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Susanna Sherman's just finished moving into her new apartment, and now she's out and about taking in some of the scenery of the city in which she now lives. Carrying a large purse over one shoulder, she walks along through the cemetary, in the area of the Revolutionary War battleground. She's carrying no flowers, and she's stopping by none of the graves… so, anyone who might watch her for a while would be able to guess she's just walking and looking about, not visiting.
*
And sitting on a little bench by the path is Starfire. A white summer dress worn over the top of her alien garments, although not long enough to cover her boots, and a big book rests on her lap. And a few more are stacked up on the bench beside her. The titles are in a range of languages from around the world but most seem to be about folk lore. It could be the time of day or the position of the bench, but she almost seems to glow in the sunlight as she idly flicks through the pages.
*
Susie, as she comes around a bend in the path, can't help but notice Starfire. She stops for a moment, in the usual sort of 'whoa! not human!' sort of way… but then purses her lips a bit, then shrugs — and continues down the path in that direction.
*
Starfire glances between various books in the piles, repeating some of the information out loud. Each time in the language the book is written in. Every now and again she frowns and scribbles something down on a sheet of scrap paper. "This is most interesting," she muses aloud to herself. "And there are implications regarding the migration of population too. I wish that my education had included more cultural anthropology."
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That makes Susie stop walking, her eyebrows rising. "You can read all those languages?", she asks, bluntly… and clearly surprised that anyone can do that kind of thing.
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"I am fluent in many languages. More than a dozen at least. Although I have not had time to learn the various idioms for each," Starfire explains matter of factly, glancing up from the books to smile at Susie. "I believe in America you would say I am having the knack for it?"
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Susie looks a bit wowwed as she replies, "… more than a dozen? Wow… I only speak two, and one of those just kinda-sorta", lifting one hand to waggle it up and down with the last two words spoken. She then pauses and glances forward and back, as if unsure if she should spit out what she has in mind to say. "Uhm… your skin color… are you a mutant?", she finally asks.
*
Starfire nods. "I hope this is not a problem for you?" she wonders cheerfully. "I find some people act strangely when they find out. Or ask very unusual questions like does it hurt." She shrugs. "Are you lost? For some reason people do not generally like to walk through this place. Or when they do they typically seem very sad and do not stop to talk."
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"Does it hurt?", Susie repeats, her tone incredulous. "That's a… I'd call that a stupid question, not an unusual one", she concludes, sounding a little upset that someone would even ask that sort of thing. "I'm… just out walking. Even if people are buried here, it's pretty, and… well… it's kinda historical, too."
*
"Is it not a commonly stated saying that there are no stupid questions?" Starfire wonders, tilting her head. "I do not really mind it when people are curious but friendly. It is when they are rude and try to harm me that I dislike." She blinks a few times. "Please forgive my manners, I have not carried out the formal introductions! My name is Koriand'r but people often call me Kori." She offers her hand. "May I ask who you might be?"
*
"I'm Susanna… but people often call me Susie", is the blonde girl's reply. She's looking Starfire up and down, now, slowly, as if taking in what the 'mutant' girl looks like. "Besides being able to learn a gazillion languages, can you do other things, like the supers we hear about on the radio and see on the TV?", she asks. She actually sounds more simply curious than anything else — she doesn't seem fearful or antagonistic.
*
Starfire frowns. "Oh lots of things I suppose. I eat light," she muses. "I can fly and am fairly strong. Why do you ask? The sun is very nice in this park which is why I like to read here. Central Park is also nice but the last time I visited the dead were walking and trying to eat people. So I would not recommend going there. It is unsafe." Her aura is unsurprisingly very different to a regular person. You could even say it seems a little bit alien. Or very very mutant.
*
"… there's -zombies- in Central Park?", Susie asks. "I thought that was a movie spot on the news, last night", she adds, smacking herself on the forehead with one hand. "What a dummy!", she says of herself. Then she looks around, as if remembering she's in a big cemetery. "… aren't any -here-, are there?"
*
"I don't think so," Kori replies with a smile. "They are not very dangerous unless you allow them to bite you. I have been told they can infect those they bite and you become like them. I do not think they could break my skin, but I did not wish to test this theory given the potential problems it would cause. I do not like to think of the harm I could cause if I was infected and spreading such a condition. Strangely I was told the source of the creatures was magic."
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