4424/Busy Diamond

Busy Diamond
Date of Scene:	17 December 2020
Location:	Baseball Diamond (Xavier's School)
Synopsis:	Noriko tries to hit a few balls and draws some attention from the lights. People meet people who have not met before.
Cast of Characters:	Noriko Ashida, Samuel Guthrie, Tabitha Smith, Rahne Sinclair

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Noriko Ashida has posed:
It's another evening.  Snow is falling softly, so light it nearly floats.  One lone person walks out to the unlit baseball diamond.  Well, unlit thus far.  Carrying a painter's bucket and a bat, resting the barrel back on her shoulder, Noriko walks her way to home plate and sets the bucket down.  Then she walks through the open dugout and back a ways to the electrical box.

A gauntlet is rested against the box, her palm flat as if trying to hear some electric heart beat.  She closes her eyes as she sucks the electricity from the veins of the box, her hair slightly standing up/away from her neck as bolts of light leap happily across her body in miniature rumblings.  Then she flips the panel open and flips on the lights.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie can be heard before he is seen. The orange blast field coming in low over the tree line. Sam has came a long way since those early days and is able to land on his feet without digging a rut through the yard any more. He has backpack on and has bags from stores in New York in both hands. It seems the young man has been out doing his Christmas shopping.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith is hiking up over the hill in her overly large jacket, making her look stuffed. She squeaks as she steps over the top and starts down the hill but the sudden burst of light ahead surprises her. She eeps and flops into the snow, skidding to a halt. She puffs the snow out of her face and starts to get up. She swears a few times under her breath.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
Noriko isn't dressed in anything terribly appropriate for the weather.  She shivers a little, a signal to get started.  No one has been out on the field except to cross it, but it is a little out of the way compared to the basketball court and sundry.

The sudden arrival of Sam doesn't get much of anything but a glance on her way back to home plate.  No speed used, she pulls down on the grip of the beat up aluminum bat to let it lift off her shoulder.  It's just one from one of the equipment bins.  It isn't a softball bat, but beggars can't be choosers.

"Heads up!" she calls out to Sam before suddenly a ball pops up in the air, a signal that she's either a magician or just used her speed.  CRACK!  "Oh shit."  She can't see it.  It's a pop up but, yeah.  She grabs a glove from the bucket and just waits in a ready position.  She doesn't need to, but old habits die hard.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie looks over and watches Noriko for a moment, and chuckles seeing she is playing baseball by herself. He then hears the muttering and looks over to where Boomer is, and walks over sitting a bag down and offering her a hand up "Need a hand there?" He asks Tabitha.

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
Rahne Sinclair caught sight of weirdness going on outside, and when you live at the mansion, you learn that weirdness can be dangerous. So, shifted into her wolf form, she went loping out that way to go see what it was. Thankfully, once she sees people she recognizes, that's a good sign she can relax, so she approaches at a much more casual pace.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith looks up and actually smiles with snow all over her as Sam offers to help her up, "It's actually kinda icy," she comments and takes Sam's hand, popping up to her feet. She dusts herself off, "I totally haven't seen you in forever, Sam. Where have you been hiding out?" she wonders. She looks over at Nori trying to play baseball and considers bombing her baseball but she can't see it either, not even while squinting.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
Noriko looks over to Tabitha when Sam offers to help her up, taking her eyes off of the...vacant sky, save for the stars.  Maybe the ball is just camouflaged, Noriko thinks to herself, now distracted by Rahne's approach.  Thump.  The ball suddenly falls to the ground...'over there' somewhere.  She frowns and zips to the ball which has rolled near Rahne, moving faster than the human eye can see.  "Hey," she greets with a slight up nod to Rahne in her wolf form.  She doesn't know her, so clearly Noriko is feeling somewhat civil tonight, even if her tone isn't all that enthusiastic.  She leans over to snatch up the ball.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie looks over to Noriko, and Rahne a moment, wondering if the younger girl will try to get the wolf to chase the ball. He looks back to Tabitha "Been doing a lot of time out at the academy for classes and training. Then spent a few days up at Magnum helping out up there." He admits. "You met Noriko?" He asks Tabby motioning over to the speedster.

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
Rahne does not, in fact, go chase the ball, especially since Noriko superspeeded it. She gives a surprised yip at the speedster, before shapeshifting back, wearing her uniform. "Hey there. everyone. How's it goin' tonight?" she asks.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith nods to what Sam is saying, "Yeap, we're besties, she helped me try to hotwire Hank's car the other day. I mean, try to---we didn't actually do it," she shrugs. She gives Rahne a little wave and then tells Sam, "You spent a few days with Magnum? Wow, that sounds cool--how is he?" she tells him, picturing Sam playing tennis with Tom Selleck because she's an obsessed fangirl.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
"Just...hitting some balls," Noriko says without expounding.  She hasn't exactly introduced anyone to her 'glowing' personality over the last year.  She doesn't apologize for startling Rahne, but she did pause suddenly mid movement to look down at the wolf-formed girl as if with eerie timing.

Then she looks over her shoulder and points a metal-encased thumb back over her shoulder at Tabitha.  "And she's intent on spreading wild rumors."  Because denial is the best defense.  "What about you?  Out for a walk?"  It's actually rather civil for the blue-haired girl.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie 's brow raises a bit and says "Oh so Ah am out studying police procedure and the girl I used to date is hot wiring cars?" He smiles though seems he is not to upset or surprised. "Na Magnum New York , the place not the guy, if Ah spent a couple days with the guy and did not take Berto along with me, Ah am sure we would be out here, his hitting me with a tree or something." He grins and looks over to Rahne "Pretty good, how you doing?" He resists the urge to call her carrot top at least right now.

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
"Nae too bad. Saw some folks out back, and thought it best t' go take a look." Rahne replies. She nods to Noriko, who she hasn't met before. "Rahne Sinclair. Nice t' meet you." Sam, of course, gets a friendly smile as a former classmate. Tabitha's comments mostly get a mostly confused look. "Isnae a magnum a gun?"

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith motions to herself, "/I/ was walking, thanks for asking," she tells Nori and snickers. She smirks at Sam, "I had the app. I'm no mechanic. Besides, we didn't hurt anybody. It was just...an app test. Yeah, an internet app test," she tells him but looks off at the snow as her story makes no sense. She looks back at Rahne sharply and reminds her, "Magnum is a guy. For real. He's a hunky television acting star and junk. He drives this awesome Ferrari..."

Noriko Ashida has posed:
Noriko just lifts her thumb back up, but above her shoulder, obviously to Tabitha.  "Noriko, Ashida."  She has a very faint trace of a Japanese accent.  "You too...and it is, a gun."  The girl is an 18 year old junior.  There's a reason for that.  "And I think some kind of weird ice cream brand.  Commercials were on all the damn TVs for awhile."  She steps back to open up the conversation, even if they aren't exactly all huddled together or anything.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie does not mention the other thing it is, nope keeping his mouth shut on that one "There was a collapse up at a coal mine, Ah went out there to help them get the miners out. Was one of the oddest things though. All the alphabet services were there, and the guys came out looking healthier than any miners Ah ever seen."

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
    Rahne looks a little confused. "A guy and a gun and an ice cream. People need tae think up better names." Sam's line gets a frown. "Where was this at, Sam?"

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith crosses her arms indignantly and smirks, then looks down into her coat pocket and....her eyes go wide. She's broken her 90s sunglasses. She looks very upset. She takes the sunglasses out of the breast-coat pocket and looks upset. "I'm going inside now."

Noriko Ashida has posed:
"Oh, and condoms," Noriko so helpfully adds to the list that Rahne collates for everyone's benefit. Noriko doesn't really pay much attention to Sam's story. It's not that she isn't looking and nodding. it's that she keeps flitting her eyes over to Tabitha as she investigates her coat pocket. She frowns, brow furrowed, lips pressed together slightly as she notices the sudden change in the mood of the girl. "You sure?"

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie looks over to Rahne, and says "Mangum New York is just a bit away, Ah flew over got near and walked in the rest of the way to help out, was some wierd things going on, Ah plan on looking into." He notices the sunglasses, and says "Ah might have a spare pair of them in my odds and end drawer, will look for you if you want Tabby."

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
Rahne looks over at the broken glasses, and makes a face. "Sorry 'bout that." She has no idea where one would get something like them, so it's hard for her to help there. And then Noriko mentions condoms. Rahne goes as red as her hair and looks over. "Wait, wot?" she asks, sounding a little like a female David Tennant there for a moment. Even with the slightly squeaky voice. The mine is forgotten. Brain derailed.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith holds the broken sunglasses with care as she lifts them up as if wanting to put them on and walk off looking like a cool 90s caricature. She sighs as she can't. She stuffs them back in her dumb pocket. "Whatevah, laters," she says and walks off.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
Noriko's eyebrows arch when Tabitha takes off and then she shrugs, only to look back to find Rahne turning into a cherry tomato.  She grins.  "Yeah.  They're giant.  They make the absolute best water balloons."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie just shakes his head a bit and says "So, what you two been up to?" He asks after Tabby walks away. He grabs the bags he was carrying and walks closer to the other two.

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
    Rahne is probably trying to find her tongue again. Noriko's comment about water balloons did NOT help. The Scots girl looks like she'd love to just shrink back inside her clothes, but this damn uniform is form-fitting. It's hard to be a wallflower in spandex. It's only after a few false starts that she manages to answer Sam in a tiny voice. "Made wreaths with Dani th' other day for Christmas." Talking about condoms this close to Christmas?! She feels like lightning is going to smite her any minute now.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
Speaking lightning, a few minuscule bolts crackle between her fingers and she closes and opens her hands.  "Nothing."  Lies.  Sam already knows Noriko was party to an attempted grand theft auto, but apparently that's just a Monday for her.  "Went to the city," she shrugs.  The words come out fast.  "How many wreathed did you guys make?"  Noriko's eyes flit over to Rahne at hummingbird speed.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie looks over and says "I might have to get one from you guys if you have any left over. " He hmms a bit and says "Might see about taking some of the kids out who want to fire a rifle and see about getting some missletoe."

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
Rahne answers Noriko. "One for each door in the house where people stay." She and Dani stealth-hung them that night. "An' I can make you another if somethin' happened tae yours, Sam. Be careful with the littles and the guns, though." Yanks and their guns.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
"Oh."  No shame at not noticing.  Asleep on the way out, blazing on the way back to get through curfew, Noriko isn't really observant of what's going on around school unless she's hustling, er, enterprising, which has become more frequent recently.  "Cool...thanks."  It's said as if she remembers it's expected, the thank you that is.  She zips over to face the backstop, nearly appearing there after a near instantaneous acceleration.  She starts juggling some balls, the bat on the ground.  Then suddenly it's whack-whack-whack into the backstop.  It doesn't take much more than a few seconds, and she's back where she was.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie looks over and says "Actually still have mine for here, but Ah was thinking one for door for Alexis and my Apartment, and maybe one to send home to Ma, think she would like one you two made." He admits. "Ah will, Pa took me and Josh out and taught us when were were young how to properly handle rifles and shotguns, for hunting and such and shooting down the mistletoe was a bit of an old tradition.

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
Rahne blinks as Noriko zips over again. "Bloody..." And then blushes again. "That's really impressive," she tells the speedster. Sam gets a smile. "Happy tae make y' more. If y' like, I can show y' how. But I'll make 'em and leave 'em outside yer door for y'."

Noriko Ashida has posed:
"How can mistletoe work if it's not above you?  You against making out or something?"  Now it's just Noriko.  It's a real question, with a real look like Sam just sprouted a stalk out of the crown of his head.  Noriko seems to skip between subjects and squeezing in activities between moments with ease, not missing a beat.  She shrugs to Rahne.  "It's handy."  She does run off to the city every freaking night.  She seems wholly oblivious to what caused the renewal of Rahne's blush this time.  "Are you okay?  You don't have a fever do you?  I'd check but..."  Noriko lifts her hands.  "I'm kind of pretty charged up right now."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie looks over and says "You shoot it out of the tree where it grows naturally, and then take it in the house, and kiss your girl or guy under it. I aint against making out, but Jean may want to keep the it down to just a little bit not get the kids to worked up." He grins a bit.

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
Rahne flutters a hand a bit at Noriko. "Nae, nae, I'm fine. I just shouldnae have cursed." She looks at the other girl's hands when she mentions them. "Aye, no need tae have m' fur standin' all on end." She doesn't respond directly to the making out talk except to blush a bit more.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
"Huh?"  Noriko cocks her head to the side, not sure if she heard Rahne right.  "I mean.  I don't mind.  Do you mind?" she slings out to Sam quickly before hop skipping back to Sam's mistletoe talk.  "Isn't it supposed to just be like..a peck?  Where's the harm in that?  I thought it was a western tradition."  She looks from Sam to Rahne for confirmation.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie looks over, and says "Supposed to be, but some try to make it a bit more. "Well I need to get inside, get these things wrapped."