driftfleet | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

Who: two nerds and you
Broadcast: fleetwide
Action: Marsiva
When: now!

[ The audio comes on sharply, but everything is still dark as two people discuss their situation.]

Is that the camera? Can you get it to work?

I - think so? Here, push this --

I am pushing it, Hank. I thought you knew about these from that show you keep watching. Space Trek?

It's Star Trek and that isn't exactly - you know, the same thing as this.

Right. . . . Wait, I think I see something on the side.

[ And the video flickers on, the red light glowing softly. It focuses on two men. One in a wheelchair and the other right next to him, peering curiously at the camera before they step back satisfied. ]

Well, that’s over and done with. Hello to anyone who might be out there. My name is Charles Xavier and this is Hank McCoy. Apparently we’ve been kidnapped again, by an unknown force again for some mysterious reason.

[muttered:] Again. [and louder] So if anyone would be kind enough to explain exactly what's going on, we'd appreciate it. You have our thanks in advance.

But do keep it pertinent.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's all right.

[ Though poor Hank seems to be confused. Charles makes a mental note of it. ]

Is there something you'd like to discuss?

Lots of things. [She looks at him thoughtfully for a moment.] How long have you known him?

Long enough.

[ His tone is firm there. ]

I owe my life to Hank a thousand times over and more. He has my absolute trust.

Have you looked into his mind? Would you know if he was a sociopath and just doing a good job of hiding it? [They can be masters of that after all.]

[ Charles doesn't know whether to be impressed or baffled by that question. After some deliberation, he answers rationally. ]

I would know. I've seen enough minds at their worst and best to tell the difference. He's not a sociopath. He couldn't be further from one.

[She looks at him thoughtfully. It's something, but... Can she trust him? She's never heard of a version of him where he was on the wrong side of things and her world's Erik couldn't have respected him more. He still spoke of Charles' dream. He even named one of his sons after him.

She trusted the man in the prison. He was the only other mutant for a long time. Well, the only other mutant who wasn't also another version of her. It can be hard to bond with yourself.]

The man I knew as Henry McCoy was larger, grey-blue, and furry. He's also responsible for genetic horrors that make the doctors who served under Hitler look morally responsible and restrained. [It's not a comparison she makes lightly.]

The only thing similar to your McCoy would be the fact that they have fur and are blue. There's nothing else that connects them together.

[ He runs a hand through his hair with a sigh. ]

He's never done experiments like that. Ever.

[ And the one he did do was on himself. ]

[There's a pause.] He didn't look blue or furry. [She probably would have noticed that, right? She was staring pretty hard.]

He takes a serum for it.

[ He doesn't add to that because talking about the serum still makes Charles uncomfortable. ]

A serum?

...Maybe that's how it starts.

[Or maybe it's just not going to make sense to her like the age difference between the other Kurt here being different with his Kitty than hers is with her own Kurt. How would that ever happen? wouldn't it be more likely one of them just wouldn't exist?]

[ A little sharply. ]

That's not how the serum works. I've taken it myself.

Was it to grow the beard? [Never a better time for teasing, right? Her heart's not really in it, but she also doesn't like the feeling of making him get that tone with her, and she can't really blame him for it.]

No, that was letting myself go a little.

[ And not bothering with cleanliness and appearances. He watches her before moving on. ]

I took it for my legs.

[You're going to make her worry about you, aren't you? She watches him, eyes softening.]

After I was home and before I was here I was in another place called MarinaNova. It was a prison. I mean, these are all prison, but it went ahead and called itself one. Anyway, I was there almost a year and for a few months so were you or a version of you. I'm not sure. He kept his appearance a little differently and he could walk. Meeting Erik had been a pretty recent thing for him.

Erik and I had . . . a falling out.

[ Which was the most polite way of saying it. Charles doesn't like to mince words, but what happened to them was . . . well, only between them and Hank. It's not fair to Erik or Charles to discuss openly. ]

Then the Vietnam War happened. We lost a lot of students and teachers. It was . . . too much for me.

I'm sorry. Losing people is hard. [Whether it's death or any other means.] Doesn't really get easier with practice either. [A twenty year old shouldn't be able to say such things with authority, but she can.]

No. But I got lost in it. Carried away. And that's not fair to the future.

[ It's not fair to the students who need that hope, who need him. ]

I'd say that's a lot of pressure to put on yourself, but considering the things I know probably a good idea to have that shave and get to work.

You know, if you weren't here.

The school will keep. I'll make it happen, no matter where I go.

[ He won't give it up. Not ever. ]

No matter where you go? Like a multidimensional space fleet?

It can't hurt to have a few classes here and there.

[ Though he doesn't see many teenagers. ]

[Kurt is the only teenage mutant. Kitty managed to age out a couple of months ago.]

Hmm. Classes on what? [Not that she's curious much.]

On using your powers. Practicing, restraint. There's no point offering sciences or english classes here.

[She'd be more interested in the sciences honestly.] The younger Kurt might need your help there. [Laura was young too, but like Kitty she'd already seen excessive combat as far as she could tell.] Might be a small school.

Every little bit helps.

[ Even for people who are not mutants. ]

Re: [private]

[private]

Re: [private]

[private]

Re: [private]

[private]

Re: [private]

[private]

Re: [private]

[private]

Re: [private]

[private]

Re: [private]

[private]

Re: [private]

[private]

Re: [private]

[private]

Re: [private]

[private]

Re: [private]

[private]

Re: [private]

[private]

Re: [private]