Logs:Carving Spaces

Carving Spaces
Dramatis Personae Marinov, Tok
In Absentia Jax, Avi, Rhydian	2024-10-28 "If it ever came down to it, we'll fight for it, for you" (Just after a Talk with Rhydian.)
Location <XAV> Courtyard - Residence Hall
The Residence Hall's common house borrows just enough of the mansion's architecture to complement it, though it has its own distinctive flavor as well. Walkways and bridges connect each dormitory wing to the common house at the center, with picturesque outdoor courtyards tucked alongside each wing, providing many of the dorms with a view of the plantlife and water features. No two courtyards are exactly the same, but all have plentiful seating along their winding footpaths, benches fixed in place as well as chairs and tables that rearrange themselves along the flagstones or in the shade according to the students' whims. It’s after their teacher’s headcount, that Tok moved to the furthest edges of the courtyard, creating as much distance as possible from the noise of the anxious, frantic students all concentrating together in one place. The noise drifts over, and there’s still some students milling about in groups, but it’s quieter at least. Tok’s nose is back to normal now, the collar of their baggy shirt a little more stretched out from them tugging at it, cargo shorts still too long. Tok finds a bench, but doesn’t sit down on it. Instead, they pace in front of it, the clicking in their throat now louder without so many students around. Their claws flutter between tugging at the patchy fur at the end of their tail, to picking at the patch of exoskeleton on the side of their neck, and back again. Eventually, they slam their backpack down on the bench, and begin to sift through it one handed, so their other hand can continue the cycle between their tail and neck. Seeming quite ready for the autumn in their meticulously tailored double breasted camel-coloured wool cape jacket and lavender beret, Marinov's steps make little sound where one might expect footfalls to make a crunch against the light cover of dried leaves. There is enough slack to the cape and skirt of the jacket to be blown in the wind for a relatively striking silhouette. Their ears twitch a couple of times as they walk, feline eyes half lidded as they navigate their way to the bench on the outskirts of the courtyard. "Hey there," they say, voice soft, as if to not interrupt the stillness that surrounds the nervous energy that Tok has on display. "Mind if I take a seat here?" Tok flinches at the voice, despite the softness of it. Any sound seems like it would’ve had them flinching. The blood vessels concentrated about their neck and forehead pulse with a white glow, then fade. The clicking noise is swallowed down, tail coiling back around their leg, and they look up, “Yeah sur-” they stop short, when they look at Marinov. Their slitted eyes don’t seem to know what to focus on, at first, jumping between Marinov’s ears, eyes, fur, the jacket, the beret, back up to their face. Tok blows out a breath, their shoulders drop from their hiked position, tail unwinding slowly from their leg. “Holy shit. You’re- Yeah. Yeah, You can sit.” They move their backpack over, so Marinov has some more room. With a brush of their semi-pawlike hands against the back of their jacket, they sit down, their own tail slipping through the gap in the bench as they do so. "Thanks." The tip of their tail twitches a couple of times back and forth, and their gaze turns back towards Tok appraisingly. "I dunno if I'm reading too much into it, but if I play with my tail like that, usually means I'm feeling anxious. My mental model examples for tailed people is woefully undersupplied, though." They cross one foot over the other and lean back, "You're Tok, right?" Tok’s eyes are drawn to Marinov’s tail, watching it twitch back forth through the gap in the bench. Their own tail begins to mirror the movement, subconsciously. Their gaze jumps back up towards Marinov’s face, when they speak, “Heh. Not a lot of us.” They agree, “Just- a little-” Their words are cut off with a soft warbling sound that they don’t hold back on, “-Worried. I guess. Who isn’t right now? I’ll get over it.” They reassure, quickly. They stick out a clawed hand, “But yeah- You’re uh…Mx. Marinov right? Mr. Jax-“ A clear worry pinches their eyebrows together, but they continue on, “-said I’d know you when I saw you. Real stylish cat he said. Didn’t know he meant- literally-” Marinov chuckles and tilts their head forward in affirmation. "Yeah, when we're talking literally, I probably am the most stylish cat in town. I'm a fashion designer, so I've gotta protect my territory." They take Tok's hand in their own at the introduction and then nod. "I was a student here before, sometimes I've still got work to do on campus. More so going forward, I guess." Their ears flick a couple of times, seemingly doing a quick survey of the surroundings with a couple quick swivels. "Worried makes sense. And you might get over it, but if you do want to talk, I'm down to listen." Tok’s ear flicks, curiously, at the semi-pawlike hand, and it takes them perhaps a moment too long to pull their hand back from the shake. “That’s- that’s really cool, you bein’ a fashion designer.” They sound genuine, here, a little surprised? Hopeful even? Then, their eyebrows raise, “Wait- You’re gonna be working here? Thank god- we need more of us around here.” There’s a heavy relief in this, one that shakes out in the next outward breath. They look down at their backpack in consideration, then pick it up and set it on the ground between their legs so they can sit on the bench too. Their tail slots between the gap like Marinov’s, “Some people get it but- This one student just- attacked the cops? Set’em off. Thought it was over for real. Kinda feels like Freaktown part two.“ Their tail curls up and into their hands. They run their claws through the fur, soothingly, and slump back against the chair. Marinov's eyes flick down at the a-little-too-long handshake, and then they bow their head slightly. "That's how I felt when I was here, too. Kind of outnumbered. Lots of people don't get it, yea--" They close their eyes a moment then open them wide, studying Tok a little bit closer now, "A student attacked the cops? Did they-- are you okay? That shit can be real scary, I've been there, seriously. I'm glad you're okay." They exhale with a soft huff and shake their head, "Were you in Freaktown too, then?" They look at Marinov, and their eyebrows jump up a little, surprised at their stare. They don’t look away though, “This other kid saved our asses like, three times. So I’m okay. Kinda felt like I was gonna barf earlier though not gonna lie—” their ear flicks, in the direction of some students chattering nearby. It takes them a moment to refocus, “Wasn’t at Freaktown long. Y’know, I’m starting to think my real mutation is bad luck, places I been don’t last too long after I show up.” This has a quick half smile—showing off a flash of sharp teeth—which fades. They tilt their head, squinting at Marinov, “This kinda shit happen when you went to school here?” "Well. I think that I've been in my fair share of trouble. Also, Jax getting arrested is just. You know. Kind of what he does, yeah?" says Marinov, giving a helpless shrug in response to that. "Usually it's not a whole raid on this place. I think the professor tries to avoid too many cops on campus." Their tail begins to sway rhythmically as they contemplate. "Which is... you know, it's probably not your power. That's a cop power. Making communities fall apart, bringing the bad luck. But I expect this place'll still last for quite some time. If it ever came down to it, we'll fight for it, for you, and I wouldn't want to tangle with some of your teachers. Even if I was the cops." Tok brings their legs up onto the bench so they can lean against their knees. They study Marinov as they talk, like they’re still trying to take them all in. Their tail has unconsciously slipped back out of their hands and down between the gap of the bench to slink idly back and forth, less twitchy and agitated than before. They continue to stare at Marinov, even after they’re done, eyes briefly stretching wide, then finally looking away to blink harshly. They nod, and it takes a moment for them to speak again, “Thanks, Mx. Marinov.” They clear their throat after taking a breath, “And that’s- good- well. Not good, you bein’ in trouble before, and that Mr. Jax gettin’ arrested is common but it’s-” Their eyebrows scrunch, trying to form words in an already fried brain. “S’just, you’re still here.” They tilt their head, “And Mr. Jax has gotten out before. Schools still standing.” They shrug, and look down at their backpack in thought, “I’ll fight for it, too.” While Marinov's eyes wander a bit, the swivel of their ears remains fixed on Tok. "If we do our jobs properly, you won't have to. Or, well." They tilt their head slowly back and forth in contemplation, "Sometimes fighting looks different. For students here, I think, that's gonna look like figuring out who you want to be so a place can be carved out in the world." Their eyes once again return to being half-lidded as they lift their chin, taking in the scents of autumn air. "For now... if you ever need to talk, I'll be around campus, yeah? I know that place is harder to carve for some than others." When they fully face Tok again, it's not a smile that graces their expression (it seems unlikely that they can), but their eyes close in the satisfied feline equivalent. "But goddamn, is it worth it."