tushanshu_logs | [open : backdated to sept 29 & 30]

Trust me, if my professors would accept it as an alternative way to get course credit, I'd happily jump into a pit full of them.

[Not entirely a joke, but she'll grin like it is one] I'm one of those terrible "undeclared" people who make small talk really difficult, but it'll probably end up being social work.

[She tilts her head at the door, in a silent ready to go?]

[ Kate laughs and makes her way to the door, opening it and gesturing for Steph in an after you ] Social work's a good thing to get into, if a little underrated by most.

It'd be one of my choices -- no joke -- even if my dad would roll his eyes and say something about me being such a bleeding heart for people. [ she pauses thoughtfully, and then shrugs ] This is, of course, provided that I get back home after all of this.

[in the spirit of ridiculousness, Steph does a little curtsey as she passes Kate; once they're outside, the motorbike Steph rented for the trip will be visible]

Underrated is one way to put it. [Her tone is light, but it's clear this is something she cares about a lot. She gives Kate a reassuring smile at that last comment] We'll get home. And you should do it - social work, I mean - we need more bleeding hearts.

[ soft snort ] That's pretty much what I reply to my dad each time he gives me that "daughter-mine, why are you spending so much of your free time in soup kitchens".

The world needs people who care. Who else is going to if we aren't? [ which is why she does superheroing too, but Steph doesn't need to hear that just yet ]

Nice ride, by the by.

[She's struck, suddenly, by the realization that Kate is probably coming at this from a different side than Steph, especially considering what she says about her father and that attitude, which always sounds to her like "why waste time on poor people?" It has her bristling a little. She swallows it down]

No one, in my experience. [Well, she tries, anyway. And she doesn't let it linger, giving Kate a grin instead.] It's not quite mine yet, but thanks. Can you ride?

Edited 2012-10-10 06:49 (UTC)

[ Kate doesn't miss that, Steph.

Kate watches the girl, trying to get a sense of what it was that caused the blonde to cover it up with a smile, but since she's unsure as to how to broach the subject, she offers a smile of her own: ]

A bit? I'll hang on tight to you, just in case. I don't want to splatter ungracefully on the floor in front of the locals. [ she gives the vehicle an appreciative look and then just takes the dive without looking back to Steph ]

Hey, Steph? [ there's a little something nagging at the back of Kate's head, a little voice asking her why does it matter so much what the other girl thinks, she's just a new friend ] If I say things that make you feel uncomfortable, call me on them, okay? I'm a big girl and I can take whatever people dish out. [ She looks over again and then it occurs to her she wonders why it hadn't smacked her in the face.

Steph reminds her of Cassie.

It's more than the surface details: blonde hair, that cheerful disposition. It's the witty comebacks, even if they're not exactly in sync. Or maybe it's just that Kate hasn't admitted that talking to people who might otherwise be dead has raised flags of warning because, let's face it -- it has crossed her mind. She just hasn't voiced 'Do you think the Turtle might bring Cassie here?' out loud because its not exactly a thing you say. ]

Just make sure to lean into turns. [The instinct to lean out of turns is usually what gets people unfamiliar with bikes, so Steph just wants to make sure.

She hops on the bike, but pauses at Kate's question, her grip tightening momentarily on the handle.

Smooth, Brown.

She mentally kicks herself for not being better at keeping a hold on her emotions; it's not like it's Kate's fault, or even her dad's fault, despite the apparently shitty attitude he has. She's just always had an instant, visceral defensive reaction to anything that even comes across like classism. For all she knows, she could just be misinterpreting wrong. At the very least she owes an explanation.]

It's not you. I just-- [she breathes in, counts to five, breathes out] Your dad might think it's a waste of time, but I probably wouldn't have made it to high school without soup kitchens.

[because dumpster diving wasn't always a successful venture, and while school lunches kept her fed, during the summers when her dad was in prison and her mom was spending their tiny income on pills, having access to a free meal was a lifesaver.

A lot of them had been Martha Wayne centres. It had been weird finding out they were essentially funded by Batman.]

[ Kate blinks, it takes a moment for Steph's words to sink in, but when they do she walks over and hesitantly sets a hand on the one the other girl has on the bike handle. ]

My dad is my dad but I'll be the first to say that he's a pretty big jerk who needs some perspective kicked into life. [ She offers a weak smile. ]

He and my sister... I love them, but I'm not comfortable with the fact that they seem to take our wealth for granted like it's a fact of life. It's a really terrible attitude to take when we're in the perfect position to give back.

[ She drops her hand away and looks off to one side. ] I mean it's great that I've got opportunities back home that other kids don't, but what use is money if you're going to hoard it for yourself. My sister had this wedding gown, ridic expensive. Don't get me wrong, I was happy that she got her big day at St. Patrick's Cathedral with all the glitz and glamour worthy of an Upper East Side princess, but I could never picture that for me.

You remind me of my best friend, you know? [ Her voice is soft. ] It's a bit of miscellaneous information you can disregard, but I had to say it out loud. Cassie would have liked you.

[For a few long seconds she doesn't react at all to Kate's touch, but eventually her grip loosens on the handle as she listens to what Kate has to say, waiting until she's done.

The past tense doesn't escape her, and when she looks up at Kate her smile is understanding, and a little sad]

Thank you.

[She isn't sure what else to say, and maybe that's enough. She's so used to people throwing her anger back in her face, or just not understanding on such a momentous level that it's almost embarrassing. Tim complained to her about being middle class, and it'd felt like a punch in the face, that he even had the gall to do that.

It's nice to have someone actually seem to give a shit.

Another second passes, and her smile grows a little wry] My best friend's named Cass, maybe it's fate.

[What kind of fate, she has no idea, but it's something to say that isn't focusing on the tight feeling in her chest.]

[ Her eyes feel a bit misty so Kate tilts her face up and blinks until the moisture's gone away.

When she turns back to Steph, she laughs and shrugs. ] Ah, fate, that 'strange, unpopular restaurant filled with odd little waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like.' [ She can't remember where exactly she'd read the quote, just that it was a Lemony Snicket one. ]

So, [ she lifts a brow at the bike ] Let's go?

[The quote gets a more genuine smile] Well, I like you so far. I'll make sure to leave a good tip.

[Steph pats the spot behind her on the bike] Hop on, I promise I'll be gentle. [she won't, but sometimes it's nice to pretend]

[ Kate climbs on, and hesitates a little on where to put her hands. ]

That's what they all say. [ smirk ] How fast can this thing go?

I'm not like most people. [Whatever that means.

And the hesitation doesn't escape her, and she just reaches back to grab one of Kate's wrists, moving her arm around to wrap around Steph's waist. There.]

Not as fast as I'd like, but it can hit a decent speed.

[With that, Steph kicks up the stand, starts the bike and takes off.

True to her word, she is - relatively gentle, not going too fast or taking turns too sharply, but it's still clear she's a skilled driver, and they make it to the Earth Sector in reasonable time.

She pulls up in front of a row of clothing stores, turns the bike off and braces it with her foot on the ground]

This look good?

[ It's the second time today that Kate's had the opportunity to watch the city speed by. The place is beautiful, intricate even, and she makes a note to walk through it once she's better settled.

When Steph slows the bike, Kate spies the stretch of clothing stores. The displays show similar-styles, all Oriental-ish in make, which is to be expected given the architecture of and overall thematic feel of the city. ]

Definitely good.

[ She slides off the seat, feet finding solid ground as she turns her head in Steph's direction. ] You shop here often?

I work over there. [Steph points a little further down the street, where there's a little fabric store-slash-seamstress. After stretching her arms out over her head until her back cracks, she climbs off the bike to stand next to Kate]

But yeah, I tend to buy the basics from the shops here, just stuff I don't have time to make.

[Between three jobs, Batgirling, and a boyfriend, Steph doesn't have much spare time.]

[ She follows the direction Steph points out to her and nods. ] Now you have me curious at the stuff you make outside of the stuff you've loaned me.

[ Kate takes a step towards one shop just then, her gaze sweeping over the stuff on display. When she turns back to her companion, her smile is sheepish: ] How'd you land the job? [ a pause ] Straightforward question, sorry. We can talk about it later, but I wasn't sure how else to broach the subject.

[ She's been running a list of all the things she could offer as skills. Things outside of being a teen superhero with a proficiency in archery and hand to hand combat. She's an okay cook and more than simply competent in organizing events and files and keeping things in order, and while she's hopeful that there are places that could offer someone work based on these skills, she doesn't know where exactly to look. ]

[Steph shrugs, an easy gesture] It's mostly just items like that, I don't really need anything fancier. [She could make herself nicer clothes, but there's not much point when trousers and shirts cover most of her needs, and it seems excessive to spend time making items she might not even need.

At the question and then following apology, she just smiles.] It's fine. I actually just got talking with a seamstress while I was shopping for fabric, and she offered me a job when I mentioned I was new and looking for one. [and then Steph pauses, her smile a little more gentle] Not all the kedan hate us, some are really understanding about how hard it must be for us.

Do you know what sort of job you're gonna try for? [she figures that's why Kate asked.]

[ Kate nods. ] That's reassuring. Thanks, Steph. I must sound like such a ninny to you.

I'm not entirely sure, to be honest. [ She falls into step with the girl, eyes scanning for the usuals: pants, tops, shoes. ] I'd never had to worry about jobs back home, which is really irresponsible when you really think on it.

I know a lot of stuff, but you could say I'm not entirely sure what direction I'd like to go? [ Superheroing shouldn't count. It's not something a practical person would put down on their resume. ]

Edited (ffff changed a word) 2012-10-21 14:29 (UTC)

Not at all, we're all in the same position when we first get here.

[She gives a little smile at that "really irresponsible", more bemused than anything, since she thinks it's a pretty typical teenage experience to not worry about things like jobs until they hit college age.

Steph got one as soon as she could, paid under the table because she technically wasn't old enough, but that's neither here nor there.]

You don't really need to look for like - a career or anything. The other job I've got is just waiting tables; it's easy enough and since most of the work pays the same, I'm happy with it.

If you want to get a little more specialized, you could always offer to tutor people in something? I'm teaching a friend gymnastics - for free - but it's the sort of thing I could potentially charge for, if I wanted to, you know?

[open : backdated to sept 29 & 30]

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