Xaviers!

Oblivious to the chaos in the world surrounding her, Katarina took a deep breath. She stood by the doors to the cafeteria.

This would be the first time she would be eating in public since the assassination attempt and the new spiderweb of golden cracks on her face. It was no big deal, really. A lot of people here had tragic backstories; why should she ben any different? Everything was going to be fine.

And for the twelfth time, Katarina took a deep breath. She stood by the doors to the cafeteria.

((open))

Speaking of tragic backstories...

Leo walked up beside her, determined not to repeat the mistakes from his previous conversation with her.

"I know that look. Pretty sure I looked like that my first time back in public. But, yanno, hairier."

"If that is the case, you have grown much since then," Katarina said, trying really hard to project an air of casualness.

"I still have times where I let my altered appearance get to me. But finding that special someone who accepts you, warts and all, does wonders for makin you comfortable in your own skin. You already have that, so you're goin to be fine. It just takes time to find your footin again."

"Perhaps you are right," Katarina said, diplomatically. "It's just a matter of convincing everyone else of that."

"This might be an alien concept for someone in your position but, at least here, try not to care about convincin anyone of anythin or even fittin in and just be. For a little while anyway."

"Advice I could be better at followin myself but good advice nonetheless."

"It is, indeed, easier said than done, I am afraid. One person whispers to another, who tells someone something else in confidence, who tweets something out..."

"We may have a healthy gossip mill here, but it's usually about who's sleepin with who or who's secretly related to what superhero or even supervillain. And unlike other schools I've been to, it's not usually even mean. And rarely about what people look like."

"Can't say that about outside these walls, but we might as well enjoy it while we're here. Right?"

"Well, one person's minor gossip is another person's life-changing rumor, yes?"

"I mean I suppose, but you can only control that so much. And, trust me, avoidin people altogether can make its own rumors."

"But I'm sure you're already tired of my clumsy efforts to advise you. I really don't have a context for what you're afraid of. I've never been particularly remarkable in any way and you're the hope of a nation. So I'll stop if you want me to."

"No, no, I'm... I'm sorry. You're trying to be helpful, and I appreciate it. I do, really.

It is...difficult. Being more than just yourself. What Katarina Karkov wants has to be weighed against what the people want of her. Of what is best not for her, but for her nation. I am, ultimately, just an extension of my people. A damaged, dirty shame to them."

"Not to all of them. Not to the ones like us that much of your country likes to pretend are a purely western thing. You inspired Jacques sure enough."

He winced at outing the man to her, and was glad Ainsley wasn't there to glare at him.

"Oh, Jacques just likes flattering his subjects, and he likes getting paid from the Crown, that is all," Katarina demurred. "He's a very nice man, and he knows where his bread is buttered."

In for a penny...

"That may be true, but he mentioned a partner named Piotr who he has never invited to the palace. Preeetty sure he didn't mean business partner, and he would've said assistant if he meant assistant."

"He gay."

Katarina just laughed for a moment. "No, no, he's not," she said, amused. "Jacques has a studio; of course he has a partner."

"Agree to disagree then," he laughed.

"But for a man from a country that doesn't tolerate the idea of gay people, he seemed awfully at ease in a room full of gay people."

"He is an artist, you know," Katarina said, a little dismissive of the idea. "You have to be off in your own little world as an artist."

"Well yeah. I'd know, I'm a bit of one myself and I'm dating one," he conceded.

"So I'll admit the possibility that my gaydar is wrong and call it that."

"Different cultures can be hard to read, I know," Katarina nodded. "Cues you think you understand mean different things. It can be...troublesome."

"Speakin from experience?" he asked curiously.

"Well, yes. Xaviers is quite different from where I am used to."

"Xaviers is that way to most everyone. Obviously some more than others. Gettin used to mutant culture is hard enough without addin regular culture shock on top. Luckily I lived in the UK long enough before this that I didn't have to adjust to everythin all at once."

His stomach growled impatiently.

Katarina raised an eyebrow.

"Hopefully you have decided that minor members of royalty are not sufficient for your diet."

He chuckled awkwardly, embarrassed.

"Yeah, no, not gonna start eatin people. Just... big guy, big appetite."

"As I said, you have grown much since then.

Well, off you pop for your various grilled meats and things, before you reconsider your position."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," he chuckled, moving along.

Looking back, he said, "You can join me if you want. Nobody is gonna be lookin at you when there's a giant scary cat man next to you."

"I don't know. Gold has a way of drawing the eye; rumors even more so."

"Rumors are just the price of being special," he said with a smile.

"Now c'mon before you become the skeleton princess."

A bit hesitantly, Katarina followed after Leo.

"Thatta girl," he smirked.

"Even golden girls gotta eat, right? Honestly, I'm dyin to know if princesses subsist on rainbow sprinkles and the fanciest of stinky cheeses."

"I've filed several complaints with the administration over the food, and they don't seem to care," Katarina deadpanned.

"I wouldn't blame you if you had. I mean if I was royalty, I'd probably be used to a higher class of food too. Probably not a lot of pizza and hamburgers in a palace," he said as he got in line.

"Perhaps if my father wasn't around, I could convince the kitchen staff to make some. But no, there are levels of propriety, even in private."

"Pfft. Screw that! Gimme delicious, delicious grease!" he said boisterously.

"Unhealthy, sure, but toootally worth it."

"Symkaria wouldn't want their golden statue to put on too many pounds.

Inflation, don't you know," Katarina deadpanned.

He laughed.

"I used to have weight issues. I've grown since then, " he joked, trying to deadpan but failing.

"I would imagine being...you...would require plenty of extra calories."

"These muscles aren't the worst thing to suddenly get but they definitely keep me hungry. Ferals and shifters are probably most of the food budget around here."

"I can only imagine what the university must go through," Katarina nodded. "And how many trucks of raw meat they must ship in."

"I think I'm the only pure carnivore here. I miss some non-meat foods. Well, I can tolerate dairy just fine and bread just enough for burgers and stuff but only a small amount of fruit and veggies. Lion stomach isn't built for it."