ic Conrad and Cooper Incorporated.

[TheAbsurdist]

May 17th 2PMish.

Girl's dorm, lounge area.

 

 

The staff had told Hannah who her roommate would be for next year.  The daughter of the hero Asad.  Well, they didn't tell Hannah who she was related to, but the gossip mill had started, and Corinne's parentage, and everything else was preceding her.  To her chagrin.

Given her large gap of experience regarding all of this compared to some others giving her a roomie was the best bet.  And Hannah, being the kind of person she was, felt like the best choice.  Corinne just... nodded along to it.  She was waiting in out of the lounges in the girl's dormitory.  She was people watching, and slouched in the chair which sort of hid her height, as she had on a faded band t-shirt for Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, with her denim jacket, short denim cutoffs, over a pair of plain black tights, and her short teal sneakers.

 

She wasn't thrilled at this, but... really... she wasn't mad.  She was numb.  In shock, and she hoped she didn't make Hannah mad because she was out of sorts.

[Thunder King]

Hannah saw Corrine before Corrine saw Hannah. SHe was given a basic description of Corrine, but was quite surprised when she saw her. Corrine was so tall, and pretty. Hannah looked down at her hand-me-down shirt and jeans, ill-fitting if still in good repair, and sighed. Ah well, she shrugged. Best to hope Corrine wasn't like that. If she was, well, Hannah was good at keeping out of the way and keeping her head down. 

 

Plus, Corrine was the daughter someone famous. Hannah, of course, did a bit of research. Amir al-Misri was famous, and rich, and a superhero, and a philanthropist, and good looking. She realized all at once that there was a good chance Mr. al-Misri didn't even know he had a daughter until recently. So, she decided not to press that issue. Don't ask about her dad, don't bring him up, don't talk about him. She figured lots of people would do that. Going to a new school surrounded by strangers was bad enough without someone asking probing questions.

 

She took a deep breath and summoned her resolve. Daughter of some famous rich guy or not, Corrine was human, maybe they could be friends?

 

_"Hi." She said in a near squeak. "Um, hi, my name is Hannah. I'm your new roommate. Wanna come see the room?"

[TheAbsurdist]

She lifted her head, when Hannah approached, and then she had delayed smile when the girl spoke up.  It was like the rest of her, big, pretty.  Though it was a little crooked, slowly she pushed herself up, "Hi!  I guess you know I am Corinne Conrad, huh?"  And there was a chuckle, her voice soft, smooth, like she had practice speaking to people.

 

She was a bit more settled than she had been, or was at least putting on a show.  No one expected someone like her to be timid, after all.

 

"I would like to see it.  So let me cover it bullet point style...  Almost six-three, the weather up here is delightful, and no I cannot see for miles.  I've only just met my father, I was raised in SoCal, by my mom, and later her husband.  I found out about my powers earlier this year, a bit... suddenly.  I like to paint and draw, and I am a dancer."  And while Hannah may not know it, this was when Corinne showed she had a bit of her father in her, as she kept that smile, big, winning, and for her at least still very crooked.

[Thunder King]

Hannah didn't point out that she hadn't planned to mention any of that stuff, but now that it was out, well, okay. That worked for her. "Oh, okay." She said, smiling. "I've had my powers for a bit over a year. Still not used to them, but, I'm getting better." She said, starting to walk towards their room. "I was born in a suburb of Chicago, and I'm one of six kids." She imagined that she and Corrine had very different upbringings. She had a rather soft, calm voice, self-effacing at times. Almost as if she had to push herself to talk. 

 

She figured she and Corrine would probably go in different directions. Someone like Corrine was bound to attract attention, good or bad. Hannah not so much.

[TheAbsurdist]

"Oh, cool, I've been there.  Didn't really get to do much apart from 'family stuff.'"  She wrinkled her nose a little bit at the mention of siblings, "I have one brother, he is at that 'little jerk' age, yelling stuff at games, and being obnoxious."

 

Corinne got that sense off of Hannah, of course the girl wasn't trying to hide it.  "I am/was going to school at Los Angeles County High School for the Arts before... um this.  And... well, crap I am out.  Do you have any allergies, or food preferences?  Or, like, anything like that?"  She said unable to help herself from doing a little dance as she was moving, because she didn't just do the dancing because she was pushed to, she liked the movement.  The whole being able to walk on air definitely made these things a bit cooler.  And saved her from a stupid accident the other day.

[Thunder King]

"No, not really." She shrugged. "I'm pretty go with the flow. When you're fourth born you don't get a lot of control over flow." She remembered her own youngest sibling, little Sammy. He was quite the handful. "I know what you mean about the little jerk. My youngest brother gets away with everything, and it's irritating."

 

She could empathize with the family stuff reaction. Hannah was always getting dragged this way and that. It's one of the things she liked about being at Claremont. She had options, she had choices. She wasn't getting guilt tripped every five minutes into watching someone small and annoying while all her older siblings got to go do stuff.

[TheAbsurdist]

"There are some constants."  She laughed a little bit, as she shrugged expressively and kept sauntering on.  "I am glad you aren't some radical gluten intolerant vegan, or something.  Like I said, I am from LA."  Corinne grinned then, at her, conspiratorially.  She was trying, though she knew they were different.  "But.. so I am a little bit a slob, but if you tell me to clean I will... Just dancing stuff, and paints, and notepads." She reverted to skipping along with Hannah as she smiled a bit, "Though... I've never done the private school dorm thing...  What's it like?"

 

And Corinne pivoted the conversation, letting Hannah be able to speak from a place of experience and power.

[Thunder King]

"Well..." Hannah started, pausing to think. "I'm used to sharing space with people, so it's not that different. On the other hand, I'm sharing space with people I don't know so well. Some people seem to connect with other people really well and make lifelong friends. I suppose actually living with people gives you a deeper understanding. It's different. Weird, and I'm not sure I like it. Though I suppose our different lifestyles mean there are things you'll take differently than I did."

[TheAbsurdist]

Corinne laughed a little bit, shaking her head, and biting her lower lip as she ducked her face down.  Then she realized how it came across, "Ah... well... I mean... I have people I know.  Don't have a lot of friends, I guess i am outgoing.  I never stopped to think.  Just... I dunno how much of a social life I'll have.  Learn not to be a menace with my powers, do school, and dance classes.  I'll probably end up an adderall addict or something."  She mused out loud, and looked to Hannah, shrugging a little bit.

 

"I mean... seems nicer than the high school I went to... I mean, yeah, helped me with dance more, but everyone is sort of competing for the sames spots everywhere, I wouldn't mind join up with one of the Metropolitan ballets on the east coast."

[Thunder King]

"Oh, you're a dancer?" She smiled, perhaps genuinely for the first time. "That is so cool. I'm not really all that good at that sort of thing. I'm not a total klutz but I'm not exactly smooth." She understood the whole 'menace with powers' thing. "I'm a wallflower." She admitted. "I don't really have any friends, or a social life. I have great grades, and, um, I've learned a lot. I just don't do much." 

 

She didn't sound upset, or wistful, she stated it very matter of fact. As if she preferred a certain degree of solitude and anonymity. She did, of course, but she'd also never had any close friends, either. She wondered if that was something else she and Corrine had in common.

[TheAbsurdist]

She laughed again, and then tried to get en pointe in her sneakers, or at least as best as possible, the other leg crooked and her arms held in a slightly open circle before her, her face going serene, and a bit imperious.  Then she shifted down to flat-footed.  "I should after about ten years of ballet I am okay at it.  But it does eat into the time, especially when I got older.  So even if I don't do the... thrilling heroics, I will be gone a bit."

 

She put her hands into her pockets and she makes a bemused expression.  "I mean... I guess I make friends easily?  It's hard to say.  It's all, like, post modern or something out there... "  Her brows knitted together as she stared ahead, "I guess I keep myself too busy to think about those sorts of things?"

[Thunder King]

Hannah could somewhat sympathize, but, not entirely. "Shallow friends." She stated simply. "People you can talk to, but no connect with." That's how she felt much of the time. People knew her, but they seldom sought her out. She couldn't imagine staying that busy, all the time She liked her privacy, her quiet spaces. They reached the room.

 

"Your bed is the one that doesn't have stuff already on it." She said with a shy smile, waving Corrine in politely.

Edited May 18, 2017 by Thunder King

[TheAbsurdist]

"Well... I mean, when my folks give me weed they're around more often."  She laughed again, more a low chuckle, and rolled her eyes.  "Not that... people have deep meaningful connections during middle school and high school."  Her smile shrank naturally as she looked at her, then shrugged a bit.  "Mm, the movies lie.  No one is as witty as the Gilmore Girls, not even the creators."

 

And then they were there, and she surveyed it, and nodded.  "I know I am not starting here immediately, so use it for stuff.  Storage.  Boys.  Bong rips... Oh!"  Her eyes widened as she realized something.  "Oh, so I have a hedgehog, is that okay?"  This was important stuff, she was going to take Percival with her out, and this more than anything else was the big problem.

7

[Thunder King]

She was not interested in the drugs. Not at all. She hear horror stories. Some of which weren't so believable, but still. She did know that it was against the law and even if it wasn't, they were underage. But, she didn't say anything. The mention of a hedgehog, though.

 

"Oh my god." She suddenly broke into a smile. "Hedgehogs are so cute." This was more energy and enthusiasm than she'd showed just yet. She didn't raise her voice, however.  Animals she could handle. Animals were easy, cute, they didn't talk, they didn't ask questions. She could handle a hedgehog, and Percival? Adorable name for one. "Cute name."

[TheAbsurdist]

"I like pets...  I might be a crazy cat lady eventually.  My folks did not appreciate me trying to tame a coyote when I was younger... And hedgies are adorable."  She looked up at Hannah, and smiled back at her, liking that there was something at least, that they could bond over.  It wasn't much, but it was a lot.

 

"So... they didn't tell me much about the stuff I should probably know...  Who are the jerks?  Anyone I need to watch out for?  Any teachers that are... difficult?  Are the days long"  And with that, she flopped heavily back onto the bed that would be hers.  "Also if you want a pet, I wont mind."  She pressed her elbows to the bed, as she lifted her torso and looked at her.  "Any rules you have special for a roomie?"

[Thunder King]

Hannah thought for a moment. She didn't have any real problems with any of the teachers, although she knew other students who did. Benefits of being a wallflower. So she started with a few teachers who were more or less strict about things, then went down a list of confrontational, aggressive, or mean spirited students.

 

She couldn't wrap her head around the idea of bullying at a superhero school. It seemed way too dangerous and unpredictable to bother with.

[TheAbsurdist]

It was baffling, but there seemed to be an impetus people have.  It was filled with the tryhards, as she heard people describe it that way before.  But then... this is was not as bad as it had been when she was back at LA.  At least no one was going to be a cut throat rival for an audition, or anything.

 

She sat up then, bringing her arms to rest on her knees, her hands together, fingers laced, as she looked at her, nodding and making vocal cues to encourage her to keep talking.  After all, in this instance Hannah was the expert.  "Okay.  Hows the food, and are there any good places nearby if it sucks?  Wait... can we have a car?"  She hopped up to her feet, and she shimmied, moving around a bit, as she couldn't help but do a little dance.

[Thunder King]

"Yes, to both. I think, anyway." She said. "I don't own a car but I think other students have them, not sure what the arrangement is on that. The food thing? Yes. Freedom is huge, and it's got all sorts of stuff all over. A few good places near the school and even more away from it." She smiled. She actually did occasionally head out in to the city and get herself some food. she had a little bit of spending money, and she was proud of herself for that.

[TheAbsurdist]

"Okay, well I'll have one, probably?  I dunno, I mean, I am probably not driving mine from back home, cause... America."  She laughed a bit, and she stretched, reaching her condor like armspan above her head and arched her back.  It was not intimidating, because of the big doofy smile on her face.  "Mm, okay.  Cool.  So I am vaguely sanguine about this.  I am a bit noisy, and I am drag you along to things, like epic quests in search of a good taco truck in this town.  Or maybe ask for you to come to recitals or shows, but...  yanno, I can take no.  I like people around me to have fun, and I like to do things.'

 

And she sat down on the air, and pulled those long legs up and crossed them in to lotus position as she looked at her.  "And I get you aren't that way, like out and about like that.  So... remind me if I am charging ahead too much."

[Thunder King]

Hannah honestly was not expecting this. Most people kind of just let her be on her own, and while she didn't dislike it, it often left her feeling a bit overlooked and unwanted. "Oh, um, okay." She said, smiling. "I appreciate that you're interested." She smiled. "Taco trucks, I haven't had anything from one of those, but as huge as Freedom is I bet there's a lot of them somewhere, maybe." She sat down.

 

"Shows would be cool, I've never seen professional dancing before." She looked down thoughtfully. "Mostly I just....study. Getting out a bit more would probably be good."

[TheAbsurdist]

"Oh-muh-gawd!  Never had a taco truck?  Jeeeeze!"  She brought her hands up to her face, and dragged her fingers down from her eyes in an expression of anguish that could be only be described as comically theatrical.  "Aaaaarrrrgh!"  And then she sank to the floor, and rose back up to her feet, with an artful skip.

 

"Okay, well, if you want to learn to dance, I will teach you some.  Or yoga.  Or belly-dancing, but that helps with cramps."  And she reached down and pressed a hand to her own belly.  "But also, gets the boys, or girls, yanno whatever you want.  Or not.  I mean, once I move in, first thing is Taco Truck quest.  Just, yanno, no fighting, 'cause I can't do that.  Will I have to learn to do that?"

 

[Thunder King]

"Fighting? I mean, they teach you how to use your powers. I know it took a while to get some of the kinks out of mine. I guess if they're tightly controlled that's good enough. Not everyone becomes a superhero." She shrugged. "I don't go out and fight crime much. We could probably google a Taco Truck, see if there are any in the area, check out reviews and stuff." She avoided the attraction point quite obviously. Hannah didn't want to go off on a tangent about boys, or girls, or whatever. The taco truck, well, she was fond of Mexican food...

[TheAbsurdist]

"Oh honey, no... no... I mean, we spend a Saturday hunting them down across the streets of Freedom, and we gorge ourselves past the point of full, until we hate ourselves and our poor, poor teenage decision making!"  For emphasis she pounded the underside of her clenched fist against her open hand, against her palm.  She stared off into space, her face deadly serious as that happened.

She lifted her fist, shaking it as she railed against the Devils of Poor Mexican Food.  "Visiting as many trucks in tern until we can find the best adobada, the best salsa verde! For great justice!  For Empiricism!  For Taaaaacoooooos!"  She rose in the air as this happened, moving to stand so that she was backlit by the sunlight from their soon to be shared window, only to say in a fierce whisper, "Yaaaaaasssss kweeeeeeen..." as the metamorphosis into some sort of burrito and guac fueled Mussolini-analog was complete.

 

Then as sharply as it happened, she skipped off of the air and back to the floor, and giggled.  "Or.. some sort of reasonable facsimile thereof."  She noticed the skirting of another top, but she didn't really feel a need to invest into whether or not Hannah had any romantic interests.

 

[Thunder King]

Hannah raised her hand to her mouth and giggled. Corrine was nice, she decided. Fun, that was another good one. She liked Corrine's weird sort of energy, but that was fine with her. She herself was an oddball, after all. "Okay, that, that sounds good." It did. Even if they had to ride the bus. She wasn't super worried about being attacked or anything. Her powers meant that while she was afraid of social interactions and social confrontations, physical confrontations weren't as big of a deal. And whatever Corrine could do, she could probably take care of herself.

[TheAbsurdist]

And then she pursed her lips, and she seemed to collapse a bit in on herself.  It was a momentary thing, a little chip in her armor.  It was gone quick, and she smiled back at her, putting her hands on her hips.  "Though... I will probably have to do summer term and play catch up... I've kinda been out of school... cause... of powers..."  It was the topic that scared her.  The memory of her outburst, of her anger there, sharp, and crystalline, and just...

 

Okay... enough of that.

"Yeah, but the car is important to this... I suppose buses will work good.  It has to be better than LA."  She laughed a little bit, "Mmm, we can go see sports too!  Beach... are the beaches here like what I hear about?  All medical waste and guidos?"