photos aren't mine

[Kiara Kennedy]

”You’re not imposing really, besides it would be good for people to see different styles of photograph rather than just my thoughts. Besides I rarely use it with how busy I am recently especially with cheerleading and school.” Kiara explained, She really wasn’t opposing and for some reason she felt like sharing today. She tried to give the girl a reassuring smile and scribbled her number down under the address. “Well incase you do become interested just text me and ill text you the login information.”

”Cool” Kiara said once again smiling, she was sure her cheeks would hurt later on. Kiara nodded ”that’s exactly what the walls in my dorm room look like, i put boards and they’re just collages of pictures and brochures of the places i want to visit and take pictures of.’ Xoe mentioned getting paid to take pictures from the school and scrunched up her nose. “That’s good for you but i'm not really all that good with social events like games unless I have to cheer or it’s a party,”

It was nice of Zoe to tell her about it though, mostly because she didn’t know that the school paid for things like that. That did remind her that she needed to get a job, she should look for that.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

"Well, I'll look at it..." Zoe said, flushing. She supposed that having additional exposure would definitely be good, especially if it was the kind of exposure that would draw attention to other people too. They'd look for her work, and then they'd find someone else's. She nodded a little more, figuring like she'd all but convinced herself.

Soon enough she was smiling broadly again, nearly laughing: "That's what my room looks like!" she said, practically jumping. "Though it's less places I want to visit and more places I've been. And people that are important to me. I think it's better to have something like that, something you made yourself..."

Zoe paused for a moment, sorting through a few more of the photographs, sort of absently looking at them. She wasn't even entirely certain she was putting them in the right piles, but she felt like she should at least keep shuffling them around.

"Cheerleading, wow, I don't think I could do that," she said, flushing. "It's, um, I'm not very," she gestured, then flushed, letting out a little laugh, "I'm more comfortable behind a camera then in front of one. Though I've done both," she looked away then, suddenly looking very interested in the photos. She felt like saying I've done some modelling just sounded so very self-involved that it shouldn't come out of her mouth at all.

[Kiara Kennedy]

Kiara was glad that she would at least think about it. It would be cool working with someone that had similar interest. That and she would have a perfectly good blog going to waste. she couldn’t help but notice the redness Zoe was sporting it was adorable but she didn’t comment. She just simply nodded and changed the subject.

“That’s awesome, I’m trying to save up to travel but between food expenses and camera stuff i don’t have much saved. I probably gonna get a job to save and then maybe start a career as a photographer during the summer. Even if it has to be Kalispell based.” She really hoped that it wouldn’t but she still had so much more to learn about her power. It was times like this that being a mutant sucked apples.

“Yeah, I did it because my mom was one but it’s just dancing mixed with gymnastics and lots of yelling.” That was the best way to put it, although she supposed that they could dance and not do the stunts and that would still be cheerleading it all depends on where you were. “Yeah I like both, though Im not sure it counts since i can just copy myself and then use the copy as a model.”

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe flushed slightly as Kiara complimented her wall. "Well, it's not---I've only done a little traveling. I was born in London and ended up in the States, then got here," she didn't quite want to explain what that was like. At least the recruiters had been somewhat nice to her, helped her get where she needed to be. And everyone had certainly been nice to her following that point.

"If you need to know, um, jobs around here, let me know. I know a few people," Zoe offered. She paused, wondering if she should try and suggest that Kiara try for a show too. Then again, maybe Kiara didn't feel quite up to it. Just because she clearly loved photography didn't mean that it was quite her end goal or anything. It was Zoe's, and they were here, but she didn't want to project or anything.

Gymnastics and yelling, Zoe smiled at that, lowering her eyes. "Well, and being in front of people," she pointed out, raising the head back up. Her eyes widened, and she nearly gaped. "I hadn't even thought of that! That must be really interesting. I had a mutant who shapeshifted into me during a shoot once, and it was a little unnerving..." Zoe paused for a moment, then had to lean over: "Do you ever make copies just to, um, look at parts of you?" She flushed at that, then shook her head. "never mind. We should focus on the pictures."

[Kiara Kennedy]

Kiara smiled ”Nope that still counts as awesome, I’ve only been here and Georgia that’s it. I’m hoping to travel to Greece.” She said shrugging her shoulders. She found anyone who hadn’t live in America rather interesting mostly because she heard that some countries were better than most. But she was really well versed in the political nonsense or human rights.

“Will do” She said offering Zoe a grateful smile. She would have to keep that in mind though she did hear about a club wanting dancers. She wasn’t too shy to dance in a club at least it wasn’t a strip a club, now that was something she would never do.

“Yeah, the good thing is that it’s only sometimes as games aren't every day.’ She understood not wanting to be around people. She hated big crowds and noise but she lived cheerleading, it was sort of a contradiction. ” I understand what you mean, I get tired of myself really quick if that doesn’t sound too crazy” Kiara laughed at the question and couldn’t help but comment “You’re adorable when you blush you know that and yeah i have plus sometimes they come out naked so yeah full show.” She didn’t find that question weird, considering she had been asked if she had ever kissed herself before. "Right photos" She said going through her pile again.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe was tempted to point out that she'd really only been one more place than Kiara, but she didn't want to push the argument or anything. The other girl was being very nice to her after all, and, well, Zoe had to agree: "Going to Greece would be amazing. I'd love to travel more someday..."

Zoe trailed off, not entirely certain it was even possible for her. Maybe if mutants became more well-known, or she had someone who could go with her. Liz probably would, and there was always Alice. Zoe brushed it aside for now, wanting to focus on this conversation, on the person she was with now.

It was odd to be talking with a cheerleader though. Well, Liz was one, but Liz was, well, Liz. At least Kiara didn't seem to mind: she probably was used to people asking questions, particularly in the art room like this. The compliment just had Zoe blushing further though. "You're pretty too," she tried. She could flirt a little better than that most of the time, "oh wow," her eyes widened, "they come out... does that ever happen in public? That would be awful..." she moved down to shuffle around a few more photos, half for something to keep her hands busy and half to give Kiara an out. Zoe probably wouldn't want to talk about her tendency to spew out naked copies of herself, if she were Kiara.

[Kiara Kennedy]

Kiara nodded traveling would always be one of her goals if she was ever allowed to leave this place. Even if she knew logically she would be able too eventually it felt like a lifetime away. “Yeah, the pictures all seem beautiful even though some parts aren’t it’s just being in a new place that I want to experience.” It would have to be one of those wait and see things, consider the number of classes she skipped and it would be later than sooner.

why thank you and yup, it’s happened in public before but i’m not that against being naked in public. I’m very comfortable with body and accidents happen we can’t really do anything about that.. Besides it’s not as if it was actually me, so i guess i haven’t really experienced it.” she followed Zoe’s lead and finished sorting through the photos. It was sort of embarrassing if she was being honest but she had gotten used to it by now, it rarely happened these days anyways. She just learned to concentrate on the clothes when she was copying herself.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Yes, the appeal of a new place definitely made sense to Zoe. She could feel herself nodding along again, once more agreeing with Kiara and her plans. "There's something about being somewhere else, somewhere new," she said, letting her voice sort of trail off again. She still sometimes wondered what it would be like to head back to London, back where people sounded like her.

Though yet again, Kiara drew Zoe's mind back to the present, more specifically back to the conversation about Kiara's power. And yet again, Zoe found herself flushing, mostly as Kiara was so cavalier about exposing her naked body. Zoe found her eye going to the other girl for a moment, finding that picture all too easy to imagine. She pulled it back to the photos, shuffling a few more around.

She had to stop a few moments later and look at Kiara. "So you.. you accidentally make naked copies of yourself?" she had to ask. That did sound almost as bad as killing people by touching them.

[Kiara Kennedy]

Kiara nodded her head enthusiastically, Zoe had said the very thing that was on her mind. It was totally awesome to have that happen and it not be someone who had the same face as her. She wasn’t entirely sure that was a good thing but hey Zoe was a real person that counted in her book as normal and okay.

Smiling Kiara finished separating the last few pictures and fixed them into two neat piles. She was proud of herself for not getting distracted by the conversation going on. Even if she had spoken a lot more about her power than she originally planned it wasn’t her fault that she had gotten caught up in the moment.

“Yeah but it doesn’t happen as often anymore, when I first got here it would happen frequently. Now it doesn’t really happen unless i’m really tired or something forced the process.’ it was actually an accomplishment she was really proud of. Still she had to admit that Zoe might have gotten short end of the stick, she felt it was rude to ask about her backstory.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

The piles did seem to be more or less together. Zoe felt a little proud looking at the stacks, watching as Kiara adjusted both of them, made them just a little neater. It was also fascinating to see that the stacks were about equally tall: nice to know that Zoe wasn't the only one obsessed with taking photos.

Kiara answered Zoe's question easily enough too, drawing the poet's attention away from the stacks of photos for a moment. "Well, that certainly sounds like good progress," Zoe smiled, nodding. "They keep telling me that I'm not likely to ever be able to really control my power. So it's more a matter of learning how to work with it," Zoe had to laugh at that, shaking her head. "Sorry, it's just..." she smiled sadly, adjusting the piles, "it's almost like being diagnosed with some kind of disease. Some of us get better. Others... just have to deal."

Zoe stared at the photos, wondering if there was something there, something that could be made into something more.

[Kiara Kennedy]

"Yeah that does seem bad, But I know the feeling, My grandparents treat me as if I have diseases and since i'm not crazy as they thought I was...they treat me as if I have an STD." Of course Kiara wasn't exactly sure how her parents were dealing but it had to be better than her grandparents right? The whole trying to have her committed thing, wasn't really okay and they were never really able to get past that. Not to mention the fact that being different in the way that she was, was basically a taboo where she was from. They had accepted the fact that she was into girls but not that she was a mutant...go figure.


"It has to get better eventually...even if it probably wont...that's what I tell myself" She shrugged, some people had the really messed up powers like Zoe's and some had the weird ones like hers. Still they were all in the same boat basically and they did get things out of it...sort of. She looked around at the various people in the room and then back a Zoe.

"Do you come here a lot, or did you turn your room into a studio like I did mine?" Kiara was guilty of digitally printing a lot of her photos. Mostly because she didn't want to take the trip to Art room and she knew it wasn't safe to turn her dorm into a dark room.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Grandparents, Zoe hadn't even thought about hers, probably because they were still in Great Britain and weren't exactly people that she saw on a regular basis. There was definitely something in the comparison between their mutant abilities and STDs though, enough that Zoe found herself smiling and letting out a slight laugh at the words. "I think some would like us better," she replied, though she didn't get any further. She still wasn't sure why precisely her family hadn't contacted her since her manifestation: there was too much there for her to unpack right now.

It has to get better eventually: Zoe nodded, once more agreeing with Kiara's assessment there. "We've got to believe that," she insisted. Something along those lines had been what had pushed her to progress, to become more than she'd been when she'd gotten here a year ago, to grow and become stronger, the person she was meant to be.

before she could get too deep into those thoughts though, Zoe found herself distracted by lighter, more interesting conversation. She laughed at the question. "I have a studio," she admitted, her eyes dancing with delight. "I actually have turned the bathroom into a dark room before. My roommates weren't too thrilled with it, but they're generally quite nice about it. I do come here fairly often though, especially now that I'm in university," she gestured at the photos. "There's more materials here for me to put together my displays."