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Post by Bobby Drake on Nov 4, 2006 22:02:08 GMT
Wanda nods as Ororo points out the other students. She’s still a touch uncertain as to the battle-lines drawn between her organization and Magnus’… beyond being one another’s enemies, and a shared goal of training youngsters with special abilities, it’s unclear to her what either of them is actually attempting to accomplish.
Her attention perks when Ororo mentions “Bobby” – the same “Bobby” from John’s email? Apparently, judging from the way they’re standing together… and apparently without anyone’s knowledge, judging from the way others are reacting or, rather, failing to react. She makes a mental note to introduce herself later.
> " I haven't spoken to him truly for many years, since before he left our Institute. "
Which is, itself, interesting. The two organizations were one, once? And Magnus split off a splinter group. That explains a great deal, though it leaves just as much unexplained. Were Ororo and Magnus co-leaders before the split? No, that doesn’t fit the way she speaks of him. There’s a missing player, she realizes…someone actually in charge of the Emporium (no, she corrects herself, that’s clearly not how they refer to themselves – it’s the “Institute”), to whom Ororo serves as lieutenant.
Before she can explore it further, Magnus himself joins them, as if summoned by her reference to him – which, she realizes, is possible.
> " Ah, Ororo, I trust it you won't be picking anyone's pocket tonight? Charles would be proud of his young protege. Already inserting yourself among the ranks of the wealthy and very influential "
’Charles’, she thinks… there’s the missing player. But… “would be proud”? Dead, then, and Ororo newly risen in his place. Perhaps in the same conflict that left Magnus weakened and the Brotherhood disorganized… which would explain why the Institute did not follow up its advantage. They were both weakened. Which makes this a fortuitous time for her to arrive on the scene, doesn’t it? Perhaps this is why she was really drawn here, to take over from both leaders and rebuild this fractured home for the Touched? It’s an interesting notion, certainly.
His reference to Ororo, and by inference ‘Charles,’ as thieves and opportunists are also interesting… an attempt to goad Ororo, perhaps? Or to communicate information to Wanda herself? Or disinformation? All possibilities. She watches Ororo carefully to gauge her reaction, and Magnus himself out of the corner of her eye… his mask conceals much of his thoughts, but at least something can be gleaned from his stance.
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Post by Ororo Munroe on Nov 5, 2006 8:09:33 GMT
As she talks with Wanda, Ororo sees a man come through the crowd to their position. With a jolt, she realizes that it's Magneto.
Or, rather, Mr. Lensherr. Unbeknownst to quite a few of the younger students, Magneto had actually helped found the Institute. Had even taught there, until the day he had broken his ties with it. And, somehow, had even managed to make history an interesting topic.
>"Ah, Ororo, I trust it you won't be picking anyone's pocket tonight? Charles would be proud of his young protege. Already inserting yourself among the ranks of the wealthy and very influential."
"Hello, Erik. I trust you won't be sliding any knives into anyone's backs tonight?" she says acidly. "It's become too frequent for my taste, anyway." How dare you mention Charles Xavier to my face?
Ororo hazards a glance at Wanda, who appears interested in their exchange. "I've just been having a conversation with Wanda here. How fortunate for her that she managed to avoid inheriting some of your more charming attributes."
She's not quite sure what the point of this verbal fencing is. In an ideal world, she'd be able to throw herself at him, screaming that, yes, it was HIS fault that Xavier was dead, that he should have been able to do something to stop it, that if he hadn't tried to recruit Phoenix, Charles would have been able to help Jean take back conscious control - and then fry him.
So she stands there, willing her eyes to stay clear. She can feel heavy clouds gathering high above the building.
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Post by Pyro on Nov 5, 2006 17:33:06 GMT
What the hell is a Thneed? Probably one of those hackneyed childhood things Bobby constantly references and John remains oblivious to, which makes for some interesting gaps in conversation (and some interesting filler, trying to explain that which is self-evident to the average 5 year old to a caffeinated pyromaniacal teenage cynic). He’s ready to point out how little sense the Iceman is making… when Bobby shifts ever so slightly, his confusion swings maniacally, and he can’t tell if the electric shocks are numbness from the sudden drop in temperature or hypersensitivity from being that close… most likely a mix of both.
Whatever. It feels good regardless. Not quite good enough to stop the withering glance Bobby’s oh-so-witty geek-out obviously merits from escaping before he returns his attentions to the girl… Okay, now he sort of remembers her. Plant girl. The one who was even more entertaining than the resident vegetarians when it came to meal times, because you could just tell from her face, it was like you were feasting on babyflesh or something… Brilliant. He hadn’t seen much of her outside those communal periods – the destructive/nurturing dichotomy sort of putting the nix on any potential relationship, even if he had thought a girl who could talk to grass worth getting to know in the first place – and… yeah, that was about it. Plant girl. Still not exactly grabbing his attention… but then again, she was up against much stiffer competition now. The only real point of interest? How anyone at the Institute could still be oblivious to what exactly he’d been doing since Alkali Lake. Though even that makes a sort of bleak sense; hardly something they’d be shouting from the rooftops, and besides, he’s been pretty invisible ever since Jean stole the limelight with her first death (bad timing if he’d wanted anyone to care. Which he hadn’t, of course. Duh).
He’s wondering exactly how he’s going to explain that when Bob takes the pressure off… sort of. John raises one eyebrow with the semi-shocked Since when were you so devious? sort of grin, struggling to suppress a laugh, and failing utterly when Robin pipes up about how ‘cool’ it is, how she’s glad the Professor’s dream is being pursued… okay, that sobers him slightly, the whole ‘dream’ issue, which he really isn’t going to go into just now. But still… perfect excuse, Drake, if it wasn’t so hilarious, this image of him as a student and guiding light. Fantastic. (and no, this is not going to turn into one of those *what might have been* moments… because he would have been studying somewhere else by now, and… yep. Not going there)
Might as well run with it now Bobby’s started this game of trying to find euphemistic ways around the fact he’s in conversation with a notorious terrorist. Still struggling not to burst into full on laughter – and for the most part succeeding, he replies ”S’pose you could say it was more political… I’m training to become a” – John shoots Bobby a knowing glance and a slight grin before returning to Robin – ”diplomat. The next great mutant ambassador, or something. Getting the message out there where you can’t ignore it and, erm, changing stuff”
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Magneto
Brotherhood of Evil Mutants
Erik Magnus Lehnsherr Magnetic Field Manipulation
"That's why the pawns go first..."
Posts: 212
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Post by Magneto on Nov 5, 2006 19:48:17 GMT
Erik glanced to Wanda with a devious sort of smile and gave a short stifled laugh. Whatever his daughter and Storm had been discussing, it appears that Wanda had done quite the job of playing the 'good' little girl. Wanda was probably more like her father than either wished to admit, although Wanda seemed to have a bit more persuasive air about her than Erik himself did.....how interesting.
"Oh, I think you'll find Wanda has plenty of her own 'charming' attributes without having to rely on any of mine," he said as he finally openly acknowledged Wanda as his daughter, something which for him was a very difficult thing to do. Admitting he had an heir was perhaps a bit dangerous for in the minds of some, Wanda could be used to manipulate him into doing what they wanted......or at least it would be a good thought. Magnus himself had already decided though, that if anything of that sort should come to light, well....then he would simply remove Wanda himself and save both she and him from any of that childish nonsense.
"Those who live in glass houses Ororo.....," he said as his turned his attention back to Storm, his eyes as piercing as ever, "You call me a betrayer when it was you who sided with the homo sapiens back at Alcatraz. You and the rest of Charles' little traitorous outfit....standing side by side with those who sought to 'cure' us.....," he added, letting his sentence trail off as he lowered his gaze to the weather witch. The Hellfire Club was a safe haven to all and any sort of physical altercations would not be allowed, no matter how much provoking was involved, a slight fact that Erik hoped Storm would have overlooked, but it not, then oh well, it was all still fun.
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Wanda Maximoff
Unaffiliated
Scarlet Witch Probability Manipulation Spell casting
absolute confidence overwhelming power complete lack of clue
Posts: 35
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Post by Wanda Maximoff on Nov 6, 2006 16:36:59 GMT
> " …sided with the homo sapiens …Charles' little traitorous outfit....standing side by side with those who sought to 'cure' us "
With a sudden burst of insight, Wanda finally understands, fragments of a dozen conversations with Magnus and John and other Brotherhood members and snippets of television broadcasts and similar background noise assembling in her mind to form a coherent picture. That is the difference between them – their philosophy regarding the relationship between Touched and non-Touched. For Magnus, a war in which he is recruiting soldiers. For Ororo… what? Wanda is not yet certain, and begins to suspect that she may not have any specific goal in that regard, beyond her obvious desire to keep her charges safe.
How odd that they should be enemies! Wanda’s own tradition would have coupled the two forces, the warlord and the nurturer, respecting the need for both and the chaos that erupts when either reigns supreme. She herself had played both roles at various times in her life, before retiring from politics and assuming the mantle of Priestess in Red.
She contemplates pointing this out, but intuition tells her this is not the time or place. Increasingly, however, she feels the Call to intervene, to reintegrate this fractured tribe of the Touched. Very well, she thinks distinctly, so that the words might be heard in the bones of the earth. Earth-mother, Sky-father, I accept Thy Call in this. There will be unity in the houses of the Touched before I leave them of my own will. Thus swears your Priestess in Red. The fact that she has no notion of how to achieve this is not a significant concern… so long as her feet are on the correct path, the tools she requires will be provided.
She returns her attention to the conversation then, curious to see Ororo’s response to her father’s barbs. She will need to understand these people better if she is to fulfill her Call.
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Post by Rogue on Nov 7, 2006 2:44:08 GMT
”You do that, doll. I’m going to turn the heat on this cool customer. Get the inside scoop”
"Yeah, You do tha'...An' call m'doll!" she tosses after him, and continues eating her cake.
Awesome stuff, this cake - seriously, she should worry that just this piece alone could cause diabetes, there's that much sugar in it. But she's not, because it's too good to think about it that way.
She will, however, be getting hyper tonight, if she has more than one. She wanders over towards the drinks table - passing behind Bobby, Robin and John's cluster as she does, in time to hear Bobby's words.
...He’s a kind of, um, exchange student now...[/color]
Exchange student? Yeah. Right. That's...believable.
...Only, the Robin's going for it, and Rogue pauses a moment, to shoot Bobby and John a look, which hopefully doesn't lose it's effect from behind the mask, before continuing on her way to get a drink with a snicker under her breath.
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Post by Ororo Munroe on Nov 7, 2006 6:00:25 GMT
Why am I arguing with Magneto? Storm inwardly shakes her head at the sheer futility of the exercise. Erik Lehnsherr was one of those few people in the world who was far beyond any reasonable attempts at rehabilitation.
>You and the rest of Charles' little traitorous outfit....standing side by side with those who sought to 'cure' us...
"Ah, yes. Because the prevention of needless death has always been utter insanity, Erik." She shakes her head at that. "You were a 'homo sapien', as you refer to them, for a period of time after the battle. I've no idea how you justified your own existence, if you hate them so."
"Perhaps we can do things that normal humans cannot, but we all share a common bond - we inhabit Mother Earth. The majority of non-mutants would leave us in peace, if it were not for the few rabble-rousers who stir them up. You are no better than they - despite your self-righteous attitude - and I pity you for it." Ororo feels her lip curl in slight disgust.
She glances over at Wanda, slightly curious as to the woman's reaction. Do you know that your father is a mutant terrorist?
Perhaps. For Wanda's sake, Ororo hopes that megalomania skips a generation.
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Magneto
Brotherhood of Evil Mutants
Erik Magnus Lehnsherr Magnetic Field Manipulation
"That's why the pawns go first..."
Posts: 212
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Post by Magneto on Nov 8, 2006 3:58:30 GMT
Magneto managed a half-smile/half-sneer as Ororo stood in all her ignorant glory. The words she spouted off had a familiar ring to them.....but to be honest......they didn't work when Charles was around and they certainly didn't work now. Granted Storm was one of Charles' better pupils, but she still lacked the insight and experience that Erik held and the horror which he had lived through and vowed never to have to endure that again.
"Charles Xavier.....your not my dear," was all Magneto said in response for the moment. Storm had cut deep with her remark on the way he had once been exactly what he so despised....funny though, cause even being a mutant again, Magneto was still what he hated.....a bigot. "You may be content to sit back and allow the homo sapiens to march into your living room and brand you for what you are," he said as he unconsciously put his hand to the unseen mark on his left wrist, "but I am not," he finished up, trying to hold back the wave of malice which boiled inside of him. Ororo had once been his pupil as well, as had so many others....Jean....Scott....but that was a lifetime ago.
"You take dangerous steps Ororo....in shoes too big for you to fill," he added as his smile/smirk completely disappeared. The old man at one time may not have even thought about grinding Ororo underneath the gears of mutant progress, but now....well....that time was no more....she and the others had betrayed their brethren and the price for treason was death.
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Wanda Maximoff
Unaffiliated
Scarlet Witch Probability Manipulation Spell casting
absolute confidence overwhelming power complete lack of clue
Posts: 35
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Post by Wanda Maximoff on Nov 8, 2006 7:35:00 GMT
> " …Because the prevention of needless death has always been utter insanity, Erik. [..] You were a 'homo sapien', as you refer to them, for a period of time after the battle… "
> " …You may be content to sit back and allow the homo sapiens to march into your living room and brand you […] You take dangerous steps… "
Wanda smiles imperceptibly at this confirmation of her previous intuition. She’s not entirely certain what ‘homo sapien’ refers to, though it seems to be applied to the unTouched… although that cannot be right, can it? Does her father declare war against the entire world, then? Does he possess the power to do so, or is this mere delusion?
If he does, if he can truly establish himself as a sort of Emperor… that might be worthwhile. But if not… well, if not, then all he can do is kill indiscriminately and foment ill will among survivors, and that that buys nothing. This she must know, before she decides what path to take.
"So, father… what do you do, once the war has been one, and your enemies subjugated? What manner of world do you build? And you, Ororo – what do you seek to preserve, besides the lives of those who need not die?"
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Post by Bobby Drake on Nov 8, 2006 18:19:26 GMT
Bobby is feeling a little guilty about the whole “exchange student” thing… he hadn’t really intended it to make fun of Robin’s ignorance, although that’s clearly where it ended up. Even Marie is amused by it, just walking past, and John is taking the ball and running with it. Time to even up the score a little.
So he nods, enthusiastically, at John and Robin’s exchange. "Right. It’s pretty cool, actually… John’s new mentor was an old friend of the Professor’s, but they had a bit of a falling out over ideology and he left the Institute years ago. John here is the first Institute student he’s taken in since then… you could say he’s already bridging the gap between rival forces, even as a student. " He glances meaningfully at John, as if to underscore that everything he said is true, even if John wouldn’t ordinarily describe it that way, and the situation isn’t nearly as clear-cut as John wants it to be.
" Speaking of politics, actually, either of you have a favorite in the elections next Tuesday? I’m liking Spitzer, myself, but then I’m an unrepentant Democrat. Not that I can vote yet or anything, but I guess it’s good to know where you stand even if you can’t necessarily do anything about it yet, right?"
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Robin Wesley
Xavier InstituteStudent
Chloros Plant Manipulation Telepathy (plants)
Posts: 18
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Post by Robin Wesley on Nov 9, 2006 22:22:19 GMT
Robin feels slightly confused at this conversation. Apparently, everything gets put in disguise tonight, because the clear answer beneath the murky conversation is too hard to figure out.
> "The next great mutant ambassador, or something. Getting the message out there where you can’t ignore it and, erm, changing stuff"
John as the next great mutant ambassador? Somehow, Robin can't quite picture that. From what she knew, back at the Institute, John had hardly been diplomatic on plenty of occasions.
"Living up to the Professor will be hard. Hopefully, to get your points across, you won't have to resort to petty violence and terrorism," she says, rather lightly. "That never actually accomplishes anything, except making some people look like children throwing temper tantrums."
So it wasn't quite true, because the terrorism of the Brotherhood scared normal people, and people were still trying to get over Alcatraz. But what sort of civilized people settled their issues with punching? It only means, Robin thinks with slight irritation, a lot more clean-up later on, and even more issues that must be dealt with. A cycle of violence, and the people who end up having to pay the price are usually those completely innocent.
> "John here is the first Institute student he’s taken in since then… you could say he’s already bridging the gap between rival forces, even as a student."
Robin nods, and tips her glass in John's direction.
"Well, here's hoping to a peaceful future between your teacher and ours," she said, thinking of Ms Munroe's new position in the school. But the topic is starting to feel more than a little awkward, so Bobby's switch of conversation, even if it is politics, is surprisingly refreshing.
> "Speaking of politics, actually, either of you have a favorite in the elections next Tuesday?"
Politics, hmm, not a strong point of Robin's, especially because she's still not of voting age, but the vicious gubernatorial race has managed to work its way into even her life.
"Oh, Spitzer, definitely. He's got at least a slightly better view about mutants, and he's got the better environmental plan. No use fighting over the details if we don't have a healthy planet thirty years from now."
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Post by Ororo Munroe on Nov 12, 2006 1:15:01 GMT
> "You take dangerous steps Ororo....in shoes too big for you to fill,"[/color]
As if I don't know this myself. Ororo merely stares Erik down. "Perhaps. Ironic coming from the man who wishes to... what? Subjugate humanity? I'm afraid your army is a bit small to accomplish that."
> And you, Ororo – what do you seek to preserve, besides the lives of those who need not die?
"I want to preserve our children's future, Wanda. They've already been through enough. The last thing they need is to grow up in a war-torn world." She folds her arms across her chest.
"Besides, the struggle would never end. Even if Erik accomplished his mission - and i find his chances to be vanishingly slim - he would be usurped by the next megalomanaical despot. And the cycle would continue."
"Wanda, I believe you called mutants the 'Touched'. What are the relations like between the Touched and non-Touched in your homeland?" Ororo turns to regard the other woman after letting her gaze drop from Erik.
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Post by nightcrawler on Nov 15, 2006 19:46:38 GMT
OOC - Sorry, I need to post as Kurt and almost forgot, so here goes, even if it is a few posts off from where it should be.
Kurt glanced around at Bella's question, his bright yellow eyes skirting the perimeter, finding a few students here and there. "Vell, besides the children, Ororo is here," he said as he caught sight of the woman who had helped bring him to Professor Xavier but as another approached, he switched to a more puzzled look. Her costume seemed more than just that and the way she moved in it seemed as if she was all to 'comfortable' dressing in such a way......odd. The old man who soon approached the conversation between Ororo and Wanda was unknown to Kurt, even if he should have known, so the 'little blue elf' turned his gaze away and back to his 'date' for the evening, shaking his head, "Other than those, that is all I recognize," he admitted, still smiling.
The tenseness seemed to be going out of Kurt the longer he was out in the open and the longer he was in Bella's presence. The woman seemed to have a calming effect on Kurt, even if she made him a bit nervous, but that nervousness was one of a boy holding a crush on the prom queen in high school instead of a true nervousness. "Shall we?," he asked her stepping closer and offering her his arm as he glanced around the room one last time, really unsure of where to head or with whom to talk to.
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Wanda Maximoff
Unaffiliated
Scarlet Witch Probability Manipulation Spell casting
absolute confidence overwhelming power complete lack of clue
Posts: 35
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Post by Wanda Maximoff on Nov 16, 2006 22:46:16 GMT
Wanda frowns slightly at Ororo’s answer to her question, and at Magnus’ lack of one. The latter is disappointing, though not surprising. The former was what she’d expected: preservation for the sake of preservation. And no fault in that, but when one is capable of so much more, more is expected. Her father’s drive would serve Ororo well, if it could be directed to some end other than destruction.
More and more, her initial intuition is preserved: these two ought to be working together, but it will take a strong leader to achieve such unity.
> " Wanda, I believe you called mutants the 'Touched'. What are the relations like between the Touched and non-Touched in your homeland? "
Wanda shrugs thoughtfully. " It is a difficult question to answer quickly. Those with special talents take positions of responsibility and authority that use those talents – is it not so everywhere? Those whose talents exceed mortal bounds, like your students and Magnus’ followers, we consider Gods-touched, for good or ill. There have not been many… I and my brother were the only ones in our generation, for example. His skill in battle was unmatched; my talents lay elsewhere, though we both served a turn as warlord. When the Priestess passed on there was no question that I would take her place."
She pauses and frowns. " Does that answer your question, dear? I do gather it’s more complicated here. Both of you talk as if the Touched were a tribe of their own. Among my people such a notion would be nonsense, but I suppose with so many of you in one place, isolation may seem a more viable option." Privately, she wonders about that. From what she has seen, even with a vast horde of Touched assembled in one place the result is not a tribe, nor even a village, but merely a mob with exceptional talents put to no particular use.
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Magneto
Brotherhood of Evil Mutants
Erik Magnus Lehnsherr Magnetic Field Manipulation
"That's why the pawns go first..."
Posts: 212
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Post by Magneto on Nov 18, 2006 5:49:58 GMT
Magneto chose to hold his words this time, as he had had a thousand or more conversations such as this with Charles and even though Ororo was no where near the level of Xavier, she was and still was his most apt pupil. If anyone clung to the teachings and ideas of Charles Xavier, it was Ororo and just as Charles had refused to take Erik's side, he knew Storm would not also. Of course, this was also not such a place for discussions of mutant superiority and for further exploration into his plans for mutant domination. If Ororo thought him and his followers to be so weak, then why give her any other reason to doubt that belief? As for Wanda, well....Magneto was sure he would be seeing her more privately soon enough and then, when it was just the two of them, would he answer her questions.
For now, Erik was content to just listen, a smile on his face as he feigned interest, but that facade of willful listening soon became a reality as Wanda mentioned a brother. When she had first encountered Erik, Wanda had conveniently forgotten to mention she had a brother and that Magneto had a son.....how....interesting. Had this been some ruse of her own making or had her dear brother planed this himself? Rather than question her right here, in front of Storm and risk looking the fool, Magneto slowly looked to Wanda and chuckled. "And just where is my son Wanda? Where is your dear brother now?," he asked, as he rested both hands on his cane, waiting to see her reaction to her little 'slip up' if indeed that had been what it was.
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