xavier_institute_logs

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[OPEN]

WHO: Zian & any visitors
WHAT: Loud music in the med lab, and one bored eggplant nurse.
WHERE: Nurse's office, ground floor
WHEN: Today!
WARNING(S): Currently none. Just bad taste in music.

After the U-Men incident and the follow-ups, it had been rather calm in the medical department. A few scratches, sprains and a belly ache had been the only thing Zian had to worry about. Instead, he had taken time to familiarize himself with both the ground floor office and med lab, as well as the infirmary and research labs down in the sub-levels. The nurse's office was kind of his home, however, leaving the more serious stuff to the doctors.

That meant that he also ended up personalizing it a bit with some nice, comic-book posters to make the kids feel more at ease, as well as his precious water boiler for the days he just wanted something warmer in his feeding tube. (Though he usually said it was used for tea just in case he'd gross anyone out... plus some might actually want tea while talking symptoms.)

It also included one technopath-made boombox, because his dad had been awesome. It was currently playing rather loud music, easily heard in the corridors outside the nurse's office. Someone liked ridiculously chipper pop songs, right?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Zian seems quite excited about the milk for someone who couldn't taste or eat normally, but this was not only a present but a cool foreign present from a famous place and the medic was a huge nerd. He walks over to one of the medical cabinets, taking out an empty, thicker IV bag and opening the top.

"Please do! It's almost time for me to eat, anyway, and I should start with something fun for once." He just needed to make sure the tea wasn't scolding hot before he attached everything where it should be.

Zian pauses, though, remembering what he was doing and looking slightly awkward. "Um, this doesn't bother you, right?" Takakage was a doctor, after all. Surely that would be less embarrassing.

"Ah, of course not." He says this with a smile, taking out another (larger) mug for the milk. Zian had left the box on the table, and he retrieves a sachet of powder from inside. Since Zian needs things to be sent in via feeding tube, he'd need to make sure the temperature wasn't too hot.

First, he dissolves the powder with some hot water to ensure all of it is in solution. With a flick of his wrist he condenses some water from the air, blending it with the warm water in the mug. He hasn't learned to judge temperature too accurately, but this should be enough.

"How shall we put it in? I can help with that too, if you'd like."

The medic is still amazed by the way Takakage used his powers, his orange eyes widening a bit as everything was mixed together. It was so graceful, looking effortless even if Zian doubted that it really was. Taka must have had a good trainer... or just really good at controlling his powers in general.

Relieved to hear that the other man wasn't bothered, Zian gestures to the thicker, almost bottle-like IV before signing one-handed. "In here. Just fill. Will be fine."

Hooking it to a stand just so he could get his hands free, he finds a seat for Takakage and a tube for himself. Zian bobs his head a little to some imagined music in his head, feeling strangely elated and happy. Being social like this was almost like a treat for him; it was normally nurse-patient relations and not friends.

Proficiency comes with practice, and his control is something he has refined constantly. Growing up with two negative examples has taught him the value of being in control at all times, and his profession demanded even more concentration if he was to use his powers properly.

"Ah, alright then. Sure." He draws out the milk in a smooth stream, letting it knot itself into a simple pattern in the air. Guiding it through the IV line would take some care, so he makes his way over before continuing. His eyes are closed in concentration, and he only relaxes once the milk is safely contained.

"There. That should be it." With that, he releases his control over the drink and lets gravity do the rest.

Zian beams at the little show of floaty milk, closing the feeding bag IV afterwards and hooking his shirt up a bit to attach the tube to the shunt in his side. He sits down with a sigh, letting that work as it should.

"Man, sometimes I really miss eating," he signs with a forlorn smile with his scary teeth. "Less complicated, if anything else."

There was a bit of a pause as Zian shrugs once again, letting that thought go. "Was it cold over there? I think it's about to get a lot chillier here. I need to ask my mom to pick up a new winter coat." He couldn't really go get it himself, but he hates how it makes him sound like a child.

Takakage takes a seat, cupping his mug with both hands and looking thoughtful.

"Well... if technology advances, that might be possible." He's a surgeon himself, after all. While he has mostly been doing excisions and clearing blockages, he's sure that restorative ones could be done. Perhaps with mutant powers, this could become reality.

He brightens up a little at the mention of Hokkaido. "Yes, it was. There was snow, too. I haven't seen it in quite a while - but I doubt that'll be the last I see of it this year." He gestures vaguely to their surroundings. Given how he had spent his past three years in a tropical country, it got a little jarring at times.

"Ah, I can help you get one, if you'd like. I could drop by the shopping district during my breaks." On the weekends, he means. He spends them working at the Salem General Hospital, both to earn some keep and to hone his skills.

Edited 2014-11-19 15:35 (UTC)

"Maybe," Zian signs. "Though I kind of doubt it." It would have to be mutant powers, he figured. Some form of restorative powers... even if it had been over ten years. It was a tricky thing.

Hokkaido really sounded nice, but the medic makes a little sigh-laugh at the mention of snow. "Yeah, there will probably be a fair share, here. It used to block out places of the sewers... but you haven't seen a winter unless you've been to Russia." The place where you couldn't pee outside without it freezing at the same time.

The last comment makes Zian rub the back of the metallic dreads with a somewhat embarrassed look. "Um... that would be nice. If you want to, I mean. I don't want to inconvenience you."

"I'm sure it can be done, somehow." Takakage says this after a moment's consideration. "I'll try and find a way." He isn't confident enough to say that it's a definite, concrete possibility, but he intends to find one. If there is a will, there will be a way.

"I've lived in a tropical country for three years, so it'll take some time for adjusting." He chuckles a little, looking wistful. "There isn't snow in Singapore, since the temperature never drops below 22 degrees. Hopefully I won't freeze into an icicle, or something." He could shear the ice off things and clean driveways of snow, but...

"It's fine. I should buy something for myself, too." Warmer jackets and the like. "What size do you wear? Any colour preferences?"

He smiles a little bit at Taka's words, not really believing it would ever happen. It was a nice thought, though. In the end, the medic was just happy to be able to breathe and not go hungry.

"You're going to be really cold, doc!" Zian signs with a little bit of worry reflected on his face. "If you're picking me up a coat, you should probably stock up on mittens and scarves and sweaters... I can fix a cold but not hypothermia." He was mostly joking.

"...but yeah, there should be a Big and Tall store just outside Hell's Kitchen that might work. The longer jackets work as normal ones for me." Being really tall was annoying sometimes. "I'm a size [insert US big size here.]."

"Yes, I will." He had his eye on a jacket in a particular shade of orange, in any case. "I might even need a hot-water bottle, come to think of it. But I'll manage." Somehow. If he isn't wrapped up like a burrito, he'll probably end up having to make frequent trips to the staff room water heater.

(He ends up buying quite a few things from Uniqlo, but that's a story for another day.)

"Sure, I'll pay that place a visit." He produces his planner from inside his waistcoat and takes the pen from its pocket, writing it down. "Hopefully it won't be too crowded with shoppers when I go."

Speaking of which.

"Christmas is coming up soon, yes? Do you have any plans?"

He says this evenly, a little curious.

Hey, orange is a great color. Goes great with dark purple.

"Drink a lot of warm things and get some nice fluffy socks." Zian suggests, something his mom usually told him. It really did help, though, and the medic wasn't going to let his friend (and school doc) freeze!

"...and thanks, I really appreciate it. Not sure if it will be crowded, though... I heard the put up some of the Christmas window things already, so who knows." He shrugs slightly, correcting his tube a little bit under the t-shirt. "As for Christmas plans... I'll probably celebrate with my mom, as always."

Also a bit curious, he studies Takakage for a brief moment before asking as well. "You?"

Just like mangoes and grapes.

"I'll take note of that." He says this with a slight chuckle, writing some thing down in his planner before replacing it in the inside pocket where it belongs. However, he doesn't slip the pen back into the pocket at the front of his waistcoat, instead idly spinning it in his hands.

Takakage looks a little more attentive at the mention of Zian's mother. "Ah, I see. Is she coming over, or are you going back?" It may even be a sort of Skype thing, knowing the difficulty mutants like Zian had with getting around.

It must be nice having a mother, though. His had long passed on.

"It depends. My brother might drop by for a visit, if he's in the state. If not, I'll Skype him as usual, I suppose." Christmas was never something too important for their family either, being a Western holiday.

Best fruits.

Man, he needed a planner like that. Considering how messed up his day had been, maybe he needed one that actually told him to get off his ass because patients were incoming. Perhaps there was an app for that in his phone.

Speaking of his mother, though, he smiles. "Nah, I'll probably go over to her place. It's not too far and I like helping her cook Christmas dinners for the underground mutants." Winter was a good season for him to move incognito, anyway. Everyone was covered up.

"The same brother you visited, or do you have any more?" Zian realized he didn't know much about Takakage's family, so he couldn't help but be curious.

Don't mention that to Takakage, he might get you one. Or he may already be planning to get you one. Who knows.

"Ah, I see. Good luck with the arrangements, then." Flying from America to Russia is a long way - Zian might even be in Japan for transit. "If you need any help with it, I can try. Especially if your flight is rerouting through Tokyo Narita." He's just been there a few days ago.

Ah. On the topic of his brother. "Two, actually. I'm the youngest of us three. But our eldest brother passed on, so it's just me and Motoharu now." He says this evenly, with no sign of sadness in his expression. At least he had one last family member left. "He travels widely on business stuff - our father convinced him to join that profession, actually. He never had the knack for medicine or studying, like me."

"Oh, no! My mom lives in Hell's Kitchen! We had to escape Russia after my dad was exposed as a mutant, so we've been living there for the last ten years. No need for long flights... thankfully." He gives a slightly sheepish look. "Can you imagine me going through customs?" The very thought was more than a little amusing.

Talking about family was always fun to the medic, though, and Zian smiles softly as Takakage speaks about his brothers. The doctor didn't seem too upset about losing one brother, so Zian imagined it had to been a while ago. Still; "I'm sorry for your loss." It was just a natural comment, after all.

"It sounds like you're both very passionate about your jobs."

Hell's Kitchen, Hell's Kitchen, Hell's Kitchen... right. Yes. The suburb in Manhattan.

"I see. Well, that'd be easier to get to, definitely." Why hadn't he thought of that? It'd be an impressive feat to smuggle both Zian and his mother out of Russia, though. "I hope you have a good Christmas."

He grows a little more serious when it comes to the topic of his eldest brother.

"I was too inexperienced to save him at that time. Perhaps if I had come back faster, I could have done something." A pause. "But it's over now. I guess some things were just fated to happen." Now that he thinks about it, events fell neatly into place. It was a trap most expertly spun. Which meant that they had to catch the perpetrator the best they can.

"Well... Motoharu does get by, but he's more of a straight type of personality, so sometimes deals do fall through because he doesn't want to sell something that isn't good. Whether he likes doing it is a different question altogether. He actually wanted to be an athlete when we were kids, but... well. He's an electrokinetic, and had some discharging problems, so that was never a viable avenue."

A pause.

"But he does try the best he can, and I appreciate him for that."

Edited 2014-11-22 01:35 (UTC)

"I'd say... I'm not exactly chomping at the bit to get back to Russia any time soon. The nice culture has nothing on people trying to murder you, I'm afraid." Zian didn't have a lot of love for his home country, even if it would always be just that - the place he was born. "I'm sure we'll have a nice Christmas, though. Step by if you want to, mom always makes too much food anyway."

Inviting Taka to be extremely spoiled by his mom was a bit halted, however, as the doctor started talking about his brother. Zian's brow furrowed in a slightly concerned look. It sounded like the oldest brother had gone in a rather nasty manner. The medic both does want to ask more and respect Takakage's privacy at the same time.

"...well, at least your bother seems like a good person. It might run in the family." Zian gives his friend a slight smile, both trying to comfort and make their discussion take a happier turn.

"Maybe if I'm free, I could." If he does, he'll have to take note on bringing some sort of present. But what, though... and there's also the issue of Motoharu. Especially after what had happened in Hokkaido, the older sibling definitely won't be in too good a mood. "It depends on my brother's schedule, really. I should ask him tonight."

He chuckles a little at Zian's last sentence. "I sure hope it does. My father was a good man, too."

The doctor folds his hands together before continuing.

"Have I told you this before, Zian? I share my name with a historical figure of my homeland?"

Quite a few people have pointed this out. He's gotten used to it.

Edited (ICON BOUNCE) 2014-11-22 02:06 (UTC)

"He should come, too! Not only is it nice with some company, but maybe my mom would stop fretting about me making friends. You'd think I was still a teen, the ways she acts." Then again, he kind of understood it. She only had him, now.

At Takakage's mention of his name, however, Zian looks a little owlishly confused. "Um, no... I'm afraid I'm really bad with Japanese history."

"I'll ask him, definitely. He needs some company that isn't businessmen. Dealing with those people can get really taxing."

On the topic of his name, though.

"Ah, yeah. Sorry about that." He sometimes forgets that people aren't as well read as him. "My name now - Kobayakawa Takakage - isn't my birth name. I was born as someone else. My father made us all change names before we left Japan." Why he did that is a story for another day, though.

"The historical guy, who has my name - he lived four centuries ago as the head of the Kobayakawa clan. He did lots of things, and his main claim to fame is for contributing a lot to ending the wars of his era. I'm actually a sort of descendant of his, through his eldest brother's line."

Genealogy is complicated.

"I've always wondered why my father did that. Maybe there's some karmic influence here."

He's had fun trying to derive all the parallels, but not all of them are good.

"Ah, sorry - this isn't too relevant to the situation. I was just... thinking about it, over these past few days."

Zian could understand having to change names after leaving a country, so that wasn't strange to him. The rest, however, was both confusing and cool at the same time.

"No, it's fine! It's pretty awesome, actually. It's that famous of a name? Like if an American would be named Lincoln?" Okay, maybe a little less stupid than that, but he figured it made his point, at least. He kind of wanted to read up on Japanese history now, just because.

"Is your brother's name a famous name, too?"

"Something like that, yes. Though perhaps not as famous. The Warring States era had so many famous people, so the fame factor of my namesake is somewhat diluted." Not to mention that Japan had a long history, too. Some Japanese people didn't recognize his name, even.

"Yes. My living brother's full name is Motoharu Kikkawa. He shares it with my namesake's second oldest brother. Same for my eldest brother and his namesake. My father took the name of those three samurai's father, too. We're the Mouri clan's descendants."

A pause.

"It seems a lot like my father tried to invoke karmic influence, perhaps. It may have worked in some ways, but it didn't in others. Our life so far has indeed mirrored that of those we took our new names from, but... well. Samurai in those days didn't have easy lives."

He takes a sip of the tea before continuing.

"I guess what I really wanted to know... was if it's intentional. Why did he give us such important names?"

And was it really worth it in the end?

Edited 2014-11-22 15:02 (UTC)

"That is really cool... and kind of strange, but in a good way." Zian replies, curious about this 'reincarnation' naming. "Maybe you guys just have a similar destiny to fight for mutants or something? I don't know, it's interesting... but it's just names. You're Takakage and you're a doctor, not a samurai."

The medic smiles a little under the mask, shaking his head. "Maybe you should focus on that," he continues, and then gives a slightly mischievous wink. "At least you weren't named after your parents flipped a name book and picked the first one that fit. Zian means 'Self Peace', but it's a Chinese name and my parents are dorks."

That manages to make him chuckle a little.

"Yes, I suppose that's right. I have my own life to live, too." He sets the tea down on the table, sighing a little. He can't help but wonder how that man of the past dealt with all this, though. That man had defended his clan against ambitious men... and now, he is to defend his fellow mutants from those that sought to take advantage of their genes. Would karmic influence be enough to see this path to its conclusion? Only time will tell.

"My namesake was known as a man of merciful wisdom. Maybe I'll be able to be worthy of that title someday."

The doctor does brighten up a little at Zian's next words, though. "Ah, I see. It should be pronounced Zi-an, then. Should I say it that way, or is the way I read it now fine?" It's interesting how names can transcend different cultures, too.

"Well, you're already getting there, so merciful wisdom might not be far behind." Zian adds with another smile. He really liked Takakage, after all, and wanted the older man to reach whatever fureure he decided for himself. After the U-Men attack, Zian found himself thinking more and more about such things after being so surrounded by death. (Booker's murder spree kid of got to him.)

"Oh, and the way you pronounce it now is best. Less Chinese, more mainstream. It's how my family always pronounced it, anyway." (Besides, it was the best name that came up in the character creator.)

Noticing that his bag was empty, Zian pulls his shirt up a bit to unhook himself and make sure everything was nice and in place before tucking the 'Game of Thorns' t-shirt down again. Snapping the feeding tube shut, he hung it over the IV stand for now.

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if Zian asked he'll actually tell, lmao, he doesn't mind...

he's a good kid, he doesn't pry XD

what a good kid :P

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