Shiro & Alex, Ororo, and Forge. Thursday

[x-sanfuaiyaa.livejournal.com]

Three logs set for today because they all just happened to be finished at the same time.

This morning, Shiro speaks with Alex about what happened the evening of the winter ball, and they come to an understanding of sorts.


Shaking his head like a wet dog, Alex stepped back into his shared room with Shiro, one towel around his waist while the other was attempting to dry his hair. He stood by the door as he finished so he wouldn't get anything wet then walked in through the wet towel on his bed so he could look for a clean containment suit and clothes.

"You are such a girl," Shiro remarked from his bed, where he was lying down and reading a manga. And steadfastly not looking at a wet and half-naked roommate. Not that it wasn't anything he hadn't seen before, given how long they'd shared a room. But their friendship had moved onto a new phase, and Shiro had no idea what he'd do now if he saw Alex towel-less.

Snorting Alex, picked up the wet towel from the bed and chucked it at the other boy. "Excuse me for not wanting to get water everywhere." Sticking his tongue out at Shiro, Alex turned back to finish finding clothes from a pile on the floor.

"Haven't you mastered the art of drying yourself with your powers and not scorching the bathroom floor?" La la la, still not looking. Shogo Kawada aiming to blow off the head of his fourteenth victim was much more interesting than the actual sight in front of him.

That earned Shiro a playful glare over his shoulder. "Since do my powers do anything small like that?" In looking over his shoulder, he caught Shiro glancing at his back. Frowning slightly, he tried following the other's gaze but didn't see anything.

Shiro's eyes were fixed firmly on Koushun Takami's dark and violent story, and not on Alex. Especially not when he was looking. Really, Battle Royale was much easier to understand than last Friday's events. "Well, it will just have to be another thing for you to learn, ne?"

"Right, uh huh." Shrugging slightly, Alex went back to looking for clothes, finally pulling out his suit and a pair of jeans, though occasionally stealing a glance to Shiro to see if he could catch him again.

Shiro glanced up once while Alex was stepping into his pants. Once. And not even a glance, really. More just a movement of his eyes because staring at a page in front of him for too long would hurt his eyes. Alex just happened to be within his range of vision.

Thankfully for Shiro, Alex didn't catch the 'eye movement' and he finished getting dressed except for his sneakers. He had to hunt around for them, and discovered they had somehow gotten under his bed. Grumbling, He got down on his hands and knees and reached under the bed.

Shiro frowned. Alex was doing this on purposely, wasn't he? Shiro sighed in frustration and put down his manga. "Alex, may we talk?" The last thing he wanted to do, surely, but he couldn't take it anymore.

Alex really just wanted his shoes. Really. Finally grabbing them, he stood up so he could sit back down on his bed and look at Shiro was he put on his socks and sneakers. "Yeah, sure. What about?"

Tact. Tact is the way to handle this situation. So he got up, walked over to Alex, and kissed him. Maybe with just a little bit of tongue, but just a little. "So, what are we doing?" Good tact there.

Enjoying the kiss, Alex blinked at the question afterwards. "I believe we were just kissing...Gotta be more specific here bro. Something up?"

Shiro let out a short sigh. At least Alex liked it and hadn't changed his mind yet. "Us. Are we a . . . a thing" - he was sure his head would explode if he used the BF word - "or is this temporary or what?"

Oh. Alex hadn't really thought about it. "I don't know." He sat down on his bed, hoping Shiro would join him. "I hadn't thought about it. I was just enjoying it, ya know?"

"Well, me too." A lot. Shiro sat down next to Alex. Close, but not too close. He needed some distance if Alex was going to go all 'oh wait, no thanks.' Shiro sighed and turned his head to look at Alex. "I'm not . . . you know" - another word he couldn't say, even though that was a lie with or without a named label - "But if we are going to do this, then I want to make sure that I will not do or say anything to hurt you."

"Gay? Bi?" Alex supplied for Shiro. He chuckled slightly but kept his distance, as he too was afraid of this getting painful. "Look Shiro, I don't know if I'm either of those things either. Alls I know is...I like what we have right now. And even if this is how it remains, I'd be happy. And I want you to be happy with this too, not worrying about me. If you’re not comfortable with this...then say so." He was trying to be brave but he was slightly terrified. If Lorna could leave, why couldn't Shiro? But he wasn't about to say it.

Luckily for Alex, Shiro didn't get violent. But he was blushing so hard that he looked like he could burst into flames at any minute. "I am not uncomfortable," he began, looking everywhere around the room except at Alex. "I am comfortable with you, of that I have no doubt. I just do not know what this makes me, and I hate not knowing who I am."

With a small sigh, Alex moved closer so that their legs were touching and he could reach out to take Shiro's hand. "You’re Shiro Yoshida, my best friend...the best anyone could ever have and I love you. That's who you are, to me anyway. Does there have to be anything else? Do we have to place a name on it?" It was a genuine question, for that's how Alex felt. No, he didn't know if he was gay or bi or whatever...he just cared that he and Shiro were together at this moment. That's what was important.

The warm, reassuring sensation of Alex's hand in his and the power loop that they established whenever they were in contact sent a slight shiver down Shiro's spine. But he smiled, and then lightly punched Alex's arm with his free hand. "You really are a girl, ne?" Alex's response had done some to alleviate his concerns, and really, was a label all that important? They just were, and for now, that's all he could want.

Alex scrunched his nose as he laughed. "If it makes you feel more secure in your masculinity, sure I'm a girl. See how much I love you?" Now that their concerns were addressed, he felt like he could kid around as per normal. Normal was safe. Normal was good.

~*~

Ororo is already back in the headmistress groove when Shiro comes knocking. It's yet another piece of good news for him.


Shiro raised his hand to knock on Ororo's door, but paused and reconsidered. What he was about to ask was heavy stuff, and on second (and third, fourth, and fifth) thought he wasn't entirely sure that he was ready. But on sixth thought, when was he one to really think things through entirely, anyway? Before a seventh thought could become coherent, he rapped on the door and waited for a response.

"Enter, please," Ororo called, glad for any distraction that would allow her to put aside the paperwork she had already been putting off. It wasn't that she wasn't glad to be back at the mansion, but certain things were never going to be her favorite, and paperwork was one of them.

"Miss Munroe?" Shiro called as he opened the door and took a tentative step inside her office. He still felt awkward around her and Scott, two of the people he looked up to the most and who'd witnessed his outburst in August. But now was the time to put that behind them. "Do you have a moment? I need to speak with you."

"Of course, Shiro, please come in." The door closed behind him with a gentle gust of wind, and Ororo smiled as she beckoned him towards the desk. Though she had not spoken with Shiro in some time about team-related things, she couldn't help but anticipate that the team was the reason he was there. Perhaps it had something to do with the successful Danger Room simulation Scott had put him through only days before, or the slight look of apprehension on Shiro's face as he approached the comfortable chair on the other side of the desk. "How can I help you today?"

Nodding, Shiro sat himself down across from Ororo and mentally steeled himself. She wouldn't laugh him out of her office, he was sure, but he wasn't so sure that she'd even consider his request. "You have no doubt been monitoring my recovery," he began, looking at her straight in the eyes. Let her see how serious he was. "Including the Thwomp run I completed recently. And I will not insult you by being subtle. I think I . . . no, I am ready to rejoin the X-Men."

Ororo gave a small nod as he began talking, tenting her fingers together in front of her as she listened. "I have reviewed the Thwomp scenario, yes, and I agree that you performed very well in it, Shiro. You have certainly re-trained wisely and well, and it shows." Here she paused, her gaze steady and searching. "There is more to being on the team, however, than physical readiness."

"Of course. I would not be so bold nor so foolish as to say that I am as I was before this summer." He held her gaze, hard though it was. "What I did . . . I do not know if I can ever be like that again. But I learned my lesson, and I would like to believe that I have grown as a result, and that I will continue to grow."

"Good." That was the first thing Ororo had been worried about - Shiro was young, and it was understandable that he might want to pretend that nothing had happened. The fact that he was accepting that things had changed meant that he wouldn't push himself foolishly into a mold he no longer fit. "I do not mean to sound harsh, Shiro, but you must know that while I hope you do continue to grow, the team is not a place to make mistakes. You will learn while you are there, yes, but when people's lives are depending on our preparedness and our abilities, there is little room for error. As such, there will be no leniency if you are to fumble again... especially if it puts an innocent person or one of your teammates in jeopardy."

"Understood." With all the problems in manpower that the X-Men often encountered, it was no surprise to Shiro that another fall would be the final straw for him. And he supposed that he'd deserve it. "I would like to say that it will never happen again, but you know as well as I do that the future cannot be accurately predicted. But I can offer you my word that I will do everything in my power to not make more mistakes."

"I am glad to hear that." At that, Ororo gave a small smile, leaning forward to rest her forearms on the desk. "And for what it is worth, I believe you. I am proud that you did not give up, Shiro, and that you worked as hard as you did to come to this point. I hope you realize that."

Shiro couldn't hide the blush that crept up his face. Hearing such comments from people he respected felt almost as good as opening a brand new box of Pocky. Almost as good, but that's still saying a lot in his mind. "Thank you. That is worth a lot to me, actually." His greatest desire was to impress Storm, Cyclops, and the rest of the team. In a way, that's what led to this predicament in the first place. And now with Storm's permission and her blessing, he could find another means to the same end.

"I suppose all that is left now is the various thrilling paperworks that will return you to active status," Ororo said with a slight grimace, reaching over to tap at her keyboard for a moment. "I will get you back onto a team-training roster shortly, and everything else should not take too much longer to go through the system. Unless, of course, you would like a little more time..."

"Oh, no." Shiro shook his head vehemently. "I am ready now. Forge and my new designs of the uniforms have arrived, and I want an excuse to put it on." After such a mature and calm discussion, he's entitled to a little childish glee.

~*~

And to make this day even better, Forge shows Shiro his new X-Men uniform and all of the modifications they designed. It's pretty sweet.


Shiro felt like one of those life-size dress-up dolls, and he felt vaguely uncomfortable with Forge being the one who was dressing him up. The new uniform was a cinch to don, and was less bulky and heavy than his other leathers. But the new photovoltaic array panels that covered part of his upper body required a primer to learn how to put on.

The U-shaped silvery silicate ran from one pectoral, around his back, and over to the other side of his chest, almost like a metallic shawl. Three wires ran diagonally down from his left shoulder to the silicate plate on the lower right side of his torso. It was surprisingly light. And when he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror when Forge was done, he let out a soft, impressed whistle. He looked like someone straight out of an anime. Awesome.

"And this," Forge said as he connected the last set of cables across Shiro's back, "acts like the heat sink in your computer, only for ionizing radiation. Actually, a better analogy would be like the catalytic converter in a car, that reduces the pollution from the exhaust. This'll help reduce the electromagnetic 'pollution' you tend to bleed off at high levels."

He stepped back, nodding. "The uniform itself is lighter, with less rigid impact resistance than your last one, but the same ballistic resistance. In other words, it'll stop bullets just as well, but if you decide to pull a Cannonball and crash and burn? Well... at least the leathers will keep your body in one piece for the funeral."

"Shinto tradition requires for me to be cremated, anyway," Shiro replied wryly. He held out his right hand and looked at the dark red circle with eight radiating lines that was emblazoned on the top of his glove. He grinned and turned on his power, his smile slipping into something a little goofy as the circle and one of the lines illuminated.

"Aha!" Forge said, scampering around Shiro to point at the glove. "I took a nod from the containment suit I made for Alex. This'll act as a display to show you how much ambient energy you're putting out. Anything less than four, completely safe. Higher you go, you're reaching the limits of the diffuser array and you're starting to give off uncontrolled ionizing radiation. Hit all eight, and everyone around's liable to be needing sunblock, like, SPF one million."

Forge adjusted the shoulder arrays one more time, then clasped his hands and stepped back. "In its own way, it's a lot like Cable's psimitar. It'll allow you to focus your power more without risking dangerous bleed-off. A sort of lens, only... not exactly. Following me?"

"Understood." The glow on the glove faded, returning the rising sun emblem to a mere fabric design. "The panels amplify the amount of radiation that I can pull in, but that inevitably results in more waste produced. Hence the converter." Shiro might be a far cry from a nuclear engineer, but he had some intuitive grasp on the physics of his powers. He'd even read up on the technology that Forge had used for the new suit. He'd only understood every other word at best, but at least he didn't feel like he needed to ride the short bus anymore.

Forge nodded. "You've already got a good instinctive handle on how to throttle your powers - if anything positive came out of Kick, it let you know how much you can cut loose." He shrugged, glancing down at his PDA. "Plus, the lighter uniform means you expend that much less energy to fly, which should factor in a bit as well. Same principle with Rogue's lighter outfit, although I owe Clarice a kicking for actually having all Marie's measurements prepared. I was actually looking forward to that part."

Shiro almost spat a 'what do you know?' at Forge for the Kick comment, but bit it back. No need to get snippy now. "I somehow doubt that she would let you anywhere near her with a tape measure." Much more fun to poke at his masculinity, anyway.

Smirking quietly, Forge just shrugged and arched an eyebrow. "The female of the species is more unpredictable than the male, to paraphrase Kipling," he quoted, "I personally have given up trying to rationalize them and just go with the flow. So yep, looks like you're all set. You know, the Danger Room's due for some maintenance time, so I know it's unoccupied... feel like showing off?"

~~

The silicate array almost seemed to glow in the soft silvery blue light of the Danger Room. Shiro stood in the center of the room, waiting for Forge to set up. He supposed that the UV lights would be turned on in order to best simulate the outdoors, where the array would work best. Shiro was almost bouncing in anticipation; he couldn't wait to see how hot he could go and how fast he could attain it. If the get-up really was anything like Cable's psimitar, then maybe he could reach the same point he had with Kick. That thought was a little bit frightening, but mostly exciting.

"All right," came Forge's voice over the speakers from the control room. "Nothing fancy, just your standard reverse skeet shoot. Hit the targets before they hit the floor." A series of cylindrical containers on cables moved along the ceiling of the Danger Room, then began to open in sequence, dropping metallic spheres towards the floor one at a time.

"I am an X-Man, you know," Shiro called as the blobs of melted metal fell to the ground. "You can start me off on a higher level." He couldn't really tell any difference yet, since blasting was the easiest use of his mutation, and small bursts of nuclear flame had long ceased to register to him.

Forge smiled, then just sat back and watched the automated program begin to drop the spheres faster, simultaneously at different locations in the room. "You are," he replied, "but I'm not. So I don't have access to the high-level programs, just the simple diagnostic stuff. Let me know if anything feels weird."

"That's better." Shiro barely noticed the first ray on his glove illuminating as he threw blasts of greater intensity. As the droppings picked up speed, he decided that it would be better to take them out early, so he sent himself up in the air to be closer. "Are you able to throw them at me so that I have to dodge and blast them?"

Glancing down at the screen, Forge smiled as he looked at the simple documentation. Tapping in a series of commands, he leaned towards the microphone.

"It's no tidal wave, but..." he said cheerfully, pressing the flashing button on the control room's console.

On cue, panels on all four walls of the Danger Room opened, spitting out hard rubber pellets in a shotgun-like pattern, centered right on where Shiro was hovering.

"Fantastic." Shiro dropped, activating his fire form to race across the Danger Room just a few feet above the floor. He absently noted the second ray on his glove glowing, a red outline of a rabbit's head surrounded by brilliant golden flame. He fired off a couple of blasts behind him, then turned hard to the left to avoid another stream of bullets. He observed that it was slightly easier to maneuver and that he didn't have to focus so hard to keeping aloft. The panels, a silvery sheen engulfed in fire, must be doing their job.

Forge looked down at the readings from the Danger Room's embedded sensors. Temperature was up, but not anywhere near dangerous levels. And background radiation was almost nonexistent. "It's working great so far, Sunfire," Forge announced over the microphone. "Let's see how it goes for sustained usage."

As he spoke, a thick metal panel descended from the ceiling, rotating slowly. "Give me a focused burn, through the panel. That's laminated steel, so you may need to push a bit."

Shiro nodded and stopped in midair. He held out his right arm, clenched his fist, and concentrated. He felt like Rockman, he thought whimsically, charging up his blaster to release a powerful attack to blow up his enemy in one shot. As the third ray on his glove illuminated, Shiro released. The steel began to melt almost instantly, turning from a silvery gray to bright orange-yellow. He focused harder, drawing in more energy from the UV lamps. This felt amazing.

Checking the room's readings again, Forge cocked an eyebrow and refreshed the sensors. The ambient temperature in the room was... normal? And the background radiation was just slightly above nonexistent. Not only was Shiro focusing his power, he was focusing it BETTER than expected.

Quickly switching to another screen, Forge ran a quick set of equations, watching a graph scale across the monitor. Returning to the microphone, he leaned forward. "Everything's functioning perfectly, how're you feeling?" he asked.

"Like I could continue this for another hour," replied Shiro. "I feel like I am working on a lower level, where the amount of energy that I take in is roughly equivalent to how much I am expending. But this is significantly more intense than that." He ended his assault on the steel panel and gently lowered himself to the ground. The markings on his glove slowly faded. "And I am barely even winded."

Forge flipped the safety switches to shut down the Danger Room, watching the panels retract into the walls and the small cleaning automatons rush out to scoop up the remnants of the melted metal spheres. Walking down the short staircase, he met Shiro at the door to the Danger Room with a grin. "That's because you're working more efficiently. Like a sword instead of a sledgehammer. Same force, more focus. Kind of fits, huh?"

"I like that analogy." Shiro couldn't help but smile, if from nothing else then from the rush of all the energy still inside him. "This is excellent. I . . . thank you, Forge." Not three words he'd ever thought that he'd string together, but that was all there was to say.

Forge just gave another one of his habitual shrugs, showing a surprising amount of humility. "It's what I can do. If I can't be out there doing what you guys on the team do, I can at least do my part to make sure you're as protected as you can be out there, and equipped with the best of the best, you know? 'From each according to his means, to each according to his needs' and all that."

Shiro grinned. "And make us look cool doing it. We can be the Astonishing X-Men."

Comments

[x-traction.livejournal.com]

Same principle with Rogue's lighter outfit, although I owe Clarice a kicking for actually having all Marie's measurements prepared.

Heh. Flattered and disturbed all at the same time.