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Post by Storm on Oct 17, 2006 14:55:01 GMT -5
[Con't from Interior - "Help help!"]
Ororo left the door to her office open. She liked to do that when she wasn't working too hard - it was inviting, welcoming, the way Xavier had always made it feel. She stepped in and put her pile of documents on the desk, leaving them alone for the time being. She needed a break anyway.
Hannah chattered away behind her. Ororo's brow furrowed slightly as she turned and tried to decipher Hannah's simple - and yet somehow so complicated - questions.
She didn't know what had happened with Kitty and her parents. The way the little girl phrased it, it sounded like they were disowning her; but from what Ororo knew of the Prydes - mutant daughter or no - that would not be the case. Perhaps they were divorcing...
She decided not to play all-knowing. It was best to be truthful with children, anyhow; they should not think that adults had all the answers, as they would be sorely disappointed when they got to adulthood themselves.
"I don't know why Kitty said they wouldn't be her parents anymore. Once you have a Mom and Dad, they are always your Mom and Dad, even if they die or separate." She was toeing a line with this statement and she knew it; because while it was technically true, every now and then parents would abandon their children mercilessly and without love, and how could they then be called Moms and Dads? And unfortunately, the little girl she was looking at was a victim of just that.
But she would not spoil Hannah's dreams, if she had any. Ororo opted to try to change the subject.
She sat down on the couch in her office and patted the cushion next to her. "Hop up, Hannah." She smiled and took a look at Bobby's story.
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Post by Nightcrawler on Oct 17, 2006 18:38:11 GMT -5
Kurt slowly rounded the corner, adjusting the bottom of his shirt. He'd taken the time to clean the kitchen after the entire debacle, and then he'd had to clean himself, so his hair was still damp as he ran his hand through it. Still, he was feeling clean: clean skin, clean fur, clean hair, clean clothes... his outside felt as nice as he could make it.
Which was why he was having trouble explaining the turning in his stomach.
He needed to tell Ororo about the kitchen encounter with Cal before it reached her ears through channels where it would be twisted out of proportion. He definitely didn't need her hearing some rumor of how he was sleeping with students.
He also needed to tell her about his pending meeting with Maddie. Having a channel open to such an obviously powerful mutant could be invaluable in the future.
Of course, if that was all there was to it, he could have just teleported down to her office. But for some reason, he didn't want to tell her about it. Something about it in his mind just felt wrong somehow, made something settle in the pit of his stomach.
It just didn't make any sense. Maybe he'd forgotten the correct recipe for the pancakes.
So instead he found his feet dragging as he neared her door. Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself, gathered his courage and poked his head meekly around the doorframe. "Ororo?"
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Post by Storm on Oct 17, 2006 18:51:03 GMT -5
Ororo looked up with a smile at the familiar sound of Kurt speaking her name. It always vaguely sounded like he was choking on something.
"Hello, Kurt. I was just about to read a story to Hannah."
Pleasant images of family storytime flashed through her mind, and she turned to Hannah, asking her as an equal. "Would you like to invite Mr. Wagner to join us, or do you want the letter to be private - a secret?" She liked to use big words with small kids, but was fully aware that sometimes they needed explaining.
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Post by phase on Oct 18, 2006 21:26:12 GMT -5
Hannah's response came clear and loud, as most things did from the bright six year old.
"Mister Kurt!!" She cheered, having tucked herself beside Miss Storm on the couch, her stripey stockinged feet beneath her. "You should come for Bobby's letter too. He won't mind, it's a story." She nodded.
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Post by Nightcrawler on Oct 19, 2006 0:32:45 GMT -5
Kurt smiled, standing in the doorway as Ororo asked Hannah if he could join them. There was something very appealing about watching her interact with the girl; he didn't get to see her be warmly maternal very often, as she had to be the Headmistress frequently, so when he did get to see it, he enjoyed it very much.
"You should come for Bobby's letter too. He won't mind, it's a story."
Stepping into the large office, Kurt made his way to the couch, sitting down on the opposite side of Hannah. "Danke schön, Hannah. I like a good story as much as the next man." He smiled at Ororo over Hannah's blond head. "So, Miss Munroe, are you going to read?"
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Post by Storm on Oct 19, 2006 4:31:27 GMT -5
"I am indeed going to read. Is everyone comfortable?" Ororo continued to smile, pleased at the happy group nestled on her couch. She missed family time with the folks at the mansion. It had been bad enough when the Professor was gone; and since Baltimore, even more problems had continually weighed on her mind. She tried to clear that stress now, and scanned the letter. She was unsure of Hannah's exact reading level, and thought perhaps the little girl may not have been able to fully read the introduction, either. So she began by reading that aloud. The problems that had weighed on Storm's mind were not denied in the letter. In fact, Bobby addressed his situation head-on. But there was something in Bobby's tone, his simplification and optimism, that slowly lifted a weight from her heart. It made her a little sad, of course, that the truth was bad enough that it should have to be hidden from a child. But at the same time there was truth, too, in the words on the page. And there was caring, and that would triumph over all. "'Love, Bobby.'" Ororo settled herself in further and glanced over at Kurt, then down at Hannah, and she patted the little girl's stockinged calf. "All right. Ready for the story?" The window blew open gently, letting a warm breeze into the room, and Storm began. "'Once upon a time...'" She read slowly but cheerfully, inflecting important words and adding a little drama where necessary. It didn't take long for the hidden meanings of the tale to become clear to her. She wondered whether Hannah would grasp any of it. Either way, though, the story had promise, and Storm found herself wondering what would happen next. What was the White Witch's evil plan? "'...the only way she’d ever let the prince go would be if the whole kingdom could learn to be happy without him.'" Storm looked wide-eyed at Hannah. "That's a tough task. Do you think they can do it? The curse the witch put on the prince will make it very hard. "So do you understand everything so far?" |
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Post by phase on Oct 19, 2006 7:58:18 GMT -5
"They can!" She clapped a little, excitedly. "The fairy will help! She always does!" Her smile was sweet and almost proud. There had been a lot of fairy stories before Bobby left, and the metaphor had slowly begun to sink in. While she still didn't get the direct correlation to herself, the theme had stuck.
Sitting in a room filled with the same sort of sadness and hope, Hannah felt her chest tighten, her heart pound a little. She tilted her head against Storm's chest and sucked on her bottom lip, looking at the letter.
"Gotta be happy so the Prince can come back." She said it as if she didn't quite understand, but was willing to listen to the story to find out if it worked.
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Post by Nightcrawler on Oct 19, 2006 13:23:11 GMT -5
Kurt sat quietly, listening as Ororo's voice lifted the words from the page into the air. Bobby's tone was optimistic, and Kurt was thankful for that; it tempered the worried edge on his thoughts. He knew that Hannah would be able to pick up whatever he was feeling, and he wanted to remain happy around her, but thinking about what Bobby was likely going through... it didn't make it easy.
Just a little bit longer, Bobby. We will have you home.
As Ororo began to read the story, though, Kurt felt his heart lifting slightly, and he smiled to himself. She was much better at it than he thought she would be. He wasn't sure how often she'd read stories to children before, but she was adding inflection and emphasis in just the right places, and Hannah was definitely getting into the story. Glancing over the small blond head, he watched Ororo out of the corner of his eye as she talked to the small girl.
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Post by Storm on Oct 19, 2006 13:32:11 GMT -5
"I think so too." Storm put a comforting arm around Hannah and squeezed her shoulders as the child's head leant against her. "Let's see what happens.
"'With the prince gone, the kingdom fell into despair.'..."
Ororo read through each of the different types of flowers, and the little fairy's valiant efforts. In her mind, the fairy was beginning to have Hannah's face; she could just see the little girl tripping through the halls of the mansion with bundles of flowers in her arms.
Amused, she made a mental note to keep an eye on her garden.
"'And the prince declared the little fairy to be a hero to everyone in the kingdom, and they planted a big, beautiful garden in the fields she and the prince played in, in her honor, and in remembrance of the day the little fairy had saved everyone through friendship.'"
Ororo glanced up at Kurt, and then looked at Hannah with a smile. "And they lived happily ever after, right?"
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Post by phase on Oct 20, 2006 23:19:00 GMT -5
Hannah sat in their little fishbowl of emotion, stewing in hope and sadness and joy and peace and that sense of family she'd never felt before she came to Xavier's. Clapping, she nodded. "They always do in Bobby's stories. You're pretty good Missus Storm, but not as good as Bobby when he reads them." She giggled.
"Kitty can't read!" She added. "And her parents aren't dead but she's still lost them. Maybe she needs flowers, then her parents will come back too."
She looked at Kurt. "Did you like the story?"
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Post by Nightcrawler on Oct 21, 2006 1:11:47 GMT -5
Kurt laughed quietly as Hannah told Ororo her opinion of the atmokinetic's storytelling, and he tickled the small girl lightly with the tip of his tail. "I think it was a very good story, but 'Missus' Storm isn't quite male enough to read like Bobby, I'm afraid." Kurt grinned at Ororo over Hannah's head again. "Not that this is a bad thing."
Wondering briefly what had happened to Kitty for Hannah to say those things, Kurt wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "I think that getting Kitty some flowers is an excellent idea, Liebling. But make sure you don't pick them from the flowerbushes up against the mansion. We'll go out to the grounds later and pick them from the gardens."
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Post by Storm on Oct 21, 2006 1:37:10 GMT -5
Storm looked mock-offended. "Not as good as Bobby! You are going to get a rainstorm in your room, missy!"
She tipped her head back a little and laughed lightly with Hannah and Kurt. "Well, Bobby will be back to read again soon. In the meantime, the little fairy is doing a good job of keeping a smile on everyone's face." She looked affectionately at Hannah.
"I think flowers are a good idea too. They won't make anyone come back," she warned Hannah a little more seriously, "but they might cheer Kitty up. Just be sure you don't pick them from my garden!" She wagged a slim finger at Kurt, catching his gaze with a twinkle in her eye.
"Kurt, I'm glad you joined us. Did you come for something, or did a little fairy tell you it was storytime?"
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Post by phase on Oct 22, 2006 1:37:33 GMT -5
Phase giggled, clapping at the idea of picking flowers with Kurt and delivering them to everyone.
She watched the interchange between the two of them, smiling to herself.
[ooc sorry it's short, you said it was my turn but kurt is the one with the question to answer! ack ack]
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Post by Nightcrawler on Oct 22, 2006 2:32:28 GMT -5
Kurt felt his stomach turn again as his purpose for coming to Storm's office was brought back to his mind. Part of him wanted very much to say that he just stopped by to say good afternoon, but there was information that he needed to pass on, as much as he didn't want to. "Ja, Ororo, I need to discuss some things with you."
Looking down at Hannah, he smiled at her and gave her another tickle with the tip of his tail. "Do you know what else makes people feel good, Liebling? Having drawings made for them. Do you think you could do that while I talk to Miss Storm?"
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Post by phase on Oct 22, 2006 2:42:59 GMT -5
Hannah got up from the couch, nicely takign the letter back, then cramming it roughshod into the pocket of her dress. She nodded vigorously.
"I can draw! The green boy, and Miss Jenny, and the guys who gave me the shape tests, and my sensei! And Bobby! I'll draw them right away for you kay?" She said, turning to take his tail in her hand. Shaking it like they were making a pact, Hannah smiled at him, and ran towards the door on stockinged feet.
Skidding to a halt by the door, she turned and beamed at Storm. "Thank you Missus Storm!! Thanks for the story!" Then she was gone, giggling down the hallway.
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Post by Storm on Oct 22, 2006 2:44:46 GMT -5
[OOC: Whoops, good point ; ).]
Storm nodded at Kurt. "Not a problem."
She smiled at Hannah and rubbed her arm as the little girl got up. "Those drawings sound good.
"Thank you for sharing the story with us! I hope everything works out with Kitty; come find me if you ever need to talk, ok?" And then Hannah was off. Storm took a moment to hope she wouldn't skid into a wall in those stocking feet.
She was still wearing the smile as she turned back to Kurt. "If you ever see me stressed, remind me how much I love my job."
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Post by Nightcrawler on Oct 22, 2006 3:01:03 GMT -5
"If you ever see me stressed, remind me how much I love my job."
Kurt laughed and turned his body towards Ororo, leaning back against the arm of the couch. "Ja, Göttin, it's a deal."
Letting his smile drop, he took a deep breath and launched into the first topic of concern. "Ororo, a few hours ago I was getting breakfast when Cal Grandchamps came into the kitchen and changed back to her normal form. Unfortunately, the situation was seen by at least two other students and Logan." He scratched his chin. "I had to teleport to my room and quickly fetch her some clothes, which in retrospect did not make the situation look any better, but I wanted you to know straight from me that appearances are deceiving and there was nothing going on."
Kurt held his breath for a moment, his eyes looking away from her. He had no desire to continue.
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Post by Storm on Oct 22, 2006 3:24:56 GMT -5
Ororo's face sobered quickly when she realized that Kurt was going right on into a serious discussion. He seemed nervous, and she was slightly worried; it took a lot to shake the Incredible Nightcrawler.
Then, she realized just what it was that could shake him.
It did take her a moment; she couldn't figure out how anyone's normal form could be a "situation." But as soon as he mentioned clothes, Ororo's memories of Cal kicked in.
She managed to hold in her reaction until Kurt was finished. He cast his eyes aside and was clearly worried that she would think less of him. Of course, nothing was further from the truth.
She burst into light laughter, almost giggles. "Oh Kurt! I would - I would trust any student naked with you." She laughed helplessly at her own words, and put one hand over her eyes as the image really sank in. Poor man, in the kitchen with unclothed Cal and an audience. He must have been mortified. She wished she had been there.
Ororo calmed down a little and looked at Kurt with a tinge of affection. "It's all right. Cal has made that mistake many times. So have I, for that matter, in the past; it is hard to adjust to this culture sometimes. I've talked to her, and she is remembering more often now. I am sure you made an impression on her too."
She grinned again, and patted his hand. "But I am glad you told me. I believe you entirely, it sounds like you dealt with it well, and I will be sure to disregard any rumors I hear in the halls."
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Post by Nightcrawler on Oct 22, 2006 3:36:15 GMT -5
Kurt could feel the heat rising in his face. The one advantage to having his skin tone was that when you blushed, no one could tell, one of the few things he was grateful for about the way he looked.
Which was even more important seconds later, because she was talking about how she used to do the same thing that Cal had done, and Kurt's mind couldn't help but picture it, and part of him very much wished he'd been at the school back then to see it...
Stop that!
Grinning sheepishly as she laughed, completely unaware of what he was thinking, Kurt shrugged, looking back at her with his yellow eyes. "I am sure she will pick it up soon. We should probably set up a changing station on each floor for her, though. Otherwise we'll have trouble again and again."
Kurt gave a small smile as she patted his hand, but it didn't quite reach his eyes, and as she finished speaking he decided to barrel through the next portion, his voice sounding a little bit flatter and matter-of-fact that he thought possible. "Also, I've set up a meeting in New York with Madelyne Pryor. I'll be meeting Frau Pryor in a mutant bar, the Gene Pool."
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Post by Storm on Oct 22, 2006 4:15:21 GMT -5
Ororo shook her head with amusement at the idea of putting up changing rooms for Cal. She looked a little more serious, though, and got a far-off look in her eyes as she replied, "Yes... I wish it weren't trouble. Sometimes I think this society is too much about hiding ourselves."
Kurt was changing the topic, however, to what sounded like a piece of actual business. In fact, he sounded disturbingly businesslike. Ororo wondered how he could be so unenthusiastic about meeting an attractive woman at a bar.
"A meeting? I know Forge also sent you the DNA information. Has anyone contacted her about that?
"The Gene Pool - an interesting choice. Is this really a business meeting?" She looked sly; and she was in a good mood after the story and the Cal revelation. Besides, Kurt looked so bored with the whole idea that she decided to tease him a little. "You can be honest with me, Kurt."
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