12700/Xavier's School Beat 'Em Ups

Xavier's School Beat 'Em Ups
Date of Scene:	07 September 2022
Location:	Radical Arcade
Synopsis:	Gaming in the arcade of the mansion turns into training. Also rampaging wit and dark sorcery! One of those things. Probably.
Cast of Characters:	Emma Frost, Illyana Rasputina, Henry McCoy, Tabitha Smith, Rahne Sinclair

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Emma Frost has posed:
The recently installed arcade at Xavier's has no doubt rapidly become popular since it's opening. Currently, some old school games are being brought in. The types that you fed quarters to for hours over in another life hoping to just get that five more minutes to win.
    The crowning glory of it is a series of six person beat 'em ups. Huge arcade cabinets. Massive, custom sound systems. Reinforced chassises so that they don't risk being broken, bludgeoned, or exploded.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
Did someone say arcade? Better than Arcade, who would probably end up with twelve inches of magical Soulsword through the chest as a matter of habit. Instead it's a better night to destroy a pinball score or growl at the digital print-out in eight-bit glory.

"Elf needs food badly!"

"No," Illyana hisses, "You were fed. Greedy elf! Not a hobbit!"

The warrior traipses by and thanks to her killer hand-eye coordination and twitch reflexes borne of the demon blood in her veins, the blonde sorceress goes about slaughtering a few bystanders. Mostly. A pair of gemstones with spider-thin legs cling to her buns, flickering and gleaming at one another.

Henry McCoy has posed:
Video games?! Pish posh! Henry would /never/ be caught playing such things! Of course, never mind that look on his face when a classic Gauntlet game gets wheeled in. That... glassy... eyed... stare. Shaking off his reverie, he smirks. "So, will these require quarters, then?" He wonders, to no one in particular.

He stands near enough to watch Illyana, grinning at her banter with the machine. "Don't shoot the potion unless Death is on the screen..." He tries to help, truly.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Normally Tabby when she games usually kicks back with some of the consoles hooked up to the big screen in the rec room. But sometimes you just have to have that genuine arcade experience.

She is still hunting for a cheap DDR machine.

But for now she's trying to not get in the way of people wheeling in the new cabinets, while simultaneousply playing on one of the existing machines. Gauntlet with Illyana. Getting her Wizard on. Somehow she's suprisingly very good at it.

It's all in the hips. Helps they're straining and folliing some very snug pink corduroy jeans while a yellow cropped tank top with the school's logo patrially missing tge bottom in favor of showing off abs. The rest of her accessorising in red. Chucks, belt, choker that's totally actually a dog collar and the frames of her yellow lenses cate eyes all in red.

"The elf's hungry cause she's a gold digger." she states and with a grin cheats the game a little by messing with the faux coin slots and making sure the game thinks they're feeding the beast.

This allows Tabby to do what she does best in most realities.

In game BOOM!

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
If people want things to not get damaged, they really need to not put out that kind of warning. These are tough, they won't break. Bad call, to wave a flag like that around here.

Thats' when the dog runs past, chasing a squirrel through the hallway. BARKBARKBARKBARKBARKbarkbarkbark.... It's loud, it fades away with the doppler effect.

It comes back, looking as if it's just saved us all from encroaching evil. Then the big ol pooch sits in the doorway, looking at whoever's here.

Looks mildly sad that nobody saw its heroic work.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost has come in to glance at the otehrs, "So, this is what entertainment has become in this day and age?" HEr glancing over at the flashings giong o from the games. "I suppose the previous generation. Or the one before that. Is it really worth it in all that pixelated glory days of yonder?"

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
"I am become Death," Illyana intones with all the bombast and dangerous chill owed her position. Her fingers dance at frightening speeds across the buttons, probably faster than the switches can interpret the overload of commands to shoot, shoot, shoot. She predictably favours the sword to the bow for the moment, though she shifts up the wizard to hurl a bolt at one of the green-brown digital monsters that could also be GI Joes. "You see? No potion yet."

Hank's guidance is going in one ear and staying there. She rattles the joystick, zigzagging around to avoid being shot with an arrow. Only partially successful. Why does she mess around with any other nonsense when this is so successful? The dice atop her buns hop up and down, eagerly excited by Tabitha being nearby, around, and -something- else. Could it be a greeting? One little spider-leg appendage magically formed waves eagerly back and forth. Plastic coins go in and another player joins the mayhem.

The green die on her left bun hops down and skitters to the ground, going over to glimmer like a swirl of oakmoss, pine tips, and dew in a spruce forest in front of the hound. It peers up. Wayyyy up. Sparkle!

Henry McCoy has posed:
Henry's brow goes up, looking over to Emma for a moment. "It's a form of fun - and quite entertaining, for folks of many ages. I recall when I first encountered this game. It took a lot of money from me." He smirks, lookn back to where Illyana is playing. A nod to Tabby as she gets into the game, grinning at the teamwork.

"And it is most certainly less destructive than some of our other activities. Improves hand-eye coordination, teamwork... all sorts of benefits."

There's a glance over to Rahne and a smile offered over to the wolf. "Evening."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
"Totaly actually beneficial Emma dear." Tabitha responds with a chuckle as Rahne's barking runs through the sublevels. "Can build better hand eye coordination and reflexes. Faster problem solving. Like wider ability to solve problems with multiple solutions." Tabby points out and beams a smile.

"You're like a teacher. You get the idea that presentation is the difference between a boring lesson and a fun one. Especially with teenagers." she explains all educatioonal and stuff. Hank would be proud at Tabby nerding it up as she starts working with Illyana to mow hordes of monsters down.

The sparky die in her field of view gets a grin and a nod. "Hello to you too." she greets as the trotting of wolf claws on the ground gets a smile. "Rahney, I think maybe that squarl might be a student if it's down here." she suggests and giggles.

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
The oversized doggo bends to sniff at the green die, under the assumption that the little guy's name isn't prophetic. Die? No die. She does sniff at it though, because she tends to do that. The scent actually makes her back up a tiny bit in surprise.

Then she circles the little dice, sniffing at it more thoroughly. So many scents from such a little critter! She pauses, glancing up and raising her head to look at Hank. What amounts to a doggie-sneeze isn't the best response, but it's honest.

She almost backs into Emma doing so. Student or not, sneezing on the dice wasn't her first choice.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would glance down over at Rahne, "Why, whom let you out, Ms. Sinclair? Shouldn't you be out chasing a frisbee? And do make up your mind where you would like to be." She would tsk gently over while going to glance at the games.

"There are far more efficient ways to train yourself without melting parts of your brain, but who am I to take away what is something effective? And congratulations Mrs. Rasputin-Strange, I do think that under Henry's tutlage you'll become quite proficient at it."

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
"Destructive?" Illyana looks askance under her heavy blonde fringe at Hank, almost throwing down the gauntlet. Almost except for the bare hint of a smirk. "You want a go, see how much we break point?" Her gesture, one-handed, proves she can volley arrows pretty well from a stationary spot. Quick shots but not exactly the most accurate. "Imagine, maybe we have Zelda in the Danger Room. Castlevania? Good for people to try being bats."

Da na na, da na na na na. The Castlevania: Symphony of the Night theme would be playing if she could project it. Humming will have to do as she upnods their illustrious Emma. "Ha, good for short attenti--- Elf!"

Bad elf, bad! The overcalculation to run the elf away from being slaughtered distracts her while the die wiggles in glee at being sniffed and will no doubt hop hopefully at getting Rahne to give it a ride of some kind. Being wet with a sneeze doesn't bother her. "Nyet, you leave her alone," warns the Demon Queen to her daemon dice. It waves a leg hopefully. "So impatient. Sorry, it is like a child. We're working on being polite. It is good to see you!"

Henry McCoy has posed:
Henry looks to Illyana. "It was not a challenge to be destructive, Illyana. We all have that capacity. We're learning and training to be able to control those abilities, so we don't wreck the world around us." He says, not concerned over the gauntlet or the stare.

"Truth be told, we've had a few imports to the Danger Room from older games." He grins. "We do have some nostalgic staff, and retro students."

"Bless you." Hank offers to Rahne.

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
Rahne shifts into her humaniform. The dice is sitting atop her red head when she does so and she doesn't seem to mind. She does sniff though, and rubs her nose with a finger.

But the only response she gives to anyone is a smile. Shy, maybe, but there. She isn't here to intrude. She's not really played many games. Nothing to contribute but hope.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
"The danger room is booked solid for now. Emma. The gyms are full, there's no missions. This is probably better than heading out to the lake and throwing bombs around. For everyone else. Well if I don't boom soon that might change. But you ladies should be safe from roaming blue eyes for now." That psionic mish mash of telepathy and bio-electric plasmakinesis does weird things to her brain chemistry.

And at least down here there's some distance from all the psychic noise of a populated school. Having at least one friend here that's a way better telepath and blocking her own thoughts, and another that is practually a walking telepathic dead spot helps.

On screeen Tabitha's wizard picks up the slack and starts scrambling to fireball as many monsters as possible to make some room. "Can Jubilee turn into a bat? Swarms?" and there she goes trying maybe to suppress her telepathy once more. There is a faint grin while she does it. "Nah, got nothing on what these two ladies can do." she indicates Rahne and Illyana. "I had one danger room sim ready to go for Illyana. Not just game based stuff like Hank had. Mindless One Musical Number." the trailer trash mutant grins and giggles and takes her hands from the game just long enough to click her fingers down by her wiggling hips like she was in West Side Story. Followed by a more 'Thrilling' spin before resuming her gameplay.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would shake her head, "I can't imagine that Ms. Lee could turn into anything beyond perhaps a bat by reputation or a mist. I'm sure that if she could turn into something small and mousy that we'd have already seen her fiance dressing her up all the time in bows and carrying her over on her shoulder that way." she would glance over at Tabitha.

"And you seem to give these exercises a great deal more attention over than other ones. Take note, Doctor McCoy. We may have found a way to incentivize her."

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
The daemon die can't help itself from rubbing a tiny crystal toe against Rahne's forehead when she rubs her nose. It certainly radiates a sylvan glow and no real sense of harm. The other one clinging to Illyana's bun is probably desperately jealous or confounded, since it bravely pats the top of the blonde's ear to limited success.

"In this game, we destroy the enemy. No friendly parlay. No plot even." She prods the buttons, two fingers alternating in the mad clickety-clack pattern of someone who probably memorized a few attack patterns. Do not challenge her to other fighting games, it won't end well. "Swarm of bats? Derivative. Better to be a band of black goats. They eat anything." This thoughtful consideration follows as she drops into a pattern of slaying monsters in aggressive charges, rather mirroring her pivotal approach to facing enemies tactically. "I have Trash Mob / Glitch Mob ready to go. Programmed it a while back, but everyone likes dealing with trash mobs. Good music, have to check our license is up to date." The notion the Shi'ar haven't done that is plain ridiculous but it's cause for a laugh all the same. Tabitha and Emma probably have grown used to her mental silence, locked up in the symmetries of Limbo's fluctuating energy. "You know, we need something for Hallowe'en. Without lots of exciting bows. Turning into bats..."

A grin. "I /could/ do it. Mr. Rasputin may not like it, but he can yell at me later."

Henry McCoy has posed:
So much going on! Henry looks to Emma, a brow arched. "I am sure." A wry grins.n. "It is something to consider, of course. But it sounds as if we have some already incentivized and inventive students who are already plotting many different programs." A slight shrug, before his eyes go back to the video game.

"Music license? If only we were using them for private use and not public concerts..." He grins..

Tabitha Smith has posed:
"I like designing and coming up with ideas and stuff. Between the uniform replicators and the Danger Room, I might actually consider doing the college thing and studying design. Not like it'll get me a job but it lets me give back here." Boomie ponders.

The psychic silence from the woman that was once Tabitha's girlfriend is actually a comfort. Less worry about people catching the weird things in Tabitha's head and Illyana already knew most of it to begin with.

"I've also got sentinel horde modes. Trick for survival is not one shotting everything fast if you can." she states and grins. "It only ends on fail state so it's about endurance." she explains.

"We're not streaming so licence music isn't a problem Yana. and didn't you guys all end up goats one time? I know I've been a dinosaur, that was murder on my hips. Never go reptilian when you're having a period ladies. Been a cow. Moo!" she makes a good impersonation. "I was gonna go to that vamp happy club Jubes harps on about. Fangtasia. We should take you Rahne. Go transitional halfsies. I bet we start a brawl because we all know werewolves are way more awesome."

The last thing the school needs is more vampire on mutant violence. "Jubilee's eye twitches when you mention it." she states and winks playfully to the redhead with her own glowy die critter. The one on 'Yana's head gets a wink and a wiggle of her head nudging an invite to hop over. Plenty of room among all that wild mane.

"I say suprise us. Pop the spell mid party. Set a wear off for dawn." she states. "At least when we're all drunk and or high enough the hooves of whatever won't ache so much. Like the hubby never used his magic to get tail before you reined him in Yana"

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
Most of what Illyana is saying is going over Rahne's head. Luckily for her, she has someone on top of same keeping her from worrying too much about it. She spots the little foot on her noggin, and looks upwards to almost dump the little lady off of her skull. Luckily her hair is easy to nab ahold of, to keep purchase.

Since she really doesn't have the frame of reference for most of what's being discussed, she deals with what she does have. You see, Rahne is exactly what you see. She's curiously trying to offer the die on top of her a fingertip, and that's about it.

When she's spoken to, she glances that way but really she's mostly distracted...is that another one of them? She gives this huge grin to the die on 'yana's bun, and waves enthusiastically toward it!

Darkness comes one day for us all, but Rahne Sinclair will be in the back room, drinking cocoa.

With sprinkles.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
Illyana wickedly grins, her black lips turning up, and she nods approvingly at Hank. "You play. I like this. So many think I am all prickles, and they take me so seriously," she drags out the vowel with icy dismay. Right for it to crack again. "You have lightened up! Maybe you play with fire. Either way."

She idly gestures at Gauntlet if he wants to take a crack at the game too. Apparently it's quite fun with Tabitha there, but she also needs to take care of hauling Rahne bodily into the mayhem as need be. Their gentlest member of the New Mutant team is not going to escape her. "The Danger Room is like programming and painting. All very good. But we are preparing for /what/ exactly, Emma?" The question floats past Tabitha as she eases her way through the arcade, chin up and a smirk on her lips. "I did the goats in pyjamas. Black goats are different, very evil. They'd make Fangtasia look like a children's ball pit." See, she's had culture! Especially when they need a reminder of brighter and better things.

The die hops over to Tabitha, all eight legs on the diamond-d8 open. It squeaks at a very high pitch, a hopeful 'Hug meeee!' in Daemon. Dice demon. "He didn't need to. You know, master surgeon? We all have magic fingers."

Hers glow white as she wiggles them to make a point. Darkness with sprinkles and a tease, for all that Rahne might be horrified to know. The green die atop the wolf-queen's head snuggles in, uttering a lazy chitter at a high vibration. To enhanced hearing, it's just a happy little sigh.

"You want that one? I think it needs better socialization and you can teach it how to have fun."

Henry McCoy has posed:
A grin from Henry, followed by a shrug. "Lightened up, I suppose. I have always had a good sense of humor, Illyana. Prickled as it has been, with the change in my demeanor and mental state." A chuckle. "But I am coping." At the offer of the game, he declines. "Another time, I fear. I do need to retire to get in my reading for the night. It is appreciated, though."

He nods to those present - giving a bit of a wave. "I am sure you all will get to sleep at a reasonable hour, yes? And no shouting to wake the others." He winks, before heading towards the staff rooms. "Night all."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Sometimes it's better to ignite a plasma bomb than curse the darkness.

"I think the doctor did pretty good with his end result." Tabby states and lets the game go again to catch the die mid jump and let it get hugged against her chest. It may never want to go back.

"I do remember those fingers of yours quite well!" she flirtatiously exclaims and waggles her own digits with a a little cracking flame of purple plasma. She had gotten some much better control of her powers in the last year or so enough she can do a few little tricks of imitation. She is the fire people play with.

With no one playing gauntless. The elf and the wizard are both soon overwhelmed by hordes of monsters. The beeps of the game making it sound painful.

"Well it's not shape or species that makes anyone inherently evil. But goats can still be both adorable and assholes. I'd have made sure you had plenty of lettuce and hay if the spell didn't wear off. Like you needed to be any more cute with hooves." she points out. The Darkchyled form never put Tabby off. Neither did Rahne's shifting.

The blonde is weird sometimes.

With plasma free hands she goes back to hugging the dice and giving the highest number on top some little scritches like it was a kitten.

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
Rahne turns and watches Hank leave, her wave still hanging in the air though it turns in angle until she seems to be waving at the Dig Dig machine. She must be very friendly to games or inattentive it's the second one of those.

Nobody's outright asked Rahne to play. Nobody's guilted her into it, and nobody's tried to push her into something she wasn't ready for. That's why it works, and a moment later she's shuffling closer to the machines, peeking into the game that Tabitha and Illyana have been rampaging within.

"May I play?" she asks, almost certain that she's unqualified. But never that she'd be unwelcome. This is -family- here.

Also she has a little die on her shoulder now, looking welcomed. Because it totally is, from the way that Rahne rubs her cheek against it from time to time. To time.

And that, folks, is how you seduce the innocent.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
Is there a hug? The orangish dice happily crashes into Tabitha's embrace and lingers with an ornery warble-chirp. Traitor! Illyana tolerates its miscreant ways as one does, indulgent because vice is her likely order and rule in the darkest places. To be a Hell Lord means cutting a fair few corners on the pristine, white-as-driven snow front. "You of course can play. You take my place," she says, pointing her fingers at her eyes and then back to the imperious dice flicker-flashing with humming glee. Purple flame? It can't be purple but it can wave at the plasma. Ooh, shiny.

"Go save the poor warrior. He needs help, he is dying." Her eyes threaten to glow only a little, the power she contains held back in check. For now, anyway. Having a chunk of a much purer, even more willful person's soul embedded in the cracks of hers actually keeps her from teetering headfirst into the abyss, much to the joy of all reality. Illyana going bad means all the elder darkness moseying in and taking over. Or just eating it all.

"Shall we show her how to do it?" The swivel of a smirk is a dangerous thing. "You have been practicing your fingerwork. Good. It's important to maintain that level of finesse. To let it go rusty..." A swift shake of her head knocks around the waist-length blonde strands escaped from the messy buns. "We'd just have to fix that. A few Danger Room runs, maybe."

With a grand gesture, she bows to Rahne and steps aside. "Go forth, friend, and slay!"

Tabitha Smith has posed:
"You know you don't have to actually ask Rahney. There's like all the machines. Gauntlet has four players. Some of these have six. But we so gotta rig most of them for free play some of the older cabs still need tokens or coins." she states and points to a huge bowl with said tokens.

With orange dice hanging on to the front of Tabby's tank top. Tabby steps back and steeples her fingers over head and then fans them down to a T-pose. Streams of plasma ranging from yellows reds, blues and that purple arc over head before being reabsorbed.

The colored plasma one of the many tricks. Controling the intensity and heat. It's why nothing is melting or catching fire when she ignites a mini sun sometimes. Flamebow.

"I don't even need fingers for booms. But I keep them wiggling them fingers when I can. Danger Room time is fun time!" the crackle of power had even made Tabby's eyes glow a little with the focusing of all that bio-electricity. Some would call it Chi but Tabby is not a master martial artist even if she has become a decent fighter over the years.

With no risk of ignition, Tabby makes some room for Rahne to join in. "And also Rahney, if it's only two player. The ettiquete to wanting to play is to just declare that you got nexts if there's no line. The one on one fighters are easier for that." she adds and grins with a nudge of her shoulder to the Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter machines. The die she carries deciding cleavage is the easiest way to ride.

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
The day that Rahne doesn't ask before doing something is the day she dies. But she does step forward, urged on by the previous player (yana) and the current (tabs). She grins at the plasma, having seen that kinda thing before and knowing that it won't hurt you unless she wants it to.

"Oh no, I have tae ask," she insists. Then she reaches for the controls, the ghosts on screen ready to mob her and Tabby both.

ONE MINUTE LATER

"I'm so sorry!" Rahne says, having immediately drawn a horde. She fumbled. The game over screen shows that she, unlike Illyana, scored a grand total of zero points before not only dying, but also drawing fire on Tabitha as well!

The warrior has died. Even the little dice on her shoulder seems slightly boggled. She'd run around on screen, shooting at but missing everything she'd aimed at, and did everything wrong.

Sigh.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
The dice daemons aren't really much help at video game, since flashing lights communicate gibberish and dancing on the plastic buttons lacks the excitement of preening atop heads and shoulders. They have their purposes, and one of which is total self-indulgence that comes along with being an object animated by magic and a dash of will.

"We need the right bits of plastic to make the games work. Best part, you can practice all day long and call it training." True facts from Illyana, who isn't about to slack on the 'having fun' or 'training' bit. Even if training usually means ruthless revolutions with that sword, as murder is a good part of her actual kit and kaboodle. Stabbing is, of course, now the purview of Rahne and her merry band of warriors, so she plays the wise bystander or something. "Finger booms." She repeats it, arching pale brows at Tabitha. "This is what you call it. Not sunbow or Phoenix feather surprise? Hmm."

Maybe that's not a bad or good thing, but either way, with the black-clad sorceress it can be hard to tell. "You want us to play fighting games? We can do whatever. Just not the Tetris one. I hear the song and it reminds me of torture. Pieces and blocks falling, how very dull." Oof, just stab her countrymen, why don't you?

Things could be worse. "You keep trying again. I think we can..." One of the dice skitters past, all flaring fuchsia, and plugs another coin in.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabby watches as that warrior is swamped almost as soon as a new game is started. And soon after the Game Over screen comes back up. "Hey, these games are designed to steal coins from kids. They can rip someone off even better than I could." Tabby reassures the redheaded Scot with a side arm hug like a big sister even if she's actualy the mostly sort of youngest of the three New Mutant sisters in the room if you looked at their mostly legit ID. In a school with time travellers and alternate realities the important number is how many years the person lived from their point of view.

There's a grin to her fellow blonde. "Totes training. Just like I justified to Emma. There were studies. So I'm not just pulling things out of my shapely ass. Trufax!" she exlaims with a sage nod.

"Phoenix gags were taken by the other hot redheads not in this room. Sunbow is an animation company. Was. But they did all those Transformers things way back when our dads were kids." she explains. "I suck at names. Says Doctor Madame McSplode!" that opne was horrible but she's keeping it. "This place will stay up and running. I can probably disable the shut down timer tonight after the kids have lights out. Benefits of building over a bunker. We can pretty much crank some speakers in here and make enough noise Alison could complain about! Training times!" she encourages offering to help co-coach with Illyana.

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
Rahne is not necessarily the fastest person to catch on to some things. Older sister? She's shortest so she's youngest. Also, most timid. It's logical in her head. Hot? Missed that entirely. Calling it training however, she can do.

Cracking her knuckles, Rahne growls slightly deep in her chest. It's a sound you normally don't hear from humans. When the dice skitters a coin into the slot, Rahne's eyes narrow, and she actually mumbles, "Lock the door," in a very dark threatening voice. Then she motions to whoever's Player 2.

And the game begins.