Players:
Summary: Rashmi has a sparring session with Zack, ulterior motives abound.
Date: February 23, 2010
Log Title Practice Problem-Solving
Rating: PG
Xavier Institute — Gymnasium
This big room with wooden floors is build with powered students in mind; the entire room is power proof. Blast the walls all you like, they are not breaking. The gym can either be one large room and it also has dividers to make it two smaller gyms. This large Gym has basketball nets, equipment to set up equipment badminton, volleyball, hockey, soccer, gymnastics, fencing, and everyone's favorite, dodge ball.
Mid-afternoon, and Rashmi is taking her free period in the gym, at the moment. Tucked off in one corner of the cavernous room, in her purple-and-white squad jumpsuit, she seems to be practicing her powers. The half-dozen spheres, bobbing and spinning at varying speeds and orbits give her the look of a red-and-purple nucleus, set in the center of a likewise odd-colored electron cloud.
Zack is deciding to show up in sweat clothing, most times gym means work, so he's in a T-shirt and sweats, stretching out a small bit againg the big teen waves, "yo…" he greets as he walks up towards you, hey, orbs!
Rashmi looks up, the spheres swinging around to continue their semi-random orbits behind her, as the giant teen is given a bright smile. "There you are, hi! I was just thinking… you know, since we've got a Danger Room session tonight, and I don't really see you all that much, maybe you'd like to practice some?"
Zack nods his head, just a small bit, "oh uh…sure I guess. Ya we got Danger room again. But what did you wanna do…" he says as he takes a step back and he works on trying to stretch out. No need for cramps or anything like that, working out some of the strains, "Mean what skill id you wanna work on"
Rashmi chuckles. "Actually I was wondering how your combat training's been doing. And I thought, maybe we can both practice, you know? Like, I practice making my powers go at someone in a bunch of different ways, and you see if you can swat them away? Don't worry; I can keep them from actually hitting you, no problem. Just, you know, practice."
Zack nods his head, "Been doing well I think I feel comfortable with it and I thik that was the point, get comfortable" he taps his hands together as he finally stretchs out, "All right. ok, uh, so combat" shifting his feet back and forth he grabs some tape and works on his knuckles, "I'm kinda curious if I could stop your orbs"
"Oh, that's pretty easy, actually," Rashmi says, trotting a fair distance away. "They're solid and all, so it's mostly just like smacking away a bag on a string. Just, don't hit too hard, okay? They're strong, but they can break. And it *really* hurts when they do."
Zack nods his head, "All right, so don't bust your balls, I got it" he claps his taped hands together and nods, "Ok, focs…right…ogot cha…ok I'm ready" he says, shufling his feet a little bit.
All six of Rashmi's spheres freeze into place at the quip, a slightly pained look crawling over her face. "….Ow," she says after a moment. "That… was a bad pun there… ow. Anyway." Shaking her head, she sets them into motion again, two separating from the 'pack' to arc lazily toward the giant; one coming high and from the left, the other in a low, shallow arc from the right, both moving slowly enough to track.
Zack phews a little bit as he will shift back and he watchs, and he tracks, one big hand coming up and he just tries to block it, cupping with one hand, and his hand comes down to the otherside and cup the second one just trying to gently block. Going slow since we are goign slow, just practing the moves
Rashmi nods, an encouraging smile spreading on her face, as those spheres retreat, and another pair move out; a touch faster this time, their paths reversed. "So are you feeling a little better about the school, now you've been here awhile?"
Zack nods, "Oh ya, it's just like high school when you think about it, aside from being able to crush stuff with you're bare hands it might as well be." he simply tries to dodge em this time, not gonna touch them, shifting left, and then right, duck and weave!
Rashmi bobs her head in agreement, as a trio detaches from orbit, now; beginning as a sort of train, they spread out to sweep across Zack's midline, describing something like a slow-motion lash of a reptile's tail. "I'm glad to hear that, you know. I was sort of worried about you for awhile, like you didn't think you should be here or something?"
Zack tries to focus on this, a lash of a tial, all right, so how to counter…lifting up a big arm he just kinda hoofs it, goign to block and cast his arm out in a hard attack to knock them away, "ha! Well ya I guess I mean it FELT weird till you got used to everyone here"
Rashmi bobs her head as another trio arcs out, a little faster, and moving in three directions; to the left, right, and from above, in fairly steep arcs. "It helps, having the squads and all… it's like you're guaranteed to have people to talk to, if you need it, you know?"
Zack grunts hard and he quickly charges forward PAST the orbs, to turn around when their archs come donw and to smack them away again, doing some good foot work, though he's not so fast, speed not his thing as he shifts again, "ha! Ya, I understand, well I have some friends and most everyone is good to talk to!"
This time, all six move out at varying speeds and angles; still slow enough to track, but visibly quicker, a real challenge. And as the third has reached Zack, is the moment she chooses to drop the bomb. Head tilted, voice more gently puzzled than anything else, "But you can't forgive James?"
Zack huhs and he turns around for a moment, "is this what this is about…" and then he gets bonked on the head…thunk, though he doesn't seem to notice and he rolls his eyes, "I don't care about him, really…he's a bully, and now he knows I'm not gonna just let him do whatever he likes. Seriously, if he leaves me alone I'm fine with it"
Rashmi pulls back the other spheres before they can hit. "We're still practicing, Zack," she says gently, setting them into a holding pattern about her waist. "But he *can't* leave you alone, is the problem. We all have the Danger Room tonight, remember? That means we have to be a team. C'mon, now, are you ready for another set?"
Zack shift eye glances at you, "I think you're trying to do somthing, I'm not sre what…" he says but then he shrugs, "All he has to do is not be a dick." he just takes a breath and sighs, going about to practice again, less dodging this time and more smacking em away.
Rashmi nods, obligingly sending out the spheres to be swatted down, varying speed, tempo and arc more or less at random, but always pulling back what misses before it can strike. "Well, he's *trying,* you know? I mean, he's always going to be the class clown type, and nobody can help that. And, honestly? All *I'm* trying to do is get my teammates… and my friends, honestly… to at least be able to tolerate each other. I *don't* want a repeat of Dallas and Lucas, not on my own team."
Zack grunts as he keeps missing and that's strarting to frustrate him, moving to chase after the spheres as they push back more and more, "Well I don't have him, he's just a bully and a dick. Just cause we gotta work together doesn't mean I gotta like him" he grunts and throws another punch.
The punch connects at the very center of one of the spheres, causing a small spiderweb of cracks to form as Rashmi winces noticeably. "…But he's *not* just a bully and a dick," she says after a moment. "Just like you're not just some pile of muscles, you know? And I'm *not* asking you to like him. Just… work with him. With *us.* We're supposed to be a team, Zack, whatever else happens, you know?"
Zack hufhs, again and he just stops, "And did I say that I wouldn't do that? I said I'd work on it ok…" he gives a shake of his head, "All right I think I'm done…" he just sort of looks at the spheres and thinks before going to grab a towel, "Yes I'll work with him ok, not like I refused to at some point…"
Rashmi's eyebrow rises, as she rubs at her temple. "Zack… you don't have to leave. I know *why* you're angry, and frankly? I don't blame you, I would be too. Just… You *are* my friend, just like he is. And… I don't know. I guess all I'm asking is give him one more chance, okay? As a favor to me, if absolutely nothing else."
Zack nods as he takes his towel and sighs, "That's somthing different" he looks at you, "it is Rashmi, giving him another chance and working together are two entirely different things…" he sets his hands on his hip, and he works his jaw, obviously thinking, "Fine…you know what, we'll try it. We're gonna be in the danger room today…lets just see how that goes ad we'll take it from there"
The smile on Rashmi's face is bright and sunny, the spheres fading away as she moves closer to the giant. "*Thank* you, Zack," she says, sincerity clear in her voice, "that really means a lot to me, to hear that."
Zack twitchs his brow, "But I'm still not gonna let him walk over me" he points a finger, "if he bites me I'm gonna slug him one." still trying to get bak the machismo he lost by giving iin.
Rashmi chuckles. "Well of *course,*" she snorts. "I'm not *stupid,* you know. I don't want anyone to walk over anyone, anyway, that's even worse. Just… maybe keep in mind, you don't need to worry about being on the attack so much, with us?"
Zack nods his head, "All right all right…" he tussles his long black hair with the towel and he lets out a puff, "So how are things with you and uh…you know.." he motions, trying to be soft about it.
Rashmi blinks, tilting her head. "With…? Oh! That?" She shrugs, rubbing her temple again. "It hurts a little… but honestly, I've had worse. Like, two of them broken totally, making-me-pass-out worse. It'll be gone by tomorrow."
Zack nods his head a bit, "Well that's all right, I guess they're not impervous huh? Would be better if they are…how about with your boy?"
Rashmi nods. "It *would* be nice, yeah… but I guess that's just not going to happen… Lucas? We're doing good. *He's* doing much better, which just thank God for that. Now I can worry about other things most of the time, you know?"
Zack laughs a little, "Keeping him on the leash huh Chica? good good you got him right" he keeps grinning, like a cheshire cat, "Things have been going all right for me too I guess. Food's getting better!"
Rashmi smirks, reaching out to lightly smack the giant's arm. "I don't keep *anyone* on a leash, Zack," she says, wrinkling her nose. "But yeah, the food's gotten a *lot* better… I guess the cafeteria people don't want to be all shown up by Cam, right?"
Zack grins a small bit, "he makes a good breakfast that's for sure" he stretchs lightly again, and gives another faint little ahhh and working his arms and muscles a small bit once more, "Things really do sem to be really normal"
Rashmi nods, her smile slowly fading. "Yeah… better enjoy it while you can, Zack… I'm not sure how long it's going to last. You heard about Jono, right?"
Zack shakes his head, "No what happened?" he asks
Rashmi lets out a long, slow breath, nodding to one of the benches. "It's kind of a story… c'mon." Leading the way, she drops down onto the seat, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "So I guess a while back… before you and I got here… there was this guy, Mr. Sinister. And he took some of the kids… a couple of the adults, too… to do some kind of experimenting on. I don't really know what, they've locked the files tight away from us kids. But, Jono and Skyler, he got them as well as a few others, did something nobody really knows what to them. Left a mark on them, like a tattoo? So… about a week ago, Jono's mark starts hurting. Like, real bad, worse than the Dark Mark bad. And… well, Jono kind of exploded. Lost his grip on his powers, a little."
Zack blinks, "Wait you mean like totally…" he makes a snap of his finger, "Like you know…dead?" he asks
Rashmi shakes her head. "No no… Not *that* bad. Broke some furniture, threw a chair out the window. So Mike and Robyn and I take him down to Medical, right? Well… turns out the mark's like kind of a virus. Like a cyborg virus, which I just can't even begin to get, but anyway. It was turning itself into a tracker on him, that's why it started hurting so bad."
Zack nods his head, "So now this guy sinistar is coming back to us to the school and we gotta get ready for him?"
Rashmi sighs heavily, leaning back to let her head rest against the wall. "I don't know, Zack… Maybe? Probably… All I know for sure is, I'm scared. I *like* Jono, and I kind of like Skyler, and I don't *want* anything to be happening to the other kids. But… I'm not stupid enough to think that wanting it to be okay's going to make it happen, you know? I guess that's why I ambushed you. I *want* you and James to be okay… but, right now? I think I really *need* it. Like, *need* to know that the whole team's going to be together…. just in case."
Zack nods, "So we'll work hard and w'ell train, and we'll get better and then we'll see what hppens, I mean this place is pretty safe all things considered"
Rashmi chuckles. "Well, for all that it seems like it's just a *magnet* for this kind of nonsense… Yeah. But, seriously, Zack. I've had a week, thinking about this. And it *terrifies* me, honestly. Especially knowing what's happening to Skyler and Jono, and the others… It could end up being any of us. I can't let that happen. Not again. So just… we've got your back, all right? No matter what."
Zack nods his head, "ya really that does sound like it's rough, I dunno…so we just gotta fight if it comes to that…I cna nderstnad that, ya"
Rashmi looks over at the giant, smiling gently. "Thanks, Zack… Really. Just don't forget that, all right? You don't need to live in the weight room, if you're upset."
Zack smiles and he gives you al ittle nudge with his finger, "Hey it's all right, well I like training now but ya, I'm not hiding in there or anything"
Rashmi leans when nudged, chuckling. "Okay… Just wanted to make sure, you know? Like I said, I don't see you all that much, usually."
Zack huhs, "ya we don't have a lot of classes together do we? Well I mostly hang around, I'm kinda hard ot miss after all"
Rashmi bobs her head. "I'll keep that in mind. So, you sure you're done with practice, then?"
Zack nods, "ya we're hitting the danger room later anyway right? That'll be good fun there"
Rashmi nods, standing up from the bench. "Yup, this evening. So, I'll go change then, and get back to my homework. You take care, all right?"
Zack nods, "you too!"