2011-04-24: A Difference In Interests

Players:

Tabitha_icon.jpg Travis_icon.jpg

Summary: Travis and Tabitha meet for the first time and find they don't really have many interests in common.

Date: April 24, 2011

Log Title: A Difference in Interests

Rating: PG


Barnes Academy - HoloQuad

Stepping into the HoloQuad one would almost forget that they were in an underwater school. The sky changes to reflect the time of day, sunny with clouds during the day to night time reflecting what the Northern Hemisphere would look like without light pollution. Sunsets and Sunrises are even reflected in the room. It's impossible to tell there is a ceiling up there. Plant life, benches, fountains and pathways make the room look like a luxurious park and unlike the sky, the rest of the room is real. Sometimes a breeze passes buy and the room is always a comfortable temperature giving the students a way to feel like they're outside enjoying the fresh air.


It's shortly after dinner time and having finished his homework for the weekend, Travis sits in the HoloQuad against a tree. His eyes are closed and two of his arms are behind his head, two in his lap and the other two just rest there. There's a radio on next to him that's spouting off the Colorado Rockies baseball game. Travis is even wearing his altered six-armed Rockies Jersey as he seems quite relaxed and content.

A second person wanders on in to the Quad; a rat girl, currently adorned with a pair of wings. She has a Barnes hoodie tied around her waist, since it lacks holes in the back to accomodate her current plumage, but at least she's wearing a halter-top. She's carrying a book in one hand, and a paper bag with some manner of cafeteria food in the other; but upon entering the quad she comes to a halt, and slowly looks upwards, staring.

Travis doesn't notice Tabitha walk in as he's lost in his baseball game. All of a sudden it seems that something over his radio breaks him from his spell. He sits up and stares at the radio. "Come on…come on.." He says to it before all six arms raise in the air. "Yes!" He cries out, thinking he's along. "Fuck yeah Rockies!"

Tabitha's ears perk up, and she spins around to face the person who's cheering. "…Oh!" She steps a little closer, and ends up coming around the bench to see… a man with six arms. She realizes her jaw is hanging open, and quickly shuts it. "Oh… err… Hi," she blurts out. "So uhm. You team's winning?"

Travis blushes a bit and lets out a chuckle. 'Umm..yeah. The Rockies just tied the game." He says rubbing the back of his head with one hand. "I didn't realize anyone was in here or I'd have been quieter with my sports fandom." He says before standing up and offering the rat-girl a hand. "I'm Travis by the way, are you new to barnes?"

Tabitha chuckles softly, and shakes her head. "It's alright. I probably would've heard you anyway, even if you'd been whispering." She holds out a hand in turn, to clasp with Travis' and give a firm shake. "I'm Tabitha, and yeah, I'm new." Her wings stretch out and flex before folding up against her back once more. "I'm bunking with Dashenka, if you know her… and Rashmi's got the other room in the suite. And uhm…" The naked insides of her ears color as she blushes, "The wings… they won't be there forever. They're sort of, uhm, borrowed. Not really mine."

"Yeah I know Dashenka and I know Rashmi as well. She's great but then again I guess I'm a bit biased on that." Travis says with a chuckle. "Well then welcome to Barnes, nice to have more people here." He says. "Well then don't mind the six arms, they're kinda always here and not really borrowed." He says with a grin. "So, what do you mean by borrowed? How do you borrow a pair of wings?"

Tabitha ahhs softly. "Actually, Rashmi's mentioned you… so yeah, I guess you would be biased." She stretches her arms, and clasps her hands behind her head. "The wings belonged to another mutant, someone called Aiden. He's a circus performer… kind of? Well." she shrugs her shoulders lightly. "I uhm… copy other people's powers, and I copied his by accident." She pauses, and shakes her head. "And yes, I realize how retarded that sounds, I just… I haven't had over much practice."

"Well I guess that's good that she talks about me." Travis says with a slight blush. "Okay, I think I can understand that. So you're basically a mimic. Though I wouldn't recommend copying my powers if you can control it, they're a bit complex and all over the place. See each hand has a different power." He says though he does like his six arms. "And don't worry about it, that's why we're here right, practice? Or one of the reasons."

"Yep, that'd be true," she replies. "Rashmi said the same thing about her powers. Though I can't copy anyone at their full ability yet, so… I…" She pauses, and tilts her head. "No, wait! I knew I recognized you, you were there when there was that dust-up between the two groups of gang-bangers. I copied you then, actually… but I didn't get all of your arms, just a cool energy sword." She giggles softly. "I didn't recognize you 'cause you had all your arms under a coat or something."

Travis thinks about it for a bit. "Hrm…" He says. "Oh yeah in Central Park a while back. Wow, I almost forgot about that." He says shaking his head. "Sorry, yeah. I usually keep my extra arms covered when ever I go out. Not cause I'm ashamed of them or anything just, I like to stay under the radar and it's hard to when you've got four extra arms failing around." He says. "So you copied the Energy Sword, I actually find I use my shield more often, I'm not that good at sword fighting."

Tabitha ahhs, "I really don't know how to use a shield," she admits. "I've had training with butterfly knifes though — the kung fu ones, not the silly flip-out blades that thugs carry around." She shrugs. "I don't really get to choose. Sometimes I copy all of what another mutant has, sometimes just part of it." She pauses, and shiftsh her hands to hook her thumbs in her pants pockets. "I wish I could go under the radar, sometimes. But short of dressing up like an astronaut, it's pretty tough."

"I need to be under the radar. Or else I could endanger my Mom too." Travis says taking a deep breath. "I'm…I'm in the witness protection program so things are a bit complex at times." He admits as he figures since she's a student here it's okay to tell here. "I can't say anymore then that. And honestly, I don't know much about knives unless it's used for carpentry purposes and then not even that much since I never learned how to whittle."

Tabitha ahhs sofly. "I understand," she replies, softening her tone of voice. "I won't pry or nothin'. Must be nice though… I don't have to worry about endangering my Mom, and I'm in more danger from my Dad than he is from me." She shifts her weight to her right hip, and her temporary wings stretch out once more behind her. "I'm actually pretty keen to get into learning Kung Fu again… it was a lot of fun." She breaks into a big grin. "I highly reccomend it. Great way to keep fit."

"My Dad…he died a few years back. Was shoot." Travis says and he figures Tabitha can fill in the gaps from there. "Though my Mom does work here with younger students, Mrs. Smith." He pushes his hair back with one hand and smiles. "I don't know any martial arts persay but I've been doing a lot of training with six armed combat. It's…been really helpful. Still trying to get it down but I have an advantage fighting someone cause they don't expect the extra arms. Or they're not used to it."

Tabitha sighs softly, and folds her wings up carefully so she can sit on the bench beside Travis, though she winds up leaning forwards and resting her arms on her knees. "My Mom got in a big car accident… and a few months later she had an anneurism or something… and… well anyway Dad took her to the hospital and she never came back." She pauses, and finally breaks the silence again. "Dad hates mutants. Like, I mean, really really hates them. …Us." She shrugs her shoulders. "So I doubt I'm ever gonna see him again." She tilts her head sideways, to look up at the man beside her. "Hey, that does sound pretty cool though. Mind if I spar with you sometime? I've been meaning to ask Rashmi, too."

Travis nods. "Sucks losing someone you care about." He says as it still hurts that his father isn't around anymore. "Don't know what I'd do if my Mom hated me, she's all I got, well now I have Rashmi and a few friends here. But she's the only constant in my life. I guess I hate to admit it but I'm kinda a Mommy's Son." He says with a shrug. "Sorry about your Dad." He says before nodding. "We can try sparring sometime, though I'm not Kung Fu Bruce Lee fighter or anything. Still learning here."

Tabitha ehs, and shakes her head. "Don't be sorry about my Dad. I'm just glad to be free of his bullshit. Even if I was homeless for a while." She smirks, and breaks into a big grin. "Some homeless people live in a car… but like… I've got a kawasaki ninja. It's really hard to sleep on that." She laughs softly, as she tilts her head to look forwards once more. "Don't worry, I'm still learning too. I've only really reached an intermediate level with Wing Chun Kung Fu… and I really have no idea how I'd deal with someone who's got six arms. Which I guess is why I want to try it." She brushes her fingertips through her hair as she pauses, and bites her bottom lip. "Don't ever be ashamed of being a Mommy's Son. I think it's awesome."

"I'm not sure what a Kawasaki Ninja is or what Wing Chun Kung Fu is. Those aren't really my things that are up my I'm guessing. Well you said Kung Fu in there so I'm guessing the Wing things is something with fighting." Travis says. "I didn't learn much about hand to hand combat till I came here."

Tabitha perks an eyebrow upwards. "A kawasaki ninja is a motorcycle," she replies. "They get used in races quite a bit. It's the kind of motorcycle where you hang on tight and gun the engine and go like a bat out of hell. I love it." She grins, "And as soon as I'm okayed by the doctors to drive again after my concussion, I'll go get it. …Wing Chun is just a style of kung fu, it emphasizes quick movements and a series of fast strikes to defeat an opponent."

Travis nods. "Never been on a motorcycle. I had a car before I came here but that was about it. I haven't driven in a long time. No need to." Travis says. "Never really got into racing of any kind, Baseball and Football, those re the only sports I follow. Though Rashmi always teases me about my fandom of Sportsball."

Tabitha shakes her head, "It's not for everybody," she replies, "But I like it. Most people prefer cars though… admittedly motorcycles are dangerous. My Mom wouldn't have approved." She picks idly at one of her fingernails as she speaks. "So… what are you studying here? If you don't mind my asking."

"I don't know yet." Travis answers. "I was gonna go to college for baseball but that summer my extra arms appeared and something happened where my Mom and I needed to relocate again. So right now I'm focusing a lot on my carpentry and doing a bit of self study on medicine to get a better grasp on my healing powers but over all I'm undecided. What about yourself?"

Tabitha flashes a grin. "I want to learn mechanical engineering," she replies. "And I'm tkaing Kung Fu and firearms training as well, but… mostly the engineering. I was just gonna go for being an auto mechanic, but then I thought… I've been given a chance to attend at a school that is clearly awesome. So why shoot small?"

"I'm learning some firearms training here too, but I think they teach that to everyone over eighteen." Travis says. "And as for engineering and mechanic stuff, they have a huge hanger in here. I've only been in there once but they have cars, bikes and jets in there. Maybe talk to one of the teachers about what kind of work you can do in there."

"Jets? They have… the have… Jets, did you say?" Tabitha's eyes go big as saucers, and she can't help but break into a big grin like a cheshire cat. "That… wow. That's *awesome*. I've never been within a hundred feet of a jet before. I'll go talk to one of the teachers like… tomorrow!" She giggles, and stands up slowly. "I know they won't let me on a jet for some time, but at least I'll get to look. …But on that note, I should get going I guess… I have studyhing to do. And I've let my food get cold, I need to nuke it."

"Talk to Mr. Quetzal, I think he teaches flight lessons along with languages. Sorry Agent Quetzal." Travis says. "I have to get going too, I think I'm gonna catch the last two innings of the game in my room. I just hope my roommate doesn't mind. Nice meeting you Tabitha." He says as he picks up his small radio and heads out of the HoloQuad.

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