momma's boy

Remy opened the door just enough to keep from banging the new teacher’s head into it again. “Y’know you’ve gotta open it firs’, right?” He laughed and invited the other man in. His three grown kittens trotted up to meet the newcomer happily, weaving in between Olivier’s legs. While the two smaller took kindly to the man, ‘Tisha seemed to be withholding her judgment. She circled him once before taking up a seat at the end of Remy’s bed and watching the man carefully. Remy scooped her into his lap. He’d been beginning to wonder if the open invitation had been forgotten in the chaos of the last month. “How ya settlin’ in?”

Klara sinks back into the couch slowly, sniffing. “It’s…” She hesitates, tempted to say it was nothing, that she could handle it. Maybe that was the right thing to do, to handle it on her own. Or maybe to call it nothing would be more of an insult to Charlotte than she knew. Klara sighs. “I hurt my friend,” she admits.

When he tries to look at her, Jubilee lets him. Turns her face so that their eyes meet and she takes awhile to answer. What was it about him? Maybe the accent, which reminded her so much of Gambit. Or just that he was genuine, like he wasn’t just asking out of his duty as a teacher. He cared, and though she liked to act like she didn’t, it was nice to have someone looking out for her. Especially when Gambit wasn’t around to. She shakes her head though, because there wasn’t and she was too tired to think of something off color to say to amuse him.

Sighing, she sits up and holds her ankles in one hand while her other pushes her hair behind her ear. “I guess I’d usually be distracting myself with Quire but he’s busy with that new girl.” Jubilee knew her name, he wouldn’t shut up about her after all, but she didn’t wanna say it lest she make a very distasteful face when she does. It wasn’t that Ray had done anything wrong, it was that Jubilee didn’t like having to compete for attention. 

Maybe she was trying not to make a face, but Olivier made one for her. Ray was his sister and he couldn’t keep an eye on her twenty-four seven. Ray having out with Quentin? Well that was a recipe for disaster, but he’d say nothing on the subject. He wasn’t supposed to know her after all. Olivier tried to play his eyebrow raise and frown by saying, “Ah guess friends can be helpful, but there’s gotta be somethin’ else too.” He said it like there was more to life than just that and hopes it covers his fuck up.

Klara wipes the tears from her face quickly when she hears footsteps entering the lounge room she sat in. Without a bedroom currently, she hadn’t known where to go and so ended up here, empty at the time. The conversation with Charlotte only cemented everything she’d felt in regretting leaving, cutting deeper with rejection. What irony, that her leaving out of fear of rejection from one she loved would lead to that exact thing from another.

“Um, hi. I can.. I can leave if you need this.. this room,” she says quickly, standing up from the couch. 

Subconsciously, Olivier had walked here listening to thoughts of someone that was incredibly sad. He hadn’t meant to, but since he’d gotten back from the time rift, he hadn’t felt like himself. Normally he could turn it off, but randomly he would hear someone and just go to them. When he walked in the room, he finally discovered the origin of those thoughts. Immediately, he regretted even letting it get that far, but she looked like she needed someone to talk to. So, just like the X-Men from his time, Olivier would do his best to try to help the younger generation.

“I know that,” Jubilee drawls, imitating his slow and accented speech. He sounded like a dripping syrup bottle, like when Bobby knocks it over and doesn’t notice and it starts to pool on the ground and Hank steps in it and gets annoyed. That’s how annoyed she is. “And I’m an adult, thank you.” She knows he’s trying to bug her but she’s testy today. If everyone else got to be dark and twisty then she got to be a little grumpy. Still, despite his annoying behavior she feels some sort of weird kinship to him. 

Sighing, she throws the ball at him and lays her cheek on her folded arms. She’s still on her belly so it obscures most of her face. “I don’t know. Something. Something other than sitting around and acting like someone died.” But Jean hadn’t died, she’d just gone off to get fucked in peace. What was so wrong with that? If Alby was still around, or hell even Julian, Jubes would be doing the same damn thing. But Jubilee did have a soft spot for Scott, so maybe it pissed her off and lent to her mood. Why ditch someone like Scott? “I don’t know,” she repeats.

“Ya barely an adult, but ya been through ‘nough to count.” Olivier kept from rolling his eyes at her childishness. Personalities were funny like that, and she was definitely, despite her complaining, one of the brighter ones in the group. He could understand the place feeling too bland for her, or too depressing. It was almost like the walls were siphoning any joy that might appear in this place.

“I know this place is like, ideal for orphans,” she says, to no one in particular, as she stares up at the ceiling. She’s tossing a tennis ball and catching as she lays in the middle of the common room floor. “Like, your parents hate you? Welcome to Xavier’s. They dead? Welcome to Xavier’s. You’re twenty-something and got no place to live? Welcome to Xavier’s.” The ball hits her on the face and she screeches before turning onto her stomach to roll it around instead. “Anyway, like I was saying, this place is for orphans and there aren’t a lot of rules, which is great you know? There’s the no killing people, unless you’re Logan or Laura. Or Pietro. Or Star. There’s no destroying the place, unless you’re a Summers brother.” 

She lists these all off with her free hand, starting over again when she runs out of fingers for points. “And there’s especially no boinking the Prof’s daughter…unless you’re a Summers brother.” She squints, “Favoritism here is real. Anyway.” She sits up and tosses the ball to whoever is listening. “This place is for orphans, right? So why is it so goddamn boring during the holidays?”

Olivier doesn’t necessarily believe she’s talking to him directly, he thinks maybe she’s just complaining. Still, he stops and takes a seat in the lounge next to a gigantic, beautifully decorated tree because no one else is in here. “It ain’t just for orphans, chère.” he almost yawns as he leans against his fist. She’s probably right about the favoritism, but Jean was the professor’s first student after the original squad and she became his daughter. It’s probably hard to separate that fact. He doesn’t mention that though, she was entitled to her feelings.

“What are ya supposin’ we do instead? Have ya’ll kiddies exchanged gifts and such.” Olivier knows she isn’t a kid anymore, but he’s poking a little fun at her just because she seems ripe for it right now. Olivier just wants to see what she will say next.

“Maybe, yeah.” That was the problem, wasn’t it? Things you couldn’t change. She could change this. She could use her magic and keep him here. Warp reality until it was as she pleased. But the last time she’d warped reality to keep Pietro alive, it had ended badly. He would come back, she had to trust that. “Couldn’t hurt.”

Sitting in the lobby of the familiar mansion, Olivier waited to be met by the Professor of this timeline. Luckily, he was able to block the telepath from reading his thoughts, but at the same time maybe that’s why he was still sitting here waiting. Why would a telepath as strong as him allow someone he couldn’t read into the school? After waiting entirely too long, Olivier got up and started wandering around after he left a note saying he’d be back when it was convenient for him. @adclindas

“My assumptions ain’ misplaced den? Y’are from my darlin’ city?” Olivier’s nervousness was lost on Remy, who was far too excited to meet someone from home. In the years since his excommunication, he’d been stripped of his family ties and barred from entering the city and surrounding parishes. He’d tried returning once but it didn’t matter that nearly a decade had pasted, the exile was enforced as promised. Xavier’s was nice but Remy doubted he’d ever feel at home amongst the x-men. Well… He considered Anna and his most recent conversation, absentmindedly straightening the wrinkled shirt he’d slept in. He sure wasn’t opposed to getting more comfortable here. Remy grinned, clapping Olivier on the back. “When y’ start gettin’ bored wit’ these yankees, come an’ find me. We’ll make some proper fun.” 

“Could be.” Olivier winked, really wanting to steer away from this conversation. It was getting too close to home and despite his professionalism, he was starting to enter dangerous territory. It’d be easier not to mess up if he didn’t talk about home at all. Especially since he was looking at one piece of it right now. Despite the falling out, Olivier still loved his pa. The thought of that, the last time he saw him, Olivier’s eyes started to look like glass and he turned away to act like he noticed something interesting. “Oh, Ah’mma be sure to. It’s nice ta be ‘round ya... people. Southern folk...” Oliver had to keep from clearing his throat and being awkward now. Normally, he was so smooth but that memory crept up on him and almost broke him. “Tanks for da tour.”

He’s just Arlo. How many times had she heard that? Too many times than she could count or recall, and it was starting to lose all meaning. As Kate lands on her own two feet, she shakes her head. “Nobody, just him. Just.. His eyes, good God Oli…” He’d been facing the doorway when she’d come in. Like it’d been staged. His eyes wide and almost following her. It still didn’t feel real. She pushes her hair out of her face before sitting down on the edge of the bed. “We have to report it… To the Corsair.”

Shutting the door behind him, Olivier stares at Kate as he clenches and unclenches his fists. He’s not so sure they need to let the Corsair know, but they probably should since most likely they’re gonna need all the help they can get. Before he can even ponder out loud, he realizes the next question he’s about to ask is a stupid one. He keeps it to himself and moves closer to wipe some of Kate’s tears away. “Now that we know, we gotta be cautious. We ain’t gonna let anyone else get hurt, or worse. Not this time ‘cuz we are prepared. Ya think he’ll be after Cyclops too?”

Kate watched Arlo leave with a grave expression. She wanted to follow him, he might be older than her technically but he was still her little brother. It didn’t matter to her that they grew up in different worlds, they came from the same parents and the same timeline. They were meant to grow up together. “He hates me,” she murmurs as she gets onto Oli’s back. He was more her brother than Arlo was lately, and it stung but she was glad to have him. “And I can protect myself, I’m my father’s daughter you know.” Then again, they couldn’t risk her blowing up the school.

Olivier knows Arlo isn’t fond of her, but still he tries to make her feel better. “He don’t hate ya, Kate. Ah’m sorry, but he’s just Arlo. Ya know?” Walking through the halls, he ignores those staring at him because he doesn’t care if the students think this is some sort of favoritism. He was just helping her out if anyone asked. The guy being here set Olivier on high alert, he didn’t want to let her out of his sight just yet.

Kate didn’t care if she’s royally pissed off Olivier. How could he take a trip to her era without telling her? She wasn’t a child, and she wasn’t reckless like his mess of a little sister. She glares at him even harder, trying to keep that infamous Summers temper at bay. “I am more than capable of being focused and staying on task, LeBeau,” she hisses back at him. 

While they were close, and most of the time she appreciated the way he took care of her, she hated how he sometimes treated her like his younger sibling. Like she had something to prove to him, and she didn’t earn her position. Just because she didn’t grow up in the same era as him didn’t make her any less capable. Huffing, she sits up straight. “Have you seen them then? My family?”

“It’s Belmont.” he points out, “And I ain’t seen anyone ‘cept Charles.” Olivier points toward the opposite side of the tent. While he’s looking, he sees Charles raise his fingers to his head. “Merde. Kate, should we go or stay an’ help? If we get involved here... he’s gonna know.” Just then, the lights go down and the center of the circus fills with smoke. The applause is silenced and Olivier can see that everyone is frozen. He grabs Kate and pulls her up, “Let’s hope dis Charles is good at keepin’ secrets, oui?”