maskormenacelogs | things just happen so much don't they

[that tsundere thing anime girls do when they whip their head to face another direction, nose in the air:] I'm trying to leave! I'm not in the business of dragging other people around this way or that if I can avoid it.

[she starts toward the door.]

It was just friendly advice, since you seemed so put-upon.

Well I appreciate you leaving at the same time as me all the same.

[Roland follows behind her.]

I didn't see you at the assembly.

I wasn't there. [she only needs to lag a pace or two to be step-for-step beside him, though her eyes are fixed forward.] I was assisting the school librarian in sorting through a storm of disarray that had come in the wake of springtime examinations; nobody in this building has a mind to put away things properly, apparently.

But I take it you were? Is that why you're here at all? [she elbows the door open, squinting into the sun.] I can't say I've seen you about before.

[He chuckles, holding the door open for the person behind him.]

Yes. I was the guest speaker today. "Choosing a major and the pressure of 'what do you want to be when you grow up?'"

I'd say it went better than I expected. The students seemed to listen for a change, for one thing.

[right..."grow up."

...wait.]

...Don't humans reach maturation in their teenaged years? I thought that was a thing. Wouldn't it be phrased "what do you want to do now that you're grown up?"

Sort of. Humans are legally considered adults at 18, but typically don't hold "grown up" jobs until after college.

[a drawn out, skeptical-but-thoughtful sound.]

How strange to keep the dignity of work from children. No wonder everyone here seems so flippant and ridiculous.

We--Americans especially--believe that kids should be kids. Adulthood is hard enough--let them be innocent for as long as they can.

[Within reason.]

Unfortunately, sometimes that leads to kids being unprepared to enter adulthood, or kids being extremely entitled. That's just bad parenting.

Or a bad model of what a child out to be, perhaps? [she quirks her eyebrow at him, but ultimately shrugs, combing hair out of her eyes as the breeze sees fit to rustle.] I wouldn't know. Elves see it differently.

Oh? And how do Elves treat their children?

[Roland the nerd is very interested in this bit of knowledge, but masks it well, looking only politely interested.]

[she peers at him briefly, herself not convinced that his interest is in good faith. but he seems honest enough -- he's not given her reason to doubt yet, so beyond the natural suspicion she bears for everyone, he may be fine.]

Even the young are expected to study and become bearers of knowledge and tradition. Lots of study and tutoring and training in the finer arts that the elves treasure. Of course, there'll always be time for youthful play, but not so...not like this. There's no big building where elf children are dumped for six hours and led around like cattle.

Are you expected by your parents to become a certain profession at a young age?

Ssssome are. I mean, there's still class issues. [...] Social class, not...not like, study-school class. Upper echelons would see it less like...profession and more...heir? Not everyone has to toil and labor, after all; a lot of the stuff that required that was built and made to last centuries ago.

Like...you won't see an elf crossing guard anytime soon. [she juts her chin in the direction of said crossing-guard.]

That's a little rude to the crossing guard, don't you think? Most of them are retired, or stay at home parents, or work flexible hours and work out of a desire to help keep kids safe.

[But back to your point about class.]

So you either work or you're a Kardashian, is that it?

[hmph! a bit of a whatever lift of her chin before she tilts her head and side-eyes him.]

...What's a Kardashian. [is that a slur. it sounds familiar. it might be a slur.]

They're a family of famous people that are famous for being famous.

Ohhh those are the--yeah, yup. [they're in the magazines, too!] Yeah, no, that's not terribly far off!

But...elves aren't so open with broadcasting others' drama. It's a more passive-aggressive game.

Do they just call each other crossing guards behind their backs?

[ha!] More or less! Or get someone else to do it for them that can't be traced back to them. The cleaner your hands, the better the outcome. Gods, some don't even know when they're consciously doing things like that, it's so common.

[and neither does she; she certainly doesn't exist in a bubble, and that petty behavior can precede her...especially in such a welcoming environment for it. like high school.]

And are they the type of people that would rather die than give a straight compliment to someone else?

[Because if so that would explain so much.]

Well, let's not go that far. I mean, if it's honest praise, it may be parsed out carefully as to avoid creating assumptions? But it's not like elves lie every second of their life.

...Just a lot of them. To the outside. It's an image thing, you know.

[Roland mutters:]

I'm beginning to...

[Looking over at her, he's all business.]

I'm sure this has been a big adjustment.

[she's still looking ahead, letting out a beleaguered sigh.]

I don't even have it that bad and I know it. I'm not stupid! But it doesn't mean I'm magically okay with everything, either. And why should I be? There's lots of stupid stuff here by comparison!

[now she looks over, seeking validation.]

I don't think that it's a competition. It's a drastic change all the same. I worked for a king and I still had difficulty understanding the last world I was in sometimes.

[He's only giving a little bit of validation. For now.]

You worked with a king, though. [she side-eyes him.] That's not exactly easing in to things, is it? Kings have expectations. Standards. Rules that must be adhered to to the letter.

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