Green Rescue Dorms: Welcome Home
Everyone was summoned to follow their team leaders towards their dorms after the lunch time announcement that there was a another team meeting in the dinning all. At least the previous day they had been warned of room changes but still not everyone was looking forward to the shift, and anyone who was stood out like a sore thumb. Which was evident as Scott cheerfully shifted to his smaller form once they left the hall (since various students knocked into him on their way out), fluttered after them with untamed enthusiasm. Names had been called out, people discovered who was one which team today, some looked happy, some indifferent, while others had sour expressions sweep over them; the Exiles more noticeably verbal with their distress.
A selected few were forewarned for one reason or another, as Lexi and Riley had been told of the new placement on Green since both would need to sort their feelings over it. First off, Lexi knew Riley was more experienced in Leadership, but secondly Riley was in no condition to resume any sort of position, and of all the teams Green posed the less stress. Still, Riley was just as reluctant as the day the news had first been breached to him, fears of them rejecting Katie from the dorm causing him to nearly hate the idea. Rooming with others wasn’t knew to Riley, he’d dealt with roommates before, but usually just one or two the most, and normally they complained about his personal fondness for tidying. Some people just didn’t like others cleaning their mess, but Riley realized if he left it then it was hardly going to move any time soon, and he was distressed by chaos in his living quarters. If he couldn’t control the world outside, and what happens to him there, then Riley would cope knowing he could at least control his own private world, things with their place and an order that worked.
While Scott flurried ahead, Riley lurked behind, making sure to be the one trailing at the back, which May noticed as the outsider, so she thought of the new recruit at this point, was on her heels. The added vibrancy of their winged male put her off a little, considering May spent most of her time isolated in cramped areas it wasn’t unexpected, but Miss Parker was hardly irritated by him, merely unaccustomed to it. Even when she was back home it wasn’t like people laughed and ran about happily, not with sentinels targeting them like feral animals.
The small fairy landed on the stairs rails, his wings still fluttering since when they stopped he would start sliding back down the smooth polished wood. Which amused the Prince as he struggled to climb the railing while Michael tackled his way up the stairs. Riley frowned slightly as he noticed the difficulty in which Michael took the stairs, and to make things worse he’d have to do this every day in order just to get to his bed. Didn’t they have elevators here? They definitely had the private ones, but they were supposed to be secret, it seemed ridiculous they didn’t have one for disabled people. When there was a turn in the staircase the railings became easier to walk as they lost their steepness, allowing Scott to elegantly dance his way across the bar, his wings leaving a trail of shimmering gold dust as he moved. With a final leap, which consisted of a spinning jump just for the fun of it, Scott then dived off the railings, his body spinning as it fell towards the floor. A cheerful twist of his form had the fairy changing directions and speeding off up the last part of the staircase. The wide corridor at the top only had one window, and that was right at the ends of the hall, the staircase sitting in the middle of the section of dorm rooms.
While staring at the hall, other students already arriving and splitting off to see what awaited them beyond the large doors which had banners of their team names above them. Scott fluttered alongside the girls, hovering a little above the others heads since he didn’t want to risk betting caught up in any rushing wave of students. A dorm at the end of the hall was theirs, which Scott liked more for the sole fact it was one of the ones nearest the window.
When Lexi lead them inside it allowed Scott to finally return to his larger size, though Scott missed running amuck in his smaller form after the week of rest. Not that he didn’t enjoy his time with Tessa… he most certainly did, she was always pleasant company. A spacious main room greeted them, three doors to the left and four more located down the corridor to the right, which also led to the bathrooms and laundry room. Scott glanced briefly at the kitchen set up, a bench started near the door and then there was a stove with hotplates on it and then a little more bench space which met with a stainless steel fridge turned with its back to the corner it stood at. At the wall there was another bench with extra cupboards over it that had plates and other dinning items, seen easily from the glass panels. It was all nicely done, a strange crossbreed between classic and modern, black topped surfaces had a blend of gray and then silvery pearl specks in it, which Scott delighted in running his fingers over as it subtly glimmered when the light caught onto it.
The entertaining area had a dinning table to one side, a wooden frame nicely holding the thick glass table top in place, a mild attempt at trying to give the illusion of a more spacious area. There was a large flat screen TV sitting amongst a bookshelf that spanned three meters of the right wall, the center of it housing the TV. Two three seater sofas sat facing the screen, green leather and ever so comfortable…two more armchairs, one on either side, set up to provide seating for the TV by the looks of it, the dinning table was set up closer towards the far wall near the windows. Under the TV was a cupboard which housed a careful set up of game stations and a small selection of things students usually donated to the school when leaving. A few plants scattered the area, all ferns since flowers took more care and they rarely survived the dorm lifestyle. There was also a silver stereo hooked to the TV, two speakers sat on at the ends of the book shelf and player itself sat to the left of the shelves, a rack for CDs provided but no actual CDs were in it… yet. The dorms themselves were sound proofed but the rooms inside weren’t so well insulated, they were better then normal but people couldn’t listen to things full blast, they’d have to be considerate to their new roommates.
May wandered in before the guys, since she over took Michael in the stairway, her eyes stared at what looked like an apartment instead of some dorm room for kids. Without paying the others much attention May ventured towards the hallway, seeing what was out of sight and looking into the other doorways. Riley didn’t go into the room, he leaned by the door, his shoulder against the frame as he reluctantly stared at the room, his folded arms and less then enthused look hard to ignore… not that he was trying to spoil the move for everyone.
"Lexi… May I bring my flowers here?" Scott glanced around at all the strange items and then looked back at Lexi with a hopeful calmness settling over him, his excitement dimming as he waited to see if he could bring them or not. They were beautiful flowers… some where even flowers from his home, something his mother gave him last time he visited. "Are we really all staying here? Are we going to eat together as well? What happens now?" Thrill bounced back as Scott’s gaze zoomed over the room once again. Riley frowned slightly, not really taking in the fact that Lexi had more on her mind then his dog at this point, after all, it was hard for anyone to think of Katie as lovingly as Riley did. But still the former agent felt as if hours were passing instead of moments and since Riley was a kid he was never allowed to have a pet in his room, that’s what everyone seemed to say, so he wasn’t taking the chances well, and Riley didn’t want to stay if she couldn’t join him.
Distraction however soon disrupted Riley’s sulking as he peered over towards one of the groups making their way to the dorm rooms, the leader was a new teacher of his and the members, more of which were familiar to Riley. More then familiar… one being Catherine, Sean was there as well… and those damn blackmailers! Riley straightened his posture and focused on the group a little more as Tempest and Murray came into view. Damn them… they blackmailed Riley into taking them along with him when he got his hands on a temporal device which sent them to the other dimension their lost group was residing in. A slightly more enthused look took hold as Riley’s arm raised and waved a little towards Catherine, trying not to gain too much attention from others by jumping up and down but at least trying to catch even just a moment of her attention.
Connor seemed to trail after them, making his way forward but shortly after seeming to change directions and disappearing off. There was no way Connor was jumping back into a team was there? Why wasn't he hanging around longer if he was? What exactly was he doing? Riley focused on the crowd to see if he could spot his friend again and maybe finally get a few words with him. Riley was anxious to talk to Connor ever since word of his return came but it seemed Connor had disappeared as quickly as he showed up much to Riley's disappointment.
Lexi would have been lying if she had claimed she was not relieved to learn that her team would be remaining nearly the same. It had been difficult enough for the inexperienced Alexandra to assume a leadership position over students who were only five years her juniors and it had been nothing short of a miracle or a blessing that Green Strike Force had been so co-operative. She might not have been a full-fledged teacher but on the otherhand this status within the institute meant that Lexi heard from both the teachers and the students their stories and she had been well aware of some of the more problematic teams. The Team missions, while being a very close call and landing some of her own in the medical bay, could have gone much worse Lexi knew. Although she herself had been taken out before the end her team had bravely trucked on and Lex didn't think she could have been prouder or more relieved at the result. So to find that her mostly co-operative and positive team had remained nearly in tact had been a great feeling, it was the nearly that had given her cause to worry.
The nearly intact came from the addition of Riley Finn, another student teacher, to Green Rescue Force. Thankfully Lexi had been forewarned in a special meeting with Jean Grey that Riley would be joining her team or she was quite certain she would have had a reaction of distress matching that of most parties on the Exiles team upon learning of the new arrival. To be honest Lexi still wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea but hopefully that comfort would come with time, a girl could hope couldn't she? What had put her off was the fact that Riley had far more experience than she when it came to leading and Lexi not so secretly worried that he would be like a backseat driver, the type who would much rather be in control and who dictates just how you should be driving as a next best option. Somehow Lex, who didn't really know her fellow student teacher all the well, couldn't shake this thought that Riley wouldn't simply sit back and be a passenger. Wouldn't it just be in your nature to try and control things if you were used to it? She bore him no grudge and was determined to try and put her best foot forward during the move but still that fear of inadequacy lurked in the back of Lexi's head and she couldn't shake it from her.
When it came to the actual move and dormitory living style Lexi had no complaints. Being the good girl she had always been the redhead was certain that she would have been among the few accepting the changes with open arms if she had been in that position during her time here as a student. She understood that people would take the move with less enthusiasm but hoped that her team would be among those not too disheartened by the whole situation. After all there were still private bedrooms not bunk beds and they had everything they would need for comfortable essential living. This wasn't a camping trip so surely it was a step above the team missions anyway, or at least that was the positive spin Lex decided to put on the situation.
She was expected to lead and did so, taking her gathered team towards the dormitory that had been marked as their own. Already Lexi felt fairly comfortable with the new living area since it was at the end of the hall and was close to the windows meaning natural light. Although she was by no means a green thumb Lexi still loved the thought of being near the outdoors in some way even if she wasn't keen on camping out amongst them with bugs everywhere. Remembering how both faeries on her team had an understandable dislike for spiders the young leader found humour as she wondered what they would do if ever a spider made its way into the Green dorms. Hopefully Ben or Riley wouldn't have the same bug issue. Riley. Again Lexi's spirits dampened slightly although she felt guilty about the shift in emotion as it occurred. Looking back over her shoulder she noticed Riley and May hanging near the back. Lex also noticed the trouble with which Michael climbed the stairway and immediately felt bad. It wasn't fair to him to make him do this, surely there was another way.
Lexi glanced back at Tessa, remembering the blonde's cheerful enthusiasm as she had earlier joined the group, standing by Scott despite him having changed to his smaller form before her arrival. The blonde didn't have any extremely close friends who she would be sorry to leave the company of yet she had still hung back for a moment to see the new placements of her friends such as Aisha Munroe who had been separated from her alternate universe friend Drian for the first time and was a little dismayed. Being a sensitive person Tess had been slightly upset by her friend's disappointment but being near Scott and Michael brightened her spirits once again and the curly-haired faerie was soon back to her usual cheery optimism.
Tessa had watched the small Scott attempt to climb the stair railing as Michael attempted the stairs and her thoughts had been a mirror of Riley and Lexis' although she couldn't have known this. The enthusiasm of Scott was contagious though and Tess soon found herself brightening for the second time that day as sparkling amethyst eyes watched the trail of gold he left behind him. She walked inside their dorm alongside Scott and smiled slightly as he returned to what she would always think of as normal sized. Tessa wasn't quite sure why but when she let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding the faerie knew she hadn't been expecting such a nice arrangement. The dorm was nicely styled in a modern style yet not so modern that it was filled entirely with cold straight lines, a style Tess had always disliked. For one thing it was larger than she had expected with plenty of rooms that would provide ample privacy should anyone wish it. Overall it was more than she could have expected and to live so close to her friends was another joy, particularly since so many of the close friends she had previously had seemed to have left the school and her behind.
Although she was far from an avid television watcher the sight of the large flat screen TV still brought a ghost of a smile to Tessa's glowing face. She knew that at least some of the students here would be thrilled to see the technology here although she wasn't that into technology to be honest, preferring instead to curl up with a good book or to daydream. Being as connected with nature as a faerie was Tess didn't fail to notice the ferns although she hoped there would be other sorts of plants around since she had a particular love of fresh flowers and plants.
"Lexi… May I bring my flowers here?" Apparently she wasn't the only one who had thought of plants. Tess glanced at their leader, hoping Lexi's answer would be the one she desired. Before Lex had the chance though Scott spoke again, "Are we really all staying here? Are we going to eat together as well? What happens now?" The question was, strangely enough, a good one. Lexi wasn't really sure if there was any special agenda or way to go about things here with the new move but she was determined to try and do things the way she thought they were supposed to be done. Besides Scott's enthusiasm, which made up for the lack thereof in some of the others, brightened her spirits and Lexi set about replying.
"It's fine if you bring your plants Scott, will add some brightness to the room," Lexi replied with a slight smile although the room didn't really require a huge amount of brightening. She was far from a green thumb but Lex appreciated flowers and so long as Scott took care of them as she was sure the faerie would there was no objection to the idea of flowers on her part. "As long as they're watered and cared for I think it's a good idea," Lexi added, not feeling that it was necessary to impress upon him the need to care for the plants. The other questions had seemed more rhetorical than anything else, surely it was just excitement and slight disbelief on Scott's part rather than any real question.
"Well I didn't exactly get a manual but I guess I should probably ask if anyone has any questions first since there are bound to be some," Lexi said, slightly nervously as she glanced around the room and fully appreciated the fine design of it. "After that I suppose it would be best to decide upon rooms and other such things unless anyone has any pressing concerns". As was now common in her leadership style the redhead kept everything democratic. If anyone had a better idea she was fully welcome to it and Lexi didn't want to force people to do anything they weren't willing to do.
Re: Green Rescue Dorms: Welcome Home
"It's fine if you bring your plants Scott, will add some brightness to the room," Another vibrant grin formed radiantly on his features, his eyes returning to the layout of the room to find where his precious plants would be best placed for effect as well as healthy exposure to light. Though this room was brighter then his old one, so he could probably put them anywhere and then shift them if they felt as if they lacked the solar energy they desired. They would, he would make sure they were as vibrant as ever, just to make her and all the other members here proud to have them around.
"As long as they're watered and cared for I think it's a good idea," Of course they would be! They would be better cared for then most of the gardens he had seen outside the school where students trample about wildly with their excitement and carelessness towards the delicate plants. The fact she had to even feel the need to state that left Scott to wonder if humans really knew how best to tend to the very things which helped restore the balance in the very air many breathed, if it were not for trees then life itself would wither and die.
"Well I didn't exactly get a manual but I guess I should probably ask if anyone has any questions first since there are bound to be some," Questions, there was one, one which caused Riley to throw her a look that bordered being disgruntled. "After that I suppose it would be best to decide upon rooms and other such things unless anyone has any pressing concerns." Instead of leaning with his shoulder against the frame of the door Riley now stepped into the doorway and let his back lean against it, his arms still folded and his golden flaked green eyes turning away from his newly assigned leader. Sure part of him wanted to ask ‘what about Katie’, but another part didn’t want to know the answer. There was no problem with the fact he was now demoted, he no longer had his own team and he was now a newbie in a group which, according to reports, had meshed together extremely well. Being friends with Scott helped ease him into the transition and Lexi seemed nice and was now known for her diplomatic tendencies in her way of handling the group. Leading others was not the highlight of Riley’s life and the troubled existence he lived in before his arrival to the school, and even during his first year and a half here, had resulted in Riley dealing with more responsibility then he ever wanted.
The only grudge Riley bore at this moment was the simple fact he was told that Katie’s acceptance into the new dorm arrangements was solely on the decision of the other team members. The young pup may be just a pet to everyone else who sees her but she had been the only one who was there to keep Riley company when his daughter died and when Catherine once again run away from him, returning to the school and spending two weeks pretending nothing had happened back in Iowa. Sure Riley’s parents were around but Riley felt terrible for bringing danger to their home and even worse that he caused them more pain, even if it was unintentional. For the last couple of months Katie always brought him some joy and she was the only one who constantly beamed with delight at the very sight of him, becoming distressed when he was away and for once making it feel as if there was actually a reason to put down his books and assignments. And now he was told her ability to remain with him was to be based on the agreement of people who, aside from Scott, hadn’t ever met her before and also hadn’t had any real contact with Riley in which would offer that personal push a friend often did when deciding something that had to do with a friend.
While Riley wondered over how to bring up the subject, since it was going to have to be brought to their attention… unless he smuggled her in at night and… no that wouldn’t work since she’d probably bark or grumble like she usually does when she’s excited. In the end it turned out all Riley’s fretting over how to breech the subject was in vain, since Scott spun about and looked at him and then over towards Lexi with an eager expression and a hopeful voice which seemed all the more brighter as his exuberance continued to shine.
"And what of Katie? She’ll be coming too, wont she?" A flurry of his translucent wings buzzed with the sheer anticipation of being able to play more with Katie then he usually got to when visiting Riley. "Can she stay with us Riley? Please?" When Rye had classes Scott was allowed take Katie out and talk with her and the Prince taught her more of what pleased humans, tricks, manners, certain training rituals, then any professional well paid trainer would have done in the short few months she has been around.
The mention of his canine instantly had Riley glance over towards Lexi, who Scott seemed to be asking permission from for everything … which was perhaps more odd from Riley’s point of view since he knew of the fairy’s royalty from the previous year. At least there was a last minute comment towards Riley, not that Riley had any choice really on the matter.
But then again, that was Scott, always so much more focused on what he saw in others then what others saw in him. It didn’t matter that he was the youngest of the Devark lineage, but it didn’t matter that Lexi had been placed in charge of the team he was chosen to be part of. These were two different worlds and Scott never let himself forget that here he was what he made of himself, while back home his path had, for the most part, been chosen. In a way that is why Riley assumed Scott remained in the school even when he grew homesick and missed the simple enchantments of his own world – at least here Scott was free to be himself with no prior expectations in place.
All Riley really did was hold his stare with Lexi, wondering how childish it would look for the first time if he actually did storm off upon them denying his beloved little pup. Well why couldn't he be childish for once? Ok, he may have had his moments in the past but still, he never got to be the child everyone else got to be, he always had more responsibilities, what with growing up on the farm and then... the less pleasant years in the Initiative. There was only one thing Riley wanted in this whole arrangement, one sole selfish aspect, and that was to keep with him his precious companion.. was that really so bad a thing?
"Katie's my dog, my well trained, hand raised, never been on her own or out of my sight for long periods of time and very dependant on me dog." Ok, overkill a little? It wasn't really Lexi's fault he was here, or that he had Katie, it wasn't her fault the teachers didn't just offer Katie a free ticket into the dorm, and if anyone denied her company there was probably a reason... But she was his Katie, so to hell with their reasoning, he already left one dog behind in his life, he didn't want to abandon another one because of what other people decided to do with his life. Slight guilt caused him to ease up a little as he more calmly continued with addressing the situation.
"Mrs Summers said you'd have to have a discussion about it." With the look that clearly expressed how important this subject was, and how seriously it effected Riley, it was just a hint at the real reason he was taking a back seat in the whole move concerning his enthusiasm.
Re: Green Rescue Dorms: Welcome Home
(OOC: LOVE the new siggy Angie!)
It didn't take an empath to figure out Riley had something to say if one went by the disgruntled look Lexi caught him throwing her. Being able to enhance the senses and in particular eyesight of others had a natural side effect of making Lexi an observant person who was good with details. It was this observant quality that she possessed which made the redhead notice as Riley stepped into the doorway, shifting his position. Lexi wondered what Riley could possibly have to say and why he looked even more uncomfortable as she currently felt but she didn't want to pry and left it, sure that if it was that important the new Green Rescue Force member would bring it up eventually.
Tessa, on the otherhand, was blissfully unaware of the discomfort between the older members of their team. Instead she was inwardly rejoicing at the answers Lexi had given Scott, more than a little pleased at the idea of their being some plants other than ferns around the dorm. Knowing better than Lexi the nature of a faerie though Tess did wonder why her leader had bothered to point out that the plants would have to be carefully cared for. Did she really think that the two faeries would allow plants around them to die from a lack of proper care? The faerie shook the rhetorical question off, trying to tell herself that Lexi was just covering the bases. If any other student had asked that question surely they would be warned they would have to care for a plant, pet or any other sort of life they may bring to the new rooming arrangement. Scott and herself just weren't exactly like other students when it came to plant life and, she supposed, animal life. Better safe than sorry was most likely the philosophy Lexi had been going by and Tess could hardly fault her for that. Caution was always advisable.
Her train of thought was interrupted as Scott spun around to face Riley then focused back on Lexi with an eager expression and voiced hope which Tess thought reminded her a little of an eager puppy. The comparison might have sounded an unkind one but for the animal loving Tess who tended to compare many things to the certain qualities animals possessed it was far more positive.
"And what of Katie? She’ll be coming too, wont she?" He asked and for a moment the question was met with blank stares from both girls. Katie? The name didn't ring any bells and since it was such a human name Lexi first wondered if they meant a friend at the school but she hadn't been informed of anyone new aside from Riley himself. Had she not known a little bit about Riley's history with Catherine she might have wondered if Katie was a girlfriend or even a family member, instead Lex stared blankly first at Scott before shifting her gaze to Riley.
"Can she stay with us Riley? Please?" It occurred then to Lexi that if Scott was so eager for this Katie to stay perhaps she wasn't human at all but somesort of creature or pet whom he had gotten to know. Riley's eyes met her blank stare and he stared back with an innate stubbornness which made Lexi, who had dealt with younger cousins before and babysat for the neighbour's children, think uh oh. She was well aware that such a stare usually meant that the other wanted something but what was Riley going to ask of her?
"Katie's my dog, my well trained, hand raised, never been on her own or out of my sight for long periods of time and very dependant on me dog." That very nearly made Lexi smile. The way that he had worded that who statement was defensive as if he was just daring someone to argue although the team leader wondered what horrible fate would await the person who opposed him in this matter since the dog seemed important to him. It wasn't her that Riley should have been worried about though and not she who he had to deliver the sales pitch to. Lexi hadn't had many pets when she was a child but she had always enjoyed animals and had a love of them and a hatred of anything cruel towards them. Although her love was, in particular for cats, bunnies and anything else that could be described by the adjective fluffy Lex was a dog person as well as a cat person. In fact the idea of a dog around, even one who was likely very attached to Riley and might not care for the rest of them, was one Lexi loved but she knew it wasn't up to her.
"Mrs Summers said you'd have to have a discussion about it." That almost offended Lexi although she immediately felt guilty for having felt slighted. Clearly Katie was important to Riley for some reason but he made it sound as though she had been ready to make the decision herself without considering the rest of her teammates. Lexi wasn't that kind of leader and even though the comment wasn't meant to be taken that way it still stung.
"Of course," she replied quickly. Lexi tried to keep her tone cool and orderly but she knew there was a bit of a chill in there that hadn't been present while she was speaking to Scott. Stupid sensitivity did she really have to take everything so personally? "I'm in favour of a dog and I think we can safely say Scott is as well but this effects everyone and it's up to everyone. If there are any allergies or objections then it won't work out," Lex continued, her tone levelling out slightly as she sounded more like her usual positive self. She thought it was pretty obvious from the earlier plant discussion that Katie's care would be Riley's responsibility and didn't want to come off any worse than she already had by restating this.
Tessa spoke up first. The thought of a dog thrilled the young half-faerie for she had always loved animals, particularly since she was able to communicate with them. In this respect the joy and childlike 'can we keep her' of Scott was mirrored by Tess. "I love dogs," the blonde stated, giving her support simply. If the clear excitement of her voice wasn't enough the curved lips and glitter in amethyst eyes surely was enough to make clear her thoughts on the matter. As Lexi had said though the decision wasn't up to a few of them but to everyone so the question was what would Michael, Ben and May have to say about a dog in the Green Dorms?
Re: Green Rescue Dorms: Welcome Home
I am on a Scott siggy making overdrive… I have like six I haven’t used in the past week and more getting made XD …Sorry, I know, I’m over posting XD…*throws in one last one that is pure thought and no response*
"Of course," The reply was a little defensive in a strange way, Riley was a slight taken back by the tone, it wasn’t cold, it wasn’t careless, it wasn’t even really strained in any way - but it wasn’t the most pleasant nonetheless. Growing up in a community of emotionally subdued people meant that one notices the finer changes in tone and posture a lot easier then they may have been able to had they grown up in a normal emotionally charged environment. Already Riley had to give up Troy when he moved from his family farm to the Academy and then in the Initiative Riley never got to keep any of his personal things he collected over the years. And if he did try and keep things they’d often ‘disappear’ during room switches or routine sweeps to keep their personnel clear from having whatever they shouldn’t be in possession of. Which is why Riley got in the habit of carrying a small laminated picture of his parents hidden in his clothes, be it the lining of his vest or a hidden pocket he made elsewhere in his attire. Only one photo was allowed per soldier and Riley kept that permitted photo on his side table, always placing it neatly onto his pillow when he left his room, a strange habit he had growing up and something he still carries to this day.
The look Scott had, which could possibly hint a vague glimpse of surprise as well, more then drove the guilt home as Riley started chewing the inner part of his lower lip. It was a long time weakness with Riley, he wasn’t good with people he didn’t know or wasn’t comfortable with, he said things wrong or didn’t act in the right way. Walking into a situation usually always had its set rules from what Riley has experienced in his life and with living arrangements it seemed everyone wanted the easiest cleanest road… and pets always seemed first on the list of ‘no-nos’. The only reason Riley even got to keep Troy was because Riley was a lonely only child. And the dog wasn’t even a pet store brought pup but a five year old blue heeler who spent a year getting beaten and lashed into one of a handful of pit fighters from a roaming gambler who set up underground shows across the country. Sure Riley didn’t know that when he found the wounded animal in one of their lower fields, however he made a choice of struggling that beaten bitten animal up onto Penny, one of their horses, and took him back to their home with the intent of helping him. When Riley’s father told him that the dog had old scares which hinted at long term abuse then no matter how often the dying animal tried snapping his teeth at him Riley became too stubborn to step back and accept the animal was beyond help. After all, if someone changed him into this, then why couldn’t someone change him back? And why couldn’t Riley be that someone? Albeit a 12 year old someone who had little experience with hostility aimed towards him…
There was slight tingle in the tips of his fingers, and Riley felt a little warm and uncomfortable, his heart a little racy and again the inside of his bottom lip suffered a light chewing. Another present of Catherine’s was the aftershave for his birthday, which lightly scented the air and left a subtle fragrance on his hands whenever his fingers brushed against his cheeks or chin. A cotton gray t-shirt framed his torso, green rims of the base of the shirt, collar and edges of the sleeves were coincidental to the new team position. Worn out blue jeans fit him perfectly with a dark brown belt wrapped about his waist, a dull plain silver buckle partially obscured since the top was tucked into his jeans but pulled out enough so that some of it hang neatly over his belt. Light brown boots supported his feet well, but it felt as if iron weights were tied to him, cementing him to the spot with worry. Although Riley knew Katie’s housing here was up for discussion, Jean said it was up for the group to talk about it, and in all honesty Riley would have preferred they do it without him, because the wait to know was killing him and he felt so exposed to their scrutiny if they denied him and saw his hurt.
It was hard now, knowing how much he has had, how much he could get, and yet how little he still owned. Even his own memories seemed to slip from him because of what others decided and he was starting to get sick of losing things to other people. A lot of things in Riley’s past had large gaps, not only during his Initiative days but even his earlier memories were effected by the manipulation of the Initiative. Not to mention the two or three times they tried to rewrite his memories, along with other soldiers, but memories and past situations are a big part of a person… When the Initiative tried to remove Riley’s past by destroying everything he was attached to, thus ensuring his desire to stay in the Initiative, it meant Riley lost his parents who he loved and his home which was his life. They destroyed the most important parts of him and it pushed him over the edge until they tried to repair the damage they did. With things slowly returning to a semblance of stability Riley didn’t want to go through another change which involved losing something that meant a great deal to him. Perhaps in a way, that’s why he was still keeping his parents at arms length, because eventually they would leave the school, and once they leaved he wouldn’t see them unless they decided to return… after the attack in Iowa Riley wasn’t sure he could even put their lives at risk again by visiting there.
"I'm in favour of a dog and I think we can safely say Scott is as well but this effects everyone and it's up to everyone.” As Lexi spoke the surprise of her acceptance was obvious, the upset stubbornness melting away with every word she began to say, a mixture of disbelief slightly confusing his expression.. Though as Lexi continued to talk disappointment, with an air of hurt, fell across his features once again. "If there are any allergies or objections then it won't work out," And it would be Riley’s cruel luck that all would say yes but the very last one to speak… still, Scott seemed enthused, but then Riley never doubted the fairy would be anything but ecstatic over the prospect.
"I love dogs," Three agreements, three yes’s that Katie would remain in his care, that his adorable mix breed could cheerfully delight herself in the company of not only Riley, who raised her from when she was a sick puppy, but Scott, and possibly others who could keep her company. It was like everything was buzzing inside of him, wanting to curl up and scream at the same time, yet also above all else desperate to remain calm and collected, something which seemed to be becoming more of a challenge as he was forced to deal with them constantly instead of drugs locking most of them away. His Right arm moved from where it was folded over his chest and lifted to hold his opposite shoulder, his thumb stroking the gold chain Catherine got him for Christmas. From reluctant displeasure Riley now looked anxious, perhaps a touch of insecurity towards the fact that something so important to him was once again up for others to voice their opinions on and make vital choices for. Riley actually ended up looking towards Tess after she expressed her fondness for canines, it took a moment, but there was actually a vague curve in the corner of his lips, like a smile wanting to come but not yet ready to show itself.
Re: Green Rescue Dorms: Welcome Home
Ben had made his way back to the dinning hall once more to be assigned to the “new teams” that had been put together after the evaluation of the training exercise. He had been somewhat surprised at the announcement the previous day stating that the members of each team would be moving in together but the prospect of it did not particularly bother him. It was not as if they were having much privacy taken away from them anyway for all meals tended to be served in the dinning hall and Ben only ever really retired to his room at night when he wanted to sleep. So all in all he did not really understand why so many people were upset at the change.
He had stood silently as the teams had been called and was relieved to find that Green strike force had remained mostly as it had been during the training weekend. Only a few changes had been made, one was the name of the team they were now to be known as Green rescue force which hinted to what their role in the X-men was to be. The other was the addition of Riley Finn which had come as quite a shock and a worry to Ben. It was not that he and Riley disliked each other, for they had never really had any contact but Ben was sceptical as to whether or not the other student teacher would be able to integrate the team.
They were now mounting the stairs towards the new team dorms, stairs!!? Who had come up with that brilliant plan, did people not realise some had more trouble than others climbing them? He shot a sideways glance at Michael who was negotiating the stairs beside him and once more marvelled at his friend’s resilience. The astro projecting mutant had only just been recently released from med bay where he had been forced to spend nearly three days. Ben felt somewhat ashamed that he didn’t know what his friend had been suffering from but he had had other issues on his mind.
It was still clear by the sunken haunted look in Ben’s eyes that he had still not come to terms with the grievous news he had been given on Tuesday and after a bout of endless pacing destined to try and take his mind off things Ben had ended up burying the grief deep inside him, trying to pretend that if he ignored it, it might go away. He knew he was deluding himself and that Scott Summers was not going to miraculously get better but he did not know what else to do… he had not known how to broach the subject with Sean and had ended up avoiding his friend. As for Taylor the electricity mutant seemed to have diverted all of his energy into his new Cyber café project to keep his mind off things, Ben only wished he could as lucky.
Lost in thought Ben had completely missed Scott’s joyous acrobatics and he now found himself standing at the top of he stairs that lead unto a large corridor with a window at the end. They headed towards the large door next to the window and walked into what was going to be their home for the undefined future. It was a nice enough space and Ben had no complaints for all the luxuries he could wish for had been provided and he had his own room.
The rest of his team seemed to be happy with the living arrangements, all except for the sulking form that was Riley leaning against the doorway. Ben found that he was more upset by their new team mate’s sullenness than he probably should have been. But it felt to him that Riley was not making any effort to integrate the team and that his gloomy mood might ruin the great foundations they had already laid out during the training weekend.
Luckily enough Scott had more than enough cheer for all of them and his genuine enthusiasm about the move distracted Ben from his gloomy thoughts about their new addition.
Ironically enough it was Scott who touched upon the source of Riley’s discontent and like all fairies in the stories he seemed to lift the evil curse that had threatened to engulf their group. It turned out that the source of a problem was a dog and whether or not it would be allowed to live in the communal dorm. Well Ben did not really have a problem with the idea as long as he did not get lumbered with looking after it. He was more of a cat person than a dog one but he didn’t mind them and thankfully he was not allergic to them either. He could imagine what kind of a dent it would have put in the teams relationship had Ben decided he could not live with a dog.
He nodded his agreement to Lexi, a dog would be ok just as long as it didn’t chew anything.
Re: Green Rescue Dorms: Welcome Home
There had been a moment of panic and silent prayer as the teams had been read out. What if he wasn’t on one? What if Dr McCoy had simply decided that it was all too much for him health wise and kindly but firmly put his foot down? It had been all to possible and Michael had held his breath as the list was read out.* Please, please let my name be there* he had repeated time and time again *Let all our names be there together.*
Unbearable as it would have been not to have been put on a team it had been almost as devastating for him if the budding green strike force had been spilt up. Training island had proved they could work together hadn’t it? He had really felt that they had come together transforming from a group of individuals into something greater. *We’re a team.* Michael had told him self *Surely they can see that?* It was a good feeling, not one that he had ever dreamed of experiencing and it wasn’t something he was willing to let go of without a fight.
Fortunately it seemed that those in charge agreed with him. The relief had been immediate and overwhelming as the familiar names had been read out and joy had followed soon after. Not Green Strike Force but Green Rescue Squad. It felt right somehow. After all he’d been rescued hadn’t he.What better way to show his gratitude than by rescuing others?
There was a flurry of students now, milling around as they prepared to make their way to the new team dorms. Some were obviously and very vocally against the move it seemed, raised voices making their annoyance clear. Michael didn’t really know as yet how the new arrangements would be for him certainly he had no attachment to his old room after all he had only slept in it twice, hardly long enough for it to feel like anything other than a hotel. Nor did he possess any personal belongings with which to transform it into anything more homely. Still though the idea of participating in a real student dorm was something which appealed to him it did have his drawbacks. He watched Scott thread his sparkling way towards the inevitable staircase and wondered just how the empathy would cope with being at such close quarters with someone who needed pain killers just to be able to get up in the morning
That was Michael’s main concern. How to keep the full extent of his suffering from his team mates. Sure they knew he had a hard time, they’d seen that clearly enough during the training session but still…. There he had had Hood to hide behind most of the time Real life was different. Sometimes the cheerful façade cracked and what was behind it wasn’t that pretty. *Ill just have to get the worlds biggest do not disturb notice *Michael thought with a sigh. *And hope they get the message.* He really did not want them to see him when things were going badly. Nor did he want anyone to share the sleepless nights when he counted down the endless minutes till his next injection. *Lets not think about that just now he told himself This is supposed to be a triumph so why not just sit back and enjoy it. That’s what Scott’s doing anyway.*
There was a world of difference between the fairies dancing progress on the banister and his own laboured progression. It almost looked as if the small being was mocking him but Micheal knew that wasn’t the case.*Its just his way* Michael thought with a wistful smile nonetheless full of genuine affection. *He doesn’t think how it might make me feel to see him turn pirouettes while I can hardly put one foot in front of the other. At least he looks happy which is more than I can say for some of the others.*
There had been something bothering Ben for a while now, that much Michael had worked out already. He was hardly the type to break dance through the halls to show his excitement but still, although he seemed pleased at the way the team placements had gone there was obviously something dampening his spirits. *Nothing I can do about that except wait and hope he decides to talk about it* Michael thought resignedly. *Then we’ll see what we can do to help. *
Riley too hardly seemed overenthusiastic about the idea of being a part of Green rescue Squad. It was true that his inclusion on team had caused Michael a moment of surprise and even apprehension after all their first meeting had hardly been a resounding success. But the feeling had soon past.
Once again Michael was grateful to the doctor who had taken the chance and let him participate in the training missions. If he hadn’t then Michael would have been standing where Riley was now. An outsider, the new kid, trying to fit in when the group was already formed. It wasn’t easy even for someone as obviously experienced as Riley was but Michael didn’t doubt he’d manage just fine. Even if it looked as if Riley himself was far from being convinced of the fact.
They were starting on the second flight of stairs now and the effort of climbing them pulled Michael’s mind away from thoughts of the others to concentrate on the very immediate task of negotiating the minefield that the steps represented for him. He was slowing visibly, May and Riley both passing him by on their way to their new sleeping quarters.He didn’t mind after all the last thing he wanted was to hold people up. Ben lingered behind, lost in his own thoughts by the looks of things but still present. *In body if not in spirit, I can relate to that* Michael thought with a smile.
The other students made there way up and down the staircase, some taking care not to jostle the frail boy on the awkward crutches others to wrapped up in their own lives to pay him much attention; Michael hated being on the stairs at rush hour. They were bad enough when he only had his own discomfort to take into account. Compensating for everyone else’s unthinking carelessness made them a nightmare.
He was almost at the top when raising his eyes to check how far he still had to go when one of the students descending caught his attention. *Connor??* He was almost sure it was him though the bustle on the stairwell made it hard to be sure. He had heard that the Enright boy had been found but so far he hadn’t managed to catch up with him. Micheal half turned , a risky move on the treacherous steps but one he made almost without thinking so eager was he to verify that it was indeed Connor he had just seen.
The pain caught him by surprise catching his breath and making the world spin for a moment. Not his leg . His side.The healed aftermath of Connors attack suddenly and unaccountably making itself felt ,as if claws once again slipped casually into his flesh. Then it was gone. Only a memory and a fading look of surprise in Michael’s eyes. Just as Connor was gone.If indeed he had ever been there in the first place. *What the hell just happened* Michael asked himself as he resumed his climb, trying to look as if everything was normal, a faint throbbing still coming from the fading scar. *That was just plain freaky Not to mention seriously weird And definitely not something I’m ever going to tell anyone about that’s for sure*
Still shaken he reached the top of the stairs grateful that the others were to busy discovering their new quarters to notice the confusion on his face. *Ok* he told himself *deep breath; Ouch! Ok not too deep a breath, and let’s pull ourselves together.* Riley hovered by the door for a moment his face troubled from what Michael could see. *Oh please don’t let there be trouble* Michael asked silently *I just want to go somewhere comfy and sit down * The idea almost made him laugh *I sound like my granddad* he thought suddenly. *Seventeen going on ninety five. Doesn’t make that seat any the less welcome though*
Steadily he made his way towards the open door listening to the voices of his teammates as he progressed. Scott sounded excited *Hello!! Its Scott!! Of course he sounds excited* Riley on the other hand sounded unhappy to say the least. "Katie's my dog, my well trained, hand raised, never been on her own or out of my sight for long periods of time and very dependant on me dog."he said defiantly. *That sounds nice* Michael thought ironically. *Very unbiased opinion I’d say from the sounds of things.*
Here was something he really needed like a hole in the head. Dogs were fine. Dogs were great. Dogs tended to get excited and jump on you or knock your over or tie you up in their leashes. In fact for someone on crutches dogs were trouble packaged up with a waggie tail and a lickie tongue and having one around was just asking for disaster to strike.
*If you say no he can’t have it * Michael told himself. Its his dog and he loves it and …………..if it comes in I’m going to end up flat on my back in a heap one of these days. And that’s something I can’t afford to have happen Surely Riley can see that?? *
With a sigh Michael finally entered the dorms It was lovely. Better than anything he had hoped for but it wasn’t his reaction to the furniture everyone was waiting for. His team mate’s eyes were on him as he stood precariously in the doorway. And Riley’s were vulnerable, braced for disappointment as if he expected nothing more than to have his hopes dashed , as if his hopes had always been dashed one way or another.
“So a dog” Micheal said lightly as he looked at the older student “What did you say her name was? Katie?” He shook his head slightly in disbelief at what he was about to say but the smile when it came was genuine enough. *Ah well it wont be the first time or the last that I fall over* he thought resignedly *And who knows maybe I can teach her to fetch!*“She sounds like fun.” he said making his way over to one of the armchairs and sinking gratefully into it.” I’m sure we’ll get along just fine.”
Re: Green Rescue Dorms: Welcome Home
When Ben entered, it was like the knots in Riley’s stomach just started doubling, tightening, twisting, entwining and then a nod was all that Ben seemed to offer. A nod to what? Was it an ‘ok’ nod? It looked like a nod of agreement, it could be anything though, a hi, a gesture of respect… Michael came in not too long after and at first Riley made a slight shift at the doorway to allow the other in, permitting himself a glance down the hall again to see if Connor was still hovering about. The eldest Enright was probably going to be settling into his dorm soon so maybe Riley could catch him while they were all moving things through the halls.
Scott had drifted off towards one of the ferns, the tips of his fingers gently examining the long leaves, which for the most part looked decently well looked after. They could all use a nice handful of water though, not too much, but something to help them feel more replenished. When Michael entered Scott peered over towards him, getting the fairies easily sidetracked mind back onto the subject at hand.
“So a dog” While Riley watched intently the Scottish boy, the much older fairy hovered closer to where Tessa was, she seemed happy with having an animal, but Scott would have been surprised if she didn’t want to have one around. Michael didn’t seem so thrilled about it, in fact Scott actually detected a slither of concern in the other boy. “She sounds like fun.” It was actually Scott who was more visibly excited for the agreement to have Katie allowed in the dorm, a small jump taking him an inch off the ground as he grinned contently. Riley didn’t jump so easily to thinking that was a yes, still feeling he was so close, and yet somehow so far.
”I’m sure we’ll get along just fine.” They all agreed! Riley looked a little surprised, but in a relieved and slightly taken aback way, though he looked worried again as he realized May still hadn’t voiced her opinion. When Michael sank into one of the green leather armchairs she had emerged from the hallway leading to the other rooms, which startled Scott as he was moving towards where Michael was sitting and May came out crawling on the ceiling before dropping down. A light bulb was held in her hand, her attention shortly after divided between Riley’s eager look and Scott’s startled one which he quickly tried to hide.
"Light in one of the rooms was busted, found some spares in the laundry room." It took a moment longer before she recalled the earlier conversation, personally May didn’t get why he needed permission to bring a pet he owns, after all, it was his, just because some people decide to cram them all together shouldn’t mean anyone has to give up something they own or care about. As long as care and consideration was given to each other and there were no major problems, May hardly cared what they brought in with them. "Dog, Cat, pet rocks.. I’m not fussed." May looked more interested in the light bulb she held while she spoke, it was mainly because she didn’t see them often, and she definitely never really did the mundane tasks around the house like she watched her mother and father do often. "Which rooms are whose?" The comment was directed to Lexi as May was keen on settling in soon so that she could slink off to her new refuge as quickly as possible.
"They’re all English," Scott’s voice sounded stunned as he studied the bookcase, his wings lifting him up to the higher shelves where the high grade dictionaries were kept, probably most students would just consider them a decorative part instead of something helpful they could read over. Riley felt a little buzzed at everyone’s agreement he could have Katie with him and pushed aside his previous mood to reply to his friends comment.
"Well Scott, I could double your work load by giving extra homework so you study more and then you’ll be able to read fluently in no time." The way Scott’s body half turned quickly to peer back at Riley, who sounded serious at first, made it obvious the last thing Scott wanted was to have any more school work… he only had one class and he kept struggling to find time to do his homework! Though the expression Riley had was one which Scott knew by now meant he was just teasing, for which Scott narrowed his eyes partially in a more playful manner. Pulling out a book part way, Scott examined the plain cover ‘Camp Tales’ was written in silver writing over the black hard cover, a silver outline of a small camp fire decorated the front. Not knowing what ‘camp’ was made it impossible for Scott to know that it was a collection of stories usually told to frighten people about the camp fire, strange and bizarre tales which people often enjoyed, for all Scott knew it was something about some creature’s tails. He slid the book back in and sighed with an air of disappointment, dropping the last few inches down to the floor and turning to face Michael, a grin formed instantly, not really for any reason other then to just smile at him.
"Speaking of rooms, I have a relative question," Riley continued as he directed his gaze to Lexi, whom May had been asking about room arrangements, "I’d like to talk with you later, if you don’t mind Miss Moore." Formality was always a firmly held thing when it came to leadership, Riley had never called anyone he worked under by their first name, so he didn’t even consider calling Lexi by first name basis, or figure that the others did. Sure they may call her at times by her first name, when they were relaxed, or if she ordered them to, like Riley didn’t like being called ‘Finn’ at the school, or Mister for that matter. In the Initiative it was either (Special) Agent Finn or just plain Finn. Really it was because Riley’s dad was the only Mr Finn Riley wanted around, and when people referred to Riley has Mr Finn it was always a stab in the heart which dragged up thoughts of his parents.
"And… I appreciate you all letting me keep Katie." Riley added a little awkwardly, he really did appreciate it, but it seemed strange, fantastic but as if it was too good to be true. Sort of like when he returned to Iowa, only to get shot at and lose his unborn daughter. Not that Cat or Riley had any idea if it were a boy or girl, but Catherine stated that she would like it to be a girl after Riley admitted to his fondness of having a daughter as the first or last born of the family. Since Catherine said it should be a girl, that’s exactly the way Riley looked at the child, though while it was still growing he had kept his mind open, knowing that the gender was unknown and there was just as much of a chance the infant would be a boy. Now that it died then Riley just referred to the lost baby as a girl, it seemed too insensitive to think of his murdered child as only an ‘it’. When the baby died, Katie was born shortly after, and she was the weaker of the pups, the youngest and undernourished, with little strength to fight Heather’s other pups in order to feed. It allowed Riley to drowned his misery’s into parenting Katie, and when Catherine decided to want to leave him and go back to the school, Riley hadn’t handled the abandonment very well and devoted his moments to tending Katie’s ill heath until she grew stronger and eventually traveled to the school where Riley never stopped fussing over her.
Since the Vet needed a first and last name, and Katie had been offered to both Riley and Catherine as a gift, Riley named her Katie, but gave her Catherine’s last name. On Records the pup was Katie Hall, and it was something Riley’s parents worried about often now, seeing how taken he was with a girl who had left him. They hoped that Catherine would get back together with Riley, neither were sure how the relationship was going before the break up since Catherine spent all her time basically locked away in her room… even listening to music, or the TV Riley got her, all night at a high enough volume to keep the early risers awake. At times Riley really did see how strained the relationship was, how they ought to just give up trying so hard to be happy when things just kept going wrong. But Riley couldn’t stop the way his skin tingled when she was around, or the calmness that settled when they sat comfortably talking… if only it wasn’t so awkward at times, often Riley wasn’t even sure why it was. The only thing that ever made perfect sense to Riley were the animals at his farm, they had no secrets, they were usually easy to get along with, stubborn for sure at times but sooner or later they gave up. Having Katie around chased away the loneliness that lingered, empty and at times raging holes that turned into bottomless caverns, graciously subdued by the affection Katie offered him.
Re: Green Rescue Dorms: Welcome Home
(OOC: I was reading over the Random infor about the teams posted awhile ago hoping that would help but I'm still slightly in the dark hence the vagueness. Also we never got a chance to talk about Michael and what would be different for him as hinted at in that topic and I didn't want to hold things up any longer hoping to get hold of both of you so if something needs to be changed please just edit subtly or ask me to change it and I'm sorry if I messed anything up! </disclaimer> )
As stubborn and occasionally moody as Alexandra Moore could be she more often took on the role of peacemaker. In her days at the Institute as a student she had always been the one to stand between her friends and to make everything right to the point where one of her wisecracking friends had jokingly referred to her as the student from the U.N. Not exactly the nickname or title most students would have wished for but since it replaced the snide goodie goodie and teacher’s pet from bitter classmates who had found their test scores considerably lower than hers she took what she was given. At twenty-two Alexandra was now less wishy washy than she had been in high school however some parts of yourself you couldn’t erase and she hoped desperately that the other members of the team would agree to Riley’s dog Katie taking up permanent residence here not for his wellbeing, although that was important too, but for the selfish thought that she didn’t want her team to argue. Judging from Riley’s building up of his dog earlier this was more than important to him, it meant the world and battles had been fought over lesser things. She didn’t want to have to step in and she didn’t want Green Rescue Force to begin on such a low note so selfishly Lexi prayed that everyone would be alright with the dog.
Her prayers were a step closer to being answered as Ben nodded his agreement, making sure she caught the gesture. Strawberry glossed lips edged closer to a smile although there was still some tension in her facial expression that might have suggested that Riley’s own anxiety was contagious if a person hadn’t known better. Now only two people away from momentary peace Lexi turned green eyes on Michael and May, knowing that if a dog in the place was unfair to anyone it would be to Michael.
“So a dog”. Michael spoke up at last, keeping his tone decidedly light to Lexi’s ears. “What did you say her name was? Katie?” Lex would have thought of using the ordinary human name, and a fairly common one at that, a strange practice but she then remembered the beloved Yorkie that her cousins had had who was called Jordy and was forced to withdraw any silent criticism of the name of Riley’s dog she might have had. “She sounds like fun,” Michael said and the strawberry smile became more evident on the new leader’s face. It was as good as a yes in her eyes and sure enough Michael’s next words confirmed it. “I’m sure we’ll get along just fine,” he said in what seemed to Lexi a very gracious gesture since had she been in Michael’s shoes she didn’t think she would be able to say yes so easily. That left only one response although May was probably the hardest in the group to read or predict.
As Michael sank into an armchair the other redhead emerged from the hallway. And the award for best entrance goes to… Lexi thought as May dropped from the ceiling, lightbulb in hand. Standing so close to Scott as she was Tessa couldn’t help but notice the slightly startled reaction of her fellow fairy. Although she didn’t appear quite as surprised as he the blonde had been taken by surprise as well. "Light in one of the rooms was busted, found some spares in the laundry room." The explanation cleared things up somewhat and lessened the surprise of Tess who split her full attention now between the two student teachers and May, wondering what the wall crawling girl’s answer would be.
"Dog, Cat, pet rocks.. I’m not fussed." The disinterest of May was clearly indicated as the lightbulb seemed more fascinating to her than Riley’s pet. The strange contrast of Riley’s almost desperate interest and May’s lack thereof was noticed by Lexi and a part of her found it darkly humorous that the last obstacle between Riley getting to keep Katie was a person who couldn’t care any less. "Which rooms are whose?" Lexi’s mind left the contrast between the two as well as the victory of her team-mates all being okay with a new housemate as May asked her question, which was a good one. Scott’s voice however interrupted her train of thought as he glanced at the bookcase, which, she assumed, held dictionaries and other helpful books for schoolwork. "They’re all English," he said and the team leader had what would be called a blonde moment although her auburn locks were far from it as she tried to remember if there was any reason why they wouldn’t be in English.
"Well Scott, I could double your work load by giving extra homework so you study more and then you’ll be able to read fluently in no time." Lexi’s face registered brief surprise at Riley’s words for she, as a student teacher, recognised them instantly as the joke they were and this was what surprised her. It seemed that the agreement over Katie’s status really had been all Riley needed to pick up a little since his mood seemed to have drastically improved over the course of the last few minutes.
"Speaking of rooms, I have a relative question." Riley brought them back on topic, his gaze firmly fixed on her. "I’d like to talk with you later, if you don’t mind Miss Moore." Miss Moore? Lexi felt immediately uncomfortable as she often did with formality. For some reason it either made her think of being twenty years the senior of someone or being looked down on by a much older man in a suit and neither of the strange images that entered her mind were agreeable. Even the students she taught now just called her Lexi for she had found prolonged use of “Miss Moore” was something that could drive her certifiably crazy.
"And… I appreciate you all letting me keep Katie." The addition was awkward but well intentioned and sincere and Lexi did the only thing she could think of, she smiled in a way every bit as genuine as the comment he had made. It wasn’t her that Riley should have been thanking though, the decision had been made by each of them and particularly hard for some over others. Lexi was reasonably sure that a dog couldn’t be a help to Michael and might even be a hindrance so his easy agreement had been something she appreciated. Telling someone they couldn’t keep their pet would not have been easy, the student teacher was sure, and she had no desire to be that person.
Not feeling comfortable addressing Riley Finn by his first or last name Lexi didn’t address him at all, hoping that the lack of a formal title as to who she was directing her answer to wouldn’t be needed if she held his gaze. “Of course, just let me know when you want to talk, and once we’ve sorted rooms I suppose,” she said, smile not as bright as before but still easygoing and present. Lexi cleared her throat slightly, realising that she hadn’t had anything to drink since her coffee earlier and she was beginning to wish for liquid. Her own desires would have to wait for the moment though she recognised and turned green eyes upon May.
Lexi tried to remember the small amount of information she had been told about the rooming assignments in the dorm style area and tried to weed out the information to keep for future reference and questions and the important stuff that needed to be said. “Everyone has their own room which they can customise as they see fit, paint colour, curtains, whatever makes you happy,” she began. “I know some leaders have chosen to assign rooms but I trust we can all pick rooms without any sort of argument. I hate to sound like an elementary school teacher but if we can do this in an orderly fashion without any squabbling that would be great.” Remembering suddenly that rooms could be changed if necessary she added quickly, “and if two people decide to switch rooms that’s fine as well. I guess I best thing to do would be to take a look at each room and note any preferences. Closest to the kitchen for example,” Lexi joked with a teasing smile. Feeling suddenly awkward and without another comment to make she made a slightly awkward gesture in the direction of the student rooms, hoping that her team would start walking, looking and deciding upon rooms. Michael of course was a bit of an exception in a way. She hadn’t been briefed in full detail over his rooming situation but the general just of it was that his room was the only one really indicated and because of his special needs was slightly different from the others. The last thing Lexi wanted to do was focus all the attention on Michael to point this out however and she trusted that he and his team-mates would understand and be able to figure things out.
Re: Green Rescue Dorms: Welcome Home
Ben watched as Michael decided that having a dog might not be a bad thing and Ben was impressed at his friend’s ability to always say the right things even thought they might lead to more difficulties for him. In this case Ben was sure that Riley could only be delighted about the way things were going, but there was still one finally obstacle between the Green dorm and a dog and she came crawling along the ceiling with a light bulb in her hand. May always seemed able to surprise people, maybe it was because no one expected to have to look up to find there team mate or just because there was something about her that stopped you from being able to predict what she would do next.
“Dog, cat, pet rock… I’m not fussed.”
Ben couldn’t help but smile at the completely disinterested comment, he was growing fond of his team mates sense of humour… although in this case he wasn’t sure if it was meant as a joke or not. So it seemed that they were going to have yet another addition to their team, one that would hopefully be content with a scratch behind the ears from time to time.
"Which rooms are whose?"
Ben looked at the corridor off which all of the rooms were situated, he hadn’t really thought about what they would look like and the fact that he would have to transfer all of his possessions from the room he was in now to this one. But his train of thought was once again interrupted by a most unusual statement this time from Scott.
"They’re all English,"
What were all English? Ben had to follow the fairies gaze to see what he was referring to. He found that he was staring at the bookcase… and he was more bemused than usual. This was after all America and the language spoken here was English so it would only be normal for the books to in English. It revealed that the small fairy still had a lot to learn about this world that was not his own. But it seemed that Riley was aware of this fact and that he liked teasing his friend about it. "Speaking of rooms, I have a relative question. I’d like to talk with you later, if you don’t mind Miss Moore. And… I appreciate you all letting me keep Katie."
Ben was not so shocked about the fact that Riley had a question that he felt he could not ask in front of the rest of the team as he was about the fact that he called Lexi, Miss Moore. It was something that had never even crossed Ben’s mind probably because she was his team leader rather than his teacher. Ben was not much for soppiness but he did appreciate the gesture that proved that Riley did actually care about their opinions.
“Of course, just let me know when you want to talk, and once we’ve sorted rooms I suppose. Everyone has their own room which they can customise as they see fit, paint colour, curtains, whatever makes you happy. I know some leaders have chosen to assign rooms but I trust we can all pick rooms without any sort of argument. I hate to sound like an elementary school teacher but if we can do this in an orderly fashion without any squabbling that would be great. Remembering suddenly that rooms could be changed if necessary and if two people decide to switch rooms that’s fine as well. I guess I best thing to do would be to take a look at each room and note any preferences, closest to the kitchen for example.”
Ben took in all of the information that Lexi had given him and after she had finished speaking he headed towards the corridor. He decided that he did not really want a room close to the kitchen and in order to let the others access the room he moved to the two doors at the end of the corridor. He opened the door on the left and walked into a room that was painted a neutral beige colour with matching carpet. There was a desk, a single bed and a closet everything one needed laid out in a way that made the most of the space. At the back of the room was a door to a small en-suite bathroom that was also well appointed and spacious enough for their needs. All in all he could not complain about anything involving their new dorms.
Re: Green Rescue Dorms: Welcome Home“Dog, cat, pet rock… I’m not fussed.” It wasn’t the reply that surprised Michael as much as the direction it came from He couldn’t help but grin as he watched the girl crawl across the ceiling. Well you could say many things about life at the school but it was never dull. Not with people like May around. Still it was nice that no one had a problem with Riley’s dog. It would certainly get things in the dorm off to a good start. Which rooms are whose May asked getting straight to the point as she usually did. It was of course the obvious question to ask. Had they been assigned or was it everyman for himself?
"They’re all English," Scott’s comment was completely off the ball. Or at least so it seemed till Michael caught him looking at the stacked bookcases. Well maybe his friend could change that in time It would be nice to wander over and find volumes of Trolls best short stories or the bumper book of Elvish poetry. Though reading them could be a bit of a problem. "Speaking of rooms, I have a relative question. I’d like to talk with you later, if you don’t mind Miss Moore. And… I appreciate you all letting me keep Katie." So Riley was as formal as ever where the team captain was concerned. Michael wondered how Lexi would take to that. He wondered what Riley’s question was as well but then again everyone had the right to privacy so he just kept his curiosity in check.
Still Riley did sound a trifle less tense probably because the immediate problem of Katie had been resolved. In fact the atmosphere in the common room was fairly relaxed as Lexi went on to explain about the accommodation. So they could personalise the rooms could they. Well maybe someday When he had somehow got enough money together to actually buy some possessions to put in it. For the moment though he had all the colour he needed thanks to the lamp Scott had given him. If you could only own one thing in the entire world then it wasn’t such a bad choice. It filled his room with light and music. It kept the dreams at bay and got him through the bad nights when the pain wouldn’t let go.
And that was something he’d have to take into consideration when he choose a room Michael reminded himself again. Though it would be fun having Scott around all the time it wasn’t always going to be easy. The fairie tuned into all to well to peoples emotions Michael didn’t want Scott to lie awake simply because Michaels own personal ghosts were coming back to haunt him. *I should try to stay as far away from him as possible* the astral mutant *thought to himself At least as far as rooms are concerned that is.*
The others were rising now moving towards the bedrooms. Michael sighed He didn’t really want to get up again; The chair was comfortable and he still hadn’t fully recovered from the long haul up to the dormitories.*Come on Get yourself back on your feet* he told himself sternly and pushed himself erect with a groan.
He had to admit that he would have preferred a room close to the main sitting room. Less far to walk and lets face it that was always a good thing where he was concerned. And like Lexi says we can always change rooms if things don’t work out he reminded himself. He was on a level with the first door now its handle looking very tempting as he stood before it. *Oh go on. Just take a look *
Neutral without being bland the room was comfortable even if it wasn’t exactly what you would call homely. But that wasn’t what caught and held Michaels attention. Rails, set at hand height lined the walls. The light switch he had reached for also had the tell tale signs of being voice activated. Set on the far wall was another door. “Please let that be what I think it is” Michael murmured as he advanced towards it And it was.
A bathroom larger more spacious than normal giving him the room he needed to manoeuvre on the awkward crutches. A walk in shower, also voice activated, and the helpful rails all around to keep him safe from falling. It was more than he had dared hope for and he felt gratitude and relief sweep over him in equal amounts.
The twice daily trek to the communal showers had been difficult to say the least. He had hated the changing rooms where scars and needle marks were all too obvious targets of curious glances. He hated the slippery uncertain surfaces and the strain of trying to balance without his crutches. He couldn’t even dress there like most of the other students; There was no way he was going to let them see how hard it was to do when you had a leg that refused to bend. Or how much it hurt.
Now suddenly all those problems had been wiped away and his dignity had been given back. Sure it was still embarrassing to have the others realise that he needed things like this to be fully safe and independent But that was a small price to pay in the long run. Making his way back to the front door he looked out into the corridor and said “Hey guys I think this one has my name on it.”
Ok...late night postie and oddly enough I was stressed so the post never seemed to end, lol. Anyway, hope it's ok. I don't mean went on in length either, more in Scott and Riley's babbling XD ...sheesh, together those two just can't be quiet. *shakes head*
While the others had wandered off Scott had lingered a little longer at the bookcase, a pastime that the fairy enjoyed and suddenly found himself lacking such a simple luxury. Well, with Riley’s present arriving any moment now Scott will get an extra book or two, though the Prince was still savoring his book from Riley it made a poor substitute for the hours of reading the Prince used to often be absorbed in.
“Hey guys I think this one has my name on it.” Michael’s voice pulled Scott from his thoughts, the fairy still hovering mid air only drifted to the side to peer down the hall after the ground and saw Michael peeping his head out from one of the rooms. A toe gently touched the ground, followed by the other and once again Scott was folding his wings neatly as he trailed towards the room Michael had chosen, a distinct look around which revealed not a single resemblance of a name or anything that could agree with what Michael just stated.
"Where?" There was a blink of confusion as neither the door or any other obvious place seemed to have any sort of name, but Scott figured if a room had Michael’s name then all of them had names and they ought to find the ones with theirs. Riley cleared his throat a little trying not to let the curves of a smile hit his lips as he spoke.
"Remember the whole thing about Connor and the ‘cat’s got your tongue?’ incident?" Riley left it there but Scott followed a long as a slight glimpse of thoughtful concentration dawned into an actual understanding.
"Figure of speech." A nod was offered, a sheepish look befalling the fairies face before he sighed and mumbled to no one particular. "Always one thing that means something entirely different, it’s amazing you understand the meaning of your own words." May only passed a brief glance back at Scott, who seemed to sober quickly despite the reasonably friendly look she offered.
"How about the one in the corner Scott? See if you can claim it, it has windows on two walls, that’s going to make it easier for you to spend time in there," There had been a thought Scott didn’t consider until Riley quietly spoke, knowing that the fairy wouldn’t ask for anything until everyone else made their choices. Sleeping indoors, and on his own, the thought still wasn’t appealing, he’d much rather bunch on a couch or something in a friends room then sleep alone in his own. "You got six people around you, technically you’ll never be alone." The topic was a little awkward for Scott who was constantly feeling as if he was youngest, despite the true fact that he was older then all of them together, and the last thing the fairy wanted was for them to think he had sleeping issues.
"I shall be ok with what ever I am given." The reply was offered back in an attempted quiet voice, not wanting to disturb the others who were undoubtfully overhearing no matter where in the hall they stood, not unless they were straining to block out the two or caught up in their own conversation.
"Now see, when you lie Scott, you’re voice goes up the slightest of notches when you start speaking." A gesture was made with Riley’s fingers to show how little but still obviously enough to have caught Riley’s attention since they started speaking mid last year. The fairy pulled a brief face which involved wrinkling his nose a little and a vaguely seen playful expression, but May called out as Riley threw back a mock smile, catching both their attentions.
"I want this room." It wasn’t as demanding as the words suggested, at least the tone hinted towards her open to negotiations, but it was one that was at the end by the laundry room, May didn’t figure it would be the most appealing of rooms. It was however for her, considering that the laundry had a panel on the roof and she wanted to know if it lead to the attic and if it did from there she could easily find her way to the hidden corridors in the walls of the school. A home away from home, she could never surrender her secret retreats. At least not right now, and not any time soon.
"Katie and I don’t mind just taking whatever room is left over," Riley informed the others just so they knew he wasn’t going to take part in any debates on which room he preferred. Scott mumbled something that sounded distinctly like ‘I’m getting hungry’, never really part of making decisions back home he didn’t see why Lexi couldn’t just choose what they were to do and then ask if they liked it or not, that’s what his family tended to do a lot from what little of their working life he had actually been involved in. Riley patted Scott on the shoulder twice, his hand remaining there though he mumbled back teasingly. "The attention span of a goldfish." It was more an inside joke from a while ago when Connor and Riley had been talking about Scott, but the fairy looked only confused by the statement.
"What about their attention spans?" It seemed like an absurd and highly random statement, which made little if any sense at all, but Riley kept a neutral expression as he spoke quietly back to Scott.
" ‘Cat’s tongue’," Was made in reference to the previous figure of speech and Scott made a slight gesture with his hands that ended up falling to allow his palms to hit the side of his legs.
"Cat tongues, attentive fish and invisible names, Michael may never accomplish his mission, but if he does teach us how to understand humans just a little more, I’ll be eternally grateful and impressioned." A slip of the tongue really but it hadn’t gone unnoticed by the language teacher standing right beside the fairy. All Riley commented on was that ‘impressioned’ wasn’t a word and Scott meant ‘impressed’, causing Scott to raise his hand for Lexi’s attention though she stood a few meters ahead of him and at the front of the group opposed to near the rear where they were. A few elegant words from Scott’s native tongue were muttered (it sounded like a taunting tease back by the tone) before he called out; "Lexi…!"
Re: Green Rescue Dorms: Welcome Home
Tessa hesitated after Lexi had finished speaking, eyes lingering on Scott who remained by the bookcase. She had just begun to walk slowly down the corridor, taking her time in the hopes that Scott might catch up to her, when Michael's voice could be heard. Following the source of the sound she looked over at one of the nearer rooms and saw her teammate's head peeking out from the room that he had claimed as his own. A ghost of a smile crossed her face and the part-fairy was glad that Michael had a room that was meant for him. She assumed that somehow it had been designed to accomadate Michael's special needs.
"Where?" Tessa grinned as she pivoted to find Scott now standing by Michael's door. It was only after she warmly acknowledged his prescence with a smile than she remembered his question. Where what? thought Tessa, not realising how her friend had taken Michael's comment literally. She then realised that possibly this was meant to be a private conversation and moved away to glance at the remaining rooms, those Michael had not selected.
As she moved away she did however hear Riley clear things up, discussing an incident she had not been present for where Scott must have believed that a cat had actually gotten Connor's tongue. This caused a slight humourous smile to cross Tessa's face as she pictured what the situation must have looked like. She supposed figures of speech must be difficult to grasp for those not used to them but since Tessa had always grown up with them she found the confusion somewhat amusing.
Tessa peered into one room, noting that it looked slightly brighter than some of the others although this may have been an illusion or simply due to the sun's position at that time of day, she could not be sure. She missed Riley's room suggestion as she ventured deeper into the room and took in the single bed, closet which had just enough space she thought to hold her clothes and the bedside table upon which stood an alarm clock and reading lamp. The room was neutral in colour and while it wasn't unwelcoming Tessa had always liked colour and hoped she would be able to make a trip out for some supplies soon. Even a change in wall colour would greatly brighten the space and she began to consider which cool shade would look best upon the four walls. With a start Tessa realised she was already envisioning how she wanted to personalise the space. Surely that meant she had decided. If it wasn't a problem and if no one else had a deep desire for this room she would take it. While it wasn't particularly close to any one thing it was the same short distance from all and seemed a little brighter. This alone was enough to sway the fairy and she headed back out of the room.
Scott and Riley still seemed deep in conversation and it was difficult to not hear them unless one was trying deliberately to tune them out. Tessa wasn't so she continued to listen but turned away, not wanting to embaress either party, or herself, by stareing.
"I want this room," May said, breaking the awkwardness in a tone that was open to negotiation but sure of herself. Tessa glanced over to see what room the spider-powered mutant had chosen, hoping it wasn't hers but she was in luck. "Katie and I don’t mind just taking whatever room is left over," Riley said agreeably. Well this made things easy then, everyone seemed so arguement free now and Tessa couldn't help but think that things probably weren't going to well in other teams' dorms.
She watched Riley gently tease Scott and Scott mistake the expression for a literal statement yet again. It was cute in a way, Tessa thought as she watched the two of them banter. She thought to herself jokingly that the two of them should be given a show, or at the very least a scripted situation comedy.
Lexi stood nearby, having watched her team select rooms without venturing to interfere. At Scott's raised hand Lexi turned towards him about to speak but refraining as he called her name. "Yes Scott," Lexi said, deciding not to point out that he didn't have to raise his hand although it did seem a little odd to her, as odd perhaps as being called Miss Moore by Riley.
"I don't mean to interrupt but if no one else objects could I put dibbs on that room?" Tessa asked, pointing towards the one she had been looking at earlier. She shot an apologetic glance in Scott's direction afterwards, not wanting to interrupt him but wanting to get the room she had taken to if at all possible.
Lexi nodded, sure that if anyone wanted that particular room they would speak up immediately. When no one asked for the middle room she continued on with a look at Scott. "Excuse me Scott, I'll get back to you in a moment. I just want to move us ahead a little. When everyone has chosen and agreed upon who has each room we should probably settle the food situation, assuming people are hungry." What Lexi really felt like was pizza but she had no idea if they were even allowed to order pizza what with the secrecy the institute was trying to maintain. On the otherhand Lexi wasn't sure if there was food in the kitchen either and cooking from scratch required time and effort.
"Then Riley, you had something you wanted to ask right? We can discuss that later as everyone else decides on food. But back to the present," Lexi continued and her gaze shifted from Riley to Scott. "Sorry I interrupted," she apologized, hoping Scott wouldn't be offended. She hadn't meant to, she just wanted to make sure that they had a plan for what was to come. "Feel free to continue Scott".
Re: Green Rescue Dorms: Welcome Home
Ben sat down briefly on what was going to be his new bed and listened to the complex conversation his team mates seemed to be having. He was still surprised about how little Scott comprehended their world and could not help but wonder if he would find his team mates home land just as bewildering. But that was something he knew he would never find out, he would just have to piece together an idea of what it was like from Scott’s stories.
He had to admit he actually quite liked the whole idea of the dorms as he figured it would allow the team that had worked so well together to build strong friendships that would help them fulfil their new role as rescue team. He had been on a rescue before, the one where they had found Michael and he had learned from that that there was nothing more important than a team that new they could count on each other. And besides this whole event was a good distraction from the devastating news he had received. It did not make it go away but at least for a while he could think of something else.
It seemed that everyone had found a room that pleased them without any arguing, which he hoped was a sign of things to come. For he knew that living with others was not always the easiest thing to do and all he could pray for was that none of them was a fan of loud music. Then Lexi’s voice cut through his thoughts and reminded him that it really was about time for some food. Getting up he looked around the room once more and made his way back down the corridor to where the others were stood.
He smiled at them and seeing as Riley and Scott both seemed to have important questions to ask he figured he better go ahead and see if they had been provided with anything to cook in their nice new kitchen. He gently pushed past the others and made his way to the fridge which he opened and peered inside. It was quite full containing things like chicken breasts cheese and all sorts of vegetable. But those were all pretty standard things and he was hoping to make something rather more exciting for their first meal there.
So he dug around some more and to his surprise found exactly what he had been looking for. He pulled out the packet of smoked salmon and wondered if someone had actually made a conscious effort to stock the fridge with foods they liked. But anyway that was not important right now for he was going to attempt to convert his team mates to the idea of a pizza with a cream rather than a tomato base. This was something he had loved as a child, a smoked salmon, onion and cheese pizza on a cream base. And seeing as the little pizza van that had made them shut down he had made his own recipe.
He started lining up the ingredients on the counter in front of him and just had to hope that no one here was allergic to fish.
Re: Green Rescue Dorms: Welcome Home
It was easy to forget how readily Scott could be confused by everyday expressions. Though when you got right down to it they were a bit ridiculous if you took them literally that was. Still the bantering in the corridor was good natured adding to the general lightness of the mood as rooms were sorted out with remarkable ease. Once again it seemed that the group functioned smoothly. It was clear that each of them had their own individual needs and desires yet somehow they managed to work round each other avoiding conflict as if they had been doing it all their lives.
Though there were a few questions floating around apparently, at least on the part of Scott and Riley. Lexi practical as always got them pointed in the direction of food before she applied herself to answering them. It was a problem Michael had wondered about when the subject of communal dorms had arisen. Up until now he had eaten at the canteen, an obvious option for someone as totally devoid of money as he was. But now… what if they all had to pitch in for supplies? How embarrassing was that going to be?
The problem of funding was never far from Michaels mind. He knew how much the drugs he needed to get through the day cost not to mention the medical care that was being lavished upon him And then there was schooling and accommodation……… . He knew he didn’t have a hope in hell of paying for it all and although everyone was very kind and didn’t bring up the subject he felt bad about the whole business. As soon as he felt really recovered and settled in he was determined to find a way of making some money. He just didn’t have a clue how he was going to do it.
Slightly concerned then by the prospect letting the others down on the monitory front Michael made his way back into the living area leaving Lexi and the others at least a modicum of privacy for their discussion. Ben had already found his way into the fridge which, Michael was pleased to see did look well stocked at least for the moment, and was happily emptying its contents onto the worktop with the air of someone who had a plan and was going for it.
Looking at the ingredients Michael had no idea what he intended to make but it seemed from the quantities involved that there would be enough to share. “Gosh” Michael said with a grin, watching his friend swing into action. "This team really is full of hidden talents, isn’t it."
Re: Green Rescue Dorms: Welcome Home
"Yes Scott," Now was Scott’s chance to show Riley that he could take things into his own hands, granted Scott was a little green with basically everything humans tended to take for granted, owning a room wasn’t one… though he was the last born of his brothers so he never really had much of a choice. They were always just placed in a room and grew up there so it wasn’t like he had actually had to go through this type of thing before. But if Riley didn’t think Scott could actually speak his mind, then Scott was just going to show Riley that he could, he wanted the brighter room, the natural light helped chase away some of the claustrophobic feel which humans tended to confine themselves to. However just as Scott began to part his lips decisively, Tessa’s voice poured forth and pulled his attention around to her as she spoke.
"I don't mean to interrupt but if no one else objects could I put dibbs on that room?" Although a whispering air of disappointment crept by the fairy’s thoughts, an assuring smile seemed to automatically creep upon his face. Tessa’s look seemed to need a reply and Scot didn’t want her to think he was upset with her talking and he most certainly wasn’t upset she wanted something he had, in fact he felt a little giddy that they liked the same room.. though then again how could she not like it since it did have just that slightly more open feel to it. If it was what she wanted that Scott would bow down to her without a moments hesitation, besides, if she knew he was moments away from asking for it then Scott knew Tessa wouldn’t have asked herself, so he didn’t want to make her feel bad for having interrupted him and taken it first.
"Excuse me Scott, I'll get back to you in a moment. I just want to move us ahead a little. When everyone has chosen and agreed upon who has each room we should probably settle the food situation, assuming people are hungry." The Prince turned his attention back to Lexi, half glade she wasn’t prodding him on to finish what he had been saying since right now he was pretty blank on what else to add instead of the comment regarding the room Tessa just acquired. Besides, Scott was a little hungry… then again he always seemed hungry, though he tended to rarely eat decent meals the last few months. The Prince wasn’t used to preparing his own foods and he definitely wasn’t used to the foods humans ate, and he only usually managed a meal a day down at the dinning hall since the vegetarian meals didn’t always tickle Scott’s fancy. A bowl of honey in the morning and a few spoonfuls of jams and whatnot in the evenings tended to be all Scott could manage, and it wasn’t rare for him to go through the supply in the kitchen within days after any major shopping trip. Sometimes being invisible was good, as Scott was sure he wouldn’t be well liked by the toast eaters who pop in now and then to find a lacking of spreadable to put on their morning toasts. Connor had ended up in the recent months talking to Jean about them stocking up on more honeys and jams since Scott did go through a jar of honey a day at least, in the end Scott is given his own jars which are usually stored away in his room, but currently he hasn’t been going to his old room so he eats from the kitchen again, but was taking smaller amounts. So to her query of hungry on Scott’s part the fairy brightened up rather eagerly.
"Then Riley, you had something you wanted to ask right? We can discuss that later as everyone else decides on food. But back to the present," Riley offered a little nod and a semi-shrug to show he was ok with waiting, though he was mighty peckish he wasn’t one who ever focused on his hunger, which was a big problem as to why he constantly skips his vital meals when he’s too consumed on other worries. "Sorry I interrupted," Another soft smile was offered to show that Scott was hardly one to hold such things against another… unless the other was rude or insolent and make Scott feel as if he was being walked all over. The Prince wasn’t used to that and he never would be really, but he always found it hard to keep his chin up when he was being emotionally hurt by someone repeatedly, not that he has had it happen often or to extremes… "Feel free to continue Scott". The prince blinked, though stared at her as if she were speaking in tongues before he remembered the previous attempt of requesting a now taken room.
"Oh.. I.." Scott thought for a moment, his eyes remaining on Lexi despite the obvious clueless state he was in, struggling to continue on smoothly and finally resorting to the previous food topic. "Just fell I must say that my eating habits do differ to that of humans.. I am not a flesh eater." The fairy paused only when Riley stopped examining the remaining rooms from where he stood and threw a look over towards the shorter male which pretty much said Riley’s dislike for the way Scott had phrased the comment.
"You’re called a vegetarian Scott," Riley didn’t really like how for Scott it seemed so cruel to eat animals, but Riley wasn’t prepared to give up meat, nor was he able to really adjust past the awkwardness he felt when talking of eating habits around Scott… And half the time the Prince made it sound as if they were mindless zombies feeding off the flesh of all things that moved, not that it was intentional but it still brought uncomfortable images to Riley’s mind.
“Gosh” Meanwhile the other two guys had ventured off and Riley only turned to pay them attention when Michael’s voice seemed interested and surprised by whatever he was involved in, which turned out to be watching Ben making something in the kitchen. And although Riley’s curiosity was peaked, as he wasn’t used to students cooking meals for themselves unless they were kitchen stuff, Riley decided he’d much rather talk with Lexi now that he had her attention instead of moving off and delaying the conversation for a later time.
Re: Green Rescue Dorms: Welcome Home
It was lucky that Tessa had not Scott's powers as she spoke, quietly requesting the more open of the rooms. Had she felt his momentary disappointment she would have surrendered the room in an instant, claiming that on second thought she would like the other. As it were though she missed his disappointment entirely and was granted the room she desired, it not even crossing her mind in that instant that the other fairy's mind would work in the same way as her own when it came to natural light.
When Lexi finally returned the conversation from food to Scott violet eyes watched curiously as the tongue-tied fairy looked rather uncertain before he began speaking.
"Oh.. I.." He stammered at first, looking for the right words Tessa believed, before finding them and continuing slightly more smoothly,"Just fell I must say that my eating habits do differ to that of humans.. I am not a flesh eater." Flesh eater. Tessa shuddered a little at that description. She was a fairy yes and with great respect for nature but she ate some meat, just not unneccessarily large amounts of it. She had always justified it as being a part of nature, the food chain and whatnot. While she certainly respected vegetarians she had been raised by parents who liked the occasional summer barbeque and she had attended a ballpark or two, taking in a hotdog while there. Calling it flesh-eating sounded strange and unappealing to her and Tessa was glad they were not eating right at that moment.
Riley seemed to have a similar distaste for the phrasing of Scott's statement and said, "You’re called a vegetarian Scott." Yes, there it was. That was the word she preferred to use. Meat sounded far more humane than the word flesh.
Until Michael spoke up, his voice carrying through the open dorm area, Tess had not noticed her teammate already at work. Ben, it seemed, had found the food and possessed enough initiative to begin preparing something. She wasn't sure what and wasn't the most picky person out there. Besides she couldn't cook so it would hardly be fair to raise a fuss no matter what Ben made. If his cooking was half as good as his mind for logic they would be having a good meal and, since she was rather hungry, that was excellent in Tessa's eyes.
Lexi was similarly pleased as she looked over and spotted Ben taking supplies out of a fully stocked fridge to begin cooking. Somehow she hadn't expected the fridge to be as stocked as it must have been for him to be preparing a meal, and Lexi wondered sheepishly if she had zoned out when that part was mentionned or if the other team leaders had simply assumed that the fridge would be fitted with supplies. Granted she had expected there to be milk and butter and bread but meat and vegetables were most unexpected and a pleasant surprise.
"This team really is full of hidden talents, isn’t it." The team leader grinned, her agreement shown through her wide smile before she turned her attention back to Riley, who seemed about to ask to talk to her in private. Remembering Scott she said quickly, "I'm sure accomedating your eating preferences won't be any trouble Scott. The fridge seems well-stocked, I'm sure you can find something you like and we can prepare a meal without meat."
Lexi looked back at Riley, seeing now that Tessa had begun to move towards the kitchen. It seemed likely that Scott would go with her or explore his new room so there would be time and space for a private conversation. "Well now seems like a good time and I think the rest of the team is making for the kitchen so we can talk here or step out into the hall if that's more comfortable for you," said the redhead. She had no idea what the matter Riley wanted to speak to her about was and she had to admit she was curious.
Re: Green Rescue Dorms: Welcome Home
Ben was soon joined in the kitchen by Michael who seemed surprised at his somewhat limited cooking talents. “I’m not really that good a cook, can’t seem to ever make anything healthy…”He said this with a slight self mocking tone knowing that he could probably make healthy dishes if he chose to, which was exactly where the problem arose. But he looked on the bright side he could at least take a stab at preparing most meals whereas most other students here could not even get pasta right let alone anything else. Such was the problem of living in a school which had a dinning hall where you could get all your meals from, it definitely did not encourage taking the time to learn to cook.
It seemed like the rest of the team was content with staying in the sleeping area of the dorm and Ben was somewhat happy about this for he was not to sure how his unusual pizza was going to go down. He started applying the cream base to the pizza dough and finally came to the conclusion that this kind of food would probably definitely not appeal to Scott.
“Michael, do you think I should do a salad with this? I’m just thinking that this rather unorthodox pizza might not suit all of the team.”
Ben quite liked salad but it had to have some kind of dressing with it otherwise it was just to plain. But he figured that Scott would like his just the way nature intended it to be so he would just put it on a plate and leave it. He finished grating the cheese over the pizza that now held a cream base, smoked salmon and onion and went to put it in the oven.
“Right that should be done in about twenty minutes.”
OOC: Sorry for the truly horrible post but couldn’t think of anything else to add.
Re: Green Rescue Dorms: Welcome Home“I’m not really that good a cook, can’t seem to ever make anything healthy…” Michael had to chuckle at his friends admission. Ben was doing a good job from where he was standing.The pizza he was makings looked almost as if it s planned Not the haphazard amalgam of left overs Michael was used to throwing together. I’m the king of the microwave myself he said easily. Mum worked you see, and Dad ….. The idea of his father looking in the fridge for anything other than a beer was unimaginable. well lets just say cooking wasn’t exactly his thing.
Strange Somehow here in the kitchen it didn’t seem so hard to talk about his family. Maybe it was the everyday nature of what they were doing. Or maybe it was just the sense of relief and belonging he had felt when he had seen his room. After all wasn’t this the future he had dreamed off. University! Student life……..freedom?? Somehow he had pictured it differently. Not the whole school, dorms, side of things That was going well. He had just factored in the whole going home thing as well. Not to stay! Not unless they had really needed him too and he couldn’t envisage a situation in which that would have been likely. But at least to visit.
In fact when it came right down to it he had no idea why missed them like he did. He shared nothing in common with his parents… except the fact that they were just that… his parents. Why did that count so much? He had counted down the days till he could leave home and live his own life. But then… Maybe four months of torture and abuse had been enough to make him see that things could have been worse. After all he had never doubted that his parents loved him in their own way… They had just had a problem understanding him that was all.
In fact everything would have been more or less perfect if he could simply have picked up the phone and asked if they were ok. Or how Kirstie was doing at school! Was Frank still going out with his girlfriend? That counted for him. Strangely enough he didn’t want to know whether Rob was in prison. And as for George…? .Was it right to hate your brother? Traditional Christian teaching said not! But then there came a point where turning the other cheek was too much to ask. And trying to sell you to demons came firmly into that category in Michael’s opinion.
Anyhow we had to sort of fend for ourselves most of the time he told Ben succinctly. Didn’t exactly make for a balanced diet I suppose. But at least we ate! So as far as the salad is concerned…..Sounds like a good option to me!
Watching Ben prepare the food for their fellow teammates Michael felt his anger fading George had no place here and he wasn’t going to let thoughts of his brother ruin what should have been a happy occasion. He might not have been the worlds greatest cook but he could wash a lettuce at least. Here let me get that he said making his way over to the work surface. And I promise not to fall in the sink while I do it.
The two boys worked on in companionable silence as the others continued to settle in and Michaels smile returned. Suddenly this felt right Where he was The people around him All right it was a dorm room in a school but it wasn’t just any dorm room and this was far from being just any school. And as for the students well they were special and they were his friends So maybe, not today perhaps but some time soon this could become something more than just a place to stay. Maybe if he was very lucky this could become home. And that would be something worth celebrating wouldn’t it.
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