xp_logs | Crystal and Kurt - Friday mid-day (Reply)

Kurt and Crystal continue to work as hard as they can. At least one of them needs rest but refuses to admit it. Fatigue from non-stop power usage claims a victim in the most unfortunate of places: the sky.

Not that she would have admitted it, but Crystal was near the point of exhaustion. The sun was out, it was blazing hot, and it was all she could do to stay cool. Normally, staying cool was not much of a problem to Crystal. Being able to manipulate air and wind had its advantages, after all. Even Jennie recognized the benefits of sharing a room with a “built-in-air-conditioner” as she had called Crystal on the journal system. The problem was, Crystal was doing her best to make sure that other people stayed cool. Combine that with trying out Grant’s suggestions for new uses of her powers, such as moving rubble and debris and getting air down to trapped people before they could be rescued, and Crystal wasn’t having much luck at using wind to cool herself. Not that she would ever admit it, of course. Sighing, Crystal used a small towel to wipe the sweat from her face. Gross.

Kurt was also out among the wreckage, digging where he could and evacuating the wounded. Seeing Crystal, and noticing her obvious overheating, he paused on his way to the next building. "How are you doing?"

"Me?" Crystal turned to fact Kurt, offering a small smile. "I'm fine. It's the people who were here when the earthquake happened that we need to worry about."

"Of course", he agreed with a slight smile in return. "But it cannot hurt to check on the volunteers as well. Especially in this heat."

"I will be fine. I am a living air conditioner," Crystal said laughing. She turned her focus on the immediate area and a wave of much-needed cool air circled around them. "See? I'm fine."

"All powers have their limits", he pointed out gently. "But as you say, you do not seem to have reached yours quite yet."

"I use my power all of the time." The statement was close to being true, but not entirely accurate. Crystal had never used her powers quite like this, and never with so much effort for such a long period of time. She did tend to travel in mid-air rather than on foot and did cool herself off whenever she needed to do so, but that was using her power on herself. Moving objects and helping cool off people in an open area were different matters entirely.

Still, Crystal had to admit to herself that Kurt had a point. “People still need help, but if it will make you feel better, I’ll take a short break and relax as best I can with all of this,” Crystal said, gesturing to the surrounding area, “going on around us.”

"Time to eat and sleep a little, if you can, at least", he said with a nod. "You will be able to help people far more easily after that."

"Thanks, but I am neither hungry nor tired right now. I think I just need to get some fresh air," Crystal replied.

Kurt nodded, with another small smile. "Well, no power is better suited than yours to getting all the fresh air you could want, it seems."

Crystal responded with her own nod and smile. Yes, she needed to relax, and one of the best methods of relaxation she knew was to just soar up into the air and stay there. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and remained on the ground for a few moments. Her eyes opened at the same time she exhaled, and a moment later she shot up into the sky. Perhaps it wasn’t the best idea in the world, what with the probable panic created by the idea that a mutant had leveled San Diego, but who would really be watching the sky at this point? The attention was on the ground, where the damage was.

Kurt blinked at her abrupt take-off, then did the only thing he could - turned to watch her flight, while keeping half his attention on their surroundings, in case anyone came along who might be hostile.

While on the ground, Crystal had ignored the horrific scenes as much as she could. Her concentration had been on doing what she could to help, not dwelling on what had already happened. She had simply gone from place to place, doing what she could, not attempting to take in the sights. Being in mid-air, looking down at the devastation, gave her a new perspective. Houses and other buildings were in a state of disarray…those that were still in a semi-standing state. The ground had been ripped asunder. What made the scene all that more devastating was that the normal actions of everyday life were missing. No flow of traffic. No one out for a carefree walk. Nobody getting into their cars on their way to anywhere. No children out playing. Just miles upon miles of devastation, chaos, and people who had lost everything. Crystal reeled at the sight of utter destruction.

It was at this moment that Crystal’s last remnants of active power disappeared. Until now, her fatigue had been physical, not power related, or so she had thought. Crystal had always felt in control of herself and her powers, and the sudden lack of the latter shocked her as she felt the air under and around her return to its normal state, no longer capable of supporting her body.

I’m going to die. There was no way around it. Crystal attempted solidifying the air but it was to no avail. She closed her eyes and surrendered herself to the idea. So this is what it’s like to not be able to fly. This was her reward for getting dirty, sweaty, and trying to help. Her parents, she knew, would not be happy when they were told of her untimely demise and how it came about.

She certainly was not going to die, or not if Kurt had anything to say about it. He'd never done anything quite like he was about to attempt, but it was the only thing he could possibly do. Staring up at her and trying to gauge the distance exactly right, he teleported straight upwards to catch her.

Crystal was plummeting down to the ground. She was so intent on wondering if she would feel anything as her body hit the ground that she didn't even notice that she was no longer alone in the sky.

Kurt wasn't a flier, and once he was up there, there was nothing he could do but fall with her. But he'd aimed right, and he was able to get his arms around the girl before his own momentum built up too much, and teleport them both back to the ground.

Crystal was startled by the sudden lack of falling. She couldn't have hit the ground already. Tentatively, one green eye peered up, then another. Crystal's eyes widened as she realized what had happened. "You saved me!" she cried, flinging her arms around Kurt.

Kurt steadied her, instinctively, in relief that she seemed mostly unharmed. "I was not going to let you fall, when I could stop it. Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine, I just..." Crystal paused for a moment, then continued in a small voice, "I don't think my powers are working properly."

Kurt looked down at her, worried. "What makes you say that, Crystal?"

Crystal stared at Kurt with an odd look. "Maybe because I, ah, I just fell from the sky?"

"Well, but that could mean you just pushed them too far", he pointed out. "Rather than something being wrong beyond that."
"Perhaps that is all this is," Crystal replied. Was it really such a simple explanation? She had just pushed her powers to the point of utter depletion? Whatever the case was, Crystal did not like the way she felt at that moment. It was her mind that was tired. She didn't even feel capable of summoning enough strength to create even the tiniest wind or the smallest drop of water. She felt... all used up.

"I think that I will be perfectly fine if I just rest for a bit," Crystal insisted. "If you really want a doctor to look at me, send me back to the school. I may not be the heavily advertised poster child for the royal family of Attilan, but there are cameras out there and I could be recognized. I'm not about to make a spectacle of myself on national, and probably international, television."

"They cannot put you on television without your permission, I think. And I would really prefer a doctor to see you... but we can see how you feel after you have rested. Which you will do now."

Crystal nodded, relieved. No doctors. Just rest. Much needed rest. And then she would be fine.