If madness overtakes us both [Open]

[levelshift]

Who: Accelerator levelshift and OPEN.
What: Event and July/August prompts.
When: Throughout July and August.
Where: Arcadia, Excelsior, Central City.
Content Warnings: Specific warnings will be in the prompts.


((Prompts in comments. If you'd like a specific starter please hit me up on plurk or discord!))

Comments

[purplexing]

Cyborg? Hahaha- no.

It's that other ability I was talking about. I can interface with computers and similar sorts of systems just by touching them, which isn't always convenient.

Ahem. Anyway.

This would be a readout from a couple months ago. And then this is a few days ago. There's already a huge difference in whatever this first reading is. And this is what I just picked up from you today. It's almost similar to the second one, but far less consistent in the level. I'm just not sure what this energy is originating from in the first place.

[levelshift]

... Oh. Okay. [That honestly makes sense to him, mainly because that's the kind of ability an esper could have.]

Well, I don't feel any different than normal. And I don't think it's messing with my reflection, either.

[purplexing]

At least that's good. Might be concerning if it was interacting with your reflection, although at the same time, it's kind of weird that it isn't.

That suggests it's not quite on the same level, or it's considered a neutral extension of you somehow.

[levelshift]

If it was it'd be bad for a lot of people.

[Something interacting with his reflection could potentially be hugely destructive....]

..... That couldn't change, right? It couldn't suddenly start messing with my reflection?

[purplexing]

I don't think so? Has anything else interacted with it since you found yourself here?

[There's a way to test that but Donnie remembers too well how unpleasant it was to be on the receiving end the last time. He strokes his chin.]

Actually, I wonder...

[He pulls down his goggles again, pointedly turned away from Accelerator so the kid won't get paranoid about it, but this time Donnie has a look at his own hands.]

[levelshift]

No. [He's pretty sure if something did he'd know.] But I've been careful about not touching anything. Or people.

[.............. He knows what happens if people interact with his reflection.

He blinks and watches Donnie turn away, growing a little unsure.]

What is it?

[purplexing]

Been careful about... Huh. Can't you just turn it off- oh wait. You're...doing it automatically, aren't you...

[That had been one of the first things he'd ever learned about Accelerator, even if it took a while before he'd seen it actually in action. That conversation in Excelsior seems like a lifetime ago.

He frowns behind his goggles, not answering the kid's question immediately as he studie his own readouts.]

...I need more data.

[Reluctantly he pushes them up again, taking another swig of coffee before he glances back at Accelerator.]

It's hard to tell because like the readings I get with your AIM diffusion field, there's my inherent mystic ...aura, I guess we'll call it, so it makes it difficult to get a clear reading on any other signatures. That and it's kind of hard getting my own readouts from this perspective.

[levelshift]

[He nods at that. Yup! Automatic.] That's why I'm looking for that shithead.

[Kihara. Kihara the shithead.

Accelerator looks pretty interested at this. The mystic stuff still sounds fake, but it's easy enough to wrap his head around his AIM field causing problems.]

Maybe you need better equipment. [He shrugs.] The scientists that work with me have whole buildings of the stuff.

[purplexing]

That sounds like a pain.

[But at least Donnie knows to be careful around the kid. It's probably a good thing he is not a touchy-feely person like Leo.]

Uh, your scientists unfortunately have stupid amounts of government funding and probably have someone else making their equipment. I have to do everything from the ground up.

[levelshift]

......

[Accelerator just shrugs. It's a huge pain, and dangerous, and means his life is pretty miserable, but there's no point in complaining about it when it's his own problem.]

... Oh. Yeah. The city funds them. [He didn't think of that.]

[purplexing]

Yep. And I'm sure all they want is results.

Anyway, I'll need to do some tweaking and probably expand my subject study to get a better baseline.

... [He glances over at the kid again.]

Is there anything you want to do? Or eat or go see? Like, if this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for you, what would you want?

[levelshift]

Well, yeah. [What else would they want?

Accelerator frowns a tiny bit. Once in a lifetime opportunity?]

I don't know. I don't think about stuff like that, so I'm fine.

[purplexing]

Seriously? Not even like...watch any movies or get some books to read?

What do you do for fun?

[It seems ridiculous a question to ask Accelerator as a teenager but it shouldn't nearly be so asking kid-version Accy, right? Then again, there isn't too much of a difference. That's...kind of depressing to think about.]

[levelshift]

[It's a valid question. Unfortunately, he only gives a tiny shrug in response.]

Why do you want to know?

[People don't usually ask him this kind of thing, so it's really weird.]

[purplexing]

Curiosity? I mean, how are people supposed to hang out if they have no idea what the other person likes or wants to do?

...although I guess that's fair, you don't really know me so it's probably weird being asked.

[levelshift]

... Right. [It's definitely weird being asked.] We don't hang out, so you shouldn't care.

[Then again, he doesn't hang out with anyone, so.]

[purplexing]

Harsh, but I guess from your current perspective, not untrue.

So...do you want me to leave?

[levelshift]

.... [Accelerator does feel a little bad, even though he doesn't know this guy.]

Um. Yeah. I'm fine on my own. I'll find that shithead and it'll be fine.

[purplexing]

If you're sure. Um. Here, I'll leave this.

[Donnie pulls out a burner phone he tends to carry around because you never know when you might need a thing, right? Just a quick programming adjustment.]

If you need anything, my contact info's there. Or just say 'call Dee' and it'll do the rest.

[He puts it on the table.]

[levelshift]

[Accelerator looks down at the phone. He shouldn't need it, he should have plenty of scientists looking for him, but....

But he reaches for the phone anyways, carefully taking it with one hand.]

Okay. Thanks.

[purplexing]

[Giving him a nod and a brief smile, Donnie turns then to head for the door. He pauses there, glancing back at the kid before he steps out.]

Well, take care and I guess I'll see you around.