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]

Grandparents and parents. I know them. And sisters... and brothers.

....

There are a lot, though. How big are families supposed to be?

[fingergunning]

Ah, well, that's not really a question anyone can answer. There's no 'should be' with families. They just are what they are. Sometimes you get huge ones, sometimes you get little ones. Or no families.

[Which he was starting to think she fell into.]

[shoplifter]

[... That's sad. But also her reality.]

Is yours big?

[fingergunning]

Not my biological one. Just my sister and my niece. But I have my crew who's sort of like family... That can work.

[shoplifter]

... That's nice.

[A pause, as she thinks of the people from home.]

I have -- friends.

[fingergunning]

Hey, that's good. That's great. Friends are good.

[A quiet moment.]

Are, ah, any of them here?

[shoplifter]

[Ah.

She looks down -- and then shakes her head.

No dice.]

[fingergunning]

[... Shit.]

Well, if you want a friend, I know I could sure use one. I'm pretty new here myself.

[shoplifter]

[The thought is an interesting one. See... she's used to her friends being lifelong. For her, friends are nearly parallel to family; not enough to fill the hole left by her vanished family, that is, but it was something... closer. Still. She didn't want to be alone. She may not completely trust this guy, but...]

Friends are... good.

[And if he tries to hurt her like others have tried, off with his legs.

Haaaa.]

[fingergunning]

[He would never. He'd be just as likely to shoot someone in the head for trying. Jensen was pretty protective of his friends and family. Ask the ref from the last soccer game he was at.]

They can be.

[And then he realized how creepy all this must seem: some adult guy she didn't know talking about being her 'friend'. Shit.]

I mean, if you're cool with it. I just... you know. No one should be alone and I wouldn't mind having someone around who might like to go to the zoo. Gives me an excuse, and I haven't seen all the things they might have at this one.

[shoplifter]

... I'd like to go.

[Hey man, she's down.

When all is said and done... she just wants to see all the animals. And maybe pick up a friend or two.]

[fingergunning]

Well, if you're up for it, why not make a day of it? Zoo, picnic, see what kind of kid-friendly stuff this place has. Maybe they have a sort of faire thing.

[Jake Jensen: Giant man-boy at heart. Give him a slide and he was a happy boy.]

[shoplifter]

[Hmmm. You drive a hard bargain, sir.

But eventually - inevitably - she nods. Still...]

...

What is a faire?

[fingergunning]

[It's official. He was dead. She'd killed him.]

It's like a carnival. An amusement park? Something people go to to have fun.

[shoplifter]

[... Um.

She stares, looking entirely lost.]

[fingergunning]

[No. No. Stop. His heart was literally breaking. It was even showing on his face.]

How about we go to the zoo and then we'll see if we can find something close to what I mean, okay? It's easier to talk about in person.

I mean, if you're cool with it.

[He was still very cognizant of the fact that he was an adult male trying to go out and have fun with a strange young girl. He was covering all his bases. Not that he'd ever... but they were on a public channel and the last thing he needed was some Quarantine Creep Catcher trying to kick his ass.]

[shoplifter]

[She gives a pleased little nod.]

I'm... 'cool'... with it.

Just tell me when to go, I'll go.

[fingergunning]

[Jensen had a very poignant moment of realizing he was going to have to sit this tiny little bundle down and teach her about stranger danger.

Of course, Jensen was also unaware of the whole situation, but from where he stood, Laura was too trusting and too alone. Clearly she needed a big bro. Someone had to beat the shit out of people that tried to take advantage of her.]

Well, when's good for you? I've got the weekend off...

[shoplifter]

[It's all good, she knows stranger danger... Stab people who try and start shit. :)

But it's true, she hasn't given him much reason to not be concerned, huh?]

... The weekend off?

[Why wouldn't the weekend be on, man. Is there something in the week that ruins zoo trips?]

[fingergunning]

Yeah, you know. From work?

[Laura....]

[shoplifter]

.... Like a job.

[Oh. Oh. It had never even crossed her mind like that. People in their daily functions, doing what they do for -- money? Yes. She'd never thought about jobs and what they mean to people outside of Transigen. Her 'job' had been picked for her; in fact, it was the reason she was ever made in the first place.]

Like nurses, or scientists.

Or -- superheroes.

[fingergunning]

Not exactly sure if superhero's so much a job as a... whatever, but yeah. Something like that. Or boring tech guys who just do research and development work on comms. You know. Stuff like that.

[shoplifter]

[Research and development are ugly words; she doesn't like them.

But she presses onward.]

Comms - like what we talk on?

[fingergunning]

Yeah, well, that's what they have me on here. I guess it makes sense to keep advancing it if they want to do more exploratory work. Wouldn't want to be left incommunicado out in the deep shit if they plan on doing more jungle work.

[A momentary pause, then he smacked his head.]

Crap. Deep crap.

[shoplifter]

[... Ha. She looks humored, actually.]

It's okay. I've heard all the words. In Spanish and English.