Logs:Divisive

Divisive
Dramatis Personae Jax, Tian-shin	2019-05-15 "Who knew that's what it took to earn me cool points with teenagers. I should get myself arrested more often."
Location <XS> Teacher's Lounge
Running a school for mutant teenagers just taking control of their powers is not an easy job, and the teachers at Xavier's deserve a place to come and relax. This lounge is their place to come and de-stress, and it does not skimp for relaxation. The room is elegant and luxurious, plush couches making up the seating in the lounge and a glossy glassy bar wrapping around one wall, well-stocked with alcohol (and perpetually fresh-brewed coffee, for those so inclined.) A large-screen high-def television hangs on one wall, stocked with about as many movies and games as the childrens' rec room upstairs. High bookshelves hold a wealth of books. The fridge here is always well stocked, and the cook is always willing to make deliveries down to this level. Far in the back, a hot tub is submerged into the floor, for still more unwinding. More days than not, there's some variety of snacks to be found on perched on an end of the bar -- quite often in the form of fresh-baked desserts. NOTE: Students are not allowed in the Teachers' Lounge at ANY time.** It's a reasonably springlike, even if the breeze draws chill across the lake. This kind of weather tends to mean going outside with a jacket only to take it off every time one steps into the sun and put it back on when the wind picks up. Here it means the windows to the teachers' lounge have been thrown open and then closed again at least five or six times since the morning (the windows-closed faction is leading at present). Tian-shin's stance on windows is not perhaps exceptionally clear, but she's keeping her red canvas jacket near at hand where she sits at one end of the couch. She wears a black three-quarter sleeve mandarin blouse with bright red piping and frog buttons with matching trousers and mary janes. Her hair is held back out of her face with a scarlet bandanna that makes its deep glossy black that much more striking where it cascades down her back. She has her plate balanced primly on her knees, lunch half-eaten, chopsticks idle in one hand and phone in the other, though her eyes snap up from its screen presently when Jack Miller steers the conversation (which /had/ been about the anxiety levels of the students over the past week) towards his favorite topic. "Obviously I'm glad he survived, but Ryan Black is not the kind of role model our students need." His face is probably meant to be a study in concerned disapproval, but he mostly just looks constipated. Tian-shin sucks in a breath to speak, but Miller just barrels on. "And I'm not making any accusations, but the fact that they were flaunting /powers/ on national TV when it happened sure doesn't /look/ good for us." The door opens -- Jax has his own bowl of food in hand as he enters, a thermos tucked under his arm. Neatly dressed in black and red asymmetrically patterned button down, black slacks with a subtle red metallic striping to them, the vibrant neon of his green and purple hair is contrast to the relatively more sedate outfit. He looks up as the door closes behind him, his brows lifting above the rims of his mirrored sunglasses. "Forgive me, /I'm/ sorry, but I'm sure I just don't know." His drawl is thicker than usual, hand touching lightly to his chest. "What sort of role models /would/ be ideal for our kids? Ones they don't never see because they stayed in the closet?" Miller's head whips around at Jax's voice--he had not been paying attention, and his already somewhat pinkish face flushes red all the way up to his ears. "It's not him 'coming out' that's the problem, it's the kind of /image/ he projects." His clarification comes complete with air quotes. "I have nothing against the man personally, but young mutants need to look up to professionals who are participating in society." Tian-shin's slim eyebrows rise up. "Ryan Black is a professional musician. He won some awards for that just recently, you might not have noticed?" Miller turns back to Tian-shin as if noticing her for the first time, though she's been in the room all along. "I meant /regular/ people, not bad boy rock stars." He sounds a bit exasperated now. The others in the room who had nodded grimly along to his earlier statements are looking vaguely uncomfortable and ready to disengage. Jax's lips twitch up quickly when Tian-shin speaks. He slips further into the room, setting his bowl down on an end table by the couch. "An image of someone passionate about what he do? /Good/ at it? Works real hard at his craft? Successful against a /whole/ lotta odds?" His tone has gotten lighter as he continues. "Committed to giving folks a chance who might not get it from others? /Real/ outspoken about using his position to help his community no matter /how/ many people refuse to look past his skin and insist on calling this dedicated activist a bad boy? Our kids are gonna have a /lotta/ people in this world telling 'em everything they can't do and can't be. Seems to me like the image he projects is about exactly what they need." Miller sighs and scrubs the side of his face with one hand. "Look, I'm not denying his talent or his passion. I just don't think it's healthy for young people to idolize divisive figures." Tian-shin's eyebrows lift even higher. "I think any openly mutant person is going to be divisive in terms of /dividing/ those who want us dead from those who don't." "Well, /maybe/ they should be looking to people who aren't 'openly' mutant," Miller retorts, sporting air quotes again. "Aren't--out there trying to make a spectacle. Just living peaceful and productive lives. Like the Professor, or any of us, really." He waves his hand around the room, palm-up, encompassing all the faculty members present, Jax and Tian-shin included. Jax's brows raise again. "So you're saying only the hundredth of a percent of mutant kids in the country lucky enough to go to an elite and secret prep school deserve to have figures to look up to? All the mutant kids around the country who ain't never even met another person, who think they're the only one, who write him every single day saying before they saw him and knowed there was a better possibility for 'em, they was on the verge of suicide in communities where ain't nobody living 'openly'," Jax's air quotes come in the form of cartoon hands manifesting around his just-slightly-tilted head, his exaggeratedly innocent, "that's the world /you/ want for them? For the sake, of course, of not being divisive surely a few hundred dead mutant kids each year is a small price to pay. Not /our/ students, of course. Nobody you'd have to, like, /see/." "Jesus Christ," Miller groans. "I was talking about /our students/ in particular, since they're the ones we're in charge of. And you have a point, most mutant kids /don't/ have a lot of choices for role models, and that's a damned shame. But what's looking up to Ryan Black taught them? That coming out is just painting a target on yourself, and everyone around you." "Are you /blaming/ Ryan for people trying to /murder/ him?" Tian-shin's eyes narrow slightly, her posture stiffening. "And what of those who haven't got a choice in being visible?" She shakes her head. "I think it's pretty clear who's painting the targets." Miller shakes his head, makes an impatient sweeping-aside gesture with his hand. "I don't know why you're trying to turn this into a fight. It's just my opinion, you can take it or leave it." He's collecting his belongings--a bit /huffily/--and making to retreat from the lounge. The other teachers look on nervously, eyes skipping between him, Jax, and Tian-shin. "I ain't turning it into nothing, just pointing out what's already in the room. Which ones of /our/ students do you think got a choice about living openly? You think my twins graduated here and got the freedom just keep their mouths closed and their heads down and have no targets painted on 'em?" Jax's head shakes. "But sure. You're making it pretty clear /which/ of /our students/ well being you got in mind. In /particular/." As Miller gets up, he drops down to sit on the opposite side of the couch from Tian-shin, pulling his bowl into his lap. "Sorry to interrupt your lunch," he adds, much quieter. Miller's jaw works furiously, the better to show how much self-control he's exercising here. "I know there's plenty of kids who get dealt a bad hand, but alienating humans who might otherwise be on our side isn't going to help them, or the rest of us." "Any human who's alienated by Ryan Black was never on our side to begin with," Tian-shin says evenly, though her slender shoulders are tense. "They were just willing to tolerate us as long as we stay in our place." Miller only shoulders his laptop bag jerkily and heads for the door. "You all enjoy your lunch." He leaves a couple of seconds of awkward silence in his wake, the remaining teachers busying themselves with food or devices or books. Tian-shin blows out a long, slow breath through her mouth and offers Jax a small, rueful smile. "Thank you for interrupting." Jax tucks his thermos in against his side, rubs at the back of his neck. For a moment his head bows over his food in silence. He looks up again, returning Tian-shin's smile wryly. "Ain't even the worst I heard lately. Thank you for -- well." His cheeks flush slightly pink. "s'it been like that all week?" "Pretty much." Tian-shin picks up a chunk of broccoli and mops it around the edge of her plate. After a moment's thought, she adds, "Better than last week, though. Before it came out he was alive, most of the students were in mourning and everyone was stressed out. A lot of handwringing about 'the wrong kind of attention' and so on." She grinds her teeth together. Puts the broccoli back down. "You having any trouble from the administration over this?" Jax picks up his spoon, poking it into his bowl of rice and veggies. "A little bit. I don't know. Not official trouble. Parents been complaining and so they're just insinuating how it might be better if I just stayed home until things blown over. Like obviously /they/ don't think I done this but -- but they got a image to think about and --" He gives a small shrug of one shoulder. "Guess maybe they ain't wrong. Just ain't sure what I'd do with myself at home all day. Climb the walls, probably." Tian-shin scoffs, looks up at the ceiling. "It's the administration's /job/ to deal with unreasonable parents. Yours is teaching, and I think a lot of the kids are seeing you in a new light." She's still not really eating, more just rearranging food on her plate. "/I'm/ glad you're back, at any rate." "I'd rather that light not be -- terrorist who'd be willing to murder my best friend and a lotta others besides." Jax, too, is poking at his food. Not actually eating it. He gives Tian-shin a small crooked smile. "But I am glad someone here don't think I could be..." A small shudder runs through him. "Really have appreciated having you in my corner. Not /just/ here. But -- also here." Tian-shin blushes and ducks her head slightly. "I didn't mean it like /that/. I can't say no one thinks that, but most of them know those charges were nonsense." She tugs at her bandanna, straightening it on her head even though it isn't in the least crooked. "Besides, being wrongfully accused by authority holds a /certain/ appeal for teenage aesthetics, especially when you're /one of theirs/ in some way." This with a small shrug, shoulders hunching a bit. "I just--I'm glad I was able to help, but furious it took so /long./" Her head shakes vehemently. "But here?" Her perplexed frown eases when she looks up at their coworkers awkwardly avoiding eye contact. "Yeah...kind of seems like we should /all/ be in your corner. Should." "Who knew that's what it took to earn me cool points with teenagers. I should get myself arrested more often." Jax's head drops back against the couch, his smile thin and crooked. He sits up again immediately after. "I ain't like. Planning to or nothing," he assures Tian-shin hurriedly. "I'm sure you'd... prefer clients who like. Actually, um. Pay you." Tian-shin slaps a hand to her mouth to cover her sudden laughter. "Sorry!" She's turning red. "Sorry, that's inappropriate, but I'm not laughing at /you/. It's just--I never knew from cool, even when I /was/ an actual teenager, but I still think you're way cool, and definitely do /not/ need to be arrested more." Her hand drops away and her blushing eases. "What I /prefer/ is for my comrades and friends to get the support they need. So if it /does/ happen again..." She leans forward and knocks on the surface of the coffee table. "...I'll be there."