For muse_shuffle - August Disc One
05. I know the truth is in between // the 1st and the 40th drink
(Tori Amos - ‘Concertina’)
[OOC: Backdated to Aug 5th]
He didn’t really have a birthday. There was no date that he remembered as being his birthday, so for years he hadn’t celebrated. Then Rogue came into his life and he found himself at a school filled with children who were obsessed with birthdays and cakes and presents. And Rogue herself wasn’t that much better, even if she had been seventeen at the time. She seemed to have this unnerving ability to sense when someone’s birthday was approaching. And if it was someone she cared about then she liked to spoil them.
Logan thought she was the best at the birthday thing. Everyone else seemed mediocre. It’s why he tried so hard to get the right gift when it came to her birthday. He didn’t want to be just another person to give her gloves and scarves. He could sense her frustration every time she opened a package to find more reminders of what she’d been force to give up. There was always such a sense of relief when he at least gave her a bar of chocolate, or some girly soap stuff. He’d been pretty pleased at his last effort, though. The replica dog tags had been a good idea.
One of the kids at Xavier’s had made up a birthday for him. Apparently the kid felt sorry for Logan when he admitted to not knowing his own birth date. So for years, it had just been Rogue who marked the occasion with a cake and a small gift. The other members of the X-Men would pass on their well wishes, but no one really seemed to know what to get him. Once, Hank had made the mistake of trying to organize a party. These days the Beast just shared a glass of whiskey with the Wolverine. That was if Logan was around. Sometimes he took off, and avoided the whole thing. Though he would always come back to find a cake in his room with a note from Rogue.
This year there was no cake in his room. There wasn’t even a card. It wasn’t that she’d forgotten, he knew she hadn’t. It was that she was with her fiancé, busy with her own life. He remembered her mentioning something about today also being Chase’s birthday, so he understood that she would rather spend it with him than Logan who would only grumble and try and tell her he didn’t need to be fussed over.
Only he liked it. He liked that she cared. He missed having a cake, and he missed having someone to share it with. He wandered the halls of the mansion and found himself in Hank’s office. The blue doctor looked up from his pile of paperwork and peered through his glasses at Logan. Logan just waved a hand by way of greeting and dropped into an empty chair opposite Hank. Dr. McCoy watched Logan and waited for the man to say something. When he didn’t, Hank just went back to his paperwork.
Curiosity eventually got to him, and Hank stopped his reading to fold his large hands together and give Logan a questioning look. “Not that I don’t appreciate the visit, Logan, but is there something I can do for you?”
Logan shrugged and lifted his feet to cross his legs at the ankles as he rested them on the corner of Hank’s desk. “Not really. Just kinda found myself here.”
Hank arched an eyebrow skeptically as he bared his teeth briefly. “You should really spend more time with Mr. LeBeau. The two of you have a surprising amount in common.”
Logan frowned, and glared at his big blue friend. “Where is that Cajun, anyway. Ain’t seen him in a while.”
“I have no idea. I haven’t seen him since he returned from France.” Hank took off his glasses, and squeezed the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb. “Do you think he’s in trouble?” Logan cocked his head and smirked in answer. “Ah. Of course. I forgot for a moment who I was talking about.”
“I’m sure he’s fine. Rogue probably woulda heard somethin’ if he wasn’t. They always have a way of keepin’ in touch.”
“And you?”
Logan raised his eyebrows. “Me what?”
“Are you in trouble?”
He tilted his head as he gave it some thought. “Not right now.”
Hank cleared his throat and smiled. “I’m starting to think that I’m one of the few who still remain at this school regularly. You yourself have taken to once again roaming, and Rogue seems to have all but left us. Is she still with that young doctor?”
“Yeah. They’re engaged. Kid came and asked me for my permission before he popped the question.”
Hank broke out into a grin. “That’s really very sweet.”
“Yeah, well. I figured if I didn’t tell him yes then I’d hear from Rogue. I don’t wanna find out what she’d cut off just to see if I could grow it back.”
Hank chuckled, and leaned down to open the bottom drawer of his desk. He pulled out a bottle of whiskey and set it down on the polished wooden surface before leaning down again to fish out two glasses. “Congratulations to them both. And a happy birthday to you, friend.”
Logan’s mouth twisted into a wry smile. “You remembered.”
“There’s not much I don’t, Logan. Besides, it’s not often that you voluntarily come in here.”
“Just start worryin’ if it begins to happen every night.”
Hank grinned. “So I shall expect to see you closer to Rogue’s wedding?”
Logan chuckled as he accepted a glass from Hank. “Somethin’ like that.”
Wolverine
X-Men (movieverse)
Words: 937
justalilcontact, dontdotricks, and chasemd mentioned with permission. Hank is the one in my head, so therefore NPC and not binding on any Beasts out there.
(Tori Amos - ‘Concertina’)
[OOC: Backdated to Aug 5th]
He didn’t really have a birthday. There was no date that he remembered as being his birthday, so for years he hadn’t celebrated. Then Rogue came into his life and he found himself at a school filled with children who were obsessed with birthdays and cakes and presents. And Rogue herself wasn’t that much better, even if she had been seventeen at the time. She seemed to have this unnerving ability to sense when someone’s birthday was approaching. And if it was someone she cared about then she liked to spoil them.
Logan thought she was the best at the birthday thing. Everyone else seemed mediocre. It’s why he tried so hard to get the right gift when it came to her birthday. He didn’t want to be just another person to give her gloves and scarves. He could sense her frustration every time she opened a package to find more reminders of what she’d been force to give up. There was always such a sense of relief when he at least gave her a bar of chocolate, or some girly soap stuff. He’d been pretty pleased at his last effort, though. The replica dog tags had been a good idea.
One of the kids at Xavier’s had made up a birthday for him. Apparently the kid felt sorry for Logan when he admitted to not knowing his own birth date. So for years, it had just been Rogue who marked the occasion with a cake and a small gift. The other members of the X-Men would pass on their well wishes, but no one really seemed to know what to get him. Once, Hank had made the mistake of trying to organize a party. These days the Beast just shared a glass of whiskey with the Wolverine. That was if Logan was around. Sometimes he took off, and avoided the whole thing. Though he would always come back to find a cake in his room with a note from Rogue.
This year there was no cake in his room. There wasn’t even a card. It wasn’t that she’d forgotten, he knew she hadn’t. It was that she was with her fiancé, busy with her own life. He remembered her mentioning something about today also being Chase’s birthday, so he understood that she would rather spend it with him than Logan who would only grumble and try and tell her he didn’t need to be fussed over.
Only he liked it. He liked that she cared. He missed having a cake, and he missed having someone to share it with. He wandered the halls of the mansion and found himself in Hank’s office. The blue doctor looked up from his pile of paperwork and peered through his glasses at Logan. Logan just waved a hand by way of greeting and dropped into an empty chair opposite Hank. Dr. McCoy watched Logan and waited for the man to say something. When he didn’t, Hank just went back to his paperwork.
Curiosity eventually got to him, and Hank stopped his reading to fold his large hands together and give Logan a questioning look. “Not that I don’t appreciate the visit, Logan, but is there something I can do for you?”
Logan shrugged and lifted his feet to cross his legs at the ankles as he rested them on the corner of Hank’s desk. “Not really. Just kinda found myself here.”
Hank arched an eyebrow skeptically as he bared his teeth briefly. “You should really spend more time with Mr. LeBeau. The two of you have a surprising amount in common.”
Logan frowned, and glared at his big blue friend. “Where is that Cajun, anyway. Ain’t seen him in a while.”
“I have no idea. I haven’t seen him since he returned from France.” Hank took off his glasses, and squeezed the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb. “Do you think he’s in trouble?” Logan cocked his head and smirked in answer. “Ah. Of course. I forgot for a moment who I was talking about.”
“I’m sure he’s fine. Rogue probably woulda heard somethin’ if he wasn’t. They always have a way of keepin’ in touch.”
“And you?”
Logan raised his eyebrows. “Me what?”
“Are you in trouble?”
He tilted his head as he gave it some thought. “Not right now.”
Hank cleared his throat and smiled. “I’m starting to think that I’m one of the few who still remain at this school regularly. You yourself have taken to once again roaming, and Rogue seems to have all but left us. Is she still with that young doctor?”
“Yeah. They’re engaged. Kid came and asked me for my permission before he popped the question.”
Hank broke out into a grin. “That’s really very sweet.”
“Yeah, well. I figured if I didn’t tell him yes then I’d hear from Rogue. I don’t wanna find out what she’d cut off just to see if I could grow it back.”
Hank chuckled, and leaned down to open the bottom drawer of his desk. He pulled out a bottle of whiskey and set it down on the polished wooden surface before leaning down again to fish out two glasses. “Congratulations to them both. And a happy birthday to you, friend.”
Logan’s mouth twisted into a wry smile. “You remembered.”
“There’s not much I don’t, Logan. Besides, it’s not often that you voluntarily come in here.”
“Just start worryin’ if it begins to happen every night.”
Hank grinned. “So I shall expect to see you closer to Rogue’s wedding?”
Logan chuckled as he accepted a glass from Hank. “Somethin’ like that.”
Wolverine
X-Men (movieverse)
Words: 937
justalilcontact, dontdotricks, and chasemd mentioned with permission. Hank is the one in my head, so therefore NPC and not binding on any Beasts out there.