Anders and Phil, backdated to 27/04/2013

[om_bragi]

Philip decides he needs to have a chat with Anders about their squad. It goes better than would have been expected, all things considered.



Anders had been on Philip's radar since the assignments had come out. Actively on his radar, Philip would likely clarify, everyone in the school was had his notice in one way or another, but this was different. He'd heard the stories, of course, that sort of thing spread like fire, especially among teenagers, but he thought he ought to check into it for himself.

So he'd waited until the coast was relatively clear before tracking the boy in question down at the kitchen. Philip was looking his unthreatening best, buttoned up shirt and slacks and carrying nothing. "Anders?" he said as he approached, making it a question though it certainly wasn't. "Do you have a minute?"

Immediately Anders eyes darted around the space around him, no forks or knives that could be potentially used as weapons. Good. He then turned to get a good look at the boy who seemed to know his name already. He couldn't place him at all but then nothing about him really stood out so maybe that wasn't surprising.

"That all depends on who you are and what you want. And for the record not being a gorgeous blonde in a low cut top has severely ruined your chances."

"Philip Coulson," he said mildly. "I live down the hall and you were on my list that was sent out a while back. I'm reaching out to the team members to see how we can get organized. Sorry about the lack of low cut top, I don't think it'd bring out my best features." No tease, no snark in the tone, just a matter of factness that tended to defuse most situations. Philip found that turn of voice and phrase to be very, very useful.

"I think I can forgive you just this once." Anders grinned with a nod as he leant back against the counter. He remembered the guy from the e-mail and was more than a little interested to know why the other boy had approached him at a time when so many others hated him.

"I understand that things are a bit, let's say uncomfortable, for you right now," Philip said. He didn't look put off himself, or uncomfortable, or even bothered really by swirling rumors and such. "Nor do I intend to deliver platitudes of how things will improve. I will ask, are you inclined to work with the group when the opportunity presents itself."

"Shouldn't the question be will they work with me? I don't care about working with them. So long as no one tries to lynch me I think I can manage." The Kiwi boy shrugged "So, you've appointed yourself leader of our little group, I'm assuming?"

"That has yet to be determined, though yes, it will likely be either Scott or myself, based on what we've seen of the list in question," Philip replied. "Of the remainder, I don't believe any of them have had direct exposure to your ability, and frankly, if you tried, they'd likely retaliate somewhat excessively."

"So you two decide and we follow, no such thing as a democracy here then." He commented though didn't really care either way really. "It's been made very clear to me that I need to think through using my powers more thoroughly, will powers use come up at all in training by the way?"

"I didn't say that," Philip clarified. "Neither of us are infallible and there are times when other viewpoints are valuable. This may come to nothing more than honing the ability to work together and for those that it's relevant for, to be able to practice their abilities in concert. But if something were to go very wrong, surely it makes more sense to have the tactically minded making plans?"

"And yes, training in abilities is part of the point of this." And likely part of why Betsy was on the team, though it didn't seem politic to mention."

"So this is to basically to have me promise to be a good boy and play nice with the other kiddies?" Anders summed up, hoping up to sit on the counter as he surveyed the other boy. "You do realize I'm going to need to use my powers on people in training then? Can't congratulate everyone else for using their powers then throw your toys out the pram if I do...or is that what this is about? Are you volunteering yourself for it, oh brave and selfless leader?" He was smirking though not unkindly, in his own very dickish way he was actually being quite playful. Or as close as he ever got.

"I would ask for volunteers, yes, and it would be under supervision, just like everyone else's abilities would be. It's the same reasoning behind the other safeguards here. Purely physical training is supervised as well, most of the students here have the potential to seriously injure themselves otherwise." Most, not all, Philip left unsaid. As he'd said to Nathan a few days before, he'd never encourage most of these kids to do what he did.

"I will want to know, under those same conditions, how likely to influence I am as well. And no, before you ask, we will certainly not be testing out the limits of mine."

It took a moment to remember the power listings from the e-mail but when he did, Anders looked suitably impressed. "I suppose yours would be fairly traumatic to practice with. Still, nice little safety net you got there."

"It's a damn nuisance," Philip said bluntly. "And if it never comes up again, it'd be too soon. That being said, the only reason I know what it is is that it was used once."

"Without that damn nuisance you'd be food for the worms." Because, hey, Anders could do blunt too. "And who knows, maybe you'll all be alive one day because of mine. Stranger things have happened. Especially here."

"No doubt," Philip agreed. "I can think of extremely useful applications for it but that's me," he said with a shrug. "I have this thing for planning for worst case scenarios."

"Bet that makes you a cheerful bugger to be around."

"I'm a lot of things," Philip said dryly. "But I don't think I've been accused of being cheerful before. I am very fond of being prepared though."

"Fun." He drummed his fingers on the sideboard and swung his legs a little. "So, was that it? 'Be a good boy Anders'?"

"Less, be a good boy, and more I need to know how well you play with others," Philip said with a shrug.

"I can play very well if they do or if given the right incentive." Was shrugged back to him. "But don't expect me to play nice if they're shitheads to me."

"Then don't be an ass to them either," Philip said tartly. "And you know you're already starting behind the curve, right?"

"Really? And here was me thinking I was the most popular boy in school! I'm heartbroken!"

"I can't tell," Philip said blandly, "If you're a terrible liar or a terrible actor, though I'm leaning towards the later. But we can work on that."

"You want to give me acting lessons?" Now that was an amusing thought, interesting actually. Anders was King of Bullshit, he was great with half truths and all out lies. When he wanted to be.

"Oh, I could," Philip said with a small smirk. "But then that would be telling you what kind of actor or liar I am."

"I'm sure I can figure it all, you forget I'm all about the way people's brains work. It's fascinating really." Anders hopped down from the counter to help himself to a can of soda as he studied the other boy mostly to make his point. His manner was still that of playful dickhead rather than a total and utter dickhead. Anders could do all the varying shades of dickhead, when required.


Philip was still smiling, just a little one at the corner of his mouth. "By all means, try. I'd be curious to see what you come up with. By conventional means, please," he clarified. "Not the other way."

"Yeah, yeah. I've learnt my lesson. Ask permission first." Was hand-waved casually with a roll of the eyes. "I'm not a total glutton for punishment, you know."


"Good to know. I'll keep you in the loop for when we start coordinating more," Philip said. "And I'll leave you to what you were doing now."

"Sir, yes sir." Was smirked back complete with mock salute.