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"Hah. To get a decent job, we don't need fancy school. We only need to prove our skills," Léan informed her, amused. "That sounds so peculiar. Special schooling..."
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"It doesn't work that way up here," Glory said. "We actually need to learn how to do the job, first, and then find someone who will actually hire us. And the people doing the hiring only want the best."
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"If we want to learn a trade, we usually take on apprenticeships. And nothing more than that." Léan seemed puzzled by the prospect of special schooling to learn a trade.
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"Oh there are trade schools out there," Glory said. "Apprenticeships are practically obsolete by now, but there are schools to learn trades that regular colleges don't offer. But I'm not trade-oriented, and I know that, so I need to go to a regular college. I'll probably major in something Literature-related, maybe get a teaching degree... But I'll need to get another job to afford tuition, because I know nobody can help me with that."
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"Any job in our world can be learned through an apprenticeship. I suppose we live an easier life than you do. An apprenticeship is like your 'college,' I suppose..." Léan mused, curious. "Hm..."
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"Yeah, it's different for us," Glory said. "Lecture halls can be upwards of two hundred people, or so I've heard. The job market is insane, and I might end up being in debt for years after I finish college, to pay my student loans and such. But if I don't go to college, I'm never going to get a good job, so it's kind of a lose-lose for a while."
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"Your society is so confusing," Léan complained, frowning. "I don't understand how you can keep up with it. Schooling that puts you in debt to begin with...erm. That doesn't sound practical in the least. So puzzling to me..."
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"It's not practical," Glory said. "But it's how things work in a money-oriented society, and this is very much a money-oriented society."
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"And our society is not. There is the difference, I suppose. Money is truly the root of all evil. I believe I heard that expression passed around before the last time I was fully on dry land," Léan surmised, stretching. "Mm...what should we do, now?"
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"It's up to you," Glory said. "We can go back and cuddle for a while, I certainly wouldn't mind that."
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"I certainly wouldn't mind that, either," Léan agreed, going a bit pink in the cheeks. "Perhaps we could make it interesting, and share funny stories from the past or something..."
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"I didn't know you had a sense of humor," Glory teased affectionately. "Unfortunately, I try fairly hard to not embarass myself, so I don't have all that many amusing things to share."
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"I have many. Trust me. Our father may have been a burden in our childhood, but when we were alone, Arcturus and I...heh, we made many mistakes."
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Glory grinned.
"Well, that sounds interesting," she said. "Maybe you should tell me about a few of those times while we cuddle." |
Léan chuckled, then nodded. "I would be glad to enlighten you. ...On a few of the stories. Not all." He looked amused. It seemed he wouldn't mind opening up a bit.
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"Well, I certainly couldn't expect you to tell all the stories," Glory said. "There's no way I'd be able to get you to talk that much." She started making her way back towards her room with him.
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Léan wheeled himself along aside of her, looking excited. He hadn't shared most of these stories with anyone. "You will have to tell me all that you can. I am sure you have some stories, at least."
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"I'll see what I can come up with," Glory said as she sat down on her bed.
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Léan took a moment or so to lift himself out of the wheelchair and onto the bed. Once he settled down, he stretched his tail out and sighed, contently. "You can go first, then, unless you want me to?"
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"Well..." Glory said, thinking for a moment. "Alright. This was back when I was living with my aunt, Cassidy. She has three kids, so they're my cousins. Well, there was one night when my younger cousin, Jake, was changing for bed when his older brother, Mitch, was teasing him about something, but I don't remember what it was. I was in the next room at the time, but all of a sudden I heard this thump. Apparently, Jake had forgotten that his pants were around his ankles, because he was changing, and he'd tried to kick Mitch in the shins. Well, the foot he was standing on followed the other into the air, and he ended up flat on his back with no idea how he got there. Everyone thought it was hysterical."
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Though it was hard to imagine how that felt, since he didn't have legs and therefore didn't wear pants, Léan chuckled. He hesitantly scooted closer so the two of them could cuddle, though he'd never admit it was cuddling, ever. "Let's see. When Arcturus and I were little, we liked to play-hunt. Since he's so timid, I thought it would a good idea to tease him a little bit. I sent him off hunting in one direction, telling him there was a school of fish out there. Instead, there were some migrating humpback whales. I thought they would scare him, but when I saw the whales swimming up over our home, he was clinging to one of their fins, and he yelled down to me, joking that he was hitch-hiking to the next town..."
He cleared his throat. "I do not like humpback whales. I went up to help him, and one of the young ones, the babies, headbutted me and sent me flying." |
Glory couldn't help but giggle as she snuggled into his side.
"You both dislike the weirdest things, you know," she commented. |
"I suppose so. Arcturus is just afraid of many things. I have a reason for disliking things," Léan huffed, defiantly. "I mean...he's afraid of clown fish. How are they frightening?"
((I'm getting really tired...I'd better head to bed. Night!)) |
"Yeah, how are humpback whales annoying?" Glory pointed out. "Both are harmless."
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"When it comes to merpeople, they can get very aggressive. Especially young ones, and mothers. They attack instinctively," Léan explained, scowling.
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