11008/Will the Real Tatum Please Stand Up

Will the Real Tatum Please Stand Up
Date of Scene:	07 February 2020
Location:	Xavier's Office / Classroom
Synopsis:	Professor X delves into Deadzone's head to see if she's being honest about her identity and motives.
Cast of Characters:	Deadzone, Professor X

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Deadzone has posed:
    There is a soft knock on the door and it opens a crack. "Professor? It's Tate. Tatum O'Neal? Storm wanted me to see you to make sure I was who I say I am and make sure I don't pose as a threat to the students?" It's been three years since Tatum disappeared the morning of her wedding to Dr. McCoy. Due to her power that keeps most psychics out, Charles had to resort to using Cerebro to try to find her and was able to say with certainty that she was no longer on the planet.
    She is dressed in a much more subdued style for the usual goth home ec teacher, just black jeans, a black T with a skull motif and black keds. The fact that she's not wearing her usual high heels is a notable difference. Her hair is pulled back in low ponytails that start at the nape of her neck.
    "May I come in?"

Professor X has posed:
In his wheelchair as always yet sitting in his office all the same is Professor Charles Xavier, or more affectionately known as Professor X. He seems to be reading his favorite book once again, the Once and Future King, until he hears the knock upon the door. Of course, he may have sensed her presence, but the aura she exhudes makes it difficult for him to know for a fact that she is indeed there until she knocks proper.

"Miss O'Neal, please come in." Or at least, who he -believes- to be Tatum O'Neal. Unfortunately, he hasn't really found time to truly probe her to see if she's telling the truth quite yet.

"I trust you are well?" He gestures to the seat in front of his desk for her to plop down in so she may speak freely and comfortably. He's a gentleman and won't make her stand.

Deadzone has posed:
     The goth comes into the room, looking nervous and sheepish. A far cry from the oodles of confidence she normally displays. She notices the title of the book on the cover and smiles. How many times has he read that book now. Either that or he's a really slow reader.
    "I have been. The boathouse is lovely and Remy has been a wonderful room mate. But, if I can, I would like to try to get back to life as normal. Teaching home ec, helping out in the music department. I am pretty sure I'm going to need a new room though. I am somehow doubting that Hank is ready to have me move back in just yet." She looks down at the ground, frowning. Having been thought of being a runaway bride is no picnic.
    Finally she looks up at the Professor and smiles. THere is a glimmer of the old Tatum there. She reaches out her hand. "I know you can get through my field, but I learned its easier for you if you are actually in my field when you try. It's still slow going, but not as much of... how did you describe it? Like trying to walk through molasses?"

Professor X has posed:
Charles watches the goth woman enter the room and he does not seem repulsed by her appearance or uneased by her power. She would make most people helpless, but at least she's being kind to Charles by making it easier for him. "It is true, when I'm outside of your field, its much more difficult to use my abilities."

He makes sure that she seems to be at least comfortable when she extends her hand. He takes it and gives it a firm shake. "Ensure that you are comfortable, yes? I am sorry that things have been hard with Mr. McCoy, but try to keep an open mind." he nods.

When she seems ready, he will begin the process of delving into her mind to dig deep, for the truth is highly important in this situation.

Deadzone has posed:
    Tatum gets comfortable in her chair and takes a deep breath, doing her best to open her mind to the Professor. Unlike many people, she has no issues with a psychic getting into her head, but perhaps that is due to the fact that so few actually can. She smiles at the comment about Hank and nods. "He came by the other night. We talked. It's going to be a long road, if we ever get to the point we were at before I got taken away. But he's worth trying for."
    Inside her head, there is so much trouble. Control, and not having it in regards to her own life, seems to be a regular theme. From her homeworld, where HYDRA created her to be a weapon, then the disembodied head that popped up just as she finally got her life under control. Bringing her here. And then a year later, do the day, to the minute, the disembodied head showing up again. Every year, for the last four years, the disembodied head showing up, sending her to different worlds. Always dealing with the X-men and always when some disaster was about to start. There are images of Apocolypse. The Sentinels. Mr. Sinister. Mojo. There are images of X-men and students that change ages, change genders, some dying in combat that are still alive here. So many realities.
    But, it's very liniar. It all follows a timeline, as jumbled as it might seem to be. And the most notable part is being able to see the memories she has of this world, of dealing with Charles himself. If she is not the Tatum that left three years ago, then she came from a world remarkably like this one.

Professor X has posed:
Charles nods softly to her. "I am glad to hear that you're resolve has not lessened whatsoever of late." A warm smile coming from the much older gentleman before he closes his eyes and allows himself to enter her mind. Its still a somewhat difficult process to even get in, but her negation is overwhelmed all the same to allow him access.

It is more like walking through a foggy memory, yet instead of fog, it is like a clear day, if that makes sense. He sees memories familiar and unfamiliar, though instead of the sprint he normally does with these things, its like a walk.

Hers was a hard mind to crack, but he gathers all that he needs to in order to decipher the code.

The probing truly doesn't last very long, for he eventually exits her mind. "Its a curious thing. If you are a different Tatum, you bear much of the same memories. Therefore...I can't much declare that you are a different Tatum."

Deadzone has posed:
    Tatum smiles, her eyes closed, as Charles mentions her resolve. "I'm stubborn as only a native New Yorker can be," she teases.
    As the Professor pulls free from her mind, the goth arches a brow. "Hank 5, I've kind of taken to refering to the worlds and the Hank's by their number I met them... Hank has fancy numbers for them, but hell if I can remember. Anyway, Hank 5 thinks that the head, the one that keeps moving me, is related to me... And Hank. Specifically Hank 2. I might be here for good this time. To... close the loop. It's a theory. But Hank is pretty smart about things like that."
    She gives his hand a squeeze before pulling it away and once again, she becomes a person that just isn't there, at least mentally. He can see her, but the usual touch of minds is absent, like she is empty space. "So, do you still need a Home Ec teacher? After world 5, I just want to have a normal life. Day to day, 9 to 5, sounds like heaven right about now."

Professor X has posed:
Charles nods. "So it would appear." But afterwards, he clasps his hands in his lap and he simply listens to Tatum as she speaks. If he noticed the hand squeeze, he doesn't reveal it quite yet. But he nods as Tatum continues about Hanks that she's met and apparently had very different relations with, depending on the Hank.

"I do, actually. If you would like, you can claim one of the classrooms as your own that haven't been claimed yet. I'm sure the students would love to have a class like this."

Deadzone has posed:
Tatum sighs with relief as she is given the go ahead to come back to work. "I promise you, Chuck, that the first class will involve making your favourite cookies." She rises to her feet. "So, if you'll excuse me, now that I have the run of the main floors, I won't go downstairs till the team is okay with me being back, I'm gonna go see my Baby and make her sing." She means her cello. Not Hank.