xp_logs | Jay & Scott Backdated to November 21st

Jay and Scott talk about Jay joining the team.

They didn't think he could do it, or should do it but Jay wanted to prove them wrong. And talking to Scott would get that ball rolling in the right direction. He just had to have Scott hear him out before the request was declined. His gut told him that it would be turned down, that he would be turned down and Forge might have something to do with it. Or at least put in his two cents. Jay hoped he hadn't gone to Scott about trying out for the team. He knew he didn't have a lot to offer but maybe he would find his niche in it. Knocking on the office door, he waited until he was giving an ok before proceeding inside.

Scott wasn't having a great day. His ribs and jaw were aching steadily, and the healing shrapnel wounds were itching and throbbing. He really did feel like crap, but it was getting towards the end of term, and there was plenty of paperwork to be done. One more hour, then I'll go back upstairs and take something, he'd told himself, just before the knock on the office door came.

His eyebrow went up as he saw who it was. "Jay," he greeted the young man, enunciating as carefully as he could with his wired jaw. "Afternoon?"

Jay let himself in and at first glance, thought Scott looked really rough. He said nothing about it, instead, closing the door behind him and making his way in. "Hey, are ya busy? Cause Ah can come back 'nother time?" He felt awkward, standing there in the middle of the office as he so often did under the eyes of an authorative figure.

Scott shrugged and gestured to the chair across the desk, the corner of his mouth tugging upwards very slightly. "Nothing that won't wait. Sit down?" Jay hadn't made a habit of turning up at his door even when he'd been a student, so he was curious what was bringing him here now. "Everything okay?

He hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and situating himself in the chair. "Yeah yeah, everythin's just fine. Ah just, er.. wanted ta, you know, maybe get a lil' more trainin'. like with ma abilities an' stuff." That didn't quite come out the way he had planned and he could feel anxiety creep up his spine, worried Scott would share Forge's opinion in the matter. Even if they hadn't spoken.

...okay then? Scott gave him a slightly hesitant smile. "Flying?" he asked, hoping Jay wouldn't take his terseness the wrong way. His jaw was quite visibly wired shut after all. "Pity Warren's out west."

Jay was trying his best not to stare too hard at Scott's jaw and averted his eyes. Though after a moment, his eyes shifted back. It was hard to stare at his eyes when he was trying to will himself not to stare at the jaw. "Nah, it ain't tha'." He gripped the arm of the chair, shifting in his seat. "Ah was more thinkin' 'bout, ya know, joinin' tha team."

... joining the team. Jay Guthrie just told me he was thinking about the team. Jay. Guthrie. Long practice kept the shock from showing on his face. "Really? Can I ask why?" he asked evenly. "Know your siblings are... doubt that's what brings you here."

"Well, " he started, brushing a hand through his hair uncomfortably. "Ah thought ah could learn a thing o' two 'bout, uh, helpin' people out better. An' Ah sorta wanna be apart o' somethin'. Ya know? Somethin' tha'll make a difference 'ere. Maybe get a lil' direction." He hadn't even thought of Paige and Sam when he wanted to join the team but now that it was out, he grabbed onto it like a desperately needed excuse. "Ah want tha' experience like Paige an' Sam."

Part of Scott's mind gibbered just a little at the idea of someone joining the X-Men to 'get direction'. "This particular experience can be pretty hard on you," Scott said, still somehow managing to keep the even tone. "Last time we went out we came back with nearly half the team seriously injured. Doesn't happen every time, but it can."

"Ah can regenerate," he said, sitting up a little. "Ah've recovered from worse then most, Ah reckon. An' Ah can handle maself al'ight. Ah mean, maybe Ah need a lil' hand ta hand trainin' but Ah can fly obviously, an' that’s gotta count fer somethin'." He didn't have a lot to offer but his heart was into it. He wasn't sure how to convince Scott but his determination was there in his eyes and he promised himself he wouldn't leave without trying very hard.

Bizarrely, Scott found himself remembering how he'd made Jubilee write a 'Why I want to join the X-Men' essay. Somehow I don't think that's the right approach here. "Why do you want to do this?" he asked. "Don't say for the experience. Why do you want to put yourself in a position where you're going to be risking your life on a regular basis, fighting people like Magneto and the Brotherhood?"

He expected a question like this, and recalled the day Paige said how it was her life long dream. He put that into play now. "I've always wanted ta be on tha team. It's been a dream o' mine. Ah jus' had a family ta look after an' needed some time ta sort myself out. I wanna help people like ya'll helped me." Ok, that sounded a little off beat from the way he normally was and didn't think Scott a fool to believe him. Apart it was true - the family part and he shifted in his seat. "Ah might not be good at fightin' but Ah'm sure Ah could help somehow." He had to plead his case, after all.

Scott stared across the desk at him, managing to keep the doubt off his face. "Well," he said, after a long moment. "I think maybe we'd better start with you reading up a little on what we do, and getting a better sense of what the training would involve. And talking to Charles." Charles was much more diplomatic than he was.

He smiled briefly and relaxed significantly until Scott brought up Charles. "Oh, uh, ya sure 'bout that? Ah mean, he's so busy an', ya know?" No time for Jay? No, he didn't believe that for a second. The professor always made time, didn't he? That was the impression he gathered, and though he was determined, doubt had a way of rearing its ugly head in the light that his thoughts may be read to see how
genuine he really was about this.

"Between the reading and the conversation with Charles, you should get a good sense of whether this is really for you." And it might be, for all Scott knew; it wasn't as if he was an infallible judge of other people's character.

Even though he doubted himself, he was still going to try, if only to try for the sake of doing so. He wanted to show Forge, and actually be someone, mean something though apart of him longed for an audience and not the team he was trying out for. Nodding, he sat on the edge of his seat and waited still. "Well, ya'll got some kinda pamphlet or..something Ah could read up on?"

"Better," Scott said, turning his attention back to his computer and calling up the database. "The X-Men's greatest hits." With a few missing pieces. Jay didn't get to know about the space laser until he was firmly committed, for one, and there were others. "Enough to give you a sense of the sort of thing we do, at least. Check your email for login information when you go back to your suite."

That awkward feeling crept in again and he shifted in his seat, though he had the distinct impression he was being dismissed. He hesitated, but then stood up and nodded. "Al'ight, thanks then. Ah'll go check it in a bit." Or right now. The faster to move this along, the better. "Thanks, Sc-- Mr. Summers."