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Post by Crypt on Jun 23, 2006 2:08:17 GMT -5
Liam sighed in relief as he rounded the corner of the mansion, stepping into the shadow on the east side as the sun set. His long legs took him swiftly along the path between shrubs and trees, gravel crunching beneath his feet. Making his way to the far end of the gardens, he ducked under a the whispy branches of a large willow and sank down to the gound, his back leaning against the trunk carefully as his wings splayed out to either side. He dropped a dog-eared copy of Maniac Magee to the ground next to him and carefully pulled his goggles down to hang from his neck, his eyes shut tightly.
Slowly he cracked open his eyelids, mere slits at first, and then wider and wider as the light faded, the sun sinking lower. Colors jumped out at him in the night, ambient light far enough away so as not to be painful. He glanced down ruefully at his poorly bandaged thumb; it had taken a full half hour for the draculin from his saliva to work its way through his system, and only then was he able to stop the bleeding.
He let his hand drop back to his side and looked around. Is it really worth it? Gifts and curses rolled into one. He picked up the paperback at his side and thumbed through the pages, finding his place and beginning to read quietly to himself.
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Post by Storm on Jun 25, 2006 1:18:53 GMT -5
As the bat-like young man loped by in the setting sun, Ororo put a hand to her back and straighened up from where she crouched on the earth. She looked after him for a moment thoughtfully. I may not be a telepath - she frowned slightly, unable to help the twinge in her heart at the thought of Jean - but that student is not at peace with the world.
She looked down at the patch of garden before her. If only that one plant would flower. She couldn't figure out what she was doing wrong.
With a sigh, she deftly gave the soil a final pat, and gathered up the small pile of weeds. She stood up in a single fluid motion and lifted a hand to conjure up a tiny raincloud. Truthfully, Storm didn't need the dramatic gesture, but her theatrical goddess days were hard to shake. She let the cloud drizzle on her plants as she turned away, and by the time she was a few minutes down the path, her attention had waned and the drizzle stopped.
She tossed the weeds into a nearby compost bin and brought another small rainstorm to wash her hands as she continued down the path where she had seen Liam walk earlier. The sun dipped behind the horizon and she took deep breaths of the cooling air.
Ahead she saw the willow tree, and the shape of wings. There he was. But as Ororo neared, she saw Liam was reading; she didn't want to disturb him too much, but she approached to the edge of the overhanging branches nonetheless and gave him a kind smile.
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Post by Crypt on Jun 25, 2006 23:48:48 GMT -5
Liam's eyes scrolled across the pages slowly, his mouth forming each word letter by letter, his tongue and lips working around the sharp teeth in his mouth. Still slow, he thought, but making progress. His black eyes picked the small letters from the bottom of the paper easily, and he turned the ragged page with a long thumb.
Steps to the side made Liam's body tense, but he forced himself to relax and closed the book slowly. Setting it down in his lap, he turned his head to catch sight of Miss... Munroe?... stepping beneath the wispy branches of the willow. He looked at her curiously with his dark eyes as she smiled.
Slowly he stood next to the thick trunk, eyes never leaving her. She was standing calmly, peacefully, but he couldn't help be wary. He remembered what she had been capable of back in the Highlands, and he didn't desire another taste of that power.
His mind tried to filter through years of fight or flight reflexes, searching for an appropriate greeting, but his mouth felt dry and his lips formed the word before he could think. "What?"
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Post by Storm on Jun 26, 2006 5:07:32 GMT -5
Ororo thought perhaps she shouldn't have disturbed the batlike young man. "It's all right, no need to get u-" but it was too late. She smiled again in an attempt to put him at ease. "I may be a professor but we don't require such formalities here."
The abruptness of his query took her aback slightly, but she was familiar with him, even if he did not know her too well yet. The memory of Liam's discovery in the church ruin was quite vivid to Ororo. She knew the animal instincts which dwelt within him.
"I'm sorry if I bothered you, Liam," Ororo stayed very still so as not to spook him, and brought an almost imperceptibly warm breeze under the willow tree. "Just saying hello. Are you well?"
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Post by Crypt on Jun 26, 2006 11:42:42 GMT -5
Liam cocked his head at her words, trying to understand what she meant. Professor? Formality? What is she- Realization crept in and he understood that she thought he had risen because she was a teacher. His mouth opened slightly, but then it shut again; he wasn't sure what to say to that, or even if he should say anything.
A soft sigh escaped his lips as the warm breeze slid through, barely strong enough to shift his messy hair but easily picked up by the membranes on his wings. He could only assume it was created by her, and he was surprised at the control she possessed; given what he had seen her do, he would have assumed that limiting such power would be nearly impossible.
His eyes focused back on her, and he placed one hand against the trunk, leaning against it in a forced show of comfort. She did not mean to intimidate or overpower him, and he was appreciative of her fearless approach. "I am still getting used to..." There was a pause as he looked back at the mansion, squinting against the lights illuminating the walls. "... other people. I am not sure how well I fit in here."
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Post by Storm on Jun 27, 2006 2:17:51 GMT -5
Ororo nodded slowly. "We have always regarded Xavier's school as a place of ideal and perfect acceptance. The oddities of the human-dominated world find here a society in which to feel safe and free. Well, you know that, Liam.
"But -" Storm raised her eyebrows slightly. "Where there are young people there will always be social tension. Where there is difference there will always be inner tension. In some ways the combination here is more painful to newcomers than the old world which they were used to dealing with. It's a hard thing to be honest about yourself, I know.
"Still. Isn't it better to press through honesty and well-meaning diversity than to suffer alone at the edge of a world which may never warm to you?"
Ororo sighed gently and looked down with mock embarrassment. "I'm talkative this evening. Maybe I've been out here alone for too long."
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Post by Crypt on Jun 29, 2006 21:14:06 GMT -5
Liam watched her intently as she spoke, noting her passion. He'd had freedom before coming to Xavier's - even if that freedom was staying in a single church ruin, he thought with a grimace - but was safety this odd feeling he'd had since not long after his arrival. He had been looking over his shoulder less and less, and he was only startled by loud unfamiliar noises, not every single thing...
And perhaps she was right. In this place, at least, differences were celebrated, not despised. And it was better to be somewhere he could be appreciated.
Taking a tenative step closer, he cleared his throat softly and let his mind slow down long enough to pick his words. "I have been outside for far too long. Perhaps being talkative is not such a bad thing..."
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Post by Storm on Jun 30, 2006 4:59:07 GMT -5
Ororo shook her head almost imperceptibly. Something of Professor Xavier remained tickling at her mind, that made her speak that way. He was in the very walls of the school. And she missed him terribly.
"There are great forces at work here. I'm glad you've joined them, Liam."
She looked at him properly, and smiled at him again. "Outside is a good word. Very descriptive. And thank you for the indulgence."
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Post by Crypt on Jun 30, 2006 5:45:35 GMT -5
Liam nodded his head slightly, offering her a tight-lipped smile before grabbing the book on the ground with a foot and passing it up to his hand. Folding his wings carefully, he stepped around the tree and readjusted his goggles across the bridge of his nose.
"It was... nice... talking to you, Miss Munroe," he said softly, stepping up to the edge of the hanging branches. "If you'll excuse me, I think it's time to 'press through well-meaning diversity.'"
With that he ducked under the branches and stepped to an open patch in the garden, jumping into the air and beating his wings once, gaining the altitude he needed to soar back to the mansion.
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Post by Storm on Jun 30, 2006 6:03:24 GMT -5
"Good to see you, Liam."
Ororo sighed as he flew off. See you, if not talk with you.
Maybe that did a sliver of good, maybe it didn't. Still, it wouldn't be good to landslide him, but the more easy socialization that young man gets, the better.
She looked up at the now-dark sky, shaded more with low clouds, and thought perhaps it would be a good time for dinner.
As she walked towards the mansion, raindrops began to fall. She didn't bother to manipulate them. It was best to let nature work itself out whenever possible.
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