What's the Dumb Tree For?

[François Laffont]

It seemed pretty hopeless to talk to Demi. She was not as aggressive but he could tell he was not reaching out to her. Clearly, he was ill equipped to make her understand how her behaviour was not helping herself here. He did wish he could help her. Franck wanted to study psychology so understanding Demi and helping her out was definitely interesting to him. She seemed to be from a cult or something. It was what he got from the way she talked. He supposed his religion could be considered that too by some but, unlike her, he was not being aggressive and cruel to anyone else around him.

“I was just trying to be nice to you but if you don’t want friends around to make your stay here more agreeable, it’s fine with me,” he said. He preferred to sort of give up with her. Maybe some other day he would get a better chance at understand who Demi really was but he poked around too much already and he didn’t want the girl to lose her temper. He might consider himself a pacifist, it would still be humiliating to admit getting his ass kicked by a girl who was smaller and younger than he was.

He flinched at the sudden burst of anger he got from her. If he wondered if she was from a cult or not, he got the answer now. He stood there, with the pieces of the broken bauble still in his hands, unable to speak or move for a moment. “I’m sorry for you,” was all he could say. He really was.

The fact she moved to the trash can seemed to make him realise he could move too and he went there to get rid of the broken decoration. “I guess it depends on who you ask it to. Some like the family reunion, others the exchange of gift, or decorating the place. Personally, I liked the Christmas Mass, but I didn’t get to attend one since I got here,” he admitted. He looked at her and the smile that grew at the thought of it became sheepish. She probably couldn’t care less. “Sorry if I talk a lot. I can take care of the rest if you want to go. Or I can just leave since you were here first.”

[Demi Smith]

Demi nearly let out another snort or glob of spit or something. She looked over at Franck, her eyes narrowing slightly: "I have friends," she insisted. It was mostly true. She had a few people here that she tolerated well enough, even sort of socialized with. Most of them were more people that were willing to tolerate her enough to train regularly, but that counted as far as Demi was concerned. Especially here.

Strangely, Demi felt some of her anger ebbing at Franck's apology. She mumbled a "you're stupid," but it held absolutely none of her usual venom or anger, almost as if it were just words that she'd grown too used to saying. She just kept focusing on the tree, wondering if Franck actually got it, unlike most of the morons here.

Maybe his power wasn't so stupid after all.

Christmas Mass? "Is that where you go and hear about Jesus?" Demi asked, looking at Franck. She just snorted as he mentioned that he talked a lot. "Yeah, but your power is, like, one that makes you talk to people to figure stuff out. You gotta use it some how," she turned back to the tree, stared for a few seconds, then walked forward, picking up an ornament to put on the tree.

"Jesus was a mutant you know."

[François Laffont]

Franck shrugged when she said she had friends but inside he was both relieved and surprised that she had. It must be him then that she couldn’t take. He was surprised of this as he never thought someone could dislike him like that. Sure, he didn’t expect everyone to love him but Franck felt the need to be liked by all. Something Demi could definitely not relate to. All he got from her was aggressiveness. He could read the pain sometimes but Franck was unable to reach out to it and ease it for her. Obviously, she didn’t want him to. Almost made him wonder why he still bothered then.

He nodded at her question. It was a little more than that but it would do for now. “The one for Christmas can be long, especially when you’re a kid, but I always found it beautiful,” he admitted. She could relate to finding something beautiful, right? They had to have been communing together, right? Somehow, the snort she had and her comment almost seemed like she accepted his apology or something for being so talkative. Franck sure decided to take it as a good sign and smiled at it. “You’re right,” he replied. Not exactly, he thought, but also not totally in the wrong either.

“I believe you told me that before?” he said as she mentioned Jesus. It was weird yet at the same time a very comforting thought to think of it that way. It meant he might not go to Hell simply because he was a mutant. Then again, he knew a thing or two the fanatical ones might hold against him. “With all that he did, I suppose it is possible.,” he admitted. Although he would be at a loss as to what kind of power he was supposed to have. “What kind of celebration did you do back home?”

[Demi Smith]

Long religious service? Demi nearly chuckled at that. She remembered what those were like, she remembered all too well. In fact: "Are you going?" she asked point blank, turning to him, "and would you take me? If, like, I promised not to hit anyone."

Because Demi wanted to at least experience that again. It wouldn't be quite the same, she knew that. They likely wouldn't talk about how Jesus had been one of the most powerful mutants, just like the gods of old only better because he could bring people to life and stuff like that. Though from what Demi could remember, he had, like, a lot of different powers.

At least the mutant thing didn't seem to bother Franck, though Demi wasn't sure if she really trusted his question. At least he wasn't saying it was weird or stupid or anything. Then the last question, which had Demi shrugging. "Not much," she said, looking back. "it's, like, we were all focused on how we're going to inherit and stuff... I think we might have done something around this time of year to remember how all mutants are interconnected or something..." Demi fidgeted. "I didn't really pay attention to that."

Another moment of hesitation, and she moved to put a few more baubles on the tree. "I was seriously about the mass thing. Like, I'd like to try it out."

[François Laffont]

Franck was certain she would be mocking his religion and himself for going to long services but instead, she asked if she could tag along. “You... you want to join?” Now, that was one he didn’t see coming! He waited for a moment, expecting her to call him stupid for falling for this so easily. For a moment there, Franck had no idea what to say. “Uh, yeah, I guess that I can. It depends not just of me though,” he replied. Sure, he thought of his father, who didn’t know Demi and Franck feared what might happened if she were to meet him, but he was mostly talking of the school staff. He didn’t know if he could take her out, even for mass, even if she said she would behave. It wasn’t Franck nor his father that could take care of her should she lose control.

The way she talked, it felt to Franck that they were not celebrating a lot. Not in the way it was done here. Franck tried not to pity her as he was pretty sure she would notice and get mad, but he almost wanted to buy her a little something and give it to her for Christmas. He wondered what her reaction would be. He couldn’t read her well, her temper changed so quickly. She was able to make him swallow his gift, with the wrapping and the bow. Still, the idea stuck in his brain. A little something, like a small box of chocolate or some Christmas-y decoration. It could be nice.

Demi was apparently serious about the mass. He smiled to her. “To be honest, I haven’t been to a church for a while. Not since I came here. I... let’s just say some parts of me aren’t as compatible with what I used to believe.” He stopped himself there. She didn’t need to hear about it and certainly didn’t care. Instead, his smile grew a little wider. “But it could be nice to do it again. I miss it. And, if that’s possible, I wouldn’t mind. But you do realise we might be the only mutants there?” Because having her talk about how the mutants were superior and Jesus was one of theirs might not do well in a church.

[Demi Smith]

Demi nodded, though slowly. She was tempted to add a shrug, to ask why not, but she kept her voice silent for the time being. She wasn't almost surprised that she wanted to do this, that this was something she wanted, but, well, she didn't want that doubt to leak out any more than it already was. She did want this, she wanted to feel that again, and this was her best chance at getting to it.

So instead she sort of absently kept trimming the tree, using the distraction to push down the normal swirl and turmoil of her emotions. She stopped moving as Franck said he hadn't been in a while. That had her frowning, frowning and turning to her. "Why? Does the church have something against mutants? Or is it something stupider than that?"

Because as near as Demi could tell, most religions were stupid. Not hers, of course: hers was totally awesome and just made sense. Who couldn't see that mutants were awesome and that they should totally Inherit the world?

Franck's last comment had Demi rolling her eyes again. "Uh, that happens a lot. But you don't usually talk during those things, and I can clean up and wear my uniform just fine, thanks."

[François Laffont]

Franck understood, at her words, that it was more the feeling of community you get during the mass that she wanted. I wasn’t like he ever thought he might make a Christian out of her. This feeling though, he understood it well. He needed it too, to be honest. He felt like he had something vaguely similar here but Demi was not the most liked person around here. If the service reminded her of home, then he thought it could only make her feel better and perhaps, he dared hope it, make her less hard on the people here.

“Something stupider,” he answered after taking a moment to consider it. He didn’t think she might be too against the fact he was gay but he had no idea what her thoughts on the matter were and he certainly didn’t want to test it like this. He didn’t say much however. He doubted she really was interested in knowing his life and whatever conflict he had with his religion. “I mean, I doubt they are for mutants too,” he added, again, not saying much of what could have made him not go for a while. Even now, he was not entirely sure he could. He still thought he had his place amongst the community but he was still a little fearful about it.

He had a little smile as she seemed not to care having to deal with boring humans around her “You sing some hymns but you don’t really talk, no. You won’t even have to stand in front of the priest, you can stay on the bench and...” Yeah, he was not seeing her pray. As long as she was quiet though, he doubted it really matter. “I’ll have to ask my father. And you’ll need the school to agree, because you’ll come back way pass curfew.” His father would love it. It would mean he was making peace with his past. Funny how that might come from Demi. Who would have thought?

[Demi Smith]

Demi snorted as Franck admitted that it was something stupider. "Sometimes it seems like all the heavy stuff has stupid bits, doesn't it?" she asked. She was, of course, thinking more about her own religion when she said it, though, well, she supposed it could apply more universally. She'd leave figuring that out to smarter people, people who would rather spend their time thinking and mulling over stuff.

Though it was surprising to hear that someone would be against mutants for religious reasons. Demi supposed that they just didn't know any better. she was tempted to say as much, but she held her tongue for the moment. She still wanted to tag along, to at least experience the whole religious experience thing of it. People around here couldn't really understand, not on the whole, but she went from spending nearly every day around it to not getting it at all. Demi craved it, and she knew it, though she didn't know how to really articulate that to other people.

So she nodded for now. "Yeah, I'm sure the school won't mind," she snorted, "they'll probably be thrilled that I want to do something 'normal,'" she nearly raised her hands up to do the air quotes, but instead opted to put a few more ornaments on the tree. Then Demi stepped back, realizing that they'd put quite a few on it.

"Is it done?" she asked, wrinkling her nose and looking to Franck. He was the one who knew, obviously.

[François Laffont]

“I think it’s just ignorance. They fear what they don’t know so they condemn it,” he answered. He wasn’t sure, it was not like Franck could get into people’s head and know what they were thinking. But he could see how they would deny something even though they didn’t know much about it. Love, it was love. Who cared who you gave it to?

He looked at Demi as she mocked the school’s ideals about her. Franck didn’t like taking a side in an argument. He thought the school was right in wishing she would participate more in the life they offered here, but he also understood how being uprooted from a life you always knew could be tough and not make you want to live in other people’s ways. “It’s a religious thing, I don’t think they can really forbid you to go,” he agreed, not saying that they might want an adult to accompany her, just in case. He figured that, if she were serious about it, she should be the one asking the staff here. He would tell his father but he didn’t intend on doing everything for her. “You can tell them you’re coming with me and my father, it might make them like the idea even more.” What could they think she wanted to do other than that anyway?

He looked at the tree as she asked if they were done. “Yes, I think it looks pretty good. Thanks for your help,” he told her. She might have been a little rude but he thought he managed to view a softer side of her now. He might actually not dislike her as much as he first thought. He grabbed the box. There were still some decorations but it did not matter, the tree was perfect the way it looked. He’ll bring it back to the administration.

[Demi Smith]

Ignorance... Demi wrinkled her nose at that. She felt like there was something there, something that she should be paying attention to, like, really paying attention to. But it wasn't something that she could really get right now, and she definitely had other stuff to worry about and occupy her time, starting with the conversation and the tree.

Franck agreed again, so Demi nodded again. "I'll let them know," she said, adding a laugh, "they'll probably make you sign some sort of stupid waiver or something," because it seemed like they were continually telling Demi that she couldn't or shouldn't go interact with other people, sort of like Franck did. She still didn't want to have much to do with "normal" people, but she was beginning to wonder.

They both focused back on the tree. Demi kept staring at it for a while longer. She shrugged at Franck's comments. "Whatever, no big deal," she mumbled. But her gaze stayed on it a while longer. Then seemed to have to literally pull herself away. "I'm leaving. Uh," she paused, looking to Franck. "Let me know when... to do the thing. I'll get cleaned up," another pause, "but I don't have anything but the uniform, so I hope that works."

Demi didn't wait for the answer though, instead stomping away.