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Fandom: Daria/X-Men
Rating: General
Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the characters and am not making any profit from their use.
Feedback: Sure! I luv feedback! ^_^
Notes: I always liked MTV’s Daria show. The character, an intelligent young woman with a cynical viewpoint and sarcastic sense of humor, just appeals to me. And, once upon a time, I really liked the X-Men. So, the other night, I got the idea of what if Daria was a mutant? It’s a wierd idea and this bit of writing is the result. - MEL
DARIA X
Daria Morgendorfer lay on her bed, a cool cloth pressed against her forehead. Her head was killing her. She’d swallowed a couple of the painkillers Doctor Adams had prescribed, but they didn’t seem to be doing any good. Through the wall, next door, she could hear Quinn on the telephone, speaking with one of her vapid little friends. Quinn was usually pretty good about keeping the noise down when Daria had one of her migraines, but not today. Daria was contemplating pounding on the wall, to get Quinn to shut up, when she heard a soft tapping on her bedroom door.
“Daria?”
Sighing, Daria removed the cloth from her face and reached for her glasses. Her mother stood in the doorway of her room, frowning slightly.
“How do you feel, dear?” Helen Morgendorfer asked. Her tone was cloyingly sweet, the same baby-voice she had used with the girls when they were very young. Daria thought of it as her default motherly voice.
“Okay,” murmured Daria. She lay back down, staring at the ceiling.
Helen moved into the room and perched on the edge of Daria’s bed. “Another headache?”
“Yeah.”
“Did you take your pills?”
“Yeah. They aren’t doing anything.”
“It’s probably just stress,” said Helen. “Getting ready to move to a new town and all.”
Daria didn’t dignify that with a response. She shut her eyes, spots of pain pulsing orange against the darkness of her eyelids. “Did you want something, mom?”
“Just to let you know that the people from the school are here.”
“What school?”
“Didn’t I tell you?” Helen looked momentarily taken back. “I’m sure I did.”
“No, you didn’t. What school?”
“The Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters,” said Helen. “They contacted me a few days ago.”
“Why?”
“Something about offering you a place in the school,” said Helen.
Daria blinked, her interest piqued. “What sort of school?”
“A private boarding school,” said Helen. “I made some calls, but haven’t had much luck finding out anything about them.” She frowned slightly. “Odd.”
“Weird,” said Daria. “Why would they be interested in me?”
“You mean besides the fact that you’re naturally brilliant?” asked Helen. “Who knows, dear? I suppose we’ll find out soon enough. Do you feel like coming downstairs?”
Belatedly, Daria realized that her headache was gone. She sat up and picked up her glasses from the bedside table. “Sure.”
Helen smiled and stood. “Come along. I left the school people alone with your father.”
* * * * *
Professor Charles Xavier had decided that Jake Morgendorfer was one of the most interesting personalities he had ever met. Even without his telepathic abilities, Xavier could tell that Mr. Morgendorfer was a mess of competing neuroses. The man was ingratiating, almost subservient, and his body language suggested he was on edge. As Xavier watched Mr. Morgendorfer chatting with Ororo, the professor was glad that Logan had declined to accompany them on this trip. He suspected Jake Morgendorfer’s demeanor would have gotten right up the hirsute Canadian’s nose.
“Here they are!” Jake beamed at his wife, as Helen returned to the living room, trailed by Daria. “Daria, how ya feelin’, kiddo?”
Xavier sensed Helen Morgendorfer’s flash of irritation toward her husband, even through his formidable psychic shields, and noted just how quickly it vanished. Besides a slight narrowing of her brow, the woman gave nothing away on the surface. She simply smiled and stepped aside, to introduce her daughter.
“Professor Xavier, Miss Monroe, this is our daughter, Daria.”
Xavier smiled at the girl. She was young and thin, with the pallor of someone who spent most of their time indoors. Dark brown hair fell to her shoulders and her dark eyes met Xavier’s gaze levelly from behind a pair of black framed glasses. She wore a pleated green skirt, a dark brown T-shirt and combat boots.
“Hello, Daria. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Daria’s gaze slid from the bald man in the wheelchair to his companion, the tall black woman with the startling blue eyes. Miss Monro returned her gaze with a slight smile.
“Miss Monro was just telling me about the school facilities,” said Jake. “They sound really impressive!”
“I’m sure they are, Jake,” said Helen, settling on the couch opposite Xavier. “But I’m curious, Professor, as to why you’re so interested in Daria.” Her gaze slid to her daughter, who had settled into one of the overstuffed living room chairs.
Xavier smiled. “May I be blunt, Mrs. Morgendorfer?”
“Please.”
The professor turned to Daria and smiled. “Sending your daughter to any other school would be a huge mistake. My school is set up specifically to help young people like your daughter achieve their maximum personal potential.”
“Oh?” Helen didn’t bother hiding her skepticism. “And how many of your students have done that, Professor? You should know I’ve made some inquiries regarding your school and no one has had anything good to say about it. Of course, they haven’t had anything bad to say about it either. To be perfectly blunt, Professor Xavier, your school has no reputation at all.”
Xavier plastered a benign smile on his face. “Of course. We’re a discreet facility, Mrs. Morgendorfer. Schools that rely on reputation for enrollment are often overrated, don’t you think?”
“No,” said Helen. “I don’t. A school with a good reputation can open doors that might otherwise remain closed. True?”
“True,” conceded Xavier, “but . . . ”
“How many students attend your school, professor?” Helen asked.
From her vantage point, Daria sighed mentally. Her mom had fallen into full on cross-examination mode. She thought about interrupting, maybe slipping away, but she had to admit that she was curious about this whole situation.
“Classes are quite small,” said Xavier. “There are less than a dozen students in residence at the moment.”
“Less than a dozen?” Helen’s voice rose in surprise. “What about the faculty? Staff?”
“I’m the principal faculty,” said Xavier. “Our curriculum is personalized to satisfy the needs and desires of each individual student.”
Helen frowned. “And how much do you charge for these personalized curriculums, professor?”
“All the students at the school attend on full scholarships, Mrs. Morgendorfer.”
Daria watched her mother’s face at this bit of news. Helen’s brow furrowed for a moment as she was thrown off track, but she recovered quickly.
“Who supplies these scholarships?”
“One of my alumni. Warren Worthington III.”
That bit of news caught Helen off guard. Daria as well. Even she had heard of Warren Worthington III. His company was one of the Fortune 500, and Worthington was a major player on the corporate landscape, right up there with Tony Stark and Bill Gates. Daria sat up a little straighter in her chair.
“How generous of him,” murmured Helen.
She was studying Xavier in a new light now. The telepath imagined he could almost hear the hum of Helen Morgendorfer’s thoughts, turning over this new bit of information, even through his mental shields. He wasn’t particularly surprised when she leaned forward and spoke in a more conversational tone.
“Tell me more about your curriculum, professor.”
* * * * *
Roughly an hour later, Ororo was opening the back door of the town car. “That was unusual,” the tall woman remarked.
Xavier waited for the retractable ramp to lower from the town car, his fingers tapping out a peculiar rhythm on the arm of his wheelchair. “Yes.” He glanced behind him, at the front of the Morgendorfers’ home. “They’re a fascinating family.”
“Do you think they’ll accept your offer?” Asked Ororo.
“Impossible to say,” admitted Xavier. “It’s up to Mrs. Morgendorfer now.”
“Yes, she did seem to be the . . . dominant parent.”
Xavier chuckled and spun his chair around, to back it up the town car’s ramp. “Mr. Morgendorfer seemed quite taken with you.”
“He reminded me of a puppy,” said Ororo. “So desperate to please.”
“Yes,” agreed Xavier. “Honestly, I don’t know how the man functions. He seems a bundle of conflicting neuroses.”
“And Mrs. Morgendorfer?”
“Quite the opposite. Controlled and focused, but flexible.”
“She seemed to catch you off guard once or twice,” noted Ororo.
Xavier slid into the back of the car and adjusted his position. Ororo hit the switch that began retracting the wheelchair ramp.
“Mrs. Morgendorfer has an impressive mind,” said Xavier.
“And the daughter? Daria?”
“Impossible to say,” said Xavier. “I sensed very little from her.”
“An aspect of her mutant power?” Ororo asked, curious.
“Honestly? I don’t know.”
Ororo shut the back door and then slid behind the front wheel. She glanced at the professor in the rear view mirror.
“Do you think they’ll send her to the school?”
“I hope so.”
“And if they don’t?” Asked Ororo. “Will you push them to reconsider?”
Xavier looked scandalized. “Really, Ororo! Even if the very idea of manipulating their minds wasn’t completely immoral, I wouldn’t dare for other reasons. Adding another compulsion to Mr. Morgendorfer’s mind could very well cause a psychotic incident and I suspect Mrs. Morgendorfer is one of those rare people who would sense any attempt at psychic manipulation and do the exact opposite.”
“So we wait,” said Ororo. “And hope for the best?”
In the back of the car, Xavier nodded. “That’s all we can do.”
* * * * *
Daria left her parents downstairs, discussing Professor Xavier’s offer. Retreating to her room, she powered up her computer and lauched her web browser. After a few false starts, she located a website for the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters. Clicking on the links, she began to read.
Rating: General
Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the characters and am not making any profit from their use.
Feedback: Sure! I luv feedback! ^_^
Notes: I always liked MTV’s Daria show. The character, an intelligent young woman with a cynical viewpoint and sarcastic sense of humor, just appeals to me. And, once upon a time, I really liked the X-Men. So, the other night, I got the idea of what if Daria was a mutant? It’s a wierd idea and this bit of writing is the result. - MEL
DARIA X
Daria Morgendorfer lay on her bed, a cool cloth pressed against her forehead. Her head was killing her. She’d swallowed a couple of the painkillers Doctor Adams had prescribed, but they didn’t seem to be doing any good. Through the wall, next door, she could hear Quinn on the telephone, speaking with one of her vapid little friends. Quinn was usually pretty good about keeping the noise down when Daria had one of her migraines, but not today. Daria was contemplating pounding on the wall, to get Quinn to shut up, when she heard a soft tapping on her bedroom door.
“Daria?”
Sighing, Daria removed the cloth from her face and reached for her glasses. Her mother stood in the doorway of her room, frowning slightly.
“How do you feel, dear?” Helen Morgendorfer asked. Her tone was cloyingly sweet, the same baby-voice she had used with the girls when they were very young. Daria thought of it as her default motherly voice.
“Okay,” murmured Daria. She lay back down, staring at the ceiling.
Helen moved into the room and perched on the edge of Daria’s bed. “Another headache?”
“Yeah.”
“Did you take your pills?”
“Yeah. They aren’t doing anything.”
“It’s probably just stress,” said Helen. “Getting ready to move to a new town and all.”
Daria didn’t dignify that with a response. She shut her eyes, spots of pain pulsing orange against the darkness of her eyelids. “Did you want something, mom?”
“Just to let you know that the people from the school are here.”
“What school?”
“Didn’t I tell you?” Helen looked momentarily taken back. “I’m sure I did.”
“No, you didn’t. What school?”
“The Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters,” said Helen. “They contacted me a few days ago.”
“Why?”
“Something about offering you a place in the school,” said Helen.
Daria blinked, her interest piqued. “What sort of school?”
“A private boarding school,” said Helen. “I made some calls, but haven’t had much luck finding out anything about them.” She frowned slightly. “Odd.”
“Weird,” said Daria. “Why would they be interested in me?”
“You mean besides the fact that you’re naturally brilliant?” asked Helen. “Who knows, dear? I suppose we’ll find out soon enough. Do you feel like coming downstairs?”
Belatedly, Daria realized that her headache was gone. She sat up and picked up her glasses from the bedside table. “Sure.”
Helen smiled and stood. “Come along. I left the school people alone with your father.”
* * * * *
Professor Charles Xavier had decided that Jake Morgendorfer was one of the most interesting personalities he had ever met. Even without his telepathic abilities, Xavier could tell that Mr. Morgendorfer was a mess of competing neuroses. The man was ingratiating, almost subservient, and his body language suggested he was on edge. As Xavier watched Mr. Morgendorfer chatting with Ororo, the professor was glad that Logan had declined to accompany them on this trip. He suspected Jake Morgendorfer’s demeanor would have gotten right up the hirsute Canadian’s nose.
“Here they are!” Jake beamed at his wife, as Helen returned to the living room, trailed by Daria. “Daria, how ya feelin’, kiddo?”
Xavier sensed Helen Morgendorfer’s flash of irritation toward her husband, even through his formidable psychic shields, and noted just how quickly it vanished. Besides a slight narrowing of her brow, the woman gave nothing away on the surface. She simply smiled and stepped aside, to introduce her daughter.
“Professor Xavier, Miss Monroe, this is our daughter, Daria.”
Xavier smiled at the girl. She was young and thin, with the pallor of someone who spent most of their time indoors. Dark brown hair fell to her shoulders and her dark eyes met Xavier’s gaze levelly from behind a pair of black framed glasses. She wore a pleated green skirt, a dark brown T-shirt and combat boots.
“Hello, Daria. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Daria’s gaze slid from the bald man in the wheelchair to his companion, the tall black woman with the startling blue eyes. Miss Monro returned her gaze with a slight smile.
“Miss Monro was just telling me about the school facilities,” said Jake. “They sound really impressive!”
“I’m sure they are, Jake,” said Helen, settling on the couch opposite Xavier. “But I’m curious, Professor, as to why you’re so interested in Daria.” Her gaze slid to her daughter, who had settled into one of the overstuffed living room chairs.
Xavier smiled. “May I be blunt, Mrs. Morgendorfer?”
“Please.”
The professor turned to Daria and smiled. “Sending your daughter to any other school would be a huge mistake. My school is set up specifically to help young people like your daughter achieve their maximum personal potential.”
“Oh?” Helen didn’t bother hiding her skepticism. “And how many of your students have done that, Professor? You should know I’ve made some inquiries regarding your school and no one has had anything good to say about it. Of course, they haven’t had anything bad to say about it either. To be perfectly blunt, Professor Xavier, your school has no reputation at all.”
Xavier plastered a benign smile on his face. “Of course. We’re a discreet facility, Mrs. Morgendorfer. Schools that rely on reputation for enrollment are often overrated, don’t you think?”
“No,” said Helen. “I don’t. A school with a good reputation can open doors that might otherwise remain closed. True?”
“True,” conceded Xavier, “but . . . ”
“How many students attend your school, professor?” Helen asked.
From her vantage point, Daria sighed mentally. Her mom had fallen into full on cross-examination mode. She thought about interrupting, maybe slipping away, but she had to admit that she was curious about this whole situation.
“Classes are quite small,” said Xavier. “There are less than a dozen students in residence at the moment.”
“Less than a dozen?” Helen’s voice rose in surprise. “What about the faculty? Staff?”
“I’m the principal faculty,” said Xavier. “Our curriculum is personalized to satisfy the needs and desires of each individual student.”
Helen frowned. “And how much do you charge for these personalized curriculums, professor?”
“All the students at the school attend on full scholarships, Mrs. Morgendorfer.”
Daria watched her mother’s face at this bit of news. Helen’s brow furrowed for a moment as she was thrown off track, but she recovered quickly.
“Who supplies these scholarships?”
“One of my alumni. Warren Worthington III.”
That bit of news caught Helen off guard. Daria as well. Even she had heard of Warren Worthington III. His company was one of the Fortune 500, and Worthington was a major player on the corporate landscape, right up there with Tony Stark and Bill Gates. Daria sat up a little straighter in her chair.
“How generous of him,” murmured Helen.
She was studying Xavier in a new light now. The telepath imagined he could almost hear the hum of Helen Morgendorfer’s thoughts, turning over this new bit of information, even through his mental shields. He wasn’t particularly surprised when she leaned forward and spoke in a more conversational tone.
“Tell me more about your curriculum, professor.”
* * * * *
Roughly an hour later, Ororo was opening the back door of the town car. “That was unusual,” the tall woman remarked.
Xavier waited for the retractable ramp to lower from the town car, his fingers tapping out a peculiar rhythm on the arm of his wheelchair. “Yes.” He glanced behind him, at the front of the Morgendorfers’ home. “They’re a fascinating family.”
“Do you think they’ll accept your offer?” Asked Ororo.
“Impossible to say,” admitted Xavier. “It’s up to Mrs. Morgendorfer now.”
“Yes, she did seem to be the . . . dominant parent.”
Xavier chuckled and spun his chair around, to back it up the town car’s ramp. “Mr. Morgendorfer seemed quite taken with you.”
“He reminded me of a puppy,” said Ororo. “So desperate to please.”
“Yes,” agreed Xavier. “Honestly, I don’t know how the man functions. He seems a bundle of conflicting neuroses.”
“And Mrs. Morgendorfer?”
“Quite the opposite. Controlled and focused, but flexible.”
“She seemed to catch you off guard once or twice,” noted Ororo.
Xavier slid into the back of the car and adjusted his position. Ororo hit the switch that began retracting the wheelchair ramp.
“Mrs. Morgendorfer has an impressive mind,” said Xavier.
“And the daughter? Daria?”
“Impossible to say,” said Xavier. “I sensed very little from her.”
“An aspect of her mutant power?” Ororo asked, curious.
“Honestly? I don’t know.”
Ororo shut the back door and then slid behind the front wheel. She glanced at the professor in the rear view mirror.
“Do you think they’ll send her to the school?”
“I hope so.”
“And if they don’t?” Asked Ororo. “Will you push them to reconsider?”
Xavier looked scandalized. “Really, Ororo! Even if the very idea of manipulating their minds wasn’t completely immoral, I wouldn’t dare for other reasons. Adding another compulsion to Mr. Morgendorfer’s mind could very well cause a psychotic incident and I suspect Mrs. Morgendorfer is one of those rare people who would sense any attempt at psychic manipulation and do the exact opposite.”
“So we wait,” said Ororo. “And hope for the best?”
In the back of the car, Xavier nodded. “That’s all we can do.”
* * * * *
Daria left her parents downstairs, discussing Professor Xavier’s offer. Retreating to her room, she powered up her computer and lauched her web browser. After a few false starts, she located a website for the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters. Clicking on the links, she began to read.
