[It's a more jarring shift, going from the inside of Wanda's home to a sunny spring day outdoors, but it is what it is. The sunlight filtering through the green, lush trees is still bright enough to make Wanda have to shield her eyes for a moment as they adjust, but she soon drops her hand so she can take in the scene.
They're a short distance away from the heart of the memory: that family of three outside, Nina's laughter in the air. Wanda can see Erik and his wife sitting close beside him. As much as she wants to get up from the spot on the grass she's found herself sitting on to look closer, see the faces of Nina and Maga up close--]
Erik.
[This is for him. Wanda looks to him, reaching a hand out to touch his arm. Something to ground him and remind him what's real and what's memory.]
[ This was nothing like the experience of Wanda sharing her own memory; he'd been a fairly detached onlooker then, able to easily parse reality from memory. But in this, he feels like he's utterly lost for a moment. Whatever he'd tried to prepare himself for, it all falls apart as soon as he's surrounded by these familiar woods, green and full of life; with the sight of his family up ahead.
It feels like more than just a memory, it's vivid and alive. Like he's there with them again - whole, a husband and a father.
He has the overwhelming urge to rush toward them, wrap them both up in his arms; but it's not real. Her touch draws him out of that, reminds him of what is now and what is the past. ]
Yes. It is.
[ He lets loose a rough sounding sigh, emotion rising up in him and threatening to take over. Within Wanda's home, the windows and walls begin to shake and rumble. Tears well up in his eyes and fall down his face as he stares unblinking at the sight before him. ]
Nina.
[ Her name comes out in a barely there sound, etched with pain. He closes his eyes for a moment in an attempt to regain some of his control, feeling the ground beneath them responding to his outpouring of emotion. When he opens them again, he sees the memory shift. Nina wraps her small arms around his neck and he lifts her up, spinning her around while her laughter fills the air along with his wife's. Magda comes over and the three of them share a hug, smiling; Erik looking at them both with adoration.
Seeing the joy on their faces doesn't break his heart like he was afraid it would. It fills it up. Soon the walls and windows in Wanda's home stop shaking, the ground stops vibrating. There are still tears running down his face, but they are of a different variety now. ]
[As much as Wanda expected a strong reaction, he does worry her for a few heartbeats. She can sense their reality, hear the distant rattle of her new home and the artwork on the walls and the cups and plates in the kitchen. But she trusts him, trusts his resolve, and Erik manages to reel himself in without her needing to intervene.
She remembers the rush of emotion when she saw her boys again, in another universe, in a place and time where they were just happy children begging for ice cream. The only reason she didn't weep outright was because she didn't want to frighten them. Here, he has the space to let his emotions flow, and it's--a lot, even without them flying off the rails. Wanda can feel her own eyes sting, and she blinks the sensation away.
How happy they all looked, and how terrible that he lost that joy and love. Wanda takes a steadying breath before refocusing.]
It's okay. [It's a soft murmur, her palm touching the back of his shoulder, rubbing gently.] It's only a memory, enhanced.
[ Erik's gaze remains fixed on his family, though he nods slightly at Wanda's reassurance. The swell of emotion within seems to rise and fall, and while he's mostly regained control of his power; every so often there is a rattling of the windows - tremors that match the faint shaking of his shoulders as he lets himself weep silently. It's not the first time he's wept for them, but having someone else here to witness it is the rarity. But he finds it comforting, to have Wanda there, her hand at his back to let him know he's not alone. Her own understanding of the loss of family is what allows him to be vulnerable in this way, because she knows already. He doesn't need to explain anything. ]
They were so happy. I was...
[ So happy. It's all he can manage to say, there's joy as well as grief as he watches the memory play out; both emotions flow through him equally as strong. It's a beautiful memory of a time in his life when things were simple, peaceful. Their smiling faces, the sunlight streaming down through the leaves.
He'd give anything to be able to hold them both again.
As he has that thought the memory begins to shift - the woods are no longer bright, everything turns dim and cold as it shifts to his memory of Magda and himself running through the woods in a frantic search for Nina, unable to find her. The walls start to rumble and Erik closes his eyes, turning away in attempt to stop it from continuing to unfold. He doesn't want to see what follows. Doesn't want to re-live it. ]
[She had hoped he'd be able to stay in the pleasant parts of his recollection of his family. It's short-lived. Wanda can feel the turn in the air and the heaviness of his heart begin to pull down the memory.
Curiosity has her wanting to see where this goes, suspecting nowhere good, but Erik's grief is too much. It's gone too far already. She had told him that he'd be in control as long as that particular memory stayed in the forefront of his mind, but the terrible bleeds through and it's clear he can't make the call. So, she does.]
That's enough.
[And when he next opens his eyes, they'll be back in the place they never really left: her living room, sitting still on the couch. The emotions and tears were real, of course, and now that she's not focused on keeping the memory around them, she deflates a little at the sight of Erik.
Maybe it was too much, too soon. Maybe it would always be too soon, for him.]
Hey. [This time, it's his face that she touches, a warm palm against his cheek in effort to get him to look at her. To focus on the here and now.] Hey, it's over. It's done. You're here, Erik.
[ When he opens his eyes again it's a shock, suddenly being here in the present - on her couch, surrounded by the familiar environment. He glances around the room, taking in the details before he registers her palm on his face and his gaze meets hers. His shoulders drop slightly. The colors are warm again, and he's not back in that forest at early dawn, heart pounding as he calls out for his daughter. He's here.
They'd never really left, but it feels like he's gone and come back, in a sense. Erik's heart is still racing from the remnants of the memory; he breathes out a heavy sigh. ]
I tried to stay in the memory of when we'd been happy. [ He explains, his tone raw and almost apologetic. ] Everything was so vivid, I was looking at them and thinking of how much I wished I could hold them again... then it shifted.
[ It had happened so fast. He was grateful she'd ended it when she did. Erik notices then the items that had fallen onto the floor; the walls and windows appear intact and he doesn't feel any structural damage to the foundation, fortunately. They could both repair it easily, but he'd prefer not to have to damage her home at all. ]
I know. [Of course he'd want to stay in the good. But thoughts aren't always so easily controlled. She should have been more careful with him, but she'd been eager to thank him, in her own way.
As it tends to go, she never meant for it to cause harm.]
I'm sorry.
[Whatever's fallen onto the floor is beyond her caring at the moment. Wanda swallows down the emotion in her throat before leaning forward to pull him into an embrace, arms tight around his shoulders. He can't hold his family, but she can hold him, heart aching.]
[ Erik stiffens initially, not because the embrace is unwelcome; but because he's very much accustomed to being the person to hold everything together. To be solid and strong. Not just for himself all these years; that's who he'd been for his family, that's who he was for the community. One of the responsibilities that came along with leadership. Normally, he handled it without feeling overly burdened.
But this was a circumstance where he knew he might falter under the weight of everything. He doesn't deny that his emotions run very deep; they always have.
So after a few moments he gives in, and his arms wrap around her tightly; holding onto Wanda as she holds him; and he lets himself feel the grief that takes over. A sometimes dangerous thing when it comes to a mutant; emotions being so highly tied with their powers; but she helps to be a steadying force.
He's not sure how much time passes before the quiet sobs begin to slow and even out, but eventually his breathing evens out and he feels like he can piece himself back together. ]
Thank you.
[ He says quietly as he pulls back; thanking her not just for showing him the memory; but for being there for him throughout all of this. There was no avoiding the traumas of his past, they were part of him; but at least now he didn't feel the weight of them quite so heavily. ]
[Wanda doesn't mind being whatever helps right now. She feels terrible seeing him like this. She knew how much he loved his family. How much he missed them. Why wouldn't he fall apart seeing them again? The poor man. She holds him until she feels him move, and lets go.]
Don't thank me. That was too much at once.
[They should have eased into it. Started with just his daughter, just his wife. Not the both at once.]
[ Erik shakes his head, his tone is firm and reassuring when he speaks; he doesn't want her to regret what she's done for him. She's not the one who took his family from him. The scars he bore internally were put there by circumstances he'd had no control over, and people he's long since dealt with. ]
I don't think there would ever be a time when revisiting memories of my family would have affected me any less.
[ He reaches out to squeeze her shoulder briefly. ]
I think even if we'd started off small, my mind would have gone where it wanted to go. We would have ended up at the same place.
[ He's certain of it. And he's relieved that was all they visited. Among the many painful memories in his past, the fact that she didn't get flashes of any of those was a great relief to him. It wasn't as if she was poking around in his head, the way Charles and other telepaths had done before - trying to seek out information he didn't want them to find. This was different. He wanted to find this memory, to see it again in full. ]
[His words offer some reassurance. Wanda nods, taking a breath. Seeing their faces was the goal. She saw them, too.]
They're beautiful. [Magda and Nina. And he had looked like a different person, as happy as he was.] They loved you very much. I could see it clear as day. And you, them. But I knew that already.
[She musters up a small smile, lacking mirth. Had he reacted any less strongly to the memory, maybe she would have doubted his words.]
[ Erik can't help but smile, though a little weakly, at her words. His tears have dried, but he still feels incredibly raw emotionally. ]
I did love them. I always will. My parents use to tell me that love connected people, beyond death. That once you love someone, your hearts are always connected. I would tell that to Nina, but I admit I haven't always felt that way.
[ He wanted to, but sometimes it was a struggle; after so many devastating losses. ]
But after seeing their faces, seeing us all together in that precious moment in time... I believe my parents were right. And it gives me some peace.
[ He takes a deep breath, focusing on the air going in and out of his lungs. ]
[She says quietly. She had told her boys that, once. Is it true? She doesn't know. The strongest memory she has now of her boys is the look of terror on both their faces. The last time she saw them in the flesh.
She ruined her own peace of mind in that way.]
You'll have something a little more palpable than peace. They'll be in your home.
[The photographs, she means. An assortment of snapshots in a picture quality that would have been unheard of in that time--even questionable for the 90s--set on his kitchen table. Snapshots of the family together, in the sun, and individual portraits of Nina and Magda. Wanda figures too many isn't a concept she needs to worry about.
Either way, she doesn't give them to him in the here and now because she doesn't know if her heart can handle seeing him in tears again so soon. She sighs, trying to dispel some of the tightness in her chest.]
[ Family is forever. Her words resonate, and he's almost forgotten the reason for why they'd looked into his memories : the photographs. His mind is still on the images of his family, vivid as they were; he can see them in his mind much more clearly. And now he'll have them framed, to put on his nightstand. To look at every day. It's a tremendously valuable gift, and he has no idea how to properly express his gratitude. Save to simply say - ]
Thank you for doing this for me, Wanda.
[ For giving him something tangible to keep, when before he hadn't had any mementos of them save for the locket around his neck that Nina had worn. But it contained pictures of his parents, not them. He sighs again, it feels like his heart is a little more full; but still, it's been an experience that will likely take a few days before he feels entirely back to baseline. ]
If you have anything stronger, that would be good.
[Much like a surgeon's knife sometimes has to cut to heal, she hopes the hurt will lend itself to Erik being better off than he was. Wanda stands and pats his shoulder, an indication that he's to stay. He could use a few minutes without her staring at him.]
I'll be right back. I don't drink very often, so you'll be in for a surprise.
[She heads into the kitchen and decides on something strong, but simple. Scotch on the rocks. As much as she considers offering him food, she doubts he has the stomach for it. So, booze on an empty stomach it is.
She returns after taking her sweet time, handing him his glass before reclaiming her seat.]
[ Erik is glad to have a moment to himself while she's preparing the drinks. He scrubs a hand over his face, thinking he can't recall the last time he's felt so much over such a short period of time. He purposefully avoids lingering on what could have happened had she not stopped the memory where she did. He wanted to hold onto the good, not veer into territory that was destabilizing when he was already at his limit. ]
Thank you. It's been a while since I've had anything stronger than beer. Good choice.
[ He raises his glass in a small toast before taking a drink. It takes him back a bit, to earlier days of playing chess with Charles and endlessly debating their conflicting ideologies about mutants vs humans.
Erik leans back and relaxes a bit, he can feel the lingering tension in his muscles that will take a moment to ease up. ]
Are you alright?
[ He asks after a moment. Watching the memory, a family together, wasn't without it's own difficulties; especially considering her own loss. He hopes he hadn't made any of that worse. ]
[She lifts her own glass, taking a small sip, focusing on the pleasant burn going down her throat. Wanda leans her shoulder into the sofa, forcing herself to relax. Nothing bad happened. He's thanked her. No one got hurt, no structures damaged, and he doesn't seem to look at her any differently than before. So, she remained in the lines.
Still, it tugs at her heartstrings that he asks if she's all right.]
I'm okay.
[Wanda smiles, a little sadly, down at her drink before looking back up at Erik.]
Thank you for allowing me to see your family. Your home. I already understood what this island meant to you, but now I know... better. I want everyone here to feel like you all must have, living there. Safe, loved, happy.
[ Safe, loved and happy. It pulls a small smile from him to hear her say it. ]
I've spent most of my life fighting. There have only been small lapses of time, as you've now seen, where I could settle and try to have a life. This island is what I needed when I was younger. [ How different a path his life would have taken if it had existed back then. ] I want it to be around for a very long time. And I hope to be able to settle again, myself.
[ He could admit he didn't exactly know quite how, after a lifetime of struggle, being on the run, being at war with one group or another. But he was trying, for the sake of everyone who called Genosha home. And for himself. ]
Our population isn't very large at the moment. Perhaps some day it will be, and I'll need to think about expanding the island itself.
If only you knew someone capable of altering reality.
[Except, you know, he does. Wanda has already committed herself to this place, to its future. She wants to see it thrive. She wants to keep it safe. She wants Kira, Nic, and Erik himself to have the happiness that was stolen away from them all.
Maybe, in the process, she'll be able to find it for herself as well.]
[ He could manipulate the earth enough to reshape the island, extend it's borders that way; but he's seen the garden she's made here, and everything else. It's a project that would greatly benefit from her particular abilities. ]
Kira and Nic could be involved as well, we could ask their input. They should be able to see what people with powers can do in this context. I doubt they had much, if any, contact with mutants before arriving here. It will help to normalize what we are, the more they witness people freely using their abilities for the benefit of others here.
[ They'd learn how to defend themselves as well, as that was essential in Erik's opinion for any mutant. But it shouldn't all have to be about that. That was the hope, at least. He had specific protocols in place, should the island ever come under attack, or be at risk. ]
What, I haven't done enough by being a personal crayon and candy dispenser?
[And alcohol, apparently. Wanda smiles, easier now, and takes another sip from her glass. It's not a bad idea, no, but it does bring up something she's been curious about.]
I'd like to see what they're capable of, with those scales. They must serve some purpose besides beyond being beautiful.
[Because that's what they are, to Wanda.]
I wonder if they even know. Any idea? Have they ever said anything to you, or when they first came here?
[ Erik adds with an amused smile. Her questions about Kira and Nic's abilities have him thinking for a moment before he answers. ]
I have wondered the same myself. I've known mutants with scales before; one in particular who could shapeshift. But with Kira and Nic I would guess that if that was part of their power, they would have shown that by now.
[ Especially given the stress they had been under. If they could have shifted to better fit in among humans for their survival, they would have. It's what Raven had done most of her life before Erik had met her. ]
I think it's something else. Something defensive, possibly, but I'm not entirely certain. They haven't spoken to me about it yet.
Maybe once they've seen us using our powers some more they'll be willing to share. Either by showing us or telling us. Assuming they know. If it is a sort of armor, it might give me some peace of mind if they decide they want to experience the rest of the world.
[She makes a face, mostly with the intent to get a laugh out Erik after such an emotional afternoon.]
[ It does get a soft chuckle out of him, especially because he shares her sentiment. They're young still, and it wouldn't be safe having them wander the world just yet. Besides, he wants them to have time to just be children for a while, here where things are stable and secure. ]
You're feeling protective of them, that's good. They haven't experienced that nearly enough.
[ And Erik was just as protective of them. There's a comfortable silence for a moment before he switches topics. ]
I am scheduled to meet with one of my contacts in London next week, about a potential new arrival. I have some doubts however, about the mutant in question. Would you join me?
[ It's a big ask, and she's free to pass on it. But he valued her insight. He wanted this place to be a sanctuary for all mutants, but he wasn't blindly allowing access to just anyone. There were people here that were vulnerable, and he had to take everyone's safety into consideration. ]
It's less a concern over their power, but more so their motivations. Some might show interest in Genosha out of a desire to take control over it and the people here. I won't allow that.
[She smiles at his observation. Of course she feels protective. A pair of siblings, alone in the world? It checks off all the boxes. But she feels protective of him, too. He deserves a chance to be--simply a person, she supposes. To settle, as he said.
And so when he asks for her to come along on a trip, she visibly perks up with interest. If he's going, and there's any reason for doubt, she wants to be there. Not that he can't handle himself, but.
For her own peace of mind and the ever-present feeling that this will all come crumbling down, she nods.]
The two of us could figure someone out pretty quickly, I'd imagine.
[Him through talk and her through other means, though she doubts prying into someone's head would leave a very good impression. But if it's needed, it's needed.]
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They're a short distance away from the heart of the memory: that family of three outside, Nina's laughter in the air. Wanda can see Erik and his wife sitting close beside him. As much as she wants to get up from the spot on the grass she's found herself sitting on to look closer, see the faces of Nina and Maga up close--]
Erik.
[This is for him. Wanda looks to him, reaching a hand out to touch his arm. Something to ground him and remind him what's real and what's memory.]
It's beautiful here.
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It feels like more than just a memory, it's vivid and alive. Like he's there with them again - whole, a husband and a father.
He has the overwhelming urge to rush toward them, wrap them both up in his arms; but it's not real. Her touch draws him out of that, reminds him of what is now and what is the past. ]
Yes. It is.
[ He lets loose a rough sounding sigh, emotion rising up in him and threatening to take over. Within Wanda's home, the windows and walls begin to shake and rumble. Tears well up in his eyes and fall down his face as he stares unblinking at the sight before him. ]
Nina.
[ Her name comes out in a barely there sound, etched with pain. He closes his eyes for a moment in an attempt to regain some of his control, feeling the ground beneath them responding to his outpouring of emotion. When he opens them again, he sees the memory shift. Nina wraps her small arms around his neck and he lifts her up, spinning her around while her laughter fills the air along with his wife's. Magda comes over and the three of them share a hug, smiling; Erik looking at them both with adoration.
Seeing the joy on their faces doesn't break his heart like he was afraid it would. It fills it up. Soon the walls and windows in Wanda's home stop shaking, the ground stops vibrating. There are still tears running down his face, but they are of a different variety now. ]
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She remembers the rush of emotion when she saw her boys again, in another universe, in a place and time where they were just happy children begging for ice cream. The only reason she didn't weep outright was because she didn't want to frighten them. Here, he has the space to let his emotions flow, and it's--a lot, even without them flying off the rails. Wanda can feel her own eyes sting, and she blinks the sensation away.
How happy they all looked, and how terrible that he lost that joy and love. Wanda takes a steadying breath before refocusing.]
It's okay. [It's a soft murmur, her palm touching the back of his shoulder, rubbing gently.] It's only a memory, enhanced.
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They were so happy. I was...
[ So happy. It's all he can manage to say, there's joy as well as grief as he watches the memory play out; both emotions flow through him equally as strong. It's a beautiful memory of a time in his life when things were simple, peaceful. Their smiling faces, the sunlight streaming down through the leaves.
He'd give anything to be able to hold them both again.
As he has that thought the memory begins to shift - the woods are no longer bright, everything turns dim and cold as it shifts to his memory of Magda and himself running through the woods in a frantic search for Nina, unable to find her. The walls start to rumble and Erik closes his eyes, turning away in attempt to stop it from continuing to unfold. He doesn't want to see what follows. Doesn't want to re-live it. ]
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Curiosity has her wanting to see where this goes, suspecting nowhere good, but Erik's grief is too much. It's gone too far already. She had told him that he'd be in control as long as that particular memory stayed in the forefront of his mind, but the terrible bleeds through and it's clear he can't make the call. So, she does.]
That's enough.
[And when he next opens his eyes, they'll be back in the place they never really left: her living room, sitting still on the couch. The emotions and tears were real, of course, and now that she's not focused on keeping the memory around them, she deflates a little at the sight of Erik.
Maybe it was too much, too soon. Maybe it would always be too soon, for him.]
Hey. [This time, it's his face that she touches, a warm palm against his cheek in effort to get him to look at her. To focus on the here and now.] Hey, it's over. It's done. You're here, Erik.
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They'd never really left, but it feels like he's gone and come back, in a sense. Erik's heart is still racing from the remnants of the memory; he breathes out a heavy sigh. ]
I tried to stay in the memory of when we'd been happy. [ He explains, his tone raw and almost apologetic. ] Everything was so vivid, I was looking at them and thinking of how much I wished I could hold them again... then it shifted.
[ It had happened so fast. He was grateful she'd ended it when she did. Erik notices then the items that had fallen onto the floor; the walls and windows appear intact and he doesn't feel any structural damage to the foundation, fortunately. They could both repair it easily, but he'd prefer not to have to damage her home at all. ]
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As it tends to go, she never meant for it to cause harm.]
I'm sorry.
[Whatever's fallen onto the floor is beyond her caring at the moment. Wanda swallows down the emotion in her throat before leaning forward to pull him into an embrace, arms tight around his shoulders. He can't hold his family, but she can hold him, heart aching.]
I'm so sorry.
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But this was a circumstance where he knew he might falter under the weight of everything. He doesn't deny that his emotions run very deep; they always have.
So after a few moments he gives in, and his arms wrap around her tightly; holding onto Wanda as she holds him; and he lets himself feel the grief that takes over. A sometimes dangerous thing when it comes to a mutant; emotions being so highly tied with their powers; but she helps to be a steadying force.
He's not sure how much time passes before the quiet sobs begin to slow and even out, but eventually his breathing evens out and he feels like he can piece himself back together. ]
Thank you.
[ He says quietly as he pulls back; thanking her not just for showing him the memory; but for being there for him throughout all of this. There was no avoiding the traumas of his past, they were part of him; but at least now he didn't feel the weight of them quite so heavily. ]
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Don't thank me. That was too much at once.
[They should have eased into it. Started with just his daughter, just his wife. Not the both at once.]
Erik, I'm sorry.
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[ Erik shakes his head, his tone is firm and reassuring when he speaks; he doesn't want her to regret what she's done for him. She's not the one who took his family from him. The scars he bore internally were put there by circumstances he'd had no control over, and people he's long since dealt with. ]
I don't think there would ever be a time when revisiting memories of my family would have affected me any less.
[ He reaches out to squeeze her shoulder briefly. ]
I think even if we'd started off small, my mind would have gone where it wanted to go. We would have ended up at the same place.
[ He's certain of it. And he's relieved that was all they visited. Among the many painful memories in his past, the fact that she didn't get flashes of any of those was a great relief to him. It wasn't as if she was poking around in his head, the way Charles and other telepaths had done before - trying to seek out information he didn't want them to find. This was different. He wanted to find this memory, to see it again in full. ]
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They're beautiful. [Magda and Nina. And he had looked like a different person, as happy as he was.] They loved you very much. I could see it clear as day. And you, them. But I knew that already.
[She musters up a small smile, lacking mirth. Had he reacted any less strongly to the memory, maybe she would have doubted his words.]
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I did love them. I always will. My parents use to tell me that love connected people, beyond death. That once you love someone, your hearts are always connected. I would tell that to Nina, but I admit I haven't always felt that way.
[ He wanted to, but sometimes it was a struggle; after so many devastating losses. ]
But after seeing their faces, seeing us all together in that precious moment in time... I believe my parents were right. And it gives me some peace.
[ He takes a deep breath, focusing on the air going in and out of his lungs. ]
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[She says quietly. She had told her boys that, once. Is it true? She doesn't know. The strongest memory she has now of her boys is the look of terror on both their faces. The last time she saw them in the flesh.
She ruined her own peace of mind in that way.]
You'll have something a little more palpable than peace. They'll be in your home.
[The photographs, she means. An assortment of snapshots in a picture quality that would have been unheard of in that time--even questionable for the 90s--set on his kitchen table. Snapshots of the family together, in the sun, and individual portraits of Nina and Magda. Wanda figures too many isn't a concept she needs to worry about.
Either way, she doesn't give them to him in the here and now because she doesn't know if her heart can handle seeing him in tears again so soon. She sighs, trying to dispel some of the tightness in her chest.]
Do you want a beer? Something stronger?
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Thank you for doing this for me, Wanda.
[ For giving him something tangible to keep, when before he hadn't had any mementos of them save for the locket around his neck that Nina had worn. But it contained pictures of his parents, not them. He sighs again, it feels like his heart is a little more full; but still, it's been an experience that will likely take a few days before he feels entirely back to baseline. ]
If you have anything stronger, that would be good.
[ He's not picky. ]
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[Much like a surgeon's knife sometimes has to cut to heal, she hopes the hurt will lend itself to Erik being better off than he was. Wanda stands and pats his shoulder, an indication that he's to stay. He could use a few minutes without her staring at him.]
I'll be right back. I don't drink very often, so you'll be in for a surprise.
[She heads into the kitchen and decides on something strong, but simple. Scotch on the rocks. As much as she considers offering him food, she doubts he has the stomach for it. So, booze on an empty stomach it is.
She returns after taking her sweet time, handing him his glass before reclaiming her seat.]
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Thank you. It's been a while since I've had anything stronger than beer. Good choice.
[ He raises his glass in a small toast before taking a drink. It takes him back a bit, to earlier days of playing chess with Charles and endlessly debating their conflicting ideologies about mutants vs humans.
Erik leans back and relaxes a bit, he can feel the lingering tension in his muscles that will take a moment to ease up. ]
Are you alright?
[ He asks after a moment. Watching the memory, a family together, wasn't without it's own difficulties; especially considering her own loss. He hopes he hadn't made any of that worse. ]
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Still, it tugs at her heartstrings that he asks if she's all right.]
I'm okay.
[Wanda smiles, a little sadly, down at her drink before looking back up at Erik.]
Thank you for allowing me to see your family. Your home. I already understood what this island meant to you, but now I know... better. I want everyone here to feel like you all must have, living there. Safe, loved, happy.
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[ Safe, loved and happy. It pulls a small smile from him to hear her say it. ]
I've spent most of my life fighting. There have only been small lapses of time, as you've now seen, where I could settle and try to have a life. This island is what I needed when I was younger. [ How different a path his life would have taken if it had existed back then. ] I want it to be around for a very long time. And I hope to be able to settle again, myself.
[ He could admit he didn't exactly know quite how, after a lifetime of struggle, being on the run, being at war with one group or another. But he was trying, for the sake of everyone who called Genosha home. And for himself. ]
Our population isn't very large at the moment. Perhaps some day it will be, and I'll need to think about expanding the island itself.
[ He muses aloud as he takes another drink. ]
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[Except, you know, he does. Wanda has already committed herself to this place, to its future. She wants to see it thrive. She wants to keep it safe. She wants Kira, Nic, and Erik himself to have the happiness that was stolen away from them all.
Maybe, in the process, she'll be able to find it for herself as well.]
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[ He could manipulate the earth enough to reshape the island, extend it's borders that way; but he's seen the garden she's made here, and everything else. It's a project that would greatly benefit from her particular abilities. ]
Kira and Nic could be involved as well, we could ask their input. They should be able to see what people with powers can do in this context. I doubt they had much, if any, contact with mutants before arriving here. It will help to normalize what we are, the more they witness people freely using their abilities for the benefit of others here.
[ They'd learn how to defend themselves as well, as that was essential in Erik's opinion for any mutant. But it shouldn't all have to be about that. That was the hope, at least. He had specific protocols in place, should the island ever come under attack, or be at risk. ]
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[And alcohol, apparently. Wanda smiles, easier now, and takes another sip from her glass. It's not a bad idea, no, but it does bring up something she's been curious about.]
I'd like to see what they're capable of, with those scales. They must serve some purpose besides beyond being beautiful.
[Because that's what they are, to Wanda.]
I wonder if they even know. Any idea? Have they ever said anything to you, or when they first came here?
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[ Erik adds with an amused smile. Her questions about Kira and Nic's abilities have him thinking for a moment before he answers. ]
I have wondered the same myself. I've known mutants with scales before; one in particular who could shapeshift. But with Kira and Nic I would guess that if that was part of their power, they would have shown that by now.
[ Especially given the stress they had been under. If they could have shifted to better fit in among humans for their survival, they would have. It's what Raven had done most of her life before Erik had met her. ]
I think it's something else. Something defensive, possibly, but I'm not entirely certain. They haven't spoken to me about it yet.
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[Can't forget those.]
Maybe once they've seen us using our powers some more they'll be willing to share. Either by showing us or telling us. Assuming they know. If it is a sort of armor, it might give me some peace of mind if they decide they want to experience the rest of the world.
[She makes a face, mostly with the intent to get a laugh out Erik after such an emotional afternoon.]
... eventually. They're still too young.
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You're feeling protective of them, that's good. They haven't experienced that nearly enough.
[ And Erik was just as protective of them. There's a comfortable silence for a moment before he switches topics. ]
I am scheduled to meet with one of my contacts in London next week, about a potential new arrival. I have some doubts however, about the mutant in question. Would you join me?
[ It's a big ask, and she's free to pass on it. But he valued her insight. He wanted this place to be a sanctuary for all mutants, but he wasn't blindly allowing access to just anyone. There were people here that were vulnerable, and he had to take everyone's safety into consideration. ]
It's less a concern over their power, but more so their motivations. Some might show interest in Genosha out of a desire to take control over it and the people here. I won't allow that.
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And so when he asks for her to come along on a trip, she visibly perks up with interest. If he's going, and there's any reason for doubt, she wants to be there. Not that he can't handle himself, but.
For her own peace of mind and the ever-present feeling that this will all come crumbling down, she nods.]
The two of us could figure someone out pretty quickly, I'd imagine.
[Him through talk and her through other means, though she doubts prying into someone's head would leave a very good impression. But if it's needed, it's needed.]
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