(2016-07-04) The Importance of Being Oneself
The Importance of Being Oneself
Summary: Havok holds a discussion with Domino in the War Room, White Phoenix joins and gives Domino some food for thought.
Date: 2016-07-04)
Related: http://marvelreborn.wikidot.com/log:2016-06-24-return-rebirth-and-reconnections
NPCs: N/A
Scene Runner: N/A
Social/Plot: Social
Players:
havok..domino..white-phoenix..

Alex Summers is found in costume, black base, white lines, gold bracers and belt. He is standing in the center of the room looking down at the holotable where a scene is being played out featuringn Domino, Cable, Warpath, Wolfsbane, and Wolverine within a tropical setting. They fight a group (Marauders) and the view is from above about 30 feet. They go at the other group mightly and do some significant damage to the villains. Alex seems to be in thought as he watches the scene and waits for the arrival of Domino whom he told the previous evening to be here at 0800 sharp.

Jean Grey walks into the War Room, dressed in her white and gold Phoenix costume. Not because she was asked to be here, but rather, because she is still familiarizing with the Mansion since her return to life. Some things have changed, and walking around different parts of the Mansion evokes different eerie feelings of familiar but strange, "Havok," she greets when she walks inside, "about to do a private briefing? I can let you be…"

Domino's used to having strict timeframes. This reality version has only had less than a month to really be out of that loop. Yet, she seems to be adjusting well enough.

She stumbles in at 8:01. It also looks like she got hit by a truck, heavy-eyed, still in civvie clothing, and generally just ..mleh. Fortunately she has her coffee in hand so no one's likely to get shot at.

Turning to see the arrival of Jean in her Phoenix costume, Alex pauses and stares for a moment trying to find words. He's about to say something when Domino enters the room.

Seeing Domino arrive, Alex says to Jean, "No, not private. I was just about to show Domino a few missions and get her access to Cerebro files so she can catch up."

<You're still suspicious of me?> Havok can hear Jean's voice in his head, as she notes his moment's hesitation, before she turns to look at the newly arrived Domino. "Good idea…I understand she's not quite from around," she looks over at Domino and inclines her head at her, "I saw you the other day when I returned, sorry I didn't have the chance to say hello."

Bumping into that strange gal that popped into the courtyard out of friggin' nowhere isn't how Dom would have chosen to start her day. So far she knows nothing of this redhead other than a lot of the regulars here seem to really like her and/or are really apprehensive around her. Unease does travel, and that whole 'being dead but got better' thing is just really, really weird. Still, she gives Jean a dismissive looking frown. "Sounds like you had enough to deal with, already. Yeah, I'm another resident newbie."

Oh hey, and she's famous. "Well, would you look at that," she almost grunts with traditional Neena social grace while looking to the video feed, taking the opportunity to nurse her coffee. "Whole team of us, all kitted out and rarin' to go."

And, as she mentally notes… Cable. The name's so prevalent on her mind that Jean might pick up on it without even trying for a read.

"And..I'll note, that crew doesn't seem real intent on 'hitting to wound.'"

Alex is disarmed by the mental contact from Jean, he frowns slightly and looks her way. His only impression is to say that he's sorry in return for it is true, he is cautious when it comes to her presence.

Alex notes his response, "They don't. And they only take prisoners if they want to interrogate. Sure, it's not our normal MO. But, that's what they're for. Originally our mission was not to kill. Wolverine broke the hell out of that rule over and over. So with the changing environment, his way began to fit. Or something. I don't actually know and I don't want to dwell on it either."

He changes gears. "So here's the deal…" he continues to address Domino. "This is the war room. Briefing room. Tactical or ops room. Or whatever you would call it. Here, you can access files on mission operations and get caught up with what the former you did. It will help you get acclimated. Your login is Domino, password, OBITRIX. Change it if you want. It will give you certain permissions to scan through certain access levels of Cerebro. Now, If you would excuse me. I need to find Hank so he can follow up with Betsy."

Jean nods at Havok and doesn't press the issue any further, turning instead to focus on Domino. She is indeed at times unable to avoid picking up some thoughts when they are strong, so she certainly heard, "welcome, Domino, and it's a safe bet to sa I've had enough to deal with."

Looking more closely at Domino, she takes a few steps towards her and then asks, "I'm sorry, I usually try to avoid it, but…you know Cable?"

The next bit of intel almost seems to rush past Domino. The important parts are grasped, login info is useful stuff. They might not be too happy with her if she tried to luck her way into this Cerebro thing. Then, like a whirlwind, the guy's back out the door. Leaving her alone with a(nother) psychic. There's a curious abundance of them in her life lately, it's a little unsettling.

Her way of dealing with it is to claim a chair. With a wince.

"Thanks," is her initial reply. It's quickly followed up with a slow breath, leaning forward to massage her forehead.

"Sort of..I guess… -My- first memory of the guy is from over a week ago when we were fighting cybernetically hopped-up demons somewhere in the city. According to him, and things like this," she says while thumbing toward the video feed, "we had known each other pretty damn well. Just how 'well' I'm still working out for myself." Though it appears to stretch pretty far.

"Our pal Nate here seems to have known a lot about the previous me."

"How much of what he knows holds true to what you know?" Jean asks curiously, before adding with a slight hesitation, "sorry if I seem a snoop, but I have somewhat close relations with Nathan," but she leaves it at that. "If you need anything let me know, I know what it's like to be somewhere that isn't quite right. An unsettling experience to be sure…"

At the 'somewhat close relations' comment Neena almost quickly holds a palm up from the table in silent protest. "Hold up. When you say that, are you ..implying that you and he are..were..y'know. Dating?" she manages to say, fighting to sort out just how to voice the question. She can answer Jean's other question in a moment, this matter almost concerns her!

"Oh, heavens no!" Jean let's out, somewhat distraught at the suggestion, "I raised him! Along with my husband…" she softens her voice at that point, because it really gets complicated. "In a way, you could say I was his mother."

Wait what now..? Time-travel stuff is confusing enough but this may well have broken the waking Neena's brain. This bit of news has her wondering if she should be more nervous about the situation or less! "You—but he's..what about the age..WHAT?"

Ahem.

"What he knew about the other me doesn't line up. In my history I ..uh, never left 'home,'" she lamely tries to change the subject. "Age aside, I'm only just getting started here." Very sheltered life, really. A literal hole in the ground!

Jean smiles shyly as Neena tries to cope with that revelation, and she eventually grants her, "it's complicated…" because getting into further detail might require a whole day of lecturing in choronkinesis and transposition of timelines. "I understand…I guess it's important to keep open channels of communications and get through it. I'm sure you'll do well, Domino."

Things are awkward enough, already. When Jean mentions keeping communication open Neena slowly rubs at her face with the heel of her palm. It's a feeling of apprehension similar to eyeing a Band-aid that's about to get yanked free in one go. 'It's complicated' pretty well sums it up.

"..I think he and I did more than run missions together. Though it sounds like resurrection might run in the family so maybe he's got a better grasp of this than I do."

Jean laughs as Neena brings up the issue of resurrection, "yes, you could definitely make the claim our family is an odd one. Maybe not quite the Addams family, but we're pretty up there," she winks playfully, "I myself am having some issues blending in again, been a while since I last set foot in this Mansion, and even so, it was home for so many years."

Which is a good point. Dom rubs a little more sleep out of her eyes then turns her chair around to better look at the other woman, then leaning back. With the 'pressure' no longer being on her the transformation from guarded to curious is quite obvious. "So how's this all working on your end of the fence, you -are- from this reality but..seriously, you were dead? As in 'dead' dead? How does that even work? Your return had a lot of people looking nervous, and some others were about ready to set their calendars by it."

"I was…" Jean starts, before slowing, "I think these days, I am of all realities. We all are, but then I have broadened my horizons a bit when it comes to such matters…" Jean considers elaborating but evidently choose not to. "Well, yes, and I have been dead before….the nervousness? It's because of what happened in the past…" she seems a bit split on whether to share with Domino at all, it feels so much better to have someone not dig suspicious looks her way, why ruin a good thing? "Let's just say, in the past, when I came back, some hard times seemed to follow…that's why they're worried."

The funny thing is, Domino thinks she understands what Jean is going through. "You can never outrun your past, huh. I'm finding out more about this every day," she admits while motioning to the video still playing out before them both. She points directly to her other self on the image. "I still can't decide if that person was a monster or a hero. Kinda seems like a bit of both. There's a lot riding on this name and image and I just don't know if I am that person. Maybe I'm better, maybe I'm worse. Someone else has already told a story for me that never existed until a few weeks ago. From what I'm seeing, even if this is your reality we aren't coming from very different places. We both just get to live with the consequences. You're just fortunate enough to remember what that past was about."

Even if it's being 'fortunate' to remember horrible events. Though for her, 'hard times' translates to much more mundane things than summoning along a destructive cosmic psychic entity. Maybe one of these days she'll learn.

"You know…I'm not sure I subscribe to that notion, 'you can never outrun your past'," Jean offers as she turns to look at the holo recording, realizing that the Domino she's watching in action isn't at all the Domino she is speaking to. Maybe not yet, maybe never. "Monster is a word thrown around far too easily…" Jean muses, before turning to Domino and reaching tentatively to hold her shoulders, if Domino would allow it, squeezing a bit in reassurance, "you are. That is the truth. What could be, will be or was, doesn't matter. You are the present, you make the shots, and you decide who you are and who you'll become. I would advise to ignore what everyone is telling you…they're expectation should not be part in your decision. That's a lesson I learned the hard way."

Just when Dom's thinking of ways to argue the matter..there's a Jean. No effort is made to brush the other woman away, though there's an initial tensing of her shoulders when hands come to rest upon them. What follows is probably something the previous her didn't spent a lot of time with: Being confused by emotions. "What -is- it about you damn psychics…" she mutters. Being angry, or judgemental, or abrasive, those are all easy reactions to uncomfortable situations. Jean's actually making her -think.-

"Then maybe it's a good thing you guys found me when you did. Apparently she had a lot more time to lurk in her past," the present Thurman says when motioning to the former. "I still don't know if I'm supposed to be here, but for what it's worth to you all I think I might stick around for a while."

"I honestly don't know if there's an answer to that," Jean says as Neena asks about the essence of psychics and what they bring to the table. "Being one, I guess it's harder for me to imagine not being one." The smile on Jean's lips suggests she's not being entirely truthful, perhaps she knows and likes to play that she doesn't.

""The fact you are here, tells me that you probably are supposed to be here," Jean offers whimsically, before letting go of Domino and stepping away towards the door, "I'm glad you decided to stay for the time being, I think we would all benefit from your decision…I need to get going now, but I'll be seeing you, have a good day, Domino."

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