Another New Kid (Open to all X'ers)

[dolemeck]

There was Richard, Topher, Brianna, Kayla, Rose, Bobbi, and himself. Well, that he met so far. The school was starting to fill up with new students, meaning it was only a matter of time before school started up. Not just that, but soon official room mates would be assigned, classes would be sorted out. It was going to be hectic.

For now, Dolemeck was hanging out with Richard on the front lawn of the mansion. The two were reading a book together... when a pick-up truck drove up on the grounds. That must be the new kid he overheard the teachers talking about. He looked over to Richard with a raised eyebrow, before watching as their new classmate got out of his truck.

Comments

[southern_heavy]

Brody took less time to process the floating woman. After the vanishing rucksack and potentially sharkhanded girl, he was starting to get used to the weirdness. Should that be worrying him...?

Waving at the floating woman as he passed (how else does one interact with floating people? Was floating a coon thing here? Brody hoped waving was polite...), Brody sat his enormous rucksack down next to one of the chairs and offered his hand to Doug, as the floating lady seemed to already know who he was.

"Broderick. Uh, Brody. Lees. Pleasure to meet you."

[nohoundsallowed]

"Mr. Night and Mr. Brooks can wait outside the door if they wish. We shouldn't be too long," she said a little absently as she gently floated to the floor. "This will be mostly quick and painless."

She turned to face her newest student. The redhead looked to be in her late twenties, and physically she was. The intellect behind her green eyes was far older. She was dressed far less conservatively as one might imagine for a headmaster of a private school.

"Welcome to the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning."

[talk_to_you]

Doug took and shook the hand. "Professor Ramsey," he said. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Lees."

[southern_heavy]

Brody shook the hand, and sheepishly scratched the back of his neck when Rachel mentioned the name of the school. He knew something was up, between the other mutant kids and the whole school thing...

"Yeah, I, uh...there may have been mistake. My counsel had said I was going to be part of some, uh program or something but, uh, I ain't really too good at regular learnin, let alone the higher kind..."

[nohoundsallowed]

"We'll take care of your regular learning as well as other things needed," Rachel commented as she crossed the room to set the book in her hand on the desk.

"We're a school for mutants. We're here to help you."

[talk_to_you]

"We've got quite the teaching staff," Doug said. "Myself included. I'm the head of the IT department around here."

[southern_heavy]

So it was a mutant school. Everyone here knew, it seemed, that he was a mutant. Brody actually found himself relacing a bit at that knowledge. He wasn't back home; he didn't seem to have to worry so much about keeping it secret.

"Alright. Uh, Mutant School. Rad. Okay...so...help how...? Sorry, but I uh, kinda was expectin...well, I guess I wasn't sure what I was expectin..."

[nohoundsallowed]

Rachel moved to the front of her desk and leaned against it. She stayed well clear of the computer Doug had to look at. She hated when technology gave her a hard time. She could think such things into oblivion.

"Well, first and foremost, we'll get you regular schooling in the required subjects. It will help you achieve a high school diploma; a requirement of you being assigned here instead of jail. On top of that, we work with individual students on their powers, being able to defend themselves without putting innocents or teammates in danger, and various other things needed to survive in the much more wide open world of mutants. From training the next generation of heroes to those who just want to live quiet, peaceful lives, we have a full compliment of coursework and extra curricular activities."

[southern_heavy]

There was that word again. 'Heroes'. No more than a week ago, Brody was some kid in a small town with a secret. Two days ago he was eating peanut butter in County Lockup waiting for his public defender. Now, he was standing in an office he was pretty sure was bigger than his mom's house, being told he'd get taught to not only pass high school...but how to use his superpowers...

"Okay, so, uh...school-school and, like, superpower school...rad, alright, uh...I guess I'm in." Considering the alternative, Brody couldn't refuse. But even without that...maybe this school sucked less than, well, all other schools...

[talk_to_you]

"Trust me," Doug said, "you'd hardly be the most unusual student we've ever had. We've had honest to goodness aliens here."

[southern_heavy]

"Well I ain't entirely sure folk from different countries are all that-" Brody trailed off, and not for the first time today he found himself blinking, "...you mean, like, 'From Outer Space' Aliens, don't you?"

[talk_to_you]

Doug chuckled a little. "I do, actually. One of them is my best friend."

[nohoundsallowed]

Rachel smiled a bit. "A couple of those as well as some from other dimensions."

She wasn't going to go into how she herself came from an alternate timeline. "We'll be getting your transcripts soon from your previous schools. Is there anything you're interested in? It'll help us set up coursework that won't bore you to tears."

[southern_heavy]

Brody had accepted different dimensions because, well, how is that any weirder than Outer Space? The much more difficult thing to accept was the question of his academic proficiency. Brody scratched at the stubble on his chin.

"Uh, well, History...and, well, uh...I guess basically just History..."

[talk_to_you]

"You'll get along well with Professor Richards then," Doug said.

[nohoundsallowed]

"Well, we have plenty of history courses here covering different areas. Any hobbies or things you like to do? Those can inform us what classes to steer you towards as well."

She turned her head to see where she had left the legal pad of paper. She squinted slightly as it and a blue pall point pen rose up from her desk. The pen started to scribble on the pad.

"Pardon my low-tech means. My computer's having technical difficulties."

[southern_heavy]

Brody nodded at Doug and looked, again, a little sheepish that he had next to nothing to offer Rachel.

"Hobbies? Uh, movies, I guess. Primarily ones that have 'slaughter', 'bloodbath', 'massacre', or some variation in the title. Music. Y'know: Quiet Riot, The Clash, AC/DC, Lila Cheney, Anvil. The good stuff. TV, if it's rad, Video games, but not like the Shooters. Well, most of em, some of em can be kinda cool..." Brody felt himself rambling, and stopped for a moment, "...Oh! I'm kinda handy. Sorta had to be. Shit kept breaking at my Mom's house. Foster mom. It was cheaper to just try and fix it ourselves. Well, myself. Mom worked mainly. Works. Not that Arlee wasn't helpful. My sister, I mean..." Rambling again, Brody. Shut up.

[talk_to_you]

"I think you'll definitely find some people here with similar interests," Doug said.

He gave the computer a glance. "Shouldn't be too hard a fix. I think the last patch to the Shi'ar tech is interfering with the rest of the technology. I'll just have to recode some of it in English."

[nohoundsallowed]

"We do have some Industrial Arts classes that may appeal to you. Considering the amount damage some students can cause, having someone handy around is always a bonus." She smiled pleasantly. The pen scribbled down a few more things on the floating pad of paper before settling down on her desk. The legal pad floated into Rachel's waiting hand.

"You'll have a temporary dorm room assignment. Only temporary, mind you, until the new dorms open for students." She glanced at her husband.

"Before this evening, Doug. Hank and Forge need to finish up on a few things without getting distracted by Shi'ar tech. Again."

[southern_heavy]

"I..." Brody coughed a little, trying to gather his thoughts to put into words. As usual, he was fairly bad at it, so he just went with polite gratitude and offered his hand to Rachel and Doug to shake, "I, uh, appreciate this, I guess. The opportunity I mean. I'll try not to let ya'll down, ma'am. And sir."

[talk_to_you]

Doug shook the hand. "You're welcome. I'm sure you'll do quite well here."

[nohoundsallowed]

Rachel shook the hand offered a little firmer than a woman her size was probably should.

"We're here to give you the opportunity, Mr. Lees. I'm sure you'll do well. You'll get a more formal orientation once you've settled in. I assume Dolemeck and Richard are around to help you with that."

[southern_heavy]

Brody nodded, and smiled a little remembering the disposition of the two he'd met right outside the Mansion, and his bafflement at their earlier remarks. It was becoming normal for him pretty fast.

"They, uh, have been very helpful, ma'am, yes."

Nodding and waving, Brody made his way back to the door of the office, "Should I, uh, I mean am I...excused...?" Brody hoped that was the word he was looking for.