(\fourth/)

[ladyliberty]

Characters: Amelia and open
Setting: Various floors - post event
Format: I'll match you!
Summary: In the aftermath of the event, Amelia struggles to get back into the swing of things.
Warnings: None right now


(Room 1-07 | Tuesday Morning)

Amelia woke earlier than usual in the morning, and sat up with a wince and a sharp 'ah'. After hearing the announcement about a 'soft reset,' and the subsequent blackout-- and knowing from Amelia that death somehow wasn't permanent here-- she had been hoping that maybe her broken leg would reset as well. No such luck. Biting her lip, Amelia started the arduous process of getting out of bed. Even if she couldn't walk, there was no way she was staying still. She couldn't take any more of that.

Flutter-hopping over to her trunk for her clothes, Amelia was surprised to find, perfectly folded amidst the balled up t-shirts and things she'd gotten in the tower, was her Xavier's hoodie and a pair of jeans. Next to them, one of her favorite pairs of boots. She made a face.

"This is so not fair."


The jeans and boots are obviously a no-go, but she decides to wear the hoodie. It's comforting, and soft, and it's getting chillier in the tower. It takes her some time to get dressed, but eventually she's fully clothed, holding her weight on one foot and balancing herself with her wings.

That's when she notices the piece of paper on her night stand. Curious, she picks it up and scans it over.

And then, she screams.

Hopefully none of her roommates still needed their sleep!



(Cafeteria | Tuesday Morning)

Breakfast was always enough to make her feel a little better, as long as it wasn't those nasty nutrition bars. Amelia's a little disappointed to see that the menu has changed again-- she'd been really into that French toast-- but glad enough that it was still real food. And besides that, it looked like the lack of a Starbucks in the tower wasn't going to get in the way of getting her pumpkin spice fix this fall. It was the little things, really.



(Morgue | Tuesday Afternoon)

Seriously? Seriously, this was supposed to be her new job?

Amelia had never felt the least bit of desire to come onto this floor in her exploration-- like way too many things in the tower, it was majorly skeevy. Why would there even be a morgue here, if people came back to life?

Questions she probably shouldn't be asking.

Repressing a shudder, Amelia limps onto the floor and looked around, trying to get some kind of idea for what she's supposed to be doing.



(Meadow | Late Tuesday Afternoon)

After a somewhat harrowing afternoon cleaning out the morgue (seriously, yuck), Amelia is all too glad to pop down one floor to her favorite place in the tower. Spreading her wings and closing her eyes, she leaps into the sky, ignoring her injuries completely as she catches an updraft, soaring higher, higher, as high as she can go. This-- this is everything.



(Media Room | Tuesday Evening)

That evening, Amelia retires to the game floor, making herself comfortable (well, relatively) in a pile of beanbag chairs. She's playing a racing game and listening to some music that she'd found from home, although she only has one earbud in, and she's willing and eager to talk to anyone who may be passing through. Anyone up for 2P mode?


((Now with comments enabled wtf))

Comments

[ladyliberty]

[She laughs.] I'll bet!

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick laughs back, but it's more out of awkwardness than anything. He trails off into thoughtful silence.]

...A-Amelia...it t-takes a l-lot of...f-focus to use y-your p-powers, d-doesn't it?

[ladyliberty]

Well I mean, when I'm trying to. [She makes a face.] It's so easy when I don't have to think about it. It's not fair.

[bashfulshifter]

...Th--That's the i-idea, yeah. I--I mean, to n-not th--think about it.

[A beat; it looks like Rick's having a good ponder over this. He responds carefully and deliberately.]

...It t-took a l-lot of, ah...c-c-conditioning...b-before I l-learned to c-control sh--shifts. And I h-had a l-lot of h-help. I'd l-like...w-well m-maybe I c-can r-r-return the f-favor?

[ladyliberty]

I try not to, but then nothing happens. I didn't even know I had powers until a few months ago. [Which may seem odd coming from a girl with giant wings.] I don't even really know how I do it. It just... happens.

[bashfulshifter]

...O-Only a f-few...?

[That was something Rick was a little confused about, too--he'd deduced that Amelia at least had some other powers that let her make things feel lighter, but he really had no idea if this was connected to her wings or not. Based on her descriptions, he had to assume so.]

Well...these th--things t-take time. [He shrugs and waves his hands to conjure the phrasing he wants.] And s-some u-u-understanding, but...not n-n-necessarily a-about how the p-powers w-work...m-more like...how the p-powers can w-work with you. I-If, ah--if that m-makes any s-s-sense.

[ladyliberty]

[She shrugs.] I guess, a little?

[bashfulshifter]

...Hmm...

[How can he phrase this better? Rick has another good ponder.]

...Your p-powers are w-what h-help you f-fly, right?

[Might as well make sure while he's thinking about it.]

[ladyliberty]

Uh-huh. [She nods.] I can change gravity.

[bashfulshifter]

Oh! Huh.

[Another pause. He looks rather skeptical.]

...Do you e-even n-need your w-wings, then?

[ladyliberty]

[Wow are you doubting her?]

Well then I'd just float around, wouldn't I?

[bashfulshifter]

[NO SIR. Man's just having a think. He does flush a healthy shade of embarrassed, though.]

I...I d-dunno, maybe? [how does even gravity] I-I g-guess I mean...do you r-really n-need them to g-get off the g-ground and, uh...catch a-altitude and stuff?

[Also how do flying]

[ladyliberty]

Look here. [She raises one wing.] They're designed for catching updrafts, see? I can get like two thousand feet easy, if there's a real good one. [She flexes her feathers.] Plus, y'know, steering.

[bashfulshifter]

[He shrugs in defeat.]

...Fair e-enough. [Rick's expression softens into a pleasant smile.] ...I-It must f-feel great, f-flying. And it c-comes n-naturally to you--e-even the p-parts where you n-need to u-use your a-a-abilities?

[ladyliberty]

Oh, it's the best thing in the world. [Amelia spreads her arms and raises them toward the sky, smiling beatifically.] Only I never knew I was doing it-- the gravity thing. My wings shouldn't be big enough to lift a person, but I didn't even know that 'til I'd already been flying for ages.

[bashfulshifter]

...Good. G-Good.

[Rick nods, once again very pensive. The gestures associated with his attempts at explaining things become more emphatic as he pieces ideas together.]

--S-S-So you h-have s-something, uh--ph--physical to--ah--a-attach your p-powers to. Your w-wings, I mean. F-Flying...M-Maybe th--thinking of l-lifting other things as m-making them f-fly, too, w-would help? Or l-learning to l-lift s-stuff while flying? C-Could work...

[ladyliberty]

I've tried, I've tried and tried and tried. I can't carry barely anything. I can't even fly with chunky shoes on.

[bashfulshifter]

[Oops, made her flustered. Rick backs off and anxiously crams his hands in his pockets.]

...W-Well...a f-f-friend of mine o-once said...'T-Trying the same thing t-twice, e-expecting d-d-different results, is the d-definition of i-insanity.'

[Or something like that. Without the stammering, at least.]

...We j-just n-need to t-try n-new ways of th--thinking a-about your p-powers until s-something w-works, yeah?

[ladyliberty]

[She sulks.] Like how?

[bashfulshifter]

I-I'd, uh... [He nervously shuffles his feet.] ...I'd h-have to th--think about it. M-Meditating is a g-good p-place to s-start, though. I m-mean, until w-we can...i-isolate w-what it f-feels like to m-make your p-powers w-w-work.

[ladyliberty]

Meditating? Like, seriously?

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick opens his mouth, flounders to think of a way to dignify what he just said. He can't, so he just turns bright red instead.]

--W-W-W-Well--I-I m-m-mean-- [WHY IS SHE MAKING HIM SO FLUSTERED ABOUT THIS] --Y-Yeah, it--a-a-ah--i-it w-w-worked! F-For me, I--I-I m-mean, it--

[Okay he's basically pouting right now.]

--i-it's not that w-weird!

[ladyliberty]

[Wow jeez she didn't realize he felt so strongly about it.]

But isn't it, like, super boring...

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick sighs in an unusual show of exasperation and kneads his temples.]

...You do...w-want to l-learn how to u-use your p-powers, right?

[ladyliberty]

[Pout pout pout.]

I do. I just don't get how that's gonna help.