@c23intros || task one || pinned post
{madelaine petsch, 24, female, she/her} || LAUREL CUNNINGHAM is a mutant with the ability of LIGHT AURA. they’ve been in new york for 24 YEARS where they spend most of their time as A STUDENT AT XAVIER’S. when i think of them, i think of THE DAWN OF A NEW DAY, THE SOUND OF A POLAROID CAMERA DISPENSING THE PICTURE, WISHES IN A WELL. [bry, 30, she/her, pst, n/a]
Cool, but like, who is she?
Laurel Janine Cunningham was born January 23rd, 1973 to Julia and Alastair “Ace” Cunningham two years after they married. As their only child, she never had to fight or compete for their love and attention- not even after her mutation was triggered when she was six months old. Sure, her mother had freaked out- a bit. But who wouldn’t when their darling little baby started to glow uncontrollably? No one expects, when they sing ‘You Are My Sunshine’, for their daughter to take that as some kind of physical challenge and actually become a tangible ray of sunshine. And, yes- when her mother called her father, so frantic and barely understandable that he immediately returned home- he’d also had a brief moment of ‘What changeling is this?!’.
What’s important is that they got over their initial shock, and accepted her for who and what she was. The best that they knew how, anyway.
See, Laurel’s parents were members of several prominent high society circles. Socialites, and decently well known. Her father had made quite the name for himself after he’d inherited his family’s publishing house. While the company itself had always had high profile authors, Ace’s gamble on a few newcomers to the book world paid off. Now it’s rare to not see a Cunningham’s Publishing book (or two. or three) on the New York Time’s top 15 best sellers list. And Laurel’s mother, Julia- who’s own family had made their mark in the art trading world- was also very well known to New York’s elite.
At least, they were. Up until that morning, when she was six months old.
Her parents still attended the occasional party or benefit or gala; still maintained their wealth and most of their standing in society. But for the most part, they’d stepped out of the public eye after that morning. When asked by their friends and distant family why they’d been seen less, and why no one had seen their little bundle of joy since she was but a couple of months old- they’d always cited wanting to keep her out of the limelight. Protect her innocence. Allow her the chance at a normal life.
But of course, you’d have to be normal to have a normal life. And Laurel wasn’t.
‘Protecting’ her meant hiding her away, keeping her safe in their pretty, confining, upper-class home. Her mother, already a housewife, took up the job of homeschooling young Laurel. She did a good job of it too- Laurel was always at grade level with most subjects. They did their best to make sure that Laurel never missed out on anything- so long as she stayed inside. The only outside time she’d ever been allowed was limited to the backyard of the family home. And even then, it was only after an ‘all clear’ had been given. Couldn’t risk any prying eyes. Sometimes, as she would sit, alone or with an occasional tutor (who’d have to sign multiple NDA’s for their employment), amongst her mother’s rose bushes, she’d wonder if they kept her hidden for her protection, or that of their social standing’s. She’d always chosen to believe the former.
It wasn’t all bad though- every now and then, her mother would use her connections to arrange for a completely private tour of one museum or another. She treasured those moments, and took pictures of the entire trip with her polaroid camera- showing each picture with an excited explanation to her father upon returning home, having to check herself a few times as her father inevitably, patiently, reminded her ‘Not so bright, Lor.’.
And then there were the books. Her father’s dealings in the book world meant that the Cunningham’s had a very impressive home library- and Laurel had unlimited access to each and every volume. She may have rarely left her front porch, but through the literature at her disposal, she’d already been all over the world- this one, and others. The escapism she found through reading became her solace, the characters her companions on the more lonely days. And she’d kept notes, too. A list of everywhere she’d read about, that she’d vowed to go see in person- camera in hand, of course- and see how they held up to her mind’s eye.
A goal she’s currently working on- though she hasn’t been outside of her home state yet. Studying at Xavier’s, learning to control her aura and what all it can do- it’s all a prerequisite to finally being able to see the world she’s only ever read about.
That’s nice. But what’s she like?
Being kept inside most of her life, Laurel isn’t what anyone would call socially savvy. Without any real life experiences, and with only her parents and a few pen-pals as friends, she’s a bit naïve and a little too trusting. Though she’s gotten better at it, she still misses select social cues that would normally tell her if someone should be avoided.
She doesn’t let it bring her down though. Thanks to her parent’s encouragement, and her own willpower, she’s maintained a happy outlook on life. Sure, there are days where the realities of the world she lives in, and the failings of her own childhood, weigh down on her and make her.. dull. But it never takes much for her to turn into her own bright spot.