open post: averageness

[tallyyoungblood]

Tally's first clue that it hadn't been a dream was that she'd woken up alone in her room.

Nowadays, she and Gideon have been sharing a room, so that Tally can protect her from ever finding a body alone again--and maybe conspicuously leave out some clothes that fit Gideon but aren't, like, ratty black pants. That day, though, she'd woken in an empty room, gasping from something that felt like a nightmare, but somehow more vivid than real life.

Without even getting dressed, she'd run for the woods to confirm what had happened. Horror had flooded her when she found the knife-mark, exactly where she remembered throwing it yesterday. It was true. She'd been Special. She'd been awful. She'd seen and felt the world with more harsh clarity than she'd ever thought possible. She'd hit Gideon.

Tally had collapsed onto the stump, gripping her own arms to make sure her familiar, average body was still there.

Over the next few days, Tally doesn't sleep well, and people getting swapped out for a second time doesn't help. People might find her wandering the mansion like a zombie, or in one of the kitchens, contemplating getting drunk. She's not as put together as usual, either, but of course on her even bedhead and sweats look beautiful.

Comments

[summerdude]

"What, that you were close to ending up like the other you?"

[tallyyoungblood]

"Yeah. Or like it could still happen, now."

[summerdude]

"How? We don't have that kind of, like, um, setup here. There's no way to turn you into her." It's much more likely that he'll become him.

[tallyyoungblood]

"I rewired myself once," Tally says. "Like, I cured myself of being pretty-minded. The pill I took didn't do anything by itself, it turns out. I don't know, maybe if I'm not careful and I try too hard to be bubbly I'll come out closer to Special."

[summerdude]

Magnus frowns. This does seem like a cause for concern. "So you, like, healed your brain? Are Specials, like, healed even further or something?"

[tallyyoungblood]

"I think it's more that they're damaged different," Tally says thoughtfully. "But I don't think surge is the only thing that can rewire you. The pre-Rusties didn't have brain surge, and they turned out all kinds of dictators and stuff. Obviously, I can't become fully Special by myself, but I could become. You know. Kind of a dick."

[summerdude]

"Yeah, I don't know that much about brains," says Magnus. "But I can't see you becoming a, like, dictator or whatever."

[tallyyoungblood]

"You have to stop me if I do," Tally says, only semi-joking. "You were right not to tell me who you were when I was evil."

[summerdude]

Magnus hesitates. "The other me was just... crumbly at you?" he asks. "Galahad and Hanguang-jun hated him."

[tallyyoungblood]

"He was mostly boring. He was... like you, but without any of the interesting parts. Sort of like a middle pretty, actually. He reminded me of a teacher. Galahad's, like, your best friend forever, right? Maybe it was like when I tried to hang out with Peris--my old best friend--when he was a pretty and I was still an ugly. It felt totally wrong."

[summerdude]

"Maybe." Magnus sounds doubtful though.

[tallyyoungblood]

"I'm surprised Lan Wangji didn't like him. Lan Wangji is a total middle pretty."

[summerdude]

"Okay, what exactly is a middle pretty?"

[tallyyoungblood]

"I'm a new pretty. You get to be a new pretty from age sixteen until, like, whenever you get tired of partying all the time. Then you become a middle pretty. Get married, move to the burbs, take the exams and get a job. Have a kid. When you get really old, you become a late pretty. A crumbly. Neither of those are full-body surge like becoming a pretty in the first place, but they give you a couple wrinkles and stuff so you look wise and calm."

[summerdude]

"Your world sounds so weird," Magnus breathes. "Um, no offense."

[tallyyoungblood]

"Yours is pretty weird, too," Tally says. "At least when you die in mine you don't get a pretty operation for ghosts."

[summerdude]

Magnus laughs. "Touche," he says. "Tell you what. We can be each other's, like, vibe check, how's that?"

[tallyyoungblood]

"Deal," Tally says, sticking out her hand. It feels good to make a promise, like a tangible reminder of their friendship.

[summerdude]

Magnus takes it and shakes it firmly. "If you start acting like a huge dick," he promises, "I'll call you out. And you call me out if I start acting all, like, boring and distant and over it or whatever."

[tallyyoungblood]

"Got it. I'll be on bogusness alert."

[summerdude]

"Deal."

[tallyyoungblood]

"He wasn't all bad, though. He gave me some good advice."

[summerdude]

"Oh yeah?" Magnus asks, relieved that his alternate self might not have been the total worst. "Like what?"

[tallyyoungblood]

"He said to take you seriously and not think you're mad at me when you aren't."

[summerdude]

Okay, this takes Magnus aback! He blinks. "Why would I be mad at you?"