Players:
Summary: While in the music room, Jeri finally meets Star, and helps her learn something.
Date: July 30, 2010
Music and Power
Rating: G
Xavier Mansion - Music Room
The music room has four levels of tiers that each sit one row in a semi circle. On the floor in the semi circle is grand piano. There is a large closet on either side of the room, one filled with string instruments and the other filled with various wind and brass instruments. There are a few guitars in the back of the room next to a large variety of percussion instruments. All the instruments here are for the students to use provided they take care of them and clean any necessary parts after they use it. The room is sound proof, so once the door is closed, the music being played will not interrupt the other classrooms.
It's been a while since Jeri's taken time to spend in the music room. However, with the boys away, one at college, and the other staying a year with his grandparents to get to know them, Jericho has chosen to spend a little while in here. The very large man stands tall, with a violin that may seem comically small compared to his frame. Despite the potential comedic value of his appearance, as he plays, it's obvious that he is rather well trained in how to use it. For the musically inclined that recognize things well, it's Ashley MacIsaac's "Sleepy Maggie".
With no punishment yet handed down after having been caught drinking with her twin, Star has been doing her best to lay low. Being cooped up in her room has finally got the restless teenager going stir crazy, however, so she's come to the music room for a change of scenery and the chance to practice in peace. Well… Hopefully practice, anyway. The black case holding her trombone is carried easily at her side as she enters the room and pauses at the door, her eyes a little wide at the sight of the very large man practicing the violin. Quietly, the teenager sits down at the back of the room and just watches, guilt for her recent bout of rule-breaking lingering around her still and blending with wonder for the playing. She tucks her hair behind one ear and opens the case to begin putting her own instrument together as she listens to him play, not wanting to interupt.
As the song draws to a close, Jericho draws out the final notes before running a hand through his hair and looking around. "Oh, hello. Didn't see you come in. When I get lost in music…" He shrugs and motions towards her case. "I'm sure you can understand. Sorry we haven't really had an opportunity to meet, but you're Star… right? Cloud's sister? I'm Dr. Parker-Mayfair. Not to be confused with Mr. Parker-Mayfair. That's the husband." He offers, probably overloading with information, but he does that on occasion. However, he does extend his hand.
Star smiles somewhat shyly and nods, "I know what you mean." She blushes faintly at the correct guess of her name and who her brother is, "Yes, sir." She wrinkles her nose slightly at the overload, but nods again, bemusement leaking out around her as her blush fades slowly and she looks up (and up and up) at him again, taking his offered hand for a quick shake and settling her instrument back on the open case, "It's nice to meet you." She pauses a moment ad gestures to the violin, "You play very well…" It's always polite to complement the playing of another musician, after all.
"Being built like a linebacker, I had to have SOME kind of artistic side, otherwise, I would have had to play the role of dumb jock all through high school. And, to be honest, I didn't want that stigma. I prefer to be myself." Jericho offers a quick wink before he tilts his head. "How's the school treating you?"
Star giggles softly and nods, "Yeah, just try being the only girl, not to mention smallest in the family, in the middle of five brothers that are all football players." She shrugs a little at the question and grimaces faintly, "It's alright, I guess… Kind of sucks not being alowed to leave, though." That's her own fault, though, and she's well aware of that fact. "Kind of sucks being the only one that doesn't really know what it is that makes me special around here." She's used to being the one that tells all of her circle of friends what to do and how to live their lives; being the new girl and not being the one in charge of everyone has her thrown off balance more than a little.
Jericho nods. "Well, if you need someone to talk to, I AM the school psychiatrist/psychologist. But believe me, I'm not one of those stuffy 'THIS is what's wrong with you' types." Jeri winks again. "Wait… don't know what it is that makes you special? Come to think of it, there's no mention on your file of your powers." There's a broad, almost devious grin on Jeri's face. "Would you like to find out?"
Star nods and sighs, offering a small smile, "I really could have talked to someone right after I got here… while Cloud was off getting himself kidnapped." Again. She shakes her head and tucks her hair back behind her ear again, "No… I didn't even know I'm supposed to have poewers until I'd been here for a while already…" She looks up at him with wide eyes at the thought of actually learning what makes her special enough to attend school here and nods, excitement bubbling up around her, "Yeah- I mean, sure. If you think you can help me, that is." She's heard that Dr. Parker-Mayfair could tell her what her power is, but has taken that information with a grain of salt, not entirely sure if she should believe it totally.
"Well, I've been here. You just have to send me a message, or sign up for an appointment on my grid on the computer system. I'm nearly always available, moreso now that my sons have left. I only have one still living with me." Jeri offers before grinning and reaching out. He doesn't touch Star but brings his hand near her, and that's when things shift. Jeri shrinks down by about two inches, and loses a decent amount of bulk (but not enough to make him look much smaller. He's just naturally big as well). Star, on the other hand will grow two inches and add significant bulk to her frame. Along with that, she will find herself immensely stronger. In the 25 ton range, to be precise. Jeri looks off into the distance. "Well, that's an interesting one." He says with a nod and a grin, not revealing the power yet.
Star makes a small squeak of surprise when she finds herself suddenly changed and stiffens slightly, her eyes going wide. "Um… wow?" She's never been all that physically strong, though she can usually hold her own with her brothers. Mostly that's because they hold back with her, though. She looks up at him and winces at the sudden snug fit of her clothes, "Interesting?" She's trying to be careful not to move too much so as not to put too much strain on stressed seams on her clothes. It would be highly embarrassing to have to go back to her room to change because her clothes ripped due to sudden, unexpected growth.
"You have a power similar to our student Jinx. Emotional manipulation and understanding via airborne chemical transmission." Jericho says with a nod before blinking. "Apologies. Pheromones. You can affect people's emotional state by sending out a… a scent into the air." He offers. "Right now, I can as well. But both of us are only at half of our natural strength right now." He grins. "You have half of my strength and running speed. I have half of your pheromones."
"Oh…" Star blinks a couple of times and looks down at herself, "That's…" She shakes her head, obviously confused, "Well, I guess it explains why everyone always seems to feel like I do…" She grimaces, "Is that why I know how people are feeling, too? Mom's always just said I was perceptive, but…" If she can manipulate people's emotions, then maybe that's the real reason why. She shakes her head, feeling very uncomfortable with the new (temporary) bulging muscles she's sporting, "I kind of thought it was something with emotions, but I wasn't sure." She blushes lightly, still feeling guilty about being caught and getting in trouble the other day and lightly embarrassed to admit that she'd manipulated someone since she got to the school, "I kind of made this guy I know in New York City calm down when he was about to lose it. Don't know what happened, but he was totally terrified."
"Exactly. On both counts." Jeri says with a nod before he releases the powers and lets Star go back to her normal size and power level. "And now, you know. And knowing is half the battle. As they said on TV when I was a kid." He grins, lightly. "But then again, I got de-aged recently and will apparently not age for years to come." He chuckles. "Don't ask. Long story. Weird things flow around the school." He shrugs. "Now you know, and now you can tell your squad leader, and then they can actually help you with it. And maybe have you and Jinx work together sometime."
A thoughtful expression crosses Star's face as she returns to normal, "Well, that's kind of cool, I guess. Not as cool as Cloud's power, but he's kind of built for that kind of thing more than I am." She's not really that much of a fighter, after all. She falls silent for a minute, "I guess that's why those freaks grabbed me that first week I was here, too…" And why the men holding her all seemed to be as frightened as she was at the time. She blinks a couple of times at the de-aging thing, again confused by the comment. She grimaces and nods at the mention of weird things, "So I've seen…" There's another nod at the suggestion she tell her squad leader about her power and the thought of working with this Jinx person, but remains quiet and thoughtful.
"But Cloud is also an over-headstrong butthead that can't control himself and insists on getting himself in trouble at EVERY opportunity and dragging others into it as well. I'm assuming you're NOT like that." Jeri winks. "Now, you just have to learn to shut it down when you don't want it to be active. It'll take time, but… you'll get it. Trust me, I learned quickly how to keep myself from crushing everything I touch. When my powers came on, I was twenty tons strong right off the bat. And then, about twelve or so years ago, I got kidnapped and lost my powers for eight years. Go figure." He grins innocently. "But, we didn't have schools like this available. Well, Xavier's was here, but only a few people knew of it. I didn't. My husband did."
Star rolls her eyes at the description of her brother, a very accurate description, and nods, "Yeah, no. I don't go dragging everyone else into trouble with me." Except for her twin, that is. Again there's a small spike of guilt for having been a part of him getting into trouble with the drinking thing just a couple of days ago, but she just nods at the mention of learning to shut her power down when she wants to, "Yeah… It's kind of not fun knowing what everyone is feeling all the time, I guess. I really hadn't thought about it that much until now." She winces in sympathy for him being so strong so suddenly and nods, "Yeah. I wouldn't think that would be that great." As nice as it might be to be strong and able to take care of herself… "You know… I almost wish I did have a power like yours or Clouds… Then I wouldn't have to worry about people like that Sabertooth freak that chased me in Central Park a couple of weeks ago." Unconsciously she reaches up to rub at her left shoulder at that memory.
"Think about this though. Your power is emotion control based on smell. Sabretooth has enhanced senses… INCLUDING smell. Maybe your pheromones can affect him faster and easier than others. There is no such thing as a useless power. Everything has a place in the world." Jeri grins as he stands and stretches. His phone buzzes as he lifts it up. "Dinner's ready, apparently. Nice quiet night at home. Well, if you want to talk more, feel free to claim a spot on the appointment board."
Another thoughtful silence falls as Star considers this and she nods, "He did say something about the way I smell…" She shrugs, "Whatever. I guess I can try to work on that now." She nods and offers a small smile, suddenly shy again, "Thanks, Dr Parker-Mayfair. I'll do that." Maybe it'll help to talk through things with a professional. Or at least with someone that has a lot more experience than she does, "Have a good evening." She doesn't move, from her seat, instead picking up her instrument of choice and beginning to warm up by running through scales.
