#elementalcessily

[tandydaggerbowen-blog]

Title: Water Under the Bridge Tagging: Cessily Kincaid & Tandy Bowen Location: NYU Dorms, Baxter Building, New York Time Frame: September 19th, 2016 General Notes: Aftermath prompt response.

Nerves were building in Tandy as they waited for Cessily to show up to their dorm room. They had texted her asking to come over. Tyrone was in class right then for the next couple hours, which would give them time alone to talk. They had already given him more specifics regarding the future, even crying on his shoulder at one point. Their hope was they wouldn’t ending up crying with the other woman. While they didn’t plan on telling her details about their father, they worried about their reaction to who they had been with in the future. They couldn’t keep it to themselves, though. There was a knock on the door, and they jumped from their place on their bed. Rushing to the door, they opened it with a tense smile. “Hey there,” they greeted, before stepping out of the way. “Welcome to my tiny home. Feel free to ignore the mess.”

Cessily couldn’t deny she was nervous about seeing Tandy for the first time since their little excursion into the future but that was no reason to not make an effort. Her future self had been far too modest in her clothing selection for her liking so she was making the most of the revealing and tight fitting items she found in her closet. She had already added a subtle wave to her vivid red hair - which was the only thing she could really change about her appearance as her silver complexion made wearing makeup impossible. A pair of ripped denim shorts and a plain cream top which showed off her midriff were hastily thrown on and she grabbed a jacket on the way out so the outfit didn’t quite scream ‘bed me’. Arriving at Tandy’s address she steadied her nerve and knocked on the door, flashing a huge silver smile as it swung open to reveal the blonde. “Hey gorgeous,” she purred as her silver eyes did their customary roam up and down Tandy’s figure. “Mess? Why would I be looking at the mess when I can look at you instead?” She teased though it was just a tiny bit forced. Her gaze did take in the surroundings and she smirked as she saw the mess that had been mentioned. Cessily wasn’t normally one for sentiment but as her silver eyes met Tandy’s she found herself saying, “it’s really good to see you.”

Any doubt that Tandy wasn’t in the present faded with the sight of Cessily. She truly hadn’t realized how different her style was in the future, until she was reminded of how she dressed now. The sight of her midriff alone caused her stomach to do backflips. Her breath caught in her throat, and her face warmed, wondering for probably the dozenth time how the gorgeous woman could be interested in her. She blinked out of her daze at Cess greeting her, and her body heated as her eyes glanced down at her. She was in shorts and a tank top, along with gray knee high socks, with a sloppy ponytail on top. “You’re the gorgeous one by the looks of it,” she replied with a bite of her lip. Her smile became less anxiety filled, and more genuine at her next remark. She closed the door as she came inside. A skip in her heartbeat arose at Cess’ words, while it also filled her with worry. What if this was how she ended up losing her? “It’s really good to see you, too.” She stepped forward, taking her hand and squeezing it. After a moment, though, she decided that wasn’t enough for her, and moved closer and wrapped her arms around her. She buried her face in her neck and held on tight. “I missed you. This.”

”Not from where I'm standing,” the silver girl purred in reply. Tansy’s outfit caused her to take a second long look and Cessily’s imagination began to run wild with images of knee high socks and Tandy in a full schoolgirl outfit. She forced the image to the back of her mind, thinking such things would do her no good if she was about to get dumped. Her worrying increased as her shiny hand was squeezed, was that all she was going to get? Relief filled her soon after as Tandy pressed their bodies together and Cessily allowed herself a sigh of relief - she wasn't getting dumped. Her arm snaked around the blonde’s waist and she held her tightly, pulling them even closer together. “I missed you too beautiful. I missed us.” She let out a nervous chuckle, “I thought I'd be leaving here single.” It felt strange using the word single but it felt good to have aired her fear. Her shimmering silver hand rose to the back of Tandy’s head and she slowly removed the tie holding their hair in a ponytail. Once their hair fell she ran her silver fingers through it, remembering how much Tandy liked that. She leaned down and kissed the top of Tandy’s head and asked softly “are you ok?”

The familiarity of Cessily’s flirting and endless charm comforted and eased Tandy more, at least. Their blush was there to stay from the moment the silver woman stepped into the room. They relaxed into her body more as her arms came around them, breathing in her scent and holding on even tighter. When they heard what her worry had been, they drew their face back to meet her eyes. “You won’t be, Cess.” They hoped she wouldn’t be, but it depended on how she felt about what they told them. Their head arched back as her ponytail was freed, before pressing their body further against Cess’. They shut their eyes from the kiss to their forehead, and released a shuddery sigh at the question. “A lot of the future...bothered me,” they admitted quietly, slowly opening their eyes to look at her again. “It’s stressing me out. Especially this one thing I want to tell you cause I want to be honest. And it might not even matter to you or it will, but I don’t want to keep it to myself.” Their fingers brushed through the red hair while they paused. “I...wasn’t exactly single in the future. Apparently, I was dating someone for a long time. It became on and off, but...I know this person already.”

Cessily couldn't stop her hand sliding under Tandy’s top to rest on her back, craving the feeling of her warm skin on her fingers. Her silver features turned into a big smile when she had confirmation she wouldn't be leaving single but she could tell there was more to come so she continued her soothing strokes through blonde hair. Despite seeing Tandy struggle to talk about her concerns she couldn't help her silver lip curling into a lop sided smirk. “The green haired girl? Apparently I have rather unkind names for her.” She pulled Tandy in closer, squeezing her tight. “I dunno if you cheated or if I was dumped but I didn't take it well. I rebounded so hard I got knocked up by Eva’s brother who I haven't even met yet. Apparently we were happy… until he died. My rather eagle eyed daughter told me how you'd turn up upset sometimes and I'd cheer you up by watching horror films all night.” She grinned cheekily, “I guess that means we did a lot of screaming.” She sighed. “So yeah, I know I was second best but I also know a rather smart Aussie chick once told me the future is never set. Nothing we saw or had is set in stone.” She gulped and blinked rapidly, suddenly feeling a rush of emotion that she hadn't expected. “If you… y’know… wanna go after her or whatever… I get it, I won't get in the way or anything if that's what you want. I just… well let's just say I'm not done with you yet if you wanna stick with me.” She tried to smile confidently but her worry was still present behind her silver eyes.

Tandy shivered at Cessily’s fingers against her bare back. It was a welcome distraction from the serious discussion they were having; it reminded her they were still together. Her body tensed up a bit at the mention of Lorna. “Yeah. Lorna Dane. Also known as Polaris.” Also known as ‘my grinch’ in the future. She bit down on her lower lip as she listened to Cess talked about what happened to them. Her chest grew tighter the more she heard, unable to stop the guilt that built up in her. “That’s something Lorna told me, too. That it’s only a future.” It didn’t lessen her stress that it was the future that would happen. She blinked in confusion at what the silver woman last spoke. “Cess...No. Never,” she promised with wide eyes. “She’s a friend. That’s it. I don’t want her like that.” She never could, not when she knew what it led to. “It destroyed me to know we weren’t together. It hurts to know...that me in the future hurts you so badly. I’m sorry.” She wasn’t sure why she was apologizing for something she hadn’t done yet or ever, but it came out anyway. “I’m...I’m falling for you, Cessily. I was expecting you to want to be done with me after finding out how everything turns out.” A lump formed in her throat, before a thought crossed her mind. “Your daughter...You could never have her, if we stayed together,” she murmured. “Being with me and not rebounding...means you won’t have her.” She glanced away for a few moments. “That’s like asking you to choose between me and your future daughter.”

Cessily noticed Tandy tense up and tried her best to keep her features soft and impassive but she couldn't keep the contempt from her voice as she spoke. Any mention of the Brotherhood made her instantly think of Eva laying lifeless in hospital. “Yeah I know her. Future queen bitch of the Brotherhood.” Wanting to lighten the mood after her outburst she smirked at the stunning blonde before her. “Guess bad girls are your type, gorgeous,” she purred. Cessily had seen enough films to know dwelling on a future that was never guaranteed was a bad thing. “We get to write a whole new future now. Just know what could happen makes our decisions different, which makes that future gone already. Even if it's just a minor change.” She raised a shimmering silver hand and caressed Tandy’s cheek softly with her finger. “How about we focus on the here and now and let whatever's to come sort itself out?” The silver girl felt her heart skip as Tandy confessed to falling for her, she wanted to say the same thing as she felt the same way but expressing her emotions was one of her biggest downfalls. “I'll never be done with you beautiful. Even after you hurt me I wasn't done in the future.” Her silver lips opened and closed several times but words refused to come out. “This is all new to me, I gotta say I like this falling thing. It feels… special.” She knew it was lame but it was the best she could manage. She hoped Tandy understood she was trying. Hearing Tandy talk about her having to choose actually made her smile, probably not the reaction Tandy was expecting. “Not necessarily.” Placing a finger under Tandy’s chin she lifted her head so their gaze met once more. “The future taught me this perfect specimen of a body can carry a child and still be hot as hell after, but I also found out Dee and Eva were having a baby, that was theirs. If our mothering instinct takes over we could always do the same.”

The name Cessily used on Lorna didn’t sit particularly right with Tandy. They didn’t exactly want to defend the Brotherhood, but they also didn’t want to ignore the insult thrown at their friend. “She’s...She’s just doing what she thinks is right. I can respect that,” they replied with a sheepish shrug. Her next remark did tug a smile onto their lips. “I suppose they are, never thought they’d be my type.” They listened to her talk about how they could create a whole new future, and tried to believe her, that nothing was set in place. “You’re right,” they murmured, leaning into the touch and closing their eyes. Her reassurance calmed them, even if it was only slightly. They needed that right then. Their eyes opened again at her speaking again, chest tightening up again at the idea of hurting the silver woman. “And I obviously wasn’t done with you either. You always had me coming back.” They couldn’t imagine their life without Cessily in it now, which, at least, in the future, she had still been apart of it. Somewhat. They watched her try to get something out, before they smiled softly. “It does. It really does.” The way they felt around her was almost indescribable. Her smile in response to their worries about her having to make a choice confounded the blonde. Why wasn’t she as worried about this as Tandy was? They let their head be tilted up, and let her words sink in. “We could...We could have kids of our own,” they mumbled. Their face heated up after they spoke. “I’d probably be a horrible mother,” they mused, half joking and half serious as they thought of their own mother. They feared repeating history. “You...You’d be amazing. And totally dotting, I bet, but act like you’re not,” they teased, leaning over and kissing the corner of her mouth. Letting their foreheads touch, they stayed quiet for a few moments. “You know how to make me feel better, Cess. Like, not, fake better, but genuinely feel better. You--You don’t judge me for how I feel. Or play them off.” They bit down on their lip. “I’m still new to someone being like that with me. Caring and shit. Which sounds pathetic. I just want you to know it makes me feel safe with you.”

"I get that," Cessily replied solemnly, "it's nothing personal. I just can't agree with an organisation that hurts innocent individuals to further their goals. It just rubs me up the wrong way, y'know?" Eva's story of being attacked by Mastermind was still vivid in her mind and she felt a flare of anger every time she thought of it but that wasn't what this meeting was about and Cessily was keen to change the subject. She wiggled her eyebrows flirtatiously, "I'll have to be a bad girl for you more often, see how crazy I can drive you." Cessily couldn't resist a gentle chuckle and flashed a silvery smile. "Then we'll never be done with each other. No matter what gets thrown at us." She leaned forward and kissed Tandy's forehead, really wanting to kiss the blonde properly but not feeling like it was a good time to stop the serious conversation. The future was never something she dwelled on, always one to live in the moment, sometimes to her own expense. "Yeah, we could," she cooed softly, "and hush, you'd be amazing. The caring, listening one to contrast my doting tough love. But... let's not get ahead of ourselves." She smiled supportively and nodded as she listened and her eyes were locked into Tandy's as she spoke, her silver fingers gliding through the sweet spot of Tandy's hair. "I'll do everything I can to make you feel good, beautiful. I might need a nudge in the right direction every now and then but how you feel is important to me. I care about you, and how you feel, a lot. And that definitely doesn't sound pathetic. I get it, I really do. I'll keep you as safe as I can. I promise." She simply couldn't resist any longer and whispered a soft "c'mere," as she leaned in close, pressing her lips onto Tandy's gently at first but increasing the pressure and passion behind it. She released a soft pleasure filled sigh but didn't break the kiss.

There was no denying what Cessily had said about the Brotherhood. Tandy wasn’t naive to various acts the organization had done that she didn’t approve of at all, especially after being on the receiving end of one of those unjustified attacks. But she believed Lorna wouldn’t let Mastermind continue being apart of the Brotherhood once that happened. “Gonna get my heart racing, then, Cess? Get my body hot all over?” she half teased, half challenged. “No matter what gets thrown at us,” she repeated in a promise, releasing a breath of relief as her forehead was kissed, with a surge of affection rushing into her chest. It was nice to slow down for a few minutes, and talk out what she was feeling. It was also incredibly terrifying for the blonde to be vulnerable like this. “You give me way too much credit, I would probably be too freaked out to even pick up a baby, let alone raise one. And right, just kinda cute to think about.” Would Cessily still believe she’d be a good parent, if she knew the parenting Tandy had grown up with, the habits she developed? She couldn’t dwell on the idea because soon the other’s chilled silver fingers were brushing through her hair, bring her mind back to reality. “I trust you, Cess. And I feel comfortable enough to tell you, y’know, if something’s wrong. I just...I want to make you feel good, too, be as good of a girlfriend as you are to me.” Her face froze in shock at her own word. “I--We hadn’t discussed it yet, but...That’s what we are, right? Girlfriends?” It sounded accurate, but more than that it felt right. Her heart missed a beat as the silver woman began to lean in close, and she closed her eyes before the cool lips even touched hers. A gasp came from her, forgetting how good her mouth felt, moving hers back eagerly. She threaded her fingers through her red hair, keeping up with the uptick in pace.

Cessily couldn't stop her excited grin spreading even further at Tandy’s teasing challenge. A challenge she most definitely accepted. “Oh gorgeous,” she purred, “my goal is always to get your heart racing and get your body as hot all over as I can.” To prove her point she lowered her arm and caressed her perfectly smooth silver fingers over the gap of bare skin showing between Tandy’s sexy socks and shorts. Her hand rose slightly to tuck her fingers under the hem of the shorts as she leaned in close to whisper in Tandy’s ear. “How am I doing so far?” With an encouraging smile Cessily repeated again “no matter what” as proof she meant it. Her free hand found its way to Tandy’s cheek, her silver thumb rubbing across it gently, supportively. “I'd trust you to pick up my baby. And I'd count on you to raise it. I don't exactly have the best role models so I'll need all the help I can get.” She chuckled softly. “Our kids would be criminally cute so it's probably good it's just an idea.” Had her silver complexion allowed it she would have been blushing furiously and for once in her life she would have made no effort to hide it. “You make me feel amazing, every time I see you it’s… Exhilarating. I've… I've never felt like this with anyone before.” Her smile slipped into her lop sided smirk at Tandy’s slip but she was thrilled it had happened, it meant she wouldn't have to awkwardly raise the subject as she thought she might. She grinned brightly. “Girlfriends. Yeah, we're definitely girlfriends.” Her silver eyes returned to Tandy’s wanting her sincerity to be perfectly clear with what she said next. “Secret girlfriends. For as long as you need us to be. Who gets told and when is up to you, I don't want you to feel rushed or pressured and I promise to be on my best behaviour in public with you.” She laughed, “yeah I know that doesn't mean much but still…” Feeling their fingers in her hair caused her to release another gentle moan and she lifted Tandy’s top enough for the bare skin on their midriffs were touching. She broke the kiss just long enough to purr. “I can't wait to see you in only those socks.” Her lips locked back onto Tandy’s as she kissed her girlfriend deeply - making sure their first kiss as officially girlfriends would be one they both would remember.

Her smile sent tingles down Tandy’s back, and they only grew at Cessily’s purrs. They couldn’t even form a response, before their skin was being touched by the impossibly smooth fingers. Goosebumps rose wherever her hand went, gasping as she went underneath the fabric of their shorts. “You really go all out to achieve those goals.” Their eyes fluttered at her whispering. “I think you’re doing really, really well,” they whispered back. As they went back to affectionate for a few moments, they nuzzled into her hand. “I don’t have the best role models, either.” They didn’t want to delve into the details, yet. There would be time for that another time, if they ever let themselves open up that much. “Oh, they totally would be. Cause they’d get all the cute genes from you.” A grin curled up their lips after telling her that. Their heart was back to pounding in their ears, once they heard Cessily describe how she felt around them. “You make me feel that way, too, all of those ways.” They were unable to hide their blush at her smirk, but their eyes widened and grin returned soon as she confirmed they were girlfriends. “I’m the luckiest person in the world, then. Even if that does sound cheesy.” When she added on how she’d be alright with hiding it for as long as Tandy needed them to be, they didn’t think the moment could get any better. “It means everything to me. It really does,” they spoke sincerely, voice breaking over the last word. They never thought they’d find something like this, someone like this. Someone like Cessily. They inhaled sharply as their top was lifted, and their midriffs were pressed together. Their body shuddered, while their skin warmed all over. They almost didn’t catch the words Cess murmured between kisses, only to have them sink in as their lips met again. Their face was flush, and they kissed back harder, wanting the redhead to know they were definitely on board with that plan.

[tandydaggerbowen-blog]

Title: Taking the Plunge Tagging: Cessily Kincaid & Tandy Bowen Location: Cessily’s Penthouse Apartment, Baxter Building, New York Time Frame: Evening; April 1st, 2016 General Notes: Sciencing intensifies.

It had never filled Tandy with such relief as it did that night to see her hands radiating brightness. It had been a full day of having her normal abilities back, and she wasn’t taking that fact lightly. Her returning powers also gave her a reason to stop delaying going to the address that Cessily had shouted at her near the gym’s pool. Before everyone’s abilities were swapped, she hadn’t worked up the nerve to. She had a surge of confidence now that she had her powers back. She wasn’t going to waste it. Entering Baxter Building, her immediate thoughts were to how much her mother would love the decor. There was an air of elegance in the lobby, making her worry she was somehow underdressed. She calmed herself down by remembering she was here to see Cessily, not fit in with the aesthetic of the room. This was somewhere her mother would never step into because she was in Ohio. They walked to the elevator, pressing the button and waiting for a few moments, and stepping inside as soon as the doors opened. They selected the floor and tugged at their ponytail lightly. Their excitement and nervousness collided while the elevator rose, feeling like it was taking too fast and too slow. The edginess was half because the mere thought of Cessily brought a blush to their cheeks, and the other half was guilt for running away from her. They was amazed the silver woman even yelled her address to them, believing most people wouldn’t ever want to see someone again after something like that happening. They were struck by the fact that Cessily wasn’t most people. Their musings were interrupted by the signaling ding of the doors separating, startling them. There was nothing that was going to keep them from going through with this. The doors closed behind them and they took a deep breath. Every thud of their heart was sensed as they walked to the door with the apartment number they had been given. They didn’t let themselves hesitate, ripping off the band aid and knocking on it.

Cessily’s elation at having returned to her normal silver self had lasted all day and showed no signs of diminishing now that she was home. Her day at S.H.I.E.L.D had been one of her best since she had started at the base, people were equally as thrilled for her having her powers back as they were having their own abilities returned, that was probably because she had been a self-confessed pain in the ass since the power swap had begun, despite her best efforts not to be. Having returned home she had slithered out of her uniform and spent a good while just prancing around her apartment, revelling in the shimmering reflections of her surroundings as they criss-crossed her entire body. She had tested her shape shifting skills too, and found them to have returned to the level they had been at before, everything was ok again and Cessily’s confidence had received a much needed boost. As she was completing another pointless spin on the spot, just to make the reflected lights dance around her room, she froze as she heard a knock on the door. She hadn’t been expecting visitors. “One minute!” She called towards the door, “I’m not decent,” and she bolted to her bedroom. Her perfectly smooth skin made sliding on a tiny pair of shorts far easier than it had been over the last few days and she grabbed the first top that came to hand, throwing it on as she returned to the front door. It was an attempt at decent at least. Cessily swung the door open and as her silver eyes fell on her visitor for the first time her features split into a huge silvery grin. “Hey gorgeous,” she purred as her eyes roamed up and down the blonde before her, “I was starting to worry you hadn’t heard where to find me.” She swung the door open wider and stepped to the side, beckoning Tandy in. She couldn’t resist a good look up and down Tandy’s back as the blonde passed her. “Make yourself at home,” she threw Tandy a very flirtatious smirk before asking, “can I get you something?”

Tandyhad hoped that their anxiety would begin to lessen once they knocked and awaited Cessily’s answer. That hope had been extinguished the moment they heard her call out that she’d be a minute because she wasn’t decent. Heat rushed to their face at the image of it, having to tug on their ponytail to break themselves out of the vision. A moment after that the door opened and they were greeted with the sight of the silver woman. Her t-shirt brought a smile to their face, eyes roaming down to the shorts and her bare legs. She still sent them into a stunned silence at how beautiful she was. “Hey, Cessily,” they spoke somewhat shyly, cheeks leaving a pink tint as evidence to their earlier thoughts. “I’m sorry. I—This is new for me. Very new.” The newness caused fear in them. They were going in without much experience and the last thing they wanted to do was mess this up with her. When they were let in, they smiled wider at her and walked in. Their gaze down their body was noticed, shivering like a chill had run down their spine. The tempature was anything but cold. “Thank you.” Her teeth grazed over her bottom lip at the smirk. Her first impulse was to answer Cessily’s question with ‘yeah, you’, but she held herself back. “I’m good,” she told her instead. “For now.” Maybe her original answer would be used, later. Before anything else happened, she had to offer an explanation to what had happened last time they had seen each other. “I, um, really want to apologize, though.” Her eyes stayed on the silver ones. “I feel bad for running off on you. It wasn’t because of you, it was just—“ She sighed. “I don’t know. I do. I mean, I hate to say it, but I was freaked out. Not at you or anything, but at me.” Her words were more rambled than articulate. “And so I avoided coming over because I felt guilty and was scared. And then I couldn’t come over because of this whole other thing and now that’s over with and I’m here.” Letting out a breath, she ran her fingers through her ponytail. “I was sorta amazed you still wanted to see me.”

The smile from Cessily as her eyes fell on Tandy for the first time was warm and genuine, she was definitely pleased to see her and she found the soft pink glow radiating from their cheeks to be incredibly adorable. She spotted the roaming eyes and turned slightly to encourage it, bending her leg slightly in a small pose, she always encouraged such looks if she could. "I promise to be on my best behaviour," she replied gently after the reveal that all of this was new to the blonde. She couldn't resist adding a very flirtatious, "I'll try anyway," and chuckled hoping she could alleviate some of Tandy's nerves. Her silver lip curled on one side into a lop sided smirk, "well let me know and I'll get you anything you desire, whenever you want it." She winked, hoping she hadn't pushed too hard already. Her expression was soft and understanding as Tandy tripped over her apology, but she didn't interrupt, letting them say what they needed to. Once Tandy stopped speaking the silver girl smiled and shook her head, causing her vivid red hair to fly around her gleaming silver features. "You have absolutely nothing to apologise for, gorgeous. I pushed you pretty hard, I was surprised you didn't freak out sooner." Her eyes flashed playfully and she bit into her glimmering lower lip, all ideas of good behaviour abandoned her for a moment and she purred, "have you ever been told what a good kisser you are?" Her silver eyes glanced for a moment at Tandy's lips and Cessily shook her head again and laughed. "Sorry, being a good girl isn't something I'm very good at!" Her eyebrow arched so high it nearly disappeared into her hairline. "You got the rough end of a switch too?" She raised a shimmering silver hand and turned it around to make the light reflect off it in different ways, "I've been boringly normal since that crap started. It's really good to be back!" Another silvery flirtatious smirk was flashed Tandy's way and her gaze roamed up and down the blonde before her, "oh, I definitely still want to see you," she purred, her tone full of suggestion.

When Tandy noticed the smile Cessily had, her heart skipped a beat, not expecting the warmth and sincerity that came with it. The smiles she had seen were usually flirtatious or cocky, but this one was different. It brought butterflies to her stomach and told her that it was possible this wasn’t purely physical for either of them. She took in the way she shifted her stance as her eyes moved down her body, realizing that she hadn’t been as subtle as she could have been. An amused smile spread on their lips at what she spoke after promising to be on her best behavior. She wouldn’t at all mind if she ended up breaking that promise. Her smirk was enticing, beckoning the blonde closer. She had trouble staying put and remembering that they needed to talk and lay everything out on the table, first, before they did anything of that sort literally. Her eyelashes batted at her wink, smiling timidly and nodding. As she finished her babbling mess of an apology, she was surprised at the silver woman shaking her head. It was odd to be told she had nothing to apologize for, since she believed more often than not she was at fault and needed to say sorry. “You didn’t push, really…I mean, kinda, but I liked it.” A snort came from them. “I didn’t freak out sooner cause I forgot anyone else existed but you during those few seconds,” they admitted to her. At her question and the quick glance to their lips, their blush was reignited. “Not by a girl, no. I didn’t really care when boys told me.” They didn’t enjoy kissing boys, which made them not all that flattered if they told them that they were a good kisser. With Cessily, the compliment meant a lot and was hard to believe because of how well she kissed. They didn’t think they were anywhere as good as her. Her laugh was nice to hear and infectious, bringing a fit of giggles to them as well. “No need to apologize…I like that you’re not very good at it,” they confessed, running their tongue slowly over their lips while their gazes were locked. Nodding at what she asked, they realized they were technically admitting they had powers. “It got to all of us, huh? I wouldn’t have even been able to touch you, if I had come over during this,” they explained, smiling softly at her as she admired her hand. The return of her smirk deepened the heat in their face and rest of their body, especially with her eyes wandering over them again. “I’d like to see you, too.” They took a step toward Cessily, letting their eyes drift over her once more. “And for you to see me.”

Cessily found she couldn't keep her eyes off the beautiful blonde before her, her silvery gaze roamed constantly and she didn't bother to try and hide the glances to Tandy's lips. Her own glistening lips curled into another smirk as Tandy confessed to liking the way she had pushed. "Well if you like it," she purred, "maybe I should do it more." The smirk remained at the other's words and the silver girl advanced slowly on Tandy as she spoke, "well gorgeous, nobody else exists here and now," she stopped moving once she was within touching distance and resisted the very strong urge to pull the blonde closer. Her silver eyes rolled and she sighed dramatically, "urgh, boys. What do they know?" Whilst the silver girl had had plenty of fun encounters with boys she always found herself pulled back to girls, which she definitely preferred. Her silver eyes met Tandy's once again in a deep, hungry gaze and her flirtatious purr matched her intense gaze. "Oh you like me being a bad girl? Careful gorgeous, I could be a very bad influence." A tiny voice in the back of her mind reminded her that this was new to the blonde and her gaze softened. Placing a gleaming silver finger on Tandy's chin she raised the other's gaze to meet hers once more and her voice was soft and soothing as she spoke. "We'll go at your pace, gorgeous. Each new thing we'll do when you want and if you don't like something tell me right away, we'll stop and go back to something you do like. How does that sound?" She wanted to make sure Tandy knew she wouldn't be forced into anything and there would be absolutely no repercussions for not liking something. Cessily knew not everyone liked everything and some of the silver girls more risky kinks might be too much for Tandy. "No touching?" Her smirk fully back in place, "there's definitely no fun in that," she winked but didn't push for further details regarding what she had lost during the switch. Cessily knew it hadn't just been super powered beings that had been affected by the ability switch and while she was intrigued by Tandy potentially being gifted she had far more pressing matters to attend to, especially as Tandy's gaze was roaming over her and the blonde had reduced the gap between them even more. "You've already seen me once gorgeous," she teased and reached forward to take their hands in her own. She guided Tandy's hands to her hips and slipped them beneath her top so she could feel the warm touch on her cold, smooth skin. Her intense silver eyes were looking deeply into Tandy's once again. "Why don't you help me out of this thing so you can have a proper look?"

Tandy was growing familiar to the sensation of being under Cessily’s gaze, hoping it would never leave them. They felt special to draw the attention of her eyes, like the seemingly hungry look in her eyes for them was exclusive to them. Logically, they knew that couldn’t be true, especially because of how skilled of a kisser she was. That didn’t happen without experience. But at that moment, logic wasn’t all that important to the blonde, and all they could care about was that Cessily wanted them. Her purr widened the smile on their lips. “As long as you’re there to catch me if I fall,” they teased softly, knowing it was a cheesy line. A hiccup in their heartbeat occurred as she came closer, encouraging them to take a step forward. There was an impulsive pull in their chest to touch her, craving the contact and forgetting about ever keeping distance between each other’s bodies. The roll of her eyes and comment about boys evoked a giggle from Tandy, nodding in agreement. “Not a lot, at least the ones I was with didn’t,” they told her. Boys didn’t even create a quarter of the pleasure and desire out of them like Cessily did. “What if I want that influence to rub off on me?” They let out a breath of relief at hearing her say they’d go at their pace, wondering how they were lucky enough to find someone so understanding about their situation. “That sounds good,” she answered, giving her a grateful look. When the smirk returned to her lips, a tremble ran down their back. “No, there isn’t,” she agreed, eyes dropping to the silver mouth. It was better that she stayed away because she was sure that if she had tried to meet up with Cessily then, she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from giving into the allure of her. Lips curling into a shy smile at her teasing, she couldn’t help but hold her breath as her hands were taken by the other’s. Her stare left the silver eyes for a second to glance at where her hands were being placed, sucking in a sharp breath at the brush of her warm hands against the cool, refined skin of her waist. She brought her gaze back to the face in front of her, pulse hitting her wrist at a rapid pace. Unable to trust her own voice, she decided to respond to her question by leaning closer, head tilting slightly to not bump their noses together. A lock of blonde hair fell to the side of her face as a result and was left ignored by her. Her eyes closed as she slipped her lips into Cessily’s, satisfying the tug in them to finally be reaquainted with the mesmerizing silver mouth.

Cessily could feel her excitement rising more and more as the distance between them lessened and the teasing just increased the desire she felt towards the other girl. She hoped her looks and actions were conveying the right messages and judging by Tandy’s reaction they were, and the blonde was liking them - which thrilled Cessily. A soft chuckle left the silver girl as the cheesy line was said, it sounded like the sort of thing she normally came out with, but a playful silvery grin covered her features after the laugh. “If I catch you gorgeous, I might not want to let go. Then you’ll be stuck with me.” Clearly it was her turn to deliver the cheesy line, but that was perfectly normal for Cessily. The urge to touch or to kiss Tandy was growing stronger and Cessily wasn’t sure how long her resistance would prevail, or even if she wanted it to. This wasn’t like her usual encounters and she couldn’t help feeling like maybe there was something more between the pair, something they could explore once they’d gotten used to each other a little more. Cessily’s mind was racing with the possibilities and she forced herself back to the here and now, not wanting to get ahead of herself. Grinning widely she quipped, “it’s a flaw in their genetic makeup I’m sure. Being born with balls means you have to think with them all the time.” The line was sort of stolen from a film, but Cessily liked it and had used it on several occasions before. Her grin returned at the blonde’s retort about being a bad influence and the silver girl found herself in the very unusual position of not having an instant reply, it only took a heartbeat for her to think of one though. “I hope it’s not just my influence that you want rubbed off on you.” she purred, adding a clear suggestion to her tone. The grateful look Cessily received caused a soft, warm and encouraging smile to be flashed Tandy’s way, having the agreement and understanding in place made Cessily feel far less like some kind of predator - which she normally was - but this was different, and she liked it. Her silver smile remained as Tandy’s gaze wandered and she made no move to rush the blonde but when their eyes met once again the silver girl felt a surge of electric-like excitement flow over her entire shimmering body and she knew exactly what would happen next. She was leaning in towards the blonde, closing the gap between them and Tandy’s slightly tilt of her head meant she didn’t have to. Her eyes fluttered closed just before their lips touched and Cessily held her breath as soft, warm lips touched her own smooth silver ones, gliding over each other effortlessly. Cessily leaned in further, increasing the pressure on their locked together lips. The intoxicating smell and taste of the blonde were both new and familiar which caused a hunger for more to rise inside Cessily. She resisted, instead deciding to tease with a playful poke of her glimmering silver tongue to gauge Tandy’s reaction, going at the pace the blonde set,as she had promised. A silver hand rose to the small of Tandy’s back and pulled the pair together, their bodies pressed together while their lips danced across one anothers.

It a unique talent Cessily held that she could deliver a cheesy line in return to Tandy’s, and have it sound suave. “That doesn’t seem so bad. To be stuck with you,” she mused. The sensation of her hands on her body and mouth on hers at the pool was easily replayed in her mind, and how she repeated in her mind how she wished for it to never end. Something about her kisses gave the blonde a sense of urgency, that it could somehow be the last kiss they would ever share and she had to make it count. She wasn’t used to the excitement and passion felt romantically like this, and she didn’t want to give it up anytime soon. She didn’t want to give up Cessily anytime soon was what she realized. It was a matter of how much the other agreed with her on that. She snorted at the silver girl’s joke, shaking her head in amusement. There was a pause for a second before she replied to her comment about wanting some of her bad influence, which did surprise and give her a surge of pride at being able to have that effect. But her pride barely had time to fade as she went speechless at her purr, warmth resurfacing on her cheeks. Actions spoke louder than whatever words she could have strung together however. Their answer was their lips against hers and how a soft sigh of relief came from them at the kiss being returned. They mirrored the added pressure and encouraged them to press themselves closer to her body. Their thumbs dug lightly into her waist at the feeling of her tongue teasing their lips. Opening their mouth slightly, in case that wasn’t where the redhead had been heading, they swiped their tongue across her upper lip, shivering at the contrasting textures. Her hand moving to the small of their back had them whining quietly, enjoying how the chill of her fingers penetrated even through their hoodie and shirt. They wished to remove the layers to genuinely know the feeling of their bare skin against hers. It was a thought that Tandy hadn’t allowed to come to the front of their mind before, but Cessily was drawing them out without knowing it. They silently thanked the world for her mutant power being something that was not telepathy. They were pretty sure she wasn’t a telepath. Later, they would ask her to make sure. Until then, their attention was on slowly moving a hand up right to where they felt their bra strap was, then dragging their fingers down, wanting to explore the expanse of her body.

Cessily flashed her biggest silver smirk yet. Though she would never admit it, she was thrilled to hear Tandy say that being stuck with her wouldn’t be so bad. Normally her encounters ended up with people leaving in a hurry with tense lines like ‘this never happened’ being delivered on the way out - which was ok with Cessily normally but she had now come to expect it. The fact that wouldn’t happen this time was further proof that she was onto a good thing and she wouldn’t be letting it go any time soon. It also helped that Tandy laughed at her incredibly lame jokes, rather than the usual rolling of the eyes she received. The sigh of relief she detected spurred her on, the knowledge that Tandy had wanted this as much as she had cemented the idea in her mind that she was doing the right thing and she stopped holding back. With their bodies pressed tightly together the silver girl shifted her stance slightly to make their bodies rub along one another. It wasn’t as effective with the clothing they were both wearing, but she hoped that wouldn’t last much longer as she longed to see more of the beautiful blonde. The feeling of warm thumbs digging gently into her smooth silver skin as well as the warm tongue caressing her cold shimmering lips caused a pleasure filled “mmmm” to be released. With her free hand Cessily curled her shiny silver fingers into the blonde ponytail and pulled gently, guiding Tandy’s head back slightly. As soon as she was able Cessily started kissing around Tandy’s neck, her smooth lips gliding gently over the soft skin and making sure to touch the most sensitive areas. She felt the warm caress of a hand exploring along her back and mirrored the manoeuvre with her own, reaching under Tandy’s clothing she hoped her cold touch wouldn’t be too off putting, but she also knew her metallic body would absorb and store heat so she wouldn’t stay cold for long. Once her lips had completely explored Tandy’s neck she decided to repeat a move she had previously done at the swimming pool and gently nibbled on the other’s ear before whispering in her most seductive tone, “I think we’re both overdressed, don’t you?”

Tandy was glad Cessily wasn’t offput by their admission of not minding being stuck with her, since it could seem like they were inviting more to happen between them already. They did want that, but they couldn’t be sure she’d want that, too. The conversation evidently wasn’t going to happen at that very moment, so they let their mind drift off it. Rarely did they live in the present and didn’t worry about the future, however anything that might happen after this was far from their thoughts as their lips linked and easily moved against the other’s. They gasped at Cessily repositioning their bodies to press closer together, groaning almost inaudibly. Her reaction to their thumbs stroking her skin was thrilling, and they basked in the exhilaration for only a few seconds. They were soon sidetracked because of the silver woman pulling their head back by their hair, wondering why she had done it before her lips answered the question. The cool, slightly damp mouth against the skin of their neck elicited an “ohhhh” of bliss, and their eyes went back to being closed after opening out of confusion. Their body quivered and they whined at her discovering more tender areas, arching their neck out even further to help. A “mmmmm” came as a result of her chilled hands mirroring the fondling to their back that they had done to her, leaning into the touch eagerly. They wanted to feel that smooth graze of her fingertips across their whole body, desperately. They whimpered in surprise and excitement after her teeth teased their earlobe, a replay of a gesture she had done the first time they had met. Her whisper effortlessly lured Tandy in. “I think you’re right,” she replied softly, fluttering her eyelashes towards Cessily. As reluctant as she was to let go of her, she did it and took a small step back to show how much she agreed with her remark. Her cheeks were more heated than the rest of the times she had gone red since being there. She bit her bottom lip, then slowly began to take off her hoodie, which turned out to be less simple than she expected it to. Her shirt got caught with it and she decided instead of continuing to struggle, she’d take off both. Rip off the bandaid. She pulled them both off and half heartedly threw them behind her on the floor, staring at Cessily with wide eyes. It wasn’t as if she had never been in just a bra and pants with another girl; she had been but never like this.

Fade to black

Cessily could feel the heat still radiating from her metallic body, she still wasn’t sure exactly how it worked but it seemed to be able to absorb heat from other objects, or bodies, and store it for a longer period of time than a normal body, releasing it slowly once the heat stopped being generated. Her encounter with Tandy had lead to a lot of heat being made between them so she would be warm to touch for a while. The blonde’s head was rested gently on her silver chest and she wondered for a moment if they were listening to her elevated heartbeat, which was all their fault. Her glistening silver fingers glided gently through blonde hair, now tousled and messy after being pulled from it’s ponytail shortly after clothing had started being removed. The silver girl couldn’t stop the grin spreading across her features as she saw a red glow coming from Tandy’s face being reflected in her shiny digits, she hoped it was a sign of a job well done, she had certainly enjoyed it. “Well gorgeous,” she purred softly, “ready for round two?”

Tandy could hear only a pounding in their ears--they weren’t sure if it was their heartbeat or Cessily’s--as both of them came down. Their breathing was beginning to return to a steady pace, unlike their face, body heat, and mind. They didn’t need a mirror to figure out their face was a pink verging on red by the lingering warmth in their cheeks. Their body wasn’t cooling down much, since all their nerves were aware of the person next to them. When it came to their head, they were in a dizzying blissful state and thoughts elsewhere. Their focus was on the silver woman they were snuggling themselves into. They released a breath at the fingers through their hair, leaning up slightly into her touch. The feelings that buzzed through them were new and euphoric to the blonde. This must be what an afterglow was supposed to be like. Cessily’s purr opened Tandy’s eyes and they looked up at her lazily, finding themselves grinning back. “I’m still in a fog from round one,” they murmured to her, brushing their hand along their shoulder. “Made me forget my own name for a few seconds there,” they teased and paused for a moment. “Did I make you feel good? I know that was my first time with a girl--But I wanted you to be taken care of, too.”

Cessily was perfectly content laying there and cuddling up to Tandy, relishing the feeling of their bodies pressed together. Their breathing was perfectly matched and it was slowly returning to normal and the exhilarating tingle that rippled up and down her entire body was entirely Tandy's fault, which she loved. The blonde snuggled against her reacted to her gentle touches in such perfect ways that she found herself drifting into a much gentler and softer way of being compared to her usual gruff self. There were few people who saw her this way and she hoped Tandy wouldn't mind the change. The soft release of breath and lean from Tandy as her gleaming fingers glided through their hair made her do it again, just to get the same adorable reaction. Her silver lips split into a huge content smile as the blonde looked up at her, their eyes met and they simply gazed at each other for several long moments and then Tandy spoke, revealing the fog she was currently suffering from. "Me too," the silver girl said softly. Cessily chuckled softly at the blonde's comment and she couldn't resist a teasing reply. "Only a few seconds? Sounds like I'll have to do better next time." She listened to the blonde's questions and then placed a glistening silver finger under Tandy's chin, guiding them closer to her. Their lips met, gently this time, more a kiss of thanks than desire like their previous kisses had been. "You made me feel incredible, beautiful," she whispered softly once their lips had separated. Her use of 'beautiful' rather than her default 'gorgeous' was completely intentional. "You definitely took care of me, so I think you deserve a rest. How about we go for round two in the morning?" She didn't want to ask directly for Tandy to stay the night, but planting the idea meant they could make up their own mind and decide what to do. She hoped they would stay.

The comfort and safety Tandy felt enveloped in Cessily’s arms was something she never wanted to let go of. She was vaguely aware of how vulnerable, emotionally and physically, she was at that moment, and it didn’t send her into a panic. At some point, she would probably analyze how much she trusted the silver woman already, and whether it concerned her or not. Now was not that time. Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment and purr emitted from her lips while gazing at Cess, as her fingers repeated the caress to her hair. She opened them again once she heard her reveal she was in a similar state. Giggling at her latter reply, she swatted her shoulder playfully. “Always gotta challenge yourself, huh?” she quipped back. She didn’t resist her bringing her closer, closing her eyes as their mouths met once more. There was a difference to this kiss compared their other ones. It wasn’t a kiss for pleasure, but because Cess was kissing her. Once their lips had parted, she melted in both a metaphorical and literal sense at her words. Tandy could see the affection in the silver eyes, almost sure that this was the first time she had ever seen Cess as tender and soft as she was then. “I’m glad,” she whispered back. “I’m even more glad I finally decided to come over,” she hummed. Her implied suggestion of her staying over prompted the return of her grin. She answered by leaning in and kissing her. “I’d love that,” she murmured, bumping her nose against hers, before going back to her spot on Cess’ chest. “I just have to tell my roommate I’m staying over, so he doesn’t worry. Then, I’m all yours for the rest of the night and morning,” she mumbled, nestling up again. “Don’t wanna get up to get my phone, though, too comfortable.”

Though she would never admit it, Cessily loved cuddling, and as she was now learning, she particularly liked cuddling Tandy. The blonde’s smaller form pressing gently onto her silver body just felt right and perfect, especially after the intensity of what they had done just before. She laughed as her shoulder was hit playfully, she had definitely deserved that, but she wasn’t done being sassy yet either. “Always, gorgeous,” she replied, “gotta challenge you too though, I don’t think we were noisy enough to upset the neighbours so that’ll be the challenge for next time.” Cessily felt the change in Tandy as they became even more comfortable in her her arms after the gentle kiss and her silver arms gave them a small squeeze of appreciation. “Now you’ve done it once you know you can come over any time, you’re always welcome.” It was Cessily’s turn to melt into a kiss and she released a pleasure filled sigh once their lips had parted and then giggled as their noses bumped together. She grinned and could resist a playful reply. “Oh I hope you’re all mine for a lot longer than just the night and morning,” and her hand returned to gently stroking their blonde hair. “Maybe I can help with that too,” she said after the revelation that Tandy was too comfortable to move, she didn’t want her to move either so Cessily focused on her free hand and began to shift the shape of her arm, making it longer and thinner. She knew it would be hard work, but she also knew it would be worth it. Her hand had extended to the end of the bed and was now making it’s way onto the floor to explore the various items of clothing that had been discarded between the living room and the bedroom. She found a bra and two pairs of panties before finally stumbling across something that felt like a phone. She grabbed it and focused on returning her arm to normal, bringing the phone up to Tandy as she did so. Her arm ached as if it had just had an intense workout but she ignored that and grinned. “Ta daa,” she said grinning triumphantly as she presented the phone to Tandy.

Cuddling was usually a bit of an awkward affair for Tandy after having sex with a boy. Their first post-sex snuggling session was sweaty and uncomfortable, and they had the worst time falling asleep. It improved somewhat the more it happened, but the best time they had had with a guy cuddling was incomparable to this. They were struggling to stay awake against Cessily’s chest because of how relaxed and cozy they felt. Their bodies fit together perfectly. They giggled at her saying they needed to be challenged, too, hiding their face against her skin for a moment. “I’ll work on not restraining myself, since I have the go ahead from you,” they responded in amusement. The light squeeze they were given elicited another soft sigh of content. “You’ll never be rid of me. I’ll be in your hair constantly, since I have an open invitation.” They would try not to abuse the privilege, despite how much they didn’t want to leave now that they were there. Her words were answered with a soft hum, adding softly, “I promise I’m all yours for however long you want me to be yours, Cess.” At her comment about being able to help with getting their phone, as well, they raised their eyebrows and ready to protest the silver woman leaving her bed. It turned out there was no need to anticipate it because she had a method that allowed her to stay beside them. Their eyes widened in surprise and awe as her arm extended and transformed before them, unable to speak until their phone was in front of them. They blinked then leaned forward and kissed Cessily eagerly, almost a bit rough, pulling away to tell them in a whisper, “That was fucking incredible.” They knew that Cessily had to have some sort of power, being silver and all, but wasn’t sure what it was. It was way cooler than anything they had tried to predict. “Thank you for getting it for me,” they added with a grin, taking their phone and texting Tyrone quickly. They were given a response in a minute, smiling his reply. “He said to have fun.” They put it on a side table next to the bed, settling down again. “So...since you showed me yours, can I show you mine?”

Cessily could feel Tandy fighting the urge to fall asleep and was attempting to hold back succumbing to sleep herself. She grinned as Tandy hid their face, finding it absolutely adorable and her silver fingers glided through blonde hair once more. "You never have to hold back with me gorgeous, go as wild as you like," she chuckled, "the wilder the better with me." The soft sigh from the blonde was encouraging and Cessily couldn't quite believe how comfortable they felt together. She was used to people leaving as quickly as possible after the main event. Having someone that wanted to stay was thrilling for her. "This will probably sound really pathetic, but I can't wait for you to be constantly in my hair. Most people run the first opportunity they get." Feeling she had overshared and wanting to build her flirtatious defences back up she added. "Of course I'd rather you were in my pants constantly than my hair, but I'll take whatever I can get." The comment from Tandy about being hers for as long as she wanted them caused a spike in the silver girls heart rate. Cessily wasn't good in relationships, all her previous ones had ended badly but she tried to push those thoughts aside. It was too early to be thinking about that so she would see how things go from here. The kiss she received for retrieving Tandy's phone was exhilarating, she particularly enjoyed the newfound roughness and taking their lead she bit down gently on Tandy's lip as they pulled away. "Careful gorgeous," she purred, "keep that up and you'll get me all worked up again." Admittedly it didn't take much to get her worked up but Tandy seemed to know exactly what buttons to press to get her going. As the stunning blonde sent their message Cessily simply gazed at her, completely transfixed and then her silvery lips split into a grin. "Oh we will," she said with a wink. At Tandy's question about showing her something Cessily's eyebrows raised right into her hairline. Was it possible Tandy had powers too, or was she just teasing? "And here was me thinking I'd seen all of you already," she purred playfully, "show away gorgeous, you have my full attention." Of course Tandy had had her full attention since the moment they knocked on her door but it didn't hurt to say it.

A delighted hum buzzed from Tandy at the hair touch, and knew that Cessily probably wouldn’t forget it was a sweet spot for her. She couldn’t her grin in response to her comment about never needing to hold back. She was sure that her wildest would be considered vanilla to the other, but she was always eager to go outside the box. Her heartbeat hiccuped when she heard what the woman said next, face warming for an entirely new reason. ““It doesn’t sound pathetic, it’s sweet,” she murmured, grazing her knuckles over her arm. “I don’t think those people are very smart, though.” She snorted. “I can do both, I’m a great multitasker.” Batting her eyelashes at Cess again, she giggled after, not being able to keep up the flirty expression. She whined softly as her lip was bitten down on once they parted. Unable to help herself, she pressed her body closer. “Can’t blame a person for trying.” Her wink was received with an eye roll, amused rather than annoyed, though. She licked her lips as she got the answer that she had her full attention. What if somehow her powers didn’t come through and she looked like a liar or like she was mocking people with powers? Those doubts were partly put to rest as she pulled her hands out from under the covers, seeing a faint glow already. Giving the silver woman a nervous smile before she took a deep breath, she was calming her mind and focusing, as Jubilee had told that first time. She closed her eyes, and let the sensation of her own happiness and the feeling of Cess beside her fill herself. Within a few seconds, two blue spheres drew from her palms. She opened her eyes, evidently surprised it had worked, and let it stay, then dropping them down to her body again. She glanced over at Cess, biting her bottom lip. “Not as cool as yours, but...I can also break lights, like make them explode.”

Hearing the happy hum from Tandy at the soft touch on her hair meant the motion was locked in Cessily’s memory forever, to be used as often as she could. She grinned and said a quiet thanks at the supportive words, unsure of how to respond as she wasn't used to opening up as much as she had. She recovered quickly and her flirtatious purr was firmly back in place when she next spoke. “Oh you've already proved you can multitask beautiful, I'm very impressed with the results.” Cessily loved the adorable eye fluttering and whine as she bit Tandy’s lip, she intended to have a lot of fun with the beautiful blonde. She watched completely transfixed as Tandy demonstrated her powers, her heartbeat increasing with excitement as she watched. Now she understood why Tandy hadn't been phased by her mutant status. She grinned and chuckled excitedly. “That is incredible and it's definitely cooler than mine.” She rolled over on top of Tandy, her shiny hands pinning the blonde’s wrists down on the bed. “You've got me all worked up again gorgeous, and I have a new challenge to turn you on so much your powers activate.” With a final smirk she leaned in and pressed her lips hungrily on Tandy’s, tongue immediately moving to explore their mouth as her hands glided over their warm soft skin.

Fade to black

[bruisedwing]

ooc (ace)

ooc: did Dee just out Eva? o.O Or did I miss the reveal for Tandy?

The reveal was implied in the “About Alma” para. Tandy knew that Dee and Eva were high school sweethearts, so when they learned the high school was Xavier’s, it sort of gave it away that Eva was a mutant, too. The specific powers weren’t mentioned previously, though.

[bruisedwing]

[Text] I just found the camera I took off that idiot after the fight. Any requests on what I do with it?

[Text: Cessily] Is destroying the video an option?

[axdailybugle]

[email]

From: [email protected] Date: 29 March 2015, 12:40pm To: [email protected] Subject: RE: Eva’s brother Good afternoon, Ms. Kincaid, Ms. Bell’s family had already been contacted regarding her being in the infirmary as we keep emergency contact information on record and always inform said contacts at the earliest possible moment. While your reaching out and making arrangements for Ms. Bell’s brother is admirable and appreciated by Ms. Bell, no doubt, I would like to remind you that visitors being allowed at the school are to be cleared by me first as we are not a public establishment. I would also advise you to be mindful of how you go about requesting discretion in the future. Best regards, -C. Xavier

From: [email protected] Date: 29th March 2015 To: [email protected] Subject: Eva’s brother

Professor,

I have made arrangements for Steven Bell to visit his sister.  Given the circumstances I thought it was for the best.

He has a room booked at the hotel for the night so won’t need to stay at the school in its current state.

No other students know, I’d like to keep it that way.

CK 

[axdailybugle]

Team Angel | Para

Lysander’s day was a quiet one, Classes went smoothly and it seemed as though he was coming on leaps and bounds with his artistic side. There was still a hole that only music could fill though and he repeatedly found himself returning to the Ballroom where he’d first made friends with Marie and Eva. The piano stood stoic and strong beneath him as he meandered through the scores of sheet music that lined the bookshelves of the balcony, his fingertips brushing lightly against the pages as he hummed his own little tune. He’d promised a song to Marie the last time he was here and there was a part of him that wanted to go all out for her. Pulling out a few books and taking them over to the large windowsill, Lysander opened the first, an anthology of the Beatles greatest hits and read through how he could play and sing it considering that he never really championed his vocal skills. Placing his earphones in and utilizing the institutes WiFi, Lysander fired up YouTube and listened to “Blackbird” singing a few licks and testing out his ability. As his confidence grew he sang out, his voice echoing over the music playing in his ears. “Finding a song was easier than I thought.” Lysander mumbled to himself, gathering the sheet music in his arms and spinning from the window. He barely even registered the girl stood at the top of the stairs glaring at him until he’d put most of the music away, she was talking he could see that but the music in his ears was drowning her out. “Hey!” He called with a smile, not taking into account the volume of his voice. “Sorry.” With a practiced motion Lysander pulled the earbuds out and his head swam instantly and his body grew heavier than it had ever felt. For a moment Lysander wondered whether the balcony would support such weight, for the first time since his powers had manifested he was genuinely worried about his own safety. His heavy limbs were moving of their own accord as the girl with the raven hair continued to sing her own song, an aria of malice and control. Lysander’s feet were on top of the balustrade that ran around the edge of the balcony as the entrance doors to the lower levels burst open and people poured in below them, he couldn’t concentrate though, his thoughts were too muddled under the strange woman’s power. The only thing that Lysander could concentrate on was the words to the song he’d been singing moments ago. Take these broken wings and learn to fly.

Warren had been powering down the machinery in most of the infirmary’s rooms to their stand-by modes when he’d heard it, or rather, him--Professor Xavier’s voice echoing closely within the walls of his mind with the urgent warning of the Brotherhood’s invasion; that Magneto had tripped portions of security and Mystique would be headed for Cerebro. He and, without a doubt his colleagues, were instructed to get all of the students to safety immediately. Only half of the machines had been powered down when he abandoned his tablet and took off on foot from the school’s hospital wing. He decided to check with the rooms nearest the infirmary, starting with the theatre lounge. To his relief, the room was completely evacuated already and though he’d heard commotion elsewhere on the ground floor, he’d stuck to his plans of checking the neighboring rooms and feet carry him back down and around the hall to the ballroom. As he neared he heard a sweet voice that jilted the urgency of his strides. His eyes rolled shut as he found himself compelled to turn around and walk away, but he snapped out of the crooning influence with a violent shake of his head and almost immediately locked eyes with a familiar foe--Mastermind. He crouched low only to launch himself across the room, his wings carrying him at high speed toward the short male. Mastermind simply smiled at him before the entire room seemed to explode with flames. Angel came to an abrupt stop that caused him to stumble and lose balance. He contracted his pearl white feathers as close to his body as possible while regaining his footing and began retreating toward the door; all the while his crystal blue orbs were darting around the flames. Although he couldn’t feel the heat around him and he’d been familiar with Mastermind’s powers, the large flames licking up the ballroom’s walls appeared real enough to distort his focus. He wasn’t one for cursing but as he instinctively raised his forearms in an “X” in front of his face, he swore under his breath and continued backing toward the ballroom’s entrance.

It hadn't taken long for Cessily to discover where her dorm was situated in relation to the other rooms of the great mansion, she had found out the hard way too, through the noise! It seemed her bad luck had continued and she had been placed right above the ballroom, which contained that God awful piano that people just didn't seem to be able to leave alone. What made the piano even worse was the singing, the bad singing. Cessily herself was partial to a good karaoke, and she wasn’t great at singing but she could hold a note, why did people who couldn’t always insist on singing the loudest? The voice she heard today was possibly the worst, not in a singing ability per se, but the tone of voice. it was all airy and flighty and made Cessily think of happy things like rainbows and puppies, things she had tried hard to tell herself she now hated. The voice was so annoying she actually decided to confront it’s owner. Throwing the book she had been attempting to read onto the floor her silver hands pushed the rest of her body into a sitting position with a rather loud sigh, she stood and headed from her room in a huff. She stomped down the hallway and down the several flights of stairs, her mood getting darker the louder that infuriating voice got. She rounded a corner in her journey and was suddenly confronted by a wall of beautiful pure white feathers. Not beautiful, she reminded herself, annoying feathers. Having not met the owner before she built her usual defenses around herself and said in her best snarl, “Heyyy,” but then she remembered who the wings belonged to from the school guide and held her tongue.

It seemed to Lysander that the woman who’d cast her spell upon him had no intentions of freeing him even when Professor Worthington appeared, within a split second the winged man sprung into action and within moments Lysander’s hopes of rescue were dashed. “See your precious teachers?” The voice of the unknown woman rung in his head, pressuring against the inside of his temples. “Those who are meant to protect you, fleeing before the mighty Brotherhood.” Lysander could feel her presence, how she tensed as a gilded girl followed scooted around the retreating Angel. “Little girl, walk away.” She crooned, out loud this time as she glared at the redhead. Her attention turned to Lysander again, making him lift a foot and hold it out over the empty space of the ballroom. He couldn’t fight, he couldn’t flee, this was what it felt like to be trapped. As he felt the world spin and his balance fail him, sleek black top of the piano came up to meet him and his singing assailant didn’t allow him his arms to protect himself. Instead Lysander Dawne plummeted into the instrument hearing the deafening crack behind his ears and the crash of breaking wood and snapping piano strings. Lysander’s body erupted across the sprung floor like a funeral urn dropped from a great height that stained the wood grey with ash. Lysander could feel everything and nothing all at once and his emotions didn’t make sense without skin or blood or a thudding heart to indicate the fear and adrenaline that he’d experienced moments ago. Instead, he had ceased to be, A sentience that had no home to possess. The consciousness of Lysander fought to return to the fight erupting around him, but all he could do was watch and wait. Just like last time.

Warren snapped out of the foolery Mastermind’s illusion was creating when he heard a new voice behind him. Through the false flames, he saw the man standing still and proud. Narrowing his bright blue eyes, Warren launched himself forward, directly at Mastermind. His arms moved from his sides to hover directly in front of him. Quickly, the fiery visual disappeared as the winged professor collided with massive force into Mastermind. The impact and Warren persisting on after it, sent the two flying out of the nearby glass window. Shards rained down while the young professor let go of Mastermind, forcing the other male to tumble out onto the concrete patio and glass fragments. As the Brotherhood member scrambled to his feet, Angel’s fist connected with his jaw, causing his head to jerk and his feet to stumble into the remained of the bottom of the window frame. The scenery changed in Angel’s eyes again as Mastermind staggered back into the ballroom with a hand clamped over his now bloodied arm; for whatever the reason, Mastermind chose to lead him to believe that he was standing on a shallow cliffside with a fatal drop below. The blond clenched his jaw, unfazed by the heights and instead, took flight, gliding in the direction from which he’d come with the intent to follow Mastermind. The change from the night air to the more contained ventilation let him know that he was back inside the ballroom but his eyes went wide and multiple colors flashed before him as something blunt and slender hit him near the back of his head. His vision quickly went black and his consciousness was quickly slipping away as his body corkscrewed across the marble floor. He landed painfully on his back but managed to turn himself onto his side to relieve his wings before falling completely unconscious near the ballroom’s primary doors.

The feathers blocking Cessily’s path kept getting nearer and she had to side-step to avoid being collided with, her silvery features turned puzzled as she saw Angel’s face contorted in absolute horror, was he having some kind of seizure? She was pulled away from her thought process by that flighty voice she had heard earlier saying, “little girl, walk away.” Glancing around for the owner of the voice she spotted the dark haired girl on the balcony, “little girl?” Cessily shouted back, that was the best this newcomer could come up with? But the girl ignored her, distracted by something. Cessily ran up the stairs to the higher level and that’s when she saw Lysander for a brief moment before he stepped off the balcony edge. “Nooo!!” She screamed, her mean girl persona completely dropped as the genuine fear for her friend’s safety took over. She ran for the edge of the balcony and looked over just in time to see Lysander land, and then he was gone in what seemed like a cloud of ash. The sight hadn’t even registered properly when she felt the hard shove, right between her shoulders and she was also pushed over the edge. She didn’t have time to scream, but she did manage to focus, she had done something once by accident, surely she could do it to save her life? She hit the floor hard and splashed into a large puddle of silver on the floor. It didn’t hurt as such but the effort to transform her whole body had taken it’s toll. Her head rose from the dead centre of the puddle, followed by a neck, the more of her that rose, the smaller the puddle got. It took her a while to completely reform her whole body, and her fingers still weren’t fully formed when she felt a sharp tug on her bright red hair. Her elbow swung back on instinct and she was surprised to feel it connect with a jaw, she heard a female voice cry out in pain and spun to face her assailant, her silver eyes glaring at Lorelei. The next thing Cessily experienced was a roundhouse kick to the face, which she didn’t see coming until it was too late, Cessily had her tricks but clearly the older girl was the better fighter. The kick sent her to the floor, and the second kick to her stomach sent her sliding across the floor, her smooth silver skin making her travel further than a normal person would. She came to rest in the debris field of the piano, reaching down to try and get up she felt dust and splinters under her hands, but had to stay down, her body still fatigued from it’s complete rebuild from a puddle. “You should have walked away, little girl.” She heard the infuriating flighty voice croon to her, Cessily didn’t feel pain like she used to, but what she felt now seemed even worse, like a burning sensation where all her opponents attacks had hit their target and she was struggling to breathe from the kick she’d received to the chest, but she had to keep fighting, somehow. “Look at it this way sweetheart, you got beaten but at least you lasted longer than the men.” Lorelei’s voice was close now and Cessily seized her opportunity, swinging her arm in the direction of the voice she threw a large handful of dust and wooden splinters right into Lorelei’s face. The older girl screamed and raised both hands to her now dust filled eyes. Fighting through her pain and exhaustion, Cessily took advantage, getting up as quick as she could and swinging her fist wildly, she missed, but she was able to grab a handful of raven hair and pulled it hard towards her and down. Lorelei screamed as her body was forced to bend at the waist or have her hair pulled out and Cessily heard a reassuring crack as her raised knee connected with one, or several of the older girl’s ribs. Lorelei was bent double, struggling to breath as Cessily had been moments earlier, the red haired girl bent down and picked up one of the broken legs from the piano, “You should have stayed at home,” she said panting, her silver shoulders rising and falling with the effort of breathing, “little girl,” she finished venomously. Cessily swung the wooden leg with all the strength she could muster, hitting the older girl square on the head, the raven haired assailant crumpled into a heap on the floor.

Lysander’s body never really came together all at once, it was more like the pouring of sand into a bottle starting at the bottom and working its way upwards, every cell reforming painfully in an eternity that he never understood. It took forever but it seemed as though feeling was still muted as he gripped the bottom part of his outfit from the floor to quickly cover his modesty as Cessily danced around bare. As Cessily fought, Lysander felt her hands gripping an unidentifiable part of him to hurl into Lorelei’s eyes, if only he could control that separate part of him, make his ashen cells vibrate with such a force that her eyes burned from her skull. No, that was someone else, someone that fought with violence and death. Cessily brought his puppet master to the ground and he quickly kicked one of the broken chair legs across the ballroom floor to his recently introduced friend, watching with satisfaction as she used it to take the woman out. A wicked grin spread across Lysander’s face as he watched the woman crumple unconscious and as he looked at his clothing still grasped in his hand and threw them away. “You didn’t tell me that this was a naked party, but I’m totally in.” He laughed, holding up his boxers to the girl with fire in her hair. “Looks like I’m coming back together.” Lysander observed his skin, there was a definite grey tone to it but he assumed that would fix itself in time. “Watch Out!!”

Cessily dropped the wooden leg with a clang and glanced around the room, the feeling of loss suddenly making her chest feel tight. Her silver eyes fell on the spot she had become a puddle on the floor and there was a pile of clothing there, her clothing. She hadn’t realised she had been naked from that point and stumbled over to the garments, awkwardly putting them back on as her body tried to recover from it’s encounter with the songstress. Hearing a voice behind her, Cessily turned to find it’s source and her mouth fell open as her silver eyes fell on Lysander, standing tall in all his glory. Her glistening lips curled into a smile, she was pleased to see him. “What fun is a party if it isn’t a naked party?” She purred flirtatiously. Her silver eyes looked up and down the length of his body, both watching in awe as he seemed to rebuild before her eyes and also checking him out. She was impressed by both the ability and the sight. Her shiny silver hands went to her hips and she bit her glistening silver lip playfully, “like what you see?” She asked, unable to resist flirting despite the imminent danger. Upon hearing his cry of warning she glanced up just in time to see Angel flying back into the room through a smashed window, and the same piano leg she had just used, now in the hands of a young man she didn’t recognise, the impact of wood on skull made a loud crack sound and Cessily winced as she watched her professor skid across the floor and then completely stop moving, her glistening shoulders dropped. Here we go again, she thought as her silver eyes glanced around for something she could use in a fight against the young man.

Lysander winced at the re-appearance of the winged Professor dragging along another attacker, it seemed as though he was losing too. Soon enough his suspicions were confirmed as Angel lay still after a sickening blow to the head. “Looks like it’s me and you glitter girl.” He smirked, standing strong next to his ally as the man who’d taken down a trained fighter turned his focus to them.

Feeling emboldened by Lysander’s return, Cessily tilted her head towards Mastermind, her red hair dancing around her silver face with the action. “Feeling up to cracking some skulls?” She asked Lysander, her silver lips curling into a half smile, even if he wasn’t, she certainly was. Her body seemed to have mostly recovered and her breathing was normal again. Her shiny silver fingers ran through her vivid red hair and she started marching towards the man who had attacked Angel and saw him turn to face her, a wicked smile across his lips. As she raised her flesh colored hand and pressed it into the other, cracking the knuckles, then repeated the action with the other hand, the pale complexion of her hands turning slightly red… and she stopped dead. Cessily raised both hands higher, in front of her eyes, “I’m normal!?” She cried, her voice filled with conflicting emotions, “I don’t wanna be normal!” Her eyes glistened with tears threatening to fall and she fell to her knees, both fists following suit as she pounded them into the floor, “All I ever wanted was to be special, and now I’m not!” Her grey eyes suddenly went wide, “I can go home,” her voice suddenly filled with hope, “my parents will love me again, they’ll want me back, I can have my old life back.” She rubbed her pale hands together, feeling the rough surface of skin rather than her perfectly smooth metallic form, her pink lips curling into a smile. “I think I’ll actually miss this place, I’ve had more fun here than I have in years,” she confessed, “but if I was still shiny I could stay!” She cried, her voice once more filled with despair, she really didn’t know what she wanted.

“You know?” Lysander smirked as he watched the second attacker skulk from the shadows. “I could totally go for some skull cracking right now, and afterwards. I need a beer.” He smirked and watched out of the corner of his eye as Cessily raised her hands in what he assumed was a preparation to fight. If anything, Lysander was good at distraction and protection. It would be good to fight alongside someone as feisty as Cessily. As the words poured from her he knew that she was gone from him. Her eyes were unseeing as to what was real and she’d already began a self contained spiral. Lysander’s mind raced, still slightly perturbed that he’d died again only to be alive but he knew that he had to be conscientious of what he was facing. Did this man control fears, thoughts, feelings, memories? Lysander didn’t have time to waste, instead he ran for Mastermind and grimaced at the thought of actually getting into a fist fight. As he approached though, the man morphed into someone else, someone familiar with the stench of stale whiskey lingering in the air around him. “So here we are again son.” Lysander’s father spoke inside of his head. “You know what happens next don’t you? Your problem is you talk too much, you’re too loud and you shouldn’t be seen. I’m in control. I’m the one that makes the rules and you break too many of them.” Lysander’s knees buckled underneath him, and his eyes stung with the threat of tears as his Father approached with his fists balled and a sneer painting his face. “Now, how many times do I have to hit you to make it stick.” Although he knew it wasn’t real, Lysander couldn’t help but feel his chest tighten and the rate of his heart beating against his newly formed ribs almost hurt. His teeth ground together on the inside of his mouth and his mouth filled with ashes that he heaved into his lungs. There was the smallest part of him that wondered if he’d died again and this was his personal hell to be taunted by the phantom of the man he’d murdered. “And that thing you brought into our lives, Harry? Disgusting.” Lysander eyes flashed upwards at the spectre that towered over him. This was definitely wrong, his Father hadn’t known about Harry or how he fit into Lysander’s life or anything about who Ly had loved. Folding his legs underneath him, Lysander tensed like a panther about to pounce on his prey, ducking his head down and his chin inwards he threw himself upwards and felt his head connect with the jaw of his assailant the fog and phantoms clearing quickly as Mastermind flew from him, his feet leaving the floor as Lysander’s makeshift headbutt connected with him almost too perfectly. Rage flew through the veins of the boy as he quickly loomed over the attacker who groaned on the floor with blood pouring from between his lips, Lysander’s eyes burned down at him and fury drove Lysander to hurl the man to his feet. Without a word, Lysander pulled his head back and drove it forwards into the nose of the man, feeling it burst beneath the pressure as blood cascaded across Lysander’s forehead. The man slumped underneath Lysander’s grip and without a hesitance, Lysander let the man fall. Anger coursing through him like adrenaline as he looked for his next target.

Cessily felt the fog in her mind lift and she suddenly saw the carnage around her again, she had somehow forgotten she was fighting for her life? Her silver eyes glanced down at her glistening hands, had it all been a dream? In her confused state she didn’t notice the temperature rising within the room and the smoke collecting in the decorative roof, she payed no mind to the flickering of intense flames in her peripheral vision as she tried to make sense of what had just happened. Looking around she spotted Lysander, standing over the unmoving body of the unknown boy who had taken out Angel. Her eyebrow shot up into her bright red hairline, an unworded question but before she could speak she heard a maniacal laugh and suddenly both her and Lysander were surrounded by rings of intense fire. Looking up she spotted yet another person she didn’t recognise, the flickering of the flames lighting up his manic grin made him look rather insane and suddenly Cessily was fearful for her life again. She saw the incoming plume of flame heading right for her but there was nothing she could do to avoid it, surrounded as she was by the ring of intense fire, her reflective body making the flames look like they were already touching her. She didn’t know how her new metallic body would react to flames and heat, setting herself on fire hadn’t been at the top of her priority list, just like jumping off a balcony hadn’t been but she’d done that today, so she was on an intense learning curve into the limits of her new powers, she just hoped she survived the experience. Her glistening silver arms instinctively rose to protect her face as the burst of intense fire hit, she felt the temperature of her entire body rise and she let out a cry of anguish, though it wasn’t pain like she was used to feeling. Her fists clenched and her cry turned to more of a defiant roar which she sustained for as long as the blast lasted. Her shiny shoulders rose and fell with her heavy breathing but she stood defiant, her smoldering clothing falling once again from her glossy body. “Is that all you’ve got?” She taunted through gritted teeth, feeling bold due to her survival of the first blast, “I’ve had curries hotter than that!” Her silver eyes fixed onto her target with an intense glare and she forced her anguished body to move forward, stepping right through her fire prison. Her whole body still burned with the heat it seemed to have absorbed, and it hurt, a lot, but still she pushed forward. Seeing Burner’s face fall in shock spurred her on and it looked for a moment he might cave under her glare, but instead he raised a hand towards her and sneered as another plume of fire crackled through the air towards her, this one burned brighter and she felt the increase in heat before it even got near her. Her arms shot up once again to protect her face and she gritted her teeth, as soon as the flame hit she knew something was wrong though. She howled in agony as her whole body was superheated in seconds, her flame red hair actually on fire this time and her eyes widened in horror at the sight before them. Her mirror-like arms were glowing with an orange intensity, a quick glance confirmed her whole body was, and giant droplets of silver were dropping to the floor. The intense flame stopped and Cessily took advantage of the break, no long able to feel her feet, Cessily looked down and found them to be a puddle of liquid silver on the floor, her legs half the size they normally were as large droplets of silver ran down their length into the puddle that was her body. She was melting. A maniacal laugh made her look up and as her silver eyes fell on the boy responsible for her current situation, he sneered at her. “Hot enough for you now? Bitch!” he shot at her, followed immediately by another plume of intense fire. Cessily could do nothing to stop it, her body was broken, more puddle than person and the moving parts of her limbs had melted so she was frozen in place. A single silver tear dropped from her eye and ran down her glistening cheek right before the blast hit and she screamed in anguish once more.

Lysander’s adrenaline overtook his feelings of fear as the circle of fire began inching it’s way towards him, the heat beginning to lick against his bare skin as the underwear that he was still grasping embered away. With a quick jump he was out of the circle and the flames had licked against his shins, he watched as the attacker stretched out a hand towards Cessily and the other toward him and jets flew from his fingertips. Throwing his arms up in a cross Lysander braced against the heat and a small insane giggle poured inadvertently from his lips as he healed as quickly as he was injured, the pain numbed like it always was since his powers had manifested. Lysander’s small victory was short lived as Burner’s attention turned to Cessily, turning up the heat literally as the girl began to wane and droop. “Shit.” Lysander cursed under his breath, skipping out of the flames to rush the girl, Burner’s fires followed him and as Lysander threw himself in the path between Burner and Cessily he felt the flames intensify and lick up the skin of his back. Watching Cessily turn liquid spurned Lysander, he knew that this fight had to end quickly and they needed to recover in case something worse was around the corner. Turning to face his opponent Lysander glared at Burner, their eyes meeting, both burning with a rage that matched the intensity of the heat flowing from the mutants fingers. The tenacity of the two teenagers that had taken out his allies was ticking away somewhere in his mind and his paranoia fanned the flames, bringing the temperature up to unbearable levels. Lysander cursed and screamed as the flames licked his torso but he refused to back down, pressing against the tirade as it tore through him, heat ricocheting off him in perpendicular streams that diverted the flames from hitting Cessily. Lysander’s legs forced him forward, his fists balled in anger at the sudden attack on his home, his friends, his new life, eventually he’d driven himself forward and knocked the firestarters hands upwards so that he could close in for a face to face, fist to fist attack. As his hands connected with Burner’s chest Lysander began to heave the man backward, Burner fought back, clamping his fingers on Lysander’s shoulders and struggling against him. They pushed against each other, Lysander’s fury against Burner’s brute strength as victory danced through the imaginations of both combatants. Lysander didn’t dare lose focus or make a mistake now, his adversary didn’t utilize the same strategy and in that moment of distraction as Burner lost his footing over the broken window pane Lysander took his opportunity to thrust his shoulder into Burner’s chest to throw him backwards and out into the open air. Lysander’s bare knees crashed against the ground, his skin opening up and healing just as quickly as he straddled Burner. Cyclones of heat roared from nowhere, circling the fighting men as the oxygen in the air failed. Lysander’s fingers grasped Burner’s throat as the fires grew closer and caressed his skin softer than a lovers touch, he could feel himself flaking away and returning to normal. Burner’s eyes stared intently as Lysander’s grip tightened and the heat rose to unbearable temperatures. All of Lysander’s body throbbed as his mutation fought against the laws of nature to keep him alive, his skin tingled and shed away to grey that began to run down his bare arms. As his wrists turned ashen and the effect ran across the back of his hands to the tips of his extremities, his fingers collapsed on themselves disappearing in a cloud of dust. Burner gasped air back into his lungs as the flames died again giving him enough time to swing a punch at the face of his young assailant. Lysander’s head burst like an egg scattering dust across the gravel, giving the brotherhood member the chance to slip away from him and over the grounds of the Academy where he evaded any more attacks from Lysander, Cessily or anyone else that may show up in the mansion. Lysander brought himself back together, feeling his body returning to it’s full human form although he knew that something was different. As he looked at his bare skin he didn’t see the fleshy tones returning, instead he was still grey, ashen, small cracks running through him like a mirror that had been glued back together. He was broken, he could feel it. Lysander tried to stand and found that as his feet brushed the floor small wisps of ash brushed away from him as though he’d stepped into a pile of dust. Relief flushed through his mind as he figured he could walk and move, that was a beginning but as he made his way back into the ballroom, passing the overly sized windows he finally saw his own reflection. A naked version of himself that contained every line and contour of his body that he was used to, the definition of his muscle tone, his strong jaw, the full lips. Only now he was grey and flaking even now as he stood completely still. He turned to where Cessily crouched over the unconscious songstress Lorelei, divesting her of the purple dress she wore.

Cessily’s entire focus had been on getting her body back together and somehow reduce the temperature her superheated body was suffering from. Once she saw she was no longer laying in a shimmering silver puddle that was her own body she tried to push herself over onto her back, the effort caused her to cry out in pain as the parts of her body where muscles would have been burned under the strain. She collapsed onto her back and lay there with her eyes closed, once again focusing on getting her body to return to normal. She pressed a finger into her leg and it actually pressed slightly into her shining metallic body, like a baker pressing dough, but not enough to cause her discomfort. Her silver eyes opened with an effort and she saw the hazy silhouette of Lysander, standing in front of one of the unbroken windows. Spurred into motion at the sight of him, the fight now clearly over, Cessily pushed through the pain and discomfort and got to her feet, the room started spinning wildly and everything before her seemed hazy but she pushed on regardless. She stumbled and had to shuffle as her joints refused to cooperate with her movements. “You think that bitch’s dress will fit me?” She asked him as she stumbled towards the lifeless form of Lorelei, but he didn’t seem to hear her. The dress was a deep plum color and she knew it would clash violently with her vivid red hair, but it was still better than running around naked. She got stared at enough without adding that. Her gleaming lips curled into a smile and she looked over to Lysander as she crouched and began to remove the songstress’ garment, “Is this where we make out like in the movies?” She asked breathlessly, it was an immense effort to speak but she had to hide behind her flirty and sassy demeanor to hide the terror still coursing through her. “You throw the best naked parties, but I don’t think we should invite Fire-Guy next time,” she took a few deep breaths, “nobody like a party crasher, right?” She just about managed a very feeble laugh but Lysander wasn’t responding at all, it was then her blurry vision cleared enough for her to seem him properly for the first time, maybe all wasn’t as well as she first thought.

Lysander parted his lips to respond to the girl, the corners of his mouth twisting a little that she was asking such a thing at a time like this, when he looked the way he did. Something didn’t connect within him, his body wasn’t the same and he didn’t make any sound, as his eyes flashed wide with panic he understood nothing about what had happened other than something was suddenly very, very wrong.

Cessily saw the panic suddenly come to Lysander’s face and she realised everything was definitely not ok. Was this the first time Lysander had turned to this ashen form? He was clearly having trouble speaking so she asked no more questions. Cessily awkwardly slipped Lorelei’s hideous dress over her shoulders, she was right it clashed horribly but there were more important things to worry about right now. She stumbled over to Lysander and her silver eyes looked up into his, as she spoke her tone was soft and caring, a tone barely anyone heard, she said, “Whatever it is, we’ll work it out ok? No panicking, we got this.” It was the best she could do, she wasn’t good at sympathy or understanding. She was rescued by the sound of a groan coming from another side of the room, she span round fearful that Mastermind had reawakened but instead her silver eyes fell on a set of moving white wings as her professor came round from his bump to the head. “And that’s the man to help,” she said brightly to Lysander.

Consciousness seemed to flow slowly back to Warren as he lay on his side. His mind started to function like a retired mill brought back into commission as he cracked his blue eyes open again. His large, weighty wings twitched as he reached up and slid a hand up to the side of his head. He winced at the quick but dull pain but his features turned murderous as the fuzzy dissipated and recollections of what happened caught up with his consciousness. Knowing better than to hurry to his feet, he moved to his hands and knees, staring at the marble floor as he heard an unfamiliar female voice. Another handful of deep breaths later and he relieved the weight from his hands and stood on his knees while looking around Mastermind wasn’t far from where he lay but it was clear the man wasn’t getting up anytime soon. He continued scanning the room and saw the silvery form and red hair of one of the newer students. Cessily Kincaid, he recalled, not having directly met the girl before now but knowing that she was at the school and had gained a bit of talk amongst her peers. beside her stood another who Warren hadn’t recognized at first. But the longer he stared, the more the recognition came to him. “Lysander?” he spoke, unable to keep the quizzical tone from his voice. He saw the teen’s alarm, however, which jumpstarted his professor persona while he came to his feet. While letting his wings unfurl to their full twelve foot span--the ache from his earlier tumbling being worked out from the stretching--he reached back with both hands and pulled the top two snap buttons apart, and then reached up underneath his wings to pull the back zipper down, freeing his lab coat off of his body from the back. Underneath, he donned a long-sleeved polo and dark jeans but he walked over and held out his coat to Lysander. “Here, Lysander. Hang on a moment,” he said and after offering the coat to the teen, he walked back over to the heap that was Mastermind and without saying a word, the angelic-looking professor bent down enough to grip a fist-full of the other man by the scruff of his shirt and dragged him along the floor as he walked over to Lorelei’s half-naked body, reached down and cuffed his other hand around her upper arm. He towed them both toward the large, broken window, fluttered his wings enough for him to surpass the jagged pieces of glass--apathetic to afflictions the other two might acquire in the process--and once he had enough space for his wings to fully unfurl again, he took off almost straight up and glided level with the second floor of the mansion. He saw Burner sprinting toward the thick brush, nearing the edge of the vast Xavier property line. The security set in place for the grounds would have otherwise slowed or stopped him from passing the property line in addition to alerting the staff, but Magneto made quick work of destroying them. Head still throbbing, Warren decided to swoop down and deposit Burner’s cohorts directly on him, timing his drops perfectly. Mastermind’s unconscious body crashed into Burner’s running feet, tripping the pyromaniac and as soon as he’d made out with the grass, Lorelei was dropped directly across his back. With the dead weight relieved of him, he willed several strong billowing flaps of his wings, banking around in a wide circle before bringing them in close for a speedy, effortless glide back through the broken window, inside of the ballroom. He quickly fanned his wings out to come to a quick but safe stop and as his feet touched the ground again, he steadied himself while resisting the urge to cup a hand over the knot on his head. His gaze went back to Cessily and then Lysander where they remained as he asked, “I didn’t know that this was part of your abilities. But it looks like you didn’t either?” The relative quiet that seemed to fall over the rest of the mansion hadn’t gone unnoticed by the blond man; he looked to the door and then back to his students, “I need to get back to the infirmary. It might be best for you to come with me, even if you aren’t physically hurting right now. Others in the mansion might be hurt, and with Doctor Grey away...well...it’s just me until she gets back tomorrow. We can look into this development further there.” At that, he walked from the ballroom with the two students but soon found himself making haste to the infirmary