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The sun was setting along the horizon; it was a beautiful view from the front lawn of the institute. Perhaps it was meant to be this way. To see the clouds as they shape a slight purplish red, into faint blues and near invisible oranges. Birds flying over head looking as if they were drawn into that landscape to fit the picture which could be hung on the wall in an office. Some abstract sort of thing that makes people stop and stare until the colors are drowned out by the night.
Jean and Charles walk side by side; a slow stroll. Teacher to student; a brief lesson in ethics and how the world actually works outside the walls of the hospitals, cabin houses and institute. The conversation itself went easily enough. Metaphors and thoughts on attitudes and needs. Basic human instinct and what's right and wrong. Dissolving into the books that Jean -does not- carry, but floats around them so easily now.
It was like a 'orbita libro'; where Jean and Charles were at the center of where they float.
The pages turn upon a decorative old book, Grimm's Fairytales, one that held her curiosity for a while. The words were skimmed briefly, as her hand lifts to point towards a passage in the book.
"And we teach children these fairytales. Of where children are the victor when they slay their adversary. One could easily say that to escape, to survive, dog must eat dog and therefore dog must kill." Eerie, that way of thinking. "They push the old woman into the oven where she burns alive and suffers a horrible death. And they run away free, still orphans because their parents did not feel the need to care for them. Why?"
*
"I could not tell you, Jean," Xavier says as he shrugs his shoulders and looks out towards the surrounding birds. As he reaches his hand out the painted creature, abstract and foreign, looking like a black and white set of brushstrokes, lands upon his arm. From nowhere appears bread, already torn into perfect cubes, which he feeds to the picture in Jean's mind.
"I wish I knew."
*
"I could not tell you, Jean," Xavier says as he shrugs his shoulders and looks out towards the sunset.. He looks out onto the horizon and brings a glass of water to his lips after he turns to watch Jean manipulate the books
"I wish I knew."
*
Jubilee comes outside. Sure, in theory she should be using the proper facilities to practice things, but the evening sky can be fun to fire at. Really does look like fireworks.
*
Xavier's school is on several radars, some of less repute than others. Some say it is a renegade institute training militant mutants against the coming tide of fundamentalism, others say it is a haven for the lost and shunned.
Scott is hoping for the latter, but expecting the former and either option is better than struggling day to day.
The loud roar of a harley on a long and dreary road announces an arrival at the gates, Scott sliding from the motorcycle and pulls his simple black helmet off his shaggy brown hair so he can comb fingers back into it, push the greasy threads out of his face as he approaches the callbox to press in the button.
No turning back now.
*
There was a little worried look upon her face, the book slowly returning to the orbit as she glances up towards the Professor. "That's troubling." She says quietly, her eyes lifting to pluck another book from the self imposed orbit, this time holding her hand out to allow it to rest upon the palm of her hand as the flaps open for her and settle upon a page.
"English." She states, a little grin upon her face. "Why do they call that thing an ampersand? Why don't they just say 'and symbol', instead of an ampersand?"
Questions upon questions were asked, even as she turns to spy Jubilee in the distance, her mouth opening to speak another word to the Professor until a mind foreign from everyone within those walls begin its breach. She still wasn't used to blotting out the noise. Or the night. Her gaze soon falls towards the gates, her eyes squinting as she tries to pick up the figure from afar. But it was more than that. She was probing, searching. Scanning. Bobby said that it was rude but she found this necessary.
"Who is that."
*
Jubilee finds a nice grassy spot to lie down on. Staring up at the sky. She then starts rhythmically firing shots off. Different colors each, bright ones, flying up a few yards, and popping like miniature fireworks. The pops come at different strengths, as she works on fine control.
*
"I would not let it bother you too much, Jean. It could be something as simple as a way to teach a lesson. The idea that the children are orphans already puts suspense into the story. It makes the story more terrifying. At its root, it is a tale of being careful around strangers. A warning."
Xavier shrugs his shoulders, "Or it is a way to sell more books." He smiles faintly and looks up to notice the fireworks that Jubilee throws out there. But as the rumble of the Harley Davidson bike roars up the driveway, Xavier closes his eyes.
"His name is Scott. Scott Summers."
*
Scott glances back at his motorcycle, then through the bars to the school looming across the grounds protectively behind them. It would be so easy to believe the rumors about this place, all the horrible things he was told, but desperation breeds a quiet sort of acceptance.
"Hello?" He asks the metal box on the side of the gate, "My name is Scott.. I'm here to see someone named Xavier."
*
Xavier's quip about the bookselling does give her a relieved grin. She understood the lesson, at both points then, allowing that fairy tale to be and rest as they focus on the matter at hand. The little pops from Jubilee has her eyes training to the sky, then down towards the gates as she ventures forth now with a purpose.
"Apprehension. Resignation. Finality." She says, turning as she walks a little ahead of Charles to watch him. Her own eyes close for the briefest of moments as she walks, only to open them when she trips up upon a rock and rights herself. Embarrassed, she continues on towards the gate..
"..he has your name on his mind."
*
"Yes, I can feel it emanating from him," Xavier says with a nod. "Worse, I can feel a great deal of pain with this young man. Let's go move to greet him." He raises his eyebrow as Jean trips on a rock, but some things are just better not commented upon. He knew she did it and she knew she did it and well, you just gotta saunter like you meant to do it. Nothing to do but to laugh.
Xavier glides in to the Mansion, across the foyer and toward the front wooden door. There's an unlocking sound from the other side and it opens to reveal Scott.
"Good evening," Charles says, giving a faint smile. "My name is Charles Xavier. I believe you're looking for me."
*
Scott turns away from his inspection of his bike to greet the greeters with a level stare from behind rose colored glasses, "Charles Xavier." No sudden movements, Scott nods a few times and extends his hand. "Scott Summers."
With his other hand he motions around at the grounds, the foyer even, "Someone told me about your school… or they told someone else who was around me. Said that they were going to come here…" He's a little guarded, but that's a Pavlovian trained. "If not that's not true, I'm here to sale you avon…"
*
Jubilee lifts her head to look up at what's going on. She keeps on shooting though. So lucky Scott gets fireworks to celebrate his arrival?
*
"We're all victims here.." Jean murmurs quietly to herself, keeping at Charles' side with her hands pressed behind her back. As Xavier takes the greetings, Jean's brows lift and head nearly rears back as she stares towards the man and..
"Woah."
"Fireworks! It's.. fireworks." Jean mumbles quietly, leaning a little to look at the sky through the foyer, her incoherent babble soon complete with gestures behind the man as her brows lower into a tight knit mock scowl. "Avon? Bad for the skin. Uh. It's.. true.. but.. I'm not speaking for him. No. Not at all."
"Fireworks.." Jean says again, her voice growing small, both hands lifting up as fingers begin to wiggle. "Yay fireworks.."
And in that moment, all of the books that orbit them fall to the ground with a loud smack.
*
"Scott Summers, meat Jean Grey. The girl making the display, presumably in your honor, is Jubilation Lee. As you know, my name is Xavier. Charles Xavier and I run this school," Charles shakes Scott's hand and gives the man a nod.
"I will not beat around the bush, Mr. Summers. My power is telepathy. As I often do when someone new approaches, I read your surface thoughts to ensure that my pupils here would not be in danger. While you would no doub…" Xavier looks over his shoulder as the books all drop to the floor and cannot help but chuckle. "While you would no doubt find that offensive, I hope you understand my need for caution. In any event, your questions about this place would best be answered by you being shown around. You may stay as long as you like. Crystal makes sure breakfast is served rather early, so be on the wary for that. The bacon goes quickly."
*
Scott had taken note of Jean, sure, but now that she's introduced he looks fully in her direction. "Ms. Grey." And then back over his shoulder suddenly at the fireworks, eyes narrowed slightly behind his glasses.
So at least some of the stories are true, this is a haven for mutants. That's good to know.
"Breakfast…" That, that one word, actually cracks the stone like facade. One hand comes up to rub at both sides of his jaw, "It's been a while since I was somewhere that served breakfast at a set time."
Bacon of all things.
"Thank you…" Looking back to Xavier, "I.. yeah, I suppose I can understand your caution." Scott knows what he's done, but he also knows there's a telepath now, so he's making a point not to think about them. Which means he's thinking about them. At least some of them.
The books fall, Scott glances down at them suddenly, and holds to the side of his glasses as if to raise them. "Sorry. It's been a long… month. Year…" Sheepish smile, forced, very unfitting.
*
Once she was introduced, her hand lifts up in a sort of wave. She didn't know whether to shake his hand or.. well, give him a hug? It was wise enough to drop her hand, watching the display of fireworks at the mention of Jubilee, her head tilting slightly to the side as Charles explains the goings on of breakfast and bacon.
Bacon. Damn those pigs.
Her eyes shift towards Scott then as his hand raises, her head dipping ever so slightly as her mind wanders to lightly touch upon the things that he's done..
..Any hint of color that retained in her cheeks slowly dwindle, her hands immediately shaking as she takes in a swallow of saliva that lingers within her mouth. Her eyes water and squint, her shaky hands reaching upright to touch her fingers against her temples as she turns away, her head lowering briefly.
Just then, at that moment, there was a black hole where her mind would be. It was a brief assault on Charles' senses as she invades his mind in a near desperate search for the favored lemonade and a safe spot to hide.
Telepaths. Weird as shit.
*
In Jean's mind, a flood of relaxing chemicals is released by Xavier's insistence, and the picture there, an all white room with just him and her. He reaches out his hand and drops a lemon into hers. The implication is clear. You can have it, but you're a big girl and you can do this yourself.
"Scott," Xavier's voice lowers for a second. "I must admit that I do not know how to tell you this. But I would very much like for you to meet with me after you have had a chance to settle. There is an extremely important matter that I will need to discuss with you. I do not mean to put you at worry, in fact it is not a bad thing. Not at all. It is, however, extremely important."
*
Jubilee can tell her stuff is being watched, people keep turning to look. That makes her laugh a little. It does look good at least. But she keeps doing it, slowly ramping up the power, then pulling it back. Need to make it effective against a human, but absolutely sublethal. Also pretty.
*
Scott watches Jean's reaction but can only speculate that it's because of his thoughts. Behind his glasses, his eyes narrow just a little, and he adjusts the side of his coat absently. He's just about to ask, but then Xavier speaks up and takes his attention away from the colorless woman.
Staring now at the Professor, whom he knows to be a telepath. He blows out slow sigh from his nostrils and nods, "Whenever you want. It doesn't take me long to settle in." All he has is the clothes on his back and the bike in the drive.
*
Jean was still, for the most part. Her eyes tightly shut, shaky hands still rubbing hard at her temples. It was an automatic reaction…
For in the white room, her hands immediately open up to catch the lemon that was given to her. She understood the implication; a world inside the minds eyes is where everything is possible. Almost everything. So she lets go.. a true testament to a painting that nearly mimicked the outdoors. A table made from the finest wood materializing and the utensils to make the freshly squeezed lemonade..
..a knife..
..a pitcher of glass..
..ice cubes and sugar and water..
*
Xavier smiles faintly at Jean and his voice comes through both in and out of her mind and in front of her eyes. "Excellent, Jean." The comment makes no sense, likely to Scott. It's just how they operate.
"Jean, I am hoping that you might be willing to show Scott around a bit and help him take a look at the grounds, introduce him to students, and the like. He has some questions about the legitimacy of this place and if I were to do it I feel as though it would be inauthentic."
*
Scott watches Jean go through her paces with a level stare that's mostly hidden behind his glasses. It's impossible to hide some of the ticks in his face like his forehead wrinkling, but he's use to being around all sorts of mutants.. not necessarily in this particular manner, but…
He looks slightly to one side at Xavier when he offers the haggard woman as tour guide, "Might not be the best option." She doesn't look so good right now.. "Besides, I could use something to eat anyways.."
*
It was a slow pull from Charles' mind, an echo of her creating the lemonade he once made for her imprinted there and soon fading as moments pass. She settles herself again, and while the color didn't appear back upon her cheeks, she focuses upon the voice that pulls her from her reverie in order to force out a slight smile.
"Perhaps later then?" Jean manages to squeeze out as she turns, her smile fake as all get out. There was an underlying hint of fear there, one that she tries to protect by thinking of something abstract and wonderful. The days that she sticks around for a final word were not upon them this moment, she immediately turns with a flourish of red hair to bend, gathering up the fallen books to cup within her arms. "When you're done, find me in the library." Or.. she'll make him find her. Which ever. She'd hear him.
*
"It'd be good for both of you," Xavier says. Having Jean be social is better for everyone, really. It's as much to help Scott feel welcome as it is for Jean to feel welcome.
"I will send someone to come get you. Unfortunately I need to take leave. There's a matter I need to attend to. Feel free to help yourself to whatever you would like in the kitchen. Tonight's dinner was ribs with mashed potatoes. Sam has been helping me learn about smoking southern style."
*
Scott nods to Jean, "Alright." He manages, but he's not entirely sure either of them will be good for the other.. Xavier seems to know, however. So he looks to the professor with a dip of his head, "Thanks.. I'm just going to put my bike in the garage.." Motioning back over his shoulder with a thumb at pointed at the panhead. "Hate to leave it out in the rain.."
A place this size has to have a garage right?
*