2824/What Lassie..Emma turned into a monkey

What Lassie..Emma turned into a monkey
Date of Scene:	13 October 2017
Location:	Xavier's School, Westchester, New York
Synopsis:	James Proudstar arrives needing help. He is met by Meggan and Jean Grey.
Cast of Characters:	Warpath, Meggan, Phoenix

---

Warpath has posed:
    His credentials are flagged. They are good, but they are flagged. James Proudstar literally speeds up the driveway in an absolutely classic, waxed to a smooth glossy shine 1968 Ford F-150 pickup in a deep black. License plate indicates it is a Delaware truck, and the front plate indicates it has Academy of Tomorrow credentials.
    The truck engine cuts out, and the door opens. The truck rocks as the big man steps out of the truck, shutting the door. He's immense. James Proudstar, 'little' brother of John Proudstar, deceased X-Man has a frown cut deep on his rugged features. His door shuts hard and he starts towards the steps, but stops. Just barging in might be frowned on. He softly swears in Athabaskan.

Meggan has posed:
Meggan sits on the lawn and has made a pile of fall leaves. She's gathered them together by shade, focusing primarily on reds and auburns, but going towards more classic brown along the edges. She squishes them a bit beneath her fingers, closing her eyes and listening to the crinkle, almost a symphonic sound to her nature-attuned senses. Her elven ears jut up out of the cascading blonde spill of her hair, her body sheathed in a lavender-colored jumpsuit, a bit blousy and silken, with bare shoulders and, as usual, bare feet.

The sound of the door shutting seemingly draws her from her reverie, green eyes bright as they alight upon the man at the porch, "Hello, truck driver. Were you looking for someone? I think most of the authoritative people are gathering for some sort of meeting somewhere...other than there," she says, gesturing vaguely around. "You might perhaps leave a message or note? I would take it for you, but I am terrible at remembering and would not tell anyone for at least three days."

Warpath has posed:
    He is actually abashed. His features turn more red through his face and the frown deepens for a moment. "You smell." he pauses. "Nice." he decides. "Clean. Like you belong." His eyes settle on her. He goes through dossiers in his head. Meggan P-something French, he thinks. He makes a face. He walks over, and then he finally really sees her. She might be used to it. It's a Thunderbolt to the eyes. The big Apache man stares at her.
    James actually opens his mouth. "Uhn." He stares for another long moment. "Hi. Uhn. Yeah?"
    It takes him a moment to gather his thoughts. Grodd zapped his reptile brain pretty hard. He's not quite as in charge of his faculties as he normally is. "Uhm. Would you maybe help me? My... Emma. Emma Frost? She has. Well she. Uhm. Well. She is. She is acting like a monkey."

Warpath has posed:
    There is a 1968 Ford Pickup truck in the circle in front of the Mansion. Off to one side a Thunderstruck James Proudstar is explaining to the delightful Meggan that the woman who took him in and gave him an education is suffering from a mental alteration.

Meggan has posed:
Meggan pushes up onto her feet, crunching the leaves she'd gathered beneath them. CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH. So lovely and it's all all crinkly and dry beneath her toes and oh my it's...

Focus, Meggan. Human-type person talking to you, ignore the leafies.

"I am pleased that my smell is pleasing! I do not know how to help if someone is acting like a monkey. Is that wrong? Should she not act that way? Monkeys always seemed very pleasant to me. Unless she's the screaming kind. I can see how that could be a problem. Nobody likes to be screamed at. Hullo, I'm Meggan," she says, offering a hand.

"Maybe there is someone else who can help better than I can."

Warpath has posed:
    It is really good that James Proudstar has his mental focus up. That annoying, dry, deep voice from his hindbrain is very interested in Meggan.
    Squeezing his eyes shut, James nods at her and engulfs her hand with his. "It. Is. Most women wear too much perfume for my nose." He admits. He remains quite ruddy through the face. He opens his eyes as he shakes her hand to make eye contact. "Clean." He repeats himself from before. "Uhm. Wholesome. What perfume is that?"
    Shaking his head clear for a moment. "Uhm. No. She is not the pleasant sort of monkey at all. In fact. She... is not to the sort of person who should be concerned only with fulfilling her more, uhm, base impulses." He blushes more red, and his mental fight behind his shielding continues. "Perhaps Miss Gray, or even.." he hates to trouble him. "--Scott Summers. Tell them James Proudstar needs a favor. Please?"

Meggan has posed:
Meggan smiles broadly, "I do not wear perfume, other than perhaps my soap, which contains honey and has a pretty picture of a little bee on it. Also a man with a beard, but he is not as pretty. He makes excellent soap, however!"

She doesn't seem perturbed by his question or shy about her answers, as open and free as the air as she considers his dilemma, "Miss Grey is especially good with matters of the mind. I could tell you what this Emma Frost is feeling, but, if she is a monkey in her mind, she is most likely feeling very itchy and in need of a tall tree. I could make her calm, at least, if that would help. But yes, let us seek help," she says.

She turns towards the house, cupping her hands around it and flexing her throat, shifting her vocal cords just so to increase the potentiality of her volume. The result is...rather loud. "MISS GREY! MISS JEAN GREY! MR. SUMMERS! SCOTT SUMMERS! SOMEONE NEEDS YOUR HELP WITH A MONKEY WOMAN!"

Warpath has posed:
    Though his toughness and his physique make his senses a bit less prone to that sort of damage, James Proudstar has very sensitive ears. He covers them for a moment. "Subtle." he compliments the blond. Unfortunately he loses his little fight with his reptile brain for a moment and openly leers at Meggan in a not entirely wholesome manner before reining it in with a vicious mental clamp down.
    James leans against his truck, and stuff his hands in his pockets. His jacket opens a little as he does. He is armed with two very big knives in two large sheathes under his jacket. He shakes his head again, as it to clear it.
    He is not as in charge of his mind as he would like to think as he flirts, when he really shouldn't be. "You are really being helpful." He tells Meggan warmly. "I really appreciate it." This is about as pleasant as James Proudstar gets.

Phoenix has posed:
At that precise moment, the front doors of the mansion are opened from the inside. Jean Grey steps through, eyes widening at the volume of that call for assistance. They had just been finishing a meeting with the alert came from the gate. A stylish suit is worn instead of her usual attire, the remants of a teacher/parent conference that had run over. She holds the door a moment to allow Scott to join her then descends the stairs as a hurried pace toward James and Meggan.

Once they are close enough, she gives a smile to the pair. "Meggan, thank you for alerting us." Then she flicks her gaze over to the man by the truck. "James, it's good to see you. What brings you here tonight?"

Meggan has posed:
Meggan isn't entirely oblivious to James' leering, as innocent as she might seem on the surface. She's an empath, after all, and can feel precisely what he feels, in rather precise detail in fact. Even worse, as a reflexive metamorph, her body may alter just ever so slightly to be even -more- attractive to him because, well, that's just the way her mutation works. She blushes ever so slightly and then realizes she's hurt him with her shouting.

"I apologize, I should have thought...if your nose is so sensitive, so your ears might be, as well!" she says, sympathetically. "Unfortunatelyu, I am not a telepath, I could only project a feeling and not exactly in a direc---Ah, there's Miss Grey!" she says, glad to be interrupted as she's not entirely making sense, stepping a little aside so the teacher can address their visitor.

Ooo, she's back in the leafpile again! Sweet!

Warpath has posed:
    Jean arriving unlocks the floodgates. Meggan might be more aware than even Jean. A memory hits James. Scott and Logan comforting him. James stealing and burning his brother's body. Crying. A tentative mental touch from a telepath with flame red hair. She made it a little better too. James looks aside, awash in that memory for a moment. He sort of rubs at his face, and that might be the clue that something is really wrong. When the stoic James Proudstar gets watery eyed at seeing Jean Gray, well the world might just be ending. Or... Emma Frost is a monkey.
    "Emma is hurt." The relief that James feels is tinged with worry. "A mental assault. She. Well, a Gorilla hit us both while we were getting her identification renewed. it, uhm, it, uhm." He squeezes his eyes shut as he feels shame. "It activates the more, uhm, base impulses. Emma is acting more on instinct than intellect. She... still has access to her mental abilities though. I.. couldn't.. stop her. From, uh, leaving."

Phoenix has posed:
The very way he is moving tells Jean something major has happened. He was so relieved to see her, his posture shifting from holding the weight of the world to being able to share the load. She immediately moves to his side, placing a gentle hand on his arm if he will allow it. Just that single motion to offer solidarity in his time of need. Her brow furrows with concern.

As he begins his tale, she raises her eyebrows in surprise at the idea of a gorilla being able to mentally compromise someone with James' defenses or Emma's powers. "Alright," she says softly as she considers the situation. "So she is currently acting more animal than human yet she still has all her abilities. May I look, James?" She doesn't want to invade his privacy yet the careful way he is phrasing things has alarm bells going off. She needs to understand and to do so, she needs o tsee the memories of what occured.

Meggan has posed:
Meggan steps over to James as well, reaching out to lay a hand on his arm. She doesn't push too much, but she does radiate good will and psychic 'warmth', the empath pushing it towards the obviously shaken man in an attempt to provide some sort of succor.

"It feels like an old hurt," she says softly aside to Jean, "Very deep," she says, her voice choking a bit as she tastes the depth of that pain, a tear escaping an emerald eye and trickling down one of her rosy cheeks. Her elven ears wilt a bit and then she rallies, trying to push her good will towards him and not be overwhelmed with his sadness. This is what she's been training to do, after all, so this is a good demonstration in front of the teacher. But she does it, most of all, to try and help, goodhearted creature that she is.

Warpath has posed:
    "It-- yes." James pauses. "Don't hate me." Is all he says as he nods. He's worried they will. He lowers his mental blocks.
    His mindscape is traps and snares within a bleak desert. It's soul crushing loneliness and loss. Everywhere. Everyone he loved, dead. Except Siryn, who doesn't want him. He has one person he cares about. Emma. She took him in. She cared for him. He knows she used him to make a weapon. But he was a weapon to begin with. He's not bad. He's just so soulcrushingly alone.
    Maybe he should let all telepaths into his brain. Who would want to be here? The Ape (Grodd) firing a beam. Emma going down. Panic. A 100 miles per hour parkour run through Metropolis to the school, clutching her to him, scared to death he was going to lose her too. She came back, and then. Well, she had a need.
    James looks aside, as if he can feel the memory as Jean accesses it. Shame. he should have been strong enough to resist her mental push. "Please, don't hate her. It isn't her fault."
    There is one danger in James' mindscape; his more reptilian brain. A predatory, selfish part obsessed with biological survival snarls at Jean's intrusion and offers her inappropriate things. It's been made more powerful by the experiences, but that effect is fading. It is returning to normal as it is.
    Meggan is having a very inappropriate impact on that hindbrain, but warmth doesn't come across as the sun in his mindscape. It's a gentle, soft rain that makes the earth green in the desert. James is breathing a little hard under the two very different touches in his mind.

Phoenix has posed:
As Meggan offers her empathic assistance, Jean gives her a brief nod. She reaches out with her mind, navigating that landscape of loneliness while seeking the details she needs. At times such quests are simple, a momentary piece of memory plucked forth. Other times, the mind is strong enough that she shares their feelings during the experiences she watches. The crushing aloneness, the bleakness of that world for him. A hint of warmth comes from her mental touch, offering a feeling that he isn't alone. He always has people he can come to should he need them. Friends.

As the story plays out, her breathing shifts to a more rapid pace, lips parted slightly as she gasps at the situation. "I don't blame her, James," she responds softly as she prepares to withdraw.

Then the predatory portion of his brain, the animalistic part that has been influenced adn expanded upon challenges her even while offering things. There is another flare of heat for a moment as Jean reaches out with her mental power to touch the beast within. It is already fading but she adds a hint of power to it, helping to push it back into its normal state and allow James to regain control of his faculties without that complication. Only then does she withdraw. "Thank you, James. I know that was unpleasant. Do you know where Emma may have gone?"

Meggan has posed:
Meggan lays her forehead against James' shoulder. Once she forms a connection to that underlying, animal part of him, she lets that warmth flow forth, the goodh-hearted nature of the fae-like mutant spilling out, her empathic energy radiant and abundant, whether it manifests as rain or soothing wind - like the girl herself, her power shapes itself to need and service, flowing into the nooks and enveloping James in an emotional embrace.

She doesn't get the same details of the memories or such, not having Jean's abilities. She actually climbs up on the man, though, wrapping her legs around his torso and clinging, becoming almost a little monkeyish in her own way as her blond hair covers her face. "Don't be sad," she says. It's all she can offer.

Warpath has posed:
    He can feel his equilibrium return. A few moments of empathy and telepathic caring are not going to change it in a largescale manner. Jean and Meggan are both certainly wise enough to know a little caring though, can cause even deserts to bloom. A gentle rain and a soothing breeze in a desert that maybe is not so bleak, if still stark is the mindscape. But there are little touches. Maybe a smallish oasis there, with a soft breeze and a few flowering cacti. James gives a little trembling whimper, and pushes at his eyes. As he rubs at his eyes, he waits with trained manners to raise the shields back up only after the presence is gone. He clutches Meggan for a moment. It's natural to hug back. The fact she is gorgeous James tries to bury. "Th-thank you. Th-that was giving me a real problem with this pretty girl, Je-- Miss Gray." Decorum.
    Conflict shows on his face for a moment, then he carefully reconstructs his composure. Not too much unlike a certain visored stoic stick in the mud hereabouts.

Warpath has posed:
    "I do not know where she is. I tried to track her, but she eluded me on some level. It is hard to track an electric car." James adds.

Phoenix has posed:
Now that the man is back in control, Jean hears the shift in his speech as he goes back to formality. His posture changss as well while the mental walls close off his mind. "You're welcome, James. You know I am here anytime you need my assistance." The way his mind was tampered with is troubling. Even moreso, that Emma's was. If she is in that state and still has her powers, then she could be wreaking havoc out there somewhere. "I have no doubt you did your best. I will have to try and find her mental signature." Perhaps Cerebro will be able to help.

Looking at the blonde fae girl, Jean doesnt want to break up the moment since honestly James could use a little warmth right now after what he's been through. Yet, the woman is here to learn more about the world as well as her powers. "Meggan, I appreciate how you have helped him but you should get down now. That isn't considered appropriate behaviour in public."

Meggan has posed:
Meggan realizes what she's doing and slowly unlocks her legs from around James, setting her feet on the ground once again, "Sorry, Miss Grey," she says, blushing a little bit.

"I am glad that I could help. If I did help. Which I think I did!" she says. She doesn't seem to mind James embracing her, patting the man on the head and petting him kind of like a puppy dog. "I'm just sorry you had to go through something so hard. It can be difficult to manage how you feel. That's one of the things I have to work on the most, especially since I have to manage other people's feelings along with my own. It can be complicated!"

Warpath has posed:
    Looking at Jean almost as if asking permission. "That makes me ideal person to be around. Well, me and Mr. Summers." James tries to play it off as something other than a line. "Very much in control of my emotions." Yeah. Giant mean looking Apache in a giant truck with huge knives. That doesn't say 'leave me alone' at all? James looks at Jean again. It's about boundaries. "I cannot thank you enough, Jean." It's also about respect earned, as he uses her first name. "Please, let me help in any way I can."
    Slowly he turns red as James looks over at Meggan. His arm is still around her. His face goes beat red. He slowly releases the beautiful blond in as elegant a manner as one who just realized he was clutching onto a complete stranger for dear life can. "Uh. See? Like that." Nice save?

Phoenix has posed:
There is a hint of amusement in Jean's eyes for a moment as she considers that. "Yes, you and Scott are completely in control of your emotions." She doesn't believe a word of it. In fact, she knows better. Yet, she will humor James and allow him to continue with his fascade. A glance is given to Meggan. "Your assistance did wonders, Meggan. Again, I thank you." Then she glances at the driveway, in the direction of the gates. It isn't where she is focused though as she considers her best course of action.

Emma has to be found. The sooner, the better. If Jean can't locate her, hopefully the Professor could. She turns her gaze back to the pair before her. "If you will both excusse me, I need to go hunting. James, I will call you when I find her."

Meggan has posed:
Meggan is a little oblivous, in her own way, in part just because she doesn't always know the norms of behavior. She was fairly sheltered, often hidden away, and rarely socialized much until she came into the fold of the school, so to speak. In some ways, it can make her shy but, in others, she is all too free of social stigma. She needs more worldly people to remind her of how she should behave.

She leans against James' chest, enjoying the feeling of a job well done. "Good luck, Jean! Try bringing some bananas! I think they have some in the cafeteria! They're also very high in fiber and potassium!"

Warpath has posed:
    "If you do not mind?" James asks permission. "Could I stay on site? I have camping gear." Because he would not ask to stay inside. He said no to that. "I always have it in the truck." He pauses. "If not. I will get a place in town." He means to be handy. She might not deserve his loyalty, but she has it. His tone is quiet. Gentle. "You will barely know I am here."He promises.

Phoenix has posed:
The bananas suggestion would have sent Jean into a fit of giggles if it weren't for the situation. As it stands, she can't help but smiling. "I will keep that in mind, Meggan." Her attention turns to James and her smile turns gentle. "James, you are more than welcome to stay here. If you wanted to be inside, I can show you to a guest room." She doubts he will accept but she wouldn't force him to be outside as though he is some sort of unwelcome person they have on property. Though he chose a path away from the mansion, he is still one of them. Family. "It is your choice. Be warned if you are on the grounds though. We do have a young lady who spends much of her time out here in tiger form."

Meggan has posed:
Meggan smiles, "BUt it's not me. I am not sure that I could become a tiger. I could become a tiger girl, but that's not exactly the same," she says. "And I think there might be a famous one of those already," she adds.

"Come, I spend a lot of time in the woods, too! I know of an excellent meadow I could show you. One of the trees looks a little like an ogre, but I think it is a kind ogre and will not harm you, if it turns out to be one for true."

Warpath has posed:
    "Thank you Miss-- Jean." James concedes. He watches her for a minute. "I think the ogre meadow sounds about my speed." James admits. He looks at the mansion. "I got.. baggage in there." James admits quietly. "Ghosts." He says quietly.he turns his back to grab a bag. "Friends too," he allows quietly, just loud enough for her to hear.

Phoenix has posed:
"Always friends," Jean confirms. "Meggan, I leave him to your guidance. If you both will excuse me?" She turns and heads toward the mansion, mind already on the search that is ahead of her. It won't be easy considering Emma's mental abilities to shield herself. She can only hope the power boost from Cerebro will allow her to overcome that obstacle. If not, she may have to resort to more primal means, tapping into tha tpower within that she is loathe to loose lest it take over entirely.

Meggan has posed:
Meggan smiles, "Always, Miss Grey!" she says, offering her hand and preparing to lead James deeper into the forest, "Do you need to get a satchel or a tent? Do you have marshmallows or weenies? I know how to make an excellent fire!"