2016-04-11 - Laura's Heart to Heart

Characters: Laura Kinner, Jean Grey Location: The Xavier School For Gifted Youths Common Room

It was a quiet night. Jean was otherwise curled over in one of the comfortable chairs, legs tucked up beneath her. She was looking through an old scrapbook, with faded pictures.

Laura strolls in with a new pair of crocs on her feet. She moves to a couch and flops over onto it with an exhalation, She stares up at the ceiling with her hands folded under her head.

Jean Grey looks up and over, folding the book shut, "Are you all right Laura?" Jean uncurling her ankles to rest them on the floor.

Laura replies nonchalantly,"Yes," as she stares up. Her toes curl and uncurl against the plush rubber of her new footwear.

Jean Grey glances over, and gives a rare half smile, "Good then." She moves to sit up, "Do you want me to make you some hot chocolate?"

Laura rolls around to sit upright. "Sure." Her eyes widen a little at this.

Jean Grey goes to sit up then, and her eyes focus. Over on one of the counters, a small mug went to rise up into the air. It floated over, some water from the tap being porued into it, then the mug going over to a hot plate to be readied to boil. "With whipped cream and marshmellows?"

Laura nods vigorously, thumbs twiddling as she gazes at this going on. Telekinesis never ceased to impress her. Eye blasts and card bombs are fine, but they can't make things happen.

Hot water soon steams,and to that hot cocoa mix was added, a pair of fluffy marshmellows and whipped cream being added and it floated over to Laura's hands.

Laura stares down at it unblinking for a moment before smiling meekishly,"Thanks." She lets it sit there,not about to get scalded right off."Where's Scott?" she eventually asks.

Jean Grey stretches, "Likely preparing for exams and that he's probably going to be running the team through combat training in the morning."

Laura hmms quietly as she stares into space, she's observing the steam wafting from the cup.

Jean Grey sits back, "So Laura, how are you doing over in things in general? It's been awhile since we've talked"

Laura blinks a little,sipping when she feels its finally cool enough. She replies simplistically as usual,"Well. But...crowded."

Jean Grey nods and leans back, brushing her hair a little, "I understand. Do you feel that classes are helping you?"

Laura stares into the chocolate, feeling for words to respond with. She pokes at a marshmallow gingerly before replying,"Maybe...think so."

Jean Grey takes a breath, "Laura, you functionally know what you need to academically. Do you feel like the classes are helping you acclimate, as a person and a student?"

Laura takes a sip from her cup, looking up afterwards,"I guess...not sure what history good for." She raises her brows a bit at that,"Rather just...be better talker."

Jean Grey nods over, "History's useful for putting events in perspective. You could say simply because when we do not learn from things, and common origins, we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over."

Laura blinks at this, replying candidly,"But...it's done." She takes a sip, brows remaining raised as she ponders the addage.

Jean Grey tsks, "Laura, we both know, with everything we have faced and seen, that nothing is ever over."

Laura cants her head ever so slightly as she replies,"Is over when over...but, can't change when it's behind."

Jean Grey nods lightly, "Good dear." Her tone was chipper and joking, "And at the very least, look at it as if you get sent back in time at any point you know what to expect. So it's useful tactical data."

Laura blinks dully at that. After a long moment, she takes another sip as she tries to mull that over before replying,"Romans didn't have guns, we don't fight greeks. Aristotle thought that men were better than women, he was stupid."

Jean Grey nods over at Laura cheerfully, "Any information can be useful at any time. Just absorb it and be ready to figure out how it can be useful at any point."

Laura rubs the back of her head with a weary expression,"Ok..." then takes a marshmallowy sip.

Jean Grey leans back over, "So, is there anything you want to talk about, Laura? It's fine. I promise I won't tell."

Laura stares gloomily into her cup as she replies,"I don't know." Blinking slowly as she figures out the words, she eventually continues,"Is...repetitive. Sometimes...the rooms start to feel small. They aren't, but..." She shrugs then, and looks up.

Jean Grey nods over, "Was that an attempt at poetry, Laura? It was quite good." Jean's comment is meant to try and get a light smile from the girl. "You might have missed your calling."

Laura doesn't catch the meaning, her expression screwing slightly as she regards her for a long moment. She eventually exhales and looks back down wordlessly.

Jean Grey looks up, making gentle eye contact, "Laura, are you okay?" She offers quietly, pulling her hands over to her lap. "I'm aware that's a very, very broad question that doesn't have a simple response to it."

Laura shrugs in response this time, chewing on the inside of her cheek as she tries really hard at figuring an explanation for feeling so pent up, eventually she just shakes her head and gives up. "I'm fine."

Jean Grey nods over, and takes a breath. Then, she gets up, "Laura, permission?" Gesturing over at you for your okay to approach you.

Laura looks up with her brows raising yet again, sipping from her drink before nodding,"Yes."

Jean Grey goes to settle in next to Laura, and gives the girl a gentle hug. "I understand how you're feeling."

Laura is slightly confused by this gesture, her gaze lowering but she figures it out quickly enough. She returns the hug, but after a momen finds herself starting to be overcome by something. It starts with a shaking, her breath coming quickly before her eyes water over fore the first time in she's not sure how long. It isn't anger, but she really doesn't have a name for this one that's bottled up next to it.

Jean Grey leansin over against Laura, and gently hugs the other girl, pulling Laura over to her lap to gently smother the girl in almost radiating affection. Jean went to gently brush her hair, massaging her back gently. "I'm so sorry, Laura.. So, so sorry."

Laura just quietly sits there, unable to properly breathe to form words that would make any sense if she wanted to as she leans into her shoulder. Her mind is a blur of cataloguing all the things that seem just out of reach since she came here, from little things like long division to the more broad questions like what to do with her life when she graduates. Beyond these, the daily looks of pity from Logan and the sniggering of her classmates when she misspeaks her answers culminating in her bloody sessions over her bathroom sink in the evenings wondering if it would make the difference it had for so many before her. The little things that wear the hardest for someone whose not been afforded those simple keys in life.

Jean Grey just gently holds Laura and rocks her, even as the anguish rolls off the girl in waves. Jean puts up a blanket telepathic privacy field around the pair, just softly holding the smaller girl against her. Gently rubbing her and holding her there, closing her eyes, "You poor, poor thing.." Jean's maternal instincts in full force as she held the smaller girl tightly against her, just being as protective as she could to her. As comforting a presence as possible.

Laura does eventually work through the turmoil that overcame her, her breath finally evening out before she moves to sit upright. Wiping at her eyes, she draws in a breath to center herself, letting it out slowly. Once she's done this, she quietly intones,"Sorry..."

Jean Grey smiles, "What I'm here for, Laura. You have nothing to apologize for." She takes a breath, hugging the girl again, "I'm just sorry I didn't try and talk to you sooner. You've been holding all this in for so long.. I'm so sorry."

Laura looks over to her with a solemn expression,"I appreciate it but...I don't...it's hard to explain sometimes." She shakes her head at that.

Jean Grey nods quietly, "I understand. Thoughts and words and feelings don't always go well together. Believe me I understand Laura."

Laura groans at that,"I'm....should I get out for a while?" she rubs the back of herhead as she looks down, her brow knitting in concern.

Jean Grey nods a bit, "Logan calls them walkarounds.. Sometimes I think he just needs tow ander to let thimgs flow through him. Maybe you do too."

Laura nods slowly as she affirms,"I remember. He...mentioned that one time." She quirks her lips a little,"His walkarounds, sound enthusiastic."

Jean Grey nods a bit, "Well, maybe that's something you could consider. It's coming to summer, after all. And you're an adult."

Jean Grey adds, "And not all lessons are best learned in school."