Never-met-Charles AU Raven.

[ex_permute76]

Yeah, sure. Clandestine services. It's great. The first equal-opportunity human-mutant hiring system.

Whether the mutants like it or not.

Listen, this 'Charles' guy, whatever you think -- I don't trust him. I can't afford to. Tossing lasers around, growing wings, whatever. If these guys knew what I've done, I'd be in prison for the rest of my life.

If they could keep me.

You know. Food for thought.

Comments

[orderfromchaos]

Maybe, maybe not. Everyone has secrets.

But you're right powers and governments don't mix well, in my experience.

[There's something about him thats - calming, and rejuvenating at once. As though she's just woken up from a deeply restful sleep, as though she's slightly more alive.]

[ex_permute76]

[Like when she lets her scales flutter back to blue, at the end of a long day.

She takes a deep breath.]

So, what are you? Another mutant?

[orderfromchaos]

[He glances away.]

Not really.

I suppose it's not a distinction that would matter to most people, though. Doesn't matter where the power comes from.

[ex_permute76]

...I guess not.

[She curls up, resting her elbows on her knees.]

So what do you do? Make other people feel inexplicably good? [And she laughs it off, but she's feeling the effect, and she finds it a little unnerving.]

[orderfromchaos]

[He laughs a little too, soft and rueful.]

Sorry. I'd contain it better if I could.

Do you know what entropy is?

[ex_permute76]

...Definitely not.

[orderfromchaos]

It's like...the opposite of energy. The force of time and randomness and inevitable decay in the universe.

I turn it off. Or make it work in reverse.

[ex_permute76]

...Still don't know what it is. [She laughs.] I'm sorry!

[orderfromchaos]

Okay, um - break something.

[ex_permute76]

[Oh look here's a wineglass, oh look there it is in pieces on the floor.]

Strangely satisfying.

What now?

[orderfromchaos]

[He looks at the fragments and - sighs. It's not a sound of effort, but of relaxation, letting go just a bit of something he always has to hold tight. The shards twitch and move and then flow, as if it were the most natural thing, reassembling into the old shape. The breaks heal, and every drop of spilled wine is back in the glass. He picks it up and holds it out to her.]

That's what I do.

[ex_permute76]

So you... make things whole that are broken again?

Do you make people younger? Could you clean up a messy room just by thinking about it?

[orderfromchaos]

[He smiles, and somehow it's still very, very sad.]

I can bring back the dead.

[ex_permute76]

....wow.

[orderfromchaos]

It's not even hard.

It wasn't even voluntary, for awhile. It just...happened.

[ex_permute76]

Yeah. I know how that is.

[orderfromchaos]

[He watches her with a little smile.]

You are more exquisite than you imagine.

[ex_permute76]

I -- um -- no, I'm n-- I mean, thanks?

[orderfromchaos]

I see things...in their entirely. Give me a piece, I see the whole. Patterns of cause and effect through time. The whole system.

I don't know what you really look like, but I still see you.

[ex_permute76]

Well... that's okay. I don't really look like how I look right now.

[darkholme]

[well. hn. okay.]

Have you met Alex Summers yet?

[ex_permute76]

Well, that's kinda where the whole 'throwing lasers' thing comes fr--

...

...wow.

[darkholme]

So then you should know that your past doesn't really matter to--


Yeah, this... happens here. Sometimes. [short wave.] I'm Raven.

[ex_permute76]

I... kinda figured.

But he was already in prison. I could go to prison in, I don't know, Russia. I'm pretty sure we did a job in Russia.

[darkholme]

So then don't go to Russia. [griiin.] But no, really. Charles wouldn't ever let anything happen to you. If anything he'll likely start to treat you like you need to be wrapped up and put in a safe little bubble, any day now.

[ex_permute76]

That could've been more encouraging.

[darkholme]

You're safe, with him. That's what we promised Alex, and I- [Hm, well, it is different, if they didn't grow up together. But then, not at all.] -I can't see it being any different for you.

[ex_permute76]

But, a little risk is... I don't know, it's kind of fun. When you have somewhere to go back to.