Witching About

[Mystique]

Raven noticed, over the next week, that Charles' energy level had increased slightly. Perhaps he had regressed by about two years in a week. The spell would be completed in another week and a half, in that case. Primarily, she wanted to do good with her powers. Now that she was older and more experienced in the world, she could try harder spells. But most of all, she wanted to help Charles. Often he was embarrassed because of his handicap, and in his brother's body, the spine was not actually damaged. Henry had told him it was a mostly psychosomatic pain, although there was a bit of neurological damage to his brother's stunted growth and atrophy. Hopefully she would be able to help him. She wanted to help him, to make him happy. Because she knew that, more than anything, Charles would want to walk again. If she did this right, he would, and be younger and more energetic. She was blinded by visions of his gratitude, his happiness.

Almost two weeks since the Brotherhood had been caught, Mystique used the same excuse that she was going "dancing." She gathered her materials and returned to the woods. It was a complicated spell, and she had to call upon a stronger entity, to help her accomplish what she wanted. This spell would take a while, longer than the age regression.

[The Man]

::The next morning, Xavier awoke energized as he had this past week, as well as a tingling in his legs, or so he thought. Phantom sensation, nothing more. He was quite used to it over the past decade. Dressing, he went about his classes, and with the unusually nice weather, taught outside.::

[Mystique]

That afternoon, Raven had lunch with Charles in the kitchen in between classes, as usual. She had brought Abigail down, who babbled inquisitively at everything she saw.

[The Man]

::During lunch, Xavier spent his time doting on Abigail. She had begun speaking, and he did all he could to enhance her vocabulary.::

[Mystique]

"Dada," Abigail began, holding out some of the cheerios in her tiny fist towards him. She loved the attention, naturally, and never stopped babbling. Mystique was proud. When she had finished with her lunch, she took her plate to the sink.

[The Man]

::Xavier ate a few of the Cheerios, enough to be polite, although they were damp from Abigail's tendency to spill her beverages.:: "Yes, Sweetheart?"

[Mystique]

"Chewio," She said knowingly, as he took the Cheerio's from her hand and ate them. "Ummy," Abigail told him, indicating that they were delicious.

[The Man]

"Yes, they are," ::Xavier said to her with an adoring smile on his face. However, he could eat no more of them, and instead encouraged her to finish the remaining cereal.::

[Mystique]

Abigail took the hint, and began to eat once more. Seeing the exchange, Raven smiled at them both.

[The Man]

::Xavier smiled back at Raven and continued to engage Abigail in between bites of her Cheerios.::

[Mystique]

When they had finished eating, Raven collected the dishes and went to the sink to wash them. Abigail, done with her Cheerios, began to talk to her father, though most of it was babbling.

[The Man]

::Xavier engaged her, listened and spoke back to further stimulate her. When it was time for classes, he handed their daughter back to Raven, wished them both a wonderful afternoon, and wheeled from the kitchen.::

[Mystique]

When Charles handed Abigail to her, she wished him to have a good class, and set about taking Abigail to the nursery to play with her.

Two weeks later, Raven only went "dancing" once more, to bolster the spells already placed on Charles, and to meditate as she liked to do. It made her become a part of something bigger than herself, and let her be free of her body for a while. And otherwise, life continued as usual.

[The Man]

::Over the past two weeks, Xavier had been increasingly energized. In the mirror, he had noticed that a few of his age lines had disappeared, that there were fewer bags under his eyes. It was peculiar, but pleasant, and not worth noting to Henry. The tingling in his legs had increased, those phantom pains, and for that he had no explanation.::

[Mystique]

Raven saw Charles improving the past two weeks. He was not as tired as he had been even a week ago, and she noticed some of the lines around his eyes had disappeared. That was good. It was a sign that everything was working right. Humming, she set about preparing dinner for the two of them. It was one of their date nights tonight.