Negotiations (RP for tm_laurakinney)
Jean's conversation with Scott and Emma about the possibility of re-launching some X-men teams had gone surprisingly well. They hadn't found many areas of disagreement, but Scott and Emma had both balked when she suggested Laura Kinney -- the girl sometimes called X-23. Since the others weren't generally being difficult -- and since they knew
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But even on nice days teachers did not play basketball badly. They might actually be bad at it, but they did not play. Unless the men were pretending they liked each other, and the whole downwind side of the court would stink of aggression until Laura had to leave. Before she hurt someone.
But Ms. Grey, Jean, was there now. She was not good at all. Missing free-throws. Laura ducked her head and kept walking.
Logan likes her a lot.
Her steps slowed. Laura veered a little, a long, slow, arcing path around the court. Keeping Jean in sight in her peripheral vision. Jean made a jump shot and smiled as she retrieved the ball. Laura walked a little closer.
Logan likes her.
Laura knelt on the side of the court and adjusted her shoelaces. She'd been dressed for running anyway. Basketball was like running. Yes.
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The girl's reaction was encouraging, though a bit unnerving at the same time. It made her think of the way Logan had been the night before, just watching her. Watching and reacting, until Jean had pretty much been forced to throw herself at him. Not that she though Laura was attracted to her. Jean knew enough about the girl's background to be pretty sure that if she was interested in sex, she wouldn't be shy about it.
It was just that Laura's way of approaching an uncertain situation reminded Jean disconcertingly of him. She would come close, but she wouldn't make the final move unless she was pressed.
So the next time the ball fell, Jean gave it a subtle mental nudge to roll in Laura's direction. As the ball approached the girl's feet, Jean moved more slowly behind it.
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"You're short enough you have to jump better. Higher, with the thighs." Laura kicked the ball lightly back to Ms. Grey. She crouched low and jumped, straight up. Her body uncurled from its crouch as she did so, arms extending high and forward in mimicry. Her foot hit the ground with an almost inaudible thump.
"Like that." Laura looked at the clouds out off to the south. "Get Logan to show you sometime."
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"Thank you, Laura," she said, with a smile. Up close, the girl really was tiny. No less formidable for that, though she was sure. "Did Logan teach you to play?" Jean asked. "I bet you're a good point guard."
Jean knew the words for talking about sports, if not much beyond that. She knew point guards were the chief strategists, and also that they were fast and usually on the short side. Scott had always bitched about having to play forward because of his height, when clearly he was the guy who should be designing the plays. Pickup ball in the yards; like anybody ran damn plays.
Jean smiled at the memory, and tossed the ball to Laura. "Can you show me?"
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