2010-05-12: Danger Room Vs Real Life

Players:

JamesP_icon.jpg Kenta_icon.jpg

Summary: James Proustar (old X-Force) meets Kenta Gilpatrick (new X-Force).

Date: May 12, 2010

Log Title Danger Room Vs Real Life

Rating: PG


Xavier Mansion - Courtyard

Surrounded on three sides by the school, a large courtyard forms the front yard. The courtyard leads right up to the door of the mansion. Yellow square stone slabs cover the ground where the grass would be. The most noticeable thing about the courtyard is the large statue of Jean Gray, aka Phoenix, in the middle as a memorial. Benches surround the outside of the statue so students can sit and hang out in the courtyard. There are two paths leading off the courtyard, one to the left and the other to the right.


Light grey has filled the sky, promising some moisture late in Spring and yet failing to deliver on that promise. Bounding from the front door, Proudstar emerges from the Mansion into the light so to speak. First his gaze finds the ground as if looking for pools that speak of earlier rains under this grey sky and then up to the sky itself to ponder why it hasn't delivered just yet. The crisp air bites lightly upon his arms that he thrusts hands into pockets almost immediately under the late chill in the air. Following this he glances at trees beyond the courtyard, green replacing the spring blooms, the whites and pinks all but gone now. Lastly, he looks around the vicinity as he walks away from the Front Doors of the mansion.

Flying over head, large black wings made of Dark Force stretched out behind him, is Kenta. It's not something he does often but every now and then he just likes to fly. This morning, after dropping his son off at school, was one of those mornings. As soon as he lands in the courtyard, the wings from behind him disappate and the first thing he does is go for a cigarette. Once lit, Kenta takes a long inhale and looks around himself, and James Proudstar is a hard man to miss. "I didn't know Jeri had a rival." He comments with a smirk. What a greating.

Glacning up to notice the arrival and then the cigarette, James grins a little. It subsides slightly at the greeting. Taking in the ambiance of the man before him and the eyes, Proudstar then perches a brow. "I didn't know Warren had a rival either." Though a pause after this, he doesn't let it drop. "I guess that means neither of us are really in the loop then?" The smile perks up a little again, but he doesn't push it anymore rather than to watch and gauge the other's reaction and or intents.

Kenta grins at the first comment and chuckles. "He doesn't, I'm better looking." He's not being serious as he tends to just take stuff in stride. He takes a few steps over and offers a hand. "I'm Kenta Gilpatrick, I'm the music teacher here. And I co-lead the Paragons, which should be a cause for a pay raise." He says with a shake of his head, again not being fully serious. "I guess I'm out of the loop, I try not to get to much involved."

James toys towards a chuckle as well, accepting the hand in good faith all the same. "I suppose its different if you try to stay out of that loop," he grins. "I don't make the effort and remain an outsider, but I am new in all fairness. James Proudstar, pulled off the farmteam in India to join the roster and I'll co-lead the Hellions." More of a grin then, "I suppose that means we may see more of each other to come." Folding his hands over his chest now, he ponders as he watches the other man, "What's the stance around here regarding training the squads in head-to-head scenarios?"

Taking Kenta's hand, there's an unnatural sort of coolness about his skin, which is from the Dark Force. "Ah, well welcome to the school then?" Kenta says as he knows he's hear the name James Proudstar before but he's not putting two and two together at the moment. It'll come to him eventually. "It's not that I try it's that I have a son and I try to make him my focus so sometimes the loop here, outside of my classes and squad, gets ignored. And I'm sure we'll see more of eachother." He says with a smile as he takes another drag off of his cancer stick. "I don't think there's any stance on it, as we haven't done anything like that. That I know of, I've only been co-leader of the Hellions for maybe a month?"

"Ah, that explains things, sounds worth the effort," James is referring to the son of course, his smile more natural in that regards. "A worthy cause indeed," as if saying good to see you're giving him the normal life without expressly saying as much. "Perhaps we should consider taking the step in that direction. Nows a better time than ever, when the squads can be monitored and it gets them out of the Danger Room and into the real world." A lean towards his right, letting his weight rest on that side, "Sounds like you're the expert either way, your month has my few days by a long shot, I'll come your way for advice."

"Oh god please don't come my way for advice. I think I ended up with the team of drama kids. Fights…this one wants that one off of they're gonna rally everyone and leave the team, the other one is upset that this one came to me with a question in stead of him…I didn't think it'd be so much…parenting too." Kenta admits as he's not good with being in the middle of problems like that. He just shakes his head and smiles. "I think it's done with now, but you want to take them out there to fight crime? I dunno, you'd have to talk to Scotty about that one. We're more trying to teach them to use their powers to defend themselves, not become future superheroes. Though we know half of them probably will be."

A chuckle at the mention of drama kids and fights, "Oh, I thought that was just me, and they aren't even with the Hellions. Must be standard procedures for students around here." James takes a hand out of the folds of his chest to rub his chin. "Fighting crime, I don't know about that - nothing I've ever done. Don't they have like masked guys doing that - you know the web slinger - the blind guy?" Grinning and shaking his head, "From my standpoint, its not to have them fight crime but there are groups out there still opposed to us, its inevitable before the students here will face that. Not all will be lucky enough to remain at school for ever and I don't want them to ever face a Mutant Liberation Front or Brotherhood of Evil Mutants on their own without knowing they can work as a team or defend themselves against their own kind."

Kenta doesn't say it outload but it's not just the kids, but his co-leader as well. But, then again, when has dealing with Jono Starsmore been considered easy. "Oh, I know some of them have already been through what they think is 'too much'. But I do agree about having them be prepared to defend themselves. I know I'm gonna run some of my team through an X-Force level training sessions, not because I think it'll help, but they want it so I want to let them know what it means to train to that level."

James' expression suggestions feigned intrigue at too much from the students perspective. "Better to push them now instead of waiting for them to be tested in the real world." Its about all that can be said on it, but his intrigue turns more real at the mention of X-Force level training. That has meant a lot of things and he's certain he isn't wholly familiar with their current level of training as it is now. "I just want to get my team together for training to see how they look together as it stands. Its hard tracking some of these students down. Perhaps if I had teacher status and it was required, I might see them a little more often." As an aside, "How do you handle all the drama they seem to dig up?"

"Whose on the Hellions? I mean I know Jeri is also leader of that group." Kenta says as he's not quite sure who else is on the team, he could tell you 'that kid over there…isn't on the Paragons' and that's about it. "It can be hard tracking them down. I have a blind girl and a deaf kid on my team, and they're both pretty good. Tara's a bit of a handful cause she thinks she has to prove something to everyone cause she's blind." Kenta says and about the drama he just shakes his head. "Honestly, I have no damn clue man. I think I just listen to what they have to say and then shove in my two cents. I don't think Jono liked my two cents."

"I suppose that's about all I can do and it seems my drama comes from kids in other squads at that - pride, crushes, that sort of stuff." A shake of James' head then, "As for the Hellions, last I checked we had six. One guy has a twin or something, not sure how that works, maybe we have seven with him? Some kid with a little blue mannequin thing he controls. Dunstin who can manipulate probability, but he does it randomly I guess. Jade, who may be blind too? A mimic, calls himself Doppleganger I think. And a telepath that I don't know much about. I'm guessing Jericho has them as most of them are mentally endowed but physically challenged." And not in the blind/deaf sort of way by his meaning perhaps.

"Ah okay, yes, the Latvarian twins. They're weird cause it's like their two people one mind? Something weird with their mutation. The puppet chick, Robin, I've seen her around, Jade, yes she's blind cause her powers can turn people to stone. She has snake tails for hair. Then Doppleganger, that's Skyler, he can copy anyone so it's very rare to see him look the same for longer than a month or so. And Skyler, he's had some trouble with Sinister recently. So have a few other of the kids here." Kenta says trying to let James know a bit about his team. "And The Telepath…I don't know him, and Jericho, he's good with the kids. He's a Doctor in Psychology."

A frown, that's not good news to James to hear Sinister has taken some interest in the genetic pool currently gathered at Xaviers. "Yes, I read that on Jericho as well. I've no schooling to that affect, makes me wonder what my role might be as we work things out with the kids. More the reason to meet them all and talk with them a little one on one." Sighing at a barely noticeable level, he looks back towards the school proper, "I have ideas for training, I've had plenty myself at their level and beyond, but I don't want to push them too much with all they have going on. I tried it where they are, but I walked eventually. Everything on top of school wasn't for me, but I don't want them to loose that opportunity as well."

"Just take it one step at a time. Watch them through a couple of danger room sessions, learn what they can do and see how far you can push them. It's a danger room, they can win some they can lose some. And sometimes, in a fake senerio, I think it's good to lose." Kenta admits as he shoves his hands in his pockets. "Keeps them on their toes and to not get comfortable with winning every battle. I don't know ton about the kids on your team, but I know I have at least three with egos and the more they win, the more they'll believe they're unstopable."

Eyes roaming the courtyard more freely, James responds, "A loss in the Danger Room, that I can work on. Just the idea of training in the Danger Room, I understand the concept I suppose, but its just not the real world to me yet. Perhaps its the freedom out here —- if I touch a tree, I know it is a tree now and always will be, not something taken from a database that exists in the moment but to fade away until someone else programs the request." Lifting large shoulders indifferently, "Its just me on that, I should opt for a session in the Danger Room with Sam perhaps, I know him better than the rest of the X-men, he can walk me through some routine in there."

"I can understand, I know some of the kids might display more confidence in the Danger Room cause they know it's fake and they can try stuff without real consequences. Sure they might be upset for a bit that they failed, but it'll fade. Unlike real life…but then again, we had the attack on the school here a few months back with Sinister and then the whole Demon invasion thing." Kenta says with a sigh as he pushes his hair back with his hand and goes to take out another cigarette. "But training with someone in there to get used to it, and to learn to program it, is probably a good idea."

A grin for a moment, "See, you get Sinister and Demon invasions right." James turns the idea in his mind, "I'm only here for some jaded lover quarrel and a student fight, if one could call it a fight even. I should count my blessings now. This last week alone, aside from the mentioned fight, has been a breather. I've actually had enough time to talk a walk and fall asleep in the shade of a tree without any real worries other than room assignments. And I shouldn't even take on that chore, Scott's worries not mine." Nodding with determination, "Yes, I should see about getting into the Danger Room then, I need the training before I go soft."

"Oh I did get the one kid getting mad at my co-leader, and the co-leader getting mad back at him, causing drama and the one student threatening a walk out, and he did get some of the kids behind him on that, I'm sure of that. James is a sly bastard, fair warning." Kenta does like James though, but he knows that James will push it as far as he can to see if he can get away with it. "I haven't had to break up any fights yet though. And go soft? I dunno James, looking at you, you're a brick house. I don't think it's possible for you to go soft." He jokes.

The laugh from James is more honest perhaps in response to that comment aboug going soft. "Depends on the context I suppose, I don't intend to be physically hard on any of the kids." Then he backsteps curiously, "You're saying James lead the near walk out on your co-lead? I'm not sure what to make of that one just yet, but I'm willing to error on the side of caution with some of the kids. Fool me once, shame on you." A blank look there, as if more is implied should he be fooled again. Whether it relates to him being 'soft' on the kids or not may be implied in that. "Sly, I can handle, I can't say I've walked the line perfectly myself … I can't expect it of others. I'm more of the learn by mistake. James may be the one who tests me on that, by what I know so far and you're fair warning."

"Don't get me wrong, James is a good kid and I think his position on school security is good for him. Gives him a bit of responsability, he's just a clever one." Kenta says finally lighting up his second cigarette and taking a long drag. He smokes way to much for his own good. "And honestly, don't look too much into that walk out thing, it was a lot of misunderstandings in my opinion and sometimes it's hard trying to be a teacher and friend at the same time, the line gets blurred. And James…" Kenta says with an amused grin of his own. "Who hasn't walked the line? I was so not an angel at his age."

Slowly nodding with understanding, James gives quiet agreement. "About that school security, can you explain the lowdown of that. He is a student too right, is it something like a hall monitor? Or does he have the authority to dish out detentions too." Its a touch serious in that, perhaps Proudstar is curious or has heard of something along the lines. Either the case its certainly as if he is trying to find out real authority in all that.

"Yeah it's more like Hall Monitor. He doesn't have any more authority than any of the other students here. It was Julian's idea." Kenta says with a shrug as he takes another drag. "I think we gotta find a few more students to offer the part to, just to figure out who. Or if we should just choose one student from each squad. Think of it as like the JROTC of X-Force, X-Men."

Considering this, James responds, "I'm not sure of the role of X-Force, but in my time, we dealt with the situations no one wanted. The dirty work so to speak. JROTC of X-Force sounds like internal police. Though if its just authority over other students - I mean, can they dish out punishment such as detention, or just recommend it to the faculty?" Again no specifics said, but it may seem like there is a situation with one trying such a thing, offering detention. Certainly Proudstar assumes those responsible for the student security will deal with that situation when it arises, its more as if he's questing for his own personal knowledge on the topic.

"Recommend it to the faculty." Kenta says in response before explaining. "Thins have changed..a lot here. They took the name of X-Force…oh shit, you're Warpath." Kenta says as that thing that was waiting to click earlier, finally does. "But like I was saying, they took the name and we're kind of like the guys who don't want to be X-Men or the ones who want to train to be X-Men but aren't at that level yet. I mean, I train with X-Force and my main role is to just kind watch out for things here. But that's any teacher, nothing special. Like Hellion though, he's not quite at X-Men level but training with the kids won't do him any good. James, he's kind of a peace keeper I guess you can say. Report anything that is going on that he sees and help out if he can. And if we need help, we can call him over to help."

A nod at the recognition once it dawns, Proudstar wasn't so much pushing the idea, not one to brag perhaps. "X-Force has seen a few roles over the years, good to see the name back in the right hands at least." Though certainly, the showy sort was interesting but short lived by its own risks. "I guess that is the difference I see in training. As you say, the main role of X-Force now is to watch out for things. Sometimes reactive is too late, but then again, Proactive is the domain of the paranoid at times. I just want the kids to have a neutral balance, capable of working for the causes they believe in and if that cause is to just be normal, to be prepared for when the fight comes to them."

"I don't mind helping out and doing things and being on the front lines. I don't at all, it's just..I'm a father. I can't be doing that with a son. I don't have time to be an X-Man and be a father. I feel bad enough that I've taken on the role of Paragon co-leader and have to have my parents watch him more often but, it's something I need to help me." Kenta doesn't say why he needs to help him, but it's something that helps him feel stable. "Also I'm no longer some kid in my twenties who is fearless." He says with a chuckle.

Pondering that, James questions, "Do you feel like that protects him better, being where you are now, training constantly, having friends you can rely on? Or that it puts him more in harms way … I mean with Sinister stirring things up, demon activity. Puts your name out there, so to speak. Sometimes I think my biggest mistake was getting wrapped up in things like this, it cost me my people. Then again, my people were put in the way of risk by others without using that opportunity." A serious gaze to settle on the other man, "I couldn't imagine the thought of a son or daughter getting caught up in this because of me. And again, if they carried the gene, I'd rather be this close to it so that they have the opportunities I've had."

Taking a bit to ponder an answer, Kenta eventually answers. "I think it's more that I want him to grow up as normal as he can. I mean, this kind ot atmosphere isn't good for a six year old. And no, it's not about feeling like training my ass off could protect him better, cause honestly I don't. It's that, I do it because these kids here deserve someone to fight for them and someone to teach them how to use their powers. And between us, I hope he doesn't carry the gene but I'm sure he probably does. Armande's mother was a mutant too."

"That is something we have in common Kenta," responds James, "That this is something worth fighting for, if but to secure a future for our children." Not that James has any children though. "In a way, it feels good to be back here and out of the field. If only for reassurance in the cause I believe in." Then as an aside, "I am known as Warpath, but vengeance is no longer a goal of mine and the name isn't quite fitting. More that it tends to stick I guess. James is fine, as is Proudstar."

"I just go by Kenta, I don't even let the kids here call me Mr. Gilpatrick." Kenta says with a chuckle. "I had my years of being out on the field, I like not worrying if I'm gonna see tomorrow or not." But then Kenta's circumstance is quite different than most. Damn getting lost in other dimensions. "Though I will say, with your name and your size, you are one damn intimidating guy. I wouldn't want to see you charging at me."

"Well it's not like I have these eyes by choice. We don't get to pick what we are." Kenta says as he puts out his last cigarette. "Well yeah, I gotta hit class, first music class of the day. It was nice meetin' ya James, let me know if you need help in that Danger Room. And yeah, sometimes talking with kids all day make you long to speak to an adult." Kenta says a grin as he goes to walk inside.

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