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Tweak says, "Aye Carumba!"

Syd(ney) Barrett (_donttouch) wrote,
@ 2017-04-06 19:48:00

[log 2] Syd/David

The days went by fast, too fast. But there were tactics to discuss and work to put in, all things that took up time. Sydney had put her two cents in, brash as it might have been in comparison to everyone else's thoughtful plans, and then took off. Now it was time for personal work of her own.

She had been thinking about it since their conversation, contemplating the logistics and possible horrible effects of what might happen were she wrong about this idea. It might even be worse than the first time she and David switched bodies; he was so much more powerful now. And while he knew it, was aware of it, she still didn't think that she herself was strong enough to keep everything in check if they did switch. And she didn't think her conscience could take another murder -- no matter how accidental it was. Especially not of these people. They had already seen enough loss. She had seen enough loss.

She often wondered whether David would have been able to suss out the Shadow King earlier, had she not accidentally killed Lenny and leave her to be a hallucination in his mind. Or would it have simply taken another form, another person to confuse him?

Enough of those thoughts, Sydney, she mentally chastised herself. If they could hold on to scarves together, then they could do this. Resolve found, she wound her way toward David's dorm before she lost her nerve. David wasn't there, at least she was pretty sure that he wasn't; it was odd, but she swore that she could sometimes feel him around. It was easy to find him, though whether that was part of some weird connection or by merely knowing him, Syd wasn't sure. It wasn't like she had that particular link with anyone else she had switched with. Perspective and empathy, sure. But an actual possible link? Maybe it was because she entered his headspace. It was a question she would have to ask the others, whether they had the same feeling.

Entering his room, she looked around and grabbed the closest piece of clothing that she could find, a jacket. The theft was quick, partially because that was how a theft should be and partially because she wanted to find out what would happen as soon as possible. Her fingers snuck out of their protective cover of long sleeves, gingerly touching the fabric of the jacket with eyes half squinted shut. Eyes still squinted, she threw the jacket on one shoulder then the other, and then looked around wide-eyed to see what had happened.

Those wide eyes looked down first thing, seeking out -- yup. Still had boobs. Releasing a sigh of relief, Syd cozied up in the jacket, zipping it up halfway. It was bigger than her normal size, which was nice. Safe. More room between others' skin and her own. And it smelled like him! Like a little kid, Sydney wiggled around in the fabric happily and then turned around to leave and go about her day.

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xgene
2017-04-10 07:05 pm UTC (link)

Kerry followed fast, immediately matching Syd's pace while Cary lagged behind, a little taken aback by their energy and swiftness. It was a shame there was no help to be found in the time travel department, but if they could get here, they had to be able to get back somehow -- it was just a matter of being precise: using a scalpel instead of a sawblade.

"Farouk seemed more in control the less aware David was, and considering the state Oliver was in when he returned from the Astral Plane, I'd say it's a safe bet," Cary offered in agreement. So many memories hazy, whole words from his vocabulary lost, let alone recollection of his friends, his own wife. Muscle memory remained in tact, at least, old responses to his scientific drive, which had allowed him to help when they were trying to pull Farouk from David's mind.

As for finding people, Cary couldn't offer much. "With David's mind his own, I didn't--" He waved his hands vaguely. "I dove into our genetics, tried to figure out where our power came from." The X-gene. Genetics were his specialty, though tech came right after. His next invention was worn on Kerry's belt right now -- though it obviously went in the opposite direction, hiding rather than finding.

Kerry listened to it all with a vague interest, following Syd into the elevator while only Cary hesitated. He hadn't been up there in a very, very long time. "I uh..." For a moment he looked like he was going to make an excuse, shifting the small leather journal he had in his hands before Kerry reached out and took him gently by the arm, urging him into the elevator alongside them. He caved easily, but fidgeted even more.

"The Shadow King's biggest weakness is that it can't survive in this plane without a host," he offered softly, quietly as the tinny echo of the elevator made his voice sound a little strange. "Amahl Farouk was the name of its first host on record, and when it disappeared, it went somewhere no one else could follow, except someone like Oliver or David, or someone else with a knack for astral projection."

The elevator dinged as they reached the main level, Cary actively wringing his hands on the worn journal by now. "Whatever is done, it has to be done on the metaphysical level unless--" At that Kerry finished, "--we cut our losses and kill Oliver too." Because that was an option. It'd always been an option, but one no one had the guts to suggest it.

Doors opening, Kerry stepped out first, body tense and ready for anything as she took off to patrol the upper level again, heading vaguely in the direction of David. Cary lagged behind, eyes looking in very distinct places to avoid wreckage, blood stains, burn marks. "Finding Oliver sooner will help," he conceded that much. "But I don't think anyone could get close enough to use another band to isolate the two." Because of how quickly, how easily it consumed Oliver and took control.

Right where he'd been left before, David remained, eyes still closed tight, jaw clenched, and sweat beading on his brow. The humming grew, more minds, more power to hide as Kerry returned with Cary and Syd. Without even opening his eyes he knew who they were. Their presence made his teeth itch, made a heat rise inside his own head, making his face feel hot while the rest of him felt cold. All of them together, their power, their thoughts a jumbled mess of whispers running through his mind.

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_donttouch
2017-04-10 08:11 pm UTC (link)

Syd would settle for a pair of children’s scissors, frankly. But that was currently neither here nor there. She offered a smile to Cary and, though it was unnecessary, moved to make room for all three of them. She was glad they came. Listening, she nodded, pushing hair out of her face and filing everything learned into that imaginary jigsaw puzzle, trying to see where the pieces could fit together. She had questions about the genetics stuff, but that part didn’t seem important quite yet, so curiosity would have to wait. As would wry comments about the naming system. It made sense scientifically, but geez.

What did have her interest was the monster’s weaknesses. It couldn’t survive here without someone. The desperation in Tar-Lenny’s voice made sense then. It had been right at the time; it wasn’t quite a tumor. But it was close enough. They just needed a..well, another scalpel. Not a sawblade. Her gaze flickered between the two, as Kerry finished the unspoken thought. No one had the guts to suggest it.

Her legs wanted to follow Kerry’s pace as they exited the elevator, straining to put urgency and agency into her walk, but instead she remained on step with Cary. “Even hidden?” She asked curiously, wondering if they could get close if it couldn’t see them. But then she was mulling over that piece of the Shadow King not being able to survive here. “He told me how I died. And that he tried to do something like it. A…psychic blade?” It was appropriate. A vorpal blade against jaws that bite and claws that catch. “Is it possible for other people to wield it, do you think? Make it physical? Hide it like you hide Kerry?” She was no brilliant scientist; her mechanical prowess ended with the basics of managing a car and even that was lackluster, what with the sophistication of computerized car engines. But she had ideas. Ideas and a promise. And that was all she could work with right now. And David admitted that he was wild, all emotions and action. Gut reaction and no precision. She loved him for it. But they needed something else.

Speaking – thinking – of David and they caught up to where she had left him. Her breath hitched, thankful that he was there. Thankful that he seemed to be there too, alive and full of life and not hollow and haunted like his doppelganger downstairs. Remembering what Kerry said about some sort of wall, she moved closer but placed her hand out just before herself. No more wall love for her, thanks.

She stared for a minute, trying to discern how better to start talking. She went with both. Hey. "What's going on in there?" Asked gently as she crouched down.

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xgene
2017-04-10 08:34 pm UTC (link)

"Hidden only to the eyes and ears, not the mind of a psychic. Any telepath would still see right through," Cary explained unhappily. If there was a way to blend the psionic with the physical, he hadn't been able to figure it out. But then again, the only telepaths he'd ever known were an artist/scientist hybrid and a man who'd had a parasite in his head his whole life. Not exactly the best subjects to utilize -- neither of them were interested in being tested or sitting around long enough to try things out.

Concerning a psychic blade itself, he remembered clearly what happened to Syd, how she died. He'd seen exactly what Farouk made Oliver create and wield, a blade of pure, red energy. "My first instinct is that, unless in the hands of another telepath, the blade would simply dissipate. But if we could fuse that energy to an actual, physical item? Then sure, someone could wield that." Like electricity in copper, they needed something conductive to psychic energy, if something like that even existed. But that would kill Oliver too, without a doubt.

Cary let himself think, Kerry circling around them slowly, eyes never stopping. The wall around David shuddered the instant Syd's hand came close, like a ripple in water, blue hues echoing before she was let through.

Remind me to get my blood pressure checked when we get back, he replied mentally, not having a single ounce of energy to spare in speaking physically. Cary let out a gasp, hearing the words in his head as well, quickly explaining, "Jeez louise, David!"

Sorry, came the quick reply, Kerry looking over with a huff before turning her eyes back out to the glass-less windows.

You're the only ones here, David acknowledged somberly. No Syd. No Ptonomy, no Melanie. No Syd. We can't stay here much longer. My head feels like it's about to split open.

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_donttouch
2017-04-10 11:32 pm UTC (link)

She pulled her hand back when it rippled, then smiled curiously and did it again to watch how it moved. That was genuinely cool. "Head to toe checkup." Syd agreed, not paying attention to the mental voice until Cary voiced his surprise. It was only then that she realized he was projecting to all of them.

The somber reassurance was not, in fact, that reassuring. Neither was the look she was pretty sure David had, if he knew that her future self wasn't...here.

She turned and looked to the others, then back to David, concerned when he said that his head was splitting open. Stretching himself thin. Wait. Her eyes narrowed, regarding him first before her head quickly turned to look at Cary. "Could I do it?" Any of it. "What if I didn't need a body?" What was a body, after all. "The--" Syd's hands moved, running back to the previous conversation, mentally picking up a piece. "Our genes. Do they tell what we're capable of? Is astral projection specific to telepaths?"

There was still the matter of keeping Oliver alive, but she was trying to work on that one. And the matter of getting home. She was working on that too. Attention returned to David, the other David's words working its way back into her head. His powers worked on emotions, but emotions were one hell of a drug. "I could be the map home. If you worked with my thoughts, my emotions?"

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xgene
2017-04-10 11:54 pm UTC (link)

As much as David hated physicals of any kind, he was really feeling like he needed it. If this was normal strain, the psychic kind, he'd adapt. But if his body was deciding to rejecting everything, then he was going to need to know how much of a wreck he was going to be in the coming months. Because this? This didn't feel good. He wasn't losing -- the eyes still out there, still watching, but he was matching it exactly. It was just a matter of how long either one of them could last.

Cary looked back to Syd at the jump back in their conversation. "Well, I mean, it'd be like trying to wield water as if it were solid, no matter where you were." Physical or otherwise. "You'd need a physical component, but it's possible there's something out there that could 'hold the charge'--" He just hadn't discovered it yet, unable to travel and search as he was. On the matter of genes though, he uhm'd as he rubbed his forehead idly. "I've only met the two, and one had exceptionally more skill at it than the other," he began, a sudden and resounding Hey! coming from David. "Sorry, but it's true." Cary shrugged and continued. "Another mutant might be able to unlock the door, but once it's locked again behind you..."

Oliver had given him the suit as a means of navigating the Astral Plane, but his scope was limited to point A to point B. But he was thinking, letting Syd return her concentration to David as he did so, opening the journal in his hands to re-read through years worth of notes.

It's worth a try. Any map I can get will help. Even mentally he offered a cold chuckle. When I tried reaching for a specific point, it was pure chaos.

Kerry chimed in then, turning back and looking between the both of them. "If you guys are going to be changing the past, might as well save Rudy while you're at it. We're gonna need him." Stepping closer to Syd, she snapped off the device from her belt and offered it to her. "Let this hide your body, let him hide your mind." She tipped her head towards David, eyes remaining on Syd, sharp and intent.

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_donttouch
2017-04-11 02:01 am UTC (link)

So, essentially, she'd need a cup. Damn it. It was something that she could ask her Cary about, though. When they have a little more time, a little more freedom. Not much more, but a little. God, she just hoped that she was taking steps in the right direction. "It's just me. And it, hopefully."

Smiling wryly at David's observation, she would have said something smartass in return, but Kerry grabbed her attention. Wide-eyed, she accepted the device and nodded. "Right." It was clipped to her belt, swinging there idly, and Sydney took a breath. She met Kerry's gaze and nodded, ready to go.

Almost ready to go. There was one more thing to do. For herself. It was selfish, and maybe didn't matter anyway, but she had made a promise. "I need to say goodbye." I love you. That was directed to David as she stood up. She didn't care about the looks that she knew she was going to receive, and there wasn't any more time to waste, so Syd strode past Cary and Kerry back to the elevator and back downstairs. Down the hall, quick steps took her straight to the room with the possible future. She said she would be back, and she intended to say goodbye.

Once more, Syd was crouching and once more she was staring, wondering if he was there. "Thank you, David. For everything." He helped more than he knew. "It's my turn to protect you. And if everything goes right, you'll be able to go." It was a sort of the release he wanted so much, having never existed at all.

She wasn't expecting anything in return, but needed to do it anyway. For her own peace of mind. Now. Now she was ready to go.

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xgene
2017-04-11 02:34 am UTC (link)

David was vaguely aware of another presence here, so he didn't worry when Syd stepped away again, sending her his own love as well -- offering the I love you to her and her alone. Kerry returned to her pacing while Cary simply took up the younger David's hand and placed his journal in it to take back. This way, they'd both be armed a little better. If those notes could get to his past self? It might help buy them some more time by saving him from a steep learning curve. Anything to, as Syd put it, wake up from this nightmare: for the nightmare to never happen.

Downstairs, back in the darkness and the quiet, the older David didn't stir at Syd's returned presence, though in the time between her leaving and returning, he'd wrapped the fabric she'd left behind around his hand more securely, thumb idly touching over where it was pulled over his knuckles.

Not reacting outwardly, no more than the tears that had started falling from his eyes, the words did register. You'll be able to go. They repeated in his mind, allowing him to let out a long, shuddering breath. Finally a release from this, from the void within him. This damned, empty life, a world no longer worth saving without her in it.

For one second all was calm. After so many years David felt some modicum of peace.

And then, without visual or audio cue, his eyes widened and met hers, terror washing over his face in the brief moment before they were surrounded in a harsh red light.

From the darkness of below to the light of the main floor, Sydney was thrown back, bodily thrown into David, her own David, who just barely managed to catch her without touching her skin. Stumbling back on his feet, he steadied them both, Kerry and Cary on either side of him and before them all -- Oliver. Eyes yellow, suit black, a smirk on his lips... and the older David held off the ground by his neck, one strong hand wrapped around his throat and holding him high.

Oliver's, or rather, the Shadow King's eyes fell upon Syd and his head tilted. "Didn't I already kill you?" He asked, accent still present despite the obvious lack of Oliver being left within. Pursing his lips in a mildly amused fashion, he dismissed it with a wave of his free hand. "No matter. We'll amend that soon. But first," his attention returned to the David of this timeline who struggled with all the strength of a man who'd locked all power behind a mental door and threw away the key.

Without a moment's hesitation, Farouk's free hand moved to press against David's forehead -- another angry red flash, this time accompanied by a sickening crack. All it took was that single flash and David went limp, Farouk dropping him to the ground without ceremony. Eyes still wide open, unseeing and dull, David's chest still rose and fell -- but there was no life left within.

"One down," he practically sing-songed, turning to the group. With a snap of his fingers on both hands, Cary and Kerry crumpled to the ground. "Three down, I'm on a roll baby!"

David didn't give him a chance to do any more -- the world became white-hot around them, a rush of hot, then cold air, a torrent of memories rushing past them, striking them like hail. All David's, all panicked. He reached into Sydney's own mind, the maelstrom around them calming until he focused on that delight he'd seen on her face earlier that day, a shared moment where she felt that bright, unadulterated delight at stealing his jacket.

That was it. That was the right day.

But where they landed was a good 600 feet away, outside in the forest. Out of the corner of his eye, David saw another flash of white light, knowing their counterparts had just left for Upstate New York, leaving him to let out a shuddering, breath, body shaking with fear he didn't (couldn't) hide. Oh God, oh God. That was... that had been... oh God...

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_donttouch
2017-04-11 03:11 am UTC (link)

The tears surprised her, and edged her dangerously close to watery eyes as well. She had just been reaching out, ready to wipe one side when David's sudden movement brought everything to a grinding halt. It was slow motion, it was the blink of an eye. Wide eyes met terror-filled ones, and she opened her mouth to say something, but was caught in an invisible shove onto an entirely different floor like she was a rag doll.

There were hands on her..too close, god why was everything so close now?..but she chastised herself as quickly as she knew it was David. Teeth grit together and she was positioning herself to be ready for a fight, but all of her cool went out the door when she saw the older David dangling, held aloft. "Let him go! You already have--" Whatever angry words that had formed in her throat died there too, except for a shout of 'no!' and fighting against her David's hold.

No. Nonono. This was not supposed to happen. She wriggled again, aching for a fight, but that rolling feeling of hot and cold came over her again. They were traveling again. He saved them. She had to focus. Compartmentalizing, Sydney stayed very still until she could feel solid ground again. And then she was ready to storm the castle.

But first, turning abruptly, she stared at David with saucer eyes and abject fear, touching his face and searching his own eyes wildly in terror. What if they were glass? Dull and lifeless and not at all the electric blue she loved so much. Be here. Stay with me, don't you dare leave me.

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