Retired — Roleplayer Guild

Location: The Xavier Institute - Westchester, New YorkNew Mutants #1.10
Interaction(s): @Bounce

Danielle Moonstar remembered the exact moment she discovered her mutant nature. She could accurately recall every emotion and thought that had coursed through her that day eleven years ago. The terror-filled cries that had surrounded her then remained with her today. Dani knew the date and even time of day that she had first been introduced to Charles Xavier, as well as the subsequent day she had been brought to the man's mansion. It hadn't been a school then. Not in the way the Institute existed now. 

It was then and there she had met who would become the most cherished individuals in her life. Sam Guthrie, Xi'an Coy Manh, Roberto da Costa, and Rahne Sinclair. Her friends, then teammates, then family. It was with them, barely a year after she had first arrived at Xavier's home, that she had found herself christened with a new name and thrust into the world of wonderous adventures, crazy heroics, and constant pain and danger that was being an X-Man. 

As Mirage, she had experienced more in the last decade than an average human could ever hope to experience in a thousand lifetimes. She has saved lives and taken them; traveled to outer space and visited the literal land of the dead. She once attended the trial of a god, then two days later fought single combat against a cosmic entity for the fate of the Earth. She has attended more funerals, put to rest more close friends than she cares to think about. 

Dani Moonstar, seasoned X-Man, has seen and done much in her short life. Yet she now found herself in an endeavor and role that was entirely new to her.

The young woman glanced at her phone. The digits on the display rhythmically ticking down told her there wasn't much time remaining. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, chin propped atop both fists. From Dani's vantage point she could watch the students, her students, frantically toiling away beneath her. 

It had been almost two weeks since the five of them had been assigned to her. The X-Man had been tasked with their training, to hone their skills and mutant abilities in a way that would make them useful for the team one day. Of course, that wasn't how the concept had been pitched nor described, but Dani felt that that was ostensibly what this was. Taking the newest generation of mutant students and turning them into battle-ready warriors for 'the cause.' 

It was odd, she thought. Looking back, Dani knew she had been just as young as a couple of her students were now, and even less prepared than they were. Yet seeing the five of them made her feel as if they were infinitely more childlike than she, Sam, Xi'an, Roberto, and Rahne had ever been. Had they been this immature? It didn't seem right that these... kids should be in such a position. That they should be trained and prepared for some future war that may never come. Or, worse, that would. 

It was hypocritical, Dani knew. She had been that child once, whether she had felt like it at the time or not. It wasn't like she didn't believe in Xavier's dream, either, nor was she clueless to the realities of how such a dream would possibly be achieved. With the way the world was, now more than ever with the world shining an ever-brighter spotlight on mutants, adolescent warriors and defenders would be necessary. If not for the cause then at the very least for survival. 

Still, it pained her to be involved in the process of turning them into said junior soldiers, regardless of how essential and inevitable it may be. She'd do it, of course. Dani never once even considered declining the role of teacher and trainer when she had been approached. Despite all of her misgivings, the X-Man understood the importance, and better she knew if she did decline someone else would take her position. The future generation would be trained with or without her, and if that were to be the case then Dani was determined to give the students assigned to her the best course possible. 

Which, admittedly, was easier said than done. Each of her students had vastly different personalities that clashed more often than not, and things had gotten off to a rocky start. It seemed to Dani that she had been assigned a particularly difficult set of students. A layabout who refused to participate, two strong-willed and commanding personalities, and a pair of self-doubting roommates who each seemed terrified at the notion of training for opposite reasons. It wasn't what she had been expecting, and it left Dani having to entirely reevaluate her planned regimen. 

Her phone chimed softly, letting the freshman instructor know that only two minutes remained. The students wouldn't complete the task she had set them, that much was certain. Four of the five were madly scrambling around, desperately trying to complete their objective, while the fifth relaxed in the far corner paying no mind to the chaos around him. Dani had specifically chosen this training exercise for the group after a long ten days of evaluations. It was meant to target their most crippling weakness. By forcing them to confront what they lacked the most, Dani planned for the five to eventually adapt and find their groove.

They were meant to fail. The assignment itself was impossible. Dani doubted even the most skilled of the X-Men working together could accomplish the task in the allotted time, but the goal of the exercise had never been to win. 

Dani silently observed as her two most headstrong students worked together, albeit awkwardly. A week ago the older of the two wouldn't have given the other the time of day, and despite all of the yelling and swearing that was involved in the process, Dani considered the display a success. Teambuilding and communication, the X-man knew, would be just as valuable, if not more so, than any combat training she could offer them. 

As the timer on her phone went off, Dani reached over and disengaged the Danger Room's programming. Hardlight projections of partially assembled Ikea furniture and loose screws dissolved mid-construction eliciting a frustrated groan from at least one of the students. 

Pressing a button on the control panel, the speakers inside the Danger Room activated. "Time's up, guys. Nice effort today. The rest of the weekend is yours to enjoy and we'll pick things back up on Monday." 

As the students filed out, Dani let her thoughts once more slip back to her time as a teenager. As an X-Man-in-training alongside Sam and the others. Of the years she spent with her own team of young mutants who she would come to consider her family. 

She pulled her phone out once more and searched out the only album of photos she kept saved. Dani swiped through the pictures until she found the one she wanted. Taken a decade ago it showed five fresh-faced teenagers, arms slung around one another's shoulders. Cocky, excited expressions plastered their young faces. 

She wished she could go back. Tell them they weren't ready. That they needed more time. That they should return to their former, everyday lives. She also wished she could go back to those days and live them all over again. To enjoy the simpler times with the people she had loved the most. 

Sam. Xi'an. Roberto. Rahne. 

She wished she lived in a time where half of her chosen family wasn't gone. 

Out of everything Dani had experienced, of all the adventures she had gone on, the battles she'd fought, and the evils she'd vanquished, none, she knew, could be as important as what she experienced now. Dani had the opportunity to give the upcoming generation of new mutants the lessons she wished she'd had. Dani had the chance to give her students what she knew they'd need. 

It wasn't her goal to train them to become X-Men. Dani didn't care if they grew up to trek across the galaxy or fight against Earth-threatening foes. She didn't concern herself with the idea they were to become soldiers in the battle for mutant equality.

All Dani cared about was ensuring they had all the tools at their disposal to endure. 

To overcome. 

To survive.

<Snipped quote by Retired>

It was going to be a rather extended collaboration, with Dr Fate seeking Xavier's help making sure his memories aren't scrambled. I was imagining that it would have taken place at the X-Institute, so I think maybe having one of the dedicated X-Men players help me out with it would be appreciated. Don't really know what they're up to at this juncture.@Dead Cruiser

To my knowledge, there are no longer any players with a member of the X-Men as their character. Bounce and I are playing Xavier students on their journey to junior X-Men status. Doc dropped Xavier awhile ago, before our recent revival, and I wouldn't expect him or anyone else to pick Xavier back up. Your planned extended storyline may have to be less extended now. So long as you're not doing anything dramatic with Xavier, feel free to use him as an NPC to wrap up your storyline so you can continue with the narrative you'd like to tell. Whatever allows you to get back to writing without worrying about collaborative hangups.

On another note, as usual, I failed to post by the intended date I set. Decided to scrap my post entirely and start anew. My weekdays are usually busy, but I'm going to carve out some time today and tomorrow after work to get a post finished.

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"Hayao Miyazaki"

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