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

[ragnarsson]

Some people will tell you not to trust anyone. That's bullshit from people who've been scared for too long. There's going to be a very small number of people you can trust over the course of your life. Finding them, now that's the difficult part.

[In his life, Ivar's found only his family, both by blood and those he's chosen, can be counted on when the time comes.]

[shoplifter]

[... Ah.]

Have you found them yet... here?

[ragnarsson]

[He nods. There's people here he trusts, those he lets his guard down around, allowing himself to be vulnerable.]

A few. It's easier here than it was back home.

[There, being unable to walk just meant he was a source of pity for those kind and one of derision for those cruel. Both had made him turn hard and angry, letting no one in but his family.]

[shoplifter]

[To that, she can sort of agree with. Sort of. She had a lot of friends at home, but they were lifelong friends; their trust was born from being in the same foxhole.]

Home was dangerous.

[Is she talking about his, hers, or both of their worlds? Hard to say, huh.]

[ragnarsson]

Yours too?

[His own was, but then, the 800s were no picnic for anyone growing up. From what he'd gathered, it seemed to be fifty-fifty as to whether it got easier in the future for most people.]

Here is better. There's monsters, but they can be dealt with. And there's pizza.

[That's like a new food group as far as Ivar is concerned.]

[shoplifter]

[She looks entirely foreign to this concept, sir.]

What is 'pizza'?

[ragnarsson]

[He's not all that surprised that Laura wouldn't know what pizza is. He didn't know what it was until he came here. Now this is truly valuable knowledge he's passing on.]

It's a really good food. Cheese and tomato sauce on a crust with just about any topping you can think of. Try it when you get the chance. You won't be disappointed.

[shoplifter]

[.....................................]

It sounds really good.

Is it like a - sandwich?

[i'm gonna deSTROY IT]

[ragnarsson]

Not really. It's round and flat. About the only thing they have in common is having a crust.

[Clearly, he's done his duty in passing on only the most pertinent information to Laura.]

[shoplifter]

I'll go find one.

I'd like to try it.

[There's a quiet determination there; time to go actually use money.

Or just steal a pizza somehow.

Either/or.]