(Absolutely not, but hey, if she's not a little conceited and arrogant when she gets told she's right, then life bears no fun.)
Wow, you'd definitely lose your mind in a jet. I'm assuming you're like, some medieval, pre-cool tech timer.
(The fashion, that statement, amongst other points. No complaints about having her chair pulled for her at all, long legs crossing elegantly as she rests her hands atop her lap.)
Yup. I know what I'm doing.
(She's attended Xavier's, and also stole knowledge from her sisters. She's traditional, Emma Frost-y in intent, but doesn't disappoint like that.
What a fucking difficult question, though.)
That's quite a packed question, and super broad. Start small, and you might get an answer.
[Clive takes his own seat and nods at the host as they hand the two of them menus. Maybe he should try something other than the stew this time…]
Considering I have no idea what a jet is, yeah, I probably would. We don’t even have bicycles where I am from. It’s all carriages, wagons, and chocobos.
[He nods, trusting her. She hadn’t done anything to show him that she didn’t know what she was doing so far. She hadn’t pushed his boundaries or made him do anything he didn’t want to do.]
I might take you up on that. It’s been a bit since I had a full night.
[Clive furrows his brows minutely for half a second, gaze assessing. He might consider asking an easy question, but when has Clive ever gone the easy route?]
Does it get lonely being on your own after so long with your sisters?
Goddamn. That actually sounds horrible. You sure you want to go back home? Here sounds much more fun.
(Or maybe not, but hey, look, you don't have to feed, clean, or deal with bicycle's moods. Or send letters. Or live on candlelight, which she is assuming is also part of the deal there.)
Sure, yeah, I don't mind. I can start running some hormones in your brain for you before you go home.
(And get him the final push when he's in bed, so it's a pleasant, gradual experience.)
Yes. I've never been alive and willingly away from them more than a few months. It's like I'm missing limbs.
(And that's her whole annoyance. Yes, she did leave the hivemind. She wanted to. It was painful, and it was horrifying, and she even had issues with her powers way longer after that.
But they were there, a subway ride away. She's just alone here, so while she is fearless and stubborn... Not even being able to feel their presence makes her heart ache at times.
Travel is much more convenient here, that’s true. There is a pretty convenient way for me to travel back home, but as far as I know, I’m the only one who can do it and I need to find the travel points first. There are these obelisks that I can teleport between after I have activated them. Don’t ask me how it works, I have no idea.
[Sophie would be surprised and probably a little grossed out to hear that Clive enjoyed the act of caring for and cleaning up after his chocobo. Yes, that even means mucking out stalls.]
That would be great. Should we try that after I’ve shown you some of my powers? I don’t want to be too tired when I do that.
[The idea of losing control again so soon after Vander turns his stomach. He thought about getting something light, foregoing a true meal, but he can’t remember if he actually ate much today so sour stomach or no, something is going in the gullet.]
We had similar things. We'd have these flowers that came in pairs, so we'd plant them at different locations and there would be a pathway from the human world from Krakoa, but only mutants could go through. Pretty damn neat.
(There's a smile when she thinks of Krakoa, but it dies pretty fast, and she is fully focused on the rest of the conversation.)
Yeah, we can do that. I can also wake you up, so that's fun. Everything is in the brain.
(Every. Thing. Clive.)
... Uh, I've been here for what, five months? And I cut them off two months or so prior, so. I'm not counting, really.
(It also gives dates to other stuff and — oh, damn. Okay.)
I myself haven't ever been without them. Even in the brief periods I was alive between being really, really dead, I had at least one of them.
[Learning more about Sophie is nice. He likes listening to her tell her stories, the cadence of her voice, how expressive she can be. He props his chin in his hand and gives her his undivided attention, menu forgotten.]
Are you able to see people’s dreams if you check on them while they are sleeping?
[What must that be like, being able to see a mind so unfiltered. Clive isn’t sure he would want that power.
Aaaand one day he might get used to Sophie referring to herself as having been any variation of dead. Apparently, Etraya wasn’t the only place that laughed in the face of the natural order of the world.]
Well, I know I can’t do even a fraction of what you and your sisters can do together, but if you get lonely or bored you can always call me. I might not always be available to come to you, but I can at least chat a bit.
('From' is a strong word, to which she can only give him a waving hand that screams 'more or less'. How does she explain Krakoa without bumming out their entire evening beats her. Well, if she does, at least they'll have some topic to discuss. Mutanthood is never not going to be important to her.)
Technically, I was made in London. Also, technically, I'm American. But I'm also a Krakoan national. It was our nation away from all the yuckies of human society. Didn't last, because nothing we ever make for ourselves does, but alas.
(To be fair, telepathy is something horribly fun, and also, maddening. Annoying. Makes all of them fucked in the head, because how could they be normal with all that just happens to them? At least here in Etraya, whereas she expected to do a lot more 'I feel all you feel and I'm tired of your bullshit thus I'm feeling bitchy' explanation, most people seem to just let her be.)
Yup. I think the best way to explain it is like you're in a crowded room. You see and hear a lot, but it's all too chaotic and it just blends in the background. You pay attention, you can zoom in, see what is really happening with each person around. That goes for dreams, I can see that they're happening like I could glimpse at a person sleeping in a party, but I sure as hell am not going to go check on their drool or whatever.
(She hopes that helps explaining how it works. Sometimes, she knows too much, some others, she knows nearly nothing. Depends on how nosy she's feeling that day.
The offer is nice, though. She enjoys Clive's company; otherwise, she would not have helped as much as she has, or even reached out herself. The fact she's here says enough, hopefully.
What is interesting is that he is raising some really pressing questions at a very sensitive time. Sophie never emote-talks. Maybe to him, limited time only? She might.)
It's not... A horrible idea, no. I'll keep that in mind.
[The shortness of her answer has Clive wondering, but that is something for another time. The idea of there being a place only for mutants, away from all the other people that might other them, sounded pretty great to Clive honestly. ‘Nothing we ever make for ourselves does’. Clive frowns ever so slightly. Not for the first time, Clive wonders about the kind of life Sophie has had to lead.]
So you are both from the world where all the humans live and from Krakoa. I use the word ‘from’ loosely. More like a ‘this is where your home was’ rather than a ‘you were made there’. [He hesitates for a second on the word ‘made’. But he supposes she was, being a clone.]
Have you always had your powers or did they manifest one day? [Clive shakes his head a little.] You’re stronger than me. I would have lost it by now, not being able to have any quiet.
[Clive can’t help the snort of a laugh at Sophie’s analogy. He couldn’t really think of someone who made him laugh quite as much as she did. Yet another thing he enjoyed about being around Sophie.]
Of course. You’ve helped me through a lot. [Clive blushes the tiniest bit.] And I like spending time with you.
[Why was it so embarrassing to be open with people about this stuff lately? Normally he wouldn’t have any problems with it. Time to change the subject.]
Another telepathy question: If I call out to you with my mind, will you hear me through the noise?
I know it's probably confusing, but yes, that feels like home to me. The school I live in here does, too.
(Too many situations and variables from a world he doesn't know. There is a lot she is saying hidden in fine print between the lines, and it is a little bit of a test to see how much Clive connects dots. For, well, enrichment, and it's another way to get to know him. There's a lot to be said about someone with what they choose to see and what they pick up from their environment, biases, and thought processes, and all.
He seems to get the gist. No more Krakoa. Mutanthood sucks. So forth, so forth.)
Mutants just get their X-Gene manifesting one day. Us? We were made, aged to teen years, and dropped into that school, so the Cuckoos are a different case. I've never been different, so it's really all I know, so I guess if you wanna switch perspectives? Etraya drives me fucking insane. Too quiet. How do you not flip out when you can hear a pin drop every time? See, the grass is always greener.
(Big reason why she was happy upon getting to Earth? Millions of voices, like God intended for her. Here? Back to the same lame 100-ish. See why she gets grumpy sometimes for no reason?
But he laughs, and she does a little celebratory dance with a small smile on her lips, because yes, she's hilarious, thank you for appreciating it. Also, very humble.)
D'aaaw, Clive, I like hanging with you too. Although, technically, this is kinda the first time, huh?
(Oh. Another winner question.)
... Yes and no. I mean, here, probably? It's eerily quiet, so it's harder for me to not hear something. That said, truly dependent on how much I am, you know, tuned in.
Not really. Home can look like many places and those places change a lot over the years.
[Clive shrugs.]
For me, home is where my people are. It’s less of a specific place. I’m proud of where I was born, but that place doesn’t exist for me anymore either. It’s people still do, in pockets, but my country is gone. Maybe not in the same way as your Krakoa. I’m not sure.
[There are parallels there from his world, too. No safe space for Bearers outside of the Hideaway, which was already destroyed once, having magic sucks. So on, so forth.
He nods.]
That makes sense. I imagine it is similar for people who know how to use magic where I am from. Some have the skill from birth and know nothing different. Some don’t manifest until later in life. If you’ve never known anything different, suddenly having to learn how to cope with it… It’s difficult.
[Clive can’t help but smile at the little dance. He feels a warmth in his chest he hadn’t expected to feel in some time.]
In person, yeah. I didn’t really think of it that way. Talking to you the way we have been feels different, like I have you with me. In a sense, I do.
[He nods.]
So if I need you and can’t get ahold of you, shout really loud. Gotcha.
No, no, Krakoa is gone, too. Just, you know, keep it on the DL, sometimes we get people who don't know that yet, and it's really, really shitty, heartbreaking news. What happened to your place?
(Ever the optimistic, huh? Bleeding heart and all. This couldn't be her, not thinking about it in 'my people makes it living'. She really, really damn wants it back, but last time she tried that, she backed out in the middle because it was rather nefarious. Turns out, some people make her change her views, feel like home.)
I can... Ugh, literally cannot relate. The asshole who made us didn't even bother with a backstory or anything, so I can't even imagine how it feels to be quote, unquote normal. Were you just living boring life and then bam, vessel of God news?
(Now it's turning, see? Show his, she shows hers. That's how it works, so she can modulate how much she can share, and how she stands. She's normal. Quote, unquote.)
Kinda do, yeah. Also, careful with the whole yelling. I'm not the only telepath, you know, we can all hear you.
[Clive, ever the secret keeper. If Sophie tells him not to say something, he won’t say a damn thing about it to anyone, not even Joshua. Some things were meant to be kept private, even from those who were most trusted.]
Have you ever thought of giving yourself your own backstory?
[Clive shrugs a shoulder.]
Yes and no. I was the son of an Archduke and what we called the First Shield. It was a high military position. For my world, as someone of my skill and standing, it was normal enough. And then, yeah. Bam. One day, I woke up with my powers. I learned eventually that I was supposed to be the vessel of God. Took a bit, though. There’s a lot more to it, but that’s not exactly polite dinner conversation.
[The give and take is what Clive prefers and is a lot more inclined to engage and share when the favor is returned.
The mention of other telepaths makes him think of Nate and he frowns.]
Yeah, that’s true. I’d like to avoid unwanted visitors.
(She told Julian when she first got here. About Krakoa falling, about him being with the Cuckoos in their horrible plan of getting it back. How he was to eliminate a human or two or three, and he hid them instead. His ex.
Well. She showed him, actually. Full braindump. Turns out, he had never known. It was heartbreaking.)
If you mean creating a whole 'I was born in Chicago, to X and Y, and when I was four...' kind of backstory, it'd be meaningless, because I have never really been four. I don't know what that's like. What I can do is appreciate what I have from my weird origins, and make my own meaning of what things mean.
(Yeah, clone. Genocide. Yeah, whatever. She is here now, so she might as well create a life for herself, be thankful for what she has, don't sweat what she never did. It doesn't bother her, but it is does hinder her empathy and understanding of others, unfortunately.)
Wait, no, go back. I didn't quite catch the connection. You knew you were going to get powers, just not like that? Is that it?
(She'll drop it if he doesn't want to talk about it, but she's confused.)
Yeah. Well. At least I can tell you Jean is probably too disgustingly perfect to eavesdrop, Nate probably wouldn't butt in, Quire might jump in but you can trust that one, and then me, so.
Oh, no. I was thinking about making up something that was so ridiculous that it couldn’t possibly be real. Or it would be one of those scenarios where the stories feel so specific that you couldn’t be sure that what you were hearing was a lie.
[That sounded like it might be fun in the short term. A little game to play when out at places where you would never see the person you were talking to again. The idea of doing something like that now seemed a bit juvenile, but it tickled a little part of his brain anyway.]
Sort of. Joshua, my brother, gave me what is called the Phoenix’s Blessing. That gave me access to some of Phoenix’s magic. That is a gift given to anyone who becomes the First Shield, as they are the primary protector of the person whom the Phoenix chooses to awaken within.
[He thought about asking to just show Sophie his memories of the night he Primed for the first time, but with how gruesome and emotionally raw it ended up being, he thought better of it.]
One night, when we were getting ready to go to war with a neighboring country, we were invaded. That’s the night I Primed for the first time. What I am isn’t supposed to exist, not as we knew it then. Usually, there is only one Eikon per element. Joshua already had the Phoenix, who is the Warden of Fire. So, when my Eikon woke up and was also fire-based? It was unprecedented.
[He pauses for a moment, thinking. He sighs. Might as well.]
I can also absorb the powers of the other Eikons. Right now, I have Garuda, Ramuh, Titan, and Bahamut. That’s wind, lightning, earth, and light in addition to fire. Ramuh and Bahamut are here and don’t seem to have been impacted by what happened at home. Probably due to some Etraya fussing.
[Clive distinctly does not like the idea of Nate being anywhere near his mind space any time soon. Influenced by the Anomaly or not, knowing that someone of that strength could mess around and shift things without Clive even noticing? No thank you.]
I mean, being one clone out of a thousand from a hivemind of telepaths so we could destroy the world's mutants sounds pretty insane and dramatic.
(It is the truth, though. But whatever, she doesn't care about her side of this when he starts talking. Mind the face of 'oh, God' she makes when the word 'phoenix' is brought up, because, oh, God.
She can follow, at least.)
I cannot believe you guys also have the fire pigeon. So basically, you're like, master of all elements? Is that's what's up? And what exactly is this Etraya fussing you mean? Wait, how does God come into all this? Cripes, that's a ton.
(Okay, she can hear that discomfort, hold up, she can help.)
Quire is also an Omega-level telepath, and he's included in the alliance package. You're fine.
[Clive takes a beat to try and absorb that information. Clive opens his mouth a little then closes it again, not sure what he was going to say. His brow furrows.]
Yeah, that’ll do it. You don’t really need anything else when that is what you have.
[Graceful. Good job, Clive. He takes this opportunity to take a long sip of water. At least Sophie seemed more forgiving of his less than elegant social interactions.
He almost spits his water.]
Fire pigeon? [He tries to imagine the faces of literally anyone from Rosaria hearing that and, admittedly, it is kind of funny. ]
You could say that, yeah. Once I absorb the power I am able to use aspects of it. I’m not able to fully transform into anything other than Ifrit, but I can take on physical characteristics of the other Eikons.
[Time for more water. At least this time it is because he is going to be talking a lot.]
Etraya has a distinct habit of completely ignoring how things work in our home world. Cid, who has Ramuh, and Dion, who has Bahamut, should not be able to Prime in a way that isn’t incredibly dangerous for them, and Dion was able to do it easily the other day. I don’t know if Cid has Primed or if he would have the same experience.
[He sighs.]
God, his name is Ultima where I am from, is an all-powerful being that is trying to find a physical body to inhabit that can withstand it. Magic kills the users where I am from. It turns them to stone. So if a creature like Ultima were to inhabit just anyone, it would likely kill them as their body wouldn’t be able to handle the sheer amount of aether, that’s magic, that would come with housing such a thing. That whole turning to stone thing? My body doesn’t do that. No matter how much aether I use or how much I absorb, my body does not change.
[Clive gestures at himself.]
So that’s where I come in. According to Barnabas, all of the Eikons on our planet are currently there for me to absorb so I can make my body ready for Ultima to inhabit. Once my body is fully prepared, which I think means once I have absorbed all of the other Eikons, then my body will be ready to house Ultima. Thus, vessel of god.
[Time for more water.]
The difficult part of all of this is I need to stop Ultima and, in order to be strong enough to do that, I need to absorb all of the Eikons. So to kill god, I need to make myself ready for god. It’s–
[Clive sighs.]
It’s a mess.
[Clive watches Sophie cautiously. Not only did he just dump a lot on her, he could tell she was going to try to be reassuring about the whole ‘people can hijack your brain’ thing. Which he appreciated.]
Alliance package, huh?
[So that means one Omega-level telepath maybe won’t try and hijack his brain? That’s… better. 1 out of 3 isn’t bad. Not great, but not bad.]
People are much more upset about it than we are. Most of us, anyway. You're fine.
(Esme hates it, but she's the only one, too bad for her. It's not even the whole backstory thing that bothers the Cuckoo, it's more — she wants to be all powerful, all her, like a dick. Sophie herself just takes it a day at a time.
Also, she too laughs at his reaction. Yes, Fire Pigeon, sir.)
Barbanas is the dude I told you not to fuck and you went ahead anyway, right? How much do you trust his word? He might be totally fucking with you. It's known to happen.
(But hey, good enough explanation! She feels up to date, and just gives him a thumbs up as an answer.)
Got it. All good here.
And, yeah. We're all a package deal. You get me, him, a little dude who blasts force out of his eyes, and a demonic lady.
[Congrats Sophie, you pull another cough of a laugh out of Clive at that.]
Well, I’m glad you’re alright. [He shrugs a shoulder.] That’s what matters to me, anyway.
[Frankly, he did care about what others thought about what Sophie’s original purpose had been. If anyone tried to convince him off her, chances of success were extremely low. Even as a stranger, she had been there for him in a way he hadn’t realized he needed and that trend had continued.]
Barnabas is, indeed, the guy you told me not to fuck and then I did anyway.
[When he speaks again, the edge of levity in his voice is put on the backburner.]
He’s not lying. If Barnabas has anything, it’s conviction. He wouldn’t lie about his god. The way he talks about him, about how he told me all of this? [Clive shakes his head.] I don’t need to be a mind reader to know it is the truth.
[That, the Akashic people running around everywhere, and his own experiences all confirmed what the man had said.]
If you have any other questions or if anything pops up, let me know. I’ll do my best to explain it. I’m not the smartest one out of all of us here, but I am the one who has to live this experience so.
(Just in case, because she has no plans to stop being scandalous anytime soon.
If anything, Sophie would just like Clive to have an educated opinion about her. She's so alone in here. Blank slate. No reputation outside the mansion walls, and the one identity she has falls flat when she's not in there — even if she is actively building her own. She'd tell Clive all her shit, if only he could decide to be around her even so.
And with the conviction in Clive's voice, it makes her laugh again.)
Your taste in men needs to be studied.
(Because seriously!! Although, pot, kettle.)
You'd be surprised. If you want, I can do a little...
(Her fingers make a person, index and middle simulating a run — meaning, a little walk around the dude's head. Just, you know, in case.)
Yeah, no, that's fine. I'll ask as we go. I'm sure the others will have their own... And, yeah, demonic lady, lived in Limbo. She explains it better, but yeah, she got here when we were on Earth.
At this rate? Probably. I don’t think I’m going to have a voice tomorrow.
[That teasing lilt is back. Clive has no intention of going home any time soon. For the first time since… well, for the first time in a bit, he is actually enjoying himself and he isn’t going to let that go. Not yet. He can be selfish for a bit longer.
He shrugs a shoulder.]
Oh, most likely. You should hear about the other ones I’ve been drawn to. I’d like to think my taste in women is a bit more stable, but I guess time will tell.
[Clive chuffs another little laugh.]
I appreciate the offer, but I don’t think you want to go in that guy’s head. I can’t imagine it is the safest place to be.
[He also has a pretty strong feeling that, if Barnabas ever found out, he would go after Sophie with a vengeance and Clive wasn’t willing to put her in danger to confirm something he was already pretty confident in.]
Well, alright then. We are going to be quite the crew, huh?
Well, you chose this friendship, so at least you know one of the perils is being shocked.
(Good. There just has been too much shit, so if he has consequences over something that is ultimately harmless, and maybe good? She's encouraging it.
At the rest of the conversation, though, she laughs, shaking her head as her hand covers her smile for a second. Okay, yeah, she doesn't need to even imagine, just what he has told her so far is enough for her to know it's a shit show.)
What was it, were you just not held enough as a kid or — I'm joking, of course. I'm not much better. My taste as a Cuckoo? Impeccable and it annoys our mum, so great. My taste as Sophie? Dubious.
(But there's a shrug from her too.)
Everyone thinks that. Ooooh, my head is a mess, oh nooo, you'll be so traumatized. Except, you know, again, millions of brains we hear on a daily, but if you don't want to, that's fine too.
(If he doesn't wanna know, then that's his problem, affectionately and respectfully speaking.)
Oh, yeah. I'm wondering it this place is going to pull any other NYX, because that'd be interesting, too.
Mmm. Wouldn’t trade it, either. I need someone to help keep me on my toes.
[Clive nods at the waiter as they refill his glass, glad to have something else to focus on for just a second. Not held enough as a child. Ha. Yeah. He wouldn’t be surprised if that actually had something to do with his strange attraction towards the emotionally unavailable.]
Well, then we can have shit taste in men together and probably regularly criticize each other over it.
[He raises his refilled glass as if in a toast.]
I have no idea what goes on up in that brain of his. I’m more worried about what he might do if he finds out that someone tried to invade his privacy on such an intimate level. Have you seen where the guy lives?
(Respectfully, playfully, honestly, affectionately, gently, etc.
She's gotta order a wine for this, as well as some appetizers that pair ridiculously well with what she is ordering for them. Trust her, bro.)
Maybe I'll tell you someday, right now, the least I think, the best it is. I can tell you that, actually? I'm the worst Cuckoo to ask advice from about these things. I've never dated on my own, and Cable was... Well, we just wanted to fuck with himand fuck him. It wasn't that deep. And, uh, boring, he's not a great telepath.
(Perhaps Clive hasn't put those things together yet. All the ramifications of her power — sex is perceived in the brain, and she has access to all of it. Sensations, perceptions, pleasure, pain, she can mix it, remix it, change it, intensify it, numb it, anything she can think of, really. Imagination is the limit. Imagine how she perceives sex, it's a whole thing.)
Fine, fine. I mean, I might? I know where everyone is, I just don't look to know which people are where. It's kinda like seeing a rando in the street for me. Where is it? Was he also not held as a kid?
(Just making sure. And, uh, yeah. Okay.)
.... Yeah, so, NYX here? The building I do community stuff with? It's where I do community stuff at home, too. I had a villain-lite era, fucked everyone up, and then we kind of came together to undo the damage. NYX is the place and the team. It's, uh, me, Hellion, Ms. Marvel, Laura, the one we had here except grown and from my world, Synch, Prodigy, Kidden, and Anole.
[He’s hitting a point where he does not disagree, not even a little bit.
And of course he’ll trust Sophie’s taste. If she wanted to poison him, she probably could have figured out a better way by now. Also, he didn’t exactly have a refined palate. He’d spent more time eating what he could to survive than eating nice things so.]
Do you only have sex with other telepaths?
[The thought does, indeed, occur to him almost as the words leave his mouth. He wonders how boring it must be for someone who can do so much with their mind be met with someone who could do so little.
Thankfully, Clive hadn’t been actively taking a sip when Sophie made the joke at Barnabas’ expense. He smiles behind his glass.]
I have no idea, but I wouldn’t be surprised. He lives in Stonhyrr. The big, creepy castle out to the west. Tall walls, foreboding, now has a giant crystal that causes constant thunderstorms in what is essentially its back yard. It’s like something out of a gothic novel.
[He may have fallen down a rabbit hole on the gothic novel front. They were surprisingly engrossing.]
So it’s from your home then. What’s it like, having it here?
[Personally, he wasn’t sure he could have something so important to him in Etraya without the people that gave the place its life.]
(Not that she minds? If he noticed, talking about sex is definitely the easiest thing there is for her. Easiest than literally any other sentiments.)
I've only ever have, yes. Can't even imagine what non-psychic sex must be like, and God forbid. Do you realize I know exactly what being with me is like? Great stuff. Wonderful for my ego.
(Oh, yikes.)
... Yeah, definitely the case. Cripes, that's edgy. Compensating?
(Just making sure, her shoulder shrugging as she sips on the wine.)
I asked for it. I suck as a person. That place makes me suck less, or try to. Keeps me honest.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2025-08-19 10:43 pm (UTC)(Absolutely not, but hey, if she's not a little conceited and arrogant when she gets told she's right, then life bears no fun.)
Wow, you'd definitely lose your mind in a jet. I'm assuming you're like, some medieval, pre-cool tech timer.
(The fashion, that statement, amongst other points. No complaints about having her chair pulled for her at all, long legs crossing elegantly as she rests her hands atop her lap.)
Yup. I know what I'm doing.
(She's attended Xavier's, and also stole knowledge from her sisters. She's traditional, Emma Frost-y in intent, but doesn't disappoint like that.
What a fucking difficult question, though.)
That's quite a packed question, and super broad. Start small, and you might get an answer.
(Stalling! ✨)
no subject
Date: 2025-08-19 10:51 pm (UTC)[Clive takes his own seat and nods at the host as they hand the two of them menus. Maybe he should try something other than the stew this time…]
Considering I have no idea what a jet is, yeah, I probably would. We don’t even have bicycles where I am from. It’s all carriages, wagons, and chocobos.
[He nods, trusting her. She hadn’t done anything to show him that she didn’t know what she was doing so far. She hadn’t pushed his boundaries or made him do anything he didn’t want to do.]
I might take you up on that. It’s been a bit since I had a full night.
[Clive furrows his brows minutely for half a second, gaze assessing. He might consider asking an easy question, but when has Clive ever gone the easy route?]
Does it get lonely being on your own after so long with your sisters?
no subject
Date: 2025-08-19 11:01 pm (UTC)(Or maybe not, but hey, look, you don't have to feed, clean, or deal with bicycle's moods. Or send letters. Or live on candlelight, which she is assuming is also part of the deal there.)
Sure, yeah, I don't mind. I can start running some hormones in your brain for you before you go home.
(And get him the final push when he's in bed, so it's a pleasant, gradual experience.)
Yes. I've never been alive and willingly away from them more than a few months. It's like I'm missing limbs.
(And that's her whole annoyance. Yes, she did leave the hivemind. She wanted to. It was painful, and it was horrifying, and she even had issues with her powers way longer after that.
But they were there, a subway ride away. She's just alone here, so while she is fearless and stubborn... Not even being able to feel their presence makes her heart ache at times.
Don't make it weird, Clive.)
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Date: 2025-08-20 01:43 am (UTC)[Sophie would be surprised and probably a little grossed out to hear that Clive enjoyed the act of caring for and cleaning up after his chocobo. Yes, that even means mucking out stalls.]
That would be great. Should we try that after I’ve shown you some of my powers? I don’t want to be too tired when I do that.
[The idea of losing control again so soon after Vander turns his stomach. He thought about getting something light, foregoing a true meal, but he can’t remember if he actually ate much today so sour stomach or no, something is going in the gullet.]
How long have you been without them now?
[He’ll do his best to not make it weird.]
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Date: 2025-08-20 02:02 am (UTC)(There's a smile when she thinks of Krakoa, but it dies pretty fast, and she is fully focused on the rest of the conversation.)
Yeah, we can do that. I can also wake you up, so that's fun. Everything is in the brain.
(Every. Thing. Clive.)
... Uh, I've been here for what, five months? And I cut them off two months or so prior, so. I'm not counting, really.
(It also gives dates to other stuff and — oh, damn. Okay.)
I myself haven't ever been without them. Even in the brief periods I was alive between being really, really dead, I had at least one of them.
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Date: 2025-08-22 10:08 pm (UTC)[Learning more about Sophie is nice. He likes listening to her tell her stories, the cadence of her voice, how expressive she can be. He props his chin in his hand and gives her his undivided attention, menu forgotten.]
Are you able to see people’s dreams if you check on them while they are sleeping?
[What must that be like, being able to see a mind so unfiltered. Clive isn’t sure he would want that power.
Aaaand one day he might get used to Sophie referring to herself as having been any variation of dead. Apparently, Etraya wasn’t the only place that laughed in the face of the natural order of the world.]
Well, I know I can’t do even a fraction of what you and your sisters can do together, but if you get lonely or bored you can always call me. I might not always be available to come to you, but I can at least chat a bit.
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Date: 2025-08-22 11:03 pm (UTC)Technically, I was made in London. Also, technically, I'm American. But I'm also a Krakoan national. It was our nation away from all the yuckies of human society. Didn't last, because nothing we ever make for ourselves does, but alas.
(To be fair, telepathy is something horribly fun, and also, maddening. Annoying. Makes all of them fucked in the head, because how could they be normal with all that just happens to them? At least here in Etraya, whereas she expected to do a lot more 'I feel all you feel and I'm tired of your bullshit thus I'm feeling bitchy' explanation, most people seem to just let her be.)
Yup. I think the best way to explain it is like you're in a crowded room. You see and hear a lot, but it's all too chaotic and it just blends in the background. You pay attention, you can zoom in, see what is really happening with each person around. That goes for dreams, I can see that they're happening like I could glimpse at a person sleeping in a party, but I sure as hell am not going to go check on their drool or whatever.
(She hopes that helps explaining how it works. Sometimes, she knows too much, some others, she knows nearly nothing. Depends on how nosy she's feeling that day.
The offer is nice, though. She enjoys Clive's company; otherwise, she would not have helped as much as she has, or even reached out herself. The fact she's here says enough, hopefully.
What is interesting is that he is raising some really pressing questions at a very sensitive time. Sophie never emote-talks. Maybe to him, limited time only? She might.)
It's not... A horrible idea, no. I'll keep that in mind.
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Date: 2025-08-23 12:43 am (UTC)So you are both from the world where all the humans live and from Krakoa. I use the word ‘from’ loosely. More like a ‘this is where your home was’ rather than a ‘you were made there’. [He hesitates for a second on the word ‘made’. But he supposes she was, being a clone.]
Have you always had your powers or did they manifest one day? [Clive shakes his head a little.] You’re stronger than me. I would have lost it by now, not being able to have any quiet.
[Clive can’t help the snort of a laugh at Sophie’s analogy. He couldn’t really think of someone who made him laugh quite as much as she did. Yet another thing he enjoyed about being around Sophie.]
Of course. You’ve helped me through a lot. [Clive blushes the tiniest bit.] And I like spending time with you.
[Why was it so embarrassing to be open with people about this stuff lately? Normally he wouldn’t have any problems with it. Time to change the subject.]
Another telepathy question: If I call out to you with my mind, will you hear me through the noise?
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Date: 2025-08-23 01:03 am (UTC)(Too many situations and variables from a world he doesn't know. There is a lot she is saying hidden in fine print between the lines, and it is a little bit of a test to see how much Clive connects dots. For, well, enrichment, and it's another way to get to know him. There's a lot to be said about someone with what they choose to see and what they pick up from their environment, biases, and thought processes, and all.
He seems to get the gist. No more Krakoa. Mutanthood sucks. So forth, so forth.)
Mutants just get their X-Gene manifesting one day. Us? We were made, aged to teen years, and dropped into that school, so the Cuckoos are a different case. I've never been different, so it's really all I know, so I guess if you wanna switch perspectives? Etraya drives me fucking insane. Too quiet. How do you not flip out when you can hear a pin drop every time? See, the grass is always greener.
(Big reason why she was happy upon getting to Earth? Millions of voices, like God intended for her. Here? Back to the same lame 100-ish. See why she gets grumpy sometimes for no reason?
But he laughs, and she does a little celebratory dance with a small smile on her lips, because yes, she's hilarious, thank you for appreciating it. Also, very humble.)
D'aaaw, Clive, I like hanging with you too. Although, technically, this is kinda the first time, huh?
(Oh. Another winner question.)
... Yes and no. I mean, here, probably? It's eerily quiet, so it's harder for me to not hear something. That said, truly dependent on how much I am, you know, tuned in.
no subject
Date: 2025-08-23 02:15 pm (UTC)[Clive shrugs.]
For me, home is where my people are. It’s less of a specific place. I’m proud of where I was born, but that place doesn’t exist for me anymore either. It’s people still do, in pockets, but my country is gone. Maybe not in the same way as your Krakoa. I’m not sure.
[There are parallels there from his world, too. No safe space for Bearers outside of the Hideaway, which was already destroyed once, having magic sucks. So on, so forth.
He nods.]
That makes sense. I imagine it is similar for people who know how to use magic where I am from. Some have the skill from birth and know nothing different. Some don’t manifest until later in life. If you’ve never known anything different, suddenly having to learn how to cope with it… It’s difficult.
[Clive can’t help but smile at the little dance. He feels a warmth in his chest he hadn’t expected to feel in some time.]
In person, yeah. I didn’t really think of it that way. Talking to you the way we have been feels different, like I have you with me. In a sense, I do.
[He nods.]
So if I need you and can’t get ahold of you, shout really loud. Gotcha.
[He’s teasing. Mostly.]
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Date: 2025-08-23 02:26 pm (UTC)(Ever the optimistic, huh? Bleeding heart and all. This couldn't be her, not thinking about it in 'my people makes it living'. She really, really damn wants it back, but last time she tried that, she backed out in the middle because it was rather nefarious. Turns out, some people make her change her views, feel like home.)
I can... Ugh, literally cannot relate. The asshole who made us didn't even bother with a backstory or anything, so I can't even imagine how it feels to be quote, unquote normal. Were you just living boring life and then bam, vessel of God news?
(Now it's turning, see? Show his, she shows hers. That's how it works, so she can modulate how much she can share, and how she stands. She's normal. Quote, unquote.)
Kinda do, yeah. Also, careful with the whole yelling. I'm not the only telepath, you know, we can all hear you.
no subject
Date: 2025-08-24 06:08 pm (UTC)[Clive, ever the secret keeper. If Sophie tells him not to say something, he won’t say a damn thing about it to anyone, not even Joshua. Some things were meant to be kept private, even from those who were most trusted.]
Have you ever thought of giving yourself your own backstory?
[Clive shrugs a shoulder.]
Yes and no. I was the son of an Archduke and what we called the First Shield. It was a high military position. For my world, as someone of my skill and standing, it was normal enough. And then, yeah. Bam. One day, I woke up with my powers. I learned eventually that I was supposed to be the vessel of God. Took a bit, though. There’s a lot more to it, but that’s not exactly polite dinner conversation.
[The give and take is what Clive prefers and is a lot more inclined to engage and share when the favor is returned.
The mention of other telepaths makes him think of Nate and he frowns.]
Yeah, that’s true. I’d like to avoid unwanted visitors.
no subject
Date: 2025-08-24 06:19 pm (UTC)(She told Julian when she first got here. About Krakoa falling, about him being with the Cuckoos in their horrible plan of getting it back. How he was to eliminate a human or two or three, and he hid them instead. His ex.
Well. She showed him, actually. Full braindump. Turns out, he had never known. It was heartbreaking.)
If you mean creating a whole 'I was born in Chicago, to X and Y, and when I was four...' kind of backstory, it'd be meaningless, because I have never really been four. I don't know what that's like. What I can do is appreciate what I have from my weird origins, and make my own meaning of what things mean.
(Yeah, clone. Genocide. Yeah, whatever. She is here now, so she might as well create a life for herself, be thankful for what she has, don't sweat what she never did. It doesn't bother her, but it is does hinder her empathy and understanding of others, unfortunately.)
Wait, no, go back. I didn't quite catch the connection. You knew you were going to get powers, just not like that? Is that it?
(She'll drop it if he doesn't want to talk about it, but she's confused.)
Yeah. Well. At least I can tell you Jean is probably too disgustingly perfect to eavesdrop, Nate probably wouldn't butt in, Quire might jump in but you can trust that one, and then me, so.
Enjoy the mini lore drop
Date: 2025-08-26 12:06 am (UTC)[That sounded like it might be fun in the short term. A little game to play when out at places where you would never see the person you were talking to again. The idea of doing something like that now seemed a bit juvenile, but it tickled a little part of his brain anyway.]
Sort of. Joshua, my brother, gave me what is called the Phoenix’s Blessing. That gave me access to some of Phoenix’s magic. That is a gift given to anyone who becomes the First Shield, as they are the primary protector of the person whom the Phoenix chooses to awaken within.
[He thought about asking to just show Sophie his memories of the night he Primed for the first time, but with how gruesome and emotionally raw it ended up being, he thought better of it.]
One night, when we were getting ready to go to war with a neighboring country, we were invaded. That’s the night I Primed for the first time. What I am isn’t supposed to exist, not as we knew it then. Usually, there is only one Eikon per element. Joshua already had the Phoenix, who is the Warden of Fire. So, when my Eikon woke up and was also fire-based? It was unprecedented.
[He pauses for a moment, thinking. He sighs. Might as well.]
I can also absorb the powers of the other Eikons. Right now, I have Garuda, Ramuh, Titan, and Bahamut. That’s wind, lightning, earth, and light in addition to fire. Ramuh and Bahamut are here and don’t seem to have been impacted by what happened at home. Probably due to some Etraya fussing.
[Clive distinctly does not like the idea of Nate being anywhere near his mind space any time soon. Influenced by the Anomaly or not, knowing that someone of that strength could mess around and shift things without Clive even noticing? No thank you.]
Noted.
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Date: 2025-08-27 07:48 pm (UTC)(It is the truth, though. But whatever, she doesn't care about her side of this when he starts talking. Mind the face of 'oh, God' she makes when the word 'phoenix' is brought up, because, oh, God.
She can follow, at least.)
I cannot believe you guys also have the fire pigeon. So basically, you're like, master of all elements? Is that's what's up? And what exactly is this Etraya fussing you mean? Wait, how does God come into all this? Cripes, that's a ton.
(Okay, she can hear that discomfort, hold up, she can help.)
Quire is also an Omega-level telepath, and he's included in the alliance package. You're fine.
no subject
Date: 2025-08-28 01:06 am (UTC)Yeah, that’ll do it. You don’t really need anything else when that is what you have.
[Graceful. Good job, Clive. He takes this opportunity to take a long sip of water. At least Sophie seemed more forgiving of his less than elegant social interactions.
He almost spits his water.]
Fire pigeon? [He tries to imagine the faces of literally anyone from Rosaria hearing that and, admittedly, it is kind of funny. ]
You could say that, yeah. Once I absorb the power I am able to use aspects of it. I’m not able to fully transform into anything other than Ifrit, but I can take on physical characteristics of the other Eikons.
[Time for more water. At least this time it is because he is going to be talking a lot.]
Etraya has a distinct habit of completely ignoring how things work in our home world. Cid, who has Ramuh, and Dion, who has Bahamut, should not be able to Prime in a way that isn’t incredibly dangerous for them, and Dion was able to do it easily the other day. I don’t know if Cid has Primed or if he would have the same experience.
[He sighs.]
God, his name is Ultima where I am from, is an all-powerful being that is trying to find a physical body to inhabit that can withstand it. Magic kills the users where I am from. It turns them to stone. So if a creature like Ultima were to inhabit just anyone, it would likely kill them as their body wouldn’t be able to handle the sheer amount of aether, that’s magic, that would come with housing such a thing. That whole turning to stone thing? My body doesn’t do that. No matter how much aether I use or how much I absorb, my body does not change.
[Clive gestures at himself.]
So that’s where I come in. According to Barnabas, all of the Eikons on our planet are currently there for me to absorb so I can make my body ready for Ultima to inhabit. Once my body is fully prepared, which I think means once I have absorbed all of the other Eikons, then my body will be ready to house Ultima. Thus, vessel of god.
[Time for more water.]
The difficult part of all of this is I need to stop Ultima and, in order to be strong enough to do that, I need to absorb all of the Eikons. So to kill god, I need to make myself ready for god. It’s–
[Clive sighs.]
It’s a mess.
[Clive watches Sophie cautiously. Not only did he just dump a lot on her, he could tell she was going to try to be reassuring about the whole ‘people can hijack your brain’ thing. Which he appreciated.]
Alliance package, huh?
[So that means one Omega-level telepath maybe won’t try and hijack his brain? That’s… better. 1 out of 3 isn’t bad. Not great, but not bad.]
no subject
Date: 2025-08-31 12:47 pm (UTC)(Esme hates it, but she's the only one, too bad for her. It's not even the whole backstory thing that bothers the Cuckoo, it's more — she wants to be all powerful, all her, like a dick. Sophie herself just takes it a day at a time.
Also, she too laughs at his reaction. Yes, Fire Pigeon, sir.)
Barbanas is the dude I told you not to fuck and you went ahead anyway, right? How much do you trust his word? He might be totally fucking with you. It's known to happen.
(But hey, good enough explanation! She feels up to date, and just gives him a thumbs up as an answer.)
Got it. All good here.
And, yeah. We're all a package deal. You get me, him, a little dude who blasts force out of his eyes, and a demonic lady.
no subject
Date: 2025-09-01 12:00 am (UTC)Well, I’m glad you’re alright. [He shrugs a shoulder.] That’s what matters to me, anyway.
[Frankly, he did care about what others thought about what Sophie’s original purpose had been. If anyone tried to convince him off her, chances of success were extremely low. Even as a stranger, she had been there for him in a way he hadn’t realized he needed and that trend had continued.]
Barnabas is, indeed, the guy you told me not to fuck and then I did anyway.
[When he speaks again, the edge of levity in his voice is put on the backburner.]
He’s not lying. If Barnabas has anything, it’s conviction. He wouldn’t lie about his god. The way he talks about him, about how he told me all of this? [Clive shakes his head.] I don’t need to be a mind reader to know it is the truth.
[That, the Akashic people running around everywhere, and his own experiences all confirmed what the man had said.]
If you have any other questions or if anything pops up, let me know. I’ll do my best to explain it. I’m not the smartest one out of all of us here, but I am the one who has to live this experience so.
[Clive finishes his glass of water.]
Demonic lady?
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Date: 2025-09-01 05:25 pm (UTC)(Just in case, because she has no plans to stop being scandalous anytime soon.
If anything, Sophie would just like Clive to have an educated opinion about her. She's so alone in here. Blank slate. No reputation outside the mansion walls, and the one identity she has falls flat when she's not in there — even if she is actively building her own. She'd tell Clive all her shit, if only he could decide to be around her even so.
And with the conviction in Clive's voice, it makes her laugh again.)
Your taste in men needs to be studied.
(Because seriously!! Although, pot, kettle.)
You'd be surprised. If you want, I can do a little...
(Her fingers make a person, index and middle simulating a run — meaning, a little walk around the dude's head. Just, you know, in case.)
Yeah, no, that's fine. I'll ask as we go. I'm sure the others will have their own... And, yeah, demonic lady, lived in Limbo. She explains it better, but yeah, she got here when we were on Earth.
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Date: 2025-09-02 01:40 am (UTC)[That teasing lilt is back. Clive has no intention of going home any time soon. For the first time since… well, for the first time in a bit, he is actually enjoying himself and he isn’t going to let that go. Not yet. He can be selfish for a bit longer.
He shrugs a shoulder.]
Oh, most likely. You should hear about the other ones I’ve been drawn to. I’d like to think my taste in women is a bit more stable, but I guess time will tell.
[Clive chuffs another little laugh.]
I appreciate the offer, but I don’t think you want to go in that guy’s head. I can’t imagine it is the safest place to be.
[He also has a pretty strong feeling that, if Barnabas ever found out, he would go after Sophie with a vengeance and Clive wasn’t willing to put her in danger to confirm something he was already pretty confident in.]
Well, alright then. We are going to be quite the crew, huh?
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Date: 2025-09-02 01:02 pm (UTC)(Good. There just has been too much shit, so if he has consequences over something that is ultimately harmless, and maybe good? She's encouraging it.
At the rest of the conversation, though, she laughs, shaking her head as her hand covers her smile for a second. Okay, yeah, she doesn't need to even imagine, just what he has told her so far is enough for her to know it's a shit show.)
What was it, were you just not held enough as a kid or — I'm joking, of course. I'm not much better. My taste as a Cuckoo? Impeccable and it annoys our mum, so great. My taste as Sophie? Dubious.
(But there's a shrug from her too.)
Everyone thinks that. Ooooh, my head is a mess, oh nooo, you'll be so traumatized. Except, you know, again, millions of brains we hear on a daily, but if you don't want to, that's fine too.
(If he doesn't wanna know, then that's his problem, affectionately and respectfully speaking.)
Oh, yeah. I'm wondering it this place is going to pull any other NYX, because that'd be interesting, too.
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Date: 2025-09-04 12:13 am (UTC)[Clive nods at the waiter as they refill his glass, glad to have something else to focus on for just a second. Not held enough as a child. Ha. Yeah. He wouldn’t be surprised if that actually had something to do with his strange attraction towards the emotionally unavailable.]
Well, then we can have shit taste in men together and probably regularly criticize each other over it.
[He raises his refilled glass as if in a toast.]
I have no idea what goes on up in that brain of his. I’m more worried about what he might do if he finds out that someone tried to invade his privacy on such an intimate level. Have you seen where the guy lives?
[Not a facetious question.]
NYX?
nsfwish
Date: 2025-09-04 01:09 pm (UTC)(Respectfully, playfully, honestly, affectionately, gently, etc.
She's gotta order a wine for this, as well as some appetizers that pair ridiculously well with what she is ordering for them. Trust her, bro.)
Maybe I'll tell you someday, right now, the least I think, the best it is. I can tell you that, actually? I'm the worst Cuckoo to ask advice from about these things. I've never dated on my own, and Cable was... Well, we just wanted to fuck with him and fuck him. It wasn't that deep. And, uh, boring, he's not a great telepath.
(Perhaps Clive hasn't put those things together yet. All the ramifications of her power — sex is perceived in the brain, and she has access to all of it. Sensations, perceptions, pleasure, pain, she can mix it, remix it, change it, intensify it, numb it, anything she can think of, really. Imagination is the limit. Imagine how she perceives sex, it's a whole thing.)
Fine, fine. I mean, I might? I know where everyone is, I just don't look to know which people are where. It's kinda like seeing a rando in the street for me. Where is it? Was he also not held as a kid?
(Just making sure. And, uh, yeah. Okay.)
.... Yeah, so, NYX here? The building I do community stuff with? It's where I do community stuff at home, too. I had a villain-lite era, fucked everyone up, and then we kind of came together to undo the damage. NYX is the place and the team. It's, uh, me, Hellion, Ms. Marvel, Laura, the one we had here except grown and from my world, Synch, Prodigy, Kidden, and Anole.
Yay!! I get to play the rare occasion where Clive accidentally makes an innuendo and doesn't realize
Date: 2025-09-06 02:12 am (UTC)[He’s hitting a point where he does not disagree, not even a little bit.
And of course he’ll trust Sophie’s taste. If she wanted to poison him, she probably could have figured out a better way by now. Also, he didn’t exactly have a refined palate. He’d spent more time eating what he could to survive than eating nice things so.]
Do you only have sex with other telepaths?
[The thought does, indeed, occur to him almost as the words leave his mouth. He wonders how boring it must be for someone who can do so much with their mind be met with someone who could do so little.
Thankfully, Clive hadn’t been actively taking a sip when Sophie made the joke at Barnabas’ expense. He smiles behind his glass.]
I have no idea, but I wouldn’t be surprised. He lives in Stonhyrr. The big, creepy castle out to the west. Tall walls, foreboding, now has a giant crystal that causes constant thunderstorms in what is essentially its back yard. It’s like something out of a gothic novel.
[He may have fallen down a rabbit hole on the gothic novel front. They were surprisingly engrossing.]
So it’s from your home then. What’s it like, having it here?
[Personally, he wasn’t sure he could have something so important to him in Etraya without the people that gave the place its life.]
bless him
Date: 2025-09-06 02:30 am (UTC)(Not that she minds? If he noticed, talking about sex is definitely the easiest thing there is for her. Easiest than literally any other sentiments.)
I've only ever have, yes. Can't even imagine what non-psychic sex must be like, and God forbid. Do you realize I know exactly what being with me is like? Great stuff. Wonderful for my ego.
(Oh, yikes.)
... Yeah, definitely the case. Cripes, that's edgy. Compensating?
(Just making sure, her shoulder shrugging as she sips on the wine.)
I asked for it. I suck as a person. That place makes me suck less, or try to. Keeps me honest.
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