11533/Brand New World. The first step.

Brand New World. The first step.
Date of Scene:	23 May 2020
Location:	Main Foyer - Xavier's School
Synopsis:	Jeremy's first day at school. He's awkward. He's always awkward.
Cast of Characters:	SpyderByte, Nightingale, Aerin Mifflin

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SpyderByte has posed:
There is a 'boom' from outside and a rush of the wind from behind Jeremy Statton as he stands in front of the large front door from the porch. He has a few bags at his side and he is just 'staring' at the large door, aprehensive. Some kids from within the school on the second story are talking excitedly. Did Superman just take off? Or was it Supergirl? Could it have been Superboy? They definitely saw a red cape!

Having been 'dropped off' by his friend and teammate, the young technopath is just staring, waiting, trying to build his nerve and confidence. He listens to the last few words that she whispered into his ear. Be bold. Don't be afraid. She's a phone call away. You can do this.

Can he? Can he do this?

Reaching out with a trembling hand, he nudges the door open dragging one bag around his neck and shoulders, the other behind him on a large luggage case. His shaggy black painted hair is a mop in front of his dark, sunken eyes. He's dressed in a black shirt and a pair of boring jeans and worn down sneakers. He takes in a heavy breath at the sight of the interior, swallowing tightly. In his hand he has a piece of paper. Room assignment. A schedule. People to meet. For now, he just stands there in the doorway, glancing about slowly, staring ceilingwards, then down along his feet.

Nightingale has posed:
     If Jeremy stares at the floor, he'll find that someone's been in the hallway not too terribly long before him. Someone with rather large, white feathers, as one is on the ground near his feet. Someone who is bounding back down the stairs, positively elated about something. Shannon stops dead in her tracks at the one sight she hadn't been sure she'd see, smiling. Well, whatever it is, could wait. For now, she simply heads back down the stairs, looking as if she's come from the general direction of the women's dorms, waving at Jeremy. "Hi! You made it!"

     It seemed today was to be a good day on multiple fronts, for sure!

Aerin Mifflin has posed:
Aerin is sitting around the base of the staires of the foyer that move upward to the second story. Having a red cloth and some kind of polish can next to her as her hair is wraped entirely around her right side in front of her. That purple hair is metal, and metallic. She seems to be polishing her impossibly long hair, which runs at least from head to toe. Running the cloth near the base of her head, she follows the length of the hair till she reaches the end. Once done with a lock she moves it around to her other side of her body so she has some semblance of what's in the 'to do' and what is in the 'not done' category.

She looks upward a bit as Shannon comes downward towards her "Ah, you look better." Then to the newcomer. She's wearing a black turtleneck sweater, a pair of glasses, jeans, and a pair of sneakers. Dressed for comfort rather than style. "You look new. If that is the case the boys dorms are up the stairs and over there." she points a finger. "Make sure to check in with Ms. Grey as well and make an appointment."

SpyderByte has posed:
As Jeremy continues to stare off into space for a few moments, his head tilts one way, then the next, his dark eyes glancing around. It's almost as if he is taking in every detail, but in actuality, he is doing something else. He takes another few steps forward, dragging his luggage with him. When Shannon calls out to him, he glances upwards to her, a bit too quickly and he winces at the crick to his neck. Ow.

Her phone pings: << Hello. I made it. My head hurts. The signals are strong. It's so loud. >>

The new voice catches his ears and he looks upwards to Aerin, staring at her for a few moments, looking at her hair, then back up to her face. He himself could be invisible in a room of two people. He's boring. Normal.

He give a bit of a snuff, then reaches up with his hand to wipe at his nose that has begun to bleed, smearing a bit of red along his pale skin. Aerin's phone pings.

<< I have one with her tomorrow morning. >>

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon slips her phone from her little brown bag and peers down at it, smiling. "Yeah, it can be a lot to take in here at first. I remember getting here just last summer, two days before my birthday. It was kind of the same way for me." She continues on down the stairway, finally reaching Jeremy. "Need a hand with some of this?" she offers, but waits for a yea or nay before following through.

     Glancing over to Aerin, she smiles and nods. "Yeah, that burn didn't take long to heal. Thanks! How's it going for you?" Nice! Two new people. Could this day get much better? "Aerin, this is Jeremy Statton. Jeremy, this is Aerin. She just got here a day or so ago."

Aerin Mifflin has posed:
Aerin isn't terribly tech savvy and isn't used to having a phone, so the phone in her pocket is ignored when it gives a little 'ding' that there is a message. She'll probably wonder who butt-texted her when she sees it later. She thinks that Shannon is talking to her since there weren't any words coming from Jeremy. "Oh? Should we plan a party for you?"

She stands slowly, shaking her head a few moments to brush her hair all behind her, it manages to just stay off the ground and part at her forehead to allow her face through with some form of styling. Yay magnetic superpowers. Packing up her polish she tosses it in a pocket along with the cloth, wiping her fingers off.

She steps closer towards Jeremy after Shannon has passed her. She leans a little closer to him to make sure she's seeing correctly, pushing her hair up just a bit, then lets it 'fall' back into it's magnetically-controlled place. "You seem to have a little something here." pointing at her nose. "Looks like your nose is bleeding."

SpyderByte has posed:
Both girl's phones ping this time: << It will pass. I just need to filter out the signals. Too many. So many. It's suffocating. >>

Jeremy slowly blinks his eyes as he stares at the two of them, then reaches up to wipe at his nose again. Finally, he pulls out a napkin from his pocket and tries to clean himself, maintaining mostly eye contact at their feet, submissive, shy.

<< I can handle my bags. Don't worry about it, Shannon. They are heavy. >>

And he is built like a spaghetti noodle. Each time their phones ping, his lips move slightly, though he isn't making noise. He just clutches the backpack strap a bit tighter with his free hand.

Nightingale has posed:
     Glancing down at her phone again, Shannon looks at the message and smiles. "No problem. Just let me know if you need help. And if the signals here get to be too much, we could ask around and see if there's a way to help you filter some of them out till you get a handle on things."

     She smiles at Aerin and shrugs. "Not for a couple months yet. My birthday's the same as Kitty's... July 25." She motions towards Aerin's phone, then glances over at Jeremy. "Wish I could get messages to just appear on phones like he does. That's got to be one of the faster ways I've seen to communicate. Ever."

Aerin Mifflin has posed:
Aerin looks confused for a moments "He can what-now?" She pulls out her phone, the older style flip-phone instead of something like a smartphone (though those are really smartphones too). She flips it up "Okay, so I have messages." A few pokes at the phone with a thumb. A few more. Settings..app. No. Home, settings..settings. No. Home..settings...mail. That's email. No, that's not right either. She looks fairly annoyed as she pokes at her phone. Messages - oh, there they are. "So he's communicating through my messages inbox? Is that going to charge data fees?" Isn't that what texting someone always says - data rates may apply?

She hmmns. "He probaly does need help with his things, he doesn't look like he's going to make it. Especially with the distance as I just moved in the other day. You might want to seek medical attention if things are giving you trouble?" She shrugs "Or just stay close to me, I tend to disrupt electrical signals pretty well."

SpyderByte has posed:
Another message pops up on their phone. It has no phone number assigned to it. It's just a message bubble.

<< Data rates do not apply. I am data. I am the signal. >>

The shoulders of the young man slump a bit as he hears that he may not be able to 'make it'. He glances over his shoulder back towards the door, as if he was holding on the last memory before he stepped through it. You can do it. Be bold. You got this. His hand tightens around the strap of the luggage bag.

<< I will be fine. Just need some time. The school has a lot of networks, closed and open. So many devices. So much data. It's like I woke up in heaven with a headache. >> He tries to straighten up, his brown eyes lifting to theirs, just for a half-second, before they glance down and away again quickly, submissively. He gives a tug of his bag behind him. At least it's on rollers.

<< Is there an elevator? >>

Nightingale has posed:
     "There is, actually, right over this way." Shannon peers over at Aerin and just shakes her head a little. "Give him a chance, m'kay? I sure wasn't all that strong when I first got here." Tapping a button to call the lift, she smiles at Jeremy. "Second floor. Gentlemen's dorms are in the west wing, just hang a left when you get up there."

     She knew well how pride could be, and so refrains from offering -too- much help. "When you get settled in, just flag someone down if there's anything else you need."

Aerin Mifflin has posed:
Aerin watches the elevator. She's so not going to get on that. More for his benefit than anything. "A chance? A chance to what? He's bleeding from the nose and doesn't look too well.

She shrugs her shoulders a little. "I was hoping to catch you about however at some point Shannon - I was hoping to catch you for a conversation at some point when you had the time."

SpyderByte has posed:
<< It's a nose bleed, not a missing limb. I get these often. >>

It's hard to be assuring through a text message. Jeremy probably should start using emoticons and emojis. He never had to in the past.

As the elevator doors swish open, he makes his way towards them, dragging the heavy luggage behind him with a grunt. It's not easy for him, but he is not about to look like a pussy on the first day in front of two girls. If Juvie taught him anything, is that you don't wan to be the 'bitch' in the yard.

<< Maybe you two can walk upstairs and meet me? I don't mind the company. >>