Seeking Good Home

[dazzle_daybreak]

So, it had been made official. Jeremiah was going back to Avalon. He'd offered up and down for Josephine to come with her, including multiple assurances that his Mother and Father would be happy to have her live with them, but she'd politely declined. Avalon was his home, and his life, not hers. If this dimension was her home, for another day or for the rest of her life, she was going to have to really make it hers.

Of course, that left the concern of where to actually live. The city was expensive, and even though the very nice allowance from Not-Mama was probably still something she could count on, living alone didn't appeal to her, and she didn't have any friends close enough for her to imagine sharing a place with them.

So, she did what any homeless mutant in the know would do.

She called Xavier's.

Comments

[dolemeck]

"You are most welcome, Mrs. Summers. It was no trouble at all!" Dolemeck smiled, giving Josephine a small wave before turning about and heading off. "I will see you later, Josephine! Welcome to the Institute!"

[dazzle_daybreak]

Josephine follows Lorna into her office, taking a seat once the older woman does. "I guess my biggest question is what's expected of me. I mean, how much split is there between actual school stuff and that whole... uh... what was the phrase... protecting the world that hates and fears you?"

[ngm_parents]

A metal jug of ice water and a metal cup - something more classy than you'd see in a prison cell - wafted over from the side table. A cold cup of fresh lemon-cucumber water poured itself for Josephine. This was joined by a plate of lemon curd and raspberry thumbprint cookies. "Please," she said. "Make yourself comfortable, Relax."

One of the drawers in Lorna's office pulled open and a metal file floated out, gently hovering before coming down in front of Josephine and opening up to reveal all of the paperwork that Rachel had prepared for the young mutant.

"It's not really like the old days," Lorna replied. "Back when it was just Cyclops, Marvel Girl, and the others. Back then, there was only one generation of mutants, and they had to do most of the heavy lifting. Others like me, my husband, Storm, Wolverine - we came later, in spurts." Lorna smiled. "But you're probably at least somewhat familiar with our history, right?" She knew enough about Josephine's brother. )He had, after all, broken her son's heart.) Through this, she also had learned a little something about Josephine.

"We have different tracks here now. You can be on the X-Men track - prepping yourself to be one of those who protects the world that hates and fears you - or you can simply be a student, learning how to control your powers and then going off to college and choosing a separate career of your own. Sometimes, like Iceman and Kitty Pryde, X-Men come and go. Others, like Wolverine (shockingly enough), tend to be lifers."

She nodded at Josephine as a metal pen floated across the desk and landed on top of the paperwork. "You have options, is what I'm attempting to say."

[dazzle_daybreak]

Josephine nodded her head, before hastily fishing out the papers she had brought. Passports, records of adoption, etc. All masterfully constructed, and avoiding the tiny fact that she wasn't native to this dimension. Or was it timestream? They originated at the same point, after all, she was given to understand.... but that's not the point right now.

She listens attentively to Miss Summers.

"I... I don't have a lot of book learning, like I already told Miss Ramsey. I'm probably going to need a lot of help there. I know some stuff though. I can handle first aid up to broken limbs, I know how to identify poisonous plants in most of North America and parts of Europe, I know how to set traps for small game and field dress them and larger ones. You know... practical stuff." She shrugs one shoulder uneasily, as she starts looking over the paperwork.

"I just want to be making a difference, if this world is where I live now."

[ngm_parents]

Lorna accepted the documents that Josephine handed her and walked over to the copier/printer/scanner and scanned them, listening carefully as the girl spoke.

"Rachel explained as much to me," she said once Josephine was finished. "Don't worry. Between the staff and some of our more advanced students, you'll find all the help you need in those areas," she said, sitting back down. She handed Josephine's documents back to her. "Just don't let any of our telepaths upload your class information to your head," she warned. "Students have tried that in the past, and it doesn't always end well."

She nodded her head. "Your knowledge will also come in handy. There are things there that not all of our students know, and in case of any emergencies - sometimes field trips have a tendency of becoming prolonged adventures - you'll be a great asset, I'm sure." She smiled warmly at Josephine. "Whether you become a lawyer, a singer, a teacher, a doctor, or a mutant superhero, Ms. Blaire-Bennet, you will make a difference. It all only depends on how you choose to make that difference."