Generativity

Sitting around a table, I look around the whole group. All of them, so welcoming and nice to me. Some of them have their quirks, like Sheila and Elizabeth, but I can tell that they mean the best. They might not show it, but it’s clear to me that they care.

The menus were rather normal, so it was easy to decide what I wanted. I find it amusing that the android-girl came along. It nice of her to be with us as company, even if she doesn’t eat.

The chatter around the table was pleasant and light. I listened in to the girls when they spoke to one another, and really got a feel for the inner workings between their relationships.

Tiana was the limelight. She always was the first to bring up a topic and usually talked about it the most, too. She moved her hands when she talked and was very expressive in her emotions and reactions.

Sheila was always very serious. It was very rare that a joke made her laugh. When it did happen, the whole group of girls was laughing with her.

Angela wasn’t much of a talker. Unless she was talking to me. She would ask many questions, wanting to find out more about me. It’s not that she would ignore the girls, but she would rather listen to them speak to one another than contribute. She was a social observer, like I was. Content with listening in on all that they are talking about.

Mary was a girl of few words. She usually is in her own mind, whether that be playing with items on the table, bringing out toys, or just staring off into space. Upon occasion, she would suddenly pay attention. At those times, whatever she had to say, everyone paused to listen to her. When she stopped talking, usually to go back to her internal thoughts, the overlapping conversations started up again.

Elizabeth was surprisingly talkative. She still wouldn’t talk to me, but she was completely normal when talking to everyone else. I had to secretively listen to her talk, because if she caught me watching her, I would get her signature Death Glare.

Lucy was a responder. She wouldn’t bring much up, but when asked a question, she would be able to provide a lot of detail and interesting reasons to think about. She was thorough in her explanations and really thought things through.

Madison was just as animated as Tiana, if not more. She and her usually entrapped a different audience, so they spearheaded the 2 major conversations. When the conversations melded into one, it usually ended up being that everyone listened to them two talking back and forth.

The joyous socializing continued well past the food being consumed. I learned a lot about this world and these girls from listening in. What surprised me the most was that almost all of them shared a distaste for Grays. Even Angela didn’t seem to quick to discuss them. Hearing all this, I’m surprised that I didn’t get targeted with this distaste from the beginning. It must have been that Crusader-theory that helped me. It had more impact on my future than I could have ever imagined.

Most of the conversation was nice and informative, though. I learned about other topics, such as the politics here. They have an authority figure called “The Master,” who lives on top of the central pillar. This figurehead is very powerful, and is rumored to wield more than one colour. They are much older than androids, so it isn’t possible that someone created The Master, either. I will always question rumors like this. If someone is in a place of authority, of course some people will idolize them and blow reality out of proportion. This social phenomenon makes getting the truth of any situation really difficult or annoying.

Then, as dessert was being served, I asked the question that has been on my mind for a long time, “How did you girls get your powers?”

I did not expect them to all look at me, nor did I expect the silence that fell over the table.

“That’s a fair question,” Angela broke the silence, “would you like us to tell you the whole story?”

They all seemed alright with sharing, so I let them tell me everything.

“We all attended grade school together. It soon became clear that we were different than other students. Our school was primarily Grays. Slowly, our colour showed up, just as yours did. All of us were good friends. Grays are hard to get along with, even at this young age. They noticed that we were beginning to develop powers, that we were different. They hated that. Their jealousy drove them to pick on us.” Angela started the story.

Then, everyone focused on Mary as she spoke up. “They would make fun of me for bringing my toys to school. I always loved playing with them. At recess, or in class, I would play because that’s what I love to do. The Grays picked on me, but my friends, these girls, would stand up for me.”

There was a pause in the group as she finished speaking. The spell of her voice faded away and Tiana continued the story. “I would quickly grow angry at these bullies. I was known for my temper and they prodded fun at it. They made it a game to make me angry, and I would end up in fights that I couldn’t win. Many days I would end up hurt from their retaliation, and I was always seen as the one who started it.”

Angela told her part next. “I would take care of Tiana’s wounds, I always felt so bad for her. She would get scrapes and bruises. Those bullies were so uncaring. I began carrying around bandaids, just because I knew she was likely to get in another fight. We grew closer as a group through these tribulations.”

Elizabeth told her point of view as well. “I would sit alone, never feeling right amongst the Grays. I had no interest to talk to them, I knew how despicable they were. But I watched these 4 girls grow close and blossom. I wanted something like that, so I approached them. To my surprise, they let me join their group. Eventually, I trusted them enough to tell them what was going on at home. My family’s relationship was really bad. I always wanted to retreat to my room, to get away. These girls gave me a place to go. Many days, I wouldn’t have to go home. I would stay over at their houses, so glad to have an excuse to be away, and friends I can trust.”

Sheila was the last girl to tell her part of the story. “The last days of school, the bullies got much worse. They were picking on us, the situation escalating quickly. I stood in front, protecting the rest from their antics. They tried to push me and hit me once they found out their words weren’t doing anything to me. Surprisingly enough, the more they tried to hurt me, the less it hurt. That’s when I noticed the playground was lit up. Red flowed to me, creating an indestructible barrier around my body. The Grays freaked out. They loathed us, now that they knew we had powers.”

Each girl told how their powers sprung up after that. Tiana’s impulsive anger drew out her control over Pink, the strength power she has now. Angela was able to heal wounds, with a new Yellow power. Elizabeth could retreat somewhere where her family would never be able to find her, with her Violet power. And Mary was able to play with even more toys at once, with her Bright Blue power. The last one made me chuckle. Perhaps she really doesn’t know the extent of which her power can control.

Our conversations were wrapping up. I had almost finished my sweet cake that I ordered. My fork stabbed into the cake. I didn’t want any more, but I found myself raising up a chunk of cake any way. I casually moved it to the right. The table looked at me as I fed the piece of cake to Mary, who sat beside me. Astonishment passed my face only moments later, when I went to get her another bite. This wasn’t me purposely doing this. Again, I found myself serving the little girl. She was short even sitting down, her legs dangling off the ground. All around the table, they chuckled at Mary’s antics. Either she specifically wanted me to do this for her, or I’m especially just especially gullible to to her influence. She took another bite and I laughed along with the rest of the girls.

After we were done being entertained by Mary, we had to get me a place to stay. Lucy reminded me that I would spend a day with each girl, so they could teach me how to build those important neural pathways to access the power I now held. Angela volunteered to be first, so it looks like she will set me up with bed. The band of girls all said their goodbyes, most of them exchanging hugs. I got another hug around the waist from Mary. Death didn’t hug me, but waited for her so she and Mary could walk together. The little girl held Death’s hand as they walked away. Soon, it was just me and the gorgeous angel standing alone.

“I live this way. I’m excited to teach you about the area we live in, power, and all that.” She graced me with one of her soothing smiles. Her cheerful expression was something that would never leave my memory. As long as I don’t randomly wake up in a warzone again, that is.

She offered her hand and I, amazed, held it. We walked together, hand in hand, to her house. Life just gets better and better.

That statement couldn’t have been more true. That’s when I saw it. The lights. A neon city, only lit up by an endlessly complicated pattern of colours. Dusk had fallen.

“Oh my Grid…” I said in astonishment. The term just slipped into my vocabulary for whatever reason.

“Do you want to go see it better? We don’t have to go straight home…” She offered, squeezing my hand as we look out at the gorgeous sight.

“I’d love to,” I replied breathily. The view was so amazing, I could watch it all night and not grow weary. The tall skyscrapers blended into the black sky, the only thing giving away their presence was the lights that traveled along their exterior. I marveled at the way the light looked. Maybe it was my imagination, but colour looked a lot more vibrant ever since I encountered Blood Orange.

She led me to one of the buildings. We entered through the front door, and I saw that the interior of the building was lit with these channels as well. Their constant energy buzzed around me. Occasionally I would encounter one of the colours passing by one of my senses. Maybe a hint of a smell, a tingle of my skin, reverberation in my ears, the taste of power on the tip of my tongue. It was subtle, but I was acutely aware of how much power was around me.

She pressed a button on the wall and it opened up, revealing an elevator. We got inside and waited for the door to close. She pressed the top floor and our ascent was rapid. We stepped out and I realized where we were. The roof. We walk to the edge of the building and she puts an arm around me. The wind blows up the face of the building and over the top, tousling my hair. I put an arm around her, my grip tight. What I see is the most impressive visual yet. Seeing over the city. Looking down at something that used to be endlessly tall. I saw pillars that were monstrosities on the ground, and now they look like protrusions from the very earth itself. Everything is reaching up for us. We are so far up, even if it were day I’m not too sure I could see the ground. My breath has been stolen from my chest. My heart pounds a deep throbbing fear, mixed with excitement.

Yellow lights up the ground around us, and the lovely angel touches my chest with her other hand. Wonderful relief passes through my body. I feel so safe in this goddess’s embrace. I can’t even think rational thoughts, everything is so surreal. Angela isn’t looking out at the view, I notice. She’s looking at me. I turn to meet her gaze. My vision gets a warm, yellow hue. I taste liquid gold. Before my body moves at all, my mind catches up. No, kissing her now is too soon. I can’t do that.

So I don’t. And she didn’t push me to. We just ended up looking at each other for a while.

I knew it was what she wanted, but I was too embarrassed to bring it up. It was obviously why she brought me up here. She gave me a great chance, and I’m already starting to regret it. Now it’s too late. Her power dimmed and faded. We stayed close, but it wasn’t the same as when we first saw the over the edge.

“This is spectacular…” I broke the silence with a whisper. She nodded her head and tucked it into my chest. Dang it, why am I such a fool. I could have easily picked up on the clues. It’s not like she was subtle about it. It’s clear she didn’t want to rush me, or she would have made the first move. I’m still bummed about being so timid.

She stayed like this, pressed up against me. I absentmindedly moved my fingers across her back, still a little mad at myself. I still feel like I can’t make myself kiss her, even though everything is in my favor to do so.

After awhile of basking in the serenity, we started to get cold. The wind that made her hair flow gloriously in the wind also made it hard to spend a long time out on the roof of this high-rise.

“You cold?” I asked her, her face hasn’t looked up at me since the unfortunate reluctance I showed.

“Yeah, we’d better get going,” she said, meeting my gaze. Luckily it didn’t look like anything was out of the normal. It’s possible she looked a little… disappointed. That could be my imagination, but it most likely isn’t. We waited in the elevator, the way down was just as rapid. I could swear I felt my feet lift off the floor just a little bit. She didn’t make me hold her hand this time, but I liked it, so I willingly reached out to hold hers. I saw a smile from that, so I think we’re good. It was all alright after all. We step off the elevator, hands entwined again. We walk back through the colourful interior. It is a jumble of every colour, so I suspect this is some residential building.

It was a bit of a walk to her house, so we got to talk a bit.

“How did you enjoy dinner?” The lovely lady asked.

“Ah, the food was great! But I think the best part was all the talking around the table. It was a great time. Especially when Mary used her power! That was way too funny.” I talked excitedly. I really did have a great time with these Guardians.

“Yeah, she sometimes uses power without realizing it. She a good girl, though, so she is harmless.”

We continued talking all the way to her house. I was so focused on our conversation that I didn’t realize we had already arrived. She giggled as the realization crossed my face.

“You live here?” The beautiful house was nothing like I imagined. I was standing in front of a staircase that spiraled up a tree. In the branches, a mansion of a house could be seen through the leaves and vines. Glowing torches cast soft yellow light all along the structure. Viewport windows speckled the upper loft of the treehouse. We have been walking for a while, so it makes sense that we are at the further parts of the village where the houses are wooden. The sleek looking wood felt normal to walk on. She took my hand as we ascended the stairs.

I’m starting to like when she guides me along. It makes me feel, I dunno, important to her or something. That’s silly to say, I already know that she has a big heart. But I like to feel special. I don’t know what would be special about me, but it’s sure unusual to be treated that way. Wonderful, but strange nonetheless.

As I entered into her house through an elegant wooden door, I instantly felt that weirdness. The same one I felt on top of the building. I was now in her house, something that could be as intimate as the moment we shared on that roof. That made me feel a little nervous. Not that I was against those feelings. I would be silly to turn down a beautiful, amazing girl like Angela. I just get nervous that everything will turn out right. That I won’t make a mistake and ruin everything.

The inside of the house was just as astounding. Little tables and cupboards seemed to grow straight out of the surrounding walls and floor. The tree looked like it was shaped into a house while growing.

“This is beautiful…” I whispered, not sure why I quietly said it. We walked through the halls and she gave me a tour. It was like she was a tree elf, living in such an extravagant treehouse.

“How does your colour get here?” I ask, not seeing any of those etched lines anywhere.

“See the lights? She pointed and my eye followed to one of the pretty lamps. It was just a small ball of yellow, casting a warm light over the surroundings. That’s when I saw Yellow travel along the grain of the tree, making all the lights in the house grow. Their bright light must be the colour traveling through the air to her. I looked at her and saw it coming up through the floor, along with enveloping her in an aura of yellow. The grain of the wood was just like her markings, much more fluid and intricate. I don’t know if it is a coincidence or on purpose.

“Your markings, they’re so beautiful.” I say, entranced by her. She blushes, embarrassed. I step closer, not really thinking. She retracts back from me, her power flaring up even more. Oops. I wanted to get a better look, but I ended up making her feel uncomfortable.

“Sorry,” She apologizes before I’m able to say anything. Well, I could have probably said something, but I was still taken aback from her reaction. She takes a breath and steps closer, still channeling power.

“Using my power makes emotions so… confusing.” She is close enough for me to see how her colour flows through her, in long sweeping curves.

“How so?” I say earnestly, wanting to understand how it felt to use power.

“I feel so much more. I am more aware, everything is crystal clear when I am using power. It helps in battle, allowing us to make quick decisions. But when I’m around you, I don’t want to make a quick decision. I want you to decide, for you to go at your own pace.” The meaning of what she was trying to get across hit me like a brick. She was holding back for me. Not only that, but she just admitted that she liked me, in a way. The nerves I had came rushing back. I don’t know what to do, what to say. And I don’t want to stay silent, that could be even worse!

“That’s so mature of you. It means a lot to me that you are so respectful.” I said, meaning the words as they came together. I didn’t want to give off hints that I was leaning one way or another, because I myself didn’t know if I liked her in that way.

Luckily for my nerves, she was ok to let it off at that. I think I would have burst if I would have had to talk more in depth about that.

It was pretty darn late, so I was glad when she showed me my room. It was a cute guest room, complete with a wardrobe, bed, window, and desk. The desk had a lamp on it, emitting the same yellow glow. She told me just to touch it to turn it off. How the heck it worked was beyond me, but I at least could understand that this was a constant Yellow, just how the city was lit up at night. She also told me where the bathroom was as we passed it. I went there first, getting ready for bed. I reflected on my crazy day. So much happened in the amount of time I can remember.