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| Taking the Plunge; Static's ready to mingle...maybe; OPEN | |
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| Topic Started: Apr 20 2008, 04:33 PM (379 Views) | |
| Static | Apr 20 2008, 04:33 PM Post #1 |
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Time of day: Around noon (lunch time, kids!) Place in the time-line: April 3rd (Static's first day back) Continued from The Return of Static ((OOC: Keep in mind that Callan has been gone for 4 years. She doesn't know about Jonathan Harker's death (or even that he was ever ill), and many other significant things that have happened since her departure. She has had no contact with anyone at the school for this entire time.)) When Callan entered the dining hall, a small crowd was already there socializing and enjoying their lunch. Most of the faces she didn't recognize. Approaching a bunch of strangers was a bit too much for Callan to handle at the moment. It was a miracle that she had actually come here at this time. That was enough to satisfy her desire to be more social. Making the first move in a conversation was still too far out of her comfort zone. So, she took a seat at the end of the table in front of her and took her cell phone out of her pocket. She had hesitated at first, forgetting that she had put on her gloves before. The last thing she needed to do was shock her phone because she wasn't in control. Not only would it be embarassing, but she really didn't want to have to replace the thing or lose everything in its memory. Looking at the time, she realized she had been at the school longer than she had thought. Time flies when your nerves aren't making you feel nauseous. Really, Callan was looking forward to finding out what she had missed in the past four years. There must have been a lot to catch up on, especially with all of the problems outside the school concerning mutants. Just a few weeks ago there had been an attack on Mutant Town that definitely had an impact on Callan's decision to return to Xavier's. Sure, her powers weren't great for lifting rubble or putting out fires, but she could still help people. Destruction wasn't her only talent, it was just her greatest one. One missed call. . . Callan didn't recognize the number, and whoever it was didn't leave a message. Whenever she saw a number like this she couldn't help but think that it could be her brother. Malcom had been sending her money for years, though Callan couldn't imagine why. She had seen his name in the paper, but all she really knew was that he was alive and apparently a successful businessman. They hadn't seen each other since Callan was seventeen and left home to go to this school. For all Mal knew, his sister had been at the school since then, but he hadn't written to her or tried to call her (at least, she wasn't aware of any attempt to do so). Of course, Callan didn't know if he had recognized her that day when their eyes met on the street in Boston. She really hoped that he didn't. These days she told people that she didn't have a brother. She had almost convinced herself that was true. Brothers were supposed to protect their sisters. When Callan needed Mal, he just stepped back and let things happen as if he wasn't even there. Callan would have sent his money back if she didn't need it. She didn't want his charity. The people here had been her family once. Sure, she was never the most popular person, but she had been well-liked. . . until she decided to leave. Her reasons for doing so were complicated. In fact, she didn't fully understand them. To put it simply, she had to say good-bye to this life and these people before they said good-bye to her. Life at the mansion was too good to be true, and Callan was afraid of losing everything. She had never been comfortable with the fact that she was a mutant. Becoming one of the X-men was a huge commitment that she wasn't ready for. She was getting so deep into the life of a mutant that she felt like she wasn't leaving herself a way out. For the past four years she had tried to suppress her powers and live the life of an average human. That just didn't work for her. So, here she was. She wanted to get back on track in the life that she knew was right for her. This was the only place for Callan. She didn't belong anywhere else, and mutant kind needed her now. Denying her powers was selfish when attacks on mutants were happening every other day. Now was the time for her to step up and do her part, regardless of how much shame she felt and how hard it would be for her to change herself. Today was a new beginning for her in every way. |
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| Daniel Prescott | Apr 21 2008, 07:02 AM Post #2 |
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Place in the time line: Start? Danny glanced up from his crossword puzzle when he heard a nearby chair sliding across the floor. Someone had actually sat down across from him. The absurdity of it amazed him. Most of the students had learned to leave him to his own devices and didn't particularly care to socialize with him anyway. He was at least six or seven years older than most of them after all. Nonetheless, the newcomer had planted herself firmly in his view. She seemed oddly out of place, oblivious to anything but the cell phone she was toying with in her hands. That explains her choice of eating companions, Danny thought, not afraid to take the small jibe at himself. He wondered if the woman, she certainly was no girl, was in a trance or had just listened to one of Cyclops's speeches. The latter was the more likely of the explanations for her state but he'd seen weirder powers in his short time at the "school" for mutants. The thought made him stare down at the sandwich in his right hand. God, I hope they don't let any of the furry and scaley ones handle the food. His face scrunched up to convey his disgust. Danny's stomach, however, refused to cooperate, it growled in protest and the young man took another giant bite out of the rather leathery piece of ham. It's like McDonald's... just don't think about it, he thought, trying to reassure himself as he chewed through the contents in his mouth. To distract himself further, Dan turned back to the puzzle he'd put down just a minute earlier. A prominent mutant terrorist that attacked FOH Headquarters. Eight Letters. The roll of his eyes was inevitable. You knew the world was skewered against mutants when even the liberal-ass New York Times joins in on the bashing. Heaving the paper aside, Danny looked around for something else to preoccupy his time. They ended up back on the woman sitting across from him. She's kinda pretty... but older. Not necessarily a bad thing. You know what they say. Hell... Why not? he thought as his common sense pleaded with him to keep his mouth shut... or at least, comfortably chewing. No such luck. "So... You gonna eat that or what?" Danny blabbed, mouth still full. He didn't bother to laugh at the horrible joke himself; he wasn't that much of a tool. |
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| Static | Apr 21 2008, 04:15 PM Post #3 |
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((OOC: He's in for trouble if he isn't careful. -^ )) It wasn't long before an unfamiliar voice caught her attention. . . and not in the most friendly way imaginable. Callan looked up from her phone with a face as kind as she could manage considering the fact that she wasn't intensely excited to engage in a conversation with whoever this guy was. They didn't know each other, but he was quick to skip introductions and get on the road to Callan's aggrevation. Had she not been so determined to be more friendly, she probably would have decided to appear completely irritated right away. He was a decent-looking guy, not very different from the guys that she often saw in the clubs she used to dance at. They were mostly young guys, barely old enough to be in there. Of course, in a school like this it was hard to guess exactly how old anyone was. In fact, the man before her was actually a year older than she was. . . not that it would make any difference in the way she treated him. If he played his cards right, she would entertain him with simplistic conversation. If he didn't. . . well, Callan wasn't sure how she would handle that. "Nice to meet you too," Callan replied with a hint of sarcasm as she brushed her hair away from her face. So close. . . she had almost erased that random number from her phone, but she decided against it. If they called again, she'd know. Would she answer? That was still undecided, but now wasn't the time to worry about that. For all she knew it could have been someone dialing the wrong number. Leaning back in her chair, Callan glanced around the room quickly. The crowd was getting a bit larger, but there were only about two dozen people. . . still bearable. Jean had said that she and Scott would be around. They were busy people these days, but Callan hoped that they would give her an update on what she had missed eventually. She trusted them to be honest with her. . . whether she wanted the truth or not. Turning her attention back to the man in front of her, Callan began to wonder what kind of person he was. Time would tell, she was sure of that. She just hoped that she wasn't about to make another enemy. A mischievous, somewhat playful, half-grin decorated her otherwise harsh face before she looked away once again. |
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| Daniel Prescott | Apr 21 2008, 06:59 PM Post #4 |
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Trouble is fun. Nice-nice is overrated. ^^ The look he got back from the broad was classic. Danny obviously recognized it; he'd used it enough. It was the exact same one he got when he was trying his best not to slug someone. Dan wasn't surprised that she already disliked him either; he had that effect on people. Guess she's upset that I pulled her from la-la land, the boy mused, taking another chunk out of his sandwich. Too bad. He glared back at her with hidden venom in his eyes. The would-be instigator wasn't sure what to make of the woman in front of him, not even after her curt remark. Sure she could have actually been an uptight bitch but it was probably something he'd said. Or was going to say. He wanted to point out that he'd never given any indication that it was indeed nice to meet her but Danny had a feeling that she was well aware of it. Was probably why she was cross with him in the first place. The phrase "too bad" came to mind again as he watched her lean back in the chair and take in the room around them. She seemed to be waiting for him to say something in response. Which is exactly why Danny took his sweet time as he continued to chew. The woman's attention switched back to him briefly, long enough to flash a familiar grin before quickly fleeing elsewhere again in the time it took for him to finish swallowing. Was she looking for a reason to make a quick exit? That would have been fine by him, no sweat off his back. She didn't need an excuse. Maybe she was just waiting for him to redeem himself. He hated to disappoint - yah right - but Danny wasn't the type to do that sorta thing. In fact, he knew that what he was about to say next couldn't be taken back and quite possible, it'd make this woman hate him for a very long time to come. Whatever. Friends were overrated anyway. "Whatsa matter? Boyfriend trouble? The tone of his voice matched hers in sarcasm. Danny really didn't feel like getting into an argument just then but he couldn't resist the opening. Heck, it was probably exactly the reason why she was being so uptight. Not that she would admit that to him. Or maybe it was just that time of month for her. At any rate, the young man braced himself for the coming verbal onslaught. |
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| Static | Apr 24 2008, 04:33 PM Post #5 |
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"Whatsa matter? Boyfriend trouble?" Oh, how Callan wished that she wasn't trying to start a nice streak. She had a quick wit, and could have easily played this guy's game, but that wouldn't help her in the long run. Getting into a fight with some stranger in the middle of the dining hall less than an hour after her arrival. . . well, that wouldn't be the best way to start off on a positive note. "Not exactly," she replied calmly, then continued with a smile. "I'm Callan, by the way. You should probably know the name of the chick you're trying to irritate. At least when you tell your buddies about the raging bitch you met, you can make sure they know exactly who you're referring to. It'd be nice to give them a warning." Okay, so that wasn't an entirely friendly comment. At least she said it with a pleased look on her face. Either she was just adding to the sarcasm, or she was trying to be humorous. Honestly, she wasn't entirely sure what her intentions were. "Are you always this friendly?" she plainly asked as she set her phone down on the table. Somehow she thought she already knew the answer, but making small talk couldn't really hurt. If they were destined to be enemies, it'd happen eventually. If it happened sooner rather than later, they'd just be avoiding wasting time trying to tolerate each other. At least talking to this guy would help Callan pass the time. Already she could feel her flaws resurfacing. Becoming incredibly introverted in the last few years had made Callan believe that she had overcome her old feelings and habits, but they were definitely still there. She feared her old self, a bitter, insecure youth with a firey spirit. Could she ever overcome her undesirable tendencies? Callan wasn't a big believer in the possibility for people to change, but she honestly hoped that she could. She had to. |
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| Daniel Prescott | Apr 24 2008, 07:42 PM Post #6 |
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The woman's response was way more subdued than he'd expected. She didn't smack him. She didn't curse him. She didn't try to spit in his face or fry him with whatever powers she had. All the most likely outcomes... did not occur. Curious. Either this stranger had remarkable self-control or he was losing his touch. Hadn't he just called her lonely and frustrated? Maybe he needed to be more blunt... or maybe not. Why was he trying to piss the broad off again? Danny couldn't quite remember. Guess it was just his habit of picking fights. He paused a moment to fully process what she'd said. The beginnings of a grin emerged on his face as he lingered on the phrase "raging bitch" while keeping his eyes trained on the woman - Callan was it? - in front of him. The contrast between what she was trying to portray and what she knew herself to be was hilarious. Danny had always been a sucker for humor. He took the opportunity to laugh then, a good-natured chuckle, as he formed an answer to her question. "Actually, I just got done hugging a buncha puppies and kitties so I'm on an upswing." Danny punctuated the remark with another laugh, soft and self-deprecating. "Why?" he added, in a somewhat harsher tone. Dan paused immediately afterwards to consider what he'd just said. Going to antagonize her bro, he chided. You don't have to be a jerk. "Actually, never mind that," he quickly amended, a bit bothered that he'd repeated the word actually in such a short time span. There followed a slight pause as the young man changed the subject, figuring that returning the favor was the best way to do so. "I'm 'that asshole' or 'that jerkoff' usually, whichever one springs to mind first. You can tell anyone around here that you met either and I'm sure they'll have a pretty good idea of who you're talking about. But, on the off chance that one of them did catch my name, I'm Danny." Dan relaxed a bit - not that he was tense in the first place but he had been getting ready for a fight, albeit a verbal one. The woman was no crossword, but she'd have to do. At least until Sports Center came on. |
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| Static | Apr 26 2008, 03:26 PM Post #7 |
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"Actually, I just got done hugging a buncha puppies and kitties so I'm on an upswing. Why?" Well, he was at least finding some amusement in her statements. Of course, his verbal reactions weren't very friendly. Callan wasn't sure what to do with him. Honestly, she wasn't in the mood for dealing with complex, overly bold men. That's why she was relieved when he said. . . "Actually, never mind that," One again, Callan grinned slightly but looked away as she did. When he continued, her attention turned back to him. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all. It was funny how her opinion could change so quickly, but it made perfect sense. Apparently this guy wasn't a total ass, but he must have enjoyed acting like one. "I'm 'that asshole' or 'that jerkoff' usually, whichever one springs to mind first. You can tell anyone around here that you met either and I'm sure they'll have a pretty good idea of who you're talking about. But, on the off chance that one of them did catch my name, I'm Danny." "Danny, eh? In my experience, the assholes are usually named Steve or Jeff. So, I'm guessing you're some kind of hybrid. . . maybe 74% asshole. If that's the case, then there's still a chance that I won't completely hate you after the next 10 minutes," she explained as if it was rocket science. That was Callan's attempt at being somewhat friendly without being too nice. Danny wasn't entirely kind to her, so being completely civil with him would be offering him way more than he deserved. She didn't even consider being totally mellow with him. She just assumed that he'd find it boring, and she was probably right about that. People that were too kind made Callan suspicious. Too much charm made her irritated. There was no reason for her to think that everyone else would enjoy a perfectly content and outgoing facade. |
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| Daniel Prescott | Apr 26 2008, 06:34 PM Post #8 |
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"Hey! I got a little brother named Steve!" he pointed out in mock offense. Danny honestly didn't know if Stevie was an asshole just yet but hobnobbing with all those British snobs couldn't be helping the situation. Eh, what was he saying? He was an asshole and he didn't even need Oxford's help. Heck, he didn't need anyone's help to be irritating apparently. But he was getting way too distracted... "I'll pass that on for you," Danny continued, "Brat will probably get a kick out of it." Another mild chuckle followed his statement before the young man went on to process what Callan had said to him. A part of him wanted to be upset by the asshole comment but he honestly wasn't. Sometimes it just wasn't worth the effort. The woman seemed to be trying her best to meet him in the middle after all, so why go out of his way to insult her? ...besides for fun. Not that he considered a possible migraine to be fun. In the end the mutant settled for another jab at himself, finally breaking the somewhat long pause. "Oh, and for the record, it's 76%. Don't sell me short here." Another laugh. "No guarantee on the second part though. I thought they didn't condone that sort of thing around here." The statement had been loaded. Daniel might have liked to goof around but he was not unintelligent. The way the woman answered the question would go a long way in helping him get to know her. "I've always played outside the rules of course," Danny added, stemming the possible counter before it could be presented. "But you don't seem the type." |
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| Static | Apr 27 2008, 09:04 PM Post #9 |
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"Hey! I got a little brother named Steve!" Callan had to stifle her laughter, but didn't hide her attempts. What she said was true. She'd met plenty of guys named Steve and Jeff that she really, truly didn't like. It wasn't difficult for her to decide that she didn't like someone, so it may surprise some to know that she had a name preference, but Steves and Jeffs got on her nerves more often than any others. "I'll pass that on for you. Brat will probably get a kick out of it." Allowing herself to smile honestly, Callan humorously said, " I aim to entertain. The warning couldn't hurt. If he knows that he's destined to be a jerk, he might be able to change his fate before it's too late. In fact, you should probably call him up right away." "Oh, and for the record, it's 76%. Don't sell me short here. No guarantee on the second part though. I thought they didn't condone that sort of thing around here. I've always played outside the rules of course, but you don't seem the type."" "They don't condone a lot of things around here," Callan stated without any complicated meaning, "That doesn't mean people don't do whatever they want anyway. I wouldn't generally advise messing with some of the rule-enforcers here, though. X-men aren't always all fun and games. Shocking, I know, but it's definitely true," she paused, "I don't seem the rebel type because I'm not, really. I don't break rules just because I can. Rules are usually put in place for a reason. If they're stupid, I tend to work around them. . . but I wouldn't consider myself a troublemaker. Not these days anyway. . ." The last thing Callan wanted to do was mess with the X-men, especially since she probably wasn't the most trusted or well-liked person in the school at this point. She realized that she deserved whatever skeptical treatment she received, but she had every intention of earning whatever trust she could now that she was back. It might not work right away, or even at all, but Callan was somewhat prepared to deal with that. There was no way she was going to forget the fact that she treated these people really poorly, then dropped off the face of the planet for four years, then just showed up without any warning. Her cruddy situation handling skills left her with no beneficial option other than to do some hardcore appologizing and be on her very best behavior. |
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| Daniel Prescott | Apr 28 2008, 09:01 AM Post #10 |
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Danny shoved the remainder of his sandwich in his mouth and began chewing as he mulled over the majority of what Callan had said. He disapproved of the way her speech had devolved into a lecture before throwing in a minor tidbit about her past but he wasn't about to make a big deal out of it. Yet. God, how he hated being lectured. All the young man heard was, "Blahblah behave. Blahblah rules good. Etc. Etc." That is, up until the part where she basically confessed to being more than just your regular girl scout. Dan debated whether or not to press her on the issue before deciding that he didn't approve of the subject altogether. It was typical of him: start down one path, find something he didn't like and then immediately try to find something else. Wasn't that exactly what happened the moment he arrived at this dump. He'd made up his mind to leave not five minutes after walking inside. So much for help with his powers. Dan doubted that any of them truly would have been able to help him anyway. Swallowing after a few moments of silence, Danny changed the subject another time. "Right. So what can you do?" he inquired. The mutant believed that he probably could have figured it out sooner or later given the time but didn't feel like putting in the effort. Asking was much simpler. For some reason, he imagined that she had the power to summon a "phantom broom" at will. This resulted in his mind playing out a sequence straight out of a Tom and Jerry cartoon. The doofiest grin developed across his face. Danny didn't bother hiding it. No reason why the woman shouldn't be amused as well should she ask about it. He just hoped she wasn't the type to feel insulted at the drop of a pin. "I, um, like stop things from moving." The hesitation stemmed from his choice to spare the both of them the more scientific explanation of his powers. Something about momentum? His professor had always explained it better than he could. |
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| Static | May 12 2008, 08:32 PM Post #11 |
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"Right. So what can you do?" "I can produce and control electricity. That is, when I'm not entirely out of practice. . . which I am at the moment. What's your big talent?" It was a harmless question. For four years she had been very careful about revealing her mutant talents, but in a place like Xavier's there was no need to deny her powers. There were plenty of people around here that were more unusual than she was. Shooting lightning out of her fingertips made her one of the more uninteresting people to walk through the halls. "I, um, like stop things from moving." "Momentum manipulator, eh? That's definitely useful," she commented without the sarcasm she had been using. Callan always envied the powers of other people. Her own were mainly useful for destruction. If she wanted to, she could easily have been a successful killer. Often she had contemplated how her life would haave been different if she had powers that were more useful for defense and healing. People probably wouldn't have been as afraid of her when she was younger, and she probably wouldn't have been so afraid of herself. Her desire wasn't to have an impact on mutant affairs by killing anyone that disagreed with her. It was her goal to protect the people she cared about and those that could not protect themselves. That was easier said than done when she could electrocute someone just by tapping them on the shoulder or shaking their hand. Trying to be friendly without inviting an unmanageable amount of irritating responses, Callan asked a seemingly benign question. "So, how long have you been here, Danny?" It couldn't have been more than a few years, probably a couple at the very most. Callan would have recognized him if he had been at the school when she was a student. She wasn't always incredibally popular, but she was usually very good at remembering faces and names. If she wasn't, she probably wouldn't have recognized Malcom when she saw him in Boston. He'd changed a lot in the past six years. |
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2:26 PM Jul 11