Post by illirica on Apr 6, 2022 13:35:20 GMT
So, this was what a bar was like. Kit had never been in one before - no, not Kit. Not here. She had to remember to use the other name, the one she had chosen. She had to think of herself with the other name, so that it felt as natural as the other one. More natural, even.
Inspiritor. "One who encourages, one who enlivens." It wasn't quite the same as inspire, and that was why she liked it. It was something about that second part, enliven - not just to make more lively, but more than that. So much more. She could be so much more, if only...
There were always so many if onlys.
The bar was silent, because the health department had shut it down last week. Inspiritor had seen to that. She had originally wanted to rent it out, but it turned out that was quite expensive. There was always the question of funding - it bothered her. Talented people should be allowed what they needed to express their talents. She'd considered acquiring funds, but staging a robbery and then renting out the bar would have been extra steps, and more likely to be something that was caught. Rationally, it had made much more sense to have the place shut down by the health department.
It hadn't even taken that much extra effort to do so. She wondered, idly, what it would have been like if it were open, but decided ultimately that it didn't interest her. She could have gone, if she'd wanted to. Plenty of other college students did, and she was old enough to do so without legality being an issue.
But no. The matter held little interest. She would rather be in her room, with her machines. She could do so much with them, if only...
Another if only, she supposed. She propped her elbows on the table and sighed. The mask itched, but she didn't dare take it off, even if the only person here yet was the one she knew she could trust with anything. He was standing a few steps away, in the space where he would have the best area to protect her if he needed to, but he stepped forward for a moment and squeezed her shoulder. He knew her moods, after all - knew her better than anyone. How could he not? They had shared a womb, shared a mother-
But their mother had been gone for a long time. Renal failure, hooked up to machines that didn't do enough, weren't good enough. Inspiritor could have helped her, could have fixed her. The first real thing that she had built had been a mechanical kidney, but no one would let her put it in. No one had believed her that it would work - she was just a child, she couldn't possibly. No one except her brother. He had always believed in her machines.
She offered a smile, turning her head a little. The mask she wore obscured her vision somewhat - and itched, which she didn't care for, but it would also be a poor decision to take it off. His mask was well-fitted, at least - in fact, it was as much a part of him as anything else now, machina-metal molded to flesh. He needed it to be, in order to protect her.
He'd promised he would always protect her, after all. Inspiritor had just made certain that he had everything he needed to do so. He stepped back once more, and she wondered who she would meet today, and what they would be like. Surely someone would respond to her commentary about the state of the world, the lack of support for people with true gifts. The world ought to be catering to those gifts, not trying to force them to conform. They could do so much, if only...
If only.
Inspiritor. "One who encourages, one who enlivens." It wasn't quite the same as inspire, and that was why she liked it. It was something about that second part, enliven - not just to make more lively, but more than that. So much more. She could be so much more, if only...
There were always so many if onlys.
The bar was silent, because the health department had shut it down last week. Inspiritor had seen to that. She had originally wanted to rent it out, but it turned out that was quite expensive. There was always the question of funding - it bothered her. Talented people should be allowed what they needed to express their talents. She'd considered acquiring funds, but staging a robbery and then renting out the bar would have been extra steps, and more likely to be something that was caught. Rationally, it had made much more sense to have the place shut down by the health department.
It hadn't even taken that much extra effort to do so. She wondered, idly, what it would have been like if it were open, but decided ultimately that it didn't interest her. She could have gone, if she'd wanted to. Plenty of other college students did, and she was old enough to do so without legality being an issue.
But no. The matter held little interest. She would rather be in her room, with her machines. She could do so much with them, if only...
Another if only, she supposed. She propped her elbows on the table and sighed. The mask itched, but she didn't dare take it off, even if the only person here yet was the one she knew she could trust with anything. He was standing a few steps away, in the space where he would have the best area to protect her if he needed to, but he stepped forward for a moment and squeezed her shoulder. He knew her moods, after all - knew her better than anyone. How could he not? They had shared a womb, shared a mother-
But their mother had been gone for a long time. Renal failure, hooked up to machines that didn't do enough, weren't good enough. Inspiritor could have helped her, could have fixed her. The first real thing that she had built had been a mechanical kidney, but no one would let her put it in. No one had believed her that it would work - she was just a child, she couldn't possibly. No one except her brother. He had always believed in her machines.
She offered a smile, turning her head a little. The mask she wore obscured her vision somewhat - and itched, which she didn't care for, but it would also be a poor decision to take it off. His mask was well-fitted, at least - in fact, it was as much a part of him as anything else now, machina-metal molded to flesh. He needed it to be, in order to protect her.
He'd promised he would always protect her, after all. Inspiritor had just made certain that he had everything he needed to do so. He stepped back once more, and she wondered who she would meet today, and what they would be like. Surely someone would respond to her commentary about the state of the world, the lack of support for people with true gifts. The world ought to be catering to those gifts, not trying to force them to conform. They could do so much, if only...
If only.