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backdated a few weeks [tabby]
Even as a teenager, Ororo had loved gardening. Things flourished under her care, something she hoped daily would continue to hold true as she grew into her role as the community’s leader. But a crucial part of keeping a healthy garden involved keeping the plants from being crowded. Sometimes they grew too big and needed to be moved. Sometimes they wouldn’t flourish. Sometimes weeds invaded.
Right now, reluctant as he’d been to admit it, Jimmy was being crowded. The return of Tabitha Smith and Alison Blaire had been welcome, especially to her. She attributed some small part of their survival to the training they’d received at the school and that gave her a quiet hope for other former students. But welcome aside, Tabby had taken a shine to Jimmy that he seemed unable to escape. She knew how carefully Jimmy guarded his control and the heat of his temper when he lost that control. It was her private hope that he would someday come to peace with that aspect of himself and maybe even find a partner in life. The important part was that it had to come from inside Jimmy and the situation with Tabby was doing nothing but distracting him and holding him back.
She’d asked Tabby to meet with her and now she waited for the young woman to arrive. For lack of a better place, she'd suggested they meet outside, by the fountain. Ororo knew Tabby was notoriously stubborn and she hoped that wouldn’t feature too largely in their conversation. Unbidden, a memory of Al-Gibar floated into her mind as she waited. ‘There’s nothing you can’t say to a person, girly,’ He said, and she could still remember the booming quality of his voice, even when he whispered, ‘so long as you say it right.’
Right now, reluctant as he’d been to admit it, Jimmy was being crowded. The return of Tabitha Smith and Alison Blaire had been welcome, especially to her. She attributed some small part of their survival to the training they’d received at the school and that gave her a quiet hope for other former students. But welcome aside, Tabby had taken a shine to Jimmy that he seemed unable to escape. She knew how carefully Jimmy guarded his control and the heat of his temper when he lost that control. It was her private hope that he would someday come to peace with that aspect of himself and maybe even find a partner in life. The important part was that it had to come from inside Jimmy and the situation with Tabby was doing nothing but distracting him and holding him back.
She’d asked Tabby to meet with her and now she waited for the young woman to arrive. For lack of a better place, she'd suggested they meet outside, by the fountain. Ororo knew Tabby was notoriously stubborn and she hoped that wouldn’t feature too largely in their conversation. Unbidden, a memory of Al-Gibar floated into her mind as she waited. ‘There’s nothing you can’t say to a person, girly,’ He said, and she could still remember the booming quality of his voice, even when he whispered, ‘so long as you say it right.’