Newtech City, SPD HQ, Kat's Office, Wednesday Afternoon
A call echoed through the corridors of SPD Earth Headquarters: "KAT! Kat, we need to talk." Dr. Katherine Manx looked up from her work just in time to see four of Earth's most valiant defenders walk in. The girls were in the lead, and they looked--well, like they'd just had a six-hour patrol shift in the Jeep to work themselves up about something. Sky looked nervous. Ghost looked amused, but that was pretty much par for the course with Ghost.
"Kat, just so you know," Sky began, "I have no part of this, they made me come--"
"Sky," Syd said warningly, and Sky shut his mouth.
"Is there a problem, cadets?" Kat asked, leaning forward in her best 'I am here to help you and listen to your concerns' pose.
"Yeah, there's a problem," Z said. "We need to talk about the uniforms."
"I was unaware you'd had to morph today."
"What? No. Not those uniforms. These uniforms," Syd said, gesturing to herself. "The wool."
"Although I have a few things to say about our Ranger gear while I'm at it," Z put in. "I know it's not actually spandex--"
"Wait," Syd said. "It's not?"
Ghost leaned closer and said sotto voce, "I don't think spandex holds up that well in explosions, Syd."
Z charged on: "--but is it absolutely necessary for it to be so shiny and make my butt look like that?"
"I think your butt looks fine," Ghost told her cheerfully.
"Aw. You're sweet."
Sky said firmly, "You shouldn't have been looking."
"There's nothing that can be done about the Ranger uniforms, I'm afraid," Kat said before the conversation devolved any further. "It's been tried. If they were any less form-fitting some of the protective elements would be lost, plus there would be excess fabric for an opponent to grab, and the shininess is a natural product of the material. It's made stealth a problem." She smiled at the Red Ranger. "That's why we have Ghost." Ghost beamed back at her. "But what was your original concern?"
"It's eighty-five degrees out there," Z said. "And we're running around in wool. Long-sleeved, long-legged wool. We are dying."
"You seem to be in fine health to me." Kat seemed highly amused. It only annoyed them further.
"So far! It'll be June soon. And then July. And someone will get a rash, and it won't be pleasant, Kat."
Kat ignored that. "And the uniforms aren't wool, they're a specialized polymer developed on Triforia."
"Oh, my God," Syd said, sounding absolutely horrified. "You mean I've been wearing synthetics?"
"They're very sturdy."
"They don't breathe."
Syd. "Seriously, Kat, that's just asking for a horrible rash."
"Can we not get a summer uniform up in here?" Z pleaded. "Short sleeves! Natural fibers! That aren't wool," she added quickly. "That are cotton."
"Need I remind you your commanding officer is a reptile?"
"We'll get him a heat lamp," Ghost piped up.
"You're not helping," Z told him. "And this?" She grabbed the edge of the flap of fabric across the front of her uniform. "This little skirty bit? What is up with this? It does nothing. I can almost understand having us in skirts in the dress uniform--"
"Even if the length is unflattering and it's kind of sexist."
"--yes, that, thank you, Syd, but this is silly. We're already wearing pants."
"Different cultures have different standards of modesty, which we must respect--"
"But it does nothing!"
"Cadets!" Kat sighed. "I will see what I can do. Okay? Now get out of my office before my headache gets any worse. I know some of you still have training today."
And, grumbling, they went.
Everyone denied accountability for the heat lamp designed for terrariums that appeared on Cruger's desk later that day, but Kat had her suspects.
"Kat, just so you know," Sky began, "I have no part of this, they made me come--"
"Sky," Syd said warningly, and Sky shut his mouth.
"Is there a problem, cadets?" Kat asked, leaning forward in her best 'I am here to help you and listen to your concerns' pose.
"Yeah, there's a problem," Z said. "We need to talk about the uniforms."
"I was unaware you'd had to morph today."
"What? No. Not those uniforms. These uniforms," Syd said, gesturing to herself. "The wool."
"Although I have a few things to say about our Ranger gear while I'm at it," Z put in. "I know it's not actually spandex--"
"Wait," Syd said. "It's not?"
Ghost leaned closer and said sotto voce, "I don't think spandex holds up that well in explosions, Syd."
Z charged on: "--but is it absolutely necessary for it to be so shiny and make my butt look like that?"
"I think your butt looks fine," Ghost told her cheerfully.
"Aw. You're sweet."
Sky said firmly, "You shouldn't have been looking."
"There's nothing that can be done about the Ranger uniforms, I'm afraid," Kat said before the conversation devolved any further. "It's been tried. If they were any less form-fitting some of the protective elements would be lost, plus there would be excess fabric for an opponent to grab, and the shininess is a natural product of the material. It's made stealth a problem." She smiled at the Red Ranger. "That's why we have Ghost." Ghost beamed back at her. "But what was your original concern?"
"It's eighty-five degrees out there," Z said. "And we're running around in wool. Long-sleeved, long-legged wool. We are dying."
"You seem to be in fine health to me." Kat seemed highly amused. It only annoyed them further.
"So far! It'll be June soon. And then July. And someone will get a rash, and it won't be pleasant, Kat."
Kat ignored that. "And the uniforms aren't wool, they're a specialized polymer developed on Triforia."
"Oh, my God," Syd said, sounding absolutely horrified. "You mean I've been wearing synthetics?"
"They're very sturdy."
"They don't breathe."
Syd. "Seriously, Kat, that's just asking for a horrible rash."
"Can we not get a summer uniform up in here?" Z pleaded. "Short sleeves! Natural fibers! That aren't wool," she added quickly. "That are cotton."
"Need I remind you your commanding officer is a reptile?"
"We'll get him a heat lamp," Ghost piped up.
"You're not helping," Z told him. "And this?" She grabbed the edge of the flap of fabric across the front of her uniform. "This little skirty bit? What is up with this? It does nothing. I can almost understand having us in skirts in the dress uniform--"
"Even if the length is unflattering and it's kind of sexist."
"--yes, that, thank you, Syd, but this is silly. We're already wearing pants."
"Different cultures have different standards of modesty, which we must respect--"
"But it does nothing!"
"Cadets!" Kat sighed. "I will see what I can do. Okay? Now get out of my office before my headache gets any worse. I know some of you still have training today."
And, grumbling, they went.
Everyone denied accountability for the heat lamp designed for terrariums that appeared on Cruger's desk later that day, but Kat had her suspects.