[006] Truthiness
~Part One[It had been a few days since Bryn had gone on her late night stroll around the Keep grounds, and a bit longer still since she had confessed to Alex her secret. Surprisingly, nothing had gone wrong. Alex had greeted her news with joy, and most of the other guests she had run into in her other form had been rather pleasant, if not
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She’d called him a ‘friend’ - something he still could not fully understand or comprehend, but he did hope to at least attempt to live up to that expectation, and he supposed that began with showing up.
Of course, he wouldn’t do so unannounced - that was entirely unclassy, so it’s with a great flourish that he appears in the doorway of the gallery in which she sat - blast this damnable Keep and it’s lack of suitable supplies for laser lights and gunpowder - puffing himself up and sweeping his cape aside with an oh so grand gesture.]
Miss Bryn! I… [He steps in, and bows - it’s formal, exaggerated, and overdone.]
Have arrived.
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After all, this was something he seemed quite interested in, and that fact surprised and flattered her a great deal. She could, to some degree, take that interest in her ability as interest in her as a person.
She continues to play at the harpsichord, finding herself immediately limited by the short range of the keyboard. When Megamind arrives however, with an impressive amount of flourish, she stops immediately and rises to her feet. Bryn had worried that perhaps people might act differently around her once they knew, but Megamind appeared (so far) to be unaffected.]
I'm so glad you came. I thought that perhaps you might...
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Giving her a rather inquisitive look, Megamind loses a bit of his certainty and droops.
Then it's gone, so fast she might not even notice.]
Ah! Do not think you will be rid of me so easily, Miss Bryn! I think you will find that I am incredibly difficult to dispose of, and I will hardly go without a fight.
[He gives her a sly little smile.]
I'm afraid you're quite stuck with me, Miss Bryn.
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At his words, however, and that smile of his, Bryn finds herself blushing unexpectedly, and rather pleased by the implication. She's never had a friend so actively interested to keep her company.]
Well then I...I suppose it's quite lucky that I'm not inclined to be rid of you.
[She gives him a little smile of her own and bites her lower lip.]
I'm just glad that my ability hasn't changed things. I was worried I might lose friends over it for the longest time...
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Fantastic! Then it's settled. You're not getting rid of me, and I certainly have no intentions of getting rid of you, so you might as well banish any other ridiculous thoughts that you might have hovering around that very thing, because it's not going to happen.
[He 'hmphs', then blinks at her, narrowing his eyes.]
Why? Simply because you were different?
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[At the narrowing of his eyes, Bryn's widened momentarily and then she looked away.]
What I can do isn't something normal back home. It's...unheard of really. My family reacted very poorly and I had no reason to believe that others would not take it badly as well.
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As it is, the conflict is apparent on his face.]
Well. You...do not have to worry about me acting poorly about such a thing. [He was picked on and bullied from a young age - all he ever wanted was to be accepted and liked, and look at him now.]
On that, you do have my word.
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Not that what he does say doesn't touch her. Bryn stepped forward and though shy at first, wrapped her arms around him in a brief embrace.]
Thank you. That means more to me than...than I can say right now.
[This sort of acceptance, not just tolerance, is something she values a great deal. Enough so that her eyes begin to tear up a bit.]
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[He doesn't get much of a chance to finish his sentence because he suddenly finds himself with an armful of a teary eyed, beautiful female.
Megamind is stunned. Absolutely stunned, and he has no idea what he is supposed to do in a situation like this. No one - no one outside of his loyal henchfish has ever voluntarily touched him like this. He's...never been touched in anyway except getting beaten to a pulp, actually - Minion was the only one that had ever treated him with any kind of decency and to have someone now, here, that he still only barely knows hug him...
He's momentarily frozen in shock - obviously, social interactions are not and never have been his strong point - and therefore he isn't exactly certain what it is he's supposed to doHis only assumption is that he's supposed to return the action, sort of like the 'handshake' deal, where he'd taken her hand and...held it in some strange 'greeting' ritual ( ... )
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However, at this particular moment, when she had made herself vulnerable to those around her, it was hard to restrain herself. When Megamind didn't move to return the embrace, she started to pull away, but froze immediately when she felt his arms move to hug her back.
Bryn squeezed her eyes shut tight to blink away any forming tears, and then pulled back slightly to offer him a grateful smile.]
I think that's one of the nicest things anyone's ever told me. I'm sure I'll have no trouble remembering.
[As for whether or not she'd believe it, well...that would likely take more time.]
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Somehow, he's done more right in the past few weeks without trying than he has in his entire lifetime. He'd tried so hard when he was younger to fit in and now, standing here with Bryn and now having her throw a rock at him just for being blue was...
Well. Exhilarating.]
Good. [He clears his throat and...awkwardly pats her on the arm.]
That's...good. You should. There's nothing wrong with you, you know. Nothing whatsoever. It's fascinating - you're fascinating, incredible - so complex, how does it work?
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She offers him a smile, a faint flush to her cheeks.]
No one's ever said...well. That. Thank you so much.
[She clears her throat.]
As for how it works well...where would you like me to start?
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Er. Right.
[ONWARDS.]
Well, at the beginning, of course - I want to know everything, how you do it, the scientific of it all - is it chemical imbalance? Radioactive? Supernatural? [Since that apparently existed here, he wants to understand that, too. Having things beyond his reach is a bit of a pisser, so he wants to try and maintain some level of understanding for ALL the things, here.
Even things that aren't MEANT to be understood. Like fate and destiny and why his life has been so horribly, terribly unfair up until this very moment in time where all seems right and perfect in the world.
Something is going to happen to him soon to ruin all of this, he knows it. He hasn't done anything in his life to deserve any sliver of happiness - why start now?
Still though - he's going to enjoy it while he's able.]
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Well, I'm not sure I'll have all of the answers you are looking for but I can tell you what I know and...well, what I suspect.
[She took a seat on the small bench by the harpsichord again, and debated where to start. The beginning was a place but...well, she'd have to tell Megamind more than she'd told anyone.]
We don't...have what I am back home. At least, not publicly, and I'd never met another person with my ability until I came here. Up until I was seventeen, I thought I was entirely human, entirely normal.
One day I just...I changed. Bones changed shape, muscles and tendons moved, and in moments I was a cougar.
[Bryn gave him a wry smile.]
I wasn't expecting it, to say the least, and passed out. When I woke up I was back to normal again and...
[Well, now they were treading on rather sensitive territory. What had happened after she woke up, well...Bryn didn't like lingering on it overlong.]
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Nonetheless, he had a feeling she would not understand the entropy of a black hole and the information paradox resulting from the combination of quantum mechanics and general relativity.
He stared at her.]
You just…changed? There were no signs, no symptoms?! [He was running through possibilities and the physics of it.]
…And…?
[He prompted her, raising a brow but noting her hesitation, he didn’t push further.]
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[She gave him a wry smile.]
I made it to the woods and when I got there it just...it was instinct. I was able to shift again, like I'd always known how. The process can be a bit uncomfortable and awkward every once in a while but it doesn't hurt.
[Bryn swallowed, and then gave him a little shrug.]
No symptoms though. Just a tingling before the first time. And I don't know how it works or what caused it. I never met any other shifters back home. I don't even know if there were any, and those that I've met here...it doesn't work the same way for them. My changing isn't tied to the moon and there isn't some...animal instinct or behavior that can take over and make me dangerous.
It's just me in there.
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