Clearing Heads

by **Molly McFly** » Tue Oct 13, 2015 1:19 am

"I, uh, get bigger.

Or smaller."

by **Jezabelle Sherlock** » Tue Oct 13, 2015 1:52 am

"Well, that's pretty impressive! You must be on one of the teams, huh?"

by **Molly McFly** » Tue Oct 13, 2015 4:10 am

"Me? No no nono. You couldn't get me anywhere near that death trap."

by **Jezabelle Sherlock** » Tue Oct 13, 2015 5:21 pm

Jez stifled a little laugh. "Yeah, I honestly felt the same way. But a few students have been suggesting I at least learn a little bit of self defense, so I may try it."

by **Molly McFly** » Tue Oct 13, 2015 9:41 pm

"The teams are more like, I dunno, some kind of weird commando stuff. Not for me."

by **Jezabelle Sherlock** » Thu Oct 15, 2015 3:44 am

"Yeah, I don't wanna be like something out of a comic book either."

by **Molly McFly** » Thu Oct 15, 2015 4:52 am

"I know, right? It's like, some of these people need to realize you can just buy spandex if that's what you get off on."

by **Jezabelle Sherlock** » Thu Oct 15, 2015 11:49 pm

"Well, I'm sure there's the thrill of adventure and stuff." Jez mused. "But some kids came from pretty bad spots. I'm sure they just want to give something back so others don't have to go through what they did."

by **Molly McFly** » Fri Oct 16, 2015 4:27 am

"By punching people in the nose?"

by **Jezabelle Sherlock** » Sat Oct 17, 2015 6:04 am

"Well, only if they're bad. You have to admit, some people deserve a broken nose."

by **Molly McFly** » Sat Oct 17, 2015 7:28 pm

"I'm not sure I trust the people around here to judge who those people are."

by **Jezabelle Sherlock** » Sat Oct 17, 2015 11:01 pm

"Have SOME faith in the staff. They've been all through this before. And that's part of the reason why some kids join the teams, to learn how to judge that."

by **Molly McFly** » Sat Oct 17, 2015 11:51 pm

"Yeah, but have you MET these kids?"

by **Jezabelle Sherlock** » Sat Oct 17, 2015 11:53 pm

"Probably some of them." Jez shrugged. "You seem tense. You should probably have some green tea instead of coffee."

by **Molly McFly** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 12:50 am

"You think that would help?"

by **Jezabelle Sherlock** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 12:52 am

"Yeah. You seem a little more... on edge than I thought."

by **Molly McFly** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 1:42 am

"What do you mean?"

by **Jezabelle Sherlock** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 2:27 am

"Well... you're kind of acting like you've been put in a zoo or something. People are pretty crazy with freedom when they get to university, and I guess for a lot of kids they've never had it this good. They may have been the only mutant they've ever known, and suddenly they're surrounded with people just like them, so I guess they're going to be extra rambunctious. But it can't be nearly as bad as you're letting on. Maybe you need to just relax and roll with it a bit. In a few weeks things will settle down."

by **Molly McFly** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 2:47 am

"But...so many of the people here are...

I mean, they're..some of them are really weird, you know?"

by **Jezabelle Sherlock** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 2:52 am

Jez opened her mouth and then paused.

"Molly, could you tell me what life was like for you? Like, growing up? How did your friends and family react to your abilities?"

by **Molly McFly** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 2:58 am

"They were...not big fans of it," Molly admitted. "It's not good to suddenly get smaller around people who don't like you much to begin with."

by **Jezabelle Sherlock** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 3:01 am

"But you had friends who supported you still, right? And family who love you?"

by **Molly McFly** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 3:02 am

Molly looked a little bit uncomfortable. "You know how people are..."

by **Jezabelle Sherlock** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 3:19 am

Jez reached out and patted Molly's hand.

"So you have an idea of how rough it can be for some. Now imagine if things were even worse for you. That's what some of these kids are going through, and have gone through for years. You and me, we're lucky enough that we don't look any different from anyone else. Some of these kids are obviously, visibly different - and some of them have been that way since birth. Some of these kids have powers that make them a danger to themselves and others. Some have a lot of fear to work through, and others have a lot of anger. Anger at themselves for being born this way, at their friends and families for abandoning them, anger at others for hating and fearing them. So they deal with it however they can. They make themselves feel better about themselves by how they dress, doing what they enjoy. They use that anger in their training to push themselves farther, so that they can be stronger; to strike back at those who would hurt them, or to stand up for others the way they wished someone had stood up for them.

"And a lot of us are from countries that don't let us drink this early, so that's going to play a role too."

by **Molly McFly** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 3:24 am

Molly grumbled something as the waitress brought her tea.

"Still doesn't mean they couldn't act with a little more...I don't know. Normalness. Isn't that the goal?"

by **Jezabelle Sherlock** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 3:28 am

Jez smiled softly to the waitress, warming her hands on the sides of her over sized coffee mug.

"Should we have to hide who we are? We make shows for kids telling them they're special, to just be themselves. Does that message not apply to us?"

by **Molly McFly** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 3:32 am

"Those are cartoons, you know? Comic books and stuff. This is real life."

by **Jezabelle Sherlock** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 3:40 am

"The medium is just a means to send the message. A cartoon telling you to be yourself doesn't make it any less important than a person saying it."

by **Molly McFly** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 3:42 am

"But there are realities. And if you're going to fit in, you know, you shouldn't....like....do weird stuff."

by **Jezabelle Sherlock** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 3:45 am

"Molly, we're at the only school in the world where our fellow students will think our powers are cool instead of being afraid. Can you blame us for wanting to show off a little bit?"

by **Molly McFly** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 3:48 am

"Well...I mean, even then, though...I get that some people might...show off...but...

I mean, we're all living in such...close quarters. Can't they be a bit more...respectful?"

by **Jezabelle Sherlock** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 3:56 am

"Okay, now you're talking about something specific." Jez took a sip of her coffee; dark and straight. "What's really the problem? Or rather, who?"

by **Molly McFly** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 3:59 am

"It's not just a who, its an everyone.

It's my roommate, who apparently decided the best way to get to know me is to press all my buttons right from the beginning. It's that mad scientist weirdo and his goo-boy lover across the hall. It's the plant kid who has walked in on me in the showers. It's just....there's not enough room here. It doesn't feel safe.

...Why am I telling you all this?"

by **Jezabelle Sherlock** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 4:15 am

"Because you needed someone who would listen." Jez sipped her coffee again before adding just a little bit of honey to it.

"The first month is going to be awkward for everyone. Kids who are used to having their own room and their own schedules have to deal with sharing. It's not like any of these people are trying to purposefully upset you, are they?

"Well, I can't speak for your roommate. Maybe pushing your buttons isn't the best way of making friends... but maybe you have a few too many buttons to tempt her with, too? A wise man once said to me; sometimes you just have to not give a shit. She might just be trying to get you to loosen up a bit. It might not be the right way, but I'm willing to put enough trust in someone to assume they didn't mean any harm."

by **Molly McFly** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 4:20 am

"What would you suggest I do, then? Just...slap them silly when they do stupid things? Stoop down to their level?"

by **Jezabelle Sherlock** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 4:31 am

"Well, if someone is being a quippy little smart ass, you can quip back. Or if you feel you're being baited, try just letting it roll past you. Shrug and go "meh whatever", change the subject, show 'em that they're not going to annoy you."

by **Molly McFly** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 4:36 am

"You can't just go 'meh' when something bothers you! THen they'll just do it more,"

by **Jezabelle Sherlock** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 4:40 am

"Are they doing it because they know it bothers you, or are they doing it because they don't know it bothers you?"

by **Molly McFly** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 5:28 am

"I don't know why people do things. I'm not a mind reader."

by **Jezabelle Sherlock** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 6:05 am

"Well, my advice would be that if it really bothers you a lot, to just ask them not to do it because it makes you uncomfortable. If they don't have to do it, they'll probably stop. If they do have to do it, they may explain why in a way that it no longer bothers you as much."

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