ArchivedLogs:Public Pool

Public Pool
Dramatis Personae Eve, Marinov
In Absentia	2017-07-02 We're going to get thrown out of this pool, aren't we?
Location Public Pool
The public pool is a wide open space with a few different pools for interested swimmers: There is an olympic sized pool, which is only properly divided into lanes during the designated lane swim. There is a smaller wading pool, designated for children who may not have much experience in the water yet, and the temperature in this smaller pool is slightly warmer than the large main pool. Finally, there are a couple of hot tubs, there to warm up cold swimmers and to relax the aches of the patrons who are starting to get sore. The walls of the public pool are decorated with cool blue and white paint, designed to be reminiscent of waves on an open lake, even though the surface of the water is mostly calm, only disturbed by the swimmers and the patrons who jump in to splash around. Separated off from the swim area, there is a lounge area for parents to watch their children take swimming lessons and maybe get some coffee while they wait. It's not her usual mode of dress. She hasn't even worn her usual wig, which means her straight, black, chin-length natural hair is on display this time. Her slender and less than be-curved body has something of a slightly more muscular tone in the skirted pink one-piece she wears. While she certainly looks self-conscious, she's in the deeper end stroking around in slow, lazy circles, legs kicking about in a manner that unhurried and at ease. Apparently, she decided not to wait until her friend joined her. At least she's highly visible in pink. While it is not SUPER-crowded this late, there's still a decent number of swimmers about, meaning it hasn't turned into creepy empty public pool. Marinov steps out of the locker room a bit awkwardly, presently wearing a one piece bathing suit in a leopard print pattern which looks remarkably like their own fur coloration, which may cause those who have already done a double take upon seeing the young mutant's unusual appearance to take a third take. Their tail is threaded through the back, the suit's bottom comes down to the teen's upper thigh in a kind of shorts style. They look around and then walk stiffly towards the deep end of the pool. They raise a hand towards Eve to get her attention, though they also get some attention from some other adults who exchange suspicious whispers between themselves. The girl will actually splash over to the edge of the pool, pulling herself out. She mostly ignores the stares, at least visibly, and with a splash of water, mantles the edge. Once she's let herself drip a few seconds, she smiles at her cat-like friend, and gesture to the water,"Hey, sorry about the hairy eyeballs." Her voice rises slightly as she says the next part,"Some people never learned it's not polite to stare." She makes a face, and then asks,"You gonna be okay, sweetie?" She steps back slightly, then, to look at the leopard-print bathing suit and gives a thumbs-up,"Love it. It matches your fur." "Oh. Yeah, the pattern is like... pretty much exactly my fur pattern, actually," says Marinov, nodding towards Eve when she gives the thumbs up. "I'd only done swimwear a couple of times towards this, so it's not up to the same kind've quality but... I just like how it looks on me in particular." They shrug lightly and glance towards the people in the water who were whispering. "I'll be fine. I just feel sorta exposed. The Xavier's pool is usually a bit more my speed." They sit down on the edge of the pool, dipping their legs into it. "Spasibo for inviting me out, though." A couple of the other patrons stop whispering at Eve's implied admonishment, but one of them (a red-headed woman) reddens a bit in the face and starts to swim to the opposite side of the pool. "No. I totally get that. It's not the same, but... I'm not exactly passing right now, and my parents are pretty firm on not letting me do estrogen until I'm eighteen. So going swimming is sort of one of my bugbears. Then again, I don't have fur. All I know is, I really like swimming, and I like it a lot more than I dislike being seen with my wig or padding off. Anyway, you're right. It looks good on you. Kind of fancy. I guess this is sort of like the equivalent of a 'nude-colored' bathing suit for you? I'd be too shy." Babblebabblebabble. Suddenly reddening, she steps back and lets herself fall into the water with a splash. She doesn't even turn to watch the red-headed woman. Still, she stays under the water for a... rather long time, actually, before floating to the top. No gust of air from her. Just slow, normal breathing. After blinking the water clear of her eyes, she crosses her arms over the edge of the pool and plants her chin on them, eyes watching Marinov with an upcast gaze,"So what've you been up to this summer? I've been working, like, mega-shifts at the store." A pause. "Don't suppose you know anyone who needs a summer job and doesn't mind minimum wage?" Marinov slips into the water and then notes, "Yeah, I mean, swimming was always just one of the things that sorta makes me nervous..." They seems to tread water rather easily, and their fur is more suited to water than a domestic cat's might be. "I'm, like, an intersex person and stuff so there are times that I've been self conscious about my body and... then I've got a case of monsterbod, too, so that just sorta compounds... I like swimming, though." They shrug, their legs kicking strong enough in the water to keep them afloat despite their arms not moving. "I've got summer classes, so mostly been doing that. Had a run in with the creepy robots the cops have. Robocops are just as shitty as regular cops, seems like. And I've been doing lots of sewing lately, since Something Different is all done with. That's pretty much my summer so far." The girl nods a little as she pushes off the side to tread water next to Marinov, her head leaning back in the water, face turned to the ceiling. She sighs a little. "Yeah. I met one of them as well. They can't seem to tell the difference between an aggressive mutant and a non-aggressive mutant. These two cabbies got into a fight after they got in a wreck. She was like, a passenger. They completely ignored the cabbies and tried to arrest the girl because she was a mutant and she totes needed medical attention. That was weird. Then again, their whole concept is pretty shitty and racist. You'd think part of the appeal of robot cops would be, you know, zero value judgements, right?" The girl is quiet for a long while, then winks at Marinov, an encouraging smile,"It's cool. You've also got a case of killer bod, too. Most people seem to agree. You're an attractive, kind, fashionable person. Screw everyone else who makes you feel self-conscious. I used to tell people when I first transitioned that I identify as badass." She starts making slow, lazy strokes then,"So. Creepy robots aside, are you otherwise okay?" "I think my appearance is pretty polarizing, on the 'attractiveness' front. Not a lot of in-between between fetishising and revulsion, you know?" says Marinov, chuckling softly at that. They start to doggy paddle around a little bit, seeming rather comfortable with the manner of swimming despite it not being technically the most efficient. "But /I/ think I'm pretty alright looking, and pretty badass to boot. And yeah, the idea behind the sentinels is fucked up. They were gonna detain us for loitering, then they found some other mutant to shoot at. What the hell, right?" They take a deep breath. "I'm okay, yeah. Lots going on, lots on my mind." "Aaaah. Yeah. I'm familiar with that. Most people are like... either creepily attracted to the parts of my anatomy I feel most uneasy about, or repelled like magnets on the same pole once it comes up. Does that happen with the mutant thing, too? Like, are there mutant fetishists, or something? Not that it's any of my business. How you feel about you is the most important thing anyway." Eve makes a face, though,"So, can I ask you, like a personal question? Not a creepy personal question. Just a personal question. When did you realize you were... you know, a mutant?" She DOES cock an eyebrow, though, a curious look on her face,"I'm a pretty good listener, usually. If you wanna talk about what's on your mind... Or, between you and me, if you just need to take your mind off, I know a few people who like to party." "Ah, yeah, there's mutant fetishists for sure, but there's also... hm. Fetishists for intersex people, yeah? And so that's, like, compounded I guess... I sorta wish it weren't so complicated to navigate, but there you go." Marinov's head tilts slightly at Eve's question and they note, "I'd say the... the fur, the rosettes, the pointy teeth and the tail made me think I was a mutant?" They seem rather unsure of their answer, or at least unsure if that is the sort of answer Eve is looking for. Their ears perk up, "Who do you know who likes to party?" Marinov dives under the surface of the water, re-emerging on the other side of Eve. "And there are fetishists for trans people, too. We call them 'chasers'. Life is always like an uphill battle if you're even a little odd." She drops beneath the surface of the water for another unusually long couple of minutes and rises up again, blinking water out of her eyes. Pulling her hair back a little bit behind her ears, she offers,"Well, I mean... those didn't come all at once did they? Or... well, I guess there's no reason they couldn't. I just figured it was a gradual thing. Are there, like... blood tests or something?" Oddly specific question to be asking, alright. "I've got these friends, Donnie and Donnie. D&D. Donnie One's dad owns this little... it's kind of a club, but it has no... real liquor license. It's like, ten blocks or so from where I live. The neighborhood's a little sketchy, but you see obvious mutants there from time to time, and most people are too busy getting high or drunk to give any shits. Being a part of the lgbt community is kind of... hard where I'm from, so it's kind of where a lot of us hang out." "Yeah, chasers... ugh, fucking weirdos," fumes Marinov, "I don't really relish being treated like an /object/ myself, either. I guess I'm sorta... trans adjacent? I dunno. I feel like I can't put my whole deal to words very well." They lean forward and sniff at Eve a couple of times, "Blood tests? For being a mutant? I dunno. For me, when I manifested, it was pretty quick. I was in the hospital for a couple of weeks while my body basically, uh, broke apart and mended itself back together and it was all a blur to me. But there are plenty've mutants with obvious mutations who were just always that way." They slap the surface of the water a couple of times. "It's good that you've got a place to get your party on. I could use some've that. I've found some other ways to unwind, though." The red-headed lady is talking to the lifeguard now, gesturing wildly towards the two teenagers in the water. Her voice doesn't carry very comprehensibly through the echoey building. The girl begins to swim backawards in little circles around Marinov,"Like the body issues aren't hard enough without people being specifically pervy about them. Trans-adjacent. I buy it. I think you have relevant experience." She raises an eyebrow as she is sniffed, but apparently puts the behavior down to being 'a mutant thing she doesn't get'. Her scent is different, too. Somehow more... sterile. Like a lot of the sweat, the microbes, the expulsions and process that follow normal people are gone. Just pool chlorine and warm flesh. "I was kind of hinting that we could ditch and go party now if you'd prefer? Though how are you unwinding these days?" A pause as she looks at the gesticulating redhead. Then she speaks up,"We're going to get thrown out of this pool, aren't we?" Marinov squints slightly after getting Eve's scent, "So. Are... you worried that you are a mutant or something?" They sink down into the water, so that their nose is just above the surface, to spy on the redhead. "Oh no. I recognize those gestures." They heighten their voice to imitate a stereotypically snooty sort of woman, "'There should be no animals in the pool. It is simply not done! It is not hygienic!' Ugh. Yeah... let's go to the party. I usually like to do, like, urban exploration, parkour, or like... I dunno. Physical stuff to unwind, usually." "..." That's the sum total of Eve's reaction to Marinov's question at first. "... I want to say no. 'Cause there's nothing wrong with being a mutant. I think... maybe scared. Like... I'm different enough, you know. Except... lately, I just... I'm sleeping about an hour a night. I... When I go jogging lately, I'm just stopping mostly because I get... bored. I'm not... getting tired doing it. The other day, I got into a groove with my music, stopped paying attention, and next thing I know I was two hours away, and my parents were wondering where I was. I used to like going to parties, doing some... you know, a little drinking. And lately, it's like... a liter of vodka and I barely feel anything. And that... that's the thing. I feel... healthier than I ever felt in my life. But I kind of feel like I'm going crazy. I keep thinking my parents are going to notice, or someone I know will, and it's like... what then? HOW is dealing with this harder than dealing with being trans? What do you think? Does that sound... mutant-y?" The girl shakes her head, a sigh escaping her,"I'm sorry. We're here to cheer you up." She pulls herself free of the water, and holds out a hand to help the other woman,"I have some dresses and a sport jacket or two my parents still make me put on to go to Easter Mass if you want to borrow some club-type clothes. Or if you prefer, we could go for a run. If I knew you liked to run, I would've asked you to teach me some parkour." "Are we here to cheer me up? I thought we were here to swim!" Marinov blinks their eyes slowly and then says, "I have my kosovorotka, should be fine for any partying. Can't borrow clothes, really, 'cause of weird proportions. Going for a run'd be better though, it might be fun to explore my way if you're getting bored of running normally." When the lifeguard whistles and gestures for them to get out of the pool, Marinov huffs and starts paddling towards the side, glaring towards the smug looking red-head. "I was just leaving anyways!" they yell across the pool. They splash the water in an angry gesture and then take Eve's hand up out of the pool. They stay silent for a moment and then remark, more quietly, "That does sound mutanty though. Real mutanty. You smell... different, too. Like, not like most humans. You smell... clean. Healthy. Too much." "Well... we WERE here to swim. Once I found out you had a lot on your mind, we started being here to cheer you up. You done any of your running down in East Harlem? I need to touch bases with mom and dad if we're going to be out for a little. If you don't mind showing me the ropes?" A middle finger is raised to the guard and the red-head,"Jokes on you, you've got pink-eye now." She points at her own eye, then turns to Marinov, murmuring,"I have a temper, and I probably shouldn't have said that." The girl turns to begin walking once Marinov is out of the water. No significant strain on helping her out. "I probably don't have to say this, but... like... don't tell anybody this stuff, or... keep my name out of it, at least, until I figure it out?" Marinov chuckles and says, "Nah, they're the ones being assholes, so say what you want to 'em! Fuck those people!" They nod a few times on the way over to the locker rooms. "Don't worry, I know all about safety rules around disclosure. I'll keep it to myself unless you ask for otherwise." They mime zipping their mouth and tossing the key into the pool behind them.