I wish she would just reply to it or not. I hate suspense.
No matter how short it would take for her to answer, Edward wanted her to reply instantly. If she disagreed, then he would probably back out, and if she agreed, then he had someone to talk to normally. That was his choice. But there was no going back to patriotic spats or debating fiascos, so he just wished she made her choice already!
No, he shouldn’t think like that. That was what made him snap at some girl in the first place. Instead of blurting out random stuff, he should have solidified his case and avoided getting too personal. If he was going to be a lawyer, announcing his point, then saying something else completely different that contradicted his first point, would get him one: Get him arrested under contempt of court, two: Be hunted down by his cilent.
It was normal, he knew, for some teenagers to have impulse problems, but it wasn’t a good thing.
Honestly though, what did he just do in the last few minutes? He tried to get some girl to study what some of his friends called ‘the most boring subject’, defended his country with petty arguments, made a fool of himself by yelling at her and then agreeing with her somewhat, likely voiding some of his earlier arguments. Great job Edward.
It just went from somewhat amiable small talk to an amusing debating session for the spectators. When did he become the aggressor? Edward pinpointed it somewhere near the constitution remark, which he still thought was completely uncalled for, but even then, Edward made a mountain out of molehills. One big thing about debating was to be respectful, and he crossed that.
She sure was taking a while, but Edward understood. He had given a completely new option, and Mina must be contemplating his remark.
And when she gave her reply, Edward sighed with relief. He was much more calmer now, no longer tussling his ginger hair every ten seconds, nor trying to be intimidating. After all, Mina had just given him the answer he wanted, that he did not have to share her opinion. It was the first step to a more controlled situation. He sat down, and tried for a more professional statement this time.
“Of course, free speech is a thing, and you can’t really force me to dispose of my most deeply imbedded values. Can you please enlighten me on when I was wrong, without any anti-American statements please. I know my argument was inconsistent and flawed, but another eye on the situation would be appreciated.”
Edward tried his best not to snigger a little. He sounded so uptight and clinical! He liked formal language, but he wouldn’t like someone speaking like a robot.
Incompatible Philosophies
Paging Irina!
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Irina Ivanov
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MurderWeasel
- Posts: 3449
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All of a sudden, Mina felt like total garbage.
Ed had taken her potshot at face value and had again engaged it in, if not uncomplicated good faith, at least a closer approximation than what Mina was bringing to the table. She'd meant her impulsive barb to hurt, to dismiss, to enrage, but it had done none of those things, and now she was left to either double down even further with something truly impossible to ignore or else to give up trying to reignite the fight. For once, the spite she kindled couldn't hold, and the frustration she was left with was aimed squarely at her inability to get back under the skin of the boy in front of her.
She'd had him standing, almost shouting, but now he was the reasonable one, once again making concessions and showing some real self awareness. Why couldn't he just be another mindless flag fanboy, ready to jump on any criticism as if it was a mortal insult?
"Never mind," Mina said, her voice level, calm like the calm starting to worm uncomfortably up her body from her feet. "Maybe some other time, okay? Without the peanut gallery."
She jerked her head to the side, to indicate the onlookers, a number of whom were trying and failing to keep their spying surreptitious, while others made no attempt to disguise their gawking. Mina had a reputation, especially after getting marched through the hall with blood dripping down her face following her altercation with Charlie, and those in the know were perhaps eager to see what trouble she'd land herself in this time, whether she might fail to notice a teacher coming to chastise her for her views or whether she might perhaps fling herself bodily at Ed and try to choke him out. A fat junior boy was the closest spectator to openly stare, and Mina locked eyes with him and then narrowed hers, glaring until he flushed and turned away. He looked as stupid as he surely was, she thought, with his dumb greasy black hair and his dumb khaki pants. If it was him across from her, she'd have no problem goading him into a frenzy.
She scooted her chair back in closer to the table, now, straightening up and no longer trying to project an air of irreverence. What was the point? As far as she saw it, the fight was done. At least, for now. She'd thought herself untouchable and then thought herself doomed, so a stalemate was an acceptable compromise.
Mina looked over her food again, at what she hadn't eaten yet, which was everything but the pizza. She had a pile of corn, a little cup of syrupy peaches, and a kind of dry-looking biscuit of some sort. She looked then at Ed's lunch, still waterlogged from his earlier spill.
"You want any?" she asked, pushing her tray towards him. "I'm full, and yours looks kind of soggy."
Ed had taken her potshot at face value and had again engaged it in, if not uncomplicated good faith, at least a closer approximation than what Mina was bringing to the table. She'd meant her impulsive barb to hurt, to dismiss, to enrage, but it had done none of those things, and now she was left to either double down even further with something truly impossible to ignore or else to give up trying to reignite the fight. For once, the spite she kindled couldn't hold, and the frustration she was left with was aimed squarely at her inability to get back under the skin of the boy in front of her.
She'd had him standing, almost shouting, but now he was the reasonable one, once again making concessions and showing some real self awareness. Why couldn't he just be another mindless flag fanboy, ready to jump on any criticism as if it was a mortal insult?
"Never mind," Mina said, her voice level, calm like the calm starting to worm uncomfortably up her body from her feet. "Maybe some other time, okay? Without the peanut gallery."
She jerked her head to the side, to indicate the onlookers, a number of whom were trying and failing to keep their spying surreptitious, while others made no attempt to disguise their gawking. Mina had a reputation, especially after getting marched through the hall with blood dripping down her face following her altercation with Charlie, and those in the know were perhaps eager to see what trouble she'd land herself in this time, whether she might fail to notice a teacher coming to chastise her for her views or whether she might perhaps fling herself bodily at Ed and try to choke him out. A fat junior boy was the closest spectator to openly stare, and Mina locked eyes with him and then narrowed hers, glaring until he flushed and turned away. He looked as stupid as he surely was, she thought, with his dumb greasy black hair and his dumb khaki pants. If it was him across from her, she'd have no problem goading him into a frenzy.
She scooted her chair back in closer to the table, now, straightening up and no longer trying to project an air of irreverence. What was the point? As far as she saw it, the fight was done. At least, for now. She'd thought herself untouchable and then thought herself doomed, so a stalemate was an acceptable compromise.
Mina looked over her food again, at what she hadn't eaten yet, which was everything but the pizza. She had a pile of corn, a little cup of syrupy peaches, and a kind of dry-looking biscuit of some sort. She looked then at Ed's lunch, still waterlogged from his earlier spill.
"You want any?" she asked, pushing her tray towards him. "I'm full, and yours looks kind of soggy."
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Irina Ivanov
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To Edward, years of passion in philosophy and learning had its price. That was, he talked about his views, every once in a while, and he would receive a mean-spirited triage saying that he was mainstream trash or a teacher’s pet. But sometimes he had genuinely in-depth discussions about the mind and what it means to be an Ameican, ones that he genuinely enjoyed. He wasn’t sure if this encounter fitted in to the former or latter, but it seemed to be going down a better path then most cases of the former.
He was given criticism of the constructive kind before, and he knew the difference. What Mina gave was constructive, willing to give a different viewpoint. How could Edward get angry at that? The boy was simple, and at his core, decent after all. So for Mina’s attempted potshot, Edward already tried to rear his mindset to a more trusting, positive one, and thus, interpreted it as good.
“Alright, that’s fine, I guess. Oh, Peanut Gallery? By that, don’t you mean....oh, yeah, those guys.”
Edward stared at the crowd nervously, but also with slight exasperation. Sure, he embarrassed himself, and what he just did wasn’t right, but seriously who were they to spectate it like a sport? Maybe it was the shock of meek old Eddie finally snapping, or it was the girl.
Likely, the girl. I’m somewhat interesting, but mostly boring, as quoted by my friend. If it wasn’t me, then what did this Mina do to get the crowd to flock to her so quickly? Nevermind that, Edward. You can ask later.
It didn’t matter, soon enough, the crowd would shake their heads and walk away in disappointment. Still, kind of creepy to have people look at him for so long, since he usually was never in the spotlight. Although because the table was far away, and people heard him loud enough to come over, then there were two options. And the most likely one was....
He placed his elbow on the table and put his face onto his hand, while groaning.
How was I so stupid to get myself in this mess?
Still, the battle was over, and while there was no treaty, it was agreed on both parties, hopefully. And the air was far ess aggressive then it was before, although still kind of tense.
“Oh, huh? You’re not hungry? But this is barely eaten.”
Edward stared at the tray in confusion, and then at her. Was this an offering of kindness? Of pity? Did she spike it? He had trouble thinking that Mina wouldn’t eat it, as bad as it was. Unless she was greedy, then the fact that she got the school food must mean that she didn’t pack her lunch, and essentially, she was giving her lunch to him, of all people.
Still, he couldn’t deny he was hungry, and lunch was about to end after all. He slowly picked up the biscuit, and bit down on it. Or at least tried to. It was nearly hurting his teeth with the hardness.
“Thanks.”
He was given criticism of the constructive kind before, and he knew the difference. What Mina gave was constructive, willing to give a different viewpoint. How could Edward get angry at that? The boy was simple, and at his core, decent after all. So for Mina’s attempted potshot, Edward already tried to rear his mindset to a more trusting, positive one, and thus, interpreted it as good.
“Alright, that’s fine, I guess. Oh, Peanut Gallery? By that, don’t you mean....oh, yeah, those guys.”
Edward stared at the crowd nervously, but also with slight exasperation. Sure, he embarrassed himself, and what he just did wasn’t right, but seriously who were they to spectate it like a sport? Maybe it was the shock of meek old Eddie finally snapping, or it was the girl.
Likely, the girl. I’m somewhat interesting, but mostly boring, as quoted by my friend. If it wasn’t me, then what did this Mina do to get the crowd to flock to her so quickly? Nevermind that, Edward. You can ask later.
It didn’t matter, soon enough, the crowd would shake their heads and walk away in disappointment. Still, kind of creepy to have people look at him for so long, since he usually was never in the spotlight. Although because the table was far away, and people heard him loud enough to come over, then there were two options. And the most likely one was....
He placed his elbow on the table and put his face onto his hand, while groaning.
How was I so stupid to get myself in this mess?
Still, the battle was over, and while there was no treaty, it was agreed on both parties, hopefully. And the air was far ess aggressive then it was before, although still kind of tense.
“Oh, huh? You’re not hungry? But this is barely eaten.”
Edward stared at the tray in confusion, and then at her. Was this an offering of kindness? Of pity? Did she spike it? He had trouble thinking that Mina wouldn’t eat it, as bad as it was. Unless she was greedy, then the fact that she got the school food must mean that she didn’t pack her lunch, and essentially, she was giving her lunch to him, of all people.
Still, he couldn’t deny he was hungry, and lunch was about to end after all. He slowly picked up the biscuit, and bit down on it. Or at least tried to. It was nearly hurting his teeth with the hardness.
“Thanks.”
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MurderWeasel
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"You're welcome," Mina said, and smiled her real smile. She didn't show it often at school, and she wasn't sure how long she'd mean it in this case, but right now she was being genuine.
Little things stood out to her, small details that might have been ultimately insignificant but that still mattered in this instant. Ed noticed she hadn't eaten much, and he commented, gave her a chance to change her mind, but still accepted her gesture graciously. He was trying. All this time, he'd been trying, even when Mina sure as hell wasn't. His dogged persistence had worn her down, and she found herself not unhappy about that.
They wouldn't be friends, of course—or at least, if they were to become friends, there would be much more wearing down to come, and it would not be on Mina's side—but they could coexist for the moment. They could sit and have lunch, and maybe it would ruin Ed's reputation with the boot-licking toadies he probably associated with, or maybe his momentary outburst would win him enough points to avoid that fate. That was his problem, not Mina's.
Then, in a flash: inspiration. Mina knew exactly what she would do. She would find him a book. She would take her time, cruise the library and the old bookstores and thrift shops and track down a really good one, the most subversive thing she could possibly get her hands on, and she'd slip it into his bag or his locker and see what happened. If he threw it away or turned it over to the school authorities, well, so be it. If he kept it, read, gave it a chance, then maybe there'd be hope after all.
She was so pleased with herself for coming up with this plan that the smile stayed strong, and she didn't mind being a little hungry still. She'd get some snacks later. In fact, she could maybe even get a start now, do some brainstorming on her way to a vending machine.
Mina stood, the legs of the chair scraping against tile once more.
"I should be going," she said, with a nod and a two-finger salute. Let him chew on that, decide if she was being genuine or not. "See you around."
As Mina left the lunchroom, she really did mean to follow through on her conviction and procure a book for Ed. The fantasy was so strong in her mind, the scene perfectly outlined, but she would get distracted and it wasn't actually easy to come by such things and then before she knew it Announcement Day came around and she had much, much bigger things to worry about.
((Mina Mashall continued elsewhere))
Little things stood out to her, small details that might have been ultimately insignificant but that still mattered in this instant. Ed noticed she hadn't eaten much, and he commented, gave her a chance to change her mind, but still accepted her gesture graciously. He was trying. All this time, he'd been trying, even when Mina sure as hell wasn't. His dogged persistence had worn her down, and she found herself not unhappy about that.
They wouldn't be friends, of course—or at least, if they were to become friends, there would be much more wearing down to come, and it would not be on Mina's side—but they could coexist for the moment. They could sit and have lunch, and maybe it would ruin Ed's reputation with the boot-licking toadies he probably associated with, or maybe his momentary outburst would win him enough points to avoid that fate. That was his problem, not Mina's.
Then, in a flash: inspiration. Mina knew exactly what she would do. She would find him a book. She would take her time, cruise the library and the old bookstores and thrift shops and track down a really good one, the most subversive thing she could possibly get her hands on, and she'd slip it into his bag or his locker and see what happened. If he threw it away or turned it over to the school authorities, well, so be it. If he kept it, read, gave it a chance, then maybe there'd be hope after all.
She was so pleased with herself for coming up with this plan that the smile stayed strong, and she didn't mind being a little hungry still. She'd get some snacks later. In fact, she could maybe even get a start now, do some brainstorming on her way to a vending machine.
Mina stood, the legs of the chair scraping against tile once more.
"I should be going," she said, with a nod and a two-finger salute. Let him chew on that, decide if she was being genuine or not. "See you around."
As Mina left the lunchroom, she really did mean to follow through on her conviction and procure a book for Ed. The fantasy was so strong in her mind, the scene perfectly outlined, but she would get distracted and it wasn't actually easy to come by such things and then before she knew it Announcement Day came around and she had much, much bigger things to worry about.
((Mina Mashall continued elsewhere))
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Irina Ivanov
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Edward smiled back, in glee. Mina’s smile wasn’t smarmy, for politeness nor fake. A genuine smile, something he would have never expected out of this girl. Edward would never be friends with her, he knew. Too much different opinions, not to mention she apparently didn't have the best reputation, as heard from the others. Still, they wouldn't be passing hallways and giving each other glares. That's all he needs, really
Take one step at a time. He could deal with explaining this to his friends later, but for now, he was satisfied with just eating in silence until lunch ends...How would he explain it? Lies? Truths? He could have said that Mina was the agressor, and was entirely responsible for this whole thing, but that would place all the gossip and blame onto her. Edward didn't like the idea of having rumours about him, but he was fairly unknown anyways, and the students didn't have a particularly large rumour-mill either. Hopefully, most people would just forgive and forget.
Besides, it wasn't like he was unpatriotic, just willing to compromise, right? That shouldn't anger anyone, unless his associates were much more nasty then he thought.
Mum and Pop would be disappointed, yes, but he was quite the failure to their eyes already, and the teachers wouldn't mind.
The truth is a lot less painful then I thought.
He was tired of thinking, and for the rest of his time at the table, it was just chewing down on his food. He gazed up and saw that Mina was leaving, giving some kind of two-handed salute. Edward didn't salute back, Mina's one was probably fake. But nothing but a disapproving look came out, and he was too busy eating anyways. Lunch was nearly over anyways, and he had a test very soon.
Opening up his history book slowly, he stared at its contents carefully, what was real and what wasn't? Now that he was actually examining it, he spotted little flaws in between the walls of text. Subtle and glossed over, but still misleading mistakes. For example, even Edward knew Vietnam wasn't some kind of evil nation against America. Simply misled, communist simpletons.
He closed the book and lifted himself up to get ready for his next class. As he walked to his locker, he thought to himself: He would have to get more reliable texts after school.
As always, Edward might deny it, but Mina left a impact on him, whether it was to last or not, was the question.
(Edward Taylor continued elsewhere...)
Take one step at a time. He could deal with explaining this to his friends later, but for now, he was satisfied with just eating in silence until lunch ends...How would he explain it? Lies? Truths? He could have said that Mina was the agressor, and was entirely responsible for this whole thing, but that would place all the gossip and blame onto her. Edward didn't like the idea of having rumours about him, but he was fairly unknown anyways, and the students didn't have a particularly large rumour-mill either. Hopefully, most people would just forgive and forget.
Besides, it wasn't like he was unpatriotic, just willing to compromise, right? That shouldn't anger anyone, unless his associates were much more nasty then he thought.
Mum and Pop would be disappointed, yes, but he was quite the failure to their eyes already, and the teachers wouldn't mind.
The truth is a lot less painful then I thought.
He was tired of thinking, and for the rest of his time at the table, it was just chewing down on his food. He gazed up and saw that Mina was leaving, giving some kind of two-handed salute. Edward didn't salute back, Mina's one was probably fake. But nothing but a disapproving look came out, and he was too busy eating anyways. Lunch was nearly over anyways, and he had a test very soon.
Opening up his history book slowly, he stared at its contents carefully, what was real and what wasn't? Now that he was actually examining it, he spotted little flaws in between the walls of text. Subtle and glossed over, but still misleading mistakes. For example, even Edward knew Vietnam wasn't some kind of evil nation against America. Simply misled, communist simpletons.
He closed the book and lifted himself up to get ready for his next class. As he walked to his locker, he thought to himself: He would have to get more reliable texts after school.
As always, Edward might deny it, but Mina left a impact on him, whether it was to last or not, was the question.
(Edward Taylor continued elsewhere...)