Escort Duty Again – Michael’s Room
The walk to the dorms was quiet and brisk, Porter’s pace not seemed to be adjusting for the fact Michael was carrying bags and not even checking over his shoulder to see that the new student was still within sight. In truth Porter didn’t need to see the mutant to know he was still just a few feet behind him, the mimicry powers enabling Porter to sense the x-gene close by was more then enough of an assurance that he hadn’t lost the accompanying person.
"Gates lock at 8pm, keep your student pass on you at all times, try and not lose it." Nothing bugged Porter more then students mislaying something as important as their keycard, anyone who found it could attempt to come in and Xavier’s Institute had its enemies, not that jerks from the brotherhood would have the IQ level required to actually slip the card into the reader, but still, miracles could happen. "Read all the information given to you, we have hall monitors so if you’re too lazy to leave your room or just can’t manage your way to the administration office you can leave the class list on your door handle." Jean got a little of having late comers strolling in at their own times, deciding she didn’t have the time or patients to be waiting around for things and tried to make it more efficient, even if it did promote slacking a little, there were just some things she needed too badly to fuss about right now.
As they drew up to the door which was obviously Michael’s, Porter took out a key and a keypass, holding both out for Michael to take, though Porter lifted the door key a little and said "Door." Then the card was raised slightly as he finished off the unneeded and rather mocking statement. "Gate." It was hard to tell if Porter was trying to be rude or if it just came naturally, since his tone didn’t seem overly malice and neither did his expression, but he still came off crude nonetheless. "Anything you didn’t understand?" It was the first comment that actually lacked all sense of attitude, amazingly enough, but the words still could have been polished up a little, especially considering what he had been saying before was not exactly in the realm of sweet talk or even complicated.
Michael didn't really know what he was expecting from Porter. Certainly it wasn't an offer to have drinks sometime, to be shown around to his classes or even to have a meaningful conversation. Nonetheless it was still a surprise when the lavender mutant's response to the offering of an olive branch, so to speak, was "I'm thrilled". The sarcasm and boredom simply dripped from Porter's mouth and Michael had to agree, he felt the same way at the moment. He wasn't exactly thrilled with his interfering powers or with being led around by a strange pink mutant that was rude without call.
The way Michael saw it Porter was one of two things; naturally a jerk or having a killer of a bad day. Michael was inclined to think it was the first, particularly since he had never been much of an optimist, but what could be done. He shrugged off his first reaction of mild surprise, adopting an indifferent attitude towards the other. Afterall it wasn't as though they had to spend time around eachother besides the few minutes of company as Michael was led to his form room. The brown-haired boy kept himself content with the thought that he would never have to see Porter again with any luck and if he did it would be a brief passing in the halls, no prolonged encounters.
He sped up slightly, having noted that he was beginning to fall behind. The last thing Michael wanted right now was another smart remark from present company about keeping his pace up, especially when the numbers in his head were beginning to cause him a mild headache. Making the walk more difficult was the fact that Porter seemed to be trying to set a record for speed walking while Michael was still carrying his bags at his side.
"Gates lock at 8pm, keep your student pass on you at all times, try and not lose it." This was eerily reminiscent of the talks all first year University students who were living in residence were given, Michael had heard it himself while going for moral support with a friend who was living in res. He nodded his understanding, wondering just when he would get this all important student pass. Of course the fact that he was years older than some of the students here likely were added to things and Michael wondered if a guy in his twenties really got a student card.
"Read all the information given to you, we have hall monitors so if you’re too lazy to leave your room or just can’t manage your way to the administration office you can leave the class list on your door handle." Hall monitors, well that was certainly new. Michael wasn't the most active of people but he had enough energy, he felt, to make it to the administration office. Besides which it was probably a good way to meet people who might be in classes and to begin to learn his way around the huge building.
They seemed to have made it to the door as Porter stopped and Michael finally got a moment's rest while the key and keypass were handed over to him, both with mocking accompanying descriptions from the lavender mutant. Michael began to wonder if there was a class for this, smart-ass 101 or something. Hopefully Porter was the only one in the class.
"Anything you didn’t understand?" Porter asked and this time there seemed to be a lack of any malice. Michael's gaze fixed on him deeply for a minute, trying to figure out if Porter was mocking again and really didn't want to give him any additional information or if this time the question was genuine.
"I understand," Michael said firmly. He still wasn't too sure how the comment was meant so his reply came off as slightly defensive, unsure of whether Porter had meant to insult his intelligence. "I have a few questions though." Without waiting for Porter's acquiescence he shot directly on. "Are pets aloud in the rooms? And I'm twenty-one with a high school diploma so I doubt I'm scheduled for classes. Should I go see the headmistress and ask what I'm supposed to do do you think?" He braced himself, awaiting the seemingly inevitable rude response he was sure he would receive.
Re: Escort Duty Again – Michael’s Room
"I understand," All was well then, Porter’s expression remained placid and wouldn’t have really changed unless Michael said something utterly stupid such as asking Porter to repeat what was just said in greater detail. "I have a few questions though." A vague sigh could be seen leaving Porter’s chest even if there were no exaggerated sounds to accompany it. "Are pets aloud in the rooms? And I'm twenty-one with a high school diploma so I doubt I'm scheduled for classes. Should I go see the headmistress and ask what I'm supposed to do do you think?" There was only the faintest of rise in the right brow as Porter took in the question. It wasn’t exactly common for people to keep up a conversation, especially when Porter wasn’t even attempting false pleasantries, so the questions were rolled around momentarily in his mind. The sarcasm was ever present but there was a drop in the spite which seemed to have burn in every word, people usually gave up by now and just walked away, even Porter knew when to give someone credit.
"Even seniors get their day trips." The term seniors could have referred to senior students but there was something about the way he seemed to say the word and the look in his pearl eyes and the smirk on his lips that just hinted to him meaning old cooks instead. "We have over twenties students, they can choose to take up classes they are interested in and there will be field trips designed for them or for them to take part in. Some take to teaching classes of their own, even if it’s just like art or reading groups. There’s a pet day care room set up for owners who need to dump the responsibility on someone else for a little while, so pets are allowed just try and keep them under control and clean up after them." Living at the school Porter was witness to a few careless caretakers who were eventually told they couldn’t keep their pets for either the destruction and damage they were causing to the school or students (such as violent behavior) or sever neglect which wasn’t tolerated, especially with the ‘Pet Care’ group having their own set of supervisors and VETs in training that offered free check ups on everyone’s pets and made sure they were all well tended to.
"Register the pet with our resident Pet Care group, they’ll offer check ups since they are mostly VETs in training and animal fanatics. They’re a little insane, but if pets get lost somewhere and a student finds it then they can bring it to you or if you’re away they’ll know it’s yours and keep hold of it until you get back. I am assuming you’re not asking if you can have a tank of sea monkeys," Fish, rocks, and stuffed dogs didn’t have to be signed up, no matter how obsessively in love with that ‘pet’ the person was, it was hardly possible for a fish to flop out of its tank and scurry down the halls. Michael mentioned about seeing Jean and while he would eventually have to meet her since she’ll want to be sure he was settling in, but everyone knew how much stress she was under and Jean was part of Porters family, even if he had foster parents the X-men will always be closer to him as family. "Open classes, field trips, wanted student teacher positions, and junk like that are all listed up on the walls outside the dinning hall, they have boards loaded with paper, you can’t miss the bombardment of multi-colored sheets atop chalk boards." The bell rang out as Porter finished speaking, his pearl eyes shifted down at the hall as the distant echoes of students stampeding from one room and heading towards their next class. The thought of walking through a crowd without his holo-emitter was definitely not appealing, his pride was constantly assaulted and people knew how sensitive he could get so even the smallest remark ruffled Darren’s feathers.
"Can you find the Headmistress’s office or am I going to be called out to find you collapsed and dehydrated somewhere on the opposite side of the school?" It was amazing but Porter managed to ask that in a most casual manner that it would be hard to take the sarcasm as anything serious. It didn’t mean Porter was planning on being any nicer at this point, he just got tired of being gruff and standoffish as much as the people he was around, the violet mutant responded heavily to the people he was with and the more tolerant they were the more tolerant he came, and vice versa was definitely true as well.
Re: Escort Duty Again – Michael’s Room
The sigh that went through Porter did not go unnoticed by the number-powered mutant but he let the moment go. He had done his share of complainning in his twenty-one years of life and it would have been hypocritical for him to comment on the action. Instead Michael Hryciuk continued speaking, acting the very questions that had caused the pink mutant to sigh in the first place.
"Even seniors get their day trips," Porter responded and although the comment might have referred to senior year students something about the way he said it made Michael think it was directed at those past high school age rather than at graduating students. "We have over twenties students, they can choose to take up classes they are interested in and there will be field trips designed for them or for them to take part in." It was a relief to hear that there were others past the usual age for taking in mutants and the relief showed slightly on the older mutant's face as, by force of habit, he flipped back the brown fringe of hair which was constantly clouding his sight. Lesser students may have smirked at the idea of taking classes for interest's sake but Michael felt differently. It wasn't so much that he didn't want to take courses which had led him to quit University but the interference of his powers. If this Professor Xavier really could help him out than perhaps he would be able to resume school activities like any other human being, or mutant human being anyway.
The notion of field trips was a strange one to Michael, who hadn't been on a trip since grade ten, but it was intriguing nonetheless. Perhaps it would be a way to learn about the surrounding area and even areas further away. Living in the neighbouring nation taught you some but only so much and Michael was curious about the differences between the States and their neighbour to the north beyond stereotypes.
"Some take to teaching classes of their own," Porter continued, "even if it’s just like art or reading groups." Somehow the numeral mutant didn't picture himself teaching courses. He liked kids just fine, he even thought he might enjoy teaching but at the moment the idea of having even minor control over his abilities seemed far-fetched and he was hesitant to hope for any drastic change in the near future. Perhaps if he ever got to the point where he could look at a person and not know their pin number or birthday he would consider the possibility.
By that point Michael was quietly nodding along, not wanting to interrupt the pink mutant who seemed to have become a fountain of information in the last few minutes. "There’s a pet day care room set up for owners who need to dump the responsibility on someone else for a little while, so pets are allowed just try and keep them under control and clean up after them." The last statement made Michael raise an eyebrow slightly. Were there people who brought a pet then didn't care for it and left it in the hands of others almost entirely? He had been brought up to clean up after his pets and to care for them himself. To Michael it was selfish and unimaginable that a person would take no responsibility like that.
"Of course," he put in, feeling the need to do something other than nod like a bobblehead doll. Michael didn't have a pet at the moment. He figured that crossing his cats over the border would have cost money he didn't have and taken time he didn't want to waste. It had been sad to part from them but in the meantime they were staying quite happily with his sister. Michael had thought about buying a pet to keep him company though. Pets were company without the noise in his brain. They lacked numbers so they were perfect for the numeral mutant. He wondered when would be a good day to venture down to the local shelter but decided that was a question better left for a teacher.
"Register the pet with our resident Pet Care group, they’ll offer check ups since they are mostly VETs in training and animal fanatics. They’re a little insane, but if pets get lost somewhere and a student finds it then they can bring it to you or if you’re away they’ll know it’s yours and keep hold of it until you get back." They're a little insane. Well that was comforting, he thought sarcastically before realizing with a pang of irritation that several people would describe him in much the same manner of speech. Still the system sounded like a good way to make sure pets remained with their owners so Michael nodded his understanding.
"I am assuming you’re not asking if you can have a tank of sea monkeys." That grew the first real grin out of Michael since his arrival and he shook his head although the gesture was unneccessary and he knew it. More of a cat person myself, he thought, leaving the joke attempt unspoken.
"Open classes, field trips, wanted student teacher positions, and junk like that are all listed up on the walls outside the dinning hall, they have boards loaded with paper, you can’t miss the bombardment of multi-colored sheets atop chalk boards." Ah multi-coloured sheets, that certainly brought back memories of spending his breaks between classes at the University reading the message boards. Everything from Student Council elections to books for sale, appartments for rent and advertisements for the many clubs had been contained on those boards. Thinking back Michael almost missed the place.
A bell interrupted the one-sided conversation and his makeshift guide shot a shifty glance down the hallway. "Can you find the Headmistress’s office or am I going to be called out to find you collapsed and dehydrated somewhere on the opposite side of the school?" The sarcasm dripped from the casual inquiry but not in a vicious way and Michael wondered if the other mutant was warming up to him slightly. He wasn't about to get his hopes up but perhaps it was a start.
"Somehow I think I can manage. Point me in a direction and I'll be off your hands," Michael said, smiling ever so slightly at the other man for the numbers were beginning to overwhelm him and he was feeling slightly unstable at the thought of kids soon to swarm the hallways. "Thanks for the help by the way." Politeness seemed the best approach and perhaps the safest one if he wanted to be pointed in the right direction so Michael took it and used it. Perhaps he could use his country's stereotypes to his advantage.
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