5879/A Bicycle Built For Two

A Bicycle Built For Two
Date of Scene:	07 April 2021
Location:	Upstate New York
Synopsis:	James, Jubilee, Rogue, Rachel and Kitty go for a bike ride and roller skate to enjoy the Spring day.
Cast of Characters:	Kitty Pryde, Jubilation Lee, James Proudstar, Rogue, Rachel Summers

---

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty had put up some flyers, posts on social media, and emails, organizing a nice leisurely bike ride through the countryside. Now that winter was in the past, bits of green were starting to come out, and the migratory birds had begun to return. The weather was forecast to be a sunny, warm day. And with Ororo on the premises, even if they were wrong, there was a good chance there would still be sunshine when it came time for the ride.

Kitty walks out to the gate, wheeling, of all things, a bicycle built for two. There's a little bell on the handle bars, and a basket on the front of it. In which sits a cat. A cat recognized by anyone who knows Lockheed's image inducer created holographic feline form. There are also a pair of water bottles strapped to the bike frame, and a little bag around which the 'cat' is curled up in the basket.

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    Skrrerrtt. Skrrrerrtt. Skrrrretttt. The sound of two wheels etching against the pavement is getting louder and louder. They're filled with the feet of none other than Jubilation Lee, the one student not too ashamed to show up to a group bike ride with roller blades! She's dressed for fun -- a short sleeve yellow t-shirt shirt cropped to reveal her midriff. It has the words 'LUDICROUS SPEED' screen printed across the breast. Black spandex shorts are her sorry excuse for covering her behind today.

    Jubilee holds a long rope looped over on itself with one hand and the end of it in the other. She waggles the end of the rope in the air. "Hope you're feeling spry," she says, grinning from ear to ear from behind a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses.

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar walks out next to Kitty, stretching loosely, eyeing the two person bicycle suspiciously. The handle bars come to just above his knees. He is wearing sleeveless tee-shirt, and running shorts and shoes, HIs long dark hair is back in the intricate braid he usually, wears, the look on his face is flabberghasted, "So, the lake gate doesn't need to be cleared off? But it gets all this dirt and sludge on it. It's hard to get off." He looks at the dirt under his finger nails surreptitiously.

    James tilts his head as he regards Jubilee's rope, he stage whispers, "I've got five that says I'm carrying her home on my shoulder."

Rogue has posed:
Rogue had considered cheating and bringing her skateboard out of the closet for a alternative to a bike, because she doesn't own a bike... but she'd decided to play along.

Asking Jean if she could use her bike, Rogue was now wheeling it out from the garage down the driveway to where she sees the others. Rogue is wearing a green tanktop with a white and blue plaid flannel tied off around her stomach, blue jeans and red sneakers on her feet. On her head is a dark green and black camo bandana that is tied in the back to hold her long hair down out of her eyes during hte ride, the white and brown hair otherwise flowing down her shoulders.

She pauses when she reaches the others. To Kitty, Rogue grins. "I would've paid ya money t'make Lockheed look like E.T. with that image thingy you use on him." She grins, then looks toJubes and James, smiling at the rollerblades.

"I ain't takin' ya to Rex-Kwan-Do lessons..." She tells the girl before swinging a leg over her bike seat and taking a moment to settle in on it, able to balance on it without having to put her feet down... cause cheats.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty grins at Jubilee's chosen form of locomotion, and then looks over to James at his stage whisper. "You might, rabbit, you might," she says in a good approximation of an old Bugs Bunny cartoon. Because she's retro.

A student comes jogging down the lane from the school. Tommy sort of looks like a frog most of the time. But he's got an image inducer on too to look like a normal teen. But Kitty puts her hands on her hips and glares at him. "Really? I agree to let you ride the Black Beauty with me," Kitty says, patting the black two-person bike, "And you show up in a -METS- cap!?" she says.

She shakes her head, muttering things about taste and common sense, and 'buying him a Cubs hat at the first opportunity before he embarrasses me'.

Kitty looks towards Rogue then, laughing softly. "E.T.? Could probably manage that. Though he doesn't really have the long limbs for the arms." She motions Tommy to the back of the bike. "I'd have let you steer, but not in the sacrilegious cap," she tells him. "James, you ok to keep up while still looking human? We probably won't be going all that fast though, Tommy and I, anyway."

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    "I'll take that bet. You're on, mister!" Jubes exclaims, staring up at James with mischief hidden behind her sunglasses. The tops of her eyebrows can be seen just cresting over the top of the Ray Bans as she waggles them up and down. Her gaze shifts from Kitty to Rogue to Tommy to James. "So," she begins before a pregnant pause.

    "Which of you is fastest?" she wonders aloud, swinging her hips from side to side as she considers whose bicycle deserves her tow cable.

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar grins, and shakes his head, "Sufferin' succotash." He raises his eyebrows as Tommy approaches at speed. You can almost see the process, reacting to threat , identifying threat and going back to lower mode. He watches Tommy, and spots the kind of swoony reaction the X-women tend to create in boys all the time, he's been there a time or two, on some level still is. James clears his throat at the young man and pulls his attention back to the here and now.

He swipes the Mets hat off his head, which causes the illusion fo flicker before it resets. James inverts the hat and places it backwards on his own head, so the offending logo is concealed, "It could have been the Yankees, Sprite." James shrugs and looks down at himself, "I think I look more realistic running than I do on a bike actually." He smiles at Jubes and nods at he bet, "I'm pretty sure it's me, unless Rogue flies."

Rogue has posed:
Rogue watches the student who's joining them for the ride, smiling at him even though his image replacement has her having absolutely no idea who he is, but she doesn't want to admit that there's a student at the school she doesn't recognize, so she just... pretends she does!

Rogue is just snickering at them all before she adjusts the bandana on her head and nods to what James said. "He's fast, I might pretend i'm not flyin' here and there cause I haven't ridden a bike since I was like 10... and I refuse t'fall over at age 21. But yeah, I'm gonna try'n be honest here."

With her hands on the fancy bike handles, and the rest of the fancy bike given a look-over by the Southern Belle, Rogue starts to pedal forward. She starts doing a circle around Kitty's bike.

"Where we goin', anyway?" She asks, having read only part of the flier. "They got riding paths down in Apple Park."

Which is the park beside Salem Center, down the highway a bit.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty points ahead towards the open road. "Set course by the second star on the left. And straight on until we need to turn back to make it in time for dinner," she kids. "Oh, I just figured down towards town. If we want to turn off before reaching it, fine, if not, could swing by somewhere for a drink or an ice cream cone or something," she says.

A look is given between Rogue and James. "Maybe your best bet then, though I imagine either would work, Jubes. Happy to tow you too, but Tommy and I have a kind of heavy bike here." A glance is given towards the roller skates. "Not sure those will handle the paths in the park though unless we stay on the paved ones," she says.

Kitty reaches back, giving Tommy a fist-bump. "Ok, let's do this," she says. He looks over to James to say, "Mets aren't all that bad," but he doesn't put up too much of a fuss about it. He's kind of leggy, but manages the bike well enough, and the hologram covering his green skin. "Alright, we're off!" Kitty says, she and Tommy starting to pedal together to get the heavier bike going.

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    "Suffering what?"

    The 2003-born mutant stares up at James Proudstar, leaning over one hip as she poses with incredulity. She squints from behind those dark sunglasses for a few moments and then shrugs her shoulders, as if to dismiss the question without answer. Probably just an 'old' thing.

    "Jimmy it is, then!" Jubes calls out, grinning at Kitty. She lolls her head to the side and looks up at James Proudstar with a big grin across her face. "My roommate is a speedster," Jubilation explains as she holds the end of the rope out for James to take. "Do your worst!"

    Jubilee takes a couple steps back and rocks her hips from side to side again. "Okay, Marie. If you start flying, I'm hooking my rope to your bike next!" Without even a moment's pause, Jubilee begins wipping the rope up and down. "Mush! Mush!" she shouts at James Proudstar.

James Proudstar has posed:
The image of Jubes arcing through the sky in low earth orbit fades for view into James with a tight smile. "Succotash. It's okra mixed with rice, tomatoes and corn. Its really tasty... we were born two years apart!" Jim shakes his head and ties a loop around his chest before taking off at a sprint to catchup with the group. Then settls into a jog.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue is off to the races, well ahead of even Kitty, with her feet up in the air on either sides of the bike legs extended... yeah, she's already cheating.

By the time they're out on Greymalkin Lane though she's got her feet back on the bike pedals.

"I'm always flyin' high, Jubilation!" Rogue calls back to the younger mutant. She glances over her shoulder to see James running with Jubes in two which makes her laugh. Her right hand goes in to her shirt pocket and she pulls out her designer aviators to snap them ope nand put them on over her eyes.

Greymalkin Lane is a wooded road and curvey back and forth left and right before it leads out to the highway. "I'm gonna let you lead us once we get off the Lane, Kitster." Rogue states, falling back to ride beside Kitty and Tommy and Catheed, her two toned hair flowing back over her shoulders.

Rachel Summers has posed:
So, evidently, there's actual scientific truth to the saying that you never forget how to ride a bike. Even if you can't remember phone numbers, birthdays, or where the hell you parked your car, it's likely that even if you haven't been on a bicycle in decades, you can climb on and ride away just fine. Which would be fantastic. If Rachel had actually ever rode a bike to begin with. When Kitty gave the offer, Rachel was intrigued. Riding a bike! It sounded like fun. A great way to enjoy a lovely day, with friends!

Buuuut. There came a problem, a single, but big, problem. One that Rachel is still debating on, and thus why she is quite lagged behind everyone else. The red-head has never rode a bike before.

Standing before a borrowed two wheeled device that Rachel could swear is glaring at her. The red-head has been debating just how the hell to do this. (Without asking for training wheels.) She's mentally read minds, she knows the basics, but actually getting ON the small seat, straddling her legs over the bar, and pedaling down is some how daunting.

Hearing the others enjoying the ride, so far, Rachel squares her shoulders, flops one leg over the contraption, and straddles it for a bit, casting her gaze at the pedals, the handle bars, and the little tiny bell that someone has attached. Is that for when you're out of control and screaming to the top of your lungs isn't enough attention?

To Kitty, Rachel will mentally offer a quick. >> I will catch up in a moment. << Ah huh. Yup. Long moment.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde follows the trend, pulling out sunglasses and sliding them onto her face. "Perfect day for it," she says, glancing up at the blue skies overhead and the warm sun shining down on them. She grins as she looks over then to see James starting to tow Jubilee behind him. "You know you're going to have to return the favor sometime, Jubes," Kitty teases.

She looks back towards Tommy, the student occupying the other seat of the bike. "How are we doing?" she calls back to him. "Really good Miss Pryde!" he calls back enthusiastically. As James maybe noticed earlier, Tommy's rather enjoying getting to see the X-ladies, especially from in back where they can't observe him.

Kitty hears the voice in her head and glances back. "Think Rachel's coming," Kitty says aloud, while thinking: << Great, we're just taking our time so easy to catch up with us. >> Kitty doesn't consider that bike-riding might be new for Rachel.

As Rogue makes herself go without pedaling, Kitty scoffs her direction. "Cheater!" she says in a joking tone as she looks over to the other woman riding beside her. Kitty reaches into the bag in the basket and pulls out a chocolate chip cookie. "Mom just sent them," she says, passing one over.

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    "Ohhh, that's a long two years, Jimmy..." Jubilee warns with a grin. She grips the rope tightly and waits for the other mutant to take off. "A long, long two years. Let me know when you start to feel it in your knees -- we can call you an Uber!"

    And then... they're off!

    Jubilee's hair -- a cowlick when she arrived at the school, now falling midway down her back -- flows backwards and off of her face. "There's no way!" she exclaims as she rolls alongside Kitty. "I can't pull this galoot!" It's said fondly, though loud enough to make sure James can hear it. "Try to keep up, Marie!"

    "This is why no one will insure us!" Jubilee shouts into the wind.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue leans over on her bike to reach over herself to get the cookie that Kitty offers her. She flashes a grin at the continued clear indication that she's cheating because her bike literally leans sideways a few inches to help her reach the cookie. Once she has it the Belle stragithens up and watches James and the Jubilee Peach roll right on past. This gets another little laugh from Marie who is watching the two of them go out toward the highway.

"Hey, I think there's bike paths down by the neighbor's property." She tells Kitty since she's the only one left in earshot (Well, Tommy too, but he's enjoying the view apparently)

Rogue looks back over her shoulder at the announcement of Rachel joining them. "She is?" Rogue asks, raising her glasses up for a second before dropping them back down to her nose. "Oh yeah, the brain thing."

"Don't go too far ahead!" Rogue calls out after the roller / runner duo!

Rachel Summers has posed:
All things considered, Rachel could utilize her powers. She could use her telekinesis to keep her balanced and on the bike, she could just as easily let her powers do all the work, and make this thing look simple! She could! She... should! But, somehow, that doesn't feel right to Rachel. Or maybe, she's just too darn stubborn to even consider it.

Still standing with her feet on the ground, straddled over the bike, Rachel's fingers take hold of the handle bars, gazing down at the pedals. Keep your balance. One foot tentatively places itself on the pedal at the top most position. Okay! This is good. Good. Right.

Putting her weight onto the top pedal, the bike begins to take off... without Rachel, who's left floating in mid-air, as the bike topples to one side. Attempt one goes to the bike, coward to Rachel. "Mutter."

As the old saying goes, try, try, try again. Collecting the bike back up, Rachel is soon wobbling her way towards the others. In the distance, Rachel and bike, might be seen, the bike wobbling one side, to the other, as Rachel attempts her best to gain control of the thing, and master the entire balancing part. She might also be heard stating, "Whoever says something is easier than riding a bike, needs to get on a damn bike."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty laughs as Jubilee and James go past. "We should get more rope, Tommy, let him tow us as well," she tells the student over her shoulder. Kitty had looked back for Rachel once, but didn't see her. She's not looking when Rachel rounds the corner onto the Greymalkin Lane and makes her way unsteadily towards them. Lockheed sees it though, the 'cat' making a few squeaks which sound something like, "«¢®¥¿." It's enough to make Kitty glance back over her shoulder.

"Hey, there's Rachel," she says with a grin. "And, I wonder if she's spent much time on a bike. Now that I think about it, probably not really something she'd have had an opportunity to do." And then she catches Rachel's words as the redhead nears them. Kitty gives an encouraging smile. "You're doing great. Once you get used to it, it really does become second nature like walking."

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar smirks at Tommy. He matches speed with them pretty easily and shakes his head, "Im not a galoot. And its not that long."

James puts on more speed edging credulity as he makes a wide turn and heads back towards the mansion, towing Juves ar near ludicrous speeds. Hes a man of action after alland he cones up behind Rachel, after passing herand slows taking hold of the bike from the back he helps to sready and accelerate her progress. Allthe while giving encouragement and instruction in a calm voice.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue takes another bite of the cookie while she sits up straight on the bike she'd taken from Jean (Or Scott? Someone!) In her other hand she has her phone out and is using a thumb to bring up a map of where they are and what they're looking for.

She's still cheating, her bike just rolling along without her even looking where they're going really.

"Here." Rogue says as she shows the map of where the best biking paths are that wind through the apple fields of Westchester County. She shows it to Kitty beside her before she glances over at James and Jubilee flying back the way they'd come.

"Oh, heya, Rachel." The southerner says to the redhead. "James is gonna need a bigger rope if he's draggin' both of you around here in a bit." She says with a grin.

Rachel Summers has posed:
Wobbling too and fro, Rachel catches Kitty's comment and offers a grin towards her, 'Catheed' and Tommy. "It gets easier!? I hop.. Woah!" And as James moves behind the bike Rachel is on - Rachel nearly topples right off the bike and onto the pavement, not at all expecting assistance in such a manner. Her head cranes backwards, though the assistance, and instructions are quite appreciated. "Thank you."

Turning her head back towards the front, Rachel offers a wide smile towards Rogue. "Hello!" With both hands on the handle bars like they're going to fly off and into all directions, Rachel does manage to at the very least gain her balance enough so she isn't dangerously wobbling too - and fro!

It has to be said, though, Rachel doesn't quite like someone behind her, old habits die hard as far as trusting someone goes, so her gaze does flicker behind ever so often.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty leans over, coasting for the moment while Tommy happily pedals away behind her. Looking at the map, Kitty says, "Oh great, I haven't been down those before. Something new to try," she says to Rogue.

Kitty watches James, pushing Rachel and towing Jubilation Lee. "You know, we could probably pay for a whole semester of school if we leased him to county fairs and children's zoos," Kitty tells Rogue as she flashes a warm grin towards James Proudstar.

"Ok," Kitty calls over to them. "Up ahead here is a bike path. You might not want to go quite as fast, not sure what kind of shape it's in," she warns. There, she did the responsible thing. Kitty starts pedaling again, joining Tommy in keeping the bigger, heavy bike going.

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    "Don't you ever just wish your power was wheels?" Jubilee calls out to whoever is willing to listen. Wheels? Just wheels. Her weight shifts from one hip to the other, sending her gliding from one side of the path to the other in a smooth arc. It's like she was born for this.

    Jubilation gives the rope a sudden pull, loosening the tension in the tow line and sending her forward, in front of James and alongside Rachel. "Hi," she says casually as her speed matches the other girl. And then... the tow line is suddenly taught as tension returns.

    "Gotta goooooooo!!"

    Her voice trails back as she is forced, once again, into position behind James, gripping that tow rope with two fists, apparently missing the warning about the bike path up ahead.

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar who is being a complete and total gentleman thank you, His eyes are even on the road. But, hes a hunter and he gets it. He lets Rachel go as he catches up with group and moves back a little but remains close enough to help

Rogue has posed:
Rogue shows a slight smirk at Kitty. "I'm sure he'd love that." She says about James' possible inclusion in various other towing-jobs. She slides her phone back in to her shirt pocket and then nods up ahead as they approac hthe turn off for the bike trail. "That's them. I seen those while drivin' before, always wondered what was up there."

She looks back to the others and motions for the turn off. "Should be a scenic route, and best part is is that it ends near the back paths in to Breakstone so we can eventually make our way back t'the school from the north."

Zoooooooooooom!

Rogue's bike turns down the pathway, taking the thing off a small sweet jump of pavement that rolls up over a gutter. She lands on the other side with a little bounce and a grin. "Didn't cheat on that one, all Earth gravity!" So impressive.

A look is sent back to Rachel. "You doin' okay, Sugh?" She calls out to the other.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty and Tommy don't catch air, at least their bike doesn't. The bike is just too heavy and also too long between the wheels. First she bounces over the rise and then Tommy does, each of them individually bouncing up off their seats.

Once they are straightened out again, Kitty retrieves more cookies from the bag. One goes to Lockheed, and another she reaches back to pass to Tommy. Chocolate chip, and Kitty's mother is a great cook.

Kitty takes two more cookies out, holding them out in one hand off to the side, like a modified version of a relay racer holding out the baton for the next person. Reaching out as far as she can so James and Jubilee can come by and get them.

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar maintains his speed as he they enter the path letting Jubes catch air if she likes. "Now Im a carnival ride?" The sigh is theattrical you can tell hes amused. A whole semester?" He takes a cookie munching introspectively.

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    "Is that why you always smell like puke?"

    Jubilee grins at James as she whips forward again, even going so far as winking from behind her sunglasses as she scoops up one of the cookies that leap-frogs back to her. She looks oh-so-cool as she takes a big bite of that cookie...

    But...

    Chunks of cookie and chocolate chips form a brief cloud in the air as Jubilation spits it all out once catching sight of the path approaching her at speed. Phfpfhff fefh ffhfh. Her nose wrinkles as she swats at the cookie cloud, totally extinguishing all those cool points she banked. It seems she's not ready to catch some air.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue is back to leading the way for the biking and blading group. She leads them through the parking lot area and in to the walking / biking / jogging trails!

"Come on now, this is a leisurely ride! We don't need to look like we don't know what we're doing!" She shouts to whomever can hear her behind her still.

As she grounds a corner though she hits the brakes on her bike as there ahead of them on the paved pathway are two whitetailed deer! "Woah." Rogue says, putting her feet down on either sides of the bike as the deer look up and do that 'oh shit deer' thing as they flick their ears around and look at the bikers coming down the pathway toward them.

On either sides of the pathway ware grassy fields loned by small fences but inside the fields are rows of apple trees.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde hands off the cookies and then goes back for one for herself. "Jubilee, watch out for that bump!" she calls over to the skater. Thankfully Xavier's isn't quite a normal school. There isn't paperwork to fill out when a student gets a skinned knee and needs a trip to the Wellness Center. Still, Kitty would just as soon not have any injuries on her watch!

Kitty takes a bite of her own cookie. "Well," she tells James, "We don't want them to work you half to death either," she says with a grin towards him. She and Tommy approach the corner behind Rogue. They are taking it easy, the two-person bicycle not exactly as maneuverable as a regular ten-speed.

As they go around the corner, Kitty sees the deer and hits the brake. "Look, Tommy," she whispers back towards him, not raising a hand to point for not wanting to startle the animals further.

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    Swat. Swat. Jubilee sends the last of the cookie crumbs into oblivion as she braces for the upcoming bump. Kitty's warning is a welcome one, but it's too little, too late.

    "What bump?" she calls out.

    The bump in the path sends the young mutant into the air! "Wooooahhhhhhh........"

    As Jubilation reaches the apex of her jump, she tries SO HARD to get one last quip in. "It's a bird....NO, it's a plane....NO, it's...."

    A bush.

    Jubilation comes to a sudden halt thanks to the foliage stylings of a harmless little bush, sending her limbs disappearing into it and a cloud of leaves in her wake.

    Is she okay?!

    "You know... Why /were/ those guys just so surprised to see a bird and a plane up in the air?" she mutters from inside the bush. She's okay.

    Jubilation climbs out and brushes herself off. "Woah..." she whispers, staring at the deer while plucking a leaf from her hair.

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar comes to a stop next to the bush not even breathing hard as he takes in the deer. " I do not smell like puke." He takes a beat "They would be tasty,"

Rogue has posed:
Rogue gets her phone out of her pocket again to take a few pics of the deer as they are standing there. Tommy gets a good look of them too and a pic with his own phone as well. "Neat." The Belle mutters before she hears the noises behind them of the Jubilation rocket in to the bush.

Rogue looks back over her shoulder and sees her friend coming up out of the foliage with leaves in her dark hair. She winces, but also starts to laugh when she sees she's okay.

"Did you hurt anythin'?" The Belle asks.

But, just as Jubilee does this, the two Deer suddenly bolt for the west. They leap the fence and their feet slap down on the soft grass on the other side, bounding toward the apple trees.

Rogue shrugs her shoulders then and puts her feet back on the pedals. "Okay, lets get goin', Gang. This path goes on for awhile and we wanna be back for spaghetti night!" She flashes a grin over to Kitty and nabs another cookie before she starts to ride down the scenic pathway again.

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar gingerly pulls Jubes from the bush. He places her on his shoulder as they head for home.