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Dani had weighed her options, considered the alternatives, and ultimately decided that working as a team would be best. While she could feasibly still hunt youma and kick the tar out of them on her own, she suffered less physical damage when she was working with Leo and Sagittarius, and that was not something to be discounted. She was independent and capable of handling herself, sure, but that didn't mean she was completely inflexible and unable to compromise. Just mostly.

Mostly provided the exception that had forced her to take to the internet, searching for team building activities. She liked the idea of them working together, but they needed a lot of work. Thankfully, Dani was thorough and enthusiastic if she was anything, so she was totally on top of it. She finally found one that she liked for their first exercise, and after tweaking it slightly to suit her purposes, called Jude and told him about it. He was in charge of gathering the supplies as well as getting Grayson, while she was the brains behind the operation. By the time everything was organized, she'd packed three separate lunches, loaded them into a bright pink backpack, and told her parents where she'd be. Her father hadn't looked impressed that she was going to spend time with Jude and Grayson again, but he didn't look impressed by much she did these days, so she shrugged it off.

The ride to the park was a short one, though at least Grayson was in a better humor than he had been for their last excursion. When they were assembled in the middle of a dense collection of trees, she set the backpack aside and addressed them.

"You guys ready for this? The object is for us to work together to defeat a youma-" Air quotes were apparently very necessary here. "-but with a twist: we'll all be taking on roles that are not ourselves. It'll show us not only what we see as the strengths of our partners but the weaknesses, hopefully, and it'll give insight into how we view each other."

Knowing that the activity was going to require getting flour all over herself as well as possibly dirt, Dani had opted for a pair of old jeans and one of her father's terrible Christmas sweatshirts. It was too big on her, as was the gigantic reindeer head, and she kept pushing the sleeves halfway up her arms as she spoke. Her hair was tied up and back in a single braid, arguably to keep it out of her way, and she seemed prepared.

More than prepared. Excited, even. "Ready? I was thinking Grayson could be the youma first, because he seems like the type who won't get into it until he's been insulted."

"Hey." The man in question frowned a little, also wearing his version of "grubbies" that Dani had specified. He didn't have many old clothes, so the sole pair of jeans he didn't like very much was paired with a sweater that leeched all of the color out of his face.

"So I'll be Sagittarius and Jude, you can be Leo." Turning to Grayson again, she said, "So, you get to pretend to attack us. Try to be creative, though I understand it's two against one, so. We'll be trying to act how we think each other would act, so there will be an advantage for you there."

Grayson sighed.

The cape secured around her shoulders, looking more absurd than either of the other two by far, Dani put on a fierce face. She gave Jude an incredulous look, swinging her shoulders so that her cape flapped dramatically, and demanded, "Which way is it?! I'm --"

Here she brought her hands up, coughing loudly. Too loudly. Someone was trying to make a point. "Sorry, I was just -" another fake cough, and she suddenly lunged at Grayson, arms flung high. "You won't escape my jungle! LET'S GET HER, GIRL!"

Grayson barely had time to be offended by the comment - it had been at three o'clock, Jude -- when Dani's impersonation of Jude started. He forgot he was supposed to be in character, and Dani took him by surprise. Enough by surprise that she slammed right into him, sending them sprawling across the ground, Dani on top by the end of it.

There was silence as she sat, all but straddling him with her legs, and said in an annoyed fashion, "You're being a really bad youma."

She squeaked then, when Grayson grabbed her hips and lifted her, using strength she hadn't exactly anticipated. He rolled with her, flinging Dani off him, and backed up and into a tree. So he was going to be the punching bag first round? Awesome.

Well. He'd been attacked by enough youma to know they went for the weak spot first. If Jude was acting as him...

God, what did youma usually do to him? Bite him, oh right. Well. He wasn't biting Jude.

Not in the middle of training.

While he debated this, Dani came flying at him again, connecting to his trunk and sending him stumbling once more.

Grayson wasn't quite into it yet.

The second time Grayson hit the ground, he was tired of it. He landed on his butt, hard, and shoved Dani off him. He wasn't a rough man by nature, but Dani wasn't exactly stepping lightly. Apparently, she was serious about this, and he wasn't just going to stand there and let himself get knocked around by someone nearly a full head shorter than he was. Not if he could help it.

So, he was a youma. He ought to be able to do this a little better, considering he'd had a brief stint as one. He could only remember wanting to eat, though, and -- head in the game, Leo.

Dani had stood up, posing triumphantly, and was saying, "The combined forces of your fearless leader and his lovely jungle have--" when Grayson took the opportunity to push off the ground and at her, using his momentum to send them both rolling at Jude like a bowling ball for a set of pins.

There was brief glee in Dani's face before she shouted, "GOD LEO, do something why don't you?!"

Dani could take the hint, though most of what she had to go by was their team meeting and not actual battle, having been separated from them in the jungle when their biggest one took place. She'd thought he was quite verbose, but grudgingly admitted to herself that she could have it wrong. The exercise was about learning, right? So she winced at the flashlight, then spun around, arms outstretched as she headed for a tree. Realism, right?

"Oh no, I'm blind! Damn it, Leo! You'd better find this thing because now I can't see!"

She covered her eyes for effect.

Grayson was a little annoyed at Jude's portrayal of him -- honestly, he didn't just stand there and let a youma attack him, thanks, Jude -- but covered his eyes nonetheless. His voice was still bored as he said, "Screech, screech. My eyes. Now I'm angry."

As Dani bumped into the tree, blaming her ineffectiveness on Leo, Grayson started toward Jude once again. He really didn't like being the youma.

Still, he lifted his hands, making claws out of them, and threw himself at Jude.

Sigh.

Face in the dirt, Grayson struggled with two strong and opposing emotions: amusement and irritation. While he couldn't help but find the entire situation a bit hilarious, he was also not very impressed with being the youma and ending the exercise on his stomach, arm twisted behind his back. What he was less impressed with, though, was Jude using dirty tactics to end the battle quickly.

He rolled over, sitting up with twigs in his hair, expression very clearly indicating his displease. "I fight fair, Jude."

Dani had rejoined them, grinning widely at the state of Grayson, and asked, "What did he do?"

Brushing off his shoulders, Grayson said primly, "Cheated. I don't cheat in battle." Well, hadn't that he could remember.

He'd certainly never used someone's attraction against them, though that was due in (very) small part to the fact that he'd never fought someone who was attracted to him. Details, details. He wouldn't have done it anyway.

Dani pushed the sleeves of her sweatshirt up again, nodding enthusiastically. "That sounds good! I guess I'd better take the cape off."

She did so, folding it and setting it aside carefully, and held her hands out for Jude's props. While she adjusted the hat on top of her head, she said cheerfully to Grayson, "The flour bin is over there. Oh, and I've got some ribbons for you to put in your hair."

He slowed in his approach to the flour, giving her a high dissatisfied look. "I don't really wear ribbons in my hair."

Pointing to the ridiculous fake fruit hat, she replied, "I don't normally try to look like a walking Farmer's Market. Come on, it's for the team, Grayson."

He sighed, heavily, loudly, and tucked the bin of flour under arm. With the other, he waited for the ribbons, expression growing more distasteful as Dani gestured for him to lower his head so that she could do it herself.

Bent at the waist, he caught Jude's eyes, mutiny in his own. "Don't say anything, Jude."

It was probably too much to ask.

Straightening, still looking displeased with the boys, Grayson's expression became an increasingly deeper pout the longer Jude talked. It wasn't an expression he often wore, and because of it, Dani had to turn and smother a smile against the back of her hand, especially when Jude mentioned Grayson's rather, ahem, obvious proof of gender. She'd noticed it, too, but it was a little awkward to have another guy bring it up.

Of course, given what she'd witnessed -- anyway.

Grayson's voice, normally so serene and even, definitely sounded testy when he muttered, "Yes, Jude, you have nothing to say at all."

He was fingering his ribbons when Dani announced, "Okay, we're in character... now!" And she immediately slouched. "Where is Sagittarius?"

A little alarmed, as he believed Dani was about to quote him directly, Grayson half-turned, mouth open to stop her. She continued, bring a hand up to cover her eyes. "This is his jungle. I'm pretty sure we passed this tree before."

Cheeks tinged from embarrassment, he suddenly remembered he was supposed to be Magellan, and did his best to raise his voice. It sounded terrible and squeaky. "Like, seriously. Okay, let's go!"

He felt ridiculous. He looked ridiculous. Dani had terrible posture.

Damn it. If Dani hadn't gone and quoted him -- a moment of weakness, really, after they'd been searching for Jude for at least a half an hour in his jungle -- he was certain they wouldn't be stuck in the jungle. Whether it was true or not, Grayson felt a little bit better about the situation because of it; perhaps he was still being a little childish from the ribbon incident earlier. Honestly, he couldn't help it that he had bows all over his fuku, nor could he help that he wore tight pants. It wasn't like he'd requested the fuku.

Placed a palm against the tree in front of him, seeing absolutely no reason to waste energy on a henshin, he started to say What are you doing, Jude? but remembered that he was supposed to be Magellan. So, he sucked in a breath and tried to sound enthusiastic. "Let's put our training to good use!"

Dani made a face, but he could tell she really wanted to get in the jungle and see what she remembered. They started together, at one another's side but scanning the area at the same time; at least that was no different from usual.