Post by Chance on Apr 10, 2007 16:25:02 GMT -5
The sun was barely waking as the morning light trickled in through the lacey curtains of Caity Currie's bedroom window. She moaned and turned her head of curly chestnut colored hair away from the ray of morning as she reached across to her nightstand.
"Ten o'clock?" She said slightly confused. "Man, I just keep waking up later and later." She rolled over onto her stomach and pushed her hair into a messy pile on top of her head. She still had so much to do, so much to pack.
"Okay Caity," she said to herself. "On the count of three." In a huffed whisper she counted and then heaved herself up from the white bed clothes, kicking off the heavy quilt that her landlady had leant her. As she walked toward the bathroom, removing her clothes for the shower, she thought about the months she had spent in Spain.
"It will be a good learning experience," her father had told her. "A chance to spread your wings and experience some culture."
"Yeah right," Caity grunted, turning on the hot water. "He just wanted me to get out of the country before the election." As she slipped under the jet of steam she imagined her father's face when word got out that the Senator's daughter was a student at the Xavier Institute. Of course, he wasn't ashamed to have a mutant for a daughter, but his campaign manager thought it was a good idea to remove Caity from the insititute, just until the Senator won reelection and was happily situated back in Congress. Her father's campaign manager, Karl, didn't want Caity's name to pop in the newspaper alongside the X-Men.
So now, safely tucked away in Barcelona, Caity was away from the prying eyes of the American public, the people of Washington (both D.C. and the state where her father was Senator), and the X-Men. It was the last part that sucked. She had left the X-Men so abruptly, she barely had time to say good-bye. She wondered what they were up to, and couldn't help feeling so excited that she would finally see them again. Especially Chance. She couldn't wait to see if he had failed miserably at being an X-Man.
Although there was one good thing that came of her leaving for Barcelona. Ever since she took off in the plane her ability to summon darkness (a power that she had siphoned off of teammate Midnight) had completely disappeared. Apparently, the darkness power hadn't really fused to her metamorphic DNA. Instead, she was just continuously siphoning it off of Midnight every second of every day. But now, even though Caity's powers were improving, Midnight was way too far out of range for Caity to access the darkness power.
"That's one good thing." Caity smiled as she shampooed her hair. She would never admit it, but Barcelona had actually been a lot of fun. She had spent a grand total of seven months in the country, and it felt more like home than anywhere ever had, even the Institute. At first it was difficult to adjust, having never spoken Spanish before, but telepathy made it easy enough to pick up what people were saying and doing (even though she couldn't make out their thoughts at first...they were in spanish!).
But after the first week she was understanding more and more, and her metamorphic DNA even morphed her tongue so that she had an accent and everything. Apparently her ability to siphon went deeper than just allowing her to aquire the abilities of mutants. It also allowed her to copy any physical or mental quality from anyone around her. This new expansion of her powers both excited and terrified her. Just last month she accidentally changed her hair color to match the bright pink hair of her new Catalonian friend Trixi. Things were really changing, and Caity was relieved to finally be going back home. Back where she could get some guidance.
Fourty minutes later Caity was dressed and ready to go. Her landlady, Senora Lapiz, had made a giant feast and everyone that had been there for her the last half a year were seated around a ten foot table, talking up a storm. Caity smiled and thanked everyone as more and more gifts piled up on the table next to her. But then it was time to go, and Carlo was there to take her to the airport.
As Caity climbed onto the back of Carlo's motorcycle she felt her skin go tingly.
"You okay?" He said in the best English he could as he strapped on a helmet. "You seem jumpy."
"I'm alright stud." Caity said as she pulled on her own helmet. "I'm just going to miss this place, that's all."
"You, miss us?" Carlo said, mock surprise on his tan face. "I thought it would be impossible for senorita x-man to miss Barcelona!"
"Cierra la boca!" Caity smiled playfully, tugging at the leather belts that hung off of Carlo's jacket. "You know what I mean."
Carlo was one of the only people that knew that Caity was a mutant. And since the day he found out he had been nothing but kind to her. Over the past few months Caity had come to really like him, and she had been trying to forget about him for the past few days. She didn't want leaving him to hurt.
"I'll miss you Catolina," Carlo whispered into her neck.
"I'll miss you too," Caity whispered back. She didn't mean to pry, but she could feel his thoughts flowing out of his mind and into hers. As they touched she felt herself melting into him, and saw what he saw, through his eyes.
"Is this weird for you?" He asked, his chin pressing down onto the top of her head.
"Kind of...but it's okay," Caity smiled, trying to block the thoughts from her head. "It's just that, I've never been able to control this before, and now it's even worse." She smiled again, only this time weaker. Suddenly Carlo reached down and pushed his lips into hers. Caity, taken by surprise, kissed him back, pushing herself into him.
"Carlo," she said when the kiss was broken. "I'm going to cry."
"No, don't cry. I'm not worth it." He traced his finger across her cheek and brushed her lips. "Here, I got something for you."
Caity broke from the kiss, her hands shaking as she took the red velvet box into her hands. "Carlo...what is it?"
"Open it," he said softly, his arms around her neck.
"Oh Carlo...this is perfect!" Caity smiled holding up the silver peace sign that dangled from a shiney chain. "You know me so well."
"I'd like to think so," Carlo smiled, taking the necklace and helping her put it on. "You look beautiful."
"I'll visit." Caity said innocently, her brown eyes alight with joy.
"You better!" And with that he grabbed her tightly and held her close. Caity felt her heart soar as her mind completely melted into his...
An hour later Caity arrived at the airport. Not wanting to feel any of her own emotions she quickly opened her mind up, allowing the thoughts of everyone else in the terminal to flow through her. As she checked her luggage she busied herself with everyone else's business. She didn't care if it wasn't healthy, but she just didn't feel like dealing with the pain.
<Caity, you there?>
It was Mindwarp. "Great," Caity whispered, wiping away a streak of black mascara that had trickeled down her cheek. <I'm almost through security. Are you and the professor ready with the jet?>
<Yeah, we have permission to use one of the gates. Apparently a Spanish student is coming to the institute, so the Professor is using it as an excuse to get special treatment. The school is officially going internation!>
Caity had to smile. She missed Mike. There was just something about him. <Okay, I think I see you!>
She suddenly broke into a run, and slammed into the open arms of Michael Brosley. He hugged her tight and said he missed her, smiling from ear to ear.
"I missed you too," Caity said, wiping away another tear. "It's been a long time!"
"Too long. Everyone at the institute misses you. Now come on, we have a long flight back to the states. Even on a super sonic jet."
"Ten o'clock?" She said slightly confused. "Man, I just keep waking up later and later." She rolled over onto her stomach and pushed her hair into a messy pile on top of her head. She still had so much to do, so much to pack.
"Okay Caity," she said to herself. "On the count of three." In a huffed whisper she counted and then heaved herself up from the white bed clothes, kicking off the heavy quilt that her landlady had leant her. As she walked toward the bathroom, removing her clothes for the shower, she thought about the months she had spent in Spain.
"It will be a good learning experience," her father had told her. "A chance to spread your wings and experience some culture."
"Yeah right," Caity grunted, turning on the hot water. "He just wanted me to get out of the country before the election." As she slipped under the jet of steam she imagined her father's face when word got out that the Senator's daughter was a student at the Xavier Institute. Of course, he wasn't ashamed to have a mutant for a daughter, but his campaign manager thought it was a good idea to remove Caity from the insititute, just until the Senator won reelection and was happily situated back in Congress. Her father's campaign manager, Karl, didn't want Caity's name to pop in the newspaper alongside the X-Men.
So now, safely tucked away in Barcelona, Caity was away from the prying eyes of the American public, the people of Washington (both D.C. and the state where her father was Senator), and the X-Men. It was the last part that sucked. She had left the X-Men so abruptly, she barely had time to say good-bye. She wondered what they were up to, and couldn't help feeling so excited that she would finally see them again. Especially Chance. She couldn't wait to see if he had failed miserably at being an X-Man.
Although there was one good thing that came of her leaving for Barcelona. Ever since she took off in the plane her ability to summon darkness (a power that she had siphoned off of teammate Midnight) had completely disappeared. Apparently, the darkness power hadn't really fused to her metamorphic DNA. Instead, she was just continuously siphoning it off of Midnight every second of every day. But now, even though Caity's powers were improving, Midnight was way too far out of range for Caity to access the darkness power.
"That's one good thing." Caity smiled as she shampooed her hair. She would never admit it, but Barcelona had actually been a lot of fun. She had spent a grand total of seven months in the country, and it felt more like home than anywhere ever had, even the Institute. At first it was difficult to adjust, having never spoken Spanish before, but telepathy made it easy enough to pick up what people were saying and doing (even though she couldn't make out their thoughts at first...they were in spanish!).
But after the first week she was understanding more and more, and her metamorphic DNA even morphed her tongue so that she had an accent and everything. Apparently her ability to siphon went deeper than just allowing her to aquire the abilities of mutants. It also allowed her to copy any physical or mental quality from anyone around her. This new expansion of her powers both excited and terrified her. Just last month she accidentally changed her hair color to match the bright pink hair of her new Catalonian friend Trixi. Things were really changing, and Caity was relieved to finally be going back home. Back where she could get some guidance.
Fourty minutes later Caity was dressed and ready to go. Her landlady, Senora Lapiz, had made a giant feast and everyone that had been there for her the last half a year were seated around a ten foot table, talking up a storm. Caity smiled and thanked everyone as more and more gifts piled up on the table next to her. But then it was time to go, and Carlo was there to take her to the airport.
As Caity climbed onto the back of Carlo's motorcycle she felt her skin go tingly.
"You okay?" He said in the best English he could as he strapped on a helmet. "You seem jumpy."
"I'm alright stud." Caity said as she pulled on her own helmet. "I'm just going to miss this place, that's all."
"You, miss us?" Carlo said, mock surprise on his tan face. "I thought it would be impossible for senorita x-man to miss Barcelona!"
"Cierra la boca!" Caity smiled playfully, tugging at the leather belts that hung off of Carlo's jacket. "You know what I mean."
Carlo was one of the only people that knew that Caity was a mutant. And since the day he found out he had been nothing but kind to her. Over the past few months Caity had come to really like him, and she had been trying to forget about him for the past few days. She didn't want leaving him to hurt.
"I'll miss you Catolina," Carlo whispered into her neck.
"I'll miss you too," Caity whispered back. She didn't mean to pry, but she could feel his thoughts flowing out of his mind and into hers. As they touched she felt herself melting into him, and saw what he saw, through his eyes.
"Is this weird for you?" He asked, his chin pressing down onto the top of her head.
"Kind of...but it's okay," Caity smiled, trying to block the thoughts from her head. "It's just that, I've never been able to control this before, and now it's even worse." She smiled again, only this time weaker. Suddenly Carlo reached down and pushed his lips into hers. Caity, taken by surprise, kissed him back, pushing herself into him.
"Carlo," she said when the kiss was broken. "I'm going to cry."
"No, don't cry. I'm not worth it." He traced his finger across her cheek and brushed her lips. "Here, I got something for you."
Caity broke from the kiss, her hands shaking as she took the red velvet box into her hands. "Carlo...what is it?"
"Open it," he said softly, his arms around her neck.
"Oh Carlo...this is perfect!" Caity smiled holding up the silver peace sign that dangled from a shiney chain. "You know me so well."
"I'd like to think so," Carlo smiled, taking the necklace and helping her put it on. "You look beautiful."
"I'll visit." Caity said innocently, her brown eyes alight with joy.
"You better!" And with that he grabbed her tightly and held her close. Caity felt her heart soar as her mind completely melted into his...
An hour later Caity arrived at the airport. Not wanting to feel any of her own emotions she quickly opened her mind up, allowing the thoughts of everyone else in the terminal to flow through her. As she checked her luggage she busied herself with everyone else's business. She didn't care if it wasn't healthy, but she just didn't feel like dealing with the pain.
<Caity, you there?>
It was Mindwarp. "Great," Caity whispered, wiping away a streak of black mascara that had trickeled down her cheek. <I'm almost through security. Are you and the professor ready with the jet?>
<Yeah, we have permission to use one of the gates. Apparently a Spanish student is coming to the institute, so the Professor is using it as an excuse to get special treatment. The school is officially going internation!>
Caity had to smile. She missed Mike. There was just something about him. <Okay, I think I see you!>
She suddenly broke into a run, and slammed into the open arms of Michael Brosley. He hugged her tight and said he missed her, smiling from ear to ear.
"I missed you too," Caity said, wiping away another tear. "It's been a long time!"
"Too long. Everyone at the institute misses you. Now come on, we have a long flight back to the states. Even on a super sonic jet."