12936/Interview with Edward Grayson

Interview with Edward Grayson
Date of Scene:	01 April 2021
Location:	Guidance Counselor's Office - Xavier's School
Synopsis:	Scott sits Gray down to have a man to man talk, and to welcome him officially to Xavier's.
Cast of Characters:	Cyclops, Gray

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Cyclops has posed:
Having sent a summons to Mister Statton's room to have 'Edward' meet him at the counselor's officer, Scott Summers is sitting behind the desk, casually glancing around and putting a few items into neat, organized piles. This office gets used off and on by various members of faculty and none of them meets the level of 'care' that he would enjoy when it comes to organization. As usual during school hours, he is dressed professionally in a white button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a black tie and a pair of khakis and loafers. He has on a pair of red wrap around Ray Bans to contain his optic blasts.

The door is wide open as well, so that there is no sneaking around from the direct line of sight of the hallway. Straight as plywood he sits in the comfortable chair that conforms to one's spine for support, he finishes 'organizing' the clutter and now is typing along the keyboard in front of him of the computer setup, currently analyzing data that was brought in on Mister Grayson, powers, and whatever was reported though the medical records provided by Doctor McCoy who looked at that swollen eye of his, and mostly likely snuck a scan or two of DNA off him to determine what else could be going on.

Invisible kid could also be 'explodey kid' these days.

Gray has posed:
Shoulders hunched, Gray almost ignores the summons. He's not Edward. Not anymore. That means that it's not *him* that they're wanting to talk to, right? It takes a little persuasion, but he does finally trudge off to the counselor's office, still refusing to let his backpack out of sight.

Poor Jeremy probably thinks he's planning on running off every time he leaves the room!

He's back in the torn, stained clothes he was wearing when he first arrived, but at least the jeans and once black t-shirt are clean, now. Not to mention, he's obviously taken a liking to the shower, judging by his still damp hair.

He knocks lightly on the open door, hunching in on himself as he waits to be noticed. From the way he's shuffling his feet, it looks like he's really considering just turning tail and walking away. Probably completely. There are dark circles under his eyes, in addition to the three day old injuries, and he looks even more worn than he did when he arrived.

Withdrawal will do that to a person.

Cyclops has posed:
Turning his attention towards the young man, Scott clears his throat and motions him in. "Mister Grayson. Come on in and take a seat. I am Scott Summers. To the rest of the world, I am known as Cyclops, leader of the X-Men. If you want a bottle of water or a snack, we have a snack cabinet next to the desk that is free for you if you are hungry, or feeling nervous. I would understand if you were. I was you once a long time ago, probably a bit younger than you when Charles Xavier sat me down in front of his desk, back before there was any students."

He gives him a firm nod and goes back to typing. "If you're curious, yes, I am the first student to the Charles Xavier Institute for Higher Learning. But I assure you, you don't need to feel nervous or anxious around me. You are not in trouble. I just want to get a chance to talk to you, see how you're feeling since you're arrival, and then talk about next steps if you are interested."

As he levels his ruby red gaze upon him from behind his glasses, he tilts his head ever so slightly. "So, how have things been since you arrived? I see you and Mister Statton has grown close."

Gray has posed:
"It's Gray, not Grayson. No mister. Just Gray." The ragged looking teenager sullenly corrects the name, hesitating a moment in the door. The offer of a snack is what finally lures him into the room. It's probably going to be a long time before the recently homeless boy turns down food when offered... He licks his lips, glancing at the ruby specticled man nervously as he makes a random selection from the cabinet and slings his backpack off his shoulders to settle in his lap as he slumps in one of the chairs.

That bottom lip of his gets chewed on while he listens to him, eyes widening a little when told that Scott was the first student here, quickly followed by a frown. He grips the bag tightly to try to still the shaking in his hands, giving his shoulders a little twitch. He tried to ration what he managed to scrounge together before he came here, but... well, he's really feeling the effects of not having access to his normal... recreational outlet... right now.

There's a blink at the question and he shrugs, "Everyone seems nice enough." He frowns, glancing up from where he's focused somewhere on the front of the desk to actually look at him, though he avoids direct eye contact, "Mister Statton?" Apparently, he's not sure who that is.

Cyclops has posed:
"Gray, then." Scott says as he taps the Enter key on the computer, then listens to the printer hum and kick in. "You can call me Mister Summers." Swiveling the seat, he reaches over and takes out the paperwork that slid out of the laser, taps them into alignment, then puts them into a folder. "Unless we're in uniform for whatever reason, then you can call me Cyclops, but I assure you, the chances of us being in the field together is slim to none."

Taking the folder, he puts it in front of him. The name: Edward Grayson is on it in a small sticker applied to it. "I am glad to hear that everyone is treating you well. I wouldn't expect anything else. Mister Statton is Jeremy. Your current roommate."

Opening the folder, he starts to sift through the paperwork in front of him, looking curious for a moment. "Invisibility powers, huh? That's pretty cool, Gray. Most kids when they're younger want one of three powers. Flight. Strength. Invisbility. Lucky you, that's the fun one. Allows you to essentially do whatever you want undetected, huh?"

He lifts his eyes upwards to him now, focusing for a long moment before he flips the page again. "Very cool power."

Gray has posed:
Gray nods, his frown deepening a little, "Wha'd'ya mean in uniform? I ain't got a uniform." He half glances toward the door, "Or do y'all use school uniforms?" That might actually be a factor in him deciding whether or not to stay. Uniforms suck! Apparently, the 'uniform' being referred to being the one worn while superheroing doesn't occur to him.

He can't help but glance at the folder as it's moved, his frown turning into a scowl, "How do y'all know my real name?" The fact that there are telepaths does not seem to occur to him, "I ain't been that person in years..." Wait... Jeremy's last name is Statton? "Oh. Yeah, Jeremy is pretty cool." He likes him well enough, at least.

There's a shrug, "Saved my a-" coughs, "backside a few times."

Cyclops has posed:
"Gray, we are a team of superheroes that save the world and the universe on occassion. Do you think it's impossible for us to get your name?" Scott asks as he flips a new page to continue reading. "We knew almost everything about you the moment you walked through the doors. Miss Grey, Miss Frost and Miss Braddock are three of the most powerful telepaths in the world and you project your emotions very loudly. While we let you in with open arms, we also have to ensure that you are not a threat or a disruption to our student body. Do not worry though, your name and general ideas of who you are was the most we got from you. We won't actually dig deep into someone's private thoughts. Just wanted to make sure you had pure surface motives."

"When I say uniforms, I mean the X-Men. If we were to have a school trip and something went sideways and the team had to take action, action in which you would not be apart of, we use code names for ourselves. It just keeps our identity private and allows us to communicate quicker and efficiently for more achieveable results. Perhaps you can call yourself Ghost. Cool power needs a cool name."

As he gives him a tight lipped smile, he closes the folder with a soft thud. "Jeremy has saved a lot of lives recently since coming to our school. His skillset is very unique and disruptive. But, you're not here to talk about cool powers, though we can later if you want, I am here to talk about you. As I understand, you've had a rough life. A lot of mutants do, which is why Charles Xavier built this institute to not only teach young minds, but to try and create a world in which humans and mutants can co-exist. It's a dream that is slowly coming to fruitition. We have many steps ahead of us, but every day we inch closer."

"Change one heart, change one life." His brows lift upwards. "You're safe here, Gray. Safe from the streets, from those who may seek to hurt you, safe from even yourself. I can see the signs. You are not the first young person who has come into our home from the streets, strung out on drugs. If you wish to stay here, you will be clean. That much is not negotiable. We have healers that help purge the drugs from your system and you can even skip the painful withdrawl that comes with it."

"Of course, at some point like any of our students, they grow up to become their own person. Some stay on as staff here, some join the X-Men, depending on numerous factors, or they go out into the world and find a job, go to college, which we have scholarships for, etc, etc." He says with a motion of his hand. "But while you are here, you will get the best care, the best in academics, the best in support. You will be assigned a mentor who will oversee your progress, touch base with you, make sure you're doing okay, or just be there if you need a friend. We make sure that at Xavier's the support doesn't turn off the moment you walk out the classroom."

Gray has posed:
"I ain't even thought about that name in a long time..." Gray mutters quietly, still scowling. No, he does not like that they know his old name. Not at all! He pales a little at the thought that he projects loudly and scrubs one hand through his shaggy hair, the scowl shifting from annoyance to something more horrified at what they might know about him, now, "I ain't gonna hurt nobody. That ain't me." The explanation about the uniforms gets a small 'oh' of understanding and he nods, shrugging at the suggestion of a code name, "That's what that Megan girl said." That he should call himself 'Ghost'.

His expression softens and he shrugs, one corner of his mouth lifting in a suggestion of a smile, "Kinda wish I could do stuff like he can." Yeah, there's just a little jealousy there. Then he's talking about the teenager needing to get clean and he slumps down in the chair, hugging his bag closer to him, "Why's it matter if I get clean 'r not?" He's done questioning how they know things about him that they have no business knowing, "Ain't like it hurts anybody else..." Besides, he needs something to dull the memories and pain.

He's quiet after being told he has to get clean, chewing on his bottom lip, again. That might actually be his deal breaker. The talk about mentors and support and being safe doesn't seem to be heard, the boy lost in thoughts on being forced to give up the one thing that's been a constant since he was thirteen.

Cyclops has posed:
"I know you won't hurt anyone. It's why you're still here. My only real concerns is you being a teenage boy lurking around the girl's locker rooms with your powers." Scott Summers says in an even tone. "You have to get clean because it's the right thing to do, Gray. You can't live a life strung out on drugs. It's not healthy for you physically or mentally. You can get new kinds of highs through working out, taking part in hobbies you enjoy, finding new paths to making your life successful."

He watches him grow quiet, pursing her lips together for a moment before he clears his throat. "We just want to see you succeed, instead of killing yourself slowly and becoming another statistic of young mutants dying in the street. Mutants have a higher rate of running away, becoming unemployed, especially those with physical mutations, and suicide. I want to reverse those numbers. Saving lives isn't just putting on a uniform and blasting bad guys with my eye-beams, Gray. Saving lives such as yours is more important."

"Would you give Xavier's a real chance if we allowed you to, or would you rather be back on the streets? You have to figure out what you feel will be more important for you. Because I can guarantee you, that a life at Xavier's will increase not only your quality of life, but your chance of survival outside of these walls when you decide to leave our nest."

Gray has posed:
Gray blinks a couple of times at the suggestion that he might lurk around the girl's locker room while veiled and gives a bark of laughter, "Ain't never occured to me to do that." It has *now*, though! He slumps further down in the chair and grumbles something under his breath about numb, not high. He shrugs at the insistance that success is the goal and that his life is important, "I ain't nobody, though. Just some dumb kid without parents that nobody really wants." Or that people want for the wrong reasons... His mouth twists in something like a grimace and he shrugs again, "I guess it wouldn' hurt." To give it a real chance, "Ain't like I got anybody out there that's really gonna miss me if I don't go back, anyway." It's not like he wants to die out on the streets. He just doesn't see why it matters whether he survives or not. Not to anyone other than him, anyway... It's not like he's got anyone or anything to fight for. Maybe this will help with that, "Be nice to have friends, again..." Friends that don't get him into drugs or teach him to shoplift or convince him to use his ability for less than good reasons.

Cyclops has posed:
Leaning forward, Scott places his hands on the table a bit as he stares at the other kid. "I lost both of my parents in a plane crash. Both my brother and I was in and out of adoption agencies until the Professor found me. I used to be some nobody, a dumb kid without parents that nobody wanted. I was the kid that has red laser beams that fires out of my eyes and I can't control them. I /know/ what you are feeling like right now. Life sucks, right? Wrong. Life only sucks if you allow it to suck. Life sucks for victims, Gray. So you need to ask yourself, are you a victim, or are you a /mutant/?"

How is that for a sales pitch? From Cyclops himself. The Captain America of mutants some may say.

Rising up, he rounds the desk and gives him a pat on the shoulder. "Life has a funny way of throwing second or third chances at people. One day you're on the streets, the next day you're hanging out with the X-Men with a really great pool. Don't throw this chance away and walk into it with new, fresh eyes. Make friends. Go to class. Try and get good grades. Get clean. Create great memories. You can only be a kid once, even if you're now technically eighteen."

Plucking the folder up, he heads to a filing cabinet and files it away alphabetically, then goes about shuffling a few other folders around. He will need to send an email later about proper filing techniques.

"I believe in you, Gray, much like how the Professor believed in me, and how I now believe in every young person that comes through here. Welcome to Xavier's. Talk to Jeremy about getting set up in the student portal and obtaining your new phone. You'll have to sign off on the rules and regulations website. Rules we take seriously, for your protection and for ours. Our school is not public. It's private, it's a secret and we need to keep it as such. Though we have security measures in place that will topple most small governments, we still do not want to run the risk, if you know what I mean?"

"Understand? You feel good about this?"

Gray has posed:
When put that way, Gray actually doesn't have quite so bad. At least he had grandparents to take him in, even if it wasn't the... best situation. He shrugs, "Mutant, I guess?" Not that he really cares for being a mutant, but being able to veil has been really handy the last couple of years. The thing is, his life does suck. Or it has until now, anyway. He flinches away from the pat on the shoulder, making a small, strangled sound in the back of his throat and taking a deep breath to calm himself back down. Oh how he hates that feeling... "Grade's are gonna-" Blink, "I'm eighteen?!" Well, that's a shock, "Wait... What's today?" He turns to watch the older man put the folder with his old name on it away, a stunned expression on his face, "I-" Didn't realize that his birthday had already happened, obviously. He turns back around in the chair and slumps like it's an Olympic sport, "Do I have to have a phone?" He's quiet for a minute, digesting all of this and nodding at the appropriate times.

"What if I can't pass the classes?"

Cyclops has posed:
"It's April first. Your birthday was the twenty-fifth. If you want, I am sure we can get the student body to sing you a song. Miss Lance, will probably bake you a cake because she can't help herself. She is the one with the wings. Shannon." Scott says as he locks the filing cabinet, then pockets the keys.

"It's either a phone or a tracking device in the back of your skull." He says deadpan before his lips twitch upwards. "Yes, you need to have a phone. You'll get a laptop as well assigned to you along with your classes. They have tracking devices built into them and secure software in case of tampering."

His brows lift upwards to him. "You'll pass your classes. We haven't had a student fail yet."

Gray has posed:
"Oh." Gray makes a face, "I know when my birthday is. I just didn't realize it had already passed..." He lost track of what day it was, "Birthdays don't really matter... out there." There's another grimace and he quickly shakes his head, "No thanks." The less fuss made about him, the better!

Mention of a tracking device in the back of his skull has his eyes widening and he suddenly looks a lot less certain, if possible, about staying. It's no small amount of relief when he smiles and insists on a phone, the dark haired kid nodding quickly. Anything to keep from something put in his skull!

There's a deep sigh and he slides even *further* down in his seat, mumbling so that he can barely be heard, "I can't read... It's too hard." Therefore, he won't be able to pass his classes.

Cyclops has posed:
"Nothing in life is too hard, Gray." Scott says firmly to him. "Defeat. Give up. Can't do it. Too hard? Those words do not exist at Xavier's. We'll work with you on figuring out the best way of helping you learn and then you will succeed, as long as you apply yourself. With Jeremy as your room mate you won't have much of an issue. He is highly intelligent and one of our best tutors."

Giving a motion towards the door, he clears his throat. "You're dismissed unless you had any other questions for you. Should get yourself some dinner if you haven't ate yet."

Gray has posed:
"It ain't that I don't want to. It makes my head hurt. Everything swims around on the page and it just don't make sense." Gray sulks about that. He honestly loves stories and would love to be able to read them for himself, but it's just too difficult to do it for fun. He nods at the suggestion that Jeremy can help him, standing when he's dismissed, "Yeah. I'll talk to him." The mention of food has him perking up a little, "Um... Who would I talk to about getting, like... kitten formula, or something? I got a rat pup that ain't doin' so good..."

Cyclops has posed:
"You can speak with Miss Alexis Carr on that." Scott says as he motions him out the door, walking out as well himself as he straightens his tie. "There is also nothing wrong with your name, in case you wish to reclaim it for yourself. Either way, have a good afternoon. Finish your day strong. Try and learn one thing new today." He calls over his shoulder as he heads into the staff lounge.

"Logan, for the love of ..." He can be heard muttering as the door swings shut behind him.