Owner	Pose
Nathaniel Carver	It's late, well past dinnertime, but Nathaniel hasn't changed for bed yet, indicating that he doesn't plan on spending the night in Bean's room again. He comes with questions, though, and passes through the long hallway down to Samuel's room and lightly knocks on the door. He's wearing a colorful short-sleeved shirt and light jeans. And the gifted gloves. They just fit so much better.
Samuel	There is a few seconds delay after the knock on the door before it is opened. Honestly, visitors are rare, and Bean is certainly not used to having more than one a week. That average is now rapidly rising... Despite the hour, it seems that the teen hasn't changed for bed either, still in his customary multi-pocketed slacks but at least without the hoodie and boots. It's on socked feet that he opens the door, and wearing a short sleeved muscle shirt that shows off a myriad of scars all along his arms, many of them clearly very old. "Oh, hey Nathaniel. Something wrong?" Why else would someone willingly visit his room twice?     Opening the door as an invitation, and stepping aside to let his guest in, Bean reveals the rest of the room, still just as neat as before, although marred in symmetry by the book laying on top of the bed, where he had evidently been reading it. Bear whurfs a hello as well and traipses over, walking two circles around Nate before returning to his doggie bed.
Nathaniel Carver	"Hey, dude," Nathaniel pads into the room. He's wearing sneakers but slips out of them before entering the room. Old habits. "Something has to be wrong for me to visit?" He asks, a fleeting grin on his face. Fleeting because it's replaced with a sober look, once he passes Bean. "I do hate that it's so far down, though. Makes me feel like I'm being naughty when I come here."     He greets Bear with a careful pet on the head. Doggy memories could be an interesting experience one day, but today's not that day. He glances over at the book on the bed "I hope I'm not interrupting."
Samuel	"It's to give people more time to go the other way." The way Bean says that, he seems to have accepted the fact that some measures are necessary in case of a complete sense of humor failure. Considering where he's been before... "I hope nothing's wrong, but I don't get a lot of visitors. But, you know, you're always welcome." There's genuine affection in that statement as he closes the door, nodding appreciatively when Nate takes off his shoes. "And being this far out, I don't have to deal with most of the snoring."     The book is returned to the desk, as if being found in such a domestic spot was a grave breach of etiquette. It has a rather colorful cover, of two ships of the line under full sail coming towards the reader, the crew on the lead ship perfectly visible, titled 'The Ionian Mission' by Patrick O'Brian. A plain bookmark about three quarters of the way through marks the spot he was at. "Not at all. I can read about the hypothetical political situation in the greek islands during the napoleonic wars later."
Nathaniel Carver	"Must be a nightmare trying to get down in time for breakfast," Nathaniel points out, with a shrug. "It's conspicuous. If I keep coming down, people will talk." He's teasing, as always, but it comes with a little less bravado than usual. It's a half-hearted attempt to lighten the mood in preparation for what might be a dark conversation. Maybe.     He takes the seat at the desk and looks at the book instead of Sam. "So I had a conversation with Andrea...and I didn't know you were a superhero?"
Samuel	"I'm normally out for a morning run before breakfast anyway." Which means he must get up at something horrific-o-clock "Works up an appetite and keeps you in shape. You can join me tomorrow, if you want?" Bean says that with an almost sardonic smile, knowing very well that there are only a very few in the school that match his schedule, and less still would be willing to try.     At the mention of having had a chat with Andrea, and about being a secret superhero, Bean takes a moment to look at Nathaniel, tries to determine if he's serious, and then walks over to the door, locking it from the inside. As if that weren't potentially ominous, he comes to lean against the desk, towering over his seated fellow mutant despite his usually very average height. "I think some wires may have gotten crossed, but perhaps you should start from the beginning..."
Nathaniel Carver	"That sounds disgusting," Nathaniel says with a sharp laugh. He might be one of the few students that don't hit the gym on a regular basis. Luckily, his metabolism burns those calories, and his diet's perfectly healthy. "She also mentioned working out," She meaning Andrea. He ponders the offer, dropping his head on his gloved hand. He's mutant, and that apparently means danger whether he wants it or not. It's never too late to start. "If I can get to bed early, I might take you up on that offer."     Nathaniel doesn't make a habit of being super-serious often but in that question? Yes, there was a certain heaviness in his words despite his casual phrasing and posturing. "It's that serious, is it?" He looks up at Sam, back straightening. His brows furrow, "I don't know why she just dropped it on me like that if it was. The New Mutants. Andrea said she was on the secret team, and you and Shannon were too."
Samuel	There is an almost perceptible wave of relief that washes over Bean's features when the New Mutants are mentioned. There were other things that could have been leaked, and those would have been far harder to explain. Seemingly satisfied with the answer, he pushes off from the desk and goes to sit on the foot end of the bed, close enough to have a polite conversation, but not immediately within Nate's personal space.     "Yeah, we're not superheroes, I think that probably must have gotten across wrong." He actually smiles and runs a hand through his hair, eyes looking up for a moment as if trying to find a way to continue. "What the New Mutants do, what we are, is a team building exercise. I mean, don't get me wrong, if anyone were to mess with us when we're off campus we'll probably give a good account of ourselves, but that's because we know each other. All our training is to get to know alternative uses for our abilities in unusual circumstances, knowing what the other team members can do, and learning to trust each other. My first training with them was an obstacle course with obstacles I couldn't possibly get over myself, but I had to rely on my partner to get me across. And in another section, it was my turn to help them. That's what we do. So, I suppose that makes us better attuned to each other, but it's just like any other team building group. Except for the uniforms. I do not like my Bumblebees."
Nathaniel Carver	Nathaniel lets out a breath when Bean leaves his bubble, one he wasn't aware he was holding until it's out. He pushes a white strand from his eyes and averts them, looking at the wall. There are nods throughout the explanation and other indications that he's paying attention, like a hum of acknowledgment in the middle and a snort about the uniforms, but he doesn't meet Sam's eyes yet.     "I wasn't a fan of the uniforms either, but I couldn't tell her that. Might hurt her feelings. I feel like a solid black would work better...or white. That's my favorite color." For obvious reasons. "She said the group was prepared to fight Sentinels and the Friends of Humanity?"
Samuel	"No pockets, that's my problem with them. Where am I supposed to put all my stuff?" Bean smiles, seemingly relaxed now that the cat is out of the bag, and that's one less thing he has to worry about concealing to his friend. "Personally I'd have gone for something like Cordura for an outer layer, but I'm biased."     The smile fades slightly at the mention of sentinels, and the Friends of Humanity. "That's not right. It's true that some of the New Mutants have been attacked by Sentinels and the Friends, but those were isolated incidents. In Andrea's case, the Friends of Humanity tend to go for her when she's in concert. But she has her security team to look after that. And there was one incident where a school field trip was attacked by three giant sentinels, but all the New Mutants did was keep everyone together and get them on the bus to get away." Half truths at best, but having the advantage of being technically and factually correct. "We don't go out looking for fights, we're not a team looking to clean up the world. We're students, we just... keep in shape. It's not a fight club, we don't do free form sparring or anything like that." Which is, all things considered, probably for the best.
Nathaniel Carver	"Color scheme could still use some work," Nathaniel says, canting his head slightly. "Maybe I got it wrong then. It looked pretty superhero though, just missing the cape." Which would be another fashion faux pas, in Nate's estimations. "She just told me it was something that existed. I think Brad and Gwen were pretty bummed about not being invited."     He leans back, glances over at Sam. "You got pretty scary for a second..." he mentions quietly. "you on any other superhero teams that I should be aware of?"
Samuel	He'd mention that he's worn worse, but as jocose as the statement might be, he can't bring himself to utter it. Some secrets must be kept. The smile stays on Bean's face, but no longer gets all the way to his eyes, which for a moment look at Nathaniel with more than usual interest. "No."     He stretches out, arms above his head and regains that smile. "Sorry if I gave you a scare. But some of my past is a bit shady, and I'd rather not everyone knows about everything. Just had to make sure nobody had said anything that they weren't supposed to. I'm a bit... protective of my privacy."
Nathaniel Carver	"That's fair," Nathaniel presses his hands together on his lap, touching the fabric of his gloves. It still feels new. "I'm not really that proud of how I was brought up either." Sam might not have mentioned pride directly, but Nate isn't an idiot; he knows when shame plays a factor in secrecy.     "Anyway, she said members turn up injured some days, which made me think of you..." That doesn't sit right with him, the notion that students are out in the world getting hurt even in self-defense. Is this place not as safe as it seems? It makes him nervous, which might explain the abruptness in his next question: "Did you get those scars from being on the team?" He winces, hating the way his words sound aloud and immediately regretting them. "Fuck. Sorry. You don't have to answer that."     He's usually good about not prying, but it was on his mind. He gives Sam a rueful smile, "I sorta feel like a chicken for not wanting to be a member. My powers aren't that aggressive, though, and I'm not really looking to get into fights."
Samuel	"It's not about fighting, it's about exploring what you can do." Bean smiles, even after the questions. True, he gave a surreptitious look at his own arms for a moment and seemed to be about to cross them to minimise the view, but stops himself at the last moment. "Your abilities, it's like... it's a part of you. An important part of you. But they don't define you. That's something I learned very early on, something I had to accept very early on. They're just an extra tool you've been given. The New Mutants try to get the most out of that tool, by using it."     The talk about the New Mutants and tools seems to strike a dissonant cord for a moment, and his expression darkens. It's like an unexpected thundercloud on a bright sunny day, and gone just as quickly, but demonstrably there nonetheless. "You know, not that I'm implying that we're tools, but... you know what I mean." Using mutants as tools? Bad. Very bad.     At long last he rubs his arms, feeling the ridges of the scars, so familiar by now after all these years. "And these? I got these years ago. Some of them before anyone knew I was a mutant. That's a long story, and not one I'm happy to tell just now."
Nathaniel Carver	"I'm working on that with Doug and Mr. Guthrie," says Nathaniel, on exploring what he can do. "I guess I just don't want to get hurt which sounds lame, but Andrea talked about being sniped and stabbed, and I'm pretty sure I would die if any of that happened to me, mutant tool or no." He shakes his head. "It doesn't matter. I wasn't invited to join. She just told us about it."     "Thanks for clearing this stuff up for me, by the way," He smiles at Sam. "I would've gone to Andrea, but it's late and I figured getting into the girls' hall would be a hassle."
Samuel	"The stabbing and getting sniped? That's all her, and because she's a celebrity. Like I said, she has her security for that, on the whole the New Mutants have a very low getting stabbed and shot at rate." Bean smiles and gets up, walking to the door to unlock it. It seems the danger has passed... "But you should consider it, now that you know. And most importantly, don't tell anyone who doesn't."     "If you want to join me on the morning run, it's 6 AM sharp at the front door. We should be back in plenty of time for breakfast."