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Psych the Psychic; Doc Samson
Topic Started: Aug 19 2009, 08:49 AM (565 Views)
Alix
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Telepathy, Telekinesis / Empathy
August 12th
afternoon



Alix definitely didn't enjoy the idea of a psychological evaluation. Nor did she particularly want to sit through what was, as she saw it, someone talking about something he'd only ever read in books and understand in applied theory. How could he know how a person felt when they thought something particular? How was she supposed to explain feelings and thoughts to someone who might not quite understand that feelings and thoughts weren't the same for her as they were for everyone else and that if he did end up lying to her, she could very possibly pick up on what he really thought about her history or current emotional state. No- the whole thing was something she hated in absolute certainty. But, for the sake of the team, she'd do it. Even if she did plan on being just a tiny bit late as some show of quiet, passive aggressive discontent. Besides- she needed just those few extra minutes of lurking about in her room to figure out just what to say.

She sighed, having already gone through everything she would say. She never knew her parents, she grew up in New York, joined the Xmen.. and moved to X-factor. The events of the past years, while troubling, were all part of the game and had no affect on her mental state. Average girl. She could do that. Definitely. Certainly.. almost. Though, honestly, she had to wonder what they knew. From what it'd seemed so far.. they'd picked through the past of others with surprisingly innate details. So if that was the case.. should she even try to lie? She was aware that they'd at least know she was one of the more quiet members of X-factor, despite her dating an older college and having a colorful past of rather direct involvement with events. But out of that.. well- it was best to just ignore that. At 3 minutes past, she finally exited her own room and head downstairs to Alex's office- the location she'd picked if only for the fact that it felt secure. Vaguely somewhere in the back of her mind, she half wondered just how this psychologist would deal with the concept of her method of speech.

::Sorry I'm late. Lost track of time...:: She made sure to speak before entering, quietly opening the door to slip into the office easily. ::Hope it wasn't too much a nuisance.. Where would you like to begin? Should I say my name or whichever?::

For all her disapproval of the evaluation, she presented a pleasant and absolutely calm front that never once wavered even as she sat casually in the chair across from the green haired doctor.
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Doc Samson
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Alix was a telepath, he'd been ... well, warn wasn't the precise word, but informed firmly, that he was to keep his thoughts on what he was doing. Like many of SHIELD's agents, he was trained in using mental blocks to confuse telepathic enemies, though Samson was not strictly a SHIELD agent, and so young Miss Alix, should she attempt it, would not be able to delve further into his mind that he wanted her too.

But the truth of the matter was, he was not all that concerned that she would do so. After all, these people, for all their problems and pasts, were now the good guys, as he thought of himself as. It was a matter of principle, a matter of honor. It was the reason the villains of this world had in so many ways the upperhand, which was why organizations like X-Factor were so essential. They had hope, which was something the so-called bad guys did not have.

Alix spoke in his head and he said, "Whatever you wish, Alix. I don't record my sessions, though clearly there would be difficulty in doing so in this case. Would you rather I think my questions or are you more comfortable with my speaking aloud?"
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Alix
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Of course she wouldn't.. well, mostly. She'd pick up a bit here and there on accident and while usually.. she tended to tune it out, this time she might've been prompted to pay attetion to the blatent things she could possibly pick up. She watched him closely, strange eyes trained intently onto him with little to no reticense to her regard of him and the way he 'looked.' She'd seen him around the building the past few days, vaguely taking note of his actions and mannerisms. Nothing hurt in being prepared- in seeing this like an obstical or a battle. In some part.. it made it easier to push through.

::Aloud is fine. Thoughts would just get confusing eventually, depending on your processes and emotional levels.:: She shifted, adjusting her weight with little concern for comfort, and much more concern for positioning herself into an apparent look of confidence. ::What're your thoughts so far? On the team, that is. I imagine we are not the sort of evaluations you expected to be doing when you first started into school for all of this, right?:: If she played it calm, controlled the questions.. then things wouldn't delve into the past or her own feelings too much.
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Doc Samson
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The tiny girl with the strange eyes and the strange manner answered pleasantly and tried to gain the upperhand, by asking him questions that would require him to reveal more about himself that she would be. He recognized the trick very easily and so pointed it out to her. "My thoughts so far are that you, young lady, are very used to using your manner and mental acuity to flip flop the balance of power towards your favor. You like to have that upper hand, manipulating tricky conversations into something you can control and dictate" Samson smiled, "How warm am I?"

He waved a meaty hand at the pictures on the walls and said, "I've met with a few of your members and I have to say they all tell me a tale of a family, not so much a hero team. They are unique people, but if I say more they'll revoke my therapists license, and with an appearance like mine I could either be a rock star or model for the covers of trashy pulp fiction," he joked. "Aw, but you really are dragging far more out of me that you should. You're very good, perhaps you should consider a career in therapy, if this superheroing doesn't pan out for you."

Leaning back he said, "Let me tell you though, this a team of the unwanted and the unloved lead by an easily manipulated man, but I think that what you have here is something unique that can become something amazing, or something very dangerous. It's a common dilemma when dealing with the super powered, that things can quickly go out of hand, be warped, twisted and turned. You understand that, don't you, Alix? What can we do, together, to prevent X-Factor from being lost to its own follies?"
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Alix
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When he caught her attempts, her eyes just barely managed a slight twinge of uncertainty and less-than-steadfast confidence. He was more than right, of course. There rarely was a conversation that she couldn't somehow get the proper response from. He nailed the problem square on the head and it was something that she, for all of her abilities, didn't quite like. ::Perhaps, a bit.:: She didn't say more, despite there clearly being more that could be said on the subject.

::We are quite unique and are definitely a family. I'm sure you've discovered by now that many of them have experienced life on a level that very few go and even fewer overcome as they have.:: She smiled, casually, acknowledging his joke with pleasant contemplation. ::I don't think people would appreciate a therapist who can see their problems so very directly. Besides. Superheroing is all I've ever known.:: A simple, vague shrug as she listened as he continued.

::I am sorry, but I can not see how this-:: she looked around the office with a fondness that was, perhaps, the first real blatant display of emotion. ::Could be dangerous. There is a steadfast policy of peace here. If anything, we'd be the least likely to turn. We've seen what violence and misuse of power can do to people. Many of us multiple times. We work hard to negate these assumptions. Alex might be easily manipulated, but aren't we all? We are, despite opinion, still human. If you were faced with the choice of the woman you loved being turned into something that would destroy the world or yourself.. would you consider yourself easily manipulated for your sacrifice?:: She smiled.

::Maybe there is some small amount of goodness that could come of this. X-Factor might need to be prevented from being lost to it's own follies... but wasn't it S.H.I.E.L.D who just a year ago placed an entire community under practical martial law? So yes. Together... maybe there are quite a few follies who can be prevented. But eventually don't you think one will want more power than the other and the other will suffer for it?:: She watched him, carefully regarding every move.

::It's not X-factor's follies that they should be worried about, but I do believe that we will do a great deal of good for them. Wouldn't you agree, so far, from what you've seen?::
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Doc Samson
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"A hypothetical situation then, Alix," Samson said, "You're in a room, doesn't matter where, with some friends that you grew up with. You think you know them, you think you can trust them, when suddenly they pull weapons like you have never seen before from their coats, proclaiming that they are there to save you from a threat that is caused by others with weapons. But they're only fighting each other, and you are caught in the middle, powerless, helpless. That's humanity, right now, right at this moment. People they thought they knew have become something so beyond their understanding, that they feel caught in the crossfire of a war they are not a part of. The bulk of humanity doesn't even know a mutant at this point, though I suspect it will change in the future, all they know is what they see on television, hear on the radio, watch on the internet. They're afraid and that makes for great trouble."

Looking at her closely, he said, "You don't see how this could possibly be made dangerous? Any people with power without conscience are dangerous, human, mutate or mutant. Once upon a time, there was a young man, an mutant art student on a field trip that used his amazing power of luck to save a girl as his last act before dying. When he was resurrected, he was turned from something good and noble to something twisted and evil. Do you see where I am going with this, Alix?"

He folded his hands to clasp his crossed knee, "Tell me about Longshot."
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Alix
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::Hypothetical situation for you, too.:: She shifted. ::You're a child in a room with, say, your family. Happy, content. You've always been a bit different- but never anything anyone could notice. One day, however, your plopped into a role that you don't understand- much less can control. You just want to play and be normal, but your family wont allow that. Instead.. they just get rid of you. Does that sound like someone who's powerless? There's countless humans in the past who've done more and worse than a mutant. Before Xfactor and the Xmen, I would've feared you for the simple fact that you, like so many others, would likely act as every other human had in the past. I understand, there's people out there who are torn up in the middle of this. But despite what is conceived, there's a good many of scared mutant kids out there who are hurt entirely more often then human kids in the crossfire. Human, Mutant- gangs with drugs and guns or gangs with superpowers.. everyone needs something to fear and everyone is capable of terrible acts and boundless power. I'm more afraid of individuals who would choose to pursue power than those who have genetically been given an ability.:: She sighed, quietly and listened as he continued. At first, she held her reserved control, strange eyes focused without verging onto intrusive. It all changed, however, when he muttered Art student. It didn't take him asking for her to know he knew and vaguely, she tensed.


::Longshot- he's...:: Her eyes lowered uncomfortably as if trying to find the answer. She hadn't thought of them asking about him. Rictor maybe, Pyro possibly.. But Longshot? She shifted her weight, her sudden lack of confidence and control painfully clear. She couldn't ride Longshot off with a lie- he'd eventually find out and his feelings would certainly be hurt, even if it had just been a white lie. Even for this, she couldn't risk hurting him.

::He's helped me countless times and I him. I am alive because of him. I guess, if anything, you could call him a brother of sorts. He's one of the most important people in my world... but I don't want to talk about it.::
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Doc Samson
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She got angry, though she may deny it to him or to herself. She was defensive regarding her own treatment as a mutant child, which made him wonder what exactly happened. There were large segments of Alix's SHIELD report that had been redacted, which was true of both Alexander Legard and Violey Vistagraph, as well, suggesting there was some political wheeling and dealing that he was not privy to. SHIELD, of course, had undoctored documents, but they assumed he only needed what they had given him. He understood it, but didn't like it. Alix, meanwhile, poured her mental heart out, lecturing him on facts he was certainly aware of, and scolding him without realizing that she was entirely making his point. He didn't argue with her, because he wasn't here to convince her to join Up with People, after all. He was just here to listen to her reactions and form a mental profile of her.

Passionate, self righteous, and secretive... in other words, a teen age girl. Powered or not, he had never met a teenager who didn't think his or her opinions were right, and anything he or she suffered was harder than anyone else could understand. Her past might be tragic, but there would always be something to top it.

Her anger completely melted though when he mentioned Longshot, and she spoke of him with an entirely different sound to her mental voice. She loved him, in a way that was not romantic, that had another note, but perhaps as closer to a family. Samson had learned already that with Alix, it took a certain pushing of buttons to get her to reveal anything. Longshot was a definite button. How hard could he push it?

"He's helped you," Samson said, "And you've forgiven him his crimes? Do you understand the depth of what he's done? In his two years of activity with Mojo, his body count was four hundred and sixty two, that's before SHIELD lost track of him. How many has he killed since then? But, frankly, I shouldn't be surprised that you have no interest in that, after all they were mostly humans who might have someday harmed you or the people you care for. I find that X-Factor has been very forgiving of that in general. Jon Harper killed two hundred and eighty seven for Mojo, Julio Rictor's official count is in the dozens, Wanda Maximoff is responsible for at least twenty known deaths in Connecticut, and should we talk about Alex Summer's recent stint as War? Over four million are dead or presumed dead. X-Factor has one hell of a track record. How about you, Alix? Where does your total stand?"
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Alix
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Any awareness that he equated her to be like any other teenager was lost in her own thoughts as he continued.::Those crimes are Mojo's, not his.:: She half muttered back, directly avoiding any and all eye contact. Did she really believe what she said? Mostly. It was Mojo's fault that Longshot was the way he was- he'd been built specifically to kill. Was that Longshot's fault?

::Jon's murders are, like Longshot, Mojos. Wanda's are on Magneto. And Alex.. Alex had to be put through hell to be changed into what did that. Torture, force, telepathic manipulations that I couldn't even resist if I tried. A lesser man would've killed more.:: She didn't mention Rictor for her own reasons, carefully attempting to maneuver the conversation away from any mention of him. ::Even if I had a total, it would've been crimes I'd committed as a child, under the direction of older, supposedly more responsible human and mutant adults.::

::Is forgiveness wrong, especially in cases where the transgressor was given no choice in the matter?:: While she went back to questioning him, It was far different than the questions before. Not the pointed, defensive methods she'd used previous but instead honest curiosity.
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Doc Samson
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"Forgiveness is never wrong, Alix, " Samson said, noticing which body counts she had addressed and which she hadn't and mentally making a note of it. “He who is devoid of the power to forgive, is devoid of the power to love," he quoted, "Martin Luther King, Jr, another member of an oppressed minority. All of the people I mentioned, all of the deaths I've pointed out, you're right, none of them wanted to do what they did... perhaps... But then how can we know this for a fact, right? After all, Longshot killed after he left Mojo... didn't he? What does that Club he's in now stand for?"

He smiled, leaning back in his chair and crossing his long legs the other way, to relieve the cramping he usually got since most chairs were too small for him. "But, we're not really here to talk about Longshot, are we? Not even your friendship with him, though if Hodge finds out about him, what do you think he'll ask of you? Your loyalties, where do they lie? The fate of your people lies on the success of X-Factor's co-operation with SHIELD, perhaps... what if they tell you to report on Longshot's movements? Would you place your entire race on the chopping block for the sake of one little psychopath... who isn't even technically a human, just some cobbled together DNA, tweaked into an imperfect shape by a madman's science? Or are you able to recognize him as a lost cause and move to others who are more deserving of your help?"
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Alix
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::I know nothing of Longshot's current affiliations except speculation. When I see him we keep affiliation out of our conversations.:: She watched him closely, eyes following every movement as if each could tell her exactly what was coming next. It couldn't of course, but she could most certainly wish. Even if she pointedly kept from crossing any barriers of propriety. ::If the fate of 'my people' rests completely on the actions of a very small team of people then my co-operation wouldn't matter. The decision would've already been made by that point.::

She sighed and shook her head. ::But-:: Her tone took on a slight twinge of reluctance, though earnestly.

::My loyalties lie with those dearest to me. I will not betray my family or friends so readily for something that would, in the circumstances you presented, already be looking for a reason to destroy our race. And just because he's a clone does not mean he isn't human. He's thinks the same as anyone, feels the same as anyone.. so as far as I'm concerned- cobbled together by a mad man or not.. he's human as much as I am.:: She answered quietly.

::Would you sacrifice someone close to you, even if they did do irrepairable damage Doctor?
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Doc Samson
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"And how human are you, Alix?" Samson asked, watching the girl with far less intensity than she watched him with. He was studying her as closely, but he had been a psychiatrist almost as long as she had been alive. He was much more practiced than she... though, he had to admit she was good, very good. He had long ago found that mutants and mutates with mind based abilities tended to be, on average, quicker with their mental processes than most even when not utilizing those abilities. It was as if their brain was so accustomed to functioning on a higher level that they used more than the accepted estimate of 10% of their potential. It was to be expected, and though it did not necessarily mean that telepaths were smarter than average, he had to admit he rarely met an unintelligent one.

He looked the girl in the eye and asked his question again, "How human exactly? You're a mutant. You're above us. I can lift a car over my head, but I'm a mere pretender to what you are. My powers can be removed without genetic damage. My powers are artificial. In my own way, I am as false a creature as Longshot or Jon Harper. Which brings us to the question of whether or not I have enough humanity in me to forgive someone who had done such terrible things. I don't know. I might find it hard to share my heart with someone who might literally cut it out... What is your definition of humanity, Alix? What makes one human?"
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Alix
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::Above? I'm no more above a psychiatrist who knows how to shift the conversation to what needs to be done, and others are no more dangerous than anyone of the millions of gun owners in the united states.:: Her focus on him shifted briefly and vaguely glanced about the room to the photos and other things. Anything but the conversation. Though, she remarked to herself.. it could've been much worse. Could get so much worse. He just hadn't figured out more of the right questions yet. Though still- it was almost easy to see how badly she wanted to just get up and leave. Give up on everything if this was the way it was going to be. But she wouldn't.

::the feeling, I assure you, is mutual.:: It was a defensive statement and for the barest of moments, it almost looked as if she was going to stand to leave- but didn't. ::But those feelings aren't what makes a person human. Survival instincts- The same as any wild animal. Memories and complex emotion are what make people who they are and thus what makes them human. That, and the capacity to overcome and to forgive. You can train any creature to be a killer if you've got the right means but only a human can eventually overcome it on their own.::
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Doc Samson
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And here was the crux of the whole conversation. Every member of X-Factor had chosen to be here, every last one of them, choosing to be more than what they were. "And, what of mutants, Alix, what of homo sapiens superior? There's a theory that as an evolved race, you'll develop beyond the point where you can take humanity into consideration, that you'll grow to see the average human as the average human sees an ape. Something beneath them, too close to deny the relationship, but too far to be anything but a curiosity. Can mutants choose to fight that instinct, or is humanity doomed?"

Steepling his fingers, Samson said, "And if humanity is doomed, Alix, why are we torturing ourselves to try and save them?"

She looked around the room and he followed her gaze, noticing as she looked at the pictures on the wall, pictures of the rest of X-Factor. "Tell me about your teammates then, Alix. Do they believe as you do? That they can choose to be more, or is the thought of redemption enough for them. If this is the place where murderers can find forgiveness, how can there be room for anything else?"

He smiled at her and said, "Tell me about Julio Richter. Your relationship with him is a very different one than yours with Longshot. How do the two of them interact." His tone suggested he knew all ready... but what was it he knew?
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Alix
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::If humans can fight their instincts then I'm sure we can as well. Just because specific races have evolved to survive in various regions doesn't mean they all see us as inferior.. I mean, some might.. but really, it's no different:: She muttered softly, strange eyes focused onto him carefully.

::They're not doomed. No more than we are.:: His questions kept coming, and she did all she could to keep up, answering quickly and rapidly.

::They do. And there's plenty room for more.. we're not all people like I am or the others... There can be more than forgiveness and there can be more than simple redemption. It started like that in the beginning, maybe. Redemption. Fixing what we'd done.. but for most of us now, we aim to help. To do our duty.:: She answered- no more brazen questions following her answers. She'd decided it was best to leave the questions to him, and at this point.. keep on the defensive.

::They... they react alright. I'm not sure just how much they've encountered, but neither have specifically said anything too unsettling:: She muttered quietly, though didn't say much more on the topic choosing to, as much other things.. glaze over it.
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