Ghost beamed. She'd often dismantled water globules for fun on rainy days, tearing into the droplets as they fell out of the sky. Changing an element's state from liquid to gaseous was the challenge and she'd only ever had from the moment she could pick just one to the moment it either splattered onto the pavement or dissipated into invisible gases. That was one of the few times she'd really done the reverse. Constructing droplets from what most would consider essentially nothing probably would have been more impressive to someone who couldn't have seen it happening.

Zephyr knew differently, but it was still amusing to see the man's azure eyes go from mildly amused to interested and then to blinking rapidly, jerking back faintly in surprise. She was pleased that she'd been able to pull it off quickly enough to warrant surprise. Perhaps her rain drop experiments had been good for more than just idol musings. She hoped that with her relatively simple display she'd shown at least some depth of subtle control. Surely he wouldn't think her a complete dolt now, even with her juvenile grinning.

She slid her hand over her mouth to actually keep any sound from escaping. It wasn't exactly polite to chortle at someone you'd just playfully misted with water. Especially when he protested in a most dignified manner that she could have just as easily chosen a different target. Emphasis on the different target.

"Honestly, would it have had the same effect?" She murmured between twitches of her smile. Try as she might to suppress them, every emotion was immediately transparent. Ghost quite unrepentantly shrugged. She had asked permission after all.

Zephyr mopped his dour face with his hand, reclaiming his dignity and former state of dryness before curiously enough pulling out a spiral notebook and pen. It was one of those nice pens, Ghost noticed, the solid feeling kind that was definitely not the cheap kind. The spiral didn't seem like anything special even when he opened it up and flipped past the marked pages and found a blank one. Unfortunately she couldn't see the pages enough to have even deciphered a single word on the passing sheets. She was infinitely curious about all aspects of her counterpart, but she wouldn't try to crane her neck to see. She was still trying to be polite for the most part, all playfulness aside. Ghost found herself scratching her head in anticipation. Why did he need props?

Searching through the pockets of his coat for a few moments Zephyr eventually withdrew two items, the first of which was a stainless steel parker pen and the other a slim spiral bound notebook with a simple plastic cover. After taking another cursory glance at their surroundings to ensure no one was paying them any undue attention Simon flipped the notebook to a blank page and balanced the pen on the palm of his hand,

“I’m still working out a few flaws with this but hopefully it should work.” He began with a disclaimer. Ghost blinked. Well, that was always a good sign right? That he was having to choose something that was still in the works. With that said the man exhaled slowly and focused keenly on the solid silver pen.

Ghost watched just as eagerly, too distracted by the movement of particles to even bother watching Zephyr's face anymore. He bonded their element precisely and securely. An exoskeleton of sorts formed around the pen and suddenly he had it firmly in his grip without an iota of skin contact. Look mom! No hands! Ghost's head tilted again in a slightly jerky, bird-like manor. She watched the pen as it made contact with the paper, again from her angle the words scribbled out were indiscernible. Ghost studied Zephyr's face then. A knit brow, fierce concentration, a definite sense of control. She looked back to the pen as it raised from the page and he deftly grabbed it from the air.

Zephyr's face smoothed again into an impassive mask except for one noticeable crack... a frown. Ghost blinked. Maybe she wasn't doing so bad after all.
He turned the page to her so that she could also inspect his work, and Ghost leaned forward and contorted her face in a questioning manor of inspection. It was legible. The letters were strictly composed of straight lines and mechanical, but the words were entirely readable: “Would you care for a change of venue?”

Ghost sat back then, message received. She wondered if it would be safe... where would he want to go? Did he even have a place in mind? Ghost glanced around again at their invisible privacy bubble. Perhaps it was distracting to keep it raised at all times.

"I'm not sure where you would like to go... somewhere..." She paused debating on word choice, "Safe for both of us and yet private enough to continue to acquaint ourselves?" She asked cautiously. She no longer feared Zephyr. He had been nothing but genial with her as of yet and she had no reason to suspect him. She frowned as she thought. The only place she could think of even close to that description was the mansion.

"If you don't mind, I think I know a place." She dipped her head politely, quite serious again. "It's a place of learning, and it's not too far by ordinary means," her eyebrows raised as she became curious again, "unless you have a different preferred method of travel."

Nonchalantly twirling the metallic writing instrument between his slender fingers the elemental allowed his companion a moment to decipher automatous type he used to generate his note, a slight whisper of a frown still haunting his lips. The characters were perfectly intelligible he knew, however he had been hoping to utilize a more aquiline, or cursive, script for his message. Unfortunately he’d only begun practicing the concept a fortnight ago and the manipulation of the casing was still proving to be something of an irritant for reasons he had yet to grasp, and so he’d resorted to a far simpler font. It was only a minor issue though and hardly worth comment, so with a subtle click of the pen to retract the writing mechanism Zephyr idly replaced the tool in his jacket before withdrawing the notebook, softly snapping it shut as he waited for the girls response.

"If you don't mind, I think I know a place." She dipped her head politely, quite serious again. "It's a place of learning, and it's not too far by ordinary means…”

In truth the elemental was rather unconcerned as to whether ghost took him up on his offer or not, he’d really only made the suggestion in order to carry out his part of the conversation. It mattered little to him where they went but if the girl knew of somewhere close by that would put her at her ease then all the better for their current game. Admittedly the merc was also somewhat curious about the location she’d described, like almost every resident of New York Zephyr had heard of mutant school hidden beyond the urban sprawl of the city and although the idea of such an institution had peaked his interest he’d never had any cause to seek it out. It wasn’t as though he required any instruction in regard to his powers after all, and although he had recently considered attending a college to further his education the institute supposedly offered little beyond high school academics. However, if Ghost was indeed extending an invitation to the mutant mansion Simon saw no reason to decline on the grounds that it promised to be an interesting experience if nothing else.

“Why not?” Shrugging his shoulders in an offhand manner the elemental placed the notepad back into his pocket and made to stand, dispersing the thin vacuum around them as he did so, allowing the ambient sounds of their environment to once more fill the air and assail their senses just as another cheer reverberated from the volleyball courts, almost causing him to miss the girls comment regarding transportation. As it was the words caused the kabal member to pause and give the snow haired girl a muted look which eventually dissipated into another indolent shrug as he offered a hand to help her up. “That depends on how far it is, I’m fine with walking however…” his cobalt eyes trailed down to her bare feet, “I am open to suggestions.”

He’d deliberately avoiding rising to the bait implied by her mention of traveling by “ordinary means”, if Ghost was intending to fly back to the institute then that was fine, however considering the game they were playing the elemental had no intention of revealing another of his abilities, at least until his turn came again.

“Why not?” He shrugged as if this decision were nothing. Truly, he must've seen her as zero threat. The vacuum dispersed as Zephyr tucked away his things and stood. Sounds rushed in like a great lapping wave from the ocean and Ghost couldn't help but look over in the direction of the volleyball game as cheer erupted. Was it really that interesting?

Cheers from the stadium continued to punctuate the air as Zephyr gave her some looks that she couldn't really interpret. Whatever was going through his mind, Ghost didn't feel any specific malice from him. It was more like mildly entertained apathy. She found herself shrugging along as he offered his hand to help her up from the bench. Ghost was perfectly capable of standing on her own, however, she slid her feet out from beneath her, touching her bare toes to the lawn before accepting his hand and rising to stand. She hadn't wanted to offend him.

“That depends on how far it is, I’m fine with walking however…” his cobalt eyes trailed down to her bare feet, “I am open to suggestions.”

"Erm, it's a bit far to walk unless you had absolutely nothing else to do today." The grass crumpled beneath her wiggling toes as she retracted her hand from his. She did have shoes. She'd stashed them in a certain place along the path, though she was rather regretting that decision now. It was out of the way and she didn't want to bother retrieving them. The shoe situation did cut down on their transportation options, however.

Ghost watched Zephyr's face carefully for a moment as she tried to decide the best course of action. He was so very solid. And he hadn't said enough for her to politely assume that he even could transport himself. Though she suspected that he could. If his control with the pen was any indication, assuming that he had enough raw power to support his own weight, he could potentially ... well, fly. He could probably fly at least as smoothly as he had maneuvered the pen. But how long could he sustain flight? Surely he had entertained the idea. Perhaps he was afraid of the distance?

Ghost shook her head sending her pale strands of hair flying. Whatever his reason for hesitation it wasn't her place to pry. But it was up to her to figure out their transportation issue. And of course it was her turn for show and tell. Ghost took a small step back and appraised Zephyr's mass. He was taller than she, but he was lean and wiry. She'd never actually tried this on another person... only larger and larger masses in the Danger Room. She knew the process and she knew that she could manage his mass at the very least. If they were both incorporeal she knew that they could take a breeze to the Mansion and be there faster and more efficiently than any ordinary means. Perhaps it was time to show Zephyr what it was like to be their element.

"I believe that I can transport us both there. It is my turn, after all, for 'show and tell,' right?" Ghost bit her lower lip. "Do you trust me? Enough to carry us both safely?" Ghost folded her arms. She would not proceed on attempting to transport them both without some kind of assent. "I would like to show you why I am called Ghost."

Glancing at his companion in a curious manner Zephyr watched silently as the ivory haired girl wordlessly weighed her options, she’d already stated that the distance to the institute was too far by foot and she’d seemed somewhat put off by his earlier response. Honestly the elemental had very little else planned for the day and would almost have welcomed a mild constitutional simply to stretch his legs. Unfortunately however much his partner appeared to enjoy being barefoot it was neither comfortable or practical to travel anyways without some type of footwear and this appeared to have placed the girl at something of a loose ends. Had she truly been counting on him being capable of flight? If so perhaps this would teach to avoid jumping to conclusions in the future, either way if the ingénue remained mute much longer he would offer to pay for a cab; playing their little game of show and tell was all well and good but the merc was reluctant to pass up a chance to visit the Xavier institutes sister school.

Abruptly however the snowy gamine seemed to reach a decision, her features adopted a calculating expression as she looked him up and down; almost as though she were attempting to size him up for a new suit. Such behavior of course earned a quizzical expression from the hazel haired elemental as he pondered her actions; presumably she was debating whether she had the strength to fly both of them under her own power. The simple fact that she was hesitating gave the Kabal member a wealth of information about her limits and experience; basic flight was obvious within her capabilities, otherwise she would not have made her subtle suggestion in the first instance. Then her cursory assessment of his figure was likely made in an attempt to gauge his weight, which she would no doubt do incorrectly; slim though he was Simons true weight was often below what many people assumed. Even should the girl guess his weight correctly there was still a whole world of difference between flying solo and taking passengers; not only were you burdened with additional weight but you also had to battle the extra drag they placed on you if any attempt at speed were made. There were ways to deal with it of course but ultimately it came down to a matter of experience, and judging from her uncertainty, experience seemed to be something the young ingénue had only a modest amount of.

"I believe that I can transport us both there. It is my turn, after all, for 'show and tell,' right? Do you trust me? Enough to carry us both safely? I would like to show you why I am called Ghost."[/color]

The offer was made with no small amount of nervous posturing and concerned looks, yet in spite of this the elemental found the barest hint of a smirk pulling at his lips. She’d decided to take the gamble after all, perhaps she wasn’t quite as timid as he’d first assumed. The fact that she had asked for his trust amused him though; not because he believed there to be little to no danger, but because she was requesting something he hadn’t given for years, trust was a rare commodity in his line of work and more often than not it was misplaced and misused. Even if his occupation had been something less hazardous most mutants did not trust easily, well, the ones that were breathing at any rate. There was still enough social stigma associated with the x gene that many “gifted” individuals chose to hide their status in order to avoid the bigotry they would otherwise face.

In any case the situation at hand called not so much for trust as it did for confidence in one’s own abilities and in that regard Zephyr’s self assurance bordered on arrogance. The elemental was certain that he could handle any difficulties which might arise during the upcoming flight, if nothing else he could at least alleviate the girls burden. It should be noted though that there was a spark of curiosity in Kabal member’s eyes for his companion had mentioned that she wished to show him why she had chosen her sobriquet and this had immediately peaked his interest. He had thought the girls moniker to be slightly odd when she’d first shared it with but hadn’t dwelled on unduly, now however a faint voice in the back of his mind was providing him with a highly intriguing possibility…

Nodding his head in approval Simon waved his hand in an acquiescent gesture, “ By all means, feel free.”

((OOC: This is the first use of a Moderator-approved power growth for Ghost. Changes have been made to Ghost's profile to reflect this maturation of ability.))

Zephyr paused. Well, she had asked a lot, whether he knew it or not, but it wasn't like she'd asked for his first born child. She tried not to fidget. He still looked just mildly amused even when he nodded his assent. “By all means, feel free.”

"Okay, but don't be frightened... it is kind of disorienting the first time." She'd freaked out the first time. Took her quite some time to figure out how to change her state back into a more solid shape. It had also taken some practice to be able to bring her clothes. Mental note: bring Zephyr's clothes.

She offered Zephyr both hands, palms up with the intention that he take hold of those hands. "And whatever you do, please, don't let go." That was one thing she knew for certain. If she changed him into a gaseous state and they lost skin contact... well, she'd learn if Zephyr could fly or if he would fall fast and hard like the fleshy rock that he appeared to be.

"You know, I don't even mind doing this here," Ghost met and held Zephyr's gaze solidly perhaps for the first time in their conversation. This aspect of her gift was the one thing that she felt most confident about. No one had yet been able to harm her while she was incorproeal. "It's not like anyone could do much about it." She smiled pleasantly, perhaps even a bit mischievously, and closed her hands around Zephyr's. This was going to be fun.

She exhaled slowly and fully before a sudden sharp inhalation. For Ghost, it always happened like that breath: fast and all at once with a sudden burst of energy from the broken bonds or adrenaline or something. All at once she was free of her corporeal body. Now a partially transparent version of herself, seeing the origin of her moniker was simple. Ghost's body was formed fully of their element, she was in an entirely gaseous state.

She made sure to focus on the point of contact between them. With the initial change she had taken both of his arms up to the elbow with her into incorporeality, which was the only reason that she could still feel his hands in hers. She pulled those hands up to her lips and blew her power over his knuckles. The power surged like a lazy, cool breeze through his already intangible hands and spread up his arms. Systematically she was changing his state so that he too would become a ghost. Ghost took extra caution to make sure the power reached out to his clothes. It just wasn't polite to steal someone right out of their clothes and even less polite to introduce them to your home and friends while fully exposed.

The incorporealness continued to creep. First an area infused with oxygen and then it would dissipate into the cloudy shape of Zephyr. It took time to infuse her power into someone else, changing what already existed into a gaseous state. Ghost didn't want to accidentally leave something behind or worse somehow break something. When the power reached his torso it began to creep up and down at the same time. She couldn't imagine what that would feel like, but to her it looked very strange indeed. The intangible parts were all but disappearing in her perception. She knew that if she put her hand to him that he would feel to her, almost as solid as he had before becoming incorporeal, her image of Zephyr would project his form and make it just as solid and real to her as she was.

Perhaps 80 seconds passed before Zephyr became fully incorporeal, the power finishing at his head and toes at the same time and his lighter gaseous body drifting up, finally free from the weight. It took hardly longer than a minute, but comparative to her transformation it was a very long time.

"Don't let go." She reminded him sternly and she squeezed his hands in hers before summoning a current to take them up. They needed to go up so that she could get their bearings. Ghost had to seek landmarks focusing her perception like a lamplight until she recognized buildings and streets. Then all it took was a gentle and speedy breeze to take the weightless pair speeding off toward the mansion. Ghost's connection with their element was more open while incorporeal, her power flowed more freely. Summoning a breeze was simpler though focusing her attention was another matter. She had a lot of focus on: sustaining Zephyr's state and finding their way. It meant that a migraine was starting to blossom at the front of her mind and she had no mental capacity for pleasant conversation. Zephyr would just have to settle with her silence during the trip.

Ghost didn't typically like to travel this way. It was too easy for her to loose her way since her perception was different. She should probably work on extending her range of perception. She tried to remember to write that thought down before she forgot. It was worth pursuing.

The buildings began to thin and grew shorter as they approached the outer limits of town. It wasn't long at all before Ghost was perceiving the wrought iron gates of the Mansion. Home at last. For a final trick she directed the breeze they rode in on to send them straight through the bars of the gate. It was a mildly disorienting feeling even to the veteran Ghost. Having something move through you was, at best, weird, but it was part of the package and she'd wanted to see his reaction.

She let up on the wind and they drifted toward the front lawn. "Time to go solid, Mister Zephyr. Get your feet under you and then when you're ready you can let go." Ghost expertly readied her feet as an example (though she imagined she must look as hazy to him as he looked to her) before opening her hands so that Zephyr could withdraw them at his own leisure. She would have to take her time when she became solid, but the moment that he withdrew his hands and the power flow was disconnected, he would be solid again all at once.

((OOC: Continued in...)))