(no subject)

[balancingminds]

As Charles was feeling in the mood to read something different, he asked Bar for a recommendation and she gave him a book that grabbed his attention.

She gave him a fantasy book that deals with some familiar themes and has given him some ideas for approaching the world. As Bar likes to protect her patrons, its in a blank cover that doesn't show what it is. Since the weather is nice, he's reading outside by the garden with an iced tea as he reads.

(OOC: Charles is listening passively as he's concentrating more on reading. Please let me know your character's thoughts in the narration or why Charles wouldn't be able to hear them. Thank you. I am done with the school year! This is open until it scrolls. All threads are set before the one with Sallie.)

Comments

[realmrsreynolds]

"Don't squint while you read, Charles. You'll give yourself glasses."

[balancingminds]

"I didn't mean to squint, I started out in the shade,"

Then the sun moved and he was too into the book to move to find a better place to read.

[realmrsreynolds]

Sallie puts down in a chair nearby and digs in one of her pockets to withdraw something to pitch in Charles' direction.

"Sunblock, pale face. Requirement."

[balancingminds]

"Oh yes, thank you. How are you doing?"

His bookmark goes into his book before he starts applying the sunscreen.

[realmrsreynolds]

"I'm good!"

A couple flashes of Splinter, Shadow, then more Splinter.

"Busy, but good."

[thefirststark]

Howard radiates thoughts about the war. Or rather, the wars, the public one that entered a new phase with D-Day, and the secret war that will soon also come to a head.

"Good afternoon, Charles."

[balancingminds]

Charles looks up at his thoughts with a frown, "Hello, Howard. How is your work going?"

[thefirststark]

"Busy, and getting busier. The invasion just took place, and I'm waiting for preliminary reports about how Stark Aviation's contribution worked." Fleeting glimpses of planes, landing crafts and gliders go through Howard's mind. "And the special project I'm doing has been accelerated so we can end it with the rest of the fighting."

[balancingminds]

"I'd be surprised if they didn't all work as they should, my memories of the invasion were that it was successful,"

Not easy or as smooth as everyone anticipated but it worked.

[thefirststark]

"The big picture so far is that everything is moving smoothly. But it's only been eleven days, and even I can't get a lot of intel yet.

"Never mind that there is likely to be more resistance, and possibly another invasion force." The disinformation campaign the Brits are waging about a Calais invasion has made it to Howard's ears. The spies would be pleased to know even he's fooled.

[cutting_edgex23]

X catches sight of him as she makes her way back from the forest. It is quiet there, Dreaming or no, and sometimes -- frequently, in these most recent days -- that is what she needs most.

It is clear that she thinks twice about approaching him, hesitant and curious (and afraid) in equal measure.

Emma could not help her. She is not about to ask Charles.

But --

She approaches anyway.

"Charles. You are okay?"

[balancingminds]

Her feelings are a mix he's not used to from her and he sets his book down to meet her gaze,

"Yes, I am. I was just enjoying the nice weather. How are you?"

[cutting_edgex23]

"I am better," she says, opening and closing her hands. Just to check that they are (still) hers.

Then she takes a few steps closer. Carefully.

"You have been busy? At home."

[balancingminds]

"Fairly, mainly working on Cerebro. May I ask what you are better from?"

He doesn't wish to pry but she's scaring him by how careful with herself she is. In all the time he's known X, she's someone who knows herself and now she seems uncertain.

[cutting_edgex23]

"You can ask," X allows. But she does not answer him.

In her memory, the relief of stopping wars with that first initial impulse to destroy. It passes.

She still hates the trigger scent. But she is slowly growing less afraid.

"They are upgrades? That you are doing to Cerebro. Or they are repairs?"

[claudiometer]

Claudia's thoughts are less jumbled than they were on Thursday, but she's still trying to clear her head some before she goes home. She thought maybe going out back for a while would help, but now that she's here, she's not so sure.
(There's a tree not far from the baseball diamond that she keeps eyeing, but never approaches. Last time she was near that tree, well, the bar was ending.)

[balancingminds]

Charles looks up and watches her for a while before walking over, "Claudia?"

[claudiometer]

"Hey, Charles."
Claudia's not really the outdoorsy type; she's just counting her blessings that Milliways doesn't really have a mosquito problem.

[balancingminds]

"Are you thinking of going tree climbing?" Its something he last did as a boy.

[claudiometer]

"Nnnnno. I just thought maybe a change of scenery would help me sort through the crap, but... well. Last time I really spent significant time out here was the apocalypse."
Most of the damage is long since gone, but she knows damn well where the triage camp was.

[guppy_sandhu]

Guppy usually stands out a mile off to people who can pick up his general aura of being on edge. But at the moment he's only radiating his baseline level, as he sits on a bench a little way away.

His attention is occupied by a small person Charles may not have met, who has discovered crawling, and is watching him between crushing dandelions between her fingers.

[balancingminds]

Charles knows the feel of his mind and its nice that he's not on edge. When he finishes a chapter, he looks up and smiles.

[guppy_sandhu]

Guppy gives him a wave.

"Hey Charles."

Brooke peers intently at Charles, then crawls over and presents him with a dandelion.

[balancingminds]

"Hello," When Brooke reaches him, he grins as he takes it. "Thank you."

[guppy_sandhu]

"This is Brooklyn, my youngest, not sure if you've met." Guppy says. "She started crawling this week, already eaten Fry's science project..."