[video] Happy Birthday, Laura!

[shoplifter]

[Laura has not really been on the network much, since the kidnappings had happened. She had been scarce in general; just because she was held captive all her life, after all, did not make it any easier to be thrust back into that terrible sort of world. But now she's back and has at least had some time to try and heal from those nasty little metaphoricalwounds, chewing on her pencil thoughtfully before lowering it and smiling a little from where she sits at a table in the community housing..]

I am twelve now... I have never had a birthday before, so I am not sure what to do other than to say so; since I have been here for a year now, I have decided that August is my birth month.

[She grins a bit, rather impish.]

And since I do not have the exact day, I guess every day in August will have to be my birthday. Gracias.

[LAURA NO—

Oh, the feed ended on that note.

Guess August is National Laura Month, so sorry.]

Comments

text, un: s.uris

[stantheman]

You really don't know your birthday...?

text.

[shoplifter]

I do not. It's not something that was openly shared with me, or in my file.

It is too humanizing.

[stantheman]

Too humanizing??

[shoplifter]

Yes.
I was raised as a weapon.

[Whelp, all this was bound to come up sooner or later.]

[stantheman]

What does that even mean?

[shoplifter]

What it sounds like. I was born to be a weapon.
Do you know what mutants are?

[stantheman]

That sounds terrible...

No.

[shoplifter]

Mutants are humans who had evolved into something
different.
They develop powers. Humans do not like them very much, they see them as dangerous.
Most were gone in my world. Scientists worked to stop them from being born as much.

Later, they decided to start making more in labs.
So that they could teach them how to kill as property they could sell.

[stantheman]

That sounds terrible...

like they're just animals?

[shoplifter]

As weapons, more than anything.
Attack dogs is close enough, though.

We escaped in the end. I am sorry I did not tell you until recently. I don't like scaring people.

[Her age, anyway. She knows the younger someone is, the more they may be freaked out.]

[stantheman]

You wouldn't have scared me.

I just think that's a shit thing for anyone to have done to people.

[shoplifter]

It was not good, no. I am glad that I left it.

I do have powers, so I wanted to let you know as well so it does not startle you.
Claws come out of my knuckles and I heal very quickly.

[stantheman]

I'm glad you did too.

[ It's kind of weird to Stan and 6 months ago it probably would have made him panic a little but the discomfort is much more minimal. It feels unnatural but natural has a shifting definition and he knows she's not a danger. ]

That must come in handy sometimes, yeah?

[shoplifter]

I think so, yes. I can cut through many things, things like cuffs or things in people's way. And I can always defend myself. Sometimes other people don't see it that way though.

[stantheman]

Oh... I guess it’s a little understandable.

[shoplifter]

It is a scary thing when you are not capable of defending yourself.

[stantheman]

Yeah...I know that.

[ a little too much. ]

[shoplifter]

I've learned that.
Enough that I cannot blame other children for being scared of me.

I'm different and I know how to hurt people, and it makes me scarier.

[stantheman]

I’m not scared of you.

[shoplifter]

I'm glad.
I will try not to ever scare you.

[stantheman]

I'm not actually all that easy to scare but I trust you.