closed | see the mice in their million hordes

[raw]

WHO: kitty jones & elliot alderson.
WHERE: heropa.
WHEN: /waves hand vaguely to today
WHAT: ice-cream, snorkelling, revolution.
WARNINGS: if anything serious comes up it'll be in the subject line or i'll edit here.


Elliot isn't sure what the fuck he thinks he's doing.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, kid?" Mr Robot asks him, because he's made it very clear that he share's Darlene's opinion on Kitty Jones and doesn't approve of Elliot making plans to spend time with anyone. He gets jealous so easily. But as long as Elliot stays calm and tunes him out, there's really nothing he can do.

Besides, they have an agreement.

So he isn't worried about Mr Robot ruining his outing so much as he's worried he himself will ruin his —Date? Is it a date? He wants it to be a date, but he knows he didn't make that clear enough, and honestly he's always struggled to separate female friendship from feelings, so maybe all he really wants is to not be lonely. Date or not, he's wearing the Marty McFly clothes he bought the first time they met, even if most of the time he does just stick to his familiar black hoodie, and he shows up early, and he doesn't try and hack her to find out if she's on her way. Date or not, he's still visibly uncomfortable when he sees her, has to force himself to pull his hands out of his pockets, all awkward stiff shoulders and overlarge gaze.

"Hey," he murmurs. It's been great talking to Kitty online, she feels like the first person he's spoken to here who really gets the dilemma of what it means to want to take down the system here, in a way even Darlene doesn't. She let him skip all the boring small talk and consistently engages him with things that really matter. She's clever, and funny, and now that they're face to face again it feels like all his social skills have dried the fuck up.

Comments

waves hand vaguely towards a more recent date for this long

[rathercommon]

Elliot is...well, he's odd. There's no question of that. He's quiet and awkward in a way that isn't entirely usual - in a way she'd have found off-putting, she thinks, once upon a time. Nowadays she finds she actually likes it. She likes the way he seems to really think about what's being said. And she likes his unabashed political ferocity, too; she of course prides herself on her willingness to spend time with people who disagree with her but sometimes it's bloody nice to talk to someone completely on your political wavelength. It's worth enduring his looks of vague discomfort, even if they do sometimes make her worry that she's said something horribly offensive.

She'd thought for a little while about wearing her leather jacket, her cool-girl clothes - the clothes that are closest to this world's version of the sorts of things she wore back home. But it's awkward to wear that sort of thing to the beach, really, especially when you're going to be in the water, especially when the day is warm and humid, and so instead she goes wildly in the opposite direction: a strappy sundress over her bathing costume, a big hat, sunglasses and sandals.

"Hullo, Elliot," she greets - and well done Kitty, not accidentally calling him Ollie. "So, serious question - lunch first, or snorkeling first?" And then, because she's bursting with curiosity, hardly pausing - "Also, did you see that call-out post on the network? Slamming all the ambassador candidates? I can't decide whether that was bloody heroic or bloody obnoxious. Or both."

[raw]

Confession time: Elliot has no idea what sort of things you wear to the beach, hasn't been since he was a kid, unless you count walking along the Coney Island boardwalk which nobody would. In between booking the snorkeling and this exact moment he did actually buy some black swim shorts, but they're in his backpack along with all his other everyday carry stuff that he doesn't like to go anywhere without. Meanwhile Kitty is immediately the epitome of a Beach Babe, which is slightly intimidating but also kind of cool.

Thank god for her follow up question, too, since immediately having to make a choice was about to panic him, but instead she brings up Darlene's post and he smiles despite himself. Low lashes, a chuckle that he just can't help. Anyone else and he'd be a lot more restrained, but it's funny because he gets the idea that Kitty and Darlene don't like each other, even though they're on the same side. "I'd definitely call it heroic," he says, trying to return to keeping a straight face — though he's not actually kidding, this one was all Darlene as far as he knows, and for once it has both his approval and the other guy's. "People here need to really think about what democracy means for them."

Though one thing he does disagree with Darlene on: the effectiveness of the protest non-vote. But her protest, her post, was a whole lot bigger and better than that.

Being all proud big brother (lower case) has kind of effectively derailed him from thinking about the question, which means he's actually able to answer it pretty easily. "And we have some time before we have to be at the snorkel place, so let's eat." He kind of recalls that as a kid his dad said he had to wait before going in the water if he'd just eaten, but he also said not to run on slippery surfaces or dive bomb the shallow end. They're adults, they can take stupid risks if they want.

[rathercommon]

"Brilliant," Kitty responds, and gives a little flip of her hand to indicate the direction of the very-very-not-healthy restaurant she picked for lunch. She finds a little knot of nervousness ease at his laugh and his forthcoming response; she's got social graces enough that she can keep things moving and keep conversations going even when the other person is miserable and doesn't want to be there, but it's not bloody enjoyable, is it. But that grin of his hints that Elliot's going to be an active participant in this whole...She takes a moment of her own to wonder if this is a date or just a hang-out, but dismisses the thought soon afterwards as not wholly relevant. Who knows? Slapping a definition on a thing too early shapes it before it's ready to be shaped. Far more interesting when you stay open to the possibilities.

"And do you think this makes people think about democracy?" Kitty shakes her head. "I don't know. All that rubbish about your vote is empty, it's just supposed to keep you quiet or whatever - you know, I've known enough people who died for the right to vote that I can't help but be a little furious over that statement. I mean, go on and say that democracy doesn't work entirely as it ought to if you must - " That invitation is directed not at Elliot, but at the absent mystery hacker. "But try spending a bit of time in an autocracy first. See what that does for your faith in the democratic process."

[raw]

He nods as they walk, casting sidelong glances to catch her in the middle of these impassioned statements. This is probably the first time, or one of the very few times in his life, that he's felt the experience of someone in the flesh was far more enjoyable than their online conversation. Not that he didn't like texting back and forth with Kitty, but actually listening to her say this stuff is... it's better.

"People who choose not to vote think they're protesting. But protests are an action. What they're doing is not showing up." So yeah, he agrees with her that not voting is dumb. "I hate the idea of the ambasssadors and the little mini-election as much as the post," he adds, both out of loyalty to Darlene and because he doesn't want to misrepresent himself. "And I think people deserve to know exactly who they're voting for. But I'm still gonna vote."

[rathercommon]

Kitty frowns curiously, cocking her head at him. Maybe this is part of the problem, because she doesn't altogether understand - "Why do you hate the idea? Of the ambassadors, I mean." He's not alone, after all - and the anonymous hacker isn't the only person who agrees with him. There are plenty who are quite suspicious of the whole process. She wonders if she's missing something, but, well...Kitty tends to be paranoid. Very paranoid.

"We need a voice in the government. Having these ambassadors - that at least gives us a channel, if not a perfect one." Then, with a very irritated frown - "A very not perfect one, in certain cases."

[raw]

"Nobody who wants to be a politician should be allowed to be one," Elliot says, pretty grimly. But then he shrugs. "I dunno. I'm disenchanted by politics. Elections. A voice for what? I figure working within the system is a waste of time. Maybe that's — because of where I've come from." He's speaking fairly slowly, not to be patronizing, just thinking about his words as he says them. "I've spoken to people who think the government aren't assholes here, because they don't actually control the Porter, so they're just doing the best they can."

[rathercommon]

"I think most of the time, people are just doing the best they can," Kitty answers judiciously. She's not looking at Elliot - glancing off to the side, rather, thinking of another awkward kid who struggled with his own cynicism. Who struggled to do the right thing.

"The problem, I think, is that systems...get corrupted, don't they? They're like people - no one is born wicked; we only learn wickedness. There's nothing outright wrong with democracy. God knows there's not. But a democracy can be soured if the culture goes wrong. If people start in with habits of bribe-taking and corruption and teach the next generation of civil servants to do the same. If they're encouraged to take gifts, if they're not rewarded for accomplishment and honesty and goodness. If the media doesn't hold them accountable..." She tucks her hair behind her ear. "Maybe that's what's happened where you're from. Too many people teaching too many other people that it's all right to be wicked. I know for a bloody fact that's what happened where I'm from," she says bitterly. Then a breath. "I suppose the question is...Is that what happened here? Has the system been corrupted here?"

[raw]

No-one is born wicked. Elliot nods at that because he finds he does believe it. But wickedness is unavoidable, built into the system. It's not just political corruption. It goes deeper than that, through the core of institutions that make up the modern world, and even when you're aware, you're complicit...

"How could it not be," he asks, which is maybe pessimistic of him, but he waves a hand around at the world in a frustrated gesture. "Sure, okay, I come from America ruled by corporations, that's where the corruption is in my world. But capitalism still exists here. There's still fucking... Disney World, and TV, and ads everywhere, and bullshit celebrity news. There's still power in money. Still money in war and scapegoating. If anything international relations are even crazier. So how can I believe all the other shit isn't the same too?"

[rathercommon]

"Fair question," she admits with a hint of wryness. Then she shakes her hair from her face and launches into her response - "This country was a dictatorship, not ten years ago. A proper mind-controlling, free-speech-suppressing dictatorship. Worse even than what I'm used to, by the sounds of it. But now - it's different. Not by a huge amount: they still censor information on their president, and they still grind down free speech - "

They've come into the restaurant as she's been talking. Kitty hardly seems to notice; she's still talking animatedly, energetically, as the poor hostess tries to draw in breath to attract their attention so that she can figure out where to seat them.

"But it's steps forwards, not backwards. I don't know. That's not enough for a lot of people, I know; they want everything all at once." Kitty thinks, with rather less exasperation than she wishes, with Darlene. As much as that woman drives her bloody insane, her point of view is - relatable. "But I think that movement in the right direction, even if it's slower than we want - that's crucial, and enough to mean you oughtn't tear the system down all at once. It's enough to mean that the system is worth working with. Table for two, please." She finally speaks to the hostess, who by now looks faintly distressed at all this borderline seditious talk.