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Summary: Dinner, turns into frustration which turns in to geek chat and cat tackles.
Date: April 2, 2012
Log Title: Fishbreath
Rating: PG-13
Xavier Mansion - Recreation Room
What was once the Parlor has been turned into a Recreation Room for the students. A nice plush carpet meets the light blue walls giving it a homey feel. A pool table at one end, a foos ball table at the other, and entertainment center with video game systems, movies, and of course, cable TV. Big comfy chairs and couches surround a coffee table for comfortable loafing. Long glass windows with a pair of French doors line one side of the room bringing in plenty of light during the day. The main rule in here is to clean up after yourself.
After a day of being outside with his horse, a dirt covered Nick now lounges on one of the smaller couches. Sprawled across it, with his dirt covered boots on the floor, he watches some television. Having gone through the TV he's found some episodes of Grimm that he currently watches. On Nicholas' lap is a plate of microwavable mini White Castle burgers that serves as his dinner.
Taylor walks into the recreation room wearing a pain of loose shorts and a light blue t-shirt with a picture of a tiger firing a machine gun on it. The feline student sniffs the air lightly and says, "Dinner time?" The fuzzy teen adds, "It smells like you've been hanging out with Orion today. Uh, which is not cause I'm calling you stinky, just good at smelling…"
The smell is what comes before the young man himself. Ahmed, now fully recovered has spent the day in the kitchen, working on foods and in general getting back into the swing of things. Poking his pale face in, the catpainted young man says, "Hey Taye! You're here! I gotta treat! I found something we can both have!" And with that he ducks back into the kitchen and returns with a serving cart that has a bit soup pot on it, and bowls and the like laid out, "It's a fish soup called a cioppino… anyways… since fish is about the only thing I can eat cooked anymore…" He pauses, and sees Nick there, "Hey there, horse butt. Want some soup? I promise it's human-palatable."
*clomp* *clomp* *clomp* Laptop tucked under one arm, XBox controller coiled in one hand, headphone extension cable in the other, Shane slinks into the Rec Room, apparently preparing herself for yet another videogame marathon… and halts dead, noting the TV is already occupied, and socializing is happening. There's a very brief, frustrated look that flickers across her face, before the slight young mutant changes direction to one of the chairs by the pool table, instead.
"I pretty much hang out with Orion everyday." Nick says as he can't help but sniff his shirt which isn't the most pleasant smelling. "How's it going Taylor." He says as he moves to sit up rather than saying lying down. He looks at Ahmed and points as his plate. "I know you don't approve but I have dinner already." Though the sound of Fish Soup doesn't exactly sound appetizing to him. "Umm..I'll have a small bowl." He'll try it, for his roommate. "Hey Shane, if you want to use the tv, I'm just watching Grimm on Tivo so you can use it." He says with a shrug.
"Hey Nick, it's going okay… and yeah, I know you're out with Orion almost every day, but it seems like you were out all day," says Taylor, shrugging lightly, before sniffing the air again at the approaching cart, and Taylor approaches it with some interest, sniffing at it, "That smells really good, mmm, I want some!" The ocelot seems rather focused on the soup until Shane also comes in, and one pawlike hand is lifted in greeting, "Hey, Shane."
Giving Shane a nod as well, and then holding up a bowl in offering towards her, he turns back to Taylor, "Coolness… allright everyone. Dinnah!" And so first he takes only a ladle's worth to Nick, with a couple big pieces of shrimp and fish on top of the broth, and some fresh cut veggies. For Taylor, it's like his own, which is mostly fish and as little veggies as he can muster with lots of broth, "Docs gave their final check yesterday… throat's fine, no more wound marks, and I did my first Danger Room last night in almost a month. So… life is good again."
Shane lifts a hand toward the bowl of fish soup, twitching her head upward in the universal California greeting. "M'fine. You're watchin' that, anyway." Dropping into her chair, she starts plugging in controller and headphones, leaving the large, armored headpiece around her neck for the moment. "Sup?"
"Well pretty much from when classes ended until about a half hour ago I was out there with him. The weather's getting nice and, just trying to keep my mind off of…things." Nicholas says as he looks at the bowl is quite afraid to actually try it but he doesn't want to hurt Ahmed's feelings. "That's good to hear, I'm glad you've recovered. One less thing to worry about." He then shrugs a shoulder to Shane. "Not much, just got told by your boyfriend that I'm stuck here while they all go run off and play hero."
Taylor nods at Ahmed and says, "I'm glad that you're feeling a lot better!" The student smiles slightly and then says, after a couple of scoops, "This soup is really good, thanks!" The teen then looks towards Shane and shrugs, "Nothing for me," before noting to Nicholas, "Oh… I kind of got told that by that huge black kid. Preeeetty much said I'd be an obstacle if I tried to help, that I should train in the danger room more? Whatever, I guess."
Ahmed makes no comment about the conversation path as he goes to ladle up Shane some of the soup, adding a spoon, and leaves it close by her. Finally he gets to his own, and instead of making any open comments he just sits to see where the episode is, slurping on the broth and making a pleased rumble deep in his chest… which sounds kind of silly coming from him, but it's oddly appropriate.
Shane pauses, blinking at the bowl, then rolls her eyes and flops back in the chair. Mood thoroughly soured, she twitches an eyebrow up, glancing from Taylor to Nick and back again. "Good," she says, stabbing a finger at her keyboard. "Means I don't gotta worry 'bout anyone else I know flyin' off 'n gettin' killed out'n middle of Fuckass Nowhere, Europe." Pausing, she lets out a quiet snort, picking up the bowl and sitting back, balancing her laptop on one leg. "…Thanks."
Nicholas gets quiet and just sits there eating a bit of the soup. He isn't the biggest fan of it but it's edible enough for him to eat about half of it. "Thanks." He says to Ahmed before he goes back to his microwaved burgers. "That huge black kid, Hosea, he's a real dick." He says after his run in with him. There's no response to Shane but the grump at his words are obvious on his face.
"I guess," says Taylor, nodding once to Nicholas and then shrugging, before looking over towards Shane and then nodding slowly, repeating, "I guess. I don't want to go, like, fight monsters or any shit like that. I know I can't fight a dragon. But I can track and stuff and I feel kind of bad, since I can't do anything and my friend needs help." The ocelot student shrugs and then sits down.
"Can we NOT do this?" Ahmed asks, staring at the screen, and then just closes his eyes and stares up at the ceiling, "Seriously… can we NOT do this? Look. This sucks. This all totally sucks… but we can do something more." And with that he starts picking at his food, "I know it's not like… anyone's thing… but I've been praying for them. Every night. That our friends and others are safe. And that when the people who we know who are going to rescue them, they are successful. I dream about the wolves, those jaws, the stink of their fur. It still scares me. About the only thing that gets me through is that…" And the young man pauses in his thoughts, as he looks towards each person in turn, "Is that… everyone will get through this. One day it'll just be one more thing we can look back on and… I dunno…"
"Hope you're right," Shane murmurs, still holding the soup and shaking her head, the spoon untouched. "'Sides. Only reason Q's going at all is 'cos he actually gives a damn about Jill. So…" The blue-haired girl shrugs. "'F he's alive when he comes back, figger he punched the dragon or somethin' f'r payback. Or, y'know. Whatever." Clearly, the girl is vastly out of practice when it comes to articulating her feelings. "'Sides. Y'got friends here t'worry 'bout, yeah? Worry 'bout them."
There's a slam of the bowl on the table and Nicholas stands up. "Yeah, cause he's the only one who actually gives a damn about her." He looks around at the group before grabbing his boots. "Have a good night guys." He says before walking out of the room.
Taylor seems rather surprised at the bowl being slammed down, and the feline student mumbles, "Goodnight," when Nick heads out of the room. The student then looks towards Ahmed and then nods once and says, "Sorry. I'm just… I've always been the one to spring into action when things go wrong, so it's just off for me. But I hope you're right, too…" Then Taylor just nods to Shane once, looking her in the eye if the teen can catch her gaze.
Ahmed watches the back of Nick's head as he departs, and then arches a feline brow, "Huh… so THAT's what it is…" And then shaking his head once he takes a deep sigh before having a couple more spoonfuls of soup, "I didn't know he had a thing for anyone here, let alone Jill." Another bite, "I like Jill… even when she's mad at you, she's nice to you, you know? It's kinda like… she's always thinking of everyone else."
"OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE!" chases Nicholas out of the room, as Shane leaves her laptop to balance precariously on one knee, her free hand rising to pinch, hard enough for white knuckles, at the bridge of her nose. "You complete and total *fuckpancake.*" A sound that is half-sigh, half-growl rises from her throat. "He's *got* a girlfriend. Kinda. Still likes her 'n all, anyway. Jill… eh. She's like Sage, 'cept with normal words. 'S like kickin' a puppy, gettin' her all upset."
Taylor takes a couple of scoops of soup, ears folding at the sound of Shane's shouting, before the perk back up. The feline looks between Ahmed and Shane and then nods, "Yeah, she seems like a nice girl. I don't know her well or anything."
Ahmed's own ears are folded at the waffle comment, and he even mouths the word, as if attempting to try and suss out it's full mearning. So he takes a bigger breath and then says, "Sage? Sage is cool people… he's like… I dunno, I feel comfortable around him, not like other people. It's like he gets it. That's all there is." Another spoonful, and he's almost out of meat, "So what game are you gonna play?"
"Mmmn," Shane grunts, looking to the couch, then her equipment, and the bowl. "…Meh, fuckit." Cords are threaded over her arm, laptop picked back up in one hand, feet planted on the floor, and in much the same way as with ski boots, Shane sort of levers herself into a standing position, before clumping to the couch. Laptop is set down first, screen showing a picture of Emma Frost in some sort of white dress, then shelowers herself back down. "Dead Island. Sorta been wantin' t'get my cathartic on since m'last date."
Taylor continues eating the soup, slurping it up and then peering at the bowl that was earlier slammed down. It's picked up, the eating continues. "What happened on your last date that you need catharsis?"
Ahmed sniffs the air a few times, but the picture on the screen seems to get his attention more than the mention of the last date. Moving off the spot he was taking up, the soup broth is slurped down before the bowl is put to the side, and he moves to look at the laptop screen from behind Shane… the politest position, "Whoa… I mean Wow… I don't really want to think of a schoolmaster like that… but Miss Frost is HOT. And that dress is like Wow…"
Shane hunches her shoulders as Ahmed looms over from behind her. "Hey. Fishbreath. Space, yeh?" Solving the problem for herself, she slides off the couch, taking down the aforementioned game and booting it up. "Nothin'. Q tells me he's goin' off t'Romania over dinner. Some freaky purple-eye chick starts grillin' us 'bout Connor. Make Q see hunger Games with me just so's he don't haul off 'n pulp 'r head 'r somethin. Y'know. Stuff."
Taylor peers towards the screen and then glances towards Ahmed and wonders, "I guess she's hot." At the comment about the dress, Taylor looks up, but is not facing the laptop correctly to be able to see it. "I hope I look that good when I'm whatever age she is. Though I guess I'll probably look fairly young until I'm really old, 'cause of the fur covering wrinkles." The student pauses for a moment and then nods at Shane and says, "Ah, fun sounding date."
Ahmed puts his hands up in surrender, "Sorry sorry… it's the cat-thing okay?" And the whole fishbreath comment just makes him smile as he settles back and away before saying, "Hunger Games? Was is any good?" Going over towards the soup pot, he gets himself some more cioppino with plenty of fish meat, and goes back to settling into his spot, "So Shane… I uhhh… I never thanked you for stepping in when I lost my stuff… you know… soooo… thanks. I owe you, I guess."
"F'rget it. Was wonderin' when he'd piss someone off enough t'take a poke at'm. 'N told him I'd belt him one, 'f I figured he needed it." Lifting a shoulder, she settles back on the couch, only *now* taking a sip of the soup, raising her eyebrows. "Mmn. S'good. Wonder if Louis'd try makin' this." Her eyebrows rise a bit, then she settles back on the couch. "S'okay. Figured was enough like Battle Royale, didn't need t'read th'books. Figured wrong. Probably gonna have to, now." Glancing back at the laptop, she allows the corners of her mouth to twitch upward, ever so slightly, before she settles into her game… but to feline noses, the girl seems unaccountable pleased with herself.
"I've never read it, yeah… Been meaning to. I've heard about Battle Royale, either, but never actually seen it. Been meaning to," says Taylor, with a slight shrug. Nicholas's bowl is consumed the same way that Taylor's was, and stacked inside the other empty bowl.
"Yeah… I couldn't really get into manga… parents didn't really like that kinda stuff around the house. Disney was okay, and that style stuff…" Ahmed replies, his ears folding back and getting out of the way, "I remember when I got to watch the Redwall TV series. It was really cool stuff, and so I got into the books. They're really intense in their own way."
Shane lifts a shoulder. "Mom'n'Dad didn't really get it, either," she mutters. "Then I started makin' costumes. Listenin' t'punk. Guess they figured, long's it didn't hurt anyone, can't really hurt me, yeah? 'N after Dad got married again, told'm 'bout CLAMP. Said he could see the draw, but he already *got* a husband, so yeah." On the TV screen, zombies begin to die messily and with a cavalcade of giblet confetti. "Anyway. Should loan you Kiki's Delivery Service, 'f y'ain't seen it yet. Ghibli, good family anime stuff. But yeah… Battle ROyale… y'don't read it 'less you got a strong stomach. …An' don't got problems sleeping. Massively fucked up."
"Yeah, from what I get, it's pretty fucked up…" says Taylor, nodding once at that, and then considering for a few moments, "Still want to check it out, though. I'm sure it won't freak me out too much…" The feline student's ears perk up and Taylor says, "I really like the stuff from studio Ghibli." Almost apologetically, Taylor says to Ahmed, "Never got into the whole Redwall thing."
Ahmed brightens a bit, "Ghibli's cool… though my parents kinda freaked out on Pom Poko… but that's raccoon dogs with magic genitals. You gotta love the Japanese for that… and well… Catbus. This school needs Catbus. Totally would be awesome." And with that to cheer his mood a bit, he goes over, and suddenly just stares at Taylor, leaning closer and closer, slowly…
"Oh *hell* no," Shane replies, carving up another baker's dozen of dripping undead, "Last thing we need's this place killing kiddo dreams by havin' a real live catbus. Cos I mean, *everything's* gotta go *somewhere.* 'N I don't never wanna actually sit inna cat with a diesel rig."
"What." This is the only word that Taylor is able to manage for a time, without expression, eyes shifting between the other two teens. And then those eyes settle on Ahmed, who is leaning closer and closer, which makes Taylor lean back a bit.
While Shane gets her slaughter on, there's a sudden sound of scuffling behind him, as Ahmed pounces Taylor, and sends the pair rolling off in a batting and kicking pile of anthro feline. There's no growling or other threatening gestures. It's just cat tussling that happens every so often. Eventually, Ahmed breaks away from his opponent, and reaches up to try and touch Taylor on the head.
The game is paused, at the sound of wrestling, and Shane turns to stare, wide-eyed and close-mouthed, at the scuffle. Once they break apart, her voice cuts the silence. "…..What."
Taylor seems to get a little more feral with the wrestling, but without actually getting more aggressive than is proper after Ahmed pounces. Once the break occurs, Taylor also tries to swat Ahmed on the head, tail swinging wide.
Ahmed doesn't duck the swat fast enough, and makes a small 'rrrrl' before he goes for the grab once more, and ends up going ride, and bumping into a wall. Rubbing at the back of his head, he mutters out, "Ow." And then looks up towards where Shane is, and then adds, "What? We do this all the time. Always happens. Can't help it.""………'Kay." And with that, the game is taken off pause, Shane's attention turned back to where it probably should be.
