A lot of ways to say it, wasn't there? Somehow being told she loved him, while being told that she, essentially wanted to keep him safe was oddly comforting. Yet it wasn't what he wanted. Did she honestly think he was just going to say, sure, I'll just let you go? No. She didn't, and part of him wondered if she chose this way of telling him in the hopes that he would see how much it hurt her, to tell him this. He did see it. It pained him, and he couldn't make himself try to comfort him. He understood it would be worse if he did. "I do understand" he said softly, because he did. "You fear that you will ruin me, when all you have done so far is make me a better man. You fear that because I love you, I'll get hurt. Everyone risks that. But I know you think that that hurt could be death. I understand that. I can, and do protect myself. You think I don't know, that I don't understand. That I don't know that Ben is probably dead, due to Anthony but you think that it's your fault. when it isn't. You tell me you love me, and then that I can't follow you. When we both know that I will. Because, Damn it, I need you. You think I dont, that all I needed was a little confidence booster. Maybe that's so. I need you. You expect me to just agree, and walk away. But I'm not your parents, and im definetely not your grandmother, or whoever else has left you and made you feel like nothing. So you can leave. But I will follow." The words just tumbled out, unchecked, and he was shocked at tears stinging his own eyes. He couldn't remember the last time he had cried. He must have been a kid. And it was probably for something foolish. There was pain in his chest, and irrational fear, panic. Because he feared she might ask, instead of tell. And he didn't know if he could resist that. He took a step forward, just acting on instinct now, he gently removed her hands from her face. "Please" -- Kijani went still for just a moment, as Connor's warm hands pulled her hands away, and the pain on her face was palpable. She might not have been bleeding, but there was a gaping wound in her all the same. She knew if she met his eyes, that it would all be over, that she would lose her courage. So, she squeezed her eyes shut, yanked herself free, and shoved Connor, hard. Even though he was taller, she was more athletic, and the superior fighter. If she truly wanted to, she could make him unable to go after her. She could hurt him- but her body and soul would have to agree on that. Her body knew that she could dislocate his arm if she tugged just the right way. Knock him unconscious with a hard fist to the temple. Her soul, however, knew that what she was doing would hurt so much more than any bruise she could give him with her hands. Pushing him back again, she started to yell. There was anger in her voice, and she was using it at Connor, even though it wasn't truly his to bear. "Why are you making this so damn hard, Connor? I don't want to see you anymore! That's it! End of story! I don't need you following me, I don't need you to rescue me, I don't need you to love me!" Could he hear her breaking underneath the enraged words spilling out of her mouth? "Just stay away! It's over! It's... it's over." She glared at him, shaking, before she turned her back and started running. Speed had always been her forte, once she'd gotten over her growing-pain clumsiness. Her fear and her pain made her eat the distance like it was made of paper, like she could leave the heart she'd just broken behind her. -- Devika sat in the grass, almost calm. She was still going to need a lengthy meditation session after classes were over, but at least for now, she could function. As she stood up, a student ran by at quick speed. In her wake, Devika was nearly knocked over by a wave of powerful emotion. It was like getting hit with a wave of arctic water. She couldn't move, she couldn't breathe, and her legs simply decided that holding her up was too much trouble. Whatever that person was going through felt like a black hole, tugging at her mind, and she had to put up every wall she had just to keep from dropping into sleep.

Connor shifted his center of gravity slightly, stopping himself stumbling too much when Kijani pushed him. He stood there, like a statue, and took the verbal blows, his face a mask of nothingness, but the tears still stung his eyes. He watched her run off, and found he didn't have the strength to follow. He sat, shaking, dropping his head into his hands, the pain too much. Part of him realised that she still hadn't asked. Just done everything she could to make it virtually impossible to follow her. The rest of him didn't listen that that little, rational part, the emotions swarming him. He didn't care that he was in a place where everyone had access to, where students were still walking by, on their way to lunch, or just...anywhere. The tears fell, thick, hot and fast. He would probably never know how he got his suit on, how he managed to program it to home. Maybe Ignot just knew. All he knew was he found himself standing in his front yard. just standing. Phoebe didn't push Nicholas far, and stopped by the tree that was meant to be an apple tree, but wasn't. She looked to Nicholas, and said "Do you have trouble making apples?"

Nicholas looked up at Phoebe with his deep blue eyes,He nodded to her relaxing back into his chair letting some vines come out of his shelves.The vines moved up to the tree and to the branches making some apples grow on the branches. He had retained some of his powers and they were coming back to him slowly soon he would have his powers back and more.

Kijani made it to her room, and she didn't know how. Her whole body was shaking. Getting in, she stared at her room, which was spotless. All of her things were packed and labeled. She had cleaned. The only possessions remaining were her laptop, and her sword, sitting neatly in it's scabbard. Wiping the tears from her face, she went to her bed and slipped her hand under her mattress. Pulling out the communicator, she went to the bathroom and tossed it into the toilet, flushing it. Even if it managed to survive being submerged, it would be useless to track. Her phone rang in her pocket, and she sighed. Was Connor calling her that fast? She answered it without looking. "What?" "Ms. Ryane. I didn't think you'd pick up." Of all the days, of all the hours. Kijani rubbed the bridge of her nose. It would be faster to hear him out than try to ignore him. "What could you possibly want from me right now, Anthony?"

Phoebe frowned slightly. Maybe it was just...a barrier for her. "I can't grow apples. I don't know why. Everytime I go to try, I make Pineapples." She said, reaching up and taking an apple. Connor supposed that the security camera's picked him up, just standing there, as his mother came out, with a smile on her face "Con-What is it? What's wrong?" Connor didn't know how to answer. He made an attempt to speak, but nothing came out. "Tony!" His mother called, back to the house, and Connor wasn't surprised that his father came quickly. "I don't know what's wrong..." His mother said His father budged Connor to the house, and Connor walked. He didn't get far into the house, sitting down at the dinning room table. "What's wrong, Connie?" His mother asked. Connor dropped his head into his hands again, and heaved a great sigh, before telling them.

Katherin smiled at Makoto. "If I can figure it out I might take you up on that. Im not sure that I explain it to myself yet much less anyone else. Maybe after this weekend I will have a better idea." She hoped so. She scanned the crowd and was sad not to see Phoebe or any of her other friends. She supposed that Phoebe was with Ryan making wedding plans. Or talking to Nikolas. The though made her sad.

Makoto smiled at Katherin, encouraged that she would be taken up on her offer as much as to encourage Katherin that it will all work out. "There is no pressure, you don't need to explain if you don't want to. I won't force you." Makoto maneuvered the other students with Katherin as they got in line to receive food. Quickly selecting their food the two looked out into the sea of people once again. "It's pretty crowded in here, should we find somewhere else to eat?" Makoto asked, only seeing a few single seats here and there. "I guess in a room this busy, Flood's reputation with the other students would come in handy." She joked, trying to make Katherin laugh.

Nicholas let out a child like giggle using his vines to bring the apple down form the branch to Pheobe,He wondered why she couldn't do this because form what he saw she was quite powerful more so then him.

"I guess in a room this busy, Flood's reputation with the other students would come in handy." She joked, trying to make Katherin laugh.

Katherin smiled. Yes Flood could come in handy. The room was crowded. Normally she would have sat outside. But while she found the cold air comforting Makoto wouldn't. Especially after being wet earlier. She searched the room looking for a place they could sit. She saw a table on the far side of the room that was empty. "Follow me I see a spot."

Flood wandered the school when he heard his name being mentioned. He moved quickly towards Katherin and Makoto. "Did someone call for Wanderer Extraordinaire Flood?" He said in a British tone as he got out a top hat and quickly put it on.

Makoto followed Katherin to the table, and were quickly joined by Flood. Makoto welcomed Flood with a warm smile. "Good afternoon Flood." She said, giggling softly at his odd comment. "We were having a hard time finding somewhere to sit and figured that if you were with us, we may have had better luck." Flood's blunt comment about how other student's treated him from yesterday seemed to gold true as some students at the part of the table where Katherin and Makoto were sitting paused eating and fairly gracefully got up to leave, all the while giving cut eye to Flood. Makoto didn't like how they treated him, he really didn't seem that bad outside of being a bit of a loose cannon. By the other student's leaving however, it left room for Flood to sit down and join Katherin and Makoto if he wanted to. There were also a few other seats at the table open for other classmates if they wanted to sit with the trio. Makoto took a bite out of her sandwich, it tasted amazing. The food always seemed to be so fresh and well kept here. Even the fruit that shouldn't be in season tasted like they were truly sun grown.

Flood looked at Makoto's food and shrugged. He went to grab his own food and sat down next to Katherin. He saw everyone leave and snickered when he saw some of their bruised faces. "Heh, I beat some of those guys up earlier. Stupid bullies." He ate his food rather quickly, then looked at the ceiling. He moved slightly to the left when he saw one of his timed paint bombs on the ceiling. "How did I even get up there?"

"What do I want? Simply to congratulate you. School rumor says that you were kidnapped by Magneto during a raid. We both know that you would take half an army down before you willingly let yourself be taken, so I assume you joined the Brotherhood of your own volition. That's quite a powerful ally you've made." Kijani was only half listening to Anthony as he spoke. There was a light flashing in her window, and she opened it to allow the delivery drone in with the things she'd ordered. They would run her credit card for her purchases, so she took the large bag and set it down, pushing the button on the drone to say that she had recieved her things. "So, are you truly calling yourself a mutant now? Or are you doing the wiser thing and not dismissing an opportunity over such a simple thing as self-identification?" Kijani pulled the bottle of vodka from the bag and set it aside. If she was a good person, she might have worried about how easy it was to get hard liquor at 17. "I'm not a mutant. I'm just myself." She found the question was in the air before she knew it was coming. "Anthony, is Ben dead?" There was silence on the other end, which was more of a truthful answer than anything else Anthony might say. "Yes, he is. Why do you ask?" Kijani felt her chest squeeze, and she tried to remember to breathe. "Why? Because he was... he was an ally, and I didn't know." "People die in this life, Ms. Ryane. All the time. Ben Parker was... a loss. One I wish had not happened, but it was an acceptable loss. Given the choice between the two of you, he was far more expendable." "...was he." Kijani's voice was flat, and she sounded hollow, even to herself. "I'm sure his parents and brother would say that it was not so 'acceptable'." Anthony's voice was almost but not quite angry. "Don't tell me you're growing a conscience. This is the way the game is played. People die. He knew that just as much as you." Kijani said nothing, simply pulled out the second part of her delivery. It had taken her a lot of searching to get what she needed, because it wasn't sold in any American pharmacies anymore. Stupid FDA. She sighed softly as her hands started to shake. "I'm tired of the game, Anthony. I'm so tired." There were tears sliding down her face, but she didn't have the energy to care. Crying over the phone to Anthony Luthor seemed completely trivial. "I quit. I can't fight anymore." There was such a long pause that she thought he'd hung up. But then he spoke, quietly, with a confusion in his voice that she'd never heard once before. "What do you mean, you quit? This is the way life is. You can't quit-" He stopped short. "Kijani... what are you going to do?" How ironic. The only time he called her by his name was now, when nothing mattered. "Bye, Anthony. Enjoy taking over the world." "Kijani, wait-" She ended the call and set her phone aside. @Caits Anthony Luthor stared at his cell phone. He didn't think Kijani was the type to do something so... drastic. But then, he didn't know her fully, did he? He rang her again, and got no response. Shaking his head, he dialed a different number. He was hoping, for once in his life, that he was dead wrong about Kijani. Tapping his fingers on the desk, he waited for Connor Stark to pick up the phone.

"Well he was far more civil this time and was just as unsuccessful, so no fear." She said dismissively. "I'm more concerned by the threats which are to come. Thank you for the warning, I suppose." Her mind went back to the gifted book briefly and considered whether it was simply a coincidental find or whether there was something more to it. Either way she would begin studying it as soon as the day ended considering his use of 'us'. "Then you have about a week to settle and learn the new faces."

"I may just do that." Kaden said concerning meeting some of the others at the Academy. "But later, I have plenty of time now." He said with a smile. "Though I do have some interesting stories to tell you about provided you have the time. Including one instance where I was almost forced into a betrothal." He said a with a grin.

Connor didn't know why he thought coming home would help. While he certainly felt safer, he didn't feel better. As his mother fussed, he just dropped his head onto the table, wondering when the pain would go away. Wondering if it ever would. Wondering if he wanted it to go away. Wondering if he could have done something more. Wondering. Wondering. Wondering. No amount of intelligence could help with it came to love. An equalizer, it seemed. It made fools of everyone. And just ended in pain, sooner or later. Whether it was one of the partnership dying, or one dumping the other. It ended in pain. Was it really worth it? To love someone, was it worth that pain? What did you get out of it? Memories. A chance at relieving old happiness. Connor closed his eyes tight, as if that could stop the memories from flashing in his mind. Kijani, asking for help with her papers. The Chinese dinner in the lab, the papers around them. The dance. He could almost feel the nerves, the way he had felt, when he kissed her that night. Maybe...maybe it was worth it. But what was he meant to do, not? How could he go back to the school, knowing that she wasn't there? He didn't even know where she would go. Everything about that last meeting just seemed so final, and he had a feeling that even with his new technology...he wouldn't find her. She wouldn't be so foolish, would she, to go to her grandmother? To Anthony? Or would she just...go into the wind? A hand rested on his shoulder, and he looked up, to his father. "You've grown up so much, in such a short amount of time. You've always been more adult then kid, but in some ways, you were always a little immature. You've grown, and matured, and just become an amazing young man. You'll surpass me, one day. Probably sooner then we both would like. In some ways, though, Con, you can be so stupid" The slap over the head shocked him, and he jolted up. "She doesn't want you to get hurt, you big fool, and pushed you away so you'd be more angry, and less inclined to follow. But you don't get angry like that. No, you just got so devastated you can't see that that was what she was doing. So pull yourself together, and go find her" Connor just stared at his father. He had nothing to come back to that. Already, that realisation was dawning on him. But dd that mean he had to do it, had to try and find her? He didn't know. But he rose, because he had to find out why. He was halfway to the school when his phone rang. "It appears to be Mr. Luther, Sir" Ignot said, and Connor froze for a second. Anthony, calling him? That wasn't good. "Answer it" When it was answered, Connor was surprised at the venom in his voice when he said, "What do you want, Luther? I'm not in the mood for your antics" "You need to check on Kijani" "What do you think I'm bloody doing?" But of course, Anthony couldn't know what had happened, couldn't know that Kijani had pushed him away. Surely not. Connor could hear the slight intake of breath, and frowned slightly. That little hitch? Something he wouldn't expect of Anthony. "Something is wrong, Mr.Stark. with the way we are raised, to fight is to live. You fight for superiority, to be the top, or else nothing. She said she gave up, that she didn't want to fight. The only way we don't fight is when we're dead, Mr. Stark. I believe something is very wrong with Kijani. I hope I'm mistaken, but... in the event that I'm not, you should check on her." Connor looked ahead, sudden dread filling him. "This is your fault, Luther. Yours, and her grandmothers. I swear to god, if you even think of messing with her again, your life won't be worth living. If I were you, I'd watch my back" he ended the call. "All power to thrusters. Move it, Ignot!" He hit the ground outside the girls dorms at a run, leaving the suit on. He ran, long legs fueled by the suit eating the ground quickly. He spared the door one quick glance, and then just kicked it open. What he saw caused him to freeze. And then he was in the room. He had the sense to grab the pill bottle, the vodka bottle, even as he scooped Kijani into his arms. He was at the nurses office fairly quickly, and had Kijani on a bed, even as he removed his suit. He ignored the shouts, and yells from the nurses, and burst into the drug room, scanning shelves quickly and found the activated Carbon, as well as the espom Salt. needed afterwards. He poured the Carbon into a glass of water, brushed passed the nurses, pushing aside the nurse who had gone over to check on Kijani, her eyes wide as she saw the pill bottle, the vodka. Connor manuevered Kijan into a sitting position, and held the glass to her lips, relying on the bodies natural reaction to force the liquid down her throat. When it was all gone, he induced vomiting, and hoped it would be enough, as the nurse moved smoothly, a container ready to prevent a mess. Another nurse already had the salt in water, and gently nudged Connor aside. "You've done all you can" A nurse said, "How did you know what to do?" Connor stared at the nurse bleakly, and sank down into a chair. "The internet" Phoebe smiled, taking the apple, and rolling it in her hands. She sighed softly, and pocketed it. "We should see if we can find any of the other students. I hope that Katherin and Makoto are alright. kind of just ran off without much warning. They probably think something has happened to me"

Phoebe smiled, taking the apple, and rolling it in her hands. She sighed softly, and pocketed it. "We should see if we can find any of the other students. I hope that Katherin and Makoto are alright. kind of just ran off without much warning. They probably think something has happened to me" [/quote] Nicholas wrote something in his notepad handing it to Phoebe,"Who is Makoto?" It said on the notepad.He didn't know who Makoto was and was afraid that other people would see him in his condition and would ruin the reputation he had being one scary mofo,Most of all he didn't want to be seen by Devika.

Word of Kijani made its way through to the various teachers. Kagerou had been surveying the Academy when she heard about it. This place was just falling apart wasn't it? Putting aside the inspection she made her way to the nurse's office. There was little doubt that those there knew what they were doing, but she wanted to get information from Connor. Apparently these two had skipped out yesterday because she didn't see them in any of the classes. Stepping over to him she started with an introduction. She spoke softly though as the boy was clearly shaken up. "Mr. Stark, my name is Kagerou Rotusu. I'm a returning teacher to the academy." Taking a seat next to him she waited patiently before continuing. "I need you to tell me what you know about Kijani. Why she would do this."" Even though the young man might not be in the mood to share Kagerou would wait for the answers.

Connor didn't particularly want to speak with someone about this, but it was evident that Kagerou wasn't leaving, and expected answers. So he looked at her, and his voice was angry. "She wouldn't, unless she saw no other choice. She thinks she's a bad person, and in some demented way, she probably thought she was doing this for my own good. She's not a bad person. She's been manipulated, and made to think she is worthless, that's she's nothing, when...when she's not. When she's the furthest thing from being worthless" His voice softened, the anger sliding away. "New girl" Phoebe replied "she's nice. I know you don't want to run into Devoka, Nick. But you can't hide from her forever" she said kindky

She was in the sky. Everything was dark, and cool, and peaceful. There was a rushing in her ears, like the sound of the sea. It was warmer, now. She wondered if she was going to heaven. Now there was yelling and screaming. Maybe she wasn't going to heaven. Maybe she was going to hell. She tasted bitterness, suddenly; a grit in her mouth like she was drinking sand. Then there was pain. -- Kijani lie on the clinic bed, barely conscious. Her breathing was shallow, and while she could hear bustle and movement and panic around her. Yelling. Her body hurt like it was on fire from the inside. The activated charcoal had made her vomit most of what she'd taken, but more started to come up, burning her insides like acid on the way. Her eyelids fluttered and she tried to speak, but nothing came up but bile and vodka.

His reaction was only natural. Sadly this kind of thing Kagerou had seen before, in herself. Manipulated, lied to, the sense of worthlessness. Having committed unspeakable acts throughout her life span it had not been uncommon in the early years. Were she not able to end herself then she would not be here now. Having become numb to death for a time she would have made a terrible council. Of course now life was a more precious thing to her. For most it was a brief period in time that could make amazing impacts on many lives. It has been a privilege to witness some of those moments. Nodding as Connor spoke Kagerou waited until he had said his piece. She looked at Kijani for a while before turning back to the young man. "Don't worry Connor. I can feel that she is strong. But from what you describe, misguided. I've seen it plenty of times. But probably more valuable is that I've been there." She smiled reassuringly. "I didn't have anyone to help me through it though. That's what you and I are here for. But we need to make sure that we are careful. Emotions run high coming back from this and we want to try and ease her back. And if that means you being here causes undue stress then I will send you out. Do you understand?"

His reaction was only natural. Sadly this kind of thing Kagerou had seen before, in herself. Manipulated, lied to, the sense of worthlessness. Having committed unspeakable acts throughout her life span it had not been uncommon in the early years. Were she not able to end herself then she would not be here now. Having become numb to death for a time she would have made a terrible council. Of course now life was a more precious thing to her. For most it was a brief period in time that could make amazing impacts on many lives. It has been a privilege to witness some of those moments. Nodding as Connor spoke Kagerou waited until he had said his piece. She looked at Kijani for a while before turning back to the young man. "Don't worry Connor. I can feel that she is strong. But from what you describe, misguided. I've seen it plenty of times. But probably more valuable is that I've been there." She smiled reassuringly, but her tone was serious. This was not one of those moments where was was playing around. "I didn't have anyone to help me through it though. That's what you and I are here for. But we need to make sure that we are careful. Emotions run high coming back from this and we want to try and ease her back. And if that means you being here causes undue stress then I will send you out. Do you understand?"