ArchivedLogs:Redefining Success

Redefining Success
Dramatis Personae Heather and Paige
In Absentia	2017-04-09 "Trying often hurts [...] But that does not mean it was not worth trying."
Location <NYC> {Teamhaus} - Harbor Commons - Lower East Side
The right side opens up to a modern kitchen with cherry wood cabinets and steel countertops forming a corner against the close and right walls. This cooking area is fitted with modern appliances, among them being an over-the-counter microwave, a dishwasher, an electric stove, a refrigerator, and an oven. Opposite the kitchen is the dining room, accessed by a pair of narrow French doors. Walls of frosted glass panes, framed by stained wood and a diagonal slat slanting downwards towards the doors, separate the area from the rest of the unit. Long, vertical wooden boards stained dark comprise the rest of the walls in the unit. A small hallways leads from the entrance towards the back with a closet on the left and a bathroom on the right. Although the rest of the unit has beautiful hardwood flooring, the bathroom floor is tiled. It has the usual porcelain fixtures - a sink, a bathtub, a toilet - but also contains a separate shower stall made of steel and glass. On the left of the hallway is a closet containing a decent amount of storage space along with a washing machine and dryer. The hallway ends as it began, opening up into the same layout as the entrance, though flipped. To the right is the bedroom, concealed by the same frosted glass walls as the dining room with a single door of the same fashion as the walls. The left side holds a living room. Curtained windows along the back wall allow light to stream into the area. April 9th, 2017. 8:00pm. TEAM MEETING. Heather had posted up this note on the corkboard that she hung up a couple of days prior for important room-wide notices. For the meeting, Heather has prepared with some snacks, mostly fresh vegetables that have been cut up and dip. There is water in a pitcher on the table and glasses for every likely participant in the meeting. She has a notebook opened up to a page that is otherwise blank except for the header that reads 'TEAM MEETING NOTES'. When eight o'clock rolls around, Paige is already seated at the table in the kitchen, munching on pieces of carrot. Her ears twitch idly as she eyes the open notebook and briefly flips it closed to inspect the cover. She has apparently already poured herself a glass of water and her legs swing as she continues to wait for the meeting to begin. Heather opens up the front door and enters a minute before the start of the meeting time, but once she is seated at her place on the table, the clock rolls over to the next hour and she begins. Her recorder play button is hit: "First item on the agenda: To discuss previous goals and whether they have been accomplished or will need to be carried over in our revised list of win conditions." Paige's ears perk up and she turns her head to watch Heather enter the apartment while still nibbling on carrots. A simple nod and small wave are given in greeting to her roommate before she sits down. "Well, we have a place, I guess, so that's a good thing, you know?" Finishing off one of the vegetables, she reaches up to scratch at the back of her neck for a moment before making a sweeping gesture. "And you've got the money, which means you're in control and, um, that's what you wanted, right?" Taking a sip of water, the goat girl picks up another carrot. "We are in control. You help me a lot by being here," plays Heather, "But I am in control of my own life more than I was. Yes. That is right." While this plays, she crunches up a carrot rapidly. "We have some emergency funds. But not as much as I would like. But I think we accomplished our last set of goals last time." She writes down the previous goals of building up an emergency fund and having housing, and then checkmarks next to them. "But it has been over three months now since we set them. It would be good to set new things to work towards. Is there anything you would like to do in the next few months?" Her snacking moving onto cut pieces of red bell pepper, Paige crunches quietly while listening to Heather's recording. "Yeah, um, well -- I can't believe it's been three months already, but I ... uh, need to find a job? I mean I've been working at it and stuff, so I think I've got it covered." The horned mutant nods to herself as if to affirm this claim. "That ... or go back to school. But I think working will be ... a smarter choice?" "I am not sure which is the smarter choice," plays Heather, shrugging a shoulder lightly, "It depends on what you want. If you want to do something that involves going back to school you should. If not, then find a job you want. Either one is a goal." She taps her fingers against the table and plays, "I want to go to school. I need to replenish some savings. I need to increase the reach of my business. You have friends at the mutant school?" "Getting a job makes more sense to me," Paige says with a shrug of her own. "That way I can pay for things, you know? Books, tuition, and shit? What business? You mean tutoring?" The goat girl pauses for a moment as she regards Heather curiously. "I know people at the school, yeah. Are you saying that you want to, uh, tutor them?" She tilts her head upwards and her ears twitch as she ponders. "I know two people, mainly," she resumes, affixing her gaze on her roommate again. "Taylor and Marinov. Shane, I think, works at the school sometimes. Um ... also, Matt? I remember Fiona mentioning him. I think he's a teacher there. And ... speaking of ... isn't Fiona going there now?" "Yes. My tutoring business. Per unit of time, it is the most efficient way of making money I have right now, unless I find very good deals for reselling and delivery," explains Heather. She mimes out what it would look like if she were to pour herself water, and then she continues, "If you talk to them, please give my information. I tutor mathematics. Which is also what I want to go to school for. For getting a job for you. What can I do to help you? I can give your resume to people. But I need to know who to hand it to. And who not to." "My, uh, resume is just, you know, a bunch of, uh, courses I took in college and the fact that I used to work at the family store...?" Paige states meekly, ears flicking downwards, before she moves to fill Heather's glass from the water pitcher. "I can give your information to them, if that's what you want, yeah. I think out of any of the people I mentioned, Marinov would benefit the most. Not that they're a bad student or anything, but they've mentioned some things about their grades, you know? I don't really have much contact with Matt, but I could try asking Fiona for help getting in contact with him. And Shane and Taylor can usually just be found at Evolve, so that'll be easy at least." There's a moment of silence as the young woman bites at her bottom lip. "Don't hand it to people who don't like mutants? Or anyone looking for someone with, you know, -skills- and shit. I don't know. I think I should probably stop disclosing my registration level to employers." "Okay. I can drop it off at a lot of places. I will gauge how they react to me. And that will give me information on how they will react to you. Even though it's not exactly the same. Because I look blurry and you look furry," plays Heather, reaching for the glass once it is filled and dropping her straw in it to give it a sip. "If you can give me an in. Then I will let them know for any who struggle with mathematics that there is an answer. And the answer is me." She shrugs lightly and then says, "I think your resume will be fine for any mutant friendly business. But there are not enough of those." "I think ... I think I can give you an in. No promises, though. And I -- I don't look -that- furry, do I?" Paige furrows her brows while she pats at her face. "I don't think it's too bad. Some places do, though." The pinching of her eyebrows increases and she asks, "You don't think I need to shave it, do you? That -- that doesn't seem like a good idea. And of course you're the answer. You're -always- the answer," the horned mutant remarks somewhat playfully as she starts eating more of the pepper slices. "No. I don't think you should shave your fur. I know it is not thick. But I can see it," observes Heather, leaning in to get a better look at her roommate. "I do not think I am that blurry either. But we are both obvious about our mutations in other ways. I think your horns are excellent but not everyone agrees." She shrugs lightly and then writes down a few notes about current goals. "I will apply to school soon. So that next year in the fall I can attend. But I need to find out how or if they can accommodate me. Watching lectures at my own speed is better." Paige looks visibly relieved when Heather confirms that her appearance is not that much of a problem. She does reach a hand up and run it along one of her horns at the mention of their existence. "You could --" she begins, leaning forwards to peer at the upside-down text appearing rapidly in the notebook. "-- probably complete more classes at once than other students. You have -time-. I wouldn't be surprised if you could complete all the coursework in less than two years, you know? If you could take some sort of online classes, maybe that would work. It'd be easier to speed that stuff up. And if it's that, then you'll be doing like online forum posts and shit." Drumming her fingers on the table, she relaxes her posture and straightens up once more, giving Heather an appraising glance. "I'd bet you could finish your schooling faster than I’ll finish mine." "Yes. I could probably finish my schooling faster. But the classes will all cost the same amount of money," plays Heather. "I think it will be best financially if I only take an average student's courseload and dedicate my other time to my work." She lets out a bit of a squeaky sigh and sips down the rest of her water. Her arms cross and she leans her elbows against the edge of the table. "What kinds of classes would you like to take? If you go to school. That is what you want to work towards?" "I don't know," Paige starts with a less than confident tone. "I like helping others and connecting with people." As she speaks, her gaze turns down while she picks at her hands. "I was thinking some kind of social work maybe." The goat girl gives a shrug and falls silent before glancing up and noticing that her roommate's glass is empty. She reaches over and fills it anew with water from the pitcher. "You sure you don't make enough money with all the time you have to take more than an average courseload? I'm just -- just curious." "I'm paying rent on this place and my food expenses are high," plays Heather, pulling her hand back when her glass is reached for. "The number of task based jobs that I work on right now make up for our expenses. But only just. I think I will need to take out loans if I do not get more students under my tutorship. But if you find work that will help." She pauses for a moment and then tilts her head, "Not that I am complaining. I appreciate all that you do for me. But if we both plan to go to school there are expenses there." Paige nods along with Heather's explanation. "If you're planning on applying to school sooner rather than later, maybe you should go for it first, you know?" The horned girl offers a shrug. "I mean, yeah, I'd like to get back in school, but maybe I should get a job first so I can start building up my funds and helping you out financially." Her fingers drum on the table again. "Besides, it'd probably be good for me or something, right?" "It might be good for you. I think it is good for me to fill up my time. I try to fill it with more things that are interesting," plays Heather, nodding a few times rapidly. "I appreciate you wanting to help me financially. I could put in a word for you at the thrift store. I go there lots. They are very friendly. Even to me." She pauses for a few moments, sipping out of the glass again and pickup up a few of the sliced veggies. "Our goals are now set. I open the table to any additional matters either of us would like to bring forward." "At the thrift store? Really? That actually sounds pretty freaking wonderful," confesses Paige with a soft, wistful sigh before she grins at Heather. "And, yeah, I know you do. I've seen the bags!" Her exclamation is accompanied by a light laugh. "But I ... uh ... I don't think I have any topics really." Scratching below her eye, she pauses. "I mean, nothing that you can really help with. That's not your fault, though,” the horned mutant says with a shrug. "Yes. I would not go there as much if they were not nice." Heather crosses her legs up on her chair while the recording continues to play. "Even if I can't help with something, that does not mean that it cannot be noted in the minutes. I have been attending events. Going to dinners. And helping wherever and whenever I can. Trying to integrate myself in the community more. I think I am doing okay. I am not good with people. But I am trying. It has been good here." "Yeah, I've seen you at most of the dinners I've been to. And if you ever need any help with people," Paige offers, shrugging again. "You know how to get ahold of me. Like I've said before, this place is basically a paradise, you know? Tons of mutants in one place, lots of community events and gatherings, available quality resources. It's better than school, even. But not doing anything ... well, I mean I help with the cleaning and stuff, but not doing anything is really eating at me," she admits as she rubs her neck with both hands. "I'm glad that you're doing okay - that's good news. Trying never hurts. Well, mostly, right?” "Trying often hurts," remarks Heather, "But that does not mean it was not worth trying." She taps her cheek a few times in thought, making some loud smacking sounds. "I would not call it a paradise. But it is good here." She writes a few more notes in her notebook, still open on the table, and finishes, "I think that concludes all of our meeting business. I will see you at the next team meeting." She pauses a moment, and adds, “Also before that.” Nodding in agreement with Heather's conclusion, Paige takes a sip of water. "Often, yeah. I was trying to be optimistic. And maybe that depends on your definition of paradise. I am safe here, you know? That is paradise to me. They even have protocols and protections for when those zombies attack. It's a pretty good deal." The horned mutant slides off her chair, scooping most of the remaining vegetables pieces and heading towards the hallway. "Thanks for the meeting. It's good to have goals. Ones we can accomplish."