Tag Archives: teawithmutants

Checking In (Summer/Charles)

tea-with-mutants:

iamthefirechild:

“If they had a list, it’s gone now. We didn’t leave much behind.” Summer folds her arms behind her back and starts to pace in small circles. “I’m pretty sure they found me because I don’t keep a low profile, and I was heavily involved in cleaning up after that Manhattan incident. With the aliens.” Her face is bleak and her voice goes sort of toneless as she talks through the memory.

“I had a meeting that day with som—with my sister. I think she wanted to warn me about them, but they got to me first. Broke into my apartment while my roommate was gone, drugged me. I don’t know what it was, but it was an injection, and it took effect very fast. I remember it made me feel like all my senses were wrapped in cotton. I couldn’t feel. Not my own emotions, not anyone else’s.

“They forgot, or didn’t know how soon they had to redose me, and I was able to get a cry out very briefly. My friends tracked me down that night. They didn’t have me very long.”

“I’m glad to hear they found you.” He smiles, still the concern filling his face. “Do you think there’s still more out there.. more members of this group?” He asks carefully. Even though he’s keeping a low profile he needs to be sure there won’t be anyone spying on him or his students. He already has to hear so much complaining of the rules but he had created them only to keep his friends safe.

“Are you keeping a low profile now? I must warn you.. after certain accidents occurred the CIA is searching for mutants like us to interrogate. The world is now aware of our existence and it’s not yet certain how to react to us.” He taps the armrest worriedly. How many mutants had CIA and those— Midnighters captured? “Don’t understand me wrong Summer. I only wish for your safety. You’ve already been through a lot..”

“I can’t keep a low profile. I’ve got a job to do. People to protect. And my identity is already out there.” She sighs, still pacing, reversing direction. “We — my friends did a pretty good job on the mansion, and although I didn’t ask how many I know there were a lot of deaths. Without the mansion, though, they’ll have to set up a new base of operations, and rebuild a lot of what they lost. That’s going to take a long time.”

ooc

thread reminders for:

Checking In (Summer/Charles)

tea-with-mutants:

iamthefirechild:

“Never on ungifted people. Not the fire, anyway. It’s simple enough to be … keeping an ear on my surroundings, and most ordinary thugs are not going to bother with someone who even looks like they will fight back.” This sigh is long, and weary, and she looks at her open hands like maybe they betrayed her. “I’ve killed with it, in self-defence. A few weeks ago, some folk kidnapped me. They’re called the Midnighters. It’s a quiet group, but they take people who have magic, or gifts related to magic, so that they can steal those powers. I … some friends broke me out, after the Midnighters drugged me nearly insensible.”

“Midnighters..?” He furrows his brows. “I haven’t heard of this group before. It sounds— dangerous for our kind.” He needs to keep them in mind, perhaps they knew of him. “How did they find you? Do they keep a list of— people who possess abilities they consider magic?” He doesn’t want to risk his, or his friends safety. If people like the Midnighters were out to hunt people like them he needs to be more careful than before. He already had the CIA after him but now.. He had been worried of organizations like these, mostly of antimutant organizations but this was something completely different. “Do you know what drugs they used? Did they get a chance to actually try stealing your powers?”

“If they had a list, it’s gone now. We didn’t leave much behind.” Summer folds her arms behind her back and starts to pace in small circles. “I’m pretty sure they found me because I don’t keep a low profile, and I was heavily involved in cleaning up after that Manhattan incident. With the aliens.” Her face is bleak and her voice goes sort of toneless as she talks through the memory.

“I had a meeting that day with som—with my sister. I think she wanted to warn me about them, but they got to me first. Broke into my apartment while my roommate was gone, drugged me. I don’t know what it was, but it was an injection, and it took effect very fast. I remember it made me feel like all my senses were wrapped in cotton. I couldn’t feel. Not my own emotions, not anyone else’s.

“They forgot, or didn’t know how soon they had to redose me, and I was able to get a cry out very briefly. My friends tracked me down that night. They didn’t have me very long.”

Checking In

tea-with-mutants:

iamthefirechild:

“I’m not sure it’s friction. I mean, I can do this,” a pair of wings, shaped entirely of flame, appear from her back, “and I guess I could do like the Human Torch and surround myself with it.” The wings drop away to nothing. “Are you excited because this is new, or the … ” Summer looks away, trying to find the right words. “I’ve fought with them. I’ve hurt people with it. It’s … it’s hard, doing that, because I’m having to dump their pain right back out, really fast, or get caught up in it. I can choose if they burn someone else, but I have to think about it, focus on it. It’s only me that’s wholly safe.” That brought a twist to her mouth.

“It seems you’re in full control of your ability.” He watches the display amazedly. “I understand you’ve had to use your powers to protect yourself..” His expression turns to serious. He furrows his brows, this ability reminds him of something, but he’s not entirely sure what it is called. “Who have you fought with? Just some normal locals or—?” He goes silent, waiting for Summer to finish his sentence. 

“Never on ungifted people. Not the fire, anyway. It’s simple enough to be … keeping an ear on my surroundings, and most ordinary thugs are not going to bother with someone who even looks like they will fight back.” This sigh is long, and weary, and she looks at her open hands like maybe they betrayed her. “I’ve killed with it, in self-defence. A few weeks ago, some folk kidnapped me. They’re called the Midnighters. It’s a quiet group, but they take people who have magic, or gifts related to magic, so that they can steal those powers. I … some friends broke me out, after the Midnighters drugged me nearly insensible.”

Checking In

tea-with-mutants:

iamthefirechild:

“That’s the interesting part.” Summer’s not concentrating very hard; she’s done this bit so often it’s almost a party trick now. She lifts her hands, turning them around, and the fire licks up her fingers and coalesces into a ball. “It doesn’t burn me. It’s entirely under my control. I call it, somehow, and feed it the emotions that aren’t mine. I can set things on fire, or not, as I choose. But if I stick my finger in a candleflame lit from a match, I still get burnt.” Without any apparent effort, the fire vanished.

“Can you use the power to defend yourself?” Is the first question that comes out of him. He leans forward in his wheelchair and looks at her hands. “These seem to be a different sort of flames then.. I’m not entirely sure, but it seems you have a power to turn emotions into energy in your body and use the friction between your fingers to cast it out.”

He watches how the flames vanish and his eyes go back to Summer. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but they disappear as you stop feeding them the emotions? I— I dare say.. if you could bring this energy through your entire body, you would have an armor.. made of flames.” The thought amazes him, a full body fire protection. That would indeed come in handy. “Do you know if these flames hurt others?” He asks politely, trying to hide the excitement of the new information.

“I’m not sure it’s friction. I mean, I can do this,” a pair of wings, shaped entirely of flame, appear from her back, “and I guess I could do like the Human Torch and surround myself with it.” The wings drop away to nothing. “Are you excited because this is new, or the … ” Summer looks away, trying to find the right words. “I’ve fought with them. I’ve hurt people with it. It’s … it’s hard, doing that, because I’m having to dump their pain right back out, really fast, or get caught up in it. I can choose if they burn someone else, but I have to think about it, focus on it. It’s only me that’s wholly safe.” That brought a twist to her mouth.

Checking In

tea-with-mutants:

iamthefirechild:

“Hiding the mutant ability is easy. It’s amazing how many people simply assume I’m reading body language, facial expressions, tones of voice. Phrasing. I don’t,” she hesitates, “manipulate. Unless I have to. Absolutely have to. Just knowing is enough, most days.”

She laughs, a little bitterly. “Most days, just knowing is all I can take. It just comes in and in and in, and for a long time there was no out. That’s the part that’s harder to hide.” Summer works her fingers a little, the curious gesture of someone used to working with their hands. “If I don’t find an out, I convulse.” Looking down, she goes on, “Until I discovered this.” And abruptly both hands are covered in flames.

Charles lets his fingers run up to his temple, his eyes locked on the girl. “I see..” He says thoughtfully, startling when her hands suddenly light up in fire. “Dear!” He blinks, letting his hand drop to the armrest. “That indeed is a special talent, including your ability to sense feelings.” He looks both amazed and worried.

“I err— do you need help with that?” He asks, unsure if she has learnt to shut them off on her own. “It looks rather dangerous.”

“That’s the interesting part.” Summer’s not concentrating very hard; she’s done this bit so often it’s almost a party trick now. She lifts her hands, turning them around, and the fire licks up her fingers and coalesces into a ball. “It doesn’t burn me. It’s entirely under my control. I call it, somehow, and feed it the emotions that aren’t mine. I can set things on fire, or not, as I choose. But if I stick my finger in a candleflame lit from a match, I still get burnt.” Without any apparent effort, the fire vanished.

Checking In

tea-with-mutants:

iamthefirechild:

[the asklimit is incredibly hateful]

Summer shrugged uncomfortably, but met his eyes nonetheless. “I’m a mutant. An empath. I’m not staying here. I’ve a life, in New York, in the city. But I thought you should know.”

“An empath.. you’re the first one I’ve met.” He eyes at Summer with a curious smile. “I’m not forcing you to stay dear, you don’t have to be afraid.” He rests his hands on his lap, trying to look as nonthreatening as possible. “How’s your life like in the city? How do you manage to hide your abilities, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Hiding the mutant ability is easy. It’s amazing how many people simply assume I’m reading body language, facial expressions, tones of voice. Phrasing. I don’t,” she hesitates, “manipulate. Unless I have to. Absolutely have to. Just knowing is enough, most days.”

She laughs, a little bitterly. “Most days, just knowing is all I can take. It just comes in and in and in, and for a long time there was no out. That’s the part that’s harder to hide.” Summer works her fingers a little, the curious gesture of someone used to working with their hands. “If I don’t find an out, I convulse.” Looking down, she goes on, “Until I discovered this.” And abruptly both hands are covered in flames.