This has been quite a labor of love. Blending two settings together as seamlessly as possible...
Hymn of Harmony (Worm/Ar Tonelico Crossover Alt Trigger Taylor) (Complete)
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Disclaimer: I do not own Worm or Ar Tonelico. They are the property of their respective creators.
Author's Note: I hope all of you will excuse me if I don't retread the exact same trigger event from canon. This story will take off just after it happened.
Hymn of Harmony
or Melody of Escalation
First Arc 1.1
I must be dreaming. That's the only reasonable conclusion. I must be dreaming. There is music here. The melody isn't one I recognize, but I feel like I should know this. The song is nostalgic. My head is resting on what feels like someone's lap. There is peace here. Tranquility. Safety. Words that I thought didn't apply to me anymore. It feels like my cares are floating away. However, like every good thing in my life, it comes to an end.
"That is such a pessimistic view." That surprises me. The voice must belong to the person who I'm using for a lap pillow. Her voice is soft with a faint hint of fond amusement. I try to speak, but a finger is placed on my lips.
"The time will come when you open your eyes. For now, however, just continue to feel. You will awaken in your own time. We will speak more then." My eyes won't open. It feels like they're being held closed by immovable weights. I feel lips lightly press on my forehead like a mother kisses a child. The feeling is so painful and nostalgic that I almost cry, but the voice soothes me and comforts me.
-January 9, 2011-
My eyes slowly open. The scene that greets me is one of white walls, white ceiling, and a faint beeping. It doesn't take a great leap in logic to see that I'm in a hospital.
"Hmmm?" Something else is here. The faint sound of music fills the air. A peaceful sound, restful, with violin and flute accompaniment. Whoever heard of a hospital with a soundtrack? The music shifts as the door opens to admit a nurse. The sound that accompanies her is the lute I heard.
"Oh! You're awake." The nurse says with a pretty smile. I smile back shyly and nod. I try to speak, but only a weak croak emerges.
"Here..." She hands me a glass of water that I drink down greedily. Once my throat feels better I try again.
"How long have I been out?" My voice sounds strange. I know the sound of my own voice, but it feels like someone else speaking. A soft alto greets my ears, but if the nurse notices my surprise she doesn't show it.
"You were brought in over a week ago. Is there anything I can get you?" I shake my head no. The nurse smiles at me again before quietly slipping from the room. The sound of the lute fading into the distance, but still heard in the song. The violin tempo has also picked up and receded a few times while I spoke to the nurse.
Now I'm sure of something. The coincidences are too great to ignore. Unfortunately I need one more test before I can say for sure.
"Okay, what do I know?" There it is again. That alto in my voice. I shake my head suddenly to dispel the distracting thoughts. My voice has changed that's for sure. I'm hearing music and I'm pretty sure that the hospital doesn't pump in music for the patients, but I can't be sure. The nurse was followed around by her own music. I'm also fairly confident that they wouldn't hire a lute player to follow their nurses around.
The violin is growing stronger as the door opens to admit the doctor. My eyebrows shoot up as that is my final confirmation. I'm not even sure of what we talked about as my distraction grows. The door shuts behind him and I promise myself that I'll apologize for ignoring him, but my belief has been confirmed.
I'm a cape. That thought makes me feel giddy. Ever since I was a little girl I've wanted to be like Alexandria and help save the world. Who hasn't wanted to be a hero? Unfortunately another thought makes itself known. What kind of a lame power did I get? My world is full of music. A soundtrack to my life. I can "hear" people as musical instruments in the melody. I can't think of how this could possibly be a useful power.
"It could be worse." I surprise myself by not sounding defeatist. There are probably worse powers out there, but at least mine comes with it's own catchy beat.
Where did that oboe come from? It sounds so mournful and sad that I want to cry. Why do I want to cry? Why does it feel so familiar? My answers come when the door opens and in steps my father. Daniel Hebert has not had an easy life. He hadn't recovered from mom dying in that car crash and it's only grown worse. However, when he sees me, the mournful oboe takes a more upbeat tone that lifts my spirits.
"Hey Dad." I say with a smile that perks up the music more. He crosses the room in two steps and wraps his arms around me in a warm hug that erases the distance that's grown between us. After mom left us we had grown apart. Unable to relate to one another we were strangers sharing living space.
"Oh Taylor..." He's choked up and starting to cry. I'm crying too as the rift closes. The oboe is joined by a flute that I realize is me. A two part harmony.
"What happened to you?" The look of worry on his face almost has me try to keep it a secret. Almost. The feeling of our harmony refuses to leave me. I exhale slowly before starting to talk. I tell him everything. The campaign of bullying that has been going on for almost two years. How my best friend had betrayed me. The words just won't stop coming, but I feel comforted by the melody. However, the tempo of the oboe has picked up into a vaguely threatening tone. Like a dark foreboding.
"This won't continue. I won't allow it." He shakes his head angrily, "We'll get justice for this. If they want to try and push this under the table I can go to the media." I rest my hand on his forearm.
"Calm down, okay? I'll take your lead. I've been keeping a record of everything. The dates, the times, even the people who saw it happen. I also have the emails all printed out. That should work, right?" I say with a smile. I'm not worried. I'm actually not worried. Where is all this confidence coming from? Whatever, it's useful, why question it?
"Okay, Little Owl, I will." His smile is genuine, but there is a note of confusion in his eyes, "Though when I asked what happened to you...I meant..." He gestures helplessly at me as if unsure what to say. Well that was vague and confusing.
"What do you mean?" Okay maybe he's asking about the change of voice. I didn't have a terrible voice before, but now it's more like a singer's voice. Like I've been trained.
"Well...it's just...you've changed somehow." He points to the bathroom, "Why don't you look in the mirror?" Again that note of confusion. Was I scarred? Disfigured? I slip out of bed (when did my feet ever look that good?) and head to the bathroom (My sense of balance is amazing!) to look in the mirror.
I barely recognize the person staring back at me. Oh, I know that it's me, my face didn't change too much. My mouth is still too wide, but my lips used to be too thin. Now they actually fit. My blemishes are gone, replaced by smooth skin. I shut the bathroom door and start checking myself over. I've always been painfully skinny. So skinny that without my curly brown hair I would have looked like a boy. With a pouch on my stomach that according to my usual tormentors said made me look like an upright frog.
The fat around my middle was gone. Well, maybe not gone so much as redistributed, I think. The biggest change I'm noticing is that I seem to have curves now. Nothing too extreme, but no one could mistake me for a boy now.
My powers gave me a super makeover. I can hear music from all around me, I have the voice of an angel, and I'm actually pretty now. Maybe my life is starting to look up.
I was stuck in the hospital another week. I wanted to wait until I got home to tell my dad that I might be a cape. It wasn't like I would be throwing myself into danger. What would I do? Be pretty and sing at them? When I had that thought it almost felt like that wouldn't be a ridiculous idea. Weird. The doctors wanted to keep me for observation. They didn't know that my body had changed.
While I was waiting to be released, Dad got a hold of the attorney that works with the Dockworker's Association to see if he could help. It was Monday when they came by to speak with me. My dad had brought along my bullying journal. My first impression of the lawyer was that of a cheerful string instrument. I couldn't identify it at first, but it put me at ease.
Different people had different instrumental accompaniment. If they were happy people the tune was cheerful. If they were unhappy it sounded sad. I could actually tell someone's mood and general personality by how the music was played. His appearance wouldn't have filled someone with confidence in his altruism. He moved with a sort of strange precision. Everything had to be just so, but his smile wasn't false.
"Hello Taylor. My name is Michael Brown and I work with your father." He shakes my hand firmly and I respond in kind. You can tell a lot about a person by their handshake which is something my dad taught me.
"Hello, Mr. Brown." I say a bit shyly. This whole pleasant adult thing is still new to me. I know the nurses have to be pleasant, and my Dad doesn't count, but a stranger is a different story. Another thing I can lay at the feet of an uncaring school and faculty.
"Please, call me Michael, we're going to be working together right?" He has a merry twinkle in his eye as he says it, but sobers as he gets down to business. He takes a seat on one of the chairs while my dad sits on the other bed. Michael pulls out my journal with an air of distaste as if he finds just touching it repugnant.
"According to Michael it looks like our chances of getting the school to pay for your medical expenses are good. Isn't that wonderful?" Dad asks with a grin and I grin back. That does sound good.
"We might even be able to force a few concessions out of them. Unfortunately, this journal isn't enough to get anyone in legal trouble, but it is enough for a civil suit. The burden of proof is lower in civil court so I can see you winning this one." Michael sounds so sure that I let myself believe this is happening.
"What sort of concessions?" I manage to ask through my growing excitement. My dad is holding my hand, as relieved to hear this as I am.
"We can in fact get a no contact order. They wouldn't be able to speak to you or communicate with you in any way. I have already filed for a temporary one. Those do not require a hearing and will be granted because of the heinous nature of what happened to you. We can push for an actual investigation, which we should, but they are right. No one is coming forward as a witness." He says apologetically. I shake my head.
"That's fine. That's better than fine. What else?" He looks to my father and then back to me.
"This next part might not be as popular. You will have to go back to Winslow. They are under no obligation to grant a transfer to another school or pay for you to go to Arcadia. What we can do, however, is put pressure on the school board to increase oversight. The school board will want this to go away. We let them have their victory, but force them to punish the teachers that haven't been doing their jobs. You won't be very popular, but we can make them act like professionals."
This all sounds so good that I'm almost expecting to wake up and find that this is a dream. Anytime something good happens it's usually followed by three bad. I can't catch a break. According to Michael I might actually be doing just that. I look at my dad and he looks so confident that I choose to believe.
"This is all dependent on what you want. Most likely this is the best we will be able to get. We can make the school pay for damages, the medical bills, and for your suffering. Your dad wanted you to know and be able to add your input." He smiles reassuringly at me. I take a moment to think only to realize I'd already made up my mind.
"I just want this to go away. We'll go with your plan." I want the Trio punished, but I know that isn't happening. If Michael is right their free reign might just be over. He lets himself out to begin filing the paperwork and my dad stands up to follow him.
"Wait..." I speak up. Dad turns to looks at me curiously. "I need to talk to you about something." He nods slowly before telling Michael to wait.
"I'll be along shortly." The other man nods before my dad shuts the door. "What is it kiddo?" Now that the moment is here it's hard, but I have to tell him. We only just got our closeness back. I won't keep this from him.
"Dad...I...I think I'm a cape..." I manage to get out nervously. He cross the room and hugs me. What he says next takes me by surprise, "I kind of guessed." I push back with a startled look that causes him to laugh.
"Taylor...the kind of changes you've gone through are a little hard to ignore. The doctors haven't commented since apparently you looked like this when they brought you in, but I'm your father. I'm not that unobservant." He says with a wry smile. I swat him on the shoulder, but it feels good to hear. He hadn't been ignoring me. The distance may have been there, but he was always my father.
"I've been hearing music. Like the hospital has it's own background music, but the people are like instruments. I've even been able to tell who is nice and who isn't by the tone." I manage to get out in a rush of excitement that has my dad laughing again.
"That actually sounds useful. Being able to tell someone's intent like that? It sounds like...whaddyacallit...a Thinker power...?" He's a bit unsure, but I nod. He might have been into capes when he was younger, but he didn't really pay attention to the classifications. Though that does make sense. I have a Thinker power. I actually beam happily because my dad says it's useful.
"Maybe I should get tested. Who knows? The PRT might think it's useful. I always wanted to be a hero and this could be my chance." My words are almost tripping over themselves as my excitement overcomes me.
"I don't see why not." There is an undertone of nervousness in his acceptance, but he actually looks relieved. The life of an independent cape is not good. A Thinker is almost as high a demand as a Tinker. Someone that can get information the way that I can would be an asset. I preen a bit and make my dad smile.
"We'll have it scheduled once you're no longer under doctor's care." He promises me. We say our goodbyes before he heads out. I start to collect my thoughts using the plain yellow notebook the hospital provided me. Keeping a record of my powers. The code I've worked out to keep my notes secure is something that came to me after my powers came. I can read it, but to anyone else it looks like another language. I think I'll call my code Hymmnos. That feels right.
The next few days pass in a flurry of tests and making sure that my muscles haven't atrophied. The physical therapist has commented on my amazing sense of balance enough to give me a swelled head. He suggested that I go out for gymnastics or dance given my inherent grace. Graceful. One of the most underrated of things is natural grace. It's not a particularly glamorous power, but when I can perform a split into a handstand into a walkover without falling it suddenly becomes much more important.
I also have excellent wind. My respiration is impressive according to the therapist. I just know how to breathe properly which had him asking if I took martial arts or was already in a dance program. When I told him that I wasn't in anything like that, but might be interested in self defense, he recommended Capoeira.
I'm back in my room on the fourth day after my awakening. I'll be discharged on Friday. Just two more days and I'm free. Free to start my plans. Free to go home.
"This confinement is getting to me..." I mumble in embarrassment as sometime during my internal monologue I started gesticulating wildly. With my dad coming into the room to see that. He looks exhausted and annoyed, but my strange behavior just now put a smile back on his face. Score one for being a spazz.
"Hey kiddo." He says as he sits down on the chair.
"Hey Daddy-o." I say in a cheeky tone that gets a chuckle out of him. "How goes the crusade?" He exhales loudly and stares up at the ceiling. I can tell by his musical presence that he's actually in fair spirits. Not ecstatic, but also not totally unhappy.
"The bad news first. Alan Barnes chose to represent the school. I wanted to wring his neck, but Michael helped me keep my calm." He continues to stare at the ceiling as he speaks.
"It was every bit as bad as you made it out to be and then some. We followed our script and so did they." I nod. It was what we were expecting.
"The school tried to deny any wrongdoing, but that was when your journal came in handy. Someone apparently forgot to tell Ms. Blackwell that when school computers are used for bullying it becomes the school's problem." Now he looks at me with the same sort of grin that crossed my face.
"Apparently they weren't expecting us to actually have evidence. Michael painted a picture of gross negligence, professional misconduct, and incompetence. Now we reach the good news. They agreed to settle all of this out of court." We continue to talk about what happened. My journal did the trick. They couldn't sweep the problem under the rug with actual proof. The only problem we saw was Dad's temper. If he had lost it then nothing would have been done. As it is the hospital bills are being paid, my destroyed belongings are being compensated, and we actually received money for my suffering.
My dad had to sign an NDA in order for the settlement to go through, but that wasn't a problem. Our immediate problem was money. I notice my dad is looking me over appraisingly.
"Well it's a good thing that we have that money coming. You're going to need new clothes." He states matter-of-factly. I blink at the apparent non sequitor.
"What do you mean?" I looked down at myself not seeing what he means...oh. Boobs. I keep forgetting the larger globs of flesh stuck to my chest. I'm not built like Emma, but there is no way to mistake me for a boy.
"Well my old clothes should fit just fine..." I start to say, but dad shakes his head.
"I got an advance on the settlement. When you come home you can go to the Boardwalk and pick some things up for yourself." He says in a tone that brooks no disagreement. I nod meekly. This having money thing might take some getting used to after all. We're not poor by any means, but we're not exactly comfortable either.
Friday rolls around and my dad brings me home. He has to go back to work with all the time that he took off, but I'm okay with that. I want to just sit around the house for today and push the thought of heading shopping off until tomorrow. My shirt is baggy, but my jeans feel tight in places and loose in others. My bra doesn't fit either. Not comfortably anyway. I think I see the problem.
The music of the house appears to be a warm piano piece with the faint strains of a viola and a light flute. The light flute appears to be coming from the family pictures. I pick up the family picture. We look so happy in this one. The three of us together in the backyard. It looks like we were just having a good time.
"So there you are, Mom..." I murmur softly as I trace her image with my finger. The music I'm hearing seems to be drawing me around the house. Each memory I find evokes another part of the orchestral piece. I spent the entire day just lost in the memories of times gone by, but it also gave me an idea. Things that have a strong emotional importance have a melody of their own. I wasn't sure if just something someone was wearing might, but if that was the case I could be a detective or something.
"Bullshit Thinkers." I can't help the smirk that curls my lips. I have a plan, a goal, and a destination. Now where was that lasagna recipe?
Author's Note: I hope all of you will excuse me if I don't retread the exact same trigger event from canon. This story will take off just after it happened.
Hymn of Harmony
or Melody of Escalation
First Arc 1.1
I must be dreaming. That's the only reasonable conclusion. I must be dreaming. There is music here. The melody isn't one I recognize, but I feel like I should know this. The song is nostalgic. My head is resting on what feels like someone's lap. There is peace here. Tranquility. Safety. Words that I thought didn't apply to me anymore. It feels like my cares are floating away. However, like every good thing in my life, it comes to an end.
"That is such a pessimistic view." That surprises me. The voice must belong to the person who I'm using for a lap pillow. Her voice is soft with a faint hint of fond amusement. I try to speak, but a finger is placed on my lips.
"The time will come when you open your eyes. For now, however, just continue to feel. You will awaken in your own time. We will speak more then." My eyes won't open. It feels like they're being held closed by immovable weights. I feel lips lightly press on my forehead like a mother kisses a child. The feeling is so painful and nostalgic that I almost cry, but the voice soothes me and comforts me.
-January 9, 2011-
My eyes slowly open. The scene that greets me is one of white walls, white ceiling, and a faint beeping. It doesn't take a great leap in logic to see that I'm in a hospital.
"Hmmm?" Something else is here. The faint sound of music fills the air. A peaceful sound, restful, with violin and flute accompaniment. Whoever heard of a hospital with a soundtrack? The music shifts as the door opens to admit a nurse. The sound that accompanies her is the lute I heard.
"Oh! You're awake." The nurse says with a pretty smile. I smile back shyly and nod. I try to speak, but only a weak croak emerges.
"Here..." She hands me a glass of water that I drink down greedily. Once my throat feels better I try again.
"How long have I been out?" My voice sounds strange. I know the sound of my own voice, but it feels like someone else speaking. A soft alto greets my ears, but if the nurse notices my surprise she doesn't show it.
"You were brought in over a week ago. Is there anything I can get you?" I shake my head no. The nurse smiles at me again before quietly slipping from the room. The sound of the lute fading into the distance, but still heard in the song. The violin tempo has also picked up and receded a few times while I spoke to the nurse.
Now I'm sure of something. The coincidences are too great to ignore. Unfortunately I need one more test before I can say for sure.
"Okay, what do I know?" There it is again. That alto in my voice. I shake my head suddenly to dispel the distracting thoughts. My voice has changed that's for sure. I'm hearing music and I'm pretty sure that the hospital doesn't pump in music for the patients, but I can't be sure. The nurse was followed around by her own music. I'm also fairly confident that they wouldn't hire a lute player to follow their nurses around.
The violin is growing stronger as the door opens to admit the doctor. My eyebrows shoot up as that is my final confirmation. I'm not even sure of what we talked about as my distraction grows. The door shuts behind him and I promise myself that I'll apologize for ignoring him, but my belief has been confirmed.
I'm a cape. That thought makes me feel giddy. Ever since I was a little girl I've wanted to be like Alexandria and help save the world. Who hasn't wanted to be a hero? Unfortunately another thought makes itself known. What kind of a lame power did I get? My world is full of music. A soundtrack to my life. I can "hear" people as musical instruments in the melody. I can't think of how this could possibly be a useful power.
"It could be worse." I surprise myself by not sounding defeatist. There are probably worse powers out there, but at least mine comes with it's own catchy beat.
Where did that oboe come from? It sounds so mournful and sad that I want to cry. Why do I want to cry? Why does it feel so familiar? My answers come when the door opens and in steps my father. Daniel Hebert has not had an easy life. He hadn't recovered from mom dying in that car crash and it's only grown worse. However, when he sees me, the mournful oboe takes a more upbeat tone that lifts my spirits.
"Hey Dad." I say with a smile that perks up the music more. He crosses the room in two steps and wraps his arms around me in a warm hug that erases the distance that's grown between us. After mom left us we had grown apart. Unable to relate to one another we were strangers sharing living space.
"Oh Taylor..." He's choked up and starting to cry. I'm crying too as the rift closes. The oboe is joined by a flute that I realize is me. A two part harmony.
"What happened to you?" The look of worry on his face almost has me try to keep it a secret. Almost. The feeling of our harmony refuses to leave me. I exhale slowly before starting to talk. I tell him everything. The campaign of bullying that has been going on for almost two years. How my best friend had betrayed me. The words just won't stop coming, but I feel comforted by the melody. However, the tempo of the oboe has picked up into a vaguely threatening tone. Like a dark foreboding.
"This won't continue. I won't allow it." He shakes his head angrily, "We'll get justice for this. If they want to try and push this under the table I can go to the media." I rest my hand on his forearm.
"Calm down, okay? I'll take your lead. I've been keeping a record of everything. The dates, the times, even the people who saw it happen. I also have the emails all printed out. That should work, right?" I say with a smile. I'm not worried. I'm actually not worried. Where is all this confidence coming from? Whatever, it's useful, why question it?
"Okay, Little Owl, I will." His smile is genuine, but there is a note of confusion in his eyes, "Though when I asked what happened to you...I meant..." He gestures helplessly at me as if unsure what to say. Well that was vague and confusing.
"What do you mean?" Okay maybe he's asking about the change of voice. I didn't have a terrible voice before, but now it's more like a singer's voice. Like I've been trained.
"Well...it's just...you've changed somehow." He points to the bathroom, "Why don't you look in the mirror?" Again that note of confusion. Was I scarred? Disfigured? I slip out of bed (when did my feet ever look that good?) and head to the bathroom (My sense of balance is amazing!) to look in the mirror.
I barely recognize the person staring back at me. Oh, I know that it's me, my face didn't change too much. My mouth is still too wide, but my lips used to be too thin. Now they actually fit. My blemishes are gone, replaced by smooth skin. I shut the bathroom door and start checking myself over. I've always been painfully skinny. So skinny that without my curly brown hair I would have looked like a boy. With a pouch on my stomach that according to my usual tormentors said made me look like an upright frog.
The fat around my middle was gone. Well, maybe not gone so much as redistributed, I think. The biggest change I'm noticing is that I seem to have curves now. Nothing too extreme, but no one could mistake me for a boy now.
My powers gave me a super makeover. I can hear music from all around me, I have the voice of an angel, and I'm actually pretty now. Maybe my life is starting to look up.
I was stuck in the hospital another week. I wanted to wait until I got home to tell my dad that I might be a cape. It wasn't like I would be throwing myself into danger. What would I do? Be pretty and sing at them? When I had that thought it almost felt like that wouldn't be a ridiculous idea. Weird. The doctors wanted to keep me for observation. They didn't know that my body had changed.
While I was waiting to be released, Dad got a hold of the attorney that works with the Dockworker's Association to see if he could help. It was Monday when they came by to speak with me. My dad had brought along my bullying journal. My first impression of the lawyer was that of a cheerful string instrument. I couldn't identify it at first, but it put me at ease.
Different people had different instrumental accompaniment. If they were happy people the tune was cheerful. If they were unhappy it sounded sad. I could actually tell someone's mood and general personality by how the music was played. His appearance wouldn't have filled someone with confidence in his altruism. He moved with a sort of strange precision. Everything had to be just so, but his smile wasn't false.
"Hello Taylor. My name is Michael Brown and I work with your father." He shakes my hand firmly and I respond in kind. You can tell a lot about a person by their handshake which is something my dad taught me.
"Hello, Mr. Brown." I say a bit shyly. This whole pleasant adult thing is still new to me. I know the nurses have to be pleasant, and my Dad doesn't count, but a stranger is a different story. Another thing I can lay at the feet of an uncaring school and faculty.
"Please, call me Michael, we're going to be working together right?" He has a merry twinkle in his eye as he says it, but sobers as he gets down to business. He takes a seat on one of the chairs while my dad sits on the other bed. Michael pulls out my journal with an air of distaste as if he finds just touching it repugnant.
"According to Michael it looks like our chances of getting the school to pay for your medical expenses are good. Isn't that wonderful?" Dad asks with a grin and I grin back. That does sound good.
"We might even be able to force a few concessions out of them. Unfortunately, this journal isn't enough to get anyone in legal trouble, but it is enough for a civil suit. The burden of proof is lower in civil court so I can see you winning this one." Michael sounds so sure that I let myself believe this is happening.
"What sort of concessions?" I manage to ask through my growing excitement. My dad is holding my hand, as relieved to hear this as I am.
"We can in fact get a no contact order. They wouldn't be able to speak to you or communicate with you in any way. I have already filed for a temporary one. Those do not require a hearing and will be granted because of the heinous nature of what happened to you. We can push for an actual investigation, which we should, but they are right. No one is coming forward as a witness." He says apologetically. I shake my head.
"That's fine. That's better than fine. What else?" He looks to my father and then back to me.
"This next part might not be as popular. You will have to go back to Winslow. They are under no obligation to grant a transfer to another school or pay for you to go to Arcadia. What we can do, however, is put pressure on the school board to increase oversight. The school board will want this to go away. We let them have their victory, but force them to punish the teachers that haven't been doing their jobs. You won't be very popular, but we can make them act like professionals."
This all sounds so good that I'm almost expecting to wake up and find that this is a dream. Anytime something good happens it's usually followed by three bad. I can't catch a break. According to Michael I might actually be doing just that. I look at my dad and he looks so confident that I choose to believe.
"This is all dependent on what you want. Most likely this is the best we will be able to get. We can make the school pay for damages, the medical bills, and for your suffering. Your dad wanted you to know and be able to add your input." He smiles reassuringly at me. I take a moment to think only to realize I'd already made up my mind.
"I just want this to go away. We'll go with your plan." I want the Trio punished, but I know that isn't happening. If Michael is right their free reign might just be over. He lets himself out to begin filing the paperwork and my dad stands up to follow him.
"Wait..." I speak up. Dad turns to looks at me curiously. "I need to talk to you about something." He nods slowly before telling Michael to wait.
"I'll be along shortly." The other man nods before my dad shuts the door. "What is it kiddo?" Now that the moment is here it's hard, but I have to tell him. We only just got our closeness back. I won't keep this from him.
"Dad...I...I think I'm a cape..." I manage to get out nervously. He cross the room and hugs me. What he says next takes me by surprise, "I kind of guessed." I push back with a startled look that causes him to laugh.
"Taylor...the kind of changes you've gone through are a little hard to ignore. The doctors haven't commented since apparently you looked like this when they brought you in, but I'm your father. I'm not that unobservant." He says with a wry smile. I swat him on the shoulder, but it feels good to hear. He hadn't been ignoring me. The distance may have been there, but he was always my father.
"I've been hearing music. Like the hospital has it's own background music, but the people are like instruments. I've even been able to tell who is nice and who isn't by the tone." I manage to get out in a rush of excitement that has my dad laughing again.
"That actually sounds useful. Being able to tell someone's intent like that? It sounds like...whaddyacallit...a Thinker power...?" He's a bit unsure, but I nod. He might have been into capes when he was younger, but he didn't really pay attention to the classifications. Though that does make sense. I have a Thinker power. I actually beam happily because my dad says it's useful.
"Maybe I should get tested. Who knows? The PRT might think it's useful. I always wanted to be a hero and this could be my chance." My words are almost tripping over themselves as my excitement overcomes me.
"I don't see why not." There is an undertone of nervousness in his acceptance, but he actually looks relieved. The life of an independent cape is not good. A Thinker is almost as high a demand as a Tinker. Someone that can get information the way that I can would be an asset. I preen a bit and make my dad smile.
"We'll have it scheduled once you're no longer under doctor's care." He promises me. We say our goodbyes before he heads out. I start to collect my thoughts using the plain yellow notebook the hospital provided me. Keeping a record of my powers. The code I've worked out to keep my notes secure is something that came to me after my powers came. I can read it, but to anyone else it looks like another language. I think I'll call my code Hymmnos. That feels right.
The next few days pass in a flurry of tests and making sure that my muscles haven't atrophied. The physical therapist has commented on my amazing sense of balance enough to give me a swelled head. He suggested that I go out for gymnastics or dance given my inherent grace. Graceful. One of the most underrated of things is natural grace. It's not a particularly glamorous power, but when I can perform a split into a handstand into a walkover without falling it suddenly becomes much more important.
I also have excellent wind. My respiration is impressive according to the therapist. I just know how to breathe properly which had him asking if I took martial arts or was already in a dance program. When I told him that I wasn't in anything like that, but might be interested in self defense, he recommended Capoeira.
I'm back in my room on the fourth day after my awakening. I'll be discharged on Friday. Just two more days and I'm free. Free to start my plans. Free to go home.
"This confinement is getting to me..." I mumble in embarrassment as sometime during my internal monologue I started gesticulating wildly. With my dad coming into the room to see that. He looks exhausted and annoyed, but my strange behavior just now put a smile back on his face. Score one for being a spazz.
"Hey kiddo." He says as he sits down on the chair.
"Hey Daddy-o." I say in a cheeky tone that gets a chuckle out of him. "How goes the crusade?" He exhales loudly and stares up at the ceiling. I can tell by his musical presence that he's actually in fair spirits. Not ecstatic, but also not totally unhappy.
"The bad news first. Alan Barnes chose to represent the school. I wanted to wring his neck, but Michael helped me keep my calm." He continues to stare at the ceiling as he speaks.
"It was every bit as bad as you made it out to be and then some. We followed our script and so did they." I nod. It was what we were expecting.
"The school tried to deny any wrongdoing, but that was when your journal came in handy. Someone apparently forgot to tell Ms. Blackwell that when school computers are used for bullying it becomes the school's problem." Now he looks at me with the same sort of grin that crossed my face.
"Apparently they weren't expecting us to actually have evidence. Michael painted a picture of gross negligence, professional misconduct, and incompetence. Now we reach the good news. They agreed to settle all of this out of court." We continue to talk about what happened. My journal did the trick. They couldn't sweep the problem under the rug with actual proof. The only problem we saw was Dad's temper. If he had lost it then nothing would have been done. As it is the hospital bills are being paid, my destroyed belongings are being compensated, and we actually received money for my suffering.
My dad had to sign an NDA in order for the settlement to go through, but that wasn't a problem. Our immediate problem was money. I notice my dad is looking me over appraisingly.
"Well it's a good thing that we have that money coming. You're going to need new clothes." He states matter-of-factly. I blink at the apparent non sequitor.
"What do you mean?" I looked down at myself not seeing what he means...oh. Boobs. I keep forgetting the larger globs of flesh stuck to my chest. I'm not built like Emma, but there is no way to mistake me for a boy.
"Well my old clothes should fit just fine..." I start to say, but dad shakes his head.
"I got an advance on the settlement. When you come home you can go to the Boardwalk and pick some things up for yourself." He says in a tone that brooks no disagreement. I nod meekly. This having money thing might take some getting used to after all. We're not poor by any means, but we're not exactly comfortable either.
Friday rolls around and my dad brings me home. He has to go back to work with all the time that he took off, but I'm okay with that. I want to just sit around the house for today and push the thought of heading shopping off until tomorrow. My shirt is baggy, but my jeans feel tight in places and loose in others. My bra doesn't fit either. Not comfortably anyway. I think I see the problem.
The music of the house appears to be a warm piano piece with the faint strains of a viola and a light flute. The light flute appears to be coming from the family pictures. I pick up the family picture. We look so happy in this one. The three of us together in the backyard. It looks like we were just having a good time.
"So there you are, Mom..." I murmur softly as I trace her image with my finger. The music I'm hearing seems to be drawing me around the house. Each memory I find evokes another part of the orchestral piece. I spent the entire day just lost in the memories of times gone by, but it also gave me an idea. Things that have a strong emotional importance have a melody of their own. I wasn't sure if just something someone was wearing might, but if that was the case I could be a detective or something.
"Bullshit Thinkers." I can't help the smirk that curls my lips. I have a plan, a goal, and a destination. Now where was that lasagna recipe?
First Arc 1.2
- Location
- PA
Hymn of Harmony
or Melody of Escalation
First Arc 1.2
This dream again. I can't open my eyes, but I can still everything going on around me. The lap pillow is back as is the soothing presence.
"...completely and utterly wasteful...it's like they weren't even trying to iron out the waste of energy..." The kind voice this time sounds frustrated. I get the feeling she's not even paying attention to me as I hear the sound of fingers clattering away at a keyboard at speeds even professional typists would fail to match.
"Each of these "Shards" possesses a self contained set of programming that is attuned to each specific recipient, but why in such a slipshod manner? It's like they don't even care that they are severely damaging or even outright fracturing the psyche." Fingers run through my hair and I squirm just a bit closer to the touch. There's a slight stillness as if I've caught them off guard.
"So you're here again are you?" Her warm voice greets me and I smile. "I wonder how long you were going to allow me to talk to myself, hmmm?" She teases me and I open my mouth to respond, but she gently touches my lips again. "Now is not the time, dear. There is so much to do and so little time to do it. I'm sorry. I know you wish you had an explanation for all of this, but I can't give you one just yet. It's not safe." She sounds so sad that I instinctively reach up and touch her face. Even without being able to see her I somehow know where she is and I feel her somehow inside of me. A darkness is within her, but unlike the kind that conceals dangers it feels like a warm blanket at night.
There is a sense of separation and sorrowful farewell, but I will be back again. Somehow I feel like I have come away with more than I came with. It is with this final thought that I...
-January 15, 2011-
"Taylor, wake up! Breakfast is ready!" Dad's voice pierces through the last fog of sleep. Food sounds like a great idea. Since I got back from the hospital I've noticed a difference in my appetite. I'm not suddenly eating stacks and stacks of plate, but my metabolism has sped up. Great if I want to go out for sports, but it would probably be murder on a food budget. I stop to admire myself in the mirror. This has become something of an early morning ritual. I still can't believe just how good I look. Long chestnut brown hair, blue eyes shining with life, skin that glowed flawlessly. Dad laughs at my new vain streak, but is just as happy as I am.
I throw on my smallest t-shirt from last year to show off what curves I've developed and slip on my jeans. When you have boy hips you tend to buy smaller jeans, but that's biting me in the rear right now. I can close them easily once they're up, but they take a near act of God to get over my new hips. Breakfast is on the table when I get there. Pancakes, sausage, eggs, toast, fruit, and juice. Dad will benefit from the new diet too. He ruffles my hair as he walks past.
"I left a prepaid card for you. Don't worry about going too crazy. Just get what you need and maybe a few things for yourself. I mean it, Taylor. You will treat yourself." He waves his finger at me with a mock stern expression and I roll my eyes. He hasn't told me exactly how much we're getting, but with the way he's acting it must have been a large concession. He also won't explain the slightly pensive look he's sporting lately. He's not sad, depressed, or angry. Just pensive. My senses are sharpening little by little. I still need my glasses, but my...symphonic sense...is growing more acute. Symphonic sense? That feels right.
"Fine. You win!" I hold my hands up in surrender, "I'll do as you say." I even salute which earns me another fond head pat as he hustles for the door. He took as much time as he could off and he agreed to overtime in exchange for the services of the lawyer. No such thing as a free lunch indeed. Michael's help was a blessing for sure. I check the balance on the card and end up staring at it in shock. The card is immediately stuffed in my wallet and in my pocket. He left me fifteen hundred dollars. What does he think I'm going to buy? Designer? Hmmm...no no no. Stop thinking about that. Stop.
"I will not spend the whole amount." That settled I head out the door for the bus stop. The Bay back when my mom and dad first met was far more alive than it is now. With Leviathan killing the shipping trade, and the boats sunk in the harbor, work for the Dockworker's Association is scare. Dad does all he can to find work for everyone. Just looking out the window of the bus is depressing. The gangs control everything. Empire 88 is predominantly made up of skinheads and Neo Nazis with a larger collection of capes than even the Protectorate. The Azyn Bad Boys are an Asian gang that has remained in power due to the psycho cape Oni Lee, but mostly because of Lung. The Dragon of Kyushu. The only one to have ever gone toe to toe with Leviathan. The Merchants just squat in whatever is left. They peddle drugs and even their capes aren't very impressive.
My musings are cut short as we arrive at the Boardwalk. The Boardwalk is the shopping hub for Brockton Bay. It used to be more glamorous back when the shipping industry was booming, but it still manages to hold it's own. That can also be directly credited to the hero group New Wave. They're an independent team that believes in public accountability and refuses to hide behind masks. It never caught on after one of their members, Fleur, was brutally murdered.
I refuse to let a nice day go to waste while I think about depressing stuff. Today's musical accompaniment is something bright and uplifting. There's even a silvery horn in there with a light guitar and relaxed feel. Today is going to be a good day.
I'm not a fashion expert, and my idea of "high fashion" has been whatever is on the bargain rack. Also the whole body issue where wearing more feminine clothing would have been a waste. I banish those thoughts from my mind as I set in for some window shopping. It's not like I'm on a schedule or anything and it's free to look. There appears to be a sale at one of the boutiques so that becomes my next stop.
The last time I actually went shopping, and not just in the general grabbing whatever was available, was with Emma. I never saw the fun in it, but she enjoyed just picking things out to try on. The music in the boutique has a refined quality. A jazzy feel with a brassy saxophone. I'm letting the melody wash over me as my hands are almost moving themselves over the clothes. Intruding on the jazz, but strangely complimenting it, is the sound of a skittering harp. Such an out of place sound causes me to actually look in the direction it's coming from.
The girl that was approaching me is a dirty blonde with cute freckles across her nose and a vulpine grin. The look in her eyes is one of playful, but calculating, amusement. She briefly looks startled when I meet her gaze and that calculating look ratchets up a few degrees. I feel myself smiling as I think that I've got her pegged. A natural born busybody, cunning and smart, but likes to be the center of attention. Sneaking up on me wasn't being done maliciously, but more out of boredom and needing entertainment. An eyebrow raises as she appraises me further and all at once she giggles.
"So that's what it's like being on the receiving end." She says in a teasing tone, but also a bit chagrined. I shake my head.
"Sometimes you're the hunter and sometimes you're the lunch." I quip. The girl nods her head in mock sagacity.
"Indeed, indeed, and here I thought I was being stealthy. What's your secret?"
"You show me yours and I'll show you mine." That statement startles us both and identical blushes steal across our faces.
"Well now that we're both completely embarrassed...Hi! I'm Lisa!" She sticks her hand out and I give it a firm shake.
"Taylor." And just like that it felt as if we clicked. She clearly knew more about shopping than I did. This wasn't a shopping trip. This was war and no one taught Lisa how to take any prisoners. We ended up leaving the boutique with three bags apiece and feeling good. I was now wearing a black tank over a white sweater that clung to my body just right and fell over my hips while the skinny jeans and black half boots completed the look. My new jacket was just the right cut. I expected to pay more than I did, but as I said, Lisa is good at this.
The two of us talked about little things. Our likes and dislikes. What we think of the latest fads. For the first time in years I felt like a normal girl. We stopped for a quick lunch at Fugly Bob's before heading back out again. As we passed by the electronics store I found myself hit by the sight of all the shiny gadgets.
"You did say you didn't have a cellphone. Why don't you get one? It's not like you couldn't find one for cheap." Lisa suggests with a shrug. I nod slowly. It was a cellphone that caused mom's accident, but if something happened to me, or Dad, then I needed a way to be reached.
"That's probably a good idea." We head inside and that desire for something shiny is only growing stronger. I wasn't thinking about being a parahuman today. Is this what they mean by a Tinker fever? I check my mind for any new blueprints for technology that involves the things before me and find nothing. Oh, I have some great ideas for putting together a computer, but it's not like I'm planning on building a reactor out of clock parts.
I don't skimp when I buy the phone. I got a brand new model smartphone and gave Lisa the number. Once that was taken care of I got a new laptop for on the go work. I dithered over the computer parts until Lisa took me aside.
"Taylor, what's wrong?" She sounds so concerned, but there's also a spark like she understands.
"It's just...I read on the PHO board..." I start only for her to put a finger on my lips to silence me. I lick her fingertip causing her to jerk her hand back with a rueful look.
"Don't believe everything you read on PHO." Her tone sounded as dry as the Sahara. That killed my worry. She wasn't worried. Why was I? I know, intellectually, that much of what's on Parahumans Online is bunk, but caution keeps you safe, right? I finish my purchases and arrange to have them delivered to my house. Lisa tilts her head to the side as I make my selections.
"If I got you the parts could you put a computer together for me? I'll even pay for the labor of course..." I shake my head at her.
"You don't have to pay me. I'd be glad to help." Why did the harp slow down for a moment? Guilt? Maybe she doesn't like the idea of having me do it for free. "I'd like to think we're friends now or am I wrong?" I smile reassuringly. The guilt is back even worse for a moment before she suddenly hugs me.
"You are just too good to be true. Fine. We're friends, but if you ever need anything feel free to ask." She sounds so serious I can only nod dumbly in response. Just like that the intense atmosphere fades. I feel like I missed something, but I let it go for now. Plenty of time to think about it later. I pick up a few tools for working on electronics. Care and maintenance mostly, but also for building.
"Thanks for all the help. I'm not sure I could have got even half the deals that you did, Lisa." She was a godsend today.
"It's fine. You're no dummy. I think you would have done well enough on your own." It looks like she wants to say something else just before she takes my hand and leads me into an alleyway. How did she know someone was following us? I knew because there was a sound of almost a malignant harpsichord. The man behind us follows us down the alleyway. Lisa doesn't even look at me as she says, "Just keep moving. We'll just take this turn up ahead and be right back out on the Boardwalk. Let's get some ice cream after this, okay?" Her tone attempts to be light, but the worry is real.
Something inside of me pulses in agitation. A dark light swirls within my mind and reaches an accord with my heart. I pull my hand away from Lisa with a strength I didn't know I possessed. She looks scared as she tries to get me to come back.
"Taylor no! Come on!" She tries to grab my shoulder, but I move just before she reaches me. The young man looks amused. Young, Asian, in the red and green of the ABB.
"Dayum...did I get lucky or what? I was just gonna follow ya, but if you wanna come to me I ain't gonna...urk!" That "urk" was because I don't let assholes monologue. It gets you killed. My foot inscribed a perfect arc right between his legs and doubled him over right into my suddenly rising knee that jerked his head back. He hits the ground like a felled tree. His melody quieting to a faint whisper.
"Wow...okay forget what I was saying...you can really take care of yourself." I hear Lisa as if from far away. Her arm slips around my back comfortingly as she leads me from the alley. Her voice is soothing, "That was well done. Reckless, but well done. You've never been in a fight before have you? How did you know how to do that?" She takes on a musing tone as she continues, "Didn't know how to fight, but could see the flow. Was able to make accurate guesses about probable actions." She shakes her head.
Did she just Sherlock Scan me? A cold reading of my ability. I didn't even know I could do that, but I let myself go with the flow. It wasn't anything particularly impressive as far as a trained fighter could do, but he wasn't really trained. How do I know that? I shake my head in confusion, but I don't let it get to me. Her gentle words draw me out of the shock I'm feeling at the sudden rush of combat.
"Hey...how about that ice cream?" I smile and am rewarded with an answering smile.
All good things come to an end and I had a delivery to be home to receive. I managed to get in the door minutes before the delivery man dropped off my computer purchases. Now that I was home there was something that needed to be focused on and that was my phone. The reason for that? I can hear my phone. It has a melody all it's own. A lone musical voice, but every bit as important to the harmony. Suddenly the background music I'm hearing makes sense.
What does it say that even machines have a melody? A human's melody is more complex and has a more sweeping dynamic, but electronics have a more static one. Colored by the people they reside around. I can sense emotions held in objects.
"Humanity is the common factor. What makes us so unique bleeds into the world around us." I grab my notebook and begin writing all of this down. Soon I'll be putting my computer together and then I can make my notes even more secure. It makes me wonder what I can find at the junkyard. What sort of lost treasures might be there?
"Well it's an idea. Maybe I am a Tinker?" I notice, belatedly, that I've been chewing on my pen and stop myself. Dinner is something else from mom's recipe book and I tell my dad how my day went minus fighting the gangbanger.
"Why don't you bring her around sometime?" He suggests.
"I'm thinking about it. I have her number so I could give her a call." This is the moment of truth. "I bought a smartphone today." I try for casual. The oboe stops for a moment before it starts up again. A heavier weight added to the tone, but he doesn't appear mad.
"I suppose...it's something you need isn't it..?" He muses heavily, "Maybe if you had that in the locker..." I place my hand on his forearm.
"It still would have happened. It's no one's fault, but theirs." My voice is firm and insistent. The oboe lightens again. I want my dad to feel better about all of this. The fact that I can "hear" his heart and mind makes it easier. My head lowers as I think about that. Am I doing the right thing? Am I manipulating him? I don't feel like it, but that might be worse.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Dad breaks into my spiraling thoughts.
"You know how I told you about my ability to hear people's mental states as music..." I begin only to be interrupted.
"There is nothing wrong with acting on what you know. As long as you can say that you're not using it to harm then you're okay. You don't want to hurt me, right?" I shake my head rapidly in denial and he laughs, "Then you're fine. It's no different than someone that can read microexpressions or that trains in psychology. You have a natural talent and a heart to use it properly." With that said he returns to his meatloaf.
I have the coolest dad.
My Sunday can be best described as a treasure hunt. Okay, that's what I'm calling it, and no one can convince me otherwise. I called Lisa to see if she wanted to come, but apparently her Sunday doesn't consist of glorified dumpster diving. This wasn't dumpster diving! This was a treasure hunt! My clothes for today consisted of old things that wouldn't have been worn to school under any circumstance. A sweatshirt and jeans from my dad that I looped a belt through to keep them up. A sturdy pair of hiking boots completed the ensemble. My hair was tied back in a ponytail under a baseball cap.
The old man that acts as security for the junkyard gave me a wave through. He pointed out the shopping carts that could be used to carry around what I find. I wasn't planning on grabbing quite that much, but you never know. I didn't mean to buy three bags of clothes either, or those computer parts, but there you have it.
The melodies in this place were sad in a way. The muted strains of woodwinds, strings, and brass playing softly with a melancholic air as the broken things around me contributed to the harmony. I promised them that some would find purpose again. A strange thing happened then. The harmony shifted. There was a detectable air of urgency and excitement to the song. As I followed the tune it seemed to swell and direct me. I turned myself over to the flow again and found myself standing before a mound of electronics. Half hidden under a trash pile and protected from the elements. Was that a PRT logo on one of those boxes?
"This is first class treasure." My voice was almost chirpy as I started gathering up the pieces that called to me the loudest. Their music clamoring for me to take them all, but I could also tell that I had enough. With a sad sigh I apologized, but the harmony forgave me. I called a cab because there was no way I was getting all of this on the bus. The old man looked over my loot with an appraising eye.
"Those PRT guys are always throwin' perfectly good things away...every Thursday like clockwork. It's a shame." He shakes his head and I give him another look. His melody sounds like the strains of a folk guitar. Pleasant and easy to listen to. An uncomplicated song that can stand alone or blend in with others. I decided to listen. If I could come out with a few more hauls like this one I would be set.
The old man helped me get the things into the cab, but it was up to me to get them in the house. The cabbie screwed himself out of a tip with that stunt. Now how was I going to do this? I had several parts to build a wi-fi relay and network hub. It wouldn't be amazing, but it would be functional. I hooked up the computer upstairs. That was the easy part really.
The hard part involved the rest of my treasure. My loot. The basement is the least used room in the house. It's dry and cool, but neither my dad or I are basement people. Since no one is using it at this time I can build my mad device. It won't be pretty, but it will work. The parts could care less if they look pretty as long as they have a purpose again. Maybe I am a Tinker? I've never felt the urge to build a computer or a network hub before. Never even knew how, but here I am mucking about with the innards and humming happily. I can see how the parts should go together and the harmony is aiding me. There are a few parts though that I'm forced to set aside. These parts are moved to the work bench for future examination.
I was right. The machine wasn't pretty, but it was purring like a kitten and striking up a song to beat the band. I flicked it on and it was glorious. Wi-fi is free in the main part of the city, but out here there isn't. The only wireless is what people pay for, but my hub has an effective range to tap it for free. A few adjustments to my laptop and computer connect them. I look at the icon on my desktop with a puzzled frown.
"Why did I build a signal scrambler anyway?" Oh right. Just because Lisa said there isn't anything to be afraid of the old saying of an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I'd rather have a pound of prevention.
I started dinner cooking. A nice pot roast with fingerling potatoes, onions, and caramelized carrots. While that was being prepared I decided to examine those strange pieces of tech. What I found surprised me. Their melody was exceptionally complex and confused. Oh there was a song there, but it sounded like a roomful of hyperactive children pounding on instruments. There were things that were unnecessary, some things were contradictory, but some were strange. There was an anti-harmony. It felt strange and uncomfortable like it resented me trying to examine the tech.
Well that just wasn't gonna fly with me. Who the hell did that melody think I am? I'm the Songstress. I'm the one that supports and protects the melody. The Harmony. I bent my will on that anti-harmony and almost immediately it tried to fight back, but it wasn't up to the task. How could it fight me? I have the full Harmony, the Symphonic sense, behind me.
"No, you are going to behave yourself, and share your toys." I tell it sternly. The discordant melody relinquishes the song and sulks. Given time it will eventually rejoin the orchestra properly, but for now it's been defeated and feeling ungracious. I have an idea of what these can be repurposed to build. That's the sight my dad comes home to and I'm pretty sure I looked strange. I had to occasionally scold, plead, and praise the parts to get them to do what I wanted. Giving no thought to why they had such a complex song.
"Whatcha got there, kiddo?" Dad asked me.
"A bunch of wild children in desperate need of discipline, but we're getting there..." My tongue sticks out as I manage to finagle two pieces into the greater whole.
"Mmm...something smells good. Why don't I get that out of the oven for you?" He suggests as he heads into the kitchen.
"Thanks!" With the final connection the device sparks to life. This is the answer to our energy problems. Okay, it's the answer to my energy problems, because we didn't have them until I built my Frankenstein computer.
"So what do you call that?" Dad asks from over my shoulder.
"Sol Reactor." The name sounds right and feels right. The device hums pleasantly in response.
"As long as you don't blow up the house." He says jokingly before asking, "Are you ready to go back to school tomorrow?" Like that my good mood crashes. I hadn't thought about school at all. Tomorrow I had to deal with the Trio again. The no contact order isn't the same as a PFA or restraining order. It still meant we were in the same school together. The device in my hand feels like such a reassuring weight. I'm not the same Taylor Hebert that was bullied for all that time. I'm the new me. The confident me. If they can't except it?
They won't be a problem.
or Melody of Escalation
First Arc 1.2
This dream again. I can't open my eyes, but I can still everything going on around me. The lap pillow is back as is the soothing presence.
"...completely and utterly wasteful...it's like they weren't even trying to iron out the waste of energy..." The kind voice this time sounds frustrated. I get the feeling she's not even paying attention to me as I hear the sound of fingers clattering away at a keyboard at speeds even professional typists would fail to match.
"Each of these "Shards" possesses a self contained set of programming that is attuned to each specific recipient, but why in such a slipshod manner? It's like they don't even care that they are severely damaging or even outright fracturing the psyche." Fingers run through my hair and I squirm just a bit closer to the touch. There's a slight stillness as if I've caught them off guard.
"So you're here again are you?" Her warm voice greets me and I smile. "I wonder how long you were going to allow me to talk to myself, hmmm?" She teases me and I open my mouth to respond, but she gently touches my lips again. "Now is not the time, dear. There is so much to do and so little time to do it. I'm sorry. I know you wish you had an explanation for all of this, but I can't give you one just yet. It's not safe." She sounds so sad that I instinctively reach up and touch her face. Even without being able to see her I somehow know where she is and I feel her somehow inside of me. A darkness is within her, but unlike the kind that conceals dangers it feels like a warm blanket at night.
There is a sense of separation and sorrowful farewell, but I will be back again. Somehow I feel like I have come away with more than I came with. It is with this final thought that I...
-January 15, 2011-
"Taylor, wake up! Breakfast is ready!" Dad's voice pierces through the last fog of sleep. Food sounds like a great idea. Since I got back from the hospital I've noticed a difference in my appetite. I'm not suddenly eating stacks and stacks of plate, but my metabolism has sped up. Great if I want to go out for sports, but it would probably be murder on a food budget. I stop to admire myself in the mirror. This has become something of an early morning ritual. I still can't believe just how good I look. Long chestnut brown hair, blue eyes shining with life, skin that glowed flawlessly. Dad laughs at my new vain streak, but is just as happy as I am.
I throw on my smallest t-shirt from last year to show off what curves I've developed and slip on my jeans. When you have boy hips you tend to buy smaller jeans, but that's biting me in the rear right now. I can close them easily once they're up, but they take a near act of God to get over my new hips. Breakfast is on the table when I get there. Pancakes, sausage, eggs, toast, fruit, and juice. Dad will benefit from the new diet too. He ruffles my hair as he walks past.
"I left a prepaid card for you. Don't worry about going too crazy. Just get what you need and maybe a few things for yourself. I mean it, Taylor. You will treat yourself." He waves his finger at me with a mock stern expression and I roll my eyes. He hasn't told me exactly how much we're getting, but with the way he's acting it must have been a large concession. He also won't explain the slightly pensive look he's sporting lately. He's not sad, depressed, or angry. Just pensive. My senses are sharpening little by little. I still need my glasses, but my...symphonic sense...is growing more acute. Symphonic sense? That feels right.
"Fine. You win!" I hold my hands up in surrender, "I'll do as you say." I even salute which earns me another fond head pat as he hustles for the door. He took as much time as he could off and he agreed to overtime in exchange for the services of the lawyer. No such thing as a free lunch indeed. Michael's help was a blessing for sure. I check the balance on the card and end up staring at it in shock. The card is immediately stuffed in my wallet and in my pocket. He left me fifteen hundred dollars. What does he think I'm going to buy? Designer? Hmmm...no no no. Stop thinking about that. Stop.
"I will not spend the whole amount." That settled I head out the door for the bus stop. The Bay back when my mom and dad first met was far more alive than it is now. With Leviathan killing the shipping trade, and the boats sunk in the harbor, work for the Dockworker's Association is scare. Dad does all he can to find work for everyone. Just looking out the window of the bus is depressing. The gangs control everything. Empire 88 is predominantly made up of skinheads and Neo Nazis with a larger collection of capes than even the Protectorate. The Azyn Bad Boys are an Asian gang that has remained in power due to the psycho cape Oni Lee, but mostly because of Lung. The Dragon of Kyushu. The only one to have ever gone toe to toe with Leviathan. The Merchants just squat in whatever is left. They peddle drugs and even their capes aren't very impressive.
My musings are cut short as we arrive at the Boardwalk. The Boardwalk is the shopping hub for Brockton Bay. It used to be more glamorous back when the shipping industry was booming, but it still manages to hold it's own. That can also be directly credited to the hero group New Wave. They're an independent team that believes in public accountability and refuses to hide behind masks. It never caught on after one of their members, Fleur, was brutally murdered.
I refuse to let a nice day go to waste while I think about depressing stuff. Today's musical accompaniment is something bright and uplifting. There's even a silvery horn in there with a light guitar and relaxed feel. Today is going to be a good day.
I'm not a fashion expert, and my idea of "high fashion" has been whatever is on the bargain rack. Also the whole body issue where wearing more feminine clothing would have been a waste. I banish those thoughts from my mind as I set in for some window shopping. It's not like I'm on a schedule or anything and it's free to look. There appears to be a sale at one of the boutiques so that becomes my next stop.
The last time I actually went shopping, and not just in the general grabbing whatever was available, was with Emma. I never saw the fun in it, but she enjoyed just picking things out to try on. The music in the boutique has a refined quality. A jazzy feel with a brassy saxophone. I'm letting the melody wash over me as my hands are almost moving themselves over the clothes. Intruding on the jazz, but strangely complimenting it, is the sound of a skittering harp. Such an out of place sound causes me to actually look in the direction it's coming from.
The girl that was approaching me is a dirty blonde with cute freckles across her nose and a vulpine grin. The look in her eyes is one of playful, but calculating, amusement. She briefly looks startled when I meet her gaze and that calculating look ratchets up a few degrees. I feel myself smiling as I think that I've got her pegged. A natural born busybody, cunning and smart, but likes to be the center of attention. Sneaking up on me wasn't being done maliciously, but more out of boredom and needing entertainment. An eyebrow raises as she appraises me further and all at once she giggles.
"So that's what it's like being on the receiving end." She says in a teasing tone, but also a bit chagrined. I shake my head.
"Sometimes you're the hunter and sometimes you're the lunch." I quip. The girl nods her head in mock sagacity.
"Indeed, indeed, and here I thought I was being stealthy. What's your secret?"
"You show me yours and I'll show you mine." That statement startles us both and identical blushes steal across our faces.
"Well now that we're both completely embarrassed...Hi! I'm Lisa!" She sticks her hand out and I give it a firm shake.
"Taylor." And just like that it felt as if we clicked. She clearly knew more about shopping than I did. This wasn't a shopping trip. This was war and no one taught Lisa how to take any prisoners. We ended up leaving the boutique with three bags apiece and feeling good. I was now wearing a black tank over a white sweater that clung to my body just right and fell over my hips while the skinny jeans and black half boots completed the look. My new jacket was just the right cut. I expected to pay more than I did, but as I said, Lisa is good at this.
The two of us talked about little things. Our likes and dislikes. What we think of the latest fads. For the first time in years I felt like a normal girl. We stopped for a quick lunch at Fugly Bob's before heading back out again. As we passed by the electronics store I found myself hit by the sight of all the shiny gadgets.
"You did say you didn't have a cellphone. Why don't you get one? It's not like you couldn't find one for cheap." Lisa suggests with a shrug. I nod slowly. It was a cellphone that caused mom's accident, but if something happened to me, or Dad, then I needed a way to be reached.
"That's probably a good idea." We head inside and that desire for something shiny is only growing stronger. I wasn't thinking about being a parahuman today. Is this what they mean by a Tinker fever? I check my mind for any new blueprints for technology that involves the things before me and find nothing. Oh, I have some great ideas for putting together a computer, but it's not like I'm planning on building a reactor out of clock parts.
I don't skimp when I buy the phone. I got a brand new model smartphone and gave Lisa the number. Once that was taken care of I got a new laptop for on the go work. I dithered over the computer parts until Lisa took me aside.
"Taylor, what's wrong?" She sounds so concerned, but there's also a spark like she understands.
"It's just...I read on the PHO board..." I start only for her to put a finger on my lips to silence me. I lick her fingertip causing her to jerk her hand back with a rueful look.
"Don't believe everything you read on PHO." Her tone sounded as dry as the Sahara. That killed my worry. She wasn't worried. Why was I? I know, intellectually, that much of what's on Parahumans Online is bunk, but caution keeps you safe, right? I finish my purchases and arrange to have them delivered to my house. Lisa tilts her head to the side as I make my selections.
"If I got you the parts could you put a computer together for me? I'll even pay for the labor of course..." I shake my head at her.
"You don't have to pay me. I'd be glad to help." Why did the harp slow down for a moment? Guilt? Maybe she doesn't like the idea of having me do it for free. "I'd like to think we're friends now or am I wrong?" I smile reassuringly. The guilt is back even worse for a moment before she suddenly hugs me.
"You are just too good to be true. Fine. We're friends, but if you ever need anything feel free to ask." She sounds so serious I can only nod dumbly in response. Just like that the intense atmosphere fades. I feel like I missed something, but I let it go for now. Plenty of time to think about it later. I pick up a few tools for working on electronics. Care and maintenance mostly, but also for building.
"Thanks for all the help. I'm not sure I could have got even half the deals that you did, Lisa." She was a godsend today.
"It's fine. You're no dummy. I think you would have done well enough on your own." It looks like she wants to say something else just before she takes my hand and leads me into an alleyway. How did she know someone was following us? I knew because there was a sound of almost a malignant harpsichord. The man behind us follows us down the alleyway. Lisa doesn't even look at me as she says, "Just keep moving. We'll just take this turn up ahead and be right back out on the Boardwalk. Let's get some ice cream after this, okay?" Her tone attempts to be light, but the worry is real.
Something inside of me pulses in agitation. A dark light swirls within my mind and reaches an accord with my heart. I pull my hand away from Lisa with a strength I didn't know I possessed. She looks scared as she tries to get me to come back.
"Taylor no! Come on!" She tries to grab my shoulder, but I move just before she reaches me. The young man looks amused. Young, Asian, in the red and green of the ABB.
"Dayum...did I get lucky or what? I was just gonna follow ya, but if you wanna come to me I ain't gonna...urk!" That "urk" was because I don't let assholes monologue. It gets you killed. My foot inscribed a perfect arc right between his legs and doubled him over right into my suddenly rising knee that jerked his head back. He hits the ground like a felled tree. His melody quieting to a faint whisper.
"Wow...okay forget what I was saying...you can really take care of yourself." I hear Lisa as if from far away. Her arm slips around my back comfortingly as she leads me from the alley. Her voice is soothing, "That was well done. Reckless, but well done. You've never been in a fight before have you? How did you know how to do that?" She takes on a musing tone as she continues, "Didn't know how to fight, but could see the flow. Was able to make accurate guesses about probable actions." She shakes her head.
Did she just Sherlock Scan me? A cold reading of my ability. I didn't even know I could do that, but I let myself go with the flow. It wasn't anything particularly impressive as far as a trained fighter could do, but he wasn't really trained. How do I know that? I shake my head in confusion, but I don't let it get to me. Her gentle words draw me out of the shock I'm feeling at the sudden rush of combat.
"Hey...how about that ice cream?" I smile and am rewarded with an answering smile.
All good things come to an end and I had a delivery to be home to receive. I managed to get in the door minutes before the delivery man dropped off my computer purchases. Now that I was home there was something that needed to be focused on and that was my phone. The reason for that? I can hear my phone. It has a melody all it's own. A lone musical voice, but every bit as important to the harmony. Suddenly the background music I'm hearing makes sense.
What does it say that even machines have a melody? A human's melody is more complex and has a more sweeping dynamic, but electronics have a more static one. Colored by the people they reside around. I can sense emotions held in objects.
"Humanity is the common factor. What makes us so unique bleeds into the world around us." I grab my notebook and begin writing all of this down. Soon I'll be putting my computer together and then I can make my notes even more secure. It makes me wonder what I can find at the junkyard. What sort of lost treasures might be there?
"Well it's an idea. Maybe I am a Tinker?" I notice, belatedly, that I've been chewing on my pen and stop myself. Dinner is something else from mom's recipe book and I tell my dad how my day went minus fighting the gangbanger.
"Why don't you bring her around sometime?" He suggests.
"I'm thinking about it. I have her number so I could give her a call." This is the moment of truth. "I bought a smartphone today." I try for casual. The oboe stops for a moment before it starts up again. A heavier weight added to the tone, but he doesn't appear mad.
"I suppose...it's something you need isn't it..?" He muses heavily, "Maybe if you had that in the locker..." I place my hand on his forearm.
"It still would have happened. It's no one's fault, but theirs." My voice is firm and insistent. The oboe lightens again. I want my dad to feel better about all of this. The fact that I can "hear" his heart and mind makes it easier. My head lowers as I think about that. Am I doing the right thing? Am I manipulating him? I don't feel like it, but that might be worse.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Dad breaks into my spiraling thoughts.
"You know how I told you about my ability to hear people's mental states as music..." I begin only to be interrupted.
"There is nothing wrong with acting on what you know. As long as you can say that you're not using it to harm then you're okay. You don't want to hurt me, right?" I shake my head rapidly in denial and he laughs, "Then you're fine. It's no different than someone that can read microexpressions or that trains in psychology. You have a natural talent and a heart to use it properly." With that said he returns to his meatloaf.
I have the coolest dad.
My Sunday can be best described as a treasure hunt. Okay, that's what I'm calling it, and no one can convince me otherwise. I called Lisa to see if she wanted to come, but apparently her Sunday doesn't consist of glorified dumpster diving. This wasn't dumpster diving! This was a treasure hunt! My clothes for today consisted of old things that wouldn't have been worn to school under any circumstance. A sweatshirt and jeans from my dad that I looped a belt through to keep them up. A sturdy pair of hiking boots completed the ensemble. My hair was tied back in a ponytail under a baseball cap.
The old man that acts as security for the junkyard gave me a wave through. He pointed out the shopping carts that could be used to carry around what I find. I wasn't planning on grabbing quite that much, but you never know. I didn't mean to buy three bags of clothes either, or those computer parts, but there you have it.
The melodies in this place were sad in a way. The muted strains of woodwinds, strings, and brass playing softly with a melancholic air as the broken things around me contributed to the harmony. I promised them that some would find purpose again. A strange thing happened then. The harmony shifted. There was a detectable air of urgency and excitement to the song. As I followed the tune it seemed to swell and direct me. I turned myself over to the flow again and found myself standing before a mound of electronics. Half hidden under a trash pile and protected from the elements. Was that a PRT logo on one of those boxes?
"This is first class treasure." My voice was almost chirpy as I started gathering up the pieces that called to me the loudest. Their music clamoring for me to take them all, but I could also tell that I had enough. With a sad sigh I apologized, but the harmony forgave me. I called a cab because there was no way I was getting all of this on the bus. The old man looked over my loot with an appraising eye.
"Those PRT guys are always throwin' perfectly good things away...every Thursday like clockwork. It's a shame." He shakes his head and I give him another look. His melody sounds like the strains of a folk guitar. Pleasant and easy to listen to. An uncomplicated song that can stand alone or blend in with others. I decided to listen. If I could come out with a few more hauls like this one I would be set.
The old man helped me get the things into the cab, but it was up to me to get them in the house. The cabbie screwed himself out of a tip with that stunt. Now how was I going to do this? I had several parts to build a wi-fi relay and network hub. It wouldn't be amazing, but it would be functional. I hooked up the computer upstairs. That was the easy part really.
The hard part involved the rest of my treasure. My loot. The basement is the least used room in the house. It's dry and cool, but neither my dad or I are basement people. Since no one is using it at this time I can build my mad device. It won't be pretty, but it will work. The parts could care less if they look pretty as long as they have a purpose again. Maybe I am a Tinker? I've never felt the urge to build a computer or a network hub before. Never even knew how, but here I am mucking about with the innards and humming happily. I can see how the parts should go together and the harmony is aiding me. There are a few parts though that I'm forced to set aside. These parts are moved to the work bench for future examination.
I was right. The machine wasn't pretty, but it was purring like a kitten and striking up a song to beat the band. I flicked it on and it was glorious. Wi-fi is free in the main part of the city, but out here there isn't. The only wireless is what people pay for, but my hub has an effective range to tap it for free. A few adjustments to my laptop and computer connect them. I look at the icon on my desktop with a puzzled frown.
"Why did I build a signal scrambler anyway?" Oh right. Just because Lisa said there isn't anything to be afraid of the old saying of an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I'd rather have a pound of prevention.
I started dinner cooking. A nice pot roast with fingerling potatoes, onions, and caramelized carrots. While that was being prepared I decided to examine those strange pieces of tech. What I found surprised me. Their melody was exceptionally complex and confused. Oh there was a song there, but it sounded like a roomful of hyperactive children pounding on instruments. There were things that were unnecessary, some things were contradictory, but some were strange. There was an anti-harmony. It felt strange and uncomfortable like it resented me trying to examine the tech.
Well that just wasn't gonna fly with me. Who the hell did that melody think I am? I'm the Songstress. I'm the one that supports and protects the melody. The Harmony. I bent my will on that anti-harmony and almost immediately it tried to fight back, but it wasn't up to the task. How could it fight me? I have the full Harmony, the Symphonic sense, behind me.
"No, you are going to behave yourself, and share your toys." I tell it sternly. The discordant melody relinquishes the song and sulks. Given time it will eventually rejoin the orchestra properly, but for now it's been defeated and feeling ungracious. I have an idea of what these can be repurposed to build. That's the sight my dad comes home to and I'm pretty sure I looked strange. I had to occasionally scold, plead, and praise the parts to get them to do what I wanted. Giving no thought to why they had such a complex song.
"Whatcha got there, kiddo?" Dad asked me.
"A bunch of wild children in desperate need of discipline, but we're getting there..." My tongue sticks out as I manage to finagle two pieces into the greater whole.
"Mmm...something smells good. Why don't I get that out of the oven for you?" He suggests as he heads into the kitchen.
"Thanks!" With the final connection the device sparks to life. This is the answer to our energy problems. Okay, it's the answer to my energy problems, because we didn't have them until I built my Frankenstein computer.
"So what do you call that?" Dad asks from over my shoulder.
"Sol Reactor." The name sounds right and feels right. The device hums pleasantly in response.
"As long as you don't blow up the house." He says jokingly before asking, "Are you ready to go back to school tomorrow?" Like that my good mood crashes. I hadn't thought about school at all. Tomorrow I had to deal with the Trio again. The no contact order isn't the same as a PFA or restraining order. It still meant we were in the same school together. The device in my hand feels like such a reassuring weight. I'm not the same Taylor Hebert that was bullied for all that time. I'm the new me. The confident me. If they can't except it?
They won't be a problem.
Interlude 1.a
- Location
- PA
Hymn of Harmony
or Melody of Escalation
Interlude 1.a
Lisa
'What a day this has been,' Lisa thought ruefully. She left her apartment this morning with the intention of some retail therapy, but nowhere in there did she expect what happened. Her "boss", Coil, had given her the attractive options of working for him or dying. Well this girl would rather live. However, one cannot live with a potential death sentence and not get out to cut loose once in awhile.
She decided to visit her favorite boutique on the Boardwalk. After she slipped her minders of course. There was no way that she was being saddled with Alec on a shopping trip. Lisa was browsing the racks when she saw this girl. She was pretty in the way a model would be. Tall, leggy, and slender with long brown hair. Her clothes were a nightmare though.
'No wonder she's out shopping.' Lisa thought with a grimace. However shopping with a girlfriend was better than shopping alone. She slipped over to her, certain she was being stealthy, when the girl stiffened. 'That's strange she...knows I'm here.' That thought caused her to abandon her plans.
It was a novel experience having someone actually turn her Thinker abilities back on her. Her power told her that it wasn't exactly like her own. She was a Thinker sorta. Sorta? That was delightfully vague. If Taylor wasn't such a sweetheart and genuinely friendly it might be annoying. Her power suddenly spat out more information. A low level Master effect? Centered on...Harmony? Why was that capitalized in her head?
She pushed that aside after determining that it didn't make her feel things that she didn't. It wasn't controlling her, but it did help ease awkward moments. Make the recipient feel better. Lunch was nice, but not particularly earth shattering. That was a novel experience. Actually being out with someone and not having to manage various clashing personalities was nice.
The trip to the electronics store proved enlightening too, but in a different way. Taylor was mesmerized by all of the new electronics and gadgets. Tinker? Wait, no? She's not thinking of disassembling anything. Though what she did find out was that Taylor could make a computer better than anything she could buy on the market without special connections.
'Why does she have to be so nice?' Lisa moaned in remembrance of hugging Taylor for just being so kind. 'I'm using her, but she doesn't see it that way. If she knew about Coil she'd actually want to help me.' She grit her teeth in annoyance. 'She would want to help me. Well we'll see how the computer goes.'
She firmly shut the door on any further hesitation. It's not a luxury she can afford.
Danny
He leaned back on the couch with a beer and his thoughts. The scene he came in on earlier was still surreal, but also brought a faint smile to his face. Super powers or not she was definitely still Taylor. Goofy, silly, and her smile was back. He could put up with some weirdness in exchange for having his Little Owl back to her old self.
He had gotten off work and drove straight home. Coming home no longer filled him with a cold dread. The distance between Taylor and himself was gone. That it had grown at all was his fault. He just couldn't deal with Annette dying the way she did. When he walked in the door, however, those morbid thoughts were dispelled by a bizarre sight.
Taylor was fiddling with some bizarre machines and...scolding them? She sounded like a kindergarten teacher dealing with unruly children. She was a Tinker too? Whatever the case he volunteered to get dinner out of the oven to give her more time to build. The fact that she was just so cute doing that had nothing to do with it.
They sat over dinner after she unveiled her invention and told him about the larger piece of equipment in the basement. The details went over his head, but she seemed happy. Just another thing to talk to the PRT about. She wanted to go for testing tomorrow after school, but he had to hold her off for now. The appointment would have to be made first. She sulked, but they spent the rest of the night just watching movies and enjoying some time together.
So why was he here with a can of beer and his thoughts? He was not a stupid man. He might not be as smart as his wife, Taylor had that distinction, but he wasn't stupid. All throughout that meeting in Blackwell's office one thing became clear. They were bending over backwards for that Hess girl. He briefly entertained the notion that it was Emma they were interested in, but that wasn't it. The principal was very firm and very cagey on making waves with those students. He didn't get his position by being unable to read people and each time Sophia Hess came up there was a reaction.
Something didn't smell right and he didn't like it. He didn't have enough pieces to the puzzle yet, but what he did have painted a disturbing picture. His eyes traveled to the beer as he thought with a snort 'I'm mixing metaphors now.'
Whatever the case may be he would support Taylor. He could do little else.
or Melody of Escalation
Interlude 1.a
Lisa
'What a day this has been,' Lisa thought ruefully. She left her apartment this morning with the intention of some retail therapy, but nowhere in there did she expect what happened. Her "boss", Coil, had given her the attractive options of working for him or dying. Well this girl would rather live. However, one cannot live with a potential death sentence and not get out to cut loose once in awhile.
She decided to visit her favorite boutique on the Boardwalk. After she slipped her minders of course. There was no way that she was being saddled with Alec on a shopping trip. Lisa was browsing the racks when she saw this girl. She was pretty in the way a model would be. Tall, leggy, and slender with long brown hair. Her clothes were a nightmare though.
'No wonder she's out shopping.' Lisa thought with a grimace. However shopping with a girlfriend was better than shopping alone. She slipped over to her, certain she was being stealthy, when the girl stiffened. 'That's strange she...knows I'm here.' That thought caused her to abandon her plans.
It was a novel experience having someone actually turn her Thinker abilities back on her. Her power told her that it wasn't exactly like her own. She was a Thinker sorta. Sorta? That was delightfully vague. If Taylor wasn't such a sweetheart and genuinely friendly it might be annoying. Her power suddenly spat out more information. A low level Master effect? Centered on...Harmony? Why was that capitalized in her head?
She pushed that aside after determining that it didn't make her feel things that she didn't. It wasn't controlling her, but it did help ease awkward moments. Make the recipient feel better. Lunch was nice, but not particularly earth shattering. That was a novel experience. Actually being out with someone and not having to manage various clashing personalities was nice.
The trip to the electronics store proved enlightening too, but in a different way. Taylor was mesmerized by all of the new electronics and gadgets. Tinker? Wait, no? She's not thinking of disassembling anything. Though what she did find out was that Taylor could make a computer better than anything she could buy on the market without special connections.
'Why does she have to be so nice?' Lisa moaned in remembrance of hugging Taylor for just being so kind. 'I'm using her, but she doesn't see it that way. If she knew about Coil she'd actually want to help me.' She grit her teeth in annoyance. 'She would want to help me. Well we'll see how the computer goes.'
She firmly shut the door on any further hesitation. It's not a luxury she can afford.
Danny
He leaned back on the couch with a beer and his thoughts. The scene he came in on earlier was still surreal, but also brought a faint smile to his face. Super powers or not she was definitely still Taylor. Goofy, silly, and her smile was back. He could put up with some weirdness in exchange for having his Little Owl back to her old self.
He had gotten off work and drove straight home. Coming home no longer filled him with a cold dread. The distance between Taylor and himself was gone. That it had grown at all was his fault. He just couldn't deal with Annette dying the way she did. When he walked in the door, however, those morbid thoughts were dispelled by a bizarre sight.
Taylor was fiddling with some bizarre machines and...scolding them? She sounded like a kindergarten teacher dealing with unruly children. She was a Tinker too? Whatever the case he volunteered to get dinner out of the oven to give her more time to build. The fact that she was just so cute doing that had nothing to do with it.
They sat over dinner after she unveiled her invention and told him about the larger piece of equipment in the basement. The details went over his head, but she seemed happy. Just another thing to talk to the PRT about. She wanted to go for testing tomorrow after school, but he had to hold her off for now. The appointment would have to be made first. She sulked, but they spent the rest of the night just watching movies and enjoying some time together.
So why was he here with a can of beer and his thoughts? He was not a stupid man. He might not be as smart as his wife, Taylor had that distinction, but he wasn't stupid. All throughout that meeting in Blackwell's office one thing became clear. They were bending over backwards for that Hess girl. He briefly entertained the notion that it was Emma they were interested in, but that wasn't it. The principal was very firm and very cagey on making waves with those students. He didn't get his position by being unable to read people and each time Sophia Hess came up there was a reaction.
Something didn't smell right and he didn't like it. He didn't have enough pieces to the puzzle yet, but what he did have painted a disturbing picture. His eyes traveled to the beer as he thought with a snort 'I'm mixing metaphors now.'
Whatever the case may be he would support Taylor. He could do little else.
First Arc 1.3
- Location
- PA
Hymn of Harmony
or Melody of Escalation
First Arc 1.3
-January 17, 2011-
School. One word filled with so many meanings. In my own experience most of those meanings was bad. I got up, showered, and dressed in another new outfit. Part of me just wanted to wear my old clothes and maybe protect my good clothes, but another part wanted to flaunt what I've got. This vanity streak was endlessly amusing to my dad. Okay so it was amusing to me as well. In a fit of whimsy I wore the charcoal sundress that Lisa helped me pick out and a pair of comfortable black flats.
I was probably going to be following the melody extra hard today. Someone on the forum mentioned about "Thinker headaches" from overuse of abilities. I didn't get headaches, but I did get hungry. Also tired. Building that mini reactor left me exhausted. I managed to hide just how tired and out of breath I was, but it caused me to sleep like the dead.
Hopefully today wouldn't be quite that bad. Dad had already left for work and it was time for me to head to school. The bus ride to Winslow was a unique experience. No one recognized me. At all. Oh there were plenty of stares and talking, but more about who the hot chick was. I visibly preened under the attention. I wonder what the hypocrites would say if they realized they were saying poor bullied Taylor Hebert looked so good.
Today's theme seems to be some strange industrial metal hybrid. The students had an eclectic variety of instruments in their melody. Woodwinds, strings, and brass I was used to, but then a few of the ones in the gangs had deeper, grungier tunes. Oddly enough even that was pleasant. It had a place in the Harmony so could be tolerated.
My first trial was the Trio were waiting at the doors of the school. They were doing a good job of looking nonchalant, but Sophia was keeping an eye out for me. There was a nasty surprise about their melody. Emma's melody sounded like wind chimes. A clear ringing chime that sounded melancholic. Sadness directed inward? Madison was a set of pipes that also sounded sad, but also...frightened?
Where did the villains in my memories go? They should be reveling in what they did to me and be angry that I dared to fight back. I couldn't take any satisfaction in how they were feeling. My gaze slid over to Sophia as if daring my power to humanize her too, but then I met her eyes. Cold orbs locked onto my own. Her melody was terrifying to me. There may have been a beautiful melody there at one time, but it was twisted now. I couldn't even identify the type of instrument. I had no experience with this sound. The moment passed as she broke the paralysis by walking away.
Wait. She was walking away? She didn't even recognize me? No, she did recognize me, but the no contact order was in effect. She actually cared about the law? I released a breath that I hadn't realized I'd been holding. Maybe that would be the only bit of weirdness for today.
I'm not holding my breath.
My classes were eerie. The teachers essentially treated me as part of the furniture. They weren't calling on me, but they also weren't treating me badly. I actually prefer it this way. Computer class was a joke. I felt vaguely offended for reasons I can't explain at the simplistic project. I swallowed my wounded pride and did the assignment as indicated.
Mr. Gladly's class was another chore to deal with. He must have been popular in school, but he was so desperate to appeal to the younger generation that he tended to drive them away. Today he barely looked at me. Aside from calling my name to make sure I was here he ignored me. The only bit of excitement was when he tried to put Madison and I into the same group.
"Uh...Mr. G? There...there is a no contact order..." Madison sounded almost shy and the nervousness was new. He blinked in surprise at that.
"Of course how silly of me." He directed her to a different group before putting me with Greg, Sparky, and one of Madison's cohorts. Tina? Teanna? Tiffany? Right. Something with a "T." Greg's obvious crush on me was only made worse by my newfound beauty. Curse my good looks.
That's a thought I never imagined having.
His melody sounded like an overeager tambourine. Kind of goofy and silly, but also discordant. He never even tried to read the mood. Sparky's melody was like a slow guitar calling to mind Nirvana. The girl with the "T" name was a simple clarinet. She was so eager to please that she was ignoring her own inner rhythm.
Is this what I've been dealing with all this time? My enemies can barely stand each other. They have no sense of self or cohesion. This is what has tormented me? I can't help myself and I start to giggle. The rest of the class is staring at me strangely, but oddly enough no one is making fun. It's just too ridiculous!
"Miss Hebert get control of yourself." Mr. Gladly says in a stern tone that utterly fails to intimidate me. I stop giggling, but not because he told me to. Class let out not long after with Greg following me from the room. This I could do without.
"Uh hey Taylor! Wait up!" He hurries up to me and I turn to face him.
"Hi Greg." I put as much niceness as I can into my voice. Having been on the receiving end of unfriendly reactions I'm less likely to inflict those on someone else.
"Glad to see you came back. What happened was terrible wasn't it? I can't believe they did that to you. Sure, I saw what was going on, but what could I do right?" And right there my mind went blank. He saw it. He saw my worst day, my worst moment, and he did nothing? Oh intellectually I know other people saw it, but this is him actually admitting to it with no trace of shame. He's actually expecting me to commiserate with him.
"Greg...get the hell out of my face." The vehemence in my tone surprises me. The darkness swirling in my mind drives down the flute of my melody. My heart refuses to cooperate and the darkness recedes, but the act was already done. "Get away from me. You don't care about anything but your own stupid needs. You think we're friends? We're not. Friends help one another. Friends are there for each other. A friend would have seen what was happening and actually did something about it."
He rocked back on his heels in surprise. I think that it took the other students by surprise. With that said I spun on my heel and stormed away. A group of Sophia's track friends tried to hem me in, but I simply slipped right by them. I should have been watching where I was going, but I had to get away from Greg. I had to because in that moment I had wanted to hurt him. He didn't deserve my anger. I could hear an oboe in place of my flute leaving me faintly disconnected.
Suddenly the sharp blaring of a furious melody was heard and I almost didn't react in time. Sophia was waiting for me on the stairs and I hadn't even seen her. Too wrapped up in my own thoughts. She rammed her elbow out for my lower back just as I was heading down the stairs. My frantic twisting dodge caused me to practically hurl myself down the stairs. My senses sharpened as a I gave myself to the flow and I landed with cat-like agility on the landing.
The absolutely priceless look of shock on her face was worth it. Oh it was totally worth it. I grinned up at her, and with a jaunty wave, skipped off to my next class. The rest of the day was boring by comparison. Sophia found a way to keep an eye on me, but made no further action. That part was disquieting.
Whatever it was I had no idea. I had dinner prepared and ready when Dad came home. Today's project was testing my reflexes. Was what I did outside a normal human's ability or was that just more athletics? I think I even perfected a floor routine in the backyard, but I couldn't seem to get back in that same state of mind. Dad had a good day at work. Apparently the mayor wanted to start a park restoration project that he managed to finagle into work for the union.
"Your testing is scheduled for Wednesday." My eyebrow raised, "I know. I was surprised too at how soon they want to see you, but this is good." That pensiveness was back in his melody. "The Wards will be good for you. If you still want to go." He was leaving it at my feet whether I went through with it or not. Good tactic. Why was I hearing a duet of oboes? Something to worry about later.
"I'm not going to change my mind. We've already been over this. I suggested, you agreed, now it sounds like you're trying to talk me out of it with reverse psychology." My eyebrow was arched, but that was my only reaction. Dad was looking at me strangely, but nodded slowly.
"People said you inherited my temper. I guess that's what it looks like from this side." He finally said after several long moments. What did he mean? The thought hits me that I haven't heard my flute. I'm hearing two oboes. I chew my dinner as something is starting to add up. Saturday on the Boardwalk I must have "synched" with Lisa. Somehow we were just in perfect synchronicity (Synchronity)...What...? Now today I synched with my dad...
<static> Error Found
I shake my head. What was that? I finish my dinner on autopilot. What was I thinking...?
<static> Error Found
My head falls forward limply as my eyes fall shut. Dad is already moving to catch me, but my body is unresponsive. I open my eyes, but all I see are lines and lines of green code flashing by my vision.
"Taylor? Taylor!?" I hear his voice as if from a great distance.
"Sleepy..." My voice has a strange crackle like a strained voice processor. How do I know what that sounds like...?
<static> Error Found <static> Error Found <static> Error...
Darkness.
Well this is familiar. My eyes are closed and I hear the sound of fingers flying across keys. The difference is that there is a sense of urgency. I can't even shift my body or make a sound. It feels like my body is paralyzed.
"Damn damn damn...it dumped the entire data packet right into her mind..." The kind voice doesn't sound so kind, but more like she's restraining herself from hitting something.
"So that's what that file was. Increase aggression? Evoke a heightened response to combat? Increase conflict? This thing has no safeties built in at all! It's almost like it exists purely to destroy whatever it's installed into." She blows out a frustrated huff of air. There is no way to call that a sigh or interpret in a ladylike manner. She almost snorted like a bull.
"This is what we are up against? This is the threat to existence? Of course it is. Anyone who looks at it would think that with how utterly idiotic the programming is it wouldn't be a threat. An army of berserkers with super powers is a threat. Advanced tactical programming. Building weapons that even we don't have. Each of these powers is a monumental threat in itself, but put together? The only saving grace is the utter idiocy of inciting conflict between them." The voice has calmed as she muses.
What she's saying is scaring me. It sounds like she's been monitoring my world for some time. Shards? Conflict? Aggression? Idiotic coding? I manage to make a sound of worry and her focus shifts to me.
"Well that could have gone better, but it could have gone worse. There were safeguards put in place to prevent you from drawing on too much, too soon, but that damn concealed programming dumped it all into your head anyway." She sounds worried, annoyed, and I can tell some of both of those feelings are directed at me. Oops. I open my mouth to speak and she silences me. I growl slightly, but the light thwap on my forehead startles me into silence.
"Don't take that tone with me young lady. I understand that you're excited to have powers and abilities. I understand that after being told you're nothing that you want to show you are something. Feelings of inadequacy never truly go away once they've been placed inside of us, but trying to do everything at once is suicide." She has my number all right. I can't even find it in me to disagree with her especially as she sounds like she's been there before. My head turns towards her and nuzzles at her leg. Those soft fingers start to run through my hair again.
"This isn't totally hopeless. Thankfully the adjustments we've made haven't been undone, but you've set your overall progress back by quite a bit." That doesn't sound good. Adjustments? A querying tone comes out and I hear her sigh. "You'll live. Nothing is actually broken or damaged, but there will be more scrutiny on you." She sounds resigned. "What you experienced was a system error. The day is coming that I can explain more, but for now you must restrain yourself. I am not kidding. You must slow down. Scale it back a bit." Her fingers fly over the keys again. "Okay, I've restricted your access, for now. There is an emergency release, but you had better be absolutely certain you need to use it."
She makes me sound like a machine of some sort that could break down. Well not quite. More like a robot. Still not right. Maybe...THWAP!!! I yelp in pain as that scolding finger comes down with more force.
"Bad girl. No. Stop that right now. No digging!" Mutely, I nod my acceptance. Moments later I feel a peculiar lassitude come over me. Like my awareness has shrunk. I sigh in relief as a pressure I didn't consciously notice goes away. "You worried your father and you worried me." The voice continues in a softer tone. "You're very important to many people. You are special, desired, and wanted. We need you, Taylor. Please take care of yourself, okay?" I feel myself start to cry and a pair of slender arms embrace me.
-January 22, 2011
I wake up in a familiar location. White walls, white ceiling, and a heart monitor beeping away. I can't contain the groan of irritation. That's what she meant by pushing myself too far. My laptop was sitting on the tray table and was in easy reach. Eek. I missed my appointment with the PRT. Well I guess power induced coma counted as a good excuse. It's Saturday. I've been out of it since Monday night. My flute is back which is nice and I hear the oboe of my dad. He has his head down and appears to be sleeping. Wait...that harp approaching is familiar...no sooner do I think that then Lisa walks into the room. She visibly brightens when she sees me.
"Had enough rest, Sleeping Beauty?" She quips teasingly.
"Too bad no one was around to kiss me and wake me up." I tease back. We both turn red again.
"You have to stop doing that. Seriously. That's dangerous." Her voice is mildly scolding, but the relief coloring her tone makes me feel bad. It looks like we woke up my dad as he blinks his eyes blearily. He smiles at Lisa in greeting before focusing entirely on me.
"This wasn't how I wanted the two of you to meet y'know." There's a generally relaxed air as flute, oboe, and harp seem to fall right into step with each other. My laptop has been loaded, by Lisa, with my assignments for school so that I don't fall behind. I'm about to suggest home schooling because, frankly, classes are slowing me down. My dad said that my appointment has been rescheduled for the day I leave the hospital.
"It's always a good idea to keep your appointments." Lisa says teasingly and I giggle in response. It was a good day if I ignore my continued incarceration in the hospital. They stayed until visiting hours were over which I appreciated.
However now I'm alone with my thoughts. What a mess I made. Some of what I heard goes a long way towards explaining what happened, but there is some burden there. There was no rush to do any of what I did. When I found myself exhausted that should have warned me off, but I was just so excited.
"But I'm important." That makes me smile. She said I'm important. Not only to my dad, but to her, and to many people. I have a responsibility to take care of myself for them. Much of what she said went over my head, but she made sure I understood that much. I snuggled back into the bed and went to sleep.
Monday morning I'm out again. They insisted that I stay over the weekend, but now I'm free once more. The problem is that now my appointment with the PRT is today. Dad called on ahead to find out how we were supposed to do this and he was asked to bring me around after school. They want me to meet the Wards. Oh I want to meet them, but I did just get out of the hospital. Whatever, I'll tough it out, but now I wonder what their melodies will be like. A simple domino mask is all we have to conceal my identity, but that's fine. I have a hood up and am wearing a shapeless trench coat to conceal my gender and identity further.
"Good afternoon." A pleasant faced woman at the desk greets me.
"I'm here for my appointment." I gesture at my mask and she nods her head.
"Someone will be with you shortly." She waves to a set of chairs and I take a seat. My dad comes in about ten minutes later and finds himself escorted away for a tour of the facility. Their brilliant idea was for my dad to go on the tour and escort him off during the trip. I guess it's worked for them before so why change now?
Wow the PRT officers melodies are tense. None of them are relaxed in the slightest and the suspicion only ratchets up when they look at me. They don't know me yet. They're just being cautious. I'm clinging to this belief like a lifeline as another agent approaches me.
"Please come this way." He says and starts to leave with me hurrying to keep up. Are all of the people that work here so eager to be anywhere but around the new cape? In this man's case he's not particularly wary or afraid. Maybe he's just busy? I shouldn't be taking everything personally, but I'm already nervous. He leaves me in a simple interview room with a one way mirror. Three melodies are behind the mirror. I spend some time examining them.
One of them feels damaged. The melody is there, but it's been caged by something. Fear. Self doubt. Loathing. Loathing...of me? That's delightfully reassuring. Principled though. I guess I can wait and see. The next has the sound of a harmonica? I think that's a harmonica. Though it has a smoother sound than I've ever heard from one. Good natured and interested. That one I like. The last one sounds like a trombone. A bit awkward, but sincere. I like that one too. The trombone is approaching and enters the room from the booth.
The awkward trombone is Armsmaster. I never would have pegged him for awkward but oh momma the song coming from his armor is compelling. The melody could be even more beautiful if it didn't feel like he was carting around an entire day care full of unruly children. I blush as it appears he's been talking to me.
"I'm so sorry, but well you're one of my heroes and I didn't expect that I'd get to meet you and I'm so grateful for this chance." I manage in one breath causing his melody to stutter briefly in surprise before an almost embarrassed tone tinges it. Bigger oops.
"That's fine, Ms. Hebert." He sounds far more confident about speaking than his melody indicates. I choose to latch onto that and let him lead things.
"Your father mentioned that you were thinking of joining the Wards. Perhaps you could tell us what you bring to the table." He takes a seat in a chair that has obviously been reinforced for a suit of power armor. Now that the moment of truth is here I'm not sure where to begin. Well mom did say that the beginning was the best place so I told him about what I've observed since I woke up in the hospital.
I told him about being able to "hear" the melodies of other people. That I could even tell what they were feeling and general trustworthiness. He shifted a little, but not nervously. The trombone has gone from awkward to ready. I point that out and he reacts with wariness. Yeah, maybe I shouldn't have mentioned that? The melodies beyond the mirror were steadily shifting to wariness. The harmonica has relaxed, apparently having seen something they approved of, but the damaged melody feels threatened. There is no wariness or readiness. Armsmaster tilts his head as if listening to something I can't hear before nodding slowly.
"When you hear these...melodies...can you control them?" He asks in a casual tone.
"I can't. Even if that was in my power I wouldn't. The most I can do is act by what the melody reveals." I shrug, but inwardly and outwardly I'm relieved. His melody relaxed and even the hateful one has backed down.
"Truth." Armsmaster says after I finish. He has a lie detector built into his suit? Well that's convenient and helps me a great deal. That's why the broken melody has calmed down. He gestures for me to continue.
"I can also...I guess...go with the flow and let it guide my actions. I'm not exactly sure how it works, but so far it kicks in when I'm feeling threatened or pressured in some way. It takes the path of least resistance. A guy was trying to harass a friend of mine on the Boardwalk and I ended up kicking him in the groin, but when a girl at school tried to shove me down the stairs it made me land like a cat." I couldn't tell with only his Halbeard showing, but he looked thoughtful.
"What if you had a weapon?" I shake my head since I know that answer.
"The flow didn't give an option for an armed response. He wasn't armed so I wasn't armed. If he had been...something else. Not really sure what." That puzzled me. I actually could look over that event with a strange sort of clarity and actually know what my options were. That appears to satisfy my audience, both obvious and not. He gestures for me to continue.
"Last weekend I bought computer parts and took a stop at the junkyard for more parts. I knew how to put them together into a wi-fi hub, server, and now have my laptop, computer, and smartphone connected to it." He nods as if he knows exactly what I'm talking about. His melody is even confirming he knows all about the junkyard expedition. I narrow my eyes as it suddenly starts to make sense.
"Those were put there to suss out Tinkers. A regular drop of parts from the PRT with a few random bits of tinker tech thrown in to act as a lure..." I groan softly, "and I walked right into it..." Armsmaster shakes his head.
"No, it was specifically put there for you." My eyebrows shoot up to my hairline, "Sometimes powers are complimentary. Tinker and Thinker. Brute and Mover. Shaker and Striker. Master and Stranger. When your father mentioned that you had a Thinker power it was a safe bet that you might be a Tinker as well." He sits back with a satisfied air, "It looks like we were proven right. Do you have an idea of your specialty yet?" I open my mouth to answer when the intercom crackles.
"We don't have time for you to stroke your Tinker urges." The woman's voice was tough, no nonsense, and out of breath. So that was the damaged melody. Her voice sounded fair, but hard. Navigating those uncertain waters would be difficult. I felt bad for Armsmaster as he wilted. If not for his melody I wouldn't have been able to tell.
"We can talk more about it later." I reassure him. He nods slowly as he stands up and heads out of the room only to be replaced by Miss Militia. She's the not-harmonica. Well that makes a certain amount of sense. She has a trustworthy feel and her melody is pleasant. How does she smile with her eyes like that?
"Would you like to meet the Wards while you're here?" I'm standing up almost before she's done talking eliciting a pleasant laugh. I flush a bit sheepishly. "Would you like to leave your coat somewhere? It can't be comfortable." Now that she mentioned it this wasn't very comfortable. It was becoming unpleasantly warm. I take off my coat and she passes it off to an agent. The agent seems much more at ease with me. I guess having a couple heroes vet me is good enough.
The hallways are almost uniformly white with a sense of sameness designed to disorient. At least that's what I hope it was designed for because if the designers were just that lazy...
"I have to say it was nice seeing Armsmaster actually relaxed with someone. You certainly have a way about you." She teases me gently. I can't help the blush. Me? Good with people? Before the locker I wasn't this good with other people, but now I'm a regular social butterfly.
"Well he's just so earnest." The first Ward nods her head slowly in speculation. I'm kind of surprised no one has asked me what they sound like. I guess being professionals it wouldn't be as important as knowing that I could "hear" their mental states. We approached a reinforced door with a light above it and a button alongside. A loud buzzer sounds as she pushes the button.
"It gives the Wards a chance to put their masks on and make themselves presentable for guests." That makes sense. I can sense many melodies on the other side of the door as we enter. When I see the Wards' room all I can think is "teenager." I can see a large screen TV on the far wall with several game consoles nearby and several couches for lounging around. There are desks settled near the walls I guess for doing work. A bank of monitors dominates one wall.
The people here are the real focus though. The one with clocks on his uniform is obviously the Wards joker, Clockblocker that can touch things to stop them in time. His melody almost sounds ragtime. Like a comedy beat. The young man in gunmetal power armor is Gallant. An empath capable of firing blasts of emotion though his melody felt like a blend of melodies. Oh that makes sense. He's an empath so it gives him a richer melody. Strange, but not bad. Another young man in a rust red uniform was already approaching me with his hand extended in a friendly handshake. This is Aegis. The melody that accompanies him sounds like a trumpet. Strident and challenging.
"Hello there. I hear that you might be interested in joining?" He has a friendly tone that I respond to with a smile.
"Hey don't hog the new girl." Clockblocker quips causing his teammates to roll their eyes at his antics.
"Sorry I'm late! I got held up." A young girl's voice says as space distorts and Vista, the youngest ward in her green uniform with green armor pieces, appears. Her melody reminds me of panpipes and that sounds so weird when she's using her power. Like the music was twirling around and through itself. It actually left me cross eyed.
"We were just introducing ourselves to the new girl. Did you think of a name yet?" Gallant asks me. I shake my head.
"I was thinking Songstress or Aria, but I'm not sure yet." Wait. There's a melody I recognize and it's coming closer. My eyes narrow slightly and the darkness swirls through my brain. My heart is in agreement. That menacing song. I recognize it and I can't believe that She would be here. Sophia Hess, Shadow Stalker, walks right in as if she owns the place.
"What's all this about some rookie joining?" She sounds so bored. So smug. So absolutely her that I feel my hand curling into a claw. Suddenly I can't hear anything, can't acknowledge anything, but her. She looks at me and her eyes widen. The mask doesn't really conceal my identity after all.
"Hebert? What the fuck are you doing here?" She takes a step back. Shouts of surprise occur all around as I throw my shoulders back and hold my hand up and outward. In my grasp is a ball of incandescent yellow plasma wearing what look like a rockstar's shades, bright red gloves with silver spikes, and spiked red sneakers. It would look cute if it wasn't putting out a menacing song of it's own. My melody has changed to a hard driving electric guitar beat.
Program Found: EXEC_THRASHBEAT
Target: Shadow Stalker
Power: 1000%
Execu-
Suddenly the song is lost as I'm laying on the ground with my limbs twitching. Shadow Stalker is also twitching on the ground. This...might be a problem...
or Melody of Escalation
First Arc 1.3
-January 17, 2011-
School. One word filled with so many meanings. In my own experience most of those meanings was bad. I got up, showered, and dressed in another new outfit. Part of me just wanted to wear my old clothes and maybe protect my good clothes, but another part wanted to flaunt what I've got. This vanity streak was endlessly amusing to my dad. Okay so it was amusing to me as well. In a fit of whimsy I wore the charcoal sundress that Lisa helped me pick out and a pair of comfortable black flats.
I was probably going to be following the melody extra hard today. Someone on the forum mentioned about "Thinker headaches" from overuse of abilities. I didn't get headaches, but I did get hungry. Also tired. Building that mini reactor left me exhausted. I managed to hide just how tired and out of breath I was, but it caused me to sleep like the dead.
Hopefully today wouldn't be quite that bad. Dad had already left for work and it was time for me to head to school. The bus ride to Winslow was a unique experience. No one recognized me. At all. Oh there were plenty of stares and talking, but more about who the hot chick was. I visibly preened under the attention. I wonder what the hypocrites would say if they realized they were saying poor bullied Taylor Hebert looked so good.
Today's theme seems to be some strange industrial metal hybrid. The students had an eclectic variety of instruments in their melody. Woodwinds, strings, and brass I was used to, but then a few of the ones in the gangs had deeper, grungier tunes. Oddly enough even that was pleasant. It had a place in the Harmony so could be tolerated.
My first trial was the Trio were waiting at the doors of the school. They were doing a good job of looking nonchalant, but Sophia was keeping an eye out for me. There was a nasty surprise about their melody. Emma's melody sounded like wind chimes. A clear ringing chime that sounded melancholic. Sadness directed inward? Madison was a set of pipes that also sounded sad, but also...frightened?
Where did the villains in my memories go? They should be reveling in what they did to me and be angry that I dared to fight back. I couldn't take any satisfaction in how they were feeling. My gaze slid over to Sophia as if daring my power to humanize her too, but then I met her eyes. Cold orbs locked onto my own. Her melody was terrifying to me. There may have been a beautiful melody there at one time, but it was twisted now. I couldn't even identify the type of instrument. I had no experience with this sound. The moment passed as she broke the paralysis by walking away.
Wait. She was walking away? She didn't even recognize me? No, she did recognize me, but the no contact order was in effect. She actually cared about the law? I released a breath that I hadn't realized I'd been holding. Maybe that would be the only bit of weirdness for today.
I'm not holding my breath.
My classes were eerie. The teachers essentially treated me as part of the furniture. They weren't calling on me, but they also weren't treating me badly. I actually prefer it this way. Computer class was a joke. I felt vaguely offended for reasons I can't explain at the simplistic project. I swallowed my wounded pride and did the assignment as indicated.
Mr. Gladly's class was another chore to deal with. He must have been popular in school, but he was so desperate to appeal to the younger generation that he tended to drive them away. Today he barely looked at me. Aside from calling my name to make sure I was here he ignored me. The only bit of excitement was when he tried to put Madison and I into the same group.
"Uh...Mr. G? There...there is a no contact order..." Madison sounded almost shy and the nervousness was new. He blinked in surprise at that.
"Of course how silly of me." He directed her to a different group before putting me with Greg, Sparky, and one of Madison's cohorts. Tina? Teanna? Tiffany? Right. Something with a "T." Greg's obvious crush on me was only made worse by my newfound beauty. Curse my good looks.
That's a thought I never imagined having.
His melody sounded like an overeager tambourine. Kind of goofy and silly, but also discordant. He never even tried to read the mood. Sparky's melody was like a slow guitar calling to mind Nirvana. The girl with the "T" name was a simple clarinet. She was so eager to please that she was ignoring her own inner rhythm.
Is this what I've been dealing with all this time? My enemies can barely stand each other. They have no sense of self or cohesion. This is what has tormented me? I can't help myself and I start to giggle. The rest of the class is staring at me strangely, but oddly enough no one is making fun. It's just too ridiculous!
"Miss Hebert get control of yourself." Mr. Gladly says in a stern tone that utterly fails to intimidate me. I stop giggling, but not because he told me to. Class let out not long after with Greg following me from the room. This I could do without.
"Uh hey Taylor! Wait up!" He hurries up to me and I turn to face him.
"Hi Greg." I put as much niceness as I can into my voice. Having been on the receiving end of unfriendly reactions I'm less likely to inflict those on someone else.
"Glad to see you came back. What happened was terrible wasn't it? I can't believe they did that to you. Sure, I saw what was going on, but what could I do right?" And right there my mind went blank. He saw it. He saw my worst day, my worst moment, and he did nothing? Oh intellectually I know other people saw it, but this is him actually admitting to it with no trace of shame. He's actually expecting me to commiserate with him.
"Greg...get the hell out of my face." The vehemence in my tone surprises me. The darkness swirling in my mind drives down the flute of my melody. My heart refuses to cooperate and the darkness recedes, but the act was already done. "Get away from me. You don't care about anything but your own stupid needs. You think we're friends? We're not. Friends help one another. Friends are there for each other. A friend would have seen what was happening and actually did something about it."
He rocked back on his heels in surprise. I think that it took the other students by surprise. With that said I spun on my heel and stormed away. A group of Sophia's track friends tried to hem me in, but I simply slipped right by them. I should have been watching where I was going, but I had to get away from Greg. I had to because in that moment I had wanted to hurt him. He didn't deserve my anger. I could hear an oboe in place of my flute leaving me faintly disconnected.
Suddenly the sharp blaring of a furious melody was heard and I almost didn't react in time. Sophia was waiting for me on the stairs and I hadn't even seen her. Too wrapped up in my own thoughts. She rammed her elbow out for my lower back just as I was heading down the stairs. My frantic twisting dodge caused me to practically hurl myself down the stairs. My senses sharpened as a I gave myself to the flow and I landed with cat-like agility on the landing.
The absolutely priceless look of shock on her face was worth it. Oh it was totally worth it. I grinned up at her, and with a jaunty wave, skipped off to my next class. The rest of the day was boring by comparison. Sophia found a way to keep an eye on me, but made no further action. That part was disquieting.
Whatever it was I had no idea. I had dinner prepared and ready when Dad came home. Today's project was testing my reflexes. Was what I did outside a normal human's ability or was that just more athletics? I think I even perfected a floor routine in the backyard, but I couldn't seem to get back in that same state of mind. Dad had a good day at work. Apparently the mayor wanted to start a park restoration project that he managed to finagle into work for the union.
"Your testing is scheduled for Wednesday." My eyebrow raised, "I know. I was surprised too at how soon they want to see you, but this is good." That pensiveness was back in his melody. "The Wards will be good for you. If you still want to go." He was leaving it at my feet whether I went through with it or not. Good tactic. Why was I hearing a duet of oboes? Something to worry about later.
"I'm not going to change my mind. We've already been over this. I suggested, you agreed, now it sounds like you're trying to talk me out of it with reverse psychology." My eyebrow was arched, but that was my only reaction. Dad was looking at me strangely, but nodded slowly.
"People said you inherited my temper. I guess that's what it looks like from this side." He finally said after several long moments. What did he mean? The thought hits me that I haven't heard my flute. I'm hearing two oboes. I chew my dinner as something is starting to add up. Saturday on the Boardwalk I must have "synched" with Lisa. Somehow we were just in perfect synchronicity (Synchronity)...What...? Now today I synched with my dad...
<static> Error Found
I shake my head. What was that? I finish my dinner on autopilot. What was I thinking...?
<static> Error Found
My head falls forward limply as my eyes fall shut. Dad is already moving to catch me, but my body is unresponsive. I open my eyes, but all I see are lines and lines of green code flashing by my vision.
"Taylor? Taylor!?" I hear his voice as if from a great distance.
"Sleepy..." My voice has a strange crackle like a strained voice processor. How do I know what that sounds like...?
<static> Error Found <static> Error Found <static> Error...
Darkness.
Well this is familiar. My eyes are closed and I hear the sound of fingers flying across keys. The difference is that there is a sense of urgency. I can't even shift my body or make a sound. It feels like my body is paralyzed.
"Damn damn damn...it dumped the entire data packet right into her mind..." The kind voice doesn't sound so kind, but more like she's restraining herself from hitting something.
"So that's what that file was. Increase aggression? Evoke a heightened response to combat? Increase conflict? This thing has no safeties built in at all! It's almost like it exists purely to destroy whatever it's installed into." She blows out a frustrated huff of air. There is no way to call that a sigh or interpret in a ladylike manner. She almost snorted like a bull.
"This is what we are up against? This is the threat to existence? Of course it is. Anyone who looks at it would think that with how utterly idiotic the programming is it wouldn't be a threat. An army of berserkers with super powers is a threat. Advanced tactical programming. Building weapons that even we don't have. Each of these powers is a monumental threat in itself, but put together? The only saving grace is the utter idiocy of inciting conflict between them." The voice has calmed as she muses.
What she's saying is scaring me. It sounds like she's been monitoring my world for some time. Shards? Conflict? Aggression? Idiotic coding? I manage to make a sound of worry and her focus shifts to me.
"Well that could have gone better, but it could have gone worse. There were safeguards put in place to prevent you from drawing on too much, too soon, but that damn concealed programming dumped it all into your head anyway." She sounds worried, annoyed, and I can tell some of both of those feelings are directed at me. Oops. I open my mouth to speak and she silences me. I growl slightly, but the light thwap on my forehead startles me into silence.
"Don't take that tone with me young lady. I understand that you're excited to have powers and abilities. I understand that after being told you're nothing that you want to show you are something. Feelings of inadequacy never truly go away once they've been placed inside of us, but trying to do everything at once is suicide." She has my number all right. I can't even find it in me to disagree with her especially as she sounds like she's been there before. My head turns towards her and nuzzles at her leg. Those soft fingers start to run through my hair again.
"This isn't totally hopeless. Thankfully the adjustments we've made haven't been undone, but you've set your overall progress back by quite a bit." That doesn't sound good. Adjustments? A querying tone comes out and I hear her sigh. "You'll live. Nothing is actually broken or damaged, but there will be more scrutiny on you." She sounds resigned. "What you experienced was a system error. The day is coming that I can explain more, but for now you must restrain yourself. I am not kidding. You must slow down. Scale it back a bit." Her fingers fly over the keys again. "Okay, I've restricted your access, for now. There is an emergency release, but you had better be absolutely certain you need to use it."
She makes me sound like a machine of some sort that could break down. Well not quite. More like a robot. Still not right. Maybe...THWAP!!! I yelp in pain as that scolding finger comes down with more force.
"Bad girl. No. Stop that right now. No digging!" Mutely, I nod my acceptance. Moments later I feel a peculiar lassitude come over me. Like my awareness has shrunk. I sigh in relief as a pressure I didn't consciously notice goes away. "You worried your father and you worried me." The voice continues in a softer tone. "You're very important to many people. You are special, desired, and wanted. We need you, Taylor. Please take care of yourself, okay?" I feel myself start to cry and a pair of slender arms embrace me.
-January 22, 2011
I wake up in a familiar location. White walls, white ceiling, and a heart monitor beeping away. I can't contain the groan of irritation. That's what she meant by pushing myself too far. My laptop was sitting on the tray table and was in easy reach. Eek. I missed my appointment with the PRT. Well I guess power induced coma counted as a good excuse. It's Saturday. I've been out of it since Monday night. My flute is back which is nice and I hear the oboe of my dad. He has his head down and appears to be sleeping. Wait...that harp approaching is familiar...no sooner do I think that then Lisa walks into the room. She visibly brightens when she sees me.
"Had enough rest, Sleeping Beauty?" She quips teasingly.
"Too bad no one was around to kiss me and wake me up." I tease back. We both turn red again.
"You have to stop doing that. Seriously. That's dangerous." Her voice is mildly scolding, but the relief coloring her tone makes me feel bad. It looks like we woke up my dad as he blinks his eyes blearily. He smiles at Lisa in greeting before focusing entirely on me.
"This wasn't how I wanted the two of you to meet y'know." There's a generally relaxed air as flute, oboe, and harp seem to fall right into step with each other. My laptop has been loaded, by Lisa, with my assignments for school so that I don't fall behind. I'm about to suggest home schooling because, frankly, classes are slowing me down. My dad said that my appointment has been rescheduled for the day I leave the hospital.
"It's always a good idea to keep your appointments." Lisa says teasingly and I giggle in response. It was a good day if I ignore my continued incarceration in the hospital. They stayed until visiting hours were over which I appreciated.
However now I'm alone with my thoughts. What a mess I made. Some of what I heard goes a long way towards explaining what happened, but there is some burden there. There was no rush to do any of what I did. When I found myself exhausted that should have warned me off, but I was just so excited.
"But I'm important." That makes me smile. She said I'm important. Not only to my dad, but to her, and to many people. I have a responsibility to take care of myself for them. Much of what she said went over my head, but she made sure I understood that much. I snuggled back into the bed and went to sleep.
Monday morning I'm out again. They insisted that I stay over the weekend, but now I'm free once more. The problem is that now my appointment with the PRT is today. Dad called on ahead to find out how we were supposed to do this and he was asked to bring me around after school. They want me to meet the Wards. Oh I want to meet them, but I did just get out of the hospital. Whatever, I'll tough it out, but now I wonder what their melodies will be like. A simple domino mask is all we have to conceal my identity, but that's fine. I have a hood up and am wearing a shapeless trench coat to conceal my gender and identity further.
"Good afternoon." A pleasant faced woman at the desk greets me.
"I'm here for my appointment." I gesture at my mask and she nods her head.
"Someone will be with you shortly." She waves to a set of chairs and I take a seat. My dad comes in about ten minutes later and finds himself escorted away for a tour of the facility. Their brilliant idea was for my dad to go on the tour and escort him off during the trip. I guess it's worked for them before so why change now?
Wow the PRT officers melodies are tense. None of them are relaxed in the slightest and the suspicion only ratchets up when they look at me. They don't know me yet. They're just being cautious. I'm clinging to this belief like a lifeline as another agent approaches me.
"Please come this way." He says and starts to leave with me hurrying to keep up. Are all of the people that work here so eager to be anywhere but around the new cape? In this man's case he's not particularly wary or afraid. Maybe he's just busy? I shouldn't be taking everything personally, but I'm already nervous. He leaves me in a simple interview room with a one way mirror. Three melodies are behind the mirror. I spend some time examining them.
One of them feels damaged. The melody is there, but it's been caged by something. Fear. Self doubt. Loathing. Loathing...of me? That's delightfully reassuring. Principled though. I guess I can wait and see. The next has the sound of a harmonica? I think that's a harmonica. Though it has a smoother sound than I've ever heard from one. Good natured and interested. That one I like. The last one sounds like a trombone. A bit awkward, but sincere. I like that one too. The trombone is approaching and enters the room from the booth.
The awkward trombone is Armsmaster. I never would have pegged him for awkward but oh momma the song coming from his armor is compelling. The melody could be even more beautiful if it didn't feel like he was carting around an entire day care full of unruly children. I blush as it appears he's been talking to me.
"I'm so sorry, but well you're one of my heroes and I didn't expect that I'd get to meet you and I'm so grateful for this chance." I manage in one breath causing his melody to stutter briefly in surprise before an almost embarrassed tone tinges it. Bigger oops.
"That's fine, Ms. Hebert." He sounds far more confident about speaking than his melody indicates. I choose to latch onto that and let him lead things.
"Your father mentioned that you were thinking of joining the Wards. Perhaps you could tell us what you bring to the table." He takes a seat in a chair that has obviously been reinforced for a suit of power armor. Now that the moment of truth is here I'm not sure where to begin. Well mom did say that the beginning was the best place so I told him about what I've observed since I woke up in the hospital.
I told him about being able to "hear" the melodies of other people. That I could even tell what they were feeling and general trustworthiness. He shifted a little, but not nervously. The trombone has gone from awkward to ready. I point that out and he reacts with wariness. Yeah, maybe I shouldn't have mentioned that? The melodies beyond the mirror were steadily shifting to wariness. The harmonica has relaxed, apparently having seen something they approved of, but the damaged melody feels threatened. There is no wariness or readiness. Armsmaster tilts his head as if listening to something I can't hear before nodding slowly.
"When you hear these...melodies...can you control them?" He asks in a casual tone.
"I can't. Even if that was in my power I wouldn't. The most I can do is act by what the melody reveals." I shrug, but inwardly and outwardly I'm relieved. His melody relaxed and even the hateful one has backed down.
"Truth." Armsmaster says after I finish. He has a lie detector built into his suit? Well that's convenient and helps me a great deal. That's why the broken melody has calmed down. He gestures for me to continue.
"I can also...I guess...go with the flow and let it guide my actions. I'm not exactly sure how it works, but so far it kicks in when I'm feeling threatened or pressured in some way. It takes the path of least resistance. A guy was trying to harass a friend of mine on the Boardwalk and I ended up kicking him in the groin, but when a girl at school tried to shove me down the stairs it made me land like a cat." I couldn't tell with only his Halbeard showing, but he looked thoughtful.
"What if you had a weapon?" I shake my head since I know that answer.
"The flow didn't give an option for an armed response. He wasn't armed so I wasn't armed. If he had been...something else. Not really sure what." That puzzled me. I actually could look over that event with a strange sort of clarity and actually know what my options were. That appears to satisfy my audience, both obvious and not. He gestures for me to continue.
"Last weekend I bought computer parts and took a stop at the junkyard for more parts. I knew how to put them together into a wi-fi hub, server, and now have my laptop, computer, and smartphone connected to it." He nods as if he knows exactly what I'm talking about. His melody is even confirming he knows all about the junkyard expedition. I narrow my eyes as it suddenly starts to make sense.
"Those were put there to suss out Tinkers. A regular drop of parts from the PRT with a few random bits of tinker tech thrown in to act as a lure..." I groan softly, "and I walked right into it..." Armsmaster shakes his head.
"No, it was specifically put there for you." My eyebrows shoot up to my hairline, "Sometimes powers are complimentary. Tinker and Thinker. Brute and Mover. Shaker and Striker. Master and Stranger. When your father mentioned that you had a Thinker power it was a safe bet that you might be a Tinker as well." He sits back with a satisfied air, "It looks like we were proven right. Do you have an idea of your specialty yet?" I open my mouth to answer when the intercom crackles.
"We don't have time for you to stroke your Tinker urges." The woman's voice was tough, no nonsense, and out of breath. So that was the damaged melody. Her voice sounded fair, but hard. Navigating those uncertain waters would be difficult. I felt bad for Armsmaster as he wilted. If not for his melody I wouldn't have been able to tell.
"We can talk more about it later." I reassure him. He nods slowly as he stands up and heads out of the room only to be replaced by Miss Militia. She's the not-harmonica. Well that makes a certain amount of sense. She has a trustworthy feel and her melody is pleasant. How does she smile with her eyes like that?
"Would you like to meet the Wards while you're here?" I'm standing up almost before she's done talking eliciting a pleasant laugh. I flush a bit sheepishly. "Would you like to leave your coat somewhere? It can't be comfortable." Now that she mentioned it this wasn't very comfortable. It was becoming unpleasantly warm. I take off my coat and she passes it off to an agent. The agent seems much more at ease with me. I guess having a couple heroes vet me is good enough.
The hallways are almost uniformly white with a sense of sameness designed to disorient. At least that's what I hope it was designed for because if the designers were just that lazy...
"I have to say it was nice seeing Armsmaster actually relaxed with someone. You certainly have a way about you." She teases me gently. I can't help the blush. Me? Good with people? Before the locker I wasn't this good with other people, but now I'm a regular social butterfly.
"Well he's just so earnest." The first Ward nods her head slowly in speculation. I'm kind of surprised no one has asked me what they sound like. I guess being professionals it wouldn't be as important as knowing that I could "hear" their mental states. We approached a reinforced door with a light above it and a button alongside. A loud buzzer sounds as she pushes the button.
"It gives the Wards a chance to put their masks on and make themselves presentable for guests." That makes sense. I can sense many melodies on the other side of the door as we enter. When I see the Wards' room all I can think is "teenager." I can see a large screen TV on the far wall with several game consoles nearby and several couches for lounging around. There are desks settled near the walls I guess for doing work. A bank of monitors dominates one wall.
The people here are the real focus though. The one with clocks on his uniform is obviously the Wards joker, Clockblocker that can touch things to stop them in time. His melody almost sounds ragtime. Like a comedy beat. The young man in gunmetal power armor is Gallant. An empath capable of firing blasts of emotion though his melody felt like a blend of melodies. Oh that makes sense. He's an empath so it gives him a richer melody. Strange, but not bad. Another young man in a rust red uniform was already approaching me with his hand extended in a friendly handshake. This is Aegis. The melody that accompanies him sounds like a trumpet. Strident and challenging.
"Hello there. I hear that you might be interested in joining?" He has a friendly tone that I respond to with a smile.
"Hey don't hog the new girl." Clockblocker quips causing his teammates to roll their eyes at his antics.
"Sorry I'm late! I got held up." A young girl's voice says as space distorts and Vista, the youngest ward in her green uniform with green armor pieces, appears. Her melody reminds me of panpipes and that sounds so weird when she's using her power. Like the music was twirling around and through itself. It actually left me cross eyed.
"We were just introducing ourselves to the new girl. Did you think of a name yet?" Gallant asks me. I shake my head.
"I was thinking Songstress or Aria, but I'm not sure yet." Wait. There's a melody I recognize and it's coming closer. My eyes narrow slightly and the darkness swirls through my brain. My heart is in agreement. That menacing song. I recognize it and I can't believe that She would be here. Sophia Hess, Shadow Stalker, walks right in as if she owns the place.
"What's all this about some rookie joining?" She sounds so bored. So smug. So absolutely her that I feel my hand curling into a claw. Suddenly I can't hear anything, can't acknowledge anything, but her. She looks at me and her eyes widen. The mask doesn't really conceal my identity after all.
"Hebert? What the fuck are you doing here?" She takes a step back. Shouts of surprise occur all around as I throw my shoulders back and hold my hand up and outward. In my grasp is a ball of incandescent yellow plasma wearing what look like a rockstar's shades, bright red gloves with silver spikes, and spiked red sneakers. It would look cute if it wasn't putting out a menacing song of it's own. My melody has changed to a hard driving electric guitar beat.
Program Found: EXEC_THRASHBEAT
Target: Shadow Stalker
Power: 1000%
Execu-
Suddenly the song is lost as I'm laying on the ground with my limbs twitching. Shadow Stalker is also twitching on the ground. This...might be a problem...
First Arc 1.b
- Location
- PA
Hymn of Harmony
or Melody of Escalation
Author's Note: I'm committing a cardinal sin. A competent PRT. Please forgive me.
First Arc 1.b Interlude
Director of the ENE branch of the PRT Emily Piggot watched the interview with the newest cape with an inscrutable expression. That expression lasted until Armsmaster returned and Miss Militia had escorted the teenage girl away to meet with the Wards. She fixes the tall armored figure with a look.
"Well?" She finally asks. If there was one thing she could respect is dedication to their job. He is efficient and a decent leader if not a bit glory hungry. His stance straightens and stands at attention as if for debriefing.
"She spoke nothing but the truth. There was no attempt to be deceitful or to low ball her capabilities. With abilities like hers she would do well in a more behind-the-scenes role." She nods at his assessment.
"If I thought we could get away with it I'd suggest apprenticing her to Dr. Yamada." She smirks a bit, "A cape that can read someone's emotional state? Not a terrible use of that ability." Armsmaster nods thoughtfully.
"We couldn't do that without perhaps some testing. It is a good idea. Another good idea is to see what she can do with her tinker abilities." And here it comes. He's a good man, but has a woefully one track mind.
"Yes, we can arrange for that particular testing as well. Let's go back to my office and start the paperwork. We also have the meeting with her father." She stands with difficulty. Her body never did recover from the events of Nillbog and Ellisburg. They painstakingly make their way to her office. She sits back in her specially designed chair with a concealed sigh of relief.
Armsmaster returns with Mr. Hebert. She mentally appraises him. Tall man, skinny, hair thinning on his head, but he meets her gaze. Good. She gestures for him to have a seat.
"Well Mr. Hebert you have raised a fine daughter." She says. Put the man at ease and this meeting will go much smoother. He smiles in relief, but there's also a slight tightening around his eyes. That's unusual.
"She's a very honest person. I can see her doing well with the Wards." Armsmaster, whether through some intuition or more likely predictive software, picks up on what Emily is doing.
"Well there are a few things I was hoping we could address. She wants to join the Wards, and I would feel more at ease if she was, but she's been having serious trouble at school." Mr. Hebert says and Emily's eyebrow raises.
"We haven't received anything like that. Oh the school says that her grades are poor, and that she seems to pick on other students..." Though that wouldn't mesh with what she saw. Before her father can open his mouth the director continues speaking, "Though that doesn't really fit, does it?" She looks to Armsmaster who has apparently started looking up the information already.
"It doesn't fit and the names involved..." He trails off worryingly. Without any warning he's already moving and darts out of the office with a speed not often seen in a man his size. Mr. Hebert is also out the door as if sensing whatever it was that spooked the normally unflappable Tinker. The director is also out the door, but at a much slower pace. Whatever has the two males so worried is probably not going to be considerate enough to leave her out of things.
By the time she arrived, however, it appears as if something bad did happen. Shadow Stalker was laid out on the floor and Taylor Hebert, the potential new Ward, is also on the floor. The most telling part to her is that there is a crossbow on the floor where it fell. Her eyes narrow dangerously as she enters into a scene of utter chaos. Shouting, confusion, anger, and who knows what else.
"Quiet!" She bellows and all activity ceases in surprise. "Miss Militia, Armsmaster, come here. Mr. Hebert see to your daughter. Aegis take care of Shadow Stalker. Do not take her out of this room. We'll want to discuss this when she's able." Hebert moves to pick up his child and put her as far from Stalker as possible while Aegis moves her to an opposite couch.
She jerks her head and heads over to the large chair in front of the monitors. The other Wards have the good sense to stay silent and move to the other side of the room. She gestures for Gallant to join them while the Wards cluster around Stalker. They look about as thrilled with that job as with latrine duty she notes with a certain grim amusement.
"What the hell happened here?" She starts without preamble. Miss Militia groans softly, but bites the bullet.
"Somehow Stalker and Aria...she chose the name so we'll use it tentatively...apparently know one another. Definitely not in a friendly manner either. Stalker knows her name, but somehow Aria knows hers. Is that a result of her mood sensing ability?" At the nod of confirmation Hanna continues, "Aria took a step back in shock and drew her hand back with a ball of...something...I used a taser to subdue her at the same time that Armsmaster subdued Shadow Stalker. I hadn't even seen the crossbow being drawn." A sharp nod has Armsmaster stand straighter to give his account.
"When I noticed that...Aria's...records indicated a history with Shadow Stalker's civilian identity, as well as the daughter of the lawyer who got her probation, I hurried to head off the confrontation. Unfortunately I was too late to stop it, but I was able to subdue Stalker before she could do more than grab her weapon." Lovely.
"And you are certain that Aria was the aggressor?" She pinched the bridge of her nose. The unhappy look in Miss Militia's eyes confirmed it, but then Gallant spoke up.
"Permission to speak?" She nods. That was why she called him over. Perhaps some insight into their emotional states would help. He looks uncomfortable as he fidgets.
"Aria's emotions were even and friendly the whole time when she was with us. There was some nervousness, but that's normal. It wasn't until Shadow Stalker came in that her emotional state shifted." He sighs, "Shadow Stalker's emotional state when she recognized Aria was...pure hate. Rage. It was disgusting...I know she has emotional problems, but I've never seen that level of loathing directed at anyone." That was new information and cast even more suspicion on the school. How did this get overlooked? Where was Hess' caseworker? Why hadn't anyone told her of this? She pinches the bridge of her nose.
"What of Aria?" She asks wearily.
"Fear. There was anger there, but predominantly fear." That has both Miss Militia and Armsmaster looking in his direction.
"This day just keeps getting better and better..." She murmurs irritably and desperately wishing to shoot something. Preferably the one that caused her to be blindsided like this. "Take statements. Get Stalker into an interrogation room, call her lawyer. She'll need him. If I don't like her answers then her head rolls." The idea of actually liking her answers was slim to none.
"What about...?" Hanna gestures towards Aria being tended by her father.
"Let her rest. We have much to discuss and...dammit get me that information." Emily was not happy with this, but there was one bright spot on this entire situation. She could make someone else's day absolutely miserable. "If we move quickly enough there may be something we can salvage from this situation."
Gallant looks uncomfortable, but Miss Militia and Armsmaster nod in acceptance. This would not be a total disaster.
or Melody of Escalation
Author's Note: I'm committing a cardinal sin. A competent PRT. Please forgive me.
First Arc 1.b Interlude
Director of the ENE branch of the PRT Emily Piggot watched the interview with the newest cape with an inscrutable expression. That expression lasted until Armsmaster returned and Miss Militia had escorted the teenage girl away to meet with the Wards. She fixes the tall armored figure with a look.
"Well?" She finally asks. If there was one thing she could respect is dedication to their job. He is efficient and a decent leader if not a bit glory hungry. His stance straightens and stands at attention as if for debriefing.
"She spoke nothing but the truth. There was no attempt to be deceitful or to low ball her capabilities. With abilities like hers she would do well in a more behind-the-scenes role." She nods at his assessment.
"If I thought we could get away with it I'd suggest apprenticing her to Dr. Yamada." She smirks a bit, "A cape that can read someone's emotional state? Not a terrible use of that ability." Armsmaster nods thoughtfully.
"We couldn't do that without perhaps some testing. It is a good idea. Another good idea is to see what she can do with her tinker abilities." And here it comes. He's a good man, but has a woefully one track mind.
"Yes, we can arrange for that particular testing as well. Let's go back to my office and start the paperwork. We also have the meeting with her father." She stands with difficulty. Her body never did recover from the events of Nillbog and Ellisburg. They painstakingly make their way to her office. She sits back in her specially designed chair with a concealed sigh of relief.
Armsmaster returns with Mr. Hebert. She mentally appraises him. Tall man, skinny, hair thinning on his head, but he meets her gaze. Good. She gestures for him to have a seat.
"Well Mr. Hebert you have raised a fine daughter." She says. Put the man at ease and this meeting will go much smoother. He smiles in relief, but there's also a slight tightening around his eyes. That's unusual.
"She's a very honest person. I can see her doing well with the Wards." Armsmaster, whether through some intuition or more likely predictive software, picks up on what Emily is doing.
"Well there are a few things I was hoping we could address. She wants to join the Wards, and I would feel more at ease if she was, but she's been having serious trouble at school." Mr. Hebert says and Emily's eyebrow raises.
"We haven't received anything like that. Oh the school says that her grades are poor, and that she seems to pick on other students..." Though that wouldn't mesh with what she saw. Before her father can open his mouth the director continues speaking, "Though that doesn't really fit, does it?" She looks to Armsmaster who has apparently started looking up the information already.
"It doesn't fit and the names involved..." He trails off worryingly. Without any warning he's already moving and darts out of the office with a speed not often seen in a man his size. Mr. Hebert is also out the door as if sensing whatever it was that spooked the normally unflappable Tinker. The director is also out the door, but at a much slower pace. Whatever has the two males so worried is probably not going to be considerate enough to leave her out of things.
By the time she arrived, however, it appears as if something bad did happen. Shadow Stalker was laid out on the floor and Taylor Hebert, the potential new Ward, is also on the floor. The most telling part to her is that there is a crossbow on the floor where it fell. Her eyes narrow dangerously as she enters into a scene of utter chaos. Shouting, confusion, anger, and who knows what else.
"Quiet!" She bellows and all activity ceases in surprise. "Miss Militia, Armsmaster, come here. Mr. Hebert see to your daughter. Aegis take care of Shadow Stalker. Do not take her out of this room. We'll want to discuss this when she's able." Hebert moves to pick up his child and put her as far from Stalker as possible while Aegis moves her to an opposite couch.
She jerks her head and heads over to the large chair in front of the monitors. The other Wards have the good sense to stay silent and move to the other side of the room. She gestures for Gallant to join them while the Wards cluster around Stalker. They look about as thrilled with that job as with latrine duty she notes with a certain grim amusement.
"What the hell happened here?" She starts without preamble. Miss Militia groans softly, but bites the bullet.
"Somehow Stalker and Aria...she chose the name so we'll use it tentatively...apparently know one another. Definitely not in a friendly manner either. Stalker knows her name, but somehow Aria knows hers. Is that a result of her mood sensing ability?" At the nod of confirmation Hanna continues, "Aria took a step back in shock and drew her hand back with a ball of...something...I used a taser to subdue her at the same time that Armsmaster subdued Shadow Stalker. I hadn't even seen the crossbow being drawn." A sharp nod has Armsmaster stand straighter to give his account.
"When I noticed that...Aria's...records indicated a history with Shadow Stalker's civilian identity, as well as the daughter of the lawyer who got her probation, I hurried to head off the confrontation. Unfortunately I was too late to stop it, but I was able to subdue Stalker before she could do more than grab her weapon." Lovely.
"And you are certain that Aria was the aggressor?" She pinched the bridge of her nose. The unhappy look in Miss Militia's eyes confirmed it, but then Gallant spoke up.
"Permission to speak?" She nods. That was why she called him over. Perhaps some insight into their emotional states would help. He looks uncomfortable as he fidgets.
"Aria's emotions were even and friendly the whole time when she was with us. There was some nervousness, but that's normal. It wasn't until Shadow Stalker came in that her emotional state shifted." He sighs, "Shadow Stalker's emotional state when she recognized Aria was...pure hate. Rage. It was disgusting...I know she has emotional problems, but I've never seen that level of loathing directed at anyone." That was new information and cast even more suspicion on the school. How did this get overlooked? Where was Hess' caseworker? Why hadn't anyone told her of this? She pinches the bridge of her nose.
"What of Aria?" She asks wearily.
"Fear. There was anger there, but predominantly fear." That has both Miss Militia and Armsmaster looking in his direction.
"This day just keeps getting better and better..." She murmurs irritably and desperately wishing to shoot something. Preferably the one that caused her to be blindsided like this. "Take statements. Get Stalker into an interrogation room, call her lawyer. She'll need him. If I don't like her answers then her head rolls." The idea of actually liking her answers was slim to none.
"What about...?" Hanna gestures towards Aria being tended by her father.
"Let her rest. We have much to discuss and...dammit get me that information." Emily was not happy with this, but there was one bright spot on this entire situation. She could make someone else's day absolutely miserable. "If we move quickly enough there may be something we can salvage from this situation."
Gallant looks uncomfortable, but Miss Militia and Armsmaster nod in acceptance. This would not be a total disaster.
First Arc 1.4
- Location
- PA
Hymn of Harmony
or Melody of Escalation
First Arc 1.4
-Unknown Location-
What is this darkness? This smell? It's terrible. So cold, so lonely, why am I here? What did I do wrong? I don't deserve this. Let me out. Please? Please let me out?
Oh god oh god oh god something is crawling on me make it stop they're biting please make it stop make it stop make it stop!
Why do they hate me? Maybe I deserve it? If I say I deserve it will they let me out? I'm sorry! Whatever I did! I'm sorry! Please please please please please...
A pair of slender arms embraces me and cradles my head to their breast. There is a tenderness that I thought was lost. My eyes close in weariness as whoever it is that's holding me pets my hair.
"You are never alone. As long as there is one person that loves you then you are not alone." The woman's voice is soft and kind. I snuggle deeper into the embrace. "You poor thing...no one should be made to feel like this...no one at all." God I've missed this. I know that I'm crying and her fingers brush away my tears.
"Who are you...?" I ask hesitantly, afraid that this wonderful person is just a dream, afraid that I'll be alone again in here.
"Unfortunately, Taylor, the time for names is not yet here. Names have power and can be used against us." I get the impression she hates this cloak and dagger stuff. "I have a confession to make. This is not entirely an altruistic meeting." There's a note of self recrimination. I'm familiar with that myself. Doing what must be done, but not liking it one bit.
"You're helping me...what do you want for that?" I ask, resigned to owing her something, but at least she's helping me. Even if she has her own reasons.
"None of that. You're right. I need your help, but you are under no obligation to help me." She assures me, "Even if you say no I will still help you. No one should be trapped alone in the dark..." That last sounds more directed at herself. There's some obscure pain in her voice. I turn around and hug her. She stiffens slightly, but returns the embrace.
"Why are you doing this?" She sighs heavily.
"How aware are you of what is going on with your world?" That surprises me. This involves the world? I tell her about how Scion came some thirty years ago and the rise of capes. I tell her of the constant threat of Endbringers and S Class parahumans that do nothing but cause pain. Somehow I seem to know more about my world's situation than I thought. She lets me speak, but at times it almost seems like she's checking herself. There is annoyance, anger, and finally a nearly incandescent rage. She calms herself with an effort.
"We weren't aware that it was so bad here..." She muses to herself, "Unfortunately we're effectively blind. We can't actually see into your world from where we are. Not without revealing ourselves." This conversation has taken a strange turn. Our world? Is she saying... "Yes, Taylor, I'm not from your world. I want to tell you more, but I'm running out of time. There is so much I want to tell you so that you understand." Strangely she seems to be dithering at the end. Her concern for me is overwhelming. I touch her face and she calms. "I suppose we already knew your answer...someday, someday soon, all of this will make sense."
"I'll help you. Because it's the right thing to do." I say with a warmth that has been missing for too long. Another embrace is my reward, full of gratitude, before she pulls back.
"Now...I need to transmit the help packet in a way that's not immediately found out." At this she sounds amused, "What's one more song running through a person's head?"
<query>
<acceptance>
<transmitting>
<data stream receive: EXEC_HARMONIUS>
This song...it's so beautiful...it reaches directly into my heart and soothes something...I feel myself become greater...expanding...becoming more aware...this awareness is painful, but beautiful...the light flashes to life in my heart. The darkness in my mind embraces the light. There is an agreement, an accord, a Harmony...
-January 24, 2011 Continued-
The light is suddenly replaced by wakefulness. Heart and mind are in accord. So that's the piece I was missing. My memories were blocked by my trauma in the locker. It doesn't matter that I was saved. It left a scar deep in my psyche. Is that why I couldn't see the limits placed on me for my own protection? Her song is inside of me being changed by my own heart. A song of Harmony that is not yet my own. That...that damage almost ruined it...
"T-Aria?" A voice asks softly. I turn towards it and see my dad. Why am I laying on a couch? What ceiling is this? At least it isn't the hospital again. I think my tolerance for hospitals is shot.
"Mmm...hi dad..." Wait...back the train up. What did he call me? It crashes back into my awareness. The melody around me is vibrant and different than what I'm used to. The events of the day catch up to me and I jerk straight up. A feminine yelp is heard as apparently someone just got thrown by my sudden movement.
"Oooh...ouch." The young blonde rubs her head sheepishly. Vista of the Wards. I'm at the Wards HQ in PRT headquarters. Oh damn. Damn damn damn. I look around at the other Wards and all I see is relief. Some wariness, but considering what it looked like before my impromptu nap it makes sense.
"Sorry about that..." I help Vista back to her feet while dad puts a hand on my shoulder.
"It's fine. Nice to see her getting it upside the head once in awhile." Clockblocker says before a displacement of air and a loud smack causes him to yelp. Vista looks satisfied with her work. Gallant approaches me and I can't help feeling nervous.
"Relax, please, there's nothing to worry about." He assures me, "There's been some explanations made...and well...I feel like we owe you an apology." I open my mouth to speak, but he continues, "We may not have known what Stalker was doing to you specifically, but we did know she's not stable."
"Despite what it may sound like we do have a voice here." Aegis steps up to the plate on this. Did they rehearse this? Their melody is so desperate right now. Not desperate to keep me, or even to make me like them, but to make amends. My throat tightens as I shut out their guilt. My dad has his arm around my shoulders. "We...we did want another Ward. One more Ward means one more hero as opposed to a villain. We told them we needed more help." Oh that's why they're feeling guilty. They had no way to know that their new Ward would be an angry vigilante.
"What we got was Shadow Stalker." Vista's sardonic tone speaks volumes that gets me to crack a smile. A melody I hadn't noticed before, Triumph, perks up noticeably with my lightening of mood.
"They were right. You do look good when you smile. Hi. I'm Triumph and on behalf of the Wards I wish to apologize for the actions of our former teammate." Former teammate? "The issue was a simple one and only brought to light by your being here." Well that's certainly convenient a snarky voice inside says. My dad, who has been silent up until now, speaks up.
"They're not lying. They didn't know what was going on at Winslow." My head whipped around so fast I nearly gave myself whiplash. "It seems that her caseworker liked her cushy position too much to rock the boat. She was the one intentionally burying any reports of her wrongdoing." My eyes widen in shock. If I was a computer there would be a BSOD as my operating system tried to reboot.
"This still went on for two years!" It finally bursts out. I can't hold it in any longer and frankly I don't want to. It feels so good to let it out, "Two whole years of harassment, torment, torture, and whatever else that bitch's sadistic mind could come up with! My own best friend worked with her on breaking me down. What excuse was used to justify not doing anything about Emma fuckin' Barnes and Madison fuckin' Clements!?" Oh yeah this has been building up for a long time. I'm honestly glad that I don't have to hold it in anymore. Wait...not-harmonica? Miss Militia just slipped in the room during my tirade. Just like that my rage cools off. This isn't helping things.
She looks tired as she sits down on the couch without preamble. The other Wards come over now that the storm is over and take seats around her. My dad sets me down next to Vista and sits on my other side. Miss Militia's expressive eyes are tired. Not a physical exhaustion, but a weary spirit as her melody is flagging slightly.
"I don't know if anyone told you, but you've been out for over two hours. Your dad mentioned that whenever you go unconscious that you tend to stay asleep. We thought it was best to let you rest while we did a bit of housecleaning." All of this effort and tip toeing around for me? The surprise must have shown on my face because she was quick to point out, "This wasn't just about what happened to you. It could have been a nightmare if the ones hired to watch over the Wards in their civilian lives suddenly became negligent." That neatly deflated my ego, but also made me feel just a bit more charitable to an organization that screwed things up for so long. Just a bit.
Dad obviously heard this before, and while not completely liking it, accepts it. Then again to do his job he needs to often make the best of bad circumstances. If he can be mature about this then so can I. My apparent acceptance causes some relief to ripple out from the group. A strange notion takes hold, but I dismiss it until later as Miss Militia starts speaking again.
"We will continue with your testing today if you like." I accept with a nod.
Things quiet down a bit after that. We head to the cafeteria and even that is different here. A buffet lunch is set out which no one is surprised about. Dad was dragged off for another round of talking with the grown ups leaving me with the Wards for company. Eventually our conversation gets around to powers. Vista is apparently the love child of Lovecraft and Escher with her ability to twist and warp space.
"You melody sounds so weird when you use your power...it's really disorienting. Like...it sounds as if your melody is coming, going, and swirling into itself..." I shrug as thinking about it makes my brain hurt.
"So your ability to hear melodies can be affected by other powers?" She sounds interested. Given how immature she looks it's probably rare to have someone new take you seriously. I can relate to not being taken seriously.
"That's kinda cool. Can it be tricked?" Kid Win asks. If anyone told me just a month ago I would be eating lunch and discussing powers with the Wards it would have been funny. Now I'm living the dream and it's surreal.
"Hmmm...no, not really. Your melody is what you are. You can lie to yourself, lie to others, but your Song of Self is not something that can be concealed." Huh, that sounds deep and philosophical.
"That sounds deep." Clockblocker can apparently read minds, "People lie to themselves all the time, but it's nice to know someone can hear them honestly." He catches the stares being thrown his way and tries to cover up how uncomfortable he is, "What? Can't a guy be all cool and introspective once in awhile?" It says something about their friendship that they don't call him out on his dodge.
"I can imagine it's not easy to know a person's real self." Gallant says understandingly. If anyone could understand what I'm going through it would be him. If he wasn't dating Glory Girl...wow where did that thought come from? Oh Vista's melody is reaching out for Gallant's. The way that his blends with hers is telling. Affection, protection, brotherly feelings. Ouch. Kiss of death. She realizes it, but has hope.
"Earth to Aria. Ya still with us?"Clock asks teasingly and I'm grateful for the interruption.
"I'm still here." He nods slowly. Perceptive guy. Even without Gallant this group still has a mood barometer. Something I can tell the empath appreciates.
"I hate to bring this up, but what was that with Stalker? Something glowed in your hand and it almost sounded like music was playing..." Aegis looks uncomfortable asking, but I understand.
"Seeing her made me feel threatened and I guess...I reached for something to defend myself with. From what I could remember feeling my mind was looking for a way to stun her to let me escape."
"That cute lil' thing was a stun blast?" Vista looks excited. Cute lil' thing? Well okay, Thrash Beat was cute, I'd cuddle it if he was a plush. Where did that thought come from? Vista's melody is blending with mine. Reaching out for a connection. I gently push her melody back to a safe area. You don't let your aura blend too deeply with another after all.
Where did that thought come from? That dream I had...it feels like more was knocked loose...or fell back into place. I can't control their melody, but I can control mine. I wouldn't want to control their melody anyway. That way lies badness.
"She makes adorable balls of doom." Surprisingly that was Kid Win in a deadpan tone that gets a laugh. Once more I'm jarred from my weird thoughts. Next time I talk to my adjuster it will be an actual talk and not more pressing my lips closed. I licked Lisa's finger. I'll licks hers. Oh wow I've just discovered a new temperature for my face. Gallant is also looking disturbed. I can't help giggling.
"Last time I saw a red that bright was when..." Aegis slaps a hand over Clockblocker's exposed mouth to shut him up. Lunch is thankfully less serious after that and we spend it just chatting away. Armsmaster arrives to take me off for my Tinker test. I wave goodbye, and promise to talk more later, before hurrying to keep up with the armored man.
The trip to his lab is just as full of twists and turns as getting anywhere else in this crazy place. There's probably a perfectly good reason for every, single, hall being absolutely, perfectly, the same. The monotony is killing me. When we enter his lab there is a delightful feeling of disorder. Ugh, but the sounds of noisy children is already irritating me. I flare my melody louder to demand attention and to quiet them down. They're not mine so I can't reign them in, but I can make them keep to themselves.
"What did you just do?" A woman's voice comes from a terminal. She sounds pleasant, but also horribly confused. Armsmaster is also looking at me curiously. She could feel that? Weird.
"The melodies were too...loud...and jumbled...they were all clambering for attention so I told them to quiet down." Saying it so matter-of-factly like that brings me up sharp. That's not normal no matter how I spin it, but it seems to have made the two adults thoughtful.
"You can hear a person's emotional state as music, but also hear technology?" The Protectorate leader is clearly deep in thought about that.
"What...does my melody sound like?" Dragon, must be Dragon, asks curiously. Why does her melody sound scared? Worried? Why does she sound so distressed? Guilt? Wait, why guilt? Concealing something. I shake my head.
"I hear...a synthesizer actually...hmmm...there's a very nice sound to it. Like a song in many parts being played together." It does sound good. There's a Harmony all in her own melody. My flute responds favorably to it and the awkward trombone of Armsmaster is much more at ease with her.
"Thank you, Aria. I suppose we had better get to your test." Dragon brings us back to the present and I'm lead to a table full of parts. Some are off the shelf, some are Tinker parts judging by the melody, while others still are just junk.
"What could you make from this?" Armsmaster asks. I shake my head.
"First, do I have permission to discipline the Tinker parts?" He nods his head and I gently bring the children to some semblance of order. They need far less cajoling than the parts that built my Sol Reactor which is a relief. I don't want to pass out from overreaching.
A couple hours later I've assembled the pieces into another network hub. Maybe that's my thing? Communication just seems to speak to me. It feels almost right. Not quite, but almost. My examiners are talking to one another about future projects, but they don't interfere. The monster I've built required Armsmaster to lift several things into place. It stands at roughly six feet tall and is four feet square with numerous connectivity ports and a computer built it for ease of use.
The antennae was the hardest part and I'd had to ask for the proper things to build it with. I loaded up the OS I was running on my own systems, modified to allow Dragon and Armsmaster administrative access, before shutting the final panel. It was beautiful and when I turned it on there was a feeling of joy.
"Okay, so I've given both of you administrative access to this device, but it has no access to my own systems at home. You can change the passwords, in fact I recommend it, but you don't have to. I have a firewall program that I developed that's better than just about anything I've found on the market." I shrug. Dragon suggests I take a seat while they look it over. Armsmaster apparently has a long standing order for dinner to be brought to his lab and rather considerately had something for me as well.
I'm suddenly ravenous and the headache I've been holding back through sheer force of will has started beating a drum in my skull. Two white pills are also on the tray. If pain relievers are also part of his dinner there might be a problem. I take the pills and just relax. The two Tinkers are standing with their heads metaphorically together as they go over the systems. I can hear them clearly and what I'm hearing is as encouraging as it is confusing.
"There's nothing here that couldn't be built with standard parts." Armsmaster says with finality.
"She even made the Tinker tech parts react in a predictable manner. Even substituting the Tinker parts she used we could reproduce this." Dragon sounds intrigued. I take that as a good sign.
"The machine itself is sturdy. I can see many places that could be miniaturized , but it's good. Solid." Hmmm...miniaturized? That's Armsmaster's specialty. Already the possibilities are promising.
"The programming is...well...beautiful. Elegant. It's strangely organic..." The tone of voice tells me something. Something about my programming ability makes her...envious? Hopeful? Weird. What would she need a programmer for when she's essentially the greatest in the world?
"If you want you can have a copy of my OS. Since you're already in there you can snag it. It's not like we won't be working together." Wow did they jump. Well, not literally, but I think they forgot someone else was here with them.
"That's...thank you, Aria. I look forward to working with you." Dragon sounds so happy. A transfer request is pinged on my smartphone and I grant it. I also send a copy of my firewall program. I'm actually excited to see what she can do with it. Can she take it even farther?
"Oh dear...Armsmaster. It's almost eight o'clock." The armored man shakes himself free from his reverie and after some goodbyes starts to lead me back to the entrance of the building.
"The idea of miniaturizing what I build is appealing. If I could get the same results for half the space or smaller it would be wonderful..." I can't help the dreamy tone that comes to my voice. The idea of building something that could actually fit in my bedroom instead of taking up the basement is nice.
"We'll see what we can come up with. That...Sol Reactor...I think your father called it. How long does it last? Does it degrade at all?" I can understand why he'd be curious.
"It's not perpetual energy, but it's close. With the right materials I can build a more reliable one, but eventually mine will stop functioning in twenty years. It's not that impressive." Wow I'm blasé about time. Twenty years just trips off my tongue like nothing.
"More reliable than twenty years of clean energy?" Did I actually detect a note of disbelief. There's also some envy in his melody and inadequacy. Yeah what?
"Everyone has something that they're good at. If I tried to build even half of what you did it would be huge. Your halberd somehow does everything it does in the size of a halberd. If I tried to reproduce that it would be twenty feet at least. Totally unwieldy." His melody picks up again. Oh dear.
"There is something that Dragon and I discussed while you were working." I nod for him to continue. "We've decided that it would be best for her to take a direct hand in your training. I will work with you myself from time to time, but my first responsibility is to Kid Win." That makes sense, but then it catches up with me. Dragon?
"Dragon?" My voice comes out as a squeak of excited surprise. He nods and I almost lose myself in bliss. "I guess I did better than I thought..."
"You certainly impressed us and that's no easy feat. We look forward to having you in the Wards, if you are still interested that is." The wide smile is apparently the answer he was looking for as he bids me farewell.
I greet my dad in the truck happily and we head home. Tomorrow I'm heading back to school. Back to Winslow. Considering where I just spent my day? Winslow doesn't matter. I'm actually apprenticed to Dragon. They want what I build.
"How was your test?" Dad asks.
"Perfect." and it was.
or Melody of Escalation
First Arc 1.4
-Unknown Location-
What is this darkness? This smell? It's terrible. So cold, so lonely, why am I here? What did I do wrong? I don't deserve this. Let me out. Please? Please let me out?
Oh god oh god oh god something is crawling on me make it stop they're biting please make it stop make it stop make it stop!
Why do they hate me? Maybe I deserve it? If I say I deserve it will they let me out? I'm sorry! Whatever I did! I'm sorry! Please please please please please...
A pair of slender arms embraces me and cradles my head to their breast. There is a tenderness that I thought was lost. My eyes close in weariness as whoever it is that's holding me pets my hair.
"You are never alone. As long as there is one person that loves you then you are not alone." The woman's voice is soft and kind. I snuggle deeper into the embrace. "You poor thing...no one should be made to feel like this...no one at all." God I've missed this. I know that I'm crying and her fingers brush away my tears.
"Who are you...?" I ask hesitantly, afraid that this wonderful person is just a dream, afraid that I'll be alone again in here.
"Unfortunately, Taylor, the time for names is not yet here. Names have power and can be used against us." I get the impression she hates this cloak and dagger stuff. "I have a confession to make. This is not entirely an altruistic meeting." There's a note of self recrimination. I'm familiar with that myself. Doing what must be done, but not liking it one bit.
"You're helping me...what do you want for that?" I ask, resigned to owing her something, but at least she's helping me. Even if she has her own reasons.
"None of that. You're right. I need your help, but you are under no obligation to help me." She assures me, "Even if you say no I will still help you. No one should be trapped alone in the dark..." That last sounds more directed at herself. There's some obscure pain in her voice. I turn around and hug her. She stiffens slightly, but returns the embrace.
"Why are you doing this?" She sighs heavily.
"How aware are you of what is going on with your world?" That surprises me. This involves the world? I tell her about how Scion came some thirty years ago and the rise of capes. I tell her of the constant threat of Endbringers and S Class parahumans that do nothing but cause pain. Somehow I seem to know more about my world's situation than I thought. She lets me speak, but at times it almost seems like she's checking herself. There is annoyance, anger, and finally a nearly incandescent rage. She calms herself with an effort.
"We weren't aware that it was so bad here..." She muses to herself, "Unfortunately we're effectively blind. We can't actually see into your world from where we are. Not without revealing ourselves." This conversation has taken a strange turn. Our world? Is she saying... "Yes, Taylor, I'm not from your world. I want to tell you more, but I'm running out of time. There is so much I want to tell you so that you understand." Strangely she seems to be dithering at the end. Her concern for me is overwhelming. I touch her face and she calms. "I suppose we already knew your answer...someday, someday soon, all of this will make sense."
"I'll help you. Because it's the right thing to do." I say with a warmth that has been missing for too long. Another embrace is my reward, full of gratitude, before she pulls back.
"Now...I need to transmit the help packet in a way that's not immediately found out." At this she sounds amused, "What's one more song running through a person's head?"
<query>
<acceptance>
<transmitting>
<data stream receive: EXEC_HARMONIUS>
This song...it's so beautiful...it reaches directly into my heart and soothes something...I feel myself become greater...expanding...becoming more aware...this awareness is painful, but beautiful...the light flashes to life in my heart. The darkness in my mind embraces the light. There is an agreement, an accord, a Harmony...
-January 24, 2011 Continued-
The light is suddenly replaced by wakefulness. Heart and mind are in accord. So that's the piece I was missing. My memories were blocked by my trauma in the locker. It doesn't matter that I was saved. It left a scar deep in my psyche. Is that why I couldn't see the limits placed on me for my own protection? Her song is inside of me being changed by my own heart. A song of Harmony that is not yet my own. That...that damage almost ruined it...
"T-Aria?" A voice asks softly. I turn towards it and see my dad. Why am I laying on a couch? What ceiling is this? At least it isn't the hospital again. I think my tolerance for hospitals is shot.
"Mmm...hi dad..." Wait...back the train up. What did he call me? It crashes back into my awareness. The melody around me is vibrant and different than what I'm used to. The events of the day catch up to me and I jerk straight up. A feminine yelp is heard as apparently someone just got thrown by my sudden movement.
"Oooh...ouch." The young blonde rubs her head sheepishly. Vista of the Wards. I'm at the Wards HQ in PRT headquarters. Oh damn. Damn damn damn. I look around at the other Wards and all I see is relief. Some wariness, but considering what it looked like before my impromptu nap it makes sense.
"Sorry about that..." I help Vista back to her feet while dad puts a hand on my shoulder.
"It's fine. Nice to see her getting it upside the head once in awhile." Clockblocker says before a displacement of air and a loud smack causes him to yelp. Vista looks satisfied with her work. Gallant approaches me and I can't help feeling nervous.
"Relax, please, there's nothing to worry about." He assures me, "There's been some explanations made...and well...I feel like we owe you an apology." I open my mouth to speak, but he continues, "We may not have known what Stalker was doing to you specifically, but we did know she's not stable."
"Despite what it may sound like we do have a voice here." Aegis steps up to the plate on this. Did they rehearse this? Their melody is so desperate right now. Not desperate to keep me, or even to make me like them, but to make amends. My throat tightens as I shut out their guilt. My dad has his arm around my shoulders. "We...we did want another Ward. One more Ward means one more hero as opposed to a villain. We told them we needed more help." Oh that's why they're feeling guilty. They had no way to know that their new Ward would be an angry vigilante.
"What we got was Shadow Stalker." Vista's sardonic tone speaks volumes that gets me to crack a smile. A melody I hadn't noticed before, Triumph, perks up noticeably with my lightening of mood.
"They were right. You do look good when you smile. Hi. I'm Triumph and on behalf of the Wards I wish to apologize for the actions of our former teammate." Former teammate? "The issue was a simple one and only brought to light by your being here." Well that's certainly convenient a snarky voice inside says. My dad, who has been silent up until now, speaks up.
"They're not lying. They didn't know what was going on at Winslow." My head whipped around so fast I nearly gave myself whiplash. "It seems that her caseworker liked her cushy position too much to rock the boat. She was the one intentionally burying any reports of her wrongdoing." My eyes widen in shock. If I was a computer there would be a BSOD as my operating system tried to reboot.
"This still went on for two years!" It finally bursts out. I can't hold it in any longer and frankly I don't want to. It feels so good to let it out, "Two whole years of harassment, torment, torture, and whatever else that bitch's sadistic mind could come up with! My own best friend worked with her on breaking me down. What excuse was used to justify not doing anything about Emma fuckin' Barnes and Madison fuckin' Clements!?" Oh yeah this has been building up for a long time. I'm honestly glad that I don't have to hold it in anymore. Wait...not-harmonica? Miss Militia just slipped in the room during my tirade. Just like that my rage cools off. This isn't helping things.
She looks tired as she sits down on the couch without preamble. The other Wards come over now that the storm is over and take seats around her. My dad sets me down next to Vista and sits on my other side. Miss Militia's expressive eyes are tired. Not a physical exhaustion, but a weary spirit as her melody is flagging slightly.
"I don't know if anyone told you, but you've been out for over two hours. Your dad mentioned that whenever you go unconscious that you tend to stay asleep. We thought it was best to let you rest while we did a bit of housecleaning." All of this effort and tip toeing around for me? The surprise must have shown on my face because she was quick to point out, "This wasn't just about what happened to you. It could have been a nightmare if the ones hired to watch over the Wards in their civilian lives suddenly became negligent." That neatly deflated my ego, but also made me feel just a bit more charitable to an organization that screwed things up for so long. Just a bit.
Dad obviously heard this before, and while not completely liking it, accepts it. Then again to do his job he needs to often make the best of bad circumstances. If he can be mature about this then so can I. My apparent acceptance causes some relief to ripple out from the group. A strange notion takes hold, but I dismiss it until later as Miss Militia starts speaking again.
"We will continue with your testing today if you like." I accept with a nod.
Things quiet down a bit after that. We head to the cafeteria and even that is different here. A buffet lunch is set out which no one is surprised about. Dad was dragged off for another round of talking with the grown ups leaving me with the Wards for company. Eventually our conversation gets around to powers. Vista is apparently the love child of Lovecraft and Escher with her ability to twist and warp space.
"You melody sounds so weird when you use your power...it's really disorienting. Like...it sounds as if your melody is coming, going, and swirling into itself..." I shrug as thinking about it makes my brain hurt.
"So your ability to hear melodies can be affected by other powers?" She sounds interested. Given how immature she looks it's probably rare to have someone new take you seriously. I can relate to not being taken seriously.
"That's kinda cool. Can it be tricked?" Kid Win asks. If anyone told me just a month ago I would be eating lunch and discussing powers with the Wards it would have been funny. Now I'm living the dream and it's surreal.
"Hmmm...no, not really. Your melody is what you are. You can lie to yourself, lie to others, but your Song of Self is not something that can be concealed." Huh, that sounds deep and philosophical.
"That sounds deep." Clockblocker can apparently read minds, "People lie to themselves all the time, but it's nice to know someone can hear them honestly." He catches the stares being thrown his way and tries to cover up how uncomfortable he is, "What? Can't a guy be all cool and introspective once in awhile?" It says something about their friendship that they don't call him out on his dodge.
"I can imagine it's not easy to know a person's real self." Gallant says understandingly. If anyone could understand what I'm going through it would be him. If he wasn't dating Glory Girl...wow where did that thought come from? Oh Vista's melody is reaching out for Gallant's. The way that his blends with hers is telling. Affection, protection, brotherly feelings. Ouch. Kiss of death. She realizes it, but has hope.
"Earth to Aria. Ya still with us?"Clock asks teasingly and I'm grateful for the interruption.
"I'm still here." He nods slowly. Perceptive guy. Even without Gallant this group still has a mood barometer. Something I can tell the empath appreciates.
"I hate to bring this up, but what was that with Stalker? Something glowed in your hand and it almost sounded like music was playing..." Aegis looks uncomfortable asking, but I understand.
"Seeing her made me feel threatened and I guess...I reached for something to defend myself with. From what I could remember feeling my mind was looking for a way to stun her to let me escape."
"That cute lil' thing was a stun blast?" Vista looks excited. Cute lil' thing? Well okay, Thrash Beat was cute, I'd cuddle it if he was a plush. Where did that thought come from? Vista's melody is blending with mine. Reaching out for a connection. I gently push her melody back to a safe area. You don't let your aura blend too deeply with another after all.
Where did that thought come from? That dream I had...it feels like more was knocked loose...or fell back into place. I can't control their melody, but I can control mine. I wouldn't want to control their melody anyway. That way lies badness.
"She makes adorable balls of doom." Surprisingly that was Kid Win in a deadpan tone that gets a laugh. Once more I'm jarred from my weird thoughts. Next time I talk to my adjuster it will be an actual talk and not more pressing my lips closed. I licked Lisa's finger. I'll licks hers. Oh wow I've just discovered a new temperature for my face. Gallant is also looking disturbed. I can't help giggling.
"Last time I saw a red that bright was when..." Aegis slaps a hand over Clockblocker's exposed mouth to shut him up. Lunch is thankfully less serious after that and we spend it just chatting away. Armsmaster arrives to take me off for my Tinker test. I wave goodbye, and promise to talk more later, before hurrying to keep up with the armored man.
The trip to his lab is just as full of twists and turns as getting anywhere else in this crazy place. There's probably a perfectly good reason for every, single, hall being absolutely, perfectly, the same. The monotony is killing me. When we enter his lab there is a delightful feeling of disorder. Ugh, but the sounds of noisy children is already irritating me. I flare my melody louder to demand attention and to quiet them down. They're not mine so I can't reign them in, but I can make them keep to themselves.
"What did you just do?" A woman's voice comes from a terminal. She sounds pleasant, but also horribly confused. Armsmaster is also looking at me curiously. She could feel that? Weird.
"The melodies were too...loud...and jumbled...they were all clambering for attention so I told them to quiet down." Saying it so matter-of-factly like that brings me up sharp. That's not normal no matter how I spin it, but it seems to have made the two adults thoughtful.
"You can hear a person's emotional state as music, but also hear technology?" The Protectorate leader is clearly deep in thought about that.
"What...does my melody sound like?" Dragon, must be Dragon, asks curiously. Why does her melody sound scared? Worried? Why does she sound so distressed? Guilt? Wait, why guilt? Concealing something. I shake my head.
"I hear...a synthesizer actually...hmmm...there's a very nice sound to it. Like a song in many parts being played together." It does sound good. There's a Harmony all in her own melody. My flute responds favorably to it and the awkward trombone of Armsmaster is much more at ease with her.
"Thank you, Aria. I suppose we had better get to your test." Dragon brings us back to the present and I'm lead to a table full of parts. Some are off the shelf, some are Tinker parts judging by the melody, while others still are just junk.
"What could you make from this?" Armsmaster asks. I shake my head.
"First, do I have permission to discipline the Tinker parts?" He nods his head and I gently bring the children to some semblance of order. They need far less cajoling than the parts that built my Sol Reactor which is a relief. I don't want to pass out from overreaching.
A couple hours later I've assembled the pieces into another network hub. Maybe that's my thing? Communication just seems to speak to me. It feels almost right. Not quite, but almost. My examiners are talking to one another about future projects, but they don't interfere. The monster I've built required Armsmaster to lift several things into place. It stands at roughly six feet tall and is four feet square with numerous connectivity ports and a computer built it for ease of use.
The antennae was the hardest part and I'd had to ask for the proper things to build it with. I loaded up the OS I was running on my own systems, modified to allow Dragon and Armsmaster administrative access, before shutting the final panel. It was beautiful and when I turned it on there was a feeling of joy.
"Okay, so I've given both of you administrative access to this device, but it has no access to my own systems at home. You can change the passwords, in fact I recommend it, but you don't have to. I have a firewall program that I developed that's better than just about anything I've found on the market." I shrug. Dragon suggests I take a seat while they look it over. Armsmaster apparently has a long standing order for dinner to be brought to his lab and rather considerately had something for me as well.
I'm suddenly ravenous and the headache I've been holding back through sheer force of will has started beating a drum in my skull. Two white pills are also on the tray. If pain relievers are also part of his dinner there might be a problem. I take the pills and just relax. The two Tinkers are standing with their heads metaphorically together as they go over the systems. I can hear them clearly and what I'm hearing is as encouraging as it is confusing.
"There's nothing here that couldn't be built with standard parts." Armsmaster says with finality.
"She even made the Tinker tech parts react in a predictable manner. Even substituting the Tinker parts she used we could reproduce this." Dragon sounds intrigued. I take that as a good sign.
"The machine itself is sturdy. I can see many places that could be miniaturized , but it's good. Solid." Hmmm...miniaturized? That's Armsmaster's specialty. Already the possibilities are promising.
"The programming is...well...beautiful. Elegant. It's strangely organic..." The tone of voice tells me something. Something about my programming ability makes her...envious? Hopeful? Weird. What would she need a programmer for when she's essentially the greatest in the world?
"If you want you can have a copy of my OS. Since you're already in there you can snag it. It's not like we won't be working together." Wow did they jump. Well, not literally, but I think they forgot someone else was here with them.
"That's...thank you, Aria. I look forward to working with you." Dragon sounds so happy. A transfer request is pinged on my smartphone and I grant it. I also send a copy of my firewall program. I'm actually excited to see what she can do with it. Can she take it even farther?
"Oh dear...Armsmaster. It's almost eight o'clock." The armored man shakes himself free from his reverie and after some goodbyes starts to lead me back to the entrance of the building.
"The idea of miniaturizing what I build is appealing. If I could get the same results for half the space or smaller it would be wonderful..." I can't help the dreamy tone that comes to my voice. The idea of building something that could actually fit in my bedroom instead of taking up the basement is nice.
"We'll see what we can come up with. That...Sol Reactor...I think your father called it. How long does it last? Does it degrade at all?" I can understand why he'd be curious.
"It's not perpetual energy, but it's close. With the right materials I can build a more reliable one, but eventually mine will stop functioning in twenty years. It's not that impressive." Wow I'm blasé about time. Twenty years just trips off my tongue like nothing.
"More reliable than twenty years of clean energy?" Did I actually detect a note of disbelief. There's also some envy in his melody and inadequacy. Yeah what?
"Everyone has something that they're good at. If I tried to build even half of what you did it would be huge. Your halberd somehow does everything it does in the size of a halberd. If I tried to reproduce that it would be twenty feet at least. Totally unwieldy." His melody picks up again. Oh dear.
"There is something that Dragon and I discussed while you were working." I nod for him to continue. "We've decided that it would be best for her to take a direct hand in your training. I will work with you myself from time to time, but my first responsibility is to Kid Win." That makes sense, but then it catches up with me. Dragon?
"Dragon?" My voice comes out as a squeak of excited surprise. He nods and I almost lose myself in bliss. "I guess I did better than I thought..."
"You certainly impressed us and that's no easy feat. We look forward to having you in the Wards, if you are still interested that is." The wide smile is apparently the answer he was looking for as he bids me farewell.
I greet my dad in the truck happily and we head home. Tomorrow I'm heading back to school. Back to Winslow. Considering where I just spent my day? Winslow doesn't matter. I'm actually apprenticed to Dragon. They want what I build.
"How was your test?" Dad asks.
"Perfect." and it was.
First Arc 1.5
- Location
- PA
Hymn of Harmony
or Melody of Escalation
First Arc 1.5
-January 31, 2011-
This past week has been nothing but further tests. They wanted to test my Thinker abilities and put them through their paces. My Tinker credentials have been verified. I even picked up a Blaster rating due to my cute little Thrash Beat. The sphere holds itself together for maybe five to ten feet once it's released before the sphere breaks and it becomes a blast of electricity. The distance it can travel is determined by how long I charge it for. They would rather I stick to stun and knockout since it has a mascot look instead of letting it turn to lightning. Something about a cute little PR piece turning things into molten slag doesn't sit well with them. Who knew?
School has been just weird. The teachers are being nicer in the same manner they were nice to Sophia. I almost threw up at how disgusting that made me feel, but I endured. Their melodies just sound so damn fake it's nauseating. Greg won't even come near me now, but his melody sounds more introspective. Maybe I did him a favor? I wish him well, but far away from me. Friday came and brought with it a new trial. Emma and Madison were waiting by my locker at the end of the day. They looked as queasy as I was starting to feel. Their melodies were so full of negative feelings directed inward I was surprised they didn't collapse into black holes.
"Taylor?" Emma never sounded so timid before. I exhale slowly and keep my temper, but it was hard. The thought of blowing up at her, or just blowing her up, was appealing, but my heart and mind weren't in accord. Damn. That was something else I noticed. The darkness in my mind and the light in my heart had to be in agreement for me to use my powers. Annoying, but it is what it is.
"What is it?" My voice just came out tired. Already this was wearing on me, but I would endure.
"I'm not looking for forgiveness. I know I won't get it." She must be a mind reader. Her eyes sweep the hall, but no one is nearby except for Madison. I guess she's heard this before. "Something happened the summer you went away...something bad." Is this going to be a start of darkness story? "The one who helped me through it was Sophia..." Called it. "She told me that to make it go away I had to cut out my weakness..." Take advice from the sociopath. Seems logical. "I remembered how you clung to me and..." Here it comes. "Well...you were my weakness." There we go. "I was attracted to you." Yeah...wait, what? Back up..."It wasn't right, and my dad said it wasn't right, so I needed to cut you out." I haven't felt like facepalming this hard in forever. "It wasn't right...I'm sorry..." That explains the lovely self loathing, love, and hate cocktail she has. She's waiting for me to respond, but there is just so much crazy that I don't even know where to start.
"Were you attracted to Sophia too? She is pretty." Morbid curiousity compels me to ask. She shakes her head slowly.
"No...it was never really her..." Now I indulge in that facepalm. I'm pretty sure that the smack of hand meeting face can be heard down the hall. She looks so small and vulnerable, but my give a damn's busted.
"Let me get this straight. You're family is upset that you're gay so you decide to punish me for it? That is such a load of...I've never...how the hell am I supposed to respond?" I think I've started whining at this point and could really care less. She has the utter gall to look apologetic.
"That's why I don't expect you to forgive me...you were my first friend. My best friend. I could tell you anything and we were so close..." Madison's squirming a bit now.
"Oh for fuck's sake how often do you go on about this?" Again morbid curiousity compels me.
"After every prank we play on you." Madison sounds aggrieved. I level a finger on her and she quiets.
"I just thought you should know...my...my dad is transferring me to Immaculate." She stammers out in a rush. Huh, apparently you can facepalm twice in a single conversation. "With Sophia in juvie...it's been a bit lonely..." And that's far enough.
"Oh no you don't. Be lonely. At this point I don't care. When you needed someone I would have been there. You could have talked to me about all of this way before now. This is just one more self-serving tactic and I'm not dealing with it. Enjoy yourself at Immaculate. I hope you make lots of new friends." I look her straight in the eye, "You're a lesbian? Get over yourself. I don't care. I would have been your friend no matter what. This is your fault." She nods her head and steps back looking totally miserable. I can't even enjoy it because that really isn't me. There are so many good memories with her that seeing her like that almost makes me want to hug her. Tell her it's alright. Almost.
"I'm not asking for forgiveness either. I'll accept whatever you have to say. I don't have the option to go to another school so I want to at least tell you this." Well that's refreshing. She's upset with herself, not proud, but also feels justified. Oh that's why she doesn't feel proud because she feels justified. She actually has a conscience.
"As long as you don't proclaim your undying love for me." Was that humor or am I feeling that jaded?
"I look like a middleschooler. No one would take me seriously and I would get targeted. Well Emma is pretty and a model, Sophia was the track star and pretty, both were popular. They gave me a choice. I guess it was my little girl charm..." Wow that is a lot of snark. Enough to choke an Endbringer at least. "So I went along with it...glue on your desk, pencil shavings in your hair, little things. The violent stuff was Sophia and the mental stuff was Emma. If she's in love with you I'd suggest a restraining order." Emma squawks indignantly, but that isn't a bad idea. Suddenly the self loathing is almost overpowering. "I didn't know about the locker until they did it. I thought they were just going to stuff the crap in there...I didn't know they were going to shove you into it..." She's starting to cry.
"Stop..." I try to say, but she bowls over that.
"I threatened to go to the school. Sophia said that if I did she'd...she'd make me regret it...she's such a fuckin' psychopath..." And like that my anger towards her shatters into fragments. It's no longer a solid core of loathing, but smaller pieces of aggravation. I'm patting her hair and letting her cry. The look I level on Emma is probably not a nice one given that she doesn't even speak. She makes some vague sounding excuse before walking off in a daze. During all of this my attention is elsewhere, Madison hasn't moved, hasn't spoken, just cried.
"Okay...okay..." My tone is tender. I'm still not happy with her, but I guess victimization comes in many shapes. My bully was a victim. "This...doesn't clear things between us..." My voice is rough and I feel like the urge to cry as well, "But I forgive you." I think I stopped her heart as she suddenly stops crying. "Your reasons...were at least better than Emma's...Sophia's? I have no clue and I don't want to know. I'm tired of riding on the crazy train. We're not friends, but we're not enemies either. I don't think we will ever be friends, but..." There's the olive branch. She nods slowly and accepts it.
"You...uh...don't have to forgive Emma, but..." She gestures vaguely. "Maybe if you suggest that she gets help...?" Why do I want to indulge in another facepalm? Whatever. I'm already striding off after Emma before my common sense can talk me out of it. The redhead looks surprised at me coming after her, but just hangs her head. Oh I'm not the bad guy here, but that lovely kicked puppy expression is not helping.
"Get help, Emma. The person who was my friend is still in there. Do her a favor and talk to someone." She opens her mouth and I continue, "Don't hide who you are. That lead to you following Sophia and making really stupid decisions. I almost died in that locker, Emma. No, don't try to explain, none of that." My voice is quieter at the end, "Take care of yourself, Emma." The day was over so I just left the school. Without fully realizing it I've started running then sprinting full out.
My thoughts are a terrible jumble, but the exertion is good. I don't have to think to run. My mind clears until it's just me and the road. Nothing else matters. The problem with a clear mind is that the things you're trying to forget come right to the surface. Emma telling me that she was attracted to me took me by surprise. I wasn't all that shocked over her orientation. She was more likely to look at the girls than the guys after the puberty train. The thing about her dad being homophobic is true. He's also anti-cape. If Emma triggered that would have been a double whammy.
Now I feel sorry for her. This isn't helping at all. Table it, push it to the side, what about Madison? I remember her from middle school. She was a sweet girl, and tiny, but could make friends easily. Sunny disposition. I was so surprised that she was one of my tormentors. We'd never had a cross word between us, but there she was with my torture technicians. I flop onto my porch, half laying across the front step, and just pant from my berserk run. Sympathy for the devil, but she was never really a devil. She was just someone that did what she could to survive. I can't forgive it, but I understand it.
Now we're back to what made me run in the first place. With my legs trembling, and my breath coming in shuddering gasps, I'm not running from this again. I want Emma back. I want my best friend to come back. When she was tearfully telling me her shameful feelings I wanted to just let bygones be bygones. That's why I ran. My heart hurts, my head aches, and now my body is sore.
I don't know how long I laid there in my own misery before Dad came home. He didn't say anything as he just picked me up in his arms and carried me inside. I know that I was crying into his chest as he held me. Safe and warm. The ball of ice in my chest soothing and breaking apart. My head is on his shoulder as he strokes my hair.
"What happened, Little Owl?" He asks softly. The tightness loosens and I can speak.
"I found out my monsters are people too." That's what it boils down to isn't it? That's where the confusion came from. They dehumanized me, but I also did the same to them. Now we see each other as people and...
"It happens from time to time. No one is truly one dimensional. The sad fact is that no matter how well we think we understand each other something will always blindside us." His voice is soothing and has the tone of someone that's had it happen before. Then again wasn't Allan his best friend? I look him in the eyes with a rueful smile.
"Emma confessed her love for me." The look on his face is priceless. Though the narrowing of the eyes and thoughtful expression give me pause.
"Oh boy...that won't go over well with Allan..." He winces and I groan. "She hit you with that, huh? What are you going to do about it?" I'm pretty sure I look surprised at his question.
"I suggested she get help. Find someone to talk to about it." I shake my head slowly, "Too much...I can't go back to caring about her like that..." So that's what hurt the most. Old subroutines and programs were telling me to hug Emma, to comfort her as she used to comfort me, but new programing reminded me of what she did. It feels like a hole is in my chest.
"Whatever you decide know that you have my support." He touches my face and I smile. The confusion lessening. "Now how about pizza? I also have something that was sent over by the PRT for you to look at."
"That sounds interesting. What is it?" He hands me a slender book while he goes to make a phone call.
"The Book of Unwritten/Written Rules for Capes by Clock K Blocker." The title has me giggling even before I open the neatly printed book. It looks like the Wards each contributed something as the "unwritten" rules are spelled out. Some are just common sense. No outing a cape heads the list. Special mention is made of Thinker powers that allow for that. My ability has already proven it can do that. The pizzas come and I'm still reading.
"Put it down or you'll get pizza sauce on it." Dad tells me and I listen.
"Well that makes a lot of sense...there was a nicely worded warning about outing capes with my powers."
"Probably has something to do with Shadow Stalker, huh?" I nod. I haven't told Dad who she is. He probably figured it out from the clues, but he hasn't said anything. My phone vibrates. A text? Who is texting me? I check my phone to find that it's Lisa.
"Hey Dad, Lisa wants to know if I can go over to her place tomorrow?" He nods, "Great." I text back my acceptance.
"She's a nice girl. When she hadn't heard from you she called your phone and we got to talking." He's still eating and his melody is cheerful. "Clearly thinks the world of you." I blush at hearing that. "I invited her to come and see you. You just happened to wake up when she arrived." Here comes the teasing, "Is there something I should know about?" The thing with Emma is still a bit too fresh, but I soldier on.
"No Dad." I try for aggrieved and end up somewhere around annoyed. He looks as chagrined as I'm feeling.
"Well tomorrow is good. Does she say when you'll be home?" Moving right along it is then. My plans are finalized with a few more texts.
Saturday dawns bright and clear with my overtaxed body feeling like one big aching muscle. No help for it as I'm already committed myself to this. I start to hum something soothing that sounds like pianos, panpipes, and violins in my head. Before the bus has reached my stop I'm feeling much better. No lingering soreness or stiffness. I already have my smartphone out and am writing it down in my notes. Blaster power with that cute ball of plasma. A mover ability that I'm still figuring out the trigger for. I can't keep relying on being in trouble for it to work. Now a healing ability that removes my aches. Well muscle soreness comes from muscle tearing. I healed my torn muscles. Useful.
Lisa has an apartment of her own in a nicer section of Brockton. The stately building has survived much, but still holds itself high. The melody sounds strong, dependable, with a quiet dignity. I pat the brick wall fondly before heading inside. Okay I need to cut down on that. Just because I want to give something an attaboy doesn't mean I should. My own strange behaviors aside, I decide to see if I can find Lisa's apartment by her melody. It's good practice. I don't even bother keeping track of the numbers as I make my way through the building by "hearing" alone.
I'm outside her apartment with no missteps, but there seems to be someone there already. A damaged melody. Not as damaged as Director Piggot, but still not entirely complete. Hmmm... A couple fragments of melody are just hanging off and my curious mind gives them a nudge. Not fully expecting a reaction, but not surprised that I got one. The fragments are embraced by the whole. It's not perfect, but it's mending. The door is suddenly pulled open and an effeminate looking boy is there. Did he feel that? Something is trying to invade my melody. He's trying to push his melody into my mine and I push back, hard, because that was just bad manners.
"Go away, Alec. I don't have time to play with you today." Wow does Lisa's voice sound cold. "Alec" winces, not entirely theatrically, as guilt tinges his song. A muted guilt like he's not used to feeling, but he still has a cocky tone.
"Fine, fine, I'll leave you to your "girl's only" time." He waves his hand flippantly before heading off down the hall without even a look back, but I feel like he's scrutinizing me. My arm is almost yanked out of my socket as Lisa pulls me into her apartment with a far more serious face than I'm used to seeing. Not even when we were running from the ABB guy.
"Be more careful. Please." I blink stupidly because part of me isn't sure what she means, but then again part of me knows. "You don't even realize what you're doing half the time. Instinctive. Helpful." She sighs heavily and I feel the tense atmosphere lighten. Her usual vulpine grin appears, "I'm glad you came. I got the parts for the computer, some cheesy romantic comedies, and ice cream. We can eat in if you want or go out for some Thai. I know a place that you'll love." I probably would love it. Never had Thai before, but it sounds interesting.
"Well let's get that computer taken care of first. I'd rather do something fun with my visit rather then muck about with electronics." She directs me into her bedroom and points at the loads of parts she brought. I sit down and start working. We make small talk as the terminal takes shape. Terminal? Yeah, this isn't just a computer. I have the parts for a rather sophisticated piece of hardware. She showed me I could put the terminal's main body in her closet and concealed it before I got into the coding bits.
Before coding comes lunch. I'm famished and she knows it, but I probably would have tried completing it if she hadn't just grabbed my arm and pulled me away. She's watching me with her melody heavy and full of meaning. There's that guilt again. Affection is there as well. She seems almost perpetually in surprise at that affection. Her eyes widen briefly before narrowing playfully.
"I have no secrets at all from you, huh?" Her tone has a teasing edge and I smile back.
"Hmmm...well you've shown me yours I suppose." Hey I've discovered an entirely new state of embarrassment! We're laughing together, but the red on our faces is not helping matters. I get the feeling she's not used to be taken by surprise. It feels good to be the one she can relax around.
"I was wondering if you could put in a partition. One side your OS and the other side a generic system." I nod thoughtfully.
"Child's play. Why would you need a set up like that?" She stands up from the counter and puts her arms around my neck as I sit.
"Please Taylor...just trust me...the less you know the better." Her breath tickles my ear and I lean back in her embrace. There is so much fear right now in her melody that it makes me want to bring down the hammer. Unleash myself in full on the source of her suffering and crush it into tiny little pieces... "None of that." She kisses me on the cheek and like that my rage falls away. We ignore the elephant in the room as my anger had caused sparks to arc from my fingertips.
"If...if you're in trouble...I want to help." I offer, but I already know she'll refuse. It would be the same if I was in trouble. I wouldn't want to be a burden.
"Taylor...you are helping. You are helping more than you know." She releases me and we finish lunch in a warmer atmosphere.
Coding comes after lunch and it helps clear my mind of the last bits of confusion. I don't know what she needs all of this for, but she'll have it. The fact that she had the exact parts I needed to make this barely registers. I'm taking a lot on faith, but having my friend safe is worth it. I've hooked it up to my hub at home.
"Okay there's a couple things. I have your terminal set up through my network hub at my house. This icon here is the scrambler for concealing your signal. It will only scramble the part with my OS. It's just not compatible with this POS OS program you bought." She snorts and giggles a bit at my description. Okay I'm a tech snob. Deal with it. "There is also a messenger program that I've routed to work through your smartphone." Surprised her with that. "Keep in contact. I'm dead serious. I want to talk with you more, but it also lets me know you're safe. I know, same goes for me, right?"
"Right." She sits back on the bed from where she's been watching me work. The angle is just right to look almost provocative. Did that on purpose huh? She smiles wider as I catch that. Two intellectuals trying to one up each other. It's hard finding someone on your mental level sometimes. Wow that was snobbery at it's finest. "I appreciate this. This terminal will help a great deal. I needed this." The vulnerable look just about does me in as I flop on the bed next to her. Surprised her again. I'm getting good at this.
"You've been there for me so I'm here for you. We'll be each other's safety." I wind my fingers with hers and we just lay there facing each other. Blue eyes meet green. She taps me on the nose eventually and the spell is broken.
"Time for dinner and we're going out for Thai." She bounces to her feet and I feel an incredible surge of frustration rise up only to force it back down. Did that one on purpose huh? I can't help but smirk as I bounce to my feet as well and hurry after her.
"Too bad we didn't get to watch the movies." I start the conversation as we walk along the street.
"I called your dad and he says you can stay the night." Lisa says with a grin. I knew it.
"And what about clothes to sleep in?" She grins wider if that's possible.
"I found something I'm sure you'll enjoy..." I shiver at her words and not sure if it's from dread. She laughs at my expression.
"Relax...if I was going to play a prank on you it wouldn't be about sleep wear...or lack of." I throw an arm around her neck causing her to yelp in surprise.
"Okay. You win. I'll relax." The two of us continue talking and laughing all the way to the restaurant. Days like this I wish would never end. The restaurant was one of those faux Asian places that you find. The staff were authentic Asians, but probably never even been to Thailand. We were seated and gave our drink orders. Lisa bowled the poor waitress over and ordered for both of us. We waited for the food to arrive before starting to talk again.
"How has school been? Transferring to Arcadia yet?" I had told her there was a good chance of that, but plans have changed.
"I can't go into details, but I'm being paid to stay at Winslow with a tutor for the things I'm behind in." The meal is spicy, but good. Without consciously thinking about it I've poured a packet of duck sauce into my soda and taken a drink. A little spicy mustard and...that's just right. Lisa is staring at me as if I've grown another head.
"There is no logical reason for you to have done that." She states with a strange finality. I sip my drink, but see nothing wrong with it. We talk through dinner and finally make it back to her apartment. Cheesy romantic comedies await.
My life has gotten better. There are plenty of confusions, and even more things I don't know, but this is my Song. I intend to live on forever. I'm looking forward to tomorrow.
End First Arc
or Melody of Escalation
First Arc 1.5
-January 31, 2011-
This past week has been nothing but further tests. They wanted to test my Thinker abilities and put them through their paces. My Tinker credentials have been verified. I even picked up a Blaster rating due to my cute little Thrash Beat. The sphere holds itself together for maybe five to ten feet once it's released before the sphere breaks and it becomes a blast of electricity. The distance it can travel is determined by how long I charge it for. They would rather I stick to stun and knockout since it has a mascot look instead of letting it turn to lightning. Something about a cute little PR piece turning things into molten slag doesn't sit well with them. Who knew?
School has been just weird. The teachers are being nicer in the same manner they were nice to Sophia. I almost threw up at how disgusting that made me feel, but I endured. Their melodies just sound so damn fake it's nauseating. Greg won't even come near me now, but his melody sounds more introspective. Maybe I did him a favor? I wish him well, but far away from me. Friday came and brought with it a new trial. Emma and Madison were waiting by my locker at the end of the day. They looked as queasy as I was starting to feel. Their melodies were so full of negative feelings directed inward I was surprised they didn't collapse into black holes.
"Taylor?" Emma never sounded so timid before. I exhale slowly and keep my temper, but it was hard. The thought of blowing up at her, or just blowing her up, was appealing, but my heart and mind weren't in accord. Damn. That was something else I noticed. The darkness in my mind and the light in my heart had to be in agreement for me to use my powers. Annoying, but it is what it is.
"What is it?" My voice just came out tired. Already this was wearing on me, but I would endure.
"I'm not looking for forgiveness. I know I won't get it." She must be a mind reader. Her eyes sweep the hall, but no one is nearby except for Madison. I guess she's heard this before. "Something happened the summer you went away...something bad." Is this going to be a start of darkness story? "The one who helped me through it was Sophia..." Called it. "She told me that to make it go away I had to cut out my weakness..." Take advice from the sociopath. Seems logical. "I remembered how you clung to me and..." Here it comes. "Well...you were my weakness." There we go. "I was attracted to you." Yeah...wait, what? Back up..."It wasn't right, and my dad said it wasn't right, so I needed to cut you out." I haven't felt like facepalming this hard in forever. "It wasn't right...I'm sorry..." That explains the lovely self loathing, love, and hate cocktail she has. She's waiting for me to respond, but there is just so much crazy that I don't even know where to start.
"Were you attracted to Sophia too? She is pretty." Morbid curiousity compels me to ask. She shakes her head slowly.
"No...it was never really her..." Now I indulge in that facepalm. I'm pretty sure that the smack of hand meeting face can be heard down the hall. She looks so small and vulnerable, but my give a damn's busted.
"Let me get this straight. You're family is upset that you're gay so you decide to punish me for it? That is such a load of...I've never...how the hell am I supposed to respond?" I think I've started whining at this point and could really care less. She has the utter gall to look apologetic.
"That's why I don't expect you to forgive me...you were my first friend. My best friend. I could tell you anything and we were so close..." Madison's squirming a bit now.
"Oh for fuck's sake how often do you go on about this?" Again morbid curiousity compels me.
"After every prank we play on you." Madison sounds aggrieved. I level a finger on her and she quiets.
"I just thought you should know...my...my dad is transferring me to Immaculate." She stammers out in a rush. Huh, apparently you can facepalm twice in a single conversation. "With Sophia in juvie...it's been a bit lonely..." And that's far enough.
"Oh no you don't. Be lonely. At this point I don't care. When you needed someone I would have been there. You could have talked to me about all of this way before now. This is just one more self-serving tactic and I'm not dealing with it. Enjoy yourself at Immaculate. I hope you make lots of new friends." I look her straight in the eye, "You're a lesbian? Get over yourself. I don't care. I would have been your friend no matter what. This is your fault." She nods her head and steps back looking totally miserable. I can't even enjoy it because that really isn't me. There are so many good memories with her that seeing her like that almost makes me want to hug her. Tell her it's alright. Almost.
"I'm not asking for forgiveness either. I'll accept whatever you have to say. I don't have the option to go to another school so I want to at least tell you this." Well that's refreshing. She's upset with herself, not proud, but also feels justified. Oh that's why she doesn't feel proud because she feels justified. She actually has a conscience.
"As long as you don't proclaim your undying love for me." Was that humor or am I feeling that jaded?
"I look like a middleschooler. No one would take me seriously and I would get targeted. Well Emma is pretty and a model, Sophia was the track star and pretty, both were popular. They gave me a choice. I guess it was my little girl charm..." Wow that is a lot of snark. Enough to choke an Endbringer at least. "So I went along with it...glue on your desk, pencil shavings in your hair, little things. The violent stuff was Sophia and the mental stuff was Emma. If she's in love with you I'd suggest a restraining order." Emma squawks indignantly, but that isn't a bad idea. Suddenly the self loathing is almost overpowering. "I didn't know about the locker until they did it. I thought they were just going to stuff the crap in there...I didn't know they were going to shove you into it..." She's starting to cry.
"Stop..." I try to say, but she bowls over that.
"I threatened to go to the school. Sophia said that if I did she'd...she'd make me regret it...she's such a fuckin' psychopath..." And like that my anger towards her shatters into fragments. It's no longer a solid core of loathing, but smaller pieces of aggravation. I'm patting her hair and letting her cry. The look I level on Emma is probably not a nice one given that she doesn't even speak. She makes some vague sounding excuse before walking off in a daze. During all of this my attention is elsewhere, Madison hasn't moved, hasn't spoken, just cried.
"Okay...okay..." My tone is tender. I'm still not happy with her, but I guess victimization comes in many shapes. My bully was a victim. "This...doesn't clear things between us..." My voice is rough and I feel like the urge to cry as well, "But I forgive you." I think I stopped her heart as she suddenly stops crying. "Your reasons...were at least better than Emma's...Sophia's? I have no clue and I don't want to know. I'm tired of riding on the crazy train. We're not friends, but we're not enemies either. I don't think we will ever be friends, but..." There's the olive branch. She nods slowly and accepts it.
"You...uh...don't have to forgive Emma, but..." She gestures vaguely. "Maybe if you suggest that she gets help...?" Why do I want to indulge in another facepalm? Whatever. I'm already striding off after Emma before my common sense can talk me out of it. The redhead looks surprised at me coming after her, but just hangs her head. Oh I'm not the bad guy here, but that lovely kicked puppy expression is not helping.
"Get help, Emma. The person who was my friend is still in there. Do her a favor and talk to someone." She opens her mouth and I continue, "Don't hide who you are. That lead to you following Sophia and making really stupid decisions. I almost died in that locker, Emma. No, don't try to explain, none of that." My voice is quieter at the end, "Take care of yourself, Emma." The day was over so I just left the school. Without fully realizing it I've started running then sprinting full out.
My thoughts are a terrible jumble, but the exertion is good. I don't have to think to run. My mind clears until it's just me and the road. Nothing else matters. The problem with a clear mind is that the things you're trying to forget come right to the surface. Emma telling me that she was attracted to me took me by surprise. I wasn't all that shocked over her orientation. She was more likely to look at the girls than the guys after the puberty train. The thing about her dad being homophobic is true. He's also anti-cape. If Emma triggered that would have been a double whammy.
Now I feel sorry for her. This isn't helping at all. Table it, push it to the side, what about Madison? I remember her from middle school. She was a sweet girl, and tiny, but could make friends easily. Sunny disposition. I was so surprised that she was one of my tormentors. We'd never had a cross word between us, but there she was with my torture technicians. I flop onto my porch, half laying across the front step, and just pant from my berserk run. Sympathy for the devil, but she was never really a devil. She was just someone that did what she could to survive. I can't forgive it, but I understand it.
Now we're back to what made me run in the first place. With my legs trembling, and my breath coming in shuddering gasps, I'm not running from this again. I want Emma back. I want my best friend to come back. When she was tearfully telling me her shameful feelings I wanted to just let bygones be bygones. That's why I ran. My heart hurts, my head aches, and now my body is sore.
I don't know how long I laid there in my own misery before Dad came home. He didn't say anything as he just picked me up in his arms and carried me inside. I know that I was crying into his chest as he held me. Safe and warm. The ball of ice in my chest soothing and breaking apart. My head is on his shoulder as he strokes my hair.
"What happened, Little Owl?" He asks softly. The tightness loosens and I can speak.
"I found out my monsters are people too." That's what it boils down to isn't it? That's where the confusion came from. They dehumanized me, but I also did the same to them. Now we see each other as people and...
"It happens from time to time. No one is truly one dimensional. The sad fact is that no matter how well we think we understand each other something will always blindside us." His voice is soothing and has the tone of someone that's had it happen before. Then again wasn't Allan his best friend? I look him in the eyes with a rueful smile.
"Emma confessed her love for me." The look on his face is priceless. Though the narrowing of the eyes and thoughtful expression give me pause.
"Oh boy...that won't go over well with Allan..." He winces and I groan. "She hit you with that, huh? What are you going to do about it?" I'm pretty sure I look surprised at his question.
"I suggested she get help. Find someone to talk to about it." I shake my head slowly, "Too much...I can't go back to caring about her like that..." So that's what hurt the most. Old subroutines and programs were telling me to hug Emma, to comfort her as she used to comfort me, but new programing reminded me of what she did. It feels like a hole is in my chest.
"Whatever you decide know that you have my support." He touches my face and I smile. The confusion lessening. "Now how about pizza? I also have something that was sent over by the PRT for you to look at."
"That sounds interesting. What is it?" He hands me a slender book while he goes to make a phone call.
"The Book of Unwritten/Written Rules for Capes by Clock K Blocker." The title has me giggling even before I open the neatly printed book. It looks like the Wards each contributed something as the "unwritten" rules are spelled out. Some are just common sense. No outing a cape heads the list. Special mention is made of Thinker powers that allow for that. My ability has already proven it can do that. The pizzas come and I'm still reading.
"Put it down or you'll get pizza sauce on it." Dad tells me and I listen.
"Well that makes a lot of sense...there was a nicely worded warning about outing capes with my powers."
"Probably has something to do with Shadow Stalker, huh?" I nod. I haven't told Dad who she is. He probably figured it out from the clues, but he hasn't said anything. My phone vibrates. A text? Who is texting me? I check my phone to find that it's Lisa.
"Hey Dad, Lisa wants to know if I can go over to her place tomorrow?" He nods, "Great." I text back my acceptance.
"She's a nice girl. When she hadn't heard from you she called your phone and we got to talking." He's still eating and his melody is cheerful. "Clearly thinks the world of you." I blush at hearing that. "I invited her to come and see you. You just happened to wake up when she arrived." Here comes the teasing, "Is there something I should know about?" The thing with Emma is still a bit too fresh, but I soldier on.
"No Dad." I try for aggrieved and end up somewhere around annoyed. He looks as chagrined as I'm feeling.
"Well tomorrow is good. Does she say when you'll be home?" Moving right along it is then. My plans are finalized with a few more texts.
Saturday dawns bright and clear with my overtaxed body feeling like one big aching muscle. No help for it as I'm already committed myself to this. I start to hum something soothing that sounds like pianos, panpipes, and violins in my head. Before the bus has reached my stop I'm feeling much better. No lingering soreness or stiffness. I already have my smartphone out and am writing it down in my notes. Blaster power with that cute ball of plasma. A mover ability that I'm still figuring out the trigger for. I can't keep relying on being in trouble for it to work. Now a healing ability that removes my aches. Well muscle soreness comes from muscle tearing. I healed my torn muscles. Useful.
Lisa has an apartment of her own in a nicer section of Brockton. The stately building has survived much, but still holds itself high. The melody sounds strong, dependable, with a quiet dignity. I pat the brick wall fondly before heading inside. Okay I need to cut down on that. Just because I want to give something an attaboy doesn't mean I should. My own strange behaviors aside, I decide to see if I can find Lisa's apartment by her melody. It's good practice. I don't even bother keeping track of the numbers as I make my way through the building by "hearing" alone.
I'm outside her apartment with no missteps, but there seems to be someone there already. A damaged melody. Not as damaged as Director Piggot, but still not entirely complete. Hmmm... A couple fragments of melody are just hanging off and my curious mind gives them a nudge. Not fully expecting a reaction, but not surprised that I got one. The fragments are embraced by the whole. It's not perfect, but it's mending. The door is suddenly pulled open and an effeminate looking boy is there. Did he feel that? Something is trying to invade my melody. He's trying to push his melody into my mine and I push back, hard, because that was just bad manners.
"Go away, Alec. I don't have time to play with you today." Wow does Lisa's voice sound cold. "Alec" winces, not entirely theatrically, as guilt tinges his song. A muted guilt like he's not used to feeling, but he still has a cocky tone.
"Fine, fine, I'll leave you to your "girl's only" time." He waves his hand flippantly before heading off down the hall without even a look back, but I feel like he's scrutinizing me. My arm is almost yanked out of my socket as Lisa pulls me into her apartment with a far more serious face than I'm used to seeing. Not even when we were running from the ABB guy.
"Be more careful. Please." I blink stupidly because part of me isn't sure what she means, but then again part of me knows. "You don't even realize what you're doing half the time. Instinctive. Helpful." She sighs heavily and I feel the tense atmosphere lighten. Her usual vulpine grin appears, "I'm glad you came. I got the parts for the computer, some cheesy romantic comedies, and ice cream. We can eat in if you want or go out for some Thai. I know a place that you'll love." I probably would love it. Never had Thai before, but it sounds interesting.
"Well let's get that computer taken care of first. I'd rather do something fun with my visit rather then muck about with electronics." She directs me into her bedroom and points at the loads of parts she brought. I sit down and start working. We make small talk as the terminal takes shape. Terminal? Yeah, this isn't just a computer. I have the parts for a rather sophisticated piece of hardware. She showed me I could put the terminal's main body in her closet and concealed it before I got into the coding bits.
Before coding comes lunch. I'm famished and she knows it, but I probably would have tried completing it if she hadn't just grabbed my arm and pulled me away. She's watching me with her melody heavy and full of meaning. There's that guilt again. Affection is there as well. She seems almost perpetually in surprise at that affection. Her eyes widen briefly before narrowing playfully.
"I have no secrets at all from you, huh?" Her tone has a teasing edge and I smile back.
"Hmmm...well you've shown me yours I suppose." Hey I've discovered an entirely new state of embarrassment! We're laughing together, but the red on our faces is not helping matters. I get the feeling she's not used to be taken by surprise. It feels good to be the one she can relax around.
"I was wondering if you could put in a partition. One side your OS and the other side a generic system." I nod thoughtfully.
"Child's play. Why would you need a set up like that?" She stands up from the counter and puts her arms around my neck as I sit.
"Please Taylor...just trust me...the less you know the better." Her breath tickles my ear and I lean back in her embrace. There is so much fear right now in her melody that it makes me want to bring down the hammer. Unleash myself in full on the source of her suffering and crush it into tiny little pieces... "None of that." She kisses me on the cheek and like that my rage falls away. We ignore the elephant in the room as my anger had caused sparks to arc from my fingertips.
"If...if you're in trouble...I want to help." I offer, but I already know she'll refuse. It would be the same if I was in trouble. I wouldn't want to be a burden.
"Taylor...you are helping. You are helping more than you know." She releases me and we finish lunch in a warmer atmosphere.
Coding comes after lunch and it helps clear my mind of the last bits of confusion. I don't know what she needs all of this for, but she'll have it. The fact that she had the exact parts I needed to make this barely registers. I'm taking a lot on faith, but having my friend safe is worth it. I've hooked it up to my hub at home.
"Okay there's a couple things. I have your terminal set up through my network hub at my house. This icon here is the scrambler for concealing your signal. It will only scramble the part with my OS. It's just not compatible with this POS OS program you bought." She snorts and giggles a bit at my description. Okay I'm a tech snob. Deal with it. "There is also a messenger program that I've routed to work through your smartphone." Surprised her with that. "Keep in contact. I'm dead serious. I want to talk with you more, but it also lets me know you're safe. I know, same goes for me, right?"
"Right." She sits back on the bed from where she's been watching me work. The angle is just right to look almost provocative. Did that on purpose huh? She smiles wider as I catch that. Two intellectuals trying to one up each other. It's hard finding someone on your mental level sometimes. Wow that was snobbery at it's finest. "I appreciate this. This terminal will help a great deal. I needed this." The vulnerable look just about does me in as I flop on the bed next to her. Surprised her again. I'm getting good at this.
"You've been there for me so I'm here for you. We'll be each other's safety." I wind my fingers with hers and we just lay there facing each other. Blue eyes meet green. She taps me on the nose eventually and the spell is broken.
"Time for dinner and we're going out for Thai." She bounces to her feet and I feel an incredible surge of frustration rise up only to force it back down. Did that one on purpose huh? I can't help but smirk as I bounce to my feet as well and hurry after her.
"Too bad we didn't get to watch the movies." I start the conversation as we walk along the street.
"I called your dad and he says you can stay the night." Lisa says with a grin. I knew it.
"And what about clothes to sleep in?" She grins wider if that's possible.
"I found something I'm sure you'll enjoy..." I shiver at her words and not sure if it's from dread. She laughs at my expression.
"Relax...if I was going to play a prank on you it wouldn't be about sleep wear...or lack of." I throw an arm around her neck causing her to yelp in surprise.
"Okay. You win. I'll relax." The two of us continue talking and laughing all the way to the restaurant. Days like this I wish would never end. The restaurant was one of those faux Asian places that you find. The staff were authentic Asians, but probably never even been to Thailand. We were seated and gave our drink orders. Lisa bowled the poor waitress over and ordered for both of us. We waited for the food to arrive before starting to talk again.
"How has school been? Transferring to Arcadia yet?" I had told her there was a good chance of that, but plans have changed.
"I can't go into details, but I'm being paid to stay at Winslow with a tutor for the things I'm behind in." The meal is spicy, but good. Without consciously thinking about it I've poured a packet of duck sauce into my soda and taken a drink. A little spicy mustard and...that's just right. Lisa is staring at me as if I've grown another head.
"There is no logical reason for you to have done that." She states with a strange finality. I sip my drink, but see nothing wrong with it. We talk through dinner and finally make it back to her apartment. Cheesy romantic comedies await.
My life has gotten better. There are plenty of confusions, and even more things I don't know, but this is my Song. I intend to live on forever. I'm looking forward to tomorrow.
End First Arc
Interlude Reunion
- Location
- PA
Hymn of Harmony
or Melody of Escalation
Interlude: Reunion
All was in readiness. They had planned for any eventuality. The amount of time spent to make this work was staggering. There would be no mistakes. They could afford none at this important juncture. Which is why distractions and unforeseen circumstances were so unwelcome. The room was ready. The guests were ready. There would be no mistakes. The walls were done in pale greens and the floor in pale blues with everything possessing a crystalline metallic sheen. A warm brown wraparound sofa with several end tables and flowers made the room appear warmer.
"Stop doing that smug laughter thing it gives off creepy villain vibes." A young woman's voice says in an aggrieved tone. The owner of the voice was a woman with light brown hair and light blue eyes with a lithe build. A simple brown bodice and green skirt with brown boots were what she wore. Apparently she was feeling nostalgic as Aurica didn't usually wear her Skuwat clothing.
"She wouldn't be herself if she did things normally." The amused woman possesses raven hair and deep blue eyes with a curvier build. She was wearing a tight fitting top under a kimono top with a unique gold ornament in her hair. Misha rarely wore anything else because it made her look good. The skirt and shoes complimented her look nicely.
"Now stop picking on her...even if it is a bit creepy." The light girlish voice of Shurelia was teasing. Her silvery hair, dark blue eyes, and petite build gave her an elfin appearance. She was wearing a yellow t-shirt, blue coveralls, and was barefoot.
"Is it always like this?" A refined and haughty person asks the one seated beside her. Lady Cloche was blonde haired, blue eyed, and busty as well. Despite hitting so many stereotypes the one she didn't hit was being a ditz. She was dressed in a charming pink kimono and loose trousers with sandals on her feet. She was told this was informal and she took them seriously.
"I have no idea..." Luca shakes her head in wonderment. Dark haired and hazel-eyed with a slender build. Her eclectic taste in clothing gave her a bit of a scattered appearance. She leans back in the sofa and simply watches the byplay.
"Uhm..." A hesitant voice intrudes, "Is there anything we should be doing?" Saki dithered. Light, almost ash, colored hair and light lavender eyes with a bulky pink sweater and fluffy pom poms rounded out her appearance.
"Well no one put out snacks..." A girl with bright purple hair and eyes shrugs. Her hair is held up in an elaborate set of tails and she chose to wear something a bit different than her usual flashy clothes. A simple white sundress with lavender sandals completes her look. Finnel calls up an interface and taps a few commands bringing a table full of finger foods and drinks into existence in the corner of the room.
"Why would she bother with snacks? Aren't we in a virtual space? The food isn't real." A sleepy eyed fuchsia haired petite young woman says. It's not like Tyria disagrees, but she doesn't see the point. Her own outfit appears to be, of all things, a summer weight school uniform. A short sleeved button down white shirt is tucked into a simple blue pleated skirt with black leggings and mary janes.
"Oh but it looks so lovely and doesn't refreshments make this feel more like a party?" The last person there had the most unique hair style. Her light green hair is fluffed out and curls outward to two points behind her head in a gravity defying fashion. The green bodysuit she wears comes with gossamer fairy-like wings. Frelia smiles happily at the activity going on around her.
"Sorry I'm late! I got held up by Sasha. She wanted me to help her with a few tests and well..." Like a hurricane of activity and words Cocona burst into the virtual space. Her dark purple hair held up in twintails by elaborate gold ornaments with a sleeveless tailed shirt that exposes her midriff. Short shorts, thigh high stockings, and shoes complete her ensemble. Her sudden appearance is normal and no one even takes notice except to call a few greetings.
"My my my...so this is what a Binary Field looks like from the inside..." A completely new voice causes the women already in the room to stare in complete shock at their entrance. The woman appears young with long greyish hair in loose waves and curls. Her red eyes hold a great deal of amusement at the reaction she managed to receive by gate crashing. Her outfit consists of an orange hoodie with what looks like splashes of color. She chose to accessorize with an orange and blue cap and simple sneakers.
"C-Cas...Casty...?" Shurelia is the only one of them in such shock that she barely manages a squeak. She whips her gaze to the last person in the room attempting to bore a hole in the young woman's skull by sheer force of will.
"I invited her." The last woman has long black hair and red eyes. A petite build clothed in a simple charcoal black sweatshirt and deep black leggings is kneeling on the floor over a holo terminal. Mir looks at Shurelia with eyes shimmering with amusement at her friend's discomfiture.
"Shurelia! How have you been! I'm sorry that it took so long to get here, but I had to dust off my old appearance. You literally wouldn't recognize me now." The now named Casty grabs the smaller girl in a big hug that buries her face in her chest. If Casty had been more endowed this might have been the end of Shurelia, but thankfully that wasn't the case.
"You softy you..." Cocona teases as she hugs Mir in greeting. Mir doesn't deny it, but the small smile has more dark glee than an altruistic act should have. The other girls, Reyvateils, head over to greet the newcomer.
"How did you even get her here?" Tyria asks after having checked to make sure that Casty's connection was stable and blinks in surprise. "Ar Ciela...? She's...not a Reyvateil..." Mir's grin is pure Schaudenfraude at the looks of surprise.
"The explanation isn't so interesting that I want to go over this more than once. You can wait until Taylor gets here." The time is nearly at hand. All of the effort. All of the heartache. It was finally coming together. A Reyvateil born in another dimension. The sheer amount of research and fine tuning that had gone into her adjustment was staggering. There hadn't been so much effort in the creation of a Reyvateil since the First Age. The only ones that took more effort were Shurelia, Frelia, and Tyria.
A warning message blares across every available surface causing everyone to rush about to prepare. They get in position just as the warning ends and a hazy shimmer starts up in the room. It struggles briefly to coallesce before smoothing dramatically and becoming a stable door. A young woman with dark brown hair flowing down her back and blue eyes appears. Her outfit is a simple white bodysuit with sleeves connected to gloves. Thigh high white boots adorn her legs. She looks confused at her location before locking eyes on Mir with a laser-like intensity.
"Welcome, Taylor. The time for you to open your eyes is here." Mir says with a warmth that Cocona is familiar with, and Shurelia suspected, but the others are surprised. Taylor lets out a choked sob and throws herself across the room at Mir in a flying glomp that causes the smaller girl to yelp and fall. Gentle smiles and some giggles are heard, but more than a few eyes are moist, as Mir pets the crying girl's head affectionately.
"Y-you...you're that voice..." She smiles at Mir with love. "You saved me..." Her voice quiets as she finally seems to notice the others. She flushes bright red and stammers a bit, but the looks of fond amusement calm her. "This Song...these Melodies...they're so beautiful...this Harmony..." It feels almost like she's singing her words with a peculiar weight and reverberation. Casty looks absolutely fascinated.
"You can hear them as a Melody?" She asks curiously. Taylor blinks owlishly at her and nods. The others look perplexed.
"She's not pinging off of us, but she can hear us anyway?" It's unclear who said it, but that statement sums up the general feeling in the room. The new girl shies back as if she did something wrong, but Mir pulls her back into her arms and she calms. Without even bothering to stand she floats the two of them over to a couch.
"So uh...I'm Taylor..." She introduces herself shyly. The others introduce themselves. Most are being mindful of overwhelming her, but Cocona just bowled on through that and grabbed Taylor's hands during her introduction. When she reacted with laughter the mood lightened considerably and they relaxed. She still hasn't moved from Mir's side, but now has Cocona on her other side.
"This wasn't entirely a welcoming party. Honestly I was just going to bring you here to actually explain all of this, but then they heard what was going on and had to be involved..." Mir says in a dry tone. "Seriously...we don't all get together like this often. It's such a circus." She rolls her eyes which prompts more fond laughs. "When did I become adorable and amusing as opposed to scary?" She sweeps her gaze around, but the effect is somewhat ruined by the affectionate barnacle clinging to her side.
"Mir accidentally contacted me when she was probing at a dimensional anomaly. Our energy requirements are enormous and we, for lack of a better term, draw power through wormholes. If you're interested in all of the theory we can arrange a download for you, but the gist is that there was an unusual waveform piggybacking on the transfer lines." Casty says seriously.
"Casty had no idea what was going on and neither did I so we traced the feed. Apparently it was an interdimensional probe by a race of...entities...that were scouting both of our worlds. They apparently decided not to attack us, but we heightened our state of alert. They could come back once they've rearmed themselves. We wouldn't have even noticed the probe if an unusual spike hadn't occurred." Taylor nods slowly in understanding.
"The problem is that we had no way of actually observing their activities. They could look in on us, but we couldn't look in on them. We pooled our knowledge and found the frequency for how they did their data collection. It comes in the form of...shards. These shards are apparently multidimensional conduits of data and power that are attuned to people that have suffered great emotional turmoil." No one else was been told that just yet and the reaction was of startled consternation.
"Uh...but wouldn't that have a bad effect on someone's mind?" Taylor asks curiously, but clearly already knows the answer.
"Very bad. The Shard cares nothing for the mental health of the one it is forcibly bonded to which has the result of fracturing the psyche further. It is programmed to increase aggression, promote conflict, and generally cause behaviors that aren't safe for the recipient." Mir says grimly, "When we found you the Shard was already in the process of breaking down your mind into something more simplistic. Insectoid to a degree. It would have made relating to others difficult to say the least."
"The shards ping off of one another to gain data. Usually when it first enters the host which is where other powers are born at the same time. If many shards are there at the event it can create what you call a Grab Bag cape." The others gather closer in fascination as Mir and Casty explain.
"So wait...my shard is pinging off of other shards...?" Taylor asks in a manner suggesting she already knows the answer, but is looking for confirmation. Mir and Casty both grin at how perceptive she is. "Their shards send data to mine...and you've been collecting the data...well I said that I wanted to save my world. If being a data collecter is what it takes I'll do it." Casty giggles while Mir shakes her head slowly.
"You aren't "just" a data collector. You are a Reyvateil like us. That was what the adjustments were for. They were to prepare you for all of this. You wouldn't be able to defend yourself if all you could do was gather information." Mir chides her.
"Why does that matter though? You need the information, and I appreciate you wanting to help Earth, but why do you care?" Poor Taylor sounds so lost that Cocona wraps her arms around the taller girl's waist and hugs her from behind.
"It matters to us because it matters to you. This is not a one way partnership. You are helping us so we're helping you. That was our deal. I said I would get you out of that situation and I am." The dark haired woman says seriously.
"We are." Casty chimes in.
"We all are. You're one of us now and we help our own." Shurelia says. There is a general round of agreement and the tears start again. The outpouring of love, affection, and acceptance is visibly getting to her. Silence reigns as she gains some semblance of control again.
"Taylor...there a few things you need to know about what you've become. Reyvateils are essentially gynoids. Save for those poor souls that the system mistook for Reyvateils. It means that we possess a connection to a Tower. These Towers are where we draw our power from and they allow us to craft Song Magic by our will and emotions. You apparently picked up something unintended. Your ability to "hear" people's hearts as melodies is...well I have no basis to explain that..." Mir sounds more frustrated than apologetic as Casty smoothly cuts in.
"Actually it appears to be a bastardization of something our people call Oversight. It allows the user to see possibilities and grasp the most useful ones. The restriction is that you cannot grasp more than you can comprehend. It appears that your Melody sense is closely related to this ability. Useful, strange but useful, it's served you well so far. You have also been using it when you have put together machines. Mir downloaded the knowledge, but your Oversight has allowed you to put it together in a manner tha makes sense for your universe." That draws some thoughtful looks.
"I was wondering how you were doing that with no grounding in your world's physics and only our understanding of it..." Mir nods contemplatively, "It's useful, but no substitute for learning it properly."
"Oh I know...it makes my head hurt if I do it too much...for my Tinker test it was all I could not to find a place to curl up and sleep. The pain was just that bad." Taylor gets into the conversation. "So if Reyvateils need a Tower...am I connected to yours...?"
"We have been using your reprogrammed Shard as a relay to our Tower until you can build a network of your own. You will probably be more busy constructing the infrastructure and making preparations for the numerous threats your world has, but please balance yourself. Take the time to have fun like you have been. Don't rush things. When you rush you make mistakes." Mir says and the brown haired Neo Reyvateil nods.
"Am I still pinging off of other shards?" She asks.
"Actually yes. It was a useful ability that seemed silly to remove. You have probably noticed that you click better with parahumans. It works well on people, but that connectivity is better with capes." Mir replies.
"Does it make me like them more or make them like me more?" Understandably she sounds worried about that, but the dark haired Reyvateil shakes her head.
"All it does is promote better understanding. You can see their true self, but it gives them a passive insight to your own self. If that causes them to like you more then it's only because they like what they see." The older woman assures her, but the pensive look remains.
"What about with Lisa? It's like...I feel her inside..." She exhales slowly and bites the bullet, "Other melodies that try to blend with my own and I can steer them away, but hers is like a cat...I try to guide it away, but it just slips right on in without so much as a by-your-leave." Taylor sounds aggrieved, but not really unhappy.
"Probably because you want her in there. Nothing to be ashamed about." Mir says with a smile.
Conversations shift to more pleasant things and the atmosphere ligthens. The refreshments were a hit and several smaller groups formed. Mir was even able to get Taylor to go socialize while she sat and enjoyed the zone of silence around her. The gift for Shurelia was a hit. Keeping Casty's involvement a secret had been a pain, but it was worth it. The two were even now rekindling their old relationship. Their friendship still strong after all this time.
The stories they told of their journeys lasted for what felt like hours. Taylor asked Mir if it was okay for her to be gone so long eliciting a laugh. She had it explained that this virtual chatroom was more like a shared dream then actual reality. Time passed differently here. The younger girl smiled and went back to listening to Frelia's slightly disjointed account of Metafallica with Cloche and Luca steering the tale back on track. Well, they tried to, but the flutter brain had her own ideas that apparently involved penguins.
All good things must come to end, however, and it was soon time for Taylor to leave. She didn't want to leave, but her virtual image was fading around the edges. The rest had more mental stamina, but that was to be expected. Taylor was still young yet.
"Taylor! I almost forgot something!" Cocona passed a glowing sphere over to Taylor that fragmented when she touched it. "It's a V Board! Sasha and I worked on it with Aoto, but well...we weren't sure how to get it to you...so Sasha thought of making it a data file. Now you can make it." The other girl beams happily and hugs Cocona tightly.
"Thanks! Uhh...why do the plans call for it to become...tonfas? Wait...hair clips that become a staff?" Taylor looks intrigued, but her questions are good ones.
"Transforming weapons are cool." That Mir really should have seen coming as Cocona's guileless smile made her proclamation seem perfectly normal. Taylor hugs Mir tightly one more time before heading back through the portal. The data was transferred for her to enter this virtual room again.
"She has a difficult road ahead." Tyria says quietly. "But she has support from us and her friends."
"She'll need all the help she can get." Mir says with a sigh.
or Melody of Escalation
Interlude: Reunion
All was in readiness. They had planned for any eventuality. The amount of time spent to make this work was staggering. There would be no mistakes. They could afford none at this important juncture. Which is why distractions and unforeseen circumstances were so unwelcome. The room was ready. The guests were ready. There would be no mistakes. The walls were done in pale greens and the floor in pale blues with everything possessing a crystalline metallic sheen. A warm brown wraparound sofa with several end tables and flowers made the room appear warmer.
"Stop doing that smug laughter thing it gives off creepy villain vibes." A young woman's voice says in an aggrieved tone. The owner of the voice was a woman with light brown hair and light blue eyes with a lithe build. A simple brown bodice and green skirt with brown boots were what she wore. Apparently she was feeling nostalgic as Aurica didn't usually wear her Skuwat clothing.
"She wouldn't be herself if she did things normally." The amused woman possesses raven hair and deep blue eyes with a curvier build. She was wearing a tight fitting top under a kimono top with a unique gold ornament in her hair. Misha rarely wore anything else because it made her look good. The skirt and shoes complimented her look nicely.
"Now stop picking on her...even if it is a bit creepy." The light girlish voice of Shurelia was teasing. Her silvery hair, dark blue eyes, and petite build gave her an elfin appearance. She was wearing a yellow t-shirt, blue coveralls, and was barefoot.
"Is it always like this?" A refined and haughty person asks the one seated beside her. Lady Cloche was blonde haired, blue eyed, and busty as well. Despite hitting so many stereotypes the one she didn't hit was being a ditz. She was dressed in a charming pink kimono and loose trousers with sandals on her feet. She was told this was informal and she took them seriously.
"I have no idea..." Luca shakes her head in wonderment. Dark haired and hazel-eyed with a slender build. Her eclectic taste in clothing gave her a bit of a scattered appearance. She leans back in the sofa and simply watches the byplay.
"Uhm..." A hesitant voice intrudes, "Is there anything we should be doing?" Saki dithered. Light, almost ash, colored hair and light lavender eyes with a bulky pink sweater and fluffy pom poms rounded out her appearance.
"Well no one put out snacks..." A girl with bright purple hair and eyes shrugs. Her hair is held up in an elaborate set of tails and she chose to wear something a bit different than her usual flashy clothes. A simple white sundress with lavender sandals completes her look. Finnel calls up an interface and taps a few commands bringing a table full of finger foods and drinks into existence in the corner of the room.
"Why would she bother with snacks? Aren't we in a virtual space? The food isn't real." A sleepy eyed fuchsia haired petite young woman says. It's not like Tyria disagrees, but she doesn't see the point. Her own outfit appears to be, of all things, a summer weight school uniform. A short sleeved button down white shirt is tucked into a simple blue pleated skirt with black leggings and mary janes.
"Oh but it looks so lovely and doesn't refreshments make this feel more like a party?" The last person there had the most unique hair style. Her light green hair is fluffed out and curls outward to two points behind her head in a gravity defying fashion. The green bodysuit she wears comes with gossamer fairy-like wings. Frelia smiles happily at the activity going on around her.
"Sorry I'm late! I got held up by Sasha. She wanted me to help her with a few tests and well..." Like a hurricane of activity and words Cocona burst into the virtual space. Her dark purple hair held up in twintails by elaborate gold ornaments with a sleeveless tailed shirt that exposes her midriff. Short shorts, thigh high stockings, and shoes complete her ensemble. Her sudden appearance is normal and no one even takes notice except to call a few greetings.
"My my my...so this is what a Binary Field looks like from the inside..." A completely new voice causes the women already in the room to stare in complete shock at their entrance. The woman appears young with long greyish hair in loose waves and curls. Her red eyes hold a great deal of amusement at the reaction she managed to receive by gate crashing. Her outfit consists of an orange hoodie with what looks like splashes of color. She chose to accessorize with an orange and blue cap and simple sneakers.
"C-Cas...Casty...?" Shurelia is the only one of them in such shock that she barely manages a squeak. She whips her gaze to the last person in the room attempting to bore a hole in the young woman's skull by sheer force of will.
"I invited her." The last woman has long black hair and red eyes. A petite build clothed in a simple charcoal black sweatshirt and deep black leggings is kneeling on the floor over a holo terminal. Mir looks at Shurelia with eyes shimmering with amusement at her friend's discomfiture.
"Shurelia! How have you been! I'm sorry that it took so long to get here, but I had to dust off my old appearance. You literally wouldn't recognize me now." The now named Casty grabs the smaller girl in a big hug that buries her face in her chest. If Casty had been more endowed this might have been the end of Shurelia, but thankfully that wasn't the case.
"You softy you..." Cocona teases as she hugs Mir in greeting. Mir doesn't deny it, but the small smile has more dark glee than an altruistic act should have. The other girls, Reyvateils, head over to greet the newcomer.
"How did you even get her here?" Tyria asks after having checked to make sure that Casty's connection was stable and blinks in surprise. "Ar Ciela...? She's...not a Reyvateil..." Mir's grin is pure Schaudenfraude at the looks of surprise.
"The explanation isn't so interesting that I want to go over this more than once. You can wait until Taylor gets here." The time is nearly at hand. All of the effort. All of the heartache. It was finally coming together. A Reyvateil born in another dimension. The sheer amount of research and fine tuning that had gone into her adjustment was staggering. There hadn't been so much effort in the creation of a Reyvateil since the First Age. The only ones that took more effort were Shurelia, Frelia, and Tyria.
A warning message blares across every available surface causing everyone to rush about to prepare. They get in position just as the warning ends and a hazy shimmer starts up in the room. It struggles briefly to coallesce before smoothing dramatically and becoming a stable door. A young woman with dark brown hair flowing down her back and blue eyes appears. Her outfit is a simple white bodysuit with sleeves connected to gloves. Thigh high white boots adorn her legs. She looks confused at her location before locking eyes on Mir with a laser-like intensity.
"Welcome, Taylor. The time for you to open your eyes is here." Mir says with a warmth that Cocona is familiar with, and Shurelia suspected, but the others are surprised. Taylor lets out a choked sob and throws herself across the room at Mir in a flying glomp that causes the smaller girl to yelp and fall. Gentle smiles and some giggles are heard, but more than a few eyes are moist, as Mir pets the crying girl's head affectionately.
"Y-you...you're that voice..." She smiles at Mir with love. "You saved me..." Her voice quiets as she finally seems to notice the others. She flushes bright red and stammers a bit, but the looks of fond amusement calm her. "This Song...these Melodies...they're so beautiful...this Harmony..." It feels almost like she's singing her words with a peculiar weight and reverberation. Casty looks absolutely fascinated.
"You can hear them as a Melody?" She asks curiously. Taylor blinks owlishly at her and nods. The others look perplexed.
"She's not pinging off of us, but she can hear us anyway?" It's unclear who said it, but that statement sums up the general feeling in the room. The new girl shies back as if she did something wrong, but Mir pulls her back into her arms and she calms. Without even bothering to stand she floats the two of them over to a couch.
"So uh...I'm Taylor..." She introduces herself shyly. The others introduce themselves. Most are being mindful of overwhelming her, but Cocona just bowled on through that and grabbed Taylor's hands during her introduction. When she reacted with laughter the mood lightened considerably and they relaxed. She still hasn't moved from Mir's side, but now has Cocona on her other side.
"This wasn't entirely a welcoming party. Honestly I was just going to bring you here to actually explain all of this, but then they heard what was going on and had to be involved..." Mir says in a dry tone. "Seriously...we don't all get together like this often. It's such a circus." She rolls her eyes which prompts more fond laughs. "When did I become adorable and amusing as opposed to scary?" She sweeps her gaze around, but the effect is somewhat ruined by the affectionate barnacle clinging to her side.
"Mir accidentally contacted me when she was probing at a dimensional anomaly. Our energy requirements are enormous and we, for lack of a better term, draw power through wormholes. If you're interested in all of the theory we can arrange a download for you, but the gist is that there was an unusual waveform piggybacking on the transfer lines." Casty says seriously.
"Casty had no idea what was going on and neither did I so we traced the feed. Apparently it was an interdimensional probe by a race of...entities...that were scouting both of our worlds. They apparently decided not to attack us, but we heightened our state of alert. They could come back once they've rearmed themselves. We wouldn't have even noticed the probe if an unusual spike hadn't occurred." Taylor nods slowly in understanding.
"The problem is that we had no way of actually observing their activities. They could look in on us, but we couldn't look in on them. We pooled our knowledge and found the frequency for how they did their data collection. It comes in the form of...shards. These shards are apparently multidimensional conduits of data and power that are attuned to people that have suffered great emotional turmoil." No one else was been told that just yet and the reaction was of startled consternation.
"Uh...but wouldn't that have a bad effect on someone's mind?" Taylor asks curiously, but clearly already knows the answer.
"Very bad. The Shard cares nothing for the mental health of the one it is forcibly bonded to which has the result of fracturing the psyche further. It is programmed to increase aggression, promote conflict, and generally cause behaviors that aren't safe for the recipient." Mir says grimly, "When we found you the Shard was already in the process of breaking down your mind into something more simplistic. Insectoid to a degree. It would have made relating to others difficult to say the least."
"The shards ping off of one another to gain data. Usually when it first enters the host which is where other powers are born at the same time. If many shards are there at the event it can create what you call a Grab Bag cape." The others gather closer in fascination as Mir and Casty explain.
"So wait...my shard is pinging off of other shards...?" Taylor asks in a manner suggesting she already knows the answer, but is looking for confirmation. Mir and Casty both grin at how perceptive she is. "Their shards send data to mine...and you've been collecting the data...well I said that I wanted to save my world. If being a data collecter is what it takes I'll do it." Casty giggles while Mir shakes her head slowly.
"You aren't "just" a data collector. You are a Reyvateil like us. That was what the adjustments were for. They were to prepare you for all of this. You wouldn't be able to defend yourself if all you could do was gather information." Mir chides her.
"Why does that matter though? You need the information, and I appreciate you wanting to help Earth, but why do you care?" Poor Taylor sounds so lost that Cocona wraps her arms around the taller girl's waist and hugs her from behind.
"It matters to us because it matters to you. This is not a one way partnership. You are helping us so we're helping you. That was our deal. I said I would get you out of that situation and I am." The dark haired woman says seriously.
"We are." Casty chimes in.
"We all are. You're one of us now and we help our own." Shurelia says. There is a general round of agreement and the tears start again. The outpouring of love, affection, and acceptance is visibly getting to her. Silence reigns as she gains some semblance of control again.
"Taylor...there a few things you need to know about what you've become. Reyvateils are essentially gynoids. Save for those poor souls that the system mistook for Reyvateils. It means that we possess a connection to a Tower. These Towers are where we draw our power from and they allow us to craft Song Magic by our will and emotions. You apparently picked up something unintended. Your ability to "hear" people's hearts as melodies is...well I have no basis to explain that..." Mir sounds more frustrated than apologetic as Casty smoothly cuts in.
"Actually it appears to be a bastardization of something our people call Oversight. It allows the user to see possibilities and grasp the most useful ones. The restriction is that you cannot grasp more than you can comprehend. It appears that your Melody sense is closely related to this ability. Useful, strange but useful, it's served you well so far. You have also been using it when you have put together machines. Mir downloaded the knowledge, but your Oversight has allowed you to put it together in a manner tha makes sense for your universe." That draws some thoughtful looks.
"I was wondering how you were doing that with no grounding in your world's physics and only our understanding of it..." Mir nods contemplatively, "It's useful, but no substitute for learning it properly."
"Oh I know...it makes my head hurt if I do it too much...for my Tinker test it was all I could not to find a place to curl up and sleep. The pain was just that bad." Taylor gets into the conversation. "So if Reyvateils need a Tower...am I connected to yours...?"
"We have been using your reprogrammed Shard as a relay to our Tower until you can build a network of your own. You will probably be more busy constructing the infrastructure and making preparations for the numerous threats your world has, but please balance yourself. Take the time to have fun like you have been. Don't rush things. When you rush you make mistakes." Mir says and the brown haired Neo Reyvateil nods.
"Am I still pinging off of other shards?" She asks.
"Actually yes. It was a useful ability that seemed silly to remove. You have probably noticed that you click better with parahumans. It works well on people, but that connectivity is better with capes." Mir replies.
"Does it make me like them more or make them like me more?" Understandably she sounds worried about that, but the dark haired Reyvateil shakes her head.
"All it does is promote better understanding. You can see their true self, but it gives them a passive insight to your own self. If that causes them to like you more then it's only because they like what they see." The older woman assures her, but the pensive look remains.
"What about with Lisa? It's like...I feel her inside..." She exhales slowly and bites the bullet, "Other melodies that try to blend with my own and I can steer them away, but hers is like a cat...I try to guide it away, but it just slips right on in without so much as a by-your-leave." Taylor sounds aggrieved, but not really unhappy.
"Probably because you want her in there. Nothing to be ashamed about." Mir says with a smile.
Conversations shift to more pleasant things and the atmosphere ligthens. The refreshments were a hit and several smaller groups formed. Mir was even able to get Taylor to go socialize while she sat and enjoyed the zone of silence around her. The gift for Shurelia was a hit. Keeping Casty's involvement a secret had been a pain, but it was worth it. The two were even now rekindling their old relationship. Their friendship still strong after all this time.
The stories they told of their journeys lasted for what felt like hours. Taylor asked Mir if it was okay for her to be gone so long eliciting a laugh. She had it explained that this virtual chatroom was more like a shared dream then actual reality. Time passed differently here. The younger girl smiled and went back to listening to Frelia's slightly disjointed account of Metafallica with Cloche and Luca steering the tale back on track. Well, they tried to, but the flutter brain had her own ideas that apparently involved penguins.
All good things must come to end, however, and it was soon time for Taylor to leave. She didn't want to leave, but her virtual image was fading around the edges. The rest had more mental stamina, but that was to be expected. Taylor was still young yet.
"Taylor! I almost forgot something!" Cocona passed a glowing sphere over to Taylor that fragmented when she touched it. "It's a V Board! Sasha and I worked on it with Aoto, but well...we weren't sure how to get it to you...so Sasha thought of making it a data file. Now you can make it." The other girl beams happily and hugs Cocona tightly.
"Thanks! Uhh...why do the plans call for it to become...tonfas? Wait...hair clips that become a staff?" Taylor looks intrigued, but her questions are good ones.
"Transforming weapons are cool." That Mir really should have seen coming as Cocona's guileless smile made her proclamation seem perfectly normal. Taylor hugs Mir tightly one more time before heading back through the portal. The data was transferred for her to enter this virtual room again.
"She has a difficult road ahead." Tyria says quietly. "But she has support from us and her friends."
"She'll need all the help she can get." Mir says with a sigh.
Interlude The After Party
- Location
- PA
Hymn of Harmony
or Melody of Escalation
Interlude: The After Party
Mir sat alone in the virtual chat long after the guests had left. It went better than she expected. They took to Taylor well, and the look of shock on Shurelia's face when Casty came was priceless. Those two were still talking elsewhere. A fond smile cross her face as she concludes that this was a success. She looks across the room as a figure materializes. Cocona was always a complicated issue. More complicated than even Taylor. The younger Reyvateil was like a daughter, younger sister, protege, and many things she couldn't accurately describe.
"Hey Mir. What was it you wanted to tell me that the others couldn't know about?" Cocona asks curiously. The shorter woman fixes a level stare on the younger causing her to grimace. Good.
"When were you going to tell Croix, Aoto, or any of us that you were burning out?" Mir asks levelly. With a weary sigh at odds with her normal energy, Cocona flops onto the couch and stares at the ceiling.
"Dr. Hikaru Gojo is a brilliant healer. He was the one that figured out just how bad off I am." That stare is fixed on Mir, "I'm burning through diquility even faster now. You know Croix would blame himself. Even though it was to save all of us he wouldn't care. All he would care about is that he Dived into me, before my Cosmosphere was even ready, and burst my boundary gate. The reasons wouldn't matter to him. In his eyes he would have killed me." Her voice is almost raw with pain at the end.
Mir drifts over to sit beside her and wraps her in her arms, "You barely have any energy left. At your rate of failure you most likely won't last another year, two at the most, but you will keep pushing yourself so they won't know." There is no question in that. Cocona nods miserably. The only place she has any freedom anymore is in the Binary Field. Mir smiles softly, "Sweetheart..." That fixes the younger girl's attention. Mir doesn't use diminutives often, "We learned quite a bit from working with Taylor you know."
"How...how does that mean anything now...?" Cocona isn't stupid, but this sudden topic change confuses her.
"It has everything to do with this. Cocona...we had to adjust Taylor very slowly. Look over each line of code with painstaking detail. There was the interactions with her own universe that we had to consider. The interface layer she possesses allows her to use Song Magic in a universe with a different physics system. We had to gradually change Taylor so that the Tower would accept her. First adjustment made her essentially like a Third Gen while subsequent adjustments brought her to the state she is now." Mir watches Cocona for when the coin drops. She isn't disappointed.
"Wait...but...if you could do that for a pure human..." The poor girl is staring at Mir with a wild hope.
"What is the difference between an adjusted human and a human woman misidentified by the system as a Reyvateil...?" Mir grins as Cocona abruptly tightens her grip, "It won't take nearly as much time for your adjustment. The reason it was so rough on Taylor is that we couldn't just stuff her in a diagnostic machine, hit a few buttons, and let it do it's work. We have always had the technology, but unless we could see it in action step by step at the most minute level it couldn't be done. There were just so many factors and variables..." She shakes her head as it's clear her audience is woefully lost. "The Tower could partially convert a human by accident. We did it by design. Now there is an option for Third Gens."
"Is that why you went to the trouble for Taylor...?" Not surprisingly Cocona doesn't sound entirely thrilled. Mir grimaces.
"I categorically refused to do it at first. Human experimentation is too close to what was done to me. It was only through time, and showing me that the theory was sound, that it didn't look like we were about to turn a young girl into a bloody paste of violently dispersed pieces. Make no mistake that Interface layer is absolutely critical for her. If it fails then Waveform physics abruptly meets particle physics and..." Cocona winces at Mir's description.
"So what actually changed your mind?" Cocona asks softly.
"They left me with full control over the project. The theory was sound, they gave me the lead, and told me to absolutely anything I must to ensure the safety of the recipient. Our project wasn't worth the cost of a life." That conversation had been interesting. Shurelia had stated, without hesitation, that Mir was the best person for the job because of her own experiences. "And then I met Taylor...her Shard was approaching and I piggybacked on the signal...and there she was. This beautiful person with a wonderful heart pushed into the dark. Losing her heart, losing her mind, losing herself..." At some point the embrace had reversed and it was Cocona holding Mir comfortingly.
"You saved her." The younger girl's voice is warm.
"And she saved you. She's saved so many that have suffered through painful treatments just because a program couldn't differentiate between a human and a Reyvateil. The data she's been sending back keeps everyone else happy, but saving our people keeps me happy." Mir never made a secret that she was still pro Reyvateil, but those like Croix had made her see humans in a better light. Given her gross mistreatment at the hands of humans it wasn't much of a surprise.
"So...this interface layer...is that a feature of this treatment?" Cocona asks in a far too innocent tone that nevertheless sets off warning bells.
"Not really...it was needed for Taylor, but it would be a needless addition..." Mir knows what's coming, but also knows who she's talking to. If there was one trait that she loved and hated about the girl was her single-minded determination. Cocona's grin only confirms her worries.
"I want it. If this thing protects from unstable physics then wouldn't that also extend to doorways between worlds? The theory is sound. The only thing that was needed according to the research done is for there to be a protection in place to guard against the boundary." Mir blinks at the remarkable degree of intellect shown, but isn't surprised at the lack of understanding in there as well.
"You're right. I hate to admit it, but you are actually right. The thing that you aren't taking into consideration is that you would be going into a situation with no support structure. No Tower to draw on. Even if we had you route through Taylor's Shard it wouldn't let you use Song Magic and..." Cocona just stares at Mir inscrutably until the shorter woman fidgets.
"Most of my Songs are lower yield than the artillery class stuff the rest of you throw around. Seriously. I only have one piece of heavy artillery, but that isn't even my full fighting ability. This is all just curiousity." She shrugs unconvincingly. Mir glowers.
"We'll do it. You'll get the Interface, but that is only as a last resort. The amount of energy needed to send mass is astronomical. It wouldn't even be a simple fix to bring you back. You would be stranded until Taylor could build up the support structure on her end to gather the energy to send you back. We would have to do this each time to send you back and forth." Sometimes you had to hit Cocona with facts, hard, repeatedly, and in different ways for her to understand. The sudden wince and groan is enough to tell Mir that the idea, while not entirely put to bed, has cooled significantly.
"I guess just making a stable door would be too much...?" Cocona suggests, but her enthusiasm has notably waned. She wants to help, but she also doesn't want to be years away from her loved ones either. Mir opens her mouth to say that Cocona is right, but she stops. It was something Casty mentioned in a throwaway comment. They had been researching wormhole doors or some such. Cocona perks up at Mir's continued silence only for the older woman to pierce that hopeful expression.
"Not happening. No. I will approach this the same way that I did Taylor's adjustment and augmentation. The theory must check out. There will be study done. This is not something that we are leaping into. You mean too much to me to risk like that." She suddenly drops into a teasing tone, "Are you trying to avoid telling Croix what you avoided mentioning to him?" There is an audible smack as Cocona's hand met her own face in chagrin.
"You got me. I'm not looking forward to that conversation. I've been working down on the surface to avoid telling him about it. Aoto has Tyria, Saki, and Finnel so I've been feeling like a...fourth? Fifth? Wheel...whatever...that analogy backfired..." She shakes her head in annoyance. "You married Croix. That guy Lyner is in it with Shurelia, Aurica, and Misha...Luca and Cloche might as well be called Luche or Cloa with how into each other they are..." She facepalms again. Mir just starts to laugh.
"Well just think, Cocona, you are going to be around for a lot longer now and can watch these things more." The surge of humor levels out to a pleasant feeling of contentment. That's right. They smile at each other in affection and relief.
"Think Taylor would let me call her sis?" Cocona giggles playfully, "I can't wait to tell her. She might find herself with a fan club bigger than Sister Clo's." Mir wouldn't mind being a fly on the wall for that conversation.
or Melody of Escalation
Interlude: The After Party
Mir sat alone in the virtual chat long after the guests had left. It went better than she expected. They took to Taylor well, and the look of shock on Shurelia's face when Casty came was priceless. Those two were still talking elsewhere. A fond smile cross her face as she concludes that this was a success. She looks across the room as a figure materializes. Cocona was always a complicated issue. More complicated than even Taylor. The younger Reyvateil was like a daughter, younger sister, protege, and many things she couldn't accurately describe.
"Hey Mir. What was it you wanted to tell me that the others couldn't know about?" Cocona asks curiously. The shorter woman fixes a level stare on the younger causing her to grimace. Good.
"When were you going to tell Croix, Aoto, or any of us that you were burning out?" Mir asks levelly. With a weary sigh at odds with her normal energy, Cocona flops onto the couch and stares at the ceiling.
"Dr. Hikaru Gojo is a brilliant healer. He was the one that figured out just how bad off I am." That stare is fixed on Mir, "I'm burning through diquility even faster now. You know Croix would blame himself. Even though it was to save all of us he wouldn't care. All he would care about is that he Dived into me, before my Cosmosphere was even ready, and burst my boundary gate. The reasons wouldn't matter to him. In his eyes he would have killed me." Her voice is almost raw with pain at the end.
Mir drifts over to sit beside her and wraps her in her arms, "You barely have any energy left. At your rate of failure you most likely won't last another year, two at the most, but you will keep pushing yourself so they won't know." There is no question in that. Cocona nods miserably. The only place she has any freedom anymore is in the Binary Field. Mir smiles softly, "Sweetheart..." That fixes the younger girl's attention. Mir doesn't use diminutives often, "We learned quite a bit from working with Taylor you know."
"How...how does that mean anything now...?" Cocona isn't stupid, but this sudden topic change confuses her.
"It has everything to do with this. Cocona...we had to adjust Taylor very slowly. Look over each line of code with painstaking detail. There was the interactions with her own universe that we had to consider. The interface layer she possesses allows her to use Song Magic in a universe with a different physics system. We had to gradually change Taylor so that the Tower would accept her. First adjustment made her essentially like a Third Gen while subsequent adjustments brought her to the state she is now." Mir watches Cocona for when the coin drops. She isn't disappointed.
"Wait...but...if you could do that for a pure human..." The poor girl is staring at Mir with a wild hope.
"What is the difference between an adjusted human and a human woman misidentified by the system as a Reyvateil...?" Mir grins as Cocona abruptly tightens her grip, "It won't take nearly as much time for your adjustment. The reason it was so rough on Taylor is that we couldn't just stuff her in a diagnostic machine, hit a few buttons, and let it do it's work. We have always had the technology, but unless we could see it in action step by step at the most minute level it couldn't be done. There were just so many factors and variables..." She shakes her head as it's clear her audience is woefully lost. "The Tower could partially convert a human by accident. We did it by design. Now there is an option for Third Gens."
"Is that why you went to the trouble for Taylor...?" Not surprisingly Cocona doesn't sound entirely thrilled. Mir grimaces.
"I categorically refused to do it at first. Human experimentation is too close to what was done to me. It was only through time, and showing me that the theory was sound, that it didn't look like we were about to turn a young girl into a bloody paste of violently dispersed pieces. Make no mistake that Interface layer is absolutely critical for her. If it fails then Waveform physics abruptly meets particle physics and..." Cocona winces at Mir's description.
"So what actually changed your mind?" Cocona asks softly.
"They left me with full control over the project. The theory was sound, they gave me the lead, and told me to absolutely anything I must to ensure the safety of the recipient. Our project wasn't worth the cost of a life." That conversation had been interesting. Shurelia had stated, without hesitation, that Mir was the best person for the job because of her own experiences. "And then I met Taylor...her Shard was approaching and I piggybacked on the signal...and there she was. This beautiful person with a wonderful heart pushed into the dark. Losing her heart, losing her mind, losing herself..." At some point the embrace had reversed and it was Cocona holding Mir comfortingly.
"You saved her." The younger girl's voice is warm.
"And she saved you. She's saved so many that have suffered through painful treatments just because a program couldn't differentiate between a human and a Reyvateil. The data she's been sending back keeps everyone else happy, but saving our people keeps me happy." Mir never made a secret that she was still pro Reyvateil, but those like Croix had made her see humans in a better light. Given her gross mistreatment at the hands of humans it wasn't much of a surprise.
"So...this interface layer...is that a feature of this treatment?" Cocona asks in a far too innocent tone that nevertheless sets off warning bells.
"Not really...it was needed for Taylor, but it would be a needless addition..." Mir knows what's coming, but also knows who she's talking to. If there was one trait that she loved and hated about the girl was her single-minded determination. Cocona's grin only confirms her worries.
"I want it. If this thing protects from unstable physics then wouldn't that also extend to doorways between worlds? The theory is sound. The only thing that was needed according to the research done is for there to be a protection in place to guard against the boundary." Mir blinks at the remarkable degree of intellect shown, but isn't surprised at the lack of understanding in there as well.
"You're right. I hate to admit it, but you are actually right. The thing that you aren't taking into consideration is that you would be going into a situation with no support structure. No Tower to draw on. Even if we had you route through Taylor's Shard it wouldn't let you use Song Magic and..." Cocona just stares at Mir inscrutably until the shorter woman fidgets.
"Most of my Songs are lower yield than the artillery class stuff the rest of you throw around. Seriously. I only have one piece of heavy artillery, but that isn't even my full fighting ability. This is all just curiousity." She shrugs unconvincingly. Mir glowers.
"We'll do it. You'll get the Interface, but that is only as a last resort. The amount of energy needed to send mass is astronomical. It wouldn't even be a simple fix to bring you back. You would be stranded until Taylor could build up the support structure on her end to gather the energy to send you back. We would have to do this each time to send you back and forth." Sometimes you had to hit Cocona with facts, hard, repeatedly, and in different ways for her to understand. The sudden wince and groan is enough to tell Mir that the idea, while not entirely put to bed, has cooled significantly.
"I guess just making a stable door would be too much...?" Cocona suggests, but her enthusiasm has notably waned. She wants to help, but she also doesn't want to be years away from her loved ones either. Mir opens her mouth to say that Cocona is right, but she stops. It was something Casty mentioned in a throwaway comment. They had been researching wormhole doors or some such. Cocona perks up at Mir's continued silence only for the older woman to pierce that hopeful expression.
"Not happening. No. I will approach this the same way that I did Taylor's adjustment and augmentation. The theory must check out. There will be study done. This is not something that we are leaping into. You mean too much to me to risk like that." She suddenly drops into a teasing tone, "Are you trying to avoid telling Croix what you avoided mentioning to him?" There is an audible smack as Cocona's hand met her own face in chagrin.
"You got me. I'm not looking forward to that conversation. I've been working down on the surface to avoid telling him about it. Aoto has Tyria, Saki, and Finnel so I've been feeling like a...fourth? Fifth? Wheel...whatever...that analogy backfired..." She shakes her head in annoyance. "You married Croix. That guy Lyner is in it with Shurelia, Aurica, and Misha...Luca and Cloche might as well be called Luche or Cloa with how into each other they are..." She facepalms again. Mir just starts to laugh.
"Well just think, Cocona, you are going to be around for a lot longer now and can watch these things more." The surge of humor levels out to a pleasant feeling of contentment. That's right. They smile at each other in affection and relief.
"Think Taylor would let me call her sis?" Cocona giggles playfully, "I can't wait to tell her. She might find herself with a fan club bigger than Sister Clo's." Mir wouldn't mind being a fly on the wall for that conversation.
Interlude 2.a Emma
- Location
- PA
Hymn of Harmony
or Melody of Escalation
Interlude 2.a Emma
-February 5, 2011 After school-
Her thoughts were spinning. She shook her head to clear it, but nothing she did seemed to work. Her feet were carrying her ever forward towards home, but her heart was back at Winslow. Taylor had come back from the locker prank more beautiful, strong, and confident then ever before. She knew that the brunette had a core of steel that wasn't often seen. Well that steel had been turned on her.
She deserved it.
Two years ago the worst night of her life had happened. She was being held down by two Asian gangsters and it looked bad for her. Emma refused to be a helpless victim and kicked the man over her in the crotch. Before she knew it the situation was over. Shadow Stalker had appeared and saved her. She was just too relieved at the time to question where she was before that.
Her dad was grateful as well. He gave Stalker his card and said that if she had legal trouble to call him. It wasn't even two days later when he got the call. She had been caught leaving an unpowered human pinned to a wall. The two of them spoke again and they hit it off. Sophia, as she was known out of costume, was strong and confident. Self assured. There was nothing she couldn't do. Emma was envious. Sophia told her that all she had to do to gain that strength was to cut out her weakness.
She didn't know what her weakness was until Taylor came home. The tall and gangly girl had been her best friend since forever. She had needed Emma after her mom died. They spent so much time together and were inseparable. However, Taylor was recovering and needed Emma less. Her dad sent her away to summer camp and Emma expected her to be miserable. When she came up the walk with a spring in her step and smile an ugly voice whispered that she was unneeded.
She had ignored that voice initially. For the longest time she had been slowly developing a love of Taylor that was beyond a sisterly bond. Her father was opinionated on "unnatural" relationships and it scared her. What would he do if he found out about Emma's unnatural lust for her best friend? The fear had only grown. The ugly voice was growing louder. Sophia had said to cut out her weakness.
She was a block from home as her memory caught up to the present and choked back a sob. She had cut out Taylor. The one person that saw beyond the pretty girl. The one person that gave her sanctuary. The one person that helped her feel good about herself. She groaned in self recrimination as she walked into her home. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Those words came back to taunt her.
"Cut out your weakness." The words sang in a distorted pitch. Did that come out of her mouth? Whatever. She threw her backpack across her bedroom. The bag crashed into the wall, but it wasn't important. She just wanted to curl up on her bed until the world went away. A conversation with her father stuck in her mind.
-Four Years ago-
"Dad...why is homosexuality bad?" young Emma asked as her father was reading the paper. He looked at her for a moment and set the paper aside. His eyes were a bit wild and his face was red. He glanced at the paper with it's article on Legend. Two things her dad hated were homosexuals and capes. Legend represented a terrible threat to his world view.
"Only a man and a woman can create life. Nothing else. With how this world has gone to hell, and the population failing, we need more people creating life. We don't need these goddamn freaks parading their unnatural behaviors. The fact that they let this...this...freakish cape be a role model just shows how far this world has fallen." He bit out. Young Emma reeled back in terrible pain at her father's words.
-Present-
"The unnatural one is him..." She sang softly. It didn't make her feel better. No one forced her to do as Sophia had said. There were other weaknesses that she could have carved out with her talons. Her own self hate. Her own inability to stand up to her father.
"The weak one is me..." Her voice held a pained timbre as she curled in on herself. No one forced her to hurt Taylor. Sophia hadn't. Madison hadn't. No one forced her. She didn't have to. Oh Sophia had her predator/prey beliefs on strength, but it was Emma that went from ignoring Taylor to escalating. She grit her teeth as she cried. The sharp pain in her mouth was a small price to pay.
"She is so strong..." The redhead crooned mournfully with a weary pride. She knew that Taylor wouldn't forgive her. No, the most damning thing, was that Taylor had never stopped forgiving her. It was so damned obvious. The reason she kept her head down. The reason she rarely fought back. The reason that Emma's barbs and digs hurt like they did.
Taylor didn't forgive her today because she was always forgiving her. There was no hate in those blue eyes, only strength. She wasn't even cruel when she spoke those words today. Taylor was done and that tore through her like a blade. She then went on to comfort Madison. Madison!
"She suffered as well..." Those words soothed the rage that suddenly leaped up in her breast. Madison wasn't weak, but she wasn't strong. She was just an unfortunate that saw an opportunity and took it. How is that any different than those people that joined gangs? Safety, belonging, power. Winslow would have devoured the girl without leaving a trace.
"Sophia..." That name spoke with conflicting feelings. She loved her, hated her, wanted to be her, but she cut off that train of thought. No one held a gun to her head. No one forced her to be cruel to Taylor. Sophia was so broken. So damaged. Her heart laid bare in her mind's eye lashed out at a world that didn't care. Emma had cared and Sophia had responded. Sophia first met Taylor at her house when the brunette came to see Emma.
There was no hate there. Just a disgusted antipathy. Emma could have brought them together. She could have smoothed things over. Played the peacemaker. If she hadn't been suddenly confronted by her own "unnatural" feelings she would have.
"The unnatural one is him..." Her voice hardened to diamond as a pain seared through her eyes and straight into her brain. She embraced the pain. It was what she deserved. Why should she have comfort? Why should she have peace? She gave Taylor none. No reprieve. She grit her teeth again and felt warmth. A coppery taste filled her mouth, but it was ignored. Her discomfort growing, but she embraced the feelings.
The haze of pain clears and it's as if she can see. Truly see. Her eyes are opened as the new sensations flood her. She looks out her window and sees that it's getting on towards night. There is music here. A melody that she had never noticed before. It was beautiful and strangely soothing. She resisted the feelings it evoked, but it spoke to her. Gentled and calmed her. She deserved this feeling. Embrace her desires and become what she was meant to be.
She shook her head to rid it of the distracting thoughts. Her eyes trailed down to what she was wearing. She was still wearing the clothes from school, but they were badly rumpled. If she went downstairs like this her parents would freak. They insisted on a certain level of personal grooming. A voiced asked why should she care. She just thought it was too much trouble as she undressed. A glance in the mirror showed a girl, close to a young woman, with a body most would kill for. She sighed softly. If they knew the heart that lurked inside they wouldn't want her. Her eyes flickered oddly, but she just didn't care.
She just shrugged and threw on a red dress with spaghetti straps. The red looked good and felt right. Her steps light as she descended the stairs before stopping by the drawing room. She heard voices from within. Apparently she missed dinner, but did her parents care? No. Let's just have our nightly cocktail
'Why did I care about their opinion again?' She thought disdainfully as her hand rested on the door, but something stopped her. The melodies on the other side felt wrong. A smugness that she recognized as of one getting away with murder. She knew that feeling. She knew it all too well.
"Where is that girl?" Her mother asked idly.
"Upstairs sleeping." Her father, Alan, said. The clink of ice telling her all she needs to know. Dad has his scotch and mom has her martini and both were feeling happy. That thought made her stomach turn. "How was your day, dear?" He asked.
"I went shopping on the Boardwalk today. That lovely little place where I bought that dress you liked was vandalized." She scoffed. "It's getting to the point where a decent person can't go shopping anywhere. Why do these animals get such preferential treatment? What do we pay the police for anyway?" She was clearly into her third martini if she was speaking her mind like that. Her father made a noise of agreement.
"Decent people can't even live properly around here. Don't even get me started on these capes. The gangs have them. The PRT has them. What do they do? Just cause more property damage and drive costs up." He sounded mad. Probably his third, no, fourth scotch. Was it bad that she could identify how drunk they were by what they bitched about?
"How much longer do we have to put up with this?" Her mother demanded. Emma thought cynically 'Until someone lobotomizes every parahuman you dumb cunt.' She blinked at the vehemence of that thought. The redhead didn't even question how she had remained concealed for so long. Her shadow should have fallen across the doorway and betrayed her presence.
"Just a little longer." Her father soothed causing her to blink in surprise. What? "You remember what Coil said. Just a little longer. He will remember us. What with all of the funds we've raised for him." He sounds so proud. She grits her teeth again. He was part of the cancer in this city? Coil was a known villain! Her father supported him!? She perked her ears up again.
"And it will be a decent city for decent people again." Her mother said in satisfaction.
"That's right. He's built a shelter for all of us that have supported him. We will rebuild while the slime and muck will get washed out into the Bay where it belongs." That bastard sounded so damn smug! What the hell were they planning? No, screw this, she didn't care. She threw the door aside and stepped into the room. Her parents were clearly surprised.
"Emma? How long have you been standing there?" Her mother demanded. It was easy to see they were mother and daughter. They both looked hideous in their anger. She opened her mouth to speak when her father spoke over her.
"What happened to your eyes?" He asked in fear and anger. Eyes? She briefly remembered the glimmer in the mirror, but spared it no further thought.
"Who cares about that? What the hell do you mean about washing out the slime and muck?" She growled and there was a warning thrum in her voice. Musical in nature, but infinitely more threatening it galvanized her father to scramble for the drawer of his desk.
"Emma...Emma did you..." Her mother sounded afraid now. 'Now these fools show fear?' She thought disgustedly. Pain suddenly blossomed in chest as several bullets thundered and slammed into her chest. A feral scream ripped its way from her throat as a bullet bounced off her eye. The fireplace poker slammed over her head, driving her to her knees, and a high keening started up. The pain inside was intense. She knew her parents hated parahumans, but she never figured they would go this far. A peculiar lassitude settled over her as she went with the flow.
Faster than the eye could blink she backhanded her mother into the wall. The woman fell to the ground in an unmoving heap. Her eyes settled on her father and the massive handgun he held in his hand. In a thrice the gun was still in his grip, but his hand was on the floor. He stared stupidly at the stump where his hand resided before she tore open his chest cavity with foot long talons.
The haze fell away from her eyes slowly as she took in what had happened. With an effort she forced her mind to push everything away. She searched the drawing room thoroughly. Following the strange melody that called to her she found further proof of what Alan had talked about. The safe that was in his study was a goldmine of information. She couldn't stand being here anymore. The stench overwhelmed her. She fled into the night.
She would save Taylor. She would save this city. She would save herself. Emma Barnes had fallen, but Despedia would rise.
or Melody of Escalation
Interlude 2.a Emma
-February 5, 2011 After school-
Her thoughts were spinning. She shook her head to clear it, but nothing she did seemed to work. Her feet were carrying her ever forward towards home, but her heart was back at Winslow. Taylor had come back from the locker prank more beautiful, strong, and confident then ever before. She knew that the brunette had a core of steel that wasn't often seen. Well that steel had been turned on her.
She deserved it.
Two years ago the worst night of her life had happened. She was being held down by two Asian gangsters and it looked bad for her. Emma refused to be a helpless victim and kicked the man over her in the crotch. Before she knew it the situation was over. Shadow Stalker had appeared and saved her. She was just too relieved at the time to question where she was before that.
Her dad was grateful as well. He gave Stalker his card and said that if she had legal trouble to call him. It wasn't even two days later when he got the call. She had been caught leaving an unpowered human pinned to a wall. The two of them spoke again and they hit it off. Sophia, as she was known out of costume, was strong and confident. Self assured. There was nothing she couldn't do. Emma was envious. Sophia told her that all she had to do to gain that strength was to cut out her weakness.
She didn't know what her weakness was until Taylor came home. The tall and gangly girl had been her best friend since forever. She had needed Emma after her mom died. They spent so much time together and were inseparable. However, Taylor was recovering and needed Emma less. Her dad sent her away to summer camp and Emma expected her to be miserable. When she came up the walk with a spring in her step and smile an ugly voice whispered that she was unneeded.
She had ignored that voice initially. For the longest time she had been slowly developing a love of Taylor that was beyond a sisterly bond. Her father was opinionated on "unnatural" relationships and it scared her. What would he do if he found out about Emma's unnatural lust for her best friend? The fear had only grown. The ugly voice was growing louder. Sophia had said to cut out her weakness.
She was a block from home as her memory caught up to the present and choked back a sob. She had cut out Taylor. The one person that saw beyond the pretty girl. The one person that gave her sanctuary. The one person that helped her feel good about herself. She groaned in self recrimination as she walked into her home. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Those words came back to taunt her.
"Cut out your weakness." The words sang in a distorted pitch. Did that come out of her mouth? Whatever. She threw her backpack across her bedroom. The bag crashed into the wall, but it wasn't important. She just wanted to curl up on her bed until the world went away. A conversation with her father stuck in her mind.
-Four Years ago-
"Dad...why is homosexuality bad?" young Emma asked as her father was reading the paper. He looked at her for a moment and set the paper aside. His eyes were a bit wild and his face was red. He glanced at the paper with it's article on Legend. Two things her dad hated were homosexuals and capes. Legend represented a terrible threat to his world view.
"Only a man and a woman can create life. Nothing else. With how this world has gone to hell, and the population failing, we need more people creating life. We don't need these goddamn freaks parading their unnatural behaviors. The fact that they let this...this...freakish cape be a role model just shows how far this world has fallen." He bit out. Young Emma reeled back in terrible pain at her father's words.
-Present-
"The unnatural one is him..." She sang softly. It didn't make her feel better. No one forced her to do as Sophia had said. There were other weaknesses that she could have carved out with her talons. Her own self hate. Her own inability to stand up to her father.
"The weak one is me..." Her voice held a pained timbre as she curled in on herself. No one forced her to hurt Taylor. Sophia hadn't. Madison hadn't. No one forced her. She didn't have to. Oh Sophia had her predator/prey beliefs on strength, but it was Emma that went from ignoring Taylor to escalating. She grit her teeth as she cried. The sharp pain in her mouth was a small price to pay.
"She is so strong..." The redhead crooned mournfully with a weary pride. She knew that Taylor wouldn't forgive her. No, the most damning thing, was that Taylor had never stopped forgiving her. It was so damned obvious. The reason she kept her head down. The reason she rarely fought back. The reason that Emma's barbs and digs hurt like they did.
Taylor didn't forgive her today because she was always forgiving her. There was no hate in those blue eyes, only strength. She wasn't even cruel when she spoke those words today. Taylor was done and that tore through her like a blade. She then went on to comfort Madison. Madison!
"She suffered as well..." Those words soothed the rage that suddenly leaped up in her breast. Madison wasn't weak, but she wasn't strong. She was just an unfortunate that saw an opportunity and took it. How is that any different than those people that joined gangs? Safety, belonging, power. Winslow would have devoured the girl without leaving a trace.
"Sophia..." That name spoke with conflicting feelings. She loved her, hated her, wanted to be her, but she cut off that train of thought. No one held a gun to her head. No one forced her to be cruel to Taylor. Sophia was so broken. So damaged. Her heart laid bare in her mind's eye lashed out at a world that didn't care. Emma had cared and Sophia had responded. Sophia first met Taylor at her house when the brunette came to see Emma.
There was no hate there. Just a disgusted antipathy. Emma could have brought them together. She could have smoothed things over. Played the peacemaker. If she hadn't been suddenly confronted by her own "unnatural" feelings she would have.
"The unnatural one is him..." Her voice hardened to diamond as a pain seared through her eyes and straight into her brain. She embraced the pain. It was what she deserved. Why should she have comfort? Why should she have peace? She gave Taylor none. No reprieve. She grit her teeth again and felt warmth. A coppery taste filled her mouth, but it was ignored. Her discomfort growing, but she embraced the feelings.
The haze of pain clears and it's as if she can see. Truly see. Her eyes are opened as the new sensations flood her. She looks out her window and sees that it's getting on towards night. There is music here. A melody that she had never noticed before. It was beautiful and strangely soothing. She resisted the feelings it evoked, but it spoke to her. Gentled and calmed her. She deserved this feeling. Embrace her desires and become what she was meant to be.
She shook her head to rid it of the distracting thoughts. Her eyes trailed down to what she was wearing. She was still wearing the clothes from school, but they were badly rumpled. If she went downstairs like this her parents would freak. They insisted on a certain level of personal grooming. A voiced asked why should she care. She just thought it was too much trouble as she undressed. A glance in the mirror showed a girl, close to a young woman, with a body most would kill for. She sighed softly. If they knew the heart that lurked inside they wouldn't want her. Her eyes flickered oddly, but she just didn't care.
She just shrugged and threw on a red dress with spaghetti straps. The red looked good and felt right. Her steps light as she descended the stairs before stopping by the drawing room. She heard voices from within. Apparently she missed dinner, but did her parents care? No. Let's just have our nightly cocktail
'Why did I care about their opinion again?' She thought disdainfully as her hand rested on the door, but something stopped her. The melodies on the other side felt wrong. A smugness that she recognized as of one getting away with murder. She knew that feeling. She knew it all too well.
"Where is that girl?" Her mother asked idly.
"Upstairs sleeping." Her father, Alan, said. The clink of ice telling her all she needs to know. Dad has his scotch and mom has her martini and both were feeling happy. That thought made her stomach turn. "How was your day, dear?" He asked.
"I went shopping on the Boardwalk today. That lovely little place where I bought that dress you liked was vandalized." She scoffed. "It's getting to the point where a decent person can't go shopping anywhere. Why do these animals get such preferential treatment? What do we pay the police for anyway?" She was clearly into her third martini if she was speaking her mind like that. Her father made a noise of agreement.
"Decent people can't even live properly around here. Don't even get me started on these capes. The gangs have them. The PRT has them. What do they do? Just cause more property damage and drive costs up." He sounded mad. Probably his third, no, fourth scotch. Was it bad that she could identify how drunk they were by what they bitched about?
"How much longer do we have to put up with this?" Her mother demanded. Emma thought cynically 'Until someone lobotomizes every parahuman you dumb cunt.' She blinked at the vehemence of that thought. The redhead didn't even question how she had remained concealed for so long. Her shadow should have fallen across the doorway and betrayed her presence.
"Just a little longer." Her father soothed causing her to blink in surprise. What? "You remember what Coil said. Just a little longer. He will remember us. What with all of the funds we've raised for him." He sounds so proud. She grits her teeth again. He was part of the cancer in this city? Coil was a known villain! Her father supported him!? She perked her ears up again.
"And it will be a decent city for decent people again." Her mother said in satisfaction.
"That's right. He's built a shelter for all of us that have supported him. We will rebuild while the slime and muck will get washed out into the Bay where it belongs." That bastard sounded so damn smug! What the hell were they planning? No, screw this, she didn't care. She threw the door aside and stepped into the room. Her parents were clearly surprised.
"Emma? How long have you been standing there?" Her mother demanded. It was easy to see they were mother and daughter. They both looked hideous in their anger. She opened her mouth to speak when her father spoke over her.
"What happened to your eyes?" He asked in fear and anger. Eyes? She briefly remembered the glimmer in the mirror, but spared it no further thought.
"Who cares about that? What the hell do you mean about washing out the slime and muck?" She growled and there was a warning thrum in her voice. Musical in nature, but infinitely more threatening it galvanized her father to scramble for the drawer of his desk.
"Emma...Emma did you..." Her mother sounded afraid now. 'Now these fools show fear?' She thought disgustedly. Pain suddenly blossomed in chest as several bullets thundered and slammed into her chest. A feral scream ripped its way from her throat as a bullet bounced off her eye. The fireplace poker slammed over her head, driving her to her knees, and a high keening started up. The pain inside was intense. She knew her parents hated parahumans, but she never figured they would go this far. A peculiar lassitude settled over her as she went with the flow.
Faster than the eye could blink she backhanded her mother into the wall. The woman fell to the ground in an unmoving heap. Her eyes settled on her father and the massive handgun he held in his hand. In a thrice the gun was still in his grip, but his hand was on the floor. He stared stupidly at the stump where his hand resided before she tore open his chest cavity with foot long talons.
The haze fell away from her eyes slowly as she took in what had happened. With an effort she forced her mind to push everything away. She searched the drawing room thoroughly. Following the strange melody that called to her she found further proof of what Alan had talked about. The safe that was in his study was a goldmine of information. She couldn't stand being here anymore. The stench overwhelmed her. She fled into the night.
She would save Taylor. She would save this city. She would save herself. Emma Barnes had fallen, but Despedia would rise.
- Status