7574/Unexpected Guests

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Unexpected Guests
Date of Scene: 21 May 2019
Location: Wellness Office - Xavier's School
Synopsis: Sibil goes to visit the Professor and finds more than she bargained for.
Cast of Characters: Professor X, Sibilance




Professor X has posed:
A pleasant looking young man with dark hair and a carefully groomed bear wearing a light gray suit is at the bottom of the front stairs to the Xavier Institute when Ainsley pulls up after being allowed through the gates. He smiles politely wihtout batting an eyelid at her appearance. He holds out his hand. "Agent Garcia, I'm Grant Gilholme, one of Dr. Xavier's assistances. May I see your identification please?" he asks.

If shown, he inspects it for a moment. If not he considers Ainsley for a moment. Either way, he turns sideways and gestures up the stairs.

"Dr. Xavier is this way," he says. As they walk up the stairs he continues. "Dr. Xavier is still recovering, so we're asking visitors to keep stays short so he can rest."

Grant leads the way up the stairs and into the lobby of the Institute. Very normal looking youth walk to and fro in singles, pairs and groups, carrying books, laughing and talking as they would in any school. The place has that posh private school look, but nothing out of the ordinary. Grant walks to the right and through a door into a large room with a big fireplace, huge windows and a few hospital beds blended neatly into what would otherwise be some kind of giant den or sitting room. A nurse is green scrubs is talking with a young lady near one of the beds, bending and straightening the youth's arm. In the last bed, Charles Xavier sits with a tablet in his good hand. His left arm is in a sling and bandaged tightly against his chest to keep it from moving. Otherwise he looks himself except his shirt has no tie today. Charles looks up when Ainsley approaches. "Agent Garcia, please sit down," he gestures to one of the chairs near his bed and thanks Grant. Grant makes his way out of the room. "I was surprised to hear someone from your agency was here. I hope nothing is wrong?"

Sibilance has posed:
Sibil showed up, the tiny snake woman producing her badge -- Agent-In-Training, it says, Level One, but it's proof enough -- and she follows along to where Charles is resting. She's obedient and quiet, and she moves with a solid grace to her step, though she keeps her head down and tries not to stand out too much despite her appearance. She isn't a confident person, at a glance.

She sits when asked to do so, settling in with some fussing with her tail. She adjusts her coat -- she has the standard black suit with white undershirt that SHIELD personnel like to wear when out and about. She seems relieved to see Charles, for long enough to read it. "No, no. Nothing's wrong. I have to admit, this is more of a... personal visit?" She leans in a bit conspiratorially, and lifts a hand up to loud-whisper that last part. "Mutants don't have enough advocates out there and, as you can see, I have reason to have a personal interest in your health." She indicates her whole appearance. Her mutant status is very visible. She then digs into her coat and produces a notepad and a pen. Click, scribble. She tears a page out with her number scribbled down on it. "If you need any help, let me know. I'll do whatever I can. I'm not really a full agent yet so I can't speak for any SHIELD resources, and I may be limited by my obligations to the organization, but..." She shrugs, smiling awkwardly.

"Are you... okay?"

Professor X has posed:
Charles smiles and leans forward to accept Ainsley's phone number. He glances at it and tucks it away in his shirt pocket.

"Thank you, Agent Garcia, that is very kind; the offer and the visit. I've been really touched by the support people like yourself have been giving me," he says. "It's encouraging."

Charles shifts slightly, moving one of the pillows behind his back to a slightly more comfortable position. "You'd think I would be used to sitting all the time, but this bed..." he says good-naturedly. "I'm doing well, thank you. It's much less painful than it was, and it will heal just fine. Soon I will be back to just the aches and pains I already had."

"How long have you been training?" Charles asks. "I wasn't aware of any mutants working in your organization."

Sibilance has posed:
"Not very long," Sibilance answers, with a shy smile. "I don't know of any other mutants in SHIELD. As far as I know, I'm the only one. I draw a lot of attention from the other trainees, but a lot of them are ... uneasy around me. Snakes bring out the most primal of fear in people." She shakes her tail, which rattles like the snake she resembles. "About a week now, I'd say. Before that it was a mountain of paperwork. Before that... I don't want to talk your ear off about myself."

"Are you safe here, then?" she wonders, looking around. "Some of these bigots are pretty bold..." She visibly worries, because this place, while guarded, doesn't feel like the place it actually is at a glance. It doesn't seem like a secure military installation, like the Triskelion.

Professor X has posed:
Charles expression softens into one of genuine compassion, without a trace of pity and he waves off Ainsley's concern about talking about herself. "Your kind mutation comes with extra challenges," he says understandingly. "I've heard it can be very isolating. It really does change how you saw your life. Regardless, your recruitment is quite the achievement, you must be proud. I know nothing about the organization really, but I've heard rumours they are extremely selective."

Charles cocks his head slightly. "Other parts of your mutation are probably a challenge as well," he says with a searching look at her expression. "Have you had training?"

Sibilance has posed:
Selective. Sibil was the one that proposed it to them, and she glances aside when that part's brought up. She looks back to Charles, his words on her mutations and their challenges making her nod slowly. It is peculiar, her psychic focus. When she isn't looking at someone, it's like her mind puts up a smokescreen, another unconscious effect that's easy to pick up on thanks to the contrast.

"No formal training, no. I've found it's... hard to find someone that can help with that. Not really an abundance of experience in what I can do out in the wild." She sighs and adjusts herself in her seat. "I learned to control my abilities on my own. That's largely why I'm even able to be a part of SHIELD. But ... I don't have a lot of people to talk to about it." She flashes a sad smile. Her wording is notable, she doesn't once say the word 'psychic' or even give away that her powers are mental in nature. She looks very uncomfortable with the topic, and struggles to maintain her decorum or even basic eye contact.

She's afraid.

"Why? Do you know someone?" Oh, if only Ainsley knew she was talking to one of the most powerful living psychics.

Professor X has posed:
Charles watches the young carefully, gauging the impact of what he says and her reactions.

"Yes, I do," Charles says, with a faint smile. He sets his tablet aside. The nurse and student a few beds over look in Charles' direction. The nurse nods and the two move off into another room.

"Which is a good thing. You must be very strong willed and tenacious to have gotten your gifts under control on your own. It can be frightening, and lonely, and there are always mistakes. But I have helped a great many people with gifts like yours to find the control and peace they need, Agent Garcia. And I'm sure I can help you, if you want."

Sibilance has posed:
Sibil isn't nearly as perceptive as Charles may be, but she does note the departure of the others from the room. She looks briefly confused, since they seemed they were handling something medical, but maybe it wasn't that important...? She looks back to Charles with a lift of her scalie brows and taps her fingertips against her thighs in an animated way as he speaks.

"I don't know if I'd call it strong will or tenacity," she replies, visibly skeptical, and uncomfortable with the idea. "But it can be very lonely, yes. I'd accept any help you can give... I did come down here and offer my help, and now it feels more like I'm looking for yours." Her brow knits, the oddity of how this situation has evolved dawning on her.

She looks pretty confused, once more looking toward the absence of the others in the room.

Professor X has posed:
Charles looks in the direction of the Wellness Office kitchen and back to Sibil with a smile. "Lindsay and Emily both know me well, and have given me permission to speak directly with them," he explains. "I asked them for some privacy, for your sake. It should always be your decision who you do and don't talk about this with."

Charles folds his hands in his lap. "As for help... It's a big part of what I do, behind the scenes. Help mutants understand, control and accept who they've become. It's just what I do," he adds with a grin. "So don't feel bad. Right now, I'm safe and you could use a hand. One day the shoe will be on the other foot."

Sibilance has posed:
She doesn't get it, not at first. Sibil looks at Charles with a scrunch of her brow. "What --" She almost asks, and hesitates when she realizes what he means. "Oh." She looks off to their absence again, eyes widened, then back to him. She blinks slowly a couple of times. His words has her agape, as if she were talking to a psychiatrist that had read her in seconds.

She starts to bob one of her legs, a nervous energy coursing through her. "I..." She doesn't know what to say, choking on her words some. She looks like as if she might bolt any second, the way she's fidgeting. This has caught her off-guard, clearly. Made her feel vulnerable. She doesn't like that.

"I'll be honest with you, Doctor. I learned how to use my abilities because I was afraid. Afraid of getting hurt, of hurting others. I'm not noble or strong-willed. It's..." She fidgets more, and stands up from her seat as if she's about to leave, but she isn't sure if she should.

Professor X has posed:
"Charles, just Charles," he says calmly and raises a hand. "It's alright, I'm sorry I frightened you. And please know, I would never intrude on your thoughts without your permission. This is a safe place. The only reason I knew was because your ability reached out to me," he assures her.

Charles gives Sibil and entreating look. "Will you stay? Just for a moment?"

Sibilance has posed:
Sibil hesitates again, but it's because he's very gentle with her, and careful. She's a lot like a wounded animal. She slowly sits back down and settles into place, and interlocks her fingers in her lap. She dips her gaze down now that she's aware that he could sense that ability of hers.

"Okay," she says, shyly.

Professor X has posed:
Something of the compassion Charles feels for Sibil shows on his face. "I won't press," he promises. "And there is no rush. Take all the time you need to adjust to the idea of not being alone, and then we can begin."

Charles reaches over to the raised table beside his bed and picks up his notebook and pen. This time it's him writing down his number and pulling a page out for her. "You can always reach me here," he says and offers her the paper, and leaves a great deal of space for her to fill with questions, or to take her leave.

Sibilance has posed:
There's an abundance of silence. Sibilance isn't not one for talking about this, and what she has already said is more than most people get. She retrieves the paper with his number, and carefully tucks it away in her coat, then settles into her seat and works her jaw, thinking about how she should approach this topic.

She opts for silence for far longer than any other person would allow due to how awkward it is. It could last for a few minutes if he lets it, while she works through how to handle this in her head. Finally, she looks him the eyes again, and smiles at him once more.

"Well... where do we even start?" she wonders. "I'm not good at talking about... anything, really."