maskormenacelogs | Oh, our flag is tattered [ OPEN ]

Entry tags:

Oh, our flag is tattered [ OPEN ]

WHO: Charles Xavier and OPEN
WHERE: De Chima & Nonah
WHEN: All through October
WHAT: Various scenarios
WARNINGS: Not at this time.

A) Starktech - De Chima: Early October

[ It was interesting how, when it all boiled down to the essentials, his footprint at StarkTech could fit in a single banker's box.

Charles had spent the morning working with HR on his exit strategy, which mainly consisted of Stark's lawyers making sure he meticulously signed and initially all the necessary paperwork to release control of the products he'd developed over to StarkTech. When they'd hit the language of the non-compete, Charles had, in achingly polite terms, told them where to take their recommendations.

When it was all said and done, the lawyers had their bits of flesh and he was released.

Now, a security guard stood waiting while the telepath cleaned out his office. He had transferred from the motorized wheelchair he utilized while in the building, back to his manual chair and was reaching for the box to set it in his lap before taking his leave. ]

B) A cafe - Nonah: Any time in October

[ Now that he was effectively unemployed, Charles had some free time on his hands.

Actually, it wasn't as free as one might think. He had a bit of a list of matters to attend too and none of them were pleasant.

He had to start coming up with a way to support the Foundation, cutting ties with StarkTech and also contact the school down in Heropa to discuss the matter of the name.

Neither duty was one he undertook with any sense of pleasure. Actually, the fact that he was sitting at a cafe, stirring a cup of hot tea and staring into the liquid as if it might hold answers, could easily be termed stalling.

Regardless, he looked like a man who wanted to be anywhere but where he was and could quite probably use a distraction. ]

C) The Maria-Francis Foundation - De Chima: Any time in October

[ The Foundation represented both loss and hope.

The loss of his friendship with Stark, a loss that stirred up memories of the personal sacrifices he'd made through his life in the name of greater good. The loss of a job he'd quite enjoyed actually, a rare opportunity to do good on a more personal basis, something that came without the weight of innocent expectation.

And the loss of financial security. StarkTech's pockets were deep, the same as the Xavier pockets back home. But he had to cut ties with StarkTech in order to maintain the Foundation's integrity and mission statement. All well and good, noble, etc etc .... none of which paid the bills.

Towards the latter half of the month, Charles could be found at the Foundation at almost every hour of the day. While maintaining solvency wasn't impossible, it was going to take some dedicated effort. ]

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[Wanda had kept relatively quiet during the revelations of Tony's recent disasters -- had she not been here for as many months as she has so far, she would have practically jumped at the chance to toss herself in with those that are loudly and publicly upset (rightfully upset) about Tony now -- but now, maybe not so much. Sure, she'd rolled her eyes and was not surprised to see that this version of Tony could also be a complete hot mess (disappointed, but not surprised), but she wouldn't be too publicly vocal about it. Things are kind of nice for her here, and holding another lengthy public grudge against another Tony sounds exhausting. That said, it doesn't mean she doesn't feel upset or angry on behalf of those that Tony's recent actions here have harmed in some way, however. And Charles is one of those people; she might not know him as well as she'd like to, but she knows his ties with the foundation and StarkTech meant that he's likely taken both personal and professional hits.

So, it's when she's on her lunch break and heads back to a cafe in Nonah, she sees him and decides to approach after she's gotten her sandwich and coffee.]

I think people usually read the tea leaves after most of the tea is gone.

[It's a comment said with a small smile and tone that's more light and joking; he looks like he could use some humor.]

Care for some company? [He looks like he could use some of that too, and she's got some time.]

[ Personal and professional hits.

That was a good way to put it and Wanda was right on target with her assessment. Still, at the sound of her voice, Charles looked up quickly and if his smile was not, perhaps, as gregarious as usual, it was still warm and offered a genuine welcome. ]

Wanda, hello. [ He said, almost immediately motioning with a few hand towards one of the two chairs set at the table with him. ] Please, I'd appreciate the company.

[ It would help him stop dwelling; at least for a bit. ]

As you noted, the tea isn't particularly holding up it's end of the conversation. [ The attempt at humor was weak but an attempt none the less. ] How are you doing?

[Perhaps there were whispers when he walked in unannounced, eyes critically exploring the foundation's interior. It's possible they were whispering because Bruce Wayne ran the Wayne Foundation. He certainly didn't have an appointment of any kind, and while he didn't intend to cause a stir he was interested in saying hello to Charles if he was around. He figured the whispers would eventually reach his office...]

[ Bruce might have over estimated the number of employees at the Foundation. However, Charles tended to maintain something of a subconscious awareness of the number of minds in his immediate vicinity.

If only to keep tabs on how many minds he needed to shield against.

There was no one with the professor when he came down from his office, no immediate indication of who might have called his attention to their visitor, but he arrived all the same. His smile was welcoming, though there were hints of strain along the lines at the corners of his eyes as he wheeled the chair across the tile. ]

Mr. Wayne, welcome!

[Bruce smiles and takes a few steps to close the distance between them, extending his hand when he's close enough.]

Professor! Afternoon. You look like you've had a long day. I hope I'm not intruding?

[ Leaning forward to return the handshake, Charles' own grip was firm without being over bearing; classic trained manners and all that. ]

Not in the least. [ He responded to the question before retrieving his hand and returning it to the wheels of his chair. Rolling back slightly he motioned to a sitting area set off to the side of the entrance hall. ]

Please, have a seat? What has brought you here today?

[He follows Charles' lead and takes a seat only when the other man is settled, unbuttoning his jacket as he sits.]

Well, first and foremost, I wanted to offer my condolences for the recent events. At the very least, as a business owner I can understand the position of not wanting things to affect your day-to-day operations.

[ Setting the brake on his chair, Charles leaned back and placed his attention on his visitor. Knowing who the man was, after all he'd have to have been living under a rock not to have heard the Wayne name, Bruce's words did not come as a complete surprise and Charles didn't try to pretend that they had.

He gave a small nod of his head, gratitude for the condolences. ]

I will have to admit, it's the loss of a good friend that affects me the most. [ For some reason, it was important not to lose sight that ... he could recover the Foundation, it was the loss of a friend that was the true tragedy. ] Though I fear I have some work to do in stabilizing the Foundation's reputation.

It was built with the desire to help show the world that imPorts were more than just weapons or a threat to their world. That while there were regretful incidents tied to imPort activities, our population was also capable of offering aid and wanting to be part of the community.

Unfortunately, Mr. Stark's actions ran quite counter to that mission statement and while I wish him no lingering ill will, it was quite impossible to continue our association.

Edited 2016-10-16 02:14 (UTC)

[He listens intently, leaning forward to rest an arm on his thigh when he does.]

Of course. I haven't spent much time here yet, but there appear to be a number of imPort run foundations, including my own. I've only ever believed in fixing things by strengthening the community. [Mostly true, but perhaps not entirely...]

I suppose that's the reason I'm here, if I'm being honest. I'd like to have given you more time, but I wasn't comfortable doing that in a stressful time of transition for you.

I wanted to make you an offer, professor. Whatever funding you and the foundation need in order to continue with as little interruption as possible. The company remains one hundred percent in your control with no interference by me or my company.

[He gives him a steely stare, perhaps to convey some manner of honesty.] I'm sure you're skeptical of no strings attached offers from strange billionaires at this point, but I assure you the only thing I care about is that the people supported by what your foundation has to offer don't suffer by any lapse in benefits.

[ coffee shops are like Sasaki's second home- he knows which ones are the best, he knows what their specialty is, and if they are cozy or not. He may be an elitist when it comes to coffee, sure.

Nonah has a lot of nice cafes, and after he finds the one he is looking for and orders a cafe americano, he spots Charles sitting down. Once he has his coffee, he decides to approach the man, if only to say hello. ]

Hello, Charles.

That is a very generous offer. [ Charles said, his tone both gracious and at the same time apologetic. ] But I am not prepared to take you up on it at this time.

[ Sitting forward slightly, he linked his hands together, blue eyes intent as they watched Wayne's face. Often, Charles liked to keep his motivations close to his chest, but in this instance he genuinely felt a desire to explain his refusal. ]

If I've learned nothing else from my time in this world, it's that many things happen beyond our control. For instance, it was advised that I use native doctors instead of imPorts because imPorts come and go with little warning; which is the truth. I or I should say a version of me resided here apparently for quite some time, long enough to establish the school I run back home, here in this world. Then I left and the school changed hands.

Likewise, as you saw with Mr. Stark ... even the best of us appear to be susceptible to ... [ he unlaced his hands, gesturing as he sought the words he wanted ] finding ourselves outside our normal control and again, there is very little warning.

[ Reaching up to brush his hair back, in what was obviously a fretful gesture, Charles exhaled a deep breath. ]

For this Foundation to do the job it was meant to, I feel it's important to insulate it and give it autonomy unto itself. To that end, I'm pursing financial routes that will allow for the Foundation to have it's own sources of income, independent even of myself.

[ Hearing Sasaki's familiar voice, Charles glanced up from his tea staring and gave the young man a warm, if tired, smile. ]

Hello, Sasaki! How are you, my friend?

[ It was...hard.

Knowing that many of the people he'd considered friends or allies were leaving, not because of anything he did, but because he'd been caught broad-sided by someone who he'll become. Someone he wasn't. That stung, of course, that he would have to bear the consequences of being someone he wasn't -- of someone he didn't even remember being, but...

But he knew, if he had been on the other side, it would be exactly the same. That the prospect of someone changing, of the knowledge that they could, it was enough to make him concerned. How many people from their world did he hold things against? Loki with his... everything? Scarlet Witch and what she'd done to his world when she was at her worst?

No, he had no room to talk. But he was also not interested in...burning bridges, either. He knocked on the doorframe, gently, before he stepped in. ]

Everything in order?

[ Charles had done a lot of difficult things in his life and most of them had to do with his own personal life. Wiping Moira's life, giving up the use of his legs to embrace the pain of the world around him, just everything with Raven.

Leaving StarkTech ranked right up there with the worst of it.

Tony was a friend. He had been one of the first friends Charles had made in this strange world and though he had Erik, Tony had been special in his own ways.

Had.

No, not the past and that was the problem. Tony was still special and part of Charles hated the fact that he was leaving when all he wanted to do was stay and help his friend. But it was like Moira all over again. What Charles personally wanted and what served the wider good were at odds, and as always it was the telepath who lost part of himself in the exchange.

He almost wished that Tony had stayed away. Packing up to leave, giving up not only the comfort of StarkTech but the intellectual joy Charles had enjoyed in developing things for the company was hard enough. Saying goodbye to those late nights when he'd roll into Tony's lab and they would talk ... saying goodbye to all of it.

It would have been easier to leave with the taste of the battle with the lawyers still fresh in his mouth. They'd provided a buffer between himself and Tony, between the pain of the personal and the cold reality of the professional. But now the pain was back, sharp and clear and Charles had to take a moment, take a breath, before he coughed and cleared the lump lodged in his throat. ]

Everything is signed. [ He answered, another slight cough, before he pulled back on one wheel and spun the manual chair around to face Stark. ] I refused the non-compete, but I can promise you that I'm not looking to sign up with Oscorp or any of your competitors.

[ The words were meant to be professional, perhaps a bit of a joke but it fell flat, even to Charles' ears. The unspoken I'm not looking to trust and get burned again weighed to heavily in the air. ]

But you have the patent rights to all the projects I was working on. Your people are good, they'll be able to follow my notes and finish the work.

I'm not worried about that. [ He said, with a wave of his hand. ] Standard procedure but... I'd honestly meant to tell them to back off, and we could have worked something out later. It slipped my mind, I'm afraid.

[ Honestly, he was overwhelmed. Five months was a long time, trapped away from anyone or anything he knew. Five months in digital space when even a thought was nanoseconds, too fast to consider, and there was five months of solitary thoughts. Cut off from sound, sight, data, everything. It was a long time to be with only one's own thoughts. With only your sins to keep you company.

Stark wasn't sure what to make of it, even now. He could only pretend to be human, and hope that eventually it would feel natural again, doing all of these things that he could scarcely figure out how to do. Not when all he wanted to do was submerge himself in data and let it wash over him, feeling connected to a world that didn't want him. ]

I wanted to say thank you, Charles, for coming and working with me. I think you're doing the right thing, honestly, for the foundation. [ And that was important. Moreso than anything that he could do with Starktech. ]

It's no matter. [ Charles quietly dismissed the bit about the lawyers. The projects, the money wasn't important to him. He could make money as he needed too, the funds he'd banked from working with StarkTech all these months, he could spin that into what he needed.

Truly, the grief was over losing the comfort of working with Tony.

Reaching up to brush his hair back and away from his face, oddly enough Charles didn't look comforted by the latter words. If anything, they seemed to agitate him and his lips pressed together tightly before he gave a single, sharp nod. ]

If the Foundation was specific to just charity work ... [ he began, stopped and bit his lips before looking up at Tony. ]

There are already questions coming in from government officials. Unofficial for now, 'friendly advice' type of comments but I can't protect you and the Foundation at the same time.

[ He'd done what he could for Tony, when he'd been questioned by the officials who had been investigating the possibility of criminal charges, civil charges against Stark. Near as Charles could tell, between Stark's lawyers, and the weight of his prior reputation in the community his friend would avoid jail time and even unreasonable fines.

But the Foundation had no such protection. ]

Don't worry, I don't need anyone's protection.

[ It was sharp, and he straightened, slightly, the look of the man who'd dealt enough with the government that he knew exactly what Charles was dealing with. He looked out the window, and lifted a hand to scratch at his mustache -- he'd shaved the goatee off -- needing to erect some sort of difference between the him who he'd become and the him he was once again.]

I don't know if anyone told you, but I'm the Director of SHIELD. I'll be fine handling them.

[ The confidence was... well, he knew he'd be okay. With his lawyers, and everything else, he'd likely end up helping the government, not facing consequences. ] I'd rather you work with the foundation -- if there's anything that can help us as a community, as imports, it would be that. We need it.

[ Now, more than ever. ]

[ Between one moment and the next, Charles deflated slightly. He moved to lean an elbow on the arm of his chair, resting his cheek against the folded knuckles of his hand as he shook his head. ]

I have yet to hear of SHIELD, though I suspect I will in the future? [ It was both a question and a statement.

He allowed himself a moment longer in the defeated position, before he dropped his hand out from beneath his cheek and reached for the wheels of his chair. ]

If there was any other way. [ Charles admitted, quietly. ] I do not like leaving you like this. You think I don't know what you're doing, Tony? I think you've forgotten how alike we are.

[ He didn't have to read Tony's mind to have an idea of what the other man was thinking. Just had to look in the damn mirror. ]

[ Sasaki knows that look, he often has it ]

I'm alright - it has been a while since we spoke.

[ and maybe he is prying, but Sasaki does worry ] And you, Charles? You look a bit down.

Probably. [ He admitted offhand, before he paused, and rolled his shoulders. He didn't like it either, but...

Charles really had already said his piece, and he honestly couldn't fault him. He'd never fault him, not for this, anyway. This was the kind of thing that he would have done, slash and burn, pull away to protect the assets. It was fantastic business strategy, and if Charles ever did decide to compete against him...

He'd have his hands full, he was certain of it. ]

Oh don't worry, I have a way of bouncing back.

[ He meant that, too. Tony Stark had never stayed down for long, the problem was always... He often found that the scars lasted for longer, even if he didn't let them show. Although, that was certainly where he and Charles were similar. ]

Just watch, a few months from now, and I'll drop a new product, and you'll regret ever leaving.

[ That, of course, was said like a joke, more than anything, no heat to the accusation. He'd never do that, not to Charles, and not after this. ]

Do I? [ Damn, he'd honestly thought he was doing better at covering it. Clearing his throat, he motioned towards a chair, if Sasaki wished to take a seat. ]

I suppose I've been burning the candle at both ends recently.

[ The Foundation was more than an asset. It was an ideal, and Charles was known to be a little weird when it came to ideals.

However, despite the fact that Tony was making all the appropriate noises, even the attempt at humor, Charles couldn't bring himself to do more than flicker the corners of his mouth in a weak smile. ]

I have no doubt. [ He responded to the first part, though he had every doubt in the world and in the next moment, he paused the movement of the chair and reached his hand out towards Tony. He couldn't address the idea of regrets;

he had too many of them in this moment. ]

You know how to reach me. [ He offered the words with a soft sort of sincerity. Things were in tatters at the moment, but as was so often the case even back in their home worlds, Charles would never shut the door on a friend.

Even if their paths had parted for the moment. ]

Right.

[ Charles might not shut the door, but... that didn't mean that he hadn't... left it most of the way shut. He could tell a dismissal when he heard one, and he could tell that Charles still wasn't... he likely wouldn't want to see him for some time -- if ever, his mind helpfully supplied.

And he couldn't blame him, was the sad thing. Maybe if he'd been smarter, maybe if he'd been more willing to accept the possibility, maybe he could have worked his systems to properly prepare for this. But he hadn't. That was on him, wasn't it? ]

Take care, Charles. I'm sure I'll see you around.

[ He turned, to make it easy on him, offering a casual wave over his shoulder, like he wasn't effectively being dismissed from a room in his own building. ]

Well. That's not very polite of the tea. [She takes a seat on one of the chairs.]

I'm okay -- getting used to the idea that I have more new abilities to figure out; this place isn't boring, I can say that much about it. [For better or worse.]

And you?

[ Alright.

That first remark did get a genuinely amused chuckle out of the brooding professor, even as he reached for the mug and lifted it to his mouth for a quick sip as she settled. ]

New abilities? That sounds infinitely more interesting than anything I have to offer in terms of conversation.

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Oh, our flag is tattered [ OPEN ]

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A)

Just had to use that icon didn't you?

FEEL BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Trust me, I dislike all of it :<

legit tears ok

/just whimpers

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i'll have u kno i have a million sad icons for this reason

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^ that is not a sad icon ftr

well if you WANT all sad icons...

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