8520/Saved: Listening to the Elders

Saved: Listening to the Elders
Date of Scene:	26 July 2019
Location:	Hank's Lab, X-Men Base
Synopsis:	Beast asks Elixir for a favour. Beast and Elixir talk about being a public mutant. Beast, Jubilee and Elixir talk about school security and helping Hook addicts.
Thanks to:	Beast, Jubilee
Cast of Characters:	Elixir, Beast, Jubilee
Tinyplot:	Saved
Tinyplot2:	Undercurrents

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Elixir has posed:
Josh comes out of the changerooms after morning training. He checks the time on his phone and sees it is a bit yet before he has to. He heads into Medical to check on the patients, now through withdrawal but still wanting out and their next fix. Then he heads down the hall to Hank's lab.

"Hey Hank," asks the young man when he comes inside. "You got a sec?"

Beast has posed:
Henry McCoy is in his suit, with a white coat over it, goggles over his eyes as he does a routine blood test on one of the patients on a lab bench. "Good morning Josh. I wanted to run something personal by you anyway, so if we've both got a moment... Let's sit at my desk." Taking off the goggles, he covers the samples, and goes to sit.

Elixir has posed:
"By me?" Josh asks. He glances curiously at what Hank was working on. Then he moves to join Hank and at the desk.

"What's up?" he asks the older X-Man curiously. Josh slouches back in his chair a bit as he tends to do.

Beast has posed:
Henry McCoy sits back, and folds his hands on the desk. Yes, his arms are long. "Josh, I wanted to ask a personal favor of you. I have relatives... who are coming out to visit with me. It's an impromptu family reunion of sorts. A lot of older aunts, cousins, and such. And a few of their kids and grandkids." He inhales. "I know this is a big ask, and if you say no, it's no problem. But they have terminal or chronic illnesses, and they'd like your help."

Elixir has posed:
"Oh, man, I'm sorry Hank, that's awful," Josh replies with a sympathetic look to the X-Man he looks up to the most. He rubs the back of his neck. "I'll totally help, no big deal. It's what we do, right?"

Beast has posed:
Henry McCoy sighs in relief. "Thank you. I didn't want to assume anything, but I told them I'd ask. They all hit me up after the TV coverage of the bus attack. So you're going to be treated to meals that whole day. And what can I do for you?"

Elixir has posed:
Josh colours a little. "Yeah, it's okay, really. Just glad I can help."

"Ah, I kind of wanted to talk about that day. I mean, you were right out there, right in the cameras, standing up for us. Did you always want to be out in the open like that?"

Beast has posed:
Henry McCoy shrugs. "Not really. Before I got mixed up with the Professor, I didn't have any plans like that. It just happened. With the Nobel and things, it just turned out there were opportunities to be the Mutant Doing Good."

Elixir has posed:
"But people are like, after you all the time aren't they? You know, every mutant hating lunatic and their dog? And you're a super famous doctor, so you gotta have lineups of people wanting help there, too? And mutant charities... I mean, and that's not even with the team. How do you... deal?"

Beast has posed:
Henry McCoy takes a deep breath. "Well. First off, if you didn't notice, I'm very big. The uh, the Friends of Humanity and their ilk rarely have the guts to stand up to my face and try something. But as far as the rest... that is the price of fame. The things I do keep private,I have to work hard to keep private. IT's mostly family members and friends who have that kind of access to me. And so..."

Elixir has posed:
"Heh, yeah. And like, /nobody/ wants to mess with you after that clip went viral. It was seriously badass," Josh grins.

"Would you do it again if you had the choice? Like, stay out of the public eye?"

Beast has posed:
Henry McCoy does laugh, but his eyes get a brief pained look. But he sits back, folds his arms behind his head, and sighs. "That was pretty good. It's hard to answer that. My life is what it is. If I didn't attempt to cure my mutation. If I didn't become an activist. A lot of things would be easier in my life, but a lot of things I cherish would be missing, too."

Elixir has posed:
"Right, your whole life would be different," Josh muses thoughtfully. "I guess I'm asking cause it's happening to me. Like dating Wanda, then the bus thing. I get seen a bit, you know? It's weird."

"Had to move outta my apartment cause people were coming to the door all the time. Then Wanda and I got surrounded the other day by people asking for help. They almost started fighting. Went for lunch with Lorna and one the staff cut his hand really bad. So I helped him out and then our server was asking for help for her mom... I mean, I wanna help, more than anything. But there's so many people and then the Reavers are still after me. I dunno, you know?"

Beast has posed:
Henry McCoy sits up, leaning forward, riasing a finger. "You don't have to. It's not too late. Are you worried? Or is this an opportunity you want to milk?"

Elixir has posed:
Josh blinks at Hank, not comprehending.

"Milk?" he asks. "I don't understand."

Beast has posed:
Henry McCoy laughs. "Josh. Josh. Fame has its costs, but it has advantages. I often try to take advantage of it. I have access. Reporters, politicians, businesses. I can make arrangements, get deals done, and frankly sometimes people send me free stuff, in the hopes that I'll be seen using it. And I do so."

Elixir has posed:
"Oh," Josh said. "No, I didn't really think about that. I mean, Doug was asking if I was gonna open a clinic and start healing the hightest bidder or something but that seems wrong? I didn't think about this being a good thing?"

Beast has posed:
Henry McCoy snickers. "You know, Josh. You could uh... we could get you an agent, then I could introduce you to somebody, and you could be an impromptu trainer, and get the Mets starting rotation back in good health. Your agent's phone would be ringing off the hook."

Elixir has posed:
"That'd be crazy! Or the Giants! I'd totally get to go to all the games," Josh beams. "That'd insane."

"You're not being like serious though, are you? That would be amazing... How do I decide who to help though?," Josh asks. "Wanda and I were talking about going overseas to do an MSF thing cause of a disease outbreak, you know? But... I dunno. Like, how does the team decide who to help and to who to just. Leave."

Beast has posed:
Henry McCoy pauses. "I'm perfectly serious. But Josh, let me be perfectly clear. Once you take this step, it's not easy going back. You will be a public figure. You will have the crazies coming after you, sending continuous death threats. You will have people pestering you, floods of people asking for help. And you will have to learn to say no. As you say, you'll have to choose who gets help."

Elixir has posed:
Josh chews the inside of his cheek and is quiet.

"But if I don't I'm just hiding," Josh says thoughtfully. "Saying no would be the hardest part. I'm sure how I'd choose? Triage? But I gotta eat, too. Though, not such a problem now. Um, that was the other thing I wanted to mention. I moved in with Wanda. I'll still be here, I really wanna work with /you/, actually. I'll just need Wanda or Illyana or someone to get me if something happens."

Beast has posed:
Henry McCoy sits back again, and chuckles. "Well congratulations. She a bit old well, not my problem. I take it she has plenty of income to take care of you both."

Elixir has posed:
"She's only eight years older than me!" Josh protests with a grin. "Well, okay. Sure," he admits and laughs.

"But she's amazing. /And/ I needed to move anyway. I don't want people coming to look for me here, cause they need help or they're Reavers. It's not safe for the students."

Beast has posed:
Henry McCoy is seated at his desk, talking with Josh. A bench away is a set of blood samples being tested. "Don't underestimate the level of security we have at this school. I mean, we have the headquarters of the X-Men right here, beneath it. If security is your concern, don't let that bother you. This school is more secure, the more power we have living here."

Jubilee has posed:
There's a light knock at the door, and a head appears in the doorway. Jubilee peers inside, having heard voices. "Ooh, it's Josh..." Jubilee slips inside and leans back to shut the door behind her, with her hands behind her waist. She's dressed down, clearly enjoying the summer lack of dress code. A white baby tee bearing the words "Talk Nerdy to Me," with red piping on the sleeves and neck, shows off her toned midriff, along with her low cut jeans and boots. Her hair's pulled up into a ponytail, sleek and straight.

She isn't privy to the whole conversation, but she tosses in her two cents. "Yeah, this place is as secure as anywhere you could ever devise," says the girl who just walked into a private conversation in a secure laboratory.

Elixir has posed:
"Hey Jubi," Josh greets with a grin. "Yeah, you're probably both right. I'd feel so shitty if something happened because of me though. Or like the school got exposed. Anyway, I'm all moved in and the food is /amazing/! Seriously, you'll have to come visit."

Beast has posed:
Henry McCoy shakes his head. "Josh, what makes you thnk this school isn't already a prime target for all sorts of crazy people? You did see the bus attack, right? Hey Jub, come on over, have a twinkie."

Jubilee has posed:
Jubilee sidles over and sits on the corner of Hank's desk nearest him. She accepts the Twinkie, and unwraps the end, nibbling it slowly. "You moved out, Josh? In with Wanda, I suppose..." She pauses for a moment, considering the conversation at hand, and she watches between Josh and Hank. "Most of the time the danger comes more from within the school than outside of it. But y'know, after that bus thing...Well I always just figured it was a matter of time till someone started tryin' to beat down our doors."

Elixir has posed:
"Yeah," Josh agrees. "It's been pretty amazing this place has stayed a secret. I mean seriously, if Pierce ever found out? He'd send an army. I really hope the bus thing isn't the start of that. We haven't seen cyborgs since last year until lately. The Professor, the bus, Dazzler."

Josh smirks. "You'd think Pierce learned his lesson by now."

Beast has posed:
Henry McCoy grabs a twinkie himself, and starts dunking it into cofee to nibble. "I suspect we have more defenses than anyone realizes. The students are never safer than they are here. But Josh, let's be honest. Your moving out is more about where you're moving to, rather than where you're moving from, right?"

Jubilee has posed:
Jubilee frowns slightly, hiding it behind a nuclear-shielded, cream-filled pound cake-esque tactical quantum snack food, which would have survived longer than cockroaches, if she had not begun to lay waste to it. "Yeah, you're always 'hanging your hat' there anyway, so what did it really matter which place ya called home? Home is where your hat gets hung."

Elixir has posed:
"Well, yeah, it's got a few benefits. Wanda, no rent, no students glaring murder at me, and the safety thing," Josh says, colours a bit and grins. "And more Wanda. I like the base though, this is like my other home. The School, not so much, but I like it down here."

Beast has posed:
Henry McCoy chuckles. "Well most folks don't want to spend time at high school more than absolutely necessary. So that's natural. Some folks want to make a career here. Others are X-Men and use this as cover. But you're allowed to have a life outside of Xavier's little world."

Jubilee has posed:
"That's true. I'm not so fond of so much of what's out there beyond this place. I like the students. I like the faculty. I guess...I found everything I want right here, for now. But I could see wanting to branch out and go elsewhere," Jubilee observes. She hands over the last third of her Twinkie to Hank, silently mouthing the words, "Twinkie butt?"

Elixir has posed:
"Different strokes, right? I mean, look at Lorna. She's got an insane amount on her plate," Josh says. "I should probably get back on those labs before I take off for the day. I checked on the patients again? They're out of withdrawal now, but unless someone fixes their brains they're just gonna go after more. And they're going /insane/. They've been in there a long time. Are we gonna let them go soon? Or maybe have someone like Jean look at them and see if they can help them first?"

Beast has posed:
Henry McCoy does take the twinkie butt and nudges Jub on the arm. "Why don't you like the twinkie butts anyway? Prefer the filling?" popping it into hs mouth aferward. "Talk to Jean, or if she's busy with school stuff, Emma. She may be willing to help."

Jubilee has posed:
Jubilee grins when Hank nudges her. "Nah it's fine. I don't eat all the filling either. But if I eat a whole Twinkie every time you feed me one, I'll be too fat to fly, and if I can't fly on the bars, life won't be happy anymore. And I really don't think you want a Twinkie body sittin' here on yer desk." Jubes winks. "So I give away the last third if anything I eat that's sweet!" She kicks her foot out a little, letting her calf run against Hank's shoulder as her leg swings. But there is something more serious than twinkies at stake with the conversation. "So d'ya think the addicts can be fixed?"

Elixir has posed:
Josh gets up and nods to Hank. "Will, do."

"I dunno," Josh replies to Jubilee with a shrug. "But the telepaths can change pretty much anything about how a person thinks and stuff, right? Which has to rewire the brain. I can't do that yet, but hey, if they already know how it's worth a shot. Not a large-scale fix, but takes care of them," Josh gestures toward the medical lab.

"I'm gonna run," he says with a smile to the two. "But, uh, thank Hank. I'll think on it and get back to you about the agent thing... But it sounds like a great idea. And just let me know when your family thing is."

With that, Josh makes his way out of Hank's lab to get a few things done.

Jubilee has posed:
"Bye Josh," Jubilee chimes. "Just be safe. Be careful out there. Especially with those sentinels running amok again." She hops down off the corner of the desk and gives him a quick hug before he goes.