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dropped: jocelyn xavier (au)

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[the image flickers into focus to reveal a woman from the waist up, staring into the device with a calm intensity belied only by the fingers tugging continually at her collar; she appears to be in her thirties, the dark hair that spills over her shoulders only slightly softening sharp, angular features]

Hello. From what I've gathered, I've awoken on an alien world. [a moment's pause; she's accepted it, it would be counterproductive to dig in her heels, but it's still an absurd thing to say] What I can't seem to discern is how and why.

I have my suspicions, but I suspect they're narrow in focus. I must admit, this is all a bit outside my expertise. [a sudden, wry smile] I suppose I do like to broaden my horizons.

[the smile fades as she leans forward] I'm asking for any information you've gained, and what you intend to do with it. If you don't believe this to be a safe venue, I'm more than happy to meet in person.

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[Honestly, the whole thing sounded a bit suspicious and with how short of a time he had been acquainted with Erik, Fox knew he should be more cautious.

However...the guy was like him. Surely he didn't need to be scared of someone who was practically his own "kind" right? That was at least what Fox convinced himself as he headed out and eventually caught up to the chorus of voices.

Erik had said there were others, but a sudden wave of suffocating anxiety gripped around his chest and he found himself trudging a ways behind to stay out of sight. Fox fumbled for a cigarette inside his jacket and lit it with a sharp snap of his fingers, wincing when he realized how far the noise echoed even in the open space.]

...Welp. Failed my stealth check.

[It's definitely enough of a sound to draw Erik's attention, his gaze snapping back toward Fox, and a slow grin appearing in response. Well. Clearly the boy was a little more reliable than he appeared. He doesn't offer an explanation to the two Xavier's as he turns on his heel and doubles back a few paces; doesn't really see a need to when at least one of them could likely feel Fox's arrival. And if he actually seems a little relieved that Fox turned up, it's only because he's not looking forward to the idea of being left alone with two telepaths at once.]

Waiting for an invitation, are we?

[her reaction to the sudden noise is immediate and defensive; she tenses, casting her mind out to assess the threat -

well, she tries, and the resounding silence aches in her head as her fists curl

but then the boy is speaking, and so is erik, and no, she's not utterly defenceless as the enemy attacks

so she switches tacks almost seamlessly, turning towards him with a grin]

We don't bite, I assure you.

[ Charles, hit by all the conflicting reactions at once, freezes absolutely still. It's his mind that acts, hitting Fox's and immobilizing him (or attempting to) for the three-second period that it takes for Charles to breathe, consciously unwind his muscles and shiver out the sudden tension/reaction, both from himself and from Jocelyn. ]

Most of the time, at least. [ -- he mutters. ] Charles Xavier. We've encountered one another before.

[The smoke Fox had inhaled slowly drifts out past his lips as he finds himself immobilized in mid drag, his mind shutting off higher thought like a television blacking to a single point of light. His mind feels sluggish, sedated. There is no burst of heat to greet Charles although the touch of his mind continues to feel uncommonly warm.

Then he's back and coughing as he exhales the smoke he'd held in.]

G- uck...guess handshakes are just too mainstream huh? [He snorts and clears his throat, directly the comment in Charles direction.]

I didn't know- [Another cough.] -that brain intruder man was going to be here. I thought you were needing a favor?

[He only will look at Erik, his eyes darting past the other two for a moment maybe, but always rolling back downward. He makes a special effort not to address Jocelyn in a way that could be mistaken for shyness, but with the way he runs his mouth it was hard to tag such an innocent trait to him.]

[He may not have been able to follow just what happened, but judging by Fox's reaction, it becomes all too clear. He throws a glare back over his shoulder toward Charles, briefly, before his attention is back on Fox again.]

I am. In fact we all are. And I'm sure Charles will be capable of keeping himself to himself while you're here. [Because Erik knows just how uncomfortable it is to have somebody inside your head, whether you can feel it or not. His own Charles seems to respect other people's boundaries. But it's becoming increasingly more obvious that this one is nothing like the Charles he knows.]

Jocelyn here has had a run-in with the OA. You're here because we need a third set of hands. [And also because Erik wasn't entirely sure of whether he'd come or not. That's one extra point in Fox's favour.]

[Jocelyn throws her own glance back at Charles, arching an eyebrow at him before turning back to Fox]

I really would appreciate your help. [her voice is soft, and sincere; she doesn't know the man's character, or his motives, though she's trying to get a feel for both - but he's here, and Erik trusts him, and that's a fine start]

[ Charles holds up his hands: surrender. ]

The collar is the first priority.

If we could...?

[ He starts to nudge them with the knowledge of the collar's removal, grimaces, reins himself in. ]

All panels must be deactivated simultaneously.

[Fox seems assured for now and doesn't flinch away too much at the faint image of how this collar thing got removed.]

Gotcha. So what's it do exactly, if you don't mind sharing? And...

[He is eager enough to get a look at it, giving Jocelyn a wary smile that is suppose to be somewhat reassuring. He can't imagine it's fun whatever it is.]

...well, what's it do if we mess up? Just tryin' to get my facts straight before anyone loses their hea-
[Pun inappropriate for current situation, abort abort.] -- hands. [Points for trying.]

[fortunately, the slip earns only a wry smile of her own] I wouldn't mind knowing that myself. I'm not sure how it works.

[she reaches up, fingers ghosting over the collar; after a glance at Erik, and another at Fox] I'm a telepath as well. This collar...it's somehow locked me in my own head.

[she knows that wouldn't mean much, to most people; quietly] It's the first time I've felt truly trapped. [her other hand rubs absently at the wheel of her chair]

I suggest we don't discover that for ourselves.

[He still remembers his conversation with Charles shortly before heading over to help with his collar there. That these collars are capable of restraining their abilities is bad enough, but the possibility of them being capable of removing those abilities permanently is still fresh in his mind, even if it were simply a threat from the other man.]

On three we each remove a panel. [And that's that.]

May be safer if I --

[ And he cuts himself off.

No, Fox and Erik have both made their stance on psychic powers quite clear. ]

Count of three it is.

[Jocelyn nods, and does her best not to tense; she's had to trust others with her life before, and she's certainly trusted - well, someone very like Erik, at the very least]

I can count down.

[and when they're ready, after one last, lingering glance]

One. Two. Three.

[He counts silently under his breath with her, ignoring the way he can feel his anxiety breaking way to heat.

At three he shuts his eyes and removes the panel, just hoping the other two get theirs free and no one ends up exploded.]

[ A quick, deft movement, on Charles' part, and then a slow feeler of telepathy, touching her mind, establishing contact. ]

[In time with the others, his panel is removed, and he takes a moment to carefully slip the collar free.]

Welcome back.

[Jocelyn beams as her mind reaches out to meet her other self's, and it's good to have that focus; otherwise she might burst into theirs as well, and she doesn't know if she would be welcome

her mind is a maelstrom of emotions as giddy relief replaces desperate helplessness, as gratitude briefly overwhelms bewilderment]

Thank you.

[she looks at all of them as she says it, and the intensity, the sincerity of the words is an echo in their minds; she can't quite help it, not right now]

You're welcome, Ms. Glad I could help.

[Fox shoulders relax as he gave the now removed collar a curious look. He wasn't much of an engineer, but he couldn't help but have his interest peeked by something that could block powers.]

You want me to melt it down, Erik? Or you guys gonna poke it with a stick and see what makes it tick?

[ Charles is all mental, now; no verbal acknowledgment. He steps into the stream of her emotions without hesitation (though his presence is a prickly, sharp one -- not by design, just by the virtue of how his life has formed).

Welcome back.

And he reaches out to learn if she really is him, if there's some fragment of soul or belief that they have in common. His hand rests on her shoulder, the physical contact amplifying the telepathic. ]

Perhaps later.

[After he's worked out what the collar is actually made of, and just why he can't get a grip on it. To his credit he hadn't flinched at Jocelyn's intrustion, but he's quick to try and make it clear just how he feels about others entering his mind. A barrier, though nothing with the ability to block out a telepath. He hasn't learned to make them useful yet.]

You may find it more comfortable if you were to stay within the Old City.

[In terms of needing to use her chair, at least. Personally, Erik prefers it where he and his own Charles have been staying. But with this Charles around, he has less of an issue with leaving one of their kind around the rest of the captives.]

[Fox listens quietly, trying to figure out just what kind of relation all these folks had together. They acted like they'd been friends for so long...it made him worry on just how long people were trapped in this place.

He fiddles with a tiny flame between his fingers, manipulating it over his knuckles like a coin. He wasn't much of a social person, but he did sneak glances over at the girl in the chair every once in awhile. His mind had never needed to be protected against telepaths, so despite his apprehension his mind wanders openly with no barriers.]

It's very good to be back.

[Xavier recognises Erik's barrier, and respects it, immediately pulling back with a whisper of apology.

Beneath the initial din of emotion, Xavier's mind is a cool, quiet place, and it's clear this has been carefully constructed. There are echoes of everything she has buried, from the impotent fury of a child to the raw anguish of a soldier.

Normally, she would keep such feelings, such memories in their place, locked away where they do little harm; but this moment calls for honesty, for trust. This man is - in some ways, they are the same. So her barriers lower bit by bit. So she doesn't shut him out, doesn't quell the jagged flashes tumbling from her past.

A young girl, clinging to her mother as she shares her pain. A young soldier, curled up on the battlefield as she feels the horror and agony and hatred all around her. A wearied wanderer, meeting a kindred spirit. The horrifying, sickening pain of a bullet tearing through her back -

She pulls back, then, just slightly.]

I'm sorry. That, I didn't mean to share.

[ She is -- he recognizes so much of the contents of her mind, of the emotions and the colors-sounds-feelings. The details are all different, but the overarching themes are the same, and he floods with relief. The other was different, he didn't share Charles' pain, he didn't understand.

He echoes her images back with a handful of his own: yes, this, I understand this, see here are the battlefields I knew. Battlefields he knew as a boy, as a man, how they changed, how they evolved -- and in response to her agony, there is a flicker of the desert, semiconsciousness, burning thirst, pain, blood and sand. ]

Don't worry. I understand.

[It's all too obvious just what the other two are up to, and Erik is more than willing to leave them to it. Whatever they're discussing, he's willing to remain in the dark about it if it means they leave his own mind alone.

Instead, he casts his attention down to the collar, turning it over in his hands as he takes a closer look. Or as much of one as he can while standing out in the open.]

[She closes her eyes, for a moment, feeling his relief, his understanding, accepting it into her mind like salve on a wound.]

Thank you.

[There is that familiar yearning, that vain wish to reach into his past and protect him from it.

She cannot; she couldn't do it for any of the soldiers she attended. She couldn't do it for Gaby. She couldn't do it for Ada.

But she can reach up to her shoulder, and rest her hand on his.]

You are not alone.

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hopping in, mister phone a friend has arrived

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just posting again to say you guys can skip over fox the next couple of rounds, slowatus

<3

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