(no subject)

[allhell]

WHO: Illyana Rasputin & others
WHEN: This week
WHERE: Around campus
WHAT: Orientation
WARNINGS: None probably

🗡️ Illyana & Kurt touring the school
🗡️ Illyana & Scott in the Danger Room
🗡️ Illyana & Kitty at dinner
🗡️ Manuel catches Illyana snooping around, Monday Night
🗡️ Emma deals with Illyana's boredom, Tuesday Afternoon

Comments

Illyana & Kurt, around campus, Monday afternoon

[allhell magik 🖤 illyana rasputin]

“What was it like, growing up here?” Illyana asks Kurt midway through the official tour he is graciously providing to her. There’s a note of some bitter emotion in her tone, perhaps derision, although her other questions up to this point have been affable enough. The campus is beautiful; she’d remarked on each architectural feature and vista she’d found pleasing on their way around. It’s only the school portion of the tour — the classrooms and the cafeteria and the student commons — that have evoked this level of skepticism from her.

Illyana & Scott, the Danger Room, Monday afternoon

[allhell magik 🖤 illyana rasputin]

Illyana is vaguely familiar with the concept of the Danger Room from previous conversations she’d had with Scott and Kitty in Genosha. It’s one of the aspects of the school she’s the most intrigued by, and so she doesn’t pass up the opportunity to witness it for herself. She’s already waiting for Scott well before 4pm when he arrives, leaning up against the wall casually as he approaches.

“Oh, hello,” she says when she sees him, like she forgot he was coming.

Illyana & Kitty, dinnertime Monday

[allhell magik 🖤 illyana rasputin]

Illyana figures nobody’s had time to go shopping since her mid-afternoon request for peanut butter, and she figures also that she probably shouldn’t be eating PB&J for every meal anyway. She makes her way to the cafeteria, where apparently everyone in the school is currently getting their dinner, and sets about serving herself while she tries to ignore the feeling of many hostile eyes on her. Truly, she could not ask for a better typical high school experience than this.

“This is just like Mean Girls,” she says melodramatically as she plops down next to Kitty with her cafeteria tray. Then, in a normal voice: “Did you see that one?”

Illyana snooping around, Monday Night (Open)

[allhell magik 🖤 illyana rasputin]

Bad sleep schedules aren’t reserved just for X-Men; Illyana’s also a little bit of a nocturnal creature, and severely jetlagged to boot. Having not woken up until nearly 11am, she’s still awake after midnight, and she doesn’t feel like sitting around her still bare bedroom. She gets up and pads around the hallways in her stocking feet until she comes to the parlor and immediately sets about checking all the cabinets to see what their contents are. She’s so preoccupied with her task that she doesn’t notice when someone else enters the room until they’re nearly beside her, at which point she swears loudly in Russian and nearly drops the bottle of nice cognac she’s holding.

“Don’t sneak up on me,” she says with the slight whining cadence of someone who isn’t poking around in places she shouldn’t be. “That could be dangerous for you.”

Illyana bored already, Tuesday afternoon (Open)

[allhell magik 🖤 illyana rasputin]

For awhile on Tuesday as everyone is attending to classes and students, Illyana tries to amuse herself by reading a book out of the library (a near-antique copy of War and Peace, too dense for her even in the original Russian). This doesn’t last long, and by the time class lets out she’s prowling the halls looking for a victim to entertain her.

“I’m bored,” she announces upon encountering one of the X-Men. “Do you want to go to the city with me?”

Illyana & Kitty, dinnertime Monday

[passingthru KITTY PRYDE]

Kitty first looks around the cafeteria, to see if she can tell what Illyana is talking about. There do seem to be some eyes on the new arrival, which is to perhaps be expected. Still, Kitty counters them with her best Professor Pryde glare. It hopefully conveys the promise of extra homework or Danger Room detention if they couldn't at least be polite. She isn't sure it helps, but she looks apologetic at their guest, herself, and clears away the notebook she was working in to make room for her tray.

"Never got around to it." Kitty admits, "But I've seen lots of references. So Fetch. October Third. Are the students being mean to you?"

Illyana & Kurt, around campus, Monday afternoon

[blauerdamon kurt wagner ⚔️ nightcrawler]

"It was..." Kurt trails off. The new note in her voice isn't overlooked, but it's the question itself that gives him pause. The answer is more complicated than it should be. "It was strange. Wonderful, but strange."

He leads Illyana out onto one of the larger balconies, where tables and chairs are left out for students to socialize or study. It's just gotten warm enough for them to use. Two tables have been dragged together; at least nine students are gathered to pore over notes for Kitty's upcoming test.

"I only spent my teenage years here. It might surprise you to learn that I am not an American," Kurt 'admits', a teasing faux-confession. "Professor Xavier found me when I was thirteen, then brought me here a year later. My childhood was mostly in Bavaria."

Illyana & Scott, the Danger Room, Monday afternoon

[seeingred scott summers ⊗ cyclops]

Scott halts a step when he sees Illyana—he's fifteen minutes early, and clearly didn't expect her to beat him here. As much as he likes her, reliability wasn't a trait he associated with Illyana, and it bothers him to have misjudged her. Anticipating situations is his job.

Right. So is rolling with the punches. "Good, you're here." He finishes buckling his right hand glove, having changed into his uniform before coming down. "The schedule can be accessed from the X-network. Individual sessions are limited to ninety minutes. Pairs and groups, three hours." A glance at the computer tells him there's no one inside, and he hits the key to open the metal doors.

Illyana & Kitty, dinnertime Monday

[allhell magik 🖤 illyana rasputin]

"They are dissecting me with their eyes," Illyana says as she chases a cherry tomato around her plate with her fork. "You would think they'd never seen a mutant before."

Illyana & Kurt, around campus, Monday afternoon

[allhell magik 🖤 illyana rasputin]

"He found you?"

Illyana & Kurt, around campus, Monday afternoon

[blauerdamon kurt wagner ⚔️ nightcrawler]

Kurt laughs wryly, then ends it with a tired sigh. "I was a popular, ah, cryptid? On the internet."

He sits on the edge of the balcony, the vista of the lake behind him. His tail wraps around it, letting him lean more precariously. "Mutants were still a novel concept. He and Erik heard rumors of a blue boy in Germany. They decided they needed to see for themselves. I was in foster care, moved a lot."

Illyana & Emma, Tuesday afternoon

[frost_queen Emma Frost ♕ White Queen]

Illyana catches Emma as she's coming out of her office, having just completed some nightmarishly boring grading. She may not fully trust the other young woman, but that doesn't mean she's going to refuse to hang out with her. Especially if it means going to the city.

"Please, my brain has liquified from reading essays."

Illyana & Kitty, dinnertime Monday

[passingthru KITTY PRYDE]

"It might feel like it. But I'm pretty sure only one kid here has any kind of X-Ray vision." Kitty informs her, helpful. "But you're new here, is all. Give it a week and you'll be a boring adult just like the rest of us."

Illyana & Kurt, around campus, Monday afternoon

[allhell magik 🖤 illyana rasputin]

"You are lucky they didn't kill you," Illyana says, breezy as she says anything else.

Illyana & Manuel, Monday Night

[empata Manuel de la Rocha (Empath)]

Manuel hasn't been sleeping particularly well since the incident on Genosha, but his nightmares haven't been intense enough to cause his emotions to bleed out and impact anyone else and that's...something. Just not something that makes it any simpler to get back to sleep. So, after tossing and turning for an hour and restlessly reading for another, he's slipped out of his room to get a drink. Water or tea or something stronger, potentially. But probably not.

He doesn't get to make that decision, though, because on his way to the kitchen he spies a light and hears the distinct sound of rummaging accompanied by an emotional absence that can mean only one of two people. He scowls and heads for the parlor, pausing to stand in the doorway and watch Illyana to confirm what he'd expected. She's just...digging around. Touching things and moving things and taking things (like that bottle of cognac) without a second thought.

She's...a guest here, he knows. Not a student. There's nothing here that she isn't allowed to take or make use of as she sees fit. But that doesn't stop it from rubbing him the wrong way.

Quietly, he approaches and looks over her shoulder, about to ask her what exactly she's after when she notices him and starts and swears. He jumps too, taking a reflexive step back before exhaling an irritated sigh.

"I wasn't sneaking," he protests, not acknowledging the threat directly but certainly not appreciating it.

Illyana & Kurt, around campus, Monday afternoon

[blauerdamon kurt wagner ⚔️ nightcrawler]

"Ha! Some tried." And they did try. Worse when they wanted him alive.

Fanged teeth grin severely against midnight blue skin. It's strangely refreshing for anyone to just say it out loud. "I could tell you all about it, but you are here for other reasons. Erik already knows all about me."

Illyana & Kurt, around campus, Monday afternoon

[allhell magik 🖤 illyana rasputin]

She just hums in response to this. The people in her town growing up had been tolerant enough of her mutant brother, his powers bringing more good to the community than trouble, but even they had been superstitious. Her eyes flick back to the table of studious children. Piotr would've liked it here, she thinks to herself. The concept of growing up at the academy herself is too foreign to even confront.

"Well sure Erik might," Illyana says, folding her arms primly behind her back. "But I don't."

Illyana & Scott, the Danger Room, Monday afternoon

[allhell magik 🖤 illyana rasputin]

Illyana watches him out of the corner of her eye with false disinterest. Only when he moves to open the door does she finally look at him in earnest.

"How do you tell it what to do?" she asks, picking herself up off the wall to glance over his shoulder at the computer.

Illyana & Kitty, dinnertime Monday

[allhell magik 🖤 illyana rasputin]

Illyana does not think of herself as boring or as an adult, so she doesn't respond to this. Instead, through a mouthful of salad, she says: "I can't believe you haven't seen Mean Girls."

Illyana & Manuel, Monday Night

[allhell magik 🖤 illyana rasputin]

"No? What were you doing then, lurking?" She looks at him sidelong as she says this, and then returns her attention to the bottle of cognac, which she gingerly replaces in its spot in the liquor cabinet. She even pauses to adjust it slightly so its label faces perfectly forward, a kind of attention to fine detail she doesn't usually bother with.

She really hadn't been about to steal it (she isn't much of a drinker, and even if she were, cognac would be far from her chosen vice), but she doesn't see much point in trying to convince him of the fact. If the X-Men want to think of her as a common thief, that's their prerogative.

"I scared you back a little," she observes. Now that the adrenaline of being startled has cleared her system, she seems wryly amused. "Boo," she adds, with no real force or volume behind it, and then laughs to herself.

Illyana & Emma, Tuesday afternoon

[allhell magik 🖤 illyana rasputin]

"Yes!" Illyana says, clapping once in excitement before reining it in. She clearly had not been anticipating this being such an easy sell on Emma. "Where should we go? The Chrysler building? Central Park? ... Saks, maybe?" (This is the fanciest and most stylish store Illyana knows the name of.)

Illyana & Emma, Tuesday afternoon

[frost_queen Emma Frost ♕ White Queen]

Though a little surprised by the level of enthusiasm this is met with, Emma supposes it makes sense - and it is amusing how quickly Illyana has become bored. The Saks suggestion is a little funny too.

"The park, at least, but wherever else you'd like. I just need an outing." She hums. "Maybe we can get you one of those 'I Love New York' caps." This is sort of almost bullying.

Illyana & Kitty, dinnertime Monday

[passingthru KITTY PRYDE]

Kitty does misinterpret the non-answer for something to watch out for. She knows the students probably don’t trust Illyana yet, maybe don’t trust them for bringing her back. It’s not repair work she can do immediately. She can just model openness and welcoming, and yes, maybe assign one more Civics paper so they have other things to think about.

She stabs her own leaves of lettuce, though, shaking her head rather sheepishly. “I’ve never seen a lot of things. I was busy as a kid and then I moved here so I never caught up,” she confesses, but doesn’t get into reasons why. It’d be in poor taste to complain about graduating high school in one year and dance classes to someone who’d just said she’d literally grown up in limbo. “I’m trying to catch up a little now. Is it worth watching? What else is?”

Sincerely curious, in the knowledge her media experience can’t just be Bridgerton and all the Star Wars.

Illyana & Manuel, Monday Night

[empata Manuel de la Rocha (Empath)]

Watching Illyana return the bottle to its proper place -- and proper position -- allows Manuel to relax a little...but not much. He still can't sense her emotions and that puts him on edge. He still doesn't trust her because she's one of Erik's people. He still doesn't know much about her. Except that she has more curiosity than decorum, of course.

He gives her a pointed look as she attempts to goad him, laughs at him, and corrects dryly, "You startled me. Do you consider this an achievement?"

Illyana & Scott, the Danger Room, Monday afternoon

[seeingred scott summers ⊗ cyclops]

"The observation deck." Scott steps inside, pointing to the glass-fronted control room overlooking the gymnasium-sized space of the Danger Room. "You can review scenarios and tweak variables on the computers. Professor X controls everything from there. It also responds to voice commands from registered X-Men."

He waits for Illyana to follow him and for the doors to close before demonstrating. "Danger Room. Start program. Prehistoric Sequence Six."

The metal walls of the Danger Room vanish, and the two of them find themselves standing in a humid forest filled with long-extinct vegetation. Above the densely packed trees, pterodactyls fly overhead.