driftfleet | Iskaulit Mingle - Problems with Psychics

[She's on the Iskaulit for the reason she normally is, which is to work on her mural, catch a workout, and then work on the mural some more.]

[A]

[She's in the middle of working out when the gravity starts going away. She doesn't notice quite at first, because she's running fast through the parkour course. But when she almost misses her jump because of overshooting, that definitely catches her attention.

And... it doesn't bother her. It's just fun. Soon, she's floating around the room, giggling wildly.]

I'm flying!

[B]

[ Wrath is innocently working on her mural... anyone get hit by a random power swap? Ever wonder it feels like to be mostly made of military-grade artificial parts? Could be interesting.]

[Erik is heading along a corridor when it happens, on his way back from some time in the library. The first thing he notices is his magnetic sense disappearing - and he's more irritated than alarmed. This has happened to him so often now, in both the library and Kyriakos, that it no longer sends him into the kind of angry panic he might otherwise expect. He merely grits his teeth, and halts. Maybe this is an augment problem.

All thought of that is wiped from his mind when he realises he's seeing rather more than he should be. Blinking rapidly doesn't clear the bright reds of the infrared from his eyes, and all of the other information that's suddenly blinking and demanding his attention. This is definitely new, and unwanted.

He backs up until his hand touches a wall, and shuts his eyes tightly. It doesn't clear all the visuals from the air, but one thing at a time. He takes a deep breath, to stave off the skittering nerves of the unknown.]

[Wrath isn't too far away when she starts experiencing some weird feelings of her own. She doesn't really notice her HUD going missing or anything at first--it's background noise, and she's a little distracted at the moment. What she does notice is a sort of hum-that-isn't-a-hum starting to build around her, something she can feel rather than hear. Like she can feel the walls around her, and out into the ship. Like she can feel her own bones in her body, ever last detail, sense them somehow in a way she can't parse.]

What the fuck.

[She's more bewildered than anything else, and trying to understand what she's perceiving, because it's so utterly alien to her experience.]

[Erik's eyes open when he hears Wrath's exclamation from around the corner. He regrets it somewhat when his vision blurs oddly with the red lines of heat. Shaking his head, he starts walking forward, footsteps careful but steady.

He keeps his hand on the wall. It's been years since he's had to go without his powers - he had forgotten how much his balance relied on it.]

Wrath? [He tries calling out.]

[She hears the voice clearly over that humming, but that makes sense because it isn't really a sound, even if her brain isn't sure how else to process it. Something rattling through her bones?

But that it's Erik coming is a profound relief. Erik is down-to-earth and as no bullshit as a person comes. If she's losing her goddamn mind, he's probably the best person to have around to tell her to knock it off.]

Erik?

[She starts heading toward him, even though walking feels weird. Like the floor could push her away. Maybe it's like floating like she did before? But gravity feels the same.

(She is floating. She doesn't realize it.)]

Erik, the walls are humming at me. Are they humming at you?

[When he rounds the corner, he has to wonder if he really is hallucinating, because there's Wrath. Floating a few inches off the floor. Worse, she's brighter than everything around her, thanks to whatever his vision is doing. It sets off another round of pointless blinking, before he frowns at her feet.]

Humming? No, something's wrong with my sight. Why are you floating?

I'm not floating.

[She looks down.]

I'm floating?

[Apparently.]

But the floor is pushing me away. Um. [So many things going on. Focus, Wrath.] What's wrong with your eyes?

I have no idea. I'm seeing things - colours. It doesn't look right.

[After a moment's thought, he extends a hand towards Wrath.]

I can pull you down.

... Are you on drugs? Are you feeling super fucked up? [Look, where she's from it's a valid question that is okay to ask in polite company.]

[She reaches out to take his hand, relieved that he isn't humming at her at least. Except for like... Little things in his pockets. How the hell does she know what he's got in his pockets?]

I feel really weird, Erik. Like I can feel all my bones.

[He tugs her down using her hand, glancing down to see if it connects her to the floor again.]

Not that I know of. It happened very... suddenly. And my powers vanished.

Your... bones? [That's an odd thing to say.]

[For a moment it's a tug of war, Erik's strength versus the weird humming of the four that Wrath is absolutely certain is pushing her away. (It isn't as such. She just doesn't understand it.) But her feet connect with the four and she starts at it for a moment, feeling weird indeed.]

My bones and... The walls, and the deck and... The little thingies in your pocket...

[Wait a second.]

Your powers vanished? How? [She suddenly squints at him.] My HUD won't come up.

What's a... ['Hud', is what he's about to say, until Wrath's words sink in.]

You can feel all of that?

Yeah...? I... Don't know how to describe it. Like it's not the same as hearing or seeing or touching things, so it's confusing. Like I could touch something that isn't there, like... Strings and fields and shit? Like I could reach out and grab it, but I know that doesn't make any sense?

[Okay, the more she tries to explain this, the crazier it sounds. She knows it. But prompted by her own words, she reaches with her other hand--she's still keeping hold of Erik if he lets her because she doesn't want the floor to push her away again--and tries to grab the invisible strings she's trying to describe of one of the little things in Erik's pocket to see if she can.]

[He may not know what Wrath's HUD is, but he can put together the pieces of what she's describing. It's not quite how he would have put it himself. Then again, he's so used to it that he's never felt the need to find new words for a fundamental part of his being.

He reaches out and catches Wrath's other hand.]

Magnetic fields. That's what you're feeling. You've got my mutation.

[She stares at him. That doesn't make any sense. She's not a special person like him or Charles. But he said his powers were missing, so maybe it makes sense that they'd have to go somewhere. But to her? And...]

... You feel like this all the time?

[Her voice comes out rather small. Because she feels rather small in perspective, now. This is overwhelming and... Indescribable. Her normal habit of calling things cool or awesome really doesn't cut it.]

[He tries to think, past the words and numbers dotting his vision, about how this must feel from the outside. The closest comparison he has is the time he swapped his powers with Charles. Being able to hear everyone's thoughts, even without trying, had been nearly overwhelming. He had no capacity to block anything out then... and it was an entirely different form of power from what Erik had.]

I do, but I've had over fifty years to get used to it. Train myself in it. For you... it's a new sense.

If you have magnetic abilities, then I must have something from you. Whatever's happening with my eyes. Everything looks wrong, the colours.

[Focus, Wrath. You're not the only one having problems.

And that does help to realize, actually. She can put her own distress in and the endless list of questions in a mental box to deal with a bit later. Her people are always her top priority, and Erik has long since become one of her people.

Though she grips his hand a little more tightly because that makes her feel better too. Touch is a grounding thing.

So of Erik does have something from her, then it's an obvious step to assume that's where her HUD has gone. Maybe other things she hadn't noticed because there are too many distractions.]

Then you probably have the HUD that I normally get from my AR eye. It's a general tactical display. And maybe you're seeing the extended visual spectrum too.

[Explanation is good, but she's trying to remember how the hell to turn it off, which is a weird question since she never turns it off herself, and her eye is wired directly into her nervous system.]

I am certainly seeing... something. [He doesn't want to mention that Wrath looks nothing like herself, this way. He knows enough by voice and touch that this is her, and her explanation... helps, somewhat. But it's just so out-there that it's hard to get a grasp on it.]

I'm a bit surprised that you're levitating. That usually takes more conscious thought for me. [Who knows how powers work when they're suddenly rammed into people with no experience, though.]

Um. Try... um. Blinking fast three times. That might switch off the HUD? [Maybe? She hopes. If he can even switch it off. Because she knows she still has all of her artificial parts. She can feel them. This is so weird.] But it's like... not neuro-wired to you so I don't--like what the fuck even, Erik.

[Coherency failing momentarily, here.]

The floor felt weird, and like it was pushing me away? [When levitating, she was basically equidistant from the walls and floor and ceiling.] Um. It's everywhere. I just--it's everywhere. This is really confusing. [Help.]

[He feels like he's been blinking non-stop since it happened, but... he gives it a try. Sadly, nothing happens. He lets out a breath, shaking his head.]

Of course it's everywhere. We're on a metal spaceship. If you were out on the planet, it probably wouldn't be so overwhelming for you.

The floor isn't the one pushing you away. You're the one pushing back against the floor. Think about drawing the centre of yourself towards that surface. Like your body is attracted to it.

[The head shake, she knows how to interpret at least.] Damn. I'm sorry. Like... I guess it must be really disorienting if you're not used to having a combat HUD. I've had one... as long as I can remember.

[But okay. Erik's powers. Yes, that makes sense.] Okay.

[She closes her eyes and visualizes. Concentrates. And yes, descends back down to the floor. She feels the pressure against her feet with no small amount of relief. Whew. She smiles at Erik, pleased with herself.] You're really amazing though, you know that?

[He squints a little, in some vain hope that might lower the intensity of information assaulting his eyeballs.]

It's... very strange. Like staring point blank at a computer.

[As she descends, he relaxes slightly. Levitation wasn't an easy skill for him to pick up originally, but it's one of the simplest to explain.]

Like I said - I've had a long time to practice. I wasn't always good at it.

It... kind of is? I literally have a targeting computer that lives in my eye. And before I had to have my eye replaced, I was constantly plugged into one using my ports. Try to just... look past the stuff that doesn't make sense. Like when you're looking into the distance and letting everything close fall away. It's... really overwhelming the first time you get plugged in. I'm sorry.

[Erik's actually taking it pretty well, all things considered. He's not screaming. Or crying.]

Practice helps with anything, I guess. But like you... you have this whole other sense. Like there's a level of the world that you can see and touch and no one else can. That's really special. [And humbling. She gives his hand a little squeeze.]

[It seems like an impossible request, given how very full his immediate vision is. With a grunt, he looks to the left of Wrath, down the corridor instead. He tries to adjust his focus.]

Yes... that's what it is to me. Another sense. Losing or gaining it affects me in the same way as losing sight or hearing.

Oh no. [Okay, now she feels really bad for accidentally stealing his powers somehow. Shit. The lack of her HUD isn't something that bothers her that much so far... it's just weird. Like half the world is missing, but she knows she can still get aorund just fine.] That's really bad. Maybe there's a way I can give you your powers back? [It's overwhelming and scary, but she also thinks that maybe with some time, she could really learn some cool stuff... but that wouldn't be fair to Erik. Hopefully it's a very temporary thing.]

Wrath (OTA)

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