Crystal and Jean-Paul - Backdated to Sunday

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After her run-in with Nathan, Crystal pokes her head in to check on Jean-Paul.



Crystal floated down the hall to Jean-Paul's room, carrying a tray of milkshakes. Jean-Paul may have been released from the Medlab after only a brief stay, but that did not mean that he was 100% better. The requirement to eat only soft food was not due to his mutation, it was due to the fact that the same man who had teleported into her bathroom had also teleported into the speedster's room and hurt him. From what her next visitor had said, they were all lucky that Wraith had not tried to do more than injure one mansion resident. Her telltale knocks of wind on the door to Jean-Paul's suite signaled her arrival before she stepped into the main living area.

Jean-Paul was lying on the sofa, legal pad near at hand, watching some sort of animated film on his television. It appeared to feature quite a few talking rabbits and did not look very cheerful. He glanced up at her entrance and scribbled a note on his pad, which he the folded into a paper airplane and sent floating Crystal's way.

'I don't remember room service being one of the perks in my teaching contract.'

Crystal stopped the paper in mid-air to read it. "The Medlab and infirmary are available to all mansion residents who require their uses, yes? I volunteer in the Medlab, and I am checking in on a current patient and ensuring that he is being fed properly, at least as properly as he can be at a time when his food consists of such delicacies as pureed food mixtures that tend to come in small jars with pictures of smiling babies on them."

Another airplane came her way a moment later.

'Better than last time. I can at least stay on my feet long enough to liquefy my own choice of foods and I am not suffering radiation poisoning this time.'

Jean-Paul looked thoughtful a moment, then sent another note after the other.

'Thank you for the concern, but I have had someone looking in on me. Did Dr. Voght not tell you?'

"You cannot have more than one person check in on you and bring you food?" Crystal asked, carrying the tray closer to him. "Especially when the person who is meant to be looking in on you would appear to need someone to watch over him at this time? You seem to have missed the days of feeding by numerous small girls, I am afraid. They often fussed over those who were injured in the mansion. They often took it upon themselves to take care of Nathan, I believe. I even took it upon myself to feed him one time when I was a student, even though I did not take generally take part in the feeding-others ritual some of the other students seemed to do on a regular basis."

The speedster half-grinned as he wrote.

'That is different. He's obviously been spoiled by all of the attention. I still have a reputation as an utter ass to maintain, even if I've probably blown that by now.' He glanced up at the tray. 'So I will try to be gracious about the benefits of female attention. What are these?'

"These are milkshakes," Crystal told Jean-Paul. "Unsure of your preference for flavor, I decided to bring multiple options. I have brought chocolate hazelnut, caramel latte, peanut butter banana, and vanilla."

Jean-Paul picked up the first and took a sip. It was mostly politeness that prompted the attempt; two days in and he was already starting to get sick of ice cream. Still, it was good and something to do besides sit on the couch and re-watch movies.

'Thank you. You can have a seat if you like. I am obviously not much for conversation right now, but I would welcome a distraction.'

Crystal sat down, then pondered a method of distraction that did not involve conversation. She would have liked to speak more with Jean-Paul, but she was fairly certain that paper plane conversations were not quite the best way to speak about serious matters. That thought gave her an idea. "We could have a paper airplane competition if you wish," Crystal suggested. "It would appear that you have had a bit of practice with this hobby recently, and in the past I have made a fair number of them myself."

'Not really -- I have mostly been thinking at Nate. You had your hands full, so throwing the entire notepad seemed like a bad idea.' The older mutant went thoughtful for a moment. 'When I think of royalty, paper airplanes do not come to mind.' This time, she was close enough that he could just hand over the legal pad.

A slight burst of wind took the pad from Jean-Paul's hand, where the papers then proceeded to hang in the air for a moment as Crystal set the milkshake tray down on a table. The notepad circled around twice before Crystal held out her hand and the legal pad came to rest on her outstretched hand. "Air manipulation," she explained with a smile. "What better way to practice as a young child than paper airplanes? Much preferable to the vases I chose to practice on, I was told."

Jean-Paul regained possession. 'You have me convinced that I'd be completely outmatched. But since I haven't come up with any brilliant ideas of my own, then let's.' He held up the note long enough for it to be read, then tore it out and began folding it.