Hacking #08: Memories

[technologic]

Characters: April and anyone else!
Setting: Floor 28, Floor 100 and Dorm Room 2-04 (Locked to Aleph).
Format: Brackets to start with, but I can match you!
Summary: In which April practices music and then later gets hit with a bad cause of homesickness.

[Floor 28]
[April has recently started to teach herself how to play the piano, and today she can be found in the music room practising. She... isn't really that good though, and judging by how she winces everytime she messes up, she seems very aware of this fact. But hey, at least she's trying!

And at least she's using a book to help her, even if she does keep messing up often.]

[Floor 100]
[April tended to avoid this floor. The moment she saw the scenery, she walked right through this floor. But today she had stopped, now looking at the sight of a big, old, decaying building within a ruined city. She didn't really know why... Maybe she missed home, and just wanted to see it, even if it was only a hologram.

… She didn't realize she missed home this much, and she can't help the wince when her hand goes through the wall of the fake building.]

[Dorm Room 2-04. Locked to Aleph.]
[Aleph had said that she could talk to him anytime, right? So why was she so nervous about knocking on his room door? Every time she tried to knock, she would pull back before moving to leave and then convincing herself that she should talk to him, even if she's nervous about it. It takes a few repeats of this cycle before she gathers up the nerve to shakily knock on his door.]

Comments

[alephbet]

Anywhere. Pick a bed, any bed.

[technologic]

[Just gonna sit on a random bed then, and she fidgets with her hands before glancing up at him.] Ah... S-sorry, for, um, bothering you like this, but, u-um...

[Ugh feelings are hard.]

[alephbet]

You're not bothering me at all.

[Waiting patiently.]

[technologic]

I... I went to floor 100 earlier and it... it got me thinking about stuff. And, um... We c-can be honest with each other, right?

[alephbet]

Of course we can.

[He assumes this topic is full of sad feelings.]

[technologic]

... I just... [She runs her hands over her face with a groan. Ugggggh this is hard.] There are... I've been wanting to tell you a more about my h-history, since it's only fair when I know about yours, but it's... I haven't been wanting to bug you about it, but I've been wanting to tell someone on my terms for once...

[alephbet]

You can tell me as much as you want to, when you want to. I'd like to hear more, but it's your choice.

[technologic]

... Is there anything specific you want to hear, or s-should I start at the beginning?

[alephbet]

Tell me from the beginning.

[technologic]

Well, um... Well, I was born in a settlement called Skegs, and I lived with my parents. [She winces slightly as she mentions them, but she keeps going.] My mum was a merchant who traveled a lot, so my dad practically raised me. I was gonna take over his job as the one on charge of the settlements communications when I got older, but...

[She trails off and rubs her forehead.] ... The thing is, I... didn't know I was a mutant until I got older, my powers only emerged at fifteen. And mutants aren't... Some humans really don't like us...

[alephbet]

Your parents were like that, too...

[technologic]

Y-yeah... Yeah, they were. [She presses the heels of her hands to her eyes and shakily takes a breath, before she keeps going.] Dad found me 't-talking' to one of the machines and I... T-they called me a 'monster' and t-threw me o-out, into the wastelands, they all... Even dad, who practically raised him, he-

[She stops and takes another breath, shaking her head a bit.] I... S-sorry...

[alephbet]

It's all right... Keep going when you're ready.

[technologic]

[April rubs her forehead and takes another breath, this one shakier than before. But she keeps going.] When I was... t-thrown out, I was so mad and hurt and I just hated everyone a-and... I-I don't know, something in me snapped. I can't... really remember what happened during that time, besides a few blurs and I... I'm not sure if I want to clearly remember what I had done during that time.

When I came to, I-I was on my own for a while. T-then I met Quinton. [Now she cracks a small, but sad smile.] He did a lot for me; he took me in, and kept me safe, and he's the reason why I'm the person I am today. And why I have my coat.

[alephbet]

[Gently.] He sounds like he must be amazing.

[technologic]

He was... [Her smile broadens as she lightly tugs at her coat sleeve.] He was loud and very in-your-face, but he was so... full of life and happy that it was hard to not smile around him. I loved him a lot...

[The smile soon turns sad again.]

... But he was old, and he died naturally a few years ago... I regret not be able to open up to him more when I had the chance. And on that same day, I met Michelle.

[alephbet]

Someone important enough to name a rabbit after.

[technologic]

Eheh, yep. Michelle helped me to set up the group, so I owe a lot to her.

[alephbet]

What was she like?

[technologic]

Loud, energetic, brash, always running around and she wasn't afraid to tell you how she felt about something. She's pretty much the opposite of me, and she was my best friend.

[alephbet]

She sounds like someone I'd like to meet.

[technologic]

You and her would really get along well, I think. And she's been trying to set me up on dates for so long that she would probably go into shock if she found out I was dating.

[alephbet]

Well, I don't want to give your friends a heart attack, maybe we should keep it a secret.

[technologic]

Ehe, that might be a good plan. Though Michelle would probably pick up on it after a while.

[alephbet]

I guess we couldn't fool anyone for that long...