alloutstand | (no subject)

[ She doesn't know where she is. That alone would send her into a mild panic, because she doesn't remember leaving her apartment and she doesn't recognize anything here and god, she got kidnapped again.

The last thing she remembers is taking the vitamins the doctor insisted she have. Perfectly healthy girl, and still the doctor pushed. And now she's here, brushing and peeling off the last of whatever this is and--

Her train of thought derails when his voice fills her head. There's still eerie... good vibe from it, but her inborn stubbornness and distrust pushes back.

She's just going to take a few giant steps backward, away from this guy. ]

Y-Yeah, someone's done the whole "take me away for my own safety" thing. A friend of mine, actually. He got tazed.

[Take me away for my own safety.

He won't pry. No feeding off his own kind but he folds his hands in his lap and shrugs.]

You're free to leave when you wish but it might before the best if you stay for the moment.

...Are you hungry?

[she should be. Terragenesis eats up a lot of bodily calories. But he's watching her too intently. No physical mutations yet.

Interesting.]

Thirsty?

[ The way he stares, it makes her shift uncomfortably. She's seen a look like that before, on the face of someone she had trusted. But this time she doesn't have that attachment. His look makes her acutely aware of the fact that she's still in her pajamas. She crosses her arms in a lame attempt to cover herself.

She wasn't hungry or thirsty until he asked. There's a whine in her stomach, and her throat is dry. Still... ] How do I know I can trust it? [ It's a yes, but it's a wary I-might-throw-it-back-in-your-face yes. ] All you've told me is that you're here. Great. But where's here and who are you?

[At that he smiles, and he snaps his fingers. Guiyera rolls in a tray of meats, vegetables, water, and wine. He nods and Guiyera tastes each dish in turn as Hive shrugs his shoulders.]

I can bring in someone else to taste it if you'd like but Guiyera is one of us, one of our kind, an important distinction.

[He shrugs then stands and - clearly with difficulty - extends his hand.]

You can call me Grant.

[ Her stomach whines even louder at the sight and smell of food. But still, she holds back, watching Guiyera keenly. No ill affects, nothing immediate at least.

And she's really hungry.

There's at least one question answered as he stands and... yeah, there's something not quite right. But it's automatic that she reaches out to briefly take his hand. Years of ingrained manners and politeness. ] Grant. I'm-- [ She considers lying to him for a moment. Maybe they already know her name. Maybe lying to them will make things worse. ] --Dawn.

[ She moves forward to the tray, still eyeing things warily. ] What do you mean, one of us? One of our kind?

Sit and eat.

[He leans back.] There's no need to be afraid. You're among family.

[He gestures.] Which is where it begins. ...Where it begins is...difficult.

[He frowns as Guiyera steps to the wall. Grant shrugs.] Do you believe in aliens?

[ She takes a seat and downs some water, not stopping until the glass is empty of every last drop. Her throat still feels parched, and she reaches for the glass of wine next.

It's probably a bad decision, but she needs something to sate this. With the wine in hand, she also starts on the vegetables, all the while listening as Grant mentions family. And... aliens? ]

I-- ... I guess? I haven't really given it any thought.

[His tone is sympathetic. Kindly.] Most people don't. Until they've found themselves covered in a cocoon and ...physically changing.

[There's the slightest probe to her mind, gentle, something like a tentacle almost, but it vanishes. He has to look for her ability.

Otherwise this is worthless.]

...I suppose a...practical demonstration is in order. However I must ask you not to be frightened.

[Not that she'd have a choice. He could tangle his tentacles in her mind.]

[ Physically changing. She keeps her face turned away to hide her surprise, her shock. She doesn't feel changed.

But she does feel that mental touch. That, that does draw her look. ]

I.. can try?

[He withdraws before looking to his comrade who raises his hands - and the table raises three feet before he sets it down gently without disturbing the dishes.

Hive smiles and nods to Dawn.] Something like that.

Magic?

[ She sounds a bit hopeful there. As if this is something that she's encountered before, something that she's experienced before. ]

So you're saying that that [ She tips her head to the side, indicating her emerging from the cocoon. ] causes something like that? I can do that?

I don't know what you can do.

[He tilts his head and gestures] But you should be able to do whatever feels natural. Look deep inside yourself and just...

[He chuckles.] Let it out.

[ There's confusion on her face. He doesn't know. She doesn't know. ] Let it out?

[ Like it's just that easy. It's never that easy. She closes her eyes, trying to find something, anything, that seems different. Natural.

Behind her, the air starts to shimmer, like a heat mirage. The blur intensifies, and reality just... splits. The rip spreads, grows big enough that someone could step through it.

And then it just closes back up. ]

[Oh. Yes.

A thousand times yes. He looks enraptured for a heartbeat before his smile breaks out warm and he claps. Almost on cue the man in the corner claps too.]

Beautiful. Wonderful.

Your heart told you to do that?

[ She opens her eyes as the clapping starts, and glances around the room uncertainly. ]

It's... it's what I pictured in my head.

[ A portal. She's a key again. Did it ever really go away? ]

It's good. Where does it go? Can you direct it?

I don't-- I can try?

[ When she focuses this time, the shimmer begins just to her left. An identical one appears across the wall, next to the guy who brought in the food. Just like the first time, the shimmers split. She puts her left hand through the rip...

..and it appears through the other one. ] I can at least do it within my field of sight.