audio & action @L.Mills forward dated to April 8th

[thestoriesarereal]

[The audio turns on to the sound of silence for the first few seconds before Lucy asks her question.]

If you could have one wish, what would you wish for? Not like...money or anything. Not for powers, but what would you really wish for?

[Because it's her birthday, and she wasn't really in the mood to celebrate. Of course, she'll wish for her family to be okay, for them to remember and come here so they could meet Victor. But...would that be a waste of a wish? Sure, wishes were powerful, but she was in another world, and she didn't think they would be strong enough to pull her family from one realm to the next...

Or, maybe she's just over thinking things. Maybe she just wants to talk and not think about her birthday.]


[ooc: Lucy's birthday is on April 8th, so here's her birthday post! She won't say it's her birthday, not yet anyway. Either way, this post can double as action too. So have fun!]

Comments

[tanker]

[ John nods, giving her an understanding look. There isn't much for him to say, here, when he doesn't know her parents. But she seems strong, to him, and wiling to fight for things to get better. ]

Yeah, there's that. A few years ago, there was this Mutant protest - a peaceful one - about anti-Mutant laws that were being put in place by the government. But it was infiltrated by this extremist group, who unleashed their powers and caused a lot of death, both on Human and Mutant side. Since then, Humans are often scared of us. Some of them want to control us, too, use our powers for their gain.

[ His jaw ticks, as he thinks back on Pulse. On the Strucker kids. On Sonya. He shakes it off, as best he can. ]

Most of us just want to be able to live a normal life. But sometimes, because some of us look different, we can't even do that. [ Like Clarice. ]

[thestoriesarereal]

[Lucy can appreciate John being honest with her, not sugar coating anything and treating her like a little adult.]

That..isn't right You're not....monsters or property or pets. You're people, just different. [It's hard for her mind to wrap around that. Surely, there had to be people fighting against this? Surely, someone was willing to talk reason to those people who would think mutants are bad and should be used like they were play things.]

We might have different definitions of normal...but everyone should be able to live their own lives. I..I'm sorry that's what your world's like, John.

[tanker]

That's what we're fighting for, so people understand that all we want is to live peacefully. Have the same rights and opportunities.

[ He knows so many kids her age that are orphans, abused and mistreated, just because they look different, making their X-gene obvious. John just wants them to be able to not be scared of walking down the street. Of going to school, now that the school for gifted youngsters was closed. ]

It's okay. It's not the whole world, either, just some place are more difficult than others. And at least, we're doing good. We're helping people, who thought they were not going to ever get helped. It's important.

[thestoriesarereal]

I don't understand why people would deny you or anyone else of that...but you're helping Mutants, helping others...it's the right thing to do.

[And now Lucy may have the inkling that John is a hero in his own world. He's helping others, fighting wrongs...it's the beginnings of being a hero in her book.]

Have you at least made friends? IN your world and here?

[tanker]

[ He's no hero. It feels like he's doing the very least he can do, and it never feels like enough. They keep on fighting a losing battle, always steps behind, always losing more people. John's never doing enough.

Still, he smiles. ]

Yeah, I think so too.

[ When she asks about friends, he smiles a little brighter, nodding. ]

Yeah, I have. I have a lot of friends back home - [ his smile dims a little, thinking of betrayals that still feel fresh, ] - and I've made some here, too. I've even got myself a girlfriend.

This place is fascinating, isn't it? So many people from different backgrounds and places and stories.

[thestoriesarereal]

A girlfriend? [Oh, she saw how his smile got bigger. At least he's finding happiness here. His life had to be turning around, right?] No many people can find someone they care about a lot--enough to date them anyway.

It is! There are Gods here, and some of them are pretty neat! No wait..ALL of them are neat. There's even people who are the same person, but from different universes! Like, there's two Loki's, one that's older and one that's younger. They're both pretty cool.

[She's in a much better mood now, talking about this place and the people she's met rather than the people she's missing.]

[tanker]

[ It is. In a strange, unexpected way, that still riddles him with guilt on the regular. But it is. ]

Yeah. I knew her back home, already. I guess we had a headstart on the caring thing.

[ Lucy smiles, and John can't help but follow suit at seeing her face light up. ]

Gods, huh? I haven't met any. Loki - he's Norse, right?

[ Excuse his ignorance. ]

[thestoriesarereal]

I guess so, it certainly worked out in your favor.

[Maybe he even found his true love! Wouldn't that be exciting?]

Yeah! He's Norse, and there's some demigods here too--It's so cool!

[Don't worry, John. Lucy can get you up to speed, or recommend which books to read.]

If you're nice to them, they'll be nice to you too--and if you offer them something, you might put yourself in their good graces. I offered brownies and they liked it.

[Or, maybe it's because she's a kid and they wanted to be nice to her.]

[tanker]

Wait, you're saying they take offerings? Are they considered gods, here, or just - citizens, like you and I? Normal people?

[ John can't help but worry. Give anyone too much power, and that tends to go to someone's head, very easily. He's seen it happen way too often. ]

[thestoriesarereal]

They're actual gods with powers, but they are citizens here. There isn't a..special place for them or anything.

I offered brownies because I thought that's what you had to do.

[tanker]

So they didn't make you give them brownies, you just did it because you're nice?

[ That's something, at least. ]

I'm a terrible cook and baker, so I don't think they'd be interested in my offerings...

[thestoriesarereal]

Yeah? I wanted to make a good first impression.

[Kid logic is logical.]

Well...maybe you should brush up on those skills? Maybe your girlfriend would at least like a handmade treat or two?

[tanker]

[ Oh, would she ever. ]

Problem is that I don't have any skills to brush up on. I left home and my mom's cooking for the military, where we ate rations. And then, my current job is the same. Rations, boxed or canned food. We don't really have the resources for the ingredients for a cake.

[ Smile. ]

Maybe I need a good teacher?

[thestoriesarereal]

[Oh her Aunt Sabine would be shaking her head and be in horror just like Lucy. How could he not have the ingredients for cake?!]

You need a really good teacher--you also need a really easy recipe.

[Thinking, thinking. This is important, more important than her birthday.]

Sugar cookies...sugar cookies are easy and then you can work your way up to cake.

[tanker]

You'd be willing to teach me?

[ Keep learning new skills, and doing things that keep him busy. Help out. Be good company. Make friends. ]

Under the supervision of your guardian, of course.

[ He's not a creep. ]

[thestoriesarereal]

[She was about to say, she needs to talk with her Papa first to make sure that it was okay.]

I might be willing, if Papa says I can. His name is Victor, have you met him? He's a doctor.

[tanker]

Can't say that I have, no, but would be happy to. I'm sure he's a great guy, taking care of you like that.

[thestoriesarereal]

He is a great guy! He's also very smart, since he's a doctor and a scientist.

He took me in when my grandmother was sent back to our world.

[tanker]

That's very nice of him, for sure. Not everyone would do that.

[thestoriesarereal]

I know...which is why he's very special to me. He's....my Papa. My family.