God from the Sky

March 16, 2016:

Gabriel tells Wanda of some of his recent memory reveals, Wanda helps Gabriel discover a codename.

X-Red Headquarters

Characters

NPCs: None.

Mentions:

Plot:

Mood Music: [*\# None.]


Fade In…

Gabe didn't come home one night this week, something extremely unusual for him because he's a rather consistent person when it comes to such things. The reasons behind it he hasn't had a chance to talk to anyone about beyond just the barest rumors that he had an incident. The homework he's been given, the training at the Institute, all these things have been keeping him busier than he had been previously; not so busy he's ignoring certain people but just busier than he was before.

At present he is sitting in the common area at the X-Red Headquarters, leaning back in a chair with a book in his hands that he is reading. Well, attempting to read. His brow is furrowed and it is clear he is struggling with some of it as the whole 'English' thing has been a challenge for him to overcome at times. The language is rather confusing afterall. He is dressed in, surprise surprise, a T-shirt and blue jeans but at least they look to be slightly newer than his usual garb. As a real change of pace however, he has gone barefoot, something that he rarely does.

Since the room has been rather empty with a lot of folks doing whatever it is they do, Gabe has confiscated the music system and is playing some random country style music while he sits with his book.

"Hey" Wanda greets softly as her concerned gaze looks over Gabriel. 'Incidents' are never good but he looks…'normal'. She is dressed in an oversized scarlet t-shirt with 'Witch not bitch' printed on the front (on the back is added '…yet'). The t-shirt reaching down to mid-thigh where her leg warmers start, finishing at her bare feet. "You're back" she smiles before nodding to her own words. "That's good. So what are you reading?"

Wanda approaches, warily. She's never been confident about other people hanging around so though she knows logically why Gabriel has been away, emotionally she has the nagging thought it was to get away from her.

Gabriel beams brightly whens he enters the room, like someone who just found out that a holiday has come early and the smile he has widens when she speaks. Where he'd been reclining some, he sits up a bit more proper as he responds. "Of course I'm back. I couldn't stay away, or be kept away, as long as I'm wanted here." Here seems to infer 'her' from the way he is looking. "I'm reading for myself, not homework for the Insititute. Stories." He holds up the book, it is Roman Mythology. "I have… so much to share with you."

Then his frown comes to his lips, "And I am scared to. You will think ill of me."

A smile is a good way to settle Wanda's nerves and she is soon smiling in return. At least until he talks about being scared to. She grabs a spare chair and drags it over next to his before settling herself down upon it. Maybe ease her way to that last bit. "Why do you think it is mythology?" she asks in a slightly teasing tone with a nod to the book. "Do you know that I am Romanii? My people are…well…it is very complicated…but the country of the Romanii slash Rum still speak a language like the Romans rather than like the countries around us. But that was a long time ago."

Wanda reaches out to give a consoling squeeze to his arm. "I would not think ill of you. I have my own darkness to share. My own fears of what you will think of me. I…I suppose I have not spoken of them because I am…happy. And too many people leave me when they see the real me and that makes me sad. So I suppose to be happy I should be what you would rather me to be, da?"
Gabriel tilts his head at Wanda, a frown touch his lips; not over the talk of the Roman Mythology — definitely something he is going to go back to with her. He sets the book aside and then looks into her green eyes. "Wanda, how can you say that you won't think ill of me but…" Gabriel reaches his hand up to place on hers that is over his arm. "I want to tell you, everything. But I want you to tell me everything too. Because if we can't be ourselves we cannot be happy. And I want to be… I want you to see everything about me. And if you reject it I will be shattered but at least I won't be lying to you." Then the man nods his head in confirmation to himself. "I will not lie to you."

"I have tried being myself and it does not work" Wanda replies with a sigh and a nervous glance to the side. "I don't think you would like her. Not all of her." She tries a smile again. "So why take the risk? I mean, I understand not wanting to lie but…" A distracted scratch at her head before she finally looks to his eyes again. "Tell me the truth then."

Gabriel looks into Wanda's eyes steadily and speaks in a quiet voice. "When I was a young man, discovering my powers.. the woman who raised me, the only friend I had. I murdered her." He looks away then and whispers, "And hundreds of others." Reaching up, he runs his hands through his hair, clearly mentally kicking himself for saying it. He continues to look away as he speaks. "It was an accident but hundreds … in one memory… were killed by me."

Wanda listens and then turns her face away. Not from revulsion but more from recognition…understanding. "If it was an accident then it was not murder" she states softly before turning back, moisture in her eyes. "I…I murdered the woman who raised me. And the man. My parents. And then I murdered hundreds to escape. If I had not escaped they would have murdered me…or worse." A faint smile. "Did I do the right thing? Should I have died instead? But you killed by accident. By definition, an accident is not your fault."

Gabriel shakes his head, "An accident sure, but other than the woman who was caring for me, these were also the people who did…" He motions to his back, to the scars he carries. "And I do not feel guilty about that; only the woman." His eyes gaze at Wanda's and his hand lifts up, thumb to brush her cheek gently. "I do not think we are wrong. We survived. It was the past. We were weak then. I don't want to be weak again so that I am in that situation ever again. So I can make a choice I want to make, not one I'm forced to make." There's a small urgency to his tone, "So that no one can hurt those I care about."

Wanda nods to his words even as she leans into his touch. "I understand, Gabriel. I understand completely. But sometimes we have no choice with what we have to do. No one wants to die and our powers will make sure of that no matter what we consciously want." She sighs and shakes her head. "I am terrible at explaining things. I do not know why you would listen to someone who has no control over their mind anyway." A dry laugh at herself before tapping the side of her head. "Too many voices want to say things. See, Gabriel, I am not as normal as you might like. We are so very much the same…and I hope that is a good thing. The woman…why did she die? Why do you feel guilty about her?"

"Because she was kind to me. She was the person I feel was the only person who cared at all about me." Gabriel explains quietly, still brushing her cheek with his thumb. "She was trying to help me and I just burned her away. The rest of them, they were simply on the ship, sucked out into the vaccuum of stars when I destroyed the vessel." He looks into her eyes though, peers into them really. "Wanda.. we are very much alike. I would not have it any other way. It is like a man in one of the stories," he nods to the book, "who fell to the earth, was disfigured but was ended up with the most beautiful woman."

Wanda smiles shyly at that last comment. "I hope she does not come to take you away until you are sick of me" she teases - never one to think highly of herself. Then back to the more serious stuff. "Maybe that was how she wanted to help you? She sacrificed herself to set you free. To get away from all those people who wanted to hurt you. You should not feel guilty, you should feel thankful to her."

Gabe gives her a look of confusion over the joke before it finally dawns on him and his brow scrunches, head shaking. "It's too late, she already showed up. Talking with her now." The man smiles slowly then, "I will try to think of it that way. But I do want you to be yourself with me Wanda. I do not scare easily and I am not going to leave. I need to be open about what I am going through, I want you to feel you can do the same."

Then he sighs, "Which is why I will spend longer days at the Institute. I need to learn faster, more. So I can control myself, so I don't risk killing someone. I nearly killed Jean, I cannot have that lack of control, da?"

"Oh…of course…" Wanda replies softly about Gabriel's impending absences. "Yes, it is best that you learn how to control yourself. And Jean is very hard to kill." A little giggle at her being the beautiful woman of the tale. "You say the sweetest things. I hope I can be worthy of them. Maybe you should stay overnight as well? I mean…to make sure everything is okay." The sadness on her face would suggest she doesn't think, personally, this is a good idea.
Gabriel shakes his head, "It was part of my agreement in going to the Institute that I be allowed to come back here. This is stable for me, and I don't fit in with the kids at the Institute. Besides, this is where I am most comfortable." When he says that, he's clearly looking at her. "So tell me what you have been doing the past few days since I have been able to speak with you. Brinley mentioned some kind of Clockwork thing which I did not understand.."

Wanda smiles happily that Gabriel will at least be spending the nights here…and that she is the reason. Or at least a major reason. "Ah…the Clockwork King" Back comes the frown. "I have been running into him almost since I arrived in New York. And when I was…when I was sad…I even helped him so he has some of my power. So it is up to me to stop him since I helped create him…or make him stronger. He…he has factories and armies all under the city. How does he he do that without anyone noticing? He is dangerous but…confused. He thinks flesh and blood is too chaotic. I am nothing if not chaotic."

"Is… well, is there anyway I could help?" Gabriel offers, sounding at least a little hopeful. If Wanda is chaotic, then he is certainly nothing less himself. "I could uhm…" He trails off and sighs, "I can't really be of any help can I." He folds his hands into his lap and looks at Wanda, then towards the book. "Perhaps you could help me read in a little while?"

"Of course you could be of help" Wanda replies earnestly - as if there could ever be any doubt. "Maybe you and I could look into it when you are feeling better? I would very much like your help" she smiles warmly before nodding to his book. "Sure. We can read about the old Romanii. What story were you looking at when I came in?"

"It was the story of… uhm." Gabriel opens the book to the page he was reading after picking it up, sliding closer towards where Wanda had pulled her chair. "This story. The one I was talking about of the God who was throne from the heavens because he was too ugly." It is the story of Vulcan. "I should be honest Wanda, I like getting you to help me read, because I can hear your voice more."

"My voice with the horrible accent?" Wanda blushes before she moves from her chair to sit on Gabriel's lap. She peers at the book, flicking a page back and forth before nodding. "Ah…da, Vulcan. He lives in the volcano. He makes things for the Gods…if I remember right. And a beautiful woman fell in love with him? That shows that the Gods in the Heavens did not know what they were doing." She looks at him. "You are not ugly" she bashfully whispers before leaning forward to kiss him softly on the lips.

His arms move to let Wanda crawl onto his lap before sliding around her to hold her there, a rather tricky task while holding a book open for her to page through. Commentary about his thoughts on things are cut off when she kisses him softly, a gesture that is returned in kind, arms squeezing gently. A small blush is on his cheek, warming them much like the rest of him is warm. "But I was still thrown out. And still ended up with a beautiful woman. So maybe I am in fact Vulcan?"

"Yes…I suppose you are" Wanda muses before giggling and nodding. "Vulcan. I think that is a good name for you." Pursing her lips in thought. "That can be your code name. Gabriel is a nice name too. Gabriel is an angel from the Heavens as well." She runs her fingers over the open book. "I have to go to Greece soon. On a mission."

"It is far away but near to where I used to live" she explains, "It is near Rome too. Maybe I can find a statue of Vulcan to bring back? Is it dangerous…" She would really prefer not to answer that but they're being honest…right? "Yes, probably. But I can look after myself and I will be with people who can also do so. I will have to be gone a few days since it is so far away but you have lots of work to do at the Institute."

"I know you can look after yourself, but I would like to help look after you too." Gabriel mentions, reaching up to brush her cheek gently once more before glancing at the corridor to where his quarters are at. "A statue would be nice. And if it's dangerous, you will be careful? If something were to happen to you…"

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