Where Devils Cheer to Tread (Open to all X-Peeps)

[guardian_devil]

There was always a feeling of warmth and camaraderie that exuded from the Xavier Institute. It wasn't that it felt like home, because home was with her dad, who was probably the most awesome dad in the history of dadhood, but the Institute - and the mansion that housed it - always felt like a warm, safe place for Margaret Jacqueline Murdock. Possibly because that's where she'd spent her summers, learning to hone her mutant powers, and making friends who could understand what it was that she was going through.

Though she didn't visit the school much during the school year - Mags attended a boarding school up in Connecticut - she sometimes tried to stop by for a day or so during their week-long spring break. often spending the others with her father, usually operating as Daredevil's trusty sidekick, Acrobat.

Once the gates let her in, she parked her barely-used yellow Vespa and skipped up the steps to the Institute, a friendly smile gracing her pretty features. She wasn't sure if any of the X-Men were around, or if there was trouble brewing somewhere, but given that her dad was busy with some case or another, Mags had decided to pay them a visit. After all, when he got involved in a case that had nothing to do with being Daredevil, there was every chance that he wasn't liable to suit up for an adventure, and Mags still wasn't allowed to go out in costume on her own.

And so here she was, ringing the doorbell.

Comments

[fourshelled]

"When you aim at the rat, beware the vase," Aramis commented in between bites of his sandwich. He chewed carefully, mostly because he doubted these two were used to eating around a turtle who did not have much in the way of lips.

"Chairs for turtles are called stools, but I prefer a nice rock in the sun."

[kinetic_assault]

"I get that. My parents are X-Men and I spent time around her for awhile before we went to England." Brianna said to Mags, taking a bite of her sandwich. She really enjoyed it and kept eating as Aramis spoke.

"Then I will talk to the instructors about stools for you." Brianna said, nodding to Aramis.

"How is Connecticut? I've never been."

[guardian_devil]

"Oh, cool! So you're sort of like a legacy kid." A lot of the X-kids were, really. Maybe not half of the school's population, but a good chunk thereof.

"Connecticut is pretty? It's a lot quieter than New York though, but I think it makes for a good academic environment, so I like that, you know?" She was an avid student and fond of learning.

She turned her attention to Aramis and nodded. "I'm surprised that they still haven't rebuilt the outside eating area after that one incident," she said. "But sunning on a rock actually sounds really relaxing."

[fourshelled]

Aramis finished up his food and tilted his head. His eyes narrowed slightly and grabbed his staff. He shook slightly.

"Bamboo will not break in the wind."

[kinetic_assault]

"Yes. They used to tell me all about their time with the X-Men. Those days, though dangerous, sounded like a damn good time." she said.

Both of her parents came from...unconventional backgrounds, so to speak, and Brianna's upbringing was also very unconventional.

She nodded at the info on Connecticut and resolved that she would see it at some point. It sounded like a nice place.

"What incident was that?" Brianna asked in reference to what Mags and Aramis were discussing.

[guardian_devil]

Mags knew - and understood - all about unconventional, given her own upbringing, and the identity of her father.

"There've been a few over the years, to be honest," Mags confirmed. The Xavier Institute seemed to go through its own destruction and reconstruction every few months, it had seemed once.

"I'm sure that once the staff realizes that things have gotten safer they'll work on fixing it up again."

Then, to Aramis, she added, "Hey, are you alright? I honestly didn't mean to offend you, so if I did, I'm sorry."

[fourshelled]

Aramis held up a finger, which wasn't hard since he only had three per hand. He coughed, straightened up as much as he could, and then let a sigh out.

As the air blew past his lips, he started to change. His scales changed from green to dark brown. His robes shrunk down to a simple pair of pants; his hat melted down his head to pool around his neck and solid prayer bead necklace. The set of prayer beads on Aramis' arm melded into his skin and became one with his body. The bracers on his arms turned into wooden bracelets. The staff in his hand turned into a pair of nunchaku. The sash around his midsection turned from purple to yellow.

As the red dot in the middle of his forehead, Porthos blinked at the two girls sitting at the table with him.

"Whoooaa."

[kinetic_assault]

"Bloody hell..." Brianna said in shock as Aramis changed. She remembered Pete saying that there were four turtles and she'd been curious about how and when the changes occurred, but to see it happen was nothing short of astonishing.

"Okay, so...which one are you?" she asked.

[guardian_devil]

"Duuuuude." Mags grinned as the change took place. She'd never seen it happen, and she was a little surprised. And a little excited. "Brianna," she then said. "Meet Porthos."

[fourshelled]

Porthos grinned as he stuffed his nunchaku into his sash. He held up his hand with his thumb and third finger out.

"Aloha, wahine. How are you most righteous ladies?"

[kinetic_assault]

"Well, hello Porthos. I'm feeling excellent. How about you?" Brianna asked. She couldn't believe this. This guy sounded somewhat human, if a little bit like those California boys she'd heard of in the past.

[guardian_devil]

"Mostly righteous is what we are," Mags nodded. She looked down at the half-eaten sandwich on his plate and looked back at Porthos. Okay, so their personalities and looks changed.

But did their appetites?

"Are you going to need a sandwich of your own?"

[fourshelled]

The turtle looked down at the empty plate in front of him. He patted his belly.

"Nah. I'm full up. Bummer. Came in at the end of gnosh." He idly scratched his chest shell. "Grub good?"

[kinetic_assault]

"The 'grub' is certainly good." Brianna said with a smile.

"How has your day been?"

[guardian_devil]

Mags looked at the turtle expectantly. The question was posed to him, right?

[fourshelled]

Porthos poked his chin with a finger as he contemplated the answer. He took a deep sniff and got the last remnants of the smell of their gnoshed grub.

"Shibby," he answered decisively. He paused because he had to figure what else to say. These girls looked a little expectant of an info drop. "Didn't have to go aggro to get out. Came out in my best baggies. Get to go around and chillax. It's all goo-ood."

[kinetic_assault]

Three of the four turtles met and not a bloody one of them can speak the Queen's English, it seems. Brianna thought to herself. Still, she could understand the general meaning behind Porthos' speech without much difficulty. It was almost as if they became easier to understand.

Still, she wondered how Pete dealt with not being in full control of himself.

"Mags, do you know what it means to chillax? I think it means to relax or chill but I'm a bit daft when it comes to certain slang terms." Brianna said bashfully.

[guardian_devil]

"It's a portmanteau of chill and relax," Mags confirmed. She was still astonished by the capacity for five different personalities to exist within one body. She wondered how that worked, and how each personality dealt with the other's existence.

Things to learn another day, she supposed.

"Do you surf, Porthos?"

[fourshelled]

"Shyeah, but zero pucker factor on the waves in the cove here. My stick would be just a floatie. Also, don't want to change into a Porthocicle until the weather gets better." He nodded slowly. He knew he was going to be inside the mansion for like another month. His reptilian metabolism did not like chilly weather.

"Just ease into it, grom," he advised Brianna. "Settle back and let the lingo come to you."

[kinetic_assault]

"I've never been surfing. It looks tough to do but I want to try it just to say I did." Brianna said.

When Porthos addressed her, she smiled a little and nodded. Settle back and let the lingo come to her. She could do that....right after she bought a book on surfer-speak for next time.

[guardian_devil]

"I'm an East Coast girl," Mags said. "Surfing's always seemed to be a West Coast/Hawaiian thing to me. Skiiing and surfboarding, on the other hand? All kinds of fun." Granted, she always gave herself a little telekinetic boost while doing those activities to maintain balance.

[fourshelled]

"Au contraire, mon... wahine." He was butchering two languages, but didn't seem to care. He held up a finger.

"There are at least ten good places to shralp on the east coast." His finger started to move down like it was following a map. "Rye On The Rocks, NH; Ruggles and Point Judith, RI; Montauk, NY; Manasquan Inlet, NJ; Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and S Turns, NC; Folly Beach Washout, SC; and finally Sebastian Inlet and Reef Road, Flo-ree-duh."

[kinetic_assault]

"I have to admit, learning to surf sounds like fun. I wonder if the instructors can be talked into it. Seeing Rose and Kayla surfing would be a good show." Brianna said to Mags, chuckling.

"Would you be willing to come and hang ten with us, Porthos?" Brianna asked.

[guardian_devil]

"You know, given proper permission, I don't see why the Danger Room couldn't help us out with some surfing practice," Mags suggested. "I mean, it can simulate anything, right? It doesn't need to be all villainous, stabbity-doom danger all the time."

[fourshelled]

"Shyeah. Shreddin' is one of life's greatest rides," he answered Brianna as he hopped up on his chair and made like he's surfing it.

He tilted it back a bit like he was surfing up an invisible wave. "DR's warmer than the big chill, for sure. And with my surfology programmed in, it'd be killer."