Beginnings and Endings. ~ James only ~

[GM Marvel]

"Well, he's just very old fashioned and religious.  You know, spare the rod spoil the child, kind of stuff.  He just has no patients for foolishness or boys.  Especially foolish boys.  And, just as an example, I liked this boy and he came over to hang out while I was stuck at my father's lab.  He knocked over some chemicals and made a real mess.  It was completely an accident but he could have killed us.  It turns out that he got mostly of the chemicals on himself, mostly.  I was totally alright but my dad heard all the beakers shattering and I next thing I know he's pointing a shotgun in the boy's face.  I have no doubt that if it were't for me jumping in front of the gun, he would have killed him."

[James Carter]

Dangerous chemicals? Shotguns? I think I'm in over my head here.  Maybe I should just close the window and pretend we never met...  Instead James opened his mouth.

"So your dad and your boyfriend are trying to kill you?" James blurts out and wished he hadn't.  "I, I mean, it doesn't sound safe, err, you know, being around chemicals and guns, you know? But, you sound very brave though.  I don't think I could stand in front of a gun without spilling my own beaker of fluid onto the floor."

"So what happened to your boyfriend after that?  Was his face burned by acid or something?" 

[GM Marvel]

Lisa smiles at James' joke about spilling his one beaker of fluid but then the smile vanishes when he mentions Jack. 

"Well things kind of changed.  He wasn't hurt or anything but somehow the chemicals changed his personality.  He just became kind of bipolar.  Jack would be super helpful and happy and then suddenly he would be depressed over nothing at all.  Like, if he pushed a girl out of the way of an oncoming truck, he would get all depressed about pushing her instead of being happy that she was happy that he saved her life.  It was kind of weird.  And he didn't get a long with boys very well.  If he knew you and I were talking, he would likely pretend to not care but he would grandstand to make sure you would know that I am his girl friend.  But what really annoyed me was he would do that with every girl he met.  He would act like a fool around them.  Tripping over himself to make them meals.  Stumbling into Women-Teachers bedrooms while she was with another guy and pretend it was by accident.  It was a lot to put up with.  I really care for him but with all his antics and my father's intolerance for any boys or silliness, it's been rough."  Lisa wipes the tears from her eyes and then while rubbing her temples she chuckles, "I can't believe I'm telling you this and I'm crying.  So silly.  Ugh!"

[James Carter]

James listens intently to Lisa's story and feels genuinely bad for her. She had real problems and solutions were hard to come by.

"Don't feel bad, everybody cries sometimes. If you weren't crying you'd probably be really messed up in the head. I'd have to call the authorities to lock you up." He jokes, trying to make her feel better. Although, this Jack guy sounds like he needs real help. "What are you going to do now? Is your father going to make you break up with your boyfriend?"

[GM Marvel]

Lisa smiles at James' joke and replies, "Jack isn't that bad.  He's a little clingy.  But sometimes when I'm with him, he makes me feel different.  Like nothing in the world matters.  When my father bugs me about him, Jack encourages me to write down what angers me so it makes me feel better.  Not too long ago, he even bought and sent me this pen."  Lisa reaches over to her nightstand and picks up a pen that was half black (from the tip to middle) and half shiny metal (from middle to clicker).  "I know it doesn't look like much but it's kind of cute that he would go out of his way to even buy me a special pen for writing down my feelings.  Though for some reason he made me promise to only use it when he's around or when we are talking on the phone."

You see the pen and something about it seems familiar.  You think you might have seen a similar pen at school.  That's right.  Craig, a boy at school, had one just like it.  For a laugh, he would lend it to people and when then clicked the end it would give them an electrical shock.  You wonder if it's just a coincidence that they look identical.

[James Carter]

Maybe this guy has a sick sense of humor? James wonders, nah it can't be. On the other hand...

"Does it write well? Well, I mean, have you tried it yet?" Maybe I should tell her, he thinks to himself. "It may be cathartic to write your thoughts. This may sound corny, but I keep a journal too, and write poetry when I'm bor... When I feel uhh, some type of way." James lies, he just can't help himself when he's around cool people and will say or do anything to fit in. Oh he reads poetry, it's mandatory at 3:00 pm on Wednesdays, at least when he's home. He knew quite a few of his mother's favorites by heart. But he didn't keep a journal though, he never did anything interesting enough to write down in a journal. His mom would find it and read it anyway. Endless questioning would doubtless ensue.

[GM Marvel]

"You know, I'm not sure if it writes very well," Lisa replies.  "Strangely every time I go to use it I am so angry I fall asleep.  Strange huh?  Like earlier today, I got into an argument with my father over texting Jack.  I remember deciding to write in my book but I woke up a few hours later on the bed.  I must have been pretty exhausted.  Jack was pretty worried.  My phone was full of texts from him.  The strange thing was, he knew I had tried to write in my diary and he told me never to do that again without him."  Lisa pauses and then adds, "Like I said, he's a bit clingy."

[OoC: Make a green intuition check. If you are unsure, you roll a d100 and compare it on the universal table which is located on the back cover of the Players handbook.]

[James Carter]

Intuition = 19 White

http://www.unseenservant.com/default.asp?do=showone&id=86527&macid=0

[James Carter]

"Yeah, I hate clingy boyfriends."  He lifts his eyebrow and  thinks about what he just said. "I saw a pen just like that one before except it shocked whoever clicked it, but i'm sure it doesn't do that. That would be weird."

[GM Marvel]

"Really," Lisa replies while looking at the pen.  James didn't know it but Jack gained electrical powers during that accident which she seemed to come away from unscathed.  Was it a coincidence that this pen looked the same as a joke shocker pen?  Jack liked to give her playful shocks every once in a while.  Did he want to play a joke on her?  Maybe that's why he said to only use it when he was around so he could get a good laugh.  That does sound like him.  Always wanting to be the class clown. 

Lisa looks at the pen and goes to click the end when she's interrupted by a yell from downstairs.  She answers, "Yes dad!  I'll be down in minute."  Turning to look at James, Lisa says, "Thanks for the talk.  I don't know what dad wants but maybe we can chat later."