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Summary: Jill and Nigel indulge in pop-culture soaked Christmas. Sage just misses his farm. And organic food.
Date: December 18, 2011
Log Title: Bad Pizza
Rating: G
Xavier Mansion - Recreation Room
What was once the Parlor has been turned into a Recreation Room for the students. A nice plush carpet meets the light blue walls giving it a homey feel. A pool table at one end, a foos ball table at the other, and entertainment center with video game systems, movies, and of course, cable TV. Big comfy chairs and couches surround a coffee table for comfortable loafing. Long glass windows with a pair of French doors line one side of the room bringing in plenty of light during the day. The main rule in here is to clean up after yourself.
Nigel's been busy, the Rec Room decorated for Christmas with stuff he found in the attic. Garlands and other various items hung around and an artificial tree in the corner. The Grinch is playing on the TV and three pizza boxes rest on the coffee table along with a case of Pepsi Max. Nigel sits on the couch watching TV and nursing what looks to be his 6th can and his 3rd or 4th slice of pizza.
Walking into the rec room and peaking around is the dread locked Sage. He's dressed in his usual hippie attire which looks like he just stepped out of the seventies. "Hello Nigel, have you seen Shane or Quenton?" He asks in his thick British accent before glancing at the television. "What are you watching? I do not believe I've seen this." But then Sage hasn't seen a lot of movies.
Sitting next to Nigel and slouched so far back into the couch that she's nearly horizontal, Jill has her feet propped up on the coffee table and perhaps dangerously close to the pizza boxes. But it's okay because she's wearing socks, though they do have a little skulls and crossbones pattern on them. "The Grinch That Stole Christmas," she supplies helpfully, neglecting to mention that she hasn't seen hide nor hair of Quenton or Shane lately because it wasn't her who was asked.
Nigel looks over to Sage and waves. "Hey there Sage, yeah it's the live-action version of the Grinch who stole Christmas. Got the original here too but I love Jim Carrey." He shakes his head. "Haven't seen either one of them, course I can't say that not seeing Quenton upsets me at all. Anyway have a seat, grab a slice. Figured I'd try and bring some Christmas cheer to use lifers that aren't going home this season."
Sage gives both Jill and Nigel a lost look. "I've never heard of the Grinch who stole Christmas. How can you steal Christmas?" He wonders as it is a holiday. "Is the Grinch some sort of fae creature and uses magic to steal it? And thank you Nigel though I will be going home in a few days, I cannot wait to be back." He's being completely serious as he asks too. He walks over and takes a seat and it's the first time he notices Jill's appearance. "Oh wow you look like you could be an Undine!"
"I prefer the original," Jill says, a little snobbily. She flicks an elastic strand of transparent blue 'hair' out of her face to drive the point home. "It's kind of a fairy tale, I guess. He hates Christmas so he doesn't want anyone else to enjoy it." Though she really ought to be used to the attention her appearance garners, she still fidgets a little. "Undine…" A moment to draw on her video game knowledge. "A water spirit, right?"
Nigel nods to Jill. "Yeah a water spirit, and I have the original here too. Just needed something a little longer tonight. Course I have all the Rankin-Bass Christmas specials here as well." Nigel doesn't comment on Jill's appearance, he's gotten used to seeing things outside the norm around here and being pretty far outside the norm himself takes it all in stride. "Glad you'll get to go home Sage, bet your family misses you too."
Sage nods to Jill. "Yes! They are amazing, I think it would be so much fun to go swimming with an Undine!" The idea of the likeness almost excites him. "And how can anyone hate Christmas that much, it's horrible!" He says before giving Nigel a confused look. "Ranking Bass? What do you need fish for? And oh yes! I've never been away from home until now so I cannot wait to go back. I miss my brothers and sisters and cousins and everyone back on the farm terribly." He says in his English accent.
"Well, umm, there is a pool, so I guess technically we could go swimming…" The blue girl raises one eyebrow, briefly glancing around the room to see if this is a put-on or if the dreadlocked boy is really like that. No, this is not Candid Camera. "Ooh, I wanna watch the Rudolph one with the elf dentist next." Jill clasps her hands, going so far as to give Nigel pleading puppy dog eyes with her big blues.
Nigel laughs "Ah somehow the misfits songs is very suited to this place. Yeah I'll toss that one on when this is done." He takes another bite of pizza and chases it with some Pepsi. "Can't get the pizza place to deliver here, but I've found Wildcard is rather handy for getting places quickly. Course I have to wait until I'm outside the school gates to change.. damn alarms go off if I do it in here."
"Oh I've seen that Rudolph movie it's really fun to watch. It's one of the few holiday movies I've seen." Sage as he finally extends a hand to Jill. "I'm sorry, I'm Sage. I don't believe we've met. It's a pleasure to meet you." He says as he finally reaches out to grab a slice of pizza. "Wildcard frightens me quite a bit Nigel."
Her initial reservations fade rapidly. Jill sits up to take the proffered hand and shakes, her clear blue flesh cool to the touch and faintly slick. "Jill," she offers back with a genuine smile, white teeth and blue gums continuing the monochromatic theme. "Nice to meet you too. It's hard to get to know everybody when people keep coming and going all the time."
Nigel nods and sighs "Scares the hell out of my folks too, that's why I'm here for Christmas instead of back in Pittsburgh." He drains the rest of his Pepsi and goes to reach for another can. "But I'm learning to live with it, all part of being a mutant I suppose." He nods to Jill. "Yeah a lot of folks in this school, hard to keep them all straight sometimes."
"It is hard but not impossible. I try to give everyone I meet here a fair shot." Sage says as he hasn't necessarily met anyone he hates. "I don't know what I would do if I wasn't allowed to come home for Christmas, I also miss my pet pig." He says as he can't wait to get on that plane home. "It will also be nice to leave all this strangeness behind."
Everyone else is doing it, so Jill levers herself forward to claim a piece of pizza and two napkins. The first is used like plate. The second she carefully tucks around her throat, not a bib but more a mock turtleneck. "My Nana wants me to stay 'cause I've been away from the school for a while. Mostly I think it's because she doesn't think I know she's spending a week in Las Vegas, and dragging around a teenager would be awkward." She bites greedily into the pizza, using her other hand to hold the napkin to her throat before she swallows.
Nigel snickers. "Viva Las Vegas baby.." He can hazard a guess as to what the other napkin is for so he doesn't comment. He looks to Sage. "Strangeness is the name of the game man. Things only get weirder from here, just gotta learn to go with the flow." He motions to the pizza. "Top is a meat lovers, middle one is veggie, bottom is all cheese. I made the mistake of offering a meat lovers to Ahmed, forgot about the whole Kosher thing and all. Pork is a definite no-no for him."
"What is Las Vegas?" Sage asks as he's never heard of the place. "And strangeness is that there is too much…stuff here. Computers, lap computers, doing everything with gadgets and the food is just weird…." And he trails off looking at the slice. "This isn't organic is it?" He says putting it down slowly. "And why would he not be able to eat pork? Is he allergic?"
"I should tell her I want some fuzzy dice or something with Elvis on it, but that'd give the whole game up. I want her to feel like she's getting away with something." Again, she pauses and gives Sage a somewhat skeptical look. "Y'know, Las Vegas, Nevada? Sin City? Gambling capital of the world? More bars and casinos than grocery stores?" She keeps trying to see if something will ring a bell. Ring-a-ding-ding?
Nigel looks at the pizza. "Organic.. umm considering I got this from Nunzio's in town I rather doubt it. I think we'd be lucky is that's really meat." He grins a bit. "You know you can ask me if you have questions about the computers and stuff, I mean we're both on Alpha squad. As for Ahmed he's not allergic, his religion dictates no eating of pork period, or other meats that haven’t been treated in a certain way." He lets Jill give the low-down on Vegas. "Though I guess since he's Jewish I really need to find a Menorah or something.. don't want the guy to feel left out. Looks like another trip to town tomorrow."
Sage just gives Jill a confused look. "I'm not from America, I've only been here a few months. I don't know much about it here at all just that it's very different than home." He puts down the slice of pizza and gets an odd look. "I'll probably be sick later." He says. "In my excitement in going home I forgot that a lot of the food doesn't sit well with me here. I don't know much about being Jewish, and I didn't know there was a certain way to treat pork. Back home we just kill the pig and then eat it. It's horrible and I always feel terrible for the pigs but it's necessary."
"Oh, umm." Jill looks slightly embarrassed at her assumption that everyone already does, or ought to, know all about the United States and its culture. Stuffing more of the pizza in her mouth helps. There's less room for a foot that way.
Nigel finishes off his slice. "Maybe I'll go for Chinese next time.. could go for a little Mongolian beef." He looks to Sage. "I don't know too much about it either, but he's a good guy so I try and keep from being a completely insensitive ass. Figure sometime this week I'll go into New York and see all the holiday displays. Gonna have plenty of free time as it is and with a lot of the teachers off we can't access the danger room to blow off steam."
Sage gives Jill a warm smile and shakes his head. "Don't worry about it, I just am at a loss in regards to a lot of things here. I get used to it and don't hesitate to ask too many questions." He says before nodding to Nigel. "Well that is a pleasure to hear, so many people here seem to not be understanding of others. I still have yet to go to New York, the city not the state since we're in the state."
"I don't know too much about being Jewish either. I went to a Catholic school," Jill offers a bit late in a small voice, as if being willing to admit her ignorance on Judaism will put her on more even footing with Sage. "But… I do know a bit about the city. And I can definitely recommend you *not* go unless you have somebody who knows their way around. It's easier to get lost than you think it is."
Nigel nods and moves to change the DVD once it ends, looking through his stack of holiday disks and find the one Jill wanted. He pops it in and heads back towards the couch. "I've got a basic idea of where I'm going, and worse comes to worse just head for mutant town. Safe haven and you can always call here from the Genoshan embassy for a pickup."
"I have no plans to go there anytime soon honestly. Salem was large enough for me for now. And that place you call the Mall, that is overwhelming!" Sage just prefers his countryside farm in England where he doesn't really have to leave the community for much. "I actually never went to a school before coming here. I was home schooled of sorts."
"I don't know… about Mutant Town." It sounds like the girl does actually know about it, but that her opinion on it is perhaps controversial or difficult to express. Jill wipes at her mouth with the napkin around her throat but forgets to replace it before she takes another bite of pizza crust. "It's not that great," she says, mouth full. "Whatever you've heard about Catholic school girls, it's *so* not true." Both boys are treated to a brief glimpse of why she had the napkin there in the first place, chewed food sliding visibly down her throat like a clog in a pipe.
Nigel nods and finishes his last can. "Well guess I'd better try and grab some sleep. Was nice chatting with you but even the caffeine isn't working anymore so like it or not I gotta crash. Hopefully without talking in my sleep again. You two have a good night." He stands and stretches a moment, stifling a yawn. "Last one out just stick the pizza in the fridge in the kitchen please."
Sage gives Jill a blank look. "I haven't heard anything about Catholic school, sorry." So the joke goes a bit over his head. "Have a great night Nigel and sleep well. I will say good bye before I leave in a few days." He says before relaxing on the couch a bit and glancing a the movie. "I don't know anything about Mutant Town either Jill. I gather is a town of mutants?"
"Thanks for the pizza, Nigel. I'll try to remember to put it away. Seeya later." Jill raises the last little crescent of golden brown crust at him in a kind of mock salute. She sits back too, momentarily captivated by the stop-motion Snowman Sam telling the story of Rudolph. "Well," she equivocates, chewing at her bottom lip. "It's not a whole town, just a neighborhood. But basically, yeah. Supposed to be a safe place for mutants to live in all their… mutant-ness."
Nigel gives a last wave and heads out.
Sage makes a face and puts a hand on his stomach. "I really shouldn't have ate that pizza." He comments before nodding. "I gather that is good for a place to be safe for mutants. From what I have heard we're a bit of a target though I have yet to experience anything outside of that horrible place they call the danger room." He says with a shudder. "So your family doesn't tend to get together at Christmas?"
Jill looks concerned at Sage's discomfort, but at the same time doesn't really want all the details. "I guess that's one problem I have with Mutant Town. Putting all the targets together in one place. And it just seems… segregationist to me." She pops the pizza crust into her mouth for a repeat performance of her own private freakshow. "I don't have much family," she comments lightly, shaking her head. "Just Nana, my great aunt who adopted me. And some distant cousins and stuff that I don't really talk to. So it's just me and Nana, and she deserves a break. She had a rough year and hitting up Vegas was on her bucket list anyway."
Sage winces visibly. "Targets, that's just awful sounding. Mutants are people and calling us targets is just, frightful." He's a pacifist so using phrases like that tend to upset him. "I have a large family, I lived with my two brothers and sisters, my Mum and Dad, my Aunt and Uncle, cousins and both grandparents until Grampa Lou passed away. I'm sorry you don't have much family at least you have your Nana though? And what is a bucket list?"
"I, umm…" Jill stammers, ashamed at her casual choice of words. She frowns, but shakes her head and holds up her hands, palms out. "Nothing to be sorry about. It's just the way it goes, y'know? Me and her, we're more like friends than parent and child. It's very… casual, I guess is the word. Besides, if I had a big family, I couldn't live in a neat townhouse and have my own room." She plucks the napkin-plate from her chest and wads it up, tossing it in the direction of the garbage can. "A bucket list is a list of things you want to do before you die. Before you 'kick the bucket'. Bucket list."
"I've never had my own room, I don't think I'd want my own room. It would get lonely I gather. Here I share a room with Quenton, back home with my two brothers and my cousin, Freedom. Like I said, things are very different back home." He says with a smile. "I think I understand this bucket list. I can't tell if it's very depressing or kind of hopeful."
"I like having my own room." Jill fidgets as she confesses, "I'm not really looking forward to getting assigned a roommate. I mean, you don't know who it will be and… well, my old roommate, when I was here last year, she was nice. Weird but nice, but now I heard she transferred to a different school while I was away." She gets a little smile too. "I guess the whole bucket list thing is kind of sad and happy at the same time. Nobody lives forever and I think the last thing they'd want is not to have done everything they wanted to do. Life is transient, so we've got to make the best of it while we have it." A soft snort, almost like a laugh. "That was very Buddhist of me. Nana would be proud. She likes that kind of thing."
"I just take comfort in knowing that when I die I'll be one with Gaia just like Granpa Lou." Sage says with a smile on his face. "Why do you not like having a roommate Jill? I just keep an open mind and know I'll friend whoever my roommate is, in this cause it was Quenton."
The blue teen blows out an impressed breath. "Then you've got a lot more patience than me. I've tried being nice to Quenton but he keeps blowing me off. It's kind of frustrating." She focuses on the television for a moment but it can't seem to hold her attention for very long. "I don't know," she finally concludes, sounding equal parts miserable and frustrated. "What if she and I don't get along? Or what if she thinks I'm weird? Not that I could blame her. I *am* weird. It's just… there are too many unknowns, and I don't like that."
"Quenton is quite nice if you get to know him, he's just got a lot of build up negativity inside." Sage explains. "You aren't weird Jill, blue, yes, but not weird. I think you look amazing. If you don't get along at first just keep trying. Sometimes patience is the key." He says before his face screws up in what looks like pain. "Jill I'm dreadfully sorry but I have to get going. I shouldn't have eaten that pizza and I'm starting to feel quite ill. I have to get going. It was a pleasure meeting you."
"I'd just… rather not have to deal with it at all," Jill confesses in a near whisper. Her eyes go wide and she gives a little start at the look on Sage's face. Jill starts to rise from her seat, making shooing motions with her hands. "Oh, oh dear. Umm, the b-bathroom! If you need it. Out that door, turn left, three doors down and on your right. It's got a sign!" She sticks the end of her thumb in her mouth, chewing on her thumbnail and really hoping it's not that kind of emergency. Though even if it is, maybe she doesn't want to know after all.
Standing up, Sage offers Jill the best warm smile he can. "Well you don't have to deal with it right now. When it comes to that time it may be best case scenario, if it isn't, you can always talk to me." He says before nodding. "Thank you again but I must be heading out. Good night and take care." He says before rushing out of the Rec room.
