InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "It's the night of the chicken!"

self-stʏled αntɩchrɪƽt (ԁαᴍieᴨ) (slipuponpurpose) wrote in jurassiccitylog,
@ 2017-05-27 02:48:00

Entry tags:

charles xavier / professor x, robert gorham / damien

WHO: Damien & Charles Xavier
WHAT: Damien doesn't carry money and has never carried money. Which is more than a little unfortunate when he bumps up against someone who can make sure he can't convince someone else to pay for him.
WHEN: May 26th
WHERE: Neighbor's Market
RATING: PG

There were few things that Damien had ever had to pay for in his life. Most people, with a calculated push, could be convinced to let him take whatever he liked for free, or, in the circumstances where free wasn't possible, could be convinced to cover his portion of the bill. It wasn't that he would continually splurge on luxuries. He was a person with simple tastes and even simpler needs so in the end, it was usually just the necessities that he had to talk people into providing. Housing, electricity, internet, all of the things that would sometimes prove tricky to manage were all given without any fuss, but there were other necessities that he still needed to seek out. Like food.

The first few weeks he'd been here, it hadn't been difficult. Popping into the market, gathering what he needed, and sweet talking someone else in the line to put up for the bill whenever things had been scanned had been pretty rote. And that was exactly how Damien had expected this time to go as he stepped into the line with a small basket filled with the things that it would take to make a decent coq au vin and put on his best, most charming smile.

"How are you doing?" Damien inquired, leaning against the counter as he watched the cashier. Not that he really wanted to know. It was just one of those things that you need to be polite, and as he watched his items get rung up, 35.30 in all, Damien shifted on his foot and turned to the guy behind him, flashing him the same smile. "Why don't you cover this one, buddy? I'd really appreciate it."

And more than that, he really wanted him to. With one mental push, that should have been enough. People who weren't prepared rarely even thought about it until it was too late.

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bardcore
2017-05-27 08:37 am UTC (link)

Charles didn't often go to the store. He and Erik had a system and it worked for them. He cooked and Erik took care of them shopping. This was in part due to the fact that Erik was astoundingly awful in the kitchen, and in part because Erik was very firm when it came to their budget. Charles, for all his intelligence had never been very good with money. Letting Erik handle the budget usually meant that the best deals were acquired without skimping on quality, and Charles cooking meant that they didn't die of food poisoning or a house fire.

But today, there had just been a few things and Erik was busy, so Charles had taken it upon himself to handle that. It wasn't that he was inept when it came to doing the shopping, he'd managed just fine when it was just him and Raven thank you, he just didn't have a lot of practice. He was getting better, however.

He had come to the register, basket stocked with milk, tea, eggs, bread, some produce and a few other odds and ends, when the man in front of him suddenly addressed him. He wouldn't have thought much of it, he was fairly personable as a consequence of his power and he never minded casual conversation, except that he could feel something pressing at his mind. Something that wanted him to...want what this man wanted. He didn't like the feel of it. It was uncomfortable, like fingers on the back of his neck. He shook it off, putting up mental shields. He prodded gently, not enough to be noticed, curious about what exactly this man was.

A dedicated mental manipulator, fascinating. Not a telepath like himself or Emma, but something more focused. More limited. It was a rather distasteful power, in Charles's opinion, serving no purpose but to usurp the will of others. Charles had always been particular about how that facet of his own ability worked and he was not thrilled at the idea of someone whose whole ability was that. If Erik had been here, he might have encouraged the behavior. After all, he was all about people embracing their mutations. Then again, he was also a bit twitchy about mental mutations. And there was also the fact that the man in question was attempting to use his powers on him. On second thought, if Erik was here, he'd probably be contemplating murder. Best that he wasn't.

Charles thought a moment, then smiled guilelessly at the man. "Terribly sorry," he said pleasantly, not wanting to give too much away but bored enough that he couldn't quite resist having a bit of fun, "but we don't even know each other. It seems rather forward of you to suggest that without so much as an introduction, don't you think?"

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slipuponpurpose
2017-05-27 08:52 am UTC (link)

No was also something Damien wasn't overly used to. Refusals tended to be few and far between, and they were usually from those who were used to his ability, well aware of what he was doing, and were making quite a concerted effort to try and resist it. And yet... This man in front of him seemed to have waved it off like absolutely nothing. There wasn't even any visible signs of conflict like there usually were with people who were trying to resist.

"Sir?" The cashier said, causing Damien to turn back towards her with smile that was still benign and reassuring.

"You won't mind waiting just a little while longer, will you?" Damien asked, the cashier blinking at him once before shaking his head mildly. Of course she wouldn't. "And I'm sure the rest of you will be quite happy to give us a minute to talk, yes?" Damien said, turning his attention to the small line that had formed behind the other guy. There were a small chorus of affirmations and reassurances as Damien simply said, "Good," and redirected his attention back to the man who seemed absolutely unaffected.

It was working on everyone else, so he hadn't broken again. But still... There was something.

Damien pushed again, focusing his intent, "It would be a kindness. And it's not like you've got much yourself, and spiffed out like that. I'm sure you can afford it. Yes?" Damien said, reaching out and giving a little tug at Charles's collar. "I mean, out of the people here, you look like the best option. You wouldn't want me to ask one of them, would you?" Damien asked, gesturing over his shoulder at the mother and baby, older woman, and teenager that had joined them in line.

There was something going on here, but Damien wasn't sure what it was. But it never hurt to try and test the waters a bit more. Maybe that would let him now what was up.

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bardcore
2017-05-27 04:41 pm UTC (link)

"Honestly," Charles said with a roll of his eyes. The way this man so casually used his ability was a little disconcerting. Something had to have happened in his life to make him feel this was both necessary and acceptable. It was quite possible he was simply an asshole, a theory supported by the way the man - Damien, no, Robert - talked to him, but he had to believe that it was more than that. Erik liked to despair at the way Charles tried to see the best in everyone, but it was just how he was.

Still, that didn't stop Charles from catching the man's hand as he reached for his collar. Not with his own, but with his telekinesis. "That will be enough of that," he said, tone cool but still genial. He would tolerate misguided and failed attempts to manipulate him, but he was hardly going to be blackmailed or allow someone to take advantage of those less capable of resisting him. Setting down his basket, he resolved to come back later, or simply text Erik to stop by the store because something came up.

"Terribly sorry for the inconvenience, ladies and gentlemen," he addressed the cashier and the other shoppers politely, "my friend and I need to leave. Do have a lovely day." He used some of his ability to soothe the after effects of the man's power as he linked arms with him. "Come along then, Robert."

And he reinforced that request with a push of his own. Best to have this conversation privately.

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slipuponpurpose
2017-05-27 05:44 pm UTC (link)

Of all the things that Damien had expected, that had not been one of them. He'd assumed that it was possible this guy was some sort of telepath like Chloe, that they were creating a mirror effect where their abilities were bouncing off of each other and not able to interact. Of course, there wasn't the weird resistance coming off of this guy that there was off of Chloe, and he wasn't hearing complaints of how his mind was a stabbing gaping hollow of wrongness.

But as his hand froze in mid-air, stopped by an invisible force, Damien felt his heart drop into his stomach as he gaped wordlessly at the other man as he turned to the other individuals present. With a rather unnerving ease, he seemed to break the familiar connection of his ability. Damien was almost too distracted by that to notice the arm linking with his, but the second that his name -- his real name -- left the lips of the other man, his attention was snagged immediately back just as he felt the push in his own mind and his legs started moving of their own accord.

Fuck. Oh, shit. Fuck, fuck, fuck. What had he gotten himself into now?

"What the hell have you done to me?" Damien asked in a hushed whisper, unable to stop or turn away even though he wanted to. God, did he want to. This wasn't nearly as bad as it had been with Mark. There wasn't a weird emptiness settled in his mind. He could still feel the other guy, still feel his ability trying to work, but at the same time... It was doing absolutely nothing. "Please.... Please, stop," Damien said, his voice suddenly quiet and distressed.

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