Restless Nights Characters: Ororo "Storm" Munroe and NPC Student. Location: Mansion. Timeline: Early morning. Description: Ororo can't sleep.
It had been a couple days since the evening out with Remy and Ororo had done her best to put her concerns to one side, convincing herself her dreams were simply a by-product of an overactive imagination. Of course, that hadn’t helped her sleeping patterns, which were erratic to say the least. Currently Ororo was in the kitchen at gone three in the morning, hoping that a cup of Somnius would help her get some sort of sleep.
She had a class at seven and she needed to be awake for it, especially when her students expected answers from her. Ororo sighed and scrubbed at her hair, wondering when that unexplainable itch beneath her skin would ease. She rubbed at one arm and then took another sip of tea, closing her eyes and allowing the weight across her shoulders to settle just long enough for her to feel it.
“It’s all in my imagination,” Ororo murmured softly as her hand crept up to rub at the side of her neck, kneading at the knots of tension. She finished off the cup of herbal tea and was reaching out to place it on the side when there was a whisper in her ear and her eyes snapped open, grip slipping on the cup. Ororo spun on the heels of her feet, readying herself to defend or attack, but there was nothing there. She blinked and reeled herself back in, forcing her emotions back under control before the skies opened above the mansion.
Ororo sagged back against the counter and reached up to thread a shaky hand into her hair, trying to breathe through the panic that had seized her all too suddenly. She turned her head and frowned at the broken pieces of porcelain, scattered across the ground. “Damnit,” she muttered under her breath. She crouched down and reached out to gather up the pieces, getting to her feet to put them in the nearby trashcan. “That was my favourite cup.” Ororo shook her head at herself and just crouched down, cleaning up the remainder of the mess.
This was ridiculous, completely ridiculous.
Ororo pushed both hands through her hair before stepping out of the kitchen, taking the well worn path back to her bedroom. Perhaps she would be able to sleep now? She could certainly hope but she wouldn’t hold her breath.
But as she approached the landing she frowned at the sight of young Jessica out in the hallway with her teddy bear clutched in both of her hands, eyes brimming with tears “Jessica?” Ororo asked softly as she approached and then blinked as the young girl latched herself around her legs and sniffled. “Bad dreams?” Ororo asked gently, running a hand over Jessica’s hair. All Jessica could do was nod. Ororo thought as much, she leaned down a couple seconds later and gathered the young girl up into her arms. Jessica immediately curled herself around Ororo, face buried in the older woman's neck.
“Let’s see what we can do about chasing off those bad dreams of yours,” Ororo murmured as she carried Jessica in the direction of her room. Ororo wouldn’t be getting any sleep tonight, but it didn’t matter. Not anymore.