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[infamousdelsin]

He hates this place. He hates that he can't leave. He hates that he can't get to the Akomish. It's the first time since Augustine hit them with her concrete power that he's actually felt helpless, and it's a terrible feeling.

He paces his new apartment tensely for a long moment before he swears and runs out the window. He climbs up the side of the building, then hits the roof. There's a neon sign not too far away. Maybe if he drains it, he can try to beat the city's weird Mobius effect. With neon, he can run at the speed of light, right? So maybe he can beat this.

He makes his way to it, heart kicking up in excitement. He can do this. He can do this.

He reaches the sign, holds his hands out—

And stumbles back with a gasp. His hands feel burned, and even as he looks, he can see the red marks start to fade. He pants softly and looks at the sign.

"What the hell!?" he demands. "No. No, no, no, no, this can't be happening." He reaches for the sign again, and lets out a pained sound. He curses and walks in a tense circle as he shakes out his arms.

He's lost neon. How? He hasn't gained a new power, not since concrete . . .

Delsin feels his stomach sink, and he looks around. There are no DUP nearby to drain it from. But he needs to know. If he's lost that, too, then he really is screwed. Because without concrete, the Akomish are going to die. And everything, all of it, even losing Reggie . . . it would have been for nothing.

Delsin shakes his head and he runs for the edge of the building. He needs a TV. If he can drain video, maybe he's still got a chance. He leaps off the edge of the building and lands on the sidewalk beneath it. He gets a few odd looks from the locals, but he ignores them: he's on a mission.

[[ Set to pre-bees, shortly after Delsin arrives in Darrow. He's just discovered that he lost one, possibly three of his Conduit powers and it's freaking him out. He's not on a rampage, but he's definitely on the verge of panic and will need to be calmed down. ST/LT welcome! Closed to top-levels ]]

Comments

[cagedlamb]

"You need a...television?" she asked, not quite believing what she had heard. Elizabeth had come across people with powers beyond just Booker before, but she certainly never heard of a power whose source stemmed from that. Still, in an attempt to be helpful, she suggested, "There should be one in your apartment, shouldn't there? There was one in mine."

[infamousdelsin]

Delsin shrugs, then nods. "Yeah, there is, but uh. I'll prob'ly break it, so . . . better not use that one." He has the sinking feeling he won't be able to absorb the video from it, anyway, and just the thought of that being true has him frustrated. He can't imagine how he'll react if it's actually true.

[cagedlamb]

"Well I would offer mine but I don't want you to break that one either," she said, raising a brow. What exactly he was going to do with them was beyond her. "There's a store that sells them, I think, not far from here, but - I'm not sure it's right to break them without paying."

Wrong, but probably his only option. He seemed upset enough that Elizabeth did feel sympathy.

"But if you want, I can probably show you where it is," she offered, crossing her arms against her chest. "If I may ask - what exactly do you do to the television? It won't explode, will it?"

She didn't want anyone getting hurt because of it, if he was going to pick one that was out in the public.

[infamousdelsin]

"No, it won't explode," he says, though he sounds a bit weary. "Come on, Liz, you gotta show me." He has to know. He has to at least try.

[cagedlamb]

It wasn't as though he wouldn't be able to find it himself eventually if she said no. Elizabeth still wasn't sure about him potentially breaking something that wasn't his, but at least if she's there, she can make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble.

Looking after people has sort of become second nature to her.

"Alright, follow me," she replied, motioning for him to follow as she began walking toward where she thought sh remembered seeing the store.

[infamousdelsin]

Delsin lets out a whoosh of breath in relief. "Thank you," he says. He falls in beside her, letting her lead the way. "Seriously, thank you so much." He'll tell her everything after he tries this, he promises himself. It's the least she deserves after helping him.

[cagedlamb]

Elizabeth nodded her head. If it didn't mean so much to him - whatever he was about to do - she certainly wouldn't approve. But it did, so she hoped they could at least be in and out quickly.

"Don't mention it," she replied. glancing over at him. "Though I am a bit curious how a television could be involved with your...abilities."

[infamousdelsin]

Orrrr she could ask now. He isn't going to deflect the question, though, not while she's helping him. So he takes a deep breath.

"I'm what's called a Conduit where I'm from," he says. "And my . . . core ability, I guess, is copying other Conduits' powers. I can manipulate things. I have the smoke power, still." She's already seen that. "And I had neon, but I guess I lost it. Now I'm looking to see if I still have video and concrete." He glances over at her. "Are you freaking out yet?"

[cagedlamb]

Elizabeth had mostly stopped pretending weird things surprised her. It was nothing like she ever heard before, granted, but the idea of people having extraordinary abilities probably wouldn't phase her even if she hadn't come where she had at this point.

"I've seen a lot of strange things. Nothing really surprises me anymore, especially after being here," she replied, honestly. He would let him draw his own conclusions what she meant. "I saw you jump from a building and not cripple yourself. If I was going to freak out, it would have been then."

[infamousdelsin]

Delsin considers this, then shrugs. "Good point," he agrees. He looks around, hoping to spot their destination soon. It's not like he wants to rush through speaking to Liz, but. He has a mission, and he needs to know.

Even though he already has the sneaking suspicion he does know. It sends his stomach twisting again to think about it.

[cagedlamb]

Elizabeth was sure to keep a brisk pace. She didn't need him to say he was anxious to find out to know he was. And though she still wasn't sure what to expect, she did hope things ended up working as he hoped it would. It didn't take long to get there.

"Here it is," she announced, motioning to the store they were about to be in front of. It was a small electronics store, but she could even see the TVs he could potentially use from the window.

[infamousdelsin]

Delsin jogs eagerly up to the window. The TVs are on, displaying their quality and whatnot. He can't reach them through the glass of the storefront, though. So he looks at Liz and takes her hand to lead her into the store with him.

He slows as he nears the displays and swallows nervously. Untangling his hand, he glances over at her.

"You might want to stand back," he suggests. "Just in case this backfires." The neon had burned a bit. He doesn't know what will happen if he tries and fails to absorb the pixels on the screens in front of him.

[cagedlamb]

Elizabeth was being dragged inside before she even realized what was happening or could react accordingly to it. They luckily didn't draw much attention, which she admittedly worried might happen.

She was, at least, thankfully not blushing when he let go of her hand and looked at her.

"Excuse me, backfire?" she asked immediately, keeping her voice low. All they needed was to be approached when he was...doing whatever it was he was about to do. "...You're not going to get hurt yourself, are you?"

[infamousdelsin]

"Uh, no!" he says, though he doesn't sound all that confident. "No, nah, I'll be fine." He nods and looks around, then reaches a hand towards the TVs. He tries to focus, tries to call up that feeling of need that comes when he's low on energy and needs to re-absorb more.

And it's just like fucking neon. He gets sort of shoved back, like the pixels are denying him, and he stumbles a little and shakes out his hand.

"No, no, no, come on," he mutters. He tries again, this time reaching out both hands. He braces his feet against the floor and grits his teeth, but—

He gasps and jerks back. He almost falls, this time, and has to catch himself on his own leg or risk plowing right into Liz.

[cagedlamb]

Elizabeth frowned but did step back as he requested, watching. She wasn't entirely sure what she was seeing, but it becomes more and more apparent something is wrong. When he stumbles, her hands flying up to try to help steady him.

"Delsin" she exclaimed, wincing at how loud she had just been. She glanced around, glance no one seemed to have noticed. Lowering her voice, she asked, worried, "What happened?"

[infamousdelsin]

Delsin pants heavily. He looks at his hands with a frown that borders on scared. "I lost two of my powers," he says softly. "Maybe . . . maybe three of them." Everything he's done has been for nothing. Everything he's fought for. And everyone in the tribe — Betty — is going to die because of it. Reggie died for nothing.

He can feel his heart starting to pound, panic rising. With it, an orange glow starts up on his hands and smoke begins to swirl around his arms.

[cagedlamb]

The moment she saw the glow, she knew they had to leave. For many reasons, but most of all the safety of him and everyone around him in the store. She kept her hand on his back, regardless of the fact she wasn't sure what being close to him would do if he got worse.

"Listen to me, please. This city is strange and can do things to you nowhere else can," she explained, quickly, hoping to calm him enough to at least get him outside. She isn't sure the extent of his abilities, but she was sure it would certainly not be something that should be used indoors. "Just because it doesn't work here doesn't mean it's gone for good. Take a deep, slow breath."

[infamousdelsin]

He lets her lead him out of the store, moving more or less on auto-pilot. He shakes his head. "You don't understand," he insists. "People are counting on me. I need these powers to get home and save them!"

It sounds dramatic, and maybe it is a little. Delsin's been told, time and again, that leaving is impossible, but he's convinced that using his powers will get him there. With neon, he can run at the speed of light, literally. With concrete, he can break through any obstacle. With video, he can summon that stupid angel minion of Eugene's to back him up. With smoke, he can slip through vents, unseen. Surely some combination of these will get him through this!

But with only smoke, now, there's no way to tell if his theory is right.

By the time they get outside, he's gotten the smoke under control, but he's still tense. He sort of clutches to her arm, like she's the only thing holding him up.

"What 'm I supposed to do?" he asks, voice low and soft.

[cagedlamb]

Elizabeth understood that most people weren't her. Though she rather would be free than here, Darrow would always be her better option than home. It was something she was thinking about as they got outside, getting more than one odd look from worker and patrons alike. She ignored them.

He at least seemed a little better than he had been before. She frowned as she watched him - even though they had basically only just met, it wasn't exactly hard to sympathize.

"I don't know," she said, honestly. It wasn't exactly the best answer, but it was the truth. She'd been here for ages and no one had figured out how to leave. "But I have heard people say others have come here, remembering things beyond what they know. Like they were both home and here at the same time. Maybe that's how things are for you, too."

[infamousdelsin]

That . . . is the first hopeful thing Delsin has heard since arriving. He looks at her, eyes hopeful. "Wait, really?" he asks. "There could be another, another me back home?" Someone could be saving the Akomish, even as they speak. The idea is a huge relief. Betty might not be dying. She might live.

[cagedlamb]

"I can't say for sure, but I do know that's happened to people. It's really the only explanation when you think about how it could be possible they didn't just vanish to the other people," she said. In fact, it was probable. She had seen it before she even came here, the concept of two versions of the same world. This wasn't much different, was it? Of course, the alternate realities that were created often led to disaster, but -

She hoped that wasn't the case. She hoped everyone who wanted to be home was still home as well as here, even if it meant there was some 'her' out there still in Columbia.

"I think everything's fine. Or at least you're fine and helping whoever it is you're worried about, somewhere," she said. She hoped that helped, even a little bit. "I promise I'm not just saying that, either. You can check with others."

[infamousdelsin]

Delsin stares at her, then yanks her into a hug. Betty's okay. That's all that matters right now. Betty's okay, because there's another him back home and he's doing the right thing, even when Delsin's here and feeling totally lost.

He clears his throat and pulls back, moving with an awkward shyness as he realizes that he's kinda just hugged Liz. He pretends he's not wiping his eyes when he is, and shuffles in place.

"Why didn't you just, y'know. Lead with that?" he asks, feigning casual, like the last ten minutes of their lives was no big deal and he didn't just have a breakdown.

[cagedlamb]

Elizabeth was admittedly a little stunned to be hugged. She remained stiff for a moment, a blush creeping up on her face, before she awkwardly reached up and returned the hug lightly until he pulled away.

It wasn't something she was used to, to be sure.

"I'm sorry, I hadn't realized you didn't know and that you were worried about someone back home," she replied, straightening her dress some. It didn't really need to be straightened, but it was something that she could focus on that wasn't his gaze. When she felt like the redness to her cheeks had faded, she cleared her throat and looked up at him. "Are you feeling any better, now?"

[infamousdelsin]

He nods, and he swallows before clearing his throat. "Yeah, um. Thank— thank you." He stuffs his hands into his roo pocket awkwardly.

"My tribe, back home, is, um. They're dying." She didn't ask, but he's telling her anyway, because suddenly he needs to explain himself. "This woman used concrete powers to hurt them to try to get to me, and the only way to save them was to use those same powers." Seeing them, concrete shards sticking out of their legs and arms, their bodies, had been brutal. "So my brother and I went to find the woman. I can copy powers, so I set out. I'd get the powers from her, and save the tribe, or die trying." He lifts one hand, pulling up a little smoke ball. "And I did it. I got her powers. I took her out. And not only did I lose my brother, but I got here before I could even head back to the tribe."

His voice breaks a little on the last word, and he takes a deep breath to try to quash down the rush of grief he's been fighting back since watching him fall into the Pacific, wrapped in his heavy, concrete coffin. He clenches his hand into a fist, and the smoke heats up and flashes bright with fire before he gets it under control again.

"I thought I lost my brother for nothing, y'know? I'm here and the tribe's gonna die, and Reggie's dead for nothing. But if there's another me back home—" Then maybe it isn't for nothing, and Betty and the rest of the Akomish are safe.

[cagedlamb]

Elizabeth could not have even begun to imagine he had such a painful past. She listened quietly as he spoke, allowing him the opportunity to talk about whatever it was he wanted to tell her. When he trailed off, she finally stepped closer and put a comforting, tentative hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry about your brother," she said, softly. She could not imagine losing someone she was close to her, even though it was only recently she begun to have people she cared deeply before in her life. "I know it isn't much, but I can say I have a hard time believing you weren't successful in what you were setting out to do. I hope for everyone's safety."