Logs:Gossip Bombs

Gossip Bombs
Dramatis Personae Nessie, Remi
In Absentia	2023-03-31 "I'M NOT GONNA BLOW YOU UP I SWEAR!"
Location <XAV> Back Patio - Xs Grounds
This patio is expertly laid out for relaxing singly or in groups. The section nearest the back door is a more or less conventional veranda, the mansion's eaves--supported by elegant white wooden columns joined with matching railings--extending out to shelter the long porch swings, rocking chairs, and a chess table from the elements. Down the stairs or the ramp from this is a fan-shaped expanse of slate flagstones populated by clusters of deck chairs and picnic tables, always changing in number and arrangement, and stone planter boxes bursting with seasonal flowers and ornamentals. The centerpiece is an elegant pavilion with a hot tub open for use year-round, even if the transition in and out may prove chilly in snowy weather. Remi had perched himself in one of the rocking chairs, not seeing anyone around he thought it the perfect place to take out his phone and search for any information he could find on the differences between human and mutant biology. It was a little chilly out for him so he had donned a thick, cream, woollen turtleneck jumper and a comfy pair of jeans, with his fluffy house boots enveloping his little feetsies. He set his backpack aside and firstly pulled out a blanket, which he wrapped around his legs. Followed by a pair of headphones that he slotted over top of his ears. He had met lots of people at the school but those that he thought he would be able to consider friends, he'd upset, by being overly emotional. So he'd made do with the fact that sometimes, it's ok to be alone. Especially when you're trying to practice not overreacting and blowing up the nearby confectionary. The first sign of Nessie's approach is auditory, a rapid clickclickclick. It takes a moment before the teenager comes into view, much lighter dressed than Remi in only a plain blue long sleeved button-down, an ancient faded blue bucket cap on her hard-shelled head and an equally ancient leather knapsack on her back. She's making her way up the flagstone path toward the patio with an unsettlingly insectoid skitter of her many legs but hesitates when she sees Remi, her enormous barbed tail waving slowly above her head as she gives the boy a curious once-over. Unable to hear the clicking due to his headphones now blaring Ariana Grande's song Greedy. He glances around at the beautiful view having to double take upon what he thought was a hallucination. Nope, that was definitely a very large scorpion....person?? His reaction is an auditory yelp but he quickly caught the yelp in his throught. "No, that's rude, Remi" he muttered to himself. Hide the fear, everyone is different he thought to himself. Steeling himself he waved apologetically to the scorpion girl and mouthed "hello." Taking his headphones off one of his ears in case she wanted to talk. Nessie answers his wave with a bright smile and a cheerful bob of her head in greeting, only approaching closer once it's clear Remi is willing to be interrupted. "Hi!" On her enormous many-jointed legs she kind of looms over the seated boy, but settles down lower once she's stopped moving, legs bending low and her long torso nearer to the ground to bring them more to eye level. Eyes level. Many eyes level, a few extra pairs peeking out at him from under the brim of her cap. "You're the sugar kid, right? Spence's roommate?" Shifting in his chair adjusting to having so many....eyes on him he cleared his throat and now fully removed his headphones, pausing his music and politely putting his phone down. "Yeh, that's me. I'm Remi. You're ..." He took a moment to flick through his figurative memory rolodex of new names. "Oh! You're Nessie, right? Don't you report for the school paper or something?" He smiled, desperately trying not to seem uncomforted by her form. "Yeah! I write for the Oracle," Nessie affirms with a small pleased bounce at the recognition. Her tail swishes once faster with excitement, and her brown cheeks flush just a touch darker: "I'm not going to sting promise it just does that -- um!!" She's hastily Moving On to: "So there's been all kinds of rumors about why there's been so much banging in the boys' hall in the evenings and I wanted to get your opinions. People are saying there's ghosts but we all knew there's ghosts and I don't know why they'd have started banging now -- though Harm thinks it's because Mr. Holland has been gone and his sunlight was the only thing keeping ghosts at bay. The Māhoes think the weird robots in the walls are getting ideas beyond their standing but Lael and I think we might have gotten giant mutant possums living in the walls. Anyway if you've seen anything I could add it to the to-be-investigated list." Remi chuckled and waved his hand dismissively at the idea of Nessie stinging him. He wasn't worried that she would actually cause him harm. "No no, the banging was me. Practicing. But i've stopped now! No more fireworks, Naomi said a while ago that if i could go a while without using my powers at all, she might be able to help me learn how to use 'em. But umm, all those rumours, are just that. Rumours." he bowed his head apologetically to her. "The ghost one would make a great story though, i like Harm's thinking. Or if you'd like to do a story about the crazy new kid on the block, have at it!" he chuckled. "I'll make sure to read it regardless." he dug a hand into his backpack and pulled out a small little container with brownies. He set them down in front of him. "Feel free to have one. Forewarning. I don't believe they are kosher. But if that's not a problem, be my guest. I always buy too much with my sugar allowance." "Naomi said that?" Nessie's first reply is just a touch dubious, like perhaps Remi knows a different Naomi than the one she does? Her eyes widen as she considers Remi's words. "Wo-oah okay so you're the ghosts? Or are you practicing to fight the ghosts until Mr. Holland can get back --" It's hard to say how serious this suggestion is, light and amused, though she is more earnest when she moves on: "You do sugar and fireworks, that's wild." She's scooting forward happily to accept one of the brownies, taking a big bite and giving Remi an enthusiastic thumbs-up with her mouth full before she swallows to ask, "... kosher? Why would that be a problem is that like, often a problem." "Yeh! Naomi, the girl with the cool scales. Gods, I hope I got her name right!" he bit his bottom lip with slight anxiety but decided to press on! "Are their actually ghosts? I'd love to see one, do you think they really produce ectoplasm like in the stories? Maybe we could utilise that in a medicine or a remedy or something hmmm..." his mind trailed for a second before remembering Naomi had asked more than that. "Well, they're not really fireworks, i just call them that. I can make the sugar in sweets and desserts like.... explode. I think i can do more with it but I really have no idea. I'm hoping by actively controlling my usage of my powers i can use them to do more helpful things rather than just go boom. So far i've only seen harmful effects." his brow furrowed at the thought. "And yes. The Kosher topic has been the bane of my existence. Long story short, i was trying to appease people, specifically Spence by baking for him, you know him being my roommate and all but he only eats kosher and I was...I was a dick about it, didnt realise that i should in fact just...stop?? then i blew up some cookies. Pissed off Gaétan and then Spence got sad...." he frowned. "See? This is why im trying not to do more of the boom boom." he mimicked fireworks with his fingers, twiddling them in mid air, much like an ever more exaggerated version of jazz hands. "Oh yeah that's definitely Naomi!" Nessie agrees, followed by, "of course there are ghosts do you think you keep a school full of unpracticed mutants for so long without mad tragedy happening behind these walls? I bet the ghost-kids could tell some stories." She munches through half the rest of the brownie -- and half chokes on it, eyes much wider and a brief hesitation like she's trying to decide whether to swallow it or spit it back out. Her enjoyment wins out, though, and she swallows it down before asking with an intense curiosity: "So could you like, blow up that brownie from inside me now that's so cool and gross." She licks her fingers clean as she listens to Remi's tale, her forehead scrunching up. "You blew up the cookies because..." She doesn't quite seem to make this connection, wondering uncertainly: "Does blowing them up make them more kosher that seems like a hardcore diet." "ok well.." Remi scooched forward in his seat, almost tipping out. He forgot it was a rocking chair. He no longer feared Nessie. Yes, she may have looked terrifying but talking to her, he seemed to just want to open up. She was friendly enough. Though maybe it wasn't the best to essentially admit to all of his wrong doings to an actual reporter. "So, when I got here, all I wanted to do was to make friends. I was terrified. Living a regular life then boom bad stuff happens, im a mutant, i get whipped away here. I meet Spence. He's SO CUTE and he had bruises and all that stuff was going on with his dad, I just wanted to make him happy. Hence the baking. Gaétan was brutally honest with me, he did nothing wrong, told me I should stop trying to figure the kosher baking thing out because I didn't live a kosher lifestyle. I got so frustrated that I took the cookies, threw them out the window and... blew them up. At the time it felt rational, he can't eat them, get rid of them. Now I realise I could have just eaten them. But, like I said. I was a total asshole and then I upset him. So i've just been kinda distancing myself from people." he sighed after the long winded explanation and caught his breath as he'd been rambling. "And, to answer your question. I can affect the glucose inside of a person too. So, yes, technically I suppose I could make it explode inside of you." he thought nothing of his statement and then noticed he'd just told Nessie he'd actively made her into a bomb. "Wait! They aren't like big explosions though! a-and I wouldn't! I'M NOT GONNA BLOW YOU UP I SWEAR!" he began panicking and fumbling around his words, his hands flapping about in the air helplessly. "I don't want to hurt you or anyone else I promise, I swear i'm not dangerous. I don't wanna be dangerous. You're safe and im sorry!" he slumped back in his chair. "Oh-h-h," Nessie nods slowly and sounds oddly *non*-judgmental with her casual agreement, "yeah that sounds like a dick move! But you've learned. I don't think anyone else here *keeps* kosher but Spence so you're *probably* ok there with the brownies and all, anyway these are *delicious* and with Mr. Holland gone those of us with a sweet tooth have been *s-u-f-f-e-r-i-n-g"." The *very* exaggerated emphasis she puts on that last word is longsuffering, indeed. Her tail swishes harder and faster when Remi confirms he could explode the treat in her, but she's waving away his panic with a giggle. "I didn't think you were going to blow me up I just thought that was pretty cool -- also if this was like a video game that would definitely be my boss weakness, chuck the brownie in my mouth and *then* explode it. I am," she's reaching down to her side, rapping knuckles hard against her armored torso, "kind of hard to damage *most* of the time." Taking a deep breath, his voice still shaky, he'd begun to calm down a bit at Nessie's response. "It's so cool that you have a built-in armour though! I'm so squishy that I started learning about medicine just because im so scared of getting hurt and not knowing what to do! It has helped me understand my mutation a bit more though!" he chuckled as he wiped away a panicked tear from the corner of his eye, held it in his hand and once he opened it once more, a lollipop was in it's place, which he swiftly placed in his mouth. "I guess if we lived in a video game, i'd be the character that people choose because it's cute but doesn't really do much!" he chuckled. Nessie is goggling as Remi simply Produces candy, her tail swishing once more. "Oh my gosh that's so cool you just like, turn your body... juices... into candy I have a friend who does something like that except he's also like eleventy million bees so it's a little different." She does not linger on Friend Who Is Millions Of Bees, just laughing again. "Are you kidding you're a healer who also has a killer knockout move, you'd be like... like... Jigglypuff, like you just look cute and innocent and then, bam, exploded from the inside. Your eyes would get a little eye sparkle after you knocked someone out and your winning pose would be like sucking on one of those heart-shaped lollipops." "No way! Jigglypuff is my FAVOURITE pokemon. You really think so!?" he got maybe a little too excited of the thought. "w-wait. Your friend is literally just a whole bunch of bees? Can you hug them? Or would they just like....disperse??" his mind wandered as he pulled out the lollipop from his mouth, it now taking on a heart shape which he waved around like a magic wand and laughed from his belly. "You know what Nessie? You're kind of awesome." he chuckled. "Jigglypuff is a Pokemon?" Nessie looks genuinely floored by this information. "And yeah you can totally hug him! If he's in a hugging mood anyway -- holy cow." Her hand claps to her mouth when Remi pulls the now-heart-shaped lollipop back out. And then: "Do you like, carry around a bunch of lollipop sticks just so you can make surprise lollipops that's wild." She's bouncing just a little again at the praise, but then rises, all her feet clicking under her as she stretches her legs back into a better walking position. "I gotta go work on this story, you vs. the old ghosts of the boys' dorms. I'll make sure our photographer gets a badass picture of you." "Hell yeh jigglypuff is a pokemon, she's from the first gen!" he chuckled. His eye's widening at the awesome thought of hugging a cluster of bees. "I wanna hug bees...." taking the lollipop out of his mouth once more he snapped off part of the stick and chucked it in his mouth, chomping down on it. "No, I just make the stick into one of those like fake cigarette sweets i used to have as kids. They dont have much flavour but then there's no waste ya know?" he bowed his head formally. "It was so nice speaking with you Nessie. Feel free to take as many creative liberties with the story or picture as you need, make me look like a ghoul myself if you need to!" he waved to her, a genuinely huge smile on his face. Finally he'd had an interaction where he didn't upset someone! Yay!