mutantblues | Class 3 - [Voice/Action]

Class 3 - [Voice/Action]

[ Voice; ]

[ Raven starts out the post reading from something rather than speaking casually. ]

"To Homo neanderthalensis, his mutant cousin, Homo sapiens, was an aberration. Peaceful cohabitation if ever it existed, was short-lived. Records show, without exception, that the arrival of the mutated human species in any region was followed by the immediate extinction of their less-evolved kin."

I went to the library for a cookbook and instead I get this. My brother's thesis that he submitted to Oxford to get his doctorate. It's a real boring read but I figure it might be something scientists here might be interested in. It's about genetic mutation in... in humans.

[ Her voice is a bit tight as she trails off for a moment before continuing. ]

Hell, even if you need a something to get you to sleep and not dream about anything it's pretty useful. It's called Theories on Genetic Mutation by Charles Xavier.

[ Action ]

[ After making her post to the network Raven goes on a few errands to keep herself distracted from the tug of homesickness in the pit of her stomach. The reminder that it's been months and she hasn't seen a single face from home. She stops at both the bakery and grocery store to pick up some groceries.

Later on the evening she'll be at HQ, not working for once but sitting at the bar. She isn't in the mood to dance but staying in her apartment alone isn't working for her at the moment. She'll be nursing a few drinks inside before finally giving up and sitting outside. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Jean's interest is piqued not only by the biology-anthropology talk, but by the fact that it's a topic very personal to her.

She's about to complement this woman's brother, on what sounds like a fascinating paper to her, but goes a little confused when the name is mentioned.]

I'm sorry; Did you say Charles Xavier is your brother?

Yeah, I did. If he hit on you I'm not taking responsibility because that's what he does when we're pub hopping.

[What. What?]

Wh-- no! No no. No. Nothing like that, no. He's-- my mentor. My teacher. I-- never knew he had a sister.

[Though, come to think of it, Jean, what do you know about his family. She knows about his step-brother, true, but... The professor has always played his personal life very close to the chest. No easy task when the two of them are both telepaths.]

Ah. My name's Jean. Jean Grey.

...You're one of the ones from the future then? [ She sighs, the feeling of being long behind on the flow of time is always rearing its head. ]

I'm Raven. Raven Darkholme.

You're--

[Raven. Darkholme.

Raven.

Darkholme.]

I...!

[Never before has Jean found herself quite so speechless.]

Oh...!

...Are you okay? You sound like you're going to get sick.

No, no, I'm-- fine. I just. Uh. Surprised.

[She's acting so casual. Is it an act? Lord knows Mystique was more than capable of that sort of deception. On the other hand-- it could be a timeline hiccup. Jean had certainly experienced her fair share of those since arriving here.

Not to mention Mystique and Xavier out drinking together.

Not to mention Mystique and Xavier are related?!]

You're a-- [No. Not that line of questioning.].

We've... [No, not that either. Not if she's from another time.]

...
Sorry. You've got me at a bit of a loss for words. [She sounds genuinely apologetic.

This may be a mistake, but she has to at least try.] I don't-- suppose you'd want to get together some time? Coffee or something?

Coffee would be fine. I'm a little... preoccupied tonight or I'd say stop by HQ if you need to ask any questions.

Sure. I'll definitely do that. Uh-- [How to phrase things delicately.] I'll be wearing a yellow and gold striped shirt. You?

[She has no idea what-- or who-- to expect.]

[ She resists the urge to say this almost feels like a blind date. ]

I'll be wearing a grey dress. Is tomorrow at A Shot in the Dark good for you?

Sure! That'll be great. Maybe around-- what. Eleven? Noon?

[She had a lot to consider. Her mind was first and foremost on Kurt and Rogue; Did they know Mystique was here? She knew this was not the sort of thing to be 'kept' from them. But how oh how to approach it?]

Noon would probably be better, I'm not really a morning person.

[ She already plans to head over to HQ. If not to see Wanda then to at least relax somewhere with people to distract her. ]

Noon it is then. I'll see you then. [Plans are fine. That'll give her time to perhaps find her friends and chat with them about things.]

[The following day, though, Jean is up and at A Shot in the Dark at 11. She's one of those people; a morning person. She also wants to be sure not to miss Mystique when she comes in, so she's there, with a book and a coffee, waiting.]

[ Raven shows up at A Shot in the Dark a few minutes before noon. She'd slept in later than usual thanks to her late night at HQ. The one perk of personally enforced sobriety is that there was never a hangover to deal with.

She looks around for a moment, hands smoothing her gray dress before she spots Jean and walks over. Her face is on perfectly, all round cheeks and curling blonde hair. ]

You're Jean, right?

[She looks up from her book, and manages a smile. If you didn't know her, you would think it was 100% genuine. And it's not that she's hostile or anything; just a bit nervous.]

I am. And you must be-- Raven. Please! [Closing her book and putting it aside, she gestures to the place across the table from her.] Have a seat.

[ Raven takes a seat across from her, crossing her legs as she gets herself comfortable and takes in Jean. Pretty, but definitely too young for Charles even in the time she came from. ]

So... you know Charles in the future, as a professor? I guess he really did do something with that doctorate after all.

Oh, very much so. [Straight to it, then.] Though I've not actually taken any-- 'traditional' subjects from him. We have much more specialized private lessons.

[She is lazily stirring her coffee while she says this, before sitting back, casual as anything. It might take someone a beat to notice the coffee is still stirring itself, thanks to Jean's telekinetic powers. It is a small show off, she wants to open the door to this conversational topic, but it can be a sensitive one to just bluntly ask about.]

You said 'in the future'. Which means we must be from different times, then?

[ It took her a minute to take in Jean's display. It's subtle, more subtle than when she and the other recruits showed off their powers at the CIA facility. To Jean's question Raven nods. ] I'm from 1962.

...I'm guessing you're part of his practical applications on mutation then?

I'm not sure if I'd call it 'his'; After all it sort of happens regardless of his involvement. But yes. [She picks up her drink, the spoon stopping stirring as she does, taking a sip. She looks at Raven over the lip of her drink as she does. A perfect spot for her to make admissions of her own, if she so wanted to.]

...When I'm from he's been teaching a few of us how to control things better. [ She doesn't know Jean yet so her appearance stays in place. ] No one like you, though.

Not exactly like me, at least. I should probably tell you, before we get to far that I'm psychic. Like the Professor. That's why he works one-on-one with me so much. I do want to emphasize that I never read minds without permission, though. [No matter HOW tempting it may be.]

Good, because he promised me that he'd never read my mind. [ It had been the one he'd kept no matter what. No peeking into her head when she didn't want to talk about something. Her head was her only private place.

Raven takes a deep breath. Jean had put her cards on the table talking about her powers, she can share that much of herself even without showing off. ] I'm a shapeshifter. I can change forms and even do voices perfectly once I hear them.

Yeah. That's the other thing; I know you from,ah, our time. So when you said your name, I figured. [Oh, is it awkward o'clock, already?]

You've been playing things very close to the vest, and I can understand why. How much of-- the future do you know?

Hardly anything at all, and I'd rather keep it that way. I know that I'm not really... part of Charles' life anymore but everything else is a mystery.

I'd rather focus on who I am instead of who I might become.

That's-- more than fair. Everyone should be given that sort of opportunity.

Which... sort of brings to me to my reason for wanting to meet with you. A lot of people from my time are... not going to have a very positive reaction to you. Not because you're a mutant, but because of some, hm, differing ideologies, among other things.

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