MCA #1, Thursday Morning
The first thing Jean-Paul had done when he got home was gather everything he didn't remember owning. Then he'd taken it all outside and burned it. Then he'd taken a very long shower and gone for a very long flight.
Then he'd called his sister to tell her he'd actually been Queen Veranke for the last little bit.
After Jeanne-Marie stopped freaking out--one of the biggest problems the returnees had faced after their reality's invasion, he remembered, was their friends and relatives' guilt over not somehow knowing--she filled him in on what he'd missed. He felt tired, listening to her talk. Usually their mercurial tempers meant neither of them saw the next big schism in their relationship coming, it just happened in an instant, but he could not deal with her guilt right now, could not reassure her, and it was going to mess them up again.
"//There are support groups,//" she offered hesitantly. "//In New York, mostly, but I think there is one in Washington. You could--//"
"Non."
"Non?"
"//When have I ever been the type to go to a support group?//" he asked her, and she gave a short, strained laugh. "//Besides. I am not staying here.//" This place would never be clean for him again.
"//Are you coming to join the X-Men?//" Jeanne-Marie asked, sounding hopeful. "//I think you would like San Francisco.//" She hesitated then said in an embarrassed way, "//I did not mean that like it sounded.//"
He laughed. He had to. "//I do not know, yet. I think I will go back to Montreal, first. I need to feel home under my feet.//" And to give her time to get over invasion-survivor's guilt, and him time to get over being upset about it. "//Then, perhaps, I will come to San Francisco.//" He knew he would like it for exactly the reason Jeanne-Marie was probably still blushing over.
Then he started packing.
((Open if anyone wants to check up on JP and/or say goodbye.))
Then he'd called his sister to tell her he'd actually been Queen Veranke for the last little bit.
After Jeanne-Marie stopped freaking out--one of the biggest problems the returnees had faced after their reality's invasion, he remembered, was their friends and relatives' guilt over not somehow knowing--she filled him in on what he'd missed. He felt tired, listening to her talk. Usually their mercurial tempers meant neither of them saw the next big schism in their relationship coming, it just happened in an instant, but he could not deal with her guilt right now, could not reassure her, and it was going to mess them up again.
"//There are support groups,//" she offered hesitantly. "//In New York, mostly, but I think there is one in Washington. You could--//"
"Non."
"Non?"
"//When have I ever been the type to go to a support group?//" he asked her, and she gave a short, strained laugh. "//Besides. I am not staying here.//" This place would never be clean for him again.
"//Are you coming to join the X-Men?//" Jeanne-Marie asked, sounding hopeful. "//I think you would like San Francisco.//" She hesitated then said in an embarrassed way, "//I did not mean that like it sounded.//"
He laughed. He had to. "//I do not know, yet. I think I will go back to Montreal, first. I need to feel home under my feet.//" And to give her time to get over invasion-survivor's guilt, and him time to get over being upset about it. "//Then, perhaps, I will come to San Francisco.//" He knew he would like it for exactly the reason Jeanne-Marie was probably still blushing over.
Then he started packing.
((Open if anyone wants to check up on JP and/or say goodbye.))