backdated log: Wes, Dave, Andi
Who: Wes Barton and David Samson and Andi Storm What: Dave is moving in! This is so backdated, IT HURTS... but it helps explain the spell casting that will happen soon When: To when Dave moved in! Where: The Academy courtyard
Monday afternoon, a slick black BMW rolled past the school, behind the administration building and pulled along the curb by the staff residencies. The driver's side door opened and out came David Samson, Attorney at Law, carrying a television.
This was a really stupid idea; he'd just squared his lease away for that apartment in Manhattan but it had been decided that he needed some time under supervision and would be less stressful than living at home. So, David contented himself that this was simply a temporary situation to prove himself. He could do it! Think positive!
Man, this TV was heavy.
Catching sight of someone, he shifted the weight and winced as he quickly shot a hand up to wave them down. It was an awkward, short gesture that probably did nothing, so he resorted to a sharp, loud whistle.
"*fweeeeet!*"
Andi glanced over at the guy who just whistled. Excuse me? Did you just whistle?" Wasn't he, like old? She walked over and propped her hands on her hips. "Yes?"
David puts the TV down and shakes out his arms. What was he thinking? Apparently, the girl wasn't going to be all that helpful so wih a bit of a look back, he strolled on over and puts up a hand, "Hey, yeah." What, do you think he was going apologize? "Can you just... point me in the direction of the residential building for the staff? Just a little lost..."
"Oh!" Andi smiled. "It's right over there... the taller brick one." She tilted her head. Poor guy, he wasn't really that big, was he. "You want some help?"
Next to his parents, he's practically Hobbit-esque.
"Oh," David sounds surprised. "Sure, if you want to just... help me navigate here..."
There was no way he'd get away with asking her to carry anything! He extends a friendly hand with a firm handshake. "I'm David Samson, you're...?," he asks leadingly.
"Hi David! I'm Andi Storm. If I look familiar, it would be from TV." She let her lights give a glow. He looked the age when he may have watched 'So, this is Life', the superhero teledrama. She reached out and shook his hand. "You know, you should have hired movers."
"Andi Storm?," he mulls over, pulling his hand back as he's dazzled by the glow. This is something to get used to. "My mom watches your stuff I think." Jen had to see how Johnny's little girl turned out and was riveted to the show when it was big.
Running a hand through his hair, David shrugged and got himself ready to lift the TV from the ground. "Nah, it was a short trip and I'm not moving all that much...."
"Did she!" Andi glowed. "That's great! so are you, like, a teacher or something?" Well, he looked sorta old. "You're totally going to pull your back. Maybe we can find some strong guy to help you. There are a few of them out here. Hmmmm..." She tapped her chin and looked around. "OK, so no one in vicinity, only Wes."
A grunt and a silent prayer, David got the TV up but it certainly looked precarious. "Nope," he wheezed. "Can't say I teach." It was one of those old style sets that was awkwardly shaped and probably a lot heavier than it had a right to be in the world of the flat-screen TV. "I can get it," he panted, determined to make it to at least the door of this brick building if it killed him. "Wait- Wes?"
"Yeah, Wes Barton? He's not exactly what you call muscular." Andi waved her hand. "His brother is a smidge more buff. They're hot and all, but really they don't have the power. Come to think of it, we are severely lacking in the hunky muscle guys in that department." She glanced at David... "Oh, um no offense." That Andi, she really does not read the news much - well, nothing but the entertainment section.
Wes noticed that Andi was trying to bore poor David. He'd heard that he was here. He hesitated almost, as Andi will not stop asking questions about his Mom and this was not the time. Still... David was a way old friend - even though he was so tired of losing potato sack races to him at the Avengers' annual picnics.
"David!" He called out and jogged over.
"No offense taken," David managed to squeak out before the TV won about a couple feet from his intended destination. Wasn't it the journey that counted anyway? Setting it down, he sighed and stretched, wondering if working himself up would be worth it. These days, probably not so much. At the mention of Wes, David smiled and shook his head. "Ever wonder where your childhood ran off to?," he asked himself under his breath before waving back. "Hey Wes! Looks like I'm complete failure if you can't put it in a burlap sack," he smirked, gesturing to the television.
Andi shrugged. "Oh, I hear you! I'm 17 and I feel soooo old sometimes!"
Wes grinned at David as he got over. "What, you need help with that?" He pointed and lifted the TV, it hovered a bit in front of them. "Where are you staying? Xaviers?"
By the time Wes was there, David was giving a curious look to Andi. "Wow, 17... I'd start a retirement plan now," he offered before a levitating TV caused him to take a couple steps back and regard the Barton boy with a bit of a smile.
"To be perfectly honest? I have no idea if I get to sit at the big kids' table or not..." Fishing in his pockets, he found the print out he'd been hastily give when Dr. McCoy cleared him and handed it over to Wes. "Do you guys have a spare treehouse you're leasing out?"
Andi folded her arms. She is a child celebrity. "Already have!" she tilted her head. "And I'm sure there's a spare room with the maintenance guys. Oh Wes! I totally have a follow-up question about your Mom? See, I was at Avengers mansion museum and saw an article about her."
"Uh... can it wait? This TV moving is hard work. You can ask my brother, though. He's in the library." He pointed the direction. "Just left him."
Andi decided that Ryan was a better one to talk to and left, waving. "Hope you get in OK. Tell your Mom thanks for watching my show!"
Wes turned to Dave, clearly indicating that the TV moving wasn't hard work at all. "Phew. If she found out about your lineage, you have been in trouble with questions too." He grinned. "So, you're slumming with us, now?"
"Maintenance guys. Great."
David kind of smirks at the exchange, feeling a little useless. Maybe he could just... bring in a box? Look more active, less wimpy?
"She's Johnny Storm's kid, right?"
Wes nodded. "That she is. And she is one determined kid." He shook his head and explained to Dave the movie role she's after. "Won't stop bugging us about stuff about our Mom."
He turned to him. "So, how long are you staying? Because we could use an extra in poker night."
David nods to the movie details, wincing a little bit at the girl's gusto. Hey, maybe she'll get the part and they'll all be saved?
"Well, it's sort of an 'enforced vacation'," he highlights with some finger quotes. "But consider me dealt in, I could use the money." Muha.
Wes clapped his hands and rubbed them with a diabolical "Excellent."
Pointing to the door. "I bet you're in with the old folk here. Nothing too exciting like broken pipes, teleporting dogs or laxative brownies, but it should be sufficient."
Wes had the door open for the dancing television. "You should go plasma. Takes up less space and light." He kept the door open for them. "Speak to me, what's the real story on you being here?" He narrowed his eyes a tad. "I only know rumors because my Dad tells me nothing.
Granted, Clint was a little preoccupied right now.
David scratched at the back of his head after her jiggled the door open with a turn of his new keys. "Well..." He looked down the hall. Wes, he could tell. He was considered part of the great big family, so why not? It was the rest of the teenagers-with-powers set he didn't know that made him want to lie low.
"Do you read the news? Big... 'Return of the Hulk' thing?" He wiggles his fingers. "That... wasn't Bruce Banner. As far as Mom knows, he's still in New Mexico somewhere."
Wes paused, his mouth slightly open as if to say something, but nothing was coming out as he turned toward David. After a couple second, he spoke. "I.. I've been busy, I'm afraid. Hell, I just found out Jack and Phil were dating... " He kind of let tumble out. "But you're a hulk...? not like Jen, but Bruce?" He sucked in air through his teeth. "Oh."
He rubbed his head. "So, no ticking you off then, huh."
David choked on an intake of air. Wow. Guess he just found out too. Living here was going to be really weird.
Pounding a fist on his chest, he stepped inside the new room and took a look around. "Not *cough* exactly," he amended, catching his breath before continuing. "The PC term is 'gamma active' and I'm actually pretty okay with handling aggression or anger. It's ... stress that I'm a little shaky on." He scratched at the back of his head. "And that's why I'm a lawyer," he muttered under his breath, Jack's words coming back to haunt him.
He hands went from behind him to out in front, sort of a gesture of surrender. "But I'm okay. Really. This is just a test of 'how okay I get' and then I'm out of your hair, really. Maybe I'll even learn to take after the right side of the family, ha?" It's a joke, son, laugh.
Wes did chuckle a bit. Nothing like those jokes on one's self, but his face did go serious. "So.. how 'gamma active' (shameless use of air quotes!) are you? I know it sounds dumb, but are you as powerful as both of them?" If he thought earthquakes were bad, Hulkquakes were worse.
"And I don't mind you in my hair, I get to dust off those lawyer jokes I've kept at bay for so long."
"Trust me, I'll add a few more to your list," David notes with chagrin, putting his hands in his pockets. "As for just how big and green I get... I have no clue. This is really just my second breakout so there's no chance to go make him run around or lift weights or anything. I'd guess I'm no slouch since I'm not relegated back to the homestead and-" he thumbed towards his arm where a little heart monitor rests around his bicep "-they've got me wired up and everything." A shrug. "If I were you, I'd just run should anything happen- not like it's going to mind you. We're calm and cool here."
Wes bit his thumbnail as he thought - awful habit, the biting, not the thinking. "Do you, you know... need a little help? I know there's a good spell for keeping things zen even when they are not."
"A good spell." David thinks this over. "Yeaah..." His mother had brought up her own experience with magic (excuse me, magik) and it still just robbed him the wrong way. "Personally, I'd say I need more than a little help, but..." He scratched at the back of his head. Oh, this was awkward. "Did... did anyone talk to you about the ... 'secret identity' thing?"
"Secret...." Wes said outloud and tried to remember anything of the sort. Dad wore a mask but he wasn't really that secret as to who he was. It was kind of stupid, actually. Mom wasn't at all. But the other Avengers were that way. "Umm.. you mean a mask? Because I just don't think it's going to work." He snapped his fingers. "You need a secret disguise spell? I can figure that out." Wes' eyes rolled as he thought. "There are actually quite a few out there. What type do you think you want?" He rubbed his chin and wondered for a moment. "Tell you what, let me take a look at my books. I think I know a good one you'll love."
David smiled with a short laugh, "'One I'll love', great." His hands come up to surrender to a higher authority on the magic plane. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll... do whatever it is it should. I only mentioned it as a provisional my mom mentioned; apparently she had something set on her similar in her younger years when Jennifer Walter's court cases kept getting interrupted by people like Titania or a random Skrull invasion." He shrugged. "Nothing I can do or say about it so if you get the free time and I'm still bumming around this place, I'd really appreciate the help."
"Are you kidding? I live for this shit. Anything to work on my magik. I'm going to have to get Rybread in on this. That cool?" Whether Dave answered him or not, Wes' head was already swarming with ideas. He popped out of his thoughts for a moment to say: "Oh! Beer outing soon, right? Dad would kill us if he knew we weren't drinking with you."