Chapter Text
Mariana sits staring at the print out for her final project. The one that is supposed to be here final. Her biggest one yet. One that is supposed to be so big she literally has a whole semester to work on it. He still has other classes of course, stuff to fill out the last credits needed to earn her degree, but they are easier classes. Lower level classes. Fuck, she’s even taking a spanish one— which is literally his first language.
But this one class, this one project, is the make or break for his degree.
Make an art piece to make an impact. Include aspects that make up your identity and world view. You will need to fill what would be a small classroom shaped art exhibit and tell a story with your pieces. Afterwards, you will need to write a 5 page essay on your thought process, and your struggles making the pieces as well as planning. Due at the end of the semester where your exhibit will be opened to public viewing with a ceremony date to the opening.
Mariana has no fucking clue what to do. It’s been a week since the semester started, and he knows that the due date for at least the rough draft topic of the exhibit is due very soon.
Mariana groans, staring down at the notebook he’s using for brainstorming, with three ideas scribbled down and then immediately crossed out when realizing they wouldn’t work and/or he has no ideas how to expand past one piece. Of course, he could choose multiple of these small ideas and make an exhibit out of them, but it would be more of an issue to actually connect them rather than actually making them.
All he has left on his notebook is one sentence, underlined pretty aggressively.
Find your muse
He needs to find something that everything else can spring from. And hopefully find it fast. Bzzzzt bzzzzt
Mariana glances down, realizing his phone is vibrating. She hums, picking it up, hopeful for a distraction, when his eyes widen seeing the name pop up.
Charlie: Hey are you free?
Charlie: I’m kinda bored right now and want to cash in that rain check
Mariana blinks a little in shock, before typing in response
Mariana: sure
He could use a little break from his brainstorming after all.
Charlie: You know the cafe just off from campus? The Coffee bean?
Mariana: I mean yeah its the closest place to get off campus and study
Charlie: meet there in 30?
Mariana: Are you sure you wanna do that place? We might piss some people off by having a conversation while they are studying
Charlie: They have a nice patio area we can take over. Plus I like their coffee.
Mariana: alright meet you there
And with that Mariana starts packing up to go on her way.
When she pulls up in her vehicle, he already sees Charlie at a spot on the patio, the man waving him over when she steps out.
“Arrived early, so I thought I'd save us a spot at one of the good areas.” he smiles, “It’s a nice day out, so I wouldn’t be surprised if sometime soon there are others deciding to sit out here, too. But the ones who we would actually need to worry about would want to stay inside to protect technology.”
Mariana nods, “Makes sense.”
“So…wanna go get some drinks and settle down out here?”
Mariana ends up getting the place’s daily special, which seems to be some cold brew mocha, while Charlie ends up getting a smoothie.
Mariana raises an eyebrow, “I thought you like their coffee?” he teases.
“I do…I just stopped here not that long ago and I don’t think you would like to see me when I have too much caffeine in my system.” Charlie responds.
“Then why choose a cafe?” Mariana asks.
“I don’t know? It’s just the first place I thought of!” Charlie huffs.
Mariana just chuckles, “Ah I get that.”
Charlie seems to relax a little at that. After a bit, their names are called and they grab their drinks and head back out to their claimed spot. After they settle in, Charlie is the first to speak; “So…how's your day been?”
Mariana hums, tapping her fingers a little on the table, “It’s been…fine, I guess. Been working on an assignment I've been struggling on.”
“Whats the assignment?” Charlie queries.
“It’s my uh…my final project for my art degree. I need to make a whole exhibit of art pieces.”
“Oh damn.” Charlie leans back a little, “That’s a lot.”
Mariana nods, “It is, but I do have all semester to do it, as well as no expected class days or assignments other than this, so I practically have a whole two hours of guaranteed work time every other day for this class.”
Charlie nods, “So…you are stuck on what..exactly for this class?”
“Everything! I need a topic!” Mariana groans.
“Hm…” Charlie takes a sip of the smoothie as he contemplates. “What is the stuff you have so far? Like even the stuff you decided you won’t?”
Mariana digs through his backpack, pulling out his notebook for the class and sliding it over.
The other catches it before it slides off the edge, and pushes it back towards the middle of the table, opening the first page and studying it.
“Find your muse…” he repeats as he glances over the page, his green eyes glinting a little as he concentrates.
Mariana can’t help but find himself reminded of that time at the party… this man is weirdly beautiful when his mind is occupied.
She is reminded of the urge to draw him laughing in the golden lights of the sunset, and now he can see a mental image of him in a dark room, eyebrows furrowed as he leans over something studying it, face overcast by the shadows of the umbrella that rises from the table shadowing their drinks.
“I…might have an idea now.” Mariana blurts out.
Charlie looks up again, “Oh?” He slides the notebook back to him.
Mariana reaches down into his backpack, grabbing a pen and turning the page, scribbling down a couple thumbnail sketches of blank figures as he sides it back.
“Oh!” Charlie looks them over, “Oh these are cool! How did you suddenly think of these poses? What's the idea?”
“I’m thinking…natural feelings. A set of pieces centered around people in their most natural state, unaware of the things around. No acting…well, other than a model for at least a couple.”
Charlie nods, “Oh, that's sick! I wish I could think of things on the fly like that.”
“Well… I didn’t exactly do that… I had a muse.” Mariana confesses.
“Oh shit? What was it?” Charlie curiously asks. “...You.”
Charlie blinks a little speechless, clearly shocked.
“Well..not just you,” Mariana sputters, trying to save this, “But you in the moment helped. I… have a natural inclination into seeing how just simply mundane things can be seen in an artistic sense. And, well, a lot of my inspiration comes from that. I just saw you look so concentrated and it clicked in my brain.”
“Oh..” Charlie seems to find his voice again. “Yeah I can…see how that would work.”
Mariana adverts his eyes, taking a drink from her practically untouched coffee for the first time. It’s quiet until Charlie speaks up again to break the silence, “Well..I’m glad you found your inspiration.” and he smiles.
Mariana smiles back. “Yeah…”
They sit in silence again, Mariana scribbling down a couple more drawings based around the people around, and Charlie finishing his smoothie deep in thought.
Charlie pushes his chair back and stands, snapping Mariana out of his concentration. “I should…probably go. Bolas meeting soon.” He explains.
Mariana nods, “Ah okay. I understand.”
Charlie smiles a little, “I had fun. Maybe we can do this again?”
“Sure.” Mariana agrees.
They wave their goodbyes, and Mariana is once again left alone with a drink that has half-melted ice, a head full of thoughts, and a notebook filled with sketches of random strangers— as well as of Charlie who was not aware, she was doodling him again.
At least she has a start.