12417/The morning before Homecoming

The morning before Homecoming
Date of Scene:	05 November 2020
Location:	Backyard - Xavier's School
Synopsis:	Everyone gets together to talk about the dance and meet Jax.
Cast of Characters:	SpyderByte, Jax Miller, Red, Colossus, Siphon

SpyderByte has posed:
It's a blustery Fall morning and Jeremy is taking advantage of his free period by spending it outside for a change on one of the benches. The young Goth senior is currently typing on his laptop as he is hunched forward over it. His black hair now has red streaks in the bangs, wearing a dog collar around his throat. A black Smashing Pumpkins shirt and a pair of black pants with multiple chains and zippers complete his wardrobe. He's straight out of a 90's Hot Topic advertisement.

Next to him sits his cell phone, the screen turned off, but facing upwards. As he types away, his fingers are like quick, reflexive strikes along the glowing green keys, the screen reflecting in his thin glasses perched over his nose. In his ears is a pair of black buds to play some music. Those with enhanced hearing can tell that he's listening to some type of current K-Pop band as his foot taps lightly to the beat.

Jax Miller has posed:
A mad bouncing rhythm makes its way along the paved areas of the backyard, starting at the back door and quickly making its way around, heading so it seems for the basketball court. This must perforce take it past Jeremy's bench and, behold, so it does... although just before it gets there, the rhythm changes to mostly match the beat of the song in his ear buds, a hollow *sproing* so very indicative of a basketball being dribbled at speed.

A few moments later, the source of the bouncing noise heaves into view, running past and bouncing the basketball next to him with surprising speed and seeming ease. Jax is clad in full basketball kit, jersey and shorts, in blue and white. A bull logo emblazons the front, and the rear holds the legend 'J. Miller' although curiously without any kind of number. Ears perked, tail undulating in a sine wave behind him, the cat teenager gives a bright wave to Jeremy on his way past.

SpyderByte has posed:
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Jeremy's foot picks up the rhythm of the ball as his foot moves along with the beat. As his fingers continue to drum along the keyboard, he finds his rhythm faltering. There is just too much thumps and beats and musical energy going all at once.

Slowly, he reaches up to pull out his earbuds, where the music can be heard loudly once they are freed from his skull. He gives a slight glance towards his phone and the music cuts off. Looking upwards to the new face, he tilts his head to one side as his brown eyes give him a glance over. Cat boy. Basketball. Bulls Jersey. He gives a glance upwards, studies the air for a moment, then reaches up with his hand to 'snag' something out of thin air, before giving a flick of his wrist towards his laptop.

Studying the screen, he glances back to Jax, then back to the screen, then gives a small smile on his face. He lifts his hand upwards and returns the wave.

Jax Miller has posed:
    Bad-da-bounce, bad-da-bounce, bad-da-bounce-bounce-bounce *sproing* The latter onomatopoeia coincides with Jax switching the ball to his left hand, giving it a good hard bounce on the basket court to give it some air. He's right behind it, jumping as if he just passed the ball to himself, bringing his right arm around in an arc that would require either pneumatics or a severe dislocation in a human player, catching the ball in his right hand and /slam dunking/ the thing through the hoop.

    He hangs from the hoop for a moment, drops down, picks up the ball and gives a slight bow to Jeremy, energetically dribbling his way back to the goth.

    "Morning! Hope I'm not making too much noise?"

Red has posed:
Alice yawns as she leaves the building, wrapping herself in a thick jacket as the wind plays with the air, driving her to shiver as she takes a deep sip from her steaming coffee mug. A look up to the cloudy sky, the sun obscurred, she she blinks a few times, then her eyes wander over the yard. Jeremy earns himself a few more moments of look, but then they affix to Jax. Was that an elaborate cosplay? No, too realistic. The tail moved balancing, that was more than one could do with glue, motors and kinematronics.

Before she realized it, she joined the waves at the new student as she steered her feet over to the hacking goth. "Is the choker just for yourinner gothness or do you feel like a dog today, Jeremy?" she asks with a little chuckle, waving at it. "Could need your name on it if it's the latter."

Jax gets another smile. "Not enough to interrupt the classes it seems or someone would yell at you from the windows. Are you new?"

Colossus has posed:
Colossus comes out into the backyard from the house, carrying a large easel over his shoulder and with a sideslung napsack full of art supplies. He's wearing a pair of white jean overalls with a red undershirt, his big arms bare and sleeves rolled up.

"Ah, hello," he calls out. "It is good to see you, Jax. I take it you're settling in well?" he asks, going to set his easel up a bit away from the athletic types. He nods to the other students in a friendly fashion as well. "I thought I would take advantage of the kind weather today. Fresh air can be a great inspiration."

SpyderByte has posed:
There is a slight shake of the head from Jeremy at the question. He offers up another smile, followed by blowing some air upwards into his long bangs away from his face. His foot continues to tap along with the beat of the basketball.

Reaching over, he picks up his phone as the screen flicks to life, followed by a digital voice that has been augmented to sound like his. It's not Siri at least, or Alexa.

<< Hi. You are fine. You can jump really high. >>

He gives a bright smile after that, one that looks awkwardly goofy coming from the Goth. When Alice speaks up, he glances over towards her, then reaches up to flick the dog tag that hangs off his choke collar. It's bone shaped and golden alumnimum. It reads: Dee-Oh-GEE.

His fingers brush along the keys again of his laptop, tapping along a few more strokes before he closes the lid, then shifts it over to a rather large level three style backpack. Once he slips it in, he puts a padlock on it to secure it. Click.

<< Hello Mister Rasputin. >> His phone chirps again towards the large Russian.

Jax Miller has posed:
    "Oh wow..." Jax' eyes go very wide when Jeremy speaks through his phone, and he instantly sits down on his own basketball, tail twitching at the tip. Just like a curious cat... "How'd you do that?!"

    Attention is then drawn to Alice, who gets a bright two-handed wave and a megawatt smile "Yeah, I'm Jax. Jake Alexander, but that's Jax, that's what my friends call me. Got in late yesterday."

    Which segues perfectly into a nod and wave to Colossus. "Hey Mister Rasputin! Thanks for helping out yesterday, couldn't have done that without you. I've never seen anyone lift a TV in one hand before, that was awesome!"

Red has posed:
Alice nods some as Jeremy flicks the bones. "Nah, I meant on the collar, not the tag, doggy." she teases, eying it carefully. "Could always embraid it in the pattern."

As Piotr joins, she nods to him, but then offers Jax a hand. "Alice. That's Jeremy, and while I guess your power is cuteness, he is a genius hacker and I am just useless as I reshape polymers." Yes she said that. But there's something in the way she winks with it that hints that the useless isn't exactly earnest.

Colossus has posed:
Colossus chuckles, "You haven't seen me be strong yet, tovarisch," he says playfully. He's not prone to showing off, though, and starts to assemble his paints. He's glad to see the students socializing and getting along. Those bonds can last a lifetime, as he well knows from his own kinship with his fellow X-men.

He does interject, "I do not believe cuteness can be an official power, Alice, although I have been wrong before. Cuteness is in the eye of the beholder, after all. Except cat memes. Everyone likes cat memes."

SpyderByte has posed:
<< My powers allow me to psionically communicate with networked devices as long as they display a signal. I can speak to machines and have conversations with them. Our toaster is named LaToya by the way. She is very sensitive so when you use her, use her with care. Try not to use the microwave in her line of sight. She gets really jealous. >>

Jeremy fidgets with his phone a bit as he gives it a few flicks with his hands, turning it about in circles. His shoulders lift upwards a bit.

<< Cuteness can be a power if it was telepathic based. Such as, your perception of someone would assume they are beautiful or cute based on the type of aura they project. Your mind and eyes would see a beautiful girl when maybe it was an average looking person standing before you, but you'd find yourself transfixed or spellbound by their beauty. >>

He is so literal.

<< It's nice to meet you Jake Miller. >> The phone speaks once more. Not Jax. They are not friends yet. He said his friends call him Jax. He has to be sure not to accidently make a mistake in phrasing.

<>

Jax Miller has posed:
    "You can call me Jax." the cat kid says over his shoulder to Jeremy as he's shaking hands with Alice. It's a strange shake... finger pads, furred hand, no claws though, an odd mixture of human and feline. He gives her a wink in return, ears swiveling to the side in a relaxed pose. "Yup, my power is to be completely and utterly decorative. I mean, I s'pose I can run and jump a bit, but eh... so can everyone with a bit of effort, right?" Right... hmmm. That grin gets very wide.

    "And cuteness is totally a power. Think I lost it along the years, but man, was it awesome while it lasted."

    Then a look around, at the people, at the large man quietly sitting down to do some painting, the kid talking through his phone, the large building, the sprawling back yard with its own basketball court and baseball field... and can he smell the chlorine of a pool? Yup, unmistakable. "So... I'm gonna take a wild swing at this, but... this place is awesome, right? I mean, it looked okay in the pictures, and it sounded great when they presented it, but... y'know... this is actually awesome an' not just some old boarding school pretending to be amazing, right?"

Red has posed:
"You just said it: he's a cat, so he is cute by definition. So his power is cuteness by definition. Just like doge power is loyalty to a fault." Alice remarks back at Colossus, before snickering back at Jeremy.

"Don't tempt me to gift you a leash for christmas. Or one with the name of whoever is your SO by then. Because I'd do it. Matched your mood? You ain't up to chasing cats today, are you?"
"Now come on Jax, you are feline, you deserve headpats and scritching behind the ear just for existing, if you are into that. That is, I think our firend here is just jealous about you being able to dress up as Bastet with just some padding and the right dress while he'd need a full face mask to go as Anubis. Though I guess I could make him a decently easy Anubis cosplay from Kamigami no Asobi..."

Colossus has posed:
Colossus considers, "I suppose you are correct. Carrying wit your cuteness, then," he says. He starts with a few simple brushstrokes, blue and white mixed to make something like a sky, showing his skill as it takes only a minute or so to get a simple beginning of a landscape.

"I think what we have built here is magnificent. As I told you last night, I myself was once a student here. I have great memories of it and friendships that have lasted me well into my adulthood. In addition, you will find my sister, Illyana, also has a place here at the school. She is...a complex girl," he says. He can't even begin to explain Illyana, better to let her do that herself if she so chooses.

SpyderByte has posed:
When Jax gives Jeremy permission to call him by his nickname, the young gothic brightens up considerably. He practically beams. << Thank you, Jax! >>

Queue up the Final Fantasy victory music. His phone actually plays it. Dun-Dun-Dun-Dun-da-Dun-Da-Da-Duuuun!

<>

Running his finger-less gloved hand back through his hair, he gives a bit of a twitchy-twitch as he glances upwards and off to the side.

<< Alice, he is a person, he's not a cat. You don't just pat people on the head, or touch their ears, even if they have feline mutations. >>

He gives another squeeze of his phone tightly, bleeding his knuckles white. He gives another jolt, then lets out a heavy sigh as he stares down at the screen on his computer. It lights up in a multitude of colorful patterns for a moment before going black again.

<< This school is the only place I have ever felt safe. It's the only place that no one has hit me, or cut me, or burned me, or called me names. At least not mean names. >>

Welp.

Jax Miller has posed:
    "I'm..." but yeah, Jax has to say no more when Jeremy says it. So the kid points both index fingers at the goth and nods. "That. Right there. I'm not actually a cat, I just really look like one. An' act like one. Sort of move like... anyway, you get the idea. Earscritches? Fun, yup, but nhhhhnn... not right now."

    Which is when he hears Jeremy's lament about other places that are, it seems, not so awesome. With a hop that carries him from seated on the basketball to seated next to Jeremy on the bench without seeming to move through the intervening space, he looks at the technopath with an expression of almost pure pathos. Ears wilt, eyes go wide, tail flops down. "That is so sad!"

    The warning signs are there.

    A hug may be imminent.

Red has posed:
Alice sighs at Jeremy's comment about headpats. "Are you jealous? Come on, I said he can get them if he wants them, and it's all up to him, and he said he doesn't. I don't intrude like that. Just like you want to wear a tag calling you a dog. I would at least put your name onto it, but that's your choice. And after all, you are a nice guy."

A Moment her eyes dart from Jeremy to Jax and back, almost amused, but then she nods. "I grew up in Brunswick. I have had friends that were X-positive that ended getting putchered by sentinels. Brunswick never was really safe for them. Technically not even for me. But Jeremy, You are better than those bastards that hit you. And you know full well that Shannon will patch you back together if it ever happens again... though I might need to get creative with paying your pain back to them."

Colossus has posed:
Hearing about Jeremy's past makes Piotr angry. "I know many of those who did it were children themselves, but there is no excuse for that kind of hatred and cruelty. I am glad you are here with us now, Jeremy. We will not allow you to be tormented again and any that attempt such will have to go through me," he says. Gentle a soul as he is, Piotr can be quite fierce when provoked and there's a look in the Colossus' eye that says he means what he says.

His landscape darkens a bit in response, the blue sky showing scudding storm clouds coming in from the west, the tree he adds leafless and barren. Alice's stories, too, remind him of the darkness in the world. "Changing the world is hard and will take time. But we are going to do it. That is the great work of the school."

SpyderByte has posed:
<< It's fine. It was the past. They will not be hurting anyone ever again, anyways. >>

How can a computerized voice that is programmed to be chipper sound so ominous?

<< I used to have scars all over my body. They cut bad words into me. They autographed me. But our school's medical advisor, Josh Foley, took them away as a start to my healing. My therapist says that I have come a long way, now that I no longer cry at the sight of my body anymore. >>

Geezus Christ.

<< So, now I am happy. Happy that I am surrounded by people who care about me here and I now have a place where I feel like I can fit in and be myself. Xavier's saved my life and gave me a future. All I am saying, Jax, is that you will have a good time here. It is an amazing place. >>

Jax Miller has posed:
    Ear twitch... tail twitch... to hug or not to hug? It's clear that Jax is torn between his usual natural response, and a desire not to be too much of himself at one time on the first day. Small doses... that's always been the recommendation. So when Jeremy starts to brighten up, he nods quite vigorously and his ears perk up again, patting the goth on the shoulder and vaulting back to his previous spot. "That's it! Good times are where you find them."

    In one motion, he picks up the basketball, turns and /yeets/ the thing to the basket hoop a bit further than a full field length away now. To his own astonishment, he actually manages to hit the board, rallies and beams a smile at the others.

    "So, do we field our own football team? Basket team? Baseball? Swimming? Athletics?" Beat. "Chess?"

    A brief look is given to Piotr, and it seems Jax feels better knowing that there's someone on campus that looks like he can out-fight pretty much anything, and still has enough patience to sit down to a painting.

Red has posed:
Alice nods to Jeremy. "You do tell us if you need help, ok?" she shudders a moment, giving Jax a look as he shows sportive activity.

"Well, I do plan to drag some students to San Diego next year, so we can feel just normal as we infiltrate ComicCon, hiding between the Nerds and Weebs and Geeks in their costumes of games, mangas and such. After all, who'd expect that some of us don't have as much of a costume on than the rest?"

Colossus has posed:
Colossus looks over at Jax, "Generally speaking, we don't have competitive athletics with other schools, because they would consider our students to have advantages and because we don't wish to draw attention or targeting from the exposure. It's a long term goal, but not something we feel safe doing at the moment. However, we do have intramural teams here for play between students, including basketball, tennis and lacrosse."

"I go to conventions sometimes to meet and talk with artists I admire. I met Bill Sienkewicz once at a Burger King near the hotel. But I would not do so in my armored form. Even if I passed, they would keep asking me how I 'made' my costume."

SpyderByte has posed:
<>

Jeremy responds to Alice with a smile to her, then grins at the shoulder patting by Jax before he is off and running again with the ball. He watches him for a few moments with a bit of envy at his physical abilities. He's so quick!

<< We don't really have sport teams because it wouldn't be fair to play against other city schools, and it would out us at mutants. But, we get together sometimes to play at gym or after class. We pick teams from available players. It's fun to watch. >>

Watch. Not play?

At the idea of going to San Diego, he rubs the back of his neck. << That sounds like fun. I have not been to California. I grew up in Metropolis. I like big cities. >>

Jax Miller has posed:
"I'm looking forward to meeting some of the other players here. Bet they can teach me to get a whole lot better, the scouts will love that." Seems like Jax has already taken it for granted that he'll end up having a career in sports somewhere. But then he's already known as a mutant, and known as a mutant athlete. At least in New York.

"San Diego? Oh yeah, count me in. Y'know what, better than that, I'll get us VIP passes." With a grin, he turns to Colossus. "And if they ask you how you made your costume, give them the same line I always did. Ask their mothers."

Red has posed:
"Of course we glued fine metal strips upon your muscled abs and chormed them. That's what everybody does! But I bet Beast would lend you his Totoro if you asked nicely."

"If there ever was a school full of metahumans we might team up against them. I mean, we wouldn't have the edge there, but it would be fair. Somewhat. I think one of the few competitive sports we can do is those that don't out us. Which might be oddly enough swimming."

Alice chuckles as she taps her chin as everyone seems to like the ComicCon idea. "And of course there's Will Weaton. I mean, where else you get the chance to meet a StarTrek character, even if he was the most Gary Stu in the end?"

Colossus has posed:
Colossus shakes his head, "I would not be so crude as that in my response. Mostly, I do not wish to frighten people. And I know, yes, that the problem is theirs and that we need to overcome their prejudice. But I understand someone being afraid of a seven foot tall man made of steel. They do not know me to trust me."

"Perhaps I can arrange such a trip to a convention as part of an art class trip. Provided, of course, you all sign up for art class, da?" he says, raising an eyebrow.

SpyderByte has posed:
Tilting his head a bit after Jax again for a moment, Jeremy listens to what he has to say, then glances down at his phone again. He gives it another squeeze, then reads the flash of colors that ripples along the screen almost in a hypnotic pattern.

<< You can get VIP passes? That is cool. Your dad is on the Buffalo Bills, right? Colin Miller. He's really good. At least that is what the data says based upon his profile and fantasy estimates. >>

He pushes himself upwards, his chains rattling against his legs. Jingle-Jangle. He gives a few tugs of his long sleeves up to his wrists, then holds his hands out for the ball.

<< I'm not good at art, Mister Rasputin. Shannon tried to get me to draw once and it went poorly. My brain is too analytical. >>

Jax Miller has posed:
    "Hey, a fan!" Yup, cat. Being recognised certainly gets Jax' attention, and he high-tails it (literally) to the court to pick the ball and give a slow pass to Jeremy. Chest height. Just a pass between buddies.

    "Ooh, well played Mister Rasputin. Never signed up for art before, but that? That right there? That's a reason."

    "Speaking of passes, I've got like half a dozen free passes for the next Bills game."

Red has posed:
"Only if you do it college level for me. Do I need to paint a mona lisa or sculpt a Rodin? Granted, that's not the worst." Alice answers as she pulls out her phone, seeking an art twitter and handing it to Colossus. @artistred. Sculptures planted all over New York City, a little bit Banksy style, as it was installed without consent, but all sculpture not painting.

"Well, VIP would be nice, but remember, this school isn't openly one for special gifted."

Colossus has posed:
Colossus shakes his head at Jeremy, "Art isn't about being analytical or emotional. It's about expressing yourself. There is nothing wrong with structure, with literalism, with anything in art. Art is freedom because you can do whatever you want with it. My job as an art teacher is to help you find the skills and approaches that would be right for you to do art, YOUR art. If your art is very different than what is traditional, that is fine. That's innovation. That's inspiration. I think there are art programs and applications to be found in the digital world that could help you produce amazing things, my friend. Now I have to insist that you sign up for class."

He looks at Alice's pictures, "Intriguing. I enjoy public art, that surprising flash of insight or inspiration that can spring unexpected into someone's life. And I don't expect or demand masterpieces. I don't expect many, if any, of my students to try to become professional artists. But I do want them to learn how to express their feelings through art, because it is an amazing outlet and can contribute to better mental health, better satisfaction in life and the ability to appreciate the creativity of themselves and others."

SpyderByte has posed:
Catching the ball ungracefully, Jeremy bobbles it for a moment before his hands secure it against his chest. He gives it a few dribbles with his left hand in an awkward, ungifted manner. After picking it up, he looks at the hoop, then gives it a quick one-two step throw. Airball.

Eyes widening, he lets out a bit of a giggle before he rubs the back of his neck. << That is why I do not get picked for teams. >>

At the idea of joining art, he gives another fidget. <> He gives a motion with his finger in the air, pointing.

<< Shannon just sent a text message. Miss Grey just received an email. The toaster just got upset again as Marco used the microwave to nuke his pizza. It's just black and white. Ones and Zeroes. >>

Rocking a bit on his worn down black sneakers, his lips give a twitch. << My strengths is manipulating that data and speaking with it. Yours is a paintbrush. I can try my best, but I do not wish to ruin my perfect GPA because I am not able to create a contrast of shadows as you want us to do in your curriculum in week five. >>

He points again at the sky. Right there. That invisible line of data? That's your curriculum.

Jax Miller has posed:
"Hey, not bad!" Now, yes, true, granted, Jeremy managed to miss the ring. /And/ the board. But Jax is nothing if not supportive, and at least the ball arced at the right height. Roughly. Nearly... near enough. And so he jogs over, picks it up, easily dribbles it back and holds it out. "Want to try that again? It's honestly just practice, I couldn't hit the side of a barn when I started. Like, literally, it was my grandma's farm, they put up a hoop and..." ahem. "Anyway, no reason you can't learn to do it."

Given the artistic talent on display, he also has reservations about art class, but... man, San Diego... ComicCon... "I'll ehmm... I'll give art a try, if you don't me presenting modern art clay sculptures titled 'Lump of Clay with bits of fur', or my masterpiece, 'Vaguely oval lump of clay that's supposed to be a differently shaped lump of clay, with bits of fur'?"

Red has posed:
"Jeremy, have you ever heard about *digital* art and 3D printing? I mean, you surely can model things or use Inkscape or something. Use a machine that makes your ideas code, and then turns your code into a visible or tactile representation. That's just as much art as brush and pen, spraycan and wall, chissel and wood or EVA foam and contact cement."

"Wait, Jeremy, you do know that there's a thing such as privacy? Don't read those e-mails and texts!" she complaints, shielding her phone.

"Jax, I started my art career with crayons." True, but she did reshape those crayons, not just paint with them. "Clay is a tough material, I think starting with paint is easier."

Colossus has posed:
Colossus shakes his head, "My curriculum is not nearly so standarized or simple. I understand that in regard to conventional art education, but I have been given the freedom to teach in my own way. My class is not about grades. If possible, I would do without them entirely. As it is, the only way you would not receive a good grade from me is if you did not try or you did not do the work. If you want to make art with code, you may make art with code. I would like you to try other mediums, simply for the experience, but I will not judge you. Everyone is different. I am, as they say, a soft hippy-dippy teacher whom you may walk all over if it pleases you."

"Art is unique. There are no right or wrong answers. Mistakes can be blessings. I want to awaken your creativity, not get you to draw straight lines...or curvy ones for that matter."

Siphon has posed:
November means different things to different people. To the tiny orphan waif coming out to the back yard it means the official start of 'It's never going to be warm again!' season. Not that she thought it's been warm recently, but November makes it official. At least now she can be a mobile ice sculpture in a style that's her own and not 'orphan thrift store chic'. Leather, wool, and lace in her signature black and copper topped off with what she thinks of as the Best Thing Ever, her newly finished hooded cloak complete with veil.

She wanders around a bit until spotting some familiar and new to her faces at the basketball court. The ones that know her might notice that although she's on the school grounds she's got her veil down to keep her face covered. She raises a leather and lace clad hand to wave as she comes near enough for polite greetings. "Hi, all. What's the action today?"

Jax Miller has posed:
Collect and pass, collect and pass, Jax keeps handing Jeremy the ball no matter how often he might miss. Practice, patience, repetition... he'll probably get bored in a short while, but for now he's happy to continue the impromptu practice session. With the addition of a new arrival, the cat kid gives his usual enthusiastic two-handed wave again. "Hey! Hi there, what's up? Just shooting some hoops..." or attempting to, anyway "... talking art, ComicCon, cool teachers, that kinda thing."

It should probably be noted that he's standing there, in November, in baseball kit... shorts and a jersey. But then his fur is probably helping him out a bit.

SpyderByte has posed:
<< I'm not reading anyone's texts or emails. I just see them coming and going. Like cars on a freeway. In the last few minutes, over three thousand texts were sent out across the student body to each other. >>

Jeremy bounces the ball a few more times, then gives a glance about as he points at the air. See? You can't see it, obviously.

<< If I wanted to read them, I could, but I don't. Most of the time it's boring, or full of emojis. I've got a lot better at filtering and tuning out all of that noise. It was easier back home when it was just me and my parents and I would hide in my room all day, but here, I am surrounded by it. Like a hive of bees, just making noise. >>

He rocks on his feet, then hefts the ball up to clank against the rim. As he takes the ball again and turns to see Tabitha, he brightens up.

<< Hi Tabby! >> His phone on the bench cheeps out loudly and happily.

Siphon has posed:
The head in the veiled hood nods briskly. "Sounds like fun. The art and comics part, at least." Tabitha tries to find a standing spot that's conversationally close but out of any wind as much as possible. In the autumn sun the copper glitter sparkle of her aura looks more like faerie lights. She looks at Jax and Colossus, the head movements visible if blurred under the hood and veil. "Are you two new, or just new to little ol' me? I'm Tabitha."

Jeremy's greeting gets an enthusiastic response. The cloak gets opened and pushed back over her shoulders as she waves both leather and lace covered hands in his direction. "Hi, Jeremy! How've you been?" His remarks about texts and signals and gestures cause her to tilt her head in thought. "I think I can sense that sort of stuff more now that my aura's started growing past my skin. I'd say I was hearing it, but nothing really translates to a specific sense anymore. To me it's a faint vibration of pork chops dipped in the feel of grit."

Jax Miller has posed:
"Great, now I'm hungry." Jax grins, bowing towards Tabitha. Kneeling down to offer a hand felt like it would have been demeaning, not offering any other kind of greeting other than a wave would have been... well, atypical. So, the bow is the compromise. "Jake, at your service. Jax to my friends, which as far as I'm concerned is everyone here."

He straightens up and delivers the next line with absolute sincerity. "You sparkle, I love it."

SpyderByte has posed:
<< I don't know if data vibrates like food. I just see it as strands of data floating around out the corner of my eye. Like when you have those weird squiggles of debris moving across the surface and if you blink they go away? That's what it feels like to me. But I just always know they're there. >>

Taking the ball again from Jax, Jeremy gives him a smile, then hefts it upwards as it bounces off the backboard and rolls into the net.

<< Yay! >>

He got one out of twenty!

<< Oh. Are you two both going to homecoming tonight? Are you wearing costumes? I am going as Neo from The Matrix. I figured it was easy for me to do. >>

Red has posed:
Alice stretches a little, eying over the odd grouping. Which was normal for Xaviers. "Hey Tabitha. You met Jax already? Jax, that's Tabitha, Tabitha, that's Jax." she does a quick introducion just in case.

"Jeremy, how's the weather in california today?"

Siphon has posed:
Tabitha shrugs at Jeremy. "I have no idea why it's pork chops. The whole 'aura as a sensory organ' thing is just plain weird. Instructors tell me I can't just keep my aura shut off to avoid it, though." Her tone of voice makes it clear that she's rolling her eyes behind the veil. She cheers at the successful basket, then returns the bow from Jax. "A pleasure to meet you, Jax." She giggles at the talk of sparkling. "Thank you. I'm getting to like it, myself."

Alice gets a wave and a happy, "Hi there, Alice! Been meaning to thank you! That cosplay workshop you did gave me a lot of ideas when Shan and I were designing some of my new clothes!" She t-poses to hold the cloak open and does a little spin.

Jax Miller has posed:
    "Debris across your eyes? Weird squiggles? You get those?" Nope. Not a cat thing. Hearing ultrasonic sounds, sure. Seeing in almost complete darkness, you best believe it. But floaters or optic distortions? Nope. Not once has Jax had to deal with those, and he looks concerned for his new friend for a moment until he hears the ball bounce off the back board with just the right sound, turning his head just in time to see the ball glide through the net.

    "Awesome! See, you can do it. Wanna try again?" The ball is held invitingly...

    "So, the girl who met me when I arrived ... Shannon, I think it was... told me about the dance tonight. And I'm totally coming... not going to tell you as what though. Has to be a surprise."

SpyderByte has posed:
<< It's currently seventy-two degrees in the Valley with a high of eighty-nine by four p.m. >>

Jeremy says almost automatically after Alice's question, then gives a slow blink of his eyes. He reaches out to take the ball from Jax with a smile, then aims once more and throws it upwards. Clank. Swish. He has found the best angle and velocity of which he must heft the ball. It's all math and he can clearly see it now mathematically formulate in front of him.

<< Shannon is one of my best friends. I can't wait to see her costume. She had a few ideas. I know what Xio is going as and it's really cool. We have a neat trick for the night to show off her real costume though. >>

He takes the ball from Jax again and smiles at him. <>

Siphon has posed:
Tabitha giggles as Jeremy does the Siri thing. Then talk shifts to the dance and she shuffles nervously, hands back at her sides. "I hoping it's fun for everyone in some way. I helped put together the soundtrack and ambient spookies. It was an absolute blast getting to work with a full studio setup, too!"

She nods her head when Shannon is brought up. "Love me some Shannon. Haven't seen much of her today, though. Hope she doesn't try to dye her feathers. That'd be a beast to wash out."

12417/The morning before Homecoming

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