The Artist (Out Of Her Natural Environment)

[hellfire_child]

Alistaire pulled up to the house. He still couldn't believe that Grandfather had run Alisa out of the city. He'd deal with that in due time, but right now, he had to get her to stop running. This location was a joke. A dirt road driveway? He was probably going to have to throw away these shoes. A large parcel was in the trunk of the Tesla Roadster he'd bought for the drive. He glanced back over his shoulder at it, before ringing the bell.

It was a lovely house, even if the location was a joke. He'd have to make sure to help her with the reselling.

Comments

[realstarpower]

"It's not something that we really discuss?" Ryan said. "Alisa...there has to be something there that keeps on drawing you back to him whenever he appears in front of you. Clearly, there's something unresolved that needs to either be resolved...or be continued." He paused and then drew a very deep breath. "You keep on flip-flopping, Alisa. That means that there's something incredibly wrong here. I don't claim to be the brightest guy - powers not taken into consideration - but there's a pattern." He turned his head so that he was looking at Alisa. "I like you, I do. I can't say that it's love yet because it feels too soon for me to say that, but I like you. Having said that, though, I'm not sure if you know what you want yet, Alisa. It feels like when I'm in front of you, you want to get rid of Alistaire, but whenever I'm not around...he seems to be. Around you, I mean." His brow furrowed. "I think that you need some time alone to sort through things - your feelings - figure them out. See what you really want or need right now. Because this has the potential to get really messy, and none of us need that."

[alisa_lebeau_v3]

That... was hard to swallow.

"I need some time alone? I've had plenty o' time alone, Ryan! Every-time I am alone, if I move, if I go somewhere... dere is Alistaire Shaw, uninvited, tellin' me how I deserve better den what I am doin' ! I don' go to him! I don' wanna go to him!" She pointed towards the house.

"Everyt'ing gets twisted an' turned upside down around him, an' I don' know what to t'ink or do! I can' tell left from right, up from down! He knows how to t'row me off balance an' bring chaos into my life. Take away every good t'ing jus' so I will go back to him! Breakin' t'ings off wit' me is like a huge WIN to a sociopath like him!"

She looked scared, she really looked scared that the only good thing left in her life was going to just up and leave. That little sparkle that made her smile and happy.

"Please, don' do dis..."

[realstarpower]

"Alisa," Ryan said coolly. "You yourself said that you almost went back to him. While I was still in your life." He shrugged. "You asked him to spend the night. Even if its on the other side of the apartment, a part of you had to know that he would try to wrangle his way into your bed. This isn't about anyone winning or anyone losing. This is about figuring out what you need. I mean, you have to know that the Xavier Institute is going to find out about this too. The headmistress is a frighteningly powerful telepath." He paused, then, thinking about the nightmares he'd been having, of him in space, and of...

He pressed his lips together in a thin line before opening his mouth to exhale. "Sometimes, no matter how far we run, maybe we're just meant to do the thing we don't want to do, to be with the people we don't want to be with. That sounds messed up, I know, but if Alistaire's gravity is that strong for you that you keep on getting drawn back in...look. It doesn't matter, clearly, whether I'm in your life or not. I could have been anyone else, and the same thing would have happened with Alistaire. Like it or not, he's going to be a part of your life until he's not - and that's clearly going to be up to him, not you, because so far, he's still here. This hurts, I know this hurts, and I'm sorry. But this is a battle that you need to fight, and so far, it feels as though you're just continuously giving in to the other side until you can find someone else to try and hide behind. I can't be that guy, Alisa. I'd love to be, but my life's complicated enough already, and I know I'm not going to end up the hero of this particular story. If you loved me the way that you said you did, then Alistaire wouldn't even have been here right now, despite whatever's been going on between the two of us."

[alisa_lebeau_v3]

It would have been kinder to just plunge a dagger deep inside of her and twist it around then to hear any of that. She did not want her destiny to be someone's pawn or plaything anymore. She did not want to be manipulated. And she did not want to hurt Ryan anymore, either. he was right, if she loved him as much as she said she did... Alistaire would not have been allowed to stay over. What was she thinking? It's obvious she wasn't.


"I'm sorry I was such a burden." Her voice was flat, emotionless. "You should see Mrs. Ramsey about your nightmares. I'd go wit' you... but de chances o' me bein' allowed on de grounds again are slim. Please be careful goin' back to de city. Traffic is terrible dis time o' night."


Her eyes were watery, but she refused to let tears fall from them. Instead her shoulders slumped and she started to head back inside of her house. She could not bare to tell Ryan good-bye. Mostly because it could be forever. She did not want that, mostly because she could not face it.

Instead of shutting the door behind her, Alisa left it open and just headed up the spiral staircase and to the room across from the master bedroom. She did not acknowledge Alistaire when she walked inside. Instead, she shut the door behind her and locked it.

So this is what heartbreak felt like?

[realstarpower]

Ryan blinked, not getting a chance to explain himself before she walked away. She hadn't been a burden to him, but tonight had simply made him realize that some things were not as they should have been.

He drew another deep breath, pushed himself away from the wall, and closed the front door of the apartment.

Alistaire was inside. He could pick up the pieces.

At least, he could if he could manage doing so without breaking Alisa further.

Shaking his head - this had become a surprisingly rough night - Ryan left the premises, dumping the seafood stew and taking to the sky.