Oh. I'm going to have to think of something different, then.
[He wasn't going to jumpscare you! This time.
Moments pass in silence; Amelia won't sense anything different internally or externally, a somewhat disturbing trait of Henry's powers -- the ability to penetrate the mind subtly, insidiously.
[And when she does, she's no longer greeted by the kitchen interior. Instead, they stand upon an old wooden porch at night, the street beyond them whispering with the odd car that drives by. And spread out above their heads, is a clear Indiana nighttime sky. Pinpricked with stars, gleaming brightly. The moon hangs overhead.
Henry moves to stand beside her, craning his neck up to enjoy the view.]
Before you say "I already knew you could bring people into memories, Henry", let me correct you: this is just an illusion, as your mind perceives it. No one is in anyone's head right now.
[And that's one of the abilities she's missing from her list: implanting illusions in the mind, making others see what isn't there... on a relatively grand scale, at that.]
[On some level she knows this will require her mind to be vulnerable to whatever he's going to do. So her shoulders relax and she controls her breathing until Henry tells her to open up her eyes. When she does, her green eyes widen a smidge. They're in a different place entirely—
—No, he just said it's an illusion. The witch carefully tries to register any sensations that would give it away. Was the temperature of the air off? No, it was cool and crisp. The stars and moon are at a distance that's believable enough that it doesn't trigger anything in her brain.]
This is... Henry, this is impressive.
[She takes a few steps back and then a few steps forward on the porch. The wood beneath her feet feels solid and strong.]
How far... How elaborate can you make it? Is it just within your vicinity or can we walk further away?
[Beside her, a porch swing creaks gently in the breeze. The house behind them is two story and fairly large — his old home in Hawkins.
He seems pleased when she calls it impressive. He doesn’t need his ego stroked, and he’s always known he was one of the more powerful psychics in his world, but it’s pleasant to hear all the same.]
Well… we can walk farther away, yes, though at some point you’re going to walk into the kitchen walls. [Admittedly, that could be funny.] We haven’t really gone anywhere.
But this is… mostly overkill. When I was younger, I would scare my sister [his whole family, actually] with less complex illusions. Spiders, usually.
[Ah, the limitations should have been evident to her. She nods in understanding.
At the mention of his sister, Amelia raises a brow. She does admittedly wonder about his family. He's mentioned his father every now and then but beyond that, she can only infer that he never saw them again after being taken to the lab.
When Henry describes how he scared his sister, she wrinkles her nose.]
[There are times when he wonders if he would have been better with a different family altogether-- No, it wouldn't have mattered. The world would have been the same, regardless.
Henry raises a hand, waving it at the stars above. Suddenly, the whole of their surroundings transforms into a night sky, both of them surrounded by distant stars and standing on nothing but the blackness of the universe.]
Sounds like something that someone with a sibling would say— Oh!
[The scenery changes and Ameliawhips her head around to take in the new starry expanse. Funnily enough, she realizes that there's a tingling in her skull when the illusion switches. The magic in her hair has reacted and she idly runs her hand through the strands.]
How many of there were you in all? Or that the laboratory discovered and took away?
yeah i'm tagging you peak fate rp drama, what of it
[It's the deepest kind of darkness that Henry assumes exists on the outer reaches of... well, space. Isolating and peaceful. Lonely, in a way, but not very much when he's basically showing off to Amelia now.]
The numbers went to... eighteen, if I remember correctly.
[UNTIL CANON RETCONS THIS OR SOMETHING I mean what.]
[Eighteen psychics of whom she can only assume were of varying power levels including Henry who already displays a high amount...
Amelia gazes upwards at the starry universe all around them making it feel as if they were the only ones in the world. She murmurs something interesting, enough for Henry to hear.]
... Eighteen of you and yet you still felt apart from them.
[Eighteen psychics, and all numbered accordingly. Henry makes it a point to wear long sleeves, even if it’s a detriment in the summer heat — if only to cover up the small tattoo inked on one of his inner wrists. A “001”, given to him by Papa, all those years ago.
He turns his head to look at her, though, when she says that.]
If there was anything or more importantly, anyone that was of significance there, I think you would have told me about them by now.
[There were mentions of his family, sure. What of the people he knew in the laboratory? There was the director and the other psychics. That's all she knows. Amelia hasn't really asked about his time there out of consideration but as the days pass and they exchange parts about themselves to each other, the more she wonders.]
In fairness... [She looks at Henry as she readjusts her glasses.]
I do have a number of people I care about that I haven't talked about with you yet.
[Intriguing. But it's only a corner of the larger picture. Amelia nods as she absorbs what he just told her.]
But was she a friend, Henry?
[Amelia is, unfortunately, thinking about the tail end of their argument after he dived into her memories without permission; how he saw people not as people, but something else entirely to fit with his more cynical worldview.]
[Maybe it didn't matter. But it's one of those observations that Amelia pins to her mind board to refer back to later.]
Thank you for telling me, Henry.
[So many thank yous for something so small, but it's how Amelia wants to reinforce what Henry is doing; being truthful even in small pieces is appreciated.
[It does matter, at least in the unsurprising revelation that Henry has zero friends. Too trapped as an adult to make any, too awkward as a child to try. To uncaring, now, to think it's worth the effort.
It gives a sense to what he's truly like under all the smile and soft-toned politeness, doesn't it?]
We haven't gone anywhere.
[He says a little jokingly, switching tones as easy as anything. Just like that, their surroundings shudder a little, and... They're back in the kitchen. No more stars, no more space, no more Creel House and its porch swing.]
[She opens her eyes and they're back. Amelia lets out a sigh.]
That has to be disorienting if one isn't accustomed to it.
[... It seems like it'd be a shame if she ended the conversation there and to her surprise, she wants to know even more. But Amelia can't barrel into such revelations as she does in most other situations. No, she can't be a bonehead right now.]
[For it to be disorienting. Unpleasant, even, depending on the intent.
For now, he just wanders off to the cupboard again to retrieve that glass of water he had initially come in for. Casual-like.]
No, they don't have to be. But being unaware helps. If someone else who's psychic has mental resistances, and they're aware of me making an attempt to get into their heads, then it's a little harder.
[But not by much. Eleven's the only other psionic-user that gave him trouble in the past, and that was merely her attempt of booting him out of someone else's head.]
Basically, when I dove into your memory? You just happened to be asleep at the time.
[With a thoughtful hum, Amelia taps her fingers across the counter. At least Henry was alright with confirming the nature of his powers. They were potent and yes, he was actually very, very, dangerous. Pair that with a personality that appeared agreeable on the surface but with streaks of misanthropy simmering beneath the surface and the witch is led to the silent conclusion that yes, the Esper Collective wouldn't have handled Henry Creel delicately.
Not that she handled him delicately either, but. Yeah, c'mon he's been behaving which is probably more than he would have done with too many pairs of distrustful eyes.]
... I guess what I found most interesting was that you... Talked to me in my memories. I only vaguely recall parts of it but it was like you were actually there back then.
[Very dangerous. There was a reason Papa stifled his powers for years in the lab during his long stint as an orderly. But it's fine! Amelia's taking care of him now, right? And he hasn't gone on a murder spree, so surely that counts for something.
He fills his glass, speaking over the sound of running water.]
That's the fun part, isn't it?
[Fun for who, Henry.]
When I dive into someone's memories, it's not strictly just viewing what's happened in the past. I can interact with them to a certain extent. I can change them however I like. In your case... I was a presence you could speak to in your recollections.
It works both ways, too. I could bring you into my memories, and you'd be able to say hello to... my younger self, for example. Hold a conversation with him.
[Her mind is bursting with curiosity about how and even why that works but instead of asking about the intricacies and inner workings of that ability, Amelia finds herself asking:]
What did you think? About what you saw from me?
[... Yes, she was mad at him for looking into her memories without permission. But apologies had been exchanged and Amelia, who does not get the opportunity to talk about her memories as a child a lot can't help but wonder.]
[He shuts off the faucet, turning and bringing the glass to his lips for a sip. His brows arch over the rim.]
You were a precocious child, weren't you.
[He teases. But then a little more seriously-]
I think... that if things had turned out differently and you hadn't ended up becoming a witch, you still would have been a woman with plenty of achievements under her belt. That vigor and curiosity you had when you were younger, well, I don't really think much of it has faded now.
[If things had turned out differently... Amelia thinks about what would have happened if she hadn't fallen into the Witch King's hands. Henry may very well be right. She had loved learning from her father and a medical track wouldn't have been so far-fetched since she did her best to interpret the medical texts he had even as a child, even if the diagrams and advanced vocabulary went over her head.
Amelia leans against the counter and even at an angle he should be able to see her smile ever so slightly.]
The schoolteacher I had at the time wasn't very appreciative of how I was above my reading level and overcorrecting her instruction. Upon retrospect, I understand her point of view especially now that I'm in a similar position.
[She lets out a huff of breath though.]
That said, she should have just moved me up a grade level.
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sunfloras2023-04-20 07:42 pm
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There’s no need. It’s not as intensive as diving into memory, or anything like that.
[Though, maybe he’ll still frame it as a surprise—]
Close your eyes for a moment?
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[Amelia takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. She does feel a prickle of anticipation but just so they're clear...]
Henry, if it's a jumpscare, I will throw the notebook. Not at you necessarily, but.
It will be thrown.
[hey at least she warned him]
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He says, just a little sarcastically:]
Oh. I'm going to have to think of something different, then.
[He wasn't going to jumpscare you!
This time.Moments pass in silence; Amelia won't sense anything different internally or externally, a somewhat disturbing trait of Henry's powers -- the ability to penetrate the mind subtly, insidiously.
Though it's hardly insidious this time.]
Okay. Open your eyes.
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Henry moves to stand beside her, craning his neck up to enjoy the view.]
Before you say "I already knew you could bring people into memories, Henry", let me correct you: this is just an illusion, as your mind perceives it. No one is in anyone's head right now.
[And that's one of the abilities she's missing from her list: implanting illusions in the mind, making others see what isn't there... on a relatively grand scale, at that.]
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—No, he just said it's an illusion. The witch carefully tries to register any sensations that would give it away. Was the temperature of the air off? No, it was cool and crisp. The stars and moon are at a distance that's believable enough that it doesn't trigger anything in her brain.]
This is... Henry, this is impressive.
[She takes a few steps back and then a few steps forward on the porch. The wood beneath her feet feels solid and strong.]
How far... How elaborate can you make it? Is it just within your vicinity or can we walk further away?
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He seems pleased when she calls it impressive. He doesn’t need his ego stroked, and he’s always known he was one of the more powerful psychics in his world, but it’s pleasant to hear all the same.]
Well… we can walk farther away, yes, though at some point you’re going to walk into the kitchen walls. [Admittedly, that could be funny.] We haven’t really gone anywhere.
But this is… mostly overkill. When I was younger, I would scare my sister [his whole family, actually] with less complex illusions. Spiders, usually.
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At the mention of his sister, Amelia raises a brow. She does admittedly wonder about his family. He's mentioned his father every now and then but beyond that, she can only infer that he never saw them again after being taken to the lab.
When Henry describes how he scared his sister, she wrinkles her nose.]
Hm. I'm suddenly glad that I was an only child.
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I wished that, too. Sometimes.
[There are times when he wonders if he would have been better with a different family altogether-- No, it wouldn't have mattered. The world would have been the same, regardless.
Henry raises a hand, waving it at the stars above. Suddenly, the whole of their surroundings transforms into a night sky, both of them surrounded by distant stars and standing on nothing but the blackness of the universe.]
Another child in the lab had this ability, too.
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[The scenery changes and Ameliawhips her head around to take in the new starry expanse. Funnily enough, she realizes that there's a tingling in her skull when the illusion switches. The magic in her hair has reacted and she idly runs her hand through the strands.]
How many of there were you in all? Or that the laboratory discovered and took away?
yeah i'm tagging you peak fate rp drama, what of it
The numbers went to... eighteen, if I remember correctly.
[UNTIL CANON RETCONS THIS OR SOMETHING I mean what.]
Crawls back in here 💀💀💀
Amelia gazes upwards at the starry universe all around them making it feel as if they were the only ones in the world. She murmurs something interesting, enough for Henry to hear.]
... Eighteen of you and yet you still felt apart from them.
Wraps you up
He turns his head to look at her, though, when she says that.]
And why do you assume that?
[She isn’t wrong.]
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[There were mentions of his family, sure. What of the people he knew in the laboratory? There was the director and the other psychics. That's all she knows. Amelia hasn't really asked about his time there out of consideration but as the days pass and they exchange parts about themselves to each other, the more she wonders.]
In fairness... [She looks at Henry as she readjusts her glasses.]
I do have a number of people I care about that I haven't talked about with you yet.
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We still have a few secrets between us.
[And do they.]
I’ll tell you one of mine, though, to help you unravel the mystery: there was one girl who I thought was equal to me. Someone who I thought would…
[Be like him. Powerful and misunderstood even by her peers.]
…finally understand me. What it’s like to be me. But that only led to disappointment.
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But was she a friend, Henry?
[Amelia is, unfortunately, thinking about the tail end of their argument after he dived into her memories without permission; how he saw people not as people, but something else entirely to fit with his more cynical worldview.]
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No. She’s anything but a friend now.
Why does it matter?
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Thank you for telling me, Henry.
[So many thank yous for something so small, but it's how Amelia wants to reinforce what Henry is doing; being truthful even in small pieces is appreciated.
She closes her eyes.]
Could we go back now?
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It gives a sense to what he's truly like under all the smile and soft-toned politeness, doesn't it?]
We haven't gone anywhere.
[He says a little jokingly, switching tones as easy as anything. Just like that, their surroundings shudder a little, and... They're back in the kitchen. No more stars, no more space, no more Creel House and its porch swing.]
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That has to be disorienting if one isn't accustomed to it.
[... It seems like it'd be a shame if she ended the conversation there and to her surprise, she wants to know even more. But Amelia can't barrel into such revelations as she does in most other situations. No, she can't be a bonehead right now.]
Illusions, telekinesis, telepathy, memory diving... Actually.
[She puts away her notebook in the drawer before continuing with her train of thought.]
For that last one. The other person wouldn't have to be asleep for you to traverse their mind, correct?
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[For it to be disorienting. Unpleasant, even, depending on the intent.
For now, he just wanders off to the cupboard again to retrieve that glass of water he had initially come in for. Casual-like.]
No, they don't have to be. But being unaware helps. If someone else who's psychic has mental resistances, and they're aware of me making an attempt to get into their heads, then it's a little harder.
[But not by much. Eleven's the only other psionic-user that gave him trouble in the past, and that was merely her attempt of booting him out of someone else's head.]
Basically, when I dove into your memory? You just happened to be asleep at the time.
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[With a thoughtful hum, Amelia taps her fingers across the counter. At least Henry was alright with confirming the nature of his powers. They were potent and yes, he was actually very, very, dangerous. Pair that with a personality that appeared agreeable on the surface but with streaks of misanthropy simmering beneath the surface and the witch is led to the silent conclusion that yes, the Esper Collective wouldn't have handled Henry Creel delicately.
Not that she handled him delicately either, but. Yeah, c'mon he's been behaving which is probably more than he would have done with too many pairs of distrustful eyes.]
... I guess what I found most interesting was that you... Talked to me in my memories. I only vaguely recall parts of it but it was like you were actually there back then.
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He fills his glass, speaking over the sound of running water.]
That's the fun part, isn't it?
[Fun for who, Henry.]
When I dive into someone's memories, it's not strictly just viewing what's happened in the past. I can interact with them to a certain extent. I can change them however I like. In your case... I was a presence you could speak to in your recollections.
It works both ways, too. I could bring you into my memories, and you'd be able to say hello to... my younger self, for example. Hold a conversation with him.
[If Henry allowed it, of course.]
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[Her mind is bursting with curiosity about how and even why that works but instead of asking about the intricacies and inner workings of that ability, Amelia finds herself asking:]
What did you think? About what you saw from me?
[... Yes, she was mad at him for looking into her memories without permission. But apologies had been exchanged and Amelia, who does not get the opportunity to talk about her memories as a child a lot can't help but wonder.]
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You were a precocious child, weren't you.
[He teases. But then a little more seriously-]
I think... that if things had turned out differently and you hadn't ended up becoming a witch, you still would have been a woman with plenty of achievements under her belt. That vigor and curiosity you had when you were younger, well, I don't really think much of it has faded now.
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[If things had turned out differently... Amelia thinks about what would have happened if she hadn't fallen into the Witch King's hands. Henry may very well be right. She had loved learning from her father and a medical track wouldn't have been so far-fetched since she did her best to interpret the medical texts he had even as a child, even if the diagrams and advanced vocabulary went over her head.
Amelia leans against the counter and even at an angle he should be able to see her smile ever so slightly.]
The schoolteacher I had at the time wasn't very appreciative of how I was above my reading level and overcorrecting her instruction. Upon retrospect, I understand her point of view especially now that I'm in a similar position.
[She lets out a huff of breath though.]
That said, she should have just moved me up a grade level.
[Stubborn to the end, our Amelia.]
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cw: body horror
good LORD cw; mention of child abuse
cw; body horror cont.
just probably some weird body horror for the next few tags
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