Power Swap: Acid Test (Ophelia)

[Sakhmet Richmond]

The last few weeks had passed by in a blur of worry and affection as Horus recovered from his suicide attempt. Sakhmet had barely found time to think, let alone pamper herself, though she hadn't wanted to do anything other than watch over her younger brother, to see for herself that he was recovering.

She laid his turmoil solely at the feet of Jesse Adams; she wasn't a violent human being, but she wasn't sure she wouldn't slap him if she ever met the boy responsible for her brother's emotional state.

But finally she was nearly pushed out of the house by Sett, who was quite insistent that she spend some time to herself, treat herself and relax, and so she had wandered downtown, where she'd spotted a lingerie store. No young lady as feminine as Sakhmet could resist a lingerie store and the promise of ribbons and lace and pretty sheer things, and so she'd been drawn in like a moth to the flame.

Trying on bras should not have been a problem; she knew her size and she knew that she wasn't fond of underwire because it tended to break and poke her, which was uncomfortable.

What she had not counted on was, as she was snapping on a pretty, pale blue piece, for the fabric to begin to melt away, as if it were being melted by acid.

She shrieked and dropped the bra, the straps now half-way gone, frayed edges the only evidence that there had once been anything more than breast-coverings. "Ah....ah....Oh, no." She wailed, bending down to touch the mutilated object, then jumping back and shrieking again as this caused a tiny hole to burn through the middle.

[Ophelia Fitzgerald]

Lia had been just finishing off boxing up a newly-wed's box of goodies when she heard the wail from the changing rooms. Waiting for the couple to leave, she rose from her seat and bustled over immediately. No girl cried or wailed in her shop! This was a place for everyone to feel joyously happy, and so help her she'd fix up any problem the young girl (she'd spotted her earlier) was having in the changing rooms. Getting one of the other staff to cover the tills, she knocked lightly on the side of the cubicle, since hitting the curtain wouldn't exactly provide the right sound.

"Are you alright in there honey?" Lia asked gently. It sounded like the girl was very upset, so she cleared her throat. "I'm coming in, don't worry." She lifted her hands up, though Sakhmet couldn't see the gesture. Pulling the curtain back, she stared first at the bra, then looked sympathetically at the girl. It obviously wasn't her fault, no one intentionally melted bras unless they were rampant angry feminists.

Closing the curtain behind her, she rested a hand on her shoulder. Being in Pilot Ridge and having half her staff as meta human did help her to understand what was going on. "Oh sweetie, calm down or you'll make it worse." Bending down, she grabbed the fizzled bra and offered a shrug. It wasn't as if this was one of the most expensive pieces of stock in the shop, and it wasn't intentional at any rate. "It's alright." She gave the girl a rub on the back, then picked up the original bra the blonde had worn into the shop and fastened her back up professionally.

"It looks like you're manifesting." She'd heard that word from one of the other girls she knew, and thought it was related to meta-powers. "Let me get you dressed and you can come downstairs for a coffee and try and calm down." Fixing Sakhmet back into her clothes, Lia stood back with a warm, friendly smile. "I'm Lia, the shop owner. Come with me." She stepped out of the cubicle, then headed downstairs to the stockroom - which doubled as the staff room, and began to put the coffee on, gesturing to one of the sofas.

"Now, take a few deep breaths and don't worry about the fizzled bra. I can't charge for accidental damage, it's not like you melted the thing on purpose."

[Sakhmet Richmond]

Sakhmet scrubbed fiercely at her face as Ophelia helped her dress, taking huge, gasping breaths in an attempt not to break down crying on the poor shop keeper. She was being so kind and helpful and the girl felt awful about it, but she was unable to do more than nod wordlessly, afraid that speaking would send her back into hysterics.

She followed the woman out of the dressing rooms and down the stairs, perching on the very edge of the sofa offered, as if ready to spring up and flee at any moment.

"I...I'm ever so sorry," She whispered, misery over the accidental destruction of property causing downcast eyes and slumped shoulders. "I didn't..." She pushed her glasses up her nose, rubbing her eyes. "I didn't mean...I don't know what happe-he-heeened." She hiccuped, melted bra still clear as day in her mind, as if it were right there in front of her.

She then decided to address something the woman had said before they'd come downstairs, something she'd been too distraught to mention at the time, and added, in a small voice, "I can't be manifesting. I'm too old."

A very tiny part of her hoped that it was true; she would no longer be the only baseline human in the Richmond brood, no longer be the odd woman out! But knowledge of meta manifestation made her deny the possibility. "Meta abiltiies manifest at puberty. I'm too old."

She knew that some meta humans didn't discover their abilties until they were older; Horus was a late bloomer, after all. But the oldest she'd heard of was sixteen. Not eighteen, on the cusp of adulthood.

[Ophelia Fitzgerald]

"Please don't cry." Lia said tenderly, offering out a tissue and hoping the poor sweet little thing wouldn't melt the paper. "It's fine, I'm not angry." She added soothingly, putting a hand on Sakhmet's knee. She was clearly distressed by this sudden revelation, but getting upset would only probably make her powers worse. She was no expert, but when a young girl had come in after a split with her boyfriend, she'd sunk through the floor, and only gotten more upset.

Turning to pour out the coffee and make it to how the girl liked, Lia tucked her hair behind her ear and frowned. "I can call Hammel, if you want?" She offered, finishing up the cup of coffee and setting it down on the table. "Cheer up, sweet, it's not the end of the world." She tickled under her chin, then made herself a cup and sat down. Unfortunately the woman had no idea how to fix this, aside from with one of her wife's cupcakes, coffee and offering of a shoulder to cry on.

"How about..." She began. "I get a nice fitting done for you now, and I'll call Kateri or Leila to take you over to Hammel?" She smiled, knowing both women were friendly enough to take care of this rather upset girl. "What's your name?" She added, taking a sip of coffee. She really was upset! All over a melted bra! She had no idea Sakhmet's past month had been absolute hell, if so, she would have probably demanded Felicity drive over and come take her over for cake and cuddles.

"I wish I had a power." Lia added dreamily. "But I don't suppose there's one involving making beautiful lingerie, is there?" It was a gentle tweak of a joke, mostly to get this precious young woman smiling again. Lia's a sucker for tears.

[Sakhmet Richmond]

Sakhmet had been so freaked out by the melting bra that it hadn't even occurred to her to call the institute. Of course they would be able to help, this was their area of expertise. If nothing else they could have one of the power suppressors keep her from melting everything until she got this under control.

Oh. God. What if she was manifesting? Would she have to go back to school? She didn't want to do school again, she'd already gone through that. She liked Horus' friends, of course, but every school had its share of bullies as her brother's current situation showed, and being the oldest student there (she was sure she would be) would be a magnet for that type.

At least most of the Hammel students accepted the idea of sexualities other than simply heterosexual; she knew she wouldn't have any difficulties being accepted as bisexual here.

That, however, was the least of her worries.

"I...I...guess so." Then they could call one of her brothers; she didn't trust herself not to melt her phone. "My name is Sakhmet, Sakhmet Richmond," She added, accepting the tissue, and true to Ophelia's fears it disintegrated as soon as her finger's touched it, causing her to sob harder.

"I hope they don't make me stay," She sniffed, rubbing at her face with the back of her arm (she was afraid she would melt her face off if she touched it with her bare palms) and then frowned at her lap. "My brother is sick and he needs me and I can't leave him."

The comment about powers caused a smile, though more bitter than happy. "I used to wish I had powers, too, all my brothers do and I was the only one who didn't. I suppose," She added, making an effort at levity since it was clear the poor shop owner was trying so hard, "That you could have the power of illusions and make people think they had on beautiful lingerie."

[Event !]

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