KILLING TIME AT THE POOL (OPEN)

[ROBYN CARLYLE]

And through the rising and falling apart, We discover who we are

It was a lazy Sunday as most Sundays normally are. In the morning she trained a little bit and now was free. She valued her free time. While most her age would rather lay in bed or go out to the mall, she decided to hit the pool. The girl entered the pool area. No one else was there. She was glad she had the pool to herself for right now, but at the same time, she wished others would join her.

Swimming was a hobby. It was both relaxing and invigorating. Being from the hot and muggy south she had always loved swimming and always had access to a pool.

The pool at the school was huge. It was fit enough for an Olympic athlete. There were a couple of diving boards as well. The high dive towered 15 feet above the pool. She used it occasionally. She was not afraid of heights at all. How could she be if her mutation is that she turns into a bird? The nice thing about the pool being inside was that it could be used no matter the weather.

Robyn placed her towel on the pool chair. She unwrapped her pareo revealing her one piece swimsuit. It was purple with white polka dots. She placed the pareo on the chair as well and set up her iPod to play out of her bluetooth speaker to get some music going. She slid off her flip flops and tied her hair back.

The redhead walked over to the edge of the pool and dove in. She swam to the other side before coming up for air.

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[axelle rosa]

The school seemed to get more and more appealing with each passing day, it seemed. Almost everyone Axelle had met had disproved each of the American stereotypes she had heard back home in Paris. The school was stunning, a dream for her to draw, and the classes were interesting enough to hold her attention. But it was Sunday, and Axelle didn't quite feel like drawing, pestering Sascha, or challenging Lapin to the rematch. Instead, there was only one thing she felt like doing: going for a swim.

Swimming had never been a hobby for her, as her hobby was her art. But her ballet instructor had insisted that she start swimming regularly, as to increase her muscles' endurance or something of the sort. A piscine hadn't been close to her house, so the chance to swim regularly was something she couldn't pass up. Smiling to herself, Axelle pushed open the door to the pool area, the smell of chlorine hitting her nose.

As she walked in, Axelle quickly realized she wasn't alone, someone else's stuff was piled on one of the chairs. The idea of swimming alone truthfully wasn't all that appealing to her, so she found herself grinning as she dropped her towel and bag on one of the neighboring pool chairs. She pulled off her dress, revealing her rose red one piece swimsuit. As she folded her dress and placed with the rest of her stuff, she heard the sound of someone, or something, resurfacing. She turned, kicking off her sandals, and walked over to the edge of the pool, slowly sliding into the water.

Shivering at the cool water, Axelle's eyes landed on the girl at the other end of the pool. "I 'ope you don't mind if I join you, mon amie."

[ROBYN CARLYLE]

And through the rising and falling apart, We discover who we are

When Robyn came up for air, she saw someone else get in the pool. The school had many students and some she hadn't even met yet in her 2 years at the school. Plus new students were coming in almost daily. She was becoming more open now though. Music continued to play out of Robyn's ipod. It played current pop music. She hoped it wasn't bothering the girl. The music was there so the place wouldn't seem eerily quiet.

The girl had a French accent. She wondered if the girl was a relative or friend of Remy's, even though Remy's accent wasn't really French, but Cajun.

"Howdy," said Robyn, in her Georgia accent. "Not at all. I've seen ya around. I just haven't introduced myself. I'm Robyn." She said, in a friendly tone. Robyn pulled herself out of the pool and sat on the edge. "What's your name?" She asked the girl, trying to make conversation. She moved her feet a bit in the water.

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[axelle rosa]

"Robin, like the bird?" Axelle inquired, offering a friendly smile. While not knowing the other girl personally, there was a great chance that she had seen Robyn around at some point. "Je m'appelle, er, I am Axelle."

She leaned against the pool wall, eyes closing as she mentally berated herself. She wasn't in France, nor did anyone around her speak it, with the exception of Professor LeBeau. It wasn't truly fair for her to speak her native tongue, knowing full well that others could not understand her. Her features smoothed, remembering the girl's slight vocal twang. Robyn had a strange accent, American for sure but Axelle didn't know exactly what region. Curious, she questioned, "Where are you from, mon amie?"

"I am curious, for your accent is very different from other students I 'ave met." She paused, smiling slightly as her body grew used to the cool waters. "It is none of my concern, so you may wish for me to sod off. "

Axelle opened her grey eyes to glance at the other girl. Robyn was quite pretty, although Axelle imagined that it wouldn't go over quite well if she were to inform the other girl of the fact. Although Axelle was as equally friendly as she was flirtatious, her friends back at home had informed her that she too often blurred the lines between the two, causing great confusion. She wasn't looking for that type of drama so early in her time at the school, merely for comrades to make her time in America easier to handle. And out of all the people she had met thus far, Robyn seemed to be the least likely to rip her head off on pure whim, or make her head spin. Perhaps they could eventually become friends.

[ROBYN CARLYLE]

And through the rising and falling apart, We discover who we are

Robyn gave a smile. "Ah guess you could say that, but it's Robyn with a 'y'," she said. "Ya probably seen me around. I'm the owl girl," she said to Axelle. "It's awfully nice to meet ya Axelle," Robyn said politely. Robyn got back into the water.

Axelle seemed friendly. Robyn was enjoying the interaction. She felt like she needed more female friends. "It's fine. Ah am from Savannah, Georgia," answered Robyn. Her southern accent was a bit different from Rogue's. "Born and raised there. Ya ever been?" She asked. Robyn guessed that the girl may not have seen much of the US yet, but she thought she'd ask. Robyn didn't offend easily so Axelle asking about her accent was not a problem.

She missed Savannah badly. Though it was also the place where her worst memory took place, she missed her mother and siblings as well as the rich history Savannah had to offer. She missed the antebellum style structures, the fireflies, her grandma's iced tea.

"Ah can tell ya from France? Do you miss home?" Robyn asked her.

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[axelle rosa]

Axelle smiled slightly, as Robyn explained the slight with her name and gave her insight into the other girl's abilities with a surprising amount of politeness. "The pleasure is all mine, Robyn. I am the plant girl, I suppose. Being an owl must be lovely."

Their abilities were so different, Axelle mused. While she could make a flower bloom, or turn a stem into a bullwhip, Robyn could soar through the skies. Unless she was misunderstanding the other's ability that was. It was nice to have another girl to talk too. <<A girl who isn't trying to break my nose,>> Axelle thought, remembering the incident that had introduced her to the horned mutant Sascha. She smiled brightly at the memory, and as Robyn explained her accent. She shook her head at the first question posed toward her, "No, I 'ave never. What is it like there?"

Her smile dimmed at the next questions, memories of her home pushing to the forefront of her mind. No matter how much she missed it, there were very dark times there. It was in France where Saul-No, she couldn't let herself think about that. She had already broken down once in front of someone, she was not going to do it again. Taking a deep breath, she answered the inquiries, "Oui, I miss it with all my heart. I lived in Paris for most of my life."

Pausing, she decided to turn the next round of questions to Robyn, wanting to know more about the Owl Girl. "What is it that you do in your spare time, mon amie? Other than swim."

[ROBYN CARLYLE]

And through the rising and falling apart, We discover who we are

Robyn's eyes lit up when Axelle explained her power. "Wow, that's amazing. It sounds like a very beautiful ability," she said. "Ah mean, plants can lighten up someones day, but at the same time ah can see it being a good defensive power as well," she said. "Becoming an owl has its perks, however, Ah still have trouble shifting at will. Ah suppose it will come in time."

Robyn had a sense of pride coming from where she's from. She was happy to tell the girl what Savannah is like. She sat on one of the pool steps and looked over at the blonde girl.

"It's beautiful and historic. It's one of the oldest cities in the country and the oldest one in Georgia. Everything about it is amazing, from the spanish moss to the victorian homes. There are beautiful parks and the city is big on the arts," said Robyn. She felt like she was getting a bit chatty. She stopped herself at that. "It's never easy to be so far from home. Paris sounds amazing though. Ah haven't been but ah've always wanted to visit."

Then the girl asked about what she likes to do in her spare time. "Well, ah do enjoy practicin' piano and watchin' movies. What about you?" She asked Axelle. She was enjoying the conversation. The more she talked to someone, the more she opened up.

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[axelle rosa]

"You get to soar through the skies, unbound by chains," Axelle smiled, "And there is nothing more beautiful than a free bird in flight."

She nodded in understanding as Robyn stated her lack of control over her shifting, sharing, "I am the same way, I suppose. I can control them if I concentrate my energy, but I can only do small things."

Axelle listened with a wide smile as Robyn described her hometown. It sounded like an ideal place for an artist to live, what with all the history within it. "Savannah sounds wonderful. I wish I could go there to paint someday."

Although she was the talkative sort, Axelle found herself liking the other girl. Robyn was lighthearted, and friendly, more so than anyone else she had met, with the exception of Professor LeBeau, of course. She didn't seem like she wanted to hide things, or at least keep harmful secrets from others. It was refreshing to say the least, after dealing with a moody albino and a flirtatious, yet obviously secretive, speedster. When Robyn commented about Paris, she found herself happily replying, "It is a truly romantic place, both in idea and in 'istory. If you ever get the chance, do take the time to go there. Although," she paused, grinning despite her next statement, "Parisians go on strike often, so it can be unpredictable."

The grin grew wider as the other girl told her about her hobbies, "You play piano? That is amazing!" Musicians had always been her favorite people, as a dancer they had to be. How great for her to meet one here? "I dance, mostly, but I 'ave a love of drawing as well."

[ROBYN CARLYLE]

And through the rising and falling apart, We discover who we are

Robyn listened as Axelle spoke. "Ah do enjoy flyin', getting a birds eye view of the world. It's every child's dream...to fly. My brother and sister are certainly jealous, ah can tell you," she said, with a laugh. "We're here to learn to control our powers. It hasn't been easy so far though."

Axelle mentioned she paints and would love to paint in Savannah. "Oh you should visit. There are art galleries and picturesque places to paint." Robyn swam around for a moment before stopping to listen to Axelle talk about Paris.

"Ah'd love to go. Parisians seem so..passionate," said Robyn. She gave another smile and began to redo her pony tail.

"Yeah, Ah've been playing the piano for awhile now. Ah wanted to go into Julliard, but..circumstances caused mah plans to change. Ah practice when ah can. You'll find my in the music room sometimes. Dancing is a lovely hobby,"said Robyn, swimming over to the girl. "What kind of dance?" She asked her.

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[axelle rosa]

"C'est vrai," Axelle agreed as Robyn talked about how it wasn't easy to control their abilities. Besides the little stem trick, the only other thing she had managed to do in her free time was make a lily more fragrant. It wasn't like plants had voices that only she could hear, or something as bizarre as that. The way her X-Gene worked was that she could feel the energy of the plant, and control it that way. But the energy was like a faint signal to her, barely even felt when she was touching the actual plant. Her abilities were all show, it seemed. She wanted to learn how to make her abilities worthwhile, not just a parlor trick.

Her musings on her powers were silenced as Robyn spoke more of Savannah. "If I ever do get the chance I will. It sounds perfect."

"Passionate is an interesting word choice," she laughed, running a hand through her short hair. "'onestly I would 'ave said melodramatic. But the want of drama and revolution is simply engrained in our very blood."

<<Mine more so than others,>> Axelle thought, fiddling with her snowy hair nervously. One of her ancestors had fought in the revolution, had torn down the Bastille and helped kill the king. It was a bloody history, she supposed, but no worse than anyone else's. Her lips curled up as Robyn swam towards her, speaking of her music talents.

"Julliard? I 'ave heard that it is very prestigious. You must be very good. I would love to 'ear you practice." She smiled at the comment about dancing. "As many types as I can. Mostly ballet, but freestyle is one of my favorites. Back 'ome, I was actually auditioning for Swan Lake. But as you said, circumstances..."

[ROBYN CARLYLE]

And through the rising and falling apart, We discover who we are

Robyn gave a small sigh. She was sad she had to abandon her dream because of the world they lived in. Of course, learning control would make it easier for them to live normal lives. She looked over at the other girl, waiting for her to answer her question about what style of dance.

When the girl mentioned ballet and freestyle, she looked interested. "Really? Ah used to wanna be a ballerina, but..ah lack grace," she said. "Ah guess dance ain't fo' everyone. Maybe one day we'll get our chance though," said Robyn. She thought positive. It seemed like they were both in the same boat. This was why the institute was here though and he was grateful it existed.

There was a break in their conversation, so Robyn stepped out of the pool. She headed to the high dive. She didn't want to show off. That wasn't her. Robyn had just been contemplating diving since she entered the pool area earlier. Robyn would have done it regardless of whether Axelle was there or not. She loved the high dive.

On a silent count of three, she jumped. Robyn landed with a splash and came back up for air. She swam back over to Axelle.

"You should try it," she said to Axelle. "Most people are scared until they do. Ah'm used to heights so it don't bothah me."

Robyn got a rush diving from that height, but she loved it.

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[axelle rosa]

"Someday," Axelle agreed, although somewhat doubtfully. She was a mutant, so the likelihood of her being a ballerina was slim to none. But it didn't truly matter anymore. Her life had changed--she had changed--the moment her powers manifested. She couldn't, shouldn't, cling onto the far off dreams of the past. She had new dreams ahead of her, waiting to come into existence. and that simple fact was reassuring to the French girl.

Axelle was pulled from her thoughts as Robyn climbed out of the water, heading for the diving boards. Grey eyes bulged as she watched the other girl begin the climb. Words in her native tongue escaped her, although she wasn't sure if they were terrified shrieks or scared whispers: <<What are you doing? You could get hurt!>> Axelle had already watched someone injure themselves from falling from an extreme height. She didn't want the same thing to happen to one of the few girls she could consider a friend, or at least a possible one.

Robyn, however, had none of her fears it seemed, and leapt off the high dive, landing with a splash in the water. Axelle pushed off the wall, darting towards the submerged Georgian, only to watch in surprise as Robyn surfaced and swam over to her, telling the French mutant to 'try it'.

"That 'igh up?" she gasped, shaking her head nervously. "I prefer to stay on the ground."

However you couldn't get anywhere if you didn't try something new, Axelle realized, slowly swimming towards the edge of the pool and climbing out. She looked nervously up at the board, before steeling her features. "But I should not let that deter me," she stated to Robyn, making her way over to the high dive. As she did, she tried to remember how Robyn had done her dive. The other girl had not been showing off by any standard, yet it was outstanding to someone, such as herself, who was afraid of heights. By the time she had reached the board, Axelle had decided that she was done thinking about it, and merely dove off. She hit the water with the soles of her feet, sending flashes of pain shooting up her legs, before going under.

She resurfaced for air, spluttering, "Ow."

[ROBYN CARLYLE]

And through the rising and falling apart, We discover who we are

The high dive was intimidating to some. Robyn almost forgot not everyone was used to heights like she was. It was understandable that Axelle was a bit frightened. Robyn cheered Axelle on as the young woman climbed up the high dive. Eventually, each student had to master the high dive, as it was part of their physical education curriculum.

"Go for it!" Robyn encouraged. She smiled, watching the girl conquering her fear. The smile turned to a look of surprise as the girl dove feet down. She swam to where she thought Axelle would resurface. She really hoped she was okay. It took a lot of guts to try the high dive.

"You okay?" Robyn asked the girl, after she said 'ow'. "That looked like it hurt. Hittin' water like that can feel hitting a pool full of needles," she added.

You had to hit the water at a certain angle to escape the brunt of the impact. That's what she learned growing up.

"You did it though," said Robyn. "You'll get used to it the more you do it too."

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[axelle rosa]

"Remind moi to point my toes next time," Axelle said between gasps for air. The pain from hitting the water was dulling slightly, a fact that she was very much relieved for. She smiled at Robyn, who's encouragement had helped her through the jump. "I am fine, do not worry."

"At least I will be able to repeat it for class credit," she chuckled, swimming towards one of the walls. "Although I do not like being so high up. I suppose it stems from my powers."

She kicked off the wall and began to backstroke to the opposite side, glancing at the other girl. After a moment she spoke, both to herself and Robyn. "This is fun." Axelle paused, racking her mind for a way to elaborate without sounding too cliché. Finding none, she continued, explaining her short statement, "I 'aven't really gotten to know any other girls 'ere. It is nice to have someone to talk to who's not, well you know..."

She reached the other side of the pool as her words died off. The idea was more poetic in her mind if she was telling the truth. And in French. <<Do American even say such things to each other? That they enjoy the companionship of the other? I often do, but is that a cultural norm here? Oh no, what if its not? What if its something you never do?>>

"I apologize if that was strange," Axelle stated, looking away from Robyn. "I suppose there are a few cultural differences that I am not completely aware of."

She offered an apologetic smile to the other girl, before closing her grey eyes, waiting for any backlash.

[ROBYN CARLYLE]

And through the rising and falling apart, We discover who we are

Robyn chuckled at Axelle's response to her question. "You actually didn't do bad for a first try," said the redhead. She was relieved to see that Axelle was okay. She thought Axelle was nice and could see being friends with her.

"Yeah, the high dive doesn't compare to half the stuff we are subject to in the danger room, but people still get unnerved by it," said the girl, floating on her back. "You know, people aren't afraid of heights, they are afraid of falling," she added. "Ah suppose in a way, falling sort of scares me. At least it will until Ah can change into a bird at will."

"Ah am rather enjoying mahself. It's a bit more fun with company, Ah'll admit," said Robyn. She almost felt bad for Axelle, who by the way things sound, had problems being accepted by others or something of the sort. Robyn stood in the pool. "Well, if there's anything ya need help with or you just wanna talk, feel free to find me," she added, giving a friendly smile.

It took a lot to make Robyn feel strange. She gave another smile. She knew that people from other countries had different cultural norms. "No need to apologize."

Robyn wondered what time it was. They had been in the pool for awhile. Her fingers were getting water logged.

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