Jubilee and Jeb | Backdated to 11/8

[ax_jubilee]

Jubilee and Jeb discuss Magneto's announcement



Jeb set his tray down at the same table as the spunky girl from Comm 1, Jubilee, he thought her name was. "Seen the news?" Jeb asked, gravely, as he sat down. He didn't want to talk to Jay about it. Jay would've thrown a fit. Probably would've told him to pull back on becoming part of that team Xavier was putting together.

That wasn't going to sit well with him, so Jeb was avoiding that conversation for as long as possible. Talking to this girl was a better way to put that off.

"Watching it again now," Jubilee replied, scowling as she glanced up from her phone to see who'd joined her. Seriously, wtf was up with this guy? And why was he wearing a helmet? Because that wasn't a good look on anyone. Imposing, maybe, but still - not good. "Jeb, right?"

"Yeah. Jubilee, right?" he asked. "And I only watched it the once. Why you watchin' it again?" he asked, curiously.

"Well, mostly cuz I missed the beginning last time - I mean, the news was on? But I wasn't watching it, because boring, and then all of a sudden this guy wearing a bucket helmet was talking and I was staring at that, trying to figure out if I'd missed something or if it'd gone to commercial, and it took a while before what he was saying sank in." Jubilee made a face at the phone. "But also because I wanted to figure out if he was for real, because this pretty much declares war, right? Against non-mutants?"

"Sure as hell seems like," Jeb said, nodding. "At least from what I saw. Reckon I should watch it again myself," he said. She had a valid point. "You joinin' the headmaster's team thing?" he asked. "Seems like this guy'll be who we're up against the most, I reckon."

"Oh yeah, I signed up first thing! I mean, we've got powers, right? And there are totally people out there who don't have power, period - like, the kind to get themselves out of normal problems, even. They need help. We can totally do that." She grinned. "Plus, we hopefully get to take down losers like this."

"So did I." Hence why he was hoping Jay hadn't heard of it, but it was probably the talk of the school. Which meant another fight, probably. "And pretty much fer the same reasons." Though the guy in question didn't look like a loser. He looked like a badass.

Jubilee beamed. "Alright!" She held up her hand for a high five. "Freshmen, re-pre-SENT! We're totally going to kick ass." If, y'know, they ever started kicking ass. "What do you do, anyway?"

"Damn right!" Jeb said, not daring to leave her hanging and giving her an enthusiastic high-five. "And I shoot lightnin' outta my eyes," he said, letting sparks fly out of his left eye.

"Oh, dude, that's cool! Except does it ever happen like, by accident? Because that would kinda suck if you were looking at someone and then just Pow! Blasted!" She shuddered on principle, then grinned sheepishly. "I had that happen once when I pointed at something. Bam!" She pointed up and shot off a harmless paf from her fingertip in illustration of her point, which exploded about a foot higher up to rain down sparks which disappeared before they hit the table.

"Wow," Jeb said, blinking at the firework. "And no. I only uh, ever did it on accident once. And even then, it was kinda on purpose."

"Yeah? Who'd you blast accidentally on purpose?" Jubilee asked, intrigued.

"One'a the Cabot boys. Family from back home. Got a bad feud with them. Family stuff," he said, waving it away. "Two'a 'em were usin' my head for a soccer ball. Decided to pay 'em back. Didn't quite know how, but I wanted to put 'im on 'is ass. And I did."

"Cool! I mean, not that they were using your head as a soccer ball," because seriously, Oww! "but the part where you put him on his ass. Guys like that totally have it coming." She nodded decisively.

"You bet," Jeb agreed, nodding. "I got sent over here shortly after it happened, with my brother Jay. He's got red wings, you probably seen 'im." Jeb shrugged. "He's a musician."

"Like, a real musician? Or like one of those guys who gets together with their friends in a garage and jams out but doesn't actually play anything musician?" Jubilee asked skeptically.

"He plays. Guitar. Sings too," Jeb said. "I'm closer to a fake musician. I just putz around on a harmonica."

"I'm not sure that's a real instrument," Jubilee agreed. "But cool for your brother! I had a couple years of piano when I was little," she wrinkled her nose, "but I pretty much remember Mary Had a Little Lamb. My mom gave it up and put me in gymnastics instead, which was way, way more me."

"So you do like, flips and stuff?" Jeb asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yep. I mean, not as good as I did a couple of years ago? Because I was doing it competitive then. But then - well, shit happened, long story, whatever." Jubilee waved that aside, because really, who cared but her and it was a downer, right? "But anyway, still pretty good. I setup some mats in the gym last week and had a really good workout - I should totally get back to it."

"Sounds like a helluva workout," Jeb said, nodding. "Never did much'a jumpin' around myself, but I did my fair share'a runnin' and climbin' back home."

"Like, track team? Or just, y'know, recreational running?" Jubilee asked, curious.

"Just runnin' around, horsin' around," Jeb said, shrugging. "I ain't ever done a sport fer school."

"Seriously? How come? I mean, my parents were on my butt to sign up for stuff from like, the time I could sign my name on the sign up, I think." She frowned. "Though I didn't really ever do anything at school, because mostly when I was little? They had soccer, and soccer is really not my thing." Still, extracurriculars were a big thing, right? Wherever you did them.

"Never really had time. Mama's too busy with the little'uns to come and get us after school, so it was bus or take the hike. Usually had to come home an' help around the house as best I could."

"Ewww. Well, that kinda sucks." Cool of him, totally, but still. "Just how many little ones are there? I mean, did she have like quads or something? Because that'd totally suck - well, I guess some people are happy about it," she allowed, "but I've never quite figured out how, because oh my god, you'd have to be drowning in diapers, right?" And he had an older brother already. That'd be a lot of kids.

"Well, y'got four younger than me. None of 'em are too too little, anymore, though," Jeb said, shrugging. "I'm the middle kid. Four older'n me, four younger'n me."

"Seriously? There's nine of you? Dude, that's like a whole baseball team or something." Jubilee couldn't help but stare, and didn't really try. Because seriously, nine?

"Yep! I dunno how mama does it, m'self. But we got lots to help 'round the house and all. Sam's workin' the mines, now that pa's passed, an' the older girls are all helpin' with the little'uns." Jeb shrugged. "Ain't so strange in Kentucky. Big families fer big homes."

"Well, seems weird to me. But then, I'm an only." Jubilee shrugged. "Totally cool with never having had to change diapers, thank you very much."

"I ain't ever had to do that, m'self. Jay's had to do it once or twice, but I was always too little," Jeb said, shrugging. "Even the littlest's outta diapers now, so it ain't so bad, I reckon."

"I guess?" Jubilee replied doubtfully. "I mean, my mom always said she had her hands full with me - and yeah, she probably did, y'know?" She grinned and shrugged. "But hey, whatever works for you, I guess? I mean, if your parents wanted nine and could afford it, why not?"

"Ain't never thought about how many they wanted," Jeb admitted, shrugging. "Figured we was all wanted since we was there." He grinned at her. "And maybe yer ma said you was a handful 'cause yer just a handful on yer own."

"Hey, I'm definitely a handful." Jubilee grinned proudly. "Anyway, I'm totally done here. You wanta go see if we can grab the Danger Room while everyone else is still spazzing out about the news? Because you know it's gonna be impossible to get in there for days."

"I ain't even been down there," Jeb said. "I ain't really thought about it. But yeah, if you're game, I'm game. Just lemme eat some, real quick," he said, promptly taking a huge bite of his sandwich.

"How'd you get out of the 'Let's see what you can do?' thing when you showed up?" Jubilee wondered aloud.

"I showed 'em," Jeb said, blinking a few times. "When they said 'what can you do,' I decided to shoot off some lightnin' from my eyes, right there. Asked 'em if they wanted me to shoot cans off the fence like I was doin' back home." He shrugged.

Jubilee laughed. "Oh man, that would've been awesome. And we should do that. I mean, set cans up on something and see how many we can knock off. It'd be cool!"

"Eh, ain't really a challenge fer me," Jeb said, waving a dismissive hand. "Movin' targets is more difficult. Somethin' like, uh... what's it called... skeet shooting? Shot put? No, that's the ball thing, right?" He scratched the side of his head. Was he right the first time? "That thing with the clay pigeons. That's what they're called, I think."

"Dude, like I know?" Jubilee was already pulling out her phone to check, though. "And whateeever. Some kinda target practice."

"Yeah, I mean, I'd be up fer that kinda thing," Jeb said, shrugging. "'Specially if yer around. I wanna see what you can do with them fireworks. Used to shoot them roman candle things 'round the family farm on the Fourth'a July, sometimes." Those were fun times. They'd get hollered at, for sure, but it was how it went. Fun had a cost, lots of times.

"Skeet shooting," Jubilee confirmed. "And please. I'm so much better than any roman candles." She smirked and got to her feet. "Danger Room. Fifteen minutes. I'll go find some kinda program with moving stuff we can shoot at?"

"Sounds good to me," Jeb said, grinning. "Fifteen minutes," he agreed, figuring he'd finish up here and then head down.