"..."
"..."
"...So?"
"So, I see that you finally figured out how to properly sort books into their proper categories without my aid."
"It's not my fault, I swear! It's like the books themselves kept going out of place when I wasn't looking. It-It's like the Library itself is alive or something…" Seriously, and what was with all of these strange categories? How was she supposed to differentiate between Social Sciences and Psychology? And what made Philosophy so different from some philosophical Literature books?! Weren't they basically the same thing?!
"...That remains to be seen. Still, congratulations are in order…even if it took an entire year to achieve this feat."
Powder puffed her cheeks, pouting at the insult hidden behind the praise. Indeed, it has been about a year since she found herself in the Library, her now-home. Yet, she found her host and caretaker, still as unreadable and critical as the day they first met, even after being informed of Angela's goals, although the two of them were on a less formal tone with one another.
Then again, a million years of endless repeats did sound like a really long time to pick up some real bad habits when dealing with people, so Powder couldn't really blame her so-far charitable host for that…
…Doesn't mean she can't help but wish her caregiver stopped being so outwardly cold towards her. It wasn't as if this aloofness was persistent, not by any means, and in fact, despite the fact that Powder had become accepting of meals that were directly summoned with the Light, the power that Angela wielded in her Library, the older bluenette would occasionally reward her with a hand-cooked meal. There was really no physical reason for it, considering the fact that the Library Director's cooking was, to put it mildly, a little rough, although the message did always come across to Powder, seeing how the older woman was putting her mechanical heart and soul into trying to comfort her younger assistant.
Indeed, that was the role that had been bestowed upon Powder during her time ever since she was teleported here, away from her home in Zaun, and away from any sort of civilization that knew Runeterra even existed. Angela had been more reasonable and kinder than most other possible employers in Zaun or Piltover as a whole considering that she neither ordered her to work, nor really wanted her to work; it was Powder who couldn't handle simply being a deadweight, considering the Library's owner could do most of the sorting by herself, waiting for the perfect moment to be able to finally open her Library; it seemed that the amount of Light that had escaped the Library was even larger than the golden-eyed AI first estimated, and so both she and her unexpected guest-turned-cohabitant were going to need to spend their time waiting and doing all they could to topple the boredom's reign over them until the Library gathered enough power to begin with the grand masterplan Angela had in mind.
Although when that would happen, neither of them were truly sure. Angela had estimated, at first, three months before she could go through with her grand opening, but now that a year passed with no sign of progress, she was starting to wonder if she was truly going to need some flashing neon signs to remind people of Lobotomy Corporation and the White Nights and Dark Days by the time she would be able to actually act on her desires…or perhaps not, considering the mist that surrounded the Library was still there and preventing anyone from acquiring these lands, from what she could tell. Still, the wait was so long, and while not having TT2 Protocol this time around was a blessing, having to wait again after already waiting for so long during the Script was nothing short of agonizing…
At least she had Powder, though.
Although she didn't know how to feel about her at first, the young girl was actually quite pleasant to be around. She seemed to have gotten over the depressive phase she went through after entering the Library quite quickly, taking her place as Angela's assistant and following her around while helping her, or at least attempting to help her while sorting books or planning ahead with her agendas or even just hanging out together and passing the time when there'd be nothing to do.
Angela, while having no real experience with kids and unScripted people, did know that boredom was going to be the young preteen's biggest enemy, and so she had summoned a television to see what passed for entertainment channels in the City, and although it took her a few days to block all of the cannibal cooking channels, or 'How to Torture your Victims' channels, or the corpse dissection ones- look, the City had a lot of messed up stuff that she filtered out, in the end leaving some entertainment channels here and there for Powder to lazily flip through whenever there was truly nothing to do, often joined by the older woman on a couch she summoned in her personal quarters.
Well, if nothing else, there were some decently-written shows, even if, in true City fashion, they were either propaganda for the Wing that sponsored them or meant to sell a ton of accompanying merchandise, but sometimes there were some hidden gems here and there; Teenage Mutant Liu Fixers, Stars of The City Vs. The Forces Of The Head - sponsored by, get this, The Head and featuring them as the good guys, because of course they did and she was never going to get those fucking songs praising the Head out of her head - and some others were the ones that caught Angela's interest and the ones she didn't mind watching with Powder.
Not that the older-but-still-preteen girl was too much of a fan of staying on the couch and just mindlessly watching these 'television shows' for an entire day, as she was someone overflowing with excitement and energy most of the time, curious about what the books she and her host sorted. She even developed a passion for reading as time went on, and with the more time she spent with her, Angela couldn't help but admit she found her…endearing. Maybe even a little more than endearing, seeing her smile and laugh so often now.
Although, it was a little unpleasant to see such an energetic little girl trapped in a golden cage with nothing from the outside getting in, nor from the inside getting out. Angela hadn't estimated her plan would take so long, to tell the truth. The amount of time it was taking was enough to actually see the younger girl grow in front of her eyes, and while it wasn't much growth, Angela was sure that she would hit a growth spurt soon. She was, after all, a preteen, which meant that becoming a teen was the only natural step next. She was certain that there was a process of transition between preteenhood and teenagehood that she heard of once…Did it start with a 'P'? Clearly, it wasn't ever really mentioned to her if her steel-memory couldn't recall it, but she was sure it wasn't too bad to learn about whenever the time was right.
What was the worst that was going to happen to Powder, anyway? Sudden unexplainable abdominal pain? Hah, as if!
Of course, Powder needed some new clothes, although for now she was still a little too young to fit into an outfit like the one Angela wore now, having discarded her black robes when it was clear she wasn't going to be able to invite guests anytime soon in the future for the azure-ish outfit she'd carefully made to both look fancy and be practical, and so instead Powder had asked for matching clothes to the ones she first arrived in the Library wearing. She had some pajamas for whenever she wanted to sleep, and as Angela controlled the heat inside her Library, she didn't need much else as she grew up, at least for now. Maybe her fashion sense would change at some point as Angela's did.
It was a comfortable life that they'd settled into, even if the Library Director was a little harsher during their sorting sessions when Powder fully settled into her 'assistant' role. She was a little strict on teaching Powder the basics of sorting books and the like, but it was necessary if she was to help her in the future. Usually, she'd help her assistant out by helping her teleport from Floor to Floor after Powder got used to the somewhat unsettling experience of teleportation, waiting for her to finish sorting out a random stack of books Angela would pick up and give to her, and today, she'd finally successfully completed a week of figuring out which books went where.
Technically, Angela could've just injected the information into the younger bluenette's mind, but then again, it wasn't as if she was in any hurry, and she was happy with how Powder occupied herself while also being cute aiding her in the smallest of ways, proving herself not to be as much as a burden during her stay here in the Library, and while not vocalizing this sentiment, Angela hoped her actions spoke for her in that regard, even if she was a little harsh at times.
"Fine, I'll take what I can get I guess." Powder huffed while crossing her arms and turning away to make her displeasure visibly known, internally bristling when she saw Angela perform an eye-roll ever so slightly, giving off the impression that she thought Powder wouldn't notice her doing it at all. Hey, they were on better terms, sure, but it wasn't a matter of contention that her harshness did sometimes wound her pride.
"It warms my metaphorical heart to see how much my favor boosts your self-esteem to such a high degree," Angela responded sardonically, causing the discontent within Powder to flare up, who fought against a little chuckle at the sarcastic delivery. "Still, the deed is done for now and there are other things around here that must be done before the grand opening of the Library."
"When IS that going to happen, anyways?" Powder asked, turning back to fully face Angela, "You keep saying how important it is for you to find the One True Book thingy so you can become human yourself, right? Why is it taking you so long to get things going?" It wasn't the first time she asked the question, and although she had a sneaking suspicion that there were some complications that were bigger than even Angela cared to admit.
Much to her chagrin, Angela dismissively waved, "The process is far more complicated for someone as young as yourself to fully understand, let alone comprehend. I am pretty sure I'd be wasting my breath explaining everything to you if I actually needed to breathe, and you needn't worry about such things anyway."
"You keep saying that!" The younger bluenette suddenly snapped, the clear anger in her voice actually making Angela properly focus on her ward for the first time during this conversation, "I'm not stupid you know, maybe I would understand what you're saying if you gave me a chance to actually know what you've been doing all of this time! Come on, I've been living under the same roof for a year now and I still don't really understand what's happening!" She almost pleaded, although there was more frustration than pleading in her voice.
Angela narrowed her eyes, cold, golden eyes reflecting irritation at this newly shown rebellion of her ward. "If you are as knowledgeable as you claim to be, then I wouldn't feel the need to repeat myself on this: the process for gathering the Light and its execution is a process far beyond the understanding of most, with its previous iteration taking countless cycles and trial and error by a group at the highest level of their profession to succeed in pulling off, if barely. It's much too complicated to explain at the moment." Angela waved her worries off again, sighing. In truth, it was partly her refusal to admit her own ignorance on when they'd do anything with all of the efforts they went through, nor did she want her unexpected cohabitant to panic at such a truth.
For the first time since they met, Powder resented Angela.
Well, okay, maybe 'resent' was a strong word that she only recently saw in one of the books she left on the Floor of Literature that she wasn't quite sure of its usage in such a scenario. Maybe it wasn't the word to explain her frustrations, but she was definitely fed up with the constant obfuscation of information she had to put up with.
It reminded her too much of certain moments growing up with her older sister; those times when she didn't let her in on the specifics of particular jobs she left to do with Mylo and Claggor, those awful, lonely times when she was absent for a long time when she went on certain hit missions without her, those times when it was clear to Powder that Vi didn't think her weak and useless little sister wasn't simply wasn't ready and wouldn't be a complete jinx when push came to shove.
She hated it because, when the time came to show she was anything but, she only proved Vi completely right about her in the end.
"Just say that you don't want me to be a part of your life at this point, then!" Powder cried back, for a moment forgetting that the woman who stood before her wasn't her sister, her mind almost superimposing an image of a pink-haired girl on the older bluenette. "I've been here for a year, Angela! Look, like- Like, I get it, I get we're working together, I get we're spending time together, and I get that I wasn't your friend at first and that I wasn't meant to be here, okay? But- But I've been here for a year! You're the only person I interact with and live under the same roof with, and you can't even tell me what I'll use all this knowledge I'm learning for?" She threw her hands up petulantly, pointing at the bookshelf she had just put a book in, narrowing her bright blue eyes.
"Excuse me?" Angela scoffed back at the childishness on display in front of her. "Such a needless, irrational rant. This has nothing to do with any ill-will for you." Besides, she couldn't really bring herself to hate Powder. Sure, the two of them bickered sometimes, but she was the closest thing to a companion she had for now, and she truly did find her endearing. She simply didn't have the ability to make that known. "I have consistently made that clear, and yet you keep asking questions that you simply aren't ready to know and are beyond you at this point in time."
"You don't know that!" Powder argued back. "You don't know any of that! Like- I-I understood your entire past! And that was a year ago when I was even younger! Was that just nonsense that was simple?" She crossed her arms, doubling down.
Angela leaned in towards Powder, until their noses were nearly touching, unappreciative of both the fight and the accusations. Gah, why were social interactions so difficult?! She had to set her foot down.
"I know more than you ever will, Powder. If you would stop making such foolish accusations, it would be much obliged." She doubled down too, not wanting to be outclassed by her assistant. She was too frustrated with Powder's sudden and unlikeable attitude to guess what would have happened next.
Powder's eyes were watering as her cheeks were puffed out and her lip trembling in misery while the preteen did her best to not suddenly burst into tears in front of her caregiver.
"Just say that you don't trust me! That you're just afraid I'll jinx everything for you like I did for them! Just- Just-" Her voice cracked. "GAAAH!" She stomped onto the ground with a frustrated cry before she turned around and simply bolted away as fast and as far as her feet could carry her, not wanting to break down so easily over such a menial argument.
"Powder! What are you-" Angela raised an arm behind the eleven-year-old, realizing that the high-heels she was wearing wouldn't allow her to run after the much more running-suited boots the younger bluenette had. Damn it, of all of the things to slow her down, it was fashion?! "Ah, for goodness'..." Honestly, how did her social skills deteriorate to such a poor level? Now she probably emotionally harmed the only person she met in the Library that actually semi-liked her and couldn't even pursue her, only able to walk after her.
"...Was this how X felt before wanting to hang himself?"
Powder didn't really know when she stopped. She was a really good runner back when she was in either Zaun or Piltover, considering she couldn't square up and fight like her older sister and now deceased brothers, she simply wasn't built for that kind of confrontation. What she was built for was running for long distances, and so she ran from the confrontation, from her shame and embarrassment and anger until her legs could no longer run and her lungs burnt as they screamed for air, her heart pumping so strongly she feared for her health.
'And look where that got me…' Powder thought herself miserably as sniffled, wiping away the tears in her eyes as she looked around to where she was now, as did not have a particular place in mind when she ran away from Angela rushed away from her caretaker host. She knew it hadn't been a rational decision by any means, but she couldn't handle the insecure anger that bubbled inside of her and erupted like a volcano toward Angela. Great, she had basically insulted the one woman who cared for her ever since she jumped across half of the world. Great going, Powder, you were just absolutely the queen of good ideas, huh? Now Angela probably hated her…
"I didn't- I just…She was…" She spoke out-loud to no one in particular, attempting to sort out her emotions. She didn't despise Angela…Not after all the time she spent with her, it was…it was almost like what she thought about Vi the year before when she proclaimed to herself that she didn't have a sister anymore when she was just confused, hurt, and scared. She didn't want to lose her older sister then, and she didn't want to lose Angela now, but how could she come back at this point?
She needed to show her an apology of sorts, but what? Would she just say 'I'm sorry'? That couldn't be enough…she needed to show her that she truly cared and wanted to make up for her sudden outbursts, "Come on, Powder, think: What does Angela like?"
While thinking hard about what her host favored, Powder heard a voice.
It was different from the ones she heard in her head - the monsters that existed in Powder's mind ever since that night. No, it wasn't an internal voice in the slightest, which was both comforting in a way, as the slightly-older-than-before-but-not-really preteen had been rather worried for her mental state, but it was entirely discomforting in another way; considering that there was no one else in the Library beside her and Angela, then the faint mumblings must've belonged to her, and considering the tantrum Powder had thrown a few moments back, she didn't think her caretaker was happy…
"...Angela? Angela, if you're there, just…" Powder called out, swallowing as she turned her head toward the noise. She could've sworn that the older woman wouldn't have been able to pursue her well-trained legs so quickly when she wore high heels, but, well, it seemed that she had surprises for her. She didn't know what to say after such an outburst, and she wasn't even done with her brainstorming for any sort of apology. She wasn't sure she even began brainstorming, and yet, as she turned her head, she already saw…
…Nothing? Instead of a deeply upset Library Director, there was nothing where the muffled whispers and faint vibrations were coming from, nor was there any sign of her presence, even. In fact, now that she was less worried, Powder noticed that the noises were coming from deeper within the Floor of Philosophy. It wasn't entirely finished, Angela said she'd change it "When the time comes" as she always did, but it seemed that it was largely complete, considering that the pristine, white floors seemed to extend as much as the other Floors did. Honestly, the Zaunite had to admit that it was one of the more soothing Floors when Angela's Library defied all sorts of logic, as the Floors with lava, strange little green slimes, and a literal ocean had informed her. She was still slowly getting used to the Library, but sometimes she knew that she'd never be able to accommodate some of its particularities.
"A Heaven That Is Burrowed In The Mind…"
The words were much clearer now that Powder focused on it, the echo behind the tone saying so much and then some. Just where did this sound come from? It was only her and Angela in the Library, right…? No one could enter without Angela's permission, no one could leave without it, and nothing could be alive in it without her knowing, as evidenced by her immediately sniffing out where Powder was when the younger bluenette first arrived.
Then where did the sound come from?
Powder followed the sounds, her mind's gears churning as an idea stewed in her mind. That's it! Knowledge! Angela loved reading interesting books, and she loved gaining knowledge or seeing her assistant learn more and more about the world surrounding her. Then, if she could somehow tell Angela of this weird voice, she'd be happy and forgive her, right? She wouldn't hate her then, right? She wouldn't jinx her too…Right?
Well, of course! Of course, the plan was flawless! One-hundred percent, failure was not an option!
"A Vision No Longer In Sight…"
Turning in towards the direction of the voice, what Powder found was… an entire shelf of books?
"One Cannot Find Their Ideal Within Paradise Alone…"
No doubt that was where the voices were coming from. Among the various books she has yet to see in her time in the Library, Powder could see a dark-gray book that stuck out among the group, it being where the words running through her head were coming from, the proof being the fact that they grew loud with each step she took towards it.
What was this shelf even meant for? It wasn't that far away from the main room…maybe Angela was going to put it there eventually? Whatever it was, it seemed too intriguing to ignore…surely there was something here that would pique Angela's interest in one of these books, right?
'...Is it a part of the plan Angela has to get the One True Book?' Powder wondered, gulping as she stopped before the talking book. If so, then that would explain why Angela was so insistent on not having Powder too involved with her plans!
It…made sense. Given how creepy and, frankly, unsafe the vibes coming from this book were, it would be clear why Angela wouldn't want someone as young as Powder near her personal work, especially when what she's working with could be so dangerous to even be around for anyone.
But…
She was seeing it right now, right? If she could handle whatever was inside this book, then- then she would prove to Angela that she could handle whatever she was dealing with, right? She was…She was…She-She wanted to-
It's been a year now. Surely she grew since that incident. No more screw-ups. No more failures. Just, maybe this time she'd prove to Angela- to herself that things changed since then.
Okay. Deep breaths. Powder slowly approached the bookshelf, stretching a little. What was the worst that could happen?
'I'll be able to prove to her at the very least that I won't be a jinx, then she'll HAVE to trust me more with what she's doing!
"See To It That Your Gaze Reaches All…"
Fueled by the idea of her host being more honest and forthright with her, Powder steeled her nerves and reached for the book, a bit surprised at how light it was despite its size, attempting to pay the whisper no mind. It seemed almost harmless.
Then, with reckless abandon befitting one her age, Powder opened the book, almost giddy with excitement as she imagined Angela patting her head and holding her close affectionately, making her into her protege and sharing all of her secrets and stuff with her!
That was when all hell broke loose.
It was like a blast of that forsaken bomb Powder had used at Silco's warehouse the year before, although the flash that Powder noticed this time around was blood-red, alongside this awful, screeching sound as the book dropped from hands, her entire body being propelled backwards before hitting the nearest bookshelf, barely falling onto her legs thanks to her experience from some gnarly Zaun fights. Her back hurt from the sheer force of impact, shaking her head and opening her eyes as she attempted to reprocess her surroundings once more.
"Wh-Wha-"
Even before she could ask herself the question, another sound echoed in the Floor, this one much louder, almost resembling the scurrying of…of something. It wasn't like an insect's or a rat's, it felt…bigger, almost, and yet less alive. She tried taking her breath, looking at the ground as she did so, only to notice a puddle of some red liquid in front of her.
Oh no.
Her first instinct was to panic that she might've been hurt, giving a quick check to her face, torso and limbs, although she seemed to be fine, considering she didn't feel any excruciating pain like she would after a bad fight or after that night in Zaun…which, in a sense, was a relief. Although that relief soon went away as she started wondering what, then, made the little puddle, prompting her to lift her head.
She wanted to scream at the sight.
A couple of centimeters from her head was something that resembled a red spear, covered in thorns and otherwise sharp protrusions that looked very capable of stabbing her, although that wasn't what frightened her and almost made her heart stop. Oh, no, she'd seen worse before during her admittedly short life. It was the fact that these spears were actually branches of something that resembled a demented tree, its wood made of flesh that dripped with blood, and said spear-like branches covered in eyes. Not fruit that looked like eyes, no, eyes that were very much real and functional, all glaring at her, extending to a 'main' trunk that, if it resembled the branches, would've already been bad enough. But of course, the trunk seemed to be a spine that was very much connected to a brain at the top of the tree.
What…What even was this? What sort of monster was this trying to be?! How was it in a book, of all things? And, more importantly, Powder had noted one last little observation:
It was looking straight at her with all of its eyes.
That's when she screamed, attempting to back up once more into the bookshelf, almost knocking it over had it not been for how heavy it was. She panicked for a second, wanting to take in her surroundings once more, turned her head to look behind her for a second and-
Scrick!
Her head whipped back at speeds that could've snapped it, although ironically and against all possible safety rules, it might've been what saved her, considering the spear-like branches grew again at speeds that should've been impossible to any plant or animal life, but it did, and if it extended just a hair more, then Powder was going to fulfill the role of some ornament on its branches.
Wh-What was it trying to do…? Was it actively growing to get her? Was that why its eyes constantly focused on her? Did it just grow endlessly and she was in its path? Whatever it was trying to do, Powder wanted it to stop. In the corner of her eye, as she slithered with her back to the bookshelf, making sure it wasn't going to make any sudden moves, she noticed the book she tried opening at the base of the horrific tree of terrors in front of her. Ah. That must've been what was whispering to her, just her luck. And, she assumed, that it would also be the source of its power, although she didn't know if she had any sort of strength to reach it herself…or if it was even the slightest bit feasible to do so.
But instead of actually doing anything about it; fighting back or trying to find a way to subdue it through any means around her, she ran away, like she always did. She wanted to fight this time, she wanted to do something about it, but not when it was so dangerous. Not when she was still that weak, useless idiot that got her family killed and was left behind by her fed-up sister, sick of the jinx that cost her everything.
Scrambling into her feet, Powder rushed behind the bookshelf, giving her legs to the wind and rushing to try and search for Angela, running as fast as she possibly could, keeping her mind determined and her movements steady. She needed to that right, at least, not to prove herself to anyone anymore, but to remain alive at this point.
'What do I do?! What do I do?! What do I do?!' Powder repeated the phrase in her mind multiple times like a mantra as if it would actually solve all of her problems right then and there. She needed to think rationally and calmly if she wanted to get out of this alive and well, and maybe, just maybe, she'd be able to fight off this…this thing. This affront to all things normal and natural in life.
Scrick!
Scrick!
SCRIIIIIIIICK!
Of course, this was easier said than done when she could just feel the abomination continuing its unnatural growth, breaking through bookshelves and slithering, wrapping, crawling all over them to reach their victim. It was almost impossible for a coward such as herself to keep a calm and collected mind when the thing near her was ready to devour her or worse; one small mistake was all it would take for Powder's short-lived life to end here and now.
'I should have listened to Angela.' She whimpered pathetically in her head, 'Please, come save me!' Wait. That was…That was it. For as much as she didn't want to admit it, that was the only solution she could think of. Please, please let this work.
"ANGELAAAAAAA HELP MEEEEEE!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, every molecule of her body working to make sure her voice didn't break and that no tears formed in her eyes even as more bookshelves crumbled from the fleshy tendrils that pierced them. "ANGELAAAAAAAAAA-!"
She tripped. A book must've fallen on the ground from the vibrations and rumblings this monster caused.
Ignoring the pain caused by the hard fall, Powder did her best to try and gather herself and get up. Unfortunately, she felt something sharp stab into her exposed ankle, and before she could cry out from the pain, she was pulled. Attempting to rid herself of the pain, she flipped onto her back, looking at her assailant in an attempt to push it off, dragging her stabbed ankle free with a squelch, readying herself for a fight before everything just…
Stopped.
Powder suddenly dragged herself back on the ground, wondering what happened for everything to suddenly still. No longer did the slithering noises of the branches echo, nor did any other part of her body get stabbed. In fact, as the young bluenette got up to her legs, limping a little from her stabbed ankle that still worked thank goodness, she only found the glaring eyes that stared at her, still, unblinking, unmoving.
Wait.
Her mind's gears grinded against one another so quickly they might've eroded themselves. Of course, that was it! It was sensitive to vision! That was why it didn't move at the start, and why it stopped now! That was…that was…Oh. It was great that she figured that out, but she ran so quickly and so far that she now lost eyesight of the original trunk. That meant that what she was looking at right now was only a branch that followed her, and if the unblinking gaze it kept on her told her anything, it was that it was transmitting her location to the other branches she couldn't see behind the bookshelves.
Scrick!
The sound was still distant, but it told her enough. Her mind was running at a million thoughts a minute, the self-hatred in her mind slowly giving way to more determination. She could still be saved by Angela. She could still have a chance to not lose the one person who cared about her again. She just needed to get a vantage point to see the whole 'plant' and its main body. Somewhere like…like…
…A bookshelf. Specifically, it's top. Her ankle was still hurt, and that thing was damn near close to devouring her or whatever, but if she could just make it up there then…
Forcing herself to power through the pain shooting through her foot, Powder grabbed onto the wood-like shelf and began climbing up towards her destination, years of carefully going up various sorts of places during her time in Zaun allowed her to quickly make way to the desired location all while keeping eye-contact with the branch that nearly killed her.
However, just as she was about to reach the top, she felt something crawl behind her., and she turned her head for an instant. Shoot, another branch entered the corridor she was in from the other side. She needed to keep her gaze on both of the demented branches, splitting her focus evenly as she climbed up, the pain almost making her whine as she continued her ascent, her Zaunite capabilities proving quite useful as she scaled the bookshelf in less than thirty seconds, making it to the top, rolling over, and looking down at the bloodshot eye-fruit as she narrowly avoided another stab by the branches.
She looked over the bookshelves, making sure to keep the assaulting branches in the corner of her vision, doing her best not to have a heart attack from the sheer pressure she was under.
Despite her nerves, she managed to reach the top of the bookshelf, forcing her entire body to hang onto the top of the shelf, and before long, found herself staring at the branch-like abomination that was trying to kill her, all of its alien eyes staring her down and Powder was doing her best to not pee her pants at the sight before her, although her bladder was having quite the difficulties.
And then she saw it: The main 'tree' which spawned all of these: big, old, disgusting yellow and red eyes staring her down like it was from the depths of Hell itself. She couldn't break eye contact, seeing how it immediately froze up the moment she laid her eyes on it.
Okay, good. Now all she had to do was wait until-!
CRACK!
Powder screamed again, snapping her head behind her as she barely avoided another stab from a branch she hadn't seen. Shoot, shoot, shoot! She must've figured out this thing's weakness too late, and it must've had branches all around the bookshelf she stood on at this point, essentially making sure she always had a spot she couldn't see no matter how hard she tried. For a moment, her adrenaline-addled mind thought of jumping between the tops of the bookshelves like some characters in those comics she read in Piltover shops would, although the still-sane part of her mind objected, aware that her injured knee made such an act impossible.
She whimpered again, dragging herself to the edge of the bookshelf, her head turning between all of the angles she could possibly cover in such a fast speed that she was getting dizzy. "ANGELA! PLEAAAAAAASE-" She stopped her plea again as she jumped forward, avoiding a vine that would've undoubtedly severed a leg with how fiercely it lunged at her.
This wasn't good…She no longer had anywhere to retreat to. The next stab would get her for sure…!
Oh, just when would she ever be sav-
ZAP!
It was like a lightning bolt suddenly coursed through the cursed 'tree', making it shriek in a voice so awful, so horrible, it made every hair on Powder's body stand up, shuddering as she accidentally closed her eyes, though instead of sensing a stab, she was somehow…relaxed, in a sense. Like there was something hovering over her, and when she opened her eyes, she gazed upon…
…A skull? Was…Was she wrong? Did she get stabbed and this was what happened afterward? It wore a crown of thorns and, abnormally, seemed to be floating if it managed to look her in the eyes. It also seemed to be exceedingly massive, and tied to a cross-like object. Was…? What was even happening…?
Against all possible logic, a lightning-whip seemed to generate next to the floating skull, forming a…thumbs-up? Was this what saved her? Then why was it so imposing if it was laid-back enough to give a thumbs-up? Why did she feel a weight in her throat, as if her sins were crawling over her back…What was this…this feeling…?
Click!
Powder immediately recognized the sound of Angela's fingers clicking and the subsequent teleportation that followed, finding herself on the ground in front of a very much closed book, the same one she had opened and started this entire mess thanks to in the first place…
…And of course, she also recognized the all too familiar sound of the Library Director's high-heels as she walked towards her, the dark gray book that released the abomination from before closed and laying in the palm of her hand, exuding a similar air to the skull she just met.
"Your kind is seriously making things more trouble than it's worth to reach my goals." Her cold, uncompromising voice grumbled as she stared at the still tree-like creature before her, which cowered into its book like a cornered wild animal. "Anything you have to say for yourself, Burrowing Heaven?"
Scrick!
"Of course. I didn't expect much from something like you. I can only say that your inability to be killed is the only thing standing in your favor for today." She scoffed, narrowing her eyes.
Opening the book in her hand, a bright, yellow exuded from the object - the same light soon covering the now named Burrowing Heaven as Angela's narrowed gaze forced it to stay still helpless as it was returned from whence it came from.
"And that takes care of that for now."
The Library's Director's decisive statement was punctuated by the snapping of the gray book.
Her golden eyes then landed onto the limping form of her ward.
"As for you, young, unfoolish lady, I think you have a lot to explain-" She turned towards the younger bluenette who still sat on her rear, watching in amazement as the display in front of her stunned her, not caring for the strict tone of her superior who crossed her arms, conveying her deep dismay with her.
Of course, Powder didn't care. She really couldn't not right now. Angela came back. She didn't just leave her to her very much self-made fate, she came back. She cared enough to come back.
This day was a lot of things for Powder; harrowing, haunting, terrifying, but most importantly it was nerve-wracking. Her little war against the monster that hunted her was miraculous enough, but it also did a number on her logical thoughts, only leaving way for all of the emotional ones for now.
It was all so, so…
Angela could only stare wide-eyed as Powder vomited all over the floor, watching as the breakfast they'd made together wasn't even fully digested before staining the floor. The young preteen heaved for a moment, luckily not getting much over her clothes shaking her head to try and somehow induce more fresh air into her lungs.
After she finished emptying the contents of her stomach, Powder swayed left and right before falling on her bottom, her back hitting the bookshelf behind her as her eyes got teary, resting her hand on her stomach.
"...Er…" Angela hesitated, unsure of what to make of the sight in front of her. "...I told you to listen to me, Powder. Maybe if you did, you wouldn't have gotten hurt." Her voice was strict, though from the looks of things Powder was barely registering what she just said, her chest slowly but surely rapidly expanding and deflating as she took rapid breathes, the magnitude of what she saw and survived finally fully comprehending in her mind, and she was not handling it well.
"...Hey, Powder, can you even hear me?" Angela questioned, though the previous strictness in her tone was gone as she saw her query being unanswered by the clearly panicking youth, "Powder?"
Quickly going over to where her ward was, Angela kneeled down to Powder's height, gently gripped her chin and lifting her head up to see her eyes wild yet completely unfocused as Powder's rapid breathing continued to show no signs of slowing down, but in fact, growing faster by the second.
'She's having a panic attack!' Angela realized, cursing herself for not foreseeing as soon as Powder started vomiting. Of course, someone as young as her would react like this when facing an Abnormality for the first time. Various, trained employees of the Lobotomy Corporation had their minds completely shattered when facing those creatures, so why the hell would she suspect that Powder's first encounter would go any differently?
"Powder, please listen to my voice and focus on it! You must calm down before it's too late!" Well, Angela doubted that a ten year-old would go on murderous sprees or attempt suicide or break open Abnormalities like the Agents used to do (At least, she bloody well hoped so), but she honestly didn't fear what Powder could do; she feared for Powder, and it didn't seemed like the young Zaunite was listening, which, again, wasn't all too surprising considering what she just went through.
There must be something that she could do to prevent this from getting worse…
In a moment of desperation, Angela looked around her area to see if there was something she could use or be inspired by.
It was then that her eyes landed on the form of a floating skull with a crown of thorns on its head.
"One Sin and Hundreds of Good Deeds?" Angela stated, stupefied at its presence. "Did Powder accidentally knock you out of your book while running away from the other one? Never mind, come over here, help her out already!" After all, it was known to mentally soothe Agents that visited it in the Corporation. Surely it could do something of use.
Without missing a beat, One Sin did as it was told - Angela was thankful that the Abnormality released from its book was so cooperative and actually helpful in most situations - floating a little strangely until it was right next to Angela, as if looking at the young preteen with its…eyes? Eye-sockets? Ghost-eyes? Oh, it didn't matter.
Immediately, One Sin's effects started having the desired impact; Powder's rapid inhaling and exhaling was slowing down and her bright blue eyes were coming into focus once more. Excellent! Hah, so she did know how to handle social issues after all! …With the help of an unnatural and admittedly abnormal being that may or may not have had mystical powers put to use.
"Powder, can you hear what I have to say?" Angela gently prodded, getting confirmation when Powder's eyes flickered toward her, "Good. Now listen to what I have to say: this One Sin can help you calm down into a better state of mind. All you have to do is confess your issues and it will be able to relieve you of them and get you out of this state you are in. Do you understand?" Powder nodded. "Good, now just look in its eyes and confess."
Powder's eyes left Angela's and looked around for a moment, her mind still a melting pot of emotions, "...Do I have to confess to it? Can't I just…"
"Well, around it, at least." Angela answered immediately, not wanting to confuse or harm Powder more than she already was, although, it seemed that, contrary to what she thought she'd do, she didn't turn towards the floating skull, instead shakily lifting herself to her legs, sniffing a little, looking into Angela's worried golden eyes. Indeed, those emotions swirling inside were making it especially hard to think, even though she got the basic idea of what was expected of her, and so, against all rational thought, against all logical decisions, she simply let her emotions guide her for now, showing her gratitude in the only way she could when her mind was melting in its own emotions as she jumped with a limp, rushing and tackling Angela's waist as the shock made the taller woman's precarious high-heel-based center of gravity tilt backwards, Powder not letting go. "What are you-"
Of course, if Powder could hear her, she didn't make it clear, still hanging onto the fleshless human as the latter fell to her rear and then blindly crawling along her body, putting her arms under the AI's elbows, her face in her bosom and wrapping her legs around Angela's waist, enveloping her as if she sought safety from her. Wh-Wha…?
"Okay. I'll tell you everything." The young girl's muffled voice sounded. "Just- I'll tell you everything, but- Just- Just don't let go of me." A pause. Powder tightened her embrace around the older woman, slightly whimpering. "Please."
"P-Powder, come on, I…I told you I value my personal space and…" Angela sighed. Just what was she going to do with her? What was she even going to do with this? She never had to deal with so many unscripted emotions, and she didn't want to hurt her assistant any further… "Okay…fine, for now…you can start whenever you want." Besides, for all she complained, it wasn't as if she hated this…
"O-Okay…" The preteen swallowed.
"I-I used to tinker a lot, back when I was in Zaun, the undercity I grew up in…" She began in a strange, half-strangled voice. "...But nothing ever worked or it would go off at the wrong time and ruin any careful planning my siblings had-Oh, right." She choked up for a second. "I- I had three of them. My brother Mylo always called me a jinx because I'd always make something go wrong if I tried to help. Of course, my sister Vi always stood up for me when he'd pick on me, but….I think she also thought I was a hassle to deal with. She always had to clean up after me and watch over me because I was the weakest of the group….I was the dead weight. They were always better off without me dragging them down, yet she'd try and bring me along anyway…she always tried caring for me so much…but that night she didn't, she wouldn't let me help because she said she didn't want me getting hurt, but I knew the real reason. It was too important to have me come along and mess everything up, some nasty people had taken our dad and they had to rescue him. They must have thought bringing me along would jinx it."
"Just say that you don't trust me! That you're just afraid I'll jinx everything for you like I did for them!"
Angela frowned at the fresh memory replaying in her mind as her ward continued her tale. Another 'perk' of her ultra-strong memory.
"Yet….I still wanted to help, to show them I could be useful just like everyone else and that I wasn't some jinx that ruined everything. So I made a monkey bomb out of this blue gemstone I had taken when we robbed some Piltie -that's the uppercity's folks- I had seen the kind of explosion they could cause. I thought, if I used them right everything would turn out okay and they'd praise me for once. That they'd actually mean it this time and not out of pity."
Powder let out a hard swallow for what she was going to say next, dreading the response she was going to get from her caretaker, but nonetheless pushed forward.
"But they were right, I messed everything up with that bomb." She said, all in a rush, as if she was ashamed of it. "It was way more powerful than I'd thought it'd be, tore through the building, and knocked me off of it. At first, I was so happy, finally, my bombs had worked and as soon as I saw Vi walking over I was far too excited about being praised to notice her expression. I just kept babbling on about how my bomb had finally worked and that I'd been useful for once….."
Her voice shivered, dampening with regret as she seriously seemed to contemplate not saying anything else. For a moment, Angela understood; unraveling so much of the past she kept hidden couldn't have been easy on her. In fact…
"Powder? Look, I think it's alright at this point if you stop. You seem to have calmed down enough and-" One Sin wasn't exactly the most agitable of Abnormalities, so at most it was going to shrug and float to its own book. But the Library Director couldn't finish her sentence before Powder clung to her even harder, seeking any sort of comfort and safety from her caretaker.
"She got so angry, worse than I had ever seen and that had never been directed at me….and she wasn't in the wrong, either. My bomb had killed them, my entire family besides her, just as they were about to break out and run away. They didn't even need me in the first place, yet because of me, everyone was dead. Vi just got more and more angry, no matter how much I apologized or told her that I just wanted to help. Then she…."
The emotions Powder had repressed for so long crushed her like a tidal wave as she gasped for air.
"… hit me, something she never did." She whimpered, the pain, both physical and emotional, that moment all too vivid even after all this time, "She told me that Mylo had been right all along, I was just some jinx that ruined everything. Then she just…walked away, no matter how much I begged her to not leave me alone, she didn't look back once. She left me because she realized I would never be anything more than a jinx to her and that I had taken everything from her due to it."
She fell into silence as tears she'd been desperately holding back began to fall, rubbing at her eyes as muffled sobs escaped her, still not lifting her face from Angela's neck and bosom.
"I only wanted to help…" She sniffled again, her voice cracking. "I really, really did…but I know now that good intentions weren't enough. I thought, today, that maybe with more experience and those same good intentions, that I'd be able to help you today, Angela. Th-That I'd…I'd be able to help you with something, anything that could've helped you in any possible way…but today, again, I messed up, Angela…I almost died this time, almost jinxed everything for myself again and ruined it when you were handling things just fine on your own, all because I was too stupid and couldn't keep my mouth shut…I…" A small sob. "I'm so sorry, Angela…"
Suddenly, Angela felt something akin to shame for allowing anyone else to witness such a vulnerable moment from her ward.
"...You may return to your book now." Angela whispered towards One Sin as Powder held her tighter like a lifeline while sobbing harder than before from her confession. And without missing a beat, the skull with the crown of thorns floated back to its book, and, in a flash of light, the Abnormality returned to where it came from, its gold and red book snapping shut by itself. At least there was one helpful Abnormality around these parts.
Relieved ever so slightly at their newfound privacy, Angela's golden eyes returned to the shaking and shivering form of the younger blunette, her sobs having transformed into full-blown wails, even if muffled, honestly crying herself out of her depth in this situation, letting loose all of the pent-up emotions.
Angela had never experienced something so emotionally taxing before. Not since she'd been in the Corporation and seen the Manager, some Agents, and even herself during the earlier cycles break down so terribly, but she never knew how to mend something like this. She couldn't simply push off the young Zaunite; she wasn't a monster like that man. Although, she didn't know what to do, either; it wasn't as if she had much experience comforting people or being comforted in her time of need.
So, she did nothing.
Angela did nothing, simply allowing Powder to hold onto her as she kept on weeping until there were no more tears for her to let out, letting all of the emotions out just like that first night they met on one year ago.
When Powder finally turned onto her back and let her eyes be greeted with the all-too-bright and all-too-familiar light of the room she and Angela shared as their own over their year together, she felt miserable. She was somewhat less…heavy(?), as if she let go of a massive emotional load, although she still felt an overwhelming sense of shame, embarrassment, and frustration at those same actions that made her look so childish and weak, making her behave no better than she did one year ago in the same Library she now called her home…
This was just fan-freaking-tastic, wasn't it?
She was currently on the same couch she and Angela now shared whenever they watched their television together, although she also couldn't help but recognise it as the same couch her host had carried her onto after she passed out when she first arrived in the Library, and it made her groan a little; she really hoped it wouldn't be a habit to find herself on this couch whenever she lost control of her emotions, even if she may or may not have developed just a small connection to it at this point.
Perhaps what made it even more embarrassing was that she was fully conscious for the process of being carried to the couch this time around; when her sniffles and sobs gave way to tired, frustrated mumbles as she started overcoming her stages of grief, now only left with the embarrassment of this entire ordeal occurring and the shame of having it not only be so public, but so worthless, too, when it seemed Angela was at least somewhat familiar with the creatures she accidentally unleashed…
At least Angela understood. In a way, it made the young Zaunite even more appreciative of her caretaker today; seeing how the young girl didn't really know how to deal with the situation herself, either, the older bluenette instead decided to carry her back to what was considered Angela's office in the Library without any reprobations or questions, only the familiar and by-now comforting sound of her footsteps as she walked to their room and gently set her on the couch, walking off to do…whatever she needed to do for the rest of the day. Powder didn't know.
She really didn't know how she was supposed to face the golden-eyed fleshless human now after all of the ruckus she caused…she hoped, at the very least, that she wasn't too upset now after all that happened. Honestly, she had expected her to snap far more violently at her, but then again, she also supposed that she didn't exactly kill three of the people Angela held dearest to her heart in one night, now did she?
'I really am the world's biggest screw up, aren't I?' Powder thought bitterly. No, scratch that, she was pretty sure somewhere, somehow, some ten-year old got her beat in that department in both height and screw-upness! She emitted a shallow chuckle, slowly lifting her torso as she looked at the office space surrounding her, not having seen its owner anywhere for what seemed like hours.
Maybe Angela just didn't want to be around her? Well, she wouldn't blame her if that really was the case-
"Powder?" At the soft call of her name, Powder's head snapped forward to see Angela, standing still and stalwart in the doorway to her office, having apparently been there for a while awaiting the preteen's mood as it slowly improved. Or, well…maybe not improved, but it certainly wasn't as bad as before. "Oh, good. It would seem that you're up." She started making her way over to the couch, the younger girl instinctively getting her legs off of it to allow some space for the older bluenette so sit down next to her, looking at the ground without saying anything.
"...How long have you been here for?"
"Oh, not so long. I was just passing by when I saw that you were up." There was a slight awkwardness in her tone, and Powder could understand; she didn't really know how to address any of…this, either. Whether or not she was saying the truth with regards to how long she stood there for was anyone's guess, too. "How is your ankle? Has it healed well enough from the damage you took?"
At that question, Powder's blue eye trailed down her left leg and towards the area that Angela personally bandaged, "I-It's getting better, thanks to you." Powder touched the injury for a moment, feeling no pain. "Did you heal it with the Light?"
Angela nodded in satisfaction "Naturally; it's just that you told me that doing things 'authentically' makes you feel better. Did this help?" Wait, Angela really cared about that? Powder turned her head, looking into the golden eyes she got to know for so little yet so long, earnestly touched, nodding absently. "Still, that is good to hear. Come with me, for I have something to show you." The Library's Director requested as she turned and nudged her head down the hallway. "I'm sure that you're a little tired, but bear with me, I…wish to show my- well, you'll see." She gestured with her hand, starting to walk.
In no mood to disobey Angela, Powder carefully got off of the couch and slowly walked over to the pointed direction, soon enough following Angela's back towards the unknown destination.
The hallway seemed familiar, with her bedroom and bathroom's locations unchanged, although, it felt like there was…a third room? Wha…?
"Uh…Angela?"
"Did you already notice it?" The taller AI almost smirked, opening a wooden door and offering Powder the right to go in first. "This is…er, consider it as a sort of…Well…" Oh, come on! Angela cursed herself under her breath; how come she couldn't express the barest of emotional sentiments?! "Look, I was too harsh on you today, Powder." There. Perhaps being frank would help her. "I…I honestly shouldn't have pushed you so far, and while I still cannot approve of your actions today, I wanted to give you something akin to a…a gift, you could say, as something to make things up to you." Finally. It wouldn't have been too large of an exaggeration to claim that this was one of the most difficult sentences the fleshless human had to say throughout her entire life solely because it needed her to swallow her pride and act emotionally.
"Make things up to me?!" Although, it seemed Powder was in disbelief, shaking her head for a moment. "Angela- I was the one who screwed up today! I'm the one who's supposed to be sorry! Not you, not- If- If I don't ever apologize myself, I won't be able to let go of my mistakes, okay? I…at least, I think so, Angela, so please, it's fine. It really is, I was the one who…" Her eyes trailed off for a second, looking at the inside of the new room with a deep sense of curiosity. "...What did you even call for me? An entire room?"
"Well, there's only one way to find out, is there not?" The taller blue haired AI egged her, a patient expression on her face as Powder tilted her head for a second, hesitating before rushing inside, although instead of being able to comment on anything, she was entirely awe-struck, falling silent as she looked at the absolute wonder Angela had granted her.
It was a fully-fledged workshop! It had a chemistry bench in one corner with some many substances that Powder never even heard of, a table specifically made for tinkering from the looks of it with so many gizmos and gadgets to seemingly work on small and delicate inventions, a metal-welding station in another corner, and so many raw materials stacked neatly atop the shelves that hung off the various walls. This was everything Powder couldn't ever even dream of.
"Wha…? B-But…why?" The young bluenette turned to her caretaker, the latter's patient expression ever-present as she looked into her assistant's eyes.
"As I have said, Powder, you've gone through a lot today because of me. I should've been more trusting of you, even if you also should've been less careless," To say that the reprobation even annoyed Powder would be an overstatement; the Zaunite knew she should've gotten a harsher scolding for her tantrum and nearly getting herself killed. "But I also went a little far on my end. Should I have explained how the Library worked, what those entities that you encountered were…maybe things would've been a little better. I also hadn't meant for you to divulge your secrets so publicly and so suddenly, so I wish to make up for that, too." Powder was still amazed. Why did Angela care so much when the preteen was the one in the wrong? She was just a sudden guest, not someone that the AI really cared for.
"It's- It's fine, really! I-I was going to have to bring it up one way or another at some point, so-"
"Ah, we can discuss that later." The golden-eyed former secretary waved off her younger cohabitant's worries. "I don't wish to bring up any bad memories once more, although, I do remember that you told me you were a fan of tinkering, and thus, I took the liberty of making this little room." She pointed at the marvelous workshop. "Of course, my own past made me unable to see what any workshops were really like, so I made this one from memory. If you need anything, you can just ask for it and I'm sure I can deliver." This couldn't have been real. Having someone be so kind to her…this…she didn't have something like this ever since…ever since the night at Silco's warehouse…
"B-Bwah…? But…I…" The younger bluenette tried organizing her thoughts. "...Why? Why would you go through so much effort, Angela? It…You really shouldn't have…" Powder began trying to reprobate, shifting her weight from foot to foot. "Just- why do you care so much?"
"Hm." Ah, the one question Angela feared would get asked. She supposed it was only natural, really, since the only thing left for the question to be asked was for a giant neon sign to pop-up and ask it. "Well…I did simply want to make things up to you for the most part, you know. Of course, I have other ideas in mind, such as explaining what the entities you encountered today were, or giving you some fighting and sparring exercises for any potential emergencies, you know, just having your assistant skill grow." She wiggled her eyebrows ever so slightly, a smirk blooming on her features while the younger Runeterran remained stupefied. "But of course, that can all be done a long, long time for now, after you're well-rested and feeling better. Again, forgive the slightly awkward placement of the workshop, I'm unsure if or when you'll stop wanting to live with me in the same office, so these are all temporary for now until I can-"
"Do you care about me, Angela?"
"Hm?"
"I- I want to say…" Powder tried controlling her voice, getting rid of any nervousness in it while making sure to avoid saying 'love'. "You've gone through so much effort when I probably don't deserve so much if you just do the math. I…I know you told me many times that you're not sentimental, and, well, maybe you aren't, but…doing all of this, I'm just…I'm just curious. Do you care about me, Angela?" She repeated her questions, staring into her caretaker's golden eyes, who seemed surprised for a moment.
"H-Huh? Well, I…" Angela hesitated, running the question through her mind again and again. Did she care for Powder? Well, of course she did! She didn't know what she'd have done if she died to the Burrowing Heaven today, but to what extent did she really care? Simply as an assistant that she wanted to get stronger so she can help her out with the Library duties? That almost sounded too…impersonal. Like what had been wanted of her in the Lobotomy Corporation. She didn't exactly know what she'd call it, but she was almost…happy or pleased to take care of Powder, enjoying her childish innocence and naivety, alongside the excitement and wonder in her eyes each time she learnt something new, wanting her to be safe…
"I…suppose I do; you are my good assistant, after all. Besides, who am I supposed to spend time with until the Library opens, if not you, Powder?" It was a bit of a convoluted answer, sure, but truthfully Angela didn't think she could've done any better.
"You really do…?" Not that she needed to, of course, for Powder seemed on the brink of bursting into a ball of jelly and rainbow goo and all the other fuzzy stuff she could possibly think of as her heart did a little flip. Her mind devolved into a slurry of emotions at the confirmation that somebody liked her, cared for her again! That she wasn't alone anymore. "Oh, Angela, you…I…just…thank you so much, I…I…" She could almost feel the emotions taking over her again, although she barely managed to rein them in this time around, opening her arms instead of lunging at her caretaker, though still surprising her just as much, it seemed.
"...Hm?"
"I…I know you told me that you value your personal space, Angela, and I understand, I really do, so I'm not going to make you do this, but…" Powder tried explaining, giving a shy smile. "I'm…I'm just, so happy that you care for me, and…and I guess I care for you too, a lot, so…if you want, I could…um…maybe, if you just…you know." She vaguely motioned her arms around for a hug, not really expecting much, though still looking expectantly into the older woman's eyes.
A…hug, was it? Angela was emotionally dysfunctional, she knew that much about herself, but she liked to think she still knew the very basics. To tell the truth, it would've definitely overstepped her touching boundaries, although the fact that the preteen gave her the choice between hugging her and not doing so was definitely a sign of some emotional restraint on her end. What to do, what to do…
She didn't want to hurt or stunt Powder emotionally after she went through so much in just one day, right? She was just doing this for Powder's sake, to hear that wonderful delighted laugh and that cute little smile make sure her young assistant was doing alright and would be able to continue working with her in the future. Yes, of course, that was it, just that…
And so, perhaps against her better judgment, Angela found herself getting down to her knees, a difficult task when she was still in high-heels, and opened her arms, imitating the younger bluenette's gesture, beckoning for her that it was alright to get close.
She didn't need to tell Powder twice.
The blue haired Zaunite simply lunged into her caretaker's arms, emitting a squeal of joy that would've only been heard by some species of squirrels and dogs had it not been for Angela's advanced hearing technology as the younger girl immediately got into the same position she got into before, her legs around her caretaker's waist, though with her head on her shoulder and her arms around her this time around, gripping as tightly as she possibly could, though this time filled with joy and happiness instead of fear and panic.
"Hmph. You're a clingy one, aren't you?" Of course, Angela's minimal social abilities meant that she couldn't have handled so many emotions without countering them with a little sarcasm of her own, to her dismay.
"Mmmmaybe~" Not that it seemed to bother Powder at all for that matter, who still practically purred while she still hung onto the taller woman. "I'm just…thank you, Angela…Thank you, thank you, thank you so, so much…I…I…" She stopped herself before she said 'love'. Love was a strong word, and she didn't really know if it was appropriate here, but she knew, at least, that she definitely liked Angela. "I'm so happy…"
"...I'm glad you are, Powder." She gave a little pat to her assistant, who was behaving a lot like a koala right about now, although…well, Angela didn't hate it, per se. Not at all. "So, you're ready for a hearty dinner to celebrate your survival from a cruel and unusual fate?" Yet again, her sarcasm was strong to counter the emotional weight she felt, although it only seemed to make Powder cling tighter and tighter.
"I think I'll be celebrating a lot more than that…" Powder absently mumbled, oozing happiness.
"Alright, alright, the point is made. Definitely clingy though."
"You can keep saying things like that and I still won't let go."
Hopefully, I am not moving things too fast from an audience POV, but I do think a year of spending time around each other did lead to Angela and Powder reaching this point in-universe.
Do you agree or disagree? Do tell!
Please leave a review and until next time!