Summer 2015: Michael

[Svartfreja]

Jessica: Jess perched in her usual spot on the roof with her hands wrapped around a mug of tea. She glared at her phone on the wall in front of her, the only thing keeping her from hurling it over towards the lake was the thought that Hope might need to call her. As summers went, this wasn't the worst she'd ever had but it was still pretty crappy now.

Michael: Michael was having a bug problem in the greenhouse and instead of doing it the nice way he'd decided to feed the spiders of the school. All the spiders in the school found their ways into the airducts and up to the roof, Michael assumed this would be an easier way to get them outside without people smushing them.

Jessica: Jess blinked a little as she was suddenly surrounded by spiders. She got carefully to her feet and looked around at them all. "Where the hell did you all come from?" She rescued her phone before it became burried.

Michael: The spider swarm avoided her and made its way to the side of the building and down it towards the greenhouse.

Jessica: This was... weird behaviour for spiders to say the least. She frowned a little and crawled down the wall after them, following them over the side of the building and to the greenhouse.

Michael: "Well. I think I'm overachieving. I only needed a few of you guys." He crouched down and looked them all over, picking a few up. "Now which one of you is best at catching bugs?"

Jessica: "Pick the fattest one." She suggested from the doorway.

Michael: Michael almost jumped out of his skin. "You really shouldn't sneak up on people when they're covered in spiders!"

Jessica: She smirked a little, "Well I was following the spiders so I suppose I should say it's your fault I sneaked in here at all." She knew who he was from her first X-men mission. "You're Michael, right?"

Michael: "Yup. You're uhmm...., sorry I'm horrible with names, the whole skipping classes and having my brain raped thing." Michael picked up a few more spiders and sent the rest back to their original homes.

Jessica: She didn't move as the spiders rushed back to their homes for fear of stepping on one, "Jess," she supplied, "It's okay... we didn't really meet properly.... I was on the team that brought you back in..."

Michael: "Yeah... I kind of remember everything. Sorry about the killer plants."

Jessica: She shook her head, "It's fine... not your fault, right?"

Michael: "Nope. So followed my new friends down? Usually people run screaming from these guys. And Hope would prolly have accused me of trying to kill everyone with them." He sighed.

Jessica: "I have nothing to fear from spiders.... and what kind of spider-woman would I be if I ran away from them." She leaned against one of the tables.

Michael: "One with spidery powers?" Michael went about putting the spiders in hiding spots they'd like. "Now get to work guys I don't like holey fruit."

Jessica: She nodded, "Yeah... and an immunity to poisons so even if I got bit it wouldn't be a problem... which is rare, by the way. I used to catch spiders to study..."

Michael: "Ahh well as long as I have control over them I can keep them from biting me. After a while they just won't. Takes longer to teach insects than mammals."

Jessica: "That's kind of cheating." She gave a small shrug and ran a hand through her hair.

Michael: "Nope just using my powers. Plants are the easiest they just do whatever I tell them to." He smiled and made all the flowers around her bloom.

Jessica: She blinked at that, "That is... weird..." creepy. She straightened up again, "Though I guess it explains all that stuff from before.... sorry... probably shouldn't bring that up...."

Michael: "It's okay. And you call plant control weird?" He laughed a little. "Out of all the stuff everyone around here can do that's what weirds you out?"

Jessica: "A lot of things weird me out but normally I keep it to myself."

Michael: "Not much weirds me out after being here for so long."

Jessica: "I don't know if I like the idea of getting desensitised to weird stuff...."

Michael: "Well you wouldn't be desensitised to all weird stuff. Just the weird stuff that happens here. And then again what's weird? This stuff's pretty normal to me. The stuff sinister was doing was weird."

Jessica: "I'm already desensitised to a lot of non-mutant weird stuff."

Michael: "Some weird stuff though will never not be weird."

Jessica: "Like what?" she eyed the plants then sat down again.

Michael: "Mutant cows that spew acid?"

Jessica: She wrinkled her nose, "Ew."

Michael: "Yeah.... I still can't shake that I created those."

Jessica: "Well you could start by never mentioning it again. I hear that helps."

Michael: "That would probably help. Being alone with myself probably isn't helping either."

Jessica: "You should move inside." She suggested, eyeing the hammock.

Michael: "I guess I don't have a reason not to now." He considered it.

Jessica: "What the hell kind of reason would you have to live out here?"

Michael: "More comfortable. I have botanopathy and zoopathy. I can control plants and animals with my mind. And see them with my mind. I used to be blind. So the only place I could see just about everything was here."

Jessica: "Oooh you're one of those 'relies on powers' people. Fair enough..."

Michael: "I was. Only good thing that happened to me while I was kidnapped." He pointed to his eyes.

Jessica: "And yet here you are, still living in your green house and summoning spiders to deal with insects eating your plants. Sounds like reliance to me."

Michael: "Well I have lived in here for a while. And plants are far nicer than people." He shrugged. "Never considered going back inside either."

Jessica: "I guess it's up to you. But you'll make less friends if you isolate yourself like this."

Michael: "Making friends has never really been a priority for me. Not with people at least."

Jessica: "Well you should make it a priority. Won't do you any good to sit out here and brood..."

Michael: Michael raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm not brooding."

Jessica: "If you say so...." she straightened up. "You're the one who said being alone with yourself isn't helping."

Michael: "That doesn't mean I'm in here feeling sorry for myself. Just doesn't help me to forget about it. Look I've already gotten over what happened. I wasn't in control, It wasn't my fault."

Jessica: She held up her hands, "I'm not saying anything... I'll just go back to my tea on the roof...."

Michael: "Sorry. Hope's just been bothering me about this stuff lately so I get a little touchy. If you'd like I can grow tea for you."

Jessica: She shook her head, "It's fine, that's way too much effort." she ran a hand through her hair and headed for the door, "And I don't want to hear complaining about Hope. She's a friend."

Michael: "It's not too much effort for me. And sorry I don't mean to complain."

Jessica: "Growing it's easy enough. Making it drinkable after that? Too much time." she waved over her shoulder, "See you around..."

Michael: Michael shrugged. "Maybe."