10185/Secrets and Second Chances

Secrets and Second Chances
Date of Scene:	25 November 2019
Location:	Classroom - Xavier's School
Synopsis:	Students gather in the Music Room for some socialization as they chat about teams and bands!
Cast of Characters:	Icarus, Rage, Dragonfly (Armenteros), Nightingale, Haunt

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Icarus has posed:
Classes are over for the day. Jay has found himself in the Music Room alone for once. It's often occupied by others. He's sitting on a stool with an acoustic guitar propped on his lap. His fingers strum the strings as he tries out a few words then quickly stops and makes a note on the paper on the music stand in front of him. Then he starts again, changing a chord. "I'm going under and I..." He pauses again. Makes another note. Starts. "I'm going under and this time I..."

Rage has posed:
With classes being over, Andrea is always looking for her escape into the music room so that she can continue to work on her set list for her upcoming final concert. Technically she would be at the studio with her team, but she likes to get a few extra hours in on her own to let the vocal chords rip. Dressed in her new black leather jacket over a zipped up pink hoodie and a pair of snug skinny jeans, she nudges the door open of the soundproofed room and comes to a slow halt as she spies Jay on the chair with his guitar. She slowly closes the door behind her, not looking to interrupt.

Dragonfly (Armenteros) has posed:
With a concentrated group of students, it's no wonder that, occasionally, you see the same faces in the same places over and over again. Her time in the music room was earlier in the day, just after lunch, and her fiddle was left in a spot by the windows to be picked up later. It wasn't valuable, or rare, or anything like that, but it was hers, and carrying it around school wasn't the best idea. Approaching the room and seeing Andrea slipping in ahead of her, Gwendolyn slows as the door of the room closes, but doesn't latch. She's just getting her violin so she opens the door after a second or two, to see who's inside.

Icarus has posed:
Not noticing that he isn't alone, Jay continues to work on the lyrics and music for something. He finally fades off into humming, just getting the music line right for now.

He pauses to reach up and rub a hand over his face, tilting his head back a moment. The moment passes. He turns his head to set his guitar aside and that's when he spots Andrea. For that second, she will see the raw pain on his face but then it is gone, buried away in that place inside as he gives her a smile. "Hey. Didn't see you there."

Rage has posed:
The look of emotion on his face causes Andrea to freeze in place, as if she just slammed into a brick wall going a hundred miles an hour. "Hey. Sorry. I was just coming in to record something. I can go if you want to keep working." She says softly as she brushes her hair back behind her ear. Out of the corner of her eye, she spies Gwen entering and she reaches behind her to snag her hand, giving it a squeeze. "Hey, G."

Dragonfly (Armenteros) has posed:
Gwen slows when she sees who it is and, with a small wave to the pair, skirts around the outside of the room to snag her fiddle and it's battered case from where she left it by the windows. "Don't mind me." She says with a grin. "Just getting my stuff."

Icarus has posed:
"Nah, I'm done for now. It's one of those that you can only do a little at a time, y'know?" Jay knows Andrea would understand that. "Got to walk away for a bit. I'll work on it more later. Trying to get it done before the trip home."

He spots Gwen scooting around the room. "Hey, Gwen. You're fine. You all are more than welcome to the room."

Rage has posed:
"As long as you're sure. It's okay to be a diva and ask for space for your music if you need it. I know I've kicked people out of here before so I can scream and cry into the microphone." Andrea says as she rubs the back of her neck. "But if you two want to stick around for mine, I'd be okay with it. I haven't played it before and I could use the feedback."

Dragonfly (Armenteros) has posed:
She may be welcome, but it's just polite to be invited to stay. Kind of like a vampire. No mosquito jokes, please. Gwendolyn gets to her fiddle case, pops it open to check that, yes, it's still there with it's battered velvet lining, sitting down on the spot she's chosen by the window. "Only have so much juice to put into the drink, I get'cha. I'm working on a gift for christmas for someone, and I can only do it for so long before I get fd p and have to take a break."

Icarus has posed:
Jay gets off the stool, walking over to the guitar case nearby and setting the instrument inside it. "Getting to hear an Andrea Jackson original before anyone else? People would pay for that. Of course I'll stay."

He finds his own seat, grinning over at Gwen. "Yeah, it's that sort of thing. Little at a time. Eventually it'll be done and it'll all be worth it."

Rage has posed:
"I don't know if this one will make the final cut on my new album though. Who knows. Maybe this song is just for you, Jay." Andrea says as she shrugs out of her leather jacket to hang it on the back of the chair he just left, followed by unzipping her hoodie to reveal a purple sleeveless tank top with her gold Christian cross dangling across her chest.

As she passes Jay, she reaches out with her hand to brush it against his, followed by taking a moment to lean into him to soak up some of his heat before she continues her trip to the piano. It appears that will be her weapon of choice this afternoon. "I'm pretty sure I squeezed all the juice out into these lyrics." She says as she takes the crumpled up paper from her pocket and spreads it out in front of her, then rests her fingers on the keys.

Dragonfly (Armenteros) has posed:
Gwendolyn giggles and slips off her seat, holding her case in both hands, against her chest. "I'll take a listen, sure." she says, watching Andrea pass and gently touch the red-winged boy, leaning back against the wall. "Won't even pull out my phone to record it." Not that she has a phone, of course.

Icarus has posed:
"I didn't even think about that!" Jay says at Gwen's mention of recording it. "I'm losing so much money." He sighs as though it's a huge problem, though of course it isn't.

When Andrea passed close, her hand got a squeeze. He did not wrap a wing around her though, since she was just slipping by. He settled down in a chair, wings rustling into a comfortable position behind him, then settled in to listen although that comment about the song might be for him now had him nervous. He did his best not to show it.

Rage has posed:
Taking in a deep breath, Andrea's fingers brush along the keys of the piano, giving a slow, easy pace. It's not upbeat, perky or happy. It's just slow, vulnerable, easy.

"I stare at my reflection in the mirror,
Why am I doing this to myself?
Losing my mind on a tiny error...
I nearly left the real me on the shelf!
No, no, no, no!

Don't lose who you are in the blur of the stars,
Seeing is deceiving, dreaming is believing ..
It's okay, not to be okay.
Sometimes it's hard to follow your heart,
Tears don't mean you're losing, everybody's bruising,
"Just be true to who you are ... who you are."

As the piano continues to plink away, she leans forward into the microphone to let her breathy voice come out sweetly, slow, emotional. There is her infamous 'rasp' in her voice that she hides in the back of her throat. Her fingers continue to play for her life along the keys. Tap. Tap. Tapping.

"Brushing my hair, do I look perfect?
I forgot what to do to fit the mold,
The more I try, the less it's working ...
Cause' everything inside of me screams No-No-No-Noooooo!"

"Don't lose who you are in the blur of the stars,
Seeing is deceiving, dreaming is believing ..
It's okay, not to be okay.
Sometimes it's hard to follow your heart,
Tears don't mean you're losing, everybody's bruising,
"Just be true to who you are ... who you are."

"Yes, no's, egos, fake shows, like woah!
Just go and leave me alooooone!
Real talk, real life, good love, goodnight!
With a smile, that's my home! That's my hoooooooo-OOOOo-oome!"

As she hits that last night, she nearly rises out of her seat as her fingers pound along the keys, her voice rising upwards into the stratosphere. The emotion is rumbling about in her throat as she moves through the chorus once more, yet she remains focused on the lyrics scribbled on her paper.

Dragonfly (Armenteros) has posed:
From her spot by the wall, Gwendolyn remains quiet as Andrea really starts getting into it. She never could do piano - too many fingers required too much movement - but she can appreciate how difficult it is to play well. Her violin case is set down on the desk in front of her, quietly, as the song progresses through the first verse and chorus. She very nearly pulls out her violin to accompany, but it's not appropriate right now.

Icarus has posed:
As Andrea begins to sing, Jay is a completely focused on her voice. The way she begins soft and works upward, the swell of the music and emotions, the depth of the feelings coming out for everyone to feel that is watching.

As the song continues, he closes his eyes to absorb just the music and her voice. It's a strong song, powerful. And of course, with her words before she started, he's internalizing it.

As she reaches the last note and the music fades, he opens his eyes and really sees her. For an instant. And a new emotion is on his face before it is quickly hidden behind that mask he wears.

Nightingale has posed:
     On her way to the music room to get a little practice in on her song for the Thanksgiving concert at Evolution, Shannon gets a pretty clear picture that perhaps practice is going to have to wait. But that's not such a bad thing, as she also can hear it's going to mean the treat of hearing Andrea sing. Wishing not for the first time that she had even an ounce of the other girl's talent, she lingers by the doorway, simply listening as the pop starlet plays and sings her heart out, not so much as moving an inch or rustling her wings.

Rage has posed:
As she hangs on her emotions by a thread, Andrea is blinking her eyes with a shaky breath. Slowly, she crumples back down on to the bench, her fingers sliding away from the last few notes. Brushing her hand beneath her cheek, she shakily closes the lid to the piano with her free hand.

Rising upwards, she smooths down her shirt, then picks up the crumpled piece of paper again and stuffs it into her pocket as she gives a glance back over to Jay. She stares back at him for a long, pregnant moment before she catches sight of Shannon coming through the door. Straightening up, she offers up a big smile. The show must go on.

Dragonfly (Armenteros) has posed:
The show must go on
The show must go on, yeah
Inside my heart is breaking
My makeup may be flaking
But my smile, still, stays on.

Gwendolyn is standing by one of the windows in her usual winter getup, minus the heavy parka since everyone's indoors, but still in the sweater and pants with her cute calf-high leather boots she found somewhere. "That was really good." She says to Andrea with a smile. "Really, really good."

Icarus has posed:
"It was amazing," Jay says softly. He wants to go over, to comfort. But he also knows that often makes such emotional moments worse so he gives her that space, remaining where he is.

As she looks to the door, he glances that way and gives a short wave to Shannon while continuing to speak to Andrea. "Not sure you should put that on an album. People would want you to perform it often and it's obvious it leaves you raw, having laid yourself out like that emotionally."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon raises one wing towards the trio already in the music room by way of a wave, settling it back in behind her after just a few moments. She slips just inside the room and closes the door, having a feeling that perhaps something that raw, that emotional, is not one Andrea might want shared with the general populace of the school. That's a feeling she knows all too well, offering a smile of agreement and understanding to both her, and in particular, Jay.

"I caught about the last half of that coming in, but if that's anything to go by, I kind of agree with him. Putting the essence of your soul into a song, and then getting it out there for everyone to hear... it's hard. Even harder, when something really hits close to home. That's something I'm finding out for myself."

Rage has posed:
"Yeah, it's not a song that would fit on this album. This album is filled with upbeat, pop and club beats that is really aggressive. A lot of Rage was in the lyrics when I was writing them. This song I just sang?" Andrea shifts her jaw a bit. "Is about the secret I've been keeping from all of you. I have anxiety and I didn't go out and get help when I needed to. I let the voices, multiple voices, get louder and stronger in my head, until the point I was no longer myself. I was up high, then I was down low and I was screaming for help and I was too proud to vocalize it."

As she slides down next to Jay, she curls her arms about his, then rest her cheek into his shoulder. "I'm fixed now though, at least the brain part. Miss Braddock and Mister Guthrie went into my head and merged all the voices back into me, when they were split and running about unchecked." She says with a loud sniff. "So now, it's just therapy a few times a month to make sure that I'm on the right path."

"So, I think I need a new codename now. Something that speaks to who I am today, and not yesterday. I don't want to be called Rage anymore."

Dragonfly (Armenteros) has posed:
There's a lot there to unpack, and Gwendolyn doesn't have the brain processes to actually do that. This is Andrea baring her soul - in music and in word - to the room. And wanting a new code name? That's something that she could probably help with. "well..." She says, stepping forward. "Maybe not just Rage? I mean...you said she's a part of you. You could do something simple that, when you spell it out, would include her...like...I don't know." Gwen is grasping at straws a little here. "Runs with Rage? No...too wordy. Ragedancer?"

Icarus has posed:
As Andrea sits with him, Jay puts his hand on hers atop his arm. He spreads the wing on that side slightly then pulls it around her, a position she likes and finds comforting (or so he's learned). Since she just bared her soul to the room.

"Glad you got fixed but I can't help on a codename. That's the older Guthrie's thing."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon purses her lips slightly, thinking for a moment. "Well... there's always 'Defender'. Or if you want to pull an example from classic science fiction, how about 'Watcher'? Big Doctor Who reference there, from the transition from the fourth to the fifth Doctor. There was a figure all in white, faceless, sometimes called the Watcher, that followed on that final adventure wherever the Doctor and his companions went. It turned out to be the one thing that saved him in the end. Kind of like you've been saved now. So... yeah. 'Watcher'."

Haunt has posed:
The vibration of the room, the 'breeze' that Brad tends to cause, is particularly obvious in a quiet music room: because so many of the things in the music room are designed to make noise when even slightly vibrated. It's the cymbals in particular that release a soft rattle or rimshot, as if someone had just made a joke.

But it is just Brad: in an invisible state, but wearing a black hoodie, pants, shoes. He's just appearing headless at the moment, as he stops near the music room. Instead of entering, he stays back for the moment: his usual pause to take stock of who's present. And to figure out what they're talking about.

Rage has posed:
"It's not a big deal. I can just be Andrea also." The popstarlet says with a soft laugh. "It's not like I'm on a team anymore, or participating in those types of activities." She curls up closer into Jay as he wraps a wing about her, then turns to press a kiss in against his shoulder. She squeezes his hand again tighter, letting out a low rumble of content in her throat. As she shifts her cheek about, she spies the clothing hovering near the doorway. "Hey Brad."

Dragonfly (Armenteros) has posed:
"I /guess/ you can be Andrea. It'll probably be best to come up with something, though, before you end up in some kind of brou-ha-ha and people are yelling out code names." Gwendolyn giggles. "Wolverine, you go here. Storm, you do this. Triage, take care of the wounded. Andrea, you're with wolverine. Cyclops..." She shakes her head, her hair bouncing a little as she smiles.

Icarus has posed:
The little brush of air gives the clue that his roommate is about. Jay glances over toward the cymbal then to the door, just as Andrea calls out to the clothing hovering there. "Hey, Brad. C'mon in. We're just talking music." Music room so that was probably a given. "And apparently codenames for those that want them."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon smiles at Brad from her spot by the doorway, feeling the breeze ruffling her wings subtly. "Hey there!" She extends one wing in his general direction, and glances over at the drums. She tilts her head, thinking for a moment, shifting her gaze between him and the drums. "Ever think of trying to play those with just TK? It could be a fun exercise."

Andrea's remark, though, brings her up short, her eyebrows lofting and her jaw dropping. "Whoah, wait a second... when did that happen? I thought you were second in command to Sam there... what happened?" She purses her lips, crossing her arms now. "Well... it shouldn't matter if you're technically on a team or not. I had my codename even before coming here, so... my vote's still for 'Watcher'."

Haunt has posed:
"/Code names/?" Brad says from the door, as if they were all crazy. "Like superhero names? What on earth /for/?" Brad laughs, and then figures out what the game is. Oh, for fun! "Can I be 'Vision'? I want 'Vision'. Are we choosing heroes we admire or something?" Brad asks, interested, tone playful. He approaches into the room more fully, though his expression is, as is usual, hidden from view.

Then Shannon comes up with new information. "Second in command of what?" Brad asks. He also then begins to do a drumroll telekinetically for Shannon, while putting his hands in his pockets. One doesn't have to see his expression to know he's probably grinning towards her. The drumroll peels off into a quick upbeat tempo, and then the drumsticks flip into the air once and return to rest.

"Okay, 'technically on a team'?" Brad asks, more seriously, at Shannon. Brad requires information. "Are you guys fighting street crime on the side in masks!?"

Rage has posed:
Rubbing a hand across her brow, Andrea says, "I don't know. I need to talk to Mister Guthrie again. I made a decision in the heat of frustration and Rage was riding me /really/ hard that day. I had my reasons at the time." She says softly with a bit of embarrassment in her voice.

When Brad speaks up, she lets out a soft grunt, then says, "Uh... No, we don't go out fighting crime in masks or spandex. We have .. coordinated uniforms." She says with a clear of her throat.

"We're The New Mutants. It is a team, yes. We're trained in team tactics and combat to serve as a second line of defense in case the school is attacked, or if we need to protect each other in the real world. With the rise of Sentinels and Friends of Humanity, we're targets now and it's good we know how to defend each other. It's a small group of hand picked students that have shown ability and aptitude above most of the other students."

Dragonfly (Armenteros) has posed:
Friends of Humanity sounds like something that gets together to build houses on the weekend for down-on-their-luck veterans or something, not the scourge of those with the X-gene. "I have no idea, honestly." Gwendolyn says, tapping the desk next to her so Brad has an idea of the direction she's in, if he couldn't tell from the voice already. "I was just naming mutants that we probably all knew."

X-men? In my school? It's more likely than you think!

"Oh come on, Andrea. Superstar pop goddess and a member of the New Mutants? If that's true, we /definitely/ have to come up with a code name for you that doesn't involve your real name." it sounds like Gwendolyn doesn't believe it, thinking andrea's just teasing the new kids.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods slowly, understanding. "Gotcha. That was really confusing when you said you weren't on the team. I'm sure it'll get cleared up soon." Coordinated uniforms. Yeah. She just chuckles a little bit at that, and shrugs, ruffling her wings. "That part took some getting used to. The uniforms."

A smile of appreciation for Brad is offered, which turns into something of a grin at his display of increasing skill, both with TK and music. "Okay, if I ever form a band, I'm tapping you for the drummer."

Her tone does turn a little bit more serious, though, when addressing the question of the New Mutants. "Andrea's right. We don't go looking for trouble, but when the fertilizer hits the fan, we're right in the line of fire. You really don't want to be the one to tangle with her when that happens. She's one to back us all up 110. Stuff goes down, the team's right there to help. All of us." A reassuring hand comes to rest on Brad's shoulder and she squeezes lightly. "This is our home, too, and we're not going to let anything happen to anyone in it."

Haunt has posed:
"A team trained in team tactics with uniforms. Like the Fantastic Four, but teenagers?" Brad asks. He's mulling it over a little. "Sounds like a tv show, where the kids barely make it to class because they gotta go get shot by Sentinels. I heard about THOSE. Sentinels. Man." He makes a choice, which is to laugh, good-naturedly. It isn't aggressive: he thinks they're doing a practical joke.

"Okay, funny. I get it. You're all superheroes. Joke's on me," Brad says, shrugging. He doesn't shrug Shannon's hand off, pats it once with his palm. "Jay's already claimed my drumming skills." The drums shoot another rimshot. He turns away towards the door, though. He's taken it as them probably shooting glances at each other that he can't see. But he has a soft spot when he senses he's getting teased and can't see expressions: and it's come up. He's hiding it: and hiding it pretty well. Invisibility can be useful for that.

"But I get 'Vision'," Brad claims, playing along. Maybe. "Later guys." One sleeve aims back at them, presumably since his invisible hand is waving, and he moves to go.

Rage has posed:
"We aren't superheroes, not by any means. We're just kids with some extra curricular attached to our resumes, and the threats out there /are/ real. It's important that we master our gifts so that we can protect those who can't. A lot of students here can't fight back, and it's up to those of us who can, to be their shield." Andrea says to Brad as she gives Jay's hand another squeeze, winding her fingers up in his.

"When the staff finds a student of exceptional ability and courage, they ask us to do some private workouts, and then if it makes sense, they're put into a team environment. It's like an extra PE class." She assures.

"Brad, you want to rock out some drums? I promised I'd help Shannon with the guitar. Maybe Gwen can pop out the violin and we can all put together some music?"

Dragonfly (Armenteros) has posed:
Gwendolyn rolls her eyes behind her goggles and shakes her head. "Uh-huh, and I'm a top model, the president's aide, and don't have to wear earplugs to get through class." She snickers and pulls her backpack and violin off where they had been placed and puts them on. "I'm going to follow Vision, there. He still owes me a football game, and I owe him popcorn."

Icarus has posed:
"No reason to run off. Stay here and make some music. I mean if we are ever going to get that band to happen, we need to be able to get a feel for where everyone stands. Yes, Brad and I were already talking about the idea of one. I used to have one back home. I play lots of stuff. Vocals. Brad even came up with a name for our group, didn't you?" Jay calls out before his roomie can run off.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon actually shivers a little at the mention of Sentinels. "You want to talk about baptism by fire, you talk about Sentinels. But in the moment, you just do what you've gotta do, and deal with the fallout later. The even bigger problem out there is the bigotry and hatred for those of our kind. 'Friends of Humanity' is a prime example of a hate group like that. And on that one, I'd venture to say we're all on the same team anyways, fighting the hatred and bigotry. It's the dream this place was founded on, that one day mutants and non-mutants could co-exist peacefully."

Does it sound like she's joking? Nope. Not one word of it. "I've seen some pretty hairy stuff out there already, yeah. But I've also seen things that give me hope that dream could actually come true. That's the part you hold onto in the end. Hope."

She glances between Jay, Brad, and Gwendolyn, smiling to each in turn. "Would you guys mind keeping this under your collective hat, though, please?" To Brad in particular, she chuckles. "Heh. 'Vision' works. Though it's almost ghost-like, the way you can come into a room and if you're real careful, people won't even have a clue."

The mention of guitar gets Shannon's attention, and she grins at Andrea. "That reminds me... I ran into Bean last night, when I came in here to practice my new song for the concert that's coming up. He has a guitar now, too. I was just about able to help him get it tuned properly, but beyond that, we're both of us raw beginners. Halp!!!"

Haunt has posed:
"Damn it, Gwen, you've blown my cover. Okay. I'm President, and she's my aide-slash-model," Brad gives, with a deep agonized breath, attempting to loop one arm over Gwen's shoulders in a sideways buddy-clasp towards the side of his chest. Like a proper president and his aide-slash-model. Brad's relaxed a little, now that he's feeling more included in whatever the joke is.

Brad goes quiet as Shannon really goes for the deep seriousness, listening. It's hard to joke about what she's saying. Is some of it a joke? Brad isn't sure anymore. But he doesn't joke at her expense. He just lacks an answer: because Hope? That's a difficult thing. He doesn't have much of it.

"Yeah, but I'm not stuck on it or something," Brad answers Jay. He pauses, his telekinesis analyzing the room: there's that breeze. The cymbals flutter a little bit. "It was 'Second Chances' I think? Might not apply to everybody though. I'm definitely not able to teach guitar, so I'm out on that one."

Rage has posed:
Furrowing her brows, Andrea pushes herself up to her feet, giving a small tug on Jay's hand. Her fingers tighten around his, brushing her thumb across his knuckles. She rubs the back of her neck with her free hand. She glances over to him almost expectantly for a few moments, then says,  "Can I be in this band too? I play a mean electric triangle." She says with a lift of her brows upwards, grinning.

Dragonfly (Armenteros) has posed:
"I thought for sure it'd be Wings, with Jay being involved. If Shannon, Jay, and I all get involved?" Gwendolyn is squeezed against Brad, leaning against him a little just because she can. "Or Invisible Wings. I don't know." She straightens a little, about three inches shorter than the top of Brad's head, not including her antenna when she's at her full height.

Andrea and the crew talking about keeping the Team secret, about being a part of it? This could be a thing like the cool kid's club back home, or it could be a real thing. They asked for secrecy, so she'll keep it, even if she doesn't really know if it's a thing.

"If you need an insect-eyed girl that can fly and can punch kinda hard who is also an aide and supermodel, or an invisible president, you know where to find us."

Icarus has posed:
"Second Chances. It was...inspired. Kind of sticks in my head," Jay admits with a shrug, verifying the information Brad shared. "There's a story behind it for us both. That's the best kind of group names though, that have a story. Kind of like tattoos. Don't just pick one that looks good, go for depth." He looks down at his arm where there is no visible tattoo. "And people say tattoos are forever. Shows what they know," he mutters.

Then he looks back to the group. "Whoever can do whatever. Andrea, you obviously could do vocals and you play lots of instruments. Like me. Brad does percussion. As we just saw. I mean it likely would just be something we do around here. Maybe some other name for the school one so we can keep Second Chances for future." And hopes of professional for him at least.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon smiles at the talk of music, shifting by the doorway a little bit. "That's a good name for a band. 'Second Chances'. I think all of us here have a second chance that the rest of the world wouldn't give us." She tilts her head, thinking for a sec. "I'm mostly piano, flute, and voice, if you need any of those. Maybe someday, guitar, but nowhere near ready for that. Plus I can work on some music on the computer, get some interesting sounds that way. That is... if there's room for one more."

Speaking of flying... she glances over at Gwen and smiles proudly. "How's that coming along for you? The flying, I mean. Those exercises Sam gave you helping any at all?"

Smiling at Brad, she gives him a brief up-nod. "Maybe you couldn't teach guitar, but it sounds like you're one helluva drummer." The light fluttering of the cymbals almost sounds like the dramatic build-up to an intense solo, just a wisp of sound that builds briefly, but then fades away instead. "Were you in a band before or anything?"

Rage has posed:
As she shuffles in closer to Jay, Andrea plucks their joined hands up and curls his arm about her shoulders as she steps into him. "I wouldn't want to take vocals. I'll just play rhythm guitar, or piano. This is your band, so you're the lead singer." She says with a grin to him, curling her free hand around his back beneath his wings.

"As far as the other stuff goes.. " She pauses. "How about tomorrow night? We'll get together. All of us. Let's get some practice in. With our powers. See how we all work as a team or something. It will be fun." She says as she glances between Gwen and Brad.

Dragonfly (Armenteros) has posed:
Gwendolyn thinks about what she has going on tomorrow night. With Thanksgiving coming up, her only plans are baking in the kitchen because she hasn't had a chance to do that in months for people, and baking scratches that being friendly itch she gets, every once in a while.

"I..guess? I mean, I don't really have any sort of formal training. I just know what the notes sound like and can play a few...okay, a lot of songs, but that's by ear. Reading music I don't know how to do." Gwendolyn actually survived off playing her violin for several months, so she's got the chops.

Haunt has posed:
Brad flickers: just briefly: he's visible, for a few counts, then gone. It's erratic. His hair is slightly gelled, a decent mimic of what the stylist did. He blinks his eyes shut a little, but the room isn't horribly bright, so he didn't wince, just kind of squints. He says something quietly aside to Gwen (she's right there), and then re-engages.

"Well, could be 'First Chance' until we evolve out of the school. First Chance at a 'real' band. Or being ourselves as mutants. Or however you want to interpret it. I dunno." Brad shakes his head to Shannon's question, "I mean, I played in high school. It wasn't really a band. I don't think little thirteen-year-old-me had the proper concept of it, and my friends were pretty terrible at guitar. Think 'Wyld Stallions' bad." He belatedly releases Gwen and drops his arm, fidgeting and dropping his hands to his sides. "Sorry, did I mush your wings?" Brad asks Gwen.

The drums play a rapid cymbals flare and drumroll as Jay announces that Brad's skilled, and it repeats a little for Shannon. "I can play anything I hear. No problem. Whatever the band needs."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon raises her eyebrows at the mention of practice, with powers. "We're talking about music here, right, Andrea?" She brushes a stray wisp of pale gold aside behind one ear, leaving her glacier blue braid to hang down by the left side of her face. "Because god only knows I need that. Badly."

Glancing over to Brad, she offers a smile, and a self-depricating chuckle. "'Wyld Stallyns' bad is still way better than I am, so you are one up on me, believe me. I bet you and your friends were better than you think. Especially if that..." She motions over to the drum set, which seems to be playing itself at the moment. "...is any indication."

Dragonfly (Armenteros) has posed:
Whatever Brad whispered to Gwendolyn makes her blush quite cutely but, thankfully, she can hang her head, just a little, to let her hair fall down and hide her blush from the rest of the room. "I, um. Yeah. The wing thing is working out pretty good, Shannon." Gwendolyn manages to calm herself, straightening, brushing her hair back behind her ears, the blush gone for now. "Too cold to go outside right now, but I do hit the gym and do laps. Able to stay airborne for, like, five minutes at a time now. It's working out, thanks to Sam's exercise regimen."

Haunt has posed:
"I wasn't able to do /that/ at the time, I wasn't really in any control of my mind-powers. So I was doing it manually, and still learning. So we sucked," Brad answers Shannon. He entirely misses Gwen's blush: can't see it. He stepped away from her, sideways, but it was just from the awkwardness of maybe hurting her wings. That she didn't answer makes him suspect he may have. Blindness problems.

"Let's practice later on; maybe start on those guitar lessons," Brad suggests. "Which I cannot help with, so. I'm gonna get a sandwich. Later guys." Brad waves his sleeve a little, and retreats.