folkooc | TFLN aka Tales from Folkmore

Couple miles down the road in Lapine. All the houses are in burrows in the hills. I used to live in an apartment my ... employer set up to remind me of the forties, and then after that I lived in a post-modern nightmare, but at least it had giant windows overlooking upstate. But I like Lapine.

[ It's really nice to sit down and have tea and some polite conversation. Charles is such a nice man. ]

Does your house back home look like this?

[ He can't imagine it because he said he was from New York, right? This cottage is so English. But then again, maybe New York's only a new home, because uh, sorry Charles but that Oxford's really coming through. ]

Oh, the little houses in the hills! I thought they were adorable. ( he stops short of asking steve how he managed to fit himself in that, instead choosing to just sip on his tea for a bit to hide the flush on his cheeks. charles clears his throat and cuts himself a slice of that cake to chew on, politely swallowing it down before he answers steve's question about his house back home. )

My home in New York is more of a mansion actually. It's far, far bigger than this. But I did live in a flat while I was studying in Oxford. ( not to seem like a brat. he quite likes the comfort of a smaller home. )

What exactly did you mean though, when you said, your employer set you up in a place that reminded you of the forties? I don't quite understand. ( steve had lost him there. post-modern nightmare? what? )

[ Feels weird having to talk about this so much after years of everyone just knowing and not asking him because they didn't want to make things awkward. On the bright side, it's been a few years now, and he's also not alone anymore. ]

I, uh, guess the nice way to put it is I took a nap in some ice from 1945 to 2012.

[ Hence why he doesn't look like an old man. But right, Charles isn't from his earth and he's probably never heard of the Super Soldier program. Even then, kind of a leap in logic. ]

I was put into a program before that. To make super soldiers.

[ Technically he's Weapon 1 to Wolverine's Weapon X. Bet that'll be a fun surprise in the reboot. ]

( steve has absolutely no idea how tempted charles is to just read his mind and get all the answers he's looking for, but he's resisting the urge. it's a complete invasion of privacy and he shouldn't do that. he moves his telepathic reach elsewhere instead, scanning the nearby area for signs of life. it's quiet in gram. peaceful. no one else is about at this time of the day. )

I'm sorry about what happened to you. For all those years you lost. Was it an accident?

Uh. Not exactly.

[ He might as well tell the whole story now. ]

I was on a plane with missiles headed towards a few cities. Decided to put her in the water. Thought they'd all explode, but I guess all of us froze.

[ He did say he went under in 1945 so hopefully Charles draws the conclusion that it was during the war, unless the war didn't happen on his Earth, in which case this is just going to be an awkward conversation. ]

They gave up looking for me eventually. Finding me was an accident. Don't think anyone expected I'd still be alive.

( not at all something he'd expected to hear. ) You're a war hero. You saved the world. ( well, looks can certainly be deceiving. he thought perhaps steve here was just a bit of a gym rat. back home those fitness centers have started flooding the market and quite a number of people have gotten into bodybuilding. not charles though. he's not the sort who has any interest whatsoever in lifting weights. )

It must have been a jarring experience, waking up decades later. ( now he understands that bit about the 1940s apartment that was set up for steve. ) I am so sorry if you've lost any friends or family.

[ Yeah, he looks a bit sheepish about that. Sure he's a hero, but he doesn't really like it when people confront him about it. So many others deserve just as much praise. And he never knows whether he should just accept it or tell people he doesn't expect or need it.

He's glad to have Charles move on. ]

It was hard at first. But I made some great friends who helped me adjust.

So, anyway, I never lived through 1962, but I think maybe we're closer together than a lot of the others. Time-wise.

( steve here is far too humble, but charles can absolutely respect that. )

I suppose you're right. I've a friend here who's from my world, but he's not from 1962 either. He's from two decades ahead of me in the future. His name's Erik. I don't know if you've met him yet. But it's odd, isn't it? Time being what it is... ( he sips his tea again before motioning for steve to eat his cake. he hasn't really touched it. )

What's a super soldier?

[ Oh yes, sure, he'll have some cake. ]

I don't think I've met Erik. But I've got friends here from further ahead in the timeline. Not two decades, just one. But you'll get all sorts here. You and me, we're lucky. Some people don't get anyone from home.

[ And then after a sip of tea. ]

The Super Soldier serum was one that was supposed to make the target faster, stronger, and more durable. The formula got destroyed after I was made, and plenty of people have tried to reverse engineer it.

Guess it's pretty local to my Earth.

Oh, there's a baby Kraken in the lake that reverses it. Or nullifies it. All powers, I think. So if you have any or know anyone who does, don't go near it.

[ He says this so casually like he doesn't care if Charles has powers. He really doesn't. ]

( he does feel incredibly lucky that he has someone he knows here. even if things are complicated between him and erik. it just makes everything feel less daunting somehow. it also helps to make new friends too. charles thinks he likes steve. he seems so honest and open, and he's a good man. charles is thankful for that warning about the baby kraken, and he makes a mental note to avoid the lake for now. as much as he's curious about the existence of a legendary sea monster, it's best he be careful. )

Strange seems to be the new normal here then. ( it seems most people in folkmore have some special ability or other. he's even heard that some legends have been given super strength, but charles hadn't been so lucky. his only superpower is still just his telepathy. )

Back home, if you're different, people tend to fear you. I've noticed the spirit folks in town just going about their daily affairs and no one seems to mind them, and they don't seem to mind us either. It's wonderful, really. ( he smiles as he refills their tea cups. ) I have always dreamt of a world where we could all coexist peacefully together. Always believed it'd be possible, and now I suppose it truly is.

Sure does.

[ Steve's been lucky - he was created by the government and then immediately went and became propaganda, so the general reception to him has always been decent to excellent.

He'd never understood the idea of fearing someone for their differences, without getting to know them. He only understood that as part of human nature, but he can't square it with his conscience. ]

I'm sorry, Charles. For what it's worth, things aren't like that here, really. There's people of all kinds here - elves, think there were a few robots, spirit folks, fairies - so I think you'll get to see what it's like for everyone to coexist.

It's actually kind of nice. On the grand scale of everyone around here, I'm so normal, I'm almost boring.

Ah. You're far from dull, Steve. Just from our conversation the past few minutes alone, I am awed and fascinated. I'd love to hear more about you and get to know you better. ( he takes another bite of his cake and sips on his tea. he wants to ask steve about the future. about what 2018 is like. but he thinks he should probably share something about himself first. )

I have the ability to read your mind and project thoughts into your head. Odd, isn't it? ( charles sends the telepathic message through as he continues to eat more cake. ) But don't worry, I haven't read your mind, and I won't. I've made a promise to myself to not do that without someone's permission. ( and so far, so good. well. at least, whenever he can help it. sometimes it takes conscious effort to block people out. )

I'm sorry if that frightened you. ( he's cut off the telepathic communication for now. ) I didn't want you to be the only one sharing information about yourself. You've told me so much. ( it only seems fair. ) I am a mutant. That's the term we use for those who've been born with extraordinary abilities. My power is telepathy.

[ He's about to say something but then when he opens his mouth, another voice comes in his head. He's a little shocked at first, but quickly gets over it. ]

Oh, wow. It's really clear in there.

[ He smiles and then quickly projects the invasive thought that he wonders if Charles can hear him if he thinks super loudly, and then quickly that he should hide his embarrassing thoughts, and then that he wonders if his friend Erik is a mutant too, and then thinks that's embarrassing and he can't just assume Charles only has mutant friends. ]

--Sorry if you heard any of that.

[ He clears his throat. ]

Back home I've got a friend who can read minds, too, but I don't think she can do it like that. Maybe for her it's more about creating an illusion.

But there's different forms of magic here too, so I wouldn't be surprised if there were different kinds of telepathy.

( charles will simply sip on his tea some more, casually pretending he hadn't heard any of steve's thoughts. he's well practiced in the art of keeping a straight face, no matter what he's hearing, and he has heard the worst of it, really. for the sake of his sanity, he's learned to ignore most things. there are far too many people who think about murdering their spouse or sibling or friend or other. simply thinking about something like that isn't a crime however. )

An illusion, you say? ( suddenly steve will find himself sitting by the lake. it's a beautiful day out, gorgeous blue skies, double rainbows, crystal clear water. it's peaceful. quiet. ) So far, I've only ever met one other telepath. And you're right about us all being different.

Have flying cars finally become a reality in 2018? ( that's what most people seem to imagine when they think about the future. the aerocar made a successful flight in 1949, but so far, there has been no attempts to mass produce it thanks to regulation concerns. )

[ He looks around and touches the grass. It all feels so real; it even feels warm, and it smells like a meadow. Huh. ]

Maybe you've met Wanda. But she mostly moves things with her mind. I don't think she likes being in other people's heads so much.

[ Mostly because people tend to be scared of her for doing so. Somehow the physical makes her less scary, he thinks. Oh wait, Charles can hear this, can't he? Either way, his memories of Wanda come to the forefront, of a girl who just wanted to protect her family and her people, who had left him with a memory of his past, who had turned around and realized she'd made the wrong choice and had been good ever since. ]

--No, though we did have a helicarrier. It's like a whole building in the sky.

No, I haven't met Wanda just yet. I haven't met a lot of people, in fact. But I'm looking forward to it. ( he'll end the illusion then. the serene environment disappears, revealing the interior of the cottage they're in. ) Do forgive me for showing off. I don't usually use my abilities unless absolutely necessary. ( let's not count those times he'd read someone's mind in order to find out their favorite beverage of choice. and now... well, now he's using his telepathy on steve, scanning through his brain to find the image of that helicarrier. he's capable of ignoring everything else in order to find exactly what he's looking for. it's like a search engine. it takes mere seconds. charles' eyes widen slightly when he finally sees it. )

That looks... I mean, that sounds amazing. Who owns it?

SHIELD did.

[ he looks down then, clearly having some mixed feelings about that. The thoughts that come up are a montage of Fury, Hill, Coulson dying, but finding out they'd been infiltrated by HYDRA, fighting the corrupt agents in the elevator, releasing all the files... ]

I guess Fury does now.

[ He's assuming Charles is reading his mind, considering his comment about the helicarrier, or else he'd explain Fury. ]

And don't worry. I usually train people with special abilities. Show off all you'd like.

[ Oh, he has a trick too! He spots an area of the cottage that's gathered a bit of dust or where something has fallen or where there's a little stain of a spill that's hard to get out, and points to it so Charles will look, then casts prestidigitation. Sparkly clean. ]

A lot seems to have happened for you since you've been out of the ice. ( in fact, a great many complicated things. he'd been about to ask what sort of people steve helps to train when he's distracted by him casting a cleaning spell. charles looks genuinely surprised. he really hadn't expected that. )

You know magic? ( he claps his hands together, clearly impressed. ) I really wouldn't have figured you to be a wizard. That's amazing.

I'm a novice wizard.

[ He also casts light, and makes something brighten in the distance. A tree, outside the window. ]

I only know a handful of spells.

Anyway, I'm normally not. A wizard, I mean, back home. A merman either. But here, take a look, I'll show you the team.

[ He wonders if he can send Charles thoughts via airdrop or something, and puts his fingers by his temples as if that might work, like he's creating an antenna.

Anyway, he shows little snippets of all the Avengers, fighting together, hanging around listening to one of Thor's tales, out running in the morning. Bruce showing up in New York and turning into the Hulk, Nat kicking Sitwell off the top of a roof and Falcon dropping him back off the top, Tony shooting a repulsor ray at him as he refracts it off his shield... ]

( he's heard about people picking up new abilities while they're here. it's just like the wings he's somehow manage to obtain. thankfully, charles can hide those. he's got nothing against winged individuals of course. he thinks the wings he's been given are absolutely beautiful. he simply prefers to not have them be visible. )

Not bad for a novice wizard. ( it's interesting that one can just pick up these sort of skills in folkmore. perhaps someday he'll have the chance to learn something new as well. ) Oh? ( he smiles when steve offers to let him have a look into his memories. he appreciates how much steve's willing to share and he easily connects to his mind, seeing them all as clear as day. ) You're a team of superheroes! ( they're just like the comics he used to read as a child. ) How wonderful. And are the Avengers here?

A few of them, yeah. Mostly new, except for me.

The weird thing is we're all from different parts of the timeline. There was even one who was here and left, who had my past, but we'd made different decisions and our paths deviated.

Wish he was here. You'd be a lot of help figuring out if we're exactly the same up to that point.

[ He brings up thoughts of the little Steve, the one who'd had Captain Carter instead. ]

Oh, yes, he looks just like you. ( except skinny. ) I heard about there being alternate universes. It must have been interesting to have met an alternate version of yourself. He seems nice. ( he's now wondering what alternate versions of himself would be like. billy said the charles he knew had two kids, but he never married. that's not too surprising considering he's never been in a serious relationship with anyone before. )

Erik's from 1983 which is a whole two decades ahead of me, so I suppose we don't all come from the same timeline. ( since steve said his friends are from different points in time as well. ) But I have seen the future. Erik allowed me to read his mind since I was curious to know... ( he didn't want erik to have to keep him at a distance and avoid him. or worse still, resort to wearing that helmet again. charles puts his tea cup down to refill it. he should count his lucky stars, really. thirteen had pulled him into this world right before he was hit by a stray bullet. he should be paralyzed, but he's not. )

It's a lot to take in. But I don't regret finding out. ( he can't change what's going to happen, he knows that, and yet... ) I am still hopeful. About the future. And about what comes after.

[ Charles saying that makes Steve look down for a moment as he recalls when he'd explained how the future had turned out for Tony, how Bucky had reacted when Steve had asked, but he quickly tries to put those all thoughts aside because Charles can hear them and Steve definitely doesn't want or need Charles knowing about these personal moments.

Snippets of conversations peek through as Steve does the mental equivalent of shoving ones things in a closet before company arrives, and the most stubborn thoughts are the ones Steve deems most important, which are two faces: both crestfallen, one looking betrayed. ]

I've decided I'd rather not know.

[ If it's bad, he won't be able to rest, and if it's good, he won't be able to live in this moment, just chasing towards that future like he's entitled to it.

His mind fires off a "Sorry Charles," as he truly tries to get his mind off the topic, shutting that proverbial closet door shut tight.

He clears his throat. ]

How's the tea? I get it from the farmer's market. There's one every day.

( charles nods, completely respecting steve's decision not to find out. ) Most people wouldn't want to. ( and most people would be better off not knowing. he, on the other hand, felt he needed to in order to better understand erik. he didn't want to risk losing his friend again.

he smiles then, welcoming the change of subject. ) I absolutely love the tea, Steve. ( and he really does. he isn't exaggerating by any means at all. ) I don't think I've ever tasted tea this good and I'm really quite fussy about it. ( very fussy, in fact. )

I actually just went to the farmer's market yesterday. ( he'd bought some fresh ingredients to cook with. ) Would you like to stay for lunch? I do have enough to make us both a meal. ( whether or not it's edible, well... good luck, bruh. )

Oh, sure, I'd like that.

[ He's not aware that Charles' cooking is dangerous, but Steve's prepared because he's had Flynn's cooking. And Tony's cooking. This couldn't possibly be worse than that.

But he is optimistic, because he likes to believe the best in people, and he's sure Charles at least knows how to make a sandwich. ]

Maybe next time I'll treat you to one. But I've been told my cooking's not that great, so it might not be fair.

TFLN aka Tales from Folkmore

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