Alder Heights College Tom and Lex
#1

outfit



You know.

This sickness sucked major cojones. Alexis was here to show support for her classmates, but also she had to not eat since last night because her stomach was rejecting about seventy percent of the meals she attempted.

Even BRAT diet didn't help, and Pepto just seemed to make it worse for some reason. Also, her throat hurt and was so scratchy and no amount of Hall's seemed to be helping that either. And so, she was here, just doing her best.

When she reached Tom's exhibition, she gave a little wave.

"S'pretty cool," she said in a quietly hoarse voice, then swallowed because ugh.
#2

Outfit



Tom was distracted. He had said when the assistants were hanging his paintings that they weren't level. They swore they were. Swore they looked fine. They did not look fine, they definitely weren't hung straight and the hooks weren't level either. Or equidistant. Thomas did not like it.

He couldn't fix it, he didn't want to look at it but he could not stop.

He could only hope no one else noticed. That the sheer explosion of colour in his section would distract alongside the homely smell in the air. His attention was pulled by the arrival of another patron of the exhibition. She spoke quietly Tom liked that. Though she did not sound entirely well. Tom was worried about her ... and the hanging.

"Thank you" he smiled "Do they look level to you? ... they said they were level but I think they were lying"

He hummed and tapped his chin then realised ... her throat was more important. "Would you like some water?"
#3
They... did to her? She tilted her head side to side and then back slightly. But he seemed really stressed about it, so she was, she guessed, wrong. Also sick anyway, so apparently that was messing with her.

"Uhm. Maybe the one on the left is a little low?" she hazarded a guess, but mostly was just hoping he figured out what was really wrong on his own because she couldn't tell and that made her feel kinda dumb.
#4
He knew it ...

He fucking knew it!

Not that the vindication helped. If anything it made Tom feel worse ... he was already feeling weird from holding the illusion of nice homely smells. That was probably why the paintings weren't on fire. He was all magicked out.

"I thought so ... do you think it affects the whole ... " he gestured slightly antsy "Presentation?" that was a word. "I don't want to get penalised when they grade me."

Was it excessive to ask Rory to bring a hammer and spirit level to rehang them?

Yes probably.

"anyway about that water? would you like some?"
#5
She shook her head no to the question of presentation affecting his grade because she was literally just not sure at all what the actual problem, and then again at the offer of water that she had missed the first time in her confusion — "Sorry, no- I'm good."

Water might, uh, make her belly angry. And she wasn't down for dealing with that at the restroom here.

"What's your... subject about?"
#6
Tom waived away the apology "No sorry needed" He smiled. Tom was not one to hold confusion against someone. He was quite awkward enough himself in conversation. "If you change your mind let me know and I'll get you some"

Reassuring her had helped calm his concern over his grade. Glancing around Tom saw many a crooked and unlevel painting so everyone would be marked down if he was.

Alexis asking him about the art kept him from thinking too long about that so he didn't panic about it. "The pieces are all focused around Love, my partner inspired a lot of the art here though some of it was started before we got together" He didn't admit to Rory being his partner but the fact that he featured prominently probably hinted as to who his partner was. Toms instincts were always to avoid expressly stating that he was gay. He didn't really deny it or lie about it but where he could he avoided revealing it.
#7
"Ohhh, that's cool," she mumbled against the soreness of her throat. She walked closer to the display, looking at all the details.

"What kinda paint is it?"

Or — she assumed it was paint.
#8
Tom let out a slight but audible noise of relief.

"I'm glad you think so ... It's a bit cliche as a theme but I'm hoping I've brought some fresh ideas," he said, remaining still as she closed in on his repurposed statue.

It was only natural that she would be interested in how he painted the statue. That had taken alot of trial and error at first and he did not want to blab about that. "The canvases are just standard oil paint and pencil" He explained, "The paint on the statue is a secret, It's gone out of fashion somewhat so most artists don't really know how to do it well" He explained "I don't want to have a rival overhear and then find next year that everyone has painted statues with as good a finish as mine has" He was smirking slightly but ... it wasn't a lie.

Art school could be cutthroat.
#9
Oh, wow. He made his own paint. The idea of doing that sort of blew her mind. People did that? And were allowed to be secretive about it??

"That's really cool," she complimented. "You should... turn it into a business or something. Selling those special paints or. Whatever it is. And don't reveal the formula ever."

Really cool, very cool. Her stomach felt a bit precarious. She tried not to focus on it.
#10
Tom chuckled "I shall stick to the art" he chuckled "The paint making is tough" he added calming down "I mostly adapt existing products as opposed to going from scratch anyway"

The whole process had been somewhat Frankenstein. Lots of help from google and forums. Hours of combining forum advice until he had something that worked perfectly.

"What do you do?" he asked. He should make conversation. He liked this newer confident version of himself. Talking was still hard but it was no longer impossible.
#11
Aww, okay. That made sense.

Her stomach burbled, a little warning. She tried to focus on the art and also the question.

"Oh- PoliSci," she abbreviated her major because she was like, that cool. "I want to be in the running for mayor someday."

With a father in the task force, she already had her shoe in the door!
#12
PoliSci? Now, what was that? What did it have to do with being mayor one day? Was Tom being stupid?

All three questions stumped the artist as much as the question of why anyone would want to be mayor? All that talking, all those random people ... that increased risk of assassination, probably.

It was a good 9 seconds before it clicked that PoliSci was Political Science. In hindsight, it was fairly obvious, especially with the talk of being mayor. He felt pretty stupid and pretended his lack of reply had been caused by an intimate examination of his uneven pictures.

A big problem.

"I see, that sounds like hard work" he replied eventually "Sorry ... still concerned about those hangings, What would your platform be?"
#13
"Oh- well," she warbled through her sore throat, swallowing.

"Women's healthcare mostly, and affordable housing. But like, actually affordable. Sliding scale rents and all."

That was a lot. She watched him looking at his art and decided he was the best authority on how to fix it? Alexis was not an authority on art exhibits, ultimately.
#14
Tom nodded.

Those sounded like worthy causes. Those were worthy causes. Obviously. No politician, prospective or otherwise, would go about spouting causes that were not worthy ...

Don't be naive Thomas

Correction, that were not electable.

"I would vote for you ... Probably," he said, mindful not to promise anything before he knew all the limbs of her campaign ... Limb 3 might be close all the galleries. Unlikely but possible. Tom knew about the plight caused by the lack of affordable housing. His brother had been squatting in a warehouse for as long as Tom had known him in adulthood.

Politics was not his forte even if what she said had not gone over his head. He ought to change the subject ... and stop staring at the crooked frame.

"What sort of Art do you like ?" He asked. He could talk about art.
#15
She smiled at that — always nice to be told she'd be voted for. He wouldn't regret it.

"Oh... I don't know modern art too well. When I think of it I tend to think more of, uh. Like old paintings and statues and stuff. But I like most of the stuff I see as long as it's not like. A banana taped to a wall."
#16
Tom's face contorted in displeasure as modern art was mentioned.

Tom was an art snob and he hated a lot of what passed itself off as modern art.

That look of displeasure only grew as a banana tapped to a wall was mentioned, it looked almost like he'd been force-fed soap or ... worse. one hundred and twenty thousand dollars. it made him want to spit feathers.

"I agree completely, More power to the people who can make millions from single lines smeared on canvas or unmade beds but, it's not art to me" He replied, he thought better of continuing into a rant on the topic. People weren't here to get some students hot take on the failings of the art world. The age of experts might be over but Tom refused to contribute.

"I hope I tick the boxes for the classics with some colour to give it a modern edge"
#17
His opinion was sharper than the one she'd delivered, and she did find some comfort in that. She nodded in agreement, a silent "yeah" leaving her lips.

"Oh yes definitely. Yours is so good," she said. Cleared her throat and then winced at the inevitable roughness of it anyway. "Do you wanna... try to fix it?"
#18
Tom grinned "You are too kind" He replied, comforted in the face of high praise by the sent of Rory's house all around him. It was a sign of his progress that he was not overwhelmed by peoples praise.

"No" He sighed "Well yes ... but no, I would only risk making it worse or looking foolish ... I will ignore it" No one else had seen it, no one had commented and he would not be blamed for the hanging so worrying over it was a waste and he should be enjoying this evening.
#19
Oh, okay. She nodded.

"Okay, well. I hope you get a good, uh, grade. Or something. You deserve it."

Nice smol grin :3
Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)