((OOC: Continued from...))

Regarding his pale companion with a bemused yet intrigued gaze Zephyr held his tongue as the girl once again reassured him that there was no cause for alarm. Idly a part of the elemental was recalling his own ill fated attempts at flight when he’d been younger; they’d been abysmal to say the least. He’d possessed little to no sense of balance or direction to begin with and more often than not this had resulted in him flying upside down in a spread-eagled position to maximize the effectiveness of the updrafts he’d created. Throughout it all though the mercenary had never truly felt any true fear or anxiety, only a sense of exhilaration as his feet had left the earth and his owns winds had kept him aloft, allowing him to do what many could only dream of. As with many pastimes though the ability to defy gravity had gradually lost its novelty and become merely a means of getting from point A to B, it was simply too noticeable a power to be used for anything else.

Broken from his soundless reverie as a pair of alabaster hands intruded upon his vision Zephyr transferred his attention once more to his petit partner and raised a questioning brow even as he wordlessly obeyed the silent request and accepted the girls hands. Surely the ingénue wasn’t intending to take off in the middle of the park? There were far too many unwanted eyes and likely cameras which could take note of their passage and the merc had no desire for any word of his abilities to spread among the public. As Ghost continued her introductory briefing however it became all too apparent from the impish grin which graced her features that the girl fully intended to take flight right then and there, leaving Zephyr to sigh softly as he resigned himself to the consequences of such a rash decision, whatever they might be.

‘I suppose the worst that could happen is that my landlord cancels my lease, after all I’ve managed to maintain a reasonably low profile for the past few months.’

Dismissing such nettlesome thoughts for another time Simon focused his cobalt orbs on the diminutive figure before him as he waited to see how the girl would begin, hopefully she wouldn’t take long. Their pose wasn’t completely unnatural and most who glanced their way would likely overlook them as a couple, however they could only remain immobile so long before they began to garner notice and considering what was about to happen the elemental wanted to avoid an audience if possible.

As if in answer to his unspoken thoughts the slender sylph broke her silence with a sharp intake of breath, her shoulders and chest rising as she filled her lungs to capacity when, without warning, she dispersed; becoming a transparent wraith, a shadow of her former self, a ghost if you will and the change took Zephyr completely off guard, rendering him speechless even as his azure eyes widened in disbelief and swiftly raked her translucent form. A torrent of questions immediately flooded the elementals mind as he fought to comprehend what had just taken place. The gamine had simply vanished from his perceptions; the position she had occupied a split second ago replaced with a quiescent flow of oxygen rich particles almost indiscernible from the surrounding air. If he hadn’t still been able to view the girl with his own eyes the merc would have sworn she’d disappeared, yet that was not the case and for a few vital seconds the Kabal member was at a complete loss.

‘Her presence is gone.’ he thought frantically as his senses repeatedly scanned the surrounding winds. ‘So what am I seeing? Is it an illusion? No, I can still feel her hands... a mental attack? That doesn’t make sense; there’s no reason for it- wait, what the hell?! ’

Too late the merc became aware that his own limbs had become numb, utterly unresponsive to the commands of his mind as they steadily followed the path of his vaporous companion, gradually fading from sight as molecular bonds lost strength and substance. Flesh, blood and bone inexorably shifting from one state to the other as Ghosts gift relentlessly progressed throughout his body, and with each successive stage of the transformation Zephyr lost greater amounts of control. It were as though he was being systematically crippled; the synapses throughout his body vanishing, leaving him without touch, awareness or even movement, rendering him incapable of retreating or defending himself through physical means. His mutation was still at his disposal but he had no idea how to utilize it in such a situation, reversing the transformation was currently beyond him and fear prevented him from attacking the source of his dilemma for he had no wish to remain trapped in a partially corporeal form. Thus he was powerless to prevent the ethereal conversion as it finally enveloped his entire form and robbed him of sight.

Fear overtook the elemental in that moment, had he still possessed a body his pulse would have raced and his fingers would have trembled as adrenaline shot through his system, yet there was none of this and Zephyr was left with only a pure and undiluted emotion. His body was gone, he experienced no pain, but nor did he have any sense of touch taste or smell. There was no hunger or thirst, warmth or cold, momentum or inertia only the low moan of the wind and a world of mottled shadows; dark shapes he could barely interpret. It were as though he had entered an entirely different realm of existence, it couldn’t be defined as living; nothing which voided the senses like this could be considered as such. No, this was almost a form of torture; one was rendered completely helpless, cut off from any form of stimulus and forced to simply subsist. If there were anything closer to death then it was beyond his imagination.

"Time to go solid, Mister Zephyr. Get your feet under you and then when you're ready you can let go."[/color]

The gentle voice traveled clearly amongst the unsettling winds and cut cleanly through the curtain of fear which clouded the elementals thoughts. There was an abrupt absence of pressure as he sensed something release him and instantaneously he felt a trickle of control return to him and he took it without a second thought, which in hindsight, was likely a poor decision for he was completely unprepared for the barrage of sensations which assaulted his mind. The harsh light of an unclouded sun on his face, a floral aroma informing him of plants in the nearby area and the softly sweet flavor they added to air, not to mention the sudden lack of balance and wave of nausea which bleached the colour from his skin and sent him to knees.

The weather was summery, but all the signs were pointing towards autumn. Little breezes whispered threatening reminders to the leaves as they passed and the little apples were ripening on the school's apple trees. Many of the swelling fruits fell to the ground as they became just one milligram too heavy for the branches to bear their weight, to the supreme delight of the bees who seemed eager to eat their fill before the chill that was threatening . A single squirrel could send avalanches of glossy skinned orbs raining down upon an unsuspecting student's head.

Katrina eyed the branches of the honey crisp tree carefully. She saw no signs of movement amidst the jagged green leaves and the ever reddening apples, so she darted to the base of the tree and carefully selected one of the fruits that seemed untouched thus far by other hungry creatures, at least until the young illusionist arrived to carefully extract the multicolored sphere from its home among its juicy brethren without disturbing the rest of the family. Except for its two most handsome brothers, which had found new resting places in front two pockets of her sun dress. Having obtained her nutritious snack, Katrina wandered toward the front gate by the route that led past the water spigot.

The worst part about all the glorious weather they were having, was that soon she's only be able to enjoy it through the windows between class periods. Class was starting soon. Everyone knew it. The mansion was all fixed up now and the teachers had all disappeared somewhere, to plot and plan what kinds of things they would make their students do that year. The students seemed to be spending every last moment possible pursuing their chosen activities of leisure, whether that be indoors in the frigid air conditioning or out where the breezes were merely soon-to-be-autumn cool.

Katrina wandered with the vague idea of finding a place to sit in the sunshine where she could simultaneously eat her apples and watch the front gate. With the pending arrival of the school year, there were bound to be new students arriving in droves. Due to the nature of mutations to commonly manifest during puberty and the nature of mutants to drift around a bit before settling down, most of the students at the mansion seemed to be a bit older. They could definitely use a few more freshly mutated middle school students, in Katrina's opinion.

The mirageling's absentminded reverie was unbroken by the vague shadow that passed through the gate; her daydreaming gaze quickly dismissed it as a shadow from a stray passing cloud. The sudden appearance of a young man in the middle of the mansion lawn did manage to startle her out of her apple munching meditations and to her feet once more. Her second shock came from recognizing the new arrival. By the third shock, seeing him collapse ground ward with a face that was entirely too pale to be healthy, Katrina had already abandoned her half eaten apple and had swooped toward the pale faced teenager.

“Dio! Are you alright?” There was concern in her voice, but also a note of sincere gladness to see her friend again for the first time in a long while.

He didn't say anything. The whole time. That helped as far as concentration went, but even after they'd arrived and Zephyr had retracted his hands from hers... The slender young man solidified and promptly fell to his knees without a single word. The air pressure around Zephyr increased slightly as she tried to use their element to help her discern his facial expression and body language. Was he going to hurl?

She withdrew as another form, smaller and definitely feminine bolted toward them.

“Dio! Are you alright?” The concerned voice was familiar to Ghost and helped her place the girl's identity.

"Katrina?" Had she called him Dio? Was that his real name? "Do you know Mister Zephyr?

Ghost felt a bit lost at what to do in her incorporeal state, though she did know that she had expended a lot of energy. Her chosen method of transportation was taxing even though they hadn't traveled that far and it hadn't even taken that long. It was a new and slightly different use of power. Much like using a new and different muscle she was bound to take the rebound from it somehow and the first signs of fatigue were presenting themselves, though she could probably continue their wind elemental conference as long as there wasn't too much more showing.

"I did warn you... and ask you for trust..." She gently reminded Zephyr of all her warnings as she debated whether or not to start the process of becoming solid again. "I hope that I didn't abuse your confidence, but uhm... we're here." Instead of solidifying Ghost folded her legs beneath her. Her density was enough that she drifted about waist-high if her were standing. It gave off a definite genie effect.

She found herself echoing Katrina due to lack of information. "Are you alright?" Once he spoke, she would know better. Ghost hadn't hurt her new aquaintance, had she? He wasn't mad was he? She chewed her lip and debated the merits of becoming solid. If he looked like he needed help, she might, but for now she felt that she could do more while ethereal.

Still kneeling on the verdant grass which coated the surrounding landscape Zephyr remained motionless, a single hand placed on the lawn to aid his balance while the other remained firmly clasped around his midriff. The cold cobalt eyes were sealed shut and elementals chest heaved with laboured breaths as he fought to recover some semblance of control over his own body even as his stomach continued to convulse and his limbs trembled with a mixture of panic and adrenaline. ‘Keep breathing.. just keep breathing.’ The silent mantra was repeated without pause in the mercenary’s mind; he could stabilize his pulse, dilute the sudden flow of stimulants in his system and endure the nausea, as long as he remembered to breathe. He tried to convince himself that what he was experiencing was no different from sea sickness; that the sensations would pass, he just needed to outlast them. However the lack of motion prevented the Kabal member from deceiving himself completely and when the air pressure abruptly augmented itself by a notable degree the hazel haired youth instinctively unleashed a pulse into the immediate area; forcing air particles to recoil from his position. It wasn’t a damaging move, noticeable perhaps, but at most it was only capable of putting a nearby individual off balance and even that was doubtful, yet it succeeded in its purpose of alleviating the slight weight which had fallen upon his frame.

“Dio! Are you alright?”[/color]

Unable to identify the adolescent voice behind the sudden outcry and not recognizing the name which had been called Zephyr was unaware that he himself had been the target of the exclamation. However the sound of rapid footfalls across the neatly trimmed lawn swiftly caught the elementals attention, causing him to open his eyes to a sufficient degree that a pair of sandaled feet became visible beside him leading to a mixture of confusion and irritation on the mercenary’s part. The former being attributed to the unfamiliar sobriquet by which he had been addressed and the latter as a result of his injured pride that someone had taken note of his momentary weakness, for that was it was; momentary. Already his breaths had lost their urgent nature and his stomach had calmed to extent that he felt capable of delivering a mild glare upon the imprudent child who’d approached him. Yet the moment he raised his eyes to do so the elemental found his unsociable expression evaporating as his azure orbs widened, taking in the all too familiar features of the gamine before him and, for the barest of moments, a name hovered on his lips before it was swiftly cut down.

“S-… Katrina? What are you doing here?”

The inquiry was, admittedly, rather cliché, however the mercenary was finding himself at almost a complete loss, for although he’d anticipated encountering other mutants at the mansion he’d hardly expected his sisters doppelganger to be among the residence. Granted he’d never actually found out if the child possessed an active x gene, but considering she’d managed to take refuge at the labs it should have been apparent that this was the case, and the place for any aspiring mutant was, of course, the Xavier Institute.

"Katrina? Do you know Mister Zephyr?”[/color]

The cautious query broke the mercenary from his sudden train of thoughts and drew his attention back to the female sylph who had chosen to maintain her wraith like state. The fact that he was still incapable of sensing her presence did not sit well with him even if he could detect her through his other senses. “We met during the registration period” he replied somewhat carefully. Although the initial ‘discomfort’ he’d experienced from their brief passage had dissipated for the most part, it would be an untruth to state that the elemental held no ill will towards his ivory companion because of it. However it was not directed towards the ingénue herself but rather her method of transportation, in much the same way one might distrust or even loathe using a particular ancient or unreliable vehicle so too did Zephyr feel a measure of animosity towards Ghosts method of travel. There was also a certain amount of hostility directed towards himself, Simon had after all given the girl carte blanche to do as she liked without even inquiring as to what her means of travel might be. Such actions were not only arrogant but also fool hardy and so truly he had no one to blame but himself, as Ghost seemed intent on reminding him…


Shifting his center balance Zephyr raised himself somewhat awkwardly to his feet, causing him to note with some mild dissatisfaction that his sense of equilibrium had not quite restored itself. After taking a few experimental steps though he found that walking was still well within his capabilities, allowing him to wave off Ghosts concern for his well being. “I’m fine” he replied in a somewhat subdued manner, “I’m just not used to losing so many senses, suffice to say I won’t ask for a return trip.” Not wishing to conclude on a negative remark Simon cast about for something else to comment upon and his gaze traveled back to blonde Lilliputian beside him before swinging back to his alabaster partner. “So… I take it you two know each other?”

Even as she ran toward the kneeling form of her acquaintance from the Mondragon Labs library, he seemed to be recovering. He certainly felt well enough to look up and glare in her direction for a brief moment before an expression of surprised recognition graced his features.

“S-… Katrina? What are you doing here?”

Did he mean at the mansion or out on the lawn, Katrina wondered briefly before answering both questions in one statement, “I was eating an apple and enjoying the last of summer vacation before school starts.”

Th real question was what was he doing here? With the beginning of the school year rapidly approaching, perhaps he was going to be joining the noble quest for education. They were at a school, after all. The young illusionist hoped that was the case. Having the hazel haired boy around would likely make the school year more interesting.

>>>"Katrina? Do you know Mister Zephyr?”

The blonde thirteen year old spun toward the transparent form of Ghost. Sunlight streamed through the older girl's pale form. She looked very much like she had an illusion of invisibility cast over her in that she was only part way visible. In the bight sunlight, Katrina hadn't even noticed her at first.

“Oh, Ghost! Excuse me for not saying hello. I didn't see you at first.” Katrina bowed, because she had seen Ghost do it when she was being her most polite, then she added her own greeting at the end of the gesture in the form of a grin.

Before she had gotten a chance to recover from the surprise of seeing her elder classmate in sun catcher form, Dio, or Zephyr as Ghost had called him, had already summed up their previous relationship for the transparent air elemental.

>>>“We met during the registration period.”

That they had. Katrina nodded in assent as the azure-eyed boy found his feet again, “You never did tell me your name, though.” She found it ironic that he seemed to collect names with Grecian mythical origins. Her own improvised nickname had come from the Greek god of theatre (though he was more famously the god of wine) and Ghost's nickname from the Greek god of the west wind. Her grey eyes twinkled with amusement as she simultaneously remembered his proclaimed sentiments towards mythology and wondered what his real name was.

>>>“I’m fine... I’m just not used to losing so many senses, suffice to say I won’t ask for a return trip.”

Return trip? Katrina glanced back toward the eidolon of her classmate. So that was how he had arrived so suddenly in the center of the yard. If he had been a ghosting hitchhiker, it would explain how he had seemed to appear out of thin air. It would be an interesting way to travel, but apparently one that Dio found uncomfortable. The loss of senses that he described reminded the juvenile illusionist of a journey she had taken in a certain void along with a rock manipulator. During that trip they had lost all of their senses completely. The rock manipulator had probably a worse reaction to that form of travel than Dio did to ghosting. At least, Dio hadn't thrown up.

>>>“So… I take it you two know each other?”

“Yup,” she answered brightly. “We both live here.” She narrowed her eyes in mock suspicion at the hazel haired boy, “How about you? What brings you to our humble mansion school?”

He pulsed away her searching press. Ghost often forgot about the actual effect of her taking a closer look. She tried to calm herself and pull away, keeping the barometric pressure natural and letting her sense see what they would in her current state. She didn't mean to crowd.

“Oh, Ghost! Excuse me for not saying hello. I didn't see you at first.” Katrina bowed smartly and Ghost found herself smiling because the girl may not have even known exactly what she was doing, but it made some tender part of herself proud to see her own movements mimicked so perfectly except in a smaller package. A smaller package that was grinning enough that she didn't have to press in the air to tell the expression. Katrina made it easy.

Ghost smiled and unfolded herself enough to bow back, albeit less deep, but the sentiment was there. "It was not my intention to sneak, merely my current nature." It was the best way that Ghost could think to say that it was okay to not have said hello. After all, she wasn't the easiest to spot.

Katrina had a question so solid behind her eyes that even just seeing the form, the angle and direction of her head, Ghost could tell that the girl was curious as to why her Dio had chosen to visit the mansion. Ghost was beginning to understand that the mutants who lived in New York before the Registration often had ties. It had been a rough time. Mutants no matter their moral standing had combined forces to break them out of the camps. That meant that somewhere in Mondragon Labs Katrina and Zephyr had met. In theory, Ghost knew all this. But it wasn't until Zephyr and then Kat confirmed it, did she really understand. Refugees. They could both have been refugees of sorts. Ghost never bothered asking what Zephyr did for a living.

“You never did tell me your name, though.” Katrina was obviously talking to Zephyr so Ghost stayed out. Oops. Had she said too much? Ah, but she was cut off from her wondering when Zephyr finally made it back to his feet, solid in his balance once more.

>>>“I’m fine... I’m just not used to losing so many senses, suffice to say I won’t ask for a return trip.”

Ghost tried not to chuckle, though her utter entertainment probably carried over into her words, "No, that probably would not be wise." Just his stance reminded Ghost of his dainty sense of poise. That she had shaken that primness loose a bit made her happy. Ghost curled up into herself, arms folding around her middle and legs curling up beneath her as her less than substantial body shook with stifled laughter. Okay. So she couldn't help but laugh a little. "Was it really that bad?"

>>>“So… I take it you two know each other?”

“Yup,” Katrina answered brightly while Ghost was still trying to keep from laughing. “We both live here.”

"Un. Katrina is also a student here." Ghost nodded along with Katrina, all smiles.

“How about you? What brings you to our humble mansion school?”

"I can't speak for Zephyr, but I did invite him here. I've never met another air elemental before today. I always thought they'd be less... solid." She quirked her head slightly to the side in a way that would look more natural on a bird. She made no attempts to appear human now that she was in her ethereal form.

Having wandered a slight way to one of the many burgeoning trees which littered the mansions expansive lawn Zephyr had swiftly placed his back to the vertical surface and crossed his arms about his chest, waiting for his rather obstinate senses to realize that the world had ceased spinning some time ago. In truth the inertia wasn’t terrible, likely he would have been able to walk as he was however the elemental had no wish to tempt fate and considering the amount of amusement Ghost was deriving from his current predicament the merc wasn’t completely certain he’d be able to refrain from retaliatory measures if her laughter grew anymore pronounced. It wasn’t that being the center of mockery was anything new to the Kabal member, quite the contrary, during the registration period the persona he’d created as a guard had often been the butt of jokes and he’d easily been able to roll with petty insults and insinuations. There is however a large difference between intentionally causing yourself to be a subject of mockery and being caught completely off guard; Zephyr’s pride had been stung, albeit lightly, and were it not for Katrina’s unexpected entrance the elemental may have been tempted to see how far he could stretch his pale partners essence.

As it was the hazel haired merc simply gave the ethereal entity a dull glare to communicate his lack of amusement for his current predicament. Admittedly it wasn’t quite as effective as his original plan but hopefully it would at least prevent the sylph from giggling like a prepubescent school girl… had he mentioned the not so muffled laughter was getting on his nerves? A small part of the elementals mind told him he was being immature to let such a juvenile act get under his skin the subconscious section of his mind which was jealous of the girls’ phantom ability silently replied that it didn’t care. As such when the snow haired ingénue inquired as to his present state the Kabal member’s ice blue eyes narrowed while he adopted a clear tone of sarcasm, “Oh no, in fact remind me to enlist your services the next time I wish to endure purgatory."

Shifting his attention back to the duplicitous doppelganger that was Katrina Simon paused as she questioned his presence, he’d already flat out ignored her initial query about his name; that was an avenue he currently felt no interest in pursuing, though if the child persisted she would likely be rewarded with a name. In either case he doubted the young gamine would react well to being dismissed again, fortuitously though his moment of silence seemed too prompted his airy companion into action as she succinctly summarized their habitation of the institutes’ grounds leaving Zephyr himself with little to add, though the ghostly girls slight jab did not go unnoticed.

“Indeed? Well I can’t say I expected another of my kind to be such an airhead, but I digress.” The bland tone in which the response was given made it clear that there was no real malice behind the words and had one not been paying attention they would have thought the elemental to be commenting upon the weather or some other trivial topic. As the mercenary’s gaze returned to the youngest member of the group though a slightly gentler quality entered his voice, “Ghost did indeed invite me, and having passed the place a few times I must admit I was rather curious, I never had the option of asking for help when I discovered my… talents.” Pausing for a moment the elemental added as an afterthought, “Do you like it here Katrina?”

>>>"It was not my intention to sneak, merely my current nature."

“Not at all,” Katrina responded. It was in her nature to sneak too. However, her sneaking was more often than not completely intentional. Where was the fun of an invisibility ability, if one didn't utilize it once in awhile?

>>>"Un. Katrina is also a student here."

Un. Not yet I'm not. At least not for two more weeks or so.

>>>"No, that probably would not be wise." ... "Was it really that bad?"

Katrina assumed Ghost meant their transparent mode of arrival. Ghost had even chosen to remain in said airy form and was currently cross legged floating and arms folded chuckling. Dio didn't seem to share her amusement, and leaned against a tree glowering at the floating girl with his own arms folded.

>>>“Oh no, in fact remind me to enlist your services the next time I wish to endure purgatory."

“At least you didn't throw up. It could have been worse. At least you got to try flying, right?” Katrina shrugged, trying to lighten the mood. She chose not to ask Ghost if she could try a ride sometime. Somehow, she didn't think the fact that a thirteen-year-old was willing to risk being sick on the lawn for a chance to experience the weightlessness that Ghost was currently experiencing would make Dio feel better. The older girl seemed to be so free, and so carefree when she was wisping around. Katrina was a little jealous that she couldn't just float away on a whim. Certainly, she could disappear from sight or even look like she was floating, but in reality her feet were always firmly planted on the ground.

>>>"I can't speak for Zephyr, but I did invite him here. I've never met another air elemental before today. I always thought they'd be less... solid."

>>>“Indeed? Well I can’t say I expected another of my kind to be such an airhead, but I digress.”

The sarcasm seemed to have faded to a light teasing. Perhaps he would forgive Ghost for making him feel unwell after all. Things were much more comfortable now. Speaking of comfort, she was the only one who didn't have a spot to lean or float. The tree where Dio- or Zephyr- was leaning did have a low branch or two that would be perfect for sitting on. The young illusionist eyed them up while the blue eyed teen continued talking in a more lighthearted manner.

>>>“Ghost did indeed invite me, and having passed the place a few times I must admit I was rather curious, I never had the option of asking for help when I discovered my… talents.”

Special pause before and after talents! Did that mean he didn't really think it was a talent, or that he thought he was especially talented? Or was he avoiding the word “mutant” and its derivatives? Or was he playing off the name of the school? In any case, the pause left lots of time for random questions to sprout like mushrooms after a rain shower. Enough questions, that the thirteen-year-old didn't anticipate the next question.

>>>“Do you like it here Katrina?”

Hmm? The young girl glanced from the branch she was looking at to the meet the sapphire gaze of the older boy. It was a simple question, but not one to which she had really given much thought. The mansion simply existed, and she existed within and around it. She didn't have a lot of choice about it, so she simply accepted it, like she had accepted being at Mondragon Labs. Certainly, she hadn't wanted to come to the mansion when her parents originally had decided to send her, but now that she was here she had as many friends as she had previously back in Virginia.

Hmm. She glanced back to the branch, stepped to the tree leaning boy's side, and nimbly swung herself up onto the branch. It put her just high enough that her head was slightly above his now, and perhaps even with the floating white head of Ghost. Finally, she answered.

“Yes, I do like it. School starts soon and everything, but I still wouldn't trade it for another spot. I really like the people I've met here. I still miss some of my friends from back at the Labs, though. Mostly they scattered to all different places it seems. Even if I went back and lived at the Labs again now, it wouldn't be the same because it would be lonely without all the people.” She swung her feet back and forth once or twice, but was careful not to kick anyone when she did so.

“I do sometimes wish I was a grownup so I could go visit people any time I wanted.” Or perhaps it would be better yet to be a wraith, like Ghost was, and simply float around to wherever she wished without worrying about anything.

Zephyr seemed mildly irked at Ghost's reaction to his dis-settled state, but... well, it was too funny. He was so together, so on top of things. That small crack in his mask was a welcome glimpse into who Zephyr was. Cool, calm, collected, and not too fond of being essentially tricked out of his senses. Ghost hadn't meant to ruffle his feathers, but now that they were ruffled she like it. Hehe. Purgatory. He didn't seem actually hurt and that's why she could laugh.

“At least you didn't throw up. It could have been worse. At least you got to try flying, right?” Ghost nodded along. At least he hadn't puked.

"I have a sneaking suspicion that Mister Zephyr can fly without my help." She raised her brow at Zephyr, a very subtle expression in her less than opaque state. "And I do believe it is your turn." She directed her comment to Zephyr. She'd shown her greatest strength, and now, in this form, she had a greater tie to their element. Anything that he showed her now would be easier to "see."

Ghost would have offered Kat a trip into the aether had she not expended so much energy on the trip here. Perhaps another time. And Ghost would feel more comfortable asking Kat about everything rather than giving the third degree to her new acquaintance.

Ghost accepted the air-head comment graciously. She probably deserved worse.

“Do you like it here Katrina?” Ghost rocked back slightly as Zephyr addressed the younger girl. Did she like it here? Ghost knew that the girl's mother worked here and that the last time they had chatted that they weren't seeing eye to eye. It actually hadn't occurred to Ghost that Katrina might not have had an option to stay at the mansion.

Katrina made her way up into a tree, settling herself gingerly onto a branch.

>“Yes, I do like it. School starts soon and everything, but I still wouldn't trade it for another spot. I really like the people I've met here. I still miss some of my friends from back at the Labs, though. Mostly they scattered to all different places it seems. Even if I went back and lived at the Labs again now, it wouldn't be the same because it would be lonely without all the people.”

Ghost grinned, very proud of Kat's answer. She hadn't made any friends in her brief recovery time at Mondragon Labs, but the sentiment remained.

>“I do sometimes wish I was a grownup so I could go visit people any time I wanted.”

"I'd offer to take you, but only after you ran it by your mom."

Maintaining his stance beside the prospering sapling Simon’s azure gaze danced back and forth between his two companions, tracking the conversation. The elementals skin had regained its full colour by this point and any lingering sense of ailment had long since dispersed, however Zephyr was, by nature, rather indolent when it came to physical activities and as such if the hazel haired merc saw no reason to shift from his perch he would simply remain where he was. Likely he would be required to move at some point; Ghost would either volunteer to escort him around the grounds or Katrina would wish to showcase her new abode, and as a guest he would be remiss to decline an offer to traverse the country’s only known educational institutes for mutants. However should both girls prove to be somewhat, lacking in social etiquette then the elemental would certain he deliver a few subtle intimations. Hopefully though such a course of action would not be required, the limited impression he’d had of Katrina during her stay at labs was that of a child who actually spent time with her parents i.e. well mannered, and as for Ghost well; the airy sylph seemed to have abandoned her current reservations against him by this point and should she not have the courtesy to at least offer to guide him about the grounds well.. in all honesty he’d likely be more disappointed in his judgment of her character than the ingénue herself.

“At least you didn't throw up. It could have been worse. At least you got to try flying, right?”[/color]

Zephyr’s cerulean orbs traced a path back towards the blonde gamines deceptively bright ashen gaze and he released a weary sigh before lowering his head in a manner of mock defeat; so much for well mannered then. Some topics were simply designed to not add any value to a conversation, had the elemental still been suffering any residual vertigo such an offhand comment would, in all probability, have only served to impair his condition. Fortuitously though this was not the case however the merc still felt the need to pass at least a half heartened comment, if only to save the child from being emendated by her parents at a later point in time. “Katrina, have you possibly heard the axiom “some things are better left unsaid”?” It was admittedly a rather lackadaisical reprimand however the British youth wasn’t quite in the mood to commit the energy needed to fully chastise the child with a complete explanation of her tactless comment.

It was at this point in the social discourse that Ghost gave voice her opinion, stating with what some might actually call subtlety, stating that her she believed her male counterpart perfectly capable of defying the sovereignty of gravity without external aid, causing the Kabal member in question to shrug his shoulders in an apathetic manner, “Suspect all you wish,” he replied simply, “I have no intention of straying from the ground any time soon.” The woman was persistent though he would grant her that, and admittedly she was correct, it was indeed his turn, although he was at something of a loss as to what feat he should perform, while repertoire was indeed expansive a large majority of it was simply variations of the same theme. He was also slightly loathe to replicate the sylphs performance though, technically, his method differed from her own. A wind blade was always an option, however with Katrina’s presence the force of any such demonstration would be severely diminished for although the mercenary had the utmost confidence in his control he still had no desire to inadvertently hurt the child.

It was at this point in Zephyr’s internal machinations that the very object of his concern chose to launch herself from the earth and deftly utilized her own momentum to swing her lithe frame up and around one of the lower limbs adjoining own resting place, augmenting the itinerants imps height to slightly above the elementals own and placing her roughly on par with other female in the group. The action itself was so abrupt enough that the hazel haired youth barely initially only had time to blink in response, however once he had ascertained what Katrina had done the normally taciturn Kabal member raised his brow to voice a silent query as to why the gamine felt it necessary to undertake such behavior. Once the inquisitive adolescent began expressing her opinions regarding the institute however Simon features relaxed and gave way to a gentler expression as Katrina assured him that despite the prospect of a new semester, she was indeed enjoying herself at the mansion. As the girl concluded her response though her words sparked an idea in the elementals mind; generating a malicious machination which caused the edges of his lips to twitch upwards in a barely repressed smirk. The inspiration was admittedly juvenile in origin; however, if carried out correctly it would not only fulfill the requirement for his current game with Ghost, it would also generate a good deal of puerile amusement.

Releasing a long theatrical sigh Simon tilted his head upwards and raised his eyes skyward, appearing to direct his comments to thin air. “I suppose it can’t be helped,” he stated loftily before turning his gaze to the blonde gamine, “since Ghost is unwilling, I shall offer my assistance, that is assuming of course that you don’t mind flying under my direction?” As he spoke the mercenary’s smirk became gradually more pronounced and so, without truly waiting for Katrina’s response the elemental went to work; swiftly summoning a surging stream of winds below and behind the child. Although by no means violent the currents were crafted with the intent and strength to steal the young adolescent from her perch and lift her rapidly through the air before the girl could realize what was happening. Should the attempt be successful the winds would levitate Katrina approximately 20ft above the earth, at which point she would learn that a sundress was perhaps not the ideal attire when kept aloft by updrafts of air.

((OOC: Any issues simply shoot me a PM and I'll edit as required.))

>>>“Katrina, have you possibly heard the axiom “some things are better left unsaid”?”

Zephyr's theatrical sigh and pretend defeated expression that accompanied this statement earned a small pout from the flaxen haired teen. She had been trying to point out the bright side of the situation, but if he was intent on remaining gloomy, so be it.

>>>"I have a sneaking suspicion that Mister Zephyr can fly without my help." ... "And I do believe it is your turn."

Turn?

>>>“Suspect all you wish, I have no intention of straying from the ground any time soon.”

Dio was certainly being contrary today. Perhaps he had woken up on the wrong side of the bed or eaten a breakfast that didn't agree with him. If she had been Ghost, she would have stuck her tongue out at the cantankerous air elemental after that comment.

Instead she swung herself into the tree as she had planned, finished her explanation of why she liked the mansion, and expressed her wish to be able to visit the friends she had made during the Registration period.

>>>"I'd offer to take you, but only after you ran it by your mom."

She smiled pleasantly at the white haired girl floating opposite her, “I'm sure she would be fine with that. As long as I'm with someone who is grown up, it shouldn't be a problem to go visiting. Of course it's nice when people come here to visit as well.” As she spoke, her gaze turned back toward the smirking youth leaning on the trunk of the tree.

Why was he smirking like that so suddenly? She'd soon find out. With another theatrical sigh (he was getting rather good at those) he proclaimed,

>>>“I suppose it can’t be helped, since Ghost is unwilling, I shall offer my assistance, that is assuming of course that you don’t mind flying under my direction?”

The self satisfied smile upon his lips became, if possible, even more smug than before. Katrina was not at all sure that she wanted to trust that smile. Her own lips twitched downward slightly.

“I'm not sure about thaaaaaa....!”

Quite suddenly a rather large gust of air pushed her quite forcefully from behind, causing her to lose her balance on the tree branch and fall forward. She threw both her arms in front of her body to catch herself and landed on her hands and knees, or would have done, if another gust of wind from below weren't pushing her upward. She could feel the wind rushing past her outstretched fingers, but as hard as she pushed against it, the wind pushed back harder. Pale yellow hair whipped behind her head and her clothes did likewise behind her body, which in this case meant straight upwards. Her eyes fought to open and see what was happening to her. Through narrowly slitted lids, the illusionist could see the ground, rather farther away than she would have expected, having just fallen out of a tree.

It seemed that the ground was now maintaining a steady distance from the kneeling form of the illusionist, or rather the smirking windmancer was maintaining a steady distance between the two of them. Although her elevation was no longer increasing, the wind speeds that whipped around her did not seem to lessen, nor did they cease to billow her clothing out behind her like a sail. Which, now that she thought about it, was not really fulfilling one of its primary roles. Katrina twisted, trying desperately to grab the unruly clothing in order to force it into some sort of position to cover her panty clad posterior, which succeeded only in spinning her so that she was now face up in the thermal rather than face down and her hair was now whipping in her face.

She tilted her head backwards, trying to bring the pair of wind manipulators back into view, “Uh? Is this what you meant by taking turns? 'Cause I think I'd prefer that my turn be over now.”

“Suspect all you wish,” he replied simply, “I have no intention of straying from the ground any time soon.”[/b]

Ghost longed to see the subtle intricacies of Zephyr's face when he spoke. His tone was nearly nonexistent except for subtle hints of sarcasm and frank disillusionment. Zephyr as a whole was quite reticent, unlike Ghost, and that difference in personalities made it even harder for her to understand the other teen's intentions. The most information the wisp could garner was from body language and even there Zephyr was most controlled.

Except... when Kat spoke. When the affable minor spoke, the normally tight-lipped elemental relaxed, became tender, benevolent, more inquisitive and... well, Ghost would have thought the word 'protective' except that Zephyr chose that moment to sigh most ostentatiously and during a short quip he summoned a strong breeze to knock Katrina from her purchase. He smirked so openly that Ghost was actually able to read his expression.

He summoned a steady and strong updraft that cycled past Katrina, keeping her aloft with hair and clothes flapping. Ghost may have clapped again had she been confident that the movement would produce noise. Could she clap while ethereal? That was an endeavor for another day. For now Ghost was most interested in the manor in which Zephyr controlled the winds.

The flow of air was regular enough that without the obviously agitated dress and locks a passerby may imagine that Katrina was levitating. Ghost didn't typically have this type of control. She could summon the same strength and of gust and cycle it upward, but she had never practiced something as flamboyant of flying and therefore had no need of consistent and steady flow. It apparently had its uses, however.

>> “Uh? Is this what you meant by taking turns? 'Cause I think I'd prefer that my turn be over now.”

Surprise clearly plain on her insubstantial features, Ghost blinked up at the younger girl, though she made attempts at being strong and unperturbed, the flow of air over her features painted a not-so-happy picture. "Do you not enjoy flying?" Well, that was probably a give-in based on her words so Ghost turned her next query toward Zephyr. "You aren't currently planning on 神隠しeh-- spiriting Katrina away are you? I'm rather attached."

From his otiose placement beside the mansions sturdy hardwood Zephyr’s cerulean orbs converged upon the lilliputian figure as it rose rapidly through the troposphere, tumbling and turning as the child fought to impose some measure of ascendency over her ascent, however due to a mixture of inexperience and the merc’s own blatant manipulations the gamines efforts were ineffective at best, serving only to heighted the elementals amusement at his protégés predicament. A low, almost inaudible, chuckle escaped from the fair haired youth as he brought the aberrant updraft under rein; balancing the power of the thermal against the adolescents own sleight weight in order to grant the gift of levitation… which swiftly became something of a curse as the girls own flowing raiment’s rapidly fell prey to the will of the wayward winds; abandoning their original purpose and instead revealing a callipygian posterior clothed by an incarnadine article which, like many undergarments, had not been designed for such a public display thus explaining Katrina’s repeated, yet futile, efforts to impose some form of governance over her rebellious attire.

Eventually though the child’s continuous attempts achieved a measure of equilibrium which left her staring at the sky and trapped the hem of her dress around her knees. It was not a complete success admittedly for the minors blonde locks still persisted in defying gravity as they flew around the girl’s physiognomy, however she had at least managed to restore a semblance of modesty and many would have considered that a victory of sorts given the potentially embarrassing situation. Strangely though if one were to observe Katrina’s features at that precise moment they would find her countenance completely lacking any emotion even vaguely resembling success, instead a watcher would encounter an expression which, at best, could be classified as displeasure and at worst misery. The adolescent’s next words however quickly confirmed her feelings to be more the former than the latter thereby reassuring the elemental that his conduct was still well within his own personal bounds and thus preventing any sense of remorse for his actions.

"Do you not enjoy flying?"[/color]

Roused from his juvenile entertainment Zephyr’s attention shifted from his hapless victim and turned to his other insubstantial companion. Ghost had been oddly quiet since his latest exhibition of power, not that he’d been expecting a standing ovation, he’d already evoked one of those, but the ingénue had typically greeted each of his performances with some form of positive response, perhaps it was due to his use of a somewhat unwilling volunteer. Simon himself would admittedly held “reservations” against any individual who’d placed the blonde doppelganger in a potentially detrimental situation, no matter how skilled they might be, still as he was the individual in question such reservation clearly did not apply.
Releasing yet another trademark sigh the hazel haired merc lowered his head in a melodramatic manner and spoke to Ghost in a self despairing tone, “Children these days, they have no appreciation for the finer things in life.” Despite the Kabal members tone though it would be clear to any who could see his eyes that the man was still gaining no small amount of amusement from the current circumstances.

"You aren't currently planning on 神隠しeh-- spiriting Katrina away are you? I'm rather attached."[/color]

Raising a brow at this curios query Zephyr titled his head slightly as he considered his pale partners words. While he did enjoy the adolescent’s presence the elemental had never possessed any intention abducting or “spiriting” the girl away. There were limits to what could be done after all, points where simple affection became something decidedly more unstable and dangerous, it was line Simon had no intention of meeting let alone crossing, besides where would he keep the child? His own abode, while suitable for his own purposes was hardly appropriate for a growing girl and although the current economic downturn would allow him to purchase a new property with little cost the paperwork was still a nettlesome issue he’d rather avoid.

“That is a most interesting proposal, sadly though my current circumstances would not permit me to care for a prepubescent girl so I’m afraid you’re stuck with her for a while longer.” Simon voice was lighthearted, almost playful, and as he finished speaking one of his hands made a subtle pinching gesture allowing him to swiftly take hold and condense a region of air surrounding Katrina’s hips, in effect creating a harness of sorts. After taking a moment to ensure his grasp was tight enough to hold but not crush the young gamine the elemental relinquished his control of the updraft which had originally kept her aloft, allowing the thermal to dissipate along with all the effects that came with it, leaving Katrina completely suspended within the air without the hassle of unruly clothing or wild hair.

A few seconds passed as Zephyr gave the girl a moment to adjust to her change in circumstance before he began moving his hand and gently swung her into an upright position. Although theoretically he could have shifted the girl without the use of his hands the elemental was not yet utterly confident with his current form of manipulation and as such was unwilling to take any chances. Additionally while he may have enjoyed toying with Katrina he had no desire to dissuade her from flying at any point in the future, this new method of levitation would, hopefully, let the child enjoy, albeit briefly as he slowly lowered his hand and brought her back to earth.

>>>"Do you not enjoy flying?"

Katrina started to respond, but got a mouthful of hair instead. As she tried to spit it out again without using her hands, which were currently busy dealing with unruly skirts, Dio answered for her.

>>>“Children these days, they have no appreciation for the finer things in life.”

The hovering teen did what any younger sister would have done after that comment. She made an upside down face at him and stuck out her tongue in his general direction. She didn't even regret it when wildly waving golden strands got stuck to the emergent pink gustatory organ.

>>>"You aren't currently planning on 神隠しeh-- spiriting Katrina away are you? I'm rather attached."

>>>“That is a most interesting proposal, sadly though my current circumstances would not permit me to care for a prepubescent girl so I’m afraid you’re stuck with her for a while longer.”

“Hmph,” was the adolescent's only reply to that. As if she would consent to live with the pompous pnuemancer anyway.

Kat felt a slight tightening around the lower part of her abdomen, like the air was gently hugging her. It pressed inwards around her center of gravity and left her clothing tightly clinging to her in those areas rather than trying to escape upwards. The cloth trapped between her knees still fought to escape, but then, slowly they ceased their fluttering and hung limply once more. Her hair likewise began to follow the influence of gravity rather than the wild updrafts as the wind from below trickled off. Curiously, she did not descend towards the ground as thermal died out, but remained suspended by the air pressure that had tightened itself around her midriff. It was a bit alarming at first, that the rushing air current was no longer supporting her, but when the blonde teen realized that she was not plummeting earthward, she relaxed and started to actually enjoy the floating feeling as she watched clouds float by overhead.

After a moment, the air delinquent manipulator turned her upright again and began to slowly lower her back the the ground. Flying this way was much more pleasant, even relaxing, she decided. Perhaps it would be fun the first way too, if she had known what to expect and had been able to dress accordingly.

As she slowly sank to the ground with the coordinated motions of Dio's hands, Katrina took the opportunity to simply enjoy levitating. She didn't feel quite weightless, since she could still feel the slight pressure of the air harness the older teen had created, but it was very close. When she was very near to the ground, she smiled at the pair of airy older teens.

“That was kind of fun! I liked the second way of flying better, though. Maybe we could do it again some time? But with more warning next time. Being swept off of one's feet should be saved for fairy tales, maybe.”

Once Katrina was safe and secure on the sodden lawn, Ghost was able to relax a bit more. Not that she didn't trust the new comer, but she hadn't wanted any harm to befall her young friend just because she had asked him to show off. She was only confident to a point that she could foil Zephyr's attempts to steal or harm Katrina. Good thing he wasn't a bad guy.

"Would you like to come in for something to drink, Mister Zephyr?" She asked the question as if the Mansion was just another cottage on the hillside and Ghost was a sweet housewife with an apron. "Or, I guess you've never been here... Kat would you like to help me show Mister Zephyr around?"

Unfortunately, refreshments did not serve themselves and while Zephyr had the confidence and control to direct a pen, Ghost did not have the confidence to serve drinks without physical hands. That meant one thing: it was time to become solid. "I'll just be a moment." She warned them before drifting off a few paces. Hopefully Zephyr wouldn't feel the need to interfere with this process because she wasn't entirely sure what she could do to defend herself while she was trying to pull herself back together.

Because that's what she did. Ghost closed her eyes, not that it mattered in this form but it was a way to help her focus and ease the transition. Particles started pulling together, reforming lost bonds and reclaiming those bits of herself that had started to stray. Her form became clearer and more opaque as the process continued. Finally after perhaps half a minute's time, Ghost had mustered enough of herself to start having weight and her toes touched down onto the sun warmed grass. On her feet again, she continued to solidify.

She had to open her eyes then as she became more solid, her aerial perception waned and she was back to relying on visual perception. More accurate, but with a definite lack of breadth. Switching over was less of a shock for Ghost since she was forced to take it slow.

"Shall we?"