Entry tags:
eastbound } { ic inbox | @taken for granite
Allison Hargreeves
missives | encounters
Allison Hargreeves
missives | encounters
She allows the silence to settle between them, a companionable if not bittersweet silence as she checks on their dinner. Pleased with the promising result, she reaches for the long-handled paddle to retrieve the pizza, and eventually, she'll bring it over to the outdoor table not far from the stove oven.
It looks Neapolitan more than anything else, but certainly tasty. She can't promise it will eclipse the bitter taste of Patrick, but it might help some of it go down more smoothly.
Emilia — she has thought of Allison's power before, how terrifying it must be to those who are caught under its spell. But it's only now that she realises how terrifying it must be to Allison, as well.
How reality must blur for her, too.
"Have you?"
It looks Neapolitan more than anything else, but certainly tasty. She can't promise it will eclipse the bitter taste of Patrick, but it might help some of it go down more smoothly.
Emilia — she has thought of Allison's power before, how terrifying it must be to those who are caught under its spell. But it's only now that she realises how terrifying it must be to Allison, as well.
How reality must blur for her, too.
"Have you?"
It certainly smells fantastic, and Allison will reach for a slice as she considers the answer.
"I know the difference." Is that a step in the right direction? She's not really sure. "When Ray and I met, I couldn't use my powers. I couldn't even talk. It was the first time since I was a kid that I couldn't tell someone what to do. How to feel about me. And he fell in love with me anyway."
It made her think that maybe she wasn't such a terrible thing after all. That she wasn't incapable of being loved, only accepted by people as broken as she is (her brothers) or a child who doesn't know better.
"I know the difference." Is that a step in the right direction? She's not really sure. "When Ray and I met, I couldn't use my powers. I couldn't even talk. It was the first time since I was a kid that I couldn't tell someone what to do. How to feel about me. And he fell in love with me anyway."
It made her think that maybe she wasn't such a terrible thing after all. That she wasn't incapable of being loved, only accepted by people as broken as she is (her brothers) or a child who doesn't know better.
The taste of it is close enough to home that it brings a bout of nostalgia, though she no longer knows what she longs for. What was real and what wasn't. She closes her eyes briefly all the same, because, you know.
Cheese.
Emilia grows quiet at the mention of Ray, remembering their first conversation about him. She'd noticed the wedding rings Allison still wears on a necklace. She thinks Allison has learned the difference here, too.
"What was he like?"
Cheese.
Emilia grows quiet at the mention of Ray, remembering their first conversation about him. She'd noticed the wedding rings Allison still wears on a necklace. She thinks Allison has learned the difference here, too.
"What was he like?"
action | going back to the start.... of the arc. I'm sad I didn't get to do this idea!!
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cosplayqueen
2023-07-13 05:56 pm (UTC)(link)
[The concept of ghosts is weird and freaky to Kamala. They're still unknown in a world where many strange and wonderful things are known. Now they are very hurtful evidently. She knows she shouldn't take it personally. Those freaky little kids don't actually know her. What they say leaves a mark anyways. Like any kid with hurt feelings, she runs to the adult she trusts most to validate her after a long cry session.
It doesn't take terribly long to locate Allison considering the first thing she did on arrival was check to see who lived where out of her favorite people. She pops up red-eyed and sniffles like a very tiny jump scare.] Do you think I'm bad?
[Not a day for hello apparently.]
It doesn't take terribly long to locate Allison considering the first thing she did on arrival was check to see who lived where out of her favorite people. She pops up red-eyed and sniffles like a very tiny jump scare.] Do you think I'm bad?
[Not a day for hello apparently.]
A bright smile crosses her face because she does love to talk about Ray.
"In the sixties in Dallas where we were living, people who look like me - like us, because Ray was black too - we didn't have the same rights as white people. Long story involving centuries of slavery and racism but we were starting to fight back, trying to get the right to at least protect our ability to vote. Ray was the leader of one of the groups organizing civil disobedience protests, and he and his people used to meet in the hair salon where I worked after hours. I couldn't talk at the time, but I decided to give him some notes on one of his speeches one night. And a few weeks later, he asked me out to dinner."
And they both fell pretty quickly from there. Which doesn't really tell you much about Ray as a person, but it's at least a start for context.
"In the sixties in Dallas where we were living, people who look like me - like us, because Ray was black too - we didn't have the same rights as white people. Long story involving centuries of slavery and racism but we were starting to fight back, trying to get the right to at least protect our ability to vote. Ray was the leader of one of the groups organizing civil disobedience protests, and he and his people used to meet in the hair salon where I worked after hours. I couldn't talk at the time, but I decided to give him some notes on one of his speeches one night. And a few weeks later, he asked me out to dinner."
And they both fell pretty quickly from there. Which doesn't really tell you much about Ray as a person, but it's at least a start for context.
[Kamala rubs her eyes.] These kids were saying I'm a liar. And they're ghosts so they're basically stalking me to say that and run away so yeah. That's fun.
[Her brow furrows, moving them both so that they're sitting next to each other. She glances towards the horizon, knowing at sundown she'll have her own ghost visit, but the living come first. Kamala comes first.]
Do you know why they're saying you're a liar?
Do you know why they're saying you're a liar?
[Kamala leans against Allison automatically like simply being close to her will fix everything. In some ways, it is that simple for her. She nods because there is really only one thing she does lie about. All kids tell fibs here and there.
There is only one thing Kamala actively tries to deceive people about. Even while crying she sounds furious about being called on it.] The only thing I lie about is my identity and what I can do. I'm just doing it to protect my family and friends. Why do they have to be such jerks about it?! It's not my fault Damage Control hates brown people with superpowers and Spider-Man for some reason.
There is only one thing Kamala actively tries to deceive people about. Even while crying she sounds furious about being called on it.] The only thing I lie about is my identity and what I can do. I'm just doing it to protect my family and friends. Why do they have to be such jerks about it?! It's not my fault Damage Control hates brown people with superpowers and Spider-Man for some reason.
Emilia grows silent, giving the story the attention it deserves, some of which is truly infuriating. But she places that emotion aside to listen, and when Allison is done with it, the hint of a smile returns.
"He sounds wonderful."
The kind of person they all needed, not just Allison.
"I'm glad you met him."
"He sounds wonderful."
The kind of person they all needed, not just Allison.
"I'm glad you met him."
No, that's not your fault, and something that's totally valid to lie about. You're not hurting anyone with that.
[In fact, she's actively protecting people. Not that Allison really understands this part of it - the Umbrella Academy didn't exactly require secret identities.]
They're just ghosts. They're not even from your world.
[In fact, she's actively protecting people. Not that Allison really understands this part of it - the Umbrella Academy didn't exactly require secret identities.]
They're just ghosts. They're not even from your world.
"Me too." She doesn't know where she would be without Ray. He saved her in a lot of ways, and she will always be grateful for that, even if back in the real world she's hanging on a little too tight.
"Sometimes I'm a terrible person and wish he was here. But he could barely handle finding out about my siblings and their powers, I don't know that he could process all of this without having a small nervous breakdown."
She loves him, but she doesn't want him anywhere near the undead.
"Sometimes I'm a terrible person and wish he was here. But he could barely handle finding out about my siblings and their powers, I don't know that he could process all of this without having a small nervous breakdown."
She loves him, but she doesn't want him anywhere near the undead.
Edited 2023-07-22 21:02 (UTC)
[The moment Kamala gets validated, she starts angry crying. It really is getting to her. She hasn't yet gotten to the root of just why yet.] I know! What gives them the right to be so judgy?! They bombed Bruno's house, and attacked me with drones when I rescued a kid from falling! They tried really, really hard to shoot Kamran once he got his powers. Literally, the only reason he's still alive is because I figured out how to make bulletproof shields on the fly!
[Excuse her while she buries her face in her hands to cry it out for a bit.]
[Excuse her while she buries her face in her hands to cry it out for a bit.]
[Allison frowns as she wraps an arm around her shoulders, keeping her close.]
No matter what we do, it's never good enough. We're always going to be a threat, one way or another.
[Which sucks in a lot of ways. White people get to be heroes with powers and "threats" but they're never as aggressive as they are with people like them. Even with the "prestige" of the Umbrella Academy, Allison never stopped being a black women. If the white people in the sixties knew what she could do?
Things would have only gotten so much worse.]
No matter what we do, it's never good enough. We're always going to be a threat, one way or another.
[Which sucks in a lot of ways. White people get to be heroes with powers and "threats" but they're never as aggressive as they are with people like them. Even with the "prestige" of the Umbrella Academy, Allison never stopped being a black women. If the white people in the sixties knew what she could do?
Things would have only gotten so much worse.]
[It reminds her of her talks with Nakia. She always is trying to give her a reality check. She hates hearing it each time. Now really isn't any different. Allison people would know. She's been a superhero longer.
She sniffles loudly, the fight draining out of her.] I know. I just sometimes forget how screwed up the world is. I thought we'd stop being so awful to each other because all those people came back to life. Who cares if we're brown after all those horrible things we live through? That's not how it worked out.
She sniffles loudly, the fight draining out of her.] I know. I just sometimes forget how screwed up the world is. I thought we'd stop being so awful to each other because all those people came back to life. Who cares if we're brown after all those horrible things we live through? That's not how it worked out.
[Kamala stills. She didn't mean to let that slip. The survivors seem to have a collective deal to never talk about it. If they don't talk about the Blip, they don't have to deal with the horrors of that day and the ones that followed.
Because it was terrible. How could it not be? It's easier to pretend it never happened while surrounded by their loved ones.
For a long minute, it seems like Kamala might not answer the question. She barely moves, staring straight ahead like somewhere in the distance there was something she just had to see. She does finally answer, clinical and weirdly detached. She sounds like she's reading a book report instead of talking about the broken world she grew up in.] When I was eleven, the world ended. Or at least got pretty close. There was an alien named Thanos who decided that the galaxy would be a better place if half of all life ended. He'd been trying to kill people on Earth for a while actually. The first time I was like three or four. The Avengers were always able to stop him until that day.
He killed exactly half of all life in minutes. One second someone was there and the next they turned to ash. It was random; like that made it better somehow. Nothing personal, right? Half of you just need to stop existing because I said so.
[Her lips twitch. It's a bad joke, but she feels like she should lighten the mood somehow.] I survived. So did my parents, brother, and best friends. I was one of the lucky ones, but that didn't make it any easier. Pretty much all of us saw people die that day. It was a weekday afternoon. We were at school and Abu was at work. Everything just fell apart. It stayed that way for years.
But, the Avengers fixed it. They found a way to bring back everyone Thanos killed with the infinity stones. I guess I just don't get how they can be focused on something so stupid after we got this huge miracle handed to us. It hasn't been that long since we got them back.
Because it was terrible. How could it not be? It's easier to pretend it never happened while surrounded by their loved ones.
For a long minute, it seems like Kamala might not answer the question. She barely moves, staring straight ahead like somewhere in the distance there was something she just had to see. She does finally answer, clinical and weirdly detached. She sounds like she's reading a book report instead of talking about the broken world she grew up in.] When I was eleven, the world ended. Or at least got pretty close. There was an alien named Thanos who decided that the galaxy would be a better place if half of all life ended. He'd been trying to kill people on Earth for a while actually. The first time I was like three or four. The Avengers were always able to stop him until that day.
He killed exactly half of all life in minutes. One second someone was there and the next they turned to ash. It was random; like that made it better somehow. Nothing personal, right? Half of you just need to stop existing because I said so.
[Her lips twitch. It's a bad joke, but she feels like she should lighten the mood somehow.] I survived. So did my parents, brother, and best friends. I was one of the lucky ones, but that didn't make it any easier. Pretty much all of us saw people die that day. It was a weekday afternoon. We were at school and Abu was at work. Everything just fell apart. It stayed that way for years.
But, the Avengers fixed it. They found a way to bring back everyone Thanos killed with the infinity stones. I guess I just don't get how they can be focused on something so stupid after we got this huge miracle handed to us. It hasn't been that long since we got them back.
[That sounds horrific, honestly, and the fact that she lived through all of that ... honestly might explain her and Five's friendship a bit. But she does her best not to dwell on that, and focus on answering the question.]
Because when people get scared, they try to focus on the things they can control. They can't rid the universe of aliens who want to kill them, but policing people who are different? That's definitely within their reach. Doesn't make it right, though. You're just kids.
Because when people get scared, they try to focus on the things they can control. They can't rid the universe of aliens who want to kill them, but policing people who are different? That's definitely within their reach. Doesn't make it right, though. You're just kids.
[It makes perfect sense. It's a bitter pill to swallow. Allison has an authority that Nakia doesn't when explaining these things. Kamala starts to accept the painfully obvious.] Kamran's mom died the day they came for him too. She was awful, but it's not like Damage Control knew all the terrible things she did and thought he was the same.
[Kamala sniffles, wiping her face with her free hand.] The only people I ever felt bad about lying to were my family and Nakia. I should have told them sooner who I really was a lot sooner than I did.
[Kamala sniffles, wiping her face with her free hand.] The only people I ever felt bad about lying to were my family and Nakia. I should have told them sooner who I really was a lot sooner than I did.
If lying to your friends about having powers is the worst of your sins, then I think you're doing okay.
[Allison's definitely done way worse. There's a man in Dallas with a coffee-scalded hand who can attest to that.]
When you're up against someone who doesn't see you as a person, it can be hard to ... stick to the plan of honor and dignity. I've definitely let myself go too far because I could, because I'm angry and I know they deserve it. But they're never going to see their hate as wrong, because in their mind, they're the ones who are "right."
[Allison's definitely done way worse. There's a man in Dallas with a coffee-scalded hand who can attest to that.]
When you're up against someone who doesn't see you as a person, it can be hard to ... stick to the plan of honor and dignity. I've definitely let myself go too far because I could, because I'm angry and I know they deserve it. But they're never going to see their hate as wrong, because in their mind, they're the ones who are "right."
[Kamala lets herself enjoy the relief from that for about five seconds before she recalls another shortcoming of hers.] I am kind of a jerk to my parents sometimes. Like almost making them cry kind of jerk. I'm working on it. The not lying about who I really am is a big part of it.
[No one tells her that's a normal part of being a teenager. She takes learning about Allison's past choices in stride. It gives her hope if anything for Kamran's future. Allison has turned out great despite having a bad parent and righteous anger. He can too.] Kamran tried to kill them. I stopped him, but just barely. Maybe I should have been mad at him for fighting me on it, but... [She shrugs.] It's hard to do good when no one gives you a reason to.
[No one tells her that's a normal part of being a teenager. She takes learning about Allison's past choices in stride. It gives her hope if anything for Kamran's future. Allison has turned out great despite having a bad parent and righteous anger. He can too.] Kamran tried to kill them. I stopped him, but just barely. Maybe I should have been mad at him for fighting me on it, but... [She shrugs.] It's hard to do good when no one gives you a reason to.
You're not wrong.
[Allison had a reason. But sometimes that reason wasn't enough and it wasn't a sense of altruism Reginald Hargreeves installed in his children, it was obedience. And even that wasn't always enough. But her story about Kamran makes her think of Viktor.]
I'm glad you found a way to stop him though. I had to do that for my brother once, and ... the option I was left with at the time didn't help as much as I wanted it to, but we all lived to tell the story. I guess that counts for something.
[Allison had a reason. But sometimes that reason wasn't enough and it wasn't a sense of altruism Reginald Hargreeves installed in his children, it was obedience. And even that wasn't always enough. But her story about Kamran makes her think of Viktor.]
I'm glad you found a way to stop him though. I had to do that for my brother once, and ... the option I was left with at the time didn't help as much as I wanted it to, but we all lived to tell the story. I guess that counts for something.
I would. Thank you. I will be there in a moment.
( And true to his word, Wrath does appear where Allison is shortly after. For those within their group that have unique magical signatures, it is relatively easy for Wrath to pinpoint where they are.And we'll handwave there's tea and the means to make it - the important part is the conversation, ahem )
( And true to his word, Wrath does appear where Allison is shortly after. For those within their group that have unique magical signatures, it is relatively easy for Wrath to pinpoint where they are.
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