i'm not crazy

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Pietro looked at the other smiling softly “It looks excitement from the ground I promise you, though Warren takes me flying now and then which is pretty cool.” He replied looking at the other for a moment, he’d been fascinated with the other mutants, and what their mutants yielded. To say that their DNA was similar yet vastly different had piqued a curiosity within him. “That must have been scary? To go from hearing your own thoughts to everyone’s or just move something without intending to do so.” He mused before nodding his head  “I suppose that makes sense in a way I also fear that one day I may lose Wanda in a different way than she lost me, it wouldn’t be her own doing of course but people fear those who possess such power.” He spoke in truth not many knew his deep-seated fear on this subject but he’d do anything for his sister even battle armies so she never felt pain again. “Can this be any type of emotion? Like I’m sure anger is one you try to avoid giving your sheer power but what about overwhelming happiness or love?”

-

Jean smiled softly. “Yeah, he likes to do that,” she said. “He’s taken me flying a couple of times too.” She gave a little sigh as he spoke, brushing a strand of red hair away from her face. “It was like…having a bomb go off right in front of me. Every sound was so loud, I thought my ears were going to start bleeding, or…or my head was just going to…” She swallowed and shook her head. Jean looked up at him with a little sigh, though her expression softened ever so slightly when she thought about Wanda. “I don’t think there’s anyone who could beat Wanda in a fight,” she said. “No matter what they could do. She’s stronger than anyone.” She nodded. “Anything,” she said. “Anger is like gasoline on a five-alarm fire. Any other emotion just kind of gets…amplified. It doesn’t feel as uncontrollable as anger. Or fear. That’s a big one.”

Closed starter for @phoenixxgreyj

As Charles worked on syllabus papers for the new class he was devising, Jean’s thoughts became central out of the haze of voices that swirled throughout the manor.  Being the only one who could use telepathic communication both ways Charles was used to hearing Jean’s inner voice often, even if most of the time it wasn’t purposeful.  However, this time her voice was being amplified by emotion, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.  Placing a finger on his temple Charles broadcasted directly into Jean’s mind, “You seem overwhelmed Jean, is there anything I can do to help?” 

-

Jean felt like she was going to cry -- she had woken up only a few moments before from a nightmare, one so vivid that she woke up soaked with sweat, her room in utter disarray. She sat up, wrapping her arms around herself, her breath catching in her throat.

She let her walls down just enough to examine the minds of the other students, able to sense that they were okay. She pulled back almost immediately. Either the damage hadn’t gone beyond her room, or they were just used to her. Maybe they thought it was a drill. A “Jean Grey could go nuclear at any time” drill. 

She drew her knees to her chest, looping her arms around them and burning her face against her knees, sniffling. She didn’t look up when she felt Charles’s thought in her mind. “I’m fine,” she said, although she wasn’t, and it wasn’t like he wouldn’t know that. “It was just a bad dream.”

Warren smiled at her when she said she missed him. The two of them have always been close, maybe that was why he skipped out on the goodbyes. He just couldn’t stomach it. Plus, he knew that Jean would completely understand what he was doing and why. When he inherited the Worthington Fortune, it was important to him that he put it to good use. He felt himself smile a bit at her predictable answer. Letting out a gentle laugh at her words. “Yeah, this is probably the most drunk I’ve seen you!” He exclaimed before adding, “I’ll watch your back. I hear I’m a great wing-man. If you want, I can even take you somewhere a bit… less populated. It might take away any anxiety you’re feeling about the whole thing.” He offered after she talked about not wanting to hurt anyone. “They shouldn’t, but they are college kids. What do you expect, really?” 

-

Jean’s eyes widened slightly as he spoke, her eyebrows furrowing into a very serious expression. “Well,” she said. “I don’t want to hurt anyone. Or do something crazy. What if I…what if I made a fire hydrant explode or something? Or — or made an ice cream truck launch Nutty Royales at people? That would be bad!” She giggled at his comment about wings, looking up at him. “Yeah, I think that’s a good idea,” she said, her eyes widening again. She could fly on her own, of course, but she felt like that wouldn’t be a good idea right now either. In her current state, she’d probably end up in Yonkers or something. She frowned a little as he spoke. “I dunno, I’ve never been to college,” she pointed out, looking up at him. She paused, considering. “I don’t think Xavier’s counts. And besides he would never let us do something like this.” She thought about it some more. “He might let us sell some actual lemonade, though.” 

“They do.” Scott nodded, a playful smile chirped to his lips. “That is, unless you’re a telepath. Then you know everything.” He teased her. 

-

Jean couldn’t help but giggle as Scott spoke. “I’m okay with not knowing everything,” she said. “It’s not a cinematic masterpiece or anything, but that scene in Twilight where Edward is reading everyone’s mind is pretty accurate.”

Closed starter for @phoenixxgreyj​ Prompt in bold

          “Just one kiss? You can learn a wealth of things from just one kiss.” Kate tried to defend herself, already feeling Jean’s likely growing headache. She knew things were back and forth with Warren, never really settling. They were friends. Confusing friends. But that was why she had Jean to bounce ideas off of, although she didn’t think Jean liked it as much as she did. “It was just one kiss. It was so that donor would leave him alone. You can’t be a real donor if you need something to donate.”

-

Jean sighed softly, though a faint smile touched her lips. Warren and Kate were both important to her. She just wanted them to be happy — but sometimes they both made her feel like the affectionately exasperated best friend in the romcom. “Right,” she said. “The question is what you’re going to do about what you learned. If anything.” She raised an eyebrow. “Uh-huh,” she said.  “Because Warren is so short on traditional things to donate. You know, like money.”

@phoenixxgreyj​

“Words aren’t the only thing that tell people what you’re thinking.”

-

Jean smiled softly as Scott spoke. “I guess that’s true,” she said softly. “Actions speak louder than words, after all.”

Logan nods when Jean repeated about the past. “I go pulled here from 2029, or at least thats the last I remember.” He remembers how she had helped give him back some memories and it makes him smile a bit. “After what was goin on though… I don’t know if I want to remember anything more.” His smile fades again as he glances around once more. “I just hope the kid made it. Shes not here that I can tell.” A wave of protectiveness and worry rushed through him no matter how much he attempted to hide it on his face. When she agreed to not read his mind he nodded again. “Good. Too much shit ya don’t need in your head.” When the topic went to their friendship a light smile appears on his face again. “Yeah, you’ve been a big influence in my life. I got bounced around to a lot of timelines though so, it gets jumbled as fuck.” A heavy sigh comes out of him and he follows it with a nod. “I outlived most of the other X-men, even the kids we taught. So, yeah.” He pauses trying to figure out how to say something while trying to bat away the memories. “If you uh, ya know. Feel like the phoenix stuff is gettin too much… you can’t hurt me. So try to let it out just on me alright? I’ll still be standin after. Might knock me the fuck out temporarily at worst.” 

-

Jean’s eyes widened slightly. “Wow,” she said. “A lot can happen in eight years.” She smiled softly as he spoke. “I can understand that,” she said. “But if you ever wanted me to help you with that, I can.” She looked over at him, frowning slightly. “I could try to find her,” she said. “If she’s anywhere in the city, I could find her mind.” She gave a little chuckle as Logan spoke. “It wouldn’t be the first time, believe me,” she said. “This is a very loud place.” She couldn’t help but smile again as Logan said that she’d been a big influence on her life. “In a good way or a bad way?” she said, another little smile touching her lips. A faint frown touched her lips. “That’s awful,” she said, and then something filtered through to her. “We taught? Am I a teacher?” Another smile touched her lips at the thought. It meant a lot to her to consider that she may be able to help kids someday the way Charles helped her. She looked up as Logan spoke. “I don’t know,” she said nervously. “I usually keep it locked up. The Professor helped me. I…I try not to think about it.”

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Pietro joined in the other’s laughter smiling softly “See I could fly like some of these other heroes around here, though I don’t think I’d be able to run on air.” He mused looking at the other, it was interesting learning more about Jean. Just when he thought he’d understood her she’d throw him a curveball. “I suppose I could understand the need for that, I’ve seen some children throw tantrums I can’t image one who could destroy someone’s mind on a whim. But I’m supposing this is more of a good intentions type thing meaning it had a negative effect?” He questions he knew she’d struggled with power just like his sister but if anyone could handle such magnitudes it was them. “I’m assuming now it doesn’t happen often? Someone being able to break down your crafted walls?”

-

Jean smiled slightly. “Flying is okay,” she said. “It always makes my stomach knot up.” She gave a little shake of her head as he went on. “It’s a little more complicated than that,” she said. “My…it was pretty, um…rough, the day my abilities manifested.” A faint, slightly crooked smile touched her lips. “Putting it pretty mildly,” she said. “My parents were worried about me. That’s why they contacted the Professor in the first place.” She smiled softly. “It was definitely good intentions,” she said. “I guess it made things harder in some ways, but I wouldn’t change it if I could.” She shook her head. “If they do, it’s just sort of like a flash,” she said. “And I can retreat pretty much immediately.” She thought of Warren and Kate. “The emotion has to be really strong,” she said. “And they have to be focused on it.”

“i have plenty of stories that are hard to swallow!” noire said a little too cheerfully. perhaps it was the coffee—or maybe she’s been desensitized to it all—who knows? “i think flying aliens and superpowered superheroes would be considered hard to believe, try me.” she grinned and shrugged. “pretty neat name, right? hey, jean’s not so bad either. don’t sell yourself too short.”

-

Jean couldn’t help but smile at the mention of superpowered superheroes. “What about flying superpowered superheroes?” she quipped. It wasn’t anything like what Warren could do, of course, but she was capable of flight. She smiled. “Did your parents like film noir?” she said. She laughed a little. “Sorry,” she said. “I have a friend called Jubilee and another who calls himself Gambit, so. Comparatively speaking, you know.”

The sight of Jean hit him with the power of a devastating earth quake causing him to immediately pull his claws away from her. He nods in confirmation at her firsts words. “I remember…” Logan tries to keep the flood of memories of her from filling his head and increases the physical space between them. Giving a sigh and shake of his head. “I’m in the past again.” When she asked what had happened to him and if she could help he couldn’t help but give a sarcastic laugh and shake his head again. “Be simpler to list the shit that hasn’t happened. And uh…. yeah. Just, don’t go lookin ‘round my head alright? You’re a lot younger than you were the last time I saw you… those memories… they don’t matter now. Or at least not at this point in your life.” 

-

Jean felt the intensity of his emotions even if she didn’t understand the reasoning behind them, and she immediately pulled back behind the further defenses that Charles had put in her head so long ago. She had no need of her abilities to sense that this guy’s story was complicated, to say the least, but it wasn’t any of her business unless he chose to tell her. “The past?” she repeated, raising her eyebrows. She nodded as he spoke. “I won’t,” she said. She tilted her head and studied him for a moment. “So we know each other in the future, too,” she said. The way he spoke about the last time he’d seen her, those memories, sent a little chill down her spine. “I guess it’s not good,” she murmured, smiling faintly.

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Pietro looked at the other smirking softly “You wound me so Jean, I wouldn’t mind if you cheated using your telekinesis to lift me. Granted you would technically be flexing a muscle while doing so, it’s still a workout.” he replied honestly before nodding his head “Yeah, I really have to get to know everyone they all seem like wonderful people” He mused before listening to her explanation of her gift. “That’s hard to even think about, I know alone with my own thoughts is terrible I can’t imagine everyone else flooding through as well. When a person breaks down this wall so to speak how do you take control? Do you focus on single noise?” 

-

Jean laughed quietly. “I guess that’s true,” she said. “It just wouldn’t be…hard. You’re not heavy for that particular muscle.” She smiled a little as she spoke and shrugged. “When I first met Professor Xavier, he put these…mental blocks in my head,” she said. “He blocked off the telepathy part until I was ready.” Now that was where the Phoenix Force lived, and even so, she could hear it whispering to her. Tempting her. She was powerful already, which was why the Dark Phoenix had wanted her in the first place, and how she could survive it. If she let it out…Jean gave a little shake of her head. “So when someone breaks down that wall, I go behind those old mental blocks until I can put the wall back up.”

She was tired, he thought with concern. You wouldn’t be able to tell looking at her at a glance, Jean hid it well, but she was probably exhausted. She wouldn’t wanna worry anyone though, Scott knew that same feeling. “Hey, don’t be like that.” She didn’t need to be embarrassed, not with him- not ever. More than teammates, they were friends, more than that, he loved her. Not that they were words he knew how to even form in his mouth. “I don’t have to, but I want to. I care about you Jean, you’re my friend.” He couldn’t help it, even if he tried. Jean would always have a place in his heart, no matter where they were. “You’ve been doing good Jean, just don’t push yourself too hard.” He told her. “Can’t help too many people if you’re falling apart, we need you in one piece Jean.”

-

Jean smiled softly as Scott spoke. People had told her time and time again that Scott had feelings for her, and some had asked her why she didn’t just see for herself. It wasn’t as though it would really be hard for her, they argued -- in fact, it would probably be easier than holding herself back all the time. But she wouldn’t do that to anyone, least of all Scott. His feelings and his thoughts were private, unless they happened to be so strong that they overwhelmed her defenses; and even then, she pulled further back immediately. “I know,” she said softly. “I care about you too, Scott.” And that was true, even if she was afraid to explore just how much she cared about him. She smiled a little as he went on. “I know, I know,” she said quietly. “Why don’t we hang out tonight? We could watch a movie.” She smiled softly. “It would help me relax.” 

-

“well it’s nice to know there’s other people who have seen things as well.” noire chuckled lightly. though she wasn’t entirely sure if she could fully relate to that, especially when she had been the cause of what many other people see. who would be sympathetic to that. “i’m sure there’s something interesting! everyone’s intriguing in there own way.” she offered a grin and held out her hand, “hi jean, i’m noire!”

-

Jean smiled softly as the other woman spoke. “To say the least,” she said. “But it’s a long story. And definitely one that’s…hard to swallow.” She offered another faint smile. “To say the least. Again.” She laughed a little and shrugged. “Nothing you would believe,” she murmured. Jean smiled at her again. “Noire, huh?” she said. “That’s an interesting name. Definitely more so than Jean.”

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Pietro looked at the other smirking slightly “Well Then I dare say I’ve fallen for a redhead, whose strength is something to be in awe of” He teased her for a moment before nodding “Yeah I want to hand out with him more maybe I shall knock on his door and see if that’s something he wouldn’t mind hanging out with me” He replied before turning to her shaking his head “Oh no I never meant to say you were listening in, heck I wouldn’t mind if you did but I know certain emotions can be felt hard then others.” He tried to explain before chuckling softly “I bet you don’t know what you’d do if it was just quiet for a moment” He mused before nodding his head “Well then I’ll into making that idea become a reality”

-

Jean laughed. “I doubt it,” she teased. Kate doesn’t have red hair. “Besides, I’m not sure it counts as strength if it’s telekinesis. It’s all in my mind. No offense, but I don’t think I could actually lift you.” Her physical strength wasn’t really much to sneeze at, when it came down to it; she supposed she should work on that. She giggled softly. “I’m sure he’d like that,” she said. She gave him a little smile. “Yeah, sometimes,” she said. “People can really be feeling something intensely or putting a lot of emotion behind a thought. It breaks through my control for a second. It’s like if you’re sitting in your apartment and you can hear someone playing the radio, but it’s muffled by the wall -- and then they knock the wall down while they happen to turn the radio up full blast.” She smiled a little. “Probably not. It’s been a while.”

When Jean called his name, Warren beamed at her. He wasn’t really expecting such a warm welcome when he came back to New York. Although he left to try and promote mutant rights, he wasn’t really able to say too much of a goodbye. So when Jean ran up to him and threw her arms around him. He wrapped his own around her pretty fast. Letting out a soft laugh. “Wow! Aren’t you happy to see me!” He chuckled before she pulled back and looked at him. He could practically smell the alcohol on her breath now that she pulled back and he blinked in surprise. She was a lot like Scott when it came to losing control. The two of them avoided drinking and partying (sometimes it felt like they did it just to spite him!). When she explained that it was the lemonade, he glanced over at it. “Hey, I’m not judging! If anything, I’m happy to see you letting loose and having some fun. Want me to join you or should I be your sober companion?” He asked. He thought he’d give her the option just in case she wanted him to watch her back for her and make sure to stop her from doing anything too crazy. “College students don’t normally have permits, no.” He agreed with a chuckle.

-

Jean looked up at Warren, a broad smile coming to her lips. “Well, I missed you!” she said brightly. It was the old adage of drunk words being sober thoughts -- she had missed Warren while he was gone, although she had been a little stung when he had left without saying goodbye. But it was mitigated by the fact that she knew Warren wasn’t exactly the best at emotional scenes. Not to mention that she was, in fact, rather drunk right now. She pressed her lips together as she thought about it. “Well…” She considered it further, frowning. “I don’t want to take away your fun, but…” She looked over her shoulder at the college students before looking back at Warren. “You should probably be the sober one,” she said thoughtfully. “I can’t be the sober one right now, cause I’m drunk.” She looked up at him, her expression completely serious. “I don’t wanna hurt anyone. Or destroy a building. Or throw a car into the sun or something.” She frowned as he spoke. “Yeah, but…they shouldn’t do that,” she said, still serious. “People have permits for a reason.”

Soft echos of Laura’s voice whispering ‘daddy’ calls his mind back from the void. His eyes snap open as a deep breath fills his lungs, giving the muscles a much longer stretch than they had in a while. His eyes quickly shift back and forth before a loud grunt emits from his mouth as he gets to his feet. Logan soon came to the realization that he was still alive causing him to be confused and angry. Every action and word was dripping with tension. He began looking himself over the best he could in that moment. Brushing the dirt from the front of his ripped up and stained shirt. “What the fuck?” Next noticing how his hands looked like they were healing faster again. Raising his fists to eye level and taking a moment to stare at them with hate and distrust before extending his claws effortlessly and without the increased pain. A subtle creek in the floor board behind him alerted his attention to the presence of another person. Logan growls loudly as he faced the other, claws ready for the attack. “Who the fuck are you and what do you want?!” @assemlestarter  

-

Jean had only heard the mental voice once, but as soon Logan was conscious again, it reached her with such clarity that she winced and clutched at her temples. Following the internal beacon, she soon found herself in the same room -- for the first time in quite a long time -- as the man with the long silver claws. “We’ve met before,” she reminded him gently. “I gave you some of your memories back.” She’d felt guilty then that she hadn’t been able to do more, and she still felt guilty now. “My name is Jean Grey,” she said, keep her voice soft, pitched to soothe. “We met at Stryker’s facility.” She paused, looking at him. He looked…older, than she had seen him last, more careworn, certainly more tired. “What happened to you?” she asked, looking over at him again. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Closed starter for @phoenixxgreyj​

         Garfield’s head was pounding, his brain trying to escape out of his head. Scrambling up, he looked around the room. He couldn’t remember falling asleep which meant he must have passed out. Looking down at the blanket covering his lower half, he pulled it up just enough to check if he had clothes on. Nope. Spotting a head of redhead, he called out. “Hello?”

-

Jean looked around when the young man spoke, smiling a little. “Hi,” she said, with a little wave. “I’m Jean. I’m sorry, I couldn’t find your clothes. I, uh…” She felt her face grow a little warm as she tried to find the words. “I didn’t look or anything. I found you in the woods. I could…” She trailed off again, wondering how much she should tell this guy. After all, he was a stranger. “I could hear you,” she said, finally. Which was true, if not editing the truth. “So I brought you here. Are you okay?”