Players:
Summary: An afternoon in the kitchen. Cupcakes, mild angst, soul nudity.
Date: January 23, 2010
Log Title Just a Normal Saturday
Rating: PG-13
Xavier Mansion - Kitchen
This kitchen was designed to feed large numbers of people, and looks it with its bright white walls and stainless steel appliances. The stove, refrigerator, and dishwasher are all larger than normal. There is an island with stools around it for people to sit and eat around along with a table for twelve by the windows in back. Along the wall is a hole in the wall looking into the dining room so food can be passed back and fourth. Anything you want to cook or eat in the kitchen you will find the food and supplies to do so.
Cloud has spent the majority of his time since arriving here yeasterday sulking in his room, but he finally had to leave to find food, hes dressed in blue jeans, a pair of red sneakers, a black t-shirt and a red lettermans jacket from his high school, he currently looking through the fridge for something thats in his opinion "halfway edible".
Trey has had an interesting week, since he battled the demons and killed one. There has been a certain battlelust that is engrained in him that was awakened. He has been slightly more in touch with his emotions but sadly that includes some of the negative emotions. Ontop of that you have this unnatural weather which is really bothering him. He is a little grumbly today. He's wearing a pair of dark grey sweatpants with the Xavier Institute logo on them. He has on a skin tight ribbed tank top in a light grey. Of course in his hands is Mr. Fuzzles. The stuffed Rabbit goes everywhere with him. As his bare feet step almost silently into the kitchen he heads directly for the cabinets. He's a purple eyed mutant on a mission. He stops where is and takes a deep breath, barely noting Cloud as he does.
One of the newer students, one Mike Drakos, finds himself once again burdened with the unconscious prejudices of the teachers against the inorganic. (OH the suffering! Wait, no, Mike kinda likes being a robot. Nevermind.)
The metal teen is normal height, but has a slightly exaggerated "buff" structure, warm-white metalflake paint on his chassis, with red pinstriping around lines of articulation that improve his flexibility - but he's not articulated the same way Collossus is. And his metal face is fixed in a near-smile. His eyes blink, glass and steel, and his palms and the soles of his feet, a rubber 'tread" similar to car tires.
The burden Mike carries? An assignment from one of his teachers. For some reason he has a home-ec class. Because he needs to learn how to cook food for… someone. Not himself.
Cloud turns around sighing as he doesn't find anything, and spots Trey, he gives the rabbit in his hands a weird look but doesn't comment on it, everyone has issues, "Hey there", when Mike enters, he doesn't see a teenage boy like people who have met Mike see, he sees a painted terminator enter the room, also hes heard of those sentenial things, instinctivly he grabs hold of the metal counter in front of him and a metalic colour spreads across his clothes, body and hair.
Trey doesn't pay Cloud much mind just yet. He leans in and starts to sniff at the cabinets and then he crouches down and there is a triumpant yell. "Woo!" And he opens up the cabinet and digs in the back and finds the thing he was looking for… CANDY! It's chocolate bars imported from Europe and Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. There is a big big smile on his face as he takes the chocolates and puts them on the counter. Only then does he turn to Cloud and look him up and down. He smiles at him. "Hi. I found the candy stash. I am sure there is more, they keep on moving it but I keep on finding it." He taps his nose and then Mike enters and Cloud goes all defensive and Trey arches a brow and says, "Woah, he's another student." He doesn't know Mike but he has heard of him. "Power down dude. We rarely get attacked at the school." He is in a better mood having found the Candy. He opens up one of the Peanut Butter cups and he starts to devour it. A content smile from the blonde and with a full mouth he offers, "wrant shome?" Holding a piece of candy to Cloud.
Seeing the way the guy at the counter just went metal … wow neat! Except for that look of near panic. Uh, how to diffuse. Samples were mostly cleared from his voice memory last night but he has the one standby phrase… A series of quick snips plays, bits of song and DJ-chatter off the radio, and it's coming from Mike. "HIThere!/My name is Mike, and/I cannot talk/my radio talks," and he shrugs apologetically. He doesn't have his shirt on yet (can't find it. It's in the gym or maybe been used as a cleaning rag by now.)
He walks over towards the two guys… candy. Wow. His sudden lust for candy doesn't show on his face. Of course.
As Trey and Mike explain that theres no need to freak out, Cloud smiles apoligeticly and returns to his normal state, "Sorry, reflex, my names Cloud", when Trey offers him some candy he smiles and shakes his head, "No thanks, I don't eat candy", in his household, sugar=bad.
Trey just looks in shock, "You don't eat candy. I love candy." He laughs at that, the genetically engineered mutant just shakes his head. "It's amazing. You should try a peanut butter cup, they are amazing." He looks towards Mike and he asks, "Are you capable of digesting real food? I don't want to sound naive but I don't know much about you. If you can eat it and be okay then go for it. Just don't eat all the Reese's." He loves him peanut butter cups. "It's okay, I think all the students are on edge. Especially the new ones. So as long as he doesn't mind. I am not offended. I am Trey."
Mike shakes his head no, and would be more tragically expressive except it would look stupid. When you're next year's model of sexy car you never want to look stupid, right?
So Mike pulls a pen out of the pouch — worn to the side, not one of those butt-bustle-bags and not a too-low-in-front bag either — and he writes a quick note on a garish-green post-it, in a very precise, almost mechanical script. (It looks like someone writing in Comic Sans font.) He offers the note to the guys there.
It reads, "I'm like a car. I run on gasoline. I have to make cupcakes for this stupid home-ec class. The teacher doesn't care if I have no sense of taste and can't eat them, I just have to make them. Would you like to be my victims testers?"
The door to the kitchen opens briefly, just enough for Rashmi to slip in and close behind her. She takes a step into the kitchen, looks up, and freezes as her eyes fall on the trio. There's a moment's pause, as she resumes her path, bobbing a hello to Mike as she starts digging in the pantry for that jar of loose tea she'd discovered.
Cloud grins, "It's nice to meet you guys", at the offer to be a tester for Mike's cupcakes he shakes his head, "No thank you, i dont eat sugar", when Rashmi walks in he waves, "Hey there".
Trey looks at Mike and he says, "So we'll pick you up some premium gasoline as a real treat." He smirks and says, "Hey, Christopher is a great person. Don't knock him, if he is having you do this assignment it is for a reason. Perhaps it is a friend building excercise. I mean after all, who wouldn't want to be friends with someone who provides yummy delicious cup cakes." He does add, "I didn't know it was possible to make jokes in notes like that. But you're funny, Mike." He starts to eat another piece of candy and he smiles at Rashmi. To Mike, "I'll be your tester!"
Peter Gabriel says "HIThere!" and Mike is sure that Rashmi is going to kill him by the end of the semester if he doesn't find a different sample to use for a greeting. If there is an end of the semester. Because the classes he's been given will surely never end.
He picks up his note and shows it to Rashmi, extending the offer to be a sacrifice to the cupcake experiment, and nods earnestly at Trey. But it isn't Christopher - he doesn't know who the substitute is, but the regular teacher is out sick (with a bad case of demon, not that Mike knows it).
He starts flipping thru radio stations quickly, a barely audible background like someone humming to themselves, only not really the same. He gathers some ingredients and some coffee cups. Coffee cups? Oh well.
Rashmi blinks, looking over her shoulder and smiling briefly to Cloud and Trey, nodding a greeting, her smile actually widening faintly at the Peter Gabriel sample. A single-cup strainer is found and fetched, tea measured out as she scans the note held forward by Mike. "…Sure," she says, voice quiet. "I'd be happy to."
Cloud walks over to Rashmi and holds out his hand, "Hey there, I'm Cloud", if she shakes his hand it'll be slightly warmer than a normal persons and she may get a slight static shock.
Trey doesn't know that Christopher is out because of being a demon. They probably didn't tell him for a very specific reason in that Trey is emotionally attached to the man and would probably flip a shit if he knew. He moves to a counter and he hops up onto it with ease while he munches on his chocolates now. He never found the mysterious doner of chocolate that he keeps on taking but if they keep on replenishing the supplies they probably have no problem with him eating it right? To Cloud, "So you touch things and get hard? That's an interesting ability." Did he really mean to say it like that? He is going through a lot of hormonal issues since the demon fight. The bloodlust seemed to unleash a great deal of testosterone.
Mike almost drops the cup at that. He plays a sample of a rimshot. PADUB-CHING!
Then he starts assembling ingredients. Two and a half tablespoons flour into each of the four cups. An egg. A tablespoon of honey. He glances at Cloud, holds up three of those pink packets, but hey, if the guy doesn't LIKE sweet stuff that's also fine. He'll use the pink packets and a bit of water, or he'll use honey and have an extra with which to poison, er, feed his roomie. Only one has to go to the teacher.
He adds a teaspoon of butter to each cup and then takes a whisk and mixes the contents. Not surprisingly he's about as fast as a hand-mixer would be.
Oops. Oh yeah. One drop of vanilla and a quarter cup of bittersweet (86%cocoa) chips. There, that's doomy enough, he stirs those in, and they go into the microwave. Beep beep beep. Whierr.
Rashmi starts as Cloud trots over and sticks out his hand. "Um… hi." At Trey's possibly-not-innocent question, she blanches faintly, clearly deciding to change her mind about taking his hand at the last moment. Scooting over to the tap, she pours some hot water into the mug, adds strainer, and edges past Mike, taking a seat at the table in the corner to let her tea steep.
Cloud goes bright red at Trey's comment, he lets his hand fall as she walks away, "N…n..no, umm, i absorb and replicate energy and matter, if you did look at his hand there is a slight spark of electricity as his powers react to his embarassment.
Trey just laughs at the reaction he gets and he says, "Wow you guys sure have perverted minds." He hops off of the counter and he says, "I gotta go get dressed. I have an appointment tonight. They are trying to do some crazy stuff to try and get my memories back. I hope it will work." He says to Mike, "Save me a cupcake. You can put it in my dorm room if they come out edible. It was nice meeting you both." He takes his bunny and his candy and heads towards the kitchen exit
Mike is insulated! He turns while the cupcakes are thrashing around in the microwave to offer Cloud his own hand to shake. Hardly anyone ever wants to do that, but now that his hand-tread is much smoother and less dramatic since he got them repaired, well, maybe that will change. A faint smell of chocolate wafts out of the microwave.
As Trey realizes the lateness of his hour, Mike nods … no grin, sorry … and will save one of the cupcakes. If they don't come to life and kill everyone.
Rashmi looks up, frowning in puzzlement at the purpose of Trey's appointment. "Oh… um… good luck…?" The microwave gets an odd look and a raised eyebrow, the redhead appearing to have her own ideas on how to make cupcakes.
Cloud recovers slightly but is still blushing, he shakes Mikes hand and doesn't mind the texture, he used to working with cars, "Cool, dude your like a car", cars are Clouds main hobby after football, as Trey leaves he waves, "See ya dude, have fun".
"Beepbeepmmbeepbeep, yeah," Mike answers in a snip from the Beatles.
The microwave dings. A faint whiff of too-hot curls out and Mike spins and pops the microwave door open. Each cup holds a tall, but subsiding, cylinder of chocolate-marbled yellow cake, with one of them a touch too done, despite the benefits of the rotating tray.
Cloud looks over at the open microwave, "Those look interesting".
Mike glances at the recipe, and stops … allow thirtyseconds before removing. OK. So he writes a quick note, "If they came out bad then I can try one without sugar. These just have honey but its the same thing sorta. I can smell burnt, but it looks ok. Does it smell bad-burnt, or just a little bit?"
Yes, they do smell burned, but just a little bit, not unappetizing.
Cloud shakes his head, "No, they're not bad burnt, they actually smell nice", thats really not good its hard enough for Cloud to avoid snack foods as it is.
Mike pulls the cup-cakes out to cool, setting one before Rashmi, with a spoon, for when she's ready to try it. The others, he puts safely far away from Cloud, unless the guy pounces on one. They wouldn't be that bad - only a teaspoon of honey and some bittersweet chocolate, actually closer to muffin than the usual. The texture… a little flat, a little wet, nice crumb. Should have use a little baking powder.
Mike grabs his note pad and prepares to write.
Cloud fights the urge to jump on the cup-cakes, instead he walks over to the fruit bowl and takes out an apple, the sugar in the apple is all hes gonna have, bitibg into the apple he says, "So New York seems pretty fucked up at the moment".
Mike glances up, nods emphatically, playing a sound bite from TRON: the "bit" saying YESYESYESYESYES.
He writes quickly, on the pad: "Hey, do you like cars? Have you seen the garage here? It's amazing!"
Rashmi, while Mike is occupied, digs a small clump of cupcake from the 'sample' in front of her, popping it in her mouth and rolling it on her tongue, eyebrows drawing down for a moment. "It's…. okay…" she says, finally. "Um, were these *supposed* to be cooked in the microwave…?"
Cloud nods grinning at Mike's question, "Yeah, i love cars they're sooooo cool, i've got one i built from parts in a garage off campus", he then shakes his head, "No i haven't but i realy want to".
Mike nods enthusiastically. He parked his bike in the garage initially but has not yet heard whether he is allowed to keep it there (due to his mutation) or get a place off-campus. It seems kind of odd to him, given the rumors that this place is attacked hourly, but so far the rules at this school have been much less stupid than at the previous five he attended,
At Rashmi's question, He picks up the assignment sheet from the counter, handing it to Rashmi.
"Using the standard ratio of 1 part flour, one egg, one part sugar or two tablespoons honey, one part fat, make four cupcakes, incorporating at least two other dessert ingredients. You may use any type of oven to prepare them and they must be edible. Bring one to class as your proof-work, give one to two other persons and get their feedback on the form below, along with their signature. The last one, taste-test yourself and also fill out the form."
Rashmi frowns at the worksheet, the first question leaping to mind having less to do with home ec, than how Mike can manage to taste-test his own work. "Well… The problem with the microwave is, it… sort of boils the water too much, and scalds the food… This is kind of more like a muffin. It's not…. *bad,* Mike, but…"
Mike nods to Rashmi, and gestures in a "write it down please" way. Where's Jono when you need him? OH RIGHT! He writes another quick note, "I don't have to make super tasty, just edible. Mom used to make these from a mix, they were real good. You wanted to ask me a personal question, what was it?"
Rashmi blinks, slipping a pen from her book bag and starting to scribble down her comments… And adding helpful tips, one or two possible suggestions, crabbing her words to get at least most of them to fit in the space provided. "Well, um… Aren't… you going to have a problem with the last bit?"
Cloud wanders over to where Rashmi and Mike are, "Do either of you guys know if this place has a football team i could try out for", yeep, Cloud is a Jock without a team.
Football team? Mike gazes at Cloud, and shrugs expressively, in a "uh idunno" fashion. He writes quickly, "Just got here last week. Talk to Dallas. If there is one he's sure to be QB, Coach and 3 other positions."
Rashmi hunches her shoulders at the mention of Dallas, turning the teacup in her hands. "…Just the training squads," she murmurs, eyes fixed on her teacup.
Cloud grins, "Well when i meet him i'll have to let him know that the Quaterback position is mine", just what the Doctor ordered a little healthy comitition.
Mike has no sample to answer the way he would like to: a rousing football cheer squad cheering. Then again it wouldn't carry the proper weight of irony if he did. So he just nods with a bit too much enthusiasm.
OK, he has feedback from Rashmi, and no substitute cooking teacher in home-ec would bother to think that the answer was faked. Nobody puts down that much stuff for a fake.
Mike looks up. Cloud won't eat it… maybe he can find another victim for the extra experimental cupcake… but who? Whom? Whateva.
At the back table by the kitchen, Rashmi sits, staring down at her teacup. Well hidden beneath the thick curtain of red hair, her face is tight, pained, and the girl seems more than willing to let the bulk of the conversation flow right past her.
It's a gentle, subtle thing, but quite out of no where Mike feels a familiar presence. Someone who's done this before. A bit different today, but still the same affect. If you don't have shields, Mike's words will be broadcast at large to the room. Rather like Jono does his own mental voice. No group link. Mike can even get in a bit of dialog before Jonothon himself appears. Yep, skinny guy all in black - from nose to toes. Certainly doesn't look to be one of the X-men, does he? Hair's a mess, clothing a bit rumpled, and anything but a costume on. Yet with only a wave of greeting to the others, the man walks to Rashmi. No words, just something he's not done before… He tries to rest a hand on her shoulder.
Walking into the kitchen is Robyn, and he looks quite a bit better than he has the last few days. He doesn't look as tired and there's some colour back in his face. He walks in wearing a pair of black jeans over a Corspe Bride t-shirt. He gives a nod everyone in the room and goes to head into the room. Spotting Rashmi at the table he gives her a small heya.
Cloud takes another bite of his apple and sits down on a chair, hes dressed in blue jeans, a pair of red sneakers, a black t-shirt and a red lettermans jacket from his high school, he raises an eyebrow at the essay Rashmi put in the comments section of Mike's worksheet, he watches the rumpled stranger and the emo looking kid enter the room and offers a wave.
"Woah. Jono? Awright, thanks, man," Mike says on the link, and his mental voice is that of a teenage boy just going between tenor to light baritone. No cracking and squeaking like it did when he had flesh and blood. though.
He's the same robot-looking kid that Robyn met the other day, but his formerly melted hands are fixed and the big gouge in his paint job is gone. He has no shirt on, just his board shorts and the little hip-pouch thing. He's holding a cup full of what looks like … cake? Yeah, microwave cupcake experiment. Glancing impassively (warily) at Robyn as he comes in, he stands still (relaxes), and tries not to think of the guy as Goth!Richard. Wait. Could he be a tester?
"Hey Robyn, is that right? Would you, uhm. like to try a cupcake and write down your impressions? Its for a class."
Rashmi looks up as the hand is rested on her shoulder, the lines of her face smoothing out just a touch too late after the shadow of her hair falls away. The redhead gives Jono a gentle smile, patting the Bit's hand with relief in her eyes, and starts faintly after Robyn walks intot he room. "Oh…! Robyn! You look…" Starting to say one thing, she flushes, changing her thoughts midstream. "…good, today. Sleep all right?"
A nod to Rashmi and Jonothon lets his hand drop. The contact doesn't last all that long at all. Still without saying anything, he lifts a hand in greeting to everyone here and simply sinks down into a chair across from Rashmi. Nope, not here for the food. Maybe it's just to help Mike. Jono's not telling. It's not that he's angry, or upset, but merely quiet today. That happens.
Robyn shakes his head at Mike's offer. "I just wanted a sandwhich, something that's actually food." Cookies every now and then do not count as a good mean and Robyn is actually a bit hungry. "Thanks Mike. And yeah, I got a good night's sleep." He smiles at her and there's a bit of a conflicted look but he looks over at Cloud and waves. "Hi, I'm Robyn." He says before digging sandwhich fixins out of the fridge.
Cloud gets a very confused look on his face when he hears Mike and Jonothon's thoughts, "Whoa, thats new", he looks away from the exchange between Rashmi and Jonothon as it looks kinda private, he smiles when Robyn introduces himself, "Hey, Im Cloud"
Mike's link-voice says, "Not a problem, Robyn. I'll poison-I-mean-try-it on my roomie. Maybe I'll end up with a single room."
He punches Cloud on the shoulder (very) lightly, and says on link, "By the way? Hippies, or Final Fantasy addicts? Oh yeah, and my last name's Drakos."
If Cloud is into high end racing, that name may mean something to him: a Drakos engine was in the winning car in the most recent Indy Classic. Mike is chuffed about that.
Rashmi manages a small chuckle, bringing her teacup up to her lips for a sip. As silent as Jono, she simply listens to the banter between Mike and Robyn, eyes focused on the small ripples disturbing the liquid in her cup.
Zack walks in, well now he's looking to try and get a sandwhich or somthing, he sees…ok his roomie, Ms. Baller, the guy with no face, someone he does't no, and a robot. Sure it sounds about right. The big guy raises his hand, "Hello there…" he says as he goes to raid the fridge for some coldecuts.
Introductions are going around, so the man in black gives his name too, «Jonothon Starsmore. You can call me Jono.» That weird voice is British though. Clearly not American. Also rather too old to be a student. With that he tucks hands to jacket pocket, and slouches in his chair. Comfortable!
Robyn is in the middle of making his own sandwhich and is fairly quiet, just listening to people. He is getting used to the psychic broadcast communications from Mike thanks to Jono. "So Rashmi, how are you holding up?" He knows he was harsh to her about Lucas but he doesn't want to bring it up, not at all.
Cloud sighs, "I was named by my ex-hippie grandma, in her mind Cloud was an approriate name for a boy, she named my twin sister Star", Mike's last name reminds him of something, "wasn't a Drakos engine in the winning car in the most recent Indy Classic?", he waves at Zack as he walks in.
"Yes, yes it was." Mike bounces up and down… which may cause things to wobble a bit so he switches to just shifting back and forth. HIs voice on the link is gleeful.
"Papa just sent me the specs for it. He didn't tell me what they were working on - course I wasn't allowed to even go to the garage where they built it, Mutant plus any competitive sport, they freak. So I forgot until I got the email this morning."
He stops moving again. "You have a twin sister? Neat!"
Rashmi lifts a shoulder in a careless half-shrug, letting it drop. "I'll deal with it," she says to Robyn's query. "…More important things to worry about, anyway." Reching beneath the curtain of hair to tuck away an errant lock tickling her ear, she lifts a hand in greeting to Zack, one ear on the boys' conversation.
«Mike.» The name is a warning, for that bouncing isn't a good idea in here. None of that now. «Don't bounce.» Jonothon clarifies, for he doesn't want Mike thinking it was the topic that there was trouble with. Yeah, he's one of the adults around here. Isn't that scary? After a moment there's a private question for Rashmi. Only she hears it. «What happened?»
Zack is listenining to stuff mostly ash e makes himself a sandwhich, and keeps making himself a sandwhich, one layer, 2 layer…3 layer, the large teen keeps topping the pile of food untill he's satisfied and licks his lips.
"Sorry about last night." He says as he finishes up his sandwhich and goes to sit at the table, grabing a bottle of water from the fridge first. "Twin Sister…I think I have a twin brother. I'm not quite sure, I've only met him once." And he thinks he's an Alien.
Cloud laughs at Mike's reaction, "Hey, calm down dude", he starts feeling home sick again at the mention of his sister, "Yeah Star's cool, she's the one person i know who really gets me, she knows what im thinking before i think it", he nods at Robyn when he mentions having a twin, he then goes over what Robyn just said in his head, "Wait, what?"
Mike nods, and says on link, "Yeah, I met Richard the first day we were assigned rooms. Kind of a shock when I met Robyn in the medBay the next day. Nice guy."
He has already stopped bouncing, so is just standing still like the other hardware.
He looks at Robyn, with an abologetic tone, "I couldn't say anything about it cause you were already kinda busy with other stuff."
Rashmi glances up at Jono, shaking her head just a bit, eyes flicking to Robyn; not here, and definitely not now. "It's fine," she replies, turning her teacup in her hands. "I guess I'm just 'short on opening my mouth' anyway; I should probably fix that." Even with her subdued, almost muffled mien, her vocal finger-quotes are as audible as ever; a true talent, that.
Eyeing Rashmi, Jonothon opts to honor that. She doesn't want to talk about it, so he doesn't press. «Alright.» Clearly he isn't buying what she's saying, but he leaves it there. Sorry for being so quiet, but he really's here to loiter and let Mike talk. Means he lurks in that chair, and little more.
Zack lifts up his giant sandwhich and gives a large bite to it, the big man really does pack on the calories, then again, he is a growing boy! Chewing and listenining to all the converastions with a group of people normally seen in a comic book, he takes another bite and intently pays attention.
Robyn starts to eat a bit as he looks up at Cloud and shrugs. "I really don't know if I have a twin. I met him once a few days ago. The guy looks exactly like me though." It's just weird to him but he figures he'll wait to approach Richard in a few days. He looks at Rashmi and sighs at something she said. "Look, I know he said that stuff but he's my friend too and I can't pick sides."
Zack just finishes his sandwhich, giving a little lick to his lips as he cleans off the mayo, looking around, figring that his place must have a dishwasher, he puts his plate away and washes his hands. Big guy lifting it in a wave as he trundles out again.
Mike walks away from the direction of the conversation, collecting the utensils and everything (including the whisks he used earlier) and rinsing them all in the sink before loading them into the dishwasher basket.
Then he watches the water drops on the backs of his had beading up on the shiny surface. Lovely simple water drops that just flow.
Rashmi shakes her head slowly. "Robyn… I'm not asking you to choose sides. That would be a horrible thing to do. Like I said… I'll deal," she says with a shrug. "Probably worse things will happen than Mr. All Star Athlete picking on me, right?"
Jonothon finds there's suddenly something worth paying attention to. It's not like he's made a big deal out of it, but the man is watching the interchange between Rashmi and Robyn. «People still giving you a hard time, gel?» So not about to chide anyone doing so, but it helps him understand this conversation better. Not that her demeanor isn't a huge indicator that something is really wrong. There's a slight frown and he looks between Robyn and Rashmi.
Robyn just puts up his hands and shrugs. "Rash…we're all having a rough time right now, all of us are worn thin and…" Robyn just shakes his head standing up. "You know what, maybe I should just go. I think I'm gonna eat up in my room." He thinks he's bothering Rashmi with his presence and is upset that she's mad that he's friends with Dallas.
Mike doesn't look away from the drops of water in his hands, but he does talk on the link.
"Robyn? You seem like a pretty cool guy when you're not just freaked out, and you were, well, pretty fierce but the way you helped Mikh… that was amazing. And Rashmi, you seem like you've been kicked one time too many. I've only been here a little while but I think I'd like to consider you both as friends, OK? Not just guys I go to school with?"
Rashmi rubs at the bridge of her nose. "Robyn…" Her voice is strained, tired. "I'm not blaming you. Dallas used to be a pretty good guy… Was kind of nice to be friends with him, you know…? But… If he can't bother to let up when more important things are going on…" Slowly, her head rises, an eyebrow quirking. "…That's unfair to you, too. And it upsets me, just as much. You and Jono… and Mike," she amends, turning a weary smile toward the mechanical boy, "are about the only friends I've got left, anymore. …You know that, right?"
«..Robyn. You guys are friends. I know this shit sucks, and you don't agree, but you are both miserable. Maybe you could put the bullocks aside a little bit and be social?» Pulling a hand out of a pocket he motions with it. A suggestion only. Jonothon's trying hard to be neutral here. Also makes sure not to speak over Mike, waiting for the robot to finish. There's a nod to Rashmi for what she says. «Really, it's okay you two disagree. We don't need to talk about that stuff now.» How Dallas is, and Lucas. Then again, you want to and Jono won't complain.
Robyn nods and it's in agreement being both miserable and not needing to talk about that stuff. He sits back down and takes another bite of his sandwhich. He knows him and Rashmi disagree and he won't bend on his opinion but he's not telling her how he feels about it today. "I can try. I mean, at least I finally am eating again right?" He says not really sure what to change the subject to. "Um…Mike, right? So you're a…what are you?"
Mike stands straight again, taking his hands out of the sink and drying off, removing a bit of cupcake-batter that somehow found its way onto his abdomen, re-polishing. Shiny. That's better. He walks back over to the others.
"I'm a mutant, I can merge with vehicles. They become my body, sorta. If they get damaged, I get damaged, but my power replaces the damaged part with machinery. I did a very stupid thing. Stole a truck from a vice principal who was out to get me. Wanted to leave it the next town over. Wasn't paying attention, hit by train, dad found me in the junkyard and talked me out, now I'm," he shrugs, "Not able to change back to human."
Rashmi winces faintly, scooting out one of the other chairs for Mike to sit in. "That's… terrible, Mike. But… at least your dad was able to help. He sounds like a really good man, to be able to do that." Listeningto the story of another, a very welcome topic for the redhead as well. "And you're here, at least, right?"
Jonothon sits up more properly in his chair, and turns fully towards the table. He rests his arms there, and leans forward. Sure he can't eat, but he can do his part by joining the conversation. «He also can't talk. I've been helping. That's why it's kind of weird and only when I'm around.» Jerks a thumb towards Mike. «Can you take on new parts?» Curious at Mike there.
Robyn raises his eyebrows at Mike. "Wow, that's kind of crazy. Hit by a train?!" He doesn't want to ask the obvious question, how bad did that hurt? "I guess it's good that you came here, no trains? So do you think you could ever be able to turn back to human?"
Well, if baring his soul is the anodyne to the tension that was making things so unbearable, then Mike will gladly get soul-naked for the cause. And that means weaknesses, too.
Robyn gets a laugh out of him, purely on the mental link, "Dude, I think I am gonna remember to look before I go through a crossing now. It hurt like .. I dunno, Worse than anything. I imagine Jono probably had it worse though. And Jono, I don't know if I can. I have seams and stuff but we don't know what's behind it. I don't even know how to open the hood, if there is one. We did find out, before, that if the vehicle is damaged and then fixed, it didn't make me go mechanical. Before I came out here Papa tested things, it didn't damage me when I came out of a damaged vehicle but it hurt and I was kinda groggy for a while. My folks were sending me here anyway, Mama knows Mr. Wagner from some of her seminary work, so she called him, he arranged some of it. I didn't expect it to be like this… I keep hoping I'm doing the right thing. The teachers are pretty good mostly except the subs are insane." Answer the question Mike. "I guess I like it here… OK, Robyn, no, I wouldn't. I always wanted to be a motorcycle when I was little, is that weird? I miss greek desserts. I miss smeling food. And eating. And, other stuff. But I really like being like this."
He stares at the floor. OK, maybe naked soul is a little dramatic.
The baring of a new set of life lessons, definitely much more comfortable ground for the redhead, and it's clear in the way the tension ratches out of her shoulders, allowing her to relax a little more in her seat. Smiling in response to Mike's mental laughter, she finishes off her tea. "I've honestly forgotten what I was expecting, on the way up here. I remember being scared to death, because there were these kids at my old school in a gang, and they'd almost started a shooting the week before. So… I'd wondered what that would be like, only…" Trailing off, she wabves a hand around the table, indicating the four of them. "It was strange, sure… Probably I'd have freaked out more when I met you, Mike, if Aleksey hadn't been the first person I met. As for the rest…?" She gives a little shrug, well aware of the thin ice she treads, now. "You said your mom does seminary work, right…? Well… Then I suppose that's a good way to measure it… If you think what you do is right, by the spirit of the lessons God would have us learn…"
Jonothon can only shrug about having it worse. «No way to tell that, mate.» Meaning? He doesn't think it's necessarily worse. Just different. Nor does he want to focus on him right now. Let's keep this about Mike. «You might want to think about that.» About the changing aspects. «See how it feels when you take over a car or something. You may never get anywhere, but no point in not trying.» Another shrug, trying not to talk over the teen too much. And you know, he misses desserts and smelling food too. Le sigh. «You know Kurt?» A bit of surprise at that. Kurt's someone Jono hasn't though about in a long time.
«Heh.» That to Rashmi about talking on thin ice. «You're fine.» Really. He's thinking about when he joined Gen-X that first time. At least Angelo was there. All the pretty people would have been unbearable back then otherwise. «Nothing prepares you for this place. It's totally a dropped in the deep end experience.» Nose wrinkles, and he smiles for it.
Robyn smiles at Mike and nods. "That's good, that you like what you are. And all of us are a little weird, so if you wanted to be a Motorcycle, not everyone can say they live to see that dream come true." Robyn was taught that you should just be yourself no matter what. "And I think all of us were scared when we first came here. I was terrified, I mean you're told you're going to a school with a bunch of kids with superpowers, I mean…I didn't think I'd have any friends since..well…some people think I'm kinda weird."
Mike has been quietly looking at the floor, but looks up at Robyn, eyes flashing on for a second. "You are weird. That's a good thing."
He pops the next bit of advice off the stack - pay attention to how it feels. "OK, Jono, I'll try. Usually I'm trying to remember what I want it to become, though."
And then he looks over at Rashmi. "Mom's a priest… she specialised in being an interim, which is when a place is getting a new priest and they have a gap between the old one and finding the new one. But she met Mr. Wagner when she was getting her degree. I haven't met him yet."
He lowers himself to the floor or a chair, whichever takes him to a level position. Standing is hard on people's necks.
"I do pray, Rashmi. All the time. If I count off my engine cycles and use the Greek rosary I can get 1200 petitions per minute." Even the voice is deadpan there.
Rashmi nods softly as Mike lowers himself into the chair she'd pulled out for him. "Then, you're probably going to be fine," she says, chuckling a bit at the ppm count. "My papa always told me to find justice in the act… And that the worst evil of men, to stand by and allow cruelty to thrive." Looking back down at her empty teacup, her shoulder rises slightly. "I believe in the message taught to Mar Tomas, that he took to my parents' land. Of compassion, of charity, of the lights in dark places, and that Heaven is the birthright of everyone… They only need choose to seek it." Trailing off, she blinks, looking between Jono and Robyn and flushing slightly. "Sorry… just… all you can do, Mike, is what is good in your heart, you know?"
Satisfied with being told that Mike will try, the man doesn't press. The kid has enough trouble right now. All of you do. Nose wrinkling again, Jonothon motions a bit of laughter. Shoulders shake slightly. Of course there's no sound, and it only shows in his eyes. «I hope you get to meet Wagner.» He's a pretty great guy. Well, when he's not angsting. Sad when it's Jono's the one smacking you about angst.
Robyn just listens as Mike and Rashmi talk about stuff that's gone over his head. He doesn't know much about religon he wasn't raised religous in any fahsion. "My parents just taught me one big thing, be yourself, no matter what. As long as your true to you, that's what matters." He says but he does belive in doing what's good in your heard, just there's no religous conotations for it with him.
"Tomasine? neat, we used a Tomasine liturgy last year for Maundy Thursday for the foot washing part."
Mike ponders her words, and nods. For now he doesn't want to debate, he wants to affirm, and they can have a good time some later day talking about the balancing act.
"That's about the same thing, Robyn. I have a religion that gives me stronger guidelines, but yeah. If you are true to the best you can be and strive to be better. That's what Papa told the mechanics when he hired them." (And yelled at them, in sermon form, when they came in hangover-drunk or late too often.)
"So … your parents sound like good people too. What's your passion? What do you do that you wouldn't be happy if you couldn't do it? I mean, mine's vehicles, Rashmi's got to save the world from itself," wow, Mike can wink. One eyelid closes. "And Jono … I'd say his passion is for owning black clothes and being a secret optimist. What's yours, Robyn?"
Rashmi's mouth falls open, about to take the joke as truth… until Mike manages a wink. Chuckling, she shakes her head. "No, I'll never be able to save the world… Who wants that sort of job, anyway? Getting the world to save itself, now…" As Mike asks his question of Robyn, she raises her eyebrows, looking to the boy. She knows, clearly, but prefers to let him tell it.
If only he could snort. Jonothon makes the motion, but that's about it. Funny, he doesn't actually say what his passions are. No, instead he chooses to eye Rashmi. «If you don't want to, then why are you always trying?» Asked in a teasing manner, and not meaning to be serious at all. Poor Rashmi needs a little off chiding time. «Being a hero isn't all bad.» Just mostly.
Robyn smiles at the question and shrugs. "I like to sculpt, I've liked it ever since I was little. I was a Play-Doh master as a kid." Robyn says laughing. "I like to do anything with clay, pottery or sculpting, it's refreshing and relaxes me. Which I think is why I've been kind of stressed. First I was a Frog for over a month, I couldn't sculpt anything with those hands, then I get my own body back and less than a month later, broken arm, so I gotta wait for it to heal before I can do anything. I sometimes get scared I might frighten a roommate with what I make. But yeah, I wanna go into the movies and be a creature sculpter."
"Wow." Mike's link-voice has an impressed tone "You must be good then. See, I always wanted to be able to do that, never turned out right. I kind of can now, but reallly really specialized. Couldn't make a creature, but I can probably make a monster truck you would not believe. Just gotta get the design down first. And I can't go a day without merging, I get twitchy, I can't imagine a month without … couldn't you use the medbay to fix your arm? It repaired my hands."
He shows the undamaged, cleaner-treaded design. "I guess it had to do the whole thing for me though, cause I don't heal by myself."
Rashmi nods, smiling. "He really is good, Mike. You should see him, when his arm's fi—" trailing off, she blinks, first peering at Mike's hands, then Robyn's cast. "..Um. They have a machine here to fix that…?" Even after all this time, Mutant High never stops surprising.
Fingers thread together as Robyn speaks of sculpting. Nothing said, just a nod, but that isn't a bad thing. Jonothon just has nothing to offer. Not an artist. Wouldn't know! Does have something to add to Rashmi though, for that there's a machine. «I can get it running if you need.» To Robyn, in case he wants some help there. «The interface isn't too hard.» And think, he actually has some of the proper access codes.
"Wait, there are like magic machines here that can fix a broken arm?" Robyn sounds confused by it since it doesn't make sense to him. Though he does blush as Rashmi says he's really good. "If you want Mike, you can stop by my room and I can show you I've done. I have tons stuff up here."
That's an easy one to answer, and Mike does. "When is good? I've got some homework to finish, but tonight or tomorrow afternoon I can check by."
Rashmi sits back, hands clasped upon the table, watching Robyn and Mike socialize and gasp! have a good time. Altogether, her own mood seems much improved, and there's a smile on her face as she looks over at Jono.
Jonothon nods about the magic machine. «Not magic, but may as well be.» What do they say about sufficiently advanced technology looking like magic? Yeah. «We can go now and deal with that.» Honestly, he's never much noticed, so didn't offer. Sorry. Jono's had a lot on his mind. «Or whenever. Not like I've got anywhere to rush off to.» The smile has him looking over and he nods to Rashmi. See? People can get along. Isn't it a wonderful thing?
"Maybe later Jono, I wanna finish eating first. I…have to start taking care of myself again." Robyn says as it's a bit easier to deal with stress with sleep and food. "Whenever you want Mike, it's not like I have any plans this weekend."
