ArchivedLogs:Perks of the Job

Perks of the Job
Hot tubs, cookies, and ice cream
Dramatis Personae Mallory, Teddy, Thomas
In Absentia	2014-05-18 Getting to know new colleagues
Location <XS> Teachers' Lounge
Running a school for mutant teenagers just taking control of their powers is not an easy job, and the teachers at Xavier's deserve a place to come and relax. This lounge is their place to come and de-stress, and it does not skimp for relaxation. The room is elegant and luxurious, plush couches making up the seating in the lounge and a glossy glassy bar wrapping around one wall, well-stocked with alcohol (and perpetually fresh-brewed coffee, for those so inclined.) A large-screen high-def television hangs on one wall, stocked with about as many movies and games as the childrens' rec room upstairs. High bookshelves hold a wealth of books. The fridge here is always well stocked, and the cook is always willing to make deliveries down to this level. Far in the back, a hot tub is submerged into the floor, for still more unwinding. More days than not, there's some variety of snacks to be found on perched on an end of the bar -- quite often in the form of fresh-baked desserts. The end of the semester is fast approaching, and although the weather is increasingly pleasant, many find themselves inside and at work. The TV is on, some television show analyzing Dan Brown's Angels and Demons, the volume down low enough to be dismissed easily. A tray of snacks have been left on the table in front of the sofa, at least one small plate's worth missing from the collected treats. That would appear to be the case for Mallory, settled in atop one of the bar-stools, bent over her work. As it is the weekend, she is dressed in a relaxed manner, wearing a pair of black yoga pants that do not fully mask the unusual anatomy of her unguligrade legs. She wears a dark blue t-shirt with a cheery cartoon bright blue Police Box on the front, with the words 'Come Travel With Me' in equally blue letters around it. Her long hair is pulled back into a simple braid that falls nearly to the base of her tapered, dark red-skinned tail. A black thermos with 'Got Books?' is closed in front of her, far enough away to allow for her to have spread out her work in front of her. At first it may look like grading work, but closer inspection would reveal a stack of envelopes and invitations, a stack of wedding magazines hidden guiltily beneath a pile of innocuous looking folders. All of this has been pushed aside in favor of a paperback novel. Mallory herself has her right elbow propped onto the bar, her hand holding on to the dark, curling horn on that side, fingertips drumming against the base of the horn while she reads. Making his way into the teachers lounge with an energy bar hanging half eaten from his mouth, Thomas is looking over a tablet screen and a printed out stack of papers as he enters the room without much attention at first. His twin may be picking up some unfortunate chemical equation feedback in the meanwhile as he sets the things down on the counter top before looking up at the television. "Well that's a lot of drivel. Isn't there something better on?" he says with a grin to his twin, being rather the opposite in dress as he still has on a button up shirt and slacks whether or not it is the weekend. Refilling the electric kettle and setting it to boil again, he preps a cup for tea making as he settles on a stool. "I'm making some good progress on that armor thing. I should be able to synthesize some prototypes to test out soon. Well, at least once the semester is over." "Oh damn, check out these digs," a bass voice sounds from the doorway, like a boulder rumbling in a barrel full of woodsmoke. It belongs to a mountain of a man who fills up most of the doorframe width-wise and looks as if he could have stepped out of some Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom special, big and burly and dressed in jeans and boots and a flannel shirt thrown over a gray tee. And rocking a full beard that didn't quite get the memo that beards are only for chins, with wisps of hair running down his neck to meet his chest. Teddy moves inward, his momentum driven by his broad shoulders and broad chest, though since it is May, he's a bit trim for his heavy frame. Muscled and lean. Still big. "'Sup," he greets the other occupants. Very eloquent. "How's it going?" The newest teacher is afoot. Mallory doesn't actually look up when Thomas enters, wincing at the chemical equations shared via their link and slipping a bookmark into her paperback and closing it, resting her folded hands on top of it momentarily. "I was not paying much attention to it," Mallory admits, her quiet voice warm and soft as she speaks, crisp Oxford accent matching Thomas's when she responds to him, "Feel free to change it around if you would like, I just had it on for background noise." When Teddy speaks from the doorway, Mallory looks up, entirely black eyes fixed on the new teacher, amused smile on her wine colored lips. "I had roughly the same reaction to the lounge when I first arrived. It is quite impressive," she agrees, laughter in her voice, "Well enough, I suppose. And you?" "Maybe after the tea is ready. I wasn't planning on watching it much anyway," Thomas says as he pours the boiling water over the closed spoon full of tea. Looking towards the incoming large man, Thomas raises a brow then smiles slightly to himself. "I presume you have heard all of the lumberjack and Paul Bunyan jokes in your life already, just as we have heard all the demonic ones. Welcome to the teachers lounge," says the British grey demonic looking fellow. "Doing well before our souls are once more destroyed in grading finals. But for now, a small weekend break for our own tasks." Taking his tea cup over towards his sister's table, he pushes a stray wedding magazine out of the way to sit his cup down. "Man, the last place I was subbing--" Teddy says, hooking a thumb over a shoulder absently, as if that last place was just down the hall or something, "--they put in a water cooler and that was, like, /the/ height of luxury for those guys." Already starting to grin about that memory, the mention of Paul Bunyan jokes just gets a laugh out of him, drumming up from deep in his chest, and showing off that his pearly whites have some over-large canines in the mix. "Right? Guess I don't help myself. But flannel shirts are damned comfortable, you know?" Lumbering over their way, he sticks out a meaty hand Mallory's way first for a shake, since ladies first. "Wyatt Welker. But most people just call me Teddy. And good luck with grading. I don't get started till summe--wait is that legit a hot tub over there?" Mallory glances sidelong at her brother, her smirk expanding into a smile that shows off her own pointed canines in the process, his mention of lumberjacks earning a mental refrain of Monty Python's music from Mallory, << He's a lumberjack and he's okay... >> and an instantaneous wave of guilt at that thought. "Ah yes, the ever present appearance stereotypes," Mallory chuckles, shuffling the wedding magazine further out of Thomas's way, "Always fun. Messed up more than one outfit because someone doused me with holy water." She grins at the watercooler comment. Accepting his handshake with a firm grip, her hands beyond feverishly warm but quite soft, she introduces herself, "Mallory Winthrop. A pleasure to meet you, Teddy." The interrupted statement earns a hearty laugh and a gesture towards the back of the room, "Yes indeed - state of the art hot tub just for teachers to use. Apparently deep enough that even Hank can sink into it comfortably." Thomas's smile slips slightly before recovering, a mental snicker going across to his sister. <<See, and that is why I wasn't going to have us go there.>> Accepting Wyatt's handshake, his own hand even warmer than his sister's, he inclines his head. "Thomas Winthrop. We're twins, though I imagine that the siblinghood was mostly evident despite the difference in hues." He shrugs and takes a sip of his tea, glancing over towards the hot tub as well. "Though speaking of Hank sinking into it, I would advise making sure that the water has been skimmed afterwards. At least he does not work in the kitchens, I do not think there are enough hair nets in the world for him." Though he can't compete on the warmth factor, Teddy's hand does kind of engulf near anybody's when he gives them a shake, and after Mallory, he does so with Thomas. "Mallory. Thomas," he repeats each in turn, largely to help commit the names to memory, although it never hurts to check pronunciation. Not that their names are particularly difficult or anything. He American accents the hell out of them, though, of course. "Twins? That's cool you guys get to work together. Although, you know, honestly, I dunno if I'd be happy with having one of my siblings around, or if I'd wind up throttling 'em after the first week." A grin shows with that, since he's mostly kidding. Mostly. "Now I know where I'm spending /my/ free time," he says, admiring the hot tub some more. While he's trying to place the name Hank with the right person. He dings on it with the combo of, assumably, big and hairy. And he laughs at that, scratching absently at the side of his neck. "Hell, I got nothing on him, but I don't think I'm all that much better." << Uh huh. And that's why you get to hear it now. It's stuck in my head. Thanks >> Mallory snarks back at Thomas, leaning back against the bar to make herself more comfortable, her long tail curling around the base of the bar stool to keep out of the way. "Yes, Thomas, the last name was completely not a give away in the least," Mallory snorts, grinning in amusement, though she nods in confirmation that Teddy has gotten the names right. "Twins, yes," Mallory says, her expression momentarily shadowed, as Thomas gets a seemingly non-sequitor glimpse of a scene in the medlab, a sonogram image displaying twins, though the overshare is quickly squashed with a mental apology. "It isn't that bad having him around, most times," Mallory grins broadly, chuckling, "Don't see him near as often as you'd think, since he all but lives in his lab. So not /quite/ as tempting to throttle. Not that it would be very effective." She chuckles and shakes her head at the thought of fur in the pool, shrugging, "I don't think it is that much of a concern - fair certain there are filters for such things. But the hot tub is a rather popular way to unwind around here. You'll be in good company." Mallory grins, glancing back towards it, finally taking a sip of her tea from her thermos, "Not my cup of tea, I'll admit." <<Which means, by proxy, it will be in My head until I'm out of range, >> Thomas thinks back with a mental sigh. "There are other reasons why a man and a woman might have the same last name. I'd prefer the proper reason be known," he says blandly at the sibling snark. <<What was that image? Why sonograms?>> He does stick his tongue out like a proper brother as more sisterly affection is heaped upon him. "Some of us are busy trying to figure out how to prevent their relations from ending up with bullet holes in them thank you very much." Hmping he sips his tea with a tad bit of grump. "There is a hot tub on the back porch too. But then there are students to worry about sharing it with. Here at least you'll get some desserts too." "Man, if I'd had access to a hot tub growing up, I never would have gotten out of it. That's like the ultimate 'screw you, Alaskan winters, I ain't dealing with you' or something." He totally does not look like he's from Alaska at all, does he? Nope, not at all. Way to perpetuate a stereotype, Teddy. As his itch apparently migrates, he starts scratching at his chest, just as absent as before. "Bullet holes, huh? Is that a problem around these parts?" Mention of food, though, grabs his undivided attention. "Desserts?" he asks, even as snuffs in a healthy sniff of the air and then leans a bit to the side to get a better view of the tray of snacks by the sofa with bright-eyed interest. << Serves you right. Enjoy the repetitive musical selection. >> Mallory snerks, grinning brightly at the banter and shouldering him in sisterly affection. There is a decided mental flinch at the question explaining hurriedly with some embarrassment to Thomas, << Strangely vivid dreams lately, apparently shared, by several individuals. That was... part of the dream. It has just been a bit of a recurring element. Apologies for that, but I can explain more, later. >> There are further snippets in rapid fire, strangely realistic and decidedly not on fire for her dreams, offered apologetically. Outwardly, despite all this conversation that occurs between Thomas and herself, there is no indication of any of this. "Uh huh. I greatly appreciate the effort - though I don't think I'm the only one that will benefit from the armor you're working on," Mallory shrugs with a chuckle, keeping up with the conversation, "And my understanding is that it is not an entirely /uncommon/ problem around here for some, but not all. It has been known to happen on occasion, though." One manicured eyebrow raises at the mention of Alaskan winters, "Alaska? I don't mind the cold, but even I would have some issues with that level of cold." Another gesture towards the coffee table between the sofa and the TV, stacked with a pleasant mix of healthy and unhealthy treats - a plate of various cookies, a bowl of Easter candy still lingering around, some little crackers with cheese spread and many other things, "Yup. Desserts and then some." << Alright. Still weird. >> Thomas thinks back, then nods to Teddy's question concerning bullet holes. "There's more need of it here than I would have hoped. Lets just say the medical staff here have seen weird cases enough." Taking the chance to change the television over to the science channel where Morgan Freeman is describing black holes, he settles back again. "I don't think it's the cold that would be our issue. And we're from Britain, so not seeing the sun for months wouldn't be too odd either. But I think I'd prefer certain other places anyway." He nods at Mallory's list of food stuffs. "One of the cooking slash art teachers likes to bake things so they end up all about for consumption. Better than the student's cooking attempts from what I have heard though." "You get used to it," Teddy mentions of the cold, even as he beelines it for the coffee table. A deep but faint appreciative grumble of a sound escapes him, a little more animal than man in nature, while he looks over the choices. He winds up just picking up the entire plate of cookies and stuffs one in his maw to munch on. It doesn't exactly last long. "I've never been to Britain," he says, once he's swallowed. "Kind of a far cry from where I'm from. But then, I guess just about everything is, ha." Another cookie is selected and rapidly disappears. "How long you guys been out this way? D'you like it here?" Mallory nods in agreement, to numerous things in the conversation, sipping her tea. She crinkles her nose at the choice of channels, but keeps her distaste for herself - the quiet undercurrent of Monty Python songs still coloring her thoughts. "You get used to the rain and dreariness in England, especially when it is really all you have known," Mallory agrees, chuckling at the growling sound, "I've never been to Alaska, myself. Though the list of places I've been to in my life is decidedly short." The last questions earn a thoughtful look from Mallory, chewing on her lower lip for a moment, "It's been nearly a year now. We were both hired, separately, no less, last June. Feels like considerably longer, considering all that has occurred in that time." Smiling brightly again, she nods, "It is a good school, with good people. Not exactly normal, or peaceful sometimes, but all things considered, this is a great place to work and live." "I miss the food honestly. There are just certain candies that it's harder to get over here, and the television at least there is some of the stuff broadcast over. I can't say that reality television Ought to exist." Thomas says shaking his head. "But yes, this place is nice. Though there are problems that have shown up here that have been so weird. Like plague, and well that crazy guy who assaulted the school with his horde," he says with his face trying to hold back emotions, though Mallory gets to relive sublime's suffocation. "But, well, it has its hooks in me." Teddy nods at the mention of rain and dreariness, munching on another cookie, as it lines up with what he knows thanks to books and TV. "You should check it out sometime, if you like the outdoors. Beautiful country. But I'm not biased or anything," he says, flashing a toothy grin. "Yeah, I heard the chocolate is way better over there. Is that right? Like fifty kinds of Cadbury eggs and stuff like that." He tips his head to give a considering look to the leftover Easter candy out of the corner of his eye, but decides to continue on with the cookies, instead. He's not exactly slowing down on them, either. "Never thought I'd land a permanent gig at a private school out this way, to be honest. Some people don't think I look like I'd be that great around kids," is said with a smirk. "And then, you know, the rest of it. I heard a little about that dude. Sounds wild." "Sometimes I do miss the food, despite the stereotypes of it being bland and flavorless," Mallory says with a smile, shaking her head, "But there is just something about good pub food that doesn't quite get translated over here. And the candy is a great deal more varied." She chuckles, mentally sharing an old image with Thomas, of the pair raiding Easter candy baskets as children, gorging on the wide variety of tasty chocolate - perhaps as a soothing memory to overpower the memory of Sublime's defeat, perhaps as a way to mask her own emotions about the plague. "I can't say Alaska has crossed the list of places to visit, but I'd consider it. The outdoors can be quite pleasant," Mallory muses, grinning at the thought, and avoiding over-sharing where that train of thought goes. "Hah. I was incredibly shocked when I was offered the position here. I had hopes of getting some sort of work as a librarian in a local library. I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd actually be able to teach, let alone at an institution like this one," Mallory laughs out loud, running a hand idly along the curl of one of her horns, "I don't exactly look like the sort one would typically trust with children, either, I suppose." Thomas smiles at the shared memory and nods abit to himself. "I am in the outdoors about as much as you would consider a football pitch the outdoors, or a nice garden," and as if to emphasize the point he points his shoe out from underneath the table showing the wingtip shoes he is wearing. "I had been planning on a university, but this worked out fairly well. Not quite the same funding for experiments and grants, but I don't have to wear a dozen layers of stage makeup every day just to teach a lesson," he says with a smile. "And it worked out well enough. I wouldn't have been able to see my sister quite as much, and the mutant registration laws, while properly crap here, aren't as bad as at home." Taking a seat on the sofa, angled so he can still be conversational, Teddy continues on with his cookie scarfing, more than half the plate decimated by now. Considering that even a kid with a horrible sweet tooth probably would have stopped by now, he must not have what's considered a usual appetite or metabolism. Because really, so many cookies. "I'm a fan," he says of the outdoors, grinning at the obviousness of the statement while itching at his beard. "But, you know, growing up in it can do that." He almost says something about football, but then does that mental calculation that the football Thomas is talking about is probably not the football he himself would be talking about, and shuts his mouth about it. Instead, he eyeballs those shoes, then his own worn boots, and has a laugh. "That's okay. It's not for everybody. I get lost in the city, myself." He sounds a grunt, then, about the idea of having to wear make-up to be able to teach, chewing on another cookie. "I can pass pretty easy with strangers, so I'm kinda lucky. Gets a lot harder when people get to know me, though. They start noticing things." Like the fact that he is a over-big, over-hairy man with over-large canine teeth and a huge penchant for cookies, apparently. Mallory snorts when Thomas shows off his fancy shoes, shifting her legs and glancing down at the jet colored hooves at the end of her own legs << Right. Shoes. Pfft. >> She shakes her head, grinning, "I enjoy talking through the woods around campus - there are some lovely trails and wonderful glades in the woods, which can be rather lovely." She smiles, sipping her tea and eyeing the cookies enviously, as though considering asking for some of the sweets, but thinking better of it. "I get hopelessly lost most places, New York especially," Mallory admits sheepishly, grimacing, "I can't say my sense of direction was developed as a kid, they didn't let me out much. I don't particularly blend in anywhere." << Should get hoove covers. They can probably be made. >> Thomas shrugs for no auditory reason, then looks back between the two. "Senses of direction are over rated. Just get a gps, or call a cabby," he says as the obvious city boy. "Still, I ought to get back to the lab soon. I had come up here to grab something to eat, but..." he looks at the decimated cookies, then sighs. "Well, I carry these for a reason at least," he murmurs as he pulls out another protein bar like the one he had been eating coming in. The outdoorsman probably recognizes it as having half a thousand calories per bar as it is. Taking a bite, he shakes his head then finishes off his tea. "I'll have to find someone with some firearms to test it against when it's prototyped though. I don't assume most of the instructors here have them." "Yeah, I'll have to check the woods out. I don't always go on trails, though." Teddy looks quietly amused by this fact for whatever reason for a moment there, around another bite of cookie. "Out in the wild, I do pretty good. Something about all the tall buildings that gets me turned around in the city, though." With the mention of something to eat, and that look at the cookies, Teddy looks down at the plate, as well. A ridiculously sheepish expression overtakes him, and he sort of offers the plate in the direction that's about midline between the two of them. Want one? There's uh... well a couple left. Chocolate chip? "I've got a hunting rifle, if that'll help," he mentions. << I made a few of them back at Uni out of cheap flip flops and tape, to make walking quieter and a bit less slippery >> Mallory answers her twin, sipping her tea again. "Yeah, good luck if you startle my assistant /without/ a GPS on you. He's gotten better about it, but when I first got here it was apparently a fair possibility," Mallory smirks, though Thomas can sense a feeling of pride and appreciation Mallory has for her assistant librarian. Her nose crinkles at the protein bar Thomas starts snacking on, "I can test if it is fire proof or not, but I rather imagine that isn't the goal. Or the exactly most controlled testing method." She smirks and shakes her head at Teddy, "Thanks, but I'm good. I should likely be getting back upstairs soon, I'll swing by the kitchens for some ice cream on my way." She grins brightly at this idea, apparently quite pleased with her plan. << We can three dee print out a mold and pour some polymers in for a better fit. >> Thomas thinks to her, then shakes his head at the talk of the teleporter. "If I end up middle of nowhere, I can change states and find civilization that way. It's not ideal, but still better than nothing." He snags a cookie before it's all gone, and looks from sister to outdoorsman. "I meant a gun, not actual fire. The rifle will be a good test at least. After that, there will need to be sharp tests, but that can be left to the archery club." Putting his tea cup into the sink to rinse and set it aside to dry, he returns and picks up his papers and tablet. "Have a good day then. Science rests for no man." Offering a smile, he waves and heads on out. Teddy sits quiet and listens to their exchange, the little details he has yet to know about or fully understand, though no doubt those puzzle pieces will fill in soon enough. Mallory's assistant. Talk of fire. Talk of changing states. That last one gets a deep, rumbling chuckle out of him as he off-handedly comments, "Civilization is the last place I want to be when I've changed states." The idea of ice cream captures his attention momentarily, but honestly, he just destroyed a plate of cookies in their company, destroying something else wouldn't really do. Instead, he sets the plate down--one cookie left for someone!--and pulls out his cell to check the time. "Oh, supposed to be meeting up with somebody," he grumbles and gets up. "Yeah, you too. Nice meeting you both. Hopefully we'll get to talk a lot more," he says, friendly smile set in place. And he's headed for the door after that.