ArchivedLogs:New People

New People
Dramatis Personae Dakota and Nekara	2017-02-03 "He teaches French. I'm taking Russian. -You- have an accent."
Location <XS> Library
Xavier's librarian might hope the library is a quiet place to sit and study, but with a school full of teenagers that is not always the case. Nevertheless, it is certainly a treasure trove of knowledge, well-stocked with a wealth of books on its high shelves. Its reference section is vast, though its fiction is as well (much to the delight of many of its students.) The wide octagonal tables and smaller armchairs are often crowded with students, though the whispered conversations that often take place leave some doubt as to how much work is getting done at any given hour. It's 5:15 in the afternoon when Dakota ambles into the library at Xavier's, looking and smelling freshly cleaned. She wears a turqouise sweatshirt with the hood pulled over her wet hair and a pair plaid pajama pants. The short girl is wearing shoes as well, a pair of sneakers in light blue and purple colors, as she makes her way around some students, a piece of paper in her hand. Pausing for a moment, she glances down at the note before looking up and squinting at the various sections of the room. Nekara is sitting at one of the chairs around a table, a book open front of her that she is reading through, while occasionally making notes to a paper next to it. It looks like she has been here for awhile already, judging from how far through the book she has gone and how much notes there are already on said paper. She doesn't seem to have noticed the new arrival yet, which is probably no surprise taking in that people come and go through the library all the time. Dakota turns around, about to head back to the circulation desk for more detailed instructions, when she catches sight of the teacher she very briefly met a few days ago. She squints at the older woman before making her way over to stand by the table. The expression on her face is flat as she approaches, but she begins to look a bit nervous and there's an uncommon hesitation in her voice when she asks, "You're that teacher, right? The new one. Ms. Kemsit or something." A hand brushes a lock of hair out of her eyes. "We met the other day." Nekara looks up from her work when she hears the voice, her unusually colored eyes turning to look the girl over, brows furrowing for a moment before she recalls the girl, offering a smile then. "Ah, yes. I remember... Dakota, right? So, what can I do for you, today?" she inquires with a somewhat curious look, motioning for one of the empty seats at the table in case the girl has some business that will take long enough to sit. Noticing her nervousness, she offers an apologetic smile. "I am sorry that I am making you nervous... I am afraid I cannot do anything about it." Dakota opens her mouth as if to contest the accusation that she's nervous before apparently deciding better of it. Plopping herself down in one of the indicated seats, she fidgets a little under Nekara's gaze before responding. "It's not anything important. I was just wondering what it's like to be a teacher here." Her right fingers find her left sleeve and begin worrying the cloth between them. "You're new and I just got here this semester. Was just curious what it's like and all." Nekara is quite used to people being nervous around her, and simply wishes to do what she can to lessen it as much as she can, by explaining what is causing it. Watching Dakota curiously as she listens to the question, before offering a light laugh. "Well, as you know, I have been here for less than a week, and it has been mostly spent getting settled, my first classes start next week. So, I am afraid that I cannot really give you an overly good answer just yet. I am quite excited to start, though, as so far at least everyone has been very welcoming... which is quite a refreshing change to what I am used to." "Oh," Dakota replies, placing her hands on her lap and squinting suspiciously at Nekara. "Some people here are nice, I guess." There's a pause before she continues. "My parents said I should try to make friends here," she says with a shrug as she switches the topic somewhat. "I thought maybe..." Another shrug as the short girl trails off. "I don't know." She glances down and begins plucking at her sweatshirt sleeve again. "Didya hear about that Jax guy? The one in prison? You're a teacher and all, so I don't know if you would have." Nekara offers a smile to Dakota at her words, nodding in agreement. "That sounds like a good plan, it is always good to have friends. And I imagine will be much more enjoyable too to have people to spend time with after school, than to be all by yourself, don't you think?" she inquires from the teenager, then arching a brow some at the last part. "Hmmm? Well I did read about it, I think it would have been rather hard to not have heard about it when its all over the news." "I'm on the swim team," Dakota states somewhat indignantly, though she does look a bit abashed at Nekara's comment about friends. Her interest, however, is more focused on the other matter. "What does it mean? You're an adult - what does it mean? I heard he used to be a teacher here. What does he mean about not registering? I thought that was the law or something." The girl's eyes squint again at the woman. "You're a teacher - do you agree with him?" Nekara nods at the information about the swim team. "Thats good, everyone needs a hobby... or a few." she notes, then arches a brow some when Dakota asks her more about the registration issue, taking in a deep breath as she crosses her fingers on the table. "It is the law, for now at least, though laws can be changed. Like for example, that particular law wasn't a thing until few years ago, if enough support can be gathered against it, then it can be revoked. I believe he is working on gathering that support. But, you don't need to worry about registering for a few more years anyway, as its only required when you are eighteen, and if this Jax gets enough people behind his cause, it might well be that it will be gone already by then. I do think that he is on the right cause here, but I would not recommend breaking any laws while campaigning against it, that might cause more harm than good." Dakota narrows her eyes yet again at Nekara and nods slightly at her response. "So you agree with him." Then, completely switching topic once more, she asks, "What do you teach?" A glance is given to the book the teacher has been reading, but it's hard to tell what it's about when one can't see the cover. "Anything good?" Nekara arches a brow some at Dakota's question, shrugging. "As I said, I agree that the law is not that reasonble and it would be better if we could have it revoked. But I don't really agree with breaking the law while it is still in effect. That only gives the kind of people who pushed that law through in the first place some actual reasons to use in their propaganda against us. And it would also set a bad example that people could just ignore whatever law they happen to disagree with." Leaning back some at her chair and crossing one leg over the other as the teen changes the topic again. "At least for starters, I will be teaching history. Especially the more older times, you know, the interesting times that they seem to be so fond of making movies of these days, most horribly inaccurate in their depictions of their time periods." She notes with a sigh. "Hmm? Oh this is just some boring work stuff." "What, like Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark? That movie's old already." After all, it did come out nineteen years before Dakota was born, but the girl nods at the others things Nekara says. "You seem smart. What you said made sense and you weren't -rude- about it like other adults are. You're nice, too. So what are you teaching history for?" Apparently she is not a very big fan of the subject. "They've made us learn about U.S. History in elementary school, middle school, and now high school. How much can it change? It doesn't. Why do you folx always insist on teaching us about history? It's so -boring-." The short teenager leans back in her chair, folding her arms, and grumbles, "Most of the subjects are boring." Nekara chuckles a bit at the film example. "Well, there have been quite a few in more recent years too. History is very important, because there is many lessons we can learn from it. There is a saying that those who do not heed the lessons of history, are bound to repeat it. A very good example of that is that whole registration act you asked about earlier, and the discrimination of mutants as a whole. They are repeating the exact same mistakes that were done towards black people and native americans before that. Less than hundred years ago in this very country, black people were not allowed in same schools with the white. Now they are doing the same to mutants. It did not last then, and it wont last now. And that was just one example. History is important because it is much better to learn from other peoples mistakes, than having to learn from your own because you didn't pay attention to them. Like, did you know that there was a time when it was deemed attractive for women to have large eyes, so it was fashion for young women to drip drops of belladonna extract to their eyes to dilate their pupils? Which we know now is a very dangerous poison and doing that can cause blindness." "Black people and Native Americans still have it tough," Dakota mumbles, adding her thoughts on the matter. "We're allowed in the same schools. Mostly. I think." It seems the teen has missed the bigger point Nekara was trying to make. "I -- uh --" She turns her head, hiding her gaze from the teacher. "-- got expelled from the last two I was in. Had to lie at the last one. But then I blew out the windows at the front of the school." A hand reaches up to tuck some hair behind her ear. "Wasn't my fault. But nobody else made that mistake in history. Or they never taught us about that." Now she returns her attention to Nekara. "Yeah, okay, so it's interesting to -some- people and -some- people learn from it, but it's still wicked boring." She taps her fingers on the table in front of her before reluctantly admiting, "But that thing about the...what? bell donna? that's kind of cool." "Bella donna... it means 'beautiful woman' in Italian, now you know where it got that name from, while in English, it is just a deadly poison." Nekara offers, some food for thought. Her green eyes watching Dakota as she listens to what she says about her school history. "Because of your powers? Don't worry, Dakota. Here you will learn how to control them, so that accidents like that don't happen anymore." she assures the teen with a friendly smile. "It's dumb. My power is dumb. I've been practicing for two years and I -still- lose control like one third of the time." The teenager shifts in her seat, bringing her knees to her chest and putting her feet on the edge of the chair. "It's useful and it can be -fun-, but it--" She cuts herself short and seems about to squint at Nekara before averting her eyes from the teacher's green ones. "You know most of the boys are calling -you- a beautiful woman - you know that, right? They say you're pretty young. Actually I've heard that most of teachers here are pretty young. Like Mr. Tessier." She begins plucking again at her sleeve. "Sounds like you are making good progress then, Dakota. you are already sixty six percent better at controlling it than when you started. Keep up the practice and I am sure it wont take long for you to go the last thirty four percent as well." Nekara offers, preferring to look at it from the opposite angle. Her brow arching some at Dakota saying the compliment to her, even if it is said in a round about way like that. "Well... they are certainly entitled to having their own opinions... but I wont give them any leeway in exams still." she offers in reply with a slight chuckle. "I don't think I have met Mr. Tessler yet, but I am sure I will sooner or later." "They're dumb." This in reference to the aforementioned boys. "He teaches French. I'm taking Russian. -You- have an accent." The fifteen year-old seems to speak her mind with little to no filter and to switch topics easily. She looks again at Nekara, tilting her head to the side. "I'm from Massachusetts. Where're you from? Do you miss it?" Nekara doesn't comment at the opinion on the boys, only offering a smile to the girl, nodding to what she says about the languages. "Hmmm, maybe I could teach Arabic also... if there would be enough interest. Will have to discuss that with the faculty at some time, but I wont worry about that until the history courses are going. And yes, yes I do. I didn't really actually use English much until I started working on moving here. I am from Cairo... Egypt. And, yes I do. It is so cold in here compared to there, and I miss all the places I used to go... can't say that would have had too many friends that had to leave behind, it has been fairly hard to make friends because of... well that thing thats making you nervous near me also. It has been quite surprising that some of the people I have met here do not seem affected at all... like your friend who showed me around that first day, Taylor. I have not seen anyone look that at ease around me since it first started happening, over ten years ago." Shaking her head some as she realizes she has drifted quite a bit off topic. Dakota's eyes are wide with intrigue as she listens closely to what Nekara says - it seems the teacher has finally found something that captures the girl's attention. "Cairo? Egypt? Isn't that far away?" She furrows her brows and shakes her head, however, at one of Nekara's other statements. "Taylor isn't my friend. My friends all back home like yours are. Friends are...dumb." It's clear she doesn't actually think friends are dumb; perhaps it's something of a sore topic for her. "I had 'friends' at my last school," she says, gesturing with her fingers to make air-quotes. "I had to lie to them so I could go there. And then--and then one of them had to go and--" Now she's blushing. A moment passes before she regains her composure enough to ask, "How do you do it? The thing you do. Makin' people...nervous?" Nekara chuckles a bit at Dakota's first question. "Hmm, have you been not paying attention at geography classes either, young lady?" she questions somewhat teasingly. "But yes, it is very far away." Hmmming as Dakota tells about her friends, or rather, lack of them. "I am sure that you will get friends here too, just give it bit of time, didn't you say that you were quite new here as well? Perhaps Taylor could become one if you give her a chance? She did seem like a very nice person to me at least." Going silent for a moment as the teen asks about her mutation, definetily not her favorite topic. "I don't really know, actually. It isn't anything conscious, but just happens... I don't have any control over it, I don't even feel anything happening. I think that it is somehow linked to my... other side, though." Dakota's blush deepens slightly as she regards Nekara with suspicion. "I pay plenty of attention! It's like--Egypt's like in Africa or something. I know where it is. So that means you can't teach it to me? And what other side? Do you mean you're a vampire or something? And we all grew up together, it's not the same. I don't know Taylor at all. We don't have anything in common other than me and them going to the same school." She gestures with her hands in exasperation. "Besides, that's what my -parents- say. 'Just give it time' or 'you have to be willing to meet new people'. It's dumb. They're dumb. They don't know anything about friends." There's a definitive pout on her face as she crosses her arms and concludes, "I know where Egypt is." "You are also both mutants, which means you don't need to try to hide that from her, which should make things much easier already. Yes, you don't know Taylor now, but if you go talk to her at some point when you both have free time, then you can change that. You never know anyone until you go talk with them, like how you are doing with me right now." then laughing softly at the question about if she is a vampire. "Not quite... I transform to a large cat. Kind of like what Taylor looks like, or to an actual four-legged one. I think it might be that side of me that people can somehow sense which makes them nervous." Dakota actually looks a little bit disappointed that Nekara is not a vampire, but just for a moment before her eyes widen again. "Oh. So you're like a werewolf? Were...cat? That's wicked freaking cool." Then the girl's eyes squint once more at the teacher. "Can you bite me? Is it -- is it like a werewolf? And maybe I don't want to make new friends. Maybe I like my old ones just fine." Nekara blinks in surprise at the girls question, then shakes her head some and chuckles. "I think you have watched too many movies. I am a mutant, just like you. It is genetical, we are born with our abilities. Can't just transfer them like that. Also, it does have some practical problems too that they always ignore in the movies, like my clothes do not exactly magically disappear and re-appear when I change forms." "Oh. That's...I like movies," Dakota confesses, ducking her head at the accusation that she watches too many - it's probably true. "I like fantasy. And magic. My friend Kelly and I, we used to talk about it a lot. I can shoot blasts from my hands." Apparently she thinks it's fair that she disclose her powers when Nekara has disclosed her own. "But not like...you can't see it. It's invisible. And it varies in power. Like I could punch a hole in this table with it. Or I could just push your book away without touching it. But it doesn't always work like I want it to and sometimes I can't get it to stop." Her eyes glance to Nekara, then down, shoulders pulling in towards each other. "It can get scary." Nekara nods as she listens Dakota explaining in more detail how her powers work, she had already guessed the general idea from the girls earlier mention of blowing up the windows of her previous school. "That definetily sounds quite dangerous, so it is important that you keep practicing regularly to control them. Even if it is scary. It is scary because you don't know yet how to control it, people are always most afraid of that which they don't understand, but as you learn to understand it more, it wont be so scary anymore." Looking up to the clock at the wall, she frowns some. "It is almost dinner time, thank you for coming to talk to me Dakota, it is always nice to get to know new people. But I think that we should get ready for dinner." "Um, yeah, thanks," Dakota replies to Nekara as she starts sliding off her seat into a standing position. "Some of the other students said you're scary, but I told them they were being dumb," she offers with a shrug. "You're smart, too, like I said. Maybe I'll take one of your classes sometime." The teenager walks off a few steps before pausing and turning around. Squinting her eyes at the teacher, she ventures, "You want to head over together? You're new. Don't want you getting lost."