driftfleet | it's not our fault it's an april mingle

[that isn't a name he's familiar with at all, and it shows on his face and in his tone]

That's . . . [he frowns and shakes his head faintly] I'm sorry.

It is what it is. Erik formed the X-Men to try and stop him.

Erik did. [that's right, Charles is dead in her world. Even so, hearing Erik is the one who did that is . . . a little surprising]

I'm - mm. Erik is a good man. I'm glad he is in your world, too.

[She nods] I am too. The X-Men are the ones who rescued me and took me in. [There is some light father figuring with Erik. It's a little heavier with Logan. Here, the dynamic is different. He isn't the same man with the same history after all, but his opinions and approval still mean something to her.]

I knew it was his friend's dream. He mentioned Charles sometimes. Named one of his sons after him. It was pretty surprising to start hearing the accounts from other realities.

I . . . have yet to hear anything about Erik, aside from what you've told me so far. [he purses his lips, then faintly shakes his head] Just that he's - different. And—. . .

[and then it all derails because what]

Erik has sons? [he named one after Charles?]

In my world he had twins, a boy and a girl. Older than me and then much later Charles who was still a baby.

...In other worlds he's the villain the X-Men fight. A Rogue—not the one here—once told me he was trying to use her to power a machine that was supposed to force mutations in humans. I'm sure it's different everywhere.

[he can't picture it. He can't picture it at all]

Geez . . . [he has to wonder which timeline that is, if it was the one they were all heading towards. He shakes his head] Erik . . . we've had - mm, things come up in the past, but they've all been resolved now. ["the past" being a month ago, but minor details] For the most part.

He mentioned some things he'd done. [It hadn't worried her too much. From what he said it was understandable enough to her way of thinking. Of course she also comes from a pretty harsh background. You have to be Dark Beast level to really shake her. ...Oops?] He's been helping me with a project.

[he's curious, but it isn't his place to ask. He just nods and looks curious] What sort of project?

[She stretches an arm out away from either of them and pops the claws. Three sharp, brass claws SKINT their way out of the gauntlet around the lower part of her forearm.] This one.

[congratulations Kitty, you've successfully startled him into falling off of his seat. He catches himself but even so.

He pretends like he did that on purpose and it's just about as smooth as you'd expect]

W-Wow. Those are - impressive.

[She probably could have warned him, but she didn't laugh, so even?] It's a prototype, but the design is like the one Magneto made for me at home. I normally wear one on each arm made with adamantium, but something a little more durable than brass will do.

Adamantium? [that's not a metal he's familiar with] I guess they took those from you when you got here? Your - original weapons.

Yeah, Erik hadn't heard of it either somehow. It's a super strong alloy. It's what Logan's bones are fused with. At least at home. [His question gets a nod.] Except they were replacements too because the prison took them first and I had an alchemist help me recreate them.

Ah . . . the Logan I know didn't - have that, as far as I could tell. [hell, as far as Hank knew, his power was regeneration and the bone claws] That seems a little silly to me, but I've never understood these places taking away things like that.

Hmm. [She wonders about that. Maybe it was a good thing for him.]

You mean when they don't bother taking powers? Yeah.

Mm, exactly. [he shrugs, huffing out a noise] But I try not to wonder too hard about those sort of things. [out loud, anyway]

The other place we were in took our powers, in a manner of speaking. But even when we got them back, I know I wasn't nearly as strong or fast as I normally am.

I feel pretty normal here, but I'm not sure I'm unchanged. Erik thought he was being limited.

Why not wonder? Because we'll never know the answers for certain and it will just drive you crazy?

So did Charles. [he nods] I feel normal myself, but I haven't attempted to test that.

[he huffs again] Pretty much.

The only thing I've done that didn't act normally was on the augment and who knows what normal is for that. I haven't tried short circuiting a ship's systems because...why would I? But would they just leave me with a way to do that?

I don't think they would leave a way for that - it seems too easy.

Kind of what I think. Sort of hard to check without doing some possible serious damage though.

Mm, and that isn't worth the risk. [he blows out a sigh] Are you good with technology?

[That gets a smirk.] It's kind of my thing.

My power is just also really bad for technology.

[both eyebrows go up]

Your thing? [he tilts his head, but he's genuinely interested] Are you the go-to, then?

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject