It's Just Temporary

Brief Title:
IJT

Characters:
Showstopper and Krista

Scene Runner/Watcher:

IC Date:
09/29/2012 19:00

Location:
Bethesda Fountain - Central Park - Manhattan

Summary:
Showstopper and Krista meet up

Social or Plot:

TS:
No

Log:
==[ Central Park - New York ]==

Stretching half a mile wide down two and a half miles of the island, Central Park is the green heart of Manhattan. Despite an occasionally ugly reputation, fewer than a hundred crimes occurred in the entire park last year, and fewer than half of those were committed by strangers - the legendary Central Park mugger is a thing of the past. Instead, the park is a thriving place, filled with artificial lakes, footpaths, joggers, playgrounds, sculpture, children.

There are dozens of landmarks within the Park: the Great Lawn where open-air concerts and rallies are regularly held; Cleopatra's Needle, the obelisk donated to New York by Egypt; the Alice statue north of Conservatory Water, its giant mushroom usually swarmed by climbing kids; Belvedere Castle and Bethesda Terrace and Literary Walk and the Delacorte Theater and one of the last stands of American elms in the northeast - nearly two thousand trees protected from plague by their isolation.

Near the south end of the park, the Imagine mosaic in Strawberry Fields is frequently marked by flowers or candles left by visitors. Nearer the north end, the Reservoir covers a hundred and six acres, almost an eighth of the park's total space - though it no longer provides drinking water for New York residents, a decision that has cut down significantly on the number of supervillain attacks on the Park.

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It's early evening in Manhattan, several hours ago Chenda received a text message from Krista asking her if she could meet her at Bethesda Fountain in Central Park at <insert time here>. She got there a few minutes prior to the time, so sits on the fountains edge waiting for the arrival of her friend.


Chenda, despite her other difficulties, usually has no trouble keeping appointments. This time, however, she has a little trouble getting out of the school, and has to hurry to get to the appointment on time.

When she finally jogs into view, she's dressed in her usual hand-decorated flare-leg denims, a cropped purple longsleeved pullover, and an unfastened black hoodie, along with her usual battered purple gearslinger. At the sight of Krista sitting on the fountain, she lifts a hand and waves over her head, picking up her pace a little. "Krista... sorry I'm late..." she manages to say, coming to a halt and looking at her friend with a faintly consternated expression. Something seems... /different/ somehow.


Something certainly is different and exactly what becomes clear when Krista jumps to her feet. In the past she has always been a good six inches shorter than Chenda now though she is a good four inches taller than the gypsy girl. "Chenda!" she too wears her usual clothing, only now they are a couple of sizes to small. Almost like she grew, put her clothing didn't. Her pants are now long shorts, her shirt and hoodie a crop top with half-sleeves. Turning in a circle barely able to contain her excitement "Look at me, I'm tall!


Chenda's dark eyes widen in astonishment. "Krista? What happened? I mean, you're obviously you, but... well, yeah. Tall." She watches her friend turn in a circle, looking up and down. "How did it /happen/?"

She glances down, then up again. "Oh, and I think we need to do some shopping for you, carrot top. You've grown almost a foot!"



Some of her excitement fades and her shoulder's sag slightly "I wouldn't bother. It's not permanent." Krista stares at her hands, still somewhat in amazement, as if she still isn't used to being taller "So earlier today I ran into this guy down at Coney Island, right." she starts to explain, she nods back to the fountain and goes back to sit on the edge of it "He was obviously a mutant, dressed like a magician and had red skin." she frowns and facepalms "I should have gotten a picture of him. I was in such shock that I completely forgot.



"Aw..." Chenda stretches up and hugs the now-taller girl. "Poor Krista. I wish you could stay this way," she replies softly.

The mention of the mutant draws a thoughtful frown. "Red skinned, dressed like a magician... I wish you'd gotten a picture, too. I know some people who could've identified him. But how'd he make you taller?" She starts to smile again. "I want to know the whole story!"

"Okay, the whole story. Thankfully it isn't too long." Krista takes a deep breath and begins "So, I'm enjoying some free time at the boardwalk at Coney Island and this red skinned guy was there as well." her brow furrows "I should have asked his name..." a shrug "Well, we started to talk and all of a sudden he asked why I was so short instead of what he termed my genetic height." she pauses to make sure Chenda is following the story okay.


"Free time at Coney Island, on the boardwalk, talking to this red guy," Chenda replies, summing up. "And he said you weren't your genetic height... wait, you were smaller before than you were supposed to be?" She's a quick study, something most of her instructors fail to notice because of her difficulty in sitting still. She doesn't take her eyes off of Krista, except to nod once in a while, paying close attention.

Krista gives a nod at the question, "Well if he is to be believed yes." she begins to swing her legs out of habit, but since they actually touch the ground when she sits now it is ineffective so she stops the motion "He seemed to understand my abilities even better then I do. He went on to tell me that my 'gift' is stuck in the on position and that resulted in me being stuck being short. He did something then, not sure what, just stared at me, my mind felt kinda of weird and all of a sudden I'm tall.


Chenda stifles giggles, sitting down next to Krista. "I wonder if he had something there," she muses. "Your body proportions were more like a taller woman's, really. So changing your size is your gift? And he made you tall just by looking into your eyes?"

She frowns. "Something I'm curious about: Why is it just temporary? Did he say anything about it?"


"Yes, one of my abilities is being able to change my size, shrinking in my case." Krista is thoughtful a moment "He didn't say much about more than that. He did imply that my brain trauma was affecting my powers. And that is what causes them to get stuck. If that's true, the next time I use them I will be stuck again. Or at least I can only assume that.


"So your power's not quite right." Chenda frowns thoughtfully. "Times like this, I wish I could do mind-touching stuff. I really wish I could help you." She shuts her eyes, trying to think. "Have you ever tried growing instead of shrinking?"


She gives a slight shake of head "Not in the way you are thinking, no. Obviously I have when I am returning to what I thought was my real size." her expression become dubious "Now though I wonder...and I am afraid if I tried I'd get stuck at that height."


Chenda nods, thinking. "That'd make finding clothes a real problem," she says softly. "Maybe that's something to try in private. But you grew up to this height without any trouble, and if you're going to shrink back down, you're obviously not stuck this way." Logic, Chenda-Style. "And you must enjoy being this height, because you haven't tried to shrink yet. Maybe that's a sign of something."


"No, not yet. Though it just happened earlier today, and I texted you almost immediately after the strange man left. I had to tell someone." Krista lets out a sigh, "And you are one of the few people I know that would understand or be capable of grasping the ramifications." she stares down at herself "I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. It's a lot to take in. Knowing that what I thought I was...is not what I am."

"Wow. You /really/ must've needed to talk to someone," Chenda guesses. "I mean, I'm not the world's greatest empath." She leans over, slipping a comforting arm around Krista's shoulders and drawing her close. "But thank you. I'm glad I could be here."


Krista leans against the now smaller girl, but is careful not to put all her weight into it. Now that she is taller she has noticed that she is even heavier then she was "The trouble with growing to this height was that I couldn't manage it myself, it was done to me." Krista straightens "But you are right about one thing. I do need at least one change of clothes. I don't know how long I will be like this, but for however long it is I would like to wear something that fits." she stands up and offers Chenda a rare smile "Let's go shopping.

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