Downtime 7 - X-Men Training: Serious F'ing Business

by **Valdis Hallsdottir** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 11:52 am

"Come to Iceland, we have plenty of volcanoes! No princesses though."

by **Aiden Mitchell** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 7:02 pm

"A shame," Aiden said, "I suppose I will simply have to spread the net wider."

"Tell me more about your home."

by **Valdis Hallsdottir** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 7:44 pm

"It's in a village, with a name that English-speakers find hard to pronounce. Well, actually, that's just where I went to school; I actually live at my dad's ski resort that's a little walk outside of the village. It's up in the mountains, of course, and my dad keeps it snowing there for more than half of the year. It's so beautiful there. You can wander off wherever you want and see valleys, lakes, rivers, the ocean...go further towards the middle and there are glaciers, the volcanoes, even rifts where you can see the tectonic plates pulling away from one another. My favorite place is this one valley I go to to perform blót, though. It's a form of worship," she explained. "There's almost never anyone there unless I bring someone else with me."

by **Aiden Mitchell** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 7:49 pm

"It sounds quite wonderful," Aiden said, "You said your father keeps it snowing?"

by **Valdis Hallsdottir** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 7:52 pm

"Yes, that's what his mutant gift does."

by **Aiden Mitchell** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 7:57 pm

"I see, a useful skill to have," Aiden said, "And what can you do little Valkyrie?"

by **Valdis Hallsdottir** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 8:07 pm

She grinned, then took a look around. "You really can't see what it does very clearly in plain air...a-hah!" She spotted low cloud not too far above them. She reached out with her left hand, pointing with her index finger, and several vibrating waves of force were fired off. Several neat, concentric circles were formed within it as the shockwaves cut through it.

by **Aiden Mitchell** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 8:18 pm

Aidenflew through one of the holes that Valdis had made.

"Some kind of force projection?" Aiden asked staring at the results.

by **Valdis Hallsdottir** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 8:34 pm

"I guess so. They're shockwaves, or vibrations. If I channel them through the ground, they work like seismic energy and shake everything."

by **Aiden Mitchell** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 7:37 pm

"Sounds suitably destructive," Aiden said, "You mentioned a....what was it...blot?"

Aiden managed to only slightly mangle the word.

by **Valdis Hallsdottir** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 8:04 pm

"It's a way to worship the gods that I follow. A meal, often communal feast sometimes. There's always a sacrifice, but we almost never use an animal now. A drink to the gods, offering them a libation, that's more typical."

by **Aiden Mitchell** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 8:07 pm

"Which gods?" Aiden asked

by **Valdis Hallsdottir** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 9:52 pm

"Those of my forefathers, the Æsir and Vanir. Those for whom days of weeks are named."

by **Aiden Mitchell** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 9:55 pm

"I did not realize people still worshiped those gods," Aiden said, "That is almost refreshing compared to the new Phoenix Cult."

by **Valdis Hallsdottir** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 10:02 pm

"We...faded and dwindled from the world for a few centuries. All of my recent ancestors that I know of followed the faith of the Father, the Son and the Sacred Spirit." Something about that sounded just a little off...

"That's their prerogative. I prefer the old ways."

by **Aiden Mitchell** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 10:05 pm

"I'd say I prefer no ways, but perhaps I have just not found the right way," Aiden said, "You will have to explain the Father, Son and Sacred Spirit."

by **Valdis Hallsdottir** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 10:24 pm

"It's otherwise known as Christianity," she said with a grin. "I was just referring to the gods they worship. And yes, I said gods. They can go on and on about how monotheistic they are, but they aren't. So...where are you from, anyhow?"

by **Aiden Mitchell** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 10:25 pm

"A different universe," Aiden said.

by **Valdis Hallsdottir** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 10:31 pm

"...Really?", she asked, flatly, apparently surprised by the answer.

by **Aiden Mitchell** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 10:34 pm

"Really," Aiden said, "I crash landed in this universe some months ago when Dr. Tomorrow was opening trans-dimensional portals."

by **Valdis Hallsdottir** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 10:47 pm

"Oh, I remember that! One of them opened up in Reykjavik, and kept dumping sea water into the streets. It was the strangest thing."

by **Aiden Mitchell** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 10:51 pm

"I flew through one of them, and crash landed into a lake," Aiden said, "Then I was dredge out by fishermen. I woke up in an X-Corp holding room. Where they began asking me questions about how exactly I ended up in Britain. Needless to say I was rather shocked to find that my family name meant nothing. That humans ruled the earth, and that what I was wearing was everything I owned."

by **Valdis Hallsdottir** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 11:02 pm

"...Oh. That's no good. Was your world like ours at all? And if humans didn't lead it...ahh, never mind," the said, figuring that bit out.

by **Aiden Mitchell** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 11:09 pm

"We'd fought a war long before my time," Aiden said, "Humans lost, and became second class citizens."

by **Valdis Hallsdottir** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 11:27 pm

"Oh. That's not how things should have to be!," she declared. "This gift was given to me to protect others from things that they can't protect themselves from. A war between protectors and the protected is just so...pointless."

by **Aiden Mitchell** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 11:31 pm

"We weren't their protectors," Aiden said, "They had their own tools to protect themselves, but we all regretted the costs involved. Deserts turned to glass, fields covered in bones, cities burnt to cinders."

"The costs were far too high. I prefer where I am now."

by **Valdis Hallsdottir** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 11:36 pm

"I would too. It sounds horrible." She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Was your world like ours, besides that? Were the places the same, any of the people?"

by **Aiden Mitchell** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 11:39 pm

"Mostly," Aiden said, "I've met a few people at this school who had rather high positions in my universe. My universes' version of my roommate John controls the largest electronics company on my world."

"The countries are very different. My family controlled what was called the Northern Territories, which was most of Canada, Alaska, and some of the United States."

by **Valdis Hallsdottir** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 11:47 pm

"Interesting," she mused. "History can change, but the earth itself is unmoving."

by **Aiden Mitchell** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 11:51 pm

"There are no doubt universes far more separated from our own in that way," Aiden said, "The problem it seems is getting to them."

by **Valdis Hallsdottir** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 12:39 am

"I hope we can't jump around universes unless it's a lot more controlled than the last time it happened."

by **Aiden Mitchell** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 12:42 am

"From what I was told when I inquired about returning home they said it was exceedingly unlikely without somehow rending reality asunder," Aiden said, "I am more than happy to call this universe my home. I have made good friends here and also found a purpose."

"I no longer look at it as though I lost everything, but instead that I was given something entirely new."

by **Valdis Hallsdottir** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 12:44 am

"'One should strive to achieve, not sit in bitter regret.' That's brave of you, dragon-friend."

by **Aiden Mitchell** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 12:49 am

Aiden chuckled.

"My thanks little Valkyrie," Aiden said, "It was unfortunately a revelation that took a while to obtain, but few things worthwhile are easy."

"Hopefully you can see that I am not much like my namesake."

by **Valdis Hallsdottir** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 10:53 pm

It didn't take her very long to consider that before she agreed.

"No, not much. Other than in appearance," she said with a grin.

by **Aiden Mitchell** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 10:59 pm

"Have you chose a name for yourself?" Aiden asked.

by **Valdis Hallsdottir** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 11:11 pm

"My code name? Well, Avalanche was taken by an enemy of the X-Men, and there's another mutant hero out there named Rictor, like the Richter Scale. Right now I'm leaning towards using Pulse, as in, pulsate."

by **Aiden Mitchell** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 11:29 pm

"Pulse," Aiden said, "A good codename, but seems a little bland."

by **Valdis Hallsdottir** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 9:38 pm

"I could always go with something Icelandic. Like Jarðskjálfti."

by **Aiden Mitchell** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 9:45 pm

"Something the non-icelandic world can pronounce is also important," Aiden said.

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