xp_logs | Nathan and Haroun, Thursday morning

After reviewing Nathan's latest Danger Room Run, he and Haroun chat a little. Nathan's sudden change in hairstyle, slightly alarming plans for the weekend, and need for new powers-application tests come up.

Haroun shut down the recording and leaned back in his chair. "You're making good progress. Still worried about the back, but your Medical file indicates that you're doing everything that can be expected of you to strength and stretch it out." he commented. "Psych also comments here that you're recovering nicely from your brain going boom."

"It was just a small boom," Nathan murmured defensively, unconsciously running a hand over his newly short hair. Short was actually being charitable; it was a buzz-cut, more or less. He was beginning to regret the impulsive haircut. Looking in the mirror brought back memories of the last time he'd had his hair this short... then again, at Mistra, he hadn't been this grey. "And the back's protesting strenuous activity a little less by the day."

"And stop playing with your hair. It's distracting." Haroun grumbled. "You should quit fucking around and just shave it." he said, showing off his own newly-shaved pate. "I do like the look, though. Makes you look less like your father."

Nathan managed not to jump out of his skin. "Moira wouldn't like the bald look," he said, and joy, the defensive edge to his voice was even more noticeable. "I just figured, it's been so hot lately... can we get back to discussing the run?"

"I've said what I wanted to say on the run. I still want a writeup from you once you've had some time to reflect on it further." he pointed out reasonably. "And why do you care what Moira thinks? It's your head!"

"You just want to increase the ranks of the young..er and bald," Nathan accused, grumbling. "But you'll get your write-up. Probably not until next week, though - I'm off for the weekend."

"Where you headed?" he asked curiously. "More parental self-discovery?"

"San Francisco," Nathan said with a wary nod. "Saul invited me to come and stay for a few days... I think that might not be a bad idea. I was... too twitchy while he was here. Worrying about... security, and all."

Haroun rolled his eyes, but held his tongue. "You taking any backup?" he asked wryly. "I would strongly recommend it."

Nathan sighed. "Yes, Haroun," he said, just as wryly. "I'm taking backup and will be letting my father know that I don't trust him enough to stay beneath his roof on my own."

"All I asked for was the first part. What you tell this guy is your business." he said. "I know you're trying to get to know him, but the consensus is that something's Up here. It's a little too neat."

"Neat." Nathan leaned back in his chair, regarding Haroun a bit uncharitably. "You think this is neat? Any of it? This is messy, Haroun. This is unbelievably messy. Even if every word out of his mouth is true, it doesn't make it neat. It only means that either Mistra did more damage than I gave them credit for, or I had some kind of fucking psychotic break and invented my childhood. There's a little part of me that kind of hopes that Saul is lying."

"It is too neat. They go looking, and oh look, there he is! And when he's found, he's ready to just jump right back in and be Dad again? Too neat. Too pat, too easy." he said. "Least, that's one take on it. Maybe we're wrong, and this is on the level. Maybe he's legit and we're all just paranoid. Maybe. I don't know." he said with a sigh.

Nathan was silent for a long moment. "He's not... pushing," he finally said. "If he was, I'd be more suspicious."

"Of course he's not." he said. "That'd be a tipoff. Maybe he's just a smooth operator." he said, and then sighed and held his head in his hands. "And maybe I'm a paranoid sonofabitch who misses my own father tremendously." he said. "I ... I got nothin' for you. I just want you to be careful. If someone out there wanted to hurt you, this is just about a perfect way to worm his way inside."

"It's... seductive, in a way," Nathan said with a sigh. "To suddenly have family... a father who tells me he's proud of me and insists that nothing I can tell him is going to change that. I know I'm not objective about this, Haroun. I can't be." He blinked a bit rapidly. "And I think it's a little too late to be careful, on some levels." Nathan managed a feeble smile.

Haroun looked up and nodded. "Anyway - I'm not going to keep needling you on this. You're a big boy now." he said with a grin. "We're done here, unless there's something else you wanted to go over?"

"Nah," Nathan said as lightly as he could. "I've scheduled my physical for when I get back. Moira's under the impression that I'll pass - even if it's just scraping by. According to Scott that's the last hurdle between me and active duty again."

Haroun nodded. "And I saw the writeup and the film on your match with Shiro. I'd like for you to keep those sessions going, if you don't mind. It's good for both of you - like it or not, the kid's younger and faster than you are when you're both not cheating by using your powers."

"He goes for his powers too easily," Nathan said. "Instinctively. It's a problem. Do you two spar with powers?"

"Nope." he said. "Well, almost never." he clarified a moment later. "And he goes for the power because he's not confident enough that pure skill alone is enough. And the kid likes to do some damage, and you'll have to admit that his power is plenty damaging."

"Did I ever tell you I shut it off? His power, I mean," Nathan said, remembering that scene in the kitchen at Muir. "Back at New Year's, when we were having our infamous disagreement. He flared up in the kitchen, of all places, and I just..." He reached out a hand, turning it palm-down. "Just like that," he said quietly. "Not even sure how I did it. I suppose I have very little cause to criticize him for instinctive use of his powers."

"That's frightening. I trust you haven't tried that since? Because on a goodly number of folks just turning their power _off_ is a good way to royally mess them up." he said. "Should probably touch base with your wife on that one, if you haven't already."

"I think it got forgotten, all things considered," Nathan said wryly. "But no, I haven't tried it since. I should mention it to her, I suppose. There are less dangerous ways to keep someone from blowing up a room... better to telepathically convince someone they don't want to do that, rather than telekinetically do... whatever I did to Shiro."

Haroun nodded. "Trying that little trick with me, for example, would be Bad. The 'ware is powered off a tap to my power. Means I'm constantly using it, true, but at such a low level that I barely even notice anymore."

Nathan tossed off a half-hearted salute. "Point taken. I should let the bunch of you come up with some new powers-application tests for me, though. Stumbling onto new tricks is not the most efficient way to do that."

"That's more Moira's gig than mine, but if you want us to blue-sky stuff we can. Be a good topic for the next Open Table night." he mused.

Nathan pushed himself up out of the chair. "I'm probably going to regret saying that, aren't I?" he asked good-humoredly. "Ah, well. I live to disprove the whole 'can't teach an old dog new tricks' aphorism."

"No, it's a good idea for everybody. Might as well put everyone on the spot, although for Lorna it's an exercise in frustration. We know what her power's capable of, we've seen it in action." he said. "I'll bounce it off the Command Staff, see what they say."

"You do that. I have to go buy a plane ticket," Nathan said, turning towards the door. "And I'll be careful," he said quietly. "This weekend, I mean."

"Good. Keep in touch." he said, standing up himself.