This Place is Such Great Motivation
Dec. 28th, 2023 02:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logs Paige reveals her mutation to Sam and Melody.
Jay had been in the hospital for two days. No one had been dealing with it well, least of all Lucinda. After noticing that their mother was pulling away once again, Paige knew what had to be done.
“Hey, Sammy. I think you, Mel, and I need to have a chat.”
Sam couldn't say that he was necessarily in the mood to talk, but talking to his sisters wouldn’t end with him in jail for killing a Cabot so it was probably the course of action he needed to take right now. "Yeah? Bout what specifically? Feels like all we've done is talk and we aint' done nothin' the last few days."
“This is…different,” Paige said awkwardly. “It’s about what’s next. Because someone needs to care for Jay, and we both know Mama ain’t gonna do that, not in the way Jay needs her to. And we both know what happens when Mama can’t do that.”
"Yes Paigey, I know. I know it's gonna be my job to take care of him and everyone else in the goddamn house." Sam closed his eyes and sighed. "'m sorry, sorry, that wasn't fair to you. It ain't your fault and I ain't mad at you."
Sam frowned and looked at her. "I've got myself settled up north so I'll bring Jay with.... probably best he don't stay down here for his own safety....and then you're moving for school..... aw hell poor Melody..... we gotta break the news gently. No surprises."
Paige wrapped her arms around Sam in a hug. “It’s not fair, you’re right. And it shouldn’t be all on you.” She let go. “Let’s get Mel and we can really work this out.”
Sam sighed and hugged her tight. "It's been miserable without you up North, Paige. I'm glad you're goin' to Columbia- not only can I brag on you more now for getting into an Ivy League, but you'll be closer and can meet my friends....and it'll be good for Jay....he's always liked you more."
Sam led the way to the room Melody shared with Liz and Joelle, and knocked. "Mel? Can Paigey and I talk to you right quick?"
Mel sat up in bed and quickly wiped her eyes. If she had been listening to Patsy Cline and crying, that was nobody’s business. She slipped out of the room. “What’s goin’ on?” The way her siblings looked, she knew it could be nothing good.
“Is everythin’ okay with Jay?” She asked, suddenly fearing the worst
“He’s fine! He’s doing just fine,” Paige said quickly, trying to calm Mel down. “It’s just..after he gets out of the hospital, with his wings and all…he probably needs to move up with Sammy…and I’m going, too.” Paige tried not to look too guilty as she told Mel she was being left behind.
"We're sorry hon." Sam said, wrapping his arm around her. "But Jay'n'I can't stay, you know me- I'll end up prison for fightin' them sons of bitches, and Jay.....he needs a change of scenery. I'd stay if it wasn't a bad idea."
“I know you would Sammy,” Mel said, burying her face in Sam’s shoulder. None of the past week felt real. Louisville was one thing, but New York? She was trying really hard not to start crying again. “An’ Paigey, Jay told me ‘bout Columbia. I’m real happy for ya. I’ll miss you guys.”
Paige wrapped her arms around Mel’s other side. “We’ll come home and visit and we’ll make sure you can come up and see us over the summer. I’m sure there’ll be room in the mansion for you to stay for a bit. And since Sammy, Jay, n’ I will all be living in the same place, that should make it easier.”
Sam paused and stared at Paige in confusion. “Uh- Paigey….. you’ve gotta be a mutant to live at the mansion…… what do you mean we’re all all gonna be livin’ in the same place?”
Paige kept hugging Mel and refused to look Sam in the eye. “We both know you’n Jay’ll kill each other if you’re left alone for too long. Clearly, I have to come with you so someone can keep an eye on you both…and I qualify to live there so it makes the most sense.” She pressed her lips together and waited for the news to set in.
Sam didn’t sound angry, just hurt when he responded in a small voice. “Why didn’t you tell me? I could’ve gotten you resources….helped support you while you lived in an area that openly talks about us like we’re devils….. Paigey, I coulda helped you.”
Paige pulled away from Mel, hugging herself and fighting tears. “Because I was about to leave for college and I didn’t want to give that up and move to New York and I knew I could figure it out myself and no one found out, I was real good at hidin’ it, and Mama was always upset that you left and I didn’t wanna make that worse and Jay was upset too, and I just couldn’t take it if he was mad at me when I left too, and then it just got so hard to tell you and I thought maybe if I moved north for school that might make it easier…I’m sorry, Sammy. I’m so sorry.”
“Paige, I ain’t mad. I just…. I thought you trusted me enough to know I wouldn’t ever have made you move. I was in Scotland then Paigey, and I never could make you do anything you didn’t want to.” Sam sighed and pulled Paige into his side. “I ain’t mad at ya. It’ll be okay, you’re okay. What can you do Paigey?”
“Uh. This,” Paige said, peeling the skin off her left arm, revealing an arm made out of stone. “I can’t fly, not like you or Jay. I just change substance.”
Sam nodded. “Alright…… I might know some folks to get you in contact with……. But it’ll be nice to have you there Paige. Especially with all this.”
Mel made no move to speak, but she secretly wondered what this meant for their family. One mutant kid was chance, three was something else entirely. The possibility that she could be a mutant thrummed through her like an electric current. It was a selfish thought, the little ones needed her to stay, but it settled in the back of her mind nonetheless.
Mel squeezed both of her siblings tighter. Priorities.
Jay had been in the hospital for two days. No one had been dealing with it well, least of all Lucinda. After noticing that their mother was pulling away once again, Paige knew what had to be done.
“Hey, Sammy. I think you, Mel, and I need to have a chat.”
Sam couldn't say that he was necessarily in the mood to talk, but talking to his sisters wouldn’t end with him in jail for killing a Cabot so it was probably the course of action he needed to take right now. "Yeah? Bout what specifically? Feels like all we've done is talk and we aint' done nothin' the last few days."
“This is…different,” Paige said awkwardly. “It’s about what’s next. Because someone needs to care for Jay, and we both know Mama ain’t gonna do that, not in the way Jay needs her to. And we both know what happens when Mama can’t do that.”
"Yes Paigey, I know. I know it's gonna be my job to take care of him and everyone else in the goddamn house." Sam closed his eyes and sighed. "'m sorry, sorry, that wasn't fair to you. It ain't your fault and I ain't mad at you."
Sam frowned and looked at her. "I've got myself settled up north so I'll bring Jay with.... probably best he don't stay down here for his own safety....and then you're moving for school..... aw hell poor Melody..... we gotta break the news gently. No surprises."
Paige wrapped her arms around Sam in a hug. “It’s not fair, you’re right. And it shouldn’t be all on you.” She let go. “Let’s get Mel and we can really work this out.”
Sam sighed and hugged her tight. "It's been miserable without you up North, Paige. I'm glad you're goin' to Columbia- not only can I brag on you more now for getting into an Ivy League, but you'll be closer and can meet my friends....and it'll be good for Jay....he's always liked you more."
Sam led the way to the room Melody shared with Liz and Joelle, and knocked. "Mel? Can Paigey and I talk to you right quick?"
Mel sat up in bed and quickly wiped her eyes. If she had been listening to Patsy Cline and crying, that was nobody’s business. She slipped out of the room. “What’s goin’ on?” The way her siblings looked, she knew it could be nothing good.
“Is everythin’ okay with Jay?” She asked, suddenly fearing the worst
“He’s fine! He’s doing just fine,” Paige said quickly, trying to calm Mel down. “It’s just..after he gets out of the hospital, with his wings and all…he probably needs to move up with Sammy…and I’m going, too.” Paige tried not to look too guilty as she told Mel she was being left behind.
"We're sorry hon." Sam said, wrapping his arm around her. "But Jay'n'I can't stay, you know me- I'll end up prison for fightin' them sons of bitches, and Jay.....he needs a change of scenery. I'd stay if it wasn't a bad idea."
“I know you would Sammy,” Mel said, burying her face in Sam’s shoulder. None of the past week felt real. Louisville was one thing, but New York? She was trying really hard not to start crying again. “An’ Paigey, Jay told me ‘bout Columbia. I’m real happy for ya. I’ll miss you guys.”
Paige wrapped her arms around Mel’s other side. “We’ll come home and visit and we’ll make sure you can come up and see us over the summer. I’m sure there’ll be room in the mansion for you to stay for a bit. And since Sammy, Jay, n’ I will all be living in the same place, that should make it easier.”
Sam paused and stared at Paige in confusion. “Uh- Paigey….. you’ve gotta be a mutant to live at the mansion…… what do you mean we’re all all gonna be livin’ in the same place?”
Paige kept hugging Mel and refused to look Sam in the eye. “We both know you’n Jay’ll kill each other if you’re left alone for too long. Clearly, I have to come with you so someone can keep an eye on you both…and I qualify to live there so it makes the most sense.” She pressed her lips together and waited for the news to set in.
Sam didn’t sound angry, just hurt when he responded in a small voice. “Why didn’t you tell me? I could’ve gotten you resources….helped support you while you lived in an area that openly talks about us like we’re devils….. Paigey, I coulda helped you.”
Paige pulled away from Mel, hugging herself and fighting tears. “Because I was about to leave for college and I didn’t want to give that up and move to New York and I knew I could figure it out myself and no one found out, I was real good at hidin’ it, and Mama was always upset that you left and I didn’t wanna make that worse and Jay was upset too, and I just couldn’t take it if he was mad at me when I left too, and then it just got so hard to tell you and I thought maybe if I moved north for school that might make it easier…I’m sorry, Sammy. I’m so sorry.”
“Paige, I ain’t mad. I just…. I thought you trusted me enough to know I wouldn’t ever have made you move. I was in Scotland then Paigey, and I never could make you do anything you didn’t want to.” Sam sighed and pulled Paige into his side. “I ain’t mad at ya. It’ll be okay, you’re okay. What can you do Paigey?”
“Uh. This,” Paige said, peeling the skin off her left arm, revealing an arm made out of stone. “I can’t fly, not like you or Jay. I just change substance.”
Sam nodded. “Alright…… I might know some folks to get you in contact with……. But it’ll be nice to have you there Paige. Especially with all this.”
Mel made no move to speak, but she secretly wondered what this meant for their family. One mutant kid was chance, three was something else entirely. The possibility that she could be a mutant thrummed through her like an electric current. It was a selfish thought, the little ones needed her to stay, but it settled in the back of her mind nonetheless.
Mel squeezed both of her siblings tighter. Priorities.
no subject
Date: 2023-12-29 04:07 pm (UTC)I love how Mel hovers at the edges in her grief, not wanting to get into the middle of her older siblings working things out.
no subject
Date: 2023-12-31 07:41 am (UTC)