maskormenace | text; ID reads Trevor Zeitlan

Here's one for you. What do you call a man who is still three weeks from his doctorate when the multiverse kidnaps him? Mister.

In any case, hi, I'm Trevor; Mr. Zeitlan to some of you. I was recently employed to a posting at Xavier's, and as you can imagine there's not a whole lot of accessible material on my subject, which covers abilities of every kind. I'm putting together an encyclopedia of powers based on my extensive experience in my own world and what I learn here, but there's all sorts of teaching materials I'm having to fake as I go along. Incidentally, if anyone would like to help with that, I have afternoon office hours at the Institute, and you're welcome to drop in. I teach mornings.

Okay, so killing two birds with one stone, I have a couple of questions; if you could take a moment to reply to them, or just answer one, you'd help me out no end.

First of all, what was your first experience of using your power? Was it intentional or accidental? Any details about how you felt, or the consequences of using it would be helpful, as I'd like to use other people's experiences to build confidence in my students.

Second question is a little bit of fun, really: If you didn't have the powers given to you by the porter, which abilities would you like to have had instead?

[OOC: If anyone wants to handwave or plan classes/sessions, or teacher/teacher interactions with "Trevor", throw me a PM. These can be backdated to assumed CR if you like ("Trevor" comes off as knowledgeable, but there's an edge of creepiness to him that anyone could pick up on, and no, not just because he has giant eyebrows though that doesn't help his case one bit.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It was accidental, while I was trying to understand what the officials even meant by it, and very strange. To be honest I haven't made much use of it. I prefer to rely on skills I've cultivated myself.

Is this a power you were given here?

It was. Anyone claiming powers where I come from would have been labeled mad or a witch. Certainly no one would be able to change their face at will.

Is that what you can do? Change your face?

[ She definitely has his attention now. ]

I can. I don't, generally.

Because you don't need to. You rely on your studied abilities, you said. I just find it interesting because the Porter tends to choose appropriate abilities for people, depending on what they're already capable of doing. But that's probably a very invasive line of questioning, and I don't mean to intrude.
I knew a shapeshifter very well, back home.

[ Was a shapeshifter, he means. ]

It was a disturbing feeling, you said?

The porter isn't some benevolent gift-giver. There are certain aspects of life here that I enjoy, but I would not have chosen to leave my circumstances behind. I didn't ask for powers, either.

[So yes, that is an intrusive line of discussion.]

I looked in the mirror and didn't see myself. Of course it was disturbing.

Maybe not to everyone, but for some people - myself included - being here is a way to escape from conflict.

My friend had a crisis of identity too. Ultimately the only way he got control was to reclaim himself, though I'd have to say it's questionable that it worked. I imagine it's hard to shake that fear that the next time you look, you'll still be who you're meant to be; that you'll wake up as someone else.

It's impressive you're willing to admit that.

It's not as though I think I won't be able to control it if I experiment with it more. But even if I'm lacking in some area, I'll still be me if I work to change that. Just altering my appearance and acting as if that's what counts is insulting, not just disturbing.

[And there is a degree of fear. But it's so, so hard for her to admit that more than she already has.]

Is it impressive? I guess to me it's just the lesser of two evils.

As for shapeshifting, it would depend what you're reason for doing it is. I mean, just walking past a traffic camera as someone else could mean they get off on a murder. I'm not saying you'd do that, I'm just saying you can use it for sinister purposes without any real work to maintain the illusion.

It is when a not-inconsiderable number of people would consider fleeing conflict to be cowardly.

Why do you assume I would try to look like a specific person?

Well in my case I was on the winning side, but when winning means being in the government's pocket, it's debatable whether morally it's worth it.

I suppose I assume it because it's what I've seen before, and what frightens me about the power. You only have one identity.

I take it you didn't enter whatever conflict it was voluntarily then.

I only have one identity and that's all I need. That's why the ability isn't important to me.

text; ID reads Trevor Zeitlan

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