[And then Amelia's sharp voice cuts through, deflating the tension completely.
The noise caught her attention while she was in her bedroom. Before going outside, the witch checked her calendar and... Oh, well that explains it. But Henry doesn't know about her B-movie horror monster-esque friend and she had been distracted by prior events involving her utter distaste for the psychic. She needed to intervene before it got worse though and hey, she's here now.
The blue lizard creature pauses, closes its mouth and snaps its head towards Amelia. She looks between it then Henry, then once again before settling her gaze on the latter. It takes a full minute to decide whether to break her silence that she's maintained the past few days or not.
She opts to take off her headphone and powers it down.]
[Oh, bring it, telepathic lizard-thing. Henry will break every fucking bone in your body, and not even feel bad about it, before you can even know what's happening-
Oh, hi Amelia.]
Ah, so she speaks.
[Sorry, he has to be a little snide in the wake of... whatever the hell is happening. He was ready to murder an intruder, okay, and now that tension does not de-escalate so easily in his own body or mind.]
I'm being rude? We have an instance of breaking and entering if you're bothering to pay attention.
[Though clearly Amelia was expecting this thing, though neglected to say anything about it.]
[Henry, she won't even acknowledge the snideness, that is not worth her time!
(Yeah, she's still mad.)
The blue lizard cautiously crawls down from the ceiling and leans half of its body across the counter in a docile manner (and also, it may be a lizard but these two humans have something weird going on between them). Without looking at Henry she walks over to give the intruder an apologetic pat on the head, never mind the wetness. The lizard makes a jittery noise and the way Amelia responds indicates she can understand it.]
Yes, I know. It's way overdue. Honestly, I should be angrier, but I'm impressed that you go past my wards every time it happens.
[She acknowledges Henry as if she totally hasn't been ignoring him the past few days.]
Well, I guess you haven't been able to go to the lake. It's a bit of a drive outside of town.
Henry, meet the Blue Moon Belly, or as I like to call him, the Hungry Load.
[What's even happening now? Did she miss an appointment with a lake creature? Is this so important that she'd suddenly begin speaking with him again, or is she just playing nice because now their home has a strange "guest" present?
Please.
His smile strains, barely reaching his eyes.]
Hungry Load, then. [Of course he's going for the less appreciated name.] Do you have some kind of arrangement with this creature?
I'm supposed to feed him periodically or else he tends to go on a rampage and raid the kitchens of the townspeople. He's somewhat of a local legend but the point is to keep sightings of him as low as possible. He can eat more than just food, believe me and that isn't good for anyone.
As I've implied, he lives in Blue Moon Lake. I've known him for a long time now.
[The lizard hums.]
Do the others know about this man...?
[Amelia can't read its mind though so that's more of something Henry can hear.]
[He's absolutely going to agree with it. Look at the mess you made, sir.]
Others are more than aware that I live here, yes. For now.
[-he answers Hungry Load's question verbally, not caring to clarify for Amelia. Whether this is him being petty or just assuming the witch can understand or glean from the obvious context clues, it's rather hard to say.]
So, you neglected his feeding, so he's come here to make up for lost time. Is that the gist of it?
I've been busy. With school and you. [So there, she has an excuse.]
Feeding him is a whole-day endeavor.
[Amelia blinks at Henry's response but catches on quickly that he can read the creature's mind which she's intrigued by... But that's not that important right now.
The Blue Moon Belly's dark eyes light up because he realizes Henry can hear his thoughts. Instead of being disturbed, it rumbles again directing it at the psychic.]
The Emerald Witch and I have an agreement. She is much kinder than other humans so count yourself lucky.
[The lizard tilts his head in curiosity towards Henry.]
[The way his eyebrows shoot up at this question, and also at the information this question undoubtedly implies...]
Another?
[Amelia how many "mates" have you had. But then Henry scoffs and gestures at the space between himself and the witch. The air might as well vibrate from the movement alone, the tension seems so cloyingly thick.]
Do we seem like mates to you?
[Yes, purposefully saying this aloud. Sorry, Amelia.]
[Amelia shoots a baffled look at Henry then at the Belly.]
I'm getting the distinct impression that you're making me out to be something I'm not. Stop that!
[The lizard shakes its head as if trying to feign passiveness.]
You are strange company. Perhaps I'll be seeing you again?
[It asks the same thing in its warbly language to Amelia. The witch pinches the bridge between her nose and then points to the door.]
As soon as you leave, I'll make the arrangements. Next time, be more patient or at least don't throw things around in my kitchen.
[And so, the Blue Moon Belly slinks off of the counter and out the door. But not before sending another thought to Henry.]
Please visit my home. I look forward to seeing what you bring.
[And there it goes, leaving a wreck of a kitchen behind and a tired witch and terrible psychic in it. She looks around and mutters with her hands akimbo.]
He's not malicious but he is a load. It would have been awful if he did try to eat you.
[An interesting offer from an interesting creature; if not a greedy one. But Henry doesn't reply telepathically, instead merely watching it depart, before looking at Amelia dubiously.]
Try. I would have broken all of his bones if he did.
[That response gets a withering sighโ the one where he says he'd break all of the Belly's bones, not the latter. She falls silent for a few seconds before asking Henry a question in a neutral tone.]
Would you like to? Visit I mean.
[There's a pause as Amelia thinks things over. It's been a trying few days where she may have very well spent the rest of however long Henry was going to be here, ignoring him. And then the Load had to shake things up and it's taken her out of the burning anger she had been nursing against her guest.
The problem is ongoing and what she was doing wasn't a solution. Just a stopgap.
And at the heart of it, she doesn't want to continue being cold.
[Sorry he's like this. But hey, the lizard man threatened to eat him first.
He pauses, though, looking at her. Something about this feels a bit like an acquiescence, mostly because she's not put in her headphones and walked away as soon as their unexpected guest had departed. What should he make of it? Henry is a petty person, and there's a part of him that wants to remain snide, but-
In the end, what good will that do him? There's no benefit in it; it'll stagnate his chances of getting back to his world faster, and the very thought bothers him more than anything (or any way) she could possibly do or act.]
...Sure. Sounds interesting. I expect we'd have to bring food.
[Yes, but messes run against the grain of Henry's good sense. He's a neat and careful individual, a trait that she's likely picked out during their time forced to share an abode. It's no surprise that the first thing he does is find a broom to sweep up bits of scattered cereal across the kitchen floor, whether or not Amelia cares about it right now.]
You're asking me... what strange things I've noticed, you mean.
[Sweep sweep sweep.]
Nothing on the same scale of a lizard man trying to raid the fridge, I promise you that.
[Even she has to appreciate Henry's efforts even if it's based on his own traits. As he sweeps, Amelia takes out a rag and cleaning spray to start wiping down the counter (the Load is rather slimy, how gross).
It seems like Amelia would like to inquire further but after being on non-speaking terms for the past few days, easing back into casual conversation feels off. Her face is as poker-faced as usual though so on the surface it's hard to tell what she's thinking.
[The silence drags on a few moments at a time, and then she apologizes.
And Henry... keeps sweeping, his back turned to her, piling the crumbs into the center of the kitchen so that they might be easily swept into a dustpan for later.]
I think...
[He starts, and the ugly part of him that wants to cling to being petty, to feeling self-satisifed that she apologized first, wants so desperately to rear its head. The rest, however, comes soon after, flowing in like a steady river -- time has given both of their prides to become less swollen, which is more poignant now that they're not being accosted by a hungry lizard.]
...that wires were crossed. I meant it when I said I didn't ever have to ask for permission, you know. The freedom to get into someone's mind was always mine; and it was probably the only freedom I was ever afforded until even that was taken away from me in the lab.
[He turns and looks at her finally, mildly.]
So I was hasty. You're strange and powerful, Amelia, with magic I can't hope to understand. Of course I want to know more, and how that came to be. And I wanted to know it immediately.
[But there is something tenuous between them, and it's shaped like trust, something that had to forcibly grow to make this arrangement work -- and something Henry's never been given before, and he doesn't know what to do with until he breaks it. He supposes that's exactly what happened. And that doesn't work to either's benefit.
For all the things he lacks, he can at least see this clearly.]
But I should have just asked. I admit to that. So I'm sorry, too.
[Her shoulders stiffen and the rag which was being pushed in circles stops when he apologizes. She had been listening to his explanation beforehand without looking at him but when he says sorry, it's clear she wasn't expecting that.
Years upon years of being entrapped had made her accustomed to her boundaries being violated. And then it took even more time and the gentle handholding of friends and very few loved ones to come to terms with what had happened to her. What had hurt was that Henry Creel had crossed a line that reminded her of the powerlessness she had despite, ironically, the power she had gained.
But he wouldn't have known that. He wanted to know. And he had acknowledged that he should have asked.
It's a start.
She straightens herself up, the rag twisting between her hands.]
... Thank you.
[There's a brief glance at him before she looks the other way. It feels painfully thorny to make eye contact when she has so many perplexing emotions beneath the surface that she doesn't want to project, not after all those days of pointedly pretending he barely existed in her own space.]
... Tomorrow. I'll be going to the lake first. Someone I know will pick you up. They're trustworthy.
[Still something jagged there, still something a little raw. But the "thank you" is promising, perhaps mending a few slats of that broken bridge between them. Good, he thinks. They'll make more progress this way; and maybe he should be more careful, maybe he'll learn more if he applies a gentler touch.
Henry just nods. He grabs a dustpan to clean up the rest of the mess, sweeping crumbs away.]
[Oh? That does interest him a little more. He's not met other psychics in this world, and he's interested in learning just what they're capable of; after all, the last time he was "handled" by them, he was out cold, courtesy of Amelia.]
Would another "esper" usually cause me trouble? As I understand it, I have their blessing to be here with you.
[A place where espers have some manner of authority... What a wild place this is. Maybe he was born into the wrong world.]
They're a lot more suspicious of outside forces and diligent when protecting the general peace. While you were understandably disoriented at the time, your public aggression is the type of situation they strive to prevent.
[Amelia starts on whatever dishes are left in the sink while continuing her explanation over the sound of running water.]
You would be considered a dangerous outlier. A number of things could have happened if you hadn't met me first. As I've implied before, they know it's easier to let me do things my way.
Understand that they aren't a monolith, however. The reason they exist is to protect each other from others and themselves.
[The Collective definitely has its politics and convoluted social dynamics but Amelia figures it's better to hear from someone who is actually part of the body. She answers his question promptly.]
I have enough influence to afford my current lifestyle and not be bothered even if my "hiding" in plain sight aggravates them.
[And for the first time in days there's just the barest hint of a smile that twitches on the edge of her mouth. The dishes are finished and they're set to dry in the rack.]
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sunfloras2023-04-20 07:42 pm
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[And then Amelia's sharp voice cuts through, deflating the tension completely.
The noise caught her attention while she was in her bedroom. Before going outside, the witch checked her calendar and... Oh, well that explains it. But Henry doesn't know about her B-movie horror monster-esque friend and she had been distracted by prior events involving her utter distaste for the psychic. She needed to intervene before it got worse though and hey, she's here now.
The blue lizard creature pauses, closes its mouth and snaps its head towards Amelia. She looks between it then Henry, then once again before settling her gaze on the latter. It takes a full minute to decide whether to break her silence that she's maintained the past few days or not.
She opts to take off her headphone and powers it down.]
The both of you are being rude.
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Oh, hi Amelia.]
Ah, so she speaks.
[Sorry, he has to be a little snide in the wake of... whatever the hell is happening. He was ready to murder an intruder, okay, and now that tension does not de-escalate so easily in his own body or mind.]
I'm being rude? We have an instance of breaking and entering if you're bothering to pay attention.
[Though clearly Amelia was expecting this thing, though neglected to say anything about it.]
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(Yeah, she's still mad.)
The blue lizard cautiously crawls down from the ceiling and leans half of its body across the counter in a docile manner (and also, it may be a lizard but these two humans have something weird going on between them). Without looking at Henry she walks over to give the intruder an apologetic pat on the head, never mind the wetness. The lizard makes a jittery noise and the way Amelia responds indicates she can understand it.]
Yes, I know. It's way overdue. Honestly, I should be angrier, but I'm impressed that you go past my wards every time it happens.
[She acknowledges Henry as if she totally hasn't been ignoring him the past few days.]
Well, I guess you haven't been able to go to the lake. It's a bit of a drive outside of town.
Henry, meet the Blue Moon Belly, or as I like to call him, the Hungry Load.
[The lizard grumbles, unappreciative.]
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Please.
His smile strains, barely reaching his eyes.]
Hungry Load, then. [Of course he's going for the less appreciated name.] Do you have some kind of arrangement with this creature?
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You don't have to agree with her...
I'm supposed to feed him periodically or else he tends to go on a rampage and raid the kitchens of the townspeople. He's somewhat of a local legend but the point is to keep sightings of him as low as possible. He can eat more than just food, believe me and that isn't good for anyone.
As I've implied, he lives in Blue Moon Lake. I've known him for a long time now.
[The lizard hums.]
Do the others know about this man...?
[Amelia can't read its mind though so that's more of something Henry can hear.]
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Others are more than aware that I live here, yes. For now.
[-he answers Hungry Load's question verbally, not caring to clarify for Amelia. Whether this is him being petty or just assuming the witch can understand or glean from the obvious context clues, it's rather hard to say.]
So, you neglected his feeding, so he's come here to make up for lost time. Is that the gist of it?
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Feeding him is a whole-day endeavor.
[Amelia blinks at Henry's response but catches on quickly that he can read the creature's mind which she's intrigued by... But that's not that important right now.
The Blue Moon Belly's dark eyes light up because he realizes Henry can hear his thoughts. Instead of being disturbed, it rumbles again directing it at the psychic.]
The Emerald Witch and I have an agreement. She is much kinder than other humans so count yourself lucky.
[The lizard tilts his head in curiosity towards Henry.]
Are you another mate?
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Another?
[Amelia how many "mates" have you had. But then Henry scoffs and gestures at the space between himself and the witch. The air might as well vibrate from the movement alone, the tension seems so cloyingly thick.]
Do we seem like mates to you?
[Yes, purposefully saying this aloud. Sorry, Amelia.]
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[Amelia shoots a baffled look at Henry then at the Belly.]
I'm getting the distinct impression that you're making me out to be something I'm not. Stop that!
[The lizard shakes its head as if trying to feign passiveness.]
You are strange company. Perhaps I'll be seeing you again?
[It asks the same thing in its warbly language to Amelia. The witch pinches the bridge between her nose and then points to the door.]
As soon as you leave, I'll make the arrangements. Next time, be more patient or at least don't throw things around in my kitchen.
[And so, the Blue Moon Belly slinks off of the counter and out the door. But not before sending another thought to Henry.]
Please visit my home. I look forward to seeing what you bring.
[And there it goes, leaving a wreck of a kitchen behind and a tired witch and terrible psychic in it. She looks around and mutters with her hands akimbo.]
He's not malicious but he is a load. It would have been awful if he did try to eat you.
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Try. I would have broken all of his bones if he did.
[And he means that.]
He wanted me to visit.
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Would you like to? Visit I mean.
[There's a pause as Amelia thinks things over. It's been a trying few days where she may have very well spent the rest of however long Henry was going to be here, ignoring him. And then the Load had to shake things up and it's taken her out of the burning anger she had been nursing against her guest.
The problem is ongoing and what she was doing wasn't a solution. Just a stopgap.
And at the heart of it, she doesn't want to continue being cold.
So Amelia adds:]
He lives in the reflection of the moon.
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He pauses, though, looking at her. Something about this feels a bit like an acquiescence, mostly because she's not put in her headphones and walked away as soon as their unexpected guest had departed. What should he make of it? Henry is a petty person, and there's a part of him that wants to remain snide, but-
In the end, what good will that do him? There's no benefit in it; it'll stagnate his chances of getting back to his world faster, and the very thought bothers him more than anything (or any way) she could possibly do or act.]
...Sure. Sounds interesting. I expect we'd have to bring food.
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[Amelia looks at the mess on her kitchen though she's in no real rush to clean it up.]
... It just occurred to me. You've had time to explore some of the town but what... Or who have you noticed?
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You're asking me... what strange things I've noticed, you mean.
[Sweep sweep sweep.]
Nothing on the same scale of a lizard man trying to raid the fridge, I promise you that.
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[Even she has to appreciate Henry's efforts even if it's based on his own traits. As he sweeps, Amelia takes out a rag and cleaning spray to start wiping down the counter (the Load is rather slimy, how gross).
It seems like Amelia would like to inquire further but after being on non-speaking terms for the past few days, easing back into casual conversation feels off. Her face is as poker-faced as usual though so on the surface it's hard to tell what she's thinking.
So she says it aloud instead.]
I'm sorry.
no subject
And Henry... keeps sweeping, his back turned to her, piling the crumbs into the center of the kitchen so that they might be easily swept into a dustpan for later.]
I think...
[He starts, and the ugly part of him that wants to cling to being petty, to feeling self-satisifed that she apologized first, wants so desperately to rear its head. The rest, however, comes soon after, flowing in like a steady river -- time has given both of their prides to become less swollen, which is more poignant now that they're not being accosted by a hungry lizard.]
...that wires were crossed. I meant it when I said I didn't ever have to ask for permission, you know. The freedom to get into someone's mind was always mine; and it was probably the only freedom I was ever afforded until even that was taken away from me in the lab.
[He turns and looks at her finally, mildly.]
So I was hasty. You're strange and powerful, Amelia, with magic I can't hope to understand. Of course I want to know more, and how that came to be. And I wanted to know it immediately.
[But there is something tenuous between them, and it's shaped like trust, something that had to forcibly grow to make this arrangement work -- and something Henry's never been given before, and he doesn't know what to do with until he breaks it. He supposes that's exactly what happened. And that doesn't work to either's benefit.
For all the things he lacks, he can at least see this clearly.]
But I should have just asked. I admit to that. So I'm sorry, too.
๐ฅบ
Years upon years of being entrapped had made her accustomed to her boundaries being violated. And then it took even more time and the gentle handholding of friends and very few loved ones to come to terms with what had happened to her. What had hurt was that Henry Creel had crossed a line that reminded her of the powerlessness she had despite, ironically, the power she had gained.
But he wouldn't have known that. He wanted to know. And he had acknowledged that he should have asked.
It's a start.
She straightens herself up, the rag twisting between her hands.]
... Thank you.
[There's a brief glance at him before she looks the other way. It feels painfully thorny to make eye contact when she has so many perplexing emotions beneath the surface that she doesn't want to project, not after all those days of pointedly pretending he barely existed in her own space.]
... Tomorrow. I'll be going to the lake first. Someone I know will pick you up. They're trustworthy.
no subject
Henry just nods. He grabs a dustpan to clean up the rest of the mess, sweeping crumbs away.]
A friend of yours?
no subject
More of an acquaintance. I'm particular about who gets called a friend. He's an esper.
[There's a pause as she considers something before looking at Henry.]
He's affiliated with the Esper Collective but he won't cause you any trouble.
[In fact, Amelia has a feeling that he might not be what Henry expects when it comes to a psychic.]
hello?? dw where was my notif
Would another "esper" usually cause me trouble? As I understand it, I have their blessing to be here with you.
[A place where espers have some manner of authority... What a wild place this is. Maybe he was born into the wrong world.]
Dw wants to save Amelia from bad men
[Amelia starts on whatever dishes are left in the sink while continuing her explanation over the sound of running water.]
You would be considered a dangerous outlier. A number of things could have happened if you hadn't met me first. As I've implied before, they know it's easier to let me do things my way.
Understand that they aren't a monolith, however. The reason they exist is to protect each other from others and themselves.
dw can't stop the inevitable
Well, then he takes it back. It sounds like politics and policing; he'd hate to have been born as a man with psychic powers in this world, likely.]
So they're as messy as any other organization that exists. That's what you're saying.
Just how much influence do you hold in this world, Amelia?
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I have enough influence to afford my current lifestyle and not be bothered even if my "hiding" in plain sight aggravates them.
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You mean you're powerful enough that they can't do anything about it.
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[And for the first time in days there's just the barest hint of a smile that twitches on the edge of her mouth. The dishes are finished and they're set to dry in the rack.]
You could do a lot worse.
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