Normal Things

Posted on Sat Nov 16th, 2024 @ 11:15am by Connor Bruin & Kennedy Kelly & Jennifer Bryant

2,457 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Episode 5: Days of Fortune Past
Location: Breakstone Lake
Timeline: November 12th, 1990

Jennifer sat with her legs crossed, a book in her lap, as she studied with her classmates for the upcoming American History exam. Being Canadian, she hadn't had as much background as some of the other students in this area. It was such a refreshingly normal thing to worry about! Of course, it was obvious enough to look at her that she wasn't normal. Everything below her neck was covered. While designed to look something like leather, her outfit was all strong insulation and she wore boots and gloves. Ironically, this was necessary more here than elsewhere because she practiced with her powers so much and often had a charge. Leaning a bit into the look, her hair was worn straight in blues and purples. There was no denying she was different. But different was normal here. They were all different.

"So Madison kind of switched sides?" she asked the other two. "I mean, at the Constitutional Convention he was all for a stronger, more centralized government and then he went with Jefferson and against Hamilton to limit it after it was ratified? Or am I missing something?"

“Madison originally advocated for a robust central government with substantial powers. However, as discussions progressed, he recognized the need to compromise on certain issues, particularly regarding representation and the balance of power between the federal and state governments. I’m not sure if I would consider it switching sides… more like trying to make it work.” Kennedy said from her stretched out position across a plaid flannel blanket. Laying on her stomach, she warmed herself like a cat in the fall sunshine as they studied for the semester’s final exam.

Most of the classwork at Xavier’s was independent learning paired with a weekly lecture and discussion. The Professor’s classroom tactics encouraged independence and personal motivation in order to obtain an education. It was a rather free form learning environment where the student had to want to learn rather than be forced to participate. But the cost of that casual classroom resulted in rather challenging cumulative final exams. If ever there was a time to get together and study with other students, this was the time.

“His main contribution to the Constitutional Convention was the Virginia Plan which aimed to…” Kennedy began to flip through her handwritten notes in neat, bubble shaped letters as she searched for the answer.

"THE PRIMARY ISSUE WAS WHETHER LEGISLATURE SHOULD BE UNICAMERAL OR BICAMERAL," Connor summarized through his hand signs which were then spoken through his speech-generating device by way of his haptic gloves. "ONE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATION WOULD MAKE EACH STATE EQUAL, BUT LARGER STATES WANTED THE BENEFIT OF THEIR POPULATION OVER AND AGAINST SMALLER STATES WITH TWO REPRESENTATIVE BODIES. IT ALSO SEPARATED THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE INTO A SEPARATE BRANCH. SMALLER STATES PREFERRED THE NEW JERSEY PLAN, WHICH MORE CLOSELY MODELED BRITISH PARLIAMENT AND WAS THE MODEL FOR THE PARLIAMENT OF CANADA, BECAUSE A UNICAMERAL LEGISLATURE WAS MORE FAVORABLE TO THEIR INTERESTS. IN SUMMARY, JAMES MADISON DECIDED IT WAS BETTER TO COMPROMISE THAN TO ALLOW THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION TO FAIL."

“He never has to look anything up!” Kennedy raised her hands up in defeat as she stopped racing through her notes to find the answer. While she had brought her book, her notes, and all of her previous homework assignments to their study session, Connor had just merely arrived and sat with them while they reviewed everything.

“I guess the final is just to prove that you were actually paying attention during class.” Kennedy said with a smirk, she didn’t begrudge Connor for his brilliance but she definitely was envious of how easy things like school work were for him, it almost felt like a lesson in patience and social skills rather than a formal education for Connor.

The willowy blonde looked back over to Jennifer now that her question had been answered. They had both arrived at the start of the fall semester and while Kennedy had jumped into the role of an X-Men almost immediately after her arrival Jennifer had taken a more measured pace and acclimated to the mansion as a traditional student. And based on the fact her boyfriend hadn’t become the world’s next super villain, she was probably doing better than Kennedy was.

“What’s the next question on the study sheet?” Kennedy asked Jennifer while looking down at her notebook once more.

Jennifer still looked a little confused and glanced down at the sheet. "I didn't just mean at the convention," Jennifer clarified. "Like, even after all these compromises he wrote all of these amendments, the...It's like the Charter, but....The Bill of Rights!" She flipped through her notes, trying to gather her train of thought. "Give me a second. Ok. So even after they have all these compromises done, people are still arguing about whether or not to ratify and they have these two groups. the Federalists say yes, the Anti-Federalists say no. Madison is a Federalist and so are Hamilton and...umm..." She looked at her notes again. "I guess those are the two I remember. Jefferson's an Anti-Federalist. Then it gets ratified and these same groups are political parties running for office. Hamilton is still a Federalists but now Madison is a Democratic Republican with Jefferson and the other old Anti-Federalists."

"THE FEDERALISTS WERE STRONG NATIONALISTS AND DREW SUPPORT FROM EVEN GEORGE WASHINGTON," Connor said, "BUT THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE OPPOSED TO FEDERALISM THAT THE CONSTITUTION BARELY ACHIEVED RATIFICATION DUE TO OPPOSITION FOR THE CENTRAL POWERS IT GAVE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. THE FEDERALIST PARTY FELL APART, AND SOON THE ANTI-FEDERALIST MOVEMENT IN THE DEMOCRATIC-REPUBLICAN PARTY FELL APART AS WELL, SPLITTING INTO THE TWO MAJOR AMERICAN PARTIES THAT EXIST TODAY. THE DIALECTICS OF POWER CREATE UNUSUAL PARTNERSHIPS THAT DISSOLVE IF THE PRESSURE THAT CREATED THEM IS REMOVED."

Connor kept signing away. "WITHOUT VARIOUS CONFLICTS LIKE SHAYS' REBELLION AND THE WHISKEY REBELLION, FEDERALISM MIGHT NEVER HAVE GARNERED ENOUGH SUPPORT TO RATIFY THE CONSTITUTION AND REJECT THE ORIGINAL ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION, JUST AS ANTI-FEDERALISM MAY HAVE NEVER FORMED THE OPPOSITION PARTY OF DEMOCRATIC-REPUBLICANS IF FEDERALISM HAD NOT PUSHED NATIONALISTIC EFFORTS LIKE A CENTRAL BANK. DESPITE THEIR DIFFERENCES, DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS HAVE A COMMON ORIGIN IN PRESERVING FREEDOM EACH IN THEIR OWN WAYS. I THINK THIS IS WHY PROFESSOR X TOLERATES MAGNETO MORE THAN OTHER SUPERVILLAINS."

"Thanks, Connor," Jennifer said. "I wish I could organize my thoughts that precisely. I feel like I am trying to piece together a lot of different information, understand how it fits together." She pursed her lips a little, thinking about his words. "Preserving freedom, each in their own ways, but a lot of people wouldn't be free for another 80 years." She gave a small shrug and then frowned deeper. "I guess a lot of people aren't free now. With the Mutant Registration Act..." She cut herself off. "Sorry. I am ruining the mood."

"PROFESSOR XAVIER IS FIGHTING THAT LAW," Connor said. "SO ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE. WITH LUCK, IT WILL BE OVERTURNED." He cocked his head sideways and stared intensely at Jennifer's head. "WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR HAIR? IT LOOKS LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE."

"I hope so," Jennifer said. She looked away self-consciously at Connor's description of her hair. "You don't like it?"

"I LOVE CHRISTMAS TREES," Connor said with a look of surprise. "WHO SAID I DO NOT LIKE CHRISTMAS TREES? THEY WERE MISTAKEN. WHEN CHRISTMAS COMES, I WANT TO HAVE THE BIGGEST TREE IN THE MAIN HALL. WE WILL COVER IT WITH LIGHTS AND GARLAND IN A BILATERAL CORKSCREW CONFIGURATION WITH ORNAMENTS AND TINSEL IN EQUIDISTANT POSITIONS FROM THE INTERSECTING LIGHTS. IT WILL BE OUTSTANDING." His eyes glimmered as he signed his vision. "AND THAT IS WHAT YOUR HAIR LOOKS LIKE."

"No one said it," Jennifer said, more gently, as she looked back to him. "I was just asking." She smiled. "I'm glad that you like it." Her smile turned to a grin and she tossed her hair. "What was the Christmas tree like last year?"

"MOIRA PUTS UP A FAKE TREE ON MUIR ISLAND," Connor signed. "THE LIGHTS WERE BRIGHT BUT IT WAS NOT VERY TALL. THAT IS WHY I WANT A BIG TREE." He grinned as he added, "AND IT CAN LOOK LIKE YOUR HAIR."

“I don’t think any of us have been here for Christmas.” Kennedy considered all of their classmates. “Hopefully it’s better than Halloween was.” While Halloween wasn’t a disaster for most people it had been pretty miserable for both her and Connor. “I’m still not looking forward to seeing Bobby again, our fight was pretty terrible.”

"YES, YOU WERE MEAN," Connor agreed. "BOBBY WAS RUDE AS WELL BUT HE TURNED OUT TO BE RIGHT ABOUT JACE. SEAN TOLD ME THAT GIRLS ONLY GET MORE ANGRY WHEN A BOY IS RIGHT. IS THAT TRUE? IS THAT WHY YOU DO NOT WANT TO SEE BOBBY?"

“Your friend Sean is an idiot and I promise you I can get mad about a lot of other things, like being patronized.” Kennedy grumbled in response to Connor’s remarks. She seemed more annoyed with Bobby and Sean rather than with Connor himself. Connor’s sweet curiosity granted him a lot more liberties than most people were allowed.

Connor chuckled at that. He knew first-hand that Sean Cassidy's intelligence was an inferior one. Whatever did Moira see in him anyway? But then Kennedy kept talking.

“And I was mean because Bobby was mean first. It doesn’t matter if he was right about Jace or not, when you are trying to be hurtful any valid message is lost. So now, I don’t want to see Bobby because every time I do, he hurts me.” Kennedy felt the need to defend herself even if Connor was right that she had had an unnecessarily explosive response to his comments. “I felt bad for Kurt though, it was his first night here and he had to watch all of that fight go down. It doesn’t necessarily paint us in a good light.”

That made a lot of sense. Connor had seen Bobby be hurtful too. Lots of people had been angry with him.

"SOMEBODY HAS TO STOP THE CYCLE OF HURT," Connor said. "KURT TRIED TO DO THAT. PERHAPS THAT IS WHY PROFESSOR X ASKED HIM TO STAY." Then he started to giggle as a thought occurred to him. "THE IRONY OF A GOBLIN FACULTY MEMBER COMING TO THE SCHOOL ON HALLOWEEN IS RICH. THE HOLIDAY SEEMS VERY MUCH LIKE SAMHAIN." Connor scowled and looked at speech-generating device. He had spelled the word out and it was anglicized as 'Sam-hane'.

"SAMHAIN."

Again it was with the faulty English pronunciation. Connor accessed the menu on the device and began scrolling. When he found the option he sought, he signed the letters again, but this time, "SAMHAIN," was pronounced in the proper Gaelic as 'Sow-wen'.

Connor switched it back to English. "FINALLY. HALLOWEEN SEEMS SIMILAR TO BUT DIFFERENT FROM SAMHAIN." The speech-generating device pronounced it as Sam-hane again. "I GIVE UP," Connor signed, then had a thought. "DO YOU THINK KURT APPRECIATES IRONY? WE COULD ASK HIM."

Jennifer was just looking back and forth between them as they talked about an incident she didn't know about with people she didn't know. She didn't want to pry but she was about to do so anyway when the conversation moved on. "Samhain? That sounds familiar," Jennifer said. "Didn't Halloween come from that, kinda?" She was trying to remember. She thought she had heard that somewhere.

“Yeah it’s the Irish holiday that Halloween is kind of sorta based on. But I think the pumpkin shaped peanut butter cups were our idea.” Kennedy closed her notebook as the conversation drifted away from American History and more towards gossip around the school.

“I don’t think Kurt appreciates the irony of the situation, Connor.” Kennedy returned to his previous comments and the potential social landmine Connor was going to step on. “I’ve spoken to him a little bit and he’s alluded to being chased and threatened… maybe even hurt, simply because of his physical appearance.” Kennedy paused for a moment, she didn’t want to openly admit that Kurt’s appearance was a bit unsettling at first but she soon grew accustomed to it. “He’s really nice though, he’s friendly and easy to talk to. Did you know that he’s like one step away from being an official monk but he still has feelings for his former girlfriend. I guess she went missing at the same time as the First Class and he’s here to get help in finding her.”

Connor nodded. "THAT IS WHY PIETRO JOINED X-FACTOR WITH SCOTT AND JEAN. THEY WERE WORKING TOGETHER TO FIND HIS SISTER BECAUSE IT IS LIKELY THAT HER DISAPPEARANCE IS CONNECTED TO THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE FIRST CLASS." After sharing that factoid, Connor shared a pondering. "WITH EVERYONE FROM THE FIRST CLASS GONE EXCEPT FOR DOCTOR MCCOY, ALONG WITH NURSE FARWIND AND GROUNDSKEEPER HOOD, IT MAKES SENSE FOR PROFESSOR X TO ACQUIRE MORE FACULTY. A MONK IS AN INTERESTING CHOICE, ESPECIALLY ONE WHO KNOWS HOW TO USE A SWORD. HE HAS BEEN A BIG HELP IN THE DANGER ROOM EVEN THOUGH HE DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO USE A COMPUTER." Looking at Jennifer, another musing came to him. "YOU HAVE USED THE DANGER ROOM BEFORE. WOULD YOU LIKE TO INCREASE YOUR TRAINING? WE HAVE A NEW OPENING ON THE TEAM AFTER IRIS LEFT."

Jennifer couldn't really follow much of the gossip. It was about people she didn't know or barely knew. She didn't know all of this history either. "There's something to be said for monks," she commented. "Keeps things from getting too complicated." It was an interesting idea. Though hardly the life for her.

When asked about the Danger Room and the team, Jennifer hesitated for only a moment before she nodded. "Yes, I would," she answered him. "I'd like to get better at controlling my powers and I'd like to use them to help people. Other mutants. But not just other mutants." She blinked a little. Her thought had sort of gotten away from her there. "I mean, yes, the answer is yes. I would like to."

While Connor had mentioned Iris leaving, he was conspicuously silent about Bliss. It was still too raw, probably for Kennedy nearly as much as himself. But Jennifer's willingness to step up was very exciting.

"THAT IS AWESOME," Connor signed. "I WILL SCHEDULE A TIME LATER TODAY. IF YOU PASS THE SAME TRAINING PROGRAMS AS THE OTHERS, I DO NOT SEE HOW PROFESSOR X COULD OBJECT TO INSTALLING YOU ON THE TEAM."

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