Years: 1965 // 2019
Location: Syracuse, NY // Chinatown NYC, NY
Time: Mid-Afternoon. // Mid-Afternoon
Irealia would push Amelie into the gateway before following closely behind her - making sure to close the gateway after stepping into it. Unlike when they use their magic to time travel and the portal closes behind them after a slight delay once they reach their intended location, when using a gateway to teleport within the current time-line they have to both open and close the gateway.
”Hey!” Amelie called out as she stumbled out into the alley. ”Don’t push me like that next time!”
Irealia would apologize as she closed the gateway and then turned to walk to where the tear in time was further down the alley, however before either of them could move a voice startled them.
”Good afternoon ladies. I think we all know and can accept that we do not belong here, in this time.”
Both Irealia and Amelie would simply stare wide eyed at the man who suddenly spoke to them, shocked more than scared. However after several seconds Amelie would recognize him as not only the officer from the boutique, but the man from Sears.
”It’s him” she’d whisper, causing Irealia to narrow her eyes at him as he continued to talk.
”I think we also know that I am able to find you, trace you. Coincidences are real, but limited, so it is no accident we are here now, face to face.
I would like to invite you to my organization. We are interested in your mode of transportation. I extend the invitation to both of you. So it’s up to you. You can come now willingly, or we keep up this cat and mouse game”
As the man took a dramatic pause Irealia would walk up beside Amelie and whisper softly to her in French.
”Donne moi ton sac.”
Confused as to why Irealia wanted her purse Amelie would ask why, but Irealia simply repeated herself, albeit more sternly.
Without any further hesitation Amelie handed her bag to Irealia, reminding her, in French, that Lux was inside it.
”I know, that’s the point.
Once again confused Amelie wanted to inquire about what Irealia meant, however the man speaking up again would grab her attention.
”But I promise, the next time the cat catches the mouse, I will not ask as friendly.”
Irealia smirked as she walked towards the man, stopping mere feet in front of him.
”Well, Tom, as it so goes in the show, every single episode Tom can never quite catch Jerry - who is always one step ahead of him. So, on behalf of all the mice around the world, I humbly decline your invitation.”
Seconds after she declined the invitation from the stranger, Irealia would take Amelie’s purse and knock the man over the head with it - causing him to fall to his knees.
”Irealia!” Amelie cried out as she jogged over to her friends side.
”Don’t worry, Lux’s handle is made of metal - it’s fine.” Irealia said rather casually, causing Amelie to nudge her in the side before lecturing her.
”It’s not that, you just knocked him in the head, are you crazy?”
The fiery red head would roll her eyes before handing Amelie her purse back and telling her, in French, to find the tear and get them out of here.
Amelie would stare at the man on his knees - struggling to keep upright, and then stare at her friend, before jogging several yards down the alley to where the tear was.
Her emotional state high, Amelie would close her eyes for what felt like an eternity to enter a heightened state of being.
The energy radiating from her in her heightened state usually turned her eyes white and caused her hands to glow brightly, however this time her entire body was outlined with a ring of bright white energy, and energy encased nearly every strand of hair on her head, causing her hair to glow almost as brightly as her white eyes.
When she touched the tear in time it instantly opened to the size of a full portal, something Amelie wasn’t used to. She usually had to focus and manipulate the energies around the tear for a brief period of time before it expanded , but in this moment the creation of the portal was almost instant.
Meanwhile, behind her Irealia lifted the groggy mans face up by his chin and leaned down so that their noses nearly touched.
”Cats have nine lives, consider this your first. You’d be wise to let the mice be, for next time we won’t be so nice.”
After her sarcastic remark Irealia would kick the man in his side - causing him to fall to the ground.
Having heard the scuffle behind her Amelie turned around and ran back toward Irealia, who was quickly searching the man’s pockets. After finding nothing she’d stand up just in time to meet Amelie.
”What did you do!?”
Ignoring her friend Irealia grabbed the bag from Amelie’s hand, took out Lux, and walked towards the portal.
”We’re leaving, now.”
Amelie would watch as her mentor walked over toward the portal, and as she began to smooth the edges of the portal out with the energy radiating from Lux, Amelie would turn back towards the man and kneel down on the ground so that she could roll him over. ”She’s not a bad person, she’s just trying to protect herself and…all of us.” she whispered to the man she assumed was unconscious.
Without thinking Amelie would pull the man’s head into her lap and place one of her hands on the back of his head.
”Come on!” Irealia called out, as she made Lux’s light blade go back inside it’s base.
”I’m sorry.” Amelie said to the man, suddenly feeling responsible for everything that had happened today, from the sexual assault to Irealia assaulting the man whose head she now held in her lap.
Unconsciously Amelie would place her free hand over an open wound on his forehead, covering it from the elements and cradling the mans head in-between her two hands. She’d apologize to the stranger once again before removing her hands from him so she could gently move him from her lap, however after she pulled back her hand from his forehead she was startled to see the open gash on his head was suddenly sealed.
Frightened she’d quickly move his head onto a nearby comforter discarded in the alley and stand, staring wide-eyed at her hand glowing brighter than she had ever seen it glow before…however, her train of thought was interrupted by Irealia grabbing her from behind.
”I’m not asking again, I will drag you inside this portal if I have to!”
Amelie would pull herself out of Irealia’s grasp and begin to follow her friend and mentor down the alley toward the portal. Halfway there she’d turn around and stare back at the man still laying on the ground, her facial expression showing a great amount of regret, but as she looked at him she could have sworn his eyes were open, a sight that suddenly caused her to sense the urgency of her predicament and jog towards Irealia and their portal home.
As the two women walked out of the portal and back into Amelie’s room they’d remain silent.
Irealia would undress down to her bra and underwear before falling back onto the bed and staring up at the ceiling.
Amelie on the other hand would walk into her bathroom and close the door. She’d strip out of her clothes completely and stare at herself in the mirror. She remained in her heightened state, a seemingly more elevated heightened state at that.
Amelie noted how her hair was glowing, and how the light usually restricted to around her extremities now outlined her entire body.
After nearly a minute of simply staring at herself she’d in an instant fall out of her heightened state and back to her normal self. She'd sigh before turning the water on at the sink in front of her and washing her face.
”I don’t understand, did I heal him?” she thought to herself as she dried her face.
”No, that would be crazy.”
As she walked out of the bathroom Amelie would lock eyes with her friend, who was now sitting up at the end of the bed.
”You know, it’s quite cold in here - you might want to cover those things up.” Irealia joked as she stared at her mentee's bare chest. Amelie rolled her eyes and walked over toward her dresser where she pulled out a thin white “I ❤ NYC” t-shirt and slipped into it.
”We need to talk.” was all she’d say, before walking out of her room and back down to the first floor, where she’d poor herself a glass of her grandmother’s wine in the Kitchen and then flounce down on the couch.
A minute or so later Irealia would come walking down the stairs, still in nothing but her undergarments, and sit down beside Amelie - who had already downed half the glass of wine.
Her mentor would begin to apologize for her drastic actions, but Amelie cut her off and began to tell her about her elevated heightened state, how she instantly created the portal, and how she had seemingly sealed the gash on the man’s forehead.
”I don’t know how, I don’t know what I did, but he had a gaping wound with blood running down the side of his head.…and when I removed my hand the wound was sealed and the blood dried onto his skin.” she’d say, before downing the rest of her wine in one swig - slamming the glass down on the coffee table in front of her when she was done.
”Irealia I don’t understand, I’m scared. What am I?”
Her friend would slide over towards her, sensing the anxiety as tears began to form in Amelie’s eyes. Irealia's concern quickly caused her to pull Amelie's head down toward her chest where she'd hug her tight.
”You’re you, don’t be scared, you’re so very special Amelie.”
For the next half hour Irealia would explain that what enabled both of them to enter their heightened states of being where they were able to see the energy particles around all of humanity, and manipulate them - as well as tears in the fabric of space and time - to traverse time and great distances, was sorcery, manipulation of magic that ran in their blood - inherited from generations long ago. She spoke of others who were able to manipulate their magic to do various things outside of time travel - from creating shields or projectiles out of pure energy, to healing. Irealia then explained how she manipulated the energy around them to create a gateway in the bathroom earlier, without a tear in time.
”So wait, to what extent can you manipulate the energy around you?” Amelie asked, causing Irealia to smile broadly.
”Quite a bit. But no matter how hard I have practiced, and no matter how hard I have tried, I could never heal myself. The stories of those like us who can use their powers to heal, they’re so few and far between, which leads me to think it’s quite rare indeed, and requires an elevated heightened state that apparently most of us can’t reach. But you, you reached it Amelie. Do you understand how special that makes you?”
Her mind began to wander as she thought about which parent she inherited her abilities from, whether they traveled time like she did, what she could do with her power, and whether or not she’d ever be able to reach that elevated heightened state again. However Amelie’s mind finally settled on the last image of that man in the alley way.
”Whether I’m special or not, we have a problem. That man, he knows what we’re doing, he saw us teleport and I’m positive he saw us leave.
He said he was from some organization? Are they following us? Have you ever heard of such an organization?”
Irealia sighed at the rapid fire questions as she ran both her hands through her hair.
”So many questions, before we have this conversation I think we could use something a bit stronger than the wine your grand-mum keeps in this place. Wanna get dressed and come with, or should I go out on my own and meet you back here in say 15 minutes or so?”
Amelie scooted further into the couch cushion and pulled her knees up to her chest. ”I think I’ll stay put. Be quick though?”
Irealia nodded before jogging back up the stairs to get dressed.
As Amelie turned the living room television on and began to let her thoughts wander, upstairs Irealia would pull out her phone and open up the Plethora forums. Unbeknownst to Amelie she had taken a picture of the man as she held his head up.
She’d include the encrypted photograph in a thread simply titled “Do you recognize this man?.”
As the owner of the site she’d pin the thread to the very top of the forum and mark it urgent, before getting dressed.
Once fully clothed Irealia would grab her phone and wallet and slide them into her pockets before head back downstairs.
”Be back asap, any preference in drink?” Irealia asked as she stood in the doorway.
”Jack.” was all Amelie would say, and Irealia would giggle softly to herself before walking out the loft and closing the unlocked front door behind her.