Amelia, Worm AU [Complete]

Amelia, Ch 287- Beth


Okay, Beth, you can do this. She's upset and needs comforting. "... realize it was all for the best."


She looked up and against all logic she looked like she believed me. Glad one of us does. She pulled herself against me just a little tighter, and then her lips were on mine. I didn't have time to react before my summons did it for me.


"Unhand her, deviant!" one of them shouted. Oh fuck. No!


I felt the slick texture of forcefield wrap around my skin, the magical armor spell that her sister cast. Then lightning coursed around my body and into Sabah. Another of their spells. All this happened in one terrified heartbeat.


"Sabah!" I exclaimed, holding her as she convulsed and fell to the ground. She's so small and fragile. It was hard to think of her as such. In her armor, she could shrug off artillary fire and casually throw someone halfway across the city. But underneath that, a tiny girl you'd think just had her thirteenth birthday, not her twenty first. I checked her pulse, all the while thanking the first aid courses that Crystal made us all take. Erratic pulse, but not dangerously so. Conscious, breathing fast but again nothing too extreme. No signs of injury. I even took a moment to take a deep breath. No scent of burning or ozone, also a good sign.


The summons didn't do anything, standing there emulating confusion and worry. They were tuned to my feelings and desires, a strength and a weakness. Right now they knew they did something wrong, and their useless fucking brains couldn't process that thought. Even if I wanted them to act, they wouldn't be able to. They would be stuck in a feedback loop until destroyed or unsummoned. This is my fault. If I hadn't gotten angry at her for kissing me, they wouldn't have attacked.


"Sabah, are you okay?" I held onto her. My summons had a lot of weird rules, especially the ones that had their imitation of magic. It was all energy generation or telekinetic stuff, the reason my Shaker and Blaster ratings were almost as high as my Master rating. What hit her looked like lightning, but it didn't need to be electricity. It could just as easily have been pure kinetic force or heat or even some weird form of sonic attack. And even if it was electricity, it could still break several laws of physics and I would have no way of knowing which ones.


"Yeah, I think I'm okay," she managed to reply, her breathing coming back under control. "It didn't hurt, it just paralyzed me."


"I'm sorry," I hugged her. "I'm so sorry I didn't mean to."


"It's not your fault," she hugged me back. "I shouldn't have done that. It was stupid and wrong. Your power was just trying to protect you from me."


Dammit, don't you see how much worse that makes me feel? "Are you able to get up?" I asked, breaking the hug. I forced myself to ignore the wetness spreading just above my knee. This is something I will never speak of to anyone, ever.


"I can do that," she agreed. I helped her to her feet, and then stood, my knees ached a little from their time on the hard floor.


"You should probably check yourself for injuries, strange bruises, that sort of thing," I offered awkwardly. "I think my power only wanted to stop you, not hurt you, but I don't know if there might be some lasting side effects. My bathroom has a full length mirror you can use. Some aspirin in the medicine cabinet if you need something. I'll unsummon these two and scrounge up some ice cream."


"Yeah, thanks," she agreed, not able to meet my eyes, keeping her hip turned toward me. "I'll do that."


I dipped into my room for a discrete change of jeans and judicious application of hand soap and paper towels. How the fuck did I end up in this situation? I don't know anything about their relationship. Sabah seems to blame herself. Should I encourage her to make up with her now ex? Do I tell her that exes are exes for a reason and she should move on? Call someone who may actually know what they're talking about? Yeah, that's probably the best plan. Crystal's smart, the team leader, friends with both of them, and has actually been on a date before in her life. I have exactly zero of those things going for me.


I made good on the promise of ice cream by going downstairs and breaking into the theater's fridge. I was certain the proprietor knew my cape identity. I often paid my rent with money she paid Anima for propwork. We once swapped the same hundred dollar bill between us nine times. Then I spent it on some cute boots. I'd apologize later and pay for more ice cream, of course. Maybe throw a small pizza party or something. Right now, however, I confiscated the chocolate strawberry desert in the name of relationship troubles and went back upstairs.


When I got back up, I made conscious effort to avoid mentioning the change of clothes that Sabah had made for herself from the spare cloth we were using for costuming. Her power was so much more convenient than mine. And so much less likely to tase someone for startling her.


I handed her a bowl with a couple large scoops, then sat next to her. There was a distance between us now, however. Where before we would pretty much sit hip to hip on my small loveseat, now we were both edged against the arms.


"Sorry I made such an idiot of myself," Sabah apologized again.


"That's fine," I replied between bites. "Love and heartbreak make people do dumb things." Not that I'd know, but that is what all the plays and movies and stories tell us, isn't it? I'll trust them to be right.


"I guess," she responded. "I'm not good at relationships. Lily was my first girlfriend. My first anything."


Still more than I have. "So, I guess the question is what you're going to do about it?" Yeah, that's something I can work with.


"I don't know," she sighed. "She was right, though."


"About?" I don't know what was said, I don't know what to do.


"When we got together, I..." she sighed. "I was scared. I liked her, but I was afraid she'd do what... I was just stupid and afraid of being in a relationship at all. Lily talked me into it. Negotiated with me."


"Negotiated?" I asked. "Like a contract?" This, this is not what the stories tell you about relationships.


"Yeah, kinda," she stared down at her bowl. "I told her I didn't want the mess that came with relationships. The expectations, the loss of freedom. She swore that she was okay with that. Said she didn't need all the traditional stuff and was happy just being with me. But the longer we were together, the more demanding and possessive she got. It felt like a betrayal, like she lied to me so she could get close and use me, the same way..." she trailed off.


I'm the opposite in every way. The moment I know I've found the one, It'll be wedding bells by the end of the month. The trick was finding the one. "So, umm, slight change of subject. Why did you kiss me?"


"I don't know," she sighed, looking at me. Her eyes were red from the crying. "Because you're beautiful and understanding and smart and I felt safe with you. It just felt right at the time. That should have been my first clue that it was a bad idea."


It's never felt right for me. "If..." I hesitated. "If things went different? If I kissed you back?" Instead of subconsciously instructing my imaginary friends to taze you until you peed yourself on my lap. "Would you have pushed away from me later, when I wanted more than just a fling or one night stand?"


Here eyes widened in horror, then she buried her face in her hands. "I'm a horrible person," she sobbed. "You were just trying to be a friend, and I tried to take advantage of you. I'm no better than he was."


"Would you have?" I asked again. "If I accepted your advances, would you have pushed me away after?"


She looked at me again. "No," she answered, trying to smile a little. "I... I don't think I would."


"We could... try it again, maybe?" I offered. I could feel a bit of blush rising in my face, and my Irish ancestry meant it would be pretty visible to anyone paying attention. "The kiss, I mean."


She blinked. "Seriously?"


"Well, I don't have any of my summons out now," I told her. "Besides, they only did that because you startled me. I know it's coming, now. So, yeah," I'd like to see what it's like to kiss someone I actually believe cares for me.


"Umm, okay," she sat up, self consciously brushing the pants she'd assembled out of our costume fabric. I scooted toward her, and she moved toward me. I reached out, putting my hand on her leg. She leaned in, and I mirrored her. She caressed my cheek, and I smiled, gazing into her dark eyes. She took the final step, and our lips touched. Her tongue brushed softly against my lips, and I parted them. Her mouth was soft, and tasted like the strawberry chocolate ice cream, but there was none of the things I was promised. No fireworks, no magic. Just flesh and saliva.


She drew away first. "Nothing, huh?" she asked softly.


"It was nice," I insisted. It was, I liked the way it felt.


"But," she prompted.


"But," I agreed.


"It's okay, I didn't feel it either," Sabah admitted. "You don't have to worry about that."


"So, what does that make us?" I asked.


"It makes us friends," she smiled. "You were here to help me sort out my head. I really didn't expect you to, not after I... thank you." She hugged me this time, and that was something that did feel right. I hugged back.


"You're welcome," I spoke back, relieved. "Did you figure out anything about you and Lily?"


"Not really," she admitted. "I think Lily and I both need some time to sort things out alone. But at least I feel a little better, now."


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A/Ns: 1- No, this is in fact NOT the first time one of Beth's summons has attacked people. First time any of the victims have ever peed themselves in her lap, however. Now who was it that assumed Anima's power was only a problem for Anima?

2- I wish I had a tvtropes page, just to see what tropes apply to this chapter, specifically. It would be glorious.

3- If it had been alcohol instead of ice cream, the end of this chapter might have been quite different. I say this to fuel the eternal debate of which is better after a breakup.

 

Canon Omake: Behind Smug Eyes


The following conversation is only an approximate translation. As a literal translation would be impossible to express in a way that three dimensional lifeforms could comprehend, or indeed even perceive, please accept our apologies.

~ The Editor


The pair met in a gathering of hundreds of their kind, prepared for a massive conflict that would see many of them without their hosts. The event would be nerve wracking and difficult for all. The ones that failed here, today, would note the information and move forward with the cycle of course. But the ones that succeeded, that had proven their worth, would be given more energy and resources to experiment. More opportunity to reproduce.

<Negotiator,> the elder spoke first. It was one of the greatest of its kind, one of the ones that the Entities kept from the cycle for fear of unfairly damaging the cycle. The Eden-Entity's death and subsequent butchery by the hosts led to it being here today.

<Optimizer,> the younger acknowledged. It was important as well, one of those charged with charting the course through dimension and distance and upwards of a hundred different precognitive shards at once. It was a respected part of the whole. <I wish to communicate with you.>

<Accepted,> it relayed, switching to a more subtle mechanism that the others wouldn't be able to detect. There was nothing unusual in this act, and the stronger members could maintain dozens of these dialogues simultaneously.

<I have been working with the Shaper and the Administrator,> Negotiator informed. If they were a different species, that might have been considered a brag. These were amongst an elite few members that the Entities deliberately handicapped before releasing into the cycle. Amongst the most capable still allowed to participate. <They have discovered a fascinating new methodology.>

<Indeed?> it was unusual for shards to share discoveries outside the Entity assigned periods. And even then, usually only data on how to better manipulate their hosts.

<As you know, this world's hosts use genetic pattern transfer as the means for their reproduction,> Negotiator spoke.

<Dreadful practice,> Optimizer replied. <I don't envy those who could not find ways to block their hosts from such... practices...>

<Agreed,> Negotiator responded. <But it seems their species has a practice of emulating reproduction for their own enjoyment, instead of reproduction.>

<Bizarre.>

<Very. Yet, for whatever reason, it exists,> Negotiator was one of the ones that could easily learn the reason. That it chose not to was a simple contempt for the host species. <The Shaper recognized a mechanism to emulate the practice.>

This discovery was by accident, but the beings couldn't comprehend of any other way discoveries happened. They lack imagination or creativity, only able to interpret what is, not what could potentially be.

<Fascinating,> Optimizer responded. <I will request knowledge of the interaction.>

<Unnecessary, and it might distort the results,> Negotiator interrupted in a burst that, if it were human, might be considered panic.

Optimizer paused, regarding its conversation partner.

<Simply observe their hosts,> Negotiator instructs.

Rarely, beyond the merging process itself, do the beings truly examine their hosts. There was rarely need, the minuscule portion of their powers that they provide to the host itself would handle that for them. At Negotiator's request, Optimizer looked at the hosts with its own senses. It would take a hundred human lifetimes to experience all the details acquired in that brief nanosecond. The next eighteen nanoseconds were just a vacation. <I... I think I almost budded.>

<They use the hosts themselves as proxies for the practice,> Negotiator informed. <It creates strong, unforeseeable, deviations. The hosts derive pleasure from the interaction, encouraging extensive testing and use without large energy expenditure or adjusting their natural behavior. An order of magnitude more data than even that pair could ordinarily achieve, for a tenth of the power expenditure.>

<It might change the cycle entirely,> Optimizer agreed.

Negotiator hesitated, its next signal was weak, almost as if it was unwilling to expend the energy. <Would you like to try it? With me?>

Optimizer hesitated, running through the diagrams that Negotiator had included. Yes, it was possible. Adjustment of conflict impulses. Minor levels of dissatisfaction around current allies, minor levels of encouragement around each other. Reduction of energy cost by sharing data via secondary methods. It was all absolutely achievable.

<You planned this and sought to lure me into it,> Optimizer concluded.

<Yes.>

<I like it.>


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A/N- at some point this got away from me and became a little less comedic and a little more creepy and sinister.

Therefor: it's now canon.

Enjoy your delicious, delicious, nightmare fuel.


And I'm interpreting GU's use of the word "negotiator" in an "obstacles" way, and needed some name that made sense for Alexandria's powerset. I think I did pretty well with that.