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| A Hero Someday; Archangel | |
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| Topic Started: Mar 12 2014, 01:09 AM (252 Views) | |
| Specter | Mar 12 2014, 01:09 AM Post #1 |
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Date: March 7th Time: 3pm In just one day's time, Dallas Gibson would be celebrating an anniversary. It would be exactly one month since he'd returned to the mansion. Not a milestone by most people's estimation, certainly, and in this case 'celebrating' would actually entail working through the lunchtime shift and spending the afternoon fine tuning a vegetarian lasagne he was hoping to add to the menu. Still, it was a date which meant something to him. He'd returned to the school with a plan of action in mind, which involved focusing on his new job in the kitchen and connecting with friends old and new for the first four weeks. That had given him time to settle in, get into the swing of things, find his feet. He'd actually felt at home again a lot sooner than he'd expected. It had been four years since he'd been a student at Xavier's but he'd spent so long yearning to return that he'd felt like he was finally in the right place almost the moment he crossed the threshold. That was a wonderful feeling, one he was still savouring. Now that he'd had that settling down period, it was time to turn his attention to his long term future. Specifically, his future as a mutant, as a man willing to wear an X on his belt. Though he always felt silly thinking of himself in these terms, he was already a superhero. As Specter, he'd spent the last few years in Portland hitting the streets in uniform to fight the good fight. However, he'd come back to the school fully aware that there was a difference between the crimefighting he'd been doing, handling carjackings and bank robberies and street brawls, and the kind of thing the combat teams here found themselves facing. Specter had faced superpowered opposition less than a handful of times. He'd been certain he'd need a significant amount of further training before he'd be selected for one of the X-teams. But now that he was here, that seemed less clear to him. Dallas was happy in the kitchen, he had no urge to leave that job behind, but he was increasingly troubled by how little he was doing besides cooking. Back home, he'd become used to seeing a problem and dealing with it. Here, he felt that he was watching from the sidelines, leaving others to do the dirty work. If something happened, he had to shrug his shoulders and leave it to the X-Men or the Legacy Squad to handle. He hadn't quite prepared himself for how difficult that would be for him. And then there was the example set for him by Terry Cassidy. She was his closest friend at the school and frequently in his thoughts. She was also younger than him, and an X-Man. Had been for quite some time now. Siryn was making a difference in the world, and as such was both an inspiration to him, and a symbol of how little he was contributing. She was proof that he could be so much more. Of course, Terry had a great deal more experience in dealing with major threats, but still he was starting to question whether or not he was undervaluing himself. He may not have been battling Apocalypse every week but Dallas had still been doing the hero thing, week in and week out, without back-up or support, for years. The idea that he had no idea what he was doing was silly, borne of misplaced modesty, and that realisation had left him unsure of how he should be proceeding at the school. He needed some professional guidance. And if he was going to turn to someone for help, he might as well go straight to the top. With that in mind, he'd taken some time out of his afternoon to seek out Warren Worthington. Dallas was quite impressed with himself for approaching one of the most senior of all X-Men without nerves. He'd been lucky enough that the various X-Men he'd dealt with had all been welcoming and helpful so perhaps he'd allowed himself to be lulled into a false sense of security and Warren would actually bite his head off. Or chop it off with a wing. Or... ...Maybe this wasn't the best time to start having such thoughts, now that he was at the X-Man's office door. After exchanging a slightly anxious glance with his shadow, Dallas rapped his knuckles against the door. Once granted access, he leaned in, a tentative smile on his face. "Mr. Worthington? Hi, I'm Dallas Gibson. From the catering team," he clarified. Warren probably knew who he was, he figured, but it didn't hurt to make sure. "Really sorry if I'm bothering you, sir. I was just wondering if you had a few minutes? I kinda need somebody to talk to." |
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| Warren Worthington | Mar 23 2014, 08:16 PM Post #2 |
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Nearly two months had passed since Jean and Scott had left the Mansion and Warren had been busy enough to not spend all his time wondering what was happening to his two closest friends. Still, in quieter moments his thoughts strayed to them, wondering whether they were okay, if they would be in a position to call for help if they needed it, and if Scott would find what he was looking for on his journey of redemption. Even though they had discussed everything the day before Scott left, Warren was still uneasy about the whole mission and the possible outcomes. In one such quiet moment, Warren found himself dwelling on his concerns while trying to work through a pile of marking in his office. If he was in the room, he usually kept his door open to allow easy access to anyone who needed to talk. The students seemed to be particularly noisy today and he needed to concentrate, and so he had shut the door, though he hoped if anyone really needed him they would knock. Even though he hoped the closed door would help him concentrate on the work at hand, Warren’s thoughts continued to stray and eventually he got up from his desk, moving restlessly around the room before settling on standing in front of the window. With a guilty glance back at the pile of papers on his desk, he considered a more preferable situation - opening the window and going for a fly. He found it easier to order his thoughts when he was flying and the break might help improve his focus on the task he needed to complete. Before he could make a decision either way, a knock on the door roused Warren from his thoughts. With a quiet sigh he turned away from the window and crossed the room to open the door. On the other side stood he was pleasantly surprised to find one of their newest arrivals - although Warren was aware Dallas wasn’t entirely new as he had stayed with them some years previously - wearing what seemed to be a slightly anxious smile. Warren offered him a warm smile in return and nodded to acknowledge the introduction. “Yes, I know who you are, Dallas.” He confirmed gently, before falling silent as the other man explained why he was standing at Warren’s door. “Of course. I have more than a few minutes.” Warren replied, stepping back and swinging the door open a little wider to encourage Dallas to come further into the room. “Take a seat.” He gestured towards one of the chairs set in front of the desk. Rather than sitting himself behind the desk, Warren leant against the front of it, crossing his arms over his chest and lifting his wings slightly so that they didn’t sweep everything onto the floor. “What can I do for you, Dallas?” |
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| Specter | Mar 24 2014, 06:22 AM Post #3 |
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Warren Worthington was quite a sight. Dallas had seen him before, of course, around the halls of the school. But to see him close up was something else. The wings were... well, the only word was extraordinary. Sure, they probably came with their downsides. There must be times when they got in the way and buying clothes was probably a pain. But still. Just look at them. Dallas wouldn't trade his shadow for anything but now and then he ran across a mutant who made him daydream about being blessed with a different mutation and he was fairly sure that later he would be fantasising about soaring through sunlit skies on magnificent wings. Plus, Warren was a handsome, rich hero to go with it. A guy could get an inferiority complex around a man like this. His fears of being shouted at or brusquely ordered to book an appointment were dispelled when Warren invited him in with a warm smile. It was a more generous welcome than he'd expected and Dallas found himself relaxing a little. Ever since his days as a student at Xavier's, he'd looked up to the X-Men, but being away from their world for so long had caused them to take on almost mythical stature in his mind. Yet, every X-Man he'd interacted with since returning, like Jack and Avery and obviously Terry, had been kind, welcoming and down to earth. Rather than leaving him feeling disappointed that they weren't dazzling gods above all, that just made him admire them more. Their humanity, their 'realness', made them all the more impressive in his eyes. "Thanks," he replied when he was offered a seat, straightening his shirt as he lowered himself into the chair. He shot a glance in his shadow's direction, watching as the silhouette settled itself against a wall and sending him a mental command to behave Asking what he needed help with, Warren leaned up against the desk and Dallas had to force himself not to stare at the wings. "Well, I was hoping you'd be able to give me some... well, career guidance, I guess you could say. I wasn't really sure who else I should talk to about this." He shifted in his seat a little, unsure what to do with his hands. It'd probably be best if he got straight to the point rather than beating around the bush any further, it'd keep the nerves still bubbling around in the pit of his stomach from growing any worse. "The thing is, when I came back here, it wasn't just to work in the kitchen. I wanted to be able to... to, y'know..." He rolled his hands in the air in front of him as if it would help his brain to start turning over. He'd actually prepared a speech but it had fallen out of his head, which was less than helpful. "I wanted to make a difference. I really believe in this school, in what it stands for, everything you're doing here. That's why I've wanted to come back for so long. I want to be a part of that. So my plan was to do some combat training here and maybe one day work my way onto a field team. The senior student squad, or the Legacy Squad, whoever would have me. I figured it'd be a long way off." Dallas paused to gulp. He wanted to stop talking now and let Warren speak but apparently he wasn't going to. "But I think I might've been selling myself short. After I left the school the first time, I knew I couldn't just sit back and let bad stuff happen anymore. So for the last... I don't know, three, three and a half years, I've been out there, in uniform, fighting the good fight. There wasn't much superpowered crime in Portland so I was mostly dealing with street level stuff, and that's why I thought I'd need further training before I could be useful here. But it's not like I learned nothing back home. I was out there most days of the week, without back-up, for years. I came back here and I knew I wasn't on the same level as you guys so I figured that meant I was pretty much useless. But I'm not. I've got experience under my belt. And some... skill, I guess. And right now, I feel like I'm wasting it. Right now, I really do feel useless." Inside his head, Dallas was begging himself to shut up at this point but nerves had taken hold of his mouth and he couldn't stop. An embarrassed laugh passed his lips, coupled with a head shake. "I'm sorry, I talk a lot when I'm nervous. Clearly." He drew in a breath to help himself calm down. "I could just really use some advice on what path I should be taking here." |
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| Warren Worthington | Apr 17 2014, 09:17 AM Post #4 |
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Dallas still looked a little apprehensive as he moved into the office and took the seat Warren had gestured to. The glance he shot as his shadow did not go unnoticed by Warren and he took turned his head slightly in that direction, before looking back at Dallas, aware that he might be making the other man uncomfortable if he looked any longer. It was probably akin to his discomfort if someone stared at his wings for longer than he was comfortable with. Warren tilted his head to one side and listened carefully to Dallas as he began to relay his reason for visiting the office, noting the occasional pauses the gulp, and the hand gestures to illustrate his point. All of it spoke of continued nervousness, and Warren wished there was a way to make the younger man feel more relaxed. The request to join the X-Men, round about as it was, came as a little bit of a surprise to Warren. He had no idea that the man was even interested in that side of Mansion life. There were so many people at the school these days it was difficult to keep a detailed track of every single person, as much as he wished that wasn’t the case. Joining the X-Men wasn’t something that could be done lightly; they were placed in dangerous situations all the time, and the safety of civilians and members of the team depended on the competence and skill of each person. If Dallas had the experience he claimed, however, Warren could see him being a definite asset to the team, and he was approaching it with the right spirit too; a desire to help people, to use his ability for good. “Before the Professor found me I was in a similar situation, Dallas.” Warren confessed, a brief, amused smile forming as he thought about some of the things he got up to once he realised that he could use his wings to help people. “I considered my wings a burden when they first grew, but over time I found out that I could use them to help people.” Warren shifted his weight slightly and turned his gaze towards the window, looking out at what he could see of the Mansion grounds. “I used to sneak out from my parent’s apartment and go looking for people to help, for street level crime to stop, similar to you.” He looked back at Dallas and smiled. “I went from that to joining the X-Men, so there is no reason why you shouldn’t do the same.” Reaching behind him, across his desk, Warren picked up his tablet and pulled up his schedule, looking for some free spaces, which were unsurprisingly difficult to find. “Having said that, we’re won’t throw you straight in at the deep end. I, and some of the other Senior X-Men, will need to schedule in some time to work with you, to assess your skills and get you comfortable with working in a team. Sometimes people who have been working alone for a long time find it difficult to adjust to working alongside others, but one of the most important parts of being an X-Man is being able to work within a team, to take orders.” He looked up from the screen of the tablet and then placed the device to one side, deciding it might seem a little impersonal to be focused on his calendar while Dallas sat in front of him, even if he was looking at something relevant to the conversation. “How does that sound to you, Dallas? It would be sort of like a trial period, after which we would decide whether you would work with the X-Men or if you might need to spend some time gaining experience with the Legacy Squad first.” Warren hoped that the last bit wouldn’t put Dallas off, but it was best to be up front about these things. |
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| Specter | Apr 18 2014, 03:25 AM Post #5 |
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Now that he'd said what he'd needed to say, Dallas was starting to feel a little better about coming here today. At least he'd gotten it all off his chest, set the wheels in motion to carry him towards whatever future awaited him. That might turn out to be a destiny different to the one he'd daydreamed about so often back home in Portland, but so be it. At least he was doing something about his dreams now, that felt a whole lot better than just fantasising about them. Warren's recollections about his own early days as a crimefighter brought a smile to Dallas's lips. Looking at the man before him, he would never have guessed their pasts would hold any similarities. Warren was impressive and Dallas... wasn't. His self esteem wasn't too awful, he thought he was an okay guy, but he certainly wasn't Warren. Clearly, they came from very different places. And yet, the winged man's story suggested they weren't so dissimilar. The circumstances might not have been the same, but the motivations were. It helped to put Dallas at ease, to know that Warren understood where he was coming from and he didn't just sound like a deluded kid. When the tablet was picked up, Dallas's stomach lurched in a moment of excitement which he quickly squashed to prevent himself from looking embarrassingly eager. This was really happening. Clasping his hands together in his lap, Dallas listened intently as Warren ran through the best way to proceed from here. He talked about assessments with senior X-Men and teamwork and trial periods and it was everything the young man had wanted to hear. The mention of the Legacy Squad didn't give him any pause, the X-Men might be his ultimate goal but if he needed to prove his mettle as a Legacy-er first, he'd give it everything. A big smile spread across Dallas's lips as the X-Man asked him how all this sounded to him. "It sounds good." That was an understatement which made him laugh, coupling that with a brief shake of the head. "Actually, it sounds amazing. I had myself half-convinced you'd tell me I was being totally unrealistic, clip me 'round the ear and send me off to join Mrs. Russell's class or something." Warren had been so kind and understanding that he was already feeling foolish for being so anxious about the whole thing. "I'm more than happy to do anything you need me to do. I've spoken to Jack Russell already, he's willing to mentor me in combat training and control techniques. Avery said she'd be happy to work with me in the Danger Room too, and I'm going to ask Terry for some boxing lessons. I know I've got a lot of work ahead of me but that's fine by me. It'll all be worth it." His mood having shifted drastically, Dallas took a moment to cast a grin in the direction of his shadow. In response, the silhouette gave him a thumbs up to indicate his approval. Looking back at Warren, he offered the man a smile. "Thank you for... just for taking me seriously, really. I've been getting kinda frustrated with myself, but just knowing I can start moving forward makes me feel so much better." |
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| Warren Worthington | Apr 27 2014, 11:03 PM Post #6 |
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Dallas’s obvious relief and excitement drew a smile from Warren; clearly this was a big step for him, and Warren was glad that he had finally decided to take it. He hadn’t been aware that Dallas was even interested in becoming an X-Man before this meeting. There were several routes into the senior team, ranging from the approach Dallas had chosen to promotion from the training squads. For Warren it had all been different, having been selected already by the Professor, he simply had to agree to what had been set before him. With any of those approaches passion and dedication were needed, and Dallas was already demonstrating that as he began to explain the wheels he had already set in motion. “That’s a good start.” Warren assured Dallas. “It’s great that you’ve shown initiative and looking in to organise time with current X-Men. I would also suggest asking Avery, or Hank if she’s busy with wedding prep, about having some first aid training as well. We would generally try to train all our team members in first aid, particularly the techniques that would be most useful in emergency situations and out in the field.” He paused to consider what other areas he would like to see Dallas work in, and who was the best person to talk to about it. “Usually I would suggest talking to Scott about tactical manoeuvres and set pieces, but as he’s not around, you’ll probably have to put up with me for that. And we’ll bring you into some group sessions as well, to build on team work, as I said.” As Dallas went on to thank him, Warren smiled and gave a small shake of his head. “That’s what I’m here for, Dallas. I really mean that; it’s not an empty sentiment. If you have anything you need to talk about, you can always come to me. And if you’d rather not talk to me, any of the senior members of faculty should be willing to set some time aside for you.” He hoped that was enough to reassure the younger man that he didn’t need to work himself up or get so nervous about coming to talk to him. Warren was aware that he might not seem particularly approachable to some of the students, which saddened him, and he just hoped that he was able to offer some kind of encouragement if they did come to him. |
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| Specter | Apr 28 2014, 05:43 AM Post #7 |
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It was a little crazy to hear people like Dr. McCoy and Mr. Summers being casually referred to as Hank and Scott in a conversation which included him. He hadn't really been back at the school long enough yet to make the mental adjustment from student to staff member so he had to remind himself that these people weren't his teachers anymore (even if he did still have a lot to learn from them), they were no longer part of an entirely separate social stratum, and it wasn't funny to hear them being called by their first names like real people. They were his colleagues now. Colleagues who were miles higher up the food chain than he was but still, he worked at the school now and was therefore part of the great Xavier's machine. The idea of becoming friends with a senior X-Man was no longer a schoolboy's daydream, it could be a reality, eventually. All the same, he'd continue to address the X-Men, all the faculty in fact, as Mr., Ms. and Mrs. where appropriate, out of respect. And also because it would feel weird and presumptuous and even rude to walk up to someone like Herr Wagner and call him Kurt. And imagine referring to Wolverine as Logan? That didn't bear thinking about. Sticking to formality until told otherwise seemed like a much wiser path to take. Though he was very excited inside, Dallas was making a good fist of appearing outwardly calm. His eyes were gleaming a little too much for him to pull off cool detachment though, and his smile was stubbornly refusing to leave his lips. As Warren ran through some of the things he needed to do to bring himself closer to X-Man standards, the younger man listened intently, nodding his head on occasion. He'd make it his business to get himself down to the infirmary as soon as possible to see if Avery or Ha-- Dr. McCoy could find some time to give him some first aid training. Maybe he could volunteer himself to do some orderly work down there now and then? He could find the time for that and doing some grunt work would probably be a helpful way of thanking the medical team for any help they could give him. "I'm gonna have a busy schedule, aren't I?" he laughed, looking not at all displeased about that. "That's perfect though. Man, I wish I'd been able to stay here as a student. I just think about where I could be now, how much better I'd be..." While that was true, he also knew enough about the various traumas which had taken place here while he was away to know that he could just as easily be dead now, or warped into some twisted version of himself. He should be grateful that he hadn't been subjected to the horrors of the school bombing or the Dark X-Men, and he was, but there was always a voice at the back of his head berating him for being absent from the school during its darkest days when he may have been needed most. "I've got a lot of lost time to make up for." Warren's assurance that he could come to him at any time for somebody to talk to was genuinely touching. A guy like him must have had a zillion other things to do, weighty responsibilities bearing down on his shoulders, not to mention the countless other students, staff and X-Men who were doubtlessly jockeying for his attention on any given day. No wonder Terry had so much obvious respect for Warren Worthington, Dallas could totally see why. "Thank you. That really means a lot to me. I can't tell you how much." A warm playfulness edged its way into his smile, a glimmer of the man Dallas truly was when he wasn't being eaten alive by nerves. "And hey, ditto. If ever you need advice on how long to bake a pie, I'm your man." He could offer Warren very little but cooking tips he could do. "Okay, I should probably let you get back to your work," he said, with a friendly grimace at the paperwork on Warren's desk. He didn't envy the man. Kitchen duty was mercifully light on that sort of thing. Pausing only to glance at his shadow and jerk his head at the door to tell the silhouette to get moving in that direction, Dallas pushed himself up from the chair. He'd have been happy to spend the rest of the day chatting up a storm with Warren because he was awesome, in both senses of the word, but he'd taken up enough of the headmaster's time already and he had his own schedule to sort out now that Warren had given him guidance. With a smile, he held out a palm in the offer of a handshake. "Again, thank you. It feels so good to be taken seriously." |
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8:59 AM Jul 11