Post by Stepford Cuckoos on Feb 10, 2008 23:25:51 GMT -5
[[Takes place the weekend after Beginnings and Ends]]
Nightly, beside the green, green grass
Swing, swing, swing the spinning step
Melodic words drifted from the softly playing stereo as dim sunset light poured in from the open window. Despite the cold winter breeze that came drifting in, the room was alive with warmth and jubilation – enough to stave off any attempt from the New York winter to ruin the start to what would surely be a wonderful evening. Everything had been set in stone for weeks now: the perfect dinner prepared earlier that afternoon, the perfect dress to entice her lover during their sumptuous meal, the perfect moment in a young girl’s life coming true. A single heart beat excitedly as a young woman moved anxiously between closet and mirror and dresser. Her feet danced lightly in time with the rhythmic love song. The hem of a skirt swished playfully against porcelain knees as its wearer twirled across her room.
You wear those shoes and I will wear that dress
Mindee looked at herself in the mirror, scrutinizing herself with a Cuckoo’s eye for detail. A small ball of lint on the left strap: picked clean. A stray hair stubbornly sticking up: smoothed down. Teeth: bright and shiny. A smile washed over her milky white features, a true and radiant smile that Mindee hadn’t had in ages. Truthfully, it felt alien upon her lips. For as long as she could remember, the Stepford sisters had always been emotionally distant. It wasn’t that they disliked emotions, though that opinion changed once they accepted the tutelage of Emma Frost, but rather it had come naturally for the girls. Together they were untouchable, emotionally and figuratively. They were a cut above your average telepath and unattainable by any young man, but when their sisters Esme and Sophie had died, it was as if their diamond hard shell was scratched like cheap veneer. They were prone to bouts of anger or jealousy. Moments of clarity were replaced with moments of joy and contentment. They were becoming human. Like de-evolution, the girls were stumbling back down the ladder of superiority and slipping away from those lofty ideals Miss Frost represented; and Mindee couldn’t care less. Tonight she had a date with Carter.
Beneath the milky twilight
Lead me out on the moonlit floor
What had started out as a tumultuous relationship with a fellow telepath had eventually bloomed into a beautiful romance; albeit a secret one. Though Carter was a devilishly handsome telepath – one of the few that actually stuck around Xavier’s – Mindee had a sinking suspicion that her sisters would not readily approve of their relationship. For one, Carter was much older than Mindee; seven years to be older to be exact. Secondly, the Cuckoos had cultivated an over protective nature since the unfortunate death of Sophie. There was too much history with boys that the girls could not just ignore, love or not. Yet all that aside, Minde had found herself defying the Cuckoos’ unspoken rule about dating and hiding her clandestine affair for the past six months. It had taken a lot to hide the secret trysts and midnight meetings from the ever present minds of her sisters and she was quite frankly getting tired of keeping the secret. She wanted the whole world to know that Mindee Stepford was dating Carter Ghazikhanian.
Lift your open hand
Strike up the band and make the fireflies dance
Silver moon's sparkling
“So kiss me…” she whispered as she placed two pink stud earrings into place. She admired the effect of their twinkle in the mirror, nodding approvingly at her appearance. The door knob rustled suddenly and Mindee’s heart skipped a beat as anticipation washed over her. She was ready. She had expected this, had planned out this entire moment. She would handle it with grace and composure and…
click The door opened and Mindee turned to face the mirror, reaching down into a white clutch bag for lipstick. She began applying some as her sisters walked into the room. Celeste walked calmly in the lead, her back ramrod straight and her chin held high. She was the least affected or at least that’s what she wanted her sisters to believe. In the confusion that came with the girls’ last meeting with their White Queen, Celeste clung to what she knew and held on with all her might. Their previous state had been a comfort and a safety to the girls in the wake of their sisters’ deaths and she couldn’t find a new way to live. Phoebe, on the other hand, didn’t so much walk in as she did saunter. Unlike Celeste, who still wore the color white everywhere she went, Phoebe wore a skimpy black number[/u] that was much too revealing. Where Celeste had retreated in the face of a new and uncertain future, Phoebe reveled in it. A jeering whistle of approval followed the rebellious youngest into the room, but was quickly shut out by the slamming of their door.
“You’re only encouraging them, Phoebe. Did you even look at what you were putting on this morning?”[/b]
“Did you?”[/b] Phoebe retorted. Her eyes landed on Mindee and a Cheshire smirk appeared on her identical face. “Did Mindee?[/b] The attention had been diverted sufficiently as Celeste’s eyebrows rose when she took in Mindee’s glam appearance.
“Et tu, Mindee?”[/b] was her older sister’s exasperated reply.
“Give it a rest, Celeste. No one thinks your Latin phrases are clever.”[/b] Mindee replied evenly as she applied a touch of eyeshadow. Her heart beat furiously, but her mind was closed and safe from prying family. She knew she had struck a nerve with Celeste, the telltale sign being a rosy blush that covered Celeste’s pretty, white cheeks.
“So what’s the occasion, Mind? Got a date?”[/b] Phoebe’s sadistic voice and comment were aimed mainly at Celeste, as she began to take out books and paper from her backpack. Silently, Celeste did the same.
“As a matter of fact, I do.”[/b] That put a stop to both girls. Celeste and Phoebe stared in disbelief, though a smile crept up onto Phoebe’s face.
“With whom?!?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but Carter.”[/b]
“Mindee, you can’t be serious. He’s -- You’ll –“ Too stunned to speak, Celeste continued to stare at her sister as Phoebe piped in.
“Don’t listen to Celeste. She’s just jealous cause no boy would ever date her.”[/b] Mindee heeded neither of her sisters as she spritzed a bit of scent on her neck and wrists. With a final look in the mirror she headed for the door.
“He’ll only break your heart in the end, Mindee!” For sixteen years Mindee had kept quiet, kept a lid on things. She’d played mediator for dozens of fights but tonight, she spoke for the first time.
“You know, considering what we’ve become, I hoped you’d have had something nicer to say to your sister, but whatever.” She slammed the door behind her, shaking the anger and frustration from her mind. She began to pull in happy feelings from the students around her. She let their carefree, adolescence wash over her and cleanse her of that negativity she’d gotten such a great dose of back in her room. Nothing should be allowed to spoil this night. Tonight of all nights was going to be special. And she knew it the moment she looked down the staircase and found Carter waiting for her.
Nightly, beside the green, green grass
Swing, swing, swing the spinning step
Melodic words drifted from the softly playing stereo as dim sunset light poured in from the open window. Despite the cold winter breeze that came drifting in, the room was alive with warmth and jubilation – enough to stave off any attempt from the New York winter to ruin the start to what would surely be a wonderful evening. Everything had been set in stone for weeks now: the perfect dinner prepared earlier that afternoon, the perfect dress to entice her lover during their sumptuous meal, the perfect moment in a young girl’s life coming true. A single heart beat excitedly as a young woman moved anxiously between closet and mirror and dresser. Her feet danced lightly in time with the rhythmic love song. The hem of a skirt swished playfully against porcelain knees as its wearer twirled across her room.
You wear those shoes and I will wear that dress
Mindee looked at herself in the mirror, scrutinizing herself with a Cuckoo’s eye for detail. A small ball of lint on the left strap: picked clean. A stray hair stubbornly sticking up: smoothed down. Teeth: bright and shiny. A smile washed over her milky white features, a true and radiant smile that Mindee hadn’t had in ages. Truthfully, it felt alien upon her lips. For as long as she could remember, the Stepford sisters had always been emotionally distant. It wasn’t that they disliked emotions, though that opinion changed once they accepted the tutelage of Emma Frost, but rather it had come naturally for the girls. Together they were untouchable, emotionally and figuratively. They were a cut above your average telepath and unattainable by any young man, but when their sisters Esme and Sophie had died, it was as if their diamond hard shell was scratched like cheap veneer. They were prone to bouts of anger or jealousy. Moments of clarity were replaced with moments of joy and contentment. They were becoming human. Like de-evolution, the girls were stumbling back down the ladder of superiority and slipping away from those lofty ideals Miss Frost represented; and Mindee couldn’t care less. Tonight she had a date with Carter.
Beneath the milky twilight
Lead me out on the moonlit floor
What had started out as a tumultuous relationship with a fellow telepath had eventually bloomed into a beautiful romance; albeit a secret one. Though Carter was a devilishly handsome telepath – one of the few that actually stuck around Xavier’s – Mindee had a sinking suspicion that her sisters would not readily approve of their relationship. For one, Carter was much older than Mindee; seven years to be older to be exact. Secondly, the Cuckoos had cultivated an over protective nature since the unfortunate death of Sophie. There was too much history with boys that the girls could not just ignore, love or not. Yet all that aside, Minde had found herself defying the Cuckoos’ unspoken rule about dating and hiding her clandestine affair for the past six months. It had taken a lot to hide the secret trysts and midnight meetings from the ever present minds of her sisters and she was quite frankly getting tired of keeping the secret. She wanted the whole world to know that Mindee Stepford was dating Carter Ghazikhanian.
Lift your open hand
Strike up the band and make the fireflies dance
Silver moon's sparkling
“So kiss me…” she whispered as she placed two pink stud earrings into place. She admired the effect of their twinkle in the mirror, nodding approvingly at her appearance. The door knob rustled suddenly and Mindee’s heart skipped a beat as anticipation washed over her. She was ready. She had expected this, had planned out this entire moment. She would handle it with grace and composure and…
click The door opened and Mindee turned to face the mirror, reaching down into a white clutch bag for lipstick. She began applying some as her sisters walked into the room. Celeste walked calmly in the lead, her back ramrod straight and her chin held high. She was the least affected or at least that’s what she wanted her sisters to believe. In the confusion that came with the girls’ last meeting with their White Queen, Celeste clung to what she knew and held on with all her might. Their previous state had been a comfort and a safety to the girls in the wake of their sisters’ deaths and she couldn’t find a new way to live. Phoebe, on the other hand, didn’t so much walk in as she did saunter. Unlike Celeste, who still wore the color white everywhere she went, Phoebe wore a skimpy black number[/u] that was much too revealing. Where Celeste had retreated in the face of a new and uncertain future, Phoebe reveled in it. A jeering whistle of approval followed the rebellious youngest into the room, but was quickly shut out by the slamming of their door.
“You’re only encouraging them, Phoebe. Did you even look at what you were putting on this morning?”[/b]
“Did you?”[/b] Phoebe retorted. Her eyes landed on Mindee and a Cheshire smirk appeared on her identical face. “Did Mindee?[/b] The attention had been diverted sufficiently as Celeste’s eyebrows rose when she took in Mindee’s glam appearance.
“Et tu, Mindee?”[/b] was her older sister’s exasperated reply.
“Give it a rest, Celeste. No one thinks your Latin phrases are clever.”[/b] Mindee replied evenly as she applied a touch of eyeshadow. Her heart beat furiously, but her mind was closed and safe from prying family. She knew she had struck a nerve with Celeste, the telltale sign being a rosy blush that covered Celeste’s pretty, white cheeks.
“So what’s the occasion, Mind? Got a date?”[/b] Phoebe’s sadistic voice and comment were aimed mainly at Celeste, as she began to take out books and paper from her backpack. Silently, Celeste did the same.
“As a matter of fact, I do.”[/b] That put a stop to both girls. Celeste and Phoebe stared in disbelief, though a smile crept up onto Phoebe’s face.
“With whom?!?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but Carter.”[/b]
“Mindee, you can’t be serious. He’s -- You’ll –“ Too stunned to speak, Celeste continued to stare at her sister as Phoebe piped in.
“Don’t listen to Celeste. She’s just jealous cause no boy would ever date her.”[/b] Mindee heeded neither of her sisters as she spritzed a bit of scent on her neck and wrists. With a final look in the mirror she headed for the door.
“He’ll only break your heart in the end, Mindee!” For sixteen years Mindee had kept quiet, kept a lid on things. She’d played mediator for dozens of fights but tonight, she spoke for the first time.
“You know, considering what we’ve become, I hoped you’d have had something nicer to say to your sister, but whatever.” She slammed the door behind her, shaking the anger and frustration from her mind. She began to pull in happy feelings from the students around her. She let their carefree, adolescence wash over her and cleanse her of that negativity she’d gotten such a great dose of back in her room. Nothing should be allowed to spoil this night. Tonight of all nights was going to be special. And she knew it the moment she looked down the staircase and found Carter waiting for her.