The Grand Welcoming - Wading through the Barriers
Friday 23rd March
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The morning wasn’t so evil as Scott had imagined it to be, or feared it to be more accurately… not that he was aware of what went on with his friends while he was readying for his parents arrival. Yet surely his father wouldn’t come, if only one parent could travel it was really his mother, she’d not allow herself to be forced to remain in one sport, she was always a wanderer and the King had long ago accepted that free spirited side of her. It always made talking with his mother so much easier, because she understood the wish to be beyond the castle walls in a way the others never did. Sure they wanted to go out and fight and defend their home, but Scott wanted more then that.. he wanted to see and learn what else was out there and leaving to find Arlen had been his greatest chance, and now he found the school and he didn’t want to leave, not yet…
The letter his folks sent sounded as if they’d be coming later, which was good because Scott hadn’t slept well and he could have used the additional hours of the morning to laze around and catch up on some rest. Only it appeared they were arriving earlier and that wasn’t good at all, everyone was off doing their own things mostly and he was most definitely not ready to meet his family, he had been so hopeful that it’d be hours before they arrived that it caused more panic in the fact they came early.
Scott felt all alone standing there, waiting out on the front steps, forced to sit off to the side where no one would walk into him, looking rather miserable in his boredom and worry. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see his family… he did… and he missed them, and he missed his home, but they made it so hard to see them because each time he did they tried that much harder to stop him from returning. It got to the point where all he could do was have a messenger run between him and his family with whatever requests the youngest Prince may have had.
A soft tension crept into the fairy’s form, his azure gaze almost frozen on the gates each time movement could be seen, he wasn’t sure how his family were arriving, whoever was coming… if it would be flashy or low key. No one aside from Riley and Arlen really knew of his royalty, what if his family didn’t want to play his game? What if they wanted to be known for who they were? Suddenly it all came into realization, the lies, or lack of whole truths really, they’d all crumble apart in front of his friends, they’d all know he was never entirely honest, what if they thought it was because he didn’t trust them? Riley wouldn’t have even known had Arlen not been so open with his bloodline and then let it slip that Scott was also a prince.
The pale jeans, white sneakers with the black soles, his white sleeved shirt, a slightly crimpled fashion yet still casual enough to give the fairy Prince a normalcy about him that gave off a comfortable casualness, while still looking smart for his family. At least… by human standards. Scott could already imagine the look on his family’s faces when they came dressed in their wondrous silks and painstakingly designed fabrics. Knees were pulled towards his chest… Vohan liked human clothes… they weren’t as wonderful as his people’s style but they were simplistic and stylish in their own right. At least some were, he liked the freedom they offered, he looked looking… normal, equal… he liked being here so badly, how did he explain it to them without hurting those he loved so much?
Re: The Grand Welcoming - Wading through the Barriers
Parent’s weekend! It had been a long time since the last one. Too long probably but then again it wasn’t something that was easy to organise in a place like the Institute. In fact Scott was immensely proud of Jean for having had the courage to pull it all together given what she was going through at the moment. This was why he was so determined to play his own part in making the whole procedure go smoothly! Helping with the logistics had been an obvious first step. After all, logistics was a form of tactics in a way and that had always been his forte. He wasn’t about to shirk the leg work either though As long as his legs let him that was.
Mornings weren’t his best time these days he had to admit. The effort of manoeuvring his crippled arm into clothes was enough to leave him weak and shaking but, touch wood, the drugs Hank had proscribed seemed to be holding the worst at bay and he had to admit that he had taken more than his fair dose of painkillers when he had heard that these particular guests were arriving.
It was one of the few times when Scott could actually say he had no idea what to expect. Fairies! Who would have thought! Certainly not him when he had first come to the Institute But then that was a long time ago and many things had changed. Not all of them for the better. This was thankfully one of the bright spots, an unexpected opportunity to reach out and make contact with another people, one who had had such a close relationship with mankind in the past and whose very existence now had been relegated to the realms of legend and folklore, to the point where non believers didn’t even see them any more.
It was a tragic loss to be sure but one not necessarily in Scott’s opinion caused by a deliberate, self imposed blindness. It wasn’t always easy to keep a balance between science and belief. When you had taught all your life that scientists had found so called rational explanations for what had once been considered miraculous occurrences it seemed only logical to dismiss everything ‘supernatural’ as simple fabrication. In many ways I have been lucky Cyclops though as he headed for the front door of the institute. Science and belief I have the best of both worlds. Though I suppose I have also had the worst.
It had been easy for a child lost and alone in an institution to want to believe in miracles. And all too easy for a young man brought face to face with what Mr Sinister had done to him in his youth to realise the enormities that had been committed in the name of science. Now however he was a man. One who most thought incapable of flights of fancy. If only they knew, as Jean did, what went on behind the visor! Behind the barriers that his uncontrollable power had imposed since childhood! There were many who were surprised he could even see Scott As if somehow the fact that he was perceived to be always reliable, always level headed somehow meant that he had forgone imagination along the way. Ah well they could think what they wanted too. All that mattered to him was that he could catch the wings glittering in the sun sometimes and the wide innocent eyes. Even if their changing colours were denied him by the ruby visor!
Not that Cyclops had spent a lot of time with this most unusual of students. In fact most of his observations had been done at a distance. After all when your emotions were in turmoil as his had been recently it wasn’t really a good idea to inflict your presence on an empath! Now however things were different. Now that he knew what lay ahead and had shared the truth with his family and friends. It had given him a kind of peace. Fragile certainly! One which could still shatter into resentment and fear if he let it! But still better than the months of wild uncertainty and concealment that had gone before. It was enough to let him face this coming meeting with serenity, his pain hidden by the drugs ,his lingering doubts by the shield that he had developed over the years of living with two powerful telepaths.
In fact he seemed to be more at ease with the idea of meeting Scott’s parents than the fairy did himself. Cyclops smiled as he caught sight of the huddled form sitting on the front steps. Some things it seemed were the same whether you were human, mutant or supernatural creature. Family relations for example! He had seen that worried look on the faces of so many students over the years. He just wondered why exactly it was on Scott’s at that moment. "Looks like you could do with some company" he said sitting down on the cold steps beside the youth. "Mind if I join you? Then we can wait for your parents together. And you can tell me why you’re looking so worried. If you like. Is it because they might not come? Or because they might?"
Re: The Grand Welcoming - Wading through the Barriers
"Looks like you could do with some company" Bright eyes peered up at the speaker nearby, putting a name to the familiar face once the fairy’s gaze settled on it. Scott Summers. They had the same name… well… at least they went by the same name in these parts. Vohan sighed slightly as he thought of how simple a human’s name usually was, compared to that of the ancient names… so many holding similarly ancient secrets. The fairy offered the human a readily warm smile, despite the sadness that tinged it.
"Mind if I join you? Then we can wait for your parents together. And you can tell me why you’re looking so worried. If you like. Is it because they might not come? Or because they might?" Clear wings twitched awkwardly on Vohan’s back as the fairy sighed slightly while looking back towards the gates where he half figured his parents would pass though. Why was it that humans held so many surprises and yet these surprises were constantly overlooked by the legends of old that spoke of how barbaric and wild these people were. True, some were callous and cruel, but the kindness Vohan had felt here far outweighed such things. Granted these people weren’t harmless, but Vohan knew that even the most gentle of creatures are often far from harmless themselves, they all need some form of defence or they would perish at the hands of their enemies.
Ruby quartz lenses met the Prince’s gaze as the fairy looked over at the man, seemingly so much older and yet undoubtedly so many centuries younger, it always blew Vohan away. Fingertips touched against Vohan’s chest, pressing lightly over his heart as he looked at the teacher and offered a slight bow of his head in greetings. Purely out of habit, one which had slacked only slightly in his dorm room living set up, but all his traits seemed to flourish back now as he mentally prepared himself for the arrival of his family.
"Your company is most welcomed." The Prince replied in assurance, though he couldn’t really be phased at this point if he was alone or not, he wasn’t sure which was best, both options had positives and negatives to them and right now the fairy attempted to focus on the positives of the situation at hand. The youthful features of the handsome fairy gave Scott a passing scan, noting the change in appearance from the first time they had met… how extreme it seemed for someone who didn’t see the man on a daily basis.
"They are my family…" The Prince insisted, pushing the fact beyond all other doubts he had, as if answering some hidden thought he had previously held. Diamond eyes moved from the dark attire of the man, attempting to ignore the sight of the similarly dark sling which cradled Mr Summers arm. "…I miss them." Softer words ended the sentence, the loss of his family resonating in his voice as he longed for their arrival to ease the pain of longing inside. "And yet.. I fear that when they arrive, all I have gained shall be lost to me." It only occurred now that the Prince had rather jumped head on into this topic, throwing it at the human and wasting no time getting to the grit of the matter, which caused Vohan to pause and look away.
"I’m not ready to go home Mr Summers.. I fear the confines of the world I once lived in will no longer be liveable to any extent." Admittance tainted the edge of his words, as if they were once secrets that he now said aloud for the first time, strange to even his own ears. The panic that swelled went unnoticed by the Prince, who was more focused on what was happening instead of how he felt at this moment. He didn’t want to leave, that’s all that mattered… but he wanted to enjoy his family’s arrival and that left a pang of hurt when he thought how it could be tarnished by the bitterness of his desire to stay here in the mortal realm. "Everything’s so unclear to me… am I being selfish?" The last sentence was a thought to himself, a vain attempt at trying to nudge himself back home, to where he belonged… where he was born to be… That’s what was important right? His people, the thrown, everything his brothers strived so desperately to uphold. But the youngest prince didn’t want it… he didn’t want any of it, he just wanted to be like his mother, free to roam, free to help those who needed help. His father always pushed Vohan to learn to fight, but the youngest son seemed to always end up retreating at the earliest chance in order to continue on with his own things. Vohan knew his father wanted him to just be as strong as possible, to be able to protect himself from the harms he was likely to encounter, but it wasn’t in him, the art of the blade wasn’t appealing, even magic had its limits. He could shoot an arrow reasonably straight on the mark, but that didn’t mean he wanted to… Distress was apparent as thoughts flooded the fairy’s mind, constant, never ending worries of what might come to pass should he be removed from the school.
Re: The Grand Welcoming - Wading through the Barriers
He had been right. There was something more here than simple anticipation of a family visit and you didn’t have to be an empath to see it. Well no doubt Scott would tell him about it in his own good time. If he wanted to that was. And somehow Cyclops thought that he did, even if he hadn’t quite realised it yet.
For now though there was a sigh, the sound somehow mirrored by the fluttering of the iridescent wings and the troubled look in the wonderful eyes. Yet as always, despite his obvious consternation, the fairies manners were implacable. The ceremonial gesture wasn’t lost on the X man, nor was the formal tone of acceptance as Scott said "Your company is most welcomed."* Well maybe that’s an exaggeration at the moment* Cyclops thought to himself with a wry smile *but somehow I think it may be helpful. If and when he decides to open up!*
That was something you learned over the years, if you were a teacher and a leader as the visored man undoubtedly was. When to be present and when to walk away! When to speak and when to listen! He was listening now, ready to sit in companionable silence or hear Scott’s worries as the young man desired. Offering the possibility of discussion or simply moral back up if the situation called for it! Though it seemed that Scott was going for the first option! At least in the short term!
"They are my family…" he started hesitantly into the warm silence that the teacher offered him, a blank page on which to trace his concerns. . "…I miss them." Almost a whisper yet brimming with a longing that left no doubt as to their sincerity. * Yes you do, don’t you* Cyclops thought *But* That was it, he was certain! There was a But waiting to come out and with it would come the reason for Scott’s sadness and apprehension on what should have been a joyful reunion. And it wasn’t long in coming. "And yet.. I fear that when they arrive, all I have gained shall be lost to me."
*Now what exactly does that mean?* Cyclops asked himself curiously. * I guess I will just have to wait and see if it becomes clearer as we go along.* "I’m not ready to go home Mr Summers.” Behind the visor the X mans eyes widened in surprise. Go home? There had never been any talk of Scott going home. At least not as far as he knew. *When did all this spring up* he wondered. *And do Lexi and the others know about it?* It was the reaction of a team leader but then again that was what he was first and foremost and always had been.
Your team mates were the ones you turned to with problems like this. They were the ones you looked to for help when the world was crashing in around you. Or at least that was how it was meant to be. So saying Green rescue squad hadn’t been together for very long. Maybe it was too much to expect that they would have had time to establish themselves as a coherent whole or for Lexi to impose herself as their leader. Still it would say a lot for them if they had. It would certainly be interesting to see how they reacted to this news the strategist in Cyclops decided, though for the moment the man realised that it was Scott’s own concerns that were of prime importance
“I fear the confines of the world I once lived in will no longer be liveable to any extent." the fairy confided to him bringing a soft sigh from the teacher. That was something that every child went through, though Scott’s unique circumstances did make the situation all the more difficult to deal with. "Everything’s so unclear to me… am I being selfish?"“No son” Cyclops said gently “You’re just growing up. And that’s not always easy” Suddenly he felt so much older than the young man standing before him even though he knew that Scott had been alive since long before he had even been born. But then age didn’t have anything to do with years Not really It was experience that counted and Cyclops had had more than his fair share of that.
“We all go through it” he explained softly “ We go out and live our lives, see new places, meet new people. Do things we never even dreamed possible. And suddenly one day we realise we’re not the child that left home. Not any more. Somewhere along the way we’ve become more than just someone’s son or daughter. Though the love is still there and always will be,we’ve become our own person. And though that’s scary as hell its also pretty wonderful. And not selfish in the least.
Re: The Grand Welcoming - Wading through the Barriers
“No son” The words came in an instant, soothing and yet assuring, soft yet adamant, “You’re just growing up. And that’s not always easy” Everyone seemed so willing to declare how the young fairy was growing up, but he was only twelve centuries, he barely begun his life and has felt more was accomplished in the last few months here in the last few centuries back home. Then again, it hardly mattered how much experience he gained, he was still 12 in the eyes of all his kin, that meant he was treated like one, and it hardly mattered how he felt about it. Acting ones age was never entirely important with Scott’s father, as long as they did everything and that step more then all others similar ages to his sons did, his children were considered well off. If they didn’t, they were slacking, if they did more then even they were expected of doing, they were considered trying too hard, or trying to prove something.
If the youngest Prince went home and started keenly showing an interest in studying, he’d be taken aside by his father, or any number of others, and quietly assured how much everyone loved him, and how they appreciated his efforts, and some how allude to the fact that he was the youngest of so many siblings. The eldest will have the most responsibilities, while the youngest will have the least, it’s the way it has always been, for better or worse. At least, that’s how it always seemed to go in all other things, though obviously there were exceptions in the past, if one sibling proved better then another at something like tactics, he’d be in charge of the general militant side of things, even if not the King. Like their current ‘Advisor’ who is Vohan’s uncle, he and his father both had a wonderful grasp on combat and tactics, however the fairy’s father had so many more other things that he was more capable of handling that his youngest couldn’t, and so Vohan’s uncle managed to travel and learn more then his father had, gradually improving his skills to a point that the Prince’s father always asked his brother’s opinion on anything related to the war efforts.
A soft sigh came from the elder of the two beings, though the fairy hardly felt as if he was such, his body leaning forward and his arms curling around his knees. The Prince didn’t like the thought that he would never exceed his brothers in his father’s eyes, but at the same time, Vohan hardly had that as a goal in life, but it’d be nice to be really good at something and be given credit for it without being told you’re too young to bother worrying about things. Silvery wings lifted from the youthful being’s back, bright azure eyes focusing on the human despite Vohan’s cheek resting down on his knees while listening to Mr Summers.
“We all go through it” Yes… that was true, everyone passed a phase of life that others were also phased with, but some handled it better then others and right now from where Scott was the children here had so much more freedom then he did and Vohan was so much older in some ways and yet felt so much younger in so many others. “ We go out and live our lives, see new places, meet new people. Do things we never even dreamed possible. And suddenly one day we realise we’re not the child that left home. Not any more. Somewhere along the way we’ve become more than just someone’s son or daughter. Though the love is still there and always will be,we’ve become our own person. And though that’s scary as hell its also pretty wonderful. And not selfish in the least." The fairy lifted his head as Scott Summers continued talking, individuality, such a simple thing, so innocent and real and yet there was almost a voice assuring Vohan he was still far too young. So scared was the fairy that people may treat him differently, for better or worse, had they known of his royal origins, that even after the fear of threat had vanished, the Prince still hesitated on realizing his heritage. But if he had, would this all be different? Would this talk be different?
"What if I were more then just a child Mr Summers?" The Prince curled a little more and turned his face to rest the chin on his knees. "What if…. There were responsibilities that fell upon my shoulders, if nothing more serious then following what I know is expected of me? Even if most of the time it does appear there is so little they expect.." There was a pause, as if his own thoughts were warring with whatever was flowing through his mind, his brow lightly furrowed as he continued. "Being here, I can see what I could not before.. the stories we are told as children are nothing but just silly tales, whose meaning do more harm then anything. You are not all the barbarians described, nor is Tessa the wild creature depicted of mixed bloods.." If he hadn’t left home, if he hadn’t stayed here, then none of this would be known to him, the fairy would still fear the very thought of being seen by a human, whereas now he actually longed to make more friends such as Riley and Michael. Azure eyes lifted to face the mortal man once again.
"I am the fifth and the youngest of my brothers.. and while I know how great our responsibilities are I feel confined by the knowledge that, it is so rare for our people to bare more then three, and yet here I am, and it seems as if my life is but a shadow of all those before me. I do not shun who I am, I love my family and I love my people.. but there are so many things I could learn that I am unable to because all they see when they look at me is a child and more then that, their youngest." The Prince had never really complained all these years, but he had never been happy with being so different from all the other children of his own kind, they were allowed to play and wander and stay out of their homes and go to other homes and do things and go to places and granted they were with parents and yes Vohan had travelled occasionally with his mother but it wasn’t enough for Scott to sit back and watch everyone else get the chances his heritage was denying him for his own safety.
"I have not studied as hard as I have here and I barely do as much as all the others in my team, having a team in itself is something I could never dream of back home, they would not let it, they would think me incapable of taking care of myself." Perhaps his mother didn’t think that so strictly as her son depicted, but that is how it felt and after all this freedom he had been given the thought of losing it all again was painful. "They would not let me out of the castle walls, even the grounds were ‘unsafe’ to me, what hope have I to grow when to grow is considered such a waste of time in their minds?" Being upset never helped… but he was just so.. so angry! How dare! He was more a helpless victim waiting to be snared up by some unspeakable villain BECAUSE they refused to teach Vohan the things he really needed to know, the tricks the strengths the very essence of life to help guide him through it. How could he learn if they’re always there holding his hand, picking him up whenever there was the slightest of uneven grounds?
Lips parted slightly, as if to continue before he paused, his mouth closing and his eyes darting away to lay focused on the sea of green that spanned the front lawn of the school. Fear and displeasure wasn’t entirely something the fairy had found himself familiar with and it was more uncomfortable and frightening to hear himself speak in such a negative way, even if his brothers have had their fair share of disagreements with their parents in the past… The Prince closed his eyes a little as he thought over his words, their echoes in his mind screaming at him for his slip of tongue and yet at this point, Scott felt it was more then important to discuss just who Mr Summers was about to introduce himself to… but why was it so hard to say the words that needed to be said? Would they be angry at him for lying and not care any more that he was upset and wanted to stay with them?
Re: The Grand Welcoming - Wading through the Barriers"What if I were more then just a child Mr Summers?" Cyclops stayed silent, letting Scott feel his way into the conversation, knowing that there were things here he needed to talk about and that perhaps he was ready to do so. Though from the looks of him the subject was a difficult one. "What if….” Again the hesitation, searching for the words that would convey his meaning, that would let him say enough but not too much. Finally he took the plunge. “There were responsibilities that fell upon my shoulders, if nothing more serious then following what I know is expected of me? Even if most of the time it does appear there is so little they expect.."
So his family had a plan for him did they? One he didn’t sound very enthusiastic about.Though maybe he had been before he had come to the school and stepped outside the realm he had always known to see possibilities he hadn’t known existed. That was what Cyclops thought as Scott told him of his changing vision of the world and of the people in it. *They have as many myths about us as we do about them * he realised Misconceptions on both sides that Scott could help put right if he were given a chance. Though as Scott continued talking, telling him more about his place in the family Cyclops realised why he might think such an opportunity would be denied.
It was never easy being the youngest, especially with so many brothers. Always being considered the baby. Always being confronted with what the others had achieved and you were supposed to match up to. Or in this case, being such an unexpected addition to the family perhaps having no role left to play. None that interested you anyway, except perhaps one you could carve for yourself. Scott was capable of doing just that Cyclops knew. Or at least he would be given a little longer to blossom. Because he was definitely doing that, especially in the last couple of weeks. Even if he didn’t seem to realise it himself.
“I barely do as much as all the others in my team” Scott told the teacher. How could he believe that? Lexi certainly didn’t, not from the report she had handed in after training island. The fairy was an integral part of Green Rescue Squad, an unlikely mixture of powers and personalities that had incredibly gelled since day one. And something that despite doubting his contribution to it seemed to matter to deeply to Scott
.“having a team in itself is something I could never dream of back home, he continued earnestly they would not let it, they would think me incapable of taking care of myself.*Well we can soon tell them that you can* Cyclops decided . *If that’s what they need to hear Not enough to push but enough to reassure and at least plant the idea that maybe theres another future for you rather than the one they had planned.* .
Then Scott spoke again and suddenly things didn’t seem quite so simple. "They would not let me out of the castle walls, even the grounds were ‘unsafe’ to me, what hope have I to grow when to grow is considered such a waste of time in their minds?" Strange how one little word could make all the difference ‘castle’ Suddenly things started to fit together in Cyclops mind , the reference to responsibilities, to ‘my people’
*Oh hell!* Why did revelations always happen at the last minute? Was it some divine law or just his bad luck? How could they have had Scott with them for so long and not have worked this out? Or another one of these cases where everyone else knows they just don’t think it would be a good idea to share it with the teaching body! In any case it was too late now. Scott’s parents were on their way and he would just have to deal with that as best he could.
“I think I’m starting to see the problem "he told Scott gently “When you mentioned responsibilities you were talking about the kind that someone who grew up in a castle might have, right?” It wasn’t anything resembling an accusation, merely a friendly statement of understanding.
Everyone who came to the Institute brought with them their own past whether they were pauper or prince and each one was judged not by what they had been but what they wanted to become. That was what Xavier had always taught and the code that the man who had been his pupil and was now himself a teacher lived by. So he merely smiled and sighed “Ah well that will certainly make things more interesting.” he said wryly “Though I wish you’d said something sooner son…. I’d have worn a smarter shirt!”
Re: The Grand Welcoming - Wading through the Barriers
“I think I’m starting to see the problem " Everything changes now, this is where talks of how his role as a child of the king far out weighed any personal desires. “When you mentioned responsibilities you were talking about the kind that someone who grew up in a castle might have, right?” That was the name wasn’t it? Castle? It was how Riley had helped translate the fairy’s home. If only Riley was here now… if only anyone of his team were, if Scott had asked for them he was sure they would have come, at least he was pretty sure of it. At least someone was here, where others offered Vohan some personal space, Mr Summers had come and without meaning to was offering support the young fairy didn’t realize he was in so much need of. It was just his family… why was this so hard?
“Ah well that will certainly make things more interesting.” There was a slight withdraw deeper into himself as the prince tried to assess if Scott Summers was upset with this new development or not… it seemed rather difficult ciphering this ones emotions, there were many, and many more being repressed almost intentionally. “Though I wish you’d said something sooner son…. I’d have worn a smarter shirt!” …Smarter shirt? The fairy stared at the other male for a long moment trying to figure out what on earth he meant by that, fabric after all had no intelligence and the Prince couldn’t pin the phrase in any way that made much sense. But right now that was not his greatest concern, though he did wonder if it was more important then he could understand, however Mr Summers didn’t seem overly distraught by any of this.
"There are rules… you humans do not have such rules I have come to notice, at least not to the extreme in which we follow ours. Our true names, the land we are born within… such things are not to be spoken of outside our kind." It wasn’t entirely a defence on his part, just a need to explain, and yet also a need to release the truth without actually telling anything. "Only Arlen and Riley know, but you can not be mad with Riley, please, he knows our law and promised me he would not reveal it after Arlen told him accidentally. I was supposed to talk with you… Riley was giving me time, but then he was taken…" And then he went through that phase as ‘Marc’ and he was really nasty… and then his memories were all mixed and blurred. Time holds no relevance with the fairy and while he was more then patient with waiting for the right time to go to any one of the teachers with the truth, the last few weeks he realized that so much had happened and so many people knew him simply as Scott, he didn’t want that to change!
"I let too much time pass… it became too hard, at first I was too scared to speak with humans, and then I became too scared you all would be displeased with what I have kept from you." So many months, and now it suddenly felt as if he had no time, he didn’t want to lose anyone, he didn’t want to leave, and he especially didn’t want to leave his friends if they were upset of his lies… he had no idea how they’d react, he just went for the worse because in his world lies were shunned terribly amongst their own kind. "I was only here to find Arlen, he ran away…I didn’t even know he was here when I came, I was told by … the one who summons fire, she is a team leader, I know not her name. I saw her… she saw me, she was the first to see me, she told me of Tessa and the school… I had heard tales of wild fairies and I just wanted to meet her." Why was he saying this? "I followed some of your students back and by chance met Arlen and then I tried to get him to return home but he wouldn’t, so I stayed with him, I hid in his room for a while. I had been here longer then you know, but just by a few weeks, Riley and Connor saw me in the halls waiting, I got stuck outside of Arlen’s room and Connor was taking… pictures. After that I…" There was a slight shrug, though he felt like he was rambling and this was entirely pointless and so far off the fact that soon enough his family will be arriving. "…just… stayed. Riley and Connor had helped me became part of your students… but I stayed in my room most of the time, I only just started making friends, I never had to worry about lying to people till I was put on a team and no one asked me if I was… who I really was…" He sounded a little confused by his own words, though despite pushing one with his (what he considered to be) misplaced tale, it seemed now things came to a finish while he stared the scuffs of his shoes as he leaned into his knees.
Re: The Grand Welcoming - Wading through the Barriers
His comment hadn’t done much to lighten the atmosphere. Scott really was too caught up in the moment to appreciate that this bombshell he had just dropped had been accepted by his teacher despite the political ramifications that it implied for the Institute. Nor had an explanation been asked for, at least not there and then, though he gave one all the same. "There are rules… you humans do not have such rules I have come to notice, at least not to the extreme in which we follow ours. Our true names, the land we are born within… such things are not to be spoken of outside our kind."
That was something Cyclops could respect. You did whatever was necessary to protect those you cared about and if that meant keeping their whereabouts and very existence hidden then who was he to say that they were wrong. Given Scott’s newly revealed place in the scheme of things it was logical that he above all others would keep to the traditions of his homeland, even if now it did seem he was rather struggling against them. So his rank had been a state secret. Well that was one excuse you couldn’t really argue with, now was it? "Only Arlen and Riley know, but you can not be mad with Riley, please, he knows our law and promised me he would not reveal it after Arlen told him accidentally. I was supposed to talk with you… Riley was giving me time, but then he was taken…"
Cyclops sighed. Riley! Now why was he not surprised! It seemed that young man was a positive hotbed of dangerous secrets although admittedly this one wasn’t his own. So he had encouraged Scott to tell someone at the school what was going on, had he. Good advice the X man had to admit. Just a shame he hadn’t followed it himself. Maybe if he had then they would have been able to keep him and Catherine out of harms way instead of letting them wander casually around with some government agency snapping at their heels.
It made Cyclops angry just thinking about it. How could you plan, how could you protect if you didn’t have all the elements? It made a mockery of tactics. It put them all in danger and for what? Not to uphold a princes duty to his people as Scott had done. But simply because he had been to scared, to ashamed to admit what they had done to him.
It wasn’t that Cyclops didn’t know what that felt like. Or that he failed to sympathise. But in the end for him it all boiled down to a question of responsibility. Riley had been a team leader. He had an obligation to keep those under his command safe. Yet each time he had led his people out on a mission there had been this added threat hanging over them, a sword of Damocles waiting to fall and which they had no chance to dodge. Simply because they didn’t know of its existence. And that was why Cyclops was angry. Yes it was hard to make that decision. To say ‘my presence puts the lives of others in jeopardy’ and either step down as he himself had done when his condition had deteriorated to the point that he became a risk to those around him in combat, or ask for help. Because god knew there were plenty of people around who could have given it.
"I let too much time pass… it became too hard, at first I was too scared to speak with humans, and then I became too scared you all would be displeased with what I have kept from you." Cyclops sighed again. Was this what had happened to Riley too. It was more than likely. So yes he did understand. He just couldn’t condone. In any case what was done was done. And now there was another problem at hand. Though at least this time the information was getting through in time to be of some use. Even if it had been a close run thing.
“I was only here to find Arlen Scott told him still sounding upset, he ran away…I didn’t even know he was here when I came, I was told by … the one who summons fire, she is a team leader, I know not her name” Garnet! Now would he have picked her as someone who would see fairies? Possibly not, though it was nice to know that she could .” I saw her… she saw me, she was the first to see me, she told me of Tessa and the school… I had heard tales of wild fairies and I just wanted to meet her." Cherchez la femme! Temptation had many guises and meeting something you had only heard of in legends… well that was a powerful one wasn’t it. It had after all brought him out to these cold steps in the first place, even if he hadnt realised then just what he was getting himself into. Much like Scott hadnt when he first came to Xaviers from the sounds of things.
"I followed some of your students back and by chance met Arlen and then I tried to get him to return home but he wouldn’t, so I stayed with him, I hid in his room for a while. I had been here longer then you know, but just by a few weeks, Riley and Connor saw me in the halls waiting, I got stuck outside of Arlen’s room and Connor was taking… pictures. After that I……just… stayed. "
Cyclops could imagine all to well what had happened. He had got sucked in.Scott wasn’t the first and he wouldn’t be the last. You came just to have a look around, maybe spend a day or too, see what was on offer. You ended up with Xaviers so much a part of you that the idea of leaving was like physical pain. Like the pain that clouded Scott’s eyes as he spoke. "Riley and Connor had helped me became part of your students… but I stayed in my room most of the time,”
It sounded such a lonely experience. Surrounded by people he didn’t know, most of whom couldn’t even realise he was there. What had kept him here? What made him want to stay so badly? The fact perhaps that those who did see him saw only the fairy, not the prince. That here at least he was judged on his own worth not for his birthright? “ I only just started making friends, I never had to worry about lying to people till I was put on a team and no one asked me if I was… who I really was…" The team then. Was that it? And if so, was it the fact that he had been deemed worthy to be put on one, or the people he had found on it that made it so important to him. *Maybe both if he’s lucky* Cyclops thought to himself. “Though that will only make it harder to lose if he does have to go. Lets hope it doesnt come to that*
"Well if no one asked you, then you weren’t lying now were you." Cyclops said gently. ”Besides, you’ll find that lots of people here have secrets of one kind or another, many of them much darker than yours.”*And that might just be the understatement of the century*“Your friends and team mates like and respect you, Scott, the person they’ve come to know and trust, regardless of where you came from. the teacher went on quietly If they knew your background then, yes it would help them understand you better, help them appreciate how hard this meeting will be for you. But in the end it doesn’t change what you’ve lived through with them, all the good times and the not so good ones. That’s what friendships are all about. And that’s why yours will hold whether this secret comes out or not ”
Re: The Grand Welcoming - Wading through the Barriers"Well if no one asked you, then you weren’t lying now were you." That was true... and Scott did share his true name though it was soft and it could have easily gone unnheard while the others were all gathering together and feeling the buzz of being part of the new team. Tess had to struggle to remember it and the prince wondered if perhaps he had been too cautious in his approach and no one managed to catch the honesty he attempted to share with them.
"Besides, you’ll find that lots of people here have secrets of one kind or another, many of them much darker than yours." Darker? The fairy seemed to straighten his posture for a moment and his brow wrinkled a little in minor uncertainty towards the teacher's comment. That sounded very ominous, surely people wouldn't have dangerous secrets, the fairy Prince couldn't even try and imagine such things and yet he was aware that everyone seemed to have *something* that was a secret to others. Though just because it was a secret didn't make it evil, Riley, Tess, Connor, Arlen and not to mention Heath, they all had secrets and some were weird yet they weren't dangerous...were they? Though, come to think of it, Riley's may have been, he was always so worried and never wanted to leave the school with them. When he and Catherine went missing last year it all changed, Riley's entire personality seemed... confined.
Sometimes Scott found himself wanting to talk and yet the student had never made real use of the aaistence provided and he never regreted it more then he had the last few days. When Riley thought he was nasty Marc Lucas Scott had never felt so isolated as during that time. Hank had eventually confined Riley to his room, the whole day had been horrible but it was a catalyst into what was to follow, even when Riley returned to normal the next day things weren't the same.
Then later last year there was another attack, Scott got so angry to think people would hurt his friends, and again Riley's mind seemed as if it had been toyed with. At least he remembered things, though he remembered a lot of different things Scott considered contradictions or just didn't seem to remember certain things at all. Jean spent time with Riley but the fairy knew most of what Riley remembered was as much taken from his dairy enteries and recorded dairies as Jean's attempts to help fix whatever had been fiddled with in Rye's mind. Catherine leaving so abrumptly only worsened things and for the briefest flash Scott found himself wondering if perhaps there was something...*anything*...he could do to help.. They were so complicated a pair and yet Scott knew Riley's emotions towards her.. it was powering and the Prince had to admit to himself that it was actually quite intimidating as well as heartbreakingly sweet.
"Your friends and team mates like and respect you, Scott, the person they’ve come to know and trust, regardless of where you came from." The air of insecurity seemed to melt away as the winged child shifted and sat up straight, his posture still weak yet so much more open, signalling his focus as he looked over at Mr Summers, who despite age, seemed so much more older then the Prince.
"If they knew your background then, yes it would help them understand you better, help them appreciate how hard this meeting will be for you." That was true, the azure eyes turned down the main driveway, a moments wishful thoughts leaving the flyer to wonder if perhaps he should have informed them after all... He'd been so close to doing so the last few days and yet... obviously he hadn't.. That didn't mean he couldn't still tell them, there was still time, such a small amount if his family had its way and yet time nonetheless!
It might help them understand why Scott was so hopeless at so many things, youth had only a fraction to do with his inability to care for himself. The odd times he's needed to ask Riley or someone for help, and yeah a lot of times the excuse of 'unfamiliure' could be tossed around, but being waited and served and followed your entire life... Sometimes it was easy to forget there wasn't anyone there to take his things or help him dress after showers and dry his hair and make his meals... Luckily Ben and Riley seemed to take over most of the meals and that was good, Riley was a wonderful cook, though he followed instructions word for word it still turned out right. The fairy was always guilty as Riley would bake treats or serve sweets specifically for Scott's benefit and there was always such a carefulness when meat was being cooked.
"But in the end it doesn’t change what you’ve lived through with them, all the good times and the not so good ones." That was true... regardless of his position what they had faced was still as real and solid as anything, them knowing one thing or another about him would hardly change that... or at least he hoped... But Tessa.... Scott closed his eyes... it'd change something with her, she wasn't human like the others, she was part fairy, that meant his rank meant more to her then any other. Vohan wasn't just any other fairy that she bumped into, he was a prince, and as long as she longed within these lands he was HER Prince... The fairy wasn't sure he liked that idea, that there was a rank over friendship and when she looks at him she'll see more then just another face, if what she saw was for better or worse Scott cuoldn't be sure and perhaps it was that fear of her reaction that hurt him all the more.
"That’s what friendships are all about. And that’s why yours will hold whether this secret comes out or not" Again the azure eyes opened and stared towards the human, if only it was so easy to believe such kind words... doubt still lingered and yet perhaps all this worry was just making it all the more worse. Mr Summers was right though, friends were friends and they all had secrets, and apparently this one wasn't so bad in comparison to whatever others were hinted at being scattered within these walls.
"If only I had come to your earlier, as Riley had suggested Mr Summers.. I am noticing the teachers here have a wonderful way with words." A smile finally flourished though it was more of appreciation for now, as grateful as Scott felt anxiety still bubbled away inside of him, though at least his mind was more at ease compared to earlier. "..You're not so scary up close." It seemed to just slip out, shyly uttered words that revealed perhaps the main reason Scott avoided so many of the teachers.. They all had something that seemed to make Scott nervous, all so strong and commanding, powerful humans that seemed to leap from the scary legends and come face to face with him around every turn. "So much time wasted being scared.. but you are right, what has gone is past and what is to come is still yet to be. I have a chance to set things right, even if it is perhaps not the best of timing." A breath was taken as a more sincere smile touched the youthful features of the handsome fairy, a hand gently moving to rest over his heart as he gave a slight bow of his head. "Thank you,"
Re: The Grand Welcoming - Wading through the Barriers"If only I had come to you sooner as Riley suggested" Scott said accompanying his words with anothet of is wonderful smiles. "I am noticing the teachers here have a wonderful way with words."
Cyclops was glad that he had managed to allay the fairy’s fears somewhat and still more to have made a breach in the invisible but nevertheless ever present barrier that lay between students and their teachers. It was of course worse here a the Institute than in most places for so many of the youngsters who turned up at the school had already had bad experiences with what was commonly called authority figures , parents, teachers, police, and weren’t ready to open up in a hurry to a whole set of new ones.
Their trust had to be won , that Cyclops was well placed to understand having been rescued himself from similar circumstances by the professors intervention. But still that took time , time these troubled children didn’t always have to spare. It meant that all too often they they tried to cope alone with burdens that were too great for them as Riley and Catherine had done. It meant that like Scott others worried for months over problems that to them seemed insurmountable but which in fact had simple solutions.
A little reassurance. The offer of assistance if it was needed. Sometimes just someone to talk things over with when a friend wouldn’t do. These were all things a teacher could offer without calling on the immense and secret resources at the Institutes disposition. And in many cases they were enough. Certainly they had seemed to help in the present situation.
“You’re not so scary up close” Scott told him earnestly. Behind the visor he teachers eyes blinked in surprise as an unstoppable grin spread itself across his face. Scott was so innocently honest, saying out loud what other perhaps only thought. *Or maybe not* Cyclops reflected still smiling* Maybe they do think I’m just as scary up close.* He knew he had a reputation for being strict but the students he taught soon realised that he was also fair. And as for those who had gone to him for help they found someone who would walk into hell with them if he had too. Even if sometimes he gave them a good talking too about it when everything had calmed down.
He didn't feel the need to do that here though.. Certainly Scott would have slept easier these past few months if he had spoken up sooner and it was equally true that the school would have been better equipped to receive his parents with the pomp and ceremony that was due to people of their rank if they had been aware of the situation but still……..
The prince's reticence to come forward was understandable and in any case there was no time left now for either preparations or regrets. “ So much time wasted being scared …." Scott said softly “but you are right, what has gone is past and what is to come is still yet to be. I have a chance to set things right even if it is perhaps not the best of timing.” The young prince’s thoughts seemed to echo his own but at least the fairy looked calmer and more apt to handle the situation.
“Thank you” he said sincerely, looking at the older man with eyes to which the sparkle had returned. “No problem” the teacher said “Everything will be fine, just wait and see” Though in fact they didn't have to wait for long. Ever since he had heard that Scott’s parents were coming Cyclops had wondered what the meeting would be like. However even now , knowing that this was royalty arriving nothing in his wildest imagination had prepared him for what he now saw approaching the school.
His eyes filled with childlike wonder and a gasp of amazement left his lips. For a moment he almost forgot why he was there, lost in the beauty of the moment . then his years of training took over pushing the child in him aside to leave room for the leader. Rising swiftly to his feet at Scott’s side he stepped forward, enchantment now replaced by a quiet dignity, looking every inch the diplomat waiting to receive a visiting head of state. Even if deep down his heart still pounded like a six year olds beneath the tree on Christmas eve.
Re: The Grand Welcoming - Wading through the Barriers
“No problem” To the fairy the statement seemed a little short and improperly spoken, and yet after all this time ‘no problem’ wasn’t something Prince Vohan hadn’t heard before however each and every time it sounded rather off. It wasn’t entirely surprising as all languages had their quirks but the two words were obviously lacking company and yet nevertheless still widely accepted for what it meant. Perhaps the human was right, perhaps not, ones guilt was hard to surprise with mere words and no actions to accompany them but soon enough the prince had a chance to follow through with what was discussed. He only hoped his courage would not falter when the time comes for him to stand forth and speak the truth to his team-mates. “Everything will be fine, just wait and see” Uncertainty was kept in check as the youth gave a content nod of his head, agreeing to wait and hoping for the best, as long as the fairy did what his heart was telling him to do, then surely things could not go wrong.
The younger looking being turned his head though, senses telling him what eyes only moments after revealed, a shimmer of light, a pale glow that seemed to engulf the very creatures that moved towards them. Somewhere between the gates of the school and the entrance the enchanted beings slipped into the reality they had not been apart of for countless centuries, driven from their ancient homes by both the humans greedy and destructive nature as well as their mass population and merciless disbelief.
On his feet and moving forwards a few feet, the butterflies erupted all the stronger inside of the prince and as the mounted figures drew closer, six silken white cloaked followers in two lines behind three riders before them. Two darker blue cloaked figures on either end and a pale silken female sitting between, magnificent stitching framed the edges of the cloaks but there was something so strangely more enchanting by the head female. With the fully covered woman, who’s face like all others seemed partially obscured by their drawn hoods, had a small bundle rather similarly dressed as the head female sitting with her on the majestic steed. Pegasus, as humans call them, pure white horses born with the wings of powerful birds, the wings currently folded tightly at their sides, the Queen’s horse much the same aside the golden horn that protruded from the centre of her steed’s forehead. At the back a similar horse trailed, unbidden, the white stallion following on its own accord and trusted without reigns, younger then the others, slightly smaller in size, Fethmore; Prince Vohan’s mount.
For the fairies, their mounts were common, and yet for humans, they were things of stories, Vohan’s only awe directed towards them was one of nostalgia, that and he caught sight of Fethmore, both delight and angst rose quickly at his steeds presence. The smaller figure on the Queen’s horse dismounted with what could easily be called an over excited laughter, both surprise and excitement instantly hitting Xavier’s student as the hood fell back in the child’s rush, her long golden locks already falling loose about her shoulders and a small tiara crowed the young girls forehead, a clear stone in the shape of a tear drop centered on her forehead.
"Kelliandria!" The delighted call from the previously troubled boy was enough to say that at this point all fears were instantly washed away, the fabulously designed dress the child wore seemed unfazed by the ground it brushed against, dirt not appearing to be caught up in the fabric as one would expect for a restless child to have happen. An excited chatter broke out as the girl explained the obvious fact that she was ‘a giant’ while they visited the school, the spell to make them all larger used on those unable to shift on their own accord just to be safe. The description brought a laugh from Scott as he picked her up in a hug.
"Talk in human ‘Andria, we would not wish our hosts to think us rude." The melodious voice that came from the still mounted female drew her youngest sons eyes towards her, pale hands lifting to let the hood drop about her shoulders, revealing the stunning blue eyes and long dark hair that would have been visible as the ends sat neatly down the front of either shoulder, similarities to Xavier’s only fairy student were striking. The only difference being that they, unlike Scott, decided to keep their pointed ears, which in their human forms gave them a far more elvish look.
"You already know Human?" Surprise was seen in Vohan’s face but also pride, he had to wait till after 1200 before he really got based the basics but if ‘Andria learned from such a young age she’d be bound to get very fluent in the language before she reaches his current age! "Aunt Lillianeth teach me." The sweet voice replied with a pride of her own, and a smile seemed to reach the Queen’s lips though with the distraction of ‘Andria subsiding the Queen decided it would be a good enough time to start proper introductions, ones that wouldn’t be interrupted but the overexcited child. The three front riders all dismounted, the two males dropping their hoods and showing their blonde hair, one short and the other tied into a short pony tail at the back. There were still similarities in the other slightly older looking boys that stood beside the queen, the same blue eyes and yet still, having taken much of their father’s looks into them they differed still from their youngest brother who took more from the dark beauty that was their mother.
"Prince Krelon," a hand motioned towards the male beside her that had the ponytale. "Prince Levon." Her other hand motioned out to indicate the other boy beside her and then motioned to the young girl. "Princess Kelliandria, daughter to Prince Gegor, eldest of the King." There was such a remarkable and courteous smile, so simple an effort that still managed to create so great a sight of beauty. The Queens hands drew to a rest over her heart, a slight bow of her silvery crowned head, the thin band almost lost in the locks of hair though unlike the child hers sat atop the head, simple yet lavish, thin and delicate, a crown of beauty that wasn’t overpowering, much like the woman who wore it. "And I am Queen Lillianeth of the hidden Woodlands." The youngest son almost was on the verge of throwing himself at her despite the introductions going on, he restrained only barely and ‘Andria now stood beside him, her tiny hands clutching to the strange clothes her young uncle wore.
Re: The Grand Welcoming - Wading through the Barriers
Once upon a time in a land….not so very far away, there had lived a boy. Not a special boy by any means but a happy one none the less. He had had parents who loved him and a younger brother who had driven him crazy as all younger brothers should do, but who had also looked up to him with total devotion, knowing that his elder brother would protect him no matter what. And in the end of course that was exactly what he had done.
It had been a time before the plane crash that had ripped their lives apart,before the fear and loss and the years of a loneliness that only one mans devotion and one girls love could overcome. Back then, in those easy childhood days, it would have almost normal for the boy to accept the vision that now presented itself before him in all its fantastic beauty. That the rather stern and infinitely dedicated man he had grown into could still do so was nothing short of a miracle.
Some said that it took a certain type of innocence to be able to see fairies. The boy they now called Cyclops didn’t believe that for a moment. Oh it would no doubt make things easier but even so…… He had left innocence behind him a long time ago, cast adrift in an orphanage, manipulated by malicious enemies until even abuse had seemed like some sort of warped redemption.
No he didn’t think it was innocence you needed to stand and talk with Scott. He thought it was hope! Hope that despite everything the world could be a better place. That there was something out there that was still good and pure. And hope was something he had never lost despite everything that life had flung at him. Even the knowledge of his own immanent demise. Which in the end could well have been why he was privy to this moment, when worlds that perhaps hadn’t done so for centuries suddenly merged, revealing unexpected splendour and wonders that even as a child he had only dreamed of.
This was the stuff of legends made flesh. Pegasus! Winged horses! Their hooves actually stirring the dust! The way each feather lay against their flank, clearly etched into his hidden eyes. And the people! Perhaps Scott had learned to subdue his radiance, even if he still shone. But these beings. … The one that flung itself at Scott was obviously young. Young! Cyclops bit back a laugh at the mere thought. Years counted for nothing here. Perhaps this seeming girl had lived for many more years than he had. And yet she was childlike. Whereas he……
If he wasn’t young he was far from being old and yet he was dying. Given his situation he should have envied them each effortless day. The inconceivable time it took them to reach a maturity he had been forced so brutally to assume when he had plunged from the disintegrating plane with his brother caught tightly in his arms. And yet somehow he didn’t. For if their beauty burned his eyes, then he had something to match it. Passion! A bright intensity brought on by the very human necessity to cram as much life as he could into the time allotted. No matter how short that time was. Each moment made precious by the knowledge that it could well be his last.
He was glad though that one of those moments had permitted him to witness this. A reunion that his otherworldly student had feared and yet which now seemed to be filled with nothing but joy, as the beautiful child rushed into his arms, the strange words spilling from their lips as fluid as water over stones.
"Talk in human ‘Andria, we would not wish our hosts to think us rude." The voice was as fair as the woman it belonged to and she was fair enough to stop the heart of any man. Confronted with such beauty the X man paid scant attention to the conversation going on between Scott and the girl. The woman was Scott’s mother, of that there was no doubt, the family resemblance clear to see, as it also was in the faces of the young men who accompanied her. Her smile was warm and kind, even if she remained every inch the queen as she made her introductions. "Prince Krelon, Prince Levon."
Cyclops bowed slightly towards Scott’s brothers as they were announced, giving them the recognition due to someone of their rank. "Princess Kelliandria, daughter to Prince Gegor, eldest of the King” He couldn’t help smiling himself as he made his bow to the enchanting girl child who stood beside Scott, her face flushed with excitement. "And I am Queen Lillianeth of the hidden Woodlands."
His breath caught again as he met the queen’s bright gaze and for once he gave thanks for the visor which hid his bedazzled eyes, letting him welcome her with dignity and not with the enraptured look of she must have seen so many times before on the faces of those mortals she had encountered. “Your Majesty, Your highnesses” he said gravely. “I am Scott Summers. My wife Jean is acting headmistress of this establishment. May I say that it is both an honour and a pleasure to welcome you to Xavier’s Institute and that we shall do everything in our power to ensure that your stay here is a pleasant one. “
Re: The Grand Welcoming - Wading through the Barriers
Always a healer, both in blood and in spirit, the Queen needed little time to sense the ailment that weakened this man’s body, as was the curse of mortality… not only were they doomed to such short few years, but their bodies so frail, many did not make it through their full lifespan. For this the fairy Queen often mourned. The human before her however held himself with a pride becoming a noble and respectful creature, one whom radiated a sense of authority, both in giving as well as expecting to receive.
“Your Majesty, Your highnesses” Even with the Prince’s distrust of what they called ‘barbarians’, they still gave a return show of respect to Scott Summers, their heads bowing as their hands raise in fists to gently press again their hearts much as their youngest brother had done since his arrival. Surprise at the formality of the human, Levon had cast a glance over at his brother, who in turn gave a quick look over to show he too noticed what they considered to be ‘out of place manners’. “I am Scott Summers. My wife Jean is acting headmistress of this establishment. May I say that it is both an honour and a pleasure to welcome you to Xavier’s Institute and that we shall do everything in our power to ensure that your stay here is a pleasant one.“ The Queens illustrious eyes turned to watch her youngest after giving Summers one more curt smile, the gaze vibrant in their violet hue, with a slither of blue about the center, focused on the child that seemed to have grown even more since last she saw him… It had really not been so long since last they spoke, her child often sent word back to her one way or another but his actual visits were few and far between, and Lillian knew why… The fear that Vohan’s father would forbid him leaving again stopped their son from visiting, and even with that knowledge the King still insisted that the human world was no place for their son.
"You have brought happiness to my son Scott Summers, what more could a mother possibly ask of you?" Once again the Queen’s eyes flittered back to the human, for a moment seeming to study the visor, such a strange thing upon his face… could he see through that, or did he see some other way? There was a pause, the focus of her eyes than locking onto his, as if seeing right through the device, the precious stone, to the hidden eyes that lay behind. Slender fingers raised, pressing the tips of them over her heart, her palm gently touching her chest as she bowed her head, the followers behind the Queen clenching their fists and following suit as they too bowed.
"Our stay will not be long." Krelon announced, as the King demanded they not dawdle, yet the Queen offered the school teacher another of her small smiles, full of radiance despite the subtle tenderness. "Just a few days perhaps… two or three, we have not yet decided such things." Her eyes turned to her youngest son, who went from a rush of distress to relief in an instant, this was important to Vohan, the people here were important, and while the King was still bitter from past betrayals and ruthless rivalries shared with the humans ancestors, their son saw something else in them, something grand and something he was willing to fight to keep. The smallest Prince was not one to stand up against his brothers, nor the King himself, and yet in regards to staying in this school, Vohan was doing all he could, and Lillian was willing to show her child that regardless of what must occur, she still respected how he felt, and wanted him to have the proper chance to say goodbye.
The eldest brother turned to the other men still standing behind them, raising his voice clearly as he dismissed them and told them to tend to the mounts and take the steeds somewhere safe. The effortless flow between them made it impossible for anyone to tell that staying a night or more hadn’t been part of the place, it hadn’t fooled Vohan though, and it took a moment longer for the young Prince to recover from the fright of what seemed like an imminent departure.
"Mr Summers," Taking a step away from the little girl, Vohan realized that the teacher would not assume what the fairies had taken for granted would be known… "My family… they do not sleep confined by walls of man made stone such as the school," It took Vohan months to grow accustomed to it and even know he still struggled to spend more then he needed in that room, it had a comfortable bed but the walls were too close and too… lifeless. "Mother, a lake resides nearby, within it a shelter made by Arlen, he no longer uses it and I spent many nights there, it would be to your liking, perhaps later I can take you there? If not that, there are wonderful gardens full of willing trees to make home for the night." A very slight nod of her head was the Queen’s reply, she was a very subtle lady at times, but if needed there was a force behind her gentle ways and with her passion lies a strength that helped her wade through battle fields to help heal the wounded or helpless at their worst.
"I would like to see the young Prince Arlen once again," The Queen inquired wistfully at the child who had been one of Vohan’s only close friends, many children were not born during the war, and so it was limited to find age groups similar to their youngest child, however Arlen and Vohan had more then age to bond them, there was something deeper, something that brought out their playful nature and promised laughter whenever the two had been together. And those times of union were few and far between but merry and zealous each and every time.
The younger child walked behind Vohan and both made their steps towards various people, the Prince moving next to his mother in a strained attempt not to fling his arms about her, and the younger Princess standing on the other side of the Queen yet looking up at Levon expectantly. A quizzical look was cast down at her with a simple word that, by expressions along, could be translated as ‘what?’. ‘Andria replied in a hushed soothing voice, which caused Vohan to look over at her as Levon shrugged his shoulders.
"He would tell you if you asked ‘Andria," The youngest Prince replied, though ‘Andria looked quickly back at the former leader of the X-men and shied away, causing a cheeky smile on Vohan. It wasn’t uncommon for fairies to be nervous, if not outright scared, of humans, though ‘Andria was assured of her safety she wasn’t yet ready to speak directly to one just yet… not with so many people around. Vohan looked at one of Xavier’s finest pupils and explained with a brief gesture towards his own face. "She asks what it is you are wearing." While Vohan explained quickly in his own language to the girl, his mother stepped towards Cyclops to continue on her own discussion with him.
"Forgive us Scott Summers," The Queen apologized as she returned her attention to the teacher, using his full name only because that is how he addressed himself and in her custom one speaks of another in the name they address themselves as unless asked otherwise. "Often we stray in our thoughts… however now that we are here, and introductions are made, we readily await whatever is next."
Re: The Grand Welcoming - Wading through the Barriers"You have brought happiness to my son Scott Summers, what more could a mother possibly ask of you?" The words were simple and yet they revealed the woman who lay behind the queen, the mother who lay behind the enchanted being who now smiled down so sweetly at him.
If there were untold differences between fairies and humans then, despite all appearances to the contrary there were perhaps more similarities than either race suspected. Love! Concern! The infinite pride you felt in your offspring! These were all emotions that parents felt everywhere no matter what their race. Cyclops recognised them now in Lillianeth’ eyes! Eyes that seemed, in their turn to look behind his obstructing visor and see his soul, just as he had perhaps glimpsed one small aspect of hers.
"Our stay will not be long. Just a few days perhaps… two or three, we have not yet decided such things." " The princes words broke the gaze that had established itself between the queen and the all too mortal teacher, drawing Cyclops back to the here and now, keeping him from losing himself in that unforgettable moment of contact. The smile she gave though was for him and him alone and it eased the parting as she had no doubt known it would.
Did she realise then this fascination that she held for humans? She would have to. There were enough legends that spoke of it. How one look from the fairie queen was enough to make mortal men follow wherever she led, leaving everyone and everything they had known behind them without a second thought. *Then again, those who strayed didn’t have Jean waiting for them at home, did they * Cyclops grinned, the image of his red haired wife storming into the fairy kingdom to drag him back suddenly flickering through his mind, bringing a flood of love with it, as thoughts of Jean always did. Somehow he doubted that even enchantment would change that… but he was still glad he didn’t have to put that theory to the test.
"Mr Summers," The dark haired man turned back to his pupil, listening with a surprise he realised he shouldn’t have been feeling as Scott explained "My family… they do not sleep confined by walls of man made stone such as the school," Why hadnt he realised that before? Even if he hadn’t known that Scott’s parents were royalty he had still been more than aware of their origins! And now they were here and, from the sound of things, hardly likely to be comfortable in the guest rooms set aside for visiting parents.
It was fortunate therefore that the young fairy had a solution at hand and one that seemed to please the visitors. As did his mention of the merman. "I would like to see the young Prince Arlen once again," the queen declared softly. Cyclops was sure the feeling was mutual and that Arlen too would be happy to be reunited with his friend’s family, to have a chance to talk to them about all the things he had seen and done since he had come out into the world of humans.
It must have seemed so different from what he and Scott were used too, filled with so many strange and incomprehensible things. And speaking of strange things….. Cyclops could feel the girls eyes fix on his visor, her curiosity obviously piqued, as so many peoples, were by the contraption. "He would tell you if you asked ‘Andria," Scott whispered before explaining. "She asks what it is you are wearing." Before Cyclops could reply though the queen spoke again. "Forgive us Scott Summers," she said"Often we stray in our thoughts… however now that we are here, and introductions are made, we readily await whatever is next."
“This is a reunion” he said with a smile “ A time for family more than formality. So, why don’t we show you to where you’ll be staying so that you can get settled in. And on the way” he turned to ‘Andria “I can answer that question of yours.”
His voice was kind and, realising that her grasp of human language might not be perfect, he kept his words simple. But the explanation he gave her as they walked was exactly that. An explanation, not just some casual remark you fobbed off on a child. It would have been the same even if they had been alone but as it was their conversation could be overheard by all those around them and that made frankness even more important.
“Scott’s probably told you a little about the school?” he began. “How most of us here have powers of some sort? Well this visor I wear helps me control mine.” He could have left it there, knowing that his words would only have opened up another barrage of questions in her mind that she might have been too shy to unleash but he didn’t.“You see a long time ago, when I was about your age, I was in an accident and the part of me that should have let me control it by myself got broken. So when my power developed a few years later it was a big problem. Here, I’ll show you what it is, and you’ll understand.”
As he went to open the visor he glanced at the queen seeking and gaining her tacit approval before proceeding. Then he released the merest hint of the deadly beam and a nearby rock disintegrated under its force. “See” he said softly. “Definitely not something you want to do each time you open your eyes.
Re: The Grand Welcoming - Wading through the Barriers
“This is a reunion” The words of assurance and understanding seemed to come so easily, and the Queen herself felt the slightest tingle of guilt, too long had she been haunted by the pain of the careless actions humans in general had caused her kind, that sometimes even she felt she overlooked the few who might not be as many of their kind who hold such a low regard for the things around them. “A time for family more than formality. So, why don’t we show you to where you’ll be staying so that you can get settled in. And on the way” A slight grin crept on the youngest Prince’s face, as he wondered what his father would have said to that, the King was always a man of formality, and sometimes to a fault, though he was always a great man, and held a lot of love for all his people and especially his sons. Sometimes Vohan just had some trouble with the expectations and restrictions that love held. “I can answer that question of yours.” It took a moment, however ‘Andria glanced up at the human in realization that he was talking to her and at his offer for an explanation she returned a bright smile and a small flutter of her wings. A bubbly personality could be seen as the enthusiasm was enough to allow her never ending excitement and curiosity to peer through the current veil of shyness that kept her quiet.
As the teacher began to lead the way, the fairy fell in line beside his mother, who placed a light arm gently across his shoulders, drawing her youngest closer next to her. Both brothers content on looking around as they walked and willing to wait till later before properly greeting their youngest brother. Neither boys particularly enjoyed the thought of Vohan staying here but both had to admit it wasn’t appearing to be as evil and dangerous as they would have imagined… so far anyway, they’d rather keep a keen eye on the place while they were here just to suss it out and make sure their kid brother hadn’t been exposed to anything terrible,
“Scott’s probably told you a little about the school?” A small nod of the head was ‘Andria’s reply, a glance over her shoulder to her cousin a moment later. The attempt to explain mutants hadn’t been easy, as the fairies weren’t really aware of this ‘new’ phenomenon occurring in the humans, it was easier to say they were getting born with magical abilities, but thePrince had tried to explain himself as best as he could with what he knew. “How most of us here have powers of some sort? Well this visor I wear helps me control mine.” The word ‘visor’ he used repeated itself in the young girls mind, a human word she’d never heard before, but one she assumed was used to refer to whatever covered ones eyes. How did something that cover eyes help control a power? Was it to do with the eyes? Was it some form of magically inclined tool to help him with his special abilities? Her mind wasn’t kept guessing for long as the human who had been called Mr Summers by Vohan, continued on with his explanation.
“You see a long time ago, when I was about your age, I was in an accident and the part of me that should have let me control it by myself got broken. So when my power developed a few years later it was a big problem. Here, I’ll show you what it is, and you’ll understand.” Curiosity beamed in ‘Andria’s eyes, and the Queen herself found an interest peaking as she waited, hiding her amusement at his earlier comment of having once been Andria’s age, only to see Scott turning his head towards her for what seemed to be a check for permission. Her acknowledged smile was enough to show she approved and Vohan looked over to his brothers who walked on the other side of where their mother had Vohan in her hold. Neither believed that so many humans had all the special abilities, they thought Vohan was just exaggerating at best, and now the proof was about to be shown!
The red beam that slipped out so thinly and controlled, struck one of the nearby rocks that caused ‘Andria to flinch in surprise, her small mouth opening and looking back at Vohan and then the remnants of the once sturdy rock… what little was left of it.
“See” Sapphire eyes peered up at the human in awe with a nod, golden curls bouncing with the movement. “Definitely not something you want to do each time you open your eyes.” With a moments thought, Andria agreed again by slowly shaking her head, she loved looking at flowers and obviously her friends and family, and she’d hurt everyone and everything she’d ever look at if that beam came unbidden!
"It seems things have indeed changed over the years we’ve been gone." The Queen stated coolly in her thoughts, though to think of someone misusing such an ability as what she just saw… it was quite worrying. Perhaps what her youngest child was saying about the school was indeed important and full of hope not only for the students finding their place here, but for the sense of moral and respect being taught in regards to the abilities they have.
"I bet you could stop any goblin that tries to get in your way!" Goblins, ogres, gremlins and the like, to the child she just assumed they were a threat to everyone in the world, not yet really understanding how separate the two realities were, despite being interwoven so deep. "Do all humans have same magic, or do each have their own like us?" While the young Prince found his eyes skimming along the surface of the lake they were moving towards, then around the edges to make sure there were no groups of students readying to run them over blindly, ‘Andria continued her questions, eager to learn as all children were at one point in their lives, and not all grew out of their quest for knowledge, Andria was most likely to be one who never was satisfied with just basic hearsay.
"Will you come inside mother?" Vohan’s question was asked softly to his mother as the Prince wondered if his family intended on only staying out here their entire stay or if they would come in and look around as well. A small smile and gentle squeeze of her hand against his other shoulder was her sign of a yes, though she spoke quietly her reply a moment later. "I would like to see this place you so strongly defend, and the friends of whom you speak so highly of… as well the room you call your own." A tour of the place! Great! An introduction to his friends… ok, not so great, he could feel a slight panic now. What would they say? Perhaps that could be delayed till later tonight… Ben and Michael were leaving at some point, Michael, Riley and Tessa would be the people spoken of most in regards to friendship and his mother would probably want to meet them all.
Re: The Grand Welcoming - Wading through the Barriers"It seems things have indeed changed over the years we’ve been gone." There was appraisal in the words but then Cyclops had expected nothing else. If he had displayed his powers out of a genuine desire to answer Andria’s question he had also done so to illustrate a point. That Scott wasn’t the only one here who was different, even if his powers were inherent in his race and not the result of mutation. That the school was able not only to cope with that but had been built with exactly that purpose in mind. To help people understand and control their abilities. No matter what those abilities might be. And there was yet another reason to letting them see the power of destruction that lay behind his eyes. There was danger here at Xavier’s, and he wasn’t going to insult them by denying this was so.
If they were to appraise the institute accurately then they had to know all the facts. For if some parents were kept in the dark over the extra curricular activities that took place at Xavier’s that wasn’t going to be the case here. Scott’s newly discovered rank made that impossible. It was always a tough call to make, hiding from a parent that you were actively putting their child at risk. But when that child was a prince it became unthinkable. The teacher hadn’t lied to Scott when he said that they would do everything they could to persuade his family to leave him at the Institute. Or when he told the fairy that his birth wouldn’t effect how they regarded him as a person. On a diplomatic level though it was certain that things had changed significantly. And that was something they would all have to be ready to deal with.
For the meantime though Cyclops watched Scott enjoy his mothers company while he himself continued answering his bewitching cousins questions. "I bet you could stop any goblin that tries to get in your way!" she said when he had closed his visor. "Do all humans have same magic, or do each have their own like us?"
“Not all humans have powers at all, Andria” he explained patiently “in fact there are very few of us that do, though nearly all the students at the Institute have some kind of ability or another. And no they don’t all have the same sort of power that I have” Cyclops smiled kindly down at her as he continued “My wife Jean for example can read minds and move objects without touching them. I have a friend who can control the weather, one who has wings and another who looks like a great blue cat” He grinned thinking about Hank “You’ll like him “ he told Andria. “ I know Scott does. And as for the others… well I’m sure you’ll get to meet Scott’s room mates. Most of them have powers too…..I’m sure they’ll be happy to show you what they can do if you asked them”
As they approached the lakeside house Cyclops caught the end of Scott’s conversation with his mother realising that she too was in her own way as eager to meet the students who shared her son’s life as Andria was. "I would like to see this place you so strongly defend, she was telling the young fairy and the friends of whom you speak so highly of… as well the room you call your own."
“A tour is easily organised” the older man said smoothly sensing Scott’s momentary hesitation. “Though perhaps Scott would prefer to show you round himself.” Cyclops smiled encouragingly at his student. “In any case myself and the other staff members are at your disposition so just let us know what you’d like to do and we’ll set about organising it.”
Re: The Grand Welcoming - Wading through the Barriers“Not all humans have powers at all, Andria” Though the fact few of them had powers sat well with what little Andria had been taught about humans, all the old tales about some of the wicked spell casters and divine mortals that were told as human-tales aside. “in fact there are very few of us that do, though nearly all the students at the Institute have some kind of ability or another. And no they don’t all have the same sort of power that I have” The human explained, and 'Andria gave an excited twitch of her silken wings as she wondered what other humans could do.
“My wife Jean for example can read minds and move objects without touching them. I have a friend who can control the weather, one who has wings and another who looks like a great blue cat” Wings? That didn't seem like a power to her, then again, every fairy was born with wings, at least all the fairies Andria knew about, likely there were some without, but she hadn't heard about it! It was hard to imagine wings as being a power, sort of like a snake claiming the same thing once it sprouts legs.
“You’ll like him “ The preoccupation with wings faded as the human stated her possible fondness of the kitty. Likely he was right! Andria loved animals, most fairies did so it was a safe bet to assume she'd like this one. Though she had a hard time understanding why something that looked like an animal was still considered human, why not just be considered a cat? Or was the kitty's parents human... how did humans give birth to a cat? Very confusing. “ I know Scott does. And as for the others… well I’m sure you’ll get to meet Scott’s roommates. Most of them have powers too…..I’m sure they’ll be happy to show you what they can do if you asked them” The reference of her uncle as 'Scott' was still confusing to Andria, she didn't understand why he wanted to be called 'Scott', the youngest of the group much preferred Vohan, then again, Scott did have some sort of strong vibe about it, so harsh and to the point, so unlike the names Andria was used to.
“A tour is easily organised” The assurance brought forth the ever present smile on the Queen's lips with a touch more pleasure and gratitude. After all, just as her youngest son, the Queen too had an adventurous spirit, and interacting with humans was as dangerous as it was adventurous, and if you found the right kind of mortals... as Scott was lucky to have done.. then wonders awaited the curious of mind. “Though perhaps Scott would prefer to show you round himself.” The young Prince wondered if that indeed was the better option, for those who didn't believe wouldn't see any of them, and Scott pitied the image of Mr Summers walking the halls and apparently (or so it would seem to others whom did not believe) be talking to himself.
“In any case myself and the other staff members are at your disposition so just let us know what you’d like to do and we’ll set about organising it.” A slight bow of Lillian's head followed Cyclops’s offer, she was grateful, and grateful for the manners being displayed, for humans had never been viewed as the most hospitable of creatures by her people, but for a change she found herself pleasantly surprised. If only she could say the same about her two elder sons that mumbling occasionally about their displeasure at being dragged out here. They loved Vohan, but they couldn't relate to him, too much like their father and not enough like their mother. What most of the things Vohan found enchanting seemed to have no affect on her other sons and the same could be said in reverse. They liked their play fights but outside of that, very little time had been spent together.
The idea of meeting a half-blood fairy was definitely not one they were warming up to, and the discrimination had been almost bred into them by years of distrust and dislike shared on both sides. All his life and Vohan had so few friends he could be proud of, was it too much of her to ask them to support their brother? Was it too much for them to aim for acceptance if only for their brother’s sake? Lillian could almost hear the echo of their replies in her mind, she was no telepath but she knew her sons. And whatever currently was passing between the Princes didn't seem to sit well at all for their youngest brother who puffed up almost instantly with indignation.
"You will not call her that!" The hurt was as clear, though the brothers looked surprised at how they had so easily, and admittedly unintentionally, upset Vohan. "Her name is Tessa." Half blood may not seem like such a devastating name, but it still hurt, it still seemed as if they were putting a wedge between her and them, and they had no right! Tessa wasn't like the half-blood they were told stories about, she didn't raid stock and steal important possessions! She wasn't like that! And they had no right to judge her before even meeting her, the nerve of them!
"They meant no offence Vohan." The softness of his mothers voice was almost instantly soothing but still the hurt lingered in winged student's eyes. He didn't want them hurting any of his friends, even if the elder brothers meant no harm.. that possibly hurt more. Scott couldn't be angry with them knowing they weren't trying to hurt him, but they were, why couldn't they see that? For once in their lives this was a moment about him, couldn't they just let Vohan have it without making things difficult?
"You have no rank here brothers, remember that. You are a guest in their homes and as such you are obliged to treat them with the utmost respect. Regardless of their bloodlines." The last part was added with the stressing of the fact that Scott wanted them to put aside their differences and open up to the idea that these people, albeit human or not, were just as important to Scott as anything else in his life. Though, both brothers seemed more surprised by Scott's frankness as he addressed them and their mother's smile shifted into one of a more impressed and proud expression. Her youngest was always strong in spirit, but lacking in years and in experience, and so more often when confronted, her youngest child had bowed his head in silent defeat. His brothers were in the wrong, and for once, Scott stood up to them for it, and Vohan's mother wasn't the only one to realize.
"We shall tread lightly upon these soils little brother," Labra, the second youngest of the five children assured, a smile dancing lightly on his lips as he felt amused as well as surprised to have been put in his place by the youngest. Krelan almost gave a bemused chuckle, though seemed slightly flustered by the demand risen by his brother, still, these humans, and the half blood, were obviously very important to him, and for that, as mischievous as the two brothers were, they would try their hardest not to upset Vohan, they did love him after all.
"Obvious you have spread your heart upon the ground we walk Vohan, and we would not dream of crushing it with a careless mistep." Krelan's comment was spoken with that of affection, even if his English could have used some tweaking here and there. Though putting aside hundreds of centuries of mistrust and fear... it was a tall order and both brothers found themselves wondering how Vohan himself had managed such a thing.
"Vohan? Krelan ate a dead animal!" The statement came out of nowhere, and Scott found himself staring down at Andria confused, only moments later however wrinkling his nose as what she said sank in.
"Though it did not stay down long." Labra added with a tease, Scott's expression still giving off a resounding 'eeeww' regardless. "The dwarf considered it an insult if I left his offer of food untouched." Krelan defended himself quickly, the entire trail of conversation seeming to swing to new topics effortlessly.
"No eating from my honey jar... I mean it!" All be it in jest there was still an air of insistence to it, and Labra laughed lightly at Scott's demand. It had been similar to Labra's insistence that Krelan not talk to him face to face for a few days, and whenever Krelan did, Labra had made faces and the occasional comments about smelling rotting flesh. It almost was enough to make Krelan sick again.
"I would not mind some food now that we speak of it." The Queen stated thoughtfully, though blocking out the comments of Krelan's earlier attempts of tasting cooked flesh. "Would you have something to spare? I fear our supplies have run low during our travels." The courteous question was directed towards the human, allowing her sons to talk amongst themselves... They usually got very easily distracted and sometimes the Queen found herself dragged off on their current of discussions, more often she sat back and listened as they talked amongst themselves, it was nice to see her boys together again.. And it was nice seeing Vohan take a more active part in their discussions.
Re: The Grand Welcoming - Wading through the Barriers
On the whole things had seemed to be going far smoother than the young fairy had feared. Certainly there had been no clash of cultures just courtesy and curiosity on both sides, which, if they both continued to go hand in hand could surely only lead to further entente. Although it was clear to see that the greatest threat that they might just part company came from Scott’s older brothers. Already it seemed that the teacher had missed some less than conciliatory comment for his students voice suddenly lost its usual softness to raise itself in indignation. "You will not call her that!" Cyclops scarcely had time to wonder who had been insulted when Scott gave him the answer. "Her name is Tessa."
It had been something that had come up when they were choosing the teams, what a true fairies reaction would be to one like Tessa born as a result of a most unlikely union. Still, knowing the two young people concerned, they had decided to take a chance and as it turned out things had gone even better than they had hoped for. To the extent that now at the mere hint of disdain Scott leapt into the fray with all the fervour of a knight defending his ladies honour. Or at least one team mate looking out for another!
"They meant no offence Vohan." Cyclops schooled his face to show no emotion although the name was inevitably noted, as its owner’s reluctance to divulge it had been up until now. It was hardly the true name that legends said would give anyone possessing it power over the fairy concerned, but it was one step closer to it and that in itself was a sign of trust on the part of his mother that Cyclops recognised and appreciated. Scott on the otherhand was still more concerned with what had been said concerning Tessa his whole attitude changing, becoming more commanding, more adult as he said "You have no rank here brothers, remember that. You are a guest in their homes and as such you are obliged to treat them with the utmost respect. Regardless of their bloodlines."
His teacher smiled inwardly. It seemed that Scott had grown in his time at the school and, from the looks on his family’s faces, they were just beginning to realise that. Which was all to the good. Especially if they had been thinking of taking him away! Surely his new found maturity coupled with the friends he had made at the Institute would provide a compelling argument to make them change their minds? For the moment though, it had at least won him his brother’s respect. Their assurances that they would take his feelings into account when dealing with these students he so obviously cared about were only cut short by an unexpected declaration from his impetuous cousin. "Vohan? Krelan ate a dead animal!"
Cyclops was sure he must have looked as surprised as Scott did himself by the sudden change of subject though certainly not as nauseated. "Though it did not stay down long." his brother added with a laugh. "The dwarf considered it an insult if I left his offer of food untouched." the other sibling explained hurriedly as the conversation descended into good natured bantering. Even if Scott did seem to take his honey seriously!
"I would not mind some food now that we speak of it." the queen said suddenly, turning towards Cyclops and asking. "Would you have something to spare? I fear our supplies have run low during our travels." “Of course your highness” Cyclops answered with a smile” You are after all our guests. I will go and ask the kitchen staff to prepare something right away and serve it in the lake house perhaps? That way you can continue your reunion while you eat. And don’t worry” he added with a slight hint of mischief “we should have enough honey to make sure that Scott’s jar remains safe! “
Re: The Grand Welcoming - Wading through the Barriers“Of course your highness” Such manners, Lillian' was impressed, the Queen's ever present smile seemed to continue to radiate with her tenderness and warmth of kindness as she listened to the human as he spoke. ”You are after all our guests. I will go and ask the kitchen staff to prepare something right away and serve it in the lake house perhaps? That way you can continue your reunion while you eat. And don’t worry” Worry? The Queen wasnt sure what he thought she might have been worrying about, though as he continued, she caught the jest for what it was and her youngest son gave a bashful grin. “we should have enough honey to make sure that Scott’s jar remains safe!“ Affectionate eyes turned to her youngest child, 'Andria continued to cling to his side now, she'd missed the young Prince, he was one of the few cousins she had that wasnt too old to be busied with too important matters that couldnt wait.
It was hard not having Vohan around, his cherished presence was always missed, while his brothers went out to train and learn how to fight, Vohan would have always spent his time at his mothers side, learning bits and pieces of what it was she had to teach. Once a healer, now turned Queen, she never turned her back to the wounded though, and continued with her skills, even if it meant her skills drove her out of the safety of home and into the chaos of the wild where her talents were in dire need. The Queen wanted all her boys to be able to fend for themselves, but it was upsetting that they needed to learn those skills to be safe.. she remembered a time where violence was unheard of. Such thoughts were not for the here and now however, and they were carefully tucked away for another time, one where she was alone and in the mood for such contemplations.. if one could ever really be in the mood for such thoughts.
"It is kind of you to offer us a place, I understand how strange it must be to have us come here," A slight bow of her head was given, her hand raising elegently to allow the tips of her fingers to touch over her chest where her heart was. "There is much I wish to learn during our short time here, and I would hope my curiousity shall not offend you." Scott knew that wasnt the case, the young fairy fluttered his wings a little though held his tongue and didnt interrupt. He could tell his family all about everything he knew, but sometimes it was better coming from the source as well, so the prince trailed away slightly as his brothers moved off to examine one of the nearby trees and see if a tree for the human world held any difference in personality to their ones from home.
Re: The Grand Welcoming - Wading through the Barriers "It is kind of you to offer us a place the queen told him, her words accompanied gesture as graceful as they were themselves and which elegantly underlined their sincerity. I understand how strange it must be to have us come here," It was of course true what she said. Having these otherworldly creatures descend upon the Institute was as unlikely an occurrence as any Cyclops had ever experienced but it was also one of the most significant, a unique opportunity to re-forge bonds that had been broken for far to long. And Scott was the bridge that had brought these two worlds back together.
Looking at him standing by his mothers side Cyclops wondered if he fully realised the importance of the role he had played. Somehow he doubted it. After all the young prince all too often underestimated the contribution he made to the school. Why then should this occasion be any different? The queen though, consummate diplomat that she was, recognised her sons contribution to this fragile bond that was hopefully being re-established between his kingdom and the human community. And it seemed that she was more than willing to sieze the opportunity he had provided her with to gather information about the world he had chosen to live in and the people he shared his life with.
"There is much I wish to learn during our short time here,” she informed his teacher “and I would hope my curiousity shall not offend you." The X man smiled graciously and replied. “On the contrary I look forward to your questions and will of course do my best to answer any that you might have, as will any other member of the staff that you might wish to talk too. Is there anything in particular that you wanted to ask me at the moment…" he inquired "or would you prefer to wait until I get you and your family that food we spoke of?
Re: The Grand Welcoming - Wading through the Barriers“On the contrary I look forward to your questions and will of course do my best to answer any that you might have, as will any other member of the staff that you might wish to talk too. Is there anything in particular that you wanted to ask me at the moment…" How very curtious, the Queens heart indeed breathed a sigh of relief, after all being assured by her son that the people here were not as bad as her parents feared was one thing, but seeing their manners and kindness was another totally. And for a traveller as she, the Queen knew that just because a handful of kind people happened across you, that did not mean all would welcome you with the same graciousness, and true could be said by humans regarding her own kind.
Some would say it was the faith needed to believe in such beauty and innocence that kept her son safe, that those who believed in magic had an innocence of their own... if only that were true. Not all believers were so just and kind, some twisted and bent the world of magic and those who lived within it to their own will. There were monsters, be them mortal man or immortal demons, that would love nothing more then to grind down fairy wings and their bones too, unless instead charms were crafted from them and worn with a sickening pride and greed for power.
"or would you prefer to wait until I get you and your family that food we spoke of?" The human offered to consideration, and she didn't really need to think on it, however the Queen's violet eyes peered over towards her youngest son. How she missed him, the bright smile and vibrant laugh. While her other sons trained to fight, to help protect their home and the ones they loved, Vohan had stayed by her side as she helped the other healers in their duties. He had asked her questions and offered assistance, he kept her company and calmed her mind when worries rose over her other sons. How she missed him, the strength he offered and the love he gave without any boundries.
"I should think my sons would enjoy some food." The reply was taken eagerly by Vohan's brothers who seemed keen to nibble on something... but they did tend to like eating as much as they liked getting into mischief. The thought brought a brighter smile to the Queen's lips, how she loved them all, it would be such a blessing to share a table with all her children once again. If only her youngest wouldn't be in so much hurt for her to get that blessing. For already it was clear that his heart was set on staying, and there was little doubt that her son would make that clear.
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