shcphcrd-blog

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PRINCESS.

All the emotions in the air were frazzling to Princess, increasing her own emotions drastically. She had teleported out of the fire the moment the alarms went off, and it sent horror through her body as she watched the house go up in flames. But now everything was ash. The emotions though- they were what was killing her most. She could feel everyone’s pain weighing down on her own. The only way to make this stop was to try to alleviate any pain in order to curb her own. The atmosphere was heavy, far too heavy. Through her own tears, Princess stumbled over to a bench and leaned against the person next to her. Her hand reached up to their shoulder and she gave them a light squeeze, trying to send a calming energy through them. “It’s- it’s going to be okay.” She choked out, she had already lost so much. She couldn’t stand to lose people who were her second family. “I think we have to get out of here before they come back tonight. It was them. It had to be them.”

        they were all devastated. she was devastated. she was the newest addition to the group, only having been with the family for a couple of months, and yet shriek still felt mom and dad’s loss deeply. she could only imagine how princess felt, feeling everyone else’s loss as she struggled to deal with her own grief -- it must have been unbearable. “ don’t worry about that right now, ” she murmured softly, checking to make sure her sleeve was pulled down to cover her skin before she slipped a gentle arm around princess’s shoulders. “ let’s take it minute by minute, okay? we... we’ll get ourselves together and figure out what to do in a little bit. just... relax, honey. i know you must be exhausted right now. ”

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PANDORA.

Numb. It was the only thing to register in her racing mind although admittedly, it was better to have her not feel at all. She knew the moment she registered her anger, she would do something she would regret and potentially hurt the others. She didn’t know how the fire started and who did it but all those questions seemed trivial with Mom and Dad as nothing more than charred bodies. She was outside, trying to figure out what to do next, what the family’s next move should be. Do they get out of town and find a new place or do they pull another operation to make some quick cash? Questions were endlessly swirling through her head as she stared at a faded photograph, one folded with time. It wasn’t until she heard footsteps that she broke out of her reverie. “What do you want?” Pandora snapped, eyes not looking up to see who it is as she pocketed the once again folded photo. “Has someone come up with a plan yet?”

        she was no princess, but it wasn’t hard to take one look at pandora and see the emotions coming off of her in waves. they were all like this, pouring out with feelings, and shriek could hardly take it; looking at the anguished faces of the other members of the family was hard. “ hey, ” she said softly, stepping over some debris to make her way toward pandora. it was hard not to take her tone personally, but shriek knew that pandora wasn’t mad at her. she was mad at this, at them, and she tried to remember that even as pandora snapped at her. “ i wanted to... make sure you’re alright out here, i guess. no one has a plan yet. they’re just grieving. ”

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JETT.

Although he’d never admit it, Jett was fully cognizant of his volatility. His moods changed like the weather. Where it wasn’t necessarily constant every day, most days his emotions fluctuated within a twenty-four-hour span. However, his unpredictability did little to deter him from engaging with the rest of The Family. Admittedly though, there was a small fraction of Jett’s intellectual capacity that informed him his erratic behavior served as a cause of concern for Shriek, especially when the pair were alone together. Where it wasn’t frequent the two were isolated with each other, Jett was conscious of this fact and always bore it in mind when he found himself in the company of the southern brunette. Dissimilar to his attitude toward the others, Jett had learned to tread carefully around Shriek, with the exception of taming his forwardness which was something utterly out of his control. Naturally, he appreciated Shriek’s attractiveness which occasionally resulted in subtle flirtation but when it came to handling his rather turbulent emotions, Jett was coming to grasps with the concept of control for the sake of the brunette’s wariness.

“Aw, come on,” Jett started as the threw Shriek a look of skepticism, “they’re not all you’re good at,” he finished as he pulled himself forward. Rising from the foot of the bed, his limbs effortlessly carried him across the room to where he reached a halt in front of a dresser adorned with a small collection of vividly colored scarves. At her verbal promise, Jett’s head turned over his shoulder to give Shriek a smile before he lifted a blue scarf and draped the soft fabric around his neck. “How about this?” He asked as he swiveled to face Shriek, fling one side of the scarf around his shoulder. “Do you think this shade makes my eyes look pretty?” His inquiry was accompanied by a brief flutter of his eyes followed by a small chuckle. “Lopsided scarves are fine by me,” he stated while removing the one hung around his neck to set it back in its rightful place. “The one you gave me is my most prized possession,” Jett quipped while making his way back toward Shriek. Where his comment was made in jest, it was an actual fact he found himself wearing her knitted gift during the coldest days of winter.

Steadily, Jett seated himself on the edge of the bed next to Shriek once again. He was almost amazed at his stable balance given the fair amount of alcohol he’d consumed. He figured that’s what happened once you became accustomed to absorbing copious amounts of liquor in the timeframe of a couple years. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Shriek sliding her gloves over her hands. Obviously, Jett was marginally curious about the whole glove wearing situation she had going on. Yet he refused to ever ask her. In fact, he was utterly oblivious to the true nature of Shriek’s abilities and where he was intrigued to an extent, he decided against prying. Jett knew not everyone liked the idea of opening up to others, of exposing themselves to another, especially where their powers were concerned. He figured if Shriek wanted to confide in him, she would and if she didn’t, he wouldn’t bring the subject up. It was in Jett’s nature to be blunt and usually, he was, but there was something about how Shriek refused to reveal her vulnerabilities to him that made him reign in his direct approach and give her space. Although right now, it wasn’t until the brunette shifted away from him that he realized space was something there was too little of and so, he moved away. This reaction toward him was typical of Shriek, therefore he grew used to it and assumed it was her display of asserting her disinterest. But in his current state of intoxication, it became that bit more problematic for him to remember his boundaries.

Drawing back further, a laugh tumbled from Jett’s mouth at Shriek’s comment. “So, you doubt my alluring ways?” He shook his head at her. “I’m a little disappointed. And no, I don’t have any Jack but there is decent beer and a little Jim Beam left. As for what’s up my sleeve, wouldn’t you like to know?” He asked rhetorically as he fired a wink her direction. It hadn’t actually occurred to Jett yet that he’d basically invited himself into Shriek’s room or that she might rather share her own company rather than his.

        being careful had never been something that came naturally to shriek; it was a learned skill that she was forced into as a result of the years of experimentation in the labs. careful about what she said, what she did, anything that could make things worse for her or those around her. being careful wasn’t something she wanted to do, but it lingered everywhere in her daily life: every morning as she dressed, making sure she was covered nearly head to toe to avoid accidentally brushing her bare skin against someone else’s. out in the ‘normal’ world, as she shied away from regular citizens and blamed away the dark shadows on her neck and face as an unusual skin disorder. even now, as she watched and countered everything jett said or did, wishing to be as carefree as he seemed to be. she knew that no one in this house was truly carefree, but there were lines she would not let herself cross.

        raising a doubtful eyebrow at him, shriek suppressed a soft laugh at jett’s antics. it was almost unfair, really, that he knew the answer to that question was ‘yes’. of course his eyes looked pretty. but shriek didn’t see any reason not to tell him that, so she let her laughter fall from her lips as she leaned back on her hands to better enjoy the view. “ why, mr. jett, you’re just the prettiest dang belle at the ball, aren’t you? ” she asked, tilting her head to the side and softly applauding his little show. his overexaggerated expressions were altogether ridiculous, clearly directed for her entertainment -- and it was working. she was charmed, bit by slow bit, warming up to him even as her better sense told her that it was a bad idea. “ well, i’m sure it’s not hard for it to be your most prized possession, considering the fact that hardly anything in this house is really ours, ” she pointed out. “ but either way, i’m glad you liked it. ” while most of their conversations seemed to be filled with quips or banter or the occasional flirtation that jett seemed to specialize in, shriek’s genuine response almost seemed to be out of place. she knew that he ultimately meant well, though. even though so many of the members of the family seemed hardened and brusque at times, shriek just knew that they had good hearts when it came to each other, even if not to the world. they were all that they had.

        she leaned forward slightly, resting her chin in the palm of her hand to show she was still interested. she appreciated jett’s observations and reactions more than he could know -- she could tell that he moved slightly away in response to her own movements first. it was this dance they played to music he’d never heard: she moved, he mirrored. but shriek didn’t want him to have the impression that she wasn’t interested in his company and friendship, at least, or that her discomfort was his fault instead of a conflict with herself. so she did her best to make sure he knew without her saying anything at all -- leaning forward, gaze trained on his, and a smile playing on her lips. he seemed to be good enough at reading nonverbal cues. 

        as tempted as she was to finish the now-abandoned scarf sitting in her lap, jett had always been far too good at coaxing her out of her shell -- and this time was no exception. she could occasionally have a tendency to hole up in her room; not for any specific reason or anything, she just... forgot about the rest of the world for a little while. she’d been alright with stealing away from the party at the time, content to snort softly on her way out as one of the others swung into the room with a new bottle of liquor, but she wasn’t directly opposed to rejoining the festivities. “ well, jim beam is no jack daniels, but i might be alright with that, ” she began tentatively, pursing her lips slightly in thought. “ but as of now... yes. i am doubting your alluring ways, since i’m still not completely tempted to come back out for the party. ”

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JETT.

Hours had gone by since the departure of Mom and Dad and with their gift giving of an abundance of booze, it was no surprise the majority of The Family were well and truly smashed by now. Jett included. Throughout the expanse of celebratory hours that ensued, the brunet male noticed a certain Southern Belle had sloped off somewhere along the way. Due to the fact Shriek was a recent addition to The Family, he felt somewhat obliged to ensure she was alright. After all, he was once the new kid so he knew better than most how that felt. Polishing off the remainder of his bottle, Jett set off in search for the small brunette to check in on her.

Despite being marginally inebriated, he managed to carry himself with the same self-assuredness that always oozed from him. Arriving at a halt in the doorway of Shriek’s room, Jett’s azure gaze fell upon the extremely immersed brunette as she concentrated on her knitting. Resting a shoulder against the doorframe, the male tilted his head a little while he observed the female. Admittedly, his attention probably should have been focused on the movement of the knitting needles instead of the preoccupied countenance of Shriek. Yet here he was, watching her intently and stifling a laugh at her oblivious babbling.

The instant Shriek peered up at him, Jett allowed an amused chuckle to fall from his lips at the sight of her evident shock. “Hey there, gorgeous,” he greeted her as he slipped into the room, taking a few steps to plop down on the edge of her bed. It was arguable Jett was no different when he was drunk, but if truth be told, his typical attitude of confidence and flirtation enhanced tenfold. With his eyes fixated on Shriek’s face, he took brief notice of the soft pink that crept its way along her cheekbones. Of course, he paid attention and contrary to popular belief in the house, he actually was incredibly observant. He perceived stuff. Although it would be egotistical of him to assume Shriek’s reaction to him was solely based on any kind of attraction. She was shy, which was the conclusion Jett had drawn to her blushing a long time ago.

“Definitely not Pandora. Sorry to disappoint.” Jett joked lightly before giving the brunette a subtle smile as his head shook in response to her question. “No, I’m good. I just came by to see where you’d gotten off to,” he confessed prior to his gaze falling to rest upon the half-knitted item in her hands. “Another scarf? How many is that now?” He inquired in a tone of jest as his eyes rose to meet hers once more. “Maybe I could entice you to come back out? I’ve been told I can be very persuasive.” Jett waggled his eyebrows at Shriek as he leaned back, using his palms against the mattress to keep himself upright.

        she watched him warily as he approached -- he was always a friendly face, of course, but he was also a wild card. she didn’t really know what to expect; she could only assume that he’d been drinking, what with the obscene amount of alcohol mom and dad had left them, and she wasn’t sure if she was treading into dangerous territory or not.

        “ oh, i don’t know... ” she trailed off, glancing around the room at the ( rather ridiculous ) amount of scarves. “ ... just a few, ” she finished with a soft chuckle. “ they’re all i’m good at right now! i promise i’ll make you a nice blue sweater to match those pretty eyes of yours someday, but for now you’ll have to do with lopsided scarves until i get better. ” she was momentarily shocked at herself at her own forwardness -- she wasn’t the most outgoing person in the family to begin with, but she became even a bit more reserved around jett. it wasn’t that he made her nervous, really; not by any fault of his, at least. 

        she let the knitting needles fall into her lap as he drew closer, trying to be subtle as she slipped her gloves back onto her bare hands. he was too close, too near for her to be completely comfortable in her own skin -- not that she ever truly was, but in this moment she was all too aware of the painful shadows swirling across the exposed skin of her ankles between where her jeans ended and her socks began. shriek didn’t know why she’d been so reluctant to tell jett about the true nature of her powers. she was all too happy to blame the shadows as part of her ability to manipulate the darkness around them, but for some reason, she was hesitant to tell him about the real reason they were there; about the reason she shifted slightly when he leaned slightly in her direction: she was afraid of hurting him.

        “ persuasive? ” she asked instead, ending her momentary reverie. “ i’ll tell you right now, darlin’, i’m not sure if you have what it takes to entice me back out there. the girls drank all my jack, so unless you’ve got any more hidden somewhere, i don’t think you’re gonna succeed anytime soon. unless you’ve got somethin’ different up your sleeve, but... i’m doubtful, ” she teased, a small smile creeping onto her features. 

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MIRAGE.

“Alcohol is the easiest way.” Mirage admited, drinking from her glass. “But I seriously doubt mom and dad would appreciate me being drunk at ten in the morning, just before one of our acts.” She replied, looking at Shriek. “So I guess you’ll have to settle to see my oh so beautiful smile at night.”

        “ you have so much potential, rage! but alright, i’ll give in this time, since you did oh so kindly show me your pearly whites for once. ” shriek idly sipped from her own drink, setting it down on the counter next to her. “ and they’ll still see you hungover at ten in the morning, so... do you think they’ll appreciate that? ”

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MIRROR.

“she wouldn’t look at me for weeks. it was hilarious. also sort of embarrassing. but mostly hilarious,” she replied, a smile curving her lips atthe memories. “i’m glad my pain amuses you, shriek. it shows you’re just as bad as me despite what first impressions would tell you. though i doubt you will still be laughing when one of my copies comes up with a personal vendetta against you. it has happened with everyone so far, i believe you’re the only one left. get ready for petty pranks or a threat to your life, it can be either way.”

        “ as bad as you? ” she repeated in an oh-so-innocent tone of voice, incredulous expression on her face and a delicate hand resting on her chest as if to say who, me? “ i don’t know who you think you’re talking to, but it certainly can’t be me. i’m an angel. ” shriek’s eyebrows raised at the thought, shaking her head slightly. “ what did i just tell you? i’m an angel. neither you nor your copies could ever dislike me. that’s why i’m the only one left. ”

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@prophecises !

        at the sound of footsteps, shriek didn’t dare look up from the fabric in her hands. she’d recently gotten into knitting, and suddenly the entire family had become the recipient of the fruits of her labor -- scarves, blankets, and hats alike were cast around the room in the various colors of yarn that she’d been able to pick up here and there. her hands worked faster now that she’d practiced, but she was still intently focused on the task at hand.

        “ pandora, hon, i’ve told you a thousand times, PLEASE don’t try to creep up on me. you know i scare easy, and i don’t want to miss a stitch on this scarf. it’ll be such a pain to fix it if i do, and-- oh. ” shriek’s ramble was cut off suddenly as she finally dared to glance up at the intruder, who she’d ( obviously ) assumed to be pandora. instead of a willowy blonde, shriek was faced with a distinctly male brunet. her hands were frozen, knitting needles in place and the soft, shocked O of her lips opened and closed a few times before she managed to get out a “ hi there, jett. ” a delicate pink flush crept across her cheeks, an unfortunate consequence of his presence; as much as she wanted to disguise her attraction to him, her body had other ideas. she could only hope he was oblivious enough not to notice. “ d’you need somethin’, sugar? i’m sorry, i thought you were pandora. she’s always causin’ trouble. ”

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MIRAGE.

“You are an important, valuable part of the family.” She said when she saw the glass Shriek was offering to her. Mirage thanked her and took it in her hands.”Just because of that, I’ll let you have your cheer.” Rage smiled slightly, before their cups clinged when they touched each other.

        “ why, thank you, mirage, ” shriek replied sweetly. she hadn’t been with the family for all that long, but she’d certainly picked up on the various ways to get to each family member’s heart. she took a drink after they clinked glasses, humming softly as the warmth of the whiskey made its way into her chest. “ now, how can i get you to give in like that whenever i want? i won’t stop ‘til i’ve got a smile on your face every day. ”

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VIPER.

Reflectively as soon as Shriek sat down, he held his arm back, away from her and anything that could accidentally touch her. He was plagued by the ideas of hearing screams of terror and accusation fly at him for poisoning someone. Cursing them to a painful death just by a gentle brush. It set his teeth on edge, causing him to grimace as he knew she wasn’t going to move. They were one in the same, to a certain extent, born from the same fucked up mind that caused these powers. Their ability to touch was taken from them, simply made into guinea pigs to be examined. Grabbing the beer bottle next to him with his bare hand, he nodded sadly. She was a beautiful girl, plagued with the ability to harm just like him. “Yeah, I know Shriek,” he murmured, looking over at her. “I’ve always wondered what would happen if someone had the power to cure all poisons, you know, just by touch. Be a bit too on the nose, though, right? Fate can’t have that in store for me.”

        “ it would be pretty convenient, wouldn’t it? ” she gave him a sad little smile, tugging the glove back onto her hand and leaning back slightly. “ but who knows -- maybe there IS someone with that kind of power out there. or- or someone who can... negate our abilities, somehow. it’s possible, isn’t it? ” that was shriek’s wildest daydream; that there was someone out in the world that wouldn’t be affected by the killer touch she and viper shared, albeit in different forms. that she would one day be able to tentatively touch another’s skin, even if just with the briefest of brushes, without knowing what they sounded like when they experienced pure agony. “ we can at least hope for it, ” she finished quietly, gaze refocused on the ground in front of her. 

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STATIC.

“people don’t realize how much work it is but i love doing it.” he rubbed at the top of his forehead, as that was a big symbol he was getting more drunk. static could spend hours talking about his equipment but only 1 percent of the population in this placed cared. “don’t sell yourself short. and if you really wanted to learn i could teach you but..it’s very boring.”

        “ are you feelin’ alright? ” she asked, tilting her head slightly as she studied his movements. “ i would love to learn, but it can wait ‘til tomorrow if you’re not up to it right now. we could go back to the party instead. ”

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VIPER.

Viper couldn’t concentrate on the fun that was happening around him, the easy conversations that never breached past pleasantries. There was something unsettling there, to consider them family without being able to tell one anything about them besides their physical appearance and a nickname that a six year old boy could have come up with in most cases. One hand out of its glove, he stared at the weeds that were next to where he was seated outside. Gently, he touched the plant, his eyes dropping sadly as it automatically began to welt. Nothing happened the way it should have, he wasn’t allowed to touch anything, he made sure he couldn’t. “Pathetic, ain’t it?” He asked, not necessarily knowing if anyone was around but not caring much. “I can’t even touch fuckin’ weeds. I’m a gardeners wet dream, though, ain’t I?”

        shriek thrived on the merrymaking and the laughter that resulted as the other members of the family let loose and drank the alcohol mom and dad had left for them -- but even she needed a breath of fresh air every once in a while. she let out a shaky breath as she stepped outside, wrenching her eyes tightly shut and finally letting herself feel the pain that always lingered underneath her skin. she hardly even noticed another presence until viper spoke, but it was just as well. she was too focused on the numbness of her limbs as the shadows swirled across her skin. it certainly felt just for all of the hurt she’d caused others. “ mind if i sit down? ” she asked softly, glancing from the brown riding gloves covering her own hands to the ones enveloping his. without waiting for an answer she sat down on the grass as gracefully as she could, gently tugging at the fingers of her own glove until she could run a bare hand along another nearby weed. “ i might be able to touch these little guys, but i of all people understand how you feel. you know that, right? ”

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PRINCESS.

“I do.” Princess smiled as the blonde walked into the room. “Maybe I wanted to surprise you with cookies?” No, she definitely was stress baking and the thought had escaped her mind. “You’ll live.” She shot back with a small smirk. “Plus we can eat the cookie dough and make more if you really want to bake.”

        “ you better, ” she warned, but the little smile tugging at the corners of her lips ruined any serious effect the warning might’ve had. “ no, that’s alright. i’m perfectly content to sit back and let you do all the manual labor. it’s the least you can do, y’know, since you broke my heart by startin’ without me. ”

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MIRROR.

while she wanted to frown, her expressionimmediately softened at shriek’s words. “the sad thing is that it wouldn’t bethat unlikely for it to be one of my copies. did i tell you about that time ispent a whole day with a copy out and about without realizing it? she burnedone of my hoodies because it was unfashionableand kissed princess. it waswild,” she finished the brief anecdote with a snort.

        “ she did WHAT? ” shriek asked with a surprised laugh. “ poor princess. she probably didn’t know what to do with herself. i know it can be... a pain, to say the least, when your copies don’t listen to you. but it sure does amuse me to no end, i’ll tell you that. ”

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MIRAGE.

Mirage groaned.·“Don’t do this to me. It has been a long day, let’s just drink and curse at the world for making us so miserable.” The young woman said, already a bit tipsy, before swallowing the rest of the beverage she had on her glass.·

        “ oh, hush, ” shriek chastised gently. she reached behind her as mirage downed her drink, procuring a new glass for the brunette and offering it to her. she lifted her own glass of whiskey toward her, raising an eyebrow. “ cheers? perhaps to being alive and well, instead of miserable? ”

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STATIC.

 “no. no. no. it’s fine you didn’t know.” he sighed, realizing he may (was) overreacting a bit but he hated having to constantly watch to make sure people weren’t messing up anything. getting to talk about his technology always eased him a bit, and the best way to get him off topic - even when he was drunk like he was now. “well the stuff out here is mostly police scanners, a hot spot router for internet, and a jammer that picks up signals within a certain radius. i set up around the house. it’s big right now because that’s all i have to work with until we manage to get lucky and get more parts.”

        shriek’s eyes hopped and skipped over the various pieces of equipment scattered across the table, nodding slightly to show she was listening as he explained what they were. “ well, isn’t that neat, ” she murmured, ever-amazed by his knowledge. “ i wish i could do useful stuff like you can. i’m not much good unless we think the bad guys will be placated with a peach pie or somethin’. ”