ArchivedLogs:Haunting

Haunting
Dramatis Personae Jack, Shane
In Absentia	2015-02-25 "Crazy sounds about right though."
Location <XS> Roof
The view from up here is phenomenal, a panorama of the expansive Xavier's grounds, forest and lake and rocky cliffs alike. Even without the view outwards, the rooftop itself holds its own delights, in the form of the tiny jewel of a flower garden tucked away up here, tended by one of the school's teachers. From the edge of the roof, with a veeery careful jump, it looks like it just might be possible to reach the treehouse in the old oak tree. It's cold, grey, cloudy. Hasn't snowed all weekend -- even edged up to something like warm, melting /some/ of the thick blanket of snow from the grounds. But the forecast is promising snow again soon and the weather has gotten back down to freezing (if, at least, thankfully not /below/ freezing) once more. Still, the elevation means it's breezier up here than on the ground, and the slope of the roof -- half cleared, a few patches of snow here and there, a few far more treacherous patches of black ice -- means this probably isn't most people's /first/ choice of hangout come lunchtime. Mooost people's. Near the roof's edge, though, there is one tiny figure all in black and blue, peacoat and scarf and hat and mittens and his usual polished dress shoes traded for sturdier (grippy-rubber-soled) boots. Shane is lying on his back, legs dangling over the edge of the roof and one hand pillowing his head as he stares up at the cloudy grey sky. Humming quietly to himself. Kreisler's "Tambourin Chinois". It may not be the most appealing choice for a hangout but Jack had heard from a classmate that the view from the roof was amazing and he wanted to check it out before it started snowing again. So he grabbed his coat and headed up. The bright white coat's covering the t-shirt and button up shirt he's wearing today. He steps carefully when he comes out onto the roof, looking around. There's a moment of surprise when he spots Shane and the invisible teen starts to make his way over carefully. "Hey, Shane." "Don't fall," Shane replies, without looking up. "Some of those shingles are /faking/ it, they're not shingles they're goddamn /death/ patches just lying in wait. And ever since the fucking administration banned webslingers I don't think I can catch someone falling off a roof I'd need some Superman shit going on for that." His head rolls back, hat nudged slightly out of place by his arm as he looks back towards Jack. "You smoke?" Jack pauses mid step and looks down at the shingles. His unseen eyes narrow as if trying to determine which ones are deathtraps in waiting. "Thanks for the warning. Hopefully we don't have to find out if you can go Super," he says, steps getting more careful. Eventually he makes his way over to where Shane is. "What're webslingers?" he asks as he sits down. "Naw, I don't smoke." "Don't get me wrong, I'm a fucking badass already," Shane answers with a sharp slice of smile, "but I can't fly. -- You mind if I do?" His brows lift with this question. "Uh, they're this thing Peter made -- or stole -- or stole /and/ made, I mean, he stole the /ammo/ for them but then made the actual wrist..." He stops going down this tangent with a small duck of his head. "Right uh they're this device you can wear on your wrists and they shoot out, like, these strands of sticky-ass fucking /glue/ shit, let you swing through the trees like a frakking spider monkey. But technically the school calls anything with his web-glue in it a "weapon" so we're only allowed to use them under supervision now. Admittedly I think Kisha did have it in gun form," he muses. "But they're mostly good for aerial acrobatics. And immobilizing people. That's -- pretty weapony," he is forced to admit. "Oh, no question," Jack agrees about Shane's status as a badass. "And I don't mind," he says. He perks up a little as Shane starts explaining the webslingers. A little impressed noise come from him the more Shane says. "Huh. Peter sounds even cooler than he already was," he remarks, stretching his arms over his head. "It does sound weapony but at least it's like...non lethal." "Yeah... I'm sure someone could make it lethal if they really wanted." Shane hums quietly to himself, considering this possibility as he digs in the inside of his jacket. "Like, arm the cops with these things, give it two fucking weeks and some poor kid with a tail or some black man is gonna bite it. Web-glue'd to death. Shoot at the /face/ and suffocate them, who knows. They'd find a way." He pulls out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, tapping one out and slipping it between his lips. "And Peter's a huge-ass dork but he's rad. -- Not hungry? I wasn't really feeling the lasagna at lunch anyway." Jack sighs a little, shoulders slumping. "Yeah, some asshole would be trying to do it day one. Bastards are too quick as it is with tasers and guns, giving them much else is probably a bad idea," he says, remembering a run in or two he's had with cops in the past. "Yeah, not feeling hungry. Had a bigger breakfast than I usually do so I figured I'd come check out the view up here," he replies. "Hey, have you heard any of those stories going around about some kind of shadow or fire creature running around the halls at night? Is it someone playing bad pranks or something?" "They're /pretty/ much the biggest assholes." Shane sits up when he lights his cigarette, turning his head to blow the smoke away from Jack off the edge of the roof. One hand drops to his side, bracing him in place so he doesn't slide off the edge. "Eh? Shadowfire -- oh /shit/ did someone let the fucking Balrog out again I goddamn told people not to keep digging but nooo -- " He shakes his head, tapping his finger at the butt of the cigaratte. "Maybe we're being haunted." "Oh yeah. I mean there's some good ones out there like that guy I met at Evolve a bit back but most cops I've run into have been royal pains in the ass," Jack comments. He ends up laughing a little as Shane talks about the Balrog. "Where's Gandalf when ya need him?" he chuckles. "Well of course we're haunted. Got a ghost guy here," Jack gestures at himself. "But I don't know. I heard a couple of the others talking about it and thought it was just some dumb thing to mess with newer students then last night some...thing shows up and chases me down a hall and into the elevator. Not even sure if it was real or someone just screwin' with my head..." "The ones that hang out at Evolve are pretty much all the Freak Squad, so they're --" Shane cuts himself off with a grin, another drag of cigarette. "Still assholes, but, like, /our/ assholes." He flicks a look sideways to Jack, snorting. "Hey, if you're so ghosty you should spook it right /back/. -- Uh, for real though? What'd it look like? What'd it /do/? It didn't hurt you, did it?" His nose twitches, sniffing at the air. "Yeah, Freak Squad sounded...interesting. That Eric guy told me about. He seemed alright," Jack replies. "I tried to spook it. Hit it pretty damn hard too and it got all scrambled but like...put itself back together," he sounds pretty irritated by that fact. "It was big. Like seven or eight feet tall. Big arms and sharp looking claws. Big teeth too and glowing eyes. Looked like it was made of black fire or something messed up like that," he says. "And naw, I didn't let it get a hold on me but the way it was chasing me down and tryin' to grab sure as hell felt like it wanted to hurt me. Chased me right to the elevator and the doors closed on its arm but the thing like...melted or burnt away." There's a brief burst of coughing from Shane, eyes slightly watering and his head tipping down as he sputters up a lungful of smoke. "Wait, you met Eric? He uh. Didn't like. Creep on you or anything did he?" He waves his hand in front of his face, clearing the smoke away. "Hit it? Was it solid or just -- shadow? I mean was there something there to /hit/? Huh." His lips purse, twisting to one side. "If it could hurt people, if it /wants/ to hurt people, probably should let the teachers know. But if is just someone fucking around --" His head tips back. "Well. S'probably a short enough list of who it could be, right?" Jack's startled by the coughing and he looks over to make sure Shane isn't choking or anything. "Yeah, he was there. And no, no creeping. I think he was too busy teasing your dad," he says with a little chuckle. "I didn't punch it I mean I uh..." he trails off, looking around. Holding up a hand, he concentrates and levitates a piece of ice off the roof and over to his waiting hand. "Telekinesis stuff. Hit it with some of that," he explains, setting the ice down and letting it slide down to the gutter. he takes a deep breath before nodding. "You're right. Probably should. I'll mention it to my advisor today, got to see her later anyway. And right. Can't be a lot of people around here who could fake something like that." "He -- does that." Shane sounds slightly apologetic, muttering afterwards, "Haven't really figured out how to fucking /housebreak/ him yet." The back of his wrist presses to his eyes, and he pulls another, less-chokey breath from his cigarette. "But when you hit it with -- stuff. Did it /hit/ or go /through/ or what." His gills flutter, eyes shifting to look out over the snowy view. "Nah, not that many. My Pa could but he's not usually around school at night and I doubt he'd go in for terrorizing kids anyhow. Couple'a the telepaths could make you think you're seeing anything they want, I guess. Max could probably conjure up a monster /and/ she's an asshole so that's possible. Hailey makes shadows and Ishant makes fire and -- they're also both kind of assholes. Rasa could probably look like some kind of big monster but ze's not a jerkoff either. -- I could ask Taylor if he's heard anything weird around. Like in his /brainwaves/." "He didn't seem that bad," Jack remarks. "But that may be because he wasn't really creeping on me," he waves it off. "It felt like I hit something and then went through it. Like it popped or something," he rubs the back of his neck. "Probably should have paid more attention to it but I was worrying about not getting caught by the thing," he admits. "Yeah, I really doubt it was Rasa or your dad. And asking Taylor sounds like a good idea. Couldn't find anything when I checked the hall out earlier so looking at it another way might help." "Kinda glad you didn't get eaten." Shane stubs the butt of his cigarette out in a tiny pile of snow, letting it sizzle and extinguish before he shoves it in a pocket for later disposal. "Hear those Balrogs don't fuck around with their prey. Maybe could ask Kisha, too. Liza. Hope. All the people who barely goddamn /sleep/ if something's haunting shit maybe they'll have seen." "Thanks. Glad I didn't get eaten too. Would like to do a few things before I bite it," Jack breathes out. "Pretty sure I wouldn't taste good anyway," he adds. "I was thinking of asking Kisha if she's seen anything, I just haven't seen her yet today," he shrugs. "Not sure if I should hope the thing was real so I'm not crazy or hope it's not real so it doesn't actually hurt someone." "You're probably crazy," Shane -- reassures? -- Jack with a bright cheer. "If you weren't crazy you wouldn't last here long. I don't know if only crazy people /come/ here but we sure make everyone crazy soon enough. /But/. This place is chock-full of /weird/-ass fucking shit, too, so, crazy or not it's probably still real." Jack laughs at the reassurance. "Okay, I hope I'm not hallucinating huge shadow monsters," he chuckles. "Crazy sounds about right though," Jack's got some cheer too. "Careful if you're in the hall at night. I'd hate if you got eaten or whatever the thing wants." "Fff. Plenty of shit's tried to eat be before. Some goddamn hellmonster wants a bite, I'll make 'em fucking choke on me." Shane pulls his legs back up onto the roof, bracing his hands against it as he pushes himself slowly up to his feet. He takes a cautious step back and then another, testing the shingles before settling his weight onto them. "Do you think telepaths can hear ghosts? I mean, the Professor'd /know/ if someone was roaming around that wasn't supposed to so I'm leaning towards prankster or restless spirit. Though I guess someone's powers could just be fucking the hell up, too. Shit goes haywire sometimes." Jack watches Shane get up and nods. He waits until Shane's standing normally before starting to get up himself. He takes a couple more cautious steps before letting out an eventual sigh of relief. "Shouldn't they be able to? I mean I've never met a real ghost but its psychics and mediums that talk to ghosts in all the movies and stories," he reasons. When Shane mentions things going haywire, Jack's shoulders slump sheepishly. "Yeah, I lose control of the telekinesis stuff sometimes...broke some lightbulbs the other day on accident." "I don't know. Don't think I've ever met a real ghost. I mean, there was /Ghost/ but she's alive so far as I know. I did know a girl who could talk to the dead when I was in the labs? But she couldn't talk to the /living/ telepathically. So I don't know how much overlap there is." Shane shrugs, keeping an eye on Jack while the other boy stands and relaxing fractionally when he does not fall off the roof. "Pssh, you're alright. The first year /I/ was here, my pa burned down half the boys' dorms in his sleep. And once Dennis flooded the entire pool into the gym. And Ines once caused a whole-school blackout for three days. Like, I think in terms of the headaches we collectively give the teachers, they can live through a couple broken lightbulbs." "Guess that's something else to ask someone that does the telepath thing. If this thing's a ghost it'll be a pain to get rid of. Gotta get the place exoricised or call the GhostBusters," Jack replies with an unseen smile. He looks down at the roof again before shifting his weight a little on the roof. "Well, I feel better about it now. Was just a little embarrassing." "I don't know." Shane shrugs as he starts to pick his way carefully back towards the window back inside. "If you practice enough that lightbulb smashing thing could really up your haunting game." Jack starts following after Shane, doing his best to step in the same spaces the other mutant does. "Oh, I can smash 'em on purpose real easy. It's great for scaring the hell out of people when I mix it with rattling windows and shaking stuff up." "S'too bad you weren't here on Halloween this place makes a great fucking haunted house. Next year, though. Scare the shit out of everyone." Shane half-turns to toss a grin back at Jack -- kind of losing his footing in the process, stepping on a patch of ice and /whumping/ down heavily to slip-slide down along the shingles. "I can arrange it. See how many people I can scare the tar out of," Jack laughs. The laughter cuts off to a curse when Shane falls. He reaches out on reflex with his telekinetic powers, trying to grab Shane to keep him from sliding too far. "Fuck fuck fuck..." he grunts, brow creased as he concentrates on his telekinetic grip and carefully makes his way closer so he can try to reach a hand out. Shane's eyes have widened, a soft growl in his throat as his mittened hands press down against the slippery roof. He exhales sharp and relieved when Jack's telekinesis halts his fall, pushing himself in a slow scoot a little higher up the roof until he can reach the other boy's hand. The growl slides into a rough-edged chuckle. "... Thanks, Superman." Maybe just a little breathless, his gills fluttering fast as he gets slowly to his feet. Jack's hand isn't visible but his grip is tight, Jack not letting go until he's sure Shane is not going to fall again. He lets out a long breath as he releases his telekinetic hold too, rubbing his forehead with his free hand. His eyes are just as wide and his heart is racing but he's relaxing slowly. "No problem. Just glad I caught ya in time," he says, chuckling a bit as well. "Would've had a crash-cource in flying. Don't imagine it'd have gone so well." Shane's grin is a /little/ crooked as he starts (caaaaarefully) back, this time making it to the window and shoving it as far open as it will get so they can climb back inside. "Yeah, don't see a lot of flying sharks," Jack says, running a hand through his hair. His steps get a lot more careful as well as they get closer to the window, Jack keeping an eye on Shane as well just in case. Once they're back inside, he leans against the wall. "Damn...they were right about the view up there at least." "B's working on it." This puts a more steady grin on Shane's face. He shoves the window with a heavy creak, locking it shut. "I'll say one thing for this fucking school, there's not many parts of it that aren't gorgeous." His chin jerks upward to Jack as he taps snow off his boots and then starts off into the attic to head back down. "See you round, man." "See ya later," Jack offers a wave. He taps the snow off his boots as well before heading back down as well.