Small World

Participants:

elaine_icon.gif mia_icon.gif

Scene Title Small World
Synopsis Four years after they were separated, two friends find each other.
Date October 8, 2010

Central Park, New York City


You ever have one of those days where nothing seems to go right? Well, that was today for Mia. Nothing went right; she woke up early, she's been awake too long, she could only scratch together enough money for a meal…but it all kind of disappears for the young Scot when she hits the park. After taking a minute to ensure everything was squared away, Mia tossed her ball onto the field of grass in front of her—and the girl's day is categorically summarized by the first shot she takes, banging the ball squarely against the crossbar of the goal and sending it flying to the other side of the field. Her head drops, her eyes roll, and Mia jogs off to grab her ball again.

The ball rolls to the footpath through the park, lightly bumping into Elaine's leg. The girl's red hair is tugged into ponytails, long white skirt hides brown boots, while she wears a snug-fitting green long-sleeved shirt. Since the weather's finally starting to get cool, she'd gone for the long sleeves instead of short, but hadn't bothered with a jacket. She shifts the messenger bag that's slung over one shoulder as she bends down, reaching to pick up the ball so she can hand it over to the person approaching.

"Sorreh," the approaching Scot comments, grabbing the ball from the other woman. "No' mean t'interrupt yer walk." She spins the ball on her finger for a second, dropping it down to her foot and starting to juggle it, alternating feet…only to take a second to look over the other woman. She shakes her head a bit, staying quiet for the moment but keeping a rather…odd look on her face, like she was trying to analyze something…

"It's okay. I was just gonna go study anyways," Elaine explains, though her eyes focus on Mia intently. There's a look of confusion. Four years ago, she'd been in Europe. But four years could do a lot, turning a girl of fourteen to a girl of eighteen. Her teeth tug on her lower lip, seeming a little confused. "You're… from Scotland? Glasgow?" She's recognize an accent anywhere.

Nodding a little, Mia flashes a rather cocky smile, "Aye. Onleh been away from home fer a couple'a years now." She knocks the ball up, catching it in both hands before asking, "Ya pick tha' up from six li'l words? Ya live in me 'ome for some time yerself?" She can't help it. There's soemthing…startlingly familiar about the young woman in front of her, but she can't quite put her finger on it…

"No, not for long. I travelled a bit abroad, though. Scotland's always had my heart. I let people think I'm from there, most of the time. I like learnin' accents and the like, and since I was in Glasgow four years ago… had plenty of time to practice since then." Elaine's still peering at Mia skeptically. She's a little confused.

Mia can't help but laugh, "Nobodeh ever questions ya?" In hindsight, why would they; if she can talk with the accent and convince people, why not? A shrug of her shoulder and Mia's moved on to the next thought in her head, "So, ya took Sco'land t'heart, didja? Why's tha'?" To Mia, it was obvious; why WOULDN'T she? But, well…she has to ask.

"Nah, only people who call me out on it are people who grew up 'round those parts. Most people are fooled, and since I've got the whole ginger thing going on…" Elaine points at her hair, "people just seem to believe me. I love it cause my ancestors were from there, way back when. Kinda got in touch with my roots, learned some Gaelic, the history of Scotland is damned fine… people there are fantastic, too."

Mia nods a little bit, listening to Elaine's explanation, "Tha' makes sense. Hard-pressed t'fin' a more…colourful group'a folks'n my family, I'll tell ya tha' for sure." Mia reaches back, untying her ponytail only to tie it right back, obviously having it down to a science by now. "Yer family's from Sco'land, eh? Wha' par'?"

"Edinburgh. But I'm in love with Glasgow, so I'm sure my ancestors are rollin' in their graves. Glasgow's where I studied. Haven't been back there in four years, though… kinda miss it a lot. Might take a trip sometime, if I can afford it." Elaine muses, eyes distant as she recalls fonder memories.

Mia laughs again, a wide smile on her face at this point, "Ya picked the righ' city, girly, tha' much I'm cer'ain of." The analysis continuse in Mia's mind for a second before she shakes her head, taking a moment to just punt the ball in the general direction of the goal, "Ya know…talkin'a the type, I me' a girl back 'ome once…American, bu' she was on some trip…" With her ball discarded for the moment, Mia cocks a hip out to the side a bit, arms folded across her chest, thinking for a moment before adding, "Los' touch wit'er, though…"

"Yeah, after I left Scotland my program travelled around a bit but I had to head back when the bomb hit…" Elaine trails off for a second, staring at Mia for a long moment. No, it couldn't possibly be. She furrows her brow a little bit, eyes perhaps looking a bit hopeful amidst the serious look. "Mia?"

And…THAT's about the point that Mia's jaw drops. Like…to the ground. And the big fat realization of why the girl looks so familiar knocks Mia, metaphorically, to the ground. The English gives way to Gaelic for a moment, the Scotswoman murmuring, "It can' be…" Her head tilts, but the recognized name…the somewhat familiar face…the English returns, but it's only a single word: "'Laine?" She never could get that first E…at least, not originally.

Elaine's just as slack-jawed. This was nearly impossible. Mia should, by all accounts, still be in Scotland where the red-haired girl couldn't find her. After the bomb, losing everything, she didn't have any of her information left on how to contact Mia. Which meant that Mia could have been anywhere. She could be in New York, standing in front of her. The Gaelic's not lost on her either, the redhead falling into it as easily as if it were her native tongue, "You're here…"

"You're…/ALIVE!/" Having lost touch with the other woman, Mia wasn't sure what to expect at this point…and the fact is, she had no idea where Elaine would be at this point. The US was a big place…and Mia had barely covered any of it in her time here. But here she was…in a park, with a soccer ball, and a bad day led to a meeting the woman again. "I…" It's not common that Mia Sinclair's at a loss for words…but she literally has nothing at the moment. And then…for all her tomboyishness, for all the rough-and-tumble attitude that the young Scot has, there's still a girl inside her. And the girl in Mia sneaks out, and without so much as second guessing what she's discovered, she throws her arms around Elaine's neck, hugging the woman about as tight as she's hugged anyone, all the while ranting in her preferred tongue, "You quit messaging, I thought…I thought you got caught in that bomb…"

Elaine laughs at the humor of the circumstances, her arms finding themselves tightly wrapping around the Scot. "No… I was still abroad when it went off and I had to fly back home right after, found out my parents died in the bomb… I lost everything and got thrown around in the system since no one wanted me… lost all info on how to contact you and I tried to find anything I could but… I couldn't find anything." She's preferring the Gaelic anyhow, especially considering she rarely gets to chatter in it anyway. "I'm not dead, but I had a pretty messed up few years…"

It's a good long while before Mia even begins to think about letting go of Elaine…and the story doesn't help much. In fact, if anything, Mia tightens her embrace around her old friend. Hearing the troubles Elaine's had, Mia has to gulp back her own emotion over the whole situation, only managing to get out, "God…I can' imagine…" She gives Elaine's back a rub or two, her attempt at belatedly comforting her friend, before finally letting go of the embrace, commenting, "Ya look like yer doin' be'er now, a'leas'…"

The redhead clings to Mia for a good few minutes before she finally pulls back, glancing at Mia carefully. "Yeah, I got damn lucky. Last few months have been good to me. Life was crap until then. I'm doin' okay for myself now." Elaine blinks carefully at Mia. "But you're here! Why are you in New York?"

Mia laughs a little bit, unable to hide the sly grin. She keeps in the Gaelic tongue for now, preferring for the moment…if only because Elaine picked it up rather well, "After all that happened with the bomb, my family became…political. Somehow, it all sort of fell onto me…" Okay, so that's not the whole truth—Mia knows exactly why she took up this cause, but she isn't sure Elaine will remember, "I ended up becoming one of the more…vocal supporters for the equality movement. Turned 18…left Scotland, for Washington, for a … a kind of rally." Mia shrugs a little, "Didn't go as planned…eventually made my way here."

"Wow… yeah, doesn't surprise me, you bein' vocal." Elaine grins a bit at that. "But you're here… this is… I don't know. It's great! I didn't expect to see you here. You sticking around for good, then?" She seems a bit hopeful at this idea.

"Can't exactly fly home anymore…" Mia rubs the back of her neck a bit, shaking her head, "Amazed the mass alphabet hasn't come chasing me down yet…I'm sure my visa's expired by now, but I can't get it renewed…can't get a plane ticket home…" She's doing everything but flat out admitting she's unregistered—her own, private way of rebelling against a law she doesn't see as valid.

Oh. That's a bit of a problem. "I wouldn't worry too much about that now, Mia. You got me now, you know. If you ever want to go home… I've got a way to get there." Elaine peers at Mia carefully. "You know I've got your back."

Mia shakes her head a little, "Moneh's no' the problem…a'leas', no' the main one…" She laughs a little bit, breathing out a little sigh as she explains, "Ya know me bah now, 'Laine…so I'll jist pu' it as plainly as I can. I don' buy inta tha' bloody Linderman Act. I don' buy inta all tha' talk'a "makin' the world safer fer Evolved folk." So…" She shrugs a bit, leaving the rest to Elaine's imagination for now.

Elaine shakes her head a little bit. "I didn't mean money." The redhead laughs a little, then looks towards her friend. "You're lucky you ran into me. I know some people. You can get away with not getting in the registry if you want."

"Ge' away with i', bah! It should no' bloody exist!" Mia grits her teeth for a second, taking a breath to calm herself down, "I've no' been caught ye', I'm no' too worried abou' it…" She does give her friend another hug, though, smiling, "Thank ya, though, 'Laine. I'll keep tha' in mind." Whether Mia realizes it or not, she's settled rather comfortably against Elaine's shoulder for a moment, just hugging the friend she'd thought she'd lost in the bomb.

"Not like we have a choice, Mia. I never had a choice 'bout it. I got thrown into the foster system after the bomb. They made me." Elaine slides her arm around Mia's waist. "You let me know if you need something, alright?"

Hearing 'they made me' causes Mia to grit her teeth again, knowing everyone's just buying into this 'it is for your own good' talk. She shakes her head just once, then looks up at her friend and nods, "Ya hungry? Dinner would beh nice…" She smirks a little bit, knowing that isn't what Elaine meant but taking advantage of it anyway.

Elaine punches Mia lightly in the shoulder. "Alright, fine, I'll buy you dinner. We got a lot to catch up on anyways. Y'got to tell me all about stuff. You're all political and things now. You'd probably like some of my friends…"

Mia feints a punch back, but grins and nods, "Le' me grab mah ball. You pick the place, eh?" She jogs off to grab her ball that she'd punted off earlier and the gear bag that it landed near. It's a quick jog, not a huge field, but Mia can't help but laugh—to anyone else, a gear bag is a gear bag. To Mia, what was in the gear bag was almost everything she could afford to own at the moment. She picks the ball up, slinging the bag over her shoulder and heading back over toward Elaine.

Elaine smiles warmly back towards Mia. "Chinese good for you? I know a buffet. Great takeout, but if you eat in… all you can eat." She grins, moving to sling an arm around Mia's shoulders. "Gonna be great having you around."

Mia grins and nods, slipping her arm around Elaine's waist in a slightly possessive way, "Yer payin', 'Laine, I'm no' in a place t'complain." She winks and grins, obviously not against the offered Chinese buffet anyway. She smiles, though, finding her head on Elaine's shoulder, "Missed talkin' t'ya, lass…small world, eh?"

"Least I could do, Mia." Elaine laughs, heading off down the street. "Missed talking to you too. Coulda used a friend after the bomb. Was like I lost you too when it happened." She leads the way towards the restaurant. "But we've got a fresh start. Damn small world indeed."


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