ArchivedLogs:Katamari Friends

Katamari Friends
Dramatis Personae Ivan, Kai
In Absentia	2013-04-24 Ivan has an offer for Kai.
Location <XS> Rec Room
School this may be, but life for Xavier's students certainly isn't all studying. Outside classes, this is a popular spot to find students in their downtime. An enormous tribute to slacking off, this room is a wealth of fun and relaxation. Comfortable armchairs, couches, and beanbags offer plentiful seating scattered throughout the room, and the cushioned windowseats by the high windows offer a cozy nook to curl up and look out on the grounds. The room is often filled with the noises of gaming -- whether it comes from the big-screen television (tall racks of DVDs beside it, if nothing can be found on the multitude of cable channels), tricked out with consoles from retro to the latest releases, or the less electronic clatter and thump of the pool table, air hockey, or foosball. For those a little more subdued in their gaming, the cabinets hold stacks and stacks of board and card games, ranging as classic as chess and go to as esoteric as Dixit, Catan, and Gloom. Classes are out for the day, and the students of Xavier's are now left to their own devices. (Hand-held or otherwise.) Oddly, the rec room is fairly empty, with only one occupant on the long sofa facing the television. Kai sits tailor-fashion on the cushion, a game controller in his hand as he watches the magic that is Katamari unfold under his guidance. Dressed in jeans and a dark-green hoodie, it appears that he came to the rec room straight from class. Especially if you figure in the books dumped unceremoniously next to the sofa. There are also cookies. In a bag. Likely pilfered from the kitchen. Ivan wanders into the rec room a little lost looking, as though he'd just been wandering the halls and decided to finally wander into one of its adjacent rooms at random. He's dressed in jeans and a grey T-shirt with yet another shade of grey on top of it reading 'a city built on rock and roll would be structurally unsound', but is without his backpack. Perhaps he put it away when he went to fetch the foot-long shiny, black millipede now curled halfway around his neck. After a quick scan of the room, he approaches the sofa with quiet steps, his eyes first on Kai, then on the screen. He rounds the furniture, then sits down, hands in his lap. No words, just watching the screen as confusion slowly creeps onto his features. Kai glances up when Ivan appears, watching as the other boy approaches with similar silence. His eyes crinkle in greeting, and he lifts the controller in explanation as Ivan settles himself. On the screen, the Prince of the Galaxy is making a concerted effort to roll up office supplies -- paper clips, push pins, erasers, and the like. Something that amuses Kai, especially when the Ball of Stuff falls over an edge unexpectedly. Then there is a quiet huffing that must be laughter. Eventually, the level ends, and Kai is able to turn his attention on his friend. "Ivan. This is a good game." He waves at the screen. "Do you know it?" Probably unsurprisingly, Ivan stays quiet for the remainder of the level played. Once Kai addresses him, he sits back and shakes his head, before looking to the side. "I did not want to disturb you." The millipede around his neck stirs, segmented body writhing to move itself from one shoulder to the next. "Is it about... picking things up?" He sounds /dubious/, and a slight lowering of his eyebrows backs this fact up. "You are my friend," Kai says, a confused expression flickering over his face. "You are not disturbing to me." Because that is totally the same thing. At the question, Kai nods. "I can not read the English very well," he admits. "But that seems to be what it is about." He offers the controller with an encouraging nod. "I was watching others play it during the end of the week, and I wanted to try." The smile he offers is wide, for him. "It is a silly game, but I think that is what makes it good." The double meaning seems to fly right over Ivan's head, though it does seem to cause a pause in the millipede's actions, in turn. It stiffens, as if having just encountered a threat on this newly explored shoulder! A moment later, however, and it's back to sluggishly moving forward again, maybe onto the back of the sofa this time. The controller is accepted with no question, though Ivan holds it a little awkwardly. He is not a /complete/ stranger to the games in the rec room, however, and he finds his way through the menu soon enough, buttonpressing until he is somehow given control. Over the prince! Who then... continues to walk around his Katamari a little uselessly. Left. Right. Left. Right-- OH. /Both/ of the sticks need to be used yes alright Ivan's got it now. He braces himself! Tongue poking out the side of his mouth in concentration. He collects all of zero (0) objects before careening the ball off an edge and right onto the floor, in the midst of slightly-too-big objects. "I do not think I did it right." Comes a mutter. Kai is oblivious to the millipede's response, instead focusing on Ivan and the controller. When the level starts, he watches the screen intently, his hands coming up to wave first this way, then that, as if this will help Ivan retain control. He makes a sympathetic sucking noise through his teeth when Ivan gets himself stuck, and reaches over to pat Ivan on the knee. "Do not worry," he says cheerfully. "It is a silly game, but it is challenging to get the hanky of." He flutters fingers at the controller. "You can try again, if you like." "/Hmmh/." Ivan breathes out wordlessly, eyebrows lowering still. His eyes remain on the screen as his thumbs press against the controller in an attempt to 'get the hanky of' the game's controls. A timer on the screen ticks on, and he eventually manages to unstuck himself and find a bit of the level with objects small enough to pick up. And yet more that aren't. Bump. Bump. "Kai." Bump. Paperclip. Bump. Sugarcubes? "Do you want tutoring?" The millipede, meanwhile, has found the back rest of the sofa, having left Ivan's shoulder completely. Its manylegged scooting over toward Kai's side is slow and steady. Kai is a good cheerleader for learning stuff, because he claps his hands when Ivan unsticks himself, and fairly bounces as the other boy gets into some kind of rhythm with collecting. "Yes, that is right! Oh, you should get that candy; it is big enough to let you get other big things." He grins, and sinks back into the couch, glancing at the millipede before he frowns at Ivan. "What does this word mean?" he asks, chewing on his lip. "Tutoring. Is it like making music?" His eyebrows lift. "With a horn, or a flute?" The millipede seems disinterested in Kai's glances. It is clearly too good for mere students. It continues on its way, moving closer still across the fabric of the sofa's back rest. Ivan shakes his head, his eyes narrowing as he stares at the game on the screen. Candy acquired! He sits up a little bit, as if having just /achieved/ something, but keeps his look of focus. "It is like learning. With help." Oh hey, the candy does help. His Katamari is picking up pencils now, and erasers! Before crashing straight into a wall again. Whoop. "Mister Jackson thinks I should help people learn things. Maybe--" He stops, having just stuck a... herd full of ladybugs onto the Katamari? It earns a blink, but little more. "-- I could help you." Kai claps again, in appreciation of the candy's acquisition, and bounces. "You are getting good, Ivan!" This is said with all sincerity, and Kai leans forward, away from the questing millipede, to watch more closely. Or maybe he's thinking about what Ivan just said. "Learning with help?" he echoes, and scrunches his nose. "Like a teacher?" He nods emphatically. "I would like that a lot, Ivan." He ducks his head, and his grin turns a bit shy. "You are my good friend, and I think you would be a good teacher." He indicates the screen, and the further item-gathering, as if this proves his point. "You are very smart." The Katamari comes to a halt, then. Ivan peers down to find the right button to pause the game with, and he peers over at Kai. "One level below teacher." He lifts a hand, palm down, to apparently signify which level in mid-air is teacher, then moves it one imaginary notch lower. "Tutor. Maybe English lessons?" He still has his /seriousface/ on as he eyes Kai, but a timid smile manages to make it onto his face not long after his hand drops back down. "And friends help friends." Giant millipede is confused! There's suddenly movement as Kai leans away, and it curls up into a tight spiral to /tumbleroll/ in between Kai and Ivan and land on a sofa cushion. Kai nods in understanding, and folds his hands in his lap. "Below a teacher," he echoes, cementing the idea in his mind. "You are still very smart," he says. "You would be a good teacher, too." When the millipede tumbles, Kai looks down, and releases a hand to put it down gently next to the insect, giving it a way to climb back to new heights, if it wants. Ivan's comment gets a lift of thin shoulder. "You have been a good friend since before we /were/ friends," he reminds the other boy. "This is why I am /your/ friend." He leans sideways, to look at his books. "I would like help with English," he says. "Are you good at science, too?" He looks back with a sheepish expression. "I have trouble understanding the words they use in the book of texts." Whatever's spooked the millipede, it seems to have trouble getting unspookified, staying put in its perfect circle of black segments and legs. It gets a stare from Ivan that is equal parts idle concern and amusement. Maybe just a /pinch/ of unease, evident only through a twitch of a corner of his mouth. "I do not know. But I can read the books with you. And if we do not understand we also have dictionaries. And then we /both/ learn." Kai looks equally gratified and...concerned, at Ivan's statement. Troubled, suddenly, either by the millipede or something else. "I wish I could do a thing to show you I am grateful," he says slowly, watching the millipede carefully. "When I know what I am good at, I will do such a thing." It's a solemn promise, and he lifts his chin to stare at Ivan. "You should also ask me for help, if you need it," he adds, although his expression clearly says he can not think of an instance in which this might be the case. "I have a good dictionary," he adds, with a nod. "Doctor McCoy gave it to me, for when I am reading." He falls quiet for a moment, and sinks back into the couch. "Ivan," he says after a bit. "Do you belong to one of the clubbing groups?" Ivan nods, once, twice, as Kai speaks. He looks so serious when he does it, it may well be a /promise/ to Kai. Potential future help accepted! The question gets a headshake, before he reaches for the millipede, to gently prod at its side. It has no effect. "I think they are just called 'clubs'." Another prod. The millipede twitches. "Are you?" "Is it hurt?" Kai asks, leaning over to peer at the millipede. "I hope not. It is very pretty." He also prods, his mouth twitching when the millipede shifts a bit. "Clubs," he repeats, scrunching his nose. "But clubs are for clubbing things, yes?" He makes a small swinging motion, as if he were clubbing something very small. "I do not belong to any, but I might join one." He shakes his head. "I do not like hitting things, though." Finally, Ivan's smile returns a little more freely, before he breathes out what may be the beginning of a chuckle that never quite manages to make it out. "No, they are different things. A club is a weapon but it can also be like a group. A group with a theme. Like a class. Some times it is sports." His nose wrinkles, a sign that maybe this is not his favourite kind of club. "Some times it is about things people like. Like collecting things." The controller is set aside now, next to the millipede, and he reaches both hands to scoop it up. It coils into its tight spiral once more. "May be hurt. May be tired." With that, he stands up, millipede held close to his chest as his eyes lock onto Kai's again. "I will be back. You can show me how to play the game better, then." "So there is no hitting?" Kai verifies, and his relief at this information is almost palpable. His eyebrows lift. "Things like bugs? Could we make a group of people who like bugs?" His voice rises a bit as the excitement of /that/ idea takes hold. "You could be the Leader, and teach about bugs and why they are not gross." He nods emphatically. Yes. This will be The Plan. "Peter will join," he says confidently. "And there are maybe others who will come." Yes, yes. This idea is becoming more attractive, and he bobs his head. He frowns when Ivan stands, aiming it at the millipede. "I hope it is only tired," he says earnestly, and reaches for the controller. "I will wait here for you," he affirms, holding up the gadget. "And when you return, I will show you how to collect /people/ in this game."