xp_logs | No way back: A fiery eruption (backdated a lot)

Things between Hope and her mother come to a head.

It had taken even less time then she thought it would... The dreaded knock on the door. Her father must have told her mother what had occurred during the rescue party and the following reveal of her powers. But still, she had not even finished drying her hair. Quickly she wrapped the towel around her hair, tied her robe securely closed and went to open the door to her room. "Yes mother?" She tried to keep her voice even.

Catherine stood there, her face impassive, "Hope, honey, I was hoping we could talk about what happened. And well, to make sure you're... okay."

"Of course, mother. Please, come in." Hope stepped back from the door and closed it behind her mother when she'd entered. "I am doing very well. Thank you." She answered the second part of her mother's inquiry with a gracious nod and then waited for the rest of what her mother had to say.

"Before I say anything," Catherine started, "I want you to tell me what happened."

Hope sucked in a deep breath as she tried to gather her thoughts. "Father, Amy and I joined the search for the missing girl in the Bald Mountain Recreation Area. Amy was able to locate some of her personal belongings and we discovered she had fallen in a deep crevice. Because we needed to ascertain her condition rather quickly and we did not have the time to wait for a camera or anything, I checked upon her in my astral form. Luckily she was in a stable condition and they were able to get her out without serious injuries."

"What in the name of all that's holy made you think that was remotely a good idea?" Catherine snapped, "Did you consider what people are going to say about this? The work your father and I will have to do to cover this up? Do you have any idea at all, Hope!?"

"It helped to save the life of a child, mother. That was in the forefront of my mind when I revealed my abilities. There was something I could do and I did it." Hope explained, working to keep both her face and her voice calm. "People judging and condemning me was a very far second."

Catherine's face was impassive, but there was a cold fire in her eyes, "I don't know what possessed you to think that was a good idea. Was it that school? What exactly are they teaching you there if not how to hide this... freakshow?!"

"We are taught to control our abilities, mother." Hope stated, a fire of her own starting to rise in her head. "What we do with that control is our own choice. We can choose to use it to hide, we can choose to help people and a wide range of choices in between. I made the choice to help, to help to save a life."

Her voice, for her temper was cool, too calm. This was, in the end, for Hope's own good. Her future depended on the choices she made now and it wouldn't be comprised by the idea that it was somehow okay to show off a defect to the world.

"If you had control you wouldn't be using them at all. I'm starting to think that school is completely worthless," Catherine said coldly.

"I am still learning control, mother." Hope explained. "While I have some basic control, I still have not mastered them fully. That takes time. But I have learned them well enough to be able to help in this case." She took another deep breath in an attempt to keep calm. "This is not about me having learned control at Xavier's, mother. You are upset I went against your instructions, is it not?"

"That's a part of it, yes," Catherine said calmly, "The fact that I would have to put forward instructions like this at all is the problem. The more I think about it, the more I think this school isn't the right fit for you, Hope."

"Are you saying, mother, you are not allowing me to return to Xavier's?" The well that had been in Hope's mind ever since her encounter with the Slendermen broke open further and now fire laced Hope's voice, though she managed to keep control for now.

"It's for your own good, Hope," Catherine said, "You'll see."

At those words the lava in Hope's mind boiled over. She had been placated by those words for so long, but now they were not enough. Eyes flashing with fire, she spoke, her voice gradually becoming louder. "Perhaps it's for my future, for my own good mother, but what about what makes me happy now? My whole life I have been preparing for what you saw as my ideal future. But what of my own wishes and dreams?"

"That's not important. Your happiness now doesn't secure your future later, in fact with most people you'll see following their happiness first does the exact opposite," Catherine returned.

"Not important..." Hope let those words hang in the air for a few moments. "So the only right path me to walk is the very narrow one you point out? There are more ways that lead to Rome, mother, and I wish to walk one that fits me and my interests as well. And what I wish is to return to Xavier's to learn more about my powers and widen my view on the world."

"I'm your mother and this is <b>final</b>, young lady. I'm putting my foot down," Catherine said, her tone left no room for argument or for compromise.

Hope knew this tone. She had heard it very seldom against her, but she knew what it meant. It meant business. Normally she would have meekly agreed. But not this time.

"NO!" Hope clenched her fists and her eyes flashed even more. "All my life I have accepted your wishes and done what you ask. I worked hard to become all you asked me to be. But it was never enough. Never good enough. Especially after I manifested..."

"...I am done, mother. Done with trying to be the princess waiting to be swept up by the prince on the white horse. Done with trying to be the perfect daughter!"

"And you're done with this tantrum," Catherine said, turning her back on her daughter, "You're spending the night in your room if I have to lock you in here until you see reason."

"Do you truly think you could keep me in here, mother? You might be able to lock in my body, but my spirit is free to where I wish." Hope's voice lowered almost dangerously. "I urge you to reconsider, mother. This time I will not accept your decision. I will do all I can to walk my path."

Catherine let loose a long sigh, but didn't turn back to face Hope, "It's for your own good. You'll thank me when you're older," with that she left the room and closed the door. There was a click of it locking behind her, "I will bring up your dinner latter, honey. I suggest you catch up on your reading."

Hope fell back on the bed, pulling in a few deep breaths in an attempt to at least calm herself a little. A part of her wanted to scream and rage, but that would not help her cause here. Neither would the childish notion of following her mother in her astral form help.

No, for now it was the best just to let all the tempers calms down... including her own.