Video; un: ilikehorses

[shoplifter]

[Laura's been trying to adjust. Part of her wonders if coming here wasn't a grave mistake — she'd come thinking there are more like her, people who would accept her more willingly, and in a way, that's true. However... There are a few... annoyances. Grievances. Her rather overworked case worker Linda has been making sure she goes to school. Today isn't the best day for school, though. She's quiet and 'weird' and the other children usually aren't fond of her and her quiet but present danger.

And for Laura, well. She doesn't do well with anyone 'teaching' her. She's had too much of 'teaching' the last eleven years of her... eleven years.

She may or may not have punched another kid in the eye.

She may or may not have ditched school.

And now she sits on the top of a rather tall and dangerous brick-ish wall in the city, her feet hanging precariously off the edge. Close by, the shadow of a tram wooshes by, and somewhere out there, Linda the Case Worker is having a heart attack. Laura, however, seems more puzzled and annoyed than anything. She sits with a potentially stolen bag of mini-donuts, her favorite glasses pressed up on her forehead and her lovely albeit mildly damaged unicorn shirt clear and vibrant.]


Why do children have to go to classes? 

I can learn outside of school.


[There are mean children that exist. She's never ran into children who are so exclusionary; after all, mutants had to stick together.

And teachers aren't bad, but something about the set-up bothers her, in ways she's not sure how to explain.

Maybe it's harder to blend in than you'd think. Not that she had gone into this with any high hopes.] 

Comments

[shoplifter]

[... That is a lot of areas to keep track of; she's got her work cut out for her.]

How long does it take to learn the basics?

[potentialed]

[ That she does. For Stephen, he always liked having a lot because he never got bored that way. He sometimes forgets not everyone else is like that. ]

Years, normally. Depending on how easy you pick up the material and how much time you devote to it, could be shorter or longer. The way they have school designed is to let children pick it up at a less overwhelming pace.

[ Usually. That's not going into the ones with learning disabilities or bad attention spans or any other factors that could be hampering a child's ability. ]

Dividing it into grades also helps you to pick things up as you go, getting into harder subjects as you progress. But I'm getting the feeling you don't have much patience for that.

[shoplifter]

[Her noses wrinkles. Years, he says. He's not wrong about her patience, that's for sure. She doesn't have a particularly difficult time learning; she absorbs things quickly, has an eye for memorization and careful study, if she wants.

Getting to believe it's of importance is the biggest challenge.

She has to admit, now though... just now in over her head she is.]

... I've never been to school.

They said I'm very behind.

[potentialed]

[ Ah. That explains a lot. ]

How far behind? Did they say?

[shoplifter]

[She shrugs.]

I can read and write.

... I don't know the rest.

[For an eleven year old, it's not great.]

[potentialed]

[ Not great but it's a start. And that's all she really needs, he thinks. A foundation to build on. He nods to himself, ]

Reading and writing is a start. If you want, I can help you catch up.

[ Or he'll try to. ]

[shoplifter]

[She looks skeptical, to say the least. But.]

Are you a 'teacher'?

[potentialed]

No. But I have spent enough time studying and earning degrees that I should be able to teach you the basics.

[ A beat. ]

But you have to do your part, either way. You're too young not to be in school and I know it probably didn't feel good to be told you're behind all the other kids.

[ Falling behind was always something that never sat well with him and failing was worse than that. ]

[shoplifter]

[She quirks her brow.]

I don't have to do anything.

[She's free. Freedom was hard-earned, too.]

[potentialed]

[ A part of him wants to sigh and roll his eyes at that. But he ends up smirking to himself instead, shaking his head. She's a lot smarter than those teachers are giving her credit for. ]

No. Technically, you don't. You don't "have" to do anything.

[ A beat. ]

But, if you want to know more, you have to put in the time to learn it. That's just how it is. It won't all slip into your head without any effort. You want results, you want to not be behind the other kids? You have to put in the work to get those results.

That's providing you want to learn more.

[shoplifter]

[She grows silent and contemplative, because -- well, yes, she does want to know more. She wants to learn about all sorts of things. But to sit and listen, to be told how to learn... it doesn't sit well with her. Authority is a problem she'll have for some time yet. However...]

... I'll think about it.

[Maybe she'll consider. After all, she doesn't want to be... 'behind'.]

[potentialed]

[ That's better than he thought he would get so he'll take it as a half-win. ]

Alright. You have my number if you ever change your mind.

[ He'll hang up after that. He's got his own job to get back to. But he will be keeping an eye on this one. ]