Pietro and Vance, Thursday Afternoon
Jan. 24th, 2013 04:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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om_mainPietro meets Vance, and some maybe-slightly-evil thoughts ensue.
Vance was pretty sure this was the biggest house he'd ever seen. Like, it was movie-mansion big. How'd just one family ever live there? He bet living there would've been really, really cool though. The house was huge and old-looking; it probably had really awesome secret passages or something! He'd have to check.
Maybe when no one was looking, since checking for hidden passages probably wasn't cool. Even if finding one would be very cool.
After getting lost down a few hallways, he'd managed to find what looked like some kind of family room or rec room or something. Big TV...a bunch of DVDs and video games...a pool table...this was so awesome. Vance grinned, and knelt down to shuffle through the video games on the floor. Super hero school, and awesome stuff? This was the best thing ever.
Pietro zipped into the room and appeared beside this strange (as in unknown, not as in weird, though if he was here, probably both) kid with his hands on his hips, looking down at him. He was a kid--total baby face, all fresh and kind of adorable. Probably Vic's age? Ish? "'Sup, new boy? Which one are you?" Not that there were so many, but he'd been distracted lately, okay?
Vance started a little at the sound; how'd he missed someone coming in? Still, though, he smiled. "I'm Vance. Nice to meet you."
Well that was a definite yes on the "adorable" thing, then. Pietro smiled right back. "Pietro Maximoff--and same. Yay for more mutants in the Awesome Mutant School, right?"
The younger boy scrambled up to his feet. Just because he wasn't at home didn't mean he had to lose all of his manners; his mother would've been appalled if he had actually greeted someone by sitting on the floor. Once standing, he offered the super-blond guy his hand.
"Definitely. This is so awesome! A whole house full of people with superpowers?" He shook his head a little in disbelief. "It's like I woke up in a comic book."
Oh my god, it's so cute. Can I pet it? Pietro laughed and shook hands. Ah yes, the exclamation point kid. Right. "That is like the best description I've ever heard, man. It is so awesome." Honestly, Pietro thought fucking everything was awesome right now--even the things he probably shouldn't. But this, at least, he would agree with in perpetuity. He continued grinning. "You didn't have to stand up for me, but thanks. You must be a nice boy from a nice family, Vance. Where you from?"
"No problem. I'm from Saugerties, New York," Vance answered. "It's in the suburbs outside the city. Where're you from? What's your mutant thing?"
"Finger Lakes," Pietro admitted readily. Wow, kinda nice to talk to someone who wasn't being all secretive because of their Super Hard Life That No One Understands. Not that everyone owed him answers or anything, just, you know. Refreshing or some shit. "And my thing is" --Pietro flashed to the other side of the room, leaving the kid's hair blowing in his breeze-- "Superspeed." He flashed back to where he had been, arms folded over his chest, grinning. "I'm guessing adorable enthusiasm is not your mutant thing, so what else you got?" He vaguely recalled skimming the comments, but whatever. He'd been at the height of his shit mood, that day.
Vance's eyes went wide as Pietro blurred across the room and back again. That was so freakin' cool!
"Don't know that anyone's ever called me adorable except my mom," he said, laughing a little, both at the idea that it was his mutation and because....this was a house full of superpowers, and now there was proof! "But it's not my mutation, nah. I'm telekinetic. But...super speed? That is awesome, man!"
"That's true, superspeed is awesome," Pietro agreed cheerfully. "It is basically the awesomest, to be honest, but there are a few other interesting tricks around here. Like moving shit with your brain. That's what it means, right? Telekinesis?"
Vance nodded. "Yep. I move things with my mind."
He was pretty sure it went without saying how freaking excited he'd been when he'd realized he could do that. Moving stuff with your mind? That was the kind of thing that only happened in fantasy books or comics. And now it was real life! Epic.
"Wow, I would not be able to resist fucking with people." Pietro grinned. "Like making them think there was a poltergeist in the house or something. Can I see?"
"Uh," Vance cast his gaze around the room, looking for something big enough that he probably wouldn't actually break it. The couch. Perfect. "Sure!"
He narrowed his eyes on the piece of furniture, shoving it a few feet. But that was just warm-up stuff; it'd be way less cool if that was all he could do. He focused harder, and a tendril of energy slipped around one end of the couch, and lifted it a couple of feet. Pleased with his success, he carefully put it down - denting the floors or something his first week here would probably be rude - and then looked back at the older boy. "Basically like that."
"Wow," Pietro repeated, this time emphatically. "Bad. Ass. Man, you have got to be the best to have around when someone wants to put on a haunted house. We totally need to do that next year at the Halloween party. Remind me, okay?"
"Sure thing!" Vance agreed, excitedly. There were parties and stuff here? Man, the place was huge, they had great stuff, everyone was mutants, there were apparently parties, and (so far, anyway) people were super nice. Awesome. Definitely awesome.
Again, all Pietro could really think was Wow, because this kid was unreal.
And then, he had an idea. Probably a terrible idea, but one that definitely deserved some poking and prodding, at least. "Hmm, you could be an all-around special effects dream. We're gonna do a show soon, too. The Picture of Dorian Gray--me and my roommate Victor kinda came up with the idea. He's gonna be my Dorian."
And he's also very cute. And enthusiastic--if occasionally about the wrong things. And tiny. JUST SAYING.
"I can try," Vance offered good-naturedly. It seemed like maybe the older boy thought he was better at this than he was though; after all, he seemed to know exactly what he was doing with his powers. "Should probably warn you, though. If it's fine-detailed kind of stuff, I might not be the best choice. I broke my mom's punchbowl."
"Yeah, trust me, that's normal around here. We're breaking shit all the time--just that it is no longer our mothers'--those of us that have them," Pietro added. Probably good for kid to know that, yeah. Island of Misfit Toys, and all. "Hopefully enough to make you nostalgic for your own, but not homesick."
Vance very seriously doubted he'd be too homesick. Not because he didn't love his parents; he did, because his family was pretty cool. But he'd been sent to sleep-away camp every summer for a few months, and he'd always had a blast. How different could this be?
It was cool that he wasn't the only one who wasn't exactly an expert yet, though. "Awesome."
Hmm, was it too obvious if Pietro asked if the kid had certain friends, or maybe a boyfriend or girlfriend, emphasis on the boyfriend, he was gonna miss back home? Yeah, okay, probably--mainly because he didn't want an Eames/Victor situation where the baby thought the older kid was creepering or whatever.
Okay, he'd come up with another way to figure it out. Later. In the mean time, "Yes, everything is awesome. All the awesome ever, basically. What you gonna play? I'm not that great at some games--my button mashing breaks shit--but I like to try anyhow."
Vance knelt down and grabbed Tony Hawk 4. "I know it's definitely old, but it's a pretty awesome game. I had the the first couple back home, for PS2. You wanna play?" He asked hopefully.
Aw, how can you not want to pet it? Pietro said, "I do, yes, absolutely. I love this shit, but I suck, by the way. You would think having superspeed brain would be helpful, but it actually just makes it really hard to catch the rhythm, sometimes." Music was different because it was steady--and when it wasn't it still gave him that little jolt of unexpected brainjuice that was pretty damn delicious. Things like this, working with machines that couldn't really handle his speed... so frustrating. Ugh.
Vance opened up the console, and slipped the disc inside. "Your brain goes super-fast, too? That's crazy, man, you must be like....a genius or something. That's really cool."
He stood up, and handed the other teen a controller as the system started up. "It frustrating, though? I mean, everything must seem super-slow to you, right?" He considered Pietro curiously, "do we all sound and look like slow-mo or something?"
"Yes. And I am making myself talk really fucking slowly right now just so you can understand me." Pietro quirked a smile. Okay. So enthusiastic and adorable, but not an idiot. Right, so Pietro was clearly going to like this one.
"But it's better than not talking to anyone ever. Most days." He winked to show he was mostly joking, retrieving the controllers. "And it comes with enough benefits. I mean, homework gets done real fast."
He chuckled, and plopped himself on to the couch. "Well, since you're a genius, maybe you'll help me out if I start failing something or whatever. If you can put up with my slowness."
"Yeah, thing you will learn around here is that it's everyone else putting up with me. Just ask my roommate. He will gladly tell you." Pietro sprawled at the other end of the couch, taking up far more room than even his lanky, almost six-foot frame required, and tossed Vance a controller. He grinned his best 'up to no good' grin. "My version of "helping" would end up being "doing it for you", probably. But you seem smart, so I'm not too worried."
Vance caught the controller as he laughed. "You're not worried, 'cause you've never seen me in math class." He started clicking through the advertisements the preceded the purposes of video games - the game, not the NeverSoft logo - but his curiosity still propelled him to ask, "Who's your roommate? What's he like? I mean, if you don't mind my asking."
I am glad you asked that question, Vance. See, I knew you were smart. "Victor Borkowski. I think you talked to him a little in the journal. He's the super cute green scaly dude with the prehensile tongue that is basically the coolest thing ever. I think he's about your age. So, you know. You guys should have classes together..." Hint hint, please catch his attention and get his mind off this flatscan, for the love of all things holy. I don't wanna inflict Damon on the town, but I will. Oh man. Will I ever.
"Green scales and a prehensile tongue?" Vance asked, amazed. He smiled and shook his head in slight disbelief. "Man, I knew this place was going to be awesome. That's epic. He mentioned doing some crazy stuff online, too.”
"Admittedly, the thing where he can camouflage himself does freak me out sometimes. Like I think I'm in the room alone and bam, Vic's been there the whole time. That could get awkward. Luckily it hasn't." Pietro paused for dramatic effect. "That I know of."
Vance laughed, even as his cheeks pinked a little at the insinuation. Definitely not his business, and he totally didn't need to know.
Funny as heck, though.
"I'll keep my fingers crossed that you both manage to avoid anything too weird," he promised. Right, two-player. Vance started flipping through characters. "Everything here is just so cool, though. And he sounds awesome; can't wait to meet him."
"I can't wait for you to meet him either," Pietro said, with only the slightest of smirks. He chose the most badass looking girl skater because whatever, yes, he had a type. Build a bridge and get over it. "Actually all the kids in your classes are kind of badass. Toph does shit with the earth--I haven't seen her do it, but she's a trip. Felix is a little spooky, but lovable--just don't get too close, cuz he's kinda skittish. Um, Fox is spooky too, but in a different way. Like a conspiracy theory way. Don't know him that well but he seems like fun. Probably more I don't know at all--looks like we're getting a flood, thanks to dragon girl."
Vance picked Bob Burnquist, and got to work modifying what he looked like. Guy looked kinda doofy in his usual stuff. He ditched the shirt, switched out the jeans, got rid of the hipster glasses....much better. But even that couldn't keep him from thinking about what Pietro'd brought up. It was everywhere now, unavoidable.
"I feel bad for her," he admitted. "It's not easy being the odd man out, and she's probably the oddest one out in the whole country right now."
And she didn't even get to go to the coolest school ever as a consolation prize.
"True enough," Pietro said, going for his own mods. Lalala, hotness hotness, yeah fuckers I am totally a badass chick. What, it was, like, this one or the porn star, and even Pietro wasn't gonna go that far. Needed more girls, though. Not enough options. "And I'm pretty much the last person who'd want to see a mutant in that kind of--well, danger, honestly. One stupid decision, man, and now there's nothing we can do to help."
Wanda's arrival, predictably enough, had already made Pietro feel way more charitable. The girl was dumb, the twins agreed, but... hey. Pietro had done some stupid shit.
No one deserved what she was getting now. And Pietro, also predictably enough, only thought it'd get worse.
"Hopefully she'll get through it," Vance agreed, eyes widening with appreciation as Pietro remade the CGI woman on-screen. "Hopefully we will, too."
Pietro side-eyed the wide-eyed little creature beside him, wondering how far the apparent sweetness stretched. He decided to poke and find out, in the end. "Well. We'll be fine. We're all here, together--and for now we're still a secret. I don't make much of her odds, though. That's just... how people are. Not to be a downer."
"I wish you weren't right," the younger boy admitted. "I mean, it maybe wasn't smart, but she apparently didn't know no better. But...she's different, and there's only one of her. At least, that they know about. Easy to other someone you don't understand, especially when they're that rare."
Pietro made an impressed face. "You got more sense than half the people here already, Vance. I mean, not like it'll stop them from othering all of us, once the cat's out of the bag, but there's relative safety in numbers, right? And I do mean relative."
Vance flushed slightly at the compliment. He didn't think his thoughts on it were anything special. Besides, he'd spent a lot of time studying the Holocaust - his grandparents were survivors, and it'd been required at Hebrew school - so he maybe had a weird sort of advantage.
"Lots of paths to safety," he pointed out, thoughtfully. "It's just gonna be about picking the right ones." He clicked them through the screens until there was a list of the two-player games up. "Which one do you wanna do?"
"Well said." Yeah, the kid was okay, definitely. Pietro would explore that more in-depth later, though. For now, his curiosity was sorta-kinda satisfied and piqued all at once, and he didn't want to get into a potentially upsetting conversation with someone he didn't even know--it had taken him like weeks with Victor, and they were totally best buds. "You're the new guy, so you can pick how you'd like to kick my ass, first."
Vance was pretty sure this was the biggest house he'd ever seen. Like, it was movie-mansion big. How'd just one family ever live there? He bet living there would've been really, really cool though. The house was huge and old-looking; it probably had really awesome secret passages or something! He'd have to check.
Maybe when no one was looking, since checking for hidden passages probably wasn't cool. Even if finding one would be very cool.
After getting lost down a few hallways, he'd managed to find what looked like some kind of family room or rec room or something. Big TV...a bunch of DVDs and video games...a pool table...this was so awesome. Vance grinned, and knelt down to shuffle through the video games on the floor. Super hero school, and awesome stuff? This was the best thing ever.
Pietro zipped into the room and appeared beside this strange (as in unknown, not as in weird, though if he was here, probably both) kid with his hands on his hips, looking down at him. He was a kid--total baby face, all fresh and kind of adorable. Probably Vic's age? Ish? "'Sup, new boy? Which one are you?" Not that there were so many, but he'd been distracted lately, okay?
Vance started a little at the sound; how'd he missed someone coming in? Still, though, he smiled. "I'm Vance. Nice to meet you."
Well that was a definite yes on the "adorable" thing, then. Pietro smiled right back. "Pietro Maximoff--and same. Yay for more mutants in the Awesome Mutant School, right?"
The younger boy scrambled up to his feet. Just because he wasn't at home didn't mean he had to lose all of his manners; his mother would've been appalled if he had actually greeted someone by sitting on the floor. Once standing, he offered the super-blond guy his hand.
"Definitely. This is so awesome! A whole house full of people with superpowers?" He shook his head a little in disbelief. "It's like I woke up in a comic book."
Oh my god, it's so cute. Can I pet it? Pietro laughed and shook hands. Ah yes, the exclamation point kid. Right. "That is like the best description I've ever heard, man. It is so awesome." Honestly, Pietro thought fucking everything was awesome right now--even the things he probably shouldn't. But this, at least, he would agree with in perpetuity. He continued grinning. "You didn't have to stand up for me, but thanks. You must be a nice boy from a nice family, Vance. Where you from?"
"No problem. I'm from Saugerties, New York," Vance answered. "It's in the suburbs outside the city. Where're you from? What's your mutant thing?"
"Finger Lakes," Pietro admitted readily. Wow, kinda nice to talk to someone who wasn't being all secretive because of their Super Hard Life That No One Understands. Not that everyone owed him answers or anything, just, you know. Refreshing or some shit. "And my thing is" --Pietro flashed to the other side of the room, leaving the kid's hair blowing in his breeze-- "Superspeed." He flashed back to where he had been, arms folded over his chest, grinning. "I'm guessing adorable enthusiasm is not your mutant thing, so what else you got?" He vaguely recalled skimming the comments, but whatever. He'd been at the height of his shit mood, that day.
Vance's eyes went wide as Pietro blurred across the room and back again. That was so freakin' cool!
"Don't know that anyone's ever called me adorable except my mom," he said, laughing a little, both at the idea that it was his mutation and because....this was a house full of superpowers, and now there was proof! "But it's not my mutation, nah. I'm telekinetic. But...super speed? That is awesome, man!"
"That's true, superspeed is awesome," Pietro agreed cheerfully. "It is basically the awesomest, to be honest, but there are a few other interesting tricks around here. Like moving shit with your brain. That's what it means, right? Telekinesis?"
Vance nodded. "Yep. I move things with my mind."
He was pretty sure it went without saying how freaking excited he'd been when he'd realized he could do that. Moving stuff with your mind? That was the kind of thing that only happened in fantasy books or comics. And now it was real life! Epic.
"Wow, I would not be able to resist fucking with people." Pietro grinned. "Like making them think there was a poltergeist in the house or something. Can I see?"
"Uh," Vance cast his gaze around the room, looking for something big enough that he probably wouldn't actually break it. The couch. Perfect. "Sure!"
He narrowed his eyes on the piece of furniture, shoving it a few feet. But that was just warm-up stuff; it'd be way less cool if that was all he could do. He focused harder, and a tendril of energy slipped around one end of the couch, and lifted it a couple of feet. Pleased with his success, he carefully put it down - denting the floors or something his first week here would probably be rude - and then looked back at the older boy. "Basically like that."
"Wow," Pietro repeated, this time emphatically. "Bad. Ass. Man, you have got to be the best to have around when someone wants to put on a haunted house. We totally need to do that next year at the Halloween party. Remind me, okay?"
"Sure thing!" Vance agreed, excitedly. There were parties and stuff here? Man, the place was huge, they had great stuff, everyone was mutants, there were apparently parties, and (so far, anyway) people were super nice. Awesome. Definitely awesome.
Again, all Pietro could really think was Wow, because this kid was unreal.
And then, he had an idea. Probably a terrible idea, but one that definitely deserved some poking and prodding, at least. "Hmm, you could be an all-around special effects dream. We're gonna do a show soon, too. The Picture of Dorian Gray--me and my roommate Victor kinda came up with the idea. He's gonna be my Dorian."
And he's also very cute. And enthusiastic--if occasionally about the wrong things. And tiny. JUST SAYING.
"I can try," Vance offered good-naturedly. It seemed like maybe the older boy thought he was better at this than he was though; after all, he seemed to know exactly what he was doing with his powers. "Should probably warn you, though. If it's fine-detailed kind of stuff, I might not be the best choice. I broke my mom's punchbowl."
"Yeah, trust me, that's normal around here. We're breaking shit all the time--just that it is no longer our mothers'--those of us that have them," Pietro added. Probably good for kid to know that, yeah. Island of Misfit Toys, and all. "Hopefully enough to make you nostalgic for your own, but not homesick."
Vance very seriously doubted he'd be too homesick. Not because he didn't love his parents; he did, because his family was pretty cool. But he'd been sent to sleep-away camp every summer for a few months, and he'd always had a blast. How different could this be?
It was cool that he wasn't the only one who wasn't exactly an expert yet, though. "Awesome."
Hmm, was it too obvious if Pietro asked if the kid had certain friends, or maybe a boyfriend or girlfriend, emphasis on the boyfriend, he was gonna miss back home? Yeah, okay, probably--mainly because he didn't want an Eames/Victor situation where the baby thought the older kid was creepering or whatever.
Okay, he'd come up with another way to figure it out. Later. In the mean time, "Yes, everything is awesome. All the awesome ever, basically. What you gonna play? I'm not that great at some games--my button mashing breaks shit--but I like to try anyhow."
Vance knelt down and grabbed Tony Hawk 4. "I know it's definitely old, but it's a pretty awesome game. I had the the first couple back home, for PS2. You wanna play?" He asked hopefully.
Aw, how can you not want to pet it? Pietro said, "I do, yes, absolutely. I love this shit, but I suck, by the way. You would think having superspeed brain would be helpful, but it actually just makes it really hard to catch the rhythm, sometimes." Music was different because it was steady--and when it wasn't it still gave him that little jolt of unexpected brainjuice that was pretty damn delicious. Things like this, working with machines that couldn't really handle his speed... so frustrating. Ugh.
Vance opened up the console, and slipped the disc inside. "Your brain goes super-fast, too? That's crazy, man, you must be like....a genius or something. That's really cool."
He stood up, and handed the other teen a controller as the system started up. "It frustrating, though? I mean, everything must seem super-slow to you, right?" He considered Pietro curiously, "do we all sound and look like slow-mo or something?"
"Yes. And I am making myself talk really fucking slowly right now just so you can understand me." Pietro quirked a smile. Okay. So enthusiastic and adorable, but not an idiot. Right, so Pietro was clearly going to like this one.
"But it's better than not talking to anyone ever. Most days." He winked to show he was mostly joking, retrieving the controllers. "And it comes with enough benefits. I mean, homework gets done real fast."
He chuckled, and plopped himself on to the couch. "Well, since you're a genius, maybe you'll help me out if I start failing something or whatever. If you can put up with my slowness."
"Yeah, thing you will learn around here is that it's everyone else putting up with me. Just ask my roommate. He will gladly tell you." Pietro sprawled at the other end of the couch, taking up far more room than even his lanky, almost six-foot frame required, and tossed Vance a controller. He grinned his best 'up to no good' grin. "My version of "helping" would end up being "doing it for you", probably. But you seem smart, so I'm not too worried."
Vance caught the controller as he laughed. "You're not worried, 'cause you've never seen me in math class." He started clicking through the advertisements the preceded the purposes of video games - the game, not the NeverSoft logo - but his curiosity still propelled him to ask, "Who's your roommate? What's he like? I mean, if you don't mind my asking."
I am glad you asked that question, Vance. See, I knew you were smart. "Victor Borkowski. I think you talked to him a little in the journal. He's the super cute green scaly dude with the prehensile tongue that is basically the coolest thing ever. I think he's about your age. So, you know. You guys should have classes together..." Hint hint, please catch his attention and get his mind off this flatscan, for the love of all things holy. I don't wanna inflict Damon on the town, but I will. Oh man. Will I ever.
"Green scales and a prehensile tongue?" Vance asked, amazed. He smiled and shook his head in slight disbelief. "Man, I knew this place was going to be awesome. That's epic. He mentioned doing some crazy stuff online, too.”
"Admittedly, the thing where he can camouflage himself does freak me out sometimes. Like I think I'm in the room alone and bam, Vic's been there the whole time. That could get awkward. Luckily it hasn't." Pietro paused for dramatic effect. "That I know of."
Vance laughed, even as his cheeks pinked a little at the insinuation. Definitely not his business, and he totally didn't need to know.
Funny as heck, though.
"I'll keep my fingers crossed that you both manage to avoid anything too weird," he promised. Right, two-player. Vance started flipping through characters. "Everything here is just so cool, though. And he sounds awesome; can't wait to meet him."
"I can't wait for you to meet him either," Pietro said, with only the slightest of smirks. He chose the most badass looking girl skater because whatever, yes, he had a type. Build a bridge and get over it. "Actually all the kids in your classes are kind of badass. Toph does shit with the earth--I haven't seen her do it, but she's a trip. Felix is a little spooky, but lovable--just don't get too close, cuz he's kinda skittish. Um, Fox is spooky too, but in a different way. Like a conspiracy theory way. Don't know him that well but he seems like fun. Probably more I don't know at all--looks like we're getting a flood, thanks to dragon girl."
Vance picked Bob Burnquist, and got to work modifying what he looked like. Guy looked kinda doofy in his usual stuff. He ditched the shirt, switched out the jeans, got rid of the hipster glasses....much better. But even that couldn't keep him from thinking about what Pietro'd brought up. It was everywhere now, unavoidable.
"I feel bad for her," he admitted. "It's not easy being the odd man out, and she's probably the oddest one out in the whole country right now."
And she didn't even get to go to the coolest school ever as a consolation prize.
"True enough," Pietro said, going for his own mods. Lalala, hotness hotness, yeah fuckers I am totally a badass chick. What, it was, like, this one or the porn star, and even Pietro wasn't gonna go that far. Needed more girls, though. Not enough options. "And I'm pretty much the last person who'd want to see a mutant in that kind of--well, danger, honestly. One stupid decision, man, and now there's nothing we can do to help."
Wanda's arrival, predictably enough, had already made Pietro feel way more charitable. The girl was dumb, the twins agreed, but... hey. Pietro had done some stupid shit.
No one deserved what she was getting now. And Pietro, also predictably enough, only thought it'd get worse.
"Hopefully she'll get through it," Vance agreed, eyes widening with appreciation as Pietro remade the CGI woman on-screen. "Hopefully we will, too."
Pietro side-eyed the wide-eyed little creature beside him, wondering how far the apparent sweetness stretched. He decided to poke and find out, in the end. "Well. We'll be fine. We're all here, together--and for now we're still a secret. I don't make much of her odds, though. That's just... how people are. Not to be a downer."
"I wish you weren't right," the younger boy admitted. "I mean, it maybe wasn't smart, but she apparently didn't know no better. But...she's different, and there's only one of her. At least, that they know about. Easy to other someone you don't understand, especially when they're that rare."
Pietro made an impressed face. "You got more sense than half the people here already, Vance. I mean, not like it'll stop them from othering all of us, once the cat's out of the bag, but there's relative safety in numbers, right? And I do mean relative."
Vance flushed slightly at the compliment. He didn't think his thoughts on it were anything special. Besides, he'd spent a lot of time studying the Holocaust - his grandparents were survivors, and it'd been required at Hebrew school - so he maybe had a weird sort of advantage.
"Lots of paths to safety," he pointed out, thoughtfully. "It's just gonna be about picking the right ones." He clicked them through the screens until there was a list of the two-player games up. "Which one do you wanna do?"
"Well said." Yeah, the kid was okay, definitely. Pietro would explore that more in-depth later, though. For now, his curiosity was sorta-kinda satisfied and piqued all at once, and he didn't want to get into a potentially upsetting conversation with someone he didn't even know--it had taken him like weeks with Victor, and they were totally best buds. "You're the new guy, so you can pick how you'd like to kick my ass, first."
