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Post by DornKoon on Aug 3, 2024 21:39:14 GMT
Niels opened his mouth but closed it... after a pause, he sighed.
"Well, it's not like being the bad boy would have suited me; I have firetrucks on my pyjamas..." he replied. "I also know the Duck family tree by heart and still have my collection of comics organized by year. Besides, I think kids our age care too much what others think, but I bet many still love childish things when no one is looking." He winked as he said this with a half-smile. "So, if that means being the doofus, then I take it as a compliment."
Niels examined her. He let out a small hmm before turning to his backpack and digging around until he found a thermos and mug. He poured a hot liquid from the thermos before holding the cup out towards Parsley. "It's Parsnip soup..." he explained, "I made it myself, and- I think soup is a great comfort. Maybe more of an autumn thing, but- who cares." Hopefully, she would accept, but he was not going to force it onto her. "and honestly? I would rather people with no filter; so many say a thing when they don't mean it. The ones we are best at lying to are ourselves, after all. I can't say for before, but I like you so far."
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Post by Beriadan on Aug 13, 2024 19:53:33 GMT
Parsley took the soup with a strange look on her face, a twisted grin as she looked up at Niells. Slowly she took a sip, blowing on the still hot liquid before gulping it down. It was good, a flavour which she thoroughly enjoyed at the best of times, and it was comfort even on a warm day like today.
"Mm! This is good. Y'all are a natural chef."
She finished it off quickly, ravenously, like she hadn't eaten for days. Parsley handed the mug bag, nodding approvingly. Her emotions would radiate out of her, waves of contentment replacing her previous frustration.
"Well I think y'all are a big ol' doofus, and I mean that with love. Kids our age don't much care for me speakin' my mind. I wish I could stop carin' so much about what other people think of me, but that's about as likely as a rabbit in a rodeo."
Parsley got to her feet with an agile leap, brushing down her butt and legs to get most of the dirt off it. She put two hands on her hips, looking serious for a moment as she surveyed the garden around them.
"Still, it's nice to actually talk to someone without worryin'. You're a real sweet kid, a helluva good listener."
Parsley paused, looking back at Niel with a curious expression on her face.
"Didja say 'Papa'?"
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Post by DornKoon on Aug 13, 2024 20:23:39 GMT
Niels smiled at the praise, clearly happy that she liked the soup, not just from her words; her emotions were as much praise as anything she could have said. He accepted the mug and carefully rinsed it out with water from a bottle, simultaneously watering the flowerbed.
"Yeah, I like cooking, it's sort of art." He said, "We always used to cook together, me and Mama..." his voice died at the mention of his mother, but he quickly clapped himself on the cheek and turned to look at Parsley again. "Sorry, I'm not going to put a damper on the mood; it's nice you like the soup. I always come prepared." He patted his backpack and gestured to the bag at his hip. Niels liked to have anything he might need, even things he did not know he needed. Better have, not need, than need and not have.
"Yeah, it's one of the problems with people in a conversation," Niels said. "So many only listen long enough to voice their opinion and do not pay attention at all. I like not to do that... if it makes sense."
Niels curiously looked at Parsley, not ready for her question. It was not that his father was a secret; many of the other mutants had seen him because he came along with wares from the city from time to time and helped Professor Xavier with some errands.
"Yeah, my dad." Niels replied with clear affection in his voice. "Benjamin Hausknecht, he's been helping Professor Xavier a lot, been going with him a few times to speak with parents of mutants, that sort of thing. Papa's been... well, he's been taking all this with stride. Me being a mutant, this place." He paused, blushing slightly. "I know I'm very blessed that he's been so accepting, even if he doesn't understand everything."
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Post by Beriadan on Aug 15, 2024 20:52:27 GMT
Parsley felt a pang of sad guilt as Niels trailed off. Her mom has passed before she was born, so she had never known that bond, nor any kind of parental love. To have someone close to you vanish... it was indescribable to her, save one instance that she didn't want to touch upon. Instead she cocked her head, not saying a word on the subject. If Niels didn't want to talk about it, she wouldn't either.
"Yeah... I getcha."
Parsley was thinking hard now. Was she that kind of person? She thought she was a good listener, but now she was struggling to remember her conversation with Femi. Replaying this conversation too. She bit her bottom lip and frowned, giving off a sense of worry, until he spoke about his dad.
There was such raw affection there that it made her feel a bit worse about herself. Parsley's dad was not a subject anyone but Professor Xavier knew about in detail. She had talked about it briefly with a few students, but never seriously. It was something that brought her great pain. There was a glimmer of something else in her emotions though. Niels' love was infectious, and her father's love for him was obvious too. It was the direct opposite of her father's feelings when her power had come to fruition. Not that his feelings of hate had been because she was a Mutant, of course.
"That's swell. I remember him talkin' in one of our Mutant sociology classes. He seems like a really great guy, your papa."
Parsley meant it. She tried to sweep away her own feelings of loss for not knowing such love from a parent, and tried instead to feel happy for Niels. It worked, kinda. She squatted down before him, taking out the pack of cards again. Absently started to shuffle them together.
"You're a lucky guy. Truly, I think y'all really deserve the good hand life gave you. I think you'll go far, and do a lot of good, and not just for other Mutants. Is that what y'all are gonna try and do after you leave this school? I can see you followin' in your papa's footsteps."
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Post by DornKoon on Aug 19, 2024 14:22:48 GMT
Conversations were difficult because one never knew when a few words might trigger emotions. Niels detected Parsley's turmoil of conflicting emotions, but he tried not to let it show. It became stronger as he mentioned his father, so it implied it was something he said that affected her... maybe she did not have such a great relationship with her parents.
"Yes, yes he did," Niels said with a nod. " and he is glad someone else also thinks so. I know he often misses Mama; he pretends otherwise, but it is what it is." There was a pause, and he examined Parsley for a moment, hesitating before he continued. "My mother died when something exploded in our kitchen; Police say it was gas and that her smoking caused it." There was a clear hint in his voice that he did not believe that, similar to someone explaining something they knew to be a lie.
"I feel both lucky and unlucky." Niels could only agree; he was lucky to have Papa but also unlucky to have lost his mother. "As for how far and what I want to do--" He paused before holding up his camera. "I want to be a photographer; that's always been my goal after leaving school. So suppose in that sense I follow both my parents, at least as far as being artistic goes." He was not sure how much of a living there was in it, but he was used to that. None of his parents earned very much, and they did what they could with what they had.
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Post by Beriadan on Aug 21, 2024 11:11:11 GMT
Parsley winced as Niels spoke of the way his mother died. It was a violent and unlucky thing to happen, but something that could happen to anyone. The fact that Niels had reservations though...she wondered what kind of history was there for him to consider foul play. Did his family have criminal ties, or a reason to be targeted? It set off her imagination to no end.
"You sure have a clear view of the future. I'm envious of that."
She dealt the cards out, two to each of them, five in the middle, then sat back on the dirt again. Looked at her cards, looked up at Niels, as if expecting him to know this was Poker from the get go.
"I ain't seen further than my own nose for a while. Nothin' past the day to day stuff of learnin'. Maybe I'll be an X-men? I really ain't got a clue."
Parsley flippes three middle cards over. Two of Hearts, Three of Diamonds, Ten of Spades. She grinned.
"Now that's a lucky hand. You know what you're doin', sugar?"
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Post by DornKoon on Aug 22, 2024 9:32:31 GMT
"Well--" Niels began, trying to find the right words, watching as Parsley started to deal cards. He was not sure where they were playing... "I think living in the now is important; I confess I might fall victim to overthinking and overplanning sometimes. I don't like being caught unprepared, so I prepare for many maybes." He glanced at the backpack filled with many potential maybes.
"Not sure I could handle being a member of X-men," he said, "I could see you fit in there, with your power, I imagine it would be beneficial, at least as far as finding things and people, going to the right places, or avoiding enemies."
Niels picked up the two cards and looked at them before looking down at the five in the middle.
"Uhh..." Niels' cheeks turned slightly pink as he looked from the hand to the revealed cards. "No-- what are we playing?"
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Post by Beriadan on Aug 22, 2024 11:35:54 GMT
"Poker, the ultimate game of luck, bluffin' and losin' thousands of bucks on stupid decisions. Not that I've ever been to a casino, mind you. My power would probably have a heart attack!"
She pointed at the cards before them in the middle.
"Aim of the game is simple. Y'all have to get the best hand made up of either the same suite or the same type of card. Royal flush is Ace to Ten of the same suite, but it's the least likely. Straight flush is five of the same suite in order, like five to nine of hearts. Four of a kind is four of the same. There's a few others, but I'll tell ya when they come up, 'kay?"
She flipper the next card over. Jack of Spades. Parsley grinned.
"See, you could win if ya got Ace of Spades, King of Spades or Queen, and if the middle was one ya didn't have. But y'all are more likely to try for a flush, which is five of the same suite, but not in order, or maybe just a pair. It's all about bluffin'. We ain't bettin' right now, but imagine I just raised you eight million dollars, sweetie."
Parsley placed her hand on the last card.
"Wanna match my bet, and potentially win big?"
Niels' Ace of Spaces and Queen of Spades stared at him from his hand. If the face-down card was the King of Spades... but could he match Parsley's innate luck?
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Post by DornKoon on Aug 22, 2024 15:13:24 GMT
"Bluffin?"
Niels' brow furrowed slightly as he looked at his cards. He'd never played poker before, and playing a game of luck against someone like Parsley seemed... problematic.
"I've seen poker on TV."
He looked from the hand to Parsley and back to the hand before looking at the cards between them. Going by her way of saying it, he would only need the king of spades to win. But-- what was to say she did not have an even better hand with her luck?
" I-- don't have that kind of money" He did not sound too sure and mainly went alone because he did not know what else to do or say. It was not like he had anything of value to bet, or at least... that he was willing to bet. "I don't think anyone at this school has that kind of money."
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Post by Beriadan on Aug 22, 2024 18:39:11 GMT
Parsley cocked her head at Niels, grinning.
"Y'all are too precious. Okay, how about... I betcha this twig, and y'all can raise me... this rock!"
Parsley rolled across a muddy stone towards Niels, grasping a stick in her free hand. With a theatrical flourish, Parsley placed it before her.
"Okay... so let's see the lucky winner!"
Parsley flipped the last card, and frowned. The King of Spades stared back at her. She bit her lip, revealing two twos in her grip, looking up at Niels with a curious expression.
"Huh. Y'all are luckier than I am. Odds of gettin' a royal flush on your first ever game of poker... well, that's interesting. Well, enjoy your millions! Er, I mean- your twig!"
Parsley placed the two cards before her, staring at the ensemble, frowning for a moment. Then she shrugged.
"Oh well. I feel like this ain't your kinda game, right?"
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Post by DornKoon on Aug 22, 2024 19:45:49 GMT
Niels raised an eyebrow at her actions, watching as she fetched a twig and a rock. He looked at the muddy rock, and the inside was screaming... not to touch it; it was muddy. But Parsley was trying to be nice, and he made an effort; he could not let that go to waste. So, the empath hesitantly reached out to collect the rock.
"O-Okay," he said, making as great an effort as possible to keep holding the dirty rock... full of germs. "I'm ready"
He watched the card flip, looking at the ones in his hand...
"So, I got these," he revealed the cards. "That's odd; I was sure you'd win; why did your powers not--" He paused, examining Parsley. "You mentioned the cards needed, and we had no way of knowing beforehand... did you just sabotage yourself by saying out loud how I could win?"
Niels put down the rock and immediately dug around inside his backpack until he found the tube with hand sanitiser.
"I'm not much of a gambler, and the games I like are mostly board games, resource strategy games. Like Caverna, and Suburbia"
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Post by Beriadan on Aug 22, 2024 20:03:11 GMT
Parsley paused, and then laughed. It was pure, high and full of happiness as she fell backwards, clutching her stomach.
"My stars, ain't that a twist! I never thought my luck could reverse if I revealed my hand. Well, that's somethin' I'll need to keep in mind."
She wiped a tear from her eye, grinning as she sat up again. Niels had indeed cheered her up, all previous bad thoughts truly washed out. Parsley scooped up her cards, shuffling them again while a few errant chuckles escaped her.
"My oh my... well, I suppose it's different strokes, and all that. I tried a few boardgames before, in the common room. An' that game with wizards and stuff. Dungeons an' Dragons? It sure was interestin', pretendin' to be someone I ain't. Funnily enough, my character was pretty unlucky!"
Parsley tucked the cards into her pocket, and cocked her head to one side as she watched Niels with intrigue.
"I think it'd be fun to play boardgames with you, truth be told. Y'all are patient and kind. Bet you would be able to teach me some. My card games didn't go down so well, but I'd be up for tryin' Suburbia with you sometime."
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Post by DornKoon on Aug 23, 2024 12:29:19 GMT
"You learn something new every day, or so people say," said Niels, returning the cards to Parsley. "But-- if that is the case, you could use your power in conversation, could you not? Anything could happen if you're in danger and you get to talking. If you look at it that way, you've got a pretty scary power. Just imagine if you said something plausible... like, better be careful, your gun might jam, or it would be a pity if the car broke down" He smiled, feeling the cheer radiating from her, which was good. "The X-men should be happy to let you join, is what I think."
Now it was Niels' turn to laugh; it was not as deep down but pure and pearly. One could feel the waves of emotions flow out from him for a moment. The effect it had on the surroundings was noticed: the birds began to sing more joyfully, and even the flowers seemed to become brighter.
"Sorry," Niels said, taking a deep breath to pull back the aura. "That's nice to hear, and you should join us; we're making board games a weekly thing just to get to know each other. Nothing fancy, we have snacks, play games or roleplay, video games too. Not to brag, but my dip is something that needs to be experienced to be believed."
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Post by Beriadan on Aug 28, 2024 11:02:48 GMT
Parsley grinned at the thought. It really didn't sound too bad, a night with the nerds and geeks. Perhaps they were Parsley's kinds of people. She was a misfit and an outcast too, after all.
"You know, I'll take you up on that offer, Niels."
She rose to her feet once more, brushing dirt and mud from her legs.
"I think I'm gonna go grab some lunch. It's been a real pleasure sittin' an' chattin' with you. See you at our next lesson, yeah? An' I'll be sure to teach you an' the others how to play Poker."
Parsley smirked and winked, tucking her arms behind her back and taking a few steps backwards. She gave him a big, genuine smile, and he would feel the happiness radiating from her skin like sunlight on a summer's day.
"See ya around, doofus."
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Post by DornKoon on Aug 28, 2024 13:13:02 GMT
"Yeah, see you around," Niels said with a slight smile. He watched as Parsley sauntered off before he let out a soft sigh. "Well, my plan worked out, right?" His words aimed at the little bird nestled in the napkin on his head. It only answered with a few chirpings, which he did not understand and most likely did not answer his question.
Niels stretched his arms with a yawn before adjusting the camera.
"Well, let's find something cool to photograph... maybe I can find more animals." It was less of an if; he usually knew how to find animals if needed. They had feelings just like everyone else, maybe not as advanced, which made them more comfortable hanging around. "You can stick around, but I ain't singing..." He added to the bird, putting on the backpack and securing it before wandering off towards the forested area of the grounds.
"If you shit on me, I shall be very cross..."
*Chirp, chirp*
"I mean it this time..."
[The End]
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