001 - A Passing Storm

[agroovyblue]

A dream without Charles is a rare thing, but she has his essence with him. She's stretched out on the lawn, his cat curled up next to her stomach and purring loudly. As she looks up in the sky, the clouds form the distinct shape of people she's known. The dark clouds are Charles' mother and step-father. Her own parents. Everyone she's always been afraid has ever wanted to hurt her or Erik. But then the skies lighten and she can see the good people, too. She can see the professors who all thought Charles was a little odd, but who recognized his brilliance, she can see the young man who always asks her for a cup of coffee when she picks up the newspaper. They're all there for her to see.

Soon, the clouds are changing into other people and things. She watches as a purple dragon chases a blue butterfly through the clouds. They slide in and out of the other clouds and she's sure she even hears the dragon roar, though she could be mistaken by that. She must be mistaken by that. She must also be mistaken when the dragon begins to look a lot more like Cain than any animal. She curls her hand a little in the kitten's fur when the dragon starts flying lower and lower and closer to her. Does he mean to eat her? Is that to be her punishment for abandoning him in favor of Charles? The clouds start to darken again and the wind begins to howl. Lightning cracks against the sky and her hand tightens even more.

And then, just like that, the dragon/Cain catches the butterfly and swishes away again. Her hand eases as the skies turn back to normal. When she finally lets go, she's shocked out of her reverie by the kitten pouncing on her stomach. Before she can do anything about it, the kitten runs off.

She gets up after a minute and follows in the direction of the kitten, calling after her. "Blueberry. Blueberry!" She's not sure what she'll do if the kitten's run off somewhere, especially since it's her fault for hurting the poor thing. Relief floods her when she sees the kitten sitting by the door as if she was just waiting for someone to let her in. She's licking down the spots of fur she can reach that are still sticking up from Raven's tight grip. It takes her a moment to realize that Blueberry is not alone.

"Oh, hello."

Comments

Hah!

[agroovyblue]

"I'm sorry. About the most I know of human anything is what I know of Charles' work and even most of that is beyond me." They'd gone together for some of it and then he'd started outpacing her and suddenly he was talking in terms that she didn't understand. She had never been more proud of him than she had when he was like that.

blame canon. only in one version does she actually end up getting to go XD

[waterfell]

"A geneticist," Mercury remembers. "He's in a difficult field. It's one that's poorly understood even in my time." Granted, enormous strides had been made - largely thanks to brilliant minds like Charles'.

[agroovyblue]

Raven smile brightens considerably now that the topic of conversation has turned back around to her brother. "I am very proud of him. I'm glad I managed to convince him that going to school was for the best." There have been bumps along the way - many bumps - but it's all turned out for the best in the end.

[waterfell]

Raven's good at that, evidently, convincing someone to follow their educational dreams. That obvious pride reminds Mercury of her mother.

She wonders sometimes if that same pride would be there if Mama knew everything.

"If he devotes himself to it, he might have a strong career ahead of him."