victormakesart | (no subject)

(no subject)

Vic's been spending time on the spa planet, not to do spa things, but to spend time barefoot with the birds people, to meditate, and try to be less miserable.

But everytime she sees one of the little feathered kids, with their round healthy bellies, she can't help thinking about a few nights ago, the rescue mission, what was on the floor.

She's been spending a lot of time helping them garden the greens and harvest the rocks that give them the calcium that they need. But she needs another perspective, needs to get out of her head.

So she invited a military man over, someone who might know what she's going through. She doesn't want to burden Cole, Clark's been through enough, and she's sure James wouldn't even know what to say to her.

Most of the swelling has gone out of her face, now there's just a purplish bluish blotch on her right cheek. She waits.

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"No, never!" she chirps, grabbing onto his wrist with both hands. "You did, though? What's the story?"

"No one story, just lots of gettin' tossed out on my ass. Usually stickin' up for girls getting harassed by strange dudes. Most guys don't think much of a scruffy guy in a wheelchair, but I gave 'em hell."

"I bet you did! I do that kinda thing sometimes, too, but I can get away with just pretendin' to be her gal pal and whiskin' her off to the bathroom."

"Yeah, that didn't work so well for me. Much rather knock the bastard on his ass and show him he's not the toughest."

"You got the muscles to go along with that claim." Victor flexes her arm. She's got wiry muscles, nothing to sneeze at but nothing half-impressive, either.

"Yeah, but you gotta remember, I was a lot smaller then. Had my puny little human arms." In reality, of course, his arm muscles were well developed from having to push his chair, although his legs didn't turn out so well.

"Psh. Puny little Marines arms. Even as a human, you were like twenty times more awesome than I am."

He shrugs. "Well that's all behind me anyway. And I'm just fine with that."

"Yeah. 'Cause things change, and this was a really good change."

"You ever spent time in another body?" he asks, figuring with the Nexus, you never know.

"Yeah, a few times. Once with a... with a Clark Kent. Well. Twice. Different Clarks, though. Have you met him?"

"Sure have. That's April's guy." While he wasn't quite able to attend the wedding, as he'd stick out like a thing that really sticks out, he did get to visit with her at the Nexus-side reception. And also has no clue that there's a little Kent on the way, either.

"Yeah! Yeah, April's fellow. That was amazing. I got to be so strong, and fast, and brilliant." She sounds kind of wistful and kind of sad and kind of mournful. "It felt like... being whole."

"Yeah, that's basically how I felt the first time I got in this one," he says with a nod, and thumps his hand against his bare chest. "It's a hell of a thing."

"Yeah. I miss it." She chews down at the bottom of her lip. "Being amazing, I mean. And so strong and so capable, and beautiful and right."

"Yeah?" He tilts his head as he listens.

"What'd he think about it?" Getting in an avatar isn't the same, there's no switch of consciousness. You're transmitting into an empty body, basically. An unconscious creature of pure instinct, if anything.

"He was in my body, and in a large amount of physical pain. He had to be careful in my body. I felt really bad for him. He definitely got a rotten trade."

"Yeah, no offense, but I wouldn't wanna do that either. My old body sucked enough."

"Yeah. I don't blame you. My body sucks a lot."

"Ever think about upgrading for keeps?"

"I'm... attached to my imperfections. I've grown fond of my scars. The things that make me ugly. I'm proud of them. The pain, though, the weakness, certain other things, I wouldn't mind givin' that a shift."

"You should have a talk with some of the eggheads from my old Earth. They can fix most of that. I don't got a way to get back though, and chances are I'd be shot on sight, but it'd be nice if you could."

"Yeah, I'm thinkin' of getting cortisone injections or something to maybe cushion the joints. And I think I'm about as strong as I can get, you know? But I'd love to be stronger. I feel like... maybe like goin' somewhere else would be cheating. I'd feel... guilty, maybe. I've lived so long with it."

"What, and that means you shouldn't take an opportunity if it comes up?" He pokes her lightly in the shoulder.

"That's not it. It just seems too easy. I feel like I don't-- hm. I don't deserve things to be that easy for me. Why do I deserve to be pain free more than anyone else?"