8162/Because Xavier's

Because Xavier's
Date of Scene:	03 July 2019
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Several students meet up in the backyard. Rachel apologizes. Laura hugs someone. Sam recruits for garden patrol. Hisako gets a new roomate. And no leather pants were used in the making of this scene.
Cast of Characters:	Elixir, Marvel Girl, Armor, Cannonball, X-23

---

Elixir has posed:
For once it is not too warm. There is a bit of a breeze and the sun is warm without being oppressive. The kind of day you can be outside without turning into a lizard on a rock. Or an egg.

Josh is sitting at a table on the patio behind Xavier's. Most classes are still in, so there are not many people around. He has an anatomy textbook and his tablet out in front of him. His backpack leans against the leg of his chair. He is in flip flops, shorts and a t-shirt. He grins to himself as he types into his phone and then sets it down to get back to reading.

Marvel Girl has posed:
Classes. Rachel tried those for a little bit, but to say it wasn't a great fit would be an understatement. It turns out that spending the first few years of your life in a school, then spending the next several in...well, a dystopian wasteland, does not encourage good study habits.

So while Rachel doesn't exactly have a completed curriculum, she also doesn't attend classes. For everyone's sake. On the up side, she's pretty self-motivated. At the moment, that means she has one of the school's tablets in hand as she binges on history. It's the subject most likely to catch her attention, for obvious reasons. She walks as she reads, taking a bite of an apple and moving her hand as if talking to herself.

Armor has posed:
Hisako Ichiki is dressed for summer, because even though this is the school grounds, she's not in any classes at the moment. Coming on out, she lets out a soft sigh, and looks around. Patio. People. She slowly walks over, and raises a hand. "Good afternoon Josh, and Rachal."

Elixir has posed:
Josh looks up from his book. He grins brightly at Hisako.

"Hey, Hisako. What're you up to? No classes? Way better out here than locked up in there."

Josh waves at Rachel if she looks up then looks back to Hisako. "Sit down if you're not going anywhere," Josh says to Hisako and gestures to one of the chairs. He lounges back in his own.

Marvel Girl has posed:
Rachel looks up from the tablet, then raises her apple-holding hand a slight wave, still chewing. "Hey," she greets when she's almost done, starting in that direction. "Am I reading this right? How many Atlantises are there? Because I thought there was one, but it sounds like there's more than one, but I'm not clear on how many //more// than one."

She settles down at the table, pushing the tablet toward the other two. "Just trying to identify the weird, you know."

Armor has posed:
Hisako Ichiki does grab a lounge chair, and carefully sit, before laying back. "Thank you Josh. No classes today. The summer schedule is more flexible, since many students aren't participating, and others are splitting time between going home and attending classes. And... I've never been to any Atlantis, so I can't say if there are multiples or differences, sorry."

Elixir has posed:
"Oh, right. I forget people go home, I'm doing classes right through the year," Josh says and runs a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, would be so cool to go though, you know? A whole underwater kindgom? So sick. I think there's like, two Atlantises, but they're like, made up of a bunch of kingdoms they conquered or something? I dunno, I didn't pay a lot of attention to that stuff. It's not like we ever see Atlanteans around or anything."

Marvel Girl has posed:
"Huh." Rachel takes another bite of her apple, staring at the tablet as though it's hiding something from her. "I dunno. I guess it's just another thing that doesn't register as human. Which, as Sam so helpfully pointed out, makes for more potential allies."

She wrinkles her nose, apparently having some slightly more complicated feelings about that conversation. "But yeah. Sounds like it'd be cool."

Armor has posed:
Hisako Ichiki hums. "I wonder if it is difficult to visit Atlantis. Either one of them. And yes, I also do year long classes myself. It's closer to what we do in Japan, so I just keep at it."

Elixir has posed:
"That's smart. Get it done quicker," he agrees with Hisako.

"Are they allies though? Didn't they threaten to invade a few places or something?"

Marvel Girl has posed:
Rachel quirks a brow at Josh. "Are you asking me? Because I'm literally reading up because I'm not exactly from around these parts," she points out with a faint smirk. "I dunno," she shrugs, tapping to a different page on the tablet. "Just spitballing, really."

At the talk of studies, she looks between Josh and Hisako, munching on her apple. Be nice. You live at a school. "So...what're you studying?" she asks, looking between the pair.

Armor has posed:
Hisako Ichiki pauses and thinks. "I'm just studying the regular school curriculum for the most part. English literature, science, mathematics, history, United States government, though they're supplementing that for me in a comparative format. Since the Heiwa constitution was based on the United States version, they are worth comparing. I also study tactics and hand to hand combat." The last part is tossed off ever so casually, as though it were "home ec and algebra."

Elixir has posed:
Josh snerks at Rachel's retort. "Well better study up then, you'll totally bomb a test or mess up if you win a Sweepstakes all expenses paid trip to Atlantis."

Josh's eyebrows raise at Hisako's classes. "Alright, then. And like, English is your second language on top of that?" he asks, impressed.

"I'm in second year pre-med, but I dunno if I'm gonna make it. It's hard to compete with people that literally have nothing else to do but study and do all the volunteering and stuff."

Armor has posed:
Hisako Ichiki nods firmly. "I started studying English when I was 11 years old. I have been learning English for 7 years now. About half of that time I was here."

Elixir has posed:
"Doesn't work like that, Rachel," Josh says with a sigh. "I mean, learning this stuff is great, it helps me make sense of what I'm feeling. Sort of like... I dunno.. Getting told what a smell is that you couldn't identify? So I'm getting way more control. But doesn't work the other way around. I need your powers so I can like, download some doctor's head and challenge the exams," he jokes. "Why do you even study, anyway?"

"Since you were seven? That's cool. Why'd you move?" Josh asks Hisako.

Marvel Girl has posed:
"People's brains are full of lies," Rachel shrugs to Josh, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "I mean, I guess if I wanted to understand math or physics I could just jack it from someone's brain, but history? That's a little more subjective. Not that the books aren't also full of lies," she allows with a tilt of her head. "But that's easier to pick up from a book than from someone's head, because once you're in their head, everything already 'makes sense' to them."

The complicated joys of telepathy.

She nods to Hisako, doing the math in her head. "When she was eleven," she corrects Josh. "Meaning she's eighteen now and came here about three and a half years ago, which would have made her fourteen-ish, which is conveniently an excellent time to start attending a high school."

Armor has posed:
Hisako Ichiki smiles faintly. "It was always my dream of being one of the X-Men, for as long as I can remember. So when I could come here, I came here. I wanted to go to school here, and join the Professor." Left unspoken is her satisfaction at achieving both. "But yes, Japanese English studies begin in the 5th grade normally. And I came here for high school."

Elixir has posed:
"I don't get psychics /at all/. And I dated one," he says to Rachel. He listens to the two young women and then tilts his head to the side curiously. "How did you know about the X-Men? I didn't even know they existed until last year. Hey, speaking of, they exist from.... I don't get where you're from," he says to Rachel apologetically.

Marvel Girl has posed:
"Less of a where, more of a...when, how far adjacent." Rachel takes another bite of her apple at Josh's question, trying to figure out how to explain it. "In straight year counts, a future. But I say //a// future, because there are a lot of things that are different between here and there. So probably another universe. Which makes sense from a quantum mechanics perspective."

Hey, she did say she could jack math and science from someone's brain fairly easily.

"But yeah. There were X-Men." Were. Past tense. "Until Sentinels came in and killed everyone they could get to in the first assault, then hunted down the rest of them over the following years." A beat, as she looks between the others. "Sentinels are bad." In case that was unclear.

Elixir has posed:
"It is... gets... that bad?" Josh asks soberly. He shakes his head. "It's hard to get my head around. I mean, like if the government stopped using them tomorrow, everyone would forget about them. But that might be bad, too. Maybe they just get built in secret until it's too late. Like, how do you keep someone from building something they already know how to build?"

Marvel Girl has posed:
"The Sentinels were just a tool," Rachel grimaces. "It was the government that was the real source of the problem. We failed a mission. The bad guys succeeded. And the government blamed us. It was all the excuse they needed to start hunting us down. They found the school. They killed most of us. Not all of us." Not her, at least.

"Mutants were relegated to camps if they weren't useful for hunting down more mutants. Mutants who could be used were broken and trained as Hounds, to hunt down the rest. It was...very successful." She grimaces, taking another bite of her apple and crunching quietly. "No one needed to do anything in secret."

Elixir has posed:
Josh shifts in his seat. The sun feels much less warm, and his ever-present glowing smile is nowhere to be found in his face.

"I don't..." he starts and then colours. He does. "It could happen, here. It really could. There are already people in the government helping... groups.. hunt us down. It might not even take a lot."

Josh bites the inside of his lower lip. His phone buzzes and chimes, proclaiming a new message. Josh clicks the button to stop it without turning his phone over.

"How did you... Deal?" he asks Rachel.

Marvel Girl has posed:
"Dealing wasn't really an option." Rachel spins the core of the apple between her fingers, then sets it down carefully on the table. "I was just a kid when they hit the school, so I wasn't really...equipped to fight or run. So they brought me in. And they made me a Hound." Her voice is carefully flat as she explains, void of any emotional response that could be used against her.

"Hounds weren't really encouraged to have feelings. Kind of awkward for an empath. And when I eventually broke out, I joined the resistance, and I dealt by giving them a taste of their own medicine." She reaches up to rub a hand at the back of her neck, looking around the grounds.

"It could happen here. Too easily," she agrees after a moment. "So pretty much my entire existence right now is centered on making sure it doesn't."

Elixir has posed:
"Yeah," Josh says and scratches idly at the top of the table with one finger. "I... Yeah. I'm sorry about what happened to you. I know, knew, people that would do stuff like that if they could. Probably out doing it right now... I guess that's pretty brave of you to fight them here, you know? Like, a lot of people would just be glad they got out, or would be drinking their faces off. Pretty heroic."

Marvel Girl has posed:
"Yep, that's a pretty normal reaction." Rachel's lips quirk in a small smirk at the awkwardness, waving it off. "It makes me angry," she admits. "And vengeful. And about a dozen different kinds of broken, is what it makes me. But I don't work for them anymore, so life's not all bad."

"I lost...literally everyone back there. There's nothing to go back to, nothing left to fight for there. I lost. We lost? I lost." Yeah, she blames herself for that, no matter how irrationally.

"Good news is, it's not lost here yet."

Elixir has posed:
"No, it's not. I don't think a lot of the others get what they're dealing with though. I mean, it's not easy to understand real hate if you haven't seen it? People don't get it. They don't get how far it'll make people go," Josh says and the scratching turns into a more insistent tapping.

"And yet here we are, sitting in the backyard of a fucking school," he says dryly. "You know what's happened in the last five minutes? The Reavers got five minutes more prepared. They got another cyborg a bit more built and a bit more trained. They recruited a bit more. They lobbied a bit more. About 500 people died. I looked that up. I could have saved a bunch of them, and who knows? Maybe one of them is the mutant Ghandi. But nope. Homework, and fucking beach parties, and..." Josh bites himself off and makes a fist. Josh exhales and chides himself mentally.

"Fuck. Sorry. I've got nothing to complain about."

Marvel Girl has posed:
That smirk flickers across Rachel's features again at his words. "Yeah. All of that," she agrees. "It was a lot for me to adjust to when I first came back. Like one part of me just...just really wanted to pretend like none of the rest ever happened. To be the relatively normal teenager I didn't get to be. To just live that high school life. And the other part of me wanted to burn it all down."

She's quiet for a moment, ruffling a hand through her hair as she thinks it through. "The thing is? And I can say this, since I speak from the whole experience of losing everything. If you don't have something like this, then you've got nothing to fight for except for revenge and rage. And don't get me wrong, those things are powerful, and they feel //good//." Especially with a hungry firebird inside of you.

"But when you're finished burning it all down? What then?"

Elixir has posed:
"Does it really matter?" Josh asks, uncharacteristically bitter. "You never really have anything anyway... It can all disappear in an instant. And you've got no control over it."

"As long as they're stopped and other people get a chance to live their lives," Josh says with a shrug."

Marvel Girl has posed:
"Wow." Rachel leans back in her chair, head tilting as she gives him an amused look. "I don't often have a conversation with someone who sounds //more// grim about things than I do. That's a new one." She crosses her ankles, legs stretched out in front of herself.

"So what's got you thinking dark thoughts, med school?" she asks, chin tipping upwards as she levels a steady eye on him.

Elixir has posed:
Josh frowns at Rachel's question and seems self-conscious, as if suddenly realizing his fly was open.

"Med school? No, I uh, I just know what these people are like, is all. Med school is gonna be great if I get in. Met some really cool people, too. Been hanging out a lot, and it's like nothing weird, you know? Like you said, way it should be," Josh covers, pushing on a smile. Did she say that? No idea. Sounds good though.

Marvel Girl has posed:
"I was //calling// you 'med school,'" Rachel points out, still giving him the eye. "I didn't think you were worried about some facts and numbers." One foot sways back and forth like a metronome, counting out the moments. She's not pushing with her mind - not that he can likely tell.

"Parents?" she muses. "No, no parents. Or else they handed you off a long time ago. Foster kid? Fits with not actually feeling like you own anything. Fell in with a bad crowd that didn't stand up for you when you got pinched?"

The whole Hound thing is no joke.

Elixir has posed:
"I keep forgetting you're a telepath," he says bitterly and flushes in embarassment and shame.

"We went to a FoH church my whole life. I got recruited for the Reavers, trained with them... And we tried to kill Andrea. My powers came and I saved her by accident... And yeah, I was disowned and have nothing left, and am I on my own, and I deserve it. So there you go, have at it. I don't belong here. Whatever. It won't be anything half the other kids here haven't said."

Marvel Girl has posed:
Rachel shakes her head, tapping a finger at her temple. "Didn't have to use it," she admits. As for the idea that she's going to tell him she doesn't belong? She arches a brow, and the mental illusion that hides the markings on her face fades away. Black and red, they frame her features in something between scars and tattoos.

"Hound, remember?" she says quietly. "I killed my own people. People I knew. People who'd been friends or like family. Knowing who they were. Knowing what I was. And I felt the whole thing from them while I did it. So. If you don't belong here, then I sure as hell don't."

Armor has posed:
Hisako Ichiki got called inside by one of her teachers over something she neeeeded to schedule, but then she comes back out and returns to her seat. "Where were we?"

Elixir has posed:
Josh frowns when the illusion falls. He looks openly at the marks on her face.

"I've never seen those before," says, matching her tone. He colours more when shares. "Yeah, well, maybe we don't. It's why I don't live here. You know, I could," he holds out a hand, some distance from Rachel's cheek, but clearly an offer. Then he hears Hisako and pulls his arm back quickly and settles back in his chair.

"Ah, Atlantis or something," Josh mumbles.

Marvel Girl has posed:
With Hisako's return, the illusions are back in place - there's nothing to see aside from Rachel's usual countenance. "And school terms," she adds in response to Josh's comment. "The X-Men. How you found out this was where they were."

She picks up her apple core once more, setting it in her palm and then flicking it across the lawn. It's not littering if it's organic, right? "I was going to ask about powers," she adds belatedly.

Armor has posed:
Hisako Ichiki looks between the two. "I can leave. It's no trouble, if I'm walking in on something... Is it walking in on something, when I walk outside?"

Elixir has posed:
"Yeah, still walking in on something," Josh says with a bit of an encouraging smile. He glances sideways at Rachel and seems to be still processing what she said, what he saw.

"But you weren't, don't worry," Josh says to Hisako. "Yeah, tell Rachel about your powers. They're super cool. Like, I wish I had those."

Marvel Girl has posed:
"No, it's cool. We were just being dark and broody. You know, like you do." Or at least Rachel seems to think that's a normal enough thing to do. "Let's talk about powers. I promise not to be pedantic about it like pretty much everyone I'm related to," she adds with a wry twist of a smile, leaning back in her chair once more.

Armor has posed:
Hisako Ichiki nods, and sits up a little. HAnds folded in her lap. "Powers? I have useful ones, obviously, or I would not be in the X-Men. My ancestors give me the power to armor myself, so that I can be a powerful warrior."

Elixir has posed:
"That's super cool. Especially growing up like, knowing your purpose in life? That would be so... Weird."

Marvel Girl has posed:
Rachel quirks a brow at the 'useful' description, glancing over to Josh before looking back to Hisako. "Okay, so, I know I promised not to be pedantic, but you get that calling your powers useful and saying that's why you're on a team is, uh..." She squints, reaching up to rub a hand at the back of her neck.

"Pride goeth before the fall and all that. Just saying. But hey, that's cool. What kind of armor? Is it like a mystical thing, or...?" She trails off, head tilting as if she's going to see it if she looks hard enough.

Armor has posed:
Hisako Ichiki shrugs, and slowly stands. On her feet, she raises her hands slightly, and her entire body abruptly elevates. Standing about 4 feet off of the ground, she's surrounded by a glowing outline, shimmering in the form of a large being. "Very few things can penetrate my armor. Light. Adamantium. But not even Wolverine can hurt me since he can't extend his claws far enough to reach through the armor, when I become a giant like this." She then reaches over, lifting the large double wide grill with one hand right off of the ground, as though it were nothing.

Elixir has posed:
Josh watches with his head tilted and grins, finally.

"See? Awesome. You could block off a whole hallway with that. Maybe an alley?" he says thoughtfully. "Great for advancing under fire, controlling the battlespace or providing cover in open ground. Huh."

Marvel Girl has posed:
"Mental construct," Rachel muses, nodding thoughtfully. "Cool." She nods to Josh's suggestion. "Could make a hell of a distraction, too. Required to be around your body?" she asks, even as she lets her mind do a little roaming, testing the armor to see if she can reach past it with her mind.

Armor has posed:
Hisako Ichiki carefully puts the grill back down, so Hank doesn't get mad at her. Then smiling faintly. Very happy with herself. "I can stand up, in front, and fight. My ancestors are with me, and joining my fight. Our fight." Not being one full of MENTAL powers though, whatever Rachel's attempting is unnoticed by her.

Elixir has posed:
" ""I didn't think of that," Josh says to Rachel. "Just screams shoot me, doesn't it. Would be cool if she could move it, you're right."

"That's impressive," Josh says with a smile. "Your... um, ancestors are impressive.""

Marvel Girl has posed:
Within the armor, Hisako might feel a light touch - like someone flicking a finger in the center of her forehead. << Tag. You're it. >> Rachel smirks just a little bit, though there's an edge of the earlier brooding in it as she looks away. The training to find a weak spot never goes away.

"Definitely useful in the shock and awe department," she nods. "Lots of potential."

Armor has posed:
Hisako Ichiki turns toward the touch, and waves an arm, sending a breeze in the direction of Josh and Rachel. She then pauses, looking. "You used mental powers to do that?" she asks, trying to figure it out. "Oh, and yes, the armor is mine, and around me. I can't... put it on someone else or something else. My ancestors are with me and I am one with my ancestors." Josh's comment gets a nod. "My mother is one of them."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie walks out from the back door. He has a sports bottle with iced tea in it, and seems to be dressed for working in the yard today. He looks over waving to the othrs

Elixir has posed:
"Totally, be great to have on the team. And focused, I don't think you're gonna get distracted much," Josh says to Hisako with a grin.

Josh catches sight of Sam coming over and waves back.

"Hey Sam! How goes, man?" he says with a smile. He seems relieved.

Marvel Girl has posed:
"I did," Rachel nods to Hisako, leaning back in her chair and folding her hands over her stomach. "So, for future reference, watch out for psychics. Looks like the armor's not proof against that. Yet, at least," she pauses, pensive. "It's possible that the armor itself being a mental projection, that learning to protect your mind would also make the armor itself proof against those sorts of attacks. In theory."

She looks over as Sam walks out, raising a hand to wave with a small smile. "Heya, Sam," she greets.

Armor has posed:
Hisako Ichiki sees Sam, and looks over to ave from in her armor, in a fairly large state. "Sam!" At that, she fades the armor out, and her feet lower back to the ground. "The good news is, Rachel, we're a team, and I don't have to handle ALL of the threats."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie chuckles a bit and says "So, what are you three up to?" He asks, as he steps up to the three of them "Up to no good out here hiding from chores?" He teases a bit.

Elixir has posed:
Josh snerks with a grin. He gestures to his anatomy textbook and tablet.

"I /was/ working hard until two beautiful young ladies sat at my table. It's a hard life," he jokes.

Marvel Girl has posed:
"Yeah, it was hard work tearing him away from the books," Rachel smirks at Josh's comment, shaking her head. "Was doing a little catching up, as usual. Sam, do you know how many Atlantises there are? Because I swear, we only had one, but I feel like the history narrative here's telling me something else, which is weird." Like everything here, really.

She nods to Hisako, that smile quirking once more. "Good thing to keep in mind," she agrees.

Armor has posed:
Hisako Ichiki finds the lounge chair she was using before. Settling back in. "Hiding from no classes today because I'm one of the only students in class this time of year."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks over and says "Your not the only one who has classes still. Ah am taking classes too, but still keeping the garden going for anyone who actually wants to help." He does have a seat at the table slacking a bit it seems.

Elixir has posed:
Josh makes a show of pretending to duck and cover.

"Sorry, way too busy man," he says with a grin. "Get one of the kids detention or something. Ch..." Josh's face goes slack as he realizes what he was about to say in this company. "I'm sure someone will volunteer."

Marvel Girl has posed:
"I could join you," Rachel admits, smile quirking. "But I'm kind of enjoying sitting here being useless, too." She leans back in her chair, legs stretched out in front of herself and crossed at the ankles. "And trying to figure things out. I was looking at the Atlantis thing after what you said about allies," she admits. "Just...spitballing. Trying to think through things. Changes."

Armor has posed:
Hisako Ichiki stretches out in her lounge chair, folding her arms behind her head. "I already did somet raining today. I should rest my muscles before I do more, or I risk injury. I do wish I brought some water out with me though. It is humid."

X-23 has posed:
Laura comes out of the mansion, frowning a little when she catches the scents on the wind. One person she likes a lot, one new person, one person she's neutral towards, and one of the only two people at the mansion Jean's had to talk her down from killing. She pauses, just outside the door, debating turning around. But she hasn't seen Josh in ages. So the diminutive brunette bites the proverbial bullet and heads towards the others.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie nods, and says "Gardening aint bad, it is weeding and harvesting some now. I did the messy work a while back, no more spreading manure there for a while." He will tease the others, and says "Just remember themore work ya putin the more fresh veggies we get.

Elixir has posed:
Josh a bit of an unreadable smile when Rachel comments about sitting around. Then he bends down and reaches into his backpack.

He pulls out a bottle of water and tosses it to Hisako. "It's warm though," he says with a shrug.

"Veggies? I eat ramen three meals a day," Josh jokes. Well, not jokes. It's true.

When Josh sees Laura coming over his face lights up. He gets up right away.

"Laura!" he says with all of the expressiveness but just at a normal volume. He strides over, but stops at a generous distance. "You look great! I mean, really fit. Ready. You know. How are you?!" he asks. He looks like he would hug her, but even his healing powers might not help him if does that.

Marvel Girl has posed:
Rachel laughs. "Oh yeah. Wouldn't want to overtrain with gardening." Laura's approach might as well be accompanied by the sound of Vader's march from the way she sinks even deeper into her seat, the laughter fading out. Which is impressive, given that Rachel's not prone to shame or or fear.

"Hey," she greets quietly, reaching up to rub a hand at the back of her neck with a glance toward the others.

Armor has posed:
Hisako Ichiki covers her mouth for a small yawn, as she really settles in on the lounge chair. Seeing another arrival, she waves "Laura!" Then looking around. "With my armor I'd make a better plow, than a gardener. And Josh, have you ever had real ramen?, not the instant stuff?"

X-23 has posed:
Laura's made some strides on her interpersonal development since she last saw Josh. So Josh gets rewarded with not just a smile, but an actual hug. A brief hug. But a hug. Not even any claws. She releases after a moment, and then looks up. "I'm glad to see you again. I missed you when you left." Laura doesn't have a large social circle.

Rachel's "hey" gets something unusual from the tiny stabette. Normally, Laura is the definition of emotionless. So to see her give a smile and a hug to Josh is not dissimilar to a sign of the end times. On the other hand, she also doesn't generally show negative emotions. So it's just as rare to see the look of raw /hate/ that Rachel gets figured. She does /not/ get a hug. And that is probably best for all.

The Japanese girl calling her name just gets a slightly confused look. "Yes?" she replies, though eyes don't leave Rachel, like a mongoose watching a snake.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks over and says "Looks like ah may have to set up some group training sessions soon." He says of watching the ladies, and looks to Josh and asks "How is your physical combat training going?

Elixir has posed:
Josh grins in sheer wonderment and gives Laura a quick squeeze back. "I missed you, too. I'm sorry I missed your birthday... Can I take you to a movie or something to make it up to you?" he asks. Then he sees the look that Laura fixes on Rachel, and sees the change in Rachel's posture.

"Another time," he says quietly enough for just Laura to hear. "We're just being chill for now."

Josh walks back to the table and offers Laura his chair. He goes and drags another one over from a different table.

"Combat training?" Josh asks rhetorically with a grin and raised eyebrow. "Yeah, no. Only training Scott has me do is coordination, tactical movement, field medicine, oh, and piloting," he says with a grin and a wink. "Not my role."

Marvel Girl has posed:
"Yeah, that's fair." Rachel even sounds like she means it when she says that in response to Laura's look, sliding far enough down in her chair that any further and she's likely to be in the ground. Of course, the thing about apologizing for overstepping is...Well, you can't really push it without repeating the mistake.

Up side for Josh, he's safe from snarking while she tries to focus on //not// being a jerk for once.

"Hey, you don't always get to choose where you are in the fight," she points out. "Better to be prepared and not need it than to need it and not be prepared. Group exercises sound like a good idea though, Sam," she nods. "Could help people look at things in some different ways."

Armor has posed:
Hisako Ichiki slowly starts to sit up. "Sam, you're right, since most people aren't in school, or a university, in the summer, this is a good time for team training." But another look to Laura. "Someone in the room next to mine had a power accident. I think we may be getting assigned as roommates, at least temporarily."

X-23 has posed:
For a very long moment, Laura neither answers Josh, nor moves for the table. Her hands curl into fists at her side (usually the prelude to claw o'clock), and there is a very distinct feeling that despite his statement, it may not be "another time". It may be this time.

The only thing that precludes it, really, is Rachel taking exactly the right actions. Laura tends to run in either two modes: the emotionless assassin, or the feral killing machine. The assassin doesn't /do/ "hate". It's counterproductive. Which means this is the predator. But one of the basic rules of predator/prey is: you don't go after someone when they're baring their throat. Even metaphorically. So, with a deep breath, she uncurls her fists, and heads to the table.

Which is exactly when the perfect thing comes in. Something so surreal, so nonsensical, that all it can do is jar her off her track. Namely, the words that just came out of Hisako's mouth. Laura stops at the edge of the table, and stares at the Japanese girl as if she just sprouted a second head.

"What." Statement? Question? You decide!

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie nods a bit to this and says "Yea gona have to run some more, and want to get ya at least some more basic combat training, better to be trained and not need it than need it and not have it. We will be working on it for sure.

Elixir has posed:
Josh watches tensely after he gets the second chair. He relaxes when Laura's attention goes to Hisako and drops into his chair. He raises an eyebrow at Rachel, somewhere between what? and youokay? Then he smiles and looks at Sam.

"Yeah, sure. And grats! I didn't know Scott was getting you to run X-Man training now, too. Or did you move up from the NM?" Josh asks curiously. "I ignore half the emails if it they don't say 'be here at whenever'"

Marvel Girl has posed:
The //really// hard part is not laughing when Hisako brings up the roommate thing. Rachel palms a hand over her face, closing her eyes tightly as she tries not to react to that prospect. Even if it's as much sympathy for Laura as amusement at how many stabbings or near-stabbings might result from it. Although, on the other hand, armor.

She clears her throat slightly when Josh looks over at her, letting the hand fall a bit. "I was...kind of an ass to Laura," she explains in a low tone, carefully walking the line between airing private business and making an apology without pushing the issue. She spent enough time without the comforts of society to know the consequences of failing that balance. Even if they weren't quite adamantium.

"Less kind of and more completely. So. Uh." She winces, scrubbing a hand over her face again. "I could use a wilderness refresher if someone needs my room until the whole...accident thing gets cleared up."

Armor has posed:
Hisako Ichiki fully sits up though her legs are still laid out on the lounge chair. ATtention fully on Laura at this point. "One of the students in the room next door to mine had an accident,a nd they need to open up the wall to make electrical repairs. I didn't ask the specifics. But now I need to be moved into another room, and since we're of similar ages..."

X-23 has posed:
Laura is clearly singularly focused on this horrible, horrible news. So in some ways, it's achieved its purpose. She looks at Hisako, frowning. "I do not need a roommate." Rachel makes her offer and Laura seizes on it. "There. You see? You can sleep in her room and she can sleep outside."

Yes, this is an entirely rational proposal from Laura's side.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks over, and says "More trying to make sure my friend is safe no matter what team they are one." He tells the other man

Elixir has posed:
"Ah... Well, there's room at my place if you don't wanna sleep outside," Josh jokes to Rachel. "But the grass is really soft here."

ThenJosh ohs at Sam and smiles while watching Laura. "C'mon, sit down," he urges with a smile. "Thanks, I'll try to make it. Never gonna be up front like though, you got the hardcore powers," he grins a touch wistfully to Sam.

Marvel Girl has posed:
"Yep, totally cool," Rachel agrees with Laura, giving Hisako a bit of a 'yo, be cool' look before turning a faint smirk on Josh. "Very altruistic," she drawls, though she's still got that little bit of sheepishness about her, looking away and rubbing a hand at the back of her neck.

"So, uh. Fourth of July tomorrow, huh? Should be a good time, right?"

Armor has posed:
Hisako Ichiki looks between Rachel and Laura. "It's not really up to me. The school staff has given me instructions on where to move my things. Did you know adamantium claws can pierce my armor? Fortunately I can make my armor thick enough that we could still train together, if you wanted. To make the best of the situation." If she's feeling badly about Laura's reaction, her poker face isn't showing it." She shrugs again. "We can ask if there are other arrangements that can be made."

X-23 has posed:
Laura looks to Josh. "I do not like to sit." She says, almost petulantly. But she does, crossing her arms in annoyance. The lack of height is not helping her image here. "Adamantium can penetrate virtually anything." she says, almost automatically, pro forma. It's the training comment that gets her curious.

"Are you competent?" Laura asks Hisako directly. "Or are you untrained like most of the students here?" Tact, thy name is (not) Laura. On the plus side, she isn't giving Rachel hateface anymore.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie sighs a bit sipping hsi tea and is quiet for now, waiting to see how this goes and if he needs to interfer.

Elixir has posed:
Josh checks his phone and looks immediately disappointed. He puts it back on the table.

"I'm a fucking saint," Josh quips to Rachel.

"Good question, though. Is there anything happening? Looks like I got no plans."

Marvel Girl has posed:
"So you're the saint of intercourse?" Rachel arches a brow at Josh, that smirk tugging at one corner of her lips again. Looks like Josh's two minutes of not getting roasted are over. "I want to see the Vatican's research reports on that one. There are videos, aren't there?"

Although it's possible that she's back to picking on Josh just to keep from egging on Hisako and Laura, because the temptation is //powerful//. She's keeping an eye on it, but doesn't look like she intends to intervene in anything.

Armor has posed:
Hisako Ichiki tilts her head and looks at Laura. Her princess cut shifting ever so slightly, a smirk on her face. "I've trained in the past with the original model. That's how I know about adamantium. Is that competent enough for you?"

X-23 has posed:
"Prove it." is Laura's simple answer. Danger Room training is too mild, and too predictable. The wolverette bursts into sudden motion, launching herself literally over the table at Hisako, as her arm shoots forward, claws popping out of it.

For all that it might look lethal, it's incredibly precise...with the earlier talk of predator and assassin, this is the assassin. If Hisako /doesn't/ react (or doesn't react in time), the claw tips will penetrate a sixteenth-of-an-inch into the skin over her heart. If she does, of course, well...then she proves she's competent.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie will move to get up having been expecting problems, but he is a bit slow. He might be there in time to pull Laura off the other girl, but the table is in the way and can;t even get a god blast angle to her.

Elixir has posed:
"You're just jealous I haven't tried to take you home," Josh snerks playfully.

"Aww shit," Josh exclaims when Laura goes over the table

Marvel Girl has posed:
"Still waiting for the audition tapes," Rachel chuckles to Josh, her only response to Laura's lunge to lean back in her seat and make sure she's not in the way of it. Hisako said she could handle adamantium, Rachel warned her that there are are other things to be aware of, she's done her due diligence. Although if any collateral damage comes her way, there's a TK field just in case. Like she said, it's better to be prepared.

Armor has posed:
Hisako Ichiki wasn't lying. When Laura attacks, she rolls away from Laura and off her chair. But instead of falling, she activates her armor, awhich LIFTS her above the level of her lounge chair. So by the time LAura can strike, well, she can slice her claws into Hisako's armor with ease... but the armor is thick enough that the claws can't quite reach flesh.

X-23 has posed:
Laura's lips curl up, ever so slightly, as Hisako puts up her armor. She moves smoothly to sit on the edge of the table where Hisako was. "You can stay in my room." Apparently the audition is passed.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks at the two with a what the and sighs, a bit. He will get his tea, and says "I'm going to pick veggies, where it is calmer." HE will smile and nods to the others before heading into the garden area

Elixir has posed:
Josh watches the outcome of the audition.

"Well alright then," Josh says. "Not everything's changed."

Marvel Girl has posed:
"Seeya, Sam" Rachel waves after Sam as he goes to see to the vegetables, looking back between Laura and Hisako before nodding to Josh. "That went more smoothly than anticipated. Looks like you're in the clear tonight."

Armor has posed:
Hisako Ichiki deactivates her armor, landing on her butt on the ground. Sitting up. Ichiki Hisako. Pleased to meet you. I will bring my things tomorrow afternoon. Thank you." She then rises to her feet, fixes her hair, and quietly walks back inside, a faint smile on her face.