Players:
Summary: Jinx survives James and her first 24 hours.
Date: May 1, 2010.
Log Title The First 24
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.
It's late evening at Xaviers, and sitting on the stone steps is the large Gnoll known as James. Dressed per usual, the nearly 7' tall creature waits patiently for his assignment: a new student tour. And a proper one to boot. 'Consider it redemption,' they said. With little weight to use as argument, Spotty accepted, hoping for a chance to show he was capable of real responsibility. And so he waits, bare feet tapping their claws gently on the ground.
Jinx comes up the courtyard with a lazy stroll. Her silhouette is like no other; black fur, short skirt, plume of a tail looped behind her. Her stride is slow and inevitable, a sinuous step that brings her forward, the duffle bag looped over her arm and the ipod blaring in her short cupped ears. The Gnoll is viewed with a raised brow, and the fuzzy girl approaches closer. "You must be the welcoming committee," she murmurs.
James gives the girl a long studying glance, "Yeah…you could say that." The glance goes on for probably longer than it should and ends when James stands. He brushes off his hands and offers one, "Sorry. I'm being rude. I'm James. And yes…I am." He smiles toothfully, "Welcome to Xavier's. Need a hand with any luggage?"
Jinx leans her weight on one leg, the other sliding out to the side. She levers the bag off her shoulder, sliding it down her arm. A casual hand reaches to tug one of the earbuds from her ear as she tosses the bag forward. "I'm Jinx," she returns to the fellow fuzzy. "If you want to give a hand, you can carry that."
James shakes the hand and smiles, "Not every day I get to meet a fellow fuzzy." Hand finds the bag afterwards and it gets lifted, "I mean, there are a few of us around. But, we're outnumbered. So….what do you know about this place?"
"Fuzzy?" There is emphasis on the word, her brows arching above her pale eyes that seem almost unnatural. "Is that what they call us here?" she almost scoffs at the very idea. "Well. Isn't that something, then…" she moves forward, claws pausing her ipod and tucking the headphones into her pocket. Her fur is a latice of black and white blotches. "I know this is a place for people with special talents and disabilities… People who started as something and ended up something else," she breathes a soft sigh. "People like me and you who ain't people anymore."
"Actually," James responds, "That's more my term. And, yeah…that's kinda the nail on the head." He gives the mansion a wave, "It's a lot of things. But, more importantly it's a place we can go without being stared at all the time and all that other stuff I'm sure you read int he brochure." He nods at the front door, "So…what do you want to see? first? The cafeteria? The Kitchen? Library…Your room? Stables…pool…X-men?"
Her tail gives a pensive shake, that plume of white and black threads that she must brush a million times a day to keep looking so good. "Is there a pool?" she asks, maybe just because he did not include it on the list. She moves forward again, carrying a scent like crushed violets rustling through her fur. "I have heard of the X-men. There's like… real ones here?" She seems curious, and her eyes scan the ediface of the building, ears flicking with their multitude of little rings set in the fur.
James might have flinched just a little at the tail rattle. Maybe. "Yep! Pool. Horses. Hedge maze. Lake Forest. Lots more." For his own scent, James is like fall leaves The dry ones, mixed with a scent of acorns. A scent that has probably been unnoticed by the school population until now. "Yeah, they're here. And they teach." He shows off his COMM pin, "I"m working my way to being one one of the teams…but that's a different story." He falters for just a second, "So, if you don't mind me asking…are you a skunk?"
Jinx pauses to get a look at that pin. Looks mighty fancy, and that he is showing it off means it's something she should probably pay attention to. Her eyes level on it for a long moment before sliding up to his face. "In a way," she answers him with a slow blink. "I started out as a girl, then became this. If it looks like a skunk to you, well then…" her long claws slide against a bit of railing with a long hiss. "I guess that is what I am."
James hmmms, "Sorry. It's just that I don't mind being considered either—I forget that others are not the same way." With her bag in his hand, he opens the door to the mansion for her, "I'm pretty zen about it after being here for awhile. bigger issues to worry about." Like Magneto…Sinister…and more. "Personally, I think you look normal to me. But, consider the source." Moving on…!
Jinx snorts a soft laugh. "I am normal… for me. You walk around looking like a lumpy rug for long enough and you either accept it or hate it, right?" she smiles, her whiskers flexing on her nose. "I have better things to do than hate myself. I didn't do anything wrong. I'm not to blame. It's just the way it is… so I am fuzzy. Whatever. At least I am not stupid and that is a hell of a lot worse." Obviously, opinionated is also one of her qualities. "Bigger things to worry about, hm? Anything I should know about?"
"Food sucks, students can all be a bear, and the teachers suck. So…it'll be just like any school," James says in a friendly tone, "Just…with the occasional mutant-themed disaster or problem…or…whatever." Explosion? Mind alteration? Possession? After Jinx passes through the door, James lets it shut behind him. "So…room first? Or other?" His ears radar around, listening for familiar voices and more, "And, have you signed up for classes or anything?"
"Nope. Just got here. I don't know where anything is and the first thing I see is this giant hyena guy waiting for me," she looks back over her shoulder with a glint in her eye. Oh yes, she just might be teasing. "I love sucky food, so I am sure I'll fit in just fine. And If I don't? That's fine too…. how about that room?" She curls her tail forward in a fluffy brush so it doesn't get shut in the door. That hurts like hell. "I suppose I have to share."
James grins toothfully, "Usually me waiting for someone is a bad omen. No one is going to believe I didn't give you trouble." He points to the pin, hoping that a single word, "Security" is enough of a reason and he doesn't have to tell her about the things she's sure to be told later. The walk towards the guest rooms isn't a short one for a newbie, but it is a direct path. And in a moment James is holding another door open for the new kid, "Tomorrow you get the whole 'new person' experience. For now, however," and he nods towards a box on a night stand, "There's a phone, a bunch of boring papers on the place, and a map. Sorry the introduction wasn't a riviting one…I'm kinda new at this and the past 48 hours have been long ones."
As she enters, a singer claw brushes through the fur on his arm, a casual sweep that carries with it the pleased euphoria like a bite of good chocolate. "Thanks," she murmurs as she enters under his arm, having held the door open for her. She throw her bag on the bed and stretches, tail floofing out. "I'm sure I'll do great, and I will make sure to tell anyone who asks that you went easy on me." She flashes a grin, and gives him a wink. "Night, James."
James stands there for a moment, unsure why the beast who normally *hates* to be touched was just betrayed by his body. But, be damned, things are just suddenly so much more…okay! So, who cares! James smiles, "Sure! If you need anything my number is inside the info packet. I'm your contact until someone comes for you in the morning." He waves a clawed paw and, after dropping off the bag he carried in disappears into the hallway, and out of sight.
A Day Later:
Xavier Mansion - Quad
There is a square side walk of pavement with a nice grassy area in the middle with a few stone benches and trees along the corners. The pavement leads to the paths to the grounds of the school, the Dining Hall in Xavier's and the Ramsey Dormitories. It's not particularly large but it's a nice place for students and teachers to relax and enjoy the outdoors.
Moving into the quad is the school's newest fuzzy creature. Her ears set with headphones, she sways into the room with her plume of a tail behind her. "Hmmm…" she humms along with her tunes, her eyes adjusting to the night. The figure of the reclining hyena is pretty easy to spot, being that she doubts any school would have a statue like that. "Hey," she calls, tugging out her earphones and finding a bench to go sit on, her bare feet crossing at the ankles.
James hrrrs? ears perking a little. It's not a voice he recognizes, and this late he doubts it's one for him. But he looks anyways, eyes shining an eerie green in the night, "Hey…you." He nods over to the newest student. With a sound and some effort, the creature rolls to one side to face her, "How was day 1?"
Jinx rolls her shoulders in a shrug. Her eyes gleam a eerie purple shade, and in the moonlight her white spots are all the brighter, like a specter made of shifting shapes. "Oh, you know. I have a roommate. Seems okay. Normal girl," she tucks her headphones away neatly, her feet swinging slightly on the bench. "Didn't meet a whole lot of other people."
James nods and idly pulls at some grass blades, taking a moment to enjoy the Spring smell, "Well…beats my first day. I nearly burned down the kitchen." There's a smile, one that leaves little doubt it probably happened. "You get put on a squad yet? Or am I jumping the gun?"
Jinx nods her head in the dark, and reaches up to sweep the hair from her eyes. "Something called the 'new Mutants'," she answers him then snorts a laugh. "How did you burn down a kitchen? Are you a firedog?" she grins, teeth glinting in the light.
James stands and stretches, "Oh, Sam's group. Nice, you scored there. He's great." He nods to the mansion, and walks over, headed back onto the path, "Long story…and I'm probably late for my shift. I'll see ya around." He gives a friendly smile and starts to walk down the path, toe claws clacking on the stones. "Have a good night."
Jinx waves her claws at the departing figure of James. "See a around." Her ears are plugged again with her headphones, and the ipod is switched on. Something deep and throbbing, and she reclines on the bench with her knees cocked to watch the moon.
