15073/Hotter Than Fire

Hotter Than Fire
Date of Scene:	12 May 2023
Location:	Danger Room - X-Men Base
Synopsis:	Warpath works with Firestar in the Danger Room.
Cast of Characters:	Warpath, Firestar

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Warpath has posed:
James has been running situations in the Danger Room all morning for various students, ensuring that they get the proper dosage of daily training required by the uncool Summers brother. You know the one, he's got a stick shoved so far... Anyway, Here we find James sitting in the control booth looking down over the blanked out danger room which looks like a gigantic steel box when not active. James is also wearing his red and blue super suit so he fits right in and is 'on duty'.

The last student departed 5 minutes ago allowing time between sessions for James to upload the data and then start the cycling for the next participant. He pushes the intercom that resonates down in the loading section and says, "Next... Jones. Angelica Jones. Firestar." in a very Bueller, Bueller type voice. Making light of the situation. The door will open for the next participant allowing her to walk directly out onto the floor of the Danger Room in plain sight of James who is situated meters above behind protective, fire proof, glass.

All around, the danger room gives off a soft hummmmm.

Firestar has posed:
She interacts with those waiting, but mostly she keeps to herself. When the door opens and the monotone voice calls her name she laughs inspite of herself and walks into the room,"I have to say, it isn't what I was expecting." she mutters to herself, but curiosity always does win out over everything else.

She looks up at the control box and nods to Jimmy,"Present." she responds in the same, flat Ben Stein-esque tone.

Warpath has posed:
The unique thing about Angelica is that they were elsewhere together. And they were young at the same time. So James relates to her on a different level than everyone else in the school. He can relax around her. Play at being funny. Something he is NOT around others. Unless it's a low key joke that has a dark undertone. But even the New Mutants may be his age, they weren't there. They didn't go through the stuff that Angelica and he went through. And while he's 31 years old, it makes it seem like it was a lifetime away. He still feels young when he is around her. Like listening to old music and getting that hormonal rush from the emotional times of youth. These feelings would likely apply to any of the Hellions - except Empath - but those Hellions aren't around. Angelica is.

James smiles down upon her with a broad grin. He presses the room intercom button and says, "Angel. Good to see you again. So I read the encounter request and I've got some ideas. First and foremost, you do NOT need to concern yourself with damaging the walls. This isn't the Mutavac encounter area that the Academy had. The Danger Room not only is made of damage impervious alien metal, but also uses force fields to reinforce that metal. You're not gonna burn through it, or even scratch it. I know, I've tried and I hit harder than Rogue and Colossus."

Firestar has posed:
She lets her power out enough to float up to the level of the control booth, easier to talk that way. She is prone to nostalgia herself and James is one of the only ones in the school she lets her guard all the way down with. There are a few others, but not many. Once she is at the same level as him she smiles,"It's good to see you too Jimmy."

She listens to him tell her about the room and about the safety,"I worry less about damaging the room than I do about radiation getting at you or the others, but an old friend of mine has helped me put a little more control on that so I will try to let things fly as it were." She chuckles softly and adds,"I don't know that I'd tell Collosus that. It might injure his pride."

Warpath has posed:
James grins at her final remark about pride and Colossus. He nods then adds, "So your Radiation. I've been looking at the details about your Microwaves. I know you're way smarter than me when it comes to physics. But let's not worry too much about that right now. The Rads you're giving off aren't anything compared to Doctor Radiation. But you're hot. Superheated hot when you project your beams or power up your damage shield. That's where the damage comes from. Anyway... get ready for a scene change. We're going north of Vancouver. The Capilano Suspension Bridge Park over the Capilano canyon and river."

He settles back in his oversized chair and pushes a button then pulls a toggle lever that causes the scene to shift from silvery steel to lush green at sunset with beautiful lights all around and a flowing river far, far below.

Firestar has posed:
She listens to him talk for a while, letting him tell her his thoughts on her abilties. Nothing about her says that she is offended, if anything she is suprised how up to date on her powers he is. There is a smile, just a little bit of a tease that probably only he and very few others might get. As she shifts from her street clothes, the quick burst of light fills the room and she starts to float away,"You're not so bad yourself Jimmy, but let's try to keep it professional in here." A slow wink and a chuckle before she turns back towards the Danger Room proper.

The view is breath taking and she does pause just enough to take it all in,"I've wanted to go here a few times, but never found the time." she admits and settles herself into a more business like mentality to see what he is up to.

Warpath has posed:
James chuckles at her remark and he shakes his head with the continued smile.

As the scene changes, the windows of the control booth fade into treeline/skyline. Though his voice remains, "You have to make more time for yourself, Angel."

Then the hovering balls of light within the wooded area brighten for a few seconds then go back to normal illumination - indicating pay attention to that. He states, "We're going to knock out two tasks at once. The lights will move. Slow at first, but then a little faster over time. They will try and impact with you. Don't let them.... but also, don't destroy them. Evade. Dart between trees, but remember, this is a forest. Albeit a rain forest, you can still set fires. Let's not. Now, the balls will have two colors. Red and Blue. Red you must destroy. Blue you need to push back. But be warned, they will shift from red to blue and back again. To win, you must destroy all the balls of light - when they are red. You've got 10 minutes in this exercise..... aaaaannnnnnddd Go!"

He really doesn't wait for her to 'get ready'. Instead, she will take note that the balls of light 20 in total. All of them are blue currently. And they slowly (5mph) begin drifting toward Firestar.

Firestar has posed:
She listens to the instructions and studies the lights in question,"Sounds like a great first..." she pauses that thought and notes them starting to float towards her,"Game on." she mutters softly and focuses on the routine instead.

Most people would recite the instructions back, but she seems to think it is straight forward enough. Her flight path carries her away from them at first, but then she lets the speed loose, going over and around them, not through them at least,"Always hated tag Jimmy, you know that?" Of course she's teasing and settling into her flight plan.

Warpath has posed:
They get faster, 10mph. Which doesn't seem like faster when someone can fly around 120+ miles per hour (depending on breathing options). But when the glowing balls start using herding tactics, like forming a small barricade above the tree line while others begin flanking and direct maneuvers. 10mph can get tricky. They remain blue. Yet, there's a few spots on a couple of them that look like they're purpling.

James says, "I had no idea." in a very sarcastic tone. "I mean, how could I have known? I only chased you a few times back at the Academy. You never complained back then."

Firestar has posed:
The quips might slow a little as she starts to get an idea about how these things are starting to function. She flies down and under a bridge to get her a moment to think and breathe, but not too concerned.

Noting the color of the two starting to change, she doesn't hold her attention there for long though, slow or not they are getting smart. She does take the time to quip one light tease his way,"You should have tried harder, you might have caught me." Yup, next level 1 ups-manship.

Warpath has posed:
He chuckles as a light orb dives down under the bridge. It's bright blue, but it appears to be in a hurry to catch her.

James responds. "I wouldn't have had a clue what to do with you if I had. I was completely awkward in my own skin. My powers frightened me. And on top of it, I was still conflicted and just another angry teenager. Especially angry at how unfair life was."

Firestar has posed:
She does a pitch and roll under the bridge, making her way back up and away from her pursuer, turning up a little speed and heading towards the next nearest one. No risk, no reward after all. She turns away from the next one on a hard bank, the general plan to send the over aggressive one into the nearby slower moving light. She doesn't blast it, but if they tangle each other for a moment, well so much the better.

"You wouldn't know what to do with me now." she teases back,"Not that I'd know what to do with you either." The second part a guilty admission,"I think we were all in conflict my friend. Probably why you and I managed to connect against all odds. Made life a little more fair having each other to aggravate though."

Warpath has posed:
He hummms over the speaker as two more have learned to move at 20mph and are being followed by three others in a little formation. He intones, "I'm quite content with aggravation. Most people around here are afraid of me. They don't dare pick or tease." Then another globe comes from above, diving down, using gravity to assist in speed. Intent on slamming into her. "Remember, the idea is to evade and push... To work on toning down your blasts to not destroy, but to do knockback."

Firestar has posed:
She isn't short of breath, but her responses come slower as things start to get a little quicker. She almost misses the one dropping down from above and slips by it easy enough, but has to roll to miss two more. She is still mindful of the colors, waiting for them to change,"You don't scare me Proudstar." she quips lightly and then rolls again, this time up as well,"I can fly higher and faster than you can jump. Plus, you wouldn't hurt me."

While the first was pretty much a harsh tease, the second betrays a level of trust she doesn't have with a lot of people. Despite the intensity of things flying at her, it is easy to see that she is loving this...maybe a little too much, but the smart ones are always a little crazy.

Warpath has posed:
The orbs are getting a little more aggressive, pushing, herding her toward the trees. Most are blue, there are three purple ones who flash red for only a split second. Not giving her enough time to really shoot without potentially hitting a blue one nearby. Yet, they're suddenly zipping around at 50 miles per hour, having a very small/short turn radius, and being serious jerks trying to smash into her with their 2' diameter selves.

James is quiet for a bit and then he finally says, "I can't fly anymore..." as if it's something he's lost.

Firestar has posed:
Things getting more and more aggressive, she realizes it's going to be getting a shot lined up with all this. Attrition. She knows she can't just put out a wave length, tempting as it might be. She turns back towards the trees, swooping under the bridge and heading into the trees themselves. Maybe a hasty retreat or is she up to something else.

She notes the quietness in his voice and she has a moment to reflect,"We'll see about that." she mutters softly and then gets her head back in the game.

Warpath has posed:
Then suddenly they start to change colors. There's more than just red and blue. There's purple, green, orange, yellow, and white. But worse, there are some that go completely black and try their stealth attack. They zip side to side as they rush toward her. Each taking turns, coming around trees, from above, below, behind... She'll notice that there's some sort of pattern to the colors right away as they shift through the rainbow. A pattern that can be used against them.

On the other side of the hidden glass, James smiles as if she can 'challenge' him to fly again. When he's actually lost the ability or maybe she reads the statement as if Scott grounded him. Either way, he's focused on the battle of tag the superheated hot girl.

Firestar has posed:
"All right." she mutters softly and she watches them start to change all different colors. It takes her a moment to see the pattern as she twist and turns to avoid them,"If these things leave any bruises I'm coming for your hide." she teasingly threatens him.

When she sees the first one change the way she wants it to, she sends a focused beam, not hard enough to incinerate, but merely to push away at first, pushing it towards one that is about to change color as well. The fine concentratino almost gets her hit and it might even catch the tips of her hair, but she isn't aware if it does. Things are going too fast for that.

Warpath has posed:
He leans forward in his seat to get a better look at the action. Though, his eyes do catch everything that's happening within the scene. He watches the whisps of her red hair being fluffed outward, untouched. He sees the sweeping around of the sphere to try and nail her. And he also notes the way she controls her blast in anticipation of it turning red, knocking the enemy off kilter. He intones, "Good job... but watch your left."

Firestar has posed:
Easier to take his word that look for herself initially, she lets her altitude drop sharply and away to the right, mindful of the ones there already. Easier to deal with those you see than those in your blind spot,"Thanks coach." she mutters softly. Too much speed to get too talkative right now.

Looking for another to pulse, she has to roll hard to the side as a few just barely miss her abdomen,"One thing about it Jimmy. It's a work out."

Warpath has posed:
He chuckles, "At least you haven't heard the line, "You're doing great kid, keep it up.". I'm pretty sure I'd get blasted for that one. But it's what I tell all the students when they're ... doing great."

Then they all turn red and zip for her. A nova attack would be a good thing right about now.

Firestar has posed:
A tight smile and she notes the color patterns,"I appreciate that." she mutters, barely audible. Her power coils around her and once the colors turn red, she lets them come at her, drawing them in and then letting the burst of energy got just a few feet from her, stopping well away from the trees, but tagging as many that stay red in her proximity, then diving down and rolling aside just in case she mis timed the blast or any weren't quite in range.

Warpath has posed:
Then as she pegs the last one the scene seems calm, the sound of the wind, the water below, and the gentle swaying of the trees/boughs, and James finally says, "And here you showed up for training. You really did well. All those years in Canada paid off."

Firestar has posed:
She spins once through the air, checking her surroundings and making sure there isn't one little critter waiting to catch her unawares. Once things have settled and she sees the game is over she flies back towards the main control room,"Might as well make the best of a chance to play like this." she admits,"Those Canadians arewider a little different, but they know how to throw down when the time arises." She touches the glass carefully and asks,"Are there more students waiting?"

Warpath has posed:
"Nope. You're the last one of the day... Least for me." He says as he powers down the simulation, turning it into a silver box once again and toggling a switch to open the window she hovers at. "I'm pretty sure Scott's got something planned for himself or others on his squad."

Firestar has posed:
She watches as the illusions give way to the main room again. She nods and looks around herself,"Maybe next time we can walk around the trees." she comments with a shrug and floats through the window to land next to him, her power flaring once more to put her back to normal clothing. Handy stuff technology.

Warpath has posed:
There's a moment that he watches her clothing come back to normal. "Oh, now that's a neat trick. I remember back in the day you burning off your clothing and having your suit on underneath. So much clothing you had to have gone through." He stands up and around the chair.

Firestar has posed:
"I'm not really sure how it works." she admits,"I think the particles in the suit are altered or it just absorbs my clothes. You're right though, I went through a lot of clothes back in the day. Some things even I can't research enough to understand when it comes to that sort of thing." She laughs and nudges him with an elbow,"Thanks for taking some time with me. I know it's a pain babysitting the new kid."

Warpath has posed:
"You're hardly either; a pain, or a new kid. Why don't we think about doing this regularly. I've got a few ideas in mind about your power and how to challenge you." He starts walking toward the lift. The elbow struck some very solid muscle. He barely noticed, but still smiled when she elbowed.

Firestar has posed:
"I'm game if you are." she replies to him talking about doing this regularly. She smirks a little,"Maybe next time you can drag yourself into the fray with me." It's so few people that she can feel at ease with. It's good to have that old accquaintance back and everything about her tells him that.

Warpath has posed:
"That can be arranged." He notes before pushing the main second floor on the lift terminal. Though he waits to see if she is going to join him on the ride up. He too seems comfortable, at ease with her. To him, she has a good energy beyond the microwaves. His eyes watch her movements and intentions.

Firestar has posed:
"Sounds like fun." she tells him. When he hits the elevator she stands next to him and waits for it. Sure enough when the door opens she walks a few steps ahead of him, then looks back over hr shoulder,"You comeing?" She walks to the back of the elevator and turns, leaning on the back wall.

Warpath has posed:
He'll move in, pressing the proper close button and move to the back walk on her left. Inches away, he still smells like James. If that was ever a scent that she picked up on from way back. Not the pool smell. But just the guy from over a decade ago. His hands move to the railing on either side of his hips while he looks up to the number counter that will change as the lift ascends to the second floor of the main house. The floor where everyone has bedrooms in the various wings.

He notes, "It will be. - fun that is. But for now. I need to get out of this suit, shower, and eat something. It's been a long morning."

Firestar has posed:
She watches him settle into the elevator. Everything about the old days coming to the forefront in her mind while she watches him. A sigh and she shakes her head, waiting for the elevator to take them to the residential floor.

"I can understand all those sentiments." she agrees and once the doors open she steps out to turn towards her room,"Thanks again Jimmy. I'm kinda not allowed without one of the X-Men to watch me. I'm glad you had the time."

Warpath has posed:
He'll offer a smile and a wave as he breaks heading toward his own room. "Glad you're here, Angel... cya." And he'll walk off in very large strides toward his room. Too bad he can't fly to it.