She can't help but check if the backpack is still on her shoulders every few minutes, she hears people sometimes get this feeling when they suddenly realize they don't feel their phone in their pocket and panic for a second before finding it secure in its place. Good for them, Taylor meanwhile is fairly sure she'll one day lose her fingers while using the kitchen slicer. The tips for sure.
She shrugs the pack off one of her shoulders, deciding to carry it alike a purse. There, she can see the damn thing now at least. No need to wonder if it's opened as it's prone to doing when overstuffed. The streets might be mostly empty but the occasional passer-by could still see the ruin of clothes that Taylor calls her costume packed inside.
There's little point in changing it. She pondered throwing the stuff away but realized that her new outfit would likely get ruined within a week as well, she only has two more sweatshirts in her wardrobe and she'd prefer to avoid messing up another one. And while her "costume" stirs up some less than pleasant memories when she sees the stains and holes in it, the girl is by now fairly proficient in suppressing unwanted thoughts. Useful, especially when her mind wanders back to the day she got her powers.
She'll buy herself a new set eventually of course, behindhand might the thought be but her "costume" doesn't do a good work of changing her appearance, as she's noticed when packing up for tonight. And while she's not going to bother with a proper one (as it would only meet fate similar to her current outfit). She still needs something that will look... not her. So something colorful and perhaps less baggy.
There's a knife at the bottom of the backpack. She would have brought her bat too, had she not lost it on the night she met Purity. She doesn't exactly have the money to replace it so only a knife and needles it is. Her arms and legs are already stuffed with those. Forty to be precise and remembered, puncturing her limbs in such a way that with each movement, at least a few interfere with her muscles. The pink heads marking the punctures make her think of this one human drawing in the biology class onto which notes are attached with pins. She hopes they'll be enough to prevent the needles from wedging deeper into her.
She's curious how exactly should it feel. She hated syringes in what now feels like a different life, back before Mom. Mostly it was just fear because as she grew up, the injections felt barely there, but she still felt them. Unpleasant at the very least, those needles were so much thinner than the stuff she's using right now too. And yet she feels nothing, not even when moving. Three weeks ago there still was some sensation left when she was puncturing her palms (which she knows are more densely innervated than her limbs but still) and now? Now she's walking with the stuff dug some two inches into her legs and she feels not even a faint trace of discomfort.
She takes a considerable sip from her cup.
Well, at least the coffee (not the unholy, muddy concoction of dregs and sugar that she's taken to drinking at home, the one that would land any normal person with a damaged liver) is still prickling at her tongue, so that's nice. Burns supposedly make flesh more sensitive, maybe it's that, maybe it's just that there are more nerves in her mouth... she stops in her tracks, struck with a whim of checking if she'd feel a needle piercing her tongue. She hasn't tried that one yet, if she can feel scalding hot water she should also feel a needle no?
Taylor gulps her drink down and quickens her step after throwing the foam cup away, wanting to test her theory before Purity arrives at their destination. It has occurred to her that they haven't settled on a specific spot of the Boat Graveyard, she'll just have to assume that Purity can find her. Still, she's taken a flashlight to make it a bit easier for the other cape. There's no electricity around after all, the woman could sweep the area what with being a light source of her own but why waste time? The girl can't help but wonder if it's some sort of test.
It takes her a few minutes to reach the desolate place from the point she's been at, and then some more to get farther between the rusted wrecks, she briefly considers using her flashlight to move around in the semi-darkness but decides against it. The sky is clear enough to let through enough light for her to still see. Besides, moving among the sunk wreckage with one of her hands occupied seems like a crappy idea.
It helps that she doesn't feel her hands when climbing from one deck to another, she imagines it'd be difficult to hold onto the rusting edges otherwise. That aside, it should be safe to meet at least. Unless she has the rotten luck in form of a flying hero passing by the area. She'd probably manage to get away though, she's relatively sure she can drop people from the sky if they get in her range, it'd be enough to bash her head into a wall or any similar hard surface... okay, maybe- maybe it's not that great an idea to do that while they're one hundred feet in the air, or even twenty to be honest, they'd break their legs if not their spine in such a fall and that is something Taylor would very much prefer not to add to her growing list of criminal offenses.
The young cape sets her pack beside her feet and listens to the ocean's waves for a short moment, not for the first time trying to imagine the bay as it had once been, alive with movement. She shakes her head, thoughts along with it, and quickly changes into her costume. Hm, maybe she could wash the thing a bit since she's here? Taylor's not sure which is worse, the smell of dried blood or that of seawater? Probably seawater... would it freeze in the current temperature? It must be chilly, Taylor's not sure if the temperature is low enough, she wouldn't be doing any favors to herself by wearing soaked clothes in mid February.
She could just stay in her normal clothes though.
No, scratch that, her backpack would be soaked too. That would be even worse. Urgh.
The girl puts on her goggles and loosely ties the scarf around her mouth. Then rolls up one of her sleeves and picks one of the needles out of her forearm before grabbing her flashlight and turning it on, the light towards her face as she sticks her tongue out.
She slowly pushes the needle through her tongue and yes! There it is! it's not much but it's there, she can feel it, and it's not the "vaguely uncomfortable feeling that's something might be wrong" no. It's "I bit on my tongue an hour ago" sort of feeling. Hmm. Pins. Or something like pins and she could shut anybody up. She only has to work out how to make them stay in her tongue, she doesn't fancy swallowing some by accident. The thought is enough to make her feel uneasy about the needle currently in her mouth and she abruptly sticks her tongue out to take the offending object out of it. Taylor wipes it off and puts it in its place, back inside her forearm. Then covers it up with the sleeve again.
She looks at the sky, it's about time isn't it? She turns her flashlight up, slowly circling it around to quicker catch attention. Hopefully the sort she's hoping for.
She briefly debates sitting down, more out of habit than any real need. She doesn't feel her legs tire. It might very well be they don't tire at all without putting them through intense strain, thanks to her regenerating power. They only give up after running for miles more than what she was capable of before her trigger, and even then she doesn't really feel anything. She's curious how far could she go if she would actually train a bit. Marathons, probably. If she'd learn how to properly breathe anyway.
Pity all the effort would go down the drain the next time she got shot up. her body must take the mass to regenerate from somewhere and try as she might, Taylor can only put so much food in her stomach. Lest she fancies puking it up later. At least she can eat ketchup without getting dizzy again so that's one small victory in her- a flash of light up above catches her attention.
She looks up to see a glowing, vaguely human shape hovering some distance above the ship Taylor is occupying. The girl puts the flashlight away and takes hold of her knife, perhaps it's a bit silly that she feels safer with it in her hand, given who she thinks it is up above. Still, it does no harm.
The figure slowly begins the descent, apparently testing if she's not flying into the girl's aura. Hmpf, really, as if it would help were she actually trying to double cross her. Taylor can switch her aura on and off at any given moment, it takes but a thought. Then again, the last time must have been pretty unpleasant for the woman, she shouldn't be blaming her for being apprehensive of approaching her at a speed similar to that of a falling leaf.
They remain silent even after the older cape makes her landing in front of the lanky girl, illuminating the wreckage they're standing on with her light. Is it weird that it's the first time Taylor notices she actually has a few inches on the ex-villain?
"How are you feeling?" Purity's voice breaks the ice. Why is she looking at her like- oh, oh right she's still holding her knife. The teen quickly puts it away before answering.
"Better." The young cape shrugs, honestly not knowing what more can she possibly say. She's been mostly just resting since last they met, as she's taken to doing on weekends anyway. She might not be able to sleep per se but wasting away in her bed for sixteen hours a day is almost relaxing.
"So," Purity begins. "I suppose we should get to it sho... are those the same clothes from Thursday?" Really? That's the first thing... well costume is probably kind of a big deal to a veteran like her, she's curious how many sets of her own does the woman possess. Her current costume looks fair bit warmer than the stuff she's usually show in on photos. Well, it is still winter.
"Yeah, it's- I figured it'd be a waste to put together something new right now, it'll just get messed up anyway." Shit, there's this weird look again. She's tried talking to a mirror, she has! "Uh... not that I intend to get shot again," too much anyway, she can handle a few bullets just fine. "Or anything, but it's pretty hands on for me you know?" Jesus, is this stress talking? She can't tell without the familiar knot that used to form in her stomach. Stop, just stop. "Just now though. I'll replace it. Later." Finally!
Her company appears to be as disturbed as she is amused by the display, good. Well, not good but at least she's not making a face.
"It's your image Voodoo Doll. I won't fault your fashion choices." Not in words as such it seems.
Taylor clears her throat. "Should we get started?"
"Lets. Lets talk about your abilities first, both powered and otherwise, I'll present mine when relevant. Do you agree?"
"I guess?" She doesn't have better ideas if that's what she's being asked. Besides, if they're going to do this then they should probably know each others' abilities... granted, they both pretty much already know the gist of it, it's hard not to know of Purity when one's a Brocktonite, and the woman has experienced Taylor's... or rather Voodoo Doll's powers- now that she's taken the given name as her own- first hand.
"Alright then, am I correct in assuming that you replace your target's physical sensations?" Huh?
"I'm not sure? The people on PHO were not exactly-" yes, why would she NOT mention that particular screw up? "-uh, detailed."
"I know." Oh. "Which is why I asked, you mean you don't know?"
"You're the first person I used my power on and can still talk with," she drawls. "So you probably know more about it than I do... I mean I know I can make others feel what I should but from the other side? Not much."
"What you should? So I'm correct in assuming you don't feel pain?" Ah... should she tell? She probably should if they are to work together, it seems like an important detail that she won't be able to react to physical stimuli less severe than a stab wound... in the field anyway.
"I-" her voice sounds weak even to her own ears, she starts wringing her hands. "It's not that, I don't feel stuff, almost at all." It's true enough. If pincers messing around with her insides don't even make her flinch, if cutting her flesh to the bone only sort of hurts and if getting shot multiple times can be compared to bruising? Hell, she barely noticed the last few bullets. Does her power adjust to her needs or was it just adrenaline? She doesn't feel the needles at all anymore.
The prospect scares her. Will she end up not capable of feeling even her pain? She's already reduced to but one form of enjoyable sensation and if this anesthesia is getting stronger then-
"Wait, elaborate." Purity interrupts her inner thoughts and Taylor is only too glad to focus on something else ...when has she crossed her arms?
"I don't feel things normally, pain among it yeah but stuff like... touch, or temperature or, uh. I just have a really high- noticing threshold I guess. Look." She rolls up both her sleeves now and extends them toward the white clad woman, pulling out a needle to show just what is she carrying in her person. Cautiously gauging the Blaster's reaction to seeing what she has to show. "These? I don't feel them at all, I don't even know how much they're supposed to hurt."
The luminescent cape's fists clench, her eyes glued to Taylor's uncovered limb, she works her mouth for a moment before her eyes snap to Taylor's own. Ugh. Good thing she doesn't need to see right now because the light spots that the other cape's glow leaves in the girl's eyes take away about half her vision when they're looking directly at each other.
"Excuse me for saying but this is unsettling, do you... normally carry them around like that?" She sounds weird, Taylor can't quite pin it down but it reminds her of Miss Militia's tone of voice when she revealed her power to her. Distressed? Queasy? Some mix of both.
"No I just figured I could do it for tonight. You know, to show you some of what I can do?"
"...right." Taylor stares at the vigilante, has she just... squeaked? "That's certainly... creative." Probably the most creative thing she's done in a month. A giggle bubbles in Taylor's throat as she puts the needle back in her arm but she forces it down before it sounds like more than a snort. Impressions, she's making impressions. She doesn't want the other cape to think her unhinged.
She's not.
"So, things I should know about you other than that you fly and blast people back to- that you blast people?"
"Other than I hit like a truck?" She still sounds off but she's trying, Taylor can tell. "Remember what I told you about things you shouldn't tell?" She nods. It's hard to forget, Purity has made sure of that. "It's one of these things. I'm stronger in the sunlight in addition to other minor perks, the gist of it is that it grants me more power." Ah, that means- it means- ugh. Good intentions notwithstanding, she can't replace proper sleep with caffeine, well, not the sort sold at petrol stations at any rate. "That's why I work in daylight sometimes."
Wait-wait-wait.
"Wait. So we'd fight Lung during day?"
"If," Christ, she even points her index finger at her, is she a teacher by chance? "If we fight him then it would be preferable, yes. Would that be a problem?" Well it's not like Taylor has anything to do at home for about- most of the day bar reading books or doing homework... that is usually stolen or destroyed later anyway. No friends to hang out with, she and Dad haven't done anything together ever since Mom. No she should be free in the afternoons, every day of the week, of every month. Though thinking that far into the future is probably a pointless exercise.
"No. That's fine." She can always skip school if something comes up, big deal. The only people that would really notice her absence would probably be the trio. Yeah, like she's going to bother with them.
"Okay then, let's figure out what you can do. Can you use your power on separate parts of your body?" Easily too.
"Yes, done that already."
"Good, show me, lets start with your arms, left one for now." Taylor starts. This is- different. She wasn't expecting Purity to offer herself as a test subject for her power. More something alongside having to beat some thugs up with her watching, not this.
She nods nonetheless, suspecting her voice to squeak should she open her mouth. It's strange to have someone willingly submit to her power.
She lets her arms fall to her sides before doing as asked. The moment she does, a soft breath escapes Purity's mouth and her eyes widen ever so slightly. The woman waves the younger parahuman off when she shoots her a questioning look. She then proceeds to shake her arm and massage it with the unaffected other.
"It feels like it's still at my side. And different too, too small, not mine. Wrong." Her voice is calm, more curious than anything else. "And it doesn't hurt at all, your healing factor at work I presume, do something with it."
Well if she's asking... The girl stretches her arms and the effect is instantaneous, the alabaster clad cape gasps and grits her teeth but signals Taylor to continue, so she firmly clasps her free hand over the one she lets Purity feel and twists her muscles. The woman hisses in reaction, her face contorting again. The teen lets it go, deeming it enough for a presentation for now. A couple of seconds pass before Purity speaks up.
"It doesn't impede you at all?" She asks while extending her arm, sparing it a wary look. Taylor shakes her head in answer, should it? She can't tell, she has no experience of this kind from before getting her powers. "How many needles are there? fifteen?"
"Ten. For each limb." She has to remember. Does it feel like more?
"Ugh. I imagine it would be quite effective in a fight. The fact I can't feel my arm alone is very off-putting and when you move? Those needles of your disrupt muscle movement-" Well that's sort of the idea. "-and it's hard to ignore. They still don't hurt that much though. Do you know how to fight in melee?"
"Not really, though I haven't had trouble with anyone without a gun."
"I can see why, use your power again. Whole body this time and walk around a bit."
The woman's breathing becomes heavy and strained the moment Taylor complies. Her hands move as if to clutch her head before halting halfway, shaking. The woman straightens up from her slouched posture and takes an experimental step, and then another. It takes her a few moments but she figures out how to move, albeit on unsteady, wobbly legs. Taylor stops her pacing and bounces on the balls of her feet instead, drawing a grunt from the other cape and forcing her to a stumbling stop.
"Enough," it's Purity that stops her this time, she keeps scratching at her chest even after Taylor stops using her power, an uneasy grimace on her lips "I think I have an idea of what you can do, did you know you leave a sort of phantom feeling after you're finished? Your legs are cramped up, by the way." She crouches down and massages her own. Taylor does nothing, she can't feel her legs anyway. "Your power is good for close-quarter combat but I think you'll do more good in area control, what is your range anyway?" she continues when she stands up.
"Some one hundred feet in radius, I think it can get everyone in the range too... I need to see the target if want to get someone specific though. Ah! And it works on animals too." She almost forgot that part, hasn't tried again ever since the beginning.
"So it might work on Changers, good. It's a pity you're not a Brute, you get hit- you're out. Although I'll admit, it takes effort to even walk when your power's switched on, the more you move the worse it gets too. Fighting like that would be a stretch. And with every hit you take..." She trails off, a thoughtful frown creasing her brown. "Your headache is terrible, do you feel it?"
"Yes," unfortunately. "It's more like a dull ache though, the kind preventing you from sleeping." The woman tilts her head.
"I can imagine," she groans and takes a few steps back then floats just a foot into the air. "We'll see if I'm correct about you Voodoo Doll, throw me to the ground, I won't use all my powers but you feel free to do so. Start when you're ready."
Taylor blinks a few times before her brain catches up with the request. The woman wants to spar. With her, a teenager Sure, she says she's limiting herself but she's still one of the most powerful capes in the city, more experienced as well. She probably doesn't want to make a wet smear out of her helper just yet though so this might not be a total embarrassment.
Unbeknown to Taylor, a small smile blossoms on her lips.
She unleashes her aura this time, it's easier this way. The moment she does so, Purity's floating becomes rickety and by the time the teen moves towards her, she's already forced to make a landing. The next part however is not so easy, the woman jerks away from her reach though she does so while almost tripping herself. Her eyes, however, remain sharp, be it from pain or hard learned focus, Taylor knows not.
She continues her assault by ducking low under a sluggish right hook and trying to tackle the woman, unsuccessfully, as before she can grab her adversary's leg, her vision shakes and she can feel her headache spiking. She staggers away to the accompaniment of the other cape's curses, shakes her head and attacks again, opting not to bother with avoiding the punch this time and instead taking it on her arm.
Purity stops her fist at the last moment and steps out of the way, her limbs twitching and face twisted, then immediately strikes with an elbow to Taylor's side, following that with a punch with her other fist. Taylor only notices because the force behind it pushes her away. A quick glance at Purity tells her that the attack should have forced her to protect her right side, if the woman's leaning to her own tells her anything.
It's Purity that attacks again, with a couple of quick steps and a faint she throws a solid punch to Taylor's chest, it knocks the wind out of the girl but having prepared for it, she doesn't stagger this time, and although she lands not even one hit of her own, she prompts the other cape to jump- no. Leap away from her, she must be using her power to do that, a twenty feet jump backwards isn't exactly within regular human realm of possibility. Taylor unconsciously bites her lip, thinking of a way to bring the woman onto her back. Her moves are sluggish, jittery at times, she clearly has trouble moving and she's gasping for air as if after a solid run.
Problem is, she's also a much better fighter, leagues apart from Taylor in fact. In spite of the teen's advantage in form of her power she still hasn't managed to even touch her. It's impressive to be honest, the people she used her power on up till now have been much, much less coordinated. Acting as if what they felt was happening to them, Purity isn't (granted, she knows how her opponent's power works). Even though she's evidently struggling to as much as walk.
She wonders just how much she can take before she'll lose her control.
Warily, Taylor closes in on the woman, massaging her arms while doing so, encouraging her opponent to make her move, she doesn't. She simply starts circling Taylor when the distance between then is enough to be crossed in two leaps and the younger cape raises her arms to protect herself, Purity is clearly trying not to hit her limbs, so she should provide her with every possibility of doing just that.
She tries to kick the woman's legs out from under her and the next thing she knows is that she's observing the partially hidden moon on the night sky, blinking the darkness away from her eyes.
"Again," Purity curtly says. "This might be enough for a two bit thug but not for me, get up."
She does, still unsure of what just happened. The other parahuman must have tripped her when Taylor tried doing that to her, well. Case in point, screw the fighting, she can't win like that.
The next hit she throws, lands in her own side in the same place Purity hit her, the trauma might have healed already, it might have not, doesn't matter. If it has then it's surely back in place now, as she lands one hit after another while walking circles around the luminescent woman, and there, Purity is the one forced to act this time. Taylor doesn't try to hit her, only staying out of reach of the woman, which is not that hard considering she's moving both faster and more steadily than her opponent. It seems to be the right thing to do for after a minute or two of this dance, Purity becomes considerably slower than she was in the beginning.
Eventually, her moves slow down enough for Taylor to drive a fist into her opponent's side,the woman doesn't as much as flinch, she can feel nothing that's her own after all. Her body does, however, draw in on itself for a short moment, the moment Taylor uses to tackle Purity. Making them both fall to the ground.
The teen quickly switches her power off and pulls away, sitting beside her companion.
"Are you okay?" she asks after a moment of near silence, interrupted only by their laboured breathing among the sound of waves. Taylor might not get tired exactly but the less said about the capacity of her lungs the better.
"Yeah, yeah just- That was unpleasant to say the least." She sharply sits up, crossing her legs beneath her, Taylor can't help but stare at the dimly lit rust sticking to her costume. Do capes just use washing machines for this stuff? It's... it feels strange to think of the villain (or ex-villain) doing her laundry like any normal person. "Good job, although that was the worst fighting ah- lets call it style for now- that I've seen in a long time." She adds, a teasing note in her voice making Taylor turn her eyes away, embarrassed by the remark. "It makes me wonder what you could do if you actually knew anything about fighting. Stick to what you've shown in the second round for tonight though, it should be enough for what I have in mind." Tonight?
"So that means you agree?"
Taylor stands up and Purity follows, still not quite steady on her legs.
"It means that you're going to help me if you want to continue with this thing. ABB territory tonight but if we find nothing, we'll go after the Merchants next time." Ugh, she hopes they do find something then, she doesn't care about the merchants that much. But if it means taking down Lung in the long run then she can deal with it, the whole lot are scum anyway.
She nods her ascent.
"Right, ground rules first." Rules? Isn't she a villain? Or an ex-villain anyway? "You listen to me, I say jump you jump, and I mean that literally sometimes in case you wonder," ...okay. That's... really something requiring either complete trust or complete lack of care. She nods in understanding. "Run your ideas past me first, some might be good but trust me, most won't be." The girl opens her mouth to protest but her treacherous mind supplies her with a memory of the fire she started the last time she went out. Alright, she concedes, that is probably a sound idea.
Besides, if she's to be completely honest with herself, isn't that why she reached out to Purity in the first place? To have somebody stronger and more experienced make proper use of her? A person who knows better than her what has to be done. Someone who can make it happen.
"Okay."
The woman blinks.
"Just like that?" What, was she expecting an argument?
"Yeah. Is that wrong?" Is this some sort of test that she's not aware of?
"I- no! No- it's..." she rakes her hand through her hair, looking distinctly thrown off. "I just- nevermind."
Taylor looks around in search of whatever is it that has the woman act so put off but finds nothing. Weird.
"So," she breaks the uncomfortable silence. "Where exactly are we going?"
How do you know how do needles wedged into your limbs feel like? Why, you grab a box of 2 inches long pins and gather empirical evidence XD