[Wanda] Wanda was lying on her bed, on her side of the room watching Jake unpack his stuff
[Wanda] he'd brought so much more *stuff* with him than Wanda had ever owned back home in the Maximoff's 'wagon.'
[Wanda] And the way he treated it? Wanda thought about saying something but thought better of it
[Wanda] And just settled for a baleful look as she continued to handfeed watermelon to one of her latest hexing accidents
[Jake] "Get...in...there... you freakin'...." Jake grunted, shoving the drawer closed with his foot. "There! Hey, Wanda, what should I do with my shoes? I don't know if that other girl would appreciate me stuffing them under the bunkbed."
[Wanda] "You could put them in the closet," Wanda suggested, looking at the scuffed pair of shoes Jake was referring to
[Wanda] She'd been taught to take very good care of the few things she owned, and knew how to make them last
[Jake] Jake grimaced a little. "But that's all full up with your stuff. Maybe I could stow them by the door--or under your pet's table? Does that thing have a name, by the way?"
[Wanda] Wanda stroked the soft spines of the little hedgehog lying on her stomach and said, "I've been calling him Harvey. Silly, huh?"
[Wanda] "I think most of it's Laurie's", Wanda said, looking over at the closet. She'd only recently unpacked her clothes from her backpacking bag - which was now hanging up on the wall
[Jake] Jake grinned, coming over to give the prickly creature a pet with his finger. "Nah, that's OK. I wouldn't want our stuff to get mixed up," he said. "I think Harvey's a great name, though! Like the phouka from that old Jimmy Stewart movie.
[Jake] (("))
[Wanda] "But, just a little less imaginary," Wanda said as the little creature decided to curl up and take a nap.
[Wanda] "He sure sleeps a lot, I wonder if he remembers being a book?"
[Jake] "Just because you can't see a phouka doesn't mean he doesn't exist," Jake said.
[Jake] "What do you mean, a book?"
[Wanda] Wanda giggled, "You might have a point there, who's to say Jimmy Stewart's friend wasn't real?"
[Wanda] "Harvey used to be a copy of The Last Battle, I got upset when I was reading it, and then... it wasn't a book anymore."
[Jake] "He was certainly real to Elwood P. Dowd!" Jake grinned, happy she was familiar with the movie. It was one of his favorites. "
[Wanda] "Happens far too often, I'm afraid, so be sure to keep your things far away from me."
[Jake] "The Last Battle," he repeated, incredulously. "Do you mean the Narnia book? You turned it into a...a hedgehog?"
[Wanda] Wanda smiled back at Jake as she half joked - "At least if you like them the way they are."
[Wanda] "I'm still learning to keep what I can do under control."
[Jake] "That is so unbelievably cool! How did you do it? Is that your power, to turn inanimate objects into creatures?"
[Wanda] "And yes - the Narnia book - I didn't quite get to the end, but almost - and then I wasn't able to finish it." Wanda shook her head.
[Jake] "Well, obviously," Jake remarked.
[Wanda] "Well.." Wanda always had a hard time explaining her powers, "It's more like I make the improbable...happen."
[Jake] "The improbable, eh? Like turning penguins into couches and bullets into flowers?"
[Wanda] "Yes, obviously," Wanda agreed as she returned the tightly rolled up former book to his little nest hidden in the bedside table.
[Wanda] "Something like that," Wanda said as she wiped the watermelon juice from her hand.
[Wanda] "More like turning couches into penguins than the reverse though,"
[Wanda] "I've managed not to target any living things as of yet."
[Wanda] "Though, I think the university has the zoo on speed dial by now."
[Jake] Jake shook his head in amazement. "Wow," he said, watching her gently place the hedgehog back into its nest. "I just...wow. Can you show me something? You know, like a demonstration?"
[Wanda] "I guess my powers do sort of lend themselves to party tricks," Wanda said as she looked around the room.
[Wanda] "I have to warn you though - I never know what's going to happen until it does."
[Jake] "But wait--" Jake said quickly, suddenly nervous as she started glancing around the room.
[Wanda] Wanda laughed, "I won't aim for your guitar."
[Wanda] "Sometimes I make things catch fire though, or explode, so it's not the best indoor gift."
[Wanda] ((brb!))
[Jake] Jake breathed a sigh of relief. "Ha, you read my mind," he laughed, though it was a bit shakey. "I have a question, though. Once you change something, can you put it back? Like, could you change Harvey back into a book if you wanted or is he stuck as a hedgehog for life?"
[Jake] ((OK))
[Nachturne] ((good job so far btw!!!))
[Jake] (( D D Thank you!))
[Wanda] ((back, sorry had to get that!))
[Jake] ((That's OK))
[Wanda] "I kind of hope he's stuck," Wanda grinned as she pulled her knees up to her chest.
[Wanda] "I didn't really practice much before I came to this place."
[Wanda] "Mostly, I tried not to ever use it, but there were occasional accidents."
[Wanda] "As far as I know - most things don't go back - and I'm not in control enough to try and change them myself."
[Wanda] "If no one finds out about Harvey, maybe he'll be around long enough for us to find out."
[Jake] Jake frowned a little, his eyes fixed on the sleeping Harvey. "Yeah...," he said, a bit dubiously. "You know, looking at him I can't help thinking of Farehhieit 451. You know that book by Ray Bradbury? I wonder if all the words from that book are stored in his little head?"
[Wanda] Wanda didn't know many movies, but she had read a lot of books, she laughed, "Think Betsy might be able to tell us?"
[Wanda] "If we asked her to take a look?"
[Wanda] "Not that I want too many people to know about him, I'd like to be able to keep him."
[Jake] "Hey, it might be worth a shot," Jake smiled. "Do hedgehogs think in English?"
[Jake] "Yeah, he's way too cool," he nodded. "Don't worry, I won't breathe a word about him."
[Wanda] "So, about that demonstration," Wanda sat back and flexed hands together.
[Wanda] "Anything around here you're not particularly attached to?"
[Jake] Jake eyed her a bit nervously. "Why, what are you planning to do?"
[Wanda] "Nothing, if you don't want me to," Wanda settled back, "Actually you'll probably see enough strange things without me ever trying."
[Wanda] Wanda waved her hands, sometimes things just happen without me even trying. Especially when I get emotional.
[Wanda] There was a sudden sharp crack from one of the panes of glass in the window.
[Wanda] Wanda looked over and winced, kind of like that she said looking at the small fissure that had suddenly appeared.
[Jake] "Heh," Jake tried a laugh but it came out stilted. "Did you do that?"
[Wanda] Nodding a little sheepishly Wanda said, "Scary, huh?"
[Jake] Jake shot her a look, then walked over to his suitcase. "Hey, why don't we change the subject," he said brightly. "I've got some candy in my case--you want some?"
[Wanda] Wanda sighed and placed her hands securely in her lap, "Maybe that's a good idea," she said.
[Wanda] "Though, I think that only happens when I move my hands, I got really good at keeping them still."
[Jake] "Wow," Jake shook his head, pawing through his suitcase in search of his bag of candy bars. "Looks like being your roommate's going to be some adventure, huh."
[Wanda] Wanda's laugh was a little forced this time, "Yeah," she said as she wrapped her arms around her knees again.
[Jake] Jake noticed her forced laugh, suddenly feeling a little guilty. "Hey, I don't mean that as a bad thing," he said, grabbing the bag and coming over to sit next to her. "I think your power's really awesome! What kind do you want?"
[Wanda] "What are my choices?" Wanda asked, looking over at the brightly wrapped bars.
[Jake] "Well, I've got Snickers, Milky Way, Whatchamacallit, and Zero."
[Jake] "Oh, and here's an Almond Joy at the bottom."
[Wanda] Wanda looked into Jake's back at the candy thrown into the bottom, she wondered how long it had been there.
[Wanda] *bag
[Jake] Recognizing the look on Wanda's face, Jake laughed. "Don't worry, it's fresh, he assured her. "I bought it for the trip."
[Wanda] She reached in, scrambling the bars around a little before taking on at random.
[Wanda] "Trip?" She asked as she looked down to see she had chosen a Milky Way
[Jake] "You know, the trip down here," Jake clarified.
[Wanda] "I guess I'm just surprised you called it a trip?" Wanda said.
[Wanda] "But, I guess you weren't planning on being here for long..."
[Wanda] She unwrapped her candybar and looked sidelong over at Jake.
[Jake] "Well, it's not like I'm going to be living here," Jake said, pulling out a Zero bar and ripping off the wrapper. "I just have to stay until they find a way to get me back to normal."
[Wanda] Wanda nodded, not wanting to say that a head injury like the one he'd suffered sounded serious, and he might never get back to normal.
[Wanda] "Have you had a chance to speak to Xavier yet?"
[Jake] "Nope, not yet," Jake told her with a sigh. "I just hope he can figure out what's wrong fast. I know this might sound weird, but I've never been away from RI for more than about a week before. This whole situation is just so weird!"
[Wanda] "Most of us feel that way." Wanda said as she arranged her pillows and settled more comfortably on her bed.
[Wanda] "This whole school is just...bizarre, nothing like what I expected.
[Wanda] "But, I guess Professor Xavier has to be one of the best people to ask to help you."
[Jake] "Yeah...but I've really got to get back to my own school. This is really messing up my classwork, you know? The last thing I want is to have to take a bunch of Incompletes for the semester."
[Wanda] "You were in a car accident..." Wanda said, "What reason did you give them for taking so much time off?"
[Jake] "Rest and recouperation, I suppose," Jake shrugged. "I don't know, my Mom was in charge of the excuses. I just want to go home."
[Wanda] Wanda nodded, "It's good to hear your parents are being supportive. What does your family think about, you know, everything?"
[Wanda] She took a bite of her candy bar - good it tasted like chocolate - sometimes she had to be careful that what she'd started to eat was still what she'd started eating.
[Jake] "My parents have always been pretty cool about me being a mutant, if that's what you mean," Jake said, twirling his candy bar around in his hands. "I know my Dad thinks it's great. He always wanted me to show it off at family parties and stuff."
[Wanda] "That's nice to hear." Wanda sighed looking at her hands, her own gifts hadn't been quite so popular back home, and Django and MArya hadn't been quite so comfortable with them.
[Wanda] "But, I meant are they okay with having a daughter rather than a son?"
[Wanda] Whoops, maybe she shouldn't have asked that.
[Wanda] Wanda looked over at Jake a little guility wondering how he would react.
[Jake] Jake winced, his face flushing a bright red. "Not funny," he said. "Actually, I think they're taking it harder than I am. Mom especially has been really upset since the accident. Last time I called her, she couldn't stop crying." Jake sighed and lowered his head.
[Wanda] "Oh Jake, I'm sorry." Wanda said, "I really shouldn't have said that."
[Jake] He didn't think he had the stomach to eat that candy bar any longer.
[Wanda] "But, you know," she tried, "You're still you"
[Jake] "Yeah, well...whatever, man." Jake shrugged, trying to shake off his discomfort. "What about you? How did your parents take your being a mutant?"
[Wanda] Wanda shrugged a little uncomfortably, "I don't think any of us knew what it was at first."
[Wanda] "Marya was convinced I was cursed, so we tried various...methods of getting rid of it."
[Jake] Jake smirked a little, shooting a glance over to Harvey.
[Wanda] "Traveling all over Europe and visiting...people. Nothing worked, of course."
[Jake] "Methods like how?" Jake asked, a little confused.
[Wanda] Wanda caught Jakes look, "Well, sometimes I really don't mind it," she said.
[Wanda] "Oh, like sacred pools, and prayer, healing crystals.... exorcisms."
[Wanda] "I'm not sure what I can do is textbook mutant."
[Wanda] "I mean, we have three shape-shifters now."
[Wanda] "And my first roommate was a telepath too."
[Wanda] "But, there hasn't been anyone who can do what I do." She shrugged, not really wanting to talk about it anymore.
[Jake] "Well, the ability to mess around with probability is pretty darn awesome," Jake commented, trying to squeeze his untouched candy bar back into its wrapper. "I mean, if you think about it---what the!"
[Jake] Jake dropped the white-fudge candy bar on the floor, leaping to his feet in alarm.
[Wanda] Wanda had reached down to pet the sleeping Harvey when Jake dropped the candy bar and leapt backwards.
[Wanda] "What happened?" she asked a little alarmed.
[Jake] "My Zero bar!" Jake exclaimed. "It--I swear I felt it twitch!"
[Wanda] "Twitch?" Wanda asked. Really, she shouldn't be surprised at things like this by now.
[Jake] Jake laughed a little bashfully, crouching down to poke the candy with a finger. "No...sorry, it must be just me. Sometimes my imagination---" Jake cut himself off as the little rectangular bar actually began to wiggle. "Erm...Wanda...!!!"
[Wanda] Wanda jumped off her bed and joined Jake looking at the bar.
[Wanda] "But," She said, "It still looks like chocolate."
[Wanda] "Sometimes I turn oranges into apples or wine into water but, this, this is strange."
[Wanda] *strange->different
[Jake] "No, look!" Jake said, his eyes wide in rapt fascination as he watched the candy slither out of its shiny silver wrapper. "I think it's growing scales! White chocolate scales!"
[Jake] "Oh, man, this is so freakin' cool!"
[Wanda] "Oh no!" Wanda buried her face in one hand, "I guess you can blame me then."
[Wanda] "Sorry." She added in a smaller voice.
[Wanda] But, then again, Jake didn't sound exactly upset.
[Jake] Jake laughed out loud, completely entranced. "No, don't apologize!" he grinned, reaching out a tentative finger to try to touch the writhing creature's scaly white back. "This is---hey!" He snatched his finger back quickly as the thing suddenly snapped open a mouth full of fangs.
[Wanda] "Maybe we should catch it?" Wanda said after a moment of staring at the living chocolate bar, "Before it gets away."
[Jake] "Well, it doesn't seem to have any legs," Jake observed thoughtfully. "How fast do you think it can move?"
[Wanda] "Or not!" Wanda said, as the creature revealed it had teeth."
[Wanda] *(-")
[Wanda] "Well, it moved pretty quickly when it went after your finger." Wanda said.
[Wanda] "Maybe we should trap it in something?"
[Jake] "OK," Jake nodded. "How about you grab the trash can and I'll try to chase it in?"
[Nachturne] ((sorry to interrupt, but do you guys still plan to finish by 9?))
[Wanda] ((yes - I think we're wrapping up))
[Jake] ((Yep, should be done soon))
[Wanda] "I should have some boxes around..." Wanda looked around thoughtfully
[Wanda] and then pulled a shoebox out from under her bed.
[Jake] "Or a shoebox could be good," Jake allowed. "You ready?"
[Nachturne] ((ok, just wanna keep on schedule
...good job!!!))[Jake] (( D ))
[Wanda] She pulled out the flaps, flipped the lid and dumped the collection of beads and hemp onto the floor.
[Wanda] "Ready," She said, at least trying to be brave, this was one of her... creations, afterall.
[Wanda] "Just try to keep it from escaping." she said as she approached at a slow, careful crouch.
[Wanda] "Or maybe we could wave it into a corner? With a pillow or something?"
[Jake] "Nah, I'll just try to shoo it in," Jake said, getting slowly down onto his hands and knees.
[Wanda] "Good plan," Wanda set as she set the box on its side on the floor, ready to snap the lid closed.
[Wanda] Since she was holding the box in front of her, she hoped Jake's aim would be good herding it in.
[Jake] Reaching out with quick hands, he made to snatch at the wriggling creature--only to shout in alarm as it shot away from him more quickly than he had expected. "Quick, Wanda, get it!" he exclaimed.
[Jake] "It's heading right for you!"
[Wanda] Panic making her move much faster than normal, Wanda dropped the box down to smack open-end down on the floor.
[Wanda] "Did I get it?"
[Wanda] The way the box was shaking answered the question.
[Jake] "Yeah! Man, that was awesome!" Jake was grinning wildly, his eyes sparkling with the thrill of the catch. "Slide the top under it and let's take a look!"
[Wanda] Wanda carefully pulled the lid under the box and holding it securely, neatly flipped it over.
[Wanda] What ever was inside didn't like that much and kicked around for a bit - before lying still
[Wanda] "Can you see?" Wanda asked as she lifted the front of the lid up a tiny bit.
[Jake] "Sweet!" Jake nearly squeaked, rubbing his hands together as he carefully lifted the lid. "Ha! What are we going to do with it?"
[Jake] ((Strike that!))
[Jake] Sweet!" Jake nearly squeaked, rubbing his hands together as he peered in the box. "Ha! What are we going to do with it?"
[Wanda] ((no keep it - say he lifted the lid just a little more - so he could see!))
[Wanda] ((lol nm!))
[Jake] ((OK))
[Jake] ((Oh, let's just leave it! D )
[Wanda] "Well," Wanda said, a bit of resignedness in her voice as she set the box down, "It looks like we have another pet to hide in here."
[Wanda] "Any idea what you want to name it?" She asked, looking back up at Jake.
[Wanda] Who she was glad was far more excited than frightened.
[Jake] "How about Falcor?" Jake suggested. "Those scales kind of remind me of a dragon."
[Wanda] "Falcor?" Wanda said, not getting the movie reference, "Sounds good to me, now, just where should we put him?"
[Wanda] There room was getting just a little crowded.
[Wanda] *Their
[Jake] "Yeah, the luck dragon from The Neverending Story," Jake told her.
[Jake] "We could put him on top of the closet, if you want," he suggested.
[Wanda] "Ah," Wanda said, nodding and looking around the room for a good hiding spot.
[Wanda] "Good idea!"
[Wanda] It was a high place, out of sight, who would be looking around up there?
[Wanda] She dragged a chair over from the desk and placed it near the closet.
[Jake] "Here, let me," Jake said, kicking his suitcase over so he could reach.
[Jake] (erk!)
[Wanda] "After you," Wanda said.
[Jake] Jake took the rattling box from Wanda and climbed up onto his suitcase, gently sliding the box out of sight.
[Jake] "Hey, Wanda," he said as he hopped back down. "I just thought of something. What do candy bars eat?"
[Wanda]>[Nachturne] We're done!
[Wanda] ((The End))
