View source for 7730/Too pool for school

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2019/06/04
|Location=Swimming Pool - Xavier's School
|Synopsis=Summary needed
|Cast of Characters=1374,145
|pretty=yes
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{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1374|Nate Grey (1374)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's finally, truly warm enough for real, actual swimming. At least by New Yorker standards. After the holiday weekend, the school had opened the pool and steadily, more and more people have been making the rounds to come by for a quick dip under the sun. Nate, too, is among them. Rather, right now, Nate is the only one among them. Others are off, preparing for their summer vacations, or trips to see family, when they can. Staff and X-Men all have their own things to do, too wrapped up in the minutae of what it means to be heroes and trying to change the world.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Not Nate.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;No. He's an outsider here. He still doesn't quite fit in. Being around Scott is awkward, at best. He's not even certain he likes him. Being around Jean is... well, he hasn't even seen her in some time now. Only really the occassional TV session with Doug serves to really be Nate's primary means of socialization. But he's not entirely beat up about it. He can understand. He's a harbinger to most of the younger kids. Evidence of what may come if they fail. At least, fail in one direction. It can be hard to look upon him like that.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And perhaps, rebuilding an entire bridge from rubble might have just put a little bit of fear of his power into those who witnessed it. Emma, he knows, isn't going to forget. Not for a long time, at least. He's still not sure how to apologize for that. For any of it.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But now, here, in solitude, Nate Grey rests, under the sun, wearing naught but a pair of trunks cling to his hips almost like a second skin, barely touching the tops of his thighs. A pair of shades rests over his eyes, and he lays on a towel on one of the lawn chairs as he relaxes. Judging from the dampness of his hair, and the few rivulets of water that still cling to his skin, it's clear he's already taken a dip.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:145|Illyana Rasputin (145)}} has posed:'''<br>It was warm enough, and pleasant enough a day to want to get out of the manor. Not all of the X-Men had jobs to do. Not all of the students had families to be concerned about. While Illyana's were still around it was a rocky relationship given the time lapses that resulted in her not being their darling little girl as opposed to full grown adult. It was difficult. All the more reason to find ways to fill her time that didn't include rushing back off to Limbo where she was stronger and had more to do.<br><br>The quiet flap of sandals approaching is the only real warning of her approach. The presence of Nate here is noticed almost immediately earning a grin from the Russian woman as she gives him a once-over where he lays sunning at the poolside. She pauses beside another chair to slip her sandals off, and drop the long towel she'd brought with her. Already she was in her own swimsuit, a white binini with straps that criss-crossed behind her neck for support.<br><br>Without a word she steps to the edge of the pool, arms raising overhead as she smoothly dives into the water creating only a small splash with a little kick of her foot upon entrance. Maybe that was intentional to try and get Nate wet. Who knew. Either way she comes up a few feet further with hands raised to run back over her head slicking the lenth of her soaked blonde hair out of her face. "Lovely day, isn't it?" She finally says looking back over her shoulder toward him with a grin.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1374|Nate Grey (1374)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It seems like, perhaps, Nate doesn't notice the approach of the Russian ice queen. Or, if he does, he's maybe trying not to acknowledge it. He doesn't really have any reason to try to play it cool, though, does he? Not after the last time they had met up. He's still convinced that they're now dating. Or something. He's really not sure how to go about that kind of thing. His previous relationship experiences have been rather... unorthodox, to say the least.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's only when her small splash gets his feet wet that Nate sits up with a start, and pulls the shades from his face, looking more than a little disoriented. No. He wasn't trying to play cool. He had just dozed off, lost in his own thoughts.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Huh?" He looks around, squinting in the light of the sun without the shades he had been wearing all this time to protect them from it. His nose is curled up, nostrils flared, and his lips pulled into a slight grimace. "Oh... uh... Yeah."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;His head cants to one side, as he peers over her. She's...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I uh... Didn't take you for the sort to..." he starts, pausing as he sort of loosely gestures with one finger to their surroundings. "You know... this."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He stands up, crossing the few feet of concrete to the edge of the pool, where he'll settle back down, sitting with his legs in the water. A smile starts to form, at long last, on his lips, revealing a hint of pearl white teeth, hidden behind them, as he keeps his gazed fixed only on her. "Yeah. Lovely."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:145|Illyana Rasputin (145)}} has posed:'''<br>Illyana Rasputin twists in the water to face the approaching Nate, her arms slowly treading through the liquid to keep her afloat. A single eyebrow raises along with a smirk at his motion and comment. "To come out in the light of day? I know I can be frightening but I'm no boogey man. Or is this too close to a bath for you to consider me joining in?" She teases as well. Rolling her weight forward she kicks her feet back beneath the water to send her toward the side of the pool where she catches hold of the edge near Nate's knees. <br><br>From where she was, it was perhaps an interesting view, her blonde hair fanning out in the water behind her while her skin was... on display under the water. "The flower is doing well. Thank you again for it," she mentions before moving on to more current topics.<br><br>"I heard that you overworked yourself the other day. Are you doing better now?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1374|Nate Grey (1374)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Of course she's going to be pirckly. At this point, he's come to expect it, though, and her scathing words are only met with a lopsided grin.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You do have that whole albino vampiress thing going on, so..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He shrugs his broad shoulders, before pressing his palms down flat to the stone, lifting his rear and sliding himself into the water, right beside where she ends up. Leaning back, he rests his elbows there on the ledge, looking over at her. His smile fades to a small, lingering ghost of one as he studies her face for a few long seconds, and finally says, "I don't think you're any kind of boogeyman, Illyana..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He lets his eye wander along that trail of platinum hair, and shakes his head, before drawing in a deep breath and turning his gaze away to sweep out across the landscape surrounding them. "Oh, yeah, no problem with the flower. Like I said, it just... seemed like a good one for you. It wasn't a thing."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It kind of was, though... right?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When she mentions the incident at the bridge, Nate's face drops. He pinches the bridge of his nose and nods ever so slightly. But the corners of his jaw tense.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Yeah. I'm... I'm okay. I was just... It was a lot going on, and I saw the rest of the team struggling. I wanted to... I wanted to make sure that they were okay to help the people they could. I could help everyone else. But then this skyscraper started coming down, and I guess I just lost focus for a minute."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:145|Illyana Rasputin (145)}} has posed:'''<br>"You've yet to see me at my boogey-est." Was that a joke? An ACTUAL joke? Illyana seems to think so after all the way she grins which was a bit more warm and friendly than before. Maybe being out in the cool water of the pool, in this warm sunny day, was enough to get her to actually relax.<br><br>She holds onto the edge of the pool with one hand which let's her look at the lounging Nate easily when he starts to get... defensive? Sad? Guilty? About the topic brought up. She's not really sure which. It causes her to frown a little as she reaches out to lift a hand and gently boop the tip of his nose with her finger.<br><br>"You did what needed to be done. And you thought to repair the damage as well. That is not something I would have thought of. It's impressive," she points out. "Kitty said you were a great help. They were able to save many because of your help."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1374|Nate Grey (1374)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The boop to the nose seems to do the trick. Maybe a bit of the praise, too. But mostly the boop. He lifts his face once again, though he doesn't quite look at her. Giving a small, half hearted shrug, the psionic scion actually seems... modest. He looks almost uncomfortable, though not in an "Oh God, I need to escape this conversation" kind of way. "Well, I mean... it's like you said. I was just doing what needed to be done. I don't know how much I might have helped or didn't help. I just wanted to help all that I could. There was still stuff that I couldn't do, or couldn't get to. Still people that were hurt."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He does flash another frown, drawing in a sighing breath, before he mutters, "I should have maybe stayed behind, and healed the injured..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But rather than dwell on the should'ves and could'ves, Nate pushes those thoughts aside for now. They can lead to some strange, and often dark places. Instead, he looks back at her out of the corner of his eyes.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I'm fairly certain that boogey-est is not in the Miriam Webster's Dictionary, Illyana Rasputin," Nate teases, through a cheeky sidelong smile, and with a glimmer in his blue eyes that does not, for once, come from overflowing psionic power. He shrugs his shoulders, and gives a slight uptilt of his chin, before adding, at random, "You have a really pretty smile when you mean it. I hope you know that."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:145|Illyana Rasputin (145)}} has posed:'''<br>"Nyet. It is always easy to look back and have the answer you think is right to something that happened. In the heat of the moment is when your true character shines through. You did good, Nate Grey," Illyana assures still with that smile. It lingers a moment longer, at least until he compliments her. Then she casts her eyes to the side with the emergence of ablush instead.<br><br>"I have been told on occasion, yes." The corners of her lips quirk a bit more with her eyes lifting back up toward him. "If it is not in the dictionary then that just makes me an innovator. See, I am smart as well."<br><br>A quiet sigh is let out, and she tips her head at him considering a long moment with a thoughtful expression. "What am I going to do with you, Nate Grey?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1374|Nate Grey (1374)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She may be right, but some part of Nate will always feel that he needs to be better. To do more. Part of it may just be the expectations of his heritage weighing heavy on his shoulders. He was created to be the ultimate expression of mutant power, right? The perfect product of the perfect union. And when he looks around this world, he sees the imprints of that legacy all around him. His genetic "parents" are like legends in their own time. So, he has to be perfect, to live up to their names.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But, for now, he'll simply nod his acceptance of her assessment, while his own doubts gnaw on him internally.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Innovator. That's a good one," He says jovially, looking at her once more with a teasing grin. "Hey, English is all about being protean and shifting, with new words cropping up every year. So, yes, Illyana. You're an innovator. Using your big girl words."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When she sighs, his teasing smile softens, and begins to fade as she looks at him. By the time she asks that question, the humor has left his face and is just replaced with something else. Gentle warmth. He looks away, his brows furrowing in thought as he considers how best to answer that question. So many options. He could keep up the teasing, make it playful, but that could be obnoxious, couldn't it? So, maybe an earnest response would be better.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Well, the hope is that the answer to that question is something along the lines of "warm up to me and open up to me until we've shared enough of ourselves with each other so that you feel comfortable kissing me" or something around in that... general vincinity."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:145|Illyana Rasputin (145)}} has posed:'''<br>"I already did kiss you," Illyana reminds him with a hint of a flirtatious grin. At least she hopes it is. Sometimes she was just scary as she knew, much like with that poor Kally girl she'd tried to help. Her hand lifts to comb fingertips through her damp hair tucking it behind an ear as she dips her gaze away a moment. Looking back to him, she declares almost imperiously, "I suppose I had better take on you on a date then to get to know you better." Even after saying that though, she dips forward to kiss his cheek again as she had when he'd brought her the flower. It's breif, and she pulls away quickly after to press her weight on her hands as she hoists up onto the edge of the pool clambering out.<br><br>"For now though... I'm turning into prune."<br> <br>
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