Nothing Is Wrong With My Power

Participants:

aaron3_icon.gif stef_icon.gif

Scene Title Nothing Is Wrong With My Power
Synopsis Aaron wakes up shortly before Stef. They have a brief exchange before Stef runs off to find out where Shard ended up.
Date October 17, 2009

Abandoned Best Western Motel


Aaron's eyes snap open, but they close quickly as he presses his hands into his eyes, trying to bore out the images of Peyton and Gillian burning alive. All he succeeds in doing is conjuring more images of fire and so he forces himself to open his eyes. His hand goes to his chest, where he feels his heart pounding away like a freight train. He can feel sweat all over his forehead, and pretty much coating his entire body, and he mops at his brow with his sleeve, creating a streak of mud on his forehead from the dust and dirt that managed to get on his relatively new long coat. It also makes him notice a small cut on his cheek, though he has absolutely no idea how he got it. And he's sore— but being dragged will do that to a person.

He finally settles some when he spots Gillian — no, Stef — on the bed next to him. There are many confused feelings there. A mixture of relief, confusion, and worry. She seemed to have gotten out safe, possibly thanks to him, but the whole passing out thing has him concerned. He reaches out and brushes some hair away from her face. "You look exactly like her," he whispers, a she looks at Stef's sleeping form, tears catching for a moment in his eyes before he scoots just slightly closer and wraps an arm around her, intent on keeping her safe.

There's a startled jump from the dark haired woman in the bed. Though she looks so much like Gillian, the wrist that reaches up to grab him sports a rose and a tribal design that is completely unmarred. Stef never suffered the nuking that her original did. The hand doesn't loosen, but at least she's not gaining strength from his fear right now. "Who are you?"

That is something Aaron wasn't suspecting. Here he is, making a protective gesture — admittedly to a stranger who he can't quite consider a stranger — and now he's being grabbed in what can only be comprehended as some sort of defensive move. There's a startled grunt from him and some additional tearing of his eyes. Despite the fact that he should know Peyton kind of knows Stef, seeing as how she was the one who mentioned it was her and not Gillian, mentioning he's a friend of hers just doesn't seem to come up in his mind. "I'm a friend of your … the uh … your … the other you?" Because how does he really tell Stef that he's a friend of the original?

After a visible hesitation and doubt, Stef releases his arm and settles back against the bed. "You're the one who was calling me Gillian." Her breathing starts to settle down as she lays there. "I've never met you. Got a name?" There's the same raspy tone he's gotten familiar with but it also has a shaky side to it. Could be just waking up. Or what made her pass out on him.

Unlike the original, Stef seems oddly appreciative when he gives her a looking over. Even if he's being totally professional about it, she shifts in ways to show off the low cut top. "I wasn't even sure she knew about me, so it's fine, I guess." Doesn't sound totally fine, but she looks quietly smirky the longer she has to wake up. "Think I'm coming down with something." It's as casual a mutter as she's capable of. "Did Shard make it to the damn thing? I'm gonna kick his fucking ass for not showing up on time."

Aaron quirks a brow as Stef applies her subtle feminine wiles as he's looking her over. Her talking distracts him, especially when she says she thinks she's coming down with something. "I'm not sure," he says, in response to the question about Shard. "I think I heard something, but it's a little blurry. Kinda passed out, myself…." He straightens up and looks directly into Stef's eyes. "How's your ability working?"

There's a mutter from the young woman at the first bit, the question of Shard unanswered. Just means Stef'll have to ask the first person she sees that she knows, and she fully intends to kick the bastard in the shins a few times for running off on her and not making it to the thing. Asking why this guy she doesn't really know passed out, but the question while looking into her eyes makes her blink visibly. "How— nothing is wrong with my power," she says completely defensively, after the initial slip of something else all together. "I just don't feel great. It's fucking nothing."

Yeah, she curses just like Gillian. Aaron's expression goes somewhat flat when she goes defensive, or perhaps a short while before, like when she was starting what she was originally going to say. And he really doesn't know how to broach the subject. Ability going fritzy was supposed to be the first sign, and November's approaching fast. He backs up a bit and rests back down on the bed, pensive.

"I have to go," Stef says as she rolls off the bed, looking around for her jacket. She's still fully clothed, if one can call the clothes she's wearing full. Ripped jeans, low cut shirt that shows off her stomach… it's better than it could be, though. Likely better than it'd be had it not been cold. "I need to go find Shard so I can kick his fucking ass." She finds her coat and puts it on, barely even glancing at him as she gives a casual wave, "Was nice meeting you, friend of other me."

"Wait, can you wait just a minute?" Aaron asks. Nonono, this is not how things are supposed to go. He scrambles off the bed, rifling around through his jacket until he finds his notepad, which he writes his phone number and the address of Peyton's apartment. Her attire is not lost on him. If she is just coming down with something, it's no wonder why. "When— if anything happens, call me or go to this address. Please?" He tears the sheet out of the notepad and offers it.

As he asks her to wait, Stef stops, glancing back at him and watching him rifle around for something. There's a hesitant pause, before she reaches out and takes it, glancing at it and shoving it into an interior pocket of her coat. "You're afraid," she says suddenly, inhaling a little through her nose. There's something momentarily bright about her eyes, and then it disappears as she grits her teeth. "Yeah, yeah, I'll call you or stop by. You don't have anything to be fucking afraid about," she adds on, before turning away again and walking out the door. "Be safe. Call OtherMe if you need help."

She should be, too. But of course, Aaron can't say that. He can't say a lot of things. Seriously, how could he possibly tell her that she's dying? Not only does he not like that he knows, he can't imagine what she'd do with it. He really doesn't know what to do, and just stands there as she walks out. With a sniff, he pulls out his phone to call Gillian. He has to see her and talk to her. He has to do something.


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