Into Africa | Scott and Ororo
Jan. 3rd, 2007 05:18 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsScott goes to Africa to find out why Ororo hasn't returned to the mansion yet. His greeting is a bit more friendly, and their reunion ends up being both touching and productive.
The flat, open scrubland looked almost like a sea of grass, undulating gently in the soft breezes that rippled over it from time to time. The sky overhead was a bright, clear blue smudged with only the occasional cloud, and the sun shone down brilliantly on the stunted trees and waving grasses below. It was a more or less picture-perfect scene, straight out of a National Geographic photoshoot. But it wasn't some planned out facade, rather a living ecosystem where people clung to the earth and tried their best to eke out a living at the mercy of the capricious seasons and weather.
The small huts stood as stalwartly as they had for years, providing shelter and shade for the village's inhabitants in a tiny cluster of human civilization. From around them spread the fields that had until recently stood barren - now tiny green shoots poked up from the carefully tended rows. Over it all stood the shadow of the mountain, miles away in the distance and yet dominating the landscape with its massive presence.
The black plane that slowed as it flew overhead, coming in for a nearly-soundless landing just outside the village, did not match the National Geographic surroundings. Its arrival would be remembered for years to come, but as the plane's ramp lowered, only one person walked out - a man who looked around somewhat bemusedly, then shrugged and headed in the direction of the village.
Stealthy though it was, there was no way for the jet to avoid detection, and a shiver of surprise and alarm passed through the village as the pilot approached. The same tall, suspicious men that had greeted Remy at the village's edge roused themselves now, grabbing up weapons and moving to observe the newcomer. It was unsure exactly what his welcome would be, though it surely wouldn't be friendly, when a familiar voice broke the near-silence. "Wait!"
Ororo emerged from the small circle of huts at a run, hands held high to keep the villagers from attempting anything hostile. She knew who it must be, and beyond her shock and guilt was the overwhelming desire to keep anyone from being hurt because of her.
Scott waited patiently, making no aggressive moves, although part of him couldn't help but wince a bit at the weapons being brandished at him. He heard Ororo's shout and relaxed - fractionally, as he wasn't really sure what her reaction would be to his arrival, especially in such a blatant way.
She slowed as she neared him, dropping her hands to her sides. She wasn't worried now that Scott would be harmed - though they were suspicious, she knew the villagers wouldn't act aggressively towards someone she recognized. "Scott," she said, glancing over his shoulder momentarily at the Blackbird as if reassuring herself that it was real. "What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you, 'Ro," Scott said more easily, then offered a smile to the villagers that he then turned on her. "Sorry for the dramatic entrance. I didn't feel like messing around with commercial flights and the 'Bird's not had a trans-Atlantic run in a while."
Ororo was speechless; she had all but disappeared and reverted back to her old ways, and Scott was... apologizing for a dramatic entrance? "It is fine," she managed eventually, shaking her head. "How did she fly?" Okay, now things were getting really surreal.
"Oh, she sputtered and coughed over the Azores... I'm kidding, 'Ro," Scott said, his smile growing into a grin at her expression. He eyed the villagers, then glanced back at her. "Suppose we might go for a walk? You can show me around the place."
"...all right." With that, Ororo turned, heading slightly away from the village towards the far end of the fields, her bare feet scuffing the ground slightly. It had only been a few days since the rains had stopped, but already the earth had soaked up all the available moisture, and the top layer of soil was once again becoming dry and dusty. "Crops," she said, gesturing to the carefully-tended furrows. "Corn and wheat, mostly. There is sisal over in the far rows."
"Because of you. Yes?" Scott asked very patiently after a moment. When she didn't answer immediately, he just smiled again. "You didn't ask how I found you so quickly."
"It does not seem all that hard to do, apparently," she replied a bit testily, keeping her eyes trained on the ground in front of her. "I assume Charles helped."
"Was someone else here?" he asked, mostly rhetorically. "But yes. Charles helped. Not hard for him to find one of his favorite students when she's back in her natural environment." His voice softened on the last words, and his smile was a bit gentler. "It's beautiful," he said. "Harsh, but beautiful."
Ororo glanced sideways at Scott, her expression guarded, almost as if she expected him to follow this up with a denunciation of her presence here. When it didn't come, she forced herself to relax a little and nodded. "Yes, it is," she agreed. "I missed it here." Stating the obvious, perhaps, but it was the first time she had admitted as much
to him in some time.
"I don't really have a place like this," Scott said after a moment. "But I imagine that if you have one, and spend so much time away from it, because of what you feel is your duty... the need to return just grows and grows, no matter how much you try to ignore it." He glanced sideways at her, a soft chuckle slipping out. "Or am I talking bullshit?"
"Of course not," she had to say, looking mildly chagrined. Leave it to Scott to cut to the core of it without ever raising his voice. "That does not mean, however, that if you do have the chance to return that you should try to pretend nothing has changed... because it surely has." Ororo sighed, stopping at the end of the field and looking out over the savanna. "And it is foolish to think otherwise."
"It's still yours, but it's not? It's changed... or you've changed?"
There was nothing but patience in Scott's voice, presenting the options for Ororo to examine as he chose. He wasn't here to stampede her into anything, Charles's concerns about weather patterns in Africa notwithstanding. If it came to her addressing the Professor's concerns and staying...
Well, he couldn't say he'd be happy about it. But he also wasn't the only one who'd had the year from hell, and the need to see her happy somewhere, even if it wasn't at the mansion, was overwhelming.
"It hasn't changed," she replied with a shake of her head. "I do not think it ever will. No, it is me that has changed, and... I do not belong here as I once did." As I do not belong anywhere, was the unspoken coda to that thought, but she couldn't bring herself to
voice it quite yet. No need to worry Scott more, after all. "It was the right place for a teenager pretending to be something more... but I know for certain that I am not that person any longer. Now, if only I could figure out what person I am... perhaps then I would know where I do belong."
"Do you have to be just one person?" Scott asked, his tone deceptively idle. He'd had a lot of time to think, alone on the trip over. They kept walking, and he had to wonder if the upwards shift in his mood had something to do with the equatorial sun. "One person, one role... it doesn't sound feasible, for people like us. There are so many aspects to our lives, Ororo. When our balance gets thrown out of whack..." He trailed off, quite deliberately.
Did she have the guts to finish that statement? There was a long, pregnant pause. "Then people die," Ororo said finally, feeling truly low now. "I have done a terrible thing, Scott. I am no role model to look up to... no team leader. I can barely trust my own actions, how can I expect others to?"
He didn't answer for a moment. "Am I a terrible leader," he said finally, "because I ordered Lorna out of FoH headquarters back in the spring without trying to reach that mutant? Am I a bad leader because I was one of the people in charge when we went into Youra?" Scott stopped, turning around to face her. "Our actions have consequences," he said steadily, meeting her eyes. "We make mistakes. Sometimes for the best of reasons. But you know, Ororo - you know what the response to that is. And it's in you, to do it. If it wasn't, you'd never have tried to help in the first place."
She wanted to believe that so much and yet... Crossing her arms across her chest, she turned away. There was nothing she could do to change the past, and the future stretched out in front of her like some vast, unreadable scroll. "I thought when I came here that it would soothe me, that I would find answers and peace. But the only thing I have found is more questions. I do not know what I was meant to do anymore, Scott. And I do not know how to find out."
"This year... it's been enough to shake the faith of anyone sitting and watching from the sidelines, 'Ro. You've been right in the middle of all of it. I'm surprised you're still sane." He reached out and took her shoulders, gazing down at her steadily. "And because I'm me, I'm going to try and make a productive suggestion - feel free to kick me, if you want. But it strikes me that what you tried to do here wasn't the problem. Just that you didn't fully understand and adjust for the consequences. All of this-" He gestured at the sky, "is
interconnected, right? And while we all digested some science so that we'd understand how our powers work... you're not a meteorologist." A deliberate, brief pause. "But there are meteorologists out there who'd probably look on your gift as a miracle."
Ororo narrowed her eyes at him, though she couldn't quite hide the flood of relief that despite it all, he was still willing to try and talk some sense into her. "What are you suggesting?" she asked slowly, her gaze not leaving his face once.
"Come back with me - not permanently, not if you really don't want to be back at the school," Scott amended, despite the little twist in his chest at the thought. "Remember, we work for the man who knows everyone. If Charles doesn't at least have some contacts who have contacts at the NOAA, I'd be awfully surprised. When we get in touch with someone," he said more quietly, "someone who really understands how it all works, maybe they can help you use it while minimizing the consequences. Maybe they'll jump at the chance. And maybe," he said, slowly, "this is something you can do not just for yourself, but some of the other mutants we know. Think of the possibilities for Crystal, or Amara, or Julio..." He surprised her with a sudden, almost whimsical smile. "Those of you who affect nature could do some pretty remarkable things. It's just a question of knowing how to avoid having the butterfly flap its wings in Hong Kong and create a hurricane in New York."
It seemed all too good to be true, and briefly Ororo wondered how long Scott had pondered this kind of solution to her predicament. She couldn't deny that it sounded promising, though, and slowly the tension began to ease from her expression until she gave him a hesitant nod and a smile. "I like that idea," she murmured. "And I think... perhaps going back to the mansion is the best thing for me. Moving forward, not back."
Scott grinned at her. "You know, I'm going to be shameless here and say I'm really glad to hear that." Somewhat impulsively, he stepped forward and hugged her. "Too much sun," he murmured. "I think it's making me giddy."
"I can tell," she replied with a smirk, returning the embrace. "But it is very welcome. I am sorry to have made you travel all this way to find me, but at least you can benefit from it, if only a little."
"We don't have to head back just yet," Scott said, drawing back, still grinning. "You could show me more of the place." There was something more serious in his expression, despite the grin. "I'd really like to see it all."
Ororo's smile turned shy, and she nodded, taking a step back in the direction of the village. "Then I would like to show you. Come, you must be hungry. Perhaps we can learn some new recipes to take back to Lorna."
"You're going to feed me, too?" he asked, reaching out to take her hand as they turned towards the village. "Wow. This is just about the best day ever." He was being silly, but maybe that was all right. There was too much serious in their lives, really.
"Remind me to make sure you eat inside... in the shade... away from the sun," Ororo remarked, laughing. "There is such thing as too much of a good thing."
"That might be a good idea, if you don't want to have to wrestle the controls away from me when I start doing barrel rolls on the way home." His expression was more serious again as they continued to walk back towards the village. "And 'Ro... about that suggestion I made. Everything is flexible, back at the mansion. It's time you got a chance to get your balance back, and if that means shifting some things onto my shoulders while you explore these other possibilities... well, not only will I do it happily, but I feel like I owe you." He squeezed her hand. "For being my sanity, this
year, if nothing else."
"You owe me nothing, Scott. Not after coming here and helping me as you have." Ororo felt a small pang as she remembered another person who had come and tried to help, but she shouldered aside the thought and focused on the here and now. "I did not meant to worry you, and I promise that I will not be running off again any time soon. I have
learned my lesson."
"Ororo..." He stopped, but didn't let go of her hand, forcing her to stop too. He was frowning a little at her, for the first time in the conversation. "I didn't come to Africa to... reclaim a runaway student or something, so don't talk like I did. I want you," he said, quietly but forcefully, "to keep what I said in mind. Unless you were just humoring me when you said similar things to me this year. In which case, I'm going to take you home and toss you in the lake."
"Yes sir, Headmaster Summers," Ororo said, trying to lighten the mood a little. It wasn't that she didn't believe Scott, but it was going to take a little longer to sink in, she thought. "I will keep it in mind, since I did mean everything I said to you this year."
His lips twitched. "Good." Although he would be watching her, to make sure that she did. If there was one thing they shared, it was a tendency to internalize things, put up a front. Hers had just tended to be a whole hell of a lot more convincing than his, this year. "Now," he said, and offered her his arm. "I was being a sunlight-drunken goof, and you were about to finish giving me the grand tour."
"Ah, yes," Ororo said with a nod, slipping her own arm through his. "Step right this way, then, and I will give you the insider's view that few will ever see..."
The flat, open scrubland looked almost like a sea of grass, undulating gently in the soft breezes that rippled over it from time to time. The sky overhead was a bright, clear blue smudged with only the occasional cloud, and the sun shone down brilliantly on the stunted trees and waving grasses below. It was a more or less picture-perfect scene, straight out of a National Geographic photoshoot. But it wasn't some planned out facade, rather a living ecosystem where people clung to the earth and tried their best to eke out a living at the mercy of the capricious seasons and weather.
The small huts stood as stalwartly as they had for years, providing shelter and shade for the village's inhabitants in a tiny cluster of human civilization. From around them spread the fields that had until recently stood barren - now tiny green shoots poked up from the carefully tended rows. Over it all stood the shadow of the mountain, miles away in the distance and yet dominating the landscape with its massive presence.
The black plane that slowed as it flew overhead, coming in for a nearly-soundless landing just outside the village, did not match the National Geographic surroundings. Its arrival would be remembered for years to come, but as the plane's ramp lowered, only one person walked out - a man who looked around somewhat bemusedly, then shrugged and headed in the direction of the village.
Stealthy though it was, there was no way for the jet to avoid detection, and a shiver of surprise and alarm passed through the village as the pilot approached. The same tall, suspicious men that had greeted Remy at the village's edge roused themselves now, grabbing up weapons and moving to observe the newcomer. It was unsure exactly what his welcome would be, though it surely wouldn't be friendly, when a familiar voice broke the near-silence. "Wait!"
Ororo emerged from the small circle of huts at a run, hands held high to keep the villagers from attempting anything hostile. She knew who it must be, and beyond her shock and guilt was the overwhelming desire to keep anyone from being hurt because of her.
Scott waited patiently, making no aggressive moves, although part of him couldn't help but wince a bit at the weapons being brandished at him. He heard Ororo's shout and relaxed - fractionally, as he wasn't really sure what her reaction would be to his arrival, especially in such a blatant way.
She slowed as she neared him, dropping her hands to her sides. She wasn't worried now that Scott would be harmed - though they were suspicious, she knew the villagers wouldn't act aggressively towards someone she recognized. "Scott," she said, glancing over his shoulder momentarily at the Blackbird as if reassuring herself that it was real. "What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you, 'Ro," Scott said more easily, then offered a smile to the villagers that he then turned on her. "Sorry for the dramatic entrance. I didn't feel like messing around with commercial flights and the 'Bird's not had a trans-Atlantic run in a while."
Ororo was speechless; she had all but disappeared and reverted back to her old ways, and Scott was... apologizing for a dramatic entrance? "It is fine," she managed eventually, shaking her head. "How did she fly?" Okay, now things were getting really surreal.
"Oh, she sputtered and coughed over the Azores... I'm kidding, 'Ro," Scott said, his smile growing into a grin at her expression. He eyed the villagers, then glanced back at her. "Suppose we might go for a walk? You can show me around the place."
"...all right." With that, Ororo turned, heading slightly away from the village towards the far end of the fields, her bare feet scuffing the ground slightly. It had only been a few days since the rains had stopped, but already the earth had soaked up all the available moisture, and the top layer of soil was once again becoming dry and dusty. "Crops," she said, gesturing to the carefully-tended furrows. "Corn and wheat, mostly. There is sisal over in the far rows."
"Because of you. Yes?" Scott asked very patiently after a moment. When she didn't answer immediately, he just smiled again. "You didn't ask how I found you so quickly."
"It does not seem all that hard to do, apparently," she replied a bit testily, keeping her eyes trained on the ground in front of her. "I assume Charles helped."
"Was someone else here?" he asked, mostly rhetorically. "But yes. Charles helped. Not hard for him to find one of his favorite students when she's back in her natural environment." His voice softened on the last words, and his smile was a bit gentler. "It's beautiful," he said. "Harsh, but beautiful."
Ororo glanced sideways at Scott, her expression guarded, almost as if she expected him to follow this up with a denunciation of her presence here. When it didn't come, she forced herself to relax a little and nodded. "Yes, it is," she agreed. "I missed it here." Stating the obvious, perhaps, but it was the first time she had admitted as much
to him in some time.
"I don't really have a place like this," Scott said after a moment. "But I imagine that if you have one, and spend so much time away from it, because of what you feel is your duty... the need to return just grows and grows, no matter how much you try to ignore it." He glanced sideways at her, a soft chuckle slipping out. "Or am I talking bullshit?"
"Of course not," she had to say, looking mildly chagrined. Leave it to Scott to cut to the core of it without ever raising his voice. "That does not mean, however, that if you do have the chance to return that you should try to pretend nothing has changed... because it surely has." Ororo sighed, stopping at the end of the field and looking out over the savanna. "And it is foolish to think otherwise."
"It's still yours, but it's not? It's changed... or you've changed?"
There was nothing but patience in Scott's voice, presenting the options for Ororo to examine as he chose. He wasn't here to stampede her into anything, Charles's concerns about weather patterns in Africa notwithstanding. If it came to her addressing the Professor's concerns and staying...
Well, he couldn't say he'd be happy about it. But he also wasn't the only one who'd had the year from hell, and the need to see her happy somewhere, even if it wasn't at the mansion, was overwhelming.
"It hasn't changed," she replied with a shake of her head. "I do not think it ever will. No, it is me that has changed, and... I do not belong here as I once did." As I do not belong anywhere, was the unspoken coda to that thought, but she couldn't bring herself to
voice it quite yet. No need to worry Scott more, after all. "It was the right place for a teenager pretending to be something more... but I know for certain that I am not that person any longer. Now, if only I could figure out what person I am... perhaps then I would know where I do belong."
"Do you have to be just one person?" Scott asked, his tone deceptively idle. He'd had a lot of time to think, alone on the trip over. They kept walking, and he had to wonder if the upwards shift in his mood had something to do with the equatorial sun. "One person, one role... it doesn't sound feasible, for people like us. There are so many aspects to our lives, Ororo. When our balance gets thrown out of whack..." He trailed off, quite deliberately.
Did she have the guts to finish that statement? There was a long, pregnant pause. "Then people die," Ororo said finally, feeling truly low now. "I have done a terrible thing, Scott. I am no role model to look up to... no team leader. I can barely trust my own actions, how can I expect others to?"
He didn't answer for a moment. "Am I a terrible leader," he said finally, "because I ordered Lorna out of FoH headquarters back in the spring without trying to reach that mutant? Am I a bad leader because I was one of the people in charge when we went into Youra?" Scott stopped, turning around to face her. "Our actions have consequences," he said steadily, meeting her eyes. "We make mistakes. Sometimes for the best of reasons. But you know, Ororo - you know what the response to that is. And it's in you, to do it. If it wasn't, you'd never have tried to help in the first place."
She wanted to believe that so much and yet... Crossing her arms across her chest, she turned away. There was nothing she could do to change the past, and the future stretched out in front of her like some vast, unreadable scroll. "I thought when I came here that it would soothe me, that I would find answers and peace. But the only thing I have found is more questions. I do not know what I was meant to do anymore, Scott. And I do not know how to find out."
"This year... it's been enough to shake the faith of anyone sitting and watching from the sidelines, 'Ro. You've been right in the middle of all of it. I'm surprised you're still sane." He reached out and took her shoulders, gazing down at her steadily. "And because I'm me, I'm going to try and make a productive suggestion - feel free to kick me, if you want. But it strikes me that what you tried to do here wasn't the problem. Just that you didn't fully understand and adjust for the consequences. All of this-" He gestured at the sky, "is
interconnected, right? And while we all digested some science so that we'd understand how our powers work... you're not a meteorologist." A deliberate, brief pause. "But there are meteorologists out there who'd probably look on your gift as a miracle."
Ororo narrowed her eyes at him, though she couldn't quite hide the flood of relief that despite it all, he was still willing to try and talk some sense into her. "What are you suggesting?" she asked slowly, her gaze not leaving his face once.
"Come back with me - not permanently, not if you really don't want to be back at the school," Scott amended, despite the little twist in his chest at the thought. "Remember, we work for the man who knows everyone. If Charles doesn't at least have some contacts who have contacts at the NOAA, I'd be awfully surprised. When we get in touch with someone," he said more quietly, "someone who really understands how it all works, maybe they can help you use it while minimizing the consequences. Maybe they'll jump at the chance. And maybe," he said, slowly, "this is something you can do not just for yourself, but some of the other mutants we know. Think of the possibilities for Crystal, or Amara, or Julio..." He surprised her with a sudden, almost whimsical smile. "Those of you who affect nature could do some pretty remarkable things. It's just a question of knowing how to avoid having the butterfly flap its wings in Hong Kong and create a hurricane in New York."
It seemed all too good to be true, and briefly Ororo wondered how long Scott had pondered this kind of solution to her predicament. She couldn't deny that it sounded promising, though, and slowly the tension began to ease from her expression until she gave him a hesitant nod and a smile. "I like that idea," she murmured. "And I think... perhaps going back to the mansion is the best thing for me. Moving forward, not back."
Scott grinned at her. "You know, I'm going to be shameless here and say I'm really glad to hear that." Somewhat impulsively, he stepped forward and hugged her. "Too much sun," he murmured. "I think it's making me giddy."
"I can tell," she replied with a smirk, returning the embrace. "But it is very welcome. I am sorry to have made you travel all this way to find me, but at least you can benefit from it, if only a little."
"We don't have to head back just yet," Scott said, drawing back, still grinning. "You could show me more of the place." There was something more serious in his expression, despite the grin. "I'd really like to see it all."
Ororo's smile turned shy, and she nodded, taking a step back in the direction of the village. "Then I would like to show you. Come, you must be hungry. Perhaps we can learn some new recipes to take back to Lorna."
"You're going to feed me, too?" he asked, reaching out to take her hand as they turned towards the village. "Wow. This is just about the best day ever." He was being silly, but maybe that was all right. There was too much serious in their lives, really.
"Remind me to make sure you eat inside... in the shade... away from the sun," Ororo remarked, laughing. "There is such thing as too much of a good thing."
"That might be a good idea, if you don't want to have to wrestle the controls away from me when I start doing barrel rolls on the way home." His expression was more serious again as they continued to walk back towards the village. "And 'Ro... about that suggestion I made. Everything is flexible, back at the mansion. It's time you got a chance to get your balance back, and if that means shifting some things onto my shoulders while you explore these other possibilities... well, not only will I do it happily, but I feel like I owe you." He squeezed her hand. "For being my sanity, this
year, if nothing else."
"You owe me nothing, Scott. Not after coming here and helping me as you have." Ororo felt a small pang as she remembered another person who had come and tried to help, but she shouldered aside the thought and focused on the here and now. "I did not meant to worry you, and I promise that I will not be running off again any time soon. I have
learned my lesson."
"Ororo..." He stopped, but didn't let go of her hand, forcing her to stop too. He was frowning a little at her, for the first time in the conversation. "I didn't come to Africa to... reclaim a runaway student or something, so don't talk like I did. I want you," he said, quietly but forcefully, "to keep what I said in mind. Unless you were just humoring me when you said similar things to me this year. In which case, I'm going to take you home and toss you in the lake."
"Yes sir, Headmaster Summers," Ororo said, trying to lighten the mood a little. It wasn't that she didn't believe Scott, but it was going to take a little longer to sink in, she thought. "I will keep it in mind, since I did mean everything I said to you this year."
His lips twitched. "Good." Although he would be watching her, to make sure that she did. If there was one thing they shared, it was a tendency to internalize things, put up a front. Hers had just tended to be a whole hell of a lot more convincing than his, this year. "Now," he said, and offered her his arm. "I was being a sunlight-drunken goof, and you were about to finish giving me the grand tour."
"Ah, yes," Ororo said with a nod, slipping her own arm through his. "Step right this way, then, and I will give you the insider's view that few will ever see..."
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Date: 2007-01-04 01:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-04 03:52 pm (UTC)Yes, and yet lectures of this sort are rather nothing but the opposite side of comfortable, aren't they?