New Arrival (Open!)

[Laurie Collins]

[[Hah, Laurie’s a mite pathetic right now, but she gets better! Promise! Also this takes place a bit farther down the drive than the courtyard, by the gates, but I thought this would be the most appropriate place for it.]]

“You’re not coming in with me?” Laurie hates the tone of her voice in this moment, small and helpless and a little begging. Too young for fifteen, more like seven, the kindergartener begging her mommy not to leave on the first day of school. Her mother shakes her head slowly, doesn’t meet her daughter’s eyes staring straight ahead over the steering wheel instead, back out towards the highway.

“I don’t think it’s the best idea Laurie I… well they’re all prepared for you here. I’ve sent all your transcripts and your medical records and they confirmed receiving them. You don’t need me just to check in.” Gail’s lips thin slightly, her hands tighten on the wheel. Of course, Laurie chides herself mentally, of course she wouldn’t want to be around so many mutants after…everything. She straightens her spine as much as she can and tries to smile,

“Okay mom. I’ll be fine.” Gail does turn to look at Laurie now and her face loses some of its resolve as her hands slacken momentarily on the wheel.

“Call me tonight, as soon as you can, you have my apartment number don’t you?” she asks and Laurie nods, accepting the unspoken apology in her mother’s soft words- I’m sorry I can’t do this for you. I’m sorry I can’t fix this. Gail leans her torso out the window and Laurie takes the invitation, stepping away from her waiting bags to give her mother a hug through the open window. For a moment as her mother’s arms tighten almost frantically around her Laurie realizes that maybe this is as hard for her mother as it is for her, and for a still shorter moment thinks maybe her mother will change her mind and tell her to get back in the car and they’ll drive away as fast as they can, go to New Mexico maybe. They had an apartment there once when Laurie was little and her mother had left her with a black haired woman who sold blue-beaded necklaces by the side of the road while Gail went to work at a restaurant. She still remembers rubbing aloe on the bridge of her nose, watching it turn pink and peel in the mirror of their salmon colored stucco bathroom. But almost before the memory has finished unfolding her mother is pulling back and rolling up the window, shifting the car into gear and driving off down the road.

Laurie stands straight as a rod and watches till the car has disappeared and the gates have closed behind it before sliding down to sit on top of her duffle bag, eyes squeezed shut and hands over her face. She hasn’t thought beyond this point yet, to life with other mutants, to settling into a dorm room and taking classes and being taught about her abilities. Right now she doesn’t want to, afraid she’ll lose her tenuous grasp on blank calmness and cause trouble, and so she simply sits in this position, collecting herself as best she can.

[Matthew Craft]

Matthew sighs gently as he hops his way down the stairs, his jacket hung loosely over his arm. Today was his day off from normal classes, so he's going to take advantage of it and head out into town. He hopes the taxi driver doesn't pull away without him this time. The last time he had tried to get a taxi, the driver sped off the moment he had run up to the vehicle. It's bad enough that he goes to a mutant school, but being as tall as he is certainly doesn't help either.

He pulls his jacket on over one long arm, then the other, zips it up, and he reaches for the door. Matthew tugs it open and steps out, enjoying the cool breeze and fresh air.

He cocks his head to the side when he notices a young girl sitting atop her bags at the bottom of the steps. After a brief look around, Matthew figures she's on her own. He walks down the stairs and shoves his hands into his jacket pockets before stopping at her side, shielding her from the worst of the cold wind.

"Uh...Hey...you okay?" Matthew asks quietly, carefully noting her distraught exterior. Condolences aren't exactly in his strong field, but he's met enough new students to know how the approach them. Yeah, cause you're used to girls crying around you. Thanks for ruining every date I've ever had, Mom. He resists the urge to roll his eyes at that thought.

But then after another look, she's not exactly crying, more so distressed. Probably just confused like the rest of them had been upon arrival. He sinks down and sits on the stone step next to her and offers a smile and friendly wave.

"Hi, I'm Matthew. Do you need any help or anything?" Part of him genuinely wants to assist the new blond (and kind of pretty) girl, but another part nags at him and tells him to run and catch his taxi. Matthew holds his smile and brushes off the other, less mature section of himself. "Welcome to Xavier's."

[Laurie Collins]

Laurie doesn’t notice as Matt’s broad frame blocks her from the wind, too wrapped up in her own thoughts, but when he speaks she can hardly miss him and she leaps to her feet, eyes round with surprise. Oh no, that must have leaked out, she thinks miserably knowing she’s transferred shock and anxiety through her pheromones under lesser stresses and scrambles backwards a step as, on the heels of this realization, she takes in the rather intimidating size of the boy before her. Even with him sitting down and her standing up she can tell he towers over her comparatively diminutive 5’4” frame.

“Sorry!” she gasps out, and then blushes as she realizes he’ll have no idea why she’s apologizing. “For, um, if you were surprised just now? That was me. I have these…pheromones.” she bites her lip to stop the babble streaming from her mouth and tucks a strand of stringy blonde hair firmly behind her ear, visibly composing herself for a moment.

“I’m fine.” she adds rather unconvincingly in a stiff tone of voice to his original question, her frantic babbling quickly shuttered away behind a bland, formal exterior she’s perfected over the years to keep herself calm. “And I’m Laurie, nice to meet you.” she takes her gaze off the ground and flashes him a small smile, obviously rather nervously gauging his reaction to the whole encounter. “Um, I don’t think I need any help, I don’t want to be any trouble, unless you could tell me where I’m supposed to go? My mom just dropped me off and I know they’re expecting me but not exactly…where.” she cranes her neck to look up at the seemingly palatial building where she’s apparently going to live with undisguised awe.

[Matthew Craft]

Matthew can't help the little jolt of shock as she reacts to his presence, reeling back ever so slightly, using his hand to support himself on the step. And then she stands up and takes a few steps backwards away from. Oh, wonderful, you've scared yet another person. Way to go. He knew that to anyone unfamiliar, he was pretty scary, but he usually didn't take it to heart.

“Sorry!” Matthew smiles and sits up straight again.

"No worries. It's not the first time that's happened." He calmly drapes his arms over his knees and squints up at her through the sunlight.

"If you were surprised just now? That was me. I have these…pheromones.” Raising his eyesbrows, Matthew thinks back to the moments preceding and chuckles.

"Right, I thought something felt a little out of place there." Well, at least I know her mutation, and I know she's not going to blow my head off or anything the next time I surprise her. Phew! Suprises are few and far between at the mansion now, so Matthew barely even gives her power another thought.

“I’m fine.” And then she's relatively relaxed, something that strikes Matthew as odd, but he blows it off casually. “And I’m Laurie, nice to meet you.” She manages to shoot him a tiny smile, to which he stands up. He silently prays that she doesn't freak out again, and takes his time standing up straight, allowing her to adjust to his size.

"S'a pleasure, Laurie." Matthew tucks his hands into his pockets, but not before glancing at his watch. Looks like I'm about to miss my taxi. Oh well.
There are always other days to go into town, and maybe I can get Sis to drive me in next time.

“Um, I don’t think I need any help, I don’t want to be any trouble, unless you could tell me where I’m supposed to go? My mom just dropped me off and I know they’re expecting me but not exactly…where.”

"It'll be no trouble at all. I don't mind, really. And you probably have to go see Mr. Sheppard. He's the new headmaster." He follows Laurie's gaze up to the school and grins. "Don't let it scare you. It's pretty neat on the inside, and the profs are awesome." Matthew glances back down at her. Really far down actually. Wow...don't I feel tall, he thinks sarcastically. "If you want I can take you up to meet Mr. Sheppard. I'll carry your bags and everything." He means the latter as a bit of joke, hoping to make her smile, or laugh, or something.

[Laurie Collins]

"No worries. It's not the first time that's happened."
"Right, I thought something felt a little out of place there."

Laurie actually lets a look of surprise slip past her stiff facial veneer. She can’t recall ever having had her mutation taken so lightly, like it’s… well it almost certainly is expected here come to think of it. She brings her face back under control again quickly and ducks her head slightly, foot scuffing the ground lightly. Still though, shouldn’t he be afraid of me? He knows what I can do, I did it already and he never would have known. How does he know I’m not going to try and control him again? Then her thoughts in that vein cut off as he stands up slowly enough that she can count every inch he gains. Wow, maybe he thinks I wouldn’t dare try anything with him. She cranes her neck to look at his face as he speaks again, pleasantly enough, more than enough really.

"S'a pleasure, Laurie."

and if that’s what he thinks he is totally right she decides fervently. Can someone’s mutation be being really, really tall? Laurie’s never really considered the upside to mutations but she can see one here. A moment later she feels slightly guilty for her complete astonishment at his stature as he proceeds to be entirely unruffled by her and even genuinely nice.

"It'll be no trouble at all. I don't mind, really. And you probably have to go see Mr. Sheppard. He's the new headmaster."

Headmaster, even the names for positions are intimidating, she thinks rather absurdly then bites her lip as she realizes she’s been slinking back into her old reclusive ways, staying silent in the face of someone’s friendly conversation because she has no idea how to respond and knows that if they knew… but he does know. So now might be a good time to participate in the conversation.

"Don't let it scare you. It's pretty neat on the inside, and the profs are awesome."
"If you want I can take you up to meet Mr. Sheppard. I'll carry your bags and everything."

Matthew had obviously meant the last bit as a joke but Laurie has never had much of a humor radar and she reaches down for her duffle bag quickly. “Oh no thank you, to the bags I mean, though if you could show me where Mr. Sheppard is?” she gives him another shy smile (Laurie may be the only person who can make a smile look solemn) and tries to convey with it everything she can’t really say, I’m sorry I’m so standoffish and hard to talk to, I’m very nervous, please don’t hate me etc. etc. She raises her face slowly again and tugs lightly on a strand of hair, “I don’t think I’ve ever talked to another…um, you know… before.” she says quietly, realizing it only as the words leave her mouth and blinking twice rapidly in comical surprise at having blurted out the realization to this stranger. Five dollars says he runs away from the weird girl being silent for about a year then blurting such a random thing out.

[Matthew Craft]

Matthew quickly notices that Laurie looks pretty surprised by his casual 'Yeah, you've got powers. So?' demeanor. Not that he's entirely surprised himself. They all have powers, with no one being any more special than another. But he remembers his arrival at the institute all those months ago, and realizes that his reaction had not been dissimilar. But she still seems a little...shy? Is shy the right word?

"Hey, I'm not going to bite or anything." Matthew shoots her a happy grin. "Step on you, maybe. But I don't bite."

Her silence leads him to stare at her curiously. Shy, it seems, is a bit of an understatement. Afraid seems more appropriate at the moment, but Matthew also remembers that this is obviously her first time at the Institute, and not only is the school sometimes intimidating, but most find it down right terrifying on their first visit.

Matthew watches as she reaches for one of her bags, “Oh no thank you, to the bags I mean, though if you could show me where Mr. Sheppard is?” As she smiles again he beats her to the second bag and hoists it up with minimal effort.

"Yeah, not a problem. He should be there..." He purposely ignores the fact that he's carrying her bag, despite her earlier protests. With a glance to his watch, Matthew nods. "He's usually there after lunch, and knowing him, he's probably expecting you."

She looks back up at him (way up, actually. Damn height!). “I don’t think I’ve ever talked to another…um, you know… before.” Matthew laughs lightly and tosses the bag onto his shoulder, still holding it with one hand. Odd question, sure, but not entirely unexpected. They're all new at this 'next stage in evolution' thing right?

"What, you mean a mutant? Really? Well, we're not really all we're cracked up to be." He leads her up the steps while he talks, hoping to ease her out of her nervousness. "We're all still stuck going to school and doing homework, so there's no real change there. We go on field trips and head out to town on the weekends," Or on our days off, but no need to mention that. "I might be a mutant, but I'm still flunking math." Matthew adds with an impish smile. "So we're basically as normal as just about everybody else, school and social-wise. But if you're looking for something a little more 'mutant-like', you should check out the three-on-three sometime at the basketball court. Now that's amazing."

[Laurie Collins]

"Hey, I'm not going to bite or anything."
"Step on you, maybe. But I don't bite."

Laurie blinks at him again, a fairly standard reaction for her it seems, then offers a tentative smile, less fixedly polite and more genuine, at the joke. He’s nice, he doesn’t use being big to push me around. But is that because I’m influencing him or is this who he really is?

"Yeah, not a problem. He should be there..."
"He's usually there after lunch, and knowing him, he's probably expecting you."

“Oh, yes, that’s good.” she says lamely, but she’s making an effort to speak instead of internalizing everything. Somehow this boy doesn’t seem to have decided she is immeasurably weird and should be gotten away from as quickly as possible. She would very much like not to ruin the effect.

"What, you mean a mutant? Really? Well, we're not really all we're cracked up to be."

And with that he begins a monologue, though that’s too pretentious-sounding a word for what seems genuine, that she can tell is supposed to put her a bit more at ease. It seems to have the opposite effect however, and with each sentence she looks more troubled. You really are a nice person aren’t you? And I could be taking advantage of it right now.

Before they can reach the doors she sets her bag down in an even, controlled gesture and looks up at him, her blue eyes wide and probing. “You’re being nice to me.” she states quietly, almost flatly, “And I don’t know if it’s because I’m making you with… with the pheromones and all that. I can’t control them and you wouldn’t know if I were using them besides feeling a little odd about your emotions.” she shakes her head slowly, wonderingly, “And I think maybe I must be using them at least a little bit because you know and you’re still talking to me.” she scrubs her hand through her hair, mussing it nervously. “I don’t want to hurt you,” her features are still earnest despite the irony of saying such a thing to someone who could probably snap her in half if the mood struck him, “I don’t want to hurt anybody, but I do things, I’ve done things, without even knowing…” she looks down again now, staring at the stone of the steps as if she’s trying to burn a hole in them to burrow into. “I’m not supposed to be around people, that’s why I’m here, but what if I ruin things here too?” She keeps her head down, knowing nerves must be wafting off of her like a stink and hating herself for it but she’s used up all her nerve getting this out.

“Sorry… you were probably leaving for somewhere and you just asked this girl if you could help carry her bags and little did you know that she would go completely psycho on you.” she adds with a small smile, strangely the first time she’s shown any signs of humor. Well, you’ve probably cured him of being nice to strange girls, good for you eh?

[Matthew Craft]

“Oh, yes, that’s good.” Matthew pauses before cringing slightly.

"I'm not making you uncomfortable am I? Cause, I mean, I can squat or something, if it makes you feel any better." He offers, hoping that his size wasn't scaring her (as it often did with most people). He can't help the slight self-conscious slouch as he tries to minimize his height without it coming across as an obvious move.

When they reach the doors, Laurie sets her bag down and stares up at him, “You’re being nice to me.”

Matthew blinks several times, "Uh...yeah..." he shifts his eyes around, mocking uncertainty before looking back down at her. "Is that a problem?"

"I don’t know if it’s because I’m making you with… with the pheromones and all that.”

"Uh...no. I don't think so. I'm feeling pretty normal," Or as normal as a seven foot, fifteen year-old kid can. "How would I know if I'm not. Should I try pinching myself?" Stop making bad jokes you idiot. That's Toni's job.

"I must be using them at least a little bit because you know and you’re still talking to me.” Matthew can't help the little laugh that escapes his throat as he tries to sober himself up.

"Yeah, I am. You don't need worry about that sort of stuff here. We're a pretty well-rounded bunch," Then, on a more serious note he adds, "Just for the sake of argument, what if I told you that on the inside," he taps his sternum with his free hand, "I'm carrying enough power to kill everybody here in about 30 seconds. Would you stop talking to me because of it?" He prays that she doesn't run screaming at the idea, but he has a point to prove to her.

“I don’t want to hurt anybody, but I do things, I’ve done things, without even knowing…” Laurie adverts her gaze again, making Matthew frown.

"We all have. Some worse than others, but that's why we're all here. We've all had goof-ups with our powers, and yeah, some people got hurt, but as long as it wasn't intentional, we don't really care. Like I said, we're a well-rounded bunch." Matthew tries to lighten the mood with another well-natured grin.

"What if I ruin things here too?”

"Nah. Won't happen, I promise. We're tight-knit here, so it'll take a lot to screw things up. And by a lot, I mean something like running around axe murdering everyone." Matthew senses nervousness within himself and feels his heart-rate start to pick up. Right...what? Oh...wait, that's probably her. Pheromones right? Good god man, you're terrifying her. Just as he's about to apologize (again) for being so freakishly huge, she pipes up again.

“Sorry… you were probably leaving for somewhere and you just asked this girl if you could help carry her bags and little did you know that she would go completely psycho on you.” She adds a little smile, which leads Matthew to wave off any inconvenience she may have caused him.

"Pfft. Not important. And psycho? Please. You're about as stable as they come so far as I can tell. Now what-d'ya say we go introduce you to Mr. Sheppard?" He grins widely and pushes the door ajar where he holds it with his foot, patiently waiting for her to enter.

[Laurie Collins]

"Uh...no. I don't think so. I'm feeling pretty normal,"
"How would I know if I'm not. Should I try pinching myself?"

Laurie doesn’t respond to the joke, instead giving him an inscrutable look as she wages an internal battle between being exasperated that he isn’t taking the danger of the situation seriously and grateful for the very same thing. And you’d go on feeling pretty normal for years and years until one day you wake up and you don’t recognize your life anymore, she thinks, but she knows somehow that she won’t be able to make him understand this without sharing more than she wants to right now. “No,” she admits after a moment, “I’m probably being dumb… I mean usually I don’t let anything out unless it’s really strong like being scared or angry or something so I probably haven’t done anything to you that you don’t know about. You just never know though.” she adds in a mutter.

"Just for the sake of argument, what if I told you that on the inside I'm carrying enough power to kill everybody here in about 30 seconds. Would you stop talking to me because of it?"

Laurie gapes at him for a moment at that, the idea of it managing to shock her out of her hyper-focus on her own potential for corruption, unwitting or no. She’s never thought much about other mutant powers, or other mutants as individuals really, they’ve always seemed just one huge mass of threatening power, less individuals than a massive danger to humanity that threatened to catch her up in its tide. He could do much more damage than me in a much shorter time, and he’s not afraid, and he hasn’t done it… but still, he knows when he uses his mutation, how could he miss it? He can trust what people feel about him. She then abruptly realizes that this is not an opportune moment for reflection and tries to look reassuring as she responds, “No!” with her emphasis a little overblown to make up for the pause, “Um, sorry, I didn’t mean to pause there, I wasn’t hesitating I was just… I don’t talk much.” she clamps her mouth shut and looks rather sheepish in the moment between this and his next remark.

"We all have. Some worse than others, but that's why we're all here. We've all had goof-ups with our powers, and yeah, some people got hurt, but as long as it wasn't intentional, we don't really care. Like I said, we're a well-rounded bunch."

The sentiment is more than tempting and it shows on her face. The idea that what’s past can be past, that control can be learned and then everything’s okay and you’re as good as normal. It’s what her mother had preached whenever she’d vocalized her fears of becoming like her father and why she had sent Laurie to Xavier’s.

"Nah. Won't happen, I promise. We're tight-knit here, so it'll take a lot to screw things up. And by a lot, I mean something like running around axe murdering everyone."

“And does that happen often around here?” she asks, a tiny smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she attempts at a bit of banter, a little surprised at her daring in doing so.

"Pfft. Not important. And psycho? Please. You're about as stable as they come so far as I can tell. Now what-d'ya say we go introduce you to Mr. Sheppard?"

The smile slips fully from her control at this and for the first time during the conversation the expression is, for a moment at least, unrestrained as he’s obviously succeeded in reassuring her for the moment though she still has her reservations. “Yes, of course. And… thanks.” she says softly as she picks up her bag again and starts through the doors, pausing as she steps directly next to him and looking up at his face. “Don’t feel bad about being tall.” she says suddenly as she remembers his earlier remarks. She’s surprisingly direct when her sympathy has been roused and the subject is nothing near herself, “It doesn’t intimidate me or make me find you strange or anything, honestly.” she adds, features earnest and smile flashing again on the heels of the last one before she continues into the interior of the mansion.

“Wow…” she whispers, spinning in a slow circle as she takes in the entryway of polished wood and understated elegance, homey and grand all at once. Her eyes dart to the myriad of exits from the entryway and she gulps audibly. “Which one of these takes me to the headmaster?” she asks tentatively. It was obviously going to take her awhile to adjust to the concept of such a place being her home.

[Matthew Craft]

"Usually I don’t let anything out unless it’s really strong like being scared or angry or something so I probably haven’t done anything to you that you don’t know about. You just never know though.” Laurie seems a little lost in her own thoughts, but Matthew continues on casually, hoping to lift her spirits.

"Ah, if it's one thing I've learned about the folks around here--myself included--it's that our emotions play a very large roll in our powers. That said though, it's not that much to worry about." Then, with another thought, "But if I did do something that I wasn't aware of, I'm pretty sure I don't disagree with my actions. Unless, of course, you've also wiped my mind. Can pheromones do that?" He tries to take on the appearance of a paranoid conspiracy theorist, but falls almost instantly into a smile.

“No!”

"Oh good," Matthew lets go of an exaggerated breath, trying to come off mockingly relieved.

“Um, sorry, I didn’t mean to pause there, I wasn’t hesitating I was just… I don’t talk much.” She covers her mouth in embarrassment, making Matthew smile in understanding

"No problem. Most people like to gawk at me. I don't know what it is actually. Something about me being freakishly large." He grins and scratches the back of his head.

“And does that happen often around here?”

"Not as often as one might believe, but occasionally we get a little ne're-do-well running about. Last one was an older guy by the name of Stryker. Wasn't very friendly, that guy but we took care of him real quick." He didn't want to panic her into believing the school was unsafe. And no need to mention Jean Grey just yet. Don't want to scare her by telling that the profs sometimes feel the need to blow each other apart. Matthew suppresses a scowl at the thought.

"And… thanks.” He shrugs and smiles as he adjusts the bag hanging from his shoulder. "Don’t feel bad about being tall. It doesn’t intimidate me or make me find you strange or anything, honestly.”

"Well, that's certainly a good thing. Score one up for the Matt-ster." Matthew beams for a moment, then follows Laurie through the doors and shuts them quietly behind him.

“Wow…”

"Yeah. Told you it was pretty cool. And trust me, the novelty never wears off." He zips open his jacket in the warmer temperatures of the school.

“Which one of these takes me to the headmaster?”

"Ah, that would be this one." Matthew nods off to the right and takes the lead, guiding her down the hall. "Just to warn you though, the guy's kind of bizarre, but in a good way." He stops at an old paneled wooden door and knocks gently.

[Jake Sheppard]

Praise be to caffeine, because without it there’s no way Jake would have gotten through the last week or so. If his early excitement at stumbling into what felt like a cross between a spy movie and a comic book had still needed to be dispelled, recent events would have more than proved that this was no neat work of fiction but bitingly real – no end credits roll, and there’s no convenient pause between episodes for everyone to catch their breath and sort their heads out. Which means you roll from espionage to battle to complicated emotional stuff to the daily grind... life just goes on. And with Ororo understandably caught up in ‘X-Business’ that means a lot more work for him – about time to start being a *proper* headmaster and not a kid on work experience, really.

< The guy’s kind of bizarre, but in a good way[/color]
Case in point; no sooner has he put the phone down on the Daltons (who he’s been keeping *informed* on Josh’s condition, though *informed* feels like the wrong word when so much of it is a lie… because he obviously can’t tell them their son’s a mutant vigilante fighting underground terrorists. Sometimes he catches himself wishing he could be lied to about what exactly his protégé is doing…) than another duty falls into his lap. Luckily he has for once read the paperwork on this ‘Laurie Collins’, though that doesn’t exactly leave him feeling any better prepared. Ororo usually handles the *New Student* stuff, because she’s so much better with the emotional, supporting role while he’s, as Matthew says, somewhat bizarre, and this is going to be the first time he’s ‘flown solo’…

… trust fate to give him an easy ride, right? Because even without pushing into anything beyond surface contact the unease in her mind is palpable, and that can’t be good if she’s going to start giving off these pheromones (another reason why Ororo would have been a much, much better choice, because she could summon up a mini-whirlwind or something… while, if her notes were correct, psychic skill wasn’t going to be any sort of protection) – bang goes cool, calm and collected figure of authority. Eh, stop it. You’re getting ahead of yourself. Everything’s going to be fine… besides, it was hardly in the spirit of the legacy he was meant to be carrying on to start being scared of every kid with potential, right?

Right.

Cool, calm and collected it is. Jake affords himself a moment or two of slow time to perfect that – or as close to it as he can get – finishing up yet another coffee, hiding a few of the more childish action figures still littering the desk and pushing the executive toy and convenient pile of paperwork centre stage before sending a psychic poke to the pair outside his (yes, his. His office now, though of course Xavier’s still a tangible presence everywhere in the school) door (and yes, maybe that’s not the best way to not freak her out, but it’s almost an instinct to do that rather than get up and in any case it’s what passes for *normal* around here…)

< He’s also telepathic and has this uncanny ability to hear through doors, Mr. Craft. Though he’s prepared to take that as a compliment provided you use the term *eccentric* in future… Welcome to Xavier’s, Miss. Collins. Come on in >

[Laurie Collins]

Her gradual warming to Matthew and his reassuring chatter and jokes has definitely not mitigated the confused fear Laurie feels for the school at large. Add to that the tension she feels at the coming interview with Mr. Sheppard- her years of trying to avoid detection as a mutant and her natural reticence have made her instinctively afraid of the kind of focused attention authorities tend to bore into you when you’re alone with them- and it would be a wonder if the headmaster couldn’t sense it from his office though she thinks she’s managed to keep a lid on her pheromones so far.

"Just to warn you though, the guy's kind of bizarre, but in a good way."
And just as she’s about to demand what, exactly, he means by that-
< He’s also telepathic and has this uncanny ability to hear through doors, Mr. Craft. Though he’s prepared to take that as a compliment provided you use the term *eccentric* in future… Welcome to Xavier’s, Miss. Collins. Come on in >

…well so much for controlling her pheromones. Hearing a voice in her head is obviously just too much for Laurie’s first half hour amongst other mutants and she jumps with such alacrity at the startling sensation it’s a wonder she doesn’t shoot right out of her skin. She stumbles backwards a step, bumps into the duffle bag she’d dropped, and almost slams into Matthew as she overcorrects and moves forwards again. Her pheromones have doubtless broadcast her feelings about the telepathic salutation quite clearly and she fights the urge to cover her face with her hands again.

“Can’t go five minutes without doing something like that can I?” she mutters wryly, trying to comfort herself with the fact that the voice she’d “heard” had seemed friendly enough, though she might have changed that if he’d been within range of her pheromones. With that comforting thought fresh in her mind she takes a deep breath, grabs her bag, and reaches out to open the door with a feather-light jab of her fingers, peering into the study and looking for all the world as if she expects the headmaster to spring up from his chair and start screaming and hurling things at her with the power of his mind.

“Um…hello, sir?”

[Matthew Craft]

Just moments after knocking, Matthew's mind is, well, not so much invaded, but rather sent a little nudge as the headmaster detects their presence.

< He’s also telepathic and has this uncanny ability to hear through doors, Mr. Craft. Though he’s prepared to take that as a compliment provided you use the term *eccentric* in future… Welcome to Xavier’s, Miss. Collins. Come on in >

By this point, Matthew's gotten used to their impromptu PA system, but obviously Laurie has not. He jolts in surprise when she staggers back and nearly laughs at his own startled behaviour when he feels a surge of panic rising in his system. Okay, relax. That's just her phero-thingies getting to you.

But despite his own mental reassurances, Matthew can't help dropping his hands to his knees and gasping for breath while trying to calm himself.

“Can’t go five minutes without doing something like that can I?”

The moment of anxiety passes quickly and he can't help cracking with laughter.

"Well, that was fun. Let's try you being happy next," Matthew wipes his face and grins as he straightens up.

Laurie quietly opens the door once she steadies herself and pokes her into the office.

“Um…hello, sir?”

Yeah, sir? Matthew let's the thought flow clearly through his mind, knowing that Mr. Sheppard would surely pick up on it. Take it easy with the telepathy thingy please. When she gets surprised, I apparently get surprised. And the last time I got surprised, I broke a desk in half. So please, for your desk's sake, don't do that again...at least...not while I'm here.

He sends the thought out loudly but keeps his smile as he follows Laurie into the office, her bag in hand.

[Jake Sheppard]

Well, that’s interesting. Biology had not exactly been Jake’s strong suit – it was hard to see what was, really, unless collecting obscure comics and coming up with elaborate drinking games based on cult films were specialist topics rather than timewasters, because he was fairly sure his other skill (ye olde psychic con) would never be an approved discipline – and so that little illustration was no doubt sort of necessary as far as understanding Laurie’s powers went. Not for the first time it strikes him just how insane this *school* idea is, vague visions of death by feral beserker rage if she flipped out next to Logan, or mass brain-melting if he or Josh got dosed up on those things, flitting around before he silences them – totally unhelpful and inappropriate.

Note to self, do not surprise the new girl…

A few moments later Matthew chimes in with the same thought, and he *replies* < Roger, Wilco… thanks for the heads up > as the pair enter the *Inner Sanctum*.

Right… time to make with the *nice*… Charming grin firmly in place, Jake leans back in his chair, gesturing for Laurie to take a seat. ”Sorry about the..” – a vague hand-wavey gesture takes in the whole *voice in your head* thing – ”Even adults have a hard time keeping a lid on their powers from time to time… I trust Matthew’s been making you welcome?”

[Laurie Collins]

Laurie grimaces guiltily at Matthew’s reaction to her panic, knowing that if she keeps this up her fifteen minute or so association with the other student is going to be her longest running relationship with anyone at the school. Hopefully this headmaster she’s about to meet will have some sage words of advice or…something. A something which will hopefully not involve starting off by screaming at her for the whole menace to society via mood control thing.

"Well, that was fun. Let's try you being happy next,"

She gives a strained smile at that, still feeling guilty- and slightly worried as Matthew has a nuclear bomb for a metabolism- about scaring her recent acquaintance as she steps reluctantly through the doorway.

Once she’s inside she catches her first look at Mr. Sheppard and gives another blink, the only chink in the stoically serious expression she’s plastered on over a still visible layer of nerves. The angular face peering at her from behind the heavy desk seems more suited to manic grins than the sage dispensing of wisdom and judicious punishments one would associate with a headmaster which is either reassuring or somewhat jarring, maybe both. The apology earns him a small smile quickly contained by her top teeth snagging at the chapped skin of her bottom lip. “Um, no, I’m sorry too I’m just…edgy. I don’t always emit so much, I promise.” she replies promptly, obviously suspicious at not being immediately reprimanded and waiting for the other shoe to drop. “Oh, and, yes sir, he has been.” she adds quietly, rubbing her thumb rapidly back and forth over the strap of her duffle bag.

It’s so odd being so very nervous about what these two seem to take completely for granted and despite her remaining fears Laurie has a hard time not conforming to the atmosphere. Though a part of her mind is still flashing and whirring in full warning mode at the idea of ever voluntarily using her mutation another part has grasped that now that she’s here it’s going to be a necessity- scaring Matthew into blowing up the school would be a bad thing, not to mention what she could make some other mutant do accidentally.

She opens her mouth to ask something, anything, getting the feeling she’s expected to say more and all but tripping over herself not to let her new acquaintances down so soon with her conversational inadequacy but all that comes out is, “…Is that a doll?” as she notices a red plastic arm sticking up just above the horizon of the desktop from what she assumes is a drawer, then blushes at such a potentially rude remark on the heels of unwittingly wielding her mutation at the headmaster.

I’m going to get tossed out for sure, and just when I might not want to be.