Players:
Summary: Mike's attempt to freak out Mikhail with his new voice and image inducer … backfires strangely.
Date: February 6, 2012
Log Title Birds, Bees, Flowers, Robots
Rating: PG-13
Xavier Mansion - Observation Deck
Glass windows surround the circular room giving a full view of the school grounds. Two telescopes sit in front of the window for students to looks at the stars. A few comfortable chairs are placed up here for students to relax. Its a quiet place up here that allows the fresh air in through sky vents in the summer and is well heated in the winter.
It's Saturday morning and Mikhail has been in the Observation deck all night, oday hes dressed in dark grey jeans, a dark green t- shirt, a light brown jacket with two darker brown strips on the elbows and shoulders, a wood bead necklace (like the ones surfers wear), white and green sneakers, his dyed blond hair is gelled into spikes, and he is wearing blue contact lenses. Hes laying low at the moment hopeing no teachers come to find him to find out why he skipped all his lessions yeasterday.
Elevator to observation deck, and Mike Dracos is a machine man on a mission. And what is today's mission? To freak out one of his friends, perhaps. Probably not really, given the guy he's chosen for his first encounter.
He spots Mikhail laying low in the Observation deck, as one of the teachers told him when he asked earlier. He touches the collar he's wearing over his creamsicle-orange and white Excelsior squad uniform. Metal gleams for a moment and the is replaced by softer- appearing olive skintone; his eyes look less like glass, and he smiles. An actual smile on a probably too-familiar face, if someone is a fan of movies: the big brother perhaps of that kid who played the human form of the wolf-monster in the popular vampire- tragedy-romance.
And Mike grins widely now, almost impish glee as he says quite audibly, in a voice that's slightly machine-toned, "Hey Mmikk, buddy. HHows it hhhanginnn'?"
Mikhail looks round at the voice, and his eyes widen in shock at the guy there instead of Mike, hmmm same scent, different look, and this guy has a voice, "Urrm, Mike?", guess he's not the only student getting a new look.
Mike nods, "Yeah, I jjusst gott mmy imajjje innddu sser, annd Docttor Mc CCcoy mmade me a v-voicce." Hm, that's a bit more tiring. Try not to push so hard, Beast had said. Well, but then it just comes out as a whisper. Oh well, one way or another.
He taps his face, and it makes the same metallic sound it usually does, and he says, "Nnow you knoww how wwee all fffeltt whenn you ddied yourr haiir. I llikedd bblu bett tter." He walks over to where Mikhail is and stands, rocking up and down on his feet, fidgety and excited. VERY unlike the usually machine-motionless teen robot.
Mikhail smiles at Mike, "Wow, Dr. McCoy gave you a voice, cool that must make life easier", he touches his hair, "I thought it looked alright, Mr. Parker-Mayfair is gonna do it properly", he laughs at Mike fidgeting, "Anyway the change you have is way bigger than dying your hair".
Mike reaches over to slightly muss Mikhail's perfect hair, if the guy lets him. "Itt lookss totallly hot, bbut alsso a," and he stops for a moment and touches the collar, adjusting something. His voice is a little louder but not quite as 'pushed' when he continues, "but alsso it sseemz kinnd a' ffake. Whhhy didd you dessside to do thatt? I get thhatt you wantted to ffit inn bettter buttt whyy b blonnd?"
Mikhail grins as Mike musses his hair, "Mr. Parker-Matfair is gonna make it look more natural and the reason i made it blonde is because people respond well to blondes i guess", he is perfectly cool so why is Mike calling him hot?.
Mike thinks about that for a moment. Makes sense. He had considered the same thing once himself but his father vetoed it, "no, Cleanthes, you may NOT dye your hair. Just be yourself, people will like you once they know you." Didn't really work then either. But hey, that was two years ago before he found he could merge with cars.
"Blonndd iszz … peoppll willl undd erresstim ate you… sstereot typpe is blonnde meanzz nott smm arrt. ssSexzyy butttt … nott smmartt."
Mikhail looks confused, "Whats a sterotype?, and im sorry i dont know what sexy is".
Mike's expression goes blank for a minute as his astonishment overrides his control of that tricky voice-interface (and that's what the image inducer takes its cues from).
A moment to recover and he says, "Ohh wooww. Mikk, I don'tt knoww annythiing abouut yourr passtt but wwhooowweverr raisszed you ffuu… ffffailledd at beeing a pparennt."
He starts to figure out how to explain these things. "Whhhere sshoullld I starrt? Birrrds an beez?"
Mikhail shrugs, "I wasn't raised by anyone, i grew up in a cage, why?", he looks confused again, "Birds and bees?"
AND, that may have completely blown the circuit on the emotion-emulator… nah, it's got angst-breaker circuits.
"I diddn'tt knoww that. I'mm ssorryy Mikkk. I guesss itt doeszn'tt maake ssense outt heere a llott." Mike puts a human-looking (rubber-tread feeling) hand on Mik's shoulder, if Mik allows it, and the faint vibration from his engine can be felt in his hand, vaguely like a hearbeat.
"Sooo… sttereooo typpe. Iss liike whenn a grouup of thinggs is so muucch aalikke thattt peoppll will taake one traitt annd use itt asz a mmarkker annnd atttach otherr traitts to itt."
If that sounds like it came from a lesson? Yes, in fact, it did. Church young adult formation class, not that Mike is going to explain that. Because when it gets to explaining sex, well, what teenager wants to admit that his own mother was the priest teaching the "all about sex" class to offset the damage done by the stupid 'abstinence only' policies that were previously required in schools.
Mikhail nods not minding the hand on his shoulder, "So its kinda like because my powers are animal like, people think i wont understand things", he waits for Mike to continue his explanation.
Mike nods. "iff I evver do that tto you, punchh me. but not hardd. I donnt want a dennt."
He returns to the lesson, trying to rephrase it where it's too culturally dependent, because, a cage is a very different culture.
"Sso. Sayy there arre girlzz in a townn who are blondd annd theyy all comme from rrichh fammiliez annd theyy acct all aarrogannt. Thhen peoplle inn that townn say blonnd girllz are arrogantt buut the poorr girlzz who are blondd are not richh still gett expeccted to be arroganntt … Big sstereoottype isz blondsz are poppular annd attracctive ssoo TVee pickks actorss to playy rolllez that arrr like that. Isz feedbaackk, a sscircle." His hands are moving while he talks too, apparently something that having to draw and write was concealing before.
Mikhail nods, "Ok, i get it, so because im blonde now people will think im an arrogant rich kid", that makes sence, considering the inspiration for his hair colour from.
Mike nods, "thattt allszo becauzse of the fassh ionn cloththeszz, or anottherr stereottype issz blondsz arr stuupidd. Iiiff you wannnt themm to unnderesstimaate you thatt can bee good. Annd, ooo kaay. Sexksz."
Mike actually appears to blush a little here. OK, image inducer, nobody told you to be THAT realistic. STOP IT! Oh that's even worse.
He pauses, going blank for a second, but then the grin returns.
"Sszo. whatt do youu knoww aboutt biollogyy?"
Mikhail nods, "Ok, got it", he thinks carefully, "I can name all the bones in the body, urrm i know about organs and we run by eletrical impuses", he knows the basics.
Mike shrugs, "OK… reprooducctionn. Llivingg thingz reprodusse. Sssekxxual reproducxion thheey taake the geenz of two paarentz an combiine themm annd get a nnew sseed thatt growwz intoo a nnew inndiviiduall. Planntz do iit witth polllen. Vverttebraatz do it byy havving ssex, buut wiith huumanz (aand muutttantz count as humman uuuszually) iitz a mmale aand ffeemaale whho doo it. Ssex iz when a… haaav you ever had aan erexxtion?" BLUSH. Yeah, seen Mik naked, knows he's got the right parts. Stop blushing image inducer. I'm NOT embarrased.
Mikhail stares blankly at Mike, "Have i had a what?"
SO, Mike. Regret starting this yet? "Uhhh itzz when yourr, uh, penizz getsz harrd. Uzzually in the mmorning, but szzometimez iff you arre wattching or szmelling ssomeone you ffind attractive." Yeah, smelling. That sense that Mike lost most of.
Mikhail nods, "Ohhh, that yeah thats happened before, is that what its called?, so that happens to everyone?", he was wondering what that was but didn't know who to ask about it.
Mike nods. "To guyzz iit happenz when theyy rreachh puberrty, sstart growwing musclesz and hair annd stuuff. Girlzz get szomethinng diffferrent becauzze theirr vvaginna iszz buillt diffferent, szoorrta innszide-ouut commmpared to guyzz. Buut theey allszo have … Iii'll ffind youu a book ffor thaat part."
Mike is chicken. Doesn't WANT to explain periods. Nope.
"Szzo, whenn itz hhard, annd tthe ffemaaale isz willing, the mmale cann sszlide hhiz penisz innnto the ffeemale. I aam tolld," and his voice manages to be dry and sardonic, "iit feelz really good. Buut iit ssshouldd onnly bee wiith soomeone you caare aaboutt bbecauuzz youurr boody isz maaking iitz geehnetic ccoontribution aall thhe time, aahnd iit''z carrieed in tthe sllipperry stuuf that comesz out oof there. if thhe giirrl gettz preggnant tthen you haave a cchildd thaat you wwouuld haave to bee rressponnzible for. Aaand thaat's juust sexz. Iit's iimpoirtant ffor you tto ccare ffor the perrson, iitsz hoow we're wiired, eemotionnal bondd tto prootect thhe chillddren."
Mikhail looks at Mike blankly again, "Huh?"
Mike facepalms. Klink. "wwhat wasz the lazzt thing I sszaid thaat you unnderstood? Ii'm szorry, iit'z hard to do thisz wiithout culltuural aszzumbptionzz."
Mikhail shakes his head, "You lost me after the erection bit".
<OOC> Mikhail says, "Hows Mike holding up?"
<OOC> You say, "He's regretting he started. :)"
You say, "hhaave you eevver szeen two annimalzz wwhere onne is on thhe otherzz back, szoorta doinng thisz 'hummpy' mmmotionn?" He demonstrates with his hands, one on top of the other. Hopefully, no teacher will come in on THAT. "Uuuszually oonne isz maale annd the oother isz femaale."
Mikhail gives Mike a WTF look, "I've never seen an animal do that".
Mike's image inducer epic-wins. The look of shocked, open-jawed astonishment is … perfect.
"OOOoohkaaay. Mmikk, buuddy, Ii amm offischillly ouut ofv myy deppth. Wwee gotta szee Doctorr Parrkerr-Mayffielld."
When in doubt go to the professional! Educator! that is.
Mikhail nods, "Okay, we can go see Dr. Parker-Mayfair", maybe he can explain things.
Mike taps his collar (the only shiny metal thing on him at the moment) and pops open a little "utility box" where his school cellphone is kept. He flips it open and types, for a minute or so. The image inducer makes it look like his tongue is in the corner of his mouth and he's biting on it gently as he types. Very cute. Or weird. Who programmed the emotional-maps for this thing anyway?
After he hits SEND, he snaps it closed and returns it to his collar. "OK, Iii sennt a note tto tthe maan, sso mmaaybe hhee can eexplaiin it wiithout meessing thinngs up. Ii've aalreeady kiinda giiven youu baadd aadvice beefore sso I doon't waant to doo that aagaain."
Mikhail nods, "Cool thanks, cos i kinda need to know this stuff, apparently its fun", he smiles in thanks at Mike.
Mike laughs. Or weeps. Inside. "Yeah. It's the soursse of the sstrongezt eemotionnal tiezz peoplll caan have. Itt caan messz you uup iif you doon'tt knoow what you'rre dooingg."
Not that Mike would know about that. Nope. Not a bit. He shrugs, considers that if Mik doesn't know it's fun then he's never OH STOP THAT BRAIN WHY DID YOU have to go. there.
Mike is, unaccountably, smiling and blushing at the same time. The blushing is new. And it'll probably continue until Mike finds and solder-blocks the "blush" switch on that device. If he ever does.
Mikhail looks confused again, "What is it you can do wrong?", yep hes asking that question.
Mike sighs, and this time it's actually audible, if a bit mechanical. "I tolld youu Ii'm nnot allowwed to hhave annyoone inn the ddriiver'sseeat when I mmerge wiith a caar, rright?"
Mikhail nods, "yeah you did, why?"
Mike looks at his feet, while he explains. "Sseptembber lasst yeaar. I waas iin aanothher new schoool. Onne oofv the kiids, Jossh, liived nearr, ssaw me mmerge wiith Mama'sz caarr, annd aasked mme whhhat I waaasz doiing, wwas frienndly - firrst tiime I haad showwn annyone ooutside faamily. Hee tolld a senniior, Jerrry, aand Jerrry, aasked mee to channge his motoorrcycle. Sso I did… But Iii can mmake itt feel really goodd when mmy ddriverr aand Iii arrre botth iin thhe zzone. Yyou evver waake up aand yourr annimall sside iisz juust.. happy? I caan doo that buut sstronger."
He looks up and his expression is serious, no hint of smile. "Ii didd iit to Joosh aand Jerryy annd they booth goot it alll confuszedd wiith Love … Soomm peeopll coonfusz sexz wiith love."
Mikhail nods, he kinda gets what Mike means, "Yeah, i get what you mean, some times my animal side feels happy or wants to do something i dont", for the first time tonight he understands, "They thought they loved you because you had sex?".
Mike says, "noo, itt wasnn't sexz, juszt feelingg really goood. But… OKaay, iit's bettter too havv loove firrst, beefore sexz, buut sommetimmes thaat doezznt happenn. Aand szome people … and demonnnz … liike to uusze that connfuszion too spoilll both sexz aand llove forr otther peopple. Aand Jerry aand Jossh coonfuszed my feeling wiith sexz too. Szo it got messsy. Theyy foughtt … I allmoszt got expellled for causszing it, buut they couldn'tt proov anythinng annd, iit wennt away fasst. Thaats the good thing."
"szo, I guesz that they diidd, kinda, you'rr rightt." And that realization REALLY has Mike blushing because he has been in denial about that part of it for several months.
<OOC> You say, "damn innocent questions breaking down my wall of denial. Grr."
<OOC> Mikhail says, "lol"
Mikhail nods, "That sounds kinda intense, must of been weird", he looks round behind him, "Errm, i gotta go Mike, thanks for trying to tell me about sex stuff, bye", he runs out he door with inhuman speed.
Mike watches the vanishing feral boy and wonders if it was something stupid he said, or … maybe he was just hungry.
