maskormenace | [SOUND ONLY]

Sure, it's your choice, and nothing necessarily bad will happen if you don't. I never had to deal with truancy officers, but I also put in the work to ensure that I would be legally recognized as an adult for this matter.

That said, I think it would do you some good. You still have quite a lot to learn about interacting with humans.

So I'm told. But from what I can tell, school isn't about teaching me that.

And what do you mean, recognised as an adult? They're going to come after me if I don't?

Well, truancy officers are a thing. They're a branch of law enforcement who ensure that children are attending school. That said, I think it's incredibly likely that they'll ignore imPort students. They must have their hands full enough with their own.

And I wouldn't underestimate what they can teach you there. It can go a long way to familiarizing someone unfamiliar with this world, at least for a while. The things they do teach can be important to survival in this society.

What I need to survive is already contained in me.

[Kaworu might be missing the point. On the other hand, maybe not.]

If I have the freedom to go where I choose, the right to act of my own will and decide for myself... I would rather that than remain beholden to whatever expectation others place on me.

[This is also why he refused to register, incidentally.

It's becoming something of a trend. Once he'd discovered that he'd been given the power to say 'no,' Kaworu began to exercise it at pretty much every opportunity.]

I don't just mean survival in the most literal terms. As I said, survival within a certain society. I've talking about adaptation, learning to navigate the life you'll be leading here.

[ Though, personally, that's pretty important to general survival for Kanaya. Not dying is easy, but living requires being among other people. She'd only wilt in hermitude. ]

Let's face it, Kaworu, you have no idea what you're doing out there. School not only teaches one the fundaments of contemporary human knowledge, it puts one among a populace of others within the same age group. It will give you the opportunity to observe them, to understand them, and ideally help you determine how best to live among them.

That, I think, is the part you need.

That's what I mean.

The life I'll lead here is my choice, isn't it?

--or isn't it?

[He's just ignoring that entire spiel about age groups.]

The life I'll lead, and whether or not it has anything to do with society... it seems like you've also decided for me what I'll be doing.

Isn't that a little unfair?

[ She's honestly baffled where he got anything he just said from what she did, and it shows all over her face. ]

I haven't decided anything for you, I've only made a sensible recommendation. Also, you're trying to depend on fairness again. By all means, if you'd like to live apart from society, you're welcome to move somewhere far away from it and try to ignore it.

But, as you haven't done so yet, it would at least appear to seem as though you intend to continue living among humans. If that's true, it would be better for you to actually understand how to do that, because you're just a mess out there. A complete, horrendous mess.

So? Is that all you have to say?

[Honestly, Kanaya.]

Just because I don't understand Lilim now doesn't mean I'll want to act like one if I do. You don't think I've been trying?

Maybe I can't leave. But I don't want to serve Lilim's ambitions, either.

Distancing myself from it is the next best thing.

[ It's just like a child to brush off her advice and decide it's too much trouble, when he doesn't want to put any work in. The boy doesn't have any sense, that's been his problem from the start. And now, of course, he's depending on that lack of sense to make decisions for him. ]

You don't have to act like them, either. And certainly not "serve their ambitions", whatever that means. But it's wise to find a way to adapt, and you're not very well equipped to do that now. Of course you aren't going to have much success now, it's process you're only in the natal stages of.

But, if you don't think interacting with any of them is something you want to do, then perhaps it would be a pointless endeavor. But that's only if you don't want to interact with any of them, imPorts included.

[You know, from the OTHER room in the house. After Kanaya's.]

I agree with Kanaya. I doubt either of us would force you but it would probably be best for you.

[But also she's a hypocrite; she never went to high school either.]

[You know, Aerith....

...if he'd wanted his housemates' biased opinions, he'd have asked them directly while everyone was in the kitchen.]

If I was human, maybe.

But I have nothing to gain from what they wish to teach me.

[DON'T SASS YOUR MOMS, KARL]

... Well... What would you be interested in learning about? Let's start there.

[YOU'RE NOT HIS REAL MOMS.

HE'S HIS REAL MOM.]

What I'm interested in....?

The human heart.

I want to know what it feels like. What humans feel... what makes them feel the way they do. The feeling of being human... of loving another person. Of being loved by another person. What is happiness? What is fear? How do humans survive, if their feelings are so fragile?

That's what I want to learn.

Edited (I accidentally posted before I was done hurrr) 2016-10-31 05:15 (UTC)

... Have you ever considered just asking us?

[Her delivery could have been nicer.]

I could help you with that, I think.

I'm not interested in being told about it.

[His delivery also leaves something to be desired.]

I want to see it with my own eyes. Then I'll know.

[If that was all he wanted, he could read a book. But he doesn't trust secondhand accounts of humanity any more. Even a firsthand account is suspect.

People have too many ulterior motives, and lie to themselves too much.]

You know... [There's a smirk in her voice.] I think I know how to do that.

[An actual superhero is probably convincing, right?]

Even in my universe, you technically didn't have to go to school. You just have to accept the consequences.

Which back home was generally become part of the X-Men or end up with a crappy job. Usually the second one since the X-gene really isn't that common.

[Sorry, Kaworu doesn't do videos. Only disembodied voices with black screens. It's just how he was raised.]

I don't know what that means. This is about having a job?

Edited (Do you ever totally forget your paid is out? No? Just me?) 2016-10-31 05:25 (UTC)

[Cindy huffs, and changes to audio, too. Waste of a good mask day.]

It's more like, school is supposed to prepare you for the future. Maybe not always in a job way, but even just going to school and being around different people is important.

And I liked school. For what it's worth.

The future?

[Now he just sounds amused. It's gone quickly.]

It has nothing to do with me, then.

That's a relief, though. I can do what I wish to do with my time.

[Now that his time belongs to him.]

[This is not going as planned.]

It definitely helps with stuff you do today, too! So many extracurriculars! That delicious cafeteria lunch! Lockers are cool!

[Maybe Cindy has no idea what's appealing to teenagers nowadays.]

Okay, just... think of it as an opportunity. Not everyone gets offered this one, so you should at least give it a try.

As an imPort? They really don't require it from you. I do, but it was my choice to enroll, and I know a few people that don't. Some people will even enroll in a school level that matches their ability more than their age if that suits them better.

They give us weird privileges like that.

I don't think my ability has a level.

[The delivery is incredibly flat.]

I'd really rather not, if it's my choice. But it seems to be expected of me regardless of how I feel.

I meant more like your academic level. I had a friend before who was already in college so he did that and skipped the rest. He was sixteen last time he was here.

Seriously though, even if people are expecting things nobody's going to require it or be allowed to force you. If you don't want to attend, you don't have to.

Go to school.

[He's not even going to answer the question, just bluntly say that.]

Why?

[If Shinji won't explain himself, then Kaworu won't bother with trying to give his reasons either!]

Because it'll make things easier.

I doubt anyone could make you but you'll avoid a lot of annoying questions if you just go.

Easier for who?

[Because school isn't easy. It's difficult. And aggravating.

He has yet to turn in more than a handful of assignments he didn't copy from someone else. He's not ashamed of it, or even capable of being embarrassed about it, but after so many weeks of it, even he can tell this isn't actually gaining him anything.]

I'm not fooling anyone by going.

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