nextgenerationmarvel | Getting to Know You (Ilya)

"Alright. But only if you come to me, if you're having nightmares or flashbacks. Or just come get me - I don't know what they're going to do for my permanent living arrangements." A thought crossed his mind, and he threw it out there while he had the courage to do so: "You could ask for me to be your room mate. I don't take up much room and I don't have much stuff, just my clothes and a couple of books. And I don't sleep talk or anything."

Sure, the Headmistress was a telepath and would see right through that, but if they ran it by some other staff member, maybe it could work. "You'd get to learn Russian in whole new ways when I screw something up and swear my way through the Cyrillic alphabet. Eve my SHIELD handler thought that was funny and I'm pretty sure SHIELD surgically removes everyone's senses of humor who works for them."

"Alright, I promise to come to you if I have the same problems, Ilya." He could not stop smiling, even if he were hit right now.

"We could do that. Perhaps we should ask professor Ramsey later Today?" Truth be told, Dolemeck had longed for a room-mate since he got here. Having Ilya as a room-mate would be like being around your best friend all the time.

He let gave off a laugh as Ilya spoke about his cursing in Russian. "It could come in handy at some point. I do not know when, though. And you would be around when I video chat with my brother! And well... I still sleep with a stuffed animal."

"It would be nice to get to say hi to your brother. And to let him know you're not alone, since he sounds like the protective type." Ilya smiled, chuckling a little at the mention of a stuffed animal. "I never had toys like that growing up, but if I did, I would probably keep them. There's nothing wrong with a stuffed animal. I've kind of wanted one since SHIELD introduced me to the concept, actually. Is that stupid? I know I'm too old for that kind of thing but they had me test my light telekinesis on this soft pink pony toy with big blue eyes, and now I want one of my own."

He shuts his eyes and lets his hand rest on Dolemeck's hip. Dolemeck makes a surprisingly good pillow, all things considered.

"I can make you one." He continued to rub Ilya's back in small circles. "They are not too hard to make and I still have fabric left over from when I made Bobbi's penguin."

He then let off a small sigh, relaxing a bit more as they just laid on the picnic blanket. He had never been so close to someone, before. And it felt wonderful.

"You are never too old for a stuffed animal, Ilya. And if you want one, I will make it for you."

"Not hard for you. I once managed to create a hole when attempting to sew on a button. My mother kept the sewing needles out of my reach after that." He smiles at the memory. He'd pouted his fiercest pout at her and only succeeded in making his own jaw hurt, but it had been worth it to see her smile. "I don't know if I want one or not. I don't actually know what I'd do with it if I had it." No, really - what do you do with stuffed animals, anyway? SHIELD's explanation of the modern world didn't include that, just that stuffed animals were a thing now.

"Well, they are just an item of comfort." Dolemeck thought, trying his best to explain what the purpose of a stuffed animal was. "Parents or family members give children stuffed animals when they are younger, and many children keep them about as they grow up. They are soft, so you can hug them if you feel scared or lonely, or use your imagination to take them on adventures."

The sewing tales that Ilya told him made him laugh a bit. He shook his head, before gazing back into Ilya's eyes.

"No one knows how to sew at first. You will make mistakes, but that is how you learn." He leaned over to kiss Ilya's cheek, his shirt pulling up some as he moved, revealing many surgical scars on his back. "As long as you keep trying, that is what matters."

"I think what I took most comfort in was my wooden raven pendant. My mother made me one after my coming-of-age ceremony on Ryyanranot Island, since my father couldn't carve a thing to save his life. It was the only thing I kept through the gulag and the train crash, but SHIELD confiscated it after they found me and I never managed to get it back."

His hand moved to gently touch the scars, frowning, completely distracted. "I shouldn't complain. I can't imagine how much pain you've been through - and you were awake for at least some of it. I got to sleep through all of mine." It's a little awe-inspiring, how Dolemeck didn't let what happened bring him down, and Ilya resolves to do the same with his own issues.

"Maybe you could tell headmistress Ramsey? She might be able to talk to SHIELD and get it back for you." Dolemeck felt bad. His family was gone, and that was something he clearly cherished. "It does not hurt to ask her, Ilya."

There was a small sigh, feeling Ilya's fingers trace over some of the scars on his back. Despite the fact they were all surgical, they appeared quite large and ugly looking.

"I do have my bad days, Ilya." He hated to admit that. "I have days I feel sorry for myself, frustrated I cannot walk or run, even like I am bringing others down. My therapy group says those feelings are normal, and it is okay to have them. But I should focus on what I can do, now. Not what I cannot do."

He turned back, smiling at him.

"So, did this pink stuffed horse have a darker pink mane, and some balloons on it's hind quarters?" He was curious and just had to ask.

"I don't know. I don't want to bother her, but I don't know if I could explain how much it means to me, either. Maybe I should try. I just need to try and word it a little better."

Ilya kissed him chastely, just to comfort him with the knowledge someone was right here for him. "It is natural. Everyone thinks about what could've been. And I have days where I feel... I'm not sure if it's sorry for myself, but confused on why all of this happened to me. I don't understand what fate's grand plan for me is. Everyone has bad days. At SHIELD they told me not to apologize for them because people without bad days were usually unstable."

Blink, blink. Ilya hasn't had much exposure to TV, so to him that's an amazingly accurate guess at some obscure thing. "Er, yes. How did you know?"

Using his telekinetic powers, Dolemeck removed a tablet from the picnic bag he had packed. it floated over to him and Ilya and he tapped it a few times. While he did not have wi-fi this far out from the mansion, he did have some pre-recorded programs he could show Ilya.

"Do not tell anyone else, but I like the show where that pony comes from." He laughed nervously as the intro to "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" started to play before Ilya. "That pony comes from a cartoon show on the tellie that is aimed towards little girls, but almost everyone loves it! It is about these six ponies, each one has a different positive trait that they represent. They are all friends, and they go on adventures where they learn important lessons or help others in their land."

Ilya watched, fascinated, as the theme song played. "I love the colors. Everything is just so... cheerful. Oh!" he exclaimed as Pinkie Pie was briefly on screen. "That's the one they had a plush toy of - wait, why do people at SHIELD have pony toys?"

That makes him grin. Apparently, there's a My Little Pony fan on SHIELD's staff, but Ilya's not about to judge them. It's a cute show, and he settles against Dolemeck to watch, smiling. "This is the best date ever, Dolemeck. I mean it." And it was - Dolemeck had pulled him right out of his misery and given him a chance to dork out over a TV show like, well, like a normal teenager. It's perfect in its' simplicity, and everything is wonderful.

"I do not think this date could get any better." He smiled, watching the show with Ilya. It was wonderful to have someone to share this with. And to make it even more special, Dolemeck tapped the "subtitles" button on the video and set it to Russian for Ilya.

It was like the two were in their own little slice of heaven.

"Even adults like cartoons, Ilya. So it would not surprise me if someone older than us had a Pony plushie." He chuckled as the theme song ended, and the episode played. It was about the shyest pony learning to be more assertive. A perfect episode for Ilya to see.

"This comes in Russian?" He blinked, then grinned anew. "Heh. Back in Elvuney we only had two radio channels and only one did radio dramas that were... not exactly for children. I'm glad the world has things like this in it. And I'm glad that people older than me can still get into it. Things can be rough. We all need something soft in our lives."

He immediately related to Fluttershy, and appreciates the way her friends reach out to her even though they're not all pegasi like her. In a way, it's like Dolemeck reaching out to him even though he's part Chukchi. It's a world where such things don't matter, and that's uplifting to see.

"I might be able to find you a full Russian spoken version of the show." He was so happy to see Ilya just amazed by this. "Entertainment has come a very long way. Many shows produced in other countries are available all over the place, and in many languages."

He nuzzled his cheek against Ilya's as they watched together. Now two ponies appeared to be the same, and it did not matter in that world. Everyone was kind and respectful to others. And "bad guys" who tried to abuse such kindness or do evil things were sent away by the power of friendship.

While something that rarely happened in the real world, it was a wonderful message. As the episode ended, Dolemeck turned to Ilya, curious about his reaction.

"That'd be amazing. All this is amazing." He means it, too. The show is mesmerizing to someone who'd only watched educational programs via SHIELD, and it's so upbeat even the villains aren't truly awful. The whole thing is a breath of fresh air that plays into the idealistic part of Ilya, the part that used to take hope in stars and still sees ravens as omens of good fortune despite everything.

He watches the show, and feels a little like cheering at how Fluttershy learns without becoming someone else. "I can see why people like this. It's... this is the kind of thing that makes me feel better just watching it. It's a little light in the darkness."

"Well, if you want... we can watch an episode every Saturday on the tellie in the rec room. They air new episodes in the morning on that day." He offered to Ilya. "I like it because everyone has a strength and a weakness. And when that weakness shows, they all work together to help that pony. They even have these tiny little ponies called the "Cutie Mark Crusaders". They do not have their markings on their hind quarters, yet. So they spend their time wondering what it is that makes them special and will help them earn their marks. It is like how we all go through a period of self discovery to find out who we are and what we wish to do in life."

He taps on the tablet to close the video, as it had ended. On the back screen of the Tablet was a picture of Dolemeck and his older brother Dayton. His brother is rather tall and has long red hair and green eyes like Dolemeck. He is poshly dressed, and the two appear to be outside of a mansion of sorts.

"I'd like that. It's a really sweet show. And I like the way the ponies stick together." He's a little envious. But he's got Dolemeck, and people here are already so friendly to him. He could have that, that kind of group of friends, with time.

"Is that your brother? And... your house?" The latter is the mind-boggling part.

"Aye, that is Dayton, and that is me house back home." He smiled shyly. "That is where I grew up. MY parents were rarely home, so Dayton would take over with the fiances and the hiring of the help. It was a lot of responsibility, and he had Charles and myself to care for as well."

He clicked on another application that opened up a photo gallery. the first image he showed was his brother dressed in his full Crown Prosecutor uniform. White wig and all.

"That is how me brother dresses for work. It is rather traditional, and while his hair is long enough to go without the wig, he insists on practicing the age old tradition. His job is to prove the guilt of those accused of crimes against people and the government. He has to follow the laws and present his case to the judge, who will decide the guilt or innocence of a person."

He then swiped the screen to show another picture. This one of his parents. They looked like aging rock stars. Well... aging rock stars who had not aged well. His father had long black hair that went to his waist (which appeared to be dyed black), and his Mother's hair was snow white with a slight curl to it. At one point, she had red hair like his brother Dayton.

"These are me parents...."

Ilya tenses noticeably when he gets a description of what a crown prosecutor actually does. After all, the Russian equivalent of that, in Ilya's time, were responsible for putting people like Ilya and people who had done nothing but question the status quo into gulags and execution centers. Yes, it's not a fair comparison to draw, but for Ilya, those memories, those people in their dvortsom mansions while the common people starved, they were recent memories he could recall with frightening clarity.

"...you look more like your brother than your parents, I think. They have a different sort of attitude to them, if that makes sense."

"They sort of do, aye." He sighed some. "They have wealth, fame in Europe, and that feels like it is all that matters to them. They can be quite irresponsible, especially with money. That is why Dayton takes care of things. If he did not, I imagine most of our family's money would be shot up their veins or snorted up their noses. We would be destitute if that happened!"

Not that it stopped his parents. They still had access to more than enough money to do that. He swiped his finger along the tablet, showing there were no more pictures and closing the application.

"My Mum is suppose to be able to manage the band and their fiances. Well, she used to be able to. Now she just books their next concerts, while Dayton gives them an "allowance" they need to follow. He set up trust funds for himself, Charles, and me brother. So in case something were to happen to me parents, we would all be taken care of and could keep the family home. We are each allowed access once we turn twenty five years of age, and can spend the money as we wish, or keep saving it. Mine has considerably more money, due to my injuries. That is so I could pay future medical expenses or hire a nurse to care for me."

For a moment, Dolemeck shook his head.

"That money does not bring any of us any happiness, Ilya. Charles acts like a spoiled brat who never grew up, Dayton refuses to even touch his, taking pride in making his own through his job, and me? What I have mixed feelings. People saw me as just another rich brat they could use for something."

"I wish I knew what to say. I can't wrap my mind around this, I guess. Dayton seems like he was promoted to parent over your own parents and that's just so hard to picture. I don't understand how your parents can be happy like this. Family is true wealth; why walk away from that?"

Frowning, he shifted to look at Dolemeck. "You're not a rich brat. You may have money, but you're not a bad person. I've seen the difference. In Elvuney, the richest man was the head of the polar station there. He had two daughters, Marya and Gennadiya. Gennadiya was a nightmare to even be around, always using her money and position to get away with things, and her father's connections to get her off the island and into an elite school. After that she married some commissar for the power and money, and never even spoke to her family again.

Marya helped convince her father to let Chukchi people come and go in the summer months, and tried to get her father to intervene when I was marked for the gulag. He couldn't, because even he didn't have the power to overturn that. And she couldn't talk to me because the world was watching, but she left me blueberries, the first fruit I ever had and the only gift I'd ever gotten from someone not in my family.

There are two kinds of rich people in the world: the Gennadiyas, and the Maryas. And you are a Marya, Dolemeck."

"I am glad you see that. Some other people would not. They would only see me as the son of a rockstar." He grimaced a little, placing the tablet down on the blanket. "I love my brother, but I cannot love the rest of my family. They are all addicted to something, and act like Gennadiyas in some ways. It is all about themselves, and never about anyone else."

"But Dayton tells me, they were not always like that. That what I see and know are their addictions, and not how they were before them." His head moved to rest on Ilya's shoulder. "They were once good people that cared. They raised Dayton very well, taught him to be the wonderful man he is today. But by the time Charles and I came along... I do not know what happened."

"I admired my Da for many years, because I saw a man on stage making people happy. He gave to charities, did benefit concerts, and thought because he was busy making the world a better place, it was okay he was not at home with me. Then I finally met the man who came off of that stage, and he was an ugly person. He tried to strike me when I confronted him on what he was doing, but Professor Franklin stopped him. He brought me back to the mansion and I cried me-self to sleep. I vowed I would never be like that, and I would be more like Dayton, that I should have admired him more so than my Da."

"I grew up constantly being called the son of a Chukchi, being seen that way. Just because people wanted things from you and avoided me doesn't mean it's not the same thing - it's looking at us as the products of our parents and not as ourselves. How could I look at people that way when being looked at through that filter is what I hate most?"

He gives him a soft kiss to the neck, just because it seems to be a soft spot for Dolemeck and he doesn't know how to offer up comfort for this. The one fortunate and wonderful thing about Ilya's life had been his family, in spite of all the bad things that happened later in life.

"I'm sorry. But I promise, no one will ever hurt you again. I'll protect you, and I may not be the smartest or most successful person, but I'll be right here when you need me. Always." Ilya holds him closer, instinctively. "And I know you will never, ever be anything like your father."

"If you continue to kiss me like that, Ilya..." He gave off a small laugh, feeling his lips along his neck again, before being pulled closer. "We really are two sides of the same coin."

Using his mind, he lifted up the tablet and set it to camera mode, taking a picture of the two of them. Something he could print out and give to Ilya as a present. He finally started to smile again. They really would protect one and other. They bared their souls, and knew about their families, their fears, their hopes, and their dreams.

"So... wot now?"

"Now we might actually eat the food you brought. But I really like laying here like this with you, too," he confessed, not sure how to phrase that correctly. It's a strange feeling and he could get used to it, easily. "I think I'm okay with anything, so long as I'm with you."

Getting to Know You (Ilya)

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