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Jean-Paul and Lydia, backdated to October 17
Jean-Paul and Lydia complain about their respective drama with people who hate them because they're beautiful. And/or willful. It's all the same, really.
Lydia closed the door behind Jean-Paul and then leaned back on it. "What's been going on? If you clench your jaw any tighter this week you're going to shatter your back teeth, sweetness."
"Simon's father is auditioning for the role of evil overlord, but the law frowns on me killing him." Jean-Paul flopped onto Lydia's pristine coverlet. "He sent me a letter offering to pay me off in the wake of my 'current financial difficulties', if I'd publicly break up with Simon."
"What the actual fuck?" Lydia stared for a moment. "Okay, I have seen some shitty parenting in my time, but that is like an eleven on a one-to-ten scale. What'd Simon say?"
Jean-Paul folded his arms under his head. "He's been quiet about it. He's Simon. But he's upset. Worried about River more than anything. He's..." His hands closed into shaking, white-knuckled fists. "He doesn't deserve this."
"Hardly anyone could." Of course, Lydia wasn't saying no one could, because that'd be a lie, but hardly anyone, yes. That was... Extreme. She sat down beside Jean-Paul's stretched out form and leaned back into him like a giant boyfriend pillow. "But especially not Simon. Normally I wouldn't trust anyone who seemed that well-intentioned, but your boy is the real deal."
Which is what made it so heart-wrenching, really. Lydia's heart was more easily wrenched than she let on, but Jean-Paul was one of the few who was allowed to know that.
"It doesn't help that this is happening to him because he stood by me. I mean..." He rolled over to see Lydia better, leaving her head resting on his flank. "In a way, I'm glad that his dad is revealing his true colors. But not at Simon's expense. And especially not when he has so much else going on."
She re-settled again to get more comfortable. Jean-Paul did make excellent furniture. "God knows. School, work, River." She sighed. "Is there anything you can do--apart from just being there? Anything I can help with?"
"I wrote him back telling him to fuck off or I'm letting the whole world know what a shit he is. I mean, damn...how out of touch do you have to be to worry about your image, then apparently do no research into the people you're trying to control. Has this jackass seen my interviews?"
"No shit." Lydia snorted. "There has got to be some kind of law about being that kind of manipulative asshole. Is it even legal to offer to pay someone for that kind of thing?
"How could someone so stupid and misguided have created Simon and River?" Then again, she sometimes wondered that about her own parents. Though, to be fair, they had been... surprisingly excellent about the mutant thing. So far.
"God, I don't even know. And he hasn't said anything remotely threatening. He didn't say 'break up with my son or else'. All carrot, no stick. He's just guilty of being an ass so far as I can tell."
"Well, smart enough to manage that, I guess." Lydia sighed. "But then, even Lil Crawley is smart enough for that."
Jean-Paul snorted. "Is she playing dog in the manger now?"
"Mmm, exactly. She won't succeed in ruining anything, but she did succeed briefly in meddling. She eavesdropped on a conversation between me and Damon and insisted I tell Scott about some upcoming plans immediately." Lydia rolled her eyes. Jean-Paul knew well enough to realize she would of course have told Scott about any plans, but she'd prefer to do it when she wanted, not when someone else wanted. "Considering his massive hate boner for Damon I didn't expect it to go well anyhow, so having Lil stick her stalkery nose in was just an added inconvenience."
"I think she's going to find herself rapidly outclassed in the 'devious plots' department if that's how she's trying to stir up shit," Jean-Paul observed, toying idly with a lock of Lydia's hair. In truth, he found long hair attractive. It was just too bad the sorts who usually had it were either the wrong sex or the wrong type.
Her eyes fluttered closed. Who didn't love having their hair played with? "I wish I could teach her the error of her ways, but I suppose being a sort-of-teacher means I should control myself. It'll bite her in the ass someday. And at least Scott now has the full description of just how bat shit she is."
Jean-Paul laughed despite himself. "I suppose offering an olive branch is out of the question? Being the adult in the situation and all of that bullshit?"
"Even if I wanted to--which I do not" --Lydia scrunched up her nose there-- "she'd never accept it. This all began because I was literally trying to feel her out on some of my mutant PR issues and she started threatening me out of the blue. She decided to hate me the moment she met me. I'm surprised she didn't try to deck me at your party; that was the first time I spoke two words together to her."
And yes, Lydia had been feeling her out, trying to figure out what the hell Scott saw in her. But that was no different than how she treated, well. Everyone. And it was certainly no barrier to a working relationship. Some people just had no sense at all.
"She was in front of witnesses. It changes behavior." Jean-Paul idly braided the thin lock in his hand. "But there's only so much she can do, and if she harps on it too much, she can only make herself look obsessed."
"Mmm, I was thinking something along those lines." She already did look obsessed, to Lydia, but it wouldn't take much more before everyone else saw it. Not as if Lydia was quiet about what had gone on so far--apart from her own fear reaction in the beginning, months ago, of course. "They hate us because we're beautiful, don't they?"
"They hate us because we tend not to give a fuck what most people think, and we can usually get away with it," Jean-Paul tossed back. "It is not the most endearing trait."
She went back to his earlier comment about the interviews, in her mind. "Either they don't realize that comes with stubbornness and an unbeatable competitive spirit, or it just pisses them off too much to think logically. Some people just don't know a losing fight when they see it."
"I have a hard time taking that as a complete negative around here," Jean-Paul confessed.
"True enough." Lydia sighed. "If she doesn't keep away I'll say something to Xavier. Unfortunately, there's no equally simple fix, for your problem."
"Most of mine are simple, but none of them are legal. Pity." Jean-Paul sulked back down onto the bed. "We'll probably be getting snow soon."
"Bittersweet?" she asked.
Jean-Paul sighed. "Yes. But...maybe liberating too?"
"No more worrying about hiding it?"
Jean-Paul nodded. "I haven't been able to really relax on the slopes since my powers manifested. But now that I don't have anything to lose..."
"Mmm, cannot wait to see that. That'll be a show worthy of some serious ticket sales." And no doubt others would think so, too.
Once upon a time, Lydia had offered help; after all, she knew him in the first place through her mother's firm and their sponsorship of various extreme athletic events. It couldn't happen now, but maybe in the near-ish future... "You know, my parents are being surprisingly excellent about the whole mutant thing. Especially Mom."
She had no doubt he could follow that train of thought.
"I didn't think your mother's interest extended to offering start-ups to freak shows." More than a little bitter. "I'm not rejecting the idea, but there's still some bone grating on bone there."
Lydia smiled and reached up to pat Jean-Paul's leg. "Nothing that extreme, no; but it's something to think about as a connection. Eventually."
Her pillow let out a grumbling sigh, but quieted under the petting. "I just get so pissed off about everything lately that I can't think."
"I know. And it's not the kind of thing anyone wants to show, so you have to expend more energy than usual to keep it toned down--at least in class." She patted him again. "But that's why you have me. Come here. Be cranky. I'll appreciate it."
"Because if you get me in the right mood, I'll promise to eat your enemies whole?"
"Exactly."
Jean-Paul chuckled and let his head drop onto the covers again. "Evil bitch. Have I mentioned that I love having you around?"
"Not often enough." She smiled and it was absolutely genuine--no smirk evident, for once. "Have I mentioned I love being an evil bitch?"
Lydia closed the door behind Jean-Paul and then leaned back on it. "What's been going on? If you clench your jaw any tighter this week you're going to shatter your back teeth, sweetness."
"Simon's father is auditioning for the role of evil overlord, but the law frowns on me killing him." Jean-Paul flopped onto Lydia's pristine coverlet. "He sent me a letter offering to pay me off in the wake of my 'current financial difficulties', if I'd publicly break up with Simon."
"What the actual fuck?" Lydia stared for a moment. "Okay, I have seen some shitty parenting in my time, but that is like an eleven on a one-to-ten scale. What'd Simon say?"
Jean-Paul folded his arms under his head. "He's been quiet about it. He's Simon. But he's upset. Worried about River more than anything. He's..." His hands closed into shaking, white-knuckled fists. "He doesn't deserve this."
"Hardly anyone could." Of course, Lydia wasn't saying no one could, because that'd be a lie, but hardly anyone, yes. That was... Extreme. She sat down beside Jean-Paul's stretched out form and leaned back into him like a giant boyfriend pillow. "But especially not Simon. Normally I wouldn't trust anyone who seemed that well-intentioned, but your boy is the real deal."
Which is what made it so heart-wrenching, really. Lydia's heart was more easily wrenched than she let on, but Jean-Paul was one of the few who was allowed to know that.
"It doesn't help that this is happening to him because he stood by me. I mean..." He rolled over to see Lydia better, leaving her head resting on his flank. "In a way, I'm glad that his dad is revealing his true colors. But not at Simon's expense. And especially not when he has so much else going on."
She re-settled again to get more comfortable. Jean-Paul did make excellent furniture. "God knows. School, work, River." She sighed. "Is there anything you can do--apart from just being there? Anything I can help with?"
"I wrote him back telling him to fuck off or I'm letting the whole world know what a shit he is. I mean, damn...how out of touch do you have to be to worry about your image, then apparently do no research into the people you're trying to control. Has this jackass seen my interviews?"
"No shit." Lydia snorted. "There has got to be some kind of law about being that kind of manipulative asshole. Is it even legal to offer to pay someone for that kind of thing?
"How could someone so stupid and misguided have created Simon and River?" Then again, she sometimes wondered that about her own parents. Though, to be fair, they had been... surprisingly excellent about the mutant thing. So far.
"God, I don't even know. And he hasn't said anything remotely threatening. He didn't say 'break up with my son or else'. All carrot, no stick. He's just guilty of being an ass so far as I can tell."
"Well, smart enough to manage that, I guess." Lydia sighed. "But then, even Lil Crawley is smart enough for that."
Jean-Paul snorted. "Is she playing dog in the manger now?"
"Mmm, exactly. She won't succeed in ruining anything, but she did succeed briefly in meddling. She eavesdropped on a conversation between me and Damon and insisted I tell Scott about some upcoming plans immediately." Lydia rolled her eyes. Jean-Paul knew well enough to realize she would of course have told Scott about any plans, but she'd prefer to do it when she wanted, not when someone else wanted. "Considering his massive hate boner for Damon I didn't expect it to go well anyhow, so having Lil stick her stalkery nose in was just an added inconvenience."
"I think she's going to find herself rapidly outclassed in the 'devious plots' department if that's how she's trying to stir up shit," Jean-Paul observed, toying idly with a lock of Lydia's hair. In truth, he found long hair attractive. It was just too bad the sorts who usually had it were either the wrong sex or the wrong type.
Her eyes fluttered closed. Who didn't love having their hair played with? "I wish I could teach her the error of her ways, but I suppose being a sort-of-teacher means I should control myself. It'll bite her in the ass someday. And at least Scott now has the full description of just how bat shit she is."
Jean-Paul laughed despite himself. "I suppose offering an olive branch is out of the question? Being the adult in the situation and all of that bullshit?"
"Even if I wanted to--which I do not" --Lydia scrunched up her nose there-- "she'd never accept it. This all began because I was literally trying to feel her out on some of my mutant PR issues and she started threatening me out of the blue. She decided to hate me the moment she met me. I'm surprised she didn't try to deck me at your party; that was the first time I spoke two words together to her."
And yes, Lydia had been feeling her out, trying to figure out what the hell Scott saw in her. But that was no different than how she treated, well. Everyone. And it was certainly no barrier to a working relationship. Some people just had no sense at all.
"She was in front of witnesses. It changes behavior." Jean-Paul idly braided the thin lock in his hand. "But there's only so much she can do, and if she harps on it too much, she can only make herself look obsessed."
"Mmm, I was thinking something along those lines." She already did look obsessed, to Lydia, but it wouldn't take much more before everyone else saw it. Not as if Lydia was quiet about what had gone on so far--apart from her own fear reaction in the beginning, months ago, of course. "They hate us because we're beautiful, don't they?"
"They hate us because we tend not to give a fuck what most people think, and we can usually get away with it," Jean-Paul tossed back. "It is not the most endearing trait."
She went back to his earlier comment about the interviews, in her mind. "Either they don't realize that comes with stubbornness and an unbeatable competitive spirit, or it just pisses them off too much to think logically. Some people just don't know a losing fight when they see it."
"I have a hard time taking that as a complete negative around here," Jean-Paul confessed.
"True enough." Lydia sighed. "If she doesn't keep away I'll say something to Xavier. Unfortunately, there's no equally simple fix, for your problem."
"Most of mine are simple, but none of them are legal. Pity." Jean-Paul sulked back down onto the bed. "We'll probably be getting snow soon."
"Bittersweet?" she asked.
Jean-Paul sighed. "Yes. But...maybe liberating too?"
"No more worrying about hiding it?"
Jean-Paul nodded. "I haven't been able to really relax on the slopes since my powers manifested. But now that I don't have anything to lose..."
"Mmm, cannot wait to see that. That'll be a show worthy of some serious ticket sales." And no doubt others would think so, too.
Once upon a time, Lydia had offered help; after all, she knew him in the first place through her mother's firm and their sponsorship of various extreme athletic events. It couldn't happen now, but maybe in the near-ish future... "You know, my parents are being surprisingly excellent about the whole mutant thing. Especially Mom."
She had no doubt he could follow that train of thought.
"I didn't think your mother's interest extended to offering start-ups to freak shows." More than a little bitter. "I'm not rejecting the idea, but there's still some bone grating on bone there."
Lydia smiled and reached up to pat Jean-Paul's leg. "Nothing that extreme, no; but it's something to think about as a connection. Eventually."
Her pillow let out a grumbling sigh, but quieted under the petting. "I just get so pissed off about everything lately that I can't think."
"I know. And it's not the kind of thing anyone wants to show, so you have to expend more energy than usual to keep it toned down--at least in class." She patted him again. "But that's why you have me. Come here. Be cranky. I'll appreciate it."
"Because if you get me in the right mood, I'll promise to eat your enemies whole?"
"Exactly."
Jean-Paul chuckled and let his head drop onto the covers again. "Evil bitch. Have I mentioned that I love having you around?"
"Not often enough." She smiled and it was absolutely genuine--no smirk evident, for once. "Have I mentioned I love being an evil bitch?"