002 ♚ audio

[boyhood]

_{[Whodunnits aren't really Peter's leisure activity of choice. Who's committed a crime and why aren't as interesting as what a person will do to overcome a challenge. Slapdash, violent, gleeful murder… it's a bit much. And rather hard to ignore after the first few bodies start appearing and the horrified reactions start buzzing amongst the people.]}

Lock your doors and shutter your windows, it looks like we're in for a nasty storm.

_{[Only Peter's boyish voice can be heard; there's no indication of where he might be, or what he might be doing. Maybe he's taking his own advice on this one.]}

If you don't, be careful who you come across in the halls. Or what you might find.


| private message to Emma Swan and Regina Mills |

I expect you'll be keeping a better eye on Henry this time. Don't wander off and lose your hearts. Someone taking them without magic makes an impressive mess.

Comments

[boyhood]

<sub>[To confirm the truthfulness of that claim, Peter would have to fully understand who she's trying to compare herself to... but if this girl had a smidge of sense to begin with, this--all of this--likely wouldn't have happened.

Peter Pan has learned something new this day, and he's not sure he appreciates the lesson. Her idea of a dance performance is a mystifying thing.]</sub>

You're rather spirited.

_{[Only after a few more moments of silence and another bemused look does he venture to say anything.]}

That was... beyond my expectations.

[stoptheviolence]

Well, yeah, I am a cheerleader.

[Accepting his words as complimentary, she smiled brightly. Brushed some of the hair from her eyes and leaned back a bit.]

I get that reaction a lot.

Most people, when they first meet me, don't really think I can be good at much.

[boyhood]

And what is a cheerleader? Someone who excels at enthusiasm like you?

<sub>[Yes, he will knowingly open that door. The modern teenaged version of Pandora's box.

Peter, by very nature of who he is, is much better at cutting people down than he is at building them up; the former is thrilling in the way the latter isn't. A young girl plagued by outside scrutiny is practically a game that plays itself, but in the moment Peter merely smiles a little, a vague quirk of the mouth.]</sub>

I wouldn't say that. You have a presence.

_{[Certainly a unique gift of looking blindly past what's going on around her. That gift is far more impressive than her acrobatics, really.]}

[stoptheviolence]

Actually...yeah.

[A very, very generalized definition of the word, sure, but it wasn't wrong!]

It's our job, basically, to cheer on our sports teams with the power of school spirits and really hot mini skirts. But we compete a lot on our own, too. Actually, we've won more competitions than most of the other sports teams combined.

[Especially Football.]

[Oh, Football Team. Why do you suck so much?]

...thanks.

I'd like to hope I do.

[boyhood]

<sub>[Truly, words uttered from the mouths of babes. Peter's doubt is a deep and abiding thing when Brittany voices her claim about skirts, but he doesn't presume to know more about this subject than her and so ultimately says nothing.

Flouncing around in skirts is a hobby some members of her sex participate in, he knows that much. A fearsome power in its own right, and one that has his eyebrows drawing together in a knot.

People who judge Neverland for its twists and turns don't appreciate its simplicity in comparison to this.]</sub>

Oh, you do. It's not easy to impress Peter Pan with something new, you know, and impress me you have. _{[His expression relaxes, tone turning knowing.]} So that's it, then, you want to make a name for yourself, one that outshines the rest? That I understand.

[stoptheviolence]

[Regardless of his inner thoughts, to Brittany, Peter's words are as clear-cut and complimentary as any she had ever heard. She smiled warmly at him, nodding.]

You too, huh?

...well, yeah, duh. Of course you do. You were named after Peter Pan. Why wouldn't you want to be somebody you are, and not somebody you're not?

[boyhood]

_{[He pushes himself to his feet, more relaxed now than he had been the first time she'd shown her confusion at his name. Perhaps come to grips with the blow it lands to his significant amount of pride, despite his efforts over the years to be the ever detached and ever untouchable Pan.]}

The difference is, I already am who I want to be and there's no one else who could contend. Anyone named after my story is named after me.

_{[Hairsplitting, it's true, and not even completely accurate the way he tells it. Brittany is technically right--there had been another Peter Pan before he'd taken the identity, someone small and innocent who had given him the name. For that reason, Peter can't be angry. At the start of things, he hadn't been the genuine article any more than some air-headed girl grasping at someone else's coattails.]}

Eventually you'll come to understand this. Repetition may be good for you. But it seems to me you're not quite there yet.

[stoptheviolence]

[Her nose scrunched up in such a way to show her taking offense at that statement. But not the usual kind. More like the kind where she knew he was right, but she didn't like the fact that he was right, so she took offense to that more than the statement itself.]

I'm working on it, okay?

[boyhood]

A pity you couldn't compete, isn't it? If you have a person you want to surpass and they were here, everyone could judge.

<sub>[A skills competition! Even a feminine singing competition is better than none at all.

Not even Peter can comprehend the true horror of Britney Spears in Wonderland, however. This means it should happen one day!]</sub>

[stoptheviolence]

[Whatever reaction Peter had been hoping for, Brittany actually brightened at the thought. Her confidence in herself was just that strong.]

I'd so totally win, too.

[boyhood]

<sub>[He likes hearing people boast, it always makes failure or success all the better.

He might not share her interests, but Peter clearly does admire the chase--in Britney's case, in a very limited regard. Music is always more pleasing when, of a natural course, the music itself is pleasing. Modern life just doesn't suit this old timer, along with its pop music.]</sub>

And how would you propose to win against someone who's come before you?

[stoptheviolence]

[If he asked nicely, she could always pull out some of the classics? Somehow, she and her fellow gleeks seem to know them all upon request.]

By being better than her, obviously.

[boyhood]

<sub>[What is this asking "nicely" you speak of? And moreover, what are the classics and what are the gleeks? These are confusing times for a Neverlander.

Peter lifts his chin, looking like he's considering this answer.]</sub>

If you don't mind my asking after you've treated me and everything, how are you better than someone by reusing their material?

_{[That's a fair way to call... whatever kind of song that had been, isn't it?]}

[stoptheviolence]

[Fair. But inaccurate.]

You say 'reusing'. I say 'improving'.

[boyhood]

Anything original in there?

_{[Go on, really impress him, Britney! He's giving you the opportunity!]}

Nothing?

[stoptheviolence]

Hey, don't answer for me!

I've totally written my own song before. It was pretty good too, if you ask me.

[boyhood]

<sub>[What else is he supposed to do besides answer for her? She obviously can't do it for herself. There are so many things about her person that need improving upon, but he has to admit, the nimbleness required to flounce around like she had is a desirable quality for Lost Boys.

Such a shame she's... well, she's this. Peter squints, looking for a second like he's considering saying something, but decides against it.]</sub>

It takes creativity to do a thing like that. _{[His smile borders on teasing.]} Maybe you can. Much nicer to believe, isn't it?

[stoptheviolence]

[She can answer. It's just a matter of how one choose to interpret her words.]

I believe. I totally believe. In lots of things.

It's the strongest thing somebody can do, you know.

[boyhood]

_{[Brittany, please. Does she even have the barest idea of who she's talking to? Even the barest?]}

Oh, I do know.

_{[His smile is a mischievous thing.]}

Didn't you know that's what Neverland is built on?

[stoptheviolence]

...I thought we were in Wonderland.

[boyhood]

Only think?

_{[If he had time and a real reason to twist this one up in knots, she'd be almost too easy. Like feeding a young child lies and watching them accept them as truth.]}

Two different places. An imitation of one, we're in. The other, where I live. Your stories get that much right, don't they?

[stoptheviolence]

Well, sometimes it's hard to tell, okay?

I mean, when magic things happen, this place can change. Like, really change, It's kind of weird, but kind of cool.

[boyhood]

_{["Unfamiliar and strange, but interesting" characterizes a good deal of this encounter with a teenage girl as well.]}

Ah, yes...

_{[He accepts this answer with a knowing nod, as if sympathetic to what she's trying to get at.]}

It must be difficult, coming to a land with magic. And one where not everyone is so friendly.

[stoptheviolence]

Actually, most of the people I've talked to here are nicer than High School.

And I don't mind the magic so much. So long as it's not hurting people.

[boyhood]

<sub>[His eyebrows rise slowly at the familiar term.

Oh, yes, this high school thing... Lena, the other girl, had expressed the same sort of sentiment despite having magic of her own. Rather amazing that these children could still cling to their ideas of what real hardship is even here when all is not peace and happy endings.]</sub>

Honestly, I had no idea your schools were so dangerous. If you've found more friendly sorts here, I can't imagine the kind of villains you share a classroom with.

_{[If high school students routinely live each other's memories and die on account of serial killers hidden in amongst their ranks, then that really would be interesting. Interesting enough to warrant even Peter's attention.]}

Maybe in exchange for what you're teaching me, one day you'll get to see some of Neverland's magic.