ArchivedLogs:End of Exams

End of Exams
Dramatis Personae Liv, Jack
In Absentia	2015-08-21 "I think some of the people here could benefit from knowing how it feels to be a mutant that doesn't get to blend in"
Location <XS> Lake
Bright, bright, bright; the lake glitters wide and expansive here, stretching off into the distance. Sunlight, moonlight, starlight, it catches them all. Lapping at the rocky shore, its deep waters are frigid in winter and cool even in summer. A stone pier stretches out a ways into the water, wide and smooth, though often icy in winter. The water teems with life nevertheless, home to myriad species of fish that provide for ample fishing or just lazy watching on a slow summer day, for those who want to take a boat from the boathouse out to the center of the lake, or perhaps lounge on the pier and try their luck. With the last of his exams finally done, Jack is among a few people that have ventured outside into the heat. It's not as unbearably hot or humid as the rest of the week has been but its enough to prompt some students to head down to the lake to cool off. And Jack is among them this evening. A little away from the main group of students, a strangish sight can be seen. A pair of floating board shorts and the ghostly outside of a person moving through the water towards the beach. That'd be Jack, the water making it a little easier to find where he is. Liv comes walking down the path towards the lake, a towel draped over her shoulders, already dressed in a blue one piece swimsuit. Once near the lake, she pauses to take a deep breath of fresh air, dropping the towel beside her and kicking off her flip-flops. And suddenly she's running towards the water, making it almost knee deep before she just dives into the water, wasting no time in adjusting to the temperature. As she leans back and pulls herself into the water, she notices the displaced water and floating shorts. "Hey Jack, finished with exams yet?" Jack glances up when he hears someone approaching, just in time to get caught by Liv's splash. He sputters a few times before shaking his head. Water droplets clint to him even as he reaches up to push his hair back. "Hey, Liv," he greets. "Thankfully," he answers with a sigh. "No nore till end of the next term," he adds. "How about you?" Liv grins and lays back, floating mindlessly as she stares up at the sky. "Didn't have any exams. Don't start classes until this next term. Think you did good?" She casually flips over and bobs in the water, swimming about in circles. "Oh yeah," Jack murmurs, blinking a few times. "Lo siento...been a long week..." he trails off, treading water. "I hope I did," he remarks. "I mean I don't think I bombed or anything but I doubt I'm gonna be straight A." "Eh, I don't trust anyone with straight A's. I settle for straight B's. One or two C's just to keep expectations low," Liv says with a slight shrug. "Still looking forward to starting classes though, can't imagine having classes full of people like me, y'know? Instead of being the only freak." Jack laughs at that, shaking his head. "I used to get straight As back before..." he trails off, idly splashing himself to indicate the invisibility. "But I think that had more to do with my mother and coach badgering any Bs I got higher," he sighs. There's a slight tensing at that f-word but he bites back a comment. "You didn't get to sit in on any classes yet?" "Not really, no. Mostly took the time getting to know the campus, which probably was a good idea. This place is HUGE." Liv continues to swim about in circles casually. "Hard to believe this used to be one guy's house. Or so I've heard." Jack lets out a little hum, starting to lazily swim as well. "It is pretty huge. They had me sit in the back of a couple classes on my first few days. See if it was really for me," a barely seen shrug. "I think it used to be a family house." "This school could be at the bottom of a swamp and taught by Cthulu and I'd be alright with it. Like I said, it's kinda nice not being the only mutant. I went to a normal highschool for a long time and...it didn't go so well." Liv sighs softly before dipping under the water just enough to push her hair out of her face. "Eh, enough of the past. So...any advice for the new girl? People I should avoid? Awesome teachers? Tricks for getting away with trouble?" Jack just gives Liv a look at her hypothetical school description, shaking his head slightly. "I'll skip that school, thanks," he remarks. "Uh...well...Professor Holland is...pretty cool..." he trails off. "And Rictor and Dr. Grey are great too. And everyone seems to love Professor Wagner," he adds, floating on his back. "As for trouble...Shane is probably the one to consult about that. My tricks are kind of...specialized." "Hm, Professor Holland keeps being brought up. All I really know is that he bakes a lot for the students. Actually, that's good enough for me. Don't really know the others that well, other than passing them in the hall. Plenty of time to get to know them I suppose," Liv rattles on. "Can you even get away with trouble around here? I mean...there are so many mind-readers and telepathics, don't the teachers know what you're up to before you do?" Jack hums a little. "Who'd you get as your advisor?" he's curious and trying to steer away from the subject of Jax. "The teachers don't go probing our minds all the time...I mean they're teaching us ethical use of powers and all that. Besides...that would probably drive them all nuts," he chuckles. "Depends on the trouble in question I guess." Liv shrugs as she's asked about her adviser. "Oh...somebody. Don't remember. Too many names I've been trying to remember lately. And is that how that works? I always figured mind-reading was sort of like hearing; it just happens. I didn't know they had to actively try to use their powers. That's kinda cool." "I'm not sure cause I don't do telepathy," Jack replies. "But we got a basic explanation...like they pick up on surface stuff. Like...overhearing talking in a hallway. But they can block it out and they don't get anything really deep unless they go looking on purpose," he tries to explain. "Huh, still, more than I know. Probably a good thing I'm not telepathic. I know it's not nice to listen in but...it would just be so tempting." Liv dives under the water again, surfacing a couple feet away from Jack. "Have you ever looked at yourself underwater? I know that sounds weird but I mean...you can see where you are. Except you're not there. It's just not water there. It's really trippy and...sorry. I'm being rude aren't I?" Jack gives a little laugh. "Only when I'm moving," he points out. "If I hold really still, all you can see is the shorts," he points out. "Not that I know what it looks like beyond what people tell me," he takes a moment to duck under the water, that ghostly outline present. When he resurfaces, Jack lets out a breath. "I'm only...invisible to other people. I still see me." Liv chuckles a bit and shakes her head. "Yeah, sorry. I forgot that you still see you. I suppose not being able to see you would make things like brushing your hair and teeth a little trickier." She looks out over towards some of the others swimming. "Honestly, I'm really looking forward to meeting more people once classes start. The idea of having powers is just so...fascinating but I've never really had the chance to learn about any other than mine and I don't want to run up to people and ask them about theirs. I know it's a...touchy subject for some. And you might have noticed I have a tendency to say the wrong thing." "I don't know, brushing your teeth can be a feel thing more than a see. At least it always has been for me...even before this," Jack muses aloud. "Oh, I've said my share of dumb things too," Jack replies, letting out a breath. "I get it though. Lots of different mutants with lots of different powers...you'll learn a lot just by being in classes and hanging out around the place." "Yeah, that's what I'm hoping. Though with the whole bit about the school going public..." Liv fades off as she bites her bottom lip in thought. "I mean, I kinda liked that the school was hidden, in a way. I feel more open here. I'm just afraid of what will happen if people know the truth." Jack tenses as soon as the subject switches to the school going public. "Yeah...things going public is going to be...big," he murmurs. "Going to have a lot of eyes on us...and probably a lot of trouble at our front door..." "I just...I can't see why they would do that. I mean, I've heard the reasons but...if they were able to keep the school secret this long, why wouldn't they be able to keep it secret longer? Are they really worried people are going to find out anyway?" Liv simply bobs in the water, no longer swimming around as she contemplates the future. Jack is quiet for a long while, debating what to say. When he does, his voice is deadly serious. "Liv...have you heard anything about dreams people were having of the future?" he asks. "Because some of the stuff some of us saw there...yeah. People find out. And things go bad. Really damn bad..." he trails off, treading water. "Controlling how we get revealed is better than letting someone else do it..." Liv glances towards Jack as she silently listens to what he has to say. "I heard bits and pieces about dreams. Didn't have any or know any who did. I don't even know what happened in them. I...I guess if people find out anyway. Still...can't help but worry, right?" "Now you know someone who did," Jack replies. "And as crazy as it sounds...you know someone that actually traveled though freaking time to that future and saw how bad it got," he murmurs. "Keep it between us though," he adds. After a few moments, Jack lets out a breath and floats on his back. "Yeah...gonna be all kinds of things to worry about..." "Really? You had the dre-woah, the FUTURE?" Liv takes a moment before she realizes this is probably not something to get excited over. "I mean, wow. Must've been terrifying. I haven't heard anything good about that future. Maybe controlling how we're found out is for the best then. Still wish we didn't have to." "Terrifying would be a nice way to put it," Jack replies dryly. "I don't know...I think some of the people here could benefit from knowing how it feels to be a mutant that doesn't get to blend in..." Liv frowns slightly at Jack's opinion. "So what, it's harder for some so the rest of us get thrown under the bus? I like being able to blend in, mostly. Am I a bad person for wishing it could stay that way?" Jack looks over at Liv. "I didn't say you were a bad person," he says. "But there are plenty of people here who've been treating obvious mutants like crap...and plenty who don't have a lot of empathy for those of us who never got a choice in whether or not we get to blend in. People like me? We don't get a shot at that whole 'normal life' thing...people know we're mutants at first glance...and that's only if they don't assume we're monsters first." "Sorry, it's just...it seems like a lot of people are for the school going public because they're bitter they can't hide so they don't want anyone else to either," Liv says, returning to floating on her back. "I mean, I get it. You really don't have a lot of options and it really must suck to be obviously mutant but I don't think hating not obvious mutants is the answer. Not you specifically, just a general observation." "Hey, get kicked enough while you're down and you might get a bit bitter too," Jack sighs. "But its just a side reason. At least I think so...someone trying to find a positive to cover their own worries and stuff...even if it is a bitter one," he says. "And Liv...the antagonism isn't just because we can't hide. It's because a lot of them? They treat us like crap for no reason. Teachers included. Shane's got some stories about things that happened to him and B...and I've gotten some of it too. Not saying the hate is right but...not like its for no reason." "I guess I understand. Still sucks but I understand," Liv says. "I haven't seen anything like that but, well, I haven't been here that long. And green hair is kinda weird that it's not /natural/ but it's not actually /weird/ either. Lots of people have green hair for not mutant reasons." Jack offers an unseen smirk. "And hair color is hardly anything strange here. I mean we've got students and teachers that have a new one every day," he points out. There's a pause, Jack dunking himself again. "Reminds me...I gotta cut mine again. Getting a little shaggy..." Liv suddenly laughs. "Speaking of...someone told me Professor Munroe had a mohawk once. God I wish that was true. So I suppose me with green hair isn't so crazy." As Jack mentions the hair cut, she suddenly grins and shrugs. "If you want...I think it looks nice." "Wait, a mohawk? Seriously?" Jack stares and then laughs. Liv's comment gets a flat look then a laugh. "I know I make it look good but it gets in my eyes," he says. After a moment, Jack stretches. "I need to head back and shower up. Promised I'd head out with some people. I'll catch you later, Liv." Liv grins, happy her joke went over well as she begins backstroking further into the lake. "Yeah, catch you later, Jack."