I was going to make him talk to you if you didn't want to hang out today.
[Said with a laugh, but it's true. Gustave just knows how to make people feel better, even when everything feels awful. Even when things are factually awful, he's honest and genuine and Maelle loves him dearly for it.
At his question, Maelle sighs as she gives it some thought. She can be honest and genuine, too.]
The other Scott... he's nice, I guess. Quiet. Seemed a little lonely, and I think he doesn't really know what to do with himself right now...
[She shrugs. She doesn't make it a habit to befriend people around Gustave's age, but she's inclined to do so with this guy because she knows his sixteen year old self. Maelle tilts her head to the side.]
The better question is what do you think of him? That's more important.
[He knows that Gustave is a good guy-- he's talked to him a couple of times before and he's helped him out back in that fae planet, but he is glad that he's here talking to Maelle. She's just... sort of the person he is closest to in this world, outside of the mutants. Mostly, Sophie, honestly. Her presence grounds him in a way, maybe not get rid of all those tumultuous feelings, but she definitely helps.
Nice, though. Quiet. A little lonely. Yeah, guess he can see those words describing his other self based on the one interaction they've had, although their encounter was much different just because of who he is. But they still didn't get to talk all that much and then they sort of avoided each other since coming back. Honestly, he really doesn't know much about his other self still, only his initial feelings and the stories he's heard from the other mutants.
He looks down at his half-eaten slice for a moment.]
I don't know. Serious. Stick up his ass. [...] Seemed to have some expectations from me, probably because he was a leader or whatever at my age. I told him I wasn't.
[Maelle makes an amused noise. Stick up his ass? Maybe. He was a serious guy...
She shifts her weight to one leg, crossing one ankle over the other.]
Maybe that's the difference, then? You don’t want to be a leader. Makes me wonder if he became a leader because he had to or if he wanted to. I wouldn't want to be a leader of anything.
[Still, if some future version of herself arrived and told her as much, she would... probably not be pleased. Maelle frowns.]
That's... good, right? The more differences the better?
[Is that really true? That he doesn't want to be leader? Or just... thinking that he really doesn't have the talent or character to be one? He doesn't feel like the right person for much of anything, honestly, so the thought of leading a bunch of powerful mutants who have control over their powers feels ridiculous.]
...I don't know his deal at all.
[Another quiet admittance, showing that maybe he really doesn't know this other Scott at all, really. He has his feelings of leadership but are they the same as that older Scott's? Does he have his doubts about shit? He's hard to read, because of those dumb sunglasses--]
But yeah, I guess so? [If he's really different to that other Scott, then he has less worries about being replaced. But then if the other Scott is successful and a leader and everyone that relies on, it feels kind of bad not to be anything like that. Stupid complex shit that doesn't just fit neatly in a black and white view.
A small annoyed groan leaves him before he stares up at the ceiling.]
I don't know, Maelle. Maybe a part of me wanted to kind of... be there for Sophie and the others and not just them helping me.
I get that. Wanting to help, I mean. It’s... hard, when we're perpetually seen as younger. We are, but... it's not like we're incapable of complex thoughts or helping someone deal with their troubles. We're not children.
[Gustave has shared more with her, lately, and if she asks him directly he doesn't lie. But she knows he wants to protect her from a lot of things, including his own trauma and worries. Maelle would do anything to help him--but at the same time, she thinks she's only really good at fighting. If only all problems could be met with a sword.
She musters up a small smile.]
No cheating by having an older version of yourself that others see as a leader.
[Then it's back to serious, and she chews on her bottom lip as she thinks about what to say.]
... do you want advice, or just to talk about it? Or not talk about it anymore. It's all fine by me.
[Maelle really does understand, huh? Hell she's on a team of adults that are definitely older than the mutants that he hangs out with, so she probably gets it worse when it comes to age stuff. There's less of an age gap between them, but the fact that their Scott Summers is like 10 years or so older than all of them and now it's the reverse probably makes things all weird in their own way.
Maybe there's some stuff Maelle and him can't understand, but that doesn't mean they aren't incapable of trying. Or helping in some way. It sucks feeling like a huge burden, granted, he probably hasn't helped with that perception lately with all the moping and sulking from older!Scott appearing.
Yeah, he can admit that, internally.]
Sure, I'll go for advice. [A small shrug, before he starts finishing his pizza--] Only because I listen to you, sometimes.
[Not always, but who is? Enough, though, and she thinks she knows what advice Gustave would give.]
I think... getting to know him might help? He didn't seem that bad, but that was talking to him as if he's just... some other guy here, not a version of you. Maybe if you talk to him like he's some distant cousin that just happens to have the same name as you, it might be easier.
[An almost tired sigh leaves Scott at that, but it's one of begrudging agreement. He did ask for Maelle's advice after all and he really values her opinion, her thoughts. He knows that she really just wants to help.
Also helps that he now has pizza in him--]
I don't know if I can ever fully separate him in my mind like that, but I guess it'd be better to confront the problem than try and continue ignoring it, right? It's not like he'll go away.
[Well, unless he disappears, like a bunch of other mutants in this place. Which. Is also kind of a weird thing, why did Echo bring so many mutants to this world only to send them back or whatever? Whatever, that's something beyond him and he already has enough things on his plate with the arrival of his other self.]
...Although, I think he is trying to give me space. He hasn't moved into the mansion yet.
[It's either that or he doesn't want to be around the other mutants, which Scott highly doubts.]
Does it feel like you're talking to yourself? It's probably weird for him, too. I mean... same name, same need for glasses, same... childhood, maybe? To a point? But a lot of things are different aside from age.
[She's going to confuse herself. She huffs out a breath of air, shaking her head.]
I guess that's why it's like you're cousins, not twins. I know it's hard to separate it, especially for you, but maybe more time will help with that, too.
Not for me, he feels too different... but maybe it is weirder for him, since he is older and already been through the shit I'm dealing with now. He hasn't mentioned anything about me looking like he did when he was my age, but maybe he just didn't want to.
[But they are from different realities, right? So even though they're the same person-- at least in some sense, guess he'd still look different. The Jean he met here looked different enough from the Jean back home, although they're also over 10 years apart. Maybe his Jean would look like that in the future, though he highly doubts it.]
...But thanks, Maelle.
[Time might help, it might not, but Scott does feel a bit better as long as she continues to be his friend and everything. Although with the way she's speaking about time helping with stuff, he can't help but think back about something she mentioned earlier.] By the way, I've been meaning to ask, did something happen to Gustave back home?
[She hopes she's helped, if even just in the way of being someone he can air his concerns with. She knows that would help her.
She doesn't expect him to ask about Gustave, about if something happened, and it's clear in the way she freezes. What do you mean? She could ask, but he's not stupid. It's probably clear in the regard she has for Gustave--something that was always there, but something that's grown so much more since they found one another again. She loves him all the more because she's seen what he would do for her, and she's experienced how empty the world feels without him in it.
Maelle takes a deep breath, eyes settling on a spot on the kitcheb tiles. It's never easy to talk about. Maybe it should be, because Gustave is alive and well, but the memory of that day is still vivid and twists in her chest whenever she thinks about it.]
... he was killed on our expedition. We all ended up dead, in the end, but his death was... violent.
[He knows that he nailed something here, able to discern the way Maelle freezes and almost looks uncomfortable as his question rings in the accompanying silence. It's really not hard to put two and two together now, although Scott doesn't say anything yet, letting her gather her thoughts-- see how she wants to address this. Will he push it? Maybe. Only because he's talked to her about all the shit that's bothered him lately. It feels right to try and listen in return.
He wants to listen, help out if he can. He cares a lot.
Scott leans a little more against the counter behind him, but he doesn't try to get any pizza or anything else, focus entirely on Maelle and how she pulls up the strength to talk about something that's been obviously hurting her for who knows how long. Guess she's better than him when it comes to hiding shit.]
...I'm sorry. [It still hurts, in a way, to hear that they all died in the end, but he still hopes that can be changed. And right now they're focusing on Gustave anyway.] You and the others lost him early on then. Before the end. That sucks.
[.....]
Maybe, but it's sort of like... getting extra time no one thought to have. Seems dumb to waste it.
It did suck. It does suck. [Him being back doesn't make that day go away. They're both haunted by it, and while time has helped a little, Maelle wishes they could forget it entirely. Her gaze stays where it is, there on the floor.]
In Lumiere, the people going on expeditions are the ones with a year left. You're going to die anyway, so... why not die and pave the way for those who come after? [Right?] I guess I thought... we'd at least have that last year together.
[It was taken away. It could have been a Nevron or an accident, but the fact that it was a man makes it hurt worse. It makes her angrier.]
Now we're here, and I'm always worried he'll be taken away again.
[He looks at Maelle, the way her gaze is turned to the ground, and while it's clear she's trying to keep herself together, it's not like it's easy talking about a dead loved one. Even if he's here right now with her, Gustave is still gone-- killed on a journey that they were supposed to be together on. Worse is the thought that he died right in front of her, something that seems rather likely with the way she's talking about it.
Scott doesn't know what to say, not at first. He's never really lost someone like that before. Sure a couple of his friends disappeared from this place, but they're back where they're supposed to be or whatever. When Gustave leaves, he's just... returning to nothing, and it could really happen at any time. Guess the same could be said for the girl in front of him too though.
...Maybe he can understand the feeling of loss, actually.
He swallows. Then steps forward, a small crossing before he suddenly wraps her into a tight hug.]
We'll figure something out.
[He has no idea what that is, but he wants to say something a little comforting.]
[She doesn't get the knocked out of her by force, but he surprises her. They're not really huggy people--at least thus far--but it's not bad. Maelle breathes out an amused sound, bringing her arms up as much as she can to return the hug.]
Makes sense why I follow that old man around so much, yeah? He can't go far or else he gets himself into trouble.
[Not that her being there helped, last time. Maelle breathes in and gives Scott's back a pat.]
We can't go home. So... guess you should get used to there being expeditioners hanging around the city.
[Guess he has to help watch over Gustave too, especially if he bumps into him on a mission. For Maelle and well, Gustave is a pretty decent guy overall anyway. Hopefully this isn't too embarrassing on his end--]
Careful, I think you guys are starting to outnumber us.
[There's only... six of them left? There used to be double the amount of mutants just a few months back and he's not sure what that means, but maybe it's best if he doesn't think about it too hard or even mention it. He doesn't want to leave Maelle alone, even if she has Gustave and the others here. He likes being her friend and everything. It's not like he's fully needed at home-- there's no rush to go back, right?
But he pulls away from their hug with a small smile.]
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[Said with a laugh, but it's true. Gustave just knows how to make people feel better, even when everything feels awful. Even when things are factually awful, he's honest and genuine and Maelle loves him dearly for it.
At his question, Maelle sighs as she gives it some thought. She can be honest and genuine, too.]
The other Scott... he's nice, I guess. Quiet. Seemed a little lonely, and I think he doesn't really know what to do with himself right now...
[She shrugs. She doesn't make it a habit to befriend people around Gustave's age, but she's inclined to do so with this guy because she knows his sixteen year old self. Maelle tilts her head to the side.]
The better question is what do you think of him? That's more important.
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Nice, though. Quiet. A little lonely. Yeah, guess he can see those words describing his other self based on the one interaction they've had, although their encounter was much different just because of who he is. But they still didn't get to talk all that much and then they sort of avoided each other since coming back. Honestly, he really doesn't know much about his other self still, only his initial feelings and the stories he's heard from the other mutants.
He looks down at his half-eaten slice for a moment.]
I don't know. Serious. Stick up his ass. [...] Seemed to have some expectations from me, probably because he was a leader or whatever at my age. I told him I wasn't.
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She shifts her weight to one leg, crossing one ankle over the other.]
Maybe that's the difference, then? You don’t want to be a leader. Makes me wonder if he became a leader because he had to or if he wanted to. I wouldn't want to be a leader of anything.
[Still, if some future version of herself arrived and told her as much, she would... probably not be pleased. Maelle frowns.]
That's... good, right? The more differences the better?
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...I don't know his deal at all.
[Another quiet admittance, showing that maybe he really doesn't know this other Scott at all, really. He has his feelings of leadership but are they the same as that older Scott's? Does he have his doubts about shit? He's hard to read, because of those dumb sunglasses--]
But yeah, I guess so? [If he's really different to that other Scott, then he has less worries about being replaced. But then if the other Scott is successful and a leader and everyone that relies on, it feels kind of bad not to be anything like that. Stupid complex shit that doesn't just fit neatly in a black and white view.
A small annoyed groan leaves him before he stares up at the ceiling.]
I don't know, Maelle. Maybe a part of me wanted to kind of... be there for Sophie and the others and not just them helping me.
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[Gustave has shared more with her, lately, and if she asks him directly he doesn't lie. But she knows he wants to protect her from a lot of things, including his own trauma and worries. Maelle would do anything to help him--but at the same time, she thinks she's only really good at fighting. If only all problems could be met with a sword.
She musters up a small smile.]
No cheating by having an older version of yourself that others see as a leader.
[Then it's back to serious, and she chews on her bottom lip as she thinks about what to say.]
... do you want advice, or just to talk about it? Or not talk about it anymore. It's all fine by me.
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[Maelle really does understand, huh? Hell she's on a team of adults that are definitely older than the mutants that he hangs out with, so she probably gets it worse when it comes to age stuff. There's less of an age gap between them, but the fact that their Scott Summers is like 10 years or so older than all of them and now it's the reverse probably makes things all weird in their own way.
Maybe there's some stuff Maelle and him can't understand, but that doesn't mean they aren't incapable of trying. Or helping in some way. It sucks feeling like a huge burden, granted, he probably hasn't helped with that perception lately with all the moping and sulking from older!Scott appearing.
Yeah, he can admit that, internally.]
Sure, I'll go for advice. [A small shrug, before he starts finishing his pizza--] Only because I listen to you, sometimes.
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[Not always, but who is? Enough, though, and she thinks she knows what advice Gustave would give.]
I think... getting to know him might help? He didn't seem that bad, but that was talking to him as if he's just... some other guy here, not a version of you. Maybe if you talk to him like he's some distant cousin that just happens to have the same name as you, it might be easier.
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Also helps that he now has pizza in him--]
I don't know if I can ever fully separate him in my mind like that, but I guess it'd be better to confront the problem than try and continue ignoring it, right? It's not like he'll go away.
[Well, unless he disappears, like a bunch of other mutants in this place. Which. Is also kind of a weird thing, why did Echo bring so many mutants to this world only to send them back or whatever? Whatever, that's something beyond him and he already has enough things on his plate with the arrival of his other self.]
...Although, I think he is trying to give me space. He hasn't moved into the mansion yet.
[It's either that or he doesn't want to be around the other mutants, which Scott highly doubts.]
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[She's going to confuse herself. She huffs out a breath of air, shaking her head.]
I guess that's why it's like you're cousins, not twins. I know it's hard to separate it, especially for you, but maybe more time will help with that, too.
[Which is the shitty part.]
Time does help with a lot. Unfortunately.
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[But they are from different realities, right? So even though they're the same person-- at least in some sense, guess he'd still look different. The Jean he met here looked different enough from the Jean back home, although they're also over 10 years apart. Maybe his Jean would look like that in the future, though he highly doubts it.]
...But thanks, Maelle.
[Time might help, it might not, but Scott does feel a bit better as long as she continues to be his friend and everything. Although with the way she's speaking about time helping with stuff, he can't help but think back about something she mentioned earlier.] By the way, I've been meaning to ask, did something happen to Gustave back home?
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She doesn't expect him to ask about Gustave, about if something happened, and it's clear in the way she freezes. What do you mean? She could ask, but he's not stupid. It's probably clear in the regard she has for Gustave--something that was always there, but something that's grown so much more since they found one another again. She loves him all the more because she's seen what he would do for her, and she's experienced how empty the world feels without him in it.
Maelle takes a deep breath, eyes settling on a spot on the kitcheb tiles. It's never easy to talk about. Maybe it should be, because Gustave is alive and well, but the memory of that day is still vivid and twists in her chest whenever she thinks about it.]
... he was killed on our expedition. We all ended up dead, in the end, but his death was... violent.
[He was wrong. The gommage was much kinder.]
I know, I cling to him a lot, huh?
[That's why.]
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He wants to listen, help out if he can. He cares a lot.
Scott leans a little more against the counter behind him, but he doesn't try to get any pizza or anything else, focus entirely on Maelle and how she pulls up the strength to talk about something that's been obviously hurting her for who knows how long. Guess she's better than him when it comes to hiding shit.]
...I'm sorry. [It still hurts, in a way, to hear that they all died in the end, but he still hopes that can be changed. And right now they're focusing on Gustave anyway.] You and the others lost him early on then. Before the end. That sucks.
[.....]
Maybe, but it's sort of like... getting extra time no one thought to have. Seems dumb to waste it.
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In Lumiere, the people going on expeditions are the ones with a year left. You're going to die anyway, so... why not die and pave the way for those who come after? [Right?] I guess I thought... we'd at least have that last year together.
[It was taken away. It could have been a Nevron or an accident, but the fact that it was a man makes it hurt worse. It makes her angrier.]
Now we're here, and I'm always worried he'll be taken away again.
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Scott doesn't know what to say, not at first. He's never really lost someone like that before. Sure a couple of his friends disappeared from this place, but they're back where they're supposed to be or whatever. When Gustave leaves, he's just... returning to nothing, and it could really happen at any time. Guess the same could be said for the girl in front of him too though.
...Maybe he can understand the feeling of loss, actually.
He swallows. Then steps forward, a small crossing before he suddenly wraps her into a tight hug.]
We'll figure something out.
[He has no idea what that is, but he wants to say something a little comforting.]
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[She doesn't get the knocked out of her by force, but he surprises her. They're not really huggy people--at least thus far--but it's not bad. Maelle breathes out an amused sound, bringing her arms up as much as she can to return the hug.]
Makes sense why I follow that old man around so much, yeah? He can't go far or else he gets himself into trouble.
[Not that her being there helped, last time. Maelle breathes in and gives Scott's back a pat.]
We can't go home. So... guess you should get used to there being expeditioners hanging around the city.
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[Guess he has to help watch over Gustave too, especially if he bumps into him on a mission. For Maelle and well, Gustave is a pretty decent guy overall anyway. Hopefully this isn't too embarrassing on his end--]
Careful, I think you guys are starting to outnumber us.
[There's only... six of them left? There used to be double the amount of mutants just a few months back and he's not sure what that means, but maybe it's best if he doesn't think about it too hard or even mention it. He doesn't want to leave Maelle alone, even if she has Gustave and the others here. He likes being her friend and everything. It's not like he's fully needed at home-- there's no rush to go back, right?
But he pulls away from their hug with a small smile.]
But I think I can deal with that.