Aberrant: Children of Quantum Fire - [Flashback] Lost and Found

[Karren Gaunt]

OOC: Okay, I had this idea for a side deal to the main plot, Cora's first days with Traveler after her orphaning and the begining of her bonds with the other young Novas. Ya know, pure fluff while we embark on grim-dark adventures in the main threads. That sadly means only Warren, Maia, Marina, and Krull's NPCs can take part, powers and mega tributes limited to three dots due to age, too, according to Word of Krul. That said, perhaps we can have fun with this.

IC: The was a flash of light and a silent scream of dismembered physics as two human beings appeared in an otherwise-empty hallway. One, the Traveler, was no stranger for this was his island and he looked for the most part both content and confident to be home. The other was none of these things.

Coraline Boehm, age 9, was nervous and twitchy and exhausted, clad in filthy, simple clothing that her parents had bought from a Goodwill in Texas three years back. Her eyes, blue-on-black, were puffy and red from crying. She wanted to go home; but she knew it wasn't safe. She wanted to fly into the strong arms of her Father and laugh with his barotone chorus; but he was dead. She wanted her Mother to brush out her hair and remark how they just-so-happened to have the same hair color today if it were true; but she was dead, too. They had told her to run, run and hide, and she had but they weren't going to find her. Not this time.

The ceasing of those two heartbeats had been the most horrible thing she had ever heard, the twin silences like two axe-blows to her soul.

"What now?" she asked listlessly up at the stranger who had found her in a pine tree hiding place, talked her out of the tree, and convinced her to come with him, if only because she was too tired to run anymore and dying somewhere else was as easy as dying there if he was lying like all strangers did all the time.

,,

[Quantum Fire]

"Now? Now we get you a bath, some cloths, and introduce you to the rest of the children.. " He had one hand on the girl, but was silently fuming, children shouldn't be exposed to this kind of trouble so early in their lives.. at least he'd seen the vision early enough to save her, but he was somewhat grieved he couldn't have saved any of the rest of her family.

[Karren Gaunt]

"Oh. Okay," Cora answered, not really caring beyond a tiny insignificant mote of interest in the idea that there could be such a thing as other Nova Children the hunters had missed.

Traveler led the unprotesting young Nova to a bathroom and after a weary, listless scan of the room, she entered, staring at a bathroom larger and better-equipted than any she had ever used, the price of her family's method of survival, for all that... now that... The click of the closing door and Traveler's retreating footsteps saved her from that thought spiral, and mechanically and slowly, she stripped off her clothing and started the bath, moving as if she was made of glass as she settled into steaming water.

She spent a long time there, arms wrapped around her knees and soaking up the heat until her fingertips wrinkled. Coraline blinked and sighed, remembering an admonishment from her Mother for hogging the hot water, fighting the urge to breakdown at the fact it wouldn't happen again, and simply cleaning herself off.

The fact she found a clean bathrobe waiting for her once she was done wasn't worth commenting on eiether, so Coraline simply put it on and opened the door, ready for whatever the Stranger wanted to do to her, good or ill.

[Courier]

Warren, age 10, had missed the arrival of the new nova, no, make that, 'new sibling'. He'd sensed his (her?) arrival but in route to greet her he'd gotten distracted. That was happening a lot recently. His mom would have taken him with her nine months ago if only...

Warren consciously shifted off that line of thought and let himself be distracted by the way the tide shifted gravity. Then he let himself come up with a solution. Sooner or later, everyone ended up in the kitchen. He didn't really trust himself to cook so he started arranging fruit and cereal.

[Quantum Fire]

Shen looked down at the girl who seemed almost listless and unemotional, and then he knelt down beside her, so that he could meet her eye to eye. "You are safe here, Cora.. I know you don't feel it yet, and your still grieving, but you will grow and thrive here.. and one day you will be able to turn the tide against those who hurt you and yours.. now, let's go introduce you to the other girls, Marina at least might have something in your size, you can wear." With that, he took her hand and lead her down the hall, to the rooms where Maia and Marina were at, both of them had also had rough moments, they would understand Cora's emotions, in some ways it would be even more personal to them, considering their own stories.

[Maia]

Maia sat in her room, reading. She was brilliant by human standards, and tougher than any child had any right to be. Still, she was a little girl. She was bored beyond belief, tell the truth. She'd read all her books at least half a dozen times, and decided it was time to ask Uncle Shen to get her some more. She would ready anything pretty much, Though there were some things that did go over even her intellect.

To that end, she was dressed in a long overlarge T-shirt, complete with long shorts, hiding her body. She had problems any time she put real physical effort into things, her clothing just went away. She was told it was her body releasing all the extra kinetic force that her exertion didn't, and sometimes even more.

She tended to get mad because it seemed it always ruined her good clothes, and leave her nearly nude in front of God, Uncle Shen, and everyone, much to her embarrassment.

She opened her door in Time to see Uncle Shen..."I was just coming to look for you uncle Shen..."

Then she noticed Cora with him. "Who is she?" Her voice wasn't accusatory, just drowned in the curiosity that only children and cats can possess.

[Sunstar]

Marina on the other hand was taking a nap in her bed, while listening to some music. She's wearing just a yellow top and a pair of jeans.

Marina stirs when she hears Maia's voice. Did she rip up her clothes and need a loaner again? As much as she cares about Maia, that happens way too much to Marina's liking.

"Hey Maia, did you rip you..."

She sees Traveler and waves

"Hiya Uncle Shen!"

She also notices the new kid

"Who do we have here?"

[Karren Gaunt]

Coraline looked up from her feet at the sound of the door opening, blue pupils dancing between Maia and Marina from black scleras, her breathing hitching as she pulsed her Node like her parents had taught and picked up a positive ping from the other girls in return.

She looked up at Traveler, speaking in an eerie chorus of voices that sounded just out of tune with one another, ignoring the two girls for now and visbility shaking, "You weren't lying about there being others. You weren't... Please don't be lying about the other things you said, too. Please."

Her expression was the fragile mask of stocism by someone who had seen a miracle after a disaster and prayed that there could be another despite all improbability.

[Maia]

She looked over to Marina. "No, not today at any rate. I haven't gone outside yet though."

Maia looked at the new girl and smiled. "He doesn't as far as I know."

She nodded. "My name's Maia, it's nice to meet you."

[Quantum Fire]

"This Cora, girls, she's been though a hard day, and presently doesn't have any clothes that fit her.. her appearance shifts, so she'll look different every day or so.. but she's the same person.. and she doesn't have any family anymore but us." He sighed, then he gently put a hand on the girl's shoulder.. "I'd like you two to take her and maybe see if you have anything in her size, Marina.. I don't think Maia has anything that's not torn or damaged at the moment."

He glanced down at Cora again, and squeezed her shoulder gently. "Now, I must be going, but I'm going to leave you with them, I'll be back in about 8 hours, there are two others here, a boy named Warren, and a woman named Serenity, though she's not always here.. and there won't be anyone else here for a while."

He waited for her to nod, and then he would simply vanish.. there was a hunter he was going to have words with.. maybe in a few years, he'd let Cora know that her parent's death lead to the death of a monster.. the things that man would have done, if his vision of what was happening to Cora hadn't pulled him into his story..

[Sunstar]

Marina looks at Cora for a moment and then smiles and takes her hand.

"I should be about your size. Oh, Uncle Shen said to not let Maia touch it. Somethin' with her powers cause clothes to tear. Alot."

Marina said looking back with her blue on blue eyes. Her tone is very soft.

[Karren Gaunt]

Coraline allowed herself to trust these two, even if just a little, against everything she had been taught, against what her own superhuman senses had slammed into her head as her world had been torn apart and created an ocean of pain she deperately, frantically was trying to avoid thinking about.

This mental struggle materialized in an uncertainty in her wan smile, a skittishness in her movements, "Thank you. I... I actually left a pile of dirty clothes in your bathroom. Take care of it later if you don't mind."

[Sunstar]

"Ah don't worry, Coraline. I'll take care of that in a jiffy. After all. We're all family here."

Marina said in a attempt to calm her. She remembers the day she arrived here, how she was bawling like a baby over being separated from her parents.

"Besides it gives me a chance to practice my powers. Just like how you shapeshift, I can do this"

She demonstrates by making a small mass of water appear in her hands and then makes it freeze into a ring shape

"If you ever want a snowcone, don't hesitate to ask"

[Karren Gaunt]

Coraline had never had a snowcone or even really heard of one before. Her social circle restricted to her parents, a few outsiders who had stumbled on their hideaways, and the Motherhunters. Trips to town for supplies had always been done by her parents turning into Baselines, so today was... Yeah. Don't go there. Don't think about it. Don't break down again so soon.

She sniffled polytonically, choking it down, "...Okay. Not a shapeshifter though. Mo... Mother called me a metamorph. And she was like me. Never the same outside, so she'd know."

Her lip trembled, but held again, thoughts jumping onto another track, "I'm hungry."

[Courier]

Warren set out the plates and spoons and inspected his work. Fruit. Cereal. Bread and cheese and such. Nothing on fire. He'd indulged himself and gotten side tracked... every glass and spoon was 'exactly' the same distance from it's bowl, every bowl was 'exactly' the same distance from the edge of the table. The symmetry was artistic and distracting... he was fortunate he'd finished.

Warren admired his handy-work for a moment then put some bread in the toaster. Maybe the smell would summon his brethren.

[Sunstar]

She smiles and takes her new sister by the hand.

"On it Cora. Let's head to the kitchen and get you fed. Come on Maia." She said dragging Cora towards the kitchen, she notices Warren and the spread "Heya Warren! Wow, since when can you read minds? We were just on our way here."

[Maia]

Maia had watched the interplay and smiled. "What are you making Warren, and do you need any help?"

She looked to Cora and Marina and chuckled. "Well when we all spend alot of time together it's normal that we can anticipate each other."

[Courier]

Warren had configured his eufiber into a blue tee shirt and jeans. He'd tied his constantly growing hair in a long pony tail stretched down his back. That, his lack of facial hair, and his somewhat soft features unfortunately combined to give him an androgynous look.

He knew he was really supposed to be focusing on making the food and not creating art so had a 'hand inside the cookie jar' look while he processed what Marina had said about telepathy, and then Maia distracted him while he was trying to form an answer.

Warren replied awkwardly, "Ummm..."

[Karren Gaunt]

Coraline's stomach rumbled at the smells coming from the kitchen, painfully acute to the metamorph as she licked her lips. "May I have some please? I... I haven't eaten since last night and... and... My name's Coraline," she murmured in an uncertain chorus, not really sure what to do and desperate to be able to trust these three impossibile Nova children.

Her parents had told her there were no others. That all they had was each other, that all the Baselines and their Slaves wanted to do was kill her for existing, but...

[Courier]

Ready with a somewhat-already-thought-through answer for this question, Warren replied, "Sure, it's for you. Help yourself. Pleased to meet you. I'm Warren."

[Sunstar]

Marina points to Warren. "He's the only other kid here besides you, me and Maia. He's a teleporter among other things." She said talking to Coraline. "Other than that, the only people who ever are here are Uncle Shen, the guy who brought you here, and Aunty Serenity. She's nice."

[Karren Gaunt]

Coraline swallowed and nodded, "Thank you."

She then almost skittered into one of the chairs with more than human agility and eagerly began to consume the food on the plate in front of it, fork and knife working to devour the portion in front of her. The metamorph didn't need to eat often, but when she was able to eat her fill she displayed every inch the apetite of a growing young Nova.

The mechanical motions of eating and the sensory flood in her nostrils and tastebuds while doing so pushed back the fear and sadness so she made that her world. At least until these strangers cut her off...

[Maia]

Maia watched, smiling. "Definitely gonna fit in around here. Those of us that eat all tend to be pretty voracious." She looked to Marina. "I haven't seen Aunt Serenity today."

[Sunstar]

"I know, just was letting Cora know who else is here." She said smiling as Coraline inhales her food after. "After all, we've all gotta live together and look out for each other." The girl said nodding. "After you get done eating Cora, we'll get you some clothes and settle you into one of the rooms."

[Karren Gaunt]

'If you ever need to decide about something important, do it on a full stomach and after a good night of rest when you can. Hungry haste will only get you killed, my little changeling, and we'd be sadder than the whole world if that happened.'

Coraline gave a fierce little nod to herself between bites, remembering her Father's words and struggling not to react to the presumption she'd be staying here so soon after... after what happened. She wanted to stay if it was safe; she wanted that very much in fact, but she'd like the choice. Even if her options were between staying and death.

Her fork scrapped plate without the cushion of food and the metamorph blinked at the realization she'd eaten all of it already. "Thank you," she commented to everyone and no one, voice a little bit stronger, "It was delicious."

[Courier]

Originally Posted By: Abyss Phantasia

Marina points to Warren. "He's the only other kid here besides you, me and Maia. He's a teleporter among other things." She said talking to Coraline. "Other than that, the only people who ever are here are Uncle Shen, the guy who brought you here, and Aunty Serenity. She's nice."

Warren added, "Warper, and yes, she is."

Coraline settled down to eat and Warren watched her with increasing intensity. Warren shifted his vision several times, more and more interested.

Originally Posted By: Envoy

Her fork scrapped plate without the cushion of food and the metamorph blinked at the realization she'd eaten all of it already. "Thank you," she commented to everyone and no one, voice a little bit stronger, "It was delicious."

Pleased but distracted by staring at Coraline, Warren replied, "You're welcome."

[Quantum Fire]

Even as they spoke of her, Serenity entered the room, she was a lovely woman, and one that Cora could only barely sense wasn't pure human, she felt muffled, like the woman had squelched her nova nature under her human one. If the girl had likely encountered nova's with dormancy before, that would be the impression she got.

Her tone was soft, and rather gentle as she spoke up. "Hello there, Shen told me he had something to see to, but that I should meet the new arrival. I'm Serenity." She offered the young nova her hand in greeting.

[Karren Gaunt]

Both of Coraline's parents had been able to turn themselves into Baselines to go into town for supplies, but they had always shucked off the disguise as soon as they made it back home. So aside from giving Warren a 'what?!' glare from the corner of one eye, Serenity had the metamorph's full attention.

"Why are you hiding?" she asked with wide eyes, ignoring the woman's outstretched hand having not been taught that particular social niceity, "The hunters can't get us here, can they? At least not right away, right?"

[Courier]

Thought still distracted, this was a line of thought Warren had considered lots of times. He replied, "Twenty seconds warning and I can have us on the other side of the planet. What happens after that is a little vague. Try to rebuild this place I guess."

As an after thought he commented matter of factly, "Your pours are shifting. It's like watching a kaleidoscope."

[Quantum Fire]

"I'm not trying to hide, we are quite safe here, I stay dormed down out of preference and demonstration." What she didn't say, and would continue not to say over the next few years were all of her reasons.

[Karren Gaunt]

"Oh. Okay," answered the metamorph with a confused frown, not really getting why anyone would *want* to be like a baseline. Baselines were blind and deaf and slow and weak and afraid of everything around them, causing them to lash out in violence against anything they couldn't enslave. Her parents had told her so, and given that... No.

"They do that. I distract myself with them when I want the world to be less overwhelming," she answered to the long-haired boy, "It helps."

[Maia]

Maia had watched mostly in silence, watching coraline and warren. She smiled and shook her head. "You and your super-vision. I swear i have everything else SuperGirl had, except that."

[Courier]

Originally Posted By: Envoy

"They do that. I distract myself with them when I want the world to be less overwhelming," she answered to the long-haired boy, "It helps."

Warren replied dryly to Coraline, "The world doesn't need help to distract or overwhelm me. I'm hoping I outgrow it. Are you a shapeshifter?"

Originally Posted By: Maia

Maia had watched mostly in silence, watching coraline and warren. She smiled and shook her head. "You and your super-vision. I swear i have everything else SuperGirl had, except that."

Warren replied without thinking, "You're much prettier".

[Maia]

Maia smiled. "Thanks Warren I don't think I'm there yet though." She was aware that she was pretty, but only by human standards. She remembered how nearly angelic her mother had been, and hoped one day she'd be that pretty as well.

[Quantum Fire]

Serenity smiled at the lot of them, and with a wink and a word, she headed out.

"I'll leave you children to get acquainted, your going to be together quite a while, according to Shen, and I think getting to know each other is more important then anything else. This place is well hidden, and hundreds of miles from anywhere civilized." She walked over to Cora before she left, however, and knelt so she could look the nine year old girl in the eye.

"However, before I go, I'll tell you the same thing I told the other, should you need or want to talk, I'm always willing to listen."

With that, she walked off, leaving the four children to decide what they wanted to do to get acquainted with the new girl.

[Karren Gaunt]

"Metamorph. I'm a metamorph," Coraline commented softly after the very strange woman had left, suddenly very much wanting a place to sleep and think on all this.

[Courier]

Warren finally lost his fascination with staring at Cora. He seemed to think about her answer and he asked, "What's the difference? Is that like a shapeshifter but even more so?"

[Quantum Fire]

Elsewhere

Shen was waiting, sitting meditating on the ground in the lotus position, as the hunter chasing Cora arrived at the tree. The hunter appeared to have three eyes, claws and skin that shifted to match the coloring of the surroundings. The man looked visibly startled at the nova sitting there, and Shen opened one eye as he approached.

"Greetings, I am Shen, also know as Traveler, and I'm afraid the child has been relocated, but your efforts on removing her parents and attempting to remove her from the world have not gone unnoticed, Jared, or Nightclaw as you prefer these days. The fact that you also suffer from a measure of taint that causes you to delight in the fear and torment of others does not excuse your actions in my eyes. I intend to remove you from all further equations, rather then allow you to continue down this path, though I am certain it is of no comfort to you, and they will never know, but thousands of your future victims will live because of this. Your allies a good bit distant, and there is no way you can reach them before this battle is done, and there is no one else within miles, so this battle is between you and me." His tone held an measure of exquisite politeness even though his words were rather menacing.

With that, he stood and picked up the staff that had been sitting at his feet. "Come, I can see every possible outcome of this battle, the outcome is beyond doubt, however, as the aggressor in this matter, I yield the first blow to you."

"Arrogant and sure of yourself, arn't you... well, I'll take whatever advantage you give me, if your stupid enough to give any." The nova who went by Nightclaw responded.

What followed was a dizzying display, one that no normal eye could possibly follow, the speed of the two novas was beyond anything that baseline humans could follow. Slowed to a level of understanding however, it would be clearly a fight of a master against someone dependent on brute force. Shen dominated the battle, though he was forced to exert himself to do so, for his opponent was quite capable. However, every move he made was countered by Shen, and though it took time, inevitably however a few of Shen's blows got though. It was clear within about 10 minutes of battle, to both of them, who was the master here.

In the process of the battle, however, entire trees went flying, and enough dirt and dust was kicked up to see it from miles away. In the end however, a few precision blows managed to break bones and took his opponent down.

Laying there on the ground, Shen moved over him, and grasped his head, saying a few words. "Make your peace with the Divine, for your path on in the world ends now."

"Fuck you, just get it over with, you self-righteous bastard" Waiting a moment longer, Shen broke the man's neck, killing him, and then sighed. Standing up, he gently brushed the man's eyes closed and looked down at him.

"Perhaps life would have been different for you on another path, may your soul find peace in the next world." He then took the time to carry the man to the hillside, and make a funeral pyre. In a few hours he would return to the island as promised, but for now, he saw to this man's final resting place, and other matters, taking responsibility for everything that followed from his taking the life of another sentient being.

Click to reveal..

OOC: Been planning this for a while now, sense this thread started, the above allowed me to better demonstrate aspects of Shen's personality and view of life and death. It also indicates his politeness and grace under fire, and how utterly unfazable and certain he generally is. I also posted it to give folks a better idea of his personality.. Thanks to Envoy for the opportunity The thread is now yours.. + 2 Standard Exp to those participating... everyone should feel free to make sidestory threads, I will grant XP for them in the future also.

[Maia]

Maia looked at Coraline. "It means you can become anything doesn't it?" Maia had an almost sweet and innocent disposition, and she was terminally cheeful.

"Unless I'm mistaken."

[Karren Gaunt]

"Anything biological about my size. I was working on gills and fins before... Before today happened," she answered with a little pause of strangled emotion she kept from her face, "I just need a sample to look at and copy to make the parts work when *I* make them."