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24d_245t_tcdd) wrote2021-11-16 06:17 pm
24d_245t_tcdd) wrote2021-11-16 06:17 pm
Noko - Initial meetings
First graders can be cruel. Truly, deeply cruel to those that they do not understand, those who are different from them. For the young boy whose grandmother called him noko it was a lesson learned starkly and harshly.
Anton Leonard Robinson, noko to his family, was very different from the rest of the children in the class. Not because he was a boy. Not because he was black. He was both of those things, but there were several children in class who fit one or both of those categories. No, the reason Anton rattled from the cruelty of the children in class was because of the long porcupine-like quills that went from his neck to his waist, and down the back of both arms. He was suprahuman, super human in the vernacular, but at six years old he was just weird.
Things weren't too bad until free play time. There was a lot of staring, and whispers, but nobody actually said anything cruel loud enough for the teacher to hear them. Free play started horribly. He tried to talk to some of the children, and they called him names. Ran away. Teased him.
After only a few minutes, however, when Anton found himself backing into a corner where his quills wouldn't be so visible another student approached him with a bucket of trucks. Anton looked at him warily, eyes flicking to the trucks that he'd wanted to play with and then back to the boy's placed, calm face.
"Ignore them." the pale boy with pale hair and pale eyes said, "Mom says that fear is only a good response if you're in danger. You're not in danger, so play trucks with me."
"They're going to make fun of you." Anton whispered in return, "If you stay near me."
"I don't care," it was calm, placid, and the even look in those pale eyes didn't so much as flicker, "if you play trucks with me now I'll have your back forever."
*******************
"You know, Anton." the girl said, her head on his thigh as she looked up at the sky, "People think you're super weird for hanging out with that guy all the time."
"James? He's my best friend, Lily."
"He's creepy. Those eyes...and he never has any emotions, like a robot."
"Babe, James has emotions. He's just not very demonstrative. At all." Anton stroked her hair back, "Totally loyal, though. I never would have gotten this far without James beside me."
"Does he...like you?"
The question made Anton laugh, long and loud, "No, Lily. James likes girls, he's just busy with other things and he knows people find him creepy so he doesn't act on it. I mean, what would you say if I asked you to find someone to go on a double date with him?"
"...Okay, yeah. Yeah, that's fair."
*******************
"Are you sure about this?" If it was anyone else, Anton would have read the tone as 'disapproving, but trying to hide it'. Since it was James, the question was exactly as it sounded: neutral.
"Yeah, man, I'm sure. I've got a spot lined up with the Seattle Branch. Junior member until I prove myself, but between the quills, the strength, the..."
"...ego." Both men laughed, because the interjection was how James joked. It had taken Anton a long time to get used to it, but at this point he caught the joke just about as often as James made it. Nobody expected Anton to have a subtle sense of humour, but damn near a lifetime of hanging out with Mr. Emotions-Are-Just-A-Passing-Fad had given the big man a very finely refined one. "Seriously, Anton, if this is what you want I've got your back. I just want you to be sure."
"I promise. I'm sure."
"Good. I already accepted a job in Northgate."
Anton Leonard Robinson, noko to his family, was very different from the rest of the children in the class. Not because he was a boy. Not because he was black. He was both of those things, but there were several children in class who fit one or both of those categories. No, the reason Anton rattled from the cruelty of the children in class was because of the long porcupine-like quills that went from his neck to his waist, and down the back of both arms. He was suprahuman, super human in the vernacular, but at six years old he was just weird.
Things weren't too bad until free play time. There was a lot of staring, and whispers, but nobody actually said anything cruel loud enough for the teacher to hear them. Free play started horribly. He tried to talk to some of the children, and they called him names. Ran away. Teased him.
After only a few minutes, however, when Anton found himself backing into a corner where his quills wouldn't be so visible another student approached him with a bucket of trucks. Anton looked at him warily, eyes flicking to the trucks that he'd wanted to play with and then back to the boy's placed, calm face.
"Ignore them." the pale boy with pale hair and pale eyes said, "Mom says that fear is only a good response if you're in danger. You're not in danger, so play trucks with me."
"They're going to make fun of you." Anton whispered in return, "If you stay near me."
"I don't care," it was calm, placid, and the even look in those pale eyes didn't so much as flicker, "if you play trucks with me now I'll have your back forever."
*******************
"You know, Anton." the girl said, her head on his thigh as she looked up at the sky, "People think you're super weird for hanging out with that guy all the time."
"James? He's my best friend, Lily."
"He's creepy. Those eyes...and he never has any emotions, like a robot."
"Babe, James has emotions. He's just not very demonstrative. At all." Anton stroked her hair back, "Totally loyal, though. I never would have gotten this far without James beside me."
"Does he...like you?"
The question made Anton laugh, long and loud, "No, Lily. James likes girls, he's just busy with other things and he knows people find him creepy so he doesn't act on it. I mean, what would you say if I asked you to find someone to go on a double date with him?"
"...Okay, yeah. Yeah, that's fair."
*******************
"Are you sure about this?" If it was anyone else, Anton would have read the tone as 'disapproving, but trying to hide it'. Since it was James, the question was exactly as it sounded: neutral.
"Yeah, man, I'm sure. I've got a spot lined up with the Seattle Branch. Junior member until I prove myself, but between the quills, the strength, the..."
"...ego." Both men laughed, because the interjection was how James joked. It had taken Anton a long time to get used to it, but at this point he caught the joke just about as often as James made it. Nobody expected Anton to have a subtle sense of humour, but damn near a lifetime of hanging out with Mr. Emotions-Are-Just-A-Passing-Fad had given the big man a very finely refined one. "Seriously, Anton, if this is what you want I've got your back. I just want you to be sure."
"I promise. I'm sure."
"Good. I already accepted a job in Northgate."