Forums » General Roleplay » A List of Things-To-Do [1x1]

PeeCee nodded, not even considering denying it. She smiled softly at Allie's words about liking talking with her, cheeks darkening. At least... The good thing about Allie's string of speech was that she was harder to forget while speaking.

PeeCee stopped and faced Allie, placing her hands on the other girl's shoulders. "You don't have to apologise for harmless quirks. If someone can't deal, that's their problem", she said, quite fiercely. "I'd like to know more about this memory thing, though, if you don't mind."

"Oh! Ummm....sure!" Allie stiffened a bit when PeeCee put her hand on her shoulders. She knew that the other girl would bring it up eventually, it was unavoidable. She put the bag that she was holding down next to an empty chair before sitting down to wait for their order. It's not like this was the first time anyone had asked and it wasn't against any rules to talk about her...condition.

Allie paused as she opened her mouth but she realized that she didn't know where to start with this 'thing' she had. There was so much about it that seemed unreal, complex, fantastical. She was having a hard time compressing it all down to a simple sentence. So instead, Allie asked PeeCee, "What would you like to know?"

PeeCee took a seat opposite the other girl, folding her hands on the table, then changing her mind and putting them in her lap. Finally she leaned her forearms on the table, that didn't feel too weird.

"How to mitigate its effects. This forgetting thing is kind of bothersome", she said with a soft smile. She figured maybe it was just an ability, kind of like invisibility minus the literal invisibility, and Allie just couldn't control it so well. And really, whatever reason there was for it, PeeCee wasn't liable to pry, for all she was the curious sort. But this was simply a pragmatic thing. If there were ways to keep her from forgetting Allie, even for the duration of this, meeting, it would be helpful.

Allie gave a sigh of relief at the question. She felt like she could answer this one pretty well. "There isn't really any way to mitigate it unless..." She paused, wondering if she should continue on but then shrugged in humor at her own indecision. This was no secret, there was no need to hide anything.

"...Unless you aren't human. Animals and pets seem to react to me more than normal. Animal, pets and...others. Non-humans." She said, not really knowing a better term for them. "And human with...powers? Abilities like...superpowers. They tend to remember me better." It really did sound silly when said aloud. A thought suddenly came to mind as Allie tilted her head at PeeCee.

"Are you any of those?" She asked with a furrowed brow.

PeeCee grinned and stood up, stepping over to Allie and offering her a hand. "I'll show you." Allie might have even noticed it as PeeCee stood up: PeeCee was suddenly much shorter than before, and her clothes, aside from the already loose letterman jacket, now looked much less form-fitting on her. The jacket she was pretty much drowning in, the sleeves reaching her fingertips. She raised an eyebrow. "See?"

Allie took the other girl's hand with some hesitation but curiosity always gets the best of her. She had expected the hand, for a morbid moment, to turn into a tentacle or a paw but instead, PeeCee's hand just started to slip away from her. Wait no...was it getting smaller? Wait...Was PeeCee always this height?

The girl studied the other's hand and slowly moved her gaze up PeeCee's arm to her torso. The realization dawned on her as she gasped and her own hand shot to cover her mouth. She quickly glanced over to the restaurant owners to check if they noticed (they didn't) and then back to PeeCee.

"So you are human? But with powers? You can...shrink?" She asked in a whisper, wanting to confirm. Allie wasn't sure why she did that, eavesdroppers wouldn't remember anyway but, at the time, a whisper seemed appropriate. Suddenly a million other questions came to mind.
"Where you always able to do this? Does it run in your family? What do you do with this? Does anyone else know?" She asked, her voice getting more and more excited with every question.

PeeCee nodded, smiling charmingly. "My dad can do it too. I've known how to do it as long as I remember." She shrugged a little, taking a hold on the waist of her skirt to keep it from slipping much lower. "I mostly use it to fit cool clothes I can't find in my size, to be honest?" Which was silly, yeah, but she hadn't really needed it that often. Of course as a kid it had been awesome for hide and seek.

"No, it's awesome! If I had powers like you I would use them for the exact same thing.” Allie said, gushing.
Truthfully she would, she could imagine going to the mall right now and giggling over PeeCee squeezing into a comically skinny cocktail dress made for completely unrealistic body standards or into something clearly made for 7-year-olds. Silly things teenage girls would do. Besides from passing clients in the shop and being told that this person can do this and that, Allie hasn’t really seen someone’s abilities in action like this.

“I wish I had abilities like that...” She said wistfully as she leaned back in her seat and looked at PeeCee with sparkling eyes. She wasn’t counting what she had. It wasn’t so much of a power as if was...an arranged handicap in her mind.
“I feel like...there is a lot of opportunities. Like, imagine someone was holding up a bank and the police got him surrounded. You can sneak in through the pipes or vents and then SURPRISE jump on top of him, take him out! Or you can be like Robin Hood. Steal from the rich, give to the poor.”

PeeCee sat down, laughing and changing smoothly back to her original size. She tilted her head, listening to Allie's words, an all she could think was: "Wouldn't you be better suited for that? This is only a superhero power if I have something like a web of lasers to wiggle through, or something silly like that", she said. "That is to say... I understand that it must be frustrating to be forgotten, but you'd certainly make for a much better Robin Hood than I! Maybe I should be your sidekick, though", she said, winking.

Allie laughed at that but there was a bit of nervousness in her voice. “Oh...no, I’m not cut out to be a superhero. I wouldn’t call what I have a superpower. There are limitations if I do something out of line I think…” The girl struggled to find the words for what she had. “It’s not that people forget me, it’s more as if-”
“Your existence belonged to someone else.”
Allie froze when a smooth cold voice finished her words and slowly looked over to its direction.

Next to PeeCee’s and Allie’s table was a tall man in about his 30s with silvery long hair, tied into a loose low ponytail. Intan was wearing the most casual attire she had ever seen him in, a black button-down with dark trousers on. For some reason, that made this situation even more unsettling for her. It was like as if he had appeared out of thin air, the bell above the front door was silent the whole time, there was not even any footsteps of him approaching heard.

“What time is it Alouette?” He asked in a neutral tone. His eyes were boring into Allie’s and the girl had to look away. He didn’t spare a glance at PeeCee right now, not when Allie hasn’t answered her question.
Allie laughed nervously and checked her phone. “Oh it’s almost 8:30-”
“And what time is curfew?”
“Um...sunset, sir.” Allie answered and squirmed in her seat. It was definitely passed sunset. “Sorry, I just...” She whispered and her voice trailed off. She had been scolded by Intan more than a few times before but was the first time in front of a ‘friend’. A friend. Allie looked embarrassed at PeeCee, then at Intan and then at the table, not knowing what to say.
Intan also turned to PeeCee. “And you are…?”
Allie stood straight up and the chance to introduce PeeCee. “This is Petronella-Celeste, I met her when I was walking back to the shop. Umm...PeeCee, this is my boss, Mr. Intan.” She said awkwardly.

PeeCee had concentrated on Allie so intently that she barely refrained from jumping and yelping when someone interrupted Allie. The hairs at the back of PeeCee's neck stood on end as she listened to the exchange. This man just suddenly... Was there. The curfew stuff could have been understandable, but your existence belonging to someone else? A boss watching for curfews? That made for a questionable image.

Regardless, PeeCee sat frozen in place, barely even looking up to the man. Rather, she watched Allie, eyes narrowed, until from the corner of her eye she saw the man turn to address her, then she looked to him.

PeeCee stood up, at a more sedate pace than Allie, and offered her hand for a handshake.
"Petronella-Celeste Singh. A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Intan", she elaborated on the introduction given by Allie with a smile. She'd be damned if she didn't at least try to give a favourable impression even if the man's demeanour gave her the creeps.

Allie wrung her hands nervously as she looked to Intan and then the PeeCee. There was a pause as the other girl offered him her hand. Intan studied PeeCee with an unreadable face and a small tilt of his head. The seconds stretched on. For a nerve-wracking moment, Allie thought that he might even attack her.

She’s not a demon, oh god at least I hope not. She’s good really, Allie thought while staring at Intan with wide eyes. Her boss had told her that he ‘did not read minds’ but there were so many moments in which it felt like he did that she has gotten use to loudly, mentally stating her thoughts when she was too anxious to voice them physically.

“Petronella-Celeste Singh.” Intan repeated her name flawlessly and took the girl’s outstretched hand in a tight handshake. Allie relaxed and uncoiled herself a tad. “Do you often show your abilities to strangers?”
It was clear that Intan saw the last few moments of the conversation but his tone was eerily neutral for the abnormal topic at hand.

PeeCee didn't try to force her smile. As the moment stretched, her smile slowly diminished. Her expression didn't become cold, nor sour, simply neutral with a hint of expectant. She didn't lower her hand, either, and wouldn't have done so unless the man had actively dismissed the gesture. The wait paid off when the man clasped her hand. She smiled appreciatively at the smooth repetition of her name, returning the handshake firmly. The temptation to wruch Intan's knuckles against each other as payback for his tight handshake flitted through her mind, but only in passing.

"Certainly not... I rarely have cause to use them where anyone could see, either way", she answered, somewhat blandly, with only the faintest hint of hesitation. She may or may not have been taking her cues for the interaction from Intan himself.

PeeCee glanced at Allie, not quite sure where to go from here. She was hesitant to try to invite Intan to join them, despite it being the best course of action she could think of. The man gave a vibe like he wanted to be the one whose flute others danced along to, and if PeeCee suggested he join them, she suspected he might feel like she was stepping on his toes. He might be even more inclined to cut her and Allie's meeting short than he most likely already was.

Allie returned PeeCee’s glance with the same wide-eyed expression of trepidation she had on since Intan had joined the conversation. She thought this must be how it would feel if her dad just burst into a slumber party her friends were having. In the back of her mind, Allie knew Intan would scold her for her tardiness but she didn’t think he would go out and fetch her like this.

“Perhaps you should be careful then. Not all people take to the show of gifts as lightly as Alouette.” Allie flushed at the mention of her name. She had genuinely thought what PeeCee did was cool and harmless but a thought did occur to her now- in the past, the others she had seen with these special abilities seem to like to use them for less than legal ways. But she was sure that wasn’t the case here.
“PeeCee doesn’t use her powers for anything- anything bad. She’s not part of the syndicate-” Allie started, using the blanket word Intan gave to the gangs and organized crime groups in LA. “She-”
“A broad generalization for someone you just met, Alouette.” Intan cut her off again in a soft low voice. There was once again no hint of threat in his tone but Allie still diminished into her seat. He was right, but it was just intuition.
“But-”
“Come Alouette, you are already past curfew. We are going.”
Allie opened her mouth to debate but nothing seemed to come out. Next to her, the teenage boy who was manning the register walked up to their table with two identical trays of food. He must not have felt the odd atmosphere that was happening between Allie and Intan because he stood right in the middle of them.

“Your order-” He said as he set down PeeCee’s tray next to her on the table. “And….your order?” The boy looked at Intan in confusion, ignoring Allie who was sitting by the table, silent.
“Just leave it there.” Intan answered, gesturing to the empty spot in front of Allie. The boy complied and left Allie's tray full of food next to PeeCee’s.
“It was a pleasure, Petronella-Celeste.” Intan said as he glanced at PeeCee. His tone was completely dry. Allie too stood up, and for a moment it seemed as if she didn’t know what to do. But she gathered her bags and looked over to PeeCee once more.
“It was nice meeting you, PeeCee.” Allie said with a sincere smile.

"I know", PeeCee said quietly but firmly. That's why she had shifted her size while in the process of standing up and sitting down. Specific movements, especially ones that made her height less apparent, reduced the likelihood of anyone noticing what she did, after all.

PeeCee didn't quite get a word in edgewise while Allie and Intan spoke, not wanting to interrupt, then when she was opening her mouth to finally speak up the boy arrived with the food and PeeCee fell silent again. As Allie gathered her bags, PeeCee sidled out of between the seat and the table.
"Sir", she addressed Intan, nervously wetting her lips. "I think... This would be a terribly awkward end for this meeting, and a waste of good food. Could you and Allie stay and eat with me? Perhaps?"

Intan had already turned to leave but PeeCee’s words stopped him. He glanced down at the girl dispassionately. Next to him, Allie stiffened, unsure as to how her boss would react.

“Once we walk out of that door, you will most likely forget Alouette’s name.” Intan said softly. “Tomorrow morning, when you wake up, you will start to forget her face and the conversation you had with her. By the end of the week, you will not remember ever meeting a girl at all. You will remember walking down the streets alone, finding this shop alone, ordering alone, eating alone.” Intan said, listing off the logical order of Allie’s affliction.

“Why prolong the inevitable? You waste both yours, Alouette’s and my time.” His words had a sense of finality to them but he did not move from the spot. He met PeeCee’s eyes as if he challenged her to say anything that would be able to refute his own statements.

PeeCee's eyes narrowed as Intan spoke. Now she would only do her damnedest not to forget Allie, out of spite, if for no other reason.

"By that logic, everything ephemeral is a waste of time. Maybe I'll forget", she said, looking to Allie, "maybe I won't. You won't forget either way, right? I'll be like a fleeting friend you might make on a holiday. Someone to remember fondly?" She smiled at Allie. "I'm fine with that."

She looked back to Intan. "Besides, I'll definitely wonder about the second, untouched meal right there, even in two weeks' time."

Maybe he'd just get rid of the second meal now. Worth a try, anyway.

Intan studied PeeCee behind his glasses with an aloof look that insinuated, why yes anything ephemeral is, in fact, a waste of time. Behind him, Allie was trying very hard to keep composure and not to crack a smile as she met PeeCee’s eyes. She instantly corrected her posture when her boss turned his attention to her.

“Alouette, would you like to dally away your night with Petronella-Celeste?” He asked indifferently but Allie could feel the weight of his previous words on her.
“I-well-Um…” The girl struggled under Intan’s gaze for a bit. Her own eyes flicked over to PeeCee for just a moment, sneaking in a glance.
“Actually, yeah I would like it. It’s...nice. Even if she forgets, I’ll remember.” She settled with softly as she looked down at her shoes. Allie was terrible at lying and she simply just couldn’t at this situation.

There was a moment of silence in which Allie avoided Intan’s eyes and the girl thought for sure the man would correct her previous statement with some kind of logic that she hasn’t thought of before. Instead, she saw her boss’s hand slide into her view of the floor.

It took Allie a second or so for her to realize what Intan was offering. “Oh!” She squeaked and then removed the heavy grocery bag from her shoulder and handed it to the man. The moment the bag touched Intan’s hand, it disappeared silently, in a blink of an eye. About half a mile away, in Intan’s shop, the grocery bag was sitting on their tiny kitchen counter.

“Do try to avoid squandering more than three hours, Alouette,” Intan said in the same cool voice as normal before glancing over at PeeCee. “Enjoy whiling away the time.” He said this so drily that it could almost be interpreted as sincerity.

In a blink, the man was gone, leaving nothing but empty air where he was. There was no sound or any indication that there was ever a man standing there to begin with.

Allie had an astonished look on her face as she turned back to PeeCee slowly and then carefully settled back down into her seat- in front of the food that she ordered, that she was definitely going to eat and finish with PeeCee tonight, that her strict boss had given her permission to do.
A sudden feeling of giddiness and euphoria washed over the girl and before she knew it, she couldn’t stop the uncontrollable laughter that poured out.

PeeCee followed the exchange with slightly raised brows, expectant to see the outcome, and perhaps the slightest bit pleased with herself that at least the man hadn't outright disregarded her logic. She watched Intan with slightly narrowed eyes after Allie made her statement, having a hard time believing he would truly allow it. She almost expected Intan to be the sort to give you hope only to snatch it away.

PeeCee blinked at the grocery bag's disappearing act. She wanted to glance around, see if the family manning the counter and kitchen were staring at them with gaping maws, but she couldn't, couldn't risk falling out of the loop again, not now. She nodded in response when Intan turned to her, not having enough time to reply in words before the man blinked out of existence.

PeeCee turned to Allie with wide, round eyes. She followed suit after Allie, taking a seat ungracefully like a newborn calf. She looked to Allie with a wide smile on her lips, then laughed out the same as her, her laughter high-pitched and triumphant.

She leaned closer to Allie, still smiling broadly. "Okay", she whispered. "I have to ask; could they see or hear anything?" She nodded her head towards the counter, keeping her eyes on Allie's. "I'd look, but I don't want to risk it..."