xp_logs | Unwinding: Monday afternoon (the trainees)

In the aftermath of their first mission, the trainees unwind in a new fashion. Ideas for codenames are tossed about, as are mangoes.

Laurie opened the door to Boiler beach, grinning as she saw the gentle light given off from various tiki torches placed randomly around the room. It would appear that a party was in the offing.

"Um, Forge? You in here?" she called, walking further into the room.

"Have you brought tribute to the Tiki Gods?" Forge's voice, dropped a few octaves, seemed to echo throughout the former boiler room. From behind what looked like a smoking cauldron nearly eight feet in diameter, Forge's head popped up, surmounted by an elaborate (and incredibly tacky) crown of palm fronds. He raised a microphone and spoke again. "The Tiki Gods demand tribute, or the infidel devils must be purged in the Tiki Tub!"

"I say we offer you up as tribute and purge you in the Tiki Tub!" Jan said, walking in behind Laurie and taking a look around the room. Her eyes came to rest on the palm fronds on Forge's head. "Nice tiara!" she laughed.

"Dude, if you're naked in here, I'm never talking to you again." Kyle had come in, clapped his hands over his eyes, and was peeking through his fingers carefully. "I like Jan's idea. The high priest of the Tiki Gods should get uprisen against!" He lowered one hand and peered at Forge. "Dude, where did you get a leafy hat?"

"Wherever you got those shorts, Kyle." Jennie said dryly. She slipped around the teens in the doorway and made her way over to the "cauldron". In deference to the amount of bruising she'd received at the hands of Nimrod, she was in a short-sleeved wetsuit top and shorts. "Is this what you were threatening for my birthday?" she added. "Tres un-PC, man."

"Luxury or sensitivity, Jen. Pick your priority." Marius slouched into the room, rolling his neck from side-to-side, the movement pulling gently at the borrowed wings -- which were, mercifully, showing signs of retraction. There were even parts of his skin that no longer possessed the consistency of the more offensive sort of sandpaper. Nonetheless, a slow, systematic return to one's natural shape possessed several unpleasant side-effects, such as what felt like a vague yet all-encompassing charley horse.

Righting his head, the Australian nodded at Jennie and indicated his swimtrunks. "Do you see my own present? I've abstained from the speedo. Do you like it?"

Forge laughed and placed his 'crown' on the makeshift "tiki bar" set up alongside the newly-constructed hot tub and climbed the small ladder into the bubbling water. "Thank God for small favors," he answered as he sat on the edge of the tub in a pair of knee-length swim trunks almost as loud as Kyle's pizza-themed ones. "So I realized this - we all kicked some serious buttock on what was for... well, all of us our first time actually doing stuff in uniform. I know there's all the mission debriefs and reports and that stuff, but I figured this would be... well, folks like Cyclops and Storm and Phoenix have been doing this for years. They know each other, they trust each other, they watch each other's backs." He waved a hand idly, and the hologram generator flashed, changing the normal image of an oceanside beach to a scene of a tribal village to complete the decor.

"I figured this could be, you know, a sort of 'we did good' reward for us. A chance to kick back, relax, get to know each other outside of the Danger Room," Forge concluded as he slid into the water. "Plus, I made punch."

"So you built a hot tub?" Kyle questioned. "Dude, sometimes you are weird. Cool, but weird." Shaking his head with amusement, he crossed his arms. "Dude, I'm not getting in a hot tub with another dude unless there are girls in there first. Ladies first and all that."

"Am I the only one here not trying to wear as much clothing as possible?" Jan mock-complained dramatically. "Disappointing, you guys. Maybe I should just keep my t-shirt on then, and not get wet."

"Sorry sweet pea, but I don't think you all wanted to stare at the wonder that is Wally." Jennie lifted up the wetsuit top with a wry look to reveal a large and deeply purple bruise. "And Kyle, you are a big sissy. You beat up Toad but don't want to get in a hot tub with a guy, especially considering this guy is Forge?" she shook her head and slipped into the tub. "Also? Thank you, Marius. Last you gave me the gift of constantly not being near-death anymore, and this year you cover your legs for me. Truly, I am blessed."

Laurie looked down at the bikini she was wearing and then grinned at Jan before climbing into the hot tub herself and taking a seat beside Forge and Jennie. "I think it's just you and me, Jan. Now, did anyone bring mangos?"

Marius had wandered over to the folding table graced by a large punch-bowl and several plates, one of his folded wings making a vague folding motion around his shoulder. The boy gave the contents cursory examination. "Yes, an' may all the saints an' less prudish of angels bless you both for your consideration," he remarked absently, tapping a claw against the side of the plastic bowl. "As to the other, this does indeed appear to be a catered party. Here, this'll be a trick . . ."

There was a prolonged moment of the awkward scrabbling only one trying to pick up a plastic plate with inflexible inch-long talons could truly enjoy.

"Right," the Australian said as he finally made his way back to the hot-tub, holding out the plate of fruit to Laurie, "let all take heed. The first grippin' piece of personal information you shall learn this night is that whilst still in the throes of an unaccustomed form I am never again to be asked to play the waiter. As expected, the most annoying bits are always the last to go."

"I swear, any wookie jokes and I drown people." Kyle grumbled. He pulled his shirt off, wadded it up, and threw it in the general direction of Laurie-and-Jennie, not really caring which of them it hit. "Someone already made one once, and thinks I was too out of it to remember." He climbed into the hot tub, sank down into the water and made a distinctly happy noise, followed by a "neverleavingthisroomagain."

Laurie caught the shirt easily and made a 'yick' noise as she threw it over the side of the tub, "Well, you did look like a wookie," she said, poking her tongue out at him.

"And don't you and your roommate persist in the Star Wars jokes anyway? I thought you were a wookie." Jennie stretched and jumped out of the hot tub, wandering over to the food table. "Since Marius is having problems with his opposable thumbs, who wants something to drink?"

Forge raised a hand, idly watching steam from the tub condense on his fingers. "One for me, thanks. So," he said as he looked at his fellow trainees, "bets on who's next on the list for Who Wants To Be Related To A Supervillain?"

"Not I," Marius replied as he slid himself into the hottub, "Monet an' I just met the family B-Lister, which I should think is more than sufficient. Besides, I already know where mum is." He eased back into the water, one stunted wing shamelessly crowding Kyle.

"Not me either," Jennie said, returning and handing Forge a cold can of soda, still dripping ice. "My family consists the distressingly Greek or the distressingly well-bred and snobby. It was a tale of star-crossed lovers, a Greek peasant girl and mostly English prince. If star-crossed lovers were taken to mean drunken fling, but there ya go," Jennie shrugged and leaned against the hot tub. "Anybody else want anything while I'm out?"

"Some fruit punch for me, please" Laurie replied, idly poking Kyle in the knee with one of her toes in revenge for the shirt, "And I know both my parents already, so unless I have an erstwhile cousin or secret sibling somewhere...Although, my Dad could be a supervillain for all I know. We haven't exactly discussed 'What do you do for a living' yet."

"Whatever's easy." Kyle asked. "But no soda, please." He ignored Marius' wing, and flicked water at Laurie until her toes stopped poking him. "Lesee. Marius' already has his, Forge's parents are lawyers, so they're already evil, Jennie's out." He paused, rummaged around under the water and grabbed Laurie's ankle, removing her foot from his leg. She was -still-poking. "Forge, can we give Laurie to the Tiki gods?" He asked. "And, I don't think it'd be mine. I mean, my dad's not evil, and I'm pretty sure my mom's just annoying."

Marius rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I don't know, it occurs to me we have a rather higher than average pool of illegitimates. A ratio of 50/50, I believe. Surely that implies a touch of evil. Or at least excessive naughtiness."

Laurie struggled for a second to get her foot back but finally figured Kyle was a good foot rest anyhow and placed her other foot on top of the one he was holding, giving him a smug grin. "Hey, I'm legitimate...I don't know if my parents ever actually got divorced. Which, by the way, I am so not asking either of them. I'm still fully convinced that I was conceived through mental effort, there was no sex going on there at all."

Forge just smiled at that and shifted to sit in between Jan and Laurie, leaning back with his arms over the edge of the tub. "I suppose that makes it a lot easier if we're ever picking basketball teams. And I say there's no sacrificing any of Team Legitimate Children to the Tiki Gods, so there."

"I say we vote on it," Jan piped up. "We're all teammates here, so we should decide together who gets to get sacrificed to the Tiki Gods!" She shifted around a bit, trying to find a way to sit in the tub comfortably. "And sorry to disappoint, but no evil parents here, and my parents were married for years before they had me."

"How about we sacrifice no one to the Tiki Gods? Kay, thanks." Jennie said, returning with the promised drinks and slipping back into the tub. "None of us anyway. We should sacrifice someone else to the Tiki Gods. Because there's six of us now. And we totally kicked ass on this last go round." Jennie's grin was just a hair too close to "evil."

"How about Mr Logan? He seriously scared the hell of me a couple of weeks ago when I was practicing archery. I think that deserves a good sacrificing," Laurie replied, relaxing back into the tub and taking a sip of her drink.

Forge raised an eyebrow and looked over at Laurie. "What'd Logan do now? I mean, the guy sank my canoe with me in it to give me an object lesson in security. What'd you get?"

"Put his claws at the back of my neck and had me shoot to teach me focus. It was the weirdest, most insane training I've ever received. I don't think the man knows what the word 'teenager' means, honestly. He's too used to training secret ops, or something. We are so not the British SAS or whatever it is that receives that kind of scare to toughen them up," Laurie replied, her features settling into a frown.

"He's a bully," said Jennie. "He's a small-minded bully who likes to frighten us just to make himself feel tough and strong. He's not helping anyone with his 'lessons.' We have proved ourselves without his 'help' just fine." Jennie leaned back against the edge of the hottub. "Now, herein lies the question. Who is to say he won't go after any of the other kids? Try to teach them 'lessons' that they really don't need? I'll say one thing. I detest bullies. In any form."

Marius raised an eyebrow. "Not to split hairs, but whilst I will grant his mission reports do seem to feature rather an excess of stabbing, there any particular reason we need tolerate untoward behaviour? We have a shiny new chain of command to which we may resort. Or, in a shockin' turn of events, even attempt direct an' civil discourse with the man himself." Marius lifted one hand from the hottub and watched the water stream from his talons. "We are all, after all, theoretical if not technical adults. I believe a successful mission proves as such, or may at least be claimed to do so. Perhaps we should act the part."

"Your Earth logic has no place here," Laurie replied with a grin, "I suppose I could talk to him about it? Maybe mention the fact that scaring the crap out of us isn't likely to make us more inclined toward trusting him to teach us."

The man scared her, but she was willing to go talk to him if it would mean a better working relationship between him and the trainees.

"He doesn't scare me at all," Jan said, then looked at Laurie. "Want me to go talk to him? I can go talk to him. He hasn't done any bully crap with me, and I can always give him a nice amplified yell right in the ear if he tries it."

"Dude, I think if he's being a butt, we should tell Ms. Munroe or Mr. Summers. Anyone he's gonna be a jerk to, he won't listen to, it's not like he's gonna change." Kyle suggested. It wasn't like he could really explain what happened between Crystal and Logan, but he could talk around it. "The guy spent like, half a year refusing to call me by my name and treating me like a puppy, and dude, I am not down with being treated like I'm stupid."

"Ms. Munroe it is then. Mr Summers is still pretty beat up and I think she's more likely to be able to talk to Mr Logan," Laurie responded, sinking further into the water now that she had a foot rest.

"Okay," Forge said with a dismissive wave of his hand, "I for one vote we table any further shop talk and work on bonding. You know, getting to know each other and stuff. Of course, if anyone has any wonderful bonding ideas, mine kind of end at 'make a Tiki Tub'," he admitted.

"Bonding, bonding, the sharin' of personal information, let's see . .." Marius tilted his head thoughtfully, then brightened. "Jen sucks her thumb in her sleep. How's that?"

"You talk in yours," Jennie retorted. "I recall the time you muttered the words 'Michael' and 'Jackson.' In conjunction." She flicked her bangs out of her eyes with a toss of her head. "Could explain why you know the Thriller dance entirely too well."

"Aw, aren't the lovebirds sweet?" Jan grinned at Marius and Jennie. "Well, I don't know about the six of us bonding in a hot tub, but maybe we could go camping one weekend?"

Kyle grinned in a trouble-making sort of way. "Or we could come up with trainee names for people without them." He continued on, ignoring the water-flick of protest. "If we have to be Beast Boy, Robot Boy, Jackpot and Chimi.. Chur.. Chupathingy, then you need awful ones too."

"I vote for only reasonable codenames then," Laurie replied, flicking Kyle with more water and sticking her tongue out at him. "Anyone tries to call me something like 'stinky' and they get the hose."

Marius raised an eyebrow. "Truly you have gotten off too lightly in the hazin' department. Recall you are in the presence of one who is commonly known as Goat-Sucker in the field. Though I confess you're a bit on the unclassifiable side -- at least Ms. Van Dyne has a variety of entomological options available."

Forge nodded, turning his attention to Janet. "So very true. Hmm. Tiny, buzzing, stinging... Hornet? Yellowjacket? Mosquito?" He snapped his fingers and smiled. "Skeeter! Ladies and gentlemen, do we have a winner?"

"Skeeter," Jennie said, nodding her agreement. "If I have to be called Jackpot then you get to be Skeeter. As for Ms. Laurie, hmmm," Jennie tilted her head thoughtfully. "PMS Lass?"

"Jeeeeeennie! Ew. Why not just call me Discharge?" Laurie groaned, making an 'ick' face and mock hiding behind Forge.

Jennie laughed. "Sweetie, I think you just named yourself."

Marius beamed at Laurie through teeth now on the less frightening side of fangs. "No worries, mate, Jen's just overjoyed at the thought someone else might end up with a codename suitable to attract attention from her own personal double entendre. I'm sure you'll be quit of it in, oh . . . six months or so."

"You two are _evil_," Laurie replied, turning so they could see the grin emerging. "Don't think I won't seek revenge! Suitably evil revenge that is served cold, and when you least expect it!" she said, the grin belaying any seriousness.

"Skeeter?" Jan said, her nose wrinkled in distaste. "Yeah, I don't think so. I think both Forge and Jennie deserve to be sacrificed to the Tiki gods for that one. Any real bug name would be better than that, and the last guy to call me an insect won himself a nice zap inside his ear."

"Finish training and you get to pick your own," Forge said with a smile. "Although that's no guarantee things won't still be embarrassing. After all, someone thought 'Dazzler' was a good choice at one point."