leona turner's love life is up in flames (tigers_andbears) wrote in invol_rpg, @ 2013-01-02 13:48:00 |
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Entry tags: | ! log, ! plot: kidnapping, im kyungmi, leona turner |
WHO: Im Kyungmi and Leona Turner.
WHAT: Kyungmi sees if Leona can talk to her in animal form.
WHEN: January 1
WHERE: European Safe House
WARNINGS: None
STATUS: Complete!
She sat on the tiny cot in her military single, wondering for the umteempth time why me? The more she talked it through with the others, the more she mulled it over in her own mind, she had come to the conclusion that her one-time captors had wanted helpless Vols. Snake charming. Duplication. Prehensile tongue - Erik. And she was a shapeshifter. True, geographic location had a lot to do with it, as she knew now, and she didn’t always have the best control over her powers, but someone who could turn into a tiger? A venomous snake? That seemed a bit like leaving a loaded gun around a toddler and hoping for the best. It made her think that she could have perhaps done better. It made her wish that she was doing more now. You’re here because of your powers, she reminded herself. You’re here because people who know far more of these things than you do think they perhaps could be useful. The most useful thing she could do, therefore, was to practice. And she had never before tried to communicate with Sara or anyone else who could talk to animals. She could still understand humans after she shifted - would it be possible for her to speak to Kyungmi? It was an interesting ‘what-if’ at the very least, a distraction they both needed. It turned out that there wasn’t a lot you could really do when there wasn’t any good leads, and Kyungmi was starting to wonder if it had been pointless to volunteer after all. Still, she helped with whatever she could when she wasn’t collecting data for her fellow track and admin team. She navigated her way through the hallway towards Leona’s room, pulling off her earphones; she had some spare time and had mostly been listening to old songs. It brought a sense of nostalgia and while it hadn’t been easy then, well -- at least no one had been in mortal danger. She knocked on the door politely, even if Leona was aware that they would be training together. “Leona? I’m here.” “Hi.” Leona got to her feet and opened to door, beckoning Kyungmi inside with a smile. She was wearing a long tunic which came down past her thighs, a style which tended to stand up to transitions more than trousers or shorts. “I wish I’d got to try this with you before,” she continued, gabbling more than usual. Using her powers had caused her no shortness of embarrassment in the past, and practicing them in front of people she didn’t know very well made her a little nervous. Still, she was genuinely curious to see whether this would work or not. “Sometimes I wish they had grouped people with more complementary powers in the same training team, you know? That would make the most sense.” “It would have been helpful,” she agreed, though Kyungmi didn’t necessarily think she would want to be in any other team. While she wasn’t the most affectionate person, she liked most of her team members. “Talking to you would be better than with animals,” Kyungmi added as-a-matter-of-factly. There was no sign of elaboration on her statement. She stepped back, waiting for Leona to begin her shapeshifting. Granted, she was curious herself as to what the girl would be turning into. Not afraid, though, since she was already reassured that the other girl would still be able to think for herself. Leona wasn’t sure how to take that. It was a compliment of sorts, but at the same time she did like to assume she had something better to say than the average squirrel. Still, there was something calming about the other girl’s deadpan personality. I’m here, let’s get on with it, she seemed to be saying, but not in a way that suggested impatience. Taking a deep breath, she mentally cycled through the Felidae family, selecting the smallest of the big cats. A moment later, an adult African leopard stood before Kyungmi. Leona let out a low rumble of a growl; not a threat, but more an announcement of her presence. Here I am. She didn’t hear a growl. What Kyungmi heard instead was Leona’s own voice -- a sign that her power worked even when the girl was in her animal form. A wry smile spread across her mouth, not because she felt accomplished, but because it occurred to her yet again that this ability had become a part of her life now. The reminder was stronger with all that was happening. I can hear you, Again, Kyungmi heard her own voice, though what came out of her mouth was different. She took a step forward, though stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do. Were you supposed to pet an animal shapeshifter? She didn’t even pet animals unless she was forced to. How long can you stay like this? In this form? Pretty long, Leona responded, giving a twitch of her tail. Birds and aquatic animals are a little more difficult, but I’m working on it. She stretched her feline form out, then settled on her front paws. So. What’s the most annoying conversation you’ve ever had with an animal? Would Leona have to be underwater if she turned into a fish? Would she have the same food preference as a leopard? Maybe not. It was something to wonder about, though. Still somewhat fascinated that the girl she had been talking to just now had turned herself into a leopard, it took a few seconds for Kyungmi to break out of her short reverie to answer the girl’s question. A cat, she decided. Granted, Kyungmi had lost count of the annoying conversations she had with animals because 99% of them were annoying to her even when they weren’t intentionally being so. A male cat. He stalked me home, rubbed himself against me and told me that I was his type even though I wasn’t a feline. She scrunched up her nose in displeasure. Oh gosh, that is disgusting. Leona gave a hiss of laughter. Domestic cats would just be so full of themselves, I imagine. They lead lives of luxury and they never have to find food for themselves. Her big cat instincts, temporary as they were, told her this was so. If he ever rubs up against you again, introduce him to me. Maybe, if he’s even still alive, Kyungmi dead panned, if it was possible to dead pan in leopard-speak. There are many strange, she paused, trying to find the right words to convey her thoughts in English. creepy animals, but I suppose the same goes for humans. Agreed. Leona considered Remy, the enigmatic Frenchman of whom she had heard so many rumours, and decided that she didn’t to imagine what he would be like as an animal. But some domestic cats are pretty high up there in terms of how annoying they are. She mentally locked into the image of a long-haired Persian cat, then her leopard limbs compressed further, until Leona resembled a particularly pampered old lady’ pedigree. Look at me! she said, strutting around with her nose in the air and her tail twitching exaggeratedly. I’m the most useless and spoiled member of this household and have a brain the size of an uncooked lentil - hello! She was even more fascinated, and didn’t say anything at all for a while as Leona transformed herself. It was difficult to amuse Kyungmi, but there was some hint of humor in her eyes that may or may not be readable. Your power is quite interesting, she stated honestly. Yeah? Leona queried. I used to hate it. Because, you know, of the clothing issue, and the last thing that you want as a teenaged girl is more body hair, she added, less self-conscious than normal in an animal form. But now, maybe it’s beginning to grow on me. I think yours is interesting too, for what it’s worth. It is not, Kyungmi disagreed politely. She could have led a much more ordinary life without her powers and the world would still stay the same. There would be no impact to anyone around her without it. But thank you for saying so. I guess yours must be a bit like mediumship in some way, Leona considered. Like, do you get animals gravitating towards you just because they know that you can understand them? She had watched a show on TV once, Medium, where the protagonist could speak to ghosts and hated going to hospitals because she would always get mobbed. I can see where that would be annoying. Claudia would probably like both our powers, she added, thinking of the fiercely energetic blonde Australian who had wanted to be a vet. She sighed at the reminder. They do. It is very annoying. It wasn’t like she hated animals, it was just that she valued her privacy. Once again, she sighed at the mention of Claudia’s name, because she was used to the girl asking her so many questions in her thick, sometimes hard to understand Australian accent (according to Kyungmi’s standards anyway). I would be willing to give her mine, if that was possible at all. I would have definitely, a month ago, Leona reflected. Her form stretched once more, solidifying itself into a golden retriever. But now, I don’t think I would anymore. She felt a pang of sympathy for Kyungmi, wondering if the older girl found her powers a mere annoyance, or if she actually hated them. It was bad enough being a Vol at times, even under normal circumstances, and worse with a power you despised. You could always get Dani to switch your powers. But if you did that once, Claudia would probably want you to do it again. She winced. Sorry. I don’t dislike her or anything. But she can be a little inquisitive, you know? For a while before we left, I thought she was going to start following me around school with a notebook or something. Fortunately for Leona, Kyungmi was a good listener. Years of training at the entertainment academy, along with having to take care of the younger girls in her temporary band helped. I do not think I mind inquisitive people much, Kyungmi responded with a small shrug. But I do understand. At least Claudia wouldn’t be an annoying cat who follows you around, she resumed with a small smile. That’s true. Leona agreed. I think she’s just very enthusiastic about everything, and that’s not a bad thing to be. She gave a small, doglike yawn, though switching straight from one animal to another hadn’t tired her out as much as she had anticipated. I’m supposed to be meeting with Caleb soon so he can work on channeling my power. Any last requests? She took the yawn as a sign that Leona was tired. No. Giving the girl the smallest of smiles, she added, Good work. |