14377/Sort Of Like The Lone Ranger

Sort Of Like The Lone Ranger
Date of Scene:	10 March 2023
Location:	Westchester near Xavier's School
Synopsis:	Johnny Storm and Kitty take horses out to search for whatever slaughtered some deer near Xavier's School.
Cast of Characters:	Kitty Pryde, Johnny Storm

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Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty hadn't seen Johnny Storm in a little bit. And some recent happenings at the school had her heading back there more often after work in the city. More than she had been of late. She'd asked Johnny if he wanted to come up and help her look around for something unusual, maybe take out two of the school's horses to look. And she'd explain when he got there.

And now he got there! Kitty has the horses saddled up, and the pair ride out. Heading off the school grounds and into some of the rural woods around the school. The nearest neighbors are a few farms, but the school itself has expansive grounds (which make for a good underground runway for the Blackbird), plus more land around the area that is undeveloped.

"So, Lockheed," she says, motioning to the little flying dragon who is accompanying them, "Found a patch of blood in the snow the other night. A lot of blood. We think it was two deer. Very little of them beyond the blood though. Like their bodies had been fully devoured. Some unusual tracks leading away from it that were lost in the snow and blowing drifts," Kitty explains. "I figured we could just have a look around. Rogue found a broken down farmer's fence, but not sure if it's related."

Johnny Storm has posed:
Johnny Storm had kept Kitty a bit updated on his status, which, for most of the last couple of weeks, has been super tall, super green and super strong. And a lady. And while wearing Jen Walters' body had seemed kind of cool at first, he rapidly started to miss not being a giant jade-colored woman.

He knew guys were bad but he'd never known HOW bad until he was a hot woman.

He'd flown in on his own power, wearing his FF uniform with all of its resistance to fire, the skin-tight material showing his muscles clearly as he crosses his arms over his chest, "Fully devoured sounds...bad. Fully devoured means a mouth and a belly big enough to...fully devour," he says. He's not really nervous, obviously, given his powers, but still - people getting eaten is just gross.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
"Right," Kitty says of Johnny's observation on what the lack of carcass means. "So we've been trying to keep an eye on the neighboring farms. Send some students over to help them with this or that, to make sure they are safe. There's really only so much we can do, so much time we can have them spend there before it starts looking odd," she tells him. "So we're doing some patrols too, see if we can't spot what's behind it," she says.

Once he's flamed off, she bring his horse over. She has a chestnut colored mare that she introduces as Chestnut. "This is Beauty," she says, giving him the reins to a black stallion. She also gives Johnny a sugar cube to help him make friends. She goes back to Chestnut and climbs on.

Johnny Storm has posed:
Johnny Storm regards the horse with a wary eye, taking the reins as they're offered. He runs a hand back through his blonde hair, "Y'know, oddly enough, for all the adventures I've had in all the world, I don't know if I've ever ridden a horse. I always liked my fast car. It does what I tell it to all the time. But I'll do my best," he says.

"Well, that's confusing. She's named Beauty and I'm here with you. How will I tell you apart?" he flirts shamelessly.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde grins at Johnny. "Good answer," she tells him. "Beauty's pretty well behaved. Just give a little lead with the reins which direction to go. Squeeze with your legs. You might be a little sore tomorrow if you have been skipping leg day," she says, giving the older man a wink.

She makes a little clicking noise and a movement with the reins and Chestnut heads out across the grounds. Beauty falls in alongside easily enough, Johnny not needing to do a lot of directing. Beauty knows the drill.

Lockheed floats overhead. "So glad to be back in your own body now?" Kitty asks as she glances over. "Part of me is disappointed I didn't get to be around you like that. Part of me is probably glad," she admits with a chuckle.

Johnny Storm has posed:
Johnny Storm leans into the horse, his voice hushed conspiratorially, "You get all that, girl? Just go easy on e and we'll get along fine."

He makes his way up onto the horse carefully, pushing up and straddling over and onto the saddle. He grips the horn at the front to steady himself, keeping the reins in his other hand.

"I thought about coming to see you, but I figured it might be...inappropriate. I probably would've been less of a good person if it hadn't been somebody I already know and care about. Damn my respect for other people's boundaries!"

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde lets out a giggle at that. "Oh, and if we do come across something that eats deer whole, you take care of it while I phase the horses if needed and get them out of there."

Lockheed flies down about her head. "Ok, you and Lockheed both. I mean, you guys do sort of have the same motif going and all," she says. Lockheed seems to like that, flying back up higher away from the horses before the space dragon lets out a little blast of fire up into the air. He flies off then to go look around.

Kitty rides close at Johnny's side, glancing over. "You're doing well so far," she tells him with a smile. She pats Chestnut's neck. "Always enjoy taking the horses out. So, what turned out to be the cause of the Freaky Friday thing?"

Johnny Storm has posed:
Johnny Storm makes a face, "I'll try to contain it first and foremost. Burning live animals is not something I do lightly. Even if they have probably eaten somebody. Unless it's an animal with human intelligence like Red Ghost's Super Apes or that weird dog who lives in space," he says.

"Uh, I'm not sure, they solved it without me. Always like to see that. I just went back to normal all of a sudden. I should probably get the details at some point, but the Avengers were on it, they're good people, they know what they're doing."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
"They are so cool," Kitty says. "Cap was at the school the other day, week or two ago, and I missed it," she says with a pouty face. She guides the horses over onto a trail through the trees, though with the snow on the ground it's difficult to tell it's an actual trail and not just a spot without bushes, at least until they've been on it for a bit.

"Over there," Kitty says, motioning, "is a creek that we go swimming in when it's warm. There's a rope swing and a nice area for lying out. Alternate place to swim besides the Lake," she says, meaning Breakstone Lake.

"So was She-Hulk with the whole experience? Didn't burn anyone?"

Johnny Storm has posed:
Johnny Storm hmmmmmms, "I should have asked her, shouldn't I? I'm terrible at that stuff. I hope not. Really, much as I love my powers, burning people is...ick. I'm much happier just melting robots to slag or penning in bad guys with a ring of fire. I am very glad that I don't get burned anymore either - that was a sting I won't miss."

He looks at where Kitty is pointing and nods, able to just make out the tree, "Rope swing and a creek, huh? I should've worn overalls."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde lets out a soft laugh at that. "Well it would be a little cold. Or, can you handle wintertime water without it freezing you? Not counting warming the whole body of water that is?" she asks, never having found out if he's bothered by the cold at all.

"Lots of good memories out here," she says with a happy sigh, looking around. "It's not too unlike Deerfield once you get out of the city," she says, glancing around. The trees haven't started getting leaves yet, so it's still mostly bare limbs except for some pine trees here and there.

"Where'd you grow up anyway?" she asks him, eyes swinging about looking for any signs of what they are after, before looking back to Johnny.

Johnny Storm has posed:
Johnny Storm looks around at all of the wilderness around, "Long Island, mostly. Generally around New York, moving around now and then. Dad got a brownstone near the university he worked at. Reed was one of his grad students. Sue was, uh...young when he met her. He doesn't like that mentioned much," he grins.

"This seems like a good place to grow up, to find yourself. I bet you're unbeatable in hide and seek. You just slide into the ground and nobody can find you."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde grins. "Well, haven't played a lot of hide and seek since I got my power, but yep, I'm pretty good at it. Or hide inside a tree trunk or about anything else. Just need to stick my nose or mouth out to breathe now and then," she tells him.

She smiles in thought. "Sue's a hottie, I can see why Reed would go for her," Kitty says, before looking over to Johnny. She grins as she says, "Younger woman, and all, even." The grin grows a bit more mischievously.

"It was definitely interesting. Getting to be part of the X-men at 14 was really just... amazing. I mean the stuff I got to do. To go and see. Well ok the people trying to kill you aspect did kind of suck. But still, I wouldn't trade any of it, you know?" she says.

Johnny Storm has posed:
Johnny crinkles his nose teasingly, "A younger woman? I can't imagine it. I only pursue mature women of experienced years. Grannies, even," he says with a smirk.

"I have no opinion about how hot my sister is, but I'll let her know you approve."

"Yeah, I always thought I was super young getting into the game - I was only seventeen when we got our powers - but you mutants have me beat. God, it's good I didn't get my powers, then, I'd have burned the place down for sure."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
They emerge from some woods, the trees growing more sparse as the land opens up into some cultivated farmland in the distance. "Hmm," Kitty says as she pauses Chestnut to look around. "Mostly crops around here, but there are a few places with herds of cows or goats or other animals," she says as she looks around from atop the horse.

"Definitely could be tempting for a hungry big critter. Though there's enough deer and rabbits and stuff in the woods it might not make it out there. Just hard to say. Rogue found a bear once though this far south I think they are kind of rare," she says.

Johnny Storm has posed:
Johnny Storm follows Kitty's gaze, looking about, "You know the area better than I do, for sure. Maybe find out if any of the local farmers have been losing livestock. If it's more than one, you might be able to triangulate a search area better. That or just leave bait out with some sort of tracker hidden inside. Although you gotta get right on it, otherwise you'll just be picking the tracker out of its stool."

"Ew. Gross. Sorry I mentioned that."

"Bless farmers for living their boring ass hard lives so that I can eat corn flakes," he sighs.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
"What, like Jurassic Park?" Kitty asks him, turning to look over to Johnny Storm. "What's with the goat? What's going to happen to the goat!?" Kitty says as if the girl in the movie.

"Well, we haven't found any other sign yet. The tracks were kind of roundish but with claws. Not too far from a bear. But not a bear I don't think," she says. "Too bad Logan wasn't around. He might have been able to track it by smell even after the snow covered the tracks. Hank McCoy was with us but he doesn't have quite that powerful a sense of smell as Logan."

Kitty grins and reaches over, rubbing Johnny's shoulder. "But do you eat the frosted flakes ones, or the regular corn flakes and then pile on your own sugar?"

Johnny Storm has posed:
Johnny Storm laughs, "I was thinking of something less alive. Maybe, like, a pile of fresh meat from the butcher's or something. Maybe a carcass of some sort would be better, though. I can't imagine it's a bear. That would be sad. Bears are so cute," he says.

He catches Kitty's wrist and lifts her hand up to his mouth, kissing her knuckles, "Usually the latter. You know me, I love sugar."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty smiles and the girl from Illinois adds an obligatory, "Da Bear," in a suitable accent that the guys from the SNL skit would approve of. She smiles at the kiss to her knuckles and briefly brushes her fingers over Johnny's scrubble. "See, glad you're back or else this would be all smooth," she says.

"So, I don't know if you peeked while you were swapped, but if you were you probably shouldn't mention it to her. I don't want her breaking you in half," Kitty teases. She sighs and looks around as Lockheed comes gliding back down to perch on her shoulder. "Nothing, huh?" she asks the little dragon. "Well, figured it was a long shot. Shall we head back?" she asks Johnny.

Johnny Storm has posed:
"Oh, I absolutely plead the fifth on that one. I mean, I had to see some things, just to...live," he says.

"But if she came for me, I'm sure you'd protect me. I'll hide behind you and you can tell her what a good guy I am," he teases. He nods at the suggestion to head back, looking around for a few moments and then back to Kitty.

"So, how do I put this thing in reverse?"