12552/Mystery Cream

Mystery Cream
Date of Scene:	23 August 2022
Location:	Big Gay Ice Cream Shop
Synopsis:	Kurt and Raven get iced creams and ponder mysteries with mystique. Lowercase M, there. Still mysterious, though.
Cast of Characters:	Kurt Wagner, Raven Darkholme

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Kurt Wagner has posed:
    Kurt Wagner is incapable of teleporting to unfamiliar destinations he can't see. That's not true, actually, but it's like sticking your hand into an unfamiliar dark hole and just grabbing something randomly in there and hoping what you pull out is your car keys and not a snake. It's a good way to get himself hurt, and his instincts are pretty strong against it. So it is that he's currently above New York City with another mutant on his back.
    Carrying Mystique in a piggy-back ride, Kurt went up high, then over, moving around above the city like a bird. He had to be careful not to go TOO high or he'd be in trouble with the FAA. Actually, above a certain point, he'd probably also have to answer to NASA, but he wasn't about to go THAT high without a proper space suit.

--BAMF--

    Coming back down to street level, Kurt stops about thirty centimeters off the ground. He then just lets himself fall the rest of the way. The people around are obviously startled by his arrival, and those nearby backpedal and trip over themselves with the jump-scare. Cell phone cameras may come out, but those nearest to him have a different reaction.
    "F--ing mutants," one man mutters to himself, standing back up and brushing himself off as the foot traffic resumes in the city that never sleeps.
    Kurt ignores the slur and lets go of the legs of the mutant he's giving a piggy-back ride to. "Okay," he says. "Here we are!" He gestures up at the corner store reading, "BIG GAY ICE CREAM SHOP." He reads it out loud like he somehow needs to. Like maybe there are people in some imaginary movie audience who have trouble reading or something. Crazy.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
A year ago, if someone were to tell Mystique she would be seen teleporting around with an X-Men in anything short of full restraints, she'd have laughed in their face. Time has an interesting way of changing the dynamics of a relationship. While she's been keenly aware of Kurt, and his relationship to her, part of her parenting style has always be stay as far away from them as humanly possible.

It's a wonder any of them speak to her.

In truth, few of them do.

Now she's riding on her sons back as he teleports them down to just above ground level in a series of very carefully controlled manuevers that tells her just how far he's come with the understanding of his powers.

And how little the humans have come in accepting them.

The expression on Raven's face is one that could easily be confused for malice. Standing in all of her blue glory, wearing a spaghetti strap tanktop, black skinny jeans, and a light black button up jacket worn open... She looks to Kurt, then over to the humans.. then forces a smile. "You're very lucky and don't realize it." She says to the one who said that, "And you owe this man-" Pointing at Kurt, "-your life."

Does she mean it? She's tried pretty hard to prove she's different now.. With another glance at Kurt, "Ice cream?"

Kurt Wagner has posed:
    The man swears at Mystique before going about his business, his grumpiness unfettered by her threats. Most New Yorkers were full of bluster, mutant or not. However, he did walk a little more hurried than before away from the blue pair.
    "Ja," Kurt says with a smile, choosing not to further antagonize either party at this time. "I figure we work up, ja? We can build up some youthful memories before we start to tackle heavier topics."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Raven straightens her cover shirt and nods, paying the departing New Yorker no further attention. Her point was made, his hurried steps make it clear he understood it. She's content to let her attention focus on what really matters. "You know, we've a whole host of mutant owned businesses in Bushwick and I don't think any of them are ice cream parlors..." It's a random thought, almost a curiosity actually.

She waves it away and motions to the parlor they'd come to visit. "Regardless. Let's see how the humans do with cold diary?" She's doing it intentionally, calling them humans. With a little grin on her red painted lips. "What's your favorite flavor?"

Kurt Wagner has posed:
    "Ah!" Kurt says, holding the door open for her. The 'ah' is a sound of frustration, as he wants to answer her question, but doesn't have one ready. "I like chocolate flavors, but there are so many of those! Rocky Road, plain chocolate, chocolate chunk, chocolate chip, triple chocolate, that one where they sprinkle the little Oreo cookie crumbs into the icecream."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Raven steps through and sizes up the interior out of habit rather than any real concern for threat. She's no reason to run, nobody is out hunting her, and all warrents pretaining to her arrest have been dealt with... Still, she rarely comes out in public like this. She wears whatever discomfort it may (or may not) cause with ease, however. "Mmm.. you definitely did not get your taste from me, then. I'm a mint chocolate chip, girl." Smiling his way, she winks one red eye. "So, do you frequent this establishment or did you pick it off an app on your phone?"

Kurt Wagner has posed:
    "You know," Kurt replies as he steps up next to her, "it's just been on my list for a while, now. I've not really had an excuse to get an icecream for a while." He looks to her. "But as milestones go, begging one's mother for sweets seems as good a starting point as any." He shrugs. "Besides, these people are supposed to be among the best."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
"I suppose you didn't have much chance to take advantage of my excess gains through the acquisition of sugary treats.." Raven chuckles and shakes her head, "No better time, I suppose, than the present." She moves a bit closer to the counter where they can look over, presumably, the rows of various different ice cream flavors. "Do you do combinations?" She asks the individual behind the counter. "Because I would like mixed with mint chocolate chip with that chocolate there. And sprinkles..." Attention suddenly on Kurt, "Opinion on sprinkles..."

Kurt Wagner has posed:
    Kurt considers the shaker full of sprinkles visible on the cold side of the barrier in front of them. "Hmmm," the furred mutant says, thoughtfully. "I am not opposed," he decides. "Add sprinkles," he tells the man behind the counter who is working on a bowl of two flavors together.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
"Redemption for your rather bland pallet." Raven teases with a grin to assure him that's precisely what she was doing, "So..." She motions towards one of the tables, while the wait for the dishes to be prepared. "Tell me how you're doing. It's surprisingly difficult to spy on a person who can be anywhere they wish at any time they wish."

Kurt Wagner has posed:
    Kurt goes with her to a booth, sitting with his back to the window. His tail wraps up around him from the side, and his arms lift up as he folds it over his lap before resting his elbows on the table and touching his knuckles and pads of his thumbs together. "I know you don't want to hear it, but everything I do, I do for Jesus. I'm not perfect, but that sums it all up. I try to love my neighbors on this planet of ours. I'm even getting better at loving my enemies." He pauses for a moment, eye contact making sure his mother didn't take that as a verbal affront. They were just smoothing things over, it would be a bad moment to start shit.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Raven takes a seat with her back to the parlor and doesn't seem bothered by this fact. Her hands are set upon the tabletop, linked by her fingers interwoven together in a big knot. Eyes focused across the table as Kurt explains where he is in his course through life. "For Jesus." No contempt, nor any judgement. At least not in her tone, since there's a clear track record of Mystique saying whatever is on her mind. "Have you considered the Priesthood? I believe you would be the first open mutant to go to Seminary." That's important to HER, but she seems to realize it might not be to him. "I can see that you are waiting for me to make some crass accusations, but... I just... I don't want to be a cliche. You are my son. If that makes you happy and you can find some level of success to set yourself apart from the rank and file? I know there's enough of me in you that you would not so blindly follow faith without asking questions... So I have no fear that you are a sheep."

Kurt Wagner has posed:
    Kurt smiles, relief in his eyes as he seems to relax a bit. Pleasant surprises. "I was actually hoping you wouldn't think I was calling you my enemy," he informs her. He taps his knuckles together. "I've considered many things, lately. I've been reading my bible a lot, lately. There's a spaceport, now. Aliens exist. Officially, we're not alone." He sighs a bit, his mind going back to things he'd been struggling with for a time that this was likely meant to be a vacation from. "I mean...we are never alone. God is always with us." He lifts his hand and rubs the back of his neck. "We on this world, humanity--including mutants--were created in the image of God. We are souls incarnate," he continues, clearly struggling with putting some piece of this together. "Our spirits are knit together when we are intimate--not just sexually, but even especially close friendships like King David and Jonathan--and parents have a connection to their children. Jesus was born of the blessed virgin Mary, meaning he is connected in this network of humanity to every other human and mutant and vampire and werewolf and ghost and metahuman and cyborg made from men. Aliens, though...the blood of Christ...their superpowers...their sins...ugh!" he proclaims in a mixtureof frustration and disgust. "This is nothing for men to ponder!"

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Raven listens with her head slowly canting to one side, red eyes turning towards the corners to keep Kurt in her view, and a grin creeping at the corners of her red lips. "I've seen many things and I've done more than most.. good and bad, selfish and righteous.." She motions with her fingers flicking side to side expressively, "I cannot say that God exists definitively. I've no proof, but that's the point of Faith, as I understand. Belief in something for which there is no obvious proof." She takes a breath and looks around, "But I have seen evil... Devils, their goals and influence-" She flicks her fingers towards the window where they just encountered someone hateful for no reason. "-If that exists, there is evil and demons, then why is there not a balance to it? Good, perhaps God.."

She shrugs and laughs, "I'm probably a poor conversational partner on the matter, however. Hardly the mother you bring to church Sunday morning..." Her red eyes narrow, more of a curious gesture, "But I might. To see if perhaps a mutant, with the unique experiences of something both human and completely different, could explain God to men who very rarely seem to follow him." Her fingers return together in a knot, "Regardless. I'm glad that you have this, Kurt. Your faith, your knowledge, and from hearing you speak, your Fire."

"I doubt I have much hand in fanning that flame, but I'm proud to see it all the same."

Kurt Wagner has posed:
    Kurt smiles at her, worry fading into gentle kindness. "Jesus reached out to thieves, murderers, prostitutes, touched lepers, and asked God to forgive those who were in the process of killing him." He unfolds his hands and places them in his lap as icecream is set between them on the table with two spoons jutting out of it. "You are exactly the kind of mother I should be seen with at church."