Marvel: 2010-06-25 - Empathy for the Empath

Siobhan has continued her exploration of the school, expanding to the North grounds. Stumbling upon the lake, she decides to linger here, dropping to sit cross-legged on the ground. At least she's changed to a pair of shorts and comfortable t-shirt. A dress just wouldn't do for this kind of thing. It's rather peaceful at the moment, with no others in the immediate vicinity, and she enjoys the serenity it provides.

The girl below might suddenly sense a very strange kind of thrill. It's a sensation of bliss that few get.. flight. Up above Simone is circling and she spots the young girl below. She slowly descends, skimming the waters of the lake before back winging and landing a few feet from where the young woman sits. "Hi Siobhan.. how are you doing today?" she asks, her second pair of large psi-wings remaining arced over her shoulders. They glisten transparent like frosted blue-white glass.

Siobhan only senses the exhilaration, when you get within ten feet, but her head snaps up.. her gaze searching the horizon until she spots you. Her whole face lights up when she sees you flying, and she has to restrain herself from clapping like a giddy schoolgirl.. oh wait.. she /is/ a school girl. Instead, she raises her hand to wave, wiggling her fingers. "Hello." Her smile warms. "I've been doing all right." The words border on optimistic.. tinged with a little 'failure'.

Simone is all smiles, which is fairly typical after a flight. There's nothing like the wind in one's face, hair and feathers! "That's good to hear.. I imagine this is a pretty big change for you.. "

Siobhan smiles and nods. "For the past three years, I rarely left the house. It's kind of nice to be in a place where I can feel a little more free." Not to mention being able to enjoy more sociable interactions. She leans back, bracing her weight with her hands.

Simone nods. "Is the Professor still dampening your senses?" she asks as she lets her psi wings fade away.

Siobhan furrows her brow slightly as she seriously thinks about the question. "I don't think so." She shakes her head. "He doesn't want to do it too much, because then it might interfere with my learning to deal with them.. at least.. if I remember correctly, that's what he said." She sits up straighter, bringing her hands to rest to either side of her. "Actually.. I was hoping to run into you."

Simone arches a brow. She half grins. "Ah, Okay what's on your mind hon?" she asks, hoping she can assist.

Siobhan chews her lower lip as she filters through her memory, hoping she gets it right. "Professor Xavier suggested finding someone to help me, one on one. I guess it's kind of like exercises, to help me learn to deal with my empathy.. and learn how to control it, instead of it controlling me." Her cheeks tint a light rosy hue. "I felt more comfortable with the idea of working with a girl.. I mean.. a woman." She stammers a bit as she corrects herself, not wanting to offend you.

Simone grins. She doesn't seem offended. "It's okay.. sure, I'd be happy to help." she says with a cheerful nod. "I'll do my best to help. Did he have any other suggestions? I admit I've never met an empath before.. even if I understand the concept.. you feel others emotions.. right? does that mean it impacts you as if they were your own? "

Siobhan nods. "You could say that. It's been difficult to tell.. just by feeling them.. whether they're my own, or from others." She rolls her shoulders, toying with some blades of grass, absently. "It's hard to handle them, when the hit me suddenly. Unlike my own feelings.. I didn't have the underlying, or building up to.. it just hits me.. and I tend to react, before having the time to think."

Siobhan's cheeks flush a dark crimson as she remembers a specific.. recent.. incident.

Simone nods. "I can see how that'd be ah.. challenging.." she says as she keeps a small distance between them, hoping it might help the girl. "I've heard that .. psions often need to build up walls.. has the Professor spoken to you about that?"

Siobhan nods. "It's one of the things he mentioned. The exercises I talked about.. he suggested a one on one.. where the other person.. I don't know how they'd do this, specifically.. would feel an emotion.. and I'd have to try to deal with it. Try different ways.. see what works best."

Simone mmms. "Alright.. I think we can figure something out.. I imagine the more negative emotions are the hardest to deal with, so we should probably start with them? When would you like to start these ah, exercises?"

Siobhan chews her lower lip nervously. "To be honest.. I'm a little nervous about it." She smiles sheepishly. "After all.. I ended up breaking my friend's nose once.. and trying to kiss Alex.." Oops. Did she just say that out loud?

Simone wills herself not to laugh. She's going to be doubly careful not to stick her foot in her mouth with this student. Being a responsible teacher is tricky at times. "... Alex is a nice boy.." she says.. "..but he is a teenaged boy.. ah but to clarify, are you sure you didn't kiss him because you wanted to? if you think he influenced you I can talk to him to watch himself.."

Siobhan's cheeks flush a deep crimson, and she averts her gaze. "He even said he wanted to kiss me.. so I'd know it was his emotions.. but.. it was so abrupt.. and.." She fidgets where she sits. ".. he stopped me. I was /so/ embarrassed."

Simone frowns a bit. "You don't have to be embarrassed.. you've got a challenging gift.. but we'll get it sorted out.. " and boy is she glad Alex had the brains to stop. ".. but you are out of his influence now.. what do you feel about him? " she asks.

Siobhan doesn't look up at you, avoiding your gaze. She absently tugs on a blade of grass, pulling it from the ground. "When I think about him.. my stomach gets all fluttery.. you know.. like butterflies." She twists the blade of grass between her fingers.

Simone smiles wryly. "It sounds like you like him.. " a little infatuation isn't so bad. "Sooo how about we work on resisting other's emotional suggestions perhaps? " she suggests.

Siobhan nods. "It beats punching someone in the nose, when you don't mean it." She smiles, looking up at you. Of course, she doesn't mention the almost kissing part.

Simone chuckles softly. "So " she begins, tapping her chin. "What's the hardest for you right now? Identifying what is your emotion, or just resisting the strength of the alien emotion?"

Siobhan chews her lower lip. "It's hard to say. If the emotion is strong enough.. and it hits me fast.. I don't have time to think first. I just react. When I have time to think about it.. now that I realize it's not schizophrenia.. I can pick out what makes sense, and what doesn't."

Simone nods and says "It's getting pretty late to try to start anything this evening, how about we try for tomorrow, that'll give me a chance to think up some ideas for us to try?" she says.

The evening hour crept up without Siobhan's notice. She eeps softly, hopping to her feet. "Right.. sure.. sounds good."

"Thanks again, Simone." Siobhan gives you a quick hug, unless you stop her, then darts off at a sprint toward the mansion.

Simone has no problem with hugs, she returns it with a grin and watches the girl head back inside. "See you later!" she calls out with a wave.