4521/Retracing Footsteps

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Retracing Footsteps
Date of Scene: 21 June 2018
Location: Unknown
Synopsis: Tommy looks to retrace his steps at the mansion and runs into a chilly reception.
Cast of Characters: 87, Iceman




Vorpal (87) has posed:
Whenever Spring starts getting hot and Summer is just around the corner, life becomes very unpleasant for Tommy Hunter. This has been the case for the last three years since his transformation, which left him burdened with a fur coat that you simply can't take off.

This is why lakes are such blessing. Despite the bad memories associated with this particular part of the property, the Cheshire cat does have a fondness for it, and for the school in general. That is why this is the first place he chooses to visit before heading over to the mansion proper.

He arrives via Rabbit Hole, despite Dr. McCoy's fears that he is playing with powers that could unravel time and space as we know it... because where's the fun, otherwise? This being a social call, he has opted to leave the bodysuit behind and instead go for a tank top and shorts, all in white because he needs all the cooling help he can get. He lands on the dock so he can sit by the water and dip his toes in for a moment, just to take in the natural beauty of the place.

Iceman has posed:
    Just because he's Iceman doesn't mean Bobby Drake doesn't get hot in the summer...or at least he can enjoy all the activities one does when one is hot, even if one doesn't get 'hot' in the same way. That's why he's suddenly rocketing out of the water with a trail of icy crystals forming on the surface of the water as his head emerges. He had been alone here when he started his swim about twenty minutes ago, so he's a bit startled by the appearance of well...what appears to be an off-color, smaller version of Beast.
    As one does when one emerges from a swim in a pair of speedo swim trunks to find oneself not alone on the bank of the lake, Bobby quickly ices up. Almost instantly his hands splay and his body turns to an icy form from his feet up towards his head, becoming essentially an ice statue of himself, which in his forgetful state means he's still wearing a speedo.
    "Now, where did you come from? Is it bring your Cat to school day?" he asks, jokingly but also giving himself time to decide if this person is friend or foe.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
The Cheshire cat blinks and quickly gets to his feet, taking several steps back and coming short of falling off the dock altogether. He quickly raises his hands to show that he's unarmed and takes this ice person in, giving him a quick look from head to toe, stopping at the speedos for a second because they really distract from the Ice Creature From The Cold look, and then looks up. He had seen someone in a form slightly like this once before, at the mansion- but not quite. The woman was made of diamond or crystal, according to her, and this was pure ice. Which was...

Cool.

He flinches inwardly at that terrible pun, and says, "Um... I'm from here. I mean, I was from here. At the school." He pauses and re-phrases, "By which I mean I *used* to be a student at the school. Er. You can ask Mr. Wagner. Or Doctor McCo-no, don't ask Dr. McCoy."

He isn't sure if the blue one is still cross about that bubble gum prank. In his defense, Herr Wagner thought it was hilarious.

"... you're from there. Right?"

Iceman has posed:
    With the mention of Hank, Bobby relaxes and realizes this isn't someone who's a threat. Slowly, he creates an ice slide that allows him to glide to a spot on the dock. As the ice melts into vapor behind him, he starts to remove the ice form, starting from his head and working down to his feet so that he appears as any mid-twenties human might. "Sorry about that, but you did startle me. I mean, you weren't here a moment ago when I dove into the water." Bobby looks around, as if checking to see which path this young man may have taken to get to the docks unseen.
    "Oh, I'm Bobby Drake, or Iceman, your choice. If you know Hank then we're good." A hand is extended towards the Cheshire Cat as he continues, "Used to be a student? Did you graduate I hope? I don't remember having you in math or accountings."

Vorpal (87) has posed:
Tommy shakes Bobby's offered hand, and shakes his head, "I was taking classes here prior to my going to Uni up in Metropolis. Mostly power-related things to try and figure out and get a hold of my abilities. I'm not technically a mutant, I'm something much weirder than that. Dr. McCoy helped a lot, too. I was here for the spring and summer semesters, last year, but mostly for training." He looks at Bobby up and down again, and raises an eyebrow. "That's amazing. The ice is gone just like that."

Recalling Bobby's remark he adds, "Oh, I came in through the Rabbit Hole. It doesn't make noise per se. Great way to travel."

As if this explains everything. It does not.

Iceman has posed:
    Bobby gives a firm shake, not too hard of course, but polite. "Oh, well I hear Metropolis is a party school, so make sure you keep your grades up."
    He looks down at himself and then back to you, and not only is the ice gone but he's completely dry as well. "Well it does come in handy at parties....keeping the drinks cold and all." His good natured grin betrays the joke, though the curious cant to his head may mean he's thinking about what a Rabbit Hole might be. "So, you teleport or something like that?" He seems intrigued by it. "Don't get me wrong traveling by ice slide is pretty great, but it still takes some time."
    As if realizing he's still standing there practically nude, he walks over to one of the chairs where a towel is draped over the back. He grabs it and wraps it around his waist before looking over again.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
Tommy doesn't mean to stare, exactly, he simply follows Bobby was he walks. And he does, to his shame, stare a little without really being conscious of it. "Er, Its not exactly teleportation..." then Bobby looks over and Tommy realizes he's been caught looking, and quickly decides to look over the lake, instead. Thankfully the heat on his cheeks that indicates he is blushing is imperceptible to others, because he is covered in fur.

Quickly, his brain latches on to the conversation in order to avoid embarrassment. "It's more like a hole in reality connecting two places." Yes, this is the right topic, impersonal and technical. He warms up to the subject, "Doctor McCoy says it's like an Einstein-Rosen bridge, except it doesn't crush you into an infinitesimal particle when you crush it, which would not only be bad, but also very inconvenient. As a means of transport, it is really very speedo."

A horrified pause of a half-second. "Speedy."

He raises a hand, "Here, let me show you!" he says, trying to act smoothly in order to quickly pass over any verbal gaffes.

And right there, a hole in reality opens, showing what looks to be the view from the rooftops of one of the buildings at Metropolis University, looking over the campus.

"Tadaa..." he says, waving with pride. "I...er. Don't party. Really. So my grades are okay... my thing with the Titans is more of a threat to my GPA than partying, to be honest," he says, realizing that his mouth just keeps running. Probably to bury that 'speedo' gaffe back in the mileage of words.

And then he realizes another gaffe. "My name's Tommy. Tommy Hunter."

Iceman has posed:
     Bobby doesn't miss the gaffe and almost subconsciously glances down at himself again when Tommy mentions speedo. This causes Bobby to blush slightly as well, but as he can control his body temperature, the heat rising not his own cheeks is quickly removed before the other man turns back around.
    Through the demonstration and lecture, one that Hank would be proud of by the way, Bobby nods. He's spent enough time around his friend to know the basics of some of the science being talked about. However, the view of the top of campus from the pool is pretty amazing. "It's a pleasure to meet you Tommy. Now that....that is a party trick power! I mean, if you're out of snacks or drinks, just 'bamf' or 'poof' or 'zing' to wherever you need to go. I mean does it have a sound?" he asks, clearly only knowing one other teleported who's ability is quite distinctive when used.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
Tommy brightens up at his talent being appreciated, "Oh it's super handy! I sort of use it as an immprovised hammerspace for weapons, too. Like croquet mallets... because theme is very important!" the cat grins, and then pauses for a second. "Oh, yeah. I may not have mentioned. I'm sort of -the- Cheshire cat. Like, from the book."

He gives the lake a wistful look, and then looks back at Bobby, still wet from the water.

"It doesn't make a sound, which is why it's also great for stealth!" His hands go up to his chest and suddenly he's pulling his tank top over his head. "I can go pretty much anywhere I can picutre... I've only tried doing stuff on Earth, though. I've never been to outer space."

His hands go to his shorts once he has tossed the tank top onto the boards of the dock, "Which sort of makes me like, what, the only super out there who hasn't?"

Without giving much of an explanation, he steps out of his shorts and remain in a pair of black bike shorts.

"You know, for all of the Summer I spent here, I never actually swam here?"

And he quickly tries to correct that, by jumping off the pier- "CANNONBALL!"

Splash.

Iceman has posed:
    Bobby looks confused for a brief moment, then a smile of recognition crosses his face, "Oh. Alice in Wonderland. I read that. I only remember the Cheshire cat's smile." He's about to say something else when Tommy slides that tank-top off of his body, leaving his upper chest bare. Bobby's voice catches in his throat and he quickly clears it to cover any sense of impropriety.
    "Ah, yeah. You'd be really quiet...." Wow, those were some lame words even for him. Who could blame him though. "Would you be able to even breath in outer space?"
     Again, Tommy removes more of his clothes and Bobby tries his best not to watch, though those bike shorts really are ... interesting. Before Tommy jumps, Bobby assumes he's going to do a Cheshire Cat, "Are you going to disappear now? And just leave your smile?"
     When the splash happens, Bobby is left laughing on the pier and quickly so as not to be outdone, leaps off into a well executed dive. When he emerges, he shakes out his head and there's a little thin layer of ice that forms around his shoulders, quickly melting as he begins to swim "So, some cats do like water?"

Vorpal (87) has posed:
Tommy emerges from the water and shakes his head to whisk his red mne out of his eyes. He chuckles. "I'm not exactly a common cat, you know." He reaches out and grabs an ice flake from Bobby's shoulder and watches it melt from between his fingers. "You were asking about the grin thing..." he seems thoughtful, and for a second he spends a quiet moment wading in place in the water. "Hmmm, yes, I can do that."

And it happens. The cat slowly disappears- first his fur, leaving his stripes and grin behind and then the stripes themselves vanish, leaving only the half-moon of his grin.

"Is this what you meant?" the grin says, hovering in mid-air. Even the water doesn't look like there is anyone there. "I would so hate to disappoint a fan..."

Iceman has posed:
    Bobby watches closely as the fur and body disappear, leaving a grin. "Wow, here I thought that story was all made up. Next thing you'll tell me is that the white Rabbit is really a member of X-Force." The older man laughs some before waving his head where Tommy's body should be as if testing to see if he's really not there or just invisible.
    Once he's satisfied, he nods "Well I'm still a fan and not disappointed at all!" With that self-sure smile, Bobby throws himself backwards into the water but instead of a splash, he creates a small layer of ice not he water and begins to float. He tucks his hands up behind his head and relaxes, "You definitely have one of the cooler powers I've seen, and I've seen a lot around here. We're you born with them?"

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"Well, not quite. I was born a regular human here on Earth. And I was also the Cheshire cat, in Wonderland." He is back to normal now, and floats over to where Bobby is floating over the waters. "It's a rather complicated tale- you remember those beer commercials where two people want to watch football and ballet and can't get along, and then they say 'Why not both?' and suddenly there's footbll game with ballerinas? Well, I'm something like that commercial. At one point we were separate. Now there's just me. So I remember growing up in New York, and also remember not growing up at all, because I had always been."

He raises an eyebrow at Bobby's comment. "I don't know, I think /you/ have the coolest power. Literally speaking." He reaches out a hand to touch Bobby's stomach to see if he is as cold as the ice he produces, "Are you, like, super sensitive to heat?"

Iceman has posed:
    Bobby listens carefully to the tale, turning his head and nodding as the other young man speaks. "Interesting. It sounds a little bit like Jean's story and the Phoenix power, but that was...well it was a lot more deadly. I've seen the commercial and that helps explain it." When the story is done, he nods and says, "Well either way, it's still a fun power to have I'd imagine?"
    At the compliment to his own powers, Bobby smiles "It's a great party favor that's for sure. If I had a nickel every time some gUY!...." his exclamation comes just as Tommy's hand touches his stomach. The skin is smooth over the outline of abdominal muscles and slightly cool to the touch, though nothing too out of the ordinary.
    "Sorry, you caught me off guard. Not more sensitive than anyone else. I can actually withstand heat better than most since I can cool my own body." When his breath returns not normal, he continues, "I'm not so much creating ice or made of ice but I can control the temperature of air around me. At its simplest, I can make it cooler, freeze ice and water into ice, and even create ice sculptures."

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"Hah! That is pretty awesome!" Tommy gets a slightly wicked look, his hand still resting on Bobby's stomach "Sorry about that... but hey, at least you're not... ticklish." For a moment, he looks like he just might... but ultimately he doesn't. His hand slides off and back into the water. "So, how strong is that ice thing you're floating on? Can it hold more than one person?"

Iceman has posed:
    "It is pretty...'cool' yeah." When it looks as if he'll be tickled, he gives a stern look with a smile, "Don't you dare!" The warning must have worked as he relaxes, giving only a slightly disappointed look when the hand is removed.
    "Well, how about I make it big enough for two?" He reaches into the water and the ice expands a few feet giving enough room for two to lie on top comfortably. "How's that Mr. Cheshire?"

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"Well, whaddayaknow, Jack Frost couldn't have done it better himself." Tommy pulls himself up on the platform with incredible ease, sitting on the edge first, before laying on his back next to Bobby.

"So when did you find out you could do this awesome stuff?" he asks. He rests his hands behind his head and stretches a bit. After a few seconds, he shivers a bit due to contact with the ice... but it's not any colder than some of the pools he swam through when he was on the swimming team.

Iceman has posed:
    "Jack Frost is a good friend of mine. We like to chill sometimes," he says with a wise cracking smile. "He's got better hair though, always spiked with no effort. It's annoying."
    His smile falters for a moment when you ask about his powers. "I guess as a mutant I've always had them. They first came out when I was a teenager. I was...on a date and a bully tried to crash it. I got so upset I covered him in ice. Luckily there was a chair nearby and a quick thinking waiter broke him out. As you can imagine....it didn't go over well in town." He's quiet a moment as he thinks, "Luckily, they sent Cyclops to bring me to the X-men. I still don't know if they paid to have the wall fixed he destroyed at the station." There's a soft chuckle, "So not as idyllic as yours maybe but I got luckier than most."

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"Yeesh... there was no second date, I take it? She gave you the cold shoulder?" He winces, and the nudges Bobby with his shoulder, "Sorry. Sometimes I don't know when to start. But... if it serves any consolation? Mine wasn't as idyllic as you think."

He reaches out for Bobby's hand and brings it up to his chest, to a particular spot- there, under the fur, right by the sternum, there is a scar that is covered most of the time by the fluffier fur there. "See this? Magic mirror, right through. Fssssshhh." He sticks out his tongue.

Iceman has posed:
    Bobby's hand is cool to the touch as his fingers lightly brush over Tommy's fur. As the other speaks, Bobby allows his fingers to gently press into the fur down to the skin. His powers give him a unique bond with his body and with this, he's able to easily find and feel the scar hidden within the fluffy fur. "Man, it must suck to have a cool scar that no one can see," he jokes with a smile, trying to break the tension a bit.
    A few seconds later, he continues his story, "Yeah, no second date. Hell, I was brought here to the mansion and things went into overdrive fast. I barely had time to catch my breath with the training and all. Luckily I fell in with a good group here...and they helped me through my rough spots. So now, I try to help others if I can." Throughout his talk, his fingers haven't moved from where they were resting.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"Eh, it's ok. I'd have to shave my fur to show the scar, and do you know how ridiculous furless cats look?" Tommy smirks and sits up now, trying to balance himself on the icy surface. He shivers a little, but the sunlight also helps him warm up some. "So you are part of the teams, then? You know, go out and right wrongs, to reach the unreachable star? Or do you mean helping by opening students' minds to the wonder of..." he remembers what Bobby said he taught "Er, Math."

He pauses. "I was neververy good at Math...."

Iceman has posed:
    Lifting himself up on one elbow, Bobby turns a bit towards Tommy. "I do both. During the day I'm mild mannered math and accounting teacher Bobby Drake. But by night, I'm the coolest super hero around, Iceman, chiller of warm beers, rescuer of broken AC room students." The last is said tongue in cheek but there's a twinge of truth behind his words.
    Then he notices the shivers as he reaches out to touch Tommy's arm, "Cold? Sorry about that, I assumed the fur would keep you warm."

Vorpal (87) has posed:
Tommy chuckles at Bobby, "It usually would, but I'm soaked, and there's a bit of wind. Don't you worry about it." He pats Bobby's hand and crosses his legs under himself.

"So... have you had a chance to bellow 'The Iceman Cometh' in battle yet?" Because Bobby did seem to be like the kind who would jump at the chance. "You must have a lot of experience..." his voice trails off for a moment, as he thinks, and then adds, "Hey! Maybe you could put some of that experience to use-" he leans forward so he's looking directly at Bobby. "What do you think? Would you be up for it?"

Iceman has posed:
    "I've never screamed that...but I did use "Ice Ice Baby" once...and was chastised by Havok for weeks!" When he looks confused and starts to say "Sure..." he's taken aback by the rather abrupt change in conversation. "What did you have in mind? I know that look...I've had that look and it never ended well."

Vorpal (87) has posed:
Now Tommy's curiosity is completely piqued. It's what he does, "Oh, really? It sounds like there's a story behind that! I want to know now. Surely you won't torture me and leave me in suspense!" He slides down again, laying on his side, propped on his elbow and looks at Bobby. "Dish!"

Iceman has posed:
    Bobby looks completely confuse as Tommy lies back, "Not so fast Ches," he says with a cute nickname. "You started the whole 'Are you up for using your experience.' thing. You gotta finish first, then I'll see if I can tell you. Afterall, I can't be seen being a bad influence on the students."

Vorpal (87) has posed:
Tommy pauses for a moment, trying to parse what Bobby is asking. "Well... you're experienced. I'm pretty green. You've faced a lot and I am sure that by now you know a lot of good moves. You know, the basics." He counts on his fingers, "Things like learning how to conserve stamina- I've gotten winded a couple of times, and I know it's because I just go in at full steam in the heat of the moment. Do you know how embarrassing that is when you miscalculate like that?" Tommy shakes his head, "And you must know a lot on how to work off someone else... at times, I've been accused of not taking others into account." He reaches into the water and splashes a bit with his foot, "Does that make any sense?"

Iceman has posed:
    Bobby nods throughout the questions then leans back and says with a long drawn out breath "Ohhh....okay. I thought you had some type of caper in mind and were trying to get me to join in on it." The young teacher laughs a bit and shakes his head, "I can offer you anything I know to help you in the field. We should hit the Danger Room sometime. It's a good place to set up simulations and walk through scenarios that can happen. See how you react. "
    "Conserving stamina is a good lesson. If you go all in in the first few seconds, you won't be much help in round two when shit hits the fan....and it always hits the fan. It's like a date, if you talk about everything in the first date, there's not a lot left for the second."

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"I wouldn't exactly know a lot about -that- kind of analogy. I have officially gone on one date." Tommmy smirks. "So maybe an analogy I'm a little more familiar with."

"The Danger Room... aah, good memories. Dr. McCoy used it to test my Rabbit Holes, so I didn't use it for training as much as learning how my powers worked."

"But we need to talk about payment. Since, you know, I am not a student at the school anymore. Tutoring costs, y'know? I might not be able to afford you just yet... the Titans don't exactly pay."

Nobody tell him how much the Avengers make.

Iceman has posed:
    "First, you'll have to tell me about the date," he says with a curious cant of his head, "Second, there's no payment involved. You're a friend, and it would be rude of me to ask for payment. Besides, you might teach me a thing or two and then we'd have to work on bilateral payments and that's just messy."
    Bobby slowly rolls away from you and almost in slow motion plops into the water. Before you can react, he surfaces with both hands on the ice sheet. He starts to push it through the water, "Besides what part of me have you seen that you'd think I'd accept money for training another hero?" he asks with a cheeky grin as he pushes you across the lake.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
Tommy sighs softly and thinks for a bit, being moved along on his little ice floe by Bobby. "Well. Beast Boy hired me to work as his media guy for his social media stuff. I should've known he had an ulterior motive or something like that. In hindsight I can see the dude wanted in my pants."

He rolls his eyes. That he was ever so naive. "We went camping. Not too far from here, in fact. And he was funny, and charming, and next thing I knew we were roasting marshmallows over a fire and it was a date. And then we ran into... some supernatural fun times. When that was done and over, he invited me into his tent and..." dot dot dot, voice trails off.

"Two months later, he basically dumped me and took a leave from the Titans. No explanation. Not even a text."

His expression hardens, becoming almost sphynx-lake in how uncommunicative it becomes. "So that's pretty much the story of that one date."

Iceman has posed:
    Bobby listens to the tale, turned onto his side as he is, and nods at a few points. He even seems distressed by the way it has affected you. "Wow. I don't know what to say about that," he comments, shaking his head. "It sounds Ike Beast Boy was a dick."
    He's quiet and pensive for a few moments before he lets out a prolonged sigh, "It's tough these days," he muses more to himself than in response to your story. Rolling onto his back and lifting both hands up to cradle the back of his head, Bobby continues, "I only....well I guess you could say 'came out' a little while ago. I mean I always knew I suppose. But yeah, you can get close to someone and then they don't need you anymore." his voice trails off as if he's remembering something of his own...

Vorpal (87) has posed:
Tommy exhales, and looks up at the sky. "He's not a dick. He's just... young. And fickle. And has the attention span of a hummingbird. Rather I am the fool for thinking someone could fall for someone who looks like they just came off the reject pile of a CATS run..."

He trails off and looks at Bobby.

"What happened to you?" he asks, in a quiet voice, dipping a hand into the water.

Iceman has posed:
    At the self deprecation, Bobby rolls his head towards Tommy and takes on a stern look. "That's where I draw the line. You can't take it on yourself. What he did, he did, for whatever reason. But don't go blaming yourself or putting yourself down. Trust me, the CATS costumes have nothing on you," he says forcing a smile. Then, in a more serious tone, he adds, "Look around this place. No one is the ideal model, well except maybe Scott but don't tell him I said that. Everyone has something they don't like about themselves, but trust me, your looks are not going to be a problem."
    There's a hint of a ruddy tone to Bobby's cheeks as he says, "You're pretty damn good looking and have a great body, and you're sweet, funny, and easy to talk to. So, think whatever you want of Beast Boy but don't put yourself down over it."
     It's as if he forgot or ignored your question at first, then seems to remember it "I fell for someone here at the manor...and he left."

Vorpal (87) has posed:
Tommy pauses at the admonishment, and he seems unable to answer for a few seconds. Finally, the cat finds his tongue. "And what about you?" He raises an eyebrow- when embarrassed, deflecting is a great way to throw attention off yourself. He reaches over and lifts Bobby's chin with a fingertip. "I'd say you're pretty close to model material, Mr. Drake. Not everybody can pull off that rubber band you call a swimsuit."

He grins, this should be enough to shift the attention. But then his tone softens. "... anyone I know?"

Iceman has posed:
    Bobby finds it's his turn to blush a bit more, eyes cast down at his swimsuit, "In all fairness...I wasn't expecting to see anyone else this afternoon." Clearing his throat, he reaches up and brushes the hair from his eyes. "His name was...I mean is John." Bobby closes his eyes for a moment, "There wasn't ever a date, but we became close here at the mansion. I guess it was a different kind of close for me."

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"Sorry, I didn't mean to tease..." Tommy slides closer to Bobby. "For what it's worth, I think it's a nice swimsuit." Pause. "I mean. It is kind of tiny. How the hell do you dive without it coming off?" he tries a little bit of humor, and his face softens into a smile as he nudges the other with his shoulder. He feels sorry for prying into obviously painful memories. "I don't have the confidence to wear one like that-" he gestures to his bike shorts which, while form-fitting, do stop at the knee.

Iceman has posed:
    As Tommy slides closer, Bobby tenses up slightly and shivers, though obviously not from the cold. The taller, older young man seems to lose his focus a moment "Ah...I can cheat and freeze them to me," he admits. "I've never had trouble with them...though it's a bit more difficult right now." He doesn't elaborate but any partial glance may reveal that the material has stretched a little bit recently.
    Trying to change the subject back to something else, "Yours are...pretty form fitting...and the form under is fit, so you have no problem wearing that?"

Vorpal (87) has posed:
Tommy laughs, "It's different. The difference between going out in public and wearing briefs and wearing shorts, y'know?" He smirks, and senses Bobby's shiver. He seems pensive for a moment, looking at Bobby.

"You're actually ok with the way I look?" he asks quietly.

Iceman has posed:
    It starts slow, almost like a cough but then Bobby is laughing, deep and full. "Wow....well yeah. My best friend is a big blue furball, so I don't have any problems with how you look." There's some hesitation and he bites his lips once or twice, "Like I said, you're fit and cute. I'm guessing more people are going to be okay with how you look than not." He shoulder nudges you this time and smiles warmly, "Good?"

Vorpal (87) has posed:
The Cheshire grins, and raises an eyebrow. "There's two blue furballs. You're forgetting Herr Wagner." His voice suddenly goes very quiet- "On whom I actually had a brief crush during the summer but was smart enough to keep it shut because- you know, teacher. And the fact that he's, like, uber..." he does the sign of the cross. "But he's sort of adorable."

He leans in closer, as if to whisper a secret, "Though I think you're rather cute, as well." He leans back on his hands and watches Bobby's reaction.

Iceman has posed:
    Finds himself nodding at the mention of Kurt, "Kurt huh? Hmm I could see that. But yeah, I think he'd freak if he knew a guy liked him." Bobby shrugs some then at the compliment, he swallows hard. "Well, of course, it's all about the speedo," he chides, trying not to show how much he's flattered by the admission and instead making a joke. After a moment though, he nods, "Thanks, I appreciate that coming from you." It seems he's not used to compliments of a personal nature like that either.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
Tommy takes a few breaths, letting the time pass awkwardly in silence for a little before speaking up again. The breeze causes the surface of the water to ripple, and he finds himself shivering again briefly.

Suddenly, posessed of a certain impulse, he leans forward and rests a hand on Bobby's knee. "So... how about this weather, huh?" he says, trying to sound completely casual.

Iceman has posed:
    When the hand touches his knee, Bobby's leg stiffens but doesn't pull away. The ice lounge does shudder slightly as if the concentration needed to keep it intact and afloat wavered for a moment. Seeming to lose several years and a couple 'Cool points', Bobby lets his eyes drift down to the hand then back to the eyes meeting his, "Getting warmer," is his rather lame response.
     It takes him a minute to gather up his wits and perhaps his courage, but he pulls the arm closest to Tommy out from behind his head and stretches it out towards the other's neck, "If it's too cold?" he asks as he wraps it around the fur covered body.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"It's... warmer." Tommy's voice is quiet by now, and there is some reticence, but finlly he leans into the hug, having been largely deprived of physical contact except during training sessions- and it would take a great stretch of imagination to consider Damian's punches anything remotely affectionate.

Even though Tommy was certain that Damian was convinced he was doing it for everybody's greater good.

"I..." he tries again, to give some more spool to the thread of his voice, "I'm not... right now, not looking for relationships... I don't know if I ever..." he pauses to weight Bobby's reaction to that.

Iceman has posed:
    Bobby slowly wraps his arm around Tommy's shoulder and back. While Bobby hasn't the build of someone more combat oriented, he's trained hard in the danger room alongside Beast and Wolverine, so his muscle tone is nice. He even goes so far as to pull Tommy closer to him, leaning his head against the shorter guy.
    "I get it and...it's cool with me," he says, followed by a soft chuckle at the unintended pun. "I'm not sure I'd be ready for that step right now either." Bobby's leg closes the short distance to rest against Tommy's, allowing that hand to remain on his knee.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
The cat smiles a little. "Well... as long as we understand each other... I am not averse-" he trails off, and rests his head on Bobby's shoulder. "I mean. If you aren't either. Otherwise, it's cool." Pauses. "I mean, I'm chill with- it's good." Trying not to fall into the pun zone with Bobby is hard. He keeps his hand on Bobby's knee, giving it a slight squeeze.

Iceman has posed:
    Bobby leans forward slowly and wraps his other arm up and around behind Tommy..."I think we're on the same page." To keep the other boy from talking, Bobby gathers enough courage to lean in and plant a soft kiss on his lips. It tickles a bit, but it doesn't dissuade him at all...