looking for normal fun....

[Aqua]

Wearing her tight black denim jeans, matching black sweater and olive green tank top, Heather walked into the arcade. It had been months since she ever hung out with her friends back home. They would go to the city and spend most weekends in the Village. It was one of her favorite places in Manhattan to go.

She had her hair down, with her bangs over her face. Her long red hair rested over her breasts since she straightened for the night. Her black stiletto heels added three inches to her normal 5'6 figure. She went to the vending machine and bought herself an iced tea. She took a straw from the condiments stand and then placed it inside the bottle to drink from. She scanned the arcade hoping to see someone she was familiar with.

[Ripple]

Lian turned around from the arcade game she was playing on as 'GAME OVER' flashed across the screen. She spotted Heather across the room and went over to say hi.
'Your hair looks gorgeous!' she said, by way of a greeting. She flicked her own dark hair back over her shoulder and adjusted her leather jacket and smiled at her friend.

[Aqua]

Heather smiled wide, thankful someone she knew was in the arcade. "Hey Lian," she said cheerfully. "Thank you. You don't look too bad yourself." She took another sip of her drink and leaned toward Lian to do the French "cheek to cheek" kiss she would always do with her friends.

"So how are you enjoying the Academy so far?" she asked as she walked to a nearby table. She patted the table, gesturing Lian to sit with her.

[Shadowkat]

Kitty walked in looking around. The arcade had changed owners since she was a student at the Insititue, back when it was called "Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters". She had aways hated that name.

She took a sniff of the air and looked up and down the aisles of machines. The games had changed names, but the smell of pizza and hot dogs was the same. Seeing the girls she walked over.

"Well a field trip is so much better than some boring welcome video- we just have to remember to keep our eyes peeled for Haven. I hope that kid is okay." She looked worried. "This town looks pleasant, but it can get evil in a heartbeat- no powers, remember. I'll be back I'm gonna have a look up the alley." Shadowkat got up to walk out and decided to go and grab a hotdog from the snack counter.

((sorry- Emma wasn't ready for students out here yet, so let's say this is where we came after Ripple got a room...at least you've got permission now ))

[Aqua]

Heather looked to Shadowkat as she walked toward them. "Hey Shadowkat," she said cheerfully. "Well if I was able to even use my powers I would say OK," she said sarcastically. She liked Shadowkat. She was very homely and welcoming on her first day here. She invited Heather to the Thanksgiving dinner that same day, and felt at home instantly. But after that whole incident with Haven, she did feel a bit lonely.

Lian however, was becoming a good friend. She seemed to be the same way as Heather; shy, and always watching what to say next. There was still a bit of awkwardness being with her, as all people do have when they meet someone knew. Still not knowing the person was an easy target for saying or doing the wrong thing. Heather didn't worry however, now that Shadowkat was going to train them. The question was, how if they were in a place filled with "normal" people?

[Ripple]

((yay finally!!))

'No powers?' Lian asked. She suddenly started to worry. What if her powers suddenly kicked in like they sometimes did, and she wasn't able to control them. She asked Shadowkat what she should do.
'...sometimes I just can't help it'

[Aqua]

Heather smiled, relieved she wasn't the only one. "Same with me. I mean I don't even know what causes them. So when it happens, it just, does." Again she thought about what her true power really was. She wanted to be able to do it so badly. She wanted to be like everyone. Not conform to them really, just she felt left out that she couldn't show her powers like everyone else could. She knew "in time" they would come, but how long would that take?

She looked to Shadowkat as she left to get some food. She then looked to Lian. "Don't worry, Ms. Frost says we should learn to control them here in no time."

[Ripple]

'But how would it look if I suddenly just walked through a wall or something?' Lian asked, 'It's insane!'
Lian knew that it was relatively unlikely that she would 'just walk through a wall', but it had happened before, and she didn't want to be considered a freak here as well.
She was struck by a sudden thought. 'Oh my God, what if I fell through the floor?!' she exclaimed, then realised she had said that too loudly. She put her head down quickly, in case any of the 'normal' patrons in the arcade heard her.

[Aqua]

Heather giggled. "Well just don't go through any walls and remember to use doors. They are useful you know." She took another sip of her iced tea and leaned back on the padding behind her. Booths were always comfortable. "At least you know how to somewhat control your powers." She looked around, making sure the "norms" didn't hear her as well. She whispered. "I can't even trigger mine. They just happen. But that isn't going to stop me from being around people."

She took off her sweater as she was feeling a bit warm. Her olive green spaghetti strapped top looked lime against her fair complexion.

[Ripple]

Lian smiled. 'I guess so'
It was just such a shock to have suddenly found out she was a mutant. She wasn't quite used to the idea yet. She just hoped nothing untoward would happen. She wanted to still be able to lead a relatively normal life.

[Aqua]

Heather finished her drink and felt refreshed. She let out a big "Ahhhhh," confirming it. She threw out the bottle and walked back to her seat. "So what did you want to be before you became a mutant?" She wanted to get to know Lian. She so far, seemed to be a good person. She hoped she wasn't short tempered like Haven.

[Shadowkat]

Walking back past the table with her hot dog Shadowkat leaned down and said "I'll be back in a bit after that we can head back to the school. You-know-what tonight in the basement, that should be fun. Oh Aqua here-" she sat a clear plastic drink cup down in front of Aqua it was filled with a clear bubbly beverage, something lemon~lime, and it had a straw in it.

"I want you to blow bubbles into this with the straw- I know, but trust me" Kitty knew it would sound rediculous, but she wanted the young mutant to understand how to 'see what she was doing' and know it had an effect on the liquid. "Just watch what happens, keep doing it until I come back. Learn what you see and remember it. Once you feel ready- make it go flat...no bubbles, not even when you blow in it- 'K?"

She looked into her eyes to make sure Aqua knew what she wanted her to do. "And keep it casual, don't show off with it. I'll be back soon." She reached over and placed a hand on Ripple's shoulder as she walked past as if to say 'I'm right nearby, don't worry.'

Shadowkat left to go and check the alley.

[Ripple]

Lian smiled. It was good to know there were people here for her. She turned to Heather.
'I never really decided what I wanted to do. Maybe a surf coach or something. Surfing was pretty much my life before I came here'
She sat back to watch what her friend was supposed to do with the glass.
'Do you know what's supposed to happen?' she asked.

[Aqua]

"Surfing huh? That sounds cool." She always wanted to learn, but living in New York didn't exactly provide her with the best waves. She smiled as Shadowkat returned and listened to her proposal.

Heather looked at Shadowkat incredulously. "Blow bubbles? How is that going to help me?" After Shadowkat explained what she needed to do, Heather felt a bit awkward. There was water in soda, but very little. She shook her head. It was better not to question the teacher. She knew what she was talking about, hence why Ms. Frost assigned her as a team leader.

Heather looked to Lian and winced. "Well, talk about embarrassing," she said with a nervous laugh. She looked at the glass of soda and placed her mouth on the straw. She looked around, making sure none of the "norms" where looking.

She took a deep breath and began blowing the bubbles. She watched the air flow from the bottom of the cup toward the surface. Each one popping as they reached freedom from the liquid that surrounded them. She concentrated carefully, trying to understand what Shadowkat was aiming toward.

She kept blowing into the straw over and over again as she lost her breath. She remembered what she saw. However she didn't understand what Shadowkat meant by making it flat. Heather didn't even know how to make her powers happen. Didn't Shadowkat even understand that? Heather felt disappointment emerge through her body. Even some anger toward Shadowkat's order was beginning to feel a bit ridiculous.

Heather continued, waiting for her leader to return.

[Shadowkat]

Having searched most of the town while the girls had remained at the most likely place for Haven to show up Kitty returned to the arcade.

Walking up to the table she said "O.K. we better head back, Ms. Frost hasn't called me which means she wasn't able to locate her, and I couldn't spot her anywhere either- this doesn't seem possible. Let's head back home" She turned to leave and jingled the keys to the school van turning back quickly she said "Bring your drink we can practice on the way home."

Shadowkat led the girls to the van parked out front. Climbing in she started it up making sure they were both okay and had had their fill of fun away from the school. "You guys were in the right place at the right time I guess, for an impromptu field trip. If Ms. Frost and Cerebra couldn't find her that's not at all good, she could be dead in a ditch somewhere, or near dead. Keep your eyes on the sides of the road Ripple, she may have been hit by a car. Aqua we have got to get you up to speed with the use of your powers... can you imagine your self inside one of those bubbles on the side of the cup there?" She started up the van and headed back to the institute.

"Try to picture yourself inside the water there- it's only seltzer water, don't let it beat you. Relax now, me and Ripple will look for Haven" She drove slow enough to see off the road for some ways and hoped she was wrong about the girl being dead, but why else couldn't the mutant tracking system and one of the best telepaths on the planet not be able to locate her...

"The key to a power like yours is visualization, becoming able to focus your will and let it control what it is supposed to control- it's the key to any of our powers really when you think about it. Your body or your mind already do it sometimes without thinking about it the point now is to get better at doing it when, and how, you want to. Don't worry it wont come overnight...welll, when you think back on it it will seem that way...but just work on it you'll get it. I've got some more ideas I borrowed from an old samurai friend of mine that will help you get beyond the physical structure of it all- we'll work on it together." Before long they had returned to the school, no sign of Haven was to be found.