ArchivedLogs:In Which There Is Some Climbing And Plots Of Peacemaking

In Which There Is Some Climbing And Plots Of Peacemaking
Dramatis Personae Jack, Shane, Taylor	2015-08-23 "Only ones that want to join in our sugary alliance could share in the amazing cupcakes."
Location <XS> Playground
Set on the still-expansive grounds around the side of the school, this area is to the outdoors rather what the rec room is to the indoors. There's a large basketball court out here; a fenced-off tennis court adjacent. Further distant there are setups for other sports -- a large track, a soccer field. Closer in to the school, though, in its own large enclosure adjacent to the basketball and tennis courts, is the playground, a huge expanse of equipment set up on alternating plots of slightly squishy flooring and mulch. Centrally there is a large sprinkler-fountain, not always /on/ but it can be turned on with a push of a button; spreading out around this is the actual playground equipment, sturdy and varied. A huge dome constructed in honeycombed interlocked poles and rope netting rises hiiiigh for climbing; a large swingset holds four pairs of swings. A large roundabout in bright colours stands in one corner near a long see-saw. The huge bridge-and-tunnel castle structure at one end has many routes of entry, from poles to climb up (or slide down) to a small climbing /wall/. Monkeybars. Four different slides of varying lengths and spiraling. For the adventurous, between things to climb on and jump between and bounce across it is probably possible to skirt one end of the playground and back without touching the ground, though it might take a particularly adept feat of balance and agility. Or possibly wings. The day is early, yet. With protests actually /scheduled/ for later in the day, the faculty and X-Men are on a higher than usual level of alert, but for now, pre-breakfast hours, there's some downtime. Shane is taking advantage of it high atop the enormous climbing dome -- he's dressed much more casual than his usual, insofar as he is dressed at /all/. Which isn't much, black and blue swimshorts (still damp), no shoes, no shirt; the tiny blue sharkpup is draped bonelessly between some of the honeycombed netting, knees and elbows hooked over the ropes to keep him hanging high above the ground. Head tipped back against another rope, eyes closed, he could almost be sleeping if not for the noisily busy landscape of his /mind/. Running over potential things to Say or Not Say when faced with hecklers (<< don't curse don't curse. Even when they're assholes to Pa. >>), contemplating what might be for (second) breakfast (he's already glutted on fish in the lake this morning), running through the short list of Prospective Students /already/ clamouring for a place at the school who will need tours and welcome as they and their families deal with the application process later this week. It would be really hard to miss Taylor, approaching the playground His silhoutte is kind of distinctive -- though maybe with eyes closed it takes longer. (With sharkpup ears and nose, though, maybe not. His sneakers crunch quietly against the mulch and he smells freshly of cinnamon and cloves after a very recent shower.) He's not speaking though, as he approaches the climbing dome. Several long snakey limbs are sliding up to wrap around the bars -- he doesn't really have to climb the thing. He's just pulling himself straight up to the /top/, enormous tentacles reaching for the pinnacle and hoisting him upward. Two more limbs shake gently at Shane's perch. "French toast and scrambled eggs and cream of wheat," he answers -- at least /part/ of that overheard mental clutter. It is however easy to miss Jack. At least when relying on just eyes and ears. He's been out on a little early morning run, just working out some. Listening into his thoughts would reveal that between planning what he wants to do next, he's been worrying about the protestors and what dangers they might pose to the school. Just a pair of basketball shorts, old sneakers, and a school t-shirt right now, he enters the playground in time to see Taylor lifting himself up. Deciding he can take a little break from working out, the invisible teen heads over to the climbing structure and looks up at the other mutants. "Hey, how's it going up there?" "Ghhheh." Shane doesnt really open his eyes but he does swipe a clawed hand at the nearest tentacle when Taylor starts his shaking. His other hand hooks down further over the ropes to keep him in place. "Eggs. I do like eggs. Though they gotta get some /grits/ up in here instead of this cream of wheat bullshit." At the sound of Jack's voice he /does/ crack his eyes open, head tipping to peer down to the base of the structure. "Taylor's come to /tell/ me about delicious foods but the motherfucker didn't bring me any." "I look like your courier?" It's good-natured and amused, Taylor's grin bright behind black-black lips. He hoists himself up to sit atop the dome by Shane's shoulders. When his arms drape down lazily to hang through the netting, a few pairs reach the ground and then pool against it. "You show me some cash, I'll show you breakfast. -- You know they put me with another amphibian this year? I think they're stereotyping." He peers down towards Jack, too, lifting a shoulder in a shrug. "Too early to tell." Jack laughs at the breakfast exchange, shaking his head. His shirt moves with the motion and he debates trying to climb up to join Shane and Taylor. "Oh so that's how it is, get people craving then charge 'em to bring it out to them," he's amused too. "You're rooming with Kaine, right?" he asks Taylor, starting to carefully climb up. Shane pushes himself a little more upright, turning his head to look over Taylor. "You look like a guy who'd be good at courie-ing, yeah. Lots of --" He gestures at the other boy. "Cargo space. -- It's a total scam," he agrees with Jack. "He's a shill for the kitchen staff." He glance over in the direction of the lake, watching it glitter in the early morning sun. "You'd think if they were going to cram all the waterfolk together they'd at least get you pools instead of beds." "Nah you tripping, man, these --" At least a half-dozen of the tentacles lift in indication, "aren't for carrying your shit they're for dishing it /out/." Another one of Taylor's limbs is sneaking around behind Shane, now. Better to whap the sharkboy upside the head, bap! "Kaine, yeah. I wouldnt mind a soaking pool. Buuut that's -- not the kind of thing the school's going to invest in." "Pools," Jack pauses, focusing on climbing for a moment. When he's high enough and doesn't think he's going to fall, Jack lets out little breath of relief. "in the dorms could be pretty cool but I could see them arguing they might leak or something," he says. "Maybe we should plan a raid on the kitchen to make up for the scam." "They might. But sure it's not like the school has never gone to extreme lengths or actually rebuilt to accomodate students whose mutations required special consideration, right?" Shane's grin is a liiittle crooked; even the whap from Taylor doesn't knock the smile out of place (though it does jar /him/ on the ropes; he has to catch himself with his legs to keep from falling off.) "Not like B and I needed water to actually breathe or anything. It was fine if we just didn't get to sleep all winter. No big deal." His tone is light, really, more wry than bitter. He glances back towards the school building, now, nose twitching. "S'a dilemma." His brow is furrowing pensively. "I want the food. Not the exertion, though. A raid sounds like /work/. -- Is my dad done with the cupcakes yet." Teeempting. "Like refitting an entire dorm and all its furniture to be fireproof? Or building that chamber in the basement for that smoke-eating girl? Or building hives out in the gardens or letting /Dennis/ keep huge water tanks in /his/ room --" Taylor ends with a lazy shrug, flopping back against the ropes. "Yeah nah they'd never spend extra money refurnishing to make sure we were comfortable." His head shakes. With a lot more /regret/ than for the lack of pool in his room: "No cupcakes yet. Still baking. Feel like a lot of people are going to need the comfort food lately. -- Where's your other dad been at? I'd have thought he'd be perfect for making nice to reporters." Jack falls silent, for a moment as Shane and Taylor list all those things the school's done. "Damn," he mutters, shifting a little to look up at the sky. "Sign me up for cupcakes," he mutters, feeling the need for comfort food growing. "Might be work...could team up. You charm and distract them, I'll sneak in and grab the food," he offers to Shane, trying to lighten the mood. Taylor's question makes Jack pause and frown, unseen eyes flicking in Shane's direction. "Hazelnut stuffed with mocha mousse." Shane's tone is light, though his mind dwells for just a moment longer on all the accommodations other students have gotten for being able to practice their powers safely and comfortably -- and how long he and B and other /physical/ mutants with different physiological needs requested accommodations that never came. His eyes close, and he breathes out a soft laugh as he drapes back against the structure. "I'd probably need to change. Vest. Bow tie. Look /proper/ dapper for the charming. I'm planning to doll up before I face the pitchfork-wielding mob at the gates later." And then the question, and there's a sharp flare of hurt and anger that surfaces in his mind. "Micah's not coming." His tone is even despite the chaos of unhappy feelings swirling in his head. His gills flutter briefly. "He's, uh. He moved back to -- Virginia. This weekend." "Oh /man/ that sounds like exactly what today needs." Taylor brightens at the thought of cupcakes. One of his arms lifts to snake around Shane's shoulders. Casual. Squeeze. "Just flash them a huge smile," he teases lightly. "That'll win anyone over." The squeeze tightens after this. Taylor's eyes are wide. "Wait huh? /Moved/? Like -- moved? But you guys aren't -- Jax... isn't..." This trails off. "Oh." Much quieter. "... no wonder he's been stressed." "That sounds amazing," Jack declares. "Taylor's right though, you're charming all on your own without dolling up," he says. The invisible teen then falls silent as Shane explains, closing his eyes. There's a little guilt from Jack when Taylor mentions stress, the invisible teen feeling bad about adding to Jax's stress the previous week. "Yeah..." he murmurs quietly. Shane's cheeks darken, his palm rubbing against his gills. "Well. We'll see if the people out there think so, I'm on duty after breakfast." He sits up again then, leaning into the curve of Taylor's limb. "Moved-moved. We're not -- I mean. They took care of the divorce paperwork -- just before this announcement happened. It's been -- just really -- hard timing with the school and -- the trial and -- I don't think Pa would have pled to that bullshit but with me and B going to school there won't be anyone there for Spence if --" His rush of words is growing more agitated as the hurt in his mind rises. He catches himself here, though, scrubbing a hand against his eyes. "{Sorry.} Rambling. I just, fuck." "Shit, man, {I'm sorry.}" Taylor rubs the end of a tentacle across his smooth head. "... how about those cupcakes?" "Yeah, Lo Siento," Jack offers quietly. "Need to talk to your Pa sometime later," he murmurs. "Don't have to apologize. Pretty sure you're more than allowed to ramble on in this situation. We're your friends too," he glances at Taylor before continuing. "We're around if ya wanna vent or talk or something," he offers. There's a long pause before Jack speaks up again. "I'm torn between saying use the magic of tasty baked treats to win over some of the people at the gates and wanting to horde all the cupcakes for ourselves." "Thanks." Shane's voice is quiet, even if his mind is not. Kind of hurt. Kind of bitter. "I think it still hasn't all sunk in yet, you know? Just all feels like a bad --" His gills flutter, shoulders lifting in a small shrug. He manages another small-quick smile after this, offering with some amusement (in his tone, though it doesn't quite displace the upset he's feeling): "Have you /seen/ how much my Pa tends to bake? I bet if we try eating all the cupcakes ourselves we won't /need/ an angry mob, we'll just all die of sugar overload before they get down the drive." Taylor snorts. Gives another hug. Starts to lower himself down through the net and back towards the ground below, dropping down to the ground with a thump. "I think he was handing out cookies yesterday? Maybe we don't have to choose. We'll make peace by /all/ being on sugar high together. Freaks and humans. United in bliss." "That just makes it all the more tempting," Jack replies, starting to climb down. "We could sit up here with our tasty cupcakes and tell them they couldn't have any until they pull their heads from their asses even," he says. "Only ones that want to join in our sugary alliance could share in the amazing cupcakes." Shane laughs, now. The bitter (angry) unhappy (guilty) thoughts in his mind start to fade to the background as he turns to climb down, too. Not on the ropes but on the long tentacles that Taylor is lowering himself with, shimmying down them to hop off lightly to the ground a moment before the other boy "Pa's cupcakes'd certainly be enough to turn /me/ from the path of Terrible. C'mon. I swear I can practically smell them from here."