Commentary for Percy!!!
Commentary date: October 2nd 08!
Log date: Uh... not long ago! (This will always be the answer!)
Original log: http://xmm-percy.livejournal.com/152272.html#cutid1
Convenience stores mark the stopping distance between two points, where the price for their location is the markup on everyday necessities, like milk and bottles of soda. For Percy, as he slips inside this one of a sweltering Sunday afternoon, the price he is willing to pay is for a fresh pack of cigarettes. Since you have to buy those at front, he has nothing in his hands as he shrugs his way through the close-cramped quarters of the little store to the line before the register. He is a little overdressed for his current environs, the lightweight pale grey suit still a bit much for Sunday afternoon in a convenience store. At least he isn't wearing a tie.
Leonardo is a bit overdressed himself, though his blue blazer outfit is a bit more casual than Percy's. His hands are pretty full with his braces finally off, carrying two bottles of strawberry milk, a bag of chocolate chip cookies, and some wine coolers stacked on top. He appears to be having a bit of trouble, then looks up at Percy with an embarrassed smile, not recognizing him, "Hey, sorry to bother you, but could you help me get this stuff on to the counter so I don't drop it all?"
Leo is buying cookies and milk for a celebration, then saw a guy dressed better than him and thought "Hey, let's make this Human work, I shouldn't be struggling with this stuff.". He may have watched Planet of the Apes recently.
The long memory for faces serves Percy in familiarity, though Leonardo's hair is distinctive even shorn. The bare flicker of a smile turning up his mouth at one corner, he slides a hand from his pocket to scoop up the wine coolers. He eyes them with the cock of an eyebrow, but rather than pass judgment expressly on the younger man's taste, he says, "Bachelor diet, eh?" in a tone of blithe half-interest.
"Yeah, sort of privately celebrating with a movie; I've gotten my tenth client, two of whom have gotten minor parts in plays, and another four at least received auditions which can be quite hard to get sometimes, and one is recording with an independant label." Leonardo explains, sitting the rest of his stuff down when Percy takes the wine coolers. "Thanks."
Interesting thing about this, while he /is/ excited about his clients, he's actually celebrating because of the asteroid. He was so sure it would hit and he'd get his cult and take over the world with it. He's basically in a fit of glee.
Also, Percy did not leave enough of an impression on Leo to be remembered! Well, he did, it's just that Leo was drunk off his ass when they last met.
"You're welcome." Percy cants his head slightly to one side, his faint frown creasing his brow as he balances the weight of the beverages between both his hands. Manicured fingers splaying over the packaging, his eyebrows lift slightly. "So you're ah ... talent agent, I suppose?"
Leonardo reaches for the wine coolers with a nod. "Yes, working my way up. I'm still dealing with pretty small things, but if I show I'm determined to do this then Emma Frost may help me." He gets a bit of a grin, possibly feeling a bit boastful. "You know, /the/ Emma Frost."
Yes, Leo believes that saying he knows Emma Frost is the most awesome sauce thing in the world. He's practically waiting to say it at any given moment. I should also note that he's feigning modesty, he's much more proud of his work than he appears to be.
Though, again, for every bit of self restraint he has, it usually shows itself in other ways, so modesty about his work turned into boastfulness about knowing Emma.
"Oh yes, really," Percy says, his tone very light as he hands off Leonardo's prospective purchase. His eyes glitter, his glance sharpening as it takes in the turn of the boy's expression. "What makes you think /the/ Ms. Frost might be interested?"
Leonardo puts the coolers on the counter and the man begins ringing everything up. "I asked her if she could help me and she said show her results; I haven't spoken to her in months because I've been working hard on this."
Leonardo really did stop speaking to Emma for months just so he could work on his talent agent project! Unfortunately for her those are likely the last months she'll get away from him, unless she goes on a very long vacation. Of course on this vacation, she'll meet a white haired hotel manager, a white haired room service guy, white haired limo driver...
Also, when Percy asked that, Leo's heart basically jumped because it was like he was getting /permission/ to boast about how awesome and "high status" he is, to some random Human guy who will surely go home and have an affair with his kid's nanny and then go waste his life watching football! Meeting Leo will likely be the most exciting thing that ever happens to Percy, so Leo had to make it as awesome as possible!
"Well, let's hope the lady's memory holds up," Percy says lightly, voice mellowed with unvoiced laughter. Eyes slightly narrowed, he watches the slow-handed convenience store clerk at work from beneath the veil of his dark lashes, and does not quite look at Leo. "She is terribly busy, after all, with a financial empire to run and the social sphere over which to hold court."
"I don't doubt Ms. Frost's ability to multitask and remember things, and she has a gift from me to remind her that I exist every day." Leonardo says with a slight snicker, not quite elaborating on what that gift is. "How about you? You look pretty nicely dressed, what do you do?"
Leo felt like bursting into laughter when Percy said there was a chance Emma wouldn't remember him, he finds the idea completely outrageous. At the time, Leo had a mindset that said "Emma is a rich sheltered Human woman whose life suddenly becomes exciting when /I/ walk into the room!", so he was very sure she'd never forget him.
That and the 20 foot naked statue.
"Nothing at all," Percy answers blithely, exhaling a partial snort through his nose and slipping his thumbs into the pockets of his suit jacket, "whenever possible."
"Ah, rich and relaxing, one day I hope to be able to do that." Leonardo watches as his things are gradually bagged, leaning slightly against the counter. "I'm far too busy lately, though it's been interesting watching the panic over the asteroid. Panicking wont fix it."
This is where Leo basically starts to look down on Percy, like "Ohohoho! A trustfund baby!". He said he hoped to be able to do that because it was like saying "I work and you don't, so I'm better than you.". After that, he decided to possibly ruin this random Human's night by bringing up the asteroid, which as I mentioned is what he's so excited about. He /assumed/ Percy is one of the people panicking about it, so this was just to add even more insult and assert superiority.
"Then yours is the more nihilistic view, I suppose?" Percy glances briefly at his watch, and then flicks his gaze over the array of cigarettes available behind the counter. His turn of mood slightly obnoxious, he points out Lucky Strikes, and removes a twenty dollar bill from his wallet in order to pay for them. "End of the world as we know it, et cetera?"
"You honestly want to know?" Leonardo asks as if he's preparing to drop some divine logic, then picks up his two grocery bags. "We have Magneto, and if we have Magneto we also have other magnetic or metal controlling mutants, not to mention the rock ones. You don't honestly think they want the Earth to get destroyed, do you? I'm not worried."
Now, Leo believes he has ultimate knowledge, but instead of saying what he's /thinking/ he decides to make the random rich Human believe that Mutants are the ultimate saviors of the universe. And since he doesn't actually care about the asteroid hitting, it was easy to be perfectly confident in what he was saying.
"I'd think Magneto's idea of destroying humanity would be well served by a cataclysm," Percy says, collecting his change as he picks up his new package of cigarettes and weighs it in his hand. "Really, young man, do you honestly believe that mutants are the key to saving the world? What rubbish. They'd rather destroy us all and hollow out a new life without us in a brave new world of only survivors."
Leonardo can't help but continue to smirk, beginning to walk to the door. "That's a good point, Sir. But I'm still not worried." Then he opens the door and walks outside, and bursts into loud laughter which can be heard within the store. He's an evil supervillain like that.
Percival restrains himself to mild snickering as he pockets his cigarettes and drifts at an ambling pace for the door and the opposite direction up the sidewalk. Wicked minions don't need evil laughter, except by contract!
When Percy basically /nails/ why Leo is so excited, it almost makes him laugh, infact, when he gets out it /does/ make him laugh. Though in the back of his mind he /was/ a bit annoyed because when Percy said it'd serve Magneto's idea, it was kinda like saying "Simpson's did it!".
Overall I enjoyed this scene, since Leo was so happy and it's great when he meets all these Humans and just assumes they're Humans who waste their lives, then he just belittles them in his head and it affects everything he says and how he acts.
I also like Percy because he's like male Emma, except without all the evil and boobs.