And On Your Left You'll See a Tourist Mingle

[takingkarabusiness]

Who: Tourists and visitors
Broadcast: nah
Action: The Tourist!
When: April!!!

[ what do you mean the month is half over? this is a mingle people! ]

Comments

[takingkarabusiness]

[ she adjusts her glasses self-consciously ]

I'm sure you say that to all the Kryptonians you meet.

[beathach]

[he tries not to smile and fails miserably]

No, just one.

[takingkarabusiness]

[ his smile is contagious and she squeezes his hand a little ]

So, you're going to build that school. What will your role be?

[beathach]

Well I'm not - it's Charles' school, I'm just helping. [he can't take credit for it, that was all Charles' vision]

And I guess my role is teacher again? I don't know exactly what I'll be teaching yet, though. Likely something to do with the sciences, though, considering. And - well, helping others control their powers as well, but that sort of goes without saying.

[takingkarabusiness]

It seems like you're both really invested in it, though.

I don't know if I'd have the patience for teaching, though. It takes a certain kind of disposition.

[beathach]

It's something our world needs. A safe place for mutants to learn how to be themselves.

[that's why he's invested; it wasn't something he had growing up]

It . . . yeah, it does. [he lets out a huff of laughter] That and a lot of patience.

[takingkarabusiness]

Something I'm remarkably short on, really.

[beathach]

It's definitely an acquired skill. I mean, doing the work I've done in the past meant having a lot of patience, but it's different when it comes to people.

I kind of - er, have a temper sometimes, so between that and learning how to be patient with people - teenagers - is . . . well. I don't know how Charles managed it.

[takingkarabusiness]

Teenagers are kind of the worst. I don't know how Alex's mom survived both of us at the same time.

[beathach]

I don't know how anyone survives teenagers.

But then again I kind of - skipped over that part.

[takingkarabusiness]

What do you mean?

[beathach]

I was sort of - graduating college when I was a teenager. I was too busy with my studies to do any - er, normal teenager things.

[takingkarabusiness]

[ she laughs a little—it's good-natured, a little surprised, but mostly impressed ]

Wow. That's... that's incredible. Have you won a Nobel prize yet? You seem like someone who would win a Nobel prize.

[beathach]

[noooooo wow look at this wall over there, it's so interesting all of a sudden]

Thanks? And, uh - no, I'm relatively unknown in my field. Which - I'm perfectly okay with, especially considering I haven't done anything worth earning one.

[takingkarabusiness]

Well, that's clearly just a matter of time.

And here I was being a gawky teenager while you were getting a college degree.

[beathach]

Heh, we'll see.

[he huffs out an amused sound] Because genetics is so much more fun than being a gawky teenager.

[takingkarabusiness]

Actually, yes.

You know, when I first showed up, I was fascinated by birds. We never had them on Krypton. Poor Alex must've been so embarrassed by me.

[beathach]

[he glances over, quirking a smile]

Isn't that what siblings do, though? Embarrass each other?

[takingkarabusiness]

I think at the time I was just some really weird girl who'd shown up from space to steal her clothes and make her friends uncomfortable.

[beathach]

[he kind of winces a little]

Ouch. But it worked out though, right?

[takingkarabusiness]

Yeah, it did. She really is my sister, and I love her.

Do you have any siblings?

[beathach]

I'm glad.

[he shakes his head, then pauses thoughtfully] I have - I mean, Viva was like a little sister to me. Eveningstar, too. If you look at it that way, then I had a few. But in the McCoy family, I'm an only child.

[takingkarabusiness]

Same in the Zor-El family for me.

Found family is so important, though. And I'm not just saying that because I'm a space orphan.

[beathach]

It - yeah, it's really important. I'm still sort of getting - used to it? Erik and Charles are - they're family, but it's different with them, too. More . . . complicated, given our histories.

The found family thing started in Kyriakos for me. Teams were sort of like a second family.

[takingkarabusiness]

Yeah?

I still don't think I totally understand what that's about. The other worlds, and teams.