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Summary: Dashenka gets a tour of the mansion after dropping off a package that Taylor left in her car.
Date: February 12, 2012
Log Title: Экскурсия по особняку
Rating: PG
Xavier Mansion - Lobby
A large chandelier causes light to shine over the polished surfaces of the Lobby creating a bright welcome. A few wooden benches blend in with the wooden walls. A large portrait of Professor Xavier is displayed on the wall. On each wall is a doorway that leads to a different part of the school.
Dashenka has only been out to the Mansion once before, and that was to drop Taylor off from Mutant Town. It's Taylor, once again, that brings the Russian mutant out here. One of Taylor's packages that was bought on their last trip out had managed to slip underneath the seats of Dashenka's GTO. So, with said package in hand she comes to the front door of the mansion, after being buzzed in by somebody, who had then told Taylor that Dashenka was here.
Taylor approaches the door a little bit sleepily. It's still daylight hours, and the feline student tends to be a little less active while it's still light out. The feline then notices that Dashenka is there and says, "Hi, Dashenka!" The felinoid student's pace picks up slightly. Taylor is presently wearing a nice read blouse and a pair of back slacks.
Dashenka has been gawking at the opulence that is the foyer of the Mansion. In Russia, she had lived in what could laughably called a one bedroom apartment. Her mother let Dashenka have the single bedroom to herself, and opted to convert a bit of their living room into bedroom for herself, and at Barnes, everything is military utilitarian. Even though most of the decadence had been removed from the foyer, the mere fact that this is a room built by people of money to show of that they could, in fact, afford to build a room that served little purpose other than to announce how much money they had by building a room such as this. Taylor's greeting snaps the large girl's attention back down to floor level, and she grins as she sees Taylor. "Privyet, Taylor!" she calls back, moving towards the other mutant. She's dressed in jeans that have seen better days, and a loose fitting cream colored blouse, all underneath her ancient wool military jacket. "I have something for you," she says, holding out the package. "Was cleaning out GTO. Found it hiding under seat.""
Taylor blinks a few times at the package and says, "Oh! I was wondering where this had gone, I thought I must have misplaced it somewhere in this place. Thanks, Dash!" The ocelot student takes the bag and then peers inside of it to confirm the contents and says, "I'm sorry for making you come out all this way again."
Dashenka waves a had at Taylor, "Is no problem," she says. "I like…" she stops herself and corrects what she's about to say, "I like driving out here. Is good roads. Can go fast and no police."
Taylor smiles at that and says, "Ahh, yes, I remember that you like to hit a pretty good clip." The feline student puts the bag on their wrist and says, "But even if you like coming out here, thank you so much!" The feline glances about and says, "I should put this in my dorm so I don't lose it again, I can show you around there?"
Dashenka nods at the offer. "Da! I would like to see mansion," she says. "I have heard about it, but have never been inside."
Taylor nods at Dashenka and says, smiling, "Well, I'll take you to the dorms first, and you'll be able to see my room if you want, too. I don't share it with anyone, but they're built for two students each."
Dashenka blushes a little and nods. "Da. Would like to see it." She blinks, and hurredly says, "I am meaning that it would be no bother." As she moves to step in pace with the smaller mutant she says, "In my school, we each have small bedroom, but share… how to say… facilities."
Taylor nods at Dashenka and says, "I think it makes sense for bording schools like this one." The feline student puts on shoes to head outside towards the dorms and says to Dashenka, "No point in building lots of facilities when it'd be easier to just have one each!"
Dashenka nods back. "Da. You must be lucky to have own dorm," she says, musing. "In Russia, I lived with mother in apartment smaller than the rooms I live in now." She shakes her head with amusement, "In America everybody has so much space."
"Oh… Yeah, I guess we do have a lot of space here. I never really thought about it, but I lived in a decent house when I was with my parents," says Taylor, nodding slowly at that. Tay walks outside and gestures for Dashenka to follow, "But this place is crazy glitzy. Like. Wow."
Dashenka follows Taylor dutifully, and can't help but gawk at the, as the other mutant put it, 'crazy glitzy.' "Is good this is school," she says under her breath. "I cannot understand how this would be for just one family."
"Oh, yeah… for one family? I can't even begin to understand how anyone could live in a place like this. I figure people would forget about rooms, and they'd be resigned to just get dusty," says Taylor, headshaking at that and entering into the dorms building, "Here we go!"
Dashenka looks over the dorm buildings and asks, "They look new?" She shakes her head. "I… how does your family afford to send you here?"
"I don't think they could," says Taylor, glancing about as Dashenka says they look new, "And yeah, I guess they do look new. Anyways. I'm here on a scholarship… so my family isn't really paying anything…"
Dashenka nods in understanding. "Da. That is good. I am here under Amnesty. I am not sure how much it is costing them to keep me here, but here at least I am safe."
Taylor nods firmly at that, starting up the stairs to the rooms, "Yeah, it's most important that you're safe, I'd say…" The feline student glances back towards Dash and notes, "I'm not sure why I'm here on scholarship, if I'm going to be really honest. I'm not so sure I deserve it."
Dashenka tilts her head in confusion. "Why?" she asks. "You do not seem undeserving to me."
Taylor shrugs and says, "I'm not a terrible student, but I'm not amazing… the way I understand it, most scholarships are based on merit. I was never involved with clubs, or super brilliant, or popular…"
Dashenka puts a large hand on Taylor's shoulder and squeezes comfortingly. "Da. I know how you mean. But…" she says, looking back at the mansion meaningfully, "… From what I am understanding, this is school to help Mutants. You are a mutant. That would be merit enough, da?"
"I suppose so," says Taylor, nodding at what Dashenka says, hand brushing back through their hair, "And I guess I need all the help I can get!" The feline turns down the girl's hall, and gestures towards the room labelled with their room number, opening it up, "There we go." The bag is deposited. It seems that Taylor's room is rather neat, and there are many dolls about in various constructed scenettes, with sewn outfits and striking poses that seems to fit with the medium they're from. Apparently, someone is involved in their hobby.
"Вот это да," Dashenka says, eyes going wide at the room. "Is very impressive." She wanders over to one of the dioramas, and looks hesitant. "Is okay to touch?" she asks.
Taylor nods at Dashenka and says, "Oh, sure, touch all you want. I used to play with them all the time." The feline sits down on their bed and says, "Sometimes still do, if I'm gonna be honest…"
Dashenka can't help but grin as she picks up one of the dolls and turns it over gently in her hands. "This is very good work," she says. "I only had a few dolls to play with when I was young. Most were my mother's that she gave to me." She can't help but sound a little wistful when she talks about her mother like that. "They were hand made. Like this."
Taylor nods at Dashenka and says, "Yeah, I crafted lots of them myself… not most of them. Some were just purchases, gifts from relatives who only really knew I liked dolls, but all of the clothes I made myself." The student smiles a bit proudly at that, "I probably am a bit too involved in my hobby."
Dashenka shakes her head. "Nyet," she says, as she carefully puts the doll back in it's place. "You could make living making clothes. Even in Russia there are people who like dolls." She gives the other mutant a sly grin. "After all. I have seen this build-a-bear here in America. Good money to be made for clothes."
"That would be nice, really. I would love to do that as a living, though I have to get used to my fingers the way they are now. I keep poking myself when I'm hand sewing, like I have to learn all over again," says Taylor, smiling slightly in return to Dashenka, "I'd rock that kind of job, though."
Dashenka nods slowly, as she sits herself down on the unoccupied bed. "I am forgetting that being cat is new for you. It will come," she says confidently. "We are adaptable beasts, if nothing else."
Nodding, Taylor says, "Yeah, it's still pretty new. I'm not sure I'll ever really be properly used to it." The feline student shrugs lightly and then remarks, "Did you have anything you had to adapt to when your mutation, uh, happened?"
Dashenka leans back to get comfortable on the bed. "Da. At first there were dreams," she explains. "Wild dreams of ice, hunger and snow. I would wake up in middle of night as bear." She shakes her head, "I broke bed first night. Scared me and Mother to death."
"Wow, that would be pretty scary," says Taylor, blinking a couple of times quickly at that, "Also pretty strange. I mean, I've never been a bear before. Even as I am now, I look at least sorta humanish…"
"Am still human-ish, as you say," explains Dashenka with a waggle of a hand. "Still have thumbs, and can walk on hind feet. So not fully bear. Still big, however. Would fill up room." She bounces a bit on the bed as if testing it out. "Beds are strong. Would not break it."
Taylor nods at Dashenka and says, "Well, you're very human! But I guess it sounds like you turn into a humanish bear when you change? I guess I got the impression that you just become a bear, physically."
Dashenka makes a thoughtful sound with her tongue. "Tt. Even human, I still have some bear. Cold does not bother me much. Can smell better, that kind of thing." After a bit of thought she stands. "I will show you, if you do not mind. It will answer many questions." She pauses a bit, and then asks, "That is, if you do not mind if I use bathroom."
"No, I don't mind at all," says Taylor, smiling slightly towards Dashenka, as much as the felinoid student can smile. "And yeah, feel free to use the bathroom…"
Dashenka nods, and shrugs off her coat, as she gets on her feet. "Will be right back," she says and then disappears into the bathroom. After about a minute or so there's the sound of toiletries getting knocked to the floor, and cursing in Russian, and the door opens. There stands a seven foot tall anthropomorphic polar bear. "Apologies," she says, her voice a few octaves lower, and a lot gruffer. "Will clean up when done."
Taylor peers towards the bathroom door and then seems surprised at the emergence of the giant polar bear, "Oh! Wow, yeah, that gives me a better picture, alright. You're so furry now! And /big/!"
"… и очень голые" mutters Dashenka under her breath. Still, she gives Taylor a grin as best as she can manage. "Da," she says and walks over to the other bed and carefully sits down on it. When it's clear that it'll support her increased weight, she relaxes a bit. She holds out a hand to show the feline mutant, palm up. Really, it's more a paw than a hand, with short stubby fingers and an equally short and stubby thumb. It looks functional for grasping things, but it's obvious that anything that requires fine manipulation is beyond her. "See? I still have thumbs."
Taylor leans over to peer at the girl's hands and says, "Ohh, yeah, you're right. I mean, I guess I'd expect you to be. Sorry, I thought when you said you become a bear, you meant… literally. Do you feel pretty different when you're in that form?"
Dashenka nods a heavy, ursine head. "It is like putting on old, comfortable jacket," she says, gestures at her jacket. "There is a moment that… how to explain… in between when things are dizzy. But afterwards it is okay."
Taylor smiles at that and says, "But it's not at all painful when you change? When I changed, it was really, super duper painful. I was on morphine the whole time."
Dashenka's ears flatten as she winces. "It is not painful, nyet. Uncomfortable and thankfully quick." She gives Taylor a curious glance, before her gaze wanders off to the right to avoid eye contact. "How long did it take for you to change?"
"Five days, about," says Taylor, frowning slightly, "I was still sore after that, too, like I had just torn all my muscles, but I'm better now. I wish I could turn back but I hope it wouldn't take that long…"
Dashenka gives Taylor a shrug. "I am not knowing what you looked like before you changed, but I can say that you look fine, now. Cute, even," she admits.
Taylor seems a bit embarrassed by Dashenka's compliment, saying, "Well, thank you… it's just a lot to get used to, I guess, and it's going to be a bit harder to find someone who'll be okay with how I look… for dating, I mean."
Dashenka looks embarrassed now that Taylor looks embarrassed, and coughs into a huge paw. "Da. But you will find somebody," she says. "There is always somebody out there for everyone." It may sound a little naive, but Dashenka says it emphatically, like she believes it with her whole heart. "Do not worry. You will find him."
Taylor smiles at Dashenka and says, "Well, thank you, Dash. That's nice of you to say… I worry about finding someone more than I should, probably." The felinoid glances down towards the floor and says, "Though I'm not sure if it'd be a him or a her, if I'm gonna be honest… I don't know what you think about that sort of thing but… I guess I'm just pretty indecisive."
There's a brief flash of .. something. It's hard to tell since polar bear faces aren't as expressive as humans. Her ears flatten and her eyes dart back and forth for a bit before nodding. "Him or her. Da. Sorry. I just assumed…"
Taylor laughs nervously and says, "Sorry, I don't mean to make you uncomfortable or anything, it's fine if you assumed. I mean, I'm sure I've mentioned having had a boyfriend before… so it's a fair assumption…"
Dashenka shakes her head. "Do not be worrying," she says. "It is okay. In Russia, it is not talked about." Her voice sounds a little strained and she waves a paw at the clock. "Look at time. I am getting late."
Taylor nods at Dashenka and says, "Oh. Sorry, I shouldn't have…" The feline waves a hand lightly and then continues, "You have a good night Dashenka, I hope to see you again soon."
Dashenka hurredly goes into the bathroom to change back into something that can actually fit into her GTO. When she comes out her expression seems a little panicked. "Thank you for showing me around. I am hoping to see you soon, too." With that, she grabs her coat and rushes off, all the while muttering, "Глупый! Глупый! Глупый!"