What year is this? ((Vader))

A scraping sound of metal against metal pierced the air. Aiden knew he only had a couple seconds to work with. The baker had just moved the large loaf of bread out of the oven. He was leaving it there to cool for a few minutes before he took it over with the rest of the bread on sale. The baker went to the front room to arrange something or other and Aiden took his chance. He expertly hopped through the window making so little sound it was nearly impossible. He stuffed the large scalding garlic, cheese, and herb loaf into the pocket of his hoodie. Spotting some scones, he snatched those as well. Considerably slower, Aiden made his way back to the window. Just as he was fully out, the baker reentered the room and noticed him all too late. Aiden was already running from the scene by the time that the baker had made it to the window. Aiden smirked and muttered, “too easy.” He turned into his cozy alley and tore a chunk off the bread before he could stop himself. However good he was at stealing food, the nearby places had grown to expect him and were doing the best they could to avoid his method of stealing. As he stuffed in a scone, the relentless growling of his stomach did not avail and he ate it far too quickly to fully appreciate the taste.
No matter how much he wanted to continue eating, he knew he had to save some for later and eat it sparingly.

“A cup of chai please.” Someone ordered. Aiden was quickly drawn away from his food. He knew that voice. It was Vader’s. It was not uncommon for him to hear someone saying something like that since there was a coffee shop right next to where he was staying, but it was uncommon for Vader to be here. Sometimes when he would travel he would remain in London, but he would always have to go to Vader, she was never right …there. Curious, he inched closer. He stayed in the shadows trying to remain aware that she might be angry with him. He saw her and realized with confusion that she looked around his age. The closest they had been recently was she as a 20 year-old and him as a 17 year-old.

“Vader?” He called out timidly stepping out of the shadows. Before he got a reply or reaction, he instinctively searched the grounds for any paper. He must have traveled in his sleep but he didn’t realize it was a different time because he woke up in his alley. “Something’s not right.” He mumbled, frustrated.

Vader pulled her trench coat tighter and walked towards the little café that had caught her eye as she was crossing the street. The café was small, and unfortunately for Vader, wasn’t an indoor café. She had been hoping for a place that was indoors, so that she could get out of the cold, but she was tired and wasn’t interested in looking for another café. Of course there was a bakery right beside the café, but that was too easy for Vader, who never like things easy.

Her sneakers squeaked as she approached. “A cup of chai tea please.” Vader said quietly. To be honest, she hated talking to people she didn’t know, especially when she was ordering something, because she almost always had to repeat herself. And lone behold, the man at the register shook his head. “Can you repeat that miss?” He asked. Her hand shook in her pockets, she shoved them deeper into the pockets of her trench coat. “A cup of chai please.” Vader said, her voice much louder than before. The man nodded and Vader paid, her hands fumbled with the money, and she blushed with embarrassment.

Vader waited patiently for her drink. She pulled her hand out of her pocket and brushed her reddish blonde hair out her face. Vader had been in London for two days, walking around trying to find the mutant that she had been sent here to pick up, but there had been no sign of him or her. She was enjoying her time in London, she’d been there before, but this time it seemed like a different city than the time she came when she was fourteen and pretending to visit an aunt…

“Vader?” A voice called out, bringing Vader out of her thoughts abruptly. Her head snapped up, searching for who had said her name with both her eyes and mind. Her eyes caught a guy around her age looking around almost frantically. Vader tried to search his mind; something told her that he was the mutant, but she couldn’t get into his mind; instead of the normal thoughts and memories that came to her when she first went into someone’s mind, there was nothing. Frustrated, Vader probed harder, and still got nothing, this had never happened before and she was freaking out. “Chai tea.” The man said. Vader walked over and got her tea, the cup warmed her hands, and she welcomed it. Not knowing what else to do, Vader sat down at the nearest table, and continued to try and get to the guy’s mind.

After musing that something wasn’t right, his suspicions were further confirmed at Vader’s reaction. Instead of shouting his name eagerly or shouting it angrily, she eyed him with complete confusion. She said nothing, which was understandable; she was puzzled by the barriers in his head. After simply staring for a second, she sat down. He knew that she was trying to probe into his mind more. If she tried, Aiden knew that she would be able to go past the barrier. However, he knew that he could easily break her concentration and she would have to start over. He also assumed that it would be a little harder for her to concentrate because although it was a cold day, there were many people walking about London today and her head was most likely blurring with thoughts from everyone.

After a moment’s consideration, he decided that he should at least tell her a little bit before she completely broke the barrier and found out how close they were. However, he still didn’t want to have to determine what was best. He wasn’t sure of anything. The future could be easily changed and this must be a really warped version of one that was startlingly close the present day. Walking towards her briskly, he began tentatively, “do you really not remember me?” He waited for a reply but assumed that he wouldn’t get one just yet. She would still be concentrating. The situation of time crossed his mind again and now at the edge of a chair opposite her, he began again. “Er… how old are you right now?”

Realizing how much of a creeper he must be sounding, he spoke instinctively, barely giving himself time to think. “Don’t be alarmed.” He blurted. “It’s just… do you really not remember me?” He repeated, baffled. “I’m sorry, it’s just – I know you. We know each other. We were …changed together. I can prove it too. Right this very moment you are trying to read my thoughts but they are hidden by a boundary. One that you have never seen anything of the likes before. You’re a telepath. And you have telekinesis. Don’t …freak out …if that’s possible. The last time I saw you – around my age – was when you had just been nearly killed. You were unconscious and I won’t be surprised if you lost some of your memory. I would have helped but I couldn’t! I swear I would have. It nearly killed me to see you like that – nearly dead. See. I time travel. And I have no control over it. I have been away from what I believe is the present day for over three years! You have to believe me.” He said the last bit in desperation. Saying all of this freaked him out. She had to remember him! She was his best friend. His only friend. He knew that he couldn’t lose her, he was going to make her remember.

Remembering his last statement, he went on, “oh yeah. That explains the whole ‘how old are you’ question. I’m trying to figure out what time period I’m in right now.” After this he fell silent. He had to let her soak it in and he knew he also had to wait till she broke the boundary. If she knew for certain that it was true she hopefully wouldn’t punch him. Aiden held back a smile as he remembered her and her …punches. He learned to ignore them even though a few hurt. He got back in the long run since she couldn’t read his mind. Well – she could – but she ended up giving up. She honestly could practically tell what he was thinking anyway. It kind of became a side effect from being BFFLs.

Vader sipped her Chai tea, her face showed concentration, which was broken when she noticed the mutant guy walking towards her. “Do you really not remember me?” Vader gave him a look of disdain and took another sip of her tea. [Stay calm, Vader. He’s not go to the academy if you attack him.[/i] She thought, as she waited for him to say something else. By now he had reached her table and was right beside the chair opposite to her. Vader continued to give him the same look. “Er… how old are you right now?” He asked. Raising one eyebrow Vader said; “Um. Old enough to know that to give your age to strangers is pathetically stupid.” Vader said coldly, she didn’t like where this was going. What if he was a stalker? Vader studied him for a moment; dark hair, striking blue eyes, taller than she was, but not overly tall, a little thin, frayed jeans, a rugged hoodie, and classic black converse. He was attractive, but didn’t seem to be trying. Not that Vader was actually interested in dating him, or anyone for that matter.

“Don’t be alarmed. It’s just… do you really not remember me?” The guy repeated sounding perplexed. “No. I don’t. I’ve never seen you before.” Vader replied, her voice a tad kinder. She felt sort of sorry for this guy, clearly he was mistaking her for someone else. Unless, he was someone from before, but no, it wasn’t possible, it couldn’t be possible. Vader almost shook her head, trying to get the idea out of her head. “I’m sorry, it’s just – I know you. We know each other. We were …changed together. I can prove it too. Right this very moment you are trying to read my thoughts but they are hidden by a boundary. One that you have never seen anything of the likes before. You’re a telepath. And you have telekinesis. Don’t …freak out …if that’s possible. The last time I saw you – around my age – was when you had just been nearly killed. You were unconscious and I won’t be surprised if you lost some of your memory. I would have helped but I couldn’t! I swear I would have. It nearly killed me to see you like that – nearly dead. See. I time travel. And I have no control over it. I have been away from what I believe is the present day for over three years! You have to believe me.” The guy said, there was a tone of desperation in his voice that mad Vader think he was having delusions. “No. We. Do. Not. Know. Each. Other. Okay? I’ve never seen you before, and I don’t know how the hell you know that I’m a, um, telepath and stuff. But, since you did admit that you are a mutant, I’m going to assume that you were the person that I was sent here to offer a spot at the academy. So, do you want to go to a school in New York called The Xavier Institute for Higher Learning? You can learn, train, live…” Vader said. “She looked at him for a moment, and realizing how thin he was she added: “…eat, y’know stuff like that.” It wasn’t exactly the nicest thing to say, but Vader really did want her first retrieval mission to be a total disaster, and he looked a little hungry in Vader’s opinion.

“Oh yeah. That explains the whole ‘how old are you’ question. I’m trying to figure out what time period I’m in right now.” The guy said. Vader sighed and figure that this would go nowhere if she continued disagreeing even though she’d never seen him before. “Whatever, I’m sixteen…and it’s the year 2011, June 30th.” She added, and then focused on trying to break into his head. Third time’s the charm, Vader thought grimly as she slammed her mind up against the barrier in his brain that was going to give her a killer headache later on.

“Um. Old enough to know that to give your age to strangers is pathetically stupid.” Vader said unsurprisingly. Aiden knew that she would say something like that but he really hoped she wouldn’t because she made it officially confirmed that she didn’t recognize him. When she said the word stranger, Aiden felt as if he had been pierced with a knife; yet he remained stoic. Something really bad must have happened for her not to remember anything. Aiden wanted to know what and help if possible. Whenever he did travel along her timeline it was never just a normal day in her life. Every single time she needed help and he was there to offer it. He had to be there to offer it even if it would be rather difficult this time.

“No. I don’t. I’ve never seen you before.”

Vader said in reply to his question. Aiden kept pressing on as if he had never registered the comment. He didn’t mean to ignore her, but he tried to get it all out quickly before she did something rash and completely sane – leave.

“No. We. Do. Not. Know. Each. Other. Okay? I’ve never seen you before, and I don’t know how the hell you know that I’m a, um, telepath and stuff. But, since you did admit that you are a mutant, I’m going to assume that you were the person that I was sent here to offer a spot at the academy. So, do you want to go to a school in New York called The Xavier Institute for Higher Learning? You can learn, train, live… eat, y’know stuff like that.”

Aiden lowered his head into his palm. This was going nowhere. However, he had successfully gotten her to not leave. The whole …’mutant’ thing was going to keep her from leaving. Aiden tensed his hands still on the chair into fists before pulling the chair out and sitting down. He sucked his cheeks in and weighed his options. He figured that if she wasn’t lying and a school for people like the two of them was real, than the life would be paradise. He, well, both of them had been living in hiding for so long that it seemed to good to be true. “So…” Aiden stopped remembering everything of what she had said and taking it in shifts. “Ok, maybe we don’t know each other. I’m sorry. Maybe I just time traveled and met you in the past but this is a different future where we don’t know each other at all. I don’t know. Time is very confusing. And …I’m sorry for freaking you out.” He thought about the school offer again. Was she serious? But what if he disappeared for a year then showed back up a year later. Would the school still accept him? Probably not. No one did. Except for his best friend of course. His best friend who didn’t even know his first name. “I have no way of determining if your telling the truth or not, but sure why not.” As soon as the words left his mouth, the thought occurred to him that maybe it was run by the people who had tried to kill her. They were somehow manipulating her and they would do the same thing to him. He couldn’t go! They used her to draw him in, it was a staged trap! But then again, who cared. He would disappear soon anyway, it’s not like he was in his own time.

“Whatever, I’m sixteen…and it’s the year 2011, June 30th.”

Cringing, Aiden forced himself to believe it. She looked the age, but how could it be possible? If it was present day, how did she not remember him? What really happened after he disappeared? Many more questions filled his head but he knew he couldn’t ask them until she trusted him, she had to see into his mind. “Wait, just let me think.” He said and then seemingly stared off into space. He knew she would take this time to get into his head. He let himself remember the day that she was almost dead and all the memories of them as just …friends. She had to see. She had to understand.

Vader watched the guy closely; he looked really distraught when he put his head in his hands, but other than that his face was expressionless. Vader wished she could get inside his head so she could say something that would make him come to the academy. Sighing, she decided she would just chance it and say something that pertained to him from what she could tell in their brief meeting. “Look, you can get help there too, maybe even find the girl you’re looking for.” She added, somewhat awkwardly. Vader looked around and spun the ring on her index finger, something she always did when she was nervous. Her eyes scanned to see if anyone was watching, no one seemed to be really looking at them. It was just the normal thing that happened in the city; people looked at someone without really seeing them, because they were just another face. The chair across from her made a scrapping sound as it was dragged back, she watched from the corner of her eye as the guy seated himself.

Vader imagined a hammer hitting the barrier in the guy’s head. She was still twisting the ring around her finger, but she was no longer looking around, her eyes were on the table, unfocused and staring at nothing. “So…” Vader heard the guy say faintly, but made no movement to look up, she was so close,; she was almost in the guy’s mind. “Ok, maybe we don’t know each other. I’m sorry. Maybe I just time traveled and met you in the past but this is a different future where we don’t know each other at all. I don’t know. Time is very confusing. And …I’m sorry for freaking you out.” He said. Vader was still starring at the same spot on the table. “Ummm…it’s okay.” She said faintly, not really aware of anything. In her mind the barrier shattered like glass and memories and thoughts rushed towards her like a raging river. She stopped spinning her ring and let her hands lie flat on the table.

“How does she not remember me? Was she serious? But what if he disappeared for a year then showed back up a year later? Would the school still accept him?” His thoughts filled her head. “I have no way of determining if your telling the truth or not, but sure why not.” He said out loud, but right after he thought. “What if the school’s a trap?” Vader sighed, thinking about how to prove she was telling the truth and how to tell him that it wasn’t a trap. She showed him her memory of arriving at the academy, of Charlie and all the other mutants she had met there, and of the few teachers she’d me, and ignored the other questions that of his that filled her head. Suddenly she came across a memory; it was a memory of a girl who was older than Vader was but looked like her, and the girl was dead. “Wait, just let me think.” The guy said. Vader glanced at him and stood up abruptly, grabbing her half empty cup of chai. She slowly made her way over to the garbage can and threw it away, using that time to think. The girl was herself, she was almost positive of that, she had the same face that Vader saw every day in the mirror, but slightly older and more mature. The older girl was lying on the sidewalk covered in blood, there was a car flipped over to the right of her body. Vader glanced back at the guy, he was staring off into space, seemingly oblivious. She went back to his current thoughts to see an image that she knew all too well; the doorstep where she had been found, but this time the guy was sitting right beside her and starring at her so all that she could see was herself, bloodied and bruised, screaming about the voices. Vader walked back to the quickly, shyness and nervousness gone. “You fracking bas-” Vader hissed, but was cut of quickly by the guy. “I didn’t do it!” He said quickly. “We are leaving. Now.” She practically growled then stalked off. Shaking her head to rid herself of the guy’s mind. She felt sick, and didn’t want to be inside his head anymore, so she let the barrier build back up, but before it completely closed, she jabbed at his mind maliciously. Vader wasn’t even sure if it actually hit him before the barrier completely closed, but it still felt good attempting to do so, she thought with a smug and cruel smile.

((Wait!!!!!! Charlie!!!!! you need to wait for me to reply first or else it might get all messed up!!!!!! I'm working on it right now, no frettage!))

((gah!! Hurry! I want to post it so I can sleep!))

((Ah, I'm sorry!!! I completely started over because I didn't like it!!! I'll be done in 30 minutes max though. I'm about 2-300 words in!))

((oh man...ok....*is sitting tight*))

((ick, I'm so sorry, my muse has completely disappeared. I apologize for the mmmmmeeeeeeehhhhhh quality of my post.))

Still on the topic of the school, Vader said, “look, you can get help there too, maybe even find the girl you’re looking for.” Aiden shrugged and tried to hide his disappointment.

As their conversation, Aiden spoke slowly and took time between phrases. He knew to a normal person, it would have sounded awkward, but he knew that to Vader, she probably wouldn’t even notice. He saw the look of concentration on her face and knew she was trying to break into his brain. He hid a smile as he recalled that she could never use the same image again to break into his head. It would be too easy. ‘Hmm DYNOMITE! Hmmm DYNOMITE!’ and she would be in his head every time easily. Well… with the nice headache afterwards of course. He assumed that Vader wouldn’t even register much of what he was saying till afterwards. So he could say something completely wacked out and she most likely wouldn’t punch him. Aiden also realized that it might initially be a little hard because she had already used quite a few methods to break the so called ‘brick wall.’ And if she had already used a few, she would have to be creative. In a different future – real life – a different past – whatever, she probably would have come up with a bunch of back up methods just in case that she needed to break in for whatever reason.

Aiden noticed that she stopped fidgeting with her ring and she set her hands on the table. From knowing her so well, Aiden assumed that she broke through the barrier. His assumption was definite when she sent him an image of what he assumed to be the school. It seemed really real, but he didn’t let the thought that it could be a trap dissolve. However, he quickly cleared his mind of all thoughts. She was now in his head and he had to prove to her …something. He sent an image of one of his recent excursions where she had been hit by a car and was dying. He quickly hoped that it wasn’t too much. He didn’t want to go over the top. She quickly stood up to supposedly throw her drink away but Aiden knew that she was using that time to collect her thoughts. Vader paused there for a few moments before walking back all too quickly. “You frackin bas-“

Aiden knew exactly what she was assuming with horror. “I didn't do it!” He wailed.

“We’re leaving. Now.”

“And you know it too!” Aiden wasn’t finished. “You can see that we were friends, you can see that I didn’t make it up! ...You know I wouldn't hurt you!” He said angrily. He knew she could hear him, but she was too busy storming off. He stood up to grudgingly follow, however; he sat right back down when a jab of pain coursed through his body. He didn’t get full blast of it because his barrier was closing, but h got enough to get the message. He looked at her smugly and half shouted at her as she quickly walked away. “Bye.” He crossed his arms smugly and sat down. Oh yes, she was going to be mad. Pissed even, but he didn’t care. She might give everyone in the perimeter a headache, but he was fed up with her. She wasn’t being herself. Even if she wasn’t making it all up, she broke into his head. She saw that they were friends and how much he cared about her. He wouldn’t do anything deliberately to hurt her but he needed to relay the message that she couldn’t control everything. He knew that her ego and pride would not let her stop, she would keep going. Go all the way back to America even but she would send someone else – if that school thing was even real. It seemed pretty real, but he still wasn’t sure. However, he decided that he would go easily if another person came. Even if it was a trap, he would save Vader from it. He failed to save her that one night when she must have lost some of her memory and he wouldn’t do it again.

((its all good! Mine shant be any better than yours I assure you))

O.k, fine, Charlie had followed her. She couldn't help it, yes Vader was her friend and she trusted her but...she was Vader, and Vader had a temper and was (understandably) mistrusting. Not that Charlie was ideal for the job either, she was not a people person, abrasive, blunt, and over all just awkward , but she had years of training for it all, Vader was new to the scene. So yes she followed her to London, she had been many times before and it wasn't hard to persuade the head master to give her ticket, the difficult part was staying hidden.

When she had met Vader she hadn't really tried to hide her thoughts from her, she figured it would sort of be a sub-conscious sign of good faith as well as letting Vader be in her comfort zone seeing Charlie meant no harm. But here she needn't be so free with her thoughts. She knew how to dull them. She had lived with psychics for years now and she knew how to keep them out or at least keep her thoughts deluded. It was simple enough in concept, don't think about the person you are hiding from or yourself, if any thing think about snow on a t.v set or just a white wall. Or if they are already invading your mind, nails on a chalk board. And you can always figure out who the psychic is when you do that because they cringe or flinch. Essentially use their own power against them. But of course it was hard in practice, you can't think about not thinking about them and that is a sticky cycle to get out of, and if you feel them in your head its hard to just stop thinking, but when you live with it you get used to it.

So Charlie tailed her, thinking of white walls and snow on a tv set, and math class (God she hated math) and just trying to stay low. The day was particularly cold and blustery and it reminded Charlie of home. She herself was wearing a thick wool coat, grey with big buttons and a hood. She wore lincoln green ridding type pants, black combat boots and her hair was pulled back into a simple bun. She had her hands shoved in her pockets as she followed Vader down the street, she prayed they where going inside somewhere but it was not to be. Her hazel eyes watched patiently as she ordered her tea, and the idiot behind the counter had to ask a second time, seriously, some people... Vader sat down out side, Charlie could feel the warmth from the bakery behind them and took a table behind Vader and closest to the entry way (she knew Vader was just being difficult, refusing to sit inside. But eh, that was Vader take it or leave it.) She was tempted to order herself some hot chocolate (her weakness) when she saw him.

He had a mysterious rugged handsomeness that stood out yet something about him wanted to blend in, or just didn't care. He looked somber and a little...flighty? If that was the right word. Charlie tilted her head a little to look at him he was a little ways off but she watched him all the same, she watched him with calm cool hazel eyes that where discerning and decisive. He had started to talk to Vader, fumbling a little with his words. But it was not him who intrigued her at the moment, it was what he was doing to Vader. She could tell Vader was trying to break into his mind like she had done Charlie's so easily, but it hadn't worked. She could tell by Vader's actions and demeanor. At first she was crisp, but as Charlie watched she could tell she was getting apprehensive.

Go on Charlie quietly goaded Vader as she tried to talk about the institute Muscle through, you got it she bit her lip a little. But as she watched she noticed Vader concentrating, she was trying again, and seemed to crack it. For a second she looked relieved, but in the next she was horrified, Vader had found something she didn't want to see. Charlie felt pinch of hilarity in that, Vader had pried a little to far and it came back to bite her. Charlie smirked to herself but it soon vanished, Vader flipped and was storming off. Not good, not good at all! Charlie got a bit frantic, this was spiraling down hill in a very fast very dangerous manner. Her eyes darted between the two What had she seen?

From what Charlie had seen, the kid was honest and telling the truth (Charlie was some what of an expert people watcher...like an elite stalker only less creepy) Vader may of had her own thoughts crowding her mind, and couldn't take an objective point of view. Or maybe Charlie was just softer. Either way she could tell this was wrong and she decided it was time to intervene. Not for the sake of bringing the kid to the school, but more for Vader's sake. She noted the kid sat down as Vader stormed off but she lost sight as she herself got up and half trotted half walked to the turbulent psychic. She sighed and she cast a reproachful look back to the guy, there was more to this and Charlie was weary.

She came up behind Vader, moving silently, and looked her over with her calm hazel eyes

"I have to say, leaving a target sitting at a table isn't protocall Psychic. In fact in some cultures its considered rude." she smirked at her friend, knowing she had been followed was going to make her madder than hell, and Charlie enjoyed poking the bear.

“And you know it too!” The guy replied. “You can see that we were friends, you can see that I didn’t make it up!” He added angrily. She faintly heard him, but chose to ignore it, she didn’t know and she hadn’t even seen the so-called friendship in his head. “Bye.” Vader heard, she glanced back to see the guy sitting there with his arms crossed and a smug expression on his face. What and idiot, Vader thought angrily as she walked away quickly. She was terrified, what if that was her future? What if that’s how she was going to die?

"I have to say, leaving a target sitting at a table isn't protocol Psychic. In fact in some cultures it’s considered rude." A familiar voice said from behind her. Vader turned around abruptly. “Ch-Charlie!” She said startled, her friend simply smirked at her. Vader had been too caught up in her own thoughts to even hear her friend’s somewhat distinguished thoughts inside her head. “I’m so glad you’re here! I need your help, like I really, really need your help. Something’s come up with this mutant guy that I was supposed to convince to come to New York.” Vader said, her words were a rush; she tried to get them out as quickly as possible she had to tell Charlie so she could find out what was really going on.

“Charlie, he’s saying he knows me. He-he knew my name! He’s a time traveler, and he’s saying we were friends, that we were ‘changed together’ or something, but I don’t know what that’s supposed to mean! And then he told me my powers! He told me that I had telekinesis and telepathy, and I can’t get into his mind. It was blocked and took me forever to get into! I’ve never had that kind of resistance in someone’s head before! Never. But when I did get in his mind, I saw me, only it wasn’t me, it was like an older version of me, but I was…I was dead. And then I saw another memory of me. It was when I was younger, I was like twelve, it was the night I was found on the doorstep. The memory was real too, but Charlie I don’t remember anyone being there. No one was there, so he must have been the one that did it, right? Please tell me that makes sense!” Vader said, her voice quiet, but taking on a hysterical edge towards the end. She knew she wasn’t making any sense whatsoever, but the more Vader thought about it the more it scared her, and Vader wasn’t exactly the type to get scared. At this point Vader didn’t even care that she’d been followed, she was just glad Charlie was there, because she could do something, and right now she couldn’t really do anything.

Vader leaned back against the wall of the building she was standing beside and rubbed her temples. Breaking into that guy’s head had given her an awful headache, and now she regretted it, she wished she could take back all she saw and be clueless to someone’s thoughts for once in her life. Vader stopped massaging her head and looked up at Charlie. “Will you um talk to him or something?” She said, twisting her ring nervously.

What? No fuming rath? No mind jabbs? This kid had seriously freaked her out if she needed Charlie that bad, or admitted to it any way. Charlie, for a second, could get a glimpse of a younger Vader. Not the head strong self assured young woman she had met at the Starbucks, but one who was scared and nervous, who needed reassurance. Not that she was weak, Charlie was sure Vader had always been far from weak, but she knew it helped to have some one with you sometimes. Charlie searched her face and could see the true terror in her eyes. Charlie cast a weary look back to the kid again, he didn't look like a killer or any one who would harm Vader, if any thing she saw the hurt in his face like Vader had slapped him.

Vader was talking fast but Charlie got most of it. Some of her hair had fallen in her face and Charlie reached out to tuck it behind her ear, much like a mother would do to a small child. And she grabbed her shoulders and looked at her

"It..it makes sense, but you can't just draw conclusions form a single image Vade." she took a deep breath, this whole mentor thing was kind-of new to her. "Creep or no creep you can't just walk away from him and get answers. And I'm not going to play messenger but I will go with you. If he is just a time traveler the both of us could probably take him." she offered her a weak smile, light sarcasm and gentle joking could never go wrong right? She released Vader and turned to look at the kid again, What had a shown her? Charlie was determined to figure this out.

((Wait a second. I thought you were coming alone and he could ask Charlie about Vader and she'll beleive his story and explain that she had absolutely no memory after the incident and stuff.... and he could be like 'oh.... I really scared her didn't I' and feel really bad. And then he'll follow you back to Vader or Vader will show up at that point or something. I'm so confused. I don't think we communicated very well in this thread *headdesk*

So, should I just change what I was going to say or what?))

((I'll let charlie go ahead, and then Vader will come back in a few minutes, she needs too cool down first...))

Aiden watched Vader cross the street. He waited for her to storm out of sight, but she stopped and a blond girl came up to talk to her. Vader seemed seriously creeped out. Something about the blond girl was very recognizable but he wasn't sure what. Had he seen her before in a past? A future? Both? He knew wherever he had seen her it hadn't been long because from only seeing her profile he couldn't picture her whole face ...or what her name was for that matter. He watched the two talk for a while with his arms still crossed. Was she faking it? Was someone forcing her to act just to hurt him? But if she really did care about him, it would hurt her. The more Aiden thought about it, the more he assumed that it was a conspiracy. Was the blond girl apart of it too? Aiden saw that she brushed Vader's hair out of her face and placed her hands on her shoulder. She was acting like a friend. Maybe she was trying to help? Or maybe she was bad and she was trying to convince Vader that what she was doing was right. Aiden's anger began to rise. He wasn't bad at detecting lies, but he couldn't tell anything about the girl from far away. Frowning, he stood up again. She hadn't come over yet, so it didn't really matter. A large triple-decker bus passed obscuring the two girls from his vision and he began walking towards his little alley. He was still quite peckish and the bread did taste really good. However, as the bus passed and he caught one last look at the girls, he saw the blond one turning his way. She seemed to be walking towards him. As she got closer Aiden was shocked to remember that she was one of the people whom Vader had sent him an image of. Okay, so they did know each other, supposedly quite well. But he was taken aback that he had also seen her in the future. When he was young, maybe ten, he went to Vader when she was 18 or 19 and the girl was there.

Once the girl was almost upon him, he spoke. “How – what – who - ?” He paused and took a deep breath. So many questions filled his head but he didn’t know what to say. Eventually he decided on, “what did she say? I really scared her didn’t I?” He lowered his head slightly ashamed. He wasn’t trying to freak her out. “Look, this may sound crazy, but we’re best friends. At least …were. I mean, I haven’t seen her since she was 12. I’ve been stuck in the future.” After the words left his mouth, he realized how much he could have just made a mistake especially if this was a trap. “Wait.” He averted his eyes, suddenly afraid. “Wait. Who are you?” He posed the question menacingly although he didn’t mean to.

Vader could tell just by Charlie’s face that she was surprised at what Vader was saying, she didn’t even need to get into Charlie’s mind to say that. "It...it makes sense, but you can't just draw conclusions form a single image Vade." Charlie said, grabbing Vader shoulders. “What else am I supposed to do, Charlie, if I’ve seen this.” She said, sending Charlie the two images of herself, one as a twenty year old and the other as a twelve year old, that she had seen in the guy’s brain. She wondered what Charlie would think of them, and if she would come to the same conclusion that Vader had come out with.

"Creep or no creep you can't just walk away from him and get answers. And I'm not going to play messenger but I will go with you. If he is just a time traveler the both of us could probably take him.” Charlie said. “I’m sorry, I-I can’t, not right now, maybe in a few minutes, please go ahead, just think about what he says and I’ll know, but I need to calm down.” She replied. “And I have a splitting headache, that guy has like barriers on his brain, it took me three times to break through, I’ve never had that happen before.” Vader added, pinching the bridge of her nose after she finished. “I’ll just go around the corner or something…but I will go, I’m hoping I was wrong, but I couldn’t stay in his brain any longer.” Vader said shakily. "Anyway, I'll just go around the corner and listen to y'alls conversation in you head or something." She finished, looking up at Charlie for a moment before walking around the corner of the street to where she couldn't be seen by either of them.


((sorry for the post, muse=dead, anyhow y'all can skip me this next round of posting, I assume it'll take at least that long to talk...))

Charlie sighed, being friends with people took effort, but if Vader really this freaked out...Vader showed her the image she had been shown and when she did she felt her heart contract. Never would she ever want to see any one she cared about that way. She immediately turned to the kid and, after giving Vader a stiff nod of consent, she walked over to him. Her hazel eyes searching him over thoroughly. Her heart felt anger and resentment when she thought of the images, but it felt pity and concern when she looked at his face. Her brain told her to wait and find out more. She constantly seemed to be in battle, heart vs mind. But she supposed mind was what separated herself from all other animals, yes, man was a rational animal, or so they told her.

As she reached the kid he immediately started talking to her, in a similar way Vader had just done. She sighed and held up her hand for him to stop, she needed to think. Closing her eyes for a moment she though, choosing her words carefully. Taking her hand down and opening her eyes she gave him a weary look and said

"Why she saw what she did in your head I don't know, but I will give you one chance to explain to me why you have more than one picture of her bloody and hurt, if not dead. If you ask me, that's down right suspicious, so you have 3 strikes before I slice you in half." her voice was steady and smooth, like ice. He owed them answers before Charlie gave him any, that she knew.

Once the blond girl had come up to Aiden and had completely arrive at a halt, she paused before replying to Aiden’s comment. Aiden kept taking unnecessary deep breaths trying to remain calm and not burst into hysterics.

"Why she saw what she did in your head I don't know, but I will give you one chance to explain to me why you have more than one picture of her bloody and hurt, if not dead. If you ask me, that's down right suspicious, so you have 3 strikes before I slice you in half."

“Wait…” Aiden began. “What exactly did she see?” He paused, confused. Did she really think that he was the culprit? At this point, Aiden was internally panicking. Who was this girl? What was going to happen to Vader? He only ever traveled to her when she was in danger. She had said that it was the present day, but someone must have forced her to say so. Or… what if she was telling the truth and she really didn’t remember him. Thinking quickly, Aiden knew he had to tell this girl something. “I know that I sent her an image of when I last saw her deliberately. To tell the truth, we were both covered in blood. You want to know why? I saved her from a guy with a bloody gun! And do I get a thank you? No.” He paused, thinking over what to say next. Realizing that what he had just said could be taken the wrong way, he backtracked.
“Well, I suppose you want the whole story then?” Without waiting for an answer, he began. “So… I time travel. And I have no control over where I go and such. Well – oh yeah – Vader and I go way back. We were changed together. One day I was kidnapped and then the next, Vader and I were sprawled on the ground and she had voices in her head, and I disappeared. But, on with the story. I had just been gone for a while and when I show back up in present day, I heard her screaming. I ran over to help and one of the same people in white suits from our childhood was there. He kept bashing her in the head with a gun. He had amazing resistance to her powers and I think he was trying to shoot her but he couldn’t. By deflecting it, he was hitting her in the head trying to knock her unconscious so that he could finally kill her. I ran in front of him and took quite a few blows myself before I started feeling that I was about to travel. This scared me because I couldn’t leave her – she would die! So, I’m not sure what I did, but I took her with me. However, I don’t know how she survived. Anyone else who has traveled with me has died as well, but she didn’t.” Here, Aiden seemed to ease up. He felt like he was going to cry, but he refused to let himself do so. He had to keep talking. “We showed up on a doorstep somewhere in America. I’m not sure because I wasn’t there long enough to know. I called anywhere for help, I tried to save her, but I was also weak. Traveling all the way across the ocean – with another person – left me gasping for air. I started to travel again and I completely lost it. I couldn’t leave Vader there, but I couldn’t take her either. Somewhere inside me, I knew that she would die if I took her along again. So, I traveled, and I’ve been gone from the present day for 3 years. I’ve only been back for 6 months.”

After having relayed his story, Aiden looked at his feet. He left quite a few parts out and he hoped that it was enough for the girl to believe him. Finishing, he added, “you don’t understand. I’ve been away from my best friend for so long. And then when I finally see her again, she can’t even remember my name.”


((skjfbdsifjbgw. This is awful writing. I'm terribly sorry.))

Charlie bit her lip as she watched this guy animatedly retell his story to her. She concluded this guy was either a brilliant liar or telling the truth. She waited a moment after he was done, watching him with a steady gaze. Half way through his little speech she was prepared to carry out her threat but held out till the end, the end was what kept her on the fence and kept him in one piece. Had she ever had a best friend? She didn't know, but she could relate. Her own father didn't remember his daughters own face, and couldn't speak in comprehensible sentences, but he didn't even remember he had a daughter. But unfortunately she couldn't give him a memory or what ever to remind him, and even if she could she didn't know if she would. Would he want the daughter that destroyed him? She was afraid to take that chance. But here was this guy claiming to be Vader's best friend, a piece of her forgotten past and he wanted her back, he wanted her to remember. So with a small nod she accepted his answer.

Her voice became soft and tender "I'll believe you for now time traveler, if you where honest I shouldn't keep Vader from remembering." and almost in an instant her voice changed back to stony and cold "But one false move and I can still break you so fast you wont have time to say 'Jk guys!'" her gaze bored through him like a drill bit, her eyes flashing a brighter green.

She had hoped Vader did what she said she would and Charlie thought Come out come out where ever you are Migraine... and she couldn't help but smile.

"I'll believe you for now time traveler, if you where honest I shouldn't keep Vader from remembering ...But one false move and I can still break you so fast you wont have time to say 'Jk guys!'"

Aiden briefly nodded at her comment. Now that he actually took the time to think, he realized just how bad he must have looked. He took some condolence in the fact that Vader was surly giving her undivided attention to their conversation in Charlie's head. she would hear his side of the story and not break off the connection at seeing one image that would have scared him as well. Aiden felt awkward is saying this, but he spoke. "Vader, I'm really sorry for scaring you." He wanted to add 'I know your listening' but that sounded oddly childish.

"And thank you, a lot." He paused realizing that he didn't know her name, just recognized her. "Oh, I'm Aiden by the way." He said in a small voice. "And I suppose I'll go to that school of yours. I mean, if it is real, then hopefully I will at least ...be accepted. Right? ...I mean, I've never been to school. Well, not after I was changed at least. I've only taught myself from books. And they probably won't want me either." His face fell. "I tend to disappear. Faces of friends, family, actually everyone he ever cared about flashed through his mind. Every time he made a friend, when he came back, they thought he was dead, they had replaced him etc.

((sorry for the museless post. Also, Vader said that she would be replying next, just FYI))

Vader stopped and leaned up against the wall that was just around the corner. Neither Charlie, or the guy could see herm and she couldn’t see them, but she could feel them. Charlie’s head was full of opposing thoughts; she was angry at the guy, but she also pitied him too. The other mutant, the guy she was supposed to take to the academy was completely blank; the barrier that blocked his mind seemed stronger than the last time, but Vader knew it was just her exhaustion from the past few days; she hadn’t been sleeping well, so that, paired with a massive headache, was almost too much for Vader to stand. Despite her headache, Vader had to smile; Charlie was brilliant when defending someone. Vader was glad she’d chosen to befriend her and apologize for what had happened at the Starbucks in Dallas where they had met. Her smile, however, didn’t last for very long, she concentrated on what Charlie heard, and was surprised to say the least. So this guy knew her and save her from someone trying to kill her? “We showed up on a doorstep somewhere in America. I’m not sure because I wasn’t there long enough to know. I called anywhere for help, I tried to save her, but I was also weak. Traveling all the way across the ocean – with another person – left me gasping for air.” Vader heard through Charlie. Did this mean she wasn’t American? She asked herself, she’d always had a bit of a strange accent when she talked; it had Texas accents, because that’s where she’d lived the most in her short four years of memory, but sometimes she would say words and they would almost come out in an English accent without her meaning for them to sound that way, like her mouth remembered pronouncing them that way, but her brain didn’t remember her pronouncing them that way…

Realizing that she would miss part of what the guy was saying, Vader returned to listening intently to Charlie’s thoughts. “You don’t understand. I’ve been away from my best friend for so long. And then when I finally see her again, she can’t even remember my name,” she heard. “Crap.” Vader muttered under her breath. Charlie was definitely going to cave at that. She knew about Charlie’s past, and what had happened to her family, and lone behold, an image of Charlie’s father in a hospital bed filled Vader’s head after being in Charlie’s mind. What if she and the mutant guy really had been friends though? Vader regretted bitching him out and walking away. She bent her head, allowing her long, strawberry blonde hair to hide her face from view as an embarrassed blush colored her cheeks, even though no one would notice a teenager leaning up against a wall in the middle of London.

The thought occurred to Vader that if she didn’t come back with something, then it would look like she had run away. Her hazel eyes scanned the street for something to bring back and found a small street vender selling knitted berets. Vader picked up two; on green and one blue, thinking of getting one for Charlie as well. “Come out come out where ever you are Migraine.” Vader heard Charlie think. She quickly paid and then walked towards the table where her two fellow mutants sat. Right before rounding the corner, Vader stopped, yanked the tags off of the blue beret and placed it on her head. She turned the corner and heard the words “Vader, I'm really sorry for scaring you,” out loud. Her gaze turned cold as she walked up to the table, she didn’t trust him quite yet. "And thank you, a lot.” He said to Charlie. Vader had just made it to Charlie’s side of the table when he introduced himself as Aiden. She fixed him with a piercing glare, but couldn’t help but to admire his accent. “I wasn’t scared, unnerved and a little creeped out perhaps, but never scared.” Vader lied easily, and then she turned to Charlie. “Here, I got you a hat.” She said, handing the green beret to her friend. "And I suppose I'll go to that school of yours. I mean, if it is real, then hopefully I will at least ...be accepted. Right? ...I mean, I've never been to school. Well, not after I was changed at least. I've only taught myself from books. And they probably won't want me either. I tend to disappear.” Aiden said with a saddened tone. “You already accepted, just by being a mutant.” Vader said, turning back to him. “And there are others who have even less control of their powers, so you’re not alone in that.” She added quickly.

Charlie blinked at the hat "Thank you?" she said but was sure Vader didn't really care, so, with love, Charlie put on the beret. It was green, and Charlie decided she liked it, she always did like hats and was grateful her friend had thought of her while buying it, even if it seemed a little retail therapy ish.

She smiled as her friend quickly took control of the situation, telling him about the school and how he would be accepted for being a mutant and all that bland information that actually seemed to change their worlds when ever they did get around to telling them. Charlie supposed the sense of acceptance, even if you have never been to the school, was some how uplifting for people who have been genetically predisposed to being out casts. But even more important for Vader, was this guy. He was an important piece, Charlie could see that, but she wasn't sure where he fit...But she knew she was going to watch him closely, for Vader's sake.

"And I suppose I'll go to that school of yours. I mean, if it is real, then hopefully I will at least ...be accepted. Right? ...I mean, I've never been to school. Well, not after I was changed at least. I've only taught myself from books. And they probably won't want me either. I tend to disappear.” he said and Charlie raised an eyebrow

"It would be very embarrassing to be rejected entrance to a school that doesn't exist." her smile was a little cruel, she might have some fun with this kid. He was interesting to say the least.

Aiden watched intently as Vader returned. She was wearing a new hat and gave one to Charlie. She thanked her and quickly put it on. Oh yes, she left just to get hats. Very believable. “I wasn’t scared, unnerved and a little creeped out perhaps, but never scared.”

“Oh same difference.” Aiden scoffed. “Pish-Posh.” He paused, then briefly saying, “wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey.” He knew that that at least would make Vader smile if she was at all like she used to be.

After Aiden explained his… situation, Vader basically took over from Charlie and said, “you already accepted, just by being a mutant … And there are others who have even less control of their powers, so you’re not alone in that.”
Aiden was pretty sure that when she said that they had even less control she meant that they were much more powerful and made things go boom.
However, his thoughts were scattered when Charlie said something.

"It would be very embarrassing to be rejected entrance to a school that doesn't exist."

Aiden wasn’t exactly the gullible type, but Charlie had a look of all seriousness upon her face. Furrowing his brow, he knew that it wasn’t true. It couldn’t be true. “Haha very funny.” When he said it, he specifically tried to sound like The Doctor. Doing quite a good job, he smiled. But he quickly wiped it from his face. Charlie didn’t seem to like him that much and sitting there with an idiotic look on his face probably wasn’t helping his cause in any way. Finally, he couldn’t take their blank expressions. “Ok, anyone? Doctor Who? Come on, just tell me I didn’t sound like him!”

Aiden quickly shut up. They probably weren’t taking him seriously at all. “Ok fine then, whatever. When are we leaving?”