May 29, 2016:
Rogue and Beast finally meet and discuss past and present.
Xavier's Institute
Xavier's Institute grounds are located on 1407 Graymalkin Lane in
Westchester County between Graymalkin Lane itself and Breakstone Lake (30
miles outside of NYC itself). A large portion of this is acres upon acres of
woodland forest. To the farthest eastern portion of the Institute's grounds
there is a stretch of low foothils.
Upon entering the Institute grounds immediately past the heavy gated
entrance one finds themselves on a carefully paved road that splices in two
directions, west and east.
The west leads to the School for Higher Learning where gifted youngsters are
educated and taught to use their unique talents. Here almost year around
children and teachers are housed.
To the east miles away lies Xavier's Mansion where Professor Xavier himself
and some faculty members of the school live. These "special" individuals are
those aware of Xavier's more clandestine operations, the adminstration and
training of the X-Men.
Beyond the neatly walled mansion's yard in those foothills is an obscure
landing strip that leads to a hangar complex and a subtly hidden facility. A
facility that houses underground sublevels, a danger room, Cerebro and the
training halls of one of the most advanced mutant fighting teams in the
world.
An underground monorail connects the School for Higher Learning with the
Charles Xavier's Mansion and the X-Men's Hidden Complex. Security is tight
in this region, by means of limited magical warding, advanced future tech
security systems and telepathic sweeps. Tread carefully.
Characters
NPCs: None.
Mentions:
Plot:
Mood Music: [*\# None.]
Fade In…
The Linguistics class was over and as students shuffled through the halls to their next round Rogue steps from her classroom only after the halls relatively emptied. when she teaches and is in close quarters with others she wears her X-Men uniform, a green and white stretch of body suit tht coveres her from the zipper line to throat to toes with the white belted hold around legs to upper thighs for boots. The white 'X' symbol stretches across her bust, the smaller matches of the teams symbols upon shoulders and on the white belt that spans around the width of hips.
From her class room to the smaller staff lounge she moves, a gloved hand reaching upward to pull the pony tail free and let loose the massive mane of waves mingling auburn with the white streak through the front. Once in the lounge and seemingly alone gloves come off, are set neatly on the table beside her books, and coffee starts to be made.
Dr. McCoy has been busy assigning and grading papers and projects as well as holding tutoring sessions for those students who feel a bit behind in his science and Math classes…or those who want an extra leg up for the finals. He's brought a stack of tests into the Teacher's Lounge and has begun to work on them, so caught up that he didn't even notice another enter until the smell of coffee hits his sensitive nose. There's a brief start as he looks up and around before offering a weary sort of smile, "Bless you. I completely forgot that we even had the coffee here."
Rogue's teaching of Linguistics has her opening her mind to where she learned them from, as well as the people she has…taken on… to learn them from. There is a reason this class happens once a week, because it takes some time for her to put things back right in her head and keep the minds and memories absorbed from plaguing her like haunting poltergeists.
That's also why it is easier for her to teach her 'Coping Skills' classes the other two days before she needs the remaining four to just be. So she did not even notice Beast in her shuffle to the coffee pot while her head throws sticks and stones at her conscience. Standing there in silene and facing the percolating pot Beasts appreciation brings tension to shoulders that quickly relax as eyes as green as her uniform turn his way but do not match the smile she offers him.
"Ah have found this little area can hold quite the meal as well. Ah stocked it after a little meet with a couple of our…students.." Was X and Nate students here? She was not sure, but what she was sure of, was that they indeed needed some form of help after the other day.
Another mug is brought down for Hank and filled beside hers and a carton of creamer as well as a small bowl of sugar is brought to the table, his table where she joins him.
"Ah remember you. You were decoding the tapes." And even as she said that he voice lowered with the memory of the Genoshan tragedy.
Beast wasn't expecting the coffee to be brought over, but it's met with an appreciative look even as he adjusts it with cream and sugar. "Thanks," is offered before he tilts his head some and listens to her actual words. After the whole Rachel Summers debacle, he's been more aware of how he reacts to people he thinks he knows.
"Yes, I worked on them as much as I could. I hope I was able to get something that could be useful." He looks at her for a moment before he reaches out a clawed hand, "Hank McCoy." Just in case. He's decided he'd rather look like a bit of a fool than be yelled at for doing what he thought was right again.
Rogue has heard of the Rachel debacle, but not what involved Beast. Just the new Rachel versus the old. But the whole thing from start to end is a debacle. One Rogue backed as part of her old self as well, and then was against as what is new. That is a battle that will never end it seems - amongst other things…
When Beast reaches out to extend a hand in greeting Rogue's seat makes a low screech as legs drag across the floor to give them a bit more distance, her own hands clutching her mug tighter, in a manner that the porcelain cracks and coffee starts to dribble through the fissure.
"Ahh crap, Ah'm sorry." And quickly she is moving to the sink to dispose of the mug and get a refill, all the while even with her back to Beast she searches for the right words, herself.
"It is nice to finally meet you Doctor Hank McCoy. Ah would shake your hand but Ah cannot without…" Turning she nods to her gloves with a tilt of her head, still not looking up from her mug even as she reclaims the seat nearby.
"You got more then any of us could have. Now we just need to find a …. way to move. They already tried for Charles… Matter of time." And in that time, how many more are dying? The thought brings back a bit of tension but she finally looks back up almost sheepishly at Hank.
Maybe he knew what her reaction might be, maybe it was a test for him…or for her. Pulling back his hand, Hank stands to help her clean up the spilled coffee, "I'm sorry…I probably should have known better. How…shall I call you 'Rogue'?" He knows of her, at least.
He also returns to his seat with his unspilled coffee, "In this instance, I'm afraid that there may not be a safe way to go about this operation. It may be one that no matter how hard we plan, it's going to end up being one where we charge in and do our best. I…but I'm not up on the current tactics they've been working on."
There's a brief smile of, he hopes, reassurance, "No worries about the coffee mug. I should have been more sensitive."
"No need ta apologize, it is my fault. Not gonna cry over spilt coffee." Rogue gives a half smile then, this time setting her mug down and only tentatively touching upon it when she takes sips here and there.
"Rogue is just fine. Anna-Marie is my birth name, but… Rogue has fit for more years then Anna." The truth in that is plain as day as the people in her town gave it to her as a youth, and after insult and injury she came to prefer the name, even if it was meant to be a 'scarlet letter' after the pitchfork and torch trials. She'd accept being (a) Rogue.
Nodding at his words she agrees fully, as she stated when the meeting came to light with his video revelation. "Ah do not think we can be tactful, in any way, but Ah am not the one to make those calls, as sensitivity is focused in other manners for me." Tilting her head to him the smile now meets her gaze. "You had to know. Ah do not harbor anything against your methods, just the waste of coffee mayhaps."
"They call ya Beast here, right? Ah get it, and yet Ah do not."