Logs:Ping-Ping

Ping-Ping
Dramatis Personae Anastasia Rivers, Tian-shin, Maya
In Absentia	2020-04-26 "-- the radicals? Was that like a band?"
Location '<XAV> Teachers' Lounge - Xs Basement'
Running a school for mutant teenagers just taking control of their powers is not an easy job, and the teachers at Xavier's deserve a place to come and relax. This lounge is their place to come and de-stress, and it does not skimp for relaxation. The room is elegant and luxurious, plush couches making up the seating in the lounge and a glossy glassy bar wrapping around one wall, well-stocked with alcohol (and perpetually fresh-brewed coffee, for those so inclined.) A large-screen high-def television hangs on one wall, stocked with about as many movies and games as the childrens' rec room upstairs. High bookshelves hold a wealth of books. The fridge here is always well stocked, and the cook is always willing to make deliveries down to this level. Far in the back, a hot tub is submerged into the floor, for still more unwinding. More days than not, there's some variety of snacks to be found on perched on an end of the bar -- quite often in the form of fresh-baked desserts. 'NOTE: Students are not allowed in the Teachers' Lounge at ANY time.' It's a dreary, drizzly day outside, but here in the lounge it's cozy. It's brunch time at Xavier's and many faculty members have brought their meals here (or had them brought here) for student-free social time. There are extra pastries and pitchers of beverages--alcoholic and otherwise--laid out on the glass bar. Tucked into an armchair by the fireplace, Tian-shin has polished off a heavily loaded plate of waffles and hashbrowns in record time and is now taking a slower tack with her eclair, sipping on a tall glass of mimosa. She's wearing a pale blue mandarin shirt with purple Chinese knotwork and frog buttons in a diagonal row across her chest, voluminous dark purple trousers that move more like a skirt, and black canvas flats decorated with stylized Chinese bats in embroidered relief. Anastasia arrived into the lounge, carrying her special tea and a platter of crumpets and cookies and such, smiling softly as she saw Tian-shin in the armchair. “Oh hi! Want a crumpet?” She asked while holding one up, extending the platter towards Tian-shin, placing her tea on the table next to her. Anastasia was wearing just sweatpants and a t shirt, as it was a Sunday, and she wasn’t teaching and thus she felt she could dress in a more relaxed manner today Maya is getting a late start on this whole brunch thing; she's only just getting started with her plate, piled high with waffles and eggs and potatoes as she heads over towards Tian-shin. She's double-fisting the drinks -- coffee and mimosa, she is not shying away from the substances. She's bright and colourful today, a vibrant pink and green knee-length kurta heavily embroidered with sequined flowers worn over dark skinny jeans, brightly colored sequined flats on her feet. Her dark hair is in one thick braid over her shoulder tied with a ribbon, her extensive makeup careful and impeccable in a way that likely prompts far too many men to comments on how they love women who Don't Wear Makeup. "Oh! Do you mind if I join you?" Her smile is bright and wide. "I was so worried I'd miss breakfast, I'm not a morning -- well I am kind of a morning person but not by choice, really, Ratri just needs her runs and then I kind of fall back asleep?" Her head is shaking slightly as she hovers by one edge of the couch, glancing briefly over Tian-shin's outfit. "Can I say you always look like. So elegant. -- Wait," now she's turning to Anastasia, head tilting just-so to one side. "What is a crumpet, exactly? I mean, how is it different from a -- like an English muffin thing?" Tian-shin blinks up at Anastasia, her smile coming a moment late as she processes the question--seems to give it serious thought as she looks down at the untouched eclair on her plate. "Thank you, but I'm having doubts whether I'll be able to finish even this," she replies with an apologetic dip of her head. To Maya she--also blinks, if only for the sheer volume of words. "Oh, please do have a seat, and thank you." She blushes slightly. "These are my lounging-around clothes, but I do prefer to lounge elegantly when I can. Oh and..." She nods in the general direction of the bar, "Brunch is sort of a lazy half-day affair around here, I don't think you're generally in much danger of missing it entirely. Though...maybe that's easy for a morning person to say!" Anastasia blinks, staring at what she has just baked, not entirely sure herself. “Umm maybe? I don’t know, a student gave me a recipe, I made the recipe, and thus crumpets” she nods, before offering a cookie and a crumpet to maya. “Cookie? Or crumpet? Both taste good” she said while offering The treats, her hair was done up in a bun, it was a dark crimson red colour and it was very curly. “Ah mornings, good for working out” Anastasia notes as she sits down as well, quickly putting the water on boil before sitting down. “So, how have you two been?” Anastasia asks as she absentmindedly bites what may or may not be a crumpet "Thank you --" More effusive perhaps than is necessary for the offered seat, Maya slips off her shoes and settles into the corner of the couch, setting her drinks down on the table and her plate in her lap. "Oh! Oh, um, I think --" She looks from her heavily laden plate to the crumpets. Back to the plate. "I haven't even started my food, I should probably not be thinking about dessert --" Even though she's still reaching to pluck a cookie from the plate Anastasia offers. "I have to admit lazy is sort of my speed, I've never really been much of a, um, working -- out kind of person? Although so much respect to people who have that discipline, I swear like half of everyone here you all are into some serious umm -- uh --" She's fluttering a hand in Tian-shin's direction a little helplessly. "You know, your whole. Thing you all do with the -- whoosh." Maybe this isn't the most descriptive, as her hand makes a little -- airplane motion through the space in front of her. "Very impressive?" She sounds more uncertain than impressed. "I jog in the morning, sometimes." Tian-shin take a sip of her mimosa. "There are lovely trails in the woods, and if you go early enough there usually aren't students..." She hesitates, darting a considering glance at Anastasia. "...hanging out. I'm doing alright, though. Had a busy day in the city yesterday, between my siblings, mother, boyfriend, and clients. Kind of wish I had slept in this morning to recover." Her smile comes sudden and bemused, even while she blushes again. "I've never quite heard anyone describe the team that way. It's very flattering. I think? It's certainly an unusual side-gig, though I guess I tend to collect those, personally." Anastasia smiles and chuckles softly. “It is quite a strange school, but I have to say I like it, calmer than my past life, though I suppose that’s no measurement for calm” she says again with a chuckle, now that she was just wearing a tank top and a sports bra, her scarring was clearly visible, it reached from her cheek and chin, down her neck, to her shoulder, the left part of her chest and covered most of her left arm, especially her left hand, which was more heavily scarred than the rest. It was old scar tissue but still rather prominent and most likely drew glances from some people, that and them being memories of a bad event being reasons why she usually had them covered, though it was something she was working on. “It isn’t a normal school for sure, but I do have to say I like it, especially when I work with those who have control issues, it feels I can truly make a difference” Anastasia smiles softly. “Oh I’ve had a hike or two there, though gym is more my territory” "Oh it is lovely to be able to get out into the woods with Ratri. I've always been kind of a city girl myself but -- I have to admit it's been nice sometimes to just. Have the alone time." Maya's eyes are fixing a little too steadily on her plate -- mostly avoiding looking too much or too long at Anastasia. "I don't know, like, it's teenagers right? What school is normal? The kids at my last school managed to light things on fire plenty without any mutant powers involved. I don't know if it's that much different here, just -- a little more. Uh." Her hand flaps again. "You know! Niche. I'm still kind of trying to work out whether I made the right move. I think I really was making more of a difference at my last school, but I've never had a lot of other, um, mutants. In my life. And selfishly that feels kind of nice." "I've never taught school before this, but I did teach at my dojo for some years and...teenagers are teenagers." Tian-shin takes a slightly more generous gulp of her mimosa as if in recognition of this statement. "Personally, I think the boarding part sets this school apart more than the mutant part. I know there are a lot of boarding school out there, I just never had much experience with them before this." She doesn't seem to pay a lot of mind to Anastasia's scars, though she does finally take a bite of her eclair, neatly partitioning off one end with the edge of her dessert fork. "I don't think it's selfish to want community--especially when you're providing that for the students, too. Where did you teach before?" Anastasia gets up, pouring the almost boiling water over tea leaves, mixing in a spoonful of jar honey. After getting her tea she returns and nods, “Mm, teenagers can be quite wild, though I feel working with them can be very rewarding at times. Often not so but at times” Anastasia mused as she sipped her tea . “Well, only you can tell us or yourself what’s the right call maya, but I do understand what you mean, more or less.” “But if it helps, I’ve heard good things about your teaching from a few students” Anastasia says with a smile, adjusting her sleeve, her expression was a lot more cheery and relaxed than usual. “Oh and if you’re avoiding staring, no need, I don’t mind that much anymore” Anastasia notes as she sips her tea again The slightly darker flush of Maya's cheeks is not very easy to discern in her warm brown skin, but the bashful flutter of her eyes and dip of her head is. "Oh! Sorry, I didn't --" She gulps a mouthful of her own mimosa hastily. "Right! Thanks. Oh! I taught at, um, LaGuardia? In the city. It's a public school -- performing arts. Most of our fires were very -- theatre related. The drama kids get *very* enthusiastic but some of their ideas --" Her hand seesaws in the air. "Lacking a little on the safety front. Orchestra didn't so much have a problem with explosions, my kids mostly just --" She purses her lips thoughtfully. "Drank too much, I guess. Not really a tremendously unusual teenager problem. Honestly I can't remember how *I* graduated high school, arts school culture is not like. Well balanced." She is slowing down on words at least as she nibbles at her food again. "All my impressions of boarding school before came from the movies and my cousins so neither really gave me a *solid* preparation for what to expect." "Oh! I had a friend who went to LaGuardia." Tian-shin smiles broadly. "I mean, I'm sure you wouldn't know her, it's been a while, but I heard some crazy things about that school." She blushes, adding hastily, "Good crazy things. Mostly." She ducks her head and takes another sip of her drink. "My high school was all study and ping-ping, no fires. Not that we didn't have drama, it was just the usual um...bilingual school sort, I guess. I had to save my partying for NYU." She shrugs easily. "I think Xavier's...would probably be a much better option for students if we weren't the only game in town, as far as I know." Her lips press into a thin line, and she looks as though she wants to say more, but just shakes her head and takes another bite of her eclair. Anastasia listens intently, drinking her tea as she wiggles a crumpet in Mayas direction with her left hand. “I don’t remember my school days being too wild, rather dull all things considered, there were a few more revolutionary kids, but they were few and far Between. But when I got with the radicals? It was, well I suppose wild is a good word to describe it” she says with a bit of an awkward chuckle, dropping her head a bit. “But, I suppose that hardly matters now, because at least I’ve had a blast at the school” Anastasia says, her fave in a bright happy smile "Ping-ping?" Maya looks up with a curious tilt of her head. "I honestly have no idea what the usual sort of bilingual school drama would even be." Her brows lift; she washes her food down with a large swig of coffee. "Wait, what's wrong with Xavier's?" is followed almost immediately by a confused: "-- the radicals? Was that like a band?" "Ping-ping?" Tian-shin echoes, equally nonplussed. Then her eyes go wide. "Oh! Sorry, I meant ping-pong." She looks at her glass and slowly sets it down. "But yeah, it was kind of...culture clash? Every class has a handful of white kids who must want to go there for the immersion, but then get really sore that they're outnumbered and discriminated against." She sounds matter-of-fact about this, though. "I think...there's a lot of room for improvement in any school, but the fact that this is the only mutant school means that the students who might not be able to enroll anywhere else are kind of stuck with us?" Despite her evident worry about the state of her inebriation just a moment ago, she picks up her mimosa again. "Oh, I think she means when she was doing direct action with a mutant liberation group?" She looks to Anastasia for confirmation. "I feel like most of the mutant radicals I know are either boring like me, or kind of...incidentally wild." “A bilingual school huh? I can only imagine, bilingual home was chaotic enough” Anastasia muses while sipping her tea. “Mm a mutant liberation type group yes, a bit more on the violent side than many others, it was, not an entirely happy place” Anastasia says with a slightly pained voice. “A lot of young mutants angry at those who hate us, and uh, well yeah, let’s just say that many of us did things we regret” Anastasia sipped her tea after the sentence, pouring some more water into the cups along with some new leaves after finishing her first cup. “Oh but I do not wish to bore you two with those stories, so please, do go on” anastasia said in a bit of an awkward way "Oh. That does sound like white kids. I didn't go to a bilingual school but we always had one or two of those girls turn up in my bhangra classes for some reason." Maya stifles a smile behind her fingertips, picking up her mimosa after. Her eyes flick to Anastasia's arms -- back up to her face -- away to the table. She sips at her drink again, slow. "Oh. That sounds, um -- wait, sorry, what do you teach again?" She's fidgeting slightly in her seat as she sets her drink back down. "Wait, is this the only one like. Anywhere? I mean, I hadn't heard of any others but then -- I also hadn't heard of this one long before I got here so I kind of figured they were just. You know, hush-hush. Like maybe there was a secret network out there. But if this is all there is um -- yeah I -- I can see how that kind of. Kind of -- well. Sucks." "Oh, no, I was thinking of the U.S. There are definitely mutant schools other places--China has a whole system of state schools." Tian-shin's delicate black brows knit together thoughtfully. "I wouldn't know if there were others in the U.S., but I'm sure the Professor would, and he's always said we were the only one." She bites her lower lip. "So for the kids who really can't realistically go to a human school, or can't even safely go home--they probably feel pressured to just put up with things that may not be great for them here." “Mm, I believe Russia has a few schools for mutants, and the millitary schools do appreciate mutants with more offensive capabilities, least so I’ve heard” Anastasia Sips Her tea and smiles, turning to maya. “Oh I teach social sciences and studies, generally culture stuff, I’m sure there’s some irony there to be found” she chuckles as she takes a bite out of a crumpet thoughtfully, offering one to maya and tian-shin, just in case they changed their minds about the crumpets. “I should visit Russia again, it’s been a bit, and I’m a tad homesick, well not that I lived there too much but it it’s my cultural home and I’ve been there quite a few times, I wonder if my family there is okay” she pondered, sipping her tea yet again "Irony?" Maya's brows wrinkle in confusion. She shakes her head, waving away the offer of crumpets. "No -- thank you, I took -- way more than I can eat." Her brows knit further, eyes fixed on her glass. "People do end up in -- some really terrible places when they feel like there aren't any other options out there." She untucks her legs, plucks her glass up as she gets to her feet. "Excuse me, I think I need more mimosa." The inclination of her head toward Tian-shin's glass is a silent offering as she rises. Tian-shin raises one eyebrow. "I don't see the irony, either, though I'll be the first to admit I don't have the best developed sense for it. No, thank you." This last is probably a response to the renewed offer of crumpets, as she lifts her own dessert plate and half-eaten eclair. "I do hope your family is okay, anyway." She partitions off another bite of her dessert but does not eat it. "Yeah, and even if it's--not a terrible place, it's never great when people feel they have no other recourse and no right to complain about even minor things." She drains her mimosa and hands the glass to Maya with a grateful dip of her head. "Thank you, and sorry for the um...depressing conversation." Anastasia smiles softly. “Oh I hope so too, they’re quite nice people, though I feel every time I go to visit the nights end with a drinking party followed by my uncle dancing to folk songs” she says with a soft laugh. Anastasia smiles and nods in mayas direction, waving a crumpet for one last time before deciding to eat it herself. “So, Tian-shin, how have your classes gone?” Anastasia asks, softly munching on a crumpet "That sounds like a good time," Tian-shin allows with a fond smile. "It's nice to have some things that don't change much." She seems to subside a little at the question. "Classes? Well...I still have them. Isn't that what we have the mimosas for?" She pointedly takes a bite of her eclair, after which she seems a little more equable. "I'm sorry, I shoudn't be so flippant. It's just hard to keep students on task when they're under so much stress. Not just hard to do, but hard to want to, right?" “Oh no I understand what you mean, it can be tough, but I don’t know, I always enjoy my classes greatly, it’s fun and rewarding to train the future generation, tasking, but fun” Anastasia smiles as she sets down her plate of crumpets, downing her tea and pouring herself another cup Tian-shin studies the remnants of her dessert, finally replies, evenly, "Probably not the most common sentiment right about now, but...I'm glad you feel that way." She commits to the rest of her eclair now with a will.