2019-01-29 - Welcome to the Xavier Institute, Andrea

Hank McCoy Hank McCoy stands five feet and eleven inches tall, if he ever stood up perfectly straight. His muscular build and broad shoulders give him the look of a world-class weight lifter or wrestler. The man's hands and feet are enormous, and he'd wear a size 20 when he wears anything on his feet.

Though it's not his size that gets him stared at. No, it's his bright blue color, and matching fur that do that. The hair on the top of his head is a darker shade of blue, with a texture more like a man's head of hair. That hair he wears with a good dollop of gel.

The man's eyes are also a bright blue, his ears are sharp and pointed, adding to the unnatural, feral appearance, along with the fangs that sometimes poke out from his mouth, and the claws on his hands and feet.

Today, Hank is a professor. As such, he's dressed in a gray suit, itself an epic feat of tailoring, with tan patches on the elbows of the jacket. His hair is slicked back, with a little curl in front. On his feet are gargantuan black dress boots.

Jean Grey Of average height and weight, this woman wouldn't attract much in the way of attention if it wasn't for the shock of red that is her waist-length hair. Green eyes are framed by long lashes and are accented by the smokey eyeshadow she wears, that complimented by the pale coral lipgloss and soft pink blush she chooses often for cosmetics. She's young, just in her 20's.

Yellow and blue make up the primary colors of her uniform; comprising of a yellow bodysuit, the long sleeved garment made of a material that is both flexable and breathable, allowing for its wearer to be comfortable. A similar type of material in blue comprises a half hood-mask, it designed to keep her hair out of her face without covering it, allowing her field of vision to be unblocked. This is sewn into the body suit, coming down the neck and throat as well as the shoulders, the darker color tapering down to a point. At mid-torso, the familiar symbol of the X-Men can be found in red and black. Dark blue fingerless, gauntlet-like gloves have been donned, finishing out the uniform.

Rather than a cab, the vehicle pulling up out front of the school is a towncar sedan. It's not terribly flashy or ostentatious, but it isn't just a Lyft or an Uber, either. The driver gets out and opens the door to the back, as a young woman emerges. Raven-haired, rather tall, and visibly curvy, the young woman is already dressed in a custom private school uniform with the X-logo on the breast pocket of her blazer. As suitable to the upscale transportation, she does not end up carrying her own bags, other than the small backpack she emerges from the back seat holding; instead, the driver carries them up onto the porch and leaves them.

"Thank you, Daniel. Please, have a nice day." the young woman murmurs, nodding to the driver, who smiles and heads back to the car. She does not turn to watch it go, but does not reach up to push the doorbell until the car has exited back through the gates at the bottom of the drive. Then she waits patiently, hands folded neatly in front of her.

Jean Grey is here to greet the enw student. Well, somewhat in a bit of a rush as Jean is currently going through several files on the girl's application and evaluation, and skimming them propped up on one arm that has some other papers over in it. As she does so, she takes the folder, quickly jams everything in it to shut it, and then goes to put it under an arm after doing one final review.

She takes an intake of breath and hmms, "This one is going to be interesting.." She muses thoughtfully, alraedy running a few scenarios through her head.

Hank McCoy comes out as well, not long behind Jean. Looking around for the new student, he chuckles. "Aren't they always, in their own way?"

The young woman - a familiar face, if one is aware of reasonably current or recent popular teen television - stands patiently waiting, though it's obvious that she is keenly aware of when there's finally someone approaching the door. She doesn't knock or ring again, but waits until the door is opened. The telepath might catch a few snippets of thought - while the door is still closed - about the interesting gentleman in blue fur. She seems curious and open-minded.

When the door is opened, Andrea offers a little smile and a nod. "Good afternoon. I'm Andrea, a new student. I believe you were expecting me?" Yeah, sure, she knows Jean is holding a file with her name on it; but politeness counts. Right?

Jean Grey smiles, "Yes, hello Andrea. I'm Jean Grey, co-Headmaster of the school. This is Henry McCoy, the school's biology teacher." Jean dips her head, "Welcome to the school. We're glad you made it here without issue. Do you want to have your things brought up to your room while we show you around? Would you like something to eat before we start the tour?"

Jean inquires, and then goes to pass along the folders with Andrea's application over to Hank in case he wants to quickly review them and hasn't already. "Once you're settled in if you feel up for it we can ask you some more in depth questions on the state of your abilities and how comfortable you feel with them."

Hank McCoy steps up to Andrea, and ruffles her on the head. "Welcome. I tend to be available to new students who are having issues." Of course he's about as famous as she is. He's mostly letting JEan speak though. She's the one with the higher title here.

"Hello, Miss Grey. Mister McCoy. It is Doctor, yes?" Andrea questions, seeking to confirm that she has in fact heard of Hank, including his appropriate title. He's supposed to be some kind of amazing supergenius; if this guy is teaching biology, she expects to either learn a great deal, or become quickly and pathetically lost. There will be no middle ground. "Some help carrying my bags would be really nice. Thank you, kindly. Should I call you Headmistress Grey?" she inquires.

Andrea is not too prissy to carry her own bags, though; she does turn and heft up one of them, ready to do her part. She will simply take all the help she can get, and as many trips as necessary. She is trying hard not to expect the kind of preferential treatment her life as a star has previously afforded her. "I ate on the plane, Miss Grey. But a bottle of water would be nice. With the heating systems engaged, it is pretty dry." As was the car, most likely.

That said and done, Andrea definitely seems avidly interested in the tour of the facilities, and eager for the discussions to begin. It will be, really, the first such discussions she has ever had, beyond a brief one with Professor Xavier who recruited her. She imagines she has much to learn.

Jean Grey nods to Andrea, "Yes, Henry has an.. Array of things. You can probably just find it quicker to ask what fields he's not as fluent in as you can ask what he has degrees in." She tsks lightly then in amusement and gives a nod to Henry in passing. "Sure, I'll have them brought up." Jean goes to check a sheet that has the room that Andrea has been assigned to. Her eyes went to flash..

Then Andrea's bags would pick themselves up, held in a mental grip, and then be floating up to head up along the stairs, going up them to the student side of the dorms to settle in the room that Andrea had been assigned a few moments later. "Of course, we can get you a few things to drink. Care to join us in the kitchen then?"

Hank McCoy chuckles. "Doctor is fine, yes Andrea." Patting her back as she gets to it. "And yes, let's go to the kitchen. Even if you did eat on the plane, you've since landed, and come out here from JFK. At least, I hope you came from JFK."

Laura Kinney marches out of the elevator with a chocolate icecream bar of some sort in hand. She peers over at the as yet unfamiliar voice, a brow arching at this. It has been a while since new faces showed here.

Laura is clad in a soccer outfit and sweaty, her hair pulled back with a simple rubber band. She's been working out.

Standing at the front entrance, just a bit agape, is - as Laura so aptly identified - a new face, watching her bags float themselves from the front porch up the stairs and own the hall, apparently to her newly assigned dormitory room. Andrea is quite tall for a woman - very nearly six feet in stocking feet, and she's not in stocking feet - and dressed in the paid skirt, white button-down blouse, crimson silk scarf tie and navy blazer of a private school uniform, with an X logo on the breast pocket. Someone showed up pretty hoity-toity, it would seem.

"Wow." Andrea murmurs, clearly amazed and a little entranced at the 'magic' of Jean moving her bags. She follows along towards the kitchen with Hank and Jean. "Of course, Miss Grey. And yes, Doctor McCoy. We landed at JFK, and Daniel drove me from there to here."

When Laura appears, Andrea turns to face her, smiling, and gives a little finger-waggle wave. "Hi."

Jean Grey waves to Laura, "Hello Laura, this is Andrea. She's our latest student here. We're just getting her things put in her room and then we're going to show her around a bit." She offers in explanation. "Andrea, this is Laura. She's one of the.. Students that has gone on to be an occasional part time instructor." Jean glances. "And I see she's discovered where the latest ice cream was hidden as well if you would care to make a go for some of her stash." Jean deadpans over and goes to glance at the others in passing.

"And we're glad you got here and had no issues. After the tour, we can work on a schedule for you to take classes as you feel up to it and talk on how you're doing with your powers, if you like. Or you can just go with Laura to show you where all the jun food caches are."

Hank McCoy will lead theway getting to the kitchen. "Laura," he greets with a smile and a nod. "New student seeking new opportunitise. Always good news, that we can offer that still."

Laura Kinney is a shortstack, unlike Andrea. She is a teenage pocket sized mass of lean and corded muscle in the shape of a girl whose appearance might unnerve boys in passing just by sheer visible athletic potential. Her bright eyes flicker between Jean and Andrea questioningly at the mention of her name, not bothering to verabalize a reply to a factual statement. She then looks over and up at Hank, offering a brief wide smile of agreement accompanied by a nod.

"Nice to meet you, Laura." Andrea offers, nodding again. She does not ask for ice cream, however. She's actually quite eager to talk about her powers and learn from these apparently very special and powerful people. It's so amazing. "I am very much looking forward to working on my schedule, and the questions about my powers." Laura may well notice that despite not looking at her again, Andrea seems to be keenly aware of where she is and what she's doing; her body language subtly shows that she's including, not excluding or ignoring Laura's presence.

And off to the kitchen!

Jean Grey nods, "Of course. For those present who have not read your file, would you care to summarize your abilities?" Jean smiles, "I have a few ideas when it comes to starting with training, but that will be dependent over on how comfortable you feel with them and what you feel like exploring."

Hank McCoy explodes into the kitchen once they're in. And Gabby isn't taking up a good chunk of it. He goes to the kitchen. "Andrea you're the new student. First pick. Coke? Water? Juice? Milk? Sandwich, any preferred meats?"

Laura Kinney follows quietly along, content with her icecream bar for the time being as sneaker pad quietly. If she is noting Andrea's attention, she isn't making a show of it as her expression remains generally deadpan since the smile to Hank.

"Sure. I can do that." Andrea answers Jean, smiling. "As I understand it, I am a tad unusual in my mutation, in that it has been active since I was born at some degree. In essence, although I have learned to pretend, moving my eyes and seeming to focus, et cetera, I do not actually see with my eyes. Or, for that matter, hear with my ears. I see all around myself. In very 'busy' places, I can see out to a range of about half a mile or so. Out in wide open spaces with little crowding I could read a page as far as twenty miles away or so. As I understand it, my hearing is similarly exceptional. Of course, I have no idea really how others perceive things, only guesses."

Andrea shrugs. She is here specifically because she needs help figuring out such things. She hasn't exactly made a scientific study of her powers. "I've also started, sometimes, flaring out energy. Bursts of light or sound. Or sometimes drawing all of the energy into myself, making the area dark and silent. My guardian also has a theory that I have started to sense electrical currents, and radio waves. What I'm sure of is that I often get headaches lately, if I'm around a lot of modern electronics and wireless signals. Jerry's guess is the best I have about that. I'm sorry, I know that's not very scientific."

Jean Grey nods, "Understood. YOur senses extend in ways via a number of mediums rather htan just eyesight." She nods over to Laura, "So Laura, would you say based on what Andrea's just gone over how you think her powers might compare to your own? If you're comfortable wtih it I might have you work wtih her a bit to get an idea on how she.. Perceives things." Jean puts in 'perceives' after some thought instead of 'visualizes'.

"And she might be able to help you work on your stealth some, given she probably would be better at picking you up than other people would be.."

Laura Kinney peers at Jean with that question, visibly uncertain why it was asked even as she answers in deadpan monotone,"Completely different. Mine are an enhanced set of human senses coupled with an accelerated metabolism and healing. What she is describing is completely different. I cannot see out to twenty miles except perhaps from upon a mountain with a clean atmosphere."

No mention is given to Laura's claws, thinking that a redundant detail. Laura returns to quietly sucking on her chocolate bar. She isn't the social sort.

Hank McCoy doesn't get an answer, so he pours out a copule glasses of each, and starts setting them out on an open counter space. Then makes a ham sandwich, a turkey sandwich, a bologna sandwich, and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Each again set out as well. "I'll pick last, Andrea picks first. If you're concerned about exactly what your powers do, Andrea, I can take you into the lab and test."

Andrea answers Hank first, this time, nodding. She selects a sandwich as asked, but does not eat just yet. Then a glass of water. "I am not so much 'concerned'. But I want to learn more. Maybe understanding better how they work will help me better control them? And I imagine it would help to measure any changes or improvements?" She is well educated, even if she's maybe not a science-loving specialist. Yet.

"I would be happy to help Laura, if there's some way I can do that. If nothing else, it would be nice to talk to someone who is used to seeing and sensing things in ways very different from other people. I find it really hard to explain, because I only really know how I perceive things, and little understanding of really how others do." Andrea offers. She sips water, now, and considers her turkey sandwich. Then, with a teen's metabolism, she finally gives in and takes a bite.

Jean Grey nods to Andrea, "OF course." She grins at Laura, "And thank you for that correction, Laura." she nods to Andrea, "Your abilities have a lot of interesting things they could be used for. You would probabl love doing mchine shop. Might you be interested in joining some of Henry's science classes and seeing how you do with them for a start? And expanding things."

Jean smiles. "And you sound like you have the most immediate control issues.. Dealt with? You don't often have issues with sensory overload or picking things up inadverdantly?"

Laura peers at Jean again, being unaccustomed to mentoring people. She squints a bit, then just shrugs and replies,"Sure."

Laura goes to get her sandwhich with that, taking a seat on a vacant table spot. So rebellious. Feet swinging, she tosses the scant remnant of the icecream bar expertly into a trashcan before nomming away on the sandwhich.

Hank McCoy was about to tell Andrea to 'go on'but she manages to take a sandwich. He'll then snag bologna, and a coke, and start munching quickly. "With any control issues, I can usually help come up with prosthetics to aid in control, until you get better with it. Up to you if you'd like help with that, as long as nobody's in danger."

Andrea considers Jean's questions while she daintily but thoroughly devours the sandwich and then washes it down with the rest of her water. "I pick up all manner of things all the time that I probably should not be expected to. Not the least of which because I can usually perceive despite walls and such." That's a whole story in itself, but she doesn't explain further. "I think I could find science classes very interesting, especially if they helped me understand and then control my powers. My biggest control issues, right now, step largely from the flashes and the darkness. I've never tried to make either happen; they just do it, usually when I'm worked up or upset."

Andrea turns to face Hank out of force of habit, even though they now know she's always looking, always watching, and doesn't have to turn her head to focus her attention on someone. "So, some kind of device, maybe, that helps to regulate things? I would be open to that, if we can figure one out. Obviously, I want to learn to control it all myself. But I am not above taking help while I work up to that."

Jean Grey nods thoughtfully to Henry, "Is that something you might be able to construct for her with some work if she thinks it might help or be necessary?" Jean queries over and listens. Giving a nod as Andrea goes on about her powers. Then Jean grins lightly at Laura. "Oh, it's not that bad dear. You have to take a fw steps.." As she volunteers the younger girl for 'mentoring'.

Which will possibly have the Stabberina going to whinnneee..

Laura doesn't whine, but she does staaarrree.

Laura noms quietly on her sandwhich, not verbally replying to Jean and her mind silent. Is it a shut off? Is it a threat? Who can say? Her attention is obvious in any case.

Hank McCoy hums. "Well, controlling the range of your detection, as well as the manifestation of energies, are things I can usually create a prosthetic for. That's no problem." His sandwich is done quickly, and well, when nobody takes the last sandwich, he takes that one as well. And the remaining beverage. "As for training, we have instructors who can help you, Andrea. We'll have to check how LAura's schedule is looking."

"Well, I look forward to the opportunity to work on things. Thank you again for the chance." The fact that it will come with a top-shelf education as well certainly doesn't hurt. Andrea smiles as Hank takes a second sandwich, apparently gently amused. With his bulk, it makes sense he'd need more fuel. "I promise not to be too much trouble, if I can help it, Laura." she promises.

Jean Grey smiles at Andrea, "What we're here for. Everyone deserves a chance to have a normal life. Powers included. No one should have to choose between knowing how to control thier powers and getting an education. We look forwards to having an -enthusiastic- student at classes."

Hank McCoy makes quick work of the second sandwich. Glancing over at Laura to see how she handles the lifeline he threw her, then smiling to Andrea. "You'll do well. As long as you're willing to work."

"Surely I won't be the only one?" Andrea comments innocently. Or at leas she seems to be, but she is an actress. Maybe she's teasing? "I promise, Doctor McCoy, I am willing to work. It's why I'm here, after all."