Maya & April | Petulant Monsters
Nov. 18th, 2023 09:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logs(Backdated) April decides early on that the all-liquid, all-protein shakes and soups diet is terrible, and her mood deteriorates as her interest in actually eating the stuff wanes. Maya helps by providing stories and a distraction.
Having a mouth that wasn't made for standard human food sizes and couldn't really chew was a massive pain, April had decided fairly early on. She was tired of protein shakes, and craved food she actually enjoyed. Pizza, ice cream. A damn coffee. Her curved hand reached out in a flash, smacking the protein shake bottle and sending it tumbling across the room, but it didn't ease her grumpiness with the situation or improve her ability to focus on trying to revert her damn face.
“Violence is always my first reaction too,” Maya noted both in words and sign. “Kicking the chairs over really helps.”
She’d come down for a visit before classes, not too worried about being late. It was her last year and she’d mostly read forward on all the information being covered.
April let out what would normally be a huff, but was currently a rumbling growl, crossing her arms petulantly as she pushed to her feet and stomped to her bottle. "Hungry," she signed, then pointed at the bottle and sticking what currently passed as her thumb downward before plopping next to her bag and digging out the proloquo Artie had given her. "Liquid food is gross," came out of the speaker several seconds later, then "I miss real food."
“Did they say how much longer?”
Maya looked around for a moment and then dragged one of the comfy chairs closer so she could at least stop standing around like a creeper. She didn’t normally do the visiting people while they were having problems thing but she’d made an exception for April.
"Learning control," the electronic voice said. April shrugged at Maya, then switched to a notepad format and grabbed a stylus, painstakingly but still messily scrawling 'Nobody knows how long I'll be form-locked. I have to learn how to shift back myself, and it SUCKS.'
“Did I ever tell you about the time I almost hit Wade cause he startled me?” Maya asked, signing as well as talking. She took the time to use standard ASL, rather than shorthand. She’d been helping to teach April as part of giving her more communication options lately. “It was when he first came to get me from my Dad.”
April shook her head no, and haltingly signed "Tell me?" She couldn't really cross her legs like this, but she perched on the couch, leaning forward to show her interest.
“It was maybe a week or two after I manifested due to a car accident,” Maya replied, thinking back on that time with a small frown. She’d been terrified, and angry, and worried for her Dad. It had been an absolute bitch of a day to find out her Dad wanted to send her away with a complete stranger. “Dad had called Wade because with everything I couldn’t go with them. So, Wade came and got me.”
April tilted her head, then switched to the proloquo. "And you tried to hit him?"
“Tried to stab him with a steak knife,” Maya noted, eyes distant as she remembered that first meeting. Wade hadn’t held it against her, he’d never held anything against her. Tried his best to connect during those early days. “He’d startled me and my power took over, it was kinda badass honestly. He disarmed me easily.”
April flexed for a moment, tendrils curling into a smiley face. "Strong man?" she asked. "Or mutant powers?”
“Just skill, I think.” Maya replied, signing along with her speech. She’d not thought about that time in so long. They still hadn’t been able to track down the people who were responsible for her Dad’s bounty. If Wade were still around, maybe they might have. It was just another reason to wonder what had happened. Where he was, and what he was doing. “He was a Mercenary, like my Dad, you know?”
"Did not. I knew they exist. Cop kid. Did not know your dad was one." Lack of visible emotion was a great and terrible thing. Her wide white eyes stared unblinkingly at Maya's fingers while they moved, slowly picking up words and phrases even if she couldn't fully replicate them with her own hands.
“It’s why I’m here,” Maya noted with a touch of sadness. “It’s why seeing Forge was like having family back, just for a little while. Only, Wade’s gone and I don’t know where. Dad’s still in hiding with my Gran and Grandpa until they can figure out who’s gunning for them and it’s been years now. And I, well, I guess I decided playing hero was better than just being angry forever.”
"Will help find enemy and win," the electronic voice said. April reached out a few tendrils, patting the back of Maya's hand lightly. "What friends do."
Having a mouth that wasn't made for standard human food sizes and couldn't really chew was a massive pain, April had decided fairly early on. She was tired of protein shakes, and craved food she actually enjoyed. Pizza, ice cream. A damn coffee. Her curved hand reached out in a flash, smacking the protein shake bottle and sending it tumbling across the room, but it didn't ease her grumpiness with the situation or improve her ability to focus on trying to revert her damn face.
“Violence is always my first reaction too,” Maya noted both in words and sign. “Kicking the chairs over really helps.”
She’d come down for a visit before classes, not too worried about being late. It was her last year and she’d mostly read forward on all the information being covered.
April let out what would normally be a huff, but was currently a rumbling growl, crossing her arms petulantly as she pushed to her feet and stomped to her bottle. "Hungry," she signed, then pointed at the bottle and sticking what currently passed as her thumb downward before plopping next to her bag and digging out the proloquo Artie had given her. "Liquid food is gross," came out of the speaker several seconds later, then "I miss real food."
“Did they say how much longer?”
Maya looked around for a moment and then dragged one of the comfy chairs closer so she could at least stop standing around like a creeper. She didn’t normally do the visiting people while they were having problems thing but she’d made an exception for April.
"Learning control," the electronic voice said. April shrugged at Maya, then switched to a notepad format and grabbed a stylus, painstakingly but still messily scrawling 'Nobody knows how long I'll be form-locked. I have to learn how to shift back myself, and it SUCKS.'
“Did I ever tell you about the time I almost hit Wade cause he startled me?” Maya asked, signing as well as talking. She took the time to use standard ASL, rather than shorthand. She’d been helping to teach April as part of giving her more communication options lately. “It was when he first came to get me from my Dad.”
April shook her head no, and haltingly signed "Tell me?" She couldn't really cross her legs like this, but she perched on the couch, leaning forward to show her interest.
“It was maybe a week or two after I manifested due to a car accident,” Maya replied, thinking back on that time with a small frown. She’d been terrified, and angry, and worried for her Dad. It had been an absolute bitch of a day to find out her Dad wanted to send her away with a complete stranger. “Dad had called Wade because with everything I couldn’t go with them. So, Wade came and got me.”
April tilted her head, then switched to the proloquo. "And you tried to hit him?"
“Tried to stab him with a steak knife,” Maya noted, eyes distant as she remembered that first meeting. Wade hadn’t held it against her, he’d never held anything against her. Tried his best to connect during those early days. “He’d startled me and my power took over, it was kinda badass honestly. He disarmed me easily.”
April flexed for a moment, tendrils curling into a smiley face. "Strong man?" she asked. "Or mutant powers?”
“Just skill, I think.” Maya replied, signing along with her speech. She’d not thought about that time in so long. They still hadn’t been able to track down the people who were responsible for her Dad’s bounty. If Wade were still around, maybe they might have. It was just another reason to wonder what had happened. Where he was, and what he was doing. “He was a Mercenary, like my Dad, you know?”
"Did not. I knew they exist. Cop kid. Did not know your dad was one." Lack of visible emotion was a great and terrible thing. Her wide white eyes stared unblinkingly at Maya's fingers while they moved, slowly picking up words and phrases even if she couldn't fully replicate them with her own hands.
“It’s why I’m here,” Maya noted with a touch of sadness. “It’s why seeing Forge was like having family back, just for a little while. Only, Wade’s gone and I don’t know where. Dad’s still in hiding with my Gran and Grandpa until they can figure out who’s gunning for them and it’s been years now. And I, well, I guess I decided playing hero was better than just being angry forever.”
"Will help find enemy and win," the electronic voice said. April reached out a few tendrils, patting the back of Maya's hand lightly. "What friends do."
