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It's been three days since she arrived, and Regan has gotten a little bit used to the Home. She stays out of it as long as she can, all the same, so she doesn't have to worry about trying to interact with her Hearing roommates. It isn't that she thinks they're bad people. It's just . . . a lot. Another reminder that she's not like them. That she's Other.

So, she wakes up early and heads out, and she stays out all day, until just before curfew, and heads back in. She does that every day, now, and maybe it's a little cowardly, but she's also giving herself time to get used to the city proper, using the map Greta showed her and marking things of interest on it as she goes.

She's marked the cat cafe down, and that really cool tinker's shop.

She's set to start school next Monday. It would have been sooner, but she requested an extra week. Part of it is because she's nervous. She'll have an interpreter, but it's been so long since she's been in school. What if she's behind her peers?

She doesn't want to think about it. Instead, Regan heads towards the park, wearing her new winter boots that Greta helped her buy. She swings by an Ahab's and grabs herself a hot cocoa with espresso in it, and ends up adding extra sugar to sweeten it back up. The park is a nice place, and she gets to see all sorts of different things and people here.

Even if she's just killing time until curfew.

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Regan can't help but smile a little at his name sign. "Do you talk a lot?" she asks. That's the only reason she can think someone would give him that particular name sign, anyway.

Neil only really gets you and talk out of what she says, and he laughs a little bit, nodding, holding up his hand with his fingers pinched close together. He pulls his phone out again, because it's easier to talk like that, even if it feels more impersonal.

Coworker is taking ASL. Gave me that sign. Most friendly w/ customers.

That isn't necessarily the truth, especially recently, but he tries to be bright and well-spoken and friendly to everyone that comes in, even if he's having a rough day. But he's been there for a few months now, and people seem to like his enthusiasm at work. He makes due.

You're most friendly or your coworker is? she asks. It's harder to understand the shorter sentences he's using, and she's tempted to ask if he'd rather write it down instead of using his phone. She's not sure it'll be faster, but if it feels more natural then she's willing to switch over.

Neil points to himself, because he had meant himself. He feels a little stupid about the whole thing. He knows how to be articulate, but he's bad with it without time to prepare. It's why he ends up sticking his foot in his mouth so often when he speaks, too.

There's a brief, awkward pause after Regan nods, and she turns to her phone again to try to change the subject.

You look young, but I don't recognize you from the home. You don't live there?

Neil looks, and then shakes his head, sort of smiling. He'll be twenty this year, but he knows he has a young face. He makes a desperate attempt to articulate himself, and it's not awful, but it takes him a lot longer to type than his short little bits and pieces.

I have a friend there. I didn't get assigned there when I arrived. No idea why. But I turned 18 just a little after I got here and I'll be 20 this year. Didn't even know there was a childrens home until I was in school last year.

Regan stares at his message for a moment. Then she turns her wide eyes to Neil's face, and the surprise is obvious. He's twenty? He doesn't look it. He looks so young. Regan feels herself blushing a little and she looks down at her phone to type on it so he doesn't see.

You don't look 20! I thought you were like 16 or 17.

Well 20 in July is the easy, quick correction, but Neil laughs, seeing her surprise before she looks away from him to type. He's fairly certain he surprises a lot of people, that he got his diploma back in the summer.

Are you 16 or 17?

I'm only 14, she answers, with a little grimace that says just how much she likes being fourteen. And she feels very young and dumb next to him, now that she knows he's almost six years older than her.

Neil feels a little silly for the question, now he's asked it and Regan's said she's younger than he supposed. They're on even keel now, both thinking the other was younger or older than they are. In his defense, Regan has a certain way. Even without a verbal voice, she comes across with maturity at least comparable to Rosie, or himself when he showed up.

He changes the subject, still a bit embarrassed that she seems put off by his age. How is Darrow so far? Different?

Very. The world kind of ended where I'm from. It's kind of a Thing to just say like that, but she says it anyway. It's different with a guy older than she is versus Rosie, who is practically the same age. She wants Rosie to like her. She'd like Neil to like her, but it's not the same thing.