10988/Angel in the Snow..

Angel in the Snow..
Date of Scene:	05 February 2020
Location:	Backyard - Xavier's School
Synopsis:	A snowy miracle is interrupted by unexpected visitors.
Cast of Characters:	Pixie, Stepford Cuckoos, Magik, Honey Badger, Kaida Connolly, Cypher, Professor X, Nightingale
Tinyplot:	Gremlins!

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Pixie has posed:
It's late afternoon, and the sun is still high enough to cast enough warmth upon the Xavier gardens. It's actually a nice, warm sunny afternoon, warm enough that lots of kids are playing in the snow, enjoying the soft, gentle dusting of snow that falls from the sky, light enough that it sparkles like hundreds of little diamonds, not too heavy that it's cold. In fact, lots of kids are laying in the snow, making their own little snow angels - including Megan herself, dressed in a light winter coat, laying in the ground - although in her case it looks more like a snow-fairy. Go figure.

Stepford Cuckoos has posed:
    Know who's not great at the snow? The Cuckoos. That's who.

    The girls are standing on the back patio and with matching, expensive, outfits, the girls look like they just walked off a fashion runway or LL Bean, or Carhart, but much more debonair. Sophie stands holding a mug of hot chocolate between her mittens and brings it up to her lips and takes a deep breath of the heat coming off the cup. Four of the other girls do the same except Celeste.

    Celeste has become the sort of winter princess of the quintuplets and as such, she's wandering out with a roll of her sisters eyes at her back. The blonde nears Megan and stands over the girl like a statue. "What is it you are doing?"

Magik has posed:
'Warm.' Practically balmy, a May day for the daughter of Siberia. If someone needs less than four layers and can expose their bare hands for more than thirty seconds without risk for frostbite, then certainly no risk comes anywhere close to /cold/. Crunching boots suggest the path she takes through the gardens is a conventional one. No floating in lotus position here. Her multicoloured scarf is missing an antique blue telephone box, wrapped around and around and around with an excessive length yet to be found. That and her very light coat suggest she takes none of this very seriously. Illyana is in no rush here, and likely not one of the kids out there is stupid enough to mob her with snowballs. Not when the last time that happened, a horrific snowwurm launched itself up from one of the piles likely left by her brother and chased two of those erstwhile students around the yard.

Her gaze moves to the quartet keeping an eye from up high, chocolate and mugs smelled even that far off without need for enhanced senses. Celeste's boldness warrants a mildly raised brow, hard to check. "What do you think of a cocoa bar?" she asks sidelong to the better half. Worse half. Hacker half dragged out from behind a server rack or traced through Salem. "Or seeing the star show tonight. In the late one, they do the full three-dimensional immersion, so it feels like you float in space. Maybe gravity is not so much an issue?"

Honey Badger has posed:
Someone watches those on the grounds from the trees. The figure there isn't entirely unnoticable, perched on the branch of the pines as she was making them dip just a bit from her weight, but unless you were *looking* it wasn't obvious either. The girl who looks like Laura sits there with one knee drawn up to her chest while the other dangles off the branch. If she was cold she sure wasn't letting it show as she watches the students curiously play around with sharp green eyes. None of them were the person she was looking for unfortunately. When the Cuckoo moves over to ask Megan what she was doing she leans forward a bit to hear the answer. What *was* she doing?

Kaida Connolly has posed:
There's a line forming in the snow. It's breaking through the snow like some one's leg were simply walking through it except there's no leg and just a single line forming as it goes. She finally stops as she approaches where Megan is, popping up a mousey head to peer over the snow toward Megan and then climbing up on to the snow rather easily. Even this light dusting of snow can support her rather easily and she peers up at the Cuckoo before peering over at Megan. She was gonna ask what is up but she was already beaten to the proverbial punch.

Cypher has posed:
February is the hardest month. Doug has been trying to overcome it by retreating into his work. Wake up, go to work, work till he's exhausted, fall asleep, repeat.

Unfortunately life doesn't always let you run away from it for a month. So he blows out a cloud of frosty breath, in his peacoat, stocking cap, and gloves, and he says, "...I really don't feel too much like celebrating, 'Yana. It's February, you know how it is."

He looks down at the others, and murmurs, "Gosh, I remember being that carefree."

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn giggles as she lays in the snow, surrounded by other easily amused kids as they create a line of angels in the snow. She smiles up at the cuckoo (ugggh what's her name againnnn? They're sooo confusing!) and waves her over, climbing up from her indentation.

"Oooh, I'm making a snow angel! C'mon, you should try too, it's soo much fun! With all this light, warm snow, it's actually quite relaxing!" She doesn't notice girl in the tree initially but she does notice Illy and her better half, grinning and waving them over. "Oooh Kaida, you'd make a perfect lil' snowfairy!" she muses, patting the snow next to her, "C'mon, it'll be lots of fun!"

By now the snow is starting to fall less intensely, but it hasn't stopped completely. Instead something strange happens. It seems to literally sparkle, not just figuratively, but the snowflakes are actually growing larger, glowing and glittering like hundreds of beautiful gemstones..Almost like magic..Some of the kids pause and stare at them, laughing and dancing and twirling in the snow..

Stepford Cuckoos has posed:
    "Well, Douglas, they are teenagers so they aren't as carefree as you imagine." Sophie says as she lifts her mug from her face and deposits it into the fellow blonde's hand as she walks past, allowing him the pleasure of having a mostly full cup of chocolate milk.

    The three other Cuckoos follow Sophie though Celeste looks over her shoulder up from Megan and frowns back down. "Seems my sisters are done with the cold as I guess I am too." So with that the clones all move back into the mansion.

Magik has posed:
Illyana demands nothing of the young man she walks beside, her breath steady as her pace. Approaching the line of snow angels, the resident demon's calculated inspection of their arm-swept wings and broom-legged skirts and robes lingers a second or two too long to really constitute anything comfortable. Her elbow brushes Doug's while he speaks, the mute testament of physical connection probably jarring enough to anyone who knows her well to say something. Exactly two people land anywhere on the hug list, one of them being seven feet tall and constituted largely of a metallic substance much of the time. "Chocolate," she says, "as everyone hates this month. It is short because being any longer would cause a spike in violence." Perhaps wryness lies there, or a morbid Russian streak in line with their national gallows humour. She might make jokes about the Battle of Stalingrad, too.

The mouse-girl is actually easier to spot than someone in the trees, so Kaida and Megan earn that mutual nod from her. Though she slides on her heel, pivoting in the tumble of flakes pouring down in a shimmer-wrack of radiance. A pert wrinkle of her nose is the most response found there. "Be how you will be." No dispellation spike shows, but neither is she prancing around singing happy Russian folk songs. No, she's a lot more like a certain firebird with Baba Yaga's personality.

Honey Badger has posed:
"What the fuck!?"

The blurted phrase is uttered by the Douglas Fir just to the East of the grouping when those snowflakes turn from regular to cartoon magical stuff. Gabby plants her hands on the branch leaning forward so that her head pokes out from the fronds to get a better look as she sits, bewildered, staring at it. One such snowflake falls on her head resulting in her hand lifting to swat it away rapidly with a few quick slaps to her hair to ensure it doesn't just melt and refreeze on her head or something silly, and she blows snow and hair out of her face alike. "Pffftpfftpfft!"

Kaida Connolly has posed:
A blink and she looks up at Megan before shaking her head, "I don't think so. Bad enough I have to walk through it sometimes...well, run through it." She nods her head and looks back, "It gets all in the fur and just brr." She shivers and shakes her head, "Lucky I'm tougher and furrier or I'd never make it." She then considers and twitches an ear before she sniffs the air. She looks up at the strange snow and hten over at Megan before looking to the others, "Something isn't right."

She tehn looks to the trees quickly and an ear twitches again, flitting a little, twisting like a radar dish, "Someone is watching us from the trees." She kneels down a little, planting a hand on the snow top and peering in the direction of Gabby, sniffing at the air.

Cypher has posed:
Doug lets out another slow huff of breath and he glances at Illyana. And then he does what few mortals on the planet would do, though he does so with only a smirk, and a sigh--

He scoops a handful of snow up in one gloved hand and puts it down the back of Illyana's neck, action to movement in one easy sweep.

Pixie has posed:
The light dusting of snow continues to fall, twirling away as Gabby swats at it, and Megan peers up at the girl and the tree curiously, "Heey, do you see anything up there?" she'd fly herself but her wings are neatly tucked underneath her jacket and she's too lazy and too cold to pull 'em out just right now.."I mean, it's sooo beautiful, but..." she frowns a bit, brow furrowed in confusion, "I think I'm sensing magic..You're sensing it too, aren't you, Illy? I wonder what it could be..?" magical snow? From who, or what?

But somehow the presence whatever it is, doesn't feel evil or threatenning in any way. If anything it is beautiful, awe-inspiring even dreamlike..And then suddenly some of the kids' eyes widen, ooohing and pointing at something in the sky in the tree above Gaby. It's darting this way and that, something small, clothed in a glittering silver dress with silvery white insectoid wings and pale translucent skin, her snow white hair falling in beautiful waves around her shoulders. Little glittering blue snowflakes cling to her dress and her hair like jeweled adornments, and she smiles gently as she dances and twirls, creating this beautiful glitter show for the childrens' amusements.

Why yes, this is a snow fairy, but only those who truly believe, those who are full of innocence - and perhaps those wise enough to see beyond illusion and who can sense magic might actually SEE the beautiful fairy dancing in the sky..

Magik has posed:
It must be a matter of waiting until Gabby's crash out of the stealth in the tree, proving the fir doesn't talk by its own accord. Around here, can anyone be sure? Doug gets away with bypassing the six layers of Whovian scarf with trails running down her back and Illyana only hisses through her teeth, her cold resistance fairly impressive. "Do you know who that is?" The question is a profoundly direct one, as it tends to be where she is involved. Almost detached, offered with a glazed streak of Siberian Russian painted all around gorgeously precise, university-level English.

The inflections count all the more. Compared to the offhand statement, the next to escape the blonde is an iron fist inside a Narnian queen's frost spider-silk glove. "Children, go inside." Latitude left is exactly nil, the cold arc of command decimating any sense of being normal. Also, it could be the trickle of melting snow running down her neck, sneaking its way down her spine. Clearly she doesn't like anyone else having fun or enjoying a good time, the killjoy that she is.

Doug gets another nudge, putting him flatly behind her to a degree. "Da. An outsider, and an unwelcome one at that."

Cypher has posed:
Doug looks up and blows out another cloud of frosty breath. "That was supposed to make you... well you don't squeal really. Hit me, probably. I'm a little underwhelmed, I'll have to go back to the drawing board.

"Oh, I remember this poem," He says, before he mutters, "Where the glittering icebergs shine, within the sunset, red as wine..."

Honey Badger has posed:
The Laura-Look-Alike in the trees tips her head up toward the descending fairy to stare wide eyed. A deep breath is drawn and then she slowly, very slowly, pulls back into the branches of the fir. The shadowy Gabby sits there watching the ice fairy warily. Actually, more like curious as hell, but if anyone were to mistake the clone for the slightly older version that ran around here most often, she *could* be assumed to be glowering.

Kaida Connolly has posed:
A look up at the fairy and Kaida blinks a few times, "Umm, that's not what I meant." She states pointing at it, "I meant, the, I think, girl sitting in the trees over there.' She nods her head as she points toward Gabby while watching the fairy thing. She then slowly reaches a hand for a blade and takes a few steps back without drawing it, "Umm, is that bad or good?" She looks ot Illyana upon mention of going inside and then hmms, "Maybe I should but I don't want to leave you unprotected..."

Pixie has posed:
"Awwwe!" some of the kids pout at Illyana's killjoy command. But it IS getting late and they know better to argue with her when she speaks like that. Besides, of all the New Mutants, she is probably one of the highest ranking around here which gives her a certain degree of authority over them. With a sigh, they all gather up their things, take one last glance at the cutesy fairy before giggling and running off. Hey, it'll be dinner soon, and they need to eat!

Megan peers up at the fairy and giggles, twirling and spinning, "Wow, a fairy! It's sooo tiny and pretty!" she continues to watch it, reaching up to catch a flake of snow in her hands, but pauses at Illy's stern words. "Huh, what's wrong, Illy?" she glances around, feeling only the beauty and majesty of the snow and sparkles.

But in an instant all the snowflakes suddenly melt away, falling dully to the ground. A strange shadow is suddenly cast from seemingly nowhere, falling over the sun, and the fairy squeaks and darts into some bushes, apparently frightenned by something..

Not long after, about 15 small portals start to form, black portals of swirling dark energy, each a door from another realm. Out of each, steps a small, ugly creature, each only about 4 feet tall at the most, many bearing sharp and deadly weapons, although others bare long and deadly claws, batshaped ears, and large, hideous grins full of hundreds of sharp teeth. Their bodies are covered in thick tough fur and for those familiar, they greatly resemble Gremlins!

And they do not hesitate in rushing at the New Mutants with claws and teeth and weapons, proving to be quite fast and tough too, although a few dart for the trees where the fairy fled..

Cypher has posed:
"Glamours don't really work well on me." Doug says. "I did not come equipped for this fight," Doug says, before he steps back from an oncoming Mogwai and he takes off his glove, before he slugs it with his techno-organic hand.

"Remember how we laughed at the part where they mess up the wiring on Mrs. Deagle's chair lift and it rockets her out the window and into the street?"

Magik has posed:
The demon queen doesn't even entertain the irony of being unprotected. "They need it more than me." Yana's shoulder blades twitch and some of the snow at her collar is scraped away by her ungloved hand rising to capture it, tossing it to the side. Spilling chunks bounce off the ground at her feet, a brief sidelong look to Doug narrowing somewhat. "Where the shades are blue and green, there lives, they say, the great Snow Queen," she finishes for him, the poem stitched together. No Disney tale sanitized for the mass market selling of songs and dolls, this.

Laura's alter ego perched in the branches is still pointedly strange. Just enough. As no one has answered about Gabby, the Russian girl gestures in a jagged motion of her hand. "Watch her," she suggests to Kaida. It's the best she can manage with the retreat of the twinkling, excited pixie-like woman as opposed to the big pixie-mutant woman. "I don't like dimensional intrusions. Outsiders." A jerk of her wrist is a sonnet to folded steel, soft and hard, the Japanese katana hauled out of the... scarf? Folds of yawn become slender steel. Who the hell hides a /sword/ in a scarf? Canes, seriously, girl. Hilt-first, it's handed to Doug because why not let him play at iaido master? To the gremlins, her voice becomes a cracking evocation of Unseelie, something weirdly similar to Scottish if run through a pile of tar and set on fire. <<These shining lands belong not to the Queen of Air and Darkness. I accept your declaration of war with /glee/.>>

And there, darlings, are the horns.

Honey Badger has posed:
This entire school was still something that was unfamiliar to Gabby. While a part of her wanted to join in with those kids that were playing earlier she knew to be wary. Her goal was simple after all. It was the last mission she promised her sisters she would have... Hopefully. Everything, and everyone, was to be approached cautiously. Yet still when the fairy is chased away by creatures that come from portals that didn't seem like it was the usual thing for here.

Given Illyana rushed the children off to safety, the tree-dwelling clone comes down by simply dropping off her branch to the crunch of snow below. Landing on her feet next to one of the portals she doesn't seem phased at all by the whole drop from a height situation. Instead she just flips a knife out off her belt into her fist holding the blade backwards so her punching motion allows the edge of metal to slash with the same motion seeking to slice it's ... throat? Face? Did these things have necks?

Kaida Connolly has posed:
PUlling forth her own blade, the girl idly holds it forward and looks up to Illyana with a blink. Her own blade is no where near as impressive, but for Kaida, it is every bit as important. She then looks forward at the portals and frowns deeply, "Alright..." She says softly and then she pulls out her full on brogue and yells out, "Round two you wee beasties and if you think you had it rough with meh fists than wait till you taste me blade!" And she's off like a flash, going right after two of them and slashing quickly in passing at one and then slashing at the side of another before she spins to a stop and gestures with her blade, "Come ye monsters! Ye wish to pick on someone wee, then I have someone right here who will give you a jolly good chase!" And she's off into the underbrush to chase after the ones that went after the fairy!

Cypher has posed:
"Sometimes you just have to stand back and watch someone work," Doug says, before he picks up another one of the Gremlins and throws it off of the nearest convenient spot.

"Did you prefer the intermission with John Wayne or the one with Hulk Hogan?" He asks Illyana, before he grabs another one and shakes it. "You! Go! Back! Where! You! Came! From!"

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn narrows her eyes as she glances around, "Oh no, it's these guys again!" with a snarl, she rips off her restrictive jacket, shivering a little at the approaching darkness. Out come her glitterly translucent wings, glittering blue-green today in the near approaching twilight, "What are they after? Where did they come from!?" but even as she speaks, Pixie is aware of a couple of kids who defied orders and cower under a tree near where the fairy fled. A few of the gremlins snarl and rush after them before stopping in their tracks as pink glitter falls from above. Suddenly they keel over and roll in the snow, laughing uncontrollably at...Something..

Some of the gremlins after the fairy break off and tango with Kaida, allowing the fairy to slip from their grasp, at least briefly as they engage with the fierce mousegirl. Still others engage with Gabby's fierce strikes, many falling quickly at her attack although it seems that there is strength in their massive numbers.

More gremlins rush at Doug and Illyana from behind, snarling and leaping with outstretched claws.

Magik has posed:
The Russian's blonde hair sways around her shoulders, her curling horns plenty prominent, though the prehensile tail and digitigrade legs are absent. Claws, pointed fangs? If anyone is looking closely enough, they are absolutely present and not a hindrance for her at all. She drops into action, that midnight sword called to hand almost out of nothing. Seeing Doug doesn't need the katana, she retains it, reversing the grip to bring the katana as a secondary guard. Not while she has the onyx-bracketed Soulsword at the ready to do the primary source of damage. Watching her dive into combat would normally be an impressive sight on its own, the petite Russian using rapid, precise strikes to cut under someone's guard. The gremlins have every right to use everything at their disposal to stab or hack or bludgeon her, but she shows none of the characteristic concern she might for their welfare.

The singing lamentations of the Soulsword build in intensity as the enchanted edges respond powerfully to non-human flesh. Wading into the rush, she almost thrills to the dance honouring all the gods of war. War is war.

"Excellent questions," she replies between riposting an axe and thrusting at well-guarded gremlin ribcage. "Keep one and find out." That's a Hell Lord for you.

Cypher has posed:
"Sorry about that, beautiful." Doug says, "But I swing a Katana like a baseball bat. I tried some of Betsy's Danger Room sword drills and I'm terrible. Just... terrible. I kept breaking them." He grabs a gremlin in midair and throws it at Illyana. "Top marks for teamwork, though!"

He follows behind, and says, "It occurs to me, is there a mook dimension these things are being conjured from? Are they functionally unlimited?"

Pixie has posed:
In spite of their numbers, Illyana makes quick work of the majority of them, sending them quickly to oblivion. The rest are dealt with swiftly by Doug, Megan, Gabby and Kaida. But it seems in the thick of battle, the fairy is forgotten, and she gives a weak cry for help before one of the gremlins sweept her up, sticking her in a bottle her draws from around his neck before he vanishes into a portal, his tracks easily covered by his remaining companions.

Once they're all gone, the sky returns to normal, the beautiful snow stops falling and an eerie silence fills the area. Megan lands lightly on the snow, peering around, "Um. So did we win...?"

Magik has posed:
That thrown gremlin is going to have a bad day when the golden-haired demon queen whirls. There goes the katana; Illyana's dance involves live steel in one hand, and the other an accelerated shard of her purified soul. A carving slice on the downward diagonal ends up followed up with a brutally efficient stab from the Soulsword just in case. And then, the gremlin is gone. Surely? With the last of them retreating or fallen, the blonde advances on their path, delving. "All dimensions are finite," she says, the hint of sibilance present. Talking with fangs has limitations.

Those glowing, empty eyes surveying the snowy yard find no further evidence of corporeal trouble. "Injured?" she asks Megan, the snowflakes landing on the infernal coronet replacing her usual forked headband. The real horns are more petite than usual, but that's not saying much. "They were hunting. The fae came through. They followed." Points made while sheathing that katana back in the Whovian scarf that hid it. Just don't ask how.

Cypher has posed:
Doug murmurs "I guess I shouldn't postulate if there's an alternate dimension out there where all the oceans are Red Bull then." He scratches his temple, and then murmurs "I knew telling you about how the Cybertronians use pocket dimensional storage space would come in handy." he puts his hands on his hips, and then says, "I think, based on what I'm getting, we're all clear. For the moment."

Pixie has posed:
It's clear there was a battle here recently. Broken tree branches, trampled bushes scattered footprints...The damages were at least kept to the minimum and the combined powers of the New Mutants who stayed behind after the kids fled were enough to send the gremlins packing..But they weren't entirely successful, for, it seems that they had not left without their prize: A beautiful snow fairy, trapped in a bottle, all but invisible to those who lack innocence, who do not believe in the impossible.

Megan glances towards Illy and Doug and sighs, "Awwe, really? They captured the fairy? That really sucks...What are they gonna do with her?" she seems sad..And a little scared..

Magik has posed:
The core runs cold, so cold, in that molten figure. Illyana still scours the landscape and seeing no evidence of Kaida or Gabby in distress, her shoulders pop as she languidly flexes them back to stretch out a little. Sinuous and supple, the gesture is grandly arrogant in some suppressed matter. The Soulsword remains point-down at her side, hilt traced by her thumb. Extinguished violence and she has to conjure her purpose there. "Don't ask questions that you would dislike an answer to," she replies, tilting her head up. Any scoured remnants of the portals are still hers to track, and there is just one little problem on their side. "I love it when they run. Did she come here for help?" That faint smile bares the tips of pointed canines, and she steps back, stirring her fingers in a little circle. "Met them before?"

Professor X has posed:
This time perhaps not wheeling himself, but rather having another familiar student assist him in that regard, Charles Xavier arrives on the scene of this tremendous incident that happened on his grounds. "I see that you three have had a rather interesting day. Would any of you be kind as to inform me to what has happened on these grounds?"

The Professor did not look irritated, since it can be assumed these three managed to keep danger at bay...or they brought danger with them. Depends on how you view it, but for now the Professor is not going to start prying into minds.

Because its rude and its more kind to ask people politely than to dig in by force.

Cypher has posed:
"It wouldn't be the first time." Doug says. He reaches down and picks up what's left of a Gremlin. "Extradimensional incursion, Professor Xavier. Just like the old days. Unfortunately this time we didn't make the save and the Mogwai here made off with their prize." He looks over at Illyana, and says, "Well, if she came here for help... somebody's gonna have to go after her."

Nightingale has posed:
     Indeed, the one wheeling the Professor out was a familiar winged student, who very wisely keeps silent, and keeps to her post. However, Shannon's pale azure eyes widen a bit, her brows arching as she surveys the damage. Doug's remark about an extradimensional incursion draws a frown from her, wings spreading wide in a protective arc. "Please tell me that's not related to the protection spell? And is anyone injured?"

Pixie has posed:
The two younger children, still crying, run towards the Professor when he makes his appearance, eager for comfort from the Headmaster, eager for a sympathetic voice that can make everything better. "Professor! It was soo scary!" they cry and mumble and talk over each other as they see comfort in hugs. Because parents are good at giving hugs and in making the scary monsters go away.

Pixie bites her lip, glancing back at Illyana and nods, "Umm, not the fairy but me, Kaida and Gwendolyn did encounter a handful of those nasty gremlins before.." she sighs and rubs her eyes tiredly, "I thought it was just my imagination at first but.." she shivers at Illy's words and just stares in confusion at Doug's tech talk,

"Ermm...I dunno, can you really track 'em down so easily? And really, what would gremlins do to a fairy? If they wanted to kill her they wouldn't have been so careful to catch her alive..That's really weird. And creepy..." and she was a fairy and Megan is pretty partial to fairies. For obvious reasons.

She frowns faintly and shrugs to Shannon, "Oh..I never thought of that, huh.."

Magik has posed:
"Otherworld incursion of spirit entities. Fae, most likely." Illyana responds with a silken carelessness, even directly to Xavier. Her bearing does change, subtly, the shift of posture more like a predator responding to the presence of another potentially dangerous omnivore entering the savannah. Untangling a pale gold tress from where it wraps around her back-curving crescent horn, she doesn't comment to the children crying and running away. "We will go hunting. You have your knife?" she asks Pixie, though it's probably a pointed question rife with choices. A flick of the wrist and one of those unholy portals opens up, gold flecked in shadow. "They could do many things. Hold her hostage. Drain off her magical energy. Use her as bait for a larger target. Overclock her to burn her out while keeping her functionally alive. Simple options. The rougher sketches are worse." Her fingers flex thoughtfully. The slightest little smirk to Shannon is a greeting there, wings the diametrical opposite of the demonic incarnation she is. "I have no intentions to drop right in before making cold iron manacles at the very least. We'll have some fun."

And with that, the demon queen blows a kiss to Doug and steps through that portal, leaving it open for anyone who wants to swim in the very pretty mosaic hall visible beyond. Limbo is entirely friendly these days.

Cypher has posed:
Doug waves a hand to Illyana. "I'll see you later. I've got to go be useful someplace. We can get coffee! Or watch a movie maybe. Or something." He looks back at Xavier, and rubs the back of his neck, the stress quite literally radiating off of him. "February." He says, sheepishly, as if that explains it all.

Professor X has posed:
Charles looks at the two young children who approach him in such a hurry, his arms going out to them, each hand reaching for a shoulder. "No need to fear, you two. The situation is handled and you have them to thank for it." he gestures to the trio, and to whomever helped them before his arrival. "Now, go ahead inside and we will talk about it further over hot chocolate." A kind smile then before the children run off to do just that, looking in better spirits already.

To Doug, Charles grants only a nod. "So I see. Unfortunate that they succeeded in their task, moreso that I am not very versed in the mystical or the transdimensional, though I will help as I can. Travel safely." A smirk then. "So it would appear." as if it indeed explained everything.

As Illyana makes her exit, Charles seems to exhale. "The dimensional incursions are increasing lately, are they not?" He looks then to Megan for a moment. "Gremlins specifically? Interesting. Looking for a fairy too? Seems like it came from a childrens book by the sound of things. Perhaps that is just an old man who forgets that the world is bigger than what we see in front of us."

Nightingale has posed:
     "It's easy to forget sometimes. But then you find that things out of tales you read as a child are quite real." Shannon allows herself a small smile, the brief image of a timeless, ageless face with long, white hair and a beard swimming to the surface of her mind briefly, along with a trident. "And due respect, Professor, but surely you weren't just being hard on yourself?"

     Fairies? Gremlins? Well, stranger things had happened. But the fact that interdimensional incursions are happening right here on the school grounds concerns her. Mentally, she makes a note to flag down the Professor later to voice her concerns, as well as other matters. But first things first! A quick glance around brought a sigh of relief from her, the posture of her wings relaxing somewhat. It seemed as if her gifts were mercifully unneeded at the moment. "Big question, then. Was the fairy all the gremlins took?"

Pixie has posed:
The children smile faintly, clearly comforted by the fatherly voice and hugs from The Professor. They nod and hurry inside the mansion. This brief battlefield is a bit creepy right now.

As for Megan, she bites her lip, glancing curiously at Illy and her careless, creepy demeanor. "Umm, yeah, I have my dagger, but..You wanna pursue them immediately?" it might be the wiser thing to do but..Megan isn't really keen on seeing what's on the other side of that portal..At least not until she's done a little research.

Oh wait, children's books? "Really? You think it's all from a fantasy story? But..I felt sooo real.." she sighs and yawns, "Y'know, I should really head to bed myself, maybe do some research into fairytales." Now, that could be interesting. She smiles at Shannon, "I think I'm okay, might wanna check on some of the kids. I think most of them made it okay though..Kaida and Gwen might need checking up on though, it was pretty chaotic for a while back there..

Professor X has posed:
The Professor looks at Pixie for a moment and shakes his head. "You misunderstand, young Megan. I merely mean that it sounds almost eerily like the stories I read when I was a child, which was a very long time ago." He chuckles for a brief second, but he nods to her. "Get some good rest, you've earned it."

To Shannon, who has so admirably been wheeling him about as they enjoy conversation, a smile on his face. "I have found that I am typically always hard on myself, Shannon. But then again, that is a habit of the old. Do not worry, everyone is accounted for."

Nightingale has posed:
     "It's not exclusive to the old, Professor." A wry smile curls the corners of Shannon's lips upward, her brows quirking. "Megan might be on to something, though, looking at the old stories and myths. A surprising number of them are closer to the mark than most realize."

     With the children racing inside to seek out and partake of the delicacy known as hot cocoa, and most everyone else inside, she finally allows herself to relax. Indeed, everyone was accounted for. However, some concerns still remained. "I don't know how much you know of what's been happening here, but a little bit before the holiday season, there was a protective spell cast on the school, to discourage prying eyes. At the time, there were a few nasties that got through, and I'm hoping this isn't a sign of the spell unraveling. It might be jumping at shadows, but maybe a question worth asking all the same?"

Professor X has posed:
Charles seems to lightly smile, not thinking anything of her comments. "It may be wise. It would not be the strangest thing we have had to encounter." He seems to reside to himself, deep in thought. "I was aware of it. I believe it was assisted in its casting by one Wanda Maximoff. Am I mistaken?" Charles asks. Its not a mocking question, but an honest one. He'd rather his information be up to date.

"There is no such thing as being too careful, Shannon. Always remember that, especially in this time where we strive to prove that humans and mutants can coexist. A seperate issue, to be certain." he chuckles then. "Feel free to look into it. Miss Rasputina would likely be glad to assist you."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods by way of agreement, adding, "And Doctor Strange." There's just a hint of rancor to her tone, and she wrinkles her nose as if having just bitten into a particularly sour lemon. "A few of us were able to be out there and help out. I still have the staff from Miss Maximoff. It suits." Charged now with looking into the matter, she resolves to talk to Illyana about it as soon as reasonably possible.

A light sigh escapes her, brows furrowing. A pang of regret and sorrow laces her voice when she finally speaks again. "Why does there have to be such hatred for mutants? So we've got a few things different. We're just proof that the Creator isn't done being creative by a long shot."

Professor X has posed:
"The Good Doctor has been a friend of ours for many a year. I do not feel as if his help is uncommon." He nods a little bit though as he hears more information about this protective spell. "Use it with care. Miss Maximoff is as unique, chaotic, as she is helpful." he warns.

But when she speaks about the hatred for mutants, he nods. "They fear that which they do not understand. It is a natural human emotion. Now all we can do is try to change the very notion that they have set themselves to believe." He smiles. "Believe in the dream, believe in human and mutant alike, and what we fight for will become reality."