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Classes were not as formal here as they were in public schools. Some were gatherings of no more than 5 people, and many were even independent study. While the student body was not large calling it 'diverse' would be terrifically underselling it. As there was in the autumn afternoon on the back of the yard 'that quiet kid' who seemed to pay particular attention to science class was sorting metal pipes looking to build some nature of large frame made of two polls.
Vic is all about making new friends. He hasn't been as good at it as he should be, because he's got his own group to hang out with when there's time to do so. However, he's recently had it pointed out that it's good to get out and meet new people. So when he spies Wither by his lonesome, sorting pipes, he ambles over, bookbag slung over his shoulder, and he says, "Hey there, watchya doing?"
Wither kept working until he realized he was the only one out on the patio. He looked to be certain. Yeah that was happening. He looked at Vic and couldn't place him from last year but finally answered the question with a hesitant answer, "Oh, Ah' was working on making a screen. Some of the students can't go out into the, um, out into the city an' stuff so I'm buildin em a drive in here so we can do campin on the lawn and watch movies." He looked at the other pole. "If y'all have a sec and can help hold the poles while I anchor em in that'd be prety swell."
Vic unshoulders his bookbag and sets it on the ground. "Sure," he says, eager to help out. That's Vic to a T, always ready to lend a hand. He comes over to hold the poles as asked, and he's got a sturdy hand, nice and strong. They're not going anywhere. "I think that's awfully nice of you. If you need any other help with the project, let me know. I'll be happy to do the grunt work you don't wanna do."
Wither blinked and widened a grin, "Appreciated. Y'all got a name, man?" He grabbed the first pole and motioned for Vic to do the same on the other. "I'm Kevin, Kevin Ford, but a lot of people just call me Wither. Y'all with the new class, or returning like Sam and Bobby?" For what it was worth he did seem grateful for the help as he counted down, "3…2…lift!"
"I'm Vic," Vic says, "Vic Delano. It's nice to meet you, Wither. Some folks call me Serendipity, but I respond to both." He lifts the poles like they weigh nothing, and he's learned to control how he does this instead of just flinging it up because he expects it to weigh more than it does, so it's a smooth lift. "I'm a first-year," he says. "Never been to a fancy school before, but I like it."
Wither tried to keep them moved at the same rate to keep the nylon sail between then from tearing. The scaffolding was spot welded and made on campus rather than originally intended for this purpose, but looked like they would hold. There was wiggling and geting things fit back into place. "Yeah, second year here for me. Back in Atlanta? We had nothin like this. I mean there mighta been, but I ain't ever seen nothin like it before. Y'all' get used to it. It's got most of the things we need, and the staff are pretty cool. Some kids don't have family to go to anymore so, ya know, staff tries to be pretty supportive. Keep folks busy."
"It's a great place," Vic says. He holds his poles still, because damn it he's got one job and he's going to do it right. "It makes me sad when I see all the kids without a family to go to. Mine is pretty supportive. They're great. I almost wish I could loan them out to kids without family, you know?"
Wither nodded but fell quiet without agreement. He finishen staking the poles on Vic's side and murmured, "Let's grab the other one." And he scoot the thing back into place so the sail was a good screenand told Vic, "Just tight enough it doesn't have wrinkles, not so tight it tears. He worked quietly and looked to Vic trying not to be a total dick to him, "Does sound cool though. Soooo wha'do they have ya workin on?"
Vic takes up the other pole and watches carefully how he sets the sail. Not too tight, not too loose. He takes instruction well, it seems. "Math," he says, "Math and history, but the history was my idea. The math is a prelude to physics. If I understand physics, I figure it'll help me more with moving in space. I kind of like to run in the city and I go up over dumpsters and onto rooftops, that sort of thing."
Wither looked to Vic confused but had to warm a grin at that, "Physics is going to help ya not run in ta dumpsters? Or y'all just gettin chased by a lot of cops. That the case, maaaaan don't bring em here. SO… important question stands," Kevin stood back and then hopped over the short hedge wo wade back into the lawn looking up at the placement and squint, "What movie should we get and try to watch. Ah' was thinkin Great Escape but I dunno if we can get a copy. Who doesn't like Steve McQueen?"
Vic laughs and says, "Physics is going to help me gauge distances and objects in space so I can run up and over them better than I do now." He considers the question, then admits, "I used to run from cops, but I've started obeying the law. I was thinking more about chasing down bad guys." As he watches the screen shaping up, he says, "You're right, he's pretty cool. Maybe the professor will be able to get a copy if we ask him."
Wither arched an eyebrow and looked at the new guy curiously, "I didn't know you could add that fast. Man, I envy ya. They got the room downstairs if you need to practice. Kinda looks like like a bomb shelter but ya know, it's sturdy. Does the job anyways. BUt yeah maybe he will. COuple guys around here like to run their mouth off that they can get anythin. Know what? I say call em on thir bluff, right?"
"Oh, I'd never do that," Vic says. "My philosophy is if you have to tell someone you're something, you're really not. Like tough, or connected, or cool, or stuff like that." As the the envy, he adds, "I'm sure you got stuff you can do that I'd envy." Because everyone's gifts were a boon, right?
Wither looked around and shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe? I used to garden, now I jsut sort of focus on my art. Decided to learn more about that computer stuff though. One of the other guys said he wants to build a computer- like, like a real one!" This idea, building a computer from scratch? How cool was that? Very if you were to ask Kevin FOrd, and ya did. "They got like these reeeeally super little pieces though so I'm working on tightening up my spot weldin' skills. " He shrugged. "Learning how to make the components is gonna be hard. My electronic skills are alright but… nothin like that. It'll be a good group project. If you meet Doug? He's…kinda a goof but he's alright. He kones a lot. A LOT of a lot man. He's like really book smart but even the cool guys like em so that's pretty cool. This place ain't like the schools we went to." The smile was encouraging for the kid that wanted to do physics at things.
Oh wow, computers? That's cool," Vic says. "And art, I wish I had an eye for it. My housemate keeps trying to teach me, but I'm just like 'oh there's a painting of a lighthouse, let's get that.'" He considers, then says, "Yeah I think I've met Dough. He's the omnilinguist? He seems really nice." He grins at Wither, all dimpled and gormless. It's nice to finally have a place where you kinda belong, isn't it?"
Wither considered the placement of the 'screen' up and nodded. He was digging this. Vic's rhetorical question got a non-commital shoulder. "eh, workin on that part but it's a lot better some day than goin back to nothin. But I want it to work, just, ya know, still figurin out how." A faint grin came to him. His head wobbled. "Yeaaaaah Doug talks a lot about a lot but at least he knows what he's talking about. Tries to keep people inclusive soooo good."
"He's a friend of my friend Jay," Vic says, "so I don't know him too well, but I figure if Jay likes him, he's got to be all right." He smiles again. Easy with a smile, is Vic, and it's one of those bright ones that says there's just nothing wrong with the world. "What kind of work do you want to do?" he asks. "This thing you're making is really cool. I bet you could get a job making this stuff."
Wither considered it and shrugged. "Anything that would allow me to work fromhome or… here? I guess," he was uncertain, "I think that'd be alright. Could maybe work up to moving out to Mutant Town or something. I dunno. For now here's safer and there's like, more space, more tools. More of everything." He looked back around and grinned, "Aaaaand it's really pretty. You ever go explorin the back garden? If not, man, ya need to."
"I love the back garden," Vic says with conviction. "I used to do a little landscaping, but I was never great at it. I sure love watching the results, though. He then says, with utter earnestness, "The world's going to get safer, though. Just wait and see. People can't hate mutants forever, right?"
Vic and Kevin are on teh back patiio hoisting what looks like a nylon sail between a couple of manufactured poled anchored with ropes and tent stakes. All it needs is a projector!
Kevin's green eyes squint looking to the gardenwith a nod. "Yeaaaaah me too," agreed the Georgia native. "Honestly it ain't the people hatin' mutant part that concerns me. I mean it does but…I mean they don't need any more reason to and Ah'm not inclined to give em one. To be frank? I really hope people start gettin over their shit. That stuff in Harlem a couple months back? That was scary. Y'all see that in the paper?"
"Yeah," Vic says. It was around his birth so he was a little distracted, but that sort of thing sticks with a guy regardless. "It's terrible. But I believe in a better world. People just need to be shown the way." He tilts his head curiously at Wither. "Is there a reason they'd fear you more than others? It's okay to say 'mind your own business, Vic.'"
Kellan comes wandering out toward the rear grounds as though he has some kind of Vic-sensing radar, which he really doesn't, but he's done with classes and he's wandering about and eventually he finds Vic and someone he hasn't met before. He strolls on over and stands off to one side, just atching as they assemble whatever it is that they are assembling. "Hey," he says in greeting.
Wither folded his arms across his chest and fell quiet and upnodded to Kellan, "Hey. We were just getting the screen up. We're building a drive in in the back yard." He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and shrugged to Vic, "Didn't say anyhting had to be more than anyhting else. Fear is fear. I dunno I see it as on or off. I've had problems in the past, I don't want any in the future." A shrug followed though those green eyes shifted from Vic to Kellan, "Kevin. This is Vic." He didn't know, but he sure as heck would try to be polite about it.
Vic grins over at Kellan. "Hey," he says brightly. "Kellan and I are good friends. We live together," he explains to Wither. "Kellan, this is Kevin. We're just putting up a screen so we can show movies outside. Isn't that cool?" There was heavy lifting, so of course Vic showed up. It's like reality can sense when someone needs someone willing to do the schlepping.
Kellan grinsat Vic as he comes to stand over by him, looking over the makeshift screen and at Kevin. "Nice to meet you," he says to Wither and then, "Cool screen. You going to have people actually drive back here? Or just set up blankets and picnics and stuff?" He looks curiously between the two, wondering what the details of the plan are.
Wither unfolded a hand to wave a hullo, but didn't extend it to shake anyone's hand. This was a school, not a business, and it was apparently super casual. He turned from teh screen to really look at the lawn and hrmmed, "Eh most of us don't have a car but that's not my call what we do with the lawn. Then again withthe way sooooome people treat it," He eyes a body sized crazh crater not far before looking back to the other guys, "I'm guessin folks aren't worried. I was thinking blankets and picnic though. Haven't picked the movie yet. WE're, um, we're up for ideas."
"Blankets and picnic would be groovy," Vic says. "Even in the cold, you could come bundled in your sweaters with a blanket, maybe with a buddy for warmth. Maybe the cafeteria could put together a boxed lunch or dinner that's nice and warm. I'll get us a thermos for tea or coffee," he tells Kellan. He glances at the crater on the lawn, and he says, "Well, at least it won't be a problem if a bunch of us are sitting on it." He shoulder-nudges Kellan, friendly-like.
"I don't know about the movie but I'll think about it and let you know if I think of something," Kellan says with a grin, nodding at the idea of the picnic and giving Vic a grin when he mentions bringing them a thermos for tea or coffee. "That sounds like a good plan. Should have like thermoses of soup and tea and coffe and hot chocolate and stuff. Make it an all thermous kind of thing. That'd be fun." Then he glances up and says, "It looks good."
Wither bit his lip at the talk of food and considered thoughtfully, "Yeah, I think people would actually really like that. Gonna do it over the weekend. If, ya know, people aren't going downtown and doing…whatever. But! Butbutbut, I think it'll be, ya know, alright. You're newer here too huh? Well, if you guys have any quesitons you can um, well you can ask I guess. It's not rocket science until third year physics."
"We're both first-years," Vic says. "Maybe do it on a Friday night, and those who normally go to the city after classes can stay on without having to come back after going home." He might just be thinking of himself in that equation. "This is going to be great, Wither." He grins broadly. To Kellan, he says, "I'll go looking for some good outdoorsy blankets and stock up on themoses to share. We can bring one of everything. Soup, hot cocoa, coffee, tea, maybe some bread to pass around." His gaze goes distant. The culinary possibilities.
Kellan nods in agreement to Vic when he answers Wither and says, "Yeah, first year for me, too. Thanks.. for the offer. If I think of something, I'll be sure to ask." He grins a little then and says to Vic. "We could do that, bring a bit of everything to share around and some fresh bread. We do have a big picnic basket we can put some things in." He grins as Vic grows distant thinking of his other significant other — carbs.
Wither looked away absently from the conversation of food. Kev bit his lip and nodded thoughtfully, "I mean the place has at least two kitchens so I'm sure they can go nuts or, I dunno, whatever you guys want to do with that. I don't know I entirely remember what food tastes like, but who doesn't love the smell of a hot dog grillin?" A few steps were taken back and he parked his butt up on the stone wall trying to learn about the new people.
Vic comes out of his reverie and asks Wither, "You don't eat?" Oh man, just the thought of that makes his stomach growl. "All I do is eat. I kind of have to. I've got a quick burn." He certainly doesn't seem to store any unnecessary fat. "How do you sustain yourself? Again, 'Vic mind your own business' is an acceptable answer." He glances to Kellan, who may recognize the look in his eyes: someone is in trouble, halp! Because not being able to eat… man.
Kellan glances between Wither and Vic, and he doesn't seem to have an answer for Vic on that one. He just met the guy a couple of minutes ago. He has no idea what that means, and so he just glances over toward Wither to see if there's an explanation for that. He slides his hands into his pockets and rocks back and forth a little bit. "So yeah, I think we can consider food covered. Still don't know what movie though."
Wither shrugged. "Water. Some tea. Mostly it's science and dietery things Doc McCOy came up with" He sighesd and dug out a pair of gloved from his back pocket and put one on. His legs swung over the wall and he waded over and snapped a springoff one of the bushes and held the green thing out for Vic and Kellan to look at. It was no effort when he grazed his cheek with it and before their eyes the branch dehydrated when it touched by his ear; leaves turning brown and shrivling like paper. Byt hte time he traced his jaw to his chin he was just flicking dust at them and the branch was dust in the wind. "It um, that happens with like " he itched behind his ear sheepishly, "Anything organic sooo food kinda tastes really terrible to me." He glanced awa from them and to the project quiet for a moment before murmuring a tad embarassed, "Maybe the Great Race is a good call."
Vic grimaces and says, "Oh, man, that's rough." Life without stuffing face. Is it life at all? There's genuine sympathy in Vic's eyes. "We'll make sure you get some of the tea you can drink," he tells Wither. Then he nods, a little distracted, and he adds, "The Great Race sounds good. It'll be fun." He's still ruminating over this whole withering thing What that must be like. He sidles closer to Kellan without thinking about it.
Kellan listens as WIther explainsexactly what is going on with the whole no eating thing and his own gaze turns sympathetic. "Wow, that's rough." But just wait a few decades and food will be so artificial that you won't even notice the difference. When you pick up a Mikey D's burger in 2017 and it remains perfectly intact — worry. He glances over at Vic an notices him sidling closer. He leans over an bumps shoulders with him. It's ognna be okay.
Wither someday will thrive off McDonalds, Twinkies, and Pop Tarts. Someday. He sighed as the differences started, but being honest kept people from getting hurt. He looked to Vic and seemed to see he got it gently saying, "I don't like crowds much. So what … what about you guys? You know if you catch things on fire I think there's gonna be a contest some of the firebugs are doin for Halloween."
Vic grins at the shoulder bump. In public, he's learned to be satisfied and even delighted at the smallest things. "There should be plenty of space to spread out on the lawn at least." Even though he'd bear hug the world in a heartbeat, he can understand not being to big on contact in Wither's situation. "Oh, well, I'm not a firebug," he says. "I'm just strong and fast, and I can move things with my mind. I can kind of move energy around. It's nothing big. Kellan's is super cool."
Kellan grins and shakes his head, "No, I generally try not to light things on fire. My brother tends to get lit on fire, melted, and otherwise attracts danger. I try to avoid it as much as I can." He then nods to Vic when he talks about his abilities. "Me, I make reflections of myself.. copies. They all share my consciousness. But I can also split my consciousness and do some minor telepathy. I'm also really good at figuring out probabilities."
Wither frowend at Kellan at the mention of danger attracting, "Wow and I thought I had a bummer of a gift. His sounds awful." he blinked several times and shied a grin, "That sounds way neat. Hey, I bet ya never get bored." He looked to Vic though and noticed they were running away or conveniently needing to be elsewhere now and considered, "Moving things with your mind? Might be able to use your help hangin the stuff to finish this if y'all are up fer it." Kevin looked to Kellan and bit his lip for a moment "You taking any science oe electronics this semester by chance? we're workin on a project if you're interested. Might have some use for that probability thing of yours. See how it does." he grinned a little easier to them.
"Kaleb's intrepid," Vic says. "Even after everything that's happened, he just doesn't give in." He smiles at the thought, proud of his buddy Kale. He nods then to Wither and says, "Sure. Whatever you need. I can lift some pretty heavy stuff, too." He rests his hands on his hips and looks at the screen they've erected. Ah, the satisfaction of a job well done. He looks to Kellan to see what he has to say about the probability thing.
"Yeah that's not his gift.. that's just his luck," Kellan says to Wither with a little bit of a chuckle. He doesn't seem to be running anywhere. He seems comfortable enough with Wither's power. It's unfortunate, but it doesn't mean they can't be friends. "I've got a class in chemistry this semester. I alreay did bio. Kaleb's got genetics." He then glances over at Vic and nods about his brother. "Kaleb's pretty awesome. You'll meet him sometime, I'm sure."
Kevin grinned, "Wow sounds like he's got somethin in common with my roommate last year. But yeah! I jsut found out from Doug that we're gonna, apparently try to build the school a computer. Might be able to use more minds on the project." He pulled out a pocket watch that was all metal and he seemed to not worry about handling it, snapped it closed and informed, "I said I'd help do a demo o glass. I gotta head out but," He squint and pointed to each in turn, "Kellan and…Vic. Right. Hey, catch you guys around."