9997/And now for something completely different.

And now for something completely different.
Date of Scene:	11 November 2019
Location:	Rec Room - Xavier's School
Synopsis:	Bean finds out it's his birthday and gets presents.
Cast of Characters:	Cannonball, Samuel Morgan, Dragonfly (Armenteros), Rage

---

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie has hit the kitchen and raided some finger foods. He has enough for multiple people. veggies, pizza rolls, meats, cheese and the like. He plans on a day of veggie and maybe a bit of Monty Python.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    There had been another trip into the city, and Bean had actually spent the night there. Although these mysterious errands are no longer quite as mysterious, they do seem to be taking up a lot of time. And so, today, he has found a relatively quiet spot to catch up on class work and homework, dutifully going through assignments on a tablet belonging to the school. No food, no drink, just... work. At least he's dressed for comfort rather than work, having a relatively easy day of it to readjust to a normal schedule.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks over and says "Hey, am Ah gonna bother you to much watching TV in here?" He will ask sitting the food on the coffee table, and moving to get himself a drink. "Want one?' He asks while mini fridge is open.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Hm? Oh, no go ahead." Bean blinks twice and gets his head out of the chemistry lecture he was reviewing. Almost literally... the perils of being able to view data in raw format. He's about to ask what the time is, realizes he can just check on various devices, and then becomes aware that a lot more time has passed than he'd really been expecting. "I'll have a coke if there's any left, thanks. Sorry, brain's a bit... Lots of things to catch up on, you know?"

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie nods a bit and will pull out a bottle of Coke, and a Cheerwine, and hands the Coke to Sam. "Can understand that, you doing ok?" He will ask and moves to one of the chairs where he can talk but see the TV too.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    With a nod of gratitude, Bean accepts the bottle and puts the tablet down, where it goes into standby mode on its own accord. "Yeah. Not bad at all. Just had to do the last exercise with Bear last night, we both had to learn how he's going to react to nightmares. Was weird man." The bottle is opened, without the seal being checked. Practically unheard of in his hands. "School didn't burn down while I was gone, so that's a plus."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie smiles and says "Think we are more likely to blow up than burn down. So, you and Bear doing well together" He will ask, honestly curious how it is going.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    The coke goes down well, almost eagerly. Bean is often too focused on a single task to notice something as simple as hunger or thirst. "I'm going to be honest, Sam... I swear that dog knows what I'm thinking. Woke up from the usual nightmare in the guest room at the training school, and there he was, on my chest, head on my shoulder. They say he starts to look for me when I'm not around, so... must be going well. Last of the paperwork should be done tomorrow."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks over noticing how downs the drink "Grab yoursle another drink and come get ya something to eat, let what you have been working on settle in your head a bit.

Dragonfly (Armenteros) has posed:
With classes done and homework looming on the horizon, Gwendolyn, the newest resident of the Xavier School, needs a little bit of decompression. After depositing her books in her room in the Women's dorm and heading to the kitchen to make a simple-looking sandwich with bacon, egg, tomato, mayo, and a single fried egg - also known as the greatest sandwich in the world from the movie Spanglish. Arriving at the rec room with her plate, she stops when she sees the Sams talking with each other about something and, taking a second to compose herself and to see what they're talking about, she approaches during a break in the conversation. "Hey there, you two." She sounds cheerful, bouncing on her toes, the plate with her sandwich held in both hands. "What's up?"

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    One down. Bean looks at the empty bottle with some surprise, getting up to throw it away. In the recycling bin, because even he knows that's important. A quick dip into the mini fridge for another, and then back to his seat. "It's not that difficult, just an online lecture from ESU. The school set me up with an account so I can start earning university credit."

    A smile is given towards Gwendolyn, one that seems quite genuine. "Oh, hey. Just... stuff. Classes, homework and all that."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie has a decent amount of finger food type snacks on the coffee table, plenty for multiple folks. "I take a few online classes for my college courses, just gotta make sure yakeep on ya stuff. I was thinking about watching the life of Brian.

Rage has posed:
Heading into the rec room is Andrea, who is carrying a fairly sizable wrapped pair of packages. One with some bulk, another that is rather slim and thin. Dressed in a pair of thigh high black boots, a black skirt and a hot pink tank top, she is looking rather fashionable with her makeup and hair styled. She most likely had a photoshoot of some sorts for the upcoming album. She takes a moment to look around, hearing her phone chime over and over again in her shoulder purse. Ugh. She forgot to put it on vibrate. Thanks to TMZ, she is about to chuck it through a window, or flush it down a toilet.

Dragonfly (Armenteros) has posed:
"Yeah, I know." Gwendolyn says, shifting from foot to foot, slipping down to sit in one of the seats near the pair but not with them - a close kind of 'I'm with the group, but not with-with the group' if that makes sense. A very teenage thing to do. Nonchalantly part of the gathering while not. Her sandwich plate is placed on the table where she can accidentally grab some of the finger food and nods. "I haven't seen Life of Brian. I did watch Holy Grail like, fifty times. Absurd humor is wonderful when it's crazy like it is now." Andrea gets a wave and a smile when she appears. "Andrea, hey!"

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "I'm used to independent study, Sam. The whole classroom and homework thing is still a bit strange to me." So, at least, Bean won't be lagging behind on the online work. His head turns before Andrea even comes in, feeling that phone approach from the very edge of his sensing range. "Busy day huh?" he'll mention as she comes in, reaching over to Sam's plate for a pizza roll. Which brings his attention back to the other Sam. "I've heard about that movie. Wasn't it banned for a while? I know it was on the forbidden watch list at the base, but then practically everything was."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie nods a bit and says "Had not heard it but not surprised, lots of folks get antsy when a movie is a comedy and about religion or religious subjects. About thirty years ago there was another one that got a lot of bad press cause of it, called Dogma.

Rage has posed:
Putting the wrapped packages down on a table, Andrea fishes her phone out and shuts it off with only a cursory glance at the screen and the multiple alerts upon it. Stuffing it back down, she says softly. "Yeah. It's been one of those days." She doesn't look to be happy about it. In fact, there's a level of concern there, if only for a moment before she washes it away with a bright smile. "But! Hey, Gwen." She says as she reaches out to give the girl a quick hug. "Anyways, I heard a rumor, that it's your birthday, Bean!" She says as she nudges the pair of packages over towards him, along with a card attached to it. "So.. Happy Birthday! Do you want me to sing the song? I've been practicing it."

Dragonfly (Armenteros) has posed:
     "I can get my violin if you want to drown out the singing." Gwendolyn offers with a giggle, giving Andrea a quick hug back, making room on the couch for her to sit if she wants, watching the exchange of gifts curiously.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    They call it 'deer in headlights'. Bean blinks, an odd smile on his face as he processes that bit of information. "Oh... Is it? Thank you!" Yup, it seems he wasn't aware of it himself, and for a moment seems to be at a loss as he gratefully accepts the presents. A succession of expressions chase themselves across his face, and in the end he has to make an executive decision. "Maybe we can skip the song for next time? I know you probably spent a lot of time practicing, so I don't want to sound ungrateful..." He has no idea what song people are talking about "... but let's not make more of this than it needs to be. I mean, I'm only turning sixteen, it's nothing special."

    Slightly out of his depth, he starts by reading the card, smiling.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks over and says "Actually Bean most folks consider 16 one of the big ones, least in America, since it is when you can start driving if ya pass the tests. For Americans is 13,16,18,21, and then on the 10s after but most people aren't as happy about their birthdays as they get older." He looks over to Andrea "Normal or Monroe version?"

Rage has posed:
"Turning sixteen is a huge deal for girls. They call it sweet sixteen. Kinda like your trial by fire of becoming an adult. It's that sweet number where we can be taken seriously." Andrea says as she leans in to give him a quick hug first, if allowed, then settles herself down on the couch, folding one leg over the other.

Inside the envelope is a card with a group of wolves upon it, of course. Inside the card it reads: "To my brother, Bean: If this is your 'first' birthday you get to celebrate with friends and loved ones, I hope it's one you will remember and cherish. You mean a lot to me, even if I may not always show it. I will say dumb things and I will make mistakes, but I want you to know that I love you with all my heart and I will stand at your side no matter the challenge or obstacle. I hope we will have many more birthdays together. Love, Andrea Jackson."

The packages themselves are wrapped in bright red and gold wrapping paper. Perhaps a bit of IronMan was used as inspiration. "The normal version of course, Sam. I'm not wearing the right dress for a Monroe." She says, flashing a grin to Gwen.

Dragonfly (Armenteros) has posed:
     Gwendolyn takes up a bit of her sandwich and leans over, scanning what she can see of the card, giving Andrea a playful nudge at the motif of the card. "Wolves, Andy? Really?" She giggles, taking a bite. "Do we have a calendar of stuff like this? Mutant Birthdays? We may need to make it a monthly thing. With cupcakes."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    A hug? Today, it seems, it's allowed, even allowed with a smile. The message on the card brightens that smile again. He might not be the most socially adept, but he can spot an attempt at reconciliation when he sees it. So he winks over to Andrea. "Thank you. It means a lot."

    But he's also the worst possible receive of gifts, because he seems utterly intent on opening the smallest package first with great care. Tape is delicately peeled, edges unfolded, the gift patiently unwrapped while trying to preserve the paper. "Driving, you say? That's something I'll need to start working on soon then."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie nods, and says "We will have to work on it, Ah am teaching Shannon, Ah can teach you as well. Yea today is German birthday, Sam's and Kurt both" He wonders if there is some odd german celebration nine months ago. "Ah have you something upstairs Sam, but was not sure you were here yet.

Rage has posed:
Inside the first thin package is a record. It's an old record. Worn. With several autographs on it. It's by Creedence Clearwater Revival and it's called Willy and the Poor Boys. It has the famous tracks Fortunate Son and Down On the Corner. An album from the Vietnam war era about politics, democracy and finding your personal freedom from it all. The names: John Fogerty, Tom Fogerty, Stu Cook and Doug Clifford is on the cover. The type of gift that may make Mister Guthrie drool. The second package will be a vintage record player, refurbished from the 60's in an original box.

Smirking at Gwen, Andrea waggles her brows. "Yes, wolves. Wolves everywhere. They're the best." She offers Bean a smile at his words, bobbing her head. "I hope you like the present. I was thinking a lot about you when I got it."

Dragonfly (Armenteros) has posed:
Oooh, that's nice. Gwendolyn's eyes go wide or, at least, they do beneath the goggles. "I guess those names are the people who wrote the songs? Fortunate son is that song they played all the time in those Vietnam movies the guy who took care of me watched all the time. Helicopters flying and stuff, right?" Come on, she's trying, people!

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    As the gift is revealed, both gifts, in fact, the thought behind it becomes very clear. For long moments, Bean just stares at the record, gazing at the signatures, and then... smiles. Brightly. He can't help it, it's just... it might be the first time he's ever been given a gift for his birthday that wasn't purely functional.

    When Gwendolyn asks about the music, about Creedence and the War, it's inevitable. The audio system in the room springs to life, a full dolby surround, of a twanging guitar, the famous intro to Fortunate Son. And, for one of the few times that anyone can remember, Bean starts to sing.

    'Some folks are born, made to wave the flag,
    Ooh, the red white and blue.
    And when the band plays 'Hail to the Chief',
    Ooh, they point the cannon at you!

    It ain't me. It ain't me! I ain't no Senator's son.
    It ain't me, it ain't me! I ain't no fortunate one, no!'

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie will look over to Gwen a bit surprised the cajun girl does not seem to know who this is. He will start to say something but as the music starts he is quiet listening. He does seem somewhat impressed with the gift.

Rage has posed:
Wringing her hands together, Andrea waits with baited breath as he unwraps the gifts and appears to like it. She actually looked nervous she may have made the wrong choice. What do teen boys like in her circles? Expensive watches. Gucci sneakers. Whatever version of Yeezies are out. So this was a bit nerve wracking for her.

As the music comes on through the speakers, she grins and listens to Bean sing, not joining in, but just enjoying his moment. She reaches out to slide her hand into one of Gwen's for a squeeze, fingers winding up. A bit of a supportive tug.

Dragonfly (Armenteros) has posed:
Gwendolyn is a fast eater. The half sandwich she had with her is devoured in two or three bites and, as the music comes over the speakers, she bobs her head in time with the tune, tapping one foot and leaning over to bump Andrea playfully. "think you did good, Andy." Gwen says with a smirk. "You're going to make it tough to follow that up with Christmas or whatever."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    What Bean lacks in training, he makes up for with raw emotions and enthusiasm. As the song winds down to the final verse, that voice might even belong to someone years older, the world weariness coming through in a rasp that does credit to the original.

    'Some folks inherit star spangled eyes,
    Oh, they send them down to war, yeah.
    And when you ask them, how much should we give?
    Oh they only answer more more more!

    It ain't me, it ain't me! I ain't no MILITARY son, no
    It ain't me, it ain't me! I ain't no fortunate one!"

    The room stops sounding like a classic rock concert when he's done, and Bean relaxes in his seat, smiling. "We played that on the way back from practically every mission. Strictly against regulations. We didn't care."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks over and says "Think you hit that one out of the park Andrea. " He smiles a bit and says "Oh Ah will probably be leaving a few days earlier at Christmas this year." He does not say going home, avoiding that as he is pretty sure two of the students here will be here for all of christmas

Rage has posed:
As the song comes to an end, Andrea is looking rather emotional. Music always does this for her, especially music like this in moments like these. As she tightens her hold on Gwen's hand, she reaches up with her free one to brush her knuckles along her eye. "I hope that you like the present. I didn't know that you already were aware of the music of CCR. But if it doesn't upset you, then I'm happy if it makes you happy." With a marine for a mother, perhaps those songs resonate a bit with her as well. To Sam, she nods her head. "That's cool. I'll make sure you get my present before you head off." She gives a glance to Bean and Gwen, shifting her jaw. "I'm not going anywhere for Christmas. Not this year. How about if I get reservations for a nice place and those of us who are sticking around can all have an awesome dinner?"

Dragonfly (Armenteros) has posed:
Christmas wasn't something Gwen had even thought about, and Andrea offering to find a place and get them all together was something that, really, was touching. "I...hadn't even considered that. I'd been on the road for so long...." Gwendolyn nods her head, squeezing Andrea's hand lightly. "Yes. Yeah. Totally. I'll make prime rib, or something. Enough food for all of us." She giggles. "A real christmas. Wow." And then, Gwendolyn straightens. "Is...does it snow up here? 'cause I ain't never seen snow before."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Ah, Christmas. It's not something Bean had given any thought, but now that the topic has come up, it's almost inevitable. But first and foremost he holds up a fist for a bump from Andrea. He might not be the military son, but some sentiments are universal. And he picks up on the unspoken word in Sam's statement. "You can say it, Sam. Some of us are lucky enough we don't have to travel to be home." There, sentiment straight off the front of some kind of holiday spirit card.

    "This is going to sound strange, but... don't you normally have to make a reservation at least six months in advance for the really nice places?" Strange, because he's not aware of many social constructs, but seems to know practically everything there is to know about how to live like the rich and famous.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie grins at Bean's comment and says "I try to stay here as long as I can as family is both here and there, and you and I might have to wait 6 months, but Ah learned 1 very important thing from Berto many years ago. When it comes to most of the well known places that are good, fame and money have their advantages. Even when unintentional."

Rage has posed:
Nodding her head, Andrea says, "Yes, most of the time. Unless you're someone like me that places like that will bend over backwards for. A celebrity choosing your establishment during Christmas is a huge deal and they tend to do /whatever/ it takes to ensure you have a positive review of it. To have my approval would skyrocket their future business. So .. they make exceptions. To be honest, a lot of those fancy places have plenty of open tables. They just want the illusion of being unattainble. It builds mystique and causes interest to soar, thus they can increase prices of their venue."

"I just want to give my friends a great experience. You guys deserve it." Licking her lips in thought, she says, "And, I think what I will do, is have Starlight sponsor maybe five mutant kids and their families and they can come to dinner with us. Hang out with a star, get a chance to have an incredible night, give them presents." Her voice quivers for a moment, before she sucks it up, blinking her eyes again. "Sorry." She rasps out. For what?

Dragonfly (Armenteros) has posed:
"You're doin' fine, Andy. Bein' the hero some kids need. Only thing a lot of us can do, really. You just have th' capability t' do it an' all. Not a lot of people do." She straightens and plucks one of the bits of finger food from wherever it was on the unattended plates and pops it into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "If'n you need help plannin', let me know an' I'll see what I can come up with." She snickers a little. "Assumin' ah'm invited, of course."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "So... why give them publicity?" It's an idea that comes to Bean as he talks, the seeds of it already sown somewhere quite some time ago, only now starting to sprout. "Why not bring the whole experience to all the kids in Mutant Town? A large meal for everyone in the community kitchen, presents for the little ones under an actual tree in the community center, and end the night with a concert in Sam's club. Turn the whole place into a winter wonderland and not just a few kids chosen at random."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie will look over to them, and says "The more mutants around the less people will probably ask how you know one, but also the bigger target your making yourself for those wanting to cause trouble, so be on the look out for that as well." He gives them a bit of advice on their planning, and yea Gwen we get a decent amount of snow here, and even it not called for we almost always have a white christmas.

Rage has posed:
"I could do that too." Andrea says as she reaches into her bag and takes out her phone to turn it back on. As she stares at the screen, her face screws up again in a flash of anger before she swipes her finger across it to clear the notifications, then launches up her Planning App to put Bean's idea into it, then starts to create a number of bullets to create a quick check list. Afterwards, she sends it off to her agent, then swipes the screen again to clear the notifications before she throws it back into her bag. "That's a good idea. I really like it. I just want a safe venue if we do it."

Dragonfly (Armenteros) has posed:
Sam's mention of a potential white christmas gets a smile from the winged girl. "I'd like that. Snow, down south, was a myth they brought up every few years to sell out the stores of bread and milk." She giggles softly, detatching her hand from Andrea's for a second. "I'm sure there's somewhere around we can do it." Gwendolyn says, carefully lifting the album cover up, turning it over to read the track listing and then back to look at the autographs in faded sharpie. "I'm still kind of new. Is there any sort of Mutant Facebook or something? Or a list of names and addresses of people? Inform them privately, send cars and get them for the dinner, then back home? I mean, it'd probably cost a few bucks but we've got a mansion, so there's probably a few million in a couch cushion somewhere we can raid."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    There's a smile about the white christmas. Bean never understood the appeal, snow is just something that happened, an environmental and atmospheric hazard you had to take into account during certain times of the year. "I'm all for making as many people happy as possible. Guess that comes from having been shown there's a way to be happy even for the most hopeless cases." He looks around for a moment, lost in the spirit of some ideal christmas, before coming back to reality.

    "But we need to have some kind of celebration for everyone in the school before people shoot off for the holidays."

Rage has posed:
"No, there's no mutant Facebook." Andrea says softly as she gives a glance over to Gwen, then chews on her bottom lip again with her teeth, frowning. "At least not one that I'm on. I'm just on the normal social media sites. I can't see a lot of mutants wanting that info out there. May as well invite the FOH in the front door." Her jaw shifts again, then pushes herself up to her feet. "I'm going to get some air, guys." She says as she starts out of the room, leaving her bag behind. "Happy birthday, Bean!" She calls over again to him.

Dragonfly (Armenteros) has posed:
"Shannon and I were going to plan, like, a Christmas party. A Yule Ball, like they do in Harry Potter." Gwendolyn says, waving to Andrea as she heads out the door, leaving the bag behind. Frowning a little, the bag is moved to sit right in Gwendolyn's lap, so she won't forget to take it to the wolf-girl, and she shifts a little in her seat after a second. "She's getting some pretty nasty messages on her phone. I read a couple of them before she closed them. Lots of negative stuff." She sighs quietly, leaning over to grab the second half of her sandwich. "Why do people hate us? I know there's no good answer, but I wish there was, sometimes."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie 's phone is the one to ring now, and he looks down at it "Sorry guys gotta take this, is the club." He will motion to the food "Eat up maybe a few before I am done." and he heads out of the room saying into his phone "Ok whats up?"

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Thanks Andrea. Hope things stop being so busy soon." Because, yeah, Bean can read those messages coming in. He chooses not to, but the sheer volume is getting to be painful, even for him. That phone is not happy right now. Sam gets a nod as well. "Sure thing man, hope it's nothing serious."

    That leaves Bean with Gwendolyn, and a plate of food that needs to be eaten. Needs. So he does his part and goes for another pizza roll. "When things get crazy, they really get crazy, don't they?"

Dragonfly (Armenteros) has posed:
     "You ain't kidding, buster." Gwendolyn's voice sounds resigned, her head leaning back to rest on the back of the couch she's chosen to sit on. "Suppose it's part of the allure of not having a cell phone. Probably going to get one at some point, give out the number to friends and people I call family but that whole social media thing..." She gives a shrug. "I don't know, man. It just seems like a way to invite negativity into your life."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Some people don't have a choice. If you want to be famous, you need to be available. And that means hate as much as love." The pizza roll goes quickly, washed down with the coke Bean had been neglecting. "It's also a great way to track someone, because more often than not they'll post about where they are, or post pictures with landmarks in the background."

    "Get yourself a basic phone, if all you want to do is call friends..." and family. He nearly said 'and family'. "... They're harder to track and usually cheaper."

Dragonfly (Armenteros) has posed:
She may not have realized it, but not mentioning Family around bean was something the guy seemed to pick up on. "Yeah, I'll probably do that. Fact of the matter is, folks I'd want to talk to are pretty much just in this school." She closes her eyes and slips her goggles off, rubbing the bridge of her nose before pulling them back down to hide her eyes again.

"How'd you end up here anyway, Bean? Just wandered in and got lucky, got tagged by someone and shipped up here to learn, or what?"

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Believe it or not, halfway in handcuffs." Bean admits, taking just a slight liberty with the truth. It's a story that needs a bit of telling, so he starts with the end rather than the beginning, it seems to be easier that way. And it avoids him having to talk about a certain thing for a while.

    "I was in a SHIELD holding facility for about two years, they called it the Scorpion Pit. Really hard to keep someone locked up when they're a technopath, you know? Eventually they decided that I should have at least one shot at having a life, and one of their agents taught here for a little while. Sam and Doug came to get me from the Triskelion, and for the first two weeks I thought it was some kind of loyalty test. But it's been over two months, and... well... it's a good place."

Dragonfly (Armenteros) has posed:
"Ain't no loyalty test, being here. All the folk that I've dealt with are really nice, want what's best for us and for Mutants in general. I mean...this place is as good a place as any for Mutants. Like being at a summer camp with high walls around that keep the darkness out, and sometimes the campers go out with lights to spread the warmth of who we are." Gwendolyn finishes her sandwich - the girl can eat - and wipes her mouth with a napkin, following it up with a pizza roll. "You're a good man, Samuel Bean." Gwen says in a playful barb, much like Lucy would say to Charlie Brown. No footballs involved here, though.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "A few weeks ago I would have said I wasn't. I think these days I can say that maybe I am now." A good man? That's not how he's been described before, it's something of a novelty for Bean. As opposed to many other mutants, he knows perfectly well why he's mistrusted and hated, and it has little to do with being a mutant. Some more food is snagged before it all goes.

    "Would it surprise you if I said I've never been to a summer camp? That I had to look up the phrase just now, just to know what you were talking about?"

Dragonfly (Armenteros) has posed:
Gwendolyn ignores the buzzing of Andrea's phone in her bag, opening it, swiping up on the alerts, and then powering it off by holding down the black button at the bottom. "Change isn't always bad. It's just change. How you respond to it is what makes it good or bad. I mean, a few weeks ago I was livin' on the streets, expecting to freeze to death or somethin', or get lynched. Now I'm here takin' classes, learnin' about myself, an' meetin' all sorts of new and friendly folks. Like you an' Andrea an Shannon an' your brother."

"Lots of people ain't been to summer camp b'fore. I generally just went with it, out in the bayou in my john boat an' fishin' rod." That's an image- Gwendolyn, at like fourteen, in the middle of a swamp, camping, just as pleased as one could be. "So nah, that don't surprise me much. We ain't known for bein' rich, after all."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    There are so many comments Bean wants to make, and all of them are dismissed before they even get a chance at being formulated. Instead he grasps on to the one bit of information he feels is perhaps the easiest to respond to, and finishes his roll before replying. "Ehm... I don't have a brother. If you mean Sam, we're friends... I like to think we're friends, but we're not related. I don't have a family."

Dragonfly (Armenteros) has posed:
"Oh.." Gwendolyn bobs her head. "Sorry. An' if it helps, I don't have one either. Not anymore, at least. Thanks to all this?" She gestures to the goggles, her wings, her arms, as if Bean wasn't able to see them right there. "An' my adopted dad bein' fairly anti-mutant to the point of wearin' white hoods and riding off in th' night to bring humanity's purity to the masses..." She sighs. "Didn't fancy a dance at the end of a short rope, s'why I ran off."

Rage has posed:
Heading back into the room is Andrea, who has a bit of red to her cheeks. She also has a bottle of water with her. She flops down next to Gwen again, taking a few sips as she tunes into the conversation.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Hatred is easily kindled in the hearts of men..." Very easily. It's one of those statements that occasionally slips out of Bean's mouth, when his brain to speech filter has failed to engage. It even sounds like something he has been taught, and now slips out as all rote learning does eventually. "I'm sorry it happened to you. It's their loss. And I always wondered why the purity of humanity, or the purity of race, or the purity of anything required those bringing the purity to hide their faces. If it's that righteous, why be so secretive about it? It just means they know damned well that they're in the wrong."

Dragonfly (Armenteros) has posed:
Gwen slides Andrea's bag back over into the other girl's lap. "I turned your phone off." She says quietly, patting the other girl's knee. "And thank you, Bean. It's what happened. I didn't choose this - none of us did, after all. We just have to deal with it as best we can. With our friends."

Rage has posed:
Giving a smile to Gwen, Andrea bumps her shoulder against hers.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "No, we sure didn't get a choice. Not about our genes anyway." Well... technically someone did, in Bean's case. He's just living with the consequences. "But we get a choice about being good people. And that's the only choice that matters."