ArchivedLogs:Sheet Ghosts Aren't Here

Sheet Ghosts Aren't Here
Dramatis Personae Derek, Sergio, Hercules, and Daisy
In Absentia	2015-10-26 Hercules looks to Sergio. "Oh no, the plague is spreading!" (Part of Flu Season TP.)
Location <XS> School Grounds
Xavier's School is situated on grounds as luxurious as the mansion itself. The tree-lined drive brings you up to the lush green sweep of front lawn and the wide front porch with its bench swing, often frequented by students studying in pleasant weather. The large oak tree in the front yard is home to a tire swing, installed long ago beneath the sturdy old treehouse. The lawn rolls out all the way down to the thin rocky pier at the edge of the glittering lake. The water stretches huge and wide off into the distance, the boathouse a small blip at its shore. Along its bank, forest stretches dense and shady to one side; to the other cliffs start to rise, high and rocky, providing trails for hiking or climbing, for the adventurous. Autumn is in full swing, with the surrounding forest set in glorious reds, yellows and oranges. And enjoying the picturesque scenery... from the steps of the mansion, mind, is a tall and broad teenager. He sits, shivering, dressed in appropriate clothing for the weather. As an added protection, the young man is wrapped firmly in a quilt. In his gloved hands is a steaming mug of hot chocolate. Every so often, he coughs, but his 'cold' appears to be getting better. If only a little. Sergio's cold is only just starting out. In baggy athletic sweats and a hooded sweatshirt, the ordinarily very lively, warm teen emerges onto the porch. Turning back over his shoulder, he thanks the person who held the door for him before positioning himself by the railing to look out over the lawn. "What's good, Herc?" He asks, coughing into his sleeve before untucking a thick notebook and text from where he'd stowed them in the seat of his wheelchair. Dressed in his usual attire of a jean jacket over a plain coloured t-shirt, green today, Derek exits from the woods with his sister, Daisy. She's a several inches shorter than him but has the same colour brown hair and is dressed in a similar jean jacket. The siblings are laughing as they walk along the grass towards the school, laughing and joking with each other. "Well I wathn't the one who got thuthpended for fighting." Derek teases his sister who promptly shoves him and the lanky teen loses his balance and goes tumbling to the ground, laughing. He reaches up to grab at his sister and drag her down with him and spots Hercules and Sergio on the steps. "Hey Herc, Hey Therg, how'th it going?" Hercules looks to Sergio. "Oh no, the plague is spreading!", he says in mock horror, laughing first... before coughing loudly. "I'm uh feeling better actually. I hope you don't get what I have." He stands, pulling the quilt closer to him and moving to stand beside the young man in the wheelchair. "What are you reading, if I may ask?", Hercules says, before sipping on his hot chocolate. The laughter from the two nearby draws the tall teen's attention, and he waves to them both. "Hey Derek. And hullo, you must Daisy. This is Sergio...", Herc points to the young man, and then points to himself, "And I'm Hercules. Nice to meet you." "Dude, I wasn't even near you and I got it! I was all astral-" Raising his voice in excitement, Sergio breaks into a small coughing fit before looking up with a lopsided smile. "Sup?" He greets Derek and his sister with a chin-nod, making lingering eye contact with the girl before turning back to Hercules. He has to crane his neck quite a bit to look up at the other boy, "Oh, it's for class. Same boring stuff I've been trying to get through all weekend." Sergio flashes a paperback book on yoga and meditation. Derek props himself up on his elbows to look at the two. "Thtill working on meditation?" Derek asks upon seeing the book. "How'th that working out? And Yeth, this is Daithy." Daisy walks past her brother, leaving him lying in the grass and is about to offer Hercules a hand in greeting when she hears the word 'plague'. "Yeah, I'm Daisy, I hope this jerk hasn't been telling you stories about me." She teases. Derek pushes himself up grass and walks on over. "Nah, jutht told them that we're thiblingth, which I gueth ith embarathing enough for you. Tho I take it you two got that flu going around?" Hercules holds his hand back from her, "Oh, uh, yeah, I am sick with something. Flu or whatever. So a raincheck on shaking hands is probably for the very best, I think. It is nice to meet you at last, though. And no, he's not been telling bad stories. Quite the opposite. You would think you walk on water, that's how glowing his praise has been." The tall teen grins. "And he never said you were this pretty, either." Still grinning, he looks to Sergio. "Meditation and yoga, hmm? I don't know if I could sit still long enough for it. I think I get most of my mental relaxation from running along the lake." Hercules looks to Derek, "Yeah, I'm with plague. Sergio has apparently caught it just from using telepathy on me. That'll learn him for rifling through my memories and thoughts." Herc's grin grows more broad, and he winks at Sergio, rather exaggeratedly so. Throwing up both hands in comical surrender, Sergio's eyes bug out, "It was only sensory information-" And then, he goes back to coughing. "--Ah, man. I hate it, but it's for a Phys. Ed credit and it's not like /I/ can run along the lake, anymore." Though, by the way he shifts in his chair, he does seem to have full mobility of his legs. Raising both eyebrows, Sergio tilts his head, "What were you two doing out there?" He teases, gesturing out towards the woods. Of course, he assumes they were smoking. Derek gives Hercules a look of warning when he comments that his sister is cute. "You theem way to cheerful for thomeone who thould be in bed eating nothing but thoup." He looks at Sergio for a bit and nods, weary about the whole mind thing. Daisy grins at Serigo and answers, "Nothing, just went for a walk. There aren't too many places that are quiet around here." "And we weren't thomking." Derek says since the last time he ran into Sergio in the woods he was. "Mainly becauthe of a lack of cigth. I wonder if there'th a way to get a job in town or thomething." Money is needed to maintain a smoking habit and Derek doesn't want to keep bumming cigarettes. "It was nice meeting you boys but I should get back and do some homework. And you should too Derek." Daisy chastises, causing Derek to roll his eyes. "I will later Daith. No thkipping clath thith week, promithe." She gives her brother a hug and waves at Hercules and Sergio. "See you boys later." And heads inside leaving her brother. Hercules smiles and waves to Daisy as she heads into the building. He looks over his shoulder and when she is gone, he turns back to Derek, a distinctly non-cheerful look on his face. "I like someone else, so no need to give me that look. Nothing wrong with a compliment. And not that you really care, but I'm feeling a bit better." He steps forward, past Derek, to pour the contents of his mug onto the ground. The large teen offers Sergio a brief grin, "Nah, you probably got it from either Jack or Cody, is my guess. Or maybe your girl, Liv? Anyway, I am going to head back in. I hope you solve your meditation woes." Herc glances back to Derek, and shakes his head a little. "Take care.", he says to him before turning and heading towards the door inside. Sergio was about to offer Hercules a low-five on the sly but retracts his hand when Dark Hercules reveals himself. He opts to cup his hand over his mouth, "Damn, dude." His chuckle turns into a few wet coughs. He holds up his book on meditation in offering along with a goofy smile, "Calm down, siblings gotta look out for each other, that's all-" Frowning as he tries to subdue the tickle in the back of his throat, Sergio blinks, "None of them are sick, though." He cross his arms with the book. "Hey, Therg ith right. I'm her older brother, I'm thupothed to be protective of her." Derek says before frowning a bit, he'd give anyone that look who said something about his sister. "Herc, theriouthly? I get a little grumpy with you onthe and..." He shakes his head and lets out a sigh. "I thanpped at Herc latht week about the Halloween party, which I'm gonna be going to now by the way, and I dunno. I'm glad you're feeling better. I thuckth to get thick after you've only been here a few weekth." Hercules pauses by the door, looking through one of the windows into the school. "No, you've gotten grumpy a few times at me. Not that I mind, that's not the point. I complimented her because it was a nice thing to say, and the truth. How often do you get to say something truthful that also makes someone smile?" He glances at Derek then, a small grin returned. "It's fine. I'm still a little under the weather, and I guess a little cranky over it." The large teen looks to Sergio and shrugs. "I'm an only child, though. I know that there's a connection between siblings, but it's not something I know intuitively, yeah?" He turns away from the door, and moves to settle on the steps in front of Sergio's spot. "And while your sister /is/ pretty, Derek, my mind is on someone else, yeah? So. You don't have to worry about me around your sister." "I'm an only child, too," Sergio frowns, "But I have cousins that I'd probably act that way about." He coughs, clearing his throat, "What are you going to the Halloween party ask, huh? If it's a secret that's, cool. I'm not allowed to tell anyone what Jack's is." But /he/ knows what it is, and he's letting everyone know that much. "Are you to going to be cool or do I have to-" He breaks into coughing again, this time being hit by one of the spouts of vertigo that've landed him in that chair. The paperback book slides out of his arms and onto the porch as he brings a palm up to his temple. "It'th not jutht a thibling thing, Daith ith the only family I have. I'm not worried about you around her, I'm worried about everyone. Don't take it perthonal. Herc, I'm jutht happy that you didn't kick my ath or anything when we firtht got here." Derek says running a hand through his hair. "I'm actually not drething up. I don't have a cothtume or money to get one. I'm jutht going to thee what it'th all about." He looks over at Sergio with concern and picks up the book to hand back to him when he's ready. "You okay Therg?" Hercules nods to Derek a moment, and shrugs. "It's why I leave, sometimes. I don't want to get mad. I don't want to hurt anyone. Better that I remove myself from the equation." He looks to Sergio a moment, grinning. "I'm going as a mecha. Marinov is going to be my pilot. She's got a movable canopy and everything." His grin fades as Sergio appears to be in sudden pain. The large teen collects the fallen book, bringing it back up to gentle deposit into Serg's lap. "Should we get one of the doctors?" Letting his notebook slide out of his lap, Sergio raises his free hand as if to ask both teens to wait. It takes him a few moments, with his other hand pressed against his temple before he raises his head once more. "Sorry," he offers, suppressing a cough, "Sometimes it's hard to stay in my head." An easy, wicked smile crosses his lips, "My costume is boss. By the way." Derek nods, relieved that it's nothing serious. "Thtay in your head?" He's not quite sure what Sergio means by that. "Cool. Tho I'm guething that Marinov ith who you're going with? And what'th your cothtume going to be Therg? Unleth it'th a thecret." Derek sits down on the steps and glances over at Sergio with concern before looking away. Hercules nods to Derek, "Yeah, Marinov is who I asked to the dance." He glances back to Sergio, a look of concern on his face. "You sure you're okay? And uhm. What he said. Stay in your head?" The grin returns to his face, "Aren't you just a big tease, first Jack's costume, and now yours." "You heard me," Sergio grins, playfully offering no further explanation to his powers. Bending forward, he reaches for his dropped book and notebook, "I got these big cardboard circles that I painted silver, with X's. Right? For my wheels." He sits back up, holding both retrieved objects to his chest. His eyebrows raise high into his forehead, "And I got a bald cap, okay??" He waits for them to put two-and-two together... Derek doesn't ask any further questions about he head thing. The answer is all he needs. "Okay?" Derek tries to think about who Serg could be going on and it's obvious he's thinking way too hard for the obvious answer, his brows furrowed. "Ith it...oh!" It's as if a light went off inside his head as the answer finally came to him. "That Xthavier guy, the founder of thith thchool! That ith pretty thmart." Derek is starting to wonder if he's going to be the only one not in costume at the party. Hercules grins as Sergio explains his costume. "Simple, yet amazing. I am sure Professor Xavier will be pleased that someone thinks to dress up as him." He pats Sergio on the shoulder, "That will be awesome to see." He looks to Derek a moment. "You want a costume, Derek?" <<Heh. I have my old backup costume I can wear.>> "I mean, I might get told to take it off. But I think it'll be funny," Sergio shrugs, smiling as he looks from the hand patting his shoulder up to Hercules. "Especially if I'm stuck keeping close to this thing." He bats a hand at the wheelchair. "You should dress up, dude! It'll be fun!" Derek looks down at his feet and shrugs. "I don't have any money for a cothtume, I'm not that creative and everything I own ith jutht t-thirtth and jeanth. I'd write thomething in marker on a thirt if I could thpare one but I don't need to be down to only four thirtth." He looks up and smiles, trying not to be embarrassed by being poor. "I'm looking forward to the food anyway. Taylor wath telling me the food ith pretty amathing at the partieth." Hercules goes quiet for a few moments, and looks to Sergio, and back to Derek. "You do realize you have friends who'd happily help you make a costume, right? You could take my mecha costume, you're tall enough that it will fit. I've got another costume I could wear." The tall teen looks to Sergio, "I doubt they'd make you take it off." Sergio opens both arms, "And there's like, a whole art room. The professor who teaches art would totally help you make a costume if you asked. ...but it is a little last minute for that kind of thing..." Says the guy making his shitty costume at the last minute. He pouts, motioning around with a finger at Herc, "I thought you were doing like, a couple's costume with that, though?" Derek shakes his head. "No, you were jutht talking about how you were doing the Mecha thing with your date and to be honetht, I don't even know what a Mecha ith." He points at Sergio and grins. "Thee, you totally thaid it wath a coupleth thing. Theriouthly though, thankth. For trying to help. You know, I could jutht take my bed theeth, cut two holes in them and go as a ghotht. Thupid yet it'll work. The bonuth ith that they're the thchoolth theeths" Hercules nods to the two of them, "That was my plan. But I do want to help. And I doubt he'd go as my backup costume anyways." He grins and nods to Derek, "Well, that would work, I suppose. And a mecha is a large robot, with a living pilot. Usually they transform in some manner too." Looking back to Sergio, "Hey, that's right, the art prof would help out, and they do have all those supplies." Sergio jabs a finger in Derek's direction, "Check out the art room, cause I'm pretty sure Liv is going as that ghost sheet crap." Rolling his eyes dramatically, the fledgling psychic rolls his chair back a few paces, "I'm supposed to be trying to /meditate/ right now for homework, not /chilling out/. -I cannot take this class again.- So, I've gotta go find a quiet spot. But seriously-" He throws Derek a warning look -- though, how serious can he be? "-You should dress up." Wheeling towards the door, he reaches for the handle and pulls without too much awkward trouble. "Damn, if there'th another theet ghotht, maybe not. Otherwithe, it'th not crap." Derek says as he actually liked his sheet ghost idea. "I'll check out the art room thometime between now and Friday, thee what I can dig up with the art teacher. I can't promithe it will be better than a theet ghotht though." He smiles and nods to Sergio. "Thee ya later Therg, good luck with that meditation thing." He looks back at Hercules. "How do you know I'll thay no if you don't thay what it ith?" Hercules offers a wave to Sergio, "You take care of that cough, yeah? You want to make it to the dance." He looks back to Derek and smiles. "You have said that you would have a hard enough time at the dance. My backup plan is Conan the Barbarian. Are you willing to wear a loincloth? I mean, you've got the height and build to pull it off, but, heh... you'll probably feel a bit exposed." With his back turned, Sergio's eyes widen and he rolls his head on his neck, reeling at the Conan idea. But he has to study! "Later, guys!" He laughs, letting the door slap shut behind him. Derek gives one final wave to Sergio and looks back to Hercules "Yeah.. you're right. I don't know who that ith but the word loincloth and barbarain, you do know where I might be tall I'm not built enough for thomething like that. I'll figure it out, if I can't think of anything elth, I'll let you embarath me. I think Daith will love you for that." He stands up and sighs. "Oh well, speaking of Daithy, I thould go and thudy. You heard me promith her I wouldn't thkip clath this week." And if there's one person Derek would keep a promise too, it's his sister. "I think you could do Conan well. There was a bunch of really good comics made about him. Anyways. You take it easy, yeah?" Hercules grins and reaches out to pat Derek on the shoulder. "You should promise her never to skip again. And to study hard." He winks and settles back down on the stairs. "See you." "Hey, thmall thepth. Ath long ath Daith doeth okay, that'th the important part." Derek shrugs and returns the shoulder pat. "Feel better Herc and we'll thee what I end up putting together for Halloween." He gives a final wave and heads inside to get started on his homework.