khajidont | MoM IC Contact

It's okay everyone makes digs on the hair. I think it's like a mean magnet.

[HE'S GOING TO SHAVE IT OFF ONE DAY. Other than that, though... YIKES. Does she know? Is she certain, or is she just throwing guesses out there? What does he say?

Deflect! Deflect, deflect, nothing suspicious to see here, nosiree, not at all!]

And I think you'd be a little surprised by how not rowdy my company actually is when you get to know them. They're all rough on the outside with ooey gooey centers. It's kind of a running trend.

I guess you're right though I like people who keep it short and simple too. I didn't actually listen to the guy talking at my graduation. I was playing on my phone

[ Good deflection. She honestly does wonder a little bit, for a lot of reasons - little things he's said, skills he's got, the fact that he's got such a strong conscience but gives no indication that he ever uses his powers to back that conscience up - and if he'd tried to fight her on it, that little fire of curiosity would get fed. Just letting it breeze past doesn't give her any kindling. ]

'Running trend.' PLEASE tell me that was intentional. And I don't expect any of those graduation speeches are worthwhile, anyway. They're all pretty predictable - go out, join the workforce, make yourself a productive member of society.

What can I say I've got a wit

I went to an elementary school graduation too. That one wasn't so bad.

Elementary school?

Yep. Sometimes elementary schools will have little graduations too for the kids and a kid I know was graduating so we all went to cheer him on. It was pretty cute

[ She was more unclear on what elementary school entailed (but a quick run to Google after he answers tells her all she needs to know). ]

That's sweet. And really weird. They're just doing more school after that, right? But it's still really sweet. And I bet the speech was less unbearable. Less of 'diligent work will serve the glory of your nation' and more of 'well done, all of you.'

Yeah they're doing a lot more school. It's kind of a congratulations on getting this far and to say good bye once they go to a new school? The speech is all about opportunities and how great they're gonna do. They read from some picture book too.

Plus there was cake

Oh, that's REALLY sweet. What a completely lovely thing to do. The kids must have been awfully excited.

It takes a little more than that to excite the kid I know but I think he had fun anyway. The rest of them were pretty excited too. Where I'm from they always read a poem to the kids on the graduation. It's kinda cheesy but it's sweet too. Hold on I think I remember the part I had to memorize when I was in school

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And you are the one who'll decide where to go."

Not a bad one for little kids right?

[it's so cheesy, and read constantly, but whatever. There's certainly worse out there.]

Aw, I'm applauding! And no, that's BRILLIANT for little kids. And for some adults, for that matter. Everyone can use reminding now and again that they're in charge of their own lives.

Had a funny feeling you'd like that one. I think that's probably what my graduation ceremony back home would be more about. We're a little less patriotic than this world is I guess?

Oh, but you all still have to do that creepy pledging your loyalty to the flag thing, right?

Yeah actually you're right.

[He never thought much about it. He just sort of sleepily mumbled his way through it and got one with his day.]

Eugh. There's something wrong with the world when even the SANER countries try to program their subjects into blind unquestioning obedience.

I don't think it really works that way

No?

Well if it worked we really would be robots. As it is, half of the country is usually busy yelling at the other half cause they don't like the government

I don't know. I've heard a LOT of people going on about the greatness of America. Never mind their feelings about their government, but their loyalty to the country itself is rather mindless.

[Jaime actually doesn't answer for about a minute, minute and a half, which is different from his usual texts. Is he working up a big, rousing speech about why Kitty's wrong? About why she's right?

Not so much. Instead, he just winds up typing:]

I've never thought about it like that.

Yeah...I don't know. A country is just an idea, right? Even more than a government is just an idea. But people love it so fiercely...'I love my country, but I don't like my government' people say, and that first part is ALWAYS there if the second part is. Sometimes I wonder why. It's true for me too, for what it's worth.

I guess it makes sense. I mean when people talk about the country they're talking about the people right? Not just the government. And the land. And what the land stands for. I know with America there's always people talking about getting second chances

[His Dad talks about that a lot. He's gotten the speeches about America, land of opportunity since he was a little kid.]

I guess...though, I don't know. How often do you actually see second chances? I mean, you've got the ability to declare bankruptcy here instead of going to debtors prison, so that's something. But...Otherwise, how much of it is just rhetoric?

I don't know about here but at least some of it is true back home. I mean not all of it obviously but it was true for my family? There was no work or food in the village my grandparents grew up in so they had to cross the border. It worked out pretty good for them and if they'd stayed in Mexico

Well from the sounds of it I wouldn't be here

They were allowed to do that? Cross over to find work?

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