Kitty and Essex

[x-essex.livejournal.com]

sinister_dna: Ms Pryde.
nightmare_poet: Hello Dr. Essex
sinister_dna: What brings you out of bed before," Essex checked his watch. "5pm? Couldn't sleep?" He hitched up the golf bag further up his back.
nightmare_poet: She blushes. "No, I... I didn't mean to sleep so late. I was up too late studying and didn't set my alarm."
sinister_dna: "Studying? On the weekend? Youth has gotten more devout than in my time." Essex looked around and found a chair to leans the club bag against. "I'll be speaking with your other teachers on Monday. It shouldn't be an issue with your new studies."
nightmare_poet: "Yes, well... finals start tomorrow and I didn't want to spend all today craming, so I did it yesterday." She nods at his reassurance. "Ok. That's good to know."
sinister_dna: "Good. I've managed to pare down the biology to what you will need to know to go on in higher level chemistry. And we are taking about classes on the weekend again." Essex said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Unfortunate habit."
nightmare_poet: She smiles. "Well, teachers and students, it is the natural topic."
sinister_dna: "Indeed. I'm rediscovering that fact." Essex smiled thinly. "I hear your sojourn to the temple was successful?"
nightmare_poet: Kitty nods, her eyes lighting up. "Yes, it really was. It had been a while since I'd gone, and Shavuothas always been one of my favorite holidays, so I was glad to remeber to go. Plus I think Marie and Jamie really enjoyed it."
sinister_dna: "Converting for the faith, Ms Pryde." Essex teased lightly. "That reminds me. I will need to speak with Mr Madrox sometime soon."
nightmare_poet: "No, no..." she starts to say, then realizes he's teasing. She grins up at the doctor. "What do you need to talk with Jamie about?"
sinister_dna: "The usual dry examination. Aspects of his power. I was even thinking of a hand of bridge."
nightmare_poet: "Bridge would be difficult, since if he were playing the other three hands he'd know all your cards."
sinister_dna: "Prehaps I should take him on a field trip to Atlantic City instead, do you think?"
nightmare_poet: She giggles a little at this. "I think he's too young, even for Atlantic City. Isn't it illegal to gamble until you're 18?"
sinister_dna: "Shame on you, Ms Pryde. A computer system like Dr McCoy's to play with, and you don't think you could arrange a credible false identification card?"
nightmare_poet: "Oh, I'm sure we could. But, well... he doesn't exactly look like he's 18..."
sinister_dna: "A false mustache then?"
nightmare_poet: "That would look..." she hesitates, her eys shining with mirth. "That would look very silly."
sinister_dna: "Not more so than Mr Madrox in his natural state. I believe the Hawaiian shirts are a genetic flaw."
nightmare_poet: "I don't think he looks that silly in them. Well, certainly less silly than most people would."
sinister_dna: "I believe it to be something of a zero sum issue." Essex perched on the edge of his chair. "How are the students, Ms Pryde? Adapting to the school?"
nightmare_poet: "I assume you mean the newbies, cause if the rest of us haven't adapted yet I don't think we ever will... But yes, I think most of them are settling in quite well. There've been a few... bumps and issues," her eyes flicker as she thinks of Jono and his sarcasm icon, but her smile returns at the image of him in the pink cowboy hat. "But by and large I think it's going well."
sinister_dna: "And are you adapting to them?"
nightmare_poet: "Oh yes." Kitty nods enthusiastically. "I love meeting new people and pretty much everybody's been really nice to me."
sinister_dna: "Good. It's important that you find a strong social circle, especially with these children. I suspect many of them haven't had that before."
nightmare_poet: She looks thoughtful. "No, some of them definitely haven't. Most of them even, I think."
sinister_dna: "That's what I find. The most have not had anything, making choices without knowing anything else. In my day, such people joined the service." Essex said, his eyes thoughtfully distant.
nightmare_poet: "You mean the armed forces?" She looks confused for a second, then her nose wrinkles up in an expression of distaste. "I doubt they'd take most of us. Certainly not Jono or Sarah, and I can't even think what a standard medical examination would turn up on, say, Paige, or Jamie even. Besides, fighting for your country is... is much less appealing when ninety percent of the country would happily see you lynched."
nightmare_poet: She looks almost angry.
sinister_dna: "I wasn't speaking of the military, Ms Pryde. In my day, that is where you went if you were poor, or a minority and wanted to gain some kind of advantage," Essex tilted his head. "And I'd imagine the military would very much like to have you and the other students in their ranks."
sinister_dna: "I wouldn't suggest it as a career option, though." Another of his thin smiles.
nightmare_poet: "In their service or in their possesion?" Her eyes flashed. "No, decidedly not a good sort of carrer. Very little chance for advancement, except for possibly the medical kind."
sinister_dna: "What would you like to do in your life, Ms Pryde? What sort of career do you see having?" Essex prompted, steepling his hands.
nightmare_poet: Kitty let the anger drain out of her as she considered his question. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "Doing research like you and Dr. McCoy would be fascinating I think, or maybe working with computers." A thought struck her and she smiled. "I could start a security company, programing security and making places that nobody but me could get into."
sinister_dna: "I surprised. No plans to be the newest X-Man?"
nightmare_poet: She bit at her lip, looking away for a second. "Well... I didn't... I mean. I wouldnt' object - I want to help people. But... Well, Storm rather implied that my chances of becoming an X-Man any time this century were rather less than good. Besides, nothing says I couldn't be both, right? I mean, Ms. Gray used to be a doctor and and X-Man."
sinister_dna: "Ah, Doctor Grey,. She had the potential to be a brilliant researcher. She interned with my program in Johns Hopkins in the ninties, you know."
nightmare_poet: "Really? No, I didn't know that. I didn't even know you used to work at Johns Hopkins."
sinister_dna: Six years. Before then, I worked for the United States military. You see, I do know what I speak of when I say how much they would enjoy an acquisition like this school."
nightmare_poet: She nodded. "I don't doubt it, but the fact that it'd be an 'aquisition' tells me all I need to know about working for the Army."
sinister_dna: "To be fair, most militaries around the globe have the same mindset. It's hardly an American trait. I'm sure Mister Logan could vouch for that."
nightmare_poet: "Yeah, I know..." Shrugging she changed the topic with a gesture at the golf clubs he had put down earlier. "We're you out playing?" she asked.
sinister_dna: "This morning. I rather regret I lack the mutant power to shoot par."
nightmare_poet: Her eyes lighten and she smiled again. "That would certainly be an interesting power... What do you think, does Tiger Woods have that one?"
sinister_dna: "The PGA banned mutants, so I certainly hope not." Essex dipped his hand in the bag and pulled out an envelope. "I stopped off on the way back from Ardsley and picked up a gift from a friend."
sinister_dna: Essex handed over the envelope.
nightmare_poet: "They've banned mutants!" The exclamation escaped her before she could stop it, filled with a sort of innocnent childish outrage...
nightmare_poet: Calming quickly she took the envelope.
nightmare_poet: "What's this?"
sinister_dna: "Something about sportsmanship, I gather. As for the envelope, traditionally, opening it is the best way to discover the contents."
nightmare_poet: Kitty blushed, as much at her inability to control her temper as at recieving the envelope. She carefully slid her finger under the seal and oppened the envelope, peering inside.
sinister_dna: A white card slipped out of the envelope, with a single line written in a precise hand. PROJECT: ZERO TOLERENCE.
nightmare_poet: She looked up, her brows pulling together in confusion. "What is this?"
sinister_dna: "A gifted young computer enthusiest like yourself, with an interest in 'security' might be able to take just that one highly Top Secret and chilling phrase, and put it to use as a research project. Maybe a Google search? I'm afraid programming isn't my strong suit." Essex said self-depricatingly.
nightmare_poet: "Hmm... do you know... is this government or private?" Her fingers tightened almsot imperceptibly on the card. "If government, do you know the department? It'd give me a starting point. Google'd be no use. Almost every state uses the phrase 'zero tolerance' in regards to either alcohol abuse and driving or weapons in schools..."
sinister_dna: "Weapons in schools. You know, that's rather close to what they might mean." Essex collected his golf bag and stood up. "A retiring general. One last brief attack of conscience. A rather disappointing lobster bisque. I'm sure you'll find something."
nightmare_poet: Kitty nodded, slipping the card into the back pocket of her jeans. "Ok," was all she said.
nightmare_poet: "I'll see you later then?"
sinister_dna: "Classes in the next few days, Ms Pryde. Do enjoy your weekend."
nightmare_poet: "You too." With a farewell nod she turned and headed down the hall, intending to go by her room and grab her laptop to take into one of the quieter parlours and start looking into this.