dear_mun | (no subject)

[That was understandable.]

You're always welcome back. [He smirks with amusement at his own words.] I mean that in advance.

[There's a faint, soft smile.]

I know, it's why I want ta go back. Everyone else is there, but it all depends on my mun.

Who do you have on your team right anyways? [Subtle subject change.]

[Subject change is probably good. He can talk about the past without effecting the future.]

Right now? There is my sister Raven, there's Erik and Shaun, there's Alex and Angel.... [He's listing off on his fingers] and Moira, of course. She's with the CIA.

[Her blood runs cold there.]

Mystique is...she's your sister?

[The worry lines are back but Charles is confused as to why the animosity.]

She was talking about being called that...personally I don't think it fits. What's wrong?

[She's trying hard to not pull away or be angry at him. It's not his fault he doesn't know, really it's not. But it's hard to not spread the anger and hurt around.]

That's what is called now. [Her voice has a hard edge to it then. There's a long pause before she speaks again.]

She adopted me.

[He can sense that.

Give him a moment to wrap his brain around that.]

Oh.

[Nope, a moment longer is needed.]

...I'm....you're.... [Okay, maybe he's having trouble picturing his LITTLE sister adopting a child which is currently standing in front of him.]

You're family.

[She just waits for all of that to sink in. This...this will take a lot of getting used to.]

Y-yeah..kindda of, I guess?

It's...it's a very long story. I don't think you want to know.

[Does he want to picture his little sister trying to turn her daughter into a terrorist?]

[Actually, he would be more mentally traumatized by thinking of his sister sleeping with someone and having a daughter, so it's not as bad as it could have been.]

So I gather... [Charles runs a hand through his hair, composing his thoughts.] Time passes too quickly sometimes.

[He glances up from his reverie.] Your name's Rogue?

[...Let's not even go there. really, thinking of Mystique being in bed with a man is just...creepy.]

Yeah..how did you guess--you read my mind didn't you?

[Really it wouldn't surprise her, but she would've thought he'd ask permission first.]

[That would truly break Charles' brain.]

[He nods] A surface thought...though I suspect that's not your real name. [Which he won't pry out without permission.] I haven't quite understood everyone's tendency to have code names.

[Which was probably why he didn't go by Professor X till later in life.]

No, it's not, but it fits me just fine. It's there to protect our identities and code names are much easier when you're fightin'.

[Long awkward pause.

What does she do now? Call him Uncle Charley?]

But I don't get along with Mystique. A lot of bad blood between us.

[Please don't. Even Xavier has to draw the line somewhere.]

I'm sorry...I know sometimes we disagree on things. [Poor Charles is slightly clueless as to how different Raven is from his way of thinking.]

[Good because that would've been HORRIBLE.]

That's puttin' it lightly. [Another long pause.]

Look, if you want ta know...look my memories.

[Charles lets out a breath...and shakes his head no once.]

It's not for me to know yet. [Even if he's curious, it wouldn't be right, from his point of view.]

[Well, that's a surprise. She would've thought he would like to know. But he's from the past, so from his perspective it would change history.]

Don't be surprised, then when things don't initially work out between us.

I'll....try not to be.

[Despite being human and a mutant with telepathy, he's also a professor. And he knows the implications of changing the future.]

I will hope that things can be mended, with time.

Which things? Things between you and your sister or things with me?

[Because really, either option won't turn out well.]

...both.

[Xavier is the undying optimist.]

Yeah...uh-huh.

[Sorry, she's not an optimist. She can be at times, but this isn't one of them. With everything that's happened in her life and recently, it's hard to do that.]

Hey...don't give up. Things aren't over yet. For either of us.

[Neither of them knew their own future. Something new could change their story right around the corner. If they gave up, they'd miss it.]

Tell me about your friends, are they going to the school as well? [Here, he'll attempt a subject change.]

[Urgh, why do people think she's giving up? She just wants to ~~run~~ get away for a little while. Nothing wrong with that.]

I'll wait ta see when or even if things get better.

[Smooth subject change there, ~~Uncle~~ Professor.]

Wouldn't that be changin' the future if you knew about your students?

It's possible. [However, he does trust her judgment with whatever she does or doesn't want to tell him.]

[Okay...she'll give this a try without changing things.]

There's a few of them at the Institute. Jean and Scott were the ones who have been there the longest. Then there's...[She starts listing off one student at a time. Not telling of their abilities or anything.]

That's pretty much it.

[Charles listens intently, quite pleased with the number of names.]

Wow, that's quite a few. [He considers.] There will probably be even more farther ahead in time. [Enough time, and mutants could become equal numbers with humans. That is, if they were allowed.]