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Summary: Theo can't sleep, and comes out to the Rec Room where he meets Shane, also out at unreasonable hours.
Date: Tuesday, November 23, 2010. 2:30am
Log Title: After Hours
Rating: G
Xavier Mansion - Recreation Room
What was once the Parlor has been turned into a Recreation Room for the students. A nice plush carpet meets the light blue walls giving it a homey feel. A pool table at one end, a foos ball table at the other, and entertainment center with video game systems, movies, and of course, cable TV. Big comfy chairs and couches surround a coffee table for comfortable loafing. Long glass windows with a pair of French doors line one side of the room bringing in plenty of light during the day. The main rule in here is to clean up after yourself.
Late night at the Mansion, and most sensible students are in bed, warding off the chill with layer upon layer of comfortable bedclothes. But while Shane is many things, sensible is not often among them. Hence the glow of the huge, widescreen TV, the hum of the 360 console's cooling fans, as outlandishly-dressed men and woman run about a steampunk landscape, leaping and spinning and shooting guns in a manner that Hong Kong may deem improbable. All this is done in silence, however, for her ubiquitous headphones are plugged into the system, allowing her the noise level she prefers without waking up this section of the mansion.
Theo left Kael's room two hours ago, with the full intentions of going to bed. He was in bed, he even went to sleep, but his dreams wouldn't let him stay that way tonight. So he's back up and out of bed again. He wears a thin jacket over a bland green sweatshirt and a pair of navyblue sweatpants. But with snow flurries outside, he doesn't dare to come barefoot. His shoes are on his feet, and he's just come from the kitchen.
For the technopath, one of the most boring things in the world is watching TV. There are few shows he enjoys, so he usually doesn't bother with it at all. After raiding the kitchen for a batch of Christopher's chocolate chip cookies and some hot chocolate, the technopath comes ambling into the dark rec room. Theo spots the TV of course, rather instantly, and walks over to sit down on one of the easy chairs next to the TV. He has no idea what is going on in the game, but it's something to watch. Without interrupting the interaction, he uses his powers to turn the sound on a low volume through the main speakers. Of course, it's still coming through at Shane's headphones at her volume. He's probably visible through her peripheral vision. While he doesn't announce himself, he doesn't seem to be hiding, either.
Shane's eyes flick over towards the new arrival, the desaturated-pastel colors of the game doing a great deal to lighten her currently midnight-blue hair, and an eyebrow twitches upward. As the current character lands from his latest aerobatic insanity, she tugs the earphones off her ears, the background music a match for what comes out of the speakers. "…Can I help you?"
Theo watches the figure land, and shrugs, still watching the TV for a moment before turning his head to face the blue-haired girl. "Nope," he says. "Just couldn't sleep, carry on." He doesn't verbally offer a cookie, but he extends the plate over the arm of the chair and toward her as he takes a sip of his hot chocolate.
Shane glances down at the cookie plate for a moment, considering, then leans over and takes one up, nodding her mute thanks. Her attention returns to the screen, and despite all the acrobatics, it becomes quickly clear that the battle is a pitched and uneven one, as PCs get peppered with bullets, bombs, and a stream of fire from one of the larger armored robots. The cookie, held in her mouth as the game goes on, reflected light glinting off her glasses as frustration etches itself deeper and deeper on her face.
The technopath watches the system run its course, letting the plate rest on the arm of the couch next to the unfamiliar mutant, and then takes one with the same hand. He takes another sip of his hot cocoa, slurping a bit so that it won't burn his mouth. His own cookie moves to his mouth and he takes a bite out of it, chewing slowly.
Somehow, a good third of the cookie manages to disappear into Shane's mouth before the inevitable game over forces her to drop the controller with an annoyed grunt, a hand coming up to free up her mouth. She gives the confection a short, considering look, then looks up at Theo. "These are good. Who makes 'em?" Despite the relative flatness of her voice, the lilt of the LA Valley can still be readily picked up in her accent. The clothes, if one is unfamiliar with Edward Elric, are a good deal harder to place, but don't look like anything one would seriously wear on a day to day basis.
Theo is, indeed, unfamiliar with Edward Elric, or any other anime for that matter. "I think Christopher made them. He's the culinary teacher." He can tell that whoever Shania might be, she's not been here long. The school isn't that big, especially to hide someone who dresses like that.
"…Oh. That makes sense, then." And the cookie is dug into with actual evidence of enjoyment. "And you are?"
"Theodore Fegenbush," the boy answers. "Welcome to our zoo. Don't feed the hyenas." Of course, if Shane hasn't met James, she wouldn't get the joke, and he says it with such a dry tone that it almost seems that he's being serious. He takes another bite out of the cookie, but doesn't request Shane's name, he just figures she'll give it in response.
"Theod—" The girl cuts herself off, electing instead to clear her throat rather than continue. "…My sympathies. That sounds like I know exactly what your grade school life was like. Shania Morgenstern. I started punching anyone who didn't call me Shane by fifth grade."
Theo arches his brow. "I happen to be very proud of my name, thank you," he responds. His tone is annoyed, though only mildly. However, she is correct about his grade school life. "Most people here just call me Theo. I think it's because they're too lazy for three syllables." He takes another sip of his cocoa. "I coped okay, I think. I sold homework for a living. Knuckleheads were dumb enough to buy it, too."
Shane shrugs slightly. "I could probably tell you who made a locker just my looking at the inside door. Not so much the garbage cans, those're pretty interchangeable. I think one girl said I had a 'punchable face,' or whatever."
"Well, don't worry, there's plenty of people to be bitter at here, you won't be let down," Theo comments with his mug still near his lips. He seems to be getting a feel for her general personality. After all, most people don't come across so bleak when you first meet them, they usually want to at least put up some sort of happy front. He finishes his cookie, and then leans over to reach for another. "Dudes didn't punch you, did they?" he asks, as if the very concept is something that would make him go hunt them down. It's no way to treat a lady.
Shane is silent, at this question, for a long moment. The cookie, looked down at, and finished in a hurry. "…Once. They're going to court with the school, now. Guess what happens on the Left Coast doesn't really carry out here."
Theo arches his brow, apparently clueless about Shane's situation. Or if he's aware, he doesn't know that she was the person involved. "Bastards. I'm not the best fighter, but I'd sooner get my ass kicked then let a girl get a beating. Let alone give her one. Sorry to hear. Didn't mean to stir up something for you." He takes another bite of his cookie.
Shane lifts a shoulder. "It's done now, and if Dad and his lawyer have their way, they'll be lucky to afford to bus to the soup kitchen. The school's going to be harder to hit, but before I left he was starting to threaten hate crimes. So there's that. Anyway. What's this 'feed the hyena' nonsense? Is it like what's-their-names were talking about demons and monsters and crap, or does someone actually have a hyena chained up around here?"
"One of the students here looks like a hyena," Theo answers, not contesting the change of subject. "His name is James, and if he thinks you're scared of him, he'll try to torture you, so just ignore him, and you might get lucky and he'll leave you alone. "All in all, it's a pretty good place, though. I guess, I mean, nobody's going to mess with you because you're a mutant. Everybody here is a mutant."
Shane grunts. "…Fine. If he wants to mess with me, it's his funeral." With that cryptic statement, she brushes the crumbs off her hooded coat, then nudges her glasses into place on her nose. "Looks like I was right. Magical mutant Hogwarts, still just like any other high school."
Theo smirks, "Mutant Hogwarts?" he echoes. "I guess that's one way to look at it. James really does lose steam if you aren't afraid, I think it's part of his mutancy that gets him riled when he smells fear. I wouldn't say I ever get really bullied here…well, not like back home. Got plenty of people who like to hate on me, though." He offers a noncommital shrug, as if it's not a big deal.
"I don't have to be afraid of him," Shane says, settling back on the couch. "I just don't want to ruin my clothes when he pushes me too far, that's all."
A puzzled look is returned to Shane from the dark-eyed boy. "They expensive or something?" he asks. "I mean, they kinda look weird, but I dunno, if you're from out west, you probably know more about the fashions than I do." He doubts that the case, but he leaves room for his own error.
"No," Shane says, snorting in something akin to amusement. "They're just a pain in the ass to make, and I *like* most of them."
"Oh," Theo grows a little quiet, realizing that he just stepped in it. "Well, that's cool," he says. He still thinks that it looks weird. "So you wanna be one of those super high fashion designers or something?" he asks, trying to recover a little. He doesn't ask what her power is, nor does he seem to have connected that she's actually referring to it with the talk about ruining her clothes.
Shane's eyebrow rises a bit, and the look of annoyance wars with something like, oddly enough, sympathy for someone on the outside looking in. "They're costumes," she says after letting him stew a moment. "Video games, anime, I like to make my own versions. Like that girl in the game I was playing? It's pretty cold out here, maybe I'll make that for winter. I used to just wear them to conventions." Lifting a shoulder, she manages something between a smirk and a sneer. "People leave you alone when you look *too* weird, usually."
Theo glances back to the dead character on the screen, and back to Shane. "Huh. Okay, I guess I get it now. I guess they do. I'm not what you'd calla people person," he admits, "But I don't know if I'd want to keep everyone away from me. Besides, you probably get plenty of attention when you go to those conventions, right? So what do you do, just dress in regular clothes then?"
"Hardly," Shane says with a dry chuckle. "But there it's not so weird, and I'm better than most of the people who try it. …Maybe not as good as the 501st Stormtrooper Legion, but I don't really have the money to even try that if I wanted to."
Theo nods his head. "Well, if it floats your boat, " he offers. "Shane, it's good to meet you. And welcome to mutant high." He takes another bite out of his cookie, not sure what else he should offer to the conversation.
"That'll do," Shane replies, "and thanks for the cookie." The console is shut off, and in the faint glow of the black screen, she gets up, brushing down her coat a second time and stooping to pull the extension cable from the console's back. "Maybe it'll be worth being here after all… mh. Anyway, g'night."
Theo offers his cookie as a mock salute. "No problem, have a good night," he returns, content with the end of the conversation. He sinks back into the chair, sipping on what remains of his hot chocolate.
