Tabby's Graduation Celebration

Tabby's Graduation Celebration
Date of Scene:	16 August 2021
Location:	Student Gardens, Olive Gardens, Proudstar Ranch
Synopsis:	After Tabitha passes her finals exam so she can graduate, James takes her out to dinner then on a trip to Proudstar Ranch to celebrate the accomplishment.
Cast of Characters:	James Proudstar, Tabitha Smith

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Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith is not a tracker, but she does know James Proudstar enough to predict where she should look if she wants to find him. There is nothing subtle about her approach either. At the moment she is running through the grounds like a little girl being chased by an older brother who just got pranked in her haste to find the large Apache. When she finally spots him, she runs at him as she yells, "Jimmy baby!"

James Proudstar has posed:
It is hard to sneak up on an Apache and Jim in particular. Jim has been harvesting some of the kids vegetables, and placing them in a couple of large grocery bags to be brought in the kitchen for dinner or whatever. He turns to face Tabs as she approaches, "How'd it go?!"

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith jumps at him and throws her arms around his neck as she declares happily, "I got a C!" For many this would be a complaint, but Tabby has a hard time studying enough to get a C so this is a triumph of his time put into helping her study.

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar catches her and smiles brightly, catching her and spinning her around, "Hey! That's great." Jim gives her a kiss, pulling her into a closer embrace. "That's amazing Tabs, we should celebrate!"

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith grins at the spinning as she declares, "If I never see the inside of a classroom again, it will be too soon. I told Hank I was gonna make an Apache take me to celebrate so we really don't have a choice. Wouldn't want to make me a liar right?"

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar grins and nods, "I would not want Xavier's most recent graduate to be a liar, where do you want to go?" Jim smiles and just holds you standing in the garden, your body against his own, taking a quiet moment in the green spaces.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith mmms as she hugs him a little tighter, "It should definitely involve food because I think I used up everything I ate in the last three days taking that test. He didn't even complain when I got up and walked around in the middle. I was a wreck."

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar gives Tabs a kiss, and rests his forehead against hers, "Yeah, of course, all you can eat. Yeah, Hank is good people, even if he doesn't trust Yana." Jim sighs, and then grins. "So, where were you thinking? Italian? Pizza? Chinese? Borscht?"

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith nods, "Lots of people don't trust Yana though. It's a thing. We should go to that Olive Garden. Fancy enough to feel special but not so fancy I feel like I have to go take a shower and get dressed up before we can go."

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar sighs, and nods, "Okay, but..." he looks at you and two things are clear, you know how you both feel about Illy, and that tonight is not about her. Jim smiles, and it reaches his eyes banishing any of the shadows away, "Yeah, sounds good, I can always go for a tour of Italy... you thinks that waiter is gonna cry when he sees me again?"

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith laughs and finally lets go his neck so she can drop down to the ground. "I think all waiters cry when they see you coming, or salivate over the possibility of a huge tip." She's not gonna go down the 'yana path any further right now even in her brain. She's happy right now.

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar chuckles and boops your snoot, "That is a distinct possibility, I don't think I dress well enough to encourage the latter." he takes your hand and smiles, "Come on, let's walk around the kids are fighting again. I've got the keys to the hooptie."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith laces her fingers through his as they walk around, "I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact I actually passed. I was telling Hank I felt like I'd just finished up the Lit final and we both know how that worked out. Doesn't feel real yet."

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar grins, and nods, "I know right? It's so weird, never having to be in class again. Wait til the first time you teach. That'll blow your mind. I am mildly surprised you haven't rocked the campus." James gives you a sidelong look as he opens the door of the beat up antique ford pick-up.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith smirks, "Who'd ever let me teach anything, Jimmy? I maybe make a good example of what not to do. And what do you mean I haven't rocked the campus? I bombed no less than three conversations on the way to find you. And I tossed one off in my test after I was done."

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar laughs, and reaches across to open his own door. "Oh, is that what that was, assumed it was aftershocks." He grins. "You could teach a course or urban survival, you want to guest lecture?"

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith climbs into the truck as she grins wryly at him, "We're doing courses in modern theft techniques at Xavier's now? Or did you mean living on the streets successfully? Works better if you can make a hole in the vending machines."

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar slips into the driver's seat and starts the truck. "It's a required course all the freshman, err, first years. I teach them wilderness survival basics, take them camping, it would be nice to have an urban class or two. The idea is for situations like what just happened, if they need to run away and survive on their own. Adding an urban component would be a plus." He pulls out of the garage.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith wrinkles her nose at the thought of being responsible for anyone (not that she's never taken responsibility before mind you.) It's just not a role she really sees herself in. "I mean... I guess I could show people a few things about how to find stuff in a city. Not sure my methods really work for most people though."

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar nods, "Exactly, so what was the hardest part of the test?" He drives casually, the truck rumbling down the road with the windows down, looking just a little out place among the mansions and the ivy.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith smirks, "Writing for that long. You think taking one exam is bad? Try taking six at once." She props her feet on the dash to make it look a little more out of place.

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar shivers, "No thank you, more power to you Tabs, that is one grueling hump." He laughs as you put your feet up, grinning, "What are you going to reward yourself with?"

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith chuckles at his reaction. She rolls down the window so she can toss little plasma bombs out the window. Not at passing cars, honest! "Well I would say I was going to take a vacation, but vacationing alone is no fun and I was just gone several months anyway so disappearing again might be ... a bad idea."

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar cocks his head considering, "Yeah, but a weekend wouldn't be bad, right? Yeah, we could take a few days before school starts. I can show you the ranch. I mean now that we have a quinjet? We could leave after dinner." Jim pulls into the parking lot and parks near the back away from all the hoity-toity cars with plenty of bomb throwing room.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith drops her feet to the floor as he parks then leans across to give him a kiss. "Sure! I'd love to go see the ranch with you. Especially if it means getting to ride in the quinjet." She tosses off one last bomb for the fun of it then opens the door to jump out.

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar nods, and smiles, he walks hand and hand into the restaurant with you, "You know, having a quinjet is pretty cool. a lot more useful than I thought it would be. Being an adult is way cooler than we were told."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith smirks again, "Well you actually get treated like an adult. I'm just an overgrown kid for most people. Probably something to do with my many attitude problems." It is clear from the moment they walk in that the same waiter who was there the last time they were in is working today and that he remembers them since his face grows pale a bit upon seeing the large Apache.

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar never one to forget a face or a scent, and always one to make friends Jim snap-points at the man and leans down conspiratorially to the hostess asking for his section. He smiles at Tabs and winks conspiratorially, as they are guided to a table near the kitchen.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith winks at the waiter and finger waves as they are led to the table, "I should probably not toss bombs in the food tonight no matter how much fun it is to watch people react. Don't wanna get thrown out of my own celebration dinner."

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar snorts, and shrugs, "It's your celebration, you do you, baby girl." James pulls out your chair and lets you sit before pushing it back in and taking his own seat. Jim pulls out the menu but it's just a formality, you know what he's gonna have. "What looks good?"

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith grins at him and decides to be good anyway. She just graduated. That's supposed to make her a big girl now right? "Well gotta start with fried cheese. And I could probably live on their chicken soup and breadsticks. Soup, salad and breadsticks and some of that pasta alfredo will do me up good." Yep. She just passed. She doesn't ever have to think about how she talks again. I is a Xavier's graduate!

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar mmms and knows exactly what he wants, that salad and breadsticks, and the tours of Italy, both of them. He even orders those fancy spritzer drinks for him and Tabs, but focuses on water. They know better to bring the small bowls and Just leave Jim a serving bowl of salad. "Yes, definitely the fried cheese.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith has gone past her phase of trying to eat vegetarian. That is for the birds (though broccoli pizza still has a certain amount of appeal but that is neither here nor there as it's Olive Garden not Pizza Hut). She still packs away a fair amount of the green salad along with her soup and breadsticks. Indeed, the impression of her having lost weight is almost gone now after being back at Xavier's for a while.

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar have never been a vegetarian, he really couldn't be but he is definitely an omnivore and can manage a graze with the best of them. He hits stride after a few days of re-construction around the mansion. James has built up an appetite that lasts hours, other whole families arrive and leave while we enjoy our meal.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith finishes off her meal with the brownie lasagna because really, what lasagna is better than chocolate lasagna right? When it's finally all cleaned away, she doesn't move right away. She leans back in her seat and glances around the room until she finds someone hassling her waiter. There's always someone right? She flashes James a grin then practices her pinpoint accuracy by tossing a little one into her soup while she's giving him a hard time. A serene expression comes over her face as she silently mouths 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... The splatter of pasta e fagioli all over the woman seems to satisfy Tabby on a primal level.

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar has filled himself but he does perk up at the sounds of brownie lasagna, and has one as well. With a glass of milk. He snickers at Tabby and the woman's exasperated expression, "That is a spicy meatball."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith sits up with a contented sigh, "He has been shooting us looks for the last hour, Jimmy. You wanna give him a break and let him clear our table finally?"

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar nods, "Sure, I'll give him a nice tip too. You ready to head out or do you need to grab an overnight bag? We could hit Walmart on the way?"

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith stands up as she asks, "You mean head out for the ranch? I'd wanna grab my backpack before that. I always keep a couple extra outfits in there." Which says a lot about Tabby really.

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar smirks and nods, "Sure, then we can head out to where I stashed her. I've got my go bag in the truck." Honestly, it might say more about the lives they've chosen to lead, or who chooses this lifestyle? Anyway, the bill is settled, (The waiter actually says "Thank you.") they pile into the pickup and head back to the mansion.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith woulda had hers with her but she was too excited after the test to think about the backpack before she went to find him. It doesn't take her long to run in and pick up her bag before meeting him back at the truck. "I even threw my uniform in there in case of trouble." Not that she's gonna wear it when she's not on a mission for Xavier's but Tabby's pretending to responsibility for the moment.

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar is leaning against the pickup with his hands in his pockets. He waits for you and tilts his head as you walk up to him. He gives you a kiss and a smile, liking the new more responsible Tabby. He takes a minute with you and then moves to get in the truck. It's a 20 minute drive to where the pavement stops and then dirt roads for 10 minutes, and gravel river bed for another 15 minutes until they come to wear the Quinjet has been stashed.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith teases as they finally stop, "Nice. I was beginning to wonder if I'd mistakenly signed up for a part in a slasher flick." She hops out of the truck with backpack in tow to examine this most excellent toy.

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar says, "I mean I don't want some paper boy wandering across our girl. so I stowed it off the beaten path." He grins and shrugs, as he steps out of the truck and grabs his bag. He walks over to the bird and enters a code on a small keypad, the back door drops with a hiss, "Height of luxury, I do have to get Hank to install the autodoc.""

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith follows James into the quinjet for a look around. She gives it a little whistle, "I hafta say, an autodoc is always a nice upgrade to have if you're gonna be in a fight. Especially for those of us not built like a Mack truck."

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar smiles, "Yeah, it would, and I prefer armored car." He smiles as a slips into the pilots chair, buckling in and bringing the planes systems online. He leaves the back door open for now.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith sits in the other seat and straps in before she gives him an appraising look then nods, "Yeah. I guess you can take more punishment than a Mack at that."

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar grins and winks, "Biggest you can manage." Then he drops that humor, "That was not a challenge." Then he laughs as he lifts off and heads towards the sunset. raising up, and breaking the sound barrier over open land.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith arches both brows way up toward her hair, "You think so? I mean I wouldn't want to try but I'm not sure you know what you're saying. I'm not even sure I know what you're saying. Nobody knows how much I can manage yet."

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar smiles, "It's the cranberry spritzers talking, crazy talk... though I do have a tree stump I might want you to take a look at."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith smirks at him and declares, "No tree stump in the world can stop me."

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar laughs and pushes the little ship higher, arcing the flight and punching in the coordinates, "Okay, should be about 40 minutes."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith leans back in her seat and closes her eyes as if she's going to take a nice long nap while they get there. she doesn't manage the pretense for long though before she asks, "So how long do you figure before I can talk Sam into recommending me for full status on the X-Men now that I've graduated?"

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar snorts, "Umm, if my experience is any indication... two years, but if you go by Illyana, 6 months? You probably closer to 6 months. Just keep on them." He smiles.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith groans just a little at the notion of having to wait that long. "Okay. We'll see." She pauses, "Hnh. Now there's a thought. What am I going to do besides being one of the team to earn my keep? I don't seriously believe they are going to pay me to be a teacher and I doubt Ted Kord has my job waiting around still after how long I was gone. Professional thief isn't really an option, not that I wouldn't make a good one."

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar shrugs, "Have you considered demolition? I'm sure Damage control would have a use, probably some other outfits too."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith snaps her fingers and points at him, "I'd probably save a construction company a decent amount if I handled their building demolitions for them. I just need to..." she grimaces a little, "Just need to learn how to make sure it falls safely." Damn it. She just got OUT of classes.

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar grins and snickers, "I'm sure you can talk to Hank about that. How complicated could it be? You'd be studying something you love?" James comes over the last rise and sweeps in towards the little ranch, surrounded by unfenced land to the horizon in every direction. He moves off a few miles to the sight of a cracked and twisted ruin of a tree, "Taken out in a recent, storm, think you can take it out?" He sets the quinjet down.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith nods about Hank. Guess she'll have to keep the time bombs out of his lab a little bit longer then. When they come over the rise she smiles. "Now that's right pretty. If by take it out, you mean can I reduce it to splinters, the answer is yes. I am quite certain I can. but we don't want to be anywhere close when it goes off... Well I don't anyway. I think even you'd not feel great afterwards even if though it wouldn't do you lasting damage."

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar shrugs, as he lands the plane and drops the ramp, "I mean, I am on vacation. You want to drop the bombs from the ramp and we can pull away when you're done?

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith frowns a little, "I could do that but I'm not going to get anything still under the ground that way. Still might be the best way to start." She frowns thoughtfully again then looks over at him, "How big a hole is okay?"

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar grins, "You're the expert, well, smaller is better but it's a big tree so, I'm guessing big hole? Hey, just do your best. "

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith walks to the back of the quinjet and looks down at the tree. This sort of calculation she doesn't need any help with despite her poor performance on the math section of her recent exam. She puts her hands together and begins to draw them apart as a ball of plasma forms between them. As she works on this she notes, "We will not want the quinjet to be above this explosion so we should move off a bit after I drop it."

The end result is slightly larger than a standard basketball. Tabby leans forward slightly to make sure ti smoothly clears the jet so it can fall accurately. It ends up in the twists where the tree is cracked and she quickly leans back and grabs for the side of the jet as she says, "I set that for a minute. We should move."

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar pulls the jet up, and moves it quickly, dropping down close to the ground , he clears the edge of the valley the tree is in, and lands in the leigh of the hill, where the land will block us from the explosion. He unbuckles and comes back to join you. Waiting for the bang before making his way to the crest of the hill to see what you've accomplished.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Once again Tabby counts down the last three seconds and the boom follows perfectly, showing exactly how well she knows her booms. The massive BUWHOOM! sends little pieces of wooden shrapnel a hundred feet into the air to rain down over the miniature crater where the tree used to be and is quite easily heard where they are. The flash of the explosion is visible above the hill. She follows him up the hill after the flash and looks down into the space to comment, "See. No tree."