Dobro pozhalovat' domoy

Posted on Sat Jun 26th, 2021 @ 10:01pm by Sonya Cross & Charles Xavier & Cameron Hood

2,202 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Episode 0: X Lang Syne
Location: 1407 Graymalkin Lane
Timeline: Begining of March

It was a sunny morning in March. That made Cameron suspicious, for he wasn't used to sun in March. He looked up at the sky again, an oddly cloudless affair. He had been here for two weeks now. He was getting restless sitting around with nothing to do. That's why he was outside waiting for a new arrival, it was better than reading yet another book.

A common sight drew up on the drive way. A yellow and black chequered cab. Cameron glanced at his watch to verify, and yes, the cabby was fifteen minutes late. With a sigh he walked down the few steps onto the gravel of the drive and greeted the cabby before opening the door of the cab.

Sonya was surprised to see someone opening door of the cab for her. Getting to the school with a cab was agreed as the most inconspicuous way that will not raise too many questions.
"Thank you." She said leaning toward the driver and giving him prepared money, then she stepped outside to face an unfamiliar black man who was about her height, though she was twice as slim as he was. On that he was actually quite nicely build, making her to smile a bit in appreciation, though she wasn't sure if that was more because of the way he was looking or because of the gentleman's gesture.

"Hi. Are you here as the red carpet for my arrival?" She asked him mischievously with a clear English with slight local accent, and moved toward the rear of the cab. The driver in the meantime got out as well and walked to the truck and opened it. Sonya joined the cab driver, patiently waiting for her two bags to be pulled out and placed on the ground.

"I wouldn't call myself the red carpet. A few shades too dark to be red." Cameron replied, his London accent coming through nicely. "But one could consider me the welcoming committee of sorts. I'm Cameron. I work with Professor Xavier." He extended his hand with a friendly smile.

Sonya reached out with her hand and shook Cameron's. "Sonya."

The cab driver put the bags, said good bye and soon after the cab was rolling away. Sonya glanced at the old mansion. She liked it instantly. There was something... calming about it. She picked her bags and started walking toward the main gate. "So, what work do you do? Who else is here besides you two?"

He gestured up the few steps and to the open door. "I'm one of the caretakers here." Cameron explained as he took one of her bags out of her hand. "There are a few other students around, as well as Professor Xavier and mister Summers. Come on, I'll show you to your dorm, and if you'd like I'll give you the tour."

Sonya nodded and picked her two bags. She put one over her shoulder and the other held in her hand and walked after Cameron. Despite bags being medium sized and her being skinny, she had no problems with them, as if they were weighting next to nothing. Honestly, she hoped maybe Cameron would offer her help but she wasn't going to fret over that being stronger than she looked. "Oh, I'd like to talk to Professor at some point. And who is mister Summers?" She asked curiously, and then giving Cameron playful smile she continued asking. "So what does your job entitles, aside from greeting people at the door? Are you a mutant? What is your specialty?"

"Okay, lot of questions there." Cameron smiled as he opened the big doors. "Students usually have a meeting with the Professor during their first day or two, so that's not a problem. Mister Summers is one of my fellow caretakers." He gestured to the grand staircase. "Up we go." He lead the way again. "Next question was about my job? I make sure students find their way around, aid students when needed, and ride the riding lawnmower once a week. It's considered bad form to ask someone if they're a mutant, but yes I am. I can transmute the shape of materials."

Sonya raised her eyebrow slightly in surprise. She walked following Cameron with lightness in her feminine step. She was dressed in tight jeans pants and a dark blue blouse with a zipper in front, opened enough to show red t-shirt underneath. From time to time, her eyes were glancing away, on the various elements and details of the mansion, however she kept most of attention on Cameron. “Why? Why is it bad form? So I shouldn’t ask if you are a soldier either or British? Is that a bad form as well?”

"It's bad form in the same sense it would be bad form to ask where in Africa my parents are from." Cameron explained, ignoring either remark about his profession or home country. "I've learned that people don't think highly of Mutants. There are plenty of mutants who can pass for homo sapiens that would rather you not be confronted by the fact they have a mutation." Then the Brit shrugged. "As a final reason, it's not really your business to know if someone is a mutant or not."

As they arrived at the top of the stairs Cameron turned around and gestured left and right. "On the right you have the women's dormitory. Everyone has their own room, but the bathrooms are shared. On the left you have the men's dormitory, they also have their own facilities." He then turned left, "I'll show you your room."

"If you believe it is not someone's business to know if you are a mutant or not, you don't answer the question. I've learned that people are too easily offended on simple questions about themselves and assuming a question like that is bad form is plain stupid." Sonya shrugged. "It's just as if bad form would be asking if you have a tattoo, or if you have parents. Being a mutant is something you are or you are not. Similarly, you can share that information or not. Asking is never bad form."

Sonya glanced toward male side, then toward the female wing and nodded slightly at the offer to show her her room. "Thank you. You are most kind. Are you general like this or is it me?"

Cameron shrugged, "I'm a nice bloke in general."

Making his way up from the subbasement, the professor exited the elevator with a smile on his face.

"Zdrastvuyte, Sonya," he said with a heavy Mid-Atlantic accent. "Welcome to Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters. I am Professor Charles Xavier. I see you have already met Mr. Cameron Hood." Looking at the other man, he said, "Thank you, Cameron, for greeting our newest arrival." Back to Sonya, he asked, "Would you like to unpack or shall I leave you to Cameron's fine tour?"

Sonya turned her head as she heard the elevator stopped and was surprised to find a man in the wheelchair coming out. It was not something she expected after her talk with her mum. She was imagining the Professor more like Gandalf. Tall, powerful man with bushy beard, a staff or at least a cane and the Presence. But not a disabled bald man. Then she reminded herself that mum said he was a telepath, so likely he knew about everything the second it popped in her mind. As the saving grace, she gave the man the most innocent and girly smile she could muster, usually capable to melt hearts on the spot. Though telepaths were likely to be more resistant to her little girl charms.

“I’d love to see where I am supposed to drop my stuff at least. If you could help me with that?” Sonya asked. “Oh… and yeah. I’d like to talk to you. Sir. About..” She sighed. “Life here?”

Sonya liked having clear understanding of things around. When her mother convinced her to join Professor’s schools, she also agreed for her mother’s proposition that the Professor would become her legal guardian. Sonya knew why. Her mum expected to die, though Sonya was not accepting that at this point. Not even wanted to talk about it. However, now she wanted to know what it would mean exactly.

"I'll give her the tour and then drop her off at your office professor." Cameron suggested. "I'm sure she'll want to see the pool at least."

Sonya smiled at Cameron and her eyes lit up with excitement. “The pool? I like how it sounds already.” She said and nodded in agreement. Glancing back at the Professor she calmed down showing instinctive obedience to someone, she considered as higher up. “If it is ok, sir.”

"I don't know anyone who would want to see a syllabus before a swimming pool," Xavier said fondly. "Finish up your tour and catch up with me later."

Sonya femininely bowed with perfectly good manners. It might be a bit over the top but she was quite happy to move on and continue the conversation with Cameron alone. Part of her was torn however as she knew the Professor was holding answers to the more important things than it was meeting a handsome black dude. Still, whatever Professor had to say, Sonya knew she didn't want to share it with anyone. "Of course, Professor. I’ll find you later." She acknowledged and glanced at Cameron expectantly.

"Alright, let's get your stuff in the bedroom settled and we can get to the rest of the house, shall we." Cameron gestured down the hallway.

Sonya followed Cameron to the women's dormitory looking around curiously. The place inside was adequately furnished to how it looked from the outside. Sonya would call it classy. She liked it. As they found her room, she just dropped the bags on the bed, gave the room once over noticing every important detail, and then faced Cameron. "Show me the pool." She gave him a toothy smile. “You aren’t the most talkative, are you?”

"Pool it is." Cameron agreed and stepped out of the doorway. "Not really, no. I was in the military, I was trained to be quiet." He looked at the stairs then cracked a smile, "It also tends to make people uncomfortable, which is always worth a chuckle."

"Good I tried a lot with the military." Sonya grinned. "So I don't feel uncomfortable at all. With you." She batted her eyelashes impishly at Cameron. Following him, Sonya continued. "So what was it? Royal Marines? SBS? SAS? How long have you served?" She asked curiously.

"I worked in logistics while I was still in." Cameron replied with a smirk, "What made you think I'd qualify for the special forces?" The pair meanwhile headed down the stairs.

"Oh..." Sonya reacted with an obvious disappointment. "It would be cool if you have." She said with a shrug. "Or maybe it was the fact I worked with special forces." She grinned boastfully. "Logistics? The king in the war."

"Can't fight if you don't have bullets, that's why logistics rules." Cameron agreed sagely. He then gestured to the doors behind the grand staircase. "Pool's right out there."

Sonya followed Cameron through the door behind the grand staircase. "Do you know the Professor well?"

"Not in particular." Cameron replied when they were outside in the spring sun. "Professor Xavier helped me out of a situation. Then he gave me a place to stay and a job here. He's a good man, but I'm relatively new here as well."

Sonya kept looking around. "What you do here?" She asked. He certainly wouldn't be a cleaner. The mansion was massive. "Are you a pool guy? Or more like security?" She teased.

"A bit of this, a bit of that. I'm a driver for the professor, I mow the lawns, I look after kids that might need it." They arrived at the water's edge, a pristine blue pool laying at their feet. "I also toss nosy girls in the pool when they try and verify my answers." He added in an off-handed way before giving her a good shove into the cool water. The satisfying splash forming a wide grin in Cameron's lips.

Sonya didn't see that coming and her reflexes as much as they were enhanced in this case were next to useless. With a splash, she went into the freezing water. The coldness hit her acting as a boost to get out of the water as fast as possible. She bobbed on the surface and headed toward the edge of the pool. "WHAT THE FUCK !?" She exclaimed and got out by swimming to the edge, grabbing it and hoisting herself up. She was drenched in water. The jeans pants, white t-shirt with Freddy Mercury, the black leather jacket, the combat boots. All of her clothes were dripping water around her. Sonya shot an angry glare to Cameron. "If you didn't want to talk more, you could just say so." She huffed and walked back to the mansion. "Asshole." She added passing Cameron as her mood plummeted with the feel of coldness settling in and irritating feel of her feet in the waterlogged boots.

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