Players:
Summary: With everything going on, the exchange of Christmas gifts comes late this year.
Date: January 4, 2013
Log Title: Happy Nickmas
Rating: PG
Xavier Mansion - Ramsey Dormitories Rec Room
In the middle of the two dorm floors is a rec room and small kitchenette for the students. The kitchenette is a small crowded separate room with a table for four, refrigerator, sink, microwave and oven/stove. Students are asked to clean after whatever they cook. In the main room are couches and chairs galore. In one corner of the room in front of a large bay window is a pool table, ping pong table, a small game table and couch. The other side of the room has a large entertainment center that can play various forms of media with several video game systems and a seventy-inch flat screen television mounted on the wall. Large curved couches sit on either side with a round table in the middle.
Another curved couch sits in a corner with a table in front of a table intended for those who wish to socialize, play cards or board games. On the far wall are two large bay windows with two arcade systems filled with over 200 classic games. Next to the two games is a large bookcase with a variety of board games. In front of one of the bay windows sits some large chairs for students to relax in.
Taylor is in the rec room in the evening wearing flannel sky blue kitty paw pyjamas, doing what they do best: Napping draped across the back of one of the couches, in an awkward and uncomfortable but decidedly feline sort of position. The ocelot student's ears flick a few times, though, at the sounds of footsteps passing out by the hall, and the felinoid stretches and yawns, unbalancing and falling gracelessly from the perch with a thud like a drop of fuzzy liquid. "Wow, that's embarrassing…" The teen starts looking about, not moving from the awkward heap, tail flicking lazily. While it might have been embarrassing to fall, Taylor is doing terribly at cleaning up the evidence.
Finally taking the time, Nick is finally coming out of his room and checking out the new recreation room. He figures this kills two birds with one stone as he looks for either Taylor, Cale or Shane. Or even all three at once but he doubts that's going to be the case. He doesn't even spot Taylor when he enters the room. Instead Nick just stands there for a bit, a large back with three cardbord boxes inside drops from his hand. "Oh my lord this place is huge." He takes a few steps in and notices the Ocelot on the floor. "Hey Taylor, you okay?"
The moment that the mutant 'terrorists' had been announced as cleared of all charges and allegations, Shane had made arrangements to fly out to the West Coast, to spend Christmas with her families. And, it seems, she's only just shaken the dust of the trip from her boots, yet out of her room she trundles, hefting a mesh bag stuffed with wrapped presents. Glancing left and right, she spots the students, nodding to herself and clumping towards them. "…Good," she says as she comes close enough for conversation. "There y'are. Merry Nicksmas."
Taylor blinks a few times slowly at Nicholas and says, "Ah, I'm fine." The teen flops back over onto their side and then slowly rises to their feet. "I just woke up… it's kind of a process. I'm not there yet…" The felinoid blinks a few times at hearing Shane, and then nods lightly towards her. "Well, hello, Shane. Nicksmas? Is this a thing?"
"Well I have your late Christmas present if you want to open it. It's not wrapped or anything." Nicholas figured getting the gifts, even if late, were enough so he didn't bother wrapping them. "I heard you were back Shane, I hope you had a good time with your family. I have a gift for…wait…Nicksmas?" He asks getting a worried look on his face. "How come I'm nervous?"
"Is now," Shane grunts Taylor's way, swinging the bag off her shoulder and letting it hit the floor with a light *thump.* Pulling it open, she starts rooting around. "Figured 'f y'don't like Christmas anymore Nick, might's well give you y'present later, 'n make a thing outta it. So here," she says, thrusting a simple silver-wrapped box at the boy, and a much slimmer, jewel-case-sized package at Taylor. "Merry Nicksmas."
Taylor blinks a few times at receiving the silver-wrapped box and says, "Oh, thanks Shane. I got gifts but I've been kind of keeping a weird opposite schedule of like… everyone… I should get them…" The teen scratches their neck lightly and says, "My parents called on Christmas though. That was nice. I mean. I think it's still weird for them to look at me, but that was cool."
"I don't really have a schedule at the moment, maybe when classes start again." Nicholas just nods to Taylor's mention of parents and adds. "That's good. Anyway, this is for you, and this is for you." He hands a cardboard box with "Shane" and "Taylor" written on the flap in pen, the mailing label is still on it. "This is about as much of the Christmas spirit I could get into." He then picks up his own silver wrapped box and starts to open it. "Thanks Shane." He says before seeing what it is.
Nick's present turns out to be a small, but very detailed model of the Firefly-class ship, Serenity. Taylor's is a bit harder to decipher, being little more than a burned DVD, with 'CLO 2011' written on in red marker. "Told Mom you were a newborn Firefly nerd," she says to the boy as she turns her box over, "so we poked 'round th'mall 'till we found that. Taylor, that's, um… somethin' I… found… like, fell off th'back'o'th' Internet. Basically 's a program f'r makin' sewin' patterns'n'shit, 'n shows you what they look like onna 3D model. 'S pretty fun, figured y'might like it." That said, she digs her fingernails in under the cardboard seam, and tugs her box open.
Taylor says, "Oh, wow, thanks, you didn't have to get me anything!" The teen looks at the DVD a few moments and says, "I'll have to grab what I got for you guys now for sure…" The teen takes the cardboard box from Nick, moving on to opening that. "Thanks a lot!"
Nicholas inspects the model for a bit, zoning out as Shane talks about the pattern program thingie. "This is great Shane. I need something to put in the room to make it feel less like a hotel room and more like my space. Which leads into what I got you two." He says indicating the boxes. Inside the one for Taylor is white fleecy blanket with a Chibi looking Siamese cat in the Lucky Cat pose on it. (http://www.cafepress.com/+lucky_cat_stadium_blanket,6371653580 http://i1.cpcache.com/product/637165358/lucky_cat_stadium_blanket.jpg) For Shane there's a Chibi Death with a scowl on the center of a white fleece blanket. (http://www.cafepress.com/+game_over_stadium_blanket,591657485 http://i1.cpcache.com/product/591657485/game_over_stadium_blanket.jpg) "I figured those would help with the cold weather and, especially in your case Shane, give you something for your new room." He goes back to looking at all the little details on the model Serenity.
Shane snorts, amused, as she pulls out the blanket far enough to see the Chibi Death. "…Yeah *that'll* make th'new girl happy," she says with a chuckle, bundling the fabric up against her cheek. "Nice… Thanks, Nick… seriously. Gonna be lovin' this f'r th'winter."
"Hey, that's cute, and you've totally captured my main hobby: Sleeping," says Taylor, chuckling softly at that, "Seriously, though, this is a great gift, thanks Nick! I hope you like what I got…" The teen glances off and then says, "I should run to my room and grab my gifts." Taylor holds up a finger as if to say 'one second' and then scurries off.
Nicholas shoulder nudges Shane and grins. "Well as soon as I saw that scowl with the words Game Over…for some reason I thought it fit. And thanks in return, I love the Firefly." He opens his mouth to say something to Taylor but since they're already running off he figures it can wait. "Did you have a good time in California for the holiday? I'm glad you got to see your folks."
"Yeah," Shane answers, raising an eyebrow after Taylor, shrugging to herself. "Security goin' out was a pain, since they didn't have m'real name when they cleared alla us. Guess Dad was fit t'chew nails'n'shit bullets, when everythin' started. Meh. Stayed in mostly, was pretty chill."
Taylor is in their room, grabbing wrapped packages, having scurried rather quick to get there! But not quick enough to be back too quick.
"Yeah, I'm still not really ready to leave school grounds. My face has been everywhere and I'm not really up for dealing with people recognizing me." Nicholas says putting Serenity back in the safe packaging after he's inspected it. "Well you're mood has seemed to change, for the better Shane. I'm glad things are looking up for you."
Shane lifts a shoulder. "Shit's just easin' off, is all. Got room t'breathe, like. Makes it easier t'chill a little." Tugging the blanket over her shoulders, she pulls it tight, draping herself in the plush fabric. "Ain't got no ideas 'bout life not suckin' anymore. Just tryin' t'enjoy it while it's on low."
Taylor returns with two relatively small boxes, labelled, 'Shane' and 'Nicholas' in a neat cursive writing that is not really fitting for someone who is a bit crass like Taylor. The teen says, breathing out, likely having run all the way up and back down, "Here, I got you guys your gifts. I hope they aren't like…. dumb."
Nicholas looks up as Taylor returns and frowns. "I'm sure it's not dumb." He says opening the package. "And you're welcome for the blanket Tay." He says before shrugging a shoulder to Shane. "I'm actually ready for classes to start up again, I just need something normal in my life again to keep it from feeling like it's out of control, ya know?"
"No shit," Shane replies with a sigh, blinking at the box that gets handed to her. "…Thanks, Taylor," she says quietly, pulling the paper off to see what lies beneath.
"Yeah, fair enough…" The gifts are indeed what Taylor does best: dolls of each person, a mini-self. "I hope it doesn't come off as too creepy. Uh, I don't want people to think I'm a serial killer or anything." Nicholas's doll actually comes complete with an Orion, which Taylor painted to match the horse, and Shane's comes with a few different outfits, costumes that Taylor has asked to see before to try and learn from. "I just like making dolls, and you guys mean a lot to me."
Nicholas looks at the doll, turning it over a few times. "Thanks Tay, first time I've had my own doll." He's not sure what to do with it or where to put it but he does like the gift. "You guys mean a lot to me as well, thanks for making me remember why I liked Christmas, and it's not just the gift giving."
Shane pulls out the doll, the sullen lines on her face softening for a moment as she tugs out the various outfits that go with it. "….Thanks, Taylor," she says quietly, hugging the doll to her chest. "…'S a good start f'r buildin' my collection back up." Clearing her throat, she replaces everything, carefully, back in the box. "….'S great. Seriously." Drawing in a deep breath and she puts the lid back on, she looks up. "…So I sorta pissed Mom off with what I wanted f'r m'present… but I bugged both m'stepdads enough, they said okay."
Taylor nods a couple of times and says, "No problem, and… yeah, I mean, I guess it's a girly gift to some… I didn't really think of that. But that's a manly doll, so, you should be in the clear?" The teen shrugs lightly and then says, "What did you ask for, Shane?"
"Oh I don't plan on throwing it out or anything or it ruining any guy rep. I'm also not saying I like it just to say it to make you happy, it's a very touching gift Taylor. That's why I like it." Nicholas tries to explain. He turns towards Shane with eyebrows raised, waiting to hear what it is she asked for.
Instead of verbally answering, Shane instead rolls up her right sleeve to the shoulder. Underneath, by now mostly healed, is a fairly sizable tattoo. Starting at the shoulder, growing from an image of a cartoon bomb with a clear x_X face, is a quarter-inch-wide black vine, with a few more, smaller bombs growing off either side at regular intervals from three leaflike stems. More stems branch off the vine, all the way down her forearm, and at her wrist is a final empty place. "…Still plannin' on gettin' another one with you, Nick," she says, twisting her arm to show off the design. "…But, really wanted one f'r m'self."
Taylor chuckles and says, "Oh, no, I didn't think that you'd throw it out. I just didn't think of the possible man-cred complications before making the gift, but I figured you'd like it anyways. And I think I capture Orion pretty alright… I've never built a horse before." The teen then peers towards Shane's tattoo and then says, "Oh, I thought I smelled healing. That looks pretty cool. I've thought about getting a tattoo but then I kind of realized…" Taylor pets their arm lightly and shrugs.
"It looks great Shane. Glad to see you got one instead of waiting on me." Nicholas says and means it. "Sorry, I'm just a bit phobic of leaving the school right now. Anyway I should get going, I wanna see if I can find Cale before heading to bed for the night. I'll be up here again around three in the morning if either of you want to watch some crap with me." He gives Taylor and Shane a hug and smiles a the two of them. "Thanks again, I love the ship and the doll. Happy New Year and Merry Christmas and all that stuff."
"Happy Nicksmas," Shane murmurs, stiffening briefly against the hug as per usual, but returning it with a light squeeze of her own. "Thanks f'r th' blanket, dude. S'perfect." Once Nick moves on to hug Taylor, she shrugs at the feline. "…Could always play with hair dye first, 'n see 'f it takes on y'fur?"
Taylor nods a few times and says, "I guess I could do that. Dying fur, though, that seems kind of tricky. I mean, when the dye runs from your hair onto your skin, that's already annoying… unless I dyed all my fur. That can't be good for me, though… Still, could try it."
"….Yeah that'd be kinda tricky," Shane murmurs, carefully rolling her sleeve back down, "but 's what I mean, play a little first. Get th'washout shit like I got. Or, y'know, ask Mr. Parker. His power's all 'bout changin' stuff's color. Gave me black'n'red tiger-stripe hair, f'r a week, once."
"Oh yeah, Mr. Parker!" says Taylor, ears perking up, "I'm sure that he'd understand my hair doing predicaments… If I dyed my fur… how should I dye it? I guess I don't want to stand out too much more, though."
Shane snorts, lifting a shoulder. "Hell. Wrong girl t'ask, I'd just tell y't'say 'fuckit' an' go wild."
Taylor nods a few times and says, "Well… I guess if it's not permanent… I'll figure something out. I guess having spots is pretty wild already. I mean… who has spots?" The teen scratches the back of their neck lightly and says, "I should get to bed and try to get some regularly scheduled sleep in a moment. Gotta video conference in with my doctors…"
Shane nods, picking up her doll box, pulling the blanket off her shoulders to fold up. The mesh bag is hauled back onto her shoulder as she gets to her feet, and she draws in a breath. "Seriously. Thanks f'r th' doll. 'N if you want help with th'program, lemme know. There's tutorials'n'shit online, so start slow at first. Trust me… 's a helluvalot easier, that way."
Taylor nods a few times and says, "I'm pretty excited to use it, actually… I'd like to get some designing done…" The felinoid nods a couple of times, "Thank you for it. It's something I'm interested in. And no problem on the doll. I just thought it'd be a neat project, and my friends here mean a hell of a lot to me." The teen nods once and then picks up their own things, heading for the door.
