ArchivedLogs:From Russia, With...

From Russia, With...
Dramatis Personae Ivan, Shane
In Absentia	4 July - 6 July, 2013 '
Location computermachines
to: Ivan Dravovich <idravovich@xaviers.edu> date: Thu, July 4, 2013 at 10:33 AM subject: Sup. Hey. Ivan. How's LIFE. Shane P.S. This isn't a trick question, I am just curious how you are. to: Shane Holland <sholland@xaviers.edu> date: Thu, July 4, 2013 at 11:31 AM subject: Re: Sup. Hello Shane, I did not expect an e-mail from you. I have been well, but very tired. No studying here but I am working to earn back money for school and flight tickets. It is good to see family again though. I am sorry things have been difficult there. But also I am glad there are good things. Like Peter being okay after the train stopping and Shelby living with you and Daiki. It is nice to have a place of your own some times. Are you still going to go to the school when I get back in August? Ivan. P.S. I am glad you added your P.S. And that you sent an e-mail. And that you are okay. to: Ivan Dravovich <idravovich@xaviers.edu> date: Thu, July 4, 2013 at 11:40 AM subject: Re: Sup. Hey Ivan! Yeah, I added the P.S. because I figured you wouldn't expect an email from me except I wanted to send one. I was wondering how you were yesterday because Peter was trying to help me with geometry (fuck geometry, by the way) but I just wanted to look at your bugs instead, they're interesting. Like seventeen million times more interesting. What are you doing for work? Are you going to be able to afford tickets back?? I didn't know that was a problem, shit. School is really freaking expensive I think. Things here have basically been a giant shitcake with shit icing on top, but there's definitely good things. I think we'll still have our SWEET PAD in August when you get back, you can come see it. Actually, it looks exactly like Pa's apartment, except messier, so you're not missing much but it is nice to have a place of our own. Bastian and I just put a wading pool in our room instead of a bed. Though if I'm honest I still end up going back to Pa's apartment more days than not when I get home. I'm glad ours is only next door, it's nice not being so cramped but I don't think I actually want to -leave- home. I got Eloise to fix Peter's legs, it seemed really annoying to him to be on crutches forever he's like a fucking ferret on crack with his energy normally. Are you liking work? I hear your family is pretty much a GIANT pile of crazy and maybe also hugs? That sounds like a good kind of family to have. Shane P.S. Yeah, I'm still at school. It's pretty much a shitcake, too. I failed all my classes last term because of kidnapping (Sebastian still got straight As except Spanish though, fuck him) so I'm retaking EVERYTHING and it sucks. Also people are giant assholes and that sucks too. Except -I'm- a giant asshole so I can't really complain. to: Shane Holland <sholland@xaviers.edu> date: Thu, July 4, 2013 at 12:10 PM subject: Re: Sup. Hello Shane, Work is good. The people there say it is very important to build this building, and I am helping. I am the youngest one here and I am still learning but I am getting better. Shelby said in an e-mail that when I get back I will have muscles. Maybe I will be a real strong man like Ivan Poddubny. I have my ticket back already. But with so many siblings it is difficult for my family to afford school and travel so I have debt. I am going to see how difficult it would be for me to work in America, but visas are very confusing. I think it is good to live close. If I lived close to my family then I would go there every day. They are a little bit of a pile of crazy but they have a lot of love usually when there is no pile of frustration instead. Can you tell Peter hello for me? And that I am sorry I have been so busy here. But I am glad he has made more friends. And I am sorry I have been difficult with it because I feel there are many things I missed and some that I do not understand but I am glad you ... take care of each other? It is a good thing. Take care but also care about. I am glad you will be at school. Peter is helping with teaching you already but maybe I can try too? Tutoring. Maybe I can bring my pets so you can keep busy while learning. Ivan. to: Ivan Dravovich <idravovich@xaviers.edu> date: Thu, July 4, 2013 at 1:21 PM subject: Re: Sup. Ivan, What building are you building? Do you get to CLAMBER AROUND on scaffolding, because that's pretty great. Any time I see scaffolding I want to climb around on it. I don't know if that's the safest instinct but holy shit, that stuff was literally built for climbing around on. Construction sites at night are kind of the most fun places to explore. Or just sit. Who's Ivan Poddubny? I could probably google that but look, I'm asking you instead. If you come back strong, you can come join our club. Actually you can join it even if you're weak it's a fight club for MAKING people stronger. Or, well, teaching people to fight. I mean, I don't actually want anyone to fight? But everything is shitty as fucking hell so it seems good to at least know how, in case anyone tries to kidnap you. I mean, kidnap you AGAIN, I guess you've already joined the Kidnap Club. I get the money thing. I mean my dad's only got three of us but I think it's still really rough? I got a job SECRETLY for a while because he was always so stressed and he never wanted us to KNOW he was stressed so I just wanted to help where I could. Anyway, even if you don't have a visa there's lots of ways you can find work under the table, I bet we could find someone to hook you up with work and just pay you in cash. I think all families have some frustration. But the love part is really good, not all families have that. If you get that part down the rest is pretty much just extraneous. How MANY siblings do you have? I've only ever had the one, until Pa got my little brother, but I always kind of FELT like there were a lot because all the other labrat kids just kind of -- were always around. I don't know if that's like a family but sort of? Look, about the Peter thing, I'm sorry. I mean, I'm not sorry for dating him just -- ok this is weird. I'm not really good at people and so I don't always understand why other people feel how they feel? And everything just HAPPENED and I don't always really get that other people are going to feel -- different. And we kind of just SPRUNG that on you after things had ALREADY been shitty and there's probably better ways to do that. So I guess sorry about the surprise even if I'm not sorry that I love him. And things were fucked up between us and I don't want that either. I mean, I don't want that because you're kind of one of the most important people in his life but I -also- just don't want it because you're pretty rad, so even if I didn't love him it'd still be nice to be friends. That was convoluted and awkward but I hope you understand what I'm trying to say. It was easier to figure out in Vietnamese. I will totally take some tutoring. I basically have ALL the tutors; Daiki is helping and Bastian is helping and Peter is helping and then you can help too? I think I need ALL the tutors because I am basically going to fail everything otherwise. Except sex ed. You should take it with us next term, because I think it'd be funniest if we ALL took it together. Peter is and I am and B is and Dai is and I'm going to try and get Shelby and Rasa to, too. And Taylor, because I want to make my dad talk about tentacle porn. (My dad is the new sex ed teacher BY THE WAY. In case you didn't know. He started this term. It's hilarious.) Shane P.S. I was talking to Bastian about you today. I know things have been fucked up there, too. And he doesn't really want them to be, either? But I think he's scared to talk to you because he thinks YOU'RE scared to talk to HIM. And maybe you are? But you don't need to be. I don't think he's going to write to you because he's mostly stopped speaking to people, which isn't great. Last year he was pretty much a social butterfly at school but everything's kind of fallen apart because now people mostly treat him like kind of a monster. It wasn't just what happened with you, some videos came out of what happened at fight club (the terrible one, not the one we're doing ourselves) and since then people have been kind of giving us a lot of shit so he just hides a lot now. I guess he doesn't need me to talk for him except sometimes he does because he actually gives a fuck what people think and I think giving a fuck makes talking to people a lot scarier. I don't mean you have to be friends or anything although I think he'd like that, but I just wanted you to know he's not going to bite you or anything. to: Shane Holland <sholland@xaviers.edu> date: Thu, July 4, 2013 at 2:22 PM subject: Re: Sup. Hello Shane, It is only an apartment building. That is not very exciting. But it it very tall and it is good to stand at the top because the walls are not finished. There are not many scaffoldings anymore but I did walk across some when I was bringing materials for the other people to put up. Ivan Poddubny is not very important. He was a big muscular man also known as 'The Russian Hercules'. He wrestled and did circus traveling and was never defeated when he died in 1949. This is all I know of him. I have eleven siblings. Now two of them do not live here anymore and some have their own children. I was raised more by my brothers and sisters than my parents. I think anyone you make your family can be your family. If they accept you as family or you accept them. Sometimes things happen at strange times. I do not think you have to worry much. I am used to doing the observing and I understand that people change. Peter and you will change more too. I was just scared it was maybe in a bad direction but now I know it is not. I will get used to the change. Thank you for saying sorry, but it is not needed. I am trying to get used to that you and Sebastian are not going to do something I am not prepared for. It is taking some repainting of my brain. Sometimes you learn things wrong and you do not have to unlearn, but to learn again. This also makes more sense in Russian. Maybe also in Vietnamese but I do not know it. I am a little scared of Sebastian and a little less scared of you. I want to be friends with you and also him. The first day I met him I wanted to be friends. It is difficult now when I feel like if he made a movement very suddenly I would maybe be like in the old movies and just fall over asleep. Passed out? My mother tells me always that if you are afraid of a thing, it is only because you do not know the good it has. It sounds very simple in English but maybe we can organize a thing to show everyone who treats him like a monster that he is not one and that he has good. A big thing with all of the students. Maybe with his art. Ivan. to: Ivan Dravovich <idravovich@xaviers.edu> date: Fri, July 5, 2013 at 2:50 AM subject: Re: Sup. Hey Ivan, Is everyone in Russia named Ivan? This is what I'm going to imagine now. Just Ivans all the way down. I hope you come back a badass wrestler. We could start our own circus TROUPE. Eleven is a crapton of siblings, that's pretty awesome. It's probably never lonely, huh? I like having people around, it's kind of strange and weird to me when there's not people. I'd probably go fucking crazy if I ever lived alone. I think you're right about family. I mean, Pa and Spence aren't REALLY my dad and brother except they totally are. And I have lots of family that I don't really have words for at all. I don't know what direction Peter and I are changing in. A good one, though, I think. I really do love him. Sebastian is kind of scary, that's true, but I don't think he's scary in the way people think he's scary, exactly. I mean, he's not a monster. He gets really scared if he thinks something is going to hurt me? I don't think that's monstery, though. I think that's family. Just, most people's family don't have a thousand fucking sharkteeth. I think you mean fainted though and now you shouldn't have told me that because that's practically like a CHALLENGE to spook you into fainting come on. OK, no, I won't do that. But it'd be funny. Do you want a colony of dermestid beetles by the way, because B needs them all the time but maybe we should just keep one at school. And you're already chockfull of bugs MORE bugs would be great right? I think a not-monster party would be rad, though I have no fucking idea how to do that. I love his art but it's made of dead things. Beautiful dead things, but many people think it's freakish. Which is dumb it's not like they don't all eat chicken and steak and shit it's not really any more monstery. Maybe just what we need is people to not be dumb. Shane to: Ivan Dravovich <idravovich@xaviers.edu> date: Fri, July 5, 2013 at 2:52 AM subject: Re: Sup. ... Ivan what the fuck I googled this hercules dude IVAN THAT MOUSTACHE. IVAN YOU NEED A MOUSTACHE. JUST LIKE THAT. YOUR ENTIRE COUNTRY FULL OF IVANS ALL NEEDS THE MOUSTACHE. to: Shane Holland <sholland@xaviers.edu> date: Fri, July 5, 2013 at 7:04 AM subject: Re: Sup. Hello Shane, Please do not spook me too much. I will probably not faint but it would not help me relearn very much. I do not know if I would not be able to live on my own. I like the quiet very much even though I am used to a lot of people. Sometimes the noise is just noise but I think even if I lived all on my own in the quiet then I would some times miss it very much. I agree that family is for protecting each other. This is why I understand why Sebastian bit me that day, and why I felt much more guilty than angry after it happened. I think any of my brothers would do the same. And probably most of my sisters too. And it is probably why I punched someone when they insulted Rasa too. I would like all of the dermestid beetles. I liked them very much when I saw Sebastian and his borrowed collection but I did not want to force him by asking. I do not know if there would be room in the dorm room but maybe they would not mind if we kept them in a biology room? I would come by and check up on them every day after classes if I was allowed. I will always accept more bugs. I have thought about the fighting club. I am assuming the teachers do not know? I do not think I will fight (because I would probably die from one fight even if I did look like Ivan Poddubny) but I may visit to come see. Ivan. P.S. Not everyone here is called Ivan but it is a very common name because it is like 'John'. I do not think my face is manly enough to grow a whole Poddubny moustache but maybe I will get a black marker and ask my siblings to draw it every morning. to: Ivan Dravovich <idravovich@xaviers.edu> date: Sat, July 6, 2013 at 1:57 AM subject: Re: Sup. Hey Ivan, I'll try to stay away from the spooking you. No guarantees about on Halloween or April Fool's Day though. I'd do a lot to protect my family, too. Even when I don't like them much. Family's kind of a weird fucked up thing, isn't it? I'm not always really sure how to define it. We had fight club today. I didn't fight cuz I'm still kind of bruisey from some things a couple days ago, but Bastian and Peter fought. The teachers DO know about it, actually! The school isn't really THRILLED about the idea but it isn't on school property or on school time and it's all just voluntary and we're being safe with having people right there who can heal so I guess overall they've decided not to care? Pa and Isra both came, actually. I thought Pa would just come to supervise and make sure we didn't do anything stupid, but he actually fought. Isra did, too. It was all pretty intense. I think you could fight if you wanted to (but don't feel pressured, if you don't.) The idea is to make people better at self-defense; it isn't just a place for people with abilities like ours or Peter's. I mean, Pa doesn't have punching-type abilities at all, and then there's other people who -- one person who came for example is just a sort of translator! That isn't a fighty power at ALL. But you don't need them. In some ways, maybe the people without them need it even more, cuz the world is fucked up as hell and it's important to be able to deal with that. Anyway, think about it; there's definitely other people involved whose mutations don't make them throw a punch any better than you do. Also, I bet Shelby could give you the most kickass IvanHercules moustache. Except then I guess she might make it a penis instead? So that might be dangerous. Shane P.S. We are going to get you all the dermestid beetles. GIANT COLONY.