1753/The Wolf of Westchester

The Wolf of Westchester
Date of Scene:	31 July 2017
Location:	Xavier's School
Synopsis:	Doug's day runs the gamut of emotions. Wolfsbane returns to find out the truth about him. Dani is there for both of them.
Cast of Characters:	Moonstar, Cypher, Wolfsbane

---

Moonstar has posed:
    So, Dani is /not/ playing video games tonight. Instead, she's practicing playing her billiards, working on her pool game for the next time she goes down to Harry's, no doubt. She's just practicing right now, since she's the only one here. Most of the other kids aren't back yet from the summer break, or else they'd be getting some extra studying done.

Cypher has posed:
Doug went and talked to his father today. It did not... go well. He has an envelope clutched into a deathgrip and instead of catching a shuttle out to Breakstone or calling a Lyft, he walked. Walked all the way back to the school, eventually cutting through an old, familiar trail... he looks at the wrecked stump of an old, familiar wrecked tree, and eventually he sits, his chin in his hands, staring into space.

Moonstar has posed:
So, Dani sinks the last ball, then looks out the window, and sees Doug sitting out there. By himself. She hrms and goes towards the door, concern on her face as she walks out to the grounds.

It's a bit of a hike to the tree in question, and along the way Dani starts thinking about other times, when she and Rahne would rampage about the grounds... a bit odd that she just started thinking of her best friend just then. But when she gets close enough to Doug, she waves over towards him, "Hey, Doug!" She doesn't bother asking if he's okay, because... well, if he were he wouldn't be sitting by himself like this.

Cypher has posed:
After a time, Doug sits up, slowly. He folds the envelope up and stuffs it into his pocket, and then he waves to Dani, somewhat listlessly. "Hi, Chief." He says, before he rubs under his nose with one finger. "I went to talk to my parents today. They're leaving Salem Center. My dad... said it'd be better if mom didn't know I was there. And he asked me not to come looking for them."

It is worth noting... his scent is everywhere in the school. Old and familiar, boy and paper and a touch of ozone from the computers he's always in front of, and the freshest scents are touched with compressed air from a computer he was cleaning the dust out of for Hank before he left.

Moonstar has posed:
Dani sighs and sits down next to Doug, sliding an arm around him, "Oh, that sucks." She shakes her head, "I can't even imagine what that'd be like." She just holds him in a comforting hug, because... hell, he's a friend, and he needs support right now.

Then she tilts her head, and says, "Hey, maybe we'll have someone else show up that'd be able to lift your spirits better than me?" Her eyes flicker to the side, as she feels a disturbance in the Force. It's almost like...

Wolfsbane has posed:
There is probably a reason Dani is thinking about Rahne. But, before that...

She was in the middle of assisting Moira with a test in the lab. In reality, it was a sample of her own DNA, taken at regular intervals a month apart to compare to prior ones. Not only did it allow Moira the opportunity to stay on top of things with her adopted daughter, it let Rahne learn a little more about not only herself, but the mutant gene as a whole.

That's when the call came.

It was Dani, phoning across the ocean to let Rahne know that Doug Ramsey was alive. She was met with a long silence, then quiet disbelief. It was impossible, she'd claimed. Once you died, that was it. Your soul went to heaven or hell, heaven in Doug's case, and that was that. And sorry, but I have to get back to my test and I can't really talk right now thank you very much. Just..in that Scottish accent of hers.

But, that wasn't the end of it. Deny it as she might, Rahne couldn't stop thinking about it over the next week or two. It also reopened the old wound, leaving her to start thinking about that fateful day all over again, to go back to replaying the scenarios in her mind, thinking of how she might have pevented it if she, or maybe she could have stopped it if only she'd...

Moira snapped her out of it quick, giving her a bit of stern advice: Don't you think you owe it to the rest of them, and Doug in particular, to at least find out the truth with your own eyes? Your own senses? Also in that Scottish accent of hers, even stronger than Rahne's.

Another week went by with Rahne in denial, then she made up her mind. She was already due to go back to Xavier's soon anyway. She could just speed it up a bit, get in late one night, and find out. Surely she'd see it was all just a sick joke, she could scold everyone for playing such a cruel trick on her, and they'd just...move on.

She packed light, a full set of clothes and such kept waiting for her in her room back at the school, and took a flight across the Atlantic. No fancy tech, no teleports, just a normal plane. It gave her more time to think. She thought on the ride to the school as well, taking a Lyft from the airport instead of having someone pick her up.

"Just let me oot here," she tells the driver as they approach the main gates. "I need a few moments tae change before I go in."

That's about the time Dani would have felt...something. It was the wolfen side blinking into existence, awareness. Entering her access code, Wolfsbane crossed onto the school's expansive grounds, just a travel bag slung over a shoulder.

Cypher has posed:
"Dani," Doug says, his voice thick, "I don't even know how I feel right now. I'm all twisted up and cold inside. I don't even feel sad. I knew... I knew this was going to happen. Mom and dad aren't part of this... world. They're just lawyers." He looks down, "I didn't expect different. He gave me a few thousand dollars, cash, and told me he hoped I had a good life... whoever I was."

Moonstar has posed:
Danielle sighs, "Well, however you feel, just know that we care about you here, okay? And if you die again I'm taking you back to Valhalla so you better /not/ anytime soon, alright?" She hugs Doug again, then sits back against the tree, tilting her head a bit, "Ready for some more company, Doug? I think you'll like this." She gets a bit of a sly grin at that, as she knows now who's coming, and where she is.

Cypher has posed:
"Dani, unless you're about to wheel a cake out of here and Betsy's going to pop out of it and blow me a kiss..." Doug says, as he begins to get up, "I think maybe I want to go be alone right now."

Wolfsbane has posed:
Wolfsbane also knows where Dani is, and she's aware of that old familiar feeling of, not so much a shared mind, but a sense or a feeling that they can talk to each other this way or at least convey emotions with less focus. She says nothing through the link, but at what she picks up from the Cheyenne the Scotswolf conveys a hint of nervousness, uncertainty, doubt.

She's caught Doug's scent near that old trail. It was already found elsewhere with a few cursory seconds of sniffing. It's not like she'd ever forget what he smelled like, so if this /was/ a prank, it'd really be going overboard to fake his scent in order to keep up the ruse.

The bag is shifted from one shoulder to the other, bare feet bringing her closer to the two of them. All she needs to do is go past a few more trees, and...she's there. She's standing right there, no more than twenty feet away, dressed differently than the last time either Doug or Dani saw her.

Wolfbane is right there, and she's staring at the young man in, well, Dani can again feel it: shock, disbelief, amazement, and a struggle to pick between abject horror and pure joy. The bag slumps to the ground.

"Douglas Ramsey," she begins, a whisper. "Is it really ye?"

Cypher has posed:
...To tell you the honest truth, he didn't remember. He knew he'd pushed someone out of the way. But he didn't *remember*.

But when he hears her, sees her... then he remembers.

'RAHNE, LOOK OUT!'

Then the terrible drumming of the Smile-Face's machine guns and... not even any pain. Just the sensation of being pushed. But then... blood. His blood. Everywhere.

'I'm sorry, Rahne... I'll never do it.. again--*'

Doug is shaking, pallid, trembling, his eyes wide and his pupils dilated as he relives... the day he died. And the sound of Rahne Sinclair screaming.

He loses his balance, and falls on his butt on the stump. Dani will have to catch him.

Moonstar has posed:
Dani does so, catching Doug with a pretty strong grip as she says, "Doug! It's okay! She's okay!" She then looks at Rahne, and says, "He's... been through a lot, Rahne." Dani herself feels a mix of confusion and compassion for Doug herself, mixed in with that iron rod of control that she always seems to have around her feelings. Because She's The Leader, so she has to be.

Then she beckons to Rahne, asking her to come closer, "It's really okay. Least as Doctor McCoy could tell, Warlock left a little contingency of some kind in Doug, so he could come back. Maybe when we were in Asgard."

Wolfsbane has posed:
Those same moments have been replayed more times than Wolfsbane can count, only from her perspective of not knowing what was happening. It was later reconstructed in the Danger Room based on what became known, which only added to the guilt she felt.

But Doug is there, mere feet away from her, seemingly as real as she, as real as Dani, as real as the trees and the stump and her feet touching the ground and...

"He..whit? Is tha' even possible?" Still whispering, she is. Still staring, but a couple hesitant steps closer follow when Doug topples into Dani's grasp.

Then, a hand darts closer on impulse, laid against Doug's cheek. He's warm, so that's good. He's also solid, so he can't be a ghost. She draws it back to her face, inhaling sharply. "I..I remember ye called me, Dani, but I couldnae believe it. Lady Moira, she told me I should come back an' find oot for masel', an'..och, Dougie!"

The impulsive side of her leads Wolfsbane to swallow Doug up in a strong embrace. That'll be one surefire way to cement him being real to her.

Cypher has posed:
He is real. And... well. Solid. Stocky muscle hidden under a loose shirt warm from the day's heat though he's broken out in a flop sweat. And then he's grabbing Rahne, and burying his face in her shoulder, as the day comes crashing down on him like a satelite, tears flowing freely.

"Oh, Rahney," He sobs, "I'm so *sorry*... can you ever forgive me?"

Moonstar has posed:
Dani takes a half-step back, and smiles a little to herself. She doesn't say anything, just watching the two hug each other as she looks a bit satisfied. Seed planted, mission accomplished, since Rahne's back. Which makes Dani feel a lot better, just because the link always feels more comfortable when Rahne is nearby. She sniffs a bit, totally not crying honest at the reunion.

Wolfsbane has posed:
Wolfsbane is trying to hold it in, really. She trembles against Doug, a hand sliding up to awkwardly pat at his hair, a comforting gesture she's needed more than once. Moira's often been the person to provide it. "Och, Dougie, there there..it'll..I mean, o' course I forgive ye. I forgave ye a long time ago. It's me I could never forgive." She swallows.

Then, she goes on. "Muh brain tells me this shouldna be possible, but muh heart tells me it is, an' righ' noo I'm more inclined tae go wi' muh heart." Her accent's coming out a bit stronger, the emotions /strong/ right now. She sniffles.

Finally, after a quick sidelong glance toward Dani, she can't help it any more. Tears begin to streak down her cheeks, absorbed by the fur and showing up as darker spots. "Ye're here. Ye're alive. Ye're okay!"

Cypher has posed:
Doug is... gross crying. He looks up, the waterworks running down his cheeks, and he says, his voice taking on that peculiar tone, "Sometimes I've wondered."

He rests his forehead against Rahne's, and says, "Oh, Rahney... you didn't do anything wrong!" He looks up at Dani, and then begins to slowly try to extricate himself. "I'm such a mess right now." he says. "I need to go get cleaned up--" Then he pauses, and he looks at Rahne, and he says, "Gosh, Rahne... you're *beautiful*--"

Moonstar has posed:
Dani wipes her eyes quick, then blinks again, "Holy... wow, Rahne, where'd you get that outfit, and why didn't you take me there, because that looks amazing." She grins, "Seriously, that's a great look for you. And now I'm totally jealous." Okay, Rahne can tell she's kidding, but Dani also is being honest as far as the looking great is concerned.

Wolfsbane has posed:
Wolfsbane sniffles again, subtly wiping the back of a hand across her face a couple times before the entangled ones separate. "Look, I might still need a wee bit o' time tae figure all o' this oot, but I came here thinkin' this was all some big auld joke on me, an'...I was daft tae believe tha'. I'm such a fool."

Clearing her throat, mouth against a hand, she adds, "An' ye were just being..I mean, ye did whit we were all taught tae do, tae look oot for each other. I'm just so relieved ye go' a second chance. We need tae make sure it never, ever happens again, aye?"

Rahne nearly misses the two suddenly fawning and gushing over the attire she's shown up in, the green and brown Renfaire-like look. "Och, all this? I saw it in a shop when Lady Moira an' I went intae toon no' so long ago an' I just had tae see whit it was like." It's..nice to talk about something normal. It feels more comfortable that way. "We should all head inside. I had a long flight, an' I didna sleep well on it, but noo we have time tae catch up."

Now, Dani can feel relief.

Cypher has posed:
"I need--" Doug says, "I need to take a little while to unpack this." He turns to head back into the house. "I'm sorry." He says to the two of them, "I'll be down in awhile. Dani can... can tell you more about it, Rahney." Doug says. "It's so--I'm glad to see you." He pauses, his hands dropping by his sides. "Please don't be upset. Just give me a little while, 'kay? This is not how I was expecting my day to end."

Moonstar has posed:
Dani smiles, "Great, we'll have to catch up. You can meet my roommate, and we can watch some movies." She pauses, and then says, "No Brave this time, I promise." Because she totally didn't call Rahne Merida for a week after seeing that, honest.

Then she walks over and gives Rahne a hug too, "Glad you're back here. I missed you an awful lot." She nods over at Doug, "And yeah, I'll explain things to her Doug, don't worry." She definitely worries about Doug, that's pretty clear over the link.

Wolfsbane has posed:
"I think we'll all need some time," Wolfsbane agrees, taking a few extra seconds to study Doug. "Ye seem both happy an' sad a' th' same time. Maybe we can talk about it later?" This appears to be the plan as it is, so that will be good. All in due time. No need to rush through it all.

She lifts a clawed hand to wave as Doug moves along, giving Dani a momentarily stern look as that old movie is brought up. Shaking her head, she just slides into the hug and can be felt to shiver a couple seconds, like something is washing over her, there and gone. "Och, Dani, I was so scared as I was walking up," she admits in a whisper, only for her to hear. "I had nae idea whit I'd see, or if I could handle it or if I'd just run off. I've no' had tae be tha' strong in a long time. I've missed ye as well."

Cypher has posed:
Doug turns, to walk back into the house. He pulls the envelope out of his pocket and looks at it, before he trudges up the stairs to his room. "Is this all you had for me, dad? Is this all I was? An envelope with some cash and a 'Don't come looking for us'?" He hucks the envelope across the room, and drops onto his bed, before he grabs his pillow.

"Well... the hell with you. I have my own Language... my own tribe. And they *didn't* forget me." He laughs, faintly, and drops his head backward onto his pillow.

"They didn't forget me."

Moonstar has posed:
Dani keeps an arm around Rahne, "Yeah, I know... when I saw him for the first time, I didn't have any forewarning. I chased him outside and tackled him, nearly decked him because I thought he was Mystique in disguise or something." She smiles down at Rahne, "But you're right. Let's get inside and we can talk more."

Wolfsbane has posed:
Wolfsbane's eyes widen as the two begin to walk after she's reached down to scoop up her bag. "Ye did /whit?/ Please tell me I can see tha' on some security videos somewhere," she titters, snapped out of the awkward mood she'd been in as she tries to picture it already. Then she covers her mouth to hide a sizable yawn, a feeling of weariness emanating from her through the bond shared. "Later, aye? I need a wee snack, then a good night o' sleep. I'm both tired an' I feel like I could run for miles, but I just want tae lie doon for a while before much else."

Shaking her head, she finishes a different thought. "He's actually alive." Her senses told her so.

Moonstar has posed:
Dani laughs softly, "Yeah, well, he rabbited when he saw me... probably the same things he felt when he saw you." She pauses, then says, "Well, not the /same/." She nods, "And yeah, you should have some food, sleep off the jet lag, and then we can chat in the morning. I bet you haven't had a good breakfast over there... I'll make us huevos rancheros." Her lips curl in a grin, and then she says, "It's so good for you to be back, Rahne."