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Book's is a small storefront with the same claustrophobic air as many small bookstores - the sort of place where you might find a mint condition Action Comics 151 or a necronomicon bound in human skin. The narrow storefront entryway is occluded by a desk which a register on it, behind with the plump goth sketches in a notebook with a bic pen rubber-banded to a long ostrich plume.
Zoya is in skinny jeans, white athletic shoes, and shirt that says "QUEER AF" in rainbow letters. She shoulders the door open and steps inside, where she looks around her curiously and then takes her phone out to snap a couple of shots, all the while smiling.
Heather was less perky 'soccermom' and more 'ivory tower academic' today in studious blacks and greys. Not that it precluded bringing with her a little cardboard box of four cupcakes- each elegantly decorated with unique Van Gogh motifs. She followed Zoy in and looked around with a smile. "Nevy? Are you here today?"
Nevy looks up and grins at Zoya's shirt. "Oh, hi!" They chuckle. "I love your shirt!" They point at Heather. "You were, um.... Heather, right?"
Zoya is in the middle of checking the photos on her phone when Nevy addresses her, and she looks up, blinks, looks at her shirt, and then flashes a wide smile. "Oh, thanks! It's Pride month, I figure I'm going to advertise it as openly as I can, as loudly as I can. Leave no question about it, you know? Hey, you're..." she wags her finger, trying to place the name.
"Yep! Nevy, Zoya. Zoya, Nevy." She looked pleased with herself for being able to connect the pair, then then slid the cupcake box onto the counter. "I got carried away this morning, would you mind helping me with these?"
"Yeah - Nevermore. You're one of Lux's friends, right?" Their grin widens at the cupcakes. "Oh, I don't know, should I reallyOFCOURSE!"
"Nevermore! That was it." Zoya smiles widely. "That's a Poe reference, right? Sorry, English is my second language." She does have her Russian accent, but it's not a very thick one. "It's a great name, and I am one of Lux's friends. New friends. We only met a couple of weeks ago. I've only lived in the country for a couple of weeks!"
"Fabulous." She beamed. "We've got a lot of newcomers and friends in Philly lately, which is great. It's always nice to bring together so many different points of view."
Nevy nods. "Yeah, it's based on Poe. And your English is great! So is your art - I really liked the linework on your, um... head... idea... things." They wave a hand around the top of their head, then they grin at Hearth and grab a cupcake. "So, what were you making art-themed cupcakes for?" They smirk at Hearth.
Zoya laughs at Nevy's attempts to describe her art and then puts a finger to her lips and ssshhhs. "That was definitely not me, that would be wrong! I am a law abiding possibly some day a citizen of this fine nation!" She comes over to peer longingly at the cupcakes. "You made these?" she asks Heather. "For real? Do you have a fancy shop or something?"
"Oh gosh no. I'm actually an art conservator and today a friend on campus had me come in to do a lecture for her art history class and it got me in the mood. The other teachers devoured the Monet and Michaelangelo but the Van Goghs were too good to offer up to that mob of academics in the teachers lounge. They have no appreciation for the doing even if they talk a good game. Baking is just a hobby."
Nevy takes a bite, then squirms slightly in enjoyment. "Holy cow. Some hobby!" They grin. "Art conservator? I have a friend in that business."
"Well, these are art," Zoya declares. "Are you going to require us to conservatorize them? Conserve them? What's the right action form of that?" Nevy digs in, though, which answers that. "Where do you work for your conservatorship? Or whatever it's called? Like I said, English second language."
"There are a few of us around here," she said warmly. "Plenty of work with all the museums up here in the northeast corridor. And in my expert opinion, art should be enjoyed in the context of the creator's intention- therefore, eat the cupcakes. I work for a small private company. We take in work from museums as well as private collectors and auction houses."
"Art is designed to be consumed," Nevy says, grinning with blue-tinged teeth (from the icing). "And these are delicious."
"Well said," Zoya agrees. "May I?" she points at the cupcakes, hoping for one herself. "My approach to art is usually about the creation and the consumption, and the academic side of it isn't one I've had much exposure to. It's interesting to me, just outside my experience, you know? How did you get into it?"
She left Nevy to take responsibility for the cupcakes but grinned a bit. "Thank you. As for conservation... I was an art major and boy did I disappoint my family with that choice. There are a lot of starving artist jokes, and I've heard them all. So I got my masters in Art History, which is nearly as useless unless you want to teach. So then I got my doctorate in conservation- which may eventually pay off my student loans!" Heather laughed. "But... art... art is wonderful and inspiring. I enjoy the academic side of things but I believe that many people get too caught up in it and forget about the purpose of it. As a conservationist, I can help preserve and return art to serve its original purpose of being seen and enjoyed."
Nevy chuckles and passes over a cupcake. "For me, it's all about... finding the images and stories that really inspire me, then helping other people see them the way I do. Communication, you know?"
Zoya greedily takes a cupcake and peels the wrapper off half way, then starts taking bites off the side that's unveiled. She starts saying things in Russian that sound complimentary, but keeps listening while she's eating. After she has swallowed she says, "it has always been a fun thing for me, an outlet for emotions that I've felt about my family situation. I never went through the starving artist, thing. I feel for people who have, but I'll never understand it, really. I think I'd be a better person if I could, but I was born into money."
"Everyone has their own paths to walk," she said agreeably. "All experiences are valuable, and don't believe that there's any particular virtue in poverty that's inaccessible to those who don't suffer it." She tilted her head at Nevy. "So you want to help people see the truth of things? How do you want to see that play out?" she asked curiously. "What do you want to do with your life?"
Nevy raises an eyebrow. "I mean, if you don't want the money..." They hold out a hand in a bit of "gimme" gesture. They side-eye Heather. "I mean, I feel like everyone ought to spend at least 2 years working retail. But being poor? I don't know." They consider Hearth's phrasing for a moment. "I mean... yeah. That's what art does. It takes truth and wraps it in just enough metaphor to help people understand it."
"Oh, I agree completely that there isn't virtue in being poor," Zoya agrees hurriedly. "I don't think that being poor would make me better, either. I think that having more perspective would help, because understanding other people tends to do just that." She takes another eager bite of cupcake. "If I had my way, everyone would be provided for equally." She puts her half-wrapped cupcake on the counter and licks frosting off her fingers. "I'm all for working toward some fully automated luxury gay space communism, personally."
Heather gave Zoya a look of amusement. "What about the straight people?" she asked curiously.
Nevy chuckles. "Automated luxury gay space communism is ideal, yes." They chuckle at Heather. "They can come too, if they play nice."
"What Nevermore said," Zoya agrees with a laugh. "It's a meme, sorry. I forget sometimes that not everyone speaks fluent internet lingo. Anyone who can coexist with others is welcome."
"I don't care what people do with each other as long as it isn't in my bedroom," Heather said dryly. "And I don't see why anyone should care what I do in mine."
Nevy nods. "Here here." They finish their cupcake and look around for a napkin to avoid smearing blue frosting all over every single thing.
"I'm with you!" Zoya agrees before she makes a funny, kind of thoughtful face. "You know, actually, come to think of it, I'm pretty sure a lot more of my sex happens outside of the bedroom than in it. Which I'm sure you both really wanted to know. Sorry."
Heather snorted a laugh and reached into her purse and pulled out a small pack of wet wipes, offering them to Nevy. "Bedroom... rooftop, potato po-tah-toe."
"Thanks," Nevy says, cleaning up, then eyeing her. "Rooftop? I don't think I could get into that kind of thing. What if someone falls?"
"I don't think I've ever had sex on a potato or a po-tah-toe," Zoya says like she didn't understand what Heather actually meant. If she's joking she does a good job of hiding it. She picks her cupcake back up. "I should probably be going, but it was nice running into you both!"
She laughed. "I'll see you later, Zoya. We should get together sometime soon. Call me." Heather leaned against the counter and arched an eyebrow at Nevy. "Safety and sanitation are important. Obviously don't do anything foolish on a roof you could fall off of."
Nevy chuckles. "Just stopped in to say hi and have an unexpected cupcake, huh?' Have a good evening." They snort at Hearth. "I mean, ideally you don't do anything foolish at all."
"I was going to do some book shopping," Zoya says with a wave of her hand at the stacks. "I got distracted and ran out of time, though. There will always be another time!" She waves as she starts to exit. "You all have fun! Thank you for the cupcake!"
"Nonsense! Doing foolish things is a wonderful learning opportunity. If you're only going to make good decisions, then you're never going to take risks or step outside of a box. To risk foolishness is to live."
Nevy tilts their head in a gesture of concession. "Fair enough. And, I mean, I've been a dumbass enough, myself, I guess."
"My husband was the adventurous one," she admitted. "On one hand, he was very serious about his work but once he was off the clock, he was off." She smiled wistfully. "We got up to some crazy adventures and did a lot of stupid things."
Nevy chuckles at that. "What did he do?"
"He was a lawyer, though he always said he only went to law school so he could afford to do everything else he wanted to. We did a lot of travelling, hiking, and that sort of thing. We were even planning to thru hike the entire Appalachian trail in a few years..."
Nevy nods. They look sympathetic. "Is it okay if I ask what happened?"
Heather glanced around and leaned in, speaking softly. "A particular group of mages though I had potential to Awaken. I think you've run into similar sentiments, yes? Put into action, it can be dangerous. Things got out of control and there was a housefire."
Nevy raises their eyebrows, looking over Heather's face, then nodding slowly. "I'm... sorry. That's... I'm sorry for your loss."
"Thank you. I just don't want to see you or anyone else... pushed. If you ever run into trouble or people bother you, please don't hesitate to reach out. If not to me then someone else you can trust."
Nevy nods. "So far, nobody's really been pushy. tactless, yes, but not pushy."
Heather laughed at that. "Yes, well we are but human- the good, bad, and ugly. Trust your intuition and other senses too. Those kinds of pushes aren't necessarily overt."
Nevy frowns and nods. "Is there anyone around here who would do that?"
She sighed. "This is a good city. It really is. But I can't guess what people will or will not do. Pride and obsession can lead anyone down unanticipated roads. So am I going to warn you off specific- or even general groups of people? No. But I can't leave you unaware of the potential as you step into this side of the world."
Nevy sighs and nods. "Right. So... are we talking about manipulation like what happened to you, or... something else?"
Heather smiled. "Specifically like what happened to me, since you asked about it. But you're smart and you've associated yourself with good people. You'll do just fine. I'm glad you enjoyed the cupcakes."
Nevy nods. "I appreciate it. And... I'll keep an eye on things."
She beamed. "I stuck my number on the lid of the box. Give me a call if you are in dire need of cupcakes. Or whatever. I stress-bake. And thinking-bake. And generally mood-bake so... I have extras on hand more often than not."
Nevy blinks. "You... will be very, very dangerous to know."
"I am a wicked, terrible person, yes" she laughed.
Nevy chuckles. "Well. I welcome you to bring me any of your experiments, if you feel like it."
"Excellent! I do like trying new things when the stars align properly. I'll add you to my mental list of taste test victims." Then she sighed. "Well, I'm afraid I really just dropped by to give you these. I didn't even mean to stay this long but it was so nice talking with you."
"You, too! They hold out their arms. "Are you a hugger?"
"Absolutely!" She pulled them into a tight hug, and seemed to relax somewhat because of it. "Any dietary restrictions?"
"Not yet," They confirm.
"Excellent" She seemed to be plotting food ideas already as she gave them an air kiss next to their cheek. "See you later!"
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