Fraudulentus Persona Risty
By Princess Alexandria
A/N: Sequel to Tabula Rasa Risty, please read that first or you'll be lost.
Risty stared down into the peaceful, softly breathing form of her lover. An uneasy feeling in her stomach was pushed away as she stared. Lover. It seemed like their act of love the night before was far from adequate to give them that title and Risty felt bad for feeling somewhat unfulfilled because of the lack of flesh on flesh. Truth may be the cornerstone of a relationship, but Risty decided as she looked into Rogue's face, seeing the vulnerability that Rogue hid from so many others, that it was one truth she'd never utter.
She moved closer and rested her head on a sheet covered chest, pulling Rogue to her gently. Maybe different sheets would feel better. Something other than cotton. Silk?
A soft groan from the body underneath her and the shifting of her living pillow told Risty that Rogue was waking up.
Risty moved to smile down at Rogue as the girl rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. The wide eyes showed that Rogue remembered what they'd done the night before. "I love you." Risty whispered. She didn't want Rogue to ever feel like she'd been used. If anyone had ever made Rogue feel like that Risty would have… Again she shook off the strange thoughts and just smiled back when Rogue stared at her.
"Ah…" Rogue blushed deeply and glanced away, before pulling her eyes back to Risty's. "I didn't know... That I could…"
Risty smirked at her, "Always a way. We just need to be creative." The smirk became a wicked smile, "And perhaps a little kinky luv." Risty imagined strange suits and other odd things they could buy at an adult toystore. Of course having a stash like that would make it harder to hide what they were doing in here. Undoubtedly the goodie goodie's wouldn't approve, and Risty couldn't lose Rogue. She needed her.
She reached out to caress Rogue's hair, and noted the deep blush was a bit too embarrassed looking. "Oh, Rogue… whatever we need to do, it's worth it. So worth it." Risty felt her own breathing change as she stared at Rogue, and knew her own eyes were becoming hungry as Rogue's eyes widened. Risty could teach Rogue so much, and the thought held a sudden appeal.
Risty felt a bit strange, a little distant from herself as she thought that. How good was her imagination that she could have these thoughts? She didn't even remember browsing sex sites on the internet, so that image in her head of…
"Ah want to be able to kiss you." Rogue's voice was filled with too much pain. Risty focused on vulnerable eyes and damned herself for letting her physical needs make her forget Rogue's emotional ones. "Ah want to be able to feel you, not some sheet."
"That's why you're here right?" Risty moved to sit on the bed, her voice soft. "To learn to turn the powers off once in a while." Part of Risty really doubted that would ever happen, but Rogue needed this hope. "It just takes time, but until then…" She reached out and caressed Rogue's stomach through the sheet. "I'll take what I can get, but if we can buy some softer sheets…" She smiled, "I sure wouldn't mind. Have you ever felt cool silk sheets caress your skin? It's heaven."
Girls The telepathic invasion made Risty clamp down on her thoughts. She shared a brief frightened look with Rogue, praying Rogue covered hers in time as well. Logan is bringing back some information. Perhaps we will get some answers for you now Risty.
Thank you. Risty mentally muttered, but her stomach felt nervous almost immediately. She didn't want to know. She'd tried telling him that before, but she'd lost so much of her life it wasn't really an option.
He should be back soon, so you two should plan to be in my office in two hours. His mental voice faltered. Did you want Rogue with you Risty?
Risty reached out and took Rogue's hand through the sheet. She didn't want to do this alone. Yes. Was all she sent.
Okay, He tried his loving father tone, which really did little but irritate Risty under normal circumstances, but she didn't pay it any attention now. He asks that you two stick around the mansion until he gets here.
No problem
Rogue noticed Risty pale as they waited outside of the Professor's office so she squeezed Risty's hand. Rogue would do anything she could to make this easier on her… girlfriend. It still sounded odd, even in her mind, but Rogue had a girlfriend.
"It'll be okay." She whispered when Risty moved to rest her head on Rogue shoulder again. "Ah'm here for you." During the past two hours Risty had been getting quieter and quieter. It was obvious she didn't want to go into that office.
"I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you luv." Risty sounded so vulnerable. "Promise me, no matter how bad this is… don't leave me."
Rogue felt stunned. "Why would you think I'd leave you? They hurt YOU, remember." Rogue grimaced when she realized that no, Risty barely remembered. "Ah love you."
"I just feel like something awful is gonna happen luv." Risty's breathing was a bit fast. "I just feel… I don't want to lose this." Risty squeezed her hand, making it clear what she was talking about. Rogue didn't know what she could say to make Risty believe her. She hadn't seen her friend so vulnerable since shortly after they got her back.
Rogue was getting a bad feeling about this too. She wished they could just forget about this. Risty wasn't ready, it was so clear, so why was the Professor pushing this now? Couldn't they just wait a little longer?
Professor? Rogue thought as loud as she could, hoping he'd notice her. He was in the office talking with Logan a bit too long. The waiting was making it even worse for Risty.
Yes Rogue? He sounded a bit tense, but she ignored that.
I don't think she's ready. She's really scared. It felt like a betrayal to admit that for Risty, knowing how proud Risty was and how she hated to be thought of a weak. Can't we just wait?
Normally I wouldn't push this if Risty didn't seem ready. The Professor paused and it didn't help to ease Rogue's nerves, However, some details have come to light that I believe need to be dealt with immediately.
The door opened and Logan stared at them. Rogue could feel Risty tense up under the unexpected hostility in his stance. "Well, I guess you better get in here." He was just speaking to Risty, but Rogue got up first. She glared at him, feeling a sudden need to protect her lover from something, but she couldn't tell what it was. Why this felt so wrong, why Logan was so tense.
"Luv," Risty's voice was stronger, as she pretended to be okay. Rogue glared at Logan a bit longer before turning to look at the purple haired girl holding her hand. "If you don't want to…"
"No, I'm with you." Risty was giving her an out, but whatever they found out, they could find out together.
Risty felt the eyes on her as she moved to sit in front of the Professor's desk, and it wasn't a friendly feeling. The old man was staring at her too hard, and Logan was leaning against the wall, for all purposes looking like a threat.
She glanced over at Rogue and the weak smile her lover gave her helped ground her. Risty took a deep breath and sat up straighter. No matter how bad it was, it was over now. She was free. Those bastards couldn't hurt her anymore than they already had.
"I just need to ask, before we get started Risty," The Professor was staring at her and it crept her out a bit how closely he seemed to be looking. "If you've remembered anything more that you'd like to share with us."
"No." Her nightmares weren't something she wanted to go into detail on. She didn't want to talk about how she could remember the feel of a scalpel cutting her skin, or the burning of drugs down her throat. Or the laughing, the horrible laughing. She couldn't help but flinch as that ghost of a memory hit her. His expression showed he noticed it.
"We sent the medical records Logan found to Hank so he could see if there is a reason that you lost your memories." The Professor sat back in his chair a bit. "Logan managed to get some security camera footage, along with their other video records." He paused and glanced at Rogue. "Do you want to ask Rogue to wait outside?"
"No." It was Rogue that answered for Risty, even as Risty was thinking it.
"No, she can stay." Risty gave her a sad look, wishing she could apologize for needing her, for making her see whatever it was that they had to show.
"You sure you don't remember any of this Raven?" Logan's voice was a bit harsh, not too different than normal. His use of the barely used codename made Risty glance at him again.
"Well, we might as well get this started." The Professor sounded so resigned. Risty swallowed hard and turned to face the screen they had set up on the wall. A room with metal walls and horrible white… Risty shook a little as the camera glanced around the sterile room and her skin startled to crawl as her stomach wanted to rebel. It finally landed on a woman that looked vaguely familiar.
How could she, she looked… blue. Risty glanced around to see the Professor and Logan staring at her. What was going on? "Mystique?" Rogue whispered as she looked at the screen. "They had Mystique too?"
"Mystique?" Risty muttered as she stared at the familiar looking face glaring defiantly at doctors.
"How lovely, a new specimen." Risty cringed at the voice that haunted her dreams coming over the speakers.
"We have a metamorph sir," A younger male spoke and Risty felt hot, flush, ill, as she watched the screen.
"Oh, this is perfect. How did you know it was my birthday." The doctor chuckled and Risty had to look away. She took shallow breaths as she tried to fight…
White walls… drugs… laughing… Flashes of memories hit her. "Oh God." She muttered as she started to see the scene playing out on the screen from a new perspective in her mind. The doctor glared at her. "We'll see if we can't control her forms. Give her something more normal looking. She looks like the demon she is. It's disgusting really."
He turned to the young man standing next to the table Mystique was strapped to. "How'd you manage to catch this one?"
"She was practically gift wrapped for us."
"Summers." Risty's voice rose a little louder. She didn't notice the concerned and confused look Rogue was giving her. "Trapped… Summers betrayed me."
"What are you talking about?" Rogue's voice drew Risty's haunted eyes up. Risty stared at Rogue, barely seeing her as her nightmares flitted behind her eyes. Tears fell unnoticed.
"Scott practically gave me to them."
"Memories are coming back?" Logan stood up and took a step closer. Risty… Mystique…
"I…" Risty glanced around the room, her eyes wild.
"Scott?" Rogue sounded stunned.
"I don't want to go back." Risty's voice rose as she lost touch with what was going on. She saw a lab coat come into the room as Hank was bringing his results back and started to shake. "No, please no… no more… no more…."
Rogue stared as Risty paled so quickly and was shaking as if waking from her worst nightmares. The girl was pulling herself into a small ball and crying. What the hell happened?
She moved to pull Risty into a hug and winced at the desperate clinging that made it hard to breath. "Oh baby… you're safe. Ah have you. Ah'll never let anyone… never again." Rogue muttered as she rocked Risty in her arms like she was a small terrified child. She glared over Risty's shoulder at the stunned expression on the Professor's face. "Ah told you she wasn't ready." Her voice was an angry growl.
"Mystique…" The Professor addressed Risty, and Rogue felt her heart drop even further as Risty turned a shaky head to face him. Mystique? Rogue felt the body in her arms tense and Risty turned her tearful face to Rogue's. The pleading in those eyes matched Rogue's in their confused desperation.