ax_main | Grog and Vex, March 2

Vex shows Grog the Danger Room. Everybody is suitably impressed.

Vex was trying to make time with all of Vox Machina to make up for their long separation. Somehow she ended up with the honor of showing Grog how the Danger Room worked. After programming in a sequence based on what he said he could, Vex checked the her side quiver was secure and took a few steps back.

“Okay, big guy. Show me what you can do.”

Grog rolled his shoulders with a big, anticipatory grin on his face. And then just stopped completely to peer over at her. "You mean me whole," he waved a vague hand, "thing, right? Not just the fighting?"

Vex smiled fondly up at him. "Yes, darling. I've seen you fight like you are now. Show me these powers of yours."

"Yeah, alright." It was only slightly grumbled, and that was mostly just at Vex making fun of him. Not as if he minded showing off that much.

Did take concentration, though, so Grog put it out of his mind in favor of focusing. Or attempting to focus. Either way, it ended with a frown and his tongue poking out the side of his mouth as he very carefully and deliberately brought his fists together in front of him.

The effect was instantaneous, Grog expanding upwards and outwards, skin slowly fading to grey. By the time he was done, he was somewhere around nine feet tall and looking rather pleased with himself.

"Holy shit," Vex swore, staring up at him. Proportionally, Grog was still the same big, strong guy she knew and loved, but at that height it became apparent exactly how ripped he was. She might not have programmed the room right. He could tear shit up. "Vax is going to be so jealous he isn't here. Wow. I feel so short right now."

Grog shifted a little, something that on anyone else might have looked like preening. "I can do it again. Mostly. Get kinda tired sometimes and then it's harder." But he did reach one massive hand down to her. "Want a boost?"

“Hell yes.” Vex was impressed, and she let it show. She stepped forward to the offered hand.

And he gently lifted her like she weighed nothing, setting her down on one broad shoulder. "Easier like that, right?" Hardly the first time Grog had given rides.

Vex found her balance and looked around from the view. "I love it. This is awesome!"

Grog might have preened, if he were the type to do so. "Can't do it for too long yet. Makes me real tired."

“You can take a nap as soon as we get out of here,” Vex promised. “I guess we should turn the room on before you tire out. Want to test how hard you can hit stuff?”

"Course!" Grog said cheerfully, and then paused. "You wanna stay up there?" It would make things tricky, but Grog could manage it. Probably.

"Ummmm, would you advise it?" Vex looked down the distance to the floor, then thought better of the question. "How about I hop down and take shelter behind something the first time?"

"Okay," he said, moving to shrug before he suddenly thought better of it. Instead he reached up to carefully pluck her back off of his shoulder and set her delicately back onto her feet. "What do you want to see?"

“Would you like to hit something people shaped or like bust through fake walls?”

"Anything is good." Grog shrugged, then turned it into a slow roll of his shoulders. "Just wanna hit some stuff."

“Fuck it, I’m pretty sure there’s a sequence like Tetris where blocks and shit flies down at you, and it gets faster the better you are at hitting everything. I’m going somewhere safe.” She grinned. “Shout uncle if you get tired! And if you can’t hit everything I’m going to start shooting things.”

That made him pause and throw her an almost offended look. If he couldn't hit everything. Please.

"Just start it up. This should be fun."

Vex winked and went to start to the sequence. As promised, the obstacles were set for someone with a power set like Grog’s, with his height and details vaguely built in. It was a standard sequence, but still really cool. Shit came at him, and he had the opportunity to smash it.

And smash he did, tearing through everything that came at him with a much too pleased grin. If it didn't disintegrate with one hit, it definitely did with two, and Grog had zero finesse as he tore through it all like a wrecking ball.

He was at least breathing a little hard when the program finally ended. And the look of expectation he turned on Vex said he was waiting for his applause.

Vex gave him a small salute and then clapped. "Holy shit, Grog."

"Right?" He grinned, pleased with himself. The expression even stayed in place as he slowly shrank down to his usual size.

"I pity anyone that tries to stir shit up while we're out." She headed back over to him. "Do you need a nap or a huge lunch after that show?"

"Nah, I'm okay. I can do it for longer." And he just wasn't going to explain how or why he knew that. At least unless Vex asked, probably. She had a way of getting you to answer things even if you didn't want to. "Do people try to stir shit with you a lot?"

"Not at this school," Vex said mildly.

"Well good," Grog said in the firm kind of way that meant he would have Taken Steps if it had been a problem. God knows what that might have entailed.

She smiled. "Don't worry. I have some decent tricks now as well. But most people can be managed with the right words."

Grog might have looked a little dubious at that, but it wasn't like words were a strong point. Unless they were the threatening ones. He could usually manage those pretty well. But Vex was a much better talker, so he just nodded.

"This place is pretty good," he offered, glancing briefly around the danger room.

“It does have plenty of perks,” Vex agreed.

"Yeah? What else?" Just the punching part sounded pretty good to Grog.

“Wanna try another sequence?” she asked.

"Oo, can we?" Instantly brighter, the preceding conversation already forgotten.

“Hell yeah. Let me adjust it.”