WELCOME TO NEXUS.

[XxWolverine]

No one knew he was back yet, or at least no one cared enough to seek him out. He’d entered through the mansion’s front gate several nights past, walking his motorcycle to the garage instead of waking up the populace. With bike back in place and metal sparkling after a wipe down, Logan threw the filthy rag across Cyclops’s favorite car and headed into the woods. He didn’t have the drive to go into the mansion yet, to face the people he was sure were still in there. Three months had passed since he last saw most of them—they wouldn’t have liked what they saw.

His jeans had grown tighter, making an irritable swoosh as he walked. The sleeves of his favorite button-up flannel shirt had grown too narrow to put his arms through, forcing him to rip the sleeves off. T-shirts didn’t fit anymore, leaving his chest exposed to the elements. He had always been a muscular man, but his physique had increased a size or two. He had yet to appear ill-proportioned, but his body had naturally become stronger. He could move faster now, remain in a crouch longer, stay alert in the darkness, and silent in the daytime. Thick veins had come to web up and down the muscles in his arms, chest, back, and legs. He was lion-like, the control of his muscles stretching and taunting through his skin as if he moved like a lion stalking prey.

He ran a thick hand through his hair that had grown longer, his two peaks weighing down to a point Logan considered putting them into a ponytail. The only consolation he had was that his cowboy boots still fit, and his uniform that he left in a bag attached to his bike had conformed to cling to his larger girth. While he wasn’t aware of what was happening to his body thoroughly, he was aware that he was becoming far more… dangerous. His temper was easier to spark, his snarl easier to form, and his brash behavior easier to bring to the surface. While his thoughts were still his own—more Logan than feral—he could feel the animalistic side of him creep into the edge of his mind and fray the ends. The prospect unnerved the feral. He wasn’t sure if he could trust himself around a group of people anymore.

He reached the cabin he made himself years ago, relishing in the musty odor of nature. He eased himself into a hammock tied to a corner of the cabin to act like a bed and slept. He was comfortable, at ease, and relaxed—it was the most sleep he had done since he had been away.

He woke up a day or two later, hungry and thirsty. He managed to put his newly found more enhanced senses to use, hunting the smaller animals in the forest and sticking them over a fire like he had always done the past few months. While there was food at the mansion, hunting relaxed him further. Water was in fresh supply, and no matter what he drank, he wouldn’t have to worry about the illnesses born from rancid water. With his stomach full and thirst appeased, he stretched his large limbs, tossed the bones further into the woods, and kicked dirt over the embers. His next stop was Breakstone Lake.

~*~*~*~

His skin chilled with the lake’s tension running down the contours of his body. He lay on his back, body bobbing up and down, realizing he had never been able to do this for as long as he could remember. He was truly floating, not sinking like a rock and struggling to reach the surface. His pants had naturally weighed him down, but with a few kicks of his legs and arcs of his arms, he continued to stay on the surface with great ease. He would have preferred to swim without clothing, but a part of Logan kept himself modest being so close to the mansion. He’d have to go in there sometime, to ease normalcy back into his life, but until then, he preferred to be here, bobbing up and down, truly able to swim.

Maybe no longer having adamantium wasn’t such a bad thing, as long as he learned the spoils of no longer having it.

OOC: Checking to see if the edit line auto-shows.

This post has been edited by XxWolverine on Jul 4 2012, 07:22 PM

[~*Sunpyre*~]

Atonement.

Leyu had looked it up in the dictionary some time ago. She knew what it meant, what she believed it meant. The dictionary said that it was defined as the satisfaction or reparation for a wrong or injury; to make amends. There were also theological implications as well - atonement referred to the concept of reconciliation of God and humankind, as accomplished via the life, suffering, and death of Christ. That was the noun, the verb had more. To make up, as for errors or deficiencies. The woman staring at her had made mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. Mistakes are made, people die right? They die or burn or drown or fall and /break/.

It happened. And in the not-so-distant past, it happened because of the woman staring at her. Dark eyes, dark hair, dark scowl- all to match the dark path from which she was trying to trudge back.

The Asian woman kicked out at the watery reflection staring back at her and turned away. Sliding down against the tree, Leyu pressed her lips into a thin line. Stupid, stupid girl. Isn't this how you were told you'd end up? All the fire and air in you with no water to calm you or earth to ground you. Out of control and just freely burning down any trail dug out before you. She wasn't concerned about the smart dark slacks being stained by dirt and grass. Leyu didn't care about the bark of the tree digging into her dress shirt. "Aka," she mumbled to herself, staring at her hands. "Aren't I supposed to be able to see red?"

Was it good or bad that she worried about it /not/ showing? Shouldn't there be signs, indicators of guilt? Maybe a big sign on her back that everyone should see? It shouldn't be so that she could just go on living like it never happened. Because if it was so easy to move on, what was to stop her from doing it all again? Nothing, really. There was nothing. She could bury it all right here and now and forget about it. She'd whisper her apologies to the river and it'd be done with. If she acted normal, like herself, no one would have to know. The truth would only come out in an abuse of power or someone ratting her out. It'd never have to fall from her lips.

Confess to the river, whisper your guilt to the element you're so very lacking in, and leave. Say it and get up, brush yourself off and ignore it. Do what you do best and let the ashes scatter in the four winds. Never think of it, never speak it - your dirty little secret.

Zutto. Kicking out at the grass, Leyu glared out at the water again as if it was withholding the solution from her on purpose. She couldn't bury this, bury it in the river here - a watery grave - like her Clan probably wished they'd done to her when they'd still had the chance. Pride wouldn't let her walk and guilt wouldn't let her speak. Great. Just...great. Back to square one, Leyu resumed staring broodingly at the water as though waiting for it to tell her something.

[XxWolverine]

Logan’s ears were underwater, dulling the noises he heard. He could hear the faint ripples his body created while in the water, fish cresting the surface and quickly swimming away, even the water bugs that danced on the surface as they skimmed and jumped. Anything outside of the water was a mystery to his auditory senses, but not to the olfactory. He crinkled his nose. The scent of pine, fish, and wet soil was normally a soothing reminder of comfortable memories he couldn’t bring to the surface, but there was a strange stench in the air. Burnt ozone lingered above the surface with a touch of a smell he thought he’d never sniff anytime soon. He lifted his head from the water, ignoring the dribbles running down his nape as he sniffed again. Sakura—a cherry blossom. Not native in the United States, but common in Japan. The scent triggered memories that were best left forgotten, a rain of white petals falling around a silhouette as she knelt at a gravestone—some lost family member Logan didn’t get a chance to know.

He forced the image of Mariko from his mind and glanced around. All he saw were the trees on the shore line, but he gently twirled in the water, eyes narrowing down at an individual sitting in front of a tree near the shore closest to the mansion. Whether Japanese or not, he couldn’t tell, but the lingering scent of cherry blossoms was near unmistakable. Moving forward like a dolphin cresting the water, he dove under, finding it easier to swim faster underwater. His feet and legs moved like a fin as he crested the water once, took a breath, then sunk back under. He was roughly twenty feet from Sunpyre before he surfaced again, sticking to the surface as he swam toward shore. Dark blue eyes looked at the woman who was clearly lost in her own thoughts, and Logan realized she was indeed from an Asian descent.

He finally found traction underfoot as he stood and waded to the surface. He approached the woman, water up to his ankles as his jeans clung to his legs and put his hands to his hips. “You got a name or am I stuck callin’ you Burnt Sakura?” He’d never seen the woman before—couldn’t place her face. But there was a slight twinge of familiarity in her facial structure. He waved the thought off.

His eyes narrowed toward the woman, her form tense, an uncomfortable position, with eyes distant before he arrived. She was contemplating something, and whatever she was contemplating was not a pleasant thought. His suspicion arose.

“You visitin’ Chuck’s place?” He asked, wiping his face with a hand to stop the drips of water from tickling his nose. “Big ol’ comfy place like that, and yer out here gettin’ yerself worked up over somethin’. Not sure if yer wantin’ to be alone or just plain stupid to pick this spot.” With clothes like that, Logan decided Leyu wasn’t one to dwell in nature. She dressed too damn uppity like some social worker than to see the finer details of the water. She was getting dirty just by sitting down. Seemed to Logan she should have picked a better spot than rolling in the dirt like some pig. Snorting, he turned around and bent over, cupping his hands in the lake. He flung the water over his head, caring little if the majority of it splashed on the woman. All he wanted was to keep his hair slicked back to keep stray strands off his forehead.

He turned around, crossed his arms, and waited to see if he could figure out just who this woman was and what exactly she was doing here.

[~*Sunpyre*~]

You'd think that Leyu would be more grateful for a distraction from her not-exactly-cheerful thoughts.

And you'd be wrong. Sunpyre frowned at the man in front of her. The soaked man. The soaked man with regular clothes on, clothes that...kind of looked like they didn't fit? Sunpyre's power set did not include enhanced eyesight - unless you wanted to count the infrared vision - but she could tell the difference between clothes-are-wet cling and muscles-too-big cling. This man had both going on and she wondered if it wasn't uncomfortable. Alright, fine, maybe she half-admired the view for a moment. What? You've no right to judge her for that! You were looking too!!

And then he started talking, ruining it all entirely. His voice wasn't grating, she'd met people with grating voices. His was rough and she'd almost swear he was growling sometimes, but it wasn't going to make her ears bleed. No, it was the inevitable offense of talking and saying something she found offensive and/or unpleasant. 'Burnt sakura'? What kind of name was that? Why would he want to call me that? It'd make more sense if she knew who she was dealing with and that the name he'd come up with was based on her scent. But Wolverine didn't volunteer the information and she wasn't in the mood to play at being curious. She guessed the sakura was because she was Japanese and he'd guessed at her nationality very quickly. The burnt part though.. Leyu looked around, but noted that she had torched anything in the vicinity. The local temperature had risen a few degrees in response to her irritation and lack of power regulating, but nothing was on fire.

Whatever, let him be weird then.

"Sunpyre," she said, but only because he looked like he'd really continue to call her 'Burnt Sakura' if she didn't offer up something else. She'd hoped he would just go back in the water, but noooo. While she wasn't in the mood to be curious, but he was more than willing to interrogate her though. And she did mean interrogate.

“You visitin’ Chuck’s place?” -- “Big ol’ comfy place like that, and yer out here gettin’ yerself worked up over somethin’. Not sure if yer wantin’ to be alone or just plain stupid to pick this spot.”

She supposed 'Chuck' was supposed to be Charles, as in Charles Xavier. Yeah, she was kind of avoiding the man. Leyu gave the man a flat look. "Well it certainly doesn't matter either way /now/." If he'd thought she wanted to be alone, he clearly didn't care since he was here bothering her anyway. And as for stupid. "And I hardly find it stupid to come to this river; it was certainly a good enough location for you." So he went for a swim and she opted to sit on the grass. Big flipping difference. And alright, she hadn't exactly planned this out. These clothes were clearly not appropriate, but Leyu didn't care. She'd wanted to sit by the river, commune with nature. The Japanese mutant wasn't going to let something like completely replaceable fabric stop her. A little dirt never hurt anyone.

Turning as if done with her, the man re-wet his hair with water. That was fine, just fine, except for the part where he used enough water to not only re-wet his hair, but to send some cool liquid her way as well. Sunpyre didn't know the man well enough to determine if he was spiteful enough to do that on purpose, but she was annoyed nonetheless. I suppose I should be thankful my shirt isn't white. Leyu rolled her eyes and muttered a few choice words in her native tongue. Whatever. A little dampness was nothing for her. The woman did a little 'speed dry', raising the temperatures further for a minute or so. Sufficiently dry - and without setting anything on fire too! - Leyu let her powers dissipate entirely, including the little bump from the agitation this man was causing her.

He turned back to her again. Fantastic, he wasn't through with her yet. Maybe he'd splash again. She should save him the trouble and just jump into the river. He folded his arms, making the veins on his muscular arms stand out more. The man had a look of general disapproval and suspicion. You know, when he frowns that way, he reminds me of the Elders. "And you are...a keibi? Mansion security?" This would be amusing if she wasn't so miserable before he opted to swim up. Maybe that's what she'd call him though, 'Keibi'. Keibi-san. He certainly looked like he'd make an impressive guard for any manor. And to be a guard for a mansion full of high-powered mutants? Even bigger. Leyu stared unflinchingly back and wondered what the 'magic words' were here. Maybe a secret password.

Leyu leaned back against the tree, shifting to get good and comfortable - dress clothes or no. She kicked off her shoes, obviously not planning on going anywhere now. Maybe she really would go for a swim. "Nani - am I encroaching upon your territory? What do you want from me Keibi-san?"

[XxWolverine]

Sunpyre. Logan let the name swirl in his brain as he took a closer look at the contours of Sunpyre’s face. She carried the usual feminine appearance—a rounded jaw and petite nose with her chocolate brown eyes, but still that hint of familiarity was nagging at him. Even though her appearance was different, there was still something similar there. Maybe if he bothered to look at Shiro Yoshida more often, he’d finally make the connection, but since the man had more fire coming out of his ass than his hands, Logan didn’t even bother. But he did look at Kenuichio Harada quite a bit. Perhaps that was where the spark of recognition was coming from… but then again, maybe not.

"Well it certainly doesn't matter either way /now/."

Logan snorted. Fiery scent and a fiery spirit—how clichéd. As for this spot being good enough for him… “Probably because I ain’t like you.” As he went about wetting his hair, the woman obviously didn’t know he could speak Japanese. Not that he expected her to, but still, he had to keep a smirk from spreading across his lips. She certainly had some colorful language. He caught that same stench again—the burnt ozone. It was more prominent than before, but Logan didn’t bother to turn around to see what the woman was doing yet. If she was going to hurt him, that would just gave him more incentive to not trust her.

"And you are...a keibi? Mansion security?"

“The least thing from it, hotaru-kun.” Now he was playing with her without the usual signal he was doing as such on his face. His expression was still placid, but still he wanted to see her expression. He purposely used “kun” instead of “san,” a signal she was the inferior one between the pair. She leaned back further, obviously settling in despite his seemingly intimidating presence. She called him security again—a nickname that strangely didn’t bother the feral. If he had to act like security, he might as well have the appropriate title alongside it.

“Yer new here, alone, and actin’ like you lit a fuse that goes up yer ass—smell like it too. There’s only two kinds of people who seek out bein’ alone when there’s a mansion full of people to interact with, especially dressed like you are. Either yer a sociopath or yer too busy thinkin’ about crap you can’t change, so why bother?” Logan could use his own advice, but he’d like to think he had a greater reason to be troubled by his own thoughts. With his age and his actions, he was allowed to find isolation to settle his wild side—people expected it from him. When it came to someone like Sunpyre, however…

“What’s yer real name? You’ve got a resemblance to someone… Can’t put my finger on it.” Logan’s fingers went to the snaps on his jeans, unsnapping and unzipping in front of Sunpyre. His fingers slipped under the waistband, shoving down to peel the fabric from his flesh. “Most call me Wolverine, but call me Logan.” He talked as he worked, finally managed to pull the jeans down his knees before he sat on the ground and began to tug them off. When Logan wore his uniform, he wore a skintight undergarment akin to a diver’s suit that covered his lower region like a pair of boxers. There was nothing to see thanks to that. Logan didn’t even think about what Sunpyre might think as he took his pants off.

He might have been amused.

[~*Sunpyre*~]

“Probably because I ain’t like you.”

Fortunate, as she had no desire to be a damn hypocrite. He could wander around the river, /in/ the river, but she wasn't allowed to sit here because she wasn'r dressed properly? He couldn't possibly be serious. The use of Japanese was a slight she hadn't thought of. It was a habit, native words slipping into her accented English. If she wanted to annoy someone, she'd use it exclusively and then give them an expectant look at the end.

She asked if he was mansion security, half-serious and half-not. “The least thing from it, hotaru-kun.” Leyu's eye twitched. Did..he just call her a /firefly/? Leyu's eyes narrowed mutinously, hints of demonic red seeping in. She ought to raze the place to the ground and see what he thought of 'fireflies' then and--. Just as quickly, the red disappeared and Leyu jerked up as if she'd caught herself falling asleep or something. Her eyes weren't as narrowed and the brooding look was back. See how easy it was for you to think that way? How easy the thought came to your mind? And all because he called you firefly, used -kun. He ought to do it too; you're being a child, she scolded herself harshly.

"Goei-san has a sense of humor - I'll keep that in mind."

“Yer new here, alone, and actin’ like you lit a fuse that goes up yer ass—smell like it too." She was certain she did not smell like burnt flesh. She knew what that scent was first hand. "I wasn't aware that there was a dress code," she tossed in dryly. "There’s only two kinds of people who seek out bein’ alone when there’s a mansion full of people to interact with, especially dressed like you are. Either yer a sociopath or yer too busy thinkin’ about crap you can’t change, so why bother?”

Can't change? The woman stared blankly at him. She wasn't trying to change anything; just pay for it with something other than her life. "Do I seem like a people-person to you? Why is it that you can wander around by yourself, but I can't? You're a strange, contradictory man." And what did he mean 'new'? "You should check your security logs too Goei-san - the fact that we have not met does not make me new to your X-Men." Granted, she didn't stay for a very long time - one and done - but she wasn't brand spanking new either. There were those on the groudns and in that mansion that might remember her.

“What’s yer real name? You’ve got a resemblance to someone… Can’t put my finger on it.”

Logan was rewarded with a face of stone. "Familiar?" That doesn't really bode well. Leyu wasn't on good terms with...about 99% of her Clan. Anyone that she reminded him of was probably someone she didn't like and certainly didn't want to be associated with. Any name he tossed out, assuming some freak connection was about to be revealed here, was likely to strike a nerve. Hell, just the possibility was striking enough. Leyu was tensing, not really liking where this could go when Wolverine abruptly changed the atmosphere - by stripping.

The dark-eyed woman could do little more than stare with wide eyes as the man just casually peeled his jeans off in front of her. He was obviously unconcerned, continuing on while taking the soaked article off. “Most call me Wolverine, but call me Logan.” Leyu refused to shield her eyes like some virgin maiden or flush like a schoolgirl! She'd seen naked men before and Goei-san still had..ah..?? They covered him as boxers, but were far too clingy. Spandex? The thought made her choke on a smattering of laughter that she hadn't been prepared for.

...she didn't want to seem like she was /staring/ at him either. Stuck between pride and appearing to be a pervert, Leyu went with the obvious choice. Pride.

She didn't look away, but tried to not appear to be eyeballing him. Sunpyre chose to keep her eyes further up and away from the black-clad nether regions. She even managed not to blush. The young woman was quite proud of herself. "You may call be Leyu if you wish." Wolverine, Logan...hm, she still liked her choice best - obviously. Whatever he went by, she would stick with 'goei-san'.

[XxWolverine]

"Because if I don't go off on my own, I'm liable to kill someone, especially right now." Logan realized how that sounded and shrugged. He didn't mean right now as in he was going to kill Sunpyre, but right now as in his current condition. "I ain't exactly human, darlin'. I ain't always in control of my actions. I keep away to keep my humanity in check. You keep away because yer, what, scared of burnin' shit?" Some people had it worse off than Burnt Sakura over there. Last he checked, there was a red-headed woman in the mansion scared to death about overtaxing her abilities for fear of destroying a planet. Now there was a reason to be out here staring at the river (a half-naked Wolverine swimming probably helped too).

About her not being new, whatever. Logan could argue about that until he was blue in the face, but he suddenly found himself not caring. Instead, he focused on other things, like preparing to take his pants off.

"That's what I said," he grunted. "Lived in Japan for a bit. The planes in yer face are stirrin' up somethin' in my head, but can't place why." He glanced at Leyu quickly, but shrugged again. "Yer attitude reminds me of other people too, but all yer kind act the same." All hot-tempered, fiery individuals with a personality that was as hard as a metal wall. Just look at Sunpyre: What had Logan found out so far? She liked being alone and kept personal information close to her chest. Logan could be the same way too; that's why it was so easy to figure out.

Logan stopped taking off his pants after hearing a choking sound coming from Leyu's throat as he looked up at her. He gave her a cross between a scowl and 'What the hell is your problem?' before he sat down. And it was Leyu, huh? Liked he needed permission to call her by her name. "Well, Leyu, I think yer done thinkin'." He stood up again, leaving his pants where they were before extending a hand to her. "I've got dinner back at my place, a cabin in the woods. If you want to be alone, no one's gonna bother you there. I'll leave ya there and I won't bother you no more. One stipulation--you gotta take my hand."

His face was as perfectly calm as usual, but there was one thing he wasn't telling Leyu. The route he planned on taking to get back to his cabin was... well... swimming through Breakstone Lake. With his increased strength, it shouldn't be any problem "helping her up" and tossing her into the lake. He'd soon dive in as well. If he managed to get her into the lake, her expression would have to be priceless. Consider it Logan's way of saying, "Welcome to the X-Men's place."

[~*Sunpyre*~]

"Because if I don't go off on my own, I'm liable to kill someone, especially right now."

It wasn't the answer she'd been expecting. Not that she had a range of answers she was bracing herself for, but if she did - that wouldn't be one of them. The blunt delivery had her blink twice too. She could appreciate the honesty, to be sure, but it was still not a response she would have been ready for. Why would he tell her that? Was this a threat? She hadn't thought he was so determined and serious about getting her to clear out.

"I ain't exactly human, darlin'. I ain't always in control of my actions. I keep away to keep my humanity in check. You keep away because yer, what, scared of burnin' shit?"

Leyu didn't know what to say about the 'not exactly human' part. None of them were, but she detected he meant in a different fashion. He used words like control and humanity and in check. He guessed her biggest problem was worrying about setting something on fire. Her responding laugh was hollow, "Not exactly." Setting someone on fire had actually been one of her less creative methods, but only because it was so slow and the smell was unpleasant. There would always be someone who had it worse, but that wasn't enough to make Sunpyre feel better or ease her gloom or even make her feel guilty for daring to brood. Saying your problem was worse than someone else's didn't really erase the problem. Destroying all of humanity was damn epic, but you wouldn't be thrilled with someone razing your city to the ground either.

It was like a..damn it, what was the saying? Oh, 'lesser of two evils'.

"Lived in Japan for a bit. The planes in yer face are stirrin' up somethin' in my head, but can't place why."

Great. Leyu shot the man an uneasy look as he continued to explain - saying her attitude and overall behavior [what little of it he'd been subject too] was familiar. His tone suggested that it wasn't familiar in a good way. Yeah well, most people felt that way, so all the dark-haired woman offered was a distinctly unapologetic look. And that was immediately followed by the return of unease. Familiar. Familiar like he could be allied with someone in her Clan familiar and she only had one ally in the whole damn Clan. Her cousin, Harada Kenuichio, wasn't super prone to making friends anywhere and most of those who called her cousin friend knew who she was or what she looked like. If her name and face didn't lead to identification, that was enough to knock this one out of that small category.

That left the rest of the Clan and she wanted no part of that. She opted to keep a leash on her last name. Let him find out on his own if he wanted to know so bad. She wasn't volunteering. She was choking down laughter at something in her head, but Logan didn't know that. It resulted in him giving her a kind of grumpy look that she suspected was fairly common to see on his masculine - and hairy, goodness - features. Now that she thought about it, this was a very hairy man here. Like extraordinarily so. She stared blatantly then, attempting to determine if it was natural or part of his mutation. He mentioned not being quite human, maybe that was part of what he meant.

'Wolverine', he'd said. Furry and ferocious creature. With that thought in mind, Leyu's expression was bemused when the Canadian addressed her.

"Well, Leyu, I think yer done thinkin'." An arched eyebrow served as the silent question 'Oh really?' Pants discarded as though he'd leave them there for whoever came by, he reached out for her. The plasma-wielder didn't lean back or flinch, but stared as though she'd never seen a hand before. What was he doing? "I've got dinner back at my place, a cabin in the woods. If you want to be alone, no one's gonna bother you there. I'll leave ya there and I won't bother you no more. One stipulation--you gotta take my hand."

Goei-san was a blank slate as he made this offer. Sunpyre looked at him suspiciously. Strange man/mansion security wants to take her to some cabin - that may or may not be there - and let her eat his food. She could stay there, do what she wanted. She could be left in peace and he'd leave her there too and do...whatever. Leyu was a stranger, some newbie on the grounds that could be a closet psychopath for all he knew. She could snap and he'd smell more than burnt sakura. He was a loner, self-admittedly not quite human, and prone to violence. She was a loner, vaguely familiar in features, and smelled like torched flowers...brooding by a lake. ...but she was hungry and she did kind of want to avoid being walked up on and questioned by whoever came by...again.

So this man, this stranger that she felt wasn't super fond of people in general much less her, would still put these things on the table. Things she did want. All she had to do was take his hand. Don't be stupid! Leyu paused, mocha orbs going from the feral's face to his hand. What do you have to lose?

And so she took his hand and--

SPLASH!

--felt ever so stupid afterwards. Yes, nothing to lose..except her a little bit of her dignity. The woman was too surprised to stop her momentum, or even think to try, as she was jerked up and tossed into the water. Sunpyre stayed under for a few moments, stewing moodily. When she did break the surface, it was slowly and only enough for narrowed red eyes and her nose - she had to breathe you know - to pop up. With her straight black locks plastered to her scalp and then spreading out at the water surface, she resembled some demonic sea creature. A small one. An angry little demon sea creature. The water wasn't bubbling, yet, but it was warmer than normal. Not unpleasantly though. Wolverine may feel as though he was diving into a nice little hot tub rather than a cool lake. Though the closer one ventured to the moody little Asian woman, the hotter the water would be.

[XxWolverine]

At least she was a suspicious sort. That was a good thing. Though he got the feeling she wasn't suspicious of him, but rather of the place she was going to. That rarely happened for the feral--most people were suspicious of him, especially after he revealed he could kill someone. What an odd bird, this one. Or fire bird. Whatever. Seemed like she wasn't about to reveal why she was out here either if she wasn't scared of burning things down. Eventually her small hand curled into his thicker one and Logan wrapped his fingers around her hand. With a yank of strength, careful not to pull her arm out of socket, she was lifted off the ground and flung into the lake. Logan turned around, put his hands to his hips, and shrugged. That was slightly entertaining.

When Leyu finally broke the surface, eyes as cold as ice despite her abilities, Logan paid her little attention as he grabbed his pants, wrapped them around his hand, and dove in. The water was slightly warmer than usual, but nothing Logan couldn't handle. Maybe if Sunpyre understood his sudden fascination with water, she'd become more lenient with her sudden swimming lesson. The thrill of not sinking to the ground and viciously trying to stay afloat was strangely serene to the feral, who never pictured himself as a waterbug. But then again, maybe the feeling would only be short-lived as its novelty wore off.

"Quit yer angry look," Logan muttered as he surfaced, water rippling against his chin. "It's just water. Follow me." He dove under, skimming just underneath the surface, the muscles in his arms and legs at work. His heels bobbed out of the water as he kicked, still enjoying his new-found freedom. He supposed this was the closest he'd ever feel like flying on his own, completely weightless and able to move all his limbs without fear of hurting or breaking something. As he swam, keeping his pace slow to allow Leyu to keep pace, he finally emerged toward the treeline, using his hand to slick back his hair. He unraveled his pants and slung them over his shoulder, glancing back to make sure Sunpyre made it one piece.

"I would start a fire once we go there, but I doubt you need it to dry off." Saying nothing more, he ended up walking through his turf--the woods. The place hadn't changed much while he was away; he knew every nuance outside of the newest growths. He dodged stray limbs with ease, knew where to walk to keep clear of pricker bushes, but seemed to forget unlike Leyu, he didn't have to worry about poison ivy or poison oak that may be sprouting from the ground. The path he took to his cabin wasn't cleared away until several yards in where a faint clearing sprouted. The dirt trail was cloaked by trees and bushes, and Logan quietly picked a burr from the hair on his arm as he joined the path. After several moments of walking the trail, he finally reached the small cabin he called home once in awhile. The scent of burning smoke was still in the air.

"Mind lighting this for me?" He gathered cut timber into the firepit before throwing his pants near the pit and walked into the cabin. If she couldn't, he'd light the fire with some flint he had inside his home. He came back out with a tin pan filled with lukewarm stew, aiming to heat Leyu's dinner by hand over the fire. Sure Sunpyre could have probably done it herself, but Logan had a sinking feeling Leyu hadn't been out camping much. He glanced at her, nodded his head to a log by the firepit to take a seat, and let the light of the flames dance across his face.

His hand was beginning to hurt and turn red as he held the pot, but he thought nothing of it as he stirred the edible contents with a carved spoon. Thick pieces of carrots, potatoes, and celery, swam in a simmering pot of freshly caught, skinned, and cooked rabbit. Most people didn't know this, but living on just rabbit meat could kill a person. Rabbit meat was too lean to provide any suitable nutrients and needed other foods--like vegetables--to eat with it. Logan could be an interesting man with all he learned about wildlife. "This should be done," he said, taking a wooden bowl beside him, pouring some stew inside for Sunpyre to take, and allowed the carved spoon to slip inside. By the time he put the pot on a separate log and handed the bowl to Leyu, flesh had begun to bubble on his hand.

But in seconds, there was no harm there. No blisters, no burn, no anything to show Logan had scorched himself. "If ya want, you can eat this inside. Just be sure to put the fire out before ya leave. And if ya don't mind, I'll take the minute to dry myself, change my clothes, and get outta yer way." So he sat on the log opposite of Leyu, putting his hands toward the fire, staying silent all awhile to allow Sunpyre to continue contemplating whatever she was thinking about by the lake.

[~*Sunpyre*~]

"Quit yer angry look," he muttered, obviously unconcerned about her mood swings. "It's just water. Follow me." He started to swim away and Leyu remained where she was for a moment. She wasn't quite sulking, just giving him some room in case he tried something cute like grabbing her and holding her under the water. That he could toss her like that one-handed implied he was considerably strong. Granted, his muscled form implied a high level of strength as it was, and it wasn't like Leyu was the heaviest of people, but still. Super strength meant he'd have no problem yanking her under water for his own amusement while she flailed around. She could try to torch him, but that took effort underwater. Effort that would probably draw unwanted attention.

So she waited until he was further away before kicking off herself, grumbling distinctly un-lady-like language under her breath, things about stupid guards and their messed up sense of humor.

Leyu, in typical fire-child fashion, wasn't super fond of water...or being thrown into it. However, she was a strong swimmer. She wouldn't be able to keep up without Logan purposefully slowing down, but he wouldn't have to come to a complete stop-and-wait either. "I would start a fire once we go there, but I doubt you need it to dry off." Leyu huffed, but didn't contradict him. Again, she waited until he was far enough away to not be able to knock her back into the water before climbing out herself. She looked down at herself. "At least I don't have white on." While it was all well and good for Wolverine to just wander around half-naked, Sunpyre felt zero motivation to do the same.

Leyu stared at the man just wandering into the wooded area. The fact that there was no trail where he was walking told her that this really was his turf and that she would indeed not be bothered way out here. The petite woman frowned at the unknown plant life. It'd be just her luck to hit something poisonous. At least she was fortunate enough to be allergy free. She couldn't burn a path through. There was no way to control it; she'd burn the whole forest down. Well..she had on long pants, covered shoes, and long sleeves. She'd be alright. So the woman trudged through, lest Logan get so far that she lost him. And wouldn't keibi-san be so thrilled to discover the hotaru had managed to get herself lost on his territory.

Eventually, they did come across a path. Maybe that was more like a shortcut then? Whatever, they were here and she only had a few burrs sticking to her, one or two leaves in her hair. Leaves of three, leave them be. She hadn't seen anything worrisome on the way through and her long-sleeved, long-pant combo really was helpful. A slightly smokey smell told her of fire ahead.

"Mind lighting this for me?"

Dark mocha orbs shifted to the firepit he'd indicated. She shrugged. "Okay." The woman moved to a spot clear of anything that might accidentally lead to setting the rest of the place on fire. "The object is to make fire, not /ashes/," she reminded/coached herself quietly. Leyu might not have said anything at all if she'd been aware that Wolverine's sensitive ears would hear her as though she'd spoken at normal volumes.

Trying to not turn the wood to ash in addition to avoiding activation of her sheath required too much policing. So the woman just made to be clear of anything. Maybe I should warn him about the light? Eh, this would only take a second and it wasn't like it'd blind him. And so Leyu direct a tiny orb of plasma fire at the wood. Tiny as it was, she noted with agitation, it was still enough to kick up her sheath. It all happened at once, summon tiny orb, the demon-eyes and sheath kicks in. When no further action occurred, the sheath died away along with the red glow in her eyes. At least my clothes are fairly dry. Flash freeze, meet flash dry.

Sunpyre sat down like a good little fire-started. Not being a picky eater, Leyu didn't care what the man produced as food. It was food and it wouldn't kill her - in theory - so she was set. She could eat it cold too, but her powers made sure that wasn't much of an issue. That didn't stop the man from coming out with a pot and tin. She supposed it was soup of some sort. Everything was fine and normal and then keibi-san decided to stick his hand in the fire. Which would have been fine if Leyu knew his power set. Except she didn't and so, predictably, she stormed over and yanked his arm back. Annoyed, she started to say, "[i]Goei no baka - you can't just do--" and was summarily silenced when his arm healed right in front of her. In the span of seconds, it was like nothing had happened. Blink. Confusion. "Or maybe you can." He could heal himeself. "Well that must be very convenient," she noted absently while letting go.

Sunpyre sat back down, careful not to just plop onto something that could roll under her weight, and Logan - after reacting however he was going to react - went back to cooking.

"This should be done," he said. Sunpyre took the bowl and spoon. She thought to pause and investigate, make sure he didn't - I don't know, throw some bugs in there, but she'd eaten those before too, She'd eaten a variety of meals in her comparatively short life, if you were going to put her 24 years to Logan's 60+. Whatever was hiding out in Xavier's forest was the least of her worries. The woman stared blankly at the bubbling flesh, hard to miss when he'd handed her the food, but - just like before - it healed in seconds. All evidence of the fire-damage gone as though he'd never done it at all. It was fascinating, being something she'd never seen before. And with her prideful, frank nature, Leyu felt no shame in just staring at the phenomenon. No matter how she stared, the skin remained as it was. This wasn't an illusion or trick, he'd really stuck in hand in fire, left it there to cook right along with the food, and then..healed it. Or rather, it healed itself. He didn't appear to put any effort into the act.

Not healing himself, but self-healing. Automatic.

"If ya want, you can eat this inside. Just be sure to put the fire out before ya leave. And if ya don't mind, I'll take the minute to dry myself, change my clothes, and get outta yer way."

Sunpyre didn't go anywhere, just remained on the log. She'd gotten used to him roaming around with practically nothing on anyway. The woman sat peacefully with her meal, eating away - it was good even though she wasn't entirely sure what meat he had in here. Even when finished, she kind of sat there, frowning to herself. Her thoughts had, miraculously, gotten good and morbid when she opened her mouth to ask an equally morbid question. "Ne, goei-san, what are you...here for?" She had been about to ask what you were supposed to feel after killing someone. What? He'd all but said he had earlier. Liable to kill,not exactly human, humanity in check. He had to know. And since he seemed to know everything she should and shouldn't be doing, maybe he could tell her that too. Leyu felt like maybe she had reacted in an unusual fashion. Life was supposed to be precious right? Death should make you value life. But Sunpyre distinctly remembered feeling as though it was nothing in the grand scheme of things, even her own. But that question was too close to the chest and she wasn't the bleeding heart, confess all in the span a day type. Granted, she felt it was easier ask such a morbid question to the stranger here than someone she was better acquainted with. Easier not to care about his reaction afterwards.

While Wolverine may take the pause to be that that wasn't actually the first question that popped into her head, her expression indicated she did kind of want to know. Of course, maybe he wouldn't tell her. Maybe it was a secret. Maybe he had no idea what he was here for. He could just be here for lack of anything better to do or because - I don't know - his..wife or something lived here. He could even tell her a lie. It could be anything. However, if he was willing to plainly say that he kept to himself for the sake of not killing people and that he had to work at checking himself and his inhuman tendencies..how bad could it be?

[XxWolverine]

As Sunpyre leaped up to take his hand out of the fire, Logan's expression doured as his brow fizzled into irritation. As her eyes watched the skin reform itself, Leyu's surprise turned into confusion as she finally walked away. He grunted, recooking her meal, and said, "Don't do that again. I told ya, I ain't human. Never approach me from the side that fast." He hated how fast the instinct came at him to snap his elbow into Leyu's gut and have the contents of the meal coat her face. He was used to his body acting on pure instinct, but this... this was less survival and more play. He wanted to enjoy the person's expression as if he was toying with his prey before he killed them.

He shrugged the feeling away.

Leyu remained silent the rest of the time, leaving Logan just as quiet. He preferred it this way. No talking made things get done quicker. And the less distractions Logan had, the happier everyone was going to be. He finally retracted the pan, poured the stew, and handed it to Leyu. He determined the woman liked to stare a lot, or hardly got out in the world. First she watched him take off his clothes, then watched, unabashedly, as his hand healed. Was he really that interesting to look at? Like yer in a damn zoo. He shook the thought from his head. He could understand curiosity--he wasn't being gawked at, merely... watched... or admired?

With cooking done and in her hands, Logan sat and warmed himself by the fire, propping his arms against his knees and slouching forward. He bent his head and ran his hand through his hair, shaking the tresses to let the stray beads of water out. Wiping his wet hand on his shorts, he clasped his hands together and stared into the fire.

"Ne, goei-san, what are you...here for?"

He looked up at her over the tips of the flames, her form slightly distorted through the wavering lines of heat. Given her internal thoughts and how distant she once appeared while at the lake, he almost considered her question philosophical, akin to, 'What is the meaning of your life?' Really, how in the hell was he supposed to know? But he'd take her question more literally, assume she was asking about here and now. Peering back into the flame while swatting a bug away from his nape, he shrugged before his raspy voice answered.

"You ever lived in there?" He threw a thumb towards the mansion. "It ain't all sunshine and rainbows. Get a bunch of people together that don't see eye-to-eye and you got yerself a brawl waitin' to happen." And he'd done it too, fist to face without any questions. "It's easier out here. Live or die, hunter or prey. I only come out here when I need to get away." For whatever reason that was, really. But if her question was alluding to another reason, such as why he was here with the X-Men, he supposed he could answer that too.

"I ain't like the other X-Men, but I can respect their dream. They've helped me a lot over the years. The most I can do is help 'em in return." His fingers absentmindedly rubbed the skin between his knuckles, peering back toward Leyu. "The way I see it, they're a buncha goodie-shoes that don't know how to kill someone when it comes down to it. That's why they've got me. Not a lot agree with my methods, but I get the job done when they can't. If they can't see that, then odds are I've punched in 'em in the face a few times." He waved his hands around him. "Those nights are when you'll find me here. Easier to get away than it is to keep beatin' sense into heads."

He looked over to Sunpyre again, still rubbing his knuckles. "So what brings you here, darlin'? Outside of broodin' like you can't figure out how to yank the stick outta yer ass." He gave a sly smile afterwards, looking more like a chuckling fox than a human in the process.

[~*Sunpyre*~]

He gave her that grumpy look again after she let his hand go. "Don't do that again. I told ya, I ain't human. Never approach me from the side that fast." Dark brown orbs blinked at the man. He kept saying he wasn't human. Not human. Liable to kill. Save his humanity. And yet no sense of preservation kicked in. The woman didn't scramble away or gain a more wary look. Leyu was really just wondering if the man wasn't simply trying to scare her off so he could be alone. He could just say so. Goei-san didn't seem the beat-around-the-bush type. Clearly, he wouldn't go through the trouble of bringing her over here just to kick her out. She appreciated the warning though, recalling how easily he'd tossed her earlier. One good swing when she wasn't ready...

"I'll be sure to make noise next time." She could wear a bell too.

"You ever lived in there?" The woman shook her head. "I left." Staying hadn't been a thought entertained in her head for any period of time. Sunpyre had bolted, almost immediately. Hell, she didn't even stay long enough to heal up to 100%. Oh, she wasn't limping away from the mansion that day, but she could have put another day or two of medical attention to good use. But she didn't. Had to get out, had to go, had to think. Sometimes, she wondered what would have happened if she'd stayed. Really, it was an easy guess. She wouldn't have..done what she did right? Or would she have tried it under their noses? Resisted long enough to dash out. Maybe it'd have been a bigger fallout, a secret she wouldn't be able to even /try/ to bury.

"It ain't all sunshine and rainbows. Get a bunch of people together that don't see eye-to-eye and you got yerself a brawl waitin' to happen." Sunpyre looked towards the mansion, pensive. Well, she was used to not getting along with people. It happened; it happened a lot actually. She kind of expected it usually. "It's easier out here. Live or die, hunter or prey. I only come out here when I need to get away." Easier out here. Yes, if you could contain yourself. She'd gone 'out here' and look what she did! "Why do you go back in if it's better out here?" The way he described it, there was zero motive to subject yourself to people you don't like.

"I ain't like the other X-Men, but I can respect their dream. They've helped me a lot over the years. The most I can do is help 'em in return." ... Help in return. She wondered what kind of help would make this man, one worried about losing his humanity still, stay around. But some things were to close to the chest. She knew that better than anyone, so she didn't ask about the help. Beyond guessing he'd draw a line on that one, the woman wasn't certain she wanted to know.

"The way I see it, they're a buncha goodie-shoes that don't know how to kill someone when it comes down to it. [...]." -- "Those nights are when you'll find me here. Easier to get away than it is to keep beatin' sense into heads."

Leyu wasn't sure she was in a position to determine if she was bothered by more fatal measure of combat. Technically, it should be no problem. It clearly hadn't been a problem before, when she-- Anyway. But now, what about now? Could she end a life, maybe of one who deserved it, without flashing back to killing someone who didn't? It really sounded like they were using this man as a glorified sweeper. Shadow. Personal mercenary exclusive to their use. Are they really such goodie-shoes if they're willing to let him do what must be done? They don't like it, but no one stops him. Though it was arguable on how wise it'd be to try it, especially during the heat of a mission. It sounds..convenient..keeping their hands seemingly clean." She didn't like it. Would that be her next? Doing what had to be done. The dirty work.

"So what brings you here, darlin'? Outside of broodin' like you can't figure out how to yank the stick outta yer ass." His expression this time was not grumpy, but she could tell she was being poked fun at regardless. The smile...had a..hm. She couldn't place her finger on it. Such an odd man, Logan-goei-san was. "I've decided not to concern myself with your fascination for my ass goei-san." He'd referenced her ass several times. Granted, he was in the middle of insulting her every time, but he still mentioned it repeatedly. With her knees drawn up, Leyu's petite form lent itself well to making her look younger than her 24 years. Which, again, was quite short in comparison to present company - but still made her an adult. "I'm..here to pay a debt goei-san." Not for help rendered by the X-Men - it'd been the other way around before. But she'd help now and pray she found absolution along the way.

"A heavy debt I will try to repay by helping the X-Men accomplish whatever they wish. However, I don't...get along well with others." Wasn't used to trying really. "And my powers are not conducive to 'peaceful resolutions'. Perhaps I should build a separate residence on the grounds too."

[XxWolverine]

"I've decided not to concern myself with your fascination for my ass goei-san."

"Ain't not harm in complimentin' those with a good lookin' ass." If he was complimenting her, which was debatable. He was hoping she'd provide more details in concerns of her debt. It sounded... suspicious, like a blood-debt. There weren't a lot of debts people would pay off by coming to a place that seemed uncomfortable to them. While he might not have liked to stay in the mansion at all times, at least he was comfortable there, or as comfortable as he could be. For Leyu, however, it seemed the opposite was true. She wanted to get as far away as possible, no matter who her company was.

And there she went--she officially confirmed his suspicions. She wasn't comfortable with the mansion or the people. Though given what he overheard in her mumbling when trying to start a fire, he figured out her powers weren't easily controllable. He let a fortress of silence rise around him, listening to the fire cackle on the logs. He moved only enough to grab another log and throw it on the fire, causing the flame to rise and wood to pop. A stray ember was tossed to the side, quickly dying before it touched land.

"You can't ignore 'em forever. Stay away too long and they'll start lookin' fer ya. Once an X-Man, always an X-Man." He could attest to his own advice being true. While there were times he hated to admit it, the X-Men were a family. Hurt one of them and the rest would come flocking. He rubbed his hairy arms, one after the other, checking to see how dry he was. Enough that he could put on a pair of clothes without soaking them. "I'll be back." He stood up and walked to the cabin, disappearing from sight.

He came back out a few minutes later, a fresh pair of jeans on and cowboy boots crunching against the grass. He straightened out the collar of a flannel button-up shirt around his neck before buttoning it from the bottom instead of the top. He wasn't able to button it all the way given the expansion of muscles in his chest. Sleeves torn off to allow his arms ample movement and a t-shirt underneath to keep his torso covered, he was going into a school and he didn't want to look like a cast member of the Village People.

On top of his head sat a worn tan-colored cowboy hat, covering his two-peaked hair. "Guess it's time to follow my own advice. Been gone for three months; can't avoid 'em forever." Walking further towards the fire, he picked up his pants and threw them over the log, caring little as to what happened to them while he stayed away from the cabin. "Put out the fire once you leave. Stay as long as ya like, just don't burn anything." He made a move to walk away down the path, pausing briefly as he turned around. "Shiro," he said, snapping his fingers. "Shiro Yoshida, that's who you remind me of. If that's the case," Logan turned back around, walking down the path, "then I think we're gonna have some problems."

tbc: Wolverine - Mansion / Backyard // Looking for something

[~*Sunpyre*~]

"Ain't not harm in complimentin' those with a good lookin' ass."

From anyone else, that might have been some creepy, lecher comment. With Logan though, she wasn't sure she should take that at face value. Goei-san seemed the sort to just say what he wanted and you could feel however you wanted to about it. He'd still be going about his business whether you misunderstood it or not. On the one hand, it was a respectable habit, she tended to do the same. On the other hand, that kind of miscommunication could be more trouble than it was worth in some situations. Fortunately, Sunpyre wasn't in one of her 'moods' where any and everything was a potential offense. The woman imagined this encounter would have gone in a vastly different direction if either of them had been in a particular mood.

Leyu didn't do well with people. Maybe she let interactions with her Clan color her habits too much. But it was difficult to hold much hope for random strangers when your own blood family was so... Leyu hadn't yet discovered the one-word descriptor for the Yashida/Yoshida Clan. Also not helpful was her natural not-a-people-person persona. She wasn't cheerful or magnetic. Not the showstopping type or the one needing spotlight. Leyu wasn't a light-up-the-room-with-a-smile woman. She was..well.. Honestly, Leyu hadn't come up with the one word descriptor for herself either, but she could give you a long list of words she /wasn't/. None of that lent itself well to getting on with people. But it wasn't like she did it on purpose either. ...not all the time. What? It was just easier to be alone sometimes!

"You can't ignore 'em forever. Stay away too long and they'll start lookin' fer ya. Once an X-Man, always an X-Man."

"It's just easier to be alone sometimes. I don't do it purposefully." Come looking for her? Would they actually do that? Sure, she's had people track her down before, but not out of...care for her. Not because she was 'part of the team'. The petite woman could put some jaded spin on it. She could say they just wanted to track the investment, keep track of the toy soldiers on roster. But she didn't know that, hadn't stayed long enough to even begin to justify thinking that. Besides..she didn't think Logan meant it that way. Debatable whether he'd say so or not, warn her away.

"I'll be back." Leyu had already polished off the stew. I guess I was hungrier than I thought. The dark-haired young adult continued to stare into the fire like a fortuneteller does her crystal ball. Was this really going to work for her? It has to, there is no other way. So she'd do what she always did - deal, one way or the other. Logan came back out and she blinked at the distinctly western-flavored clothing. Not Western as in the U.S. Western, but like..cowboy? Not obnoxious costume cowboy, but just... Western. At least she didn't stare this time. It was rude to stare, she'd been taught. Keep your head down and your gaze, when necessary brief and demure and virginal. How the hell do you keep your gaze 'virginal'? So now she looked and gazed and stared until she was good and satisfied that she had fully taken everything in.

Missing things could get you killed.

These clothes, they looked, um, fitted too. Very fitted. Maybe it was a coincidence. Probably. Fluke. She didn't imagine Logan cared terribly for shopping. He'd probably just deal with it until the clothes were ripped beyond use. "Guess it's time to follow my own advice. Been gone for three months; can't avoid 'em forever."

Careful, Sunpyre might try to beat that record just by camping out around here. ...as soon as she learned to properly camp. He told her that she could stay as long as she pleased. Ground rules? Don't burn anything and, if she did leave, put the fire out. Leyu nodded mutely, staring into the fire as Wolverine paused to utter the one name - or one of the names - she did /not/ want to hear. "Shiro,"

Leyu closed her eyes and counted to ten. This man could not possibly call that idiot a friend. It was impossible! ..she was right.

"Shiro Yoshida, that's who you remind me of. If that's the case," -- "then I think we're gonna have some problems."

"That man...has nothing to do with me. He is no one I am connected with." Maybe he heard her, maybe not, but saying that out loud was as much for her benefit as anything else. It was most unfortunate that they both had features traceable back to--ugh, to their shared...sperm donor. It wasn't encouraging for Leyu, who'd rather hoped she favored her mother over anything. And she did, actually, there were just one or two solid features from dear old dad and Shiro had them too. Her lips pressed into a line and she counted to twenty in her native tongue and back again as slowly as possible. Logan had, after all, declared that she was not to burn anything.

Leyu's eyes fell on a harmless-looking piece of wood. What about incinerate? Ever heard of skeet shooting? Well Leyu hasn't, but I'll tell you...using plasma bolts is way more satisfying.

[SuperLuigi64]

He made his way through the woods, the scent of smoke mingling with the scent of who he believed to be Wolverine. It certainly reminded him of the gruff Canadian, but it was...how to put it? A more intense scent than before? It was as though Wolverine was exuding a scent that was closer to an animal in its territory than it had been before. He wasn't sure what could bring that on. He hadn't gotten a clear view of Wolverine as he walked out, though he could smell that the man was nearby, and he had apparently left the woods only moments before. The obvious explanation, then, was that Wolverine had lit and fire and put it out before heading to the mansion. Except Wolverine was, as mentioned earlier, a Canadian, and was feral as well. He doubted this temperature would have bothered the man enough to bother with a fire.

Then there was the fact that the smoke wasn't dissipating. The smell was too strong for it to just be the last embers of a fire that was as good as dead. Wolverine wasn't interested in keeping something out here a secret--quite apart from the fact that he wouldn't have hidden something so close to a school that was rapidly filling up with the next generation of people with strange and unusual powers, he would have intercepted the Native American by now and told him to mind his own business. Politely, of course. So, curiosity growing, James made his way further into the forest. It took virtually no time at all to find the cabin--Logan's scent intensified around the area, mixing with a second scent, also a human, and who he believed was still in the cabin. Unless they had flown out, which he supposed was possible, but, he doubted it. He also smelled something else, something akin to the smell that surrounded Bobby after Gideon overloaded his body with solar energy and altered his mutation. Whoever was inside could harness solar energy--or replicate it.

That explained the still-going fire in more ways than one.

James reached up and knocked on the door, which was actually shorter than he was. "Anyone alive in there? I smell an angry little feral with a cigar fetish, but he's already gone, so I figured I'd come see if he killed you."