1310/Sometime Before Midnight in the Garden of Mostly Good, Really

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Sometime Before Midnight in the Garden of Mostly Good, Really
Date of Scene: 23 April 2020
Location: Student Gardens
Synopsis: A few New Mutants chat in the Garden, and decide to go Dinosaur-seeking. Tomorrow.
Cast of Characters: James Proudstar, Tabitha Smith, Illyana Rasputina




James Proudstar has posed:
The sun has nearly dipped below the horizon on a day that actually brought some halfway decent weather to Westchester County. Not quite warm, but not really cold, with plenty of sun for everyone's trouble. With the exception of the occasional dinosaur or gorilla-sound it's mostly been peaceful...or as peaceful as things ever get when that kind of strangeness is happening. The mansion's still in one piece, in any case.

So what does James Proudstar do to (apparently) relax? Well, he's seated on one of the benches in the Garden, with a pair of headphones on, just...sitting, by all indications. He doesn't look mad, he doesn't look sad. Just...sitting.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
How could anyone be sad on a glorious day like today? Not Tabby at least, but then again, even when she's sad she isn't going to tell anyone, and she's not going to let on that she is, either.

While James sits and listens to his music she's been wandering around the school, looking for one of those die that is all the rage. When she heads out to the garden and down one of the paths she stops, noticing something on the ground.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
Sitting isn't exactly in Illyana's wheelhouse. Standing still. Sinking ships when called upon, for example, or abusing the privilege of the Danger Room to fabricate different ways to destroy alternate means of transportation. Having studied, having destroyed a small boule of black bread, then what's left but to prowl around outside and question the tire swing on the wicked behaviours of her peers? Okay, less of that than the concept of prowling for meditative purposes, fingertips running over a random feather acquired through one of her many jaunts. The feather is a pretty thing, probably a hawk, since doubtless an eagle would take well to being stripped.

Also it probably stands as a felony in the US.

She hums to Saint-Saens //Danse Macabre//, walking one of those paths to her own purpose, spotting first golden haired Tabby in her midst. "Evening."

James Proudstar has posed:
And so the purpose of the headphones, and even perhaps the Garden itself may become more telling. With the music pulsing in his ears, and the early-spring scents of the garden surrounding him, this is one of the places in the Mansion most effective for Jimmy to well and truly "tune out." No overheard conversations about things he'd really rather not know. No walking by someone's room and smelling that they haven't done their laundry in a month. Peace and Quiet...relatively speaking. Especially when this time of year there's usually not too many about. Either way, so far he's not yet noticed that others may be soon appearing, and for once can't hear them coming.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
"Illy. What's up, babydoll?" Tabby wonders as she holds up the die between her fingers, showing it to the Limbo Queen, "I believe this is one of yours?" Otherwise there might very well be a whole lot of kids losing dice around the mansion, and no one knew it until now.

The quiet, unaware Jimmy is noticed, and she lifts a hand up, holding a finger to her lips before she proceeds to try and sneak up on him.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
The Demon Queen of Limbo smirks when Tabby shows off the thing. The /thing/ being... not exactly impressive. It's a pebble. How thrilling. The dusty radiance of its surface barely gleams, but the thrilled chirrup coming from it vibrates at a high level, practically trilling, and she smirks. Saying something in a darkly crackling language, unnatural at all levels, she greets her ... whatever it is, daemon, die, pebble. It vibrates but stays perfectly still as is. "Congratulations," she murmurs, Russian as ever. "You are an adult." This much is met with a smirk.

Then there's Jimmy looking all patient and relaxed, cool as they get. She murmurs an aside to Tabby, really mouths it, more than anything: //Lake?//

BAD ILLYANA.

James Proudstar has posed:
It is, in fact a rare moment that Jimmy is more easily snuck up on. The wind is even in Tabby's favor, preventing her scent from being caught until she's practically on top of him. It looks like she's going to be successful...at least unless Illy decides to drop him in the lake.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Lake? No. Tabby shakes her head at that, clearly having another plan. Maybe not as good of a plan, maybe a better plan. There is honestly no way to tell if this is going to be a good plan.

Smart bets on....no, though. The pebble gets shoved into a pocket, and she starts to sneak off in Jame's direction, coming around behind him. Then she summons up a few small pebble sized bombs, tossing them beneath his bench.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
Maybe a /better/ plan? Well. She will stand still and be patient then, though Illyana keeps a fingertip on the pulse of Limbo. Just in case she needs to seize it immediately, because jumping out of the way before bombs go off and an Apache rampages back into the house is well worth considering.

Illyana crosses her arms over her chest, smirking, and there are practically devil horns written on the face of reality.

James Proudstar has posed:
Yep, even over the sounds of the music, the crackle-pop of Tabby's mini-bombs going off is clear as day, sending Jimmy leaping up to his feet, suddenly alert and on-edge.

"What the f-" He starts to exclaim as he turns about, pulling off the headphones and quickly spotting Tabby, at least, which brings him back down from "full alert" and down to something more amused, "Ha...OK. Yeah...got me pretty good there, Tabby." He shakes his head chuckling a bit and straightening from the fighting stance he'd kind of instinctively dropped into. "Guess I better learn to turn it down a few notches." He looks around once more, spotting the smirking Illyana, "Oh, so it's a full-fledged ambush?"

Tabitha Smith has posed:
"It's not a full ambush." Tabitha replies with a shake of her head, jerking a thumb back in Illyana's direction, "She was just here to get me out of here if you threw a knife at my head."

It could happen. And the fact that Tabby //knew// it could happen, and still did this says either that she's psychotic. Or she trusts Illy to get her out of there. Or even that she trusts James to hold himself together.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
"Nyet. An ambush would have a risk." Illyana raises her hand lightly, the other cupping her elbow and bisecting her torso with the pale arc of her arm. Nothing to suggest danger or defensiveness required, nothing at all. Her head tilted sends a spill fo pale gold hair tumbling off her shoulder, swaying back and forth with that delectably blunt cut so suitable for looking that much more unamused as called upon. "This? This is distraction." She shifts her weight between her feet, swaying to an unheard beat, a disguised melody. The music in the world doesn't usually reach her demonic-tarnished soul, but apparently she aids and abets psychotic friends in attacking high strung, extremely powerful mutants. Righto.

"Have you seen Jean? Or the others changed?"

James Proudstar has posed:
"Oh, only a half-ambush huh?" Jimmy grins now, moving to step over the bench, closer to Tabby, with no indication of malice or threat, "I -usually- look where I'm throwing, first...and besides, didn't bring any with me at the moment." Whether he grasps the implications of Tabby's prank may remain a mystery, as his smile dims somewhat at the mention of some of their transformed fellows, "Jean's been out in the woods since it happened. I think somebody might need to go talk to her or something...Saw...I guess Laura? run by earlier today. And Gabby's changed too. One of the students turned into a gorilla. Guess it's getting worse pretty much all over the world."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
"I'm going to assume you're lying about not having a knife on you." Tabby points out before she moves to throw her arms around James, because clearly he was moving in for something as cuddly as a hug. And not to toss her ass over tea kettle into the lake for scaring the crap out of him.

"I haven't see anyone. I keep hearing some of the younger kids talking about the whole thing, but I seem to be missing it." Tabby glances at Illyana, "Should we go talk to her?"

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
Illyana has a knife. Count on it. Where she's stored it, that is another matter. She braces her hand against her chin, fingers curled to her palm, and the corner of her mouth indents a sharpened edge to that already elegant expression tilted towards Russian sardonism. Still, she arches her brows beneath the heavy fringe of her bangs. Soon enough she'll need to trim them to avoid totally falling into arctic fair eyes, often lending an impression of not quite being serious or attentive. The truth, obviously, tends to be much more profound than that. Staying still with the lovebirds doing their co-feather-hug thing, she gestures. "Tell me why we do not find her, take her to Limbo, and put her back?"

Her being Jean. "Laura, maybe better. Gabby is now changed? Bozhe moi, this ends well. Jean is too powerful to be like that. What if she loses herself to a bestial mind? Long term shapeshifting is dangerous."

James Proudstar has posed:
Yes, Jimmy will accept a hug. May not even completely let go of Tabby once it's concluded, either, unless she's aiming to wriggle away. "I dunno." He answers honestly at the question of finding Jean. "I figured someone that knew her better, maybe?" At Illyana's cautioning, Jimmy nods, albeit more in understanding than "OK let's go"-ism. "Like Skinwalkers." He speaks of Native American myth in that, but adds, "Maybe, but if that's the case we'd probably need the Professor or somebody to step in."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
"Don't we all walk in skin? Except that one guy..." Tabby seems fine with not getting free of hugs, "I'm okay with going to find Jean in the woods, but I agree with Jimmy here. Shouldn't someone maybe...more familiar with her will be a better idea?"

Then it comes around to the beginning again, "What's a Skinwalker?"

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
"Cursed magic users. A Navajo term but they occur elsewhere. They will take another person or animal's skin as their own, and wear it. The Navajo do not speak of 'anti'jhnii freely, neither do other tribes." Which begs the question why this all comes so easily to Illyana's lips where other subjects tend not to, but she raises her shoulders slightly and the curve of her mouth meets the deadly seriousness in her eyes to suggest if one were lurking in the woods, it'd be dead. More than dead. She would no doubt be running flat out for it. "The medicine man or shaman, usually, commits a great evil and breaks taboo. Take the skin and you reveal the being underneath. But with Jean, nyet, she /is/ still Jean. This curse on her body is not from an act of evil. She was making lunch." Her eyes narrow slightly. "Likely not quite magic. Mutation, somehow. But it has been too long. Where is Charles or Scott or Warren?" Her hands drop to her hips. "Not in the woods. It's time we go and maybe be sure she is, oh, I don't know -- safe? Fed? Not forced to scavenge for cows? Do you think this would make her happy?"

A flick of her hand, that phone is pulled out. "This is the way Piotr thinks. Not me."

James Proudstar has posed:
"What she said. Easiest way to think of it is Navajo Werewolves." He jerks a thumb at Illyana, "She gave the long answer. But no, I just meant the whole thing about staying changed too long, not that Jean was evil or anything." He pauses a moment and shrugs, "Yeah, we can go find her, since nobody else has. Won't be hard to track her down...I don't think she's left the grounds. Maybe the Professor has been talking to her...you know?" He taps the side of his head, indicating their telepathic ability.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
"Oh." That information is greeted with something of a very blank look from Tabby, because not only is that just a lot of information, that is also a lot of heavy information.

When James agrees to go on the hunt for Jean she sighs, "Sure." She reaches a hand up to grab James and pull him down to give him a kiss on the cheek, "We'll split up! I'll search the woods closer to the mansion."

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
A flicker of her fingers across the screen leaves several text messages flying between Illyana and her recipient, that boy-- no. Piotr. The response jingling through brings her into a frown. "Da. Being a shapechanger trapped may make skinwalkers too. Bad. The last one I know destroyed a village." Neither really here nor there, but she's got plenty to consider as she stares off past them for a moment. "Maybe it is best we go out, find her. My brother can bring food." Squint. "Tomorrow. It will do, she will probably not eat demon. They are not so nutritious." Not to a dino-Jean-zilla.

"Splitting up? Wise? Maybe."

James Proudstar has posed:
"Don't likely need to split up. I can track her." In a variety of ways. "But tomorrow is fine, yeah. Maybe give us a chance to rustle up one or two of the old-timers to go with if we can." He glances down to Tabby and smirks, "Closer to the mansion or /in/ the mansion? Don't think she's hiding in the houseplants, but I guess you could go check."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
"What...would I?" Tabby blinks at James, trying her best to look as innocent as she possibly can, then she finger-guns in Illy's direction, "But tomorrow. I'll go start figuring out what to wear tomorrow to go stomping around in the woods."

The WOODS. Not the mansion. She's going to be helpful.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
"You need time to /dress/?" Praise the Dark Lords, the girl who wears a variety of odd attire just doesn't understand. Her eyes close and she takes a breath. "Track as soon as possible. You need a suit, you have a suit. Explain why changing is... she is a dinosaur. It is not so hard, the tracks smashed this wide--" hands approximate how far when she stretches her arms apart, "will show you. Unless she is telekinetically floating. I want to see the flying dinosaur if so."