11966/A Walk in the Woods

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A Walk in the Woods
Date of Scene: 10 July 2022
Location: Wilderness Campsites
Synopsis: Mystique takes a walk on the mansion grounds at Xavier's when she is 'ambushed' by Kurt. The two talk for the first time, and agree to start over with one another.
Cast of Characters: Raven Darkholme, Kurt Wagner




Raven Darkholme has posed:
It had been a bad week for Mystique, but it was finally coming to an end with the last detail of informing Rogue of the changes the chances to own relationship status. Now the blue mutant was free to take her vacation away from everything, including herself.

Walking along the paths that lead out from the mansion and into the forest, her footsteps are silent, as if even here she expects someone to be watching her, perhaps stalking her, ready to attack. An entire year had passed since going under the Lasso of Truth and admitting to the world she was trying to change, but that didn't erase the past... there was always someone who wanted to kill her for what she'd done, and if they were clever enough, they might actually be able to find her.

Kurt Wagner has posed:
    There's a rush of air and a *BAMF* as a human-sized volume of air is displaced by the arrival of a blue-furred mutant. Kurt rises from his usual teleportation stance in front of Mystique, a few meters away. He is quiet for a moment, then he says, "Hello, Mother."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Kurt had no way of knowing that Mystique was accustomed to that sound and the appearance of someone. Azazel /loved/ to just bamf in on her at extremely random times, and so she had adjusted to the sound after months of it happening. This did not stop her from reaching for the knives on her belt, grasping the hilts but not pulling them.

Being on the mansion grounds, and the person appearing being smaller and blue, that is what surprised her. She just preparing to give Azazel a speech about the location when Kurt spoke, which brought her hands away from the knives to hang at her sides again.

How long had it been since he learned the truth? Six, seven months? She hadn't really expected him to ever speak to her again, and didn't blame him for it at all... yet here he was.

The mask of neutrality slide into place on her face, the same one she wore to conceal emotions and reactions, to maintain a certain level of calm in how she looked. "Hello, Kurt," she offered in a calm, quiet tone. No, she wouldn't call him son, he hadn't in any way accepted that.

Kurt Wagner has posed:
    Kurt doesn't react to Mystique's reaction. It's justified, as far as he's concerned. He hadn't, after all, told her he was coming to talk to her. He stands for a moment before taking a hesitant step toward her. "Can I talk to you?" he asks. Of course, they were already talking, but after the way he'd treated her before, he felt he needed to approach things differently.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique's yellow eyes follow each movement Kurt makes. Just because he's her son doesn't mean he might not want to try and kill her, especially with how things had gone.

"You are always welcome to speak to me," she replies, canting her head slightly. "I ensured that you were left alone, as you requested."

She could read the body language and tell there was a difference in the way he moved, he wasn't a threat to her, but there was most definitely something different. Part of that knowledge came also from his tone, he wasn't screaming at her, so there was at least that much of an improvement.

Kurt Wagner has posed:
    Kurt took in a breath and let it out slowly, closing his eyes. He looked pained by her words. "Yes," he says, finally, very calmly. "Thank you for respecting my wishes." He opens them again and looks into his mother's eyes. "It was wrong of me to treat you the way I did. You are my mother, and I need to honor you." He holds out his right hand toward her. "It was a lot to take in. You are not my enemy; you are my mother," he repeats. "I hope that you can forgive my tantrum."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
For over a hundred years Mystique has maintained the ability to mask emotions, to conceal what she is really thinking or feeling, and in a matter of seconds, with just a few words, that mask is shattered.

Both of her brows lift high on her forehead and her yellow eyes widen to stare at Kurt. Had he been possessed? She had reports of something wrong with Charles, of the telepaths being active, had her son some how been effected by all this? In her mind it was that difficult to accept that he was telling the truth, but the body language, the tone of his voice, the actual chosen words...

"Your reaction to the information was... perfectly acceptable," she says slowly, choosing her words carefully as she looked from his face to the hand he offered toward her. If this was a trap, or some sort of way of seeking revenge, she knew she deserved it, so she reached out slowly to accept the hand he offered.

"You had every right to order me away," she continues, looking back up at his face. She wanted to believe it was real, but her luck had run out before. "If it helps you to hear that you are forgiven, then you should know that you are."

Kurt Wagner has posed:
    "As are you," Kurt replies, holding his mother's hand in a still handshake. His jaw tenses. "I am not perfect. It was difficult for me to let go of the past." He continues holding Mystique's hand in the bluest of handshakes. He smiles. It's still hard for him. He's being coordial toward her, but there's uneasiness there. His smile fades as he continues holding her hand in that handshake that doesn't shake. "What do we do, now?" he asks.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
It was a strange sensation, to realize that he was being sincere. Mystique found herself staring at his beautiful face, a smile playing at the corner of her lips, and for a single moment in time, she was actually happy.

"What we do now is up to you," she states plainly, not holding his hand too tightly so that if he wants his back he can just take it.

"No one is perfect, no matter how hard they might try," she then offers. "I know I've made mistakes, far too many to list and some too painful to repeat. So what happens from here, that is entirely up to you."

She takes a slow, even breath before continuing. "There is a lot of time to make up for, or not, if that's what you prefer. There is no question you can ask that I will not answer, truthfully. The wisest course of action would be to start over, to begin a relationship from this point in time and move forward."

Kurt Wagner has posed:
    Kurt's expression changes as he realizes Mystique is happy. She's not the mother he knew growing up. She's not the mother he initially wanted. Nevertheless, she was his mother, and she was happy. However, at the suggestion of starting over, Kurt nods. "Christ offers us the chance to be made new. Family relationships deserve the same, where there is repentence and forgiveness." He looks at their hands, still holding each other, then at Mystique. "Would it be awkward to hug?" he asks, possibly himself. "Yes, probably," he answers himself. Still, he tentatively takes a hesitant step forward, approaching the hug as one might a hungry bear.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Physical contact beyond holding hands, it was most definitely not something Mystique expected from him, but it was welcome. When he steps closer, she also takes one step toward him and opens her arms, indicating that a hug is perfectly acceptable, even if a part of her mind was still screaming about traps, murder, death, etc.

"Of course a hug would be awkward," she offers with a slight tease to her tone. "But it is also welcome. Anna-Marie just had her hug, and I think you are due one, or ten, or a thousand."

Again, she doesn't hold him too tightly but she does hug, even rests her head lightly against his for a moment. Every mother on the planet would pray for a moment like this after everything, and she was no different, save for the fact she didn't pray. She never expected this to happen.

"Thank you," she whispers, not sure what else to say over being given a chance, a real chance, to have a son and be a mother.

Kurt Wagner has posed:
    Kurt's arms avoid touching Mystique without him realizing it. His hands press against her back ever so gently. It's almost as though he's expecting her to suddenly have spikes or something. However, as she thanks him, his arms relax, touching hers as he lowers them. He doesn't pull away from the hug, but it's like that hug at the end of Con Air. It's a hug, sure, but there's a lot of way to go before it's a good one. He's still a bit tense, and definitely awkward, so it's no real shock that he attempts some humor to break the tension. "I didn't get you anything for Mother's Day," he says.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
In the grand scheme of all things hug, it could have been better but then again it could have been worse, a lot worse, so Mystique just accepts that her son is willing to hug her and leaves it at that.

"And I missed all your birthdays," she replies quietly. "I think we can call it even. I'm not exactly the mother of the year, and should actually have to earn something like that."

Kurt Wagner has posed:
    Kurt pulls away. It's a gesture of a hug, not so much a hug because he really wanted or needed to hug her. "Okay," he tries. Yeah, it's all weird, but he's trying. He looks back into her eyes, finding the truth behind the emotions on her face, if there is any. Adjusting his clothes, he seems to be struggling to find words. "I wanted to make things right with you," he explains. "That's not just mutual forgiveness and a clumsy hug." He stuffs his hands in his pockets. It's like she's watching him relive his teenage years. "We need to get to know each other. Maybe...get together for Christmases?" he adds with a shrug.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
When the hug ends, Mystique steps back to give him space. The mask she wore has long slipped away, revealing in her face and eyes the emotions she feels. It was a difficult thing for her, to let anyone see the real her, but she knew it was the only way for a real beginning to happen.

"I'm the one who needs to make things right with you, Kurt," she states plainly, the pain of the past trickling through her eyes. "In all of this, you did nothing wrong. The blame is entirely on me, and I accept that it is."

A smile touches her lips, watching how his body language changes yet again. She may not have known him as a teenager, but she did know many teens and his body is screaming the regression. "Getting to know one another is an excellent idea," comes next with that smile. "And holidays, such as Christmas, if you wish. I haven't actually celebrated a holiday in a long while, haven't really had a reason to, but perhaps it would do me some good."

She pauses for a moment, watching his face again. "You don't need to feel awkward, or nervous. Ask what questions you would like answers to, no matter how simple or in depth they may be. We will begin the process of learning about each other, and see from there how our relationship grows."

Kurt Wagner has posed:
    Kurt closes his eyes and thinks for several moments. When he opens them, he looks her in the eyes and says, "New beginning, right?" He continues, "It wouldn't do me any good to ask why." He gestures at something far off. "That water is so far past the bridge, it might as well have evaporated and fallen again as rain." He has already fought and come to grips with his demons in all this. His life would definitely been different had Mystique kept and raised him, but he remembered enough times he's made a difference to not want to change his life. "Let's start simple," he asks, doing his best to keep the wheels turning. "What's your favorite color?"