Bobby's Questions - Mandatory

[Bobby Drake]

1. What about you is heroic?
" Man, that’s a big word around here. ‘Heroic’. I guess what we do is heroic. If you want to use that word. The X-Men thing, I mean, putting our lives on the line and all of that. Like policemen and firefighters and, you know, that kind of thing. I guess that’s heroic, but you don’t think about it that way when you’re doing it. At least I don’t. Some things just need doing, is all." He shrugs. "And we’re the ones still alive to do them."

2. What about you is social? What do you like about people?
" I can pretty much get along with anybody… usually, anyway. Or, well, used to do, anyway. Lately I’ve been kinda putting my foot in my mouth a lot. As for what I like about people? Different things, I guess. The way Josh tries to make everyone feel better about themselves, and the way Marie listens, and the way Logan treats everyone like a grownup, and the way Storm always seems to have a plan for everything, and the way John... he... oh, man... next question, please? "

3. Of what benefit could you be to group you're currently affiliated with/intend to be affiliated with?
"Oh, you know. Defensive walls… quick-freezing enemy agents… shattering machinery. And I’m getting pretty good at infiltration and hand-to-hand combat, if I do say so myself… Logan’s a good teacher. And hell, me and Josh took out half a private army in that Alkali Flats sim, once we got into the swing of it… granted, he did most of the work, but still."

4. Why would/did you choose to join this group?
"The X-Men? Well… I mean, that was the brass ring back when I first got here. And after the fiasco at my folks’ place… well, it’s not like I had anywhere else to go, is it? I mean, don’t get the wrong idea, the X-Men are… well, they’re amazing. And after Alcatraz… after everybody died… I just didn’t have any choice, really. ‘The ranks of the torchbearers are thin enough without my desertion’… read that somewhere, I don’t remember where, but it’s true. They needed me. End of story."

[Bobby Drake]

5. What is your real, birth name? What name do you use?
" Robert Drake. Oh, OK, fine: Robert Alvin Drake. (sigh) Most folks call me Bobby."

6. Do you have a nickname? What is it, and where did you get it?
"Most folks call me Bobby, like I said. And of course there’s ‘Iceman’… not really a nickname, more a codename, but I guess it counts. Josh calls me ‘Bobbs,’ John… well, geez, I never know what John’s going to call me. ‘Drake’, ‘Bob’, ‘Icicle’, things I’d rather not repeat. (nostalgic smile) And he’s called me ‘Bobby’ a few times, too."

7. What do you look like?
"Pretty normal-looking, I guess… least when I’m not iced up. Brown hair, green-brown eyes… hazel, guess you’d call ‘em. In pretty good shape physically – damned good shape, actually, if I do say so myself. Spend a lot of time in the gym and stuff. Not much body hair, not sure why that is… might have something to do with icing up all the time. Marie used to say I had a nice smile. "

8. How do you dress most of the time?
" Pretty much whatever’s clean… or clean enough, anyway. Jeans, T-shirts. Used to dress up more, but no point in wearing anything nice when I never know if I’m gonna have to shatter it, so that stuff stays in the closet. That’s also why I wear my uniform trunks under my clothes most of the time… that way I don’t end up stark naked if I have to go into action. Um… as Iceman, I mean."

9. How do you "dress up?"
"Oh, the usual, I guess… I’ve got some nice clothes in the back of my closet, slacks and sweaters and stuff, and a couple of suits. I don’t wear ‘em much, though. Haven’t been to many “dress up” occasions lately, and there’s not much point otherwise. Clothes are just clothes, you know?"

10. How do you "dress down?"
"What’s with all the clothing questions? Like I said, clothes are just clothes. I don’t ‘dress down,’ I just wear what I wear, OK? I don’t think about it much. Hell, it’s not like I have to dress to stay warm or anything. Though I guess you could call the X-trunks ‘dressing down’ if you wanted… not many folks walk around in public wearing nothing but shorts. "

11. What do you wear when you go to sleep?
"Boxers, usually. Nothing, sometimes. Like I said, it’s not like I have to worry about getting cold in the middle of the night."

12. Do you wear any jewelry?
"Nope. Used to wear a school ring, but it shattered the first time I iced up."

13. In your opinion, what is your best feature?
" Physically, you mean? The ice. I watch the vids from Danger Room sessions sometimes… I never think about it when I’m doing it, but the way it cracks and reforms when I move, the kind iridescent rainbow effects at the joints… it’s pretty."

( OOC: That’s true enough, but honestly Bobby’s prouder of the muscular physique he’s built up in the last few months, though he feels weird admitting to that… sounds too narcissistic.)

14. What's your real birth date?
"As opposed to what, my fake birthdate? April 18, 1989. Same day as Paul Revere’s Ride – we had to memorize that poem in third grade. ‘Listen my children, and you shall hear/Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere/On the 18th of April, in seventy-five/Hardly a man is now alive/Who remembers that famous date and year.’ Always thought that was funny... if hardly anybody remembers it, how can it be famous? "

15. Where do you live? Describe it: Is it messy, neat, avant-garde, sparse, etc.?
"Share a dorm room with Josh. His side is neat… mine’s messier. Clothes, mostly, and also I don’t much see the point of making the bed if I’m just gonna go back to sleep the next night. I know he’d rather I kept it cleaner, but he’s nice enough about it.
Used to share a room with John… back then, he was the messy one, I kept everything neat. Heh. Never really thought about that before. Wonder why that is?"

16. Do you own a car? Describe it.
" Nope. Have my license, though. The Institute has a few cars the older kids can borrow to run errands and stuff, like going to the mall. Been thinking about buying a used car, though… something reliable and, um, roomy." He blushes.

17. What is your most prized mundane possession? Why do you value it so much?
" There’s this glass unicorn, Marie gave it to me as a birthday gift a couple of years ago, back before everything got so crazy… she said it reminded her of me, ‘cuz it looked like it was made of ice, and I like horses, and… well, anyway. I keep it in its wrapper in my closet, so I don’t break it, but I take it out every once in a while to look at it… just a reminder of a simpler time, I guess. Or of a simpler me, really."

18. What one word best describes you?
"Heh… ‘confused’, I guess. I dunno, that’s a hard one. One word? I… yeah, actually, I’ll stick with ‘confused’. "

[Bobby Drake]

Familial
19. What was your family like?
(squirms uncomfortably) "Oh… you know. Pretty ordinary, I guess. Mom and Dad raised us just outside of Boston, little suburban town, not much happened there. Dad worked, Mom stayed home with us. All very Normal Rockwell ‘till I ruined it. "

20. Who was your father, and what was he like?
"Dad was… I mean, is… man, where do I start?

Bill Drake. That is, William Robert Drake. ‘Robert’ was after his dad, my grandfather. My namesake, too. When I was growing up, he was great… a little distant, maybe, not really comfortable showing emotion…but he tried. When I was eight or so I started making coffee for him in the morning over a summer break… on his way to work, you know? Took me weeks to realize I was supposed to change the coffee grounds. He actually drank the damned stuff… didn’t want to hurt my feelings. That’s my dad, all over… the great peacemaker, wanted to keep everybody happy.

Didn’t work."

21. Who was your mother, and what was she like?
"Ah, mom. Madeline Beatrice Drake, formerly Bass. Which she’ll remind you of every chance she gets. Her parents had money, y’see… they always figured Dad wasn’t really good enough for their daughter. Hell, sometimes I think mom thought that, too.

She always thought of herself as the center of the family, the one who kept everything together. Still does, I guess. It was never true… my dad did that. Mom was the one who kept things moving. If we went on a vacation, or put an extension on the house, or anything like that, it was mom who came up with the idea, planned it, made it happen. And we all kinda learned not to get in the way… it was just easier that way.

She had – has – this way of talking to anyone who wasn’t behaving the way she expected, like she was being perfectly reasonable, no matter how ridiculous the things she was saying were. When she found out about my powers, she asked me if I’d tried not being a mutant. No, really, she actually said that, as if it were a suggestion I might not have thought of. "

22. What was your parents marriage like? Were they married? Did they remain married?
" (sigh) Strained. They loved each other, don’t get me wrong. They still do, I guess. They just… well, I don’t think they ever got along all that well. Not that they fought or anything, they never did… they never yelled at each other. They just ‘discussed’ things, mom in her ‘reasonable’ voice and dad in his ‘cooperative’ voice. But you know, I never really heard them conclude anything. They’d just talk whatever it was to death, and the next day nothing was changed.

I think mom blames dad for the way I turned out. She said something like that to him once, when she thought I couldn’t hear, before Professor Xavier wiped their memories after one of my visits home. "

23. What were your siblings names? What were they like?

"One brother: Ronnie. Ronald Adrian. Same initials as me, never knew if that was intentional. Two years younger. Ronnie… (sigh) I have no idea what Ronnie is like. I used to think I knew. I was wrong."

24. What's the worst thing one of your siblings ever did to you? What's the worst thing you've done to one of your siblings?

"Worst thing I ever did to Ronnie was probably let him take the rap for dumping ice into my bed when my powers first started manifesting. Worst thing he ever did to me was call the cops on his fucking mutant freak brother and his friends. And just for the record, the damned house burning down was his fault. Never would’ve happened if he hadn’t brought the cops in. "

25. When's the last time you saw any member of your family? Where are they now?
" (shrug) Haven’t seen them since just before Alkali Flats, after the cops shot Logan and John torched the place. Ever since that fiasco Dad’s been sending the Institute a tuition check every month. Which sounds reasonable enough, except I’m on a full scholarship. I don’t know why he does that. Storm’s been putting the money in an account for me… I’m not going to touch it, though."

26. Did you ever meet any other family members? Who were they? What did you think of them?
"Oh, sure… Grandpa Alvin, Grandpa Bob and Grandma Mavis, Aunt Alice, Aunt Regina and Uncle Doug, more cousins and second cousins than I can remember. They’d come for Thanksgiving and Christmas, mostly… Grandpa Alvin was at my confirmation, and the whole family got together for Mom and dad’s twentieth anniversary, and for Grandpa Alvin’s 40th, and like that. I remember Grandpa Bob the clearest… he’s a funny guy. Like, funny ha-ha, always telling jokes and wearing the oddest ties. Grandma Mavis always rolled her eyes whenever he told a joke and mouthed the punchlines along with him. I was pretty young when she passed, I don’t remember her all that well, but I miss her. Kidney trouble… she was on dialysis for a while, but didn’t last long after that.

I dunno. Guess I probably won’t see them again. I wonder what mom and dad told them about me. "

[Bobby Drake]

Childhood Questions

27. What is your first memory?
" ‘The first thing that comes into my head, you mean?’ ‘ No… what’s the first thing after all the things you’ve forgotten?’ Sorry… love that play. Anyway… um. Earliest memory. Hm. I sorta remember when Ronnie was born, I think. I was two. When they brought him home I was disappointed… I think I’d had some weird idea that he was going to be a dog, ‘cuz I’d wanted a puppy, and Ronnie didn’t have floppy ears and that was just wrong."

28. What was your favorite toy?
" When I was really little, I had this blue stuffed bear that played music. It had a little windup key thingie in the back of it. I don’t remember where it came from or who gave it to me or why I liked it or anything, but I remember when I was, I guess, five or six, Mom decided she was going to give all my old toys to Ronnie, and I pitched an unbelievable fit about not wanting to give up ‘Boobear’ (yes, (sigh) I called it ‘Boobear’, and yes it was adorably cute and I was five and can we move on?) She gave it to him anyway. I sulked for days. Dad got me a new bear that was sorta like it, but I was having no part of that, so he ended up giving Ronnie the new bear and giving me my old one back. Everybody happy – except Mom, of course. "

29. What was your favorite game?
"Hide and seek. Mom used to play it with me all the time. I nearly gave her a heart attack once when I decided to hide when she’d taken me shopping… she thought I’d been kidnapped or something, started freaking out, calling mall security. Of course she was so freaked out I was afraid to come out, so I stayed hidden for a long time. When they finally found me… well, let’s just say Mom didn’t play hide and seek with me after that."

30. Any non-family member adults stick out in your mind? Who were they, and how did you know them? Why do they stick out?
"Well, when I was really little there were the Costas across the street… they had a daughter about my age, we used to play together a bunch. Marissa, her name was. Her parents both worked, and her grandmother lived with them, took care of Marissa during the day. She was Guatemalan, didn’t speak much English; Marissa used to translate for her. They taught me some Spanish, I remember… Mom didn’t exactly approve, I think, but she never said anything. They moved out when I was ten or so.
And, there were lot of teachers, of course. I got along with them OK… better than with the other kids, sometimes. I remember Mr. Rappaport, my third-grade social studies teacher… he was kinda a hippie, wasn’t like any of my other teachers. I remember he was really hopped up on the Constitution, used to bring articles clipped from the paper and talk about them, Supreme Court cases and stuff like that. We had no idea what he was talking about half the time, he talked to us like we were people, instead of just kids, you know? He was also the first Jew I’d ever met, and Mom kept telling me I should be extra-nice to him because of it, which really stuck in my head ‘cuz I couldn’t figure out why.
And I remember Coach Brown mostly ‘cuz of what happened when I went all Titanic at the big game, back when Professor Xavier first showed up… everybody else was freaking out, panicking, yelling about calling the police and mutant freaks and stuff. He just… looked at me. Gave me a weird little smile and a kind of two-fingered salute, before he started rounding up the rest of the kids. I wanted to ask him, after, what that’d meant… but the Professor had already wiped his memory, so I never did find out. " He chokes a little, then gets himself under control. " Next question?"

31. Who was your best friend when you were growing up?
"When I was a little kid, me and Marissa were pretty much inseparable.
After that, I guess Teddy Marconi down the block was my best friend… at least, we hung around together a lot. His family went to the same church we did, and we played football together and stuff. He was the one who badgered me into asking Diane Marks on a date back when I had a huge crush on her… that was cool. Course, he was also the one who threw a rock at me before the Professor wiped his memory, so basically Teddy can go fuck himself as far as I’m concerned.
And then I came to the Institute, and started hanging out with John and Marie, and… well, I guess you’d say the rest is history, right? "

32. What is your fondest childhood memory?
" It’s trite, I know, but that would be the trip to Disneyland our family took when I was thirteen. We spent a whole week there, in the hotel right in the middle of the park… went on every ride, saw every Epcot exhibit, took the ‘behind the scenes’ day tour… they even did this special thing at MGM-Studios where we got some basic stunt training and I got to wear a Power Ranger costume and they blue-screened me flying and fighting monsters and stuff. It was… wow. I still get chills thinking about it. I must’ve watched that tape like a million times afterwards, fantasizing about being a superhero. "
(pause)
"I suppose it must’ve gotten destroyed in the fire.
Sometimes fate has a really fucked-up sense of humor, you know?
"

33. What is your worst childhood memory?
"Dunno if it counts as ‘childhood’, exactly… it was only a few years ago, though it feels like a lifetime… but that’d be the game where I, um, accidentally came out to everyone in town. To this day I don’t know what happened, exactly… I couldn’t stop myself, it felt like I was throwing up, except I wasn’t… I was just spewing ice everywhere, all over the field, the bleachers, everywhere.
And everybody freaked. That was the worst part, really. By then I already knew I was a mutant, and Ronnie knew, and keeping it secret sucked. And I’d wondered how bad it would be if I just, you know, told people. Told Teddy, at least, and Mom and Dad, and… I dunno. People.
And then I found out.
Wondering didn't suck so much, in retrospect."

[Bobby Drake]

34. How old were you when you went on your first date?
"You mean just date, or like date date? When I was fourteen I asked Diane Marks to a school dance and she said yes. Mom gave me waltzing lessons… I have no idea why, there was no way they were ever going to play a waltz. We danced some – Diane and me, I mean. I walked her home, after. Didn’t kiss her or anything, though. Does that count? "

35. It is common for one's view of authority to develop in their adolescent years. What is your view of authority, and what event most affected it?
"My ‘view of authority’? Looking down on it with a shovelful of dirt in my hands, mostly, and fuck you too. Next question?"

36. What were you like in high school? What "clique" did you best fit in with?
" Heh. I guess I’m not really in high school anymore, not right now… so, fair enough. I guess me and Marie and John were a kind of clique of our own… not sure what to call it. They were the cool kids. Me, I think they just tolerated. I was, well, I guess you’d have to say I was one of the dorks. Head in a book all the time, scrambling to meet class deadlines as if they meant something."

37. What were your high school goals?
"Back then? Graduate… become an X-Man… make the Professor proud of me. In reverse order of importance, I guess."

38. Who was your idol when you were growing up? Who did you first fantasize about in your life?
"None of your damned business. Next question?"

(( OOC: Scott. No, not like that. Bobby fantasized about becoming the leader of a new generation of X-Men, him and Marie and John and a few others, going off and saving the world and having adventures like a comic-book character. He idolized Xavier in a different way, never imagined himself taking on that role, never imagined Xavier not being there to depend on. Scott was someone he could imagine himself becoming. He’s perfectly aware of the fact, but refuses to talk about it because even thinking about it makes him burst out sobbing.
Sexually, he fantasized a little about Marie and a lot about Jean and incoherently about John and, briefly, about Britney Spears, the last of which he finds far more embarassing than the others put together and then some.))

39. What is your favorite memory from adolescence?
"Showing off my powers to Marie, in class… she was new, didn’t know much about her except she was pretty, and I’d just figured out how to localize my freeze-effect, and I figured ‘what the hell?’ and she smiled, like that was cool, like it was like playing the guitar or something like that. First time I really knew I didn’t have to be ashamed of what I was, you know? That was a good time... I think maybe the last pure good time. I mean, don’t get me wrong, there’ve been good times since – great times, even – but… it’s always mixed, you know?"

40. What is your worst memory from adolescence?
" Dropping that shovelful of dirt onto – onto the Professor’s coffin. I think, until that moment, I’d sorta thought he was gonna come back somehow, I dunno… expecting to hear him in my head saying “Use the Force, Bobby” or something stupid like that. But that ‘thunk’, and the dirt just lying there on the wood, and nothing happened. I kept waiting, you know? But nothing happened. I don’t remember what happened after that. "

(( OOC: The hesitation was Bobby almost saying “Dad’s coffin” and hastily stuffing that thought into the don’t-look-at-this bucket. Freud would have a field day with this kid. ))

[Bobby Drake]

41. Do you have a job? What is it? Do you like it? If no job, where does your money come from?
"I dunno, does being an X-Man count as a job? I don’t get paid for it… then again I don’t have much in the way of expenses, either. Tuition, room and board, a stipend for incidental expenses, all of that’s paid for. And in my case a separate stipend for clothes, ‘cuz I kinda go through them quickly after Alcatraz.
Do I ‘like’ it? Jeez, it gets me fucking shot at, what kind of lunatic would I have to be to ‘like’ that? "

(( OOC: Yes, of course he likes it. ))

42. What is your boss or employer like? (Or publisher, or agent, or whatever.)
"Well, I guess that’d be Logan and ‘roro and Sheppard. Hm. They aren’t really ‘like’ anything, I guess, I don’t know anyone anything like any of them.

“Logan is… I dunno how to say it. Pure. Nothing stops him, nothing slows him down, he knows what he wants and he knows how to get it and he doesn’t get distracted. He’s a hunter. A killer, too, when he has to be. I can respect that. I used to be scared of him, before everything went south. Now… it’s like he’s the only one who knows where I’m coming from, the only one willing to teach me anything that means anything. I’ll never be like him… wouldn’t want to be, I think… but I’m damned glad he’s still around.

“Ororo… damn. Where to start? She wants to be my mom, everybody’s mom. And at the same time it’s like she’s behind some wall of glass and you can’t touch her. I don’t mean like that, it’s not a pervy thing, I mean I never know what’s going on in her head. Half the time I think she hates me, and then she’ll say or do something like I’m her favorite person in the world, and then she’s on my case again a minute later. She’s… I dunno. Competant. Everyone worries about Logan, but I swear to God if there’s one person at the Institute who’d be willing to press the button that blew the place up if she really believed it needed doing, it’d be Ororo.

“Sheppard… man, I don’t know about him. Josh really seems to like him, so maybe he isn’t a total waste of space, but other than taking over as the Institute’s official telepath he doesn’t seem good for much. And if you’re snooping in my head, Sheppard, you know I mean every fucking word, and you can make something of it if you want to."

(( OOC: Actually, if Jake were snooping in Bobby’s head it would become pretty clear that it’s more complicated than that. It’s basically a step-parent situation… Bobby resents Jake for taking over Xavier’s place, and all the superficial personality issues and failings are just an excuse to dislike Jake for something tangible. ))

43. What are your co-workers like? Do you get along with them? Any in particular? Which ones don't you get along with?

"Co-workers? That’d be the other ‘junior’ X-Men, I guess. Kitty, Pete, now Marie and Josh. They’re all pretty awesome, really, though I don’t actually know Pete all that well, and he’s been out of town for a while for some kind of family deal."

44. What is something you had to learn that you hated?

" That people die. "


45. Do you tend to save or spend your money? Why?

"Save when I can. Can’t, always."

[Bobby Drake]

(picking this up again, but all answers are still for pre-bobnap Bob)

Likes & Dislikes Questions
46. What hobbies do you have?
"Do you consider combat training a ‘hobby’? I guess it sorta is… I mean, it’s got practical applications, but then so does knitting. Anyway, Logan’s a damned good teacher – doesn’t cut you any slack at all, but you know it’s not personal, not an ego thing, it’s just that he knows what you’re capable of and won’t accept less. Which is kinda cool, even if it does leave me bruised and achy half the time. The practice/test sessions he programs into the DR are a little easier… says it’s too easy to damage something permanent by practicing too hard, though how he’d know about permanent damage is beyond me. And it’s nice knowing I’m not completely reliant on my powers and stuff… that I could stop a mugging or something without having to ice away.
Um… so. Other hobbies. I spend a lot of time in the gym, mostly strength and endurance training. I like swimming… I do laps sometimes in the lake on the Institute grounds, especially in the winter ‘cuz, y’know, I can. It’s fun watching people freak out. Used to write more poetry… haven’t done that in a while. Was learning to play the guitar for a while there, too, but haven’t picked it up in a while.
And I keep thinking I oughta practice making ice-sculptures. But, I dunno… it just feels kinda trite, y’know?"

47. Who is your closest mundane friend? Describe them and how you relate to them.

" ‘Mundane’? What the heck does that even mean? I guess you mean non-mutant, huh? Hm. Don’t have many, now that you mention it… haven’t made any real friends outside of the Institute, haven’t stayed in touch with my old friends from high-school. I guess that’s not a great thing, now that I think about it, but… I dunno. It’s tough, when I remember them doing stuff they don’t remember doing that they really need to apologize for. "

48. Who is your worst mundane enemy? Describe them and why you don't get along.
" There’s that ‘mundane’ thing, again. It’s hard for me to think of anyone as an enemy who isn’t actually trying to get me killed or something, y’know? And mostly the folks doing that are mutants. But, OK… non-mutant enemies… hm. Sure, there’s folks I’m not crazy about… pretty much anyone working at the camps, for one thing, and everybody who voted to set them up… but I guess you mean more like personal enemies, right? I dunno. Like I said, I haven’t spent a lot of time with folks outside the Institute.

So… there’s this annoying guy who works at Starbucks I run into sometimes, he’s just really snooty with everybody, acts like he knows everything, especially about ‘the mutant problem’ – he was saying once how he doesn’t get why all the ‘muties’ didn’t just get themselves Cured and have done with it, stuff like that. He’s this skinny black guy, and I asked him why the ‘niggers’ didn’t all bleach their skins back in the 40s… thought he was gonna try to hit me, but he just muttered something about it not being the same thing. We just sorta glare at each other now. There. How’s that? "

49. What bands do you like? Do you even pay attention?
" Don’t pay attention much… I just listen to whatever’s on the radio or whatever, you know? "

50 What tape or CD hasn't left your player since you purchased it? Why?
" Don’t really buy CDs. Bought a bunch of songs online a while ago, listen to them sometimes when I’m working on my computer. I shuffle them, though… no particular collection or anything. "

51. What song is "your song?" Why?
" ‘Lazy Shade of Winter’. No reason, just the first song that came to mind when you asked… enough with the music questions, OK? "

52. What's been your favorite movie of all time?
" ‘The Lion in Winter.’ No, not really… I just figured I’d stick with the ‘Winter’ theme… it is an awesome movie, though. The original’s way better than the remake. My favorite, though? I don’t know what my favorite movie is. "

53. Read any good books? What were they?
" Sure, some. Been reading a lot of non-fiction lately, political analysis and stuff like that. Warren turned me on to some of it while we were working on the whole Camp situation. But nothing in particular jumps out at me. Logan suggested Sun Tzu, which… I dunno, everyone goes on about it and everything, but it left me cold. Clausewitz was more topical, but even that… all this theoretical tactical stuff kinda goes over my head, I guess. "

54. What do you watch on the Television?
" Lately I’ve been watching ‘Heroes’ and ‘Studio 60’, mostly. Just wanna see where Heroes goes… it’s cool to see folks like us on TV being presented as something other than fringe weirdos, you know? And Studio 60 makes me laugh."

55. When it comes to mundane politics, do you care? If so, which way do you tend to vote? If not, why don't you care?
" There’s that ‘mundane’ thing again. Like there’s a difference between non-mutant and mutant politics? Geez… we’ve all got to live together somehow, and it’s the same damned government. (sigh) Anyway… not old enough to vote yet, but I guess I’m mostly a Democrat. Seems to me part of the government’s job is to help folks who’ve hit bottom and need a hand back up, and social services seem more part of the Democratic platform from what I’ve seen. "

56. What type of places do you hang out in with your mundane friends?
(frustrated sigh) " Will you quit it with this ‘mundane’ business, already? I mostly hang out at the Institute. Beyond that, well, wherever I can get to… Westchester isn’t exactly a hopping urban area, you know? The mall, Starbucks, that sort of thing."

57. What type of places do you avoid like the plague?
" Pretentious places… y’know, anyplace with extra “E”s tacked on to the end of the name, that sort of thing. "

58. What annoys you more than anything else?
" Bigotry. "

59. What would be the perfect gift for you?
" Like, big-ticket kind of gift? I dunno… my own apartment, maybe."

60. What's the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?
" So, I know this is awful, but... on Alcatraz, back when Jean was losing it, and doing that weird shredding thing to everything in sight except for Logan’s pants… well… I mean, it really was beautiful. The effect, I mean. Like suddenly being in a Dada painting, everything coming apart, merging together, losing coherence, and knowing it was all real and powerful and might destroy the world for all we knew… well, I know this is pretty twisted, but it was amazing."

61. What time of day is your favorite?
" Early morning, just before sunrise."

62. What kind of weather is your favorite?
" Snowstorms. "

63. What is your favorite food? What is your least favorite food?
" Cheese. Tripe."

64. What is your favorite drink? (Coffee, Coke, Juice, Beer, Wine, etc.)
" I like mango juice when it’s fresh. And I’m developing a taste for Jack Daniels."

65. What's your favorite animal? Why?
" Horses. Don’t know why, really, I’ve just always liked them. The way they move, mostly, and their strength… but also, well, I like that they can work without being really domesticated. I mean, wild horses and tame ones aren’t really all that different, not like wolves and dogs are, or sheep, or turkeys… y’know? I dunno. I just like ‘em. "

66. Do you have any pets? Do you want any pets? What kind?
" No, but I’ve always wanted a dog. Big dog, some kind of friendly mutt type. Doesn’t really seem fair to get one while I’m at the Institute, though."

67. What do you find most relaxing? (Not as in stress relief, but as something that actually calms you down.)
" Swimming. "

68. What habit that others have annoys you most?
" Dodging questions. "

69. What kind of things embarrass you? Why?
" I hate it when I give away things I hadn’t meant to say. Which I do all the fucking time, because I can’t seem to keep my mouth shut. Also sex, I guess… though I’m getting less embarrassed about that lately."

70. What don't you like about yourself?
" The way I’ve been being a dick to my friends lately… just saying stuff that hurts them for no reason. "

71. How would you like to look?
" Wouldn’t mind managing to grow a damned beard, finally. "

[Bobby Drake]

(picking this up again, but answers are still for pre-bobnap Bob)

Sex and Intimacy Questions
72. Would you consider yourself straight, gay, bi, or something else? Why?
(long pause)
"You know, it’s funny, but I really haven’t given that any thought. I guess you’d say I’m bi… leastwise, I used to date girls, and now I’m seeing John, so… though I’ve only ever had sex with guys, so maybe I’m gay?" (shrug)
(( OOC: Bob’s about a Kinsey 5, though he’s only recently come out to himself, let alone anyone else.)

72. Who was the first person you had sex with? When did it happen? What was it like? How well did it go?
" John. Last August.
It was a lot like losing my virginity to a guy I didn’t even know I was attracted to who used to be my best friend before he tried to kill me and who I thought was about to try it again. Yeah… just like that. Except, actually, not at all.
How well did it go? Afterwards, he put a knife to my throat and I walked away and we were enemies again.
Which, admittedly, sounds worse than it actually was, looking back on it. "

74. Have you ever had a same-sex experience? Who with, what was it like, and how did it go?
" I love that expression. “Same-sex experience”. I mean, sure… played catch with my dad when I was a kid, we were both the same sex. But yeah, yeah, I know, you mean have I ever had sex with a guy. Yeah, a few times. Actually, haven’t had sex with a girl ever. See previous question, willya?"

75. What is your deepest, most well-hidden sexual fantasy? Would you ever try it?
" Does anyone actually answer that question? Jeez… I’m not telling!"

(( OOC: Bobby’s sexual fantasies are fairly incoherent, but the ones he’d least want to admit to are BDSM fantasies. And yeah, under the right circumstances he’d go for it, but it would have to involve some level of plausible deniability. ))

76. What was the wildest thing you've ever done, sexually? Who was it with and when did it happen?

" ‘Wild’? I dunno. Haven’t done anything too kinky, really… though I guess humping John in the middle of him trying to kill me counts as a bit off the beaten track. "

77. Is there any sexual activity that you enjoy and/or practice regularly that can be considered non-standard? (Bondage, Fantasy Play, etc.) Why do you like it?
" Well, I guess having sex with another guy is ‘non-standard’… I mean, there’s sure a whole lot of people out there who think there’s something wrong with it. As for why I like it… well, I don’t know how to answer that, really. Why does anyone like sex at all?
I dunno. Everybody makes such a big deal out of this whole boy/girl, boy/boy, girl/girl thing… seems to me you just fall for who you fall for, and reasons are something you make up about it afterwards. It’s not like I went out looking for some guy to fuck and it turned out to be John… it’s more that John turned out to be a guy. Might’ve been easier if he was a girl, but then again maybe not. I dunno. "

78. Is there any sexual activity that you will not, under any circumstances, do?
" Beats me. I surprise myself. "

79. Do you currently have a lover? What is their name, and what is your relationship like? What are they like? Why are you attracted to them?
" Hey, no fair counting five questions as one! "

79a. Do you currently have a lover?
" Yeah. "

79b. What is their name?
" Depends some on who you ask, and when, but… John. Allerdyce. "

79c. What is your relationship like?
" I guess it’s kinda like an overdirected art film, with a lot of close-ups and weird flashbacks and scenes shot in grainy black-and-white for no reason, and lots of things happening but no real plot, and characters doing things you never expected them to do except afterwards it seems like it was something they’d been leading up to all along. I hate those kinds of movies, but living through it…" He grins. "…well, it ain’t bad, if you really must know. ‘course I’m a sucker for happy endings, and we seem to have ended up with one… go figure! "

79d. What are they like?
" John’s complicated. He surprises me. He’s angry a lot of the time… but not as often as he wants everyone to think. And there’s a sweetness to him I think he’d rather die than admit to. He’s passionate about things, not afraid of getting in over his head. Or, well, yeah, he is afraid, but he does it anyway. Hell, sometimes I think he’s more afraid of being afraid than of anything else, if that makes any sense. "

79e. Why are you attracted to them?
" I think what got to me at first is that he’s better than he claims to be. With most people it’s the other way around, y’know? We were friends for a long time before we started going out… before we even thought about it. Or, well, before I did anyway. And he was always… well, you always got the impression, or at least I always did, that there was a pretty sweet guy in there who just wanted to know it was safe to come out. And I wanted to get to know that guy, and, well… when I finally did, it just completely surprised everybody. Most of all John, I think.
And, also, y’know, " Bobby ducks his head and blushes for a moment, " hot. I mean, sexy… wasn’t trying to be funny. Don’t know how I spent so long sharing a room with him and not noticing that. He’s got this whole wiry coiled-up intense thing going on that, man, turns me on just thinking about him… sometimes when he looks at me it’s like he’s shooting lasers or something. And no, that’s not a joke either. "

80. What is the perfect romantic date?
" December 31.
OK, OK… seriously, I don’t know. Watching V with everybody else was awesome, y’know? It was like we were finally a real couple. But being alone is, well, pretty cool too. It’s more about the who than the what or the where, for me, anyway… and, I guess, about knowing they thought about it and about me and stuff. "

81. Describe the perfect romantic partner for you.
" Oh, for crying out loud… are you serious? No such thing… everybody’s got something. Marie couldn’t touch anybody… John’s half-nuts about a lot of stuff… I’m an asshole half the time. No such thing as perfect."

82. Do you ever want to get married and have children? When do you see this happening?
" Well, yeah… I mean, I guess so. Always figured I’d be a dad someday, anyway. Marie always seemed uncomfortable when the subject came up. And I haven’t really talked about family and stuff with John yet… I mean, it’s still pretty early, we’re still working on the whole “my teammates want to kill you” hurdle. And I guess we’d have to move back to Boston if we wanted to get married, or maybe Canada… well, OK, yeah, I guess I have kinda thought about it."

83. What is more important - sex or intimacy? Why?
" ‘Sex without intimacy is an empty experience. But as empty experiences go, it’s one of the best.’ I think that’s Woody Allen. I guess I’d rather have intimate friends I don’t have sex with than sexual partners I don’t feel close to."

84. What was your most recent relationship like? Who was it with? (Does not need to be sexual, merely romantic.)
" Um, you mean like before this one? Well, that’d be Marie. It was… different. She’s different, and I guess I was different with her. The most obvious difference is we didn’t touch… well, we did a little, after she took the Cure, but even then not so much. But it wasn’t just physical… we didn’t touch in a lot of ways. I mean, we talked all the time, but a lot of things never got said. I never really understood her, I think… still don’t. I wonder sometimes what she really thinks of me… don’t suppose I’ll ever really know for sure. "

85. What's the worst thing you've done to someone you loved?
" Let the camps have him. "

[Bobby Drake]

(picking this up again, but answers are still for pre-bobnap Bob)


Drug & Alcohol Questions
86. How old were you when you first got drunk? What was the experience like? Did anything good come out of it? Did anything bad come out of it?

"Um… fifteen? Sixteen? Some time around then. Christmas. I kinda badgered John into some kind of drinking game, and then I, um, well, I kinda threw up on his bed. And him. And me, I think. Don’t really remember what happened after that… I guess he got me cleaned up and into bed, or something… least that’s how I woke up. Never talked about it afterwards; too embarrassed to mention it. "

87. Do you drink on any kind of regular basis?
"Well, for a while there it seemed like I couldn’t get together with John without a bottle of Jack Daniels being involved. Not as much, now, but still sometimes. Other than that, no, not really. I don’t actually much like being drunk, to tell you the truth. "

88. What kind of alcohol do you prefer?
Bobby shrugs. "I dunno. Haven’t had a lot of experience with different types. "

89. Have you ever tried any other kind of "mood altering" substance? Which one(s)? What did you think of each?
"Um… you mean like pot or acid or things like that? No, nothing like that. Not sure if you’d count codeine… they had me on that for a while after my first big Danger Room accident. Took some caffeine pills around finals time last year, but I don’t suppose that counts either."

90. What do you think of drugs and alcohol? Are there any people should not do? Why or why not?
Bobby shrugs. "Like, recreational drugs? I dunno. Seems pretty dumb to take drugs that’ll kill you, but I can understand people wanting a buzz or a high, especially if they’re unhappy about their actual life. As for more medical drugs, like the Cure and stuff… " There’s a long pause. "Next question?"

Morality Questions
91. What one act in your past are you most ashamed of? What one act in your past are you most proud of?
" Proudest of? Holding up my end of the fight on Alcatraz. Swear to God, all I wanted to do was find a place to hide when the shit started hitting the fan. Most ashamed of? Letting the cops take John away, afterwards."

92. Have you ever been in an argument before? Over what, with who, and who won?
Bobby snorts. "Are you kidding? Hell, all the time. With, like, everybody… over, well, everything. Hard to tell whether I win or lose, sometimes."

93. Have you ever been in a physical fight before? Over what, with who, and who won?
"Sure. Lots of times. With Ronnie, lots, when we were little. With John at Alcatraz… and then at Mimi’s… though, um… not sure that last one was exactly a fight. And those guys attacking Congress… that was a big one. Bunch of others, smaller. I don’t tend to lose, much. Unless you count training sessions with Logan; he kicks my ass."

94. What do you feel most strongly about?
"Geez, what kind of a question is that? Professor Xavier’s death, maybe… or the X-Men… or John… or… oh, hell, I don’t know. It depends. Next question?"

95. What do you pretend to feel strongly about, just to impress people?
"Politics."

96. What trait do you find most admirable, and how often do you find it?
"Hm. Integrity, I guess. And, I dunno, not as often as I used to. "

97. Is there anything you think should not be incorporated into the media or art (sex, violence, greed, etc.,)? If so, what and why, and if not, why not?
Bobby shrugs. "There’s stuff that squicks me, sure… gory bloody horror movie type stuff, like Friday the 13th and stuff like that, for example. Not that I want to ban it or anything, people can see whatever they want to see, I just don’t get why anybody wants to see that kind of stuff. There’s enough horror in the world already without having to create artificial versions, you know? And… I dunno. It’s like people get desensitized. "

98. Do you have any feelings in general that you are disturbed by? What are they? Why do they disturb you?
Bob takes a deep breath, and lets it out slowly through his teeth. "Well… yeah. I mean, this whole thing with John, for one thing… the sex, I mean. Not that I don’t like it – I do – but, I dunno, it’s tough being comfortable with, you know, with thinking of myself as, as, gay, or bi, or whatever. People make such a big deal about it, like it’s wrong or whatever, and sure I know they’re full of shit but it’s hard to shut that sort of thing out. I suppose it’s like what mutants go through when they’re just out there in the world, without the Institute or something like it to reassure them that they’re OK even if they aren’t quite like everybody else.
And I get angry a lot, lately – like, since Alcatraz. At pretty much everybody, for the stupidest things. I don’t like that. "

99. What is your religious view of things? What religion, if any, do you call your own?
"Raised Episcopalean, but I guess I can’t really call myself that anymore… sure bet my old church wouldn’t have me back if they knew what I am. You should’ve seen them, my first Christmas away from the Institute, before the Professor wiped their memories… I think they actually thought I was some kind of demon or something.
For that matter, I’m not sure I ever really believed in, you know, the Gospels and stuff. Or, well, I guess I did when I was a kid, but… I dunno. It’s not the miracles so much, I mean, I know people who can walk on water, it’s not such a big deal… and Dr. Grey even came back from the dead, kinda. But this Son of God business… that’s a big thing, you know? And there’s like a zillion other religions, and a lot of ‘em think the same thing about different people, and if they’re all wrong… well, that’s just mean, what kind of a God sets things up that way? I mean, how were they supposed to be able to tell? If Professor Xavier’d been born two thousand years ago they’d probably think the same thing about him. Hell, maybe he was, for all I know. I sure as hell wouldn’t mind him resurrecting one of these days, that’s for damned sure, and I don’t care how heretical that sounds. We could use him back.
So I guess you’d say I don’t really have any religion, not formally anyway. But… I dunno. I wouldn’t really call myself an atheist, either. I don’t think we’re alone, really, if that makes any sense. I just don’t think anybody’s got the inside track on the details. "

100. Do you think the future is hopeful? Why?
"Absolutely. Anyone who thinks we aren’t making progress as a race, I have two words for: ‘dentistry’ and ‘antibiotics’. "

101. Is an ounce of prevention really worth a pound of cure? Which is more valuable? Why do you feel this way?
"Well, sure… I mean, it’s better if a problem doesn’t start. Of course, the catch is that you can spend all your time trying to prevent hypothetical problems, most of which wouldn’t have happened anyway. Mostly I think you’re better off getting good at recognizing problems early and dealing with them fast. I guess that’s sorta prevention, but it’s general-purpose prevention, y’know?"

102. What's the worst thing that can be done to another person? Why?
Bobby thinks about that for a long time, and finally answers: "Take away everything they love."

103. What's the worst thing you could actually do to someone you hated?
"I don’t really hate anybody, I think. But if I did… hm. I don’t think I could really kill someone in cold blood. I guess I might, you know, kinda torture them, if there was a good reason for it." He shifts in his seat, uncomfortably. "I don’t know. Maybe not. "

104. Are you a better leader or follower? Why do you think that? If you think the whole leader-follower archetype is a crock of shit, say so, and explain why?
"That’s a funny thing, really. I think I’m a better follower, but somehow I end up in charge half the time. Especially, um…" he flushes, embarrassed, and looks at his feet. "Next question?"

105. What is your responsibility to the world, if any? Why do you think that?
"Leave it better than I found it, I guess. ‘cuz the alternative sucks, if everybody does it."

106. Do you think redemption is possible? If so, can anyone be redeemed, or are there only certain circumstances that can be? If not, why do you think nothing can redeem itself?
"Damn straight they can. I mean, you can’t undo stuff you’ve done, but there’s always some way forward. "

107. Is it okay for you to cry? When was the last time you cried?
"Sure hope so, ‘cause I’ve been doing a lot of it lately. Last time… hell, I don’t remember. I think it was coming out to Josh. "

108. What do you think is wrong with MOST people, overall?
Bobby looks poleaxed for a moment. "That’s… wow. That’s one hell of a question. I dunno, I guess if I had to pick one thing I’d say rigid-mindedness… not being able to see multiple sides of a question, not caring who you hurt if your ‘cause’ is right."

Post-Supernatural Awareness Questions
109. When did you go through whatever made you supernatural? What was it like (in your opinion)?
"You mean my mutation, right? There’s nothing ‘supernatural’ about it, but yeah, OK… I was fourteen. Didn’t figure it out for a long time, just kept waking up with ice on the sheets. Thought Robbie was pulling some kind of prank. Once I figured it out, it sucked a lot… I had no clue what was happening, and no control over it. "

110. What do you think now of being supernatural? Is it cool, or have you been screwed?
"It’s pretty cool."

111. Do you have a mentor? Who are they? How did you become their student?
"Guess you might say Logan. And, I dunno, it just sorta happened. I think he was the only one willing to put up with me after Alcatraz."

112. Think of a major event that happened during your training/initiation. What was it?
"When Stryker invaded, and me and Logan took off, and I threw up that ice-wall. I’d never done that before… it was the first time I’d actually used my powers to do something life-or-death serious, y’know? That was something. "

113. What is something you had to learn during your training that you hated? Why did you hate it?
" The Professor insisted I practice quick-freezing people. Well, sims, I mean, but people-sims. I’ve never actually done it in real life, you understand. He thought it might come in handy as a kind of cryostasis, if somebody got poisoned or something. Turns out it can work that way, but it’s as likely to kill the target as not. And yeah, I know, I can kill people lots of different ways if I want to, but… I dunno. It’s hard to explain… the idea that I can just think someone dead like that makes me want to vomit. "

[Bobby Drake]

Miscellaneous Questions
114. What is the thing that has frightened you most? Do you think there is anything out there that's scarier than that? What do you think that would be?

"Honestly? This is probably gonna sound pretty stupid, what with all the mutant firefights and stuff we’ve been through, but the most frightening moment I can remember was when Josh was flying the Blackbird to D.C. a few months back and I suddenly realized I was in charge… that Riley or Kitty or Marie or Josh could get hurt or killed because I hadn’t been careful or observant or smart enough. The fight itself wasn’t so bad, really… but the going in was terrifying. "

115. Has anyone or anything you've ever cared about died? How did you feel about it? What happened?
"Yeah. In fact I sorta wish they’d cut it out already, it gets old. Already went on and on about that in other questions, go read ‘em if you care."

116. What was the worst injury you've ever received? How did it happen?
"Does getting hospitalized by my life-force-sucking girlfriend count as an injury? If so, that was probably the worst.I happened to be kissing her when her powers came back, basically."

117. How ticklish are you? Where are you ticklish?
"Very, but I try not to admit to it. The usual places… plus a few more unusual ones that don’t come up very often."

118. What is your current long term goal?
" Don’t really have one. Used to be to graduate. Then for a while that stopped mattering so much. Now it’s kinda starting to again, but… I don’t know, really. Just dealing with things as they happen, I guess."

119. What is your current short term goal?
"Get through the rest of this year without pissing anybody else off, and convince John he wants to come back to the Institute, or at least to get away from the Brotherhood."

120. Do you have any bad habits? If so, what are they, and do you plan to get rid of them?
" I can’t keep my damned mouth shut sometimes, end up saying things I never should’ve said. I guess it’d be nice to stop, but… I don’t know, really, how to do it."

121. If you were a mundane person, what would you do with your life? What occupation would you want, and how would you spend all your time?
"I’d still be a seventeen-year-old boy in high-school… occupation: student, spending all my time thinking about sex. Which I guess isn’t that different from now, really. Fear the mutant lifestyle!" Bobby chuckles.

122. What time period do you wish you had lived in? Why? (Looking at this as an attempt to change history doesn't count.) What appeals to you about this era?
"You mean, like, in the past? No way. You remember the whole ‘antibiotics’ and ‘dentistry’ thing, right? The past sucked. Now, if I could jump forward… that might be tempting. If you’ve got a time period out there where mutants and humans are getting along, sign me up… well, if I can bring some folks with me, anyway."

123. How private of a person are you? Why?
"Things that embarrass me I prefer not to do in public… I guess that’s true of everybody, right? But in general… about average, I guess. Less private than Marie, more private than Warren… which I guess covers pretty much everybody. I don’t know why… I just am. I don’t like being too alone, but I don’t want everybody knowing all my business either."

124. If you were to gain an obscenely large sum of money (via an inhertiance, a lawsuit, a lottery, or anything else) what would you do with it?
"Pay off the rest of the reconstruction on my folks’ house. Throw a really big party. Um… buy a car. Maybe get my own place in Westchester. Um… a new computer, maybe. I dunno… I guess I don’t really have expensive tastes."

125. What would you wish for if you found a genie?
"Scott, Jean, and the Professor alive again. That’s three wishes, right?"

126. What do you do when you are bored?
"Swim. Play computer games. Write poetry. Surf the ‘net. Work out. Run training sims. Um… other stuff, if Josh isn’t around. "

127. What is the most frightening potential handicap or disfigurement you can conceive of? What makes it so frightening?
"Losing my powers. Which is stupid, I know… I mean, I could get along better without them than I could blind, or crippled, or whatever, but… I don’t know. It’s like they’re what make me me, you know?"

[Bobby Drake]

Revisiting for post-bobnap Bob, because some answers change.

1. What about you is heroic?
"Nothing."

3. Of what benefit could you be to group you're currently affiliated with/intend to be affiliated with?
"None at all, really. Maybe I will be, again, at some point. Now I’m just a student again."

4. Why would/did you choose to join this group?
"Well, it’s more that they haven’t asked me to leave, yet. Which, I mean, they probably won’t; they won’t want to make me feel bad. "

11. What do you wear when you go to sleep?
"Started wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt. Man it gets cold!"

79. Do you currently have a lover? What is their name, and what is your relationship like? What are they like? Why are you attracted to them?
"I… well, I guess not, now. I needed some time after that whole mess with Magneto, and he hooked up with someone else, and… I dunno. I guess it’s over, now. "

103. What's the worst thing you could actually do to someone you hated?
"I’m not sure. But I’m keeping the ceramic rifle loaded in case I have the opportunity to find out."

116. What was the worst injury you've ever received? How did it happen?
"That’d be when Magneto dislocated my shoulder, after John injected me with Cure and dragged me to Brotherhood HQ and Magneto tortured me for a while."

118. What is your current long term goal?
"Graduate and get my powers back."

119. What is your current short term goal?
" Graduate and get my powers back."

127. What is the most frightening potential handicap or disfigurement you can conceive of? What makes it so frightening?
"Dunno. Still getting over the last one. "