9/4 Instance: In Bubble Wrap

[puppygirl]

Timeline - The day after 'Mel Gibson Hates Mutants'

Darren kicked open the door to the art room, twisted pieces of metal in his hands before returning to his seat, "Fuck, I love the forge," he said happily before returning to his seat to begin assembely, "Dude ... Lorna's still not here?"

Adam was working in clay, hands bare, sleeves rolled up...but he was incredibly distracted, eyes unfocused as he twisted the shapes, occasionally dipping fingers into a bowl of water. "...What? Uh...no..."

Greer frowned at her board and wondered why her painting didn't look like her sketch... maybe she should just chuck the brush and use her hands?

Penny looked up from the block of wood on the table in front of her and shook her head, perching on one of the small stools.

Darren frowned as his hand formed a little blow torch, "Hmm ... wonder what's keeping her, what you making this time, Bright Eyes?"

Adam wasn't watching what he was doing, which was fine...he wasn't precisely good with art anyway, preferring to create pictures with sound, so his sculpture was becoming odd spirals and twists.

Greer put the brush down and stuck her fingers in the paint instead, smeering it on the canvass and smiling as it started to look more like she'd imagined.

"Think maybe she's...grading papers and found my sorry attempt at an essay and is raging at it?" He said, managing a weak smile. Oh, this was going to be terrifyingly awkward...

'Still trying to decide on something.' Penny had picked up her small blackboard and a piece of chalk, so the others could read her response as well. She gave the block a long look and put on a thoughtful frown.

"I'm sure it isn't that bad," Darren spared Adam a smile as a small dragon started to form under his hands.

Greer's painting was looking vaguely foresty as she listened to the others around her.

"You have no idea." Adam mumbled half under his breath, focusing back on his piece. Ooh...spirally flames...that was actually kinda cool. He picked up a tool and started carving into it.

'Do you think Miss Drake would like having a figure carved after her,' Penny wrote on her chalkboard next, taking a break from poking the block of wood with a tip of her claw.

"Well, you know if you ever need help with an essay, you can always ask me for help, I'm a genius after all," Darren grinned before nodding at Penny, "I think she'd think that was really cool, Pen."

Greer looked round at Penny's board, "I think anyone would be crazy not to like a figure of themselves carved by you, honey." she smiled at her.

"I think she'd like it." Adam said quietly, wishing he could do something to make up for puppeting her into Selene. He winced. "Um...I'd...I'd like that, Darren. I'm not really...very arty..."

"No problem, just ask any time Twitch, 'kay?"

A smile lit up Penny's features as she nodded in agreement. 'I promise to make one for Selene and you, too!' A few ideas already crossed her mind, some of which would make for a nice wedding gift.

Greer selected another shade of green and smeered that on her canvass too, using her other hand to add some brown.

Adam winced at the nickname, dropping his hands and staring at the sculpture a little blankly. Maybe if he claimed he wasn't well, he could get out of here before Lorna came in...? He sniffled a little, before slowly starting to sculpt again.

'Would you like one of yourself, too?' She turned to Greer and showed the other girl her chalkboard, now smiling at her. Oh, that one would definitely have to include a ball of yarn somewhere.

Darren frowned at Adam, "Hey ... you okay dude?"

"Ooooh I'd love one! That would be awesome Penny!" Greer smiled at her.

"Yeah...no. No, not really." Adam's hands dropped again. "Just not feeling too good about a couple of things. Don't worry, I'll be going to Dai later, I'm not exactly going to flip out right now..." Adam managed a smile through the lie. I hope, anyway. "Just got...a couple of things on my mind...is all."

That had been a long and very strange staff meeting. Lorna wasn't exaclty walking too quickly to get to her class, either, but bustled inside anyway, making a bee's line for her desk and letting the door swing shut behind her.

"Hey, better late then never, huh teach?" Darren called over to Lorna.

Adam actually jumped and squeaked a little as Lorna came in, instant panic hitting - before he forced it down, concentrating on the sculpture. Nice one, idiot, make it obvious you have something to hide... He ducked his head, blond hair falling out of the ponytail.

"Yeah. Staff meeting." She answered flatly, sighing and having a seat at her desk. "Ran over."

Ah, "And I take it not the good kinda staff meeting?"

Penny gave Adam a sympathetic look, before she scribbled something on her chalkboard and held it up with a small smile on her lips. "What you need is bubble wrap - anybody gets cheered up by that!"

Turning her head, she raised a hand and waved at Lorna when their teacher walked in.

Adam smiled at Penny tightly, grateful for the silent girl. "Yeah...I do at that. I like bubble wrap." He said quietly. "H-hi Mrs Drake..."

Greer smiled at Penny, she was so cute! "Hey Professor Drake," she waved her green hand at her.

'Hello, Miss Drake!' Penny had wiped clean her chalkboard quickly and scribbled a new message. 'May I carve you?' She gave her teacher a hopeful look.

She sighed as she looked up to the class. "No, not the good kind of meeting...as a matter of fact I have an announcement to make." As did every other member of staff who was currently going into their classes late to tell them the same. "Gr-...yes, yes you may carve me, Penny, that would be quite nice."

"And bubble wrap is very nice as well." She smiled thinly.

Oooh boy, "What announcement?" Darren asked, putting down his metalwork.

Adam put down his tools, managing to look up then, chewing his lip.

Greer watched Lorna quietly while she wiped her hands on a cloth

Penny smiled at her teacher, even though she didn't fail to notice that something was clearly bothering the green-haired woman. Slightly tilting her head to the side, she lowered her chalkboard and gave her a curious look.

"The body of Graydon Creed was discovered in his home by his staff returning this morning. Gunshot wound, the police believe it to be a suicide."

"Oh." Greer's look of surprised was very convincing.

Darren blinked, then smirked, "Well that's good news isn't it?"

Her eyebrow rose a little at Darren's response.

"..." Adam went a little white. Oh god, they'd done it. "...Suicide? I...but...why? I mean...he was..." He looked down, feeling a little sick. "I-it's never good news when someone dies..."

A deep frown appeared on Penny's face as her expression turned equal parts thoughtful and concerned. She quickly picked up her chalkboard again. 'The leader of those mean people who hate us,' she asked.

After she had shown Lorna her question, she scribbled another line and turned to look at Darren, fixing him with a firm stare. 'It is never good when someone dies - even when they were bad people."

...Fuck, he remembered talking to Creed, being so proud that he'd actually managed to croney up to the FoH...he stared at his hands. He felt as guilty as if he'd done the murder again...

She nodded to Penny's question. "More than likely this is a result of what the Brotherhood has been doing. We want you all to be careful out in town as people are going to be wanting to give a response again."

Greer sighed, "I guess I'm stuck going to work all human again..." she rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "I hate that..." although it was definately easier to clean off afterwards.

"...Bastards." Adam muttered, almost under his breath.

"Off-d himself 'cos of the Brotherhood's activities?" That ... didn't sound quite right from what he'd known of Creed, "Well, they've at least acomplised something then ... still a bunch of fucking morons though."

"This isn't fair!" Adam suddenly burst out. "None of this is fair - they shouldn't be killing people o-or driving people to suicide - what's the fucking point of that? How does that help anyone?" He suddenly realised what he was saying and shut his mouth, staring at the clay sculpture without seeing it.

"Maybe he actually started to feel bad?" she suggested hopefully. "You know... for being an ass..."

'Why would he do such a thing? Does anyone have an idea?' Penny frowned as she recalled what she knew of this Creed person. 'He never seemed to feel too bad about the things he said in public.'

Darren's eyes flicked to Adam, well, that was an interesting outburst, "Do we know anything else yet, Lorna?"

"Also, as a result, we suggest anyone that takes part in vigilante activities with their superhero persona checks in with us before leaving so we know where you are and what you are doing in case there is any problems. We want to make sure we know where our x-men are at times like this."

"Yeah but people don't always feel the same way in private that they do on the tv... look at the politicians. They all lie. It's like the first criteria to get in their club."

Penny nodded at Lorna and gave her a quick salute.

"No, we don't know anything beyond that yet. Xavier merely overheard the thoughts. There should be a news release this evening at the soonest."

She looked over at Lorna, "Does that mean I can't randomly stop and help people on the way to work anymore?"

"Leave your work schedule and when you leave with us."

Adam nodded blankly. "Sure, Mrs Drake...god, I hope I don't lose my job over this..."

Turning to Greer, she looked at her for a moment before giving a slight nod. 'You might be right,' she wrote on her chalkboard. 'I think he was very good at lying. Maybe so good he even lied to himself about how he really felt until the end.'

"I'll try... they like to change on short notice...." she frowned a little.

"I think you'll find leaving Xavier a note is fairly easy and quick if you think it loud enough for him."

Darren chuckled a little at that, "Except in my case, but yeah, you know you can count on me, Boss."

"If I can get the feral to shut up long enough I'll do that sure."

Adam looked up. "I...have a pretty rigid work schedule...and I don't leave the school except for that...so...I'll just...leave it with you? I-I mean...all I do is DJ..."

"Speaking of the feral... I don't think she'll follow the rules too great so... apologies in advance..."

"...do you reguarly leave the school grounds letting the feral in charge, Greer?"

"I let her go hunting in the woods... I don't know how far the grounds extend through there..." she shrugged a little.

A tiny smirk curled the edge of Penny's lip as she pondered an interesting idea. 'I could put up a scratching post right next to the bulletin in the hallway and leave important messages for others, so they won't get wiped away by accident.'

Lorna sighed, wondering why on earth she thought a life of teaching was for her at this moment but then having a good chuckle at Penny. "Good thought there."

"That's such a cute idea, Bright Eyes," Darren smiled, reaching over to pat Penny's spikes.

Adam knew he'd end up breaking that rule. He slid a look to Tigra, before shaking his head and slowly picking up a tool again, starting to work into the spirals. However...he wasn't going to make it obvious.

'I wonder if those unfriendly Friends will change for the better because of this,' Penny wrote to show it the others in the class. 'Maybe their next leader will be an even worse person.'

"Worse then Creed? The only person who I think fit's the bill is Kraven."

"Oh, please don't make me think of Kraven right now." Lorna grimaced, shaking her head. "In any case, class is dismissed but you're more than welcome to stick around here and talk about things or poke your work...that still has to be done."

Greer stuck her hands in her paint again to carry on working. She wouldn't feel like it later.

"Ahhh, any other class I would be happy to be dismissed early, but now I'm deprived of your emeral radience," Darren mock swooned.

"I...think...I'll stay, if that's alright..." Adam said quietly. "I'm behind and...I could...use company..."

"It's fine by here, I'm here all day." She gave a chuckle, sighing and sitting back in her chair, giving it a lazy spin. "Always welcome with me."

'Do you still want to carve a figurine of you, Miss Drake?' Penny looked at her teacher over the edge of her chalkboard. 'Maybe it will cheer you up.'

"Don't have anything better to do." He said firmly, dipping his fingers in water again, keeping the clay moist. "All I'll do is sit in my room and brood. I don't want to brood."

"Yeah, why not? Knock yourself out." She nodded to Penny, chuckling..

Darren chuckled, "I'm sure I'll cope, I'll scoot anyway, need to finish booking flights for people," he droped the tiny metal dragon onto Lorna's desk, "Take care, Boss. Oh, and Adam, I meant what I said about the essays, later all." Darren saluted the room and ambled out, whistling tunelessly.

Adam nodded as Darren went out. "Thanks..." He poked his sculture blankly.

Penny waved at Darren when she left the room, before she turned to focus on the block of wood again, still sitting on the table in front of her and taunting her with its stoic inactivity.