Paint the Town (IC)

[Thunder King]

Mali merely chuckled. "That is useful..." She said. "But the real advantage is feeling wind in your hair while you're riding. It's awesome."

Without opening the door, she grabbed the handle and flipped in, landing in the driver's seat.

"Get in everybody." She said waving with a smile. "Where do you guys want to go first? Go get food? We have time, money, and lots of things we can do."

"Also, I doubt we need them, but I think we should all bring our costumes, you know how things are. You're out having fun and then suddenly, bad guys. Terrible thing to stumble across."

[Raveled]

"Got dinner at the cafeteria," Tona said. She slipped her backpack off and settled it beside herself on the seat. "And I got all my stuff with me." She leaned back and rested her head on the padding. Looking more or less straight up, she could see clouds scudding across the orange-blue sky, the world turning shades of russet and tawny as the day ended. "I've never really been in a city," Tona admitted, her voice quieter than usual. "I don't know what there is to do, or see."

[Blue Rose]

Kit raises an eyebrow at her new friend and her odd compliment. Or whatever it is. It takes her a few tries to comment on it, and eventually she gets some words out. "Tona, this is just a night on the town. We're not gonna go do... anything that needs a field of fire." The next part is aimed as much at Mali, "And I'm sure there will be no random thugs jumping us while we're at dinner." The costume part, she ignores. She doesn't have one anyways, and worst case, she has some flip flops in her bag, and can ditch the scarf in an instant. Easy; a perk of not bothering with a secret identity. And a luxury one can afford when the closest thing to family you have is also a superhero.

She opens the door, gets in, and plops herself down, her butt staking its claim on shotgun. "Just relax. Not everything needs to be a tactical assessment." She goes quiet for a second, and then makes a decree. "Mali, we're taking Tona clothes shopping!" She looks to the back seat and keeps talking. "You really need at least one outfit that's completely impractical and serves no purpose but to look good." A beat, then she adds before Tona can object, "And it can't hurt to go try something on." Now, she deigns to allow others their input.

[Raveled]

Tona frowned and muttered to herself. "Tu ne voule pas tuer quelque chose, mais parfois tu finisse par avoir à." Still, she looked down at herself, tugging at the material of her shirt. "These are good clothes," she said. "Sensible clothes. They have lots of pockets, which let me carry lots of things. When I told the Freedom League what sort of clothes I wanted, this is what they gave me." She looked up at the sky again, sniffing the rapidly-becoming night air. "It's not becoming too cold for these sorts of clothes, is it?"

[Tiffany Korta]

Blodeuwedd brushed her hand down the side of the car “Your both philistines you know. This is an amazing, wonderful, piece of Americana. The village where I grew up everything was so practical, no one would own something like this. Can I drive her? Later I mean if it’s okay Mali?â€

She perched herself on the top of the rear seat and put on a pair of over-sized Sunglasses.

“In this city it’s best to treat every day as a tactically situation. I’ve bought everything except Dyrnwyn, because you just can accessorise with a sword.â€

She listened to Tona confusion over fashion with interest. Sometime her friend seemed to be from another planet, which considering the students from Claremont could actually be the truth.

“Well Tona it’s kinda like this sometime you want to wear something comfortable and practical. But other time you just want show off, draw attention to yourself, look nice. Well there’s more to it than that but it easier to show than explain. Okay let’s go find some nice clothes for Tona, but 1) Nothing too expensive, unless you plan to pitch in, 2) Tona gets the final say one what she wears, and 3) No dressing her like a tart.â€

[Blue Rose]

"Hey, I wouldn't dress her up like a tart!" More than once...

That said, it's time to start piling the peer pressure on Tona. "But see! Even Cerys understands looking good every now and then. It'll be fun!"

She doesn't say anything more on tactics, though she does add it to the list of things to be annoyed with Cerys about tonight. They're trying to coax Tona out of that ever-vigilant shell of hers, get her to relax. The last thing she needs is someone telling her she should keep looking over her shoulder for rampaging monsters.

[Raveled]

Tona frowned at the idea of drawing attention to herself. Her whole life had been training her to do the exact opposite, to move unseen and unnoticed until she chose to strike. Still, this was a new world, albeit a strange and confusing one at times, and Tona was not one to shy away from new experiences. She took a deep breath and said, "Okay. Clothes shopping. For... attention-grabbing clothes, yes." She blinked and added, "As long as it's still useful clothes."

[Thunder King]

Mali, for her part, started up the engine. It purred to life, a well-kept, powerful machine. She reached into her pocket and put on a pair of sunglasses for the sunset glare, and drove off.

As the wind took her hair and whipped it around, she smiled. She was happy. She had friends, she was off to have fun in her own car, and life was good. She'd never really had friends she could just 'hang out' with before. She'd always been on a different wavelength, had nothing in common with the other girls. Sure, she knew lots of people, but had very few true friends. Most people were put off by her intensity. After years of not belonging, putting people off with her training and intensity, she had friends.

She laughed and settled into the red leather seat.

Yes, it was good to have friends.

[Raveled]

Tona sat back and tried to enjoy the ride. The road down from Claremont Academy into the city was mostly curves, following the lay of the land, which up here was hilly. Still, Mali managed to get a good turn of speed up and soon they were moving fast enough to feel the force of the curves pushing them into their seats. All of this was a new experience for the young woman, and she was not taking it well.

She was sitting straight up in her seat, hands gripping the head rest in front of her in lieu of anything else to hold on to. Her eyes were already wide, and she whimpered as they went into every turn. When the first car driving in the other lane passed them, she lost it entirely and screamed, ducking below the lip of the vehicle and hugging her knees. "Trop rapide," she said, muttering the words like a mantra. "Trop rapide. Trop rapide."

[Blue Rose]

Sam, meanwhile, throws her head back and enjoys the wind in her hair. She tries saying something, but of course, the wind eats her words, so she turns around and takes a breath to shout, just in time for Tona to scream. What... why... Has she never been in a car before?

It fits. It seems like she's making a lot of the transitions Sam had to, herself, after coming to this world. Instead of just trying to talk her out of it, she settles back into her seat and opts to take the direct approach. Right into her brain, and hers alone.

she says, projecting her voice into her new friend's mind. She's already working her illusion. She can't change the feel of the vehicle, nor of the wind, so she goes with an image that fits. A room about the size of a garage, with a giant fan in front of the car, which is now running on top of some sort of large treadmill, keeping it from moving.

Of course, to everyone else in the vehicle, the car is driving along normally and Kit is just sitting there quietly while Tona cowers.

[Thunder King]

As soon as she heard the scream, Mali made sure the car was in a safe place and stopped it. She looked behind her and saw Tona cowering.

In an instant, she was out of the car and beside Tona, leaning down to look at the girl in the back seat.

"Tona?" She said, leaning in to get a better look. "Are you okay?" "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been driving so fast. Is this your first time in a car? In a convertible?"

She reached forward and hugged Tona. "Just tell me what I need to do to help you, if this is scaring you too much, I can drive slower, put the roof up..."

She cursed herself inwardly. She should have been more careful, Tona might be in a car for the first time ever. She should have paid more attention to her friend.

[Tiffany Korta]

Sliding back into her seat when the car started she carefully made sure to buckle up before the vehicle begun moving. Safety first and everything.

She was enjoying the feeling of the wind in her hair, wondering if she should grow it out a little. She’d always kept her hair practically short and now would be a good time to grow it, maybe plats?

Her train of thought was interrupted by Tona having a panic attack, Mali reacted with impressive speed stopping the car and giving their friend a comforting hug. All she could do was try and help Tona relax, she took hold of her hand and rubbed it whilst she talked to Tona in a calm relaxing voice.

“It’s okay Tona everything fine; just breathe deeply. We’re all here now nothing can hurt you.â€

She just hoped it was enough.

[Raveled]

Kit's illusion wove a different world around her, one that was safer and contained -- but Tona was not one to reach for false safety when there was a real threat. The wind was not coming from a fan, it was coming from every direction at once; the car was not on a belt, the ride was too bumpy for that; and the light was not from a lightbulb overhead, it was too diffuse for that. They were outside, actually driving, and going way too fast!

At least until Mali slowed the car down, stopping it on the side of the road. It took a minute, but once she felt the car stop Tona slowly straightened, peeking over the lip of the vehicle and making sure they weren't going anywhere (so fast!). Her eyes were wet as she blinked back tears, shivering slightly. "I'm sorry, it was just... it was fast! Do you have to go so fast, Mali?"

[Thunder King]

Mali sighed, visibly relieved that Tona was calming down. "I can go slower, that's not a problem." She gave Tona another hug.

"I can also put the roof up, so you won't feel us going as fast." She said. "Whatever makes you more comfortable."

Mali waited, calmly, for Tona to calm down, for her to realize she was in no danger. She just stayed slightly crouched, reinforcing that her friends were still there, and that she was okay.

"I'm sorry, Tona, I should have realized you wouldn't like that. But it's okay, I'll go slower."

[Blue Rose]

The images try and force themselves on Tona's mind a moment longer, but when the car stops, there's no point and the prodding fades away. With Cerys and Mali already there to comfort her, Sam just stays in her seat. That's enough help; no need to crowd her. Though it is a weird thing, just sitting there while someone's having a panic attack. Rather awkward, really.

She adjusts her skirt, shifts a bit. She could have done more just then. Just snuffed out that panic, rather than trying to build her a safe room. Sure, Fox and Masque forbade her from using that on allies, but... would it really be that bad for things like this?

"If it's still too much," she begins, sounding a bit too nervous for the offer, "I can stop it for you. If you want." It can't be a problem if she has permission, right?

[Raveled]

Tona rubbed at her eyes, sniffling slightly. "It's just... it's really very fast!" She tried a laugh, but there was no heart behind it. "I drove up to Claremont in a car, but it didn't seem so fast! Maybe... maybe if you put the top part of the car back on, it will be better?"

Sam's suggestion made her sit up straighter, stiffer. Part of her wanted to lash out at someone trying to coddle her, but she stifled that response. "Merci, but I will manage to cope," she said. "There are cars everywhere in this world, right? So I have to learn to deal with them, then. It's as simple as that."

[Tiffany Korta]

She really didn’t have a problem with Kit, well she could be a little reckless at time and this did irritate her, but at heart she wanted to do the right thing. Like all of her friends she wondered what her story was, maybe when she was ready…

“Sam that was really nice but it was never going to be a good idea. Like Tona said she is going to have to deal with this sometime and we’re all ready to take it at her own pace. But hiding it away with an illusion isn’t going to help.â€

She gave Kit a friendly but understanding look; she really didn’t want to spend the night fighting with her friend.

[Thunder King]

Mali nodded and stood up, grabbed the roof of the car and, after a bit of fiddling, pulled it over the car. She worked quickly, with practiced ease as she latched it on.

"There, now you won't feel like it's going so fast." She said with a smile. Poor Tona, she thought, how bad had her life been before this? What had the poor girl been through? Mali felt that Tona would say one day, once she was more comfortable.

Ah, well, in the mean time, Mali would make sure that Tona had fun. No matter how bad her life had been before, Mali resolved to help make her life better. Even if she weren't able to be truly happy again, she could at least live a life without constant, overwhelming danger.

[Blue Rose]

Sam shrugs, though she is a bit put-off. That wasn't something she offered lightly, after all. And she takes comfort in believing she can solve all her problems with magic. It's usually true on the job, at least.

"No shame in a bit of help 'til you get there," she says, going for a throwaway line, instead of an argument. So, she enjoys the ride, if a little less than before the panic attack, and before the roof going up. Though she does join the pondering. Just where does Tona come from, if she reacts like this to a car? But that's her mystery. No need to pry.

[Tiffany Korta]

Blodeuwedd kept holding Tona hand until she was sure she was calm again. She’d never suffered from panic attack herself, she been taught to confront and conquer her fears, but it didn’t stop her from feeling for someone who did.

“It’ll probably help if you concentrate on inside the car. Maybe we can do something to take your mind off of the journey. Maybe some music? I’m sure we can agree on something we all like.â€

She knew that that would be a near impossibility, but the general bickering would help take Tona’s mind off of the journey.

[Raveled]

Tona sat back in the seat, focusing on her breathing, trying to keep herself under control. Her hand sought out Blod's and squeezed until her knuckles turned white, but she managed to keep herself under control. Keeping the top up did help her manage her fear. "I don't know much about music," she admitted. "I heard lots of different types of music growing up, but I don't know how much I can tell you about them all."

[Blue Rose]

"Music? Good idea." And since Tona has no clue, that leaves Sam to take charge and make the call! If they disagree, they can speak up and go from there. There's no place to plug in an iPod, and she left hers in her room anyways, so radio it is.

She looks it over. Power, tuner, volume. All straightforward enough, though she can't recall if she's ever worked one quite like this. It's been a while since she's worked a radio at all. Her fingers dance in front of the panel for a while as she deciphers the machine. And tries to remember a few radio station. The first that springs to mind is her usual, but... probably a bit loud after the panic attack... what was that smooth jazz station? That one was AM... her finger moves closer, pointing to the AM/FM switch, having finally figured out how to work this thing.

[Thunder King]

Mali noticed Sam reaching for the radio, and reached her own hand to tune it. Within a few moments, she picks up a nice jazz station. She smiles. "That what you were looking for?" She said, knowing about the only station that played music on the AM band.

Instantly, the car filled up with the pleasant, light sounds of jazz music. Mali didn't say a word to Sam, she merely hoped that the other girl understood that it was rude to mess with another person's car. Either way, not worth making a fuss over.

[Raveled]

Tona sat in the back seat, jaw clenched as she tried to come to terms with the speed they were moving at. Even without the wind in her hair it was a startling vista, and she was working hard to take it all in. Slowly, though, the music began to infiltrate her awareness and she looked at the nearest speaker, frowning. "Is this what you usually listen to," she asked. "This is the sort of music my parents listen to. This isn't the only thing around is it?"

[Blue Rose]

Sam kicks back, relaxes. This station's not her usual thing, but it's nice. Calm. Relaxing. Good music to take a nap to...

And apparently the kind of music Tona's parents listen to.

She smirks. Which grows into a smile. Which grows into a grin. And then she just bursts out laughing, rolling against her seat belt. She tries to say something, but it just comes out as a thumbs up to Tona.