(no subject)

[coercive]

Who: Laura & ota
When: First week of the month
Where: greenery, mostly
What: Laura does what a kid does best.
Warnings: This is completely G rated.


Closed to Eddie:
[Ever since she's met him, Laura's spent a lot of time in his company. He teaches her fun things to say in English and she teaches him the equivalent in Spanish, and they run around pretty much all day. It's the first time Laura's ever really felt like she has a playmate as well as someone to protect. If he isn't sleeping over in her room, she's visiting him over in his, and generally gets up bright and early each day to meet him for breakfast.

It's still pretty early in the day, and they've just left breakfast. He's riding his bike with her in her usual place perched up behind him, and she's hollering and laughing as they barrel their way toward the music hall. There's plenty of room there to spend the day playing around.]

Do you like dancing?

[Because her plan for today involves doing her version of it.]

Greenery (ota):
[Laura checks up on the little garden she and Nill worked together to plant every day. She doesn't have a job here, so she takes it upon herself to at least do that. It fills her with pride to see the progress that's made, to know that she can help things grow and thrive instead of just destroying them.

She still isn't very good at gardening, though. But she still extends her claws and crouches down in the dirt and starts to cut away at weeds and grass that grow through. She's got a small pile next to her that ends up having her hand slapped down on it the second she hears footsteps nearby. It's not that she minds other people looking at her discard pile, it's that it's her hard work and she doesn't want someone to come mess it up.

Her head turns and she stares for a few moments, before silently getting back to work.]

Library (ota):

There are no pictures.

[Sigh.

Laura sets aside the book she's been flipping through, looking very disappointed at the fact that there's no pictures. She knows that she needs to be reading harder books with chapters, ones with more words than pictures, but she still really enjoys storybooks. She's been trying to find any that might exist within the library, but she's starting to think that it's a lost cause.

She still grabs another off the shelf and starts to flip through it, before making a disgusted sound and slamming it closed. This one is set aside too, and she starts to walk further along the shelves toward the tomes, fingers trailing along the edge of the shelving.]

Music Hall (ota):
[Laura's biggest secret at the moment is that she's finally understanding what pretend is. She was never allowed to have an imagination, and play was a thing that was foreign to her until recently. But now that she's free and living with a family that helps her grow and develop, her mental age is starting to catch up to her physical one. Her imagination is finally developing, and now that she has some real life experiences she's able to pretend to be things that she isn't.

One of those things is a dancer. Sure, she's physically capable of it. But she hasn't had any training, and still really hasn't heard a lot of music. But she's seen other people here dance, and has seen books where characters dance. And she likes trying it too. So whenever she thinks no one else is around, she sneaks up on stage and starts to dance. It looks less like ballet and more like a kid spinning with her arms outstretched and a toothy grin on her face.

This is fun, and after a few leaps and a lot more spinning she ends up falling back in a heap on the stage. She wonders what it would be like to be a girl like Nill, pretty and slender, with long legs and enough grace to be considered beautiful and delicate when she dances.]

Comments

dance dance dance

[lefthandfree]

[Though he physically finds himself at the greenhouse most often, it’s the stage that holds his heart. Even after the music disappeared again, it became natural to find his way back there again during his breaks. Given their first encounter, finding the young girl dancing about on the stage without a care ends up being the most pleasant surprise he’s had since arriving.

Rather than approach and disrupt her gleeful amusement, he watches for a while from the doorway, smiling to himself.]

[coercive]

[Even a little shift on his part is heard by her. She picks up on a sound as well as a scent she doesn't recognize, and that gets her to stop smiling. Leaping right up on her feet, she turns her head right over toward him. And then stares, the corner of her lip turning upward in a sneer.

Did he just see her trying to dance?]

[lefthandfree]

[Chuckling, he’s not the least bit deterred, knowing from the initial meeting that she likely isn’t going to harm him for it. Not that he wouldn't be ready should she decide to regardless.]

Sorry. Didn’t want to make you stop on account of me or anything. That was good though. ’d’you ever take lessons back home?

[coercive]

[She's annoyed he's seen her dancing, but she doesn't want to attack him. That doesn't stop her from looking at him like he's crazy for asking what he does though.]

No lessons. I was born in a lab. Raised by scientists. There was no dancing until now.

[clussy]

(Laura was a riot to hang out with. It made it real easy to forget that he was supposed to be elsewhere. Derry had melted from his mind almost completely except for the still present murmurings of his mother. Beyond that though? He was a clean slate and it showed in how carefree he could get around Laura. It almost felt like he had grown up at the station instead of elsewhere. He stopped feeling awkward that she was a girl real quick and despite hearing his mom screeching about sleeping over with a girl, he didn't think it was an issue and did it anyway.

He was doing a lot of things he wanted to lately just because he wanted to and it was empowering.

Eddie gets wild on his bike with Laura. He swerves and goes fast enough to take certain, wide corners so sharp that he tips them over at an angle. If Laura wanted to, she could touch the ground with her palm.

They got real good at that- real good at riding together. He needed to teach her how to ride the bike for herself still.

The music hall is somewhere he hasn't been yet. The name itself never appealed much to Eddie but if it appealed to Laura then sure, he'd go. He sets his bike up in the corner and as he does this, Laura startles him with that question. He double-takes at her to see if she's serious and- yup. She is.)

Uh- no. Boys don't really dance unless they're getting married or at a dance or back from war or queer.

(....Really weird, he knows, but he doesn't make the rules.)

Plus. My mom says that dancing is really dangerous. You can fall and break your neck or rip out your knee. Your entire knee And remember, I can't heal, so...

[coercive]

[All Laura hears is that he's not going to dance, and that gets her to narrow her eyes as she looks over at him.]

I will not let you fall. Or break anything.

[She insists, crossing her arms over her chest. She's incredibly stubborn when she wants something, and although she's not great at arguing her case beyond yelling and growling she's really trying with Eddie.]

We can pretend there's a dance. No one but me will know.

[And to her, it doesn't matter that boys don't dance. But if he really doesn't want to, she's got another idea in mind. Something that will be just as fun, if not a whole lot louder.]

[clussy]

(Eddie considers this with a seriousness that wasn't very normal for a boy his age. As if he really was at risk of slipping on the floor and snapping his neck.

His mouth is pinched together and he stares down at his shoes. One of his shoelaces had come undone at some point and he squats down to lace it snugly back up. After a second thought, he pulls his other shoelace loose and reties it.

Thing is, he trusts Laura. They've been having a good time...And if Laura thinks it's okay for them to dance, then it must be okay for them to dance.)

Fine. (Saying no to his friends was never, ever Eddie's strong suit. Not because he crumbled under peer pressure, but because they reminded him of how badly he wanted to live.

That's what dancing with Laura felt like. He gets back to his feet and places his hands on his hips.)

Don't make fun of me if I look dumb. I've never danced before.

(Eddddie! You'll twist your ankle! Eddie! Dancing leads to lustful thoughts with dirty girls- Eddie!

He shuts his eyes and takes a deep breath. Shoves those thoughts to the furthest corner of his brain and opens his eyes back up. There was nothing dirty about Laura. His mom was wrong.)

Music Hall;

[quickfingers]

[Peter's getting used to the space bit by bit, still feeling restless at the notion of being confined to it but that's what leisurely strolls are for. He could map this place out like the back of his hand in five minutes or less but he's opting to take his sweet ass time to help curb boredom.

Which today takes him to the Music Hall to observe the surprise performance of one Little Laura dancing up a storm. It's kinda cute and he's not one to usually crash parties like this - he very well could've skipped on by and let her keep having fun - but instead he makes his way up to the stage and claps while doing so.]

Encore? [He asks, walking up to the edge of said stage and pushing up with his arms to climb up there and join her.] Better yet, you okay with dance partner and sharing the stage?

[coercive]

[She's instantly up on her feet, glowering over at Peter as he approaches. She likes him, and he's young enough that she associates him in her mind as just one of the kids. He's an adult, but a cool adult. And he gave her cake. That's enough to get her to stand there instead of running off.]

What is encore?

[She asks him, head tipped to the side as she stares up at him. She isn't punching him or trying to get away, so his answer about having a dance partner is a yes. He can stay and they can share the stage.]

[quickfingers]

Encore? It's uh, a fancy way of saying more. Like after a concert the singers might come back out and sing some more if the audience is convincing enough. They'd be like... [He cups his hands over his mouth, giving a decent "whisper-yell" to simulate an audience:] Lauura, Laaaaauraaaa!

[Peter then looks around the stage, really wishing there was a way to play his music. He does shrug off his jacket and toss it down, cracking his knuckles and then tipping his head back at her.] So. You and me, dance off. What d'you say?

garden

[notmarieanymore]

[They live in the same unit, but Rogue and Laura have scarecly spoken outside of their first meeting over the network. She was curious about Logan's daughter- she was a little off, but wasn't every mutant kid? Sorta?

Well, she got along well with Eddie, it seemed, and Logan clearly cared for her, and that was enough for Rogue. Besides, apparently their timelines didn't overlap much, so what was the use of jealousy? Her relationship with Logan was different, anyway. It was kinda, she imagined, like getting annoyed at your sister.

She'd never actually had any sort of sibling before, not to her knowledge.

It's a coincidence she sees Laura tending to her garden. Noticing the girl's alone, Rogue ventures over toward her, giving her a small wave.] Hey- Laura. [She smiles a little.]

[coercive]

[Laura waits until she's done with what she's pulling out of the ground to say anything. She does give a little grunt at least, acknowledging the older girl's presence. She wipes her dirty hand across her face to wipe off sweat, which causes a dirty streak right across her forehead. She seems oblivious to it as she glances up and over at Rogue.]

You like gardens too?

[It's an awkward invitation for Rogue to stay and help, if she wants to.]

[notmarieanymore]

[She takes the invitation, coming to sit down next to the younger girl.]

Yeah, I do. Back at the school, we've got this gorgeous hedge maze. The gardens are stunning- one of the students can control plants.

[She looks at the garden Laura's got going.]

I think I like this one better, though.

[Is this how you talk to kids?]

garden

[monomachy]

[This kind of life, with no war to fight and no regimented training to occupy her, has been... pleasant for Diana. She has, of course, created her own kind of schedule, more out of habit than the belief that she'll need to be ready for war at any moment. She wakes, she eats, she trains, she eats again, she allows herself some free time, she sleeps. Days pass, she falls into old habits, exploring the ship during her self-imposed free periods. She's managed to find new clothes, simple black pants and an equally simple black shirt. But no new shoes, so she still wears her soft leather boots, worn and comfortable and making her nearly silent as she walks.

Nearly.

The Greenery reminds her of Themyscira, so she tries to limit her time there. The freshness in the air, the green all around. It makes her homesick, even without an ocean on all sides. Space could be a sort of ocean, she supposes, but that's a thought for another day.

Right now, she's focused on the girl in front of her, the one she tried to help find her father. She'd said he was tall and hairy and had kind eyes. The description still makes Diana smile. She meets Laura's eyes, smile still in place, taking the fact that she turns away to work again as acceptance of her presence. The Amazon approaches, hands clasped behind her back, dark eyes falling on what she thinks are knives--but a moment of inspection shows that they aren't knives.

They're coming out of the child's hands.

Her breath catches in her throat and for a moment, she doesn't know what to do. How is this possible? Diana knows there are many creatures from many realms, but none of them had knives coming out of their knuckles. She takes a deep breath, collecting herself, and settles on the ground a couple feet away. This is just new information. It isn't any reason to treat the child differently than before.]

Is this your garden, Laura?

[coercive]

[Laura likes Diana's presence. Something about her is so calming that Laura wants to reach out and just grab her hand so she can feel closer to her. But that's ridiculous, and way too much contact for her to entrust to an adult that isn't her father or Charles. She thinks that she can trust this woman, but only time will tell. For now, she needs to deal with the immediate issue.

And that issue is that she can tell that Diana wants to say something about her claws, but she chooses not to. An interesting reaction, that's for sure. She's good at pretending they aren't there too, so she just casually keeps the conversation going. ]

It is Nill's. She is like a sister so I take care of it with her. Family helps one another.

[She's very proud of the group she calls family here, and is even more proud of finding her place among them. It's taken time, and will continue to take time for her to be considered fully adjusted. But by taking responsibility for a garden along with Nill, she feels like she has a purpose and a place.]

You can help too if you want.

[She hopes Diana will say yes.]

[monomachy]

[The way the girl doesn't mention the... well, claws either doesn't go unnoticed. Briefly, she wonders if Laura avoided doing so for her sake or because she's uncomfortable bringing them up. Either way, the Amazon lets the unsaid subject drop. Diana smiles, and shifts closer to the garden so she can watch what Laura is doing.]

I have many sisters. They are good to have, and are always there for you when you need them.

[Except when you run away. Then there isn't really much they can do for you.

Diana tilts her head, resting her elbows on her knees and leaning forward a bit. Her smile is almost apologetic]

I would like to, but I'm afraid I've never gardened. Could you teach me?

library;

[el_paso]

You know, [ he begins, a ways down from Laura and amassing a small collection for himself, ]

Some of the best books don't have pictures. You make the picture in your mind.

[coercive]

[She rolls her eyes when she's still facing the shelves, but by the time she's looking at him she's got the sassy look contained. ]

But that is hard to do.

[Imagination and pretend are still developing for her, which makes reading a challenge at times. Add in words she doesn't know combined with references to things she's never seen, it makes pictures valuable for her to learn.]

What is your favorite book with no pictures?

[She bet he won't be able to even name one.]

[el_paso]

Well yeah. It gets easier, the more you read.

[ Laura might have marshaled her expression, but Logan knows his kid well enough to sense when she's challenging him. Like right now. A number of books come to mind, some less savory than others, and settles on a more age-appropriate title. ]

Treasure Island. One of my favorites.

music hall;

[shadowblends]

[Kurt probably should have said something by now, but watching Laura flit about on the stage is far too endearing for him to disturb her still. It's been a solid five minutes and regardless of him possibly being seen, he continues to watch from the entrance. He'd never seen her this way, moving about so freely, without concern for judgement from others.

After admiring the girl's whimsical gambol for longer than necessary, the blue-skinned mutant steps forward once she's dropped onto the ground, even offering a round of applause with his fang-filled grin.]

You dance well, geißlein! [Of course, it's with the wistfulness of a child, yet that makes it all the more charming.] Is this your first time or have you performed before?

[coercive]

[He's just said a word she doesn't understand, but she can't ask him what it is because she can't pronounce it. Instead, she just awkwardly nods her head. Kurt is young, so she views him as an older kid. It's what keeps her from scowling and running away from him because she's embarrassed he saw her acting so childish.]

I don't know how to dance.

[She pauses, willing her red cheeks to go away. Being embarrassed feels frustrating.]

But I come here often. I like it here.

[shadowblends]

[She's flustered and he's thrilled, glad that Laura has been given the chance to flourish as a child, allow her imagination to grow like this. Nightcrawler lets his smile widen, tucks his arms behind his back and steps closer to the stage.]

It is a nice, quiet place one can escape to.

[An eyebrow lifts, though, his expression becoming more inquisitive now.]

Would you like to learn? Dancing, that is.

library

[notyetsore]

[Ginko is sitting on the floor, having tucked himself into a corner between two shelves, his knees pulled up to his chest and a small pile of books stacked up next to him. He looks up from the one he's reading, blinking a couple times, when he hears a voice.]

...'S probably because there were so many adults here before. They'd just fill it up with science books and stuff.

the notif for this never got to me, I'm so sorry for taking a while to respond!

[coercive]

[Laura slowly nods, trying to act like that makes sense. It really doesn't to her, since most adults she knows are too stupid to get science. But at the same time, adults really don't like fun books with pictures.]

Someone should write books with pictures. Because now there are not just adults.

[Laura's not a writer, and her spelling is awful. Her artwork is even worse. But maybe this guy could help out with that? She's looking at him expectantly, like she wants him to.]

no problem!

[notyetsore]

Probably... who, though? I dunno how good the people here are at writing.

[And he seems to be totally missing the look she's giving him.]