ArchivedLogs:Clean Up

Clean Up
Dramatis Personae Fiona and Paige
In Absentia	2016-12-25 "You're too sweet and huggy."
Location <NYC> Harbor Commons - Kitchens - Lower East Side
Gleaming and polished and new, the common house here boasts an enormous industrial-sized kitchen for preparing communal meals. Set up as two mirror-image fully equipped kitchens, both left and right halves of the room contain a trio of enormous ovens, each topped with twelve gas-powered stove burners. There is a wealth of cabinet and drawer space ringing the walls, and separate side-by-side fridge and freezer to each side of the space as well. Both halves of the room contain their own large central islands, black granite countertops providing a large expanse of space for food prep; beneath the center islands are stored a well-stocked supply of pans and pots and cutting boards and kitchen gear. The pantry is shared, a large walk-in room along the back wall, its shelves all carefully labelled and organized. The opposite wall has sinks, deep three-compartment ones for each side of the room. There are very clearly labeled signs in the kitchen, denoting the left half of the room strictly for preparation only of foods both vegan and Kosher; there are no restrictions on the foods prepared in the right half. Equipment from each side is color-coded and should be kept separate. Instructions request that any prepared foods served or stored in communal space keep /strict/ lists of the ingredients used for those with dietary concerns and that leftovers are marked clearly with dates before being stored. There was a large brunch! The largest! And now... there's a large cleanup. Being a guest here, Fiona figured it'd be best if she helped clean up at least. Helpful dragon! Thus, she stands with sleeves pushed up in front of the sink, scrubbing at various pots and pans. She is not the only one in here, of course - occasionally people come and go, bringing more dishes and puttering around. Also, there's a great pile of leftovers that she's still nibbling on now and then. Currently, she has a cinnamon roll jammed halfway into her mouth as she scrubs at a pan. Fortunately, the entire task is not left simply to Fiona. Paige seems to be trying to lend a hand and there are number of other residents assisting in the clean-up as well. Large brunches call for large efforts! Even though there are friendly folx all around, the hooved woman seems to stick closest to her newest-found friend, standing herself in front of compartment belonging to the same sink. Those who regularly clean may be slightly disgruntled with her as she seems to scrub each item a little -too- thoroughly, but no one has said anything to her yet. Her ears flick idly, mostly at the clanging and scuttle in the kitchen. A side glance is cast towards the dragon girl and Paige blinks, pausing in her cleaning for a moment. "That's...you know you're not supposed to eat those that way, right? That's...kind of gross." Fiona looks quite happy with herself as she replies, "Mmf?" shrugging apologetically. The roll makes some wiggling motions as it is chewed on, much like a dog with a piece of... well a dog with a piece of anything. Finally, enough of it is chewed upon for her to make room in her mouth (still half full) to talk: "But if I do it this way, I can wash dishes at the same time! It's efficient!" Scrubby scrub. Scrubby-scrub. The piece of dirt on the cast iron skillet she's scraping at just won't come off. Without thinking much about it, she hits it with a dose of the ol' fire breath, swiftly reducing the food fragment to ash! She hums the Final Fantasy victory fanfare and rinses the skillet. Paige sighs with a small chuckle as she shakes her head and returns to her own dishes. "I mean, I guess, but then isn't it heard to brea--" The blonde girl cuts herself off when there's a flash of light and a small increase in heat from next to her. Her eyes moves quickly to find fire coming out of Fiona's mouth. Fire. -FIRE-. She nearly drops the plate she is trying to clean as she staggers a step away from her friend, eyes wide and mouth agape. Ears twitch and her body tenses; she looks as if she's ready to bolt out of the kitchen. "Is that...is that normal? Are you -OKAY-?!" "Wha?!" Fiona drops the skillet on the counter with a clatter, flailing around, "What?! What is it? Is it a spider?! I hate spiders!!" she pats herself down, brushing her hands over her shirt and pants as her tail thrashes around nervously. "Wait. You mean the fire, don't you?" she relaxes, tail calming again... which is good, because it has a tendency to knock things over when she's not paying attention like that. "It's normal. I mean, as normal as I am. Which is not normal at all! But. I'm fine. I swear!" For her part, Paige focuses on taking deep breaths as she tries to steady her overactive nerves, though a look of confusion and a wince are spared for Fiona as the other mutant freaks out in her own way. Her eyes glance over the dragon-lady as she does her spider-removal dance. "Y-yes, sorry. The fire. I meant the fire." Ears angle backwards as her cheeks redden. "I'm...Sorry. Really. I should know better." She sighs. "I -do- know better. I didn't mean -- it wasn't right of me to react that way. Apologies." The hooved girl ducks her head and returns to cleaning, obviously embarrassed by herself for some reason. "I've seen fire before. And I've seen it from people. Just not so...up close...and not from the mouth, you know? And you're normal. At least as normal as I am, which I can also assure is not normal at all. I'm glad you're alright." "Nonono, it's fine, really," Fiona shakes her head, "I should think before I do stuff like that... I kind of, let my guard down. Not like, there was anything to guard against, but," she shrugs, shoulder slumping a little bit. "It's fine, really, it's not every day you see someone breathing fire. Outside of a circus or something. But yes, I can kind of, um, do that. And such." She laughs, picking up another skillet. "I can also do some pretty cool smoke rings!" Paige lets out another sigh, this one relieved, when she hears Fiona's laughter. Her scrubbing, more intense and abrasive than before relaxes. "Those therapy sessions I told you about on the train. The ones that happen at Evolve. They're to help me --people like me-- adjust. To get used to this kind of stuff. I've only just stopped having to, you know, -stare- at people with obvious mutations. Sometimes, though, it's still a struggle. I wasn't born with my mutations and they didn't start around puberty; I've heard that's when it starts for a lot of people." Biting her lip, she picks up a pot, applying the sponge inside and out to clean it. "Smoke rings, though. That -does- sound pretty cool." Here she casts a glance to Fiona, offering a grin. "And you don't belong in a circus. No less than I belong in a zoo." "Oh..." Fiona trails off, "You mean like how I stared at you when we first met?" she pauses, then goes back to scrubbing the dishes. "I guess that's not cool, is it? It's not polite to stare... but... Hrm. I kinda feel like it should be okay to react to something unusual that you haven't seen before. Maybe. At least the first time... then again, I guess that kinda thing gets old. Maybe I'm just used to it." It's Paige's turn to pause for a second, frowning and furrowing her brows in recollection. "You were staring at me?" She returns to washing. "I didn't notice. And I'm not saying that just to be polite - I really didn't. But, as I told Mai, it's -fine-. I understand it, really." Here the blonde girl shrugs her shoulders. "I'm odd --well, different. I get it. Do you know how difficult it was for me to pry my eyes off Flicker's arm the first time I ran into him? Do you know how much I -freaked- out when I met Shane? I really thought he might hurt me. I just have to keep reminding myself that fear doesn't mean danger. At least, that's the mantra I've worked out for myself." Scrub, scrub, scrub. "To be honest, I've been trying -really- hard not to stare at your tail. Or your horns. Or all of anything, really. It's not that I don't -want- to," she laughs. "I'm just trying to get better." "Well, I don't blame you. My tail IS pretty cool, after all," smirks Fiona, swishing it around. She raises it and attempts to poke Paige with it. "Poke. Poke." The best. "But, I kind of understand. When I was a little kid I got picked on about it. But, all little kids pick on each other, and... get picked on. So I guess..." she makes a kind of helpless gesture. "I guess what I'm saying is, if therapy makes you feel better, then you should do it! But I don't think you're some evil person or anything... I think those're pretty natural tendencies. Well, maybe some people have stronger reactions than others. Paige nods to Fiona's comments about her tail, cracking a grin again. The dragon girl's attempt is met with success as she lets out a surprised squeak-yelp at the poking. "I, uh, well, it's a good thing you didn't grow up in my town. But I'm still very sorry to hear about the, uh, bullying. It -is- awesome," this is said as she turns her head to Fiona and offers a wink. "Thank you for, uh...thinking I'm not evil. Sometimes I really think I am. Or at least that I must be. I was brought up with anti-mutant sentiments being one of the basics of society. The therapy helps with that. I also struggle with, uh, you know, being able to look in the mirror and such," the blonde girl admits with a slight blush. "I'm not a really big fan of my reflection at the moment. And, of course, the main reason I go is as I said - to get better at living with other mutants." "Yeah, I think it's probably a good thing..." Fiona agrees, returning her attention to the next pan. How many pans did they dirty up, anyway?! "I mean, I dunno about that, though. Not liking your reflection, that is - sure, you look a little different but... Have you ever heard of a dryad? Or a satyr? Well, satyrs are male I guess but..." she coughs, "Anyway, they're mythological beings associated with the Greek pantheon. You know, kind of like angels. Lots of people nowadays associate horns and hooves with the devil, but they were really associated with nature, wine, and um..." she trials off. Paige has run out of cooking-ware and has been finishing up the dishes she was given, soon to move on to glassware. "I've been...mistaken for a demon a couple of times. I first thought that maybe I was turning into a Qunari from Dragon Age or something - that would have been wicked. But then came the...hooves...and the ears." Here she shakes her heard. "I have been wondering about the satyr part, though. Like, I mean, well, I don't want to be male?" There's genuine anxiety and fear in her voices as her words end in an inflection. "And I, uh...well, I'm not, you know -- what you said...you know, what they're associated with." The blonde girl's ears press backwards as she blushes. "What, uh, about you? Are you a demon? I mean not like that! I just...well, you breathe fire and your tail is not so demony? I'll...I think I'll just be quiet now." "Hmm... I've actually thought about that. I think I'd much rather be a dragon than a demon," Fiona smiles, "Dragons don't have to be evil. They can be like Puff the Magic Dragon or like Toothless in how to train your dragon..." she nods, "Or heck like, you know, Charmander in Pokemon! So I think I'd much rather be a dragon. I wouldn't wanna grow scales though," she laughs. "I guess it'd be cool to fly, but wings also seem kinda bulky and annoying... Anyway, I don't think you're gonna swap genders or anything. Probably. I've never heard of anything like that, except in frogs. And you CERTAINLY don't look like a frog to me." Despite the concerns she has about her mutations, Paige is laughing as she says, "Oh god, I'm really happy to hear that I'm not a frog. Being a frog would be, like, awful." Then her eyes go wide as she looks about the kitchen for any frog-like mutants. "I mean, uh, you know. Just, uh, glad I'm not a frog," she remarks, ears twitching, as she returns to cleaning. "And dragons are kick-ass. You could be like, well, not like Flemmeth. She could turn -into- a dragon. And hopefully not like an Archdemon. Those things are just mean. And flying..." she pauses again, this time looking up wistfully. "Flying would be awesome. I think Isra can fly. And Dusk. Egg can kind of fly? Oh, and Anette! Have you, uh, met any of them?" Ears flick again. "I wish I could. Fly, that is. That'd be awesome and beautiful." Paige takes a breath and lets out a sigh, her attention going back to the sink. "Charmander is cool, though." Still smiling. "Yeah, I mean, Charmander IS pretty cool," Fiona smirks, reaching into the sudsy sink to find... nothing! No more pots or pans. Amazing! Rolling up one of her sleeves further, she reaches down to find the drain stopper, yanking it. It makes a nice satisfying 'kerploop' sound, and then the water starts to rapidly drain out of the industrial sized sink. Well, one side of it. "I don't think I'm really familiar with any of those. Like, Flemmeth? Or... No, I guess I haven't met them yet." "No, uh, Flemmeth isn't a, uh, mutant, sorry. She's a character from a game I love," Paige says, ears flicking back, in an attempt to set the record straight. "Dusk and Isra are wonderful, though. I'm sure you'll meet them eventually, if not soon. Charmander was my first starter." As Fiona's sink drains, Paige works on cleaning the last of the glasses. "I'm kind of jealous, to be honest. Dragons are all tough and ferocious. Satyrs are all...you know...-not- ferocious." The blonde girls beams in satisfaction as she reaches to remove the stopper on her side. She manages to do so, but a frown is offered to the wrist of her sweatshirt sleeve as it slides down her arm to mingle with the bubbles and water. "Oh, that's right, you said Dragon Age," Fiona blinks, "I never got around to playing that one, I guess!" her eyes slide down Paige's arm to the shirt in the water, "Hrm. I dunno if I'm really tough or ferocious," she ponders that for a moment. "I mean, I wouldn't want people to be afraid of me or anything, that's for sure. I'm really pretty harmless. I don't think I've ever been in a real fight, exactly, or anything like that." "I think you're good. I mean, nobody who -knows- you would think that. You're too sweet and huggy," Paige comments with a sincere tone, ears giving a flick. "Harmless, though..." Here she turns to face Fiona, eyes crinkled in amusement. "Let's see," she starts and holds up a fist, extending fingers as she lists off items. "You breathe fire, have sharp teeth, pointy horns, and a kick-ass tail. Not to say," the blonde girl now opens the fist to hold up her palm, "That you would ever hurt someone. I believe you when you say you're harmless. Just be, uh, prepared for people to, you know, assume otherwise. I mean, I don't think other mutants would, but there are a lot of non-mutant people out there looking to cause trouble." "Well, that and, they wouldn't let me play sports in school," Fiona laughs, shrugging as she wipes down the counter. "They could never figure out where to put me... sooo I kinda ended up in marching band carrying a drumset," she shrugs, "But whatcha gonna do, yanno? They woulda had to put me on the boys' team, and THAT wasn't gonna happen, so yeah. And of course, there's no 'Mutant League' or anything..." After she dries her hands with a towel, Paige rolls up the sleeve of her over-sized sweatshirt again. "Boys' team?" the goat girl inquires, raising a brow. "Why would they...I'll admit I don't really know much about a Mutant League." Biting her lip, she pauses for a moment. "You know there's a school around here, right? I've heard about it a lot, mostly from my friend Marinov. Oh! I hope you get to meet them sometime; they're absolutely wonderful. Maybe we can all hang out or something." A shrug of the shoulders is given. "But anyways, there's this school in New York. Xaviers' School for Gifted Youngsters, I think. I don't think I can go there seeing as I've already, you know, completed high school and all." Ears twitch downwards. "But if you're still in school -- how old are you again? -- Xaviers' is a place you should check out, I guess." "Well, I'm stronger than most guys, well, most /people,/ so it woulda been really unfair to put me on the girls' team. But you know, the whole, girl on the boys' team woulda caused all kinds of issues, and the other high schools in the area? Prooobably not down for that. And there's no league that's just for mutants, either, so..." Fiona shrugs, waving her hands in that little, 'Don't know, don't care' gesture. Finally, Paige directly asks the question she's been evading/hoping not to answer for a while now. "I um, turned 16 two days ago," she bites her lip. "Someone else told me about Xavier's, too. Sounds like some kinda boarding school." Paige blinks at Fiona before throwing her hands forwards in an exasperated gesture. "Why didn't you -say- something?! We could have done something! I mean, I don't know what, but something! I mean, happy birthday! Sixteen - that's, like, impressive. You can do a lot of things at sixteen. You can get your license, you can...uh..." Eyes widen slightly and ears twitch as Paige seems to think better of what she was about to say. She coughs once and then tries to change the topic a bit. "I think it is, yeah - a boarding school. It sounds fantastic. From what I've been told they have -everything-. Like top-of-the-line medical services, beds, uh...classes...? Wish I could go there. But really! Happy birthday!" "We just met! I didn't wanna be like, 'hey random girl, it's my birthday today! I'm so great!' I mean..." That's pretty much the exact /opposite/ of how her birthday went, so it wouldn't have been even CLOSE to that. "I met a cat-person on my first day here who said something about Xavier's... Marinov. They said... I dunno. They said I should maybe go there. I don't really even know how you check something like that out." "Oh, you know them? He... they, erm," Fiona rubs the back of her neck, "They left me their phone number so I can text them and stuff. Maybe I should do that - after all, I think... well, it didn't sound like they want me staying here forever. It'd probably cause them issues. Maybe... maybe I should check that place out. I just, thought it sounded like some kind of military school or something... Like..." she swishes her tail thoughtfully, "Like some sort of government run facility where they brainwash kids for nefarious purposes. I read about them on the news, once." "Yeah, I'm pretty sure they don't want -me- staying here forever either. I'm just...ready for them to tell me to leave, you know? People here are great, but I know I'm wearing on them, using their resources and all. Maybe once I get a job, I'll be able to live here or somewhere else or something. I'm pretty sure Marinov -isn't- brainwashed; they would probably know if they were. I mean, well, I hope. The school does sound almost too good to be true, but I really don't know much about it myself. And if you know them, too, why don't we give them a call or something?" Paige glances at Fiona's tail. "Or, you know, whenever you're feeling up to it. I might still give them a call, though, for my own purposes." Fiona gives Paige an agreeable look, then digs around in her back pocket for her phone, which she brings out, scrolling through various numbers to find Marinov's. She looks up at Paige again, hesitantly, and then presses the 'call' button, holding the device up to her ear. "It's ringing..." she murmurs.