7921/Reliving Trauma in the Back Yard.

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Reliving Trauma in the Back Yard.
Date of Scene: 21 September 2021
Location: Back Yard
Synopsis: No description
Cast of Characters: Dashenka Ivanov, Clarice Ferguson, Gabby Kinney




Dashenka Ivanov has posed:
Dashenka is out patrolling the school grounds today. Not because the school grounds needs patrolling, but because Dashenka simply doesn't know what to do with herself. The absolute freedom to do whatever you want after classes has left the mutant adrift at sea.

The weather has turned mild, heralding the beginning of fall, which means that Dashenka is far more comfortable outside than when she was during the summer. She welcomes the turn of the weather with whole heart and can't wait for winter to come.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Lorna had not been in her room - which left Clarice a bit at loose ends, as she wanders out into the yard. 'You at the school?' she texts her friend - staring at her phone for a moment as if waiting for an immediate response. When it doesn't come, she shoves it into a pocket with a sigh. So much for that notion.
    She steps further out into the yard, pondering if she should simply return to the Asteroid - or maybe hop over to Harry's for a drink - that's when she spots the hulking figure of the massive teenage girl moving around the edges of the property. The way she moves - the alertness, the girl seemed to have training.
    Interesting. But she must belong, right? Even though she didn't recognize the kid.
    Clarice, of course, dressed in green and with her bright magenta contrasting skin tone stands out starkly to anyone even paying the smallest modicum of attention.

Dashenka Ivanov has posed:
Dashenka stops when she sees a new face. The purple skin doesn't seem to throw her at all, but the fact that she hasn't seen her around before does cause her to question her presence.

She walks up to Clarice and gives her a curt nod. "Privyet," she says. "I have not seen you in school. Are you teacher?" Her comically thick Russian accent indicates that the girl is a foreigner to the country.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Just a visitor. I'm a friend of one of the former students here," Clarice remarks simply, giving a shrug of her shoulders. "Name's Clarice."
    She studies the large, russian girl, curiosity on he features. "You're new here, though. Yeah? I hope you're settling in alright. It's a nice enough place - with nice enough people."
    Glancing around she remarks, "Don't suppose you spotted Lorna Dane while you were out on your patrol? She's the one with the green hair."

Dashenka Ivanov has posed:
Clarice gets another curt nod from Dashenka as she introduces herself. "I am Dashenka. It is good to meet you," she says rotely. The question of whether or not she is settling in gives the girl pause. "Am doing best," she admits. "Do not know what to do when not at class."

As for the question of whether or not Lorna has been seen she says, "I have not seen woman with green hair. I will look for her in future. Will tell her you are looking for her."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Ha! I know that feeling," Clarice agrees with an amused grin. "Raven used to really ride my ass about getting a few hobbies. You know? Like she has any." She smirks with amusement at the thought. "I still really have three things I mainly do. Working, studying, and drinking." Oh, there's a healthy life-style to promote to a teen.
    "But sometimes I spend time with friends - or watch a movie or something. I liked Men in Black. Hank recommended it."

Dashenka Ivanov has posed:
Dashenka grunts. "Have been told same. Get hobby, but how to choose? There is so many. They say, 'explore, have fun' but that is all they say." She grumbles, "I wish they would tell me what to do. Would make it easy. Like Ms. Mallick. She told me to dance, so I dance. It is... I do not know if I like it."

As for the matter of friends, she says. "I have been told I have friend. Roxxi. I do not know what to do with her. I have watched movie but ... it is so confusing. I do not know what is going on."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Well, when you decide if you like it or not, you tell her," Clarice suggests, giving a shrug of her shoulders. "If she's a decent sort, she won't mind either way." She looks off across the lawn for a moment, her expression thoughtful as she tries to decide if she can think of any helpful hobbies to recommend to the girl. It's not like Dashenka can take up snorkeling on a tropical island as her hobby - or she'd recommend it. Instead, with a shrug, she says, "Watch Men in Black. It's a movie - it was kind of funny. Maybe you'll like it, but if you don't - you've only wasted two hours. Though, if you think movies are confusing - that one might be confusing," she remarks in an amused tone.
    "Movies are just trying to tell stories. They have actors - people whose job it is to pretend to be someone they're not. To help tell the story. Men in Black is about, umm... a made up government agency trying to stop made up aliens from invading Earth, basically," she explains, standing next to Dashenka on the lawn, not very far from the house.

Dashenka Ivanov has posed:
Dashenka gives Clarice a nod. "I will tell her," she says. "Once I am certain if I like it or don't." Her piercing blue eyes shift out to stare in the distance. "Am still unsure. Is still so new, so will give it time."

"I know what movies are," Dashenka says, her eyes snapping back to Clarice. "It is just... everything is new. So many questions. I ask, but get told to be quiet and enjoy movie." She sounds a little bit frustrated at this. "How can I enjoy movie when nothing makes sense?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Fair. That's fair," Clarice agrees, her tone and expression thoughtful. "Well. What you gotta go - you should find someone to watch the movie with you who's //seen// it before, and won't mind if you ask a lot of questions. So- well, you should ask Hank if he'll watch Men in Black with you. He's seen it before, and I don't think he'd mind the questions. He's a nice guy."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney comes out from the door that leads into the house proper wearing nothing more than a bathingsuit, flipflops, and a towel draped over her shoulders. She's got swim goggles on her forehead as well so it's obvious she was planning something aquatic. Seeing the two here though she pauses to grin brightly at them with a perhaps unnecessary wave. "Hey! What're you guys doing? I was about to head to the pool and see how long I can stay underwater without breathing. I was up to almost two minutes last time!"

Dashenka Ivanov has posed:
"Hank?" Dashenka asks, trying to remember which teacher Hank is. "He is... er... blue furry one? School doctor?" She nods. "Will ask for help," she promises. There's a lull in the conversation as Dashenka thinks. "Why do you like this 'Men in Black'." It's not a challenge, but rather an honest question.

Dashenka's icy blue eyes turn to meet Gabby. "Privyet," she tells her. At the mention of the pool a bit of excitement leaks from the girl's impassive mask. "I can hold breath for four minutes, thirty seconds," she says proudly. "As bear, five minutes. I would like to swim, but they do not let me be bear in pool."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "That's Hank," Clarice confirms. "Dr. Henry McCoy. He's kind, and patient. And I guess pretty smart, too." There's definite amusement at the corners of her lips and in her eyes as she says that. "And - well. I don't know. It was fun, and it was silly. But it was exciting too. It's, umm, an action-comedy sort of thing."
    Gabby is greeted with a friendly nod and a smile - since she was familiar enough with the diminuative girl - Dashenka's comment gets her a puzzled look, however. "Why won't they let you be a bear in the pool? That's ridiculous. Hank has fur - are they going to tell him to stay out of the pool? Or Kurt?"

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney goes rather wide-eyed at Dashenka's statement of four minutes. That was a lot after all, and though she herself could probably do better than two... She didn't have the patience usually. "Sweeeeet... and yes, there's no reason someone with fur can't be in the pool. Rahne, too, and..." There's a pause as she steps closer to Dashenka, her voice dropping conspiratorially low, "Did you say you change into a bear?" Okay maybe it's excited low. "That's so cool! I want to see you swim!"

Dashenka Ivanov has posed:
"I see," Dashenka says with a nod. "Action I will understand. Comedy, maybe not." She looks thoughtful now. "Perhaps students make joke at me," she says about pool. "What you say makes sense. Perhaps I will go to pool, too."

Dashenka's eyes glitter in excitement, matching that of Gabby's. "I will show you." Is that... is that a hint of a smile? Dashenka must really love swimming. She turns to Clarice and asks, "Do you wish to see, too?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "If any of the teachers take issue with it, you can tell them to get pissed at me over it," Clarice offers easily. After all - what does she care if the teachers here get mad at her?
    In response to the eagerness of the two youths in front of her, Clarice shrugs, and offers a nod of agreement. "Sure. I'd love to see a bear. If only Rahne were around - yeah? I bet the two of you could enjoy a game of chase." She smirks in amusement at the thought of the wolf and the bear running around the yard. Xavier's was an odd place. "I didn't exactly bring my bathing suit with me today, though."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"Oh! Wait, yeah, I'm Gabby by the way," offers the very same girl with a wide grin that causes the scars on her cheeks to dimple. "They might have been. Kids are mean. I know, I am one. I mean. KIND of. I get to act like one now that I'm not at the labs anyway," she reasons with a shrug only to nod in agreement with Clarice. "Nah, no one's gonna care. So long as the mess gets cleaned up they're pretty good about letting people do what they want here, especially if it's learning to use their powers. This totally counts," she assures with a solemn nod. "And yeees I wanna see."

Dashenka Ivanov has posed:
Dashenka nods, and turns to walk to the pool. "Come," she commands the other two. "I am Dashenka," she says. "It is good to meet you." That is, after all, the etiquette drilled into her from her foster parents when meeting new people.

"I do not have bathing suit, too," She tells Clarice. "But I do not need one. There is none that fits bear." Was that a joke? It's hard to tell with the deadpan way that Dashenka says it. "I do not know this Rain. She can be animal too, yes?"

"Da," she says to Gabby. "I have been told to be kid, too, but I do not know how. Only other kids was in program. Much like lab, yes? Was all military. No fun allowed. Always training. Always doing... chto eto za slovo snova... experiments? Experiments. Then missions when old enough."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Rahne's in some of the college classes. She's a little scotish lass," Clarice explains, "A few inches shorter than me - but taller than Gabby, here. With red hair, and a thick accent. She turns into a wolf." She accompanies the teens at a casual stroll towards the pool. "She's my girlfriend," she adds simply, and with perhaps a hint of satisfaction in her words.
    "Man," she remarks quietly as she walks. "That's all three of us, huh? We should start a support group - group therapy. 'Hello, my name is Clarice, and I was used as a living weapon...'" She lets out a quiet snort at that idea.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"Oh, yeah, the same," Gabby nods in apparent agreement with Dashenka. "I think it's more the adults wanting to feel as if they're saving us again by letting us be kids, without realizing that we kind of don't know how to do that. The good thing I've found is that there's really no *wrong* way to be a kid." A single hand lifts to point upward as if about to bestow some ultimate wisdom. "Generally, think of the silliest or stupidest thing you can, and do that. Or just try everything until you find what you like. I like doing that with food. Food is easy to figure out what you like or not and it's nice getting to decide." She barely pauses a beat before adding, "Yeah Rahne can turn into a--" Her head snaps around to stare at Clarice with a look of excitement. "You're dating Rahne? Have you smooched? DID RAHNE KISS YOU? Oh my god she's grown up so much!"

Dashenka Ivanov has posed:
Dashenka notably relaxes when it's revealed that the other two girls have had similar backgrounds as she has. "Then you understand," she says. "So much freedom, do not know what to do. People should say, 'Dashenka, do that,' and I will do that and will decide if I like it or not. But instead they say, do anything."

She nods to Gabby. "I am liking all foods," she says, "that are not stew. I do not like stew." She pauses in her walk when Gabby snaps around, scowling at the excitement. "What is special about kissing?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Rahne has been thoroughly smooched," Clarice replies with marked satisfaction, looking amused at Gabby's enthusiasm. This news was going to be all over the school by sunset, wasn't it? She hoped Rahne didn't mind. ...she didn't think she would.
    She shrugs at Dashenka before she replies, "It's a little hard to explain, but... I mean... I don't know. It took me a while to really open up to Rahne, and grow close to her, but once I did, it's- I can't tell you how nice it is, having someone there. At night when I have nightmares, or-" She lets out a quiet sigh as she struggles to find the words. "I don't know. It's just nice having someone you're that close to. It helps."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney nods knowingly. "I don't like oatmeal. At all," she agrees with a crinkle of her nose. Everyone had those meals that were just easy and foisted on them in those situations. You didn't want to touch them after. Dashenka's question though earns a grin in response along with a shrug. "Rahne was really shy before, she was bullied and abused by her father. She wouldn't even come swimming because she was afraid of wearing a swimsuit. It didn't cover enough. So for her to be dating and smooching," she adds with a laugh. "That's great! She's finally relaxing and becoming more confident with herself!"

Dashenka Ivanov has posed:
Dashenka listens intently to Clarice as she explains why it's good to have a girlfriend. "I see," she says scowling. Having somebody to be there for when she has nightmares. That seems... nice, actually. Since the conditioning has worn off she's been having disturbing nightmares. "I think I understand."

She picks up walking towards the pool and nods at Gabby. "I have not tried oatmeal," she admits. "But will give it a try. Maybe I will not be liking it too." She turns to give her a quizzical look, "Is that what they fed you in lab? Stew is what they fed me."

She nods when she's told of Rahne's growth. "This is a good thing, I think." she concludes. "To be at peace with yourself."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I hate her father," Clarice confirms in a quiet voice, with that dangerous edge to it that seems to threaten violence. She would love to make him know just what it felt like to be hurt, neglected, and abused. The sick bastard.
    She clears her throat before adding, "But yes - she's doing better, I think. And my si- my brother just adores her." It's still an adustment, she's working on it. Stepping out onto the pool deck, she'll drop onto one of the lounge chairs casually, still trying to think of specific hobbies she can recommend for Dashenka. "I've been trying to do a lot of reading lately," she remarks. "Rahne likes to read. She reads to me sometimes which- well, it's nice." But that's partly because of he way they curl up together while they're reading. "I think I like comic books, though. It's more fun with all the pictures."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"Exactly. Oatmeal and nutritional shakes, mostly. Won't touch oatmeal. Some people like it though." Not Gabby though. No way no how. A slow, deep breath is taken. "If I ever meet her father he won't have kneecaps anymore. I promised Zelda I wouldn't kill anyone. Intentionally." There was always that chance in a fight though she certainly tried not to, and so far had managed not to. "I don't want to be what the labs wanted me to be." Another grin slowly spreads over her face though at talk of what they do and don't like. "Yeah, I like comics too. So many colors. It was all black and white, maybe some greys in the labs. Got really boring fast. I like colors, too." Looking back to Dashenka she offers, "It'll get easier to figure out what you do and don't like. I try to at least try one new thing a day. I still do things like my training though, just when I want."

Dashenka Ivanov has posed:
The edges of Dashenka's lips pull down in a slight frown. "Perhaps I will like these comic books. I will check library for them." Good, good. Some badly needed direction for Dashenka to try out something new.

She nods in understanding with Gabby. "Da. Yes. Was trained to kill, then made to kill." She stands at the edge of the pool, and starts to unceremoniously disrobe. "I will not kill anymore. This is /my/ choice. But I will fight to protect others. This is also /my/ choice."

She folds and places her clothes in a neat pile next to the deck chairs, and once completely naked, she shifts. Her bear form is /huge/. Standing at just over eight feet tall, it's clear from the white fur and more conical muzzle that she's a humanoid polar bear. The way her legs are configured it looks like she's just as comfortable standing upright as she would be on all fours, and her paws are huge, and tipped with dagger like claws.

"See?" she says, her already gruff voice, gruffer and dropped an octave easy. "Am bear."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Yeah, once you're free, no one can make you kill," Clarice agrees. "It's got to be your choice." Of course, noteably, she doesn't make the same vow as the two younger girls.
    Perhaps if she'd ended up at Xavier's instead of with the Brotherhood she would have eventually come to a different place, in her healing.
    She glances away from the girl as she begins to disrobe, letting her gaze rest on the shifting pattern of light playing across water - until she can see the figure of Dashenka swell and grow even more pale in the corner of her eyes. She turns to study her then, something evaluative in her gaze. Yeah, she could see why a military program snatched up the girl. "Huh. You can talk as a bear - Rahne can't talk as a wolf," she remarks. "...very impressive. I wouldn't want to engage in hand-to-hand with you, when you're like that."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney doesn't seem to mind the disrobing of Dashenka at all. In fact, she barely reacts. No staring or oggling or gasping or looking pointedly away. While Dashenka gets ready to swim, so does she by walking over to one of the lounge chairs to toss her towel onto it, and kick her flipflops off to nudge beneath it out of the way of any splashing. Nudity was just one of those things you got used to when you were in a lab full of nine other sisters. Looking back she watches the transformation with a low, slow whistle. "That's great! Yeah I can see how swimming like that would be fun!"

Dashenka Ivanov has posed:
Dashenka lowers herself to all fours so she's more eye level with the other two. "Da, can speak." She seems more relaxed in this form. A lot less formal, like this is the form she prefers to be in rather than human. "I am very good at hand to hand," she says. "Very dangerous."

She nods at Gabby, her only reply is to take a few steps back, and /leaping/ into the pool causing a huge splash as she deliberately bellyflops into it. Seeing as she's a polar bear she's just at home in the water as she is on dry land so she starts paddling around, clearly enjoying herself. "The pool," she calls out, "It feels good."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Mister Creed's taught me a few things - and he's closer to your size than mine. So I'm used to oversized opponents, but he's wiped the floor with me enough times that..." Clarice winces and rubs at her shoulder, at some remembered impact. "Man, I'd hate to ever see you and him go at it. It'd be a mess." Clarice could always cheat and blink Dashenka away.
    "He- hey!" Clarice calls in protest as she finds herself showered by the bear's belly flop. "I don't have a change of clothes!" she protests.
    Like home is ever far away for her.