Players: 
Summary: The Paragons meet as a team for the first time
Date: January 11, 2010
Log Title The Paragons Meet
Rating: PG
Westchester - Grind Stone
The Grind Stone is a quaint little coffee shop with tables surrounded by various shape chares and even a few couches with coffee tables. Baristas in yellow aprons are ready to take anyone's order from a latte to a hot chocolate to one of their many specialty drinks.
Lucas opens the door for Rashmi, "Ah still think we coulda done this in the cafeteria instead," he grumbles as the smell of coffee permeates the room. The shop has a small crowd, and in the corner is a DJ with a microphone, setting up a little television. Flyers on the window indicate tonight is a Karaoke night, which earns a little eye roll from Lucas when he sees. "Can we go now?" he asks, even though they are just arriving.
"And who was it that just *had* to get himself out of the school yesterday?" Smiling as she walks through the open door, she gives Lucas a nod of thanks, pausing as she sees the karaoke machine. "Aha, no way. Now we're *definitely* staying, even if it's just one round each. See, I *told* you you had a good idea coming here!"
James brings up the rear, opening the door for himself, "Hope this place doesn't have a no pets policy, 'cause if it does, you're all screwed." He looks at the machine and frowns, "I'm not singing. I don't care if this is the first time I've been out in public in 2 years, I'll turn right around." He holds the door for Zack. "You coming or not?"
Zack is probably behind James' rear then since he's running late! Damnit, giving a little bit of a huff as he manages to get out and around, "Ah, ya I'm coming I'm coming!" he says as he manages to get here in time.
Lucas folds his arms over his chest, "Ah ain't singing," he says, glaring at the DJ setting up the DJ. He walks over to a table, and flops down on the seat.
Rashmi glances back at James, an eyebrow rising. Shaking her head, she lets out a huff of breath. "Good Lord," she mutters, dragging a heavy stool from a table that seems built to seat massive people, repositioning it by the table Lucas has claimed. "I swear I'm the bravest one here, and I'm a *girl.* Good to see you again, Zack!" she says as the larger boy makes his way in. "Have a sit!" For her own part, she takes the char to Lucas' left, turning to look over the menu behind the counter.
James glares at the DJ, "Skip the country requests, and we'll remain friends." The creature smiles toothfully, and takes the seat Rashmi collected, "Thanks." He sets with an 'umph' and bounces for a moment in his seat, "So, what are we doing here anyways? I think I was distracted or something. All I remember is agreeing…" He looks off to the left, and then to the right, "I'm outside!" And promptly forgets what he was saying.
Zack nods his head, just a tiny little bit, "Hey, nothing about being brave was on the application form for the school" he says with a rub aginst the back of his head and he'll slowly take a seat around the table, glancing left and then right, "Well it's kinda all right, so a coffe house huh…"
Lucas furrows his brow at Zack, "You had an application?" He sighs. Then he looks at Rashmi, "Do you actually sing?"
"Well of course I do!" A few beats of silence follow Rashmi's declaration, followed by a distracted blink. "…Oh you meant *well.*" Shrugging, the redhead smirks at Lucas. "Probably not, but if that was even the point, there wouldn't *be* karaoke. And as for what we're doing here? Well… Lucas thought we should get the squad together now and again, since we hardly see each other all that often during class. I thought it was a great idea, but… I'm starting to wonder of Leighton even exists. I mean… I've met everyone else, but never hide nor hair of her."
James smiles like an idiot that fell out of the ugly tree and discovered it was Saturday. He looks over at Zack, "Sssssoooooo….new kid. Enjoying school? Did they start you in the re-education program yet? If you can't remember, you got an A+." He nods deftly and vibrates his foot nervously, "I wonder if this place serves No Fear. I could use another one. This one's wearing off I think." He looks over at Rashmi, "wwWhat?" he blinks, "Oh yeah. Great idea!"
Zack gives a little bit of an wince, "Ya well, course I had an application, and a physical, and financial aid and all that other stuff…why?" he asks Lucas and he looks at Rashmi and around, "Karaoke?" a look of longing on his face, "I hvn't sung in a long while…and then again nothing that was uh..modern in my singing ya…" he looks back over at James, "What, I…reducation, what? Huh…" he goes all wide eyed.
Lucas furrows his brow, "This wasn't my idea," he clears up in his southern drawl. "So, if'n ya'll applied for here, that means you WANTED to go here? Wow." He sighs, and looks at Rashmi, "Ah don't even know new guy's name and Ah think Ah'm annoyed."
"His name is Zack," Rashmi says in the Tone of Infinite Patience that Lucas has heard a great deal of in the last week. "And James… come on. No scaring the new kid, unless they're on someone *else's* team, okay…?"
James nods sagely, "Yeah…it's cool if you're not sure about it. Sometimes it takes awhile. Though, if you start getting headaches," his eyes widen, "For godsakes man, see a nurse. Last kid that didn't….didn't recover." He makes an exploding motion with his hand and whispers "…boom…" He gives Zack an inspecting look and moves his chair back a few inches. He looks over at Rashmi, "What? Someone has to warn him."
Zack frowns a little bit, and he looks left and right, "Wait, what I…" well considering the ammount of mutations he's seen he's not really gonna take much for granted, this place is about a 9 on the weird-shit-o-meter. "The nurse, well ok." he says as he stands up, "wait where's the nurse?"
Lucas rolls his eyes, "James is fuckin' with ya, Zack." He looks at James, "Lighten up, fuzzball." He looks back at Zack, "So, what's your magical super power, Zack?"
Rashmi turns a bright smile on Lucas as he attempts to quell James. "Well. While you boys get acquainted, I'll grab the drinks. Who wants what, then?"
James bites on his tongue and makes a face at the others, "Fine." He leans over to Zack, his ears going flat against his head, "Just remember….I was normal before coming here." He sits up straight and crosses his arms, "So…! Anyone bothering to get out into the big city as of late?"
Zack keeps sweating a little bit, "Ya know, I think it'll be not blowing up, I jsut wanna go back to my room, I think," he sas, not feeling too well right now, butterflies in his stomach.
Lucas opens his mouth to say something to Zack, but then looks at James instead. "Ah've never been to the city." He looks at Rashmi, "Just a coffee. Black." He looks at Zack again, "Relax, brosef. Ya'll are gonna be just fine."
Rashmi nods, slipping out of her chair and resting a hand on Zack's shoulder. "He's right, Zack… Just relax, we're all friends here… Right, James?" she says, stabbing a mild Look his way. "Just have a sit, Zack, and tell me what you'd like to drink?"
James nods to Lucas, "'Cause, as you know, I can't go. Not without a leash. So, I have lots of time to read, things…like the news. Now, I gotta admit…" He waves his hands a little, "My imagination might run a little wild, but sometimes I gotta wonder if what I read relates to the people I know." He shrugs, leans back in his chair and looks at Rashmi with big, black alien eyes, "I dunno any of you." He says honestly, "But, if you're on my team, we do what we gotta do to watch out for each other."
Zack just rubs his hands a small bit and he settles b ack at the table, "no I'm fine, nothing to drink…" he says as he sits there quietly and pretty much ike a lump, still looking pretty nervous, rubbing his hands.
Lucas gives James a rather loathsome glare, and then folds his arms over his chest. He looks over at the DJ, and just ignores all of them.
Rashmi looks around the table, eyes narrowing slightly. "Oh for… fine. I'll be right back then. Lucas, *try* to relax, hm?" Shaking her head, she turns and heads toward the counter, the end of her braid kicked out by her heels with each step.
James hmphs and shrugs a little, maybe smirking just a little, his attention on Lucas, "Well, just remember…I spend a lot of time in the room, roomie. Think of me as a Santa Claws you can believe in. I'll know if you're sleeping, awake, been naughty or nice. Heck, I know where you've been thanks to my nose." He catches just how quiet it's become and drops it, "Wonder if they'll play Freebird." His eyes narrow a little, "I hate that song."
Lucas watches Rashmi walk away. He's watching her butt, actually. Slowly, he turns to James, and says, "Ah don't need you to baby sit me. Ah don't know what you THINK you know, but ya'll are wrong." He looks at the DJ, and then back at James. "Freebird's a classic."
Rashmi returns a few minutes later, a trio of cups in her hands. "Large coffee for Lucas," she says sweetly, setting the slightly oversized cup in front of the blond, "chai for me, and a nice, large mug of settle down for James!" Some sort of herbal tea gets plunked in front of the hyena, as the redhead takes her seat. "So! Let's take the glaring and snarking for granted, and then where were we?"
James hmphs and looks at the tea, "I think that puts us back at the part where you were going to go up there and sing." He tilts his head and looks over at Rashmi, "Cause', while you were gone, we placed a bet you wouldn't. Well, I said you would, Lucas said you wouldn't."
Lucas picks up the song book on the table, and awkwardly flips it with his giant gloves. "James said he'd do Freebird if'n you did Stairway, Rash." He glances at Rashmi, and gives her a smile.
Zack is just kinda softly listenining, looking and he swallows.
Rashmi brightens visibly. "Really? Wow, that's brave of him!" Grinning at James, she settles back in her chair, picking her chai up in both hands, humming the first few lines to Stairway to herself. "First though, I think we should get in touch with Professor Beaubier, and set up a training schedule. there's, what, seven of us now…? We're going to need a lot of practice if we're going to be able to work together decently."
James laughs in that deep bass rumble sorta way, "I did. I figure I need to fulfill my redneck quota for the night. But, I'll need to borrow Lucas' NASCAR jacket first." He puts his hands up in arrest with a grin, "Friendly banter!" He looks over at Zack and back at Rashmi before he can find something new and inventive to say to the teen, "Practice? Now thats what I've been waiting to hear."
Lucas glances at James, "Ah ain't really a NASCAR fan." He sighs, and looks at Rashmi. "Professor Booby will let us know when he's ready. It ain't our place to push it." He sits the song book down, and looks at Rashmi. "Sing somethin', finish your coffee, an' lets go, huh?"
Zack nods, "prfoessor bobby? What are we talking about doing next?" he asks as he looks a little at the book too.
"Jean-Paul Beaubier," Rashmi corrects, shaking her head. "Northstar's his name when he's working with the X-Men. Honestly, doesn't *anyone* read up on the people teaching us?" With a sigh, she sips from her drink, leaning over and nudging Lucas with her shoulder. "Smile, Lucas," she murmurs to the Tennesseean, "it won't kill you. Besides, it looks good on you."
James tilts his head and looks over at Rashmi, "But I heard we don't have a squad leader yet? So, where do we go in the meantime, 'cause I'm going to nominate you on the grounds that you brought us together tonight."
Lucas sighs, "It don't look so good." He looks at Zack, "So, seriously, what can you do, Zack?" he asks, trying to just ignore the conversation.
Zack nods, "Well uh, I'm big, and 'm strong, I think that's it." he says with a little nod of his head. Kinda curious now, "So then, what exactly is the…ah…oh! Well I'll nominate Rashmi too, why not"
Rashmi glances at Lucas, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth at the nominations. "Well… You'll probably be sorry you said that… so! I'll talk to Professor Beaubier, and see if we can get the Danger Room for a few hours on Saturday afternoon."
Lucas huffs, "Don't get cocky, Rash." He stands, and walks over to the DJ. He begins to talk to the man, nodding, and he gestures back at the table. The DJ nods, and writes something down.
James makes a squeak sound and smiles, "I've been wanting to go there I hear it's filled with awesomeness." He watches Lucas gets up to go put in a song list, "SO…anyways, I have traps I need to go check. Teachers are bound to notice if their class is half empty." He stands and pushes his chair back, looking at Zack, "Catch and release, you know." He looks over at Rashmi, "IF I miss anything, let me know?"
Zack nods, "The…the danger room? jeeze you wantd to go a place called that way, I don't think I would, we have to do that from trianinig now you think?"
Rashmi nods. "It's just the name of the room, I'm told, Zack, it'll be all—sit *down,* James," Rashmi declares, poking a finger onto the tabletop. "You said you'd do it, and now you get your chance."
James grins at Rashmi, "You're not squad leader. Yet. When you are, you can ask me to say. Until then, You've got my back, but not my beautiful, beautiful voice." He puts his hand on his stomach and bows a little, "Ladies, gentlemen." He nods to Lucas as he returns, "Yeah. I'm heading back. Places to go, people to see. Life in the big city." He heads towards the door and exits—assuming no one stops him
Lucas finishes with the DJ, and then walks back over. He doesn't sit, looking at James. "What? Ya'll are leavin'?" he asks the hyena boy.
Zack nods his head a small bit, and rubs the back of his head, well he's found out a little bit more of his friends and teammates now at least.
Rashmi huffs quietly. "Coward," she quips with a grin. "Fine, fine then. Zack, maybe you'd like to have a go after?" Pausing, she blinks, looking back around and up at Lucas. "…You're not sitting down?"
Zack looks around, "What? Have a go…have a go at what? um, what?" he gulps
Lucas shrugs, watching James leave. "Ah just figured if'n Ah stayed—" and he's interupted by the DJ, who announces, "Looks like our first victim tonight is Lucas!" Lucas looks at the DJ, and then back at Rashmi. He just shrugs, and turns, walking towards the stage.
