11781/Not Your Average Bear

Not Your Average Bear
Date of Scene:	15 July 2020
Location:	Hell's Kitchen Sixth and Grant, Manhattan.
Synopsis:	Adam Walden reaches out for help through Starlight and meets Andrea and Jean. Welcome to Xavier's!
Cast of Characters:	Rage, Grizzly, Phoenix

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Rage has posed:
Night has fallen upon New York, littering the streets with the sounds of traffic and the shuffling of crowds coming and going to work. The city as usual is lit up like a thousand starts a few blocks away, though that light tapers off once it reaches the fringes of Hell's Kitchen. This is the roughest part of town, and yet, this was where Starlight LLC tucked Adam and Jack away. They were given an address and a Black Uber picked them up with instructions to take a few bags of clothing and that they will be met with a member of the charity soon.

The hotel is named: The Strip. It's one of the nicer ones in Hell's Kitchen. The kind where only a little bit of drug dealing and prostitution may happen. The black car pulls up in front of the hotel and the driver glances over his shoulder towards the pair of kids. "Here we are. This is it. Just wait inside the lobby."

With that, the man climbs out of the car and around back to get the luggage out of the trunk, then takes it to the front door as he waits for the two young boys to make their way over. He's a warm and friendly type. The kind of driver that is used to these streets and has still kept a shred of his optimism.

Grizzly has posed:
Sure, ask kids to get into the unmarked car with a stranger...that's not weird or creepy at all. This experience was not something that Adam was feeling particularly comfortable with. He didn't exactly like giving up control or not knowing what was happening but he'd done it for the sake of the kid climbing out of the car in front of him. That house was just too toxic to stay anymore and while in some ways, Adam felt more equipped to protect Jack, his mutant abilities came with struggles he didn't know how to deal with. This had to be for the best. It just had to be.

Setting a hand on Jack's shoulder, Adam led the way to the hotel. "Yeah, thanks man," He offered to the driver, trying to sound calmer than he really felt. In a passing moment, he worried if he was supposed to tip or something. As he had nothing to offer, he just moved to take the bags while gesturing for his brother to open the door and head on in.

Rage has posed:
The driver gives the boy a salute across the brow, then holds out a solid black card of a thin metal. Scrawled in beautiful cursive is silver lettering: 'Starlight.' On the back of the card is a simple phone number for the hotline that he called earlier, as well as an interesting extension at the end of it. W.O.L.F. Reaching into his pocket, the driver pulls out a small flip phone and passes it over to Adam.

"Just hit re-dial my man. When the operator picks up, tell her that you're ready. Good luck Adam, Jack. I'm glad to have helped out." So, obviously the driver is in on it too. Another employee of Starlight? So far, everyone has been incredibly nice. 'Too' nice. Too easy.

Motioning to some couches in the lobby, he gives a quick smile and then heads back out the door, fishing his keys out of his pocket so that he can move on to the next customer. Once he climbs in the car and takes off, all that is left is the two boys, a lobby and the unknown.

Grizzly has posed:
And the escalation of weird just dialed up a few notches. Were they in a spy movie now? Were ninjas about to pop out? Adam looked at the card, turning it over in his hand, and then to the phone.

"Is it okay?" Jack asked. The older brother pocketed the card and smiled, "Yeah, of course. I think they just do this to look extra. Anyway, if it's not, we'll bail. If you don't feel like going through with anything, just say the word. Dad's a dick, but we find a way to handle him. We always have, right? So, if this is just some kinda scam, we go back; together. Right"?

Jack gave a nod and they went over to the couch. He flopped down onto the cushion and Adam flipped open the phone, hitting the redial button. And then waited. A voice answered and Adam, glancing around, as if expecting something other than just the person on the phone, said, "Uh, yeah. Hi. So, this is Adam and Jack Walden...we're ready."

Rage has posed:
A soft and soothing voice designed to disarm is on the other line. "Hello Adam Walden. We have been expecting your call! We hope that your trip was enjoyable and safe. Your next ride will be here in ten minutes." There is a smile in that sweet voice, calm and motherly. "Please tell Miss Jackson that Felicia says hello. The lobby manager has some Subway for you and your brother. We hope you like turkey sandwiches and chips and five dollars in cash. Her name is Jessica. If you decide that you don't want to take the ride, the room we have booked for you is paid for through the next two nights. If you need anything else, please call the number on the back of the card. Just follow the prompts."

After waiting for a confirmation, the operator will wish him good luck and hang up. The lobby manager, Jessica, indeed has dinner for them in the form of turkey sandwiches on a white sub roll, chips and bottled Coke. So far, so good, right? This just feels a bit too easy.

Ten minutes pass and the doors swish open. In first is a large man dressed in a suit and a pair of dark shades despite the fact it's at night. He is heavily built, most likely having enjoyed a military or a police background. He has close cut hair and a bit of a shadow along his face from a few nights without shaving. He adjusts his tie as his eyes fall upon the pair, then glances over his shoulder.

From behind him strides 'the' Andrea Jackson. Popstar. Global icon. Model. Actress. Outspoken mutant activist. Dressed in a pair of low rise jeans with slashes through the denim and a baggy black shirt that hangs off her shoulder, she offers up a smile towards the pair of boys as she lifts her hand upwards.

"Hey! You must be Adam and Jack. I'm Andrea."

Grizzly has posed:
Yep. Way too easy. However, Adam was not one to turn down food, so he took the subs. He also knew that Jack had issues with eating and often struggled with finding the desire to eat (More thanks to dear old dad for that). So he took the food and sat for the full of the next 10 minutes, scarfing down his own and then chatting patiently while Jack ate at a more reserved pace. Jack did insist that Adam take the extra bag of chips though, and gratefully, the elder boy ate those too.

When the door opened revealing the large man in the black suit, Adam was on his feet in a moment. With a sudden rush of adrenaline, the hairs along his neck and arms pricked. He moved to stand in front of Jack, who jumped up as well, standing on the couch, as it made him that much bigger and ready to run. However, this also made him first to see Andrea. At his age, he was clearly in the demographic of the Disney star's show and the music that played on some station or another every ten minutes it felt like. "Oh my god! Adam, it's Andrea Jackson!" He grabbed onto Adam's arm. "It's Andrea Jackson!"

Adam blinked at the excitement in his brother's voice, which was a rare thing. "Yeah, I heard you..." he said, still a bit dumbstruck. He watched her approach, her image clicking in his head and yet it all felt even more strange now, like some sort of weird dream. He took her hand as it was offered and then glanced around once more. "Uh, is this like, a tv show or something? Hidden cameras around...?"

Rage has posed:
Reaching out to take his hand, Andrea gives it a firm shake. She is all business despite the smile upon her face. Though she may look like a glamerous superstar on television, here in the hotel lobby she's just another normal girl, just one that is recognizable. She only has a 'tiny' bit of shine on her lips and under her eyes. "Nope. This is not a TV show. You called my charity. Starlight. I bankroll the whole thing and I make sure that young mutants like yourself get the help they need, resources, whatever the case may be. I got your file passed along from my counselors and I decided to take a personal interest in it."

Motioning to the couches, she sinks down upon one, folding one leg over the other. The large man in the suit ambles off to the desk to strike up a conversation with the manager quietly. "That's James. He works for me. Marine. Used to do interrogations overseas. You know how crazy people can get when they see a celebrity, so I have him come out with me on some of these runs."

Her smile brightens as she tips a wink over in Jack's direction, then looks back to Adam. "So, hey, I'm sorry to hear about the family situation. The reason why I'm here is to help you out. Make sure that from here out, you're safe. Usually what we do at Starlight is find a boarding home for those underage, foster families and the such and we find good families who /want/ to take in a young mutant. Lots of paperwork involved, being pushed through the system. But, there is usually a pretty high success rate."

"I got a different plan for you, Adam. I've reached out to a good friend of mine by the name of Jean Grey. She is the Headmistress of a special school called Xavier's Institute for the Gifted. I graduated from there. It's wild. Best experience of my life. It's a private academy for those of us who are 'special'." She says with a nod of her head. "And.. is Jack? Is he also or .. ?" She trails off.

Grizzly has posed:
Ok, Adam had never met an actual celebrity before and under other circumstances, he might very well be more awestruck by her, however, she reminded him quickly as to why they were here. He sat down after she did, in a space fairly opposite to hers. He listened to what she had to say, recoiling slightly at the notion of joining a foster family. This wasn't a new concept to him, as CPS threats of 'being taken away and split up' had been leveled on them from an early age. However, she switched tactics, saying something about a school. Before he could inquire more though, Andrea asked about Jack.

In this time, Jack had come over and sat down next to the star, which again, was a super rare thing for the kid to do. "Me? I'm not a mutant...at least, I don't think so. Right Adam?"

The older boy frowned slightly, "Well, he's still a kid, but not yet, I guess. Why?"

Rage has posed:
"Well, the school is designed specifically for ... mutants." Andrea reaches out and ruffles Jack's hair a bit playfully. "But, I have a friend of mine who has five mutants in his family. Siblings. I think there is seven of them." She holds up her fingers, counting them off, softly mumbling to herself. ".. Six? Seven? It's too late for me to brain right now. Either way, it doesn't mean that maybe one day he may show some signs of being incredible." She says with an amused tick of her lips upwards.

"But, do you have other family besides your parents that we can take Jack to? Starlight will assign a lawyer to your case as well, pro-bono to work out any wrinkles about ensuring that they can get legal custody. CPS takes abuse really seriously and my lawyers are /good/ at what they do." Rich people lawyers may as well be sharks, hungry with the scent of blood in the water. "You know, for at least the next two years until you're a legal adult. When you graduate from Xavier's, they even have an option for college to continue your studies there. The other option is that Jack could go to a foster family nearby. One that you will personally meet and approve of. Close by. An easy drive over from campus to visit when you want to. My goal is to make sure that both of you are safe and together. Such decisions is yours to make. I'm just the button pusher."

James makes his way over to them, holding out a bottle of water to Andrea before he heads back to the desk to continue his conversation quietly. She unscrews the cap to take a sip. "So, there is no pressure here, Adam. I'm not going to force you one way or the other. Just tell me what /you/ need. But, I think for your benefit, you should listen to Miss Grey. She's waiting for me to give her a call when you're ready."

Grizzly has posed:
Adam stood up, a rush of anger, but really fear, riling up his blood. "You think I'd trust anyone in my family with fucking ten foot pole? You've got be kidding me?! Together, maybe, in a few years, is not together. Forget this..."

Adam reached over to grab for Jack's arm, but he withdrew, which caused Adam to double take. "Wait... Adam. I...I think she's really trying to help. And...if I could see you all the time and stuff..."

"Jack, I'm not leaving you!"

"I know! I know you're not. I just...I don't want to go back home. I don't want to see you get hurt anymore," he spoke now with tears welling up as he made his plea. "Please...I don't want to go back."

Adam relented, softening back down from his bristling posture and melted into a kneel to draw Jack into a hug. Still holding him, Adam glanced to Andrea. "Fine...I'll listen."

Rage has posed:
Remaining calm in the face of anger, Andrea appears to be unflappable. Her brows lift upwards some, followed the corners of her lips. There is something about her presence. She just holds herself so easily. Alpha. "I'm just throwing options out there, Adam. I'm not saying it has to be one way or the other. If you want, I can stick you both on a bus to California and you guys can hang out in San Francisco with a bunch of hippies if that's what you want to do. At the end of the day, Starlight's goal is to ensure your safety and best interests. You don't have /any/ other family you trust? No grandparents? Cousins? No one that you would trust Jack with?"

Pushing herself upwards, she smooths down her shirt, easing out a few wrinkles with a few brushes of her fingers. "Miss Grey may also have some ideas on how to help Jack as well." She slips her phone out of her back pocket. Expensive, current model in a cute plastic Dazzler case. She's a fan. Big fan. It even sparkles as the case is moved about. As she taps the contact, she holds the phone up to her ear as she waits for Miss Grey to answer.

Ring. Ring. Ring. Her caller ID should show up. "By the way, the card you got has a direct extension to me. Feel free to call and leave me a message and I'll call you back."

Phoenix has posed:
Andrea's call is answered promptly and there's the voice of a younger woman on the other end. "Hey, Andrea. All good? We're ready here. If they need anything when they get here - food, whatever - just toss me a text and I'll have it ready by the time you all get here. I'll see you soon."

Grizzly has posed:
Adam felt slightly irritated by the nonchalance of the celebrity. Here they were, in some motel, in the middle of the night and he was basically being asked to make a huge life decision for not just himself but his brother too. Whatever they decided, it was going to affect them for maybe their lives, so no, he didn't exactly have a plan at the ready.

He sighed, standing up again and running a hand through his hair. "I mean, not really. Dad's side lives in Florida, but they're not gunna take him. Mom doesn't talk about her parents, we've never met 'em. But if we're gunna do this, we're gunna at least stay close." He glanced down to Jack to make sure this was okay and got a nod. So he looked back to Andrea and listened in to the one side of the conversation.

Rage has posed:
"Hey Miss Grey! We're all good. You know. They just had Subway a bit earlier, but I'm sure they wouldn't mind some real food when we get there. I'm raiding the fridge by the way. We'll be over soon. His little brother is super cute by the way."

There's a smile in Andrea's voice before she hangs up, tucking her phone back in. She gives a glance over towards them and nods, blowing a strand of blue colored tipped hair away from her eyes. "Okay, so, we'll talk to Miss Grey. She'll impress the heck out of you. From there, we'll just talk about options and whatever you feel comfortable in doing. Okay? So, don't stress out. You can pick the radio station in the car. That or I can plug my phone in and you can listen to pop music."

With that, she'll lead the pair to a black SUV that is out front and waiting. James will follow after and take the driver's seat, while the rest are piled in the back. It's cozy. Tinted windows. Lots of snacks back there to munch on. There's even a couple of iPads back there to play with.

The journey to Xavier's is pretty straight forward as they cut through the city and into Salem. Pulling up front from the long, impressive driveway rests the mansion turned academy. It's huge. Something built out of an older time. Once the SUV is parked and the horn is tapped twice, Andrea will climb out and help grab the luggage as she waits to be greeted by Miss Grey.

Phoenix has posed:
Standing there at the entrance to the front door is a woman that, while physically dwarfed by the massive building, somehow manages to give the impression of being just as great and storied even when dressed for a modern board room. School business requires the proper attire, and Jean can rock a power suit with the best of them. Crisp black pants and a cropped blazer top to match sit over a sharp white shirt, both contrasting with the small golden X pinned to her lapel with a matching two layer omega chain necklace that sits just at the top of her collarbone. The black heels she has on may not have red bottoms, but they do have gold heels that form a slight cap at her actual heel. And that red hair; a wavy mane left free to fall behind her shoulders and framing her face in fire.

It's a face that lights up brilliantly as she sees the black car pull up. Something about it exudes warmth and trust, a subtle touch of her power to wear away the edge of tensions and apprehension. She'll wait until everyone is out of the car before saying, "Oh good, you didn't spook them off with your celebrity secret service routine." She gentle teases Andrea before looking to the boys. "Welcome to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. I am Jean Grey, headmistress and alumni of the first class. I figure we can meet in the lower meeting room by my office. It's quiet. I have one of the extra rooms done up in case that you'd like to stay for the night, I know it's getting late. The choice is - as all of this will be - up to you. Come on in when you're ready."

Grizzly has posed:
On the ride, Jack was pretty enthralled with playing on the ipad. Outside of school, they didn't have a deep attachment to technology, since they didn't have much of it. Adam had a phone, but Jack hadn't had one of his own yet, so he was content for the entirety of the trip, aside from asking Andrea various questions about being on TV.

For Adam's sake, he didn't really care for pop music all that much. He didn't say as much in front of the literal Pop icon sitting with them, and at least he could listen to it and not cringe. He preferred classic rock, which, for him was the music of the 90s and early 2000s. But most importantly, he had food, which always seemed to placate him. He was able to relax through most of the journey.

When they arrived at the school and got out of the car, the building they were faced with made it feel like they'd just been transported to some other world. Hell's Kitchen was a mash of squat, condensed buildings, dilapidated row houses and graffiti laden shops. This was broad and clean and sparse. Adam once again picked up the bags to carry inside. Eyes still a bit wide he gawked, "Geezus, this is a school?!" And then, having realized he voicalized a thought, looked a tad sheepish and cleared his throat. "Oh, I mean, hi. I'm Adam, and this is Jack," he nodded to the younger. "Yeah uh, that sounds alright."

Rage has posed:
Bounding forward, Andrea wraps her arms about Jean for a quick hug, then lets her go as she looks to stride into the mansion. She looks so casual and carefree as she goes. "Home sweet home! Even though I've moved out and living in the city, I miss this place every day. It's too quiet!"

Having snagged one of the bags as well, she throws it over her shoulder easily, then goes about waving to a couple of students that she passes by who recognizes her. As usual, there is a bit of excitement in the air with her presence. Celebrity she may be, she is also just one of the kids. Or at least she used to be. Alumni now.

"New kid is cute." One girl with pink skin says as they walk past the group, talking to her friends. There is a round of giggles as they glance over towards Adam and Jack before they head on down the hallway.

"That's Felicity. She thinks everyone is cute." She drawls out to Adam as Jean will most surely lead the way.

Phoenix has posed:
"It's an ancestral home turned into a school. Don't worry, it's an eyeful even once you've spent half your life here." Jean grins to Adam as she holds open the door for them. While most of the students have retired for the evening, some of them are still up and about. There's a burst of noise from the rec room just down the hall, where it sounds like a lively round of video gaming is going on.

"Guys, it's past 10. Dull roar, please." Jean calls out as they pass the room, followed by some dutiful, "Yes, Ms. Grey." A cluster of young mutants are all crammed on the couch and television, some of them obviously so, and look to be deep into a round of Super Smash Bros '27.

"It's summer, so the majority of classes are out. We do still offer some courses as well as college level ones." The headmistess leads the way into the meeting room which is just past the grand, sweeping staircase leading to the upper floors. It's a converted ballroom, now full of smaller cubes and a larger table. It's this larger table Jean sits at. "Please, have a seat and make yourselves comfortable. Can I get you anything? Drinks, food?"

Grizzly has posed:
Adam shot a grin at the pink girl as he caught her semi-whispered words. This place was already interesting. He was looking over his shoulder at the gaggle of giggles as the girls passed when Andrea commented about the lead giggler's behavior. To this, Adam turned his gaze back to the pop star and smirked. "Wow, couldn't let me have that one, eh?" His tone was teasing and even so, he tossed back, "I mean, she didn't say you were cute, so...maybe not /everyone/."

The boys took a seat at the table, Jack needing a nudge to get him to follow after catching a glimpse of the game the other kids were playing. "No thanks, I'm okay," Adam answered, since he'd snacked all in the car, honestly, he was okay and he knew that Jack wouldn't eat in front of strangers. The younger boy echoed the polite decline.

"So uh," Adam began with a bit of hesitance in the following statement. "I should probably tell you that I'm not exactly "gifted" when it comes to the school part. I mean, if this is some sort of honors class thing..."

Rage has posed:
"Hey, I wasn't calling her a liar. You're cute. You got that classic Johnny Quarterback meets autoshop look about you. You're probably going to be popular." Andrea teases back to him.

"If you two want, I can take Jack into the rec room and he can meet some of the kids and play video games. That way you two can talk about the important stuff and I can mooch off some popcorn. We got a popcorn maker in there that spits out like twenty different kinds of flavors and colors. It's so awesome." As she starts off, she gives a wave over to Jack. "Come on duder. I'll introduce you to Kevin. He's your age and he can make bubbles with his hands. He was an early bloomer."

Phoenix has posed:
"Andrea. Let him decide if he wants to actually be here before playing matchmaker." Jean teases her former student before sitting down to the business at hand.

"This is a school in the traditional sense, and in the untraditional ones too. This is a place where young mutants can come together, to not just learn academics, but also to learn about themselves in a safe environment. All of us here, teachers down, are mutants. This is a place of understanding, of sanctuary. Here, you will never be alone. You will always have family, even after you've graduated. This isn't just a school, it's a home."

She's given the full rundown of the school many times before, and she will many times yet to come. But there is no doubting Jean's pride and devotion not just to the school but to those in it. School, safety, even a place for his brother should he show abilities of his own; all of them promised by Jean. But like everyone else, she leaves the ultimate choice to Adam. What will he choose?