[OP: "Caffeine"-- Jeff and Casey Williams. Where my RWBY peeps at?]

Shine and Wally were serious about having a game night, apparently. They thought everyone needed to relax.

However much some of the team thought this was a waste of time when they had real problems to solve, the others were okay with it, and the kids were into the idea.

They used the living room and foyer to put chairs and some extra tables up for everyone, like an old fashioned bridge party.

Something was rotten in the State of Denmark, as Hank would say it, though. There was some obvious tension between some people still.

Morph had not been able to get Mystique to talk to him since their short argument...which was feeling more like a fight now--and it baffled him.

Mystique giving someone the cold shoulder seemed somehow unlike her. Normally she didn't take anything that seriously...they thought.

Morph still couldn't figure out what had gone wrong anyway, but he hated having people mad at him, made him jumpy.

He asked Shine about it, figuring she knew Mystique best.

Shine listened to his account, and then she said, "I'm not sure I can fix this one with just advice, Morph."

"Why not?" Morph said.

"It's complicated," Shine said. "And I can't go into it all. But there's one thing--this thing with her and Emma has to stop."

"It is getting pretty bad," Morph said. "But I just don't get why they feel like they have to fight. No one else does."

"Women compete with each other kind of nastily sometimes," Shine said thoughtfully. "We shouldn't, but we can be very mean about it. I think most men would be crushed if any woman said to them even one of the many things we'll say to each other when we're even a little in competition."

"Really?" Morph said. "I don't think it's really that bad."

Shine raised an eyebrow. "Ever had a girl make fun of you for both not knowing what cussing is, and for knowing what is is two minutes later?"

"Uh...no, that wouldn't make any sense," Morph said.

Shine smiled vaguely. "Happened to me."

"You're kidding," Morph said.

"I wish I could say that's the worst minds games women play with each other," Shine said. "We're not consistent--we just search for the weak spot and hit it as hard as we can. Men try to make each other back off. Women try to make sure the other girl will never come back, period."

"Well, that's awful," Morph said. 

"Something goes very wrong with us," Shine said. "It is awful. Some of us can shake it off, but others don't, and it's lasting. I think this fighting is more of a problem than the rest of us thought, from what you said. But neither of them will just give it up because we said to, and Emma can read minds--they could fight non verbally if they really wanted to."

"So...what will you do?" Morph said.

"I'm not sure," Shine said. "Even I can't soothe this kind of situation that easily. I'm not sure anyone can, even Paul the Apostle... But, on the plus side, sometimes this stuff dies out on its own. The only thing I can tell you is that if you get involved in it, you'll just get dragged down with them. And one or both of them will think you're taking the other's side."

"But why should I have to take a side? It's stupid to fight like this," Morph said. "And immature."

"Yes, well, maybe you haven't considered that this may be the most either of them has matured thus far," Shine said. "Not many villainesses I know have female friends, kind of because they tend to be catty man-eaters or else just psychotic, and that's not the best foundation for female friendship. Most people become childish if it's in an area they've never had to deal with before. Don't you?"

"Uh...maybe. So you're saying not to try to help," Morph said.

"Nope," Shine said. "A man trying to help always makes it worse. If I were you, I'd stay completely out of it. Be friends with both of them, but refuse to take a side. And never, ever agree with either of them about the other to their face. You are completely neutral here, you understand?"

"I guess that makes sense," Morph said. "I thought it was just a misunderstanding, but I guess not."

"No, the understanding is there," Shine said. "That's the problem. Also, you probably should apologize to Raven."

"Why? All I did was try to say this is a waste of time," Morph said.

"Okay..." Shine put her hands together. "I don't know how to say this gently... To someone like her--even like me, even now--if you say that, we feel like two things: One, like you're blaming us for a problem that we already feel like is out of our control, and two, like we're already failing at handling it."

"But...uh...how is fighting with someone handling it?"

"Remember what I told her?" Shine said. 

"Yeah, you encouraged this. I remember," Morph said. "A little counterproductive, isn't it?"

"It is, but I had to let her know I understand why she didn't care for it," Shine said. "And I was on her side. She knows how I would feel about fighting, but she's going to do this her way, and I can't talk her out of it. I tacitly agreed not to fight with her also. That's all you can do. Sure, it's ridiculous, but sometimes we are ridiculous. We'll just double down if you say it's a bad idea."

"But it's so mean," Morph said. "I never like team members to be fighting. It's sad."

"And you try to help," Shine said. "Like Wally. It's just not something you can just talk people out of. On the other hand, if they want to talk about it, listening might be the most helpful thing to do."

"Oh, yeah, girls always want you to listen," Morph said. "At least...that's what I've heard."

"You've never had a girlfriend, have you?" Shine said, amused.

"Nope," Morph said. "But don't tell anyone that."

"Sure, but...uh, okay, let me tell you something about women," Shine said carefully. "The listening thing? It's true. I can't tell you how few men I know get this. Wally actually picked it up fast. I told him, if I'm explaining a problem I'm having, I'm not asking for you to solve it, I'm asking for you to affirm that I'm handling it right. As soon as you give a suggestion, that feels like you discount what I'm doing to handle it."

"Really?" Morph said.

"I really think men have this same thing," Shine said. "Yes, maybe it would help, but we have our own ways we like to do things also. Just like you do. And just like you guys like us to just appreciate your helping at all, we like you to appreciate we can handle things our way. If we really are having doubts, we'd probably ask you for advice once we were sure you'd been paying attention already."

Morph frowned. "I'm not sure I get it... Are you sure about this? I thought if people are telling you problems, they want help."

"Oh, men problem-brag all the time," Shine scoffed. "You know, those jerks down at the car place always trying to screw you over and all that stuff, like in Gran Torino. That's all part of the fun of having difficulties is getting to talk about how you solved them. In general, if a girl tells you a problem at all, she's probably trying to show trust, not ask for help. Don't step on that. I've heard it's the same for guys, but I'm not a guy, so...I don't know what they think. I just know how I am. And I hate it when men tell me what I need to do to fix something, like they think I didn't really think out why I was doing what I was doing. Can you see why that would be annoying?"

"I guess," Morph said. "I think I don't get offended that easily."

"You're a rare person," Shine said. "Most people get offended easier than you do. I'm just telling you what happens, not saying it's a good thing. But rather than expect everyone else to change automatically to be as easy-going as you, maybe just meeting them halfway would be good. I always find it useful to tell someone why I handle things the way I do. Then if they don't like it, they don't have to tell me their problem."

"When you put it like that, I do kind of see it. I just wouldn't talk about it, you know."

Shine shrugged. "But the thing here, I think, is can't you learn from this? You're thinking of everyone the same as you. All of you tend to handle everyone the exact same way, and you can get by if someone is used to you, doing that. But if someone is more fragile, they need you to think about what makes them comfortable. I feel like this shouldn't be news to you--you're perceptive."

"Sure, about how people act," Morph said. "But why they do? I guess I'm not really sharper than the next guy about that... You're the one who's good at  it."

"I did study to be this way," Shine said. "All of us have things we don't like people to say or do. Sometimes you have to let it go. But other times, you can learn from it. If you had siblings, you'd know what I meant."

"Maybe I would," Morph said. "This is interesting, I have to admit...kind of like studying people like you'd study a plant or something. But I still don't know how to make this any better."

"At risk of making her mad at me, I suppose I could elucidate a little on Raven. She wouldn't like me giving it away too much, but...if you've lived your whole life with people mostly not liking you, at least unless you're lying to them about something, it's hard to not feel personally attacked by any form of criticism. As soon as you tried to get her to see it was stupid to fight, all she heard was that she's not liked and she's not good at this. And, Morph, may I remind you, she really isn't good at this."

Suddenly her tone became tender, like she was talking about a wounded kitten. Only Shine would talk about someone like Mystique that way.

"She never has been. But that's not her fault, you know. She got off on the wrong foot in life because of her mutation. She's never gotten her balance back. I...I really appreciate how you've tried to be friends, and that's really good, but there are times you do act like she's supposed to know how to act the way people with fairly normal moral outlooks act. That's not realistic."

Morph suddenly got uncomfortable. "But people can change."

"Sure," Shine said. "When they want to. It's hard to want to if you only ever see yourself falling short of someone's expectations. Can you accept it if some people just cannot be like us? One time, I couldn't be like I am now, and I hated it. I didn't change though. I changed when God accepted me the way I was, and that was just enough."

She tugged her hair. "I don't tell this to many people, but, for years before I really got free, I cried in my room many nights, running in circles with how I acted and felt. It wasn't my fault, really. It was the cycle of my household...but it hurt. In all that time, God never criticized me for feeling that way, because He knew I couldn't help it. But I was holding on to Him, and that mattered more than me knowing how to fix my problems. Yes, I love being free...but even when I was still bound up, I had a better life for knowing God was there, no matter what. If I could give people like me one thing, it would be the reassurance that that's possible whether or not you can put yourself back together all in a day. I can't ask you to understand what that feels like if you haven't lived it, but can you understand why it has to be that way at first?"

"I'm really sorry that it happened. Sounds rough. I mean, I get it, you're better now, but that's not something any kid should have to go through."

Shine shrugged. "No, but thousands of us do. And some have it even worse than I did. You like Raven, right?"

"Uh..." Morph said, not ready for that question. "It's...hard to answer that. I still feel like I don't know her that well."

"Fair enough...none of us know her that well. But I figure I know her just about as well as she knows to let me, and I'd take it that way if I were you. The amount of effort it takes for her to be just a little open with us is more than you could believe. I doubt it's ever gone well for her in the past. It wouldn't matter; it's always going to be hard at first. I...to be honest, I never open up to a new person myself without thinking, deep down, can I trust them? Or will they use this against me?"

"Wow..." Morph said. "That's...hard.... Even if they're good people?"

"Oh, Morph." Shine sighed, rather sadly. "Good people have used my own words again me. They just don't think about it being bad. Bad people tend not to have high standards, so they won't crush you by telling you you don't meet them. I believe that's why I am drawn to so many villains, and they're drawn to me. We get that about each other. I like Raven, for that reason, partly. It's easy to be myself around her. She may be guarded, but she expects nothing from me. I find that a huge relief compared to people like the X-men."

"Huh," Morph said oddly. "That just put it into words. Yeah, I felt the same way, actually."

"Notice how the kids are drawn to her?" Shine said. "Kids love people like that. Wally is like that also. That's why I liked him right off.... But it's a rare person who thinks of themselves as a 'good' person and is that easy to be around. We stress people out."

"That's...more true than I like to think about..." Morph winced.

"You know, I tell you these things because I no longer am ashamed of them," Shine digressed a little. "But that's me. Not many of us will be that comfortable. If you think you want to keep getting in closer here, you'll have to be careful about how you talk. That's just how it is. But don't stress about it. These things can be smoothed over."

"I always thought I was pretty good at making friends. But this has been really, really hard...you know?" He rubbed his head. "But maybe that's why I've kept trying--I hate to fail at making friends with someone. It's like a challenge, you know what I mean? Still...maybe I just can't..."

He felt more down about that than he expected.

"No, I believe it's possible," Shine said. "And you're doing great, really. But there's...a testing point, with each person (it's different for all of them)...where they see if you're really trustworthy or not. If you hit that point, Morph, it's important to be very, very patient. You've made friends with the X-men...but it's different to make friends with people who need you and have a common cause with you, and also are trying their best, despite their problems. We all like people like that...but the people who need our help the most, are not easy to get close to. It's a special challenge...but I've never regretted taking it up, not once." She looked serious. "There's a kind of richness in those kinds of friends I've never found anywhere else. All the blood, sweat, and tears that go into digging someone out of that pit...I think God must feel the same way about all of us. You appreciate something you earn, that's for sure. I think, honestly, Morph, after you had your experience with getting broken yourself, you must have just began to think that people really need help when they're hard up like that. Maybe it changed your prerogatives a little."

"Maybe," Morph said. "I have felt different about my friends since then...like, maybe there's just something  they can't understand about me, at least they can't fully understand...but other people can...people who aren't such good people, but they kind of know why you fall then... But, if it wasn't for you, I'd probably think that was a bad thing. You just make it sound like it's a privilege instead."

Shine smiled. "Morph, it really makes me happy that you latched onto that. It's a rare person who really gets it. I think you're special...really. I'm not just saying that...but that's why I push you hard here.... You can't afford to settle halfway to understanding this. I think we need you to keep up till you come to understand.... Maybe it's your gift."

[The cool thing about this is that Morph was, in the comics, the kind of guy who just could befriend even edgy, sometimes mean characters. So this quite fits his motif.]

"I appreciate it, actually," Morph said. "Everyone else tries to take it easy on me since what happened...but I don't need less work than others. I need more work, because I have to reverse what happened...and get stronger than that.... At least, I think that's what I want."

"Perhaps," Shine said. "Or it's just what kicked off the next level. Hardship is rarely ever what we think it is. But now that we've discussed this at length...you'll have to work it out for yourself. I can't tell you exactly what to do. So, we're good, right?"

"Yeah, I think I need to think about this," Morph said.  "Thanks, though...I think this helped."

Shine nodded.

Morph went back to moving things to set them up, and Shine was laying out more snacks and things for everyone, but she started singing while she was doing it...rather a sad tune for the occasion.

https://youtu.be/NhiLVdSj5rs

["Pretty Little Things"-- The Crane Wives. Personally, I'd love to find a man who'd actually put in the work to understand why traumatized women act the way they do.

There are some rare gems out there, and there are women like that too. Can I just thank all of you by extension for your openness to and patience with people who really need it. If you're that kind of person, just know we really do appreciate it, even if we lack the emotional comfort to say so all the time. It really does make a difference.

Though a word of caution--not every broken person wants help. If they are violent with you or berate you constantly, that's a red flag. Just being defensive is normal for someone with trauma, but being outright mean and trying to hurt you deliberately is not. Most of it should be unintentional, if they are actually ready for a relationship. Otherwise, I don't think they're ready yet.

But even a good person, if they have this kind of trauma, will act out of it sometimes--we all do--so that's not a reason to dump them. Just to be careful, without babying them. The best thing usually is just to explain clearly what you mean, if they get upset--and if they are ready to heal, they'll listen.

Anyway, enough therapy advice for now. Back to the story.]

* * *

https://youtu.be/yQ94uM_e4P4

[Caffeine-- Jeff and Casey Lee Williams.]

The game night went pretty well despite the few clouds hanging over some of the people.

The kids had fun.

Everyone tried a few different games...for the most part.

Gambit got goaded into one because, after Shine's jab about him not being willing to, and Rogue's agreement, he felt he had to prove a point.

(If he suspected that was exactly why Shine had said it, he didn't let on.)

Mystique wouldn't have participated at all in what she termed "a waste of time", if Kitty hadn't begged her to help her figure out Poker...

Which was Jubilee's idea. All the kids at the orphanage knew how to play Poker, according to Jubilee.

Ryan, being the good, Christian kid that he was...did not do well at it.

Kitty was much more natural at having the whole poker-face vibe.

"You know, getting someone else's help on the rules isn't really fair," Jubilee complained.

"It wasn't fair to ask me to play just because you thought you could beat me," Kitty shot back. "And I'm getting the hang of this. Are you folding or not?"

"I still don't understand..." Kevin said in a small voice.

"It's just a game, Kevin," Ryan said. "Who cares if we win anyway?"

"That sounds like something you'd say if you knew you were losing," Kitty said smugly.

"Sore winner," Ryan muttered, so low she almost couldn't hear it.

Mystique watched this with clear amusement.

"Remind ya of anythin', Momma?" Rogue said, passing by.

"Your lack of skill at this game," Mystique said.

"I ain't good at lyin'," Rogue said. "But y'know why? It's 'cause I'm so pure of heart."

"Isn't that the reason the lady was bad at BS in that one chick flick you like?" Wally said to Shine.

"How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," Shine said. "And yes. I suck at that game also. I can't lie." She gestured helplessly.

"Lie right now," Gambit challenged.

They were all playing something called Shanghai, because Gambit wouldn't play anything that wasn't a card game.

Shine thought for a second. "I once spent 10 hours trying to beat a level in a video game."

"That's way too obvious a lie," Wally said. "You hate video games."

"No, I don't hate them, I just think they're boring after a while," Shine said. "And hard on my eyes."

"That was pretty convincin'." Logan shrugged. "But ya hesitated too long."

"There, you see?" Shine said.

"So I guess we know not to play two truths and a lie," Wally said.

"I actually won that game once because people didn't know me that well," Shine said. "No actual lying skill is required."

"Wait a minute, you lied to that desk clerk on Genosha," Wally said.

"Oh, that was acting," Shine said. "Totally different. I've always been good at that."

"Don't see much difference," Gambit muttered.

"The difference is what you believe is real," Shine said. "Not the other person."

"This game is dull." Emma looked bored. "I hate board game and cards about equally as much, I've decided."

"Should we play cricket instead?" Shine joked.

"That's stereotypical," Emma said.

"At least she didn't say Rugby," Wally snickered.

"How about we watch baseball while eating some unhealthy foods and yelling like wild monkeys?" Emma shot back.

"Burn?" Wally said.

"I doubt most people would be ashamed of any of what she just said, so not really," Shine said.

"I remember," Rogue said to Mystique, "some of the boys in the brotherhood used to play poker. But they never let us play with 'em."

"No, you stopped playing because you always lost," Mystique said. "And they stopped asking me because I always won."

"But ya didn't even shape-shift," Rogue said.

"So?" Mystique said. "I have a good poker face."

"Some of 'em were really sore losers too," Rogue said. "People take games way too seriously."

"And money," Mystique said dryly.

"What's the Brotherhood?" Kitty looked over.

Both of them stopped talking about it right then, and Kitty was left to wonder.

"Well, this is more fun than I thought," Xavier commented to Hank. They were playing chess. "Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, even Logan."

"I don't get this game," Logan said, getting frustrated. "And I hate it."

"I told you it was long," Shine said.

"Gambit think it fine," Gambit said. "You thinkin' too much, dat all."

"Well, I'm thinkin' I'm done with this," Logan said.

"Lightweight," Wally said.

Logan glared at him but stayed put.

"I don't understand this game," Storm complained. "But I suppose the point is to have fun."

"After this we can play Bargain Hunter," Shine said.

"Oh no..." Wally said.

"Hey, I agreed to play what you wanted," Shine said.

"Anything but Bargain Hunter," Wally said.

"Would Monopoly be better?" Shine asked.

"Never mind," Wally said.

"The shoppin' game?" Rogue came to look over Gambit's shoulder...which didn't help him focus. "That sounds kind of borin', but I'll try it just to see Wally there squirm like a sinner in church--oh, was that disrespectful?"

"Not really," Shine said.

"But what on earth did ya get Kurt and ol' Colossus and Cyclops and Jean to play?" Rogue looked over at them.

"Oh." Shine looked amused. "They're playing Sorry.... I figured it'd be pretty funny to listen to all the nicest or most uptight people in the group play a game where you have to apologize and be mean to people as part of the rules... It's pretty funny, isn't it?"

"You have a sick sense of humor," Gambit said.

"I don't see the point of this game," Scott was complaining. "All you do is move these little pawns around this board."

"I think it's just a contest," Jean said.

"But I have to knock you back to home?" Kurt was trying to read the rules on the card. "I can't just choose not to?"

"I prefer it if you not," Colossus said. "But is rules. Is okay."

"But it seems mean-spirited to vin by putting everyone else behind you..." Kurt said.

"Americans, very competitive," Colossus said. 

"I just think a game should have more of a point," Scott said. "So it's not useless to play it."

"I think fun is the point," Jean said, getting a little done with them taking forever. "Kurt, you really should just move."

"But who do I pick?" Kurt said. "None of you have done anything to me."

"It's just the game," Scott said. "Just do it so we can end it sooner."

"Yes, think of it as it's nicer to us if you just make this go faster," Jean said.

"All right..." Kurt reluctantly knocked one piece back.

"That's just sad," Rogue commented to the others.

"But it is pretty hilarious," Wally said, trying not to laugh too loudly. "How can you guys never have played that game before, though?"

"We don't really have games..." Rogue said. "Where did ya get all this anyway?"

"Borrowed it from home," Shine said.

"Figures," Rogue said.

[I thought it was funny.]