Reaching out (open)

[Sam Barker]

Things really had been hectic since he found out about these powers, things hadn't changed much for him on the surface, but he could already tell his life was going to be turned upside down. Already things were starting to be different, and not just in the sense of what he could do. But being approached by both Lance and Rogue today at school was something that was odd enough to make him start to see that his life was changing. Still he had felt like a total fool in front of both of them, he hated how shy he was. He hated how easy it was for him to be put out of his element, and he really envied the more confident kids. Maybe it would be different if he had some more friends. Maybe this was a chance for him to do just that. People that otherwise wouldn't look at him now having something in common with him.

He was trying to look on the positive side of all this. That maybe this was all happening for the best, he couldn't quite convince himself that these people would really want to be his friend. But the thought was a nice one, nice enough that he even decided that he might be willing to put himself on the line a bit. Maybe talk to one of the other housemates.

It was just a thought, not a new one either. He had this same mental debate a few times today. Truth was he didn't know if he could do it, he wanted to. And he would try and do it, but he couldn't promise himself that he wouldn't chicken out. It was one of the reasons he was here instead of out trying to find someone. The rec room was empty for the time being, which gave him a chance to sit on one of the couches and think. Though he wasn't just sitting there staring in to space. In his lap was the book he was half reading. Mostly skimming really, a book on physics and gravity. He was told that was his power, to manipulate gravity and he thought that this might give him a better idea on what he might be able to do.

[Rogue]

Rogue made her way down to the rec room, just to unwind from the rough day at school. Not only was math being a pain, but she'd had a rather annoying encounter with Lance. Guy really had issues. They got along just fine before, now she switched and boom... he hated her guts. Of course that was to be expected but she still couldn't get over it. And what was he doing hanging out with the new kid anyway? Not like he was "world's best welcome committee". Still, she did feel bad for just putting Sam in the akward situation.

So making her way down to the rec room seemed like a good idea. Stepping in, she saw the guy from earlier.

"Oh Hi," Rogue said, looking at him nervously. She paused awkwardly. "Uh, look... Ah'm real sorry 'bout what happened earlier... the Brotherhood an' us... we don't see eye t' eye. Me stickin' around would've pro'ally ended us up in a fight." Boy, was that the understatement of the year.

She sat down beside him and looked at the book in his hand. Gravity and physics and stuff. Kid must be smart. "Ya takin' physics?" she asked innocently, trying to make conversation.

[Sam Barker]

Sam jumped slightly when Rogue spoke, he hadn't really expected anyone to come in here, just one of the many things he had to get used to. It wasn't his own house and there were a lot of people here. There would probably be very places that he could really count on being alone. His first instinct was to try and meld in to the couch and make himself smaller then he was to try and hide. Not that it would actually work, but he remembered that he was going to give this a shot. That he was going to try and reach out and talk to these people. He was here to learn how to use his abilities, and these kids had to be like him right? Maybe even just as scared as he was.

"It's ok... I'm sorry that I was a problem. I hope I didn't make you and your boyfriend fight to much..." He said with a frown still feeling bad and at fault. He hadn't done anything to be honest, but he felt like he had handled it bad and had caused her to leave. He also felt bad for not going to the table she invited him to, though to be fair he didn't really have much time to do that.

He blinked when she asked if he was taking physics thinking it was an odd question to ask. That was until he remembered that he had a physics book in his lap. Which made it a lot less unusual.

"Umm... Kind of I guess?" He said with a small frown, looking down at the book trying to think about what to say. He knew that she knew he had a power, everyone here did. But knowing that logically and talking about it were still two different things, and he was still shy about having a power. Part of him was honestly afraid that as soon as he opened up they would all laugh at him and tell him it was all some big prank meant to embarrass him. He knew it was stupid to think that, but he couldn't help it.

"It uh... It's not for class. I thought it might help me with my powers..." he said quietly, a blush filling his cheeks when he said so. He was laying it out in the open and going for it. He was talking to someone about this whole mutant thing, and unlike with Lance he was the one bringing up powers. He was a little proud of himself for that, but that pride was drowned out by the terror he felt while he waited for her to reply.

[Rogue]

Rogue blinked in surprise. "Boyfriend? Sugah, Lance ain't eva been an' neva will be my boyfriend," Rogue explained, "He's just sore 'cause Ah went an' switched teams on him." God, is that what he thought? Her tiff with Lance was just a couple's spat? As if she would ever go out with Lance. The one type of guy Rogue couldn't stand was a bully, and...

Never mind that. Lance and her weren't going out. End of story.

"Physics powers huh? So... flyin'?" Rogue guessed, unsure of what they really were. "I dunno. Whatever it is ya must be pretty smart t' understand that book. Ah'm only barely passin' Chemistry..."

She placed a glove on his shoulder. "You'll get it, Ah'm sure. 'Sides, I'm still figurin' out my powers... my new ones anyway. That's my power... power theft. It ain't as much fun as it sounds... can't touch nobody..." Rogue explained, putting her hand back in her lap with the other one.

Carol's powers had been throwing her for quite the loop. Now she had to think about everything before actually touching it and possibly breaking it with super strength.

[Sam Barker]

Sam let out a small nervous chuckle when Rogue told him that they were not dating. He felt a little stupid for thinking it, it did seem a bit obvious he supposed after the fact. It was just the first thing that had come to mind though when he saw how they acted. Though to be honest he was a little bit relieved to hear that they were not dating, he suspected that if that had been the fact that things would be a lot more awkward for him in the future, and the last thing that Sam wanted was for his life to get even more awkward than it was right now. Though he could already tell that things would get bad with this team thing. The Brotherhood and the Institute, he didn't even know if he wanted to know. He just wanted to learn what he could do and be left alone in peace, but that didn't seem like it would be possible.

He blinked in surprise when he heard her guess flying in response to him reading a book on physics to help him with his powers. He blushed a little bit for no real reason other than he always felt shy and awkward when he was talking to a girl. Though her saying he must be smart didn't do much to stop his blushing, so looking down he would speak in a low voice, almost a mumble.

"I'm not that smart... Though I can fly, sort of." He was still really self aware about his powers so he wasn't really about to brag about what he could do. As cool as it was he still thought it was kind of freaky and felt a bit dirty about being able to do it. He couldn't explain it rationally because it wasn't rational.

When she explained that she could steal powers he blinked in surprise. It did sound kind of cool, until she told him that she couldn't touch anyone because of it. That thought sent a stabbing pain in to his heart, he felt bad. That was probably one of the saddest things he had ever heard, not being able to touch anyone, not being able to be comforted like a normal kid. Biting his lip he tried to think of what to say to comfort her, sensing that it was what he was supposed to do in this situation but not really sure on what to say. In the end he settled for looking up, not able to meet her eyes and settling at looking at her lips.

"That really sucks... I'm really sorry to here that." He said in a sulky, though sincere tone. He knew it was a weak thing to say, but he couldn't think of anything better to say to comfort her. He was tempted to ask her how she coped, but he felt that would be prying far to much, and while he was trying to learn to be a bit more outgoing it was going to have to be a slow process. Baby steps, so he wouldn't pry, instead he would sit there quietly allowing her to talk more if she wanted, after all Sam was far from a conversationalist.

[Rogue]

"Kinda?" Rogue asked quizically, raising an eyebrow. Was it like Jean's "kinda", where it was only technically self levitation? Or something different? Or maybe he just didn't get very far off the ground. Rogue wasn't sure, and Sam sure wasn't offering much of an explanation. Like he was almost afraid to talk about it. Dear god, what did Lance do to scare the poor guy enough to be afraid to even mention his powers?

Rogue sighed. Well, this was highly awkward. Kid wasn't saying much after she explained her powers. That was never a good sign. She always felt like she was breaking it to someone that she had a disease or something.

"That really sucks... I'm really sorry to here that." He said in a sulky, though sincere tone.

"Well, it ain't your fault. Jus' fate Ah guess," Rogue replied, really not knowing what else to say. "... 'Sides, Ah can wear gloves an' stuff. Ah just gotta be really, really, really careful."

Rogue curled up on the couch to make sure she didn't get too close to same, who she imagined was pretty freaked by the fact that she could take his powers...

[Sam Barker]

He was a bit freaked out that she could take his powers to be honest, but that was the cherry on top of the fear that made up Sam's life. He was starting to accept that people could do odd things here. Lance did something that made the building shake earlier, and he could use Gravity. He was sure there were other things out there too that were just as strange.

"Well at least you can still go out and go to school though... I mean, it would really suck to have to be stuck here all day right?" He asked, slowly looking over to Rogue, still not able to muster eye contact, not that he ever could.

He felt bad, he didn't really give her much explanation on what he could do with his powers, he was really shy about them. But she had told him hers, he owed it to her to at least share his right? Even if he wasn't that good with them yet. Besides, she seemed really nice and she was like him. She wouldn't think he was a freak or something, right? Well thinking that did make him feel a little better, just a little but it was something.

"Gravity... I can manipulate and control Gravity." He said before quickly speaking again, his tone hasty to make sure the next piece of information was understood. "But I am really not that good at it yet! I only flew once, and it was on accident. I was being chased by some bullies... and I was trapped in an alleyway, they were not far behind and I knew they would find me. Then I just started to float up." He said with a frown, he didn't really like thinking about it, partly because his powers scared him, and partly because he hated not being in full control. That's why he was here, he wanted to control his abilities, he wanted to feel like he could control at least one aspect of his life.

"So I am reading this book to get an idea on what I can do. Like I think it is like how I pick up things, I isolate the target and remove the Gravity around it causing the object to fly up, then I can redirect Gravity to pull it in any direction I want. So by applying this to myself I can make myself..." He paused realizing that he was going on and on about something that she probably didn't care about. She was probably just making small talk with him and he doubted that anyone was really interested in listening to him ramble on about his powers.

"I'm sorry..." He said looking down from Rogue quickly, a deep shade of crimson filling his cheeks from embarrassment. "I can sometimes ramble..." He said with a small nervous chuckle.

"So... How long have you been going to the Institute?" He asked quietly, still avoiding her gaze as he tried to change the subject.

[Rogue]

"Yeah, although it would be a nice sick excuse once in a while," Rogue confessed with a small smile. It wasn't much to joke about, making people comatose was no laughing matter. But at least she still could be social. Somewhat. Sometimes. So long as she was at least an arm's length away.

"Gravity manipulation?" Rogue asked. "So... levitation sorta? Or could you... y'know, make the gravity so strong it crushes somethin'?" Well, she was curious and in the event of an "emergency" when she might have to borrow powers it was good to know what everyone could do. Not that she would ever purposefully try and do that. Carol's powers were quite enough to deal with without other people in the mix.

"An' Ah don't mind the ramblin'. People tend t' do that 'round here. You should see Scott durin' a mission briefin'," Rogue replied. She might have a crush on him... that didn't stop him from jabbering on and on and on in what could've taken him two sentences to explain.

"Uh, couple'a weeks," Rogue replied, lying back on the couch. "Ah'm sorta new myself. Just switched over from the Brotherhood... they tend to be bad news."