Brief Title:
NMR
Characters:
Showstopper and Mirage
Scene Runner/Watcher:
IC Date:
02/07/2013 11:00
Location:
Mirage's Office - Xavier's Mansion
Summary:
Mirage recruits her first new, New Mutant
Social or Plot:
TS:
No
Log:
==[ Mirage's Office - Xavier Mansion ]==
This is a generous sized office. The lower half of the walls are a deep mahogany wainscoting with the upper half decorated with a buttery colored textured wallpaper. Covering the floor is a plush carpet that matches the wallpaper.
Tasteful Native American paintings hang in a cluster on the right wall and on the wall to the left is a large fish tank which sits on a wooden stand.
In front of the office visitor is a couple of wingback chairs in rich earth tones that face a wooden desk on which sits a computer monitor and other desk things. Behind the desk is a leather chair and a hutch topped credenza decorated with plants, personal photos and books.
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The school week is almost over, just one more day before the weekend and it is starting to show in both the students and the staff. Today though when Richenda arrived at her 3rd period class she was told by the teacher there that Ms. Moonstar wanted to see Chenda in her office.
Dani now waits patiently, working on some stuff. She wears a uniform that hasn't been used for an official school team for years, that of the New Mutants, the version with the big yellow X across the front.
The surprise wasn't unwelcome: 3rd period is English Lit, and they're studying the classics. To Chenda, classics are just really old books that are hard to read for non-learning-disabled people and nigh-incomprehensible to her. A break is nice!
So she finds her way to a place she's visited several times, sometimes on her own, sometimes summoned. With her purple tee layered over a black longsleeved tee, flared jeans, high-tops, and purple knit beanie, she might be any student summoned into faculty territory, save for her reddish-caramel skin and witchy black hair. She pauses to knock on the door, wondering what she's done /this/ time. Did she finally screw up one essay/report too many and get classified as Completely Hopeless?
At the knock the door swings completely open. Dani never keeps it completely closed during office hours, unless she has someone with her. "Come in Chenda." she says as she takes a break whatever she is doing to focus on the girl coming in "Have a seat." she gestures to one of the chairs and gives the girl a reassuring grin "Don't worry, you aren't in trouble.
Chenda watches owlishly as the door swings open... and manages to summon up a smile as Dani speaks to her. Speaks to her like a friend, even, despite the official surroundings... Oops, there comes a mention of officialness. The gypsy girl blushes. "Hi, Dani... Wow, am I /that/ transparent?" she asks, slipping into a chair, wriggling a little to make herself comfortable.
"Yes, in this at least." Dani leans forward, arms crossed across the desk, once Chenda gets herself settled she continues "I have been looking through your school records this past week," yes this seems to be an official visit, "And I think it is time we do something official about your grades. They aren't the worst I have seen, but I am positive you are smarter than they let on.
Chenda, who'd been making eye contact with Dani, sighs and drops her gaze. "So does Beta Ray Bill, but his homeworld hasn't gotten back to him on a way to fix it," she replies. "And /please/ don't say that I need to work harder. The harder I work, the worse I do." In study-oriented classes, anyway. Anything involving real-world applications or physical activity she tends to do very well at, so long as advanced math isn't involved.
"You are right, working harder isn't the solution." Dani sits up straight, leaning back in her chair, her expression one of concern "Working differently is what you need to do. If you don't mind I would like to take some tests, not pass or fail ones, ones that will tell us how your mind takes in and processes information." she smiles slightly "By the time the school year starts we will be able to set up a learning program that will work for you." implying that Chenda won't be graduating this year, "In the meantime you will be opted out of the regular grading process and put in a pass/fail status.
Chenda sighs and closes her eyes. "I guess not..." she replies, in the tone of someone wearily resigned. She didn't miss the implication about graduation, which is perhaps the most depressing thing of all. Her hands clench and unclench in her lap, quivering as the frustration comes to bear.
Dani does feel sort of bad about having to have such a talk with a freind, but also feels that the ends will justify the means. She is also hoping that what she says next will cheer her up. "Now that your grades have been dealt with and you won't have to worry about a minimum GPA, for this school year at least, I can invite you to join the New Mutants. That is if you are still interested in joining a team."
"New Mutants? But weren't they disbanded?" Chenda asks, looking up again. She still looks weary, but for the first time since grades came up, that might be a hopeful look in her eyes.
She gets up from the chair behind her desk, showing the one peice black and yellow uniform she is wearing "It was. But with me settled in and the former leader of the team, Jean decided she would like to re-form the team with some of the current students." she sits back down "I will not be the leader of this team, I will be your mentor and teacher, much like Charles was to my team. Since you were the first student I met when I came back I figured you should be the first student I ask to join. Are you in?"
Chenda looks... and actually reaches out with her fingertips to touch the material of that striking suit. It looks so different than her plain black Danger Room outfit! "So there'll be a new team? And you're asking me to join?"
She looks up at the co-dean, pain and longing in her eyes. "You're serious? Dani, you don't even have to ask! The stuff you asked for my help with, like that time at the club? That was the best thing you could've done for me. If I'd gone another week of just study-study-study work-work-work I would've gone bananas... or just /gone/. I want to /do/ something with these powers. If you're offering, /really/ offering, I'm in!"
Dani chuckles at the enthusiasm that the girl starts to show, "And you don't mind having to do your senior year over again?" she grabs some papers and hands them over "Here are the guidelines for being on the team. Once your classes are over for the day you can go down to Wardrobe Modification and get suited up." she hands over the permission slip that will allow Chenda to requistion two of the NM uniforms.
The enthusiasm falters. "Well... I'd probably have to do it again anyway," Chenda replies, a hint of that resignation coming back. "At least I can crawl out from under the books and do something /useful/ once in a while." She takes the offered papers and the permission slip. "Do you have anyone else in mind?"
"Well at least your second time around the material will be familiar and you will be on a new learning system." Dani then makes a shooing gesture "Yes I do, but you will know who they are soon enough. Now get back to class."
"Okay, okay, I'm going! Don't use the Pocahontas Glare on me!" Chenda ripostes, scrambling up and swinging out the door, hopefully before Dani can swat her for that remark. "Later!"
