A meeting of minds to discuss one [[closed to Erica, John, and Charles X.]]

[5thcolumnfed]

Erica had conversed with Charles, not all that startled to find that Angel has been seeking out people in the village like her. She has a special gift (or rather, gifts) after all, that she and John will probably never fully understand. And if someone can help her with that, she knows they'd both be grateful

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[yippiekiyaymf]

John stopped by the Ribbon, and asked little Miss Baez if she'd come with him. This was a guy with mind powers, he might be able to fool Angel, John wanted to be extra sure.

So when John, radiating 'cop', came into the restaurant, he was trailed by a skinny young woman, and a border collie in a 'service dog' vest.

He nodded his way past the hostess, and steered straight for Erica.

"Hey, AB, just wanted another cynical pair of eyes on the guy*." Jude knew Erica as one who was packmates with Rookie, and Patches, so he nosed at her hands, waving his tail.

*Charles would probably be able to pick up that AB is the public version of 'Angel Baby'.

[mutiegroovy]

Charles wasn't at all surprised that he was being checked out. If he hadn't been, he might have been more concerned. He was dressed nattily and well, and he stepped up to them with a smile. "Hello," he said to everyone. "I'm Charles."

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Erica is surprised to see Kerai, but only a little. John didn't mention it to her, but she shrugs it off. When she sees Charles she smiles. "I'm Erica, this is my husband John, and a close friend, Kerai."

She doesn't need to explain about John, Charles already knows he's chief of police; that they're both cops.

"I ordered iced tea for everyone, Kerai, I'll order one for you too, unless you'd like something different."

[yippiekiyaymf]

"Good greeting, Mistress. I'll not be staying, but thank you," Kerai fixes her eyes on Charles, and her gaze, especially for a woman not yet twenty, is very cynical indeed.

"Grew up in unquestioned privilege, but he tries to be sensitive, and he's got an implicit belief in his own abilities -- which is probably even justified." Then she turns to John.

"Basically a good guy, with good intentions." Then she nods at everyone, and turns to go. The dog follows immediately.

John looks at Charles.

"Glad to meet you. Okay. I'll listen."

[mutiegroovy]

Charles's eyebrows rose then knit together. He watched the girl go, then turned back to John and Erica. "I would agree with roughly 85% of that, if my opinion matters in this." But then he smiled. "I am not here to sell you anything. I felt it was best if I was working with Angel to meet those who are her guardians here."

[5thcolumnfed]

Erica just hopes Charles isn't put off by the whole thing. "Of course your opinion matters," she says shooting a side-eye at John. "With Angel's past, we're both very protective. We know what she has to go back to, and we don't want her to have to live it before she has to. And I know we both appreciate you reaching out to us. So much of Angel's day gets recapped into 'I met some people and they were really awesome,' that this helps," Erica smiles.

[yippiekiyaymf]

John still very much has his cop face on.

"So which 85% would you agree with, and what would you say instead of the other 15%?"

[mutiegroovy]

For another moment, Charles didn't answer. He studied the man and could understand his protectiveness. He went about answering the question somewhat circuitously. "When I appeared here, I'd just been granted my professorship from Oxford University in Genetics. Mutations most specifically, for that is what I am: a mutant, a telepath as I told you. My sister, Raven, was the first mutant I'd met: she's a shapeshifter. I knew I wasn't alone, then. I am confident in my abilities, yes, and I do try to be sensitive. I like to think I succeed most of the time," he said with a wry smile. "What Angel has told me of her life tells me that it would be advantageous for her to harness that ability, to use it, when necessary, to defend herself or to protect others. I understand that you have no reason to trust me, Mr. McClane, and your protectiveness is admirable and well-deserved. Angel trusts me, I feel, and I think I can help her with what I've learned about working with my ability."

[5thcolumnfed]

Erica has never really heard the word 'mutant' before, except in the case of turtles that happen to be ninjas.

"For all that Angel has been through, she's very outgoing. Very loving and comfortable with people. I'd say it's the resiliency of a kid, but I think it's that the only people who ever hurt her were very specific - white coats, in a lab. She doesn't know about any other people who could have a reason to want her." And she stresses 'people' because Angel knows things like the killer robots - those were bad.

"We've been wondering how to help her with this. How to help her understand and control her abilities."

[yippiekiyaymf]

"Yes, we'd like her to learn how to use her abilities. I would like her never to have to learn that other people can be dicks even without white coats...but I guess I'll have to accept that that's out of my control." John hates things that are out of his control.

"People in the village are generally good, but there are a few," a quick but vivid image of Albert Wesker flashed across his mind, "that make me keep my guard up."

[mutiegroovy]

"I understand. And I also know that I can't simply tell you that I'm good and have you believe me. If you approve of my working with Angel, you are more than welcome to accompany us. I can tell you," Charles said, "that her ability to access minds is limited to about one hundred yards at the moment. I believe we can double that, if not treble it. I also believe that I can teach her to control the minds of others, to, in her words, 'make them run into trees.'" Charles smiled again, amused.

[5thcolumnfed]

Erica blinks a little, glancing at John, then back at Charles.

"A little kid able to control minds? She's five, even I'd be tempted to have people...buy me whatever I want and convince John to let me stay up past my bedtime."

[yippiekiyaymf]

"Well, yeah...I mean, that's why little Miss Baez needs a four-legged parole officer." He frowned.

"But, I'd be willing to risk it...if it could help her back there. She showed up in a cage, Erica...a fucking cage." He chewed the corner of his mouth.

"She's a good kid. She can already do things that could disrupt our lives if she was the kind that wanted to manipulate, but she doesn't, she just wants to be loved. And she has to go back to that, to those..." his mouth worked, "...people. And I want her to have every advantage possible."

[mutiegroovy]

"It was very easy to see she is a very good girl." Charles looked between them both. He laced his hands on the table on front of himself. "There are those who believe that those with power will eventually be corrupted by that power and there are those who believe that those who are 'different' are to be feared. Both can be true, however, to veer away from philosophy ... pragmatically, if Angel is to return to this c-cage, well, I would be remiss if I didn't help her so that she could defend herself."

[5thcolumnfed]

Erica nods, squeezing John's leg under the table while nodding at Eric. "I agree. She has to have every advantage. Especially because we don't know when she goes back, not exactly."

An adult version of Angel had come to the village, but never mentioned when it was that she left.

"How often would she need to do this? Exercise her abilities, I mean."

[yippiekiyaymf]

"And there are ways we could find out if she were using control inappropriately. She might slip once or twice, but she's been good about not reading people unnecessarily. And she's really sensitive about disappointing us."

"So, what Erica said. How often do you think she should work with you?"