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xp_logsWhile chaperoning the bus trip, Forge and Crystal take time to get coffee and catch up.
Forge idly glanced down at his PDA before he left the van. The dimly-glowing screen ran a check every few seconds, pinging each of the students' cell phones to discern their GPS location and relative motion - another of the many security protocols Forge had implemented after the mishaps earlier in the year.
For the moment, however, he found himself in New York City with a few hours to kill, and thankfully some company for the time being. Walking around the van to put some change in the parking meter, he shivered momentarily at a gust of cold wind. "So," he asked, "I was thinking that I'm in dire need of coffee before anything else. Sound good?"
"Sounds good." A part of Crystal wanted to be actually watching over the students visually, not via electronic means, but another part of her knew they wouldn't appreciate being watched the entire time. The bus run was a way for them to get out into the city, to see it and explore it for themselves, even if their every movement was being tracked. She'd hated the Xavier's cell phone when she had been a student.
One of the defining features of New York City was the ubiquitous nature of coffee shops. However, finding one that wasn't part of a mass-produced oversaturated chain was often an adventure in and of itself. Luckily, however, Forge had managed to park directly across the street from what appeared to be a combination coffeehouse/bookstore.
Once inside, he rubbed his hands together and turned to Crystal after making their order and finding a table. "So, I think the students are pondering placing bets as to whether you've been replaced by a shapeshifter or took a serious blow to the head back in Attilan somewhere. I have to admit, I was a little surprised myself to hear you were coming back to the school. Pleasantly surprised, though."
"You may inform the students that their money would be wasted. I could not possibly be a shapeshifter; such an obvious infiltration of the royal family would have been discovered." Crystal paused for the briefest of moments. "As I am sure you are aware, I have access to the Xavier's staff communication system now."
"Of course, I set up the access," Forge replied, leaning back slightly as the barista arrived with their order. He sipped at his coffee briefly, then looked back at Crystal. "It's working all right for you, then?"
Crystal nodded, stirring her iced cappucino. She had been quite vague just now, hadn't she? "It works perfectly. There are some interesting conversations on there, even ones as recent as last week."
Forge smiled slightly. "Oh, right. For some reason, Logan still doesn't seem to like you. Gosh, I can't wonder why," he intoned sarcastically. Even a year later, that particular bit of security footage was still one of the most-accessed pieces of archived information on the network to those few with access.
Crystal looked at Forge, frowning slightly for a second before taking a sip of her drink. A moment later, she spoke. "Logan disliked me long before our physical fight in the gym occured. He disliked me and he disliked Medusa, quite likely from the moment he met us if not earlier. What I did to him when I confronted him in the gym was not the proper thing to do, but his dislike for me existed before then."
"There's often a difference between the proper thing to do," Forge said, "and the right thing to do. Me, I'm not going to judge. Besides, that was years in the past. For you and I, anyway. For Logan, well... I'm not sure why he even has access to the staff group anyway. But! You had a point and I am digressing."
"Wondering why Logan is still on the staff journal was one of my points, or a question, really. I thought self-defense was the only class he taught, and since he no longer teaches the students, or so I thought..." She gave a light shrug, then smiled slightly. "As for the other point, well, do not expect a 'Forge is Awesome!' press bulletin from me, but thank you."
"Oh," Forge replied quietly, looking down briefly into his coffee. "Well, nothing I said was untrue. You are eminently qualified to teach at the school. After all, you've been doing well with the school in Attilan for a while now."
Crystal nodded, not quite sure whether she had somehow upset Forge or if he had thought her point was something else entirely. "I cannot take all of the credit there, of course. I did have the initial idea, and I planned a large part of it, plus I did find the perfect location and I also assisted in the..." Crystal's voice trailed off and she looked embarassed momentarily. "I needed it," she said softly. "I needed to plan the school and have it exist just as much as other people needed a place to learn about their abilities."
"A purpose," Forge said, nodding subtly. "I understand that. You understood it, too, when we were in Attilan and I needed something to apply myself to. We have these gifts, and even among mutants, we're lucky. How many mutants are there on the planet, and how many of them have had the opportunity to get the kind of training you and I have received? Or the resources we have available? We've been given so much, and that comes with a responsibility. I... I get that." He took a quick drink of his coffee, then looked up at Crystal and smiled. "I understand."
Crystal took a sip of her cappucino, nodded again, then took another sip. The decision to leave Attilan had not been an easy one, even if it had been something she had needed to do. Deciding to stay, after the new threats in Attilan, hadn't been an easy decision, either. "Care to brave the wind and explore the city?" she asked Forge.
"Brave the wind?" Forge replied with a smirk. "I've been friends with you for how long now? I don't think a little wind's going to scare me."
Crystal raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. What do you define as 'a little wind', out of curiousity?"
"Anything New York can throw at me is little in comparison to what I've seen certain people do, minha princesa," Forge answered, standing up and shrugging into his coat. "Trust me, I definitely have a healthy fear and respect for what you can do."
Crystal glanced at Forge's coat for a moment. Brave the wind indeed. She finished her drink, picked up her small purse, and stood. "On to exploring the city, then?"
Forge idly glanced down at his PDA before he left the van. The dimly-glowing screen ran a check every few seconds, pinging each of the students' cell phones to discern their GPS location and relative motion - another of the many security protocols Forge had implemented after the mishaps earlier in the year.
For the moment, however, he found himself in New York City with a few hours to kill, and thankfully some company for the time being. Walking around the van to put some change in the parking meter, he shivered momentarily at a gust of cold wind. "So," he asked, "I was thinking that I'm in dire need of coffee before anything else. Sound good?"
"Sounds good." A part of Crystal wanted to be actually watching over the students visually, not via electronic means, but another part of her knew they wouldn't appreciate being watched the entire time. The bus run was a way for them to get out into the city, to see it and explore it for themselves, even if their every movement was being tracked. She'd hated the Xavier's cell phone when she had been a student.
One of the defining features of New York City was the ubiquitous nature of coffee shops. However, finding one that wasn't part of a mass-produced oversaturated chain was often an adventure in and of itself. Luckily, however, Forge had managed to park directly across the street from what appeared to be a combination coffeehouse/bookstore.
Once inside, he rubbed his hands together and turned to Crystal after making their order and finding a table. "So, I think the students are pondering placing bets as to whether you've been replaced by a shapeshifter or took a serious blow to the head back in Attilan somewhere. I have to admit, I was a little surprised myself to hear you were coming back to the school. Pleasantly surprised, though."
"You may inform the students that their money would be wasted. I could not possibly be a shapeshifter; such an obvious infiltration of the royal family would have been discovered." Crystal paused for the briefest of moments. "As I am sure you are aware, I have access to the Xavier's staff communication system now."
"Of course, I set up the access," Forge replied, leaning back slightly as the barista arrived with their order. He sipped at his coffee briefly, then looked back at Crystal. "It's working all right for you, then?"
Crystal nodded, stirring her iced cappucino. She had been quite vague just now, hadn't she? "It works perfectly. There are some interesting conversations on there, even ones as recent as last week."
Forge smiled slightly. "Oh, right. For some reason, Logan still doesn't seem to like you. Gosh, I can't wonder why," he intoned sarcastically. Even a year later, that particular bit of security footage was still one of the most-accessed pieces of archived information on the network to those few with access.
Crystal looked at Forge, frowning slightly for a second before taking a sip of her drink. A moment later, she spoke. "Logan disliked me long before our physical fight in the gym occured. He disliked me and he disliked Medusa, quite likely from the moment he met us if not earlier. What I did to him when I confronted him in the gym was not the proper thing to do, but his dislike for me existed before then."
"There's often a difference between the proper thing to do," Forge said, "and the right thing to do. Me, I'm not going to judge. Besides, that was years in the past. For you and I, anyway. For Logan, well... I'm not sure why he even has access to the staff group anyway. But! You had a point and I am digressing."
"Wondering why Logan is still on the staff journal was one of my points, or a question, really. I thought self-defense was the only class he taught, and since he no longer teaches the students, or so I thought..." She gave a light shrug, then smiled slightly. "As for the other point, well, do not expect a 'Forge is Awesome!' press bulletin from me, but thank you."
"Oh," Forge replied quietly, looking down briefly into his coffee. "Well, nothing I said was untrue. You are eminently qualified to teach at the school. After all, you've been doing well with the school in Attilan for a while now."
Crystal nodded, not quite sure whether she had somehow upset Forge or if he had thought her point was something else entirely. "I cannot take all of the credit there, of course. I did have the initial idea, and I planned a large part of it, plus I did find the perfect location and I also assisted in the..." Crystal's voice trailed off and she looked embarassed momentarily. "I needed it," she said softly. "I needed to plan the school and have it exist just as much as other people needed a place to learn about their abilities."
"A purpose," Forge said, nodding subtly. "I understand that. You understood it, too, when we were in Attilan and I needed something to apply myself to. We have these gifts, and even among mutants, we're lucky. How many mutants are there on the planet, and how many of them have had the opportunity to get the kind of training you and I have received? Or the resources we have available? We've been given so much, and that comes with a responsibility. I... I get that." He took a quick drink of his coffee, then looked up at Crystal and smiled. "I understand."
Crystal took a sip of her cappucino, nodded again, then took another sip. The decision to leave Attilan had not been an easy one, even if it had been something she had needed to do. Deciding to stay, after the new threats in Attilan, hadn't been an easy decision, either. "Care to brave the wind and explore the city?" she asked Forge.
"Brave the wind?" Forge replied with a smirk. "I've been friends with you for how long now? I don't think a little wind's going to scare me."
Crystal raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. What do you define as 'a little wind', out of curiousity?"
"Anything New York can throw at me is little in comparison to what I've seen certain people do, minha princesa," Forge answered, standing up and shrugging into his coat. "Trust me, I definitely have a healthy fear and respect for what you can do."
Crystal glanced at Forge's coat for a moment. Brave the wind indeed. She finished her drink, picked up her small purse, and stood. "On to exploring the city, then?"
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