2014.02.27 - Homecoming

Having successfully passed the security of the gates, a lone figure is slowly walking up the long circular driveway of Xavier's Institute. Slung over one shoulder is a very well loved and worn duffel bag, and a much loved leather jacket is zipped tight to protect her against the cold of the late morning. Once she's close enough to actually see a good portion of the Mansion, a hand will go to her brow to cover her eyes from the sharp winter sunlight. As she gets a good look of the grounds and building that she once referred to as home and sees it looking intact, she can't help but smile. "Good to see it standing." Dani murmurs to herself, before her hand drops and she begins the last leg of her journey to the Mansion proper.

She could easily have brought Brightwind down to be dropped off at the doorstep, but today, Dani thought a more subtler arrival was needed. It's been a long time since she's been around these general parts, and she's uncertain what's changed, but here she is, for good or bad.

"Been a while," a tree said to Dani. The tree had a familiar voice. Sitting inside of it, perched with his knees bent was a shirtless Logan. Typically the mutant was gruff, but the black sweat pans wearing man seemed very calm. His blue eyes went down toward her, "What brings ya back?" he didn't see her as a threat. It was more curiosity that caused him to ask the question. Feeling the air and the sun he closed his eye for a moment. "Don't ferget to tell Doug yer home," he continued then waited for the answers from the friendly face.

While not expecting a tree to talk, it doesn't necessarily take Dani by surprise. There's too many people at the Mansion that love the wooded areas, including herself. Her brown eyes search the various trees nearest her and once her gaze lands upon the shirtless Logan, Dani will offer a smile towards the elder man. "It has been, yes. Too long, I think." She states, as her steps take her closer to the tree Logan is currently calling home. "You seem well, Logan. I wasn't quite sure who would still be around, but it's good to see familiar faces."

And while she would have said more, it's Logan's last words that cause Dani to pause. Her expression stills slightly as she considers Logan and what he's said about Doug. When she was here last, he was quite dead, shot to death upon a mission and so she says, "Is there something I should know about, Doug?" Her words are carefully said, as she waits for Wolverine's response. She's been around long enough to see past X-types resurrected, but surely that would be too good to be true.

Catching the startled look and surprise in her eyes Logan gruffed, "We've got someone livin' under the roof that can tap into energy so powerful it can bring life back into people. Happened to Scott. I was there. Doug probably ran into the same thing," his blue eyes looked down at her. "It's Doug. Trust me," he tried to reassure her. Crazier things had happened in the world but finding out your friend returned from the dead was near the top. Dropping from the tree he looked at her. People always forgot how short Logan was with his five foot an five inched body. "Gonna be alright?" concern lingered in his voice and eyes.

His words are met with nary a flicker of emotion upon her features and when he finishes, she can't help but turn her head towards the Mansion, as if she could see Doug from here. After a few more seconds of silence, she finally says, "Doug is alive." It's almost as if she's testing out how those words feel, as she says them tentatively out loud. At one point the whole team wished for that miracle to happen, but when the months passed and nothing came about, hope was definitely lost. They put their friend's ghost to rest, and that was that.

Shaking her head, she'll turn her gaze back to Logan, dropping her gaze to the shorter man. "I believe you. I doubt with the amount of telepaths and scientists in our house, that an imposter Doug would be able to fool everyone for long." Her duffel bag will be shifted from one shoulder to the other and then finally with a shake to herself, the Cheyenne nods. "I'm fine, yes. Just a bit much to absorb, that's all." Canting a look towards Wolverine, she then asks with a rather dry humored tone to her voice, "Are there any other shockers I should know about, before I stick my head in? I'd hate to shoot someone by accident, or anything. Perhaps you're a clone of a clone of a clone?"

"Sit down," he would tell her then he started to name off members, "I've got a kid. Kinda. Her name is Laura. You'll know her when ya see her. Scott and Jean's kid from another world walks the halls, her name is Rachel. A guy in there's called mimic. From another world, maybe another time, he can mimic powers of anyone in so many feet of him. The Professor's back too," these were the immediate ones he figured would be a shock to her system. His blue eyes just watched her for a reaction again.

Logan's words are definitely surprising, since Dani was really only joking about any other shocking news that could be found within the hallowed halls of Xavier's. When he finishes, she once again stares towards the Mansion, before she finally says. "I see." At those words, she does sit down, heavily. Her weathered duffel bag goes down with a thump, as the black haired woman takes everything in.

Thankfully, Dani is a resolute sort of young woman and after a minute or two, she glances upward at Logan. "I did ask for that, didn't I?" She manages a grin towards him, before she asks with a raise brow, "Now, please tell me we still have villains in the world, wrongs to right, and heroes to triumph against all odds? Surely, that hasn't changed too much?"

Smirking he nodded once, "All the time. We've got beer on this world too," turning Logan opened the door and waited for Dani to step in with him. "Place looks the same though. Oh, Bobby got a girlfriend on this world too," a grin was on his face as he looked back to her. "Scary ain't it?"

"Beer? Well, if there's beer then all is right with the world." Dani says with a grin, as she rises to her feet and dusts herself off. Her duffel is snagged as she follows along side Logan, and when the door is held for her she steps in with a murmured thanks.

She definitely looks around the Foyer, looking to see what's changed and what's stayed the same. Enough of it still looks as she remembers and that brings a bittersweet smile to her features.

"Bobby has a what?" Dani asks, as she turns a sharp look towards Wolverine, "The world is clearly /ending/." Deadpans Dani, before she nods towards the main rooms of the Mansion. "I take it there's still some free rooms for us bums to lounge in?"

Smirking at the deadpan Logan was quick to burst her bubble, "What do ya mean bums? I've got a room, but there's lounging rooms and places to sleep if yer in the market fer room n' board." A smile was on his face as he watched Dani look over the place trying to remember it all. He had been there a few times and knew the motions. "Just find a place to squat n' I'd be happy to talk with ya." For the first time in months Logan felt like himself and this was his first conversation with someone else since then. A procedure healed him of a lot of psychic damage. Every moment was savored.

"I'd like room and board, yes. Thanks, Logan. I'd appreciate that." Dani says, and while she glances once more around the rooms, she'll pause and then turn back to Logan.

While she was never one of Logan's close friends or mates, she'd been around the man long enough to notice some of the differences within him. "You seem at ease." Or perhaps a better word is more at peace with himself. "It's good to see that."

The spirits knows, if anyone deserved peace, it surely is Wolverine.

"I'm still gonna be troubled. Always gonna work like that fer me, but I had been haunted by an old ghost. It's been gone fer the first time in ages," he said and looked at her. His blue eyes, "One day I'll go back to my usual self, but right now I'm just enjoyin' tis," he walked to a room. Thinking it was empty he opened it and surely it was. "All yours now. Make it yer own. No drugs. No booze 'less you're old enough. You know the rules," he said gesturing back with a thumb.

"We wouldn't be who we are if we didn't cause some sort of trouble." Dani replies with a smile and once the door is open, she'll toss her duffel bag inside. "I know the rules. I'm sure those haven't changed too much over time. Thanks Logan, I'll see you soon. Once I get the dust off me, I think I'm going to look up a certain friend I haven't seen in awhile. Oh, and if anyone asks, Brightwind will be taking over a stall within the stables." And with a casual wave to Wolverine, Dani steps into the room and closes the door with a light kick of her heel.