Powdery Paradise [OPEN]

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H Y D R O
> > roy kingsley

Roy felt guiltier for startling the cat than he did for turning his water blades on the aid. There must be something seriously wrong with him if he cared more about the animal than his fellow people. In hindsight, most people in his life haven't given him a good reason to care for humans, but he could still work on giving a damn.

The cat seemed to say good-bye before taking off, and Roy felt a bit deflated. With a head jerk toward the retreating feline, Roy asked, "She the mascot of the institute or something?"

The student shrugged noncommittally when Apollo asked about how long Roy had been at the school. "For a few months," he said. "There was some debacle about my schedule, trying to figure out which classes I should be in... Ms. Parker helped a lot..."

He couldn't really remember Apollo that well, but Roy didn't pay much attention to who was in which of his classes. Unless, of course, Vanessa was the aid in the class. That was always okay. He never felt alone when his sister was there.

Speaking of Vanessa, Roy figured that she would be nudging him in the ribs right now to keep the conversation going, to continue being social, with Apollo. "So, uh, have you been aiding long...?"

[Apollo de Costa]

A p o l l o { s h i e l d} D e C o s t a
>> ftm >> mutant >> 21 >> teachers' aide

Apollo smiled fondly at Willow as she gave her goodbye's and then slunk into the underbrush. Already feeling a bit warm and fuzzy, the tan aide chuckled when Roy asked if she was the mascot of the Institute. "No, no, she's not. Just a friendly face.", he explained, shaking his head in the negative. "I don't think this school really needs a mascot, considering the...history.", he added. Roy, he assumed, like almost everyone who came onto the school grounds, would know at least a little bit about the occasionally infamous past of said school.

He nodded as Roy explained about his arrival and his classes; scheduling the kids that came in later in the semester could be a nightmare for both parties, student and staff, especially because a lot of them came from different places in the country, or from around the world - their education in one area might be grades over their age-mates in one part, but dearly lacking in another. Then there were the classes that some students could just skip altogether - if they could control computers, taking a computer class would be akin to breathing. "It can be tough.", Apollo agreed. "But you're lucky Ms. Parker was helping you; she's got a mind for that kind of thing."

Comfortable, now, talking about school and classes, Apollo grinned at Roy's question, his shield fading away at the same time. Aiding? He almost laughed at the wording. "Not long. I, uh, just graduated from college, actually - I'm hoping to get experience here." He gestured behind him, in the general direction of the school. "I came here for highschool, but decided to go somewhere else for college." Apollo decided not to mention that having 'Xavier Academy' on his resume would be, at some places, the only thing a recruiter would look at - or judge him by. No need to besmirch the school, after all, or the help it did give him.

[Deleted]

H Y D R O
> > roy kingsley

Roy watched the cat disappear and gave Apollo a second shrug when Apollo had mentioned the fact that the institute wasn't exactly a place that needed a mascot. In all honesty, with all the different kinds of powers that Xavier's attracted, Roy was surprised that there was an animal brave enough to step foot on the grounds.

"That's what she does, right?" Roy asked. "Ms. Parker, I mean. Her mind is linked with the computers or something, right? Bet she remembers everything..." There would be no funny business going on under that particular teacher's nose, Roy was sure. It was a bit tempting to try, though.

"Congrats on graduating," Roy said when Apollo mentioned his college education. "Think it was worth it? School isn't exactly something that is for me... I'm trying, and Vee is helping me a lot, but..." He shrugged again and clamped his mouth shut, conscious of the fact that he was very close to just babbling. Apollo didn't need to hear that and then think that something was wrong with Roy's head.

Roy hadn't been in a proper school in a long time, and he wasn't even sure if he should consider the institute as one, what with all of the mutants running amok with their powers. The orphanage didn't exactly hit the list of "best schools in the country."

[Apollo de Costa]

A p o l l o { s h i e l d} D e C o s t a
>> ftm >> mutant >> 21 >> teachers' aide

"Something like that, I think. I'm not sure exactly.", Apollo agreed. He thought it might be rude to ask another adult - with students, if they didn't tell you first or show it off, then it was generally something they were still happy to tell you about, in Apollo's experience.

Then again, with the Institute being what it was, made how it was, inside the mansion walls might have been the first time a student was at ease talking about their powers; it made sense they might be more relaxed, the aide thought to himself. If half the stories he'd heard about human parents freaking out and shipping their kid to Xavier's were true, he couldn't imagine they'd felt at all safe or at-ease about their mutations before.
"Thank you." Apollo paused before he spoke, thinking. "It was worth it for me. I haven't had to start paying back my tuition, though, so maybe I'll think differently in a couple of months.", he added, laughing lightly. His demeanor turned more serious as Roy admitted he wasn't a big fan of the institution of education.

"Alot of people have trouble with school, Roy. It might be the teaching style your teacher uses, or how you take in information - you've heard of visual learners, things like that? Maybe, ah, you could ask your teachers about changing some things." Apollo suggested. "If you're having problems, trust me, you won't be the only one." The man bit his bottom lip briefly, hoping he was coming across as helpful - or at least informative - rather than as a nagging authority figure.

"Vee?", he asked, after a moment, trying to return to Roy's original line of talk. Another students?

[Deleted]

H Y D R O
> > roy kingsley

Roy made a noncommittal grunt of acknowledgement when Apollo responded to the topic of Ms. Parker's ablities. It wasn't exactly his business anyway, Roy was sure. If the teach wanted to discuss what she could do -- or show it off like so many of the students around -- then Roy was sure she would on her own time.

A crooked smile placed itself upon Roy's face when Apollo mentioned paying back his tuition. "I don't understand why school is so expensive," Roy admitted. "You'd think the government would want the future generations to be smart enough to rule the country... Shame they can't make college more affordable."

College was something that Roy wouldn't dare to dream of completing. Even if sitting in a classroom wasn't a drag to him, Roy would never be able to come close to affording that sort of schooling, not even with loans.

He blinked at the information regarding different learning styles that tumbled out of Apollo's mouth, and shrugged. "It's not exactly how I learn, really. Well, I don't think. I'm more hands-on and like to figure out things on my own. I'm just bored by sitting in a seat for hours on end with a textbook in my face. It's hard to focus.

"Vee, uh, is Vanessa," Roy said, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry. She joined here with me, but as an aid. She's my sister." He paused, briefly thought about how unalike Vanessa and he looked -- with her dark features and his much paler skin -- and how her relation to Roy could confuse Apollo if he had seen her. "Not by blood, actually, but I still consider her my sister..."

[Apollo de Costa]

A p o l l o { s h i e l d} D e C o s t a
>> ftm >> mutant >> 21 >> teachers' aide

Apollo wasn't sure why school was so expensive, either. It seemed unfair, and classist - to say the least. Mutants, he couldn't help but recall the more commonly-recited statistics, were more common in households with lower income and more children. And most schools that charged tuition - colleges, or boarding schools - were not incredibly understanding of people that just didn't have that kind of money laying around. Neither did orphaned kids, kicked out after reaching that golden 'maturity' number.

The aid nodded in understanding as Roy spoke. He himself could learn from books - if a subject interested him - or he could learn by doing. One wasn't easier on the whole from the other, but everyone learned differently. That was one of the things that had been very nearly embedded in his - and his fellow college classmates' - mind, during his stay there. They would have to learn to recognize the kids who learned differently than simply being lectured at and try what they could to accommodate them - not as simple a task as it was presented to be, when your students could turn into smoke, or control the elements.

Apollo perked up a little as Roy elaborated; Vanessa was his sister. Adoptive sister, clearly. "Oh, Vanessa!", he agreed, nodding to show he recognized the name. "I've met her. She's -" 'Capable' wasn't exactly a compliment, was it? Except she was; very capable, straightforward, and, he thought with some surprise, rather pretty. Better not mention that part., the aid mused to himself. "- very good at her job. I liked her, the few times we've met." He finished lamely, instead. 'Good at her job'? Apollo mentally rolled his eyes at himself. Capable might have worked better.