fandomhighdorms | Garden, After Classes

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Garden, After Classes

It was after class and guess where Cassidy was. Go on, guess.

Currently she was in the far corner of the garden, trying to decide what to do with a really big boulder that looked out of place in the garden. There were a few indentations in the side of it and she was currently trying to figure out if someone would be able to widen and deepen those indentations into shelves for her. It could make a very interesting bookcase for her books, or it could hold her plants and tools.

She was cleaning out that area of the garden of weeds and debris, but her attention kept going back to that boulder and the possibilities therein.

[[OOC: Open garden is open]]

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She smiled and sat down with him. "Well, the fairy tales here are quite interesting, though I do not like how they always make the witch the evil person. Oh, and space travel! I love learning about that. Going beyond the stars seems like magic in its own way."

"Space is pretty neat," Evan agreed with a nod. "The one time I was up there, it was because someone had hurt one of my teachers and we needed to get something to help him get better, though."

Battling the bouncers of a high-tech alien casino. Totally a noble cause, right there.

"And fairy tales... they're kind of a product of their time, I think. They're not really about how witches are evil, so much as they're stories that are meant to teach people to be more... considerate, or to stop expecting the world to be an easy place to live in. You could easily adapt them for any culture, I think. Just fill in the blanks with your own world's equivalent of the bad guy, or that person who you're afraid of because you don't understand them, you know?"

Like mutants!

... Ow.

"Obviously you need to go back up there for a more fun reason the next time," Cassidy grinned.

"I think that is one of the things that bother me about the stories. It's not right to judge a person about anything just because you don't know them or understand them." She was very adamant in this. "I don't think you should make any person a villain unless they show you that they are indeed a bad person. Just not knowing enough about them or not understanding them is no reason to make them out to be a bad person."

She shook her head. "I just think you should get to know a person first before making any judgements about them."

Oh, Evan liked you, Cassidy. If there had been any doubt in his mind, you went and allayed that with a gusto.

"No matter what they look like, or what they can do, or what people who you think they resemble might have done." Evan bit the inside of his cheek for a second. "Sometimes they're not the bad guy. Sometimes, all they really want is the chance to be the hero, instead."

She nodded. "You shouldn't judge a person by their looks or what anyone else might have done. That is not them and everyone deserves to be seen on their own merit and their own deeds."

She shook her head. "One of my best friends has gone through that and it makes me so mad that people do that."

"I..." Evan hesitated, and then took a deep breath and just nodded. "I've met a few people around here with that problem. What good is a second chance if people won't ever accept that you're trying?"

He frowned a little, turning his book over in his hands.

"I can see how it might be hard, but... Maybe it isn't even really the same person. Not the way they think it is."

"If you're trying to be different, that should be all that matters." She eyed Evan. "Have people been doing that to you, Evan?"

See the redhead's instant defense of someone she has decided is her friend, Evan. See it.

Busted.

Evan's shoulders hitched up slightly, though he couldn't quite bring himself to take his eyes off of his book.

"Not here, so much, I guess," he replied. "There's a place in town I'm not supposed to go to, but that's about it. Back at my last school it got pretty bad, though. That's why I'm here right now, instead of there."

"If your last school was like that, then I'm very glad you came here, Evan," Cassidy said with a firm nod and a smile. "Most of the people here are very nice, and if I hear of anyone treating you like that, I will make them sorry they even tried."

Bullying Cassidy's friends was not something that was suggested.

"I'm okay," Evan replied, fidgeting and giving Cassidy an awkward little smile. "I mean... I can handle myself. Nobody's going to really hurt me or anything, I promise. The worst I have to worry about is words and secrets, and I think I've managed to figure out at least some of that second thing."

Oh, he had no idea.

"But... thank you. That means a lot."

She gave him one of her brilliant smiles. "I tend to get protective of friends and I don't like people being held accountable for things they didn't even do." She played with the dirt around one of the plants as she tilted her head. "I'm not sure I understand why you have to worry about words, but I know that secrets have a way of hurting. And you're welcome. Us book people need to stick together."

"Secrets and words can be pretty hurtful, if you use one to back up the other," Evan explained softly. "Accusations are the worst, when you don't even know who it is that you're supposed to be."

Kid Apocalypse.

Cassidy thought about that and nodded. "I think that's when you should do your best to ignore the accusations and just do the best that you can. Let your heart figure out who you're supposed to be and not small-minded creatures."

"Easier said than done," Evan murmured, "but still a good point. But the more they talk about it, the more I want to know what they're talking about, and the more people get worried that I'll find out, and what harm could there be in me knowing?"

Cassidy frowned in thought and then reached out to touch his hand gently. "Maybe they are worried that what you hear will hurt your feelings or worry you?"

"I think they're more worried that what I hear might make me turn into exactly what they keep accusing me of being," Evan sighed, and then he shook his head. "But that's not me. That person that my face reminds me of, that isn't who I am. I'm who my parents raised me to be. I'm who I decide I am."

Loki and Evan had a club. Dare to guess why?

"But that's not right," Cassidy exclaimed. "They have no right to treat you that way. Just because you might have the looks that resembles another, no one should decide that you will be them." She gave him a firm nod and a smile. "That's right. You're the one that gets to decide who you are and who you will be, not anyone else."

And Cassidy would defend both of them, now.

"It hasn't really mattered so much since I got here," Evan offered quietly. "I mean, it still matters, but nobody has pointed a finger at me accusing me of... wanting to do very bad things."

Like committing mass genocide, say.

"And Raven was nice enough to tell me about the man in town I should try to stay away from, so I don't think it's going to become a problem here like it was at my last school."

It kind of helped that, while Loki had a reputation in any world that had stories from his particular neck of the woods, Apocalypse, around here, was mostly just a scary word. And the name of an avenue by the causeway.

"I'm glad that you haven't had anyone do that to you, here, Evan. It's not right to be accused of something and it's cruel." Cassidy had very strong opinions about people being cruel. "If Raven said it, then it's a good thing to listen to her. Raven can be very wise." She gave him a smile. "And if anyone does, you let your friends know. Sometimes, having someone to talk to when you're feeling down can help more than anything."

Cassidy had read things about Loki and didn't pay attention to anything she read. That wasn't her friend. She would feel the same way if she knew who Apocalypse was...

...and she'd want to know why he had been named after a street in town.

Evan was smiling a little bit again, now. He turned his book over in his hands again, and then glanced up at Cassidy with a little nod.

"You aren't the first person to tell me that, either," he admitted. "I'm beginning to think there are more people here willing to give me the benefit of the doubt than there are back home... at all."

Okay, so his parents, who he hadn't seen since back in the middle of winter, and his uncle. And maybe Idie and Broo and a couple of the teachers at the Jean Grey School. And that was about it.

"But you know it works both ways, too, right? I mean... I mean, if anybody ever tries to get down on you for sympathizing with the witch in those fairy tales. Or anything like that."

"I like Fandom," Cassidy said with a relaxed smile. "There's been a great deal that I've had to get used to because my world is so different, but I do like the people here. There are more nice people here than mean."

She nodded. "I know, and I appreciate that. And we can even talk about other things, too, not just when we're sad and upset. Oh! And if you think that you need an adult to talk to about things, you should talk to Professor Skywalker. He's a very good male and has been very nice and helpful since I've been here. Principal Winchester is a good one to talk to, as well."

She wished Ghanima were here so that she could direct Evan to her, as well.

"Raven mentioned both of those people, too," Evan noted, nodding a little bit. "So I... I might. I don't want to bother anybody, either. Not if there isn't really something the matter."

A pause, and then he was digging around for something else to talk about. It made him anxious, when all there was to discuss was him and his troubles back in his own world.

"We could... talk about the books we're reading," he offered. "You and I, I mean. Or, um... gardening? I know a bit about gardening. I grew up on a farm."

"If there is one thing that I have learned it's that no one here minds just talking to talk. One of the best friends I have here is someone who I've been able to talk about anything with -- and that includes books."

Plus, Ender knew about Queens and their eating habits, so he tended to bring her sweets if he thought she might need them.

Her smile brightened. "Talking about books is great and so is the land. I love working with the land and in the garden. What did you like best about your farm?"

Talking about books and land? Evan, you have no idea how thrilled you just made her.

Telling Cassidy how his favorite thing about the farm was that he had always been encouraged to just be himself was likely to loop the conversation back around again, so Evan spent a moment picking for a better answer.

"All the space there is," he settled on. "I mean, there's space here, too, but I knew every last foot of the farm, and I had full run of all of it. There was always plenty of work to do, especially since my Ma and Pa are getting older, but I never minded doing it."

Cassidy would understand that completely because working in the gardens at home was what she did in order to have some time to be Cassidy before she spent the rest of the day learning to be a Queen.

She drew her knees up so that she could rest her chin on them as she smiled. "I loved working in the gardens with Poppi and Mother. It's something that was just ours before I had to dive back into my new responsibilities and Mother and Poppi went to do their own work."

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