1220/A Change of Scenery

A Change of Scenery
Date of Scene:	30 June 2017
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Tendril, Polaris

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Tendril has posed:
    It's a warm, comfortable day. A few clouds in the sky, a hint of rain in the air, threatened by distant thunderclouds miles away that haven't quite drifted this way. Students are going about their days as always, chatting in groups or making their way between classrooms, though most are on their way back to the student dorm area or to hang out and relax this late in the day, especially with the sun still in the sky for a couple more hours at least.

    However, many do pause in suprise as at the main gate, a police interceptor rolls up to the gate, the window rolling down as a slightly portly officer leans out to press the intercom button.
    His passenger is leaning back against the seat, arms folded, a wry expression on her face as she sort of looks around. "...swanky..." she mutters. The officer mmphs. "Hush. You promised." Alexia sighs, rolling her eyes. "I know, I know. Sorry."

Polaris has posed:
The gate is opened, by the time the police rolls up there's a green haired instructor coming out the front door. While she's more publicly known as Magneto's heir and a prominent political figure of Genosha, at the school she's Professor Dane.
    Straightening her blouse a little, she checks her bun as well, professionally dressed. She puts on a smile as the car pulls up, waiting at the base of the steps up to the door and looking towards the backseat with a curious expression.

Tendril has posed:
    The car drives in at a sedate pace, parking in front of the front doors near the instructor in question. No lights or anything, though it does draw some odd looks from passing students. As the car shuts off, the officer in question gets out, stretching a bit. The tag above his badge reads M. FALLON. "Ma'am. Thanks for talking with me. I've got a problem I'm wondering if you can help with."

    The girl in the back seat peers just as curiously back at Polaris, and only through great personal discipline stops herself for sticking out her tongue at her reflexively. She's very obviously not your standard girl..in that most girls don't have very obvious mauve skin or gold eyes. She does, however, scoot up to the door and give her best 'puppy locked in a kennel' expression.

Polaris has posed:
"What's the problem Officer..." Lorna looks to the badge "Fallon. I'm Professor Dane, unfortunately our Principal and Vice Principal are detained at the moment." She informs him and offers her most helpful smile.
    The girl in the backseat gets another look over, this time more interested in details, is she handcuffed, any sign of a backpack or the sort of clothes she has on. "I'm guessing the young lady is a part of it?" She asks, looking back to the officer.

Tendril has posed:
    The girl in question does have a slightly beaten up looking Indiana Jones backpack that seems fairly stuffed at the moment. No handcuffs. She's definitely wearing fairly worn looking clothes, certainly second hand or at least well worn.

    Fallon nods. "Yes ma'am." He thumbs towards the girl in question, who frowns a bit at him. "This lady here is named Alexia...Alexia Nemo. She's...had some issues. I've been keeping an eye on her, and until recently she's been pretty careful about not getting herself into too much trouble." He sighs. "...well, till last night, anyway."

Polaris has posed:
"Parents?" Lorna asks immediately then follows with "Or Ward of the State?" She keeps her focus on the officer for a moment and then looks to the car. "Why don't we let her out? Has to be cramped back there." The mutant teacher suggests and gives the officer another kind smile before nodding from him to the car.

Tendril has posed:
    Fallon smiles a bit. "You're catching on quick here. Sure, I just wanted to let you know the basics before I let the little hooligan out." There's no real heat to his words, more bemusement than anything else. He steps over to the car, then unlocks the door, as Alexia slides out immediately, hanging her backpack over one shoulder as she watches Lorna a bit warily.

    "...hi." she offers after a moment.

    Fallon turns his gaze back over to the green-haired teacher. "Look...I've heard a bit about what y'all do here." he offers. "I don't see the point of her getting tossed into the juvie system. But she doesn't have anywhere to go. So, I was hoping that...maybe you'd be willing to foster her. I can pull some strings, I have some favors owed I can pull in.

    Alexia folds her arms, a bit defensively, looking down at her feet.

Polaris has posed:
"We do take wards of the state in special cases, as a boarding school." Lorna agrees, the officer has his facts straight. "We are a university prep institute so obviously there'll be some placement testing but she's welcome to stay while we get that sorted out-it is summer so she's not going to have to worry about any catch up." The green haired teacher straightens and offers Alexia a hand.
    "My name's Lorna Dane, I teach Earth Sciences and mentor one on one in special cases. What do I call you?" She asks and leaves her hand there. She's not trying to butter the girl up or try any gimmicks with the tough girl.

Tendril has posed:
    Alexia seems a bit suprised at that, but after a moment reaches out to shake, her hand in a fingerless pair of gloves. "Alexia's fine." she says after a moment of thought, searching Lorna's face curiously. She's not sure what she expected, but it isn't this, despite what Officer Fallon told her when he talked her into this.

    "I mean, unless I gotta have a super secret name or something too." she adds, not sounding that put out by the idea."

    Officer Fallon hmmms, folding his arms. "That's what I was hoping for." he admits. "I can keep last night's driving test off the record, so shouldn't be any problem there.

Polaris has posed:
"Driving test huh?" Lorna's brows arch. "Well, let's try to avoid joy rides. We do have stables behind the school if you feel a need to get out and just go." She tells Alexia frankly. "And not everyone takes a Mutant name. I often use my birth name for example, most of the teachers here do." She smiles warmly and looks to the officer. "If you want to email her paperwork as ward of the state to our admissions office I can have the Headmaster get it all settled straight away." She smiles and offers the police officer a handshake before getting him a card with the information.

Tendril has posed:
    Alexia pouts. "...I gotta learn somehow!" Fallon grunts. "You do NOT practice by hotwiring a police interceptor." Alexia siiighs, then hesistates, looking back to Lorna. "...Tendril." she says after a moment. "People called me Tendril. A...while back." Shr shrugs a bit.

    Fallon takes the hand, shaking firmly and tucking the card away in a pocket. "Works for me. It'll probably take a day for it to be official, but I can get you the provisional paperwork within the hour at least." He points a finger at Alexia. "And you...behave. Go ride a horse. Girls like horses, right?"

    Alexa DOES stick her tongue out him this time, as he grins a bit, then touches his fingers to his cap. "Thanks again ma'am. Let me know if you have any issues." he says, more seriously, before getting back into the car, then starting it up and pulling out with a final wave, leaving the two standing alone.

Polaris has posed:
"So, we do get students licensed if they're old enough and have good grades." Lorna offers to Alexia. "But in the meantime, I recommend the lake, there's a few jetskis. Do you prefer Tendril or Alexia?" She adds, treating the young girl more or less like an adult. Her green eyes take her in. "As a ward of the state you receive a monthly allowance I believe. We do take field trips to the mall from time to time. You'll more than likely share a room. Though it is emptier in the summer time." She tells the girl and looks at her squarely. "Don't run away, you might not get a better deal than living in a mansion with a bunch of other mutant kids where you can learn to use your power safely and maybe get into a good college-if college is the route you want to go."

Tendril has posed:
    Alexia blinks a bit. "Um...Alexia is cool." she says slowly, blinking. "...seriously? An allowance? Do...do you do this sort of thing a lot?" she wonders now, hooking her free hand in her belt absently as they talk. She sighs at Lorna's admonition. "...right, right. I know. I promised Fallon I'd give it an honest shot." She does perk a bit at the idea of other mutant kids. "...is...it okay to use my abilities here then? I mean. No one is gonna care as long as I don't break stuff, right?" she says hopefully. She looks a bit overwhelmed by the idea of college, like it hasn't really occured to her. "...really? You can get into college from here, even....you know..." She motions to herself.

Polaris has posed:
"I have a masters, and I'm working on my PhD." Lorna answers with a smile. "Of course you can use your power. This is a school that caters to our kind." She gestures to the door and the latch turns and it pushes open ahead of them. "I also go by Polaris, you can call me Polaris, or Miss Dane. I prefer not Princess, but it comes up from time to time-depending on the student." She tells Alexia and gestures to her. "So, speech done about last chances and all that, why don't we see about getting you settled?"

Tendril has posed:
    Alexia blinkblinks, opening her mouth, then closing it without asking why 'princess' would be a thing. For the moment at least. Hey, if she doesn't like being called that, no reason to poke at it.

    "Um, sure. Lead on? Do....do I need anything here? I mean...like, a uniform or stuff like that?" she says, following Lorna inside. "Um, Miss Dane. So...you do magnets?" she says after a moment of thought and a glance at the door.

Polaris has posed:
"I control Electromagnetic energy and metals." Lorna explains and shrugs a bit and shakes her head. "Most of the basics we provide to you. Anything extra-like clothes to wear outside of class or things for your room-that's on you to get-but you have your allowance." She reminds Alexia and tucks her hands into her pockets. "So what do you do, Alexia?"

Tendril has posed:
    Alexia nods a bit, then tilts her head, hesistant for a moment. It's been a bit ingrained into her not to show off, but...really, if she can't show off here, what's the point, really?

    "Well..." She holds up her free hand. The back of her forearm twists before it sprouts a long, purplish 'whip' that coils, before she snaps her wrist out, the tendril making a loud bullwhip 'CRACK' as it snaps, before it starts to retract into her arm again, leaving an odd purplish swirl against her mauve skin. "That, mostly. I call them whips. And some...other things. I can sorta work with the cells in my body. Move them around, make some physical changes. Nothing major, but more moving mass around. Sealing up cuts, that sort of thing." She shrugs. "Can't do something really cool, like regenerate or stuff, but it's pretty..."

    And that's the moment where her stomach rumbles. Very loudly.

    Alexia is caught with her mouth open as she gets a sheepish look. "...sorry. I skipped lunch."

Polaris has posed:
Watching Alexia carefully, Lorna smiles at the display. "It is pretty." She agrees, looking at her arm. "You must be hungry, most of us eat alot, first stop can be the cafeteria then for lunch." She suggests and changes directions, leading Alexia to the dinning hall.

Tendril has posed:
    Alexia perks at that, then rubs her stomach absently as she follows along with her. "Well, I eat...like, a lot. Majorly a lot. High metabolism, I got that in spades." she admits, losing some of her self-consciousness. "Um,. anyway, I don't mind being in a room with someone, I guess. Just not used to it." she adds. "...are midnight snacks allowed? Second breakfast? Elevensies?" she says hopefully, her mind immediately returning to her stomach.

Polaris has posed:
"We're a school full of mutants, you won't go hungry." Lorna assures and smiles at Alexia. "I shared a room when I was a student here. It's not terrible." She assures Alexia. The hallway down to the dinning hall is easy to remember and one or two students are already eating. The dining hall set up to cater to mutant bellies in buffet style. She gestures to the buffet. "Let's grab some plates huh?"

Tendril has posed:
    "Yes please!" Alexia says. Things already are looking up, as far as she's concerned! She actually ends up leading the way this time as she snags a plate, then begins filling it, going for the protein and carbs, from the look of it. "So, um, you were a student here then? How long has this place been around?" she says curiously, looking back to Lorna.

Polaris has posed:
"A while. There was a class before mine at least." Lorna answers with a smile and takes some food, eating lighter-but she's had access to more meals more often. "To the rest of the world we're simply a prep school." She tells Alexia and smiles brightly.

Tendril has posed:
    Alexa mmms, distracted by food! She realizes she's being rude after a moment. "Right, yeah. So, we don't let anyone know what's really going on here?" she asks, turning back to Lorna. More tendrils sprout of her hand to help balance the plate on her left hand while she snags some dinner rolls with her right.

Polaris has posed:
"That's the game." Lorna nods, pleased at how quick Alexia catches on. "We're a Prep School. We do send mutant kids to college." She adds. Once she's happy with her plate she goes to sit, letting Alexia get her fill.

Tendril has posed:
    Alexia sits across from her, nodding absently as Lorna confirms it, then digs in, her tendrils retracting again as she starts shoveling food in with all the energy of a teenager with a hyper metabolism. After she's inhaled about a third of her plate, she has to pause to take a drink. Which lets her actually talk again as eating something seems to make her slow down a bit. "Okay. So. No freaking out the mundanes. No giving away people are mutants. Right? How do you do field trips though? I mean..." She looks at Lorna. "Do most mutants here look...you know. Normal. Like you?"

Polaris has posed:
"Some do, some don't. Some cover up, most places we visit are tolerant to mutants. You'll get to meet them, the other students and teachers. You'll see some look different." Lorna nods and tucks into her meal. "Just take it a day at a time. It is summer. Good chance to learn the school and get settled before school starts."

Tendril has posed:
    Alexia mmms, then nods a bit, squirming in her seat. "Right. Um...I guess...I gotta take a placement test or something?" she says, not sounding that thrilled by the idea. "Or summer school or something if I gotta catch up?" She pops one of the rolls in her mouth, looking a bit like a chipmunk for a moment. Table manners are apparently one of those areas where she's lacking.

Polaris has posed:
"There will be a placement test." Lorna nods in agreement. "It's summer, unless you are shockingly behind you shouldn't need summer classes. We'll get a base line and go from there." She nods and picks at her meal letting Alexia pig in. "We'll also see about helping you learn to benefit from your powers."

Tendril has posed:
    There's a faint twist of the lips as Alexia frowns to herself, sort of torn between having to take a test and actually having a test to measure what she's figured out on her own. She continues to devour, rapidly polishing off another third, then letting out a little burp as she slows down again to talk. "Right. Benefitting is good."

    She's rather glad Fallon didn't go into more detail over exactly how she's been suspect of using her abilities to benefit herself in the past...buuuuut that's probably not something to bring up here. People get all umbraged and stuff.

Polaris has posed:
"Good. Well, eat your fill. And once we have you'll settled into a room." Lorna smiles and picks at her food a little more. "And-don't worry. It's a lot to take in, the school. We get that, we all have our stories coming here so just, ease into it. We don't want to overwhelm you, so if we're stressing you out-say so."

Tendril has posed:
    Alexia hehs, then looks at her with suprisingly adult eyes for a moment. "...you're not stressing me. It's better than where I've been. I'm just...not used to people being around me, mostly." she admits, grudgingly, poking at the remaining half of a burger on her plate. "Hey, free food, a place to stay...people who aren't going to freak out." She smiles thinly. "...definitely an improvement, y'know?"

Polaris has posed:
"We're a little...different. But warm meals, a bed, and other mutants to be around." Lorna nods. She relaxes back in her chair and watches the girl. "I'll try and introduce you to Anne-Marie if I can. She came to the school off the streets. If you need anyone to talk to-you know, closer to your age."

Tendril has posed:
    Alexia looks thoughful. Another girl like her? Huh. She's...not sure what to think of that. Then again, the other people she's met on the streets lately haven't exactly had her back. "...yeah, that...could be nice." she says slowly. "Does that happen a lot? I mean...foster kids ending up here, or...stuff like that?"

Polaris has posed:
"Mutants....are alot more accepted than they used to be, but not all parents are perfect." Lorna admits and looks at Alexia. "Some parents send their kids away, or put them in the system. Other times they're treated so badly they leave home and we take them in if we can find them. It's not a perfect system but we do our best."

Tendril has posed:
    Alexia's expression closes off a bit at the explanation, but she nods, not looking upset. Just like she's keeping herself neutral in her reaction. "Yeah. I guess that would come up." She leans back in her chair. "...it kinda seems almost too good to be true." she admits after a moment. She's not going to be paranoid. Maybe it...actually isn't good to be true. For once.

Polaris has posed:
"Take your time, decide for yourself." Lorna nods and rises once she's cleaned her plate. "Bug all the kids, bug the staff, get your own feel for it." She advises and reaches up to let her ponytail down. "Sometimes even the Emperor of Genosha comes to visit. The school'll surprise you."

Tendril has posed:
    She's not sure about this still. It seems so...clean and shiny and...hard to believe.

    But after a moment, Alexia nods. "...alright." She'll give it a chance. She still can't believe it, but...maybe...she can take it on faith, for a bit.

    She finishes off her plate, then picks it up to set in the bin to clean it, then squares her shoulders, adjusting her backpack. "...okay...which way to my room then?"

Polaris has posed:
"Second floor." Lorna answers and smiles. "Follow me." The teacher putting her plate up to be washed before showing the newest student to her room and pointing out the bathroom before leaving the girl to get settled in on her own.