The X-Project

Two old friends catch up.


September, 2006

“You don’t deserve this place.”

“Oh, and I suppose you do?” Her voice was bone-dry, light, but carried across the steps. He was there. Challenging her.

“You want it for the wrong reason. To punish it. To lock it away.” Real anger showed on the demon N’Astirh’s face. “You want to hide it, to compress it.”

“Yeah. It’s hell. I’m not going to build a hotel or anything.”

“This is a place of great magic, of destiny,” he hissed at her - actually hissing, making an animal sound. “This place was chosen. It was made before you, and will exist long after you are gone.”

She retorted, “This is some stupid demon’s stupid dimension. Don’t make it into some kind of martyred sentient being, okay? It’s corrupted. And boring. Much like you.” She could sneer at him because he wasn’t important. Who did he think he was, anyway? God, this was aggravating, having to fight to retain her hold on this place.

“You want this place to be a graveyard for your past.”

“I want this place to contain all the demons. Like you. The graveyard thing - that’s just purple prose. Thanks for that.”

“This is a place of - “

“Great magic. I got the memo. Now you’re really boring.”

He drew himself up, then; demons were built to be intimidating, but he was huge. Without the reassuring light of the Soulsword in her hand, she would have been afraid herself, but she was safe. Protected. “This place is bigger than you, and it will swallow you whole. I will see to that.” He smiled, then, a smile with too many sharp, angry-looking teeth. “I plan to do great things from your throne.” And he charged -

Illyana reached up to push her hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ears and sighing under her breath. Not only was she failing to make any progress, but she strongly suspected that she was making negative progress as time went on. Tomorrow she'd find herself back three days ago. Since she'd barely slept in days, and this was not exactly facilitating the research process, she'd shut the apparently-useless books and taken herself out of her room for a few minutes, trying to regain some kind of mental clarity.

A flash of red caught her eye, and she glanced over. "Oh, hi, Terry," she said, raising a hand in greeting.

Terry started to wave then feigned shock, "Wait, I know you. You're...hold on, it'll come to me...starts with a vowel sound..." She flashed the blonde a quick grin and changed her path to take her into the rec room instead of passed it. "How are you, Yana? Still threatening Karolina's life at every turn? She can't actually help being angst teflon, you know. I think there's something in her tofu."

"Whatever it is, it's going directly to her brain and causing irreparable damage," Illyana said, making a face at the thought of the extremely glowy girl, but pulling out of it after a moment. She smiled at her former but infinitely preferable suitemate. "I've been fine." As lies went, it ranked about a two out of ten, and it even sounded convincing. That was what practice did. "Just, you know, school and stuff. I hear you're moving?" She'd read something about that, somewhere, hadn't she?

As always, Terry let the lie pass, knowing Illyana wouldn't tell her the truth if pressed. "Aye. Bobby and I will be caring for the Keep. He's leaving soon so we're swamped packing. You'll have to come over and visit sometimes. Bring Kitty too." Terry rocked in place for a moment then made a small nervous gesture, "I've been thinking. Would you...I didn't ask before because I didn't think you would but...would you want to be in the wedding?"

Illyana blinked and looked up at Terry, surprised. "Well," she said, clearly a little shocked. "I mean – if you want me to - " She seemed to collect herself, and smiled wryly at Terry. "Clearly I've become too much of a hermit, given that I've lost the ability to form sentences, but if you want me, then – sure." She thought a moment, and added, quietly, "I don't know if I said congratulations. I've kind of been a little out of touch. But – congratulations." Terry was probably her favourite former suitemate, not counting Kitty, after all. And it was nice when nice things happened, for once.

Terry waved the congrats off though she smiled and looked pleased. "It's cool. I've been trying to solve my extra bridesmaid problem. Going with Kitty, Jubilee and Clarice was a no brainer but Bobby hasn't named more than two groomsmen and I really didn't want to cut someone and...well I really didn't know if you'd want to but since you do, I can have you and Kitty walk together and that will work out perfectly." She finished that little speech a little flushed but not out of breath. "You're okay with teal? It's a really pretty dress, actually."
Illyana looked a little bemused at the mention of a dress, but just shrugged. "I think teal is . . . good. So long as it covers the relevant parts, I'm not too picky, really." Shaking her head, she said, "It sounds like a lot of planning. And work."

Terry shrugged back, "It is but if you're organized about it, it's not too bad. The worst part is all the changing around we've done. I started out planning a Spring wedding but now we're looking at Ireland in the summer." She linked her hands behind her back and tilted her head at Illyana, "You look...tired. Sound it too. What's going on?"

Illyana sighed; it used to be so much easier to just avoid people, and it tweaked something deep in her chest to keep talking to them, knowing that she had – well, that she had a limited amount of time before things got ugly. "I've been having some issues with school," she said honestly. Well, it was true. "Which wasn't so bad before, but have you heard that they actually expect people to graduate at some point? Apparently, I'm not on the short-list for making it there." Or the long list. She was off any academic list you could name. "Soooo, I've been trying to make good on the whole school thing in the last couple of weeks, and I'm getting the idea there's a reason you usually have a couple of months to do it."

Terry winced, "Oh, I've been there. I was pulling out my hair about this time last year between...well, everything." Bobby and Jean and the not!baby and Tom and AP tests and getting into college. "If you need any help, give me a shout, all right? Even if all you're looking for is someone to bring you a sandwich so you don't starve to death. You look like you've lost weight."

Illyana looked down at herself, then grimaced. She'd noticed it vaguely before, but having it pointed out kind of solidified it. "Yeah," she said, "I guess I have. I've just been trying to stay on Mr. Summers' good side. He does this whole disappointed-in-you thing. It's killer." She half-smiled and shrugged; what can you do? "And thanks. I definitely will."

"He definitely does that," Terry said, not without sympathy. "It's worst when you've completely screwed up a run downstairs and he just ...Looks. He doesn't even have the glasses anymore to cut the glare." She shifted slightly. It had been so long since she'd chatted with Illyana she'd forgotten how. "Anyway. You should take a break and relax. It's a holiday."

"Not so much if you've, er, underprioritized school so much that your teachers are surprised when you pass a test, unfortunately," Illyana said drily, but she smiled. "But I will try. Thanks." She had definitely not always been this awkward. She would remember that, wouldn't she? "And you - don't go crazy trying to plan your wedding. There are enough crazy people here already. More than enough."

"I promise. I want to be nice and sane for my wedding. Enough people think that the whole marriage was a crazy mistake without them having the wedding as further evidence." It stung, still, every time that someone voiced their disapproval or dismay. Their disbelief that was also condemnation. Terry shrugged that off, "If you want any school help, I'm here for that too. This semester is actually easier than the last."

"People aren't very bright," Illyana replied, wrinkling her nose; well, they weren't, and it annoyed her that with all the things to criticize, they'd pick a stupid marriage. "And I'll remember that. Mostly it's been a matter of actually getting to class, but there's this whole trigonometry thing that apparently I was not born with the innate ability to understand. You'd think they could pass the genius gene around a bit."

"I sort of thought trig was easier than geometry," Terry confessed. "Apparently you get the ability to do one or the other but not both unless you have a freaky math brain like Kitty. Did you see that shirt she has? Math is Delicious? Sure and that's the sign of a disturbed mind."

"She has a scary relationship with math," Illyana agreed, affectionately. "I personally think it's a little bit insane, but it seems to make her happy, and math has rarely hurt people. Well, that I know of. And there's always a padded room, if it goes too far."

Terry leaned on the doorjamb and grinned impishly, "Personally, I think she's enamoured of Jamie because he divides and multiplies for her. Tis math and a boy at the same time. What more could a girl such as her ask for?"

Illyana really smiled then, amused. "I hadn't thought of it that way, but come to think of it, it makes perfect sense. Who else, for the math genius? It's like those algebra block things. Well." She made a face. "Not really much like those at all, but you know what I mean."

"He's right for her." Terry nodded, her expression that of a woman who believed that there was such a thing as a Right Person. "And he knows that we'd have to hurt him quite badly if he ever hurt her. So he won't. It's a good system."

"I think he'd be first in line, if it ever came to that. Literally. But even so, I think the system works." Illyana wasn't sure about the Right Person theory, herself, but she knew a convert when she saw it. "Besides, who would we get to threaten if we didn't have the system?"

"No one, that's who. And that would be a right shame." Terry nodded sagely then reluctantly pushed herself off the doorjamb again as the hall clock chimed the hour. "Bother, and now I'm late. I have to run; I was supposed to be downstairs fifteen minutes ago for training. Take care of yourself, Yana."

"You, too." Illyana lifted a hand in farewell. "Have fun with the training." She picked at lint on the sleeve of her shirt, reminded of all the things she'd been trying to protect – and picked herself up, with renewed motivation, intent on the library.