4833/Guthrie v2.0

Guthrie v2.0
Date of Scene:	22 January 2021
Location:	Faculty Lounge
Synopsis:	Paige Guthrie applies for the X-Men. She is very insistent.
Cast of Characters:	Paige Guthrie, Scott Summers

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Paige Guthrie has posed:
Having sent a correspondence earlier to Scott last night, Paige waited until her meeting request was accepted. Now that she has a break in classes, she makes her way down to the faculty lounge to knock on the door. Today, the hayseed is dressed in a pair of slim jeans, an Xavier branded sweatshirt and a pair of white sneakers. Her blonde hair is pulled up into a bit of a blonde clumpy mess of curls and pulled away from her face so not to hang in front of her blue eyes.

She takes in a deep breath, steeling herself, followed by putting on her best confident gameface. It's go time. She gives a light clear of her throat as she nudges the door open. "Hello, Mister Summers? It's me, Paige Guthrie." Her voice still has a hint of a southern drawl in it, even if she is covering it up at times to try and sound more sophisticated.

Scott Summers has posed:
Scott has, of course, read Paige's email. Which put him in a weird situation. He is pretty sure when Sam arranged for Paige to come to Xavier he didn't quite expect she would aim straight for the X-Men. It was a different time.

He did try to get in touch with the elder Guthrie, but surprisingly he has not responded yet. And it is time for the interview.

"Come in please," replies Scott when Paige shows up. Right in time, he notes, gesturing for the girl to sit down. He also has her academics on his laptop screen. Not that he didn't know them already.

Paige Guthrie has posed:
Making her way into the office, Paige rounds a chair and takes a seat, followed by folding one leg over the other. "Good aftahnoon, sir. Thank yah' for meeting with me. Ah' reckon you got a busy schedule." She slides her hands over the top of her knee, sitting up straight as a board.

"Ah' was hoping you had a chance to look over the data ah' sent over. My danger room scenario scores, mah' grades, mah' extra curriculars, social club involvements." She reaches up to adjust the glasses over the bridge of her nose. She uses them for reading, or, when looking important.

Scott Summers has posed:
"I do, and I did," confirms Scott, folding his hands on the table in front of him. "You academic grades are superb, particularly in anything relating computers and programming. Your Danger Room scores are... fine. Your extra-curriculars tell me you are trying too hard, which I have no grounds to criticise." He sighs. "I know a few of your teachers want you to aim for Harvard or the MIT. And you could make it. But not if you get in the X-Men as an active member."

Paige Guthrie has posed:
"And ah'm sure Harvard and MIT will always be there for when ah'm ready to attend. Ah' can always take college courses online for th' first couple of years since it's always easy stuff that they require you to take, like English adn Math and some type ah' social science." Paige says as she keeps her poise. "But being an X-Man is what ah've always wanted ta' be, ever since ah' found out Samuel became one. Ah' believe that ah' got these powers ta' do good things with 'em and ah' want to help people, /our/ people. Our Pa died in the coal mines when we was just little and Sam had ta' carry th' burden of the family on his shoulders, then me, and now Jay, and soon aftah it'll be Jeb."

Taking in a deep breath, she clears her throat. "Ah' don't want to die in no coal mine. Ah' don't want to be trapped behind a desk in a cube either. Ah' want to feel like ah'm doing something good with mah' life. Not wasting it behind ah' job I will soon come to hate and have that big question of 'what if' hanging over mah' head."

"You know what ah' mean?"

Scott Summers has posed:
Scott grunts. Then shakes his head. "Some chances might be lost for good. Dr. McCoy did manage to do what you want, but he is a genius and will have a Nobel Prize before he is forty. The best colleges won't give you the time, Paige. They would demand total commitment."

He leans back, "times have changed. The X-Men have a large roster of powerful mutants. Mutantkind also needs scientists, engineers and politicians. Of course you'll want to follow Sam's footsteps. But the fact is you can also do some things he never could."

Paige Guthrie has posed:
Pressing her lips together, a flash of anger rises up in Paige's chest as she squeezes her hands together. "That's not true. Mah' brother is smart and he is capable as anyone else. His life was stolen from him th' moment those mines killed our Pa. He coulda gone to school and been whatever he wanted. But, instead, he had ta' work the mines, and work tables at the diner, and take out trash at a gas station." There is emotional warbling in her throat.

"But mah' brother did the best he could for our family. He put food on our table. He kept Ma from losing it. Sam coulda been me under other circumstances. He coulda been top of th' class, he coulda been playing pro football. He was so good. You shoulda seen 'em."

She takes a moment to breathe, sucking in some air into her lungs. "Ah' don't wanna go to MIT and Harvard. Ah' fine going to a community college. Would save me money anyways. Ah' want ta' be with my brother. Ah' want to be at his side. Ah' want to be a hero and to save lives. Ah' wanna be apart of this team. It's what ah'm killing mah'self doing every night. Ah'm up at five in the morning to work out, then ah' crush my classes, then ah' work out some more, than ah' do mah Danger Room scenarios, then ah' work out more at night before ah' go to bed. Ah' pick every brain that needs pickin'."

"Yes, ah' could go to a fancy school and wear a fancy lab coat and put stuff in beakers, or sit at a desk and tap at a keyboard all day for ten hours straight, but do you think that'll make me happy? Mister Summers, that would kill me. God put Sam and I on this Earth for ah' reason. He gave us these powers for ah' reason. Pa died for a reason." Her lips press together, then slowly blinks a few times before she lifts a hand to brush her knuckles under her eye. "Sorry."

Scott Summers has posed:
Scott smiles briefly as Paige defends Sam from an inexistent attack. Of course he is aware Sam missed many chances for being poor, not for being incompetent. In fact he hopes in ten years Sam will be behind his desk, so he can join his father in space for some real... space travelling time. Because space.

Even Scott dreams about vacation time, sometimes.

"I see you are really committed," he replies when Paige finishes. "I can't deny your application, although Samuel might have some strong words with me. Did you talk to him before sending that email yesterday?" A rhetoric question.

"I went to a community college, but I come from a family of soldiers. Three generations of air force pilots," he muses, looking at the dozen model planes at the shelves of the room. "I am not going to be more than a soldier and a pilot. You might be able to hold a scholarship at the ESU, maybe even Columbia, while still training for the team. I will talk with Xavier."

Paige Guthrie has posed:
"Ah' think you're more than a soldier. You're an idol to so many mutants. You're our Captain America."

Paige says that with true confidence and emotion in her voice. He is Scott-Fucking-Summers. She'd have his poster on a wall if she could.

"And ah'd follow ya' into fire soaked in gasoline if it meant securing th' mission, sir. Ah' do want this. Ah'm committed. Ah've been jumping off roofs since ah' was little hoping that ah'd be able ta' fly, just so ah' could fly mah'self here and be with Sammy. This is mah dream. Xavier's dream."

She relaxes visibly as she leans back into the chair, steeling herself again with her own quiet inner mantra. "And ah didn't tell Sam yet. Forgiveness over permission for ah' change. Ah'm grown. Sides, he didn't ask Ma for permission." Her lips curve upwards. "And that is mah wildcard in that argument."

Scott Summers has posed:
Scott huffs. Young mutants clearly need better role models. "Xavier's dream is about peaceful coexistence with humans. Not about fighting super-criminals," he reminds Paige. The X-men do too much fighting super-criminals, to be honest. But they also run a school for younger mutants. They also have a political agenda that seems stuck in the 60s.

"But you will also learn to fight, since we do that too often," he turns to the laptop and hits a few keys. "Starting next Monday, I just sent the response to your request. And talk with Samuel, please."

Paige Guthrie has posed:
"Ah' understand, sir. Thank you so much for the opportunity."

Paige raises upwards, holding her hand out towards him to shake, practically glowing with pride. She is standing as tall as an oak tree and feeling as strong as one. "Ah can't wait to get ready to work."

Scott Summers has posed:
Scott shakes his head, but stands up and shakes Paige's hand. "I hope you still think the same in a few years. Welcome to the X-Men, Husk." He spares her the 'hope you survives the experience'. It is not as funny now as it was five years ago.