xavier_institute | [Video] - Another X-Team?!

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original: alric caelegart

[Video] - Another X-Team?!

[Alric seems a bit more troubled--or at least more serious--than usual (which might be alarming to people who think he's impossibly serious normally). He smiles, politely, but his manner is a little more stern and pensive, something other members of the kendo club would likely have noticed. He pauses a second after turning on the video, before speaking.]

Fellow students. I have been thinking seriously about forming a team for some time. Since the beginning of the semester, I felt I had the luxury of focusing, above all, on protocol--deciding on the ideal foundation and mission statement for this team, before extending invitations.

[A brief pause--perhaps to gather his thoughts or perhaps rhetorical.]

However.

Recent events have lent a far greater urgency to the matter. So. My intention is to establish a team prepared for purposes of intervention. Ours is, plainly, a dangerous world, due to individuals with ill intent, be they mutant or otherwise. Given Professor Xavier's blessing, of course, I believe it would be in keeping both with my own oaths, and with the intent of the Institute, to form a team dedicated to representing the best that mutant citizens have to offer society. I believe there is much we can offer--to protect, with respect for the law, those who we can, and to offer our aid where possible. Perhaps, if we are able to do so with a measure of aptitude and wisdom, we may be able to help turn the tide of fear preemptively.

Such a team would need to be prepared for combat, if necessary, capable of fast response and deployment as needed, and, ideally, able to provide relief and protection to those in harm's way. Coordination with local authorities and regular patrolling may be vital, as well. Our training would prioritize those objectives. I would be glad to hear from any who are interested and do not have prior commitments, and am open to additional suggestions.

Mr. Hijikata: I've spoken to you about my intentions, before, in brief. I would be honored if, given these details, you still wish to support this endeavor.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

He took several deep breaths, thankfully free of fire, before he opened dull orange eyes up to the sky.

"Don't knights hunt and kill dragons?" He asked in a rough whisper.

Not the question he wanted to ask, not what had set him off, but it was a safer question to ask. Less likely to set him off again, given the lack of a gun between his eyes, given that the man was claiming he wanted to help. And less danger than exposing the real vulnerability, the fear, the real cause for the anger.

(Always happy to continue, sorry the reply is short, just got home from out of state and am exhausted.)

[No problem, I totally get you, there!]

Alric blinked at that and smiled to himself, holding back a surprised laugh--however innocuous, he seemed to have demonstrated something of a talent for setting Tiamaris off, already. He paused briefly, before answering.

"Well. History is home to all manner of unpleasantness that I don't suppose we need repeat. Rome doesn't exactly feed Christians to lions, these days. I know very well from my own experience that a display of wrath does not imply malice. ...are you all right? You aren't hurt?"

A lot of that... made no sense to him. He turned his head slightly to look at Alric, not quite willing to admit that he was confused, but not sure what to say otherwise.

Alric hesitated a moment to see if he was just hesitating, or simply wasn't going to answer.

"...I hate to press, but... you did jump through a window. If you're hurt, we should get you to the infirmary."

Tiamaris lifted a scaled hand, looking at it. Bits of glass that might have clung tinkled away and fell down. He looked back at Alric.

Even before becoming a dragon, Tiamaris had read enough stories with dragons to know that they were tough creatures. How did he think glass could hurt him?

Or was it an excuse to separate safely? Tiamaris wasn't sure. So he left his arm up, visibly unharmed, and just gave Alric his usual deadpan look. Though because he was slightly amused at not being all that fragile, there was more gold in his eyes than there had been before.

Alric glanced at it, and gave the rest of him a once-over. He didn't look quite so certain as Tiamaris' expression seemed to suggest he should, but he sighed quietly, acquiescing. The fellow probably had more experience than Alric with how well he could jump through windows.

"...well. All right. But do be careful at least to rid yourself of the glass while that... armor of yours is still present."

He flashed a slightly troubled smile.

"I feel badly enough causing you such an upset. I'd truly hate for you to be injured, as well, in my account."

Okay, this Alric person was... odd. He stood, carefully, shaking off the last of the glass, carefully. And then he realized... and sighed. "That was my last shirt too," he said softly, eyes going closer to orange again.

There would come a time when they would be tired of clothing him, especially given how often he ruined his clothes beyond all hope of repair. At least there was another pair of pants in his room....

"I am... hard to injure these days," he said, somewhat amused, enough so that his eyes shifted back towards gold again.

Alric relaxed somewhat, standing, as well, and smiled just a touch more.

"...mm. I'm certainly glad to hear that, at least. Quite an impressive ability, that, I must say... even if it is... difficult."

He pauses briefly, shaking his head.

"I don't.. mean to patronize you, of course--rather, I've... had certain difficulties with my own ability, for years. I owe whatever control I have managed to learn to my grandfather's lessons. Without him..."

He trails off, shaking his head, then clears his throat quietly, offering a small smile once again.

"...well. ...at any rate, ah... we could see if I have a shirt I could lend you, until you've managed to acquire a replacement. I can't promise the nicer ones will fit you well, but, if you'd like, we'll see what we can do."

His eyes slid to the gold, a dull gold, but a gold without a hint of orange. Not something that was common for him at this point. "I do not think loaning me a shirt is a good idea," he said, and then added a but wryly, finding and lifting a somewhat scorched scrap that had been the neckline if his last shirt, "they don't tend to last long."

And then he actually managed to remember what manners were used in a case like this. "Ah... Thank you, though." And the odd thing was, he actually meant it. He actually felt.. Grateful. It was.... An odd feeling; but not an altogether unwelcome one.

Alric shook his head, smiling a little more.

"Nonsense, nonsense. There are higher priorities in this world than the safety of my shirts; I can't very well leave you running about without a shirt merely to protect my wardrobe. Besides, I assure you, I've done my share of damage before, myself."

He retrieved a cellphone from his pocket, quickly texting. Now that the situation with Tiamaris wasn't quite so critical, he had to make sure the faculty were aware of the broken window. Partly to make sure it wasn't taken as an attack, and partly to ensure the glass scattered about would be cleaned up safely.

"So. Let's at least see if I've something that'll fit you respectably, eh?"

"Ah," he hesitated, then shrugged. "It would probably be better to go to my room first, for the pants..." He somehow doubted anyone would appreciate a lack of both scales and pants at the same time.

Still, he had read stories about people in dorms, going to each other's rooms... Usually they were friends. Tiamaris still didn't fully understand friendship, and wasn't sure if he wanted to. But did this make them friends, or was going to each others room merely a symptom if a friendship if it were already in existence?

Alric chuckled at that, tilting his head in acknowledgement.

"...ah, yes, that's true. Tell me which room's yours, though, and I can just fetch you a shirt while you're tending to the rest."

He didn't seem particularly to be wrestling with the same concerns as Tiamaris, although he did still seem somewhat troubled. He makes a good show of brushing that aside, though, starting for the boys' dorms.

He walked with him a bit startled by the offer, then shrugged. "First floor, room four. Mine is the empty side." He considered, then said, "And if the bathroom door is shut, do not go in, my roommate was very specific about that." This whole situation was just too weird. Besides which, he was not sure what else Alric wanted him to be taking care of. Maybe the boy just needed some time away from Tiamaris to react in private. Yes. That was probably it.

Mostly he meant he was going to give Tiamaris a chance to compose himself, change (literally), and get some pants on, but expressed vaguely in order to try and be polite about it. For all that sort of thing had worked on anyone, here. Strange place, America. Alric had never met people so quick to become frustrated, rude, confused, or otherwise out of sorts over being a bit polite or expressing oneself carefully.

Nonetheless, he smiled and nodded.

"I'll be along momentarily, then."

With that he headed up to his room to fetch a couple of shirts--a dress shirt in case their measurements happened to be similar enough, and a tee shirt as well in case the dress shirt fit him poorly. He didn't rush about it too much, to give Tiamaris some time, as he'd said, but was along shortly, and knocked lightly at the door.

When Tiamaris saw Alric heading to his own room instead of... oh. Now he understood the confusion. That made more sense. With a shrug that sounded like metal against metal, he turned and headed for his room, his foot steps causing slight tremors from his increased weight.

He got to his room, glad to see that his roommate was out. He wasn't sure how to handle two people at one time.

He found pants, his last pair, and shifted out of scales, then pulled them on. He had just closed them when he heard the knock on the door.

He opened the door cautiously, having no clue how to behave at this point.

Alric smiled casually, holding up the shirts he'd retrieved.

"I wasn't sure which might suit you better--or, for that matter, fit you better--so I though it best to bring both. Again, don't trouble yourself needlessly over hurrying to return either; when you've no need is the best time."

(Just out of the hospital, on lots of meds. I apologize if my posts are odd.)

"....Thank you...." He really had no clue how to handle this... He tried to remember what would have happened in one of his books. "...Would... you like to come in?" he asked, voice cool and aloof, but inside he was unsure.

[Hope you're feeling better at least! D: ]

Alric paused a moment, but smiled a touch more sheepishly, and nodded.

"Ah... I suppose, yes, if I'm not imposing--really, though, I mean chiefly to make amends, and apologize, for that.. incident..."

(Thank you. Only comparatively. On lots of meds, though.)

Not knowing what else to say or do, Tiamaris stepped back, pulling the door further open. He set down one of the shirts, randomly, and pulled on the other.

Alric stepped inside and glanced around curiously to see what sort of decoration, if any, Tiamaris had introduced--and what it might reveal about his fellow student's interests.

"...mm. I wonder, with all their experience dealing with various inconvenient abilities, if the faculty might not be able to help with the, ah... clothing issue. Something elastic, perhaps, and fireproof. Control, of course, is the best solution, but... ...well. In my case, at least, it took quite some time to learn--and, in all honesty, I am still learning."

(Still on the pain pills)

There was no decoration on his half of the room. Just the new bed after the last had been melted, vague scorch marks and dents in the floor here and there. The smell of brimstone was not fully diffused by the open windows. His closet stood open, and empty. The other half of the room belonged to Koshi, and I honestly have no clue how it was decorated. probably with baseball paraphernalia.

Tiamaris had heard of fireproof clothing, but never anything that had actually worked. But elastic... his eyes went gold with humor, bright and liquid, at the mental image of a dragon in pants and a shirt. Where would the wings go?

He shrugged a bit, face still expressionless, except for the liquid gold of his eyes. "I am... trying to learn," he admitted. He was curious what the other meant about his own control...but did not ask.

"Mm. I was--I am--lucky to have so... understanding and wise a family as my own."

He smiled a little to himself, although there's a hint of something bittersweet about his expression, as well.

"...let's just say since I was... oh, five years old, I suppose, we always had fire extinguishers near at hand."

A small wince at the mention of family and eyes that descended immediately to a dull flat red. Before the mutation the eyes would not have changed at all, of course, but the wince.... His face was so much more... Readable then. Not that he was aware of it, he never spent much time around mirrors.

She closed his eyes and turned away, not knowing what to say to that. What could be said? He was hardly going to tell this person about how he had killed his own mother, how his father had seen him for the monster he was. But... He was trying to not be a monster any more. He was tired of killing and was trying to protect, to do good, that should count for something... Right?

It really seemed as though everything Alric said was upsetting to this fellow, in one way or another. Particularly, it appeared, attempts at expressing any sort of sympathy or camaraderie. His expression faltered somewhat, although he glanced off to look around the room pensively as a cover for that reaction. No need to make a show of having noticed it.

"...ah. ...anyway. I don't mean to intrude on you, of course... I imagine I ought to get out of your way. I do hope you'll let me know if there's anything I can do to help."

Not purely a formality, but he glanced back to Tiamaris with a more restrained, businesslike smile. It wasn't the first time here someone hadn't exactly responded well to Alric's attempts at friendly overtures.

"Then... That is it?" He asked quietly. "I failed the test, because I could not control the monster?" He should have realized he couldn't manage it. He wasn't able to be of help to anyone, he could't protect...

[Video] - Another X-Team?!

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