Oh. I didn't know you guys knew each other. [...he can't help but snicker under his breath because yeah, he's sure you wouldn't, Ayano. Anyway.]
It's a thought? That one girl on the network offered to put people to sleep when nightmares were a huge problem. I'm sure some people might find it helpful. I'm just curious how it works exactly.
How does anything work in this world? Maybe my eyes establish some kind of...connection? To my mind and theirs...[Or there's an evil, magical snake living inside of you.]
...I bet I could relax people who are stressed out, or cheer up people who are struggling... The power of love...
[Nodding along because yeah he knows how Kyouko works, she barely tolerates him sometimes.]
You could, maybe. It would be kind of an awesome ability to have. [...on the other hand.] Can you only imprint on people? Or can you like feel their stress or worry and know what they're thinking and stuff too? I know you said it was reverse empathy but I wasn't sure.
So far, I think it's just a one way street. I can imprint feelings on other people, but I don't feel anything back.
Which...I'm kind of glad for. I think it would be really emotionally taxing to have other people's feelings thrust upon me all the time.
[Chomps a few more chips.]
Maybe I should make a network post and like...ask for advice? Or offer to help people...
I think...I can finally be useful. If you think about it, I'm pretty powerful. If someone tried to attack me, I could just give them the sensation of being horrified until they run away. [She says this in an unsettlingly matter-of-fact way.]
It sounds like it would be draining. I feel bad for anybody who ever has to deal with something like that. I can barely deal with my own shit sometimes. [He's wiggling up on the couch to get closer...and take a few chips for himself.]
You could. Have you met Elliot? He asked people for help when he got some of his magic back. I can imagine at least a few people would be okay volunteering if they knew exactly what they were getting into. And while you could do that, that's also not really your style, I think. But you could definitely help people. It's a lot of power and responsibility and bluhbluhbluh.
[Get your own, Egbert. She'll retaliate by grabbing at his coke.]
"Barely" is giving you a lot of credit. [And a playful shove.]
I think I might do that, if I can help people...well, I want to.
I'd do it...if my life depended on it. It's kind of interesting...Having a power that others can't really fight back against. I have so much power over everyone, even now.
. . .
. . .
And so much...responsibility. [She's careful to say this as dramatically as possible.]
[Wow rude? But also fair. She's helping herself to his coke and he'll take a few more chips, so there.]
Thanks a lot. [Sticking his tongue out! But also yeah...he knows.] Does that actually bother you? Power and responsibility. I can't think of a lot of people who could handle it very well and would mostly try to help people.
Okay, okay. I definitely believe you, but serious, find people to practice with before you do that. Powers take time, especially big ones like yours. But it is a pretty cool destiny, I have to hand it to you. I find it hard to believe you'd ever really be a selfish person anyway.
I think it's probably possible between you and me. Emotions are usually easily influenced and stuff, so if you thought about it enough you could probably tip someone into liking you. That's the whole thing about being careful.
Have you had any memories of the other you using the powers before?
That is incredibly mysterious. I remember all of my powers because I've seen myself using them in memories. [But hm. Interesting...]
Trial and error isn't bad, Ayano. It's the only way to make it work. [On the other hand, he pauses because that's a whole other thing.] ...I won't lie and say I'm not curious about it, but are you sure? How'd it go with Kyouko?
That sounds about right. [Look he likes Kyouko but. That definitely sounds about right.] In that case, yeah, I think it'll be fine. I want to see how it works and practicing can't be that bad.
So, I just...[All she has to do is blink her eyes for them to turn red––she's been able to practice that part as much as she pleases.]
And then...[She positions herself in front of John in order to get a good look into his eyes––I mean, that's how it has to work, right? If the power is in her eyes, it just stands to reason.
So she's just.
Staring at him...]
Ah...[Her lips quiver a bit.]
A-Actually...[And she'll quickly, suddenly avert her eyes from him. It doesn't matter though, because the nervousness still manages to float from herself over to John.]
[He doesn't seem perturbed by the red eyes this time and he sits up, staring straight ahead into her eyes as well. It's like hypnotism, maybe, but then Ayano suddenly shifts and John's aware that the situation's weird. It's hard not to feel self-conscious suddenly and he folds his hands in his lap, looking at the ceiling instead.
This isn't awkward. It is, maybe, but it shouldn't be. Normally he can handle staring contests just fine but now he finds himself twisting his fingers instead.]
Is it? [His voice sounds steady enough though.] It's okay. Just...practice? It is totally fine. [Even with nerves he's used to powering through things.]
Well don't think so much! [Ayano why this.] It's fine? It's just me, like don't...think it's weird or it's going to feel really weird. Think about something else while you're trying to put things in my head or something.
W-Well, what am I supposed to think about? I'm gonna think something weird on accident...[Damn you John, Kyouko was so much better at this.]
I don't want to give you awkward feelings...
. . . [sweats] . . . [SWEATS] . . .
N-N-Not that I'm thinking anything that is awkward! I mean, like...I mean, I could––I don't want to but like, and...and I'm not going to try to! It's just that like you know how sometimes your brain just starts firing things off at random without you even prompting them like you're sitting in class and then its like wham what if you were like oh god Johnathan it is obscenely hot in here, do you think it's hot in here because I'm starting to feel like, way too hot.
[FACES AWAY FROM JOHN AND UNWRAPS HER SCARF FROM HER NECK, INSTEAD COVERING IT WITH HER HAND.]
S-So anyway, I forgot what we were talking about, aheh...
[On the bright side, he already has a lot of awkward feelings about stuff so he settles for giving her a perplexed look. He's listening to her ramble and his eyes widen a little because he's growing increasingly fidgety and awkward himself and it's hard to say if that's because of Ayano or because the whole this is absurd, so.]
Uh. I don't actually...[There's a laugh.] What do you even consider weird anyway?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
It's a thought? That one girl on the network offered to put people to sleep when nightmares were a huge problem. I'm sure some people might find it helpful. I'm just curious how it works exactly.
no subject
I'm basically her assistant. [She's not.]
How does anything work in this world? Maybe my eyes establish some kind of...connection? To my mind and theirs...[Or there's an evil, magical snake living inside of you.]
...I bet I could relax people who are stressed out, or cheer up people who are struggling...
The power of love...
no subject
You could, maybe. It would be kind of an awesome ability to have. [...on the other hand.] Can you only imprint on people? Or can you like feel their stress or worry and know what they're thinking and stuff too? I know you said it was reverse empathy but I wasn't sure.
no subject
Which...I'm kind of glad for. I think it would be really emotionally taxing to have other people's feelings thrust upon me all the time.
[Chomps a few more chips.]
Maybe I should make a network post and like...ask for advice? Or offer to help people...
I think...I can finally be useful. If you think about it, I'm pretty powerful. If someone tried to attack me, I could just give them the sensation of being horrified until they run away. [She says this in an unsettlingly matter-of-fact way.]
no subject
You could. Have you met Elliot? He asked people for help when he got some of his magic back. I can imagine at least a few people would be okay volunteering if they knew exactly what they were getting into. And while you could do that, that's also not really your style, I think. But you could definitely help people. It's a lot of power and responsibility and bluhbluhbluh.
no subject
"Barely" is giving you a lot of credit. [And a playful shove.]
I think I might do that, if I can help people...well, I want to.
I'd do it...if my life depended on it. It's kind of interesting...Having a power that others can't really fight back against. I have so much power over everyone, even now.
. . .
. . .
And so much...responsibility. [She's careful to say this as dramatically as possible.]
no subject
Thanks a lot. [Sticking his tongue out! But also yeah...he knows.] Does that actually bother you? Power and responsibility. I can't think of a lot of people who could handle it very well and would mostly try to help people.
no subject
John, this power is my destiny. Sometime, somehow, I'm gonna use it to do something that only I can do, and solve something that only I can solve.
[That...didn't exactly answer his question, but she pumps her fists as if it does.]
I promise not to use it selfishly!
no subject
no subject
[Hummmmms]
...I can't help but wonder if I'd be able to make someone like me, though.
[Scratches her cheek with her index finger]
Not that I want to try, or that I'm going to, but...Kind of an interesting thought. Maybe that's more power than anything else.
no subject
Have you had any memories of the other you using the powers before?
no subject
[Tugs on her scarf. Yikes.]
None. Not yet, at least. I can't even tell if I have them in my memories or not. It's all very mysterious.
Like I said...it's all trial and error. [An inquisitive look.]
You know...I could practice on you, if you wanted...
no subject
Trial and error isn't bad, Ayano. It's the only way to make it work. [On the other hand, he pauses because that's a whole other thing.] ...I won't lie and say I'm not curious about it, but are you sure? How'd it go with Kyouko?
no subject
[Ayano sits up straight and proper with her hands on her knees, giving the blankest expression she can muster without cracking.]
"Hm. Interesting."
[SNERK.]
She was fine, so...you probably would be too.
no subject
no subject
So, I just...[All she has to do is blink her eyes for them to turn red––she's been able to practice that part as much as she pleases.]
And then...[She positions herself in front of John in order to get a good look into his eyes––I mean, that's how it has to work, right? If the power is in her eyes, it just stands to reason.
So she's just.
Staring at him...]
Ah...[Her lips quiver a bit.]
A-Actually...[And she'll quickly, suddenly avert her eyes from him. It doesn't matter though, because the nervousness still manages to float from herself over to John.]
This is a little too intimate, maybe...
no subject
This isn't awkward. It is, maybe, but it shouldn't be. Normally he can handle staring contests just fine but now he finds himself twisting his fingers instead.]
Is it? [His voice sounds steady enough though.] It's okay. Just...practice? It is totally fine. [Even with nerves he's used to powering through things.]
no subject
[Nervousness intensifies]
Like...I'm putting feelings into your head. I'm establishing some kind of weird mental connection to your feelings...
Knowing that I'm inside of your heart sorta is a bit much...[She too, has found the ceiling to be the most interesting thing in this room.]
no subject
no subject
I don't want to give you awkward feelings...
. . .
[sweats]
. . .
[SWEATS]
. . .
N-N-Not that I'm thinking anything that is awkward! I mean, like...I mean, I could––I don't want to but like, and...and I'm not going to try to! It's just that like you know how sometimes your brain just starts firing things off at random without you even prompting them like you're sitting in class and then its like wham what if you were like oh god Johnathan it is obscenely hot in here, do you think it's hot in here because I'm starting to feel like, way too hot.
[FACES AWAY FROM JOHN AND UNWRAPS HER SCARF FROM HER NECK, INSTEAD COVERING IT WITH HER HAND.]
S-So anyway, I forgot what we were talking about, aheh...
no subject
Uh. I don't actually...[There's a laugh.] What do you even consider weird anyway?