noteful | Birthday Party for Laura/X-23

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Birthday Party for Laura/X-23

It's a pretty low-key party, all things considered, and not significantly different than the one Parker or Meg would have thrown in a dorm room for a friend at home, not-exactly-traditional menu not withstanding.

There's music, low enough to talk over (and maybe with a little more folk in the mix than one expects to find a party). Balloons and streamers in purple and blue and red. A place to leave presents. People to meet or catch up with.

And, most importantly, a chance to wish X-23 (or Laura) a very happy birthday.

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"You have to get a small ball into a hole about 300 or 400 yards away. It takes a good deal of focus, physical skill and patience. It's not a thrilling sport, but I find that can let the mind find itself, both as viewer and player." Yes, it's a dull game and mainly a rich white man's game, but it has Zen aspects that are worth the time.

X frowns, very slightly.

"It is like pool."

Beat.

"At larger distances?"

"In some small ways, yes. But what the other players are doing doesn't affect you, and the surface of play is a lot larger. And outdoors." It's really nothing like pool, is it?

"Oh."

X considers this.

"I do not know if I would like it."

"I never thought I would, either. But once I tried, I found there was more to it than I saw on TV." Not that he ever owned a set of clubs or joined a club.

"I have not seen it on television, either."

Maybe X will fix this part of it first.

"It can be a strange thing to watch. The commentators whisper a lot, and there are relentless ads for things no one would ever buy." Like IBM consulting. Which he knows some people do buy, but still seems like an odd thing to advertise.

X frowns, very slightly.

"Why do they whisper?"

Edited 2009-03-05 18:49 (UTC)

"You aren't supposed to make noise on a golf course. Which shouldn't affect reporters with good mikes. I know from experience that a mike can be set to pick your voice up without making it sound like a whisper." But it is tradition.

"Yes. I have used them before."

Beat.

"Maybe they do not have access to adequate technology?"

"No, they just do things a certain way. It's part of the television experience. Not one of the things I miss about it." He takes a bite of salad. Good dressing.

X takes a moment to parse this.

"Oh."

Beat.

"You can still watch movies. Here."

She doesn't get it. Which is fine. She doesn't need to.

"A movie would be nice, I think. How often do you watch them?"

"When friends visit," X says.

"In San Francisco."

This pause is longer.

"And I watched with Stitch. Here. There were pod people."

"Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Reportedly inspired by a true story." OK, rumored to be based on something that happened to the JSA in '50, but never proven. Or talked about by the JSA. "What did you think of it?"

"It did not make sense."

Beat.

"And I do not know if they would have smelled wrong."

"That film assumed that no one with super-powers was involved. Hollywood films rarely used metahumans, since it would ruin the story." And since by the time that film was made, Senator McCarthy had driven the nation into the sort of frenzy the film was warning about, and had also driven the JSA and the rest of the heroes into retirement.

"Oh," X says after a moment. "I did not know."

The amount of movie trivia X knows couldn't even fill a thimble. The amount of potential blackmail information she knows, particularly about corporate muckity-mucks -- there might be more of that.

Who knows?

"A lot of movies from that time tried very hard to ignore the heroes. As did the world. And since then...I guess it's background noise for science fiction and fantasy. I'm not a film expert, though, so I'm not sure about the exact trends." An interesting question, though, and one he wishes he'd asked when alive.

"It does not make sense," X says.

She's still frowning.

"You were there. Superheroes. Like mutants."

And maybe mutants could do with some ignoring, but -- they exist.

"It was complicated for a while. I don't know if your world was like mine but...the 50s was a strange time. Paranoid. A bit silly. And it took a while till common sense about the heroes prevailed." Which might give Laura and Billy and Teddy and Kate hope for their world.

"I do not know, either," X says.

She really doesn't.

That kind of history was never considered necessary.

Maybe she'll read up on it some day soon.

"Something to look up at some time. Or for me to look up if I get to visit.

"But that's not for now. Now you should enjoy your party." And talk to other people, since if he doesn't stop he will monopolize her time.

"Okay."

Beat.

"You should have a good time, too."

It seems like the thing to say.

And maybe he will get to see Marvelverse San Francisco sometimes. X has movies. And popcorn!

And many more party guests to talk to.

"Thank you."

And then she's blending back into the crowd.

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Birthday Party for Laura/X-23

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