A Quiet Place To Take Root

Posted on Fri Apr 25th, 2025 @ 3:10am by Maeve MacKenna & Desmond Greene

2,640 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Episode 0: X Lang Syne
Location: Woodlands within school grounds
Timeline: December 18th, 1990, 0920

The estate on which the Xavier Institute was built was large. It spanned many an acre, which various kinds of sites of natural beauty. Desmond had heard some of the residents talk about summer times at the lake. He remembered taking his sisters swimming at the local pool, even when Alicia had turned 12, she still wasn't embarrassed to be seen with her older brother and younger sisters.

Desmond had found a nice little patch of woodlands today. It looked like someone had taken care of it. The plants looked loved. The plants were set in nice little planter-like patches. Natural rocks lined them. Desmond had found a little path leading towards this patch.

It was cold this morning, he felt it in his canopy. But he didn't really feel it on his skin. He didn't feel all that much through his bark-like skin. Only when he paid attention or saw the touch could he really sense it. With closed eyes, Desmond just let the wind blow over him. His leave-like hair whistled in the wind. His senses rejoiced in the cool, clean winter air.

Even though the events of Genosha were over there was still a larger part, or most to be fair, of what had happened that shook Maeve back to feeling like a scared 14 year old who ran away from home when she got her powers. In what could be said to be her 'primal' form her connection to the earth and her ancestors seemed to be deeper, almost unbreakable.

The weeks that had passed had not dulled Maeve's embarrassment, her fear of it happening again and the not knowing what she was capable of.

She found the woodlands a sanctuary of sorts. She wasn't much of a green thumb but the very thing plants, trees and whatnot grew in. When she was sitting on her large rock in the middle of an open area of the woods she would meditate, calm her mind. Whilst she did this stones and rocks would rise around her and orbits her like a tiny mutant planet.

Desmond's attention was drawn away from the cold vista. When he turned around to see what made the noise, he noticed the petite girl that seemed to have joined him. She looked familiar, like one of the kids that helped him escape Genosha. The way she sat made him conscious of the silence around them all over again.

With an attempt at quiet steps, Desmond tried to give the girl her space. Three quiet steps created some distance, and then he kicked a small rock against another rock. The snap of stone bouncing off stone was sharp in the quiet, crisp morning air.

Maeve had felt his steps on the ground, she could always feel someone coming. In fact it was very hard to slip by her unnoticed. However, she had tried to keep her focus with slow breathing, and quietening her mind. That quiet taken from her as the snap of a rock on rock filled the woods with somewhat of an echo.

As the rock began to fall back to the ground it stopped in mid-air and hovered there. Maeve slowly opened her eyes and turned to see a mountain of a person standing a small distance away. It was Desmond, one of the schools newest residents. He was an interesting person to look at, she hadn't really spoken to him yet. She'd actually been quite quiet since their return from the island. Uncrossing her legs, letting them hang looser over the edge of the stone she sat on, she began to float the rock towards her and watched as Desmond followed it until their eyes met.

"Man, telekinesis is so cool." Desmond's words was half-hidden in the deep rumble of his voice. His eyes met the petite young lady in front of him. "Uh, hi." Desmond said. He had cracked a smile, the wood-like materials flowing as the soft skin of any other person. "I'm Desmond, nice to meet you."

Maeve sped the rock up so it met with her palm with a satisfying slap. "I'm Maeve." she said as she scooted herself off the larger rock and moved up to Desmond to get a closer look at him. "You're very tall, you know that?" she asked rhetorically but also playfully as her Irish brogue tended to make things sound.

"Yeah... It's been the second thing people usually notice about me." Desmond replied. He stood at 6'7", which made him feel like he was towering over most people, Maeve in particular. "I'm not entirely sure why people felt the need to remind me of it. I've hit my head on plenty doorposts to never forget." In confirmation of the supposed injury, Desmond rubbed his forehead.

"People are weird." Was Maeve's only response as she shrugged her shoulders. "Welcome to the woods." She smiled at him weakly. She didn't quite feel herself, or back to her old self yet.

"Thanks, I really feel like I fit right in." Desmond quipped. For the last several days Desmond had been forced to meet a lot of new people, something he had been avoiding during the previous year. His approach had been to try and be funny and self-deprecating.

A silence started to form between Desmond and Maeve. Desmond wasn't really used to the awkward silences. He'd much prefer breaking them. "Are you okay? You seem a bit tired..."

"Genosha took a lot out of me." Maeve replied as she subconsciously rubbed the burn scars the ran up her arms (also has some faint marks on her neck. Those are the only parts visible at the moment). She'd been putting some stuff Hank had given her on them but they would never truly go away. A stark reminder on her body that there are those in the world that treat mutants like experiments and try and force people to see things their way through physical harm. "Thank you for helping to rescue me though." she smiled sheepishly.

The sound of wood creaking came from Desmond's knees as he sat himself down on the ground cross-legged. "You're welcome. You guys saved me first." A light shone through the branches, flashing off of Desmond's amber eyes. It accentuated Desmond's smile. "Only seemed fair, you know?"

In an effort to avoid an awkward silence, Desmond spoke up again. It was a question he had wanted to ask just about anyone he had met in the mansion. "So... it's pretty clear what my mutation did. What did you get out of this genetic lottery?"

Maeve chuckled softly. "Well, we like to do our fair share around here so I think you'll fit in just fine." she said admiring his eyes.

"My gifts are a bit on the fritz just now. I'm slowly getting them back but I can control earth. Most things in the ground kind of earth, not the planet... although maybe one day." Maeve mused. She lifted her hand and a mound of earth floated in a ball above the palm of her hand. For a moment she concentrated hard on it and it began to spin slowly and shed some its mass. A figure began to appear, that of a doe. As the finals particles dropped she judged it as it floated there. It wasn't as refined as some of her earlier attempts before Genosha. Still, she looked at Desmond and floated the doe over to him for him to take. "Not my best work..." she rubbed the back of her neck, an anxious habit. "My abilities are cooler than that, I swear."

"Dude..." Desmond said as he leaned forward to admire the work before taking it very gently. He had lost a lot of his sense of touch in the mutation, so he had to take extra care. His amber eyes seemed to sparkle in admiration. "This is so cool!" He turned the little doe this way and that. "You shouldn't talk down about what you can do! My little sister Michaela always talked down about her drawing skills, but she did the coolest portrait of me last year. I wish I was this creative, ya know?" Desmond's smile was wide and open, inviting Maeve to join him in it.

Maeve's cheeks flushed a light shade of pink at the compliment and joined Desmond in his smile, it was quite infectious. "Thank you." she said shyly and looking him over. His skin looked smooth and like the bark of a tree. Maeve could see the grooves, the lines on his skin, the odd knot here and there, and admired the beauty of nature that was displayed. She wanted to reach out and touch it, see if it was as smooth as it looked but she'd only just met this guy and frankly were barely beyond the hello stage. "I've got lots of little carvings in my room and I made that one before Genosha." she gestured to the middle of an opening. A large stag made out of a boulder sat in the middle, a focal point and a proud looking one. "I started to make a little place of my own out here. Somewhere I felt more at home. I don't know if that makes sense..." she mumbled.

Desmond stared at the big stag, "Man, I wondered how that got there!" With groans of wood, Desmond got back on his feet. He slid the little doe figurine in his pocket as he stepped over. His fingers slid over the smooth stone of the stag's back. "This is out of this world..." He whispered. He bent down to study it from different angles too. "This is, like, a real mood-setter, you know? Makes this spot really cool. Makes me think how this would be in summer." Desmond turned back to Maeve, grinning. "How big of a rock can you lift, if you can make this?" And he gestured to the stag with emphasis.

Maeve almost couldn't handle all the compliments but she persevered. The stag was the best thing she'd ever made by far and no-one had really seen it unless they came out this far into the woodland of Professor Xavier's estate. In a way she liked that, then no-one could criticise it or comment on it at all. However, this was nice. Someone liked it.

"It took me a long time to make. Biggest statue, or figurine, I've ever made. I used to come out here whenever I had free time, or when I was feeling a bit down and this would help me focus." Maeve answered. "I don't think he's perfect, his antlers are a little crooked, and I was trying to do it from memory of back home and the book I'd taken out of the library. I'm glad you like it." Maeve moved closed to the statue as well.

"I'm not sure how what's the biggest thing I can lift, not now anyway. I feel stronger after being in that machine on Genosha, I feel different, and I think I'm scared to find out how much..." she sighed heavily.

Desmond's excitement faded as he was reminded of the island. He knew Maeve had not faired well there. Nobody had really told him the details, and he wasn't there to witness them himself. But the Flesh Factory had held its own horrors for Desmond too. In an effort to show some compassion and sympathy Desmond nodded. "You know, I don't really know how strong I am either. I don't feel things that well in my fingers, so I'm always scared I'll break something fragile whenever I hold it." Desmond looked at his own hands. "I'm not allowed to hold any drink glasses at home anymore. Mom said I shattered a dozen in a week. Said I'd cost them too much in glassware. She said it with a chuckle though."

Maeve smiled gently and placed a hand on his arm. "You held that small figure and didn't break it. You're more of a gentle giant than you think." Maeve said softly and sincerely. He did look big and strong but it was often those that were like that who tended to have the softest touch. Although that was through necessity most of the time rather than want. "Do you want to help me make a new statue for the garden?" She asked taking his interest in artistry as a sign they were more kindred spirits than she originally thought.

A smile creased Desmond's face at her kind words. "Took me a lot of practice, and I still crushed my Walkman a few weeks ago. And I'd love to help." Desmond said, his smile turning into a more excited grin. "What can I do? It's not like you need me to move a big rock for you. Do you need me to do something like landscaping? I can't really talk to trees and plants."

"Well, we'll need to get you a new Walkman then." Maeve almost told Desmond like it was something that just had to happen. "No, I don't need you too but it would be nice if you did. Not everything needs to be done with powers." she gestured to a medium sized rock nearby. "We can make a baby deer together, unless you want to make something else? I bet you can be pretty creative with my wee guiding hand."

"I'm happy to take direction." Desmond said with excitement. Two quick strides lead him to the appointed rock. It looked maybe two feet long, half that wide and sort of oblong. Desmond bent at the knees, grabbed it with both hands and heaved. It turned out the rock was buried at least a foot in the ground, making it more like a two foot diameter sphere. Desmond pulled it out fairy easily. "Any place you want this?"

The rock that Desmond pulled out of the ground made Maeve smile. She had felt its shape and liked the little surprise it gave Desmond as it fully appeared. "Just over here please." she gestured to a patch of grass that looked worn and slightly yellowish. "This is a good spot. I worked on the stag here and it gives us both enough space to move around the rock. Thinking for a moment as she looked at it, biting her bottom lip and frowning lightly, "What would you like to see here? I want this to be a good spot for you too." she asked thinking maybe the rock would make a better animal or shape.

Desmond looked at the rock. He walked around it. He squatted next to it. He squinted at it. "So... to me it looks like a rock. But do you think we could make a doe out of it? Something we can settle near the stag like its his baby?"

Maeve giggled. "It is a rock ya eejit." she said playfully as she watched him survey the rock. He was graceful in how he moved, in her mind anyway. "I guess we can make a little Bambi out of that." she brought up a rock in front of her and as it spun it began to crumble until a chisel like tool was left. It was catered to how she thought Desmond would be able to hold one, and something able to withstand his strength. "Here." she offered him the chisel. "If we outline the shape we want it to be first then we can chisel away what we don't need. You do one side, I'll do the other. If we have different... proportions... I can fix it." she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear as it seemed to have fallen as she spoke to him.

Desmond accepted the chisel and they began to create their joint masterpiece.

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