xp_logs | No way back: first dinner together

Hope and her parents share their first dinner since Hope started attending Xavier's on the evening of her arrival.

With a deep breath, Hope looked in the mirror one last time before descending the stairs. It had been nearly a year since she had been in one room with both her parents, the brief car trip from the airport excluded. And she definitely wasn't the girl anymore she was then.

The outfit she was wearing was only one thing that was different. Gone were the girly pastels and in it's place was a sleek black pencil skirt with a deep blue silk blouse and strappy high heeled black sandals with her hair pulled up in an simple up-do.

As she entered the dining room, she nodded in greeting. "Mother, father."

"Hope, sweetheart." Her father nodded slightly in her direction as he looked up when she entered the room. He paused when he saw what she was wearing, looking at his wife for an instant for her reaction before continuing. "Uh, come, have a seat, dinner is ready."

Catherine looked longer at her daughter's dress, "You should really change, honey," she said, as softly as she could, "Those aren't exactly the types of things you should be wearing down to dinner..."

"I wore it to dinner when I was visiting Sue's..." Hope automatically corrected herself, remembering her parent's dislike of nickname. "...Susan's grandparents, mother. I believe Mrs. Storm quite liked it and I felt it was appropriate for dinner." Her voice was fairly calm as she took her seat, showing she had no intention of getting changed. "I am sixteen now, mother. I cannot keep dressing like a young girl."

"That's nice, dear, I'm glad they liked it, but just because they felt it was appropriate there doesn't mean it's appropriate here." Unused to seeing his daughter like this, Jason looked from her to his wife and back at Hope.

"Indeed. I think you should change before we say Grace," Catherine said firmly.

Hope took a deep breath and pushed her thoughts of 'not now... not so soon' aside and laced her voice with an edge of steel, drawn from that anger she had discovered during the incident with the Slenderman. So she met her mother's eyes and replied: "I am afraid not, mother. I turned sixteen last May and I cannot keep dressing like an innocent young girl. You and father gave me my diamond pendant and earrings for my birthday and I assumed the responsibilities that came with it."

"You are a young lady, Hope, that much is true, but a true young lady respects her parents and their wishes," Jason said, raising his voice slightly. "Especially while you are under our roof."

"Simple trinkets, while symbolic, don't make you a lady, Hope. You have to act like one," Catherine said haughtily.

"Trinkets indeed do not make a lady, mother... and acting like one is paramount. I also fully agree with you on that." Hope laced yet
another thread of steel through her voice, giving it a slight edge as she met her parents gazes firmly. "Both of you made the choice to send me to boarding school and I had to find my own path as a lady in some rather unique circumstances. When I turned sixteen, you send me the signs to assume the responsibilities that come with it and I did so, finding my own path. While perhaps not completely fitting the path you saw before you, I still follow the path of a lady."

Then she let out a deep sigh and allowed a pleading look to enter her eyes. "I will explain how those choices fit for me, but this is the first time I have seen you in a year. I know some matters must appear strange... But I really wish to enjoy your company for an evening before we discuss serious matters. I have missed you." And she had in some ways, despite the often stifling feeling they gave her.

Jason waited a beat or two before replying, this time not looking to his wife first before replying. "I've missed you too, Hope. We've both missed you," he clarified. "and we're glad to have you back home. Perhaps you're right, we can deal with other matters later, and for now just be glad to be together again. Don't you think, dear?" He looked to Catherine for her opinion.

"Yes, it is good to have you home. I just hope you remember to... behave?" Catherine offered. "We wouldn't want any incidents."

"Do you mean my abilities, mother?" Hope asked fairly innocently. At her mother's wince, she continued: "I was not planning on just telling anyone, mother. I have seen what the revelation of such can cause and I would not wish to inconvenience you with outing my myself while I will be returning to Xavier's afterwards and letting you bear the consequences."

"Good, I'm glad that's settled then, and of course we agree with you 100%." Jason said, attempting to muster an air of finality with regards to that topic of conversation. "Now, let's put that behind us and enjoy our meal before it gets cold."