|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2024 7:56 pm
Stirling had powered up and sent Soleiyu a letter, asking to talk with him at Talia’s place the next morning.
Staying with Elliot had been nice. She had been comfortable and had slept quite soundly, but had made her excuses, thanking both of her friends’ dads with a grateful smile before she headed out and towards Talia’s place.
Brooklyn knocked softly on the door and then pushed it open, looking around for the large white cat. “Soleiyu? You’re here right?”
Should she have waited for a human to open the door?
…Yeah most likely. But. She had worked up her courage and she had to get something done before she could chicken out again…and Talia had said she was always welcomed so…
“I have…some favors to ask, and I hope that you can help me…”
Closing the door softly behind her, she made her way to the couch and sat down on it, gingerly.
If she was going to get in trouble, then so be it. Still...this…was important…and if she was going to get her life back on track…this was really her only chance.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2024 7:57 pm
It was easy to meet up with Brooklyn at Talia’s place if only because he lived there and had very few solid plans. It was a pleasant surprise, so when Brooklyn let herself in he was really only amused.
Well, Talia had told her to make herself comfortable here, hadn’t she?
“Good morning, Brooklyn,” he hummed. The door was only unlocked because he’d left it unlocked and no one else had been around to touch anything. Evan might have had a heart attack if he’d known, but Soleiyu was up bright and early and working on another project.
He jumped on the couch and perched to sit atop the back of it.
“I’m very good at favors, and very good at helping. What did you have in mind?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2024 8:00 pm
“Morning, Soleiyu.” The relief that she felt was difficult to hide, and Brooklyn reached up, poking his nose and then petting back up between his eyes.
“I…want to be…legal again? I don’t mind living on my Wonder…it’s fine. I can and have handled it but…I want to go back to school…it’s…I mean. I miss school. A lot…I…I know I’m already a year behind, but…I don’t know. I don’t…want to have to keep looking over my shoulder when I’m here on Earth…and if…”
Brooklyn drew in a breath. “If my whole…living situation finally gets to change and get better, I want to…I don’t know. I don’t want to worry about my past catching up if I get to pick the future that I really want.”
She wasn’t completely sure if that made sense, but the words she had rehearsed and practiced had gotten all twisted up in her head and now she just…
“Can you help? Atticus told me how you gave him a whole new…” Brooklyn raised a hand and wiggled it, trying to grasp for the right words. “Life? Something? I don’t know. Can you get me out of the system? Can you just…make me legal again?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2024 8:00 pm
Soleiyu humored her while she pet him as she certainly would have any common cat. His tail swished behind him as he listened, glad for her eagerness to get to the point. He liked conversation, but he was very glad that they could have such open and direct communication when it came to matters of things that she needed.
“A year behind!” he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. It sounded like he was smacking his lips together instead. “Well, no matter. You’re a clever girl. We can get you some online classes to get you caught up before the school year, if you’re willing to do the work. Or I suppose we could just get you enrolled for the year you missed if you’d prefer to take it easy? It’s no trouble either way, I don’t want you to burn yourself out. I can help you, of course. But I suppose there’s a bit to go over.”
He adjusted himself but he looked almost scholarly with how he sat so tall and poised.
“I got Atticus a new life on paper. He went to speak to the Code about getting an appearance change. If you’re looking for a whole new life, you’ll need to visit the Code, but if you’re just looking for some legal documents, of course. That’s easy enough. I can get you anything you need. I can get you ‘out of the system.’ Do you have an idea for who you want to be, what you want your paperwork to say?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2024 8:01 pm
“A whole year behind…I mean. Kind of. Half a year behind? When I went to the home I had some classes but. That’s besides the point…and I’m willing to do the work! I might have to stay here for a bit while I do it unless you can somehow get wifi up on Stirling…”
If anyone could...it would be Soleiyu but.
“Nah, I don’t want a new appearance...I’m perfect just the way I am…but I want…Brooklyn Bridges to become…I don’t know.”
She shuffled her foot slightly and flopped herself back against the couch. “Brooklyn Vendove or something.”
Her cheeks grew warm slightly and she gave a sigh. “When I was younger. That was the like…name of the family I made up. They adopted me and we lived happily ever after so…tell the feds I got my happily ever after and I can go about my life and…find my happily ever after.”
Brooklyn was no longer looking at Soleiyu, and she watched the corner of the room, not wanting to look at him. “Don’t judge me for that…it was a stupid fantasy and I was little. We all had our fantasy families. I just. I don’t know. I’ve always liked the last name. And I guess. I could just. Be who I wanted. But…you know. As me. Besides. Brooklyn Bridges is such a stupid name and I’ve always hated it…”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2024 8:02 pm
“Why would I judge you for that? I think that sounds like a nice dream. Vendove is a lovely last name. And it’s unique. It suits you.”
He tilted his head as he watched her. Even if she wasn’t looking at him, he was trying to take in what he could. Brooklyn could be bold and loud but she could be evasive and secretive. Sometimes it was easy to miss things. All teenagers were like that. He’d been around Brooklyn enough that he thought he could sometimes read between the lines and pick out what she wasn’t quite saying.
“I don’t know if I can get you wifi up on Lysithea. I’ve tried, I can make a ‘cloud based system’, but it’s all local. It takes too long for the data to transmit to and from Earth. But I could get you a ‘preloaded internet,’ probably. Upload all of the websites you’d need so you can interact with them normally. You’d just have to be back on Earth to actually connect and submit things. We’ll see.”
It didn’t sound too hard, there were definitely resources available online. He’d build a whole ‘faux-internet’ if that’s what it took to help her catch up with things and get ready for the next school year.
“Staying here would, of course, be easier. I’m certain there’s a place for you. You’ll just have to let me know what you prefer. And you’ll have to help me figure out some of the finer details for your paperwork. Emancipated? Adopted out? New backstory entirely? You should tap into that creativity of yours. You can write whoever you want to be, I’ll make it happen.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2024 8:03 pm
“If there’s a place I can stay…I’d like that. It doesn’t have to be here. Like, if you put a shed out back or something I can crash there. I’m resourceful, you know that.”
It would…it would be nice to have warm food every night. Not that she wasn’t getting better with cooking! It just…would be nice to not have to cook for herself for a while. “You’ve tried to get internet up in Space? I figured, honestly if anyone in the universe could, it would absolutely be you. But I’m super comfortable in a tent, or on an air mattress, I’m easy and don’t need much! Promise!”
Brooklyn finally looked back at Soleiyu and gave a soft laugh. “...Thank you. I’m…I’ve wanted to talk to you about this for months but…I’ve never had the courage…I’m glad you’re making it seem like it’s not going to be that big of a deal…and um….maybe Emancipated? I’m not…I mean.” She shrugged. “I’m old enough for that, I guess.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2024 8:04 pm
“You were afraid to talk to me?” Soleiyu asked with visible surprise. “Don’t ever be. I like projects. It’s in a Mauvian’s nature to help, you know. So please come to me. Don’t talk yourself out of it.”
Brooklyn liked to do things herself. She liked to show herself and the world that she was strong and independent, that she didn’t need people. And, maybe she didn’t. But it was nice when friends could help, wasn’t it?
Soleiyu asked for help whenever he needed it. Or wanted it. He didn’t feel lesser for it. But he also wasn’t suffering from teenage angst or the difficulties of growing up in the foster system while fending for yourself so there wasn’t much to compare to, really.
She always seemed to hold people somewhat at arm’s length so he wasn’t sure if she’d be comfortable staying with everyone here but of course that offer was open. He wanted to give her all of the options available to her, though. Just in case she had other preferences.
“I’ll have to see what Tobias is doing with the house next door,” he hummed. “I know there were some renovations going on. I think they had to do something with the foundation? Oh, I don’t know, it seems like it’s always something else. Maybe Tobias keeps changing things up because he likes bossing people around.”
Soleiyu seemed too amused to have actually thought poorly of Tobias, though. “There, or here, we’ll get it all sorted. You’ll have a roof over your head. And dinner and wifi and good company and whatever else you might need. So don’t be shy about asking, all right?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2024 8:06 pm
“Not…not like, afraid of you. Just. Of disappointment, I think. But.”
Brooklyn looked suddenly interested at the idea of the house next door, though she didn’t say anything, the sudden light in her eyes was telltale enough.
“All right. I’ll…figure out where I want to go to school…I don’t think I want to go back to St. Mags but…I’ll think on it…Meadowview and Crystal have really good uniforms…but…I don’t know. I’ll get back to you…but thank you, Soleiyu. Seriously.”
She….was excited to be someone else. To be…the girl she had wanted to be when she was a kid. A stupid. Hopeful…longing kid.
“I’m going to go raid the kitchen! I’m sure that they won’t mind too much!”
And there was always good food in the kitchen, between Talia and Evan. And…after all of this…emotional talking…Brooklyn Vendove was hungry.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
