Friday March 30th: A School Trip to the Zoo
Considering most school trips consisted of tense students running around breathlessly on the training island, this relatively normal outing was one of the few things all students, be them X-men in training or the blissfully unaware, could join and take part in the social outing. And while there were at least the odd day trips arranged like of the old library tours, museum visits or general other educational trip out, a visit to the zoo appealed to a wider veriaty of students, not just those who studied animals of the environment.
Most of the louder students seemed to pack themselves into the first bus with a bubbling chatter and eager expressions or boisterous attitudes. That left the less social or just generally calmer students with either the last handful of seats on the first bus or waiting patiently lining for the second bus. Most didn't mind the wait, they just wanted to sit with their friends who they grouped with while standing around or just hanged back because they didn't care about all the fuss or what seat they got and with who.
Although at first Riley stood back, going from the seemingly dead calm of Medbay to this a bit of a scene shock. Heath had found his way to Riley and while talking lured him a little closer to the rest of the group. Not only was Heath there, but so was Connor, and Riley was just as surprised to see Logan's son as some others were to see Riley out of Medbay so early. It had only been a few short days since his operation and anyone that either knew him or studied under the former agent had known the surgery was a rather serious one. One that required time off and lots of bed rest, even with the school's advanced medical equipment and one of the few most brilliant of healers and scientists. Granted Riley still looked subdued from it all, he was well enough to move around and on the verge of going stir crazy if he didn't get out of that recovery room! Luckily Dr McCoy wasn't the embodiment of all evil and could be swayed into letting Riley out early so he could join in on thee zoo trip.
Riley's parents had left the day before to visit relatives that lived nearby in New York city. The uncle had bene away for the last month and with the Finn's figuring Riley was bed bound for a while they thought this was the last chance to see the other side of the family before heading home tomorrow night. Emily was in no way eager to leave, and she didn't want to even hear talk about it. Which caused some conflict when Riley called to say he was up and about and heading to the zoo. His young cousin wasn't sure when she'd see him again and so she got upset since she was missing spending time with him. For that Riley felt bad that Emily was putting so much pressure on herself, but that was rather a family trait, they did tend to fuss over each other, which was both comforting as well as occasionally smothering.
For now however, Riley took comfort in who was around, trying not to think of Scott and how excited the fairy would have been to see all these strange human world animals, only to fret over them being in cages once he did see them. Connor cheered Riley up just by being there to talk with again, and Heath was full of questions or just informing Riley of all the new things he'd seen or done and the friends he had made. The confused look on Connor's face initated an assurence from Riley that he'll explain everything about Heath's origins later, leaving the feral rather curious.
Eventually the second bus was packed and soon both were on their way off. Some remained quiet, others continued their chatter, some spoke less intrusively then others and the occasional student looking less then happy with their particular seating partner. Originally Riley had planned on sitting next to Catherine on the bus, though even if they both got on the second one, Riley had decided against it and just gave her a brief 'hey' before taking a seat next to Heath. Even if Riley was missing Catherine's company, she obviously wasn't missing his as she spent hardly any time seeing him while in medbay. After all, Riley's been in and out for the last couple of weeks now and she's not really shown interest in that fact.
Even Garnet put time aside to see him and he barely knew her! So when he did see Garnet sitting further at the back with Madison casually chatting away with Logan's daughter's sarcastic humour colouring their conversation, Riley offered them a smile, the hint of appreciation in the look he offered Garnet. As they all sat, the troubled former agent decided he had made the right choice sitting with Heath, behind them was Connor who had intentionally saved a space for a girl who Riley remembered as being Racheal. Though he didn't remember how or when he first technically met her, his memory of their first encounter was her sitting under the tree and him recruiting her help, and since then he had picked up that she was a touch cautious around him. If he knew how she had first met him, back when Catherine was having her dreams affected by an outside source, causing them to become true and meaning when she dreamt Riley was Marc again, he had indeed become the alter ego. Had he known this was how Racheal first saw him, angry and confused, then he would understand why she was so wary of him.
Mainly the discussions remained between Riely and Heath, the occasional comment thrown back at Connor, who was content enough to reply but seemed distracted and eager to keep his focus on Racheal. Being around so many friendly faces was a bit overwhelming for Connor but at the same time it was a nice change, and he was eager to enjoy this, considering his up and down mood swings the last week, having some fun would definitely be a good way to spend his day. It was harder then initially imagined, but Connor had hoped to try and discreetly invite Racheal over for a lunch some point in the next two days over the weekend. but it seemed he was a master of discretion as he managed to avoid asking about it the entire trip to the zoo.
Upon arriving the teachers asked for the students to orderly wait outside of the buses for them to organize things and between the staff on duty they decided on who was to handle talking to the admission attendent about their pre-booked and already paid for trip. Students filed off with an air of rising excitement and laughter rang out from some students who went to get information and maps from the nearby information stand. Hazel eyes glanced around, taking in the scene laid out before them. People came here by choice, so none of the students looked as if they had better places to be, but some few had a look of impatience. Wanting to move off or just break away from mass of students and do their own thing.
One of the students who moved through the waiting crowd was Arlen, in the last six months or so there had been a vast improvement in the mer-Prince's walking. Becoming more sure footed in his steps and a little more agile in his at times awkward movements. A blue arrow headed tail swang behind the Prince as he moved, fantastic sparkling sea blue eyes peering around at the faces he passed. Looking about sixteen years of age, few knew Arlen to be twelve thousand, especially with how childish he seemed at times. Being unable to play with Vohan the last week has caused Arlen to creep out of his shell again and spend more time with his friends he hadn't seen for a while.
There was a boy Arlen passed, the merman's long dark grey sleeved t-shirt and black jeans seemed to contrast against his light fair skin and stunning eyes. The boy that had caught his attention stood with two sticks supporting his weight, and while Arlen had seen Michael around the school and occasionally in brief moments between the entrance of their team dorm and Scott's room, they had never spoken. The thought that Vohan had spent so much time of the last days here with them upset Arlen a little, though he liked Tessa and Riley and so he didn't hold it against the rest of them... After all, humans had such a short lifespan, when thought like that Arlen could understand, these people would soon vanish and what friendships are made will then be lost and the thought hurt both Arlen and Scott. The Prince couldn't lay blame, even if it would feel better to have something around here to be angry at for his best friends departure.
If this boy was here, Arlen assumed Michael's team mates would also be around, they seemed friendly enough, and friends hanged in groups, which meant there was a chance Arlen could find Riley. The Prince's soft voice produced a delicate "Excuse me" as he ducked past the others before calling out to the group of familiar faces. "Riley!" Excitement bubbled away as Arlen bounded the last few steps, taking a brief moment to steady himself on his feet as he came to a sudden stop. "Can you tell me what this says?" The young and attractive features looked up at Riley as Arlen held out a map of the Zoo. One finger pointed to the marine section of the zoo, Arlen could recognize the animals pictures but wasn't sure what their pictures meant.
"Oh, Arlen it's a map of the zoo, you got it from over there right?" Other students were also hovering around the large sign, some just looking over it and overs planning out their desired mental paths. Some grabbed up the small pamphlets, as Arlen had done, to avoid the crowd or save from the risk of clueless wanderings. "These are the path's wel'll be walking along, and the pictures mean that those particular animals are located there in that spot." Explained Arlen's friend and English teacher with the same patients he always had with his students and friends. Granted Arlen had seen Riley's more impatient side, but it hadn't ever been directed towards the Prince himself.
"They have these sea creatures out here on the land?" The surprise of this fact didn't hide the concern that also came. The images of these beautiful animals choking and flopping about in the air brought worry to Arlen's features, and confusion to Heath's who barely recognized any of the animals pictured.
"They're in water, the keepers take good care of them, or they get into serious trouble. So before you start plotting some sort of mass escape attempt," Riley began with a lip sided smile that held a little humor and a touch of sympathy. "Some of these animals can't live in the wild and some are unjured or in too much danger and so are kept here. Or in other places like this around the world. Some do end up back in the wild though, just depends on how and why they came here in the first place." As Riley spoke, Heath busied himself with half listening and half staring over the strange animals.
"I would like to see that stripped horse!" Pointing at the Zebra with amusement as he spoke, the jousting champion gave an enthusiastic grin as his hand motioned at the picture. The teachers voice however pulled their attention as the strong voice carried over the chatter of the gathered students.
TBC: Any Teachers or Students from Xavier's. All welcomed.
A trip out with other students certainly wasn’t high on Racheal’s want to do list. Truth was, the feral wasn’t too keen on the idea of getting on a stuffy bus with other students. Even if it was to the zoo. Then there were her feelings about these educational and entertainment based animal prisons’. She loved seeing the animals, and she realised that they often weren’t in despair about their situation. But to see a tiger pace behind the metal barrier, trapped in such a small range.. She knew that power, that strength and speed. No one could ever give it what it had in the wild. Maybe it was safer here, maybe they would live longer. But something about the whole thing still felt wrong.
However, when Connor suggested that they go on the trip, she had nearly immediately said yes. And quietly she was now wondering why. Sure, she enjoyed her time with Connor, but a school trip to the zoo hardly seemed her scene normally. Still. She’d said yes now, and provided no one expected her to be too social, it would all be okay. And it would be nice to see the animals. Sure there was the wildlife in the grounds of the institute, and the horses and some of the pets which could be found. But here.. here were the animals she could only see in books, or in her own morphs.
She hadn’t liked getting on the bus really, the feral mutant coping with transport but not really enjoying it. Especially these cramped conditions. She’d seen Connor get on this bus a head of some of the other students, and was silently hoping he wasn’t sat with anyone. If he was she would have to try an empty seat on this second bus and hope no one sat with her. Not that the female feral normally objected to some socialisation, but really she wasn’t up to talking with total strangers. So she was glad to get on and find Connor had saved a seat for her. A small smile even formed on her features when she saw Heath sitting in one of the seats in front of them. She’d not really spoken to Heath much since their first day, but she did remember him, and how he’d introduced her to the horses and riding. The smile slowly started to fade when she realised who Heath’s seating partner was though. Riley was here. Silently she calmed herself. Sure, she didn’t exactly have a good impression of the young man, but it didn’t matter did it? Not right then.
Sitting silently beside Connor, she managed to find herself calm before being drawn into quiet conversation with him, relaxing slowly thanks to the distraction, the smile reforming on her features. When interrupted for Riley to speak to Connor, she fell silent, listening a little, letting her eyes wander around quietly. She had been surprised to see some familiar faces in the gathering, Garnet for one, and also recognising Arlen from their brief encounter on her first day. In fact, there were a few faces she recognised. Still, her attention was soon grasped once more by Connor, and the interruptions proved brief and infrequent. It was.. a little strange in some ways, she noted silently, for her to be involved in small talk like this. But it felt so natural with Connor, as it did with Michael. Sure, her feelings for the two differed for the individuals, but they were probably the two people she was closest to. Sure, there were others she thought highly of, but these two had gotten past that defensive barrier. Once more she was silently wondering about her decision as she spoke with Connor. Could she just leave him? She didn’t want to anymore, but there was that stubborn part of her mind which tried to stop her changing her mind.
However, those thoughts were interrupted as they pulled into the zoo and she broke off mid-conversation to look out the window for a moment, those feline eyes bright as she watched the edge of the zoo pass them as the bus finally came to a stop. A brief flicker of excitement actually flashed through Racheal’s eyes for a moment. It had been a very long time since she’d ever been to a zoo. And never legally to her memory, though chances where her parents took her and her brothers to the zoo at some point. Still smiling, her eyes turned back to Connor for a moment before the movement of students finally shepherded them off the bus.
”I’ve never been sure if I like zoos” She finally admitted to Connor as she watched quite a few of the students go and find maps. She was debating whether or not to get one, seeing as she was slowly managing to read better, but not sure if she would manage something like a map. ”I mean.. I understand they can do a lot of good.. but I hate seeing such wild creatures behind bars” There was a quiet passion in her soft voice, more than a simple love for animals but that deeper understanding she often had for animals, especially for felines. Of course, before she could mention that she’d like to see the big cats, and her silent want to see the canines, her supposedly dead twin’s morphs, the teacher’s voice seemed to thread it’s way through the student’s various conversation and once more her eyes were drawn away from Connor at the somewhat unwanted distraction.
Hannah: In this world we're forced to make choices everyday. We don't always know the consequences. But it's how we react to them which makes us who we are
Re: Friday March 30th: A School Trip to the Zoo
Sarah looked around at the mass of students boarding the bus and sighed. She had been a student at Xavier's for a mere two days when a teacher had "suggested" she join the zoo field trip the next day and mingle. Unfortunately she had also made it perfectly clear that this was one suggestion the young woman would be obligated to take. Sarah did not feel the same way. As far as Sarah was concerned she was fresh meat being thrown to the lions, pun fully intended.
The twenty year-old had changed schools before but never had she moved so completely. This time she was without her father and without any prior friends. She was also in an entirely different state. It wasn't that Sarah Noon had anything against New York State or anywhere else on the East Coast. The only problem she had with her new surroundings were that they were decidedly *not* California.
Leaving California had been difficult. She had grown up in a few cities, more recently Los Angeles, but the climate and the way of life and manner of speech were always the same. The somewhat chilly March on the east coast was a new experience. Sarah Noon crossed her arms across her black clothed chest for warmth then abruptly uncrossed them again as she boarded the bus.
All around her students paired up or sometimes sat two by two but were parts of a larger whole. There were some that sat alone and some that clearly preferred it that way but none seemed so out of place as she, the new kid. The whole point of this outing had been to make friends, she was almost certain that was why she had been persuaded to go but a classroom was where you slipped in and whispered to the body next to you that you were the new arrival. Then you traditionally asked how the teacher was and if you could borrow their notes and an aquaintance was born. This wasn't the way that things should be done but Sarah would make them work anyway.
Not everyone had to sit in pairs so Sarah took a seat alone and moved over to the window. Even still she couldn't help glancing around at the other students, attempting to look as inconspicuous as she could while doing so. Across the aisle a blonde girl younger than herself sat alone but a stuffed animal sat upon her lap. Sarah's blue eyes looked once more at the younger girl. By younger she had guessed at an age of perhaps 17 surely by that age people had been weaned off their stuffed animals right? She bit her tongue. Sarah had no problem functioning independently of others but even still she thought it would probably be frowned upon if her first comment to another person here was snarky or somehow disbelieving.
Once more she gazed at the pig in purple overalls seated on the girl's lap. The blonde was speaking but she, like Sarah, had no one beside her. "I've never been to the zoo," she said aloud. Sarah nearly jumped out of her seat when the pig replied, "Me neither. Will we see the otters?" To her credit she adjusted quickly and looked away, not wanting the others to see her astonishment. After a moment Sarah wondered why she had been so surprised. Hadn't she seen enough here in her short time that she would no longer be shocked by such occurances. In the halls there had been a girl on fire yet she didn't seem to be in pain. There were blue creatures around and others with less visible mutations. She was one of them.
Buses had always made Sarah Noon sleepy and this was no exception. Had she been sitting with someone else she might have felt self-conscious but alone she felt only the drowsiness that white noise and a constant motion can bring. She hung between sleep and wakefulness for awhile before giving in to dreams.
Sarah dreamt of the nineteen-sixties and of an eleven year-old girl at the zoo for her birthday. She had her father by the hand and was leading him away from the entrance gate at as quick a walk as her small feet could manage.
"Please father, I want to see the monkeys," she told him matter-of-factly. Little Sarah-Jane Mayhew's favourite animal changed monthly. Last month she had been desperate to see the elephants but now primates captured her imagination and filled her mind.
She stopped momentarily by the cage of a black bear cub and peered in with curious hazel eyes. "Does he like it in here?" she asked her father. For the eleven year-old her father was still the man who knew the answer to any question she might ask. He told her that yes the bear loved the attention but wasn't so sure as his tone suggested. He wasn't about to put doubt in the head of his little girl. He wouldn't have her worrying about animals when she should be enjoying them. It would take until 1988 for the zoo to re-open and become a better facility for its animal occupants. An older Sarah-Jane would be there at the August 8th re-opening, her husband would be with her and she would be led by a seven year-old boy.
Sarah Noon awoke with a start as the bus came to a stop by the entrance and students around her began to stand. Sarah looked to her left and saw the blonde girl tuck the stuffed pig lovingly into her backpack. The pig did not protest. Sarah blinked a few times then followed the progression off the bus. Her mind wandered to her dream. It was a natural enough occurance for the young woman, she had had these sorts of dreams since she was twelve, possibly even before. They were always clearer than the sort of dreams one often has and when she awoke they didn't begin to fade the moment the alarm went off. These dreams could be recalled in detail and filed away for later speculation.
Her dreams weren't something that she could bring on at will or stop. They just happened and sometimes they had relevance to the present and sometimes they didn't but they were all true. Sometimes Sarah saw through the eyes of a family member and other times she looked on through the eyes of another and watched her ancestors in action through time. There had been distant ancestors but, since the death of her paternal grandmother five years ago, there had been more and more about Sarah-Jane Mayhew, later the first Sarah Noon.
Ancestral dreams Sarah called them. They were the result of an X-gene unknowingly passed, she now knew, from her father to her. Her powers weren't great or powerful. She couldn't manipulate water, see the future or move things with her mind. Yet there were others with seemingly lesser powers she had learned. There was the girl across from her who seemed to animate stuffed animals. Sarah dreamed of her family, of ancesters she had known and of ones she would never know. Occasionally she dreamed of the future and once she had been a bridesmaid at a future friend's wedding. Her powers were mysterious yet reassuring.
Watching other students get maps and information booklets nearby Sarah Noon followed suit, her black wool coat moving with her as she walked, long brown curls bobbing as she strode purposely towards the sign and avoided the group peering at the larger version of the map. Part of Sarah wanted to explore herself. She had been to a zoo before back home, more than one actually, but she was still excited and knew that striking off alone meant that she could make sure that she saw all her favourite animals. Yet a part of her felt like a lost child in a crowd waiting for its mother or friends to claim it. A part of her wanted to belong to a group, to be invited to be a joiner.
The excited chatter was brought to a halt by the voice of a teacher and Sarah turned to watch and remained silent, listening and trying not to hear in her head the repeated conversation of a young eleven-year-old at the Central Park Zoo as she dragged her father towards the spider monkeys.
Re: Friday March 30th: A School Trip to the Zoo
Silence. That is how the entire journey was undertaken. From her boarding the bus, the journey. Right up to the very point where the passengers were all disembarking from the vehicle. Jinlo had remained in silence. It was not out of protest towards the suggestion that she go, voiced by Dr McCoy who mentioned the trip in passing during one of the few councilling sessions that they had undergone over the past couple of days. It was because there seemed to be very little to talk about. Afterall she barely knew any one within the school, with the exception of Len, Tessa, McCoy and a few other members of staff. She was stuck with the proverbial new girl role, where some were perhaps as apprehensive to aproach her, as she were them.
As the lingering students aboard the bus started to thin out, she looked away from the window, something on which had only happened a few times during the whole journey. Her eyes nerviously looking around her imediate surroundings before she raised her head slightly to examine the entire length of the bus. There were still a signs of some still on board, the partial glimpse of a head from amoungst the sea of seats, suggesting that there were still others onboard.
Slowly Jinlo eased herself away from the window seat onto the isle seat beside where she had sat. Where another student was expected to have sat beside her. Fortunately no one did. As much as she wanted to try and heal from the recent trauma that her newly announced abilities had enduced upon her, through her mind's inability to initially accept the fact that she was a mutant. Yet alone the fact that at the very moment she had discovered she was a mutant, she had killed someone with those very abilities.
Taking a quick look either way along the walk way that devided to the two sides of the bus, Jinlo made sure that there was no one making their way out. Slowly and cautiously she eased her feet onto the walk way and slid herself off of the seat, before slowly making her way downtowards the front of the coach. Her head dipped slightly as she seemed to look down towards the floor. Not really wanting to make eye contact with any one.
Stepping off the bus, Jinlo watched as the crowd of excited youths danced around each other, their chatter and laughing ringing over the imediate area. Remaining as far back from the crowd as possible, Jinlo followed the general trend of the students, by making her way to collect a map from the information stand, along with any other piece of literature that may be present. As she did so she found herself waiting to the side of the stand untill the rush had subdued.
Even though she were amoungst those who all apeared to have the same common demominator, the x-gene. She felt outcasted, somehow throughout the see of students she felt that she was different. Even though through apearance she was as normal looking as any other who bore the physical apearance of a human. Her attire made her feel out of place. From the students she had seen, dressed in clothing that was predominantly fashionable and bright.
Jinlo however seemed to be on the opposite side of the spectrum. Her attire although clean, shown the effects of age and wear. The simple white blouse she had bought, was now stained grey with age, the knee length black skirt, was starting to fray at the hem, whilst carrying the tell tale signs of several tears that had been sewn back together, causing the cut of the fabric to deform from it's orginal shape. The black woolen cardigan that reached down to the back of her knees was also showing the tell tale sign of age, through various points in where the fabric had thinned through excessive wear, along with the loose strands of wool.
It were perhaps her shoes that were in a better condition than that of her clothing, they had been realtively unwarn. Partially due to the fact that they were bought for special occasions. That considering her lifestyle before arriving at Xaviors made the shoes although pretty simple in apearance, somewhat redundant. It was out of neccessity that she sought use from them, now that her normal pair had worn through, from the days and nights of walking from the heart of Hells Kitchen to the very steps of the institute.
Once the other students had finished their assult on the information stand, Jinlo moved over and picked up one of the few remaining maps that were left, along with whatever pamphlet she could see remaining before slowly easing herself over towards the outskirts of the amassed group, whom of which were waiting upon one of the teachers directions. Her gaze not meeting with any one's, her eyes held intently over the partially unfolded map held between her fingers. Although she could hear the slight mumblings along the other students as the teaching staff, tried to obtain their student's attention, Jinlo remain unphased by the calls for quiet as she continued to dwell in silence.
Re: Friday March 30th: A School Trip to the Zoo(OOC: This one was done at a point where there were only Angie's and Rebecca's posts up. I'll check whether there's anything I need to edit, but you may have to message me... I'm great at missing things *lol*)
A trip to the zoo. The thought had called a smile onto her features as she had stood in front of the mirror this morning, brushing her dark mane into a style more casual than the usual ponytail she went for during training sessions and other team occasions. Circe always felt it more appropriate to avoid what she thought could be considered "sexy looks" when on official business; she would have found them unsuitable. And how could she have demanded respect when considering herself inappropriately styled for a team leader on duty?
After a last critical look at herself, Aurora had decided she could allow herself to go for something less official today than her usual dresses. It was still a bit too cold outside for skirts, but the dark, anthracite-coloured jeans were just as well, matched with a rather simple off-white t-shirt that sported a faded vintage pattern it could have looked bland, had it not been for the rather close-fitting cut of both, emphasising her near perfect physique. An open jeans jacket of the same colour as her trousers and a gypsy style silver necklace completed the look.
Going on a bus was slightly strange a thing for the girl whose parents oftentimes earned as much a day as others within a whole year. There were some there she knew by sight or personally, many she couldn‘t remember having ever noticed, but there was nothing unusual about that really considering the amount of students at Xavier‘s. Spotting Madison at the back, there was a moment of hesitation before Aurora decided to simply join her. Out of touch as they had been during the past months, she still felt a connection that urged her to seek Wolverette‘s company in hopes of refreshing their friendship.
When Racheal entered the bus, she gave the feral a friendly, if slightly surprised, smile. On her team, she hadn‘t ever really stood out as the most sociable person, quite the contrary. And on Exiles, that meant even more than on any of the other student teams. Her coming on a trip with two bus loads full of others was thus registered with wonder and a good amount of appreciation as a big step into the right direction. The smile Riley gave her was noted as well, and returned while talking to Madison about random things like people do that had been close at a point and then realised there was a lot to catch up to.
Exciting upon their arrival, Aurora put on her translucent sunglasses, tinting the world a little bluer than it really was, and breathed in the fresh spring air. Very soon it would become warmer again and her favourite season - summer - would feel so much nearer than during the cold and rainy winter days past. She couldn‘t wait! Until then, however, this very "springish" outing would be more than useful to distract from the daily routine that was too much like the cold season to Garnet: endured as an inevitability, certainly not liked.
A glance at Madison made her wonder whether Wolverine's daughter, and in fact many others - especially those on teams, saw this slightly childish trip as a way to escape daily life and all its unpleasantries big and small as much as she herself did. The part where this wasn't exactly what most people her age considered a "cool" way to spend one's free-time was actually a key component of the fire-wielder's great master plan to take a day off from normal life. While waiting for the teachers to sort things out, Garnet deicided she could just as well go the whole way. "I will get some cotton candy when we are in there. Are you in?" she asked the clawed mutant with a broad grin, already feeling the weight of responsibility that normally held her down lighten a little. This day wouldn't last forever. It really should be used to its fullest!
For everyone comes the time when they have to take over responsibility. It stands to argue whether there is also a time when they can get rid of it again.
Re: Friday March 30th: A School Trip to the Zoo
As the alarm clock dragged Ben from dreams that he forgot almost as soon as he opened his eyes, he flinched a little. There was what he considered bright sunlight, filtering under his heavy velvet curtains. It wasn’t that the darklight mutant did not like bright sun filled days, it was just that they made things so much more complicated. He slid his feet out of bed, carefully avoiding any contact with that small sliver of light and wandered over to the light switch that he had had installed in his room. It was one of those ones that allowed a gradual dimming of the lights. He cranked it up to the first notch, which most people would have considered an almost non existent amount of light and went to his closet to find clothing that would fit the weather.
He pulled out a vest top, then a long sleeved and high neck white polo neck top to wear over the top. Then came the jeans and socks and finally the cap and sun glasses. When he had laid everything out, he turned the lights up once more. The teenager had to admit that his light allergy could be very wearing some days but then again it came with the powers and he was not ready to even consider life without them so he just had to grin and bear it.
Besides he knew that he had it easy compared to some… the reason his alarm had woken him this morning was that he was going on the school trip to the zoo with Michael. And Ben knew fool well that his friend would be having a much harder time getting ready for this outing than he was. After getting dressed and gradually turning the light up to a normal level Ben was finally ready to head downstairs, where he had agreed to meet Michael. It was strange that they had agreed to meet downstairs but the darklight mutant wanted to make sure that he wasn’t to overprotective of his friend. He would be watching out for Michael during the whole trip so he figured he’d let his friend keep some pride by letting him get down the stairs on his own. Whether or not this was a good idea, Ben wasn’t exactly sure but then again the darklight mutant had a tendency of over thinking things so he stuck by his decision.
He made his way through the entrance hall and as he prepared to step outside he put the cap and glasses on so there was only a minimal amount of skin exposed to the sunlight. He also carried an epipen with him at all time just in case the worst should happen. As expected he was the first there, they had decided to get there early in order to give Michael room to move with his crutches. And they needed the front two seats of the bus which offered the most leg room as well.
Ben did not have to wait long for his friend to arrive and he greeted him as he got nearer. “Hey, looks like you were right, turning up twenty minutes early really did insure we would get the best seats.”
As it turned out the bus drivers themselves weren’t even there yet, so the pair stood in silence for a while until someone showed up. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, just one that suggested that there weren’t many good things to talk about. Their team had been through hard times over the last week. Scott had had to leave and return to his family which had hit Tessa hard and then Riley had suddenly had to go into med lab for some major operation, which was why the trip to the zoo was a nice change of scene for the two members of green strike force.
Eventually other students started to appear and the bus driver opened the doors. Ben let Michael go first and settle himself before going to sit next to him.
“I really like the front seats on buses as I have a horrible tendency of getting travel sick.”
He gave his friend a wry smile before settling himself down for the journey. He hadn’t lied he was usually very easily bus sick and ended up having to watch the road the entire time to prevent his stomach from doing cartwheels. So as it turned out the journey was pretty uneventful even in a bus full of boisterous other students.
When they finally reached the zoo, they let everyone else clear off the bus before getting off in order to not get caught in the rush to get off. When the darklight mutant finally stepped off the bus the other students where milling around with the teachers trying to keep them all in one place while they sorted entrance fees and such like. Ben smiled, he liked organised chaos it made a nice change from his usual logical way of doing things. Logic did however still prevail a little and he turned to Michael and told him he would go and get a map so they could plan their day. That way they would not miss out on anything they really wanted to see.
Re: Friday March 30th: A School Trip to the Zoo
So .. a school trip…. and a real one this time. Michael smiled to himself, remembering the shock he had felt when the first school trip he had been on at Xavier’s turned out to be a training session on a rather inhospitable island. “Well” he thought “if I survived that, a day at the zoo should be easy going. So long as no one accidentally topples me into the lion’s enclosure that is”
Making light of his disability, even in his own thoughts was something Michael did almost automatically at least as far as he could. It was how he dealt with it, refusing to let it ruin his life entirely even if it did make a pretty good attempt to do just that. Still if he prepared well enough he could make it somewhat less of an inconvenience.
Take today for example. He had left himself plenty of time to get ready, maybe even a little too much he now realised but that was better than the alternative. And besides you could never be sure when something untoward might happen. Like falling off the bed while you tried to hook your jeans over an uncooperative leg for example. Always one of Michael’s personal favourites! Or waking up and realising that the morphine just wasn’t going to be enough to make the day anything more than miserable.
Fortunately that wasn’t the case on this occasion though. Michael put the syringe down and sat quietly, waiting for the drug to make its way into his system, bringing something like comfort in its wake. It was a necessary evil, a companion to the crutches that were propped up at the side of his bed and as essential an element in keeping him upright as they were. And just like them he knew how to use it to its best advantage.
It didn’t take long for the opiate to work its usual magic, just a few minutes in which the young Scot contentedly reviewed his increasingly full social schedule. It was nothing short of miraculous that he had one at all, in his eyes. That it actually included things like taking girls to the cinema went far beyond the realms of imagination.
Yet hadn’t he taken Paige out the previous evening? And even if they were only friends she still counted as a girl. Very much so in fact Michael thought as his grin widened, remembering how the uneasy start to their excursion had relaxed down into something more comfortable as the evening had progressed, until at the end they had been happily discussing the merits and demerits of the film with little or no hint of the shyness that usually left his ‘nurse’ tongue tied and silent. Yes all in all he thought the whole thing had gone pretty well. Which wasn’t too shabby considering it was his first attempt at anything even vaguely resembling a date.
Michael gave himself a shake. One of the problems with morphine was that it was all too easy to fall under its spell, even if like him you were used to its effects, and he was damned if he was going to let memories of a fun time with one friend cause him to keep another one waiting. Already it was really kind of Ben to make the effort to get up earlier than he had too just to help Michael get safely on to the bus. Especially given how Ben hated getting out of bed!
The Scottish boy knew that his team mate would also have helped him get ready and navigate the stairs safely if he had asked him too. Which is exactly why he hadn’t asked. Call it pride, call it stubbornness… the fact remained that there were so many occasions on which Michael was forced by his physical limitations to ask for help that he clung all the more fiercely to the ones on which he didn’t.
He took it slowly though, the descent of the great stairway that was one of the banes of his life. After all if there was one place he was most likely to come undone it was there. But in the end he made it down safely enough and picked up speed as he crossed the front hall and met his waiting friend. Ben was wrapped up as usual, sunglasses firmly in place and an answering grin on his face as Michael drew near.
They had both learned on their trip to Ben’s home that as far as travelling was concerned when you had a leg that refused to bend ‘first on, last off’ was the best plan and that applied equally as well to busses as it did to aeroplanes. So they were ready and waiting when the transport turned up and well ensconced before the rest of the students piled in.
Which was just as well! They seemed to have inherited all the enthusiastic students and while their joyous antics were fun they were also potentially problematic when your balance was less than perfect. So after a journey filled with their songs and during which Ben steadfastly tried not to get travel sick, Michael was all to happy to let them disembark before he even tried to get up and off the bus.
Even when he was out in the open Michael still planted himself as solidly as possible in the middle of the crowd, leaning securely on his crutches while the others jostled round him, no doubt looking for misplaced friends and Ben went to get them a map.
They had got a good turn out for the trip and faces he half knew swam in and out of view accompanied by many more that he had never seen before. A good looking blond boy came slightly too close for comfort almost brushing against Michael as he made his way through the crowd with a bright ‘excuse me’ before calling out ‘Riley’
Michaels gaze turned to follow him recognising with pleasure his team mate now apparently well enough despite his recent surgery to be out and about. He must have talked Dr McCoy into letting him come direct from med lab Michael thought with a wry smile. *Guess I’m not the only one that’s good at getting the doctor to bend the rules.*
Riley wasn’t alone either. Connor was there to. And Rachael And… Madison. *Be still my beating heart* Michael thought as he looked at her. * Or at least don’t let me go weak in the knees I’m having enough trouble standing as it is!* He didn’t get much time to admire Connors sister though for almost immediately a clear voice brought his attention back into focus. “Listen up people” Mr Summers. Efficient as always, the ever present visor flashing in the morning light as he gave his instructions.
“ Now we’re all here to have fun but that doesn’t mean getting out of hand, understood? he told the waiting students. “You’re free to go where you want, when you want but don’t forget to pick up your lunch vouchers before you disappear off. And the busses will be back here at 4.30 so be sure that you are too! If I have to search round for stragglers I will not be happy And believe me, you want me to be happy.”
Michael gave a low chuckle. He had seen Mr Summers when he wasn’t happy and it was true that wasn’t something you wanted to see again. Especially not if you were the cause of his displeasure.
“Ok, one last thing.” There was a seriousness in the teachers voice now that hadn’t been there before. “If there are any problems, any at all, you contact me or one of the other teachers right away.”
He didn’t have to say any more. Although they looked and sounded for the most part like any normal bunch of kids on an outing they all knew that they were far from being that. They were mutants. And mutants weren’t always liked. So when he spoke of problems they understood what he meant. Even those amongst them who like Michael had never faced such prejudice before.
“You all have my mobile number” Mr Summers went on. So try, if at all possible to make sure at least on person in your group has a phone. Just in case. And with that said. Go. Have fun. And remember………! His dry humour was back as he concluded with a smile " don’t feed either yourselves or anything else to the animals "
Re: Friday March 30th: A School Trip to the Zoo(ooc- Sorry for the jumble of charries guys, while they're all together and there's not a mass amount for them to individually say, I'll just stick them all in here and try to aim to have them in seperate posties once the groups split up a little.)
"I’ve never been sure if I like zoos” At Racheal's comment Connor's attention left any other and despite what was said a small smile still curved the lips of Logan's son. "I mean.. I understand they can do a lot of good.. but I hate seeing such wild creatures behind bars” He agreed, part of him hadn't even thought about that. Admittedly Connor wasn't there for the sight-seeing, this place was loud, the area was messy, people might keep bumping into him and there was no way he'd eat anything here.
No, he was definitely out of his element, that Connor knew enough to try and mentally brace himself for whatever was to come. All that mattered was that he trued, and a day out with other students, some of them friends trying to reconnect with him, would show he too was trying.
Lips parted to reply, not that Connor felt he had anything smart to say, nor could he think of a comforting comment, but perhaps something to distract her... As if there was something in the zoo she was eager to see maybe. Burning blue eyes looked into her emerald gaze with a slight content ignorance of what was going on around him.. there would be plenty of time to pay attention to the others later. Though Scott's voice called out and Connor had to wait before he could reply.
“Listen up people” Most students ended their conversations ended without hesitations, some more foolish or less experienced students continued their talks till shushed by their neighbours. “Now we’re all here to have fun but that doesn’t mean getting out of hand, understood?" The warning made sense, but some students always let such simple things slip their mind. It might have been easier if all students looked upon their teachers as Foster Parents for the day whenever they went on these outings. It'd make things so much easier and stop them from just assuming because they know their parents wouldn't mind that they could just sneak off or because their parents weren't here that they could act up and misbehave.
“You’re free to go where you want, when you want but don’t forget to pick up your lunch vouchers before you disappear off. And the busses will be back here at 4.30 so be sure that you are too! If I have to search round for stragglers I will not be happy And believe me, you want me to be happy.” The vouchers that were offered seemed generous, and though Riley didn't mind spending the money on his friends who lacked it, he was sure they would prefer not relying on his generosity all the time. But people just as Arlen and Scott when he was around, and Heath before he started getting pocket money for helping in the stables, they didn't have money. It wasn't like Riley felt oblidged to pay for them just because they didn't have their own allowence to cover themselves, but it did seem polite and the right thing to do. After all, he really saw no point in not offering to pay if that meant they would otherwise go hungry or thirsty or somehow be left out. Money held little calue compared to helping a friend out.
“Ok, one last thing.” An even more focused silence spread as the seriousness of Mr Summers tone was heard. “If there are any problems, any at all, you contact me or one of the other teachers right away.” All teachers worried over the safety of their students, but few had to handle the dangerous situations that could arise with students from Xavier's school.
“You all have my mobile number” Yes well that was all well and good, Riley found himself pondering, but not everyone had a phone. Catherine had one of Riley's old onces, but others still managed not to own one, or did and just didn't carry it with them. "So try, if at all possible to make sure at least on person in your group has a phone. Just in case. And with that said. Go. Have fun. And remember………!" Riley tried to remember who did and didn't have a phone and who was and wasn't on a team. The team lists easily and clearly were recalled to his mind however he didn't really ask people if they possessed a phone or not. For those not on a team Riley just hoped they'd have the sense to listen to Scott's request. "don’t feed either yourselves or anything else to the animals" Cyclops finished up and won a few chuckles for the comment. Some, such as Madison, mumbled something in turn, thugh only Garnet could hear the disapointed and crude comment regarding Frost that was muttered under her breath.
"I'm in." Came the reply finally to Garnet's previous question, simple and to the point, though Madison's mood was up beat enough. A mischievious smile came at the thought of candy floss, it wasn't really something she had a lot off, and to be honest Madison was hardly in the mood for a trip down memory lane, she knew full well the last time she had Candy Floss at a zoo with her mother and siblings, and most definitely did not feel the need to think over it.
Madison moved through the crowd, making sure not to lose Garnet as she wove her way passed people, "Did you want to see something in particular?" The feral asked as her slender form moved effortlessly avoiding the rushing students who risked bumping into her. Tight dark grey jeans seemed like a second skin on Madison as she moved, a white top clung to her torso, mesh sleeves giving the false appearance that she might get cold without a jumper. However Madison was hardly one to fuss over the chill, it needed to be a whole lot colded before she got irritated by the cold.
In the meanwhile her brother was once again focused on Racheal, offering the other feral a smile as placed his thumbs into the pocket sof his own pair of faded jeans. They were of a tattered style, one could pretend that's how he brought them but really Jean had to saw material on the inside of the legs to cover the openings that Connor's claws had made in the past. Thanks to fashion he didn't have to get rid of his favorite and most comfortable set of jeans for a while yet at least.
"Did you want to stay with the group..?"Or head out on our own? Though left unsaid the last part was clear and the offer was there knowing that Racheal, like himself, weren't always the greatest in groups. If she preferred being on their own looking around for a bit, well..... surely they'd run into others while they looked around so it wasn't really being anti-social.... not really.
Riley on the other hand wanted to make his way to Michael and Ben, though when he did manage himself through the rush of students getting around to grap up the vouchers and hurry into the zoo, Ben seemed to have vanished at some point between then.
"Michael," Riley addressed the other, his eyes briefly scanning for Ben quickly and spotted him amongst the throng of students still hoping to grab up a map for themselves. "Have you got a phone?" There was always a chance neither of them had their com-badges on them, it was easy to forget in the morning rush and Riley just wanted to be sure they weren't left without options. "Or something?" The hunt at their com-badges was casual and perfectly discreet.. hopefully not so much so that it passed Michael by totally. There was a slightly awkward pause before Riley also added with a nervous smile.
"If you wanted to, we were possibly heading to the Marina section.. it might cheer Arlen up a little to see some sea creatures. I think Connor might come... if Racheal comes, he's talking to her so I doubt he'd walk off and leave her alone." Perhaps a little more detail then needed, 'want to tag along with us?' would be so much easier, and yet.... it seemed so awkward to say. Oh well, the offer was there and it was also easily able to be turned down if Michael preferred. It had really been Scott that tied Riley to any of the others, at least that's how it felt to him, and without Scott there anymore it felt as if Finn was misplaced in the group. He wasn't even sure Michael wanted to be in his company at all, though the guy seemed nice enough Riley didn't want to seem.... pushy. Nor did he want to seem neglecting.. it was so difficult to figure out how to interact with people sometimes, more so because Michael wasn't just some other student, but a team mate that lived in the same dorm. Not getting on with him would be ... very awkward indeed. And Riley did want to try and get on with everyone.. he did want to try and show he wasn't really allways so up and down as he had been the last few weeks.
Re: Friday March 30th: A School Trip to the Zoo
For a moment, it was like there was no one else there as Connor caught her gaze for that instant. Inwardly the female feral wasn’t sure what to think, before a calm but authoritative voice broke through that brief moment and her eyes turned to focus on the teacher. It took a moment for it to flick in her mind as to who the man was. Mr Summers, of course, she should have known that. Not that they’d ever spoken but she’d heard enough about him and seen him around. With a mental shake, Racheal set herself to listen to the instructions, emerald gaze bright.
“Listen up people” .. “Now we’re all here to have fun but that doesn’t mean getting out of hand, understood?" Getting out of hand like… Racheal’s mind ran over all the possibilities. With such a variety of powers concealed in the students around her, any number of things could go wrong. Once more her eyes glanced round briefly as the teacher spoke. Michael was here.. she hadn’t seen him on the bus and wasn’t sure why she found it surprising he was there, but she was glad she was. Perhaps it would give them something more to talk about at the arranged reading session tomorrow. She recognised Ben as well, and a variety of other faces, some better than others and she couldn’t help but wonder how many people she actually did know who were here!
“You’re free to go where you want, when you want but don’t forget to pick up your lunch vouchers before you disappear off. And the busses will be back here at 4.30 so be sure that you are too! If I have to search round for stragglers I will not be happy And believe me, you want me to be happy.” The one downside to a school trip was the deadlines. She wasn’t good when it came to time, either reading it or keeping to it. The lunch vouchers were a good idea. Free food. She would have to take up on that just for the theory, even if she didn’t really eat much and stored the rest in her bag. Thankfully it wasn’t something she did often, storing a small supply of food in her room, but it was a small habit she was having difficulty throwing.
“Ok, one last thing.”… “If there are any problems, any at all, you contact me or one of the other teachers right away.” A firm nod was given without thinking. That made sense really, and she realised what he meant. Eyes closed for a moment in thought before opening slowly. She knew some wore contact lenses or similar to hide their mutations, but it wasn’t something Racheal would ever take to easily. Still, at least her’s weren’t so obvious as some.
“You all have my mobile number” This time a smaller nod was given. The number seemed pretty useless considering though, though even that seemed to have been taken into consideration. So try, if at all possible to make sure at least on person in your group has a phone. Just in case. And with that said. Go. Have fun. And remember………!”... " don’t feed either yourselves or anything else to the animals " Yes, because morphing a horse in the lion enclosure would be a smart idea, she almost laughed, a smile softly teasing her lips at the idea. At least it would be healthier than some things they could be fed! If not too pleasant for herself.
With the speech over, eyes turned towards Connor once more, wondering what to say when the male feral’s own words beat her’s to it, breaking the moment of silence between them as she smiled back at him lightly, her thoughts still running over the possible ways her morphs could be eaten by creatures. Sure, Max brings up eating her morphs and she practically rips his eyes out, but as soon as it was considering how food webs were linked, who ate who and who was strongest, her mind was happy at the more natural way of the world.
"Did you want to stay with the group..?" As the question trailed off it was left open. Her eyes flickered towards where Riley had moved off towards Michael, before turning once more to Connor, trying to think of how to say this. The group was probably going to include Riley, and Racheal just couldn’t relax around him. She knew people got on with him but she just couldn’t ignore the fact he set her nerves on edge. After a moment she sighed softly.
”To be honest, I’d be happier just wandering around just the two of us… was never a fan of groups and the like..” It wasn’t a lie, the only time she used to be around crowds was to try and earn some money begging on the streets, but she had a natural dislike for the constrait in crowds, and it also meant she didn’t have to just say that she wouldn’t have been happy around Riley.
”But… if you’d prefer to go with them I’m sure I’d cope” She said slowly with a smile, trying to keep her voice light hearted. She knew by reversing the question she was taking some of the weight of the question from her own shoulders, but it also meant she wasn’t cornering him into doing something he’d prefer not to do. After a moment’s thought, she nodded a little in thought, deciding not to let it end like that.
”Was there anything you wanted to see specifically? I’d like to see the cats” She admitted with a soft chuckle. ”It’s not often I get to see a creature I can be without looking in a mirror.. and the cats here are probably a tad bigger than Lucky” She said almost playfully, a light fondness for Conner’s kitten in her voice. Natural cat lover? Of course… just a look in her eyes should have made that obvious to anyone!
Hannah: In this world we're forced to make choices everyday. We don't always know the consequences. But it's how we react to them which makes us who we are
Re: Friday March 30th: A School Trip to the Zoo
Looking up over the unfolded map, she watched who she presumed to be one of the teachers address the gathered students. Carefully she absorbed the information with regards to the student's antennary for the day out. Making sure that the aging watch was still within the pocket of her cardigan. Her slender fingers wrapping around the strap, before drawing out the timepiece. Which was in an equally sorry state as her clothing. The faux leather strap was showing signs of wear, on the remaining half of the strap, the metal casing was discolored and scratched, whilst the glass screen was equally as scratched, but like most things about her. The inner workings were as functional as the day it was purchased, despite the less than striking appearance.
Quietly She listened to the directions, that were spoken by one of the male teachers. Some of it seemed to be pretty self explanatory, stay out of trouble. Keep close to your groups. Be back before the bus leaves. All of which Jinlo knew that she could abide by. Well partially, she was not part of any group so to speak, she barely knew any one within the school with the exception of perhaps three faces. Raising her eye line, by standing to the tips of her toes, Jinlo looked over the gathered students, hoping that amidst the swirling mass was perhaps Len or Tessa. Sighing as she brought the rest of her feet in contact with the ground, Jinlo looked down onto the map, slightly disappointed that perhaps the only two people she knew out side of Dr McCoy's ward, were no where to be seen. Chances could be that they were there, but amidst the gathered masses of heads, she could not see them.
Purposely Jinlo lingered back as the majority of the students broke away from the gathered mass. Until there was just a small portion remaining. Nervously Jinlo made her way towards one of the female teachers, to collect her luncheon vouchers. Despite the numerous hours spent in counseling sessions with Dr McCoy, Jinlo still bore a strong uncertainty around the male gender. Even though she had a lesser aversion towards Dr McCoy than what she has for any other male resident within the Institute. Jinlo could not see him to be of a significant threat. Hank McCoy and his blue beast like visage did not embody the resemblance to a male sexual predator that Raj Seamul had permanently scarred her fragile mindset with. A scarring that unfortunately affected the way in which she perceived any male that she would encounter in later life.
As she continued to linger around in the background, she kept a keen eye open for a familiar face, but after a while she eventually gave up. She could not see any one she knew, whether they had already broke away in one of the larger groups, or that they had not taken up one of the places on the coach. Reluctantly Jinlo looked down to the pieces of paper wrapped between her fingers. Sorting out the lunch vouchers from the information pamphlets on up coming special events that would be taking place at the zoo. Most of which appeared to be themed weeks, Monkey Madness week seeming to be the more prominent of those advertised. Taking the separated lunch vouchers Jinlo pocketed them in her skirt pocket, keeping them alongside what lingering remains there were of her last wage packet. The rest were folded and tucked into her cardigan pocket.
Taking another look at the map, her eyes scouring the various highlighted enclosures, ranging from reptiles to aquatic mammals. Her gaze lingering over the large dome like structure that was out of the way from the other enclosures. Many enclosures were as open as possible, this one was closed off. Considering the occupants of the enclosure it would be of no surprise. Her interest seemed to spike towards the description of the enclosure. Butterfly Gardens. Something seemed to compel and drive her towards visiting this enclosure first. Even though she would be going in a countering direction around the zoo to how most of the students appeared to have gone off along.
Being sure not to be as noticeable as possible, she slowly made her way towards the desired enclosure. Stopping momentarily to look into the enclosure of an animal that until that moment she was unaware even existed, most of which were unusual through the long protruding noses and short stumpy bodies. Looking over the sign that was fashioned onto the wall of the enclosure, she read about the Aardvark and its natural environment. Her moment of fascination subsided, to which she continued to make her way towards the domed enclosure.
Her mind racing back to a point in her early child hood, when her parents had once been able to take her to Grand Central Park. The memory of a small winged creature gracefully floating down onto her slice of a stale ham sandwich was as vivid as the pattern that was embossed on the creature’s wings. Although she had since seen similar creatures within Hell’s Kitchen, none of them seemed to carry the sharp vivid colours and splendor like the one she had encountered in the wide open peace of the park.
“Jinlo, what is wrong?” a warm voice rung out shortly after a panicked yelp rang out around the immediate area around the park. Slowly looking up towards her mother, Jinlo kept a firm gaze on the small winged creature that had landed on her lunch. Unsure if the creature was likely to bite or poison her. “There’s something on my sandwich” Jinlo nervously spoke, a finger pointing towards the winged creature resting on the bread. “Don’t worry about it. It is just a butterfly, they are harmless” a warm but distinctly heavier voice rang out from behind. Turning her gaze away from her mother, Jinlo’s eyes fell upon her dad, who was lying behind her. With a gentle movement he brought his arm away from the side of his waist, reaching it around Jinlo’s side, his index finger outstretched, reaching a few centimeters short of the winged creature. “Look at it’s wings, see how bright and colorful the patterns are” her dad spoke out once again. in which compelled Jinlo to lean closer towards the creature, as she intently examined the detail of the insects wings. Her parents resuming their conversation blurring out as her focus fell solely onto the little butterfly.
As she approached the door to the enclosure, Jinlo sniffed back a tear, as she wiped at her eyes with the cuffs of her cardigan. The memory of her first encounter with a butterfly seemed to carry a much stronger notion behind the memory than she had initially thought. It was perhaps that her compulsion to see the butterfly enclosure was compelled by a deeper desire to reignite memories of a time long lost to her. A time where she was innocently happy surrounded by her parents. Free from the pain of watching her father being shot dead in the middle of a riot, her mother’s slow and painful demise and the crippling years of despair and solitude that followed. It was perhaps a underlying hope that by visiting the enclosure, she would be able to revisit the happier times of her life.
As she stepped through the first door she could see numerous little objects flitting about beyond the second door. Patiently Jinlo waited for the first door to close before she could open the second, the airlock like system was clearly there as a means of keeping the various examples of butterfly species within their enclosure. Click. The very sound was more than enough to indicate that she could continue deeper into the enclosure. Stepping through the final barrier, Jinlo looked around her surroundings, countless scores of butterflies were surrounding her, many of which were gracefully dancing around each other in the air, whilst others rested upon the various equally delicate plants, displaying the impressive bright colored design of their wings. For the first time in such an uncountable time, she could feel a smile spread across her features.
Re: Friday March 30th: A School Trip to the Zoo
Shalimar stood with the rest of the group although her attention was elsewhere which for the feral wasnt all that unusual, she usually had her head nose deep in a book or had her headphones on and would be happy as a clam listening to her music and seemed like this time was no different. The students were lined up at the bus as everyone got out and Shal was just following the line when everyones
attention got put on the teachers.
“Listen up people Now we’re all here to have fun but that doesn’t mean getting out of hand, understood?"
What was that supposed to mean? Just because the students went somewhere didnt mean funny business would happen. Shalimar just rolled her eyes and kept listening but as she thought about it more the danger was really there more then she thought about it. With all the different students here and all different kinds of abilities as well as personalities something could just as easily go wrong As Scott said.
“You’re free to go where you want, when you want but don’t forget to pick up your lunch vouchers before you disappear off. And the busses will be back here at 4.30 so be sure that you are too! If I have to search round for stragglers I will not be happy And believe me, you want me to be happy.”
She tried to look serious but deep down inside Shalimar wanted to laugh out loud. Her only experience with Summers was comical at best his temper being one of the moments she grinned at.
“Ok, one last thing. If there are any problems, any at all, you contact me or one of the other teachers right away.You all have my mobile number " This although safety was the schools biggest priority she already knew that Logan was keeping tabs on her which although she wouldnt admit it freely was comforting to her.
don’t feed either yourselves or anything else to the animals" Shalimar gave a slight chuckle at this and as the group broke up into different areas the feral wanted to go with Connor to possibly chat with him. The two were always rocky although on at least speaking terms unlike his sister who wanted to rip Shalimars throat out.
She looked at her map and decided to throw caution to the wind and follow with Connor and his friends.
(A Post for Jinlo, thought I'd throw in a charrie, make everyone all jealous and then they'll aaaaall want to post with us pretty girls strolling around in the butterfly place!)
Having politely moved through the crowd, nudged and pushed as Angie almost went completely overlooked, the empathic mutant found her way inside the zoo itself. A bag slung over her shoulder, inside her dearly loved companion lay curled, the purple dragon, albiet a manifestation of her powers, remained hidden in the partly open bag. The zip was pulled open enough so that Angie's fingers could inch in and stroke the resting creature as it lay concealed from sight. Sure, it had been explained to her now by Connor just months previously that Fear was just a side effect of her mutant powers, which had far more abilities then what she was yet aware of. But that didn't change how she felt towards him, Fear was Fear, he saved her when no one else was around to save her, he cuddled her when no one else would and he supported her when no one else could.
"Free food, oh I love this school." An entertained voice spoke out, tucking the voucher in one of the outside pockets so not to disturb Fear. Free food, free housing, free net, free education... all you had to do was almost get youself killed on the odd occasion! Though to be fair, and Angie knew it without question, that was an offer one was free to decline. "Just remember what Mr Summers said, ok?" Attention was given to the black bag, her words whispered as she moved along one of the paths.
The 19 year old had flat black boots on, her stockings were thick and warm, grey in colour and matching the sleeves that covered her arms. The dress Angie wore was a comfortable fit, the black material sitting well on her form but not skin tight. It went to just above her knees, so she felt comfortable and didn't fret if the wind brushed by... she hated it when girls strutted by and whenever someone sneezed you could see the girls nickers in front of them. The upper half was not too low cut, but showed the neck but no clevage, she rarely did wear things that she felt revealed too much.. there were of course the odd times she didn't notice however that what she was wearing was more revealing then she imagined.
A black band held a silver rimmed black heart about her neck, the sides of which had silver wings spread out, the band was attached to the tips of each wing and sat just below her neck. A silver belt with circles and hearts wrapped about her waist, small scissor charms hanging off the hearts only and swinging slightly as she moved about, at a distance the tiny open scissors appeared to be crosses.
A light shine to her lips was present thanks to her shimmer clea lipgloss, and golden flacked chocolate eyes were framed with a black outline and dark lashes, noticable but nothing too heavily applied. Angie felt well presented and it wasn't often in her early life that she ever felt like that, only in the last year, or more accurately the last few months, had she even cared about how she looked to a point where she felt inclined to put effort into tidying herself up. Finally it was like she wasn't so scared to tackle the social scene without feeling over shadowed by all the other attractive people that made it clear she wasn't welcomed to be in the same area as them, let alone talk to them.
Not that Angie cared about that, even though she felt better for herself now that she had the desire to make herself look halfway decent instead of wearing her hand-me-down clothes and whatnot. She wasn;t lining up to socialise with the people who felt themselves too good to be with anyone else other then Mister and Miss Perfects. She was still quietly inclined to smaller groups, the shyer people, those who had a burst of energy but not when it involved crashing over others in their reckless behaviour.
"Oh look Fear, you'll love this, just no chasing the butterflies now, ok?" Half her hair was pulled back by a purple clip, but some of her fringe had fallen loose and so her fingers brushed it aside behind her head as she spoke down to her hidden companion. It wasn't long till she had gotten inside, and since she hadn't hung back she had been one of the first students to make her way there. Soon enough someone else however came in, at first unnoticed by Angie until the illusionist turned around to watch a brightly painted blue butterfly flutter past that she caught sight of the other behind her with startled surprise. And while Angie couldn't be sure if the girl was just another student or not, she didn't need to delve into her powers to see the other girl had her unfair share of fear about her.
"Sheesh, you startled me." There was a light humor to the empath's words, she wasn't comfortable around a lot of people, but she did always try to be polite.. Having been so engrossed with Fear and the butterflies she had missed the tell tale signs of the outer doors opening and closing, it had seemed as if she was alone so she had relaxed and then suddenly someone else was there... and it wasn't like there was a lot of different paths for people to venture through the enclosure.
Re: Friday March 30th: A School Trip to the Zoo
Mobile phone… purse… the girl ticked the items off within her head, checking she had everything she’d need for the days excursion. Her head was slightly bent allowing her to peer into the black rucksack she held in her hands. Lost in her own thought she descended the sweeping steps at the front of the institute, descending into the sunlight.
Looking up she watched the first bus pull off up the drive, her eyes sweeping to check that that second hadn’t turned up. She felt a thrill of excitement run through her at the thought of the day ahead of her. Paige had been a child last time her parents had taken her to the zoo. In her head she was already deciding which exhibits to visit first, the penguins … then maybe the elephants.
With a happy smile upon her face she zipped up her rucksack and slipped it up onto her thin shoulders. Pulling her sky blue cardigan closer around her she waited patiently for the arrival of the bus. Her eyes glanced around her, looking at who was also going on the trip. Catherine was hovering on the edge of the crowd, looking at Riley a thoughtful expression upon her face. There was no sign of Micheal ... perhaps he'd decided not to come on the trip.
When the bus pulled up Paige was one of the last to get on, hanging back while the eager and excited students piled onto the vehicle. Slipping into a vacant seat near the front of the bus she pulled a rather battered book from her bag and submerged herself in the world of Ann Elliot and Captain Wentworth.
Upon arrival at the zoo she stowed the novel back in the depths of her bag, feeling a sudden leap of happiness which brought a sweet smile onto her lips. Carefully climbing down from the bus she stared around her, taking a moment to familiarise herself with her surroundings.
“You’re free to go where you want, when you want but don’t forget to pick up your lunch vouchers before you disappear off. And the busses will be back here at 4.30 so be sure that you are too! If I have to search round for stragglers I will not be happy And believe me, you want me to be happy.” Nodding obediently to what she was being told she dropped her eyes to the map she'd picked up, her green sight quickly picking out the penguin enclosure.
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Re: Friday March 30th: A School Trip to the Zoo
It took Ben a few minutes to make his way through the throng of people to the stand that held the maps, the young darklight mutant was surprised at how many students had actually turned up for this trip and how many of them seemed to be taking it seriously. As usual there seemed to be groups splitting off, the boisterous slightly annoying ones that liked to pull pranks on others, the popular centre of all things worthy gossip ones and the loners. Ben spotted one girl in particular that he had no memory off standing somewhat to one side of the map stand obviously waiting for everyone to clear off and wondered what her story was. What was her power? Did she come to the institute by choice or by necessity? There were so many students with terrible histories about that he felt privileged to be part of his family and it made the act of having to lie to them so much worse.
With a small sigh, Ben tried to clear his thoughts of all things sad and concentrate on today and having a great time. He grabbed a map and some lunch tokens and began to make his way back to Michael. As the darklight mutant approached his friend he was shocked to see that he was no longer alone. It was not that Michael had found someone else to talk to, it was just that he was talking to Riley… the Riley that had just undergone surgery. Ben could still not get over how quickly people could recover using the specialised equipment in med lab.
Ben tried to wipe the look of shock off his face as he came up to stand next to his team mates and instead tried to hear what they were discussing. All he caught from this distance was something about the marine section. Maybe that was where Riley and the group of people he was with were headed. Ben of course knew most of the people in Riley’s friendship group and got on quite well with them. He was also pleased to see that Racheal was on this trip and took a minute to note that she was talking quietly to Connor. He smiled, it was no real surprise those enjoyed each others company as they were quite similar in nature and he was glad that a friendship had formed there.
“Riley, I wasn’t expecting to see you up and about so soon. Where are you guys headed off to first then?”
In his usual helpful manner Ben opened up the map to allow both Michael and Riley a view of it; that way they could all work out which was the best route to take in order to view all the things they wanted to see without having to walk miles.
Re: Friday March 30th: A School Trip to the Zoo”To be honest, I’d be happier just wandering around just the two of us… was never a fan of groups and the like..” There had been a gentle sigh as Racheal had begun to speak, her feline gaze shifting over the faces of the people nearby. There seemed to be an anxiousness about her, one that made Connor curious as her heart beat appeared to slightly increase and all the tell tale signs that made Connor the living lie detector that his sister always hated... as if having it from their father wasn't enough.
Ok, so she was nervous around groups, that was probably good considering Connor was far more of a loner then a socalite. He liked one or two friends around, but any more and things seemed less and less in his control. And one thing that drove Connor's life and caused his obsessive compulsions orientated around that simple fact, that Connor strived to be in control, one slip and things could all go wrong. Like his parents splitting up, his sisters constantly fighting, his mother's death, if it was all just handled better, if people just had better control of what was going on, then things like that stood less of a risk of happening.... Not that Connor consiously thought all of this, for he knew full well unexpected things happened in even the most perfectly plotted plans. No matter how many plans you made to make the one master plan seem full proof, it could just as easily still completely unravel.
"But… if you’d prefer to go with them I’m sure I’d cope” Came the added assurence, her lips tugging into a smile, faint enough to show she was being polite, but enough to also show that she'd really hoped against her offer being taken. Would it be unfair to choose one friend over others? Especially if, by Racheal's own words, she was not as old a friend as perhaps say.. Riley or the others. Would it seem as if he were brushing the others off? Eyes that burned a passionate blue glanced about at the others as they organized themselves, Connor told himself once again it would always be easy to run into them in the zoo itself at various points...
”Was there anything you wanted to see specifically? I’d like to see the cats” Chuckled the green-eyed feral, and Connor's vision drifted for a moment of thought, suddenly wondering if he had a favorite animal that he couldn't remember. One that became his favorite for some specific reason that no longer could be recalled.. ”It’s not often I get to see a creature I can be without looking in a mirror.. and the cats here are probably a tad bigger than Lucky” Attention returned to Racheal, and with it an amused grin, added to Connor's expression was a mock shock towards her comment. Parting his lips as he started at her, a small intake of breath drawn in with a pause before he replied.
"You can't ever say that around him, you'll burst his bubble... he thinks himself cat-zilla of the feline world." Kitten or not, the young orange furred pet seemed more of a bundle of energy in a new environment then was usual, not the same timid need to hide and creep about, but a need to strut up to whatever seemed interesting and give it a good examination and a few prods. As long as Connor was around that was, then the world was just Lucky's giant play ground, the kitten felt secure and safe and always playful.Everything was a game and if Connor wasn't around it didn't seem long till the other kittens got worn out by Lucky's boisterous nature and soon enough sheer boredom drove Lucky to find some place to snooze until Connor came to take him out for a stroll in the grounds to stretch his legs.
"I don't know what they have, but I'd like.." Connor began, thinking over his thoughts until an unfamiliar voice broke through and interupted him. "Hey Connor! wait up" And with that, Connor did the only natural thing, turning his head to see who called his name. The owner of the voice was tall, her movements fluid and a blonde mane that fell loosely about her shoulders, for a moment Connor stared at the attractive young woman as she approached him. There was something about her though, a sense of hidden fury, the same sense of something wild lurking beneath the surface that Connor got not only from his own family but from Racheal as well. Only one thing was definite, this newcomer was neither family nor relation of Racheal.
The fact the other green-eyed youth was backing away was evident of that, Racheal seemed awkward and uneasy, suddenly more distant and Connor had the feeling she was but a moment away from vanishing off completely. Not out of impatience, out of... something else, though admittedly Connor couldn't quite put his finger on what the problem was, was there something wrong with this approaching girl? Other then poor timing of course..
Oh God, she's going to leave. The thought came almost hysterically as he wondered what he'd do left standing here on his own. Ok, not exactly on his own, but alone enough for the moment that it unnerved him a little... he hated meeting people who knew him and he had no idea who they were, or even what their name was. It wasn't like if Racheal left he'd not be able to find her... sometimes his hightend sense of smell could be useful, instead of horrifically inconveniant.
I wonder who's this? Connor looked over at Racheal briefly, he didn't want to look desperate and only hoped he managed to pull off the moment with as much composure as he would have liked. A nervous smile graced the edges of Connor's lips as he looked politely back towards Shalimar, unable to help but be also distracted towards Racheal's curious need to inch herself away from both him and the one arriving towards them.
"Yes?" It wasn't unfriendly, perhaps it could be taken as more confused, but still politely so. Shalimar would not know of his memory problems, and since she hadn't been in any of his classes or introduced to him outside of class, he had no idea who she could be, and he wasn't going to risk being impolite.
Re: Friday March 30th: A School Trip to the Zoo
Any outing was a good outing, especially considering the lack of a driver’s license, or age for one, usually had her grounded at the mansion. Isaura had left her window shades open so she could be awakened by the sun first thing in the morning, and spent the time until the bus boarding in her usual, active self. Drawstring backpack was already set to go, a rare thing for her usually spontaneous nature, and the Brazilian had wasted no time waiting for the bus, soccer ball tucked under one arm as her excuse to be outside so early before boarding. Then the boarding, the drive, and the arrival came in a flash, and soon the were standing in the zoo.
The zoo…when was the last time she’d gone to one of these? Isa was as excited as younger students who happened to be along for the ride. She’d liked the idea of a trip out, she hadn’t even bothered checking if anyone else would be going. Earbuds were snug in her ears as her mp3 player was turned on high, and a small smile spread as she explored a crinkled map she had managed to grab in the stampede. Absently adjusting her claw clip that held her hair in a bun, Isa barely listened to Mr. Summers’s instructions. She’d only looked up at the mention of groups, catching the word through the momentary switch of songs.
“Group! Anyone have room for one more?” Not particularly the coolest thing to say, but Isa figured that wandering off was more likely to get her into trouble. There was all day to do that, and from the looks of the map, she couldn’t decide where to start off if she had wandered off alone. Removing her earphones and letting them drape over her shoulder, Isa gave a blank look around. Well, she could always start off with the lions.
In the meantime, another student had a harder time to actually being alone, one of the older girls grabbing onto the back of the shirt of one of the younger students. Lenora’s idea of a good zoo trip was to find a nice green patch of grass and the shade of a tree to sit down and reading something nice. What Kiana’s idea was to study each animal, make sketches with an eye for detail that Len slightly envied, and try to pronounce and memorize every scientific name she came across, like it was some fun foreign language. Whipping back her hand as she glared at her cousin’s swipe on her hold, Len despised having a perfectly good day ruined by following little seven year olds around the zoo.
“Can’t you do what kids are supposed to do? Run off and get lost?” Len snapped.
“Can’t you be not so sour, you old witch?” Kia replied. The respect she held for her teachers did not apply to her older cousin. Spreading her map with the level of concentration rarely seen in anyone younger than twelve, the little blond was tempted to wander off anyway. It wouldn’t be her hide when the teachers found out about missing students. She was very apt in shedding a few tears and blaming Len for leaving her. And the best part was, Len was thinking of it in the first place. Very tempting…
Len couldn’t believe this. She was at the zoo, babysitting out of sense of duty since she found the little brat had asked to go on the trip too. There had to be more kids that Kia could socialize with, and maybe learn to be normal. Honestly, when the girl wasn’t being her little smart-aleck self and trying to impress teachers all around, she was there to make her life miserable. Pocketing the lunch vouchers, she was interrupted once more by Kia phasing her tiny hand after them.
”Gimme mine! I bet you’re going to lose them.”
”I told you ! Stop using your powers to go through my stuff!”
Well I want to hold my ticket.” Kia insisted firmly as she solidified her hand, voucher in her fingers. With a dark look that threatened to challenge anything Len would say, she smirked in success as her cousin simply gave a frustrated sign and stalked off. Right…she wasn’t going to let Len spoil her fun. Obviously, she was expected to follow. Instead, she took off the other direction with little sketchbook in hand, and braids swinging over her shoulder. Kiana to no one…
”Kia…come on already…If you’re good, I’ll let you choose the first animal.” An oblivious Lenora took up another map. Bears were fun. Not the bugs exhibit though, bleh. Waiting for some clever retort for her belittling, Len received none and was left glancing around in bewilderment. They’d just got to the zoo! How did she already lose the kid already! It was a trick she knew well, done at every mall or park whenever she was instructed to watch her cousin. Just by relation, she bet the teachers would hold her responsible.
”Kiana? Kia…little brat…” She had to find her, and maybe put a leash on her, before anyone blamed her for loosing children. Stalking away, she began her search. Kiana, get back here or…” she didn’t know what she could do. The kid would just try to make her look bad before the teachers. Turning to the nearest student in desperation, her expression was obviously one of much irritation as she rested a hand on her hip.
”Hey, you didn’t see which way my cousin ran off, did you?”
Re: Friday March 30th: A School Trip to the Zoo
The warm smile that had grown upon her features, disappeared within a blink of an eye. The blissful memories of a better time in her life being snatched away at the announcement of another within the enclosure. Her face soon faded back to conveying the expression that she had bore over the past few days. The blank yet somewhat sorrowful expression reinforcing the very visage that fell around her. A loner, an outcast, but more importantly someone who is yet to find her place within this new world that had been opened up to her through the manifestation of her Mutant existence.
Slowly she brought her left arm positioning it across her chest, as her hand latched onto the right arm, as it continued to hang at her side. Her stance changing into recoiling defensive posture. Her ice blue eyes cautiously looking over the young woman. "I....I'm Sorry" Jinlo spoke, her shaky voice conveying the nervousness that was coursing through her veins.
Slowly easing her self into the background, in an attempt to try an pass by without incident. Hoping that perhaps she too could enjoy the butterflies gaily floating around her, without being an intrusion to the other female’s enjoyment. Following one of the trails for a short distance, before quickly looking around her. Just to make sure that there was no one else around for her to startle. Taking a quick look around the wall that contained the raised garden, to ensure that there were no butterflies resting upon the flagstone topped wall before she sat down.
Quietly she sat watching the countless insects dance in the air around her. The smile once again creeping onto her features. If only a little, after all she did not want to open her emotions in public. It was not long however until her attention was drawn away from the butterflies. As her gaze started to wonder away from the tiny winged creatures, towards the greenery that was built up within the enclosure. Her eyes tracing her surroundings, looking for any sign of the unknown face she had only just encountered. Carefully Jinlo watched the young woman, barely visible with the exception of a shallow space between the bushes that made up the resting space and homes for the butterflies.
As she continued to observe who she suspected was another student of the institute. Jinlo could not help but wonder about the possibilities of becoming acquainted with the female. But like most things now within her recent life, such contemplations was filled with uncertainty and doubt. After all who would want to be associated with someone who looked like she had barely a dollar to her name, dressed in clothing that looked almost as if it were 'hand me downs' from a charity shop.
She was a person of numerous contradictions. She wanted nothing more than to have someone other than Dr McCoy that she could relate and speak to. Not that she held any thing against the man, he had helped her overcome the initial shock that news of being a mutant brought her. But she desired perhaps someone of her own age. Yet however she had become so self conscious about herself that she just seemed to push away any openings for such an opportunity to occur.
She could be seen as being extremely nervous around others, especially those she does not know, the simple underlying fear that within any crowd there was bound to be someone like the man who tried to force himself upon her. AS she started to drift into her thoughts Jinlo could not help but notice at the last moment that she had made direct eye contact with the other occupant of the enclosure. Sharply she jolted back, pulling her lingering gaze out of side, concealed by the cover of endless greenery that divided the enclosure into several paths.
Re: Friday March 30th: A School Trip to the Zoo
OOC... Ok... tried to get the timing sequenc right here but i could have messed up big time.. if theres anything people arent happy with just yell . Also.. trying to get Len and Isa hooked up... maybe its a bit messy? Or maybe you had other plans Katie? And Angie Im not sure how Riley would react so... lets say the end of the post is a first draft... all changes welcome.
Zoos were funny places, a strange mixture of educational possibilities and funfair atmosphere where the smell of popcorn and elephant vied with equal insistence for the crowds attention. Michael had never been to one before. Back home the nearest one had been in Edinburgh, too far away and too expensive for the limited ‘outings ‘ budget his school had disposed of. Once Glasgow had had its own, or so his grandfather had told him but it had been closed now for over fifty years and so the majority of Glasgow kids whose parents couldn’t be bothered or afford to trog through to the capital made do with the discovery channel and their own imagination. It wasn’t enough. Even standing in the car park Michael could realise that. Already there were noises reaching him he had never heard before without the flat intrusion of the TV screen between him and them.
It was.. exciting! Michael smiled ruefully. He sounded like a little kid but.. hey what the heck. A little enthusiasm never hurt anybody now did it? Ok it could kill your coolness rating stone dead but since his was already ten feet under that didn’t really matter. He had come to have fun and that was exactly what he intended to do. Even if Mr Summers reminder that they weren’t exactly the atypical school group hadn’t gone unheeded! In Michaels book though having fun meant staying out of trouble and he was sure that was true of the majority if not all of the students there. Still when you were a mutant sometimes trouble had a way of looking you up whether you wanted it to or not so the suggestion that they stay together and keep in touch seemed a good one.
Not that everyone seemed to be taking it to heart. Already Michael had noticed several students wandering off on their own no doubt armed with mobile phones in case of any unforseen problems or if not taking risks the maybe should have thought twice about. *Oh well. I guess everything will be ok* Michael told himself.*Fingers crossed anyway.* “Group! Anyone have room for one more?” Someone at least was making the effort. Michael saw her, a dark haired girl looking a trifle lost. Well if no one answered her call he was sure Ben wouldn’t be averse to some company. Especially such pretty company.
For a moment the crowd around him cleared and the disabled boy thought he glimpsed a familiar slight figure making its way off. Paige? Strangely enough they hadn’t discussed the zoo trip the previous evening. Somehow asking her if she would be there had sounded a bit to Michael as if he was pushing things. Where someone as shy as Paige was concerned anyway! The trip to the cinema had gone well, leaving them both comfortable in each others presence at last and that hadnt been something he had been about to jeopardise. Even if now, standing here, his hesitation did seem a little foolish.
In any case if it had indeed been Paige she was now gone from sight and instead it was Riley who was approaching “Michael” he said as he drew near"Have you got a phone? "Or something?" A phone he most certainly didn’t have but his ‘or something’ was present and correct in his jeans pocket, though it was typical of Riley that he had wanted to make sure.
They were a team, after all, no matter where they happened to be, set apart from those students who thought of Xavier’s purely as a school by the responsibilities that had been laid upon them. Though that didn’t mean they couldn’t enjoy the outing. Even Riley seemed to be getting into the swing of things or at least trying to. Maybe the obvious success of his surgery had lifted a weight from his mind because even if the invitation to join him and his friends was a bit awkward it was there and seemed sincerely meant.
"If you wanted to, we were possibly heading to the Marina section.. it might cheer Arlen up a little to see some sea creatures. Arlen. Michael had heard the name before. Scott’s friend? Michael glanced across at the group Riley indicated recognising the boy who had passed by so closely minutes before. I think Connor might come... Riley continued if Racheal comes, he's talking to her so I doubt he'd walk off and leave her alone." To Michael it certainly didn’t look as if Connor had any intention of leaving Rachael. Though in his opinion they might not be looking for too much company. Or maybe he was reading too much into the way they stood so closely side by side. But then when all was said and done he was an incurable romantic and somehow those two seemed to go together. Oh great now I’m matchmaking Michael thought with a slight chuckle. There really is no hope for me after all. Though .. ohh………. Blond hottie moving in from the right. That complicates things….
The little scene had so captured Michaels attention that he didn’t hear Ben approach until his friend was there,clutching the zoo plan he had gone to fetch “Riley, I wasn’t expecting to see you up and about so soon. Ben said, spreading the map out before them as he asked. Where are you guys headed off to first then?” Riley was talking about heading over to marine section[/b] Michael said looking at the plan to see how far that was. Oh and there’s someone over there looking for some company… he told them indicating the girl with the walkman who was still waiting for people to take her up on her offer “Maybe we could invite her along? If that’s ok with you Riley?”
”Hey,” A rather annoyed looking girl turned to Ben suddenly, interrupting their conversation as she asked “you didn’t see which way my cousin ran off, did you?” Ah….Michael thought. Two damsels then .. not exactly in distress though if the cousin stayed missing then this one soon would be. Maybe there was some rescuing to be done. And after all that was Green Squad’s speciality now wasn’t it? “Sorry,” he said "I didn’t notice anyone running past. but if you tell us what he looks like, this cousin of yours, than maybe we can help you find him. Well some of us anyway. I’d only slow you down.”
Re: Friday March 30th: A School Trip to the Zoo
As the shocked expression passed across Connor’s face, a smile teased across Racheal’s lips, able to guess where he was heading with this, also easily noting the mock in that expression before he spoke. You can't ever say that around him, you'll burst his bubble... he thinks himself cat-zilla of the feline world." A light chuckle escaped the female feral at those words, smiling still. Lucky was certainly turning out to be a bold little creature, like all good felines should be. Though with time she hoped he’d grow some cautiousness. But he was a babe still. And by being bold he would learn.
"I don't know what they have, but I'd like.." As he started to answer the question, she was waiting perhaps a little eagerly to learn which he’d look forward to seeing most. She hadn’t mentioned her near need to see the wolves. To find some comfort in seeing her twin’s favourite form. But before her curiosity could be satisfied a feminine voice broke through, interrupting not only Connor’s sentence but their conversation and her own relaxed mood. "Hey Connor! wait up" Feline eyes turned to the blond, feeling her back tense instinctively. It wasn’t anything personal as such. Had it been anyone who sounded vaguely familiar with Connor and she didn’t recognise she would have reacted much the same.
Mentally her walls higher-ed, withdrawing into herself. Not that she always did this whilst meeting a stranger, but surprise and some mental anguish at the idea of the peace being interrupted so unexpectedly caught her off guard. And for that she cursed herself for becoming to laxed. Without realising it, she stepped back, away not only from the other girl, but also from Connor, meaning Shalimar would probably seem to end up between them though that was unintentional on her part at least.
Self-confidence wasn’t necessarily a strong point with Racheal. It depended highly on the situation. And crowds seriously diminished it to the fact that she would want to run. And she did. She wanted to run to somewhere she could be safe, calm. The wolves… But something kept her in place when normally the feline feral would have wandered off. And that something was Connor. With so few people she trusted around, she didn’t want to abandon one of them. Though.. perhaps abandon was too strong a word. He’d still be with his friends, one he’d known for longer. But there was something about this own reaction to this girl. Maybe.. maybe he didn’t remember her. Not that that would make this any less awkward.
"Yes?" The response, polite but not exactly the most friendly sounding opening, seemed to support her conclusion. And it was that small thought which kept her there. Because if Connor didn’t remember her, she would honestly be abandoning him. She had no idea what this would be like for him. Sure, she didn’t remember sections of her past. But she didn’t have to face people from that past everyday, didn’t have to cope with people expecting her to remember. She couldn’t understand that. But she could try and support him. For now at least.
Hannah: In this world we're forced to make choices everyday. We don't always know the consequences. But it's how we react to them which makes us who we are
Re: Friday March 30th: A School Trip to the Zoo"Riley, I wasn’t expecting to see you up and about so soon." …Was that a good thing? A bad thing? Any sort of ‘thing’ that had a right to stir some sort of paranoia? The light smile that came was too automatic and his eyes too inquisitive in Ben’s expression and body language. It didn’t seem as if Ben was trying to make things more awkward then necessary… but Riley found it hard around Ben sometimes, he wasn’t sure why, he didn’t mind the guy, he didn’t dislike the guy, he just… didn’t know the guy. "Where are you guys headed off to first then?" Although the former agent did begin to part his lips, the words ready to roll smoothly off his tongue, Michael instead spoke first, and Riley just nodded his head, though folded his arms and stared down at the map in a relatively ‘I’m open for suggestions though’ sort of stance. Riley was talking about heading over to marine section At this point Riley didn’t really have a preference of what he wanted to see… the sea lions seemed tempting but for some reason it felt as if should he ask to go anywhere specific it would seem childish coming from him… Though Riley couldn’t figure out why he thought that.
"Oh and there’s someone over there looking for some company…" The Scot indicated with a motion on his hand, and Riley didn’t have to struggle to see who Michael was pointing to, not many were calling expectantly for company. "Maybe we could invite her along? If that’s ok with you Riley?" For some reason the fact Michael had asked permission struck Riley as… not really odd, he took a moment to figure out what it was that stirred and he realized it was almost gratitude that seemed to waft from out of nowhere. A slightly more surer smile was given back to Michael as Riley noted that despite Michael’s want to invite someone else, he still hadn’t ignored the fact that Riley had asked him into a group, which showed some form of respect… or at least really good manners, and that’s something that was limited in Riley’s experience. It was as if Riley was being forbidden to speak now, as once again he opened his mouth and yet another interruption came and the irritated looking girl wasn’t exactly the most pleasant of faces to see on a ‘fun’ outing.
"Hey," It appeared to Riley that Ben seemed to attract all the rather unusual girls… at least that’s what Riley had decided after he seemed to be the one closest to May in the group. Not that it was a bad thing, or perhaps it could be if one didn’t want someone storming in and oozing with stress. "you didn’t see which way my cousin ran off, did you?" Missing cousin? Why it surprised Riley so much he could only pin towards the fact that if Emily had gone missing, then anger would have not been his initial response when asking if anyone had seen her, sure, he’d get angry, but not until he’d reached official ‘freaking out’ levels. This girl didn’t seem to be freaking out… just annoyed. "Sorry," Proceeded Michael with his reply, though Riley’s attention was turned over towards the girl Michael had pointed out again, just because it struck him now that he had classes with her. Or at least he would have them more regularly in the next week or two, she was new and arrived around the same time he had restricted classes, but he did remember taking English with her on the odd occasion he had gone. "I didn’t notice anyone running past. but if you tell us what he looks like, this cousin of yours, than maybe we can help you find him. Well some of us anyway. I’d only slow you down." For some reason Riley found himself not liking that comment one bit, and it showed as he turned his face towards Michael. But what could one say to that? It wasn’t like Riley really had any right to tell Michael how he ought to talk about himself and what was and wasn’t really proper for him to say… people were often their own worst critiques after all.
"Well that’d be good, you’ll keep us in check. After all, I’ve found more of what I’m looking for when I’ve gone slow and steady, then when I’ve rushed ahead." There was a slight pause as he looked back towards Isa, "And I’ve run into a lot less obstacles when I’ve not been rushing… her name’s Isa," Riley didn’t specify who, but stared head on at the other girl Michael had earlier mentioned about inviting, one good thing about roll call at the start of classes meant that those who paid attention had a good enough chance of learning new names! Being the taller of the group assembled, Riley raised his arm, the ache’s and tenderness was still there when he stretched, and a baseball cap sat firmly on his head to hide where McCoy had to shave some of the hair for the surgery in order to remove the possibly lethal implant stored away inside Riley’s head. "Isa!" Of all people, Riley wouldn’t be the easiest to forget, surely… after all, the first day Riley remembered seeing her had been outside in the halls last Friday while waiting for Jean to arrive for class… and he and Max had gotten into a verbal fight that Max was daring to push into something more physical. Riley found himself hoping that wasn’t her first day… he could see how unpleasant an outlook that might give someone on the school if that’s the first thing they’re involved with…even if it had been clear Riley had only been defending himself and some other students Max was making trouble with.
Re: Friday March 30th: A School Trip to the Zoo
Surprisingly enough it was Michael that answered Ben’s question about where they would first like to go and regrettably the darklight mutant did not like their choice. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to go with the group; it was more that the marine section made him feel uneasy. There was just something rather creepy about large fish that sent shivers down his spine. This strange fear probably stemmed from watching the first five minutes of Jaws, an old movie about a man eating shark, when he was about seven. The opening scene where a young child was devoured had left him watching the water bellow him with caution whenever he went swimming. But if that was where the others wanted to go then he guessed that he would tag along, this was after all a group excursion and it was always nice to get to socialise away from the school and its rather unique environment.
“Oh and there’s someone over there looking for some company… Maybe we could invite her along? If that’s ok with you Riley?”
Ben followed Michael’s gaze and saw the girl he was referring to, she was standing a little way apart from everyone and looked all at once a bit confused and excited. Ben had no memory of meeting her before but that was not uncommon at the institute as new students came and went on a regular basis. What did however register in Ben’s mind was the way that Michael always tried to include others and somehow come to their rescue even if it only involved the smallest of gestures, he was Ben decided everyone’s knight in shinning armour… well maybe more knight in green trousers with a bow. This thought brought a smile to his face as he imagined Michael as Hood saving all sorts of damsels in distress from the tops of towers.
However fate likes irony and it was not long before another female voice called out. “Hey, you didn’t see which way my cousin ran off, did you?”
Ben turned to find himself looking at yet another student that he had not yet had the pleasure of being introduced to. She was tall with dark hair and dark eyes and she was supporting a very sour expression. The fact that Ben had not noticed her before also meant that he had not in fact seen which way her cousin went and was as such unable to help at the moment. But as usual Michael helpful personality kicked in and it looked to Ben very much like he was going to have to step in as second best knight in shinny armour.
“Sorry, I didn’t notice anyone running past but if you tell us what he looks like, this cousin of yours, than maybe we can help you find him. Well some of us anyway. I’d only slow you down.”
Ben shot his friend a look to catch his attention then rolled his eyes at him. Michael would know that Ben did not approve of all this self depreciating talk and besides the half smile that the darklight mutant still supported would also tell his friend how glad he was that he had been stuck with the sour faced lost cousin girl… Not that Ben really minded it was just funny, and would probably make for an amusing story later on that day, “how Ben saved the missing kid”.
“I didn’t see which way he went either but I’d be happy to help you look if you want.”
Ben smiled at the girl and put on his most helpful expression, if he went with her then he would get out of going to the marine section and judging by the way Riley was talking to Michael Ben knew his friend was going to be well looked after.
Edited by: 
. Also.. trying to get Len and Isa hooked up... maybe its a bit messy? Or maybe you had other plans Katie? And Angie Im not sure how Riley would react so... lets say the end of the post is a first draft... all changes welcome. 
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