They're Not Me

[Demi Smith]

Demi sat atop the little hill, looking down at the gathered people. They seemed so familiar to her: she could recognize the way they moved and some of the songs and whatnot that drifted up from where they gathered. They even smelled familiar. Everything about them reminded Demi painfully of home but... but they weren't her people, they weren't her clan.

The girl sank her head a little further into her knees, letting the tears drive paths down her dirty cheeks. Why had this whole new clan showed up? Demi's clan was fairly close, right? Surely closer than this one. There weren't that many, otherwise people wouldn't have been continually surprised by Demi talking about her beliefs and all that. So why were they here? And more importantly, why weren't Demi's people?

She had technically run away this time. She'd tried to do what she was supposed to, to fill out the request forms. She'd even left them with squad, a note saying that she was going to check out the people. People had told her no. Roxana Strix had even told her no, which had hurt more than Demi cared to admit. The girl sniffed again and reached up to wipe her nose.

The little teen heard movement behind her. she shifted enough to look over her shoulder. "Go away," she nearly croaked. She took another deep breath before looking back. "They're not me..." she reached up to wipe at her face before shouting it: "THEY'RE NOT ME!" she wasn't even sure anyone would hear her, except maybe the person behind her, and she wasn't even completely convinced that wasn't a very surprised squirrel or something.

[Roxana Strix]

Roxana had assured them that she would bring Demi back, have a talk with her, and then inform them from there if she should be punished or not. The younger girl had run away after being told no at her request to check out the town’s latest guest. It had already been discussed and agreed upon that no one was to go near or bother these new guest, no matter what. At least not until they were looked into and made sure that the students safety would not be in question. After all, past guest to the area had always ended up being a bad thing so one could understand why there was apprehension of the latest group that people were referring to as 'hippies'.

Rox could understand why people would think that of such a group, but Roxana knew who they were. She didn't know why they were here but she knew who they were and Demi obviously knew as well. It was why she had spoken on Demi's behalf in order for the girl to not be punished for running away and why Roxana said she would go after the younger girl alone. It was why she was here now, having travel near the camp and then looked for signs of Demi. It was not too hard to find the girl considering Demi's power and Roxana being able to spot Demi out in a crowd very easily. She didn't know what to expect when she came upon the girl, not making an effort to sneak up on the girl. There was no point in doing such a thing.

She was kind of surprised to find Demi sitting there, crying. Roxana didn't really know how to handle someone crying since she had not done it for years now. That and again she saw herself in Demi in a few ways so it was just odd to see this side of the girl. Demi told her to go away, muttering something and then yelling it out. Roxana didn't flinch and nor did she go away. Instead she moved ahead, approaching Demi before coming to sit down next to Demi as she looked at the camp and then to Demi. "Sorry that it’s not your people. I take it you miss them a lot." Roxana spoke up, not really sure how to go about this, but it didn't hurt to try.

[Demi Smith]

Demi felt her body trembling slightly, and she liked to think it was from barely suppressed rage again. Just... the thought that there would be people here, people so much like her own but so very much not her own. Why couldn't her own people just come and check on her? Forget the stupid tradition; it wasn't like it was in the texts not to go out and check up on those that were taken by the various government agencies.

And there was Roxana. Demi heard her coming and she wasn't at all surprised to hear the person speaking. Demi sniffed again, now actually angry for being caught like this by Roxana of all people. "It's... I'm pretty sure they're Inherited," she admitted, looking out at them. "They... there's just, signs," she sniffed again, but didn't dare reach up, not wanting to look like she was rubbing her eyes.

"And I so don't miss my clan. Like, at all. They obviously don't miss me," and she was shaking again, her breath hitching slightly.

[Roxana Strix]

Roxana did at times wonder if Demi ever got homesick or if anyone from her group would come and visit her. She had read on file of a woman that had been the one to bring Demi here and how she was someone who cared for Demi. Demi had even confessed that much a long time ago when Roxana had run into Demi in the woods on a camping trip. Or more specifically, when Demi through a piece of dirt at her when she spotted Roxana walking around the woods. That was back when she was just checking on her targets and kept a distant relationship with them.

Demi didn't move from where she was, sniffling, and it was pretty clear that Demi had been or at least was still crying. It made Roxana feel a little odd and uncertain but she didn't show it on her face and was not behaving any different then she normally did. However; the side to her that often came out when around Luxanna was slowly coming to the surface as she listened to Demi speak about who the group was. The Inherited, as she figured. Seems her information was not wrong, but then again it rarely ever was. Incomplete, yes but never really wrong.

"I see. Any guesses as to why they have moved here?" Roxana asked. Perhaps Demi would have an idea or something from her books that would give a clear indication of way this group was here. Where they a threat? Were they just stopping by on their travels? Did they stop her knowing that BA was here or was it by chance? So many questions and while Roxana had a strong feeling her possible answers were correct, it didn't hurt to have a sort of 'inside' person's information on the matter. Demi didn't miss them, that was clearly a lie; the clear indication being the sentence that followed as well as the fact that she was upset.

"It's okay to miss them; I miss my family at times as well." Roxana said as she made herself a little more comfortable where she was sitting next to the younger girl. She glanced away for a moment, knowing that there was more she needed to say. "Just because they don't check in on you does not mean that they don't miss you." Roxana said, sure of it on some level. After all, it was not like she talked to her parents really at all until she would go home but she was sure that they at least cared for her on some level.

[Demi Smith]

Did Demi have any idea why they moved? Demi shrugged. "I don't know, we're supposed to pull away from the incompletes..." Demi trailed off, looking down at the camp. That was part of the reasoning why Demi's own people had essentially abandoned her: they couldn't get tainted by outside influences, and the school was just filled with them.

Before Demi could say or do anything else on the matter, Roxana kept talking, insisting it was okay to miss them. Demi shifted again, her foot scuffing at the ground beneath her. "They're probably there because they want to be near mutants," Demi guessed, jerking her chin toward the camp. "There's, like, well, that's what we're about. Sometimes people stay with the schools and, like, they're supposed to share the Inheritance or something," Demi wiped at her face with her forearm, smearing more dirt around. "Or maybe they were chased out, that happens sometimes too..." Demi had heard that her own clan had been ousted way before she'd been around. She hadn't heard any details about it or anything, and she knew her people had been at their current location for at least her entire life.

[Roxana Strix]

Roxana gave a small nod when Demi said that she didn't know, but she still listened closely as Demi went on to explain. There was still so much that Roxana didn't understand about Demi and her people and it was likely that she would never without Demi telling her. It was her job to look after Demi but there was someone else looking into Demi's people. She had received knew about movement on people much like Demi's clan but not much else. Roxana didn't like being clueless about people that could possibly end up being potential enemies. Especially if they were like Demi and her thoughts about non-mutants being lesser and the whole story about inheriting the earth that Demi had told Roxana a while ago.

Unfortunately, it was something that she was going to have to accept for the time being until she looked a little closer into them and also was told what to do by her organization. As of late it had been a lot of stick to your objective and be on standby. She hated being on standby, well for what she felt was hate. Demi didn't speak about her people, keeping the topic on the guest a distance away from where they currently were. Roxana gave a small nod, to show that she was listening, and took several mental notes about what Demi was saying. It made sense and would work in favor for the cult and the schools since they knew they likely would be getting mutants from them.

What happened to those who don't come into a power? Roxana thought to herself, trying to recall if Demi had told her before and if now was the right time to ask such a thing. She noted it down for later. "Chased out? By your people or do you mean by the school or non-mutants in the area that they were in last?" Roxana asked, needing to know the answer. It would help give her a better idea of what their intentions could be, but all the same she didn't trust them. She did glance away for a moment before reaching out to try and pat Demi's back, trying to comfort the girl still since she didn't forget about Demi being upset about all of this.

[Demi Smith]

Demi didn't immediately see the hand going to her back, but she definitely heard the words. "Well, like," Demi shrugged, "sometimes the people find out about a cult or whatever? We're not, but, like, that's what everyone likes to say," she turned to look then, seeing the hand extended toward her. Demi fell silent for a few seconds, just looking at the hand, almost as if not sure what Roxana intended to do with it. In the end, the girl turned back to look.

"People don't understand, and sometimes they start to, like, freeze us out. We're always given talks on it, how, like, we still need to trade for some things... and how sometimes people just don't like us. They... there's, like, this training thing. You get prepped in how to leave in a hurry," Demi fell silent after that, then gestured ahead. "That could be what's up with them. It happens."

Demi tried to remember if she'd even heard of any other groups. Supposedly there were more, everyone was taught that. Their philosophy should be more widespread but people just wouldn't believe. But surely someone would have mentioned a group this close? Then again, Demi's group was still several hundred miles away...

[Roxana Strix]

Roxana was still slow with her movement of her hand that she planned to place on Demi's back, expecting the girl to smack it away or to be told that she didn't want to be touched. No of that happened yet as Demi went about answering the question that Roxana had about them being chased out. Demi said they were not a cult; they so were by definition, a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object. "Your people are a cult, by definition. You might not see it that way but you are." Roxana informed her.

Perhaps it would have been best to not make that point, but Roxana was blunt. That and she was not good at this whole comforting thing but at least she was trying, that had to be something. Demi noticed her hand and didn't smack it away so Roxana took that as a sign that she was allowed to touch the younger girl. So she reached out to do that very thing and give Demi's back a pat, even if it might have felt a little awkward. Rox still listened as Demi went on to explain how people didn't understand and how they would 'freeze' them out. Talk about it and Demi seeming to struggle a little bit with what she was trying to communicate.

That could have been what happened to this group. That just made Roxana have even more questions but she kept them to herself for the moment. It was best to observe something new before you just made a reckless move. "I see. Well until we find out why they are here and what their attentions are we have asked everyone to not just approach them just yet. So you must understand why we told you know when it came to wanting to go see them." Roxana pointed out, still needing to do that whole 'I’ll have a talk with her' thing since Demi ran away after being told no. "Are you going to be okay?" Roxana then asked, mainly talking about the fact that Demi was homesick.

[Demi Smith]

The old explanation about Demi's people being a cult came again. Demi glared. "If cults are awesome people who believe the truth, then sure, yeah, whatever, we're a cult," she snapped. She could feel more hot tears running down her face and once again found herself reaching up to try and wipe it away, mostly smearing more dirt and mud along her cheeks. She could feel that hand on her, and for some reason she just let it lay. Some people did touch Demi every once in a while. That one lady, Beth Young, she'd done it, back when she'd promised that she'd do what she could. Demi hadn't heard from her in a while.

That didn't surprise her. Nobody around here seemed to actually care about her, despite what they said and what she did in response. Roxana kept talking, and, well, part of Demi could see the sense. She really could. The girl had been raised up with a tight knit group, and she had been paying attention during all her training with the Squad. She understood that there were risks.

"Does it matter?" Demi snapped at the question, turning to glare up at Roxana. "Every time I do something, it's like--' she gestured then flung her hands out in disgust, scattering dust. her usual layer kept rolling along her, bouncing as if a shaken by a miniature earthquake. "They wouldn't even let me try to talk to them? Big surprise. You know, for people who keep talking about how much they care, they sure like to bully me," she sniffed and wiped at her face. "You people suck."

[Roxana Strix]

Demi of course did not like her people being called a cult but it was true that they were in fact a cult no matter how much the younger girl wanted to deny it. Of course people in a cult never really wanted to call what they had a cult because of the negative connotation to it, but there was no changing the fact of what something was. Most of the time cults ended up having that negative aspect to them anyways, so it was not really others fault for thinking bad of Demi's people. Sure one could argue it was not fair or 'kind' to judge people but it was in ones instincts to judge someone or something.

Everything that was alive judge things, it was how they were able to figure out what was safe, what was bad, and if something should eliminated right away or not for the species survival. Rox was tempted to point of all of this out to Demi, but since the girl was already upset she figured she could at least let the subject lie for now. Tears were once again running down Demi's face, leaving Roxana with a few choices that she was still currently debating with how Demi behaved when she thought someone was 'babying' her. Rox didn't really have any tissues on hand, but she had her hands and her shirt to wipe way those tears.

No doubt she would end up getting mud on herself because of Demi's power, so there was also that to consider. Rox didn't do anything for now and waited to figure out what would be the right approach with Demi, but it was a little hard when she was seeing a side to the younger girl she did not expect Demi to allow her to ever see. Did it matter? Rox was about to answer that but Demi was saying more as she kept that glare. Dirt was scattering again, but Roxana remained still and waited for Demi to finish what she was saying. "It does matter. You matter. If you didn't matter, if people didn't care about you then they would let you do what you wanted to do. It's proof that people actually care about your wellbeing when they punish you, tell you no, and honestly just want what is best for you." Roxana responded, glancing away for a moment and then looking back to Demi.

"It had already been decided that no one should go down and talk to them, that includes you. While they are aware that you possibly came from them, it was still in your best interest to not make contact with them right away. It's not that they are bullying you, it is that they are concerned for your safety and wellbeing." Roxana responded as she reached out to touch Demi's hair; art of the reason being because she had never felt Demi's hair before but the other to try and try and comfort the girl with physical contact again.

[Demi Smith]

It does matter. You matter. People did say that from time to time, Beth, Roxana, a few that Demi had encountered, who she'd experienced firsthand. Some of them actually seemed to mean it, though she knew so many more would rather send her on a bus and bid her good riddance. The other bits, how they actually cared and thus punished... it all sounded like something that Ceres would have said. For that matter, Demi was fairly certain that her Honer had said almost exactly that to her. The thought sent Demi into silence, a few more tears traveling unwanted down her cheeks.

No one could visit, or so Roxana insisted. "I didn't come from them," Demi insisted, flicking her hands at them. She fell silent again, thinking. "You people keep acting like I can't handle--" she began, only to stop as she felt a hand reaching toward her hair. It made Demi stop, holding perfectly still for several seconds.

What... what was she doing? "Are you... trying to pet me?" Demi asked. She wasn't even sure where to begin reacting to that, and it didn't help that her mind still swam with about a dozen different emotions right about now.

[Roxana Strix]

Roxana did mean and believe every word that she was saying. She did care for Demi and that was outside of what she had been told about the girl. All she had been told was to keep an eye on the girl and that was from both her organization and the school. Keeping an eye on didn't really mean that she had to interact with the girl but Roxana choose to, because she cared. While she didn't always understand why Demi would keep to her stubborn ways and not accept what was really fact, she still did like the girl.

She would not have kept involving herself in this manner if she didn't and would have had someone else look after Demi. Or at the very least she would have been a lot colder towards the younger girl. Rox was not even sure if Demi was hearing everything she was saying. It looked like Demi was taking it all in but Rox was not certain of really anything in this situation other than that there were people that did care about Demi. Not all of them that said it meant if of course, but Roxana was certain that there were a few and all you really needed were one person to care about you.

Rox would be that one person if it really came down to it. There were some more tears, followed by Demi speaking about how she didn't come from them and how people were acting like she could not handle something. That something not being finished because Demi was distracted by Roxana's hand that was attempting to reach out and touch her hair. It felt kind of odd to be asked about it where people normally just let it happen or gave her an odd look but would not say anything about it. Was she trying to pet her?

"You know...I'm honestly not sure. I do want to feel what your hair feels like but I was also just trying to do one of those...comforting touches." Roxana went ahead and explained. She supposed what she was doing in a way could be called petting but she didn’t want Demi to think that meant Rox saw her as some kind of pet. Even if the mental image of a little Demi as a pet did come off as…cute.

[Demi Smith]

Not... sure? Demi was tempted to ask how you couldn't be sure if you wanted to pet someone, but she could almost see the confusion in Roxana too. "it feels like hair. Dirty hair," Demi said. She reached up, grabbed the hand, and placed it on her head. "There, see? Like that."

It did feel weird, having someone touch her head like that. The last person who'd really touched Demi in even a comforting way... who had that been? Ceres hadn't been one for physical affection, at least not like that. She'd worked to make Demi hard, to give Demi the edge she'd need to survive so far away from her family and her life. Demi had felt the care there, had known that Ceres actually cared about her on some level. They'd bonded, and it was the type that would stick for life.

Maybe some part of her was hoping that the same thing would happen with Roxana, though the girl seemed all awkward and uncertain as to what to do or how to handle things. Then again, Demi was the same way. "What would you do if I tried to go see them?" Demi asked point blank, looking up at Roxana. There wasn't challenge in her voice this time; there didn't seem to be much emotion in the question at all, really.

[Roxana Strix]

Roxana was going to elaborate on what she meant but she didn't really know how to explain in a way that made sense to herself. Thankfully Demi didn't demand for her to go into detail on the matter and just answered the question in a very blunt manner; kind of like how Rox would. So it felt like hair, dirty hair but that still did not allow Roxana to feel it with her own hands. Then Demi was grabbing a hold of her hand, placing it on top of her head, and allowing Roxana to actually feel it. It felt interesting, not really soft but more like a dirty animal’s fur. Then again that should have been expected since as Demi pointed out, the hair was dirty.

It certainly was different to be able to touch Demi's hair; just being able to touch the girl in this manner without having dirt flung at her was certainly new. Then again, this whole interaction was certainly a new one for Rox dealing with Demi. Roxana still spoke true about everything and it did now seem that Demi was taking it all in and thinking about it. Part of Rox wished Elsa was somewhere near by so she could check in on those thoughts in the younger girls head. Roxana just wanted to know what was the right thing to do in this situation for Demi. She could not do what would be done to her if she ran away after being told no; physical punishment would be what followed.

It was important to note that Roxana's hand had remained in Demi's hair the whole time as she moved her hand around, getting a really good feel of it. She was even working on getting some of the dirt out and was possibly using the dirty hair to her advantage to start to style Demi's hair in a short of 'spiky' fashion. Then there was a question, one that had Rox glancing away for a moment before she had her answer. "It depends. I'm inclined to stop you and bring you back to the school; however, I also am curious how they would react to someone outside their clan." Roxana responded and then shook her head.

"How about we make a deal?" Roxana asked, figuring there was a way that they both could get what they wanted.

[Demi Smith]

What was Roxana doing with her hair? Demi almost wished she could see, because it felt like she was using the dirt and stuff to jut her hair into spikes or something. That struck Demi as looking really cool, even if it wasn't strictly what her clan would have approved of back home. They were kinda sticklers about stupid stuff like hair and all that.

Roxana spoke as she worked too, clearly responding to Demi's question, given while the girl kept looking up at her. Inclined to stop, and Demi was tempted to let out a snort at the expected statement. Roxana was probably one of the few people who actually could stop Demi, and that wasn't just because of raw skill and power either. There was a bit of curiosity there too.

"A deal?" Demi repeated. She pushed herself upright, standing at her full height (probably still at least a head shorter than Roxana if not a full foot). "The last deal you had with me ended with you dragging me out of a mall," Demi pointed out, "and accusing me of stuff," the edge was definitely returning there, as she gave Roxana a hard, seriously doubtful look.