Players:
Summary: Rashmi and Aleksey are getting settled into a new school.
Date: December 31, 2009
Log Title Getting Used To Xavier's.
Rating: PG
Xavier Mansion - Ramsey Dormitories Lobby
The lobby of Ramsey Dormitories has two elevators at one end of the wall along with the entrance to a cafeteria. On the wall are three pictures that say 'In memory of'. One is of Douglas Ramsey, another of John Proudstar and the last one is of Jean Grey. There are several couches and tables down here for students to relax. Large windows in the front and sides allow for a lot of light in the room.
Classes haven't started yet and to be honest, Aleksey is a bit nervous about that. His English isn't that great and this is his first time in a new school with new students. At the moment he's wearing a pair of jeans and a plain grey sweatshirt, which is a bit too large and kind of worn looking. He's curled up on the couch with a book in his hands. The thing that definately stands out about Aleksey is that he seems to be made up entirely out of water.
The sound of footsteps can be heard from the direction of the girl's dorm, and it's not long before their owner emerges; short, dark of skin, wearing a shapeless, bright red sweater and faded grey skirt, clutching a pair of books to her chest. Still relatively new to the school, the girl's eyes dart here and there, as though trying to watch every corner at the same time. Despite this, she manages to completely miss the couch and the blue student sitting on it.
Aleksey has been to the school for less than a week himself. The book he's reading appears to be all in Russian. He doesn't notice the girl in the room until he yawns, breaking his attention from the book. "Hello to you." He says to her in his thick Russian accent with a smile. All his features are the same liquidy blue and it's like looking at a fishbowl, you can kind of see through him.
Rashmi's head snaps around at the unexpected voice, eyes wide… And, yes, there's even a small, startled squeak. Her mouth works for a moment, very obviously avoiding speaking the first thing that comes to mind, and the second, possibly the third, before she sags slightly, managing a small, wan smile. "Eh… Hello…" Her own accent is noticeable, but not thick enough to obscure her English. "I'm sorry… What was your name…?"
"I not saying my name." Aleksey says as he puts down his book. "I am Aleksey, I be new student here. It is being pleasant to meet you." He says hopfully choosing the right words to what he's trying to say. He's obviously very comfortable with his form and doesn't seem to be shy or embarassed about it.
Rashmi dips her head slightly, taking a few steps forward further into the room. "My name's Rashmi, eh… I'm… new too. It's… good to meet you?" The smile grows some, but her eyes move from face to arms, a hand coming up to tug her long, thick red braid over her shoulder, worrying at it. "…Um… did you know that you're…blue?"
Aleksey nods at the last question. "Yes, it being known to me that I am of the colour Blue. I being make of liquid, it is superpower for me. One year and more ago I find out I be mutant, like X-Men." He says almost with some excitement to his voice. "Ah there being a lot of new people soon it seems. I get here this week."
Rashmi pauses, brow furrowing as she sorts through Aleksey's words. Coming up with a rough idea at last, she nods slowly. "I've… only just come to this school… I didn't know that there were so many people…" She pauses, waving a hand as though searching for the right words. "…Like, eh… like us," she finishes lamely. Stepping around the couch, she sits on the far side. "You… are made of liquid…?"
"Dah, there being a lot of people who are mutants like the two of us persons." Aleksey says as he's a bit of a superhero fan boy and learned what he could back in his home country of Russia. "Dah, I being made of liquid. I have something that guarding me from object being put through me. What is being your superpower?"
Rashmi smiles slightly, nodding her understanding of the Russian's explanation. When the question of her abilities is posed, the smile disappears, her eyes falling to her lap. There's a long moment of silence, then a deep breath. "It's not… super…" she murmurs, setting her books down in her lap and holding up her hands. There's a deep frown of concentration, and a shimmering, translucent blue sphere appears just above her hands, bobbing slightly.
"Superpowers are superpowers, if you are being able to do something that is not being in normal, it is super, dah?" Aleksey asks as doesn't really know the difference between powers and superpowers, to him, it's the same. "That is being best. Just because you is not being like the Cyclops and having the eye shoots, is not meaning you is not good with superpower."
Rashmi's hands fall into her lap, the orb dipping with the motion, then rising to begin a lazy orbit around her head, followed by a second sphere, then a third, until half a dozen are hovering just above her eye level, keeping a slow, constant orbit around her. "…I would never want to have such powers," she says finally. "These have already hurt someone, terribly. "I… would never choose to be able to do such things."
"I am not believing anyone wants to hurt another person on purpose but there being some not very much of hold on some superpowers at begining. Is that not why we being here, Dah?" Aleksey says as he's just a little too happy about being a place where the X-Men got their start. "If you are being sad about hurting someone then you know you are going to be wanting to do correct thing?"
Rashmi sighs, nodding slightly. "I guess… This place will really show me how to control… these things?" Looking up, she frowns darkly at the spheres. "Go away now." Obliging, the spheres vanish in silence, leaving Rashmi looking more than a little relieved.
"See you is having some hold on superpower now. You is being able to make balls come and go as you is wanting them to." Aleksey says in some form of encouragement as he really doesn't fully understand why other people would find it a curse and not a blessing. "Dah, this is school which is being able to learn us about superpowers and how to be using them. My superpower is being made of water."
Rashmi nods. "I remember, you said…" Settling back on the couch, she lets out a long breath, shaking her head. "It's just so… strange, here. Different. Kind of scary, you know? I mean… there were all sorts of bullies at my old school. Even a couple of gangs. And they were just normal people!"
"Bully? Gangs? I is not understanding." Aleksey would know what they ment in Russian but he hasn't learned them in English yet. "I got school in Russia, small school, not being many of us. I be finding it not nice here cause it be fist time in America and my English is being not so good. I am not being scared, I is being happy. I am not having to go work in Factory like family."
Rashmi tugs on her braid slightly, nodding. "Bullies… people who think that because they are bigger, stronger, liked better, they can do what they like? Gangs, eh… a group of people, same thoughts, only they might try to hurt you if you upset them. Maybe even kill you, there were a few boys taken to jail last year for bringing guns to school…"
"We not having much like that were I from in Moscow. There being bullies and gangs but I not seeing them that much." Aleksey is from a small area of Moscow where it was poorer and most the families were people working long hours to get back. "Though at the school I being joked on sometimes cause of looking like this. My brother standing up for me."
Rashmi frowns. "He's a good brother, then. It's horrible, what some children will do just to be 'better.'" With a snort, she looks down to her books. "My mother and father had very little, but still they worked hard to come to America. For me. To give *me* the chance to be whatever I wished… And still, they work hard, probably they'll have to all their lives. But, they're happy, you know? We live in this tiny little place, in a horrible part of the city, but every day they're happy." Looking up at Aleksey, she manages a small, genuine smile. "I guess… I can understand why you're so happy to be here, then."
"I just never wanting to be working in factory, I not be saying no to doing it if I not getting superpowers. I be helping my family if I not being like this. Good family." Aleksey says as he does miss them but right now everything is still new and exicting so it hasn't hit him hard yet. "My mother and father being the same, working hard all life. My sisters and brother same way. I am kinda feeling not good about being only not having to be doing life in Factory."
Rashmi nods. "Well… you're here now, right? So… maybe you can get work, someday, that will let you fly them here? That's something to look forward too, isn't it?"
"I am wanting to be X-Men, like Colossus." Aleksey says with a nod as he's a young kid with big dreams. Who knows what the future will hold for him but he's just happy it's not working in a factory. "If they be wanting to come here, maybe I be going back to Russia. Russia is good country."
Rashmi bobs her head. "I wouldn't know… I've never left the city, before I came here. Maybe you can tell me about it, some time?"
"I can be telling you about Russia sometime. This being my first time leaving Moscow. Which city is this that you being from?" Aleksey asks as he really doesn't know too much about United States geography. He knows that Canada is above it and Mexico below and some of the few key cities but not really where they are exactly. "I be hearing we are near the New York of Cities?"
Rashmi nods. "That's where I was born. Just north of Hell's Kitchen, though… really hard place to live, for most people…"
"I am not knowing this Hell's Kitchen? Why would place be named after Devil's home and where you be making the food?" Aleksey asks as he finds it's a strange name for it.
Rashmi shakes her head, sighing quietly. "I don't know… You hear stories, sometimes, about a lot of drug labs, or just really dangerous people there… Usually that's when someone starts talking about Daredevil, too. I just know it's a really, really bad part of town. Most people don't go there if they can help it, and the people who live there just try to live as best they can…"
"I have be hearing of Daredevil!" Aleksey says but he doesn't know a lot about him just what he looks like and his costume. "I don't be living bad part of city I be living in poor part. We be helping eachother when needing it. All neighboorhood look for me when I go missing for two days." Aleksey says with a nod and he's not bragging just saying that he lived in a small, close community in Moscow.
Midmorning in the lobby, and the two newer students of the Institute are sitting on one of the couches, chatting quietly. "It sounds like you lived with good people," the redheaded young Hindi woman says. "Was it just the factory, that made life hard for you?"
Aleksey nods as he's sitting on the couch dressed causually. "Dah, I just not wanting to be living that not fun life. I am wanting to more and was wanting to finish school. My family, good people." He said that earlier but he's just confirming it. "Before I go liquid I either want to be superhero or figure skater."
Rashmi chuckles quietly. "We used to watch figure skating, in the winter. Mama would never let us miss a single show, if she could manage it… I think she was in love with the idea of dancing on ice, you know?"
"Dah it is very…pretty sport. I take lessons when small and even compete in competions until this. I miss but it not bad, I not angry with it being the way this is." Aleksey says. "I just be needing to find place to go skating here. How about we watch Olympic when it be coming round, Dah?"
Rashmi bobs her head. "I'd like that, yes. And… I'm sorry, for before. You know… being startled like that?"
July arrives from the Girl's Floor, shifting her head around while sighing, still mulling a few things over in her head from her earlier meeting. But then she notices Aleksey and another girl talking in the lobby, and the brunette smiles, "Hey, Aleksey. Hey there." she waves as she approaches the two. "How are you adapting, Aleksey? And.. who's your friend?" she asks with a soft giggle, looking at Rashmi and then offering her hand in a friendly gesture. "I'm July. Welcome to the Xavier School."
Aleksey waves a hand and smiles. "No issue with that. I know I look different, not everybody be thinking it normal. I used to it, I still me, I am knowing that and it is good." He looks over at July and smiles. "Hello July, Dah I be doing okay. This is Rashmi, she being new like me."
Rashmi nods. "Well.. If you're sure." As July speaks, she looks up, bobbing her head with a small smile. "Thank you," she says, reaching up to take July's hand. "There's still a lot to get used to… But… Maybe it won't be so bad as I'd worried."
July smiles as she shakes Rashmi's hand as Aleksey introduces her. "Oh, I can see she's new. I really doubt such a cute girl would be around without me noticing her." she winks, giggling softly, "So how are you two doing? Everything alright, I suppose?" she asks as she releases Rashmi's hand.
Aleksey looks at July with some confusion at first but then shakes his head. He's not fully sure why she's talking about. "I be saying that I be doing well. Thank you for asking." He says as he stands up. "I must be going now though, I am seeing the time and I be wanting to try to call my Family living back in Russia to be saying the happy New Year to them. It be nice meeting you Rashmi." He says with a friendly smile. "I will be seeing you July." And Aleksey heads towards the elevators.
Rashmi smiles, nodding after Aleksey. "It's good to meet you too, Aleksey. I hope your family's doing well!" As the Russian heads toward the elevators, she settles back on the couch. "July… Is this school really all right? I mean… Everyone here has some kind of… well, power, don't they? What happens if someone tries to push the others around?"
July smiles softly, waving to Aleksey, "I'll catch you later, Aleksey." she waves to him before the guy leaves, and then she turns back to Rashmi. "Oh? Well, some heated arguments do break out every now and then." she says softly, smiling as she rubs the back of her head embarrassed, "I was in one last night. Heh." she giggles, "We're all adolescents, raging cauldrons of hormones." she shrugs softly. "But there are no bullies here. Everyone here is conscious of our situation. Plus the teachers and headmasters makes sure everyone know about the rules and such." she nods gently.
Rashmi nods quietly. "Okay… just… I don't know, maybe I'm just being silly," she says, letting out a long breath. "Just, last year they took some kids to jail, for bringing guns to school… And there were some *really* dangerous kids there, too… but they were still just normal kids, you know?"
July smiles and reaches to gently pat Rashmi's shoulder gently. "Think of it this way: If you had a gun, you'd mess with anyone because the other students don't have a gun." she says, nodding, "But, here, every student has a gun. And the headmasters have even BIGGER guns." she giggles softly. "So, to not hurt themselves, the students don't use their guns." she patpats Rashni's shoulder again. "People here is conscious of prejudice, of the prejudice the world has against us… so it's pointless to cause infighting with us." she nods, "So, Rashni, dear, what's your 'gun'?" she ask with a wink and a giggle.
