groovygamers.com

Sarah dropped by Colin's house late Sunday morning wearing a dress *gasp*  Nothing over the top or fancy... just a nice regular 'hey that's a girl over there' dress.  A dark green smock dress with cream shirt and tights.  Naturally it was cold so the effect was ruined by the thick warm coat and long sweater she had on top of it all.  Well at least it was an excuse to wear the warm clunky combat boots.  She fished her hand out of the sleeve and rang the Crow doorbell. 

She stood watching her breath steam in front of her and waited for someone to answer.  Hopefully they weren't vacuuming or something. 

The thought of just popping into Colin's room was appealing but she decided that politeness was probably the right first step... for now. 

Colin comes at the door wearing a nice yellow sweater and jeans, covered by a rather large apron.

"Hey, wondergirl. Come in, it's freezing."

He seems to have a little spurt of cream on his cheek.

Sarah tilts her head and looks at Colin curiously.  "Am I interrupting you in the middle of something?"

"No, no, mom just asked to help her whip some cream before going. She's trying to make  a cake for Chris I think. Just a moment and I'm all yours." he heads back to the kitchen to get rid of the apron.

Sarah clumps around the Crow living room browsing once more at the pictures and personal items in the room while she waited for Colin. 

"Here I am." Colin says coming back and grabbing his coat. "What made you think of the MCA? Is there any exhibition you'd like to see?" He takes her hand and drops in it a little heart-shaped chocolate. "For you." he smiles.

"Aww," says Sarah and pops it in her mouth with a smile.  After eating the chocolate she kisses him on the cheek.  "For you,"  She says, "No particular reason for the museum.  I haven't been in a couple of years and I thought it might be fun.  I don't even know what exhibit is going on right now but the general collection is good enough for me.  If we get tired of that we could hop around to some stores or an arcade or just find a warm coffee shop and hang out."  

She calls to Colin's mom, "I'll bring Colin back, I promise!"

To Colin she asks, "Do you have everything you need?"

Taking his hand she leads him out into the cold.

"Sounds like a smart plan."


He squeezes gently her hand.

"Yes, I do." He smiles again.

Sarah walks out the door and down the street... *zwip*

At the museum Sarah pays the 12 dollars admission for the both of them.
"I'll let you figure out lunch?"

"Ok. I'll think of something."

Colin looks around wide eyed. it's the first time he comes to a museum since he's got his new sight, and looking at pictures and sculptures without the frame of his glasses is... different. He even takes some looks with his ghost sight at the works that feel more 'magical' to him.

"Oh, look, there's an exhibition about art and rock'n'roll. Would you like to see it? You know, we always talk about movies, I don't think I ever asked you what kind of music you prefer."

Sarah considers the question.  "Mostly rock of various styles.  I like a little bit of classical but that's about it really.  Honestly I'm totally a tv and movie soundtrack music fan.  If they play the song in a commercial I'll end up listening to it and other things like it.  Like Ingrid Michaelson from that Old Navy ad?  Mitsubishi car commercials..  soundtracks from the movie.  I even liked the Snakes On a Plane song.  I play music to suit my mood but I'm not always listening to music.  As much as I can talk I like to have quiet around me sometimes.  It's one of the reasons I like you a lot.  You are quiet.  You aren't yelling and noisy like a lot of guys."

Colin smiles. "I like soundtracks a lot too. And some of my mom's classical records. And, uhmm... those songs that make me want to dance. I like to listen to the hits too, though, so I don't feel totally out of touch with the world. I'm, well, strange enough already. And I like to have my quiet too, but usually I get it when I'm biking. Only I and the wind."

"And thank you. I've always been quiet, but I don't think it ever was a popular feature. I'm so glad I can be myself with you."

Sarah nods and says, "Quiet is good.  I'm appreciating the wind more now as well.  There's a lot of it on the tops of the buildings.  The higher up I go the less city noise there is, the more you can hear the wind.  I'm really glad I didn't fall."  She takes Colin's hands and smiles softly at him remembering when her new power first appeared at the best possible moment. 

After a few seconds she lets out a small sigh of relief and answers his earlier question, "I'd be up for seeing the exhibit.. unless it costs a ton more.  I didn't check into that.  I'd hate to spend too much money before Christmas on this.  Speaking of which I still have to figure out what to get you.  Any good hints you could give?  I'm a terrible gift getter.  I always wait until the last possible minute and end up talking myself into getting people stupid, bad or wildly inappropriate gifts.  Like chaps or t-shirts with crude humor.  I think I got Dave a shirt last year that had a squirrel holding a pair of acorns with the phrase "Mine are bigger than yours" written below it.  It's kind of a blur." 

As usual, it takes Colin a few moments to get the joke.

"Oh." He says. Then he starts laughing. "Sorry. I was just thinking of the face my mom would make if I went around with a t-shirt like that. You really want a hint? Anything to draw or paint would be fine. I like to try new stuff. Or... I dunno. I'd like to have something on yours on my bike. A new bell? The brakes could use some renewing too I guess. You could claim of saving my life. Again." he smiles.

"I know exactly what I want to get you. I'm just not sure if I should follow my instinct or let you choose. Would you prefer the surprise, and so test my taste, or come with me to get something of your liking?"

"I like surprises and your thinking is kinda off center so it should be fun to see what you come up with.  If it's a color stay clear of yellow."  She pokes his sweater and says with a grin,  "I'll never borrow this from you.  It's nice on you but I'd look... icky." 

"I'll be thinking about something for you," says Sarah.  She puts her arm through Colin's and leans on his shoulder as they walk through the museum.

It was funny, now that she could teleport she kept feeling a nagging urge to ... not be so good.  It would be so easy to just take whatever she wanted and not get caught.  But he'd know.  Colin would take one look at it and know it had been stolen.  So back to Walmart she would go...

Sarah and Colin wander through the museum looking at all the amazing art.  Some pieces were touching, some disturbing and others just weird.  As they stared at a blank gray canvas she asked Colin, "So... how do you feel about interfering with free will?"

Colin seems pensive. "I'm not sure. Blackbird doesn't like it. He seems to think that people should be allowed to do something wrong, every now and then. I can't make people do what I want. I guess I wouldn't like it either. Sometimes, though, I wonder what it would be like to help people choose their better nature, rather than their worst. Why do you ask?"

Sarah winces mentally a moment before taking a deep breath.  She starts talking and hope her brain has some sort of good way of explaining things. "Well. Um."

Oh yeah good start! 

"I've sort of messed with some people's free wills.  I've got a gift, I guess, that I haven't told you about yet."  She exhales and inhales again before saying quickly, "I can change people's minds.  Not all the time.  Just sometimes."  

Colin stops to look at her.
"Really?" he whispers. "How does it work?" Then he notices how nervous she seems to be. "Hey, wondergirl. I'm still Colin. I know you. What are you afraid of?"

Sarah looks at Colin curiously.  "Well it's something you could be afraid of.  I'll tell you how it works and then you can think just how awful it could be."

She gives him the short answer.  "I can basically rewrite someone's memories any way I like.  I can give you a demonstration if you're up for it?"

"A gun could do awful things in the wrong hands. But I'm not afraid of your hands. I don't need a demonstration. How do you feel when you do it? Has Morpheus told you anything about it?"

"I'm okay with it.  It's really simple.  It's just a way I pitch my voice and the next thing I know I've rewritten history.  It doesn't always work.  Sometimes people shrug it off... like those two kids.  I'm sorry I dodged around your questions about that before.  I.. I just wasn't ready to talk about it.  I'm still not but I don't think I ever will be.  I talked with Sylvia about it.  She has mind powers along the same lines and she's been stressing about her own powers for long enough that I thought she might have some insights.  She was able to hook me up with someone to at least point my powers in a useful direction.  So now I'm volunteering at the mental institution from time to time.  I can help people get their lives back on track and all I have to do is listen to them and talk a little bit." 

Sarah looks at Colin and asks, "Do you know why I've been so afraid of telling you?"

"Hey, that's really nice. I'm glad Sylvia could help you."



Colin looks down at his hand holding hers. "No, I don't know. But I wish you hadn't."

"Wait... do you mean hadn't told you or hadn't been afraid to tell you?" 

Sarah sighed and said, "I guess I should be glad you aren't suspicious.  I keep forgetting that.  I mean with this ability I could have made up our entire relationship.  Maybe everyone around me is just remembering what I tell them to?"

Colin has a slight smile. "You know, I had a conversation like this with Sylvia not a long time ago. I don't know why, but the first thing you girls think when you find out you've got mental powers is 'Oh my god, what if I made up my whole world?'. Do you think your power could work on yourself too? That you could make yourself remember only what you want?"

He leans closer to her. "Wondergirl, what I feel for you can't possibly be made up. It's real. Trust me about this."

Sarah rolls her eyes, "I know it is.  I'm not worried that I accidentally made it all up.  I just mean as an example that I could have.  I showed Sylvia by changing her name to Brunhilda.  Pretty simple example.  I just wanted you to know.  I should tell the rest of the crowd soon.  Maybe next week at school."

"Brunhilda?!" Colin can't help but make a 'ewww' face.

"Well, it's pretty amazing. And if it had worked on those boys, you wouldn't have needed to club them down. You're getting more and more resourceful. You will be a great heroine."

Sarah just shrugs and says, "I think I'll be happy just to make it through school."

"You've been dreaming for special mind powers for all your life. Is it getting a burden to you? I wouldn't trust this ability to anyone else."

Sarah laughs, "That's sort of what Sylvia said.  She might worry about somebody else with the power but not me.  It's kind of a strange ability.  When it works, it can come in handy when I'm with you.  You may fly under people's radars but everybody remembers a redhead unless she can tell them 'These are not the droids you're looking for.'" 

She wanders through the museum with Colin some more before eventually asking, "Have you come up with any fabulous lunch plans?"

"A friend of mom's told her of a very good place that is 100% vegetarian, and I've been curious to give it a try. How does it sound to you?"

OOC:   ;D   ;D

IC:
"Do they have bacon?" asks Sarah with a worried expression.  She smirks and then says, "I'm willing to give it a try."

"I just thought it might be nice for a change."

They walk around the museum for a little while, until a sculpture, a maze of metal wires, seems to have an effect on Colin.

"You know, I haven't been feeling much useful lately. I haven't helped much solve the last few mysteries. I wonder if I'm doing something wrong."

Sarah shakes her head, "You aren't doing anything wrong.  It's not exactly like we've got a guidebook to follow on how to be supers.  We're just a bunch of teenagers trying to keep our school from spinning out of control.  We're not detectives, or super spies.  We can't always get everything right and we don't always have the time to do everything we might want.  Those detectives do this for a living, they don't have to go home and do three hours of homework every night on top of it.  Nor do they have parents calling them home at night."

"It's natural that sometimes you'll be a little out of commission.  Even if you aren't using your gifts to solve a mystery for us you still have your brain to lend us ideas."

"It's my brain who failed last time, not my gifts." Colin says.

"I kinda feel there's something going on, and yet I can't figure it out. When all of this will be over, I think I'll look back and wonder how I could be so blind. But enough of this. I have to bring you to lunch, after all." he smiles.

Sarah lets Colin lead her along.  "As far as feeling like your brain is letting you down?  Welcome to my world.  I haven't a clue to get to the bottom of any of these mysteries."

"Blackbird always says something like 'Everything will get clear at the right time.' But this way I'm not sure what I can do to make sure I'll be ready. I mean, training with Jack helps a lot, but I'd like to have.. some more special training as well. Sylvia's got Smith. Sammy maybe doesn't even need it, it all comes so natural to her. Donnie... Donnie is good. To learn his magic he's got to study a lot, and he's great at that. What about the two of us?"

Sarah says, "Well, I'm not sure about us.  I think our gifts are almost an extension of our personalities.  Your sensitive and insightful, curious and kind.  Most of your talents could be summed up under those things couldn't they?  Mine are the same way.  I'm impatient and always looking for a shortcut.  I hate waiting and I hate not knowing something.  When I get frustrated I'll just thump something.  I've always wanted to be able to just change people's minds about things.  Naturally, now that I can, it's the last thing I dare to try.  I've fallen into these powers like I do everything else in life.  Unprepared, unexpected and hoping for the best.  Jack's classes are the only real training I'm doing.  The last time I was serious about anything was for a few years with gymnastics as a kid.  Now I'm still good at it, in fact I know I've gotten much better lately but I haven't really been trying.  It's just coming to me naturally with the rest of my gifts.  Nothing in life is free though.  I just hope these gifts we've been granted aren't being balanced by the trouble that's cropped up at school."

Colin thinks about it for a moment. If Sarah is right, which part of his personality expresses itself through ripping a demon's soul out of his body, or what he would have done to Jane Spofford if Sarah died? He shakes his head, chasing the thought away. Fortunately another one comes, and it makes him smile.

"So you've got a lightsaber, and you've got Jedi mind tricks. What's next?"

"Wear baggy robes and talk like this I will," she says in her best Yoda voice.  Clearing her throat she adds in her normal voice, "Though Jedi telekinetic powers would be wicked cool."

They get out of the Museum, and Colin leads Sarah to the El. After a couple stops, they're near the restaurant, that's decorated with wood and painted bright yellow. A soft flute music wafts out in the street. Colin opens the door to Sarah as chivalry imposes, and takes her jacket after asking a table for two.

"Thank you," says Sarah politely to Colin with a smile. 

He'd better be polite, taking me to a place with nothing but vegetables and.. weeds? What are those things?  Oh right, I remember them from Sylvia's lunches.  Alfalfa sprouts.  Yeesh.  Why don't they just plant that stuff in their yard and go graze like blissful sheep?

"I don't have any idea what to choose here.  I'm going to rely on your opinions for this menu okay?"  

And how do I weasel out of it if he recommends a...a .. wheat grass smoothie or something?  It's not like I've got the family dog under the table to feed it to like in some sitcom.  Oh relax you twit.  You're just creating problems that don't even exist again.  There is probably something here you'll love.  Ooh wait.  Coffee is a bean right?  They'll probably have that free trade coffee which is a great idea so .. wait.  no milk probably.  Dairy, dairy, dairy.. soy?  Well it will be an adventure.  Chocolate?  No probably more soy.  Oh come on, you drink flat diet coke don't tell me you can't live without milk in your coffee.  Fine.  Fine!

Sarah always felt a little better after arguing with herself.  She reached over and took Colin's hand.

"It depends on how brave you feel. What about Cannellini cakes (http://www.vegparadise.com/cookingwith95.html)? Or some persian rice with pistachio sauce (http://www.vegparadise.com/highestperch35.html)? I'm hoping you won't run away before the dessert. Mom says they make really wonderful pies and amazing fruits carved open and filled with hot cream." He leans in to whisper "In case this turns up as an amazingly bad idea though, they still have lots of fries and ketchup." he grins.

Sarah brightens at that.  "Really?" she asks happily.  "Well then I'll give something a try.  I don't know if I'd like a pistachio sauce.  Tell me about the Can, uh, the cakes."  After he gives her a description she smiles and nods.  "That might be good?  I don't know what it will really taste like but my brother always tells me to just shut up and try it when there's something new.  He's usually right." 

"Let's try and we'll find out. It's not like anything I ever have at home." Colin asks the waitress for a bit of advice and explanations, and she's quite happy to explain. The bean cakes, with some lemon drops are indeed quite good. The pies, served hot, are really something, Sarah has to admit. They smell deliciously, and taste even better. The tab at the end is a little high for Colin, but he doesn't ask Sarah anything.

"Do you like ice-skating?"

"Ice skating?  Sure.  I don't like the cold so much but ice skating is fun.  Lunch was great."