ic Halloween Mall Trip

[Dr Archeville]

Yeah, I know, but shouldn't I, Olivia thought back, to get the whole experience?

 

Olivia nodded, "makeup, costumes, even some set construction and lighting.  That last one helped me get over any fear of heights I might have had!," she said with a laugh.  "But, yeah, pretty much any behind-the-scenes stuff.  Some of my classmates -- oh, that looks darling!  But your hair's so bright already -- how about something to accentuate your eyes?  I mean, yeah, your hair already does that, but maybe something a bit more... golden?"  She looked around to see if the store offered any jewelry, "oh, right, my classmates. So, some of them had a lot of trouble memorizing their lines, so me doing tech stuff helped Mister Jefferies to focus on helping them."

[Heritage]

Lulu shrugged as she responded telepathically. 

 

- I mean, if you can do it, do it. I trust your judgement. -

 

Looking down at the sweater, she sighed. "You might be right. Red hair and green eyes is easy; red hair and brown eyes, mmm, now that's a challenge!" She started put together a set of sweaters to try on. "So if you could play any part in any story, like from any movie, play or book, who would you want to play? Like ah think ah'd like to play Maid Marian, but only if ah got to shoot arrows and have swordfights and such." She frowned and shook her head. "Ah couldn't just wear pretty dresses and wait to be rescued."

[Dr Archeville]

"Challenge, yes," Olivia nodded, handing over more tops, "but not impossible.  Golds will bring out brown in eyes, and also go well with red in hair.  But you don't want to go too ostentatious -- well, not usually -- so maybe keep the gold to accents, and use something else for a base.  Like... oh, maybe this?"  She handed Lulu a top with a gold and white stripe pattern, similar to the one seen on a dress that went viral back in late 2015.

 

"I've never really thought about that," Olivia replied after a brief pause.  "I'd always been content to work behind the scenes, never imagined I'd be on the stage.  Now, with these abilities, I can certainly look suitable for any part, but to actually perform, to embody a role, to act," she shook her head, "that's something else altogether.  And I do want to learn those skills," she quickly added, "since they'd help me use my abilities better.  But... I'm not there yet."

 

"Speaking of," she handed Lulu another top, plain white with a sparkly golden phoenix on the chest, "I hear Mr. Kuzkin's planning on putting on Into the Woods.  I've already signed up to help with makeup and costumes.  Were you going to try out for any roles?"

[Heritage]

"Ooh, pretty!" Lulu eagerly accepted the offered garments and added to the tops she currently had draped over one arm. At the mention of the school play, she grew thoughtful, holding her clothes to her chest. "Ah don't know; ah mean, ah can sing okay, like carry a tune? But my throat sort of tightens up whenever ah'm onstage." She sighed. "What ah'd really like to do is work on the sets, scenery and special effects; you know, with mah illusions? But ah'm worried that won't show up in any pictures or video, which would be weird. Also what if someone doesn't see 'em? It's rare, but it does happen from time to time."

 

A magic wand suddenly appeared in her hand, and with a wave, she transformed the Gap into a 'medieval' version of itself, with the racks now full of puffy shirts, tights and elaborate gowns. No one noticed the change, as she'd made it for her and Olivia alone, so the clueless shoppers perused the 'fancy wares' in ignorance. "Like as cool as this is, it won't show up on any of the security cameras; no evidence that it ever happened." She shrugged. "The one thing ah maybe could help out with be moving scenery with mah TK? Or ah could help someone fly, but there might be, ah don't know, school safety issues with that."

[Dr Archeville]

Olivia could not help but smile at the scene change about them, and had to stifle a laugh at absurdity of it.  "You've been practicing," she whispered, "I didn't think you could cover an area this large!  But, yeah," her voice raised back to a normal conversational level, "I can see how that would present some technical problems.  Although... it could also provide some opportunities.  Consider," she raised an index finger, "a live show that can't be broadcast, can't be recorded, can only be experienced live and in-person," now both hands were up, "something that exclusive could be a big draw!"

 

Olivia's smile faded as her hands went back down to her sides, then clasped in front of her, "well, maybe that's not suitable for a school play.  Could be something to think about for a community theatre, though."

[Heritage]

Lulu shrugged. "Ah mean, ah wouldn't rule it out, but like you said, not for a school play; all the parents who recorded the show would be mad if the costumes didn't show up."

 

Looking over all the clothes she was holding, the telepath nodded to herself. "Alright, ah think that's enough for me; are you goin' to try anything on," she asked over her shoulder as she headed towards the changing rooms.

Edited November 25, 2019 by Heritage

[Dr Archeville]

Lulu's mention of costumes not showing up, coupled with the idea of being in a dressing room, lead Davyd's adolescent mind to thoughts of nudity.  First, to an article he'd read about an all-nude restaurant in Paris (which shut down due to lack of customers), then to nudity in theatre (most recently, Sienna Miller in Cat On a Hot Tin Roof and Daniel Radcliffe in Equus), and finally to imaginings of a theatre where all the performers were nude, their costumes and makeup provided by telepaths, making for a unique, non-recordable experience.

 

He quickly shook those thoughts away, not wanting Lulu to think he was a complete pervert, and flashed her a guilty smile.  "I'll try a few things, yeah," "Olivia" looked down at a few pieces in her arms, "though I think I'll mainly use these as ideas for, ah, later."

 

Edited November 25, 2019 by Dr Archeville

[Heritage]

There was a friendly giggle from inside the changing stall. 

 

-Your thoughts are getting a little pink around the edges, Davyd. I'm not peeking, you're just broadcasting; most people do when they're trying really hard not to think about something. Here, I'll change the subject.-

 

Lulu called out to Olivia like the telepathic conversation never happened; she was getting pretty good at that. "So are you lookin' forward to that birdwatchin' trip next weekend? Ah was thinkin' of signin' up, but then ah forgot."

[Dr Archeville]

Ah, sorry!  Sorry!  Sorry, his panicked mental voice came through.  I really do need to work on that.  I mean, I want to work on that.  Shielding my thoughts, that is.  I mean, being a master of disguise is all well and good, but a simple telepathic scan would see through that, right?  But if I could mask my thoughts...

 

It took "Olivia" a moment to respond -- Davyd had the physical part of his Grue "heritage" down, but the mental parts still eluded him, so there was some lag when switching between mental and vocal communication.  "Oh, yeah, definitively!  I just love looking at animals, seeing all the shapes life can take.  And I've heard that some of the birds we'll be seeing are... unique to that habitat!  I bet Darwin would have a field day there!"

[Heritage]

- You know, I teach meditation to anyone who wants to learn. it could be helpful at clearing your mind of embarrassing or unwanted thoughts. Also maybe Miss Grue could offer a few tips on shielding your mind; I'm sure the Grue have to do it all the time. -

 

There were some intriguing sounds coming from inside Lulu's stall as she finished pulling on a sweater dress. "Oh, like that scene in Master and Commander when they finally make it to the island, and the doctor finds all them cool animals? Ah love that part; he's like a little kid!" Then there was a satisfied sigh. "Well alright! Brace yourself, cousin! Ah'm comin' out." The redheaded telepath stepped out of the changing stall, a little bit sheepish despite her dramatic announcement. Following her classmate's suggestion, she'd picked a honey-gold color, along with a pair of low white boots. As she pulled her hair out from inside the collar and let it cascade down, Olivia was proven very correct; she did look amazing in gold.

 

"Damn, cuz," Lulu murmured in wonder as she looked down at herself. "You really called it!"

Edited January 18, 2020 by Heritage

[Dr Archeville]

Miss Grue has been working with me on that, but there's been some difficulties.  Seems the Grue bio-stuff that bonded to me was mostly what coded for their physical abilities, the shapeshifting stuff, not their psychic stuff.  But maybe some human meditation techniques would be just what I need.  Like you said, take stuff from different places and combine them into something new and unique!

 

"Afraid I'm not familiar with that movie," Cousin Olivia replied, "but, yeah, that sounds like the right idea."  Rather than actually trying on the outfits, Davyd shifted the morphic molecule unitard he wore to different configurations.  When Olivia emerged from the changing room, her blue jeans & gray tank top had been replaced with a short pink dress with red & yellow floral patterns.  "Oh, that looks amazing on you!  I may not know much about fashion, but I do know complimentary colors!"

[Heritage]

"Oh, we need to watch it sometime! It's got everythin': naval battles, drinkin' songs, superstitious sailors! It's a real cat 'n' mouse game between the two cap'ns; if you like Wrath of Khan, you'll probably like it."

 

Olivia's compliments made Lulu a little bashful, but she was quick to point out the shapeshifter's expertise. "You look amazin', too, did you make that one? That's right, you always have the perfect fit if you make your own clothes. That's a neat trick! Why don't we try on a few more things then grab some lunch, okay?"

Edited January 21, 2020 by Heritage

[Dr Archeville]

"Ooh, cousin, you know I like the Space Treks!," 'Olivia' replied with a laugh.  "Okay, next movie night, we'll do Master and Commander.  But what to pair it with?  Something with the same leads?  The same director?  Same setting?"

 

Olivia looked down at herself, then back up at Lulu and grinned, "yes, you could say that this one's all me.  Er, all mine.  And sure, that sounds fine," Olivia turned back to the fitting room, "I heard a few new places have opened in the food court here -- let's see what's new!"

[Heritage]

"Hmm, good question," Lulu murmured with a nod as she tapped at her smartphone. "Let's see what the internet recommends...ooh, The Enemy Below! That sounds cool. 'The story of the battle between an American destroyer escort and a German U-Boat during World War II'. Oh, and they did base an episode of Star Trek on it, what do you know? Everythin's comin' up Star Trek today. Not like that's a bad thing..."

 

The girls tried on a few more things, and Lulu paid for her purchases before they headed into the rest of the mall on their way to the food court. "Have you ever done this before, maintained an identity for a long period of time? Ah know you're more into theater, but boy, you'd be great doin' undercover work, ah'd think."

[Dr Archeville]

Horrorshow

 

"It was?  Ooh, lemme see!"  'Olivia' peered over Lulu's shoulder at the smartphone, then let out a disappointed sigh.  "Oh.  An Original Series ep.  I mean," she went on the defensive, feeling a disapproving glare coming, "I think all the Treks are good, really!  And you know how I am about classic sci fi and horror.  I'm just... more of a Next Gen and DS9 and Voyager gu- gal.  Tighter writing, and much better makeup effects."

 

'Olivia' shook her head at Lulu's question, "never for this long, no, but I'm feeling good about it.  I used to not be able to hold one for long -- it was like tensing a muscle -- but 'practice makes perfect' I guess."  She smiled, "as long as nothing shocks or startles me, I think I could hold this all day!  Haven't quite figured out how to hold a shape while asleep, though.  Guess it requires some degree of concentration.  Which could be a problem on any long-term missions!," she laughed.  "I have thought about undercover work, and that's one issue that occurred to me.  Would need to work on my acting and improv skills, too, how to read people and anticipate what they'd expect."  She let out a small sigh, and lowered her voice, "which'd be easier if I got some of their psychic mojo along with the Grue shapeshifting."  She laughed again, clapped Lulu on the shoulder, "but, hey, we work with what we've got, right?"

[Heritage]

The redhead laughed, a relaxed friendly laugh; she was enjoying her day with Olivia. Hopefully someday she could do the same with regular Davyd. "You are such a Star Trek snob! 'Ooh, the captain shouldn't go on away missions, that's why they have a chain of command!' Come on, now! Kirk's a take charge kind of guy!" Her ribbing was good natured, but clearly she'd been studying her Trek, possibly tucked under Adam's arm.

 

When the shapeshifter sighed at his lack of Grue mental powers, Lulu pursed her lips and shook her head slightly. "Mmm, you may have more to be thankful for than you realize; telepathy can be a tough gig, know what ah mean? Ah mean, it took me years to figure out how to keep the voices out of mah head while ah was sleepin'. Up until then, mah daddy gave me shots of moonshine 'til ah passed out." She shuddered at the memory, but this new fact may have explained while Lulu was so comfortable around alcohol for her age. "It's like, we don't remember bein' potty trained, but by all accounts, it's a struggle. Not much fun when you can remember how hard it was."

Edited March 7, 2020 by Heritage

[Dr Archeville]

Horrorshow

 

'Olivia' scoffed, "yeah, but Shatner couldn't act his way out of a paper bag if he was playing the role of a flaming chainsaw!"  She held a hand up defensively, "yes, yes, I know that's part of the charm for some folks, but me, I just find it painful."

 

Lulu's revelation struck something in the shapeshifter.  Olivia bit her lower lip, "oh, that's right, you've had your powers since you were... ten, was it?"  She inhaled sharply, "that must've been terrifying.  And to be forced to drink that much," she shook her head.

 

She's lucky it didn't do any damage to her liver.  Or her brain.  Well, her brain is stronger than most.  Wait, crap, she can hear this!

 

Olivia turned away a moment, took a deep breath, then turned back to her.  "I'm sorry, I... we can change the subject, if you don't want to talk about that."

[Heritage]

Lulu sighed and shook her head, and put a hand on Olivia's shoulder. "You worry too much, cuz. And you don't have to apologize so much! Ah'm a big girl! Ah'm used to people's thoughts." As they entered the food court, which was filled with teenagers, glowing arrows began to appear in the air, pointing down at the heads of several of the boys, a few girls, and (sigh!) a few adults.

 

- These are the people who've had impure thoughts about me in the last thirty seconds. It happens. They also think about what everyone else looks like naked, what to buy at Taco Bell, and whether or not there's a game on tonight. It doesn't mean they're disgusting or weird - well, usually not, but it does mean they're living, breathing humans with functioning eyeballs and sex drives. They can't help it. I know you find me attractive and you worry about me, but that's just part of who you are; you're also a good friend and an amazing person, and I'm happy to spend the day with you. -

 

The Southern girl turned to Olivia and smiled. "You want to get some Taco Bell? Ah'm cravin' it all of a sudden!"

Edited March 16, 2020 by Heritage

[Dr Archeville]

Horrorshow

 

Olivia shrugged and gave a small smile, "worrying about others is what I do.  It's why I was a good techie at my old school's theatre program, and why I want to do the whole, ah... y'know."  For a brief moment the flesh around her eyes folded and shifted into a blue and gold domino mask, then back to normal.  "I like helping people, and making their work and life easier."

 

"Which actually brings up something I've been thinking about!"  Her smile was growing wider as she accompanied Lulu to the desired kiosk, "so I've been thinking about... fashion, and outfits, costumes, and especially about what I'd wear on my big... debut.  I mean, I do like the outfits the school gives us, but when I graduate, I'd need something of my own, yeah?"  She scrunched up her nose a bit, "and I'm not sure about those colors, anyway.  Of course," she inclined her head slightly, "it's not just clothes, it's all aspects of appearance: the hair, face, posture... a proper look has a lot of components!"

 

And in case my words are being too subtle: yes, I mean a look for my superhero persona, when I'm not some slavering monster striking fear into the hearts of criminals.  Sometimes I'd want to look approachable, like if trying to rescue folks from a burning building!