A little introspoection and a whole lot of excitement

[provenworth]

Characters: Elena and YOU!
Setting: Various Locations – See Promps
Format: Will match yours
Summary: Elena is recuperating from the incident with the Plague Doctors and getting back into the swing of research.
Warnings: None?


[Floor 81 – Lounge w/ Rounded Windows]

[Elena has boldly gone where she’s pretty sure very few residents have. Out onto the bulging glass that made a glass bridge out into the large sky. At this height she can see a great deal of the Tower if she pressed her back into the furthest most point of the window.

But her interest is more at the stars. Constellations that are foreign to her, stars twinkling and blinking from their places in the sky. Her left arm is still carried in the make-shift sling, the lower portion resting in the well fashioned splint. But other than that, she appears well, just in thought.]



[Floor 10 - Aquarium]

[Having never visited this room, Elena is very disappointed for having not done so earlier. Because it is utterly amazing, what this floor is. What it does. And what all is visible to see. Creatures and fish and things she’s never even seen before. Can you handle an excited little Turk?]

Comments

10

[notachickenhawk]

[There is something moving swiftly between the 'tanks', a large curved shape flipping and splashing. As he approaches, he pauses, chittering a little bit.]

[He has to roll on his side so he can see her properly with his dolphin vision, but after a moment he recognizes her.]

<Hey, Elena!>

[Recognize that voice in your head?]

Floor 81

[wrigurun]

They're really pretty, aren't they?

[Wriggle is knelt a short way away with her hands and face pressed up the the glass. She doesn't seem to worry about the heights they're at and instead pours all her attention into the stars twinkling around them]

It kinda reminds me of back home with all the fireflies, or when I used to fight with people and there'd be so many coloured lights. It was annoying to lose all the time but at least all that was hurt was your pride.

I really miss it...

[And she turns her head to Elena and tries to remember her face]

Do I know you?

[floor 81]

[bashfulshifter]

E-Elena?

[The very concerned-looking blonde man spots her from the stairs, at first curious as to why she's pressed against the glass like she is, then quickly spiraling into his usual fits of worry when he notices the sling. That's not supposed to be there! And with the state Reno was in, last he saw him...]

Are--a-a-are you a-alright? W-What h-h-happened?

10

[provenworth]

[She's been captivated by a weird looking thing with lots of long spindly legs when movement out the right side of her eyes is picked up. It moves fast, twisting and fluid, and so naturally Elena has to investigate. What she ends up having come to a stop in front of her is a very weird giant fish thing.

She really needs to get her hand on a book on animals.]

.....Ah.. [Okay. Since when could she talk to marine animals telepathically? Hold on a second, that voice was very familiar.] Tobais??

Floor 81

[provenworth]

[Now that was a voice she hadn't heard in some time. One that she was actually a little sad to hear. She had hoped that her disappearance was because she was returned home. Not that home was a better place, but at least she wouldn't have to endure the Tower.]

It is really pretty, yes.

[Slowly, Elena turns to the girl, giving a little smile.]

You might. We shared a room for a while. My name is Elena.

[floor 81]

[provenworth]

...Nn? Oh, Hi Rick.

[Turning to look over her shoulder, Elena is not quite surprised to see Rick up and about. Nor is she surprised to see the worry when he comes closer. Shoes are soundless on the glass, surprisingly, when she moves towards him as well.]

Oh, this? [And she turns to her left arm before going back to Rick.] Incident with those monster doctors. Got a little too cocky. Its fine, though, I promise. How are you?

[notachickenhawk]

<Yeah. I'm not a huge fan of the water, but it's impossible to be sad when you're a dolphin.>

[He pokes his face out of the water, spraying a little out of his blowhole.]

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick decides to take her word for it. She has an orange collar, after all, so that made her more well-equipped to deal with the plague doctors than most of them. Still...]

[...At least she sounds chipper enough. Rick gives up with a hesitant smile.]

...W-Well, I...I th--think. [He bites his lip--obviously not as convincing as Elena is.] There's...a l-lot g-g-going on.

[wrigurun]

[The moment she says her name Wriggle's eyes light up and she starts motioning wildly]

Aah! Ah! Derm- Dee- Diamond! Diamond said I needed to talk to you!

You help people in the tower, right?

10

[tempus_scorpius]

[Rolo is just sitting nearby glazing at the fish, his thoughts far away when he notices someone else there. A rather excited someone from the looks of it. He glances over curiously.]

Re: 10

[provenworth]

[You'll have to excuse her enthusiasm, Elena has not seen more than half of the creatures in the tank and they're all so different. If there had been glass, she would have had her hands and face pressed against it for a better look.

It doesn't take her long - well, actually, it does - before she senses she's not alone. Glancing over to the other occupant, she points to one of the weird little creatures with long spindly legs that looks like noodles.]

Do you know what that is?

[provenworth]

[Which is all well and good. Because that's the image she's trying to put on, especially after everything that's been going on. Especially between herself and Reno. So when there is any opportunity to focus on somebody else, she's quick to take it.]

...There's no need to be coy with me, Rick. [Taking a step forward, she gave the man a gentle pat of his shoulder.] What's going on?

[provenworth]

[So she remembered. That was more pleasing than she expected. Squatting down, Elena motioned for her to come closer, giving a little laugh.]

He did, did he? I'm flattered he thought of me. [At her question, Elena nods.] I do what I can, yes. Why do you ask?

[provenworth]

.......Oh wow! I didn't know you could...change into animals...

[She'll blame Reno for the failure to read her in on her teammates. Don't mind her almost childlike laughter when he sprays, her good hand coming up to protect her face.]

That is amazing! What else can you change into?

[notachickenhawk]

[He laughs a little too, obviously pleased with himself.]

<What else... well, I'm usually a hawk, and I can turn into another kind of bird. A few different insects, a handful of sea animals. I've also got a few large land animals, and some alien species. Also a human form. I can turn into anything that has DNA that I can touch in my normal form.>

[bashfulshifter]

[This is maybe not the best, because their relationship is also what Rick is worried about. Well, he's worried about how Reno seems to be very shaken by whatever fight he and Elena had, which he didn't pry about because it wasn't his business and now Elena is asking him what happened and--]

[The words burble out of him before he has a chance to censor himself.] --I-I'm--it's R-R-Reno. He...s-s-seems uh--u-unwell.

oh my god you are too precious Rick

[provenworth]

[It is a sensitive subject, to say the least. Elena does what she can to keep whatever conversations she has with Reno private - let their issues be their own. It is nobody's business what they fight about, if they fight at all.

That being said, though, the fact that others are noticing changes that she was already suspecting leads her to worry.]

May I ask what you mean by 'unwell'?

[bashfulshifter]

[This is not going well and it is all his fault. Rick's face burns red while he quietly seethes in his anxiety, desperately thinking of ways to rectify this. Predictably, his mind comes up blank.]

A-Ah--n-n-not--uh-- [Think!] --h-he w-w-was--d-depressed. Um. [Suddenly, inspiration hits.] --H-He w-wouldn't r-run with m-me.

[provenworth]

That's quite a gift. Does it..feel weird when you're in another form?

[Oh. Wait. He can change into humans too? Tobais, don't let that devilish smile scare you.]

You can change your form to look like somebody else, huh? That...gives me an idea.

[provenworth]

[Rick. Dear. She can sense when she's being lied to. Or when somebody was withholding information. And it doesn't help at all that he's almost too easy to read.]

So others are noticing too... [The words are more for herself than him, her good hand lifting to press her fingers against her lower lip and chin in thought. After a second she's back out of her head and turning her attention back to Rick.] I take it that's an activity you two do together to train. He's withdrawing... Did he give you any reason why he wouldn't run with you?

[notachickenhawk]

<Controlling the instincts can be hard the first time, yeah.>

[Insects will never cease to be terrifying. But uh oh. That's a Rachel smile...]

<Yeah? What is it?>

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick reads easier than a preschooler's picture book. Unable to lie, but still terrified of the consequences, he settles for biting his lip and silently nodding. Elena is going to have to pull the rest out of him.]

[wrigurun]

[Wriggle comes closer, happy that she'd stumbled upon one of the people she was meant to find]

I want to help too! He said you were part of a group or something.

I want to keep everyone safe but I can't do it on my own so please let me join!

[provenworth]

[The part about insects. Yeah. That's not heard. Instead, she's thinking back to a particular incident on a very particular day that was wholly inappropriate. And how she ought to repay the man in kind.]

How would you like to pull a prank on Reno?

[provenworth]

[It actually is...pleasant to see the girl again, extending a hand for her to take it if she so choose.]

I am. In fact, I help lead it. We have other members to who want to help others. I'm sure they'd be happy to have you join. We just have to make sure that the boss-boss is okay with it.