Forest Fright

[blauerdamon]

Forest Fright

what's up?

In the early afternoon on Saturday (3/1), the Xavier Institute is attacked by an unknown mutant who manipulates the surrounding foliage, trapping the X-Men and one of their students in a forested maze. The situation is quickly brought under control, and seems to be the result of a messy international custody battle. The incident doesn't even make the local news thanks to the X-Men's quick response.

the incident & volunteers.

Shadowcat is out for a brisk walk in the wooded area surrounding the mansion, something they’re very familiar with. Strange, then, when they notice that the path is trailing off, and the number of trees has grown hauntingly dense. They can no longer tell which direction the mansion is in, and before they can come up with a plan of action, woody vines erupt from the forest floor and entangle them.

Meanwhile, Empath is out on one of the verandas enjoying the afternoon and keeping tabs on a couple students who are messing around with their powers on the lawn. Suddenly they hear the distressed shout of their teammate from beyond the treeline. One of the students, Veronica Milanović, is a firestarter who’s always eager and never in great control of her powers. The second she hears the scream, she takes off into the forest.

Empath narrowly catches up with Veronica. She overzealously uses her powers to light several of the trees on fire, which causes the foliage to react violently, attacking both student and teacher. Empath and Veronica work together, with them helping Veronica to finally get her fire powers under control for the first time.

White Queen rushes outside, where more and more students have arrived to check out the commotion. The forest is visibly overgrown now, with thick trunks making it hard to enter. White Queen makes quick time by telepathically tracking Shadowcat to navigate to the thickest part of the forest, where they find Shadowcat knocked out and bound in vines. They work to free them as the team finally regroups.

When the X-Men corner the source of the trouble, they catch a glimpse of a normal looking man with a black moustache. Rather than fight, he makes a run for it, using his control over vegetation to assist his escape. Once he’s gone, all of the trees return to normal, and the overgrown plant life recedes. It’s like nothing ever happened.

Well, besides the trees that Veronica set on fire.

resolution.

Later they learn that the man behind the forest’s eruption was Thomas Cassidy, an Irish mutant who was mistakenly convinced that his niece, Theresa Cassidy, had been sent to Xavier’s in secret. It seems like he’s in the middle of a very messy custody battle over the girl, and had plans to steal her away from the American school.

He escaped the scene of the crime, and his current whereabouts are unknown. He likely returned to Europe.

code

Comments

AFTERMATH: Kitty & Emma

[passingthru KITTY PRYDE]

Kitty's brain is just as much a tangled pit as the forest was. A sense of pervasive shame for being caught in the way she was. (Never being caught was supposed to be her One Thing. How could she possibly fail at her One Thing?) She's indulging in a moment of self-pity. But she's still thinking about next moves at work. The alien technology of the Demutanator. How to request birth records from Alaska. It's enough that she tries to bring her mind back to the present when Emma comes back in the room so as not to grant her an instant headache. She flops her head to the side of the sofa and concentrates on the plush feeling under it.

"I can't believe they got an entire maze in here. That's so annoying. What was that going to do anyway???"

AFTERMATH: Kitty & Emma

[frost_queen Emma Frost ♕ White Queen]

Emma gives Kitty a pitying look, the other girl's tangled thoughts just as messy as when she'd tracked her down outside. Sorting though them is possible, but not necessary, and so she simply shakes her head as she puts out a coaster and then sets the mug of tea on it.

Afterwards she seats herself in the armchair to the side of the couch but still angled towards the coffee table, the proximity of her seat allowing her to reach out and gently touch the top of Kitty's head before she settles back.

"Distract and delay, I imagine. But... are you feeling alright? I think you've got too many things going on in your mind."

AFTERMATH: Kitty & Emma

[passingthru KITTY PRYDE]

She frowns at the look. That's pity, she doesn't need to be Manny to tell that. It's the worst feeling of all to receive. "I'm good." She snaps, and immediately feels bad about doing so. She winces, apologetic, and takes a penitent sip of tea.

"I do have a couple dozen projects right now. I didn't sleep much. That's all."

AFTERMATH: Kitty & Emma

[frost_queen Emma Frost ♕ White Queen]

It's difficult for her to find too much fault in Kitty - she'd react the same, she thinks, if someone had looked at her that way. The bite in her companion's tone and the following apologetic reaction is brushed away with a wave of Emma's hand.

"Can I do anything to help limit the projects? Or help with the sleep?" She pauses, letting out a small sigh. "There are a lot of things going on right now."

AFTERMATH: Kitty & Emma

[passingthru KITTY PRYDE]

Kitty does consult her phone, still on the Alaskan government website to request records. She puts it away and tries to sort her own mind out with a to-do list for the rest of the day. This further offer of help just makes Kitty smile and shake her head. Gingerly. "You know you already rescued me once today, right? Once is plenty." Finally, she adds, "Thanks."

AFTERMATH: Kitty & Emma

[frost_queen Emma Frost ♕ White Queen]

"But you're such a cute little distressed damsel," Emma gently teases, her tone making it clear that she doesn't think of Kitty as a distressed damsel in the least.

"Maybe side projects like Alaska and the tech that made Buster's machine work can be sidelined, for the time being?"

AFTERMATH: Kitty & Emma

[passingthru KITTY PRYDE]

"Shut uuup." Kitty protests anyway, with very little vitriol.

She knows her reputation and her work already on the team. She's proven herself maybe a thousand times over. It's still one of those weeks her weaknesses and limitations seem to be highlighted, which she hates. Maybe there should be less projects.

"I could cut...some of that." She decides. Not Alaska. But the machine thing, certainly. Kitty stares at her tea mug. "It's one of those things. I don't want to wander away from one thing only for it to become really important later, and then I was slacking, you know?"

AFTERMATH: Kitty & Emma

[frost_queen Emma Frost ♕ White Queen]

"Darling, you can never know what's going to become 'really important' for sure. You just have to hope you make the right choices. Ultimately, you'll do better work when you focus on fewer things, and you'll move faster, leaving you more time for those initially sidelined projects." Emma knows this because she struggles with it herself - the need to be doing too many things, to overextend, to not misstep so everything is perfectly place for the future. Most of them do, honestly. She supposes it comes with the territory.

"The mental burden of these symbols and Charles's state is taxing, too. So maybe try to get a little more sleep, and let your mind rest."

AFTERMATH: Kitty & Emma

[passingthru KITTY PRYDE]

Kitty raises an eyebrow. She can't immediately assess the quality of Emma's own sleep or how her mind's doing, which is still unfair. But she can make an educated guess. She's a scientist. And she knows whose mark changed and who is most attuned to their professor's mental state.

"Gosh. Do you even hear yourself calling the kettle black anymore, pot?" She chances, thinking if it's overstepping she can at least blame her head injury later.

AFTERMATH: Kitty & Emma

[frost_queen Emma Frost ♕ White Queen]

Emma scoffs quietly before making a face at Kitty. "I slept in this morning," she starts, tone bragging.

"And I only have about three projects going on, so I'm managing much better than you." As for her worries about their symbols and about Charles, Emma is content to be a hypocrite there. Right now she just doesn't want to add to anyone else's concerns.

Re: AFTERMATH: Kitty & Emma

[passingthru KITTY PRYDE]

"Wooow." She elongates the word, very much like a parent pretending to be proud of their child for something stupid like napping. "Guess I didn't know I was talking to the queen of self-care too."

But she knows this is all a stupid argument. None of them are very good at this. She can't pretend she'll be the one to start. "I'll sleep tonight." She promises, at least. "I'll let you help me with one of my projects if you let me help you with one of yours. Actual help."

AFTERMATH: Kitty & Emma

[frost_queen Emma Frost ♕ White Queen]

There is a half-life on the tip of Emma's tongue - that she takes very good care of herself - but much like Kitty she recognizes the stupidity of the argument and the drawing out of it that this would cause. So she keeps it to herself, simply wrinkling her nose a little a Kitty.

"Good. Take a break from your projects for the day to let yourself recover. And... actually, I have the perfect think for you to help me with."

AFTERMATH: Kitty & Emma

[passingthru KITTY PRYDE]

"But they're mostly time sensitive." Kitty protests, though not with much heart. She smiles, satisfied at annoying Emma enough for that nose-wrinkle. It's the very extremely little victories, these days. Kitty stretches her legs out on the sofa, contemplating what on earth she could do with all this downtime. Nothing comes to mind, but her curiosity is piqued.

"What is it?" she asks, getting ready for a joke answer.

AFTERMATH: Kitty & Emma

[frost_queen Emma Frost ♕ White Queen]

"It's one day, Kitty." This is all the rest Emma will say on it - her friend is accepting this, so there's no need to push anymore. They're both coming away from this feeling satisfied, at least.

"Closet spring cleaning." During which she'll make her try on some things, but Kitty doesn't need to know that.

AFTERMATH: Kitty & Emma

[passingthru KITTY PRYDE]

One day stretches out for what feels like forever. She flops her head to the side dramatically, but, fine. "Can we watch a Housewives, at least?" It's not something they've done in a while, but sounds to be exactly at the intellectual level she's currently capable of.

The task distracts her, of course. They always do. She picks her head off the pillow again, grinning. "And I can give full commentary?"

AFTERMATH: Kitty & Emma

[frost_queen Emma Frost ♕ White Queen]

This is an easy deal to make - it has been some time since they've indulged. "We can, and yes, full commentary. Do you see how nice I am to you, darling? You really are spoiled."

Emma figures she'll benefit from the distraction too. "And what do I get to help with?"

AFTERMATH: Kitty & Emma

[passingthru KITTY PRYDE]

"I was choosing to believe you valued my input and opinions." Kitty laughs at herself, because she is not quite sure that's true. Maybe a little. Emma wouldn't keep her in her life at all if she thought she was useless or inept, she knows enough to know that.

Kitty closes an eye,rifling through the to-do list before she lands on an equivalent that she thinks will be equally satisfying. "Pack my suitcase for Genosha. I get three outfit vetoes."

AFTERMATH: Kitty & Emma

[frost_queen Emma Frost ♕ White Queen]

"Choose to believe whatever you'd like," Emma jokes, but even as she says this she gives Kitty some gentle reassurance. She thinks she's wonderful, even if she questions her fashion choices daily.

"Am I limited to only your current clothes?" This is clearly not the most important of Kitty's tasks, but she'll take what she can. Particularly when it will be wonderfully satisfying for her.

Re: AFTERMATH: Kitty & Emma

[passingthru KITTY PRYDE]

"What would your challenge be, otherwise? Also I don't have time to go shopping next week." She hedges, but if Emma's poking around in her brain, she'll see the openness to one to two new pieces. If they're right.

"...Are you feeling ok about that trip?" She dares to ask, while looking at the ceiling. Just to test the waters.

AFTERMATH: Kitty & Emma

[frost_queen Emma Frost ♕ White Queen]

Emma is poking around, of course, and is pleased with the small victory that she will take silently - she already has a few ideas, even without perusing Kitty's closet.

But all of that is pushed back in her mind as her companion more directly addresses the trip, and her smile evens into something more impassive.

"...I wish Manny weren't so insistent on going, is all."

AFTERMATH: Kitty & Emma

[passingthru KITTY PRYDE]

Kitty sees that immediately, that change in the climate, right when things start to be about something real. She thought this would probably happen, but also it's not her brain's fault that she wants to rush ahead. She keeps staring at the ceiling. "We'll just have to distract him from anything weird for as long as we're there." Kitty decides, "Just, like, inundate him with new good experiences so the old ones don't pop up." Surely that's how it works.

AFTERMATH: Kitty & Emma

[frost_queen Emma Frost ♕ White Queen]

"There's nothing wrong with a bit of serious conversation. There are plenty of serious things going on." And it's all rather exhausting, but Emma's not going to say that. She reaches out to fuss with Kitty's hair a bit.

"We can try to distract him, but subconscious things will be hard to manage. Ultimately nothing bad may happen at all, but... I don't like the senseless risk-taking." She lets out a quiet sigh. "He'll have us with him, though, so he'll be alright."

AFTERMATH: Kitty & Emma

[passingthru KITTY PRYDE]

She knows Emma's right, and stays in place, letting her friend fix her hair, knowing that's a losing battle. "I know." She sighs. She also doesn't like the idea that Emma will be the one, again, in the position to take on those memories, all the bad things that might come up.

"And usually I love senseless risk-taking so much." Kitty mourns aloud. She tilts her eyes a little further back, to meet her friend's. "He will. Both of us. All of us. She stresses, just to really hammer home that Emma, though she'd obviously have the front-row seat to Manny's mind wouldn't be alone, here. "And it'll be good to see what they've done with the place. Maybe it'll be so new it'll be different."

AFTERMATH: Kitty & Emma

[frost_queen Emma Frost ♕ White Queen]

Emma knows she remains bad at sharing burdens, particularly now that she's still readjusting to the idea of being on a team. Kitty's admonishments, both verbal and mental, aren't entirely disregarded. She scoffs quietly at her comment on risk-taking, continuing to play with her hair as she considers.

"We'll all take care of him, if necessary," she finally agrees. "And I am curious to see all the changes. Have you contacted anyone you still know there, yet?"

AFTERMATH: Kitty & Emma

[passingthru KITTY PRYDE]

"Yeah, I reached out pretty recently. Jessa got back to me. She was my boss at the bar. It's still up. Doing really well. So if all else fails, we can take everyone out to get really drunk."

Clearly the solver to all their problems, but Kitty doesn't want to push the rest of it further. She'll quote this later, if also necessary. "Have you heard anything?"