WWW: Frozen

[Event !]

The weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful...actually, that's not true at all. The temperature drop and sudden, steady snowfall has resulted in a campus-wide heating loss, and students have been encouraged to go to common areas to try to share body heat.

Welcome to the chaos that is the Student Commons.

[Jayson Kline]

The situation wasn't optimal for Jayson as he found himself at the common areas of school instead of at his own house. Not only did he lack a power to keep himself warm but alcohol was a big no-no at school and he was well aware of why that was, but that did mean he was left to his own devices in terms of warming up. Most he could think of was grabbing some blankets to cover himself with, but that would mean taking them from other students and he didn't quite want that.

Luckily they did have hot chocolate, something Jay instantly poured himself a cup of while telekinetically making it float after him to a seat somewhere in a corner. It wouldn't be long before people started raining into the common areas and rob him of his silence with all their talking and- and everything else they did. And sharing body heat? Did that mean they had to cuddle up?

Now, Jay had no issues cuddling with people but he rather avoided even needing to do so despite wanting himself to open up a bit more. Now if someone came up to him asking for it he wouldn't have a problem, but he wouldn't initiate.

Instead he just focused on something else instead to get his mind off of what was going on at the time. He took a sip of his chocolate and put it back down on the table as he looked around for a pen to write down a few science things with. But he didn't find one as easy as he had hoped.

Hell, it was a college area! Where were all the pens?!

[Amanda Joy "AJ" Lane]

AJ had already been in the commons area when other students started crowding in and she immediately was on guard. She'd come here to have a bit of quiet time. She'd secured a spot on an arm chair, curled up on it, which was a good thing considering how crowded it was now and had been writing in her notebook up until recently when the commons had become rather loud, full of angsty college students complaining about the cold and the snow--two things AJ was no stranger to. The weather might be nasty now in Vermont, but she grew up in Minnesota where the winters were long and harsh. You hadn't experienced cold until you'd walked outside into -40 degrees. That was her view at least. But even she had to admit it was cold, and she'd dressed warm as she always did because of where she came from. A bulky sweater twice her size, cotton leggings and a pair of fuzzy socks inside her brown lace-up boots.

She'd given up on writing for the moment, shutting her notebook and holding her pen idyly in her fingers while she checked the weather on her phone with her other hand, trying to block out everyone around her. The more people there was in a room, the warmer it was supposed to get, she assumed that's what the administration had thought, but she wasn't about to huddle up with a complete stranger unless things got dire.

[Jayson Kline]

College and no pens.. was this really the era of the smartphones? Because the ones already there had whipped out their phones already and it kind of annoyed Jayson. It was cold out, not the dawn of the last day with technology.

It was all pretty stupid, seeing all these college people looking on their screens as if they could learn anything from that, but Jayson was not someone to mention that out loud to anyone. His eyes scanned the room though, counting the people in there already and quickly deeming it the appropriate number for a social meltdown. And so he did. It wasn't like he had been saying lots to anyone there but right now there wouldn't be much of a chance for him to start doing so.

But then his eyes landed on someone toying with a pen while looking at a screen like a zombie. If only he could ask her if he could borrow the pen since she wasn't using it at the moment, but he was way too shy to even think of trying. Maybe he could get away by using his power to slide it out of her fingers gently, though he doubted he could.

''E-excuse me?'' He finally tried grabbing the attention of the girl. ''Are you using that pen?''

Stupid. He should have asked if he could borrow it!

[Amanda Joy "AJ" Lane]

There wasn't much to tell. There was a severe weather warning, a blizzard warning and it was nothing AJ hadn't seen before coming from the Midwest. She sighed and looked away from her phone just as she heard a close voice. "Uhm, no. Not at the moment." That was true. She was just sort of holding it. "It's too hard to get anything done with all of these people around. Usually AJ could block everyone else out when she was reading or writing, because you could get lost in a different world, but sometimes it was just really hard, like when there were so many college students crammed into the commons that it made her head spin. Being around so many people sucked the energy out of the introvert.

She eyed him warily. Who didn't bring a pen to school? Or a pencil or something? AJ had plenty more in her purple backpack sitting at her feet. "You don't bring a pen to classes?" she asked, surprised at herself.

[Jayson Kline]

So when he had finally uttered those words he got a response in return, and while he wasn't good with those at times he would try to cope even as people poured in. He agreed with her on not being able to focus though, and truth be told he had no idea why he had even asked. But it was out there now, and he couldn't take it back. Maybe he could slowly back down though.. Now, he would surely respond, but the pen bit.. he blamed his own incompetence for that one.

Normally he brought a pen to class, but obviously not today. She shouldn't be probing like she did as Jayson slowly rubbed at the back of his head. ''I sometimes do.'' He replied as he looked at the girl and the pen she was still holding, and now that he had made contact he just knew he couldn't get away with just forcing it out of her hand anymore. ''But not today.'' That day he did not have any classes, so there really was no use in trying to take a pen with him.

He used to give knowledge to kids so he figured he could at least borrow a pen from someone. A thought that was obviously wrong. ''Ignore that question.'' He sighed slightly.

[Amanda Joy "AJ" Lane]

"Ahh," AJ said, as if she understood, but she really didn't. He hadn't really offered an explanation, just said he usually did but didn't today. He hadn't asked to borrow her pen, but rather if she was using it, which AJ found odd. She always found it odd when people asked questions they didn't need the answer to instead of the ones they did.

She laughed slightly as he told her to ignore his question. He seemed annoyed. "Uhm, I didn't say that you couldn't borrow it, but you didn't exactly ask," she mumbled, but held the pen out to him between her fingers. She supposed everyone was just irritable. Crammed into a room with no heat and a storm raging outside. AJ was thinking she'd actually prefer to be outside. At least snow storms she was used to. Not being around this many people, all of their pheromones mingling together. "I have more. You can keep that one."

[Jayson Kline]

It really wasn't the best way to go about talking to someone, was it? Starting to mention pens and how he forgot them.. he must have made quite the impression, he figured. And not a good one either. Jayson would blame being out of the social loop for quite some time though, due to everyone around him leaving for something or other he ended up living like a hermit and finding less and less reasons to go out, and the only thing keeping him sane were the people at college trying to involve him in everyday life due to tutoring them.

She held her pen out despite the fact he didn't ask, which obviously was something he wasn't used to; stuff happening without him asking to. Jayson would often forget how people would react to what wasn't asked rather than what was asked, or at the very least read between the lines. Which he was kinda doing right now as he assumed he could borrow her pen.. until she said he could keep it anyway, which he wasn't going to but he was going to leave that comment out of it. He'd find a way to get the pen back to her either way.

''Thanks.'' He hesitated to say as he still didn't get up to come closer but instead used his telekinesis to grab the pen out of her hand and into his own. But at that point he forgot what he was going to write down though, so to look busy he just doodled something. Something which happened to be a picture of a blue-jay. A certain someone used to call him that.

[Amanda Joy "AJ" Lane]

AJ briefly wondered why he felt the need to use telekinesis to lift the pen from her hands rather than just grab it. She'd never understood the idea of having a power that you wanted to show off. AJ merely didn't want to use hers at all. But she didn't comment. It wasn't as if meta humans were unheard of around here, but it wasn't as if she was going to be like "Oh! Your power is telekinesis. Guess mine!" She hardly wanted to play that game, even if it did provide conversation when now it was awkwardly quiet as the guy seemed to be drawing something.

She took this moment to dig another pen out of her backpack, but only ended up tapping it on her notebook. So much for quiet writing time, waiting for something to inspire a piece for one of her writing classes. There was just too much going on. Absentmindedly, she wrapped her sweater clad arms around her middle.

[Jayson Kline]

''Cold, are you?'' Jay asked as he watched her wrap her arms around her middle. And when the realization of the question hit it was like the dumbest thing ever. Asking if she was cold.. why else would you hug yourself like she did? It became certain that if he ever was to continue in his path of teaching people he would have to get out of his shell a bit more, and maybe this was just the best place to start, he had made contact anyway, so why not carry on? He promised Rayne he'd continue getting out there anyway, so why not?

His drawing of a blue jay didn't go swimmingly anyway, Jayson was never anything of a talented artist.. so he put his pen down on his notepad and briefly looked around the room. There were certainly enough people to go around and they were all talking. Silently, to the people they knew. And for some reason this added to the anxiety he was feeling when he knew he had to start up a conversation with the girl across the room, she had borrowed him a pen, so it seemed like the best thing to do.

''Thanks for the pen.'' He said while leaning forward and hoping she would respond to his words in whatever way. ''I'm Jayson.''

[Amanda Joy "AJ" Lane]

"Very." Jayson should be glad that AJ wasn't sarcastic, nor did she really know how to be and when she tried it didn't go so well. It was an obvious question though, but she wouldn't say that. She wondered briefly if she felt as awkward as she did talking to people she barely knew. "They've packed us all into one room and I'm still cold."

"You're welcome. What did you need it for anyway?" It seemed he'd been drawing. "I'm trying to write, but I'm having trouble." She bit her lip. "I'm AJ."

[Jayson Kline]

''Nice to meet you, AJ.'' He replied as he began playing with the pen in between his fingers like he would do when he was nervous. Why was he nervous? Talking to people for one. Being around people played a factor in it too, he wasn't yet used to it, not after Rayne had left him- them behind. Everyone suffered, not just him. He did spend time and time wondering when he'd finally realize that she hadn't left him, she left everyone. He had no place trying to be selfish over a girl who was liked by everyone, even if people told him it was okay to be selfish because he was really close to her he still wouldn't. Other people had it worse, he was sure of that.

That and he just needed to stop thinking of her, plain and simple. Because ever since the moment she left she had been dictating what Jayson's next action would be, and that left him with a severe lack of social skills.

''To draw.'' He answered bluntly, though it quickly dawned on him that maybe the key to a better social life was actually explaining things to people instead of just answering questions. ''I needed it to draw a picture of a bird.'' It sucked that his replies, if explained like he was trying to do for once, would likely merit another question or two. Which would make him talk about stuff he tried to avoid.

But if that was being social..

''What are you trying to write, AJ?''

[Amanda Joy "AJ" Lane]

"You too," AJ replied. She was trying this new thing since she entered college, trying to open herself up to people and be somewhat sociable. Being stuck in a room with a bunch of students when the heat went out sort of helped with that, even if she didn't want it to.

"Why a bird?" AJ was trying to make conversation, but also genuinely curious. She was not one for drawing. She had creative ideas, but her art was more often written.

"Just trying to spark some creativity for a creative writinng assignment." She shrugged. Wasn't working so far.

[Jayson Kline]

With a nod he accepted her words as an invitation to keep talking, yet he consciously kept his distance and wouldn't draw much closer to her on his own, not even to make himself get heard better or enable him or her to lower the volume of their voice. Now to hope there wouldn't be something like a small party in the lounge, that would surely make it difficult for anyone to have a decent conversation. The lack of light was in the favor of a party though, more need for things that emitted light like those flashy rave-sticks or something.

Even thinking about something like that made Jayson cringe.

Jolting his mind back with the question why he was drawing, or trying to draw, a bird made him smile, and even more so when she told him she was trying to get a spark going for a writing assignment. Now that was something Jay could talk about for days on end as it had to do with school and less with actual people. That and he would be able to mention Rayne.

Which would probably scare off people, seeing him that happy with a girl who wasn't even there, but at least he talked. So there was that.

''Well, the bird was.. is me. A bluejay. It was a nickname given to me by.. I guess she was my best friend until she moved to Russia..'' It was mostly about Rayne what he said, but even if he didn't know it he now talked more than he would ever do if left to his own devices. ''Having anything around me that reminds me of her, like a bluejay, is.. make things easier, you know?''

If there was one thing he would lie about it would be his feelings for Rayne, who was gone now anyway.

[Amanda Joy "AJ" Lane]

"Because of your name?" AJ asked, although it seemed it was obvious. Trying to make conversation... Wow, Russia. Now that was far. AJ had moved from her best friend, but across the U.S and that had seemed far, even though they weren't talking. Her situation was much different. And Oliver was back now anyway. "Yeah, I get it." Although having things around that reminded her of Oliver when they'd been apart had made her more upset than anything. "Why Russia?" she was trying her hardest not to pry too much.