[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.
[Schools have changed so much over the years and upon enrolling in high school, Amelia remembers how much she had to adjust and learn about just being in a different education environment after decades of...]
... Henry?
[She turns to face him fully now, her expression thoughtful.]
[Fair enough. Consent and permission -- the things that Henry do so loves to ignore when it comes to using his powers.]
Lately, I want to do my best to avoid a witch's wrath.
[A joke, if partially true. He still believes Amelia is far more useful to him when she's not angry at his decisions to invade minds, and as of late, her company has been relatively pleasurable; a true rarity where humans are concerned. Why would he wish to upend that he gets the sense, oh-so-slowly, that she might open up to him a little more with the passage of time?]
...Well, in that case, to answer your question: yes. I would like to see more of your memories. Whatever you're willing to share with me.
But he can't help the way his eyes light up at the mention of delving into an old memory of her instruction under that strange entity. So, not only is she willing to let him walk about in her mind, but she's offering up the years of her life in which he's the most interested in learning about?
You'll spoil him, Amelia.]
As simple as you like. We don't have to go through... years and years of memories. You can just focus on one if that's easier.
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sunfloras2023-04-20 07:42 pm
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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?
no subject
[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.
no subject
[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.
no subject
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.]
no subject
[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.
no subject
[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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Something tells me the schooling system was a little different in our decades than it is now.
I was too good of a student, too. But of course that still wasn’t enough.
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... Henry?
[She turns to face him fully now, her expression thoughtful.]
Do you want to see more?
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More? Of your memories?
[A beat.]
I thought you didn’t want me in your head.
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[Amelia changes position, putting her hand on her hip instead.]
With permission is a different story. I'm stubborn but it doesn't mean I can't redraw my boundaries.
And lately, you've been adhering better to mine.
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Lately, I want to do my best to avoid a witch's wrath.
[A joke, if partially true. He still believes Amelia is far more useful to him when she's not angry at his decisions to invade minds, and as of late, her company has been relatively pleasurable; a true rarity where humans are concerned. Why would he wish to upend that he gets the sense, oh-so-slowly, that she might open up to him a little more with the passage of time?]
...Well, in that case, to answer your question: yes. I would like to see more of your memories. Whatever you're willing to share with me.
no subject
Now that they're in agreement Amelia moves to the living room, motioning for Henry to do the same.]
You've been curious about what my instruction under the Witch King was like so I'm willing to share a memory from there.
[She takes a seat on one end of the large sofa.]
Almost forty years... There's a lot you could wade through but let's keep it simple.
no subject
But he can't help the way his eyes light up at the mention of delving into an old memory of her instruction under that strange entity. So, not only is she willing to let him walk about in her mind, but she's offering up the years of her life in which he's the most interested in learning about?
You'll spoil him, Amelia.]
As simple as you like. We don't have to go through... years and years of memories. You can just focus on one if that's easier.
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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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