Backdated Log Post.
=XS= Rec Room - Lv 1 - Xavier's School
This, my friends, is a place for people to come and relax. A wide screen television in one area of the room has collected mismatched and aging sofas and chairs around, from the 1940s by their solid design. Pale green wallpaper embossed with gold leaf patterns lightens the rich, dark grandeur of the rest of the main floor. Card tables have claimed space along the windows, but an air hockey table and fooseball table hold place of pride in the center. A storage cupboard by a small corner fireplace promises board games, puzzles and other delights, and a cushioned window seat offer an excellent spot for a nap.
Tobias has retreated to the rec room today, sitting on one of the chairs facing the television. A guess at the goings on on screen would be he's watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. A guess proven right by the presence of the dvd case on the floor by the teen. Most of his attention seems to be on the small brownish-grey creature sitting on a blanket over his lap. A small spiny hedgehog snuffling about on Tobias' lap.
Suspiciously quiet for several weeks now, Cassy springs into the Rec Room. She glances at the tv before skipping over to an empty couch and sprawling on it, deliberately stretching to take up the entire thing. "I'm overwhelmed by the amount of innuendo about prickly crotches I could make," she informs solemnly. "How's things with you?"
"How many of them would be learned from personal experience?" Tobias asks Cassy with a dry tone and a grin. He leans back into the chair and looks at the girl on the couch, letting the hedge go about its snuffling. "Things are things," he non answers. "Been quiet around here lately. Call me paranoid, but I don't exactly trust it. Don't mind it, but don't trust," he says, looking down to his new pet. "Well, got this little guy at least. That's new."
"Pfff I'm as pure and innocent as freshly fallen snow," Cassy proclaims, shifting so she can better see the tv. "And anyone who disagrees shall suffer my wrath. Which is probably not something anyone would want seen as I am /totally/ in need of something to unleash wrath on."
"Managed to say that with a straight face?" Tobias asks, patting the hedgehog's back with a finger. "What's got you pissed off?" he questions, looking from pet to Cassy. "Or is this just cabin fever?"
"I still await a suitable apology from /the hypocrite/," Cassy explains, rolling her eyes. "And I'm already missing Rogue and Jubilee. The school just isn't anywhere near as cool without them around."
Tobias laughs a bit, shaking his head. "Good luck on that," he tells her, flatly. "Don't see it coming anytime soon." He shrugs a bit and watches the action on screen a moment. "I never really knew them, so I guess it's not much to me. Though, you could always just make your own fun."
Cassy huffs. "I would but the staff have a thing against poisoning people with laxatives," she mutters. "I guess I'll just have to continue my protest about his existence then. Nothing like ensuring someone is mistakenly excluded from group events to keep a girl busy."
Tobias sighs, slumping in the chair and looking over his glasses at Cassy. "Alright, what's the bug so far up your ass for this time?" he asks her. "You know, with the whole team thing going on, we really should work towards not wanting to kill each other in the future. And this is me saying that."
"A certian scumbag claimed /I/ was likely to get people /killed/ with the group idea," Cassy explains. "Then turns around and joins it without even a word of apology." She glances at her nails, then adds "But don't worry I can totally work with someone I dislike, providing no-one expects me to go out of my way to stop them getting hurt."
With a nod, Tobias pushes his glasses back up his nose before sighing again. He looks ready to say something, but just shakes his head and mutters, "Loyalties." The hedgehog sniffs the air at the end of Tobias' knees and gets prodded back to the center of the lap before it drops off. "When you're on a team, you're responsible for the other guys. Like them or not."
"I have no moral or ethical problems with being responsible, indirectly or not, for certian people getting hurt," Cassy points out cheerfully. "And until I get the apology I deserve so things shall stay."
"Don't be an idiot, Cassy," Tobias says flatly, patting the hedgehog. "And don't give me that 'I don't care' bullshit, either." He turns his head to look at the girl. "Because if that's how you feel, you /will/ suck at running a group. And do you really want him to be right?"
Cassy turns to glare at Tobias. "Oh I care alright," she snaps. "This is about principles and unlike some people I stick to mine."
Tobias just looks back as flat as ever to Cassy. "What principles are you sticking to?" he asks her with a slight raise to his eyebrows. "What principle is not caring about keeping your teammate's back?"
"That when someone crosses a line they should apologize," Cassy explains. "And if they don't there are consequences for not doing so, besides I wouldn't trust anyone who betrayed their own principles so easily enough to be on a team with them."
"Priorities, Cassy," Tobias tells her, leaning onto the armrest of the chair. "Ever occur to you that it isn't betraying a persons principles to try to do the best for more people? Putting aside petty hate or ego in hopes of doing something better?"
Cassy rolls her eyes. "You should /always/ be true to yourself, if not nothing you do will have value."
"Look at it this way," Tobias says, shifting a bit in the chair. "You don't watch this guy's back and he gets taken down. What happens when you need everyone and he's not around because you let him take a fall because of your 'principles'?"
"I get through it by myself," Cassy replies cheerfully. "Besides, putting aside petty hate and ego would usually involve an admission that perhaps you were wrong about the idea."
Tobias shakes his head slowly. "You've never been on a team before, have you?" he asks, tapping the hedgehog on the head.
Cassy chews her lip. "Depends if you count a street gang as a team?" she wonders. "And you're talking like I'd be pro-actively trying to injure Walter. When really I'm just saying I won't risk my own personal safety for his, because he's a jerk."
"No. From the way you talk, not in the least," Tobias tells her. "Not doing anything to prevent it is just as bad as doing it yourself," he explains, "Take football. The running back and a lineman for example. Now, say they don't like each other. Like you and Walter." He dots two places on the arm chair. "Now the running back runs, and the lineman is supposed to protect him. Say the lineman doesn't and lets the back get flattened, just cause he doesn't like him. Any good come of that?"
"Depends on how flattened. It could be pretty funny to watch," Cassy says with a sunny smile. "But like taking your example, what if the back has already swapped teams once? Would you get the crap kicked out of you for them when they might be running the wrong way because they had a sudden change of heart part way through the game?"
"Even if it's funny, your team loses," Tobias says. "That's part of being a team too. You keep your teammates in line. Part of looking out for each other. If you're a good team, that won't be an issue." The teen reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a small tube, twirling it idly. "Trusting other people is a big part of it."
Cassy shrugs. "Clouds, silver linings and all that," she replies. "Honestly, do you really find it unreasonable to want an apology when someone says you're going to get people killed because of a project which they then join up with a few days later?"
"Ayup," Tobias agrees with a nod. "That doesn't give you a right to throw away a teammate's responsibility though. Hell, if anything, beat him at his own game. Show him what you can do and he'll have no choice but to apologize. Or at least stew quietly as he's proven wrong." Tobias offers a grin. "I do have something to ask you, though."
"Ask away, providing you'll stop being so reasonable when I am /totally/ in the mood for revenge," Cassy offers, waving her hand.
"I don't betray my principles," Tobias says, grinning. He holds the little tube visible as he looks down briefly to check on the now sleeping hedgehog. "I don't tell a whole lot of people about this, really only need to know. The teachers know and all, but they have to. Honestly, you're probably my best friend here, so I figure if there's one student that should know, it's you. Shellfish will kill me."
Cassy frowns. "Some mutant who you pissed off?" she wonders. "Or like actual fish stuff?"
"Actual fish stuff," Tobias explains. "This is my epipen. I always have it on me. It's pretty bad. Have to clean things before I use it." He reaches under his shirt and pulls out a small necklace. "Even gave me this to wear with it." He tucks the necklace away. "Just in case something goes wrong, and I can't do it, I need someone to jab me with this needle."
"You're probably lucky I did a first aid course in order to pass Doctor Grey's babysitter requirements then," Cassy informs solemnly. "Otherwise if I'd been made to give an injection you might have come round with a needle in your neck."
"It's in the leg," Tobias continues, "Which I would have explained." He tucks the needle away and laughs a bit. "But yeah, just a heads up in case I start wheezing and collapse when I'm a restaurant or something like that."
If you're dying there isn't generally much time to explain where to stab a needle," Cassy points out with an impish grin.
Tobias rolls his eyes. "I have directions for you," he tells her. "I just need to get them out of my kit. Not too much of a responsibility, is it?" he asks, grinning.
Cassy sighs. "Too much responsibility? For the future ruler of the world? Not likely."
Tobias sighs and looks down, shaking his head slowly. "I'm a dead man."
"Think of this as mother natures way of saying 'really just don't eat any damned shellfish'," Cassy teases, stretching out on the couch.
Tobias nods. "Yeah, and she's pretty heavy handed in letting me know too," Tobias agrees. "It's real fun when seafood is all over the place where you're from."
"Could be worse," Cassy points out. "You could be allergic to water."
"I know it could be worse," Tobias says with a roll of his eyes. "And yeah, I do love the water. Nothing like boating on a nice day. You ever try it?"
Cassy shakes her head. "Family too inner city and like totally too poor for vacations. To be honest I don't even really like swimming all that much."
"Damn," Tobias says with a look of pity. "Don't need to swim to sail though. It helps to be able to, but not needed. Wind in your face, water spray all around you. It's a wicked good time."
"I kind of don't see the appeal really," Cassy admits. "I'd rather load up with a bag of sugar and hit the mall."
"You'll be diabetic you do that too much," Tobias says, laughing. "Ever make it out to the Ryder Inn, I'll take you guys out on the ocean. Then you tell me you don't like it."
Cassy huffs. "I cut out all the other sugary things in my diet to make room for cakes, sweets and the pure stuff."
"What about your health requirements for the group training?" Tobias asks, raising an eyebrow. "Or do those not apply to you?"
"Occasional candy binges are perfectly acceptable," Cassy informs solemnly. "Especially when you do all the additional physical training I do to burn off the calories." She giggles. "Besides telekinetics /need/ high intakes of sugar to fuel their mutations."
"Funny, my coaches always told me to stick to breads and pasta and stay away from sugar," Tobias says with a mock hum of curiosity. "And I'll ask Dr. Grey about the sugar thing. I mean, she must need a ton compared to you, right?"
Cassy shrugs. "Every mutant is unique," she points out. "And I use my TK constantly these days, not enough that people can tell most of the time. But I'm still totally using it."
"Is that so?" Tobias asks, grinning as he scratches the top of the napping hedgehog's head. "I've always used my a lot anyways. But then, mine isn't that subtle when you see it."
"I'm getting a feel for the sense of balance and prescene that objects have," Cassy explains. "I can feel potential energy to some extent, the less stable something is the more I'm aware of it."
Tobias looks interested, leaning on the arm of his chair. "Stable like what?" he asks. humming to himself as he thinks.
"I can feel a book on the edge of a shelf much more strongly than say a book in the middle," Cassy informs cheerfully. "Because it has potential energy that's closer to being released."
Tobias nods, making an interested hum. "What are you going to do after here?" Tobias asks. "After high school and stuff?"
"Haven't decided really," Cassy admits. "Either world conquest or perhaps I'll set up my own high class bakery someplace."
"Bakery?" Tobias asks, looking back to his hedgehog. "How would you stay in business? Without eating yourself out of house and home that is."
"Do I have the figure of someone who has trouble keeping off the cakes?" Cassy wonders, shifting to glare at her waist.
Tobias hums, looking Cassy over slowly. "Now doesn't mean forever."
Cassy sticks her tongue out. "For your information I totally prefer to eat fruit and salads. Sugar is my occasional vice."
Tobias laughs, shaking his head. "Just yanking your chain, Cass," he tells her. "Least you take it better than other people around here."
"Teasing a girl about her weight is like wearing red and doing something very inappropriate infront of an angry bull," Cassy warns, waving her finger sternly. "You're lucky I'm so tranquil and stuff."
Tobias laughs some more, taking off his glasses and clearing his eyes before replacing them. "I wasn't. You look fine. Just saying that you may not always if you suck down sugar," he tells her. "Already have enough psychos after me anyway."
Cassy tuts. "I'd have said stunning rather than fine," she notes. "And don't worry, if you mean who I think then I'm probably about as far up the shit list. Not that I really care, after an admittedly crappy start I tried be nice and all I got for my trouble was repeated doses of mean."
"You too?" Tobias asks, sounding the opposite of surprised. "Hell, I offered to take her to the movies to show no hard feelings. She still got pissy about it. After she tried to act like some sort of seductress." Tobias laughs. "I'll admit, that was funny."
"I'd totally still be civil if she would be," Cassy admits, rolling back over to get a better view of the tv. "But I think maybe we're just not compatable people. She wants to be in charge and I have no respect for authority, not the best combination ever. Unless we fall through another rift and end up in a buddy cop style universe."
"All too true," Tobias says, "All too true." He grabs the remote from the opposite arm of the chair and waves it in the air. "Want this? I've got to put this guy back in his cage."
Cassy frowns. "I wonder if Hedgehogs and pet rats would get along," she muses. "Erm I kinda don't need it, I can push the buttons from here remember? But if you have the musical episode on a dvd other than the one in I'd totally want to borrow it."
Tobias grins. "Not sure about that. He's still getting used to things around here," he explains. "And I'll just leave the case down here. Bring it back when you're done with it, kay?" he asks, wrapping the hedgehog in the lap blanket and getting to his feet.
Cassy nods, the case sliding along the floor until within easy reach. "Coolies," she declares. "I only really like a couple of episodes, like the one with the girl in the bunny costume."
"I got the set up in my room," Tobias tells Cassy. "You ever want one, just ask." He heads towards the exit. "See you around sometime," before heading out of the rec room, pet in hand.
"Have fun and win prizes," Cassy replies, her attention already shifting to the dvd case.