a boy and his bird

[laserguy]

Who: Scott Summers and you
Where: Aldrip (and one network post)
What: Scott got a new skill upon waking up from the reset: summoning a medium sized fire bird. He's still adjusting to it. It will probably be fine.
Warnings: Nothing yet.


network; audio un: shades
Asking for a friend.

Has anyone else felt weird or anything after the reset? Like uh. Any new powers? Or anything? It's best if we note any changes. [Along with the fact that at least two people are gone after the reset...]

a; is this persona??
[The only real reason why he's not panicking more about this is honestly Kotone. She helped him a lot when he figured out that everything wasn't completely back to normal.

Well, that and the fact Phoenix doesn't really feel the same as like those other times when he glitched and stuff. All of that is still hard to really describe, because it's one thing to be another Scott, but also to be another Scott with some crazy cosmic entity in him. This on the other hand?? It feels more like a faint echo, like a reminder of what happened. Most of the time, he's okay, it's just that warmth is a constant presence now, inside him. Maybe it's best if she never comes out? But... is that okay? What, it's not like he's an expert on this kind of thing; he really can't even control the powers that he's supposed to have.

Scott stands around the park with a slightly frustrated face, still looking torn about stuff. What he should or shouldn't do, try to ignore Phoenix for as long as possible? It's not even supposed to with him (Rogue said Phoenix belongs with Jean), even if it's just a small fragment of what she actually is. How could he possibly control it??

Suddenly, however, Scott develops a look of concentration, shoving those thoughts and feelings to the back of his mind. There's a faint light that emits from him before a red bird appears by his side, her wings flapping before she lowers herself onto his shoulder. The mutant looks at her, not looking happy, but... he's trying.]

b; something something life and fire
[Well, what else to do but lie on the grass with a bird on your stomach? This is all part of the acceptance process... or whatever.

Scott finds himself staring up at the sky and doing the usual teenager stuff. You know, wondering about the meaning of life, pondering one's own existence. The good stuff. Probably nothing to write home about, but he seems a little more at peace with what's happening. He's still not sure if he prefers to have Phoenix out and about like this or not, but he'll just keep one hand pressed against the back of her neck as she continues to sit on him.

It's definitely all okay until someone comes close and Phoenix will start squawking (who said anything about this bird being dignified), the sound slightly embarrassing especially as she seems to cough up something and then a tiny fireball will expel from her mouth to shoot towards the newcomer. It will probably hurt a little if you get smacked, but it can also be easily dodged. Either way, Scott will immediately sit up with an apology already forming--]

Shit, sorry! Are you okay?

wildcard;
[ooc: Hit me with a random idea! I can be reached at currykirby]

Comments

closed to Root

[laserguy]

[Scott's not fully expecting anyone over right now, but hey, he'll come answer the door if someone's knocking/ringing the doorbell. Maybe the person is here for one of his roommates; it's not like he's the only person that exists in this house. There's five of them now, actually, and it's a set amount of people that he's definitely fine with.

Although, it is still surprising to open the door and see a grown ass woman (look all his roommates are teens like him, except for Quentin and he barely counts as an adult sometimes). He's really only heard Root speak before, so it doesn't fully hit him yet that she's the person standing in front right now. Luckily, he's still polite enough, just maybe a little awkward as he continues to keep the door open.]

Uh, hey.

[computation]

[In person she's tall and thin, dressed in no-nonsense black and carrying at least three weapons, though covertly. ]

Quentin should be here. Is he?

[ Root has lost all the sparkling personality she had when they spoke on the network. She seems sallow, tired, and if not out of patience entirely then at least in no mood for small talk. As far as she's concerned, they'd failed the most important part of their mission -- saving the A.I. -- and she's correspondingly fixated on making sure copies of the backups that she knows exist are safe.

Undoubtedly Quentin doesn't actually need her protection, but she has nothing else to do that matters, so she can't stop herself from checking in. ]

[laserguy]

[There's that slow look of recognition that finally dawns on Scott's face as he finally places where he heard her voice before. Before the reset, they talked briefly, when everyone was discussing about what they should be doing. A 'member of the Stem Club' and someone that seemed to know a lot about AI stuff. Yeah, Root. He remembers now.

Huh.

She's uh, a little different than what he imagined. She seems tired? No nonsense and straight to the point? Not that he's intimidated, but there's a slightly awkward air to Scott that he's unable to fully push away.]

Quentin lives here, but he's currently out right now. Probably grabbing food or clothes or annoying the shit out of someone. [...] You're Root, right? I... don't mind if you wanna wait around until he comes back.

you know i had to. you also know i had to pick b. >:)

[luneminary]

[Ryoji likes fall. It's the time he transferred into Gekkoukan (although too late to experience Halloween to his dismay), it's a comfortable time to take walks around, and it's the perfect weather to wear his scarf! Now that he's not so mopey anymore, he's back to doing his regular routine of just going about and experiencing everything.

The weather's supposed to be cold and all, which is why it's surprising to suddenly feel a source of warmth coming closer and what on earth is that fire???

He's too busy trying not to go out in flames to realize that this bird is a particularly familiar one - her owner even moreso. Still, he manages to wave back even though he's comically trying to avoid getting pecked on. Or worse.]

Hey there, Scott-san! No worries, turns out I - whoopsie daisy - have a good reaction time when I try!

[A side-effect of the glitches, or just Ryoji's body slowly remembering of what he's capable of? Who knows...]

:>

[laserguy]

[Of all the people to almost get torched by Phoenix's little fire, why did it have to be Ryoji?? His voice nearly dries up, dying silently in his throat, because he can't believe he almost hurt his friend once more. Sure, it was a small little thing, and Ryoji managed to avoid the attack, but it sure doesn't feel good still. Scott manages to keep the bird clutched to his chest as he gets up, that overly apologetic look on him as he looks at his friend.

Phoenix is a little less apologetic, just staring at Ryoji unblinkingly.]

Y-you're... you're really okay, right?

[Of course he knows that Ryoji is fine, he's smiling and waving everything off like it's no big deal, but unwanted memories of that day still plague him from time to time. Push those images back, Summers. He's not a burnt corpse, Ryoji is... Ryoji, right in front of him and everything.]

their suffering is my entertainment. sorry boys

[luneminary]

Yeah, of course I am!

[Ryoji is mostly speaking the truth - he is far from the depressed teenager who wanted nothing more but to be punished for his prior actions. But the thing about Ryoji is that he is cut from the same cloth Kotone is, and he too practices the art of hiding one's pain through casual smiles and laughter.]

See? Even my scarf isn't singed this time!

[Although based on the awkward landing on his legs, dodging a firebird with the full intention of burning him might be a little harder than it seems.]

Who's the sweetheart, Scott-san? [Of course Ryoji would call the phoenix that hates him a sweetheart.] Do they have a name?

b.

[jaganshi]

[ Hiei is hardly fussed about a ball of fire headed his way. Certainly not what he had expected when he'd been doing his usual tree hopping, simply whittling away the hours before he was sure someone would be calling him to ask if he was coming back for dinner, or if he'd finally sleep indoors for once as had become habit every few days for their little group of people. Yukina and Kurama had only grown more insistent since the Glitches had started, and of course Hiei had refused to relent simply because he resented the fact that they were concerned, as if he wasn't well able to take care of himself.

God forbid people give a shit about you, right?

The fire demon simply watches it with his head cocked slightly to the side, raising a hand to bat the fireball away as his nose scrunches slightly at Scott's apology. ]

Please. That is nothing. [ A beat as Hiei again looks at the bird, as if trying to make sense of what it is he's looking at. ]

What is that?

[laserguy]

[Well, okay. Of all the people that fireball could've been launched at, Hiei is definitely low on the list of 'needing to worry about.' For one, he's a fire demon, and two, he sort of just rolls with a lot of things, despite how grumpy he is. Yeah, there's always the threat of being stabbed, but honestly, Scott has come to associate Hiei with being a weird supportive friend.

His reaction only cements his thoughts, with visibly Scott relaxing just a little. Yeah, he trusts and likes Hiei that much, although he keeps one arm wrapped around Phoenix, in case she decides to do something else. She really hasn't been violent or anything, but best to be cautious.]

Um, it's Phoenix.

[What a great explanation. It's not like Scott really knows what's going on either though, he just sort of woke up with his power. It's a huge mess. Hopefully Hiei will sort of remember where he heard that name from Scott, or else he'll have to explain the Worst Day Ever again.]

[jaganshi]

As in whatever took you over before? [ He hadn't thought that it would very literally be a phoenix - after all, all sorts of beings gave themselves names that inspired imagery simply because it was more memorable. Perhaps he is the wrong person to ask, though, considering that being a demon makes him kind of odd for this conversation in general.

What phoenix does remind him of, though...

Is a certain bird creature that spawns from Yusuke of all people. ]

If it were blue it would look like Puu.

[ And not the bathroom joke version of it. ]

closed to Kotone

[laserguy]

[Mission success?? They've all hit the reset button and theoretically, that will make everything return to 'normal.' No more glitches, no more worrying about shifting into other versions. Yeah, that all seemed to work out just fine. In fact, there's an added bonus of both Kotone and Scott back in their bed at home, suddenly there and nowhere near the terminal. Everything's great. Everything's back to how things should be.

Except there's a certain source of warmth that's nearby, something that is just a little off compared to their normal routine. Surprisingly, Scott doesn't stir from his slumber, not yet, still lightly snoozing as the source of that heat shifts on his back, her eyes staring directly at the girl that's lying next to him.

When Kotone opens her eyes, she'll be greeted by a medium sized bird, one whose feathers are bright and red, and just watching her. No big deal.]

[orphne]

[Kotone wakes up with a quiet intake of breath, eyes flying open as she takes in the familiar space around her. They'd been down by the beach, working on resetting the terminal, and now -- this is Scott's room. It's a little hotter and stuffier than usual, but she can feel the warmth of his body beside her that immediately puts her more at ease before she can even really register why. Something about his mere presence -- his warmth, the sound of him breathing, even the way he smells, is such a comfort that it brings a faint smile to her lips. He's still here. They're both still here.

Then she looks up a little bit higher and freezes, making eye contact with the bird, one radiating the heat she'd felt in the room already. Uh...]

...Birdie?

[Before she can think better of it, she's reaching out with one gentle hand, seeking to touch the bird to see if it's actually there.]

[laserguy]

[The warmth emitting from the glowing bird never gets too intense or unbearable. Honestly, it could be considered comforting, especially on a winter day (and it's with some luck that she isn't here in the middle of summer). She'll even be warm to touch without causing any burns, her feathers fluffing up when Kotone's hand presses against her. The bird truly seems accepting of this, eyes closing and clearly expecting Kotone to pet her more. It's just a simple creature with simple needs.

Life and fire incarnate?? She's just a speck, a tiny fragment of that. Maybe she doesn't even fully match it to begin with.]

audio; un: misscoordinator

[coordinatroll]

Can't say I've noticed anything! It looks like something your "friend" [ You can practically hear the air quotes in her voice─ ] should have checked out, however. It is certainly unusual, and it's worth looking into.

Ohhh, if only there was a beautiful and genius Coordinator magical girl around, eager to help analyze those mysterious new powers... Wouldn't that be nice~? ♪

[ hint hint ]

audio;

[laserguy]

Really, no one?

[His favorite magical girl--

Yeah, he's definitely not fooling her, huh? Scott inwardly groans, but well, she was there when the Big Version of space bird took over him-- not him. So, talking about all this with Mitama might actually be a good idea.

She might hear that resigned sigh coming from his end. This... this is important.]

Yeah, that would be kind of nice. Do you know of a Coordinator that's around to do such things?

ii

[traumaticus]

[Ah. It truly is a beautiful day. A perfect one for a nice little stroll around the meadow near the farm? Especially now that after the reset the world had gifted Richard his most loyal steed, Blackie. The black horse had been just waiting at him near his house one day, hanging out with Whitey.

Now, Richard didn't really have a need for a horse in Aldrip. No conflicts, battles or need to travel long-distance. But that didn't mean he wasn't happy to see Blackie here with him. The horse had been by his side through many trials and tribulations after all. So, he made sure that Blackie got as much as exercise as he wanted to, taking him out all around the Aldrip.

So, yeah! He was riding on Blackie around the meadow in a slow and relaxed pace. The pair was truly enjoying their quiet time together. Well, at least until that peace and quiet was abruptly by a high-pitched squawk. Now the screeching alone would have been just fine, but the fireball that followed managed to scare Blackie.

The horse let out a loud noise and stood up on his hind legs in surprise.]

Oi! [Richard gasps out loud as he pulls from the reigns, trying to regain the control on the animal. Then, with a one graceful movement he slides off the horse and rushes in front of it, hushing calmly muzzle with his gloved hand.] Hey, hey. It is alright. Hush now.

[laserguy]

Shit... hey, sorry.

[Richard and him have... a weird acquaintanceship? Mutual tolerance because Whitey is the best boar ever? But even if he hated the guy, Scott never would want to harm him, especially if he spooked his horse in the process. Which, he clearly did, if all the neighing and shushing Richard is doing is anything to go by. This is going to probably suck, isn't it? However, Scott doesn't want to avoid responsibility and just pretend he's not involved.

It's not really like controlling his optic blasts, because Phoenix isn't even supposed to be with him in the first place, but whether or not she's supposed to belong with Jean or whomever, this strange version of Phoenix is somehow attached to him and he can't ignore it.

So, the mutant lightly bites on his lip as he nears a little closer, his arms holding the troublemaking bird to his chest. He probably could've let her nestle back inside him, but Scott figures that he owes Richard a full on explanation.]

Are you two alright?

offers you a dusty, crusty tag

[traumaticus]

[Honestly. Scaring a timid animal like Whitey is no feat at all. But a seasoned war steed like Blackie? Yeah, that is impressive. The horse has seen more battle and bloodshed than many living men, used to be always on alarm in case of a sudden enemies, grown accustomed to the loud noises of thundering canons and whatnot.

So, pardon Richard if he eyes Scott and the bird he's coddling against his chest with a suspicion. The eff you're throwing fireballs out here, sonny?]

Quite. What are you doing here?

audio; un: cupcake

[bulleting]

[Asking for a "friend", huh?]

Is it your turn to develop new powers, Scott?

[Says the one that's been anxious and on edge since she finally woke back up after her death and short disappearance. She doesn't really remember much about what happened at the terminal, but she knows Scott is the one that delivered the news to Vi, and she appreciates that greatly.]

audio; private

[laserguy]

[Caitlyn...!!

A huge surge of relief passes through Scott when he hears her voice again. He wanted to believe that she'd come back, like how things normally work around here, but after the reset, a couple of oddities have stood out. His weird new power, a couple people missing... so he wasn't entirely sure.

But he's so glad and he's not going to bother hiding the relief from his voice.]

Caitlyn! Y-you're back.

[He'll eventually get into the whole new power thing.]

audio; private

[bulleting]

[The relief in his voice honestly makes Caitlyn a little emotional. She didn't mean to make him, or Vi, or anyone else worry. She honestly doesn't even remember what happened in the first place, which is a lot of why she wanted to respond to him. She has a lot of questions.]

Yes, I'm back.

[yeah, the powers thing sure is going to take a backseat for a moment.]

I did want to thank you, for letting Vi know what happened. I honestly...don't remember much. But I know she was worried, when Ekko and I didn't come home.

b

[entreats]

[ Ange - after thankfully quickly dodging, considering she at least does have pretty good reflexes - kind of ponders making a joke about Scott trying to kill her, but she knows it's going to be too soon for him. And the last thing she wants is for him to go all puppy eyes at her. She can tell when he's doing it even behind the glasses, okay!

It is the reason she doesn't speak up immediately though, since she's discarding the joke that came to her the quickest. Instead she has to think for a moment about what else to say, slowly starting on: ]

Making some new aggressive friends?

[laserguy]

[Try as she might, she'll still receive some amount of puppy eyes from Scott because he almost hurt her again. Yeah, it was a stupid little hairball fireball from a weird bird, but it was still fire! Probably still be painful to some degree.

He's not overly freaking out, because Ange is okay and everything, but Scott has that familiar little frown on him. Why always his friends...]

I-- yeah? No?? [He's not sure how to explain all this, so he just settles with:] Phoenix isn't my friend.

[As if sensing her owner's distress and feeling mildly insulted, the bird in his arms also closes her eyes, posture deflating almost like it's sulking as well. Scott pays no attention to Phoenix, however, because he's still focused on Ange.]

[entreats]

It's not?

[ She can see that frown on your face, Scott!! She can! She knows what it means!

But Ange knows that pointing it out is likely just going to make it worse and lead to actual puppy eyes shenanigans, so she's opting to ignore it. If she seems all calm and cool about it, then surely she'll eventually drag him down into being a little more calm and cool about it right now too. ]

Then why is it in your arms like that? Are you in the habit of carrying around sulking birds just for fun? [ .. Is this a callout of Scott, or a callout of the Phoenix? Who even knows at this point.. ]

a for a change lmao

[incorrigibles]

[ the only reason charles hadn't checked in on scott after the whole reset thing over the phone had been, well, that he'd intended to do it in person — and so it's a lucky thing, him spotting scott on that park bench.

only, once he goes closer, it is to witness a bird of all things appearing right next to him; and charles is well-versed enough in all kinds of supernatural things that he recognises the bird for what it is. ]

A phoenix? [ but scott doesn't look happy, so charles frowns as he walks closer. ] Mate, you okay?

[laserguy]

[Scott nearly startles when he hears Charles, clearly unaware of his surroundings. Not that the ghost's appearance is unwelcome, far from it honestly and it's not long before he sends his friend a weak little smile in return. It's hard to say if it reaches his eyes, since they're always hidden, but Charles may still notice that something about it seems forced.]

Hey. [He greets and the bird on his shoulder chirps in recognition as well, as if echoing Scott's sentiment. She seems harmless enough, which may be surprising given how uncertain Scott still seems of her.]

Yeah, I just... oh, yeah, this is Phoenix. [Because Charles asked him a question and how just realized that he hasn't answered it. He really is sort of out of it, huh?]