ArchivedLogs:Going Fishing

Going Fishing
Warning: HEAVY PSYCHIC CREEPINESS
Dramatis Personae Sophie
In Absentia	2013-06-18 Madame Web fishes for information.
Location <WEST> Westchester
Madame Web's World of Wonders is set up across 3 acres of land behind Harvest Moon Farms in rural West-Chester; it sprawls out like some garish parade across the rolling fields of grass, tucked away between the woods and the farmhouse. Half a dozen large, purple-and-white striped tents are set up -- for shows, food, bathrooms, and relief from the occasional shower -- with a massive ferris wheel (strewn with lights!), a tilt-a-whirl, chair-o-planes, bumper cars, a carousel, and funhouse all available. The grounds are also peppered with well-trained capuchin monkeys who will perch on your shoulders (and eat your food!). There are numerous game booths set up, as well as a nightly showing of 'The Mysterious Mysterio's Magical Mayhem' act, along with 'Kraven the Hunter's Animal Kingdom'. There's even a tent for what is politely described as 'Wonders of Biology' (but often gets snidely referred to as 'The Freak Tent'), where for a ticket price of ten dollars, you can see some of the oddities that Madame Web has gathered in her extensive travels. Sophie wouldn't remember the sudden /seizing/ of her brain on that midday afternoon; she wouldn't recall the way her mind suddenly left her -- plunged deep into an oblivious darkness, as if she were engaged in a dreamless sleep. She wouldn't recollect instantly leaving the Xavier grounds -- properly signing out, of course! -- and getting on a bus to the carnival. And she certainly wouldn't know why she suddenly could speak perfect Latverian Romani, addressing the man with burn-marks over his face -- telling him she was ready -- and walking with him toward Madame Web's temporary home. Here's what she /would/ remember, though: Suddenly waking up in the middle of that bauble-strewn RV, sitting in a chair, the cloth-swarmed woman sitting across from her in her electric wheel-chair -- with another familiar face -- the tall, dark-skinned woman with a burn scar over her jaw -- frowning, turned away, staring out of a window. Before Sophie can so much as ask what is going on, the woman with the burn scar speaks -- her tone sad, reluctant, and distant: "Sophie. You are safe. Comfortable. Calm. In Xavier's office. He is sitting in his chair across from you, asking you questions." And suddenly, that is precisely where she is -- in Xavier's office, sitting across from him. His warm, polite smile; leaning back in his wheel-chair -- a blanket folded across his lap. Fingers steepled on it. "Good morning, Sophie," Madame Web/Xavier tells her. "How are you feeling?" Sophie had, in fact, been intending - though simultaneously putting off - to speak with the professor about a few things, and so finding herself there, in his office, at the school, for reals, isn't /too/ much of a surprise for the girl. She may wonder, for now, why it is she is finally chose to go there... but surely she just decided it was in her best interest to do so? She's sitting upright, her hands folded in her lap, today dressed a little bit more nicely than usual; a knee-length gingham dress and nice shoes, though she's also carrying her panda backpack. It's also in her lap! She's sort of trying to cover it up so she doesn't look quite so /silly/ in front of the professor. "I'm... mostly okay," she finally answers, avoiding eye-contact. Lip bitten and chewed on a bit, she lets out a little sigh. "Alison and Mr. Wagner have been telling me I should talk to you if I'm having problems with my powers, but I haven't /really/ lately.. I guess I just felt like..." There's another sigh, there, and she runs a hand through her hair. Why /is/ she here? "...I just sort of need someone to talk to sometimes. I know you're busy, but they said you could help.." "Of course, Sophie. You know my door is always open. To all of my students," Xavier responds, his tone so soft, so gentle; the illusion is a construct of Sophie's perspective of Xavier -- born completely of her own mind. Other than the words that leave Madame Web's mouth, everything about the scene -- from the tone of his voice to the way the sunlight streams through the windows -- plays upon her /expectations/. Fulfilling them. Making it -- nigh impossible to imagine how she might /not/ be in a room, speaking with Charles Xavier. "But before we begin, I want to know, Sophie -- what /you/ know. About me. I know," he/she/ze says with the slightest of wry smiles, "there's quite a lot of gossip about me. I want to know what you've heard, so we can clear the air, and figure out how I can best use my resources to help /you/." Blushing a bit, Sophie looks down at the floor for a moment while she considers that question. "I don't really... I mean, everyone pretty much says you're really nice and.. and helpful," she answers, waving a hand vaguely. "Nobody says anything bad, I swear!" This is added as a sort of-- reassurance. Xavier's reputation is unmarred by harsh words! As far as she's heard, anyway. "I mean, every so often people will say that you're strict but I mean... you're in charge of a school full of teenagers so you pretty much have to be, right?" There's a weak little smile, there. But if nothing else, the more she talks, the easier she finds it to do so, at least. Such a comforting presence, once she relaxes enough to appreciate it! "I mean like when Peter and the twins went missing everyone got really mad about the school being locked down and I.. I kinda was, too, but it was just because we were all worried but it turned out it was a good thing... but I think maybe... I mean, I know I tend to-- 'caues I went to a normal school, before, it's easy to think that the principal is gonna be a big jerk but... but Alison and Mr. Wagner always say as how you just have everyone's best interests at heart." She nods quietly, to affirm this to herself. "So... so you just... do what you have to do, right?" "Mmmn," Web/Xavier responds, considering Sophie's words -- carefully. The haggard woman's confusion is translated into the soft-spoken man's gentle patience; as she scowls, he smiles. "Of course, Sophie. We do what we have to. We stay safe. We stay secret. The world is dangerous. Do you know," he asks her -- his tone that of a man who already knows the answer -- "/how/ I've managed to keep this place a secret for so long...?" Sophie frowns a little, scratching the back of her head. "I guess... now that you mention it, not.. really? I'm not sure how my parents found out about the school when they were looking for a place to--" she cuts herself off, there, biting her lip and shaking her head. "...I don't really know, besides just pretending it's a regular school. I mean, obviously none of us wants people to find out so we don't go like... telling people we go to a mutant school when we're out on group trips." She actually laughs a little, at the mental image she's created for herself with that remark, but then shakes her head again. "But I guess beyond that I've just kind of... accepted it as a given that the place is secret and not questioned it. Uh, ignorance is bliss, right?" There's a more nervous laugh, there. "We have mutants among us who can help, though," Xavier mentions, then -- a slight sharpening of his tone, the urgency of Madame Web's own words carefully filtered by Sophie's own expectations -- "Don't we? People who can -- ensure that the secret is kept. Quietly. Gently. Telepaths, for example. Do you know of any telepaths, Sophie...?" That question takes Sophie a bit by surprise, and she does seem to be a bit uncomfortable by it. /Why/, exactly, the professor is asking her about all of this is something she can't really figure out... until finally, she decides (completely independently with no external influence) that it must be some sort of /test/. Probably one that all of the students are put through! And it's just her turn now! Of /course/. Nonetheless, she takes a moment to think the question over, and when she does answer, her words are slow and thought-out. "Besides you and Ms. Grey, I don't know of any. But... I also don't think it's right to use our powers to do things like change the way people think." Clearly, this is an /ethics examination/. "So I think... maybe instead what you do is just... since it's a private school, people probably don't care as much... and since nobody at the school tells anyone that it's a school for mutants, and the teachers say it's a school for gifted kids... instead of using powers we just use wits, so that we aren't at an unfair advantage over regular people. And that's worked so far." She pauses, takes a deep breath, and looks a little hopeful. "Right?" Somewhere in the distance, on the corner of Sophie's perception, there is a sigh -- a whisper of words, barely perceived. (She's growing suspicious.) (But she thinks this is a test.) (You do not hear these words, Sophie.) Xavier/Web, for their part, play the role graciously; he smiles /so/ warmly at Sophie's response. "/Very/ good, Sophie," he/she/ze responds. "It is wrong to use our powers to change the way people think," he repeats, and -- if Madame Web's tone carries any trace of irony, it's lost among the completely sincere projection of Charles Xavier's smiling face. "It is better to /trust/ people. Myself and Ms. Grey," he adds, "have a responsibility to not /abuse/ our powers." And then he scoots forward, on his chair -- closer toward Sophie. His hands pulling him in a lean. "Sophie, trust is very important." (Trust us.) "It's important that you trust me." (Trust him.) "Just as it's important that I trust you." (You are safe.) "I can use my power to help you better understand -- better /control/ -- your own. But before we begin, I want to get to know you better." (Tell him everything. Tell him anything.) "Are you comfortable with this? With me using my power on you?" (You are.) "With me learning more about you?" (He can help you.) While there is still some hesitation to her tone, Sophie does, eventually, give a little nod. "I.. I guess that's okay." Though while she says this, she's holding her panda pack a little more tightly. And she /looks/ concerned, but most of her /suspicion/ is gone - it's just been replaced by discomfort. But she's trying to trust! He's just so. Trustworthy. "If you think it will help.." And she even manages a little smile. "Mr. Wagner said... he said he wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. He said you're like a second dad, kinda." She blushes, there. "Um-- don't tell him I told you that, though." See, she's already sharing secrets. Trust! "Yes. It will help," Xavier/Web tells her, and that smile! Is so /sincere/. "Let's start by talking about your friends...? The things that make you happy. I want to hear everything you're willing to share with me, Sophie...!" And so begins what is probably going to be an /ultra/ creepy, yet /ultra/ subtle process. Of grilling Sophie for information. When they're finished, Sophie returns to Xavier's, a little -- confused, but otherwise in one piece. As far as she knows, she had a completely normal time at the carnival. There was funnel cake, a ferris wheel, and some greasy ugly boy who kept hitting on her. That, and the constant, dogged bafflement as to why she /keeps/ going -- to the carnival?! Maybe it's the funnel cakes.