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[When Parker had heard there was a new teleporter malfunction, she'd been thrilled. Turning into a shark had been awesome, so ever since Rookie's announcement that they were acting up again, she's been hopping back and forth through the teleporters, just waiting for something exciting to happen
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You know, now that I think about it, Mr. Squiggles is a highly inappropriate name for a dinosaur.
[But he recognizes that little huff - God, she really does remind him of Raven--
hhhh excuse him, random sister-missing pangs. He rubs a hand across his forehead in the time honoured tradition of headache banishment errywhere and then he pauses, slides that hand to his temple and taps his fingers there a moment. Yes, this is Charles Xavier with an Idea. He leans away from his screen as if someone else has caught his attention--]
Really? [HE SAYS TO THIS OTHER PERSON...] - An entire basket? [casually putting his hand over the mic because this is obviously the most super big secret except oh he didn't quite do it properly??? OH THE HUGE MANATEE...]
What? No, no, I can't possibly -- I don't even like cookies. [THAT IS A LIE, THE BOLDEST FACED OF LIES.] Well, we'll just have to send them back. Yes? Thank you.
[aaaaaaaand back to Parker.]I'm terribly sorry about that. Where ( ... )
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She thinks hard, trying to figure out a solution, because she really wants those cookies, but all her instincts and experience are telling her to be careful - in other words, distrustful. She shrugs, huge and exaggerated. I dunno.]
Don't you have a family to share them with?
[She may be stalling for time, a little, but mostly she's trying to figure out what his motives are. He doesn't even know her - there's no reason he should share them with her.]
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Charles shifts a little, rubs a hand across his forehead. It's probably clear when he starts talking that he really has no idea what to do with his words. herp derp how does I socialize sans telepathy.]
When I was very young, I met a little girl about your age. People had - had treated her badly because she was different than they were, and their ignorance made them afraid. We sort of-- adopted each other, I suppose you could say. But she isn't here, and I miss her a great deal. The boy you saw, Alex? He's also part of my family, and there's two others as well, though they're a little too far away for me to introduce at the moment.
[... right, babbling. tl;dr honesty at a twelve year old. THE BEST.]
-- What I mean to say is that I think my sister would be very disappointed in me if I didn't share in my good fortune, and the boys could hardly begrudge the loss of a few cookies, hm?
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But there's something wrong.]
She's not part of your family now?
[he'd said she wasn't here, after all. And she knows what that means.]
They sent her back.
[your parents.]
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[SO BLANK-- oh, no, he gets it. Raven's adoption was never particularly legitimate, there was never the option of 'sending her back', because Charles hadn't allowed there to be, with everything that entails.]
No, she will always be part of my family. She just... isn't here, in this place. I'm rather far away from home, you see. If -- when she arrives she will still be every inch my sister.
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She shakes her head, backing up (and taking the camera with her, of course, whoops). No, she can read between the lines. Being part of the family doesn't mean much, if you're not actually allowed to live with them.]
She's not here and now you have a new family. And when they're too different, and they make people uncomfortable, and it's not a good match and they're too troubled and you're unable to meet their unique needs, and it's just not working out, you'll send them away too!
[yeah, that's some very specific phrasing there. Three guesses where she learned it.]
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break his heart why don't you.]
I'm sorry if that's the impression I've given, but nothing in my life could ever replace Raven. I care a great deal for Hank and Darwin and Alex, but there's room in my life for all of them, and no one's going to be replacing anyone else. It's... not a matter of having a new family, so much as simply expanding on the one already there, yes?
[SAD CHARLES IN SNOW.]
That my sister is not here is a point of great sorrow for me, but believe me when I say the choice to be apart was not ours, nor was it one made by our parents or the authorities. I would never have surrendered her for -- any of those myriad reasons you listed.
[This is hard to talk about. The truth of the matter is, he has no idea what home is like right now. Alex is from a time when they were going after Shaw. Hank is from the same. Darwin is from the point of his death, and Charles--
Charles hopes that, if time continues onward in his absence, that Erik and Moira and Banshee will protect his little sister.]No one is sending ( ... )
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She slides down to lean against a wall and hunches her shoulders, drawing her knees up and wrapping her arms around them.]
Then they're really lucky.
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[clearing his throat.]
My family is never without room for another, if anyone should so desire.
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She's heard that one before, too. But even the most patient and good-intentioned of foster families tend to have second thoughts in the face of theft and explosions and, well, her.]
You're just saying that because you don't know me yet.
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[see: DIVING INTO THE OCEAN TO RESCUE A CERTAIN METAL-BENDER. Charles is the Captain of the USS Makes Snap Decisions About Traumatized People.]
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She still has plenty of doubts. But she's not saying no.]
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[THE MOST HOPEFUL.]
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'Kay.
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Do you see the little blue button on the device on your wrist? If you press it, I'll know where to find you. Or if you'd like, you can come find me?
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Besides, if he comes to her, she can hide and get a good look at him before deciding whether or not to show herself.
She nods, and presses the button, looking at Charles expectantly afterwards.]
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