Mutant mini ficlets

[selenak]

As promised, two drabbles very short ficlets for my two beta volunteers, artraxastra and penknife.

artaxastra wanted Mystique, which intimidated me, as she is the undisputed Queen of Raven tales. Still, as Londo would say, I gave my word.*g*



Proteus

Mystique has lost count of the shapes she has worn a long time ago. It is easier to remember which ones she has never assumed, nor will ever assume. Her father's. Her mother's. There are not many others.

"How do you know which one is your true body?" Pyro asked her, more out of boredom and the vague notion of stirring up trouble. She gives him a level look, yellow eyes sharp as ever. "I'm serious", he says, becoming so as he speaks. "If you can assume any shape, then perhaps this one was simply your first. You could have panicked as a kid and become this, right?"

"No," she says firmly, and he wanders off to bother Magneto. But the notion stays with her. She might have dreamed up her body, or created it in a childish nightmare. There is no way to be sure.

It pleases her that she does not know.

***

penknife wanted more 1602. So, more Elizabethan mutants (and Elizabethan spies). Nicholas Fury and Carlos Javier, en route to America.



Exiles

Sir Nicholas Fury had never been a cheerful man, but now his mind feels as scarred and bleeding as his skin. Javier, still trying to weave the tapestry of his life a new now that Jean Grey was gone, found it was easier to focus on someone else's wounds.

"Tell me, Carlos," Fury said, kneeling down to sit beside him on the ship's planks, "are there times when you miss Spain?"

What he really wanted to know is how he should live without England. Men like Fury were not born to carry the burden of divided loyalties. But it happened, and nothing Javier could say would change this. So he nodded.

"Yes," he said. "It harbours death for me and those I care about, but the language is still the language of my dreams, and no English ale, drunk in freedom, has ever tasted as well as the wine made of grapes which ripened in the Castilian sun."

"That is what I suspected," Fury commented darkly.

"I take it with me, the Spain of my mind," Javier continued. "Sometimes I see it reflected in the eyes of my changing ones. Of course, I had to start looking."

Fury shook his head, but there was a glint in his one eye, and for a moment, his mind pulled itself together like a tattered cloak that allowed the first stitch to mend it.

Comments

[mylexie.livejournal.com]

It pleases her that she does not know.

Interesting. It would make most people mightily uncomfortable - it gives the idea of not knowing who you are. How much is your identity linked to your physical form.. hm. I need to think about this some more.

Great story.

Thanks, and...

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Given how often Mystique transforms, I concluded her sense of identity cannot bound to a physical form as much as somebody elses, and that she would be pleased by being her own creation.

Re: Thanks, and...

[mylexie.livejournal.com]

Yup. It would be interesting to hear a discussion between her and someone like Logan. (hint?)

Re: Thanks, and...

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Don't tempt me. Tempt kakodaimon instead.*g*

Re: Thanks, and...

[mylexie.livejournal.com]

oh. Okay. I don't know kakodaimon, maybe you should try?

[penknife.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you; this is lovely. Your Carlos Javier is a sweetheart, really.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you like it. And really, reading so many good stories of yours featuring Charles Xavier made finding his Elizabethan counterpart easy!

[artaxastra.livejournal.com]

Oh that's wonderful! Thank you!

Exactly. The shapes she won't wear.

And Pyro, stirring up trouble. Which he does, out of boredom, like Sirius.

And you've hit what I think is one of the psychological essentials of Raven -- that physical mutability means that your identity is completely independent of your physical body. Fascinating.

And I like the 1602 one as well -- Charles is a dear, in any century!

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Am I ever relieved my interpretation meets with your approval. Phew. Because you really are the Queen.

Also, thank you!

[artaxastra.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Seriously, that means a great deal from you, because I have tremendous respect for your writing and your opinion of good writing.

And I love writing Raven.

[illmantrim.livejournal.com]

very cool stories!

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Glad you like!

[kakodaimon.livejournal.com]

Can't believe this. I think I became X-Men literate (well. kinda) just in time.

Another thing I can't believe is that I completely bypassed Mystique in all the comics I've read, as well as the movies. What was I thinking? That was an awesome tale, and between this and all the various things I've been reading at artaxastra's and penknife's journals, I'm going to have to take another look at her.

Thank you, and...

[selenak.livejournal.com]

I was somewhat intrigued by Mystique after X1, due to her comment to Senator Kelly, and found Andraste's great story Guessing Games. Otherwise, though, regrettably there seemed to be only Slavegirl!Mystique fanfic around, until X2, and the splendidness of the above named two writers erupted on my viewscreen.

[andraste]

I have little to say that hasn't been said by others, but your portrait of Mystique is fascinating, and I love the 1602 ficlet. Your Carlos is indeed adorable, and I'm glad to see someone tackle Elizabethan!Fury. He's a more interesting character to me than his MU counterpart.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

I was ever so intrigued by Elizabethan!Fury and have been wishing someone would write him for so long that I just had to do it myself.*g*

Mind you, my benevolent feelings for Sir Nicholas did make me enjoy the fact his "normal" counterpart turned up in Astonishing X-Men...

[andraste]

I was ever so intrigued by Elizabethan!Fury and have been wishing someone would write him for so long that I just had to do it myself.*g*

He was indeed an interesting fellow.

Hmmmm. Makes you wonder what would happen if that portal transported Captain America and Elizabethan!Fury to, say, the Alias universe. Not that I would be trying to feed people who actually watch the show plot bunnies ...

Mind you, my benevolent feelings for Sir Nicholas did make me enjoy the fact his "normal" counterpart turned up in Astonishing X-Men...

Yes, and he was a lot of fun there, as well. A good illustration of the sometimes prickly relationship the X-Men have with government agencies.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Hmmmm. Makes you wonder what would happen if that portal transported Captain America and Elizabethan!Fury to, say, the Alias universe. Not that I would be trying to feed people who actually watch the show plot bunnies ...

Firstly, help! Because given that there is some fantasy going on in the Alias universe, that might actually work. Secondly, I still couldn't write it, because I haven't gotten the rest (two thirds) of the third season yet from my source, plus the only idea of Captain America I have is from 1602, and we'd need him to balance all the ruthless pragmatists around, especially with Elizabethan!Fury joining the club.

Say, do you happen to know whether Marvel did anything with Elizabethan!Fury once Neil finished the tale?

[andraste]

Firstly, help! Because given that there is some fantasy going on in the Alias universe, that might actually work.

I thought it might *g*.

Secondly, I still couldn't write it, because I haven't gotten the rest (two thirds) of the third season yet from my source, plus the only idea of Captain America I have is from 1602, and we'd need him to balance all the ruthless pragmatists around, especially with Elizabethan!Fury joining the club.

Indeed. I can't help with the details of Captain America, but he's such an archetype that in some ways you don't need to know all the character background to write him on some level. My perception of him from reading various crossover comics and the like is that he's written as a symbol more often than he's written as a person, even in canon.

Not that I'm trying to encourage you. But it could always wait until you've seen the rest of Alias ...

Say, do you happen to know whether Marvel did anything with Elizabethan!Fury once Neil finished the tale?

They haven't done anything as yet, to the best of my knowledge, and I'm sure I'd have heard about it on the grapevine if they did.

[c-elisa.livejournal.com]

I think I'll save the 1602 ficlet for when I've finished the series, but I love the Mystique story. It seems quite plausible that her blue form could have been something she invented -- a sort of patronus she assumed on the spur of the moment to frighten an attacker, maybe, and now lives as. It's a slightly disturbing idea -- and very characteristic of her not to think so.

Only quibble: I think John would use the more informal "take on," "maybe," and "just" rather than assume, perhaps, and simply.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Also thanks for the linguistic correction - these are the kind of mistake one makes when one is not a native speaker, and if nobody points that out, one never learns.

And yes, do tell me what you think of the 1602 one once you've finished the show. I wrote two others set in that universe before as well!