( you know. because of those sounds. but julian's grinning again and leaning back in his seat, hands off the controller. he selects the moo moo farm, because it's. well. one of the easier tracks, and gets them through to the beginning of the race.
( Julian sits back but Nate remains as he is with his one knee pulled up and arm draped across it, controller dangling there at an angle while blue eyes remain fixed on the screen. He's not sure what to expect with all this and sure, he could take that peek in Julian's head to get an idea, but. There's something a little more... fun? exciting? about doing it this way. Either way, he's completely focused on everything happening on the screen even as they wait for the race to start, eyeing the cows and everything that comes with the track. He even chuckles a little to himself, albeit softly. Clearly the reaction of someone who isn't used to these sorts of things.
When the countdown finally goes and the race starts, he drops his gaze down to the controller for a moment and presses the buttons he'd been told about to start his car up, watching with his mouth slowly opening as Yoshi begins to drive and he... laughs. Never mind he's sort of going all over the place. This is just... surreal to him. )
( yeah, he sucks at this. but that's fine, sometimes playing isn't about being good at something, but just enjoying it along the way. which nate seems to be doing just fine with, considering his response to his driver starting up.
julian's steering princess peach around, but he's not really going as fast or as hard as he could be. not when his focus is mainly on nate. )
See? It's just - mindless fun. Competition without the death or dismemberment if you fuck up and lose.
( The weight of so much on their shoulders. Especially when it comes to the well-being of themselves and others.
He drives Yoshi around a little - goes off the track and almost hits a cow - before he finds his way back to the track and approaches a row of cubes with a question mark on them; he doesn’t even care what place he’s in currently, driving towards the cubes. )
Those're the items you can toss at people. Don't hit the bananas, they'll throw you off. Or the moles. Or other cars, if you can help it.
( nate doesn't care what place he's in, but princess peach is maintaining first place as she drifts around corners and hits the floating squares. he doesn't bother using the turtle shell yet. mostly because he's already in first, and there's no one to toss it at. yet.
julian's carried a shitton on his shoulders for the last half a decade or so. carried the weight of every loss while trying to keep his head held high. it's not easy, it never has been. but that's part of being a mutant, isn't it? carrying more than they should have to hold, and getting stronger because of it. )
( Items to toss at people… right. Because it’s a race and all, he almost forgot.
Plowing through one of the cubes, he drives his car down the track to catch up to the other drivers and watches as a red shell pops up above him. Unsure with what it is, he fires it off with a click of the button and blinks when it knocks a driver over in front of him, Yoshi driving past. Chuckle soft on his lips, blue eyes keep fixed on the screen save for the fleeting glance he gives Julian there beside him. )
Pretty much. It's this, or the Danger Room. ( with a loose lift of his shoulders. here? there's not much else to do, is there? he could piss off quire more, but that'd be more of a pain than it's worth. )
Not a lot of people around who're into sports, so most the crap I get into is whatever I can do solo.
( Eyes still on the screen, he steers Yoshi around the track, passing another car or two as he does. )
I’m trying to work on having better control of my powers. ( Another turn down the track. ) It’s what I was doing before I came here to see you. I was building psychic constructs and seeing if I could control them while also not.
( Making his car hop, he begins to gain on Julian and princess peach. )
If you want to fight them sometime, I wouldn’t say no to the company.
( it's not like he has any reason to not want to wrangle some psionic constructs. julian's still driving princess peach around, but aside from trying to make sure none of the ais get in front of him, he's not being extra about it any. )
I'm no telepath or anything, but I've got a crapton of fine control over my TK. If you want pointers, or someone to spar with.
( This game of Mario Kart between them gives him another idea concerning psionic constructs, but. He'll keep that to himself for now. A little more fun for him that way. Hopping his car to make a bit of a sharp turn around a wide curve of the track, he smiles some as he glances over to Julian for a moment. )
Whenever you're free, I'm up for it.
( Not that... there's much to do here anyways. Well. Aside from when they get pulled into missions and all, but. That's a given. )
See, told you that you'd figure it out just fine on your own.
( welcome to mario kart, hope you're ready to get your ass kicked.
by which he means, the playing nice and letting nate get used to the game is over now that he's adjusted to it alright. julian holds down the a button, drifting around a corner swiftly and quickly racing his way to the finish line. )
( Blink of those blue eyes, he laughs a little as Julian starts to ramp up the competitiveness and hurries his car along after the other mutant. He hops and drifts when need be, keeping close to the inside of the track and can’t help but lean forward some there on the couch, arms draped across his legs, focused on the screen. )
You take this pretty seriously, huh?
( He won’t beat Julian, but he also won’t come in last. Second or third is looking to be his spot. )
( but this isn't santo, quire, foley, or anyone else who julian would be immediately jumping into needing to win or death with. he just. you know. wants to win. they're approaching the finish line; it's not a difficult level at all, which is why he'd picked it. )
And this's pretty low stakes, in comparison to everything else.
( Julian will take the win for this but he's fine with it. Getting a feel for the game and how it's played was mainly what he'd been looking for and he'd gotten that, so. In the future? Julian better watch out.
A huff, he glances over to the other mutant for a moment. )
( Setting his own controller down, he pulls a leg up onto the couch — drapes his arm over it as he looks to Julian there beside him before he drops his gaze down in thought. )
Yeah. I'm beginning to see that.
( Maybe they're not talking about the same thing, but. Close enough, really. )
Not really. ( He offers him a quiet smile — a shrug of a shoulder to come after. ) What about you? What isn't so simple for you? Being around everyone like this?
( not really gets him a roll of julian's eyes, even if he tries to be subtle about it. tries. well - tries a little. )
There's a lot of crap that isn't simple. I'll make you a deal - you tell me, or show me something that's fucking you up, and I'll unload some of mine on you in exchange.
I don't like to ( a hand raises, metal fingers shoving through the black hair just above his temple. ) bitch about my personal crap when there's a lot of other things to worry over.
( the answer comes quick. there's no hesitance to it, because it's not something julian has ever needed to consider. )
I'm not an idiot. I know that sharing the weight makes it less heavy, and I do, but someone has to stand at the front of the pack. Someone has to keep their head together when everything else is falling apart. And I'm good at it. Always have been. Quire can't lead, Sophie doesn't want to. Foley's always been a follower. Laura's a kid. Summers barely knows who he is, let alone the rest of us. You think it should be on any of them?
Nothing. From what I've gathered from you all, having some alternate and younger version of your so-called father here with you is apparently normal for people like us.
( It's not for him. So much of everything is Not Normal. )
Honestly? I'd only consider it normal for your lot, not mine. I've never found alternate versions of my dad which. He's not a mutant, but you know.
( really, this feels like more of a summers-grey family issue than anything else. like this is normal for them, whereas it isn't for the rest of the world. )
Like, we had the OG team running around back home for a while when they were still young because Beast was stupid and thought time travel would solve all of his problems. It never does.
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( you know. because of those sounds. but julian's grinning again and leaning back in his seat, hands off the controller. he selects the moo moo farm, because it's. well. one of the easier tracks, and gets them through to the beginning of the race.
or at least to the countdown. )
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When the countdown finally goes and the race starts, he drops his gaze down to the controller for a moment and presses the buttons he'd been told about to start his car up, watching with his mouth slowly opening as Yoshi begins to drive and he... laughs. Never mind he's sort of going all over the place. This is just... surreal to him. )
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julian's steering princess peach around, but he's not really going as fast or as hard as he could be. not when his focus is mainly on nate. )
See? It's just - mindless fun. Competition without the death or dismemberment if you fuck up and lose.
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( The weight of so much on their shoulders. Especially when it comes to the well-being of themselves and others.
He drives Yoshi around a little - goes off the track and almost hits a cow - before he finds his way back to the track and approaches a row of cubes with a question mark on them; he doesn’t even care what place he’s in currently, driving towards the cubes. )
What are these? Do I go through them?
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( nate doesn't care what place he's in, but princess peach is maintaining first place as she drifts around corners and hits the floating squares. he doesn't bother using the turtle shell yet. mostly because he's already in first, and there's no one to toss it at. yet.
julian's carried a shitton on his shoulders for the last half a decade or so. carried the weight of every loss while trying to keep his head held high. it's not easy, it never has been. but that's part of being a mutant, isn't it? carrying more than they should have to hold, and getting stronger because of it. )
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Plowing through one of the cubes, he drives his car down the track to catch up to the other drivers and watches as a red shell pops up above him. Unsure with what it is, he fires it off with a click of the button and blinks when it knocks a driver over in front of him, Yoshi driving past. Chuckle soft on his lips, blue eyes keep fixed on the screen save for the fleeting glance he gives Julian there beside him. )
Is this what you do to unwind?
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Not a lot of people around who're into sports, so most the crap I get into is whatever I can do solo.
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I’m trying to work on having better control of my powers. ( Another turn down the track. ) It’s what I was doing before I came here to see you. I was building psychic constructs and seeing if I could control them while also not.
( Making his car hop, he begins to gain on Julian and princess peach. )
If you want to fight them sometime, I wouldn’t say no to the company.
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( it's not like he has any reason to not want to wrangle some psionic constructs. julian's still driving princess peach around, but aside from trying to make sure none of the ais get in front of him, he's not being extra about it any. )
I'm no telepath or anything, but I've got a crapton of fine control over my TK. If you want pointers, or someone to spar with.
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Whenever you're free, I'm up for it.
( Not that... there's much to do here anyways. Well. Aside from when they get pulled into missions and all, but. That's a given. )
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( welcome to mario kart, hope you're ready to get your ass kicked.
by which he means, the playing nice and letting nate get used to the game is over now that he's adjusted to it alright. julian holds down the a button, drifting around a corner swiftly and quickly racing his way to the finish line. )
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You take this pretty seriously, huh?
( He won’t beat Julian, but he also won’t come in last. Second or third is looking to be his spot. )
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( but this isn't santo, quire, foley, or anyone else who julian would be immediately jumping into needing to win or death with. he just. you know. wants to win. they're approaching the finish line; it's not a difficult level at all, which is why he'd picked it. )
And this's pretty low stakes, in comparison to everything else.
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A huff, he glances over to the other mutant for a moment. )
You didn't think that camp was low stakes?
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( with a brow raised, as he puts down the controller for a moment. )
Nothing here really feels all that simple.
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Yeah. I'm beginning to see that.
( Maybe they're not talking about the same thing, but. Close enough, really. )
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You want to talk about it?
( well. he did agree nate is one of his now. )
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Not really. ( He offers him a quiet smile — a shrug of a shoulder to come after. ) What about you? What isn't so simple for you? Being around everyone like this?
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There's a lot of crap that isn't simple. I'll make you a deal - you tell me, or show me something that's fucking you up, and I'll unload some of mine on you in exchange.
I don't like to ( a hand raises, metal fingers shoving through the black hair just above his temple. ) bitch about my personal crap when there's a lot of other things to worry over.
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Why do you do that?
( He tilts his head then. )
Shoulder everything yourself?
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( the answer comes quick. there's no hesitance to it, because it's not something julian has ever needed to consider. )
I'm not an idiot. I know that sharing the weight makes it less heavy, and I do, but someone has to stand at the front of the pack. Someone has to keep their head together when everything else is falling apart. And I'm good at it. Always have been. Quire can't lead, Sophie doesn't want to. Foley's always been a follower. Laura's a kid. Summers barely knows who he is, let alone the rest of us. You think it should be on any of them?
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But who keeps your head together when it falls apart?
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( it's not like the answer to that is a secret at all; it'd be easy to answer, but something's bothering nate, so. )
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( It's not for him. So much of everything is Not Normal. )
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( really, this feels like more of a summers-grey family issue than anything else. like this is normal for them, whereas it isn't for the rest of the world. )
Like, we had the OG team running around back home for a while when they were still young because Beast was stupid and thought time travel would solve all of his problems. It never does.
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