Players:
Summary: Marshall is playing with his new toy, Connor upgrades it. The pair chat.
Date: August 1, 2010
Not Being Alone
Rating: PG
Xavier Mansion - Courtyard
Surrounded on three sides by the school, a large courtyard forms the front yard. The courtyard leads right up to the door of the mansion. Yellow square stone slabs cover the ground where the grass would be. The most noticeable thing about the courtyard is the large statue of Jean Gray, aka Phoenix, in the middle as a memorial. Benches surround the outside of the statue so students can sit and hang out in the courtyard. There are two paths leading off the courtyard, one to the left and the other to the right.
Since it's the height of summer vacation, the courtyard is usually empty of the school's student population. But this evening it seems like someone is want for some air. Connor is sacked out on one of the benches, using a backpack to prop his head up, and is currently tapping away at his personal laptop. Despite any attempt to provide otherwise, he seems to be a bit down, three can's of coke sitting next to him on the ground, and a fourth being freshly cracked and swallowed from as he taps on the arrowpads to go back and look something over.
The resident deaf student didn't go home for the summer. His parents just felt he was doing fine, and he was happy, so there was no point. He's got a new little toy in his hands that he paid for using his school allowance that he hasn't been spending. A portable video/mp3 player. Lots of things on it right now, but he's not really using them, just scrolling through the list of videos as he moves to sit on a bench near the other student.
Connor takes a few moments before he decides to speak, but then he hangs his head for a moment as he mutters to himself, "Yeah… yell hello to the deaf guy… REAL sensitive." And sitting up, he offers a wave of hello where Marshall can see it, and then tilts his head to try and get a better view of the MP3 player.
Seeing the wave, Marshall looks up and offers a bright grin. He tilts the mp3 player, which does actually have headphones attached. The list of things showing on the screen are a lot of random things like 'Plumber' 'Carpenter' 'Ballet' mixed with random music that has names reminiscent of electronica. "How you?" he says with a grin.
Connor makes sure his lips can be seen as he replies, "Been a lot better. How about you? What do you have there? Anything good?" Trying to keep it casual while some curiousity is aroused. He closes his laptop for the moment and puts it into his backpack for safekeeping as he sits up fully, accidentally knocking over two of the empty coke cans.
"Ok. Not missing. Not kidnap. Not crazy. Not bad." Marshall says with a nod. He hasn't heard about Connor's ordeal, but then again, with the exception of a few, a lot of students still treat him as if he can't understand things. The joys of being differently abled. "Skill. Skill that may useful. Music like. Good bass. Feel inside." He explains. "No hear… still feel."
Connor thumbs-up in reply, and then says, "That's really cool." After a moment, he then pauses, looking down at the cans and back an Marshall for several moments. It seems like an effort of will for him to leave a mess sitting there, but eventually after several seconds and a shudder, he moves over closer to Marshall, and leans over him, "What… no movies? Come on. You have to have a few favorites on there."
Marshall laughs a bit. "Just got. Had teacher give for skill thought useful. Movies download problem. No caption. Not option here. May ask if can get specialized. Maybe teacher inventor." He ponders, nodding. "Might have idea." Of course, he paid for this one, but hey. Who knows what can be created in this place.
Connor puts up a finger and then goes back to his backpack and drags it back, picking up his current can of Coke and drinking some of it. Then he sets it all down next to Marshall and goes back to the three empty cans. He crushes each one in a very pattern-like manner before stacking them one on top of another and taking them to the recycle bin. Once he comes back, he motions for the player as at the same time he takes out his computer and goes back to the screen, where he was writing what looks like a journal entry, "Here. I'll bet I can find something for it that does subtitles. And I have a couple movies you can test it on."
"Oh?" He asks, with a bit of a grin. After all, Marshall's still not exactly a tech-savvy person. Doesn't mean he can't understand it, just hasn't had much opportunity for a lot of it. The greatest invention to him and a lot of his friends was text messaging cell phones. "What movies? Love movies. And TV. Just have be careful sometimes. Accidentally learn skill."
"Though, been focus on watch movies FOR skill. Wonder… can get ACT skill?" He says, snickering.
Connor checks the back of the player for the brand, model, and version so he can begin searching and at the joke he grins back, and then rolls his eyes, "Just don't try and copy Ben Affleck or Johnny Depp, allright. We'd never hear the end of it." As he waits for the search to come back he opens up his movie folder, "I got… Star Wars, the originals, ummm… some Hong Kong action dramas… anime… oh, The Replacement Killers, a favorite… and Death to Smoochy. At least… that's on here. I swap out a lot depending on my mood. Most of it's burned and in a folder back in my room."
"Oooh, no hong kong. Already got Bruce Lee. Don't want confuse brain too much fight. Fight Bruce Lee. Fight Mikhail. Could get weird. Reminds. Need get claw cover hand. Tooth cover too." Marshall explains, as if that says everything. But then, who knows. "Not seen Death Smoochy. Never heard." He scratches his head. "Reminds. Want watch Mirrormask again."
Connor makes a bit of a face, "Mikhail needs to learn HOW to fight really… he's all instinct… doesn't seem to take into account his size, strength, and agility. But hey… we only tussled once, and it was practice. Teeth wouldn't work so well for you, though… hate to hear about you heading to the dentist because you bit someone with fake fangs." But when the question of Death to Smoochy comes up, the grin spreads once more, "Never really got into Mirrormask, but Death to Smoochy is great. It's a dark comedy, really good actors, it's about the 'dark side'", making quotation marks in the air, "If children's television."
"When fight Mikhail… Teeth automatic. Bite lots. Thus, need cover teeth. And claw, hands not reach." Marshall explains. "Hard learn real fight. Everything instinct when power copy skill. Can't NOT copy." He sighs a bit. "But, not lose skill, so skill there. Whether learn or instinctive." He ponders. "Children's television all dark. All scary. Creature with television in stomach? Big purple dinosaur singing love? LOVE EAT YOU. Ew." He shakes his head.
Connor goes back to the search engine, and then digs into his pack to see if he has a compatible cord, "Looks like there's a firmware update for your player that might have the program to run captions. I can download and update it for you if you want?" Then he chuckles, "God, kids TV? Yeah, it can be a little weird. But hey… I was a little busy as a kid to be watching cartoons a lot. Mom and dad spent a lot of weekends away when I was younger, so I was with my neighor… but he's more of an uncle… and he took me camping, taught me a lot of cool stuff too."
"Parents onot do much TV. Almost all stupid. And captions often bad. So, just stuck to books." Marshall says with a shrug. "And go outside. Thing many kids NOT do nowaday." Marshall looks left. Then right. "Snuck to friend for video game." He says with a conspiratorial nod. "They never know."
Connor taps the side of his head and nods, "Smart guy. Hey… if they didn't know, why bother saying? I used to do that. My friend and I would tell them we were studying… but we did all the homework at school at lunch and free period… or in the morning before class. That way we could play computer games, or watch anime." But that causes his head to sink a bit, "I miss it somedays. It was a lot simpler then…" There's a brief pause, before saying, "I didn't used to accidentally teleport in my sleep."
"Exactly. Miss friends. But… don't miss headache. Now that power work, and known… no headache. With power mine, could go back to regular. Don't want to." Marshall explains. "Like here. Like team situation. Even if don't understand some. Never can tell what James say…" he says with a bit of a sigh and a shrug. But, not mean to me like to some. So… doesn't matter guess."
Connor whispers back, but it's still clear on his lips, "I miss being alone. You can't be alone here. Not that I want you to go away… but alone is better for me sometimes. But everyone wants to know what you're doing, or there's a camera watching you, or something else always happening. You don't even feel alone in your own room." After that comes a sigh, "Don't worry about what James says… half the time he talks out his butt. I don't even know if he really likes me. I think sometimes he just pretends to be like us because it's easier than not to."
"One nice thing about deaf. Close eyes. Alone." Marshall says with a hint of a grin. If want be more alone, go reservoir. Off campus. Not many go there. Gives time to think." Marshall pauses. "I don't know what says. Can't read lips. Not human lips." He shrugs, looking down. "Still makes feel bad. Him or… girl with tail? Never make out what name is. Only thing I read seem racist." He blushes. "Nobody write or fingerspell, so never say name."
Connor ahs once and then says, "Her name is Jinx. Like… Jinx, you owe me a Coke." Picking up his drink and taking a long pull before shaking the can. Empty again. With a sigh he digs another one out of his bag and cracks it open. All that caffiene and he doesn't even seem jittery or nervous, "I'll text you the name, but watch out for her… she's pushy and she hates not getting her way. I don't think she likes me much either, but oh well… can't be friends with everyone. So… what kinda games do you play? They've got a great library in the Rec Room, and we could always hang out there instead. It's cooler for one."
Marshall scrunches his eyes trying to make it out. It still looks like a racist slander to him. He'll have to wait for the text. "Puzzle game. Roleplay game. Things that think. Lately been First Person Shooter. Not bad at." He says with a nod. "Only been playing a bit. Wonder if stole skill…" He sighs a bit. "But not really been watch other." He ponders. "Could, sure. Come outside lots because… well… less people sometime. Often run into new people exploring. Better new people get happy face me than anger growly person."
Connor jokes back, "I don't know… I mean you have a thing for anger growly person, so he can't be all that bad." Smiling a bit as he types the name out on the computer screen that's still open and then turns it to show to Marshall.
"Mikhail not anger. Growl yes. But growl cuu…. nevermind." Marshall actually blushes. "Ooooh." he looks at the name. "OK. Now know. Better than thought." He considers. "Weird next year. Half team gone." he sighs a bit.
Connor reaches up and pokes Marshall in the middle of the forehead, "Just because they were on your team doesn't mean they were also your only friends. We don't always get to work with our friends, either. Some people just get lucky with that. So don't be too down about it. I mean c'mon… Mik's still here. And I'll bet outside of the Teams, you've got other friends you enjoy spending time with. But they probably don't growl as cute." Winking at the last part.
"Just miss some. That's all. Bad experience with hearing friends leaving. But… different. Old school." Marshall shrugs. "Not mad, just awkward." He knows he has friends. He is just bad at keeping in touch.
Connor stands up and stretches, moving around for several moments like a cat shifting after sitting around for a while. When he comes back he checks the download he was doing, and then says, "I can update your player if you want. It won't affect anything you've already got on it, so you're cool. And as for hearing friends? Well… most people with working ears don't listen half the time anyways… but yeah, Awkward."
Marshall hands the mp3 player over. "True. Just still. Miss some. Know Rashmi going to college. Few others. Lucas still around. But…" He wrinkles his nose a little. "Bit asshole."He says with a nod. He's a little too blunt sometimes. "Going to have to go for video conference in few. Parents got hooked on." He rolls his eyes. "Easiest way to see that safe."
Connor grumbles, "God I know… it could be worse… you could be in my boat. I accidentally told my little sister I could go anywhere on the planet, and next thing I know I'm supposed to be home every Friday night for Dinner." The update only takes a few minutes, and as he's doing that, he also uploads Death to Smoochy for Marshall's benefit, "There you go… that should take care of it. I also loaded a movie so you can test it. Allright?"
"Cool. Thanks. Will watch later. Must go, though." Marshall pauses for a moment. "Thanks for take time. Not everybody does. Even here. More do here than home, but… such life." He nods, ending his serious moment.
Connor gives a half-salute with his fingers on his left hand, before saying, "Have a nice evening… don't be too hard on them. They're your parents after all." And he begins then to shut down and pack up his own things.
