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Jeanne-Marie and Shen - Backdated
Jeanne-Marie comes back from seeing Jean-Paul the night after the protest, and Shen is still awake trying to make people on the internet see the light. (Spoiler alert: it's not working.)
It was late when Jeanne-Marie finally wandered back to the girls' hall and her own room. She felt warm from the tea and Jean-Paul's comfort, and he'd fed her, too (of course). It had been so sweet of Shen to text and make sure she was all right, earlier. Jeanne-Marie didn't want to wake her up, so she opened their door slowly and was surprised by the glow of a computer screen.
Shen was having an increasingly tougher time keeping her hands hand-shaped as she typed, by opposition to talon-shaped. She hadn't felt this angry since coming to Xavier's, and she hadn't known that her emotional state could affect her this way. And since typing with talons was freaking difficult, she had to take a moment to calm down before she replied to any of the haters online.
They were being rushed by a mob, she was typing this time. Asking them not to react emotionally is tone-policing at its worst, not that I'd expect you to know what that is, or why it's wrong. She was about to keep going when the door slowly opened, and she turned to it eagerly, getting to her feet at the sight of Jeanne-Marie. Anger went on the back burner as relief and concern warred inside her.
"Hey," she told her roommate softly, pushing a hand through her short hair as she pushed back from the desk on her stool. (Chairs were hell on wings, okay?) "Are you okay?"
Jeanne-Marie nodded. "I am now. I was a little--ah, disoriented, at first. But Jean-Paul gave me tea and hugs.
"What are you doing up so late?"
"I couldn't sleep," Shen answered, then made a face, and gestured at the computer. "And people are wrong on the internet." She didn't know if Jeanne-Marie knew that meme, but it summed up her state of mind pretty nicely - in all its stupid glory. "I'll turn it off if you want to go to bed." She could do this from her phone if she wanted, after all. Though she should really try and get some sleep.
Jeanne-Marie narrowed her eyes at the screen and came closer. "Wrong about what?" She didn't get that reference, but she could imagine...
"World, life, how to be a half-decent human being," Shen answered, watching Jeanne-Marie with concern. "Not sure you wanna read any of that right now." She wasn't going to stop her if she did want to, though. Jeanne-Marie was a big girl and could do what she wanted.
"The protest?" she asked, coming nearer and setting her jaw. "Let me see. I want to know what we'll be up against."
"It's more of the same," Shen warned her, pushing to the side on her stool so Jeanne-Marie could more easily see the screen. "Bullshit and hate and fear and more bullshit."
"Let me see," Jeanne-Marie said again, setting her jaw. "I'm in the mood to fight back."
"Go right ahead," Shen gestured at the desktop computer. "Although I'm signed in as me." And she wasn't doing anything to erase the beginning of the comment she'd never sent. Jeanne-Marie was welcome to read it all, she just wanted her to know that any fighting back on this page as was would be done in Shen's name.
Jeanne-Marie frowned at the screen. "Should I log in as myself? I want to tell them what really happened."
"I haven't been speaking as a mutant," Shen replied with a small frown. "Just a mutant advocate. The Professor wants to keep this place a secret, and I'm not sure if haters couldn't trace back to us, or hack the school network, or whatever." It was the same type of 'suck' as having to go out with image inducers, but it was the price to pay for being here, really.
Jeanne-Marie wilted a little. "Yes. Of course. Ugh, I'm sorry. I just--I'm still a little frustrated with how little I could do today, you know?"
"You helped get everyone back safely, didn't you?" Shen pointed out. "That's not little. But I feel you. I hear you." She rolled her eyes. "Kind of why I've been arguing with idiots all night. Ugh."
Jeanne-Marie bounced down onto her own bed and sighed. "Yes, exactly. I want to feel safe, but I don't think I truly can--we truly can--if we run away from fights. But sometimes--how to fight?"
"The thing is - this is a place for mutants, like, a safe space. A haven, a shelter, whatever you wanna call it." Shen was trying to phrase the reason why she'd been refraining from commenting everywhere as a mutant all night, and the words came haltingly at first, but more smoothly as she went on. "And we can't jeopardize that. We might want to fight rather than be safe - or not - but we can't make that decision for anyone else. So this place has to come first, and we'll have to fight on other levels." She made a face. "Much as it sucks. So yeah - how to fight. Gar and I have been talking about setting up an activist club, and I think we really need to. Pool our resources, learn from other fights against discrimination."
Jeanne-Marie nodded at the first part; she couldn't agree more that this place was necessary, and she would never put that in danger. The second part, though, lit her up a bit--metaphorically. "That's a good idea. We could do research and keep an eye on what's happening now. Apply the past to our future." That was right up her alley.
Shen smiled at Jeanne-Marie's reaction. First good thing all night. "Exactly. There's a lot about us that's new, but we can still learn from other fights. Connect with them, even." Intersectionality was what it was all about - thought the Chinese bisexual mutant girl. No shit.
More nodding from Jeanne-Marie. "There will be a lot of new trails to--ah--not forge. Blaze. More reasons people will think their fears are logical instead of a stupid, prejudiced reaction." After all, she could hurt someone badly with her powers. But anyone could hurt someone else; having something dangerous lying around didn't make them more likely to do it.
And... she sighed again. "Possibly, interrupting protests isn't the best way, anyhow." Counter-protesting, now...
"I don't think I could've resisted the urge either, so I'm not judging," Shen admitted with a crooked half-smile. "But yeah, I'm not sure that ever works."
Jeanne-Marie gave a little laugh, but nodded once more. "No. In the end they probably just have more excuses. We're the ones who'll have to behave while they get to spew hate." She frowned. "We'll have to find a way."
"Well, 'behave'," Shen echoed with a small shrug. "Just not misbehave in a way that could come back to bite the school in the ass."
Jeanne-Marie's little laugh was tired. "Yes. It will take... creativity. But like you said, if we pool our resources..."
"We're mutant teenagers," Shen finished with a growing smile, trying to make it warmer, less tired than it would have been for Jeanne-Marie's sake. "I'm pretty sure there's nothing we can't accomplish."
Jeanne-Marie nodded. "Thank you, Shen. I feel better, when I think of you--and everyone here like us--beside me. I feel more hopeful."
"That's the spirit," Shen stated with a decisive nod, then offered, "Want a hug?"
Jeanne-Marie stood and held out her arms. "Please?"
Shen stood as well, pushing her stool to the side with her bare foot before stepping in close to hug Jeanne-Marie close, wings curving slightly around them both in an instinctive attempt to provide as much comfort as possible. "You're definitely not alone," she quietly told her friend and roommate. In fact, "None of us are."
The wings made Jeanne-Marie smile. It wasn't the same as the safety of her brother, but it was something else that felt almost as important. Almost. She gave Shen a squeeze around the waist and on impulse pecked her cheek. "That's right. Never again."
It was a shame that Jeanne-Marie had ever felt alone, but, yeah. Didn't they all, at one point or another? At least with such a small community, Shen was hoping it would less be the case now. "Damn right," she agreed, smiling at the peck. She squeezed her roommate tighter for a couple of seconds, then leaned back, keeping her hands on her shoulders. "You gonna be okay to sleep?"
Jeanne-Marie nodded, but didn't pull entirely away. "I think so. Do you mind if I leave the small light on?" It was a common request on dark nights.
"'Course not," Shen replied immediately. "And if you want us to push the beds together and have a sleepover in the same bed, we can do." She shrugged, wings shifting with the movement. "I was still crawling into my uncle's bed whenever I was upset, right before I came here." Not that what worked for her would work for Jeanne-Marie, necessarily, but the offer was there.
Jeanne-Marie's face brightened. "Could we? I'd love that." She'd lived in a few places where she'd been able to crawl into bed with other girls... but mostly not.
"Totally," Shen stated with an answering smile. It wasn't as bright as her smiles could be, but she meant it. She'd like it better too, for tonight. She moved away for the express purpose of pushing the beds together - and pretty easily at that, all of that strength came in handy.
"Thanks, Shen. And if I try to roll over, just elbow me."
It was late when Jeanne-Marie finally wandered back to the girls' hall and her own room. She felt warm from the tea and Jean-Paul's comfort, and he'd fed her, too (of course). It had been so sweet of Shen to text and make sure she was all right, earlier. Jeanne-Marie didn't want to wake her up, so she opened their door slowly and was surprised by the glow of a computer screen.
Shen was having an increasingly tougher time keeping her hands hand-shaped as she typed, by opposition to talon-shaped. She hadn't felt this angry since coming to Xavier's, and she hadn't known that her emotional state could affect her this way. And since typing with talons was freaking difficult, she had to take a moment to calm down before she replied to any of the haters online.
They were being rushed by a mob, she was typing this time. Asking them not to react emotionally is tone-policing at its worst, not that I'd expect you to know what that is, or why it's wrong. She was about to keep going when the door slowly opened, and she turned to it eagerly, getting to her feet at the sight of Jeanne-Marie. Anger went on the back burner as relief and concern warred inside her.
"Hey," she told her roommate softly, pushing a hand through her short hair as she pushed back from the desk on her stool. (Chairs were hell on wings, okay?) "Are you okay?"
Jeanne-Marie nodded. "I am now. I was a little--ah, disoriented, at first. But Jean-Paul gave me tea and hugs.
"What are you doing up so late?"
"I couldn't sleep," Shen answered, then made a face, and gestured at the computer. "And people are wrong on the internet." She didn't know if Jeanne-Marie knew that meme, but it summed up her state of mind pretty nicely - in all its stupid glory. "I'll turn it off if you want to go to bed." She could do this from her phone if she wanted, after all. Though she should really try and get some sleep.
Jeanne-Marie narrowed her eyes at the screen and came closer. "Wrong about what?" She didn't get that reference, but she could imagine...
"World, life, how to be a half-decent human being," Shen answered, watching Jeanne-Marie with concern. "Not sure you wanna read any of that right now." She wasn't going to stop her if she did want to, though. Jeanne-Marie was a big girl and could do what she wanted.
"The protest?" she asked, coming nearer and setting her jaw. "Let me see. I want to know what we'll be up against."
"It's more of the same," Shen warned her, pushing to the side on her stool so Jeanne-Marie could more easily see the screen. "Bullshit and hate and fear and more bullshit."
"Let me see," Jeanne-Marie said again, setting her jaw. "I'm in the mood to fight back."
"Go right ahead," Shen gestured at the desktop computer. "Although I'm signed in as me." And she wasn't doing anything to erase the beginning of the comment she'd never sent. Jeanne-Marie was welcome to read it all, she just wanted her to know that any fighting back on this page as was would be done in Shen's name.
Jeanne-Marie frowned at the screen. "Should I log in as myself? I want to tell them what really happened."
"I haven't been speaking as a mutant," Shen replied with a small frown. "Just a mutant advocate. The Professor wants to keep this place a secret, and I'm not sure if haters couldn't trace back to us, or hack the school network, or whatever." It was the same type of 'suck' as having to go out with image inducers, but it was the price to pay for being here, really.
Jeanne-Marie wilted a little. "Yes. Of course. Ugh, I'm sorry. I just--I'm still a little frustrated with how little I could do today, you know?"
"You helped get everyone back safely, didn't you?" Shen pointed out. "That's not little. But I feel you. I hear you." She rolled her eyes. "Kind of why I've been arguing with idiots all night. Ugh."
Jeanne-Marie bounced down onto her own bed and sighed. "Yes, exactly. I want to feel safe, but I don't think I truly can--we truly can--if we run away from fights. But sometimes--how to fight?"
"The thing is - this is a place for mutants, like, a safe space. A haven, a shelter, whatever you wanna call it." Shen was trying to phrase the reason why she'd been refraining from commenting everywhere as a mutant all night, and the words came haltingly at first, but more smoothly as she went on. "And we can't jeopardize that. We might want to fight rather than be safe - or not - but we can't make that decision for anyone else. So this place has to come first, and we'll have to fight on other levels." She made a face. "Much as it sucks. So yeah - how to fight. Gar and I have been talking about setting up an activist club, and I think we really need to. Pool our resources, learn from other fights against discrimination."
Jeanne-Marie nodded at the first part; she couldn't agree more that this place was necessary, and she would never put that in danger. The second part, though, lit her up a bit--metaphorically. "That's a good idea. We could do research and keep an eye on what's happening now. Apply the past to our future." That was right up her alley.
Shen smiled at Jeanne-Marie's reaction. First good thing all night. "Exactly. There's a lot about us that's new, but we can still learn from other fights. Connect with them, even." Intersectionality was what it was all about - thought the Chinese bisexual mutant girl. No shit.
More nodding from Jeanne-Marie. "There will be a lot of new trails to--ah--not forge. Blaze. More reasons people will think their fears are logical instead of a stupid, prejudiced reaction." After all, she could hurt someone badly with her powers. But anyone could hurt someone else; having something dangerous lying around didn't make them more likely to do it.
And... she sighed again. "Possibly, interrupting protests isn't the best way, anyhow." Counter-protesting, now...
"I don't think I could've resisted the urge either, so I'm not judging," Shen admitted with a crooked half-smile. "But yeah, I'm not sure that ever works."
Jeanne-Marie gave a little laugh, but nodded once more. "No. In the end they probably just have more excuses. We're the ones who'll have to behave while they get to spew hate." She frowned. "We'll have to find a way."
"Well, 'behave'," Shen echoed with a small shrug. "Just not misbehave in a way that could come back to bite the school in the ass."
Jeanne-Marie's little laugh was tired. "Yes. It will take... creativity. But like you said, if we pool our resources..."
"We're mutant teenagers," Shen finished with a growing smile, trying to make it warmer, less tired than it would have been for Jeanne-Marie's sake. "I'm pretty sure there's nothing we can't accomplish."
Jeanne-Marie nodded. "Thank you, Shen. I feel better, when I think of you--and everyone here like us--beside me. I feel more hopeful."
"That's the spirit," Shen stated with a decisive nod, then offered, "Want a hug?"
Jeanne-Marie stood and held out her arms. "Please?"
Shen stood as well, pushing her stool to the side with her bare foot before stepping in close to hug Jeanne-Marie close, wings curving slightly around them both in an instinctive attempt to provide as much comfort as possible. "You're definitely not alone," she quietly told her friend and roommate. In fact, "None of us are."
The wings made Jeanne-Marie smile. It wasn't the same as the safety of her brother, but it was something else that felt almost as important. Almost. She gave Shen a squeeze around the waist and on impulse pecked her cheek. "That's right. Never again."
It was a shame that Jeanne-Marie had ever felt alone, but, yeah. Didn't they all, at one point or another? At least with such a small community, Shen was hoping it would less be the case now. "Damn right," she agreed, smiling at the peck. She squeezed her roommate tighter for a couple of seconds, then leaned back, keeping her hands on her shoulders. "You gonna be okay to sleep?"
Jeanne-Marie nodded, but didn't pull entirely away. "I think so. Do you mind if I leave the small light on?" It was a common request on dark nights.
"'Course not," Shen replied immediately. "And if you want us to push the beds together and have a sleepover in the same bed, we can do." She shrugged, wings shifting with the movement. "I was still crawling into my uncle's bed whenever I was upset, right before I came here." Not that what worked for her would work for Jeanne-Marie, necessarily, but the offer was there.
Jeanne-Marie's face brightened. "Could we? I'd love that." She'd lived in a few places where she'd been able to crawl into bed with other girls... but mostly not.
"Totally," Shen stated with an answering smile. It wasn't as bright as her smiles could be, but she meant it. She'd like it better too, for tonight. She moved away for the express purpose of pushing the beds together - and pretty easily at that, all of that strength came in handy.
"Thanks, Shen. And if I try to roll over, just elbow me."