2013.04.11 - Talks in Medbay

It'd been a day or so since the camping incident with the Wendigo. While some people were able to get away with minimal treatments, others weren't so fortunate, being caught up in the backlash of the spell that Amanda Sefton had crafted quickly and hastily. 
Peeking into the infirmary, Doug looks tentative, a large bouquet of flowers in hand behind his back, complete with vase. "Um, hello?" he asks, checking to see who was still around. 
Jocelyn hates medical bay. Mostly because in order for them to actually test her, she has to be unconscious. However, all the beeping and scanning and stuff has been finished for her, and her prescription was more rest. Unfortunately, rest was something Jocelyn was bad at. She already has her shoulder wrapped from where she got axed over the weekend, and her arms and stomach are pretty bruised up from that fight as well. The Wendigo fight just tired her out a lot, really.
As a result, the teenager is awake, dressed in a pair of jeans and a blue tanktop.
Really, she probably should have told Doug about her injury prior to the camping trip. Oh well, it had healed enough for her to move around reasonably comfortably.
"Hey Doug," Jocelyn responds, sitting up in her bed. The energy channeler looks around, not quite spotting the flowers the man is carrying yet, which is probably good. Otherwise she'd make a crack about bringing flowers for Cessily. "How are you doing?" she asks. Shouldn't that question be the other way around?
Amanda (and probably Kurt, too) has slept the sleep of the nearly-dead ever since she collapsed in the Canadian wilderness. There isn't really much that can be done for her, however, but to let her rest. This morning, however, she's finally stirring, sitting up on her pallet with a glass of water in one hand and a pair of heavy extra-strength pain killers in the other. She tosses them back and swallows them down with at least half the glass of water before she settles back against her pillows once more. 
Hearing the others, she rolls her head to glance at them. A wry smile touches her lips, though she doesn't muster the energy to say anything just yet.
"Much better than the rest of you it looks like," Doug says, tilting his head towards Jocelyn. 
Approaching the beds, Doug holds the flowers in front of him. Placing it at Amanda's bedside, Doug offers a painfully shy, embarrassed smile at the sorceress. "Just wanted to thank you for saving our butts yesterday," he notes, rubbing the base of his neck. "The man you uncursed is in custody with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police now, far as I can tell. They're still checking on him." 
Tilting his head at Jocelyn, Doug wrinkles his nose. "I'm sorry. I thought the Wendigo had been cured long ago, but whoever it was, it's not the same man, from what I understand." 
"It wasn't your fault, so don't apologize for it," Jocelyn says to Doug. "I'm just mostly tired. I pulled through a lot of energy, and it was unusual enough to tire me out. Otherwise, I didn't really get hurt during that fight. I think Mr. Wagner, Cessily, and Amanda all took more of a beating than I did". The woman inclines her head to Amanda. "Yeah. That was some pretty serious wizardry you pulled there". It was different from the magic she'd seen from others. She hadn't seen anything that required the use of a circle before.
Amanda blinks, upon realizing the flowers are for her. She smiles. "Thanks," she says warmly, if still a little tiredly, to Doug. She gives small smile and an idle tilt of her head that has the same effect as a mild half-shrug. "It was a team effort," she offers. "My powers suck out in the wilderness. I'd never have pulled it off without everyone else around to help." 
As he gives his report about the fate of the curse victim, she grimaces slightly. "I doubt the RCMP will know much what to do with him. Heck, I don't know what we could do with him. The Wendigo curse is a pretty specific one, as I recall. It's a divine curse; one meted out as punishment for cannibalism." Her lips draw wryly to one side. "So, either that guy was a lost and starving hiker that migrated a goodly way east from the Rockies, or... well, I don't really want to contemplate what else might have led him to that."
Moving to the corner of the room and bringing a chair back to sit between Jocelyn and Amanda, Doug checks on his young charge briefly, noticing the shoulder for the first time. "I don't remember you taking on the Wendigo directly, so... what happened...?" 
But Amanda's response catches Doug's attention, and he shakes his head. "Curses. That's... well, outside most things I know. Mostly from shows like Charmed or Bewitched. The actual thing... I've never gotten to see much of it till yesterday."
Wrinkling his nose at Amanda, Doug goes on to say, "Though after working through your big circle, I think I'm starting to get an idea. Don't think I can -use- it, though... I got a sense that magic isn't just knowing the words, but having the -presence-... I'm sorry, it's not the best word in English." 
"That was from this weekend. Times Square fight, one of the Yellow Lanterns took exception to my presence with her energy axe," Jocelyn explains. "I think I'd rather go through absorbing more of that, well, it almost felt like living energy more than magical energy, than absorb anymore of that stuff the Yellow Lantern uses". Maybe Jocelyn should do a better job of telling people about the messes she gets into.
The girl looks over at Amanda and nods. "I'll admit I've absorbed magic before, but nothing like what I was trying to pull through to you, once you started drawing on us. I don't know much about curses and magic as a whole though. Just that it does stuff that is well beyond what is normal, even for mutants". She shrugs a little at that. It was a subject she didn't know much about, really.
Amanda tilts her head, looking past Doug to Jocelyn. "Yeah, well, I gotta say, aside from Kurt, I don't think I've ever found it so easy to draw energy from anyone before you. I'm sorry if I overwhelmed you." It certainly wasn't intentional. But, beggars can't be choosers -- and in the wilderness, Amanda is certainly a beggar. Fighting to convince the trees to give up their energy is a whole lot harder than tapping friends and colleagues... or a handy electrical grid. 
"But, you're right: It was life energy, not magic, I was pulling. I cast magic, yes. But, it's fueled by my own life energy... and that of the surrounding environment, including its inhabitants. Magic-rich environments are easy to draw from, but very few places on Earth can be considered magic-rich. Outside from naturally magical dimensions, I have to attune myself to an area before I can take full advantage of what it has to offer." A beat, and that wry smile returns. "And Mother Nature and I are not really friends. So, that didn't help. I do better in the city. Cities have a vibrant energy all their own that I find a whole lot easier to tap into than the great outdoors." Go figure. 
She flashes a grin at Doug, however. "Charmed didn't have it all wrong, you know. But, it's a little more complicated than holding hands and chanting a rhyming couplet."
Doug arches an eyebrow at Jocelyn at her comments in such a way that she -knows- it means "we are talking -later-." And she probably can't blame it on the young mutant's linguistic skills either, as people over the years communicated -quite well- without verbal cues, unless she wanted to dig into the psychology of whether body language could be inherent within genetics. 
But now Doug raises an eyebrow. "You draw energy from Kurt?" There's a quirk of a half-grin, almost curious. "And I thought you were just friends, so he said... or at least when I was over at your apartment. It -was- your apartment, right? The dog yipping at strangers?" 
Going on, Doug brings his hands behind his head as he glances at the ceiling, thinking. "Well, we know nothing about the difference between magic and... whatever else you use. So you're an urban mage?" Glancing at Jocelyn, Doug hrms. "Do you suppose you could arrange a fuller demonstration of this at some time? I'm not sure if you're a teacher or not, as I haven't been around long... I'd just assumed Kurt brought you because..." 
Jocelyn doesn't seem that phased by Doug's look. Because, really, she didn't feel like she had a choice in the matter. And Anole and Nate were totally there too, so it wasn't like she was without backup. Granted, Anole got knocked out early and Nate was busy with the Super Adaptoid...and it was a good thing Doug wasn't a mind reader, huh? Still, she firmly believes she did the right thing, so she doesn't seem terribly worried about the impending Talk. And yes, the Talk is capitalized.
"Don't worry about it. I'm still learning about my absorption and channeling powers. I can also see energy, so when I saw what it was you were trying to pull in, I started pulling at that and trying to feed it to you. We should work on that sometime. It could come in handy when you're in places you can't pull in energy easily," she suggests to Amanda. "Most of the time, I'm just storing energy to use myself. Being a battery, in effect, was something I hadn't tried before is all".
The girl otherwise listens to Amanda and Doug. "I didn't know magic depended on location. The only other magic user I know passingly tends to do the whole chanting thing".
Amanda chuckles softly, now. Evidently, she's got a lot of explaining to do on a lot of different subjects. She cants her head slightly as she regards Doug and considers his question. Her blue eyes twinkle. "Oh, yes. I thought you were one of the goulash thieves." Her tone is good-natured. Kurt repaid her for the missing stew, after all. And apologized profusely for the imposition in ways only he can. So, she relents. "Kurt and I have known each other for a very long time," she tells him. "But, if it helps: I was an X-Man several years ago for quite some time. I had to take a sabbatical a couple of years back because of personal business, but that's taken care of, now. So, I told Scott to put me back on the roster when I last got back to New York." She gives a mild shrug, now. "I'm still technically working for the airline, as well, but I did tell Scott I'd sub in whenever needed. And, after this last shindig, I'm thinking a class or two in Magic 101 might be an idea." 
She smiles to Jocelyn, now. "I don't know how much Illyana's taught anyone around here," she confesses, "but there are many different schools of magic. The school I follow is called The Winding Way. Generally, it's channelling and chanting, not circles and casting. But, we were dealing with a curse. Curing a curse is almost always ritualistic -- and that means circles. I had the wire circle with me because of some of the other exercises we had planned. It was simply a way to augment my range and strength in the wilderness because, yes," she nods to Doug, "I'm an urban mage. My powers are stronger amidst steel and concrete than trees and ragweed." 
She chuckles dryly now. "I'd be happy to stage a fuller demonstration -- but, perhaps after I've had a chance to get rid of this headache and rebuild my strength."
Clearly things had changed a fair bit while Doug had been dead. As far as he'd recalled, Amanda was just... -that- woman around Kurt back then? Oh well. Doug wasn't much for no reason, but once his attention was grabbed, he'd darned well look it up. Just like Jocelyn, for example, and her MMA past. Not that he was going to -tell- her that he'd just shook his head at her practice videos. Kurt was Kurt of course.
So now he -had- to look into magic, given Illyana -and- Amanda were using it... but whereas Illyana was less than forthcoming... well, maybe Amanda would be. Maybe.
Quirking a grin, Doug looks towards Jocelyn. "Well, whatever it takes to rebuild your strength. What do you two want? I'm pretty sure you're tired of cafeteria food, so..." 
The fight videos were a different animal all together, and the practice videos tended to be staged anyway. Jocelyn nods. "Okay, that makes sense then," Jocelyn says as she lets her mind wrap around all that. "What if someone opened a portal to a city while you were in the wilderness? Could you draw strength from a city through a portal?" It seemed logical to the teenager, but it might not work that way.
"Fish. That was the thing I was disappointed about. I wanted to go fishing and catch something to eat. I brought my knife along just for that purpose, not for fighting the Wendigo". Yes, Jocelyn considers that blade to just be a big knife.
Amanda shakes her head in response to Jocelyn's question -- though she quickly stops, because it hurts. "Portals, unless I'm standing in the midst of them or, preferably, on the urban side, still present a barrier. I can fire a bolt through them, or throw things, but it's tougher to draw energy through them. It's no easier, really, than trying to convince a tree I'm not trying to kill it. It's just easier to convert the energy once I've got it." 
As Doug suggests something other than institutional food, she laughs. "Honestly? At this point, what I really want is a steak with all the fixings." She flashes another grin. "And it's tough to get that as take-out." A beat. "But, if you're buying, a burger with the works... works." Energy drain means refueling, after all. "Just don't forget the bacon and cheese." If you're going to sin, sin good.
"I'll buy you the steak when you get out of here," Doug says, a slightly guilty look on his face. "You -really- saved our bacon out there." Rubbing the base of his neck, Doug looks towards Jocelyn. "So a large bacon cheeseburger with everything from Harry's for Ms. Sefton, and... a fish sandwich?" 
Now that Doug thought about it, he was -really- hungry himself, and a burger with fries from Harry's sounded like it'd hit the spot perfectly. 
"Make it two fish sandwiches and a large soda," Jocleyn says as she attempts to get out of bed, though Doug very well might not let her. It depends on if he intended to let her spring herself from the infirmary. The joys of being young and all that. "That makes sense," the woman adds to Amanda. "I wasn't sure how it worked though, and I figure that it was worth asking, you know? Portals...are more common than I'd think around here. I know Pixie uses portals. Ran into her when she came back the other day". Yes, Pixie is back, for those who didn't know her. Jocelyn didn't know who the woman was, but given how she just popped in, well, she figured it out pretty quickly.
Amanda won't say no to a steak dinner, certainly. Though, to be fair, she really does see the Wendigo's defeat as a team effort. She's already said so, once, however, so she doesn't belabour the point. Instead, she accepts the offered burger. "Sounds perfect, Doug," she tells Doug. 
"Might as well ask," she then tells Jocelyn. "If you don't ask, you won't get any answer at all." She gives another mild shrug. "Every school of magic has it's mysteries that are only shared with its practitioners, but there are lots of ways non-practitioners can protect themselves." A beat. "And there are some things I think folks like us --" meaning X-men -- "need to share with each other for our mutual protection."
"Get back in bed," Doug warns Jocelyn automatically, as he stands up. 
Excusing himself for a bit to make a call to Harry's so that they would deliver lunch, Doug returns in time to listen to the short speech. "I don't suppose you know how to shield against iron weapons, right?" A small, sardonic smile crosses his lips at the mention of such weapons. "If you do, sign me right up." 
Glancing back at Jocelyn, Doug quirks a small smile. "Speaking of asking things, what -exactly- have you learned about your powers while you were having all these extracurricular activities?" 
Getting back in bed, Jocelyn grumbles a little bit. "I hate being stuck in bed". She'd be fine, really! Really! That was what she thought, anyway. Still, she could tell from Doug's voice that he wasn't going to be swayed by her words, so she doesn't bother trying to convince him.
"Yeah. I know there are secrets and rules and all that. I'm pretty sure I don't have the knack for magic. I've tried to see if I could make the magical energies do anything when I absorb them, but they just come out in a bolt or burst or whatever".
She looks over at Doug when he asks the question of her powers. "Back to 'extracurricular activities', huh?" Jocelyn comments with a small smile. "Well, let me see. I've gotten a lot quicker with charging my physical abilities up. I can fly at about a hundred miles per hour, give or take, and I've gotten reasonably good at weaving through obstacles. I haven't found an energy source I can't absorb, and can hit about a hundred yards in range. When I absorb energy that has other effects, like magic, the effects just tend to not happen, and I can launch the blasts out as a pure form of that energy". She pauses. "Sometimes, certain types of energy kind of fight me. Like the stuff that female Yellow Lantern used. But I haven't had it beat me yet. I know my limit for what I can absorb before I explode". That was always important.
The girl pauses, thinking. "I can see pretty much all energy that I know of. It blocks telepaths from casually scanning me, and I can see them attempting to". That tends to annoy them. "I can use lower intensity of certain energy types for other purposes, like the campfire. I've got some other theories, but haven't had a chance to put them into practice yet".
Here the girl pauses again. "I could go on about different energy types, but only if you really want to hear me ramble on".
Amanda laughs at Doug's request. "Not really. I've always found the best defense against any weapon -- no matter what it's made of -- is not to get in its way in the first place." And no one dodges with quite the panache she does, being a circus performer in a previous life, such as she was. 
Well, okay. Kurt might display the same panache. Possibly more, given his higher propensity for showmanship and (let's be honest) showing off. 
She falls silent, however, as Jocelyn begins her recitation. Oh, the joys of being a student. Amanda doesn't miss that -- even though her first teacher was her mother. Or maybe because of that. Who knows? It's complicated.
"Oh? What sort of theories?" For whatever reason, Doug seemed to be warming up to the notion of -teaching-. Perhaps because, in a sense, linguistics was all about the exchange of information, and teaching was imparting -that- information for use. So he can't help but grin at how the girl's going on, glancing over towards Amanda as if to indicate, 'look at her, isn't that -awesome-?' 
The 'don't get in the way' line is met with a crooked thin half-smile. "Been there, done that. The problem comes when you can't get out of the way." 
"Well, I've met an actual healer before, and I've seen another magic user use healing spells," Jocelyn explains. "So, I'm trying to figure out if I can manipulate human energy on that level. Haven't been able to figure out how yet," Jocelyn explains. "I've been working on using infared energy to shield myself from cameras. Makes me just look like a six and a half foot tall walking light. That's been going a bit better," the woman explains.
"I've actually found it interesting to work with a variety of people though. I mean, when I was in Port Jarvis and the Avengers were there, I spent most of my time using my bursts to redirect meteors enough to keep them off some buildings. Same with when I was in town with Jubilee and some things Thor was familiar with showed up and I used them to keep the archers from picking off bystanders. But I've used the same thing to knock things over or blow up robots, depending on who I happened to be with, you know? Like when I've been caught in a mess with some less durable people, I tend to be up in the front line, but when I'm with the other Young X-Men, I provide more ranged support because we're all pretty durable,"
The girl pauses, then blushes a bit. "Gods, I'm rambling on. Sorry," Jocelyn offers, suddenly aware that the questions Doug was asking made her sound way too much like she was bragging. Which was actually somewhat in her nature, having been a competitive athlete for a good portion of her life.
"Dodge faster," Amanda recommends to Doug -- only half-facetiously. A beat. "Seriously, though. Talk with Kurt about fencing lessons. That requires finesse and the ability to read body language, which can help you avoid attacks. The only thing I can teach you is a bit of fancy acrobatics and trapeze work, which is of limited utility in a fight." 
She cants her head, looking at Jocelyn. "You know, I might be able to help you with some of that," she suggests. "I don't know for sure, but at the very least I can help you become more familiar with the nuances of various magic-related and life energies. A lot of my shielding spells rely on 'hardening' magic energy, for lack of a better term. Healing spells use magical energy to manipulate life energy and redirect it to where it's needed most." She considers it. "Frankly, though, it's subtle work. Most magic is. Why use a battering ram when a key will do?"
"It's all right, Jocelyn. Teachers usually like it when their students -learn- what to do and what not to do," Doug grins. Oh yeah, definitely proud of it, even if he had less to do with it and more to do with just giving her room to learn for herself. 
Speaking of learning... 
Doug makes a gesture towards Jocelyn. "I've been picking up mixed martial arts from her here... reading body language isn't a problem for -me-, it's just reacting to it that's the problem. In the time it'd take me to read 'You're gonna get poked in the chest', Kurt'd probably have 'stabbed' me four or five times already. So I just need to work on my reflexes. Nothing like being punched by a six-foot-six amazon to encourage you to move faster." 
Jocelyn has avoided mentioning her tutoring of Doug, simply because she knew it was often weird for some folks. "Okay," the girl says. She's at least picked up somewhat on this entire idea of teamwork, even if she hasn't mastered it yet. She'll get there. Eventually.
Jocelyn then listens to Amanda and nods. "That'd be helpful," she agrees. Though her personal opinion is that a lockpick works even better than a key, but she isn't going to bring that up. "So it's one type of energy redirecting another type?" The gears in her mind are already turning a little bit as she considers that. It was how magic worked, yes, but she might be able to see how one impacted the other. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to recognize a curse or a random bit of magic floating about though. I mean, I usually can't tell what something is without some frame of reference. Like, I can see a person coming because humans give off a certain amount of thermal energy, but that's a standard thing, you know?"
She looks back at Doug. "We'll get to dealing with weapons soon enough with our training. There comes a point you can't dodge them, and then you just need to counter them or block them at the wrist". None of this catch-the-blade-with-your-palms garbage. "You try just reading the intent rather than the language of someone? Like 'swinging left' or 'dodging right' or something like that?"
"Talk to Kurt," Amanda tells Doug again. "Trust me. If anyone can sharpen your reflexes, it's him." And, she can always toss some illusions into the mix, later, to spice it up. Maybe he should get someone else to program the danger room to challenge him, come to think of it. She reserves that thought, however. 
Of course, when it comes to magic keys, most of the ones Amanda uses are, essentially, lock picks. So, she wouldn't quibble with the girl over that. Still subtler than a battering ram. 
"I've been training for -ages- with dodging," Doug sighs, leaning back. "I've been in SHIELD, and before that, the New Mutants. Trust me, with my powers, I -had- to learn how to stay away from things. I'm just, well... it'd be nice if I could be a ninja, but I'd need a lot more work before I ever get to that stage." 
Looking back towards Amanda, Doug quirks a grin. "It's easier for Kurt, he can teleport. I'm stuck with the regular world. So I got to make do with what I have - with Kurt, when -he- gets in trouble, his natural instinct is to teleport. I can't afford to train myself to remember -that- body language of his or I'll be standing there going "Where's my teleport... aaaaw crap!""
The last sentence is accompanied by an imitation of the perfect oh sh-- face. 
"Dodging a bullet from a single person aiming at you is hard, period, and requires luck," Jocelyn states. "Oddly enough, it's easier to disarm a gunman if they're up close than it is to deal with them at a distance. At a distance, they've got a bigger advantage, since there are techniques for disarming someone with a gun pointed at your face". They were just difficult to pull off. "But without superhuman speed or reflexes, bullet dodging isn't something I'd try to pick up. Finding cover and figuring out a way to disarm the gunman is going to be more effective". That, at least, was Jocelyn's opinion.
"Also, Doug, I keep hearing the name pop up here and there. What the heck is SHIELD?"
"Well, there's your problem," Amanda says lightly, though she knows it's more complex than that. "If you're training yourself to use someone else's physical lexicon, you're training in the wrong thing. I love Kurt dearly, but his methods of escape aren't mine. Technically, I can teleport. Not as fast as Kurt, of course, but I have a spell that accommodates it. God knows it's faster than flying! I wouldn't try to use it to dodge a bullet, though. I can't spit out the words fast enough. Jocelyn's right. If it's a contest between you and a bullet? Cover's your best defence." She smiles, leaning back on her pillow, once more, and inhaling a slow breath, relaxing some. "But, Kurt can help you keep your reflexes sharp. You gotta figure, he's spent all his life living with those of us who aren't gifted like he is. So, when he's teaching, he has to adapt his style, and he does. He might surprise you. Even if you've been training for years, someone else's style might shake things up for you and that never hurts. Me? I'm more of a acrobat than a swashbuckler. So, my style's different again." 
Now Doug flashes both of the women a small grin. "Heh. Well, unless you're trying to save someone. Then you get shot, and you die." A small shrug. "That's why I never graduated. Professor X figured I was qualified enough when I came back." It's said matter-of-factedly, perhaps a bit sardonically. 
Doug's cell phone rings, and the blonde mutant answers it, before flashing a small smile. "I'll be back, lunch's here. Joce, don't even think about leaving that bed," Doug says as he stands up, without even having to look at her, and leaves the room. 
Jocelyn watches Doug go. She's about to say something to Amanda when she yawns. "Figures. Food arrives and I'm about to pass o...". Thud. Zzzzzzzz
Amanda watches Doug retreat and lets out a small, private chuckle as he does. It's an end to that conversation, anyway. She glances over to Joce as the girl's voice trails off and laughs outright at that, though it's an empathetic sound. She's still beat, herself, so she gets it. It makes her anxious to return to her apartment in NYC. She'll recharge quicker there. 
Glancing at the flowers, she smiles sardonically, and mutters softly to herself. "Note to self: Set up an attunement circle here, too." Salem is a town. It may not be anywhere near as big as NYC, but it's better than that frickin' campground.
It was only a few minutes before Doug returns, apparently having rushed up and down with the food.
Upon seeing Jocelyn asleep, Doug rolls his eyes. "Figures," he notes, as he sets the bag of food on the nightstand, and starts fishing out food for himself and for Amanda, passing it on. 
For a second, Doug briefly considers placing the bag of food on top of Jocelyn's face, the temptation being -there-, and he seems about ready to do so, before glancing at Amanda, and sighs. "I've got to be the adult, do I?" he says softly, as he places the food bag back on the counter, and sits back with his own burger. 
"So, uh..." begins Doug as he glances over at the bed. "I liked your apartment..." Hnh. That... that was the stupidest change of subject, Doug Ramsey. 
Amanda perks up some as she scents the food. "Yeah, being the adult's the better choice." She reaches out to take the offering, adjusting herself to sit up better, and then lets out a laugh at his change of topic. "Wow. Um. Thanks. Yeah. The dog's gone, now. Sarah took him back eventually." He was there longer than the week she promised, but less than two, so that was okay. Carefully, she sorts out the burger and fries. "Thanks for this."
Laughing nervously, Doug waves the thanks off. "No, really. I really do owe you for being there. I really didn't know all that much about you or magic, so I'm just paying you back. And trying to not ask you a -zillion- questions about what you know and how. I mean, I could look it up, but somehow that feels like, well..." Making a slight hand gesture of so-so. "Kinda invading your privacy. And Kurt's." 
Amanda arches a brow at that. Biting into the burger, she savours it a moment before wiping her chin and setting it back down. "I didn't do anything any other X-Man in my position wouldn't do, Doug. It's what we do: guard each other's backs and use our abilities where they're best suited." Her head cants some. "And, I'll thank you to stay out of whatever files the professor might have on me, yes. It's better you ask questions than pry. If there's something I don't want you to know, I simply won't tell you about it." She smiles. "Then, if you pry, don't be surprised when it comes back to bite you." She is a witch, after all. 
There was a quick glance over his shoulder back towards the sleeping Jocelyn, then at Amanda, before the young blonde nods slowly. "So if you can sense magic the way you sensed the Wendigo's curse..."
The young mutant hesitates, then shrugs. "Can you tell if -I-'m a zombie or something?" 
Amanda blinks, now. "A zombie?" Now that's an odd idea. Her head cants again. Looking at his face, she can see he's serious -- if a little sheepish about it. She smiles kindly to him. "If you were a zombie, I'd know," she assures him. "As long as something magical were animating you, at any rate. And you don't feel all that magical to me, so I think you're safe." She adjusts the foil wrapper around the burger (it helps keep the toppings inside the circumference of the bun) and glances at him again. "Why? What happened?" Something must have happened to make him ask that.
"I... I really don't know," Doug wrinkles his nose. "It's not normal for people to just die and come back to life. Well, unless you're Jesus or Jean, but I don't -feel- like Christ, and I really don't feel -pretty-." 
The young blonde goes on, "I'm just wondering what caused it, that's all, as I just... well, I was on an island, I wasn't buried, and there was nothing in my grave, so..." Lifting his shoulders in a shrug, Doug grins. "I guess it's a good thing to know I'm not, you know, a zombie or a revenant." 
Amanda shakes her head now. "Neither zombies or revenants retain either their faculties or their good looks over the long term," she assures him. "Weeks, maybe, if the magic user is strong enough. But, in that case, you'd stink to high heaven of magic, and you simply don't." She starts on some fries, now, because they're easier to navigate while talking... And thinking. 
She does chuckle, however, at the resurrection references. "I've been away for a good while, Doug," she reminds him. "And out of touch. I didn't hear about any of that. You'll have to tell me the story, sometime. When you're up to it."
There's a pause, as Doug considers these words, before he flashes a half-grin. "Good looks?" the blonde mutant grins, as he considers. "I've been back... gee, it must be a year now." 
Wrinkling his nose, Doug shrugs. "What I just told you is basically what happened. As to how I died..." 
A sardonic dispassionate smile crosses his lips. "I can tell you, I'm -definitely- not faster than a speeding bullet. I can tell you more when we're not in a medbay, though... for some reason, this place just isn't comfortable for resting." 
There was a quick glance over at Jocelyn to see if she -would- yell at him for making her stay in bed, but hell... do as he says, not as he does. 
Zzzzz. Snort. "Leave him..." Mumble. Mumble. "...hag!" Zzzzzz. "Get back here!" Jocelyn continues sleeping for the moment, her dreams her own for the moment.
"Ah." Amanda leans back once more, playing with a fry. "Not an easy memory, I imagine." A beat. A frown, blond brows creasing. "Nor easy to come back from. There are only two ways I can think of: seriously advanced science or seriously strong magic." Another beat. "But, if it was magic, it's gone, now. You'd have tripped wards in my apartment, otherwise." 
She looks over at Jocelyn as the girl stirs. Another sardonic smile touches her lips. "Why is it we all have bad dreams? Even the kids?" 
Glancing up towards Amanda, Doug grins half-crookedly. "I think it's an outlet, to get stress and fears out of our systems. God knows, I've had my share of waking up these days. All we can do is laugh at ourselves and keep going, I guess."
There was a brief pause, before Doug asks plaintively, "Can't I just put a fish sandwich in her mouth?" 
Her eyes fluttering awake, Jocelyn blinks a few times and looks at Doug. "No. I can feed myself, thank you. Was I babbling in my sleep or snoring?" The girl sits up and reaches over to grab for her fish sandwich. "Thanks," she adds, genuinely. "Sorry I fell asleep. Maybe I'm a little more tired than I thought," the woman admits as she bites into the sandwich. Okay, it was a little cool, but that's okay. Because food!
"Both," Amanda tells Jocelyn good-naturedly. "I've heard worse." 
She glances to Doug and gives a small nod, with a rueful smile. However, she leaves off the former conversation. No sense getting the kid wrapped up in it. And, really, she'd sooner forget the darkness, herself. So, it's another bite of the burger and a swallow of water to wash it down. 
"How'd everyone else fare after our trip up north," she asks presently. "How'd we get back? Blackbird or portal?"
"Called for help. Portals, mostly. The ones who could still stand got the others on board and we were good to go. Some of the kids who arrived late helped out," Doug answers, after a slight nod to acknowledge they could just pick up later, if there was no complaints.
Reaching out to ruffle Jocelyn, something he wouldn't -dare- do if she were standing up or sitting where she could stand quickly, the blonde mutant grins. "A little awkward to move you, but we managed." 
Jocelyn narrows her eyes slightly at Doug, but allows it. She could totally let her natural shocking ability kick in and zap his hand for that. But she keeps it turned off and doesn't shock the man. "Oh, I'm not that difficult to move. Worst case, get Vic with that arm of his and he can move me," the woman offers to Doug. Hrmph.
She continues eating her sandwich, followed by getting the soda going. "Though honestly Doug, it was a good idea. We just ran into a spot of bad luck. Next time, don't bring me. I rode around with Domino for nearly a week. I think some of her luck rubbed off on me," she points out with a grin.
Amanda snirks softly at that. "You just don't want to be there the next time some Bumble tries to turn us into deer meat." Her accusation is good-natured. She nods to Doug's information, however. She'd have been happier if they hadn't used portals, but had used technology instead. Less chance of them accidentally setting off an errant magic pool she might have inadvertently created. But, all's well that ends well. Everyone's back safe and sound. So, it doesn't really matter. 
Glancing over at Amanda, the young mutant grins. "Were we ever that bad as children? I can't honestly think I was, but then again... I was always older than my age, anyway." 
"Doing it without making those injuries that you didn't -tell us about- worse?" Doug quirks an eyebrow at Jocelyn, but doesn't elaborate.
Glancing over at Amanda, the young mutant grins. "Were we ever that bad as children? I can't honestly think I was, but then again... I was always older than my age, anyway." 
"Doug. You really want to get into a discussion about who is older than their age?" Jocelyn asks with a rather large grin on her face. You didn't have three birthdays in the span of a week, bub.
She glances at Amanda and laughs. "Nah. I'd rather be there than not. Though what the heck does Bumble mean?" she questions, scratching her head before taking another sip of soda.
Amanda barks a short laugh. "Worse, Doug. Worse. Never admit to being anything but worse, otherwise they'll think they can get one over on you." She winks at Jocelyn as she says it. 
She laughs, however, at the girl's question. "Sorry. Bad reference to an old cartoon. Christmas special. Rudolph. He gets chased by the abominable snow monster, whom they call Bumble." A beat. A grin. "Good times."
Of course, she didn't see that cartoon until she got to America as an adult. But, it amused her enough that she remembers it well.
"I've never been a -bad boy-," Doug grins. "Just doesn't work. And I think if I tried, the kids would laugh at the notion. Eh, this above all, to thine own self be true. Right, Joce?" 
Quirking his eyebrows at Amanda, Doug grins. "_I_ didn't even get that one, and I'm supposed to be the pop culture nerd. Rudolph was pretty awesome, though. The whole clay-motion thing you'll never see again, it's all flash animation now. Like My Little Pony. Which, uh, I didn't see." So totally lying. 
"Oh. I never saw that one," Jocelyn admits with an easy shrug. "And I don't get very many pop culture references, I'm afraid. You haven't seen my meager stack of CDs. I didn't actually own any until Kwabena dragged me out into Westchester when I first got here a couple months ago," the woman admits. "And yeah, that works for me Doug," the woman agrees.
The girl looks at Doug. "My Little Pony? Do I want to ask what that's about? It sounds like a bunch of nine year old girls playing with toys," she admits. No, she doesn't get that reference either.
Amanda lifts a hand toward Doug in a very 90's talk-to-the-hand sort of way. "Nope!" she says, forestalling him. "You can't call yourself a pop-culture nerd if you don't know the classics." She had no choice in the matter. Kurt sucked in retro tv like it was going out of style once he left the circus. And he made damned sure she did, too. Someone had to laugh at his jokes, after all. (Which is, of course, where she gets them.) 
She just shakes her head, now, and laughs at the two of them. So unimaginative. Such a pity. "Ye-ah," she drawls, now. "The only time I see cartoons, these days, is at Christmas. And I blame Kurt." 
Grinning at Amanda, Doug makes a 'can't see me' gesture with his hand as a response to hers. "Hey, I -do- know the classics. Transformers: Beast Wars. Bill Nye the Science Guy. Power Rangers. Now showing stuff that you only see around holidays? That's -history-. Right, Jocelyn?"
Jocelyn glances at Doug. "This conversation is way above my head. I think I've watched a total of twelve hours of television in my life. Total. I'd say I'd easily watched the least in the manor, but Laura lives here, so I'll settle for second place". She shrugs a little bit at it. "Tried a video game once. I didn't get out of the tutorial level. Seen some movies though, mostly in the theater". Yeah. Pop culture? So over this girl's head.
Amanda just laughs, now, and finishes the rest of her burger. "Hey, some of the best stuff out there comes up at Christmas," she tells them, ticking off on her fingers. "Rudolph and Frosty are just the beginning. Have you seen 'The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus'? Same stop motion stuff as Rudolph and such, but with this whole Lord of the Rings/Wizard of Oz vibe." A beat. "And some of the newer stuff is pretty freakin' awesome: Terry Pratchett's Hogfather rocks."
"Well, watch more television," is Doug's unhelpful advice. What? What happened to being a -good- influence? "Or better yet, catch up on streaming... that reminds me, you know, that reminds me. -You-'re on those sites..." Doug goes on to say, flashing a grin at Jocelyn. Oh he knows he wasn't supposed to poke around on people's privacy, but that was -public-, darn it.
Any potential teasing is forestalled when Amanda brings up... 
"The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus was written by the same person who wrote the Wizard of Oz," Doug grins. "It -figures- you've noticed the vibe, anyway. And Pratchett's -awesome-." The young man's smile only grows wider. "But if we're going to talk about adaptions of classics, BBC Sherlock..." 
Jocelyn knew enough to know what those sites meant. Jocelyn shrugs a little bit at that. "Yeah. There were interviews and sparring sessions and matches that have been put online. That was an expected part of the whole MMA thing," Jocelyn explains. "Most of it was pretty staged stuff, the sparring sessions and such. Makeup and all that crap". Jocelyn rolls her eyes and takes a drink of her soda. "I think there were only a couple of those types who actually wanted to shoot a real training session. I'm sure it's out there somewhere". She offers a shrug at that. It bothered her precisely zero.
"And yes, the solution to that problem, so to speak, is to watch television. But I'm not really finding that I'm missing out on all that much. Movies can be nice though at times. I just don't really feel the need to watch a lot of the stuff". Yeah. She's weird that way.
Amanda, having now finished her meal, sets the wrappings aside, placing them in the bag they came in and setting them on the table. She moves to sit up further, now, the food having helped considerably. Holding up another forestalling hand, this one far less 90's, she gives Doug an easy smile. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," she laughs. "Don't worry. I know who originally wrote it." Kurt was nothing, if not thorough. Once he latches on to something, he runs it down into the ground, trying to learn more about it. Especially if it comes in the guise of popcorn entertainment. 
Swinging her feet out of the bed, now, she makes an effort to stand up. 
"You do?" Now Doug grins, almost a look of admiration. Nice! 
The smile turns into a frown, as the blond stands up, almost ready to nudge Amanda back in bed. "Wait, you shouldn't be up..." Doug begins. He pauses. Right. Amanda was old enough to take care of herself. But then...
He just -knew-. If Amanda was getting out of bed, so was Jocelyn, right? He didn't even have to turn around to look. 
"Fine," sighs Doug, conceding the ground to the women, as he offers a hand to help Amanda out of the bed. 
Jocelyn is also old enough to take care of herself, thank you very much. Finishing off the first sandwich, Jocelyn grabs the second and swings her feet out of bed, standing. "All I've got is a case of low energy. I'll be back to normal with a good night's sleep," Jocelyn assures Doug. "In fact, to prove it, I'll see you in the morning," she tells Doug with a casual wink. Morning training session for Doug! What, you thought being tired was going to be enough to keep Jocelyn from another day of missed training? Fat chance.
Amanda's sentiments are similar. "I'm tired, Doug, not infirm," she tells him, echoing Jocelyn. Ok. Yes. Actually, she feels like she's been run over by a speeding freight train, but it's not the first time and it won't be the last. "And I refuse to use a bed pan when I'm perfectly able to walk to the facilities." As he finally moves to help her, she inclines her head. "Thank you." A beat. A smile. "Besides, I'll recharge a whole lot faster, if I can get a ride into the city proper." 
She watches Jocelyn assert her independence and chuckles. "Face it," she tells him. "You're out numbered." She reaches for a robe to preserve some sense of dignity, if not modesty.
"Oh... yeah!" Doug reddens slightly, hurrying to get the robe for Amanda, and then politely turning his back. "Fine. Fine, I know when to concede. Not my problem, then. But I'll escort you to the city, Ms. Sefton, if you'll allow me? And then afterwards, Jocelyn can resume being a pain in my rear."
The last sentence is said with a tone of amusement in his voice, however. "Man... and I thought -Wolverine- made a lousy patient." 
Category:Log