Nerds of a feather

Lotharingia · Feb 28, 2019

"Yes," She returned the smile, adjusting the strap on her backpack and heading over to join him. "Let's go."

____

True to her word, the cafe Wednesday had in mind was only a short walk into the city. The building interior itself was trendy and modern, the food on display looking both good quality and affordable. Unfortunately, it appeared the place was popular enough for a small line queue of customers to have accumulated in front of the counter, meaning the pair of them were in for a short wait.

Wednesday quickly realised that she had no idea what to talk about. Her family's innate reclusiveness combined with her own lack of experience talking to others her age left her feeling distinctly anxious. She rubbed her arm, glancing around awkwardly as she tried to decide on what to say.

"So! Um..." She began. "How long have you been living on the island? I know you said you've been gone for a while but um, you've probably been here longer than I have, right?"

She made a mental note to come up with topics of conversation before leaving to spend time with someone in the future. At the very least the island and the school were common points to talk about.

Batty · Mar 9, 2019

Once at the cafe, Oli saw that the line was rather lengthy. He supposed everyone must have had a similar idea, since many people’s classes let out and it was time for lunch. But that was okay. It gave him the opportunity to talk to his new acquaintance.

”Oh! Huh...” He was taken out of momentarily spacing out to really think about the question. It had been awhile, hadn’t it?

”Well, come to think of it, I came here in fifth grade. I was pretty young when I got my abilities, so I was sent here in elementary school.” He looked at her, cracking a soft smile across his freckled cheeks. ”But like I said, I left for awhile so I’m not sure if that counts.”

He folded his arms across his chest. ”What about you?

Lotharingia · Mar 10, 2019

“I’m sure it counts, after all, I’ve only been here for a little over a month.” She said, returning a small smile of her own. “My um…my family are an old clan of witches. They sent me here so I could further my magic studies.”

It was, of course, a lot more complicated than that. But Wednesday figured that telling him about the whole dangerous deadly curse situation would lead to a poor first impression. She’d been doing her best to keep that under wraps, she didn’t want to freak anyone out.

“Before that I um, I never really got to leave home very often. My family were pretty traditional, pretty secretive. Plus, well, you know…”

She gestured towards her green skin. It wasn’t that outlandish on the island, but it meant she would have stood out beyond the veil.

“So yeah, that’s why I’m here.” She finished her explanation, before tilting her head to the side, looking over at Oli. “You’re here because of your abilities then? What kind do you have?”

Batty · Mar 17, 2019

It seemed that him and his new acquaintance weren’t so different. She was still very new though, and Oli could distinctly remember being in her shoes so long ago. It was a lot to take in being here, but it seemed she was doing alright.

”Witches, that’s interesting! I haven’t met many witches since coming here.” Oli didn’t understand magic all that well, being a very scientifically oriented kid. Still, he appreciated the craft, and people who practiced it.

But even then, he could understand her backstory, even with general details. ”Oh… I’ve been there. My mom was a bit of a helicopter parent. I wasn’t allowed to do much, she always thought I was pretty fragile.” He looked at her, shrugging a bit. ”I mean… she wasn’t entirely wrong, but still.”

When she gestured to herself, he smiled kindly. ”Well, I’m glad you came here. Unfortunately the world outside here isn’t so kind to unique people but… it’s so much better here.”

Sure, everywhere had its problems, but at least people who looked different could fit in better here.

Speaking of which, she asked what his ability was. He blushed a bit, trying to figure out how to explain it. He went for a blunt route. ”Oh, uh, I can turn into dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures. Tyrannosaurus Rex, Velociraptor, pteranodon… a few others, but I usually default with the T Rex.” He explained, running his hand through his hair. ”Shapeshifting isn’t as cool as magic, though.”

Lotharingia · Mar 24, 2019

Wednesday did her best to contain her surprise after Oli explained his ability, but failed to keep her eyes from lighting up.

"...I um, I think most people would disagree if you told them turning into a dinosaur wasn't cool."

Wednesday certainly thought it was cool. Maybe not as much as she would have when she was younger, but some of that childish fascination with dinosaurs still remained with her today. She did her best not to let it show too much, however. Her pride kept her from gushing over things like that.

"Anyway, I'm...still not really sure if it was the best idea for me to come here, but I'm doing my best to make the most of it." She continued, absently fidgiting with her fingers. "I think there's a lot I can learn from the academy, plus there's plenty to see around the island."

Not that she had really been exploring much. There was plenty to enjoy on the island, she was sure, but she didn't want to treat this like a holiday. She had a curse to break, for her and her family. Even taking this short time off made her feel a tiny bit guilty.

Putting that thought aside for the moment, she returned her attention to their surroundings. The line to the counter had begun to thin out by now, and the two of them were next. Wednesday went an order a sandwich for herself.

Batty · Mar 28, 2019

He blushed slightly. He wasn’t used to having his power complimented, at least by his own peers. Shapeshifters seemed to be a dime a dozen, and dragons were infinitely more impressive than dinosaurs. Still, it was nice that she seemed to appreciate it. ”Oh, well thank you. Maybe you can see some time. I just… tend to take up a lot of space. Which doesn’t help if you’re super clumsy like me.” He laughed.

Though, the conversation seemed to turn a bit more somber when she expressed how she had some doubts coming here. He understood that feeling too well. He nodded. ”I understand that. It can be a bit… much. A good opportunity to grow and develop your powers and persona sure, but it’s easy to feel out of place. Or just straight up have imposter syndrome.” Given his past, it was easy to feel as though he didn’t belong here. That he didn’t deserve a second chance. But still, he kept pushing forward. There was no changing the past, but he could be a better person in the future.

Just as he was going to bring up another point, it was time to order. He ordered a salad with chicken, with extra in order to satisfy his carnivore DNA urges. Once he paid, he gestured his head towards a recently vacated table. ”Does that look like a good spot?” He asked, smiling.

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Nerds of a feather

Lotharingia

Promise nothing and deliver less

Batty

The artist formerly known as porky

Lotharingia

Promise nothing and deliver less

Batty

The artist formerly known as porky

Lotharingia

Promise nothing and deliver less

Batty

The artist formerly known as porky