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It was close to evening time, even though the skies betray that notion alone with the darkness that overcast. Jean managed to pull Gabriel back to the mansion, though concealing her own thoughts of what they were to do here. Get up, get fed, get dressed and lets go. She didn't say anything else much beyond that, even the cab ride over to the mansion was met in silence as she mostly stared out of the window. Though, she wasn't that 'far away' from him, she kept his hand within her own and reassuringly squeezed it every now and then when she felt that she herself needed that little comfort.
But once they were there, they took a shortcut through the mansion, out of the rear entry near the kitchen and into the yard. Veering away from the area of where Logan's cabin was, and into the crop of forest where some trees from a previous battle in the heat of the summer had taken place. Nothing had grown there since, but grass and flowers. Now dead due to the winter.
She shivers a little as she draws her arms about herself, looking along the empty space with a frown, then a slight turn, the frown soon turned into a reassuring smile as she holds both hands out, allowing the flame to spark to life within the middle of her hands. Bundles of fallen branches and twigs were soon snapped apart by way of her mind, and soon the fire pours into the fallen foilage to create a fire that would keep them warm.
"We both saw what you can do.." She says, shaking her hands free of the fire to stick underneath her arms. "Lets see if you can do it on purpose?"
*
He suspected. It wasn't an absolute certainity but there had been that nagging tension, the unmentioned event which meant that it was deep on thought. He spent most of the ride looking out his own window, distant in thought but like Jean not in body, hand squeezing back as she held it. What was he? That was the question that kept creeping to his mind, not really who now, but what? A weapon? A mutant, an Alien? Something more or less?
As the cab rolls to a stop and Jean leads him out, Gabriel follows rather obediently, walking behind her a half step until they reach the cospe and he looks up to the clear sky above then back to her, head shaking. "Do what? Make lights?" Gabriel asks quietly towards her. His tone isn't rude or insulting, it matches his posture instead, lost. He doesn't know and isn't certain in the least so he stands there, staring, looking beaten.
*
It was cute. It took all that she had to actually step up to him to hug him, but she didn't. This was a serious matter, if she were to at least feel a little bit comfortable with him going out into the world alone, as horrible as it was starting to be, he needed to be able to defend himself. "More or less." She states. "I guess, it's not easy to make yourself do something like that. Make those lights. But you've done it before, where it just happened."
She thinks back, taking those steps towards him to reach out and grasp his hand, lifting it to kiss the knuckle, yet keeping hold. "When I had my nightmare, and I was distressed. You came and your eyes were glowing. When we.." She blushes just a little, looking down, lifting upon the tips of her toes and down. "..you know.." Winkwink. "Would it happen if I put you in danger? Or would it happen when I put myself in danger?"
*
Gabriel's nose scrunches a bit and he shakes his head. "No." He explains quietly to Jean. He's known, well he's suspected what's going on. He actually is rather clever even with lack of book knowledge. "It happens every time you … uhm…" He motions with his spare hand to his arms, and makes a flamey like motion. "You know. When you start to burn. That is when it happens."
Looking at his hand, the knuckle that she kissed, he manages to smile a bit at the touch then looks back to Jean's eyes with his own. "I think I pull your energy."
*
Jean's eyebrow shoots up, and with a slight frown, she slowly pulls her hand from his. "I.. see.." Could this be why she actually slept well in the past few days? Or whenever it happened she was always tired? Maybe.. just maybe.. she wouldn't have to hear all the voices anymore if he just kept pulling from her energy. Maybe she could be normal, and not a monster.
"Want to try?"
*
"I do not know how to try, but I suppose … we can try?" Despite the rather complex and backwards sentiment, Gabriel offers it with a shrug and furrow of brow. "What do you suggest doing?" He steps away from Jean then, looking around and actually walking towards the fire some, examining it while the flames illuminate his face. "We cannot risk hurting you, that's the only thing."
*
Jean follows close enough, but yet keeps a good distance behind him. As he turns, she draws her hands out towards the fire, warming her hands just enough to feel comfortable. "Well. I'll be okay. I won't get hurt. I haven't before, right?" She asks. "But first.. I think I'll .. you know.. do the fire thing." There was no rhyme or reason as to what to call it, but there it was. "And.. you just grab some of my energy, and then.." She gestures at a tree. A lone, sorry sack of a tree. "Push it out towards that tree there. Alright?"
*
Gabriel glances up at Jean, it is hard not to when she passes by but then looks back to the fire and observe it in silence for a bit. His hand reaches out to it, passes through it and then returns to him, unscathed. "I feel it. Not the heat but… it." Biting his lip he straightens up some and looks over at Jean before doing the same, reaching out to brush a hand over the flames that are upon her with no ill effect, almost scooping them some before he shrugs. "I do not feel anything different."
*
Jean watches him as well, confusion lit upon her face. But.. it takes her a moment for her to finally get what he meant. "Her?" She asks quietly, then slowly nods her head in understanding. The reflection of the fire allows the same flames to line her eyes, her shoulders slowly drawing in the flame as she begins to explode with a bright light. Wings of an angel on fire forms at her back, the claws soon emerging from the licking flame to grasp ahold of her shoulders. In which, Jean grits her teeth, those shoulders rolling as she lets out a grunt, at least to contain the power that does not fit within her small body.
She visibly falters, her hands placed upon her knees, her red hair hung downward as that bird emerges from her back. It was a phoenix raptor, something that she's never manifested before, and the weight of it was terrible and yet incredibly thrilling.
*
The energy was impossible to ignore and Gabriel takes a step forward, towards Jean and the being manifesting from her. He meant that he could feel the energy itself, not so much 'her' but now that the energy has taken form his entire being reaches out to it and begins pulling. At first it is the ambient energy feeding off of Jean and then it pulls from the Phoenix as well, circling down the drain into Gabriel and empowering him.
Were he to only know what this part of him was.. what terrible part of him it will be one day..
Instead he stands there drawing the energy from her until the nighttime air is glowing, a mix of red from the Phoenix's flames and purple from the energy that courses through and over Gabriel. His eyes are a light, the magnitude of the energy output enough to power him fully so that his veins glow, the tattoos; even under his shirt, are glowing, all with that eerie purple energy that fills him.
*
There was that feeling. She never really knew what it was when she was near him and he pulled from her. From when he stroke her hair and from the time that she yawned, she found herself doing the same. Yawning. In fact, it was hard to keep her eyes open, the longer that she held it, and by a sheer force of will, she draws herself upright. The fire-flames that hang upon her shoulder slowly dwindle, the bird itself near retreating, her eyes.. nearly crossed as they were straighten as she looks towards him with an encouraging smile.
"You're doing it.." She says quietly.
Though, no further instructions were needed, she was the battery to his power, and even as she holds on and crouches again to grasp her knees, her hand lifts, her head lowers towards the half-broken tree. "Fire.. baby.." She squeezes out. She was so close to panting it hurt. ".. hit th.. the tree.."
*
Turning to look at the tree that Jean indicates, Gabriel tilts his head and looks at it. His vision being unaffected but the purple hues around him leave a ghastly echoe of any movement. Hands lift up in fists to point at the tree and he just mentally thinks 'fire'. Nothing happens. A low growl and then he tries again this time pushing out with a small amount of internal force.
That small amount let's loose a tirade of purple plasma like energy that flies towards the tree and evaporates it's remains, letting loose a shock wave that knocks Gabriel backwards to the ground despite the distance followed by a vaccuum like swooshing sound of the air being sucked back into the point of contact. The energy he was holding is let loose, a soft wave of purple rolling off of him across the grass as he lays there.
*
Jean's chest was heaving by the second as she watches him, her knees wobbly as she lowers herself to the ground upon her knees. While she keeps her eyes planted, she could already feel her arms buckling, and the force that blows back from the decimation of the tree actually knocks her upon her side. The fire that once lit the forest that came from herself fades with an instant. The flames upon the impromptu campfire bend with the gust of wind, but thankfully, it remains lit to keep the area warm.
She lets out a little breath of air, her arms and legs heavy, but she was content to remain upon the ground.. even as she begins to laugh just a little. "Good job!" As if he were a child! "Just.." She yawns a little. "..a little less.. nex..next time.." Annd, now she was cold.
*
Gabriel crawls his way over to where Jean is and lays down next to her upon his back, scooching himself closer as he glances to her. "A little less? I was trying to do as little as possible." He whispers softly and then kisses her on the forehead. "We cannot do this, if it takes your energy from you. It is not worth it." He's alive, he's peppy. Energetic and ready to go, but he knows the cost it took on her.
*
"Your.. little and my little.. are two different things." She laughs that out, her eyes squinting as he kisse her upon her forehead, her own body slipping upright to carefully lay her head upon his chest. She stares into the fire, a little yawn touching her lips, her head shaking ever so slightly. "It's okay. Just.. take everything you need. It keeps.." She yawns again. "..everything quiet. I don't hear anything. I can feel what -I- feel and and no one else. It's just quiet." He was alive and peppy. She was heavy and tired. But most of all, she was at peace. "Try again?"
*
A hand reaches up to soothe through Jean's hair and Gabriel shakes his head slowly. "No, not right now. Maybe sometime in the future. Once we learn how to not leave you exhausted from it." He bites his lip and tilts over some to kiss the top of her head gently. "I can't risk hurting you. I won't."
*
Jean closes her eyes, her fingers lifting to lightly tap along his chin. "Exhausted is good though." Jean protests. But in truth, she could barely even will herself to stand, let alone summon more energy for him to siphon from. But her head does move, planting her chin upon his chest, her sleepy, green eyes staring into him thoughtfully. "I'm not hurt. You won't hurt me. You can't." It was like a little dare, but in truth, if he wouldn't allow himself, then he wouldn't. It was that simple for her.
"I made you something, but it's back in the house. It's an outfit like mine, but it doesn't have the 'X' on it. Just.. well in case we have to save someone.. or protect someone, you should wear it. Plus it feels great."
*
"A Costume thingy?" Gabriel asks and then tilts his head while looking up at the stars with Jean on his chest. "But… do I need to hide? I don't think anyone would recognize me." He bites his lip and then shrugs his shoulders a bit before petting her hair a bit more. "I am not cold, but are you cold laying here? Is this… do we need to move?"
*
"Yes." Jean murmurs quietly. "We all need to hide. We don't want to be hunted or have anyone else around us hurt because we wanted to help, or because they see what we could do." She explains quietly. "If you're an alien, they will capture you and maybe even try to hurt you. But.. I think they would do the same for mutants, for you at least, especially since you don't know where you come from or who you are." Her eyes close briefly, then slowly nods. She was going to opt to stay the night by the fire, but she truly was cold and clammy. "Yes.. we can. If.. you don't mind staying inside the mansion for the night?"
*
"I will stay wherever you want me to stay, as long as it is by you." Gabriel retorts back, sitting up just so in order to half pick up and cradle Jean against his chest. "Just don't ask me to stay away from you, that is all." If she lets him, he'll pick her up then and begin the trek back towards the Mansion, with Jean in arms.