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Mystique (formerly Raven Darkholme) ([info]mutant_proud) wrote in [info]silverage,
@ 2011-07-27 10:50:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:!log, kurt wagner, raven darkholme

Who: Raven and Kurt
When: Tuesday afternoon
Where: The World's Fair
What: Raven puts off her trip to Westchester for a little entertainment
Rating/status: TBD/ongoing


The fight with Zatanna and those demons had been a little scary, but after months of being cooped up at the compound, Raven had relished the opportunity to put on her Mystique persona and see some real action. So much so that when it was over, she nearly forgot why she had come to New York in the first place. By the time the fight was over, her bus had already left the station, which she took as a sign that it was okay to give in to her nerves and stay in the city for a while before going to see Charles. After all, what's one more day? A few more?

She hadn't brought much spending money with her, so she couldn't get a hotel or anything, but Raven knew how to survive on the streets. When she could, she conned an attractive man into letting her stay the night. When she couldn't, she found shelter somewhere and roughed it. It wasn't the best, but it was doable.

She spent her days seeing the sights, being just another tourist. She wore various disguises, but stuck close to her usual look, altering height or hairstyle to suit her whim. This particular Tuesday found her as just another pretty brunette at the World's Fair, munching on cotton candy and strolling through the crowd. She came across a lone acrobat who piqued her interest. His daring flips and skillful juggling reminded her a bit of Azazel on a good day. She stopped there, watching him longer than anyone else in the crowd, completely lost to time. There was something about him that was familiar, beyond just his routine, but she couldn't quite place the feeling.


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[info]bamfery
2011-07-27 06:54 pm UTC (link)
There was currently a decent crowd gathered around him today. Gravity defying flips were always good for a few ooh's and aah's, and the pins while doing a hand stand - what Kurt considered the crowning glory of his usual human-friendly routine - elicited fun reactions too. People clapped, but they didn't stick around long after. People never did. They were always rushing about because there was lots to see and do at a place like this. Yet, there seemed to be one woman who was still...standing there. In a trance? A daze? Did she know him?

After finishing the routine, he came over to her, appearing after successfully ejecting himself from a sudden surge of people. Crowded today! "Cotton candy's one of my favorites too," he said, noticing the pink cloud in her hand. "Even if it's nothing but pure sugar."

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[info]mutant_proud
2011-07-27 08:48 pm UTC (link)
It took a moment for Raven to snap out of her daze. How long had she been staring? She blushed involuntarily, her cheeks turning almost as pink as the cotton candy she was holding.

"Yeah, I love it," she answered once she'd regained her senses. "I like the blue kind better, but they ran out." She smiled to herself at her little joke, which she was sure he wouldn't understand.

"You're amazing. I've never seen anyone do anything quite like that." It wasn't a complete lie, either. While Azazel had quite the acrobatic skills, he wielded swords, not juggling pins. "Maybe you could teach me a trick or two."

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[info]bamfery
2011-07-27 08:57 pm UTC (link)
"Blue is always better," Kurt agreed, telling his own private joke. Ah ha, ha ha...! Though he had his image inducer watch on, and thus appeared to be a regular plain vanilla human. And not a frightening looking offspring of Satan.

At her compliment, he blushed. Many people clapped and tipped him and what have you, but even less actually stuck around enough to say nice things. "Danke schön," he replied. "It's just something I've done since I was born, pretty much. You...have prior training too?"

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[info]mutant_proud
2011-07-27 09:11 pm UTC (link)
"Oh, are you German? My... friend is from Germany." She didn't quite know how to describe Erik. Friend wasn't quite right, but neither was boss, leader, mentor... Friend would have to do for now.

At the mention of her having had training, she smiled. "A bit," she answered. She looked around, partly checking to see if there was room, partly checking to make sure no one was looking at her, and anyone who was was looking at her face not her feet. She'd worn a short dress over transparent stockings, but if she was going to show off some acrobatics, that wouldn't do. Fairly certain no one was looking, she quickly shifted them to be opaque. That sort of small change usually went unnoticed, though Charles would have been angry at her for "losing control" in front of a crowd.

"Back up," she instructed the performer. She took a deep breath to prepare herself, then executed a back bend into a handstand. When it seemed her dress could fight gravity no longer, she came back down as gracefully as possible. "So," she asked him, straightening her jacket. "What do you think?"

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[info]bamfery
2011-07-27 11:59 pm UTC (link)
Kurt nodded in a confirmation of his ancestry. Or so he assumed, anyway. "I was born and raised there," he said. "I traveled with a circus, and that's where I received my training."

Following instructions, he backed up appropriately so the nameless woman could show off her acrobatics. Though the sudden change to her attire? He caught that, letting out a quiet surprised sound, but didn't say anything about it - mostly because it scrambled his brain for a second, and he had to get it back in working order. Instead, he watched.

"That is very impressive!" Kurt grinned broadly, giving her a round of applause. "I may see you around doing acrobatics here too, who knows. Are you from the area or did you just move here?"

Then he remembered his manners. "Sorry," he added sheepishly. "I'm Kurt, by the way. I should have introduced myself sooner."

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[info]mutant_proud
2011-07-28 12:28 am UTC (link)
"Raven," she replied, extending her hand for a shake. "I doubt you'll see me performing here though, I'm just passing through. I grew up about an hour North of here in Westchester. I was on my way to visit..." She trailed off, her hand subconsciously moving to her stomach for just a moment. "But I decided to spend a few days in the city first. Enjoy the Big Apple."

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[info]bamfery
2011-07-28 11:01 am UTC (link)
Uh oh, handshaking was complicated because...the image inducer didn't disguise his actual physical self, it was just that: an illusion. Thus, Kurt's demon talons could be felt and most likely regarded as 'not normal.'

However, it would be rude to refuse her handshake, so he did - quickly, and tried not to let it be too obvious that he didn't have normal hands. "It is quite the city," he said, those mutant hands of his going back into his pockets. "I just arrived myself, a few weeks ago. With the people who suddenly arrived too, I think. There have been many new people recently..."

As he spoke, he felt the weirdest sense of deja vu. Did he know this woman? She didn't look familiar...but all the same. It wasn't your run of the mill first meeting, he knew that.

"I'm sorry, I..." He looked down, embarrassed. "I feel like I know you from somewhere." As soon as he said it, he regretted it because, hrmm, yeah, creepy much?

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[info]mutant_proud
2011-07-28 04:28 pm UTC (link)
The handshake was definitely... off. First of all it was cut abruptly short when Kurt shoved his hands into his pockets, and second of all, something about his hands felt strange. Dry skin, maybe? Raven hadn't been able to tell in the brief half-second contact. His nervous behavior reminded her of how Hank used to act when the subject of his feet came up.

She didn't really know what he meant about the "new people" suddenly arriving in the city. She supposed there were whispers going around of strange events, and guessed that things like that demon attack weren't supposed to be everyday occurrences, but she hadn't been in the city long enough to notice a trend of mysterious appearances.

"No!" she said quickly when he looked embarrassed. "Don't be sorry, I ...feel the same thing. It's... I mean..." How to say this? "It's not that you remind me of someone in particular, just like... I feel like we have some sort of connection."

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[info]bamfery
2011-07-28 08:15 pm UTC (link)
"A connection?" Kurt looked at her. He studied her face, trying to see if he could see the answers somewhere. All it did was add to the feeling, that odd sense that had his brain on overdrive and wanting to put the puzzle pieces together. "I don't...well, you are from here and I...alright, let me be honest, I'm from the future." It sounded so dumb, and his nose wrinkled as he made his confession, but it was still the truth.

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[info]mutant_proud
2011-07-28 09:32 pm UTC (link)
"The future...?"

The future was a frequent topic of conversation at the compound, with Erik making grandiose speeches about how mutants would rise to become the dominant force on the planet. The future, to Raven, was a huge concept that excited her while at the same time frightened her. Not only would she have to face whatever future Erik's plans brought about, but she had to raise a child-- a child that had very little chance of looking anywhere near "normal"-- in such a world. She could only imagine what would happen if the Brotherhood failed, and humanity's fear and hatred for mutants won out.

Raven knew her look of shock was showing on her face, but needed Kurt to understand that she wasn't afraid of him, she was afraid for herself and her unborn child. "I believe you," she said solemnly, "and I need you to answer something for me. In the future, does your world know about..." She hesitated before adding the last word, in a whisper. "...mutants?"

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[info]bamfery
2011-07-28 10:08 pm UTC (link)
Kurt's eyes widened. He was pretty sure they were now the size of dinner plates. "I, um..."

Alright, time to move locations. He glanced at Raven meaningfully, then sort of side-stepped off to a more private area. Like behind an abandoned concession stand, because people were flocking to things like newly introduced Belgian waffles.

"Yes," he said at last. "Where I come from, people know, although the fear of mutants is still there. Do you know of Charles Xavier?" If she was aware of mutant happenings and goings-on, the name would sound familiar. Even non-mutants knew of Charles and his views.

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[info]mutant_proud
2011-07-28 10:55 pm UTC (link)
Raven followed him behind the concession stand, understanding the need for privacy. She shook her head when Kurt said that humans still feared mutants. "Will they never understand?" she said, mainly to herself. Then Kurt mentioned the one name that meant most to her.

"Charles is my brother!" she answered excitedly, grabbing Kurt's shoulders. "If you know Charles than you must know me..." Unless, she thought to herself, smile fading, unless he never speaks of me again after Cuba. Still...

She dismissed that unhappy thought and forced a smile back on her face. She released Kurt's shoulders, trying to stay nonchalant. "Charles is alright, then, in your time? It's just... I haven't seen him in a few years."

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[info]bamfery
2011-07-28 11:04 pm UTC (link)
"He is??!" Kurt couldn't help his surprised, shocked reaction. The Professor had never mentioned...wait, he couldn't tell Raven that. She obviously was excited about hearing his name, and he didn't want to deflate that or anything. "He is well, yes," the young man nodded. "Despite how the Brotherhood keeps pushing their own agenda. At the Institute, we just work to develop our abilities and help protect the humans who can't protect themselves."

But again, she probably knew all of this.

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[info]mutant_proud
2011-07-29 03:13 am UTC (link)
Kurt's surprise in hearing that Charles had a sister, and the way he talked about the Brotherhood confirmed Raven's suspicions that even in the future, the bridges that were burned on that beach in Cuba hadn't been rebuilt. She decided to stay away from politics for now.

"We? So you're a mutant too?" She hoped he understood that 'too' included her as well as Charles. "What's your mutation? Does my brother think it's 'groovy'?" she asked, adding finger quotes to the last word.

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[info]bamfery
2011-07-29 12:25 pm UTC (link)
Kurt laughed a little. "I don't know about groovy," he shrugged, eyes lowered, but then he looked up at Raven - appearing somewhat shy. "I, uh..." It was most likely apparent that he usually didn't talk about this freely, but if she was asking about mutants and was the Professor's sister then she must be one herself.

It only begged the question: Why hadn't Charles mentioned a sister? Wouldn't he, if they were still close? What had happened? ...that was a lot of questions, but Kurt figured he had time to get them answered.

"I teleport," he said. "And I don't...er...I don't exactly look like this, let's just say. What about you?"

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[info]mutant_proud
2011-07-29 04:24 pm UTC (link)
She laughed along with Kurt. "I suppose where you come from, saying 'groovy' is no longer 'groovy', huh?"

Raven was sad to see Kurt's shyness when talking about his mutation. He reminded her of Hank more and more. "There's no need to be ashamed of who you are. You shouldn't have to hide. None of us should." When he asked her about her mutation, she smiled a knowing smile and replied, "I don't exactly look like this either."

She took a step back from Kurt, still out of sight of the rest of the fairgoers, and shifted into her true form (although she kept the clothes, as she figured that standing naked in front of someone you only just met might not be the best idea). A rippling effect started at her head and extended down to her feet, and when it had passed she stood before him, skin as blue as ink, hair the color of fire, and yellow eyes that stood out like the sun.

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[info]bamfery
2011-07-29 05:05 pm UTC (link)
Alright, this was getting to be...strange.

Kurt wasn't sure what he felt when he saw Raven shift into a damn near mirror image of himself (except obviously female, and without the tail) but the colour of her skin? Her eyes? The sight of it all made his heart start pounding wildly, thrumming in his ears and against his ribcage so hard all of his bones seemed to rattle.

"We have a lot in common," he said as he turned the image inducer watch off. It wasn't a rippling effect with him per se, more like the image of his human self was split down the middle and absorbed back into him - leaving his own mutation clearly visible.

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[info]mutant_proud
2011-07-29 05:44 pm UTC (link)
Raven couldn't believe what she saw in front of her. Her hands rose to her mouth involuntarily, trembling. His skin, his eyes... they were her own. And there behind him, a tail, pointed at the end just like Azazel's. She felt faint suddenly and took a few steps back, reaching wildly behind her for something to hold on to, knocking over some crates in the process.

"Who... How..." Words escaped her without her planning them to. She could barely process what was happening in her head, how could she form a coherent sentence? Her hand went to her stomach, cradling the small bump that was her child. Her ...son?

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[info]bamfery
2011-07-29 05:56 pm UTC (link)
Kurt was immediately by Raven's side, just in case - to catch her if she fell. "I thought I was the only one who looked this way," he said, hands running through his hair. So confused. He was oh so confused. "But I just...I was born like this...I never met my parents."

He was starting to get the feeling that this definitely not your average, run of the mill type of meeting.

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[info]mutant_proud
2011-07-29 06:56 pm UTC (link)
Bits of their conversation echoed in Raven's mind as she stared into space, dumbstruck. Born like this... Never met my parents... I teleport... Thought I was the only one...

As far as Raven could see, there was little doubt as to who Kurt's parents were. If the physical similarities weren't enough, there was the fact that he shared Azazel's teleportation abilities. Still, she had to be sure. There must be some kind of test for this. Charles would know.

Charles! Charles knows Kurt-- or at least he will someday-- and yet he never told him about his parents? Never once saw the resemblance and thought to mention it? What does this mean? she thought. How does my child end up in Germany, orphaned? Or... abandoned? Too many questions, too much, too fast. First things first.

Raven took a deep breath, then looked Kurt in the eye. "Kurt, there's something I have to tell you." She was so scared, but he had to know.

"I'm pregnant."

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[info]bamfery
2011-07-29 07:05 pm UTC (link)
Of all the things Raven could have said, Kurt wasn't expecting that.

"Oh," he replied, the confusion obviously still present in his tone. He...what the hell? It's not like he had anything to do with this pregnancy! He was still a virgin! He had only just gotten his first kiss like a week ago!

Gulp. Swallow the frog in your throat, Kurt. "I...see. Congratulations? Is it...do you need help or...?"

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[info]mutant_proud
2011-07-29 08:18 pm UTC (link)
Under different circumstances Raven would have found Kurt's confusion kind of cute, but right now she could barely sift through the million questions in her head. There was no easy way to say this, but she felt deep in her gut that she was right.

"Kurt, how old are you? When were you born?"

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[info]bamfery
2011-07-29 10:51 pm UTC (link)
Kurt did not like where this conversation was going. Mostly because he felt as if he continued, he might explode and/or disintegrate into dust. "February 14th..." he said cautiously. "I just turned twenty-one."

What was she trying to say? That...oh no. No, no, no. This could NOT be happening...

"Raven?" He said her name, forming it like a question, wanting her to explain. The way he said it likely reflected the vulnerability and fear that would have shown in his eyes if they were more than yellow suns.

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[info]mutant_proud
2011-07-29 11:35 pm UTC (link)
Oh great, now they were both afraid of where this might be headed and what their meeting might mean. She put her hands on his shoulders in what she hoped was a calming way, her yellow eyes searching him up and down. "I... I mean I don't know for certain, but Kurt, look at you! You're just like me, and where you're not..." She glanced behind him at his tail. "...you're just like y-- the father." Your father, she'd almost said, but she didn't want to frighten Kurt any further.

"If there's anyone who would know for certain," she continued, "it would be Charles. We need to talk to Charles."

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[info]bamfery
2011-07-29 11:41 pm UTC (link)
All Kurt had ever wanted was to find his mother. He had been searching for years and had always come up empty, but now? He just hadn't expected to find her when she was...this young. And obviously pregnant with...him? What did that even mean? Did he not exist, or would he regress? Would he disappear when she gave birth during this era? It seemed like such a bizarre idea.

"My...my father?" he blurted out. "Who is my father?" At the mention of talking to Charles, he nodded. "Alright, but..."

Then he realized something else.

"You left me," he whispered, and it was hard to convey twenty-one years of pain in that statement. True, Kurt had a good life in the circus and being raised by that family. But there was always a bittersweet tinge to it all.

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[info]mutant_proud
2011-07-30 12:28 am UTC (link)
Raven had shifted back to blonde, preparing to step out from behind the concession stand, mind focused solely on getting to Charles, but at Kurt's words she stopped. She turned back to Kurt and pulled him into a gentle hug. "I'm so sorry," she said, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I don't know why I did that... or will do that." Truth is, she could think of a few reasons. Maybe my life is too dangerous for a child. Maybe Azazel-- or Erik-- won't want him around. Even so, she couldn't imagine ever leaving her son, not after meeting the wonderful young man Kurt would turn out to be.

She released the hug to wipe the tears that were forming in her eyes. "...maybe now that we've met, things can be different." She spotted a bench nearby and gestured toward it. "Let's sit down and talk. I'll answer whatever questions you have, and you can tell me more about yourself. To start with, your father's name is Azazel. He can also teleport, and he has a tail exactly like yours, except his skin is as red as ours is blue."

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[info]bamfery
2011-07-30 11:41 am UTC (link)
He knew, for all logical intents and purposes, that Raven had no idea she would end up leaving her child - it didn't make it sting any less, but Kurt tried to think about it in a reasonable manner. Shaking a bit as she hugged him, he attempted to return the gesture but probably fell short. This was his fucking mother....!

The human appearance went back on, and he followed her. Sitting down, he ran his hands through his hair and tried to recollect his thoughts. There were lots of questions he wanted answers to. "You are with my father now?" he asked. "Or...you left him?" It didn't seem like it was a happy marriage/relationship sort of situation.

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[info]mutant_proud
2011-08-01 02:42 am UTC (link)
Oh, no. So much for avoiding politics. It would be hard to explain her relationship with Azazel without revealing to Kurt that they were a part of the Brotherhood. Raven took her time before answering, trying to think of how to phrase it gracefully.

"It's a bit complicated, your father and I," she began. "When we first met, we were enemies. Now we're... allies. A lot happened in between, both personally and on a larger scale, to change where I stood. So now, yes, I am with him, but we... aren't married, or anything like that." She looked into her lap, somewhat embarrassed. She was by no means traditional and didn't really care about social dos/don'ts, but having a child out of wedlock was no small transgression.

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[info]bamfery
2011-08-01 01:33 pm UTC (link)
Kurt probably could have guessed. If Raven wasn't with the Professor, then that likely meant she was with Magneto. There weren't many mutants who took the 'middle ground,' so to speak. But he didn't bring that up yet, just nodded when she explained his father. "What about you?" he asked, looking up with wide eyes. "Who...are you? I mean, I just...I guess I just want to know all about you."

He wasn't sure how he felt about all of this, especially meeting his mother here in 1964, but he didn't want to run away from her. Who knew when he would ever see her again?

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[info]mutant_proud
2011-08-01 05:03 pm UTC (link)
Well, isn't that just the biggest question. Where to start? The beginning was probably best, so Raven started there.

It wasn't a short tale, but she told Kurt about how when she was born her parents were horrified by her appearance and abandoned her; how she survived on her own for her beginning years, using her chameleon powers to get herself food and shelter; about the night she met Charles and he changed her life by being the first person to see her true form and not run away.

She told him about the years she spent at Charles' side, about learning to hide who she was. She paused, however, when she reached the point where Agent McTaggart came into their lives and changed everything. That was less her story and more the story of mutants as a whole.

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[info]bamfery
2011-08-02 12:41 pm UTC (link)
He listened, he listened as well as he could - not wanting to interrupt, even though the more Raven talked the more questions he found he had. So apparently she had been abandoned too? Maybe that's why she did the same thing, he thought bitterly, but then reminded himself that he didn't know the circumstances. It was likely that she didn't abandon her son because of the way he looked, anyway.

"I can't...I just...wow." Brilliant statement! Kurt sighed, running his hands over his face, tiredly. "I think I am going to need some time to digest all of this. You're not...going anywhere, are you?"

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[info]mutant_proud
2011-08-02 05:19 pm UTC (link)
Raven could tell that the conversation was taking an emotional and physical toll on Kurt, and she felt the same. It was a lot to process so suddenly. "The only place I'd planned on going was to Westchester to see Charles," she replied, "but if you'd prefer I stay in the city longer, I certainly don't mind."

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