Marvel: 2010-04-28 - Silence is Golden

=Location Descriptions=

East Wing - X-Mansion - North Salem
The east wing is quite large. Nestled here is the first floor. It has a cross design for the hallways, and within the center is a spiral staircase that leads upward to the higher levels. The floor is dark wood like the rest of the mansion, and the wallpaper a very light, almost off-white.

There are many wooden doors with golden plaques, labeling staff offices, the small staff laundry room, the staff rec room, and of course the nurse's office. At the end of the east hallway is an elevator with a sign above it which reads: 'Staff Only'. =Character Descriptions=
 * Players
 * Xavier
 * Andrea
 * Exits
 * Staff Elevator - X-Mansion 
 * Main Wing - X-Mansion 

Charles Xavier
The man is tall at easily 6', but he is trapped close to the ground in the wheelchair he resides within. Likely no more than 190 lbs, his upper body is able to move with ease and betrays strength with how he handles his chair. There is just something powerful about this individual no matter if he is being friendly with a smile, or distant and thoughtful.

His head is bald, shinnying slightly in any light that dares to reflect off it. He has arching dark eyebrows, which have become so with age. His deep set eyes are blue, and his cheeks are on the gaunt side. Between that and the wrinkles on his forehead, at the corners of his eyes and mouth, and the visible tendons on his neck, one can tell he has age under him. He is surprisingly handsome for his age, and there is an aura of energy and passion about him that makes him seem much younger at times.

He wears a dark red thin sweater which clings to his quite fit torso. Over it is a brown jacket which has an encircled black x symbol over his left breast pocket. A black leather belt encircles his waist and somewhat loose brown slacks which match his jacket cover his useless legs. His black leather dress shoes are shined and appear to have very little wear, likely because they are never walked upon.

His hands are surprisingly strong, with only a few appearances of veins to betray his true age. They easily grip the wheelchair wheels. The wheelchair itself is plain, with silver arms which can be knocked up and out of the way, a red velvet seat cover and silver pedals to rest his feet upon. It is a lightweight, efficient wheelchair.

Andrea Ann Tellierra
Tall for a woman, this young lady stands just shy of six feet when in flats, and has a mature enough look and curves most would take her for her late teens, just under twenty years of age. She has a long, full mane of lustrous raven black hair which tumbles smoothly down to frame her face, over her shoulders and down to mid-back. Her face is a natural oval with high cheekbones, full lips, a narrow pert nose and raven dark sculpted eyebrows over deep crystal blue eyes framed by long dark eyelashes. Her neck is gracefully slim, shoulders broad but natural for her height, lending balance to her toned and trim unfairly hourglass figure. When she speaks, it is a warm, cultured soprano tone with clean diction. To be honest, this young woman is gorgeous, the sort of looks one would associate with (non-anorexic) supermodels and actresses. Say, isn't she familiar?

Currently this young woman is dressed in what can only be described as a private school uniform of modest nature. A navy single-breasted blazer with a school crest embroidered on the left breast pocket covers most of her torso, a crisp white collared silk blouse peeking out around her neck, a crimson silk scarf about her neck as a tie. Peeking out from beneath the hip-length edge of the jacket is a knee-length tartan plaid pleated skirt. White knee-high stockings cover her legs, and shiny black patent leather mary jane flats cover her feet. She carries a smallish black leather backpack, usually on one shoulder, a flat 'smartphone' in a pouch on that strap.

[Cyclops|Scott Summers]]
This young man is easily 6'3" but still appears youthful. His brown hair is cut short, and parted in the middle, hanging down to his ear and with a swept back look likely from the number of times the guy runs his hand through his hair. His face is long with a narrow nose. His eyes are hidden by strange, thick red sunglasses which are really made from a ruby-quartz. His expression is usually serious or withdrawn, but when he smiles it changes his appearance from young-20s to late-teen.

He is built though not overly bulky. This man certainly has a set of arms on him and a muscled back and chest, which is shown off by the ribbed black, sleeveless top he wears. It fits him snugly, revealing the possibility of a six pack as well. Hanging on his lean hips is a pair of worn blue jeans. The top his tucked into the jeans and a black leather belt loops through the belt loops, a silver buckle on the front. He wears heavy duty black combat boots. They appear scuffed up and as if they have seen much better days. =Begin Scene= About an hour before the agreed-upon start of classes for the day, a beat up jalopy pickup truck - running suspiciously smoothly and cleanly, despite the dirt and smudges and the multi-colored paint job and the gardener's tools in the bed, discretely armored and likely capable of keeping up with high-performance police vehicles in a crunch - arrives at the front gate to Xavier's School. Poking her head around the coverall-wearing 'gardener' in the driver's seat, the raven-haired beauty Andrea Tellierra appears before the camera mounted there. She lifts the remote she was given and presses her thumb to it, letting the scanner do its work and send the signal to the controller. Then the truck purrs over the open gateway and up the driveway towards the main entrance.

When Andrea arrives in that beat up old jalopy with a driver made up like a gardener, Scott Summers is there to greet her. Even he has to grin at the car and try not to laugh, especially considering the upper class girl inside it. "Hey Andrea, I'm Scott," he says in greeting. "The Professor is inside his office. Just go right in and take a right into the east wing. His office has his name right on it." Scott has a tight black t-shirt and jeans on, both dirty with grease. Covering his eyes are strange red sunglasses. Even his hands are dirty, "I would shake hands, but I've been working in the garage."

Emerging from the vehicle once it stops, Andrea is quite tall for a young woman, and it's hard to imagine this beauty is only fifteen. However, that 'always grown up' air about her is a bit diminished today, as she is dressed in a private school uniform, complete with navy jacket with school crest on the left breast pocket, knee-length pleated plaid skirt, knee-high white socks and black Mary Jane patent leather shoes. Her white blouse is only subtly frilly, with a scarlet silk kerchief about the neck. She has a small black leather backpack over one shoulder, and starts to offer a hand to Scott at his greeting. "Good morning." But having seen the grease, she does not actually offer it, though the instinct is clearly there.

"Thank you, Scott. I suppose I'll see you later?" she offers, smiling brightly. She seems quite excited, really, almost bouncy with eagerness. But she schools her features to a studious and serious expression as she follows Scott's directions, heading up the stairs to the portico and then inside, seeking out the east wing and the Professor's office. She knocks gently and waits, as she should. Xavier would be aware that Andrea is already replaying her encounter with Scott in her mind with a teenaged girl's curiosity.

The fact Andrea has created her own private school uniform is amusing in itself. Scott can't help but think that rich girls are just in a whole 'nother world all together. Scott nods with professionalism though, "I am sure we will see each other around. Have a good day," and he heads back to the garage to work on his bike.

Xavier calls out, "Come on in." He is sitting behind his desk and working on some paperwork. A flat screen monitor is in front of him, off to one side. He smiles as Andrea enters. "Jerry signed all the required documentation. Welcome to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters."

Andrea opens the door when told to come in, and smiles. "Good morning, Professor Xavier." she offers with chirpy brightness. Yes, she is very excited. The bounciness nearly gleams off of her. "Thank you, Sir. I must admit, I am really looking forward to this." As if the school uniform and her demeanor weren't clue enough for the telepath in the room. "How are you today, Sir?" she inquires, politely. One thing about Andrea: for a rich and privileged girl, she thinks of others quite a lot.

"I am doing well. I'll be teaching one of your classes this afternoon. History, I hope your energy continues." Xavier seems mildly amused but pleased. "Actually, I thought I should show you the special room and how to get to it before you attended your first class today." He moves to place his computer in sleep mode before wheeling out from behind the desk.

"That would be nice, Sir." Andrea offers. And the subject of History does not seem to dim her enthusiasm in the slightest.

As Xavier rolls out from his desk and around, Andrea steps to the side and takes the door, opening it for him with a smile. Sure, she knows he can open it himself - if not yet how he does so - but this is about politeness and respect. "Is Scott another of the teachers, here? Or one of your students?" she inquires, curiously.

"Scott Summers was in the first class. He is a freshman in college now." A pause then, "Ah, he's out working on his motorcycle. He is building one nearly from scratch," pride reflected in his tone. Xavier rolls out into the hallway, "Thank you young lady." He then moves down the hall toward the staff elevator. "This is the Staff-Only Elevator. You are only permitted to use it when you need access to the quiet room. There are confidential rooms in the sub-basements, and security is tight." He pauses before adding, "It may seem strange, but there are reasons. The room you will be using is one of my personal rooms that I share with Jean when she needs it, and now you."

A freshman in college? Hmm, that would explain it, yes. Andrea nods to acknowledge this as she follows Xavier out into and down the hall. "Yes, Sir. I understand." Andrea is well aware that there are spaces beneath the school, even if she cannot perceive many details. Awareness has been enough to keep her interested, without poking her nose - or other perceptions - where they do not belong. She is sure Xavier has his reasons, and she'll learn about them in due time. She came here to learn, and learn she shall.

"I understand, Sir. I won't go poking about. I don't want to upset anyone. After all, this is the only school I've ever had a chance to attend. I would not want to ruin that." And if Xavier learns enough from Andrea to block her out of even an awareness of the interiors of those spaces, she won't even mind. "I appreciate your trust and the solitude the room offers. Hopefully, I will learn to need it less and less with time." Jean? Another name to file away for later.

"That is our hope. And I suspect you will prove your trustworthiness Andrea. I have faith in you." Xavier then pushes the down button for the elevator and leads Andrea inside it.

Xavier waits till Andrea is inside and the doors close before he finally shows Andrea the rest. He presses his thumb to a special spot. "I will obtain your finger print later. But you will place it here." A slip panel appears, dropping down to reveal the newfound access buttons beneath it. He then presses the button for S4. A red light comes out and scans his eye. "And a retinal eye scan as well. This may seem high security but the technology I have developed here could be dangerous in the wrong hands, and be used to harm mutants." The elevator starts to move down.

Andrea follows into the elevator and waits patiently, observant without interrupting. "I appreciate your faith and confidence, Sir."

She observes everything, nodding, and does not question it. She has faith in Xavier, just as he has promised to have faith in her. She doesn't think any of that high security could be misplaced. Then again, she has lived amongst higher security as part of her daily routines for most of her life than most have ever seen. "Yes, Sir."

As the elevator sinks down, Xavier patiently and quietly waits. When the door opens he motions Andrea through it first before rolling through himself.

Outside is now a long metal hallway with only two exits. One to the right a little ways up and one straight ahead. The one straight ahead appears plain but intimidating for some reason, perhaps the red scanners that repeatedly go over in front of it. Xavier stops at the one to the right and just presses his hand to the door. It slides open immediately. There is a red light above it that flickers on when the door slides open. He then rolls inside.

The room is circular and empty, but for some padded curved seats and a padded bed that hangs from the wall. There is also a set of shelves that hold pillows, blankets and such.

Once the door closes behind, everything seems to change. It is so quiet in here, even more quiet than in Andrea's special room at home. Still, perfect silence is not good with the human ears, so that isn't the case. "This room blocks psychic powers from reaching beyond it, and almost completely mutes sound." He motions toward a roller against the wall that moves up and down. "You can control the intensity of the light with that, dropping it into complete darkness if you have a need of it. Also, if you get in trouble, there is a basic computer system that can turn on or off the lights at your command, as well as open and close the door. You just say, 'Computer, dim the lights by three notches.'" The lights suddenly dim.

Andrea follows Xavier calmly and curiously into the room. She knows that the other room contains something with a good deal of energy, but nothing more. It's unique composition scatters her senses' normal perceptions, preventing her from seeing inside. And as she stands inside the room Xavier is showing her and the door slowly seals behind them, she is treated to the inverse of that same property, as the rest of the world outside this room blurs away. There is no awareness of the hallway, or the big room at the end, or the elevator, or even the power conduits in the hallway. Nothing beyond this room. Xavier would clearly feel and see the almost boneless relaxation that washes over Andrea as this slides into place around her mind. "Wow." she offers, softly.

A soft smile appears on the old man's face. "I thought this room would work for you, I am pleased to see it does. You will have the right to come and go from this room as needed. If things get too much in class, just let your teacher at the time know. Don't worry about missing anything, you can easily catch up what was missed later. First and foremost, we want you comfortable and confident here." He believes with those feelings, it will allow students to open up to the teachers.

Smiling, Andrea bobs her head to Xavier. "Yes, Sir. I understand. And thank you very much. This is ... really amazing." Of course, hanging out inside her Faraday Cage at home is really helpful, and shows amazing effort and intelligence on her part to have figured it out. But this room's technology is definitely a quantum leap ahead in such matters, and she clearly appreciates the effort that went into this. "I'm already very comfortable here. I'm really looking forward to being a ... a real 'student', at a school. I've seen it. Pretended it. Acted it. But I've never just been a student before."

"I also look forward to having you as my student Andrea." He then rolls toward the door, "Computer, open the door." The door slides open. "Let's get those scans done so you can report to class. I'm sure things will be good here for you. I know you have plenty to contribute to the school, and I hope the school has plenty to contribute to you."

"Of course, Sir." Andrea offers, following Xavier out of the room, resuming the burden of her senses with a lifetime's calm practice. "I'm sure there's a lot here for me to learn from." If nothing else, a chance to socialize with others as equals, without the barrier of her fame and circumstances, will be a wonderful new learning experience for Andrea. And she has such a bright, inquisitive mind, she'll surely learn a great deal more. "Were you able to find a course in radio communications, Sir?" she asks curiously as they ride up in the elevator.

"Yes, I was. It will be an online course with some video lectures and discussions with the professor. Though your side will be non-video and only text to protect your identity. The man knows more than anyone would want to know about radios," Xavier says, "Least that is what he says and after researching him I find myself agreeing. You may learn more than you ever expected over the course of the year." The elevator soon rises upward and he will take you to his office once more for the scans. "I will have the information compiled for you for next week," he promises.

"That's wonderful, Professor." Andrea offers, impulsively giving the wheelchair-bound man a hug in thanks for all of his hard work. "I look forward to the challenge. Honestly." If only because that challenge may help her to finally understand some of what she has been perceiving these last several years. Andrea follows Xavier out of the elevator to his office, and waits patiently while he completes scans of her fingerprints and her retinas. Of course, Xavier will notice that Andrea's retinas are rather undelineated, more akin to a blind person. But that alone will make her pattern just as unique as others', merely in a different way.

"Thank you again. I suppose I should head off to my first class." But before Andrea is gone, she turns once more to Xavier and asks one more question. "I wonder: were you able to find that blue furred elf man? The teleporter?" Not that Xavier has to tell her. But she does wonder these things.

"Actually, yes. But I have not had a chance to speak with him yet. Soon, this weekend I hope. I'll make sure to let him know you said hello." The hug earlier surprised Xavier but he seemed pleased with it, an awkward pat to Andrea's shoulder. He is an old-fashioned man. Andrea's enthusiasm and warmth is more than welcomed however. And after answering her question, Xavier shoos her off to attend her class after giving her directions.