maskormenacelogs | things just happen so much don't they

[in a sigh:] Plenty of time for the lot of them to forget most everything they were trying to memorize, how lovely. No wonder expectations are so low!

Honestly, I don't understand this world's logic at all! [a slight pause.] Well, most of it. I guess. When it comes to the business of schooling, anyway. You know what I mean!

[ Fortunato technically hadn’t had a break from schooling in years before coming to this world and deciding to stop attending- well, more that he found himself not attending and felt too exhausted to return. When he responds he sounds a little wistful: ]

I think...it is so they can be home. To spend time with their family.

[ He folds his hands in his lap. ] It is just how things are.

[well, gee, putting it that way... Cecelia makes a bit of a face. don't they see their families regularly anyway? she wonders. it's not like anyone LIVES there...]

I wonder if this is how it is for humans in the valley I'm from. [a slight pause.] Probably not. There was a great deal more farming and logging to be had by comparison, and less to do with sitting about in a room for six hours out of the working day...

[ Fortunato just nods. She’d caught him off guard, and he’s still a bit dazed and quiet, thinking about other things.

He hasn’t been to school in over a month, now. It’s really the first time since he arrived in this world, in the summer, which barely felt like a break. Going back seems impossible. Isn’t that strange? When schooling in this world is nothing compared to his own. On the other hand, there’s no longer any point. ]

...Why did you want to go to school? [ He pauses, then clarifies. ] When- when people say they forget, when they leave this place.

It's not about wanting, it's about what's right. I mean, why would I be enrolled on the spot if it wasn't expected of me to attend?

[beat.

grimace. she recalls how Riku shrugged off the notion of attending, and Kairi never mentioned school a bit. nor Roxas, nor Catra...

...wait.]

...Gods, am I the only one who actually does that?

No. But-

[ She may be the only remaining person in his life he's sure does. He hasn't asked Fuu or Sabrina, but...Lucina doesn't, Reggie doesn't, Catra certainly must not...

Angus does? But Angus is Angus. ]

Not many of them do. [ Then, in an attempt to make her feel better: ] I did, before.

Before.

[eyebrow quirk.]

And...what made you stop? Futility? Time? Difficulty? The general public?

[it won't be so bad for HER to quit if she hears someone ELSE has a legit reason, after all!]

Futility. Like you said.

[ He’d gone before to stay off the radar; he quickly realized that enough imPorts don’t attend school that it wouldn’t matter. And now- well, no point in getting an education. ]

It- it is good, for people who stay. But- [ A grim thought, for him, among many grim thoughts ] Many do not.

[in a sigh:] Such is the way, isn't it? I mean, in general, for sure, since no one really knows what can happen. But doubly so here. Obviously. You know that. Never mind.

[ Fortunato pauses. He doesn't always know how to talk to Cecelia; her worries seem to different from his own. She's commented on her classmates and others, but... ]

Do you enjoy it? Going to school.

Gods no. [her nose crinkles with disgust.] The amount of learning that goes on there pales in comparison to the amount of tomfoolery afoot. I swear, navigating from one room to another could be likened to a dungeon's gauntlet of booby traps on any given day! [let alone Wednesdays. for some reason, pink is a big deal on Wednesdays? hell if she knows.]

No...No, the more I endure it, the more I question its value. The tiny spoonfuls of historical and sociological information I'm given is hardly satisfactory. [flat:] To say nothing of enduring arithmetic.

[wow, one could easily not notice that Cecelia is typically uncomfortable around this guy? and yet, when put in her natural element of bitching about stuff that bothers her, she loosens up, and he's no longer a looming threat of potential embarrassments. she doesn't notice it herself, but maybe he does.

some classmates who've come in to study do, at least. from a distance. with phones. and hushed talk.]

[ Thankfully, Fortunato hasn't picked up that those are classmates of Cecelia's yet; he just thinks some other teenagers are being nosy. Hopefully not for media-influenced reasons. Cecelia is certainly opinionated, he thinks; there's not much she's saying that he would have ever thought to complain about. ]

You do not have to go. [ He points out, a bit dry. ]

Yeah, that's the impression I'm getting. [you want dry? she can do dry.] Fun that no one bothered to mention that to me at the start, otherwise I'd have not attended in the first place, you know! And probably be better for it.

[gods. so irritating. she can hear the hushed, annoying chatter now, plain as day. as if it's right...

oh.

it is right over there.

Cecelia does a bit of a double-take, her expression shifting to alarm as she quickly looks away.]

Gods. It's following me here. It really is inescapable...!

[ Oh boy. She really does...react to everything, doesn't she.

Fortunato pushes himself up from where he's sitting and grabs his cane, figuring the best course of action to prevent her from accosting a set of native teens is to bail. ]

We can go.

[ Or one of them can, but this seems kinder. ]

[muttered:] Or they can go. But they won't. Ugh.

[she clicks her tongue with distaste, getting up off the window sill.]

Yes. Let's. Sorry in advance for whatever slander's getting printed about this by next week...

[ Fortunato gets up; he's feeling better than he did, technically, but he's begun leaning on his cane out of habit, even if that's not what it's used for. He glances at the teenagers, but clearly he doesn't care as much as Cecelia does.

He wants to stay under the radar, but...he doubts this is as important as Cecelia thinks. ]

...It will not matter. [ Compared to so many other things? He can take one false rumor. ]

No? The busybodies don't bother you? How fortunate.

[she grimaces, keeping her mouth shut as they pass by the tables on the way out. after that, her voice stays low:] Didn't I ask about that before? I think I did. I forget.

[ Fortunato notices her lower her voice and does so himself, though it's not as if he's not usually quiet himself. ] You may have.

If- if you do not interfere with what happens here...not many people notice. It is different if you do.

[ He's thinking of more famous friends. Few people recognize Fortunato himself, unless they're particularly fanatic. ]

Oh, please. [she scoffs, pushing the door open. the sun is bright today, forcing her to squint.] There are volumes of those silly gossip magazines full of imPorts doing virtually nothing and yet that! That seems to be the talk of the town!

[ Fortunato has even more trouble with the light; his eyes can be sensitive to it. He looks away a bit, trying to find a response she’d like, but he can’t help but think this sort of thing is never at the forefront of his mind. ]

We...are not like them. And we cannot hide it, always.

[ He’s so used to hiding it. It’s strange to be known, even somewhat. ]

Nor should we be expected to, but here we are. [she plants her hands on her hips, scowling about toward the street.]

So much for a peaceful afternoon of browsing. [she tilts her head and gives Fortuanto a side-eye.] Unless you know of some hidden, hole-in-the-wall book shop in this town?

Um.

[ There's actually a Christian bookstore close by that he once had to visit for a group from church, who'd asked him to use the Porter and buy something. But an elf clearly will not want to go there, right? ]

...Not- no. Not really. [ But- ] We can find one. [ He takes out his communicator. ]

Edited 2019-04-20 16:26 (UTC)

I guess. [sigh.

beat.

wait...

she suddenly looks troubled.]

Wait. Wait, did I just--drag you out of...whatever it was you were doing? Like, just because I said so? You didn't just...follow along because I said so, right?

[it's not like he's the one that suggested leaving or anything!!!]

[ And Fortunato remembers he made that suggestion. Maybe this girl isn’t just more accustomed to the concerns of an average teenager- she’s also very worrying.

Not that that’s much of a problem to him. Just puzzling. ]

I...thought you wanted to avoid them.

I did! I, I do! But... [an exasperated sound, complete with exasperated hand gesture. why doesn't he get it! why doesn't he just say wow you're really annoying and also a huge waste of time?!] But, but not at the expense of, of dooming YOUR day! Like! What does that make me? You know?

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject