2009-03-27: Tentative Steps

Players:

Addison_icon.jpg Brian_icon.jpg

Summary: Addison interrupts Brian working on something before he has to run off.

Date: March 27, 2009

Tentative Steps

Rating: PG


Xavier Mansion - Laboratory

Your typical lab. Beakers and burners, chemistry sets and, of course, the higher tech gifted to the mansion from the Shi'ar, much like the rest of the lower levels. This room is kept locked, only the professors can unlock it or the various substances that are locked into cabinets within the room.


After finding a great substance to use for the plates of his suit, Brian is waiting at a lab table, subjecting the plate to different tortures. Right now it's sulfuric acid, a dripper starts to drip the yellow liquid on the sample, as a civilian-clothed Brian looks in on the black metal with darkened goggles. The room is bright and not many things are out, just on the table Brian is on.

AS he paces the hallways, trying to figure out how to get the trap to work, he feels a familiar presence in the lab. Stepping inside, he looks towards the other mutant and offers a slight smile. "Evening." he says, lightly, not stepping in because he's not sure if company would be wanted or not.

Mouth agape as Brian's witnessing the results. The black goggles look up to Addison as he enters the lab, mouth still open. "Huh? Oh. Hi." Brian was focused and hardly noticed Grey King before he talked to him. An idle hand reaches up to the dripper and stops the flow of acid on the metal.

"Is everything alright?" Addison asks, moving in quietly, doing his best not to make any noise as he does so. He doesn't inquire about the experiment, assuming that if Brian wants him to know, he'll tell him. That, and the tendency to accidentally hear thoughts when he's not trying to.

Brian's covered eyes lie to his team-mate. "Yeah, fine, just doing an experiment on this stuff." He's trying to piece together a new suit, been coming along slowly, but it'll happen eventually.

"Is there anything I can help with? I… I have to take my mind off of what I'm thinking of. If I don't, I'm going to worry it to death and never figure it out properly." Addison chuckles, softly. "If not, I'll leave you alone. It's just… usually more peaceful around you, I've noticed."

The energy manipulator looks back down at the material, it appears to be resistant to acid. Brian then looks back up to Addison. "Yeah, on the table there's another sample. Hook it up to…" He looks about. "There's a voltmeter somewhere around here." The statement about peace around Brian is a bit foreign to him. "It doesn't feel that way sometimes."

"Compared to the raging teenage hormones up there, and because you're often alone." Addison explains as he blinks and looks for the other sample, hooking it up (he hopes) where instructed. Of course, most of this is very new to him, so he could be wrong.

Brian looks to a small bag below his stool. "Uhh, here." He grabs a small battery and takes it out, wires attached to the battery are touched to the sample and the amount of electricity is read. "Looks like it will carry through instead of getting hot, as long as there's something for it to jump through, it will just pass through." That's good news. "I'm alone cause the one person I thought of as a sister just up and left me… Sorry just, I.." He trails off, continuing with the sample.

"Oh. I wish I could help." Addison offers. Sure, he could do unspeakable things to erase it from Brian's mind, but that would be wrong. "Looking for something to conduct without being too damaged in the process?" He asks, trying to pick up a little here and there, though it's not his forte.

"It's alright." He says, he's still bitter at Eira for doing that to him. His family already ditched him, then he had to go through that again. "Yeah, if electricit passes through and doesn't conduct heat, it wouldn't get too damaged." That's using that MIT-worthy brain right there. Brian looks at the first sample, still nothing. "Seems to be resistant to acid as well." No telling what he's working on.

"How often do you have to worry about acid? Or just testing things?" He asks, pondering. "If you're wondering about pure heat resistance too, I can manage that without turning on burners." Addison offers. His telekinesis has a lot of natural pyrokinesis in it. Hey, it's an idea!

Brian raises a brow. "Um, I'm more worried about the cloth for fire, but I think I can get away with using a nomex underlay." The goggles are taken up above his eyes and looks to Addison. "Really, you don't have to worry about acid but it can happen."

"Ok, forgive my overabundant curiosity… but what is this for?" Addison laughs, feeling extremely silly. "I'm doing my best at shielding to not pick up stray thoughts, and I won't intrude, because that's just wrong, so I have to teach myself that asking questions is alright." He looks extremely confused, but… perhaps even as though he's enjoying the confusion.

"It's nothing, just something to occupy my time and look good on my repertoire of technology." Dodging the question, though he does respond to the control statement. "Good, you can't rely on your powers all the time. Especially if yours is only for destruction." Brian pushes his hand through his crimson hair. Giving a little sheepish smile to Addison.

"I'm trying to resist mine. After so long of being forced wide open with them. I've… grown accustomed to Farouk's ease of taking. I've finally got my shielding better." And Addison does accept the statement at face value. The smile causes him to blink and even get a little bit of redness in his cheeks. Of course, his own hair is Jean's level of red. He earned it natu..no.. whatever it is.

Brian looks away to the first sample. "It was hard being a pacifist, and not being able to control something that only destroys things." He remembers something that's imprinted into his mind, the sight of a hand underneath a pile of cinderblocks, and his hands giving off a crimson smoke. "Sorry if you picked that up…"

"It's hard being a front lines freedom fighter and having your mind controlled and forced to control other minds in a way you find absolutely despicable." Addison does get the image, but he says nothing. "I've… I've done worse." He whispers, looking downwards slightly.

"Sorry." He says again, that one is the worst non-Death-related memory he has. "Did, you ever have the Four Horsemen on your world?" Brian's curious, it's hard to explain what they were if there isn't any on his world.

"I vaguely recall them. I think they had just been defeated when the overlords came and destroyed those that stood in their way. Any alien race was gone. Any Omega Level mutant that they could discover was gone. Though, some of us hadn't awakened, or were able to hide well enough to avoid it." Addison offers, not really knowing them.

"I was one of them, here." Brian admits. "You, and Daisuke are the one's who can relate the most with me." He says, admitting that he's not the only one here that experienced it. "I was Death, killed many innocent people. And now my karma's ruined." He thinks it is at least, who knows.

Addison thinks on this for a bit. "Did you choose it, or was it forced? It does matter, in the long run. I've… I've killed many as well. Though, I was not entirely under my control. I was warped in my mind, convinced that it was the only way when I wasn't being mentally forced. But those were not who I am now. If there are gods, they'll forgive me for those things from beforehand, I believe. But… I don't know what I believe in, so I can't say." He admits softly, wishing he had some way to offer comfort, but knowing that at the moment, he doesn't.

"Against my will, but when I look back, I remember things, and… I enjoyed it." Brian looks to Addison. "I don't know either." A fact that terrifies him, but he won't say it. He's certainly feeling different towards Addison than anyone else he's met recently.

"I thought I enjoyed it as well. I was programmed to have pleasure centers pushed when I did what he wanted. But, I know in my heart that it's wrong, despite the feelings. I've gotten that fixed, though." Addison says, as he just watches Brian casually. He has a confused look on his face for a moment, as if he's trying to figure something out. "You'll find your way." He nods softly.

Brian starts to write down his findings on paper. "That's what they say." 'they' being everyone who's given him a sympathetic pat, or a word of wisdom. He's lost, but isn't sure he can find himself without someone helping him. He's been toying with seeing the school psychologist, but so far has stayed away. Though he should have been going ever since the incident. Every now and again he gives Addison a quick look from his paper. He's a little confused, well, a little is a bit of a general understatement.

"If… I don't know you that well, and I'm not exactly like most people around here. But if you'd like, I… I'd be more than happy to try to help." Addison offers, suddenly really bashful about the offer. In battle, he's barking commands and seeing the whole picture. But this type of situation? Even though he's more than capable, there's something he's not able to admit. "I probably have more experience with such things." He adds before he bites his lip. "Uhm… if you want, you can come and see me later. I… I need to get going." He stammers, waiting to hear any responses before heading to the door.

Brian looks to Addison and there's something there. Not sure yet. "O-okay." Not the most positive of answers, but it is positive. "I uhh, will see you later?"

"Yes, please." Addison says with a nod, going out the door with a slight wave. A wave? He doesn't wave at people…

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License