Laurie and Marius log

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Laurie and Marius talk after he finds her doing volunteer work in Med lab



Laurie paused by the door to the Medlab supply closet, juggling rolls of toilet paper and clean blankets as she attempted to get everything in one arm so she could open the door with the other. She had never wished so hard for telekinesis in her life, especially since it must make opening doors _so_ much easier.

She pondered, and then glared hard at the door handle, willing it to open, it remained stubbornly inert. She supposed a secondary mutation to spontaneously appear for her own convenience was a bit too much to ask. Albeit, very cool if it had happened.

"You know, you'd think with all the technology they used in the Dangerroom, someone could have come up with Star Trek doors for the mansion. Note to self, suggest Forge work on Star Trek doors." Laurie said to herself, before trying to stuff a few more rolls of toilet paper under one arm.

Heedless of Laurie's efforts, one roll sprang for freedom. Its escape was intercepted by a trainer; one toe hooked deftly beneath the crinkling paper wrap and flipped the roll into the air. Its flight was a bit shaky, but it still had enough lift behind it to allow easy scooping from the air.

"One thing that should be reinforced in the fine world of manual labour," Marius observed as he inspected the errant roll, "always maintain reasonable standards."

She tried to decipher this cryptic comment for a second. "You have a thing against three ply toilet paper?" she asked hesitantly. One never quite knew where one was with Marius. It was best to just question everything until you gripped the underlying meaning by the short hairs, as it were.

Marius idly tossed the toilet paper in question from one hand to the other. "Only when it hatches schemes. It's good I came. Clearly this one was apprehended in the process of a desperate bid for escape." In mid-toss the boy ducked like a soccer-player to give the roll a final bounce off his forehead. The irregular shape made it a bit unpredictable, but Marius was well-used to things hitting him in the head. "Anyway," he continued, straightening up with the roll how in hand, "I am told you took up the janitorial duties in my time of absence. Cheers for that. It is a necessary task, but not glamourous."

"Everyone has to start somewhere." Laurie replied with a ready grin as she watched him play with the roll of toilet paper. "This one is now forced to ask why you're bouncing a roll of toilet paper off your head."

"For the best an' only reason: because this particular one can." He grinned. "Start? Would 'start' imply you've your eye on bigger an' better things, then?"

"I, dear sir, am going to be a star!" Laurie replied, the statement somewhat spoiled by the fact that she was holding cleaning equipment in her hands at the time. "Or a doctor, whichever comes first. Perhaps a doctor to the stars? But then I'd have to do plastic surgery and suck fat out of people and that's just ew."

"Perhaps be an anesthesiologist," Marius suggested as he moved past her to surrender the abused roll to its appropriate place on the shelf. He held out one pitted hand for the others. "I heard you were dead useful when Yvette was in need of a mend. Do not disparage the possibilities. You could be assistant to those who suck fat from the stars."

"I don't think being an assistant would make it any better." Laurie replied, tone thoughtful. "I'd still have to look at the fat in little jars. Although, anaesth...thing you said could be interesting. I wouldn't even need to inject them with anything."

She placed several rolls into Marius's hands, juggling the rest of the things she had into a more stable pattern as she did so.

"Indeed. No needles. Nor tranquilizer darts, for that matter, which for some that would be welcome." Marius set the last of the stock in its appropriate place. "Though I suppose the necessity of layin' on of hands to further it rather defeats the purpose. Unless you could do up a, I don't know, pheromone missile or somesuch. Though even I am fairly certain it doesn't quite work that way. Here, do you need anything set up on the top shelf? I have the art of bein' tall down to perfection."

"I happen to be quite tall myself, Mr Tall guy." Laurie replied, tone very prim and proper for a second before she grinned and spoiled it all. "However, I find myself willing to share the glory and allow you to place these cleaning products on the top shelf."

Marius took an offered box from her and nodded gravely. "Ah yes, the glory. The status. The stature, one might even say. You know, while the staff is quite intimidating amongst my peers I am rivalled by only Kyle. Some days, I admit, I falter. I am not immune to insecurity. Then I stand between Julio and Forge, and the moment is past."

It took a few moment, in which Laurie tried desperately to keep a straight and professional face but in the end she simply couldn't help it. Had one asked her, she may have said that it was all together a nice laugh, lacking only in any bell like tone, or flowery words of any other sort.

"You, are a very bad man. I can see why Jennie likes you." Laurie replied, mirth still quite evident in the tilt of her mouth and the gleam in her eyes. "Now, since you have returned to Janitorial duties, you can help me with a truly Herculean task, fit for one of your immense statue. You, monsieur, get to help me stack bedpans."

Dark hair flopped over amber eyes as the older boy watched the girl's face. Despite his copious first-hand experience, Marius was firm in the belief that he should be no one's first choice for soothing comfort after a traumatic experience. Or at least, no one he liked. He expected someone had coaxed Laurie into returning, but the best Marius could ever hope to provide were the small things. A laugh, for example.

Manual labour wasn't the only area in which it was good to have reasonable standards.

"Indeed, I am quite the unsavory sort, an', as demonstrated by my relationship with Jen, clearly no fit company for nice girls." Marius swirled his arm in a theatrical flourish and lowered himself in a half-bow, giving Laurie another grin. "Yet I serve them nonetheless. An' so, after you."