Post by Pyro on Nov 3, 2006 15:12:09 GMT -5
(Continued from Part One)
He had sensed that he'd touched some sort of nerve with her, but wasn't experienced enough to recognise what it was. Instead, he concentrated in enjoying this relaxation time they had together. Who knew when - or even if - they might get the chance again?
As they walked up to the building after a cab ride where she rested her head on his shoulder, watching the city drift by as if they were Cleopatra and Anthony adrift on the Nile, Mystique smiled.
"Did you ever see "An Affair To Remember"?" She wouldn't blame him if he hadn't, it was a pretty romantic film. But classic nonetheless.
"No," he said, softly, feeling unusually content and comfortable with her head on his shoulder. "Tell me why it's relevant to what we're doing now." His hand stole around her back and drew her in to him. He'd never felt this relaxed and at ease with her. It was almost as though he'd made some sort of breakthrough by taking her on the tour of his life.
"Oh it's this incredibly soppy romance from the fifties. Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. This couple falls in love on a cruise even though they're engaged to other people, and they agree to meet six months later at the top of the Empire State Building."
"Only when he gets there, she never shows up. And months later he hears her name, and finds out where she lives. He goes to yell at her for standing him up, heartbroken and angry."
She lifted her head, looking at him. "And as he's about to leave he realizes she's never stood up the whole time. As it turned out, when she was on her way to meet him, she looked up at her love," She looked up at the top of the building again. "And was struck by a car and paralyzed. She was too ashamed to tell him what happened, sure he wouldn't want a crippled woman as a wife."
Mystique chuckled. "If you're feeling overly emotional, it's a good movie. If not, it's pretty dreary." She smirked.
He'd gone quiet following her description of the film and she could almost sense how the tale had touched him. He was a very sentimental sort of young man: probably part of what made him such an avid reader and writer - although he'd never shown her the stories he'd written in the months between her leaving and returning.
"Maybe I'll watch it sometime," he said as the cab pulled up to let them out to join the thronging crowds surging to visit the Empire State. "But for now, let's live it." He entwined his fingers with hers again.
The obviously happy couple drew several looks from passers-by who smiled to see what they presumed to be a young honeymooning couple. If only they had known.
Laughing with him as they almost ran to the elevator, she pulled him toward the back corner while tourists piled in around them. Biting her bottom lip and looking just as young as him for a few moments, she smiled and kissed him quickly.
Seemingly oblivious to the number of people in there with them, he returned the kiss happily. He let his eyes linger on her for a moment, then became aware of several eyes on them. He'd put his arm around her and in a broken German accent, he said, with unmitigated pride, "This is my new wife."
That earned him an impromptu round of applause.
Mystique laughed, and poked him in the ribs between them. So what if he wore the guise a little while. Couldn't hurt.
Waiting until the others started filing out, she gave him a flirtatious look and took his hand, stepping out. Already they could see the distant horizon line around the city, nearly obscured by a haze. The large platform around them was covered by the classic green patina roof, but the rest was open air and it blew a cool summer breeze across their faces.
"I've never been up here myself," she said.
"I could write my name across the skyline in fiery letters twenty foot high," he said, softly, staring out at the stunning view over the city he called home. "Imagine that for an entrance. My God, it's beautiful. You'd never know what it was like if you didn't know it, would you?"
She laughed softly, kissing his neck and walking over to the railing with him. "It -is- beautiful. the greatest city in the world. I lived here for many years. A long time ago."
She looked out over it all in quiet for a little while, smiling to herself.
"Someday we're going to be able to come back here and live quietly. Not us maybe, but mutants. There won't need to be any more fighting. Or hiding. Or lying about who we are."
"Do you really think that day will come?" he asked, looking over the edge down to the ground below.
It was a mistake. He discovered in that moment what true vertigo was like and almost collided with another tourist when he jerked back suddenly, decidedly green around the gills.
She took his arm and smoothly walked in the other direction towards some tables near a small snack cafe a considerable distance from the edge.
"Easy, liebchen, she said, and sat down with him."
Crossing her long legs and leaning on her arms, she smiled softly at him as he caught his breath. "I think it will. Otherwise, I wouldn't be doing what I do."
Several deep gulps of breath later and he'd calmed himself down again. "I won't be doing THAT again in a hurry," he said, somewhat sheepishly. "Thought I had a head for heights - looks like I was wrong."
He sat back in the seat and briefly removed his sunglasses, squinting up at what remained of the sun. "Do you know, I've never really analysed why I do what I do. I think it's for the same reasons."
“When I first started working for the cause,” she said, her accent softening for a moment. “I did so because my lover had a vision of the future she believed in very strongly. I did what I did for love. It took a while until I understood that I believed as well.”
“And then throughout the years, there were more and more reasons. You are lucky, you have been able to witness these things firsthand. In the past, those crimes were not so easy to see. They were beyond the sight of most people.”
She?
It wasn't THAT much of a surprise to John, not really. Despite his youth, he'd always sensed that Mystique was a highly sexual being, something that intrigued him greatly. He surveyed her thoughtfully for a moment, the sudden magnitude of her gift to take on any shape she chose put into a very different context.
"I feel privileged to be a part of what has been and what will come," he said, finally. "I hope you know that I believe very strongly in Ma..in Erik's vision. I know that my time has been rocky, but I am going to get there. I promise you."
Caught up in the passion of the moment, he caught her hand and kissed her fingers. "I promise you."
Mystique looked at him, smiling faintly. After he kissed her fingers she turned her hand and held his face, tracing his cheekbone with her thumb.
“Every time we talk, I believe more strongly in what you are building.” She sighed. “When we’re home again, I want to hear more of your… vision. I believe you have one, even if it isn’t fully born in your mind yet.”
Impulsively, she leaned over and kissed him. The feeling she always had with Erik, of being emperor and empress of their hopes and dreams, was returning now with Pyro. Only now the emperor was much different. But so was the empress.
Tourists surged around them and it seemed to Pyro that Mystique was the only solid thing in a blur of people and noise. Her belief in him caused the spark of leadership that Magneto had lit in him to flare, so much that he actually looked around himself in case he'd accidentally set something on fire.
"You can help me shape it," he said, turning his attention back to her. He laughed, warmly. "It'll be our Brave New World."
He had sensed that he'd touched some sort of nerve with her, but wasn't experienced enough to recognise what it was. Instead, he concentrated in enjoying this relaxation time they had together. Who knew when - or even if - they might get the chance again?
As they walked up to the building after a cab ride where she rested her head on his shoulder, watching the city drift by as if they were Cleopatra and Anthony adrift on the Nile, Mystique smiled.
"Did you ever see "An Affair To Remember"?" She wouldn't blame him if he hadn't, it was a pretty romantic film. But classic nonetheless.
"No," he said, softly, feeling unusually content and comfortable with her head on his shoulder. "Tell me why it's relevant to what we're doing now." His hand stole around her back and drew her in to him. He'd never felt this relaxed and at ease with her. It was almost as though he'd made some sort of breakthrough by taking her on the tour of his life.
"Oh it's this incredibly soppy romance from the fifties. Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. This couple falls in love on a cruise even though they're engaged to other people, and they agree to meet six months later at the top of the Empire State Building."
"Only when he gets there, she never shows up. And months later he hears her name, and finds out where she lives. He goes to yell at her for standing him up, heartbroken and angry."
She lifted her head, looking at him. "And as he's about to leave he realizes she's never stood up the whole time. As it turned out, when she was on her way to meet him, she looked up at her love," She looked up at the top of the building again. "And was struck by a car and paralyzed. She was too ashamed to tell him what happened, sure he wouldn't want a crippled woman as a wife."
Mystique chuckled. "If you're feeling overly emotional, it's a good movie. If not, it's pretty dreary." She smirked.
He'd gone quiet following her description of the film and she could almost sense how the tale had touched him. He was a very sentimental sort of young man: probably part of what made him such an avid reader and writer - although he'd never shown her the stories he'd written in the months between her leaving and returning.
"Maybe I'll watch it sometime," he said as the cab pulled up to let them out to join the thronging crowds surging to visit the Empire State. "But for now, let's live it." He entwined his fingers with hers again.
The obviously happy couple drew several looks from passers-by who smiled to see what they presumed to be a young honeymooning couple. If only they had known.
Laughing with him as they almost ran to the elevator, she pulled him toward the back corner while tourists piled in around them. Biting her bottom lip and looking just as young as him for a few moments, she smiled and kissed him quickly.
Seemingly oblivious to the number of people in there with them, he returned the kiss happily. He let his eyes linger on her for a moment, then became aware of several eyes on them. He'd put his arm around her and in a broken German accent, he said, with unmitigated pride, "This is my new wife."
That earned him an impromptu round of applause.
Mystique laughed, and poked him in the ribs between them. So what if he wore the guise a little while. Couldn't hurt.
Waiting until the others started filing out, she gave him a flirtatious look and took his hand, stepping out. Already they could see the distant horizon line around the city, nearly obscured by a haze. The large platform around them was covered by the classic green patina roof, but the rest was open air and it blew a cool summer breeze across their faces.
"I've never been up here myself," she said.
"I could write my name across the skyline in fiery letters twenty foot high," he said, softly, staring out at the stunning view over the city he called home. "Imagine that for an entrance. My God, it's beautiful. You'd never know what it was like if you didn't know it, would you?"
She laughed softly, kissing his neck and walking over to the railing with him. "It -is- beautiful. the greatest city in the world. I lived here for many years. A long time ago."
She looked out over it all in quiet for a little while, smiling to herself.
"Someday we're going to be able to come back here and live quietly. Not us maybe, but mutants. There won't need to be any more fighting. Or hiding. Or lying about who we are."
"Do you really think that day will come?" he asked, looking over the edge down to the ground below.
It was a mistake. He discovered in that moment what true vertigo was like and almost collided with another tourist when he jerked back suddenly, decidedly green around the gills.
She took his arm and smoothly walked in the other direction towards some tables near a small snack cafe a considerable distance from the edge.
"Easy, liebchen, she said, and sat down with him."
Crossing her long legs and leaning on her arms, she smiled softly at him as he caught his breath. "I think it will. Otherwise, I wouldn't be doing what I do."
Several deep gulps of breath later and he'd calmed himself down again. "I won't be doing THAT again in a hurry," he said, somewhat sheepishly. "Thought I had a head for heights - looks like I was wrong."
He sat back in the seat and briefly removed his sunglasses, squinting up at what remained of the sun. "Do you know, I've never really analysed why I do what I do. I think it's for the same reasons."
“When I first started working for the cause,” she said, her accent softening for a moment. “I did so because my lover had a vision of the future she believed in very strongly. I did what I did for love. It took a while until I understood that I believed as well.”
“And then throughout the years, there were more and more reasons. You are lucky, you have been able to witness these things firsthand. In the past, those crimes were not so easy to see. They were beyond the sight of most people.”
She?
It wasn't THAT much of a surprise to John, not really. Despite his youth, he'd always sensed that Mystique was a highly sexual being, something that intrigued him greatly. He surveyed her thoughtfully for a moment, the sudden magnitude of her gift to take on any shape she chose put into a very different context.
"I feel privileged to be a part of what has been and what will come," he said, finally. "I hope you know that I believe very strongly in Ma..in Erik's vision. I know that my time has been rocky, but I am going to get there. I promise you."
Caught up in the passion of the moment, he caught her hand and kissed her fingers. "I promise you."
Mystique looked at him, smiling faintly. After he kissed her fingers she turned her hand and held his face, tracing his cheekbone with her thumb.
“Every time we talk, I believe more strongly in what you are building.” She sighed. “When we’re home again, I want to hear more of your… vision. I believe you have one, even if it isn’t fully born in your mind yet.”
Impulsively, she leaned over and kissed him. The feeling she always had with Erik, of being emperor and empress of their hopes and dreams, was returning now with Pyro. Only now the emperor was much different. But so was the empress.
Tourists surged around them and it seemed to Pyro that Mystique was the only solid thing in a blur of people and noise. Her belief in him caused the spark of leadership that Magneto had lit in him to flare, so much that he actually looked around himself in case he'd accidentally set something on fire.
"You can help me shape it," he said, turning his attention back to her. He laughed, warmly. "It'll be our Brave New World."
