10/30 Issue: We Suffered

[Svartfreja]

Timelined for after the condom Jeamie.


<Jamie> Jamie set the heavy pile of books and files down on the side of his desk with a 'thunk', then turned and sat in his chair. Bookshelves. Bookshelves and filing cabinets. But for now... He booted up his computer and waited for the picture of Jean lying on Baby's hood to pop up to let him know it was awake enough to surf the web.

<Pietro> Pietro had no reason to be in his office today, which was good because he had been meaning to get out of the office for a while and do something more fun. He stopped outside the tenement building and looked it over... it could be worse. Needed some window lettering and terrible blinds for the full old timey PI effect though. Shaking his head at himself, he headed up the stoop and opened the door.

<Jamie> Door? Door! Jamie narrowed his eyes and felt around his brain for Jean. Not Jean! Customer! He pushed away from his desk and stood to hastily put the stack of things back in his chair, pushing it as close as it would go to hide the mess now in his place. "Welcome to X-Factor Investigations!" He headed to the door, "How can I he-- Oh." Not a customer... Sadness pie. "Hey, man. What's up?"

<Pietro> He did not miss the disappointment. "Slow day?" he guessed, "Actually I was thinking I might be able to help you."

<Jamie> "Nah, just bored of my current project." He headed back into his office and shifted the pile back to the desk so he could sit back down. "Help me with what? Want coffee or tea before I plop back into my spinny chair?"

<Pietro> He shook his head. It wasn't that he didn't want coffee he was just painfully aware how long that took. "Work project or personal project?" Curiosity was a curse. "I had some thoughts about your jacket situation."

<Jamie> "Work." Jamie flopped into his chair and rocked back to put his feet up. "Take a seat, dude." He gestured at the client chair and looked at his leather-clad arm. "The jacket situation is a little better now since I have my smaller one back. I plan to deconstruct my trench coat... But I've not had the heart to do it yet."

<Pietro> "Probably shouldn't ask you about boirng work stuff," he determined, taking the offered seat, "Well... hold that thought on deconstruction. What's your theory so far on how it all works?"

<Jamie> "Yeah, sorry. Confidential. But I can say that I'm still in the research phase and it's taking longer than usual. I'm ready to get to the action phase." Theory? There's supposed to be a theory? Apparently. "I guess it slows down or completely inhibits the molecular deconstruction of my cells to split and create another me from my brain."

<Pietro> "But you've had no thoughts on how it does that? What systems it taps into in your body? Do you know how your powers work?"

<Jamie> "Um. No? As far as I know, I'm the only one that's had powers since birth. I mean, I'm sure there's others out there, but I've not come across any of them yet, so they don't count until I do or someone can tell me otherwise for certain."

<Jamie> He took a breath. "Because of my parents both being nuclear physicists, they understood a bit about the molecular status of it all, which is why my dad was able to make the first suit that helped. But only a bit. Even Dr. McCoy only had theories."

<Pietro> "Well, I can tell you there are at least two other former students that had powers since birth but they were both metamorphs so I'm not sure how comparable their powers are to yours," Pietro rested his elbows on his knees, "Reactive powers, like yours, often have a connection to the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system - the fight/flight versus rest and digest mechanism in the body."

<Pietro> "Based purely on where the hardware in your trench coat is located, my theory is it somehow stops your mutation hijacking that fight and flight mechanism and keeps it in rest and digest so no dupes coming to distract the threat."

<Jamie> "I guess that's plausible. The hardware in all my suits and jackets is at and around my torso. Which is one of the reasons I really don't trust the inhibitor bracelet." Jamie frowned in thought. "The doctor smacked my ass to get me to breathe and suddenly he was holding two newborns upside down instead of one. So you might be onto something. But, it still doesn't explain how. Just why."

<Pietro> "Well, the nervous system is basically just electrical impulses so if you can isolate the specific frequency you can mess with it. It's basically how pacemakers work just with a little more finesse. The inhibitor bracelets are an on off switch so they might not work for you... but there might be something we can do to make something to go around the back of your neck where the vagus nerve is."

<Jamie> "We would have to experiment to find the specific reaction, though. I'm not going to get something and have you go 'here, this should work' and send me off to blow Jean up from the inside out. I want things thoroughly tested in a safe space first."

<Pietro> "Oh absolutely. Thorough testing is important," Pietro agreed, "But we can do that... if you want my help, that is. Totally free of charge. Call it professional curiosity."

<Jamie> "You do have a lot more equipment for the science-side of things than I do. So that would be helpful even if nothing else is. Not saying it won't be, just to be clear. Just saying that will be for sure." Foot. Out of mouth. "That sounds good, thanks. What were you thinking about trying first?"

<Pietro> "Well, first we need to make some hardware that can do the thing we need it to do and remain adjustable while we test it. Then we can refine it if our theory pans out. I can get to work on that and give you a call when we have something that is functional for testing purposes."

<Jamie> "Ooorrrr... I could help you do that. You're not the only one with a degree in science, dude. I don't want this to just be you doing and me trying. I had wanted it to be all me until Jean talked me into it not being all me. So I'm going to be a part of figuring it out, too or no dice."

<Pietro> "Well, I figured I'd do the basic part and we can collaborate on the rest just because I can manufacture a lot faster than you, but, if you want to build a prototype together, I'll get Harvey to design something and equip a lab for us to work in. It's hard for me to wind my brain down to work that way sometimes... most of the time."

<Jamie> "I mean, if I'm too slow for you, I can still do it by myself. I have lots of mes." Jamie shrugged and swivelled his chair back and forth a bit. "We can make it a competition to see who makes the better product."

<Pietro> He laughed, "I can wear an inhibitor if it becomes an issue. I don't mind. Do you want somewhere to work nearby? I'm sure we can find somewhere."

<Jamie> "I don't care where we do it. Hell, we can do it up on the third floor, if you want. Or back at your place. Wherever." He adjusted his feet, careful of the pile. "Do you have a place in mind?"

<Pietro> "Not yet, I'll look into it and let you know. I'll keep you in the loop with the process. Probably be ready to go in a couple of weeks."

<Jamie> "What is it you're going to have Harvey design? Just a work area?"

<Pietro> "He has more experience with electronics than I do... which is kind of ironic now I think about it. He used to work closely with another elemental mutant called James who was essentially living electricity so he'll be able to tell me what we need, limitations of a device we can use for testing, and how best to construct something like that. Never hurts to pick the brains of those with experience."

<Jamie> "Interesting..." Jamie tipped his head, thinking for a moment. "If he came with you over here, would it be good or bad for the floors?"

<Pietro> "He won't break your house. He just does that to mine," Pietro assured him, "If you need something cleaned, he's your guy, though."

<Jamie> "I didn't think he would break it on purpose. I was just thinking because I have to seal the upper floors still, so it might not be great for water to get all over them. But the fourth floor still needs new floors, so that'd be okay." He gave Pietro a nervous grin, "My brain goes weird places."

<Pietro> Pietro gave him a grin, "His favourite trick is stress testing the pipes. But, like I said, only in my house because I can afford it. Did you wanna do it here? We can if you want, but there'll be people coming in and out to install stuff..."

<Jamie> Jamie blinked at him. Install stuff? What kind of stuff? He mentally shrugged at himself. "What kind of stuff? Everything I've ever used for this kind of project doesn't need to be installed more than an outlet or a surge protector. Unless you mean on a computer. That kind of installation happens with my stuff, too."

<Pietro> "Lab stuff," Pietro raised an eyebrow, "Jamie... if we're going to build this thing we're going to do it properly. We're not going to find spare parts and and hope it works. We need a lab, we need tools, we need precise measurements so we can find the exact frequency that shuts down your duping. We need a clean working area for small electronics in case of static because it fries stuff."

<Jamie> "I only use spare parts and hope it works until it does work. Then I do it quote, 'properly'. But there's no point in wasting what you don't have on things that don't work." He frowned at Pietro for the scolding. "Just tell me if you don't want to do it here, man. Don't talk to me like I don't know how this shit works. I know exactly how it works. Just because I didn't want to follow in my mom and dad's footsteps doesn't mean I'm not just as smart as them."

<Pietro> "I'm just saying, spare parts isn't how I operate. I like to know where everything I'm working with has come from. We can do it here but we're going to need to build a lab, or I can find somewhere close and build one there. I don't work on a budget anymore. I forgot how to do that."

<Jamie> "It's not a budget, man. It's called utilizing everything at your disposal." Jamie shook his head and pulled his feet off the desk to sit up, leaning his elbows on the surface instead. "Which is something a scientist should never forget how to do."

<Pietro> "Well... I do have a lot of science junk but it's at my house... in New Hampshire. It's a bit far for you to commute...." he paused. No. That was a terrible idea. Or was it? It could work.... "I could get Harvey to bring it."

<Jamie> "That's only a couple of hours away," Jamie shrugged. "I like driving. It's whatever you wanna do. If you're more comfortable at your 'real lab' than you would be here, it's no skin off my nose. Just stop getting all high-and-mighty because you have a degree that I don't." But could. Shit. Maybe the only way to get Pietro to stop is to earn that degree? Probably. The 'spare' could go... Hmm. Later. Think later.

<Pietro> "My degree is in genetics. The rest of the science is for fun! Also because I don't sleep and I get bored fast." Really fast. "The project is for you so if you wanna do it here we can make it work. Whatever you need we get, and I can try to remember how to use up all the stuff I'm hoarding in my basement. There's a lot."

<Jamie> "Okay, so why don't I take a trip to your house and we scrounge around in your basement to see what could be useful while Harvey sets up, but doesn't install," because Jamie would pitch a fit if things were in a place he wanted to use for other things, "a basic lab?"

<Pietro> "You can supervise the install, we can make it a room in a room so it doesn't interfere with your walls if you like. I've done that before. If we're going to leave him to set things up unsupervised we should leave instructions in case he uses 'artistic license'."

<Jamie> "I've got gas, water, and power lines already running in specific places. So long as he ties into those and doesn't bolt anything down, it's fine."

<Pietro> "He can manage that but, just in case, I'll send his supervisor along too then we'll be free of snark while we scavenge in the basement. It's a win-win."

<Jamie> "Sounds good." Jamie stared at Pietro for a moment, tilting his head as he worked through the myriad of thoughts tangled up in his brain. "Are you only doing this because you'd like to know what makes my powers tick?"

<Pietro> Pietro sat back in his seat at the question with a laugh, "I won't lie and say that isn't a little bit of the motivation here. It's interesting to me. But I also just want to help. I like helping people figure out how to live with their weird mutant quirks instead of getting stressed out by them. That's why I do it for a living. Makes the warm fuzzies."

<Jamie> "I didn't used to get stressed out by it." He leaned back and crossed his arms, looking out the window at nothing. "I didn't know what I did was even possible. Or maybe I did deep down, but I never thought it would actually happen."

<Pietro> "Oh I get that..." Pietro's nose wrinkled at the memory of turning a very bad man into a very fine red mist. "Sometimes, when you think you know everything there is to know about your powers, they throw you a curveball."

<Jamie> "Yeah. And how the fuck are you supposed to get past that when the curveball isn't something you can control?"

<Pietro> "Well, you can either accept the fact that sometimes things happen that you have no control over and therefore they're not your fault.... or you can find a way to control it. Whether that's learning to manage your mutation yourself or with technology. I assume you've tried to stop duping out of reflex at some point? Experimented like that I mean."

<Jamie> "Yep. It's almost like a muscle? I finally got it to only happen with a certain level of hit, but I can't seem to get it under my control any better than that." He frowned and turned back to Pietro. "I don't want to know what would happen if I let that slide."

<Pietro> "Okay... so let's use myself as an example. People have this perception of me that I'm all business all the time or I don't hug or do fun stuff. Not true. But I have to keep my emotions in check because it can throw my powers out of balance. And then this happens." He pulled a marble out of his pocket, that he'd stepped on that morning on his way out of the house, and vaporised it.

<Jamie> "Um." Jamie blinked at the foggy air where the marble had been. "Dude, that's not normal."

<Pietro> "I can do that to anything. It's just a matter of finding the right vibrational frequency. So when I tell you I understand... I understand." He waved the microscopic particles away, "Yes, it works on people. Yes, I know first-hand."

<Jamie> "But you have control over where you run or what you ...vibrate. I don't always have control over being hit."

<Pietro> "I do now but I had to work at it. I still struggle controlling my speed if I'm excited about something or angry. It used to be when I got mad about something I'd blow up whatever I was holding. Also, it took me an embarrassingly long time to get past my first impulse being to run away. No one noticed because fast... but it was a while."

<Jamie> "I don't run away. But I sure as shit won't put anyone in danger if I have any other option." He adjusted his shoulders in his leather jacket. "Blowing up the love of my life from the inside out is something I want to avoid at all costs."

<Pietro> He nodded in understanding, "Yeah that wouldn't be ideal... but, bear with me... how did you manage with that before Arcade?"

<Jamie> Jamie laughed bitterly. Not ideal indeed. "Uh... I just didn't? I don't know? I didn't think it was possible to do that before."

<Pietro> "Right. But it was possible, you just didn't know. And it didn't happen. So, logically, it probably won't. I know that's not going to help with the brain flails but, science wise... odds are in Jean's favour. When you duped inside of Arcade, that was a very unique set of circumstances. That was a life and death scenario. Adrenaline can do wacky things with mutant powers."

<Jamie> "So..." Jamie looked up and sucked his lower lip into his mouth while he mulled that over. "So you think that maybe because I was in a him or me scenario, or rather, him or Jean, that the receptors in my body that produce the dupes kicked into high-gear because they knew that if something didn't happen to him, we would all be goners? And that it doesn't happen during sex, when my adrenaline is just as high, because it's not life or death?"

<Pietro> "It would be counter productive procreation wise to blow up your mate, and that is what sex is for..." Pietro reasoned out, "But you love her and it might not sound scientific but that stuff matters. Emotions play a huge part in the way our powers work. Most people find out they're mutants because they're in emotional upheaval and their powers manifest."

<Jamie> "Huh." He looked back at Pietro while he contemplated that, running it around in his brain to test the feeling of the idea. "Love was also why I attacked Arcade." Jeaaaan... Experiment time soon!

<Pietro> "It's something we could look into while we're testing the other thing if you want. Entirely up to you. I like a nice bit of potentially hazardous experimentation."

<Jamie> "Hazardous? To whom? Because it's not going to hurt you one fucking bit. If anything, it'll kill my fiancée and send me to the looney bin!"

<Pietro> "Well I wasn't suggesting we experiment with Jean... leave that for in private. We can just make you wear a fun hat and stimulate the right parts of your brain."

<Jamie> "...You're really into having me aroused at your place, aren't you?"

<Pietro> "I get very bored," he reminded Jamie again, "Also it's always fun to find new ways to piss Harvey off."

<Jamie> "And getting another man aroused would piss him off? You know I'm not into dudes, right?"

<Pietro> "Only insomuch as Heather would find it hilarious and never let him forget it..." That was an amusing thought though, "Harvey is guinea pig guy. He's used to being exploded so if you want to practise properly we need one of those."

<Jamie> Jamie stared at Pietro. "Do I need to say it faster so you hear it? My normal talking speed must not be fast enough for your listening ears."

<Pietro> He held up his hands, "Brain hat only! If it's just Harvey you're having an issue with I can suggest it to Heather but she might just toast my pants."

<Jamie> "I'm not going to cheat on Jean, no matter how you might justify it. So cut it out."

<Pietro> "It's not cheating, it's science. No actual hanky-panky involved." He didn't want to watch that. "We can talk about it later. Just sit with it for a few days. In the mean time I will excavate to the science junk and you can decide where you want us to put this floating room."

<Jamie> "That's still mentally cheating, dude! No." He shook his head a few more times than probably necessary. "Just no."

<Pietro> "Talk to Jean about it and see what she thinks. Unless you think there's a better way to stop you worrying about it." He stretched and stood up, "You have my number, gimme a call when you have a spot and I'll send my minions on over."

<Jamie> Jamie watched him stand. "Was that really the only reason you came out? You don't have a case or anything for me?"

<Pietro> "Nope... but I can probably take some of your cards and pass them around some fancy places if you want?"

<Jamie> Never one to say no to free advertising at fancy places, Jamie immediately pulled his lap drawer out and rifled around for a small stack of cards. "Thanks, man. I need a few more cases or I'm gonna go stir crazy with the ones I'm currently working."

<Pietro> He held out his hand for the cards, "No problem. I await the entertainment of the fallout," he gave Jamie a grin, "Anything you need from me, always happy to help. Anything for fellow XU alums. We suffered."

<Jamie> "Ha!" He passed the cards over. "Is that our slogan now? 'We suffered.'? Because it works."

<Pietro> He considered that, "Hmmm... probably shouldn't put that on business cards." He put the cards in his pocket, "Maybe over a bar though...."

<Jamie> "I mean, the school isn't a thing anymore... So it's not like it would be bad publicity, right?" Jamie grinned. "Could add it to the back of my cards "XU Alum. We suffered.""

<Pietro> "RIP Kitchens." Aaaand now he was hungry. "I need a snack."

<Jamie> "I don't think I have enough food here to make up what you mean when you say snack... But there's a great dive bar down the road with kickass nachos."

<Pietro> "Don't worry, I won't make you suffer. I have a few places I like to go. I'll get out of your way now... have fun with your files."

<Jamie> Jamie's gaze slid back to the stack that he'd been avoiding and sighed heavily. "Thanks, man. Enjoy your snack."