Ashes & Mist: A Temporary Conclusion
Jul. 27th, 2012 09:26 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsThe Professor calls Rachel into his office to decide on their next move forward.
With a tired sigh, Charles removed the Cerebro helmet, setting it down before massaging his temples with his fingertips. The past several months had taken a toll on him and he felt old. Old and tired. But still, there was the Dream to encourage, his children to help, and one of them was waiting on him right now. With another sigh, he reached out to her mind, as conflicted at the familiar-yet-not touch of it as he had been when she had been brought to his doorstep.
~Rachel,~ he sent. ~Will you meet me in my office in five minutes, please?~
She arrived ten minutes later, having somehow gotten momentarily lost in the turns of the corridors. The price she had paid for her recorporation in this world was a steep one, and Rachel felt crippled without the huge chunk of her telepathic powers that had been sacrificed. Never before had she realised how dependant she had been on her mutant abilities -- so much so that she could not even properly navigate a house without her powers to use as a honing beacon. At that moment, however, there were more pressing concerns.
“Have you located Xorn, Professor?” Rachel slipped into one of the professor’s chairs uninvited, needing to ask even if the expression on his face cast a foreboding of bad news.
"I am afraid not. Either his particular mental pattern is too unusual for Cerebro to pick up, or he is able to shield himself from it and other forms of scanning." Charles looked over at the young woman sitting across from him. So different from the innocent, bright-minded child that he had helped teach, not so long ago. She looked... hard. Battleworn.
Hiding her disappointment behind a frown, the girl nodded and leaned back in her chair, already fairly comfortable in the presence of the man whose counterpart had once been like a grandfather to her before he died for a dream that he had believed so strongly in. It warmed her heart to know that even in this dimension, Charles Xavier was worthy of her idol worship, especially since she had, despite the uncomfortably stark absence of any mind shields, allowed him to probe her mind to verify her story.
“S’alright. I half expected it. The easy way never works out when I’m involved,” Rachel managed a small quirk to the corners of her lips. “I’ll just have to do it the harder way.
"And you won't have to do it alone. We will all do what we can to assist you, Rachel." Charles gave her a small nod. "Mr. LeB-- er, X-Force has had some interaction with Xorn before, he may be more amenable to them finding him, if he is shielding himself." The Professor caught himself before the name slipped out - no sense reminding Rachel of what she had lost in her world.
Rachel caught the slip but merely nodded. "I appreciate it, Professor Xavier," she said sincerely. "If you'll put me in contact with the necessary people who have the resources to track him down, I'll pull my own weight." It made no sense, after all, for her to sit around idly while she waited for the other psion to be located. "And when we do find him, would you be willing to allow your men to volunteer to travel to my world and aid in the war efforts? The risks are immense and I know you owe me nothing. But I promise not to put them in more danger than I have to."
"We will assist as much as we can. And in the meantime... what will you do? Finding Xorn may take some time, and you're welcome to stay here..."
“I’d hate to impose. But apparently neither supplies nor clothes handle inter-dimensional travel well.” Or at all. “I’d like to be where I can receive intel the fastest, if possible.”
"The mansion will be your best option then and it's no imposition. We have a number of guest suites." Charles gave Rachel a considering look. "How much do you want the general population to know about your... circumstances? And there are Moira and Nathan to consider." At their first meeting, he'd already explained that her 'parents' were alive in this world.
“I understand my younger self in this world was recently killed. Her parents shouldn’t have ‘ter deal with seeing me. As for the rest...” Rachel shrugged. “I’d suggest a need to know basis. But y’know best the emotional needs of your students. Kurt somehow recognised ‘me’, though,” she sketched the quotation marks in the air with her fingers. “Who knows who else will.”
"We have had some experience with other dimensions before... it might save confusion, at least for those who knew y-- her, if we explain that you're not our Rachel. Simply a Rachel." And yes, the wound was far too fresh. "Those who witnessed her death, especially - I would not like a repeat of Kurt's experience for one of the younger members of the mansion."
“Understood.” Rachel studied the worn lines of Charles’ face, feeling an odd pang of guilt in her gut. But the teenager ignored it. She had no other options and she was desperate enough to have to put aside all other secondary considerations. A world was hinging on her actions.
With a tired sigh, Charles removed the Cerebro helmet, setting it down before massaging his temples with his fingertips. The past several months had taken a toll on him and he felt old. Old and tired. But still, there was the Dream to encourage, his children to help, and one of them was waiting on him right now. With another sigh, he reached out to her mind, as conflicted at the familiar-yet-not touch of it as he had been when she had been brought to his doorstep.
~Rachel,~ he sent. ~Will you meet me in my office in five minutes, please?~
She arrived ten minutes later, having somehow gotten momentarily lost in the turns of the corridors. The price she had paid for her recorporation in this world was a steep one, and Rachel felt crippled without the huge chunk of her telepathic powers that had been sacrificed. Never before had she realised how dependant she had been on her mutant abilities -- so much so that she could not even properly navigate a house without her powers to use as a honing beacon. At that moment, however, there were more pressing concerns.
“Have you located Xorn, Professor?” Rachel slipped into one of the professor’s chairs uninvited, needing to ask even if the expression on his face cast a foreboding of bad news.
"I am afraid not. Either his particular mental pattern is too unusual for Cerebro to pick up, or he is able to shield himself from it and other forms of scanning." Charles looked over at the young woman sitting across from him. So different from the innocent, bright-minded child that he had helped teach, not so long ago. She looked... hard. Battleworn.
Hiding her disappointment behind a frown, the girl nodded and leaned back in her chair, already fairly comfortable in the presence of the man whose counterpart had once been like a grandfather to her before he died for a dream that he had believed so strongly in. It warmed her heart to know that even in this dimension, Charles Xavier was worthy of her idol worship, especially since she had, despite the uncomfortably stark absence of any mind shields, allowed him to probe her mind to verify her story.
“S’alright. I half expected it. The easy way never works out when I’m involved,” Rachel managed a small quirk to the corners of her lips. “I’ll just have to do it the harder way.
"And you won't have to do it alone. We will all do what we can to assist you, Rachel." Charles gave her a small nod. "Mr. LeB-- er, X-Force has had some interaction with Xorn before, he may be more amenable to them finding him, if he is shielding himself." The Professor caught himself before the name slipped out - no sense reminding Rachel of what she had lost in her world.
Rachel caught the slip but merely nodded. "I appreciate it, Professor Xavier," she said sincerely. "If you'll put me in contact with the necessary people who have the resources to track him down, I'll pull my own weight." It made no sense, after all, for her to sit around idly while she waited for the other psion to be located. "And when we do find him, would you be willing to allow your men to volunteer to travel to my world and aid in the war efforts? The risks are immense and I know you owe me nothing. But I promise not to put them in more danger than I have to."
"We will assist as much as we can. And in the meantime... what will you do? Finding Xorn may take some time, and you're welcome to stay here..."
“I’d hate to impose. But apparently neither supplies nor clothes handle inter-dimensional travel well.” Or at all. “I’d like to be where I can receive intel the fastest, if possible.”
"The mansion will be your best option then and it's no imposition. We have a number of guest suites." Charles gave Rachel a considering look. "How much do you want the general population to know about your... circumstances? And there are Moira and Nathan to consider." At their first meeting, he'd already explained that her 'parents' were alive in this world.
“I understand my younger self in this world was recently killed. Her parents shouldn’t have ‘ter deal with seeing me. As for the rest...” Rachel shrugged. “I’d suggest a need to know basis. But y’know best the emotional needs of your students. Kurt somehow recognised ‘me’, though,” she sketched the quotation marks in the air with her fingers. “Who knows who else will.”
"We have had some experience with other dimensions before... it might save confusion, at least for those who knew y-- her, if we explain that you're not our Rachel. Simply a Rachel." And yes, the wound was far too fresh. "Those who witnessed her death, especially - I would not like a repeat of Kurt's experience for one of the younger members of the mansion."
“Understood.” Rachel studied the worn lines of Charles’ face, feeling an odd pang of guilt in her gut. But the teenager ignored it. She had no other options and she was desperate enough to have to put aside all other secondary considerations. A world was hinging on her actions.
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