New Arrival

[husk]

Even though she had never been to the mansion before, Paige Guthrie strode in with an air of confidence. She was a woman on a mission, and nothing stopped Paige from getting what she wanted. She walked through the front door of the Xavier mansion as if she owned the place, and looked around the room. The mansion had been an impressive sight, walking through the gates and up the driveway. The interior was breath-taking. Her life had been a simple one, and this place was anything but simple.

She'd spent about 8 hours on a hot, sticky bus coming up here. Because it had been impossible to sleep, Paige told herself over and over about how amazing and exciting things would be once she got to New York in order to deal with the abombidable conditions, and now she was completely wired with energy. Someone better show up soon, or Paige would just start exploring on her own.

Paige grinned to herself. This was exactly where she wanted to be. She couldn't wait to start meeting other mutants.

[candice]

Candice sighed defeatedly, and waited for the elevator doors to open. She’d only been home for half an hour, and already there were so many things to do. Her desk had a veritable mountain of paperwork, her email inbox was getting rather full, and there were other smaller things to account for as well…

Storm must have been busy, and judging by the news, it was understandable as to how and why. That worried Candice too… the kids must be terrified by the reports coming out of there. Someone needed to address them. She’d have to do that in the morning.

For now her first order of business would be to greet the girl who’d just walked through the door. She’d noticed her come in through the many cameras around the school, the same fashion she’d used to know there were a few other new arrivals, all of which she’d have to get to in order. First, the blonde. Then that blue slug guy and the cute little girl.

The doors opened with a *ding*, and she stepped out and walked out towards the blonde, a sunny (slightly lopsided) smile on her face.

“Hi there.” She said, holding out her hand for a shake. “I’m Candice Taylor, Administrator for the school – which basically means I run the place while the headmistress is out. Are you wishing to join, visiting, or just looking for information?”

[husk]

It seemed out of nowhere, a door opened and out stepped a woman. To Paige, it was like her fairy godmother had just appeared. She eagerly took the offered hand and shook it profusely. She might not have been the the number one in the school, but Paige was happy all the same.

"Can I first just say how wonderful it is to finally be here? I had heard about this place ages ago, but I only managed to come up now. I'm really looking to join the school, and just be in this type of environment where I'm not a minority." She paused for a moment, battling with her mild embarrassment. "The X-men are kind of like a super-hero team, and I wanted to know more about them, too."

Paige gave a sheepish smile to the other woman. After saying out loud, it sounded as corny as she thought it was, but it was the truth. "So can I stay here?"

[candice]

Candice couldn’t help but smile wider, the girl was so excited. She seemed to have been anticipating this very meeting for quite a while, as was with many of the older students. This one had to be 17? 18?

“Of course you can stay.” She said, “There is, of course some paper work and things that need be done, but we can set you up tonight with a room, and tomorrow work out a program with you.”

She paused, thinking for a moment, and her smile slackened somewhat. There it was, she realized, the X-men. Always with the X-Men.

“Well, they’re not the Justice League or anything. They’re more like a counter-mutant-terrorist force. Xavier’s intention was to have them there in case mutant threats popped up that human authorities couldn’t deal with. I will introduce you to Orroro or Logan, later, if you have questions about them – they do the recruiting… though I think you should stay with the school for a while before considering that option. Again, though, it’s really your choice.”

Then she laughed a little bit, realizing how adamant she gets about the X-men’s involvement with the school, and visibly relaxed. “First, you should tell me your name.”

She turned a bit to the side and gave the approaching blue mutant a smile. There was always a special place in her heart for mutants with visible mutations. It wasn’t a pity at all, but just a warmth, an empathy. Her experiences early with her own mutations gave her a better understanding of their plight.

She turned back to the blonde to get her name, before addressing the new one.

[husk]

"oh, silly me. I completely forgot to introduce myself. I'm Paige Guthrie, just a girl from Kentucky. And thank you so much, this is a dream come true for me. I'm practically jumping out of my skin, so to speak." She had always loved that expression, given what her mutation was. It would be even better to be around others who would understand the humor behind it, too.

Paige looked over and saw a blue boy walking over. Physical mutations were something of a novelty to her, and she stared with open wonder. She had never suffered at the hands anti-mutant humans, choosing to keep her abilities a secret from the public, and having her older brother look after her. She only knew that being a mutant meant a person had strange powers and abilities, so she never saw the hard life that many endured through. Paige offered a smile to boy. She thought the blue skin was cool.

[Maggott]

((OOC: He's no longer blue, but thanks for the segue, both of you!!))

Maggott strode away from the four little girls and towards the two women. Both were looking at him and Maggott had to fight with himself to keep from getting too excited. As he stopped in front of them he pulled on his suit coat to straighten it out.

"Hello, seems like I missed the meet and greet." He held out his hand to Candice first. "I'm Maggott."

[candice]

Candice nodded as Paige introduced herself, not able to help her grin from returning due to the sheer excitedness of her. It was very contagious. Then she again turned to face the young blue man… only, now she felt like a real idiot. She’d forgotten about the section of the entry hall lit for a special ice-sculpture project Bobby had done for his art classes. The blue ambient lighting had a Tendency to paint a blue tint across anything within the confines of it, and was off the ground enough to be nearly invisible otherwise. The kid wasn’t blue – but he was dressed nice, and was a very nice looking boy, even handsome. He looked possibly African.

Maggott?

Her smile was very kind, and genuinely interested in the welfare of the two. If she felt odd at his name, she didn’t show it. She’d be working with strange mutants with strange powers and strange names for years now, and each one she’d taken the time to really get to know. She took the young man's hand and shook it firmly.

“Hello Maggot, I’m Candice Taylor, Administrator for the school. Basically the catch-all title for the person in charge while the Headmistress is away, which she frequently is. Actually, you’re just in time for the meet and greet. Paige here is just through the door as well…”

She stepped to the side, releasing his hand and letting the two introduce each other. It was actually convenient that the two arrived so closely, as they’d likely need to relate to someone in a similar situation. Very good timing, indeed, as she considered how to buddy them up.

[phase]

Hannah saw the new face, looking a lot like MIss Jenny with her glasses and brown hair. Hopping down the hallway in bare feet, she still wore the hospital greens she showed up in a few days ago. In the shuffle pre-Baltimore, it seemed she'd gotten lost.

Eany and Meany were soon left behind as Hannah's young attention span gave way to curiosity.

"Hi! Hi! I'm Hannah." She bounces on her toes, looking at the new people.

[husk]

Maggott? She wondered why that was his name. It wasn't like he was unattractive, he wasn't even blue, now that he stepped out of the light. Just as she was about to offer her hand to the man, a cute little girl bounced in, immediately delcaring herself as Hannah.

Paige squatted down to meet the girl at eye level, something she had picked up from the local mothers in her home town. "What a cute little girl you are Hannah! I'm Paige, very nice to meet you." She looked back up at Maggott and Candice. "So I'm guessing I'm not the only person here who's new?"

[candice]

Candice’s heart immediately melted, and how could it have not? Hannah was probably the cutest little girl she’d ever seen – and the school had seen some doozies.

She looked over to Paige and smiled. “Nope, you three are all new.”

Oh boy, this is going to take some work… why’s this always happen whenever I go on vacation? Or when Monroe's gone?

“Well, Hannah,” She said, bending down with hands on her knees. “Let’s get you some clothes first, okay? Can you walk with us while I show these two their rooms, and talk about how we’re going you three situated in the school? I know where we have some spare jammies for you.”

Storm had left a brief memo on Hannah, explaining her story. It appalled Candice to no end that someone would have raised her in such an environment, and really disturbed her how she was just dumped here. From what she gathered, this Miss Jenny was probably someone with the child’s best interests in mind, but she should’ve stayed long enough to explain more. Or even left a note, or something.

She let Maggot and Paige and Phase do a circular greet while they were walking towards the elevator. She offered her hand if Hannah needed it, but if not, she’d just let the girl walk along with them as a big girl.

In a place not to disturb anything the three would say, she added to Maggott: “I’m not incorrect in assuming you want to stay here, correct? To attend the school? Or are you just visiting?”

[phase]

Hannah walked along with the others like a big girl, even if her steps bounced. She smiled widely at Paige. Paige felt good. In fact, everyone seemed to be in a pretty good mood.

"Dop, pop, sop, flop, drop, mop, cop..." she chanted to herself, taking big steps with every word to keep up with the adults.

[Maggott]

Maggott smiled down as the girl, who he only now learned was called Hannah, joined them. He introduced himself to Paige, though he thought the greeting was too short.

"Thank ya, ma'am, I'd love to stay here. Haven't had a decent home in too long."

((OOC: sorry about the crappy reply. I'm on vacation so I'll be a little out of it the next couple days...feel free to move them throughout the mansion or whatever, he'll just tagalong))

[husk]

The little girl was adorable and the boy wasn't half bad either. With each step she took deeper into the mansion, a sense of belonging grew inside her. Paige was going to make something of herself from here. The answers were within these walls and the people here were the key. First she needed to get the necessary information from Candice, and then she'd seek out the other residents in this place.

Paige looked down at Hannah and couldn't resist tousseling her hair. She reminded her of her own younger sister she had left back home. they were probably missing their oldest sister, but everyone has to leave the nest sometime, and for Paige, that sometime had been now.

[candice]

The three seemed an amiable trio, and Candice was glad they seemed to get along nicely. Her new students would be teamed from here on in for ease, particularly the older two. Well, mainly the older two.

She gave them a brief tour of the school as she went through it, all the while discussing the ins and outs of what they’d be doing there. After getting the ages of the older ones, she said she’d have to consider what all they’d be learning, as they’d already graduated high-school. For them, ultimately, it would be more learning to use and control their mutant powers, and how to interact with society. They’d likely be looking at working FOR the school soon, and less going TO the school. It’d still be a home, of course, and that was for decisions later. For now, they were students.

Candice swung through a hall in the middle level, and pulled some PJ’s out for Phase. Pausing outside a room to let her change, they continued on after she had done so.

After about thirty minutes of touring and talking, the three were at least educated in the basics of the school. The older ones understood what they needed to fully be accepted, and the basic paperwork required in the morning. They knew what rooms they’d be in, and had assigned times to meet Candice in the morning. She had the older two paired in their basics, having them meet her together in the morning. It would be good for them.

( ooc we can keep playing here, you’re call, just thought I’d get the technical stuff outta the way there )

[husk]

Paige now had a room, a fistful of paperwork that would let her stay in the mansion, and a partner for general classes. Things were looking good. She still hadn't met up with an X-man yet, but that would come in due time. For now she turned to Candice.

"How did you end up working here, if you dont mind my asking? An administrator for a mutant haven. This place isn't easily found unless you're looking for it."

[candice]

The Administrator of the school, a difficult job? She'd never thought of it that way. “Actually, it was quite easy – I was a student here for years. I'm a mutant, too. Don't ask me what I 'do', that's a story for another day.” She half chuckled, almost in an embarrassed way. Looking at the tile for a moment, she looked back at Paige. “Needless to say, I've been here a long time. I went to college, and found I couldn't leave Xavier's... not in my heart. So here I am.”

Candice had to inevitably take care of Hannah, and said her final words about the school to Husk and Maggott. She brought the two to the rec-room, and introduced them to some other students. They were met well, as both were good-looking (which mattered WAY too much to teenagers), and Candice again apologized for the having to leave. She double checked the date for tomorrow morning, and walked with Phase towards the room Phase had been given, leaving the two to their own devices.

She discussed the life the little girl had had prior the mansion, though did well not to intrude too much.

(( ooc Husk/Maggott, sorry to bail, there's just a lot of stuff this charecter is needed for at the moment. We'll get pleny of RP in soon enough, I assure you. =) ))

[phase]

Hannah told her virtually nothing of use- what Hannah knew about her own situation was little.

But she carried her hospital greens in her arm and held Candice's hand in the other. Walking down the hallway, she yawned widely.

"Whens Kitty comin home? Bobby got me a pink room but Kitty hasn't seen it yet..."

[candice]

Okay, that was ridiculously cute. Bobby got her a pink room? Had he actually decorated her room for her? And pink? This she had to see.

“Kitty? They should be home in the morning. I'll make sure they wake you up just as soon as they get here, okay? Especially so Kitty can see your pink room. I want to see it, too.”

[phase]

"Will you tuck me in?" She looked up at her, nearly dragging Candice along before pushing open the dorm room door.

Sure enough there it was... pink sheets, pink pillows, pink comforter. Barbie house and everything.

"See?" She yawned again, bouncing on her toes, though a bit less energetic than earlier. "Itsa pink room. Only my half though." She gestured to Kitty's half of the room with a wide arc of her small arm.

[candice]

“Of course I'll tuck you in, Hannah, and will you look at this room! Bobby must have been real impressed by you, little one. I bet Kitty's going to be so jealous.” She added the last part with a joyful giggle. Hannah was very calm about all these changes, it was very admirable. She was the sort of little girl that made you want to open up and be nice to, to talk to just to see what cute thing she'd say next.

Candice pulled back the big comforter, and held it open for the girl. “Okay, up up. Tomorrow we'll have a big adventure, and get you settled in to the school, okay? We'll get you teachers to teach you all kinds of fun stuff, and introduce you to the other students.”