Sometimes it's fun to build a side-story..this one wasn't too bad of an idea, not that I can claim much of the inspiration:
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She ran across the empty quidditch field, her broom in her left hand. About four feet from the ground t the goal posts, she leapt from the ground to land lightly on the toes of her leather boots, right foot in front of the left upon teh broom's polished handle bringing the broom down parallel to the ground straight ahead and to a 45 degree angle from her running trajectory. She gripped the end of the handle tightly through her dragon-hide leather gloves and pulled the speeding broom up into a vertical climb rising swiftly hundreds of feet into the air. As she rose even higher she sent her broom and herself into a slow spin by gracefully swinging her legs free from their grip so that she held on only with her hands, and her legs spun elegantly outwards from her body forming a well-held V-shape as she clutched the broom to her chest, her arms wrapped lengthwise along its handle, her right, raised above her head, her left, along the smooth wood towards her knees.
Then, wrapping her left leg around the broom locking her foot around it just above the bristles she turned so that she now flew at a diagonal towards the ground, still spinning, and released her right hand's grip on it, pushing her body away from the broom with her left hand so that only her left hand and her left leg up to the thigh were in contact with the handle. She leaned her head back, arching her back smoothly and raising her right arm to curve over her head much like muggle ballerinas she had seen, and closed her eyes.
Draco was watching her from the quidditch team practice entrance as she spiraled slowly towards the ground, her deep mahogany red hair floating gently around her black clad figure. He had no idea what she was doing, but it was beautiful, they weren't quidditch moves perse, but that part of his brain was documenting them as they could easily be applied as such. Moves like these, tweaked a bit of course, just might give him an advantage over Potter in the next house cup game. That thought shook him out of his daze in time to see her flipping into a handstand on her broom. Doing so pulled it out of her spinning drive the instant before she would have hit the ground.
She bent her arms, balancing her body upside down and pushed up. Her momentum pulled her up into a forward flip into the air taking her broom with her still gripped in her right hand. Spinning it slightly as she landed, she ended in a tiger crouch on the ground, her left hand, supporting her weight, balanced on her toes, her broom held diagonally behind her back by her right hand, the black bristles appearing from behind her left shoulder. After remaining kneeling for a moment she stood, summoned a dark red cloak to her, threw it around her shoulders covering her black dragonhide bodysuit and strode towards the stands. Hopping onto her broom once more she soared lazily up and out of the field.
25 January, 2019
16 January, 2019
Star Wars
I grew up on Star Wars..old school, the original three movies over and over and over, and then the books...so while I watch the new ones coming out, and am even reading the occasional new book...I'm still a fan of the original storylines, not the new ones.
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There wasn't a dry eye in the crowd as the last note of her song died away. No one was crying exactly, but there was true longing and sadness emanating from everyone around him, and even Jacen felt the pull on his own heart and the coolness of unfallen tears in his own eyes. It was as if the singer had reached down into his heart and sung of every loss and love long gone he had ever experienced. Her control over her audience was incredible, so precise, and yet it was extremely subtle. None of his internal alarms had sounded, and yet, as the crowd finally roused to applaud her, he could definitely feel a force-hold releasing them. Until this moment; however, he had been unaware of the manipulation. Luke had sent him here on a mission to find a powerful, untrained Jedi, and instead he had found one seemingly more adept in the Force than many he had ever met.
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There wasn't a dry eye in the crowd as the last note of her song died away. No one was crying exactly, but there was true longing and sadness emanating from everyone around him, and even Jacen felt the pull on his own heart and the coolness of unfallen tears in his own eyes. It was as if the singer had reached down into his heart and sung of every loss and love long gone he had ever experienced. Her control over her audience was incredible, so precise, and yet it was extremely subtle. None of his internal alarms had sounded, and yet, as the crowd finally roused to applaud her, he could definitely feel a force-hold releasing them. Until this moment; however, he had been unaware of the manipulation. Luke had sent him here on a mission to find a powerful, untrained Jedi, and instead he had found one seemingly more adept in the Force than many he had ever met.
HP - I was always impressed with Hermione's attitude towards studying
I wanted to have her drive! Not that that idea got very far in writing..obviously...
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"Hermione," Ron knocked his knuckles on the table lightly at the top of the book she was engrossed in. "It's suppertime."
"What? Oh, hiya Harry, Ron. Sorry, didn't see you there."
"No kidding, seein' as how far you were buried in that book. See there Harry? I think her hair's gone and turning black from the ink." Hermione glared at Ron and swatted away his hand.
"Now if you are kindly done making fun at me, please go away so I can study."
"But 'Mione, it's supper, and you haven't been down for a meal for daaaays..."
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"Hermione," Ron knocked his knuckles on the table lightly at the top of the book she was engrossed in. "It's suppertime."
"What? Oh, hiya Harry, Ron. Sorry, didn't see you there."
"No kidding, seein' as how far you were buried in that book. See there Harry? I think her hair's gone and turning black from the ink." Hermione glared at Ron and swatted away his hand.
"Now if you are kindly done making fun at me, please go away so I can study."
"But 'Mione, it's supper, and you haven't been down for a meal for daaaays..."
10 January, 2019
Another Harry Potter drabble...
Because I have to admit that although I'm not a full fan of JKR, the story line she created did spark the imagination greatly!!
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She silently worked on their potion, ignoring both Professor Snape's rude comments to the Gryffindors in the class, and her partner's failed crude attempts to charm her.
"Eye of Newt," she held her hand out for the required ingredient.
"You know, Talon, I could give you something much better than a water spider's eyes," Draco Malfoy's smile was sickening, and his attitude was really starting to get on her nerves. Ignoring him, she added a pinch of Myrrh into their cauldron with her left hand, which was out of his line of sight and, muttering a few words, pricked her finger and let one solitary drop of blood add to the mixture. Stirring in the eyeball which Malfoy had finally consented to hand to her, making sure to brush her palm with his fingertips in a way that He certainly thought was alluring, she raised her hand into the air to signal that they were finished. All the wile making strange little marks on her notes parchment.
"Very good," came Snape's voice. "Five points to Slytherin for an early completion, five more if it performs adequately," He motioned for them to test it. Confidently, she and Malfoy dipped a ladle full into their goblets. Drinking hers first she fearlessly folded her legs up underneath herself and proceeded to float there in mid-air.
"Very good..." Snape was interrupted by a thud that came from her right, where Malfoy, attempting the same feat, had instead fallen to the floor where he was now rubbing his very sore rear end. And, as they watched, much to the rest of the class's amusement, he seemed to be turning a rather bright shade of blue, which leaked into his hair more as a vibrant green.
"Dear me," she smirked down on him. "Allergic to something Malfoy? Or is all that your shade of embarrassment at having your pickup attempts ignored??"
The rest of the room could not contain themselves and laughter broke out from all corners. By the look in Malfoy's eyes, she had just earned herself an enemy, but all she could do was turn one of his own trademark smirks back at him.
"Enough!" Snape's voice cut through the mirth. "Malfoy, I suggest you see Madame Pomfrey immediately. The rest of you will clean up and proceed to the rest of your classes." They did as he told, still stifling their snickers as Malfoy tried to saunter past them. He simply looked at Malfoy's partner, still calmly floating in mid-air. She looked back at him impassively, as if bored with the whole scene.
"Funny," he said quietly, "How such a potion should work so well for you, and yet have such adverse affects on Mr. Malfoy, don't you think?" his voice was cold and held a warning tone to it, despite the low volume used.
"Perhaps," she replied, equally as coldly. "Perhaps he simply found something that may get the better of him." and casually waving her wand at their workspace, she disapated their potion and picked up her books. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get to my next class."
Snape stepped aside as she floated past him towards the door. ON her way, she passed Harry, Hermionie, Ron, and Neville...the four Gryffindors she all too often saw Malfoy's gang tormenting. Looking at them, she smiled slightly at them and continued on.
Later on that day, it leaked out that Malfoy had indeed had some kind of reaction to something in their potion, though what exactly, Madame Pomfrey either didn't know or wouldn't admit to and that it was a malady which would simply have to go away on it's own. As it was causing him no harm, the school nurse sent him back to his classes, much like a dejected Smurf.
The Gryffindors especially seemed to be particularly jovial for the next few days, and Fred and George Weasley were overheard to be trying to figure out what combination exactly it was that had produced Draco's miraculous color change. Talon stood and listened discretely as they passed by, still surmising.
"Try a pinch of Myrrh," she couldn't help but suggesting to them. They looked up in surprise at first, but their eyes narrowed when they saw who had spoken. It mattered not to her. If they wanted to try it, good on them, if not, their loss....she shrugged at them and moved on.
---------------------------
She silently worked on their potion, ignoring both Professor Snape's rude comments to the Gryffindors in the class, and her partner's failed crude attempts to charm her.
"Eye of Newt," she held her hand out for the required ingredient.
"You know, Talon, I could give you something much better than a water spider's eyes," Draco Malfoy's smile was sickening, and his attitude was really starting to get on her nerves. Ignoring him, she added a pinch of Myrrh into their cauldron with her left hand, which was out of his line of sight and, muttering a few words, pricked her finger and let one solitary drop of blood add to the mixture. Stirring in the eyeball which Malfoy had finally consented to hand to her, making sure to brush her palm with his fingertips in a way that He certainly thought was alluring, she raised her hand into the air to signal that they were finished. All the wile making strange little marks on her notes parchment.
"Very good," came Snape's voice. "Five points to Slytherin for an early completion, five more if it performs adequately," He motioned for them to test it. Confidently, she and Malfoy dipped a ladle full into their goblets. Drinking hers first she fearlessly folded her legs up underneath herself and proceeded to float there in mid-air.
"Very good..." Snape was interrupted by a thud that came from her right, where Malfoy, attempting the same feat, had instead fallen to the floor where he was now rubbing his very sore rear end. And, as they watched, much to the rest of the class's amusement, he seemed to be turning a rather bright shade of blue, which leaked into his hair more as a vibrant green.
"Dear me," she smirked down on him. "Allergic to something Malfoy? Or is all that your shade of embarrassment at having your pickup attempts ignored??"
The rest of the room could not contain themselves and laughter broke out from all corners. By the look in Malfoy's eyes, she had just earned herself an enemy, but all she could do was turn one of his own trademark smirks back at him.
"Enough!" Snape's voice cut through the mirth. "Malfoy, I suggest you see Madame Pomfrey immediately. The rest of you will clean up and proceed to the rest of your classes." They did as he told, still stifling their snickers as Malfoy tried to saunter past them. He simply looked at Malfoy's partner, still calmly floating in mid-air. She looked back at him impassively, as if bored with the whole scene.
"Funny," he said quietly, "How such a potion should work so well for you, and yet have such adverse affects on Mr. Malfoy, don't you think?" his voice was cold and held a warning tone to it, despite the low volume used.
"Perhaps," she replied, equally as coldly. "Perhaps he simply found something that may get the better of him." and casually waving her wand at their workspace, she disapated their potion and picked up her books. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get to my next class."
Snape stepped aside as she floated past him towards the door. ON her way, she passed Harry, Hermionie, Ron, and Neville...the four Gryffindors she all too often saw Malfoy's gang tormenting. Looking at them, she smiled slightly at them and continued on.
Later on that day, it leaked out that Malfoy had indeed had some kind of reaction to something in their potion, though what exactly, Madame Pomfrey either didn't know or wouldn't admit to and that it was a malady which would simply have to go away on it's own. As it was causing him no harm, the school nurse sent him back to his classes, much like a dejected Smurf.
The Gryffindors especially seemed to be particularly jovial for the next few days, and Fred and George Weasley were overheard to be trying to figure out what combination exactly it was that had produced Draco's miraculous color change. Talon stood and listened discretely as they passed by, still surmising.
"Try a pinch of Myrrh," she couldn't help but suggesting to them. They looked up in surprise at first, but their eyes narrowed when they saw who had spoken. It mattered not to her. If they wanted to try it, good on them, if not, their loss....she shrugged at them and moved on.
07 January, 2019
A Sci-Fi Scene Inspired by Era's "The Mass"
Some old writings are half-way decent...and surprising in what they were inspired by.....this one at least I did note where the idea came from!! The words don't flow as nicely as I'm sure I thought they did at the time...but You try to write a full scene while listening to a piece of music just once or twice...it's hard to keep up with the picture that builds in your mind..even harder to backtrack when trying to listen to it again and keep the idea going!
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And as the cavern opened into view, there came into sight below, thousands upon thousands of individuals, all marching in time, the beat of their steps as a deafening war-drum to the tune they all changed. More and more poured into the space, each saluting in time as they entered, and again as they entered the ranks forming. Entire ranks would split in step, separating into two precisely as new, fully formed ranks marched forward to join them. Every face turned upwards in their direction as they marched. Not a single person needed to look where they were moving, everyone stepping and stopping exactly in place, as if coming up against a wall.
The sound was deafening, each beat of these thousands of steps, each word so precise that the silence between them was as audible as the sounds themselves. They looked in awe at the force gathering in front of them; men, women, children--each was armored, armed, and changing. They could see the exact same look on each and every one of the faces, one f pride, extraordinary pride, and all of it aimed at the unassuming woman who stood upon the ledge above them. Looking again at this woman , she had changed in that moment, from a non-threatening survivor into something else. Her posture now was one of someone of power; someone of complete and utter confidence. Despite the fact that nothing else about her had changed, he now saw her as she was, a warrior and leader, a pillar of strength, not to be reckoned with. He could swear that the only thing missing from her appearance was that of a halo of fire and black glistening wings of an angel of vengeance. Just a day ago he had been on the run, merely trying to survive in a world overrun and crumbling around those who had survived; and now he saw the beginning of a war to end all wars. The changing below him, he could finally place--it had been so long since he had heard music of any type, and much longer since he had been to any religious gathering, but he could now make out the Latin endings to the words and gave memories of Latin-based masses he had attended as a small child came to mind. Those which had merely been musical words to his small ears were now those a war chant to his adult ears--words that seemed to carry the full weight of human history from the very beginning of every battle and war ever fought...and of a promise of vindication. The term 'human spirit' now made sense. This small woman before him , to whom all these tens of thousands of warriors--for they were far more than mere soldiers--were paying tribute--she in the power of her presence, to the loving smile on her face and tears forming at the corners of her eyes--she was human spirit. They in that minute, for the first time since the invasion, he saw humans turning towards, instead of away from the enemy which had been wiping them out of existence, both so casually and so ferociously, since its arrival...and he felt pride, pride in these people below him. Pride in the species he was a member of, and an unexplainable pride in the woman standing before him and he finally knew her name. The face he was seeing before him was new, and even though it brought to mind each and every face he had seen in pain, fear, and dying since the invasion, they now all had one name, her name--a name older than he, older than civilization, older than the Earth and older than everything around him and beneath his feet. Looking at her as she gazed upon her columns of never-ending warriors he realized that it was hardly about God, or war, not even about power, life, or death--it was all about her and what she was--as old as time itself and finally marching into battle.
"Hope." he whispered, and she turned as the columns of chanting warriors saluted once more and began to march proudly, holding that last salute, towards battle. That proud, of so proud smile fell upon him and the child clinging to him.
"And now you see." And with those words, she was gone and he turned to watch humanity's last best hope below him. His daughter hugging his leg in awe. He could almost feel her unspoken whisper. "Daddy, I'm gonna be like HER."
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And as the cavern opened into view, there came into sight below, thousands upon thousands of individuals, all marching in time, the beat of their steps as a deafening war-drum to the tune they all changed. More and more poured into the space, each saluting in time as they entered, and again as they entered the ranks forming. Entire ranks would split in step, separating into two precisely as new, fully formed ranks marched forward to join them. Every face turned upwards in their direction as they marched. Not a single person needed to look where they were moving, everyone stepping and stopping exactly in place, as if coming up against a wall.
The sound was deafening, each beat of these thousands of steps, each word so precise that the silence between them was as audible as the sounds themselves. They looked in awe at the force gathering in front of them; men, women, children--each was armored, armed, and changing. They could see the exact same look on each and every one of the faces, one f pride, extraordinary pride, and all of it aimed at the unassuming woman who stood upon the ledge above them. Looking again at this woman , she had changed in that moment, from a non-threatening survivor into something else. Her posture now was one of someone of power; someone of complete and utter confidence. Despite the fact that nothing else about her had changed, he now saw her as she was, a warrior and leader, a pillar of strength, not to be reckoned with. He could swear that the only thing missing from her appearance was that of a halo of fire and black glistening wings of an angel of vengeance. Just a day ago he had been on the run, merely trying to survive in a world overrun and crumbling around those who had survived; and now he saw the beginning of a war to end all wars. The changing below him, he could finally place--it had been so long since he had heard music of any type, and much longer since he had been to any religious gathering, but he could now make out the Latin endings to the words and gave memories of Latin-based masses he had attended as a small child came to mind. Those which had merely been musical words to his small ears were now those a war chant to his adult ears--words that seemed to carry the full weight of human history from the very beginning of every battle and war ever fought...and of a promise of vindication. The term 'human spirit' now made sense. This small woman before him , to whom all these tens of thousands of warriors--for they were far more than mere soldiers--were paying tribute--she in the power of her presence, to the loving smile on her face and tears forming at the corners of her eyes--she was human spirit. They in that minute, for the first time since the invasion, he saw humans turning towards, instead of away from the enemy which had been wiping them out of existence, both so casually and so ferociously, since its arrival...and he felt pride, pride in these people below him. Pride in the species he was a member of, and an unexplainable pride in the woman standing before him and he finally knew her name. The face he was seeing before him was new, and even though it brought to mind each and every face he had seen in pain, fear, and dying since the invasion, they now all had one name, her name--a name older than he, older than civilization, older than the Earth and older than everything around him and beneath his feet. Looking at her as she gazed upon her columns of never-ending warriors he realized that it was hardly about God, or war, not even about power, life, or death--it was all about her and what she was--as old as time itself and finally marching into battle.
"Hope." he whispered, and she turned as the columns of chanting warriors saluted once more and began to march proudly, holding that last salute, towards battle. That proud, of so proud smile fell upon him and the child clinging to him.
"And now you see." And with those words, she was gone and he turned to watch humanity's last best hope below him. His daughter hugging his leg in awe. He could almost feel her unspoken whisper. "Daddy, I'm gonna be like HER."
An Early X-Men fanfiction
Its a little embarrassing,yes, how much fanfiction I write. Yet, at the same time, it does mean that there is something to be said for the quality of the original writing/show/story if others, such as myself, are inspired to create additional storylines--however much they, as this one, may not fit in with the original canon. This one is definitely a bit out there for X-Men, but then again, so were many of the cartoon spinoff storylines!!!
It's cheesy, and not something I think I will rework, but I can definitely tell what types of stories I was currently interested in!
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"She wasn't the one we were there for," Logan commented.
"How do you figure?" Storm sat down in the commons room with her drink in her hand.
"Vampires have a natural block against telepathy. She would have been invisible to Chuck and Cerebro."
"Must make them scary assassins," She shuddered, most of the attacks on their school and pupils were survived only because of their complement of telepaths.
"They are freehanders, most of them would never sign under anyone. They are older than any other kind of mutant. They showed up way before people like us even began to."
"How do you know so much about them?" Jubilee and Kitty leaned forward as he spoke. Now that the realization that vampires were more than just a myth had sunk in, they couldn't stop hearing about them.
"I met one once, in Canada. Thought she was just some delusional in out of the cold. Until she bit me."
"Whoa, wait a minute. Why aren't you one then?"
"Stupid, he'd have to bite her too to become one!"
"Don't believe all the stories you hear kids. Vampires are just like us, they are born a vampire. Just like we were born mutants. It is just that so far, they seem to be the only mutation that has remained, for the most part, unchanged in each of them, creating almost a new species."
"Wow. So nothing of the stories are true?"
"Well, like most living things, a stake through the heart will kill, as will bullets, silver or not. And most of them seem to have some level of allergic reaction to sunlight but it rarely kills them."
"She could fly." Storm phrased it almost as a question.
"That is where the mutation begins to vary." They turned to see the professor in the doorway, a slim young lady standing next to his chair. She was very pale, with long black hair that moved like a mist around her torso as she entered the room. She wore a long deep purple dress that clung to her upper body, pointed at the wrists, and a deep V-neck. It brought out her eyes which were a beautiful violet. The dress flowed around her legs, a silver chain link belt askew on her hips, more decoration than useful it seemed.
"This is Starla Moonwind, she is new here and has had some encounters with vampires in her travels."
The woman inclined her head at them, her eyes examining them very quickly.
"Vampires all have super human strength and speed and also live for close to 200-300 years." she walked next to the professor's chair as he wheeled over next to the fireplace.
"Other than that, it depends on what family lineage they come from. Some are able to flly, some show telepathic or telekenetic abilities, control and communication of or with vegetation and animal species are alaso very common. For the last 2000 or so years, there have been almost no record of any further abilities.
"But?" Logan caught the glance between the professor and the newcomer.
"Now, it seems that interaction between vampires and mutants have spurred further and more uncontrolable abilities to begin to show themselves."
"You mean mutants and vampires having kids, right?" Jubilee caught on pretty quick for an uppity kid.
"Yes. The main problem is this. A child who has an ancestor, no matter how far removed that was a vampire, will be a vampire. It is just the dominant gene set. There are NO exceptions. But now, because of the mixing of blood lines, other genetic anomalies have begun to show themselves."
"So now we're Genetic Anomalies, great way to soften the word 'freak'." Logan grumbled.
"Take it as you will, but we were freaks before you all even got started."
"Wait a minute. We?" Logan caught a swift look of fear in her eyes as she realized what she had said.
"I have lived among vampires for much of my life. They are my family now, I am as much of one of them as they are of you." That seemed to relieve the others, but her eyes had stayed locked on his, and she knew he hadn't fallen for it.
"What kind of...anomalies...are we talking about?" Even Storm, who seemed so at ease of being a mutant, hesitated on the word.
"Many of the mutations that we have become accustomed to seeing here, such as with Pyro, Iceman, and Jubilee here, except much less in control."
"Vampires are very emotional people, very primal compared to you, that may be the cause of this lack of control."
"Why don't they just come here like us?"
"They are also very prideful, Miss Pryde--no pun intended--put simply, they are too stubborn to come here, all but for a handful of them."
"What makes them feel differently?"
"They are scared of their own powers Miss Munroe. They want to turn them off. Now, I know that is not plausible, but they might be taught to control them, and in learning that, get what they want most..." she trailed off.
"To be normal vampires," Logan nodded. "Just like mutants want to be normal humans."
"Precisely."
"So what is it that is being suggested?"
"That we teach them."
"And if they do okay, then more will come ?"
"Spooky..." everyone nodded in agreement with Kitty's comment.
"Ah'll say this much," Rogue spoke up from her spot behind Logan's couch seat. "When tha other kids fahnd out, thay'll freak. Them ak'll ar' scary evn to us ahll..."
The professor nodded.
"Even so, Rogue, we are going to try."
---
By the next week, the seven new vampire students had arrived, very standoffish and with nearly no prior schooling it was obvious that this was not going to be an easily transition for anybody. But Starla had been given station as a teacher and would work both with the students and staff to make it work. Luckily all the other students knew was that these new kids were more different, and more touchy than normal. Other than that, they wisely left them alone. All in their teens, it quickly became clear that other than being wary of the other students, they were mentally no different than anyone else.
Sandy, a rambunctious sixteen year old was showing an affinity for controlling fire, and seemed to be an instinctive genius at physics. His twin sister Michella could fly, but unlike her brother, showed no interest in the sciences. Instead, she was particularly voracious about sports, basketball in particular. Therefore, it was used as an incentive to get her to actually attend normal classes.
Terr, 17, was an exceedingly strong telepath, and quickly was taken under Jean and the Professor's wings. Shy, he was usually found devouring any book he could get his hands on, or engaged in philosophical conversations with the teachers.
Laurence, the youngest, was only 14, but soon struck up with Cyclops in his shared love of motorcycles and cars. He had proven to be a shapeshifter with a natural precision in his imitations.
Zoe was the telekinetic, she was 16 and very scared of her talent. As much as she could, she avoided any means of using it and buried herself in her artwork.
Tony was the mysterious one. She had no one evident power, but when she was around, any variety of things might happen, from things disappearing, bursting into flame, even turning into something else completely. More strange occurrences had been reported but besides her physical presence, there seemed to be no other connection. She did well in all her classes, seemingly the only one of the seven who may have had any prior schooling.
She separated herself from everyone, even the other vampires, but none of the teachers missed the looks of longing and hunger that would flash across her face while watchign the laughing peers.
It's cheesy, and not something I think I will rework, but I can definitely tell what types of stories I was currently interested in!
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"She wasn't the one we were there for," Logan commented.
"How do you figure?" Storm sat down in the commons room with her drink in her hand.
"Vampires have a natural block against telepathy. She would have been invisible to Chuck and Cerebro."
"Must make them scary assassins," She shuddered, most of the attacks on their school and pupils were survived only because of their complement of telepaths.
"They are freehanders, most of them would never sign under anyone. They are older than any other kind of mutant. They showed up way before people like us even began to."
"How do you know so much about them?" Jubilee and Kitty leaned forward as he spoke. Now that the realization that vampires were more than just a myth had sunk in, they couldn't stop hearing about them.
"I met one once, in Canada. Thought she was just some delusional in out of the cold. Until she bit me."
"Whoa, wait a minute. Why aren't you one then?"
"Stupid, he'd have to bite her too to become one!"
"Don't believe all the stories you hear kids. Vampires are just like us, they are born a vampire. Just like we were born mutants. It is just that so far, they seem to be the only mutation that has remained, for the most part, unchanged in each of them, creating almost a new species."
"Wow. So nothing of the stories are true?"
"Well, like most living things, a stake through the heart will kill, as will bullets, silver or not. And most of them seem to have some level of allergic reaction to sunlight but it rarely kills them."
"She could fly." Storm phrased it almost as a question.
"That is where the mutation begins to vary." They turned to see the professor in the doorway, a slim young lady standing next to his chair. She was very pale, with long black hair that moved like a mist around her torso as she entered the room. She wore a long deep purple dress that clung to her upper body, pointed at the wrists, and a deep V-neck. It brought out her eyes which were a beautiful violet. The dress flowed around her legs, a silver chain link belt askew on her hips, more decoration than useful it seemed.
"This is Starla Moonwind, she is new here and has had some encounters with vampires in her travels."
The woman inclined her head at them, her eyes examining them very quickly.
"Vampires all have super human strength and speed and also live for close to 200-300 years." she walked next to the professor's chair as he wheeled over next to the fireplace.
"Other than that, it depends on what family lineage they come from. Some are able to flly, some show telepathic or telekenetic abilities, control and communication of or with vegetation and animal species are alaso very common. For the last 2000 or so years, there have been almost no record of any further abilities.
"But?" Logan caught the glance between the professor and the newcomer.
"Now, it seems that interaction between vampires and mutants have spurred further and more uncontrolable abilities to begin to show themselves."
"You mean mutants and vampires having kids, right?" Jubilee caught on pretty quick for an uppity kid.
"Yes. The main problem is this. A child who has an ancestor, no matter how far removed that was a vampire, will be a vampire. It is just the dominant gene set. There are NO exceptions. But now, because of the mixing of blood lines, other genetic anomalies have begun to show themselves."
"So now we're Genetic Anomalies, great way to soften the word 'freak'." Logan grumbled.
"Take it as you will, but we were freaks before you all even got started."
"Wait a minute. We?" Logan caught a swift look of fear in her eyes as she realized what she had said.
"I have lived among vampires for much of my life. They are my family now, I am as much of one of them as they are of you." That seemed to relieve the others, but her eyes had stayed locked on his, and she knew he hadn't fallen for it.
"What kind of...anomalies...are we talking about?" Even Storm, who seemed so at ease of being a mutant, hesitated on the word.
"Many of the mutations that we have become accustomed to seeing here, such as with Pyro, Iceman, and Jubilee here, except much less in control."
"Vampires are very emotional people, very primal compared to you, that may be the cause of this lack of control."
"Why don't they just come here like us?"
"They are also very prideful, Miss Pryde--no pun intended--put simply, they are too stubborn to come here, all but for a handful of them."
"What makes them feel differently?"
"They are scared of their own powers Miss Munroe. They want to turn them off. Now, I know that is not plausible, but they might be taught to control them, and in learning that, get what they want most..." she trailed off.
"To be normal vampires," Logan nodded. "Just like mutants want to be normal humans."
"Precisely."
"So what is it that is being suggested?"
"That we teach them."
"And if they do okay, then more will come ?"
"Spooky..." everyone nodded in agreement with Kitty's comment.
"Ah'll say this much," Rogue spoke up from her spot behind Logan's couch seat. "When tha other kids fahnd out, thay'll freak. Them ak'll ar' scary evn to us ahll..."
The professor nodded.
"Even so, Rogue, we are going to try."
---
By the next week, the seven new vampire students had arrived, very standoffish and with nearly no prior schooling it was obvious that this was not going to be an easily transition for anybody. But Starla had been given station as a teacher and would work both with the students and staff to make it work. Luckily all the other students knew was that these new kids were more different, and more touchy than normal. Other than that, they wisely left them alone. All in their teens, it quickly became clear that other than being wary of the other students, they were mentally no different than anyone else.
Sandy, a rambunctious sixteen year old was showing an affinity for controlling fire, and seemed to be an instinctive genius at physics. His twin sister Michella could fly, but unlike her brother, showed no interest in the sciences. Instead, she was particularly voracious about sports, basketball in particular. Therefore, it was used as an incentive to get her to actually attend normal classes.
Terr, 17, was an exceedingly strong telepath, and quickly was taken under Jean and the Professor's wings. Shy, he was usually found devouring any book he could get his hands on, or engaged in philosophical conversations with the teachers.
Laurence, the youngest, was only 14, but soon struck up with Cyclops in his shared love of motorcycles and cars. He had proven to be a shapeshifter with a natural precision in his imitations.
Zoe was the telekinetic, she was 16 and very scared of her talent. As much as she could, she avoided any means of using it and buried herself in her artwork.
Tony was the mysterious one. She had no one evident power, but when she was around, any variety of things might happen, from things disappearing, bursting into flame, even turning into something else completely. More strange occurrences had been reported but besides her physical presence, there seemed to be no other connection. She did well in all her classes, seemingly the only one of the seven who may have had any prior schooling.
She separated herself from everyone, even the other vampires, but none of the teachers missed the looks of longing and hunger that would flash across her face while watchign the laughing peers.
15 August, 2018
Another Early X-Men fanfiction
No issue with admitting that I was, and still am to a degree, fascinated with stories about mutation in the human population. X-Men may have been an extreme, but it was actually Anne McCaffrey who initially introduced me to the idea with her Talents' series of books...X-Men definitely allowed for a little more daring imaginings though!
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She was human, but she wished she wasn't. She was envious, not hurtfully so, but envious none the less, of the students here who were mutants. Mutant High was so affectionately called because of them. Some of the students, like her, were human, but they were quickly becoming the minority as more and more mutants were being enrolled. Quiet and a loner, she was forgotten, most often not even noticed against them, and yet she watched them with envy. Hidden deep behind her Gothic persona and dress she longed to be one of them, she longed, strangely enough, to belong. And deep down, she felt that with them was where she could.
The wanting ached and burned inside of her, so she climbed. Any, and everything she could, she would climb. The trees, the lockers, even the school. At one time or another she had managed to climb every public building in town. Except the mansion. The X-mansion. Professor Xavier's School for the Gifted. Gifted, another word for mutants, she thought sullenly. She slouched in her bell tower seat atop the school, letting the bitterness course through her, afire in her veins.
Mutants and humans alike, she was nothing to them. Shadows of nothingness, background noise, the kind you don't even notice the first time you hear it. But it didn't really matter, or at least that was what she tried to convince herself. That she didn't really fit in with either group. A human longing to be a mutant, no matter what, she was an outcast, would always Be one. She didn't even bother to climb back down for her class when the bell rang. How many times had she missed Jean Grey's class now? And the telepath had never even noticed. Not that she would, she was too busy looking out for her precious mutants.
She turned and punched her fist into the brick of the wall, letting her frustrations fade away and pain replace them, again and again she drove her clenched hand into the wall, never once wincing. Pain was good to her, it was the only thing besides climbing that seemed real to her. The only other thing that could break through the fog that had become her life. Calmer now, she made her way back to the ground and headed towards the front gate. She was tired of school and people for the day. Instead, she headed for the climbing gym. Well, it was more of a park than a gym with all kinds of structures, not just walls to climb. Half the time it also doubled as a paint ball area, something else she was very good at. They knew her there, and as use to her mid-day visits as they were, and they would let her in.
"The guys from the Mansion have it booked today Jules," the attendent called everyone that.
"Even the Challenge?" she felt like breaking a sweat today and the Challenge was best for that. The hardest part of the park, it was the only thing around here that she had to work at to climb.
"Nah, they're eyeing it, but haven't tried it yet, I'll add you to the list."
"Thanks," and she slipped in the entrance door. She knew to be careful when the people from the Mansion, aka mutants, were working here. She'd seen what could happen if they weren't able to control their powers. That's what they were here for in the first place, to practice their control.
Sitting on a bench, she slid on her tennis shoes and dropped her sweatshirt and wind pants to the floor to reveal figure hugging black jeans and a tight black sports bra. Pulling her hair up into a high ponytail she clipped her CD player firmly to her jeans at the small of her back and put the headphones over her ears, hard rock blasting out at her. Clenching and unclenching her gloved hands, she did a few slow limbering stretches and then moved to stand in front of the Pyramid. This was her favorite and she reserved it for her particularly stressful days, which were, unfortunately, not all that far and few between. It was huge, roughly an upside-down pyramid shaped pile of welded metal. It was constantly being added to, especially after she scaled it, or so it seemed. She enjoyed not only the climbing challenge it offered, but that it had a level of danger to it. All raw metal and endless numbers of possible paths through and over it to the top. Just touching it sent a thrill through her. Focused completely, she pulled herself up on the first hold and into it.
Charles Xavier, Scott Summers, Logan, and their students watched the seemingly fearless young woman slid effortlessly and almost fluidly through the proven deathly trap of scrap metal.
"Is she insane?" Scott asked incredulously.
"No, I've seen her finish it before. More than once." Logan just leaned back to enjoy the show. He had seen her do this before, several times, and he was no less in awe of her skill each time.
"Intriguing." Xavier also watched closely. The girl's movements were almsot too perfect, even for an experienced climber. Was it possible....?
"And she's human too. No mutancy at all." Logan had just answered everyone's unspoken question. Xavier's heart fell. There were so few new mutants easily found these days.
"She's good." Bobby proclaimed.
"Yeah, good enough to think she was one of us," Logan watched for just a moment more and then turned as the others had, back to their own training.
"One is rarely aware, these days, of such talents being natural to a human and not some facet of mutantancy." Charles Xavier thought to himself before he too forgot about the young girl. For when they were finished for the day, she was already gone.
The next morning, she did not appear for school at all, and that afternoon, a body was found, floating in the river that ran by the Mansion. Bobby had found her, and not even recognized her, no one did. When a search of her house was finally made, her computer was found on, an article open on it, an assignment the girl had, due in Jean Grey's class.
'We matter too, humans, non-mutants, and there are those of us who envy you, enough to want to be you. we may be background noise, but we matter too....'
------------------------------------
She was human, but she wished she wasn't. She was envious, not hurtfully so, but envious none the less, of the students here who were mutants. Mutant High was so affectionately called because of them. Some of the students, like her, were human, but they were quickly becoming the minority as more and more mutants were being enrolled. Quiet and a loner, she was forgotten, most often not even noticed against them, and yet she watched them with envy. Hidden deep behind her Gothic persona and dress she longed to be one of them, she longed, strangely enough, to belong. And deep down, she felt that with them was where she could.
The wanting ached and burned inside of her, so she climbed. Any, and everything she could, she would climb. The trees, the lockers, even the school. At one time or another she had managed to climb every public building in town. Except the mansion. The X-mansion. Professor Xavier's School for the Gifted. Gifted, another word for mutants, she thought sullenly. She slouched in her bell tower seat atop the school, letting the bitterness course through her, afire in her veins.
Mutants and humans alike, she was nothing to them. Shadows of nothingness, background noise, the kind you don't even notice the first time you hear it. But it didn't really matter, or at least that was what she tried to convince herself. That she didn't really fit in with either group. A human longing to be a mutant, no matter what, she was an outcast, would always Be one. She didn't even bother to climb back down for her class when the bell rang. How many times had she missed Jean Grey's class now? And the telepath had never even noticed. Not that she would, she was too busy looking out for her precious mutants.
She turned and punched her fist into the brick of the wall, letting her frustrations fade away and pain replace them, again and again she drove her clenched hand into the wall, never once wincing. Pain was good to her, it was the only thing besides climbing that seemed real to her. The only other thing that could break through the fog that had become her life. Calmer now, she made her way back to the ground and headed towards the front gate. She was tired of school and people for the day. Instead, she headed for the climbing gym. Well, it was more of a park than a gym with all kinds of structures, not just walls to climb. Half the time it also doubled as a paint ball area, something else she was very good at. They knew her there, and as use to her mid-day visits as they were, and they would let her in.
"The guys from the Mansion have it booked today Jules," the attendent called everyone that.
"Even the Challenge?" she felt like breaking a sweat today and the Challenge was best for that. The hardest part of the park, it was the only thing around here that she had to work at to climb.
"Nah, they're eyeing it, but haven't tried it yet, I'll add you to the list."
"Thanks," and she slipped in the entrance door. She knew to be careful when the people from the Mansion, aka mutants, were working here. She'd seen what could happen if they weren't able to control their powers. That's what they were here for in the first place, to practice their control.
Sitting on a bench, she slid on her tennis shoes and dropped her sweatshirt and wind pants to the floor to reveal figure hugging black jeans and a tight black sports bra. Pulling her hair up into a high ponytail she clipped her CD player firmly to her jeans at the small of her back and put the headphones over her ears, hard rock blasting out at her. Clenching and unclenching her gloved hands, she did a few slow limbering stretches and then moved to stand in front of the Pyramid. This was her favorite and she reserved it for her particularly stressful days, which were, unfortunately, not all that far and few between. It was huge, roughly an upside-down pyramid shaped pile of welded metal. It was constantly being added to, especially after she scaled it, or so it seemed. She enjoyed not only the climbing challenge it offered, but that it had a level of danger to it. All raw metal and endless numbers of possible paths through and over it to the top. Just touching it sent a thrill through her. Focused completely, she pulled herself up on the first hold and into it.
Charles Xavier, Scott Summers, Logan, and their students watched the seemingly fearless young woman slid effortlessly and almost fluidly through the proven deathly trap of scrap metal.
"Is she insane?" Scott asked incredulously.
"No, I've seen her finish it before. More than once." Logan just leaned back to enjoy the show. He had seen her do this before, several times, and he was no less in awe of her skill each time.
"Intriguing." Xavier also watched closely. The girl's movements were almsot too perfect, even for an experienced climber. Was it possible....?
"And she's human too. No mutancy at all." Logan had just answered everyone's unspoken question. Xavier's heart fell. There were so few new mutants easily found these days.
"She's good." Bobby proclaimed.
"Yeah, good enough to think she was one of us," Logan watched for just a moment more and then turned as the others had, back to their own training.
"One is rarely aware, these days, of such talents being natural to a human and not some facet of mutantancy." Charles Xavier thought to himself before he too forgot about the young girl. For when they were finished for the day, she was already gone.
The next morning, she did not appear for school at all, and that afternoon, a body was found, floating in the river that ran by the Mansion. Bobby had found her, and not even recognized her, no one did. When a search of her house was finally made, her computer was found on, an article open on it, an assignment the girl had, due in Jean Grey's class.
'We matter too, humans, non-mutants, and there are those of us who envy you, enough to want to be you. we may be background noise, but we matter too....'
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