17697/A fiddler on the porch

A fiddler on the porch
Date of Scene:	19 April 2024
Location:	Xavier's School Front Yard
Synopsis:	AJ meets Rogue and talks about who he is.
Cast of Characters:	Allen-James, Rogue

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Allen-James has posed:
    It's been.. a somewhat strange week for AJ. He hasn't needed to busk, hasn't needed to scrounge for food, or any of his usual day to day survival tasks. He has a fresh, new set of Xaviers School Sweats, and a pair of flip flops on, and he's on one of the porch chairs, splayed out, watching the sun set. He's got his violin in hand, tucked under his chin, and the case is splayed out at his feet, more out of habit than any expectation of money finding its way into it.

    Notes dance out of the violin, as he hums to himself, closing his eyes at times as he saws in animated flashes that don't stir hsi body from where he's slimped in the chair, being lazy, in spite of the active song, just playing for the joy of playing, for once.

Rogue has posed:
As Allen-James is attempting to enjoy his early evening, the sound of a rumbling vehicle engine cuts through the seemingly endless serenity that this place offers. From the main gate road, a black and green classic Dodge Charger rolls down the drive, its tires causing crackling noises as it makes its way down the finely kept gravee, cultivated to be as perfectly ordered as everything else is maintained here at this odd bording school.

When the muscle car reaches the front door access, its driver kills the engine, and a moment later the door is popped open. From within it, a young woman with dark chestnut hair, mixed with stark white bangs steps out, wearing a pair of dark aviators over her eyes. A green tanktop, blue jeans and boots make up the rest of her attire, as she stands up out of the car, taking a moment to use her phone to kill the music that was piping out in the form of late 70s classic rock...

Once the music shuts off, and the car door is thudded closed, Rogue's aviator covered eyes look up to the young man by the front steps. "What up, Newbie?" She asks him in a husky voice.

Allen-James has posed:
    Allen-James blinks a little, sitting up, and trailing his little song off, tapping the bow to the violin strings a few more times, before giving the young woman. She greets him casually, so he does the same. "Hey. I'm uh... You can call me AJ." He says with a chuckle, skipping his full name. He's not entirely sure who this is, but it's clearly someone who lives here. He's met a lot of people who live here, from the middle and high school students on up, and a few of the teachers as well, but he's still not entirely sure he belongs here. Still, it's been an OK week. Plenty of food, fewer cops, no one trying to kill anyone. It's... nice.

    "Nice to meet you. Nice car, and all. And cool shades. Solid 9 of 10 for presentation. I feel like Wade would have crashed the car and done a cannonball through the front windshield though, so I gotta hold out for that as a ten." He says with a wry smirk, as he sits up a little. Someone's met Deadpool apparently.

Rogue has posed:
A moment is taken where Rogue just studies the young man as he responds to her, but at his latter words she just flashes a grin before she turns to stride to the back of her car. "God, don't tell me Wade is here?" She asks, as she moves to open the trunk. With a little pop, the lid raises up to conceal her behind it, save for a small glimpse of her retrieving stuff from inside it.

"I'm Rogue, by the way!" She calls out whilst garnering some bags out, along with her leather jacket. She sweeps her jacket on over her shoulders, the rugged leather worn and supple as she pulls her hair out from behind the collar. When her trunk lid is shut closed, she holds a couple of grocery bags in her right gloved hand, and starts moving toward the front stoop where AJ is.

"Nice violin." She comments, as she comes to a stop again, her aviators off now, showing off her emerald green eyes, the glasses tucked in to the hem of her tanktop now.

"So, you're what... 21?" She asks, guessing his age.

Allen-James has posed:
    AJ shakes his head, "Haven't seen him for a few days, honestly. Though I guess he could be hiding somewhere." he says, watching her go. He looks at the violin in his hands, battered, dinged, lacquer worn off in places, and with a big bare spot underneath from where several shoulders have worn on it. It was a cheap violin when it started, and it's been treated roughly by those who had it before AJ did.

    "Nice." he chuckles the word, as he looks over the battered instrument, and carefully danes through some notes on it. "Well. It makes noise, so I guess it's nice." he chuckles again, and mmmmms, raising an eyebrow. "That's a good guess." He looks like a stick figure, with a youngish face, and is short and petite to boot. But he flashes a wry grin. "A bit high, but close enough. Twenty. Nice to meet you, Rogue. I've heard your name as someone who teaches around here, I think?" he admits after a moment's thought.

Rogue has posed:
As AJ replies, rogue leans against the stone railing that leads up the steps to the front doors. She holds her couple bags of sundries beside her right knee, and eyes the young man before her a moment longer. Once she gets a better look at the instrument, she shows a small frown. "That's not one'a ours, is it?" She asks, a heavy Mississippi Magnolia accent shining through in her husky toned voice. She softly shakes her head side to side, as her white and brown hair gently flutters strands around her face in the evening breeze. "Ya should go grab a replacement outta the music room. I imagine it'd make a better sound than that old feral cat..."

She refocuses her eyes upon his, and shows him a soft smile. "Yep. Poetry teacher extraordinaire." She replies, laying her left hand on the stone railing beside her as well.

"So what brought you in with us? Did ya blow up a gas station, or somethin'?" She inquires, showing a little grin on her facial features to show she's just playing.

Allen-James has posed:
    "Replace it..." AJ chuckles, and moves to set the instrument down in the case. A battered, case, yet, well cared for. Worn out, worn down, but all the buckles and hinges work, and none of the weatherproofing that the old leather makes is damaged. There's spots where the leather covering shows the thin wood beneath, as he closes it, and clips it, but the case is in better shape than his violin, really.

    "I don't know if you can ever replace an instrument. You can get another, a new one, but the ones that go with you through the mud, they'll always be there, you know?" he chuckles, and shakes his head. "No, I didn't blow anything up." He waves a hand, painting a small circle of glowing orange in the air, and then moves his hand away, leaving a little shield floating in the air, stuck between him and Rogue.

    "I can make these. They only blow up if you do a lot of damage. Like, shooting them, or hitting them with a huge amount of force. I helped out a couple places where Patty got caught up in excitement, and she talked Bishop into inviting me out here, and... well.. here we are." he says, tapping the shield slightly, which makes it hum a little in the air, and pulse a little light.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue simply nods her head a few absent minded times as she listens to what he states, about to say something back when he creates that shield disc. It makes her raise a hand up to sweep her white bangs out of her eyes so that she may view it better, and it causes her to squint a little. "You should meet up with one'a our Senior girls. The British one, Rhona. She creates things like that too. though hers have a pinkish glow, an' emit a little hum. She might be keen to know there's another like her around." The Mississippi Belle informs him.

At the talk of his violin though, she just shows a light grin as she shakes her head side to side. "And the only instrument I know how to get a tune outta is a piano. They're not really prone to gettin' drug through mud, unless you're havin' a real damn weird day..."

Following a smirk, Rogue notes his school clothing. "So you stickin' around then, plannin on bein' a regular?"

Allen-James has posed:
    "I'll keep an eye out for her." AJ says with a chuckle, then shakes his head, "I hate the piano. My... well. I had a very bad year when I was trying to learn to play the Piano." He looks down at his outfit and ohs, "I guess, yeah. I mean, I mostly came because Patty said there was Free ice cream." He jokes with a smile. "More seriously..."

    He pauses, and looks down, hands stroking together for a moment. "I don't know. I just... They've been talking about putting me in college. I don't even really have a highschool diploma." he admits softly, his face flushed a little. "I don't... I don't want to go back to the streets, but what am I even doing here, you know? I'm not..." he waves at the big house. "I'm not sure how to come back. I ran away from home, and made my own way, and now I just.. don't know how to... stay some place like this any more, you know?"

Rogue has posed:
Throughout what AJ says next, Rogue seems to have a stare locked on to his. She seems to be interested in how he is expressing himself, and what he's saying. She'd smiled a bit at the piano part, but then looked serious upon him.

"Hey," she starts, "I was livin' on the road when I got here back in 2018. I'd been o nthe road for almost two full years, in fact. I was totally messed up. I'd never even stepped foot in a place this nice before--" she motions toward the mansion beside them.

"But these dorks took me, and helped straighten me out. They can do it for you too. I didn't have my High School diploma either. I had t'test up and graduate it. took a few months, and a whole summer vacation... But I did it, got inta college, and now I got a Masters degree. I'm here full time." She draws a breath in through her nose, and shakes her head lightly as she dips a hand in to one of her grocery bags.

She draws out a bottle of sweet tea, that she offers to him. "Ya got a rare chance here, AJ. Drink the Kool-aid, become a X-cultist, or... go find somethin' else that suits ya more. Up to you."

Allen-James has posed:
    She can see it in his eyes. He's been on the streets for a long time. Hiding. Afraid. He's always a little tense. Always looking, always watching, watching for those who might want to hurt him. He listens to her story, raising his eye brow as he re-evaluates her for a moment. She's seen that look on guy's faces on the streets before, recalculating her threat level based on the knowledge that she's got more 'real experience', as they might say.

    "Was it worth it then? Is it worth it?" he asks, reaching out to take the bottle from her. Never turn down free food, she can see it in his eyes, as he looks at the bottle, and pops the top open, taking a long, slow drink.

    "Bishop's all about the future being a world of war and all.. I'm not sure I'm a soldier. I'm just a survivor, you know? I busk with this shitty violin to remind myself of times when I used to... not be on the streets. When I used to be something more than a rat scrounging for food. But I'm not sure who I really am, you know? If I'm not who my parents wanted me to be. If I'm not a street rat, or a thief... Is this.." he reaches up, tapping on the shield again with a thump of his knuckles. "Is this who I am? What I am?"

Rogue has posed:
Rogue shows a small smile when he accepts the drink, as she was glad he did. At his questions, and serious subject matter of a response, she finally shakes her head when he asks if he is his mutation.

"No, you're not." She confidently fires right back. "You're what you choose to do with it." She finishes that thought.

When she smiles softly toward him a second later, she shakes her head once again. "You've been so preoccupied with tryin' to survive the harsh reality you been fully neck deep in, that you haven't had time ta figure out who you are. that's what this place is gonna let you be able ta do. It'll give ya the breathin' room ta find yourself. Be it if you set that poor ol' violin aside an' let it enjoy its twilight years without havin' ta make anymore music, an' pick up a new young violin ta take out on the town. Or ya just go out back and wander the lake pathways, spend a bit'a time enjoyin' nature. You're gonna find that this place will let you be whomever you decide you want to be now. it's good like that."

She grins softly again. "Course, the ice cream isn't free, exactly... Ya gotta pitch in an' help out too. We're like a hippy commune, in a way."

Allen-James has posed:
    Allen-James seems to let that in, thinking it over, and mulling things around as he takes another drink on the tea, considering things. He lets out a slow sigh, and chuckles. "Poetry, huh? Not half bad at it, I suppose." he says with a grin. He taps his chin with his fingertips, as he mmmmms, "I can help out, sure. Not sure I should teach anyone the things I've learned in life though. Guess I'll have to go to college if I'm gonna be much use for you lot. You teach college on the grounds here?" he asks, curious.

Rogue has posed:
There comes a sly grin at what he responds with from the Mississippi girl, and his last question earns a nod from her. "Yeah," she fires back, then points toward the eastern building that matches the style of the main house. "That is the college house there. Has its own little courtyard, and apartments upstairs for students. Main floor is lecture halls and other college stuff. It's a nice little place, with some more expansions comin' soon in the works."

She regards him again, once more stroking some of her wild white locks out of her face with a gloved hand. "I mostly am a lower grades teacher. Seven to ninth. Though I do dabble with higher levels... I just enjoy the younger minds more. They're less troubled... sometimes."

She grins at him before she starts up the stairs toward the two main doors. "I better get this stuff inside, got a dinner date ta meet up for." She tells him, before she offers him her right gloved hand on the way by for a gloved-fist bump. "Nice ta meet ya, AJ. Welcome to Mutant Mansion."

Allen-James has posed:
    "Thanks for letting me talk at you." He says, giving her a fist bump, and smiling a little. "I should probably go figure out whatever I have to do for testing out of high school. Thanks for the tea too." he says, as he takes another swig, and then moves to get the door for her, letting her into the house, before heading back to get his violin.