants. I'll talk to the Professor, too. I don't think she has a phone, though. Do you think you can track her down?
[ Already in recruiting mode? Maybe. But also, her story resembles some of the mutants they have taken to the Institute, that somehow it activates the leader in Scott. The teacher. The mutant who wants to rescue his own kind to give them a better life. ]
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He finally picks up the crate. A scoff. ]
Alright, take it easy. [ Summers really hasn't got an off switch, has he? ] You're gonna scare her off. I gave her my number, she'll come around when she comes around.
[ Scott isn't wrong. She does deserve a home, a family. Whatever. He doesn't want her to be alone, either. He just knows chasing him down with all that community bullshit by the X-Men's poster boy over there didn't work on him back in the day; pretty sure it's not gonna work on her. She needs time.
Though he's gotta admit: Scott did get her to tell him about herself. That's not nothing. ]
She say anything else?
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The question makes Scott pause for a bit, remembering Kimiko's words. Remembering how much of a coincidence it is when he first learned about it. But Scott's a man who doesn't believe in happenstance. Things occur for a reason. He does things with intent.
So, after a brief pause, he crosses his arms before his naked chest. ]
That she also heals fast. Again, just like you. [ He lets that sink in. ] She has a lot of similarities with you, Logan. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she's... [ He trails off, arching a brow, implying what Logan will think Scott's implying. He gives Logan a pointed look, lets those words settle for a bit, before he speaks again. ]
I don't think she knows the word mutant, but that doesn't rule out the possibility that she might be. [ A beat. ] That she is.
[ And speaking of mutants - ] Who are the other two, by the way?
no subject
[ He didn't fight her long enough to determine exactly how much damage she can withstand, but a lot seems like a safe bet. It goes past her abilities, though. It's how she used them. Feral. Like an animal, he thinks, but she isn't one. (Neither is he.) So. Mutant seems to be what it is 'til they learn more.
Besides, who cares about the distinction? She obviously doesn't fit in with the rest of the humans. She didn't ask to be the way she is. For him, that's all that matters.
As for the others, that's a damn sight simpler. ]
Couple of assholes. [ Said mildly. It's only a description. An apt one. Bit like him. ] One goes by Wade Wilson, the other's Cable. Like I said, I doubt they're looking to join any teams. For your sake, you better hope they aren't.
[ If Scott thinks he's difficult to deal with? Yeah. Don't get him wrong, they don't bother Logan too much. Wade's an annoying fucker and Cable has a quota of three words per sentence, but Logan's got no problem with them existing wherever they're existing. He did ask Cable to come around—mostly for what the man might know about time travel. Even let Wade buy him some noodles the other night. But there's no world in which the two of them in one room with Logan and Scott isn't gonna be a recipe for disaster. He doesn't gotta meet them more than once each to recognize that.
On second thought, maybe he does want them to join the team. Just so he can watch Scott Summers slowly die inside. ]
no subject
So, Scott rolls his eyes. Probably the nth time he had to do it in the presence of Logan and he still has five hours in this shift. ]
I'll take note of those names. They might change their minds. Still mutants, and if we're allowing both Magneto and Mystique during meetings, I think it's not that bad to have more allies in this place.
[ Logan warned him, but Scott's a stubborn man. Also someone who likes to see things for himself. Unbeknownst to him, though, is the fact that he had already met the two aforementioned guys. And his interactions with them were strange in varying degrees, Wade's most of all. Not that he knows it was Wade who was the drunk he was trying to help at the resort.
Returning to his task, Scott begins to carry one of the boxes. Passing by Logan, he just drops his next words as if he's stating an important fact during a mission briefing. ]
Speaking of allies, saw you eyeing some woman at the pool.
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He can deal. Twenty years has taught him how to pick his battles. Mostly. Sometimes.
His turn to roll his eyes. He walks the opposite way, reaching for the next box. Sorry, what? Excuse him? He swings his head around, eyes narrowed. ]
Jealous? [ He scoffs. Who he talks to is none of Scott's business. After a long stretch, he finally adds: ] She's a civilian. Just making sure she's okay.
[ That's not wholly untrue. Karen's not a soldier, she's got no powers that he can tell. Must've worked some white collar job back in New York in a world designed for people like her. But Scott's instincts aren't wrong, either: he doesn't keep an eye on just anybody. There's a reason it's been Karen, and there's a reason she's been staying three doors down from his room.
It's still nobody's business. ]
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Right.
[ He doesn't sound very convinced, though, especially since he has seen that look before. All over Jean. Does this mean Logan's over his girl now or is he just a fucking cassanova? Probably the former. Inasmuch as Scott likes to paint the other mutant as an insufferable ladies' man, he thinks any woman with an ounce of self-respect won't even try and go to bed with Logan. If ever they do, well, that's on them. He won't judge. He'll just. Look away.
Which is honestly what he did at the pool. The moment he saw Logan making eyes, he's out of there in a heartbeat. Not going to stain his vision with whatever's about to go down.
Setting down the box he carried, Scott's still not looking at Logan when he speaks again, as he wipes away more sweat on his brow with the back of his hand. ]
What a hero. Did a lot of checking to make sure she's fine. [ Glancing back at Logan, hands on hips, Scott smirks faintly. ] New girl?
[ Unfortunately for Logan, Scott makes everything his business. ]
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