11898/Student Evaluation: Jeremy Statton

Student Evaluation: Jeremy Statton
Date of Scene:	03 August 2020
Location:	Guidance Counselor's Office - Xavier's School
Synopsis:	Emma meets Jeremy. It went exactly as expected.
Cast of Characters:	SpyderByte, Emma Frost

SpyderByte has posed:
Summoned.

What could anyone want with Jeremy? Who is Miss Frost? Jeremy is sitting outside one of the offices as he waits. The young lanky teen is wearing a huge, oversized black hoodie, a pair of baggy black pants with chains hanging off them, and a dog collar around his throat. His hair is at thick black and brown streaked mop that hangs down his face and in desperate need of a haircut. He also wears a pair of thin glasses. He looks like a Goth, without being a Goth. He definitely stands out amongst the peppy, colorful mutants who wear trendy clothes, but he can also easily be overlooked and forgot about.

As he spins his phone about in his hands, he glances down at the screen, then about the office as he squints his eyes. He looks nervous. Not bored. Definitely nervous.

Emma Frost has posed:
The office door opens, and the woman steps out to greet him. Emma is not wearing her 'uniform' outfit -- instead she's wearing a pair of white slacks and a white sleeveless shell, perfectly demure for business wear. She's actually just a bit taller than he is in the heels she's wearing. "Jeremy Statton?" Emma's smile is pleasant and easy, her blue eyes gentle on the boy. "I'm Emma Frost. Come in. Have a seat." She gestures toward a chair. "Thank you for making time in your schedule."

SpyderByte has posed:
Glancing upwards at his name, Jeremy stares at her for a long moment, then slowly tilts his head to one side. He gives a quick nod of his head, then pushes himself up to his feet. The chains jingle and jangle about his legs as he moves, rubbing the back of his neck. As he heads into the office, he slips down into the seat, then hugs his phone a bit tighter to him as his fingers squeeze around the device.

"H-Hello MMm.. Mm.. Miss Fff... Frost." His voice comes out in a painful stammer, as if he has to work hard through each word.

Blowing the hair away from his eyes, he reaches up to adjust his thin glasses a bit. He gives another glance down at the phone in his hand as the screen glows, followed by a rapid movement of green code on black. He looks up and to the left, then reaches up with his free hand to grab 'something' and slowly pull it downwards.

Emma Frost has posed:
Treading carefully with him, Emma comes into the office behind him and closes the door. "It's very nice to meet you. Mr. Summers and Ms. Grey speak very highly of your talents, Jeremy. You know that they've recommended you for the new team?" She's aware that he's been told. "I wanted to welcome you to it. Beast and Cannonball are, of course, your leaders, but with your additional challenges, I wanted to meet with you and let you know that I'm also here to help you in any way you need." Tipping her head, the blonde asks in a gentle, direct way, "Does being here make you nervous?"

SpyderByte has posed:
As soon as she says the word 'nervous', there is a way of nervous energy radiating off the young man. Jeremy gives his phone another squeeze, then quietly clears his throat. "No." He says the word simply. He's not even a good liar as he stares off to the side. Turning the phone about in his hands, he places it slowly on the desk in front of him, then touches the screen.

From the phone, a voice can be heard. It's robotic, but gentle. It 'sounds' like Jeremy, but not quite yet perfected. << I'm sorry that it's hard to understand me. I do not talk very well. I'm broken. I heard that I am joining The New Mutants. It is an honor to be recommended. I will do my best. >>

As the phone speaks, he squeezes his hands together, looking as if he could curl up into a bit of a ball. His feet wiggle beneath him, lightly tapping worn sneakers against the tiled floor.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma nods. "I wasn't having difficulty understanding you. I was merely seeking the most comfortable way to allow you to communicate. We can also speak telepathically, if that's simpler for you. You don't need me to force you one direction or another. I would prefer to use whatever method you find easiest."

SpyderByte has posed:
<< This is the way I speak with everyone, really. They understand that my stutter is challenging. >>

Jeremy shifts his glasses upon his nose as he glances up at her with his dark brown eyes. << We can use telepathy if you prefer. >>

It doesn't seem like he minds one way or the other. He is an agreeable sort. He taps his feet again on the table. << What would you like to talk about, Miss Frost? >> The robotic voice is so soft and comforting without any high or low vocal inflection.

Emma Frost has posed:
Moving to perch on the chair just across from him, Emma replies thoughtfully, "A stutter can be a challenge, yes -- when you're thinking faster than your voice box can keep up, it must be very frustrating. I applaud your innovation using the phone as a voice." She is feeling out the young man's preferences but she isn't doing more than brushing his surface thoughts to make sure that he's okay. "The primary topic of concern to me, Jeremy, is making sure you know that my door is always open to you." For all that she knows exactly how intimidating she can be, the boy brings out maternal instincts that she rarely allows to show. "I understand that you came from Metropolis. Are you finding school here to be challenging enough academically? The more social aspects, I think you'll find that your teammates are good people. Guthrie is likely to treat you much as a little brother -- will that be all right with you?"

SpyderByte has posed:
<< School is fine. I suppose. I do not find the academic aspect challenging, but the other classes that are unique to Xavier gives me something new to learn and investigate. >>

Jeremy reaches out to touch his phone, then pulls it into his hands. There is a wave across his thoughts. Anxiety. He can't be away from his phone for too long. He has to keep touching it. He gives it a harder squeeze.

<> Everyone is friendly.

<< Mister Guthrie is fine. I know him. >> His shoulders give a bit of a slump bonelessly. << Do I have to go into the Danger Room again? >>

Emma Frost has posed:
She's monitoring him and notes the anxiety. "I've looked at your achievement scores, and I agree with you that the academic aspects need to be reevaluated," Emma says mildly. "You need something to challenge you. College courses that you'll enjoy the learning and not simply go through the motions with."

Tipping her head, though, she asks, "Why does the Danger Room cause such reactions, Jeremy?" He may or may not be able to articulate his response -- it's both a test of his ability to identify emotion as well as a check on whether something has gone badly in the Danger Room.

SpyderByte has posed:
<< I don't want to be special and take other classes. I like being in class with my classmates. It makes me feel normal. No one looks at me different here. I don't want others to know I'm smarter than them. >> Jeremy's phone continues on with the low, comforting tone. << Sometimes I make mistakes on purpose so that I'm not the best in class. Other students work harder than me to get their scores, where my brain is a computer. I store and record data. I can look it up in an instant. It's kind of cheating. There is no college course that will challenge me. >>

Hunkering himself down in his chair, he looks embarassed even saying that. He rubs the back of his neck, then scratches at his jaw nervously. <> There is a growing sense of anixety within him as his breath rasps out.

At the question of the Danger Room, he presses his lips together. << It's hard. I'm not physically strong. Was scary the first time I went in. I should be brave. Shannon tells me I have nothing to worry about. I just don't want to let someone down. >>

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma listens and then nods slightly, understanding the problem there. "We don't need you to move classes, we can simply enrich if you'd like. Or if you'd prefer just to be left alone on that front, we can certainly accommodate that desire. If you decide that you need the extra enrichment, all you have to do is speak up, all right?" She won't push him, and there's a subtle stroke of her telepathy across the jangled thoughts of anxiety to soothe him.

"The Danger Room is a requirement for the New Mutants team. It *is* hard when you're not physically strong, and although certainly there are safeguards in place so you can't be badly hurt, you may come out with bruises. The purpose of the Danger Room is to allow you to learn to work as a team, to know what each person's strengths and weaknesses are so that you can cover their blind spots." Emma purses her lips. Scott Summers *promised* they were not building another superteam of child soldiers. "That said... would you be at all interested in learning a martial art? It requires less overall strength -- though it does help build strength as well. It could give you... a little more confidence in your ability to back your friends up. And I know Katherine Pryde would be an excellent teacher."

SpyderByte has posed:
<> Though that doesn't mean he'd be competent enough to pull it off. <>

Rubbing the back of his neck a bit, Jeremy lets out a low breath. << The last time I was in the Danger Room, I was just scared because I wasn't sure what to expect. I was put in the middle of the woods after a plane crash and my mission was to get home. I was able to find a low service signal from the black box within the plane, which I used to augment my phone to connect to a roaming satellite. From there, I was able to send out a low pulse frequency to the nearest radio tower with my coordinates and call for help. From there, I just stood there next to the plane. It was cold and there was wolves. I thought I was going to starve to death or get eaten. I peed my pants. Miss Grey was nice though and bought me new pants. I just never been in an environment like that before >>

He rocks slightly on the chair, furrowing his brows a bit. << I know that I am not going to be physically strong and that Ted and Adam will be the main tanks amongst the five of us. Adam can turn into a huge bear and Ted has super strength and durability. My role within the group is to distrbute intelligence and create an analytical plan for success. Shanon is our healer and an aerial support and Indie will be our long ranged support due to her ability to generate lightning. I feel that based upon our team dynamics, we will have many ranges of success if we were to be put into a combat situation in which we will need to defend ourselves. >>

As he talks, his emotions steady out and become more mechanical, even in the way he expresses his hands. << I'm just happy to work with other kids and to be useful. For the longest time, I've had to work by myself and it's lonely. For the first time in my life, I now have purpose. >>

Emma Frost has posed:
She bites back any and all emotional response to what happened to him. "I think your reaction was very much the same response that anyone would have in such a situation. Even me." She lets it go from there.

"Martial arts are not about physical strength," Emma says mildly. "It's is about mental focus, self-control, balance, confidence in yourself. It is good for flexibility, and it also helps to make sure that if something such as that plane crash were to happen in real life, you could defend yourself until your teammates could get there. I suggest that it is something you consider, Jeremy, if only for your own comfort level being in the field. You will be exemplary in your role. And you can choose among any number of the trainers here -- many have various martial arts. Betsy Braddock would come more at it from a yoga and self-defense standpoint. Piotr could teach you judo -- it simply uses the aggresor's strength against them. No one wants to put you into a combat zone, but I think you would feel much better if you knew that you'd be able to hold your own until they could reach you." She smiles at him. "You will be a great credit to your team, Jeremy."

SpyderByte has posed:
<< Okay. I will find a mentor then to help me out. Maybe it will be fun. >> Jeremy's phone speaks as he gives the device another squeeze. His thoughts are skeptical though. He will never see himself as the big strong guy like Ted, or the cute guy with the guitar like Adam. He is the outcast and the weirdo. His self-confidence is the lougest range of emotions.

As he fiddles with his device, he turns it around a few times, then glances up at her from behind his bangs. He looks so awkward sitting there in the chair, his body practically slumped and boneless. << You have a really good stock portfolio. >>

It's not the weirdest thing he's said today.

Emma Frost has posed:
Pausing, Emma has to think about that for a moment. "Thank you," she tells the boy. "Please don't change anything around in it without checking with me," she asks him politely. And then she smiles. "I like you very much, Jeremy. I hope that you'll come and talk to me whenever you like."

SpyderByte has posed:
<> Jeremy says as he glances down at his phone again, then gives a sheepish smile, followed by a small giggle in his throat. With a clearing, he straightens up again.

<> He tucks his phone into his pocket.

"C-C-Can I ggg-go now, mm-mmmmm'am?" He's back to his normal voice again. There's a surge of pride within him. She likes him! He feels confident now with such a simple compliment.

Emma Frost has posed:
"Of course, Jeremy. Thank you for the opportunity to meet you," Emma replies, amused that such a simple thing is so important. She makes a mental note to be sure to text him and check in several times a week.

11898/Student Evaluation: Jeremy Statton

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