Madin & April | First Meetings
Mar. 5th, 2023 10:56 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
xp_mayhem posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
xp_logs(backdated) April and Madin meet. It doesn't go completely terrible?
Madin eased their way into the gym and stopped just inside the door to look around. Like everything else in the mansion, it was a Lot, capital Lot. There was already someone else in the room. "Uh. Hi?"
April stopped kicking the bag in front of her, holding her hands out to stop it as she assessed the person in front of her. "One of the new people, right?" she asked, crossing the room to hold her hand out. "April Parker, I was new here about a year ago."
A handshake? Oh geeze. Madin reached out awkwardly and gave a vague shake. "Uh. Yeah, hi. I'm Madin. How are you finding it?"
"It's fine. A lot at first, and the quiet in my rooms was weird, but I've gotten used to it. Has anyone given you a grand tour, or did you hit the highlights and decide to explore the rest on your own?" This was possibly the most awkward interaction she'd had, and she was counting her first meetings with Forge in that. And the borscht incident.
"I got the tour." Madin gave a sarcastic smile. "Even got to see the cameras in the hallway and get told to join the fight for mutant rights."
April frowned. "I mean. We should have the same rights as humans, but if you don't want to fight, there are other ways to help. My roommate doesn't really care for fighting either. He does sometimes, because he's very strong and so are some of the bad things this place sees. But I'm pretty sure if he could advance mutant rights just through his art and existing as a mutant, he would. We have some people that provide meals, clothes. Medical help. Papers. I had to have an entire identity created when I showed up, and they paid for me to finish school." She gave a shrug. "So what do you think you want to do?"
"I don't fucking know, all right? I'd like a world where you don't ever have to deal with flatscans or the way they get all up in your business, but... I showed up last fucking week and everyone's all all over me about this shit already."
"Yo, yo, it's cool." April held her hands up, a tendril or two whipping out in her alarm. "It's cool. Bro? Uh, fellow mutant? I don't know, I didn't ask pronouns and your name doesn't give it away the way mine might." She tried for a smile, but it didn't come out quite right. "You don't have to know the answers immediately. We just get curious. Take your time. Get settled. Meet people. Figure out where you fit, decide if you want to fit there. You'll be working mostly with Kyle until then, he's... I guess you could say in charge of any minors and peeps without a team? Helps you with self-defense, working on your powers, tags you in if you're willing and a team needs your type of help. But you don't have to rush it, and like he told me... your first choice doesn't lock you in forever. But if you have an idea, we can direct you to the people to talk to, y'know? That's probably why everyone is asking."
"I'm just trying to get settled here, okay? You can all back off. And look, no offense, I don't give a fuck who this Kyle guy is but he sounds like he's the guy you park people with. I don't need a fucking keeper or whatever. Fuck." Madin took a step back, watching April carefully in case she moved again.
April shrugged. "Yeah, sure, take the time you need to get settled." She casually shot out a web, pulling her gym bag to her feet and plopping down on the floor to start her cooldown stretches. Well, in this case more interim stretching, because after this she was definitely just going to go back to Muscle Beach or whatever and do some workouts on the enhanced equipment instead. "Just trying to share info." Was the person in front of her skittish in general, or because of her powers? If it was the first, she wanted to give space, but if it was the second, well. Not something she was willing to deal with today.
Madin consciously calmed themself. Distance powers but clearly not after a fight. This was okay. This was safe. "Sure. Thanks."
April took several deep breaths as she stretched, trying to find a neutral place to interact from. "I know this place is... a lot. It was for me too. People are - can be - very nice. But also very curious. I got a lot of it out of the way by introducing myself while I was still down in medical. First thing I did once I was conscious, handed the tech we use around here, and had given Doug what paperwork I had on me so he could establish my identity." She shrugged, a 'what can you do about it?' look on her face. "Don't be surprised if you get a lot of that."
Madin nodded. "I'll do the introduction thing, I guess. Someone else mentioned that. I forget who, but."
"All our faces kinda blur together for a while? I get that. Been here a year and there are still people with names and faces I can't match, and I don't mean the shapeshifter guy either." April thought about it for a minute. "I mean, his suits are kinda distinctive. But hey. Do you like dogs? It's almost time for me to walk Boris. He's very friendly, if you'd like to meet him."
"Something like that," Madin admitted. "Uh, yeah, sure. I was going to work out but sure. I'd like to meet him."
"Well, it can get you some stairs and a walk in, at least. And hey, if you happen to have super strength, there's a whole other gym for that. Very reinforced." April got to her feet, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Has to be, some of us bust the regular bags if we don't pull our punches, and a regular weight bench doesn't do much when you can lift over a ton."
"Ohhh, that's cool. I don't need that kind of stuff myself but -- damn, that's cool." Madin hadn't yet put down any of their things so they continued awkwardly holding them and followed April to the door.
"Yeah, I think he's out tonight, but my roommate's one of the resident strength enhanced gymrats. I mean, I am too - strength enhanced, but less of a gymrat - but when he's using his powers he outpaces anything I can do. Really embodies that whole Russian 'fizkult privet' thing." She'd led Madin up the stairs as she talked, and a quick turn of the key had a very happy Boris but no Pyotr. As soon as her hand wrapped around the leash the fluffball was at her feet, tail thumping the floor in excitement. "Madin, this is Boris. If you'd like, he'll respond to an ask to S H A K E and I can give you a treat for him after."
Madin knelt to pat the dog, scratching it around the ears. "He's so fucking cute. I love him."
"He's a very good boy, mostly. We got him from one of the local shelters. Pyotr looks absolutely comical with him. I don't know if you've seen him around yet, but he's pretty tall, even without his powers. And this is about as big as Boris will get, so next to my roommate he's practically purse-sized." April grabbed a smaller bag, one with toys, treats, and the necessary poop bags, then clipped the pup into his harness and leash, leading Madin back down the stairs and outside to the side grounds. She gestured at everything with her free hand. "Welcome to part of the very expansive grounds. How are you at catch and throw?" A pink tennis ball - kinda grimy, the brightness faded - appeared in her hand, and Boris got very alert, tail wagging furiously as his eyes locked on the ball.
Madin laughed. "Oh my godddd, he's so cute." They took the ball, and said, "Sit!" holding the ball up high. He sort of sat - butt grazed the ground for an instant. Close enough. They threw the ball and it bounced across the mostly brown grass.
April's grin was wide as she took them both in. "Isn't he though? And social. We've been working hard to make sure he's able to get along with people and generally behave. Can't leave him around the paints though, his first month he clawed up a thankfully small, blank canvas and chewed up a few paintbrushes. He's tried to drink the dirty paint water a few times too." She knelt down as Boris came bounding back, holding out her hand for the tennis ball. "You're a little trash gremlin given the chance, aren't you boy?" she cooed at him, giving him a scratch behind the ears before tossing the ball away for him to chase.
"Did you have dogs growing up? You seem to be pretty comfortable with him."
What was this? Twenty questions? "No," Madin replied shortly. Ugh, that was rude. "My mates did, but."
"Cool. Some people get nervous, so I like to check." And she wouldn't have to warn them about getting in Boris' face, even if he wasn't very bitey unless you were a shoe or a frisbee. "You're welcome to come over if you see us playing. Boris loves having more attention. And treats."
Madin shrugged. "Thanks." They weren't deliberately trying to be rude but the relentless cheerful welcome everyone here gave was just too much. "I'll uh, do that."
Madin eased their way into the gym and stopped just inside the door to look around. Like everything else in the mansion, it was a Lot, capital Lot. There was already someone else in the room. "Uh. Hi?"
April stopped kicking the bag in front of her, holding her hands out to stop it as she assessed the person in front of her. "One of the new people, right?" she asked, crossing the room to hold her hand out. "April Parker, I was new here about a year ago."
A handshake? Oh geeze. Madin reached out awkwardly and gave a vague shake. "Uh. Yeah, hi. I'm Madin. How are you finding it?"
"It's fine. A lot at first, and the quiet in my rooms was weird, but I've gotten used to it. Has anyone given you a grand tour, or did you hit the highlights and decide to explore the rest on your own?" This was possibly the most awkward interaction she'd had, and she was counting her first meetings with Forge in that. And the borscht incident.
"I got the tour." Madin gave a sarcastic smile. "Even got to see the cameras in the hallway and get told to join the fight for mutant rights."
April frowned. "I mean. We should have the same rights as humans, but if you don't want to fight, there are other ways to help. My roommate doesn't really care for fighting either. He does sometimes, because he's very strong and so are some of the bad things this place sees. But I'm pretty sure if he could advance mutant rights just through his art and existing as a mutant, he would. We have some people that provide meals, clothes. Medical help. Papers. I had to have an entire identity created when I showed up, and they paid for me to finish school." She gave a shrug. "So what do you think you want to do?"
"I don't fucking know, all right? I'd like a world where you don't ever have to deal with flatscans or the way they get all up in your business, but... I showed up last fucking week and everyone's all all over me about this shit already."
"Yo, yo, it's cool." April held her hands up, a tendril or two whipping out in her alarm. "It's cool. Bro? Uh, fellow mutant? I don't know, I didn't ask pronouns and your name doesn't give it away the way mine might." She tried for a smile, but it didn't come out quite right. "You don't have to know the answers immediately. We just get curious. Take your time. Get settled. Meet people. Figure out where you fit, decide if you want to fit there. You'll be working mostly with Kyle until then, he's... I guess you could say in charge of any minors and peeps without a team? Helps you with self-defense, working on your powers, tags you in if you're willing and a team needs your type of help. But you don't have to rush it, and like he told me... your first choice doesn't lock you in forever. But if you have an idea, we can direct you to the people to talk to, y'know? That's probably why everyone is asking."
"I'm just trying to get settled here, okay? You can all back off. And look, no offense, I don't give a fuck who this Kyle guy is but he sounds like he's the guy you park people with. I don't need a fucking keeper or whatever. Fuck." Madin took a step back, watching April carefully in case she moved again.
April shrugged. "Yeah, sure, take the time you need to get settled." She casually shot out a web, pulling her gym bag to her feet and plopping down on the floor to start her cooldown stretches. Well, in this case more interim stretching, because after this she was definitely just going to go back to Muscle Beach or whatever and do some workouts on the enhanced equipment instead. "Just trying to share info." Was the person in front of her skittish in general, or because of her powers? If it was the first, she wanted to give space, but if it was the second, well. Not something she was willing to deal with today.
Madin consciously calmed themself. Distance powers but clearly not after a fight. This was okay. This was safe. "Sure. Thanks."
April took several deep breaths as she stretched, trying to find a neutral place to interact from. "I know this place is... a lot. It was for me too. People are - can be - very nice. But also very curious. I got a lot of it out of the way by introducing myself while I was still down in medical. First thing I did once I was conscious, handed the tech we use around here, and had given Doug what paperwork I had on me so he could establish my identity." She shrugged, a 'what can you do about it?' look on her face. "Don't be surprised if you get a lot of that."
Madin nodded. "I'll do the introduction thing, I guess. Someone else mentioned that. I forget who, but."
"All our faces kinda blur together for a while? I get that. Been here a year and there are still people with names and faces I can't match, and I don't mean the shapeshifter guy either." April thought about it for a minute. "I mean, his suits are kinda distinctive. But hey. Do you like dogs? It's almost time for me to walk Boris. He's very friendly, if you'd like to meet him."
"Something like that," Madin admitted. "Uh, yeah, sure. I was going to work out but sure. I'd like to meet him."
"Well, it can get you some stairs and a walk in, at least. And hey, if you happen to have super strength, there's a whole other gym for that. Very reinforced." April got to her feet, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Has to be, some of us bust the regular bags if we don't pull our punches, and a regular weight bench doesn't do much when you can lift over a ton."
"Ohhh, that's cool. I don't need that kind of stuff myself but -- damn, that's cool." Madin hadn't yet put down any of their things so they continued awkwardly holding them and followed April to the door.
"Yeah, I think he's out tonight, but my roommate's one of the resident strength enhanced gymrats. I mean, I am too - strength enhanced, but less of a gymrat - but when he's using his powers he outpaces anything I can do. Really embodies that whole Russian 'fizkult privet' thing." She'd led Madin up the stairs as she talked, and a quick turn of the key had a very happy Boris but no Pyotr. As soon as her hand wrapped around the leash the fluffball was at her feet, tail thumping the floor in excitement. "Madin, this is Boris. If you'd like, he'll respond to an ask to S H A K E and I can give you a treat for him after."
Madin knelt to pat the dog, scratching it around the ears. "He's so fucking cute. I love him."
"He's a very good boy, mostly. We got him from one of the local shelters. Pyotr looks absolutely comical with him. I don't know if you've seen him around yet, but he's pretty tall, even without his powers. And this is about as big as Boris will get, so next to my roommate he's practically purse-sized." April grabbed a smaller bag, one with toys, treats, and the necessary poop bags, then clipped the pup into his harness and leash, leading Madin back down the stairs and outside to the side grounds. She gestured at everything with her free hand. "Welcome to part of the very expansive grounds. How are you at catch and throw?" A pink tennis ball - kinda grimy, the brightness faded - appeared in her hand, and Boris got very alert, tail wagging furiously as his eyes locked on the ball.
Madin laughed. "Oh my godddd, he's so cute." They took the ball, and said, "Sit!" holding the ball up high. He sort of sat - butt grazed the ground for an instant. Close enough. They threw the ball and it bounced across the mostly brown grass.
April's grin was wide as she took them both in. "Isn't he though? And social. We've been working hard to make sure he's able to get along with people and generally behave. Can't leave him around the paints though, his first month he clawed up a thankfully small, blank canvas and chewed up a few paintbrushes. He's tried to drink the dirty paint water a few times too." She knelt down as Boris came bounding back, holding out her hand for the tennis ball. "You're a little trash gremlin given the chance, aren't you boy?" she cooed at him, giving him a scratch behind the ears before tossing the ball away for him to chase.
"Did you have dogs growing up? You seem to be pretty comfortable with him."
What was this? Twenty questions? "No," Madin replied shortly. Ugh, that was rude. "My mates did, but."
"Cool. Some people get nervous, so I like to check." And she wouldn't have to warn them about getting in Boris' face, even if he wasn't very bitey unless you were a shoe or a frisbee. "You're welcome to come over if you see us playing. Boris loves having more attention. And treats."
Madin shrugged. "Thanks." They weren't deliberately trying to be rude but the relentless cheerful welcome everyone here gave was just too much. "I'll uh, do that."
