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Summary: It's moving day again for Tyler! He's setting up his things in the new room when his roommate Theo shows up. Things were going well for the most part until Tyler mentioned that he is gay in conversation.
Date: September 14, 2011
Log Title: Three is a Crowd
Rating: PG-13L - Language and adult stuff
Theo and Tyler's Room
This room is spotless. Every pencil is in place, every sock in line. There is no dust permitted, oh no. Theo's desk is organized to such a degree that everything seems to be painted into place. His bed has a green and blue bedspread, and you could bounce a quarter on it. Decorations are scarce, no pictures of family or friends are found anywhere.
There is, however, one very obvious decoration. An HO Railroad model is suspended from the ceiling, and the train can often be seen traversing around the room, just above the door level.
The news of having his third roommate in less than four months of being on Xavier's campus has hit Tyler pretty hard. Is he cursed? There's nothing he can do about other than plunge and move on so that's what he's doing. Having gathered up and boxed his belongings he's made his way back and forth between his old room and his new one several times over. Now that he's done shuttling his belongings it's time to unpack. The closet on his side of the room becomes filled with clothing as does the dresser. Atop the dresser he starts to arrange figurines from comic books, movie and fantasy as the desk pretty much was set up by just unpacking his laptop, art toolbox, and the picture frame with the various pictures of family and friends.
Theo was at work. However, knowing that he's likely going to find his perfectly clean room a total wreck when he gets back managed to get him a speeding ticket on the way home. That has put him in an even better mood than usual. The technopath comes through the door abruptly, and looks around, already set to complain. "Do not make a mess." The announcement is bold, and not a common greeting, nor a friendly candor. He is already scanning the room and the invasion occurring. Theo might be something of a mild legend, since everyone who has ever roomed with him has left the school before graduation. Behind him, Proto enters and examines the new applications to the environment.
"…" Tyler pauses in what he's doing with a dragon figurine in hand hovering over the last available spot on the dresser. "Do you always greet people like this?" Sets the dragon down to peer at the robot that is checking out the room. Having never seen something like Proto before he's quite interested in it though he doesn't make move toward it at all. Instead the blonde haired teen moves over to the boxes on his bed scooping up a flying monkey plush to take over to his desk. "I'm obviously Tyler," plushie in place he picks up a rubbermaid container filled with cookies and offers them to Theo. "Nice to meet you."
"Only when they are in my room," Theo answers with the same blunt tone. His backpack comes off his shoulders, and he hangs it on the hook next to the door, where it always goes. He pulls his laptop out and places it on his desk, perfectly parallel to the edge. The cookies do get his atention, and do a little to ease the aggressive tone. "I'm Theo," he responds, taking the rubbermaid tub. He opens the edge of it to check what kind of cookies are inside.
Tyler tisks at his new roommate, "Not your room, ours." In any event the cookies are handed over and are a combination of chocolate chip and MNM's. "As you're my third roommate in my brief time here at the school I thought I'd try and make the best of things from the get go so they're a gift. A sort of nice to meet you sort of thing. Seeing as neither one of us was expecting the email to come through the first week of school about the switch-up in rooms."
"Um, thanks," Theo responds, closing the lid again. He places them on the desk next to the computer. "Just so you know, I'm really kind of OCD, and I need things to be really clean in here, or I'll probably flip out on you. So don't leave your underwear lying on the floor or Proto will come throw it away." As if on cue, Proto ambles forward, little camera snaking out to examine Tyler. "Hello, my name is Proto." Theo absently adds, "Oh yeah, and this is Proto."
A warm smile is given along with the transfer of cookies, "You're welcome. I was wondering what was up with this place. Thought you might live life in a militaristic fashion which I totally don't live by. I don't make messes but I'm never going to make sure that my laptop is precisely three inches from the edge of the desk facing the chair." Tyler moves over to the now empty boxes he had been using to ferry his things from room to room and beings collapsing the boxes till they lay flat atop the comforter of his bed. When the robot ambles forward and introduces itself Ty turns around shocked. "Erm, hello?" It appears the human and the machine are both regarding each other in a similar way; curiously.
"Proto has an independent AI, so be nice to him or he'll taser you," Theo warns. "Just as long as you aren't a slob, that's fine." He briefly regards the figures on the desk. "What's with the action figures?" he asks. As if he didn't have his own toy train circling the room over the door.
"Right, no tripping over the robot." Tyler makes note of that then rests the flattened cardboard boxes up against a wall to be dealt with when he leaves the dorm room for parts unknown later. At Theo's question he peers between knick knacks and Theo before answering. "What? You don't display things that you've collected because you've an interest in them? I like comic books, fantasy stuff, and sci-fi shows. I've got a Star Trek tricorder in a drawer somewhere. I put it away and can't remember which drawer I stuffed it in but if you're into stuff like that I'll find it eventually."
"I don't really watch a lot of TV," Theo says, "I have too many useful things to do with my time." He looks up. "I like trains. That's all I collect I guess. I just wouldn't want them cluttering up my room, so I have it up there out of the way. And your tricorder is right there," he points at the second drawer. "Either that or one of those handheld video games. "So when did you get here?" he asks. "I am kinda scarce in the summer, been working a lot." He knows Tyler may have been here, but he never met the other teen.
"You have to have some time to decompress and relax or you're not doing yourself any favors. I just choose to relax with books or shows when I'm not painting." Tyler talks as he continues to organize his things and thanks Theo for pointing out where the tricorder apparently ended up in the dresser. "Well, I don't see a collection of things being displayed as clutter. Clutter to me is leaving clothing or papers everywhere when they could be picked up. When did I get here? Oh, right before school was out for the summer. Spent some time here during the craziness and went back home to Ohio for a bit before coming back to get ready for the new term. Glad I did as my squad got changed on me, and now the roomie deal as well. It's a good thing I can adapt to changes very well." With everything where he wants it on his side of the room Ty flops down to sit on the edge of his bed facing Theo. "So what's your deal? You like trains, you have a talking robot…."
"My dad worked on trains. Always thought I'd want to do that, but then I got stuck with being a mutant. Now I work on electronic stuff more. Proto is the first, I have plans for a second one, but staff wants to approve it first and make sure they know how to stop it because they are all paranoid that it'll go rogue and kill people. Guess that's because most of the geniuses they meet are too dumb to know how to control their own creations." Theo takes his shoes off, which are placed neatly under the foot of his bed. "I like working, I get to work on cool stuff like Proto and new technology ideas." He shrugs, "That's how I unwind. I invent things."
Tyler perks up, "Your dad worked on trains? SWEET! What does being a mutant have to do with anything? You want to work on trains? Go work on trains, dude. Sure if you were like an eight foot tall walking fish that might be a problem but you've got no physical oddity as far as I can see. Hell, even if you were Squidward you'd have eight hands to their two." Always looking for the upside to things and seeing no real reason why someone shouldn't do what they want to do despite the prejudice that is out in the world. "Well, I was out in the courtyard when Hosea came flying out of the dorms one night saying that Proto was after him so the staff might have something there. Then again did Hosea trip over him or steal his Wd-40? Never did hear about what started all that. Ahh, you're an inventor so you invent stuff. That's cool; that's cool." Leans back resting his hands on the bed looking quite comfortable where he's at. "Well, I can't invent a thing but I can draw and paint. If you're ever in the market for any artwork or technical drawings or something I could hook you up."
"It's not that simple anymore," Theo answers in a rather warning tone of voice. "I'm working on a movement about that, actually. People will never stop thinking of us as mutants. So we might as well get rich off of our mutations. Mutants should seek jobs with their powers that would normally cost much more in the way of equipment usage, and demand higher pay. It's a completely natural progression. So to that end, I'm working with Tony Stark to get the ball rolling on it. I don't think I could do trains anymore. I dunno. What about you, what are you gonna do?"
Tyler shrugs with his shoulders slightly, "Nothing is ever simple. There will always be someone out there that has an issue with someone about something and when there's a whole lot of someone's with the same problems…I better not continue or I'll even confuse myself." He blushes sheepishly for his way of failing to explain what he's thinking in any fashion that a person can understand. "You're working with Tony Stark? Damn…you're not even out of school and he's …he's Tony Stark!" This roommate switch might not be that bad after all. His roommate is working with an amazingly hot super genius celebrity hero type guy OMG! Outwardly he doesn't express his internal squee of delight in any way other than wide amazed eyes. "Dunno what I'm gonna do, Theo. My situation is a bit screwed up and really if I can make a living out of my art I'll be happy about that. Heh, not that art is very profitable but I don't need a lotta junk to be happy."
"We all live at a school led by criminally insane professors. All of us are in a situation that is a bit screwed up," Theo remarks sardonically. "Yeah, Tony's a friend of mine, and no, I won't get you his autograph." He arches his brow at the concept of making a living with art. "Well, if you wanna be famous, you'll have to die penniless like all the rest of the great artists." He lays down on his bed, looking at his train circling the room. "People who say they don't need a lot of stuff to be happy usually either come from a really rich home and don't know what that means, or a really poor one and they don't have a lot of personal drive. There was another guy here who was determined to make it in art. Couldn't stand him. Flaming gay jaybird."
Tyler blinks, "Criminally insane? I've met a few and the only one so far that weirds me out is Xorn. Well, Magneto intimidates the hell out of me but he does that to everyone, really. I meant more that my erm gifts are a bit out there," bending his index fingers like single quote marks when he says out there. Does however listen to Theo about his friendship with Tony Stark of all people. "Arts not about earning money it's about expression. I could deal with not making any money off my work so long as people can see it. I've a good long while before I have to think about school and what sort of job I want to have to try and fund my art cause that's basically what it boils down to for me. I also think you need to consider that someone from a middle class home can be content with what they have and be happy. Stuff and someone's personal drive have nothing to do with each other." The comment about another student has him peering across to where Theo is reclined wondering if what he's heard about the teen is true. "What couldn't you stand? The fact that he had determination or the fact that he is gay? Or is it both?"
"The fact that he was annoying," Theo smirks. "He always tried to make it out like he was better than me by doing the whole 'I'm gonna be nice to you even if you're mean to me' garbage. I didn't hate him or anything, well, not after a while. But he really annoyed the fire out of me. That and he decided to have his musclehead boyfriend come to beat me up instead of fight his own battles." The technopath sits back up. "Anyway, he's gone, so it doesn't matter anymore. "I grew up in middle class, but middle of eight makes middle class poor. Dad worked his whole life to make a way for us, I don't have any intention of having to scrape and claw my way through life just to survive. I mean, if you want to do art, don't let me stop you, but I came from being poor, it ain't all romantic like in the movies."
There's a rather confused look being cast Theo's way from where Tyler is seated. "Erm…." Not quite sure he understood what had just been said other than this particular student clearly got on the wrong side of Theo. "Well, if you were being a dick then you get what you get. Some people don't like confrontation, dude." Not sure he can say about a situation he really knows nothing about though he's already moved on to the fact that Theo has a huge family which is something he can be jealous of. "Your dad did what he had to do for his family which is totally honorable. That you want a better life than that is totally understandable. The thing is art does not make you poor. If all you're gonna do is sit on your ass and paint all day and expect to have a good life then yeah life will suck but like I said, I intend to have a job so I can enjoy what I want to do. Nice apartment, nice car, can continue with my art. I ought to ask my boyfriend what he intends to do after here as he's a musician."
Theo's eyes go wide. "Your what!?" he shoots straight up. "Yeah, this is not going to work." He paces. "I am not rooming with a queer." He flips up his laptop, and within moments there is an email window open, and without standing at it, a very fast message is being typed across the screen. Who is it too? Well it's to Emma Frost and Scott Summers, that's who.
If Tyler were curious as to whether what he heard about Theo were true or not he's gotten his answer just now. "You really are homophobic," heavy sigh. "We were getting along fine. I find it really funny that you could have such a strong stance about how mutants are treated by humans yet you take issue with someone who is gay."
"Being gay and being a mutant are totally different," Theo retorts with a pointed finger. "Mutants are born that way with a gene. Don't give me any of that bull about gay genes either, there's absolutely no scientific research to back it up, it's all speculation." The message is sent to Emma and Scott, and Theo walks back to the laptop to shut it with a little more force than is really necessary. "I can't believe the staff would do this. They wouldn't room a straight guy with a girl, why? Because it's inappropriate, so there's no precedence for rooming a gay guy with another guy."
"Not really in this instance it's all about intolerance. Sorry to tell you Theo but I didn't wake up one day and decide I want to be gay. I am gay. Just because there isn't a specific marker a scientist can find under a microscope doesn't make it less true. People believe in God yet there's no scientific proof of him as an example." Through this all Tyler merely reclines where he is as if he could care less what's going on betwixt them. "Perhaps because most have a level of maturity about it that you're clearly lacking. It's not even remotely inappropriate. I'm not interested in gawking at what junk or lack thereof you have nor would you ever be my type so you can stop flailing about the whole thing."
"So what if it's intolerant?" Theo asks. "Tolerance is a load of bull, too. It's the most arrogant way a person can say that they are better than other people, and pretend that they are humble at the same time. And I didn't say you chose to be gay. I know you probably had some weird daddy situation, maybe he was abusive, or absent, or turned out to be gay himself, or something like that. Whatever it is, I'm really sorry for you, and don't think I'm trying to belittle that. But that doesn't mean that I want to become involved. That's your issue, and I want it to stay your issue and not affect me. So you can call me homophobic or whatever you want, make fun of me, I don't care, but if you're so tolerant, you're gonna have to prove it and be tolerant of my intolerance.
Tyler snickers, "You're such a hypocrite. You want Mutants to have a fair shake of things and yet you can easily apply intolerance elsewhere. If the world is going to be a better place people need to stop getting their hate on. If it ain't one thing it's another." The rest of what Theo has to say has the hackles on the back of Tyler's neck going up and now he's on his feet. "You know nothing about me, Theo. I didn't ask you to feel sorry for me as there's nothing to be sorry for. I've no idea what you've got running around in your so called genius mind but if more intelligence means losing your grip on being able to function with others socially I'm the one that ought to feel sorry for you." Takes a step or two towards Theo, "I'm not making fun of you. I pity you. Because you run your mouth and it's going to get you a one way ticket to the Medbay."
"What's wrong, are you intolerant of hypocrites?" Theo asks, stepping closer at the challenge. "Thought you were tolerant? Sounds like you're the hypocrite. I want to give mutants a better than fair shake. I want to stack the deck, and the only way to do that is to give the humans something so that they want us around. I don't expect them to tolerate us, I expect them to need us, so quit putting words in my mouth. See, I never claimed to be tolerant," he reminds. "You are the one who wants tolerance. But you really aren't tolerant either. You just tolerate people who think like you and believe in tolerance, which means you are just as intolerant as I am, but you like to fake that you aren't, and tell me that it's my fault that I don't think like you. News flash! Everyone tolerates people who think just like them."
Theo takes a deep breath, having used only one to speak the entire rant. "But you're so tolerant that you're ready to start a fight right here? Bring it, see if I'm scared."
Tyler shakes his head from side to side, "You can have your opinions, such as they are. You can take issue with my being here, and I don't really care other than to comment on how retarded that is. You do like to talk don't you? If you puffed up what little chest you have you might seem bigger a smidge. If you're done preaching at me…." pauses a tick, "What I can take issue with, and as you say fight over, is your gross assumptions about why I'm gay and my family. I couldn't give a shit about your beliefs or whether or not you're scared of lil ol'me but talk shit about me or my family and I'm tempted to shut you up. I'd rather tell you to go fuck yourself with your robot but I wouldn't want poor Proto to be violated like that."
"I don't really care why you're gay," Theo states. "You better stand by your family, because they are the only one you get, I don't know why you turned out gay, and maybe you don't either. But I'm glad you're not a family backstabbing pussy at least," perhaps an odd shift in his claims. "I didn't make things the way they are, I just call it like I see it." He seems content to have dismantled the tolerance worldview. "So you can hate my opinions or whatever, but this just isn't going to work."
"Look, you're a dick. I'm merely offering up that if you keep at life the way you are you're going to end up alone and fucked up. Just saying. I've honestly stopped paying attention but you're right. Ima gonna wander down to the Headmistress and see if she can't iron out this little problem for us." Tyler goes over to his desk to snatch up his coat to pull on then head toward the door of the room. "I don't hate your opinions or you for that matter but you're right in thinking this situation won't work." Opens the door then steps out into the hall turning back to face Theo. "FYI, I'm adopted. Was adopted as an infant." With that Tyler wanders off down the hall humming a tune.
