Email to Haller

[x-wither.livejournal.com]

To: [Haller]
From: [Kevin]
Subject: Return approximation?

"A little longer" is sort of vague, ya know. When exactly can we come back-ish? If my head explodes from being with this many people in this small a space for this long I'm going to put you guys in charge of the clean up...even after doing whatever it is you've been doing.

Seriously, did you know too many bodies in one place and literally be suffocating?

Comments

[x-legion.livejournal.com]

To: [Ford, Kevin]
From: [Haller, David]

I'm sorry, we don't have an ETA -- the team that went had some transportation issues on the way back. However, I think we're probably looking at the middle to end of the week for return migration. I understand the stir-craziness, though I'm in the oppposite position. Right now our on-duty staff is, um . . . me.

Sorry about the continuing lack of detail. Being the broken record is about much fun as listening to it. Unfortunately team confidentiality is a dicey subject, and until anyone instructs me otherwise all I can is be That Guy and undershoot.

(Well, that and answer phones. I never realized how many calls Dani takes a day. Or how many of them come from complete whackjobs.)

Aside from the claustrophobia and what's probably reached pretty profound levels of boredom, how are you doing?

[x-wither.livejournal.com]

To: [Haller]
From: [Kevin]

Meh, I understand not being able to say much. I wasn't looking for details anyway. I just want to be able to not sleep on the floor and maybe not have to worry that everything is going to disintegrate if I end up bumped into or something. It's sort of nerve racking being somewhere that's not Kevin-proof, which I haven't been in too much in a while really.

So just how creepy is the mansion when it's empty? I like it at three a.m. when everyone's asleep and it sounds like night in there, but it's different when there's people, I think. You can feel their presence so it's not as, well, creepy.

What kind of whack jobs, exactly?

Uh, well, I think if it's at all possible my skin might actually snap from all the tension I have being around other people. Mrs. Espinosa offered to let me go to her house since it's empty if I need some sanity, but I'm stubborn as all hell. Maybe I'll have to take her up on it. I'm turning into that deranged jumpy guy. Breathe too close to me and I freak out.

Yvette's doing better than me, but I don't think by much. The space to human ratio's just too small for our sanity, I think. At least it is for mine.

[x-legion.livejournal.com]

To: [Kevin]
From: [Haller]

Yeah, I imagine you and Yvette are in a similar situation. It's hard trying to be a good houseguest when your very existence seems engineered to defy it. I'm a proponent of integration, but I agree -- sometimes it makes situations a little more stressful then they need to be. I'd ask Forge if he might be able to come up with some kind of body-mesh for emergancies, but I don't know how you feel about wearing anymore clothes. And, quite frankly, once he gets back I don't think anyone should ask Forge for anything for at least a month. However, if you're really stressed it might be worth spending a few hours out, even if it's not overnight. Maybe you and Yvette could go over there and relax a little. She's about as fond of crowds and close-quarters, and I doubt Angelo will mind.

As for the mansion, it's . . . well, I'm not very good with metaphor, but have you ever seen "The Shining"? It's like that. Fortunately I'm used to keeping myself company.

The phonecalls are . . . well, most are legit, but there's a couple I just don't know how to handle. There's one guy who's rung twice already insisting he was a mutant whose powers were stripped by the government. Then returned to him. By visitors from the future, who gave him an important message about an impending threat to mutankind that he desperately needs to deliver to the professor in person.

The worst part is that I can't even just assume he's lying.

[x-wither.livejournal.com]

To: [Haller]
From: [Kevin]

Yeah, we are. Sorta why I decided to come here. I didn't want her stranded all alone in a way. Even if I can't help she at least knows she's not alone in the twitchy. Guess I've sort of taken to thinking of her kind of as a kid sister in a way. She cheered up when I got her to help me with some sculpture stuff, though. I wouldn't want to bug Forge much anyway, but I'll be particularly careful not to now. Sounds like he's had to do a lot of work, that must suck. I think I can survive without any Forge inventions, as handy as one may be.

Yeah, when Mrs. Espinosa made the offer I told her I wouldn't want to abandon Yvette since her situation is similar, even actually worse than my own. She extended the invite to Yvette as well. Maybe I'll talk to her later. My skin's all tight and twitchy and Yvette's getting spikier and spikier. Maybe I should just admit defeat and ditch out.

That's....not of the fun. I'd assume you had friends and stuff to hang with around the mansion normally, everyone else seems to.

His powers were what?! Hey, think I could get the card for the guy that did the stripping? Joking. Mostly. Okay maybe not at all. But I wouldn't do it. I'm not that dumb. ANYWAY! Why can't he tell you the message? Or maybe vague up the summary so you have something to work with at least? Getting with the ominous doesn't always work as Fred, my gloom cloud, likes to point out to me.

Does he sound like a nutcase, though?

[x-legion.livejournal.com]

To: [Kevin]
From: [Haller]

Yvette seems to encourage fraternal/paternal/maternal feelings, I think. I also don't think there's anything wrong in indulging them, so it works out well. Peace and quiet will probably help you both. And give Mrs. Espinosa something to keep her occupied, too.

I'm not a social outcast, I just kept to myself when I was younger, so I'm not feeling the change as much as some might. Fortunately Ms. Dane drops by to remind me to eat. And that the rest of humanity hasn't just dropped off the face of the earth.

As for whether the caller is crazy, I honestly don't know. Certain psychic traumas can replicate insanity, so I don't like to jump to conclusions. I'm going to have to wait for the professor to take his mandatory 15 minute break from scanning to ask his opinion . . . although first impressions suggest you not get your hopes up.

[x-wither.livejournal.com]

To: [Haller]
From: [Kevin]

Yea, Yvette's one of those people. She can slice you into itty bitty pieces by touching you but ya still want to keep her safe. Seems counter intuitive or something, doesn't it? Mrs. Espinosa's been over here at Mr. Jones' every day. I've never seen someone clean so much. I think she's just worried and needs something to do, though. Nice lady though.

Always a bad sign when others need to remind you to eat. Watch it with those Ms. Dane's though. I called her Miss Dane just in writing and she told me it made her feel like she was forty. Go figure. When did polite become equated with antiquated? Seemed odd, but I figure you should have warning just in case you didn't know.

Sounds, complicated. My own mind is confusing enough for me, I wouldn't want to attempt figuring out someone else's and whether or not they're delusional, psychotic or whatever.

[x-legion.livejournal.com]

To: [Kevin]
From: [Haller]

People cope with worry in different ways. I think Mrs. Espinosa's is to be productive. It's pretty common, although usually it seems to result in excessive cooking.

No, I should know better. Lorna will definitely hurt me if she hears I called her Ms. Dane. Sorry, around students I tend to default to formal terms of address for teachers, and my brain doesn't transition well. I'll probably be making that mistake around you for a while. If you're going to tell her please wait until after dinner. Her cooking is the only thing keeping the professor alive.

And yeah . . . psychic damage is complicated. And not so assessible over the phone. (Then again, in some cases being far away is a plus.)

[x-wither.livejournal.com]

To: [Haller]
From: [Kevin]

She's not allowed excessive cooking. Mr. Jones and I largely stole that duty away from her. It's easy when you wake up before everyone else to end up making breakfast for everyone. I think Angel nearly died of happy the first morning here when I made her french toast.

Technically not a student, remember? I don't plan on telling her at all. In fact, I plan on exploiting the fact that she claims it makes her feel forty by saying "Miss Dane" with all the Southern charm possible in my voice. This could, potentially, get things thrown at me. I default to polite with most people who have enough of an age gap for me to put them firmly in that "adult category." Usually it's thirty or over unless they are acting particularly....I'll just go with the term "adult" to be on the safe side. Anyone between about five and ten years older than me is in shady territory and that's a case by case basis. You, somehow, just do not invoke "sir" from me. Sorry. I think it's the lack of unforgiving authoritative air about you.

if it really more assessable in person? Or is it more of a mental assessment? You know, the type only a telepath can really do? (Always a good thing for potential psychopaths to be far, far away)

[x-legion.livejournal.com]

To: [Kevin]
From: [Haller]

Well, if you're not going to let Mrs. Espinosa cook, you're going to have to deal with the cleaning. I don't really know what would happen if someone took that job, too. Maybe figure out some way to combine the two. That might be interesting, but I wouldn't want to stand too close during the formative stages.

I do remember you're not a student. Unfortunately, I'm still thrown by the fact that at one point you were. It's your "adult category" in reverse. Don't worry about the lack of automatic respect. I don't. That's what Mr. Summers and Ms. Munroe are for.

You're right, though, it is a state of mind. Which is why even though I'm older than Lorna she has always, always scared me.

As for insanity, you don't need to be a telepath to assess, but it does sometimes help if you want to differentiate between chemical, emotional, and psychically-rooted causes. I'm not sensitive enough to pick up on the first well, but the latter's easy. Same condition, different treatment.

[x-wither.livejournal.com]

To: [Haller]
From: [Kevin]

I'm a gentleman, I'd never begrudge her the cleaning. I can't take all her distractions from her, can I? Also, cooking's the only thing I'm decent at and I have to make myself useful somehow.

I did not, may I point out, say I did not respect you. Nor did I claim it wasn't automatic. Being referred to as "sir" and "ma'am" hasn't a whole lot to do with respect. There's lots of people I don't respect I've called "ma'am." It just means I keep forgetting how entirely senile you're doomed to be in, what, like three years right? :)

Lorna's scary? Maybe I should nix that Miss Dane intention....

That sounds interesting, actually. And probably really complicated. Also, I think you're a bit nuts to willingly go near anyone else's head. Some of them are scary, I'm told.

[x-legion.livejournal.com]

To: [Kevin]
From: [Haller]

Isn't that the worst thing about being a houseguest? Figuring out what to do for them, I mean. (Especially if the host insists on doing everything for you.)

My mistake about the confusion. Age and authority went kind of hand-in-hand for me, since I was one of those kids who respected adults just because they were adults. ...for the most part.

And yeah. Lorna's quite capable of scary. But you're probably safe -- mostly she restricts it to close friends.

Unless you do something to her kitchen, in which case you're on your own.

Psychic therapy is interesting. And, you're right, complicated. Fortunately I don't have to do much of it at Xavier's -- I don't practice on students unless there are some pretty extreme extenuating circumstances. It's a good arrangement. Clinical settings are fine, but I don't really want to know the thoughts of people I live with.

And as far as heads are concerned, you get used to it. Everyone's is scary in its own special way.

[x-wither.livejournal.com]

To: [Haller]
From: [Kevin]

Mr. Jones seems to love me and the fact I want to help out. I just can't not try to do something, it feels too much like taking advantage to me, even if I know it's not.

Everyone's got default respect. I don't think there's any reason for someone to respect me as a person if I'm not willing to respect them as one. It can be lost, though, and then it's hard to earn back. Just because someone's older doesn't mean they deserve more respect just as it doesn't mean they're any smarter. Age can bring a lot of things with it, and there's a lot that's more likely to come with age, but that doesn't mean it's a guarantee. There are a lot of dishonorable, stupid people a lot older than I am. Like most things seem to be, more than default respect as a human is situational.

By "do something" are we talking as in cook in it, put something back in the wrong place or like blow it up? Just so we're clear.

You might find out they are plotting your doom. Or harboring immense crushes. Equally potentially scary there. I don't blame you, I don't think I'd want to be a telepath. Other people are strange enough without me getting into their heads.

That's reassuring, actually.

[x-legion.livejournal.com]

To: [Kevin]
From: [Haller]

I agree on the respect issue, and also that it's easier lost than earned back. I don't think I'll ever outgrow the impulse to respect my elders, and honestly don't care to, but I try to respect everyone for what they can give me -- even if it's a nine year old in a terminal ward at Muir who couldn't teach me anything about living normally, but everything about dying well.

The universal weirdness is perversely reassuring. It's harder to feel like an outsider when you have conclusive proof that just about everyone around you feels the same way. Not that you need to be a mindreader to learn that . . .

Anyway, it's late, I should try to make sure the professor gets a little sleep. When he refuses I'll go to bed myself. Get some rest, and think about Mrs. Espinosa's offer.



PS: Just don't destroy, chip or otherwise mangle any of the equipment in the kitchen and you'll be okay.

[x-wither.livejournal.com]

To: [Haller]
From: [Kevin]

Everyone's got something worth learning, the key's knowing to open your eyes and notice it, right? Sometimes I don't notice too well, but at least I know it.

Rest, right. Easier said than done, but I'll try.