The New Mutants (80's Era Marvel AU; IC)

Camleen

Camleen

I'm going to be my own kind of princess
Original poster
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Posting Speed
  1. One post per day
  2. 1-3 posts per week
  3. One post per week
Writing Levels
  1. Intermediate
Preferred Character Gender
  1. No Preferences
Genres
In no particular order: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Modern, Magical, Romance, anime, comic books, cartoons, video games..
Last edited:
  • Useful
Reactions: Eon
Joseph has eaten three more of his snacks while Professor Xavier gave his speech, and a rundown of everyone in the room. The teachers he'd known of course, and Piotr since one couldn't help but even see and know too much about a person while living with them. The only three to catch his interest in regards to their powers were Josephine, Janice, and Laura. He would be the first to admit he didn't know much science. But you didn't need to know that much to figure these two could do some interesting things on their own. Let alone together. Laura because he had noticed her and Logan just had some kind of a family resemblence, now confirmation of her powers just made it more concrete.

After Jo's rude(ish) remark and Piotr's heartfelt affirmation, Joseph put down his snack bag and gave a few small claps. "Tin Man does have a big heart. But she also has a point. See Professor, this is kinda like a lot to drop on someone. It's like Obi-Wan and Luke. A lot of responsibility....sounds like a lot of training..." His mind goes to think And potentially costumes, going out there and being really visible. "..and considering what happened to Luke, I'm gonna cut to the chase, say I'm in." He smiles and claps. Then another thought occurs which he voices immediately.

"Oh and to avoid any confusion between me and her, you can all call me Jay, since my only other nickname is Joe."

@Camleen @Gands @abalint @KC @Eon
 
Colt had spent a good portion of the minutes that followed observing, meeting the eyes of Laura after having felt someone watching him, that itching tense feeling one often got with such an intense stare. He had stared back at her without a word though his features had softened somewhat, not as angry as he had been when Colt had arrived with the professor. It was because he wasn't stuck under the lime light, something he found irritating as all hell. He had tried to hide the fact that he was using his ability to keep himself calm in the face of things he wasn't familiar with, mostly because it had long become a habit having lived with a bunch of people who had never understood and crucified him for it. When Laura's eyes moved away he casually leaned back against the wall with his arms comfortably folded across his chest.

He wasn't at all sure if he liked the feeling of being in the place. On one hand it was about to deliver everything he thought he could never attain and yet it was terrifying. How was he supposed to respond to these people? The visor-clad security guy had walked across the room and stood beside the Professor as Colt's eyes followed him intensely. As his amber eyes stared, Colt's body began to give off higher warmth, heat radiating outwards as the wall began to warm behind him. What kind of school had mysterious security like personnel? He tried to remember the exact reason why he had taken up the offer in the first place and after a moment his thoughts were interrupted by the Professor as he began a long winded explanation and introduction. It was all information that he wanted to know, well at least enough to satisfy him for the moment. Then the professor made mention of a danger room. He couldn't help the smirk that rose upon his lips, who the hell had a 'danger' room and what was so dangerous about it?

The speech led onto the introduction of the teachers, all of which held varying abilities and descriptions which had answered the sudden appearance and disappearance of Amelia Armstrong earlier when she had handed him the free shirt. No one so far had been described as simply 'normal'. Following he heard the professor name him and he stiffened upright as the man described his ability before effortlessly moving onto Josephine and the others. He had expected some sort of hushed whisper, taunting even but was met by silence. He wasn't sure what was meant by the silence since had had rarely had that as a response and he felt his back lean further into the wall as he stood uncomfortably.

Colt tried to focus then on the description of the other kids in the room, none sharing his ability but sounding equally as interesting as the next. He would eventually speak to some of them he figured but right now he was still working out whether to walk away and sleep under the first bridge he could find or hang about. The clincher came down to the last words spoken by the professor which saw Colt grow somewhat dark at the thought of being labelled a defender of human beings. That was not at all fair. Why protect them? They had never done a damn thing to help him out in life so why protect their shoddy asses?

Evidently his sentiments were shared by Jo who seemed to be as sharp tongued as himself, asking if they were to be mall security. Colt didn't interject but could be seen to nod in agreement with Jo as he glanced at Scott Summers. He didn't trust the shit out of that guy, he seemed like he would be uptight and all about respecting authority. He couldn't make heads or tails of the guy who was introduced as Logan and Amelia and Ryan seemed like the typical teacher types only with added mutant abilities. And after those initial thoughts it occurred to Colt that this whole thing was completely irrelevant and the professor was clearly nuts. Charles Xavier had never mentioned having been through a folder until now, nor anything about Colt being placed in some kind of super kid group. There was mention of school was about the only expectation which had been described to him. Just what the bloody hell had he accepted?

Piotr had offered a touching and sentimental explanation of why he was there and that the professor was a nice guy, pledging his support like he was joining a cult. He couldn't judge what the big guy had come from but there was no way in hell Colt was about to pledge his support for a cause he knew nothing about. Joseph added to the discussion in a constructive manner though by now Colt was irritated. Perhaps it was simply because at the end of the day Colt had no knowledge of how to handle the situation. Instead his eyes left the professor and he pushed off from the wall, waltzed across the room and stooped to pick up a handful of sandwiches before walking back out the door. He owed nothing to anyone and he sure as hell wasn't some kind of mutant Mickey Mouse club mousekateer. As he pushed the door open and walked back into the hall Colt stuffed the sandwiches into his pocket and made for the front lobby, though where to from there was anyone's guess.
------
@Eon @Ms.Ezra @Camleen @abalint @Gands @Sir Kaltao
 
  • Nice Execution!
Reactions: Ms.Ezra
Ryan went to speak, forgetting the sandwich in his mouth that weighed down his tongue and choked his words before they could escape his mouth. Words of reassurance went unspoken, and several students took it the wrong way. They weren't exactly going to be mall security. From the way he understood it, this new class of students were headed for big things. There were more mutants being born every day, each one a tiny grain of gunpowder in an inescapably dangerous keg. One way or another, things would come to a head eventually. It would be a battle for survival, one species against the other until the bitter end. Xavier's dream might be the only way to avoid such a horrific fate. It wouldn't be easy, but nothing worth having ever was. They'd have a lot to deal with, but with the right training and resources, they could succeed where others would fail. At least, Ryan hoped they could. He'd seen what Magneto's brotherhood was capable of.

Well, that seems to have gone over well. Only the two with the most potential for serious collateral damage want to play permanent hooky. Ryan thought, unsure as to whether or not the professor was eavesdropping on his psyche. Ryan watched as Colt strode out through the front doors. He swallowed the food that had killed his original words, "I'm going to go get him," he said quietly, not intending for his words to carry past his bosses before heading after Colt at a respectable pace. Once he caught up to the teen firebug, Ryan flagged him down, "So, not much of one for speeches," he said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "The professor's a bit heavy handed with this sort of thing, but I promise that we're not a cult. We don't even have kool-aid," he continued, trying to be lighthearted.

As Jo came after them, he frowned, and ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. "Alright, I'm going to level with you," he said, his tone now more serious. "I know you're not some stupid kids. You've got to know how people see us...mutants," he began, taking on an uncharacteristic level of seriousness. "People are scared of us out there, and if I'm being honest, they've got good reason to be. The things we can do would have been something out of a fantasy novel just a decade ago, and now people who can throw buildings around with their minds, look like anyone in the world, control the weather, or shoot fire," he gestured to Colt. "Fact of the matter is, the world's turning into a powderkeg, and it's only a matter of time until someone sets it off and the shit hits the fan. We're not looking for some superpowered muscle to scare trick or treaters off the lawn of some old man. We're looking for someone who's willing to work themselves into one of the guys who's going to either keep the world from ending, or pick up the pieces if that isn't possible," he said, "if you don't think that's you, fine. I'll drive you home myself if you don't want to be here," Ryan continued with a shrug. Said old man might take offense to that, if he were listening, but Ryan had made his views on such things clear over the time he'd been working with Xavier and the others.

"I guess what I'm getting at is: how do you want people to remember you? Do you want to be a just some guy, like everybody else? Maybe go to college, get a job in a nice, cushy office before eventually dying, your longest-lasting impact on the world being a grease stain on a chair? Or would you rather sign on with us, and do something real with your life? To be able to stand at the top of the world and know that you got more say in the way things work than" He asked, leaning against one wall and waiting for an answer. He wasn't sure how well Colt and Jo would take to his little spiel, but he sincerely hoped he could get them on board. Not just because the future depended on them, but because he knew that there'd be a day when they looked back at themselves and regretted everything. He'd made a mistake like that once, when he'd had the world at his fingertips and turned away from it. He'd hate to see someone else make the same mistake.
 
  • Like
  • Bucket of Rainbows
Reactions: Camleen and (deleted member)
Janice's eyes move from all the people as they talk, or walk out. She nibbles on her sandwich all the while, mulling over the Professor's speech. She had listened carefully to every word, but doesn't dwell on the particulars of everyone's powers as there was so much else to consider.

It felt unfair of Colt to jump to his conclusion. And it might be just her small town Midwest sensibilities, but Jo was rather rude too. It didn't bode well for their living situation. Piotr's speech was impassioned, but Joseph has the clearest point on that side, in her mind. It was a lot to tell someone who has come all this way, left her family for the prospect of being with others like her. That had been exciting, maybe scary at times but here she was. And now there was this. "There's always a catch" as her father had warned. She was being asked to be more than a student. To get totally out of her comfort zone.

And yet Piotr's words move her. There had to be other kids out there like them who don't have someone. Janice certainly didn't. But what if she did have that kind of person to look up to? Well, here was her chance to be one of them.

Of course there was also the prospect of helping or 'consulting' on their tech. Janice can't help but smile at the notion they were ready to trust her enough for that. Call it naivety, but she didn't feel like coming all this way only to go back so soon.

"Professor?" She asks, raising her hand out of habit. "I'm going to be honest and say I've been accessing your security system since I got here, and just that is something cool to me. I came here to learn, to be a better person. If you think I'm someone who can do all that, well..." She nods and smiles "I just met you all, but I don't want to let you down. I'm in too."

==============================​

Amelia watches everyone say their piece, or in Colt's case walk out like the scared child she'd had him figured for. It had crossed her mind to intercept him, give him a rundown how predicatable he was and where she predicted it would lead him. The tough treatment for the most part. But she lets Ryan have a go. If Ryan came back and said his approach didn't work, then maybe she would have her turn.

When Janice and the others say they're in, Amelia gives a small applause and speaks. "Piotr, Joseph, Janice, welcome aboard. I can't promise it'll be easy. In fact Mr. Summers and I promise the hardest training of your lives. But you will be better people by the end." She looks at Jo, familiar with the way people from the Bronx speak as she was from Queens originally. "Calling what we want to make you all into 'Mall Security' is like saying Ranger School just churns out either Girls Scouts or Boy Scouts." She then looks at the door "Colt's chosen the door for now. But he's welcome to come back if he changes his mind and actually wants something more out of life."
 
Now it's Charles' turn to listen to the group. To pay attention, as if he were the student. Point of fact, he is at this moment. He wants to know what these children truly feel about what he is proposing to them. While it might be much to digest for them, he is actually easing them all into it. He smiles softly as Jo compares the group to potential mall cops. Which he finds rather cute. Funny cute, that is. Not offensive/sarcastic cute. But… he glances towards Scott, who seems less than thrilled by the comparison. But you wouldn't be able to tell by his look. He's got the best poker face in the building. Okay maybe he's tied with Logan in that regard, but still.

Piotr's response doesn't surprise Scott, really. He's known Piotr for a while now. And even though they haven't had many conversation persay, he still knows Piotr. And he knows where the lad comes from. But when Joseph speaks… Charles gets a perplexed look on his face. He glances over his shoulder and speaks into Scott's mind.

~Obi-Wan? Luke? Are these people I should know? Are they part of the Fantastic Four?~
Scott doesn't react in the least outwardly to the mental communication, but he does answer in his mind.
~Movie reference, sir. Ripoff of Battlestar Galactica.~
~Ah... well then I don't feel as bad for not knowing. Colt is about to walk out, but let him go. He won't be alone. And after our talk earlier, I think he'll be back. In the meantime… you wished to address them?~

Scott just nods a little as he watches the group… and just as the Professor said, Colt walks out. Jo follows… and then Ryan. Scott gives Ryan a little nod as he walks out, showing his approval of the man's initiative. And in this short time… he thinks he has come to some conclusions about the group gathered.


Colt is the hot tempered loner… and probably will become one of the leaders
Janice is the highly intelligent but naive one
Piotr is the moral and emotional backbone of the team
Josephine is the cynic, but that's just a cover for a good heart
Joseph… Jay… is the joker of the group, but one of the more caring ones
And Laura… well she's the broken one. She is this group's Pinnochio


His eyes linger on Amelia as she speaks, and when she falls silent… there is a pause for a few moments. And then out of nowhere, Scott begins to speak. He steps forward… and should one look close enough, they would see that the single red line of his visor is now glowing softly. "We're happy you all are in for this." He motions to Amelia "She's right. This isn't going to be easy. You will be tested physically and mentally. And then… morally. Every action has a consequence, and how you deal with those consequences define your character." He glances down a moment as he continues. "I want to tell you that you won't have to fight. But that isn't true, there will be fights. Your lives, eventually, will be in danger. The lives of those with you will be in danger. But fighting isn't what this is about. This isn't about being a security force." His gaze now moves along each of the children here. "For every one of us in this room… there are three other mutants somewhere in the world… who are being abused, discriminated against, imprisoned… experimented on and tortured." He motions to Laura without looking at her "Laura can attest to the latter two." When he points her out, she shrinks down a little in her spot on the floor, her eyes cast down as her hands fold tightly together. Scott didn't want to point that out about the child, but he wants this to resonate with them all. And having an example of his point in the room is a good way to do so. "It's those that you are going to be standing up for. We have to be the voice of those without voices. Or those that are to scared to speak up. They are who you are fighting for." He draws in a deep breath, and now his arms cross over his chest. "Tomorrow all of you will be getting your training uniforms. Tomorrow or the next day… you'll be introduced to the Danger Room. And the day after that, you'll hate the Danger Room." As Scott speaks, Charles' eyes look out towards the lawn, his hands folded on his lap. He almost seems to be suddenly day dreaming… but he's just monitoring Ryan's situation. "Your room assignments are pretty easy. Jo will be bunking with Janice and Laura. When Colt comes back, he'll be bunking up with Piotr and Jay." Scott speaks as if he's sure Colt will be back. He certainly hopes he's right. "We'll be putting a bunk bed in your rooms. Classes will start in a few days, so get to know one another in the meantime." He nods, as if giving marching orders to the troops. Which is how he talks much of the time.


"Class dismissed."


When Scott dismisses them, Laura springs to her feet. She strides right up to the food cart and gathers 2 of each kind of sandwiches left, and stuffs a bottle of water into her pocket. She glances towards the others with a small frown, and then heads out the door in the direction of her room. Well… her now shared room. Bleh.
 
Last edited:
With everyone going crazy with the introductions and the Professor spouting off different things the one kid walked out. Taking notice, Jo decided that he had the right idea in leaving this group of nuts. Jo was in the hallway behind Colt when she noticed Ryan following after. Given that he gave her a ride to the house, Jo decided to listen to what he had to say. As Ryan tried his best to make this entire ordeal as normal as possible, Jo knew that it was still insane. Fighting for this 'equality' isn't something Jo wanted to do. She didn't come to the school to right the wrongs of society, she came to let loose and finally be treated as a human being.

Jo glanced to Colt for a moment before replying to Ryan, "Mutants are feared and hated by society, but that doesn't mean we can change that by fighting. What are we supposed to do anyways? I came to be surrounded by people like me, not to join a fight." Jo felt bad about giving Ryan that sort of ultimatum, but she didn't see another way. "I'm going to my room. If you need me, I'll be there."

There was so much going on. Jo needed some time to adjust, not only to the idea of fighting 'the forces of evil' but also being surrounded by mutants. The magnetic fields around mutants are almost always altered in some way. Due to this, Jo was having some trouble navigating the space which is why she stayed in the back of the group. Jo didn't want anyone to know because she hated being treated like a child. People always want to help her whether it be crossing a street or going shopping or doing everyday tasks. She hated when people assumed she needed help or insisted she needed help...Maybe this was why she didn't want to join a team whose mission is to 'fix' the world. Jo didn't want to put her nose in another's business.

As Jo found her bag, she noticed that the two beds in the room were already taken. Feeling somewhat disheartened, Jo went outside in the open space and found a tree to sit under. It was farther away from the mansion than she would've liked, but it was peaceful and allowed Jo to relax and gather her thoughts a bit.
 
Logan aka Wolverine

Logan watched as the New Yorker followed Colt. Meanwhile, he had thoughts to discuss with Amelia. He sauntered over that direction.

"Amelia, let's talk about these four "

He spoke quietly, Laura would hear him, but the others wouldn't.

I'd like to continue training Laura. I think you should have a go with Pete. I believe he needs to work on defensive training and dance to limber up. Given that, would you rather work with Jay or Janice ?"

Logan has worked with Amelia, and appreciated her straight forward attitude and hard work mentality.


Piotr stood and got himself a couple more sandwiches. Laura though is too quick for him. He frowns. He scoots closer to Janice to finish his meal, feeling the need to be closer to people.

" Jay, you should talk to Colt maybe ?"

@Camleen @Ms.Ezra @abalint @Eon @Sir Kaltao @KC
 
Jay thinks he maybe, just maybe, was a little reckless as Amelia and Scott go into just how intense this was going to be for them. His eyes dart quickly to Laura in a not-so-subtle indication that she has been experimented on. That would explain a lot of what little he's seen.

Maybe Colt and Jo had the right idea? Jay chews on his snack as he listens, eyes down as he reconsiders his decision. But then his mind goes back to Laura. How she's a victim who would have needed someone like who they wanted him and the others to be. How would it look if he turns back now?

Like a wimp, that's how he would see himself even if others didn't give him a hard time. And so Jay (As he now calls himself even internally) tells the Professor "Thank you, for this awesome opportunity." with a smile and thumbs-up. He closes his bag of snacks, snatches a sandwich, and says to Piotr "See you in the room later, big guy." as he skates out of the room.

He comes down the hall after Ryan finishes his speech to Colt. He's heard none of it, but he presumes from facial expressions something very dramatic has just happened.

Well that just is not going to work.

"Heyyy..Colt, right? Leaving already?" Jay asks coming to a halt beside him and cocking a brow. "It's the whole team thing, right? How about we take a walk-for you a walk for me a roll-and I put a different spin on it? Down for that, just guy to guy, no teachers?" He gives Ryan a thumbs-up and smile "No offense, teach, I think you're cool."

@KC @Eon @Gands
 
He couldn't help the automatic way his shoulders began to slink as Ryan spoke from behind Colt, awaiting the usual scolding from adults who claimed quite often to be the bearers of the wisest advice and opinions. Though instead of an immediate lecture Ryan had tried hard to make some kind of headway with Colt who slowed to glance sideways at the man. He wondered as Ryan mentioned them not being a cult if the professor had been back into his head, though he had assumed not purely given the amount of people in one room at that time. The joke fell flat with Colt who raised a brow at the man's obvious attempt to win him over.

"I'm not an idiot alright, just because wheels bailed me out of the clink doesn't mean I automatically signed on to play along with…well whatever this shit is." Colt muttered. Though he had accepted the offer from the professor and had come along willingly. Now he was so unsure of what to do it had irritated the hell out of him. Just as Ryan had continued Jo appeared and Colt looked past Ryan to her, noticing the way her grey eyes didn't seem to focus on them completely. It seemed odd to him and perhaps if the timing was different he would have pursued his thoughts to work out what was going on with her. Before he could continue in telling Ryan exactly what he thought the teacher interjected with the remainder of what became a long winded speech over the end of the world and a group of young mutant kids were somehow the key to solving the problem. It was shortly followed by talk of what Colt, Jo and the others wanted their legacy to be, something Colt had never even bothered to think about. Colt took shit a day at a time, purely survival instinct and had never taken himself to be worthy of going to college let alone make a name for himself. In the short span of his life Colt had grown cynical; why bother when the result had always been the same?

Jo had raised the point of her not wanting to join a crusade but enjoy some kind of normality and whilst Colt had never been one to hide from a fight she had the exact point. He was tired of it, exhausted at trying to keep up with the façade of being fine. He wanted similar to what Jo had claimed, a place where at least they could fit in and be normal. He hefted a small sigh whilst Jo excused herself, Colt gently massaging a hand with the other as he considered what Ryan had said. Why was walking off so damn hard? His brow had furrowed as he stared down at his hands, his temper growing short and impatient as he wrestled with an internal dialogue that switched back and forth between options. Leave and head to the nearest city, pinch a meal and find somewhere to bunk that night or stay with a bunch of folk who had intentions of creating a supergroup. Here there would be a free bed in an actual building, food and people who maybe… just maybe, understood a little more than the average idiot person.

Jay's voice snapped him from his ongoing conundrum, prompting his brows to relax momentarily as the guy offered to walk and talk. It had thrown Colt off slightly, though if he could get some space for a minute to think instead of being lectured into a stupor then perhaps he could make an informed decision for once. It was foreign to Colt walker, a kid who had a habit of walking away first before asking questions. He glanced at Ryan as Jay finished his suggestion and nodded.

"Look I get it…just leave me alone alright?" he replied gruffly at Ryan though had he higher communication skills he would have come across a lot gentler. There was an appreciation for the attempt but being overwhelmed with everything was not helping in the least. Taking Jay up on the offer Colt gave a half-hearted shrug.

"Got anywhere outside we can hang out, it's stuffy in here." He mumbled. If he was outside he had more oxygen, a closer route to leaving and space to think. Jay seemed half decent if his appearance was honest and his relaxed demeanour went along way to breaking through Colt's defensive wall.

----
@Eon @Ms.Ezra @Camleen @alint @Gands @Sir Kaltao
 
Ryan stuffed his hands in his pockets, "That's because I am cool," he said, turning to go with a wide grin. "Let me know if any of you need a ride," he added, leaving Jay to deal with the would be deserters. True to his word, he wouldn't force them to stay if they really didn't want to be here, and would take them home himself if they asked.

Making his way back inside with swift strides propelled by long legs, he came to stand by Cyclops and the professor, scratching the back of his head, slightly embarrassed at his failure to bring the other two kids into the fold. The teacher had a bit of a slump in his shoulders, but his mood was still visibly good, eyes twinkling with a smile that only just bent his his lips. Perhaps he was just putting on a cheery face, or maybe he was just naturally that sort of guy. It would be impossible to know for sure...Unless someone in the room was a mind reader, like Xavier. The psychic powers always kind of wigged him out, the idea that at any moment his very thoughts could be under observation gave him a strong case of that special kind of George Orwell flavor discomfort. He'd seen the professor will a whole host of people into forgetting an entire week of their lifes when the X-Men had to deal with a small cell of mutant-lead bioterrorists who had detonated a genetic weapon in an office building. Most of the victims died rapidly, but those few who did survive were brought back to the mansion for treatment. Hank had managed to whip up some sort of cure, because he was a damned genius and of course he could. In order to keep the mansion's location (and the facilities inside) a secret, the professor wiped their minds of everything directly following the incident. He'd done it with all the casualness that Ryan would have if he'd spilled a glass of water on the floor. While the psychologist knew it had been far away the best option, he also found it deeply disturbing. Xavier said he wanted nothing save for equality between humans and mutants, but was such a thing even possible? How could two kinds of people ever be equal when one of the groups could do something like that?

Not that the power gap would stop Ryan from trying. As much as some of the others talked about their lives as Mutants, Ryan didn't really consider himself one. He'd lived his entire life as just a pretty normal guy up until he'd been recruited by Charles for his ability to prevent collateral damage in X-Men operations, and being a mutant didn't have all that much impact on him. But some of the people here, Logan, Scott, or Hank? Being a Mutant was a fundamental part of who they were, an intricate part of what had formed their lives. Humanity wouldn't win in an open war against mutants, even with things like the sentinels. At most, they could force a stalemate of sorts, obliterating all life on earth in the hopes to catch mutantkind in the ensuing nuclear fireball, mutual extinction being chosen over outright defeat. Some people disagreed, mainly government or military types, but Ryan knew that, whether through Xavier or Magneto, mutants would persist in some fashion or another.

"So," the school psychologist said, speaking primarily to his coworkers. "Does this mean we get to show them the cool stuff?"
 
Seeing Laura leave, Janice scarfs down what remains of her sandwich and trots after her roommate. Well one of her roommates. She catches up to Laura just before getting to their room.

"Hey Laura. Are you and Mister umm...Logan, related? I couldn't help but notice you have the same powers." She steps into their room and plops down onto her bed. It then occurs to her that they'll be bunking up(presuming Jo would be staying) and that begged the question of what the bed arrangement would be. Yet another common thing that was new to Janice, being an only child and all.

......................................

"I think Janice and I have started off on the right foot. So you can take on Jay. " Amelia shrugs "Maybe you can make him more of a fighter and less of a comedian. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think our only other girl needs some guidance." Amelia then zooms out of the room, down the hall, around Colt and Jay, and after a quick run of the grounds finds Jo under a tree. Betting the girl will have sensed her approach, Amelia stops running and comes up to her at a slow walk, hands in the pockets of her red jacket.

"Hey Jo." Amelia sits on the opposite side of the tree from Jo and leans back. This would give the space Jo probably felt she needed, but still allow them to talk. "Ryan brought you here in his old beater I assume? From your file I'm guessing you have an idea what kind of work it needs. Think you could have a listen to my Trans Am? I feel like it needs something, but I'll admit car care is just one of those things I haven't gotten to read up on." She puts her car out as a kind of bait, knowing full well there's nothing wrong with it but hoping it'll get the girl talking, open up.
 
~Laura~


Laura can feel someone following her, moving faster than a normal walk. Logan told her people do that sometimes, so you shouldn't always just assume you're going to get attacked from behind. Laura glances over her shoulder towards the approaching Jan, watching her through dark locks of hair messily strewn along her shoulders.

She, too, steps into the shared room (bleh) and hops up onto what is still her bed. They might be able to claim the space around said bed, but the bed itself is definitely hers. And she would probably fight for that. Sitting with her legs crossed lotus style on the bed, she sets the assortment of sandwiches around her in a little semicircle. Jan may… or may not… notice she has put the sandwiches in alphabetical order around her starting from her left to her right. Alphabetical based on the primary meat of the sandwich.

Hey, you already knew she was weird so don't pretend this is shocking.

For a few moments she doesn't answer Jan, but she finally starts to speak as she looks down at the array of sandwiches. "The people that made me used him for my genetic template." She says simply then. "I'm not really a person person. I'm his clone." Which is the best way she can think as to describe it. As some of the kids have pointed out to her… he's not her father, he's not her brother… he's just genetic material that happened to be used. Children can be cruel, and saying such things hurt far more than any broken bones.

She huffs softly, and she suddenly springs up to stand on her bed. She is able to move fast enough that she doesn't disturb her sandwiches. She stares at Jan a moment, and then hops off of her bed. She drops to her knees and reaches under the bed, pulling out a small wooden box. It's a pretty little box, adorned with floral carvings along it. She sits up on her knees and sets it on the bed, and opens it to face Jan. And inside… a Discman (with its batteries sitting next to it and small headphones), as well as a small assortment of CD's. The Beatles 'White Album', Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side of the Moon', the soundtrack to Blues Brothers, Pat Benetar's greatest hits and the Eagles' 'Hotel California'. She looks to Jan then expectantly, a little smile upon her lips. "See?"
 
  • Love
  • Bucket of Rainbows
Reactions: Ms.Ezra, Gands and (deleted member)
Jo had her head resting against the tree as she felt the female teacher approaching. The woman was moving rather fast compared to the average mutant. It was almost like she was being pulled by a magnet. Jo assumed the woman's powers were super speed. As she listened to Amelia's footsteps approach, Jo couldn't help but wonder if this place was obsessed with her. Between Ryan giving her a speech and this one coming over, Jo couldn't help but wonder if there was something about this group of people. When Amelia took a seat on the opposite side of the tree, Jo braced herself for another appeal to her conscious. When Amelia didn't respond with a speech, Jo let out a sigh of relief. She wasn't sure if she'd make it through another rant.

As she listened to Amelia's offer, Jo considered the options. Either turn around and walk away from the offer or accept the extended hand and make an effort to try. Still skeptical of Amelia's offer, Jo proceeded with caution. "I'm sure I can take a look," Jo replied as she secretly thought, 'this will be the first time touching a trans am....I'm excited.'

Jo stood and threw her backpack over her shoulder as she turned to Amelia. With a heavy sigh, Jo waited for Amelia to lead the way to the car. As they walked, Jo felt the school and the mutants that lived there. There were mutants flying, mutants moving in ways that were...unnatural, mutants that were much larger and smaller than the average person. Jo wondered what they looked like. People around her always said that mutants looked like demons from hell...but she never understood what that meant. To her mutants were just beings that affected the magnetic fields differently than other humans. Turning to Amelia, Jo decided to ask, "What do mutants look like?"
 
Logan

Logan has been fairly quiet. The Professors announcement didn't go over well with a couple of the kids. Well, he thought, he should be the last one for that kind of speach. Besides, Amelia was right, some of the boys needed to let out some steam.

" Okay Pete, go down to the Danger room and wait for me. I'll go get the other two. Guys. "

With that, the Wolverine marched out to get Jay and maybe Colt.

"Hi guys, Jay, time to get in some exercise. You are welcome to join us Colt. "

Logan had an almost permanent rumpled look in civilian clothes and today was no different. He was wearing a battered old cowboy hat too.



@KC @Camleen @Sir Kaltao @Eon @Ms.Ezra
 
"Outside? Yeah totally, follow me." Jay leads the way outside, using the ramp Professor X normally utilizes to avoid the difficult and awkward process of going down stairs in roller skates. Rolling out of the main doors, Jay takes a deep breath and stretches out his arms. "Breeeeathe that in! Ain't it great? I'm already missing the smell of lake beach, but it's nice." He smiles and then keeps leading Colt on towards the basketball court. The kids he had been meaning to meet before had, he guessed, found something else to do so there was just a lonely old basketball on the court. He picks up the ball, and bounces it a few times as he talks to Colt.

"You're not into the team thing, and I get that man. But hey, nowhere in that speech did I hear it said 'Join the team or get out of my school'." Jay alters his voice to sound exactly like Professor X, with a big smile of course, then goes on. "So you can stay and not be on the team." Jay dribbles the ball and skates to the other hoop at a quick pace, shooting the ball. The ball bounces off the rim, and Jay catches it. "Think about it. Learn some skills, have some awesome food, and I don't know...meet a cute girl?" Jay raises a brow, grins, and produces a wolf whistle. "Little Red is kinda cute, am I right?But um ya know, even if she's neither of our type..."Jay shrugs, tosses the ball to Colt. "Could have some fun with that power of hers. I mean just think if you could go up to a ATM and tell it 'Give me a hundred dollars'"

After Colt has said his piece, Jay is stopped from responding by the arrival of Logan. He gives the man a thumbs-up and smile. "Cool! Coming right on your heels Professor uh..Logan." He struggles a little, forgetting if he had caught the gruff man's first name at all or if, like Cher and Madonna, was known only by one name. He then turns to Colt "So how about it? Come get ripped with me? Or...more ripped I guess."
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gands
As Jay had prompted Colt to follow him, the teen hadn't dismissed the sudden whoosh and flutter of papers that were pinned on a nearby noticeboard. It had been Amelia but Colt had only just become familiar with the people here and their abilities which meant that the sudden push of energy whisking past seemed like it had come out of nowhere and his amber eyes rushed to glance to his sides in surprise all whilst Jay skated effortlessly out and down the ramp into the grounds of the school. Colt had followed him at a more hurried pace, keen to get some space between himself and the building. He could never help but feel claustrophobic in places and stagnant air just seemed to heighten his panic.

Jay seemed harmless enough and Colt watched him hold his arms out and speak about missing certain places as Colt rummaged about to try and find the smokes he had originally had in his pockets before he had been arrested. He hefted a gruff sigh as he realised the last few had been confiscated and instead found himself walking towards the basketball court empty handed. Jay had continued to talk which Colt had realised was perhaps one of Jay's favourite things to do. The guy was awfully upbeat and though it wasn't too annoying, Colt certainly not used to long or personal conversations by any means.

"yeah, great..." Colt murmured as he glanced about across the grounds before glancing back to Jay as he heard the basketball bounce against the pavement.


"don't suppose you've got a cigarette handy do ya?" he asked Jay though expected the kid probably didn't. His brows knitted as Jay manipulated his voice to sound like the professor and he took a moment before realising that it was Jay. He stood awkwardly as he watched Jay dribble the ball around the court and take a few shots though he made no attempt to join, instead simply standing even distance apart at the feet with his arms comfortably crossed over his chest. As Jay continued he offered a final option to Colt which made things a lot more viable. Why not stay and not join the team? It would mean he could still have the perks without the spandex uniform and nancy pro-active safe the world charade the professor seemed to keen to pull them into. That was definitely more enticing than the former options. The mention of girls however prompted Colt to shrug his shoulders before shaking his head.

"nuh man...girls, they just get in the way and cause too much shit." He murmured somewhat seriously before listening to Jay speak about the red headed chick from earlier. It was obvious from what Jay had spouted that he had his eye on Janice though he didn't exactly seem too confident from the sounds of things. The added point on her powers though was a good one, imagine the cash she could get them!

"She could come in real handy...there seems to be a few people around that sound useful.' Colt concluded before Logan arrived and cut him short of the remainder of his conversation with Jay. His eyes flicked from Jay to Logan who didn't appear to be as straight laced as the rest of the teachers. Jay had instantly responded though Colt studied the man with a little more time in his approach before he reluctantly shrugged and glanced to Jay with a smile at the comment of being ripped. Colt had always been fit and though he didn't have some magical speed ability like Mrs Armstrong, he was still a fast runner. "so long as I don't end up in that scooby gang the professor is dreaming up why not?" he murmured, giving Logan another looking over before following him back towards the school

---
@Camleen , @Gands , @Sir Kaltao, @alint, @Ms.Ezra , @Eon
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gands
Ryan stood there, hands in his pockets as he relaxed beside a man who could punch holes in entire mountains just by looking at them, and another man who could control the mind of people halfway across the globe. He was only slightly uncomfortable with his abilities, in comparison to other members of the team. They were his friends, or coworkers in some cases people he knew pretty well. Even if they did scare him, they scared him less than other people he'd met. Also, he could probably take Cyclops in a fight. Not a fistfight, since Scott Summers was six feet four inches of basically solid muscle, but an object that was protected by Ryan's power could reflect Scott's optic blasts well enough to give Ryan a nice edge.

He hadn't heard anything back from when he'd questioned his coworkers a moment ago, so the psychologist went to grab another sandwich. He ate it slowly, watching as the kids who'd started to leave found themselves waltzing right back into the mansion, one way or another. That was certainly for the best. It would be unfortunate if they were to fall into the hands of less...altruistic figures than Charles Xavier. Plus, this way, neither of them would experience that icy feeling that rose up in one's chest when they realized that they'd walked away from being someone incredible. It was an incredibly unpleasant thing to realize, when the moment came where a person understood that the opportunity that had been offered to them was completely legitimate, and they'd blown it off entirely. That they'd turned down a chance to be one of the people who turned the tide of history, Or that the strange, sickly looking man offering to increase his powers to incredible levels in exchange for a couple months of paid work on Ryan's behalf was actually a fairly well known figure, repeatedly proven to be exactly what he'd said, and now some guy from Louisiana had taken the offer.
 
Between the simply odd reply to her question, and the arrangement of sandwiches that had preceded it, Jan could only sit on her bed with a little slack to her jaw and slight left tilt to her head. Laura is...a clone? Even with all the weird things(herself included) in her life, this was proving hard to grasp as it was so far the most sci-fi thing she has heard. So it was a relief for Janice when Laura continued to open to her, but in a more normal way. The girl hopped off her bed to get a closer look, returning Laura's smile, but bigger.

"Cool!" Janice reaches out as if to grab her Discman, but doesn't as she remembers her manners. "Sorry, I think CDs are so cool, and you have some great selections." She looks over Laura's stuff, then her eyes light up. "Wanna see...um hear something cool?." Janice retrieves her Walkman, headphones, and a cassette. "You've heard this, right?" She asks, showing Laura that it's Abbey Road before inserting it, putting John Mellencamp's Scarecrow aside on her bed. Now standing in front of Laura seated on the bed, Janice puts her own headphones on, then motions for Laura to do the same for her own.

"Now just a couple things." Janice thinks aloud as she makes a fist with her left hand, takes the jacks for their respective headphones, and 'plugs' them into the space between her fingers. She places the tip of her index finger into the headphone jack for her Walkman and hits play. Come Together starts playing through both headphones as if both are jacked in. Which they are, as Janice uses her power on a very micro scale to send the electric current from the headphone jack through her hand and into the headphones simultaneously. The redhead girl doesn't saying anything, only lip-syncs the lyrics and bobs her head happily side-to-side until it ends. 'Stop' is pressed before Something starts to play and Janice asks Laura "Isn't that cool?"

Throughout the song though, Laura would be the only one to perceive that ozone smell around Janice has become a little more prominent, and the nearly invisible hairs on Janice's arm are standing on end.
 
  • Love
  • Like
Reactions: Camleen and Gands
Her head tilts up slightly as she now curiously watches Jan, the girl retrieving her own music playing machine. Laura really doesn't react to Janice reaching for her Discman, nor did she try to stab the girl's hand. That's got to be some kind of progress on her part. Jan shows her the cassette, and Laura squints a moment at the wording on it. To her question, she shakes her head. She's never heard of Abbey Road, or any such road. Or abbey. Or any kind of monastery that would make good music.

With a perplexed look upon her features she takes her own headphones and slips them on obediently. But when Jan unplugs her headphones, Laura shakes her head and starts to reach for Jan's hand. "Wait it doesn't make music when it's not plugged into the box.." But her hand hovers over Jan's when she then puts the headphone jack between her fingers. This is getting to weird. Thinks the sandwich arranging girl. Laura sits quietly a moment, staring towards the other girl's hand. But… when that first pulse of music comes into her ears, her eyes spring open wide and she jerks back, her hands flinging off the headphones. They fall forward,… but as if she were afraid they would be damaged her right hand flicks out catches them before they would hit Janice. She's a fast little bugger, isn't she? Janice seems okay with what's happening, so slowly she draws the headphones back. She cautiously puts one of the tiny speakers to her ear and then just as slowly she slips them both on once more. She settles a little as the melodic tune continues, it almost reminding Laura of some kind of marching song or anthem. She, of course, doesn't dislike the song, but Pink Floyd still sounds better to her.

But as the song plays, Laura watches Janice really lose herself in the song. She's not sure she's ever seen anyone so engrossed in a melody as Janice is. She finds herself smiling a little as she watches her. It's a little bit of an odd sight, but a good one. To take such pleasure in something as simple as sound. The song ends, and now Laura reaches up to pull the headphones down so they rest upon the back of her neck. Promptly she nods to Jan's question… she did indeed think it was 'cool'. And as she nods, she finds herself smiling just a little more…



And now…
The newly formed group of young mutants haven't had a ton of interaction as yet. Classes have yet to start, the staff of the school was just beginning to make out the schedules. Much of the staff for the passed few days had been strangely absent from the school. 'School business' away from the school was the explanation given. But most of the students that had been there for longer periods suspected the X-Men had been deployed for some reason. No one knew for sure, of course, the remaining staff kept themselves tight lipped in that regard. Since the 'orientation' class, 2 days have passed. The rooms had been put into order… Piotr, Colt and 'Jay' all sharing a room now. Jo, Janice and Laura all sharing a room. And each of their rooms had a bunk bed installed, so they could fit all 3 beds into the room and all. Of course Laura had insisted on having the top bunk. She was offered the bottom bunk… but she seemed scared to sleep in it for some reason.

And so, it was decided a little trip was in order for this new class. A 'team building' exercise some would try to justify it as. Which was just fine, really. Who wouldn't want an excuse to go to the mall? Ryan had been asked to act as a sort of chaperone to the group of kids. Many of the staff were starting to see Ryan as sort of the lead mentor of the group. It was obvious (maybe not so obvious) that Scott considered Ryan the best for said task. And taking the kids to the mall would be a good learning experience for Ryan as well.

The group had loaded into a van that the school owned, one that really hadn't seen much use. There really wasn't many 'road trips' or 'field trips' persay. The drive itself, well that took about a half hour or so. The school was fairly isolated after all (on purpose). And that's where we pick up. The van had just pulled into the parking lot, and it wasn't terribly difficult to find one. The Mahopac Village Mall wasn't busy today for some reason. But that isn't a bad thing.

Especially today.

Along the exterior of the mall there were banners placed along the building sporadically, advertising a rare gem exhibit that one of the shops inside would be holding in a few days. It had got some press to this little out of the way mall, but wasn't anything extraordinary. But for this quiet place, it was something.

First out of the van Laura hops, her hands tucking into the pockets of the dark blue jacket she wears. She hadn't said a word the whole trip, her eyes constantly on the passing scenery. She wasn't thrilled to have been asked/told to come with the group to the mall. But Wea- Logan insisted. He even asked her nicely. This was yet another first for her, this trip to the mall. She had seen them on television, of course. But she had never actually been to one. She looks up at the very large building, a frown upon her lips. No, she isn't as thrilled as some of the others to be here. But she was asked nicely… so she would follow the small crowd from the van into the mall itself…
maaoo4.jpg
 
Jo was still on the fence about the entire team thing, but after her talk with Amelia she was more receptive to the idea. The last two days were rather quiet. Jo was able to play around with her powers in the fields as she got used to the atmosphere of the school. From what she heard, the X-Men were out on a mission of sorts which was why the school was so quiet. Jo wasn't sure if she liked the quiet or not. Usually the shop was always noisy and there was always someone coming or going as is the nature of the city. Occasionally, Jo would feel butterflies in her stomach as if waiting for something to happen, but never did.

In the room, Jo got the single bed. She figured that the other two were closer so they could share the bunk. She was just happy that Laura took top because ladders were always a challenge for Jo despite her powers. There was something about the way they felt and how steep ladders were. Jo hated ladders and avoided them like the plague.

Today the group was headed to the mall. Jo wasn't extremely excited about going, but it was better than sitting around at the school being bored. As they loaded into a van, Jo kept her distance from those sitting next to her. She didn't really feel like interacting too much, but stayed pleasant. Occasionally she'd bump arms with someone since the drive was about 30 minutes. As they drove, Jo felt the hum of the engine. Throughout the drive, Jo heard the engine struggle and decided to help it along. She wondered if Jan could tell that she was manipulating the gears so things wouldn't grind too much. Jo could tell that the van wasn't used a lot, which explained why it groaned a bit from time to time.

Jo had her usual jeans, t-shirt, and flannel on. In her pocket was a wallet with some cash in it and her ID. Attached to her hip was a white cane. Due to them being in public with normal humans, Jo brought her cane to keep up appearances. That and it helped when interacting with sighted.

Since Jo was born blind, she was accustomed to using a cane to get around so using it came naturally. It broke down into 5 pieces and could easily be attached to her hip. When Jo got out of the van, she didn't pull it out immediately. Instead, Jo followed the crowd. If she decided to actually shop, she'd pull it out to help sighted understand why she'll ask the cashier to tell her the number of bills and have them organized in a specific pattern. But for now, Jo didn't to explain anything to anyone so appearing 'normal' felt good.

The mall was a good size. She didn't go to many malls since they were often over priced and difficult to navigate when crowded. Jo preferred to stay away from shopping districts and any similar establishment. But with a group, Jo felt comfortable going. She didn't get a huge amount of time to talk with any of the other students, so she wasn't sure what she'd do if the group separated based on interests. Jo didn't really expect to shop for anything; there was nothing she needed. As they headed into the mall, Jo wondered what kind of stores were there to begin with.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back