ArchivedLogs:Treehouse of Studying

Treehouse of Studying
Dramatis Personae Jack and Liv
In Absentia	2015-10-04 Just homework in the treehouse
Location <XS> Treehouse
Built by enterprising students of yesteryear, this treehouse has weathered generations of Xaviers' students coming up here to study -- or escape from studying. A cozy retreat, its wood planks are sturdy and well-sanded, fit snug together to keep out draft. Snacks occasionally find their way up here, and the roof keeps the rain off well enough to pass a night -- so long as the teachers don't catch any students at it. For anyone agile enough to make the jump, a lucky leap juuust might carry them from here to the school rooftop, so long as they're careful of the drop... The rain and murkiness of the previous day have thankfully been chased away by the sun. The cold is still around but its not as bad as yesterday and people have come out to enjoy the emerging autumn. Jack's among them, not that he was chased inside yesterday. He's up in the treehouse behind the school at the moment. Of course he just looks like worn jeans, a long-sleeved blue shirt with the Giants logo on it, and worn sneakers left there. Jack's working on some homework up there, leaning back from where he's seated and humming a little tune while working. Liv begins climbing up, a backpack strapped across her back as she makes her way into the treehouse. She's gotten a lot better at noticing Jack and spots him almost right away. "Hey, mind if I join?" she asks, settling down against a wall and removing her backpack and setting it beside her. "I'm absolutely swamped in homework and the library was getting too stuffy." "That is exactly why I came out here too," Jack replies with a laugh. "Feel free to join me. Plenty of room," he offers, glancing up though its hard to tell unless one pays attention to the subtle movements of his shirt. "How's things going, Liv?" While Jack's talking, Liv subtly moves her hand. "Oh, pretty good. I've been thinking about clubs and sports. I'm uh...trying to be more active here than I was at my last school." As she speaks, a thin branch begins creeping its way into the treehouse from a nearby window. The leaf on the end twists and turns until it reaches Jack and begins tickling his cheek. Or at least, roughly where his cheek is - or should be. So it's probably just tickling the side of his face in general. "What sports are you thinking? I'm pretty much wrapped up in football this season," Jack's grin is almost audible which is good because its invisible. "Haven't decided on any clubs," he admits. Oblivious to the branch work, he writes a few more likes on the work sheet he's working on. When he gets leaf tickled, Jack sputters a few times and bats at the leaf. "H-hey!" Liv can't help but laugh as Jack reacts to the leaf. "Sorry, you just looked so...focused. I couldn't resist," she says, the leaf dropping limp to the ground, apparently no longer under her control. "Soccer maybe. Or maybe cheerleading. Or track in the spring. Possibly Student Council or the Science Club or Student Council. Considering a lot of things really." Jack gives Liv a little pout of a look bt then laughs. "Soccer'd be cool," Jack replies. "I don't think you're evil enough for cheerleading" he jokes. "Almost like there are too many options, huh?" "Exactly. I even considered theater just because it's there. There's just way too many options." Liv situates herself cross legged and pulls out a textbook, propping it open in her lap. "But how are you doing? Anything new with you?" "I considered it but I thought no one would want to not see an actor," Jack jokes. "But that's kinda how I felt when looking at all the options...so many choices. Not used to having that," he admits. Letting out a breath, Jack shrugs. "Not too much. Been working hard to stay in shape, started researching the type of stuff I'd have to do to be a private detective in New York, classes, that sort of thing." "A private detectice? What's what you want to do? That sounds really cool actually," Liv says, leaning back against the wall as she listens to Jack. "I mean...you'd be fantastic at it. You could trail someone for /days/ and they'd have no clue." She grins a bit and shakes her head. "That's another thing that has just too many options. I have no idea what I want to do when I'm older. Just soooo many choices." Jack's thankful his face is invisible since he's blushing. "It's...something I've been thinking about doing. I mean it might just be a dumb daydream..." he trails off. "I hope I'd be good at it," he replies sheepishly. Leaning back, Jack rubs the back of his neck. "Yeah...and the future's a little more...muddled for us. Kinda...have that mutant label on us automatically. All future employers will know the moment they hear we came from this place..." "Yeah...that is true. Though maybe things will actually start getting better. I heard Stark Industries is pretty tolerable of mutants and they're, I mean, they're best of the best." Liv shrugs slightly and glances down to her textbook. "Or hey, if push comes to shove, we could join up together. Lately I've been thinking about forensic science or working in a crime lab or something. We could be an awesome crime-fighting mutant team." She suddenly looks up. "That sounds like a really bad cable show." "Yeah. B works there I think," Jack remarks. "Not much an option for me unless they need an invisible janitor or something," he laughs. He blinks a few times at the proposed job and then flashes an invisible grin. "Bad cable or decent network show. We could replace Sleepy Hollow. And save a ton on special effects." "Now THERE'S a job you could do! Bad movie effects for Syfy! Instead of having a cardboard spaceship on a string, they can just have you hold it up and move it around." Liv can't help but grin at her own suggestion. "Or horror movies. You could be the poltergeist or ghost that throws stuff around the house and makes scary noises." Jack laughs. "I don't know. I'm pretty sure they can't have nudity like that on Syfy," the invisible teen jokes, blushing invisibly. When Liv mentions a ghost impression, Jack flashes an unseen grin. A little concentration and all the leaves and branches outside rattle and scrape against the walls. "I used to do that a lot actually...act like a ghost. It helped keep me out of some trouble back in Jersey." "Yeah, like instead of a department store Santa, you could be hired out to all of the haunted houses this time of year as a ghost." Liv looks up as the leaves and branches rattle. "And I thought I was the only one who could do that. Meanwhile, what am I going to do? Work at a florist? Well, that or a pot farm in Colorado. I'm pretty sure those are the /last/ people who would discriminate against mutants." "I could be a hell of a headless horseman too. I just have to learn how to ride a horse," Jack remarks. "Well, you could do it better. I was just using my TK," he says. He laughs at the idea of working at a pot farm. "They'd probably want you to make some special mutant kind of pot though." "Maybe. Moving all those branches and leaves might be trickier but if it's only just slight movement, maybe it's not so bad." Liv glances towards the opposite wall as if considering trying but apparently decides against it. She grins at Jack's comment though. "That's what I think. Or the world's strongest pot. A high that lasts for days. Maybe that wouldn't be so bad after all." "I just gave them a rattling. You could control them," Jack points out, gesturing at the leaf from earlier. He considers for a few moments and then an idea hits him. "Hey...if you could do that...do you think you could make a kind that doesn't give any high?" "I mean, I probably could but it takes a lot of energy to do some stuff. I'm still getting used to my powers. His suggestion about high-less pot gets a thoughtfull look before she responds. "I haven't actually tried, but I think so. I did take the poison out of a poison ivy plant once...I imagine it'd be similar." Jack lets out a thoughtful hum. "Well...think about it. If you could make a kind of pot that...I don't know...doesn't get people high and only has the pain relieving medical stuff in it...think of the people that could help. You could totally revolutionize stuff," he says with an unseen grin. Liv nods along as Jack gives his reasoning. "That...might actually require some studying though. I'd need some idea the chemicals and stuff in weed and what does what so I'd know what to mess with. It's an interesting idea though." Liv just gives a light shrug and grin. "It's a lot easier just to make giant blueberries and purple flowers." Jack's shirt collar tugs lightly to one side as he tilts his head. "Why would you make giant purple flowers?" he asks curiously. Liv grins and shrugs. "Why not?" She looks down and begins making notes in her textbook as if that explains everything and leaves no questions. Jack pauses and then laughs. "Sure, why not?" he echos. Turning his attention to his homework, he writes a few more lines before humming a bit. "So...uh...how was coffee?" he asks a little awkwardly after a few moments. Now it's Liv's turn to blush, her own more visible than Jack's. "Um...good. It was good. Coffee was good, Sergio was...nice," she says, smiling softly as she speaks. "We...we haven't set any plans in stone yet but I think we're going to go out for coffee again. Or maybe a movie. I don't know yet." Nodding, Jack's shirt moves with the motion. "Glad you two had fun," he replies honestly. "Could catch a movie then talk about the movie over coffee," since that sounds like a good date to him. "Sergio's a great guy," he agrees. After a few moments, he puts away the history book and starts taking out his chemistry stuff. "Hey...since you're good with science, could I get a little help?" he asks sheepishly.