Shiro, Kyle, & Jennie, Tuesday morning

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Set a while before Scott's post, Kyle and Jennie tell Shiro about their decision after finding him in the gym. Of course, the first order of business is deciding upon trainee names.


The benefit of doing pull-ups, aside from the obvious benefit to upper body strength, was that as opposed to weight lifting, the view changed every few seconds. Not by much and it was repetitive, but at least Shiro wasn't just standing still. He'd found himself lately with a sudden rush of energy after almost miraculously recovering from his malaise over the weekend, so he'd gone through half the weight room so far to work it off and still was not fatigued. Which may not be healthy itself, but it was either that or light things on fire.

Soon, the sound of two voices out of his field of vision reached him.

"Okay, Kyle, I know what a weight machine is. I've lifted weights before in P.E. I know how to operate one, can we please move on?"

Kyle responded with a put upon sigh, and led the way towards the other equipment, finally coming around to face Shiro. "That's a pull up bar, you do pull ups on it. And that's a Shiro. You get him to get you mad so you can five or six more reps without... oh, wait, no, that's backwards. I do that to him. Shiros just throw water bottles at your head. It's not nearly as helpful."

"Fireballs, too," grunted Shiro, "If I am particularly piqued." He pulled his chin up past the bar one final time, then let go and fell to the ground gracefully. "Taking on another gym partner, then?"

"Not so much partner as showing me around. I'm pretty sure I can recruit any number of people to help me out. Need to start my training for the team." Jennie said, crossing her arms in front of her t-shirt. An ancient gray thing that had Chaparral High School printed across the top. "That is, Kyle, if you're not too busy with everyone else."

"Man. This is where I wish I could do a good impression of Marius so I could say something about how I only have eyes for you or something. Or arm muscles for you, I guess." Kyle said. "And, uh, what she said. I am a tour guide. I am also an awesome workout partner, but today, I am just an awesome tour guide." He managed to keep his amused expression mostly off his face, waiting for Shiro to register what Jennie had said.

Shiro crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow at Jennie. "The cheerleading team?" he asked, a slight hint of teasing in his tone. "I suppose you would need extra physical training to build the human pyramid and lift up your teammates over your head."

Jennie shared a bemused grin with Kyle. "No. There's only one team around here. I think you know them? Wear black leather? Train in the big room downstairs? Occasionally save wayward students and when they're inclined whole cities. Come on. I'm sure you've heard of them." She uncrossed her arms and gestured to Kyle with her head. "And guess who both just signed up?"

"It's totally the latest thing. Get kidnapped, join the X-men." Kyle grinned at Jennie. "Okay, I mean, we get -grey- leather first, and I am still not entirely sure about this whole leather pants thing, but, well you know." He couldn't keep the smug expression off his face, no matter how hard he tried.

"Huh." The expression on Shiro's face was difficult to read. His first reaction was an unsurprising 'oh great, more children.' But not far beneath that frustration lay some tingling of respect. For these supposed children to have been manipulated and twisted, and to not run away in fear but rather face it head-on, was more than admirable. And that thought made him smile. A rare, genuine, pleased smile that few people had ever seen. "You get used to the leather. It is actually quite comfortable."

"Does it squeak when you get it wet? Because that's something that's something I've always wondered. Doesn't quite project an air of menace if you're in a rainstorm." Jennie teased. Also, her teammates were going to have to learn the hard way not to catcall or whistle if she walked by. She foresaw a lot of bruises.

"I bet they fixed that like, first thing. I mean, Ms. Munroe... and okay, you know what's weird? We're gonna have to call her Storm, and that's just freaky to me. I mean, she's my English teacher. What the hell, you know?" Kyle stopped to take a breath, and then remembered what his point had been. "Oh. Right. She makes rainstorms. So I bet they fixed that the first time she made one and then was like 'squeaksqueaksqueak' all the way home."

It may have been a sign that Shiro had spent too much time with either Forge or Clarice (or Alex) that he started to gaze intensely at the two and think about modifying the basic uniform to suit Kyle's and Jennie's powers and personalities. Sleeveless vest for Kyle, like Jetstream's and his own, to allow for a wider range of movement. A more flexible material for the both of them, for Kyle's natural flexibility and Jennie's prowess as a dancer. Shiro hrrmed.

Jennie tilted her head at Shiro. "I know that look, usually it's the one I get when I ask my best friend, 'How do I look'?"

Kyle looked at Shiro and Jennie warily. "Or the one where Forge is doing the "Oh, hey, I could rebuild this toaster to be a helicopter, where's my screwdriver set?" Or worse, the look on any number of women's faces - or Jay's, where they were about to tell him that he really needed new pants. "He's even making the same noise...."

"Seeing as how I was appointed one-third of the X-Men's fashion designer squad," Shiro said flatly, "I have to start planning in advance. But when it is time, Clarice will be taking your measurements." He smirked at Kyle, but his eyes flashed. A reminder to remain silent, possibly.

Jennie coughed. She knew better to argue when it came to clothing. Especially when there was zealous look in the eye. "Anyway. So, being on the team, any recommendations for a training regimen. I need the upper body strength training anyway, as that's what my instructors at NYU recommended." She held up her skinny arms.

"Swimming." Kyle suggested. "I mean, there should probably be some weight lifting and all, and you might wanna eat more protein, but swimming's good to start. Low stress because your body's supported by the water." That and if he was gonna help Jennie with this, there should damn well be some perks for him. Like Jennie in a bathing suit. That was -so- a perk.

"Gymnastics," added Shiro. "That will work your muscles, test your endurance, and keep you flexible. And it is very good preparation for melee training." He easily fell into a straddle split to demonstrate.

Jennie grinned. "Oh, I can do that," she waved a hand. She wasn't going to demonstrate unless she felt the boys needed pwning. And Shiro was showing off for her. She had to curb the impulse to ask him to do a front-split. "But yes, I'm being threatened with protein shakes again. Rapture, oh joy."

"I can do that too." Kyle said. "The split, not the protein shakes. I can't drink those unless it's like, a steak blended into a shake or something. Which even for me? Is gross." He did -not- show off his flexibility, even if he twitched a little with the urge to. "You know Forge is doing gymnastics too, right? Makes me wonder if all of us shouldn't like, trade off partners from week to week or something. Keep things not boring."

Shiro leaned forward and balanced himself on his elbows. "Forge? Gymnastics? I hope that someone is recording this for Fox. 'When Balance Beams Attack.'" He smiled at his own joke, clearly amused by the thought of gymnastics equipment coming to life and beating Forge.

"So," Jennie said, clapping her hands together. When do we get to play in the big shiny room and get the fancy outfits and the codenames and such? Do we get to pick our own? Because with my luck if someone tried to pick mine it would probably be all sexist," she threw Kyle a look.

"What, like... Showgirl? Or... " Kyle looked ceilingward, trying to come up with something sexist that Jennie's codename could be. "Snakeeyes? But that's not sexist, and you're not a ninja. Dude, I mean, unless we call you like, Dancerbutt or something please don't kill me." He covered his face with his hands, but didn't stop grinning like a goon.

"Showgirl is better than Tinky Winky, at least," remarked Shiro. "And that is really your minimal standard. Just accept something better than that. Because the other X-Men will do their best to dub you in the worst possible ways as trainees. Marko wanted to call me 'Captain Napalm,' and Dayspring thought that 'Atom Boy' would suit."

Jennie rolled her eyes heavenward and elbowed Kyle very hard in the aide. "Whatever. As long as we get to call you something like Eddie Munster."

"I hate you." Kyle muttered. Shiro -had- to be messing with them. The other X-men wouldn't do that to the trainees, would they?