ic Moving In – Boys (IC, Open)

[Thevshi]

Kord Dormitories, Second Floor

Claremont Academy, Freedom City, New Jersey

Monday, September 4, 2023

 

The start of the new school year was just a week away, and the activity on Claremont Academy had increased in anticipation. Today, students (and some parents) had descended on the school’s dormitories, getting students moved in ahead of the start of classes. The weather in Freedom City was still quit warm, pushing towards the 90’s, with the humidity making it seem even warmer.

 

Lawrence Harrow exited the stairwell on the second floor of the dorms, a backpack over one shoulder and a large suitcase in tow. The blond sixteen year old’s parents had seen him off at home in North Bay and he had driven himself to campus. He was looking to get some of his things to his room and catch up with Baz so they could start meeting more of the classmates.

[Supercape]

Gamma Buzz

 

There was, Baltazar "Baz" Botez, decided, simply no point to walking into the dorms. 

 

Not when one could crawl up the walls!

 

There had to be some benefit to being a mutated radiaoctive insect-boy, and this was one of them. He could crawl up the walls to the window on the second floor, where he calculated his room would be. 

 

Now, of course, the real reason was that he didn't want everyone to look at him and laugh at the mutated radioactive insect boy. Logically, Lawrence had reassured him. But that was logic. Emotions were another thing, a repressed thing. A thing he could not acknowledge. So whilst he told himself it would be cool to crawl in through the window, he knew, deep down, it was to avoid stares. 

 

So he crawled in through the second window, his sorry looking backpack on his back, rather empty. A few t shirts, a few jeans, and an i player. 

 

Baz was not a rich man. 

 

But! He could fire laser beams out of his eyes, so who needed cash, anyway?

[Thevshi]

Timeout

 

Lawrence managed to weave his way through the crowded hallway. Spotted a couple of people he recognized from Nicholson, but for the moment only nodded or waved hello while continuing on his way. Reaching his room, Lawrence made his way in, finding Baz already there.

"Hey Baz!" The blond teen said with a smile as he made his way in to set his backpack onto one of the room's chairs and his suitcase on the floor.

 

"So, you all settled in? I have another suitcase down in the car, but I can get that and unpack later so we can go start meeting our new classmates."

[RocketLord]

Spaceman

 

"C'mon, Tracy. I got this, don't worry." 

 

Parker, dressed in a white t-shirt and dark jeans, is doing his best to get around his sister and get to his luggage, but no, she's insisting on taking it all out of the car. "Chill, Parker. I got this. Big sister privilege!" 

 

"Don't you have some shareholder meeting to get to?" Despite his protests, Parker is happy that Tracy is there. It will be weird to not have her around while attending here, but his mom and dad are right. It will be a good thing to attend here, be around some other people with powers, get better control. 

 

Finally done with the luggage, Tracy places it in front of Parker and smiles. "Don't be a stranger, alright? Call, text, discord, whatever." 

 

"I love you too, sis," Parker finishes.

 

He waits for a moment, looking after the car, before turning back to his luggage with a sigh. He reaches out for the luggage, three big heavy suitcases and a large duffelbag, picking it all up over his shoulders and begin to walk towards the dorms.

[Supercape]

Gamma Buzz

 

18 hours ago, Thevshi said:

Timeout

"So, you all settled in? I have another suitcase down in the car, but I can get that and unpack later so we can go start meeting our new classmates."

 

"Oh well, you know, I got sixteen more suitcases to bring up. No problem," said Baz with a wave of his hand. 

 

He pointed to his lonely backpack. 

 

"No, truth is this is about all I got in the world. But who needs clothes when you got armour plates?" he said, with a red eyed wink and tap of his chest. His three fingers clacked against the impressive green exoskeleton. 

 

"American dream though, right? Pull yourself up by your boostraps. As soon as I can buy some boots, and some straps, that's just what I am going to do. Right now though, I'm going to give this school all I got. I'm no genius, but you can bet on my determination. And no way am I going to screw this up!"

 

He puffed his exoskeleton up proudly. 

 

"Cockroach Kid, here to save the day!!!"

 

He cleared his throat. 

 

"So lets go impress our classmates with how awesomely awesome we are, right?" he said with a grin. Baz did, at least, still have human teeth and they were, as a side effect of radioactive polish, impressively white. 

Edited September 6, 2023 by Supercape

[Thevshi]

Timeout

 

Lawrence gave an understanding nod as Baz indicated his backpack. The blond teen had visited Baz's apartment at the Freedom League Special Circumstances building and knew a bit about the Mexican teen's background. But he was going to try to help Baz focus past all that and on enjoying the start of the school year.

 

"Focusing on school and the opportunities here will get you well on your way." Lawrence simply replied as he smiled at Baz’s enthusiasm about meeting some of their classmates.

 

The two teens made their way into the hallway where there were a number of students, some with their parents gathered. But Lawrence's attention was quickly drawn to a tall teen in a white T-shirt that was effortlessly carrying three large suitcases and a dufflebag. "Parker!" He called out while leading Baz over to the other teen. Lawrence did not know Parker well, but the two certainly knew each other, given the travelled in the same social circles within Freedom City.

[Supercape]

Gamma Buzz

 

"Work hard, play hard, sleep hard!" agreed Baz. 

 

It sounded daunting. It made his throat dry. 

 

Truth was, he hadn't really engaged in formal education back in Mexico. He played truant, running around dusty streets, listening to street musicians, climbing up buildings, and playing in the local dump. Where he found some really interesting glowing-green cockroaches to play with. 

 

He studied what he found interesting, not old schoolbooks in an old school. 

 

The prospect of studying things he wasn't interested in, and getting through exams. That made his head hurt. He wasn't stupid, by no means, but he didn't have that greased brain of Lawrence or other kids which seemed to process information like a machine. 

 

Well, so what? He could still fire frickin laser beams from his eyes!

 

He gave a wave at Parker

 

"Parker, oh yeah, Parker! Hi Parker!"

 

Who the hell was Parker?

 

Best to pretend he knew. Lawrence knew, so it must be cool to know. 

 

"I'm Baltazar Botez, but call me Baz. Or call me Gamma Buzz. Or the incredible Cockroach Kid!"

Edited September 8, 2023 by Supercape

[RocketLord]

Spaceman

 

Parker is, if he is being completely honest, feeling a bit overwhelmed here. Students are moving all around him, some noticing him, some just passing by, all with their own powers and everything, and while it does feel good to be a place where he doesn't have to hide what he can do, it is just a lot all at once.

 

With his view blocked by his luggage, he has to physically turn his body to see Lawrence and Baz as they call out to him. Oh thank god, a semi-familiar face and... a large human cockroach. It would be a lie to say that Baz doesn't cause Parker to pause for a short moment, but he gets over it quickly, at least. Just part of Claremont, right?

 

"Hey, Lawrence. Been a while." He puts his heavy luggage down without much effort, a few pitch black orbs of energy floating off his hands as he does so, quickly disappearing as he reaches a hand out towards Baz. "Gamma Buzz, huh? Guess you should call me Spaceman, then."

[Supercape]

Gamma Buzz

 

"Gamma Buzz it is!" said Gamme Buzz, sticking to thumbs up. "Baltazar Botez. My friends call me Baz."

 

God almighty, he isnt jumping out of his skin! Thought Baz. Sure, he had heard Lawrence's reassurances. But he had only half believed them, and even if he had believed them, experience was a whole different ball game. 

 

A half human, half cockroach superhero barely cause the bat of an eyelid!

 

"Spaceman, is it? What does that mean? You control space? You come from space? You want to go to space?" asked Baz. "Say, if it comes to going to space, count me in! I mean, I kinda look like an alien already, right? Plus... its space! That's amazing, like amazingly amazing, and cool too!"

 

His eyes widened. 

 

Lawrence? The Spaceman? Maybe I will actually see the stars!!!

 

He cracked his knuckles. The advantage of armour plated skin was he could crack his knuckles real good. And they stopped bullets too, as a bonus. 

 

"What's your, err, real name? If you are allowed to say?"

[Thevshi]

Timeout

 

Lawrence gave a small smile as Parker mentioned it had been awhile since the two had seen the other. “I believe it was an event at Silver Gen country club last summer.” The blond teenager replied as he took brief note of the black orbs of energy that emanated from Parker’s hands as he sat down his heavy load of suitcases. He had not previously known that Parker had powers, but there were many who developed their powers later, or just did not go to Nicholson.

 

“Baz and I had more or less gotten situated in our room so were starting to make some rounds to meet our fellow students. You want to join us after you get your stuff to your room?” Lawrence asked.

[RocketLord]

Spaceman

 

Parker stares at Baz for just a moment, before responding. "I'm Parker... you... just called out for me?" Alright. This was probably just part of being at Claremont, right?

 

"Sure, just gotta find my room," he replies to Lawrence, before pulling up his luggage again, small black orbs starting to flow from his hands as he does so. "I had no idea you had powers too." He can't help himself, he's curious. "So, uh... what can you guys do?"

[Supercape]

"Radiation!" replied Baz, proudly. Too late, he realised that radiation was - for those of the population that were not radioactive cockroach themed superheroes - rather scray. 

 

"I mean, not the dangerous kind. I'm not radioactive or anything," he half-lied. "You wont get lung cancer or grow seven eyeballs or nothing. I just happen to be able to fire laser beams out of my eyes, and do all kind of stuff like that..."

 

Truth was, Baz didn't really understand physics. Who knew what kind of things he could do? At least, from a science perspective. 

 

"Plus, I can climb up walls!" he added, which to his mind was a lot less frightening than gamma blasts. "All part of being the amazing cockroach kid!"

 

He gave two thumbs up. 

 

"And you?"

[Avenger Assembled]

Owain sat in the boys common room and studied himself in his pocket mirror for just a moment. He looked a veritable fellow of the modern age; his bowl cut grown out into luxurious dark locks, his green muscle shirt showing off how much the nutrition and exercise of this enlightened future had done for him; the pride flag on his backpack perhaps indicating that - well, he'd cross THAT bridge when he came to it. As it was - well, he had one great challenge first.  

 

He reached into his case, pulled out his lute, strummed it a few times - and began to play: 

 

"Sumer is icumen in
Lhude sing cuccu
Groweþ sed
and bloweþ med
and springþ þe wde nu
Sing cuccu!"

[Thevshi]

Timeout

 

Lawrence gave a small smile as Parker mentioned not being aware that he had powers. "I would say the same thing." Was the initial reply. "Of course, it is not like it was something I wanted to draw attention to, particularly among the country club crowd." The blond teen added.

 

At Parker's question about what their abilities were, Baz was quick to respond and Lawrence remained quite as his roommate spoke. "Nothing quite as flashy." He added when Baz finished. "I can control the flow of time to a degree, slip between it as I want and even move forward and backward within time and space." He replied a bit nonchalantly.

[TheAbsurdist]

Jonah arrived, looming at his height. Given he was still growing that was hardly surprising. His bags and luggage all in hand with ease, as even without enhancing himself, but given he was the better part of six feet, eight inches in height he had a lot of real estate to dangle a duffle bag from.

 

As per normal had on athleisure clothes, as he exuded jock vibes, with loose joggers, light tennis shoes, and a sleeveless hooded shirt, that showed off his condor like arm span, and lean, corded muscle of a climbing enthusist.

 

He did the upward nod, and grunt at Owain, whom he recognized. "Hello." And then he swept his gaze over the others in the general area, and nodded offering a small smile.

[RocketLord]

Spaceman

 

"What kind of radiation do you do, then?" Unlike Baz, Parker did know a bit about physics, even if radiation wasn't really his specialty. "That's... some kind of mutation that makes you able to do all that? I'm guessing you didn't use to look like this?"

 

He was about to respond to Baz' question about his own powers when what Lawrence had said sunk in. "Wait, you can control time? That's amazing." He turned briefly to Baz. "Sorry, it's not that what you can do isn't, it's just... kind of blowing my mind a bit. How far can you go if you move in time?"

 

And then, he remembered that he hadn't actually told them what he can do. "I guess I got the other side of the axis to your powers," he looked at Lawrence as he spoke. "You can control time, I can control space. It is a bit difficult to explain, to be honest, but I can basically reduce or extend the distance between things. A lot of different things."

 

[Thevshi]

Timeout

 

Lawrence gave a small shrug when Parker asked how far he was able to move through time. "Not quite sure, have not really tried to determine the limits yet. I was once sent back to Ancient Egypt with my foster sister and her boyfriend, around 2,300 BC, and tried to bring us back to the present. I think it would have worked, if Quirk had not stopped me from doing so." The blond teen replied. "Figure now that I am here at Claremont I will have a chance to get a better sense of what limits there might be."

 

When Parker explained what his powers were, Lawrence seemed deep in through for a moment as he smiled. "Interesting, that sounds fascinating. I can make it seem like I move things through space, but that is merely by moving them through time as space shifts."

[RocketLord]

Spaceman

 

"It is kind of hard to explain, but..." Parker pauses and holds up his hand.

 

Pitch black bubbles begin to appear around his hand.

 

There is a can lying on the ground a 10 or so feet away that someone had dropped.

 

Parker closes his hand around the can and holds it up to show Lawrence.

 

Then he opens his hand again, and the can drops into the nearest trash can.

 

"Much easier to show, right?"