7782/Lakeside Visitors

Lakeside Visitors
Date of Scene:	10 September 2021
Location:	Breakstone Lake
Synopsis:	Taking in the lake at the Xavier grounds, Michael meets another rebellious soul.
Cast of Characters:	Michael Erickson, Tabitha Smith

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Michael Erickson has posed:
    Evening by the lake, its shore ringed with gentle, grassy slopes and ancient stones. A mirror glittering with the last rays of the dying sun. And there, by that dazzling water, a stranger goes through the slow and deliberate movements of some martial arts style or another. This is Michael - well, the man who uses that name on this planet - the alien visitor. The one who belongs to the same species that attacked the house, the one who fought his own people.

    And, like an alien would, he fights in a style that none on Earth know. Graceful, fluid, his fingers bent into raptor's claws, he executes slow-motion rakes and kicks as he goes through the forms of the style, his shirt and jacket folded up on the grass so that he 'fights' only in jeans and boots and a black singlet. Elegantly murderous in his slow practice dance, the visitor moves on, unseen up to now by any of the students on the grounds. Probably why he chose this place to practice...

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith has never met Michael and she was definitely involved in that attack on the mansion, but she was also involved in other things involving Shi'ar recently so while he immediate reaction to seeing one is caution, it isn't immediately to start tossing off bombs.

Tabby's sunglasses were pushed up onto her head but she pulls them down to cover her eyes as she sees the alien. She slows her approach to the lake and instead of calling out a greeting, there's a loud pop from the bubble that has been blown as she walked toward him.

Michael Erickson has posed:
    He's in the middle of an elongated punch when the gum pops, reaching out with fingers bent in some ornate striking configuration; he freezes in position, turning his head slowly to see the young woman approaching his position. "Ah," he says, slowly rising to his feet and furling his limbs. A wide smile is given her. "Hello there! Sorry, I thought it was all right to exercise down here. Is that okay?"

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith takes a few more steps at this reaction which implies not hostile intent. "I'd be the last person they'd ask if I cared before giving you permission to exercise somewhere. Fairly sure I have access myself, but don't know that I could invite guests." Not that that would stop her of course. Not big on the rules our Tabby. Behind her back a tiny bomb forms in her hand as she continues toward him.

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Mmm." He watches the young woman as she approaches. Eyes like sharp sapphire flakes, curious but growing more guarded as she draws closer. He's not stupid, after all. "I'm here with the leave of the headmistress," Michael finally says, not yet offering her a hand. "But if you'd rather me give you some space here, I'll understand."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith chuckles and tosses the tiny bomb where it will explode above his head and blow air explosively downward at him. "I don't need anything. It's a big lake. Jean's friends can go where they like. I'm not a student anymore though." Could be worse she coulda tossed a big one at center of mass after all. But this is friendly Tabby. Right?

Michael Erickson has posed:
    The little sphere of energy is tracked, and he takes a step back out of its parabola - the breeze that blows down over him causes him to frown a bit more. "All right," he says, "So you're angry. I don't blame you in the slightest. But don't do that again, please."

    See? Friendly Michael, too.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith blinkblinks, "Angry? You think I'm angry? Awww. I don't toss friendly little breezes at people I'm angry at even when they're my friends. I'll keep your preferences in mind. I didn't upset you did I?"

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Oh!" He looks up at where the ball had been, and frowns. "Sorry, I'm used to people throwing explosives at me when they're, you know, being friendly." He doesn't, you know, /believe/ that she's not angry, but he's willing to give this woman the benefit of the doubt. "I'm Michael. What's your name?"

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith flashes him a grin now and pushes her sunglasses up onto her head again, "Hey Michael. I'm Tabby or Boom-Boom or Boomer. Whichever ya like." She closes the distance between them, "What was that you were doing when I surprised ya with my gum?"

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "I'd rather go with what /you/ prefer, miss." He turns to look at the lake for just a second. "I was practicing martial arts. The headmistress wants me to teach the students about my people, and part of that is combat training. Want to make sure that if they ever crash the grounds again, they don't even get up to the house, much less get anyone within shooting distance."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith shrugs a bit then comes up beside him to look out across the lake as well. "I was part of the group that went to get her back from the crystal. Had some of you people with us to the dominators too. Suppose I wouldn't mind knowing how to tell which of you are likely to go for my head and which not. Didn't fight any of you that night. Fought... something else."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    He nods at this, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. "With the new Majestrix being the lover of your Professor Xavier, I seriously doubt that you will have any trouble from the Empire at large." A glance her way. "But there will be factions loyal to the former Majestor. Or at least those that will have suffered losses with his passing. It is those with whom I am concerned. And you will need a strong knowledge of the Empire to keep relations beneficent." He grunts. "And here I thought I had left behind politics when I left the Empire."
        A pause. Then, quietly: 'I'm sorry about my people. I came the moment they gave me orders so as to thwart them."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith flashes him another grin, "So you're a rebel. Just like me. Well okay not just like me. I am not normally the type to run toward danger which is of course the opposite of what you'd expect from people who hang out which The Prof and The Headmistress."

Tabby gives a little snerk at that, "Not that I really do that mind you. I think I flunked a class she taught once though."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Mmm." He grunts softly, then, and grins a bit himself. "Well. I didn't like doing it. But my people have a thing for arranging shotgun weddings between themselves and...eeeeevery other nation they can see, so. Someone needs to tell them 'no'. Anwyay, I'll do what I can to help people out." Michael looks over at her. "Well, of course you don't run into danger. Most of you guys are still kids. I'm a trained soldier. You shouldn't have to deal with any of this bullshit that you have to, never mind an invasion."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith rolls her eyes, "Oh give me a break. I can make plasma bombs outta my hands. And I have had some combat training after all even if my mentor hasn't cleared me yet. I think I can hold my own at least a little." She winks at him. "That one I tossed at you was just a tiny one. I can make 'em much bigger than that."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Doesn't mean you should have to deal with it," Michael points out. "Anyway, fighting is what I do. That bomb trick's very interesting, though." A nod to her hands, and he grins a tad. "That's your mutation, then? Generation of impromptu incendiaries? Interesting stuff."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith nods, "I can make them and tell them how long to wait before blowing up. I'm actually learning to control the noise too. I can make the dangerous ones softer and the loud ones less dangerous."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Time bombs," he replies with an appreciative nod. "Huh. I'm sure there's a joke in there about silent but deadly but I'd never be the sort to make it." Except, you know. He already did. "I don't have any such powers, alas. We really don't have mutants among my people - the Shi'ar, that is - though other client races in the Empire do. Whole galaxy of people, you're going to run into interesting things."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith grins and claps him on the arm, "Yes! What an awesome joke! I think I might like you, Mike. Do you mind if I call ya, Mike? I did say ya could call me Tabby after all." She turns her back to the lake and backs toward the edge as she watches him. No mutants at all? Guess that makes us pretty weird then."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Not really." Michael shrugs. "Like I said, they exist in other species that are part of the Empire. And we have other bizarro things." Certainly doesn't /sound/ like an alien. He chuckles. "And yeah, you can call me Mike. My name's actually Cal'hatar, though."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith summons a bigger bomb and tosses it over her shoulder back toward the lake, "So... Cal then? That be better than Mike?" She mouths 3, 2, 1... and then the plasma bomb explodes just beneath the surface spraying water up into the air. Unfortunately she misjudges and a good bit of it comes down on her head causing her to shriek.

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Cal's not exactly for public consumption," he says, "But sure, I don't mind. Mike works, too." He's about to say something else when the bomb goes off, and water sprays him too - sputtering, and then laughing, he steps back away from the lakeshore. "Throne! That's a Hell of a blast, lady."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith coughs once then pushes the water out of her face with both hands. "Well that was supposed to be more impressive and scatter the other way. Clearly I need more control work." She coughs again. "I can make bigger."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    He laughs still, nodding along in agreement. "I don't doubt it! But probably you don't need to do it /now/." Backing up a bit more, Michael stoops to pick up his shirt and jacket, pulling the former on and then sliding into the latter. "So if you're not a student anymore, do you just....what? Live here?"

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith grins, "Yep. I'd officially be a freeloader except that they get to call on me for help any time anything needs to be done. I don't get to say no to chores anymore, but nobody's figured out an official assignment for me yet since I only just graduated last month."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Well I figure it's better in here for you than it is out there," Michael says with a shake of his head; he zips up his jacket halfway. "Anyway. It's good to meet you, Tabby. I hope you'll still drop in to hear what I've got to say in classes. It'll be for your own safety if you're going to live anywhere on this planet, right?"

    And with that Michael gives her a bit of a salute, a fist pressing momentarily against his breast, and then he's off, heading across the grounds in the general direction of the house.