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If Everyone Cared; Tag // Jay
Topic Started: Oct 12 2011, 03:26 AM (281 Views)
Cessily Kincaid
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Metallic Polymorph
September 18, evening
Worthington Complex, apartments



She’d seen Jay at some point during the attack on the school. The memories simply flashed across her mind, without warning, while she was resting, while she was working. Cessily Kincaid didn’t sleep, but she was still having nightmares. Blood, fire, faces spinning around fast enough to make her dizzy. Some parts of it seemed fuzzy, while others were almost painfully clear. The injured lying in the makeshift infirmary. At some point, she’d seen Jay, carried by wings that were dark and shadowed. But the insanity of everything happening at once, she hadn’t been able to truly see him. A part of her had even thought she imagined it, until she’d seen him again. But by then, she’d been on her way to the apartments, helping those not as durable as she was.

The past few weeks had been a true test of her ability to lie low. As it turned out, she didn’t like it. Being in the city, able to see the busy streets, the lights, the people, out the window of the room she was staying in, yet being unable to go out and mingle. The cover up of the institute’s attack, it chafed at her more than she’d like to admit. But the anti-mutant sentiments just seemed to be getting worse, and even with her image inducer, she couldn’t go out much. When the Guthrie’s finally returned, Cessily knew she had to make a point to see Jay.

He hadn’t called, hadn’t let them known he was alright…There was surely a reason. So there she stood, in sweatpants and a tank top, silver feet bare against the soft carpet of the hallway. Her red hair was loose, and for a moment, she shifted awkwardly outside the room Jay was staying in – she didn’t know why she was hesitating. He was her friend. She had no reason to hesitate. Yet her feet paused, arm outstretched, her metal hand curled into a fist, as if unsure she should knock.

Raking her hand through her hair, disgusted for a moment with her paused motion, finally stretching the rest of the way and rapping on the door. Leaning her shoulder on the door frame, a bit awkwardly, she couldn’t help recalling what she had seen before. Jay with wings that weren’t the usual red color, but instead dark and shadowy. Something had happened to him, something big…Something that he obviously hadn’t felt comfortable sharing with them, not until the sudden destruction of the school brought him back.
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Icarus
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Darkforce Wings, Vocal Manipulation
He got back from the family filled venture back home to Kentucky last night, feeling a bit more relaxed and together since everything that had happened weeks ago. He got things mostly in order for the first time in what felt like months, even though it was just over a month and a half since his life was horribly messed up by the Purifiers. It was during that time that he was almost...glad that he was not at the mansion when it blew up, between what he already went through and what happened after. There may have not been a sane man if he had dealt with another tragedy, but he was a changed man.

Even if he took the Hellfire Club's offer to gain a new set of wings, he knew that they would never replace what he lost to the Purifiers. Nothing would ever replace everything and everyone he lost because of the Purifiers. They left him for dead, they left him for execution before the Hellfire Club came. And they gave him a chance to be in the sky again, so he took it. Who wouldn't? Whatever debt it came with, it was his and his alone.

When he heard the knock at the door he figured it was Kim. They really hadn't spent a night without each other since the explosion. He figured it was just her coming over to spend the night together again, which he didn't mind at all, having Kim with him, it made him not feel as numb about everything, having anyone with him made him feel like things were normal again, even without the eighty something pounds of wings attached to his back.

He didn't even bother looking through the peep hole because he was so confident that it was Kim, and confident in the security of the complex not to let anyone who'd abduct him again. Then again he was certain that it couldn't have happened to him at X-Corp...he would probably get himself killed some day.

So when he opened the door to see Cessily, he was surprised to say t he least. "Hey Cess..." Jay said awkwardly, hand still on the door keeping it open. The last time they talked was the day he was abducted...Jay never let himself drift so far from friends before. "What's up?" He asked, barefoot himself dressed in just a black tank top and a pair of jeans he got from walmart. He wasn't planning on going out anywhere fancy, and judging by Cessily's look, she wasn't either. "How... How have you been?" He asked. "Where are my manners, come inside." He offer and moved his arm so he was no longer blocking the way in.
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Cessily Kincaid
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Metallic Polymorph
The last time she’d spoken to him, the morning of the attack on X-Corp, things had been so normal. She’d asked if he wanted to hang out, and he’d told her about an errand he had to run, but that he’d be back later. Cess could still see the images on the television, showing the attack, the sudden skipped heartbeat when she realized he was there. The looks on everyone’s faces, watching the scene from the media lounge, as they all realized that their entire way of life had just been attacked. And when he didn’t come back, when the report was finally made that he’d gone missing…It was like the floor had just dropped out from under them.

After the attack on the school, they’d missed each other. She’d been trying to calm her molecules, after taking a bomb hit, and as everything sank in, she’d gone blank. When the door swung open, and she finally saw him, for a moment, she tensed, as if expecting it to be someone in a mask of Jay, ready to say surprise. Her silver eyes swept over him, taking in the fact that so much seemed normal – the glaring lack of wings tugging at her gaze, but she refused to linger on that. Instead, he was speaking to her, and she looked up to meet his gaze. Cess couldn’t attempt a smile, it was too serious a situation, to tense and uncomfortable. And when he finally offered to let her in, she took a step forward.

Rather than stepping all the way into the room, she stopped, and stretched up on her toes to throw her arms around his neck in a tight hug. Cessily was ever the emotional one, and sometimes she just couldn’t express things in words. Hugging him, caught between relief at knowing he was really alive and well, and horror at realizing that there was nothing left of his wings. But she refused to dwell on that right away, something that was surely a painful memory for him. Pulling away finally, she looked him over again, as if expecting a leg to be missing.

“I…I’m fine…I just needed to make sure you were.” Feeling even more awkward than before, she shifted a bit, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. Had she been normal, she’d be blushing, for having hugged without thinking, feeling a tad stupid trying to explain why she’d come over. How foolish, to want to check up on him, so many weeks after everything that had happened. Even so, she inched into the apartment, stopping once she was inside. “You…You are okay, right?” She shook her head, “I mean, of course you’re not, none of us are okay, after that but…But I mean, you’re not…” She swallowed, “You’re…Alive. I…” Cess tugged her hair, uncomfortably. “I’m glad. Really glad.”
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Icarus
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Darkforce Wings, Vocal Manipulation
There was almost an awkward silence between the two of them after he made the offer for her to come in, the silence broken by the metallic young woman stepping forward and wrapping her arms around his neck. He was happy to feel her touch, but at the same time there was this constant guilt whenever someone reacted this way to him. They were so glad to see that he was alive, while he was an cowardly asshole that didn't have the courage to tell anyone he was alive and well. He still had trouble figuring out why he did that to them all, and was more grateful that so far no one really asked.

He put his arms around her back when she gave him a hug, chin briefly resting on her shoulder in the embrace. Jay knew he missed her, he missed all of them, he spent every day during his capture that she and everyone else he cared about would stay safe. Since the attack on the school, he wondered how much good that it actually did. Then the embrace ended and he smiled softly at her.

"Yeah, it's me." He replied with the same smile that was just a fragment of that typical charming smile that most people knew him, just a shattered mirror reflection of what he used to be. You could make out who the reflection was of, but you could tell not everything was there anymore, besides the obvious. "Quite honestly I am fine, all things considering. Alive, finally getting back to what I think is my normal weight after that whole mess... I'm...good." He said a bit awkwardly at first. It was strange to talk about that his wings were gone, but at the same time the issue needed to be addressed. He walked further into the apartment to further beckon her in. "Can I get you anything?" He asked politely. "I know you're a bit young, but how about a drink? I got Miller Genuine Draft... a bottle of red wine... and half a bottle of cherry rum." He said as he opened a fridge and looked inside. "I was about to get a drink myself and watch some TV, but drinking alone just seems a tad depressing, doesn't it?" She might remember that Jay did turn 21 recently... the day of the attack to be accurate. Jay also knew that she did not necessarily need to drink, but it would be rude not to offer, to treat her anything different from the wonderful person that she was was beneath him.
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Cessily Kincaid
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Metallic Polymorph
There were so many things that needed to be said, so many questions, comments, floating about in her mind that she wanted to spout out at random. But her voice failed her, seeing him standing there looking somehow different, and not just because of the missing wings. Lately, it was as if Cessily had trouble expressing herself, and she’d defaulted to physical contact, trying to comfort silently. She couldn’t help herself, having always been a very physical person in regards to hugging and feeling, and somehow words felt like they would simply ruin the moment. Taking comfort from his hug, a chance to feel as if everything were back to how it had been before all this had happened; Cessily’s hands automatically went high, as if to avoid the wings that weren’t there anymore.

When they pulled away, she smiled in return, a hesitant, slightly shaky one. He had changed, she could tell just from how he spoke, from his smile. That was to be expected, but it still hurt. It hurt knowing that she hadn’t been able to help him. He tried to reassure her that he was okay, but the doubt on her face proved that she wasn’t sure she believed him. Oh sure, his body seemed to have healed from the trauma…But there was no way he was fine. Following him in, she tried to smile.

“That…That’s good.” She couldn’t bring herself to ask about the wings, about what he’d been through. A part of her didn’t want to know yet. At the offer, she actually did smile, shaking her head. She’d known it had been his birthday – they’d wanted to take him out, but the attack had obviously gotten in the way of those plans. The smile was genuine, and while she understood why drinking alone would be depressing, it would merely be a waste of alcohol on her.

“No, I’m good. I’d hate to waste your alcohol.” She couldn’t bring herself to say happy birthday to him. She did move to the couch and sit down, shifting awkwardly for a moment. “I…I won’t ask what happened.” Her voice was quiet, uncomfortable, gaze skittering away from him momentarily. “I doubt you want to talk about it…But…If you do, you know you can talk to me, right?” Silver eyes glanced back at him, the smile faded into a serious look. She wasn’t sure how much longer she’d be in town, but she wanted to be there for him, at least for now.
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Icarus
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Darkforce Wings, Vocal Manipulation
He let out a long exhale, opening up a bottle of beer. Each step he took towards the couch he thought how to respond to her. A hundred things he could say, a hundred things he thought about to say to everyone. Not a single one seemed to feel right in his head. Nothing he could say felt like something that 'Jay' would say, nothing he's done felt like something 'Jay' would do. At least not the old Jay, the red winged musical angel that soared through the sky during a nice and warm summer day, the Jay that would be there to greet a new student at the school, the Jay that finally had life on a track that he and his family could have been proud of.

As melodramatic as it sounds, that Jay died when men of misguided faith forced him to stay awake as the saw through the bones of his wings, men that used his wings to create monstrosities that were going to kill his family and friends. His heart never stopped beating, but who he was no longer existed except in his and those who knew him's memories.

"What is there to talk about Cess?" He asked softly as he stood at the side of the couch, his hand lightly grazing the surface of the leather arm. "You have eyes... you can see exactly what they did to me." He said simply, starting to raise the bottle to his lips but stopping. "You saw what they used my wings for..." He said softly. "They took my gift, they took it and...mutated it into those winged demons they turned their own men into and attacked the school." It hurt to think about it, he could feel the scars on his back ache from the memories. "They used my wings to attack my friends, my family... And I have to live with that for the rest of my life because I wasn't strong enough to get away." He wanted to cry, he wanted to get upset, but all that his body did in reaction to the emotional confession was just stare at the wall as his jaw quivered.
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Cessily Kincaid
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Metallic Polymorph
The conflict of emotions was dizzying, overwhelming the redhead as so many reactions fought for control. The small part of her that was hurt by Jay’s decision not to let them know he was alright; the stronger emotions of anger and sadness easily winning over that hurt. She wanted to hurt the people who had hurt him, even knowing that such a thing would be pointless; it wouldn’t bring his wings back, wouldn’t heal the pain in his heart. He stood there, and the look on his face was heartbreaking when he spoke, the tone so dead compared to his usually musical voice.

She frowned, gaze sliding across his back when he mentioned what they did to him. Yes, the physical mutilation was quite obvious, horrific even when she couldn’t see the scars on him. But thinking back to those creations, those attackers at the mansion, twisted versions of Jay’s gift adorning each deadly flier…Her silver skin visibly rippled, like a pond someone had thrown a rock into. The memory of tearing through a body, the crunch of bones hitting the ground with devastating force – Cess had to shake her head to break out of that train of thought. But when he blamed himself, the redhead leapt to her feet, fists clenched, hair flying as she shook her head at him.

“No, no, what those bastards did…It wasn’t your fault.” She placed a hand on his shoulder, grip gentle. “It…We…If we had been able to find you…” This time, her voice was much softer, a silver molded tear slipping down one cheek before absorbing back into her being. “I…I’m so sorry, Jay.” They had failed him, unable to find or rescue him before the Purifiers had destroyed him. But if not him, the religious fanatics would have found some other mutant to twist and torture for their needs.

“…When did you escape?” Cessily wasn’t stupid. His wounds had to have taken a while to heal, and she doubted the Purifiers would have let him heal after having tortured him so badly. He had to have been free for weeks before the attack. While she was hurt by his decision not to let them know…A part of her could almost understand. But the fact remained that she wanted to know.
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Icarus
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Darkforce Wings, Vocal Manipulation
She tried consoling him, placing her hand on his shoulder, Jay looked at the silver fingers as they placed on his shoulder. She apologized even... that the X-Men weren't able to find him before it happened. That she wasn't able to find him. He understood that pain, because if the situation was reversed... He'd feel the same. If it were anyone but himself, Jay would have felt the same way, and would try and do anything at all to try and make up for it, despite knowing there was nothing that could do that.

“…When did you escape?”

He froze up a bit at that question. Jay dodged it as much as he could with anyone he felt would judge him about it. He didn't feel that way with Cessily. He felt safe, like he could talk with her, and hopefully not be judged. "A lot of it...was a blur, Cess." Jay said softly. "But they said they found me the 5th of last month..." He added feeling the guilt of not telling anyone get heavier with every word. "But I wasn't... I wasn't out of the woods of being at death's door until a week later. I was sick until about a week before the attack, barely walking until then." He added. Jay looked at her with sad blue eyes.

"I haven't been sick since I was eight years old. My wings always kept me healthy, they kept me alive whenever I got close to death. Hell they brought me back to life more than once." There was a story behind that last statement, one he never shared with Cessily, he never willingly shared it with anyone but Kim among his closest friends. Teachers knew, his family knew, mostly at least. The younger ones knew that something was wrong with him years ago, but his mom, Sam and Paige? They knew the truth. It's what brought him to the mansion in the first place. "I didn't mean for that much time to pass...it just did."
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Cessily Kincaid
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Metallic Polymorph
Apologies were useless, because when it came right down to it, Cessily couldn’t do anything to make up for what had happened to him. She couldn’t alter time and go back and save him, and no matter how many times she apologized for not helping him, it wouldn’t bring his wings back, or save him from all the pain he went through. If he chose to blame them for not being able to find him, there was nothing she could do to refute it. She kept her hand on his shoulder, feeling him tense at her question. It was obvious he was uncomfortable with that line of thought, and Cessily could guess that he’d gotten some very angry responses to it. But the redhead wasn’t judgmental, especially not when it came to what had happened to him.

The mere fact that he answered showed that he was still comfortable with her, which she was thankful for. Listening to his quiet, hesitant words, she tightened her grip on his shoulder, wishing she could do or say something to help him. A month, he’d been free – for a moment, she frowned, just a slight downturn of her lips, as if considering that fact. But he was explaining, how he was barely conscious, probably unaware of where he was, let alone the fact that he was alive. Living had been his priority, and as much as she wished he – or his saviors – had thought to contact the school, she understood.

“It’s okay…I…I wish you’d let us know, but as long as you’re alive, it’s okay.” She knew full well that he would never have hurt them on purpose, and as such, she was able to forgive that. Besides, as the memory of the explosion burst through her mind, the violent destruction of her home, it occurred to her – he didn’t have a healing factor now. That’s why it had taken him so long to heal. Had she been normal, her skin might have paled, and she stepped closer to Jay, leaning her shoulder gently against him.

“Maybe it was for the best…If you’d been there, at the school…God, without a healing factor,” She trailed off for a moment, because she didn’t even want to think about that. So many had died, and if Jay had come back…Would he have died, caught in the blast, like the others? For a moment, she was grateful he hadn’t been there. “I-it doesn’t matter. You’re alive, that’s what’s important.” Swallowing, she leaned closer, hugging him again, a short embrace, before releasing him.
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Icarus
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Darkforce Wings, Vocal Manipulation
"I've missed you all so much." He admitted swallowing a lump in his throat as he returned her last embrace, emotions bubbling forth despite how hard he tried to keep them in check. It was just too hard for Jay to do that. He wasn't like his brother Sam. Jay wore his heart on his sleeve, just sometimes he was better at wearing something over it to hide it, most of the time he wasn't.

Her thought of him being at the school, and in the condition he was... That dawned on him as well. Would he have died if he didn't accept the Black King's offer? He wouldn't have had wings, he wouldn't have had a healing factor. He wouldn't have had anything to protect himself. Jay would have been powerless in the attack and it would have gotten himself and maybe others killed because of it. In hindsight, maybe he was safer because of his own guilt and selfishness?

He looked to Cessily and put on a smile for her. "Let's just forget about all that. Like you said. I'm alive, and you're alive, and a lot of us got out of there. Let's focus on the positives about everything?" Quite honestly he wanted to direct the conversation elsewhere. Just to get it off of his mind for a while longer until tomorrow morning he'd wake up, look into the mirror and see what happened to himself all over again.

"So how have things been around here? Who is all here anyways? In New York that is? I know a bunch went off to that Utopia place, but I can't remember who, I just remember seeing Miss Frost leaving with the Brotherhood and that was pretty much all I can remember on who is where."
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Cessily Kincaid
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To have been stolen away from your friends, your family, held for an inexplicable reason, until your captors decide to kill you or, by some miracle, you escape…She could imagine that he had missed them. As terrible as it had been for them, not knowing where he was, or what had happened, it had to have been worse for him. Whatever had been done to him, and Cessily highly doubted they’d been kind before removing his wings, he had to know that they wanted him dead. Judging by his appearance at the school, it had been the intervention of the Hellfire Club that had saved him.

Still hugging him when he spoke, she nodded silently into his shoulder, because there was no way she could say just how much she had missed him. Even though it hurt, knowing that he had been safe and alive and yet had not let them know…She could let go of that anger. No, it was more important that he was actually safe. Right now, with their friends and family from the school so split, so separated, fractured in so many ways, Cessily could be thankful that Jay was alive. The attempt to change the topic was obvious, but as she released him, she nodded. There were so many ways to contradict his attempts to be positive, but the redhead allowed him the moment.

“Positive, right.” Her smile was weak, but there, and at his questions she shrugged a single shoulder, moving to sit on the couch. To be honest, in the mayhem of everything that had happened, she was a bit confused. Lifting one hand, rubbing a finger over her eye as if thinking, she frowned a bit at the mention of Emma, but didn’t mention that particular incident.

“Well, I know the majority of everyone went to Utopia. Scott, Storm, Josh and Laurie, as well as the worst injured that Josh was still working on…The other flight to Utopia left on the seventh, Kel was on it, along with some of the students that had to notify parents and such.” Shifting on the sofa awkwardly, she shook her head. “I…Haven’t kept up with who all is still here. Since I can’t exactly leave the building, not without a holowatch, I’ve been in my room most of the time.”
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Icarus
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Darkforce Wings, Vocal Manipulation
He heard her list off names of some of who left for that Utopia place in the Savage Land he's been hearing so much about. While the Summers were obvious... he was a bit saddened that he wouldn't get to see his friends Josh and Laurie. Not before he left the Complex to go elsewhere. He still hadn't told many people about that...he probably needed to. It was just hard, and it made him feel somewhat guilty despite the fact he felt like it was a necessary thing, well not necessary but needed.

Jay sat next to her, putting an arm around her shoulders to give her a one armed hug with his bottle of beer in the other. He oddly enough remembered a scene similar to this years back. His family was out of the house, so he invited Julia over. He was hardly a drinker back then, but he did have an occasional bottle. He and Julia sat on the couch his arm around her, drink in the other hand as they watched a movie and just enjoyed the peaceful time alone...at least until the clothes came off. Feeling a tad awkward at the memory Jay moved his arm away and rested it on his lap.

"We were always the 'freaks' who had to hide, weren't we?" Jay muttered looking up at the ceiling. They were two of the physically mutated at the school, few among their circle of friends. "But...it's good to be different, whether the world sees it now or not. There will come a day where mutation is not only accepted but wanted by all, and everyone will want to look different and be like us." Jay responded with a smile trying to cheer her up. "You're great just the way you are Cess, don't be afraid to show the world your awesomeness."
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