out of place

[Ryan Alexander]

"Avant garde?" She looked up at the ceiling, her mind straining to remember what that term meant. No such luck, so she guessed.

"Are those the guys near Buckingham Palace who aren't allowed to smile? I think someone mentioned avant garde while I was at St. Bethany's in England..." Then she decided to expand on her ideas.

"Basically, everyone has different feelings about their powers. I want to try and paint those emotions. You like to portray the happiness. I'm wanting to portray the potential fear. The anger someone might feel at their powers turning their lives upside down. Their confusion as they try to control their powers. Their pain at realizing they aren't normal. Happiness will of course factor in too, but the other emotions also need representing."

ooc: sorry about that I've edited it around your post to better suit the timeline.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

{it's cool; that's what happens when open threads sit around for a while}

Zoe nodded at the repetition of the term, already beginning to smile again. The other girl seemed to be looking skyward, which had Zoe glancing up as well, trying to see if she'd missed something. Apparently not, judging by the joke that followed. Ryan's jest about the guards had Zoe giggling a little: she did vaguely remember seeing those very guards in person, after all.

Ryan continued; Zoe listening as the avant garde artist explained everything. Portrayal the... fear? "I can get that but..." Zoe chewed her lip, "people are already afraid, I guess. There's something scary about what we can do, and how it just sort of happens to us. Like," she held up her hand, "with me, and the touch and how I paralyze people. And I got my powers so late that I could handle them. Some people are eleven when they develop theirs..."

Zoe had to trail off, remembering some of the younger mutants she'd worked with. There was that pain and confusion, but should someone be reminded of that? Part of Zoe wanted to say yes, that all spectrums of emotion should be represented, but another part of her...

[Ryan Alexander]

The other girl was laughing.

"So it wasn't the Buckingham Palace Guards. Oops. Guess I should've studied a bit better." She sighed. She didn't read about art. She just liked art. You shouldn't have to study something you loved. Then Zoe spoke about the powers.

"Well my art would be meant to promote understanding though. Humans are kind of scared of us. My art would help to show them that we can sometimes be just as afraid of our gifts as they are. And...wow you manifested late. I manifested when I was thirteen." With that, she manipulated a beer can out of the nearest drunkard's hand. But her control slipped and she spilled the beer completely on the floor. She looked down at the spill briefly before shrugging.

"Meh. He'd had enough anyways."

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe did smile again as Ryan admitted to her faults. Zoe was tempted to wave it off, to say that it was just something the other girl would pick up in time. Zoe had been studying art so long that most of the terminology had just become part of the conversation, but she knew that couldn't be true for quite everyone.

An explanation of the powers idea followed, one that had Zoe listening close. She still couldn't help but wonder if thinking about powers in a way that associated them with fear was a good thing. Though she did think that talking about how they were human was a good idea. There was a slight comment in there regarding her own manifestation that had Zoe flushing, feeling like she should definitely explain.

Before Zoe could say anything though, a beer can floated. Her eyes went wide as she saw it, watching it hit the floor. She looked up at the young man, who looked displeased, and began immediately sputtering out apologies, sounding almost as if she'd been the one to walk up there and slap the can out of his hand.

[Ryan Alexander]

"Hey dude, I know you're upset. Just...have some of the punch instead. I promise you'll like it." Hey, it was spiked and he liked drinking. That was okay right? She looked at Zoe with an arched eyebrow.

"You're a very apologetic person, aren't you? What exactly is your power? It didn't manifest until late, and you quite obviously understand the thrill of showing off what your power can do. It makes me quite curious actually." Meanwhile, the guy was shooting her a dirty look and then walking away. Ryan shrugged and took a swig from her juice box.

"Don't apologize for something I did. I take credit for everything I do. Even mistakes should be owned up to, and I'm proud of the fact that I do. So don't worry so much. If the guy had a problem, I would've dealt with it." And the guy was back with his dirty looks and a friend of his.

"How about you two just take the cost of the beer? I can give you both enough for a beer each. I just wanted to have fun with that particular one." They looked at each other surprised and Ryan smiled, taking out her wallet and sorting out enough money. And then they walked away.

"See? No problem."

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Yes, Ryan was definitely trying something. That didn't stop Zoe form apologizing or trying to smooth things over. She was even aware that technically speaking she hadn't had anything to do with the can. She just happened to be the person standing next to the person involved.

Not that Ryan seemed all that apologetic. The guys hadn't even left and she was turning to Zoe and upbraiding her for apologizing. The shy Brit's mouth opened in some shock, her hand going to point at the guy who was glaring at them. That didn't seem to stop Ryan at all though: she just kept right on going. "he's right--" Zoe began, only to stop as Ryan once more picked up talking (she certainly wasn't leaving Zoe enough room to respond).

A wallet appeared, money changed hands. "You do know the drinks are free?" Zoe asked, turning to point. "He probably just wanted you to apologize or something..." Zoe trailed off, not really understanding Ryan's behavior at all...

[Ryan Alexander]

"Doesn't matter if the drinks are free, Zoe. See, the problem here is that..." She checked around to see if the guys were gone. They were. Ryan smiled.

"I only apologize for things I genuinely feel sorry about. A sorry is just meaningless words otherwise. That's part of why I told you to stop apologizing for me. I know that sounds really rude. I don't really mean it to be. It's just...I didn't feel sorry for this instance. That's why it was easier to give them the money. If not for the cost of the beer, then for their trouble. I have plenty of it, and it's more convenient to give it instead of the apology. I don't mind giving the money, but the apology? I only use apologies for when I'm really really sorry. They carry more meaning that way."

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Ryan looked; Zoe imitated, not sure what Ryan was looking for. The guys had most certainly left: the money had worked in that regard. Ryan continued, and Zoe ended up looking back to her as she explained. The shy girl got it, she really did: several people had said similar things to her in various instances.

Zoe just... wasn't sure she really agreed. Ryan had spilled their drink, stolen it, really, that struck Zoe as something you should apologize for, something that you should be genuinely apologetic about. But she just didn't know how to explain that to Ryan, and she wasn't sure that the other girl would really understand even if she did.

So instead she just stood there, silent, nodding, fiddling with her juice box. It was so strange: Ryan had spiked the punch, but then given Zoe a juicebox. Then she'd done that with the drink, but then rallied to Zoe's defense. Was it just Zoe...? The girl didn't know how to ask, so she just sipped the drink again, sipped and felt as out of place as she had before Ryan had shown up.

[Ryan Alexander]

Ryan's eyebrow quirked up.

"What is it? You look troubled. I...honestly I know how confusing I can be at times. Maybe that's what's troubling you? I mean...I can do things that kind of conflict. They make perfect sense to me, but I get in trouble a lot for doing them. I can't tell you how many times a great new art idea's gotten me in trouble because my ideas didn't follow the rules. I'm actually pretty moral...or at least this side of me is. That's why even I can't understand how much I get into trouble." She sighed, running her fingers through her bright red hair.

"If that's not what's bothering you then spill. I won't be offended. Don't worry about that."

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Because of course Zoe had to wear her emotions on her sleeve. She nearly sighed with frustration at herself, only just able to stop the noise from escaping her at the last moment. She hadn't actually found Ryan all that confusing, at least, not in what she said. Though the insistence on morality, after just taking something like that. It again didn't make sense to Zoe, but she certainly wasn't going to mention it, not to someone like Ryan, not at all, really.

"It's nothing," she insisted, shaking her head. "I'm just a little shook up by all that," she gestured in the general direction of where the boys had been just a few moments ago, offering up a slightly uneasy smile. "I actually think I get your art, really. I've spent quite a bit of time in galleries and the art room, after all."

She had to smile at that, quite pleased with at least that aspect of her personality. Zoe was nothing if not artistic... and understanding.

[Ryan Alexander]

"It's not nothing if it bothered you. I'm glad you kind of get the idea behind my art. I think you'd be one of the first in fact. People came to my shows, but it was mostly to say 'I know Simon Alexander's daughter' or 'Marie Armstrong...I mean Alexander...sure passed on her talent.' I did whatever I wanted. They didn't care what I was portraying." She shook her head and laughed dryly.

"Until I painted my first true masterpiece by papier macheing news articles about my family, splattered it with red paint, knifed it and called it 'Social Climbers'. They kind of started steering clear then."  She had no problem stating that even if someone was a near stranger.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe wondered if people would show up to her shows simply because of who she is. Did that... did that matter? It did seem as though it did: "People should be there for the art," she agreed, nodding, "even if they don't quite understand it. that's not always necessary."

Because sometimes art was just to invoke a response, an emotion, something deep in another person that needed to be drawn out. not all of it was like Zoe's planned project: something to demonstrate as well. Though she did want to move people, stir up emotions inside of them, make them feel.

Though perhaps not in the same way that Ryan did. The comment had Zoe laughing and shaking her head. "I bet that's one they definitely understood," she had to admit. "I don't think I could ever do something like that," though there had been times when she'd definitely wanted to.

[Ryan Alexander]

"Truthfully, I didn't want to take such measures either. But when your second boyfriend decides he doesn't care whether you're away most of the year at a boarding school, you think it's romantic at first. A little later, you discover that he was just like your first boyfriend. Wanting to get his face in the tabloids as the guy who's dating Ryan Alexander. I was just sick of it." She shook her head.

"And once I did that, I also realized I wasn't really into boys anyways. But anyways, the point is basically that drastic times call for drastic measures. I did that to try to eliminate the people trying to use me to up their place in the hierarchy. It's one of the reasons why I like the schools for mutants so much. No-one really goes all googly-eyed because of my family's legacy. I'm just...normal." She smiled.

"Doesn't mean I won't still be able to use my influence though. Which brings me to a question: would you be willing to maybe collaborate on a show sometime? It might bring in a wider audience for both of us if we do a collection."

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Ryan again ended up talking and Zoe found herself falling into the silent listener position again. The other girl very quickly launched into details about her private life that were making Zoe feel a little uncomfortable and a little sorry for the girl. At least no one was after Zoe for her name or position. Though she had to think that this was an odd way to just sort of mention that, and that wasn't including the almost blatant statement about not liking boys (though Zoe could certainly agree with that; they were nice, but certainly not for her).

"Well, there are some--" she tried in there when Ryan talked about the whole family legacy thing. She barely got it out before Ryan started talking again, and she once more fell silent. Clearly Ryan was willing to just talk at anyone, and Zoe just happened to be a set of ears.

Though there was that offer at the end that had Zoe blinking. "Beg pardon?" was what she managed. She really wasn't sure how they could really combine their talents, not given their different approaches. Maybe at a wider art show? That was if Zoe was even understanding what Ryan was saying.

[Ryan Alexander]

"I...I'm sorry. I interrupted you, didn't I? Sometimes I get carried away. Especially when socialites come up because they just annoy me so much. So I end up ranting and not paying attention and..." She sighed.

"So please note that this is one instance where I am genuinely sorry and apologizing. Also, I asked if we could think of a way to make a collection in which both forms of our art could be showcased together. We'd both get a larger audience that way. And my art is random enough that I know I've got to have at least one piece that could fit in with your stuff."