Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to Xmen Revolution. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Pullin a "Doug"; Open
Topic Started: Mar 29 2010, 08:16 PM (470 Views)
Kitty Pryde
Unregistered

Time of day: 3:30pm
Place in the time-line March 15th



Kitty had been back at the mansion for a fews now after her last exit to return to her home in Deerfield Illinois to catch up with her Mother and Father once again, Her mother had been battling a medical condition that was on again off again putting a great deal of stress on the Pryde family, but Kitty knew her real home was back in New York at the Xavier Institute. But just like every home in America it came with its own set of problems and drama. Shortly after Kitty's return she learned of Bobby's romantic involvement with some newly recruited X-Factor girl that occupied most of his time and because of that Kitty had not seen him now for months.

When talking to Rahne about all she missed while she was gone, She tried denying her feeling for Bobby, but she could only hold up that facade for too long in public, Not only was Bobby her best friend since she moved into the mansion, But she had developed strong feelings for him, Even going so far as to almost destroy her friendship with Rahne over Bobby's affection. But now that Bobby was off with this other girl going on trips and elaborate dates... or so goes the rumors Kitty has been hearing. She pulled a page out of her oldest friends book, Doug Ramsey.

And locked herself away in her dorm room working on a project to try and keep her mind off all the other drama unfolding around her. Kitty was like a ghost around the mansion... literally, Walking through walls silently taking only what she needed before disappearing again back behind the locked door of her room, blocking out as much as she could about the recent happenings around the mansion, which talk of all sorts of things began springing up more prominently. But Kitty tried to pay no attention to the rumors and what she thought were outrageous and exaggerated stories... for example her father figure and mentor the straight laced Scott Summers trying to convince everyone he was a hardened criminal.

It did strike Kitty as odd that neither Logan, Scott, Jean or Hank tried to get in contact with her at all over the last few weeks, but she merely caulked it up to them being overly busy with the Brotherhood situation and she had also heard Logan was out once again trying to piece together his own past for the time being. So Kitty sat alone in her room working on her computer, reading through book after book... wondering if everyone had indeed forgotten about her, or were they just giving her the space she needed to figure out her problems on her own.
Quote Post Goto Top
 
Cypher
Unregistered

It had been a long time. Maybe that was why Doug was being so hesitant. In fact, he'd been down this road a number of times already. He'd try to text her or come down to see her, or even to make for some kind of phony balony accidental run in with her somewhere.

But everytime ended with him opting not to go through with it. And many of the times he had taken himself back to the room for some pretty serious introspecting.

Warlock seemed to think that maybe he was still mad at Kitty.

Doug wasn't so sure.

It was true that he'd been a little upset at her after the last time they really hung out. Doug had sat there feeling like a proud father trying to show off his creation...his son...his Warlock to his best friend in the world, and she had all but shouted abomination at him.

Angry? Maybe at first. Hurt? That one had hung on. And for whatever reason it had kept him this long from going to see her.

But enough was enough. Doug had been best friends with Kitty for so long that he didn't even know what life was like without her. And for whatever reason this night felt like the night that he had to try and make bygones be what they were. So he headed to her room and with a deep breath and a purposeful resolve...

...he knocked.
Quote Post Goto Top
 
Kitty Pryde
Unregistered

While Kitty was sitting on her bed with her laptop in tow a knock came at her door, She quickly turned her head to the sound of the noise and immediately began wondering who was there. She didn't say a word however and slowly creped off her bed. Placing the laptop down as she got up and slowly walked towards the door as she approached the door and stuck her head through the wood pushing her head through only far enough so that her eyes could see on the other side and reveal who was outside knocking. As she looked up and noticed it was indeed Doug Ramsey.

Kitty then quickly pulled her head back through the door and said “Uh, Who is it?”. She of course already knew and prepared to open the door almost immediately not bothering to fully wait for Doug to answer, as she pulled the door in and saw Doug standing outside. “Oh its you... Hi, How've you been buddy?” Kitty asked as she moved back further in her room stepping away from the door. “You can come in Doug.” Kitty reminded him as she waved him on in.

It had been a long time since they had a real conversation together, Kitty was still a bit weirded out from the last time they were alone together when Doug's computer threatened to delete Kitty from existence. She had hoped quietly by now Doug realized what a menace he had on his hands and deleted the program before it did any real harm to anyone.
Quote Post Goto Top
 
Cypher
Unregistered

Doug didn't really hear anything coming from the other side of the door, and he honestly was getting a little antsy as he stood in the hallway and waited. A door shut further down and he turned his head that direction just as Kitty asked who it was from inside her room.

Before he could answer she opened it up and gave him a lukewarm greeting. "H-hey Kit," he said as he followed her in. His eyes swept around the familiar setting before stopping on her again.

Something wasn't right.

Well yeah, there was the too casual way she greeted him, as if she didn't realize or care that many months had gone by since they'd really spoken. It dawned on Doug that maybe she really didn't...but he dismissed it.

No. There was something else. Something in the way she was postured. She looked genuinely miserable.

"So, how have you been," Doug asked tentatively as he shut the door behind him and leaned against it. "I mean, we've hardly talked for months now and..." He shrugged as he looked down at the floor. It wasn't that he was particularly ashamed of his feelings as they were, but seeing how Kitty might not have cared much one way or the other he found himself a little torn.

"Well," he said in resignation as he looked back up at her, "I've missed you."
Quote Post Goto Top
 
Kitty Pryde
Unregistered

Doug said what Kitty interpreted as a nervous hello and followed her further into the room. Doug stayed silent for a moment or two as he scanned Kitty's room before asking Kitty how she's been. And closed the door behind him before using it to prop himself up. He followed up his previous statement by also telling her that they've hardly talked for months and abruptly ended his train of thoughts. Kitty still remand silent for a few moments wondering if Doug was going to finish his last statement which he did by saying that he missed her.

Kitty shrugged gently before saying “I've been okay I guess... I missed you too Doug... But uh, things got a little hectic here and I went back home for a while... and once I came back well... I've just been kind of keeping to myself lately... ya know... kinda pulling a Doug” Kitty finished the statement by flashing Doug a playful smile. “But what have you been up to? Still working on... that... thing” Kitty's tone grew deeper as she asked Doug about his recent project.

Kitty still hadn't forgiven Doug for willingly given a computer that much thought and power to do anything it wanted to, Kitty had highly considered reporting Doug to Scott and forcing him to delete the program before anything it did got too far out of hand. Kitty could only wonder what would happen if his Warlock hacked into Scott's computer and took over control of the mansion.... not good thoughts.
Quote Post Goto Top
 
Cypher
Unregistered

Doug couldn't help himself, it was just part of the nature of his mutation, part of who he was. When Kitty started to talk he locked on to her, paying keen attention to every mannerism, every inflection of her voice, every non-verbal cue. He was the master of communication because he was capable of understanding and interpreting every form of it.

Kitty was broadcasting something more than what she was saying. Not necessarily a contradiction, but the story was a lot more in depth than what she was letting on.

Doug felt bad that he didn't honestly know the reasons behind her trip home, whether they were for just the usual visitation or if there was some other motivation. But whatever the case, there was something bothering her and he had to find out what it was.

He returned the smile at the playful jibe of 'pulling a Doug', but didn't comment on it beyond giving a dry, "Ha ha." And before he could pry a little to try and figure out why he was picking up some kind of sadness or depression off of her, Kitty went and changed the subject.

“But what have you been up to? Still working on... that... thing”

Reflexively he tightened his jaw at the way Kitty emphasized 'thing'. Taking a calming breath, Doug tried to answer her question without answering the accusation behind it. "Warlock? Yeah. I actually took your advice and talked to Scott and the Professor about it." Doug smiled. "Xavier was...intrigued. He confirmed it. Warlock is definitely a new kind of life form. Right now we have him in the Danger Room. He's isolated from the school systems and internet that way but still has access to a select group of programming and...well, he created an avatar for himself. That is, a physical body."

For now he held off, but he was going to have to pry into what was bothering Kitty before he left.
Quote Post Goto Top
 
Kitty Pryde
Unregistered

Kitty saw she struck a nerve with Doug when she asked him about his 'thing' that he had been working on for the better part of the last few months, If not years. After calming himself with a breathe he said the name of his program Warlock. To which Kitty sighed at the mentions of its name. But Doug then went on to explain he took Kitty's advice on what to do with his rogue program. And informed Kitty he brought it to Scott and Professor Xavier. That cracked a smile on Kitty that Doug was being responsible about his program and not taking the over protective dad philosophy on it and waited until it got too big and powerful and out of control for him to handle himself.

Kitty was shocked at his next part of the statement however. “Wha...” Was all Kitty could muster under her breathe as Doug continued to explain that Warlock was confirmed by the Professor to be a new kind of life form and that they had him isolated in the danger room... and perhaps even more disturbing to Kitty was that Doug said he created his own avatar...a physical body... “Wait, Wait... What? That thing is walking around the mansion? Like you or me... or any other student?” Kitty then scratched her head trying to remember any new or odd students she's seen lately. But she has taken herself so far out of the loop as far as meeting new people and getting involved with things or paying attention to everyone to even begin to remember seeing anyone new or odd... new and odd people came into the mansion on a daily basis.

“What does....'He' Look like...” Kitty then asked suspiciously wondering if the rumors she possibly heard about Scott Grey-Summers going from the straight laced boy scout to calling himself a harden criminal might have something to do with this Warlock taking control of Scott's Body... or subduing Scott and hiding him away while he walked around in a body fashioned after his mold. Could the Warlock even do that? Change his appearance daily... or did he stick with the same body all the time, Kitty's mind flooded with questions and scenerios.
Quote Post Goto Top
 
Cypher
Unregistered

Kitty was doing it again.

Doug couldn't help but pick up on the fact that she was broadcasting bigotry and unbridled ignorance like a powerful VLF transmitter. It was evidenced in her face when Doug mentioned the very name of Warlock, and it was crystal clear when she started tossing choice phrases out there like 'that thing'.

Unable to contain himself, Doug grabbed her by the shoulders and looked her directly in the eye. "Yes, Warlock is physical in his Danger Room world, like you and I." His blue eyes smoldered with righteous indignity. "And I have tolerated all I will tolerate of you besmirching him like that. Did you hear me? The verdict is in, he's alive. Now you have to stop acting out of your prejudiced fears and try to accept that the world is a little bigger and a lot stranger than you ever thought it was."

He kept his eyes on hers, searching for any hint of reaction. "The way you talk about him is exactly the way they talk about us," he said. Despite himself there was a welling up of emotion behind his eyes, and when he tried to talk again his voice cracked just a little.

"Kitty...you've been my best friend for as long as I can remember. I've always thought you were the smartest and most...well, I always thought you were...I always admired you." He shook his head as he continued to hold her in a firm grip. "But the way you've acted about this whole thing is...well, I can't tolerate it. I just can't."
Quote Post Goto Top
 
Kitty Pryde
Unregistered

Doug was furious with Kitty to the point where he grabbed her by the shoulders and forced eye contact between the two of them as he went on to read Kitty the riot act. Kitty immediately seized up, not expecting any kind of reaction from Doug on that kind of level. Doug was mostly quiet and reserved but Kitty soon realized as she tensed up that she had crossed the line with Doug. Kitty listened to ever word Doug said while in her state of panic, fighting back the urge to phase out of his grip and step away from the situation but she remained firm and let Doug speak his peace. As Kitty was processing what Doug was saying it only raised more concern on her part.

'They' talk about us? Was one thought racing through Kitty's mind, Was Doug having full on conversations with computers now? Had his mutation grown more then Kitty even knew that he could now communicate with objects? And they actually talked about 'Us'? Doug finished up his passionate speech by telling Kitty how she has been his best friend for a long time but the way she was acting right now he could not tolerate. Kitty finally broke her frozen stance and put her hands on top of Doug. “Doug I am sorry my friend, but this is just where... you and I differ.... I uh... I ….” Kitty stammers trying to find the right words to say to Doug not only to ease his anger but not even to placate him into dropping the subject.

“Its Just... I feel you brought something into this world we don't really need right now, a machine with free thinking, that can just delete me out of existence? By yourself... its not safe. In the world we live in now... with murders and assignations... world ending baddie bad guys who want to kill us all.. and now we are even creating our own... I wont call him an enemy.. but I only upset him a little bit and his first instinct was to delete me. There is something totally not right about that. Computers should be our frien.... Should be our... too... Should... look okay, I dont really know if... I... I just dont know okay? I am sorry but... he scares me... a lot..”
Quote Post Goto Top
 
Wolfsbane
Member Avatar
Wolf Form
Rahne had been meaning to do it for some time, and the other week, she finally committed. It wasn't that it was difficult, it was just... well, when one was as busy as the typical Xavier's faculty member was, smaller things tended to just... slip under the radar. But she buckled herself down, she made herself set the time aside and she did it.

She signed up for Netflix. She and Doug had talked a bit about movies here and there, some favorites, some they didn't like, some they had always wanted to see but never got around to it...

She was fiddling around with the home page, trying to build a solid list of movies, a good range of action, comedy, even some sweet and mushy ones... until she found one on the instant watch list that simply needed to be seen tonight.

The young Scot headed to Doug's room, as he was now by all rights her boyfriend (she still was a bit tickled by that idea), to inform him of the good news, but he was not in. And his scent led him to... somewhere else. It wasn't difficult for her to find him. His scent was one she knew very well, even without being in half wolf form, and she simply followed the trail, down the hall, into the student dorms area, further into the rooms reserved for the non-teaching non-student residents, and over to Kitty Pryde's room.

There was no lack of trust for Doug. She didn't suspect him of cheating, and certainly not with Kitty. Not that there was anything wrong with Kitty, but the way she understood the Doug/Kitty relationship, it was more familial than anything else. They were almost siblinglike. And one simply does not cheat on a girlfriend with his sister.

But still, the words from within the room were clearly heated, at a certain pitch that suggested tensions, perhaps even a fight. And that was simply something Rahne could not abide. She'd have to break that up and fast.

"Hey, you two!" she called out through the closed door. "I've got Monty Python an' the Holy Grail on Netflix! You in?"

Posted Image

[size0]Say the dog and butterfly,
in the air they like to fly.
Dog and butterfly.
She knew she had to try,
and she float back down to the warm soft ground,
laughing - she don't know why,
but she had to try, she had to try.
Dog and Buttefly.


Avatar by Natalie, signature by Olga. My graphics set is complete again! Thank you so much!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Cypher
Unregistered

As seemed to be the new trend, Kitty didn't seem to truly be hearing anything that Doug was saying. He could just see it in her eyes. Whatever the block was here, it was as good as a three foot concrete reinforced wall that separated his intent from her understanding.

Was it possible to make her see the parallel between the way she was acting toward Warlock and the way humanity treated mutantkind? It had to be. He'd known Kitty for a long time and she was anything but dense.

But while Kitty spoke Doug released his grip, stepped back a pace and just listened. The whole subtext of what was beneath her words and ideas was summed up at the very last when she expressed her fears.

Anxieties was more like it, since they were practically unfounded.

"I understand," he said in a calmer voice. "This is something new to the world, and science fiction seems to have had a profoundly fatalistic impact on your psyche. But this isn't Terminator, or any other apacolyptic scenario. Warlock is much more than circuits and programs. He has a personality. I know him better than anyone, and he has an innate desire to do good."

Doug sighed. "That whole thing with the deleting was the equivalent of a toddler throwing a tantrum. You came off as blatantly hateful and discriminatory to him, and he just...reacted. I think he's come a long way since then."

Rahne's voice startled Doug a little, but he kept his eyes on Kitty for a moment to get her reaction. "Look-I can tell something's making you unhappy right now. What do you say? Want to spend some time with your friends?"
Quote Post Goto Top
 
Kitty Pryde
Unregistered

Doug calmed his tone as he told Kitty he understood her worries about what Warlock might be.. and went on to tell her that Warlock was more than just a computer program and he had actual personality and the desire to do good, he wasnt the Terminator. Doug sighed as he told Kitty the deleting threat was like a toddler throwing a fit and that he didn't mean it at all. “Doug... Its just.. after everything that has happened over the past year... with the Brotherhood and Apocalypse and Scrambler... and its just all too much and when I saw Warlock and him threatening to delete me.... I mean... enoughs enough.. but so long as the professor and Scott know about it and he's being contained and monitored... I maybe able to accept it... in time... but I will be very wary about a machine that has the power and ability to do whatever it wants, delete whomever it wants, hack into whatever... I mean thats too much power to put in the hands of someone prone to... toddler tantrums.”

It wasn't long after that Rahnes voice, rained into the room, asking both Kitty and Doug if they wanted to watch a movie she rented off of Netflix. Doug than told Kitty he knew she was unhappy right now with the conversation and invited her to watch the movie with them and spend some time with them not talking about his Warlock. “Uh... I don't know... I guess so... if you want me to... I mean if you'd rather watch with her alone... its fine with me... but I would come if you want.”
Quote Post Goto Top
 
Wolfsbane
Member Avatar
Wolf Form
Rahne sighed somewhat as the source of the tensions became clear no thanks to the unintentional eavesdropping her heightened senses caused. Kitty was upset over Warlock's existence and Doug was defensive of his "son".

As much as Rahne wanted to step in, to try to mediate this thing to a pleasant conclusion, she knew it wasn't her place, so she didn't. She wanted to say that what she could tell of Warlock was not all too different from a child, and that he was in a safe environment where he could learn and develop, grow and learn how to be a person where it most mattered.

After all, he was a mutation of a computer program, wasn't he? And who was anyone at Xavier's to deny a mutation the right to exist? But Rahne would leave that much be. This was Doug's battle, and she would let him fight it on his own terms, without his girlfriend stepping in.

The movie invite, however, she could handle. That she knew how to do.

"Come now, Kitty! I'm invitin' both o' ye! We'll get some popcorn, some sodas 'r whatnot an' just sit down an' have fun! Dinnae make me come in there an' drag ye on out! I'll do it if'n I have to!"
Posted Image

[size0]Say the dog and butterfly,
in the air they like to fly.
Dog and butterfly.
She knew she had to try,
and she float back down to the warm soft ground,
laughing - she don't know why,
but she had to try, she had to try.
Dog and Buttefly.


Avatar by Natalie, signature by Olga. My graphics set is complete again! Thank you so much!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Cypher
Unregistered

Knowing Rahne was waiting sort of put a rush on things in Doug's mind, and that worried Doug a little. Because although this clearing of the air so to speak was decidedly a good thing, right now all they had accomplished was simply dredging everything up to the surface.

But at least they were hearing each other out now. This was the exact same mess that had kept them from talking now for several months and Kitty was too important to him to just let her go without a fight.

“Doug... Its just.. after everything that has happened over the past year... with the Brotherhood and Apocalypse and Scrambler... and its just all too much and when I saw Warlock and him threatening to delete me.... I mean... enoughs enough.. but so long as the professor and Scott know about it and he's being contained and monitored... I maybe able to accept it... in time... but I will be very wary about a machine that has the power and ability to do whatever it wants, delete whomever it wants, hack into whatever... I mean thats too much power to put in the hands of someone prone to... toddler tantrums.”

Of course this was overlooking the point that Kitty had provoked the reaction out of Warlock to begin with by treating him with suspicion and prejudice, but Doug refrained from pointing that out. "The funny thing is," Doug said with a sad sort of grin, "that humanity says the exact same thing about us." He had to make her see the irony. "I mean just because someone has the power to start the next ice age or phase through your walls while you sleep doesn't mean that they're malicious and want to kill you."

Hopefully that was clear enough.

"It's not about what kind of power a person has, it's about who they are. And by the way...Warlock doesn't have the power to physically delete people."

Of course she knew that...didn't she??

"Look, all I'm asking is to give Warlock another chance. I think...I think it'll be good for both of you." He looked back over his shoulder at the door. "And come on, we haven't hung out in like an excess of..." he looked at his watch, "... some 5780 hours now." He tried a shy grin on her. "Don't you think we're overdue?"




Quote Post Goto Top
 
Kitty Pryde
Unregistered

Doug quickly tried to smooth over the conversation before Rahne got anymore involved trying to get Kitty to understand that the mutation of Doug's computer was no different then the mutation of the people in the mansion. Kitty remained stead fast that Warlock was not a mutation and instead created to be what it was by Doug and he was so blinded by the end result he couldn't see Warlock for what it really was. Doug finished up his side of the argument by reminding Kitty he didnt have the power to physically delete people. But if you have the power to delete any and all records, financial statements and history. Thats as good as deleting a person from existence in this world. And asking if she would give Warlock another chance.

Rahne once again insisted Kitty and Doug both join her and grab some snacks, Rahne also jokingly added that she would come in and drag them out if she had to. Doug also mention they have not hung out together for an exaggerated amount of time and that them spending quality time together was over due. Up and til this point Kitty stayed quiet for the most part letting Doug say what he wanted to say to wrap up the conversation and move onto Rahne's request. “We'll figure that out later” Kitty said with a half flaccid smile. “But until then we might as well... lead the way nerd.”
Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
« Previous Topic · Xavier Institute Archive · Next Topic »
Add Reply