xp_logs | Mutation Sternutation: Feel the Heat

Jean checks on Crystal, who has spent the day pretty much out of it in the secure room in the medlab. Neither's Crystal's emotions nor her new powers are under control.

Doctors - the one profession on earth continually trying to put themselves out of business. God knew Jean hated it when the medlab was full; not because of the long hours but because she really and truly cared for all her patients. Doubly so for those who had been her students, who were her teammates and friends. Making her rounds through the rooms which were currently occupied she paused by the heavy containment room, eying the readings. Yes, the temperature in there was definitely inching its way up. "Crystal? Are you awake?"

Crystal hadn't been quite awake, but the sound of Jean's voice pulled her into semi-awareness. She opened her eyes, took in her strange surroundings. "I... Jean? Where am I?" She sat up a bit, suddenly remembering what had happened the previous day, and bits of memories from that day. "I did not hurt anyone, did I? Please... tell me that I have not harmed anyone!"

Jean wasn't even particularly surprised when the monitor on the wall beeped at her - of course Crystal's alarm would lead to a spike of heat. "No, everyone's fine, Crystal, don't worry. There wasn't anyone else anywhere near the quarry and Nate brought you right down here. You're in the heavy containment room in the medlab."

Crystal looked around at the steel walls, then sat upright. "It is very... cozy," she said half-heartedly, then paused for a brief moment before asking. "Do you know what is going on? Has this, whatever 'this' is, happened to anyone else since Nathan brought me here?"

"I'm hoping everyone who has had strange powers manifestations has been found," Jean said. "It looks like we have a closed loop. Laurie has your power, Kurt has hers, Marie can teleport, Callie is dealing with hers, Jean-Phillip woke up this morning with Callie's, Julian rather spectacularly manifested his, while Amara is dealing with telekinesis. Which brings us back to you."

"Then, that means that I have... Amara's power? Oh." Crystal's eyes widened a bit. "Yes, it is very good that I was brought in here, and... wait. You said Laurie has my power?" The young woman stood up from the mattress she had been sitting on. "Where is she? In the medlab, or somewhere safe, yes? My powers can be quite destructive if they are not controlled properly, and I know that Laurie does not know how to control such a wide array of abilities!" The room continued to heat, and Crystal's body began to glow and flame again, the thought of Laurie or anyone else using her powers to hurt someone or cause damage playing through her mind.

"Calm down, Crystal," Jean said, eying the monitors again. Heart rate elevated, breath coming more quickly, and all of it leading to temperatures on the boiling water side of things. "Laurie may not have experience with a mutation which has physical expression but she is just as used as you are to the need to keep control of her emotions to avoid... problematic power explosions. She's safe, let's focus on you for the moment. How are you feeling?"

"Are you referring to my physical wellness or emotional state of being?" Crystal asked. "Because, physically, it appears that I am on fire and have caused my clothes to burn away. Emotionally, I am concerned, both for myself and for the others who have also been affected." And I want my powers back.

"Both," Jean said. "Physically, you're well within Amara's safe temperatures, so in theory you should be fine, but that doesn't mean there might not be problems. Do you feel overly hot? Were you cold before you ignited? As for the other, we're trying to figure out what happened and we will get all of you back to normal as soon as we can, I promise. In the meantime, we can talk to Forge about getting you some clothes you can't destroy."

Crystal nodded, the usually ordinary, small movement turning into a movement involving dancing and flickering flames this time. "Yes, I will send Forge an e-mail. Also, I do not feel uncomfortably warm, and I did not feel cold before I set myself on fire. It is hard to describe, but... oh, my. Jean... I do not believe that I am breathing, not as I normally do. I feel fine, but... I know air and oxygen, and I am noting a distinct lack of intake or outtake at the moment."

"That's normal," Jean assured Crystal, making a few quick notes on the blonde's file before flipping it over to Amara's and double checking her and Amelia's assorted notes. "In her fire form Amara takes on oxygen directly, the majority of which is consumed by the fire, of course, but also oxygenates her blood," which was not really entirely accurate as in her fire form the composition of her 'blood' was definitely not something which could be recognized as such, but the distinction was not entirely relevant at the moment and also took a Ph.D. in mutant physiology or related fields to really be understood in any detail. "And not noticing temperature variations is a good sign," she went on. "I need you to let me know if that changes."

"I will let you know. Thank you." Crystal closed her eyes, willing her magma form to abate. She'd have to talk to Amara about this, once she was able to leave the medlab without needing to worry about harming anyone for now. Crystal knew how to control her own power, but this was something different, something new, something unexpected, much different from the way she could control fire on her own. All she could do was try to calm down and hope for the best.