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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"She does," Ingress says, clearly proud of the fact. "I picked her as a teacher instead of Tom and Door. I've had lots of different teachers for weapons training, but I never picked my own before."

"Oh."

Meg . . . well. Meg has been introduced to a lot of new and strange-to-her ideas since she came to Milliways. But, um, Ingress seems a little young to have had "lots of different teachers for weapons training."

So if Ingress could just give her a second to process . . .

"I bet Laura is a good teacher," she says.

"She really is. I've learned a lot. And when I go to Valdemar next, the weapons master will be impressed. I'm going to go to school there soon, so I can be a Herald. That's a kind of soldier for the Queen."

"I'm not surprised. Laura's good person to know."

Pause.

"Valdemar," Meg repeats, carefully. "Is that where you're from?"

"It's not where I'm from, but it's where I'll live as a grown up. It's kind of hard to explain."

She's starting to become aware of the confused looks on people's faces when she tries to explain Megwyn.

"All right," Meg says.

"You can try to explain, if you want. I'll listen."

Meg will try to understand.

"You don't have to, though."

"Oh, well, Megwyn found me in Milliways. She Chose me to be her Herald. She's a Companion of Valdemar, you see. Um, she looks like a white horse, but she's not a horse, really. It's all magic."

Honestly? The part of that that Meg finds oddest is that the not-a-horse almost has her name.

"So you'll go to Valdemar and be a Herald, because Megwyn . . . how did she choose you?"

"She looked into my heart and she knew I would grow up and be a good Herald."

. . . oh, of course.

"Well, then I'm sure you will," Meg says.

"How did you wind up choosing Laura as a teacher?"

"Tom and Door usually pick my teachers for me, but I got to know Laura, and she was on Security, so I knew she had to be good at fighting. Lan had just left, and he taught us both sword lessons, so I asked her and she said yes."

"That seems a very sensible way to go about things," Meg says.

And it does.

Meg approves of sensible ways to go about things.

". . . who are Tom and Door?"

"Door's my older sister and Tom's her husband. They take care of me, because our parents were murdered. It's okay, though. They take really good care of me."

Meg's expression gets very serious.

It's not okay, but she's not sure that would be a helpful thing to say.

"I'm glad you have someone to take really good care of you," Meg says.

A pause.

"Older sisters can be good for that."

"She's the best sister in the whole wide world."

"She sounds like it," Meg says.

And there's nothing, really, in her expression or her tone, to suggest that there could be anything about the topic of big sisters that would be awkward for her.

She smiles.

"The only problem here is that you might have to specify which world.

"There seem to be a lot."

She thinks about this for a moment and then she starts laughing.

"She's the best in all the worlds!"

"That's a good answer," Meg says.

"You'll have to tell her you decided that."

"She knows. I tell her lots."

"That's good," Meg says.

A slight pause.

"Did you get a root beet float yet?"

She's eyed the table where they are being made. "I think I'm going to go get one right now."

"Can you do me a favor?"

Meg leans forward and lowers her voice to a whisper. "I need someone to do root beer float quality control. Once you have one, will you let me know if there is anything wrong with them?"

"Sure, Meg!"

Ingress can totally do that.

"I'm sure they'll be delicious, but I'll let you know if not."

She waves as she skips over and makes a float. They are delicious, indeed.

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Birthday Party for Laura/X-23

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