ArchivedLogs:Burning Questions

Burning Questions
Dramatis Personae Mallory, Aloke, Thomas
In Absentia	2013-08-23 Mallory and Aloke meet up to talk over what happened in the pool. Thomas joins in to help sort out Aloke's new problem. Plans are made.
Location <XS> Teachers' Lounge - BL1
Running a school for mutant teenagers just taking control of their powers is not an easy job, and the teachers at Xavier's deserve a place to come and relax. This lounge is their place to come and de-stress, and it does not skimp for relaxation. The room is elegant and luxurious, plush couches making up the seating in the lounge and a glossy glassy bar wrapping around one wall, well-stocked with alcohol (and perpetually fresh-brewed coffee, for those so inclined. A large-screen high-def television hangs on one wall, stocked with about as many movies and games as the childrens' rec room upstairs. High bookshelves hold a wealth of books. The fridge here is always well stocked, and the cook is always willing to make deliveries down to this level. Far in the back, a hot tub is submerged into the floor, for still more unwinding. NOTE: Students are not allowed in the Teacher's Lounge at ANY time.** Over in the TV pit, Aloke is lounged on a couch, with some kind of mindless action flick on the big screen. It seems to be the type of movie highlighting big explosions, punctuated by brief bouts of car chases. Aloke has kicked back, feet up on a footrest, and has a sketchpad propped in his lap as well, which is all but forgotten at this point. He’s in swim trunks (dry) with a brown and orange Hawaiian floral pattern, and a white Dead Kennedy’s t-shirt on. Barefoot as always, of course. He also looks to have gotten the bandages off his right hand, which is revealed to just be slightly pinked, but in an obviously hand-shaped pattern on his forearm. The blistering has all disappeared, and is in the final stages of healing. The medical care at the mansion is always quite good. Mallory does occasionally leave her library - and most of the time it is not related to misfiring mutations, believe it or not. This is one of those time, and the demonic looking woman is making her way to the teacher’s lounge in search of some rest and relaxation as the start of the school year draws ever closer. She is dressed far more casually than normal, in a pair of fitted yoga pants that flare, masking most of the shape of her odd legs with flowing black fabric, and a blousy cotton top in a pale dove gray color. Her typically robust form looks a little thinner, her dusky skin a little more pale, than she did before the week’s events. As usual, her hoof falls reveal her approach before she opens the door to the lounge, although as soon as she notices that the room has other occupants, she attempts to quiet her steps (not very successfully, unfortunately). Attempting to tiptoe as best she can over to the bar and the fridge behind it, Mallory is trying not to disturb the other professor, hoping to rely on the inevitable explosions and loud noises from the film he is watching to cover her less than stealthy rummaging in the fridge. "Oh hey," Aloke says cheerily, turning around on the couch, peering back at Mallory. Apparently he has good ears, or just wasn't that into the movie. He offers a little wave, and then in a soft flash of light, his sketch pad flops to the couch, and Aloke appears on a stool at the bar, peering over, curious about whatever Mallory might be picking out. "Um, are you feeling any better? My memory of the pool is pretty hazy, but I'm sorry I didn't come find you earlier. I feel so bad about what happened. If I had better control over my... Well anyway, I'm really sorry. I've been keeping my distance from people since that day. My power seems to be on the fritz or something." Aloke shrugs and looks openly chagrined. At the sound of Aloke’s voice, Mallory freezes in place momentarily, looking for a second as though she were going to just turn back around and give up on her quest for a beverage and food. “Oh, um, hello Aloke,” comes the quiet response from her, after a pause, her accented voice carrying a hint of nervous caution. There is a little bit of a flinch and a guilty look when he is suddenly on the bar stool, and the horned librarian glances up at him warily, gingerly selecting a carafe of deep red liquid - presumably cranberry juice - from the fridge and setting it on the countertop. She seems to be avoiding his gaze, busying herself with adding two ice cubes to a crystal highball glass, topping that with a spalsh of gin and filling the rest with the chilled cranberry juice. “I am, well, I am doing well enough, I suppose,” Mallory answers carefully, her dark gaze moving over the hand shaped burn on his arm, “I am really sorry. About.” There’s a gesture towards his damaged arm, and a sincere grimace, which she hides after a moment with a sip of her drink. “Can I get you something? Since I’m on this side of the bar, and nearly set you on fire earlier in the week, and everything,” she offers with a nervous chuckle and a fanged smile. With an unlit cigarette dangling from his darkened lips, the new chemistry teacher makes his way into the teachers lounge, a tablet tucked in his arm and drawing his attention. Thomas is wearing attire far more appropriate for the start of the school year than his sister, a navy blue button up shirt tucked into a pair of black trousers, resting low enough to obscure the top laces of his wingtips. All of that seems to go well with the charcoal grey skintone of the fellow, his black hair slicked back and his small horns showing from each side of his head. The perfunctory glance up from the tablet to survey the safe walking path supplies the man with the presence of others over at the bar. <<Oh, there you are sister. No more episodes of combustion today I hope?>> Making his way over to the bar himself, he inclines his head to the other teacher present. “Good day, I don’t think we’ve yet met? Thomas,” he says offering his hand. <<Was this the one that triggered the episode?>> he thinks to his sister without looking to her this time. "Oh sure," Aloke says, smiling at the offer of a drink. "Gin and tonic, as long as you have the gin out. And really, the whole thing wasn't even your fault. I mean-" Aloke interrupts himself and turns when Thomas enters. "Hi Thomas, I've been meaning to track you down. I've been in and out of the mansion this summer though. Sort of lost track of things." Aloke stands up from his barstool and shakes the man's hand, making no effort to hide the hand-shaped section of pinked flesh on his normally brown forearm. "It's nice to meet you." For all intents and purposes, it looks like Mallory is ignoring her brother for a moment, nodding to Aloke and pulling another high ball glass down to start prepping his drink - a surprisingly well proportioned gin and tonic. She slides the glass across the counter to him, offering a bit of a nervous smile, “It was some of each, I suppose. I’m rarely forthcoming about what my mutation actually does - I tend to just leave people to assume my appearance is the grand total of it all.” <<Yes. Be nice. He’s having issues, it was an accident.>> Mallory directs at Thomas, silently to those observing, her dark eyes only momentarily darting towards her twin. “Thomas. Fancy seeing you here. Taking up smoking in other forms, or just trying to be a horrible influence on our students?” she quips, canting her horned head to the side with a smirk, the sarcasm obvious in her tone. “Since I’m back here, should I pour you something as well?” she asks, already starting to move to pour a drink for her twin. “Track me down? Just interested in meeting new teachers? Or had needed of my expertise in something?" Thomas tilts his head a moment in question, then shakes his head at his sisters offer of a drink, << I’ll get it. I just want something simple.>> as he leaves his tablet on the counter while he pours himself a small bit of brandy, though he isn’t bothering with the appropriate snifters, and just pours it into the first glass he finds, another high ball cup. “Its nice to meet you as well, though unfortunate about the injuries. She’s spoken with me a bit about it, though interesting that another individual would trigger it. I figured a pyrokinetic would have the likelihood, but then I can’t say that I would have foreseen the capabilities Mallory suggested. State change into pure photonic energy correct?” Swirling the glass around then taking a sip, he slides back onto his seat. <<When am I ever not nice to anyone that isn’t family sister dearest. I just may keep it extra professional though. >> Taking the cigarette from his lips, he twirls it about in his fingers for a moment. “As for those, you never saw me in college. I always carried these around, was the easiest way to explain away the smell of smoke. And from what I’ve seen of recent records, I don’t think there will be a problem in being a terrible influence on children. Seems that there are a number of behavioral problems on a constant level here. On the plus side, its not as if I’ll get lung cancer from it.” Aloke looks at his hand when he gets it back from Thomas like he’s surprised it’s still attached to the end of his arm. “I’m sorry, Thomas, I’m an idiot, we’re lucky I didn’t flicker. Hank has me on a ‘no physical contact’ policy, and then I just go and shake your hand.” Aloke sighs, obviously frustrated at his predicament. He lifts the drink in a salute to Mallory, and sips at it. “Cheers, Mallory. Maybe we can turn a page, and try this over again?” “But yeah, Thomas, that sounds a lot like Hank’s assessment since he’s been studying me, lately.” Aloke shrugs apologetically, “I’m afraid the science of it all is a bit beyond me. Hank just keeps insisting the math doesn’t add up, and that he’s missing some piece. Maybe you could help? It /feels/ like my body in converted into light energy, but I don’t really grasp all the implications there. And I’m terrible at… describing it. But, I mean, I could take you with me on purpose, if you want? Just around the room?” Aloke shrugs again, somewhat at a loss, and visibly feeling awkward. It might even have something to do with having accidentally caused this man’s sister to explode. Awkward conversations are awkward. Mallory tops off her drink with cranberry juice, before slowly making her way out from behind the bar and situating herself onto one of the empty stools. She quirks an eyebrow as Thomas and Aloke shake hands, her eyes lingering on the hand shaped burn on Aloke’s arm. She does raise her glass in a salute before taking another sip, “Agreed. I’m the last person to hold an accidental power blip off against them. At least no one else was seriously injured, and I am so, so sorry about your arm.” There’s a knowing glance toward Thomas, and a bit of a sigh, “As Thomas mentioned, we weren’t aware that my transformation could even be triggered like that. Not by someone else, anyway.” She gestures at Thomas with a well manicured hand, “He can, and I can set his off, too, but, well. Twins, I suppose. Never looked into it too much.” She takes a sip of her drink, pondering for a moment, looking between Thomas and Aloke silently, <<Why do I get the feeling we are freaking him out something horrible? It isn’t his fault, anymore than it was mine. But you should take him up on the offer - it is rather fascinating, if a bit disorienting. And you’re much better at controlling things than I am, brother dear.>> “It is not as big of a concern for me, though it would likely cause a similar state change in myself as in my sister. We seem to…react poorly to excitatory energy on our cells. I just don’t tend to burn down the garden when it happens. It just hurts like hell, and if I was still holding onto you at the time, well you’d experience it the same as I would.” Thomas sips from his brandy abit, finger swiping over the tablet to swap screens to a more blank slate looking app. “I’ve studied the subject, well as much as I can without exposing my own secret to the world. But if you converted all of your mass directly into an energetic state, you’d probably be violating the laws of conservation of energy. You see, if someone of your general mass were to directly phase change into photonic energy, I’d imagine that we’d be talking Petawatt laser range, possibly higher, theoretically hot enough to ignite atmosphere. I mean nitrogen won’t fuse at only a couple million degrees, hydrogen goes at the tens of millions range after all.” As he’s talking, he’s doodling away equations on the tablet screen, somewhat lost in the theory. “I’d say you must be dissipating that energy a good deal as you’re shifting, possibly releasing gaseous matter into the air around you to decrease your mass before you state change. Since the human body is mostly water, and therefore hydrogen and oxygen, that would account for a fairly large mass loss before you go. Something that could be detected with the right sensors at least. When Mallory and myself change, we don’t hit quite that level of energetic state. I go from matter to matter, albeit a highly dispersed matter and mostly inorganic. Mallory goes from matter to well, lets just call it plasma, since they’re still fighting over what to label it. She’s an elevated energy state, but plasma is mostly just stripping electrons out…” Thomas glances to his sister a moment, then looks a bit sheepish. << I’m babbling aren’t I? Ah well>> Shaking his head, he offers Aloke a slight smile. “Perhaps in time I may be willing to experiment on it, but I’d need to have the chef bring down a full seven course ahead of time. If I shift forms, well I need to recover a good deal of metabolic energy afterwards. And most people aren’t fond of the feeling of being burnt alive. We’ve never gotten used to it after all.” There is a bit of a droll look on his face at that as he finishes up the brandy, glancing down at Aloke’s burnt arm. <<Control is one thing, enjoying the experience is another.>> Aloke is quiet for all of Thomas’s theorizing, and sits for the span of a long breath, considering his ideas. His eyes only glazed over for a second when Thomas got to petawatts, but he seemed to grasp the notion that he may be releasing some of his mass in other ways. “Uh, yeah, ok, I think I get some of what you’re saying. And also, if I took you with me, I might set off your state change like I did with Mallory’s. I don’t… really have a problem with that, if it’s just pain, and yours is… ok to set off. I really need to figure out what’s happ-” As if on perfect cue, Aloke’s physical form wavers in his seat, the drink in his hand included, until he becomes a see-through, yellow-lit ghost of himself. He ducks his head in what looks like a great effort of will, and his body reforms in place. “Shit…” he says, breathless. “Sorry about that.” He sets his drink down and rubs his hand across his jaw. “But yeah, that’s what’s been happening with me.” Almost as soon as Thomas starts in on the science aspects of the collective mutations, Mallory’s dark eyes seem to glaze over, and she stares somewhat blankly off into space - Thomas is treated to a summary of the courses she will be teaching, and the cliffnotes version of the first lesson for at least one. Aloke is thankfully spared her boredom. When Thomas pings her mentally, she actually starts, wobbling slightly on her perch and blinking a few times before looking at Thomas, and just nodding a few times, rubbing slightly at one horn as she does. <<Yes. Yes you are. I think. I sort of zoned you out. Oops.>> There’s a slightly startled look as Aloke starts to phase, and Mallory actually leans back and away from him, her tail lashing slightly from nervousness. “Has it been getting worse? Since the library?” Mallory questions, brows creasing in concern as she looks between Thomas and Aloke. “I’d really rather not go through it without some fairly well established conditions ahead of time personally. Otherwise you may want to do it again to get different things tested, so better to do it all at once under proper laboratory conditions,” Thomas says with a shrug. << I can recite the periodic tables to you if you want? You can get a nice nap in the meanwhile so us grownups can talk.>> The thought goes to Mallory with the image of a pacifier and a mental snicker. Of course his face remains placid as he looks to Aloke though. “Have you been exposed to anything different than usual? New foods, new students, more time or less time outdoors? You don’t seem to have the metabolic issues that either of us do, so your state change’s power comes from something outside of caloric intake at least.” Shaking his head, he picks up his tablet again, and swipes the screen off to a new note image. “If you can isolate your trigger conditions you could possibly figure out what precisely is the cause of new instability. Maybe you’ve developed an allergy? Its not uncommon after all.” Chuckling Thomas shakes his head, and provides another smile. “I’m afraid though I’m not precisely a medical doctor, so I’d have to point you towards Doctor Saavedro or Doctor McCoy to get a better analysis of the problem. I stick to chemistry and material science over biochem and medicine after all. If could perhaps develop a material to refract your light form, but if you’re concerned with the biological side, well all I can say is, biology is messy and unfortunate. Poor blokes taking Anatomy and Physiology,” he says with a shake of his head. “Still, I’d say look for excess energy in the equation, for all I know you may be affected by the sunspots and coronal mass ejections.” Aloke looks a little overwhelmed, considering all of the possible permutations and variables involved. He looks to Mallory first, considering her question, “Well, it’s been really noticeable over the last couple of weeks.” He ponders this a moment, perhaps adding Thomas’s list of hypotheses to the mental pile. “The only really blatant change I can identify is that I’ve been using my ability more, a /lot/ more, since moving into the mansion. I’ve never had the freedom to move around like this before, so…” Aloke does some mental math. “I dunno, in the last six months or so, I’ve travelled more than I have in the last 10 years combined. I hardly ever used it before, trying to hide all the time. And now…” Aloke thinks for a long moment, sipping at his gin. “Now I have trouble /not/ transitioning. But my state change… based on what I saw with Mallory, my ability doesn’t cause me pain, the way hers does, or yours, Thomas, from the sound of things. But I’m willing to try anything, even if I have to experience your state change as well. Whatever conditions you want to lay out ahead of time are fine by me. Maybe we could perform the experiments in the Danger Room? I understand the sensors in there are really sensitive. I’m sure Hank would help set things up for us.” Mallory listens, leaning her chin in her hand and idly swishing her beverage around in the glass, diluting it further with the quickly melting ice. “Hm. That is… odd. You are from this area, yes? In that you are not suddenly in an entirely new location?” Mallory muses quietly to herself, frowning at the now entirely melted ice watering down her drink, “Though that is one of my worst fears, not being able to control the transformation. It doesn’t hurt once I’m entirely in the plasma state - it’s the act of transitioning that sucks so royally. But, ah, due to that pain, I know next to nothing about my limitations. Just that it makes me ridiculously tired and hungry.” She frowns slightly, “Could, hm, could your powers be locked down? I know it is not the most comforting idea - but what about locating an individual who can nullify mutations, temporarily?” There’s a look of visible discomfort at the idea of this from the librarian, and she shifts in her seat slightly. <<Bite me, Thomas.>> Mallory glares at her brother, for seemingly no reason, her tail twitching again as she does. “Danger room? Ah, I think I’ve only heard that mentioned in passing. I wasn’t actually aware of its capabilities. Not exactly something that would typically involve the librarian, I imagine,” she says quietly, taking a sip of her now warming drink. This time, when she sets it down, she refrains from holding on to the glass too much, instead fidgetting with the condensation on the bar. “Hrm, you may just be exciting it too much. Over use may have led to unstable cellular structures and the like. Mallory’s suggestion may prove wise that locking it down would provide you with a momentary reprieve and allow you to reacquaint yourself with control? I’m afraid neither of us are in the category to be over using our capabilities much, unless we suddenly have an incredibly effective pain blocker.” Thomas glances to his empty brandy cup, and shakes his head. “At least one that doesn’t end up with our brains rendered incapable of making proper decisions.” <<But you have far more prevalent fangs than I do. All the better to bite yourself with?>> Thomas projects, with a little red riding hood image. “And I read some of the briefings that Professor Xavier provided. Educational means through projected illusions or some sort? I wasn’t much concerned with it, since I doubt any student particularly wants to see atomic bonding up close at a miniaturized level. Still if it hosts a sensor suite better than the lab it is worth a shot, otherwise I’d have to suggest there. We have a wide variety of tools there at least.” He looks to Aloke with a slight bit of concern, then shakes his head. “You are willing to try it now, you may change your mind when you come out of it screaming.” “Yeah,” Aloke says to Mallory. “Yeah, I’m a local. Born and raised in the Bronx, actually.” He shrugs, letting a little home town pride shine through. “And I really can’t think of anything else that could be causing this. I’m pretty rigorous about my diet, I exercise regularly, and the last few times I’ve flickered were /indoors/ so I don’t think it could be related to the sun or whatever.” Aloke swirls his own drink around, clinking thick ice cubes against the side. His drinks don’t seem to warm up quite as fast as Mallory’s. “If you know anyone who can tone down abilities, I would be more than happy to try it. I scared some students the other day, made Mallory burn up, and almost hurt a bunch of other people in the pool that day.” Aloke stares down at the bar as he lists the short version of his laundry list. “It’s sheer luck that things didn’t go any worse.” Aloke pauses to look from twin to twin in turn. “Look, the last thing I want is to really hurt someone. If you’d be willing to help me research this Thomas, I’d really appreciate it. I can handle pain, because the alternative is so much worse. So if you’re in to collaborate, I’ll ask Hank to set up the Danger Room for us, and we can pursue this there. But I also understand if you’d rather not.” Aloke shakes his head and holds up his hands, “Seriously, no hard feelings. There are so many unknown variables in play here… ‘Risky’ doesn't even begin to describe the situation.” <<Come out of it screaming? Good god, with lines like that, I just don’t understand how you are still single, brother.>> Mallory directs at Thomas, masking her smirk behind the last of her watered down beverage. “Understandable. I can’t say I blame you for wanting to stretch your legs, as it were, with regards to having a safe place to practice your abilities. I’d be tempted to do the same thing if I could,” she grins and chuckles slightly, “But, perhaps Professor Xavier could direct you to someone, possibly an alumnus, or a contact he has?” She runs a hand along one horn, standing up and heading back behind the bar to put away her glass, “I would be interested in seeing the Danger Room, if you would not mind another participant or observer. From a safe distance.” She leans against the counter, tilting her head slightly, looking at Aloke, “And honestly, there are no hard feelings about the incident the other day. Things happen - and this school is supposed to be a safe place. Not just for the students.” “I am willing to make the attempt, my own transformation is more stable than either of yours, so I should not suffer too much from the effort. I’ll take a few naproxen ahead of time to help deaden the pain a little for the transformation, and arrange extra food stuffs too.” Thomas lets out a sigh, and slides the empty glass along the counter between his hands. “If you can, avoid shifting purposefully in the meanwhile, at least so you can reduce overuse as a variable. And follow the good doctor’s orders and try not to touch anyone. Best not to see what happens to any students after all.” A quick glance to his sister and a brow raise comes before shaking his head. “At least no permanent physical damage was done to anyone in the process.” << I had more concerns with concealing myself than you did sister dear. I try and blot out the oversharing you had done during the early college years thank you.>> Tucking the tablet under his arm and raising up from his seat, he cricks his neck. “When you have arrangements set up let me know, and I’ll make sure enough of the lab equipment is brought in to assist. I would like Mallory to be present though, just in case. She knows how to inhibit transformation if it becomes necessary and would recognize the early signs.”