Woman of Quiet Tastes (IC)

[Cyroa]

James smiled wryly as she returned in costume. It wasn't a costume like most of the people he knew...but then again, he didn't exactly have a costume either. It was on his to-do list...eventually. "Not bad. Sufficiently different. No one'll recognize you."

He grinned up at Mike. "It's the price of being popular I suppose! And don't get me started on Mike's habits; if it wasn't for his girlfriend being the patient genius that she is, they'd never have gotten together!" A completel falsehood given how he knew they were bonded on rather special level, and he wasn't thinking about the telepathic bond either. Chuckling, he looked back Ashley. "Not a problem; think nothing of it. Once you're settled in, you can pick where you'd like to eat."

[Lone Star]

All dressed up, Ashley opens the door. "Good morning gentlemen."

Standing in front of the three men was Rycon, wearing her father's dark blue trench coat, brown combat boots (she wears them most of the time) and gloves, a gray cloth around her head, and a light brown baseball hat (the only hat that would fit and stay on her head). "How do I look?" She askes them in a lower tone than Ashley. She turns to Mike, James, KC, and then to James again. "Sorry about confusing your offer with a date, I'd be glad to take you up on a bit to eat."

"Rycon! I know you!!" KC said as he gave her a huge bear hug. "You seriously kicked butt last time we fought."

Although he was very pleased on the surface, in the back of his head he wanted to ask her a lot of questions. But those could wait.

[Starsign]

"Rycon! I know you!! You seriously kicked butt last time we fought."

Rycon did not expect the hug from KC, especially with the tentacles brushing on her left shoulder. "Yeah, it's great to see you too..." She was a little embarrassed since the other two guys were watching.

After the hug, she checked her shoulder for something that might have been there (like slime or some strange substance, there was once), and started off to the principal's office, waving to the others to come. She decided to spark a conversation to take the previous event off their minds, "You know, I haven't been to a school in four years..." Then she thought that talking about her past wasn't the greatest idea...

[angrydurf]

Mike followed along, "Ah really?" he asked curiously, "That shouldn't be too big a deal." He looked to see if Blake and James were following as well and continued, "We get students that haven't been in traditional schools every now and then. they have some great programs to catch up or just integrate with how things run here." He explained well aware of the programs both from his and Alex's past as well as Erins. He didn't ask anything further knowing some people didn't like to talk about their past.

[Cyroa]

James looked over with a wry grin. "Before coming here, and that was only at the start of this year, I'd never been at a school at all. I'm not exactly a star student, but if I adapted, I'm sure you'll be fine." He nodded at Mike's words. "No kidding. We've got some unusual cases at school. Though in our line of work, including you in that since apparently you've been doing a little 'heroing' before getting here, unusual is a relative term," he said with a chuckle.

[Lone Star]

James looked over with a wry grin. "Before coming here, and that was only at the start of this year, I'd never been at a school at all. I'm not exactly a star student, but if I adapted, I'm sure you'll be fine." He nodded at Mike's words. "No kidding. We've got some unusual cases at school. Though in our line of work, including you in that since apparently you've been doing a little 'heroing' before getting here, unusual is a relative term," he said with a chuckle.

"I've met a few of them, but I've been hearing a lot about this 'Geckoman' character. Who's he?"

Unusual was KC's middle name. "He sounds like a pretty happening dude."

[Starsign]

Rycon turns around and starts walking backwards, making sure she could see the other three while making progress (all the while hoping she doesn't bump into someone or something). Hearing about the academy from Mike and James had eased her tension, "I see. Then I should fit in quite nicely," She tossed a bigger smile then she had since moving from Germany. "This is going to work out great," she thought.

"I've met a few of them, but I've been hearing a lot about this 'Geckoman' character. Who's he?"

"Geckoman? I heard he's a fun guy," Rycon's interest was sparked by that name. "I've know a bit about him through gossip on the streets, I never forget anything!" Rycon immediately regretted saying that. Her brain could process data faster than usual, and store much more. Anything she sees or hears will be remembered, both good and bad memories.

[Cyroa]

James gave a wry grin. "Geckoman? Yeah, he's here. Chris is a bit ....of an eccentric oddball but a good guy nonetheless. He's been doing the Vig thing for a while now, though he's been a little busy of late with personal stuff." He shrugged. "But we've got kids from your every day regular families. We've got the charmed ones who live in this perfect happy world where nothing goes wrong for them," he grinned. Mark was definitely outside the norm. "We've got kids from alternate dimensions; some good, most really bad. And we've got everything inbetween." He found it a little amusing to keep thinking of the school as a 'we' since he barely qualified as attending it. Young Freedom was different but the school didn't matter that much really not with everything else going on. Still, he was here and this was where his friends were. Now he just had to pass his damn classes! "It's definitely runs the gambit."

[angrydurf]

Mike nodded agreement with James but didn't really want to say anymore about Chris's leave of absence. It was rather shocking to have someone who was so devoted to it all just up and quit.

"Its really not hard all of us have faced being different in one way or another even if it is still high school." he added though left out naming names about who made it so very high school.

As they reached the receptionist he pointed, "Just let her know who you are. I'm sure they're expecting you."

[Lone Star]

"That's true. We're all different in our own strange and bizarre and kind of cool way."

"I've already met like ten people who are several times weirder than me. Squared. There's no reason to be ashamed of being the odd one out here, because I think we all are."

[Starsign]

"But we've got kids from your every day regular families. We've got the charmed ones who live in this perfect happy world where nothing goes wrong for them,"

"Its really not hard all of us have faced being different in one way or another even if it is still high school."

"That's true. We're all different in our own strange and bizarre and kind of cool way. I've already met like ten people who are several times weirder than me. Squared. There's no reason to be ashamed of being the odd one out here, because I think we all are."

Rycon felt that this conversation was getting a bit repetitive, so she gives a calming smile and says "Thanks for your support, I'm sure I'll do just fine here."

She walks up to the receptionist, "I am Ashley Culdis, I received a letter from Mr. Summers." The receptionist gives a smile and points to a hallway west of their position. "We have been expecting you Ms. Culdis. Mr. Summers office is three doors down on the right."

Rycon says, "Thank you," to the receptionist and starts to make her way to the office. She waves the three men goodbye, "Well, this is where we part for now. See ya!" She takes her locket out of her pocket and grips it in her right palm, as if it was a good luck charm.

[Ecalsneerg]

Chris lay on a table in one of the halls, rubbing his head in his hands. God, I'm so tired. His hair was a mess and it looked like he hadn't shaved in a week. His green sweater had a few rips and tears in it, and his jeans had no knees to them. All in all, he looked an utter mess.

Some prefect told him to get off the table and was chased off with a most uncharacteristic snarl.

[Starsign]

As Rycon walked to the office, she notices another student walking the in opposite direction on the other side of the hall, though 'student' might not be the right word for him. He looked like a sort of homeless kid, with rips and tears on his clothing. His face showed pain and frustration, he didn't fit in at all with the rest of the school. Though she knew it may not be the best idea, Rycon decided to chat with him. She wanted to make sure this guy wasn't a thief of some sort.

She walked over to the young man, "Hello there." She then notices the other three men also coming towards the two. Perhaps they knew this guy?

[Lone Star]

KC looked down at the boy. He was haggard-looking, with messy hair and a serious case of five-o'-clock shadow. He hoped he wasn't a crazy guy who sneaked in. Either that, or he was...

"...Hoboman?"

[Ecalsneerg]

Chris's eyes snapped open. "Hoboman?! HOBO- oh god, you have tentacles. That's... surreal. Has sleep deprivation got to me this much?" He rolled off the table, and grabbed one. "Ew. That's... ew. Ewewewewewewewewew."

He pulled the hood on his sweater up over his head and glared from underneath it at the two kids who'd come up to him. "New kids?"

[Lone Star]

"I assure you I am very real!" Not the worst reaction I've ever gotten.. "They call me Kid Cthulhu, Hoboman."

As Chris grabbed one of his tentacles, they twitched. "Pretty cool, huh?" He was hoping Hoboman didn't try to stab him, or anything, like most hobos he encountered tried to do.

[Cyroa]

James walked up and looked down at Chris. "Hey. You've looked better. Rough day? Or more than one perhaps?" HE shooked his head a little and returned to the topic at hand. "Yes they're new, relatively speaking. Her more than him. And yes he has tenticles. And yes, his name is fairly appropriate from what I can tell." He'd let them handle their own introductions as well as an explanations for powers. All James knew was that he'd have to watch tenticle boy; dealing with outsiders was not a good sign.

[angrydurf]

Mike followed behind and looked Chris over with some concern, "Uhh you doing ok Chris?" he asked glad james was there to follow the lead of as social, well anything, wasn't his strong suit. "This is Ashely and the one with the tentacles is Blake." He introduced.

[Starsign]

"...Hoboman?"

Rycon wasn't smiling after that. The last thing she wanted was to antagonize someone she barely knows. The young man's reaction wasn't surprising. She watched the man grab one of KC's tentacles. Rycon thought "Uh, does he touch anything that looks outside the normal?" she'd rather like to think not, lest KC can produce more tentacles from his body...

"Uhh you doing ok Chris? This is Ashley and the one with the tentacles is Blake."

Ashley put on a small smile, "Nice to meet you." She knew she was being ignored (though most likely unintentional) She stared at the teenager's clothing, "This guy is Geckoman?!" she thought in confusion, she didn't want to say something like that out loud. Hopefully he's just obscuring as a loser. "So, you're Chris? I've heard that you're Geckoman, and I've heard about his activities."

[Ecalsneerg]

"Pretty cool, huh?"

"Not really. More disgusting."

"Hey. You've looked better. Rough day? Or more than one perhaps?" "Yes they're new, relatively speaking. Her more than him. And yes he has tenticles. And yes, his name is fairly appropriate from what I can tell."

"I don't sleep," hissed Chris. "I can't sleep anymore. I'm too used to running around at night. I tried jogging. I ran into a tree in the dark!"

""So, you're Chris? I've heard that you're Geckoman, and I've heard about his activities."

Chris spun and eyed her carefully. "You heard wrong. Had to quit, 'cos I screwed it all up. Ruined some lives, stole stuff, y'know. The usual. It was fun!" he declared sarcastically, giving a thumbs up.

[Starsign]

"You heard wrong. Had to quit, 'cos I screwed it all up. Ruined some lives, stole stuff, y'know. The usual. It was fun!"

Rycon had a look of pity on her face. To her, this man must of had a REALLY traumatic event happen to go from happy-go-lucky hero to senile, (maybe) insane young man. Rycon wanted to say something to sympathize with him, but nothing came to mind. She knew that anything she tried would bounce off like a bullet to metal. She was silent for awhile...

[Cyroa]

James frowned as he looked at Chris. Talk about abnormal behaviors. James didn't particularly care about hurting the newbies feelings or anything. They'd adapt. But Chris was a friend and he obviosly wasn't exactly in a good spot. This whole thing was news to him. Apparently being busy and away from here so much had caused him to miss more than just schoolwork and the new people.

"Chris, you want to take a walk and tell me what's going on? Unless you want to vent and share the...hellhole you've found yourself in right here in the hall that is?" He nodded down the hall. James was sure they could find a room or something that was unoccupied if Chris was going to explain what was going on. He gave a little apologetic shrug to the two newcomers. This wasn't exactly on the 'planned tour'.

[angrydurf]

Mike looked away at Chris's outburst. He recalled the bank incident and knew that Chris had given up the hero gig afterward. The big teen really didn't know what more to say, Heroing had been chris's whole thing before it was hard to imagine chris without geckoman. And from the looks of things it wasn't exactly much better for chris. "Well Erin is up most night still maybe the two of you could ..." He knew better than to say train but didn't really know what all Erin got up to in the late nights.

[Lone Star]

He looked at Chris. "Hey, I didn't mean the whole Hoboman comment, I just like to kid around too much. I hope we're still cool."

Not really. More disgusting."

.

"Heh, well, I've certainly gotten worse. Recently. My appearance can be quite unsettling, but I've got a human form, too." KC said as he deactivated his squid form. After a wash of mystic fire, the boy Blake emerged, shaking a few green sparks out of his hair. He was slightly hurt by Chris' comment, but he would get over it. These things happen, and you just have to shrug them off. He wouldn't joke around with him, at least while he was in a bad mood. It would probably be best to leave him alone.

[Ecalsneerg]

Chris waved away their questions. "No, I'll be fine. Maybe try and get those power nullifiers from Summers." He rubbed his eyes wearily. "Otherwise my metabolism just processes out normal sleeping pills. And I'm not sure upping the dosage is a clever idea."