8531/A Grand View

A Grand View
Date of Scene:	27 July 2019
Location:	Grand Canyon
Synopsis:	Rogue and Kitty take the Blackbird on a shakedown flight, and stop off at the Grand Canyon.
Cast of Characters:	Shadowcat, Rogue

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Shadowcat has posed:
The work on the Blackbird's engines was complete. Replacements and upgrades that had required a few short test flights, and now needed a longer shakedown flight that would last longer than a few dozen minutes tooling around New England. So it was that Kitty, Rogue and Lockheed climbed aboard the Blackbird, carrying with them all of the essentials needed for a shakedown flight. A basket of food, and a cooler with beer - legally purchased by the 21 year old! - and other beverages.

The black stealth jet roared down the underground tunnel, emerging well away from the school. Stealth measures active, it climbed into the sky before heading off to the west. After a good two hours of flight, checking everything that needed to be checked, Kitty looks over to Rogue. "So I was thinking... we're over Arizona. The Grand Canyon is a few minutes away. And I've never been," she says. "Feel like a visit? I figure we find somewhere remote enough to set down, and go take a look?"

Rogue has posed:
Rogue had been a bit MIA the past few days and she hadn't said where she'd gone, not in great detail anyway. She'd only said that she was going to go spend time with her recently returned father. He'd gotten himself an apartment in Salem Center (with Rogue's help) and she'd vanished to go be with him up until now, returning to spend time with her newly turned 21 year old friend, and the dragon of course too.

Once apart the plane, after several saucey jokes, Rogue is quietly sitting inside the cockpit of the jet and just idly talking during their trip, pointing out things on the internet that have piqued her interest, mostly music or movie related.

Since they're in the X-Jet she's in her uniform, well, ONE of her uniforms. She's wearing an all-black uniform with black mesh arms and black mesh down the outsides of her thighs into the thigh-high black leather boots on her legs, and the rest of the suit is black leather as well, up her body and between the insides of her thighs. Its a very 'dark look' but the mesh actually shows a hint of her skintone, which means the suit breathes really well, and is more than a little saucy in its own design intention.

The talk of the Grand Canyon makes Rogue look up out of the viewport. "We're over Arizona?" She asks. "Dang, I love this bird. It really cooks..." She deactivates her phone and looks over to Kitty and the Dragon, her hair is clippped back, leaving just two snow white bangs, one on either sides of her face, to frame it, dark red lipstick accentuates her smile and dark silvery black eyeliner makes her pale green pupils pop.

"Sounds like a hoot, maybe we can watch out for others, I'm always hearin' about dummies gettin' too close for selfies'n then fallin' inta that thing."

Shadowcat has posed:
The plane is banked to change course for the famous landmark. "Oh, she really flies," Kitty says, then laughing. "Ok, granted, she does fly. I meant she goes fast though," she clarifies, running a hand over the console with apparent tenderness. "I remember how hard it seemed to get qualified on her," Kitty says. "I mean, not that the learning was tough. But just that there was SO MUCH of it. It seemed like overkill to a thirteen year old," she says.

The descent from the high altitudes that let them go so incredibly fast without their sonic boom being noticed on the ground takes far longer than does reaching the immense canyon. Eventually they are down lower. The Blackbird's electronics include sensors for helping find unpopulated areas for things like setting down unnoticed, and soon the plane is coming in, gradually descending at a hover until it touches down.

"So how were things with your father?" Kitty asks as she unbuckles herself from the seat and stands up. Yes she could phase through them but she tends to do things around electronics the old fashioned way when she can, just in case. "You missed a nice time out at the pool. I was surprised how many people came by," Kitty tells her. "And oh my god, a couple of the gifts, Rogue. I was just... blown away really. Here I have some of them," she says, pulling out some dog tags she has in a pocket. They have a ninja cat on them. "Awesome, right? And I got a pillow for Lockheed, and two necklaces with dragons on them. And Bruce... oh my god. You won't believe what he sent me,"

Rogue has posed:
Rogue just cracks a grin at the training discussion for the Blackbird. "I just sorta cheated, I guess." She says to that, meaning that she stole the knowledge from Carol, of course.

As they descend, Rogue's eyes watch the monitors before them, that same part of her that belonged to Carol can't stop herself from helping to co-pilot where she can. Its a compulsion that Anna-Marie really has no control over even if she wanted to, which she doesn't. She's learned to love this kind of flying too, where it once terrified her to have that knowledge stuck inside of her head. She still thinks of all the types of aircraft she knows how to fly that she's never even physically stepped foot inside of...

A smirk is shown to the pool talk. "Dad is fine. Settling into his place. He's antsy... since, well, since the portals changed schedule'n all. He doesn't know when or where the next gate will show up, but he says he's working on that." A look is given to the gifts Kitty displays. "I like it." She says to the dog tags. "I still gotta get you my gifts, soon as we can get a night out. Which... god, you know us. Ya might be twenty two before it happens." She says with a light smirk.

"What did your Billionaire friend buy ya?" She then asks, as she unbuckles her crash webbings and moves to stand herself up, reaching over to rub a gloved hand over Lockheed's head affectionately.

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty Pryde laughs at that. Though she knows Rogue so well, little things like that she still forgets about them. Or doesn't forget, but sometimes doesn't consider how they have impacted Rogue's life in those little ways. Like becoming an Air Force-quality jet pilot.

Kitty laughs and says, "Well, we do have to make the trip to Oxford happen. Even if it's just us. Or maybe take Bobby. Have I noticed him hanging about you a little more than he used to?" Kitty glances over at her friend with a look meant to be both curious and knowing, even if that sounds a dichotomy.

Kitty shakes her head then and says, "A book. The schedule book from the Apollo 11 Lunar Module. Listing what was supposed to happen at each moment of the mission. It's the real thing. Rogue, it's worth 7 figures. I moved it to Narnia for safety. I mean not that I worry about anyone at the school taking it, but... actually, hell. I'm not sure the Sanctum is safer either. I mean, scratches and blood even if I don't know what was fought there?" She frowns a bit. "He knows how big a deal the Moon landings were to me though. It's the thought more than the cost though. He's really been great about this whole breakup," she says.

Outside, they landed in an area with some trees around it to help hide the plane. Not a long hike to the canyon then.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue smirks at the question about Bobby as they walk through the interior of the jet together side by side. "He'll lose interest." She responds softly. "They always do. He'd be fun t'take with us though for that trip, he's an entertainin' fella after all."

As she descends the boarding ramp of the Jet, she hears the words about the super rare and expensive gift and it makes her look over to Kitty, her white bangs flowing and waving artfully about the sides of her face. "Jeezus." She says to all of that. "That thing belongs in a safety deposit box or somethin'. It ain't the kinda thing you just put at the bottom've your sock drawer, Kitty..."

Rogue raises her jacket up from her side and pulls her sunglasses out of it. She slides them over her eyes and then moves to pull her brown leather pilot's jacket on over her bodysuit... its warm out... but that tight-knight mesh helps keep her a bit cooler than some. She also zips her suit down to chest level, just to help air flow.

"My gifts for ya definitely aren't that nice... just t'temper your expectations." She states with a smirk to her friend.

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty Pryde has changed into some blue jeans and a light-grey t-shirt. Her hair pulled back in a ponytail but with a lot of strands left to hang free as well. "Actually, now I've had a little time to think of it? I was thinking I should probably... well not donate it to a museum. But loan it to one. I'd know it's in good hands and getting cared for, and then everyone can enjoy it as much as I would. Hmm. I'll have to call around. I don't know if NASA has a good spot for it, they might like to have it there? Or, well, admittedly, somewhere in New York so /I/ can go see it," she says, grinning.

Kitty walks alongside Rogue and waves her hand. "Hell, having you spend time with me is the best present. Anyway, the astronomy t-shirt from Doug and the sci-fi book from Sam mean a lot too. I'm blessed by the friends I have. And it was a nice day, a nice way to remind me of that fact," she says, smiling. Her hand drifts over to the other, playing with the promise ring she's wearing on a different finger now, a habit she has sometimes when her thoughts drift certain directions.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue is definitely not in casual attire, so they have a real contrast in outfits going on. She doesn't seem to care much though and she just softly nods her head. "Maybe the Natural History Museum has a place for that. I don't know. There's loads'a museums in the city though, I'm sure one would flip their lid t'have that thing on display in it. But be careful with that, I've heard'a those places makin' fake copies and then sellin' the originals on the black market. Buncha bastards..."

As she looks around their area whilst they walk, her sunglasses covered eyes take note of that ring still being adorned by her birthdayed friend. "You still holdin' onta promises, Pryde?" She asks, staring at it pointedly so Kitty will easily catch on to her meaning with that presented question.

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty purses her lips in thought at the mention of museum scams. "Damn. Can't even trust museums fully anymore," she mumbles. "Well, I'll see if Jean, Betsy or Rachel can come along and vet the place for me. I mean, won't be a 100% guarantee, someone could come along later. But, as much peace of mind as I can get, I guess," she says.

They walk along, the area is dry scrub for the most part, with some grass and trees and bushes. "What?" Kitty asks at the question about promises. She follows Rogue's gaze down to her finger. "Oh. Well, yes and no," she says. Kitty's tongue touches her lips for a moment. "So, after Jason... you know. I still had the ring. And so after a few weeks I went out to see his dad. It had been his mother's ring, and he'd given it to Jason for me if it was ever time, not something Jason had asked for."

Kitty walks quietly a bit before continuing. "So, anyway. I gave it back to him. And... well, he told me it wasn't just a promise of a relationship with his son. That his family had made a place for me. And that they still wanted me there," Kitty says. "And he offered me the ring back, and said he hoped I'd take it and still wear it. And, there's some more stuff I can't get into. But, their family has had a lot of hardship. And they embraced me and... it's not just like someone you date and liked their parents. It's more like... being part of their family was like being part of Xavier's. It wasn't just the romantic relationship with Jason. It really was a lot more."

Rogue has posed:
Rogue walks casually alongside her friend and eventually stops to listen to her explanation, placing her gloved hands on her hips she just stares through her sunshaded eyes upon the phasing mutant.

"I understand." She says then quietly. "Ya entered inta a carin' relationship with the whole family, not just Bumblebutt." A short pause then and she looks out at the horizon and then starts to walk again, definitely not dressed like your average wilderness hiker. "Whats gonna happen when Bumblebutt shows up again, and see's ya still sportin' that ring and there-by still holdin' onta whatever that promise was that he made t'ya?" She then asks.

"Gonna be a one way ticket t'awkwardsville. Less ya actually are still holdin' onta the promise, expectin' him to wise up and sweep on back t'ya, t'grovel at your feet like he should."

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty shakes her head. "Nah, I'm not holding onto it. Maybe for a bit at first, but that was just... too many emotions and it took some time to get past it." Kitty's tennis shoes make soft footfalls across the rocks and dirt as they start climbing up a bit of a hill. Both ladies are in phenomenal shape, the incline hardly slowing them.

"I am determined not to lose the family because of it, though," she says. "It means a lot to me on levels it's hard to describe. Barbara, she's not blood relation either but she's sort of like me with their family. And, damn that girl is amazing at computers. Easily my equal at hardware. Maybe not as good as Doug at programming but then nobody is as good as Doug. And even then it's a thin margin of difference," she says.

Kitty smiles over to Rogue. "I'll deal with it if and when I see him again. I even sort of felt a spark with someone recently. I doubt anything will come of it. But it felt good just to feel that, you know?"

Rogue has posed:
A breath is taken in as Rogue too moves up the incline, not really feeling anything if she doesn't want to, being that she can manipulate herself in gravitational fields like some kinda weird Area 51 alien space craft.

"If ya want my advice?" Rogue asks then, but gives it with or without confirmation. "I'd pop that ring inta a jewelry box and just look at it now and then t'remember the good times ya had. Wearin' it around is way too much baggage broadcastin." Rogue moves to pull her gloves off of her hands and then tuck them into the front of her small utility belt around her trim and fit waistline.

"Cause if you're feelin' sparks for other fellas?" She slowly shakes her head. "Ya don't want them t'be askin' ya about the ring your last boyfriend gave ya, thats still adornin' your young'n nubile twenty one year old body." The southern belle cracks another grin then. "Ya want those new sparks t'be thinkin' about that kinda stuff, not the weight'a the guy who came before ya. You're a bonafied adult American woman, Kitty Pryde. Time is now, t'prep up for your future, and put some'a that past behind ya." As they get near to the top of the incline, Rogue speaks once more...

"We're gettin' inta late summe'ah now, just enough time t'squeeze another summe'ah romance in."

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty's hand goes to the ring, turning it about as she often does when something touches on it. Or on what it has represented. Though she's conscious of the gesture this time, looking down at it. Kitty gives a soft chuckle. "I just about corrected you on my age," she says, still getting used to being twenty-one."

"Well. That actually... that's not that bad of advice really," Kitty says slowly. "Though I...well, I might wear it to Gotham. I mean, yes, it's something I'll have to work out," she says.

They come out of a stand of trees, and there it is. The Grand Canyon. It's huge, opening up in front of them. "Wow," Kitty says, gazing down at it. It's somewhat dark out, so not the best time of day for seeing it. But still it's spectacular enough. Far below the Colorado River can be seen. "Hard to believe that little bit of water did all of this," she says, whistling.

Kitty leans forward to look down from the cliff. "Walk along the ridge? Or do you want to go down to the bottom and see it from below?" she asks.

Rogue has posed:
"Well, yeah, if you're goin' t'Gotham t'see'em, then put the ring on as a necklace or whatever... in a cord'n such. But otherwise? I think its time it sits in a box. a pretty box, sure, but a box all the same." Rogue states as she makes her final steps upward. "Ya don't want them thinkin' ya pawned it after all." She states lastly before hopping up a rock.

Once they're up on the ledge and looking out at the amazing view. Rogue raises her hand up and puts her sunglasses up onto her forehead, since the sun is on their backs, she's able to look out at the canyon its beauty. "Phew... water?" She asks, glancing over to Kitty and Lockheed and grinning. "This was mutants. Totally mutants, I bet some speedster and a super strengthy one like me got inta a fight here and did all'a this." She sweeps a hand over the sight of it all.

She glances back to Kitty then. "Walkin's fine, the whole experience. Black leather was a bad idea for this though, I didn't know we were landin' in AriZONA." She grins lightly and fans herself.

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty lets out a laugh. "Lord I hope not. I've had enough of speedsters for a lifetime." At least she hasn't heard of Impulse being back in Gotham lately. He seems to have found other areas to get his kicks in. She didn't like having to be part of sending the message to him. Though it was eye opening the differences between what goes on in Gotham, and what she's used to.

Kitty lets out a laugh. "Oh right. You'd have just worn skimpier black leather," Kitty says with a grin. She slips her hands into her back pockets and moves over to walk along the rim, until they find a trail they can descend down. "Ok, I have to admit... I kind of liked lying out with everyone around in my bikini. I mean, I've been working out so hard. I don't think I've ever been in this good of shape before," she says with a grin. "Just maybe I was hoping to show off a little bit," admits the usually modest girl, with a laugh.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue's mind leaps to Kaydin when she thinks of a Speedster who's ruined her impression of those types of powered people. She smirks too.

As they descend the trail though she hooks her sunglasses into a pocket on her leather jacket and then takes the jacket off and ties it around her waist by the leather sleeves. "I'm not -that- much of a leather monkey. Not like some girls out there..." She quips lightly back at Kitty in front of her.

"Hah." She says about the bikini part. "Yeah... I know how that goes. I really enjoyed that volleyball one I bought, it seemed t'get me a lotta looks. But then again, people were probably just makin' sure I wasn't about t'bump inta them and suck their souls out." She smirks then and there. "But yeah, I bet you were pullin' people in. You'll have a new boyfriend and have no time left for me before school even starts up again! I'm sure'a that. Six Pack Kitty can't be denied."

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty laughs and pats her belly. "I've not quite gone THAT far," Kitty says with a grin. She isn't sporting too much body fat these days, but she also isn't bulking up too much. Very toned, but lacking those horizontal lines that would form six-pack abs.

"You know what's funny? It's the strings that get me somehow. I mean, the rest of the bikini can cover me just as much, or even more. But the fact part of me just has this itty bitty string makes me feel, exposed in a titillating way," she says, laughing. Kitty waggles a finger at Rogue, saying, "And I will deny saying that if you ever repeat it again," she says.

Lockheed is buzzing around above the two ladies, finally darting on ahead of them down to the river far below. He disappears beneath the water and the there is a plume as splashes back out and flies back up. "I really need to take him to a volcano again sometime soon. He's so happy in the lava," she says, shaking her head.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue just grins at the further swimwear discussion, its not a topic she's ever really talked in great deal with anyone about. She's not been much of a bathing suit wearer since her mutation took over her life... but she's gotten more comfortable about it lately and certainly likes to catch the eyes of others with her own form, when she's able to...

"String bikinis are totally broadcastin' your DTF status, Kitty Pryde." She says then up to her friend before she looks over and down to the dragon enjoying this pit stop on their jet tour of the United States. "Ya know, t'be entirely honest, that that lil purple friend'a yours seems t'be happy wherever he is, so long as he's there with you."

She grins up to Kitty again and nods upward to her. "I'd like t'see him splashin around lava though, that'd be a trip." Rogue lifts up off the ground then and just floats now instead of walking. Good shape or not, its hot and she's in a mostly covering bodysuit.

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty grins as she follows Rogue's gaze towards the dragon. He's flying around, an extremely lithe flyer, able to bank and turn exceedingly fast yet completely fluid in doing so. "Oh wow, the first time he flew down to dunk himself in a lava flow I nearly died," Kitty says, remembering. "I mean I knew he could breath fire, but that doesn't mean something is lava-proof, right?"

Kitty chuckles and shakes her head, looking up at Lockheed. "But he was just happy as a clam, floating on his back. I swear if I could have tossed cheesy poofs onto his belly with them bursting into flame he'd have been happy as a clam. Well, a clam in lava."

They reach the bottom, the trail heading over to the water. Kitty scratches the back of her neck a minute. "Do people really get that message from them?" she asks of the bathing suit. "Well. Um. I guess, maybe that might not have been horrible if so. I mean, not the students, but... um. Ok." She blushes and hides it by going over to the water, leaning down to wash her hands in it and splash some on her face.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue just grins as she floats alongside Kitty, over the edge of the trail. She watches Lockheed as he continues his flight and playful enjoyment of where the two had brought him today. She then glances over to Kitty. "I've been plannin' something for him." She says then. "I call it... Ultimate Cheese Poofs. Or Super Poofs. Its where we take a plate of'em, and melt nacho cheese'n ground beef over'em, then use tooth picks to grab'em and toss'em at him." She laughs a little and shakes her head. "Probably would be a huge mess."

As Kitty touches the water, Rogue's booted feet touch down onto the ground again and she gazes around them. "Hell yeah thats what string bikini's mean. Like High Heel shoes. Its means you're broadcastin'. Let'em know that those strings are all they gotta tug lightly on t'get down t'businesstown."

The southerner is grinning big then and she has to shake her head side to side. "I'd be all over'em, but... yeah. It ain't a level'a teasin' I've really dove inta much. Sometimes my flirtin' can go too far and I end up makin' myself feel pretty sour. I've found there's definitely a line I gotta be careful not t'cross, and well... I still end up stumblin' over it all the time anyhow."

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty Pryde covers her face. "Oh my. You know, I have no idea how he isn't as big as a beach ball. I mean, he eats so many calories. But I suppose all that fire inside just burns through them. Perhaps literally. You wouldn't believe the size of the nest of alien eggs he devoured in the tunnel to the Blackbird hangar," she says, shaking her head. "I mean, it wouldn't even fit inside of his body, just the sheer space they took up. I'm surprised Hank hasn't wanted to prod him more than he has to figure him out."

Kitty glances up at Rogue from where she's crouched by the water. "I admire your attitude. I think I would probably go the other direction in your place. And I'd probably be the less for it, to be honest. I'd probably just try to stay away from anything that remotely made me feel that way."

She gets another faceful of water and then stands up, shaking her hands to dislodge some of the droplets. "Wow, so gorgeous," she says, looking up at the beautiful canyon. All the layers carved down through. "Gone from the Moon to the Grand Canyon in a week. Even Armstrong didn't do that, I bet," she says with a grin.