(2020-07-02) Starry Night
Starry Night
Summary: Syd is restless on her first night back, and goes out to wander the island in the dark. After all, other than falling in the ocean, what could happen to the Iron Maiden? She stumbles across Cora, and they watch the stars together and talk. Syd means well, but is socially clumsy talking about non-straight sexualities. Also, Syd’s player kind of forgot some of what got covered in The Steel Returns, so there’s some repetition of some of it here.
Date: 2020.07.02
Related: None
NPCs: {$npc}
Scene Runner: {$runner}
Players:
sydney..cora..

Location

Back Field
The back field hasn't seen much use yet. Clearly it will in the future, but at the moment it is a large meadow with tall grass, overgrown shrubs and wildflowers blooming in it during the spring and summer.

Scene

Sydney is, for her part, restless. After being confined (again, damn it) somewhat against her will, the outdoors calls to her, and our metallic hero listens, so here she is, out in the back field, barefoot, the starlight reflecting off her skin. She notices Cora before she gets close to stepping on her classmate. "Hey."

Cora is lucky to see, because hearing probably wasn't going to happen with those headphones. She is reaching up to remove them though, and once they are - she says a languid. "Hello. Taking a walk?" She inquires.
Sydney nods. 'Yeahh. I've decided it's worse being a prisoner of conscience than it is to be just plain locked in. Trying not to do that to myself again. It's a pretty night, there's bugger-all going on indoors and nothing I want to watch on netflix.

"Yeah, I'm really digging it tonight." Cora agrees, tone still just as languid. "Great sort of evening for star gazing and laying out. I could do if it were maybe a touch less warm admittedly, I don't feel like it's going to get much nicer than this. But, it's still great."
Sydney looks over at Cora, then up at the stars again. She settles onto the ground next to Cora and lies back. "Yeah… so what've you been up to while I was gone?

Cora shrugs from where she's laying there. "Pretty much the same as ever. Reading, watching anime, playing games, and messing around with music stuff. I'm actually starting to think I'm doing ok with the program suite now, some of the stuff I make even sounds like music."

Sydney nods. "Have to let me hear it sometime, yeah?" Syd goes quiet. Her eyes are so reflective, you can see them if there's any light at all. She's looking up at the great band of the Milky Way. "I learned to lift 4500 tons. That's about the excitement of my week.

"Holy crap! I can barely manage 45 pounds, and you're 4500 tons!?" Yep, there's a bit of a surprise from Cora. "This is why my powers really aren't that useful you know." A bit self deprecating, but she goes on. "A shame the rave I wanted to do put on for the Seniors didn't end up working out. But I think I'll still get something going this next semester, or even this summer."

Sydney chuckles. "You can pass for human, Cora. I can only if I work at it. And it's dark. Strong is what I do. Mostly. So come on, you gotta have learned something new with your powers since we hung out last." Syd sighs a little. "I was hoping to go to graduation… but I'll tell you what. You throw a rave, I'll come. I got invited by the cool kids and I was afraid to go… fuck that. I can lift a coast-guard cutter. I'm not gonna be afraid of stoned kids.

Cora giggles. "Honestly, more just finesse really. And if I do a rave I probably wouldn't need actual lasers and lights. Since I can sorta do that, only, make it weirder." That's when her ghost lights appear - not many, but start to dance around. "I can make the flames bigger, and dance around more too. And then there's no bright lights to bug me."

<FS3> Sydney rolls Metamorph: Good Success.
Sydney watches, sitting up to look at the ghosts. "Cool. Show me more." She grins, focuses a moment, and it's as though she pixellates, her body no longer smooth curves, as though she was a human shaped disco ball. Which is probably her intent.

More of the lights appear, creating an almost ghostly sort of ring above the two as they start to dance. It's a very blue green sort of color, a strange and almost fascinating, alluring color. "Maybe not as impressive as lots of lasers. But I'm starting to do more euphoric and trying to do vocal trance stuff, so I think it goes well with things. And if I make it show a figure, it can even tell a story, sorta." One of the flames shifts to a vaguely human shape and takes a bow as Cora concludes that.

You say, "So all you need is some music and… instant rave?"

Cora giggles a bit more, covering her mouth as she does. "Pretty much. I mean, I'm still pretty shy about it. Which is why I really wanted to do one here. At least I know no one is going to be mean if it sucks or I panic and can't do things. I hope."

Sydney nods. "Unsurprisingly, very few people have been mean to me about my powers. Except the federal government, and that was less mean than… stupid.

Cora sort of nods from down there on the ground. "I'd have thought it would be too. I mean, I suck at using mine for anything useful in like, hero style things most of the time. But at least it's not always bad here." A pause, "Maybe that's why the governments don't seem to care much about me either. Or I just proved myself, I don't know."

Sydney nods. "Or they underestimate you. Can you make it darker, in addition to lighter?

"A little bit. Though it's mostly just, well, welcoming? Or something? It kinda reminds me of stories of Will of the Wisps. It's that sort of thing." The lights start to flicker and dance around a bit more manically, sometimes disappearing and reappearing in other places. Cora then smiles as she adds, "I always liked doing things like this before, the lights have always been my companion."

You say, "Ohhh…. I see. So covering action… leading the badguys into the quicksand… stuff like that."

"Probably. Yeah. Hide a door maybe. I don't know." Cora shrugs. "But yeah, it makes for a cool rave thing either way, right? So at least there's something for that. It'll make my show unique if nothing else."

Sydney nods. "A power you can make money with is definitely not useless.

"Maybe I'll manage good enough music to get people wanting to see the show for more than the show though." Cora says. "I mean, I'm really just hoping to be another actual female DJ in the genre, there's not a lot. One of the big names mentioned that on his streaming show, so that's when I decided to start trying it out."

Sydney nods. "Hey, a DJ with a built-in light show? Don't tell me it's not useful. I've seen videos of the kind of djing that's done now.

Cora nods to that quickly. "Seriously, there's some insane lights in those shows. I mean, I probably won't get to go to a show until at least I graduate. Not a lot of all ages ones. Not that I'd have a way to go to one yet anyways, stuck on the island and all." She giggles.

You say, "Yanno, we're allowed to leave. Especially for a job. It's not a prison, just a boarding school." Syd's skin melts back to its usual shape. "So in the time I've been gone… have you picked up a boyfriend? Girlfriend? Anything like that?"

"Yeah, I'll get out more now, with the community service this year. But before this I didn't really get to, the same, well, daughter of international criminals thing and not being entirely innocent as far as the state saw." Cora says, "But job stuff will be harder with the community service too! And bigger homework load." Then she takes a deep breath and says, "No, no one." Though she doesn't sound like she cares much about that either.
Sydney nods. "Yeah… I keep getting associated with Iron Fist and El Muerto. Even though one's dead and the other's in the power prison. I get where you're coming from.

"Yeah, exactly. I mean, even my last name is rough at times. For any who knows. I seriously can't believe how nice everyone here was to me though. Sure it took me most of a year to get used to it. And accept they were, but still." Cora says with a bit of shock still in her voice.

Sydney nods. She pats Cora's hand lightly. "One thing I will never do is judge someone by their parents. I mean… that'd bite me in the ass so hard I wouldn't have an ass left.

"Thankfully, no one seems to. Yeah. So that helped, a lot. I honestly thought I'd come here, and I'd be the bullied one. And everyone would hate me." Cora answers, softly, introspectively. "But it wasn't like that. And that's so weird, and I still struggle with it sometime but I'm super glad for it too."
Sydney nods. "Waiting for the other shoe to drop. I get it. Had that too. Almost a relief when it dropped. Now I don't feel guilty if I'm not grateful every day to be alive and here. It's a good place, don't get me wrong. But things are as bad as they were in the 80s, in their own way.

"For me it really is just such a good place. Being in one place longer than ever before. Actually feeling like I have a home instead of just… places we stay, family owned or not. So that's why I love it here." Cora says wistfully.
Sydney nods slowly in the darkness. "Yeah… I get that too." She picks up Cora's hand and holds it gently.

"So how about you?" Cora says while still laying there. "Anything fun or interesting for you lately, other than the 4500 tons thing at least. Not that I'm trying to make that seem unimpressive! Because that's amazing."
You say, "I was at a protest in Washington, when they finally said I could leave. Stopped a car from running over some protesters. That was sort of the high point. The rest of it was homework and boring company punctuated with visiting El Muerto. He's like me…" She knocks on her chest with her free hand, and rings quietly. "…but a psychopath.""

Cora winces at the psychopath comment. Then she looks up towards the sky more directly a moment, even as the lights dancing around coalesce into just one smaller one that continues to dance rapidly. "That's good then, stopping something like that!"

Sydney nods. "Put the driver in the hospital. They tell me he'll probably recover. Wasn't deliberate… but I didn't try to not hurt him either. I was in a hurry.

Cora nods a little bit. "I imagine it'll be better if he recovers at least. Even if he did something bad, better they learn from the lessons, you know?" Cora asks. Then she says, "Know what classes you're doing this summer yet? Or just hanging out?"

Sydney nods. "Hopefully, yeah." She shrugs. "No word yet. Haven't signed up for anything. If I had somewhere to go, I'd probably just go for vacation but… instead I'm stuck on an island with a beach and some good friends. Our lives. They are so hard." Syd chuckles and gives Cora's hand another squeeze, having not let go of it yet.

Cora laughs. "Seriously. I mean, upside for us is how it's great. I get the kids who want to hang out with their parents and all. Miss their family, homes, that sort of thing. So here we are! So yeah, super hard for us."

Sydney nods and chuckles. "Yeah. I used to want to go home with Bryce. Meet his mom, and all that. Or even his dad. But… I haven't heard from Bryce since before I got called away.

Cora gets a sympathetic smile. "Aww, I guess that's true though. I don't remember seeing him around much either. Not that we were ever close, but he was a lot nicer than most of the people too. Hopefully he'll be back next semester."
Sydney nods. "He's a sweetie. But I'm not going to hold out for him anymore. I waited a year and a half, looking forward to… you know. And by that time he was gone.

"Aww." Cora says quietly. "That sucks then. But at least you're moving on. I know so many who just… dwell on relationships. It's all really weird for me just to see, like… almost like a movie in action or something."

Sydney nods. She thinks about it a few moments. "You're one of those… not gay, not straight, just not interested folks, aren't you?

This is when Cora blinks a bit too. Then kind of seems just a little uncomfortable or confused or something. "Um.. what? I, well.. maybe? I don't really get it and all. So probably. I like the idea of romance and dancing and such… just, I don't know? I don't get all this stuff at all."

Sydney gives Cora's hand a squeeze. "There's nothing wrong with you for that. It's just different.

Cora squeezes back. "Thanks. Lord knows I feel broken enough so often, Dr. Calvin still thinks I need to work on that." She says, "So it's nice if things aren't wrong. Especially with how relationship focused so many always are. I just… yeah."

You say, "It's a pain in the ass, to be honest. I mean, we're lying here, I'm holding your hand and it's not OMG, do I like girls? It's just… nice. It is what it is."

"I get holding hands and comfort. Even if I can be weird about it. Hugs can be nice, so this isn't much different." Cora responds. "Being a human is weird. And I've been one for over 16 years now, and never anything else. So that's even weirder!"

Sydney laughs. "It totally is weird. It's like… all these noble, intellectual things and then /thpppt/ Gotta fart. Or some instinct drags you intot something stupid.

"Right!? Exactly." Cora exclaims back, a bit of a giggle again. "Just so many confusing, stupid things. And then just trying to figure out who you are too, which should be easy but somehow is the hardest thing ever."

Sydney nods. "I know, right? And it's totally a moving target. "Well this is great. I know who I was… Now it's 2020 and my body's made of steel and I can throw a tugboat. Who the hell am I now?

"You definitely win on the curve balls. No question about that. I only have the weird family situation to worry about, well, other than superpowers. But we sorta all share some element of that." Cora answers, before stretching out. "We should probably get back to the dorm soon, summer or not. Curfew."

Sydney shrugs. "I dunno… super criminal family… all of a sudden you're on the other side, not entirely by choice? That's a pretty big curve ball." She rolls to her feet effortlessly and offers a hand up.

"I'd have chosen this if I could." Cora says as she accepts the hand, then kneels to grab the blanket so she can wrap it over her shoulders to easily carry back. "But point taken there too."
Sydney gives Cora a hug.

Cora hugs back. "Let's get back to the dorms!" She says afterwards, and starts to head that way.

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