Resizing plot

[cutting_edgex23]

X is settled at a corner table, in the middle of her Security shift, when she feels her center of gravity change.

Her perspective gets lower to the tabletop, as well.

Hmm.

This is unexpected.

So now there is an X wandering the bar, attempting to figure out what, precisely, made her inhabit her ten-year-old body again.

She is very grateful that she does not also have her ten-year-old mind.

Comments

[balancingminds]

X's mind is easy to find and reassuring and Charles intercepts her, "Hello X."

[cutting_edgex23]

X looks up, head tilting very slightly as she studies the boy in front of her.

His scent is not all that different.

"Hello. Charles."

[balancingminds]

"This spell seems to be rather fast acting," He moves to sit at her table.

[cutting_edgex23]

Her attention sharpens, though even less about her expression changes than it does in her adult form.

This face is not at all used to moving, unless it is for a mission.

"You know who did it? The spell."

[balancingminds]

"No, no idea only it seems very recent. A boy named Wilford might find you and yell at you about it. He's very angry and Security seems to be his chosen target," He frowns, he's not used to how still X's face is at this age.

[cutting_edgex23]

"I have heard of him."

X does not sigh.

"He gets killed a lot."

[balancingminds]

"Does he heal?" He know of very few people who can die and be able to keep going.

[iprotectyou]

Oh, look! Another kid! Baze is pretty sure she's an adult, but he thinks checking would be wise.

"Hoi, I'm Baze Malbus," he says as he approaches, as quietly as possible, as he's hungover from the moonshine fumes. He squints at the new girl, trying to ignore his pounding head.

"May the Force of others be with you. You're usually an adult, right?"

[cutting_edgex23]

X, who uses her nose more than her eyes for identification of people (a lot more), nods once.

"I am X."

A pause.

"You know what happened? Not with your hangover."

[iprotectyou]

"Oh, X! Hoi," Baze says quietly, beaming at her once he recognizes her.

"No one knows what happened. Not even Bar. The general consensus is that someone cast a spell, but no one has come forward yet. How did you know I have a hangover?"

[cutting_edgex23]

X just looks at him, and it lacks a certain something that her adult Looks usually have.

(Any hint of expression, is what's missing.)

"You smell."

[iprotectyou]

Baze laughs. Quietly, or the sound would ring right through his head.

"Your nose is amazing. I even had a bath today! I got drunk off of the moonshine fumes while I was distilling."

[cutting_edgex23]

X reaches out to pat Baze's tiny shoulder with her own similarly-smaller hand.

Once.

"Bathing does not change the underlying biochemistry. It is useful."

[no_more_hiding]

Feeling better after having talked with Charles and eaten too much sugar with Emcee, Hank has been hanging out in the rafters, and by hanging we mean hanging. He's noting how little wear and dusty the bottom of the beams are when he catches X's scent. Looking around, he finds her and has the spark of an idea; how well can he follow her up here and can he do it without her noticing?

Likely not for long, but that doesn't mean he's not going to try.

[cutting_edgex23]

The timing should depend on how much control Hank has of his child-sized body, how capable he is of being quiet, and how distant he chooses to keep his following position.

But since this is X, and she constantly keeps track of every scent trail in the place --

She looks up almost immediately, then leaps onto a table, pulling herself up onto a beam and looking at Hank.

"Hank. You want lessons? In stalking."

[no_more_hiding]

Hank freezes and then slumps his head dejectedly. Well, he really hadn't expected he'd get too far now did he.

"Oh, of course, if I could scent you, it stands to reason that you could scent me." He pulls himself to the top of a beam so they could face each other easier. "I think it could be valuable to learn how to stalk. So far I've hadn't really needed it, but who knows what the future can hold?"

[cutting_edgex23]

"Usually it is robots. With lasers."

She's just saying!

"We can go outside. To start. In here is the advanced class."

[no_more_hiding]

Hank cants his head in thought.

"I don't think robots or lasers are developed enough in my time. The energy requirements alone would require a large size."

"Outside sounds good. What is the best means to disguise your scent?"

[cutting_edgex23]

X does not make a face, because her child body does not move that way. At all.

"You will get older. Your world will, too. It is good to be prepared."

A pause, as X drops out of the rafters silently and starts moving toward the back door.

"Pepper is good for fooling dogs. For people, no scent at all is usually best. For me -- "

She stops speaking for a moment, turning to look back at Hank.

"There is no good way to hide from me. With that. Or Logan."

[shakemyhand]

Guide is staring at a PB&J sitting on a plate in front of him. He had expressed his hunger to the Bar and she gave him this. He's not really sure what to do with it. He sniffs at it tentatively, not noticing if X is anywhere near him. He's much shorter and skinnier than he usually is, considering he's the equivalent of a 10 year old, and he's dressed in rough spun black clothing.

"Is this human food?" he asks the Bar.

[cutting_edgex23]

X looks over, head tilting very slightly. There is no expression at all on her still, composed face.

"It is not limited to humans. But it is more useful for people who convert matter into energy to live. I do not think it is the same for you."

[shakemyhand]

"We eat like humans as children," says Guide showing the palm of his right hand, the hand mouth was small and was obviously not mature, "I have never seen food such as this."

It has only been a few years since he reached maturity, but in those years he's almost forgotten how to eat, or really he's afraid that if he eats this he will be vomiting shortly.

[cutting_edgex23]

X does not frown, because her face quite literally doesn't move that way as a child.

"You know why? It changes."

[shakemyhand]

Guide shrugs his thin little shoulders, "It is just the way it is."

[cutting_edgex23]

"That is not very helpful," X observes. "Now."

Beat.

"You want to eat something else? That is not so soft."