[ text | un: jkent ]

[supersweet]

One of the things people don't do often is talk about the good things they've done or have right now. Sometimes being away from home is hard, so sharing helps!

So what's one good thing in your life right now? Yesterday, I got a cat out of a tree! It wasn't very happy but the owner thanked me a lot.

Comments

[smokedout]

Can't argue with that...

[Dodger has had friends before... but none that he cared about as much as the ones he's gotten in Riverview. He's even killed a few of his "friends" from home without really mourning over it too much... so maybe he is improving.

They've been walking for a while now, and Dodger points out a convenience store.]

Pretty sure this is the place I found that had good stuff. I think they got snacks from other realities, too, if you wanna take a risk.

[supersweet]

[ Jon blinks, not following that train of logic. ]

Why would it be risky?

[smokedout]

Might taste bad. Or be made out of something humans can't eat.

[Neither of which seem like actual, big risks to him.]

[supersweet]

Maybe we should go to a more normal convenience store? Just saying.

[smokedout]

No such thing in a place between dimensions - trust me. It's all the 'catering to every home world' crap that makes it hard to find shit specifically for normal people like us.

[There's something very sarcastic about how he refers to them as 'normal people'.]

[supersweet]

Then how are we supposed to find the right stuff?

[ Jon may be smart for a ten year old, but there's no way he'd know the names of all the ingredients. ]

[smokedout]

Well that's the fun part - in someone else's world "high fructose corn syrup" might actually be their term for "radioactive metals".

[Okay, now he's just doing this to tease him.]

[supersweet]

[ Jon gives him a flat look. ]

I know what corn is. I live on a farm.

[smokedout]

[Okay, he can see his joke's running dry. He just gives him a vaguely apologetic look. Or rather... it almost looks like he's sorry.]

Well, I guess you do know better than me, then. I've never been outside of a big city.

[And while he's speaking he's just grabbing two bottles that look like they came straight out of the 50's, logo and all.]

Seriously, though, if you look around you can probably find something familiar. I can double-check them for wierd shit if you need me to.

[supersweet]

Uhm okay.

[ Putting his hands in his pockets, Jon wanders the aisles, looking over all the stuff curiously. ]

What else should I get?

[smokedout]

Whatever you want. I'm paying, so you can grab an armful of snacks for all I care.

[Generosity is costly but he's come to find it pays off in the long run.]

[supersweet]

[ Well, then. Jon grabs a few chocolates. ]

I've got enough!

[smokedout]

[Kid's really got a sweet tooth, huh. Dodger smirks at that, picking up a bag of chips on the way to pay for everything.]

Hey... is your dad a mutant like you? I mean, I figure he is... it's pretty tough for normies to know how to raise a mutant kid.

[supersweet]

[ It's one thing for Jon to talk about his powers. It's another to discuss his father in any way. Only people his father trusts are allowed to know about him. Jon has relaxed a bit more but not to the point that he's stupid about it. ]

My parents are normal. The only thing weird about my dad is his sense of taste.

[smokedout]

Your parents must be real understanding, then... [He hesitates.] I don't know about my dad, but my mom was normal. She had her hands full dealing with me burning her hands when I got upset... or turning invisible when I got scared, y'know?

[supersweet]

[ Jon nods slowly. ]

It's hard on them too. Which is why we keep this stuff a secret.

[ And he hesitates. ]

Promise you won't tell anyone? I don't like lying but . . . people have tried to get to me before.

[smokedout]

....I'm not surprised.

[He finds it endearing that Jon asks, since... he's kind of the king of secrets.]

My world's got a lot of crime, and a lot of it is run by mutants... we don't get treated like normal humans, so a lot of us can't find work unless it's under the table. Sooner or later humans who think they're helping try to kill off mutants... and everything just gets fucked to hell. Wouldn't surprise me at all if a kid like you got caught up in things like that.

[supersweet]

I . . . don't want to talk about it.

[ Hunching his shoulders, Jon pointedly looks away. Manchester Black's oily touch in his mind still held sway. ]

You promise?

[smokedout]

Yeah. I promise.

[He should probably stop talking about this. Gang rivalries and moonlight garrotes seemed so normal to him when he was Jon's age, but... this kid had a normal childhood, it seems. As normal as a mutant kid can have.]

...Let's go find a nice spot outside to eat, yeah? You know your way around enough to find a spot?

[supersweet]

[ Jon relaxes slightly at that. Promises are the cornerstone of his life. ]

Yeah, there's a bench near the park that's nice.

[smokedout]

[Dodger relaxes in turn, and a smile spreads onto his face.]

Wanna race there?

[Ignoring the fact that he can absolutely cheat with his powers. He figures Jon is smart enough to cheat as well.]

[supersweet]

Yeah!

[ Jon loves getting to race. And he's fast too. Even faster than his father. ]

Ready?

[smokedout]

Three- two- ONE.

[He tips Jon's hat over his face again, right before teleporting and dashing off toward the park. He may not have powers related to speed, but he can teleport himself a few times in a row and use his strength to boost himself further. Regardless of who wins, he'll be winded by the time they get there, but it's worth it to expel some energy.]

[supersweet]

Hey!

[ Jon yelps as he pushes his cap out of his face and runs, a mere blur, barely detectable. He makes it under a few seconds without even needing to catch his breath. ]

[smokedout]

[Wow. WOW. He hadn't expected Jon to be that fast, holy fuck.

Dodger skids to a halt shortly behind him, having exausted most of his energy to catch up. He won't be able to teleport for a while in this state... and he's definitely gonna need a break on that bench. He lets out a groan as he slumps into it.]

Jesus Christ... how do your parents even keep track of you?

[His teleportation slows the world around him to nearly a halt... and he swears he saw Jon running as if it was in real time.]