ax_main | Piotr and Jester

Jester and Piotr have their meet-cute and exchange sketches!

Jester had spent some time on her sketch for Piotr before declaring it good enough. A lot longer than she had planned to, to the point that it was no longer a sketch and more like a proper drawing, with colours and everything! It had to be perfect, okay. There was a blooming manuka tree, and underneath it, a family of kiwis, some of them picking at the ground, others just hanging out. It looked super New Zealand-y, and super cute, too! Atop it, Jester had written, in beautiful pink lettering, Welcome to Xavier's, Piotr! She'd slid it into an envelope, along with some blue glitter, and written Piotr's name on it.

Now armed with some tape, she sneaked up to the door of the room he shared with Molly to stick it there for him to find... whenever, really! Surprises were nice!

One of the nice things about the school was how quiet the doors were. Not that he was sure he was capable of ever disturbing his roommate, but being able to enter and leave in near-silence could be handy at times. Piotr pulled open the door, glancing back one last time to make sure the window was shut before he left.

He stopped short in the doorway as he realized there was someone standing there in front of him. She could have been Mollymauk's sister, the resemblance was so striking, but Piotr already knew that wasn't the case. Even though they hadn't met yet, Nora had said so much about her new friend that Piotr suspected he might have recognized her with his eyes closed. "Oh! Hello," he said, voice a comfortable rumble. He offered a welcoming smile. "I am thinking you are Jester? This is a nice surprise."

Jester was holding up the envelope by the piece of tape stuck to it when the door opened, shifting away from her would-be offering. She prayed she was about to see the wonderful Mollymauk on the other side, but instead found herself looking aaaaall the way up at the cute boy she had been watching from afar for a couple of days. "...you're really tall," she stated, momentarily forgetting what she was holding up. He seemed even taller now she was standing next to him.

The familiar way Jester sounded when she spoke put a surprised smile on Piotr's face, which remained even as his brain caught up enough to process the words themselves. "Oh, ah... thank you," he said. He stood there, hand still clutching the doorknob as he tried to think of what to say next. She was hardly the first to remark on his height upon first seeing him, but for some reason he felt like he should return her observation with a compliment. "You..." For the briefest moment his gaze drew away from her eyes, as if searching for inspiration in the full view of her, when he caught sight of the envelope in her hand. More specifically, the name written on it. "Ah, is that for me?"

"Yes, yes, here!" Jester stuck the piece of tape fully onto the envelope and offered it to Piotr. "It is your welcome sketch." When he took it, she flashed small fangs in a bright smile. "Welcome to Xavier's!"

Piotr felt his spirits lift at that. It had been a rough couple of days and her timing couldn't have been better to bring something like this for him. "Thank you, Jester," Piotr said sincerely, smile growing as he looked back at her. "May I look at it now?"

His accent was kind of like hers, wasn't it! Was that a sign? Jester would have to ask Nott what she thought. Maybe. Anyway, it was cute!

"Of course!" she answered, waving him on. "I mean, whatever you like, it is yours now!" She tried to peek around him and into the room, but he was too wide. "Is Molly in? Hi Molly!"

"Oh, you are friends with Molly?" Piotr said. "He is out right now. I believe he may be visiting one of his other friends." Despite this, Piotr reflexively shifted back and to the side to permit Jester access to the room. The room was as wildly decorated as always, but only on Molly's side. Piotr's was currently simple and bare. All he'd been able to adorn his side with so far were a few of his favorites torn out from his sketchbook. Not Jester's though. That he'd carefully removed and placed in a manila envelope currently resting in his desk drawer. "Ah," he said, realizing that practically counted as an invitation. "I have your sketch here as well," he said, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. "If you would like I can get it for you."

Jester had, of course, taken that invitation and stepped into the room. She knew Molly's side well, but it was so odd to see what used to be Gilmore's so transformed. Gone were the colorful cushions and drapes, not to mention the arts-and-craftsy mess on his desk.

But there were sketches up on the wall, and she drew nearer to study them. And was immediately distracted by the thought of receiving her own sketch. She whirled back around to face Piotr, tail shifting with the motion before settling again. "Sure! I always like getting presents," she added with a shameless smile.

Her cheerful nature was catching. It was hard not to smile around her, and the room seemed brighter with her in it. "I will keep that in mind," Piotr assured her. He passed the envelope into his left hand and, leaving the door open, wandered over to his desk. A moment later he'd removed the envelope from the drawer and turned to hand it to her. "I hope you like it," he said, smiling shyly.

"I'm sure I will!" Jester assured him, talking the envelope with care. "We should open them together!"

"That is a good idea," Piotr said. He ran his thumb along the flap edge of his envelope, never taking his eyes from Jester. "On the count of three?" That always seemed to help build anticipation, not that he really needed it himself, but it was still fun.

Jester beamed at him, tail swinging happily behind her. "One..."

"Two..."

"Three!" Jester enthusiastically concluded, and opened the manila envelope.

Piotr was holding his breath for the final count, as much with anticipation for Jester's sketch as how she might react to his. He'd started multiple attempts during the flight to America, discarding each one while reading back over the thread Nora had started, seeking inspiration. Ultimately he'd produced a fully drawn and colored picture of a semi-realistic unicorn from the neck up. It had blue hair and a pink mane and appeared to be bent toward the ground of a meadow. Standing amidst the flowers were a red squirrel and a vole, both up on their hind legs, their forepaws held skyward in offering to the unicorn. Each of them was holding up a round object he'd intended to look like donut holes, but to make sure that was easier to figure out he'd added a full donut with sprinkles on the ground behind them. If the flowers were examined closely, it would be seen that they were actually cupcakes.

Glitter spilled out of the envelope as Piotr withdrew the paper within, and he let out an soft, amused gasp of surprise as much of it spilled over him. Another soft gasp, awed this time, escaped as his eyes fell upon the drawing Jester had given him. His free hand rose to cover his heart as he absorbed the expressiveness and detail. He'd never seen such a tree before, and the birds beneath brought a wistful smile to his face. Coupled with the cheerful message, he was surprised at how touched it made him feel. "Jester..." he said, still feeling a bit stunned as he lifted his eyes away to look at her. "This is beautiful. I will always think of this when you speak of home, now. Thank you."

Jester looked up from staring at his drawing (it wasn't a sketch either, at this stage), and her heart was beating so hard from thinking that he had drawn it just for her! And it was perfect! Down to the little details! She felt like she mattered, when she saw that drawing, and her throat had closed up a little. She swallowed around the surge of emotions, though, and beamed at him when he spoke to her. "That drawing is perfect, Piotr!" And, before she could think to stifle the urge, she stepped over to give him a heartfelt hug.

The embrace caught Piotr by surprise, and so he found himself with his arms pinned to his sides by Jester's impressively strong grip. "Oh!" he said. He had no idea if returning the hug was appropriate in this situation, but it was a moot issue since he couldn't move his arms without breaking her hug anyway. "Ah, you have a good grip," he noted, more as a general observation and absent of any discomfort beyond the awkwardness of the situation. When she released him he was smiling and said, "I am very happy that you like it. I wanted it to be special. And yours- It is the best welcome gift anyone has ever given me."

"It's the best drawing anyone's ever made for me," Jester replied, beaming all the way up at him. He was so tall! And cute! The blue on her cheeks darkened slightly, and she took a step back. "I will frame it and cherish it always!" She looked back down at the drawing, her expression softening. "I mean, the cupcake flowers are so cute!"

"You noticed." He blushed slightly, a shy smile on his lips as he watched Jester. Dropping his eyes back to the drawing she'd given him, he said, "I have never seen these birds before. Or a a tree like this. It is beautiful. What kind are they?"

"The birds are kiwis! They're the cutest, but they're kind of nearly endangered now?" Jester stated with a half wince. "We have to be real careful. And the tree is a manuka tree! They're soooo pretty, but their leaves are kind of prickly. Still, I like them, and they're very typical of New Zealand. Who is this little guy?" she asked, pointing a ringed finger at the little rodent. "The other one is a squirrel, right?"

"Yes," Piotr said. He shifted to Jester's side so they could both look at each picture together while they talked. "A red squirrel. I like the tufts of fur on their ears. The other one is a vole. They are like hamsters. Very bad for the farm, but I like them anyway."

"The tufts are super cute," Jester answered, more quietly than usual. She'd just hugged him, but it hadn't felt like this, with him standing beside her. This felt like a moment, even if it was just in her head, and she hadn't been prepared for the way it made her feel. She looked up from his drawing, and at him beside her, giving him a smile. "I like voles too. Sometimes you think something is bad, but you just haven't thought of the way it is good, too. Just not for the farm," she concluded, entirely basing herself off of his words, and her general understanding of the world.

Piotr hadn't been thinking about how close they were standing together until he saw Jester smiling up at him, and for some reason that made him very aware of their proximity. He cleared his throat and smiled back. "I used to say something like that to my father," he said. "They don't have anything against the farm. They just want to live. And be happy." His smile went soft, eyes still on Jester. She seemed to understand his perspective better than anyone. Perhaps because she was an artist as well. "When you understand that, it is possible to see what makes them wonderful."

"And then you can make a very cute drawing of them!" Jester finished, her smile brighter now. She was trying hard to sound like her usual self, so he wouldn't notice that anything was off about her. Especially with that soft look on his face, and the way it made her heart clench and her stomach flop. She looked back down at the drawing, the enthusiastic energy present in both the squirrel and the vole. "I think everybody just wants to be happy."

"I think you are right," Piotr said. He wanted to ask what made her happy, but decided against it at the last moment. Instead he pointed his finger at the birds in her drawing. "They look like a family out for a picnic," he said, amused mainly at himself for making such a comparison. "It is very expressive. What are kiwi birds like?"

"They're funny," Jester replied, looking over at her own drawing in his hands. (Big, strong hands.) "They can't fly, and their feathers kinda look like hair. These are the big ones, roroa. They call out like," and there Jester tried to imitate, the piercing, loud call of the kiwis. "And they do that aaaaall the time during mating season, at night."

Piotr's eyes had grown wide at the unexpected impression. They crinkled slightly as he recovered and smiled. "I think something like that would be sure to catch a mate's attention," he said. "That was very impressive. Are you good at mimicking other sounds?"

"I mean, that probably wasn't very good," Jester admitted with a wince, in a rare display of self-consciousness. "Wait, I'm sure I can find the real thing online!" She pulled her phone out one-handed, and began to navigate it to find a kiwi call.

Watching curiously, and with some amusement, Piotr leaned in slightly when Jester found what she was looking for. Even after Jester's earlier modeling, however, he was not prepared for the high pitched, trilling whistle that erupted from her speakers, and flinched back slightly. "Oh!" he said, then chuckled at himself for his reaction. "They do that all night?" It was a wonder anyone nearby got any sleep if that was the case.

"If they're really horny," Jester replied seriously. She wasn't sure that was the actual reason why, but it made sense to her!

"It does sound very urgent," Piotr agreed. Now that he'd had a chance to get used to the sound, he listened more closely. "It is a funny sound," he said, "but also beautiful in its own way. I am sorry they might become endangered. I hope these calls lead to many new eggs for them to hatch."

Jester stopped the audio and put the phone back in her pocket. "And the predators don't eat too many of them, yeah," she agreed, nodding along.

That was always a concern, and Piotr nodded as well. "Do they have many predators?"

"I mean, I guess?" Jester offered, and looked sheepish. "I don't actually know that much about them."

Piotr dismissed the concern with a little wave. "They are very cute, though," he said, looking back at the drawing. She'd captured them perfectly with her pencils. "Where do you like to go to do your sketches?"

"Oh, anywhere, really!" Jester replied, tail shifting behind her. "I mean, sometimes I go outside, but a lot of the time I stay inside to sketch everybody! I like sketching people best. I like to tell stories with my drawings." She dropped her voice to a confidential whisper. "Molly and I are working on a comic of his adventures!"

By now Piotr knew better than to think Molly would ever run out of ways to surprise him, but that had his brows climbing with more than a little impish curiosity. "I would very much like to hear more of this comic," he said, grinning slightly.

"We haven't let anyone have a look yet," Jester hedged. "It's not really ready?" What if he didn't like it? Best to wait until it was better formed. "But when it is you can have a preview for sure!" Molly wouldn't mind, she was sure.

"Thank you, I will look forward to it," Piotr said. He certainly understood the hesitation to display an incomplete work. "When you sketch people do you have them model for you?"

"Not often?" Jester answered, her voice going into a bit of a high-pitched squeak as heat bloomed in her cheeks again, tainting them a darker blue. She couldn't help but think of her conversation with Nott, of course, about making Piotr pose for her shirtless. For academic reasons, of course. She could never ask him. "I mean, mostly for class."

Piotr's brows drew in with concern at the noise Jester made, wondering if she was okay, but nothing seemed wrong from what he could see. All he could tell from looking was how pretty she was. Wait, where had that come from? Piotr cleared his throat again as color filled his cheeks. "So you capture the people and their stories as they are, then?" he asked, smiling self-consciously. "I like to do that, too."

"Well, sometimes I make up stories about them, too," Jester admitted, sounding more like herself the more she went on about her drawings. "I don't like boring things. But people are really not boring around here!"

"That is true," Piotr said. His experiences so far had been the furthest thing from boring and he had a feeling that wasn't likely to change any time soon. "Would you be willing to show me these sketches some time?"

"I can show you some now!" Jester stated, sliding one arm out of her ever-present pink backpack's strap to swing it around to her front. "I never go anywhere without some sketchbooks."

"That is something else we have in common, then," Piotr said, bending down a little to eye her backpack curiously.

The backpack sported quite a few pins and buttons (a lot of them unicorn and/or rainbow-themed), and Jester stepped over to Piotr's desk to set down his sketch, and prop the bag down on his desk chair so she could open it and grab one of her more recent sketchbooks. "Here!" She brandished the book and stepped over to his bed to sit down, expecting him to sit beside her as she opened the book on her lap.

She was a little nervous; when she showed her sketches, it wasn't usually to other artists, or to very tall, very cute boys. Two very good reasons to be nervous, but she locked her nerves away and focused on her faith in her skills (and in the Traveler; he liked her sketches, after all). "This was the last we went to the mall. That's Nott and Caleb, in disguise." The waifish-looking kid and apparent jock looked nothing at all like Nott and Caleb actually did, but the way the kid was stuffing her face certainly was reminiscent of Jester's roommate. And she liked to think that the expression on Caleb's face was 100% Caleb, even if he looked more like Thor than himself just then.

"That's very good," Piotr noted from where he sat next to Jester. He'd followed her example, setting the drawing she'd given him on his desk next to hers. His eyes traveled over the line work of her sketch. The sketch was full of quick, decisive strokes, evidence of her ability to capture a moment in a very short time. "It looks like there is definitely a story with them," he added, with a smile. There was an air of familiarity between them in their body language, and their expressions were comfortable and happy.

"It was a good afternoon," Jester stated with a fond smile. She turned the page to a drawing of Beau in motion as she trained in the gym. "That's Beau! She's got the best moves."

"Wow," Piotr said, brows rising in appreciation. This sketch was full of energy and movement. "She looks like someone Nora would enjoy training with."

"Oh yes!" Jester confirmed, eyes wide as she realized. "They'll be perfect! Beau does that short burst of superspeed thing too!"

Piotr smiled in amusement as he imagined trying to follow the two of them doing that together. "I will be sure let her know that," he said, nodding to Jester. "I do not think they have met yet." He glanced back at the sketchbook, curious to see who would appear next.

Jester turned to the next page, where a very colourful rendition of Molly stood, apparently holding court, clearly in the middle of a story. While some of her sketches remained in grey pencil, Jester could never, ever do that to Molly. He loved colour too much. Sometimes, she thought he was colour. "You know who that is, obviously," she stated with a fond smile.

Nodding, Piotr chuckled with appreciation. "That is amazing. Sometimes it feels like this room can barely contain Molly's presence when he is in it, but you have been able to put all of that on a sheet of paper." He tilted his head slightly as a thought occurred to him, and he turned his eyes back to Jester. "Do you ever sketch yourself?" he asked.

"Sometimes?" Jester offered. "I used to do it a lot when I was younger. I'd sketch the adventures I wanted to have. But all of those drawings are still at home. My mom keeps them."

Piotr considered that for a bit, looking back to her sketch of Molly. "Well, ah, perhaps I could sketch you some time, then," he said, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously. "I-if you would like that, I mean."

Jester's brow knotted in confusion; she wasn't usually the one being sketched. But the suggestion made something warm bloom in her lungs, even as nerves twisted in her stomach. "I mean. You should sketch whatever you like, Piotr." She sounded hesitant to her own ears, which wouldn't do, so she smiled at him. "I am a very unique subject."

"Yes," Piotr agreed. "In a very good way. I would like that, I think. Thank you. And I am happy to share any of my sketches with you as well."

"I would love to see them!" Jester confirmed with an eager nod. This was a much easier topic, too, than the thought that Piotr wanted to sketch her.

Piotr nodded in return, glad for a chance to escape the worry that it might have been weird to offer to sketch her when they were sitting next to each other on his bed. He rose up and withdrew his sketchbook from the desk drawer. It was much, much plainer than Jester's by comparison, but comfortable in his hands. He settled back in place next to Jester and cracked the sketchbook open to the most recent page. "This is something Nora asked for, but I have not been able to give it to her yet," he explained. The sketch was of Nora, smiling brightly and holding her hammer aloft while she rode a bear wearing fanciful armor. "I had to guess what Trinket looks like. She is very excited to meet him."

Jester laughed. "Trinket is the best. She's gonna love him." She reached out to trace a finger over the motion of Trinket's run. "The armour is pretty cool! But he's younger than that."

"I will let her know," Piotr said, smiling. "She will want to meet him even more, when she finds out." He turned the sheet over to reveal a sketch of a very large, lone oak tree. "I am told this was planted by the Professor's great grandfather."

"Really? I didn't know that!" Jester stated with wide eyes. "Did you see the carving on it?"

Piotr arched one brow as he considered that. Surely she didn't mean... the life-sized penis he'd found while taking a turn around it? His eyes flicked back down to the sketch and he pointed to a section of trunk. "On the other side, right about here?" he asked.

"Yes!" Jester confirmed, beaming. "Isn't it super funny?"

"I did laugh when I saw it," Piotr confessed. It had mostly been a surprised laugh, but a real one, nonetheless. He smiled at Jester. "So I would have to say yes, it is. That was your work, I am thinking?"

Jester nodded eagerly. "You are thinking correctly! People shouldn't underestimate the comic potential of a surprise dick."

"I never thought of it that way," Piotr confessed. "But I suppose you are right." The room was starting to feel strangely warm. Had it always been this warm and he was only just noticing? Piotr really wasn't sure what else he could say to Jester on the subject of dicks, so he hastily flipped the page to the next sketch in his book. He smiled as his eyes fell upon the face study he'd done of Molly. He'd used a colored pencil, and the page displayed his roommate from a series of angles and expressions. "You know who that is," he said to Jester, amused at finding himself in a position to echo her words.

Jester giggled. "He is so wonderful to draw!"

Piotr smiled. "Yes, very. It is difficult to resist sketching him when he is around. How did you meet him?"

"He told me my fortune!" Jester stated with a wide grin. "Did you know he used to work at a circus?"

"I did not know that," Piotr said with genuine interest. He wanted very much to get to know his roommate better, and he was enjoying the new insights coming from Jester. "I will have to ask him about it." He considered Jester with a soft chuckle. "You sound very happy with the fortune he gave you. It must have been a good one."

"It was full of hope," Jester recalled fondly. "And I think maybe it was true." It hadn't answered her question, but maybe she wasn't meant to find her father. Or maybe she simply wouldn't for a while, and the cards had just been telling her about something more immediate!

Piotr acknowledged that with a nod. "I think there is always truth in hope," he said with a smile. Whatever it was, perhaps she'd tell him when she found out for sure.

He turned to the next page, almost absently, and as he shifted is gaze back to the sketchbook he felt his throat begin to tighten. "This is the farm where I grew up," he said, recovering enough to keep only fondness in his voice. It was the first sketch he'd made after their escape. How much had changed since then. He traced his finger next to the couple standing together. They were at a distance, the details were few, but there was a familiar comfort in the way they stood next to each other and the impression of a smile directed toward the observer. "This is Papa. This is Mama. I miss them very much."

"I miss my mom too," Jester confirmed with a little sigh. At least she would see her again soon! But she wasn't sure Piotr had that option, so it was probably best not to say anything. "This is a very good drawing," she added, looking up at Piotr with a smile, before directing her gaze back on the sketch. "It's clearly home." She said the word like it mattered, and it did. It made the drawing a little sad, too, but being away from home was always like that. A little sad.

"Thank you," Piotr said softly. He looked back to Jester and managed a little smile. "Home is very important." She hadn't mentioned her father, but he thought it best not to ask about that. "I am afraid there are no more sketches in here, yet," he said, giving her an apologetic smile. Just the few he'd pinned to the wall on his side of the room. "But I am sure I will have it filled by the end of the summer."

"Well, I'm looking forward to seeing everything you draw, Piotr," Jester said, very frankly, and a little solemnly. She'd never had an artist friend before! "Has someone shown you the art room? If you're ever out of pencils or paints or you want to try out a new medium?"

So this was what it was like to have an artist friend. Piotr liked the feeling. "I have not seen it yet. But I have been wanting to." His smile grew wider and his brows rose slightly in invitation.

"Yes!" Jester agreed, snapping her sketchbook shut. "I can show it to you." She stood and put her book back in her bag to shoulder it. "It's a shame Mr Cassidy's gone back to Ireland, I don't know who is going to give the class next year." At least Mr Cassidy had had a solid sense of humour.

Rising to his feet, Piotr closed his sketchbook and tucked it under his arm. "What was Mister Cassidy like?" he asked. "And why did he leave?" Perhaps they'd find someone new to call in to teach art, but it sounded like they would have to fill some very big shoes.

"His daughter graduated and they moved back to Ireland," Jester replied, as she wondered how best to describe the former art teacher. "He was... very Irish."

Piotr's brows drew together as he tried to comprehend what that meant, having never met anyone from Ireland in person himself. "Like in the John Wayne movie about the man who offends everyone because he refuses to fight?"

"I... don't... know?" Jester answered, trying to figure out if it might be a movie she had seen. It didn't ring a bell. "I don't think Mr Cassidy's the sort to refuse to fight. But no! He's very laid-back, and he doesn't take himself seriously, and he's really pretty cool!"

What was the name of that movie, again? Piotr couldn't quite remember, but he remembered enjoying it. If he could figure it out, he might have to ask if Jester would like to watch it with him. "I am sorry he will not be teaching us when classes begin," Piotr said with a nod. "But I hope I get to meet him."

"He might visit," Jester allowed hopefully, adjusting the straps of her bag on her shoulders before leading the way out of the room.

"We shall see," Piotr said, carefully picking up the sketch he'd made Jester from the desk where it lay before following her out of the room and shutting the door behind him.

"Jester and Piotr July 18 2019" (Watch on YouTube)