X-Men
IS OFFLINE
Years
Old
Female
77 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Marvel Woman on Jan 23, 2014 16:40:01 GMT -5
Jean was walking down a very secluded street in a relatively safe neighborhood, deep in thought. She had had a rather peaceful existence since she had come back this last time. Free from the burden of the Phoenix, she had dedicated her life to teaching and taking care of the daily chores at the mansion, such as making sure everyone had fresh sheets and towels, placing the food orders at the local e-supermarket and planning the meals for the entire month. Sometimes, she had some extra time in her hands and would cook herself for the small battalion that lived under Xavier's roof, giving the usual cooks a break, other times, she'd help tutor her students in whatever subject they might need or just train at the Danger Room to stay in shape. It was a quiet, simple life compared to the one she had led in the past, but it made her happy.
Having lost the chance to enjoy the little things of life when the Phoenix merged with her, she felt just lucky to have another chance at living her own life under her own terms and making her own choices. It was all too good to be true and Jean had known that for some time now, but when her suspicions were first reaffirmed by the reappearance of the Phoenix force's presence, and then by Logan's words, she just knew her peaceful days were over. She was still grateful that the entity had chosen a different host for a change, but the idea that it might still return to her or just be on the lose causing trouble and harming civilians frightened her.
She had told Logan that she wanted to go with him to Alaska, feeling brave for a brief period of time, but now that she had had some time to think and the date scheduled for their travel was getting nearer, Jean found herself with too much to think about. There were so many questions in her mind and no answers. Why had she been resurrected if not to be a host to that wretched creature? Was she finally going to age like a normal person even if most of her friends now looked at least a decade her seniors? Did the Phoenix have a host or was it just raw power flying loose around the world? If it did, who was the unlucky victim and why had it been chosen? Was she making the right decision by going to meet up with this force instead of staying away to prevent being taken hostage inside her own body again?
There was also a lot of personal questions about her private life but those could wait until the more urgent and important matters were solved.
Without thinking much, she ended up in a small square, sitting on one of the swings at the playground. The sun would be setting in another hour, so there weren't many people in the tiny green place besides her and a few teenagers going about their business and she was too busy inside her head to pay attention to what was happening outside.
|
|
Unaffiliated
36 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Renard/Luke on Jan 23, 2014 17:00:40 GMT -5
Renard wasn't playing like the other kids at the playground. He was just sitting there on a bench next to a tree with the rabbit being held close. Every since Luke had entered his life, he was glad. Things did get hard yes, considering people thought he was crazy now. But still things were good, he now had a friend. Looking up at a tree branch, everyone else would say that no one was there, not to Renard's eyes though.
Luke was sitting on the branch, his long legs hanged over one side of it and his long braided pony tail dangled in the back quite a distance. His gaze was wandering about, he honestly had forgotten what it was like to see a playground. Being trapped in a toy for years on end made a few things fuzzy in his mind. Oh well. Noticing he was being stared at by the only set of eyes that could see him, he turned his gaze to the lad on the bench.
"So, what shall we do?" Luke asked as he stayed up there, Renard just shrugged.
"I don't know." Renard replied. "You have any ideas, Luke?"
"Hm...." Luke crossed his arms as he sat there and went quiet for a few minutes, during this time Jean had entered the park. "Sadly I've got nothing."
"That's not good. We could go to the library?"
"Too quiet in there, I can't talk to you then."
"Yes you can."
"No I can't, otherwise when you talk you'll get in trouble again. We just left there because she kept shushing us, remember?"
"Oh....yeah..." Renard let out a sigh. "I wish other people could see you."
"That I agree on, but I'm glad that at least you can see me." Luke gave a kind smile to Renard as he spoke.
The only way for other people to see Luke, was to go into Renard's head. Pretty much telepathy was in order for that. Course, no one would just willing invade a child's mind. They all just thought he was crazy.
|
|
X-Men
IS OFFLINE
Years
Old
Female
77 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Marvel Woman on Jan 23, 2014 18:26:45 GMT -5
After pondering at the things troubling her for a long while, Jean came to one conclusion... well, one plausible explanation for the Phoenix force not turning as destructive as it had been before, and had resigned to not getting an answer to all her other questions. She had been finding it more difficult to think clearly at the end and she understood why as she looked up at the park around her with the intention of leaving.
There, in a nearby bench, sat a lonely child, which was probably why she had been distracted. Blocking off background noise like the neighborhood kids playing at the other end of the square was easy and it made that her thinking spot, but a single person so close to her and projecting as loud as this kid was... well. It just got her attention.
Green eyes fixed on the little boy with a hint of curiosity as to why he might be feeling so strongly. Jean would have never imagined that he was feeling for two. She did notice that he seemed to be talking to himself and that the boy was way past the age when children get imaginary friends. As a teacher and a psychologist,that rang several bells inside her head and she paid closer attention to the child, catching the last part of the conversation. The teacher made a mental scan for mutants, but she seemed to be the only one in the square at the moment. "See who?" She wondered with a frown.
With great concern, Jean got up from the swing and walked to the boy casually, though her mind was very determined to make sure he was either all right or getting the proper help. It was probably not safe for someone who saw people that wasn't there to just wander around alone, especially someone so young.
At the last minute, she stretched her mind around a bit, to make sure his parents weren't around there, just to avoid being suspected to be a pervert or something. That would have been ironic.
"Aren't you a little old to have an imaginary friend?" She tested the waters, talking in a casual, friendly tone that made her eyes sparkle with a hint of complicity. That was a common place for her when dealing with her trouble students off the record. The redhead was standing a couple of yards from the kid, casually looking at the tree Renard had been looking at just a moment before, trying to see if there was some sort of... something, anything, really, that could explain his odd behavior as a simple game, like there was a branch with a knot that looked like a face or a ribbon tied to the tree in a sort of shrine to honor some kid who might have died there.
|
|
Unaffiliated
36 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Renard/Luke on Jan 23, 2014 18:45:48 GMT -5
Luke's attention had been taken away from Renard when he noticed Jean coming over. He went quiet even though he hated doing that and there was really no use for it. Renard was the only one who could hear him. Though when she asked Renard about a imaginary friend, it got Luke's nerves a bit as the spirit stayed put on the branch resisting the desire to glare daggers at Jean. Wouldn't do anything anyway. Having his arms folded across his chest as he looked away, nearly ready to start up a ranting storm.
Renard turned his attention to Jean and stayed put. Holding the stuffed rabbit closer, Renard seemed to scoot a little away from her. However, Renard had a unhappy look on his face to what Jean said. Everyone thought that.
"He's not imaginary." Renard replied unhappily, restraining himself from yelling it or saying it harshly. "He's not bothering you, so I don't see why you're concerned."
Luke sighed as his own anger subsided a bit. Okay maybe this lady was just wanting to help? Sadly there wasn't anything she could do for Renard. She couldn't see him like Renard could. Unfolding his arms, he turned his gaze back to Renard. Though, he soon moved off of the branch and floated to the ground; being a spirit he couldn't exactly jump. His gaze left Renard as he turned a cautious glanced toward Jean. Was she just wanting to make sure nothing was wrong with Renard, or was it a trick? Luke had become rather protective of the boy.
|
|
X-Men
IS OFFLINE
Years
Old
Female
77 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Marvel Woman on Jan 23, 2014 19:09:58 GMT -5
Jean didn't find anything worth talking to in her inspection of the tree and that left her disappointed somehow. She could tell that the boy didn't want her there and she wouldn't either if someone interrupted her —whatever it was that he had been doing until she arrived— to make a comment that could sound pretty rude under most circumstances, but the psychic hadn't been able to find a better ice breaker. Probably, the more important problems in her mind had her too preoccupied for that.
She checked the boy again when he declared his friend wasn't imaginary, but she could easily tell he was no mutant. Not that he could have turned the gene suddenly on in the past two minutes, but... with all the concerns in her mind, it deserved a second check. Yet, there was something off about this kid. He did project loud, but he seemed to be screaming in two different channels at once. That was odd enough to seem worthy investigating.
"I'm a high school teacher," Jean explained in her usual friendly voice. "When I see a kid around my students' age alone in a park, talking to a tree, I do feel concerned." The redhead said honestly, her voice sounding a lot like a mother.
"So..." Jean tried to sound as casual as she could. "...why can't I see your friend over there?" The woman motioned to the tree. Despite her concern, there was a spark of curiosity in her green eyes. That was one of her weaknesses. She just couldn't leave a mystery unsolved.
|
|
Unaffiliated
36 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Renard/Luke on Jan 23, 2014 19:30:49 GMT -5
"No one cares before, they all just think I'm nutz in the head. They say it so that's how I know." Richard answered, his voice less unhappy but his normally nervous tone was showing. "You aren't from my school then, I don't recognize you as a teacher."
"There are way too many schools now and days." Luke muttered to himself, causing Renard to turn his attention to Luke.
Renard couldn't help but smile to Luke weakly. Though the fact that Jean was still so near, made it quickly disappear. Once more he scooted away a bit more and held the rabbit closer.
"People just can't. He doesn't understand why either, he doesn't like it though." Renard answered. "He's glad that at least I can see him, though he does like to talk a lot so he does get a bit down when he can't talk. That's why we left the library."
Luke wasn't sure why that was. He was still getting used to his powers and really, he had only tried with Renard to be seen. He had gotten a grasp on the mental link they shared.
|
|
X-Men
IS OFFLINE
Years
Old
Female
77 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Marvel Woman on Jan 23, 2014 19:56:00 GMT -5
Despite her best intention to believe in what the boy was saying, Jean had to admit that it did sound like the kid had some sort of mental problem. After all, he was holding a stuffed animal when he should have started to get interested in girls or, at least more mature games.
Jean sighed. Being called nuts, that she knew about. Even her mutant friends had often doubted her sanity after she had been possessed by the Phoenix. "I know the feeling," she said quietly. "It's not a very polite thing to say, don't you think?" The redhead asked casually.
His statement got her out of her small introspection and back into reality. "No. I'm from a different school," she replied. And it was a very different kind of school indeed, Jean thought ironically, mentally smiling to herself.
"I see," Jean said at the lack of a better comment. Her internal struggle between breaking her own code of privacy and taking a peak into this kid's head was too absorbing. She had always taken pride in the fact that she'd rather take the trouble to block other people's thoughts to allow them some privacy, than finding all the answers to her endless questions the easy way. "The library isn't the best place to talk," she agreed. "Have you been talking to him for long?" The teacher wondered out loud, looking at the tree again, lost in thought.
|
|
Unaffiliated
36 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Renard/Luke on Jan 23, 2014 20:08:37 GMT -5
"It's not. Nowhere near polite, though the teachers seem to think it's the best thing to say." Renard answered.
Staying put, Luke remained on the ground keeping a cautious look to Jean. He didn't know it, but really he was a mutant like her. Though his powers had awakened pretty much on his death bed, resulting in him getting his spirit astral projected into a stuffed animal.
"Not long, just since my thirteenth birthday. I'm only thirteen years so that would've been....around five months ago." Renard said, noticing Jean was looking at the tree, he pointed to right next to him at the ground. "Luke got down from the tree a moment or two ago. He's standing right here."
Though, to Jean it would be thin air. Luke remained still, seeing as how Renard was pointing at him. He would've told the boy that it was impolite to point but then again. In this case it wasn't.
|
|
X-Men
IS OFFLINE
Years
Old
Female
77 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Marvel Woman on Jan 23, 2014 20:39:54 GMT -5
Jean frowned deeply. "That's rude and unprofessional. If they really thought that, they should have notified the school psychologist." It was easy to tell she was outraged by the nerve of those who dared call themselves teachers. Kids that age were really mentally frail and needed help and support, not to be bullied by the very adults in charge of their education. "I think they should be reported." Was her honest reply. Even if the kid had mental problems, the teachers' attitude was way out of line.
That, too rang all kinds of bells inside Jean's head and solved the internal moral conflict for her. As gently as she could, the psychic's mind tendrils stretched towards Renard's brain slowly, approaching it with great care, as not to disturb the boy, or alert him of what was happening. All she wanted to do was get a better 'look' at his mind. Sometimes, when someone's powers had just awoken recently, it was still hard to be able to identify them as mutants with a general or even a particular scan without actually getting inside that person's mind for a moment.
A brief instant of seeing the world through Renard's optic and a quick search on his memories about his birthday, had her newest theory confirmed. Jean's eyes widened in surprise, as she didn't expect the kid to be a mutant after having tried to scan him twice. Then, her face relaxed and she smiled warmly. "You know what? I do believe you see... this friend of yours," Jean spoke slowly, still confused and a little worried about the other presence she had felt inside the boy's head. He didn't feel like he was being possessed by a powerful force, the way she did when the Phoenix had forced her to become its host, but there was definitely something strange going on inside Renard's head.
"Doesn't it feel crowded..." She asked suddenly. "...having to share your mind with him?" The last part was a whisper, as if they were talking of something forbidden rather than sharing a secret.
|
|
Unaffiliated
36 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Renard/Luke on Jan 23, 2014 20:58:46 GMT -5
"There isn't one at the school." Renard said, lowering his hand so he wouldn't be pointing at Luke anymore.
Renard didn't notice Jean go into his mind, though Luke certainly react. He had always taken great care when it came to maintaining the link between him and Renard. While the link was still a bit weak, it was strong enough to be noticeable by others once they were within Renard's head. Luke shuddered as he stood there, trying to shake the strange feeling that he had felt while Jean was in Renard's head.
"You do? Why?" Renard asked. "No one else does, so why do you?"
His voice was filled with confusion as well as being nervous. Though when Jean asked her question, it caused Renard to title his head. Luke was still sidetracked from the strange chill he had gotten from when Jean was looking about.
"Not really...I hardly notice it now but at first I did." Renard answered. "I used to feel like I had a headache coming on and usually Luke apologized for it. Lately the headaches have gone away, but they were always pretty short lived."
Luke had finally gotten the feeling to go away enough for him to ignore it. He had missed what Renard and Jean had been talking about, so that upset him a little. However, he moved from where he was standing so he would be standing in front of Renard. Renard was confused by this and cocked his head.
"Luke, everything okay?" Renard asked.
"I'm just trying to figure something out. Everything's fine." Luke replied to Renard; not sure if Jean could see him.
Luke's emerald green eyes were focused on Jean, should he really let this stranger this close to Renard? Even though some of his power was that of the mind, telepathy was something he didn't have; if he did have it then he didn't know it. Wearing the old style clothing he was always in It consisted of a emerald green coat that is rather long, white pants and black shoes with something attacked to them and going up to the knees on both legs. His shirt is white as well with a very bushy chest part and he wears a pair of black gloves. The cuff part of his coat is black with a yellow rim. His blonde hair that had the very long braided pony tail in the back, swayed when he moved.
To Jean, if she was still in Renard's head. She'd most likely think that she was looking at a older version of the boy, considering how Luke and Renard shared similar looks; for a good reason too. He wasn't doing anything threatening, he was just examining Jean to see if she held a physical threat to the boy. He still had a hard time getting the fact through his head that nothing could touch him since no one could see him and the fact he was as spirit.
|
|
X-Men
IS OFFLINE
Years
Old
Female
77 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Marvel Woman on Jan 23, 2014 21:58:27 GMT -5
The redhead frowned again. What kind of school didn't have a pedagogic board now a days? An irritated sigh escaped her lips at the way the educational system was degenerating, but tried to focus on more immediate, solvable issues once more.
Jean felt someone recoil or tremble during the brief moment that she got inside the boy's head. It had been so weird, she just had to wonder if that's what other psychics felt like going into her own head when she was one with the Phoenix.
"Because I, too, can hear and do things people would put me in an asylum for," she sent into his mind. While she was projecting there, Jean left a small channel open out of curiosity for that duality she had sensed before. She nodded. "I used to have killer migraines too when I was about your age," she admitted. "Do you have any idea of why this is happening, of why you can do what you can?" Jean asked tentatively, not wanting to break the news to him abruptly.
Then, as she was about to get out of the kid's mind, another person... or rather presence, in there, right between the two of them, only she saw it from Renard's perspective, through his senses. She saw Luke's back and, after a quick scan, found a recent memory of Renard's, of Luke on the tree, talking down to him. Jean found the man's clothes to be unusual and wondered about the resemblance between the two, but didn't think too much of it. Basically, because she was still amazed that there was someone inside that boy's head.
"Ah... I can see him too," she whispered, still in awe that there could be a non-invasive union like that. Still, however harmless it might be, Jean felt she wouldn't feel really reassured about it until she had looked more into that mystery.
|
|
Unaffiliated
36 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Renard/Luke on Jan 23, 2014 22:14:00 GMT -5
Not every school had enough money to waste on something like that. Renard's school was just one of them. With Jean still in Renard's head, Luke found it hard to ignore it. Since Luke had the mind link going right now, his mind was pretty much open to Jean as well if she hunted for it. Usually with the mind link, Luke tried to only have enough of his mind in Renard to just allow the boy to see and hear him. He was being careful since he didn't know how strong to make the link between them.
Renard's eyes widened a bit when Jean spoke to him in his head. He didn't know other people could do that. Renard remembered asking Luke if other people could and Luke had responded with a shrug along with saying maybe.
"Luke's got nowhere else to go...." Renard said but he fell silent, he honestly didn't know why this was happening.
Luke could hear what was going on in Renard's head, but honestly he didn't know if he could respond to it. He didn't know telepathy like Jean did. When he tried to access the channel Jean had opened, it weakened the mind link he had between himself and Renard. This resulted in Luke fading in and out for a second, though he quickly noticed and stopped trying to go to the channel that was open and tried to fix the mind link. Renard though had noticed Luke disappear for moment.
"Luke?" Renard asked as he turned his gaze to his friend.
"I'm fine, just having a little difficulties is all." Luke replied giving a smile.
|
|
X-Men
IS OFFLINE
Years
Old
Female
77 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Marvel Woman on Jan 23, 2014 22:44:33 GMT -5
As curious as Jean was, she didn't want to intrude in the mind of the boy any more than necessary. She had already confirmed that he was a newly awaken mutant and that he had someone else inside his head for some reason. She had known cases like that, like Miss Marvel's consciousness living inside of Rogue's mind for years after she had sucked at her life force and powers for too long. Maybe there was something like that going on with this boy. It was definitely something she'd like to further investigate, but stepping into that second person's mind seemed like too much for someone who tried to respect other's privacy as much as she could.
A hint of a smile curved Jean's lips upwards as she saw Renard's eyes widen. It was always a pleasure to see a young mind wondering at the marvels of the universe.
One perfect eyebrow raised at the answer the boy gave her. "Why is that?" Jean just had to ask. "Did anything happen to his body?" Was the most delicate way she found to ask if he had done something to the man when his powers had first appeared. Maybe it was the kid's father?
Jean was about to withdraw from Renard's head when he saw Luke flicker. "What was that?" The redhead projected still not understanding a thing about what was going on and that was saying a lot considering all she had seen over the years. Only then she tried to communicate with that other entity inside the boy's head. "Hello. My name is Jean Grey..." She projected tentatively towards Luke.
|
|
Unaffiliated
36 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Renard/Luke on Jan 23, 2014 23:07:41 GMT -5
"He....he said something might've happened to his body. He doesn't go into detail about it." Renard answered. "He's stuck in this, that's all that he's told me he's certain of."
Renard held the stuffed black rabbit with the jacket on it out to Jean to show her. The brown glass eyes reflecting what was around them. Luke had relaxed once he got the link fixed, thank goodness. He didn't want to scare Renard like he had one time when he failed to keep the link going. Poor lad woke up the whole house.
"I'm Renard Vantuer." Renard responded.
Sadly relief was short lived when he heard someone in his head. It wasn't in Renard's head but his head. This caused Luke to panic and his concentration on the mind link to weaken again. Causing him to fade in and out again.
"I can't keep it stable....with another...." Luke started but he faded away again, Renard had noticed this and he looked around, holding the stuffed animal closely to himself now.
"Luke?" Renard called in a low voice before getting down from the bench. "Luke?!"
It was clear the boy was panicking. Renard didn't want to lose Luke. Luke was a good friend, the only thing he had close to it. So it shouldn't have been a surprise when he looked at Jean confused and afraid.
"He....he doesn't do that. He doesn't just disappear like that!!" Renard started as he looked around but returned his gaze to her. "He.....that that usually only happens if I'm so far away from this. Usually...he...he gets blurry and all at a certain distance. And when that distance is increased to a certain amount, then he disappears. He doesn't....."
Renard held the rabbit out to Jean again before wrapping his arms around it, looking around. If Jean paid enough attention, she wouldn't noticed that Luke's mind was pretty much stored in the stuffed animal just like his spirit was bound to be near it. Luke was attempting to restore the mind link he had with Renard, but the fact the lad was panicking was making it a great deal harder. He hated the his lack of skill with it, he couldn't maintain it with both Renard and then talk to another person in his own head. It felt like to him he was trying to hold up two mind links instead of one. Which resulted in his disappearing due to being unable to maintain it.
|
|
X-Men
IS OFFLINE
Years
Old
Female
77 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Marvel Woman on Jan 23, 2014 23:33:22 GMT -5
The telepath didn't look the sound of that. Was the man talking in half truths to protect the boy's innocence? "Nice to meet you... both," she added at the end, taking a hesitant telepathic look at Luke.
"I'm sorry!" Jean apologized to Luke in a distressed voice full of guilt and tried to get a hold of him, the telepathic equivalent of tending a hand in his direction. She was willing to be the one making the effort to keep the connection going instead of Luke. The redhead wasn't sure it would work, as it was the first time she had to deal with a brainception, so to speak, but she was willing to try anything to fix whatever she might have broken inside the boy's mind.
"Luke!?" Jean asked searching Renard's mind for the man herself, guilt pooling at the bottom of her stomach. As Renard started to panic, Jean found herself calming in order to be his anchor. It was her maternal instincts. Worked like that every time someone was in distress. "Calm down, Renard," she asked softly, a hint of sadness in her telepathic voice. "I'm sure this is because I'm inside your head. I'm going to leave now. See if you can get the li-speak with him again," she indicated, correcting herself mid sentence, translating her speech into something less technical the boy would understand. "I'm sorry I caused you distress," she said sincerely.
As promised, Jean withdrew her own mind and came closer to the boy, trying to offer him some comfort. "All right, Renard, try to relax and breathe deeply in and out," the teacher said in her most soothing real voice. "I'm sure he'll come back if you give him some time to... er... re-establish whatever means of communication you two had," she explained in a reassuring voice.
Since the boy said the man had come from the toy, she turned to study it next, but she didn't dare use her abilities on it for fear of hindering the whole process even more. This kid is gonna need to learn how to put up some mental blocks if he can, she thought concerned.
|
|
