WHO: Samriah Al-Abbas & Layla Siddiqui WHAT Getting together to hang out WHEN: Friday after school WHERE: Layla's Place WARNINGS: None STATUS: Closed | Incomplete gdoc
Layla really genuinely liked Samirah as she got to know the other teenager better. After spending plenty of time together doing prayers, they'd ended up hanging out some and now she definitely felt comfortable enough to text her when she needed to get out of the apartment. It was a toss up, basically, between her and Molly, but today she'd reached out to Samirah first in part because it was curling season and it was inevitable that Amaar would end up inviting Ariadne and Samirah over to watch if they wanted. The level of awkward that was to be expected definitely warranted a touchbase between the two of them, which was decidedly not gossiping and she'd defend as much as best she could if need be.
"I can not believe it's already December," Layla complained as she opened the door for Samirah. "At least I'm used to the weather. It's got nothing on Saskatchewan." Which was kind of fun because everyone else thought it was so cold and yet it wasn't to her. She was pretty comfortable in her normal 'fall' attire, even more so in the apartment. "But I may have taken advantage of it and ordered in. Pizza should be here in a few," she promised and stepped aside so her friend could enter.
"How're things going for you?" she asked as they made their way into the kitchen.
Samirah was happy to have Layla reach out and she agreed to join the girl happily. It was nice to have some female friends. Back home it seemed that most of her friends were male - something her grandparents were not privy too. She smiled as she entered the apartment herself.
“It’s not as cold as Boston yet, but I’m wondering if January gets colder.” She always felt January and February were the coldest months in Boston, even if they weren’t as ‘magical’ as December. “I have to admit it’s something I like about this place.” While she liked the look of snow, Sam definitely preferred summer.
“Things are fine. I’m finding the schooling here a bit easy, but I guess that’s not something I’m supposed to complain about.” She took off her jacket, hanging it neatly before entering further into the apartment. “Thankfully there’s a lot of supplementary stuff on the internet.” Did she just admit to doing homework outside of school-sanctioned work? Yes.
Layla had luckily tested into senior year when she'd arrived last year, so she was working on her GenEd classes even though she didn't know what she wanted to major in just yet. She hadn't thought of suggesting it when Samirah had first arrived, but considering she was doing supplementary work and not getting credit for it? Layla suggested, "Why don't you see if you can audit some of the college classes or something? I mean, at least during the winter semester or something? If you're going to do extra work, it might as well count for something. But yea, I ran into that problem too, because the school systems in Canada and in the US are different. I tested though, before I got started."
She grabbed her reusable water bottle from the fridge and then turned to Samirah. "Want anything to drink?" They didn't really have a whole lot, but the basics for the most part were definitely covered. "Also, I promise watching curling won't be too painful. Mostly I just read a book while they watch, but we can play a game or something." Layla definitely wasn't about to leave Amaar and Ariadne unchaperoned after everything they'd been through, but she was kind of grateful for the company.
“Water would be great, actually.” Though Sam was aware that was a lame choice, she really did enjoy it the most. She found a lot of things too sugary, much to Magnus’ chagrin back home. She momentarily felt a pang in her chest as she missed her friend, but pushed it aside - he would never let her hear the end of it if she dwelled too much while in Madison Valley.
“College classes sound good, actually. I’ve been thinking of taking up tutoring here, too, as a part time job. I spoke to someone at the school and they said even the people who live here would be willing to have tutors, so there is some need for it.” Sam hadn’t been sure the townspeople would have enjoyed having a refugee tutor their kids, but it seemed when it came to that, it was the marks that mattered more.
“What is it like in Saskatchewan? I admit we don’t learn a lot about Canada in school and what we do, I don’t remember Saskatchewan coming up. Though I did learn some while being here. It’s a province, right?” Samirah realized early on that much of what she knew about Canada was superficial and it didn’t sit well with her, so occasionally she went to the library to read up on things. She didn’t like only knowing the stereotypical things about a place or person.
Layla nodded and grabbed a glass from the proper cabinet so that she could pour some water for Samirah. It wasn't but another minute before she put it down in front of her friend. "Oh, there's definitely a need for tutors. I mean, everyone comes from different points in time, different years and all. Someone's got to help them get up to speed. Might as well be you, right?" She thought that was actually pretty smart. Even though she didn't know what she wanted to do with her life, Layla could appreciate that others knew what they were good at.
"It's technically a Western province, but really it's smack in the middle of the country. Fun fact? We're the only province without a natural border. But mostly it's just like living here, honestly. Except it gets really hot in the summer and really cold in the winter. It seems a lot more mild here. But I guess...Provinces are sort of like states? Just...much bigger. And a little more autonomous, maybe?" Layla was more interested in visiting the United States for the chance to be free from all the restrictions her father put on her. What she'd slowly started to discover was that she had just enough freedom here to figure out how to be herself.
"Like, we've got a Prime Minister instead of a President. But we do vote and there's a Parliament and whatnot." She wasn't sure if that was what Samirah was asking, but hopefully it was.
Samirah listened and nodded at the end, putting Layla’s words to memory. She wanted to visit Canada, though specifically she had thought about Vancouver. She told herself when she got her pilot’s license back home she could visit a lot of places. The idea made her smile.
“Maybe one day, when I go back home, I’ll go for a visit. I plan to be a pilot, you know. One of the perks about that, other than flying, is being able to visit a lot of places.” Sure, she had seen a lot of places as a Valkyrie, but those were within the nine realms. Even when she had traveled across the Atlantic, it was hard to enjoy the places they had been since they were trying to keep Loki from unleashing Ragnarok.
“We might even find we’re from the same world.” It would be hard to tell since mortals back home never saw through the glamour that was created for them. As far as she knew, Layla’s world seemed pretty normal.
"A pilot?? That is so cool," Layla replied, excited for her friend that she knew what she wanted to do. "I bet you could learn a little bit here. Maybe not just like actual flying, but a simulator or something? Maybe?" There were inventive and crafty people in Madison Valley, so if anyone would be able to figure it out, it'd be someone stuck under the Dome with them. "I bet there's all sorts of pilots here, too."
Layla definitely wouldn't have minded at all if they were from the same world. "If we are, you definitely have to come fly me away from home. I love it here and I honestly don't really want to go back. I mean, I miss my friends and even my dad sometimes, but he's so...he's a very traditional Muslim, you know? I feel so stifled around him." Which sucked, but it was what it was. "I definitely have really enjoyed being here and having Amaar be the one looking after me. It's taken some adjusting, since he's not my dad or a relative, but we've made it work. You must have it a lot easier in that sense with Ariadne," Layla mused.
"How's she doing? Is she being weird about coming over for curling on Saturday?" she asked.
She thought being a pilot was cool, too. There was nothing she’d rather be doing. Of course, she’d continue to serve Odin and be a Valkyrie, but she definitely wanted to be a pilot no matter what. “I have someone making me a simulator, actually. His name is Anakin?” She made a mental note to check up on how Anakin was doing and if he needed anything from her. Thankfully she could fly as a Valkyrie too so she wasn’t completely without. Flying a plane was just different.
Sam nodded when she spoke about her father. Sam was probably more traditional compared to Layla, but not as much as her grandparents - her grandparents would have lost it to learn she was friends with males. “I’m glad you’re happy to be here. It’s better than being miserable.” She missed home and Amir, but she was going to stay positive while she was here since there was no point in being otherwise.
Sam struggled a little with the mention of Ariadne and smiled in a way people did when they were remembering actions. “She’s stressing out a little. When I left she was trying to figure out if she should make food for curling or buy it. I think it’s sweet how much she likes Amaar.”
"Five steps ahead of me already, I like it!" Layla liked Samirah a bit more at that admission, since it showed she wasn't afraid to go out and get what she was looking for. She felt encouraged to do the same in her own life more and more each day, which was something she was adjusting to as she found her place in the world, especially within the context of her trying to figure out what her relationship looked like with Islam. Weirdly, she felt closer to it without her dad around, in part because it was a way for her to feel closer to him in his absence.
"I think it might be one of those 'the grass is always greener' type things. I do miss home, and my dad and my friends, but...I feel like I can make my own choices here, instead of the choices everyone else wants me to make." She shrugged, since it was what it was and she wasn't really sure she wanted to delve into it too much.
Layla did grin when Sam mentioned that Ariadne was trying to figure out if she was cooking or buying whatever snack she was going to bring. "I'm kind of not surprised that she's stressing. Amaar's only a little better. But oh man, fair warning, their son is so hot, so just...be prepared for that." She realized a moment later that Sam might not have any idea what she was talking about. "Uh...has anyone told you about the future kids?"
She understood a lot about choices other people wanted you to make. She nodded to Layla at that. Here she had more freedom in the sense she didn't have to constantly lie to her grandparents. She was glad that Layla was happy here and that she felt free here to do what she wanted to do.
Samirah flushed when Layla said Amaar and Ariadne's son was hot, but she nodded. "Yes... Ariadne mentioned it when we were talking about some of the strange things that could happen here. It's still one of the things that I find hard to wrap my head around. Does that mean that eventually Amaar and Ariadne will get together. He would have come from their future, right?" She had no idea how she would feel if a child were to suddenly show up and they were hers. She assumed if it did happen, it would be a child of her and Amir. "I wonder how it would feel for that to happen. I can't imagine..."