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Post by Nightcrawler on May 30, 2020 15:52:26 GMT -5
Date: Saturday, June 3, 2023 Words: 169 Tags: Gigabyte /Hydro /Critter Notes: Let's get this party started!"The mutant signature was pinpointed around this area," Kurt said into his communication link. With his image inducer on, he was merely a tanned-skinned man of average height and a neutral expression, the communication link veiled by the image inducer's illusion. Without the hologram, the device would be visible but probably wouldn't stand out as much as compared to his blue, fuzzy skin, pointed ears, and tail.
Yet, perhaps Kurt should tweak his image inducer to make his comm link look like a Bluetooth device so random people didn't think he was muttering to himself.
Something else for his to-do list, he supposed. He was grateful for this opportunity in his life, grateful beyond measure for being able to reopen the Xavier Institute for a new generation of mutants who may need the help and family that the institute could provide... But, damn, he never thought it would involve a never ending to-do list.
"Fräulein, did Cerebro give you any other clues about the mutant signature?" Kurt asked.
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Post by Gigabyte on May 30, 2020 16:43:25 GMT -5
Tag: Nightcrawler Words: 171 Notes: I'll probably switch between my characters' accounts. Feel free to continue tagging all or whichever one you want, lol. "I am not as well-tuned with Cerebro as Professor Xavier was, unfortunately." Sierra responded to her friend's inquiry mentally, her own abilities negating the need for her to have her own communication link. With her technopathy, she was always connected.
"Cerebro is only able to give me a location of the last-known signature rather than sharing other identifying information," she said from her perch at the edge of the park. On a bench with sunglasses, she was able to scan passing cell phones and people-watch without anyone being the wiser. "I imagine it was the professor's abilities that allowed him to glean more information, like age and gender, from the signatures Cerebro found."
"Yeah, well, there's a lot of people in the park," came Roy's voice. "I have no idea what to look for."
"Normally I would advise you to look for something unusual," Sierra said with a small sigh, "but that could mean nothing depending on who we are looking for... I apologize that I do not have more information..."
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Post by Nightcrawler on May 30, 2020 17:08:44 GMT -5
Words: 178 Tags: Gigabyte/Hydro/Critter Notes: *tags all of them*"Do not blame yourself, Gigabyte," Kurt said, believing he heard a tinge of regret in his friend's tone. "We're all a bit new to this. This new mutant could be doing very well with blending in, none the wiser as to what they are..."
Kurt had another thought regarding the new mutant, of course, but he didn't think it would be helpful for him to voice it just yet. Kurt glanced at his watch, vowing to give their little trio just a bit more time to search before calling it quits. The new mutant may not even be around the park any longer...
Or they could totally be a flamingo standing near the edge of the park's pond.
Kurt stared in wonder, much like the small crowd at the edge of the pond taking pictures of the bright pink bird trying to fit in with the swans and ducks. In his communication link, Kurt couldn't quite keep the amusement out of his voice when he asked, "Are you two also seeing what is going on at the pond...?"
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New Recruits
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Post by Hydro on May 30, 2020 17:36:18 GMT -5
Tag: NightcrawlerWords: 233 "You gotta be kidding me."
Roy stared in disbelief at the flamingo standing proudly just out of reach of the park-goers in the pond. Roy inched closer, sticking to the shade, but being sure he had a clear view of the strange bird.
"That count as unusual?" he asked dryly.
"I'd say so, yes," was Sierra's reply. "A quick search on the local news sites does not indicate any lost flamingos from, say, the zoo. Perhaps you should ruffle the waters a little, Hydro."
Roy took a deep breath, focusing on his abilities at the sound of his code name. He hadn't been sure about joining Kurt and Sierra on this expedition in the first place, but at least this moment made it seem like he'd be useful. Maneuvering into a better position beneath the treeline, he mentally called to the pond water, focusing by the flamingo's feet. He coaxed the water to ripple, to lap up just a bit higher than the wind that was directing it.
The flamingo didn't seem to notice until Roy accidentally yanked a pocket of water into a wave that nearly bowled it over.
"Shit." Roy ducked further behind his tree, hoping that whatever people that had been startled by the wave didn't look his way.
"Don't worry, Hydro," Sierra said. "People are more interested in watching the flamingo fly towards the woodlands. Nightcrawler, are you following...?"
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Post by Nightcrawler on May 30, 2020 18:01:25 GMT -5
Words: 167 Tags: Gigabyte/Hydro/Critter"Affirmative, Gigabyte," Kurt said, watching as the flamingo escaped the pond's water after accidentally getting its feathers wet from Roy's wave. "I shall follow, see if it really is merely a bird. And, Hydro? You did wunderbar."
With that said, Kurt took a cautious glance around to be sure no one was paying attention to little ol' him. When it was apparent no strangers cared, Kurt teleported into the woodlands with a puff of brimstone-scented smoke.
Despite the dim light of the woodlands, especially off the beaten path usually occupied by joggers, Kurt was able to spot the bright, pink feathers of the flamingo. Kurt turned off his image inducer, taking advantage of his true looks being able to blend into the shadows. It wouldn't do for the flamingo to see him before he was ready for it to spot him.
He perched atop one of the many trees' branches and stayed still and quiet, waiting to see if the flamingo was more than what it seemed...
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Post by Critter on May 30, 2020 18:39:16 GMT -5
Tag: NightcrawlerWords: 234 The pond water hadn't been nearly as cold when she was standing on one leg. It was amusing to her to see all the people that paused to gawk at the flamingo, but that rogue wave that drenched half of her feathers had nearly started her out of her transformation.
She was fortunate enough to reach a secluded part of the woodlands, landing on her feet before shaking her feathers as free of water as she could. She didn't fancy transforming back into herself while dripping wet.
"It was fun while it lasted," Willow murmured as she curled out of a flamingo and back into a young, human woman. She sat down just a bit off of the path in the dirt, wringing a handful of her thick hair out and watching as water dripped from the strands. She shook her head, trying to dislodge any other water while taking care to see if her clothes were ruined.
When she discovered her strange abilities, Willow counted herself lucky that she didn't lose her clothes with her shapeshifting. Yet, it wouldn't be easy to explain to her parents what happened to her clothes if she ruined them from the park's pond.
She paused, glancing up through the treetops to try to find the sun. Perhaps she'd turn into a dog to dash back home. The wind buffeting her fur would probably result in dryer clothes...
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Post by Nightcrawler on May 30, 2020 19:20:35 GMT -5
Words: 194 Tags: Gigabyte/Hydro/CritterKurt blinked at the sight of the flamingo morphing into a young woman, perhaps even still a girl. Kurt guessed she was around Roy's age, maybe a little younger.
"It's a girl," Kurt whispered into his comm link, hoping that Roy and Sierra would hear his report. At the very least, he was sure that Sierra would pick it up. He continued his report, adding, "She doesn't seem hurt or startled. Rather, she seems relaxed after shifting out of a flamingo shape... even if she's a little wet."
He allowed a smile to tinge the last of his words and let his report wrap up as he tried to figure out how to approach the young woman. He made the decision to keep his image inducer off, to approach as himself. With what he could determine from the young woman's demeanor, he hoped that she wasn't the type to be nervous.
Quietly, he dropped down from his tree branch and, after again checking that the pair wouldn't be interrupted, Kurt gently called to her from the shadows off the path, "Excuse me, Miss? Are you alright?"
He supposed that would be a decent start.
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Post by Critter on May 31, 2020 7:26:48 GMT -5
Tag: NightcrawlerWords: 211 Uh-oh. Was she found out?
Willow glanced up when she heard the man's voice, checking to be sure he was indeed talking to him. It'd be so like her to give away her spot by thinking someone was talking to her when they were really talking to someone else.
(She does that a lot. Wave to people who are waving to people behind her. Replying hello when a stranger is trying to greet a second stranger. Things like that.)
Considering no one else was around these parts of the woodlands, which wasn't a surprise since she tried to reach an area that didn't have people to morph out of a flamingo, the man must have been speaking to her. Willow took a deep breath, but stood up and brushed off her shirt and pants of dirt as best she could. She was a bit wrinkled, but she couldn't do anything further about her appearance.
"Yes, I'm fine, thank you," she said, trying to see more than the outline of the man in the shadows. While it was odd he didn't step forward onto the path, his voice sounded kind. "I rushed in here to try to find that flamingo. Did you see it by the pond, too?"
That sounded plausible, right?
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Post by Nightcrawler on May 31, 2020 16:02:07 GMT -5
Words: 215 Tags: Gigabyte/Hydro/CritterAt the young woman's response, Kurt's quirked smile grew. She obviously wasn't the type to go around flaunting her abilities on purpose.
He was about to figure out how to tactfully mention that he saw her transform out of the flamingo when he was struck with a terrible thought. Did she even realize what she was? What if the shapeshifting was accidental? What if she didn't remember her time as the flamingo, or rather only bits and pieces of her time as the bird?
Wait, that wouldn't make sense. The girl would be curious as to why she was wet, first of all. There probably would be a bit more panicking on her part if she had just showed up in part of the woodlands.
He was thinking too hard on this. Kurt took a deep breath to calm himself.
"The flamingo, yes," he said. "I actually saw where and when the flamingo landed... That flamingo was you, wasn't it? A gift that you have? If you wouldn't mind, I would like to speak to you about that gift. Perhaps with your parents and not in such a hidden place."
Kurt was quite aware how strange it was for him, a grown man, to be speaking in some dim woodlands to a probably teenage girl.
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Post by Critter on Jun 1, 2020 8:07:46 GMT -5
Tags: NightcrawlerWords: 201 Willow stood up straighter as the man spoke, realizing that, yes, she had been found out.
Still, the man stayed somewhat hidden as he talked, which didn't help Willow trust his words. He at least was conscious enough to stay a respectable distance and even mentioned that he would prefer to speak with her and her parents in a more populated place. Their current situation was definitely sketchy.
Well, at this point, there was no hiding it, particularly when she was still wringing out part of her shirt.
"You've a gift as well?" she asked, trying to keep her tone neutral. She knew that she wasn't the only one in the world who could do something unique, as her parents put it, but it wasn't like she met others like herself every day. "What can you do?
"As for speaking with my parents," she added carefully, "why don't you introduce yourself first? Maybe, um... Maybe I can give you a phone number or something rather than just taking you to my house."
If he turned out to be a psychopath, well, she could fend him off as an elephant or something before escaping as a more inconspicuous bird than a flamingo.
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Post by Nightcrawler on Jun 1, 2020 10:13:30 GMT -5
Words: 183 Tags: Gigabyte/Hydro/CritterShe didn't run off just yet, which Kurt counted as a win. When she asked what he could do, he figured honesty was the best policy and simply said, "I can teleport. Get from place to place in an instant as long as I know where I am going. I also have a more physical mutation... which is the main reason I am sticking to the shadows at this time. I didn't wish to startle you due to my looks as well as the fact that we are strangers to each other."
She asked for him to introduce himself, which he obliged by saying, "Forgive me. I am Kurt Wagner. I am the headmaster of the Xavier Institute in the upper parts of Bayville. It is a school to help those with gifts learn to control and grow with their abilities. I myself grew up there as a teenager.
"I would be more than happy to answer whatever questions you and your parents will have on the Xavier Institute," Kurt said. "Exchanging phone numbers would be wunderbar to set up a meeting, perhaps...?"
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Post by Critter on Jun 1, 2020 15:11:39 GMT -5
Tags: NightcrawlerWords: 173 Teleportation? That sounded fun! Willow could imagine how simple getting from place to place would be with such an ability. She couldn't quite imagine what kind of physical mutation the man could have that would make him stick close to the shadows, but she did appreciate him acknowledging that they were strangers to each other.
"Well, Mr. Wagner," she said, "I'm Willow. Our meeting is a little weird, but I appreciate the precautions you seem to be taking, too. I'm sorry you don't feel comfortable showing your face to me. I'd be interested in seeing it, especially since we're going to exchange phone numbers, though..." She wouldn't push if he truly wasn't comfortable.
"I think I've actually heard of the Xavier Institute," Willow admitted. "My parents... well, we don't think I should go to the private high school I had a spot at with what I can do now... We kind of just discovered my gifts, as you call them. Um, do you have your phone so I can give you a number?"
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Post by Nightcrawler on Jun 2, 2020 20:51:41 GMT -5
Words: 193 Tags: Gigabyte/Hydro/CritterWillow. A pretty first name, but no last name to go with it. A request for Kurt's phone rather than bringing out her own. She may be friendly, but she was smart enough not to blindly trust a stranger, particularly one that was hiding in the shadows while alone with her in the middle of some woods.
"Well, I'm glad you've heard of the institute," Kurt said. "I hope that you, and your parents, will agree that you should at least visit our school, see if it and Bayville High will be beneficial to you."
He took out his cell phone number and dutifully input the phone number that Willow gave him. He paused after saving the contact and took a deep breath.
"Miss Willow," Kurt said carefully, "if you still wish to see what I look like, I can show you. However, please do not be frightened of my looks... I'm really just a big, blue fuzzball, heh."
He took one last look down the path to be sure there was no one else before taking a few cautious steps into the few beams of sunlight that were filtering through the trees.
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Post by Critter on Jun 3, 2020 14:56:39 GMT -5
Tags: NightcrawlerWords: 193 The guy wasn't pushy, that was nice. Willow nodded along when Mr. Wagner mentioned how it was good that she and her family had heard of the Xavier Institute. At the very least, he didn't mention some random, fake-sounding school name. Granted, if he said any other name, it could still be a real school even if she had never heard of it. It wasn't like she paid much attention to the names of schools since her parents always picked out which schools she went to--
Willow was zoning out. She refocused on the gentleman in front of her who seemed to hesitantly decide to take a chance and show her what exactly he looked like.
She blinked once, twice, then rubbed her eyes a couple of times as she tried to comprehend what she was seeing. She tried not to be frightened, like he requested, but seeing a dark, angular face with yellow eyes was a little... strange, to put it bluntly.
"A blue fuzzball..." Willow swallowed hard but put on a brave face. "Uh... I wish I, uh, had more to say... Are your ears pointy? Like, uh, a German shepherd?"
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Post by Nightcrawler on Jun 3, 2020 18:11:09 GMT -5
Tags: Gigabyte/Hydro/Critter Words: 181At Willow's reaction, Kurt had to resist the urge to blend back into the shadows. Yet, he stood his ground and did not make any sudden movements, not wishing to make the young woman any more nervous.
Kurt did smile gently when she spoke and he murmured, "It's okay," when Willow mentions wishing she had more to say to his appearance. Trying to joke, Kurt added, "I'm used to making others speechless."
He actually couldn't help but chuckle when Willow then asked about his ears, comparing them to a breed of dog's, and shrugged. "Well, yes, they're pointy, but they've been compared more to an elf's ears than a German shepherd's. Fuzzy Elf was a common nickname of mine from some friends as I was growing up," he said dryly.
Kurt then bent down, making himself a little smaller as he squatted. "You can come closer and see them, if you like. If not, that's fine as well. You'll get an opportunity to see them up close when, hopefully, your parents and you meet with the rest of the Xavier Institute."
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