Hank, Madelyn - Sunday morning
Jan. 2nd, 2005 09:12 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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xp_logs In which Hank gets started on catching up with the people he's been neglecting lately... starting with Maddie, who gets a present!
Hank waited... well, lurked... inside the door, waiting for Madelyn to get back from checking on Cain. Which he'd do himself this afternoon, but for now, he had a charming lady doctor to apologize to.
He had a small, rather heavy package that would, hopefully, help him with that.
He resisted the urge to bounce at her when she opened the door, since that wouldn't be a good start for an apology... instead, he bowed as she slipped inside, pressing one huge hand to his heart. "I have returned," he said gravely. "And my heart is light, for you have promised to forgive me for my shameful neglect, yet also heavy, for I have not treated you well and the guilt lieth heavy upon my heart." He peeked up at her, still bent low in the bow, to see if he'd made her smile yet.
After the initial start and a muffled 'eep!' which she'd never live down if any of her old FBI cronies had heard her, Madelyn couldn't help giggling at the large furry doctor's speech. "You've been thinking about this a lot, haven't you?" she said, snickering. "Practiced in front of the mirror and everything?"
"Actually, I had planned to be hanging above your bed with a rose betwixt my teeth when you awoke," Hank teased, straightening up and taking her coat in a gentlemanly fashion. "But, alas, I feared that you might shoot at me, so I changed my mind at the last moment." He held out the carefully wrapped package. "I did, however, bring you an I'm-sorry gift."
"You didn't have to, you know..." Madelyn said, still giggling at the mental image he'd conjured in her head as she took the package. "And I'm glad you didn't - it would have been very awkward to explain the large furry man in my bed with a tranq dart somewhere uncomfortable." She unwrapped the paper, tearing it a little impatiently when it became obvious there was more than one layer. That, and any misdemenour Hank might commit for the next year was forgiven, however, when she uncovered the Belgian chocolate. "Oh my," she breathed almost reverently. "That's a lot of sugar high." Beaming up at him, she couldn't resist giving him a one-armed hug - the other hand was hanging onto the chocolate protectively. "No doubt there will be screams of anguish when I'm obnoxiously cheerful at people at scary hours of the morning, but you've made this sugar freak very happy, Hank. Thank you."
He hugged her happily... Hank never turned down hugs... careful not to bury her entirely in fur. She did, after all, need to breathe. "I have some for Moira, too... and Alison. The two of you may chirp cheerfully together." He smiled down at her. "I'm glad you like it. I wanted to get you something that would make you happy, to make up for overworking you so terribly lately." He sighed mournfully.. and then winked. "And, since wooing the three of you with my irresistably hirsuite charms would result in having my head smacked a great deal, I was forced to resort to chocolate."
"Well, considering the current obsession with Miles' chocolate waffles of chocolatey doom, I'll manage to cope, somehow." Stretching up on tip-toe, she pressed a brief kiss to his cheek. "And I'm fine - Moira read me the riot act in the middle of that business with Alison and I've been managing my stress levels much better, and it helps things have quietened down a bit. It didn't help that there was a lot of bad, all at once." Her eyes were a little shadowed as she remembered Vermont - those little body bags were still appearing in her dreams occaisionally. Letting Hank go and cradling the precious chocolate to her front, she shrugged off the momentary seriousness and looked up at the other doctor with a smile. "So, this grand scheme to be social... How's it going so far?"
He beamed, and planted a gentle kiss on her smooth forehead in return. "Well, so far, just you. But I will go a-hunting for more people to talk to later, and see who's still about. Apparently I've made a good impression on Catseye already, though I'm not sure how yet."
"Did you leave a fish-product of some sort lying around?" she asked teasingly. "Because that's always a good way to make a good impression on a cat."
Hank shook his head. "Nor did I let her make a pillow of me... at least, not to my knowledge. I was sleeping quite deeply, and might not have wakened." He grinned. "I take it she makes rather a habit of that... I've been reading up on the journals a bit, while I was finishing up."
"Ohhh, yes, that she does..." Maddie giggled. "I think it disconcerts some of the other students... especially the boys."
"As it would. I do recall being that age, and even the notion of having a naked girl on the bed with me, in any form..." Hank chuckled. "Well, I suppose it won't do them any harm. Cats, like three hundred pound gorillas such as myself, sleep where they please."
"Oh, you are not a gorilla. More like a big Cookie Monster, given your junk-food fixation." Looking down at the chocolate she was holding, she glanced up at him with a hopeful expression. "And speaking of which, how about we get some coffee and sample this somewhere warm? It's freezing out there and I got attacked by a Surprise Ice Puddle near the boathouse."
Hank beamed. "Coffee and chocolate would be delightful." He bowed again, gesturing for her to lead the way. "Also intelligent conversation. I am dying for want of intelligent conversation, I assure you. My friend - with whom I was working - is a decent enough fellow, but dull, and his assistant..." He shuddered. "I really did not wish to know about Nicole Kidman's new man and so on, but she simply insisted upon telling me."
"Poor you - it sounds worse than when the girls start talking about the resident boys." She grinned, leading the way into the kitchen. "At least then I can shut them up by offering to pass on what they're saying TO said guys." She gave him a curious look. "What were you working on that was so important, anyway?"
"That, I fear, I cannot tell you. Classified, and all that." He grinned. "And I am NOT a tease. I am simply frustrated in my desire for a harem."
"Damn - the classified stuff is always the most fun," Madleyn pouted. "And what is it with you men and harems? Haroun keeps inviting me to join his. You're all crazy, I tell you." A thought occurred to her, and she almost bounced in excitement. "Did I tell you about the study I'm doing on neurotransmitter levels and specific mutations? Scott got rather hyper after spending all night on Jamie's fake beach, so we've been running tests on his vitamin D requirements and seratonin levels and all the rest. It seems moping is very bad for him."
Hank laughed. "It comes of being spoiled for choice," he explained. "With so many lovely ladies to choose from, it's not easy to pick just one... especially when one doesn't actually HAVE even one. Until Moira - or you - agrees to run away with me, therefore, I must content myself with browsing." He followed her into the kitchen, and headed for the coffee-maker. Coffee gooooood. He'd missed decent coffee. He'd even missed MOIRA'S coffee. Steve's coffee was dreadful. "And... no, you didn't tell me about that. He always has gotten mopey in winter... that's why, then?" He tutted. "And it never occurred to me... I doff my hat to you, madam, or I would if I were wearing one."
Madelyn chuckled, shaking her head at him. "Incorrigible, definitely incorrigible." Grabbing a couple of mugs from their cupboard she brought them over to Hank and the coffee maker, leaning against the bench as he poured. The precious chocolate was set gently down on the table. "It's one of those 'I can't believe I didn't think of it earlier!' things. Scott's mutation derives energy from the sun, yes? So it makes sense his system would have adapted to demand more in the way of sunlight in order to function normally. Sort of a built-in safety system - even if he didn't work out that his powers need sunlight by himself, the fact he feels better after getting sun would eventually register. Still, there's some interesting applications in terms of other energy-based mutations, just as a start. The more esoteric power sources, like Amanda's... they wouldn't be as easy to chart a relationship, but Scott, Alex and perhaps Shiro, maybe even Jubilee and Tabitha and Sam... If they have something similar going on, it would be a good idea to see if there's any deficiencies in anything important as a result." She grinned. "Of course, Jubilee would probably say she derives energy for her powers from sugar, but I think we'd have to test that theory..."
Hank nodded enthusiastically. "I fear in my pursuit of my own research, I had forgotten how much fun it is to work with someone else," he said, handing her a mug of coffee. "And... Jubilee may be quite right in that her powers are partially derived from sugar. Her metabolism is extremely fast, and if her energy levels correspond to her power levels... hm. We would have to test the relative strength of her powers, when she is tired and hungry, when she's at a normal level, and when she is hyped up on sugar to the greatest possible extent." He grinned, sipping his own coffee. "I do believe she may be willing to cooperate on that one. All the donuts and candy she can eat, on doctor's orders? I do not forsee an argument."
"We might want to evacuate the place first - if we let loose a chronically-hyper Jubilee on the school's population, we may be facing a lynch mob," Madelyn said with a snicker, wrapping her hands around the mug to warm them."But a lot of the energy-projectors have very high metabolic rates - it might be an idea to chart how that effects their body chemistry. It could explain some of the mood swings - well those not down to the usual combination of difficult backgrounds and plain old hormones."
"We'd have to nobly sacrifice ourselves and keep her busy until she ran down, I suspect." Hank grinned. "She IS cute when she's buzzing, though... I had no idea it was even possible to talk that fast without stumbling." He got along fairly well with Jubilee, when he saw her... she talked a lot, and Hank thrived on chatter. "And the hormones may not be so plain, at that... the extensive physical mutations necessary to handle energy-based powers may in turn affect the ways in which hormones are produced or metabolized." He had a thought, and set his coffee down to rummage around in search of cookies. "Did I tell you that I theorize that Scott must have no fewer than twenty-seven minor but completely genetically separate mutations in order to function as he does? I myself, at last calculation, have eighteen."
"Sounds like we have a new research project to entertain ourselves - and here I was supposed to be helping you get out of the medlab more..." said Madelyn with a rueful shake of her head. "It is interesting, 'though, and there's way too many applications to just ignore." Reaching over and patting his arm sympathetically. "Poor deprived you. Tell me, is this a guy thing? Mutation envy?" she asked with a wicked grin. "My mutation is genetically more complicated than yours?"
Hank laughed. "I believe I can live without the subtle rearrangement of the interior of the eyeballs, and the enhancements to the neural network necessary to control that kind of power. My beaming baby blues are, in fact, one of the very few areas of my body never affected by my assorted mutations, and I'd rather like to keep them that way. I'm told they're one of my best features," he added, batting his eyelashes at her teasingly. "The point is, there's no such thing as a single mutation leading to a given mutant power... except possibly in the area of psi powers, when it's purely a matter of an often quite minor reshaping of one or two areas of the brain." He leaned back on the counter. "Take young Kyle, for example. There is no gene for 'the senses' as well you know... so, essentially, he has had five entirely separate mutations happen apparently spontaneously, without conflicting with each other and, in fact, coming together quite harmoniously, and that isn't even taking into account the others. The odds of such a thing... well, it's fascinating."
"And statistically improbable, although it could explain the high number of coincidences we get here too - the laws of probability are already in tatters." Madelyn's grin said she was joking, mostly - mathematics wasn't her area of expertise. Biology and anatomy, yes. Numbers? Only what she needed for research, and statistical programs were a Godsend. "Although it's possible certain genetic disorders could be unsuccessful combinations of those mutations." Glancing over at the chocolate sitting neglected on the table, she rolled her eyes at herself. Well, the both of them, really. Talking shop when there was perfectly wonderful chocolate to be had.
"Indeed." He found some cookies, bringing them over to the table as Maddie headed back towards the chocolate with a determined look on her face. "One thing I have gleaned from my work with Jonothon... I am no longer surprised that his powers essentially caused him to explode." He sighed a little sadly. "I am quite astounded, really, that this is the first time it's happened. The sheer complexity of the physical ramifications of most mutant powers... if even one tiny thing goes wrong..." He nibbled a cookie. "Did you know that the average birthrate in this country, proportionate to the population, has dropped by a small but significant percentage? Stillbirths and miscarriages are up, live births are down. There is a theory... and a valid one... that as the proportion of mutants to baseline humans rises, the ratio of fatal mutations is also rising, most of whom do not survive pregnancy."
"Well, Haroun's another example - he's not immune to his own power, which is why he was injured so much on his first flight..." Madelyn's face darkened a little even as she opened the chocolate and pulled out a piece, almost reverently. "And I remember reading about that birth rate theory in the Lancet - if the numbers of mutants being born is increasing, it makes sense that the number of fatal mutations would also go up." She sighed. "Not exactly a happy prospect - it's not exactly something you can address in preventative terms without getting into very murky ethical territory in regards to genetic testing and the choices coming out of it. Much like the arguments concerning genetic conditions like spina bifida." She nibbled on the piece of chocolate, and her expression cleared, despite the serious topic. "Ooh. I think this is enough apology for a lot more than a few months' neglect, Hank. You'd better think of another crime or two."
"Perhaps not unfortunately, nature seems to be acting to prevent such difficulties without our interference," Hank said a little sadly. "Very few mutants with powers dangerous to themselves seem to survive to be born. There are those like Rogue, of course, whose problem could be construed as an effective defensive power that simply got out of hand and started to work all the time, and Haroun and Jonothon of course... but, by and large, the truly dangerous - to their owners - mutations are extremely rare. Fortunately, I suppose, although I cannot but feel for the parents who lose their children in such a way." He smiled a little at her delighted expression as she nibbled on the chocolate. "Oh, well, if I must... perhaps it's time that Moira and I ran away to a little love-laboratory," he said teasingly. "You could stay here and defend us."
"It's hard for parents to lose children in any way," Madelyn agreed, then snorted. "Only if I get a rocket launcher to help hold off Nathan," she told him. "Possibly a nuclear-capable one. There's only so much tranquiliser in the world, and he'd do the outraged husband scarily well."
Hank grinned. "True. Hm. Perhaps I should focus my amorous attentions upon the not-yet-spoken-for charming redhead who knows how to spell 'prolapsed'." He winked at her and grinned. "Imagine the ruckus we could cause if, say, a student were to walk in on us in a compromising position." He paused. "Actually, that could be hilariously funny... perhaps we could arrange something. Would you be averse to having my hand upon your posterior briefly in the interests of giving the school a collective heart attack?"
Luckily Madelyn had just finished drinking her coffee, because the snortage of various liquids was really getting to be a bit much. People kept doing that to her, she reflected darkly, managing to set the mug down without disaster. "Not only can I spell it, I can undo it, and you really have been spending a lot of time in the lab to be getting this frisky," she said, before considering the rest of Hank's statement. "It'd play havoc with the kids' betting pool, not to mention their heads," she said with a wicked grin, although there was a hint of pink about her ears. "But we'd have to pick the target appropriately - if Forge or Rahne walked in on something like that, they'd spontaneously combust from sheer embarrassment."
Hank snickered. "I've missed human interaction a great deal," he admitted. "I'm just now realizing how much. I also just realized how long it's been since I meddled with innocent little student minds." He grinned evilly. "Hmm... Jubilee could certainly be relied upon to spread the word. Or... hmm. Clarice does come in to visit Jonothon on a regular basis, and she's a talkative little pixie. Or Angelo, perhaps..." He sighed happily. "Pranks. I have MISSED pranks."
"You should have been around for Alison and my synthsilk prank - poor Cain just about turned purple," Madelyn chuckled. "Well, I suppose I can sacrifice my dignity a little in the name of making kids' heads explode." And give the kids something else to think about other than things that went Boom in the night.
"Synthsilk prank?" He grinned, showing a lot of very sharp teeth. "Whatever vixenish thing did you do to that poor man... who I must go and see, this afternoon. It must be hard on him, being so inactive."
"Well, not so much as a deliberate prank as taking advantage of events, but yes, Alison was testing out the synthsilk as a possible under layer for the uniforms, and Cain walked in on us. We couldn't resist playing it up shamelessly." Taking another piece of chocolate, she nodded. "It is hard. Especially considering he's been practically invulnerable up until now, a nd to be so helpless... Still, he's dealing with it much better than I'd expected."
Hank nodded. "Certainly he's managing much better than I did with my own great change," he admitted, touching the blue fur of his arm absently. "And I still retained my mobility, my clarity of thought, my strength... everything but my appearance." He smiled ruefully. "Of course, a disaster inflicted by one's own dire stupidity is in some ways harder to deal with than an accident."
Wordlessly Madelyn reached out and lay her hand on Hank's arm, ruffling the fur gently. The gesture said more than any platitude could.
He smiled at her. "Well, mustn't grumble," he said cheerfully. "After all... I do still have my health."
Hank waited... well, lurked... inside the door, waiting for Madelyn to get back from checking on Cain. Which he'd do himself this afternoon, but for now, he had a charming lady doctor to apologize to.
He had a small, rather heavy package that would, hopefully, help him with that.
He resisted the urge to bounce at her when she opened the door, since that wouldn't be a good start for an apology... instead, he bowed as she slipped inside, pressing one huge hand to his heart. "I have returned," he said gravely. "And my heart is light, for you have promised to forgive me for my shameful neglect, yet also heavy, for I have not treated you well and the guilt lieth heavy upon my heart." He peeked up at her, still bent low in the bow, to see if he'd made her smile yet.
After the initial start and a muffled 'eep!' which she'd never live down if any of her old FBI cronies had heard her, Madelyn couldn't help giggling at the large furry doctor's speech. "You've been thinking about this a lot, haven't you?" she said, snickering. "Practiced in front of the mirror and everything?"
"Actually, I had planned to be hanging above your bed with a rose betwixt my teeth when you awoke," Hank teased, straightening up and taking her coat in a gentlemanly fashion. "But, alas, I feared that you might shoot at me, so I changed my mind at the last moment." He held out the carefully wrapped package. "I did, however, bring you an I'm-sorry gift."
"You didn't have to, you know..." Madelyn said, still giggling at the mental image he'd conjured in her head as she took the package. "And I'm glad you didn't - it would have been very awkward to explain the large furry man in my bed with a tranq dart somewhere uncomfortable." She unwrapped the paper, tearing it a little impatiently when it became obvious there was more than one layer. That, and any misdemenour Hank might commit for the next year was forgiven, however, when she uncovered the Belgian chocolate. "Oh my," she breathed almost reverently. "That's a lot of sugar high." Beaming up at him, she couldn't resist giving him a one-armed hug - the other hand was hanging onto the chocolate protectively. "No doubt there will be screams of anguish when I'm obnoxiously cheerful at people at scary hours of the morning, but you've made this sugar freak very happy, Hank. Thank you."
He hugged her happily... Hank never turned down hugs... careful not to bury her entirely in fur. She did, after all, need to breathe. "I have some for Moira, too... and Alison. The two of you may chirp cheerfully together." He smiled down at her. "I'm glad you like it. I wanted to get you something that would make you happy, to make up for overworking you so terribly lately." He sighed mournfully.. and then winked. "And, since wooing the three of you with my irresistably hirsuite charms would result in having my head smacked a great deal, I was forced to resort to chocolate."
"Well, considering the current obsession with Miles' chocolate waffles of chocolatey doom, I'll manage to cope, somehow." Stretching up on tip-toe, she pressed a brief kiss to his cheek. "And I'm fine - Moira read me the riot act in the middle of that business with Alison and I've been managing my stress levels much better, and it helps things have quietened down a bit. It didn't help that there was a lot of bad, all at once." Her eyes were a little shadowed as she remembered Vermont - those little body bags were still appearing in her dreams occaisionally. Letting Hank go and cradling the precious chocolate to her front, she shrugged off the momentary seriousness and looked up at the other doctor with a smile. "So, this grand scheme to be social... How's it going so far?"
He beamed, and planted a gentle kiss on her smooth forehead in return. "Well, so far, just you. But I will go a-hunting for more people to talk to later, and see who's still about. Apparently I've made a good impression on Catseye already, though I'm not sure how yet."
"Did you leave a fish-product of some sort lying around?" she asked teasingly. "Because that's always a good way to make a good impression on a cat."
Hank shook his head. "Nor did I let her make a pillow of me... at least, not to my knowledge. I was sleeping quite deeply, and might not have wakened." He grinned. "I take it she makes rather a habit of that... I've been reading up on the journals a bit, while I was finishing up."
"Ohhh, yes, that she does..." Maddie giggled. "I think it disconcerts some of the other students... especially the boys."
"As it would. I do recall being that age, and even the notion of having a naked girl on the bed with me, in any form..." Hank chuckled. "Well, I suppose it won't do them any harm. Cats, like three hundred pound gorillas such as myself, sleep where they please."
"Oh, you are not a gorilla. More like a big Cookie Monster, given your junk-food fixation." Looking down at the chocolate she was holding, she glanced up at him with a hopeful expression. "And speaking of which, how about we get some coffee and sample this somewhere warm? It's freezing out there and I got attacked by a Surprise Ice Puddle near the boathouse."
Hank beamed. "Coffee and chocolate would be delightful." He bowed again, gesturing for her to lead the way. "Also intelligent conversation. I am dying for want of intelligent conversation, I assure you. My friend - with whom I was working - is a decent enough fellow, but dull, and his assistant..." He shuddered. "I really did not wish to know about Nicole Kidman's new man and so on, but she simply insisted upon telling me."
"Poor you - it sounds worse than when the girls start talking about the resident boys." She grinned, leading the way into the kitchen. "At least then I can shut them up by offering to pass on what they're saying TO said guys." She gave him a curious look. "What were you working on that was so important, anyway?"
"That, I fear, I cannot tell you. Classified, and all that." He grinned. "And I am NOT a tease. I am simply frustrated in my desire for a harem."
"Damn - the classified stuff is always the most fun," Madleyn pouted. "And what is it with you men and harems? Haroun keeps inviting me to join his. You're all crazy, I tell you." A thought occurred to her, and she almost bounced in excitement. "Did I tell you about the study I'm doing on neurotransmitter levels and specific mutations? Scott got rather hyper after spending all night on Jamie's fake beach, so we've been running tests on his vitamin D requirements and seratonin levels and all the rest. It seems moping is very bad for him."
Hank laughed. "It comes of being spoiled for choice," he explained. "With so many lovely ladies to choose from, it's not easy to pick just one... especially when one doesn't actually HAVE even one. Until Moira - or you - agrees to run away with me, therefore, I must content myself with browsing." He followed her into the kitchen, and headed for the coffee-maker. Coffee gooooood. He'd missed decent coffee. He'd even missed MOIRA'S coffee. Steve's coffee was dreadful. "And... no, you didn't tell me about that. He always has gotten mopey in winter... that's why, then?" He tutted. "And it never occurred to me... I doff my hat to you, madam, or I would if I were wearing one."
Madelyn chuckled, shaking her head at him. "Incorrigible, definitely incorrigible." Grabbing a couple of mugs from their cupboard she brought them over to Hank and the coffee maker, leaning against the bench as he poured. The precious chocolate was set gently down on the table. "It's one of those 'I can't believe I didn't think of it earlier!' things. Scott's mutation derives energy from the sun, yes? So it makes sense his system would have adapted to demand more in the way of sunlight in order to function normally. Sort of a built-in safety system - even if he didn't work out that his powers need sunlight by himself, the fact he feels better after getting sun would eventually register. Still, there's some interesting applications in terms of other energy-based mutations, just as a start. The more esoteric power sources, like Amanda's... they wouldn't be as easy to chart a relationship, but Scott, Alex and perhaps Shiro, maybe even Jubilee and Tabitha and Sam... If they have something similar going on, it would be a good idea to see if there's any deficiencies in anything important as a result." She grinned. "Of course, Jubilee would probably say she derives energy for her powers from sugar, but I think we'd have to test that theory..."
Hank nodded enthusiastically. "I fear in my pursuit of my own research, I had forgotten how much fun it is to work with someone else," he said, handing her a mug of coffee. "And... Jubilee may be quite right in that her powers are partially derived from sugar. Her metabolism is extremely fast, and if her energy levels correspond to her power levels... hm. We would have to test the relative strength of her powers, when she is tired and hungry, when she's at a normal level, and when she is hyped up on sugar to the greatest possible extent." He grinned, sipping his own coffee. "I do believe she may be willing to cooperate on that one. All the donuts and candy she can eat, on doctor's orders? I do not forsee an argument."
"We might want to evacuate the place first - if we let loose a chronically-hyper Jubilee on the school's population, we may be facing a lynch mob," Madelyn said with a snicker, wrapping her hands around the mug to warm them."But a lot of the energy-projectors have very high metabolic rates - it might be an idea to chart how that effects their body chemistry. It could explain some of the mood swings - well those not down to the usual combination of difficult backgrounds and plain old hormones."
"We'd have to nobly sacrifice ourselves and keep her busy until she ran down, I suspect." Hank grinned. "She IS cute when she's buzzing, though... I had no idea it was even possible to talk that fast without stumbling." He got along fairly well with Jubilee, when he saw her... she talked a lot, and Hank thrived on chatter. "And the hormones may not be so plain, at that... the extensive physical mutations necessary to handle energy-based powers may in turn affect the ways in which hormones are produced or metabolized." He had a thought, and set his coffee down to rummage around in search of cookies. "Did I tell you that I theorize that Scott must have no fewer than twenty-seven minor but completely genetically separate mutations in order to function as he does? I myself, at last calculation, have eighteen."
"Sounds like we have a new research project to entertain ourselves - and here I was supposed to be helping you get out of the medlab more..." said Madelyn with a rueful shake of her head. "It is interesting, 'though, and there's way too many applications to just ignore." Reaching over and patting his arm sympathetically. "Poor deprived you. Tell me, is this a guy thing? Mutation envy?" she asked with a wicked grin. "My mutation is genetically more complicated than yours?"
Hank laughed. "I believe I can live without the subtle rearrangement of the interior of the eyeballs, and the enhancements to the neural network necessary to control that kind of power. My beaming baby blues are, in fact, one of the very few areas of my body never affected by my assorted mutations, and I'd rather like to keep them that way. I'm told they're one of my best features," he added, batting his eyelashes at her teasingly. "The point is, there's no such thing as a single mutation leading to a given mutant power... except possibly in the area of psi powers, when it's purely a matter of an often quite minor reshaping of one or two areas of the brain." He leaned back on the counter. "Take young Kyle, for example. There is no gene for 'the senses' as well you know... so, essentially, he has had five entirely separate mutations happen apparently spontaneously, without conflicting with each other and, in fact, coming together quite harmoniously, and that isn't even taking into account the others. The odds of such a thing... well, it's fascinating."
"And statistically improbable, although it could explain the high number of coincidences we get here too - the laws of probability are already in tatters." Madelyn's grin said she was joking, mostly - mathematics wasn't her area of expertise. Biology and anatomy, yes. Numbers? Only what she needed for research, and statistical programs were a Godsend. "Although it's possible certain genetic disorders could be unsuccessful combinations of those mutations." Glancing over at the chocolate sitting neglected on the table, she rolled her eyes at herself. Well, the both of them, really. Talking shop when there was perfectly wonderful chocolate to be had.
"Indeed." He found some cookies, bringing them over to the table as Maddie headed back towards the chocolate with a determined look on her face. "One thing I have gleaned from my work with Jonothon... I am no longer surprised that his powers essentially caused him to explode." He sighed a little sadly. "I am quite astounded, really, that this is the first time it's happened. The sheer complexity of the physical ramifications of most mutant powers... if even one tiny thing goes wrong..." He nibbled a cookie. "Did you know that the average birthrate in this country, proportionate to the population, has dropped by a small but significant percentage? Stillbirths and miscarriages are up, live births are down. There is a theory... and a valid one... that as the proportion of mutants to baseline humans rises, the ratio of fatal mutations is also rising, most of whom do not survive pregnancy."
"Well, Haroun's another example - he's not immune to his own power, which is why he was injured so much on his first flight..." Madelyn's face darkened a little even as she opened the chocolate and pulled out a piece, almost reverently. "And I remember reading about that birth rate theory in the Lancet - if the numbers of mutants being born is increasing, it makes sense that the number of fatal mutations would also go up." She sighed. "Not exactly a happy prospect - it's not exactly something you can address in preventative terms without getting into very murky ethical territory in regards to genetic testing and the choices coming out of it. Much like the arguments concerning genetic conditions like spina bifida." She nibbled on the piece of chocolate, and her expression cleared, despite the serious topic. "Ooh. I think this is enough apology for a lot more than a few months' neglect, Hank. You'd better think of another crime or two."
"Perhaps not unfortunately, nature seems to be acting to prevent such difficulties without our interference," Hank said a little sadly. "Very few mutants with powers dangerous to themselves seem to survive to be born. There are those like Rogue, of course, whose problem could be construed as an effective defensive power that simply got out of hand and started to work all the time, and Haroun and Jonothon of course... but, by and large, the truly dangerous - to their owners - mutations are extremely rare. Fortunately, I suppose, although I cannot but feel for the parents who lose their children in such a way." He smiled a little at her delighted expression as she nibbled on the chocolate. "Oh, well, if I must... perhaps it's time that Moira and I ran away to a little love-laboratory," he said teasingly. "You could stay here and defend us."
"It's hard for parents to lose children in any way," Madelyn agreed, then snorted. "Only if I get a rocket launcher to help hold off Nathan," she told him. "Possibly a nuclear-capable one. There's only so much tranquiliser in the world, and he'd do the outraged husband scarily well."
Hank grinned. "True. Hm. Perhaps I should focus my amorous attentions upon the not-yet-spoken-for charming redhead who knows how to spell 'prolapsed'." He winked at her and grinned. "Imagine the ruckus we could cause if, say, a student were to walk in on us in a compromising position." He paused. "Actually, that could be hilariously funny... perhaps we could arrange something. Would you be averse to having my hand upon your posterior briefly in the interests of giving the school a collective heart attack?"
Luckily Madelyn had just finished drinking her coffee, because the snortage of various liquids was really getting to be a bit much. People kept doing that to her, she reflected darkly, managing to set the mug down without disaster. "Not only can I spell it, I can undo it, and you really have been spending a lot of time in the lab to be getting this frisky," she said, before considering the rest of Hank's statement. "It'd play havoc with the kids' betting pool, not to mention their heads," she said with a wicked grin, although there was a hint of pink about her ears. "But we'd have to pick the target appropriately - if Forge or Rahne walked in on something like that, they'd spontaneously combust from sheer embarrassment."
Hank snickered. "I've missed human interaction a great deal," he admitted. "I'm just now realizing how much. I also just realized how long it's been since I meddled with innocent little student minds." He grinned evilly. "Hmm... Jubilee could certainly be relied upon to spread the word. Or... hmm. Clarice does come in to visit Jonothon on a regular basis, and she's a talkative little pixie. Or Angelo, perhaps..." He sighed happily. "Pranks. I have MISSED pranks."
"You should have been around for Alison and my synthsilk prank - poor Cain just about turned purple," Madelyn chuckled. "Well, I suppose I can sacrifice my dignity a little in the name of making kids' heads explode." And give the kids something else to think about other than things that went Boom in the night.
"Synthsilk prank?" He grinned, showing a lot of very sharp teeth. "Whatever vixenish thing did you do to that poor man... who I must go and see, this afternoon. It must be hard on him, being so inactive."
"Well, not so much as a deliberate prank as taking advantage of events, but yes, Alison was testing out the synthsilk as a possible under layer for the uniforms, and Cain walked in on us. We couldn't resist playing it up shamelessly." Taking another piece of chocolate, she nodded. "It is hard. Especially considering he's been practically invulnerable up until now, a nd to be so helpless... Still, he's dealing with it much better than I'd expected."
Hank nodded. "Certainly he's managing much better than I did with my own great change," he admitted, touching the blue fur of his arm absently. "And I still retained my mobility, my clarity of thought, my strength... everything but my appearance." He smiled ruefully. "Of course, a disaster inflicted by one's own dire stupidity is in some ways harder to deal with than an accident."
Wordlessly Madelyn reached out and lay her hand on Hank's arm, ruffling the fur gently. The gesture said more than any platitude could.
He smiled at her. "Well, mustn't grumble," he said cheerfully. "After all... I do still have my health."
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Date: 2005-01-03 09:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-03 10:37 pm (UTC)My sister is a geneticist, and has helped me out with my theories for Hank. It's fun to get her started on the Marvel Science...
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Date: 2005-01-03 10:38 pm (UTC)