Fifth floor common room, Saturday afternoon/evening

[kenselvren]

After yesterday's class on propaganda, a light had gone on for Jalian. This was how one person could change more than just their surroundings. She'd largely ignored movies and TV before, but now she was curious.

So, she was sitting in the common room, watching TV. She had a bowl of popcorn and was frowning at the screen trying to pick out which parts were stupid and which might be some form of propaganda.

So far the judgment had mainly come down on "both". For just about everything.



[OOC: Open post!]

Comments

[soniaroadsqueen]

"The way the leaves are prepared, I think? I mean, you still just put them in water, I think, but they taste different." Ringo could try using some other style of tea, but she wasn't actually positive that it was just the leaves that were different. Maybe there was something you were supposed to do differently.

[kenselvren]

"I don't mind," Jalian answered. The tea here tasted different than she'd had growing up anyway, but none of it had been terrible so far.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Okay, then." Ringo grinned and went to make a couple of cups. "So," she said, looking back over her shoulder, "how have you been? It's been, like, forever since we caught up."

[kenselvren]

"The same." Jalian ate another piece of popcorn. "The vacation trip was interesting. I've been learning more about this timeline. You?"

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Mostly just going to class and practicing AirTrek." Ringo flushed slightly, turning her attention back to the tea. "And being a teenager, I guess."

That was one way to describe the whole thing with Kathy.

[kenselvren]

"I don't understand 'teenager'," Jalian said. "What's different about it than being adult or not?"

[soniaroadsqueen]

"No real responsibilities," Ringo answered instantly. "Like, no one expects you to do anything, you can just try things and if they go wrong it's not a big deal."

She frowned slightly as she walked back toward Jalian with two cups of tea. "I never had a chance for this before I came here, so I'm trying to make up for lost time."

[kenselvren]

Jalian reached for one of the cups. "But everybody expects something. Even of children."

Nope, she wasn't getting it. Sorry, Ringo.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Well, something, sure, but it's not the same." Ringo frowned as she handed over a cup of tea. "Like, here at Fandom I'm pretty much expected to go to class, pay some attention, not burn down the dorms, that sort of thing. Which is totally different from being expected to lead a team, or fight off potential threats. I mean, if I make a mistake here, I might get a bad grade, but no one's going to die, you know?"

[kenselvren]

"Because you are not yet adult," Jalian said. "But how is a teenager different from a child?"

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Hmm, that's a good question." Ringo pursed her lips and blew on her tea, trying to cool it.

"Maybe because teenagers are interested in other stuff? Like love and, um, trying to figure out what to do when they are adults?" That didn't sound totally right, but Ringo had never really thought about it that much.

[kenselvren]

"I don't think ken Selvren have anything like that," Jalian said. "You are a child, or adult."

She sniffed the tea, which seemed fine, and took a sip. It was fine, though she couldn't tell much of a difference from other teas of this time.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"So people are age are considered adults?" Ringo asked curiously, sipping at her own tea.

[kenselvren]

Jalian made a cutting motion with her hand. "Those who have gone through their trial of womanhood are adults. I am adult. Most choose to become adult later."

[soniaroadsqueen]

"How do you know if you're ready to be an adult? Especially if you don't, you know, make a bunch of mistakes trying to figure out what that even means for you?" She sipped more tea, then cocked her head. "How did it work for you?"

[kenselvren]

"Even children make mistakes and decisions," Jalian said. "You just know it's time. I knew I would get no further as a child, and must be an adult. The Huntresses agreed."

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Oh. Isn't it stressful, though? Having all the responsibilities of an adult? Don't you ever want to, I don't know, be a little more free?" Maybe Ringo just didn't understand adulthood.

[kenselvren]

"Less stressful than knowing what should be done and not being listened to," Jalian answered.

Not, unfortunately, that that had entirely changed once she was adult.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Well, I guess that makes sense." Ringo smiled sheepishly. "I suppose in some ways, I'm sort of cheating. Like, I'm being a teenager and stuff, but if I really needed to, I could probably reclaim my authority back home pretty easily."

[kenselvren]

"You are also adult?" Jalian asked curiously. Most of the people here didn't seem to be.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"I think that sort of depends on your definition," Ringo said awkwardly. "I had responsibilities before I came here. Important ones. It, um, was really stressful, and not much fun."

"Is that what it means to be an adult?"

[kenselvren]

"Having obligations and freedoms that children do not," Jalian answered. She hesitated. "There is more for ken Selvren, but we do not discuss our trials."

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Then, I guess? I mean, there wasn't any sort of official, um, thing? I just, well, someone had to step up and lead the Sleeping Forest, and I was the most qualified." It was kind of weird to talk about like that.

[kenselvren]

"Sleeping Forest?" Jalian asked. "Is that your tribe?"

[soniaroadsqueen]

Ringo laughed suddenly. "Actually, that's not a bad way to put it. We don't call them that, but I guess that's kind of what they are. Sleeping Forest is, basically, the oldest of the teams."