xp_logs | set Friday evening, somewhere after sundown, but before 9PM.

Moira sat on the floor of the newly named "moonroom", a large mug of coffee sitting near her knee. There are printouts in a neat stack in front of her and she's flipping through them one by one. She looks strained, there's a tension that's going through her that's not normally there. She also looks worried and just plain -tired-.

The hallway outside the room was definitly not soft. Marie-Ange stood just outside the room, forehead on the wall, eyes closed. Avoidance wasn't an option anymore, she knew it, but dread was, and that dread was paralyzing. After what felt like hours, but in reality couldn't have been more than a few minutes, she stood, fists clenched and walked into the room.
Looking up, Moira smiled and patted the floor next to her. "Marie-Ange, how're ye?"

She was answered with an oddly-dry chuckle. "Not as bad as my.. ah.. melodramatic post would lead you to think." The teenager shook her head. "Do not tell Mister Marko this, but I think that the work helped. "

Moira sat back for a minute and just took her in. There was something slighlty different...'Time will tell how this really 'as affected her...' she thought sadly, knowing that probably some part of Marie-Ange's childhood had definatly died the other night. "Good, I was worried 'bout ye. I could only imagine what ye were thinkin' when ye realized..." She waved her hand at the pile of papers in front of her.

Marie-Ange frowned slightly. "Realized? What was happening last night, or about my dreams?" She shook her head. "Really, I think either one was the same, and rather unprintable. "

Moira picks up a couple of the sheets of paper on top and looks up at her. "I think ye've come ta th' same conclusion tha' I 'ave." She glances down. The papers are descriptions of dream logs, from different dreams, of the various kills that had happened during the attack. She had seen the bodies when they had been placed downstairs and had heard of at least some of the accounts...they matched to Marie-Ange's dreams.

Marie-Ange dropped bonelessly onto the windowseat, and and wrapped her arms around her knees. "Can I.. I think the term is 'Go on the record".. as saying that I hate my stupid DNA?" Resting her head on window, she let out a sigh. "Nightmares about the future, nightmares about my nightmares, nightmares about what just happened. I'm just not going to sleep well anymore."

Placing the paper back on the stack, Moira got up slowly and then joined her. She leaned back against the window and sighed as the cold seeped through slightly. "Well, there could be a few thin's we could do. First is ta see if'n we can find out -how- these are happenin'."

"Can we do that? I .. thought that mutant powers didn't get explanations."

"Most o' th' time, aye. Other times, the mutant gene...utilizes what th' body already has, or is already capable of, an' manipulates tha' inta being able ta do thin's it usually isna able ta do. We can run some tests, catscans, psi-scans, a few others...it may turn out tha' it jus, well, 'appens."

Marie-Ange squeezed her eyes closed. "So, I might get an explanation, but possibly not, and ... if I get one, what does that mean?"

"If there's an explanation, then we may be able ta use -somethin'- ta help ye out." She leaned forward and placed her arms on her knees. "Somethin' ta curb it, somethin' ta..." She glanced over. "Somethin' ta -channel-..." Moira trailed off, thinking.

"And.. if there is no explanation? I.. just get random nightmares forever?" Marie-Ange slumped against the window.

"I dinnae know, lass, an' I'm sorry. I wish I did...nothin' ever comes wit' a manual, unfortunatly." She winces slightly, thinking of the fact that it's been just a little over 10 years since Kevin died. "But even if there isna an explanation, it cannae 'urt ta try ta see if'n ye can channel it some o'her way, aye?"

"If it will mean I can sleep, and not be .. ah.. .. all zombified, I think is how Jubilee said, channeling would be good. I am just not even sure where to start."

"Neither do I, really. But sometimes th' silliest, oddest ways work best. Seein' inta th' future...crystal ball, scryin', tarot cards, magic 8 ball..."

"Magic eight.. eh?" The girl looked confused. "I recognized the rest. I .. even have a set of cards. They looked interesting in the store at the airport.. when I first arrived. Funny, no?"

"Er...it's rather a large black eight ball tha' ye ask a question ta an' then ye shake it rat'er vigerously an' look inta the small triangle on one side. It'll pop up an answer "No", "Aye", "Ask Again"." She grinned slightly. "Nice coincidence wit' ye gettin' those cards. They might turn out ta be useful. But I dinnae know how ta make any o' it work...science an' magic usually dinnae mix. Except fer the Magic 8 Ball."

A bright smile broke through Marie-Ange's clouded face. "Have you had the chance to meet Amanda yet? Magic and science, indeed. She makes Doctor McCoy's brain ache, I think." Turning on the seat, so that her feet dangled down, rather than sitting with them up, she leaned the back of her head against the glass. "I.. I just hate this. How can I tell which ones are going to happen? How can I tell someone that I saw them catch on fire? What am I going to tell Angelo?"

"Th' trut'. Ye didna know, how could ye? It isna like this is exactly related ta th' power ye first 'ad." She patted her knee gently. "I've met Amanda, jus' nay 'ad th' chance ta talk ta 'er yet, though I should. We could always see if'n she's agreeable ta showin' ye what might work, give us a list o' thin's ta go from."

Marie-Ange pulled a small box from her sweater pocket. "We talked once, on the shopping trip. She helped me get new cards, because the old ones, and my watercolors met. The meeting did not go well. I .. think she would help if I asked."
Moira stretched slightly and smiled. "Well, there's a start. A good start. An' I'm glad ye think so, because currently...I know jack an' squat 'bout magic and ways o' gettin' th' future...not fer lon' though."

"I.. it does not feel like magic, but if the crystal ball or cards mean I can sleep, I am willing to try anything even once."

Marie-Ange paused. "IEven tea leaves."

"...tea leaves?"

"Tea leaves. It is.. .. this is silly, but it was on a movie, and then, in the Harry Potter books. It was the first one I thought of."

"If it works, it works...it'll make fer some interestin' experiments, though." Moira thought for a minute. "Did th' sedatives work when Hank gave them ta ye?"

Marie-Ange nodded. "Yes. They make it a little hard to wake up, but they helped. I still had dreams, some nights, but I .. am not sure if those were regular dreams, or the mutant kind."

"Would ye like ta start usin' them again? If not every night, than jus' some? At least until we figure out what, how an' perhaps how ta channel?"

"Doctor Mccoy said.. no more than three times a week, without talking to him. I think he does not want me to become... dependant? Is that the right word?"

"Dependant, addicted, aye, pretty much th' same thin'." The sedatives were apparently helping put Marie-Ange into a deep enough sleep that her mutant power didn't disrupt her REM sleep. While Moira was not a fan of suppressing powers, it was evident that something had to be done so she could get some rest. "Three times a week...three week nights? We can speed up the process o' findin' out what's wron' so ye dinnae 'ave ta keep takin' 'em but...especially after this week, ye probably want a good nights rest."

". What do we have to do to find out how it works? Besides ... a cat scan?" Marie-Ange paused, and tilted her head in confusion. "I know that is not literally a scan with a cat, but what is it?"

"It basically scans yer brain and gives us a picture of it. We can determine a lot from tha'. We can also run MRI scans an' a few others in order ta see if'n there's somethin' physical or chemical goin' on in there."

"So... I sleep in the infirmary? Or.. "

"Possibly. We could also probably move out most o' me furinture from me office an' put in some o' th' more movable thin's. Warmer, more comfortable."

Marie-Ange nodded. "If it means knowing how this works, or .. knowing anything about it, I will do it.. Anything. "

"Good, I'll talk ta Hank an' Xavier so we can set this up quickly. In th' meantime, we bot' seem ta need th' sleep...I need ta stop by the Medlab 'fore I go ta bed. Would ye like ta come wit', see if we can get ye some sedatives so ye can actually sleep tonight?"

"I.. took a very long nap today, but if Doctor McCoy can give me something, and is not too busy, I will go."

Nodding, Moira stood up and stretched. "Naps are somethin' I shoulda attempted. But I'll nay be good ta anyone if'n I don't get some rest. Even if Hank is busy, I believe he probably 'ad another stash for ye, jus' in case." She stops and sweeps up the papers in one hand. "I'll speak ta Xavier as soon as possible...but fer now, sleep for me an' gettin' ye those pills."

Marie-Ange nodded. "I .. think I may sit for a few, and then go eat. I skipped breakfast, and lunch, and I have already heard one lecture on not eating today already."

Moira mock scowls. "Eatin' is good..." She paused. "I'll skip on givin' ye tha' lecture, considerin' I 'aven't eaten today at all..." Chuckling, she tidied the papers under her arm. "I'll jus' head down ta th' lab, get th' pills an' drop them off in yer room?"

"Yes. .. ah. there's a bit of a mess, but my desk should be clear.."

"I'll make sure ye can find them. Also, if'n ye need anythin', ye know ta come find me. G'night." Yawning, Moira ducked out of the room, waving tiredly.

Marie-Ange sat for a few more minutes, and then hopped off the windowseat, leaving the not-sun-but-moonroom for the kitchen, intent on dinner, and thoughts weighing heavy on her mind.

Current Mood: determined

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If you're at all interested, I am willing to do some tarot readings for the game. My readings always come out much better for characters than they do for me! :)