07/27 Instance: Cookie Cutter Marriage

[littlebamf]

Timeline: Current

Rogue: Rogue stopped outside the door to Raya's prayer room and waited for a moment before knocking quietly. If she was in here, she didn't want to disturb her too much, but she had looked every where else.

Raya: Raya heard the knock and turned, sitting up on her heels as she rubbed her hands lightly over her face. "Come in, please," she called, wetting her fingers and extinguishing the flame on the newly-lit incense stick.

Rogue: Rogue slowly opened the door and stepped inside with a smile, "Hey, sugah. How ya doin'? Ah ain't interruptin' am Ah?"

Raya: "No, not really. Just..." She decided that even here giving the answer of 'talking' would arouse suspicions she didn't care to deal with. "Sitting." The word came out as a sigh, accompanied by her brushing back the unruly hair that wanted to escape its pin confinement.

Rogue: "Just sittin'?" Rogue came further in and closed the door behind her. "Ah was comin' ta see if ya wanted ta bake with me. Haven't been able ta spend much time with ya lately an' Ah thought Ah remembered somethin' 'bout y'all likin' ta cook." She gave her an odd look, "But it seems as if ya got somethin' on ya mind... Wanna talk 'bout it?"

Raya: "I don't know. It's kind of an odd subject." Raya sighed and slumped her shoulders minutely. "Okay. It's really weird. I'm supposed to be married. In a year." A long sigh made her thin veil flutter.

Rogue: Rogue frowned and sat down at the edge of the prayer rug. "Well... That ain't so bad, Ah guess. Is it part of ya culture ta do that? Do ya have someone in mind f' datin'?"

Raya: "No! I don't even get a choice, and I don't want to be married!" The exclamation came out more as a shout than she'd intended, and she had to work to calm down to a normal state. "My aunt thinks I should be married like she was, arranged for a nice boy. But what am I supposed to tell him about me?" She looked down at the nearly-gone henna from over the holidays and rubbed her other palm over it. "Orlando doesn't even know the whole thing.”

Rogue: Rogue was surprised by the sudden yelling and her eyes went a bit wide for a moment until Raya calmed again. "That ain't right. She shouldn't make ya get married just 'cause that's what happened with her." She frowned, "Orlando's ya best guy friend from back home ain't he? Well... That's gotta be better than a stranger, right? Though it still would piss me off."

Raya: "We don't even like each other that way. We're just friends, and he doesn't want to be married to me either." Rayafelt lost and completely disoriented. "I don't know if I'm supposed to do what I want, or do what my aunt wants. She's my elder, and the only woman in my life who's got that kind of knowledge..." She shook her head. "I feel like I'm doing something wrong either way."

Rogue: "That kind of knowledge?" Rogue shook her head, "That's wrong that she's forcin' ya ta get married just 'cause that's what happened ta her. An', even though she's ya elder, sometimes ya gotta go 'gainst what they say an' do what ya feel is right f' you. An' obviously, this ain't it."

Raya: "The problem is that I'm supposed to listen to my elders. I don't know if me going against her would mean I'm disrgarding my faith, but at the same time I don't want to have to do something like this." It was confusing to even her. "I don't have anyone who knows where I come from with all this, so I have no idea what people are actually thinking." She closed her eyes in frustration, breathing in the light scent from the incense. It smelled like oranges and water.

Rogue: "Well, just 'bout any culture an' religion teaches ya ta listen ta ya elders. But there's gotta come a time when ya have ta choose things f' yaself. An' Ah know it's gotta be rough f' ya 'cause of how much it's a big deal in ya religion, but it's somethin' ya gotta do eventually. An' marriage is a huge deal..."

Raya: "I know. I just don't know how to do anything about it." Raya shifted positions and put her head on her knees, wrapping her arms arund them. "I can't solve this in a day. And on top of this registration act, it's not any easier. I don't know why, but it worries me if Orlando has to find out everything I can do. I can't keep it a secret from him forever if we're supposed to get married."

Rogue: "Wait... He still doesn't know ya a mutant?" Rogue frowned, "Really? Ah woulda figured ya woulda told him by now. 'Specially 'cause he's a best friend. Remy knows everythin' 'bout me, an' Bobby, Vic, an' Rae are real close behind him." She tapped her fingers on her knees. "Have ya tried talkin' ta ya aunt?"

Raya: "No, he knows I am one. He just doesn't know everything." She bit her lip, and though no one could see it it did make her feel childish. "I haven't triedyet... I don't know what I'd say to her. I don't know what to say to anyone about it; fuck, I don't even know if I should." The curse didn't sound surprising to her own ears, as she bent her head further forward and wrapped her hands behind her neck.

Rogue: Rogue blinked at the cuss word, but didn't say anything about it. "Tell her ya won't do it. Stand up f' yaself. They cain't make ya do that. It's unfair." Rogue's eyebrows furrowed together in a slight angry line, "It's worse than unfair. Ah'd be so angry if someone tried ta pull that with me."

Raya: "How can I? IT"S not like I can just refuse. It's already been arranged." Raya turned her head and tried not to show that she was visibly upset; it was a little harder than she'd really anticipated. "I've never even gone on a date with him. I don't know what I'm supposed to do as a wife to someone."

Rogue: "Ya can too just refuse." Rogue crossed her arms. "It's y'all's life. They cain't tell ya what ta do. Ya a grown woman who can make her own decisions."

Raya: "So what do I tell the people she's probablly already called about it? 'The wedding's off, I decided not to get married'?" Raya pulled on her sleeves, twisting them in her fingers so they pulled tight to her wrists. "I can't see it going very well. And I don't want to upset her so much that she doesn't talk to me. She's the only blood family I've got."

Rogue: "If that upsets her so much that she won't talk ta ya anymore then that's even more wrong than forcin' ya ta get married." Rogue's frown deepened, "An' it ain't like tha weddin' is tomorrow. Ya have time ta call it off an' not upset a lot of people. An' even if it was tomorrow. If ya have doubts, ya shouldn't go through with it 'cause that could cause a lifetime of horrid relationship problems."

Raya: "How is it that I get these problems, when I'm not even dating anyone? It might be different if I was engaged like Bobby and Lorna. But I don't even have a boy I like, much less want to marry." Surely this wasn't happening like it was. "I don't even have family to be there if I did get married."

Rogue: Rogue shrugged, "Ah dunno, sugah. But it ain't so much an issue of havin' people there if ya don't get married. An' ya shouldn't be gettin' married by force. That's just wrong all 'round. Now, if it had been arranged since y'all were born, Ah could understand that... But since it was kinda sorta spur of tha moment, that's awful."

Raya: Raya swallowed her response and sighed. She knew what she wanted to happen, but actually doing it was far easier said than done. "It's just...I don't know. On top of finding out in a letter of all things, I don't even know how long she's had this idea. And never thought to even ask me."

Rogue: "An' that's where talkin' ta her comes in. Nothin'll get solved if ya just leave it alone in hopes it'll go away. That only makes things worse." Rogue moved to sit next to Raya and put an arm around her in a half-hug. "Sugah, it's y'all's life. People tellin' ya how ta live it only results in y'all not bein' happy with it."

Raya: Leaning into the sideways hug, she stared at her bare toes, painted dark red and gleaming dully in the light from the window. "I don't....I don't know how to change one thing like that and leave the rest. I don't usually change what I do."

Rogue: "Everythin' changes, sug. Nothin' ever stays tha same no matter how much ya might want it to." She rubbed Raya's back some, comfortingly, "It would change more if ya went through with it..."

Raya: "This is just...not supposed to happen. People don't get forced into this anymore." She sighed, her teeth making a low whistle. "I don't even want to think about this anymore. It just goes in circles."

Rogue: "Well, ya have mah two cents on tha matter an' mah advice on it too. An' especially since ya sayin' it doesn't happen anymore, that's all tha more reason ta fight it." She gave her another hug and stood, offering her hand, "But ya cain't just leave it be. C'mon, tha kitchen an' sweet things await us."

Raya: Raya took the offered hand and pulled herself up, straightening her shirt and brushing her pants off. At the moment she felt smaller than ever; tiny, even in the mansion she'd become accustomed to. "I think someone ate all your cookies. There weren't any this morning when I looked."

Rogue: "Probably Bobby or Rachel." Rogue grinned, "Or maybe Kyle. Just means Ah gotta make a bunch more. All in a days work." She laughed, "What kind would ya prefer Ah keep in there? Got all kinds of different recipies... Just tend ta stick ta chocolate chip 'cause it's a sure winner."

Raya: "I don't know. I don't eat a lot of them. Maybe...peanut butter or something? I know we have that." Raya was uncomfortable with this feeling. And she couldn't even name it. "You must have baked a lot for your family."

Rogue: "Um, not really... Ah baked a lot with mah mama 'fore Ah ran." Rogue chewed her lip as she started to walk out. "F' church pot lucks an' things mostly... An' holidays."

Raya: "That must have been nice. To do that with your momther." Raya bent and extinguished the end of the incense stick with damp fingers before she followed Rogue out to the kitchen.

Rogue: Rogue shrugged some and a small smile found it's way to the corner of her lips. "It's a nice memory... An' Ah know it's gotta be mine... Ah think."

Raya: Raya considered that for a moment and finally shook her head, folding her arms around her middle. "i wouldn't want you to have to deal with anything that's not your own."

Rogue: "It ain't anybody's fault. It's part of mah mutation. Just somethin' Ah've kinda learned ta take in stride." She smiled at Raya. "It's alright, really."

Raya: "If you ever need to... I don't exactly know how to put this, but if you ever need to use someone else's powers, it's okay to use mine." Yeeeah. That didn't sound weird at all. "Just, you know. If you ever need to." She honestly had no clue how Rogue felt about touching people she didn't really know.

Rogue: Rogue gave her a smile and a small nod, "Ah 'preciate that, sugah. Thanks. Means a lot that ya'd be willin' ta let me touch ya."

Raya: Raya smiled back, unsure of if Rogue would ever take her up on it. She hadn't ever really cared about her touching people, but it kind of gained another layer when it was herself. "It's alright."

Rogue: "If tha opportunity ever arises an' Ah need it, Ah'll let ya know. Do 'preciate it." She smiled a bit more. "An' peanut butter cookies it is."

[Love das flockige]

gah! Raya with her feathers ruffled is fantastic. I really hope she doesn't have to go through with it. Great job, you two!

[Starfish]

Oooh, great instance, you two. And poor Raya. Hm, Cess and Sel could help her out with good advice.

[Esynthia]

LOL! I would *LOVE* to see Selene's advice on that!

[wingyding]

Oh, me too. Me too. I imagine it being something like Slarti's av.