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[balancingminds]

After having breakfast, Charles decided to stay a little longer in Milliways. He can work on his notes here as well as in the facility and he's feeling like he might be ready to talk to people again.

When he goes up to get a refill on his tea, he's given a a note that he stares at. What did she hear?

Since staring at it doesn't change anything, he sits down at the counter and sips his tea. Life never seems to get simpler for him.

(OOC: At the moment Charles is not actively listening to anyone's thoughts.)

Comments

[chrysopteron]

Iris comes into Milliways again, another note in hand just in case.

Charles? Are you here?

[balancingminds]

Yes, Iris, I am. I got your note. He still doesn't know what to think of it.

[chrysopteron]

Is it not wonderful?

It takes Iris a few seconds, but she finds Charles and smiles broadly at him. (She does not move to hug him - not quite yet. They left things oddly, and there are matters at hand.)

"Do you agree?"

[balancingminds]

"It's surprising. What did you hear?" His smile is smaller and tired.

[chrysopteron]

"You. You were working, and -- "

"What am I doing here, my goddess? Today I feel as lost as dandelion fluff on the wind."

"Is that how we are to you, dear goddess? Hopes and feelings that you pass by on your way to another task."

[balancingminds]

"Oh, I wonder why you heard those thoughts and not other ones,"

He offers his hand palm up to her, he's glad she heard. It doesn't make anything simpler but it feels right for her to know his thoughts.

[chrysopteron]

"Were you doing something different? I tried calling back but you never heard me."

Iris stares at his hand for a minute, but lets her hand reach for his with little in the way of true hesitation.

[golden_lyre]

Orpheus has been spending more time in the bar mostly because there's very little to keep him in Paris anyway, and the people he meets here are, for the most part, much more interesting. He's decided to have lunch here at least, and slides onto a stool to order it, He asks for a glass of ouzo to start and is given a beer instead.

"Is this your way of lecturing me?"

[balancingminds]

Charles looks over at the other man and blinks as his mind feels more,

"She's not usually the lecturing type, more firm suggestions."

[golden_lyre]

Orpheus laughs lightly. "That's kind of what I meant."

After he picks up the beer, he's given a very large bowl of stew and nearly half a loaf of bread before he can even ask for anything.

"And this would be her 'scolding mother' routine, I'm guessing. Either that, or she's been spending too much time with Demeter."

To be fair, he probably should eat more.

[balancingminds]

"That routine, yes, she's good at it. Sallie helps as she believes in feeding people helps. It can be useful but doesn't fix everything,"

He pats the wood with a smile, Bar is kind.

[golden_lyre]

"No, it doesn't, but it can take your mind of things."

And it isn't that he doesn't like beer. Or that he disagrees that he should drink less. It does rather amuse him that Bar can make him feel like a child.

"Just don't make a habit of it," he says to Bar, giving her a pat himself.

[balancingminds]

"Yes, it can or create new things to worry about. I'm Charles,"

He folds up the note and puts it in his pocket, he won't think about that just now, and offers Orpheus his hand.

[golden_lyre]

"I suppose that's always a possibility." He takes the hand with a smile, shaking it warmly. "Orpheus. Nice to meet you."

[markedformore]

Erik had not intended to see Charles. In fact, he had come to Milliways solely to find respite and rest. Charles' presence makes him scowl, acutely aware once more of the entanglements of their lives and how Cerebro has made Erik's mood a dozen times worse than he thought possible.

He does not think he can slip away so quickly. Beyond that, he wishes to confront him about the experiments. Erik is quick in his strides, shooting Charles a sharp look as he places his books down on the bar beside him. "Why are you pushing yourself so hard with Hank?"

[balancingminds]

Erik's presence surprises Charles and he stares for a moment before answering,

"Because it's a way to reach out and find other mutants. I've never felt so many minds at once. I felt like that line of Whitman's, 'I am large, I contain multitudes.'"

It was a humbling experience and one that he's found difficult to capture in words, because all of his scientific experience doesn't cover this.

[markedformore]

"That's fine," Erik concedes, as he fully supports the notion of bringing more mutants closer to home in order to better strengthen themselves for the coming wars. "But I don't understand why you see the need to push yourself to such limits, needlessly," he growls.

[balancingminds]

"It's not needless and that was the first time, it was bound to be rough. Cerebro can be fine tuned so its not as much of a strain for me. I was fine while I was in there, it didn't take me too long to adjust. The severity of the after effects were unexpected,"

And he's doing far better today though he has been avoiding interacting with everyone. That's not fully Cerebro's fault but works as an honest excuse.

[markedformore]

Erik doesn't buy a word of it. It might be truth, it might be absolutely dead on, but as far as he's concerned, he saw Charles being hurt and he doesn't wish to relive that. "You screamed." It's simple and fearful, but it's there. "You subjected yourself to experiments and screamed. Where I come from, that means you're in pain."

[balancingminds]

"It was a shock. I haven't been overwhelmed like that in a long time but I'm fine,"

He meets Erik's gaze, he doesn't know what Erik wants. Yes, it hurt, but it was also an incredible experience.

[markedformore]

Erik has been overwhelmed by such things in his history and he does not like to see it playing out before him. He's grimacing, yet, and he doesn't like it. "And what are you doing now?" he asks. "Gearing yourself up for another round?"

[brutalcareer]

Cato stumbles a bit downstairs. It's a tired stumble as he heads over to the Bar to order coffee. Once he takes a sip, he sighs and then hops onto a stool. He shakes his head to himself and wipes the cold sweat from his brow. Very obviously tired and a little freaked out.

[balancingminds]

Charles looks over at the young man and frowns, that look of a hard night's sleep is familiar,

"Bad night?"

[brutalcareer]

Cato glances over, his hand has somehow wandered to the scars on his cheek and then says simply,

"You have no idea..."

[balancingminds]

"I might, it's best not to assume things about people here,"

Today Charles looks rather worn down as the combination of Cerebro and all the personal chaos around the Facility has made him tired.