agroovymind

[agroovymind]

For once he'd been thankful that he'd been listening into the building, mainly to assure that the students were alright and that no one was having any wild or drastic thoughts as of lately. It was something he would mainly do quickly at night to assure that everyone had fallen asleep eventually and that no one was staying up with worries in their head, perhaps he even spoke to them briefly if something left him feeling odd but today had been different. Today he'd picked up on an obvious overwhelming panic while on his daily walk around the institute. It was like an alarm going through his head that he didn't attempt to block out, trying to build a connection, desperately trying to reassure the man that he was on his way and that everything would be okay. Frankly he wasn't sure he'd ever moved so quickly, even if the panic wasn't from anyone he could quite place - thank god for that - but it was still someone in trouble and if any of the other telepaths in training picked up on it than it could quickly become a bigger problem than it already was.

Charles was no fighter and he was probably braver than he should be at times. He wasn't stranger to breaking up conflict but it always ended differently depending on who the conflict was between. By the time he'd gotten there, the warmth had abandoned from his body as the air had seemed to chill only in the area around them. Before addressing Loki, he'd quickly sent a reassuring message to the victim, it was his job to make sure everyone got out of this as... unscathed as possible. 

"I'm afraid that is something I can not do." he pressed firmly, getting ready to switch his telepathic focus on the demigod should he try to harm the man further. "You have a choice in this, come with me and I won't have to go in your head and shut whatever this is down. This can easily be discussed but you need to leave this man alone. No one is at fault yet." At this point he'd locked his gaze on the other, he'd have to put faith in the other that he wouldn't make this worse than it already was. If he didn't have to keep an eye on Loki he probably would have sent out a message for some aid, physically this wasn't something he could diffuse only with his ability did he have a chance if things blew up on them. "This is your decision, make the right call."

Usually, Loki had patience … but not this day. This day, he had fallen heavily into character and sometimes being a method actor was all-too-consuming and this game of improv was proving deadly—at least for the agent that had been harassing him, that had enough of the amnesiac demigod’s snark and drawn his gun—not that it would have killed him, after all, Loki had survived multiple gunshots and the Hulk; a bullet to the brain wouldn’t make much difference … but that didn’t stop the Frost Giant from becoming immediately (and sadistically) defensive, throwing his gloves to the ground and blasting the man with ice, freezing the area, so cold the moisture in the air turned into feather-light crystalline flakes and breath crashed collided with the arctic chill to create dissipating mists. And the agent? Let him be an example to the others to LEAVE LOKI ALONE! The unruly PEASANT was held in place with frozen stocks as a spear of ice grew from the Jotun’s hand, longer and longer as it drew ever closer to the man’s throat—

And was halted only when he heard Charles’ voice.

The spear fell, crashing to the ground, shattering as Loki jerked away from the shivering and frightened man, directing his focus to the professor.

“You stay out of this,” he growled lowly with frost on his tone; the only thing heated about the pale demigod was the sheer rage in his eyes. "And you say out of my head."

[agroovymind]

you tell me that it’s evolution well, you know we all want to change the world

[agroovymind]

Of course Charles had the general idea that things were probably not pleasant but it wasn't as if he had really sad down and gotten to know the other personally before this. Now it was out of his hands and a matter of circumstances but he wasn't an optimist for nothing. If you didn't get down to the core of the issues than how would one be able to truly understand and fix the matter at hand. It would be one step at a time but at least it would be a step in the right direction for once.

It was simple enough to gather focus, letting the world fall away for even just a fleeting moment. Something that seemed to grasp desperately for his attention and only occasional could he tune it out like this to put all his focus into one thing. Sometimes it was a moment of rest if what he was seeing was mainly pleasant but at other times he'd rather be stuck out in the busy world with the variety of thoughts. This however, was far from his expectations. It was not even remotely pleasant, at least nothing that screamed at him like the tragedies did. Like a current, strong and constantly moving with the sole desire to grab you and drag you down with it, to suffocate you under the weight of it all. He wasn't even sure if what he saw could be described as livable, at least nothing the human psyche could come out of undamaged.

Some things were obviously much more vibrant to the eyes, memories that seemed to have potential to carry onto one's succeeding life. The apparent murder of a girl was obvious to see, mixed in with already overwhelming negative emotions that seemed to shake even Charles to the core. A victim of circumstances perhaps, it was hard to find the words to describe it. Perhaps in any other lifestyle, Harry would have done alright but this was destined to end horribly the day it began. Even carrying on to the institute was filled with vicious pain and torment of torture by a face anyone could probably place, and that was next to impossible to connect the dots of. Wade was certainly unstable but to what extent? Putting these two together was only bound to end horribly. It was almost impossible to get a grasp on anything, it felt like an endless amount of emotions and ungodly experiences that even Charles wasn't sure he'd be able to survive up to this point should he had been in the younger male's position.

It got to the point where he absolutely had to break it off, almost certain he could have been trembling. The feel of some of the emotions carrying over momentarily and just the sights enough to make him want to be physically sick. Momentarily resting his head on his hand, he took deep breaths and rested his eyes. Thank god it hadn't been Jean to see into this young man's mind. "How in the world..." he didn't even know what to say, it was more a matter of wondering how someone could survive through all that. In fact even he felt ready to cry, yet still unsure of the reason why. "My god." even he could have nightmares after this, what this could do to a person, especially experiencing it first hand.

Harry laughed, though it was hardly out of amusement. He knew just how bad he was, how his mind was a labyrinth of things that even he couldn’t understand. It’d been fracturing since before he could remember. He supposed the first crack had been his mother’s death and the years of emotional neglect had just kept chipping at it. The injection itself had only been a trigger, like tossing a match into a barrel of black powder. Alone, it would have only burned a little, but with the years of issues, the effects had been devastatingly explosive.

"I reserve the right to say I told you so." That was his only condition. He knew that, with the amount of telepaths wandering around, one of them was bound to get inside his head at some point. At least this gave him the chance of maybe getting to really go outside if everything went right.

[agroovymind]

He nodded, taking careful attention to each voice he heard, mentally filling them into their own conversation. It certainly was a test for his mind, in fact he wasn't exactly sure how Wade could deal with it 24/7. Somehow just hearing everyone's thoughts seemed more preferable. "No, no, it's quite alright. I just have to... get used to it." which he was at this point, not feeling the need to pause as much between words. "Spanish is a nice choice, one of the more popular languages." he pursed his lips taking the time to direct the conversation back to the voices. "No. I can't see you, not that I've ever really tried that but I don't think so..." he shook his head, wondering if there was some other level of telepathy he hadn't known of, one that he probably would have gladly not known of. "You must have quite the patience."

"Si. I’m fluent in many languages. Spanish just happens to be my favorite."

*Oi, I should have cleaned. You should have told us you were coming.*

-He can’t see us. I don’t think. Just hear us. Quit being weird.-

"You should probably stay out of my mind. You won’t like it." Wade laughed a little seeing the man’s expression. He looked like he was going to barf. 

*Can you see us, Sir?*

-God, I hope not. I’m practically naked.-

*Don’t make me find the unicorn.*

"Sometimes I don’t even like them, I swear."

[agroovymind]

It was one thing to hear people's thoughts and then it was another thing to hear one person's multiple... thoughts, voices, whatever one wished to call it. The voices weren't exactly organized, obviously each with a distinct personality that seemed to contradict one another. He could help but cringe slightly and shake it off as he got used to the feeling. "No. I wasn't aware." he said slowly, trying to process a thought, it felt like riding a bike after a pause, slowly but surely getting the motions again. "Are you fluent in Spanish?"

*Whoa.*

-Mind reader.-

*Don’t have to be so…*

-LET’S HAVE A PARTY!-

"Did you know that stop in Spanish is detener?" 

-AH CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA!-

[agroovymind]

It was hard to say if it was ever any fun. Sure, to impress the occasional girl with a neat trick on picking out the perfect drink at the bar or using it as a way to find out someone's intentions was good to secure safety at times, but it was never really described as fun. "Don't sound too concerned." he wasn't sure if it was a weak joke or not, "You won't be the first person I've done this to. Perhaps if all goes smoothly and I can bring myself to understand a bit more we could discuss your... matters over brunch sometimes. I'm sure you're not as rough as you seem." At least Charles could hope so.

He wasn't even sure if this was his most brilliant idea, but it was like he told his students, you had to run the risk to get farther. He'd never really looked into the mind of someone who had spent time in Observation, not to mention with a spotty past. However, there was always a chance that he could use what he learned to help the other and his goal had been to help students from the moment he had walked into the institute. As long as this all went smoothly and he didn't receive a book to the head in return. "There won't be any need to go back there after this, everyone takes it differently but I'm sure the fresh air would do you some good." he took a deep breath, in the hopes this would be as short and as sweet as possible. "Wish me luck." he couldn't even be sure he could mean that.

"Then have fun. If you make any sense out of it while you’re in there, feel free to tell me. I’m not fucking going back to Observation though. I just want some fresh air.”

[agroovymind]

"I'm sorry, my friend but you are not in charge here. I've asked nicely and my hand is being pushed, unfortunately, a headache I have already experienced multiple times."

"Good for you. Don’t get into my head though. That’s just gonna be a headache for both of us."

[agroovymind]

"But it isn't something you alone have to worry about. I'm not saying it isn't something important but don't let your vision be clouded with that in mind. Remember, if there's ever anything that you're concerned about, I'm all ears no matter the time of day. I'm touched that you think of me in such a way and I want to be there for you, Scott. I know things aren't always easy."

"I want to learn but I also know I have a certain responsibility to protect the people I love. You’re not my drill sergeant, you’re my family. I admire you more than anyone."

[agroovymind]

"I said stop"

[agroovymind]

"A madman, no doubt. I hope that if I ever do go on such a drastic spree, you'll get me the help I deserve. "

"The next thing we know you’ll be dumping your tea into the harbor like a mad man."

[agroovymind]

"I'm not sure how well I handle challenges, especially with the youth now a days." he shook his head with a smile, "Perhaps I should watch my back. Rarely does a student seek me out on their own free will. Besides it's been so busy it's only natural I inquire on your well being."

"That sounds like a challenge professor." Lorna said with a laugh. "Thank you. Of course professor why wouldn’t everything be alright?" She asked nodding with a smile. 

[agroovymind]

[agroovymind]

When the majority thought of battles and war, they probably first thought of the physical aspects. The guns, death and at times even prisoners, but rarely did someone grace strategy with a solid thought. Great minds caught up in the influence of power and for a fleeting chance to change the world, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. Never would he be able to fully place himself in those shoes, he wasn't calling his goals a battle or someone's war, it seemed to become part of his lifestyle. Violence however was hardly acceptable, you never got anywhere with petty threats and vicious blows. If you had something to prove it was best to do so with dignity and intelligence. Yet how far off was this from becoming a relative to war, great minds pitted against each other in a  desperate attempt to change their world for the better? Wasn't this itself a curse that seemed to be taking more victims with each passing day?

"Imagine if we lived in a world free of pain. No heartbreak, no meaningless death or illness, no fights? I'm not sure that's a world at all. There will always be someone with a passion and an opinion and that always leads to conflict." and he wasn't sure he could even live in a world like that. Picture perfect, something about it seemed void of life itself. "Pain isn't something we're meant to enjoy but it's there to guide us, to teach us about what is wrong. If it brings us pain than why would we do that to another living being? Life is filled with things we will never understand, it's an existence filled with questions."

Countless times had he mused over the idea if the roles had been reversed and not just with Erik. Almost everyone here seemed to carry some dynamic tragedy and while his own life had been far from perfect it wasn't anything to fuel a revolution. He knew the way people thought and looked at him, more or less he almost felt accused of being the boy with his head in the book with no real sense. Perhaps not even the ability to connect to people on an emotional level, he was a telepath, all he had to do was take a peek and he could just about tell you anything you wanted to hear without any conviction as long as he could string together a convincing lie. While with people like Logan and Erik seemed to have an understanding of just what humanity was capable of, even if they both handled it in different fashions, Charles however, did not seems to even land on that chart.

"But saying humans as a whole, wouldn't that be like saying mutants as a whole? You see, Erik, we really aren't that different from them. They fear what they don't understand and so they place us in the general category of what to fear but calling them all inhumane, we'd just be doing the same that they are." sometimes it felt best to just rest silent, it's not like anything ever really changed in these conversations but it seemed like an endless loop at times. "Some of us have amazing talents that I'm sure they could come to appreciate in due time, abilities that may even help to advance society for us both. Nothing happens in a day but the future could be more than anyone could ever hope for."

If Erik was honest with himself—which he almost never was—he would have to admit how much he missed Charles. From these long talks, debating things they both knew they would never agree on, to simply being around someone with such a brilliant mind. There was so much inside of the telepath, so many things that no one else would even dare to think. After a life full of so many experiences, it was hard to surprise him and yet Charles never failed to. Perhaps that was one reason he would always be so fond of the man.

"That may be so, but I think I have my heart broken far too much for one lifetime." He chuckled, despite the honesty in the statement. His heart had broken when he was beaten and chased out of school for attempting to impress Magda. His heart had broken when his father had been beaten by Major Scharf. His heart had broken when his father saved him from the firing squad, leaving him alone and terrified in a mass grave. His heart had broken when he was forced to serve the Sonderkommando. His heart had broken when Anya had died. His heart had broken when Magda left him before they could even bury their daughter. And that was all before he had even become Erik Lehnsherr.

"I live on the edge, even you can’t deny that. I have lived more in the time I have had than most people do in an entire lifetime and yet I can assure you that I have no desire to open myself up to pain and disappointment. I think the idea that life must have pain to be real is ridiculous." He wanted to think that way at least. He wanted to believe that perhaps someone—perhaps his children—would be able to live a life free of the pain that had haunted him since he was a child.

"I don’t argue with you there, old friend. I have seen many things that you have not, things that give me sight into the heart of humanity that I hope you will never have to experience first hand." His gaze flickered down to his wrist for a brief moment, taking a deep breath to collect his thoughts. What he had suffered was a fate that he would not wish on his worst enemy. "What I know has shown me that humanity is, at its core, flawed. Humans are bitter creatures, eager to hate and slow to love. And that hope is almost always the quickest road to heartbreak."

[agroovymind]

There was little doubt in his mind that one of the most important things Charles was judged on was his ability to voice his opinion on things he had yet to experience. He was even more sure that just like Logan, people had an interest in questioning his time in any form of conflicts, at least those that weren't verbal. Yet he believed someday would come when he'd need to step up and do a bit more than just voice his opinion, he knew where his beliefs were taking him and it would only be a matter of time before it demanded more of him.

Besides that he knew better than to push Logan if he seemed to want to move on from a subject. It seemed like more than usual was he just trying to please the other and god knows that was next to impossible,just barely staying on the other's good side when he wanted to be a friend to the other, someone he could rely on but that would take time. "I'm sure she does, and I'm sure she will come to realize that in due time." he agreed softly, leaving the sentence to hang in the air as he collected his thoughts. "Jean?" he raised his brows, almost slightly taken aback. "Oh how I hope that went well. She's a sweet girl, Logan. I hope you treated her as so." he didn't know whether to smile as if it was a joke, or to worry. Jean was one of his oldest students, and as frowned upon as it could be, he couldn't help but keep a special eye out on her and Scott.

But they weren’t human. Not entirely. Logan debated on what to let Charles see. He could show the man what it meant to truly fight, seeing that it appeared the man had never fought in his life, but avoided it. He wasn’t in the mood for that kind of stuff right now. Avoiding that entirely, he blinked. His mouth opened slightly. The resemblance? Logan suddenly felt protective of the girl above else. “She has more good inside of her than she realizes.” It was the only thing he could say without adding, "She has more good than I could ever imagine inside of her." But he didn’t. “So, uh, I met Jean. Several times.” Switching topics, he pulled the attention away from his clone.