Log // Backdated [Alison, Haroun] ~ Let's nix that idea...

[x-dazzler.livejournal.com]

Backdated to June 14th or thereabouts. Following the first Nathan/Lorna training log and the post to x_team which resulted in discussion of that training scenario, one of Haroun's ideas about thinking in more dimensions gives Al an idea on a possible application of her power. New ideas aren't always the best, however.

Standing in the middle of the Danger Room, staring at the only slightly modified room with a small frown, Alison nodded to herself. "No clue if this will work," she murmured, still pondering the idea Haroun's talk about third dimensions had given her. "Think this will work? It's stupid, isn't it?" She still wanted to try, though. The idea just hadn't let go.

Haroun, up in the Control Booth, was far more skeptical. "This is a bad idea." he warned her - again - knowing that it wouldn't do any good. "I can go over the math with you if you'd like. But hey, if you want to try it I'm not going to stop you."

He'd been very clear on that since the start, and while Alison did believe him… she couldn’t not try, either. "Hey, at least this way I'll be able to say 'hey tried it, have the tape to prove it, it doesn’t' work', right?" The base concept was sound. It made sense. Blast something that won't break or budge with solid light and keep it up - which meant she ought to be the one to move.

Angles would be just a touch important, here.

Haroun just shrugged, and was thankful that he'd already stocked in extra medical supplies, and had the Room programmed to alert Medlab in the off chance that she broke something really important. "Laser propulsion is nifty - in a vacuum. Pretty sure it won't work in atmo, at 1G." he cautioned. "But since you want to do this anyway, I've got the recorders running. Any time you're ready..."

"Any propulsion works in a vacuum though. I mean, not that we'd need it… I'm going to regret saying that one day, won't I?" She was chattering, nervousness making her blab on non stop, she realized. And Haroun was going to tell her to stop doing that and do something, if she went on. "Right. Here goes." The monitoring equipment was set up, they'd placed some mats to absorb impact if she did go down head first. She was wearing her uniform to absorb impact… and a simple trampoline was what would be used for her to get enough height to try this in the first place anyway.

Haroun watched the whole process with something like insane levels of worry, fierce pride, and exhausted amusement - all at the same time. But she was trying, which he had to give her points for, and she was immune to her own power, so it wasn't likely that she was going to burn.

Still, he worried.

Getting height on the trampoline wasn't too much of a problem - though with each higher jump, the fact that the mats weren't really covering that much of the floor after all was becoming a bit more present. Quit it. You could hardly cover the entire room in mats. Just concentrate, she told herself sternly. And with the final hop, trying to make sure to achieve just the right angle, Alison headed forward, clearing the trampoline.

A few moments later, staring up at the ceiling with a pained expression, Alison decided that trying to breathe was maybe going to wait a bit longer. Her lungs weren't cooperating. The floor was cool beneath the one hand that was pressed down on the floor, the smell of charred mats curling about in an unpleasant reminder that even solid light could be too hot, considering the intensity she had to keep up while it was in that state.

And her butt hurt.

"Ow."

Haroun winced sympathetically. That had to hurt. "OK, I think we can safely say that that didn't work. Want me to give you a few more decibels for you to feed off of before you try it again?" he asked her through the Danger Room's control room mike. "I've got some absolutely lovely selections up here, full of piss and vinegar for all your audiovore needs."

He was being so good about this. Alison probably would have kissed him, if that hadn't involved things like oh... moving. "No." The ability to breathe had returned, apparently, though she wasn't sure that was a good thing. "Noooo. Won't be stubborn about this." Letting it go for the moment was a good thing. As would having Nathan around next time to play catch. If there was a next time. A cautious shift and Alison winced again. At least she hadn't broken her tail bone in that landing. She hoped. "Ow." Maybe if she sounded pathetic enough Haroun would wander on down.

Haroun stayed exactly where he was. "Come on, get up. We need more data if we're going to determine what went wrong and how - or if - we can fix it." he said patiently. "You don't get to wuss out because you failed the first time and it hurts."

No, he was being a meanie, she decided. Oh so mean. Then again, she'd drafted him for this for a reason, hadn't she? "Well…" She took another careful breath, lungs still cooperating. That was nice. "It's more of the fact that I think I need a better environment to do this than the current set-up. Breaking a limb before I land wrong again? Would be embarrassing." She thinned her lips a bit, not wanting to sit up. That would oh so hurt. And remind her of how embarrassing this already was, yet again.

Haroun sighed. Loudly. "Come on, stop being such a girl. Get up! At least give me one more run, so we have some data to contrast against the first attempt. And whoever taught you how to take a fall would be mortally embarrassed with you right now." he pointed out. "So give me one more try."

"Don't try to goad me into this, please." Alison's voice was flat as she replied, slowly pushing herself up. A hiss of indrawn air accompanied the gesture, the sitting mark moved along as quickly as possible. "Hurting myself further won't help anything and I'm hurting now as it is. We can keep this recording to compare with any other that get made later, that's all." She sighed, pushing herself up fully and muttering to yourself. "Kinda need the butt muscles to land properly, thank you very much." And then in a louder voice. "I can recognize when an idea I have is a bad one." She looked over the mats, and winced. "Also, I fried the mats."

Haroun sighed. "Fine." he said. "Recorders are shut down, copies were sent to Moira and Scott and Ororo, and I'll help you clean up the fried mats. I'll be right down." But instead of taking the stairs, he went for the more expedient route - he opens a window, climbs out, and uses his power to slowly float down to the floor of the Danger Room.

"Thanks," she waited, unmoving as he floated down. To say that she'd been less than graceful herself in whatever the attempt at midair motion had been would be an understatement. Head over butt works, though, she thought to herself. "Note to self. Have support cords around next time. Should have thought of that." And installing those might actually be of use to Jubilee in training, specifically.

Haroun shook his head. "Maybe next time you'll listen to me when I tell you that these things won't work. Your lasers are quite nifty, but they just don't generate enough thrust to push you into the air through air resistance and gravity." he said.

"Solid light. That's all it was. Would have gone through the floor otherwise…" She stopped and shook her head, acknowledging his point. "You were right. I just wanted to try…" There was a touch of wistfulness in her voice for a brief moment. Taking a deep breath, she stepped onto the mats which were at the edge, still left unmarred, and headed towards those in the center which showed significant whirls of melted plastic on their surface. Each step was unpleasant, to say the least. "This is not going to be fun tomorrow."

"No, I imagine it won't be. And believe me, no one knows more than I the power of wishing things could be different, that you could do things you just can't do. But reality's a real bitch that way, and since none of us warp it except for Wanda, that's that." he said with a shrug. "Now come on, I think you've got a date with some painkillers, the hot-tub, and some nice hot tea. In that order." He said with a small smile.

The two mats had been stacked while he spoke to her, Haroun doing it deftly on his own. The mention of painkillers brought a small pout, though Alison was torn on the thought. "Might still have some of the stuff that doesn't throw me into loopy land left… I'll have to check. And… if I don't have to actually sit down in the tub, you have a deal." She sighed and pressed one hand to her cheek, shaking her head slightly. "Gah. I feel so silly now."

"If I remember correctly, a certain troika of torturers told us at the beginning of the term that we were allowed, even encouraged, to experiment with our powers, to push them in new directions. Sometimes that doesn't pan out." he said with a grin. "Now come on, bruisebutt, let's peel you out of those leathers and get you a nice upright soak. If you ask me very nicely, I'll try to forget to be a gentleman and wash your body for you." he said with an open leer.

"Ha!" That brought a smile to her face, though the hint of redness to her cheeks was still there. "You're going to be calling me that for days, aren't you?" She could live with that, though, she decided on the spot. "And I shall have you know there is nothing ungentlemanly about helping a damsel in distress." That, and help to peel off the leathers would actually be a very good thing.

"There is with the way I had planned on doing it. You're all bruised, which means I have to be a perfect gentleman. Gentlemen do not grope their ladies in the shower while attempting to wash them." he said piously. "Nor do they offer themselves as a suitably orgasmic painkiller." he added. "It's simply not done."

He was being mean. "I'm going to be pouncing on you soon as my bruised butt allows, you rat." Laughter accompanied the words, even as she watched him rest the damaged mats to the side of the room, opening a storage area to put them aside. The other undamaged mats were then quickly retrieved and stored away as well, in their proper place. "And there will be nothing ladylike about it," she continued as he shut the storage doors firmly. "But for now, my butt is going to be one big bruise. Can we not tell people how this happened?" she added plaintively.

Haroun grinned at Alison as he offered her his arm. "Well, I suppose I could just keep this between us. But you owe me." he laughed, to let her know he wasn't truly being serious. "But I just did have a thought occur to me. If you're on your stomach..." he said, and then leaned in close to her ear to fully elaborate upon his wonderful idea.

In great depth and detail.