7569/Temp Title

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Temp Title
Date of Scene: 21 May 2019
Location: Wellness Center - Xavier Mansion
Synopsis: Mason and Charles talk in the Wellness Center about what it means to apply oneself.
Cast of Characters: Mason Steele, Professor X




Mason Steele has posed:
    Mason hasn't been himself lately. He's been afraid. Surely all of the students have been afraid given the Sentinel threat that seems more and more impending. He hasn't even performed in public since they were announced, save for a couple of recitals required by his Julliard classes. And today? Well, he's in the Wellness Center. To check on the Professor? No.

    He rolled his wrist while playing kickball, sliding into third base. Nothing major, a few days in a splint and he should be fine. He sits a few beds away, in fact, being given the lecture by the nurse about how to not make things worse, before she goes to get the brace for him to wear.

Professor X has posed:
Charles taps away on his tablet, reading through the endless stream of correspondence that is his inbox. He half-listens to the conversation while Mason is being tended to.

"Better to listen to Lindsay, Mr. Steele," Charles says with a smile as the nurse passes his bed. "She is merciless if you don't follow her regimes. Were you tagged out or did you take third?" Charles asks, putting his tablet down in his lap.

Mason Steele has posed:
    "Oh, I was safe," he says. "But bad call had me out." Naturally. He's heard that the Professor was injured. "How about you?" His tone is a little reserved, "I heard you got shot and stuff," he recalls aloud. "That's like, crazy." He turns around to see the Professor a little better. "What's that feel like?"

Professor X has posed:
Charles' eyes wander Mason's face as the young man speaks, then he glances down at his left arm lying in its sling with tape around his chest securing in place.

"Well, it was a surprise, a shock. And then very painful. Frightening. Overwhelming," Charles recalls. "Though Dr. McCoy's an excellent doctor, so I'm in no real pain now."

The professor shifts in his bed slightly to get more comfortable. "Would you mind passing me that pillow?" he asks Mason, pointing a long narrow one sitting on the next bed. Charles finishes settling in.

"Ah, much better," he smiles gratefully. "But even with the pain gone, it's still frightening and overwhelming. After all these years, it's still hard to believe there are people out there who hate me so much for what my beliefs that they would do this."

Mason Steele has posed:
    Mason gets the requested pillow, and brings it over. "I get it," he says admittedly. "I mean, mutants can do scary stuff. You stand for doing things to give mutants acceptance, to make them less afraid. But it's not like mutants aren't dangerous. Some can do some pretty crazy stuff. I'm kinda scared of us too sometimes."

Professor X has posed:
"I am too, sometimes," Charles confides. "When I was growing up, nobody could shoot fire from their hands or lift tanks with their minds. Nobody had claws coming out of their fists or could make tornados. There were just people. But the strange thing is, plenty of us were afraid of some kinds of people then, too."

Mason Steele has posed:
    "Oh yeah, like the Russians?" Mason says, remembering some of his History classes. "I guess. It's a little more personal when they got robots they are planning to release and crush you in cars and stuff like in the news." Well, it's more personal for him at least. He glances over as Lindsay brings the brace, and he takes it. She tells him how to put it on, as if it needed explanation, and he slides his right hand into it and straps it down.

Professor X has posed:
Charles shoots Lindsay a smile when she comes to show Mason the brace and how to use it. When she asks, Charles says he does not need anything and thanks her.

"Hmm, they were feared. I was thinking of blacks, though," he says. "After slavery, these people suddenly popped into American society. They were supposed to be equal at law, but people were afraid. Blacks were supposed to be violent, less educated, preying on your daughters and wives, thieving, robbing, Godless, and resentful of the rest of us. Worse, there was a creeping suspicion that if the rest of us were not careful, they would take our jobs, control our institutions. Displace us. There was real fear."

"So blacks were set apart, socially, educationally, economically and physically. They were beaten into submission by authorities and confined to ghettos. But it didn't work. It made things worse. It led to race riots, violent clashes, lynchings and some of the most violent gangs we have ever seen. We were afraid, but suppression failed horribly, and cost everyone."

Mason Steele has posed:
    "Oh, right," Mason nods sheepishly. "Right, that. I guess that never really stopped. Maybe it's just not as bad now because there's us to be the big scare now. Being black isn't as intimidating." He gives a lopsided grin, one that he's known well for in his public image. "Feels like there's not much we can do about it though, you seem to have plans and stuff, I'm not that smart for stuff like that."

Professor X has posed:
Charles smiles back at Mason with genuine fondness. It's hard not to when he brings out that trademark grin of his. "Well, you'd be surprised. It has taken a long time and things are far from perfect, but African Americans are not *them* anymore. Not really. They are us; neighbours, teachers, doctors, police officers, construction workers, artists... Different but the same. More integrated. And we fear them less. Nobody would dream of bringing in the army to control blacks, or putting tracking collars on each of them. The idea is disgusting. There are African American criminals, just like there are Caucasian and Asian ones. And we deal with them appropriately. But we are not /war/ with African Americans."

"We are the blacks now," Charles says. "And this is a very critical time. The world is deciding whether to suppress or integrate us. It is up to some to stand up against the worst to protect people, stopping Sentinels or cyborgs," Charles says with a meaningful look at Mason. "It is up to others to use their voices to convince people we are worth integrating, that we are just like them at heart, to bring us in to be police officers, politicians, teachers, and bus drivers right alongside them. And for others, it's just up to them to make a friend with someone not like them and build a tiny, single bridge. These are the things that made African Americans /American/, and what will make mutants American, too.

"But do you know the best part of doing something, no matter how small?" Charles asks with a smile.

Mason Steele has posed:
    Mason looks blankly. "Um..." he looks as if he is trying hard to come up with an answer, as if he's been called upon in class. Much like in class, he doesn't have one. He reaches over and tightens the strap on his wrist brace. "No?" he offers in response with a wince apologeticly.

Professor X has posed:
"You don't feel as guilty or afraid anymore," Charles says with a gentle smile. He looks at the brace. "How does that feel? Will you still be able to play piano and guitar?"

Mason Steele has posed:
    Mason looks down at the brace. "Yeah, I think so," he says as he gives a wiggle of his fingers. "Minus a few pieces I'll have to save until I get it off," he comments. "Could be worse." He shakes his head. "I'm not really good at stuff like all that," he gestures inspecifically with his uninjured left hand. "I mean, there's that staffing thing in Mutant Town, that's kinda good I guess? Mutants getting better pay for their abilities, that'd make stuff easier on acceptance, right? I'm not that smart, but I get business. And business says whatever is most profitable, that's what ya do. And using mutants, it seems like it'd be worth casting off the prejudice, right?"

Professor X has posed:
"You have all the smarts you need, Mr. Steele. What you need is the 1000-watt belief in who you are to back up that 1000-watt smile," he gently teases. "But that comes in time."

Charles reaches over and picks up his tea cup from the raised table beside his bed, looks into it and puts back.

"I had heard about the staffing company. As long as it's helping and not exploiting mutants, then yes, it would be a step in the right direction. If I remember correctly, I asked Mr. Quire to look into it to get more information. At least I'm pretty sure I did. The last few days are a bit of a blur!"

Mason Steele has posed:
    "Yeah, Andrea's good at that stuff," Mason says. "Wish I was, but..." he shrugs. "What made you do all this? I mean, you're in a wheelchair, you got all this money. You didn't need any of this headache. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's noble and all, but..." he shrugs. "What made you do it?"

Professor X has posed:
"Well, that is a long story, but to make it short, I certainly didn't set out be an activist. Truth is, I was studying at Oxford when I fell in love with a young woman, which yes, has happened despite popular opinion to the contrary," he says with a suppressed grin. "And I joined the military to impress her. That did not work out well, she went her own way despite my best efforts. I went travelling to put her out of my mind and ran into a very powerful being who dropped a stone on my legs that left me like this," he gestures to his legs. "Lying under that rock I realized how terrifying these beings, mutants, everything was. For myself, for everyone. And I realized with the sheer power of mutantkind, what incredible good could be done. And I decided that would be my life, if I lived. Helping the good mutants and stopping the others."

"So you see, it's really all because of a woman," Charles says with a wink. "But don't tell anyone."

Mason Steele has posed:
    Mason smiles, "Everyone says women are trouble. Andrea sure is," he comments. "But hey, use what ya got right? I mean, with your powers, it should be pretty easy to get a girl I would think. You can like, read their minds and know exactly what they want!" Yes, that'd probably be abusing the power, but... Mason knows that few people would know it if the Professor was to use the ability.

Professor X has posed:
"That would be a truly gross violation," Charles says patiently. "It isn't something I would do. If compelling a woman's body is an intense violation, imagine compelling her mind. If it was not a situation where I would feel comfortable touching someone's person, pushing them out of the way of the proverbial bus say, then I wouldn't feel comfortable touching their mind."

Mason Steele has posed:
    "No no!" Mason defends, "I just mean like, Mel Gibson in that one old movie, the one where he can hear what all the girls are thinking, so he knows how to get in their-" he stops himself, as if remembering that he's talking to the headmaster. "Get their attention. You know, just know what she likes." He offers a smile again. "I mean, guys have tried to understand what women really want for centuries, and you really can!"

Professor X has posed:
"I understand the idea, and the temptation, but a person's mind is a very special, very personal space. If they are not safe there, then where? No, I'm at just as much a loss as every other man," he assures Mason. "Which is a good thing. It is hard for people to trust me, but if they thought I made casual use of such invasive powers?" The Professor shakes his head. "The weak shouldn't take advantage of the strong. Whether they overwhelm a woman with strength, mind control or overwhelming star power, is it really fair to the other person? Is it any less of an exploitation?" he asks, cocking his head slightly.

Mason Steele has posed:
    Mason seems a little stunned by the comparison to his position of fame. "I..." The casual remark looks like it had a brutally direct effect. "I just sing songs," he answers. "I don't exploit anyone." His voice seems to get quieter during the statement, considering the implications of the veiled admonishment.

Professor X has posed:
"Great powers come in many forms," Charles says quietly. "And little in our culture teaches us not to exploit it to it's fullest. But how we use our power says a great deal about who we are and the world we want to see. I'm not questioning anything that has happened, Mason. But I am asking you to look at how powerful you truly are, and think carefully about how you use that power in the future. I'm asking you to use it with compassion."

Mason Steele has posed:
    "I know, I know," Mason jumps to his own defense. "I can use it to help mutant kind, I can use it to speak out. And people don't know I'm a mutant, so it can be like, a normal human is speaking out for mutants. I get it, that's really useful and all, I just-I just don't know if I can. What if people start hating me? Then what kind of voice do I have? I mean, you are a smart guy and all, and you have some pretty remarkable speaking talents and all that. And someone still just shot you."

Professor X has posed:
Charles nods. "Yes, they did. Taking a stand on anything at all will make some people hate you, even if it's only for showing some integrity. But they will respect you.

"Still, I'm not asking you to become Andrea, Mason. Or tell you what you should be doing with your powers, whether it's helping mutantkind, helping starving children in Africa or leaving the world beautiful music that will speak into peoples' lives and make them feel understood. You need to be you, not anyone else. And you are a decent and caring young man, and will do good things. I'm confident of that. All I'm asking is that whatever you do with what you have, don't be casual about it. Be deliberate."

Mason Steele has posed:
    "Yeah," Mason says, letting his left toe kick on the floor. "I guess. I just worry that if I try hard, it hurts more if I fail," he admits. "If I don't try as hard, I can always chalk it up to...well, I would have done better if I tried." He looks helplessly at the Professor. "That may sound stupid I guess, but it's like, if I try my best, and fail, then I know I really wasn't good enough."

Professor X has posed:
"No, it sounds familiar. That is the worry of every very gifted person I have ever met," Charles says. "Every young one, that is. The old ones who did nothing with their lives don't worry. They regret."

Charles looks up at the clock on the wall. "If I'm not mistaken, I have someone coming to see me very shortly. But I'm glad we got the chance to speak. My door is always open to you," he says.