[ Inbox - Reverie ]

[holdensteady]

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[holdensteady]

Three Musketeers? [ Holden says with an easy smile. ]

I lean towards Cervantes.

[ That might be a slight understatement. ]

[theycalledmeacurse]

Well, I'll try not to hold that against you. [ She's teasing him, which she hopes is apparent by her mischievous smile. ]

But yes, Les Trois Mousquetaires is my favorite book. I used to teach it in my advanced French classes.

[holdensteady]

[ Holden laughs briefly at the comment. ]

I wouldn't blame you if you did.

[ He raised a brow ]

You were a teacher?

[theycalledmeacurse]

[ He has a nice laugh. She has the impression that he doesn't get to use it much.

Her smile dims to something a bit more somber and she nods. ]

I was. At a boarding school for mutants.

[holdensteady]

[ Holden studies her expression, feeling a bit curious at the change. ]

For mutants?

[theycalledmeacurse]

[ Ah. Right. She's told so many people already, and yet there always seems to be someone else who doesn't know. ]

Humans with genetic differences that result in physical mutations or special abilities. Where I'm from, mutants were a huge part of the population, but they faced discrimination and a whole lotta kids were kicked out of their homes because of what they were. Our school offered them somewhere to go.

[holdensteady]

[ As many as he's run across, this isn't a conversation he's had with anyone just yet. ]

I see. [ His brow furrows because the Protomolocule comes to mind when mutations come up but he doesn't draw a direct correlation at least. ]

Parents would kick their children out for something that was commonplace?

[theycalledmeacurse]

It was still fairly new, mutants had only been "out" for a few decades, and people... [ She's quiet for a moment, her expression tightening in a clear sign that this topic hits close to home. ]

Humans don't handle fear well.

[holdensteady]

[ Holden backs off the subject then but it’s still a difficult one to process. ]

They don’t but as a species we don’t have a very good ability to determine what changes are threats and what are boons.

[theycalledmeacurse]

That's true enough.

[ She pulls in a deep breath and lets it out in a heavy sigh. A sip of her coffee follows and she tries to give him a small smile. ]

Are your conversations always this cheery, sugar?

[holdensteady]

[ Holden looks sheepish a moment and turns his cup in his hand idly. ]

It’s always a toss up. [ His thoughts have weighted heavier more and more often with the experiences shaping his world views changing. ]