[Mingle-Log] Only non-alcoholic beverages in the punch bowl...

[adminfury]

[This is an open mingle log. You do not have to be part of the community to post in this thread. Consider it a test-drive of sorts to get your voice or meet new characters!]



SHIELD Academy
Open House
Everyone is congregated in the spacious auditorium of the SHIELD Academy. The noise level is probably a decibel below deafening and the lights are probably a little dimmer than what might seem normal for this time in the evening, but it doesn't seem to bother anyone as they just carry on. There are banners strewn about welcoming all first years to a new chapter in their lives while others welcome the others back for another year at the Academy. Refreshments are served up on stage while other tables set up around the massive room are home to pamphlets and flyers for clubs and classes. Special electives and advertisements for training sessions are also littered amongst the tables.

Make a few friends, find old ones, look into clubs that catch your interest. This is open house for all returning students and prospective students, so hang out, hit up others and just mingle!

Comments

[unseasoned]

[Oh, poor guy. Virginia almost wonders if he's this shy around everyone, or maybe just girls. Either way, it's pretty clear just how hard he's trying, which oddly enough helps Pepper feel better. She's got all her own reasons to be awkward, but compared to Bruce, it's hard to feel that way at all.]

It's nice to meet you, Bruce Banner, Senior. [Still smiling, she looks down at the pamphlets. Hopefully talking about the clubs will be a bit easier on him.] I'm not really much of a science and math person. At least, not the complicated stuff. With a school like this, I'm imagining the ones who are must be genius level.

[unseasoned]

No. [Because what happens to her isn't magic at all. It's the stuff of nightmares rather than fairy tales, and Virginia can't see it in any other light regardless of how many times SHIELD has promised that she'll adjust.

She just wants to be a normal student, which makes this line of questioning a little hard for her.]

I don't know. They're supposed to specialize in training people with...abilities. [She almost mimics quotation marks with her fingers, but even without the motion he might still be able to hear them in her voice.] Maybe. Most people don't seem to be advertising it though.

[unseasoned]

Uh oh. You might want to be careful, or you could have angry choir members chasing you down for lying about how they dress. [Especially since everyone seems so eager to get new members into their ranks. Ties and cummerbunds could have teenagers running. Even someone like Virginia isn't so inclined to dress in them.]

We had a Student Business Association, for one. Plus Honor Society, which mostly did volunteer work. [Service and leadership. Virginia had enjoyed it, enough to continue the work when she hadn't been in school. In a way, it's what made her end up here.

She shakes her head, refusing to think about that right now.] Maybe someone, but enough to win? I don't know, it's hard to think I'd have a chance.

But you do know this school better than I do... [So maybe. It's hard to figure if he's trying to encourage her because he thinks she can do it, or to be nice.]

[anythingwithstrings]

"A freak," Maya answered, with all the grandeur of answering what color her hair was, or how the weather seemed. "I'm not a mutant, the current theory is a chemical interaction while my mother was pregnant. Some rare side-effect of an experimental MS drug."

Maya didn't bother with his sarcasm, she could tell what it was and didn't feel like teasing until her idle curiosity was sated, "And what are you? Other than really unhappy to be here."

[johnnyblake]

Shit, those're up already? Guess this really is happenin'. [ Blake slips from his spot, tugging Romanoff away from their quiet little spot on his way toward room assignments. ]

Why's it always so hard to believe summer's over? [ He huffs and scuffs at the ground in those battered Chuck Taylor's not ready to admit school's starting all over again.

When he comes to a stop in front of the list, it only takes a moment to skim for their names. He rolls his eyes. ] Coulson? Really? Fuck, there goes all our fun...

[vates]

[ Kevin fidgets, but tries to keep a blank expression. He has some of those abilities. They're crappy, but they're abilities that might be useful someday. And maybe if he practices with them enough, the headaches will stop? He guesses he'll have a chance to find out. ]

Would you? If you had abilities? [ Because either she doesn't or she's really got some self-hating issues. Or a really good poker face. ]

What will they train people without abilities to do, then? Be spies?

[vates]

This line of fantasy is preferable to the potential harsh reality of being trained and potentially exploited and experimented on. Now instead he's trying to imagine his brother in a tuxedo with a dry martini, and it's an amusing sight.

"And we'd have cool gadgets. Maybe they'll teach us how to make them here."

[johnnyblake]

[ He's got no problem being teased. It's all in good fun, right? ]

Loo, you got a point there. [ Johnny turns so he can slip and arm around her shoulders. ] What you're really seein' is how hot I am, right?

[vates]

"I haven't gone exploring yet, no. I'm mostly just trying to figure out more about what this place is and how it works."

Kevin bites his lip, the lowers his voice a little.

"This isn't the kind of place that experiments on the students, is it? Like something out of bad sci-fi?"

[thefifthelement]

[Right! All in good fun.]

[She glanced over at Johnny and gave him a skeptical look. In all honestly, yeah... he was pretty damn hot. And yes, she learned what Hot meant last year. But still... she raised a hand to touch the side of his cheek with the back of her fingers.]

You are a bit warm right now.

[mimid]

Bobbi didn't even bother asking if she'll be allowed to attend or not. For a second year, she still does what she wants, within reason.

"I'm definitely going," she announced with a grin. There were no intentions of really drinking on the first day back, but she did want to extend the fun before throwing herself headfirst into work.

[unseasoned]

[He's only right when he guesses that there's some level of hate involved; like Kevin, Virginia has abilities. They're ones she never asked for, and even thinking about them makes her feel uncomfortable in her own skin. She folds one arm in front of herself, gripping the other and lightly squeezing as she tries not to think about it. The last thing she needs is to start breaking down in the middle of orientation.]

Not a chance. [Even if powers and magic are all normal here, what she is, isn't. She's having a hard enough time adjusting to being the new girl. The last thing she wants on top of that is to be known as the victim. Maybe it's just a matter of time before people do start finding out, but for now, Virginia wants to keep her secrets.]

Or scientists, maybe. There's a club for it, if that kind of thing interests you.

[industria]

Ah, there's an idea. "Well."

Allison procures another empty sign up sheet another pen from her back pocket, handing it to Kate happily. "No pressure, but here's another sign up sheet if you happen to meet anyone who just wants to have some fun with arrows."

[voiceinthedark]

It's alright if they can pretend it's just gonna be fun and games and heroics. Keeps him from having to face the potentially grim reality for a while longer. "Yeah! Like... like exploding pens and things that can unlock any door or hack computers just by sticking them to the side."

[itsmychoice]

"I may just take you up on that. It probably wouldn't hurt to be able to actually land a punch." Gwen smiled. "So who are you rooming with this year?"

[itsmychoice]

"You never know, last year the class treasurer was a transfer. If you have a good platform usually people take these seriously." Gwen smiles again, something about this girl makes Gwen want to take her under her wing. "Besides you don't have to run for anything. I'm going for class president."

[itsmychoice]

"I never minded a healthy competition," Gwen said, "I'll talk about some of it, I'm going to use my research here too, I was told I could get use of one of the labs no one ever uses."

[pocketphysics]

[Jane wobbled a little before catching herself, then turned to look at who bumped into her]

Oh! No, you didn't. I'm used to being almost run over. Um, I think we had a class together last year, right?

[mischiefandlies]

I spent most of it learning. [He paused, letting that sink in, knowing she either wouldn't buy it or know there was more to it.] Magic, of course. If I don't keep a leg up on Kaplan, the crafty little mortal might actually surpass me. [In his three years here, he'd changed considerably. A rivalry like that used to make him venomous. Or maybe it was the fact that it was Billy that he didn't take it as a personal affront.] What usually goes on here over the summer seems to be the option for summer classes, clubs or activities, and optional Danger Room drills. I don't know, joining SHIELD after this year is over doesn't sound half bad if it's always this exciting. [Read that as: because he'd rather not go back home.]

[Her head hits his shoulder and he stiffens momentarily, reaching up awkwardly to pet her hair, not really sure what else to do.] Well, we will have to rectify that, won't we? [Even if she can't see the grin on his face, she should be able to hear it in his voice.] Allow me to remind you what a party is supposed to be like around 2100 hours tonight. Our dorm. Billy's treat. How's that for help?

[pocketphysics]

[Jane giggled a little bit, before straightening up]

Sometimes accidents can be the start of great things, Bruce. Though in that case, it would have been a little painful.

[pocketphysics]

[Oh goody, a fellow shortie. Jane is awfully glad to have some assistance, for oh my god, that senior looked like he ate a cow for breakfast daily and 12 eggs for a light snack]

I'm good, thank you. I really wish people would pay more attention to where they're going.

Re: Darcy Lewis | Marvel

[pocketphysics]

[Oh boy, an ickle firstie, and one who was a little bit shorter than her. Joy!]

Um, hi. Gathering options?

[itsmychoice]

"It's not a party until you're bleeding from numerous tiny cuts on your fingers and there's tape in your hair," Gwen smirked, "live a little MJ." So much sass.

[lefthandedgenius]

"Is that really the only thing you can think of that would get you in trouble?" Lydia drawls, casting her eyes heavenward. "Flip a table or something. God, I thought you were supposed to be an actual delinquent, not a juvie wannabe. Show some creativity, will you?"

She's teasing him now, a little. "The point is, like I said, if you don't want to be here, obviously you don't have to be. There are plenty of people here who do. Cleatly at some point you had an option and you chose this. So instead of being a jerk to everyone, take advantage of the opportunity. Try and get some friends, people who'll have your back. The only one who's going to make this place miserable for yourself is you. But I mean, if you honestly think state of the art tech, a swimming pool, a top notch athletic program, and better food than you're ever gonna find in any juvie hall is really worse than actually being in juvie? You're probably better off there. But I'm gonna bank on you not actually being an idiot. Go ahead though," she gestures vaguely toward him. "Prove me wrong."

[ensared]

He nodded, pointing a finger when she hit the nail on the head. "I'm not much for crowds," he admitted with a shrug. "I'd rather talk to someone on my own time than be shoved into a room with everyone all at once."