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It's getting close to Christmas time in the mansion, and while the Professor does allow some measure of power-use for decorating, it's well known that he likes to have it done by hand for the most part. Currently, there's a massive tree in the foyer that has students around to decorate it, and the Professor himself is on a ladder, stringing lights as he says, "How's it look from down there?" Because, well, he could just peek into their head for the view, but that's rude. And a little creepy.
Arriving back at the campus, Kamala is carrying a small suitcase that carries her clothes from it along with a backpack and a file with her transfer from NYU papers as she enters into the foyer, looking around at the decorating going on. The young woman can't help but to smile - she's finally with students that are close to her age and have abilities as well. It really does help ease her fears of having powers. But she's not moving to join in the decorating yet - after all - she's not exactly.. Christmasy.
Julie is standing right on top of a somewhat shorter stepladder, stringing some greenery up above the doorways, turning somewhat casually for the precarious perch to eye the Prof's light-stringing, with a tilt of her head. As powers go, an uncanny sense of balance usually isn't something Diz thinks much about. "Ah, hrm, howsabout a little more slack on the last loop, there? Maybe a touch high," she says, glancing down as Kamala comes in. "Hey, how ya doing?" she says, in that New York Italian accent.
There's a momentary flash of rememberance. "Oh! You were at the races." Where Kamala totally went shy, before the young woman tucks some hair behind her ear and smiles a bit. "I'm new here." she admits finally, before swallowing. "Nice decorations."
Charles glances over at Julie, "Oh, like so?" He stretches, then hrms, "Oh, Ms. Khan, you're here! Would you like to help? I understand if you don't feel comfortable with it." He smiles, "Julie, this is Kamala Khan, she'll be starting next semester, but is moving in a bit early. But it sounds like you two already met?"
While she's got one of those plastic canes in hand, right at the moment Ruth has it all the way folded up and is just carrying it. The young woman is bundled up with a thick coat and a scarf and gloves and all of it, the skirt she's wearing a heavy one and wet around the hem. She draws up at the end of the hallway at the edge of the foyer, chewing at her lower lip with her teeth. Just a bit.
Julie ahs, and smiles a bit broader, "Oh, hey, right, …over in Jersey. Kamala." Yep, this'd likely be her, checkered flag accessories and all, plus that her Santa hat has some Studebaker ad slogan embroidered on it in glittery thread. She nods, "Yeah, Prof, she dropped in while we was, ah, helping them open the new dragstrip down in Jersey. Small world, eh?" She bows casually from on top of the ladder, "We was just, ah, decking the halls with some stuff."
Speaking of flying horses… Danielle's is somewhere out yonder, enjoying a good romp in the chilly weather. Dani herself heads towards the main entrance, the battered old coat her only visible concession to the winter. She draws up short at the unexpected traffic jam at the entryway, and casts a bemused eye across the progress of the decorations. "Ho ho ho, and a bottle of rum," she greets easily.
"Oh.. I mean.. I don't usually celebrate.." Kamala hesitates as she realizes her first culture clash with the school and finally puts on a brave smile. "In my family, we traditionally do not celebrate or decorate for the holidays, but spend our time in charitable pursuits and giving back - which is why Miss Frost found me down at the community center, helping out." she finally allows, before she moves herself out of the way so that the others could work on the decking of the halls.
Charles nods, "Understandable, of course. And like I said, it isn't a requirement Kamala." He gives her a smile, then blinks as he looks over at Danielle, "I'm a little surprised you didn't try to convince me to have Brightwind put the star on the tree. But considering what happened last time…" He shakes his head, giving Ruth a friendly wave from his perch on the ladder.
Ultimately, Ruth decides that flicking her wrist and extending that light plastic cane is the thing she should do, starting to slip further into the foyer. Her progress in the direction of the stairs is careful, but she does manage to give any ladders or other things in her way a reasonabe berth, never managing to actually bump into anything with the cane that she does have extended. "Hello," she greets.
Julie also waves down there, "Hey, there, Ruth, Dani… I guess bring on the rum," she winks, turning to slip the last bit of a rope of pine boughs onto a hook. She adds, "Oh, ah, meet Kamala, she's new."
"Brightwind?" Kamala asks curiously. But there's that look on the girl's face. One that knows that if she had a pony, she'd totally name it something like that and declare herself the Queen Fairy Princess of Avalon or something as she waves to the others, and then realizes sheepishly that Ruth is in a blindfold. "Oh. Hi. Kamala Khan.. I'm yes.. new."
"It's hardly /my/ fault," Danielle counters with a teasing tone of her own. "He could've had the whole tree, but fir gives him indigestion." She loosens her coat and meanders to one of the boxes of trinkets and begins an idle rummage. "Brightwind's my horse. He's outside… hm. Rolling down the hill out back." Because when nobody's looking, apparently dignity can go hang. "It's looking good," she decides, gesturing towards the festivity. "Ruth, is it? Good to meet you. Kamala, I wasn't expecting to see you lured in by this… this…." Her gesture turns into a mock-accusing fingerwaggle towards Charles.
Charles hmphs, "It's rare to find someone with an affinity for good literature, particularly around here." He glances down at Kamala, "The students were decidedly unimpressed that I spent a summer sabbatical co-habitating with Professor Tolkien in England last year. However, it was quite delightful." Giving a particularly pointed (and far too theatrical) hmph to Dani, he then smiles to Ruth, "How are you today Ruth?"
"Actually, it was Miss Frost that made the pitch, Danielle." Kamala admits a little, a touch of blush on her cheeks. "Meeting you all one at a time was taking forever. This way is much faster!" she says and then giggles. "Oh my gosh, you have a horse? Here? Do they have equestrian courses?!" she starts to ask and then she looks up at Xavier, and she just.. starry eyes. "You did.. what. Why didn't you tell me? I have so many questions! Why did he change continuity? If the elves made the rings, why did they become evil? Where is Sauron's master at?!"
"It's good to meet you both, thank you," Ruth says, lifting the cane and folding it back up again as she draws up a reasonably safe distance back from where there are ladders and things. Her head does tilt some for the shift in Kamala's tone when it happens, teeth pressing again at her lip for a moment. "Confused," she deides on after a long enough moment that it may or may not be recognized as an actual answer for Charles.
Julie presses a hand to her heart and says, "Yo, Tombombadillo," and winks. "Actually I gotta friend keeps pushing me to finish those books," she says, has one more look at what she's been doing, and gets down to move the ladder. She nods, though, "Yeah, that horse is right outta one of them books, though. Never do have time to say hello, it seems." Of course, Dizzy's steeds tend to be four-wheeled. Or six, in the case of the new acquisition out back, which seems to presently have its engine apart for the second time. "But, hey, Kamala, make yourself comfortable, I think there's some hot chocolate ought to be about ready by now.
"I should go find someplace to put my stuff and get settled, since room and board and all of that." Kamala admits quietly. "Are the dorms a share the room type situation?" she asks curiously.
Danielle blinks slowly as Kamala shifts her excitement from horses to books. Elves? Rings? That's just sillytalk. To the Cheyenne mutant valkyrie. "Uh.. huh," is her eventual response, then a relaxed smile for the blindfolded girl. "Confused? About anything in particular? If it's to do with math, I can't help a lick, sorry."
"The language the others are speaking," Ruth turns her head in Danielle's direction when she speaks to her, fairly straight on. "It sounds as if it is English." There's no answer for the new girl's question, though she does offer an encouraging smile over that way. Apparently, there is expectation that someone with a bit more 'seniority' might answer.
Julie ahs to Kamala, "Guess it's kind of mixed, as living arrangements go. I'm kinda camped up in some loft space; I bet there's a spot somewheres in a double room, though, if that's OK. I didn't really ask what's open. I guess I got room if it comes to that."
Kamala takes a few moments to calm down, because she knows she can go a million miles a minute if she lets herself. Taking a couple of breaths, she explains. "The Professor was teasing my love of written science-fiction, having spent time with one of my favorite authors. Wait, does your horse talk?" Apparently she caught on something from what Julie said, and perhaps mistranslated it as the young woman smiles apologetically, reflecting it in her voice. "Sorry.. just.. really excited to finally know.. I'm not really all alone in all this."
"Excitement and jibber-jabber," Dani summarizes for Ruth's benefit, her voice warm with amusement. "And all teasing aside, it really is one of the things I've loved the most about this place. I've always been a bit of a loner, but that doesn't mean I have to be alone. And unless the enrollment has skyrocketed since I was a student, there should be a comfortable amount of privacy in both the girls' wing and the boys' wing." It's a big big school/house, after all. "Brightwind doesn't speak out loud, no, but he is … exceptional, compared to normal horses. In a few ways."
"It's too late now anyway," Ruth agrees with Dani, and then she's falling quiet again, her attention shifting from person to person as the conversation goes on. She does finally shove the folded up plastic in her jacket pocket and pull off the scarf, shake her hair a bit to get some of the wet out.
Charles looks mildly (and for that know him, not seriously) affronted at Kamala, "Teasing? I was doing no such thing. I'm actually quite glad to have someone else here that appreciates the works of Asimov and Tolkien, among others." He glances at Dani, then nods, "Brightwind is, well, yes… exceptional is definitely a good word for him." He then looks back to Kamala, and adds, "And that's the point of the school. We're all in this together."
Julie nods, "Yeah, you was less alone than you thought all along, maybe, Kamala. Hey, since you showed up at the strip, interested in learning some of the turning wrenches? I teach shop here, and, well, driver's ed, when I'm not studying or something."
Okay, Kamala is totally stoked about meeting Brightwind now. Appetite whetted, she is excited, before the young woman chuckles a little. "As the Professor and I were discussing earlier.. I'm going into engineering and design." And perhaps a little robotics now that Riri has piqued her interest with the reveal of her own homemade Iron Girl suit. "I was really there to watch the cars. I mean, a bit of a vice, I had to do some serious charity work to make up for sneaking out."
Danielle is all set to continue the conversation about academics and such, but her mouth snaps shut abruptly and a glower is aimed towards the main doors. "No.. No, get your.." she starts fussing, and clomps to the door, tugging it open just enough to fuss properly. "I don't care! You're covered in mud! Off the porch! We were /not/ talking about .. oh you vain snooty… No, I'm not cleaning it up! Get.. Okay then." She glares a moment longer, then calmly shuts the door and turns back. "Ah. Sorry. Slight disagreement of opinions."
"Do you think you could teach me to drive?" Ruth speaks up again, hopeful voice sent over in Julie's direction before Danielle goes fussing over towards the doors and she laughs, though she quiets herself right back down after, hand coming up to cover her mouth.
|ROLL| Kamala +rolls 1d20 for: 17
Kamala can't help it. Curiosity grabs the girl and tugs her. And her head extends away from her neck and starts to stretch. It follows Danielle over to the door and looks over the valkyrie's shoulder to catch a glimpse of the.. "OH MY GOD YOU HAVE A FLYING HORSE!" she squees. "I thought a teleporting giant dog was awesome, but you have a PEGASUS!" Somewhere, Lockjaw huffs.
Charles makes a face at Danielle, "Yes, I don't want to have the rugs cleaned again after we have all the decorations out." He smiles a bit wryly, looking at Ruth, "Well, that would definitely be one of the less dangerous things on campus…"
Julie ahs, "Well, hey, we used to do some charity runs back in California this time of year, …weather lets you do that and all. Anyway, I'm mostly here for engineering, too, but there's nothing like hands on, anyway, that's what my uncles say. I mean, there wasn't any percentage in *me* going to school when I got brothers and cousins that can actually get jobs with it, but here's this chance." She hrms to Ruth. "Well, it's kind of my job to, I guess we might have to work on the part with how you kinda see, Ruth. I didn't ask too much the last time we talked about it." She does smirk a bit about the horse-related antics. "I think we got some apples, too," she suggests.
"I think it would be fun," Ruth is prompt to tell Charles, her head turning his way. "Maybe a go kart, though. Then I would have to work very hard at running anyone over, rather than managing it accidentally." Julie's response earns a quick flash of a grin. Of course, Kamala carrying on over by the door catches her attention. "Is it an actual pegasus, or just a flying horse?" It's a question asked of those still more nearby, her voice quieter. Of course, then she's continuing at her original volume, "I appreciate you are willing to try, but I was joking."
Not quite hiding her wince at Kamala's squeeing, Dani shrugs a shoulder and settles on making a thpppt face right back at Charles. "Don't be silly. Pegasus is Greek," she points out. "But.. yes. He is a winged war-stallion." Despite her grumbles, she cannot mask the pride in her voice. "A mud-and-snow filthy stallion, but… well. He sort of followed me home." What? It happens. "He's normally very prissy about keeping his feathers clean. And aside from a few…hundred.. scuff marks on the floors, he's a perfect gentleman indoors, thank you."
"He's totally adorable. You're a good horse, aren't you, Brightwind?" Kamala coos. It must look hilarious, with Kamala's head peeking over Danielle's shoulder, while over ten feet of stretched neck leads back to a body that is clenched in excitement, hands in small fists at her side in the classic 'squee' pose.
Charles grins at Kamala's power display, perhaps reminding himself that it'd be unethical to 'convince' her to help decorate (but she'd make it so easy! NO!). Instead, he glances over at Julie, "So did you rig up Christmas lights on the wagon again this year? Because that attracted a little bit of attention last time."
Julie laughs. "Well, I was thinking of making a hayride out of that military Dodge out there, Prof, but she's got some serious rod-knock so I got the bottom end apart, you'll need me or Lorna or Miss Grey or someone to make 'er move for now, but it's quieter that way anyway."
There's a moment of quiet on Ruth's part before she straightens up, offering a smile to Charles and Julie. "Have fun decorating," she says, before turning to start in the direction of where it is that she sleeps.
"I really should get my stuff put up." Kamala's neck sorta snaps back and her head returns to the proper place on her shoulders - even facing in the right direction, natch. "..and get some rest. It's been a very exciting day." she admits quietly before she offers a wave. "It was nice meeting - and remeeting you all."
Julie smiles to Kamala. "Neat gift you got there. I guess let us know if you need anything, and, Welcome to our little school for…Intersting kids." Glances up, "And hey, Ruth, I mean it, maybe we can figure something out, I dunno. ask again later."
Danielle reaches for her coat and purses her lips. "I feel like I just got here, but I need to give /someone/ a thorough scrubbing or he'll be impossible to live with." Pause. "More so than usual, anyway. I'm gonna borrow the stables for a bit, Charles, if you don't mind."
Charles smiles over at Dani, "Of course, I'm pretty sure the old stall for him is still empty. Hay is in the normal place." He yawns a little bit, "And I think this is enough for now, we'll wrap up tomorrow when the kids are awake. I'll pull them out of classes for it, as I'm sure they'll love the chance to help." He grins a bit and waves, "Good night, everyone."