Object of Interest: Stella

[Alice Halifax]

Alice was free for this brief moment of the day and so, finding herself without her darling Isabella, Alice headed off toward the student lounge. Wearing a gray cotton sweater dress with light gray scarf and light gray leggings with flats, Alice hummed a childhood tune as she opened the door of the student lounge. Her hair bounced about freely and the small silver bracelets she wore on her wrists jingled about as well. What she was going to do once she got inside was still unknown as there was really little in there to interest her. Alice wasn't much of a television person and she wasn't interested in the pinball machines the school had provided for entertainment either. She supposed she could find one of the larger chairs and grab a quick cat nap while listening in on the latest gossip for there was always a group of girls about chatting about this and that.

Once inside, Alice took a long deep breath and looked about, noticing no one particularly interesting right off. However, just as she was about to take a seat, Alice did notice one young woman sitting by herself off to the side. The young woman was as pale as anything Alice had ever seen. An albino. Alice had always heard of them, had seen pictures but never had seen one in person. Alice just stood there, mouth all agape and her ice blue eyes wide. How beautiful this creature was, how odd and intriguing. Whoever she was, she now had Alice's full attention, be it for better or worse. Alice dared to look about the room and while it was almost empty, the few people that were in there, paid the young albino woman no interest. How could they just ignore such a fine specimen of a woman?

Taking several slow and methodical steps toward the albino woman, Alice never took her eyes off of the woman. She was in a trance like state and wasn't about to leave until she engaged this odd creature in at least some conversation. "Please forgive me for staring, but you are absolutely amazing," Alice said once withing earshot of the young albino woman. "How anyone could just let you sit here all alone is beyond me. Clearly none of these imbeciles have an eye for real beauty," she went on, stopping very close to the young woman, leaning in to look her face over very carefully and violating the albino woman's personal space. It was like a cat who eyed some field mouse before devouring it.

[Stella Pinyin]

Someone had left an english cooking show on, and Stella was listening as Nigela spoke about making something called a grasshopper pie. It sounded very rich, but mint and chocolate had always been a classic combination in western desserts and the host's voice had a way of describing the process that meant Stella could imagine it clearly. All she could see was different patches of colour on the screen.

Still, while her short range vision was hopeless, Stella could not help but notice as someone started getting very close to her. Very close. "Ah," the light manipulator started, peering out through her pinkish pupils and trying to make out who was talking to her, "I don't, I," then her face flushed. Clapping white hands to her now pink cheeks, Stella's head tilted forward so she could hide behind her bleach white hair. "Excuse me?" she asked softly, her english sounding stilted with shock.

Was it common for people to just come forward and say things like that? Such a thing was beyond comprehension.

The shy girl shifted slightly as Alice came closer, yet at last Stella could make out who was complimenting her in this strage fashion. A blonde woman, too young to be a teacher. Another student then? "It's... I am not sure I understand what you are saying," the chinese girl said slowly, "A thousand apologies, but I think we have different, ah, ideas on beauty."

As if to prove her point, her pale eyes glanced up from under her bone white hair. "This is not, ah, that is..." What was she supposed to say? Thank you but most people consider me to look like a ghost? It's a mutation? I'd give anything to look different?

That would be impolite.

[Alice Halifax]

Stella's reaction to Alice and her words, not to mention Alice's rather close physical investigation was one of confusion. Alice had caught the girl off guard despite the caution she had used in approaching her. Perhaps the girl had not noticed Alice's approach? Alice had heard that true Albino's had trouble with their vision and that well lit rooms such as this one was hard on their eyes. This would explain the startled look on Stella's face, but not her confused speech. Alice had expected.....well, to be honest she wasn't really sure what she expected from Stella. It was a simple compliment, one meant to inspire Stella, not send her for a confusing loop.

Stella tilted her head down, trying to hide her eyes and her face from Alice behind her stark white hair. Stella was indeed beautiful to Alice, not as lovely as Alice's sweet angel Izzy, but beautiful in her own right none the less. Her oddity made her unique, even in a school of people with the most amazing mutations. It surprised Alice how bigotry could go on in a place where the people were despised by some of the general populace. The human nature to hate was indeed a strong emotion and while Alice had her share of hate, pushing away such a vision of loveliness as Stella just made her sick to her stomach.

Reaching out, Alice oh so carefully brushed away Stella's stark white hair from the young woman's face to better see her eyes. Alice's touch was so gently, as if she were handling a porcelain doll, perhaps due to the fact that Stella did indeed look like such a creature. "And why would you think you are not beautiful my precious? Because some neanderthal ignorantly pushed you into a corner instead of putting you upon a pedestal?," Alice asked Stella as her finger traced the outline of Stella's face slowly. Alice tilted her head to the side as her finger slipped from Stella's chin and her hand fell back to her side. "But where are my manners?," Alice said, shaking her head with a smile and a giggle, "I'm Alice Halifax and its a very thrilling pleasure to meet you precious," she said, falling into the pleasantries of introductions.

[Stella Pinyin]

"I, ah," Stella's eyes widened, and she watched Alice's fingers in case they showed signs of paleness. It had been a long time since someone had touched her; the fear she'd suck the colour out of any normal person throbbed like a hot wire in her head even as she told herself it was nonsense.

What was happening? This didn't seem to be a normal interaction, not even by the slightly off standards Zacarey had set. "Ah," she started, but the touch to her face, shockingly intimate for the withdrawn meta, choked the words in her throat. Flinching back unconsciously, the timid girl's pale eyebrows rose. "My name is Stella," she replied, her voice still a little uncertain as her own face rose to her face as if to check for a mark or burn. "Ah, it's a pleasure?"

A crease appeared in her forehead as Stella hesitated for a moment, worried about showing her ignorance so quickly. "Excuse me," she said after a moment, pressing pale lips together, "I don't... What does Neanderthal mean? And, what does it mean, to, ah, put someone on a pedestal?"

[Alice Halifax]

"Stella," Alice repeated, a way of helping commit the girl's name to memory. "That's very lovely," she said, speaking the truth. She had heard the name before, but it wasn't all too popular these days. Alice thought it was pretty and matched Stella's features perfectly. Alice had to admit she thought of constellations when she heard the name 'Stella', which only made Stella all that more attractive.

Alice sort of stared at Stella as she professed her ignorance to Alice's references. It was odd Alice admitted, but it might have been due the language barrier. Stella might not have been fully comfortable with the English language, which wasn't uncommon around Hammel seeing how there were many students from all over which attended school here. Still though, Alice knew this was going to be a long and slow conversation, but lucky for Stella that her looks strongly held Alice's attention.

Giving Stella a smile, Alice took a step back from her and pondered the situation. "A Neanderthal is a caveman for a lack of a better word. People sometimes call other people that as a way of insulting their intelligence. Clearly whomever has let you sit here by yourself isn't very smart as you are far too interesting to just let whither away," she said, complimenting Stella yet again, "As for the 'putting someone of a pedestal' thing, its a way of complimenting someone. A pedestal is a small pillar of sorts which people put fancy objects on. I was saying you should be held in high regard and put out into the open for all to see you beauty," she added, giving Stella a sly little smile as she tilted her head down a bit.

[Stella Pinyin]

"Oh, but there's no one who I know to sit with me," Stella tried to explain, sounding slightly ashamed. "I don't, um, know much people. I just come to listen to the cooking shows." She smiled sheepishly, because that sounded so much more... well, pathetic when she said it out loud.

And there was this beauty thing. Stella really did not understand it. Was Alice mocking her? Stella's fingers twisted up in her hair and she dragged it forward. "Albinism isn't really, considered beautiful," she tried to explain. "It's just unusual. Ah, strange."

People stared, of course they stared, but even when Stella didn't see or couldn't make out their expressions she had been told it was more like how people stared at an animal in the zoo rather then at a catwalk model, or even a pretty girl. "You are very pretty," Stella added, uncomfortable with so much one sided praise. And Alice was pretty! She was close enough that the poor sighted girl could make that out.

[Alice Halifax]

Stella needed assurance in her life, she lacked that self confidence which most of the populace possessed. Then again, not many young woman really had that much self confidence. Good thing for Stella, confidence was something Alice had in spades. Alice surmised that Stella had been sheltered something fierce growing up and from what it seemed, she was still rather sheltered. Her unique appearance wasn't anything to be ashamed of, to Alice it was a genetic marvel on par with meta-abilities. To stand out, be something different from the rest of the crowd, that was what made something priceless. Of course this didn't apply to the local emo crusade which ran so rampant in youth these days, they were all more alike than normal society. No, really standing out, such in Stella's case was like a diamond in a bed of coals and being the ambitious social climber she was, Alice just had to have this rare prize before her.

Tilting her head to the side just slightly, Alice stepped back a step from Stella. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder sweetheart," Alice said in quick response to Stella's blunt statement of what the world had told her was acceptable. "Why isn't your amazing appearance considered beautiful? Just because some knuckle dragging monkeys got together and decided it shouldn't be?," She asked rhetorically, crossing her arms in front of her. "Next thing you'll be saying is that meta-humans are not anything more than sideshow circus freaks," Alice went on, using their unifying trait to get her point across. "You said I'm pretty.....What makes that so? Because I wear nice clothes and take care of my physical appearance? Are you basing your opinion of my beauty on what appeals to you or what appeals to the brain dead masses?," Alice asked, putting many questions and some slight pressure upon Stella.

Alice was quickly weaving her web around Stella. Alice moved quickly and with much emotion. The questions she asked were based on her asseveration of Stella and her social personality. She was feeding confusing emotional questions to the young woman in order to make Stella look at things from a different angle. This angle was an angle Alice had the upper hand in of course, but Stella didn't know that. If pushed and swayed in the right manner, Alice could manipulate Stella into questioning her own views of herself and that would leave her confused enough to be manipulated in Alice's favor all the more.

[Stella Pinyin]

Eyes widening, Stella held up one hand in defence, "No, that's not what I meant at all," she tired to explain, feeling mortified. "I just meant, ah, not all unusual is bad, I just...." What did she mean? The idea of comparing her own problems to those of the meta population had never occurred to her, and even now she felt guilt rising in her throat like bile. "I never meant to be, ah, I mean no disrespect,"

It was like walking in the dark, knowing there was broken glass. The pale girl's eyes darted with unusual swiftness as she tried to measure a suitable reply. "No, no," she said slowly, hesitantly, "Symmetry, and your voice, with those I can say my opinion. But, I am confused... have I offended you? It is hard to tell what I should say."

(ooc: it's short, but I think there's enough there to go on)

[Alice Halifax]

Stella was quite different than most of the others Alice was normally known to hang around. She was rather backward and very nervous, unsure of herself and her speech. Stella seemed rather simple, but Alice wasn't ready to lump her into that category. It could have been the fact that Stella just wasn't gifted socially. Alice was moving the moment rather quickly along and was assaulting Stella with all sorts of foreign phrases and ideas. It hadn't crossed Alice's mind that she might be frightening Stella instead of assuring her. It was time to find a different approach, a more quite and simple set of ideas and thoughts. It would call for Alice having to use her meta ability but that never had stopped her before. Unlike some of the other students around Hammel, Alice wasn't afraid to use her ability on others. She loved being a meta-human as it made her even more special than she had already deemed herself to be.

"Its alright Stella, everything is fine. There isn't any reason to be afraid or confused. As a matter of fact, your starting to feel very relaxed and happy," Alice said, turning on her meta ability with such skill and grace. How Stella would hear Alice's voice was entirely decided by her subconscious mind. Some people had said Alice's voice sounded soft with a light echo behind every word. Others had said she sounded like their mother and yet even others had stated it sounded like a chorus of angels singing to them. Whatever Alice's voice sounded like when her power was turned on mattered little as it always had the desired effect she was trying to achieve. "I'm a friend Stella, someone you feel safe around. There isn't any need for caution around your friend Alice, I won't ever hurt you," Alice went on, smiling as she pushed her power on Stella. Usually, commands were more accepted if phrased with a proper trigger phrase, but mood altering was a bit different. It was very much like the hypnotism which psychiatrists used when trying to get to the core problems of unusually emotional damaged individuals.

Tilting her head to the side, Alice smiled at Stella, giving her words a few seconds to sink into Stella's subconscious mind. "Feeling better sweetheart?," she asked Stella, reaching out and brushing the young woman's hair to the side to better see her face.

[Stella Pinyin]

Chang'e was the chinese goddess of the moon, and the goddess Stella always sent her prayers to when she lit incense for her parents by the small alter in her room. Alice's voice had changed, and Stella's pale eyes widened as she heard the vastness of space and the softness of moonlight. How could she have been worried? Alice was her friend, not someone the meek girl should feel at all hesitant around.

It didn't even occur to her to flinch away when Alice touched her this time, instead she gave an abashed smile. "Yes, yes," Stella nodded, looking slightly embarrassed. "I'm sorry Alice, I was being silly." The albino girl twisted her hair around her fingers then looked up at the blonde girl and smiled again. In fact, she felt there was no need to stop.

"Would you like some tea?" she offered suddenly, ernest to make up for acting so strangely around her friend. "I have my thermos with me, it will still be hot I think." With another hopeful smile, Stella looked down at her paper white hair and sighed happily. She could not remember feeling so at ease since she'd moved to Hammel.

[Alice Halifax]

Alice was pleasantly surprised to see how easily it was to persuade Stella. It was such a small push upon Stella but it seemed to overwhelm her. Apparently Stella had little to no mental resistance which wasn't too uncommon. Only those who were properly trained or had some natural ability could resist others with mental powers. While Alice's ability relied heavily upon her vocals, it was her mental push which sealed the deal. With this revelation of Stella's limited resistance, Alice let a long forgotten thought slink into her mind. She had been pondering delayed commands for some time, but hadn't met anyone worth spending time around to test her theory. With enough effort and repetition, Alice thought she might be able to plant an idea or command into someone's sub-conscious. This command could later be triggered by a single word or phrase. It wasn't that far fetched of an idea, but Alice wasn't sure if she had the skill to pull off such an idea.

Smiling, Alice nodded her head, "I think some tea would be lovely," she said, accepting Stella's offer. In the darker places of Alice's mind, she was already setting up the necessary steps for planting a thought in Stella's ever accepting mind. It would have to be something simple, something her personality would accept as something of its own. If successful, and with enough training, Alice could later plant more complex ideas and contrasting thoughts. First thing however, Alice would have to establish solid ground with Stella.

"I have never seen an albino before but I must say I am very impressed. Might I inquire more about your condition my precious? Its a trait of mine, to know all I can about the things which fascinate me," Alice said, letting her own manipulative personality move the conversation now. She didn't want to risk over using her ability unless Stella prove more intelligent than Alice assumed. The mind was very clever and would start to send up red flags if tampered with too much.

[Stella Pinyin]

"Oh wonderful," Stella beamed, pouring Alice out a cup of jasmine tea into the plastic cup atop the thermos, then handed it over with a little bow of the head. Pouring herself some and cradling the cub between her hands, the tea enthusiast breathed deeply and sipped, hoping her friend would enjoy the tea as much as she always did. It was importent, though why was not really obvious.

She was impressed with meeting an albino? If it had been anyone but Alice (There isn't any reason to be afraid or confused) the question would have sent her into a tailspin of worry, but instead Stella blushed slightly and looked into her tea cup. Being called precious didn't even make her feel as uncomfortable as it usually would, coming from someone she'd just met.

But Alice was a like manifestation of Chang'e, it was the only explanation. She would have to thank her ancestors for allowing her this opportunity later.

"I was born without, ah, pigment," Stella started, not knowing the more scientific terms in english. "It is no big bother, except I get burnt very easily. The main problem is my eyes. I have, the word is Nystagmus I think?" Directing her eyes towards the girl seated beside her, Stella's pupils skittered as she tried to focus. "And, people stare. That I do not like. Being chinese, with no colours, it is very noticeable. The researchers here think maybe my meta ability is a part of it, given the way I, ah, produce light."

That was perhaps the longest speech the girl had ever uttered within Hammel grounds, and even with Alice's command still echoing in her brain, the self conscience girl shrunk down slightly and smiled apologetically for such jabber.

[Alice Halifax]

Alice had a interest in those ostracized by the so called 'normal' social circles. Those who were outcast by society were usually the ones with very interesting skills and traits. Alice knew someone might feel very uncomfortable around an albino such as Stella as her appearance was far from normal. Alice on the other hand though, found the abnormality quite fascinating and could admire Stella's condition and appearance for hours on end. She wasn't attracted to Stella in any fashion, just entranced. All sorts of fashion ideas came to mind as Alice sat there, looking Stella over. Her stark white skin and her doll like look would allow for endless off the wall designs and combinations of clothing. Considering Stella's introverted attitude, Alice suspected she would be allowed to experiment on Stella with her fashion ideas. Being from a very popular social circle, Alice felt Stella would be drawn to keep Alice's attention on her and be very open to whatever ideas and suggestions Alice would have.

Alice sipped the tea Stella poured for her, smiling between sips as she listened to Stella ramble on. Stella had changed a lot in just a few seconds, much to Alice's approval. Underneath that introverted attitude and shy face, Alice found quite the social butterfly. All Stella needed it seemed was a gentle push in the right direction and some assurance from Alice's end. As Stella described her condition some and its side negative side effects. Her poor eyesight was a real shame as it meant Stella must have missed out on a lot of the beauty the world had to offer. Alice wondered for a moment if anything could be done surgically to help Stella's eyesight or if her eyes were beyond any sort of traditional help. Alice made a mental note to look into that question later and tried to direct her focus back to what Stella was talking about further.

At last, Stella hinted at her meta-ability, which garnered a quirk of Alice's eyebrow. Stella produced light somehow and with that knowledge came a slew of new questions and thoughts. Alice didn't know much about light manipulation and hadn't ever met anyone who had such an ability. She hoped Stella would be open to sharing her ability and even more hopeful she could explain it in much clearer detail. "I've never met anyone who could produce light. Heard of them yes, but never met one. would you mind showing off for me a bit?," Alice asked, taking another sip of her delicious tea.

[Stella Pinyin]

Show off?

Was it possible for two words to be so unsuitable for one person? Stella's eyes widened and almost instantly her cheeks started to grow warm even thinking about it. Why would she want to show off? Attract more attention then she already got? The idea of being in the spotlight (literally, thanks to her ability) was enough to have her want to cause a blackout andf stumble her way out of the lounge quick sticks.

"Ah." she started, her fingers clutching at hern skirt, "I don't.. I don't really want to, ah, attract attention," because while she was perfectly comfortable with Alice (your starting to feel very relaxed and happy,) the suggestive power of Alice's voice had not been enought to make her personality do a complete 180. Still, going against the request was hard, it felt like a part of her mind was tugging her in a completely different direction.

"I'm sorry," she added, hoping hard that Alice would drop it. "Maybe, maybe when there are less people?"

[Alice Halifax]

Some meta-humans were hesitant in showing off their abilities and Stella seemed to be just one of those. Alice on the other hand was not, as her parents had urged her to always exercise her ability and push it to the limits everyday. Stella wasn't Alice though, not by a long shot and so, getting Stella to break that shy shell would just take time and effort on Alice's part. Even with Alice's persuasive tongue, she knew she might not be able to get Stella to express her curious ability in such a public place. It was an annoying feeling, to not be able to get what she wanted, but even the great Alice Halifax couldn't have her way all the time.

With a sigh and disappointed look, Alice glanced down at the ground, "If your sure I can't persuade you then Stella, I'll just have to wait till a later time then." Still, Alice had cracked Stella's shell some and that was a small victory none the less. She would just have to keep chipping away until she had Stella free of her social confines. "I'm curious as to why your so afraid of being noticed Stella. You act like your appearance is a hindrance instead of a blessing. Such pale skin....so rare and beautiful, sort of like a porcelain doll. You should show yourself off, make others take notice of you and let them see the beauty I see," Alice said, looking back up to Stella once more with a small smile.

Alice was a master manipulator and while she had used fancy words like this before with others, she meant these with Stella. Alice found Stella's unique condition very intriguing and as such, something which should be shown off to the world. She was beautiful in the sense a work of art was beautiful. "I promise you Stella, I won't let anyone make fun of you or hurt you. You don't have to worry about hiding yourself when your with me," she said, adding a few more hopefully encouraging words.