ArchivedLogs:Breakfast Club

Breakfast Club
Dramatis Personae Aloke, Holly, Kris, Peter, Rasa, Sebastian, Shane, Shelby, Daiki, Taylor, Karrie
In Absentia	2013-05-28 all the terribles
Location <XS> Great Hall
The largest room at Xavier's, the Great Hall is designed to hold all of the mansion's residents and then some. Built for the mansion's bigger functions, it serves as the school's dining halls on ordinary days, and ballroom when needed. On school days, long trestle tables stretch across the hall, high-backed chairs with plush cushions offering seating for the students. Ogod it's early. And grey and rainy outside. And /early/. And coldish. /And early/. None of these things contribute to a sense of alertness--not that Shelby has ever been much of a morning person anyway. This morning she's especially groggy. Clad in an off-the-shoulder black tee, her black shorts now decorated with fake leopard print, she sits slumped over at one of the tables. In front of her is a glass of orange juice and a plate piled high with generous amounts of bacon and scrambled eggs. Her backpack hangs, similarly ignored, from the back of her chair. After an especially huge yawn, she stretches an arm forward on the table and turns her head, using bicep as pillow. Her eyes close. "...think they'd believe me if I begged off class on account of cramps?" she mumbles. Rasa yawns. The yawn actually stretches hir mouth open nearly six inches, the metamorph's body not nearly awake enough to manage normality yet. Ze is blinking at hir plate of sausage links and eggs with a side of waffles because syrup, man, syrup. Ze eyes hir water with increasing displeasure and shrugs. "I mean, you could, but then they'd also probably tell you that you should just take something and attempt to go to class. I thought menstruation just got girls out of swim class?" Ze reaches over to snag Shelby's orange juice and takes a sip, putting it back on the table between them. Then ze turns hir attention to the sausage links, spearing one with hir fork and nibbling on it. "It's colder here." "I mean, you could go to the medbay." Bastian's tray is piled ungodly-high with bacon and sausages and nothing else. "They can give you a note if you tell them it's really bad." He's shrugged off his weekend-casual shorts-and-tees in favour of a black-and-plaid pleated skirt with large silver D-rings dangling from the belt loops, purple tank top, black fishnet sleeves. He plunks his tray beside Shelby, plunks himself beside her next. "Or you could just not go," Shane suggests next, "what are they going to do, detent you for the summer?" He looks much as ever. Dark slacks, dark vest, dark bowtie, dark newsboy cap. Pale shortsleeved dress shirt. His tray looks similar to Bastian's. He seats himself opposite his brother. "School's nearly through." "They might," Bastian says seriously. "Summer classes are soon enough -- ohgosh," he looks pained, "summer classes." "Hey," Shane says this cheerful! like look-on-the-bright-side! "murdercamp means no exams." This just makes Bastian's head slump into his arms. "You could take Shelby's exams for her," Shane says by way of consolation. "I'm not even /on/ my period right now," Shelby grumbles without opening her eyes, "but I bet I could totally fake it. I just wanna crawl back into bed and sleep for like. Ever." One eye cracks open to witness the theft of her orange juice but she makes no attempt to stop it. Just waits until Bastian is settled before draping herself on /him/. Good luck eating there, fella. Zzzzz. "You can take my exams if you want? I don't think it'll help though, I'm already failing everything," she says through another yawn, rubbing her cheek against purple and black--then catching herself when she realizes fishnet is /not/ a barrier against sharkskin. "Fuck." She sits up quickly to pat at her cheek. When skin is discovered intact...she flops down against his shoulder again. Okay go. "We need, like, a weather changer. Someone who can make the sun show up." The victory orange juice is enjoyed greatly. Rasa follows the conversation in slow motion for a while, rubbing at one eye as ze continues to nibble on the sausage. "I'm taking a full class load this summer, so I'll be around. I'm trying to get through some of the required stuff before I move onto computer programming. Also," ze adds in a conspiratory fashion, "I'm trying to get powers and responsibility class out of the way before Walters comes back." Ze finishes hir first link, glancing around the table. Geekiness is stuffed down as ze starts on some eggs. "I know you aren't," Sebastian says with probably inadvertent offhand creepiness, untucking his arm to slide it around Shelby and nestle her against his side instead. "Oh," he flashes a smile to Rasa, "I got /that/ out of the way a couple years ago." "Thank fucking /God/," Shane adds, "if I ever had to sit through a class with that bitch it'd be ugly." "I don't know," Bastian looks kind of amused, "I think it'd be sort of pretty. Blue and green look neat together. Mix in a bunch of /red/ --" Shane wrinkles his nose. "Much as it would be nice to eat a teacher I would be so expelled." "You starting in on the computer classes?" This makes Bastian light up a little bit, out of his previous slump. His free hand starts working on his giant pile-o-meat, as his other plays fingers absently against Shelby's hip. "If you ever need help with any of that --" "-- he's a giantass fucking nerd is what he's saying so he'd probably cream himself," Shane finishes helpfully. "You know, we /have/ a weather changer. Professor Munroe --" "-- doesn't really /like/ to just make the -- I mean I think you do something like that /here/ and it probably, like, causes tsunamis in Haiti or something." Sebastian shrugs. "Nothing comes free." "Oh good, maybe I can crib off your stuff." Shelby, clearly not getting the whole "ethics and responsibility" vibe, after hearing Rasa will be in the same classes. There is a disconnect here! But maybe she can explain it away via sleepiness and distraction thanks to Bastiancuddles. "You should come take music theory and comp with me, Shane, while the nerds nerd it up," she says, peeling one eye open again to squint at the twin she's not melting against. Also? "Fuck Haiti." "Yeah. I started some Basic when I was at home, but I wanted to take actual classes because teaching myself's a pain in the ass," Rasa replies to Bastian, a small smile on hir face, between nomming bites of eggs. "I probably won't be able to actually take the courses until the fall, because of all the basics requirements - they're different than my last school. They didn't think kids my age really wanted to learn much about computers aside from how to type. And well, we didn't have classes on powers." "What's the music teacher like? He any good?" Nerds can music too, right? And then Rasa finishes Shelby's juice and jumps up. "I'll be right back. Anyone want anything?" "I don't know. Daiki says there's a new one. I liked the old one," Shane says with a scowl and a shrug. He waves away Rasa's offer of More Foods, stabbing a claw into his meats. "Not taking classes with this one. C'mon, we can just learn that shit with Ryan, he's totally cooler than some pretentious Juilliard asshole." "You haven't even met him," Sebastian protests with a wrinkle of his nose. "And you know, pa's school is pretty much to art what Juilliard is to --" "-- OK but he's not pretentious," Shane cuts in irritably, "and he's /cool/, most teachers are --" "... but you haven't /met/ him." Bastian's tone is kind of patient. "Nerds can totally music," he agrees with Rasa, "-- wait, you started with Basic, do you, uh, hate yourself? That's, like, um. I mean, just grab some Python or something it's way more relevant to, you know. This -- century." "Besides," Shane adds to Shelby with kind of a sigh, "I don't think I can choose any of my summer classes, I'm just going to be retaking /everything/ from this year I don't think I'm, um, gonna pass a /single/ -- with this whole, murdercamp, and being gone before and all, we're kind of --" He scowls down at his tray. "I'm still going to ask if I can do make-up work and test to pass them," Bastian says, "it wasn't our /fault/ we had murdercamp." "Yeah, okay," Shane says, "except even if I /do/ that it's not like I'm /going/ to pass any of them." He sounds pretty glum about it, too. "... you could if you tried," Bastian answers. "I'll help. Then you can take music with Shelby." "More orange juice." Yes, Rasa, Shelby /saw what you did/. There's a smile tugging at her lips though, even if she doesn't bother to pretend to be awake otherwise. She has to rouse eventually though. When it happens, pulling herself upright to poke at her breakfast, it is with much groaning and stretching. One would think she was forty-seven instead of seventeen. "I haven't met him yet but it's an easy A, right? I mean, c'mon, we've got the advantage on everyone else who's gonna be taking it. If we can...I mean. Yeah. We gotta get you to pass something else first, I guess," she says, looking blearily thoughtful. "What're you closest to passing in?" Wait... She stops and blinks at Shane. "Whoa." Lightbulb! "You're /staying/." "Well, it's /called/ Basic. I thought it was relevant. Then again, it took me a while to realize that Visual Basic was also something entirely different, and when people were talking about /Visual/ Basic, it wasn't /Basic." Rasa shrugs, calling back as ze hops off for more juice. Ze returns quickly with two glasses of the orange stuff. "Yeah, no, BASIC is -- well. But there's still /better/ things to -- but I guess you'll be learning that," Sebastian says with a shrug. "Well, I'm here, aren't I?" Shane doesn't -- look entirely /happy/ about it, but he doesn't look entirely miserable about it either. No /more/ miserable than his usual school-grump, anyway. "I mean, after everything, I --" He scowls some more. Stabs down at his tray. It's heaped kind of /ridiculously/ high -- /entirely/ with breakfast meat, bacon and sausage; opposite him, Bastian's looks the same. For those who know them the otherwise-identical twins are easy to tell apart: Shane is neat-proper: dark slacks, dark vest, dark bowtie, dark newsboy cap, neat-pressed pale dress shirt. Bastian has a black-and-plaid pleated skirt, black fishnet sleeves, a purple tank top. Silvery makeup on his eyelids. He's tucked in at a table next to Shelby, arm curled around her; the teenagers are sleepy-morning-breakfasting, early before classes. Well, Shelby is sleepy, anyway. The twins seem kind of remarkably awake for the hour. Despite grumpy. Well, /Shane/-grumpy. Sebastian is starting to perk. A little. Tentatively. "He's staying. It'd be. Leaving, um. There's --" He glances at Shelby, then across the room where Daiki is collecting food with Taylor and Karrie. Then away -- maaaybe searching for black chitin. "-- people who he." His arm squeezes tighter around Shelby. "S'people /both/ of us don't want to." He spears a sausage on his claw. "Leave." "And I think they'd fucking kick me out if I just slept in the lake and never went to class," Shane gripes. Shelby does appear to be on the verge of finding a bed and crawling back into it. She's dressed, at least! Off the shoulder black tee, a pair of leopard print shorts, messy braids--she's got the teenage punk chic thing going for her. She's also attempting to eat but after a few bites of eggs, she pulls a face and just slides the plate towards Bastian to finish for her. The OJ that Rasa brings back is happily accepted, however. "Fuck /yeah/," she says to Shane's news. "I knew you couldn't go through with it. You looooove us, you looooooooooove us!" This is sung in the most annoying singsong possible. With, of course, the smugface. Aloke wanders into the room. He's barefoot, wearing jeans, a black t-shirt for something called 'The Dead Milkmen' and he's looking fresh, and awake. The professor's eyes are literally bright, in fact. The orangey glow behind his brown eyes is particularly noticeable indoors. "Good morning everyone," he says to the group at large, crossing to the food table. He loads up on eggs and fruit, and works on sorting out a cup of tea. While the bag is steeping, he sets everything down at the table across from Shelby and Sebastian and slides a brightly printed card with  Admit 1  competitor*  printed on it. And then he just stirs his tea. Kris is meanwhile piling her plate with that metabolism-defying pile of random food assortments. She's got on a short-ish denim skirt and some sort of black boat-necked top as well a black bow in her hair. Seeing the twins with Shelby in the great hall has Kris wandering over in a lazy sort of manner,"Huh. Shane, Bastian... Good to see you're back." Pause. She peers at Bastian,"I wish I looked half that awesome in goth chic." Envy. She returns her gaze to Shane,"I picked up a tube of gold eyeliner." This prompts a longish pause while her mind ticks along its path. She finally addresses them all, Rasa and Shelby included,"When did you guys get back?" Upon seeing Aloke, she says,"Professor Suresh. You're looking bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning. Well. Bright-eyed anyway. Rasa is dressed in loose jeans and a long sleeved tee shirt, with a vest over the top. The shirt is white and the vest is gray with white pin stripes. Ze is wearing flip flops despite the cooler temperatures of New York. Today, hir skin is a rosy red, with floral print, hir tail peeking out uncomfortably over the top hem of hir jeans. Ze settles herself on the other side of Shelby, Sebastian taking up her other side. Ze's got a plate of eggs and sausage, with waffles, which ze is now starting to pick up and wrap around hir sausage links like a very messy bun. Om nom. "Yeah. I'll figure it out, relevant classes." Ze gives a little smile to Shane and shrugs. "I'm just glad you're here. If you did spend the entire time sleeping in the lake, however, I'd finally have to work up the nerve to try out those gills I borrowed from you. Did Peter tell you? I can wall crawl now." Then there is a teacher. Rasa straightens up, looking a little concerned that hir table manners are not befitting adult company. "Good morning." Then, "Hi, Kris." "Mnngh," is Shane's grumbled answer to Kris. Bastian is more chipper: "Hi, Kris!" It comes with a bright smile. "I bet I could find things that'd make you look /awesome/. -- we all took a train back up yesterday." Shane turns his head when the teacher greets them. He narrows his eyes at Aloke suspiciously. "Who the fuck is that?" is his first response, and his second: "He is /smoking/ hot." "Shouldn't try out gills," Bastian tells Rasa, "you'll probably die." "Yeah," Shane agrees with this, "/ours/ are a bitch to work right and, uh, we were made for 'em. I don't imagine constructing them yourself will be any kind of easy task. Have you, uh, /seen/ us try to breathe?" "It's pretty much a failure all around. You can't just make gills you have to rewire your /entire/ respiratory system and -- well, something's probably going to break. /Especially/ if you modeled it on us, ours is borked all to heck." Bastian's nose wrinkles. His gills flare. "I like your skirt," he tells Kris. Shane is eying the card Aloke has brought with equal suspicion. He /takes/ it, even if it isn't meant for him. "Please tell me," he says hopefully, "that you are the prize." "Oh my god, gimme!" Shelby forgoes manners in order to /snatch/ that card right out of Shane's hand. "Ignore him, he's a pervert," the pot says to call the kettle black. All of her energy is, thankfully, devoted to leering at the card rather than the teacher. "Oh my /god/, you were for /real/, check it out!" The timing is perfect, more and more people clustering at the table to show off too! The ginger teen waves the card at them, caught somewhere between gloating and glowing. "I'm in a real art show! A /real fucking art show/, like in /Manhattan/!" Oh, wait... "I mean, he is too. Thanks, dude," she says with a grin at Aloke. Kris sets her gold tube of eyeliner down next to the twins, an then leans over towards Shane to murmur as quietly as she can manage,"Oh. My. God. Your taste is excellent. I saw him in the art room and I couldn't stop blushing and stuttering for, like, ten minutes. You should see him use the hot tub! Here, you can keep that tube. I've got another." She straightens up a bit, addressing Sebastian now,"I might just take you up on that offer next time my parents give me clothes." Then she's sort of turning left and right to model off the skirt,"Thanks Sebastian. I was worried it was too leggy." Shelby is excited. And for Kris, that sort of excitement is contagious. She squeals, LOUD. "OH MY GOD. THAT IS SO COOL. YOU'RE GONNA BE FAME!" Well. She meant famous. English is hard sometimes. She pulls out her phone and begins to text rapidly. Probably something pervy at Sophie, knowing her. She looks over at Rasa after words,"Morning Rasa. I see you kept the tail. It works with your jeans." Someone is either crazy late to breakfast, or is returning for second breakfast. To judge by the empty mug that Holly has in her hand, the later seems more likely. She is attempting to skirt the edge of the room to make her way over to where she can get another mug of tea, only half glancing at the knot of people clustered around being all social and chattering. Aloke smirks at Kris' remark about his eyes and just smiles at her. Rather than admonish anyone for trying their abilities in new and strange ways, like growing gills for instance, he nods at Shane and says in a friendly way, "I can let a lot slide, but try to manage your language, please?" Then he smiles at Shelby. "I /said/ I'd enter it, didn't I? However, you need to understand that they only send /these/ cards to finalists. They need you to be there, because you might win." He says all this in a relatively quick clip, but its hard to hide how pleased he is with the whole thing. "So now we have to go. The judging is on Thursday." "Well, then you guys just need to not sleep at the bottom of the lake forever then," Rasa replies to all the talk of the difficulty of breathing. "Because I'll totally try it and then I'll be sleeping with the fishes too, in the more common usage of the term, apparently." Ze gobbles down some of the wafflesausage, chewing hard. Ze nods to Kris regarding the tail comment, mouth too full of food to actually say anything. Ze can't say anything about the ticket either, but ze does look at it demonstratively and lifts hir hands to wave them open palmed, with excitement, perhaps a little more theatrical than is necessary. 'Yay!' is printed on hir palms in white, more terms of excitement traveling down hir fore arms, but there is only so much a person can see with hir sleeves in the way. "Wait, are you fucking serious?" Shane /snatches/ the card right back! Because he needs to STARE at it. And then stare back at Aloke, returning the card to Shelby. "Oh my god, that's cool as hell but this guy's like a fucking --" "/Shane/," Sebastian doesn't really sound exasperated so much as just /firm/; his tone achieves what teacher-reprimand did not. Shane picks up a slice of bacon, munching on it and continuing, sans cursing: "Wicked-cool. A real art show? That is awesome, Thursday, can we /come/? I'd cheer but you don't /cheer/ at art shows apparently." "Yeah," Sebastian blushes, admitting, "we, uh, tried that at Pa's one time and, well, um. It's -- just not really done. But we'll clap. Sort of. Politely. -- Seriously I can keep this? I don't think it's too leggy -- I mean, what's /too/ leggy, you have awesome legs, if you want to be leggy be leggy." "Pretty much yeah. Woahhey you saw him in the hot tub -- NewGuy," this is apparently Aloke's name now, "you want to go in the hot tub? -- hey fuck you." OK, the no cursing only lasted so long; Shane is narrowing his eyes irritably at Rasa, now, "the fuck kind of guilt-tripping bullshit is that, I don't sleep in the lake cuz --" "-- I don't think ze meant it like," Bastian starts, in attempted pacification, although it fails to pacify because Shane is just kind of /crankily/ stabbing another piece of sausage with a claw now. "No, seriously, fuck that shit. 'Don't go live where you /need/ to live to /breathe/ or I'll /drown/ myself?' Fuck you, Rasa. I'd take my fucking gills /back/ if I could." "Guys, /GUYS/, stop being little bitches, I'm a god damned /finalist/, no one's coming if you can't act like /civilized people/!" There has not been nearly enough celebrating her good fortune for Shelby's taste. She scowls at her table mates and, when the card is returned to her, then scrambles up to get /on top of the table/. "I'm /going to fucking Manhattan to win MONEY!/" the teenager announces to the room at large, flourishing the proof. Everybody look! Attention whore at work! "...oh shit, I need snob clothes, huh?" The escalation from loud to LOUD and on tables brings Holly to a stop and a wide eyed staring next to where the tea kettle might wait. She's not even getting tea anymore, any thought of that appears to have been banished in her staring at the group at the table. Kris nods emphatically at Sebastian,"Oh totally. It's not sanitary to to share makeup too much, but once in a while, I grab an extra if I like it a lot and- Oh, hey, it's my friend Holly." When she mentions Holly, she gets THAT look, and one of THOSE blushes. She raises a hand in a wave, bouncing up and down with tray held in one hand,"Holly, come hang out! You haven't met the twins, I bet! Oh, and you gotta come congratulate Shelby and say hi to Rasa if you haven't met hir either!" She doesn't seem to mind being loud. As for Aloke in the hot tob? She just stares Shane right in the eyes and says,"Dude, everything you imagine about it? It's like three times better." She is bouncing from foot to foot in a sort of excited little dance. Then for no apparent reason, she offers Aloke a high-five. Everyone seemed stoked, so it's appropriate. Mere moments later, her hyperactive brain has her jabbering at Sebastian again,"Omigod. You really think so? Wow, best compliment ever." Rasa rolls hir eyes and shakes hir head, finishing hir bite and swallowing hard to clear hir throat. "Oh for fuck's sake, Shane. I wasn't serious and I wasn't guilt tripping you. Not intentionally. Fuck, I'd get scuba gear before I'd kill myself trying to perfect gill-breathing. And when I do try it, it'll be in shallow water where I can just cough the water out of my lungs rather than /DIE./" Ze grumps at Shane when Shelby steps in, still disgruntled. "Never said you couldn't go be where you need to be to live. Just saying I LIKE being around you so I'm willing to TRY SHIT to do so. You're the one who brought up dying in the first place." "Go fuck yourself," Shane answers this, sharply, his gills flaring rapidly as he gets to his feet. He takes his tray with him. "/Fine/ then I won't come nobody ever accused me of being fucking /civilized/ anyway." Admittedly he's not leaving /far/, but in teenager-terms an entire world away. Like, two whole /tables/ away, to go sit with Taylor and Daiki and Eloise and Karrie instead. Sebastian rubs his knuckles against his eyes. "Guys --" he starts, but then stops, apparently not deciding this time is a necessary one to exercise his powers of Shane-control. "/I/ brought up dying," he does point out meekly. Not that he isn't confused for Shane pretty much daily. He continues eating, working his way steadily through his mound of bacon and sausage. "I don't know, you need /nice/ clothes but Pa wears all kinds of /awesome/ things to his shows. Maybe you could ask him?"  He blushes, tinting a shade darker blue as he glances at Aloke. "Or, um, of course -- you could ask -- sorry, Professor, I don't, um, know your name, sir," he stammers bashfully. He opens Kris's eyeliner to dab some experimentally on the back of his hand, watching the way it glimmers on blue skin. "-- Where is it, um, /are/ we allowed to come? Cuz I -- really /want/ to. Shane -- will too." He holds up his hand for Kris's perusal. Thumbsup? Thumbsdown? Aloke, thank goodness, has completely missed the thread about the hot tub. Or at least he doesn't realize they're talking about him. All the babble of the table, and his own shared excitement for Shelby's accomplishment, it just flew by him. Kris' high five catches him off guard, and he has no reason why it's up, but he's not one to leave her hanging, even if he is the squarest art teacher ever.  He sighs at the continued cursing, but doesn't fight that battle any further today. Aloke shins his million watt smile on Bastian and extends his hand, "Hi, sorry, I should have said. Its Professor Suresh. Painting and drawing. I've been working very closely with Professor Holland lately." He turns to Shelby, "And Shelby, we can bring some friends if you want, but we can only fit 6 or so in the limo. And there will be a strict dress code, of course. Straight up formal." He shrugs, obviously happy in jeans and t-shirts, but one does what one must! "/Fine/!" Shelby shoots at Shane's retreating back. Look, her celebration has been /ruined/. She clambers back down off of the table and slumps against Bastian's side, glowering--at least until the limo is mentioned. "Holy shit, really? A /limo/. Oh man. Of course you guys are coming with me. Everyone at this table," she says, raising her voice for this remark so that those nearby can hear it. "We can totally get Jax to dress us up for it, we'll be the artiest." Holly blinks, more than a little dumbfounded as she's called out by Kris and waved at. She lifts a hand, the one not holding her still empty mug, and waves in return to Kris' greeting. To say she looks skeptical about coming to hang out would be generous. Mostly she looks a bit like a deer who finds herself on the edge of the lion exhibit. Kris waves Holly over again after getting her high-five, then turns to critique the eyeliner against the boy's skin. After a moment, she gives a thumbs up,"Totally makes you look exotic. A little like the green women on Star Trek, but kinda hotter. It works! It's more glam than silver, but it works!" She lowers her voice and murmurs at Sebastian,"I've totes got a crush on Holly, but she's like, super not-gay. We're jusst friends. Act cool if she comes over." Right. Nodnodnod. She examines Shelby briefly,"You'll need a NICE dress. It's art. It's gotta look like metal rods fly out your butt when you fart. Aloke rolls his eyes at the teen angst flying around the room. No point in poking at it in the big group. One-on-one conversations were the only way to get through to teenagers. Aloke continues to wolf down his fruit plate, and sips at his tea. He nods and smiles at Holly. "Hi Holly, join us. We don't bite." Sidelong glance at the twins. Well... SMILE. "Uhh." Holly replies to Aloke, as if considering protesting the biting comment and then takes a deep breath. She holds up her hand in a 'one sec' gesture to Kris, before turning back to get more tea. Tea surely will make this all easier. She lingers there, perhaps a tiny bit longer than is strictly necessary to pour hot water on a tea bag, before approaching the table. Slowly, one might even call it cautiously. "Hi." Rasa frowns when Shane walks off, hanging hir head a little. The food is less appealing now. Ze sighs at it and pushes it a little away, wiping hir hands off on a napkin and leaving that napkin on top of the food before quietly excusing hirself and getting up. Ze moves over to follow Shane, waiting for him to sit, slipping hir hands back inside gloves while ze waits. When ze does approach it is quietly. "Shane, Shane, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I thought the pun would be funny and didn't really think about the dying part because it wasn't in my head. Please, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to upset you or make you leave. I just... you like... puns, usually? Anyway, it was stupid and I'm really sorry." Ze brushes some hair behind hir ear and bites hir lip. "I shouldn't have gotten loud or frustrated." "Metal rods? That, um, that sounds uncomfortable," Bastian says, nose wrinkling. "I bet Jax would help you dress up super glam though. Formal /and/ awesome. You can totally be both, you don't have to be boring to look ritzy." His fingers curl in a small wave to Holly. Unlike his brother, at least, /his/ smile is small and closed-lipped, keeping his wealth of extremely sharp shark-teeth tucked out of sight. To Kris, he makes a zipping motion across his lips. SO COOL. "I'm OK with being a hot alien. Maybe I should be a -- /ohmygosh/." His eyes widen slightly. "Formal and awesome -- /Shelby/ will you come to the dance with me?" At the other table Shane's GRUMP is rapidly dissipating, because it's hard for it to /linger/ while nestling himself next to Daiki. Still, he is a master of prickling. He bristles when Rasa approaches, gills flaring. "He is a pun-/master/," Taylor agrees cheerfully, and Karrie looks /suspicious/: "Who's dying?" "Nobody's dying," Shane is quick to snap back. He chews over a piece of sausage and finally looks up at Rasa. "Look, I'm sorry, I just. Things are. I don't. It's been." He glares at his tray. "-- don't fucking die." "I dunno about metal rods, but I bet I can /totally/ pull off playing a snob for the night." Shelby demonstrates, tossing her head to send sloppy braids back over her shoulders, her nose in the air. This lasts only long enough before she's distracted--omg so much happening! Rasa's given a thumbs up as she ventures off and in the course of tracking her roommate's progress, she spies Holly. "Oh, hey, yeah, no biting at /this/ table! Grab a seat, you wanna go to an art show on Thursday? We're..." Something? She doesn't get to finish, due to blink at Sebastian--and then giving a /laugh/ as she pulls him in for a complete breaking of the PDA rules. /Kiss/! "You have to /ask/? Jesus." Kris grins brightly as Holly approaches, pointing out people in turn (even the departing-ish Shane),"Shane. Professor Suresh. Sebastian. Rasa. Shelby. Daiki. Taylor. Karrie." Then she's clapping her hands together,"Sebastian! You you totes have to go as an orion slave girl for Halloween. It'd be perfect." Then she squeals,"Omigod. That's so swear. Aaawe, you two are so cute." Then she's eyeballing Karrie and Taylor,"So, who are you two going to the dance with? You going with Hope, Taylor? What about you, Kar?" She sets her tray down FINALLY and begins shoveling food into her mouth. It's... basically like watching it get poured into a black hole. Aloke snorts and points Shelby, his mouth still full of fruit. "Oy," he manages, before choking down the moutful. "/Not/ at the table, please?" Apparently Aloke has come to terms with PDA at school, but there are limits. He stirs his tea, and just sits back a second. "Well, Shelby, its your show on Thursday, so just send me a list, and I'll get the field trip put through, ok?" "Oh, no no, it's totally okay, it makes perfect sense that it would be upsetting. I just really wasn't thinking and going to great lengths to see you in your comfortablest habit sounded like a great idea, but I swear, I would not die to do so. It would defeat the point." Rasa holds hir hands up in a sign of defeat and acceptance of responsibility. "You're my friend. Being alive with you is like one of the best things. Rasa is standing and has moved over to another table, one with Daiki, Shane, Taylor, and Karrie and is furvently making apologies to one Shane, on account of something about death. Ze is decked out in white long sleeved shirt, with a vest and jeans, black gloves on hir hands, hands wringing a little. "Ain't going to die, promise." Finally, ze sticks out a hand for a handshake. "Friends?" "Um.." Holly lingers near the table, clutching her tea mug, not actually taking a seat. "Hi." She offers a wan little smile to anyone who glances her way at the brief and no doubt about to be forgotten introduction. She turns towards Shelby and her smile turns a touch apologetic. "Uh.. I dont think an art gallery is exactly my .. thing. But hopefully Kris will take pictures?" The uptick in her voice changes it to a question, as she glances to Kris to see her reaction to the suggestion. "I.. have homework to get back to." Peter's arrival to the breakfast table is /sloooow/, maybe just because -- ohman /people/. He does arrive, though -- with a tray of fruit, blueberry waffles (DROWNED IN SYRUP), sausage, eggs, a bowl of cereal, a tiny carton of milk, and a glass of orange juice. He's clad in a soft-blue button up shirt, untucked -- black dress slacks -- and a black tie with gray stripes. Why is he wearing a tie, now? He isn't sure. Maybe this is some bizarre attempt to be FASHIONABLE. It's a clip-on anyway. Peter hesitates as he stalks the cafeteria -- sees Rasa, first, then Shane and Daiki, Taylor, and Karrie -- and slooooowly makes his way toward them. Very quietly. Maybe a little /sneakily/. "Of course we're fucking friends," Shane manages to grumble this statement of friendship like he is cranky about it. But he answers the offer for handshake with a hug instead, standing again to offer it -- tight squeeze! -- then sitting back down, backwards this time with his back to the table. "-- Taylor's going to the dance with me," he calls over to Kris in answer. "-- I am?" This is apparently news to Taylor. "Thought I was going with my girlfriend." "You can go with her, /too/," Shane is so /magnanimous/ about this. "Hey, Dai, want to go to the dance with me? I forgot that shit was even happening." Daiki just smiles, dipping his head in acceptance. "I don't dance," Karrie answers. "But I think me and El are going to go stag together. If we go stag /together/ does that count as stag? Maybe we're each other's date." She shrugs. "Shane, you can't take /everyone/ to the dance," but Sebastian doesn't sound very firm about this. He's too busy returning his kiss! And then hugging Shelby tight. SQUEEZE. "-- Of course I have to ask I mean I didn't. What if you wanted. Or /didn't/ want. I don't know, I." "Hey. B. Shel. You want to go to the dance with me?" Shane /grins/. Toothily. "Holly, fuck homework, come to the dance with me. Kris, you got a date? Rasa -- oh, you're probably with Ivan, but you can /both/ be my date?" Bastian facepalms. Shane's grin /widens/ when Peter creeps over. He snakes an arm out -- hookhookhook, trying to snag himself a PETER for hugging. "Hey. Hey, Peter. You're coming to the dance with me, right?" Shelby shoots the most innocent of looks at Aloke when the kiss ends. Of course, the effect is somewhat ruined by remaining tucked against Bastian's shoulder while she's squeezed. "Me, Rasa, Shane, Bastian, Ivan, Kris and uh..." Wait, Holly just said no. Awww. Exaggerated disappointment is mimed at the girl before she finishes with, "Peter? Holy shit, look at Pete all dressed up!" she directs Kris with a nudge of her foot. "If that's too many people, I can sit in B's lap." Innocent. SO INNOCENT. Kris plasters Holly with pouty-face when she mentions homework. POUTY-FACE. "Aaaawe. That's too bad. Well, come hang out some more if you get free, okay?" As for taking pictures,"I own a camera that I have NO idea to use." Then Shane's sort of being shane... And for some reason, this is infections to Kris. She waves a hand,"Nope, didn't have anybody until now. Sure. Can I go with Daiki to the dance, too? Hey, Karrie, you can go with me to the dance, and Peter can go with Shane and me. Oh my god, Shane. This is the BEST idea EVER. Professor, you should go to the dance with Shane. Wait, is that allowed?" Holly wrinkles up her nose at Kris' pouty face, but it doesn't seem to phase her over much and she gives a little half shrug in her reply. "Sure. Maybe." She ums softly and then mumbles to the table in general. "I.. uh.. nice to meet you all." She offers up that much polite and then flees with her tea. Aloke is going to get dizzy if he keeps rolling his (gorgeous, gorgeous) eyes like this. He sighs, "No, I can't go to the dance with Shane, or any other student, of course." He finishes his tea, picks up the empty plate, and then just -flickers-. There's a flash like a camera bulb, and then Aloke is by the trash can, dropping his stuff in, and considering a tea refill. "I /will/ be chaperoning the dance, however." Pointed look at Shelby and Bastian. Then he finally commits to reloading his tea cup. "OhheyRasa," Peter mentions as his tray hovers over a spot at Shane's table -- the conversation about the dance seemingly reminding him. "Did Ivan ask you to the -- oh--" Turns out, Peters are /pretty/ easy to snag. He flushes as he's snagged by Shane, though makes no attempt to resist being REELED IN for hugs. "I -- ohman, SHANE I don't think. You can go to the dance with /EVERYONE/," Peter insists. "I think there is -- some sort of -- rule? But um IguessIcango," he adds, tray clunking down on the table, glancing around the room, still violet. "...I think -- some girl asked me to go ask some other girl it was /very/ confusing," he -- kind of /stage/ whispers to the table. "Are you gonna go with her? She could be our date, too. But you're my date, alright? Also Dai." Shane nudges Daiki in the ribs with his elbow, by way of indication. And then continues the PDA trend, though at least his kiss to Peter is only respectably on the cheek. "-- also Kris, and Taylor, and Hope, and Bastian, and Shelby, and if I get permission from the administration then I can invite Eric too. Professor NewGuy, you should take my dad, he's chaperoning too. Also, he's wicked hot, so you'd look good together. And you're both arty so I bet you'd manage to coordinate really stylishly." Bastian's just facescrubbing again. "You can sit in my lap anyway," he murmurs to Shelby, low but with a blush anyway. "I think he /is/ going to the dance with everyone," he adds to Peter. "Yeah, but I'll give you /more/ kisses," Shane promises Peter. Taylor doesn't facepalm, he's busy eating, but he does scrub his face with a /tentacle/. "You can go with Daiki too," Shane cheerfully promises Daiki away to Kris sans consultation, although the quiet boy beside him doesn't seem to mind. "Shelby, if Pa just drives a /second/ car can we bring, like, /everyone/ to your art show? You can have a whole cheering /squad/. Or, uh --" "-- standing around politely quiet-clapping squad," Bastian says. "While daintily nibbling hors d'oeuvres." Rasa returns Shane's hug with a squeeze of hir own, still looking shorter and paler (less dark magenta, more light rose) than when ze started the morning. "Hi Peter. Um, No. Ivan did not ask yet, but I'm sure we're going. We'll go with you guys." It's pretty much a given. When Peter gets snagged, ze lifts a hand to wave as ze settles back in hir own seat with hir foods. The waffles may be calling to hir. "OH. Shelby. Since we have so many formal events, should we maybe go dress shopping? It could be a thing we could do." "I'm so there," Shelby side-whispers to Bastian, her grin answering his blush. "And sure, I guess! If everyone wants to. Shopping'd be good too, I don't really...oh, hey, do we gotta get permission to bring someone from outside to the dance? 'Cause I kinda asked Hive too," she says, brow rumpling. "He didn't really say yes or no, but..." Kris frowns at Peter. FROWNYFACE. "Wait... you're sure she wasn't asking YOU in a roundabout way? Who was she asking you to ask? Sounds like a setup." Does not trust. She also makes a frownyface when Holly departs. But this is quickly swept away in childish glee,"If Professor Suresh and Professer Jackson could have babies, can you imagine how beautiful they would be!? Aieee!" And someone's talking about dresses, too,"Shelby. I'll tell my mom I'm going with friends, she'll totally lend me the credit card for dress shopping. She tries to buy my love. It's fantabulous." Pause. Then she's scooting her tray and herself closer to Daiki so she can sort of stare dreamily at him. Perv-mode engaged. "Shane, do I bring you a bootineer, or a corsage?" She grins brightly at this developemtn, and informs Bastian,"Americans clap for hamburgers. It's a meme. That means it's true. We should bring hamburgers." Pause. "Rasa, I forgot to ask, do you prefer dresses or pantsuits for formal occasions?" Aloke goes about the tea ritual, adding another bag of Assam, and letting it steep while he stands by the food table. Then there's talk of Aloke making babies with his colleague and he just shakes his head. "Well, it sounds like we'll just need to order a bigger limo. I'll handle that. We need everyone dressed and ready to go by 6 on Thursday, ok? The car is leaving /on time/." Aloke smiles at everyone, raises his cup in salute, and ambles for the door. He calls over his shoulder, "Have a good day, everyone!" Peter, upon being kissed, turns /ultra-violet/. Well, no, just violet. But it's a pretty distinct shade of violet. He chomps on his bottom lip as Shane proceeds to extend a LITANY OF PEOPLE he is going to the dance with; when Eric's name is mentioned, Peter goes /dark/ indigo. "You are /not/ bringing -- ohmyGOD, Shane, that would be -- /terrible/," Peter announces, face descending toward his hands. He /maybe/ looks up a little when Shane mentions he will have the most kisses, but /still/. "Okay maybe there aren't rules against -- you bringing everyone but I am /pretty/ sure there are rules against you bringing -- Eric. To the school." Peter's attention briefly flickers up toward Kris, eyebrows /shooting/ up as he realizes -- oh, OH. Ohcrap. This is the person he was asked to -- "Ummmmno one but." If Shane is taking KRIS too and Shane is taking PETER, does this count as Peter taking Kris? Maybe HIS SACRED VOW has already been satisfied. "...art show? Wait who's going to -- blurgh," Peter says, as if he just chomped down on something gross. "Aren't those the things where you just stand around staring at -- like, statues and stuff? And sometimes some dude strings together a bunch of light bulbs and people pay him for it." Peter... does not have a very positive attitude re: Art. "What's wrong with bringing Eric?" Shane /frowns/. "Uh, /everything/?" Bastian answers. "-- Outside visitors need approval for dances just like for visiting. Hive's OK, though, he comes in with Pa all the time anyway cuz they train for --" He shrugs, and doesn't finish this, though he does glance over to Shane and Peter at their table of Promethean rescuees. "And he's picked us up a million times. So greenlighting him would probably just be a formality." "-- Eric's probably a shitty dancer," Shane allows, as if this is the problem with him, "but I'm fucking him, that's like," and here his arm squeezes tighter around Peter juuust slightly, "extra reason he should come to the dance with me, right?" "Shane," Daiki says mildly, "then you would bring half the mutants in New York." "-- not sure if that was a burn or a compliment," Bastian frowns uncertainly. "Compliment," Daiki informs him. "But logistically difficult. For school dances." "I'll bring /you/ a corsage. You can bring a that other thing," Shane tells Kris. /Bastian/ tells the others: "Oh my /gosh/, I would /love/ to go -- oh except I'm /kind/ of broke." "I'll spot you," Shane says cheerfully. "I think you kinda deserve something pretty. /Shelby/ has an art show," he adds. "She's kind of a big deal," Sebastian tells Peter seriously. "I /am/." What, you expected Shelby to be modest? Hell no! Grinning ear to ear, she climbs free of Bastian's embrace but bends to touch a kiss to the top of his head. "I gotta pee before class starts," La Eleganza informs the crowd at large, scooping up her backpack. "You're on with the credit card, Kris. /Score/! See you guys in a few!" And then she is off. Blessing or curse, that is left to each individual to decide. Rasa blinks at Kris's question and shrugs a bit. "Oh, I don't know. Sebastian dressed me for the last dance. He's really good at it. Whatever he decides I should wear --- if he wants to do it again, then that's what I'll wear, suit or skirt. Though, the skirt might work better with the tail." Ze looks over at Sebastian. "Oh. I can chip in too, because you're my consultant. It's very important that you get some compensation for your skills." Ze waves to Shelby when ze takes off, tucking into hir food a little faster with the impending class looming on the nearer horizon. Kris plops her chin in her hand as she watches Aloke depart,"That man is too pretty to be straight." Always the bridsmaid, never the bride. She looks over at Peter... then at Shane, then wonders,"Are you two, like, a couple? Omigod. All the cute ones are gay. It makes sense now." She smacks her forehead,"I could've had a V-8." She nods, though,"I'll get you a bootineer." Pause. "I've never been to a dance, Shane. It's my first time, so be gentle." She really has no idea the connotations that has in English. Then she's staring at Daiki again dreamily. Because. Well. Daiki. "Sebastian, I see you in something black and slinky. Or maybe something a little hippy. You have the figure for it." She seems to be letting her mind wander,"Shelby is kind of famous now. So we've gotta treat her like a big deal. Rasa, I think it would be a SHAME to pass up on a good skirt. BUT, I'm betting we could emphasize that tail with a small bit of tailoring to some pants. Professor Wagner manages and he looks ever so dapper." She really did just say dapper. When Shane mentions fucking Eric, Peter plunges /headlong/ into indigo once again, and -- yep, there goes his face into his hand, /scrubbing/. "...ohman what have I gotten myself into," he says, and it sounds kind-of-like a whimper -- but it's followed by a squeeze back on Shane's arm. "...I have absolutely no money either," Peter says, as if /just/ remembering this. And then: "Oh /crap/ I'm gonna need. A summer. Job. Summer classes /and/ a summer job oh my GOD getting napped for a month frigging /sucks/." At Kris' question, Peter blinks -- snaps up straight -- and slings a look between Shane and Kris, before, uh. He makes a little squeaking sound. Kind of desperate, kind of strangled. "I'm -- I mean, I, uh. We're--" He just turns to Shane, as if desperately hoping he will be able to give a suitable answer. Among Peter's myriad of terrible ideas, this MAY be the worst one. "Fucking," Shane supplies helpfully. Peter should /maybe/ have not let Shane answer this question. "I am chock-full of moneys, if you want to get in on this shopping thing. I mean, ok, I'm not, but I have enough for some dance outfits." "-- Oh my god, really? I thought it was just kissing." Karrie is suddenly /staring/ at Peter, wide-eyed. "I mean, I didn't think -- no offense I just figured you were the biggest virgin to ever, um." "We're --" Daiki gestures between himself and Shane, his tone quiet, "a couple. ... they can be, too." "I don't think Peter's gay," Shane adds, "if that helps. -- You're not, right? I mean around Desi you get kinda -- oh my /god/ I'm going to bring Desi, too." He punctuates this with another kiss to Peter's cheek. "I bet she'd kiss you." "What kind of summer job?" Bastian wants to know. "And /I'm/ going to ask if I can try and do make-up work to test out of having to retake classes, if you want to try too I can help you study. -- Are you going for dapper?" he shifts his attention back to Clothing. "I don't do dapper so well, /Shane/ does /dapper/ like a pro." Daiki is kind of blushing at Kris's staring, but he answers it with a small smile. Which, admittedly, only increases the gentle pull of his mutation. "Shane will be gentle," he tells her. Oh. Maybe Sebastian didn't hear Rasa. "Sebastian? Are you maybe... wanting to help me pick out clothes?" Ze stares at Bastian, doing a very good job of not being stare-face at Daiki as he starts oozing more charm. Ze finishes hir food and wipes hir face on hir napkin again. "I don't know. I'm not good at clothing. Shelby tosses things at me in the morning to wear." Kris lets out a soft 'oh'. Then after a minute looks around, and asks Peter,"Then... wanna get a bite later? 'Cause wow if having the sex thing out of the way doesn't take a metric ton of pressure off." She finds sex to be kinda scary, clearly. Right. She peers at Shane, then,"Do... do you have crazy super shark pheremone powers?" Pause. "That's a thing, isn't it?" Then Karrie states her suppositions about Peter's virginity, and so dives in 'to the rescue',"Oh. Noooooo. /I/ am probably the biggest virgin, like, ever." Pause. "Peter, do you know how to answer a phone politely? Or stand very patiently?" She seems to be contemplating SOMETHING very hard. So she lets her gaze skip over to Daiki again,"You know you're really pretty, right?" She asks Shane,"Does he have mutant butterflies-in-the-tummy powers? Wait, you just wear whatever you're given? Don't you enjoy experimenting?" "Ohmy/GOD/," Peter exclaims at Shane's announcement. FACE. IN. HANDS. "OhmyGOD ohmy/GOD/." Karrie's exclamation is just met with another 'Ohmy/GOD/', followed by -- a tiny lift of Peter's head over his fingers, aimed at Karrie. "...notanymo-- ohmy/GOD/." Back to his hands. "Shane you are the /terriblest/ of terribles." When Shane mentions Desiree, and kisses Peter's cheek again -- well, indigo shows no signs of fading. "Ohmy/GOD/ I'm not -- she -- nngghugh. I saved her little sister and brother from a fire once," he offers, /DEJECTEDLY/, as if this will somehow UNDO the swelling wave of embarassment he is now experiencing. "Probably -- I don't know," Peter admits to Bastian's question about a job. "...whatever I can find, I guess. I mean -- is it harder if you -- nngh. The skin thing -- do people not hire you? I don't even know. But, um, yeah -- testing out -- that seems like a good idea. Holycrap I really don't want to retake all these courses over the /summer/--" Peter looks up at Kris, and: "...uh. Eat? Se--pressure?" He's avoiding the /S/ word. "I know how to answer phones, yeah. I guess. I guess I could. Answer phones. If that's a job. People get. And yeah, Daiki has. I think his power is that everybody likes him." Peter gives Daiki a weak smile, as if to confirm this. HELLO DAIKI, PETER LIKES YOU. "What?" Shane actually genuinely looks startled at Peter's reaction, flinching slightly when Peter says he is the terriblest. "I mean, we /did/, did you not -- oh god did you not /want/ to?" Now he looks kind of /incredibly/ horrified: "You /seemed/ like you really --" "-- Shane, I think he just didn't want you blurting it out in the great hall," Bastian says with a crinkle of his nose. Shane goes from horrified to confused. "-- but. It's. I mean, we. Why?" Now he seems just genuinely uncertain; his hold on Peter goes from tight squeeze to gentle one, and the look he tips up towards the other boy is puzzled. "Is that not -- are people not -- supposed to -- know?" "I'd love to help you pick out clothes," Sebastian says to Rasa. He's keeping half his attention on Peter and Shane, with a slight flutter of gills and a fidget, but he smiles at Rasa. "I think it'll be fun. Fun will be -- that'll be nice." And then, kind of sadly: "... yeah. Um. People won't -- won't hire you. /Some/ people will but -- not many. It'll be -- /really/ hard, sorry." "He does have mutant butterflies powers," Shane remembers to add to Kris. Which, for some reason, makes Daiki look kind of -- a little sadder. His head dips in acknowledgment. "Thank you," he says softly. "Though my ability makes you think I am more attractive than I am. Everybody likes me. Most people have no choice. I am very -- charismatic." He does not say this like bragging. Just like a soft statement of fact. "I do not do it intentionally; my apologies." His eyes lower to his tray. "-- You saved them? I had not heard. That sounds --" Here his lips curve into a small smile again. "Like a good reason for a kiss." "Why pressure?" Bastian wants to know. "Have sex if you want to have sex. Don't have sex if you don't." "Thanks, Bastian." Rasa gets up with hir plate in hand. "I think I will go pee, too." A little too bright, ze slips from the table with a small wave. "I'll text you guys a time to meet, maybe, and we'll talk about dresses and other sundry for dances and arts." Ze heads off. Kris wrinkles her nost at Peter. "Yeah. Eat. Like teenagers sometimes do. I'm totally a basket-case about sex, so knowing you're getting yours taken care of is like, totally a load off my mind. I know boys want sex, and that's a weird subject for me." She flips a hand dismissively,"Mom needs a jewelry model, and dad needs someone to answer phones at the practice, do some data entry, etc. I thought maybe you could do one of those." She ponders something rather visibly, then says,"That's not contingent on anything, by the way." Job, no strings attached! She frowns at this point,"Shane... a lot of people aren't as... open about their sex-lives. And Peter might not've wanted people to know he was a little gay, even though he's not ashamed of it. It's like how I don't go around telling people my birth name Was William or that my middle name is Darwin." Then she just kind of stares stupidly into the distance for a moment,"Except for when I do. Like just now." She pushes her tray aside and thumps her forehead into the table. "Please ignore my brain vomit." As for Daiki, she offers helplessly,"I pretty much like everyone, to be fair. I don't know if that helps." She waves after Rasa,"Looking forward to it, Rasa!" "Ohn--" Peter squirms in response to Shane's shock, and his horrified question; his face /burns/. When Bastian explains, and Shane responds with confusion, Peter coils an arm around Shane's waist, just beneath the table. And /squeezes/, hard, in response to Shane's gentle grip. Before -- with a meek, maybe-terrified glance around the entire room, he gives Shane a quick darting peck on the lips. "No, no, it was -- I mean --" Peter just shoves his head besides Shane's and starts, well, whispering: "It was /wonderful/ oh my, God. It was -- the most /wonderful/ thing I've /ever/ --" Peter pulls back, his fervent whispering bleeding into something louder as he does. "--just, uh, just. I just, it's, really hard for me to be -- open about this stuff, I--I'm not /used/ to it. I just -- I'll get used to it. I'm sorry this is, all really weird for me, but--I'll get used to it." Peter's attention flickers over to Daiki, at his description of his powers, something sad and thoughtful drifting over his face. The last statement prompts a tilt of his head, though. "--huh? Oh. Huh yeah I guess -- I mean I wouldn't, just, /ask/, or--" Another hard squeeze around Shane's waist. He looks to Kris, /still/ indigo. He's probably going to stay indigo for a while. "I -- okay? I mean. Wait, what? I -- are you asking if I want to hang out?" Peter suddenly looks very nervous. "...wait did you think if we hung out I was gonna want -- oh /man/ I'm, uh, I'm cool just hanging out with people I mean..." "Not all boys want sex," Bastian says, sort of quietly down to his diminishing tray of meat. He flashes Rasa a smile as ze leave. "See you!" Shane is still looking confused, but the /horror/ leaves at Peter's whispering. "Oh -- oh." He relaxes against Peter's side, looking /immensely/ relieved. "OK. Good. I don't. Always. Sorry, it just. I don't get -- I mean people are -- I didn't know I wasn't supposed to." He spears a piece of sausage at the end of one claw, chomping on it. "You don't need sex to hang out, there's /loads/ of hangouts without sex," Bastian says this with a faint blush, a crinkle of his nose. "And Peter is lots of fun to hangout with. Just, um, try to. Not. Get kidnapped or anything. For at least a week OK?" "At least a few days, anyway. Not till after the dance. Your middle name is /Darwin/?" Shane considers this thoughtfully. "Huh. I guess you are pretty adaptive." Kris wrinkles her nose at Peter. "I was going to ask you to the date thing, but the hanging out thing was WAY less pressure, you know? I don't do pressure well. I usually end up wanting to stab or shoot the source of it." Frown. "Why do I keep blurting things out loud like that. It just makes me seem psychotic." More frowny-face occurs. She thumbs a chin in her hand,"I'm taking up paintball. Anyone else into it?" "Then those boys are extra sweet. It just seems that they do whenever I watch tv." TV. As a guide to western culture. "They have so much of it on One Tree Hill and Desperate House Wives." She sneaks an extra piece of bacon, then assures Bastian,"Anyone tries to kidnap us, I will nuke the crap out of them." Still, Shane hones in on her middle name,"Yeah... when they filed the name change papers, I kept it because I didn't want my birth father to feel bad since I was named after him." "Ohmy/God/, social stuff is hard," Peter seems to decide this -- best summarizes whatever Shane is trying to express. There is another squeeze, though. "Darwin? Wait your middle name is Darwin?" At Kris mentioning asking Peter to the 'date thing', well, has it been mentioned that Peter is indigo? Because he is still indigo. "...yeahum. I think a friend of yours --" Peter is /terrible/ at secrets. "...I mean, uh. Paintball is fine. I guess I'm going to the dance. I don't know how to dance. I -- I've never even been on a /date/ holycrap. This is all just, really surreal, I mean -- I guess a year ago I didn't even /have/ friends." "TV is a terrible way to learn about people," Bastian says with a wrinkle of his nose, "I tried that, it went /all/ wrong." "Paintball is awesome. Go paintball. Oh my /god/," Shane suddenly looks at Peter, wide-eyed, "Paint all /over/ you would look freaking /incredible/ you are like the best paintball canvas all of a sudden, you and Taylor should --" "No," Taylor answers, right away. Shane hmphs. "Social stuff is hard," Sebastian agrees, but it's very quiet, almost to himself from the next table over. "And I don't think you sound psychotic." "I think it's kind of crazy not to get sort of angry sometimes." Shane shrugs a shoulder, and glances downward; his fingers trace against Peter's arm where -- there might not be injuries /now/ but his fingers have gotten used to tracing their path in recent weeks /anyway/. "The world's kinda infuriating sometimes." "Pa could teach you how to dance," Bastian suggests to Peter. "He's great at it." "How could you not have friends?" Shane seems genuinely surprised by this. "You're one of the nicest people I've ever /met/." Kris makes a face,"Oh my God. Why do people keep saying my middle name? Maybe I SHOULD have it changed. Just so I don't ever have to hear it. I don't really see the point though. I found out recently that in the US, I'll never legally be female. You have to have your status changed in your birth jurisdiction and they don't grant them in the Philippines unless you have adrenal hyperplasia." She makes a very grumpy face now. Moving along, she shoves more bacon in her mouth. Omnomnom. "You ever want to try a date, ask me or Shane. We're pretty awesome company. And we both like to eat, so we'd probably be pretty easy to please dates. Also, you know we already find your company tolerable." She pops some hashbrowns in her mouth too, and chews noisily. Then she swallows,"So, you cool with answering phones? If so, I'll call dat, get you hooked up with a summer job. Just don't fuck me over and do a bad job, okay? I don't think you would. But just in case, don't." She nods at Shane, though, apparently latching on to something he said,"I still get angry. Sometimes for no reason. The trick is, I control it now." Peter /peers/ over at Taylor as Shane implicates them both in -- paint-ball? But when Taylor states 'No', Peter wriggles his nose and smiles. Maybe silently agreeing. But, when Shane traces his fingers along the place where his injuries once were, Peter suddenly mentions: "...I kinda miss -- um, the scars. Is that weird? I wanted to keep the --" He tenses, gnawing on his lip. "...bite-mark. Scar. Oh," Peter adds, looking up to Sebastian. "Could he? I, uh. I'd have to learn /fast/, but I am kind of good with learning movement stuff quick." At Shane's question, well. Peter gives him a sheepish little smile: "...I was -- I kinda /am/ -- a spaz, I guess? But everyone here's really spazzy so it, I don't think people notice it here much. Ivan was my first real friend. Then, all of you guys, and just. It hasn't even been a year and /everything/ is so different, now. Better, I think," he adds, that last sentence -- kind of a slow, careful after-thought. "Yeah, better." "...I, uh, /legally/ female?" Peter asks, clearly confused by this idea. "...oh, um. A date. I guess, I, um. Maybe," he adds, a little softer, thinking. "I don't know I mean you go on dates to -- get to know people, right? Or maybe to just have fun. I could, enjoy just having, like, fun. For a while," Peter says. "Oh, yeah, I can answer phones, I mean -- I wouldn't -- uh, F you over." Cursing is /still/ something Peter's not really. Acquainted with. "Not true," Shane tells Kris, "I mean, insofar as there /is/ any way to say what your legal gender /is/ in the fucking US, there's so many different --" "-- Yeah, it, mmm, kind of -- varies a lot by state? But I guess /federally/ you'd be talking about social security or your passport and neither of those depend on birth certificate information." Sebastian has finally finished his tray of food. "Though one of them does depend on surgery, I forget --" "-- Social security," Sebastian cuts in to supply; Shane continues as seamlessly as if he had not paused in the first place, "-- And doing your /state/ ID is even easier. So -- you really don't have to talk to the Phillipines at all." "We could bite you again if you want," Shane offers, "this time without the --" Sebastian's smile fades. His claws scrape against his empty plate. "It's good," he says carefully. With a /sudden/-sharp return of his smile. "To control it. That's good. And I'm not. Biting him. Again." He gets up quickly. "Class is soon." Shane nuzzles against Peter's neck. "/I'll/ bite you," he says, quietly. "And you go on dates for whatever reason. Fun is a good one." Kris wrinkles her nose at Peter,"You know... most girls would be insulted by that statement, I think. But... I AM pretty spazzy, I guess. And so are most of us." She keeps nodding, though, a blush suffusing her face,"Yes, Peter. Legally female. Because I'm biologically... not a girl. I'm... uh... trans." Lots of blushing alright. "Anyway, yeah. Let ONE of us take you out on a date." As for her birth certificate? She heaves a big sigh,"It's... The birth certificate... I know it's just a piece of paper, but it's... it's a big one, to me. I know all the other stuff can be change, but that... little piece of paper means a lot. At least in New York, my state-issued id will be easy, though, you're right." Pause. "The best reason is that you WANT to go on a date. Anyway... may you should bit him a little? It might be kind of hot. Is it wrong that that sounds hot? My brain is a little odd sometimes." Then she looks at Daiki and says,"Then you bite him." Peter listens to the sharktwins go on about the legal gender issue with wide-eyed surprise; like wha-WHOA apparently this /is/ a thing? He listens, quiet-but-curious. When Shane offers BITINGS, Peter flushes; when Sebastian responds with PLATE-SCRAPE and insistence on no-biting, Peter frowns just a little, peeking at Sebastian with concern. But then there's neck-nuzzling and Peter is, suitably distracted, trying not to grin. "...ummaybe. I mean --" Is he commenting on bitings? Or dates? Maybe both. Peter squeezes Shane's waist, fingers digging. "--would have to be careful," he adds, voice very quiet, but humming with a barely-contained manic energy. "Oh," Peter responds, to Kris' explanation, eyebrows furrowing together. "Oh, huh, I guess -- I just don't know a lot about -- that kind of stuff. Um. Is it okay if I -- would it be weird if I think of you as a girl?" he asks. "I mean -- I think -- Rasa, she -- ze? I mean, I thought it was /so/ weird at first but I just kind of, got used to it, because Rasa is like /whatever/ and I guess--" Peter's eyebrows crumple in thought. "...could we go, like -- as a group? I /used/ to think dates had to be like two people but, holycrap, /everything/ here is so weird--I mean, I don't mean, /you/ guys are weir--" Peter begins, glancing around the table, as if afraid. But then, EYEBROWS crumple and Peter's mouth goes straight: "Actually yeah I'm sorry I mean not to be mean or anything but you're all--/we're/ all--/really/ weird." "Daiki is /not/ biting him," comes -- actually in an /immediate/ and forceful synchronized /chorus/ from Shane and Bastian and Karrie all at /once/, even as Daiki, more quietly, says: "That would probably be unwise." "Yeah, I get -- get that. That it's a big -- deal with your birth certificate. It just -- won't matter in a /legal/ sense, here, in the US, but it'll still matter to you," Shane acknowledges. "I just -- in case you didn't know the rest we --" "-- I mean, we looked into it a lot," Bastian admits kind of shyly, his cheeks flushing darker, "cuz I wanted to see what it would take for me to --" He shakes his head, looking downward and fidgeting at the tray in his hands. He glances between Peter and Kris, a slight smile curling on his lips. "Dates don't have to be two people," he says. "Relationships don't have to be two people." Daiki has been finishing some homework while he finishes breakfast, but now he speaks up again. "Many people's are not. It is commonly accepted but -- here we are many things that are not commonly accepted." "We're weird as fuck," Shane says with a grin. "But if it's not hurting anyone and you're happy with it do whatever the fuck you like." His mouth closes gently against Peter's shoulder, teeth pressing lightly against shirt-fabric. "I'll totally bite you again." Oh. Oh! She looks like she might cry a little! She doesn't though. She just sort of sniffles for a moment, then laughs, and shakes her head,"Actually, I get really upset if people think of me as anything BUT. You're uh... Really sweet to ask. Anyway, yeah. I'm weird. I'm okay with that. And I don't mind going as a group if Shane doesn't. I've learned over the years that conventional definitions of life and affection are... dubious at best. You've gotta find what... works and make it stick." Biting Shane is unwise? She shrugs and offers merely that in response. They know better than she. "You know, Bastian... I'm seeing Dr. McCoy for my Hrt. He thinks he can do a better job for me than a standard doctor. Or, if that's not your thing... Well, like I said, mom likes to buy my love, and I hate going shopping alone." Suddenly, she complains, for no apparent reason,"Oh. My. God. Kai and I got started talking about horse meat, and now I WANT some. People in this country act like you're awful when you say that though. So many hang-ups." Peter /peers/ at Bastian, head tilting with curiosity. "...oh /man/, did you--?" Instead of actually finishing this question, Peter just -- /flushes/, a bit. And then there's a Shane-bite, and Peter /squeaks/, before adding -- /very/ quietly: "...m-maybe, um. After, classes? Um, a little?" Sinking into his chair, as if afraid of being overhead. "...oh, yeah, I don't think." Peter swings a nervous glance toward Shane and Sebastian. "...I don't think there are a lot of hang-ups here about--" Peter turns back to his food. EATING. Rapidly. Chew, chew. "...would be fine with, like, a date I mean. Something fun. I, uh, /really/ enjoyed Georgia." Peter's foot proceeds to secretly nudge Shane's. But then, his eyes flicker up to the clock. "...hoyeah I have class soon /too/." "We eat fucking everything," Shane says, "but the horses in the stables are all, like, people's pets, so you'd have to talk to someone about getting some in that nobody's attached to." He shrugs. Bastian shakes his head to Peter's question. "Me? No, I'm still a -- well, legally a boy. I just I don't know if --" He doesn't finish this, either. "I think we all have class soon." He smiles at Kris, warm but brief. "I'll see what we can do about horse-meat." He doesn't answer the question about hormones. Just shoulders his backpack and smoothes out his skirt and takes his empty tray off to be washed. Shane tucks his leg in against Peter's, for a moment at least. "After classes," he promises, "but we should all -- oh /fuck/ what is happening to me am I suggesting going to class? Fuck this, I'm going to go smoke." He presses a /firm/ kiss to Peter's temple, then echoes this for Daiki. "Go to class, Shane," Daiki says, amused. Shane /sighs/, so longsuffering. But: "OK," he says meekly. "Maybe this weekend we can have a date. I mean /beside/ the dance." Since he's taking /all/ the dates to the dance. "When did I go from a dud to a playerette?" She tries to lean back and 'look' cool. "Oh. My. God. You two are so cute together. I'm going to take a billion pictures at the dance. Of both of you." She eyeballs Shane and Bastian, then gives a thumbs up to Sebastian,"I'd appreciate that. You know how it is... once you get a taste for something... Well, it's more tender and leaner, you know?" She gets up with her tray to get more food, and throws a parting shot behind her,"Oh my god. You are all going to look so pretty dressed up." Babblebabblebabble. At this point, it's doubtful whether it matters if she's got anyone to listento her.