Who needs Permission anyway?| Alice

[Deidra McKay]

It was later in the evening, and most people were in their dorms getting ready for sleep. Deidra should have been at home doing the same, but no. She was sitting in the student lounge, in the almost-dark, playing with her little illusions. Golden wisps of stars and silken threads were all over the room. There were a few of the lamps on, providing enough light for the girl to see, but not enough to bring undue attention. No, the sparkles could do that all by themselves.

Who needed permission to be in the lounge anyway? She always hung out in the lounge, and sometimes when she was skipping class would spend hours at a time there. So she figured that she didn't need permission to just...chill there overnight. The girl was still decked out in her clothes she had worn to school, this being sort of an impromptu thing. The dark long sleeve shirt and waist coat looked good on her thing form, and she had enough odd accessories to make a person crazy. But that was Deidra for you.

The slightly effervescent and mischievous girl giggled, making more of the glows around the room. It was a relatively easy thing for her to do, as it was only affecting sight and none of the other senses. She had mastered that ability the first year she was at Hammel, and delighted in all the glowy creations she could form. Even if they weren't real, it was amusing to her.

[Alice Halifax]

Bare feet gently tapped against the hard floor of the hallway outside the student lounge and the smell of chamomile tea filled the air ever so slightly. The coolness of the evening was easily felt through the silk pajama bottoms and silk spaghetti strapped top which Alice wore. Her hair was down and still slightly wet from the shower she had emerged from not ten minutes ago, but all the coolness of the moment felt relaxing. The day, or better yet, the entire week had been full of her running here and there getting ready for the next stage in her life. Alice was graduating Hammel this year and finally moving on to college. She had chose to stay here in Vermont for she had grown to like stillness of the state and its more welcoming attitude toward metas such as herself. Her parents were still not thrilled with Alice's choice to attend her first year of college here at Vermont, but that mattered little to her now. She had had full access to her own share of her father's business for two full years now and as such had managed to put back enough money to begin making her own investments in other companies to further increase her own fortune. This fact though was moot as it did not matter at the moment.

Her gait was slow and with each blink of her eyes, she found it harder to open them again. Sleep would be welcomed tonight, just not yet. Alice wanted some time to herself to collect her thoughts before bed and before tomorrow came with another hectic day preparing. However, little did she know at the moment that her planned time alone was about to be denied and a new set of events put in its place. Hopefully though, these new events would be enjoyable and give Alice a bit of fun before bed.

As Alice approached the door to the student lounge, she heard soft giggling and sighed to herself, stopping where she now stood. For a moment, Alice contemplated turning around and heading back to her dorm room, but she was already this far in her plans for tonight so why stop now? Her coffee mug full of tea secure in one hand, Alice pushed open the door to the student lounge slowly and quietly as possible so as not to readily alert whomever might already be inside. From the crack of the open door, Alice noticed the room was lightly lit and for a moment she wondered if she might have stumbled upon a pair of young lovers looking for some solitude. However, the faint glow of light moving about told Alice otherwise. Someone was practicing their powers.

Pushing the door open more, just enough to slip her thin frame through and inside the room, Alice held the door with her free hand and let it close as quietly as it would. The little balls of light about the room moved here and there, reminding Alice of her childhood dreams of what fairies might look like in their magical forests and stories. Taking her cup with both hands, Alice sipped her tea, letting both it and her previous hot bath take their full toll on her already tired body. The scene before her was relaxing as well and made her smile. This was all quite nice to be honest and Alice hoped the maker of these small balls of light was just as enjoyable.

Still holding her cup of tea with both hands, Alice moved slowly and quietly through the room, finally seeing the conductor of this light show. The girl was pretty and dressed in a style which Alice found attractive. The outfit fit the young woman perfectly and just seemed to be made just for her. It was nice to see another young woman who knew how to dress herself in clothes which complimented her natural look. "Its all very relaxing and beautiful," Alice said simply, trying not to startle the young woman and risk losing the small light show.

[Deidra McKay]

Deidra didn't hear the door opening, too wrapped up in her own little world to really care. But when someone spoke all the lights disappeared for a moment, only to come back brighter than before. Sometimes it seemed surprise was one of the few things that could really disturb her illusions. She studied the other young woman for a moment. She had pretty blonde hair, and was wearing silky looking pajamas. The girl could just barely smell her tea, and she liked it. The girl canted her head to the side, a grin growing on her face. What an interesting person this girl. There was something about her Deidra liked. The girl couldn't really be sure exactly what it was, but it was something.

" Why thank you! I think they're pretty, so here they are!" She was quite enthusiastic for it being so late, but of course Deidra ran on her own time, her own everything. Things that bothered others had no effect on her. The girl scooted over on the couch, making room for her possibly new friend. The dark colored girl loved making friends, loved being around people.

" Come sit over here, it's comfy! I'm Deidra." The girl found herself already quite captivated by Alice, as she wasn't hesitant around her but seemed accepting. Deidra was used to people just giving her funny looks, and Alice was far from that.

[Alice Halifax]

Alice wasted no time in taking the offered seat next to Deidra, as if she ever wasted time in doing anything. Alice wasn't one to just sit back in the shadows of those around her or not have her voice heard. No, Alice was center of attention and always in demand of having all eyes on her. This might not have been the best social traits of someone who operated in several frowned upon activities both in and out of the school, but it worked well when applied in tandem with the others of the small 'family' she had assembled while at Hammel. Alice had a way with her words and with her actions, much like her mother, and very much like her father, Alice had a connection with people. She might have been an elitist at heart, but Alice wasn't one to toss people aside so quickly just because they came from a different social circle as she. For Alice, all were worth her time to some extent and Deidra would be treated no differently.

Sitting softly upon the couch, Alice sat back and pulled her legs up close to her, still cradling her mug of tea with both hands. Her eyes darted around the room, watching the different balls of light dance for her and Deidra. Deidra herself seemed calmed and the tone in her voice and the way she was acting told Alice small things about her. Reading people wasn't a hard skill to learn, but Alice wasn't a master by any means. She just picked up on small things here and there which lead her to make several assumptions at once. Deidra seemed the type which was outside the accepted definitions of normal, even among meta-humans. She seemed sweet enough and sort of accepting, which made Alice surmise the young woman herself wanted acceptance, after all, every did on some level.

"You have a lovely name Deidra, rather uncommon to hear," Alice said with a coy little smile, "I'm Alice," she added before taking a sip of her tea. Her eyes locked upon the figure of Deidra from behind the large rim of her mug as she sipped her tea. A pity she had missed this young woman in her time spent here at Hammel, however, that didn't mean all was lost just yet. Alice was graduating but it didn't mean she couldn't come back to Hammel any or at all. The school encouraged its graduating students to return from time to time and to stay in touch with the school. Alice was sure the invitation was meant as a means to keep track of meta-human activity in some manner, but the school insisted it was a way of providing help to those who needed it the most.

Lowering her mug of tea, Alice sighed as she pondered. "Tell me Deidra, is it light manipulation or are you an illusionist?," Alice asked casually. Either answer would have pleased Alice as she had known both types of meta-humans before. Hammel held a vast assortment of powers at its fingertips.

[Deidra McKay]

Deidra was usually the one to scrutinize people, watch thier actions. Not because she was trying to gain anything from it, no. She just liked watching people to understand them better. Still, she wasn't paying attention now. She didn't feel the need to for some reason, which was fine. It was probably better that way anyway for the moment.

" Thank you! I particularly like it myself. My parents picked it." That would be a normal statement as most parents picked their children's names, but for Deidra she meant her adoptive parents. She made the glowing balls thin out into little motes of lights, swirling around like loose strings, soft and warm. They were mostly goldish in color, but she added a few of lighter blue, just because she liked that color. The girl adored color and bright sparkly things, which was why most often she was to be found making such illusions.

Alice. Alice was a nice name. It rolled off the tongue softly in a wash of soft colors, strong colors. Seemed to match the one to whom it belonged. The tea smelled really good, and Deidra for the moment wished she had thought to bring some with her. That thought was interrupted when Alice asked about her power.

" Illusions. Of course, I've heard debate that some illusionists are just another type of light manipulator, and that light manipulators are another type of illusionist. I have to disagree, but oh well. " She didn't think anything of her little t=ramble, as she often went off on silly tangents when it wasn't necessary. The girl didn't think to ask of Alice's ability in turn. She figured for the moment if the other girl wanted her to know she'd tell.

[Alice Halifax]

Alice couldn't help but grin and arch an eyebrow at Deidra's odd comment about her parents picking out her name. Of course they would, who else would name her? Thankfully Alice had enough sense to know when to open her mouth and when to keep it shut.....most of the time. She knew a few others like Deidra here, here one moment and then somewhere else in a blink of an eye, their minds racing from one tangent to another. This usually made certain sorts of people nervous, while others like Alice, it just amused. Alice wasn't all business, she certainly set aside time for pleasure. Those like Deidra were a welcomed break after a week such as this one as they took Alice's mind to a fun Wonderland.

The balls of light changed as Deidra's focus drifted back to them. They became some sort of rope lights now, shifting in various colors, mostly blues of some sort. Blue was a soft welcoming color for Alice, and despite the modern day insistence it was masculine, she found it more feminine as it was originally seen and thought of as. It was the subtle nature of things like color or shapes which could mold a conversation or meeting and Alice wondered for a few minutes or so it this was Deidra's intention. The girl had not given Alice any reason to think she was dull by any means. Just because Deidra had a bubbly attitude and bouncy attention span did not mean she was slow witted. In fact, for Alice, the attention to the detail she put forth in each strand of light in the room hinted at a intellectual in that bright smile somewhere.

Clearing her throat, Alice tried to put her brain on cruise control and find a slower gear. Time for business was over for the day and now it was time to rest and have some fun. She listened some to the rambling Deidra went on about her power as compared to light manipulators and vice versa. Alice had never heard the argument herself, but could make some sort of connection as to what Deidra was going on about. "As long as you understand your ability, who cares if others get it right? To me, it puts you in the advantage of the moment," she said with another coy little smile.

Letting her eyes drift down to her tea mug, Alice let a playful smile slip her face. "Do you know the story of Alice and her adventures in Wonderland Deidra?," Alice asked, her eyes darting upward again. "I love the Cheshire cat. Think you could make one for me, please?," she asked, pushing her power just slightly upon Deidra. Just how it would effect Deidra would be on how her mind received the command. Some said Alice's voice would echo while others said it was like a whisper.

[Deidra McKay]

The fact the other girl didn't mind her and hadn't said anything yet made Deidra like her all the more. She was perfectly comfortable around her. There were too few people outside her family who were like that. Too few people who could put up with her randomness and the way she spoke.

Deidra did know the Cheshire cat. She was quite fond of that character as she drew parallels in herself and the cat. And when Alice asked her to make one there was music.

Oh the Music!

It was unlike any she had heard before, and her mind had come up with many a strange tune. But this was something so wonderful it just filled her entire head, her entire being. And she really wanted to make a Cheshire cat at that moment. She could do more than one illusion. Slowly she let the lights go dim as she concentrated on that cat. It wasn't the disney-fied version, a creature a bit darker. But, just as in the movies it was the eyes that appeared first. The opened, bright yellow things that they were. The creatures silly multi colored purple tail came next, swishing. The then body seemed to meld into existence, upside down of course. The creature grinned, and in the background she let the music of Alice's voice create a jangling purr for the creature. Like it was purring bells and crystalline voices.

" Fond of the Cheshire cat, you say?" It said in a very Deidra-esqe rumble. Deeper than the girls voice but reminiscent of it. For all appearances the thing just seemed to flaot in this air, that crazy grin on its face.

" I 'm of the opinion that Chess likes you Alice!" The girl said in an all too excitable voice, slightly hushed.

[Alice Halifax]

Illusionists generally had very vivid and wild imaginations along with odd social interactions, which Deidra seemed to possess in spades. Whether it was a side effect of the ability or just random chance, which Alice did not believe. Either way, the creature which Deidra created was bright and amusing and very enticing. The eyes of the creature appeared first as usual as it did in the stories followed by the tail and finally its distorted funny little body. Alice grinned like a young school girl, hurriedly turned around to sit her tea on the table next to the couch. She spun around as she stood, rather silly like and immature, but this was the side which few saw of the true Alice. She liked silly things, despite her serious nature of the way she conducted business when working for and with her father.

Smoothing out her silk pajamas and giggling before shaking her arms around in excitement, Alice glanced and winked at Deidra. Composing herself, Alice cleared her throat and curtsied to the Cheshire cat with a playful smile. "Wonderful to meet you sir Cat, my name is Alice," she said tilting her head to the side in thought for just a second. Quickly, Alice darted toward the cat and knelt down before him, smiling widely, "Such attention to detail. I'm very impressed with your appearance," she said, giving a sideways glance to Deidra.

Alice was impressed and satisfied thus far, but with Alice, satisfying her only meant she was going to want more and more. Thankfully, Deidra seemed to be the sort who had enough talent to survive an encounter with the young miss Halifax. Speaking of Deidra, the Cheshire cat seemed to have a bit of her personality, which wasn't unusual since it was Deidra's mind creating the illusion.

[Deidra McKay]

Deidra was absolutely delighted when Alice set her tea down, got up, and spun around. More than delighted really, she was absolutely thrilled about it. Someone else who was silly! Those were the girls favorite kind of people as she found a liking for them most quickly. And it seemed in Alice had found one of those people. For some reason Deidra felt that this was an Alice people didn’t see, because his person felt so unreserved. So wonderfully happy and just, personable. The curtsy to the Cheshire cat made her grin as if she were the mad hatter himself, of which people had likened the girl to before.

“ Well hello there Alice. I knew a girl named Alice once, someone who fell into a rabbit hole and got lost. Delightful person. You’re not lost are you?” The apparition asked. The sideways glance towards the girl did not go unnoticed, and she blinked twice, since her grin couldn’t get any wider. Deidra liked to make people happy, and was very pleased at how Alice had reacted. The Cheshire cat grinned at the girl, winked, and slowly folded itself into non-existence. Not too long after that the floating gold lightings arranged themselves around the ceiling so that there was just enough light to see by, but not obtrusive light.

“ You’re a neat person! Most people….I dunno. I creep people out. Something like that, with all the singing and light and talk of this and that. You like that though !” There was pure joy in her voice, and Deidra couldn’t help but have all the airs of an exuberant child who had just been given a gift.

[Alice Halifax]

Alice felt a connection with Deidra, albeit a weird one, but that was fine. Alice defined herself set by her goals and success, not by her name or lineage. Deidra was certainly the odd girl of any group, but those were often the most interesting and the easiest to get along with. The associates Alice had picked up along the way here at Hammel really had no common thread in them other than they simply thrilled or sparked some sort of interest in Alice. She had made connections from the highest order of the social chain to the so called bottom. It was skill and usefulness which Alice looked for in associates and Deidra showed both in spades. Alice would need to look into this girl's family to see just where they stood in the world but that was only a minor detail. It was willingness to succeed which would seal the deal of friendship between these two and nothing more.

Standing, Alice cleared her throat and shook her hair around a bit to help dry it out a bit more. Deidra seemed overly excited that Alice was so pleased with the illusion handy work. With a smile, Alice almost giggled, "Creep out. Angel, it'll take more than what you've got to creep me out. I'm not a girl who is easily shaken up by a bit of illusions, even if they are top notch. Besides, your far too pretty and funny to be creepy," Alice said taking a step or two toward Deidra. "Are you usually out by yourself so late at night or did I just happen to get lucky this time?" Alice asked, still holding eye contact with Deidra, eager to reach out and touch her face but holding back just a bit longer until she had a better understanding of this new play pretty.