xp_logs | Janet and Nathan - Think Tiny Thoughts

Jan pays Nathan a visit to see to see if they can think-talk.

It had only been a few days since she had been brought to Xavier's, and Jan still wasn't quite used to being tiny. It felt right, but everything was so different and so big. She kept having thoughts and concerns she never thought she'd have, like why are doll's clothes so ugly, where do tiny people go to the bathroom, and is this how bugs feel? Still, she had decided to brave the gigantic world and had allowed fuzzy-hatted Kyle to drop her off at Nathan's office. Now, she stood on the gigantic desk in the office, waiting to see if Nathan's big brain could communicate with her tiny energy thought patterns.

Nathan gazed down at her, concentrating on those tiny, yet utterly clear thoughts. He'd have thought a psi-imprint would lose definition when... shrunken like this, but that wasn't the case. Something of a relief, really. It meant this would probably work. Concentrating very hard to narrow his focus, almost further than he ever had before, Nathan extended a thread-fine tendril of thought towards Jan.

#Can you hear me?#

There was a voice in her head! There was a voice in her head! Jan stumbled backwards and tripped over the paper she'd been standing on. From her new sitting position, Jan looked up at Nathan and grinned. "That was so cool! Do it again!" she said, doing her best to think the words as she said them.

They didn't come across perfectly, but it was good enough. Smiling, Nathan reached out again, careful to keep his touch as light. #I don't usually find many people who find this 'cool',# he sent, a sparkle of amusement underneath the words. #I suppose it makes a real difference if other forms of communication aren't available.#

Jan decided to try just thinking. Well, I think it's cool! Maybe I'm just not used to all of this powers stuff, but yeah, so far only Terry and Kyle can hear me, maybe Rahne too, so talking in my head is just fine with me!

#Well, there are enough of us telepaths around that your pool of people who can hear you just expanded considerably,# Nathan sent reassuringly. #Would you do me a favor? Fly over to the other side of the office? I want to see how tightly I have to focus when you're not right here.#

Sure, no problem. She'd done most of the flying she'd done for the past four years during the past weekend and still wasn't sure about it although it actually seemed easier when she was tiny than it had when she was her proper size. Jan flew to the opposite side of the room and landed on a shelf. Thinking, thinking, here I am, thinking!

It did take more concentration. Substantially more, as a matter of fact - as clear as her thoughts were, they were so tiny. #Can you hear me now?# Nathan asked - and a mental laugh followed on the heels of the question, almost involuntarily. #Wow. I sound like one of those cell phone commercials, don't I?#

Jan giggled. Yeah, I can, and yeah, you do. But can you hear me here? And what if I go to the other side of the mansion, or outside? Could you hear me then?

#I suspect that it would be possible, so long as you're on the grounds,# Nathan sent, weighing the effort he was putting into it, #but only if I already knew where you were and had a tag on you. The Professor, I imagine, could hear you wherever you go, now that he knows to look for tiny energy.# The smile was implicit in the words. #He's much, much stronger than I am. Doctor Grey would do better than me, but not quite as well as the Professor, and David... Mr. Haller, I mean... well, I'm not sure. You'd have to check with him.#

Tiny energy! Jan echoed his thoughts with a laugh. I have a tiny voice and a tiny scent and tiny energy thoughts! So... all of you guys are telepaths but some are, um, well not better telepaths I guess, but what, stronger? How do you do that? Think a lot?

#It's a question of how much natural talent you're born with, with telepathy,# Nathan said easily. #Some of us have other talents, too.# The books and papers on his desk levitated, not enough to startle Jan - or go anywhere near her, but enough to show her what he meant.

Cool! Jan flew over to one of the levitated books and landed on it. But you can still learn it, right, like I'm supposed to learn how to control the zapping and the being tiny and fly better?

#You bet. And you have to, really - no matter what your mutant abilities are, you need to understand them. To be in control of them, if they're active, like yours and mine are.# Nathan kept the book in the air; it was nicely at eye level. #It's the only way you can be comfortable in your own skin, and that's the end result we're all shooting for.#

Jan leaned back, still on the book. I kind of like being tiny. I mean I never thought about being tiny but here I am, all tiny with my tiny energy thoughts! Still, yeah, I'd like to be able to be the right size, but this kind of feels right, come to think of it. Is that weird?

#Not at all. But this is clearly just one aspect of your mutation, and not a permanent one, or it would have switched itself on earlier than this. You want to be able to go back and forth in size depending on the situation, right? Even if this feels right?#

Jan nodded. Definitely. I want to be able to go back to my school and then to college and do normal stuff. I can't do normal stuff if I'm stuck like this. Wings I can hide, being tiny? No way.

#Then that's what you'll do,# Nathan sent back, cheerfully. #Probably sooner than you think. These things often resolve themselves quickly, once you find the right trigger. And you'll get the best help you can, here.#

Demon attacks, too, from what I've heard! Janet thought cheerfully. Are those scheduled or do they just appear at random? And hey, can we go over to that boathouse of yours? I can think tiny thoughts at your baby, too!

#Fly up, off the book,# Nathan suggested. #If you want to go out to the boathouse, what I'll do is wrap you in a TK bubble. That way you can fly yourself, but be protected. Sound like a plan?#

OK! So does it just stay around me or do I have to push it or what? Janet asked, wondering just what a TK bubble was. And do I have to hold my breath or it has enough air or what?

#Free air exchange in and out,# Nathan said as he got up, creating the bubble carefully around it. #And it will just stay around you. Reach out - you'll be able to feel it.#

Jan reached out to touch the bubble, then started flying around in it. Hey, what happens if I hit something? Does it go splat or do I start bouncing around?

#You'll bounce. But don't worry,# Nathan sent somewhat irrepressibly. #If you do, I'll catch you.#