8/20 Instance: Return of the Glowing Gerbil

[tears~fall~like~glass]

Timelined for the day after [Instance]Heroic Mode.


Miles: Miles webbed down the hall an landed at Sue's door. He held the box, punctured with air holes, tightly and safely under his arm. Knocking on the door he whistled a Kid CuDi tune as he waited for her response.

Sue: Sue looked up from her book and made the door invisible, waving Miles in.

Miles: Miles walked forward, his face hitting the door. "Oof! That smarts."

Sue: Sue rolled her eyes, "The door is still there, just invisible. Why do people do that all the time?"

Miles: "Because they're not used to it?" He said, making a grab for where he expected the door knob to be. Nothing. He took a couple extra swipes. "Where's the knob?"

Sue: Sue sighed and made the door visible again.

Miles: He found the knob, turned it, entered, and held out a box. "A gift for you. I hear you've been lonely, secluded, bored, and all-around-anti-social. So I brought you an entertaining friend." He opened the box slightly to reveal a fuzy, glowing, squeaking thing. A hue of green, like a neon glow-stick for cave diving, shone out of the box. "If you turn the lights off you can see him in all his alien-like-beauty."

Sue: She blinked at the contents of the box. "He only ate one of them..." She quickly closed the lid and wrapped the box in a field to prevent escape. They were crafty!

Miles: "You-- he what? I'm sorry, I found this guy in the wine cellar. You're telling me someone has more than one of these? And they're eating them?"

Miles: "... Glowing poop. That's what I'm seeing right now."

Sue: "They're one of Curt's experiments. He thought Lizard ate two of them but apparently not..." She made the box invisible, "How did you catch him?"

Miles: "... I'm like a spider. We catch things." He said, indicating a flick of his wrist.

Sue: "Yeah but these guys are fast and tricky..." she narrowed her eyes at the gerbil.

Miles: "Well, now he's your fast and tricky little guy." He said happily. "Happy uh.... Birthday? I guess. Or Thursday, even. I have no idea when your birthday is."

Sue: "April 1st." She supplied, "And I can't keep him, he belongs to science... and Curt."

Miles: "Well... Curt thinks he's dead. He's already been calculated as such in the lab logs, if Curt knows proper science studies (which I'm assuming the dork does), so take it. No one will know the difference... until it's dark."

Sue: "Where am I supposed to put it? I don't have anything to keep it in and I'd have to buy it... things..."

Miles: "Well, here's the deal. I'm going to grab an empty tank from downstairs, fill it with fluff, and give him a water bottle for you. You refill the water in a sink, you get more fluff and stuff from downstairs, and you cut up paper towel rolls for him to chew and maybe buy him a wheel when you have the cash. Problem solved."

Miles: "Also, you have plenty of places to keep it now that Johnny took your computer." He said with a frown. "Which... I also want to help you with that too."

Sue: "It needs food too! It can't survive on cardboard..." she frowned, "Johnny says I can only have my computer for homework."

Miles: "Seeds are pretty easy, but just to make your life easier I'll grab some gerbil feed from downstairs too." He smiled at Sue. "Well... how's about I make you a new one? Made for gaming."

Sue: "Johnny will kill you. He's trying to get me out of my room not encourage people to make it more tempting for me to stay." She watched the gerbil scrabble at its invisible box prison. "Are we even allowed pets?"

Miles: "Yes and no. Just don't tell anyone, sorta don't ask-don't tell around here from what I can tell." And he frowned at her. "You know you could try giving it a shot then, if he's so sure about it. I mean, I respect Johnny and all but I just thought I'd help a fellow nerd out. But if he's so set on this, maybe you should go out sometime."

Sue: "I think May might notice the gerbil... But no one else comes in here so I suppose it'll be okay..." she frowned. "I don't have any reasons to go out."

Miles: "Sure you do! Come out with me sometime!"

Sue: "And do what? All the things I used to go out and do I can't do here... I'll have to get all new hobbies and I don't know where to start because I don't really know anyone..."

Miles: "Uhh... me? We can go do some nerdy stuff together! There's a gaming and tech expo in the city soon I was gonna go to! And begining of the school year second hand computer supplies sale at Empire State!"

Sue: "There's an expo? See? This is why it sucks that Johnny took my computer! How else am I supposed to know about these things?!"

Miles: "Yeah, well, now you got me! It's on the 16th you coming?"

Sue: "Yes! I'm not sure nerdy things is what Johnny had in mind with this grounding from my computer but he's just going to have to deal with it."

Miles: "He is. It's who you are, so he has to deal with it." Miles agreed. "Hey, if you ever wanna hang out and do nerd stuff, I have like.... a lifetime supply of Mountain Dew in my room. Anytime you wanna drop by, you're more than welcome."

Sue: She smiled, "That'd be good.... and then I can point out that I'm not in my room... and I can bug Johnny at the same time. I like this plan."

Miles: He winked. "Two stones with one bird." he said.

Sue: "Yes. Exactly." she grinned, "He's so going to regret taking my computer."

Miles: "So I have a question to you about uh... knowing if girls like you. I imagine, as a lesbian, you have to sorta gauge if someone is actually interested or if they're harmfully flirting and/or just being a nice friend? In other words, you read women better than most women (I would assume, and I'm sorry if that's a bad generalization)."

Sue: "Well actually I'm kind of new at the lesbian thing... Only been doing it a year and Mel's kind of.... obvious when she likes you. She's as subtle as a brick to the face, that one. But I can try to help. I mean, last I checked I'm still a girl myself..."

Miles: "And I could use all the help I can get." He admitted. "I'm really confused about this."

Sue: She set the gerbil down on the desk and put her book on top of the box, making sure to leave some of the airholes uncovered but dropping her both kinds of field from it so she could pay proper attention to Miles. "I'll do my best."

Miles: "Okay... I'm a black kid from the streets and my uncle always told me I was never going to fit in with other people. Not just 'cause of my ethnicity or anything, but because of where I'm from. When my parents worked to get me into a lottery school he told them, and me, that no mater what they did it wasn't worth it 'cause the school wouldn't accept me."

Miles: "And now i'm here and I feel the same way all over again. I felt guilty, like I didn't deserve the spot at the school. I knew I worked hard for it, but I didn't think it was the right place for me. Gymnastics, mathematics, ballet, it didn't feel right. Now I'm here and I feel like it's the same story. And I like this really nice girl and she's from Antwerp or something and she's really pretty but I just... Don't fit."

Miles: "I don't fit in, Sue. I don't know how to get her to notice me, without acting like a total ass."

Sue: "What do you mean you don't fit? You're a mutant and a nerd. That's two things we have in common already. If you don't think the classes you're taking are for you, pick different ones." She shrugged, "And if the girl is nice and you're nice then I don't see why she wouldn't notice that you're nice and like you for that."

Sue: She leaned back against the wall, "Your uncle sounds like an ass."

Miles: "This isn't news to me. He's been in and out of jail, but he knows the community well so I credit him with that. He knows where he and my dad come from and he thinks my dad is pretending to be someone he's not, and just... he's not always wrong. He's wrong how he says things, but he's not wrong."

Miles: "And it's not just the classes here it's .... I don't know. I don't really have any friends. I have Hope, I guess. Jess when she's not trying to kill me 'cause I piss her off, your brother, and you. That's really it."

Sue: "Well he's wrong about you. The only reason you wouldn't fit in is if you were holding back because you're worried you won't. And you have more friends than I do..." she sighed, "I was at Uni in the UK before I came here. Did you know that? I was there for a whole year and I made some friends and then I had to come here and start again. And it's been kind of awful."

Miles: "Well, to be fair, you have the same problem I do. I'm putting myself out at all the wrong places and trying to be cool rather than make friends. You're hiding and expecting friends to come to you, the way I do, but just the opposite end of the spectrum. We're sorta in the same boat. I suggest we work together on this."

Miles: He eyed the door carefully and then said softly to her "... Wanna throw a party?"

Sue: She frowned a little, "I don't really like parties... I'm not good at them... all nervous and hide-in-a-corner-y...."

Miles: "I'll do all the planning, you just show up and take credit, huh? I got all the supplies already. We can even have a DDR competition or other stuff too! C'mooooon, Sue! It'll be fun! And maybe Jess will notice me!"

Miles: He covered his mouth, realizing he revealed his secret interest.

Miles: "I mean-uh... that girl. Who is not Jess."

Sue: Sue giggled a little, "Well we'd have to do it in like the rec room or somewhere... then people could wander in by accident too..."

Miles: "Yeah! It'd be easy, trust me! Girrrrll, I' got dis!" he squeaked.

Sue: "I hope so because I have no idea how to organise a party..."

Miles: "I do. Trust me. And backing up a bit, can you tell me if a girl avoiding talking about having a crush on you means she actually has a crush on you?" He realized he was being a bit a-d-d but the realization that he could throw a party, maybe score a make-out session with Jess, was very intriguing.

Sue: "Hmm...." Sue thought about that one, "I could but it could also mean she doesn't have a crush. Depends on the girl and the method of evasion."

Miles: "... Okay, someone like Jess?" He asked, now that the cat was more-or-less out of the bag. He imagined a rainbow going over his head stating "THE MORE YOU KNOW".

Sue: She wrinkled her nose a little, "I don't know... I don't know her very well... she seems kind of cagey though so... maybe she's just scared of admitting feelings or something? Or maybe she's freaked out because of everything with Danny?"

Miles: "Yeah... But I'm way better than that idiot! I'm better than a lot of guys."

Sue: "Well then show her that." She smiled, "It's simple."

Miles: He stared at her, trying to think of a more appropriate response than what he settled on. "... How?"

Sue: She frowned again, "You really don't know?"

Miles: "Uh... be chill? Take her to a dance and tell she's the prettiest girl at the ball?"

Sue: She shook her head, "Nooooo. That's exactly what you don't do. You'll scare her off. You have to be subtle. Like a thief in the night. And steal her heart." She nodded sagely.

Miles: "Steal? Her heart?" He thought of his Uncle. How would Hobbie do it? "Lemme ask this, how do I steal the heart of someone who thinks she doesn't have one to give? And more importantly, how do I sweep a girl off her feet when she sticks to everything?"

Sue: She giggled, "Subtlety, Miles. Not everything is grand gestures and speeches. Work on the little things. Be her friend. The best relationships start out as friendships."

Miles: "I don't know how that's gonna work. I can't look at her without picturing her top off." He admitted. "I mean, I do care about her. I just... friends don't fixate their eyes on the chest region."

Sue: "Well you're probably just showing your age there. Johnny's just as bad." She patted him sympathetically. "It's not your fault and I'm sure she's used to it. Maybe she doesn't even notice?"

Miles: "... Maybe. I dunno many girls who don't notice when you're undressing them with your eyes." He said, partially admitting that she should probably be aware of it now.

Sue: "Well yeah but not all of them used to do what she did. She's probably totally used to people looking at her like that... and you know, her boobs are kind of huge and distracting..."

Miles: "They're pretty great, huh?" He said with a smile growing across his face, his attention visibly melting away.

Sue: Sue clicked her fingers in front of his face, "Hey! Eyes off the prize. You need a plan first!"

Miles: "Bwah-huh? Yeah... but... what? A plan? How? I don't even know how to talk to her without sounding like a total prick. I have no game with girls like that! I'm used to girls who like loud boom boxes, or ballet! Kind of a big difference it sounds like, but I don't know how to impress girls who are any different!"

Sue: "Just be yourself, be nice to her be a friend. I already said that. Get to know what she likes and then do those things with her, maybe you'll like them too."

Miles: "... She likes to have sex, I think?" He said with a shrug and a smirk.

Sue: Sue laughed and gave him a shove, "Well that's something to work towards. Little things, Miles. Little things. Like... does she like museums or markets or walks in the park? Feeding the pigeons? Monster truck rallies? Find these things out."

Miles: "... I think she likes sitting on the roof and being quiet." He said, thinking hard. "I'll think about it though. I'll do some digging. Thanks Sue! Okay, I'm gonna get that gerbil feed, tank, and water bottle. I'll come right back up!" He web-zipped out of the room with a wave.

Sue: "Okay... thanks, I guess." she eyed the box, "I hope you're less mean than your buddies..."