overconfidently

( Truth be told, he doesn't have much in the way of experience when it comes to being in another's mindscape like this. Even so, he can tell where he is — that it's within the mind — and while Krakoa is a ways away from his point in time, he's briefly heard about it from Julian, though it seemed to be a sore subject.

Standing there in his usual getup, he looks around for a second before his attention falls on her and he smiles some once his mind relaxes at being elsewhere. )

Hey.

Welcome to my brain.

(She's in uniform, which, well, she has been before in Etraya, but he might not have seen it. It just makes sense for her. With a sigh, she looks behind him at the orange and pink in the sky, a little longing, but she comes back from it quickly enough.)

( Looking to the sky where she lets her own gaze linger on, he stands there. Quiet. Giving himself a moment to just... get used to being here. In her mind. )

I remember the first time I saw a sky like this in New York. Even with all the lights and the sounds of the city, it was pretty. I didn't really see many skies like this back where I'm from.

I love it when the sky is in rosé tones.

(Hence why, here, it just never changes too much. Sometimes a gentle tint of blue, a smidge of a green, but rosé and lavender tones never change.)

You can show me your world one day, if you want.

( Again, he's quiet, gaze dropping at the thought of his world. )

It's not a world you'd want to see. It's gone now anyways.

It's not about the world.

(It's about Nate, after all. This place is gone, too. Humans fucked it over, as they do, and she sighs as she comes to the edge to dip her toes on the water, patting the space next to her.)

( He follows to where she pats and stands there — he's got his shoes on anyways. )

I didn't think there could be beauty in the world until I ended up on the other Earth.

My Earth, you mean?

(How desolate it must be. Her Earth is a mess, but there are things that can be appreciated. If anything, Sophie can understand some of what he goes through — not the Omega part, but the weapon and purpose of living part.

Life and beauty is what you make of it.)

Yeah.

( Is... it his Earth now, too? It's the only place he has left to be — ended up there by accident with Apocalypse's son when they'd been in a fight together. His world is gone, as are the people he knew, however brief, and cared about. There's no going back to it and all he has are the memories of it while he was awake. When he'd been freed from Sinister's lab.

Staring back out to the sky, he sighs. )

Maybe it's mine now, too. It's all I really have.

Well, we welcome you to our mess with open arms, Nate.

(Because theirs is, well. Not perfect, either. It seems like it wins from his version by a billion points, but still, it's flawed, it's messy and it's heartbreaking. The Cuckoos and Julian wouldn't have done what they did if it weren't.

But they still seem to be winning here.)

( Smile faint on his lips, he looks down to the water there — watches the way the colours from the sky gently reflect across it. )

If anything happens, I'll let Quentin know.

(It's an interesting place. All opulent, golden, expensive, and rosy as one would expect of Sophie Cuckoo. This is just the surface, though. Through rooms and rooms of superficial shit, one might stumble on the one place where she keeps her dirty laundry — an empty room with a couch, and a television. Memories, feelings, all presented in DVDs as if they were movies and TV shows to watch through.

Go too deep down, he'd end up in the hell she spawned from. For now, though? The surface is beautifully enough.)

You better, Nate.

( Glancing over to her, he nods before he looks off towards the sky again. Honestly, he doesn't know what to expect with going to Solmara — doesn't even know if the connection he and Quentin made will work given how Solmara is off-world, but. He has to believe it'll be fine and... if things get bad, he'll make sure Scott gets back, if anything. )

Don't worry. Still got a few years left in me.

... Odd way to put it, Nate.

(Don't think she didn't notice it, and her eyes squint at him. He hasn't told shit about shit on that part, and yet, well. Few years?)

( Blinking those blue eyes of his, he looks down to her before he offers her a reassuring smile — licking over his lips and looking back to the sky after. )

It'll be fine. I'll make sure it is. For both me and Scott.

Good, because my mum has a whole book-sized list of fucked up mentees, and I don't want to follow on the footsteps, okay?

(Just look at how well Julian is up in the head. Or maybe don't. Don't go into his head. He hates that.

She stands, patting her dress out of habit before she tiptoes a little to press a kiss to his cheek, as promised.)

Good luck.

( An arm comes up when she goes and presses the kiss to his cheek — just barely brushes against her side. Hair falling in front of his face some, blue eyes catch her gaze and he smiles softly at both the kiss and the wish of luck. )

Heading off to see Scott now?

(He needs to stop smiling at her, because it makes her smile right back, with her fingers moving to get the bangs out of his face so she can watch it proper.)

Yep. Told him to wear something nice, but I'm really just expecting him in flip-flops. I'm so glad I skipped most teen years, sounds like a nightmare.

( Gently, his hand holds to her arm. Not as a means to keep her, but. He just... needs to say something. )

Can you do me a favor?

( A beat, he sighs. )

Can you... not mention who I am to him? Or Cable, even?

Oh, absolutely.

(Kid shuts down whenever anything remotely related to his counterpart is mentioned. She already has to deal with too much angst from him, she's not looking to add to it.)

No worries there.

( The relief he feels. )

Thanks. There's just little point in adding that onto everything else he's going through.

Yeah, I know.

(A pat to Nate's back, before her gaze goes back to the never-ending sunset.)

I managed to get him to calm down a little back at the party when I took him back to the manor, but it's gotta be baby steps until he feels okay, I guess.

I don't even really know the Scott Summers back on Earth. Seeing him here— seeing some younger version of him... it's weird. But given how young he is and how hard he's taking everyone here more or less knowing some older version of him that he can't even wrap his head around probably, he doesn't really need to know about the connection Cable and I have with him.

( It just... wouldn't be fair to put that on him. )

That's pretty much what I think, too. It's been helping me to think of him like any other mutant who arrived at school, instead of Slim.

(It's kind of hard not to look at him and not to think of, well. Her mom, or her ex, or all the X-Men bullshit, or Utopia, or literally everything.

Baby steps.)

Yeah. So, thanks. I appreciate it.

( Whether or not he'll come to tell Scott who he is to him... well. Who knows, but. It's not on his list of things to do anytime soon right now. )

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