Conversationally Yours
Rating: PG
Fandom: X-Factor
Characters: X-Factor, Domino, Shatterstar
Disclaimer: This is me owning nothing.
Summary: Shatterstar has no clue how to write a letter.
The tip off came with the first letter. Maybe, just maybe, Shatterstar had no clue as to how to write a letter.
The missive began as most ended: ‘Sincerely’.
In fact, the entire thing was backwards to forwards, to inside out.
Sincerely, Julio:
Missed you I have. Many days do pass that the world turns and the sun rises.
Send me, the forces of time do, with Domino to travel, and for a long time I shall be gone.
Much in my chest are feelings of you.
Conversationally yours,
Shatterstar
It had taken a couple of read-throughs to figure out what he was trying to communicate. He’d very nearly thrown it at Madrox in frustration.
"He’s your alien boyfriend, you read it," Jamie said. Rictor hit him.
It took even longer for him to realize that it was translated from Cadre, probably with help from Domino, to impress him. When that hit him, he blushed and hid in his room.
It was a long time before he could formulate a response. And when he did, he didn’t know where to send it. So he kept it. Hid it under his lamp and waited for another one.
It came, postmarked Tucson, and hit him in the head, powered by Jamie’s amazing latent ability to sort mail.
"Your alien boyfriend is writing again," Jamie said. Rictor hit him again.
Rahne laughed. "He has a point, you know."
He almost hit her, too, but thought better of it, as she could easily take him out. He went upstairs, fished his response out from under his lamp, shoved it in an envelope and threw the whole thing at Jamie’s head.
"Mail that and make yourself useful!"
He didn’t hear Jamie’s response, because he was too busy slamming his door.
This one was as clear as the first. He glanced through it, then read through it slowly.
Sincerest Julio,
In Arizona we stay, for quite some time. Move on, Domino says we should, and I wait stay for nowhere there is to go.
Maybe New York, we go to. Misses Wolfsbane, Domino does. Miss you, I do.
Many days do pass that the sun rises and sets. Send us, the winds of time do, to our next journey. War on the horizon future brews.
Swells does my chest and see you shall I soon perhaps.
Conversationally Yours,
Shatterstar.
At least someone had told him to capitalize the ‘Yours’ this time, Rictor thought grumpily.
His eyes burned and he wasn’t sure why. Must be the fan, he decided, and turned away from it. But even with his back to the air flow, the burn stayed.
He resolved himself to sleep and dreams of Shatterstar.
It was a long time before the next letter came. It was a long time, mainly because, he thought, it had been too long since he sent something back.
But it came, nonetheless.
To Julio,
Tells me Domino does that ‘Sincerely’ is used not a letter to begin. I could nothing better think of.
Cold it is and olden days pine for do I, when easier was it to find warmth on nights so cold. Says Domino that the cold let up will once we the border cross.
Where we are, I do not know.
Many days do pass that the sun rises and sets. The winds of fate do on our next journey set us. Perhaps soon see you I shall.
Conversationally
Sincerely,
Shatterstar
Julio stuffed the letter under his lamp with the others, and failed to think of anything worth writing about. He wondered vaguely if Shatterstar knew about M Day. Or if Shatterstar knew he was so different now.
He doubted it and went downstairs.
Theresa fussed over the baby. Jamie growled at the newspaper. M filed her nails. Rahne flipped through a book. Guido wrestled with the television.
Television. He smiled.
Rahne noticed him and the smile, and shot him one.
"Remember the first time the power went out?" she asked. "Shatterstar was positively vexed."
He snorted. "We couldn’t do anything with him. ‘How am I supposed to learn about your culture now?’" He did a stunning impression of Shatterstar’s accent.
"That’s what he said? I always thought it was something about Tribbles."
M gave her an odd look. "Tribbles?"
"Shatterstar hated Star Trek, and you know it," Julio said.
"Yeah. Used to fuss at me to turn it off," Rahne conceded. "Still, he knew what a Tribble was."
Julio rolled his eyes.
"What the hell?" M demanded.
"Don’t worry about it, M. Just let ‘em be," Jamie said.
Guido got the television working again and flopped down on the couch, causing M, Theresa and the baby to bounce a few feet in the air.
"What’s on?" Julio asked, musing that he’d never been much of a televiewer until Shatterstar had stumbled into their lives.
"News."
"Someone blew up a car and the cops are blaming some mutants out of Blue Oyster Bay. Beats me as to why, though," Jamie informed him.
The newscaster went over the known details for probably the ten thousandth time. Julio didn’t pay much attention.
"Heard from him?" Rahne asked after the bit was over.
"Yeah. Crossed the border into Canada, apparently. Last one was out of Toronto."
Rahne chuckled. Any other girl would have giggled. "Domino always liked her snow."
"I recall much bitching."
"Yeah."
An oddly depressed silence fell around them, muting the television just a bit and making Julio wish for the old days.
Rahne patted his shoulder.
A series of taps pervaded the silence. He wasn’t sure if it was the TV or the door or Jamie or what.
"Someone get the fuckin’ door!" Jamie snapped. The baby let out a peircing wail. "Sorry," he amended, before Theresa could yell at him.
Rahne started to get up, but Julio beat her to it. He had an odd sense of something about to happen that he hadn’t felt since he’d felt the earth move, and twisted the knob with more than a little trepadition.
"X-Factor Investigations?" the man in the snow asked.
Julio didn’t get a good look. "That’s us."
"Told ya this was the place."
He threw the door open, eyes wide, and met full on with long red hair and pale, pale skin.
"So you did."
Fandom: X-Factor
Characters: X-Factor, Domino, Shatterstar
Disclaimer: This is me owning nothing.
Summary: Shatterstar has no clue how to write a letter.
The tip off came with the first letter. Maybe, just maybe, Shatterstar had no clue as to how to write a letter.
The missive began as most ended: ‘Sincerely’.
In fact, the entire thing was backwards to forwards, to inside out.
Sincerely, Julio:
Missed you I have. Many days do pass that the world turns and the sun rises.
Send me, the forces of time do, with Domino to travel, and for a long time I shall be gone.
Much in my chest are feelings of you.
Conversationally yours,
Shatterstar
It had taken a couple of read-throughs to figure out what he was trying to communicate. He’d very nearly thrown it at Madrox in frustration.
"He’s your alien boyfriend, you read it," Jamie said. Rictor hit him.
It took even longer for him to realize that it was translated from Cadre, probably with help from Domino, to impress him. When that hit him, he blushed and hid in his room.
It was a long time before he could formulate a response. And when he did, he didn’t know where to send it. So he kept it. Hid it under his lamp and waited for another one.
It came, postmarked Tucson, and hit him in the head, powered by Jamie’s amazing latent ability to sort mail.
"Your alien boyfriend is writing again," Jamie said. Rictor hit him again.
Rahne laughed. "He has a point, you know."
He almost hit her, too, but thought better of it, as she could easily take him out. He went upstairs, fished his response out from under his lamp, shoved it in an envelope and threw the whole thing at Jamie’s head.
"Mail that and make yourself useful!"
He didn’t hear Jamie’s response, because he was too busy slamming his door.
This one was as clear as the first. He glanced through it, then read through it slowly.
Sincerest Julio,
In Arizona we stay, for quite some time. Move on, Domino says we should, and I wait stay for nowhere there is to go.
Maybe New York, we go to. Misses Wolfsbane, Domino does. Miss you, I do.
Many days do pass that the sun rises and sets. Send us, the winds of time do, to our next journey. War on the horizon future brews.
Swells does my chest and see you shall I soon perhaps.
Conversationally Yours,
Shatterstar.
At least someone had told him to capitalize the ‘Yours’ this time, Rictor thought grumpily.
His eyes burned and he wasn’t sure why. Must be the fan, he decided, and turned away from it. But even with his back to the air flow, the burn stayed.
He resolved himself to sleep and dreams of Shatterstar.
It was a long time before the next letter came. It was a long time, mainly because, he thought, it had been too long since he sent something back.
But it came, nonetheless.
To Julio,
Tells me Domino does that ‘Sincerely’ is used not a letter to begin. I could nothing better think of.
Cold it is and olden days pine for do I, when easier was it to find warmth on nights so cold. Says Domino that the cold let up will once we the border cross.
Where we are, I do not know.
Many days do pass that the sun rises and sets. The winds of fate do on our next journey set us. Perhaps soon see you I shall.
Conversationally
Sincerely,
Shatterstar
Julio stuffed the letter under his lamp with the others, and failed to think of anything worth writing about. He wondered vaguely if Shatterstar knew about M Day. Or if Shatterstar knew he was so different now.
He doubted it and went downstairs.
Theresa fussed over the baby. Jamie growled at the newspaper. M filed her nails. Rahne flipped through a book. Guido wrestled with the television.
Television. He smiled.
Rahne noticed him and the smile, and shot him one.
"Remember the first time the power went out?" she asked. "Shatterstar was positively vexed."
He snorted. "We couldn’t do anything with him. ‘How am I supposed to learn about your culture now?’" He did a stunning impression of Shatterstar’s accent.
"That’s what he said? I always thought it was something about Tribbles."
M gave her an odd look. "Tribbles?"
"Shatterstar hated Star Trek, and you know it," Julio said.
"Yeah. Used to fuss at me to turn it off," Rahne conceded. "Still, he knew what a Tribble was."
Julio rolled his eyes.
"What the hell?" M demanded.
"Don’t worry about it, M. Just let ‘em be," Jamie said.
Guido got the television working again and flopped down on the couch, causing M, Theresa and the baby to bounce a few feet in the air.
"What’s on?" Julio asked, musing that he’d never been much of a televiewer until Shatterstar had stumbled into their lives.
"News."
"Someone blew up a car and the cops are blaming some mutants out of Blue Oyster Bay. Beats me as to why, though," Jamie informed him.
The newscaster went over the known details for probably the ten thousandth time. Julio didn’t pay much attention.
"Heard from him?" Rahne asked after the bit was over.
"Yeah. Crossed the border into Canada, apparently. Last one was out of Toronto."
Rahne chuckled. Any other girl would have giggled. "Domino always liked her snow."
"I recall much bitching."
"Yeah."
An oddly depressed silence fell around them, muting the television just a bit and making Julio wish for the old days.
Rahne patted his shoulder.
A series of taps pervaded the silence. He wasn’t sure if it was the TV or the door or Jamie or what.
"Someone get the fuckin’ door!" Jamie snapped. The baby let out a peircing wail. "Sorry," he amended, before Theresa could yell at him.
Rahne started to get up, but Julio beat her to it. He had an odd sense of something about to happen that he hadn’t felt since he’d felt the earth move, and twisted the knob with more than a little trepadition.
"X-Factor Investigations?" the man in the snow asked.
Julio didn’t get a good look. "That’s us."
"Told ya this was the place."
He threw the door open, eyes wide, and met full on with long red hair and pale, pale skin.
"So you did."