Staff Meeting (Jake first, then any faculty)

[Ororo Munroe]

Ororo pulls the dip out of the refrigerator and yanks the plastic wrap off the top of the bowl. She sets a basket of tortilla chips next to it and arranges the tray of vegetables.

Oh, I love the holidays! The children were all looking forward to time off from classes, and Ororo had to agree. The last few months had been jam-packed, and those on the X-Men had needed to balance teaching (or taking) classes with leaving at all hours for various missions. It was hard on all of them, especially the younger members.

Looks just about set. She'd thought this combination party/meeting would be a good way to kick off the festivities, though. They were long overdue for a staff meeting, and there were a variety of issues to discuss. Those faculty who had not been present for Alcatraz needed to be briefed on the details, John was back, they had a new teacher, even.

Warren was doing a good job, by all accounts. Just the other day she'd overheard some students talking about his course. Ororo had told him it was up to him on whether to stop in. He wasn't exactly a teacher... but was no longer a student. I hope he's not intimidated by us... Ah. Toni will be here... Ororo affords herself a small smile.

She finishes setting out various platters on the island. As she comes to a close, the mistletoe on the counter catches her attention. Oh, why not? Hank had left it in her office before leaving for a business trip, along with some sort of elaborate explanation on the origin of the tradition. He'd implied it was for her office door... but it would go well with the kitchen's decorations.

Ororo begins fixing it to the archway, oblivious to the approaching footsteps...

[Jake Sheppard]

It didn’t take much to get Jake acting like an over-excited school kid, really. Stupid little things like Saturday morning cartoon marathons or completing a Café Nero loyalty card were normally enough. Things like Free Comic Day (free! Comics! Genius! Why couldn’t the UK have it?) or finding a shop which sold jelly beans by individual flavour… well, he stood no chance, really. So it was something of an early festive miracle that he’d managed to hold together the *mature responsible headmaster thing* half as well as he had given that it was OH MY GOD Christmas! True, the desk-top Christmas tree had made its appearance around Halloween, and he’d been threatened with pretty much every conceivable punishment, mutant or mundane, if anything seasonal made its way into the CD player before about 2012, but given that this was Christmas abroad, and therefore all sorts of insane-super-shiny, then he could be forgiven. Probably.

At least the rest of the Institute would be getting into similar spirit fairly soon, fingers crossed. This was, admittedly, a *Staff Meeting* rather than a straight-out party, but still… At the very least it’s a chance to get out of the formality of being the headmaster and back into something nearer casual, because only one person is running this particular show, and… Speak of the devil. The thought feels almost blasphemous as soon as it’s out, because Ororo’s been great. Clichéd though it may be to say he’s no idea how she does it he… really has no idea. Filling one of those wheelchair treads would be enough of a challenge without having to cover up for the numbskull failing miserably to even begin addressing the other one… Yep, really, no idea whatsoever, especially since things had gone all sorts of crazy with Alcatraz take two and all that, so that thought’s retracted pretty quickly. Much quicker, and with much more success, than the grin (he’d once have labelled it charming, but since being here it’s rapidly been re-named the *irritatingly boyish and idiotic* one…) he realises, with a small rush of embarrassment (and he has no idea why it should be embarrassing, but for some reason it is), has sparked up on approaching the kitchen and seeing Ororo.

”Wow… Oh yeah” Jake runs an approving eye over the decorations - ”Very festive.” – taking in the tinsel, paper chains and mistelt… Oh.

… yeah, that, if failing to kill it outright, fades the grin slightly. Mistletoe. One of the slightly less shiny things about Christmas because, overgrown boy that he is, it never goes well. All sorts of bumbling awkward and stupid. Yup. Gulp. Okay, no need to panic. It’s just a silly festive tradition, right? He can recover without making a fool of himself and starting to babble…

”One of the weirder traditions, that one. ‘Cos mistletoe’s not a nice plant, really. Kills a lot of Celtic and Norse gods, if memory serves… Back in Scotland s’supposed to protect from lightening, and…” Yeah, remember what we said about the not-babbling? D for effort, Jakey… and a big fat F as far as success goes. ”I should probably shut up, right? Right. Shutting… up. Zip.”

Shutting up should make things better. It usually does. But now it’s just… a different sort of awkward. Because the two of them are still there, and there’s still that stupid bloody plant, and he’s turning all shades of crimson for some reason which doesn’t even make any sense (or rather, which he’s sure would fail to make sense if he had any idea what the reason was. Which he doesn’t) and… It’s just a stupid tradition, man. Pull yourself together. Best of British, stiff upper lip and all…

”What the hell… Merry Christmas ‘ro” Jake leans in and gives her a quick, definitely chaste, obviously *just between friends* peck on the cheek.

[Ororo Munroe]

> ”One of the weirder traditions, that one. ‘Cos mistletoe’s not a nice plant, really. Kills a lot of Celtic and Norse gods, if memory serves… Back in Scotland s’supposed to protect from lightening, and…”

Oh, Gaia. What a goof. Ororo smiles as she finishes fastening the decoration to the top of the arch, and then turns to greet him. "Protection from lightning? That's no good." She attempts to look benign beneath the plant, but she can see Jake turning shades of red beneath the smart collared shirt he's wearing. The thought of his shirt suddenly locks her mind onto whatever may be beneath his clothing, and Ororo hurriedly moves her thoughts onto another topic before Jake notices the unfocused look in her eyes.

> ”I should probably shut up, right? Right. Shutting… up. Zip.”

A goof, yes. But an adorable one. The two of them had had some sort of chemistry from day one, when she'd encountered him in his new office and given him the grand tour. What it was, exactly, she wasn't sure. What she was sure of, was that is wasn't generally commonplace to have the urge to throw your co-headmaster onto the counter and...? What, exactly? Again, Ororo wasn't sure - an uncommon occurrence for her. Yes, yes, very lovely, and Jake is a telepath. She puts the lid on her thoughts.

> ”What the hell… Merry Christmas ‘ro”

The touch of his lips on her cheek egg her on, and she's not exactly sure what causes her to do what she does. Ororo certainly isn't a woman of impulse. Everything tends to be plotted out and double-checked. Except this.

As he begins to break contact with her cheek, Ororo moves her head slightly, bringing their lips together. They're as warm as she'd hoped they would be, and she kisses Jake on them softly.

Ororo ends the kiss more quickly than she'd have liked, but it would do no good to scare Jake away. And besides - what with the mistletoe, he could take it any way he'd like. It could be a friendly peck on the lips.

"Merry Christmas, Jake." She brushes an invisible bit of dirt off his collar, and steps over to the counter. "I hope you brought your appetite. We've got plenty of good things to go around."

After a minute, she hears more footsteps in the corridor leading from the foyer. Aha, more faculty. That should prevent any awkward questions...

[Warren Worthington III]

Warren makes his way uncertainly towards the kitchen, not quite sure whether he’s supposed to be attending this party/meeting thing or not.

He’s teaching, which makes him technically staff, but Josh has been amusingly insistent on him not being really staff, because that would be awkward. Still, he doesn’t imagine anyone is going to kick him out of the party, and if it’s going to get awkward he’d just as soon deal with it up front; he’s enjoying teaching his seminar more than he expected to (even if he does have to work hard to keep ahead of his students), but he’s still perfectly willing to give it up if he has to. Not that that seems too likely: with a few exceptions everyone around the Institute has been pretty supportive, which shouldn’t surprise him but actually does.

> " What the hell… Merry Christmas ‘ro "

He catches the quiet murmur, and what sounds like a kiss or two, and offers a brief thanks to the gods of enhanced hearing as he hangs back a bit to avoid interrupting anything. Ororo and Jake, eh? Well good for them… they could stand to rub off on each other. He winces at his choice of expression, glad nobody was listening, and makes sure his footsteps are audible as he heads into the kitchen.

"Merry Christmas!" He pauses for a moment, realizing he’s not at all sure of either of their religious traditions, and adds "Or Hannukah, or Kwanzaa, or Yule… or, well, whatever your personal tradition is for midwinter overindulgance." Seeing Jake looking semi-shellshocked under the mistletoe explains a lot of things, and he can’t quite resist a knowing grin in the guy’s direction before joining Ororo at the counter. "So what’s on the agenda?"

[Arthur Coleman]

Oh dear.

Arthur knew from the moment he got up this morning that something was amiss. Holidays were far too hard on his nerves, the constant yanking of his emotions from up to down in a matter of seconds. A cup of hot tea had been enough to sate him in the morning, but he feared that there was a migraine in his near future at this rate. At the present moment, he is wringing his hands nervously, shyly stepping around the corner and briskly increasing his long stride. It is his first Christmas back to the institute, and also his first staff meeting since he had left some months ago. Arthur is a little more than nervous, uncertain if everyone had been informed of the reasons behind his absence, and if it would put him on the spot for succumbing to what had ultimately been the cause of Alcatraz. The meeting had been the amiss. He had completely forgotten about it until about ten minutes ago while in the middle of thumbing through a particularly interesting novel.

And so, it brought him here, where he is trailing his fingers across the wall to make sure that he is going in the right direction. Despite the fact of his current state, Arthur appears actually slightly festive. There is a dark red button-up shirt beneath his foresty green sweater, undoubtedly suggested by a student that he at least attempt to look like he was enjoying the holiday. That seems to be the only colour on him, as his complexion lacks any at all.

So what's on the agenda? The familiar voice of Warren reaches his ears, although he feels the two other presences in the kitchen already. The man finally steps through the doorway after he releases a short breath. "..pardon me.. I.. ..well.. the meeting slipped my mind until only a few moments ago..," Arthur resists raking his fingers through his curly hair, which at the moment is tamed, the grey pronounced as it glints slightly in the lighting.

[Warren Worthington III]

> "..pardon me.. I.. ..well.. the meeting slipped my mind until only a few moments ago..,"

Warren turns around to greet the newest arrival. "Merry Christmas, Mr. Coleman! Not to worry, I only got here a few minutes ago myself. Still plenty of onion dip." His voice sounds overly loud to his own ears, and he mentally smacks himself… he’s never understood the instinct to shout at blind people as if they were also deaf, and here he is doing it. Oh well… he imagines Arthur will understand. More quietly, he adds "Besides, it’s only us and Ororo and Jake, so far. Plenty of time."

It’s a little strange to be having the staff meeting in the kitchen, but on the other hand the kitchen is one of the few places in the Institute to have survived the Invasion without much structural damage. Which reminds him… "So, Ororo… how are the repairs coming along? And has Hank made any progress on figuring out where our nouveau mutant “friends” came from? "

[Toni Craft]

Okay, running a little bit late, but since when was Toni ever known for her punctuality? Her jeans making funny swishing noises and her sneakers thumping (though why do they call them sneakers? There's no way they could make my sneaking any more sneakier), she hurries down the hall to the kitchen.

"Alright!" She announces, walking through the door with a huge grin. "Now the real party can begin! Who's got the booze? Can't have a rockin' staff meeting without the hard stuff!"

"Has Hank made any progress on figuring out where our nouveau mutant “friends” came from? "

"They came out of my ass so far as I'm concerned, Warr. No need to ruin some perfectly good holiday fun with talk of the bad guys." Toni tosses back a dip covered carrot, ignoring the fact that this was actually a staff meeting, not a party. "Now what d'you say you and me go hang around under the mistletoe for a while, eh? Those feathers look like they could use some groomin', and Josh is nowhere to be seen." She smiles mischievously and gives Warren a wink. "But better make it quick, I've got a lot of guy-teachers to go through." Then searching out the next male in the room, Toni yells out: "Jake! Meet me under the mistletoe in ten, okay? And don't be late! I've got a schedule to keep!"

The holidays always did make her a little frisky...

[Warren Worthington III]

> "Now what d'you say you and me go hang around under the mistletoe for a while, eh? Those feathers look like they could use some groomin', and Josh is nowhere to be seen. "

Warren laughs good-naturedly, allowing the subject to change.

"Maybe not, but he is a telepath… trying to keep secrets from him is rather like trying to beat you at arm-wrestling. Besides which, with a gorgeous woman like yourself on my arm nobody will believe I’m giving up the whole playboy lifestyle, so… will you settle for sharing a friendly mug of cider?" He lifts the mug in a toasting gesture and grins, returning her wink.

Truth to tell, he’s just as happy not to talk about the invasion… he still feels guilty for not having been around for it. Which is silly, of course – it’s not like his presence would have made much difference (although Josh’s might have), and it’s not like they hadn’t faced their own version of it in Paris (he shifts his jaw experimentally, remembering that, and briefly gives thanks that mutant healing factors work on teeth, too).

Still, he can’t get over the feeling. What makes it particularly odd is that they – whoever they were -- hadn’t invaded the Institute until after he and Josh had called in from Paris… as if they’d been the real targets and the Institute an afterthought. Which is silly, of course, but nevertheless there’s something strange about the whole thing, and he hopes that Hank’s study of the handful of agents they’d managed to hold on to will turn up something useful.

> " Jake! Meet me under the mistletoe in ten, okay? "

Warren manages to catch Jake’s eye and “thinks out loud” in his direction: Careful, Jake… my guess is making Ororo jealous is what they call a career-limiting move. He’s careful to ensure that the bantering tone carries over as well, having gotten way better at the whole communication-with-telepaths thing in his time with Josh. And I wouldn’t count on the mistletoe to protect you from lightning, either…

[Arthur Coleman]

Merry Christmas, Mr. Coleman! Not to worry, I only got here a few minutes ago myself. Still plenty of onion dip. Arthur does not seem to be bothered by the volume of Warren's voice, though he does tilt his head to one side, letting his hands find solace in his pockets. He nods a little, stepping away from the doorway in case others should happen to show up soon. Besides, it’s only us and Ororo and Jake, so far. Plenty of time. Arthur nods again,"So I gather. The others will be along shortly no doubt." Inwardly, the man was relieved to come to know that he was not late, usually sticking to his personal rules of being punctual or early.

Arthur relatively makes no attempt to include himself in the small group, choosing to stand off to the side, away from the refreshments and food. Alright! Now the real party can begin! Who's got the booze? Can't have a rockin' staff meeting without the hard stuff! Tensing at first at her entrance, Arthur slowly relaxes, having momentarily closed his mind to listen to the conversation around him. He clears his throat a little but says nothing. At the mention of mistletoe, Arthur silently makes a choice not to move, quite baffled as to where the sprig might be hanging.

He didn't even dare to ask it's location so that he might go about avoiding it.

[Jake Sheppard]

Sometimes Jake thinks he’d be better off with just the temporal manipulation... thingy to his name. Much as the second kiss takes him by total and complete surprise it’s easy enough to slow things down sufficiently that it’s a genuine, if (by her reckoning) incredibly short kiss rather than a *meeep!* with added lip-locking and, slightly more selfishly, to extend his experience of it, and if it weren’t for the goddam telepathy there’s no way he’d be thinking that it wasn’t enough, or that somehow she didn’t quite get how much he enjoyed it...

Then again, he wouldn’t be picking up on those other images either (at least, he’s fairly sure some of it isn’t just his own mind at work, because it’s a little too raw and primal for that...) and they’re, erm... kinda... a jolt to the system, both in themselves and as a sign that it might just be something other than fantasy if he ever actually got the balls to make a move (and that would be an almost totally unwelcome reminder, right there – as if things weren’t awkward enough – of exactly how much balls reality has decided to grant, ahem. Moving on...). And he definitely wouldn’t be able to semi-accidentally broadcast the defiantly breezy and controlled Said good things including a second helping of whatever that was?[/color] and mental ‘wink’ which he knows normal conversation would deny him, both because (despite best efforts to, erm, rise to the occasion… no, moving on, remember?) he just… wouldn’t be able to pull it off, and because they’ve now… being interrupted. Which would normally count as a welcome diversion. But this seems to be a day for inversions, as he’s finding himself wondering whether fast-forwarding through all this would work, and lamenting that as headmaster he can’t pull a naughty schoolboy and sneak off somewhere, rather than looking forward to a party. And that’s just not cricket.

The way Ororo moves off, tries to make their little trist look like a perfectly innocent exchange, should be something of a cue, and so he feigns an equal degree of nope, nothing to see here (which probably fools no one, but oh well), responding to Warren’s ‘knowing glance’ with a suitably bemused What?[/color] as if he hasn’t noticed the mistletoe before now, before sending a Oh. Now now, Josh wouldn’t like that… and you’re not my type.[/color] At first he’d been apprehensive about Worthington-Junior-Junior – spoiled rich kid, tycoon and playboy being all sorts of intimidating and irritating as a concept – but, well, you couldn’t help but warm to the guy, and not just because he and Josh seemed to be settling into a variation on domestic bliss which was somewhere between adorable and amusing (having one’s protégé all chipper and loved-up is one hell of a warm-fuzzy-glow, it seems), though Jake has to wonder how much of that is down to sharing headspace with Josh in their training sessions… Whatever. He’s a decent enough guy, and reassuringly un-staff-like (though at the same time weirdly, almost shaming-ly, professional about the whole thing…), though as of right now the whole *smugly knowing* thing has him squirming somewhat.

He should, no doubt, be trying to pay attention; this is the first chance they’ve had to address the invasion, and as the headmaster he should at least know what the official party line is, given that he’s fielding all the *concerned parental* stuff and, despite the magical power of bullshit (and the whole Mr. and Mrs. Dalton experience post-whatever that was giving him some sort of grounding), failing miserably to be much use. Getting to know the less forward, manic or sensational members of faculty beyond might also be a good idea. At the very least, should professionalism completely escape him (not that that ever happens, right? Heh) socialising is always good, right? It’s just that… none of the others are as interesting as ‘ro’s rapidly becoming, and nothing they have to say can really distract from the tonsil-hockey connected thoughts.

Perhaps he should give some sort of thanks to the whole ‘goof’ thing he’s been projecting since getting the job, since it won’t come as too much as a surprise if he’s taking a backseat and letting Ororo play hostess, and acting all dippy and distracted… though this is the first time, probably, that all the random little shows of total non-concentration (lining up all the bottles so their newly alphabetized labels face the same way, for example, or building Jenga: The Crudités Edition) are showy attempts to distract both any audience and himself from the real distraction, sad little timewasters to fill up even the sped-up run through of events as everything else fades out and washes over…

< Jake!
… yeah, no way Toni would ever allow herself to be blurred into the background, is there? The dull clu-thud-unk of veggie sticks hitting the counter as the tower collapses punctuates the whole rabbit-in-the-headlights routine as things slam back into normal-time mode.

< Careful, Jake… my guess is making Ororo jealous is what they call a career-limiting move. And I wouldn’t count on the mistletoe to protect you from lightning, either…
Jake’s No idea what you’re talking about…[/color] somehow manages to be both boyishly embarrassed and knowingly smug – which is a fairly nifty tone for something unspoken, really. Warren’s got a point, though… time to escape this one as deftly as possible…

”No no no, Toni” he grins, pushing away the ‘frozen’ quality with perhaps over-enthusiastic compensatory chipper-ness, but whatever. ”You can’t schedule a mistletoe rendezvous. It’s got to be all by chance and coincidence and weird festive serendipity…” (for all the pretending nothing ever happened, he can’t help but direct the beam slightly more in Ororo’s direction, sneak in a sly wink when everyone else should be watching out for the Woman Of Steel and her raging libido).

[Ororo Munroe]

> Said good things including a second helping of whatever that was?

Ororo coughs, nearly choking on a carrot stick when the words ghost through her mind. She hadn’t expected the kiss to be received quite that positively. Maybe it was the perceived loneliness of her position. Since taking over the X-Men, Ororo always had to be the strong one, the one with the plan, the one for everyone to rely on. Having someone else to share responsibilities with was something of a relief. Granted, Jake wasn’t exactly the most on-task man she’d ever met, but she suspected that had more to do with his being thrown into a position of authority based on his powers, with a total lack of training.

So she tries to send back an ambiguous sort of flirty shrug, which she’s completely unsure was conveyed properly. Most of her experience with telepathic conversation was of the strictly ‘speech’ type. After a slight hesitation, she allows her thoughts to drift over to his. <Unless I’m gravely mistaken, there’s plenty more where that came from. I’ve been running in to it here and there all semester.> She finishes the carrot stick and looks at Jake out of the corner of her eye.

> "Or Hannukah, or Kwanzaa, or Yule… or, well, whatever your personal tradition is for midwinter overindulgance."

“Welcome to the party, Warren. Merry Christmas!” Ororo waves a hand over the spread of food. “Everyone, eat up. We’ve got a little bit of everything.” She turns to greet the next guest. “Good afternoon, Arthur. We’ll be starting in a few minutes, so please help yourself.”

> "So, Ororo… how are the repairs coming along? And has Hank made any progress on figuring out where our nouveau mutant “friends” came from? "

She shakes her head. “Unfortunately not, Warren. I’m relieved that the two of you made it back in one piece. I’m certain that he’ll turn up a lead, though. He’s far too good at what he does.” One piece being relative, of course. Both Josh and Warren had spent some time in the medical bay. Warren, who had been injured more severely, had fortunately recovered faster because of his regenerative capabilities. “Right now, Hank is reviewing some of the forensic evidence left behind, with Toni and Josh assisting on some of the more basic procedures. He’s also been doing some quiet inquiries back at the UN.”

At this, Toni bursts onto the scene, in her usual mood. Ororo smiles - some things never do change, which is a relief when over half the Mansion is in shreds at the moment.

> "Now what d'you say you and me go hang around under the mistletoe for a while, eh? Those feathers look like they could use some groomin', and Josh is nowhere to be seen."

Ororo raises an eyebrow at Warren after this comment, and speaks up. “Toni, I don’t think you’ve ever seen Josh truly angry, have you? His telekinetic control has progressed quite a bit since childhood… but I still don’t recommend provoking it.” A smile brushes her lips - she’s only half joking.

> "Jake! Meet me under the mistletoe in ten, okay? And don't be late! I've got a schedule to keep!"

She can feel herself reacting with instinctive jealousy at the statement, though she internally kicks herself for it. Jake isn’t involved with me, stop it. She settles for turning towards him at the statement, and allowing her eyes to glow white for a fraction of a second, as if to say: oh, really?

> ”You can’t schedule a mistletoe rendezvous. It’s got to be all by chance and coincidence and weird festive serendipity…”

Ororo casually plucks a cracker from the plate in front of her, eyeing the assembled crowd. With any luck, none of them heard their earlier exchange - the last thing they need is the rumor mill flying out of control. “Oh, I agree. It has to be by chance and impulse, there’s no point in setting things up. Now, after the rendezvous, anything could happen.” She catches Jake’s proffered wink, and bats her eyes once, innocently, while everyone else is looking over towards Toni.

[Warren Worthington III]

Warren can’t be sure what’s going on between Ororo and Jake, of course, but overhearing their “mistletoe rendezvous” gives him a good idea, and he has enough experience with telepathic flirting to recognize the sighs – um, signs. He pours himself a drink, heroically managing to keep a mostly straight face while watching their antics, then grows more serious at Ororo’s summary of the post-Invasion activity

> " I’m relieved that the two of you made it back in one piece."

"Not nearly as relieved as I am, believe me. And now we know whether my teeth regenerate, which is an important advance to science, right?" Warren still feels a little guilty that he’d recovered from their evening in Paris so much faster than Josh had (and not in the sense he’d expected to!), but to be fair he’d been in far worse shape to start with, so it probably evened out.

The collapsing Tower of Crudites on Toni’s arrival lifts his spirits again, even though he tries and fails to reinforce it telekinetically as it falls (unsurprisingly, given its distance from him, he doesn’t even slow it down). "I hear onion dip makes a good mortar substitute, for your next celery-architecture experiment," he adds with a chuckle.

> " Toni, I don’t think you’ve ever seen Josh truly angry, have you? His telekinetic control has progressed quite a bit since childhood… but I still don’t recommend provoking it."

"You’re assuming he’d use his control to avoid hurting her…" he adds, amused, then finishes his drink. "So, anyway… what’s on the agenda, boss?"

[Toni Craft]

“Toni, I don’t think you’ve ever seen Josh truly angry, have you?"

"No...except maybe that one time I walked in on him in the shower...with our darling Warren no less." Naturally, such an event had never happened, but Toni was in a chipper mood and eager to cause some trouble.

”No no no, Toni. You can’t schedule a mistletoe rendezvous. It’s got to be all by chance and coincidence and weird festive serendipity…”

"Well then, Jake. Why don't you just coincidence-ize your adorable bottom underneath that little bush over there," Toni nods towards the mistletoe, then chokes on her eggnog as she realizes the sexual innuendo behind her innocent little order. She catches the look in Ororo's eye and grins, wondering if the weather witch could see the proverbial horns growing out of her head. Toni had seen the sparks fly between Ororo and Jake on more than one occasion, but had managed to resist any inappropriate comments at the time.

With all the cleaning going on around the mansion as of late, Toni had had very little time to be her normal goofy self. Well, save for one incident when she play-heaved her younger brother over the balcony in the garden. After he had brushed all the dirt off his clothes, he had come running through the mansion in revengeful haste. That day had ended with her dangling by her ankles...

"So, anyway… what’s on the agenda, boss?"

"Well, what do you say to eating, then everyone getting completely loaded, then one giant mutant game of Twister? I've got the game loaded up and ready in the Danger Room anytime you guys wanna play." The plate of cold-cut sandwiches was assaulted and partially consumed shortly there-after.

[Warren Worthington III]

> " that one time I walked in on him in the shower...with our darling Warren no less"

Warren chuckles. "Actually, that was Bobby Drake, and Josh was more embarrassed than angry. It was all perfectly innocent, of course… flying lessons tend to get muddy, is all." He thinks a moment, then corrects himself: "Or, rather, landing lessons do."

Nor, he realizes as he recalls the event, was it perfectly innocent… then blinks, a little disoriented, as he realizes he’s remembering it from both perspectives. He shakes his head, bemused; just when he thinks he’s gotten used to this whole telepathic-rapport thing, it sneaks up on him in some new and different ways. If he’d known Josh was thinking that back then it wouldn’t have stayed innocent for long…

> " Well, what do you say to eating, then everyone getting completely loaded, then one giant mutant game of Twister? I've got the game loaded up and ready in the Danger Room anytime you guys wanna play. "

"Only if you promise not to step on my foot this time. Last time it took hours for my ankle to heal!" One of the nice things about having Toni around, Warren muses, is that it places an upper limit on how serious things can get. That said, having seen her gleefully separating heads from torsos during that rescue mission, Warren makes a point of taking her at least somewhat seriously…

[Arthur Coleman]

Arthur listens intently on the discussion of the previous attack on the institute, and he draws away a little, always feeling ashamed whenever someone mentioned it. He had been no help at all, ducking behind an instrument to protect him and relying on a student for his safety. Obviously, he isn't egotistical, but in every man there is a certain amount of pride and dignity that has to be kept alive within themselves. His own pride had been thoroughly bruised that day, and that much was for sure. However, the seriousness of that topic does nothing to prepare him for the sexual banter that follows. He is fighting the urge just to excuse himself from the room, not one for participation in any sort of thing like that.

Well, what do you say to eating, then everyone getting completely loaded, then one giant mutant game of Twister? I've got the game loaded up and ready in the Danger Room anytime you guys wanna play.

Only if you promise not to step on my foot this time. Last time it took hours for my ankle to heal!

He nearly jumps at the fraction of silence to clear his throat and softly notes "If I may say so.. perhaps we should not dismiss the matter at hand so easily--the invasion." Trust Arthur to 'ruin' moments such as these, but despite the fact of how much they avoided the subject, it was still going to be there when they finished. And there was the fact that he felt quite uncomfortable with the innuendos as it were.