Logan stared at Ramira in total shock. "You just talked," he said. She laughed, the musical sound flowing over her ears. It sounded so familiar, but he couldn't remember from where.
Ramira looked at him and said, "You're smart. But I'm not talking on my own." She tapped a small flower on her necklace. "This holds a special transmitter that Professor Xavier made for me. I can only use it now and then because he hasn't perfected the battery yet."
Logan sat frozen on the blanket. "Why didn't you use it that day you got frustrated at Scot and Jean for not understanding what you meant?"
Ramira smiled and sipped her drink again. "I'm use to people not understanding what I'm saying. I've gotten to the point where it doesn't bother me so much, and it could be easily fixed, anyways, with Xavier there." She shook her head. "No, I wore the transmitter today because I wanted to have an actual conversation with you, Logan. Writing on the board is good, but it takes too long."
Logan blinked. "I'm not sure if I should be pleased or confused," he said.
"Well, if you can't choose one, take both." Ramira reached down and popped another piece of steak into her mouth. "But you better finish your steak before I eat it all."
Logan took another bite and turned the new information over in his mind. She could talk with only the transmitter, and only for a little while. But instead of using it for her dancing, which was truly a passion for her, she used it to talk to him. He looked up and asked, "Why me?"
Ramira finished her bite and swallowed. "You're interesting," she said. "A little like me in the way you love to run and escape from things with something physical, but totally different from me in the way you interact with people. I love to share my passion with others, and you sort of sink into yourself. Something inside me just wants to pull that part of you out onto the surface." She smiled and said, "Do you mind?"
He continued to stare at her until he finally came to his senses and shook his head. "I don't really care," he said in his gruff manner. "Do what you want. It's your life." He tilted his beer bottle up and finished it.
Before he could even set the thing down, Ramira had already opened another bottle and had handed it to him. She smiled at his confused look as he took the class container. She clicked her drink with his and said, "Better hurry up. You're three behind." Logan looked over and saw that there were three empty glass bottles by her side.
"Holy, woman!" he said in amazement. "Aren't you tipsy yet?"
Ramira laughed. "Nope. I'm use to drinking this much on a normal basis. My metabolism is different than most people." She spread her arms a bit. "And I have this amazing body besides the beer. No beer gut or anything."
Logan looked at her body and laughed. "No," he said, reaching up and taking a twig out of her hair, "But I don't think the nature look goes well with you."
Ramira ran her fingers through her hair and quickly combed the leaves and twigs out of it. "How about now?" she asked.
Logan laughed. Because of her frantic combing, she'd teased her hair into a bit ball of fluff. "Come here," he said, pulling her over to him. He quickly ran his own rough fingers through her hair, massaging her scalp to loosen a few strands. In no time flat, he had her hair unknotted and less frizzy, though not perfect. "That's the best I can get it," he said.
Ramira nodded. "Thank you, anyway. It feels better." She tilted her head to the side and said, "You know, if you ever wanted to, you could become a masseuse. Your fingers are perfect; rough skin, gentle touch, right pressure in the perfect spots. They make a lot of good money if you know the right place to work."
Logan rolled his eyes. "Such a normal job wouldn't work for someone with my special ability, don't you think?" He flipped out his claws to prove his point.
Ramira shrugged. "You could do massage acupuncture," she joked, winking at him in a playful manner.
On any other woman, it would have looked cheep and low rent. But Ramira was good hearted enough that Logan knew she was just having fun. He put a thumb under his chin as if thinking it over. "I could charge extra for it and get filthy rich," he said. That caused Ramira to chuckled.
She leaned back on her hands and looked up at the night sky. The arch of her neck and back distracted Logan for a moment, but he snapped back to the present as she began to talk. "I want to tell you a story, Logan," she said. "Long ago, when I was 13, I was attacked by some very mean men. I fended them off and ended up killing them. Because this was witnessed by some equally dangerous men, they took me with them to the head of their organization. For years afterwards, I was watched everyday, every last person hoping I would join their side and kill their enemies. It made me sick that they thought of me only as a tool.
"Then, one day, I met two boys. They were older than me, but they were both nice. Brothers, as I remember them. Always together, always looking after each other. They were the only family they had. But they soon adopted me into their family and we got along wonderfully. Though, they did have a tendency to give into some of my wilder fancies." Ramira giggled as she remembered. "I once made them dress up in pink too toos and dance around the room to the songs from the nutcracker. I knew they hated it, but they wanted to make me happy." Her smile turned sad. "They left one day. Just up and left without a word. I became depressed, but soon started to dance to the nutcracker songs because it made me feel better. I moved into tap dancing, then into swing, then into ballroom and everything in between."
Ramira looked at Logan and he could see the love in her eyes. "Dancing brought me closer to their memories and teaching others helps me increase that joy. Sharing a dance with someone you care about or like, brings you closer to that person and gives you fond memories. They make you smile, wether from the perfection of a dance or from stepping on your partner's toes all the time and making both of you laugh." She paused and gave a weak laugh. "I'm sorry. I go off on rants like that when I can talk. It's so rare for me, you understand. Sorry if I talked your ear to soreness."
Logan shook his head. "I understand you wanting to keep a hold of your memories," he said. "I don't have any. Just woke up one day with no idea where I was, who I was, or what I was. Complete blank. At least you remember the boys."
Ramira nodded. She laid down and looked up at the sky. "I love the stars," she said. "So many constellations and stories to go with them."
Logan smiled at her. She was so carefree, despite her story. He didn't think he'd ever been so relaxed with someone like this before. She reached out and touched his elbow, motioning for him to lay down with her. He paused for a moment, then laid down and stared up at the clear sky.
The stars were bright, that was a certain. You didn't need his eye sight to tell that, but they were sharper and clearer than what a regular person would see. It came in handy. Especially when Ramira was pointing to stars and had mistaken a few airplanes. Logan had pointed this out and, instead of being angry, as other women would have done after being told they were wrong about something; she just laughed it off. He was becoming to like her laugh. She used it all the time and it never got old.
Suddenly, Ramira sat up and looked at her watch. She frowned and sighed. "My transmitter is going to run out soon," she said sadly. "I can't use it for a few days. It needs to recharge." She met Logan's gaze and smiled. "I'll take you back to the school and have Xavier look at it."
She stood up and packed the food away. Logan stood, as well, and folded the blanket over his arm. "I'm driving, though," he said. When Ramira looked at him, he smiled and said, "You've drunk way more than me. I'll tell Rogue to get you a room at the school and you can sleep there. No way are you driving tonight, fast metabolism or no." Ramira looked like she was about to argue, but closed her mouth and nodded. She handed him the keys and headed back toward the car without a fight.
Logan followed her and slid into the driver's seat. He had to push the seat back, though. Ramira was smaller than him. He looked over and saw her small glare. "Don't worry," he said. "I'll put it back when we're back." She nodded as if to say, 'You better.'
The drive was short and they made it back to the school before the gates would be locked for the night. As they got out of the car and walked up into the building, Xavier wheeled out of his office. "A room has been prepared for you, Ramira, and I'll have a look at that necklace." Ramira handed the necklace over to him. "Thank you. Good night," he said and went back into his study.
"That was weird," Logan said. Ramira nodded and stretched. She motioned a 'good night' to him and walked down a corridor. Logan watched her walk away, fascinated by the swing of her hips until they vanished into a room. She was interesting and weird. Definitely weird. But in a good sense. And he would be dreaming tonight of music, laughter, and dancing.