3247/Playing with Power

Playing with Power
Date of Scene:	26 November 2017
Location:	Xavier's School, Westchester, New York
Synopsis:	Experimenting with powers often has unpredictable results. And there's ALWAYS drama.
Cast of Characters:	Shadowcat, X-Man, Nightcrawler

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Shadowcat has posed:
As they stand in the library, Kitty looks a little uneasy herself. "Kurt, I know it's a crazy idea. But seriously... the Martian Manhunter honestly thinks that my power comes from the astral, and he asked me if you'd do this experiment with me." She doesn't note Nate's entrance from the hallway as she works on convinving the Fuzzy Elf. "I'm never going to be able to figure it out if we don't test it. I've phased you plenty of times, and you've bamfed me around. We've never done it at the same time. It really *shouldn't* be that big a deal."

X-Man has posed:
Nate wanders into the library, intent on continuing his studies from before, and he's looking a little under the weather. His skin is looking a little pale, seems as if he hasn't gotten much sleep the previous night, and shoulders lumped just a little bit. He has four sandwiches on a large plate, all stacked with various meats and veggies, and he looks like he is just now finishing a fifth as his cheeks are puffed out. At first he doesn't notice the ongoing discussion, his mind either preoccupied or not quite running on all cylinders, but then an eyebrow raises as he sees he won't be alone today. He chews furiously, trying to swallow the sandwich in he had stuffed in his mouth, and finally croaking out a "Sorry.." as he gets enough down, and offers an apologetic wave. "I can come back..."

Nightcrawler has posed:
    "Do nicht put it that way." Kurt protests as he listens to her. "Bamfed you around, it sound like I took advantage. Ja! Kurt bamfed me twice last night. It was wunderbar? Nein! Do nicht say it that way!" Kurt shakes his head, his tail lashing.
    Relenting, Kurt says, "Ja, for you, Katzchen. As long as there is absolutely no chance of us getting stuck there, living another life, und having little bamf children, ja, sure!"

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty giggles softly, turning a bit pink at the way Kurt phrases it. "You're a nut," she informs him over the giggles. Looking toward Nate, she looks worried for a long moment. Then she tries to cover it. "Actually, Nate... if you don't mind staying, it might be a really good idea to have a telepath to keep an eye on this. If the power *is* astral.... " She bites her lip. "Well, I don't want to get us stuck or something, right?"

She really didn't want to say that where Kurt could hear. Not really. He's already a little freaked out about being able to teleport PARTS of people.

X-Man has posed:
Nate nods his head slowly, somewhat catching what Kurt was saying, and decides to keep any stray thoughts to himself. He sits down at a nearby table, taking a breath, and chewing on the second of his sandwiches. His skin is already starting to look better as he sits here, shading a bit as each sandwich is devoured, "Uhm..." He says between sandwiches, "...what am I doin'? Somethin' 'bout astral somethin'or'other?" He processes the other bit of her comment, "Eh? stuck somewhere?" Obvious confusion on his face as his brain is starting to catch up.

Nightcrawler has posed:
    "Katzchen wants me to teleport her while she is phased." Kurt replies. He pauses. "Your sandwiches look amazing." He says as a non sequiter. "You should use the panini press. Lorna fell in love with me because I made her a -- nevermind. Unimportant."
    Kurt refocuses. "If we are convinced it is safe, Katzchen, i will of course help." He states it warmly, as if there is very little he would fail to do for Kitty. He fidgets just a little in place. His tail tip giving a little anxious twitch as he is obviously thinking about possible issues. "We will nicht be windwalking, ja, Katzchen? Feet on ground?"

Shadowcat has posed:
"No, we won't be airwalking. Feet firmly on the ground," Kitty promises Kurt with a grin. And then she explains for Nate, "I need to do an experiment with my power. Do you remember you said you had a sense of me when I phased outside? Well... I've been training with another friend, who has both telepathy and a power similar to mine. And when I told him that, he actually WENT astral. And when I phased, he saw me on the astral. Which ... isn't really what either of us expected. We've never really figured out what it is that I do -- it's not density manipulation, it appears to be literally somehow dimensional. Will you keep an eye on us? So that if we blow it or something, someone knows?"

She kind of grins wickedly at Kurt. "Convinced it's safe? Not really.... but I *think* so." She reaches out and takes his hand. "C'mon, you've teleported me a million times." She phases them as soon as she touches him. "You have control of the teleport whenever you want to do it."

X-Man has posed:
"Huh..." Nate replies to Kurt explaining what Kitty wants to try, "...okaayyy..." while he now hears what they want, it doesn't seem to register why, but he gives a small shrug. He gives Kurt a grin, "Thanks, Kurt!" and then tilts his head to the side, "What's a panini and why do you press it? Like a flat sandwich or somethin'?" Another shrug, taking Kurt's word for it that it isn't important right now.

And then Nate nods his head slowly, understanding dawning even more as Kitty gives him a rundown of what she has planned. "Ok, got it. So you want me to Astrally Project, and watch what happens?" He destroys the fourth of the sanwiches, leaving one in place, "Hmm, dimensional.. I might be able to help with that too. I've got a, sense, of people movin' 'round dimensions. Guess we can see how it works, eh?"

That said, Nate's left eye glows golden brightly, the perceptive might notice that his right glows a little blue as well, and then it looks as if Nate is frozen in time. In their heads, Nate's voice calls out <Ok, ready when you all are...> a pause, a bit of embarrassment, <Uhm, sorry. Should've asked first before sending to your minds. Bad at that...>

Nightcrawler has posed:
    "Ja. Well. we are teleporting there." Kurt points with both his tail and his let hand. "So stay out of that spot, ja?" Kurt says warmly. "We will be phased, but still." His hand settles on Kitty's hand to squeeze tight. His tail lashes about and wraps about Kitty's ankle. "Nate. You are family. Just stay out of mein head when I am alone with Lorna." Kurt winks at the young man in a roguish manner. "Hold your socks, Katzchen!" #Bamf!# A cloud of stinky extradimensional gas fills in the lost air. A tiny fraction of a second later, and there is another cloud of gas, and a flash of the same red light! #Bamf!#
    An additional microsecond later, and two cute little girl-type bamf-like little demon-critter girls appear with a pair of #Bamf!#s! They wave at Kurt and Kitty and scamper off into the mansion. One blows Nate a kiss as she runs past. Not only are they little girl ones, but they are wearing little outfits that look a lot like a certain person's 'Sprite' outfit.
    Kurt sputters, coming slightly unglued "Zum teufal! They do nicht come in different genders!" He gestures after them. "Where did they get clothes! You said no complications!"

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty is one of the rare few for whom teleporting like that with Kurt does *not* make her sick. The split second that they are both phased and teleporting is ... we shall call it EYE-OPENING for Nate. When she phased, she appeared just as real in the astral as she does on Earth -- there, but somehow less-than-substantial. Kurt appeared as most non-telepaths do in the astral, as practically a see-through version of himself. But when he bamfs, it's a whole new story. Dimensional ... SOMETHING... magic? Rift? There's something like a ribbon that seems to tie Kitty to several places at once in the astral plane, and when they teleport, one of those ribbons seems to fluctuate wildly.

It's over in less than a second, and the slender ninja assassin has Great Big Anime Eyes when they reappear. The girl-bamfs appear just a microsecond behind them, and she gasps, "Oh no!" But it's too late, they're already gone!

She kind of stands there holding Kurt's hand, with his tail still secure around her ankle, looking ... well, quite flummoxed. "How do you know they don't come in different genders?" she demands. "Did you ever ASK?"

X-Man has posed:
From the Astral Plane, Nate can clearly see as Kitty begins to phase herself, and the fact that she comes across so clearly is definitely a new experience. <Ok Kurt, thanks..> Nate replies, a bit sheepishly and they can both feel that he still feels bad about the intrusion. As the phasing continues, Nate also feels a... ripple.. through his dimensional sense ability. This is unique in that it is more like a the potential for dimensional transition than an actual transition happening.

<Ok, it's easier to show you all than try to explain this...> and so he relays his senses to both Kurt and Kitty as he begins to register all the different stimuli. Then when the bamf happens they both get the same astral view of the activity. Also, from his dimensional perceptions, everyone can tell that there is an active component to Kurt's teleportation that is much stronger than when Kitty had them both phased.

Another quirk, is that when Kitty phased Kurt, Kurt become more visible on the Astral Plane as well, but lacked the same dimensional ripple that emanates from Kitty.

Then there is a bamfette! <Cool?! What're those?!?> and when one blows a kiss at his form, Nate grins, and gives 'her' a wink back. <Crazy costume though!>

Nightcrawler has posed:
    Lacking perspective or expertise with the Astral plane, a lot of the information is lost on Kurt. Which is unfortunate, really. That sort of insight might prove helpful in gaining even greater insight into his powers, abilities, and how so many of his limits are self-imposed.
    Right nw, however, he is just this close to apoplexy! "I have never seen a girl one! Und nicht in your horrible old uniform!" Okay. That was not nice. "Sorry." he hastily adds. Meaning the uniform. He pushes a hand through his hair. He points after them. "What about? I.. the island? The island with like a little houses for little blue people? Did you see it! It had yellow grass! Und tiny wooden houses! They were redecorating two of the houses? It. I. We have to do it again. IS there a way to slow time? Is there? I.. we.. I have to know!" His pulse is elevated, and Kurt is worked up.
    He was teasing Kitty a few weeks ago when he said the bamfs were all her fault because of her story. Now, he is starting to think she saw them in a teleport and that became part of her story, and they came looking for them. He actually bites his bottom lip. "Again!" He commands.

Shadowcat has posed:
Right... the island. That's kind of what has Kitty's eyes so wide. "I did," she agrees quietly. <Nate? Uhm... a little help? What the hell just happened?> she sends to him (to both, if he relays). Kitty is no more well versed in this than Kurt is, and she's ... kind of stunned still.

"Well, I might be doing SOMETHING here, but I don't ... stopping time? I don't think so. Uhm.... what if we ... let go? Like while we were there. I don't think we have a time-stopper, do we?" She looks to be considering that for a moment. CAN we freeze time? That seems like a bad idea.

X-Man has posed:
<Hmmm...> Nate considers for a moment how to answer everything, and hadn't thought that just passing the information would be a problem. <So we'll start with you, Kitty. I can definitely feel some kind of dimensional changes happening when you use your shifting...> Yes, Nate's mental speech is far clearer than his vocal conversations, <The ripples, my best guess, are some kind of link that isn't really opening a portal or rift. I haven't been around many dimensional movers, so this is all a guess for me. Kurt is a great comparison, though, because you can feel when he opens the portal.>

There's a brief pause, his mental communication happening in the blink of an eye, and easily keeping the conversation between the three up and running. <The ribbons are absolutely linked to Kitty, and the dimensions she's linked to. It seems that the sudden movement caused those open links, ribbons, to become visible as they worked on staying attached to her through the transition.> They can feel his mind working on a solution, more from intuitive feeling of the power than any formal education. <Those ribbons are similar to the ripples. Not a fully open portal, but a connection of some sort. You will notice one of the ribbons ripple more than the others. That might mean that the place Kurt teleports to is the same link for Kitty, or it could be the link to the Astral Plane.>

At Kurt's question on slowing time, they both can feel a little concern and hesitance from the young man, but he eventually answers <I can slow time to some degree. I'm not good with it, and it takes a lot of effort. With how quick the teleport happens to be, I'm sure we'd make it on the other side...> there's a chance they could NOT make it?!?! <But I'd be pretty drained.. especially after helping Jubes out last night. I'm still recovering a bit.>

Nightcrawler has posed:
    "Katzchen." Kurt speaks out loud, via the link it can be known this is so he can think it through as he speak, rather than out of telepathic snobbery. "-- has always been linked to me." He pauses. "Phrasing." he coughs, and calms himself. "But when she got here, she was afraid of me, then mein freund, then mein confidant. She invented the little Bamfs things in a story, so I sewed her a bamf doll." He loves her, not that he is love with her, but Kurt loves her like his sister. One does not need a telepathic link to know that. Kurt frowns. "Can you just improve our recollection, Nate?" Kurt asks. His smile is gentle. "Just improve our clarity? Or rather simply make us more aware of what we experience, und make it more of perception?" Kurt makes a slight face as he struggles to explain. "that way, while it might be for a tiny fraction of a second, but we would be aware of what happens? Normally. Mein perception is just light and then arrival. I think being astral means we are maybe looking into the... bamdf dimension." he wrinkles his nose as he calls it that. "Or have some insight we would nicht normally have?"

Shadowcat has posed:
All of the information that Nate offers has Kitty reeling. She slants a glance at Kurt, and murmurs, "Well.... J'onn will be thrilled that we've verified the dimensional shift component." Her tone is thoughtful. It's too much to take in all at one time. With Kurt's tail still wrapped around her ankle, she tilts her head and listens to his thoughts on the link and the island. She can't help the faint smile. "That Bamf doll was, I *thought*, just a from a dream."

Blowing out a slow breath, Kitty considers. "I think that trying to LAND on the other side might be difficult." Her brow furrows. "But.... it *could* work the same way that stepping to Limbo does, for me, Kurt. Instead of focusing on teleporting us to *that* spot here in the library, focus instead on landing on the island when we bamf?" She gives him clueless face. "We might just basically land there because we WANT to..."

X-Man has posed:
Mentally nodding Nate agrees with Kurt <Yep, if you don't mind, I can delve into both of your memories, and show you what you glimpsed.> He seems easy enough with it, and then realizes that it might be scary for them. <I promise that I will only look at the recent teleport. To be completely open, I will need to dig into your subconscious for the best mental image.> Both of them can feel he is completely confident that he can do it, but they know he realizes he is asking for a lot of trust from them.

Nate listens to Kitty's thoughts on the next experiment, and he adds into the conversation, <Kurt, from what I can feel from your porting, I think that it is possible to do what kitty is talking about, and something that is within your power. There is a strong connection when you open your ports, not just a passing connection, and I'm sure that you would be able to port back here as well.> Again, his confidence is felt strongly across the link, <I'm not sure how my telepathy would work across the dimensions, but we could forge a link that may work as an anchor for you as well. If I stay here, may help in getting back.>

Nightcrawler has posed:
    The mental exercise Kurt uses to build up is actually rather involved. It is done quickly though. Kurt is a second generation mutant on both sides of his family tree. His mutation while not seemingly the most powerful in the school is subtly powerful. Others have been able to do more and teleport. Others are able to teleport blind safely, still others are more globetrotters. Kurt though? Kurt can just do it quick, fast and in a hurry. With Nate giving him the target his grip on Kitty tightens. She takes them out of phases. #Bamf!#
    The bamfs are waiting for them. Staring at them as they arrive. 3 boys. 2 girls. Staring. "Mommy! Daddy!" Their golden amber eyes stare at them almost adoringly. Longingly.
    Fear. Self-loathing. Both immediately lance through the psychic connection as #Bamf!# the duo reappear. Kurt almost flings himself from Kitty. He stares at her, and his hands shake. He rushes over to a trashcan and a little bit hurtfully retches and gags into it, though nothing comes up. His body language radiates self-loathing and disgust.
    He is shaken to his core.

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty is willing to let Nate rummage so they can study the image, but Kurt wants to go back at least one more time. So, once more into the breach. Phasing them both, she goes with him when he teleports... and this time they actually land on the yellow grass. Shock ripples through that telepathic connection when they maintain their presence for all of about 5 seconds before Kurt panics and bamfs them home. At least 'home' is an instinctive response.

She literally cannot even comprehend what just happened. While Kurt removes himself and gets sick, Kitty just sort of slowly sits down right where they landed. Mind. Blown.

"Uhm... Nate? I think you better... I don't think we're going to try again." Not tonight. Perhaps not ever. Oh. Oh God. She stares at the young telepath, as if she can't quite look at Kurt. There's a very real sense that she's ... afraid.

X-Man has posed:
Nate is ready to do whatever is needed, and then it is decided that they are going to try to teleport across the dimensions. This time the transition is very strong, more so than even Kurt's normal teleports, and when they land there is a tremendous strain from Nate's side. The other two can feel he is putting effort into maintaining the link since he helped Kurt get there to begin with.

What happens over there is blurry to him, and since he is really staying as an anchor almost all of it is lost on Nate. When they come back, the young man is back in his body, and holding his nose as the blood flows steadily down his chin.

"Yeah, that sounds good.." Nate replies back, obviously exhausted, and that golden light blazing as well as the blue light a bit stronger. He looks perhaps a little paler than when they left, "I.. might need a rest.. if you guys don't mind?" He grins over at Kurt, as he's getting sick, "I might be able to help ya do that more often if ya want?" Yeah, he definitely doesn't appreciate what happened over there.

Nightcrawler has posed:
    Dry heaves. His stomach was empty. Kurt retches and coughs for an amount of time that borders on the hurtful with Kitty. It is a little insulting. He shudders, then slowly looks at Kitty. "It was a metaphor." That's the lie he's going with. It could be true. They are smart enough to speak in metaphor. No, really. They have to be. Kurt is absolutely shaken as he sinks to a chair with a soft, faint 'whump." Those gold amber eyes squeeze shut. "Nate. Do I need to assist you with your nose, mein freund?" he asks. "Please. Do nicht strain yourself over this, ja?"
    To call him still shaken is an understatement. He's moving straight into denial. It's a safe place. In denial there is no suggestion of untoward behavior with Kitty. There is no worry that those are his and Lorna's babies, and that Kitty stepped in to help them after something happened to Lorna. There is nothing at all scary going on in his head once he is in denial.

Shadowcat has posed:
Climbing to her feet quickly, Kitty swipes up a whole box of tissue off one of the tables and brings it to the young telepath. "No," she tells him firmly. "You're not doing this again until I figure out a way for you not to burn out your brain. Manhunter and I are working on something that might at least be a work-around for you." She plucks tissues and holds them to his face. "Hold this."

She doesn't have the luxury of denial. Kitty knows what they saw. She knows what was said to them. And she's scared. Not of what was on the other side of that teleport but of what Kurt will do with it. She might lose her big brother over this. And she should NEVER have asked him to help with this.

"Later, when you're feeling better, I would really appreciate if you could help me look over what happened from the astral view of things, Nate. I'm sorry that we overtaxed you like that. It won't happen again."

X-Man has posed:
Nate takes the tissues, stuffing them around his nose, and he shakes his head to both Kurt and Kitty. "No, it's ok. I'm good, I promise..." well, he believes it as he hasn't shut down the link quite yet, but as he thinks about it he does close down the mental connection between them all. He offers both of them a grin, is that a fang they see?!?, and the blood flow quickly starts to subside.

"Oh? The Martian on the news? He looks really cool. I wonder if I can make myself super big like he does?" and then he glances up to Kitty, pursing his lips, "But I won't try it just yet.. right?" He nods once to her about talking his way through what he saw and felt, "Yep, no problem. I can help any time..." He looks over to Kurt, concern read on his face even though the link is shut down, "Kurt, ya ok? Feelin' alright?"

Nightcrawler has posed:
    Denial! If he were a child, Kurt would have his hands over his ears and be screaming 'la la la la!' as loud as he could. Kurt has settled on Kitty stepping in to help a widower Kurt with his passle of children in another dimension as a safe spot. So, obviously, he just needs to take care of Lorna! Safe in his little web of denial, Kurt nods. "Ja! Obviously, Katzchen helped some other Kurt raise the children he had with Lorna. Hence mother! The girls sort of looked like Lorna." Looked a lot more like Kitty-- la la la la!
    "Everything is fine.! It is all gut! We are gut here, how are you?" Kurt's heart rate isn't pounding anymore. He's almost got himself calmed right back down.

Shadowcat has posed:
Denial. It ain't just a river in Egypt. Kitty is actually hoping that the Bamfs on that island were actually just making assumptions because... well, they DO look like Kurt! But she is so not going to say that. Instead, she says, "Kurt... you might want to keep your eyes peeled for the girl Bamfs. Who knows what mischief they'll get into with the boys?" She glances at him and smiles a little. It'll be good practice for him anyway!

"C'mon, Nate. I'll help you up to your room and bring you some more sandwiches and something to drink, okay?" She feels really really bad about straining him. His powers worry her immensely.