Logs:Exploratory Mission

Exploratory Mission
Dramatis Personae Bryce, Dallen, Rhydian, Roscoe
In Absentia	2023-10-21 "Maybe I wasn't earnest and sincere enough."
Location <XAV> Library - Xs First Floor
Xavier's librarian might hope the library is a quiet place to sit and study, but with a school full of teenagers that is not always the case. Nevertheless, it is certainly a treasure trove of knowledge, well-stocked with a wealth of books on its high shelves. Its reference section is vast, though its fiction is as well (much to the delight of many of its students.) The wide octagonal tables and smaller armchairs are often crowded with students, though the whispered conversations that often take place leave some doubt as to how much work is getting done at any given hour. It's a chill kind of Saturday -- glorious weather has lured many of the mansion's residents outdoors or into the city for the weekend, leaving the actual school buildings considerably quieter than they'll likely be later tonight. The library's peace is -- not actually getting that disturbed as the door pushes open, the boy who is currently emerging seems exaggeratedly hushed as he enters this sanctum of books. His eyes have gone wide-wide as he looks around, as if he's never seen a library before (or perhaps just as if he's had such a deep love of them instilled that they all fill him with such delight.) Even among the weirdos of Xavier's, Bryce stands out vividly -- his clothes are extremely boring, jeans and sneakers and a green-bordered grey ringer tee, but the rest of him is bright-bright-bright. There's bold red and purple feathers lining his arms and sprouting in place of his hair, and this jars oddly with the doglike furry muzzle-shape of his nose and mouth. "Oh-h-h," he's whispering to someone still behind him in the hall, and then beelining towards the religion section: "this is the best part yet." Rhydian sat quietly at one of the library tables, engrossed in a book on ancient mythology. The tranquil atmosphere of the library provided her with a sense of calm and solace. As she turned a page, she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. Glancing up, she saw a boy entering the library with an exaggerated hush, his eyes wide with awe. Curiosity piqued, Rhydian observed the boy's vibrant appearance. Feathers adorned his arms, contrasting with the furry muzzle-shape of his nose and mouth. His excitement was palpable as he made a beeline towards the religion section. Intrigued by his enthusiasm, Rhydian bookmarked her page and closed her book, deciding to approach him. With measured steps, Rhydian approached the boy, a polite smile gracing her lips. "Good afternoon," she greeted him in a soft, well-mannered tone. "I couldn't help but notice your enthusiasm for the library. Is there something in particular that has caught your interest in the religion section?" She gestured towards the shelves filled with books on various faiths and belief systems. Rhydian's eyes sparkled with genuine curiosity, eager to engage in a conversation and learn more about his fascination. She valued the opportunity to connect with others and understand their passions, always willing to give her time and attention with care and consideration. Trailing behind Bryce is a smaller boy, East Asian and resembling him not at all save for the same expression of awed excitement. He's dressed in a yellow and gray raglan shirt, dark blue jeans, and and gray sneakers. His black hair is shorn short and sticks up unevenly at the crown and his complexion looks honestly kind of awful next to the yellow, but he otherwise looks very put together as he trails Bryce in. "I keep thinking that, every time I see another part of this...castle." He's immediately zeroing critically in on the Christianity section and is still looking for whatever he's looking for when Ryhdian approaches. "Hi!" he says, also exaggeratedly hushed. "It's important to study the faiths of the world," he replies earnestly, even though the question had been addressed to Bryce. "Hi," Bryce greets Rhydian when she approaches -- still in a whisper but with a bright undertone to it that certainly implies a smile even if his face isn't quite shaped right for smiling. He's been eying the Christianity section, too, but turns away from it with a small upward bounce onto his toes. "I just wanted to see if they have the restored gospel, a lot of people haven't had a chance to hear it yet. Do you go here -- oh that's probably silly of course you -- I'm Bryce, this is my brother," the slight emphasis he gives the word suggests this is something he is used to being preemptively emphatic about, "Dallen." His eyes are flicking past Rhydian to her table, curious. "Are you studying?" Rhydian's attention shifted to the smaller boy who trailed behind Bryce, his excitement mirroring that of his companion. She listened attentively as he expressed his amazement at the grandeur of the mansion. Noticing his focus on the Christianity section, she found herself intrigued by his dedication to studying different faiths. "Hello, Dallen," Rhydian greeted him with a warm smile, appreciating his earnestness. "You're absolutely right, understanding the faiths of the world is indeed important. It allows us to gain insights into different cultures and perspectives." She nodded in agreement, appreciating his dedication to expanding his knowledge. Turning her attention back to the other boy, Rhydian nodded at his question. "Yes, I am a student here at Xavier's, however I’m not currently studying." she confirmed. "It's a pleasure to meet both of you. I'm Rhydian." She extended a hand towards the boys, offering a friendly handshake. "Yeah!" Dallen's voice gets more hushed in his excitement, his body language more reserved that his brother's, too. "Understanding other perspectives helps us share our testimony respectfully and effectively." He shakes Rhydian's hand, firm and polite and more confident than the rest of his carriage suggests. "What's your name?" He glances over at the table she's been sitting at. "And what are you reading about?" "Rhydian," Bryce repeats -- to his brother, this time, and then to Rhydian, offering his hand in turn after Dallen: "Oh it's nice to meet you! Do you like it here? Our brother went here but that was a long time ago, so we haven't --" He scrunches his brows up, chewing slowly on the inside of his cheek, and changes tack: "-- anyway I've never seen a school this fancy in my life, there's marble on the sinks." Rhydian nodded in agreement with Dallen's statement about understanding other perspectives aiding in sharing one's testimony respectfully. "Exactly, Dallen. It's important to approach discussions with respect and empathy, allowing for meaningful exchanges of beliefs and experiences." Returning Bryce's handshake, Rhydian smiled warmly. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well. And yes, I do enjoy it here at Xavier's. It's a unique and vibrant community with so much to offer." She listened attentively as he mentioned their brother having attended the school in the past, understanding their curiosity about the place. Chuckling softly at Bryce's mention of fancy sinks, Rhydian nodded. "Yes, the school certainly has its fair share of grandeur. The architecture and amenities are quite impressive. It's a place that encourages growth, both academically and personally." Glancing back at her table, Rhydian gestured towards the book she had been reading. "I was actually reading about ancient mythology, delving into the stories and beliefs of different cultures. It's always fascinating to explore the rich tapestry of human mythology and the lessons we can learn from them." Dallen ducks his head, embarrassed. "Rhydian," he repeats. "Nice to meet you!" At Bryce's mention of their brother he glances at the Christianity section again, maybe a little critically, but he drags his attention back quickly, nodding along with Rhydian's pamphlet-ready introduction of the school. "Growth! Kind of literally! The conservatory is so amazing, and we haven't even seen the outside gardens yet." His hands are growing restless and he clasps them behind his back in what he probably thinks is a casual way. "That's so neat! Which culture's mythology?" Bryce is nodding along Very Seriously with Rhydian's words, and he's drifting towards her table on autopilot to peer at the book she had been reading. "We're always striving to grow," he agrees, the whisper starting to fade out of his voice though he's still speaking in a Carefully Practiced Indoor Voice, "academically, spiritually -- um," he's glancing quick and questioning to his brother as if for some kind of confirmation that this conversation is a Good Opening before venturing (kind of hopefully): "-- letting the light of God into your life helps so much with growth, have you read His Gospel?" After only a brief pause, an addendum: "His real gospel." There is a slight thud at the door before it opens, but a moment later a third newcomer is coming into the library, catching the door to shut it very soft behind him before he approaches this little assembly. He's (Southeast) Asian too, also with short sticking-up hair, but he's dressed in joggers and a too-big Dragon Ball Z hoodie; his hands are mostly hidden by the sleeves. It looks like Roscoe only heard the very tail end of this conversation -- he says promptly, as though Bryce was talking to him, "Uh, what now?" before he looks at the label on the shelf. Then back at Bryce -- maybe there's a flicker of a reaction, there, but a very brief one. "The Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ," Dallen clarifies in what he probably thinks is a helpful fashion, his interest shifting very abruptly and very keenly to the newcomer. "Hi, I'm Dallen and this is my brother, Bryce. We just transferred here, and we were exploring this castle, and we wanted to see what religious texts they have here, and..." He trails off, blinking. "Oh! Sorry, I'm being so rude! What's your name?" "Oh hi!" The feathers atop Bryce's head fluff up as his attention turns to Roscoe. "We were just looking through this library, it's way bigger than the one at our last school buuut it doesn't have --" He cuts himself off before the end of this sentence, maybe feeling like he is Too New to be criticizing the school's shortcomings already. Instead he's pivoting cheerfully: "Do you live here, too? Is everyone really all mutants?" He's peering curiously at Roscoe as if perhaps he can detect the mutancy. "Restored, huh," says Roscoe; he's now squinting in a more skeptical manner, but when he squints at the Allreds it is marginally amused. "So you both got a thing, I guess. I'm Roscoe." "Nice to meet you, Roscoe!" Dallen chirps. "We have a lot of things, but we haven't really had a chance to unpack yet. But this library has a copy, too." He plucks a dark blue hardbound book unerringly from the shelf they're standing next to, even though the volume is slim and understated amidst the various bibles. The cover reads, The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. "It has really important messages for everyone, no matter what religion tradition you were raised in." "Roscoe," Bryce echoes with the careful conscientiousness of someone trying Very Hard to commit a lot of things to memory in a short span of time. "Are you --" He squints back at Roscoe -- then at his brother -- then back at Roscoe before venturing uncertainly: "... from around here?" And, a moment later, far more certainly: "Oh, we have a lot of thing, God will give liberally to him that asketh," comes with a cheerful confidence. "Which I feel like is extra important around here when we're -- okay I know we're not on our own but it's really far from home." Roscoe is now squinting at the Book of Mormon, before his glance darts very quick at Bryce and returns to semi-normal. "Oh," he says, "yeah, okay. I'm -- I'm from Boston." Do the Allreds need this to be in scare-quotes? It's in scare-quotes nonetheless. "I'm -- if I was gonna find Jesus, I probably..." this trails into a slight frown as he finishes, "I would've found him already," with some uncertainty. It resolves itself when he shakes his head. "Where you from?" Dallen is studying Roscoe with a look of very mild...perplexity? Something. "I think it can be really hard to find Jesus because when people say that, they mean so many different things. But the best place to start looking is always in the earnest and sincere prayer of a humble and pure heart." This one definitely sounds like something he's memorized and practiced saying. "Boston," he repeats, without the scare quotes. "That's not too far, is it? We're from Salt Lake City." Still no scare quotes, but there's a distinctive note of pride in his quiet voice. "But it's so exciting to be in New York City. Do you like it here?" "Ohhhh, the Celtics." Bryce doesn't have scare quotes but the small upward curl of his lip bares his long canines briefly; it's as much distaste as he allows himself before continuing gamely on: "I've never been there, this is the first time we've even been on this coast. How long have you been here? Have you seen the garden, it's inside. Do you like basketball? I haven't checked out the athletic center yet but I hear it's so nice." Roscoe's stare turns from Bryce to Dallen, nodding agreeably to these explanations. "Huh," he says. "Maybe I wasn't earnest and sincere enough." He doesn't seem extremely bothered that he might be missing out on this Jesus thing; he's still nodding very politely along to their earnestness and sincerity. "I'unno, I'm pretty new, I've been here all of, like, half an hour, but I think I saw the garden, and --" he glances first over his shoulder, then over his other shoulder, before he continues -- "the athletic center, I just -- I haven't played any sports since middle school, I'm waaay out of practice." His gaze is flicking back to Bryce with wary intrigue -- "Do you like basketball? Do you like..." clearly he can't remember the names of any Utah sports teams at all; he gives up quickly. "So...both of you are brand new here?" "Oh, yes, we just got here, too! This is so exciting, we can learn about this school together!" Dallen hugs The Book of Mormon to his chest, hands shoved behind opposing arms. He's not hunched, but the posture does make him look even tinier. "Our team is the Utah Jazz. They're starting this season strong! Bryce is so good at basketball, but I haven't really played...since middle school, either." Admittedly, Dallen looks like he should still be in middle school. "Not at school, anyway. I play after meeting sometimes. But my point is, I'm not very good! But it can still be fun to play, right?" He smiles shyly. "And if you ever want to pray or study scripture with us, we'll all be living together!" "It takes practice," Bryce tells Roscoe, and then clarifies: "-- prayer, not bas... okay, also basketball." But after a brief hitch of pause where he's trying to smile and remembering it still doesn't quite work in this face, he's nodding encouragingly at his brother. "But yeah! It's not about winning it's about having fun, you don't have to be good to enjoy teamwork." His eyes have gone a little wider, his feathers fluffing once more. "I was a little worried," he confides, "about being the only new kids halfway through the semester but maybe if we stick together -- oh do you want to go check out the athletic center? If it's anything like this I bet it's silly fancy, like," he's considering, deciding: "-- gold-plated hoops." This is definitely a joke, but given he says it with the same cheerful earnestness he's said everything else, it's a coin-toss whether that's readily apparent to anyone who did not grow up with him. Perhaps it is too subtle a shift to be noticed, confounded by Roscoe's guarded expression and resting bored face, but by the time Dallen suggests praying and studying scripture together, the polite interest Roscoe has been displaying has morphed into genuine... well, morbid curiosity is a kind of interest, right? "Wow," he says. "I've never thought about sports that way." He's watching Bryce's ruffly feathers very closely -- he says bracingly, "Yeah, sure, whatever. You wanna see the gym?" He glances over his shoulder again, tilts his head -- when he turns back to look at the others it is with a toothy grin. "Yeah, what the hell, that is a nice gym."