6182/Rec Room Commiserations

Rec Room Commiserations
Date of Scene:	14 January 2019
Location:	Xavier's School
Synopsis:	Bobby seeks out Andrea after her first X-Man mission to make sure she's okay. He did 'okay'. Andrea is 'just fine'. Really.
Cast of Characters:	Rage, Iceman, Polaris

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Rage has posed:
Settled in the Rec Room is the globally recognized popstarlet, Andrea. Instead of her X-Man in training yellow and black unstable molecule jumpsuit, she's wearing a pair of skinny jeans, a flannel shirt with a black t-shirt beneath it. She is sitting on the couch, strumming her guitar and practicing some rifts as she looks down at some sheet music. At times she will adjust the chords, write a few lyrics down, or scribble something out. It's a chill afternoon for the mutant celebrity, not having engaged much with the rest of her student body this fine Monday.

Iceman has posed:
Coming down into the rec room, Bobby is dressed down into a pair of sweats. Both are marked 'Property of Xavier's' as he frowns. "Ah man, they took out the pinball machine. I was a wizard on that." he rumbles, laughing and shaking his head, before his attention turns to the young woman making music. He gives her a two-fingered wave, and heads over to where she's sitting. "Hey. Mind if I join you?"

Rage has posed:
Glancing upwards from her guitar, Andrea pauses in her strumming. "Hey. Sure, you can join me." She looks about the room, noticing that the pinball machine is missing as well, then gives a lick of her lips. "I can buy us a new one if you want. I only played it a few times but I wasn't very good at it. Whatcha up to?"

Iceman has posed:
"Eh, just chilling after that whole rescue Rogue thing, you know." Bobby says as he tucks a knee up against his chest. "I heard you practicing. Didn't want to interrupt you at you know, work. That whole paying the bills, making the fans happy bit." he comments with a wink at her.

Rage has posed:
"I'm glad that we found her and she's safe. That was a real ordeal." Andrea says as she shrugs her shoulders upwards. "You aren't interrupting. It's just downtime for me. Wanting to fine tune a few of these songs I was working on before I submit them to my management. I just put out an album about six months ago, so I'm in no rush to go cramming my third down anyone's throat. It's the touring that really wears me down and I just finished a leg of that recently." She tucks some hair back behind her ear some, shuffling her papers into place.

Iceman has posed:
"Yeah. Well. I did notice you kinda lost your cool the other night." Bobby points out to her as he folds his fingers around his knee. "You alright?" he asks her. "I mean.." he shrugs a little. "I tend to start making some pretty bad puns and stuff when in stressful situations, and just you know, didn't want you to feel insulted."

Rage has posed:
Tapping the side of her head where a scar is seen peeking out from beneath her hair, Andrea says, "I was shot in the head and it broke something in me. I kinda struggle at times to rein the wolf in. When I shift, she sorta takes over and it's hard to separate my mind from hers. I know it's .. not like I have a split personality, but it's like a darker, more violent version of myself comes out. Feral." She gives another pluck of the strings of her guitar. "I know it can be seen as terrifying, which is why I don't let the public know what type of mutant power I have. It's bad PR." As far as the rest, she shrugs her shoulders. "I wasn't insulted. I just get super focused on a mission. I've been training with Mister Summers for the last year and sometimes he rubs off on me."

Iceman has posed:
Reaching up, Bobby touches the scar for a moment before withdrawing his hand. "I see." he says as he shrugs his shoulders. "Not really terrifying. Just something that makes you you. See. You make it out in terms of terror, then that's how it's going to be projected from you. You have to find something good about that part. I mean, it's a wolf. They're loyal, majestic, powerful.." he shrugs and smirks. "I'm just a human shaved ice machine.

Rage has posed:
"Werewolves are in horror movies and books, and are seen as unyielding monsters of flesh tearing destruction. No one is going to look at me, with fangs and claws, drooling on myself, as a majestic beast. I'm fine with what I am. I have no issue with that. I just don't plan on becoming an attraction for TMZ to rip apart either. I'm on every young girl's wall as a poster. I'm in every girl's phone playing my hottest track. Parents see me as this girl next door from Disney when I grew up on a kid's show. I came out as a mutant to the world to show that we're not all a bunch of Magneto's. But, you have to imagine what parents will do when it comes out that I turn into a furrier version of Wolverine. It's bad PR and bad for my brand. Let them think I fly or I glow or something. Leads to the mystique." Andrea puts the guitar to the side. "Know what I mean? If I was like any other normal mutant, I wouldn't care. But I'm essentially the Britney Spears of mutants. Even Dazzler got dragged and hell, she's a superhero that worked with the Avengers. I'm just playing the long game as I work on my charity and try to help as many people as I can before it all tumbles down."

Iceman has posed:
There's a sigh of breath from Bobby as he leans back. "See, you're looking at this how it's all going to fall apart on you - did you ever stop to think..." he asks her as he sits up, and for a moment, he's far more serious than the usual Bobby schtick that comes from him as he looks thoughtfully at the young woman. "About how many girl's walls that have that poster that they are going to bed that night, looking at you, wondering what you would do if you had the same mutation that they just deveolped a few days before?" he asks her curiously.

Rage has posed:
"Of course I do. Do you know that young mutant girls between the ages of nine and thirteen have a sixty-four percent higher rate of suicide also because they don't have parents that will be 'okay' with them just being born with blue skin? I'm lucky that I can hide my mutation. Hell, most of the X-Men are as well." Andrea gives a glance over at him. "It's why I have my charity. Starlight. It's a mutant suicide preventation outreach 800 number, twenty four hours a day. I've rescued over two hundred young mutants so far from taking their lives in the past three years ago. I think about those kids every single day." She wrings her hands together tightly. "Boys have a seventy-three percent chance of killing themselves. I give parents something wholesome to look at, so hopefully, HOPEFULLY, they don't look at their kids as freaks." She grits her teeth, then pushes up to her feet as she strides across the room to one of the arcade machines. "The Friends of Humanity have attacked me three times this year. I've been stabbed in the chest and I died. Josh Foley saved my life. I was just shot two weeks ago by a sniper at one of my concerts and lucky I was able to shift quick enough to not let that kill me either. You gotta understand, Bobby. I can't just walk around outside all eight feet of fur and claws and expect people to not keep shooting at me. I have tons of reasons for just keeping it wrapped up. Maybe one day, who knows. I'm sure it will come sooner or later."

Iceman has posed:
"Look. Ain't going to lie. I know I'm lucky. I got the cool ice powers that I can keep hidden all the time, if I wanted." Bobby stands up to follow after Andrea, walking over to the machines. "You're doing what you think is right. I get that. All I'm trying to say is.." he frowns, trying to find a way to put it in a better sense. "..you're not alone in this." he finally offers, settling his hand on her shoulder. "As long as you're here, this isn't just your fight to yourself, alright?"

Rage has posed:
"I know I'm not alone, it's why I chose Xavier's to go to school. I moved out from Los Angeles to New York to be /here/, with you." Andrea stiffens a bit at the touch, then relaxes as her fingers poke at the buttons on the machine despite not starting a game. "So what are you really worried about?" She asks as she glances over her shoulder at him. "That I'm bottling up and just letting it all kinda sit in my gut?"

Iceman has posed:
"Pretty much. That's stealing my schtick." Bobby says with a smirk as he leans against the side of the machine to let Andrea play. "And trust me, it doesn't do anything for anyone. I was a teenage rebel once too, you know."

Rage has posed:
"I'm not a teenage rebel though, Mister Drake." Andrea says cooly as she glances over at him. "I don't even break curfew. I'm straight A's and I take on extracurriculars such as tutoring. If you are looking for a project, go after Mason Steele, the /other/ popstar mutant here in the mansion. He's an addict. A shameless flirt. He barely holds a C average most times. He cuts school. He also hates himself." She slips a quarter into the machine, then taps the start button on a game of Pac-Man. "He tried to kill himself once when I wrote a song about him after a nasty breakup. Threw himself out a third story window and his mutant powers activated when he hit the ground. He's a geo-kinetic. He's my best friend. He's the one you should be giving the big brother talk to. He's the highest risk student here because he's terrified of what he is and what will happen when the world eventually finds out that he eats rocks and can yank stones out of the ground."

Iceman has posed:
"Maybe I am out of touch with today's youth, because I was trying to tease with you, Andrea." Bobby snorts a little, as he shakes his head. "I'm not any good with this outreach thing. As I just proved, totally. So yeah. Go ahead, and continue that whole Pac-Man thing." he lets out his breath and pushes away. "See you around, Andrea."

Rage has posed:
Letting a ghost kill her, Andrea turns around to reach out to snag his hand. Tugging him back, she leans in and gives him a firm hug. "You're doing good." She says softly to him, before she leans back and lets him go. "Thank you for letting me vent. I needed it. I'm just.. I'm an alpha wolf and we have pride.. can't let the pack see that you're weak, you know?"

Iceman has posed:
Tugged back into the hug, Bobby looks utterly confused and laughs. "You know, I'm supposed to be trying to shore you up, not the other way around!" he points out to her as he returns the hug. "And yeah, I know you're an Alpha. Just no peeing on my stuff." he winks and glances towards the game. "Now get back to that before you get eaten by another ghost."

Rage has posed:
"I actually don't like video games." Andrea says once she lets him go, leaning back against the machine. "I like making things with my hands, thus why I always have a guitar or a notebook in them." She gives a look over to her instrument. "Wanna hear the new song I wrote?"

Iceman has posed:
"I've actually been working on trying to sculpt with my hands and ice, you know. Everyone tells me I can make all these wonderful things, and I think they may have more thought of what I can do than what I can actually do, if that makes sense?" Bobby gives a shrug of his shoulders and a smirk at that. "Trust me, your singing is way better than my scuplting." he points out with a chuckle. "And yes, I'd like to hear what you were coming up with."

Rage has posed:
"Just like my singing, it takes practice." Andrea says as she slinks back to the couch and flops down on the cushions. She draws the guitar into her lap, brushing her fingers along the strings to feel out the notes before she begins to strum. It's an acoustic version of this song which will soon be turned into a more upbeat-poprock version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_eHBvl0-NY

As she sings, her voice rises upwards powerfully with conviction. Her foot taps along the ground to give her a beat as her body rocks side to side. Though for now, this version of the song showcases her vocals and the lyrics behind how powerful they are. A song of moving on. Getting over the hump. Self-Esteem.

Iceman has posed:
As he listens to Andrea's song, Bobby closes his eyes, taking it all in. The young man finally blows out a breath and claps gently. "That. That was really awesome, Andrea. And powerful." the human ice maker offers with a smile. "See, you're way better at this inspiring thing than I'll ever be." There's a chuckle at that, as he and Andrea are sitting at some nearby couches. She has her guitar in her lap, and he's listening to her play.

Rage has posed:
Shrugging her shoulders upwards, Andrea says, "I just say what's in my heart, that's all. Young mutants need to hear that type of stuff. That it's okay to be okay." She brushes some of her light brown hair behind her ear, then puts the guitar to the side. "You did a good job back there too, and it's okay to be new at talking to us unruly kids." She winks.

Polaris has posed:
Lorna entered with a shuffle of slippered feet. The green haired woman had made herself at home after flinging out presents about the mansion to those that she knew fairly well before she'd left nearly a year ago. Despite having been on a tropical island, in the heat and in the sun, she was still pale. Her powers lending well to her lack of sunburns or even a tan. Her green hair had grown out, long and curly, tumbling over her shoulders in waves. She wore a button up long sleeved shirt, and a heavy, thick cardigan over it and a pair of leggings. A multitude of cheap nickle jewelry covered her fingers, wrists and neck.

All easily manipulated with a wave of her hand or a thought. Though it certainly wasn't needed within the bounds of the X-mansion.

She plodded into the rec room, a bowl of popcorn in her grip as her gaze swung from Bobby to Andrea. "Hey, anyone want some? I can't eat all of this."

Iceman has posed:
"Eh. I'm not that far-removed from being a teenager myself, and you want to talk about an unruly kid..." Bobby rolls his eyes at that, giving a good-natured smile. "Which is why I'm probably being told I need to do all this stuff, now. You know, penance for that whole rebellious streak." There's a chuff of alaugh at that, before Lorna arrives.

Bobby sits up a little bit straighter in his seat to try to get a more proper posture. "H-hey Lorna. Did you get all your presents handed out?" he asks her, as he glances to the popcorn. "Sure, come on over. Andrea was just sharing a song she was working on with me, and you know, I'm trying to be all grown up about it and not get all squealy about a private concert."

Rage has posed:
"Oh. Pff. Like you're a fan." Andrea rolls her eyes upwards, bucking her shoulder against his. "Come on. I bet you listen to rock music, maybe even that new rap stuff at the least." Her head tilts over to Lorna and lifts a hand upwards with a grin, then gives a glance to Bobby as her brows lift. "Huh. Sure, I'd love some popcorn. How are you doing, Miss Dane?" She asks curiously as she shifts up on the couch a bit straighter.

Polaris has posed:
If the green haired woman noticed Bobby's sudden attentiveness or the way he stumbled over his hellos, she didn't show it. Rather she ambled over, slippers scuffing with each step before she plopped down beside them and held out the buttery popcorn out to the two of them. Of course, she grabbed herself a handful and happily munched away on it for a beat or two in silence, listening to each in turn.

"Well, most of them? Some of them.. You still didn't open yours Bobby." She added after a beat. "And Scott just lectured me and went back to his grading. So really, not so good on the delivery aspect yet." She sighed and popped another piece of popcorn into her mouth as her gaze swung toward Andrea.

"I'm alright, didn't sleep well.. but then again I'm just not used to the sounds of a school anymore." She shrugged lightly with a roll of her shoulders.

Iceman has posed:
"I can get you a pair of those noise-cancelling headphones, if it'd help." Bobby offers to Lorna before smirking. "What, you don't think I won't listen to a little bubble gum pop now and again?" he asks with a snort of breath. "I tend to go all over the place with what I want to listen to." And then Lorna is pointing out his present not being opened.

"...I don't remember getting it. Did I step on it? Slid under my door." he's looking around in mock-frantic searching, as if looking for a present before reaching to take some of the popcorn. "Yes, there's this period when you can actually socialize with Scott - it's every other Tuesday after a blood moon and you only can speak with him for fifteen seconds before he reverts to normal. Oh, and all day on February 30th."

Rage has posed:
"I don't think most guys want to admit outloud that they listen to my music. Kinda hurts their street cred with the ladies." Andrea says as she reaches for some popcorn, lobbing one into her mouth with a crunch. She listens to the pair with an amused smile on her face. "I don't have any trouble getting ahold of Mister Summers for our daily workout or DR sessions. But I'm sorta on his calendar. That's the best way to get ahold of him. Put a meeting request on his Outlook."

Polaris has posed:
Lorna snorted and rolled her eyes. "I left it in your room, and obviously, since you're not thanking me for it. You didn't see it." She shot back with a hint of a teasing smile on her lips, grabbing another handful of popcorn. "You didn't honestly think I'd ask you to help me unload all of those presents and not bring you one Bobby. C'mon." She arched a green eyebrow upwards, turning her gaze back to Andrea.

"To be fair, I don't typically listen to it either?" She offered sheepishly, and grumbled softly about Summers boys and schedules.

"Well, he had time for a mini-lecture and disapproving trade mark glower.. so.. I guess that I'm just lucky."

Iceman has posed:
"You //willingly// seek out Grumpyscottlumpicous?" Bobby asks with a raise of both brows. "You sure you don't want access to your own foundation?" he asks Andrea with a small smirk and then takes some more popcorn. "No, I haven't been to my room yet." But one can see it in his posture - he's so much like a kid. He's been told there's a present in his room and he wants to go bolting to it right now to find out what it is.

Rage has posed:
"Scott isn't grumpy with me. We have a good working relationship together. He's been training me since I took over the role of New Mutants team leader." Andrea says as she shrugs her shoulders upwards. "He told me that he sees a lot of himself in me in that way that I tactically analyze missions. So, I don't know.. but I make sure to just put a meeting on his Cal and then meet him if he accepts. We're both really busy." She pops another piece of popcorn into her mouth, chewing on it thoughtfully. "It's cool you don't listen to my music. I know it's not for everyone. As long as there is a tween crowd, I guess I'll be okay."

Polaris has posed:
Another shrug, "Maybe because I've spent a year in Genosha and Scott just disapproves in general that I spent time there instead of here." She made a face, a twist of her lips as she grabbed another handful of popcorn. "Maybe he was just frustrated at grading papers.." She added after a moment, and continued to pick at the handful of popcorn idly. Her green eyed gaze lingering on it for a beat, two, before turning back to Bobby and Andrea.

"I'm more or less for the alternative rock crowd. Just my thing." She murmured, "You're still better than country or rap?"

Iceman has posed:
"Check it!" Plucking a piece of popcorn, Bobby tries that whole toss it into the air and catch it in his mouth thing. Instead, it bounces off of his forehead and falls to the floor. "Well, my aim's getting better." he says with a snort of laughter, before Lorna's words sober him. "Hey.. you told me last night. It's important to you. And to the world. I can't fault you that. Do we miss you around here? Of course. But you know.. this school prepares people to go out into the world to make it better. If we all hung around here, well.. not like we can have five different math teachers."

Rage has posed:
Nodding her head, Andrea seems to agree with Bobby. "One of my good friends Clarice is on Genosha. Goes by Blink. If you see her, tell her I said Hi." She takes her phone out and puts it on the table, fishing through her latest album. "I'll play something for you guys. It's not on the radio, but it's one of my favorite songs. You can tell me if it's Bubblegum or not."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpNVRacbS2c

As she listens to it, she leans back to snag some more popcorn from the bowl, humming along with the lyrics that she knows so well.

Polaris has posed:
A laugh escaped Lorna as Bobby tried and failed to catch popcorn with his mouth. Her eyebrows shooting upwards as he tried to recover from his poor aim. Her smile faded as quickly as Bobby's did however, and she sighed, crossing her legs and looking off to the otherside of the rec room to eye the game system set up there as if it might have the answers she sought. "It's more than that Bobby, you know it is. Genosha isn't just some random island for me to vacation at and do a bunch of 'good deeds' there.." She sighed but Andrea's words brought a smile to her lips.

"Oh? Cool. I'll have to make a point of meeting up with her then." She grinned, "I'll be heading back some time soon, I'm sure." She quieted as the other woman took out her phone and scrolled through for another song to play. Lorna listened with care and attention, even as she grabbed another handful of popcorn.

Iceman has posed:
"I know it is. And I know what it means." Bobby responds. And then he listens. But at the end of the song, he's pushing himself to his feet. "I should get on to grading papers and such. And you know, not totally ransacking my room to find a present." he comments teasingly. Patting Lorna's leg, he moves to stand up, and smiles to the pair of women. "I'll see you around." With that, he's heading off.

Rage has posed:
As the song comes to an end, Andrea's lips give a bit of a twitch. "I wrote that one after Donald Pierce killed me." She tugs the front of her shirt down and to one side, where a large scar hovers over her heart. "I needed to write something that showed I wasn't going to be scared, even after that." As Bobby rises up to leave, she gives him a smile, then tilts her head over to a girl who is waving in her direction. "That's my girl I'm tutoring for music theory. It was nice to see you, Miss Dane. Tell Clarice I love her. She's one of my favorite friends." She grins, gently nudging her shoulder as her voice drops. "Keep doing good work in Genosha. I plan on volunteering there as well soon." With that, she heads off to meet the pink skinned girl with gills. "Hey Judy." She is heard saying, throwing an arm about her shoulders.