Owner	Pose
Yana Asarov	Yana has, apparently, discovered the borscht in the fridge. And, she's served herself a rather healthy bowl of it, and is taking a break from school studies, actual exercising and martial arts practice, and simulations for abilities exercises. And, after only a moments thought, she'd sent a text towards Tabitha, stating to the girl, bluntly in that text simply: 'We need to talk. Kitchen?'     It was, truthfully, the first time the Russian and new New Mutant girl had actively sought Tabitha out for anything. But, it certainly was time.
Tabitha Smith	Wandering into the kitchen, Tabitha yawns, stetching. She's dressed in pink short shorts, black fishnets, a pink babydoll that reads 'Nobody puts Baby on a shelf!' over a graphic of Jennifer Grey's 'Dirty Dancing' character.     "There you are. Whattya want? It's too early to be awake." She sees Yana eating some soup. "The tiger liked that junk too.:
Yana Asarov	"That's because it's delicious," Yana says, mildly, not yet so on edge that Tabby's mouth gets to her. She gestures, "Sit down if you want. Grab something to eat. Whatever." The blue-haired girl shrugs some, almost indifferent. She exhales, though, "We need to clear the air, Tabitha. Because I'm tired of it. And, frankly, it needs to stop. So let's get it all in the open, and be done with it."     There. At least she's trying to deal with her problems in a mature way. She exchanges a glance with Tabitha to see how this is going to go. Because, frankly, she's not sure.     "We're both on the same team. Same school. We both really like Lexi. She's my friend. She's your girlfriend. So. Let's do this."
Tabitha Smith	Tabitha shrugs and finds a spot across from Yana. "Yeah." she sighs. "Yeah, it does." "So, who do you think made that stuff? I think there's sour cream, too."
Yana Asarov	"Colossus most likely. I told him I was going to make a bunch of stuff if we got back. Which, I'm going to do later today. You should try some of it. Good stuff." She nods, at the sour cream comment, before finising off the last few spoonfulls.     "You do realize," Yana says mildly, sort of to start things off, "I'm -not- trying to 'steal' Lexi from you, right? I was the one who clued her in that you had a thing for her. She had no idea. It was that night I left you two alone in the recreation room."
Tabitha Smith	"Yeah, I put... er, it has like grated beets in it. I saw the greens in the compost bin." Tabby lies. "I didn't really know either. It jus' happened. I think it started when she landed on me in that Danger Room thing with the big snake? Maybe it shook something' loose in here?" and she taps her temple.     She stands and moves to collect a big bowl and fill that full of a sugary cereal, that put on the counter near a fridge and she opens the cold box to root around in the shelves inside as she talks. "Yeah, I know. Only ones that can break us up is her and me." She straightens, finding some strawberry-flavored milk and pours that on her cereal, then relaces the container. "I maybe get the idea tha you think everyone's out to court Lexi os somethin'. I _don't_ think that." she collects her bowl and moves to sit again.     The pink monstrosity in her bowl gets shoveled into her face-hoe a big spoonful at a time. "Heard you said that I think all girls are lesbians or somethin'. I don't think that. I don't care who people like. I don't even like girls. So, I don't jus' assume everyone else does." she says, talking through the sugary breakfast stuff.
Yana Asarov	"Fair," conceeds Yana, brushing the comments aside about the beets and greens. Maybe she knows Tabitha is lying because she's already tried it. Or, maybe she can just tell from the other girls hesitation. Regardless, she's not too big, or too concieted when she's been pointed out to be at fault, and that rings true. "But, I'm glad that I'm wrong," she says, honestly. "If it were otherwise, ...," she shrugs, trailing off. It's apparently not all that important.     She watches Tabitha eat a few spoonfulls, "I did say something along those lines," she confirms, clearly not even desiring to deny it, "Because I was frustrated. And, that's how things were looking. I needed a sounding board," who was Dani, or Lexi, and neither seems to be in trouble as Yana doesn't appear to be upset as she's telling Tabitha this, "To vent those frustrations, and, get a better understanding. I didn't want to - stir things up, let's say?" She actually smiles, briefly, vaugely. She shrugs again. "Was trying to give you the benefit of the doubt."
Tabitha Smith	Tabby starts to laugh out loud, but managed to not spew cereal and pink milk all over the other girl. It's difficult to determine what sort of laugh it is until she swallows. "Sorry. Eh, givin' me the 'benefit of the doubt' is usually a bad idea. I'm usually doin' the wrong thing. If you can attribute some kind of negative thing to me, it's probl'y true." and she shrugs too.     "I own it. I know I'm me. I don't try to lie to myself or pretend to be some nice girl who wears frilly pink princess crap unironically." she says, then laughs at herself. "'Unironically' is the name of my new band."     She peers at Yana. "I betcha didn't think I knew any big words like 'ironic' or 'to'."
Yana Asarov	"There's a rather large difference between intelligence and decision making. Some of history's greatest minds have proven to be rather poor decision makers," Yana says, reasonably. "Others, have had horrible personalities." Another one of Yana's shrugs as she rises, to rinse her bowl out, and put it in the dishwasher. "From what I've seen, you're remarkable on the battlefield. You have a very keen understanding of your abilities, and how to best use them to suit the situation. But," Yana continues, "Also from what I've seen outside the battlefield, you seem to enjoy being abrasive, almost to the point of wanting to start something. Or, see something start."     Yana frowns, some. She sits back down, and looks directly at Tabitha. "I'm not above criticism," she'll admit, "And if there's honesty in it, I'll use it, to better myself. That includes teamwork. Or, just being around people. I'm always looking to improve myself. From my abilities, up. And I've already expressed my desire, to both Mr. Summers and Ms. Grey, as well as Dani, my desire to learn how to be a good leader. So -- if you've got solid criticism there -- and not just bullshit? Like, what you said after our first simulation run together? I'll take it, run with it. But, let's stop the whole 'newbie' shit, and the 'what are you listening to her for' crap, Tabitha. If noting else, I proved to both Ms. Grey, Mr. Summers, and the rest of this school that I do belong with the New Mutants. We're teammates, now. And? I'll stop being so presumptive of you, in turn."     She offers her hand. "Deal?"
Tabitha Smith	Tabby looks at Yana's hand for a long moment, one can almost hear the gears smoking in her head as they work, then she shrugs and takes Yana's hand to pump it once. "Deal."     "Well, I'll let it all out, then since we're bein' honest and crap. I don't like you much because you marched in here with your rich-girl junk and tried to take over." and she motions vaguely in Yana's direction. "See, you were jus' doin' it. 'Blah blah blah, here's my big important speech 'bout how great I am and crap.'" and she shrugs.     A sigh. "Listen, I've been navel-gazin' some since I got back and I think it's that I'm jealous. Not of you and Lexi or whatever. I'm glad she has friends and stuff. I'm not tryin' to keep her in a Rapunzel-tower or nothin'... it's you. All I got is this team." and she rubs her forehead and closes her eyes. "If you march in here and take over, then what'm I? I'm a dirty peasant and you're a rich fancy super-genius hyper-competent beautiful princess. Me? I jus' blow junk up and look good in shorts that barely cover my ass."
Yana Asarov	"But you blow up shit -really- well," points out Yana, in a farily deadpan, reasonably tone. She adds, then, "You've also got Dani's friendship. And Lexi's love. And enough respect and talent to be on the team in the first place. Considering how much my ass I had to work off to get permission to even go -- well, and to get on the team? I'd say that's a pretty damn big accomplishment."     But, the blue-haired girl nods, some, either in understanding of where Tabitha is coming from or in confirmation of a theory she's held. "And I'm not trying to replace anyone. Or, oust anyone. I'm just trying to be the best I can be. I owe that. To myself. To my parents. And, to this school. Now? To the team."     She considers, mildly, "And if I do take over? It'll be a more co-leadership, with Dani. But, you can be the one who helps me keep my head out of my ass, if it ever starts to creep up in there." She offers Tabitha another brief smile, and, she honestly looks a bit relieved. Perhaps she was expecting more fireworks out of this 'talk'. And there really haven't been any.
Tabitha Smith	But maybe there will be after all?     "See?" Tabby flares, pointing at Yana. "You've been on _one_ mission and you're talkin' 'bout being' a 'co-leader' with Dani. Come on! get over yourself! Arrgh!" and she goes back to shoveling pink sugar mush in her mouth so she doesn't explode (literally). "Mrrph mrrm Russiamrph ritch!" she says through her mouthful. "Pay your dues! You might be some important slag outside these walls, but you can't buy your way onto a team. You can't jus'... oooh!" *munch* *munch* *angry munch*
Yana Asarov	Yana agrees, "No. I can't. But that's my goal, Tabitha," Yana says, calmly. "Dani's offered to help me, and said she'd be open to it, if and when I got there." She adds, still reasonably, "And I was commenting on you worrying -about- me taking over." Those were, afterall, the exact words that Tabby had used, to be fair. "So, you were talking about it first. I was just trying to assuage your concerns. Maybe I won't ever make it there."     She rubs her face briefly, "I'm not buying my way anywhere. I'm earning my stripes. Going to. But I have -goals-. And, I'm just letting you know, upfront, what my goals are. Because I can use your support in getting there. And your feedback. When we -do- go on missions. I'm asking for your -help- Tabitha. In both - well, getting along. And, because you have insight. Different insight than Dani does. And you -are- more experienced."
Tabitha Smith	Tabby lifts her bowl to her lips, tilting it to sip milk out of it. "You can't chart out your whole life..." and she sighs again. "Whatever." she puts the bowl down and thrusts her spoon back into the remaining cereal, looking into the bottom of it as she considers.     "You're not doin' this right." she says in frustration. "You're supposed to scream and yell and throw crap." She claps her palms over her eyes a moment, then takes her bowl in both hands and tosses it at the sink... actually, at the backsplash, she throws it hard so it smashes into pieces there. Now there's pink milk-logged multicolored marshmellow bits and oat cereal all over the place, not to mention ceramic shards all over the counter and in the basin.     "There! Are you proud of yourself? Look at what you made me do! WHy do you make me have to be like this?" she says, a fey look in her eye. Maybe someone said that to her once? More than once? "Do you want me to hit you? DO you _like_ making me hit you? Why were you even born?" she asks, but she's not really asking Yana. She doesn't even really see the other girl anymore. Not that she could anyway with her eyes filling with tears.
Yana Asarov	Yana winces, it's human nature, when the bowl shatters into the sink, and when the remnants of breakfast get spilled everywhere in the backsplash. She makes a mild face at the mess, before she refocuses again on Tabitha. She rises from her seat, and moves over to Tabitha, then and gently places her hand on the other girls back. "We get to define ourselves, Tabitha. We can choose to emulate our parents, or we can choose to be different. They'll always be a part of us. But, it's up to us to decide if that's a blueprint for the people we want to be, or a warning of who we will promise ourselves we will never become."
Tabitha Smith	"Don't touch me!" Tabby shrieks.     "I don't want you to touch me!" she barks, voice breaking. She leaps up and pinballs off one counter and then another as she seems trying to flee the kitchen, but instead she rolls an ankle and goes down in a heap. She sits up and hugs herself tight. "Leave me alone!" she sobs. "Nobody asked you to be here! You're messin' everythin' up."
Yana Asarov	"Lexi, and Dani asked me to be here," Yana says, quietly, as if to bring Tabitha back to some measure of grounding. She takes a few steps, before moving to sit on the ground, back supported by a cabinet, but she does not touch Tabitha again. She waits a few moments, before continuing, "I'm not trying to mess anything up. I just want us to get along." She does not push, any further, just yet, knowing that might well continue to push Boomer further.
Tabitha Smith	Boomer raises her chin then, trying to be defiant, but her chin quivers. She swipes at her eyes with the back of a hand. "Good thing I didn't put on any mascara." she says, a hysterical chuckle.     After a moment, she speaks again. "I wanna get along too. But I'm not really a 'gettin' along with people' kinda person, Yana." she says with a sigh. "_This_ is me. This flamin' wreck. I have no filter and... well, 'Boom-Boom' isn't jus' my nickname because I make stuff explode. My fuse is really that long." and she holds up a hand, illustrating her point with the tiny distance between her thumb and forefinger.     "But I wanna be better. I wanna be good for Lexi. Usually I have some fun with guys, make out or somethin', tease 'em and then dump 'em when they get too close. I don't want to be like that with this one." and she reaches up to graps the pendants on the chain around her neck.     "I wish I was eighteen already." she mutters, looking down at the floor tile.
Yana Asarov	"Like I said, Tabitha. We get to choose the people we want to be. Sometimes that doesn't happen until we have a reason to. Until we're - shocked - or given purpose to perform a self-realization. A look in the mirror." Yana considers, admitting, "I've had a lot of advantages in life, I won't ever deny that. I got dealt a very good hand. I'm grateful for that. This whole - team thing? Is new to me. So." She exchanges a look with the tear-streaked explosive personality sitting next to her, "I meant what I said. Every word of it. It doesn't mean I won't call you on your bullshit. But, I will take anything you say that has meaning, to improve on it. And if we clash, sometimes, we'll clash sometimes. What matters, at the end of the day, is we try and respect each other. For the team. And, perhaps more, for Lexi. Okay?"
Tabitha Smith	"Okay." is all she says in response. "Okay." and she rubs her face with her hands.