Sixth Mind Read - Seizing the Day (Backdated to a few days after the end of the Headspace plot)
[Having finally found some free time, Charles and Fred had finally decided to stop putting off the date they'd been planning for close to a month. Wheeling himself out of the elevator, Charles wheels himself down the hall. He'd cleaned up as best he could, as he'd refused the help of the ghosts this time, but his was nevertheless smartly dressed in
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At the sound of the knock on the tower door, Fred crosses the lobby to answer the it. She smiles at Charles on the other side]
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Well, aren't you a vision of loveliness. Shall we?
[He gestures down the hall vaguely. He knew that a good half of their "date" was going to end up happening on the way to Caritas, but he was okay with that.]
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Cordy's got the visions, not me. [It occurs to her he might not know what she's talking about] I don't know if you've met her yet.
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Really? Cordelia has precognition? I may have to meet her sometime.
[But of course, he wants to dive right into his chosen topic. He's been chomping at the bit to talk about it for a while.]
All right, I suppose I should ask you first what sort of experiences you've had with telepaths, such as myself, in the world you come from. Obviously, you're familiar with many things the average person could never believe exists. I'm curious as to what you've seen. Despite how much of your mind I've seen, I'm curious as to your own impressions.
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It didn't start out that way, but yes. She's got it now.
[She's never known Cordelia without the visions, but she'd heard enough stories to know at some point? That's exactly how it was]
As for anybody else like Cordy, I didn't encounter it as much as you might think. At least before here. Just maybe a few people on the company payroll. [But that didn't mean she didn't see plenty of everything else to make up for it] And I'm friends with Peter, I know he can see a lot too.
[She's always hesitated to ask just how much. He's seemed to hold back at times, especially when it came to answering questions. But he also always seemed so confident he knew what she was feeling. Which was sometimes difficult, feeling as she wasn't sure herself]
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[He grins. For him, finding scientific explanations for things that should be unexplainable was something of his life's work.]
So you do have some experience in working with them, then. Beyond our contact, what sort of psychic or telepathic contact have you had? I ask only because I wish to share my idea with you a little more...intimately...than a simple explanation. It's a difficult thing to explain, you see. At least for me it is.
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Oh, I don't know about there not being an explanation. I think there's always an explanation, we just haven't figured out where to look for it yet. Or found out how to see it right way up.
Somebody thinks they open a magic book and say the magic words and poof, they've got themselves a magic portal. Only what they've really got? Is a series of consonant representations of an actual mathematical transfiguration formula. It's like a ...mystical tuning fork. Say 'em the right way? Shatter the glass. Open the door.
[There's always something to learn. Which seems to be touching on what Charles -- this Charles, at least -- is asking. Fred studied him with a sort of cautious curiosity. She thinks she knows where this is leading]
Well, there's Peter. And we've done a few spells here and there in the name of a case.
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[When the elevator dings open, Charles gestures for Fred to enter before him, ever the gentleman.]
So your experience is limited to work then, mostly. Not that I can fault you for that, since what I'm thinking of is basically for the same purpose.
Anyway, I suppose I should mention that what I have in mind is a device, of sorts. Something I encountered after I began working with the CIA.
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A device? [It doesn't take a big leap] You want to recreate what you saw, somehow?
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[He'll pull out one of his unlabeled sketches of the more primitive Cerebro design, where the only concrete details are the helmet and a crude sketch of a radio tower. Charles does not excel at drawing XD]
This is the basic design. I'll leave the exact nature of what it is for when we actually reach Caritas. You'll want to be sitting down when I show you how I first came upon the device, myself.
[Not to mention that he'll be showing her a memory involving three of his best friends, and the person he cares most about in the world. He figures that since he's seen so much of Fred's mind, that he should share some of his, in turn. The ride down to the lobby is a ( ... )
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[There's amusement in her voice as Fred takes the paper, eyes scanning over the design there. As simplistic as the sketch is, it doesn't do anything to mask just how complex a thin it actually is. No wonder there's a list.
There should probably be lists for the lists. Fred continues to study the paper through the entire right down, mind clearly at work. It's an incredibly big project, even for this place.
Distracted, she walks through the open elevator door and waits for Charles to join her]
...and by the way, you'd be surprised just how much I can take standing up.
[It's a teasing comment meant to counter the reality of years of being forced to think of her feet]
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Oh yes. I anticipate there'll be at least a half-dozen of us all working on this together, and possibly more, if people with the appropriate talents come to my attention. I'll be making an announcement over the journal to the people I'm recruiting, so that we can get things moving. It's an ambitious project, I'll admit, but one worth the effort.
[His expression is a gentle one, knowing full well of her experiences, and having to deal with things many could never even dream of.]
Oh I know. You're a much tougher young woman than most people realize. However, considering I can't stand and share this with you, I'd rather not stare at your navel while sharing my memories with you. Not that I'm not sure it isn't perfectly lovely.
[His tone is teasing, playing up his handicap, while making a subtle pass at his companion.]
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Have you considered some sort of workspace yet? This doesn't exactly look...small. And I imagine you'd want it to be fairly controlled.
[There's a brief smile]
And maybe you're right. I can sit. It's a bit early to be talking about navels, all things considered.
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My first thought was simply to create a room for it in my room, but then, for the sake of transparency, I thought it would be better served in the Peace Patrol's headquarters. That way, my use of the device could be more carefully monitored, in case there are those in the castle made uneasy by the thought of having their minds read, as well as providing easier access for the few other telepaths in the castle who would be capable of using it themselves.
[And he laughs, ever the smoothie.]
Of course. I didn't want to imply anything, of course, but when you look at the world from 3 feet lower than most, you get use to either looking up at people all the time, or staring at their navels, as the case may be. Assuming they don't do me the kindness of sitting or kneeling, at least. It gives me a unique perspective on people.
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That might be the best place, all things considered. Though I'll admit I'm not sure who else would use it. At least that I know.
[As for the rest? It wasn't just just a point of perspective, it was perception too. Fred wasn't exactly short at almost 5'9''. But she knew full well more than one person still viewed her as frail, or something to protected. Past sitting or standing or looking a body right in the eye? There was what you believed you saw in the first place]
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What it comes down to for me, is knowing that the people of the castle trust me. Given the nature of the power I wield, the last thing I need is for people to mistrust the power Cerebro could confer on me. As for other users of Cerebro, the first people who spring to mind are the Doctors. Given their age and alien origin, I believe them both to possess the mental discipline to make full use of Cerebro's capabilities. There are in fact quite a few powerful telepaths in Paradisa, they're just not as open about their abilities as I am.
[Of course, Charles knows that Fred would get where he's coming from, seeing as how they're both often underestimated being who and what they are. It's another reason why he likes her; she knows how it feels to be underestimated on a regular basis. Of course, they've been walking and talking so long, that Charles notices that they're closing in on Caritas much quicker than he ( ... )
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