Log: Garrison & Piotr (backdated)

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Piotr wants to make friends & Garrison wants to watch hockey... win win


Piotr walked through the corridors of the school buildings. He had
been there a month and had managed to finally get all his stuff moved
into the room but apart from that and a couple of outings with people
who he already knew he hadn't really done very much. So he decided
that he was going to get to know some of the new staff and students
around the school even if they had been there since 2007. First though
Piotr decided that some lunch was in order so he made his way to the
kitchen

Looking through the fridge Piotr tried to work out exactly what he
could eat and what other people would kill him for. In the end he came
up with a large sandwich with ham, dill cucumbers and sour cream on
it. Something that he had found a taste for on the west coast. It
probably wouldn't be as good but he was pretty sure it would be
passable. Another thing he liked about these sandwiches was that he
could be pretty sure that nobody else was going to steal it, if the
people around here were anything like the folks on the west coast.

"Afternoon, Piotr." Kane said as he walked into the kitchen, a cup of
coffee in one hand and a newspaper in the other. He had the day off
and had already planned a day of PVRed hockey games, fried foods, and
beer. "How goes the move? I see the last of your boxes has disappeared
from the hall."

Piotr looked up from his sandwich as the other man spoke. “Yes finally
got all the stuff that was sent over into my room, or into the art
studio” Piotr replied. “How are you today Garrison? Got anything
planned?” Piotr continued before taking a large bite out of sandwich.

"I have a day off. I think I'm going to watch the Leafs/Rangers game,
eat popcorn out of a bowl resting on my stomach. There might be a few
beers and inappropriate messages to Guthrie about her suggestions for
new Danger Room scenarios. It's a full day." He took a sip from the
mug. "Geez, what the hell are you eating, eh?"

Piotr smiled at the Canadian. "This according to a small diner over on
the other side of the America is called a Power Cram sandwich, Its
Pickles, Ham & Sour Cream. Maybe its just me but it's surprisingly
good." Piotr added looking down at his sandwich as it dripped sour
cream onto the plate. "I could make you one to have while you watch
ball." Piotr added trying to sound American.

"I think they got you out of the West Coast just in time, man." Kane
shook his head. "Oh, and the Rangers and Leafs? Hockey, my friend.
Good classic hockey. Football is for wimps. You're from Russia. I'm
sure you grew up with it too."

"I'll take that as a no to the Sandwich then" Piotr replied to the
other mans lack of answer. “and hockey, yes I grew up with the RSL"
said Piotr smiling. “That was before I came here and it collapsed, So
I take it this is Canadian Hockey, are they any good?”

"NHL. And yeah, the Leafs have added a lot of speed to their forward
line, and actually have a goalie who can block the net. The Rangers
kind of suck, so I'm looking for a win." Garrison motioned in the
vague direction of the den. "You're welcome to watch if you're
interested."

"That sounds like fun, Haven't seen a good game of hockey for years"
Piotr replied. Truth was he used to ignore the hockey because it
wasn't as American as other sports and he had wanted to fit in. "So
lead the way" he said picking up his sandwich.

Kane shrugged and headed towards the den, stopping only long enough to
fish the six pack of Moosehead out of the fridge (removing the 'Logan,
don't drink this' post-it) before heading in a slumping down on the
couch. For hockey, you needed a good slump to enjoy the start of the
game. Sitting up was for second period, and sitting forward meant
third period and wings. It was a process, after all.

Piotr followed Kane taking the plate with his half eaten sandwich with
him. Collapsing into chair next to him. Piotr smiled as the television
flicked into life revealing a familiar looking hockey rink. “We
should look into the miserable attendance of such an important event”
Piotr said gesturing to the TV and then the near empty room around
them.

"They're Americans. They don't understand hockey. They seem to think
it's a kind of armed football or something." Garrison smirked. "Years
ago, they wanted to replace the normal puck with a bright orange one
so they could follow it on the ice easier. Orange puck, my ass."

"How can you not see the black puck, Its on white, they are the most
opposite colours in the world. Why would you need to change it?" Piotr
said, well less said and more reeled at the top of his voice. "Thats
just ridiculous" he added before returning to his normal tone.

"I and the rest of Canada agreed, which is why we have a black puck
still." Kane winced as the Rangers potted a goal against Toronto.
"Ugh, let me amend that. Americans and the Toronto goalie have trouble
seeing the black puck, apparently. You want a beer?"

"Sure" the taller man replied taking the beer that was offered to him.
"Yeah but that's understandable. I mean its not like he's had years of
training to learn how to see the puck" the Russian joked taking a
swig.

"You would think so, but the evidence suggests otherwise." Kane passed
over a Moosehead, eyes on the screen. "You're a big guy, Rasputin. You
ever play?"

“Only one on one with my brother on the lake back home.” he said. “I
was never particularly good at it though. Mikhail was always the
better sportsman, Bet you played though”

"Street hockey mostly. A couple of years in Peewee leagues. My mother worked
and the schedule isn't good for a single parent." It hadn't bothered him
much even as a kid. He loved hockey but he'd never been the best skater,
drifting to football and baseball instead until his mutation changed
everything.

"Fair enough" Piotr had never had to worry about that around his
chores and school he had a farm where he and his siblings could play
around in. "you know that your team isn't doing great don't you?" he
said as another goal was scored by the Rangers.

"That statement has been true for the last two decades, my friend."
Kane said wryly, with the grim acceptance of failure that marked the
die-hard Toronto Maple Leafs fan. "Still, playing the game is the
important thing, not winning. Those of us who root for shitty teams
tell ourselves this often."

“I always wondered who came up with that idea, surely the main point
of a competition is the winning not the participating, If it was just
participating then it wouldn't be a competition.” Piotr said before
shrugging “I always thought it was just an other one of those strange
English sayings.”

"Well, I think the reason is to show that making effort is important,
even if you're overmatched. After all," Kane motioned to the mansion.
"If there's any place that it's important to learn that you just don't
lay down and die when you're outmatched, it's here."

"Thats true" Piotr said falling into a silence for the next little
while until Ranges goalie blocked a shot taken by the Leafs. "I have
to admit I have seen more one-sided games. At least it is down your end
some of the time."

"Typical skate and dump, but yeah. I think we'll only lose badly to
the mediocre team as opposed to getting crushed." Kane admitted.
"Reminds me. You're up for your Danger Room assessment tomorrow. After
that, you'll be back to the regular rotation like the rest of the
team."

"Is that tomorrow?" Piotr asked, he it wasn't that he wasn't ready it
was that he was looking forward to it, Once he had finished the
assessment he could log in for time in the room again. "that is to say
yes I'm ready for it. Its not like I wasn't doing anything over on the
west coast."

"Yeah, it's mostly a formality in your case. That Professor guy seems
to be a little cautious, eh?" Kane joked. Rasputin had only needed a
few sessions to knock the rust off of the standard team exercises, and
a lot less time for his individual program. Still, being team ready
meant going through the qualifying assessment, and that was that.

"I can understand that" Piotr said. "I wouldn't want somebody on my
team who I wasn't sure was ready" finishing his beer and putting it
aside. "And really that professor guy?"

"It's either that or Wheels, and Logan has that one all for himself."