xp_logs | Shan and Cecilia, Thursday evening

Shan and Cecilia meet on the evening of Shan's arrival. There's a lot of cuteness, and they get along splendidly.

They were around here. Somewhere. She was sure they were. Xi'an Coy Manh stopped at the bottom of the staircase to breathe, craning her neck to look around the corner. There, she thought triumphantly, digging in her pocket to retrieve the vitamins. "Leong," she called innocently up the stairs, edging toward the corner where the kids were hiding in a distinctly sneaky fashion. "Nga? C'mon, guys, we can play hide and seek later." She heard the telltale giggle of her little sister, muffled instantly by what she guessed was a brotherly hand, and grinned. It took a few moments for her to reach the corner, and she leaned against the wall, waiting to pounce.

"Shh," she heard Leong hiss, sounding panicked. She grinned again; you'd think these kids were avoiding being taken prisoner, rather than having to swallow the purple Flintstones vitamins they'd taken since they were old enough to express preference for Fred or Wilma.

She was very, very quiet, until she heard a very tentative nine-year-old, "Are we safe now?" and the subsequent affirmative.

No more late night TV in motel rooms for these kids, she thought, and swung around the corner, grabbing Leong across the stomach before he could yelp and wriggle away. "HELP!" he shouted dramatically, scrambling in vain -- he was still nine, and she was still determined -- to get away. "Kidnapping! Murder! 'Stortion!"

"Blackmail!" chimed in Nga helpfully. Shan barely contained her laughter, although amusement was clearly written all over her face.

"Vitamins," Shan said cheerfully, handing Nga hers and setting Leong on his feet. "I win, guys."

"You always win," Leong grumbled, crunching his pill desolately. "Don't like vitamins."

While a cry of 'help' was certainly enough to pry Cecilia's attention away from her book and send her scrambling out of the rec room, the following cries did much to ease her immediate reaction to a slightly less panicked one. Oh, good - she wasn't sure if she could survive another crisis so soon, without losing her grip on her precious, precious sanity.

Still. She was all curious, now. After a few moments, her head poked over the railing to peek down towards the foot of the stairs, her head tilted inquisitively to one side as she surveyed the trio responsible. Huh. Nope, nobody she knew yet.. and despite her refusal to call herself 'social', she really could stand a break from her book. Besides. She could tease the tiny ones.

"Oh, tut. Nothing wrong with vitamins. They're much better than.. the alternatives."

Shan glanced up at the woman on the stairs, amused. "That's what I've been telling them," she said seriously. "But they just won't listen."

"What 'ternatives?" Leong muttered balefully. "Men don't take vitamins." He ignored the longsuffering feminist older sister standing over him, just barely holding back a long talk on the virtues of disposing gender stereotypes.

"Or ninjas," Nga nodded, managing a pout for the sake of her brother. "I'm gonna be a ninja." Shan just shook her head; she'd clearly heard these arguments before.

"A most noble profession," Cecilia replied solemnly to Nga, sneaking a quick grin towards Shan as she decided to go ahead and make her way down the stairs. "And no, some men don't take vitamins.. the ones who don't get shots, instead."

The change was immediate; Leong, no longer cleverly disguised by his tough-guy veneer, paled. "Shots?" he squeaked.

Cecilia nodded, lowering herself down to sit on one of the stairs. "Uh-huh. If I were you, I'd stick with the vitamins." Pausing, she casts a shify-eyed glance around the hallway, then quiets her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Doctor McCoy got one of those shots once. He's the really big, blue guy? He has a big box of vitamins in his office now. Never seen a grown beast cry before then.."

Leong cast a sulky look at Shan. "Bet you paid her to say that," he muttered, but the fight had left him at the first mention of shots. Pointy things were not his strong suit. "'S against my civil liverties."

"Liberties," Shan corrected absently, struggling to maintain a straight face. "And of course I didn't. Don't even know her name, as a matter of fact." She directed the last at Cecilia, curious.

"I could've gotten paid? Aw, nuts, I should have held out 'til later." She pouted, comfortably folding her arms across her knees. The back of her head was sure she ought to feel guilty about messing with an impressionable youth.. but it was fun. Worry about silly things like a conscience later. In the meantime.. she just grinned. "I'm Cecilia."

"Paid is a strong term. 'Thanked profusely' might be more appropriate. I'm Shan, that's Nga, and Mr Tough Guy here is Leong," Shan said with a grin, mussing Leong's hair affectionately. Leong stuck his tongue out at her; Nga beamed. "I'm the new librarian."

Cecilia sighed long-sufferingly. "Profuse gratitude is good, too..! I probably could have finagled a sandwich out of it, at least." But, she shook her obviously deep disappointment off, regaining her grin as she offered a hand towards.. well.. whoever was interested. Turns could even be taken. She was a patient woman. "Nice to meet you three. I'd offer a tour, but I haven't been here for very long, myself."

Shan smiled and shook Cecilia's hand firmly. "That's all right. These two are quite the intrepid explorers, at least before bedtime," she said, ignoring the requisite pouts at the mere mention of bedtime. "And there's no shortage of bright kids to show us around if we get lost." Her expression let on that she could get lost in this mansion for days and not care. "How long have you been here, if you don't mind my asking? I get the feeling we're not the only new arrivals."

"A month, I think," Cecilia murmured thoughtfully, managing not to look too surprised as she thought about that. Well.. so much going on, it makes the time fly. "I still haven't really had a chance to get settled. Been.. very, very distracted." She grinned sheepishly.

Shan grinned. "This is a great place for that," she said. "I was ecstatic to land the job here."

"She screamed," Leong and Nga chorused with identical angelic beams.

She had the grace to look sheepish. "Only a little bit."

"I screamed, too," Cecilia admitted, trying not to look too amused as she glanced between Shan and the kids. "Though I mostly screamed 'cos the woman who drove me here is completely insane. If Miss Blaire ever invites you to go for a drive with her? Seatbelts. I cannot stress this enough."

"You drove with a rock star and feared for your life?" Shan grinned. "Colour me not surprised."

Cecilia stuck out her tongue. "I had no choice! She didn't tell me she was Alison Blaire until we were already in the car! She's crafty."

"And you didn't recognize her? Not up to date on your mutant celebrities, clearly," Shan teased.

"Shan has a list of them," Nga said solemnly.

"I do not have a list." Well, maybe a little one. She turned on the twins. "Why don't you two go see if you can con someone into watching you at the pool?" she suggested sweetly. They exchanged looks -- having been on Shan's case to let them swim since they'd heard there was a pool -- and were off like bullets, shouting "Bye!" at Cecilia's back. "Works like a charm," Shan murmured. "Just mention manipulation and the pool and voila -- adult conversation."

Grinning, Cecilia waved after Nga and Leong as they rushed off. "Maybe they'll get lucky and Paul will be out there," she mused, glancing sidelong at Shan. "Though I think that would be me getting lucky. The thought of him watching a couple kids their age around the pool is far, far too funny."

"Paul?" Shan asked politely, although there was a gleam in her eyes that wasn't entirely unknowing. She was fishing. Just a little.

Just a little. "Jean-Paul Beaubier," Cecilia supplied, winking as she pushed herself back to her feet. "And yes, he really is that pretty. TV does not do him justice."

Shan, to her credit, did not squeak. But she looked pretty damn close. "Wow," she said instead, collecting herself. "I mean, I heard he was teaching here, but I wasn't sure, and -- wow." She grinned. "He was pretty much my personal hero all through college. Doing the mutant rights thing." Among other things. "Prettier than on TV? Is that even possible?"

"Oh, go ahead and squee," Cecilia laughed, grinning as she eyed the other woman. "Promise not to tell anybody, even if it's really, really cute." She paused, thinking for a moment, then added, "I could introduce you, if you want? If we showed up at his door with a bowl of popcorn and a Hugo Weaving movie, I don't think he could possibly turn us away."

Shan laughed. "I've done all my squeeing for the summer, I think," she said wryly. "Any more and I'm over the legal limit, even if I am cute about it. But I'll take you up on that introduction -- if you promise not to laugh if I go all hero-worshippy. I've done that enough recently."

"If I laugh, I promise to be quiet about it," Cecilia grinned, though she paused, and amended, "Or at least cute about it. It depends on just how hero-worshippy you go, and what kind of expression he gets. But I'll try, I promise."

Shan looked martyred for a moment, then grinned. "That's all I can ask," she said. "I mean, I did refer to him only as My Personal God for a good four years there. It might be embarrassing for everyone. Then again, I like to think I've grown up since then." She paused. "Though really, I probably haven't."

Cecilia bit her lip to keep from giggling, because really, that wouldn't be very polite, would it? "I'm sure he'll like you," she replied sagely. "He's so very under-appreciated, you know, and it does his fragile sense of self-worth so much good to know he's loved. Just pretend he's a cat that walks like a man, and you'll be just fine."

Shan pealed with laughter. "Ah, the delicate egos of men must be cared for, after all," she said. "I shouldn't be that bad, anyway, no matter what anyone says. Maybe a little awed, but he's probably used to it, right?"

"Used to it or not, I doubt he'll complain," Cecilia beamed, casting a quick look over her shoulder. "How recently did you guys get here, anyway? Did I ask that yet? Intelligent conversation has me losing track of myself, I'm sorry."

"Oh, we just drove up from Conneticut -- that's where my last job was. I think it nearly killed my van, but . . . " She shrugged good-naturedly. "Got here a few hours ago and recruited some students to carry boxes," she added with a grin.

"Teenagers are excellent for heavy-lifting," Cecilia said approvingly. "You should mention your van's near-death experience to Scott. He's the white guy with the red sunglasses and cheekbones that could cut glass? Sweet man, very good with cars."

"Teenagers are my favourite people," Shan said sincerely. "Helpful, strong, open, and not immune to my numerous charms -- perfect. Would that be Scott Summers? I've been meaning to track him down. Now I've got an excuse; I think the engine was smoking. Just a little bit." She looked sheepish.

"Teenagers are too stubborn and self-righteous for my tastes," Cecilia admitted, shrugging her shoulders helplessly. "You are a far stronger woman than I.. and yes, that'd be Scott Summers. I should show you where his office is, he's damn near always holed up in there."

"That would be great, although the kids here seem fantastic. I did some reading on the journalling system just after I got here," Shan said, looking at Cecilia with amusement. "They seem fairly normal to me, all the usual dramas and earth-shattering occurances. Business as usual, I think. I happen to be somewhat stubborn myself, so I must sympathise with them."

"These are the first teenagers I've ever really interacted with, which probably isn't helping," Cecilia grumbled, suddenly feeling a bit embarassed and not doing a very good job of covering it. What was she so amused about? "I was a bit of a hermit during.. well. School. Pretty much all of it."

Shan grinned; Cecilia was cute, in a way. "Really? That's too bad. I loved school -- well, more university, really. But then, I was the hippie activist."

"Oh, I loved school," Cecilia replied quickly, holding up both hands. "Just not the whole.. being social aspect."

Shan shot her another amused look. "Well, that's part of school, isn't it?" she said gently. "Playing nicely with others?"

Cecilia sniffed, crossing her arms stubbornly. "School is about textbooks, and learning, and making yourself look good to prospective employers. Recess is about playing nicely with others, and I usually spent it reading."

Shan grinned. "'Course it is," she said, amusement dancing in her dark eyes. "I'm guessing you're a doctor or something, what with the vitamin talk and the work ethic. Am I right?" The fact that she was remembering Cecilia vaguely from the journals didn't hurt, either.

Oh, thank God. Change in topic! ..right? "Ah, last year of med school, yes," Cecilia nodded, giving herself a quick mental shake. "Should I be flattered that I'm that easy to make, or very, very sad?"

Shan laughed. "I cheated. I browsed through the journals, remember? I just put two and two together."

"Basic math skills are always a plus," Cecilia mused, reaching up to rub at her forehead. "...please tell me I'm not making as big a fool of myself as I think I am? I'm usually much more together than this."

"Of course not," Shan said, clearly surprised.

She couldn't help but sigh in relief. "Oh, thank God. As we've covered.. not very good at the whole 'social' thing." Cecilia grinned sheepishly.

"I've been told I'm social enough to make up for thousands of anti-social people, so don't worry about it," Shan beamed, clearly unembarrassed.

"I'll try, but I make no promises," Cecilia nodded, dropping her hand back to her side. "This place puts me off-balance on a distressingly regular basis, so I'm not really at my best. Worrying may well ensue."

"Why does it put you off-balance?" Shan asked curiously, intrigued.

Cecilia paused, pursing her lips in thought. How to explain this without sending her packing? "I hope suggesting we sit down somewhere quiet doesn't worry you too much," she said slowly, her grin turning wry.

"Well, I've heard about the commandoes already, so there can't be too much worse," Shan said cheerfully. "What can we expect in a house full of mutants? World's got problems."

"Commandoes, half a dozen students spontaneously vanishing to Asgard, magic, hell dimensions.." Cecilia shrugged helplessly, sitting back down on the stairs. "It's.. a bit different than NYU. Just a teeny bit. Teeny, itty bitty bit."

"Sounds exciting," Shan said, not the least bit kidding. "I'll bet it's different from NYU, though," she added thoughtfully. "Asgard, huh? Magic? Sounds like I need a demonstration. Maybe just of the magic."

"I don't think they could demonstrate Asgard even if they wanted to," Cecilia said slowly, trying not to eye Shan like she thought the woman was completely insane. It was.. sort of working. She just looked a bit wary, that was all. "Exciting's not the word I'd choose, but I'm not about to try and put a stain on that optimism of yours."

Ah, a true cynic -- or at least someone who really tried. "Better pessimists have tried and failed," Shan said cheerfully.

Cecilia nodded, drawing her legs up so she could comfortably pillow her chin against her knees. "Then I won't try," she said agreeably. "I've had bigger optimists try and fail, too."

"Bigger optimists than me? Impossible," Shan countered, then laughed. "But I make it a habit not to try and change anyone. Can't imagine a more frustrating or thankless task, to be honest."

"That's one thing we agree on," Cecilia mused, grinning up at Shan. "I'm sure we'll get along just fine."

"I certainly hope so," Shan said with a warm smile. "You've got no idea how much I cherish adult conversation, living with two nine-year-olds as I have been."

"I can only imagine," Cecilia nodded, thinking for a moment before she shrugged and got to her feet. "In that case.. let me show you where my suite is. Or, well, my half-a-suite, anyway, but the point stands. Show you where to come hide if you need adult conversation."

"Sounds like a plan," Shan beamed. "Although there is always the library. It's quiet, and not exactly the dating hotspot, from what I can tell."

"Neither's my room," Cecilia replied brightly, making a beckoning gesture as she turned to start back up the stairs. "C'mon."

"Okay, okay," Shan laughed, and followed Cecilia, pleased with herself for finding someone so nice already.

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