itsjustagamerp | Earshot

Characters: Iron Liz and OPEN
Content: Mind-reading abilities are not all they're cracked up to be.
Location: Cafeteria
Time of Day: Afternoon
Warnings: none

Maybe she shouldn't have dragged herself out of bed. She had to get some coffee or something to try to cope with this headache that had been building up for the past several days.

But the cafeteria was far, far worse than even her room. Voices came from EVERYWHERE, bombarding her nonstop, even people who weren't even in the room. What had started as an occasional amusing thought as she passed someone in the hall became a constant chattering in her ears from everyone in what was apparently an expanding range. Sora and his friends going on about their recent departure and return, Princess Celestia's fixation with cake, random snippets of songs, Twilight's motormouth, Pinkie Pie, Pinkie Pie, Pinkie Pie, Pinkie Pie...

Pretty soon it all just became a jumble of noise she could barely even follow. Everywhere. She didn't even make it to the food synthesizer before she couldn't take it anymore and collapsed against the wall, leaving fingernail scratches in the paint as she slid to the floor, clutching her head, gripping her hair as if to tear it out.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

At least Liz was still conscious. She drew in on herself as Namine got closer, still clinging to her head as if it would explode, but at the younger girl's touch she relaxed just a little. Her head pounded as she braced herself against the wall in an effort to stagger to her feet without putting too much weight on the child.

Liz being conscious was definitely a good thing; as much as Namine's strength had improved from moving things around the Theatrical Deck, she still wasn't strong enough to carry Liz on her own. She was at least able to offer some support, though, and help guide Liz as they walked. From the flickering images of recent memory she was getting from Liz, she could guess this week had been difficult for her friend.

"Why don't we get you back to your room?"

All thoughts of getting a snack or relaxing flown from her mind, she was now more concerned about Liz and helping her feel better.

Liz let Namine guide her, walking slowly, pinching the bridge of her nose, eyes scrunched tight.

"I was already there...wasn't much better."

Well, that made sense. Both the residential and cafeteria decks tended to be the most crowded, so there were more thoughts to pick up.

"Maybe one of the less crowded decks, then? There's usually not many people on the Theatrical Deck."

There were also lots of things there that can be used for an impromptu cot/mattress if Liz wanted to sleep.

Sleep would be wonderful. Crow alone kept her up half the night for the past few days.

"Wouldn't Zidane be down there? I don't wanna bother him."

"I don't think he'd think it a bother to let you try to get some rest."

Zidane could be very accommodating when it came to helping a lady. If he was on the Theatrical Deck, Namine didn't think he'd mind moving elsewhere for a while so Liz could sleep.

"...Yeah, good point." If nothing else, Zidane was kind to the ladies. Even when he was being mischievous.

He really was, even if he could be a horrible flirt. Namine managed a smile as she pushed the call button for the elevator. "He might offer to set up a cot for you himself."

Liz leaned against the wall as the elevator was called, massaging her temples.

"I just hope this works...there weren't even that many of us in there, but it was like I could hear almost everybody anyway. Especially--nngh"

There went yet another Pinkie Pie. Two of them, no less, like an echo chamber on either side of her head.

Namine offered a sympathetic look when the two Pinkies bounced by. Then the elevator arrived and she helped Liz get on.

"Me too." Then she thought of something. "Have you tried thinking of a way to...I guess you'd say 'turn down the volume'?"

"To be honest, I'm not really sure how," Liz admitted, "Kind of a new experience, you know? And it's not easy trying to figure ways out when I can't even concentrate."

Namine considered this while the doors opened onto the Theatrical Deck and she helped Liz out. "Maybe I can help. I've experienced something similar before."

Seeing memories and hearing thoughts weren't exactly the same things, but there was enough of a similarity that what helped her might do the same for Liz.

Liz tilted her head at Namine, eyebrow raised.

"Have you now?" she probably shouldn't be surprised that the kid had some sort of powers outside of impressive artistic talent. But it's not like the subject came up all that much.

It could possibly explain why her presence wasn't as hard a strain on her mind as the others.

Namine nodded.

It wasn't a subject she liked to bring up, but in this case talking about it might help a friend. "Yes. Though I don't hear things, it's more like seeing."

Namine was fairly good at keeping her thoughts to herself. It was a useful skill when working with chains of memories.

"Heh, I can't decide if that's better or worse."

"Oh, I don't see what they're thinking. More like things that have happened to them. Well, usually one person, but it seems to have gained strength this week."

It's about as close as Namine will get to admitting that she can see memories. "Still, maybe something similar to what helps me block the visions can help you?"

"Hey, whatever helps at this point, really. It's gotta be better than suffering in silence." Especially since waiting it out was clearly not an option anymore.

The doors opened to the theatrical deck and Liz stepped out carefully. The room was big and echoey, but already far quieter than the cafeteria.

"So...you see people's experiences? I'll have to admit, that's a new one."

"It's not something many people can do."

The relative quiet of the theatrical deck was one of it's good points as far as Namine was concerned. She thought Liz looked a little more relaxed as they left the elevator, which was good.

"Did you want to sleep for a while? Or just sit down?"

They could get around to turning down the volume on the mental noise once that was settled.

"Gimme a minute."

Her eye immediately fell on a corner of bean bag chairs nearby, which she proceeded to unceremoniously drop herself down into. The noise upstairs could still reach her from here but it was far more muffled, thankfully. Enough that she could at least focus on what Namine could teach her...which she should probably put her attention toward so she could sleep properly.

She ran her hands through her hair and took a breath. "Alright. I think I'm ready."

Earshot

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