WELCOME TO NEXUS.

[Atomic Force]

[Inaugural Post - first post of the board! ]

Jean made it one of her priorities to make sure that security was up to par. She wanted to know what was going on at all times. While the usually included a mere trip to one of the security panels, she also liked to make rounds on the grounds themselves. She had traveled around the perimeter and was coming to stop around the entrance to the property. For this job she had donned on a pair of old jeans, their relaxed fit hugging her legs not as tightly as some of her others. Tennis shoes that had seen better days (but that she refused to throw away), and a plain black t-shirt. There were no logos or advertisements, just the black fabric.

Her longish hair was up in a ponytail and the rim of her hairline was darkened with sweat. Ever so often she used her fingers to push it from beading up around her eyes. Pale skin was flushed lightly with exertion though she really hadn't done much in the way of physical work. It was odd how, when life settled down for them how they slipped into the mundane. Jean tried not to take her life for granted but it wasn't always easy. Her life was one that few could compare to and she tried not to dwell on the details of it very often else it overwhelm her.

Right now, she felt a certain equilibrium settle over her that seemed too good to be true. She would accept it, embrace it, even, knowing that it could be shattered at any time. Despite the fact that a little part of her was still mourning Sarah, she was ready to put the tumultuous bits of her recent past behind her. Even the memories of raising a son with Scott were surreal enough when compared with this life that she found herself avoiding them. How did one reconcile that? Being firmly planted in this present meant giving up those things that she had lived through in her past. Was it healthy for her to just shove all of those vivid memories into a little box in her mind? Who knew? It was a coping mechanism that she knew few had the luxury of. She didn't want to dwell on whether or not she felt like it was a weakness of her to avoid them versus being faced with them at every turn like a normal person.

She liked a little bit of physical labor when her thoughts ran too deep. Today was no exception. Work gloves were discarded on the grass beside her. She picked them up and slipped them on, working her fingers until the settled completely. There was a bit of brush that she was collecting and had been trailing around with her. Bits of leaves and sticks that would often block the sensors they had placed around the grounds.

She tugged on a branch to loosen it, a momentary breeze making her pause as the delicious feeling ticked over her flushed skin. A little tune escaped her lips as she worked. Could she use her TK for this? Of course. And she had been using it to trail the assortment of brush along with her, but taking care of her physical body was just as important as using her powers. It wasn't always easy to find time to exercise. This way, she could kill two birds with one stone. Bending, she scooped up the brush and tossed it into the pile. The little sensor was there and she made sure that the area around it was clear enough before moving on.

As the redhead walked on, the large pile of brush inched along behind her, as though it had sprouted tiny, invisible legs.

[Shepherd]

[inaugural post!]

Jeb had never flown in a plane before. He’s never flown in a plane alone before. He was nervous, to say the least, but also really, really excited. So excited that he was having a little trouble controlling his powers. Quite a few times. When the plane took off, he managed to set a small part of the seat he was sitting behind on fire (his special, blue fire). He quickly covered it with his hands, wincing as he got weakly zapped until it went out, in order to hide it from the stranger human he was sitting next to, who thankfully had been looking away at just the right time.

He couldn’t blow this! Momma gave him strict instruction to be careful and she would kill him if she heard he got into any trouble. That was if the humans didn’t kill him first! But he couldn’t help but spark a little every time there was a little turbulence, which was, of course, often. He ended up taking off his button-up shirt that he was wearing to look nice for the Xavier’s Institute and covering his face with it through the whole ride. It didn’t take too long to get there, which was good because he could not go to sleep. All he could think about was meeting other mutants like him, mutants that weren’t his family. At a completely new school where he actually had a chance at fitting in.

Only having a carry-on, he need not worrying about going to “baggage claim,” whatever that was, and wanted to get outside the airport as fast as possible. There was a lot more security here than in Kentucky. He got a bit lost, but he wasn’t afraid to ask a random lady who resembled his mom where the taxi service was. Then he was driven to 1407 Graymalkin Lane in North Salem which was the address Jeb had to memorize from the letter Professor Xavier personally sent him. A wide toothy smile stretched across his face when his cool, yellow ride approached the mansion. Repeat, the mansion! Sam said it was big, but he had no idea…

Pulling out his carry-on full of hand-me-down clothes and his dorky glasses that he was just bringing along because Momma made him, he threw it over his shoulder and thanked the driver. Then he proceeded toward the big gates that he couldn’t help but feel intimidated by, peering through the large metal bars to get a closer look at the place. That’s when he saw a red-headed woman walking on the grass, and something following her. Looked like a bunch of leaves and sticks. But they were moving… by themselves. “Whoa…” he muttered under his breath. None of his siblings could do that. He was guessing the woman was doing it, because live vegetation was just ridiculous.

“Hey, miss!” he spat out, hoping that she’d hear him, waving a hand for when she did notice him. To show he came in peace, or something. “Ah’m Jeb Guthrie! Ah reckon Ah’m supposed to be here!” He hoped he got the address right... What if he mixed up the numbers? He turned back around to check if the taxi was still there. It wasn’t.

[Atomic Force]

Jean, of course, had known that Jeb was there before he was within eyesight. She tried to keep a space of awareness around her. Aside from the fact that she didn't like being snuck up on, it was just smart to know your surroundings if you had the power to do so. The brush would come to a stop and she would rise into a full standing position from the half-crouch that she was at a moment before. Wiping her hands off on her jeans, when she finally locked eyes with Jeb, he was talking. She smiled at him and started to approach the gate.

Jean was a trusting woman, but she hadn't lived (kind of) this long with the job that she had without certain precautions. Such was the reason why she didn't immediately clamp down on her telepathic powers. Nothing was more accurate for identifying a person's identity than listening to their thoughts. If you couldn't tell from their thoughts they were who they appeared to be, then you pretty much couldn't identify them. A bit of telepathic ego for you.

Jeb was excited and nervous. His thoughts were spilling over him like ants tumbling out of hill after being agitated. He was shocked at the size of the mansion and reliving little bits of the plane ride over here. She felt her smile deepen at his sincerity. Children had that effect. They were often transparent to the point of being refreshing. She closed her telepathic shields, lest she exhaust herself with his energy. At the same time, she urged forth a bit of TK to open the gate for him. Jeb verbally identified himself and she ran through the mental image of the files that had been assembled for the various mutants that were invited to their home. She noted his age, powers, and place of origin.

Finally, when she was close enough, she started speaking. "Welcome! Come on in. I'm Jean Grey, one of the instructor's here. We've been expecting you. How was the plane ride?"

It was hard to hide things from a telepath and Jean didn't often try. To some, it might seem redundant for her to ask about things she already knew. In her opinion, she liked to know how people relayed information. Communication was endlessly fascinating to her. Often, people did not realize how they portrayed themselves. Their mind might live through a scenario, something that Jean could read like a book, but their impressions were different. Experiences and memories could become fuzzy. Jean could also often tell fact from fiction depending upon someone's rendition of what happened. The mind didn't mean to lie, but sometimes it did.

It was a little concerning that he had had an almost accident on the plan. They would have to be more careful of those they chose such a public form of transportation for. Though he handled himself remarkably well. Grace under pressure was something she found mutant youngsters had to learn at an early age. Self-preservation tended to be strong in them. The pink hue that surrounded her eyes when she used her powers blossomed as she lifted her hand and his suitcase (assuming he wasn't still holding onto it) would rise into the air and start to float toward her. She liked being open about her powers. With the lesson of discretion, she wanted to convey a sense of peace and acceptance. Many children did not want to use their powers for fear of reprimand or prejudice. A wise choice, and something Xavier's could liberate them from.

[Shepherd]

When the woman saw him, she stared at him before saying anything. For longer than it would normally take someone to reply, and he was a little weirded out. Looking to his left and his right, wanting to avoid the awkwardness of her gaze, Jeb then quickly glanced backward in the hopes that the taxi magically re-appeared.

His head whipped back around when the front gates suddenly opened themselves. He would have liked to feel a little more welcomed when this happened. He had been mentally envisioning an entire school of mutants lined up to greet him, infamous Sam’s little brother. Maybe they were just hiding inside, waiting to surprise him? Jeb bet Sam would have organized the whole thing, too. What a great big brother.

"Welcome! Come on in. I'm Jean Grey, one of the instructor's here. We've been expecting you. How was the plane ride?"

The woman seemed to flip a switch from creepy to welcoming and friendly just when he asked for it, almost like she could read his mind (he thought jokingly). A smile stretched across his face. It was happening. This was the right place, and all of his dreams were going to come true from here on out.

“Hi,” Jeb said, wanting to greet her formally to erase the shouting he did before. “It was good! Ah've never flown on a plane before,” he continued, nervously scratched the back of his head with his free hand. He was just not going to mention the mutant trouble he nearly caused, he decided. If he wanted to be an X-Man, he had to be impressive from the start! But there was one thing on his mind that he could not shake, an obligation.

“Thanks for paying for the ticket. Mah family wouldn’t have been able to afford it...” His tone was softer, almost as though he was embarrassed. Although he was sure the X-Men didn’t assemble their ranks based on financial statuses. Otherwise, Sam wouldn’t have become one! It was all based on pure talent. Which Jeb totally had. He just needed training… which the letter said he would get here. Then he’d be amazing, for sure. Just like Sam.

He felt a tug on his suitcase, which was really more like a worn-down, stuffed mini-duffel bag and starting to become a burden to carry because he was a weakling, and the next thing he knew it was hovering – in mid-air – toward the woman whose name was Jean Grey. Then he noticed her eyes were glowing pink, kind of like how Jeb’s eyes sparked blue. Only much less violent.

“Wow, Miss Grey” He felt the need to call her Miss Grey, because she was an adult after all (and probably an X-Man, too!). “Yer powers are hotter than a two-dollar pistol! They’d sure make doin’ chores a whole lot easier!” he complementedsucked up to her as he took steps forward to follow his floating suitcase and get closer to the mansion that he was really looking forward to going in.

[Atomic Force]

He started to approach and seemed suitably impressed by her little parlor trick. As he entered the gate, it started to close behind him. Wouldn't want to encourage unexpected visitors. Everything about his accent and words reminded her of Rogue. A fact that she was slightly ashamed of since she assumed that both flavors of Southern were similar but not exact, despite how her rudimentary grasp of accents wanted to group them together.

She set the bag down at her feet for him to grasp or not. She didn't mind taking control of it if he did not move to grasp it. "They do come in handy." She turned toward the mansion and let her feet start to move in that direction. "I'm certain you are tired from your trip. You can get settled in. Your tour is scheduled for two hours from now. You'll find a list of house-rules on your bed and a personal itinerary. Please let me know if you have any questions. The first few days can be a little overwhelming."

Unfortunately perhaps for him, they had determined that a routine for the younger members of the household would be best. Jean had prepared for Jeb's arrival earlier that morning. It almost seemed that new arrivals came in waves. It seemed like she would have several tours to take care of in one week and then none for a while. If she had a few arrivals in one day, she would schedule them together. But she felt it was important enough that if there were several in one week, she would get them done in the same day, as opposed to grouping them together on one day.

She knew she drove a few people crazy because if she didn't have time to give a tour due to delayed (unexpected) arrivals, she would smile sweetly and pawn it off on someone else. Not everyone was as excited about the prospect of having multiple children live under the roof as she was. Children never bothered Jean. She had always wanted them and (before knowing what it was like to be an X-man) had just assumed Scott and she would start the traditional family "someday."

Sometimes she had a moral dilemma of what it would be like to bring a child into this terrible world. Despite her optimistic ways, she knew how great a liability a child could be. Most days, the bad seemed to far outweigh the good. So, Jean happily took on the younger generation as her wards and it spent up all of her "mothering instinct."

"Are there any pressing questions I can answer for you?"

[Shepherd]

Jeb caught up with his floating bag, and now stood right by Miss Grey, a smile plastered on his face. She seemed a lot taller far away, but in actuality they were the same height! Jeb still couldn’t help but look up to her, though, in admiration. She was an X-Man, the very thing he wanted to be. The reason he was here! That and to learn how to control his powers, which have been a constant hazard to his surroundings ever since he got them. He really wished he could skip the whole training process and have supreme control… He felt having a power to move things with his mind would be so much easier to handle! And much more useful.

"I'm certain you are tired from your trip. You can get settled in. Your tour is scheduled for two hours from now. You'll find a list of house-rules on your bed and a personal itinerary. Please let me know if you have any questions. The first few days can be a little overwhelming."

Maybe it was because of his electricity-based powers or because he had just met an X-Man that he wasn’t related to, but Jeb couldn’t find even a hint of tiredness within him. His Momma said he would get plane lag or jet lag, or something, that would make him tired when he got off, but he was just not feeling it! He was glad, too, because he had to be on his A-game if he wanted to make a good first impression. He thought he was doing good so far, hopefully. He wondered what Miss Grey thought of him… and nearly forgot everything she had just told him once he heard her stop talking.

His eyes widened, racking his brains to piece together what he could to come up with, “Will do, ma’am.” He nodded his head, though not in as much understanding as he seemed, only knowing for sure that he was free to get settled in now. He looked down at his bag, but didn’t think twice about picking it up himself. He was not going to make an X-Man do his petty work for him when he could do it himself. That would look bad, even if he would have liked to see her powers in action more. “Ah guess Ah’ll be goin' in now…” he said with uncertainty, his heart leaping when he looked back at the mansion which he noticed he was a lot closer to and his eyes longing.

It was inevitable. He would step into that sacred building of heroes, the building that would make him a hero. Nothing was stopping him…

"Are there any pressing questions I can answer for you?"

Turning back to Miss Grey, he searched his brain for any questions. “Umm…” He wouldn’t mind talking to her all day if he could, but he just couldn’t find anything, his mind so set on infiltrating the building, excitement coursing through his veins to the point where he was worried about sparking. It was best that he quit while he was ahead, maintain the good impression before ruining it with any nervous talk or accidental misuse of his powers. “Ah don’t think so! Thanks fer bein’ so welcomin’. Ah won’t let you down!” With that, he turned back toward the huge, towering, monstrous house, walked up those steps, and pushed open the big front doors. His heart was pounding the whole time.

[Exit Jolt - TBC: Big Mansion, Small World]

[Atomic Force]

Part of her wished that she knew what that excitement was like. The bubbling of a future full of possibilities and opportunities. Jean was glad that he seemed less haunted than some of them had been at his age. Perhaps it was a signal that they were doing the right thing. Or, at least headed in the right direction. His older brother had already been exposed to the whole X-man experience and he was perhaps able to help his younger siblings through a lot of the awkwardness. She couldn't imagine how beneficial it would be to grow up with older siblings who had gone through what you were experiencing.

Jean had only felt that sense of opportunity well into her X-men years. Her powers had always been too powerful for her to really deal with. She had always been intimidated by them. Even knowing that she wasn't the only one with her powers (even with her specific type of power), she gained very little comfort in the knowledge.

As she watched him make his way up to the giant building that she and many others called her home, there was nothing but a sense of peace at seeing him so eager to face what his life had to bring him. She let her eyes fall closed, telepathy reaching out tentatively lest she scare him. ~Jeb. This is Jean. Telepathy is another of my powers. Here is a map to your room so that you don't get lost.~ A simple layout of the mansion was then projected into his mind.

She could have told him beforehand about her telepathy. But part of her wanted to see what he would do with this new bit of information and infiltration of his mind. While getting control of his powers would make his life easier, the integration into the X-men would make it vastly more complicated. Most of the time, non-mutants did not have to deal with someone (even as innocent as Jean) invading their thoughts. Introducing yourself into this life meant all sorts of unpleasant side-effects. They couldn't protect them from everything. Nor did they want to. Protection meant a lack in preparation.

She opened her eyes, glancing at him in case he looked back at her. Turning back toward her brush pile, she put her hands on her hips, surveying her work. Quickly, she finished up with the remaining length of the wall. Now, all she had to do was to move the brush into the back where it could be used for any number of things. Mm. A dip in the pool sounded nice. Either that or a hot shower. She shoved her gloves into her back pocket and then started levitating in the air. First a couple of inches and then a couple of feet, until she was well over the brush pile. Then, slowly, it started to levitate as well.

[SuperLuigi64]

As the cab continued on its merry way back into the city, it passed a man who appeared to be running at top speed. Which was weird in and of itself—how many people do you see just sprinting down the sidewalk?—but his appearance made it all the weirder. The man cleared seven feet easy, his body packing enough muscle to give the Terminator pause, and he was carrying a frankly huge duffel bag on his back as he ran full-tilt down the sidewalk. The facial features alone would have marked him as unusual—one rarely saw full-blooded Native American bodybuilders in New York City. Still, this was New York, and any number of oddities happened on a regular basis. After a few moments, even this sight would fade from the cabby's memory.

Not that James was really running. If he'd been running, he could have taken the cab in a drag race and won. No, from his point of view, what he was doing barely qualified as speed-walking. It would likely have been faster to take a cab to the mansion, but they were cramped for someone with his frame, plus they were like an insult to his senses. It was never fun to sit somewhere where you could smell the stains that hadn't quite been cleaned completely. Besides, he felt like a good run. Within the city, his progress had been better—roof-hopping had sped his travel up considerably since he was discreet about it. Now, he was forced to the ground, and he couldn't run at full speed, because it would reveal his status as a mutant. Plus, the foot-shaped cracks would lead authorities straight to him.

Still, as soon as he got to the fence of the Xavier Institute, Warpath sped up a little, hastening his arrival at the gate, which he jumped over rather than wait for an invitation (though he grabbed the gate and made it look like he climbed it. Precautions and all that). He landed on the other side and looked around, peering through his sunglasses. Immediately, of course, he noticed Jean Grey, carrying a pile of greenery with her mind. “Ahh, yes, the Xavier Institute of Higher Learning, where you too can train to use your powers for mundane utility!” He grinned at the woman, no malice in his voice. Warpath had used his powers to build and rebuild often enough that he had no room to make fun of a little telekinetic yardwork. Not a drop of sweat was on the Apache's massive frame, despite having basically run here from New York City. He wore a reddish orange button-up shirt with the top two buttons undone, blue jeans, and a pair of black lace-up boots that he'd worn since his days in X-Force, the only shoes he'd found that could withstand his superhuman powers.

“Do you know where Emma is? She gave me a call and told me to meet her here.” Granted, Warpath wasn't terribly...enthused...about being here. He was one of those mutants who had never seen eye-to-eye with the X-Men or the Brotherhood. But when Emma Frost requests your presence, she doesn't necessarily have to ask, and you don't necessarily get to refuse. It was dangerous to turn her down, to lose her as an ally, even if you were her first student. Besides, he hadn't seen her in awhile, and he wasn't really doing anything else at the moment, so why not?

Besides, she flew him out here first class, and there's nothing like five Porterhouse steaks and an in-flight movie to grab Warpath's attention.

[//WhiteQueen]

Day 1

Emma Grace Frost. CEO Frost Enterprises. White Queen of the HellFire Club. Among other, less formal titles. Dressed in her traditional white, the blond billionaire lounged in the plush accommodations of one of her private limousines. A glass of champagne in her left hand, and a flat display panel accessible by her right. Such technology was quite expensive in the 90's. Highly advanced; hadn't even graced the consumer market. Well, perhaps if you bought a science-book thick laptop. Not exactly elegant, but they were actually starting to catch on. A woman like herself, however, couldn't remain out of touch for long and the reason she was out here was taking just a little longer than she'd anticipated. Difficult to predict what rooftops a man will leap from to save time.

Busy reading over information passed from her company, Frost's bright blues shifted forward at the call from her driver. Good man kept an eye out for their guest. A quick tap and the screen went dark. "Take us in."

The car had been parked down the road from Xavier's estate so it wasn't immediately apparent. Limousines weren't exactly an uncommon sight around here. Most typically weren't pulled over to one side of the road, but what were you going to do? Accost someone with connections that could make your life difficult just because they were taking up valuable curb space?

Unlike the man she'd invited, Emma had her driver pull up to the gate so she could enter an access code. She was still an affiliate after all, even if she had spent most of the last three months away from the X-Men busy with other matters. She had a company to run, after all, and that Academy had taken a great deal of her time; any longer and things might have become... turbulent with the Board. Fortunate, then, Xavier recalled the students following that unfortunate event--which never officially happened--aboard the space station so-called "Avalon."

The gate swung apart and permitted the stretch limo to enter. It rolled down the long driveway in no particular hurry. Warpath could handle himself for the time it took her to arrive. He wasn't exactly a stranger. To her or the X-Men. At least they wouldn't shoot him on sight for jumping the gate. Frost? Well, as the limo pulled up, she certainly had cause to wonder.

Jean Grey. Her favorite telepath in the world. Well, Emma would have liked to say it was a surprise seeing her there, but really this had been inevitable--short of the White Queen never returning, which was probably one of Jean's favorite dreams.

After the car'd come to a stop, Emma's driver hoped out in his black suit and moved swiftly down the length to pop the door open for her to step out. "Thank you." The White Queen rose to her full height and smiled over at Warpath and Jean Grey. As she stepped away, the door was shut in her wake and her chauffeur stood patiently by the vehicle with his hands clasped.

"James," Emma's blue lips turned up in a smile, "good to see you are as strong in body and mind as ever." She'd have been cross to find out the man somehow managed to "let himself go." Might not even be possible with his mutant abilities, but it was still pleasing to see he hadn't lost his touch. Why else would she have called him here? Emma didn't organized reunion tours.

Frost slowly turned her eyes toward the red haired woman, whether on the ground or still levitating; the smile didn't fade, but the spark of warmth wasn't quite the same. "Miss Grey. A pleasure." A woman should never forget her manners. Unless you were trying to kill someone. Difficult to be polite when you where trying to kill them; especially the last low. Apologies could be so hollow at that point.

[Atomic Force]

Jean was just about to start urging the pile of debris back toward the rear of the mansion when she sensed another mental signature approaching the mansion. It wasn't an immediately recognizable signature. She was just about to drop the brush and investigate since the person was moving toward their entrance when a large man vaulted (climbed) himself over the wall to land not far from Jean. Immediately, Jean's mental files blossomed forth and she began to search for the vaguely familiar person standing in front of her.

Green eyes took in the large frame and the obvious Native American features. When he spoke, poking fun at her choice of activities, the personnel file burst forth in her mind. She smiled both in response to his jab and the success in finding his information within the depths of her ever vigilant mind. James. Warpath.

"Rightly so. This brush pile isn't going to clear itself!"

She hadn't really worked with James, but she always had a sense of camaraderie when someone who had helped them out (or vise verse) showed up again at a later date. She descended, landing on the ground silently.

“Do you know where Emma is? She gave me a call and told me to meet her here.

A frown colored her features and she glanced back at the mansion, as though it would hold the answer to his question. "I'm sorry. I wasn't aware that she was coming for a visit. Was it for anything specific?"

It was just like Emma to invite herself (and a guest) over without calling first. The woman had no manners and tended to use people as her own personal accessories. Jean hid her mental chagrin with another smile. "Do you know what time she's suppose to be here?" She bent her right hand, eyes glancing down at her wrist.

Just as she spoke, she sensed their approach. She didn't recognize the driver, of course, but Emma's mental signature was unmistakable. Jean's eyes got a faraway look for just a moment before she snapped back to the present. No more than a few moments would pass before the gate opened and the limo pulled in. "It seems she was waiting for you."

Jean set the brush pile down as Emma allowed her driver to make her entrance for her. Jean wasn't even phased anymore at the White Queen's lack of clothing or her icy demeanor. "Miss Grey. A pleasure." At least her existence was acknowledged. An inward sigh and she mentally chastised herself.

Lips curved upward and expression softened in what she considered her "politeness mask." "Likewise Emma. I wish I would have known you were coming, I would have had one of the room inside prepared." Jean was just then at a loss of what to do. As a host, did she stay and play nice, or was this meeting something she shouldn't be privy to? Decisions, decisions...

[SuperLuigi64]

Jean Grey seemed friendly enough, if confused at the notion that Emma Frost was supposed to be here. As far as James knew, the White Queen had never exactly liked the telepathic redhead, though that might be because Jean was her equal or better in mental prowess. He couldn't be sure, of course, and there was the fact that the X-Men's ideals clashed with her own philosophy (that, and all the idealism in the world did nothing without action). Still, at the end of the day, the two were on the same side (mostly), which combined with the presence of Charles Xavier, ought to be a deterrent on its own. But he heard the sound of a limousine at the same time that Jean felt a psychic presence, and her words were only a confirmation for his suspicions. “It seems she was waiting for you.”

Always a dramatic entrance. The gates opened white for the pristine white vehicle, which drove up beside the two of them and stopped. The driver, as well-trained as they usually were, hopped out and ran the length of the limo to open the door, and his old teacher stepped out. It was almost like stepping back in time. Same style of outfit. Same blue lipstick. Same confident aura. She looked as though she hadn't aged a day, something very few people could afford. “James, good to see you are as strong in body and mind as ever.” He grinned at the blonde telepath and flexed. “Every time I tried to relax, I could hear you in one ear and Cable in another.” Not quite the truth, but when you grow up training daily, you really just did not know how to not train. Too much time in the day, especially for someone like Warpath who could take care of his daily needs in an extremely short amount of time.

“Miss Grey. A pleasure.” He'd known Emma long enough to know she was genuinely happy to see him, and less than happy to see Jean Grey. And he didn't need to know Jean Grey to tell she was just as enthused about their meeting. James had to force himself not to snort at Jean's offer of setting up a room. Somehow he figured, if Emma had wanted a room here, a decorator would have arrived several days ago to set one up for her. Although, perhaps he was wrong—she'd been affected badly by the slaughter of the Hellions, something she had never discussed with him. Maybe she'd changed a little? Either way, the silence between the women suggested that Emma had no real desire to be here for an extended stay. Then again, she'd never let emotions affect her judgment. In fact, she had always stressed to the Hellions that emotions were to be controlled, never just shown off in public.

…

James jumped forward, wrapped both arms around Emma Frost's waist, and lifted the White Queen four feet into the air in a massive hug.

He grinned as he hugged her. The woman was part aunt, part big sister to him, and she'd always let him go his own way, but never turned him away when he needed to talk. And considering she was practically the only friendly face from his childhood to not be dead, that was important to him. He set the woman down before she would make her mind up to turn him into Catseye though—he wasn't stupid. “So, you called and here I am. I gotta say, I would not have expected you to have me show up here of all places though.” He shrugged, not really meaning anything by it, just interested that she had chosen this place. James wasn't stupid, and he knew there was significance to it (and with anything the White Queen did), but with Jean Grey present, they couldn't even discuss things telepathically, like Emma normally would if she wanted information given only to him. To that end, he was uncertain how to proceed, though he doubted she would reveal her reasons in front of anyone else—except maybe Xavier himself, anyway.

[//WhiteQueen]

Emma smiled at James when he attributed it to her and Cable hounding him even hundreds or thousands of miles away. "It pleases me to hear that, James." The White Queen would never keep the man from relaxing, from time to time, She understood what he meant, however, and she was pleased to know he'd listened. Or perhaps he just couldn't stop, which was just as good. Strong people were needed in the world if they were going to change the course of an entire species; they couldn't afford people getting comfortable and wasting away watching television or whatever else distracted people these days.

Jean's own polite welcome didn't shock Emma. Despite their differences they really were more alike than either of them cared to admit; the White Queen liked to think Jean hated the comparison the most out of the pair. She liked to pretend all the nice desires the Phoenix Force had drawn to the surface for ever the briefest time never were. They weren't her own. No, of course not. Jean Grey of the X-Men was the perfect student in the House Xavier built.

The two of them then confessed not expecting her to appear on Xavier's doorstep, which was about was unexpected or mildly confusing as being swept off her feet by the large Native American. Her expertly manicured fingers rested on top of his bulging arms as she dangled four feet up; Emma's blue eyes staring down at the man as he grinned up in turn. A soft smile curled her lips up just a moment or two before the man set her back down on her feet. Seemed James didn't want to overstay his welcome, or create an awkward moment in front of Jean.

Slowly the Queen reached over with her right hand to adjust the cloak. He hadn't ruffled it too much, but she was conscious about her appearance and had to make certain everything fell right. Appearances were important despite everyone's vaulted efforts to say otherwise. Put Nightcrawler, Blink, or Archangel in a group of people and pretend no one gawked.

"And I did not expect to be bear hugged," Frost replied gently, not upset over the man's more emotional display of affection than Emma was accustomed to displaying herself.

Her attention turned to Jean so the other woman didn't think she was unwelcome, or purposefully neglected. "I would not want to inconvenience you. I have my suite in the city." She'd been thoughtful enough not to say 'penthouse.' "Although, provided I am still welcome," she hadn't been gone so long people forgot of the tentative alliance between Xavier and Frost, she hoped, "I do plan to visit regularly."

"Which is why I invited you here, James," her bright eyes turned back to the man curious what had united them all together on this lawn. "Not to be too presumptuous, but we could use a man of your abilities here." Actually it was quite presumptuous, but why would Emma admit that? It wasn't like she'd coordinated inviting the man to Xavier's with the people living there, but on what rational grounds could they possibly refuse? Just because the entire world had collectively drawn a breath these past months did not mean all their problems had simply disappeared.

[Atomic Force]

Jean was having to separate herself. Since she had shown Jeb the mansion she had been keeping an "eye' on the youth so that he did not get himself into trouble. Not that she didn't trust him, but she knew enough of teenage boys to realize that they could get into mischief almost without even trying. She had "tuned out" somewhat when he met up with Broadband. It was good for the two to meet and mingle as it were. They both needed the friendships that would help them through this trying time. This multi-tasking was easy enough for the telepath to accomplish. Sometimes it was nice not being in that awkward training phase.

When he started to use his powers, she took mental notice again. This was about the time that Warpath had enveloped Emma in a giant bear-hug. Too bad she wasn't able to analyze the situation then. It would definitely be something for later contemplation. She might even play it back for Scott as amusing as it was certain to be. Emma was so ...uptight sometimes that Jean wondered if she had a heart at all. A curious bubbling of envy simmered somewhere beneath the layers that she was digging herself in. Curious. Envious perhaps that someone so guarded, so cold, could invoke such a strong response from someone like Warpath?

The emotion was pushed away before it even formed into something coherent. She kept a close watch on the situation developing on Broadband's bed, ready to whisk herself to the rescue if they could not get the situation under control. That was the beautiful thing about being a telepath. She was able to keep an eye on a developing situation without hindering their learning experience like having to physical be present would.

Gracefully switching from one situation to another, like watching two television sets, she focused on Emma when she started to speak to her.

"I would not want to inconvenience you. I have my suite in the city." She'd been thoughtful enough not to say 'penthouse.' "Although, provided I am still welcome," she hadn't been gone so long people forgot of the tentative alliance between Xavier and Frost, she hoped, "I do plan to visit regularly."

"No inconvenience. You know we have the room if you change your mind." Being slightly distracted, her expression and words were less guarded. The more authentic Jean making an appearance, words a bit more warm than a moment prior.

"Which is why I invited you here, James," her bright eyes turned back to the man curious what had united them all together on this lawn. "Not to be too presumptuous, but we could use a man of your abilities here."

Sculpted crimson brows rose in unconcealed, pleasant surprise. Green orbs moved toward James and she felt a smile growing. "Well, I wasn't expecting that. But I won't argue. We're always looking for talented individuals..." As much as she hated to admit it, she knew that if he studied under Emma, he would be trained. It was just his values she would have to worry about. She tried not to let that thought cloud her expression as she waited expectantly for his response, mind reaching out to check on the kids again.

[SuperLuigi64]

Of course she'd be happy to hear that she still had influence on him. James had known longer than anyone—Emma Frost was many things, but a teacher was top of the list. He figured he'd even known before she had; he often wondered whether she realized how much she had enjoyed raising her Hellions before she lost them, blinded by her intent to take on the X-Men. At the time, he hadn't questioned it. But now, he wondered whether she hadn't allowed him to tap into the full depths of his powers to ensure that he wouldn't kill Xavier before being stopped. He'd come close, of course, but if he'd had the strength then that he had now, James might not have bothered to go into the Blackbird and confront the man directly. No, he'd probably have just shook the jet until the man inside died. And she had to know—Emma Frost was adept at figuring out the mutations of others, and she would have figured out that James was mentally holding his powers back almost instantly. If that were truly the case, he owed her even more.

Not that she'd ever admit to it one way or the other. She was more humble than you might believe, considering her attitude.

She and Jean exchanged words regarding housing for the blonde, though the tension in the air seemed to have drained somewhat. Perhaps he'd done something about that, or perhaps it was the fact that Jean hadn't turned hostile. Well, whatever. So long as these two mind nukes didn't go off, he was happy. “Which is why I invited you here, James. Not to be too presumptuous, but we could use a man of your abilities here.” Wait what? Emma Frost invited him here to join the X-Men? Maybe he was misinterpreting something here. I mean, come on. Trained by Emma Frost, back in her less-than-moral days? Follow that up with training by Cable, who was basically the Terminator from the second film? And then with Peter Wisdom, the chain-smoking James bond wannabe who was always looking to help people be more creative in the lethal uses of their powers? He hadn't had a day of training to jive with the X-Men's alleged moral high ground. “Well, I wasn't expecting that. But I won't argue. We're always looking for talented individuals... “

Okay, so maybe he wasn't wrong about Emma's meaning. But Warpath's mind was still looking, because her plans were very rarely single-layered. It wasn't that he doubted her word, no; he fully believed that the White Queen had invited him here to join the X-Men. It was just that he didn't think that was all there was to it. Hrm...well, either way, he'd been out of things for awhile. Hard to believe considering the rush he got from fighting, or his codename, but James Proudstar was not, by nature, a very warlike person. He liked a good fight, but not enough to go around picking them. Still, a sense of duty and responsibility had been instilled into him for a long time, and he wasn't doing anyone any good by not being involved in the mutant issue. And that might even be another reason Emma had called him in. So he grinned and shrugged. “I wasn't doing anything anyway, so why not? I'm a little out of practice with actual fighting though, where's the metal Russian guy?” Nobody else here was good enough to give him the kind of fight he'd need to get the kinks out. Good thing he'd suspected that he wouldn't be returning home for awhile, it would have sucked to make a round-trip flight just for a duffel bag full of stuff. He turned to Jean Grey and grinned. “Soooo, about that room...”

[//WhiteQueen]

Emma actually didn't bite at Jean's offer. Truthfully, the White Queen hadn't expected the offer to sound half as genuine as it had. They weren't exactly worst enemies, but they did have a rather turbulent history? You know, trying to manipulate the Phoenix Force to the HellFire Club's whims. And that was just one example. Countless times the Hellions had gone up against the X-Men? Nearly killing a few of them. Stealing Bobby's body? Though whose fault had that been, really? Leaving a powerful telepath alone, unguarded, to wake from a traumatic experience... Granted no one had known Emma was capable of moving bodies or using others' powers so skillfully, but her point stood.

Apparently having caught the woman in a good mood, Frost was pleased to hear there wouldn't be any debate over Warpath joining their little group. In all seriousness, they did need the muscle. Naturally, being the White Queen, Emma had an agenda, but to date it wouldn't undermine the X-Men so what was to worry about?

The possibility of plans changing. Technical detail, not worth considering.

James' shock hadn't been difficult to pick up on. Of course, Emma had been 'watching' so to speak. Caught him off guard? Well of course it had. Wasn't like Frost had a habit of calling up acquaintances and asking them to join the X-Men of all people given her history. Circumstances changed. The Fall of Avalon had carved a break in the storm front, but Emma wasn't at all fooled by the lull. The storm was still brewing and it would advance in the near future.

"Out of practice, James?" Frost admonished with a smile on her lips. Tsk, tsk. She wasn't upset, of course; the man hadn't forgotten how to fight after all. Just needed something to kick-start the muscle memory. Emma could do it, but then the man sounded so excited about finding Colossus and having a little fun. "If he is not around," which given his last known whereabouts wouldn't be surprising, "you know they have a giant room full of toys you can destroy." It wasn't called the 'Danger' Room because it'd give you a pep talk when you failed to meet expectations.

Her blue eye was drawn back to Jean as James inquired about a room. The Queen slowly slid her eyes in the direction the red head's mental gaze was directed. "We should go inside and discuss our pleasant reunion. I am sure it would be much more comfortable," and get the other woman closer to the distraction if she was feeling divided between obligations. Frost was curious what it was this time that had Jean's attention, even if she was doing her best to split it between two physical locations.