Issue 1 Downtime

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 12:54 pm**

After parting ways with Ayami, Steve stood at the headmistress' office door. He hesitated, breathed out, and knocked.

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 12:58 pm**

"Come in, Mister Jones."

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 1:06 pm**

He flinched in surprise, then stepped in nervously.

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 1:10 pm**

She was conservatively dressed, sitting behind the desk in a grey coat and slacks that made her look... well, rather like one might expect a headmistress to look, save for the fact that she was perhaps younger.

"Make yourself comfortable. Have you been settling in alright?"

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 1:14 pm**

"It's... nice I guess..." he said noncommittally as he sat.

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 1:15 pm**

"I know it's likely not quite what you're used to. We get that rather a lot, with new students."

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 1:26 pm**

"Not at all ma'am..." he answered. He wasn't entirely sure that was a bad thing as he tried desperately not to think about how quickly his friends rejected him and... did that.

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 1:30 pm**

"It's not easy being different, aye? It wasn't for any of us."

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 1:33 pm**

"I just... I thought I had it all figured out..."

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 1:36 pm**

"We all did. We all thought we were just going to have to deal with what the average teenager does. Perhaps a few still wish they had."

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 1:59 pm**

"How... do you deal with it all?"

How can I?

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 2:02 pm**

"The problem is in thinking that you have it worse than other teenagers. You have it differently, but that's not the same thing at all."

There seemed to be movement out of the corner of Steve's eye, and a sound not unlike a ruffling of feathers.

"I'll be frank with you. Telepathy is something even most mutants have trouble conceptualizing."

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 2:09 pm**

Sure seems worse.

And what was that?

"I certainly don't get it..."

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 2:14 pm**

"Almost seems easier if you had claws or could shoot lightning, aye?"

There was another flash of movement in his peripheral vision, and it sounded like claws scratching on wood for a moment.

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 2:18 pm**

He shivered at the things he was sensing, eyes darting to look.

"Or super strength. I mean look at... a-are you doing that?"

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 2:20 pm**

"Doing what?" She asked with a faint smile.

As he looked away, he didn't see anything where the movement had been. However, out of the corner of his eye, the headmistress' outline seemed to change.

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 2:23 pm**

"The... birds? And you're all... rippley."

He was a bit freaked out.

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 2:28 pm**

By the time he looked back at her, she was the same as ever.

"You're not used to it yet, but telepaths can see with more than just their eyes."

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 3:46 pm**

He calmed down, but was still unnerved.

"Like one of those third eye dealies, right?"

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 3:56 pm**

"Just so. You're seeing things that are most certainly there, just not in quite the same sense as the physical world."

There was a brief flash in Steve's vision, and the headmistress looked... rather different. Her hair hung wild and free, and in place of her business attire there was a mantle of black feathers. All around her an immense flock of ravens crowded.

Then, almost as quickly as he'd seen it, the scene returned to normal.

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 4:05 pm**

Steve blinked.

"Will I... learn to control it? I mean... I'm not dumb, but nobody's ever called me smart either."

Oh God. Aren't guy telepaths usually bald? I like my hair!

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 4:14 pm**

"Very few powers are truly uncontrollable. It may all seem very bewildering now, but that's what we're here to help you with."

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 4:32 pm**

"Boy do I need it," he responded, "Seeing what people are thinking can be really..."

And there it was, the painful memory of his beating. But the physical pain was the least of it. He had seen the savage, cruel things some of them really wanted to do, and in very faint manner... felt them. Those images now bled from him in a slow trickle he was helpless to stop.

"...bad..."

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 4:34 pm**

"You're safe here, Steve. They can't reach you here. Nobody here is going to harm you."

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 4:47 pm**

He fought back the tears that threatened to flow.

"It's not the people here I'm worried about."

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 4:50 pm**

"That's all you'll have to worry about, until you've got some of your confidence back."

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 4:55 pm**

"I hope I do soon," he sighed, "I hate feeling like this."

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 4:58 pm**

"I used to be a student at Xavier's myself. For me, the biggest comfort was that everyone around me was going through something similar."

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 5:03 pm**

"Yeah... I guess so. I already met some folks."

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 5:05 pm**

"That's wonderful to hear. I think you'll find it's much like making friends anywhere, once you get past looking at people's mutations. Some you'll like, some you won't, and there's no shame in either."

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 5:16 pm**

"I hope I have better taste in friends this time around."

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 5:17 pm**

"Anybody can make mistakes like that. It's very... human."

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 5:29 pm**

That eased his worried mind a great deal. He hadn't felt very human lately.

"Thanks. It's... just a shame y'all don't have any sports teams."

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 5:30 pm**

She chuckled.

"We do intramurals sometimes. Still, when we say 'football' we're talking about something rather different."

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 6:44 pm**

"I played soccer some as a kid. I'm way better at American Football though."

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 6:56 pm**

"I don't know if we've enough for a full game, but I'm sure some of the other Americans share your love of it."

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 7:19 pm**

"Enjoying a good game on TV with some new friends would be nice," he smiled.

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 7:20 pm**

"That ought not be a problem," she smiled. "We've satellite, here."

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2012 7:23 pm**

"Sweet," he smiled.

Posted: **Tue Oct 23, 2012 12:55 pm**

"Any questions I can answer?"

Issue 1 Downtime

Sam's Office - Telepathy and You

Sam's Office - Telepathy and You

Re: Sam's Office - Telepathy and You

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