Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

[brokenoptimism]

Charles stared up at the once welcoming silhouette of the Mansion apprehensively. It had been so many long and harrowing months since he had been here before it, and he was surprised to see it still in tact. He had rather thought the CIA would have destroyed it

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[brokenoptimism]

Xavier's eyes scanned the familiar chair with a frown, the pleasantries forgone in favor of caution and suspicion. He did not sit, though he did move around behind the chair, resting his arms against the back of it. He fixed Charles with a serious and calculating stare.

"You see, my friend, this is where we run into a problem. You can not be Charles Xavier. Considering the fact that that would make you, me. Something I am certain we are both well aware can not be the case." Too red lips purse slightly in his confusion, scrutinizing the other man with a long, hard stare. He looked and sounded in every way how Xavier imagined he would have in this situation close to a year past. A fact that only made him more certain there was someone in his head.

Slender fingers clasped together over the chair and he wet his lips subconsciously, mind hard at work on this dilemma.

"So let's try that again. Who are you, and how did you manage to get in my head. I can not feel you, which means you are either a powerful telepath or I have truly lost my mind and have imagined you myself."

[kpcalmntelepath]

"I assure you, my friend, that I am neither an illusion nor a trick of the mind." His smile faltered ever so slightly, "Though perhaps it is I who is finally gone mad?" This was wondered aloud more to himself than..his..other self?

"I am every bit Charles Xavier, I assure you." His face suddenly falling into a more serious expression, "And I assure you, I am not in that head of your's...Though it would be fascinating, wouldn't it?" Suddenly the spark in his eyes lit up his face, ever the scientist, as Charles leans forward slightly. "If you are me, and I am you, could you imagine how fascinating it would be to peer into each other's minds?" He hummed slightly before coughing slightly.

"Apologies, but you know how I get." Another easy smile, "Perhaps you have breached some sort of Space-Time Continuum, and are thus in my time? No, that sounds awfully science fiction, doesn't it?" Once again he hummed, though this time, the young professor rubbing his chin slightly, focussing on the toe of his dress shoe. "Then again, mutants are rather science fiction themselves, aren't they?"

[brokenoptimism]

The reactions from his other self drew the smallest quirk of a smile to his lips. The expression grew into a soft chuckle as his strange double spoke the ponderings of his own mind. If the other man was another telepath besides himself, powerful enough to see past his walls, then there was no point in keeping them up, was there?

"It would be a rather curious experiment, don't you think? Perhaps we aught to put it to the test...?" He was reluctant to truly remove his barriers, but at this point he had little to lose. He let the blocks around his mind slowly lessen and disappear, eyes fixed on the twin pair across from him.

"Some would agree with you quite firmly, on the science fictional nature of our own abilities." He tapped his temple softly, a faint shadow of that teasing grin on his lips.

"Very well. I suppose there is not much more for me to lose by doing so."

[kpcalmntelepath]

Charles stared in amazement at the man before him before closing his eyes and lowering his own walls. Opening those pale blues, the telepath smiled brightly, licking his bottom lip in a vague action of concentration.

"You are welcome to peer as well, my friend." Ah, Charles, so naive. Ah well.

Leaning on the armrest of his chair, Charles drew a soft breath before placing his pointer and middle fingers to his temple, eyes locked on the alternate Charles before him. As he steps into the other's mind, he gasps softly.

He had never had free roam in another telepath's memories and thoughts, all neatly tucked away, organized and filed. Though 'looking' around, Charles could see a pile of 'files' strewn about the floor of the space. As if this storage room had been recently ransacked and his double is in the process of filing it all back into order. Running his fingertips over the metaphorical spines of the books of memories before him Charles couldn't help but wonder if this is what his head looked like, though glancing at the tags and notes of each volume, he began to understand who this man was. Though not how he got there.

Withdrawing from his twin's mind, Charles gasped slightly, slumping forward even though the journey hadn't been particularly trying. Soft chuckles erupted from his throat, which melting smoothly into full laughter.

"Brilliant."

[brokenoptimism]

For his own part, Xavier locked onto the emotions behind Charles thought as much as the similarities in their organizations. It was as though he were revisiting an old friend, welcoming him back with warm and open arms. So much hope still, in spite of everything they had both been through in their younger years, it was the remains of that optimism that had been stripped from him that left him staggered when he pulled away. Had he really been so naive positive of the future he planned to help shape?

The connection was staggering in intensity. Two equally brilliant minds meeting and crossing, twining back and forth like the helices of DNA strands. A nearly perfectly matched pair. A soft sound of surprise mimicked Charles' own gasp as he regarded the other telepath with newly reinforced awe. There was no denying they were one and the same. The only difference a matter of when, not of who.

"Absolutely brilliant." He agreed, his voice hushed with amazement for a moment. Azure hued eyes sparkled with wonder at the impossibility of it all. "This is... astonishing, to say the least."

[kpcalmntelepath]

"Quite." He breathed, licking his lips once again, bringing the sheen back to those red hues. He was actually slightly surprised by the utter organization of thoughts within the other's mind.

"I never figured a telepathic mind to be so organized, though it makes sense. We always try to distinguish our thoughts from others'." Charles ran his hand through his hair before motioning once again to the chair, "Please sit...Charles." It wasn't that it was his name that made him pause, it was that he was addressing himself.

"Thankfully, the children are out right now, otherwise we may have a lot of explaining to do." His teeth worried the already red bottom lip into scarlet.

Pausing slightly, he let out a huff, "I'm sorry, how rude of me. Tea?" The professor raised his eyebrows in query.

[brokenoptimism]

"Tea would be lovely." How strange to view his quirks from an outsider's perspective. Xavier barely registered Charles' words more than to respond. His eyes were focused with such intensity on his doubles every move and action. The trace of his tongue over his lips as he put together thoughts. The worry of scarlet lips as a troubling notion crossed his brilliant mind. The still tangible ebb and flow of thoughts within thoughts that he could just brush against with barely an effort. It was marvelous.

"It is refreshing to be able to navigate them without the chaos and shouting inherent in the minds of others. Even Emma Frost's thoughts, though sharp and precise, were no where near as easily navigable as our own, though perhaps intentionally. His tongue brushed over his own lips again and the action drew a soft laugh as he realized what he was doing.

Slowly he moved around from the back of the chair, though he still made no move to sit. Sitting put him at a vulnerability he did not feel comfortable with just now.

[kpcalmntelepath]

Shifting and leaning forward in his chair, Charles went about preparing his double a nice cuppa, made just right by delicate hands with much practice. Otherwise what sort of gentleman would he be? Setting the cup aside to let the leaves seep for about two minutes and 38 seconds, the young Xavier sat back, regarding what the man across from him said.

"Miss Frost's mind was entirely too reflective and bright with a cold light for my liking." He chuckled before glancing at the tea then back to the Charles in front of him.

"...What happened?" He hadn't pried when he entered his twin's mind, but the general slight disorder of it made him speculate something was amiss. The cautious set of those baby blues, identical to his in nearly every way, as he regarded the suspicious double in front of him had somewhat startled Charles and he wanted, needed, to know more.

[brokenoptimism]

A softly bitter smile graced Xavier's lips as he watched the tea, rather than his twin. It was hard to face the brightness of his past optimism without some twinge of - what was it? Remorse? Regret? Pity? No. Just a different point in his life. An earlier point, perhaps, less wise to the world, but still him.

"A rude awakening to the way the world truly is." He glanced around the mansion somewhat grimly. "One I fear you are not far from learning yourself." Perhaps he had hit his head and this was all just his minds way of reconciling with his past. It did not feel like a dream. The thoughts and feelings too vividly singular from his own mind to be the creation of a dream.

"Sometimes the world does not quite live up to our hopes, my friend..."

[kpcalmntelepath]

Charles watched his twin for a moment before taking a small sip of his tea. Setting the cup and saucer down on the small coffee table, he leaned forward in the chair.

A long pause, pregnant with the tension of the younger telepath, finally dissolved with same said telepath's sigh. Straightening his back, he picked the cup up once again, simply holding the delicate china in his equally delicate fingers.

"...I...Am starting to slowly learn this myself." He offered a small smile, "Though I'm sure my hardships at the moment are none to what you must have faced." The young professor was sincere in every action, word and thought, though the latter was closely guarded still, letting through only surface thoughts and feelings.

[brokenoptimism]

Xavier's thoughts were equally guarded. A general sense of sorrow and regret shielded them thickly, swirling through and around his mind like a fog.

"I am sorry to say I agree... You will have to face many more yet." He wanted badly to lie to himself. To tell him everything would work out exactly as their optimistic minds had hoped for. He had lied to himself for far too long before this. Doing so now seemed, well, pointless.

"Let us find a different topic to discuss, perhaps?" He brought the cup to his lips slowly, taking a long drink of the warm liquid and letting it seep through him.