Library Conversations (rp for cyke_out)

[a_sloane]

The library was quickly becoming a favorite place, which disconcerted Arvin Sloane to some degree. He hated being predictable. Still. It reminded him of Zurich, not of Los Angeles, which he found preferable, and yet had an atmosphere of its own. The mysterious Charles Xavier, who had come and gone before Sloane moved into the mansion, must have

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[cyke_out]

Scott wasn't hiding. He was in the library, getting ready for tomorrow's history class. At least, that was the plan. He had put together a unit on the popular image of crime and justice in the twentieth century. It was sometimes fun to shake things up, and it kept the boys interested, anyway; well, the boys and Laura. He had come in here looking for a copy of In Cold Blood, to refresh his memory on a few points, and had happened on a shelf of Tom Wolfe books. That figured, since the library had partly been replenished from Warren Worthington's personal collection. Pretentious rich-boy crap.

But then his hand stopped on the spine of The Right Stuff, and he was hit by a memory that he had lost hold of until that moment. He had found this book in the library at the orphanage, had carried around a paperback until the spine broke in half, and then he carried the halfs. He had learned, by then, not to talk about his father, the brave test pilot who almost got the chance to be an astronaut. But he could read this one, over and

[a_sloane]

It's still a bit jarring to be addressed as "Arvin" by a relatively new aquaintance and a young man - even Sark after three years hadn't gone there, and Weiss had, well, tried and withdrawn after one look - but it fits with the new life he tries to create here. This Arvin Sloane is not a leader. For his part, Sloane would have called Scott "Summers" if their positions had been reversed - much like Marcus Dixon had always been "Dixon" during ten years of working together, and had only become Marcus when telling Arvin, on Arvin's way to being executed, he had prayed for him, for that one exchange -, Vaughn was Vaughn and Weiss was Weiss, but Scott was the head of the school and had offered first names during their initial interview

[cyke_out]

Scott thought he detected a slight annoyance cross Sloane's face at the use of his first name.

Not that he had to yield to the man's wishes; no need to forget who was in charge here. On the other hand, Scott didn't want to be a jerk, needlessly -- he hadn't heard anything either way, but he suspected Logan might have that covered. Logan. One topic Scott really didn't want to think about right now.

He focused on Sloane instead, giving what he hoped was a friendly smile. "I'm sorry for the informality. The faculty here have all pretty much known each other since the beginning of time, if you hadn't noticed. It's all first names or else --" His mouth twitched. "I don't suppose, in your line of work, you ever had a battle name."

[a_sloane]

"Oh, I've been called names," Sloane replies wryly, returning the smile, and walks towards the window. "I'm sure your friend Mr. Logan could come up with some new ones."

He sounds more amused than anything else.

"I find it rejuvinating, in a way, being around students and faculty that are so much younger."

Well, except for Logan, but then again, they avoided each other after that first encounter, and besides, classified files or not, Sloane had no idea how old the man truly was, just guess work.

"But I admit it sometimes reminds me of, well, the past, in lack of a better term. That other country, to which we can't return."

Jack, he thinks, and experiences a moment of fierce loss he hadn't expected. This was supposed to be an attempt at socializing and putting Scott Summers at ease by admitting to little weaknesses. Not an access of genuine emotions

[cyke_out]

"Oh, believe me, I've been called my share, as well. Anybody whose job description involves telling people things they don't want to hear comes in for a little of that." Scott has a feeling this isn't the only reason Arvin Sloane has been called unpleasant names. But whatever might be lurking in the dark corners of the man's history, there's evidence that he has been an effective leader -- and nobody does that without bruising a few egos

[a_sloane]

In the far away days of being a field agent in the CIA, Sloane had, in fact, had a code name. Which he has no intention to use right now, both because the past is the past, and because it had been singularly uninventive. Now, when Sloane had been the one to hand out code names, they usually fit, such as Raptor for Jack, Phoenix for Sydney and - but he's not going to think about Nadia now.

Evergreen. Evergreen.

"Ah, now that is a challenge," he said briskly. "I'm afraid I'll have to come up with something ordinary and easy to remember. Like an ordinary day of the week. I'd pick Wednesday. For that is certainly my day. Considering it was the day I arrived here."

There are other reasons, of course. They are in a library, after all, Sloane is an avid reader, and definitely not above making literary jokes.

"I'm curious. What would your choice have been, if you had had one back in the day?"

[cyke_out]

Scott was first puzzled, then a little uneasy at Sloane's choice

[a_sloane]

Sloane is experienced enough not to ask "Cloning Thor?!?" , but he does think of Allison Doren and wonders whether Thor is a code name for someone superhero who has been doubled the way Sloane had created a double for Sydney's friend Francie

[cyke_out]

"I'm just glad you didn't pick Odysseus. It's hard to yell in a combat situation, for one thing. And between the two of us it would be bad precedent."

That was the kind of thing that passed for a joke when Scott said it. He suspected, though, that the comparison wasn't inapt. What were the words used to describe that traveller -- silver-tongued? Circumspect? He could almost hear the Professor's words in his head -- In today's idiom, one might read 'circumspect' as 'devious'. Yeah, Scott thought back at his mentor. You're one to talk.

It wasn't an actual conversation, Scott was fairly sure. With Xavier back on the planet, he couldn't always tell.

Considering Sloane's response to Logan, Scott knew he wasn't getting the full story of that meeting, but he was curious. "What impression did he make on you? Be honest. Wolverine is such a fixture in our little world, it's a little hard to imagine how he comes across -- meeting him for the first time."

[a_sloane]

"There is that," Sloane agreed regarding the Odysseus matter, and skipped the "Nemo" joke (as Odysseus called himself "Nobody" when with Cyclops) as too obvious.

"I thought he came across as very protective and completely devoted to the people here," Sloane said when asked about Wolverine, and he's quite serious and completely truthful for a change, "and as someone who should never be sent on an investigation or any kind of mission requiring subtlety without a partner to balance him. As opposed to a direct combat situation, where he'd excel on his own."

He leaned back against the window, watching Scott. There is the danger of appearing presumptious, but then again, Scott did ask, and while a lifetime of deception is so ingrained that it sometimes comes without any necessity, Sloane is trying to make a new start here. Besides, if he had asked a new agent for his opinion on a valued member of the team, he wouldn't have cared for some respectful stammering of praise.

[cyke_out]

Scott listened, nodded, was silent for a moment, then repeated, "Should never be sent. I'm kind of flattered, actually, that you think, just because I'm supposed to be in charge, I can stop him from doing whatever he wants to do

[a_sloane]

Sloane had actually been impressed by Kitty during their brief encounter; he would have hired her in a heartbeat. But then, Sloane is slightly biased towards female agents, especially if they are brunettes with anger inside; not that he would admit this. On a more conscious basis, he thinks that Kitty Pryde's ability could be extremely useful for dealing with the Sentinel outside, but that's something to bring up at a later point