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

[nostalgiabomb]

[ it’s basically his goal in life tbqh ]

Seems like you nailed the secret technique.

If you want any other suggestions, let me know. I’m probably good for it.

[shoplifter]

Okay.

[....................... Now she feels indebted. Man.]

I can — give you some, if you want them.

I have a lot from the iPhone.

[... Tbh she only knows it's called that because it says it on the thing's back.]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ A confused pause.

Then, ]

What’s an iPhone?

[ Like. He knows those sounds individually. “Eye” and “phone.” Putting them together like that sounds like it is a Specific Thing. ]

[shoplifter]

[She holds up the weird 2020's doohickey.

Welcome to the future, Peter. She jiggles it back and forth.]

Este es el iPhone.

It has music. And 'Solitaire'.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ ... Huh. Well, that's a Thing. ]

What, like the card game?

[ Peter also missed the ubiquity of Microsoft Solitaire.

but hey if you wanna talk about ALF, here's your guy. ]

[shoplifter]

Sí, it's cards.

I have the high score.

[She's quite talented at puzzles and solving things, you see.

A perk of being a genetic experiment.]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He smiles a little at that. ]

Well, okay, then. What kinda music do you got?

... Aside from the butts one.

[ what the hell ]

[shoplifter]

Un momento, por favor.

[She carefully looks at the list of names, thoughtful. Some rappers, some rockers, some country singers...]

There's one called Tina Turner. I like her voice.

[nostalgiabomb]

Oh! Yeah. Tina Turner's pretty rad, actually. She was pretty famous when I was a kid.

You've got good taste.

[shoplifter]

[A nod. Oh lord, what was the name of her favorite Tina Turner song? She's too lazy to check.]

Do you like -- What Does The Love Have To Do With It? She sings it.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ A pause, while Peter bites his cheek to keep from laughing. ]

I think it’s “What’s Love Got to Do with It?” And, yeah, it’s pretty good.

[ only 80s kids will remember! ]

[shoplifter]

[SHE NODS SO SAGELY. YES, YES, THE LOVE, WHAT'S IT GOT TO DO WITH ANYTHING.

She seems more confident, more sure of herself in this socialization.]

And Bruno Mars. He's good, too. At singing.

[nostalgiabomb]

Bruno Mars?

[ This one he repeats back – not doubtfully, but like he's testing the name. ]

I'll have to look him up. Not sure I've heard of him before.

[shoplifter]

[Doesn't he totally sound like an intergalactic singer with a name like that?]

Yes, him. Do you want me to play one? Of his songs.

[You know which one it'll be. You just know.]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ it 100% sounds like someone up his alley. Peter is expecting 80s-esque synthesizers and pew-pew laser sounds. ]

Or I can track his stuff down myself, if you've got suggestions.

[shoplifter]

[Oh, she almost smiles. Almost.]

The Uptown Funk.

[It's the funkiest town up there you can find.]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Could it be?

The legendary Funkytown foretold by Lipps Inc.? But they only ever talked about it! ]

I'll look it up. Thanks.

[ A beat, and Peter, who was basically raised by space-wolves, realizes he hasn't actually introduced himself. ]

I'm Peter Quill, by the way. People call me Star-Lord.

[ That last bit gets tacked on by instinct. ]

[shoplifter]

Me llamo Laura.

... Do you always also say what people call you?

[People called her X-23. She didn't know to hate it, really, not until she adopted her name.

All the kids, they adopted names.]

[nostalgiabomb]

Only to people I think are cool enough.

It's kind of a call sign I picked up over the years.

[ Which is a lie. The name was given to him as a child after too many ill-advised marathons of every sci-fi film and TV show he could get his grubby little hands on. After watching bullies at school pick on little kids and kill helpless animals and swooping in, pretending to be some kind of super hero.

From a doting mother who told him he was destined for better things and called him her "Little Star-Lord."

Like hell is he ever going to admit that aloud, though. ]

Just Peter is fine, though. Or Quill.

[shoplifter]

I like Peter. [Blunt but earnest.] It's a nice name.

[She almost mentions that her father had a call sign. A codename. A superhero name.

Almost.]

Do you travel around the stars?

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He actually blinks at that, startled. He's not sure if anyone's ever said that to him, considering Peter is a pretty common name in general. ]

... Thanks.

[ For lack of anything better to say. It doesn't even occur to him to go for the easy joke – that is, "Thanks. My mom gave it to me." ]

And, yeah, actually. I do. My friends and I operate pretty far away from Earth.

[ Another galaxy entirely, actually. ]

[shoplifter]

It's good, to be with your friends.

[... She misses hers. Rictor would like this world a lot.]

Are they here?

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He smiles, something a little sad around the edges. ]

Only a couple of ‘em. The rest are back home, I think.

You?

[shoplifter]

[... She shakes her head, solemn as well.]

No one I know.

...

I hope they come, though. I miss them.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ ... Ah. Peter frowns a little. ]

They might. Might take a while, but still.

[ Peter, for his part, was lucky enough that his friends arrived more or less around the same time as him. He’s not too sure how he would’ve fared if he didn’t have that sort of safety net to catch him.

He rubs at the back of his neck, uncertain. Then, ]

But, hey, consider this an opportunity to meet some new people. I’m sure not everyone at your school sucks. There’s bound to be at least a few cool people there.