Nathan, Doc Strange - Thursday afternoon
May. 27th, 2004 03:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsAfter his session with Amanda, Doctor Strange goes to have words with the cause of most ofher stress. All very civilised, of course. Between Nate and the Askani, a plan is formed to get Amanda out of the house more.
It wasn't hard to find which room was Mr Dayspring's - the amount of psychic energy radiating from it was like a beacon to Strange's magically-heightened senses. Composing his face (and thoughts) and smoothing down his suit, he rapped smartly on the door, hoping he didn't cause the occupant to fall over and break something else. The state of his pupil had disturbed him more than he let on, and the last thing he wanted was another situation she felt compelled to worry herself over.
Nathan looked up from the half-completed lesson plan, frowning not at the knock, but at the highly unusual presence standing outside his door. He glanced back down at the computer screen and started to finish his sentence. "Come in," he called as he typed.
Strange raised his eyebrow at the man's casualness, but reminded himself that visitors were reasonably infrequent at the school. He intended to say something dryly witty, like "Nathan Dayspring, I presume?" but what he saw in the man's aura as he opened the door drove that and every other thought out of his head for a moment. The man glowed, no, that wasn't a strong enough word - he was incandescent with psychic energy. Amanda had been conservative in her explanation, or, more likely, her powers hadn't been capable of encompassing the full extent of what was there. "Impressive," he said at last, recovering his professionalism.
Nathan straightened in his chair, sizing up the man who had just walked into the room. Tall, rather distinguished-looking, might as well have 'Academic' tattooed across his forehead... "You must be Doctor Strange," he said, then smiled a bit thinly. "And you see them, don't you?"
"I'd have to be blind not to," Strange replied, acknowledging Nathan's guess as to his identity with a slight nod. "That much psychic energy in one place... it's a little hard to miss. Particularly the one with the firebird construct - she's magnificent."
"I would invite her to come out and say hello, but she's grounded for the time being," Nathan said flatly. "Until she remembers whose body is whose and promises she's not going to steal control and scare the crap out of people anymore." He took a deep breath. "Where are my manners," he muttered, looking around. "Would you like to sit down? Can I offer you anything?"
"Thank you. A glass of water would be appreciated - the session I just had with my student was arduous, for both of us." Taking a seat in one of the room's arm chairs, Strange allowed himself a small frown. "Yes, Amanda mentioned there had been some sort of... incident, involving your 'houseguest'. I won't repeat exactly what she said - her turn of phrase is quite colourful."
"Amanda was showing me a dream she and Manuel had shared, a precognitive dream," Nathan said, eyeing the fridge in the kitchenette. The door swung open, and a bottle of water floated out. He levitated a glass off the drying rack and filled it, then moved it smoothly through the air to Strange, who reached up and took it out of the air, nodding to him. "Every psi and precog in my head started screaming at the top of their non-existent lungs. Askani... the one you see as a firebird, their leader, decided she wanted to throw her temper tantrum in the physical world. She didn't harm Amanda, but the two of them... had words." He was
silent for a moment, unable to quite meet Strange's assessing gaze. "I have been responsible for far too much of Amanda's stress, these last few weeks," he said slowly.
"Strange, I was about to say the very same thing." The magician allowed himself a small smile at his pun. "I have to admit, I came here intending to have no uncertain words with you about how close my student has come to giving herself permanent neurological damage, largely on your behalf. Yesterday's... scene was about the last straw. The mess I found her energies in today... well, it is fortunate she'd asked me to come." Strange's voice remained as calm and controlled as ever, and his mind was as carefully shielded, but there was a flicker in his dark eyes.
"She wants to do too much," Nathan murmured, rubbing at his temple for a moment as the Askani stirred restlessly, as if Strange's words had provoked them somehow. "She feels she needs to. She's so convinced that she has to prove herself, to make up for the past..." He sighed, pained, and forced himself to meet Strange's eyes. "I don't know what to do. I've tried to stop her, when I've caught her overexerting herself. Nearly broke that orb of hers back on Monday... the problem is that I haven't been there, or in the shape to be aware of it, most of the times she's pushed herself too far."
"If she continues the way she is, she'll burn herself out altogether, and I'm not sure exactly whether that would just involve her abilities, or whether it would extend to everyday functioning as well," Strange said in a matter-of-fact tone. "But... I do not hold you responsible, although I wish she had chosen someone less... disaster-prone to fix her attentions on. She is one of the most stubborn young people I've ever met, and I've been teaching for a good many years." A reluctant smile tugged at his mouth. "Besides, if it was not you, it would be someone or something else. This school has a wonderful reputation for helping young mutants, but unfortunately it attracts its own share of disasters. The best solution would be for her to leave, if only for a brief time, so that she can get her metaphorical breath back, but I doubt she'd appreciate being sent away."
Nathan very carefully didn't let any of the anguish he felt at Strange's 'If this goes on...' pronouncement show. The Askani were getting downright unsettled, but he tried to ignore them and focus on the rest of what Strange had said. "No," he said slowly. "The best solution is to get her some time in a different, less stressful environment, without entirely removing her from the support that she's found here." There were perhaps half a dozen Askani, quieter, less vivid presences, trying with surprising enthusiasm to catch his attention. He tilted his head, his eyes unfocusing as he tried to listen to them.
Strange was about to answer that, but saw the distance in the other man's eyes and recognised it as someone listening to an inner voice, even as the aurora of energies around him shifted and changed slightly. "I take it your houseguests have a suggestion?" he asked politely - he could have eavesdropped easily, but that would have been inappropriate.
#Silly man...# a matronly-sounding voice scolded Nathan. #She told you herself, remember?#
"The horses," Nathan said aloud, blinking. Strange raised an eyebrow at him, and he went on. "I don't know if she told you, but the students helped out at a local stud a while ago, during a fire. She was very taken by the horses." He smiled slightly, trying to hide the self-disgust. Things were getting pretty bad when he needed the Askani to prod him to remember his own recent past. "Talked about wanting to work with them, actually. She was... a kid again, at the idea." He looked up at Strange, shrugging with his good
shoulder. "The owner of the stud was very grateful for the help. He might be willing to take her on to do some work this summer, if Charles asked him. And I imagine Amanda would be a very enthusiastic worker."
"She did mention it... this was after that unpleasantness with Rack, when she was still regenerating her energies, yes?" Strange had the grace to look a little embarrassed. "I must confess, I let the incident slip my mind, since it involved no use of her magic at all..." He considered the idea. "Yes, I believe that might prove sufficient, especially if she likes the animals as much as you say she does. It would give her a vacation from the stresses of living here, without isolating her overmuch from her friends, and get her out into the fresh air and away from dusty old spellbooks." There was a slightly amused smile on his face as he said the last.
"As I said, I'm sure Charles would talk to the owner," Nathan said quietly, looking away. "I can't see Amanda not jumping at the idea. Might help her get a little of her balance back."
"I'll speak to Charles before I go." Strange caught the shift in Nathan's tone, the way he looked away. "Have I offended you, Mr Dayspring?" he asked, that small smile still lurking around his lips.
Nathan forced himself to smile back, to meet Strange's eyes, even if only briefly. "Not at all," he said honestly. "I apologize if I seem distracted. Too much on not enough mind." Steeling himself inwardly, he pushed it all away, the turmoil and guilt and nagging worry bouncing in sixteen different directions at once - surely he could do that, for the duration of a conversation - and focused on Strange, smoothing out his expression. "Might be best to have the owner call, if he would. Amanda can be very mulish if she thinks she's being pushed into something."
"My mistake. I know I can be rather single-minded about my profession, and I had thought you might think I was only concerned about Amanda's gift, rather than the girl herself." Strange gave another of those self-deprecating smiles. "Yes, that would be the best course, I think. And now, I should go speak to Mr de la Rocha. He has some research he wants undertaken, and I require some further details." He rose, preparing to leave, holding out his hand to shake Nathan's. "Thank you for your assistance, Mr Dayspring."
Nathan eyed his hand for a moment, told the Askani very firmly to behave, and then shook it. "You're welcome," he said quietly.
"Hmm, interesting." Strange didn't let go for a moment, and when he did, there was a certain respect in his expression. "I believe I may have misjudged you, Mr Dayspring. And your associates." Without clarifying, he moved to the door, pausing before he opened it. "Oh, and Amanda will be asleep for a few more hours yet. A sleep spell - she needed the rest and, like you said, she can be very mulish. Poetic justice, I believe you'd call it." Again the smile, but this time genuinely amused. "Good day, Mr Dayspring."
It wasn't hard to find which room was Mr Dayspring's - the amount of psychic energy radiating from it was like a beacon to Strange's magically-heightened senses. Composing his face (and thoughts) and smoothing down his suit, he rapped smartly on the door, hoping he didn't cause the occupant to fall over and break something else. The state of his pupil had disturbed him more than he let on, and the last thing he wanted was another situation she felt compelled to worry herself over.
Nathan looked up from the half-completed lesson plan, frowning not at the knock, but at the highly unusual presence standing outside his door. He glanced back down at the computer screen and started to finish his sentence. "Come in," he called as he typed.
Strange raised his eyebrow at the man's casualness, but reminded himself that visitors were reasonably infrequent at the school. He intended to say something dryly witty, like "Nathan Dayspring, I presume?" but what he saw in the man's aura as he opened the door drove that and every other thought out of his head for a moment. The man glowed, no, that wasn't a strong enough word - he was incandescent with psychic energy. Amanda had been conservative in her explanation, or, more likely, her powers hadn't been capable of encompassing the full extent of what was there. "Impressive," he said at last, recovering his professionalism.
Nathan straightened in his chair, sizing up the man who had just walked into the room. Tall, rather distinguished-looking, might as well have 'Academic' tattooed across his forehead... "You must be Doctor Strange," he said, then smiled a bit thinly. "And you see them, don't you?"
"I'd have to be blind not to," Strange replied, acknowledging Nathan's guess as to his identity with a slight nod. "That much psychic energy in one place... it's a little hard to miss. Particularly the one with the firebird construct - she's magnificent."
"I would invite her to come out and say hello, but she's grounded for the time being," Nathan said flatly. "Until she remembers whose body is whose and promises she's not going to steal control and scare the crap out of people anymore." He took a deep breath. "Where are my manners," he muttered, looking around. "Would you like to sit down? Can I offer you anything?"
"Thank you. A glass of water would be appreciated - the session I just had with my student was arduous, for both of us." Taking a seat in one of the room's arm chairs, Strange allowed himself a small frown. "Yes, Amanda mentioned there had been some sort of... incident, involving your 'houseguest'. I won't repeat exactly what she said - her turn of phrase is quite colourful."
"Amanda was showing me a dream she and Manuel had shared, a precognitive dream," Nathan said, eyeing the fridge in the kitchenette. The door swung open, and a bottle of water floated out. He levitated a glass off the drying rack and filled it, then moved it smoothly through the air to Strange, who reached up and took it out of the air, nodding to him. "Every psi and precog in my head started screaming at the top of their non-existent lungs. Askani... the one you see as a firebird, their leader, decided she wanted to throw her temper tantrum in the physical world. She didn't harm Amanda, but the two of them... had words." He was
silent for a moment, unable to quite meet Strange's assessing gaze. "I have been responsible for far too much of Amanda's stress, these last few weeks," he said slowly.
"Strange, I was about to say the very same thing." The magician allowed himself a small smile at his pun. "I have to admit, I came here intending to have no uncertain words with you about how close my student has come to giving herself permanent neurological damage, largely on your behalf. Yesterday's... scene was about the last straw. The mess I found her energies in today... well, it is fortunate she'd asked me to come." Strange's voice remained as calm and controlled as ever, and his mind was as carefully shielded, but there was a flicker in his dark eyes.
"She wants to do too much," Nathan murmured, rubbing at his temple for a moment as the Askani stirred restlessly, as if Strange's words had provoked them somehow. "She feels she needs to. She's so convinced that she has to prove herself, to make up for the past..." He sighed, pained, and forced himself to meet Strange's eyes. "I don't know what to do. I've tried to stop her, when I've caught her overexerting herself. Nearly broke that orb of hers back on Monday... the problem is that I haven't been there, or in the shape to be aware of it, most of the times she's pushed herself too far."
"If she continues the way she is, she'll burn herself out altogether, and I'm not sure exactly whether that would just involve her abilities, or whether it would extend to everyday functioning as well," Strange said in a matter-of-fact tone. "But... I do not hold you responsible, although I wish she had chosen someone less... disaster-prone to fix her attentions on. She is one of the most stubborn young people I've ever met, and I've been teaching for a good many years." A reluctant smile tugged at his mouth. "Besides, if it was not you, it would be someone or something else. This school has a wonderful reputation for helping young mutants, but unfortunately it attracts its own share of disasters. The best solution would be for her to leave, if only for a brief time, so that she can get her metaphorical breath back, but I doubt she'd appreciate being sent away."
Nathan very carefully didn't let any of the anguish he felt at Strange's 'If this goes on...' pronouncement show. The Askani were getting downright unsettled, but he tried to ignore them and focus on the rest of what Strange had said. "No," he said slowly. "The best solution is to get her some time in a different, less stressful environment, without entirely removing her from the support that she's found here." There were perhaps half a dozen Askani, quieter, less vivid presences, trying with surprising enthusiasm to catch his attention. He tilted his head, his eyes unfocusing as he tried to listen to them.
Strange was about to answer that, but saw the distance in the other man's eyes and recognised it as someone listening to an inner voice, even as the aurora of energies around him shifted and changed slightly. "I take it your houseguests have a suggestion?" he asked politely - he could have eavesdropped easily, but that would have been inappropriate.
#Silly man...# a matronly-sounding voice scolded Nathan. #She told you herself, remember?#
"The horses," Nathan said aloud, blinking. Strange raised an eyebrow at him, and he went on. "I don't know if she told you, but the students helped out at a local stud a while ago, during a fire. She was very taken by the horses." He smiled slightly, trying to hide the self-disgust. Things were getting pretty bad when he needed the Askani to prod him to remember his own recent past. "Talked about wanting to work with them, actually. She was... a kid again, at the idea." He looked up at Strange, shrugging with his good
shoulder. "The owner of the stud was very grateful for the help. He might be willing to take her on to do some work this summer, if Charles asked him. And I imagine Amanda would be a very enthusiastic worker."
"She did mention it... this was after that unpleasantness with Rack, when she was still regenerating her energies, yes?" Strange had the grace to look a little embarrassed. "I must confess, I let the incident slip my mind, since it involved no use of her magic at all..." He considered the idea. "Yes, I believe that might prove sufficient, especially if she likes the animals as much as you say she does. It would give her a vacation from the stresses of living here, without isolating her overmuch from her friends, and get her out into the fresh air and away from dusty old spellbooks." There was a slightly amused smile on his face as he said the last.
"As I said, I'm sure Charles would talk to the owner," Nathan said quietly, looking away. "I can't see Amanda not jumping at the idea. Might help her get a little of her balance back."
"I'll speak to Charles before I go." Strange caught the shift in Nathan's tone, the way he looked away. "Have I offended you, Mr Dayspring?" he asked, that small smile still lurking around his lips.
Nathan forced himself to smile back, to meet Strange's eyes, even if only briefly. "Not at all," he said honestly. "I apologize if I seem distracted. Too much on not enough mind." Steeling himself inwardly, he pushed it all away, the turmoil and guilt and nagging worry bouncing in sixteen different directions at once - surely he could do that, for the duration of a conversation - and focused on Strange, smoothing out his expression. "Might be best to have the owner call, if he would. Amanda can be very mulish if she thinks she's being pushed into something."
"My mistake. I know I can be rather single-minded about my profession, and I had thought you might think I was only concerned about Amanda's gift, rather than the girl herself." Strange gave another of those self-deprecating smiles. "Yes, that would be the best course, I think. And now, I should go speak to Mr de la Rocha. He has some research he wants undertaken, and I require some further details." He rose, preparing to leave, holding out his hand to shake Nathan's. "Thank you for your assistance, Mr Dayspring."
Nathan eyed his hand for a moment, told the Askani very firmly to behave, and then shook it. "You're welcome," he said quietly.
"Hmm, interesting." Strange didn't let go for a moment, and when he did, there was a certain respect in his expression. "I believe I may have misjudged you, Mr Dayspring. And your associates." Without clarifying, he moved to the door, pausing before he opened it. "Oh, and Amanda will be asleep for a few more hours yet. A sleep spell - she needed the rest and, like you said, she can be very mulish. Poetic justice, I believe you'd call it." Again the smile, but this time genuinely amused. "Good day, Mr Dayspring."
