Not In Siberia Anymore [Intro; Open to everyone at the Institute]

[kid_from_chukotka]

Ilya stood in the lobby of the mansion, attempting not to panic. While his SHIELD handler worked out the final paperwork, she'd benignly told him to stay there. The thing of it was, though, he was pretty sure that an entire apartment complex from home could fit in here. He tried not to fidget as it continued to hit home just how far away from, well, home that he was. The world seemed suddenly much too big, leaving him motionless as he tried to figure out what to do. He looked at his bags and wondered if he should take them up to his room... except he had no idea where his room was. And despite SHIELD having taught him fluent English, the Russian was loathe to call out for help and say something stupid and grammatically incorrect. He didn't want to look like an idiot right after he'd walked through the door.

So the fifteen year old stood there, glancing around awkwardly, silent as a mouse.

Comments

[dolemeck]

Dolemeck catches the flying ball of paper with his mind and brings it back over. He did not looks angered or stern. He just had a pleasant smile on his face.

"Relax! There is no need to be sorry! You are here to learn, and this is a part of it." He was trying to calm Ilya down. He used his powers to take another piece of paper from the desk and float it over.

"We all make mistakes. I mean, I went swimming at night, using my powers to manipulate my legs in order to do so. All of a sudden, I lost feeling in me legs, and nearly drowned. I was embarrassed, and somewhat ashamed. But I realized I was pushing my powers beyond my own limits, and need to learn and exercise them, so I would not suffer another incident like that. And also NEVER to go swimming at night, or without a lifeguard. That was an important lesson, too!"

Chuckling, he offer the paper up to Ilya once more.

"Would you like to give it another go? You do not have to if you do not want to."

[marvel_boy]

"Actually," Topher said, "the teachers here? They want what's best for the students, and they don't mind helping out. They went through similar things themselves. That knowledge and experience, it really does come in handy." In other words, maybe taking lessons from another student wasn't the best idea. Practice, sure, but the learning bits, well, that's why they had Rachel, Emma, and the others.

"One of the first X-Men, Jean Grey, was a telekinetic and a telepath herself. The school has years of dealing with it. Besides, not every mutant's power works the same way, or has the same sort of signature." There was, after all, a reason why Betsy Braddock was more in tune with creating psi-weaponry for her powers, while others manifested theirs differently.

"But like I said. You aren't alone here."

[kid_from_chukotka]

Ilya's eyes flicker between the two of them. They're not angry at his screw up, and Topher isn't annoyed he went with Dolemeck's idea. No one is about to jump down his throat for how Ilya's been acting so far - so he's actually not sure what to do. He's always lived life with intense structure. This openness is hard to comprehend.

"I understand I'm not alone. I just... don't know what I'm supposed to do now that I'm not."

He doesn't want to do the wrong thing in the eyes of either of them, but they're indicating they want contradictory things, and he doesn't want to pick a side.

[marvel_boy]

"You have to do whatever you feel is best for you," Topher said softly. He could feel Ilya's swirling emotions. Topher was practically eating them up.

"And I mean that. These are your powers and your life. You have to be comfortable with whatever step you take, Ilya. I can offer advice, and so can Dolemeck, but at the end of the day, it's up to you. We can just support you as best we can to help you along your way."

Gently, he placed a hand on Ilya's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to confuse you or frustrate you. But you've barely been here a half hour. You can take it slow. No decisions on anything need to be made right away."

[kid_from_chukotka]

That's hitting the nail on the head; Ilya has never tried to run his own life based on what he feels or wants. That's just not who he is or who he's ever been. He just wants to make people happy.

The touch is foreign and welcome. It's rare that anyone outside his family touches him; he blinks at it, but doesn't dislike the feeling. Actually, even though he can't make heads or tails of it, he kind of feels warm, looking at how Topher cares and feeling his hand on him. He's never just been one of the guys before. Is that it? God, the world is huge and Ilya knows so little about how to even have a conversation it's embarrassing.

"I've never really had a say in anything before, about my powers or anything else. I-" Ilya can't admit to the full truth. It would sound insane and he doesn't want everyone to pity him or act like he's some kid who needs to be coddled. But his SHIELD handler told him he needs to open up and learn how to confide in people. Topher and Dolemeck seem like a good place to start, even if it's only a piece of the truth and not all of it. He takes a small breath and tries again. "I don't know if the word 'Chukchi' means anything to you, but I'm only half white. The other half, my mother's, is Chukchi. So I was never really a full person to most people." He meant to say citizen, but person might actually be a more accurate slip of the tongue. "I was kicked out of school because of it. I learned my powers by working in a mine. There wasn't much else I could do, with my background."

He swallows thickly and tries not to feel the familiar nagging feeling maybe he is exactly as dumb and bad as he was told he was and he deserved that fate. "This place is everything to me. It's all I ever wanted. And I don't want to screw anything up here."

This is the place where people actually touch the dirty Chukchi. Assuming Topher doesn't yank his hand away.

[dolemeck]

"Allow me to be the first to say... that is complete and utter rubbish." Dolemeck frowned. How could anyone treat someone this kind like a leaper? "No one is going to drive you away because you are of mixed race. In fact, I do not care if you are half Chukchi or not."

People made Dolemeck frustrated. It was like being back in school in England. No one wanted to be friends with the "gimp". They would have to alter everything around to include him, so that was clearly no fun. But it was not as severe as the extend of what Ilya went through.

Using his powers, he took his sheet of paper back from Ilya and started to fold it up into a flower of sorts. Bobbi was interested in Oragami at one point and he joined in on trying it out. Once he was satisfied the flower he made was finished, he handed it to Ilya.

"To me, you are just a friend and comrade." He smiled, once again. "No one is going to judge you are treat you poorly here, and I doubt Topher or myself would stand for it if they did. Right, Topher?"

[marvel_boy]

Topher felt Ilya's negative emotions melt away. He wasn't sure if he'd psychically ingested all of them, or if Ilya was feeling better, but he knew for sure that he was going to go out flying later.

Topher didn't let his hand drop as Ilya spoke. To do so then would send the wrong message, and that was the last thing he wanted for the new guy. He'd confused Ilya enough already, and made him feel bad enough already too.

Some X-Leader I'm going to turn out to be, he mused.

He looked down at Dolemeck and nodded before looking back at Ilya.

"Thank you for sharing that," he said after a beat. "I don't know much about Russia, no, but the not being considered a full person? That sounds hideous." All the more so now. If they didn't like him then, what would they have thought, now that he was a mutant as well? How could anyone deal with that?

"Ilya, I'm so sorry you had to deal with that. I can't promise you that it's going to get easier now that you're a mutant - we were outed recently, and things were a little touch and go for awhile. What I can promise you is that regardless of your cultural or ethnic background, regardless of whatever gifts your genetic mutation has bestowed upon you, and regardless of how you feel it's best to learn your..." Topher paused, looking for the right word, "craft...you're among friends now." He smiled warmly at Ilya and squeezed his shoulder. "Look. We've had members who've done a lot, who've been through a lot. Not all of it good on either count. They didn't screw anything up. Neither will you."

[kid_from_chukotka]

Ilya stared at Dolemeck for a few seconds, speechless. He had a few responses ready in case of rejection - excusing himself from the room usually worked in the past - but he actually didn't have a planned response for what to do when people were on his side. He takes the flower into his hands gently, not sure how sturdy origami is, and peeks at Dolemeck again. It dawns on him that the guy actually means it.

He looks at Topher and drank in his words, focusing on him the same way a devout person might focus in church, hanging on every syllable. He feels a kind of hope rise up in him. His father was able to look past the fact his mother was Chukchi, and see her as a person. So there must be others out there who can look past Ilya's own status and he has this incredible realization that he's actually standing in the presence of two such people.

He smiles, a real smile, looking at the ground so he won't look like a completely desperate dork. Regardless, for the first time since he got here, he can feel the tension ease off of him, and it's wonderful. "Thanks. Both of you, just - thanks. I didn't have it as bad as some people. There's a lot of people worse off in the world. Still, sometimes, it's a lot to have to worry about all the time. So I'm glad that here, I only have to worry about my powers and not anything else."

Of course, with time the glow from this conversation will fade and he'll be back to worrying. But for right now, in this moment, he feels a kind of warmth and safety he hasn't had since he left Russia. The smile on his face doesn't feel like it'll go away any time soon, either.

[dolemeck]

"You are more than welcome, Ilya!" Dolemeck smiled, amazed at how much Ilya had relaxed. he no longer looked skittish to stressed, but genuinely happy and calm. "As Topher said, you are now amongst many friends. No one will judge you, and we will help you if you ask."

He then looked up at Topher.

"Hey! Why won't we all get something to eat? I am a bit famished from studying so much." He grinned a little. "We could show Ilya the kitchen, and perhaps grab a bite of that chicken pot pie Hana is making. When I passed by earlier, it smelled like heaven!"

[kid_from_chukotka]

The relaxation may be temporary, but it's still progress given how rarely he does it. Each little moment like this is a little step forward. "I don't judge others. It would be pretty hypocritical. So I guess I'm in the right place."

At the mention of food, his stomach growls, but he wonders to himself what chicken pot pie tastes like. Chicken was not something he got ahold of often in Russia given how far north he was. It's a curious thing, all these new foods and things to experience, and he hopes he doesn't stuff his face like he sometimes does. He tries to have manners, it's just that there's so many wonderful and new things out there sometimes he forgets himself. "Are we really allowed to just grab food whenever we want?"

[dolemeck]

"Aye, as long as we do not skip class to do so." He wondered if Ilya was unable to eat when he wanted, or even allowed certain foods because of how he was treated. He decided not to ask and instead wheeled his chair up to Ilya.

"And you can have snacks within reason, too! Sometimes I make a small chocolate cake, though I tend to give it away more often to friends than eat it me-self!" he chuckled. "I am told they are delicious, which is good. If you want, I could make you one after your meal. You, too, Topher."

[kid_from_chukotka]

"I would never skip a class." That's insane. He has in his life tried to sneak into classes, but willingly not going to one? That's just weird. "I've actually never had chocolate. It was such an expensive import that I'm fairly sure only a handful of cities in all of Siberia had it, and I've never been in any place that could really be called a 'city'." On that account it didn't matter if someone was Chukchi or Russian. The Russian Far East was not a place of luxury.

[dolemeck]

"Well, some people try to skip classes. They do not value education as much as other people would." He shook his head. "I guess it is some form of teenage rebellion that some people go through. Me? I enjoy learning! Me brother instilled a love of education in me when I was a lad."

The mention of never having Chocolate left Dolemeck somewhat shocked. He knew there were places that people never tasted chocolate. He just never imagined meeting someone from one of them. he shook his head and returned a large smile.

"Well that settles things! You are having one of my mini chocolate cakes after we eat!" He reached up and patted Ilya on the other shoulder. "No one should ever go through life never having experienced chocolate!"

[kid_from_chukotka]

"I like learning. I'm behind everyone else, though." After all, he wasn't allowed to get a full education. It will take a while to catch up. "You have a brother? I'm an only child, and I always wanted a brother." Or a sister. Siblings always seemed like a neat idea, but it could be a 'the grass is greener' thing for all he knows.

"You don't have to make me anything. Really. I appreciate it, though." Would refusing be rude? He's not sure. "I'm kind of curious about what it tastes like, though..."

[dolemeck]

"It is alright. No one is going to judge you if you are behind. I have to start from scratch when it comes to American history, me-self. So... I guess I am behind in a way as well." He pointed out.

"I have two brothers. One is a crown prosecutor back home and the other... has his own band of sorts." Dolemeck spoke at arm's length about his brother Charles. After-all, it was Dayton who raised him and took care of him.

"And it is alright. I am offering to make you the cake, it is not as if you are imposing!" he gave a small laugh. "Truly, it is no bother to me, so do not worry any."

[kid_from_chukotka]

"Anything I know about American history is probably slanted and outdated," Ilya muses, wondering to himself how Americans would write Russian history. It'd be interesting to peek at and see what they got right and what he himself didn't know. "It sounds like both your brothers are talented. But I have no idea what a 'crown prosecutor' is." He feels okay admitting to that because SHIELD's English program hadn't gone over a lot of legal terms.

"I'm just trying to be polite. It's kind of how I was raised." He resists the urge to add 'I'm sorry' onto the end of that, because that's not necessary here. Not with Dolemeck.

[marvel_boy]

"Basically a lawyer on the side of the state or whatever," Topher said, trying to simplify it as much as possible. His eyes darted towards Ilya's bags.

"Actually, why don't you guys go on ahead? I'm actually not that hungry. Ilya, I'm going to check in with Rachel, see if rooming assignments and all that are over and done with. If they are, I'll have your stuff moved in to your new room, waiting for you whenever you're ready."

[kid_from_chukotka]

"Oh. We had those in Russia, though there weren't many in Siberia due to how few people lived throughout the Russian Far East." He's relieved he gets the concept. Maybe the language barrier won't be as bad as he thought, and people seem willing to explain things to him here. It's not like school was for him before, with people snickering at his every question.

"Thank you. You don't have to do that, you know. I can move my own things." Again, it feels like imposing on perfectly nice people when he can really do it himself. Something about the sweetness here is throwing him off; it's like he just can't function around people who treat him decently. It's a skill he's more than open to learning.

[marvel_boy]

"Nah, go eat. Stress and worry makes people hungry. I've just got some other stuff I need to take care of as well, but there's no sense in you lugging around your stuff all day long." That could get tedious and annoying. "Go forth, eat, drink, and be merry. Just, you know, don't go near Wolverine's beer."