MATTHEW
The next week Matthew accompanied Eleni on her regular trip to the DownMountain. It was something of a shock to see her with the group again: her comradery with them had grown, and while she remained reserved, she was nonetheless relaxed here in a way she wasn't UpMountain. And that was even with Scarlet's teasing.
"So, Elle, is it as good as they say? Come on, now. Don't hold back." Tray grinned, failing to appear nonchalant at Scarlet's question. Patches' scowl, already dark, somehow deepened.
Bright was not there; their grandmother had fallen ill, and they weren't able to help out at the Towers as frequently. It also meant that they weren't making it UpMountain.
"It would take too long to do Matthew proper justice," Eleni replied apologetically, "And I have a class to teach. Sorry!" She disappeared into the room where she and Matthew had taught their pick-up ballet classes. Kids of various ages were entering as well. Matthew went to follow, but Scarlet caught him by the arm.
"She ain't glowing. You got to try harder, Summers," she growled, then winked. "I'm here to give pointers if you'd like." Matthew disengaged his arm and followed Eleni into the room with alacrity.
After the class, G led them and the few older teens who were hanging out at the Towers on one of his regular missions in the Sewers. That day, they were visiting Katya's Locker. Matthew wished they would stay at the Towers so he could enjoy Eleni's in her more relaxed state.
He looked around, uncomfortable, as they passed under the handmade sign where someone had crossed out a 'T' and replaced it with an 'R', giving the district its name. Eleni had been a few times already. The inhabitants of the most run-down part of the already run-down Sewers lived in rooms in the decrepit buildings, or sometimes on the street, rarely changed their clothes, and were all waiting for the next high. Mushrooms, easy to obtain and cheap, were the drug of choice down here.
The group had stopped by the public cafeteria on their way and picked up boxes of food, which they now wheeled in front of them in large barrows. They made their way through the 4 blocks, handing what they had out to people on the street, or knocking on doors and leaving boxes if someone answered.
"There was nothing like this where I came from," Eleni murmured under her breath to him as they made their way down the dingy street. Given her previous descriptions of the Citadel, Matthew was not surprised to hear that.
"Yeah, if they'd just get up, they'd see all they need for a basic life is there," Matthew muttered in return. Eleni looked at him sideways. "Well, it is. The Montagne provides housing, food, medical care, and will find them work," he professed.
Eleni was quiet for a long moment.
"G thinks that part of the blame for their situation falls on all mutants within the Montagne. Even if these people should do those things, they would have to face the constant pressure of a population who think they are less." Eleni was referring to the large non-mutant contingent who lived on these run-down streets.
"But you face that all the time. I get some of it! We don't shut down like this."
"Yes, I get it," she was quiet again, handing out another box to someone living in a makeshift tent in the street. Her feelings went flat, almost hollow. Matthew had never felt that from her before. "I understand very well how it feels for people to believe you shouldn't have existed." It was simply a statement, but bald in its subtle and pervasive violence.
Matthew didn't know how to respond. He admitted to himself that he couldn't understand that. Even with his discomfiting origin, he was wanted.
"G! My boy!" a rough voice called over, and the large man complied to the call. A moment later he motioned for Eleni and Matthew to join him.
"Elle, Mattie, this is Jax. He was wondering who the two beautiful people were."
"A sight for sore eyes indeed," the man said. He was lounging on some steps outside one of the run-down buildings. His skin was rough and mottled, and there were odd protrusions poking out throughout his clothing. Matthew didn't like the way Jax's gaze shifted between himself and Eleni.
"Hey, G, we should keep going. There's more food to hand out." Matthew said after a bare greeting. He didn't want to linger here. G complied with a final greeting to Jax.
"You take care of yourself, man."
"Go to the airlocks, G. Just remember that. Go to the airlocks."
Matthew rolled his eyes as they walked away. Eleni picked up on his annoyance and gave him a curious glance.
"What?" He waited until G was out of hearing.
"It's that phrase. Superstitious nonsense. I asked about it UpMountain after G told it to me when we were kids, and there is no protocol to evacuate to the airlocks anymore if some catastrophe should hit. I wish they wouldn't encourage it." Eleni nodded, accepting his explanation.
"That man, Jax, didn't look so good. It looked like his leg was broken."
"That's his mutation," Matthew corrected her. Eleni's face reflected mild shock. "It's actually fairly common. Those are bones, and some who have the mutation can control their growth, even do things with the bones. But most of the time, it is more random."
"You say it's fairly common, but I've never seen anyone like that." She probably had, DownMountain, but that wasn't where she spent most of her time now.
"There's procedures people can get, to minimize the growth. It's a specialty UpMountain, procedures for those with mutations that prove…unfortunate."
"UpMountain," Eleni echoed. The conversation ended there.
A few minutes later the food was dispersed, and they headed back to the Towers. There, Matthew towed Eleni upstairs, but not to dance. They looked with nostalgia at the ballroom and did a few steps as Matthew led them to one side of the floor. The side from which he knew no one could see them.
"It seems like so long ago," Eleni murmured. Matthew realized this was the first time they had been back here together since she had moved UpMountain. That day he had just realized his feelings for Eleni, and now they were back as a couple. His sense of victory spilled into enthusiasm as he pulled her close and kissed her.
They sat by the wall and held each other. And kissed. Matthew thought that his plan to find another place where he and Eleni could be alone for a bit, a place where she might be able to let go of the nervousness that plagued her, had worked. Until she pulled away again. She repositioned herself so that her head was against his shoulder, and he wrapped his arms around her, not trying to hide his disappointment. They sat like that until it was time to leave for the train.
A few days later, on a Holday, Matthew gazed at Eleni out of the corner of his eye as they made their way to the District for dinner. She had tried to get out of the date, but Matthew had persevered. He hoped they could finally have an enjoyable time UpMountain and had made reservations at one of his favorite restaurants, a smaller one given Eleni's hesitation about being too public. When they arrived that evening, however, it appeared there had been a mistake.
"I do apologize, but I don't see a reservation here and we are very busy tonight."
Matthew stared at the hostess, then at the several empty tables visible in the restaurant behind her.
"I called two days ago and spoke with someone," whom he suspected had been this very hostess. "She said everything was all set."
"And yet there is no reservation." The hostess held the reservation book close to her as if it was a precious child. Matthew started to demand to see it when Eleni touched his arm and shook her head. They left.
He looked down at Eleni as they walked away. She was dressed in a dark skirt, with a loose blousy top that fell to her hips and swayed against her slight form. Madam P must have lent her some jewelry because in addition to the silver bracelet she always wore at her wrist, she had on a silver necklace lined with large moonstones at the bottom, and matching earrings. The scarf on her head was grey with silver threads shot through. She looked beautiful. He had looked forward to being out with her, and having a good time together, he recalled. The feeling only deepened his discontent.
She looked up at him.
"Maybe there is somewhere else we can go?" He nodded vaguely; there were other places of course. Being Holday Eve, however, most of them would be booked up. He directed Eleni towards a take-out place.
"We can take it back to my house," he offered.
"Or, the Atrium," she countered. Matthew didn't object: the Atrium at night was romantic, and so it was decided.
"Why do you never fight it? Here, at school?" he asked after a minute as they walked, still trying to manage his own disappointment at his aborted plans.
"It's not worth it." He had heard that before.
"Why?"
"Because no one is on my side here."
"I am." She laughed out a breath.
"Sure. But, you're not in a position to make people change how they act."
"Who is?" Eleni paused.
"The people who make the rules, and those who enforce them," she said after a minute. "But they're never going to be on my side; they are the ones I have to watch out for the most."
"Like the principal?" Matthew asked, recalling the cadet's attack, and the principal's response. Eleni nodded.
"And the administrators and teachers, if we are talking about school. They are the ones who matter: the ones with the power. And no matter the truth, they will go out of their way to put me in the wrong." She was quiet for a minute, and Matthew digested this information. He was surprised when she spoke again. "I did, when I was younger, try to defend myself a few times. And I learned that makes it worse. They used my defense against me, as evidence of further guilt: my resistance was proof that I was volatile and unpredictable, and therefore I must have done something to provoke the prank. Keeping my head down made things easier for me." He felt deep hurt and anger bound by resignation through the bond and focused on that instead of his own guilt and discomfort.
"Elle, I..." She was holding this in all the time? He saw her wipe her hand across her eyes, stopped and drew her to him, ignoring the fact that they were in the middle of the street. They were on the border of the entertainment district, on quieter street, but groups of partiers came by every few moments.
"I just…don't think about it too much," she murmured against his shoulder. He sensed she was trying to reassure him.
His conversation with G intruded on his thoughts. What was he doing? What should he do? What could he do? Eleni wasn't asking him to do anything, so perhaps he should just be a source of comfort for her, treat her as well as he could. All while she was denied, relegated and abused for her supposed origin and for being with him.
He identified the queasy feeling lurking in his stomach as a combination of hopelessness, guilt and reluctance. He hated it.
After a minute, Eleni pulled away. They walked on in silence until they reached the eating establishment. A short while later, food in hand, they made their way onward with the vague destination of the Atrium.
"It looks like I'm getting some of what they've given you all along." While the take-out place had served them, the server had glared at Matthew the entire time, and the order was wrong. "It sucks," he said quietly.
"They don't want us together," Eleni commented. "It's how they show us."
"It's none of their business. I mean, the kids at school are one thing. But this?" he replied, holding up the food he hadn't asked for. Eleni spoke again after a moment's silence.
"Travis talked to me after we got together." Matthew scowled. "He told me some concrete reasons why us dating is troubling, beyond my not being UpMountain. There were two things. The first was that genetic material is valued here. The 'Collective Genetic Makeup', right? They have a database of everyone's genes and use it to…encourage, certain pairings?" She glanced at Matthew, and he nodded stiffly. "They want you to marry someone, who comes from a limited number of specific someone's, all UpMountain and make powerful children. And you are at an age where you should be dating someone you might marry."
Matthew looked away. He and Jenna had been happy to learn they were compatible; thinking about that felt like peering into a different life now. Eleni's mention of this topic made him uncomfortable and he wished she would stop. Ruthlessly, she continued.
"But that's not all. There's the vineyard. Since you and your sister are adopted, apparently there is an opportunity for other families to claim it in full."
"Jae and I are set up to inherit the vineyard jointly," Matthew replied, curtly.
Eleni was quiet for a moment. "Travis said there are rules about how assets are distributed." Matthew didn't answer
"Elle, let's talk about something else." He wanted to tell her to stop talking to Travis, but kept his mouth shut.
They fell silent, though that only led Matthew to recalling Jenna's hints that she would rescind her claim on her family's hydroponics in favor of the vineyard. Her father, Devon, had often asked about the management of the asset in companionable conversation.
Eleni glanced at him out of the corner of her eye from time to time. He sensed regret and annoyance tinged with frustration through the bond.
"Matthew, remember you suggested we go to a concert a while back? Would there be anything like that tonight?" He looked at her, surprised, but happy for the change of subject. He thought quickly. The large venues would be booked up but some of the smaller, more casual ones would probably have room. Matthew was game for anything that would improve their current mood.
"We can go look." They found a bench and quickly ate their food before backtracking into the theater district.
A half-hour later, they were listening to a woman and her piano. The music was raw and forceful, not the type Matthew usually sought out. Eleni sat on the steps that served as seats in front of him and was leaning back into him. His arms were around her. As he listened, he tried to find some simple contentment, but with the events and conversations of the evening, it eluded him. He settled for relief that Eleni seemed to be enjoying herself and tried not to think about anything else.
After, they took the closed car home then walked back to Madam P's, hands clasped in the darkness.
"Can I come in?" he asked when they arrived, and he turned to face her.
"It's late," she replied quietly. "Maybe tomorrow."
Disappointed, he leaned his forehead on hers, then angled in to kiss her. She assumed it was one of their brief good-bye kisses, but he followed when she pulled back and caught her lips again. She hesitated, then leaned into the kiss and it lingered. Her hands caressed his neck briefly, then her arms were around him pulling him closer.
He held her tight, feeling her curves against his lines. In that moment he recognized how much he wanted her; he wanted their relationship to work and not be damned to the purgatory they had been moving in these past weeks. He didn't know how to do that, but he tried to communicate his feelings through their kiss.
Then, he was no longer kissing Eleni. In his mind's eye, he was holding a blond, solidly built young man. He had an impression of a passionately stubborn nature, but capable of empathy and change. Grey eyes held his, and he stood, captivated, before realizing that Eleni had stepped away from him and was speaking.
"…didn't work out how you wanted, but I had a good time tonight, Matthew." She squeezed his hand and looked up at him. "Let's practice together tomorrow." He nodded numbly and watched her enter the house but barely saw her.
Later, lying in his bed, he wondered at how someone else's memory could take his breath away. The experience put Eleni's hesitations in a new light, but that wasn't what he lingered on. His thoughts kept returning to how utterly in love with the blond man he had been in that moment. The longer he dwelt on it, the more he understood why: he wanted Eleni to feel that way about him.
The next morning, Matthew met Eleni with fresh eyes. He drew her close and kissed her carefully.
He had spent much of the previous night remembering the feeling of her love and wondering what this other man had done to win it so completely. He had found himself tallying up the points that he and Eleni had that surely she couldn't have shared with the other man: their shared grief, their love of dancing, the many times they had comforted each other for things no one else could know.
And of course, both being mutants. He wondered if Eleni had shared that truth with the man from the Citadel. The idea of her with a non-mutant was slightly discomforting, but he acknowledged that she had had no other options.
Eleni pulled back with a question in her eyes. He took her hand and they started walking. After a moment, he spoke.
"I wanted to be with you so badly after we met. For months. And then, when we started avoiding each other, I missed you like crazy." He glanced down at her. "Now, we're finally together, and there's all this other stuff going on – me remembering…about my mom, how they treat us for being together…" He gritted his teeth for a moment but managed to push his frustration aside and say what he wanted to say. "But I still want to be with you. I want this – us – and I want it to be better for us."
She was quiet for a moment, and he felt an echo of…longing from her.
"I missed you, too." Once he figured out what she was referring to, the quietly spoken comment put Matthew's heart at ease. He stopped walking, and gently pulled her back to him when she kept going. He kissed her only briefly, and then just held her, feeling her arms wrap around him.
"Let's skip school today," he whispered. He could take her to the vineyard. The idea was quashed as suddenly as it had arisen.
"I couldn't. Madam P does so much for me, and that would abuse her trust." He rested his forehead on Eleni's. If any comments were yelled at them as they embraced, for once he didn't hear them.
Holding hands again they went on, and he decided on a decent alternative to skipping school.
That was why he was waiting for her at a table when she entered the cafeteria for lunch.
"Where are you supposed to be?" she asked mildly as she put her bag down and sat next to him.
"Genealogy and Genetics," he said succinctly, and the brief but satisfied smirk on her face told him he should do this again.
Lunch was short, however. The cat calls he dealt with decently well, but the occasional piece of food that made it their way were more difficult to ignore. When they finished their meals, he convinced her to leave the cafeteria, which was technically against the rules, and he took her to the library. The stacks of bound volumes still seemed to baffle her, but he showed her a new use for the dimly lit aisles.
When the signal bell sounded in the distance, he tried to get her to stay a few more minutes.
"I'll lose my seat," she said in a rushed whisper as she twisted away from him.
"What?"
"The seat by the door. It's the safest." Bothered by that information, and the fact that he hadn't known it already, he jogged besides her to her next class. Once she confirmed her seat was still available, she gave him a quick kiss and entered the room. He walked slowly to his own class wondering what other concessions Eleni made throughout her day to make it more bearable.
When classes were over, Matthew was waiting when Eleni emerged from the school.
"How was the rest of your day?" he asked as he went to drape his arm around her waist.
He didn't hear her reply as his hand encountered fabric that was crusty and hard.
"What's that?!" he exclaimed, pulling back.
"Dried slime," Eleni responded flatly. "It comes out easily."
"How often does that happen?"
"Frequently. I'm used to it." Matthew thought of the other things G had said she was dealing with.
"What else happened today?" She shrugged.
"I'd rather not dwell on it."
Matthew was quiet for a moment, still thinking of G's words.
"Elle, I want to know. Maybe there is something I can do." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.
"No, there's not."
"Why not?" She shook her head.
"What would you do?"
"I don't know. Maybe ask them to stop."
"Think it through. Someone else will take their place, or they'll do something else, and you'll end up looking like a fool." Matthew wasn't sure about that but stopped pressing. He took a different angle.
"And this all stopped when we weren't spending time together?" She paused, glancing at him.
"Mostly."
"Mostly," he echoed absently, looking away. He reached over and rested his hand at her hip, ignoring the dried slime. They were silent the rest of the way to the dance school.
The next day, Craig joined Matthew at lunch.
"Fraternizing with the outcast?" Matthew said, joking and not joking. He had started to wonder why Craig still sat with him.
"Whatever, man. You're cool," was the answer he got.
"But not for dating Eleni," Matthew stated. Craig shrugged. "What?"
"It's…weird. But, she's a ballerina, so I suppose…" Matthew realized his friend was trying to rationalize his unacceptable relationship. Craig laughed slightly with his next comment. "You're kind of like Travis, now." That was no compliment.
"She's in Ebony's class, right? What if the four of us hung out together?" Craig had just taken a bite of his sandwich and chewed slowly before responding.
"That wouldn't go well," he said, once he swallowed. "Ebb's got a bee in her bonnet about the sewer rat."
"Her name's Eleni," Matthew replied tersely.
"Sorry." Craig took another bite and glanced away.
Matthew thought about the things he had done with Jenna. "Where is the party next Holday?" He tried again, testing. "Maybe we'll go."
Now Craig looked at him.
"That's a bad idea, and you know it. Anyway, I haven't heard about any party yet." He didn't offer to tell Matthew when he did. "Can we talk about something else?"
Craig's responses were disheartening, and Matthew accepted that they would be the most welcoming that he and Eleni would receive.
At the next open dance afternoon, both G and Travis showed up. Matthew took a moment when Eleni was otherwise occupied to sit with them.
"G, what exactly happens to Eleni at school?"
"The pranks you mean?"
"Yes. I tried to ask her, and she didn't want to talk about it. You mentioned some stuff the other day. Is there more?" G glanced at Travis, and then responded.
"There's the sliming, the floor getting frozen underneath her, her clothes getting singed, sometimes her stuff disappears, a few times she's gotten wet…" G paused, thinking.
"It's the same people over and over," Travis added. Matthew met the prince's eye. He was pretty sure he knew who those people were.
"Do you have a piece of paper and a pen?" Travis took them from his bag and handed them to Matthew. Matthew wrote down a few names, while Travis and G supplied a couple more pranks. Matthew handed the list back to Travis who reviewed it and nodded his agreement.
"Man, I bet those families would hate to be without their wine," G mumbled, looking over Travis' shoulder. It took a second for Matthew to connect the comment with their current activity. He started to respond, then glanced at Travis. The young man handed the list back and stood up.
"I should get to chess club. They miss me if I stay away too long." The second part he said sourly, as he eased himself out of the row. Relieved, Matthew turned to G once the younger man had left.
"That's illegal, isn't it?"
"What? I know how much people up here love their wine. It was just a comment." He eyed Matthew. "Hey, twinkle toes, aren't you supposed to be dancing?"
That night, Matthew went home with Adam for dinner, and brought the list to the table with him. Adam saw him looking at it.
"What do you have there?" Matthew fingered the corner of the paper, the picked it up and put it down on the table near his father.
"These people are pranking Eleni, a lot. I," he sighed at his failure so far, "I was trying to think of a way I could stop them." Adam looked at his son warily.
"Matthew, don't even think of using your powers. You are already on thin ground. If you step too far, they will require you to join the military academy." Young mutants who persisted in misusing their abilities usually ended up there. Matthew grimaced.
"No, I didn't consider that." Not really. "Anyway, with me leaving for university in the new year, whatever I do alone will likely be forgotten in January." Adam nodded in agreement, then reached down and picked up the list. After perusing it for a minute, he sat back in his chair and his eyes narrowed. Matthew had never seen his father look so calculating.
"They are all customers," Adam finally said. Matthew tensed slightly. He had thought about G's veiled suggestion, but it had seemed crude to suggest it. He was glad that the man seemed to be thinking along the same lines.
Matthew cleared his throat, but Adam spoke first. "As you know, our business can be unpredictable at times. Lost harvests, batches that unexpectedly go bad, accidents…"
"Named Jae…," Matthew said in a low voice, and Adam gave a small, pained laugh. She had once shown how large her energy blasts could be a bit closer to a warehouse than she should have. The joke cleared the air a bit, and both men relaxed.
"Come with me to the vineyard this Holday, and we'll make some phone calls." Matthew nodded, and a handful of days later he was checking the vines, now dormant in the cold months, with the workers who cared for the plants and kept the vineyard in order.
"You hold on to that young woman, you hear," an old woman spoke up next to him, surprising him. "I talked to G, and she's a good one. A real person, as opposed to the cookie-cut-outs you have UpMountain. She'll keep your heart true, Mattie." Startled, Matthew didn't know what to say. The woman just patted his cheek and moved on.
His family had a good relationship with their workers, and the woman's familiarity was not a surprise. The topic was, though it was a relief to hear someone speak positively about his relationship with Eleni for once.
Matthew moved away from the vine and walked up the row to the warehouse where the office was located. To his right, rows of vines marched down the slope towards the edge of the mountain wall, which held massive windows to allow as much natural sunlight in as possible. They could be opened as well, and were, with a watchfulness for the weather, as the family had discovered that it greatly improved the flavor of the grapes. Nonetheless, the cavern ceiling was also dotted with sun lamps to supplement the limited natural light.
To the left, at the top of the slope, was a medium sized house, a cottage where they occasionally stayed to alleviate the two-hour trip it took to travel here from the UpMountain. It took closer to two and a half hours for those from the DownMountain, and Adam had had a dormitory, located not far from the warehouse, built to ease the stress on the workers. Matthew's father was adamant that his workers stick to a six-hour workday at most, not including the train ride. The Montagne allowed 14-hour workdays, the argument being it included the commute which ranged from an hour and a half to 3 hours one way. Even with the dorms, many of their workers returned home each day.
Reaching the warehouse, Matthew made his way through the stacks of stored product. Out of habit, he didn't knock when he opened the office door. When he met the scene of his father and a woman quickly disengaging themselves from each other he realized that he should have.
"Uh, I'm sorry." He started to back out, confused. His father was adamant that he would never marry, something some among the UpMountain circles were quite sour about. Matthew had never seen Adam with a romantic partner.
"It's ok, Mattie. Xena, I'll come find you later, ok?" She assented, looking at Matthew nervously, then accepted Adam's brief kiss before leaving.
"I didn't think you ever wanted to be with someone again," Matthew said once the door was closed. "After Katyana." Adam, a bit chagrined but otherwise calm, gestured that Matthew should pull up a seat by the desk.
"I said I wouldn't marry: I knew near perfect happiness and destroyed it with my own hands. But," the chagrin grew, "I'm only human."
"So, you're having affairs with our workers." As the woman had walked by him, he had recognized her from the fields. "Is it some sort of proxy birth thing?"
"No!" Adam looked disgusted. "Matthew, I'm hurt you could even think I'd do that. No." He regained some calm. "It's just two adults, enjoying each other's company and finding some comfort with each other. There's nothing wrong with that."
"Except that you keep it hidden from the UpMountain." A distinct difference between what his father was doing and what he was doing with Eleni.
"I wouldn't want to put her through that."
"Then…you think that what I am doing with Elle is wrong." Adam paused, understanding how Matthew was seeing his relationship.
"No, but that situation is different. Eleni is living UpMountain."
"But she is not UpMountain. Something everyone lets us know every chance they get." He thought he had had that message down prior to meeting Eleni, but now knew better. "It works for you to keep her here."
Adam sighed. "I supposed you are right. But I am upfront with them."
"Them?"
"I've had three relationships like this. And all at different times." He threw a warning look at what his son. The man started ticking items off on his fingers, "I tell them what I had with Katyana, what I did to destroy it." He looked directly at Matthew. "Several women have walked away at that." He moved on to his next finger. "I tell them I have no interest in marrying anyone, UpMountain or Down. I tell them that I want to keep it quiet, but that I will make time for them when I am here."
"Make time…," Matthew muttered under his breath. Adam pinned him with a hard gaze.
"As I said, I'm only human. But it is not only about sex, though. Sure, that is one of the goals. We also spend time together at the house, have meals together, watch movies together, talk. And I only pursue it when there is mutual interest."
"Have they all ended well?" Adam grimaced.
"The second time it didn't. She wanted more, despite what I told her at the start, and in the end couldn't bear working here anymore. I set her up with a pension, as I couldn't attest to how she would be treated at the other production units." Matthew's father spread his hands. "I ask after her and hear she is doing well."
"And if this one ends badly?"
"Then I'll do the same. I do promise that I will take care of them and we can afford it. Anyway, I have found that there is really no price you can place on a sympathetic heart and a bit of human comfort. Especially when you once had so much more and lost it." Adam's eyes went distant and sad, and Matthew wanted to leave the topic behind. But one thing still bothered him.
"Do you think I'm making a mistake with Eleni?"
"That's up to you to decide. Do you think I am making a mistake with these women?"
Matthew shrugged. He wasn't sure. But he did want to know how his father felt about Eleni.
"I mean it, Dad. I've had some doubts about my relationship with Eleni." It was hard to say that out loud. "But I still want to be with her. I don't know what to do."
"So that is why we are here today then, right? To make those doubts less pressing? Take a bit of pressure off of yourself?" Matthew hadn't seen it that way.
"That wasn't…I mean, I honestly was only thinking of Eleni. But, I guess when you say it like that, sure it would take some pressure off me, too."
Adam nodded. "Well then, let's get too it. This is business, so remember to keep it distant. Personable but not personal. A vague reference to how their child has taken an interest in the new girl at school should be enough."
They spent the rest of the time making calls and veiled suggestions. Matthew didn't realize until he had left the man behind to return home that his father hadn't answered his question.
CITADEL 3020.12.05
DAVE
Dave grasped the waist of his partner as he spun her around the floor. Shana Drucker glanced up at him with a smile, which he returned, politely. She was very attractive with deep brown eyes and skin. Her thick black hair was styled in a halo around her head and studded with small gems that sparkled.
"So, it is true. You are quite the dance partner."
"I had a good teacher," he murmured in return, looking away and trying not to think of who that had been.
"They have my thanks. It is a pleasure dancing with you, Dave Kelly. I certainly hope it isn't the last time," came the soft reply. The hand that rested on his shoulder tightened slightly. He knew she expected him to pull her closer, or return with a similarly intimate comment, but he did neither. They were close in age, she a couple years his senior, and a union between them promised many benefits. She had subtly pointed some of those out earlier in the dance.
"You are quite accomplished yourself," he said, instead. Softening the comment with a brief smile, he kept on dancing the rote steps.
They were at one of the most popular of the annual Christmas Galas, and everyone from the young elite was either here or physically unable to attend. The hall was festooned with greenery and gold. There were towers of champagne glasses, and punch pouring out from a fountain. Delights of every kind and color graced the tables.
The symbol of the Citadel, an elegant eight-pointed star with a cross in the lower half of the center circle, and a sun in the upper half, was lit for the occasion. Situated above the door to the ballroom, it appeared to glow within the wreath of green that encircled it.
The music wound down, and Dave escorted his partner to a group of their peers at the edge of the floor.
"Tired out already, Dave?" one of the women there asked, playfully.
"I'm out of practice," he replied, pretending chagrin. Shana stayed by his side, so he focused his attention on another member of the group. "Elsa, I was hoping to run into you. I've heard the new drug tests are going well."
The woman with deep tan skin and curly dark brown hair, welcomed the interest.
"They are. We have a promising new anti-depressant nearly through clinical trials. Only minor side effects, and with noticeable reduction in suicidal tendencies in the group diagnosed with depression. We are hoping to have them out to the general population within the year." Dave nodded, noting the woman's triumphant tone. Suicide was a constant problem in the Citadel, where every life counted. The efforts being made to alleviate the trend were ironic, however, in light of the fact they regularly did away with a portion of their population.
Dave pulled his thoughts away from that line of thinking and back to the conversation.
"…excellent news," Shana was saying. "Any other new projects at Shaysan Pharmaceuticals that we should know about?" The woman came from a family known for its investment savvy. There was no public market in the Citadel as there had been in previous centuries: it had been deemed too destructive, like an addictive drug. However, investment in private enterprises was a common pastime of those in the know and with the funds.
"Not at the moment," Elsa responded, coyly.
"I have heard of some developments in military technology, if you are interested Shana." Dyan Jwarda, also of tan skin but with black hair, interjected. "Not my cup of tea, personally, but I can introduce you to Zach Kaldwell. His father is involved in the projects." Dave looked away at the name. "You went to Baybrook, right Dave? Did you know him?"
"Not really," Dave replied. "Different sports."
Shana took Dyan up on his offer, and they began scanning the crowd for the man in question. Dave mumbled that he needed a drink and excused himself.
Grabbing a glass of champagne from a tray, Dave walked through the crowd, half scanning it for people he knew, half for people he wanted to avoid. He chatted briefly with a couple acquaintances from the law school and caught up with J.J. Warner.
"Engineering is busting my balls," the man complained humorously. "I should have done law like you."
"I wouldn't call it easy."
"Yeah, but you get to twist the words around until they work for you, right? You can't do that with equations on gravity and the like." Dave chuckled.
"That's not true. Too much manipulation would undermine the whole system. It requires everyone's trust and participation." The dark-skinned man waved his hand.
"Law is a social construct in the end and changes with the current thinking of the time."
"Thank the Lord you didn't do law. You'd have been a disaster."
The former classmates laughed together and spoke companionably for a while longer. Then J.J. perked up as something across the room caught his eye.
"Hey, did you see the Godsen table? They went all out. Must have been a good year in the hothouses. I'm going to head over there before it's gone."
Dave smiled, but knew he wouldn't check out the decadent display, in spite of its rarity. He had lost his taste for chocolate.
"I'll pass. Catch you later."
Walking purposefully along the edge of the crowded room, Dave again scanned the floor for anyone else he might want to catch up with. His eyes landed on the aforementioned Zach Kaldwell, and his stomach went sour. To his horror, the man spotted him and started coming in his direction.
Consciously loosening his grip on his glass, Dave quickly moved back into the crowd as if he hadn't noticed his former classmate. After some maneuvering, he ducked out onto a balcony.
It was cold outside, but not freezing and he found the air refreshing. As he waited, Dave's eyes idly traced the Cross of Light. The hotel where tonight's fete was being held was situated on a medium-size square at the center of the city. Directly across the square was the Bund, the building where the Senate met and did business. The Cross spanned the width and breadth of the governmental building: a reverse silhouette projected, probably, from the hotel in which Dave stood. The projection, designed by a different artist each year, was put in place every December, and eagerly awaited by many in the city. Dave mused that he was seeing the best view of the cross one could get.
"It's beautiful, isnt' it? And inspiring." The soft voice took Dave by surprise, and he started cringing before he could hold the reaction back. His new companion didn't notice. "I always find hope in it myself."
Turning to a flawless golden-brown face with deep brown eyes, Dave managed a polite smile.
"It is stunning. But I -"
"They had an artist from my church design it this year," his former girlfriend spoke over his escape attempt. Dave made a noise of admiration.
"They must have been thrilled with that."
"Yes." Corella brushed her perfectly coiffed curls, dark brown with hints of gold, away from her face. "You can see in the design he incorporated the scenes of the holy season. See, there? That's the sun returning after the Day of Darkness."
Dave let his eyes return to the cross, and thought he saw the artistic interpretation of which Corella was speaking among the several scenes nestled within the outline of the cross: the sun rising and figures, struck by its light, disintegrating. The Day of Darkness was the shortest day of the year and had been adopted as a reminder of how the mutant known as Magneto, and the hordes he had led, had once terrorized the world. It made the celebration of Christmas all the brighter, to be first reminded of the horror that had once overrun their peaceful society.
Dave shivered.
"It is impressive. But you are freezing." He gestured to the short sleeves of his companion's gown. "Let's go in." Corella smiled and nodded her acquiescence, staying close to him as they reentered the ballroom.
Dave immediately began scanning the crowd for an escape plan. Spotting Natal a short distance away, he again opened his mouth to excuse himself.
"I—"
"I was glad to catch you," Corella said firmly, placing a hand lightly on his arm. "You look well."
"Uh-, as do you, Corella. I would love to chat, but I just saw Natal and I need to speak about a project we are working on together. Maybe we can catch up later? If you'll excuse me."
"Dave, I just want a moment to…to mend fences." The gentle hand on his arm tightened slightly. She knew he had no intention of seeking her out later. "And it used to be Cory." Her wide eyes pleaded with him, and he felt that pulling himself away would simply be too awkward. Inwardly he sighed with frustration; he had had difficulty ending their relationship for the same reason.
"How have you been…Cory?" he asked, reluctantly slipping back in to the familiar. She smiled warmly.
"Good. I'm at the art academy, now."
"That's great."
"And you're studying law, right?"
"Yes." And I'm planning a petition for mutant amnesty. He wished he dared to say that out loud to shock Corella and scare her away.
"I miss Keio, though," she said, glancing out over the crowd. "My parents were ecstatic when graduation finally rolled around. They wanted me to go to Miss Burnbach's Preparatory from the start, but I value the opportunities that Keio has provided to me." She looked back at Dave as she said this.
"It is a fine institution. The best for men and women."
"Of course. Our history has been shaped by graduates from Keio and Baybrook. I hope to continue that tradition." Dave grinned, glad to finally voice something that matched his emotional state.
"So do I," he murmured. Corella's eyes lingered on him.
"That's how you used to smile. When we were together." She stepped closer. "I…I miss you, Dave."
Shit, Dave cursed internally, looking away.
"Cory, you know it wasn't working. Our philosophies are just too different."
"I disagree. We had many thoughtful discussions and were able to see each other's viewpoint even if we didn't entirely agree. That, more than anything, was proof that we were good together." Dave tried to think of a decent counter argument. The problem was, she was right.
"Look, Cory, I didn't say this before because we were together, but the truth is your family made me extremely uncomfortable. And your church. I just…I just can't accept some of their views."
"What if I told you I felt the same sometimes?" Her voice had dropped low, and Dave stared down at her in surprise. "Dave, there is much you still do not know about me. I think we should try again."
Her words made no sense to Dave, and he had no desire to understand them. Yet, her hand on his arm combined with the intense intimacy of her gaze disarmed him.
In his helplessness, Dave was taken back.
16-year-old Dave sat in the school courtyard, a beautiful young woman by his side, and surrounded by people he barely knew. The seasons were warming to spring, and they were outside enjoying the improved weather. Corella linked her arm loosely through his and leaned her head on his shoulder, a clear gesture of ownership. It was the most physical they had been in their two month-long relationship, a fact with which Dave was satisfied.
"So, Kelly, the Church fasting coming up. You'll be participating I assume?" The question sounded casual, but Shan Pembok narrowed his eyes at Dave as he spoke. The man, with black hair and sallow skin, clearly objected to Dave's presence in their group, and his place at Corella's side. Not liking the way his peer looked at Corella, Dave had found the animosity to be mutual.
"Well, as I'm not officially a member of your church, it would probably be a little odd to participate in the ritual."
"But you were baptized Humanist," came the pointed retort.
Dave's mother's family was unequivocally Christian, and his father was nominally one as well, though the man only attended services when his appearance there mattered. All the Christian churches in the Citadel fell under the umbrella of The Church of the Human Christ, 'human' meaning 'non-mutant'. As such, a large portion of the Citadel population were technically baptized 'Humanist'.
However, a smaller segment of those attended church beyond the weekly services. Those numbers included the group around him, who further belonged to a branch that adhered to a strict reading of the tenants, adapted to post-Devastation life. When people spoke of 'Humanists' this was who they meant. Despite being a minority, they had a large amount of influence within the city.
The man's dark brown eyes never left Dave and started to gleam as if he was winning some competition.
"Yes, he was," Corella responded for Dave, patting his arm as if his baptism was all the proof she needed of his devotion. He looked at her and smiled into her deep brown eyes. He found he genuinely liked her; she was smart, kind and thoughtful. "And my father himself has said that seeing the truth God puts before us is a process. It takes time." Dave cringed inwardly; he liked her, but not some of the comments she made.
Shan looked away in annoyance. When he looked back, he glared murder at Dave.
Dave ignored the look and gave the courtyard a casual scan. Eleni hadn't emerged yet. He hadn't seen her in a few weeks. Usually, he got a glimpse of her leaving in the half hour between when school dismissed and the start of his afternoon activities. He didn't think she'd go so far as to wait until he was gone to avoid him, and suspected she was taking the jewelry class again, or some other extracurricular activity. He wished he knew which one it was.
"You should get to practice," Corella pointed out regretfully. While they had been a bit stiff with each other at first, that had melted away on her part and she clearly enjoyed the time they spent together. Dave supposed he did, too.
He smiled at her saying he'd text her later and left for lacrosse.
The relationship proceeded in this way over the next few months. Dave started having dinner at Corella's house at least once a week and found the conversation welcoming. They did make frequent comments about their church but didn't press Dave too much. His mother had joined him a couple of times, and he made note of her cleverly worded responses. She had worked closely with the Humanists on several projects over the years.
He saw Eleni only a handful more times over the rest of the school year, and only from a distance, as he no longer stopped by his father's office.
"What's on your mind?" It was summer, now, and he and Corella were at the park near her house having a picnic. "Is everything ok?"
He forced a smile. "Yes. I was just thinking you must have put a lot of work into this." Corella looked to the side but was clearly pleased. In truth, he had been thinking that this was exactly the kind of activity he longed to do with Eleni. He pushed the thought, and the feelings that went with it, away.
"I love that about you, Dave. You understand these things. The work people put in that normally goes unseen. They talk about supporting those that have less at the Church, but very few people there actually understand how much harder living can be for others."
Corella's compassionate heart was one thing that frequently brought them together in their conversations. But it had its limitations. He reached over and pushed her thick hair away from her face as he spoke.
"But shouldn't we see the ways in which all people may be suffering, no matter the circumstance of their birth?" Corella's smiled went wry as she noted his challenge, and she looked away.
"It makes me sad to see people punished for the sins of their parents. But if we do not hold to our values then we are lost. They are the guideposts He has given us." Dave hadn't really expected any success.
"And yet, you have expressed understanding for situations where the person's condition is beyond their control. How is this any different?"
"There is a difference between a spontaneous anomaly, and the fallout from a decision made consciously, either in this generation or previous ones."
Being with Corella challenged him, and Dave saw the value in that. She truly believed in the tenants of her religion, and yet also abhorred ill-treatment of others. While the ways in which she reconciled those two parts of herself still baffled Dave in some ways, he accepted that she was sincere.
She was the one who had first brought up Eleni's existence, fairly soon after they started dating.
"I need to tell you that she is one thing about you that I find difficult," Corella had said. "I know that you have been accepting, even friendly, towards her, and I hope to bring you to see that to act in such a way is only a cruelty to her. Just as your father allowing her to attend school here with us is. It is completely inappropriate."
Dave had made some noncommittal comment at the time, and Corella hadn't brought the issue up again, especially in light of the fact that he hadn't associated with Eleni since.
Now he missed Eleni, and Corella's comment and his subsequent inaction haunted him, so he pressed her when the opportunity presented.
"How are you two love birds doing?" Corella's sister came over with a patronizing grin. Newly engaged to a fellow Humanist, the older woman glowed with pleasure and confidence. She was their chaperone for the outing. "Have you picked at date yet?" she teased.
Dave tensed and Corella sighed in annoyance.
"We are working on it, Jess. And it's none of your business." The date in question was the day Dave would join them at their church for the first time, to hear one of Corella's father's weekly sermons. The request had first been voiced shortly before school let out. Dave had managed to convince his coach to run a summer lacrosse camp nearly every Rest Day, starting shortly after the churches normally let out. Being captain, he had explained honestly, he had to go early, and didn't have time to attend church.
He'd gotten out of the other days with excuses of obligatory family time with his father. That was a blatant lie, but as he was living with his mother again it was hard to challenge. His father had been unable to stop badgering Dave about his new relationship and trying to convince him to end it, so Dave had moved out a couple months after he and Corella had started dating.
Dave found the situation ironic, however, as it was his father who had always encouraged him to be open-minded. His ability to be flexible of thought was one reason his relationship with Corella was actually working.
Jess peered at him down her nose.
"The blessings of our Lord are many, for those who follow His Path."
Dave tensed, but outwardly demurred. Along with the requests for him to attend a sermon, Corella's family was also starting to voice objections about his general reluctance in regards to the religion. He had come to understand that Corella had petitioned hard to date him, and that he was a sort of probationary boyfriend. Corella didn't seem too concerned; her father doted on her, and Dave suspected she thought she could assuage the man's concerns. Dave wasn't so sure, based on some private discussions the pastor had pulled him aside to have.
"Dave, you are a smart young man, that is clear, and we enjoy having you at our table. But your upbringing, specifically your father's disturbing behavior, do cause me concern. While I see that you treat my Cory well, and you are a gentleman to her, I worry about your intentions. Our Lord's Path is the path of the Light. You will be bringing yourself into His Glory when you join us. And join us you will, else you will be damned alongside your father." The man's certainty in that fact had been stunning. Dave had done his best to avoid being alone with him ever since.
Shaking the memories of their relationship off, he searched his mind to explain why could not be with Corella. Concrete explanations he could use in public. Dave looked around in dismay.
"Dave…" she said softly, inching closer and peering up at him. He gritted his teeth.
In spite of Corella's shocking suggestion that she challenged some of the teaching of the Church of the Human Christ, it didn't change the reason they had finally broken up. A reason that would still be a problem. Except that she was dead.
He realized that Corella had offered no words of condolences for his loss. This was the first time they had spoken since Eleni's death. The thought put ice his heart and iron in his resolve.
"Corella…"
"Cory." Her beautiful eyes crinkled in reassurance.
"Corella," he said more firmly, "no, it goes beyond that for me. I learned that there are some things I will not compromise on, and I don't believe you could ever bend the tenants of your church to satisfy me. It won't work between us." He started to turn away, but she gripped his arm with surprising strength.
"Dave! Please don't go! I can't just seek you out, and this may be the only opportunity I have to speak with you!" Shocked at the desperation in her tone, Dave turned back, only to see Shan Pembok approach from behind her.
"Cory, is there something the matter here?" The man had grown a bit more decorum over the past year and a half. His animosity towards Dave had grown as well. "You should know by now that this man cannot be trusted and will never do God's Will." The patronizing tone grated at Dave, even though he had just rejected Corella's proposal. The way Shan possessively put an arm around her as if he would shelter her, and more, from the danger Dave presented made the blond man's stomach turn.
"Actually, I was just leaving," Dave said in a clipped voice, and turned away. Behind him he heard Cory protest.
"Shan, no! Nothing was wrong, we were just having a friendly debate, like we used to when we were dating." Then more quietly. "Please let me go." Dave stopped.
"Cory, there is no debating with this man. Come with me back to our party." Dave turned back to see Shan firmly guiding Corella away, one hand on her waist the other high on her side, just under her arm. Corella squirmed, and pushed the hand under her arm down, then she stepped away from Shan. She glanced back at Dave and looked regretful when she saw he had turned back. Her eyes pleaded with him, but for what he had no idea. She had to understand, he couldn't give her what she wanted.
He turned away himself, only to meet Natal's glare. His partner in crime sneered at him, disgust clear on his face. Dave's spirits fell further but setting his resolve to make it through the rest of the evening, he went to look for another dance partner.