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"Well, it certainly doesn't take too long to get used to," Jason remarks as he too steps inside. Although he is not entirely sure why he chose to tag along -he does have his suspicions though- tag along he did, even if he has little to no intention of changing his hair color, chemically or otherwise.
"Fair enough," Jason simply replies with a soft chuckle. "And one of my favorite colors, too."
"Aerial stunts, as you put them, will have to wait until I actually get better at flying," Jason easily admits. "Better and more than a little faster." He takes a deep breath and smiles. "But other than that, who wouldn't want to fly if they could, right?" "And you've done this before, Betsy? Using chemical agents and such for a do-it-yourself... dye job?"
"Erm... The ancient Olympics had no costumes. In fact, clothing was minimal to non-existent depending on the event," Jason appears to correct her, seemingly not catching on, his own look one of innocence and sincerity. Or it could just be that the young man did catch on and is simply playing along. "Take... hmm... wrestling, for example. Despite the very very close proximity to each other, participants were decidedly lightly clothed, to say the least. Sounds...," he pauses for a moment, deciding on the most fitting word, "...awkward, right?" The look of innocence remains, though now an equally innocent smile has been added to it. 'Look at me bantering...,' he thinks to himself.
"Oh, do you mind?" Jason asks before helping himself to a couple of the snacks Kestrel brings. "I must admit I haven't given either the costume or the insignia much thought. The name, however..." The young man pauses for a moment, in part to swallow and in part because he feels slightly awkward. "I was thinking of going by Olympian. It seems fitting, yes? Considering my powers and their origin and all that. Or at least the powers I'm supposed to grow into..."
Trying his best to ignore Kestrel's remark -though if the sudden redness of his ears is any indication, his best is probably not enough- Jason tries to focus on his talk with Allison. "Oh? So, do you have a costume in mind or is the no tights thing the only part of it you've decided on?" The man sighs and smiles. "I understand what you mean though. It's too bad I can't just, I don't know, just wear what's comfortable and maybe a mask or something. Like around the eyes? Though I guess that would do next to nothing to conceal one's identity, right?"
"So," Jason says to Chase and Paris as he shows them the bag of chips and Allison's soda, "where should I put these? I'm assuming right next to the veritable cornucopia of high energy foostuffs and beverages should be fine?" Looking around he cannot help but feel just a little bewildered. With the exception of Triad, Kestrel and Allison -does that one have a codename, he wonders briefly- he knows literally nobody else in this -how did Chase call it?- shindig. Taking a deep breath he joins his group's... or is it team... friends maybe... resident mage. "One of those in costume, at least the one I can see," he says, making small talk like a pro, "is basically just wearing tights. Full body tights. Is that what we're supposed to be wearing when... I don't know... superhero-ing? I'm sure there are alternatives...?"
Jason's eyes move from the chips in his hands to Betsy, then Kjersti, then Alejandra and Derek and then back to Betsy. He even glances at Allison and her attire. "And now I just feel underdressed," he finally says with a somewhat exaggerated sigh. "Underdressed but at least comfortable as well I guess," he adds then as he seemingly brightens again.
His current attire somewhat worse for wear following their recent tests, Jason excuses himself for a few minutes as he goes to his room to change. Despite it though, when he comes back out he is again wearing a t-shirt, jeans and sneakers, just different from his previous ones. It would seem they are more or less his go-to outfit when it comes to comfort. It is not like he has not brought other clothes, even less casual ones, but considering he is still feeling a little out of his depth -new place, new people, new everything- he may as well pick comfortable things to wear at least. "So, maybe chips and stuff?" Looking at Allison's soda he certainly feels like it is a safe enough choice as well.
"Honestly, I think I'd prefer casual clothes," Jason shares his opinion as his blush is all but gone now. "I... I don't really have a costume. And I don't feel particularly comfortable in suits and such." He looks at the others and mostly at Kestrel who actually mentioned it. "Do you have... umm... costumes?"
"I am outnumbered, I can see that much," Jason says with a soft chuckle and an exaggerated sigh as he puts his hands up in the air in mock surrender. "Not to mention outsized, it seems, if that is even a word." "And for the record, I'm not going to be disagreeing with your being awesome any time soon," he adds to Kestrel before turning ever so slightly red. "Err... Given how you did at the test and all, I mean."
He pauses for just a second as he clears his throat. "So... ahem... on the subject of the mandatory party and snacks and stuff?"
"Yep, and I'm calling it now, no matter what the grown ups say - this is mandatory! Plus, if it sucks, I bet someone would be able to teleport us somewhere better." "Grown up? Well, we're not exactly children... err... Betsy," Jason returns with a smile being made a little awkward for a moment there when he stumbles a bit at using the girl's shortened name. "Although you are a bit -just a bit, mind you- tiny, so...," he quips then as his faltering smile widens a little, his tone one of friendly teasing.
"Yes,"Jason agrees. "One of the reasons I wasn't much help I think." Running a hand through his hair, he smiles awkwardly, his expression turning at least a little sheepish as a sigh escapes his lips. "Well, that and that magnetism-controlling guy's power. I just couldn't snap out of it..."
Jason's eyes widen for a moment as he notices what appears to be an arm flying towards the sphere but not quite. Seeing the young man it belongs to he smiles at him and quickly grabs for it with his own free hand, improving its trajectory and placing it firmly on the orb. Turning to the others he simply shrugs, the smile still on his lips.
Taking but a moment to stretch his limbs and test to see that he is indeed free, Jason quickly moves to place his hand on the orb claimed by Triad.
Orb 5: The Magnokinetic, realizing he needs to get that orb back, releases his affliction ability and refocuses his power and moves to re-grab the orb.
As the seconds pass and the test moves ever closer to its end, Jason appears incapacitated still.
His attention on those ready to pounce on the sphere Triad is trying to grab hold of, Jason is caught by surprise by the magnetokinetic's attack and proves too unprepared and too slow to dodge it.
"You have to admit, they do make a good point," Jason adds his own voice to Triad's. "We help each other and then we all hold onto the ball at the end. I mean, it may be a test, yes, but it doesn't have to be a contest, right? Not entirely," he continues with what he hopes is a reassuring smile and not an awkward one as he turns to take a better look at those interested in entering the fray, getting ready to defend against the first one to do so.
"Sounds like a plan," Jason says with a smile, nodding in agreement with Triad's suggestion. "Here, allow me to lend a hand or two," he adds as he moves to grab hold of the feline combatant and pull her off of both the orb and what slowly but surely starts to feel like a new three-in-one friend(s).
"We may as well divide our efforts, maybe go for two of the balls and improve the odds of ending up with at least one," he calls out at Triad. "If my play fails, I'll be right there," he adds, smiling as he notices Elsibeth trying to help them.
'Well, heat doesn't bother me, but I'm not sure how hot she burns from up close,' Jason starts reasoning, only half-acknowledging Triad's suggestion as he tries to make up his mind. 'Besides, nobody else is going for it, so I can always try it later.' His eyes then move to the powerhouses' punching it out and he shakes his head. 'Probably not, unless only one remains. Besides, the hairy guy just tossed that pillar out of the field in the last test...' 'No idea where the third one is, so...' And then his train of thought is interrupted by marbles entering his field of vision. "Ah, well..." And a mere moment later he is in the air. Though his speed leaves quite a bit to be desired, he nevertheless flies fast enough to close the distance with the ball being pulled in three directions -hopefully only two in but a second- and make a grab for it.
"Well, it's not so much about who gets an orb first, but more about who gets to hold onto one last, right?" The question is rhetorical rather than directed to anyone in particular. He realizes that even if he does manage to grab one first, more likely than not it will only serve to make him a target to other competitors. So, for the time being at least, Jason simply stands there, keeping his keen eyes not only on the brass-colored balls but also on the students managing to grab hold of them. And also on the students willing to get more than a little physical in order to get them from someone else. After all, there are always bad apples. "So, any ideas? A bit of teamwork did seem to work well in the previous test, after all." Although his question is more or less directed towards all of those students he has so far traded words with, it is Kestrel's quick thinking from before that makes him even think about asking it.
"Well, there's something to be said about the classics, at least the good ones," Jason joins the conversation. "They never grow old and they seem to always feel relevant, you know? I certainly don't get tired of listening to some good old music." "I even retain most if not all of the lyrics too. Among other things," he adds with a smile and a shrug, referring to his own eidetic memory. "Not that I could do that when I was a boy though. I had a good memory, sure, but that good? Last five years or so."
As soon as the paper-controlling girl mentions getting hit and taking damage, Jason's hands almost instictively go to his jacket for a moment. Although he is resilient enough, his clothes usually are not. 'And I do like this jacket,' he thinks briefly before taking it off and tucking it under his arm. Just in case. "I'd expect a trained or at least capable telepath to be able to sort through such... unpleasantness," he offers with a shrug, finding it easier by the minute to relax around these people he has just met. "So, Betsy-who-knows-her-horror-movies," he continues, addressing the paintball-flinging girl, "why Kestrel?" And as the thought occurs to him, he also turns to the others, "And... umm... do you all have, you know, codenames and such?"
"I should think so," the young man retorts with a chuckle. "My parents certainly never showed a proclivity towards hockey or machetes." "Nice to meet you, Betsy."
"Thank you," Jason says simply at the same time as his fist connects with the indicated spot and shatters the stone column completely. Then, wasting no time, he moves quickly to do the same to the girl's own pillar. "One good turn deserves another," he adds with a somewhat awkward smile. "Oh, and Jason will do nicely. Even if Goldeneyes is... well... accurate enough."
"Straightforward indeed," Jason says to noone in particular, agreeing with the Headmistress. Not wanting to waste any time, he quickly approaches the column and takes a deep breath. Then he draws his arm back, fingers already clenched into a fist aimed at the stone pillar.
Not proving able to stop the second mannequin, Jason is at least a little disappointed at himself as he makes his way out of the test area. Taking a deep breath, he lets it out in a sigh and shrugs as he notes that he is not the only one who succeeded on only one half of the trial. And he even manages a smile when he realizes that some had even worse luck than him. "Well, one can't win them all. Besides, it's probably easier to stop something when you don't have to pull your punches, so to speak," he comments after overhearing a girl in a drab green jacket voicing her own exasperation. "Maybe we'll do better in the next one."
"You're slippery," Jason mutters as he turns around quickly and sprints towards the remaining green mannequin. Trusting his superior speed once again, he tries a similar tactic, this time attempting to trip the humanoid while taking a moment to consider how easier it might be if he was allowed to damage the construct. Still, not everyone out there is going to require being knocked unconscious; there will be people who will simply need rescuing, even if they will not quite cooperate on occasion.
"Hmm..." Quickly walking to a nearby bench -this is a field, after all- Jason takes another look at the two mannequins, who have already started their charge towards him. Putting a hand on the wooden object, he grabs it tightly and pulls, easily lifting it off of the ground. "Sturdy," he comments simply before hurling it almost like a javelin at the red mannequin as soon as it gets close enough, striking it squarely in the chest. And head. And part of its legs. Maybe shoulders too. It was a well-sized bench. Which along with the force of the throw explains why piece of furniture and strange construct both end up a few feet behind where they actually collided. With one task done, he then sprints towards the remaining green mannequin, his speed double that of a more... average man, and quickly closes the distance between them before attempting to restrain it. It takes a couple of tries, but he finally feels like he has a secure enough hold. "Sir? Umm... madam? Eh... You, if you would stop please? All is... err... fine...?"
"That," Jason quips, feeling more relaxed as the minutes go by, "is quite a bit of consideration you've put on the matter of having cars tossed at you. Happen often, does it?" The young man's smile is still on his lips as he talks.
"Hmm...?" Jason seems preoccupied, probably thinking about the Headmaster's words. His eidetic memory -one of his... gifts, he realized at some point- will make sure he does not quickly forget them. "Oh, hello again," he says with a somewhat awkward smile as he looks around, taking in the field the various students, himself among them, find themselves in. "I rather hope not frankly. Someone might get hurt. I'm sure there are resilient people here, but not everyone is indestructible." He sighs then as he finally realizes Alejandra is joking. Probably anyway. "Ah. Heh... You know, I'm willing to wager they're a bit more imaginative than that." "Then again...," he adds with a smile, less awkward than before, and looks up. Just in case.
"Ah... Umm... What?" Distracted by his new surroundings and the various people walking, running and flying about, Jason is caught by surprise by the young woman talking to him. Turning to look at her, he does his best not to stare. He always did feel a bit awkward around pretty girls. "Oh, hello there," he finally says, the words spoken in a British accent with a hint of something else. His voice also hints at a bit of embarassment as he turns his eyes from the woman to his bags. "Heh... Yeah. Umm, well... I think it's quite alright. I plan to sit in the back anyway." The young man takes a moment to clear his throat softly. "I am Jason, by the way. It's... err... nice to meet you. And thanks for the offer. But I think we don't have much time anyway. It's about to begin." With that he starts to quicken his pace, his things not weighing him down in the slightest. "Coming?" He has barely taken a seat before he has to stand up again momentarily to let a colorfully dressed girl with an even more colorful accent -Yorkshire, he thinks- to get to her own seat. "Umm... Hi? Same here?"
"Will do, dad. No worries," the young man answers with a smile. Standing about six feet tall with a lean and muscular build, he certainly does not look like he weighs over two hundred pounds, even though he does. Fair-skinned, black-haired and golden-eyed, he is dressed rather casually in a light jacket, an untucked gray t-shirt, a pair of jeans and a pair of black sneakers, obviously valuing comfort much more than fashion. His attire is appropriate for the season, that much is obvious, but truth be told he could have come wearing just a t-shirt and a pair of shorts; it is not like cold bothers him at all anyway. "Mom! Err... come on now, mom. You can't just say things like that... I mean..." Jason sighs. "People won't know what you mean if they hear that." Another sigh. "Yes, alright. I'll be sure to call." And then, just as he is starting to relax again, his father blindsides him with some support of his own. "Dad..." He pinches his nose and smiles. "Sure, dad. You'll be the first to know, don't worry." His smile widens as he hugs them both. "You know I love you guys, right?" He takes care not to squeeze too tight. He also takes care to keep the hug going for a bit too before letting go of them and effortlessly picking up his various bags. He does realize he may have packed too much, but he has always felt that it is generally better to have something and not need it rather than need it and not have it. "I think I should get going now," he finally says. "I think they're gathering." Looking one last time at his parents and smiling, Jason finally moves forward towards the next four years of his life. "Should be fun," he mutters to himself as he makes his way to the auditorium, all the while looking around at not only the buildings and various facilities of the Academy, but also at the people, mostly students old and new. Particularly the new, wondering who might be his new squadmates and perhaps even friends. |
