Logs:Superstar

Superstar
Dramatis Personae Harm, Marinov
In Absentia	2020-11-15 "I mean, it is full of capitalism. And humans."
Location <XAV> Art Room - Xs Second Floor
Smells of paints and chalks and turpentine mingle freely in this room, well-used, well-stocked. Natural light flows in, plentiful through the large windows. The long counter-like tables are speckled with spots of color, and half finished projects often stand on easels or propped in corners. The many cupboards lining the walls are crammed full of art supplies. It's a rainy day outside, and with the unpleasant weather outside, there is more of a feeling of coziness in the still-warm indoor rooms that have windows in plain view. Marinov is sitting up on one of the windowsills, somehow seeming both precariously balanced and confident in their stability in the spot, drawing on their tablet. Their wine-coloured turtleneck and black boot-cut slacks only add to the same kind of feeling, their tail tapping lightly against the wall where it hangs down. Without looking up from the screen, they note, "I don't often use a lot of these supplies, but do you ever get that feeling of artness from a place? Like it's just got a kind of aura of... artiness from all the past arts that happened?" Dressed in a rainbow plaid longsleeve shirt and dark blue jeans, Harm is sitting cross-legged in a chair, steadily knitting something tubular with purple space-dyed yarn. They do look up, although their hands do not stop moving. "Definitely. I like having the supplies around, too." They blush fiercely all of a sudden, looking back down at their work. "I think Mister Holland must have designed it to be inspirational or something." They chew on their lower lip. "I know you probably have bigger plans to make, but...do you think you'll come back to visit, from time to time? After graduation?" Marinov blinks a couple of times slowly at Harm's sudden reddening when they look up, and then look back down at their tablet. "Umm, as weird as I find it that a lot of former students just end up... hanging around at their old high school, I might come and visit, maybe become a teacher with absolutely no qualifications," they say, without much conviction. "But I'll be in the city still, and if you're willing to make the trip, I didn't have the same kind of community back home as I've had here and I don't plan on leaving any time soon." Harm turns slightly in their seat to face Marinov more fully, admiring the view out of the window, too. "I'll definitely visit you in the city," they sound incredibly earnest. "I just...I don't know. Like this place is a mess, you know? But it's also kind of great from some angles and I guess...I wondered if you think you'll miss it at all." "I think... I might miss it, yeah," says Marinov quietly, their gaze turning outwards. "I met a lot of friends here, and you know, it is a place I felt sort of some sense of belonging at least." They raise their shoulders in a big shrug. "I dunno. There's some fucked up shit about this place, but I'm also... a little scared to leave? Like, enter the real world... I got some advantages, connections and shit, but still..." Harm looks up again, and their needles do stop this time. "The real world's scary," they agree softly. "I mean, it is full of capitalism. And humans." Their hands tug at the tube they're knitting, straightening the stitches. "I felt that way when I left Earthsong, too. It's still nice to visit, but I'm glad I'm not there anymore." Their cheer sounds a little artificial when they perk up and add, "I can't wait to see your new business take off, though." "Yeah, the air's pretty thick with capitalism out there, and the forecast doesn't show that shit letting up soon," laments Marinov, "But at least, yeah, I might be able to carve my way doing something that I love and still help people and all that shit. Talked with some friends of mine about like, a platform for custom clothing for people who have unique needs. Not just like, uh. Mutants like me with weird legs and proportions and shit, but like, anyone with the need for custom clothes." They looks back towards Harm and says, ears perked up, "Students here often need that sorta thing, though, so I might have that excuse to visit!" Harm's eyes go wide. "Oh, so it's not just -- your business, personally. It's like a whole -- thing?" They smile bright and bounces in their seat once. "I hope that goes really well. I mean...you could become like the fairy godtailor of Xavier's. Or..." They pick up their knitting again. "...not just Xavier's, I guess? But I'm sure future schoolmates are going to be so stoked about being dressed by the famous designer Taylor Marinov." "Yeah, I mean... that's the idea. I have lots of work already of course but... it's work I like to do, yeah? School asks for too much attention to boring shit." Marinov scratches the back of their neck and then hops on down from the windowsill. "Yeah! It's sorta weird to think that I actually have some name recognition already, but maybe somewhere down the line I will be the mentor to some stylish young monster. Pay it forward, yeah?" Harm nods enthusiastically, their bangs falling across their eyes. "Woah, maybe you can even work with the school to design like, Xavier's merch that actually fits the kids with nonstandard body...shapes, you know? Maybe even improve on it a little, 'cause the school merch is so boring." They snicker, their blush a little milder this time as they add, sincerely, "But anyway, you're already a superstar to me." There's a flush of red that appears inside of Marinov's ears and they chuckle a bit awkwardly, but the redden ears remain perked. "I appreciate that! And your faith in me," says Marinov. "I'm kind of glad my semesters got all fucked up since I could keep hanging out with cool folks like--" They gesture towards Harm, and then scratch under their ear lightly. "Anyways, if I do that work for Xavier's, it won't be the first time I brought a little flash to this school!"