Family issues (Mama T)

This was unexpected. The woman was TALL. Like, a whole foot taller than him and fit, like an older Serena williams or something. She was, however, very welcoming, she already knew his name and offered him her hand, which he shook in courteous fashion as she closed the door behind him. The dogs followed their master, then flopped suddenly on the floor.

That was odd. He hadn't even commanded them to do that but once in a while they acted on their own.

"Thank you ma'am. It's very nice to meet you" he said. Mama Haxton had raised a polite son and whenever the opportunity arose, he was conscious to show it, specially with his elders. "I'm very glad you could see me and I'm hoping not to take too much of your time."

As he waited to be offered a seat, he felt something was amiss. He instinctively brought his hands up, but both were obviously still there and yet, why did he feel... incomplete? Like something he could feel before was no longer there?

Unknown to him yet, the red glow from his dog's eyes was no longer there.

Miles took a seat as she told him he had all the time he needed to work on his issues which he found reassuring, but then she followed that with a warning. Adapted? That's the first time he had heard of such a thing and he even found it hard to believe. Did mutations have some kind of on and off switch she could flip at will? She had no reason to lie to him though, so he took her word for it, besides, he thought of his mutation as a curse and having it turned off for a few hours would be a blessing. Then again, unless someone actually died and he felt all conflicted and weepy about it, he didn't foresee his mutant abilities suddenly going off at any mom...

His train of thought derailed. His dogs remained lying on the ground by the door, lifeless... well, more lifeless than usual. This was so not like them, they usually stood still and shined their red eyes over OH MY GOD!

Miles looked befuddled at Mama T and then back at his dogs.

"My dogs... they... is this what you mean by that?... I..."

The boy didn't wait for explanations. He stood up from the chair and ran back at his canines, calling their names. "Astor! Tinaker! What...?"

The moment he put some distance between himself and Mama T however, the dogs eyes lit up again, like computers getting restarted. They stood then sat down like nothing had happened, waiting for orders. Miles checked on them, realizing that her counselor could indeed shut off his powers when near him and his dogs were tied to him in ways he could not explain yet. The moment he returned back to his seat near Mama T, the dogs eyes blacked out and they flopped to the ground once more.

He stared into the woman's dark eyes.

"That's all kinds of awesome... AND creepy at the same time."

Questions? Miles had tons of questions. When did she find out she was an adapted? What did her family think about it? Could a mutant who needed his powers to survive actually die when near her? Can I clutch to your leg and stay there forever? Why is the sky blue?

No.

Miles knew himself. He was evasive by nature and disliked talking about his personal problems but this time was different. He needed help. He needed counsel and he wasn't going to waste her time beating the bushes just to see if he could trust her. Kealey had recommended her and he already trusted Kealey, besides, she was an official badge carrying counselor and he probably was under the doctor-patient confidentiality clause. He could tell her anything. Pretty much... anything! There was no danger of him going into dark mode when she was around, so even if he lost control of his emotions... absolutely nothing would come of it. This gave him a sense of relief he hadn't felt in a long time.

"I can't" he said flat out to her 'ask me anything' offer. "Maybe later, because if you give me leeway right now I will hold to that like a dog to bone and won't let go till we grow old and we still won't be anywhere near the point. I'm just like that. I don't like talking about my issues and I'll take any opportunity not to do so, except... I have to. There's stuff that's been bugging me that I want to get off my chest and... I don't know how."

Miles paused and sighed. He brought his hands up and gestured trying to come up with the right words but deep down he just didn't want to get into detail or reveal too much, so he kept his question as vague as possible.

"How do you deal with guilt? The kind that doesn't let you sleep well at night sometimes?"

The moment she mentioned talking about it to someone, his stomach twisted a bit; which was a natural reaction to the concept of opening up to his problems, but come on! He was here, this is what he'd come for, he'd done it with Kealey and she was nothing but supportive, so what are you waiting for, Miles!? COME OOOON!

The boy twiddled his thumbs, staring at his own hands. He might as well start from the beginning or she wouldn't know where he's coming from.

"I'm the eldest son in a small family" he stated. "My dad is in insurance, my mom is an events organizer working freelance and my sister is ten years old. I'm not a grade A student but I'm good at what I like. I murder english when I text and I think history is a waste of time because really, why on earth do we need to know all those useless factoids about..."

Maybe too much from the beginning. And focus, Miles...

"... never mind, the point is... there was a lot of hope riding on me. I like medicine and was thinking of becoming a doctor and the day I told my dad about it, he was ecstatic. He'd been saving on a college fund and all that, he even called me 'Dr. Haxton' from time to time and then..."

Miles paused. He then just jerked his head towards his dogs "...that happened."

He had stopped twiddling his thumbs by now and was simply looking at his own hands. His voice came out as a mumble.

"I crushed his hopes. I crushed his hopes into dust."

Mrs. Taylor's last question made Miles look up at the ceiling, as if trying to remember or find the answer somehow written in it. It had a nice finish and the lamp was fancy, not like the ones his parents had at home with...

Stop that.

He had already told Kealey the gist of it, but he had been sparse on the details. Docprof knew his dogs weren't exactly alive and that they were totally under his control, but how it happened? He hadn't told anyone. His own father saw him turn Tinaker into a thrall but that was the second time he had used his 'power'. Heh, at least she hadn't called them a 'gift' like others had.

The first time had been the worst.

Miles lowered his gaze again, sighed, shrugged his shoulders and no word came out of his lips. It actually took a moment for him to find his voice.

"Astor died. And I refused to let him die. That's what I do. You can't die under my watch."

Way to generalize, Miles. The boy turned his gaze at his dogs, who seemed just as lifeless as the first time he had reached out to them with his black touch. They looked so peaceful.

"I don't know for sure how it happens or why, but I have my money on it being emotional. The day Astor, my big dog there..." he said, pointing at the 'sleeping' boxer so she could know which was which "... the day he died, it was from old age. He was old and sick. He had lived a happy dog's life, he had fulfilled his mission on earth. He had been my best friend, always loyal, always there, always willing to play and protect me. He deserved to be let go. He deserved his peace, he had earned it..."

By this time, Miles had brought a hand to his mouth, squeezing it tightly, a sign of regret and remorse.

"... but I refused. He was so beautiful when he was alive and look what I turned him into. A thrall. Always obedient. Never himself. A slave, forever under my control."

The boy once again lowered his gaze. "The worst part is... this could happen again. I can't control it and I could do this again... to anyone."

Mrs. Taylor's touch felt warm and comforting as did her voice, but her words were blunt and to the point. Where he expected some reassurances 'Don't worry, we won't let it happen!' style, he got a bucketful of truth instead. They really couldn't stop it from happening and this was a responsibility he would have to carry for the rest of his life. Her next words did sound more hopeful though and not the sort of hope that comes from blind faith, but the sort that comes from experience.

The mansion was indeed the sort of place that could help him deal with his mutation and it's consequences. To think his father and grandfather were looking for a hospital when they brought him to New York, like he was sick instead of... evolved.

She said she'd feel the same way in his shoes. That's the sort of understanding he wanted to have from his old man, but no, Mr. Haxton did not understand. He wanted to see Miles' dogs dead. He wanted his son to be normal again, to get rid of his mutation, to 'fix' him... never to accept him as he now was. Ever since he ran away from them both, he hadn't had the nerve to contact his parents again.

"It's not easy" he admitted to her, regarding how he felt. "I try to ignore it and to lead a normal life but I know it'll never be normal. They always remind me of that, of what I can do and of what can happen if I don't keep my cool" he said as he gestured at his dogs.

"I wish my father was supportive and thought the way you do. He tried to be helpful but... he didn't know much about mutation and it didn't work out that well" he said, sugarcoating it as much as he could, but his face was starting to reveal a hint of frustration just by remembering the whole incident. "Parents sometimes think they have everything figured out even when they're clueless."

Out of the blue, Miles asked the counselor a personal question.

"Do you have kids of your own, Mrs. Taylor?"