The Power of The Mind

Charles’ patience had run out. He wasn’t unused to Logan’s suicidal tendencies, he had been battling them since the first time they met. But every now and then his own unwillingness to stay alive left Charles completely at a loss for what to do, something that he lost patience with very quickly. “I would never put the responsibility of keeping you alive on Laura. You were not the one who got her out of a human trafficking ring!” Charles sighed and tried to collect himself, losing his temper would help nothing. “But that does not negate the fact that Laura not only wants to know you but needs someone who understands what she’s been through to guide her. You are the only person who has even the faintest idea of what Laura has been through, so forgive me if after I’ve seen all she’s been through, I want you to stay alive for both your sakes.” Charles started to wheel away. “You don’t have to take my help Logan. But for your daughter’s sake I hope you take someone’s.”

Logan could sense every indication that Charles had been loosing his patience and for a moment he gripped his pants pockets looking for the medication out of habit. Though when he didn’t feel it, he remembered this wasn’t the Charles from his world and he still seemed to have it together. He folded his arms against his chest as he listened to Charles. When the topic of Laura’s difficult past comes up, Logan give a deep sigh and light shake of his head. “Yeah Pop, I know. I fucked up when it came to her, in both our worlds. I’m thankful you got her out of that shit alrigh’.”  At that he remains silent as he listens to the rest of Charles’ words. Charles had always been a friend, mentor and even a father figure to Logan and with that came a good deal of trust. Logan knew Charles was right but remained silent looking towards the floor until Charles began to wheel away. Another large sigh comes out of Logan before he responds and begins to follow Charles. “Charles… don’t wheel away angry. You’ll run over a kid’s foot then we’ll have to listen to em whine about it.” He says as he catches up to to Charles to walk by his side. Moving down the hall while not making direct eye contact made it easier for Logan to talk about these things. “And give me a break alright. In my life I just met her like a week and a half ago and last I knew she was eleven. I was already on my way out when she came into my life and pretty sure I was in my final moments before I got dragged here revived.” No matter what anyone said, Logan couldn’t see past his mistakes, his shortcomings and the potential for future occurrences of both. He goes silent again for a moment as they continued down the hall. “She deserves better. Better than what I can be, but you’re right alright. Its not like my first round of bein a Dad ended well. I don’t know how, but I’m gonna do my best not to fuck it up again. Promised her I’d keep her safe from all that shit she had to deal with. Took me too long to admit it to her and myself, but she’s worth livin for.”  

Closed starter for @phoenixxgreyj

As Charles worked on syllabus papers for the new class he was devising, Jean’s thoughts became central out of the haze of voices that swirled throughout the manor.  Being the only one who could use telepathic communication both ways Charles was used to hearing Jean’s inner voice often, even if most of the time it wasn’t purposeful.  However, this time her voice was being amplified by emotion, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.  Placing a finger on his temple Charles broadcasted directly into Jean’s mind, “You seem overwhelmed Jean, is there anything I can do to help?” 

-

Jean felt like she was going to cry – she had woken up only a few moments before from a nightmare, one so vivid that she woke up soaked with sweat, her room in utter disarray. She sat up, wrapping her arms around herself, her breath catching in her throat.

She let her walls down just enough to examine the minds of the other students, able to sense that they were okay. She pulled back almost immediately. Either the damage hadn’t gone beyond her room, or they were just used to her. Maybe they thought it was a drill. A “Jean Grey could go nuclear at any time” drill. 

She drew her knees to her chest, looping her arms around them and burning her face against her knees, sniffling. She didn’t look up when she felt Charles’s thought in her mind. “I’m fine,” she said, although she wasn’t, and it wasn’t like he wouldn’t know that. “It was just a bad dream.”

     Wanda didn’t have much to say to Charles. He was good person in the eyes of most, even in her eyes most of the time, but that didn’t make him as powerful as so many people allowed him to think that he was. There weren’t many who could match his power, however, there was one young woman who came to mind. Jean Grey. Charles didn’t think he was failing her, but by feeding into her fear of her power, whether knowingly or not was doing just that: failing her. Wanda would not do the same. That was how she had come to find herself outside his door, knuckles rapping against the wood. “Professor.” She called out.

Candy glanced up from her phone when she heard the soft whir of wheels against the pavement. She’d called a car and was waiting for it to show up, and of course, while she was trapped here, Charles Xavier would show up. “Professor,” she said, tipping him a half-hearted salute, two fingers at her temple. “You know, you don’t have to worry about me anymore. Warren and I haven’t been an item for a hot minute.” And they never would be again, a pill that was bitter to swallow but one she kept forcing herself to take, like it was life-saving medicine. “You can read my mind if you want.” She smiled thinly. “Not that I could stop you, I guess, huh?”

✖  Charles Xavier  ✖

Charles smiled sympathetically, “Thank you Pietro, and it’s quite alright, I know it’s not something you were doing intentionally.” He sipped on the water gratefully, ignoring the tylenol since he knew it would be as good as useless.  “I must say however, that you’ve got me quite intrigued. If you don’t mind me asking, who is Kate and what’s she done to get you so excited?”  Charles wasn’t necessarily actually interested in the machinations of Pietro’s social life, however the boy practically glowed with excitement and the joy that echoed around his thoughts, clearer now he was standing in front of Charles, was hard to ignore. 

.

Pietro smiled softly nodding his head “I’m that it was you, sometimes I know Jean picks up my thoughts and I feel like I bug her plenty without that.” he mused honestly before chuckling softly with a light blush on his cheeks. “Well, you actually might know her as she is very good friends with others around here but Kate Bishop?” He explained before looking at the other “She’s agreed to go on a date with me, I’ve sort of been holding a candle for her for a while and thought why not shoot my shot” He replied.

.

     Tommy blinked as the other spoke his name, something he had been yet to reveal. “Ah” he had heard of Professor Xavier, of course, but he knew very little about him. “I’m fast” he confirmed with a nod. “What…how did you know that, though? And what makes you think that I need help?” he rose a brow. He did quite alright on his own, he liked to think. 

Charles sighed, this was going to be harder than he had hoped.  “You’ve told me about Striker, and I appreciate your concern but can assure you my mind is more than fine.” Charles steepled his fingers and let them fall, he had to approach this delicately, but not so delicately that Logan thought he was belittling him. “My current theory is that whatever pulled you through time well…I believe it interacted with all of the other…unfortunate things that have happened. You’re not a telepath so I don’t blame you in the slightest that you can’t see it but what I can tell you now is that there are things going on in your mind that are truly dangerous. If you don’t let me help you sort them out…I fear they will consume you.” 

Logan gives a scoffed laugh and shakes his head. “Yeah? Take a look in my head at the last two years I experienced. It definitely wasn’t more than fine, Charles. You even started to give me a run for my fuckin money on the cursing.”  Though Logan had been trying to be patient (a skill he wasn’t very adapt at on a good day) the emotions he was trying to keep pressed down and buried were causing him to be restless. A sarcastic smirk and tone comes from him in response. “Oh my brain is dangerous? No shit. That dark shits been in there for a long time Charles. A long time and don’t think even you can get that shit worked out.” The mutant produces a heavy sigh as he decides whether or not to bring up a related topic that had annoyed him in his time. “I know I shouldn’t yell at you for this; you being from a different time line and all but… Don’t put the responsibility of keepin me alive on Laura, alright? It wasn’t right. Thats not the kid’s responsibility.  And maybe lettin it finally consume me wouldn’t be the worst thing.”   

Closed starter for @insurgcnts​

Charles looked up from his paperwork as Scott walked into his office.  “Ah, Scott, I had a feeling you’d be coming to see me soon. I saw you in the training room yesterday, I must say your progressing through the exercises I gave you faster than I expected.” He smiled good-naturedly, “I suppose I’ll have to draw up new training modules soon.”  He leaned forward, “So, what can i do for you?”

“Thanks Professor.” Scott smiled sheepishly at the praise. It was nice though, to be assured he was making progress and not standing at an impasse. He truly was going further with his powers, growing and learning. It was good not to be standing still. “Yeah, that’d be great. I’m looking forward to it honestly.” Learning, growing, Scott wanted to push himself as far as he could go. Be the best person he could be. Someone others could rely on. “You actually answered all my questions before I could even ask them.” He noted with a chuckle and amusement plain as day on my face. “Did you read my mind or just guess?”

Closed starter for @warrenworthingtoniii

Charles’ wheelchair halted unexpectedly, causing him to have to use his telepathy to keep himself upright.  Scanning to see what caused the interruption he heard Warren’s thoughts whizzing around in his mind like agitated flies.  Rounding the corner, Charles saw Warren and smiled warmly. “Warren, just the man I was hoping to see.” 

While on his daily flight, he decided to stop in and visit the institute. Walking the halls he’d once called his home, he was flooded with memories. He wasn’t exactly the best student. His mind wandered. His eyes always eventually fixed on the window at the large blue sky just itching to get out and feel the wind in his feathers. It was almost like an instinct he couldn’t help. Something he ended up feeling a bit bad about when Charles would have to stop the class to talk to him in his mind about it. He stopped abruptly when Charles rounded the corner and he finally saw him. The man he’d considered his real father. “You were?” He asked. 

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Charles did his best to gather his thoughts. Logan was hard to understand on the best of days. His mind was tangled and thorny, almost impossible to navigate even with his decades of experience untwisting people’s thoughts and memories.  “Logan, I know this is hard but there is only so much I can do to help you. Your mind is…” he sighed. “Whoever did these things to you, I want them to be held accountable, as I know you do as well. I hope…” He paused, “I hope if nothing else, piecing together what was taken from you can give you some sort of closure.” 

A hard scoffed laugh and shake of his head as he repeats Charles’ last word. “Closure, closure, right. Whatever the fuck that is at this point.” He gives a sigh and looks at Charles. “I’m not the me you think I am Charles. I got my ass pulled here from the future. 2029. A lot of shit has happened. Striker got what he deserved, trust me on that.” He keeps looking at Charles with a weary and hesitated look. “You uh… ya need to take better care of your brain Charles. Vitamins or somethin.”