ArchivedLogs:Teachers and Students

Teachers and Students
Also, there are magic cupcakes!
Dramatis Personae Felix, Iztali, Jackson
In Absentia	28 May 2013 Rooftops seem to be good places to run into people...
Location <NYC> Village Lofts - Rooftop - East Village
It tends to be windy, up here, but the presence of plastic table and folding chairs suggests that nevertheless building residents occasionally make their way out to this rooftop. With a good view of Tompkins Square Park less than a block away it's a good spot for city-watching. There's a railing around the edge, though it might be possible (if /unwise/) to climb over it to the narrow concrete ledges beyond and from there to the fire escape. Centrally, someone has broken down crates and constructed a small raised-bed garden up here, barren in winter but filled in three other seasons with a small assortment of herbs and vegetables. Clouds have blanketed the skies all day, which has kept the temperature on the cool side and produced scattered showers. There is evidence of earlier rain, a few small puddles scattered about, the dirt in the garden is damp and the plants have little droplets of water still clinging to them. The plastic furniture has had the water wiped off of it so it can be used. In front of Felix on the table there is a coffee mug, a thermos, a plastic container with vegetables and dip, an old pocket watch, a black and white photograph that also looks old, and a very worn out book. Sitting off to the side next to him is a small cooler with a hook handled long umbrella leaning against it. Dressed in his usual sport coat, jeans and button up shirt that is not tucked in, and he has not shaved in a few days. He is working with Tali today, helping her learn how to control her abilities, though this is not obvious to anybody but the two of them. Otherwise it looks like they are just having a picnic here on the roof. Tali has poured herself quite comfortably into the little chair, looking not unlike a cat in a delightful stretch of sunbeam as she enjoys the last lingering moments of the /quiet/ that comes only with Felix’s assistance. Her thin black gloves rest abandoned on the tabletop. She is wearing plain slate-grey slacks and an ivory camisole. A light cardigan is thrown over this to ward off the faint chill, in a subtle mauve-taupe with silvery accent beading just at the collar, to match the buttons. Her dark hair hangs loose around her shoulders, with no real impetus to pin it away again. There is a recycled corduroy patchwork bag at her feet, the corner of a yellow book cover peeking out from under its flap. Both of her hands are wrapped around a ceramic mug, allowing her to warm her fingers and sip from its contents by turns. “It is getting a little easier…shutting out the mundane things, at least. Things of consequence still seem to batter their way through, even if I concentrate on /not/ hearing them. But that means somewhat fewer voices in the chatter. That is better, at least.” “It is going to take time before you can block out all the things you do not want flooding in.” Felix takes a drink from his mug, picks up the old picture and holds it out to Tali. “Try this one.” He does not say anything about the picture as he hands it to her. “You should also be trying to block the little things out, it is important to learn how to block just as much as it is to concentrate on certain aspects.” Setting down his coffee, he picks up a carrot stick from the bowl, dunks it in the dip and then takes a bite, then leans back in his little plastic chair. Tali and Felix are sitting at the little table and chairs set on the roof, which has been wiped dry of rainwater in this little space between the spurts of storms that have passed through over the course of the day. Between them rest drinks, veggies, dip, and an odd series of items: a watch, a book, and a photograph. Tali takes one last sip from her cup before resting this, too, on the table. “I think blocking is my priority. The listening is almost /too/ easy. It is what gets in the way of…everything else.” A wry little grin twists her lips as she takes the photograph in her bared hand. “Whichever you wish to work on, I am just the guide.” Felix smiles and takes another sip of his drink, he appears to be very relaxed and in a good mood despite the overcast weather this day. “Perhaps we can try turning up the volume a little bit more, but you need to tell me where you can block things out, then we will go up bit by bit from there.” He reaches down and moves his umbrella so he can flip open the cooler sitting next to him, then pulls out a white box labeled 'Happy Cakes Bakery' and sets it on the table then puts the umbrella back in its place. “Feel free to have one of these. I have a bit of a sweet tooth myself.” “I…honestly am out of my depth on every level with this,” Tali admits with a bitter sort of chuckle. “It just seems…well, when you turn everything /down/, working back /up/ to it makes sense. Trying to turn it /off/ seems like, hm. Would it not be a bit like /watching/ someone meditate?” Her eyebrows raise and fall slightly with this. Her fingers taptaptap on the back of the photograph. “It is still quiet for now. I usually cannot help but read from things I touch, if there is anything there to be heard. It must not be back up yet.” The door to the roof swings open with a heavy creak. The evening might be dreary-grey but Jax is brightly colourful; sunny yellow Little Miss Sunshine t-shirt, brightly coloured skirt in zigzagging stripes, multicoloured mismatched socks. He has a bucket slung over one arm, tools rattling inside, and he is humming quietly to himself. The humming stops when he notices people already on the roof -- "Oh! Oh gosh, sorry," he's backing away towards the door again. "S'gross out, I didn't expect -- oh, hi, miss. Sir. Hi." “Every power is different, and every person has to learn their own way to control it. My part is to get your feedback and make adjustments, which then make it harder or easier to control.” Felix begins to reduce the level of /pacification/ being applied, very slowly, watching Tali and waiting for her to indicate when to stop. The picture that he handed her is that of a young man dressed in World War II, it is well-worn around the edges but looks to be an original photo. Felix turns to the door as it creaks open and somebody appears apologetic. Once he recognizes who it is, “Oh. Hello Jax, did you need to tend your garden?” He does not appear to be bothered by another person up on the rooftop, but he looks to Tali to see if she would prefer to continue elsewhere in private or stay on the roof with company. “Ha!” Tali laughs with a sudden, bright flash of smile. “Do not leave such things entirely up to your students. I would tell you, were I not a terribly stubborn creature, that it is easiest when you simply turn it /off/.” As it is, she is beckoning with her free hand. Bring it. Apparently there is not quite enough going on in the echo to coalesce a scene as of yet. The door opening pulls Tali’s attention behind her, however, where Jax made his entrance. “Oh! Good evening, Jackson. I dare say you needn’t ever apologise to /me/ for how you enter a room, considering.” She arches a meaningful brow…probably because he almost fell off the side of the roof when she came slamming through the door the last time. Jackson blushes, dipping his head with a sheepish smile. "Well -- okay, true 'nough, I guess. I just --" He shrugs a shoulder, glancing between the others and the garden. "I mean, garden ain't going nowhere," he says lightly, "if y'all are --" He hesitates, tilting his head to glance over them with faint curiosity. "-- well, you look kind of -- I don't want to -- am I interrupting?" His brows crease. The pail thumps against his leg with a metallic rattle of tools. Though he almost immediately /continues/ this maybe-interrupting by a sudden more earnest: "OhgoshTali, I should -- I never /thanked/ you, you --" His cheeks flush again, sudden-bright. "-- My kids," tumbles out in a rush, "we found them, they're home." Felix notices the hand motion indication /more/, but has stopped making any changes in power level at the moment, after all Jax was the one that told him not to out people and their powers, and he is not sure how well Tali and Jax know each other. "So, the two of you know each other?" He gets that look on his face, like the gears are grinding inside, fitting all the pieces together. Then his eyebrows raise as he seems to make some connections from the broken sentences. "Interesting." he says quietly. "Wait, I did not know you had kids Jax?" “No, no, oh dear. The garden isn’t going anywhere, /precisely/. Which means you need to stay here. If we need to…we could just go inside if it becomes necessary.” Tali’s free hand waves dismissively at the idea of Jax leaving. His announcement has her sitting bolt upright in that little plastic chair, however. “/Jackson/, you found them? Are they well? Did it…did my descriptions /help/? It has never helped, not since it was loud enough for me to know what it was.” Between the news of the twins being safe and the thought that this confounded ability might have /aided/ that, she looks nearly euphoric. Fortunately, the answer to Felix’s question is implied within all of the excited exclamations. "I've got three," Jackson answers Felix, with a nod. Though he really looks barely out of his teens himself. "We -- met, yeah." His smile flashes warm and bright to Tali. He sets the pail down near his feet. "/Yes/. We found them and -- and yeah, your descriptions --" For a moment the smile fades, "-- were pretty much exactly spot on," it returns again shortly, though. "They're -- it was rough but they're home now and it'll be -- they'll be -- I just, thank you." His hand scuffs through his hair (bright blue and silvery, today.) "I mean, I'm sorry that --" He hesitates, glancing to Felix, but since she continued he does, too, "-- that it's. Loud, I just. It can be helpful. It don't always have to just be -- terrible." Now that things are more clear to Felix, and Tali does not have issue with Jax, he is sure by this inference that Jax is aware of her powers. "Yes, if you need to work in the garden it should not be an issue." His smile indicating that he is comfortable with Jax being up here if Tali is. Looking at Tali, he give a little nod, indicating to her that she is welcome to say more about what they are doing up here. Turning back to Jax, "How is it that you have three kids Jax? That seems highly improbable." Though he has not said anything about the 'loudness' he appears to be aware of what this is. “His older boys were snatched right off the street is what happened,” Tali reports, brows battened down tight. “I was able to get an impression from the bag one of the boys was carrying when it happened. Though I might have gotten somewhat overwhelmed and tried to attack Jackson a little.” She sighs, looking a bit sheepish at this revelation. It /might/ be that this aspect of her visions is something she should have brought up with Felix earlier. “That happens, sometimes. When the echoes are very, very strong. I feel like I am in them and they become more present than…the present, I suppose,” she supplies now. Better late than never. A glance to her hand reveals that she was gripping the photograph a bit tighter than could be recommended for its longevity. She sets it back on the table, seeing as they are having a bit of a break. Tali does /not/ explain precisely what they are doing, giving Felix an uncertain look. She is uncomfortable describing someone /else’s/ powers, which such an explanation would certainly do to some extent. “That is wonderful news, though, Jackson! It deserves a celebration. Felix brought sweets.” Yes, Tali is offering up other people’s food. She is definitely signing up to bring snacks for the class next time, kids. She even jostles the box with one hand to indicate its presence, which causes her to…stare at it. And curse under her breath in Spanish. “I’m sorry, but…who is the manic bouncing woman?” Jackson's smile turns up a little crookedly. "We're living in pretty improbable times," he says, lightly. Less lightly: "Got twins -- they're sixteen. They was -- yeah. Snatched -- they're home safe now, though." A fact which means the smile can't stay off his face for /long/. Or maybe just being him means that. "Wonderful news, for sure. I'm -- I just wanted to let you know. Because -- well. Because. It was -- you're -- thank you." Felix looks over to Tali with a look of 'You did not tell me that' when she mentions the outburst. "I did not realize that it could be that overwhelming. Hmmm." When Tali talks about Hanna, his eyes dart between the box and the picture a few times. "Yes, the /bouncing woman/ is Hanna, she runs the bakery. It is interesting how you picked up on her and not my grandmother." There is a puzzled look on his face for a moment before he turns to Jax. "I have been helping Tali, guiding her towards better control of her powers. My gift allows me to turn hers down to a point where she can practice without being so overwhelmed." He seems to have given up on understanding how Jax has three kids for the moment. Tali smiles warmly at Jax, though the look in her eyes is nearly /giddy/. Score one for the magic cupcakes without even being consumed! “You are more than welcome, Jackson. Knowing the boys are safe is the best thanks I could get. It is…pleasant. Being helpful, and not just an imposition or an eccentricity.” She watches Felix for a moment as he muses. “Well, I don’t know!” she chirps in response to picking up on Hanna for whatever reason. “That box is just overflowing with…glee. This...Hanna is all over it. Bouncing. And mixing. And putting icing on things. Bakery makes sense, come to think of it.” A broad grin overtakes her features. “/Felix/ is very helpful. He turns down the spigot on the noise-rush.” "-- Your power lets you turn down other people's powers?" Jackson's eyebrows raise. He looks at Felix with sudden curiosity. "That's --" He pauses, rocking back onto his heels. His smile warms, though, at Tali's glee; maybe happy is /infectious/. "Gosh. I mean, that's -- I don't know, s'maybe still intrusive but it sounds like it might be kinda nice to have /happy/ intrusions sometimes. You been helping Tali for long?" Felix smiles, and takes one of the cupcakes from the box, then holds out the box to Jax can take one if he wishes. "Yes, on, off, and everything in between. It is like a volume control knob on a stereo to me. Though I do not go around just turning other peoples powers off. That is just wrong." Pausing for a moment to take a bite of his cupcake and a drink from his mug with the hand that is not holding the box. "I have been helping Tali for a little over a week now." Tali presses the fingertips of one hand to her lips, to suppress giggles. “It is a little bit like being slightly intoxicated, but without the fuzziness.” She does finally move that hand to gesture vaguely in the direction of her head, to clarify the meaning behind ‘fuzziness’. “It is nice…when the impressions are not of unpleasantness. However, this is more unusual than just /being/ happy. It is the /extent/ of it. I am not even at full…capacity? I don’t even know what to call it.” She wiggles her un-gloved fingers indicatively, as if to remind that she would not typically be doing this. “Hmm…yes. It might be closer to two weeks, now.” Jackson waves away the offer of cupcakes, head shaking. "-- Maybe they're /real/ good cupcakes?" he suggests, with a crooked smile. "Maybe she was real happy when she was makin' 'em." The smile twitches a little bit wider. "S'good you don't just go 'round shuttin' off people, thaaat could get unpleasant. Sounds kinda --" He hesitates, tipping his head back to look up at the sky. "Well. Sure useful, for some folks as might could use the extra practice, though. Or just a break. -- How's the job hunt coming along?" Felix smiles when Tali talks about how good it feels to have the noise muted. "Apparently some things give off more noise than others." looking at the box, which now that Jax has declined, he moves to offer one to Tali then seems to think better of it and just sets the box on the table. "Hmmm. That would imply that the emotions she gives off are stronger than usual," he says in reply to the comment about Hanna and baking. He refreshes his coffee from the thermos sitting on the table and takes a sip of the warmed up coffee. "It is very good for those who need practice. That is all I have ever really used it for thus far. As for job hunting, I am still looking." Tali’s shoulders shrug to convey ongoing confusion. “That is what is strange. Typically things that have stronger impressions, it is because…something very /powerful/ happened. This is…baking. As far as I can tell, it is not /life altering/ baking.” Her expression settles into an amused little half-smile, the excesses of HAPPY fading as she is no longer in contact with the box. “What sort of work are you looking for, Felix? I honestly do not know what fancy mathematicians do aside from teaching and…using the teaching to fund the fancy theorising.” "Maybe she's really /into/ baking." Jackson bounces slightly on his toes, his smile kind of amused. "You get in the /zone/, it can be a spiritual experience." The bouncing continues, a restless sort of energy. "Teaching's nice. Though kinda sometimes a handful." Staring at the box for a moment, Felix looks like he is putting a jigsaw puzzle together in his head. After a moment there must be some sort of connection. "I think I need to ask Hanna if I can observe her while she cooks." Smiling as he looks up to Tali, "I am looking for just the right job. A place where I can make a difference I guess. Not a big corporation where they are already set in their ways. I do stand in as a teacher at Columbia when they need help, but they have no open positions currently." Turning to Jax he adds, "I do not mind teaching at all, and it does not seem like a handful, it just seems natural when you like to help others learn." Tali chuckles softly at that. “I suppose it does seem a bit natural…teaching or academia at large. I imagine I’ll be headed that direction myself, more thoroughly, once I have completed my degree. It is not a large departure from before-graduation to after-graduation work in my field, either.” She reaches for her mug, sipping from it again though it has gone rather lukewarm. This /does/ make Jackson laugh, bright and easy as he stoops to scoop up his pail. "Oh-h, well. You were a doctorate student, you teach folks at university. Teaching teenagers? Is /totally/ a handful." His head shakes as he starts off towards his garden. "Sorry, I -- don't want to interrupt your practice time no more, Tali. I'll just be -- don't mind me." He is kneeling down at the garden, quietly starting to take out his tools to get to work. Maybe ruining the 'don't mind me' by starting to hum to himself as he works. But at least it is on-key! While Felix does not mind if Jax is here while practice is taking place, perhaps going downstairs to the apartment would be a better option right now as the beverages are starting to get cold, and it is getting a little darker as the evening moves on. "Shall we head down to the apartment and freshen up the tea and continue practice there?" he says looking at Tali. Tali nods at this suggestion, tugging on her gloves again for the trip. “It will be getting dark shortly. That is, perhaps, for the best.” She gathers items to assist with transport, notably not claiming the box of cupcakes. “Have a good night, Jackson. Thank you for sharing your good news!”