Dr. Miles Cross's Office, Sept 27 and on.

by **Miles Cross** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 1:18 am

"Is that how you felt when you were fighting the vampire?"

by **Veronica Freud** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 1:32 am

Veronica scrunched her face a bit. "Noooot really. Fightin' tends to taint it a bit. Workin' big is fine but fighting and hitting people and stuff isn't very fun."

by **Miles Cross** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 1:42 am

"Right.

Well, there's nothing wrong with enjoying your powers--in fact, it's kind of a nice change of pace, considering how many people out there who have serious issues with their own. I also think it's healthy that you're concerned with your actions--you have set your own personal boundries, and realize you exceeded them.

Tell me, how did your teammates react to you?"

by **Veronica Freud** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 1:52 am

Veronica smiled softly, taking a little pride in apparently being pretty comfortable with her abilities.

"You mean, when I stepped on that girl? One said gross, the rest just walked away like they didn't even care. Like I had just stepped on a cockroach or somethin'."

by **Miles Cross** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 2:15 am

"Do you wish they had made a bigger deal out of it?"

by **Veronica Freud** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 8:26 am

"Well yeah! I mean, it's kind of a big deal." She frowned. "I ain't looking for attention or nothin' but something like that shouldn't be somethin' you're nonchalant about."

by **Miles Cross** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 8:29 am

Miles nods. "You're right, it absolutley is a big deal--no one's going to sit here and tell you it's not. At the same time, it was an accident---perhaps they just didn't want you to dwell on it during a mission?"

by **Veronica Freud** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 8:53 am

"Mm, maybe. I didn't think of that. It's not like they congradulated me on it either so maybe yer right." Veronica stared at the ceiling and squeezed her palms together.

by **Miles Cross** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 8:57 am

"It's important to remember, too, that these people were trying to kill you. They weren't going to knock you out and let you go or anything--they'd killed and would kill again. Whether or not that allows you to justify it to yourself is a personal thing, but you have to realize, that is the stakes that you are playing for when you're on an X-Mission--too frequently, if you ask me.

With your powers, if you develop and keep practicing, you will be able to cut down on people dying in these situations--but it will never go away completley. Some people are zealots, and won't let anything else stop them. You have to figure out if you're willing to accept that."

by **Veronica Freud** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 5:07 pm

Veronica listened silently and nodded her head.

"Wow, you're good at this."

by **Miles Cross** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 5:15 pm

"Veronica, I think you're a good person. And I think that's what we need more of on the X-teams. Your reluctance to use excessive force is refreshing and useful. You just need to decide what's best for Veronica Freud--not for your teammates, or for the university, or anything like that."

by **Veronica Freud** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 6:01 pm

"Then I guess I'll just have to be the best me I can be and set a good example for everyone else."

Veronica pushed herself back into a sitting position and took a sip from her coffee cup. "... I think I'll stay a reservist for now. Helping out when I'm needed. I think I still need a little more practice. But that's better than callin' it quits."

by **Miles Cross** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 8:23 pm

"Practice is a good idea, yes," Miles smiled. "Do you have someone you can work with? Maybe someone a little tougher than normal so you can know when you've exceeded your limits? The danger room is great and everything, but sometimes, another flesh and blood person can do worlds of good."

by **Veronica Freud** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 8:32 pm

"Gosh, I hadn't thought of that. I'll have to find someone pretty tough to stand up against me." The sentence sounded so out of place coming from the mouth of a girl as short and petite as Veronica. She took another slurp of coffee.

"Wanted: sparring partner. Indestructibility preferred."

by **Miles Cross** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 8:34 pm

"The feedback certainly helps--people with tougher than normal constitutions tend to be very aware of how much damange they are taking.

And this is just the right place to send out a want ad like that," Miles smiled. "Just have to find someone willing to be your guinea pig, I suppose."

by **Veronica Freud** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 8:59 pm

"Oh wow, I get to be on the other end of the experiment. Cool! Back at the Institute I used to be the guinea pig."

Veronica stood up after having finished her cup of coffee. "I'm feelin' a lot better Doc. You really helped me sort things out."

by **Miles Cross** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 9:25 pm

"If you need any more help--anything at all--I'm always open. Even if you just want to rant to someone without it getting anywhere," he smiled.

by **Veronica Freud** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 9:54 pm

"Thanks doc, I'll totally keep that in mind." Veronica smiled and shook Miles' hand before turning toward the door.

by **Victoria Valentine** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 9:37 am

((Sept 28th - Evening.))

Victoria knocked on the door, opening it slightly. "You wanted to see me, Doc?"

by **Miles Cross** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 9:45 am

"Ah, yes Victoria. Thank you for agreeing to come in on such short notice. Please, have a seat--would you like some coffee?"

by **Victoria Valentine** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 9:50 am

"That depends. Is it staffroom coffee or is it good coffee?" she asked with a little smile.

by **Miles Cross** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 10:07 am

"I would never befoul my office with that sludge," Miles smiled, pouring two cups. "Here. Please, sit down. Do you know why I've asked you here?"

by **Victoria Valentine** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 10:10 am

"The lives we lead here? It could be a number of things," she said, shrugging as she took her seat.

by **Miles Cross** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 10:13 am

"It's about an incident earlier, in the cafeteria. With Merle McClintock.

Let me make clear that you're NOT in trouble or anything; that's not my department. I just wanted to talk about it."

by **Victoria Valentine** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 10:15 am

Victoria rolled her eyes in disgust. "Oh my god, someone reported that? If someone would tell that great giant idiot to leave people alone when they tell him to piss off, things would be a lot easier."

by **Miles Cross** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 10:16 am

"You have a problem with Mr. McClintock, then?"

by **Victoria Valentine** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 10:20 am

"I think he's a great giant idiot, and I have just about zero patience for such people."

by **Miles Cross** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 10:21 am

"Tell me more about that. Did this start on your mission together? During the attacks and protesters on campus?"

by **Victoria Valentine** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 10:28 am

Victoria rolled his eyes. "The man is a drama queen. He gets a little leg wound, and starts bawling that he needs to get to a hospital. For a single stab wound. Then he was going around on bloody crutches for it. And this was the man who was supposed to be our tough guy," she said in disgust.

by **Miles Cross** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 10:31 am

"How bad was he actually hurt? If he was going around on crutches, surely it was more than a nick."

by **Victoria Valentine** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 10:35 am

"It was a stab to the thigh. He was treating it like it was cut off," she said, rolling her eyes. "He could have limped on it with no damage. Trust me. I field-dressed it. It wasn't that bad."

by **Miles Cross** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 10:38 am

"Victoria, correct me if I'm wrong, but you're less sensative to pain, yes? Merle doesn't have any such advantages--is it possible you overestimated his ability to handle it? After all, if I were stabbed in the leg, I would definitley avail myself of crutches."

by **Victoria Valentine** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 10:56 am

"Yes, but combine this with his constant moaning about how he needed to be hospitalized, please. He was being a drama queen. Coming to whine about me to you like I have some vendetta against him is just another sign of it."

by **Miles Cross** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 10:58 am

"Of course, I can't talk about what I talked about with another patient, or even if their status as a patient or not.

DO you have a vendetta against him? Why did you throw him the other day?"

by **Victoria Valentine** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 11:06 am

"Of course I don't. I don't care enough about that idiot to have a vendetta against him. I was trying to have a discussion with my friend about what happened on the missions. Captain Meatshield comes over, trying to blame her for his utter failures on the mission. I told him, in no uncertain terms, to leave. He only did under threat of violence."

"As for why I threw him? Simple. First, he comes up, calling me 'V' like I'm his friend. I don't like him, so he isn't my friend, and I don't even let my friends call me that. My mother named me Victoria. Not V, not Vicki, not any of those other stupid little names people try to call me. Then, the smug little bastard blew a kiss at me. I'm sorry, but the thought of him giving me any sort of kiss, even non-physical, makes my skin crawl."

She shrugged, taking a sip of her coffee. "I'm sure I overreacted a bit, but it certainly felt very therapeutic."

by **Miles Cross** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 11:12 am

Miles chuckles a little. "It certainly can, although I would suggest, in the future, not using an unwilling, injured person to release your anger

Interesting--you don't like him not calling you by your given name, but you call him Captain Meatshield. Why is that?"

by **Victoria Valentine** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 11:14 am

She shrugged. "Why not?"

by **Miles Cross** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 11:18 am

"Well, you made a great deal out of the fact that he doesn't call you Victoria. Is that a lack of what you feel is proper respect?"

by **Victoria Valentine** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 11:42 am

Victoria chuckled. "So your question is am I aware of the hideous double standard that I hold on the subject? Of course I am. I have an incredibly high value of myself that probably borders on narcissism, and an almost utter disregard for the dignity of people that I think are complete idiots. Everyone else falls somewhere in the middle. I don't suffer fools, and Merle is one of the biggest ones I've ever met. There's nothing more and nothing less to it than that."

by **Miles Cross** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 11:44 am

"Alright, let's focus on that. Why is Merle a fool? You've called him a fool, smug, an idiot, a drama queen--is it just because he got hurt on the mission and acts overly friendly?"

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