Players:
Summary: Yet another new student meets his peers.
Date: January 19, 2010
Log Title Hello! My name is "MIKE"
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.
It's a beautiful bright shining summer morning - no wait, it's winter. It's a beautiful bright shining winter morning that feels like summer! And the news on the radio is CREEPING OUT a brand new student at the school for the genetically overgifted.
Mike is sitting on a chair in front of a videogame console, playing Super Mario Kart. He's selected a white car (naturally) and apparently got stuck with the Koopa. Every once in a bit he raises a metal thermos to his mouth (with a metal straw) and sips at something.
There is another new student who the news is quite unsettling to as well, and he walks into the rec room wearing a pair of jeans and t-shirt over his watery form. Looking at Aleksey is like looking at a fishbowl, he's a human made of water and things behind him are a bit distorted looking through him. "Good morning to you." He says in his thick Russian accent to the metal teen.
Hearing the other person come in, Mike mutes his internal radio and pauses the game. He turns and looks with his mona-lisa-gone-robot smile at the semi-transparent kid and wonders to himself whether this place is going to make him feel normal after all. He's also quite startled, but of course, that doesn't really show.
"Goooood Morning!" Mike replies, with the sampled voice of a morning DJ “… from The Greatest Station in the Chicagoland Area rea rea!!". There's a two second pause, then he says, "HI! I'M Mike!" sampled from one of the NYC talkshow hosts.
Aleksey gives Mike a confused look. "We are not being in Chicagoland, this is American Land? Am I being correct?" He's not even sure what Chicago land is, it could be soemthing he's missed since he's new the country. "I am being Aleksey. It is being pleasant to meet you." He says offering a watery hand in greating.
Mike offers a steel, chrome, and high-carbon vulcanized all-weather rubber hand in response, and does the handshaking thing. He's careful, though, because he isn't sure how hard he should grip for someone who looks like a waterbubble.
He doesn't say anything for several seconds, trying to find and stitch together a sentence, but the radio stream is pretty much limited to "WALL STREET STILL SHUT DOWN OMG" and "DEMONS! DEMONS EVERYWHERE AAAAAGH!" and "Stay in your homes and places of worship" and the Catholic radio station which is playing a happy mix of prayers interspersed with a formal exorcism. Sometimes the stuff you hear on the radio just leaves you speechless, y'know?
Aleksey just nods a bit and tries to understand. "Dah, there are demons around. I am hoping to not be seeing them. Demons are not being good. I am wishing I was being back home in Moscow away from the evils of the God." He says as he was raised Russian Orthodox. "New York City being Evil City right nows."
The robotic student nods, and pulls a dry-erase marker from his pocket. It's red. He writes, "1 of the church ladies told me bware NYC is hell on earth I believe her now." … on his arm. And shows it to Aleksey. With a tilt of his head, he plays a quick snip of a Green Day song, "I cannot speak, I lost my voice/I'm speechless" and then something from a probably-unfamiliar group, Planet P, "My radio talks/My radio talks."
"Bahware? What is being bahware?" Alexsey asks as he reads, he doesn't get bwere is supposed to be beware. He shudders at the words hell on earth. "I is never wanting to see hell. I is being glad to not going into the New York of Cities." He looks up at Mike and nods. "You cannot be speaking? What is being your superpower? Is it being like Colossus?" Since MIke is all made of metal.
Mike erases his arm with a brick-red microfiber cloth (partly because he doesn't want the dry-erase on there very long) and writes again "Beware. You are russian?" Second line, "No, this is me. Robot Boy. I get into cars. You will see."
Aleksey nods and smiles, even his 'teeth' seem to be made of water. "Dah, I being Russian. I am being from Moscow. I am not Robot Boy, I am Water Boy." He says holding up a hand as if it's not already obvious. "I am not getting into cars, I be reshaping myself to be moving."
Mike wipes his arm again, and writes, then shows it to Aleksey, "Do you freeze? Do you use antifreeze? Or vodka is alcohol I guess" … the faint murmur of the radio switching continues, but he still hasn't found anything useful to say. Although he does pause on the exorcisms once or twice.
The student made up completely of water, well what can be seen since he still wears clothing, is talking to the student made completely out of metal. "Dah, I can be freezing, I have being freezed before. It is not being fun. I am not using antifreeze, I am not being made out of it. I is not being made out of vodka either." Though he does drink it, on special occasions.
AHA! A phrase he can use! Mike asks, in a concerned motherly voice, "Does it help?"
He erases the dry-erase again and wipes the area with a second rag, restoring some of the shine to the surface. (Yes, he IS a little vain about his paint job.)
Aleksey is quite confused, mainly because the language barrier with him is difficult, his English isn't that great. "Does it help? Is what helping? Me being frozen? Is is not helping, I is not being able to do anything." He doesn't understand that Mike is probably asking about the Antifreeze.
Didn't mean to come in here, but the voices caught his attention and so a thin man in black stopped in the doorway. Almost walked right on by, only to stop and leeeaaan back, then shuffle back to look. Well now.. metal and water. That's not something you see every day. Not even here at Xaviers. If anything Jonothon looks very normal compared to you two, even if his lower face is covered in some kind of black material. Looks like costume stuff. «Aren't you a little young to be made of vodka?» It's lame, but he's joking. No, he doesn't think Aleksey is made of alcohol. «You two doing alright?» Asked because it's been one of those weeks. Most people never quite grasp that his voice is telepathic. He sounds British.
The metal one of the pair looks at Jono with an expression that should convey startlement and his eyes light up (literally) for a moment. He waves a friendly hello, and plays a sample, exactly like he did earlier: "HI, I'm Mike!" and then writes on his arm for Aleksey, "I meant wud it help 2 not freeze to drink vodka cause u r water." Dropping letters again as he is trying to go faster.
Aleksey looks at Jono as he enters. "I am not being too young for Vodka, I is being allowed to drink it on special days." He's Russian, go figure. It's just not a regular thing like with his father. Small glass of vodka every dinner. "No, I is not really eating or drinking. I is being not needing it." He does sometimes though it's just not necessary. "I is being doing good. I am being Aleksey." He says in his thick accent.
Entering, Jonothon waves a hand at Aleksey. «I wasn't serious.» He's English. They don't have the same issues with alcohol that Americans do. Mike is eyed however as the man approaches and catches a bit of that writing. Leaning around Mike, he frowns, eyes the silver one, and then settles in to be a third in this conversation. «I'm Jonothon Starsmore, but you can call me Jono.» He talks, but his mouth doesn't move. In fact he doesn't breath either, but that's more subtle. «So, Mike.. can you talk?» Beyond what sounded like a recording. Motions towards that silver arm. Sorry, Aleksey, he'll get to you in a minute.
This one, Mike has a sample for already, and Aleksey has heard it: A snatch of a Green Day song, "I cannot speak, I lost my voice/I'm speechless" followed by a snatch from an highly inappropriate Planet P song, "My radio talks/My radio talks."
He looks back at Aleksey, hoping the explanation on his arm made sense, because he'll wipe it off shortly.
Aleksey looks at Mike and nods, as his question did make sense and he thought he answered it. "How is you doing that? Taking in my head?" Aleksey asks but he does know about telepathy having read what he could on superheroes back home in Russia. "Is you being like Jean Grey of the X-Men?"
The auburn head tilts, Jonothon's hair rather mussed, and he eyes Mike until Aleksey asks questions. Dark eyes shift to the liquid one and he shrugs. «Kind of.» Yes, but he doesn't think so, no. «I'm a telepath, yeah. Once an X-man too.» Back to Mike, he finds he understands. He too lost his voice and had to find another. Lifting a hand he touches his own temple with a fingertip. «You want and I can make it so we all can talk. Least, I think so. You being metal it could be weird, but I'll try if you want.» One nice thing is that telepathy is good for crossing communication barriers.
Mike figures out that Alexey answered him while he was distracted by Jono, and erases his arm again. As soon as Jono offers to make it easier to talk he plays another sample (thirdhand from a morning radio 'comedy' show): from the movie TRON, the 'bit' talking to Flynn. "YESYESYESYES!".
Aleksey smiles raise his eyebrows. "You were being an X-Men, I is loving the X-Men. I is reading what I can back home." He never really learned much about Jono though, just the really well known ones more got around to being known in Russia. "You can be doing that?"
Eyeing Mike for the use of Bit, the Englishman none the less attempts telepathic contact. Jonothon actually dislikes doing this. Doesn't like being in other people's heads, even if it is a light contact. There will be no reading of your mind that you don't active share. He's probably the most polite telepath ever. Unless there's something weird and he can establish contact and form a three way communication. «Alright. If it helps, try talking normally, but think the words at me too. Kind of awkward at first, but you'll get it.» Didn't move during this, and certainly hasn't touched anyone, but the link itself is lightly, easily formed.
Jonothon shakes his head at Aleksey. «I wasn't a X-man for long, and they thought I was dead. It's been five years since I was on the team.» That's why you don't know him, and frankly Jono is glad for it.
It's rather easy to contact Mike's surface thoughts though they're a bit attenuated, like they're coming across a telephone line instead of spoken in the room directly. Mike's first words: "OHMIGOD THANK YOU SO MUCH!"
His eyes light up again, and he bounces up and down on his feet, "Hey Aleksey, I like the see-through look it's cool and Jono, do you have trouble breathing with that wrapped up around your face or do you not have to breathe?" Perhaps it's a good thing that Mike is usually forced to a lower-bandwidth communication?
Aleksey nods at Jono as he explains. "I am sorry they was thinking you be dead but I is glad you are not being dead. People shouldn't be dead." Again there's that language barrier not quite getting across what he wants to say. "Thank you for liking my water form, I am liking it even if I do be freezing in really cold days."
Jonothon immediately wonders if this was a mistake. Mike's delight eases that apprehension though, for he really does understand how it feels. «Don't worry about it, mate.» To Aleksey about being dead. «I wasn't. The X-men would have helped if they could.» But they couldn't, and he doesn't blame them for it. To Mike he shakes his head. Mostly in amusement. There's a smile going on, but it can only show in his eyes. That lower face doesn't move at all. «I can't breath.» It's easier to show than explain, so he lifts hands to the ruin of his face and pulls down that black material. Blazing energy immediately spills out. Living fire, the stuff coils about on the air, rather like it were stretching. «I don't have most of my face, nor any organs. Just this psy-fire. Covering it up helps people.» The missing face troubles people more than other obvious mutations might.
Mike emits an almost-involuntary "ZOINKS" sampled second-hand from another radio show. Because, that degree of inconvenience from a mutation trumps his own and deserves an audible response.
After a suitable half-second he thinks, "Sorry, wow that's gotta … yeah. So is this place always so empty? I mean, I know hell-city over there, I mean, I'm not there and I drove down from upstate where Aunt Thea lives, but, it was like a tomb yesterday when I got here. Only that eraser girl and she barely looked up from studying. Is it finals week or something?"
Leo doesn't really know what to do now. Especially with all the recent things going on. He steps into the Rec room and walks towards one of the corner chairs with a book in hand. He doesn't look like his usual cheerful self. And though most of these people don't know him, he isn't trying to step up and introduce himself like he normally would. But then, now, with the exception of his white hair, he's just average looking.
Aleksey looks at Mike confused. "What is this finals week? And no, it being usually more busy but with stuffs bing hapening in big city things are not beign good?" He says looking at Jono. "I cannot be breathing also and I am not having organs. I being all water that is why I not being needed to eat or drink but I can." And it's kind of weird to watch. As Leo walks in, the watery mutant gives him a wave. "Greetings."
Jonothon nods to Aleksey about the whole not being able to breath or eat, and he pulls that black material back up. The psy-fire disappears as dark settles back into place. The fire dances behind his eyes and then is gone completely. «Aleksey is right. This place isn't normally like this, but most everyone who can is down helping the city. You arrived at a bad time, mate.» And then back to Aleksey, «Finals week is a school term. It's when people take all their tests at the end of the school quarter.» A glance back to Leo, but because that one is being quiet, Jono opts to respect it.
Mike glances over at Leo and waves hello with one large metal-and-rubber-treaded hand.
He turns up his (internal) radio just slightly to catch a something, and it presents the sound of a choir for just a moment, singing something in latin, but it fades back out of audibility before more than the words "miserere meam" can be heard. The catholic radio station is apparently between exorcisms.
Mike thinks, "Should I introduce myself? Are there any your-name-here tags around? I don't want to keep using that one DJ because he's kind of obnoxious but I haven't found a replacement."
Hearing Aleksey's greet, Leo waves a hand and offers a firm nod. But at Mike's… very strange way of speaking, he simply stares for a moment. "Lots of new folks. Used to be just a few of us coming in every now and then. Now they're coming in all the time." He doesn't say it like a bad thing, though. But then again, he's a little offput right now.
Aleksey nods, he doesn't know Leo so he can't really read his emotions. "Dah, I be coming about one month ago. I being new here still. Getting used to things." He looks at Mike and then at his white body. "Why sticker when you being able to write on you? Better than skicker, no stick be leaving behind." He says.
Quiet a moment as people introduce themselves, the man tucks his hands into the pockets of his coat before he does the same. «Jonothon Starsmore, but you can call me Jono.» His voice is strange, but it does have a British accent. A glance back to Mike and he says, «Alexksey has a good point. Record someone saying a couple things you'd like to have, then use that, mate.» Even if it means carrying the recorder around with you. There are lots of easily portable means these days. To Leo he adds, «Mike here can't talk, but I can provide the means for you to hear him. If you want.» Never going to assume when it comes to Telepathy. Always ask first. «I'm not quite new though. More of recently returned.» Sounds amused at it though.
Mike pauses a second, not moving… borderline creepily robotic. Then he answers, thinking, "A sticker on my shirt would be fine, on my paint, NO WAY. The dry-erase stuff wipes off too easy. And Jono, you're right, I could carry one around with stuff on it. I have a built-in thing that came with… too complicated. It's only got room for like 20 sentences. So I sample off the radio when I can."
He tips his head slightly at Leo and leans to the side, which gives his fixed expression something more like a "smile". A sample plays, cheerful, "Thanks, buddy!" — too bad it's in Paulie Shore's voice. Ick.
"Ok, yeah, that's a little creepy." Leo says with a shiver, remaining in his seated position. "I may not be much of a conversationalist right now, but I do think it's odd to have everyone else staring at each other having a conversation you can't even hear snippets of." He says with a bit of a nod, leaning into the chair.
"I am being Aleksey." Says the boy made up of nothing but water. "I am finding you to being interesting Mike. You are reminding me of Colossus in body. He is being my favourite of the heroes." It's a Russian thing. "It is being strange, the talking in the head, but I is being used to it slowly."
Jonothon just looks at Leo, not really showing what he feels. Clearly he believes there was something wrong with that reply though. «Nothing creepy about being polite.» And if Leo wants, he's pulled into the mental link. There is no sharing people thoughts unless they wish to share them. Jono's very careful about that. Neither will he read your mind. This is only about letting Mike ramble. Mostly. Back to Mike, his expression is far less intense. «Yeah, I know about having communication troubles. Trust me on that. I can't even use the bloody telephone.» Aleksey gets that strange half smile. Jono's eyes narrow with laughter wrinkles, but that's the only sign, «Try being the one who does the head talking, mate.» Suggesting that it gets even stranger.
"Leo" he says, looking between the others. Of course, one thing Jono may notice is the sheer lack of emotion in Leo's mind right now, whether he wants to notice or not. "Been here for a while. Almost a year." He says, curling in on himself a little. "Not the talking in the head that's strange. That people do it when there's someone who can't hear it around. It's just one of those things."
Mike's immediate response is to think, "Sorry man, I forgot, it's been almost two months since I could just TALK, my manners are fu..ouled up."
He picks up the metal thermos next to him and takes a long sip of the contents through a metal straw. Anyone with a good sense of smell will probably smell gasoline from it.
And he spots a small stack of 'Hello-My-Name-Is' stickers, on one or other tables, and thinks, "Pardon me a moment."
He goes over and writes MIKE on one, then slaps it on his shirt, takes it off, puts it back right-side up, draws a smiley on another one, and slaps that on underneath it.
"We are sorry if we were being offending to you Leo." Aleksey says even if it isn't his power that does it, but he's also been talking outloud. "You is being here while Leo. How is it being here for long time?"
Considering that Inferno is going on down in New York City, Jonothon doesn't think much of the emotionlessness. He's seeing it a lot these days, especially in those directly affected. Mostly, he just rolls his eyes at Leo and let's the teen sulk. Whatever. Jono pointedly turns back to the other two and continues his conversation with them. Doesn't cut Leo out, but certainly isn't furthering the nonsense. «Don't worry about it, mate.» To Mike. Having no sense of smell, Jono has no idea what Mike is drinking, nor really cares. «Just leave him be, Aleksey.» Gently to the water teen. «If he wants to be rude, he can be over there. You haven't done anything wrong, nor have you been insulting.»
"It's not bad." Leo admits. "As long as you ignore the power-swap issue. The other-world invasion. The demon hordes. Attacks every few weeks on your home. Giving up everything that makes you who you are to save a selfish bastard from ruining more lives because he can't control himself." Leo ticks each entry off his fingers. "And you weren't being rude. You were making sure people walked by could hear." He says before pausing. "Sorry. I'm not myself right now. Normally my light keeps me happy and hypercharged. It's gone right now, so… I don't know what I'm doing. What I'm feeling. It's… weird." He's not trying to offend the new guy, or to be rude, but he can't help how things come out. He doesn't know these things anymore. Without his light, he doesn't know what he is.
Mike pauses to figure this out, and thinks, "OK, that definitely does not go into the letter home that they post on the wall of the church office. Assuming they'd do that anyway since half of them think I'm in an asylum or one of those military schools you send rotten kids to. But yeah. And, your light? I don't understand," and he finishes his thermos of gasoline-oil mixture and puts the lid back on.
"Jono, I am not being wrong by trying to be nice?" Aleksey asks since he's not sure why Jono say he didn't do anything wrong. He knows he didn't He looks at Mike with a confused expression. "Why is they thinking that? They is not knowing you is having super powers? They all is knowing about me back in Russia where I am living in Moscow." It's just that it's a hard mutation to hide. "I haven't been going to church since coming here." He looks over at Leo. "Is all of that bad stuff being happening here? But we are being protected by X-Men, Dah?"
Jonothon immediately shakes his head at Aleksey. «Not a bit.» Doesn't explain himself though. Not about that anyway. Instead he says of this place, «This place is a nexus..» The words are slow, for he's not quite sure how to explain it. «Exceptionally good and bad things are always happening here because of all the extraordinary people who inhabit it.» The look he gives Leo is not without pity, for he very much understands in so many ways.» A pause before he looks back to the other two and shrugs. «The problem with this is that people always get hurt in the process. Like living anywhere, there's a price.»
"It's… yeah." Leo says, nodding at what Jonothon says. "When you put so much power into a small area… It's like Buffy's Hellmouth." He explains. Of course, nobody will probably get it, but he does, and that's all that matters to him. "And hurt happens a lot here. I'm just annoyed, more than anything, that I can't do anything." He rubs his forehead. To Mike, he adds. "Living Light. The opposite of Darkforce. That is… WAS my power. But it's gone now. I pushed everything I could into Nathaniel because… he was the worst of the demons from our number. He could control and force people. I couldn't let that continue. So now, he's alive and human. And I'm… JUST human."
And there's the flashback to earlier times. Mike thinks this out loud: "Dude. Imagine I'm just a kid at home and it's dinnertime, Mama and Papa Drakos and little Mikey, 'Did you do your homework, how is Mrs. Lemming's broken arm, does she have a good teaching assistant, have you made any friends, Oh, Ana, I found something in Origen's comment on the Semitic re-copy of Luke about that question your friend had, that Cloak and Dagger thing, and it's probable that neither is truly demonic nor truly angelic but simply an imagos of the pure form' … And he breaks off, and says, "You risked your life, your BEING, to save a friend who was demon infested? Awesome."
Aleksey listens to everyone and just gets quiet. The excitement of staying here isn't what it was five minutes ago. "So, it being dangerous to be living here?" And then the image of Mike's memory comes over the link. "Cloak and Dagger? I is knowing them, and you be doing that Leo? YOu is being brave."
The motion Jonothon makes is due to laughter, but that may not be obvious. He hunches his shoulders a little and shakes. It just doesn't share through the link, and he shakes his head at Mike. «…You need to work on holding things back, mate. Hold back some. Think before you share.» The man is sure Mike will learn, and that said he shrugs at Aleksey. «No where is safe, mate. Yes, you're protected here, but that doesn't change the fact no where, no where in the whole world, is truly safe. This is one of the best places though.» Which brings him to Leo. «You know, it could just be you wore yourself out and need a recharge.»
"I don't even have a sparkle." Leo says, responding to Jono first. "My roots are already going back to my normal color." Yes. He's looked. Of course, it's only been two days, so how much root can he SEE? "It wasn't bravery… it's nothing like that. What he did to… someone else. I had to. There wasn't any other option. I'm the only one that could get him alone." He doesn't explain the details to that. He doesn't even know if what WAS there IS there anymore. But he does issue a small, "Thanks." After all, the only other responses he's gotten are 'You brought him back HERE?'
The robot-boy walks over to Leo's chair, kneels next to it and and puts on hand on the arm of it. He knows better than to actually touch someone without their permission but the offer is there, even if it isn't quite "human touch" any more.
His thoughts are more deliberately paced this time. "What Jono said, we may have X-Men to protect us but in the end, I believe, we all depend on God to protect us according to His intention, and it seems like His intention is that we are to protect each other as best we can. Aleksey, it's not an easy thing to be a mutant in the US. We have people who are ignorant, hateful, who see any difference as from the devil. My change from a human to this body, that was my fault, a stupid accident, but I don't WANT to mess up my Mama's work by telling everyone at home what happened, until it's the right time."
Aleksey looks around and nods. "I am thinking you are brave, you be giving up your superpowers to be helping someone. And you be doing it since you are not wanting others to be hurts. All right reasons, you is being hero." Aleksey believes it. "Sorry but I is must be going now. It is being nice to be meeting all of you."
Jonothon merely spreads his hands in a helpless manner. «It happens. Sometimes, when you push too far, the body shuts down your powers in order to heal. It could be days, or weeks, but don't count them gone yet.» He should know, for he's dealt with that. Pushed himself so hard he actually destroyed his own body. That didn't 'heal' up quick either. Mike's words of god have the man falling silent. That's not a topic he cares to get involved with. Besides, Aleksey and Mike are doing an excellent job of trying to help. «Cheers, mate.» To Aleksey about his leaving. When the Russian departs, the link with him disappears.
Leo doesn't know anything about religion, having no desire to ever involve himself in it's discussions, so he remains silent on that part. "I just don't know what to do right now. I feel useless." He says with a shrug. "I can't even heal those that need it anymore. Or wipe the toxins out…" He sighs. "And I don't know what to do about Nathaniel either. I don't know how I feel anymore. After all of that." He says, shrugging.
Mike isn't dim, just passionate sometimes, even though it's not likely to show on his face or body language like it used to. The omission is pretty clear.
"Hey, Alexey, thanks for talking with me, I'll see you around OK?" he thinks, and then says to the others, "I know, I'm weird, a religious robot. But I promise I won't be in your faces about it. Anyway, I can tell you how you seem to feel. Numb, tired, confused, helpless, in shock. So you had this light that made you feel on top of everything and it wouldn't let you get down or tired or unhappy? Sounds almost like a drug to me. You might just be feeling normal and you're not used to normal. I'm still honored to meet you though, even if you're not impersonating an angel."
Now that speech would NEVER be possible sampling off the radio.
The link suddenly dims, even cutting off a little of Mike's words there towards the end, as Jonothon looks off at nothing. Eyes flicker with fire as he starts for no obvious reason. «…» And then his attention is back to you two, Mike and Leo. «Mike's right. You can still help people even without powers. Billions of people do it every day. Give yourself time. It'll work out.» Of that he's sure. However… «Sorry, mate, but I've got to go. You going to be okay with that marker of yours?» Jono has to go and can't keep up the link that way.
Mike thinks a reply, "Absolutely no problem, thank you so much for giving me my voice back for a while, even if it's just in our heads."
He would grin and stuff, but, he has a serious case of stiff upper-lip.
"Oh, ok." Leo says with a quick nod as he stretches. "I'll see you all around, I guess." He looks down at his book and sighs softly. It's just been too much to figure out. Especially with the whole evil boyfriend thing. But for a few minutes, it was nice having people to talk to that didn't know all of that.
Hesitating a moment Jonothon nods, and then quietly leaves. The link leaves with him, disappearing from your minds.
Mike sighs internally, and takes his pad of post-it-paper from his pocket. He scribbles a note in a peculiarly exact scrawl - is he writing in Comics Sans? anyway he hands the note to Leo.
"I got2 go 2 office & get class assinments, L8R? Take Care OK Hero?"
"It's Leo." But even he can't resist a light chuckle at that and nods. "I'll be here. I'm hoping that even if the powers don't come back, I'll be able to finish the semester. So I can graduate."
