Issue 1 Downtime

Haley knocked on the door to Ryan's office with a small package in her hands. She looked like she'd gone out of her way to doll herself up, makeup applied carefully, her hair immaculate and what seemed to be a brand new outfit on.

"Just a second!" Ryan closed up the file he was going over, then got up, walking over to his door. All two steps of the way from his chair. God, this is a small office... He looked out, then down at Haley and smiled, rather practicedly not showing any of the 'oh shit' feelings he was having at the developing situation.

"Hi Ryan!" she beamed. "I made you some cookies!"

((Sorry--fell asleep clutching my phone mid-post last night))

Ryan smiled at her. "Funny, I don't remember any upcoming evaluations you want a good mark on," he joked, then moved aside so she could come in.

((It's alllll good, man. It was way late.))

Haley giggled and came into the office, squeezing in past Ryan. "Wow. You and Stephanie weren't kidding about small offices."

"I get this feeling it's to keep me in the Danger Room where I can do real work," Ryan chuckled. "That or they just needed things to do with some closets."

Haley giggled flirtatiously as she sat in the small chair on the other side of his desk. Of course she wore a low cut shirt (not that, much to her chagrin, she had much to flaunt)

"So. What'd ya think of my performance in the capture the flag game, huh?"

"Well, you won, didn't you?" Ryan joked, leaning back against his desk in kind of a half-sit. "You thought on your feet, adapted even outside your comfort zone or proficiency. Good teamwork. I'm not going to lie, you've still got a lot of refining to do with your control, but you still held up with everyone else. It was impressive." He smirked. "By the time you can be an X-Lady, you're probably going to make the bad guys pee themselves just by showing up."

Haley beamed. "Really?! That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about! That mission you sent us on the other day was awesome. And...so like, I really want to like. Work towards that. Being an X-man."

"Well," he said, looking at her intently, "Do you remember what we talked about in class? About your control and your power output?"

"I've been practicing with those things you gave me every day! It's how I was able to make it through that entire game even though I floated up and down the entire lighthouse, and hid me and Brigid, and jumped like crazy far and I didn't get a headache or a nosebleed or ANYTHING," she exclaimed proudly.

Ryan smiled at that. It was always good when a student listened. He very subtly reached behind him. "All right. Then in that case, catch." That was all the warning he gave before he tossed the handful of paperclips at her.

Haley jumped a bit, but quickly narrowed her eyes and the paper clips slowed, Matrix-style, to a stop in front of her.

Well. Most of them. About a dozen of the original handful were now stuck in her hair.

Ryan couldn't help smirking a little at that, but he turned his attention toward the ones she had caught. Specifically, checking to see how hard she'd caught them, how bent up they were, things like that. He also checked to see if she was holding each one in an individual hold and used his power to see how her energy output was.

Many of them were pretty bent, but they weren't mangled, and given what some of the readings in the Danger Room indicated she was likely capable of, she'd exercised considerable restraint.

For the sake of Ryan and his office, this was good--those paper clips could sting if they went off like a frag grenade.

As for her fine control, they clips seemed to be held in kinda rough groups, rather than individually or as an entire group.

She looked overly proud of herself.

Ryan did look suitably impressed. "You're doing a lot better. That would probably be a good exercise for you, too. Toss them, catch them, try to do it without bending anything."

"I'm going to admit, the effort you're putting in this year is impressive. You did well last year, but I can tell you're putting your all into it this year."

"Oooh that's a good idea. I will!"

She smiled at Ryan, "you really mean it though? That I'm getting a lot better?"

"Well, like you said, you did all of that without a headache or a nosebleed, right?"

"Yeah," she beamed proudly. "Wasn't even that tired physically either! I run 3 or 4 times a week with professor Sackville."

"So exactly. You're getting better. Keep that up and we can start working on your flying more."

"Really, you mean it?" she grinned. "You're the best!" she stood up and hugged him tightly.

He chuckled, hugging her back. "Well, when you seem to want it this badly, am I going to stand in your way?"

That's not all I want... she thought to herself (quietly, thankfully).

"You're the best," she grinned, finally releasing him. "I hope the cookies are good."

"I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have brought them if you hadn't already checked to make sure," he teased.

"Well. I think they're pretty damn good. But what if you hate cookies, or hate chocolate."

"Or hate life?" Ryan added in, giving her a 'who hates cookies?' sort of look.

Haley giggled "well you never know. I mean. Maybe you only eat kale and quinoa or some shit.

"I've only dated hippies, I never drank the Kool-Ade."

But has he dated a real southern woman...

Haley giggled, "good. I can't picture you hugging a tree and having a really shaggy beard."

"Nah," he said, grinning. "What you see is what you get. Can't grow a beard to save my life."

"Beards are scratchy anyway," she nodded, grimacing. "I think your girlfriend wouldn't like it very much even if you could," she added after s beat.

"Possible," he admitted. "I'd ask her, but since I don't want to grow one..." He shrugged. "Not much point, right?"

"So you *do* have a girlfriend. You and Stephanie are totally dating aren't you," she grinned.

Ryan smirked. "Okay, NOW we're getting into subjects that aren't for my students," he said, gently putting the subject aside.

Haley smirked, "If you two aren't, then I dunno why you aren't, because the tension some days in class is ridiculous, and that's totes not me snooping with my powers. But I'll shut up."

And also, I'm totally a better option anyway. My mom's like 8 years younger than my dad so it's totally not weird liking older guys she thought to herself.