Dusty nodded to Walker's offering to help, crossing the door confidently - but flinching a bit at being called 'buddy'. Was that a bit sudden for them who just met to be so close? As usual the big guy overthought it, but came to the proper conclusion as always. Even if it felt awkward, Walker was going to be his roommate - and compared to what he'd gone through already, the friendship was a literal oasis in the desert. Plus if they got along it's where they'd be headed anyways, right? He'd bear with the sudden closeness, and surely it wouldn't be long before it felt natural.
Of course, the taste in joking might take a while to get used to. Didn't help that Walker was half-right.
"Ah, heh, good one," Dusty said. "Windowless van. I was probably just hungry and missed it."
When they arrived, Dusty had already resigned himself not to expect much if the decor and food of their own house was anything to go on - instead, he was much more interested in people-watching the other Emps browsing the shelves nearby. There seemed to be a mix of old and young, pairs and singles -- and most obvious to him, normal looking and clearly different.
When he saw Walker snacking, he spoke a thought aloud: "Do we have to sign off on this stuff or can we just take it?" Although without waiting for an answer, he reached for a nearby plain-looking bag of banana chips and put the whole thing in his mouth, wrapper and all. Had his mouth always been that big?
The 'pop' of the bag breaking came first, and then the faint sound of chewed-up bananas and cardboard. Dusty waited for his mouth to be mostly empty before explaining himself: "...I gotta know how filling these are to know how many to take."
Of course, the taste in joking might take a while to get used to. Didn't help that Walker was half-right.
"Ah, heh, good one," Dusty said. "Windowless van. I was probably just hungry and missed it."
When they arrived, Dusty had already resigned himself not to expect much if the decor and food of their own house was anything to go on - instead, he was much more interested in people-watching the other Emps browsing the shelves nearby. There seemed to be a mix of old and young, pairs and singles -- and most obvious to him, normal looking and clearly different.
When he saw Walker snacking, he spoke a thought aloud: "Do we have to sign off on this stuff or can we just take it?" Although without waiting for an answer, he reached for a nearby plain-looking bag of banana chips and put the whole thing in his mouth, wrapper and all. Had his mouth always been that big?
The 'pop' of the bag breaking came first, and then the faint sound of chewed-up bananas and cardboard. Dusty waited for his mouth to be mostly empty before explaining himself: "...I gotta know how filling these are to know how many to take."
"If I remember right..." Walker said as he was in the midst to chewing, his face momentarily contorting from the overload of tart dried cherries. "...I think we do. If it is like all the other places I've been to that cater to us displaced Emps we gotta tell them what we take so they know how much to ask from the government in return. But seeing as this is the government we're taking from it should just be for inventory purposes." Walk said before shoveling another palmful of the dark red bits into his mouth.
Walker watched in mild fascination as Dusty's otherwise featureless face suddenly spread wide open as he engulfed an entire bag of banana chips - he hadn't even bothered to open the package either! Walker decided to play it cool and not say anything about it just yet - they still had plenty of time to talk about plenty of things over the coming foreseeable future. "...Fair enough." Walker said as he walked along the aisles until he came across a stack of shopping baskets. Walker picked up one and began his hunt for food that he thought he would actually be able to stomach.
"So..." Walker said after a little while. "...Where'd you come from? Before here I mean, I doubt very many of us remember where we are really from." Walker asked as he picked out some "100% Juice" juice packets, though the label misleading - it only had 50% according to the back.
Walker watched in mild fascination as Dusty's otherwise featureless face suddenly spread wide open as he engulfed an entire bag of banana chips - he hadn't even bothered to open the package either! Walker decided to play it cool and not say anything about it just yet - they still had plenty of time to talk about plenty of things over the coming foreseeable future. "...Fair enough." Walker said as he walked along the aisles until he came across a stack of shopping baskets. Walker picked up one and began his hunt for food that he thought he would actually be able to stomach.
"So..." Walker said after a little while. "...Where'd you come from? Before here I mean, I doubt very many of us remember where we are really from." Walker asked as he picked out some "100% Juice" juice packets, though the label misleading - it only had 50% according to the back.
Dusty chewed, chewed and finished; he licked his chops with a long, green tongue. A piece of the chip bag was left on his lip, but only for a moment before the lingering acid it was coated in melted it into nothingness. "Fine, fine," He said -- peeling the label of the chips right off the shelf to take it for later. "This way I'll remember and nobody can say anything." It may have taken him a little while to work up the nerve to come down to the warehouse and take what he was promised, but once he'd gotten going, he really seemed into it.
"Oh..." Walker's question then seemed to snap him out of seeing how many bags of chips he could fit in one arm. "Where did I come from? Montana is where I woke up, if that's what you're asking. I don't know where I'm really from as much as any of us in this... or where I've been. ...You?"
Then he watched Walker again, both waiting for the response and to see if he'd stuff more cherries in his mouth.
"Oh..." Walker's question then seemed to snap him out of seeing how many bags of chips he could fit in one arm. "Where did I come from? Montana is where I woke up, if that's what you're asking. I don't know where I'm really from as much as any of us in this... or where I've been. ...You?"
Then he watched Walker again, both waiting for the response and to see if he'd stuff more cherries in his mouth.
Walker shrugged as he continued to glide across the floor, up and down the aisles. It wouldn't be long until Walker had gathered enough in his basket that it was on the verge of over flowing. Walker nodded as he listened to Dusty, "I woke up in Seattle, bit of a shock when my powers first flared up, luckily I found others like me. We traveled up and down through Washington and Oregon before I came here." Walker said before pouring the last of the cherry bits down, his face visibly contorting before straightening back out.
"Man these things are good! Do you like sour stuff?" Walker asked as he came back over to see what all Dusty had collected.
"Man these things are good! Do you like sour stuff?" Walker asked as he came back over to see what all Dusty had collected.
From the looks of things, Dusty had wandered down the aisles going for heavy, thick foods. First off was several more packs of banana chips -- then some beef jerky that looked horrible, though he was going to give it a try. Held by the handle with his pinky was a gallon jug of cheap peanut butter, the kind you'd buy for a family of ten, or maybe a whole summer camp.
"Huh?" Dusty mumbled, "Seattle? I like sour candies, but that's the last thing I'd expect to find here." Still, he looked around, the search likely the only reason his current grabs would survive until checkout.
"Huh?" Dusty mumbled, "Seattle? I like sour candies, but that's the last thing I'd expect to find here." Still, he looked around, the search likely the only reason his current grabs would survive until checkout.
Walker was taken aback by how much Dusty had grabbed, but not only that - also the sheer volume of it. "Yeah, I woke up in a public park next to a family that were having a mid-day picnic. Looking back on it I'm sure they were just expecting to have a nice, picturesque lunch together..." Walker thought back to his earliest memory.
"I won't really call these candies, their natural - just really sour." Walker said as he tossed a spare packet he had on him to Dusty. Hopefully he was able to catch it, otherwise it would probably bounce right off of him; what with his hands full and all.
"I won't really call these candies, their natural - just really sour." Walker said as he tossed a spare packet he had on him to Dusty. Hopefully he was able to catch it, otherwise it would probably bounce right off of him; what with his hands full and all.
Dusty only stared for a moment at the packet lobbed his way. He could have tried to find arm space for it, but why bother? His mouth opened wide, and he caught the packet with his tongue. A moment later it was pulled into his mouth, and vanished. There went another something the government would never inventory.
"Hmm," He declared after several moments of chewing and swallowing, "That wasn't bad. Wasn't good either. You find anything else?"
"Hmm," He declared after several moments of chewing and swallowing, "That wasn't bad. Wasn't good either. You find anything else?"
Walker nodded in agreement, "You said it! All of this could be a lot better..."
Walker was thoroughly impressed with Dusty's skills, he'd remember that for later on.
Walker began to fish around his basket and pulled a few things out, "Leseehere... We got a bunch of freeze dried fruit, some fruit leather, condensed milk, cake and bread mixes, honey, teriyaki jerky, lasagna MREs, red beans and rice MREs, chicken and dumpling MREs... We'll see how much of this is actually good." Walker said as he would take a packet out and turn it over and around for Dusty to see better.
"So what did you get besides jerky and peanut butter? You remember to get something besides meat right? I'd hate to see you get vitamin deficient." Walker said, his tone turning to that of mild amusement and slight concern.
Walker was thoroughly impressed with Dusty's skills, he'd remember that for later on.
Walker began to fish around his basket and pulled a few things out, "Leseehere... We got a bunch of freeze dried fruit, some fruit leather, condensed milk, cake and bread mixes, honey, teriyaki jerky, lasagna MREs, red beans and rice MREs, chicken and dumpling MREs... We'll see how much of this is actually good." Walker said as he would take a packet out and turn it over and around for Dusty to see better.
"So what did you get besides jerky and peanut butter? You remember to get something besides meat right? I'd hate to see you get vitamin deficient." Walker said, his tone turning to that of mild amusement and slight concern.
Dusty watched as Walker slowly began to fill his basket - their basket - and his mind started to wander with all of the possible recipes they could make, most of which involved just eating them as he had other things. When Walker asked about his diet, that snapped him back to reality, though a bit of an unpleasant one.
"What do you mean, deficient?" He said quizzically, mouth stretching out a bit into a slight frown. With his hands full, he gently rapped a knuckle at the base of his ribs, meaning to motion for his stomach. "What's that matter? It's all the same in here..."
"What do you mean, deficient?" He said quizzically, mouth stretching out a bit into a slight frown. With his hands full, he gently rapped a knuckle at the base of his ribs, meaning to motion for his stomach. "What's that matter? It's all the same in here..."
Walker shook his head, "Regardless, you will need more than just meat. Do you know what happens to people who don't eat everything that they need to to have a healthy diet?" Walker asked Dusty, this time with an alarmed look and tone.
"You need more than protein. Are you 100% sure that is enough to sustain you? You can't know for sure until you start going crazy, not healing right or worse now that you have an Empowerment." Walker reasoned. Even though he didn't know Dusty all that well yet, he did know that a healthy lifestyle made it easier to use and control a person's Empowerments and overall health.
"You need more than protein. Are you 100% sure that is enough to sustain you? You can't know for sure until you start going crazy, not healing right or worse now that you have an Empowerment." Walker reasoned. Even though he didn't know Dusty all that well yet, he did know that a healthy lifestyle made it easier to use and control a person's Empowerments and overall health.
Dusty was probably listening to the explanation Walker gave him - probably - but still looked at his new roommate like he was from another planet.
"Sustain me...?" He asked, a little confused still. "I'm just gonna eat until I'm full. It's good that you got that rice and oatmeal and whatnot because they expand in water. Gives me a reason to take them out of the package!"
Having sustained himself on canned ravioli in a motel room mere weeks earlier, this was already a large improvement for Dusty and it seemed it'd take a bit more convincing to change his tune.
"Now how do we sign this stuff out...?"
"Sustain me...?" He asked, a little confused still. "I'm just gonna eat until I'm full. It's good that you got that rice and oatmeal and whatnot because they expand in water. Gives me a reason to take them out of the package!"
Having sustained himself on canned ravioli in a motel room mere weeks earlier, this was already a large improvement for Dusty and it seemed it'd take a bit more convincing to change his tune.
"Now how do we sign this stuff out...?"
Walker would probably continue talking about the benefits of leading a health lifestyle, but when would notice that Dusty wasn't paying much attention to his soapbox sermon he sighed and got off his high horse. He'd just have to lead by example and do most of the cooking.
"Fair enough, at least you'll be getting fiber and vitamins E, D and A..." Walker said as he led Dusty back to the front of the warehouse where the doors were still wide open to the neighborhood. Not far from the entrance were a few clipboards on a long table. The clipboards read...
"Quantity | Item | Date | Resident/Address"
There were two identical columns that read that so that the entire page could be filled if needed. "Here we are..." Walker said as he signed off what all he had taken before leaving his name at the end. "Your turn!" Walker said as he offered the metal cased pen to Dusty.
"Fair enough, at least you'll be getting fiber and vitamins E, D and A..." Walker said as he led Dusty back to the front of the warehouse where the doors were still wide open to the neighborhood. Not far from the entrance were a few clipboards on a long table. The clipboards read...
"Quantity | Item | Date | Resident/Address"
There were two identical columns that read that so that the entire page could be filled if needed. "Here we are..." Walker said as he signed off what all he had taken before leaving his name at the end. "Your turn!" Walker said as he offered the metal cased pen to Dusty.
Dusty was quiet as he watched Walker sign out the foodstuffs. Once upon a time he might have cared about his nutrition, but that seemed distant when he was right about to haul all this stuff home to eat it in peace.
He had to set some stuff down to grip the pen, but just as he did... he paused. The realization hit him: in this new body, he'd never once tried to handwrite, and it was about to show. Even writing down the numbers of the things he'd taken seemed to be awkward for him, and eventually he just set the pen down.
"Walker," He said, "I promise I'll go get some nutritious stuff if you do this for me."
He had to set some stuff down to grip the pen, but just as he did... he paused. The realization hit him: in this new body, he'd never once tried to handwrite, and it was about to show. Even writing down the numbers of the things he'd taken seemed to be awkward for him, and eventually he just set the pen down.
"Walker," He said, "I promise I'll go get some nutritious stuff if you do this for me."
Walker watched patiently as Dusty slowly made his attempt at trying out his handwriting again. Walker could see the amount of difficulty this was for Dusty, but he understood it - the amnesia took a lot of things. Some of which never came back the same, if at all.
"No problem, we gotta look out for each other..." Walker said as he took up the pen again and began to write down all that Dusty had grabbed. "Go ahead and get the other stuff while I tally all this up." Walker said as he motioned with his head for Dusty to pick out a few more things. Walker wore a kind, gentle and understanding smile as he did so for Dusty.
"No problem, we gotta look out for each other..." Walker said as he took up the pen again and began to write down all that Dusty had grabbed. "Go ahead and get the other stuff while I tally all this up." Walker said as he motioned with his head for Dusty to pick out a few more things. Walker wore a kind, gentle and understanding smile as he did so for Dusty.
Dusty lingered a bit, though only to take a look at some of the stuff Walker had bought and presumed passed as healthy. Leaving all of his stuff on the ground so Walker could tally it all up, he turned and walked off, disappearing within the shelves.
When he returned a few minutes later it was with more of the chicken and dumpling MREs. "Thanks for doing this, Walker. These here, they're two food groups here, right...?" He asked idly, bending down to scoop everything up. A moment later he realized that his new haul had put him over the limits of what he could comfortably carry.
To solve this, Dusty popped another bag of banana chips into his mouth.
"Croff one off the liff," He said through mouthfuls.
When he returned a few minutes later it was with more of the chicken and dumpling MREs. "Thanks for doing this, Walker. These here, they're two food groups here, right...?" He asked idly, bending down to scoop everything up. A moment later he realized that his new haul had put him over the limits of what he could comfortably carry.
To solve this, Dusty popped another bag of banana chips into his mouth.
"Croff one off the liff," He said through mouthfuls.
Walker had just finished with adding up everything and was just about to write stuff down as Dusty returned. Walker spied what Dusty had found and shrugged, the seasoning packets inside had veggies mixed into them so he figured some was better than none - besides he could always share what he already had with Dusty.
"No problem, I'm glad I can help. And sort of... Not really... But its fine. I'll do the shopping for the both of us next time, don't worry - you won't go hungry." Walker said, he now had a vague idea of how much Dusty could put away during a meal. Walker added up everything else and wrote down all the numbers. What they would be taking and what they had already eaten. "I think we're all set." Walker said as he left the pen behind and took the basket with him as he headed towards the door.
"You really like those don't you?" Walker said, it wasn't a true question as much as is was a rhetorical one. "Lemme help you with some of those." Walker said as he made a ball of strong gravitational energy, it would pull all the bags and packets together into a cluster that floated in front of Dusty's arms. "Just push it like a balloon, it'll all go where you want it to." Walker added as he exited the warehouse and made his way back to the street that they would need to be on to return home.
A few people were walking around, the afternoon was late and the sun warmed anything not in the cool mountain shadow.
"No problem, I'm glad I can help. And sort of... Not really... But its fine. I'll do the shopping for the both of us next time, don't worry - you won't go hungry." Walker said, he now had a vague idea of how much Dusty could put away during a meal. Walker added up everything else and wrote down all the numbers. What they would be taking and what they had already eaten. "I think we're all set." Walker said as he left the pen behind and took the basket with him as he headed towards the door.
"You really like those don't you?" Walker said, it wasn't a true question as much as is was a rhetorical one. "Lemme help you with some of those." Walker said as he made a ball of strong gravitational energy, it would pull all the bags and packets together into a cluster that floated in front of Dusty's arms. "Just push it like a balloon, it'll all go where you want it to." Walker added as he exited the warehouse and made his way back to the street that they would need to be on to return home.
A few people were walking around, the afternoon was late and the sun warmed anything not in the cool mountain shadow.
Dusty seemed a bit surprised at Walker's claim. "You're gonna shop for both of us, me included? You can carry all that?"
But he'd spoken too soon, able to do nothing but watch as Walker gathered all his items up into a floating gravity ball (that is, besides for a moment trying to keep his food from mysteriously leaving his arms.)
"Ah--!" He gasped, first in protest, but then more in awe as the goods gathered in a ball in the air. "Push it like a balloon?" Dusty was dubious; "It's not going to float away, is it...?" The big guy poked at it, spinning the ball a bit to see if anything fell out. At least he was walking along as he did. "How long is this gonna last?"
But he'd spoken too soon, able to do nothing but watch as Walker gathered all his items up into a floating gravity ball (that is, besides for a moment trying to keep his food from mysteriously leaving his arms.)
"Ah--!" He gasped, first in protest, but then more in awe as the goods gathered in a ball in the air. "Push it like a balloon?" Dusty was dubious; "It's not going to float away, is it...?" The big guy poked at it, spinning the ball a bit to see if anything fell out. At least he was walking along as he did. "How long is this gonna last?"
"Yeah, just tell me what you like next time I go out." Walker says as he tosses a paper airplane that glides gently through the air on a guided path to Dusty. The paper was a tri-fold leaflet menu that had a complete list of all the items normally available in the storehouse - it was laminated too and Walker's gravitational influence over it was the only thing keeping it in the correct shape to fly. It would unfold in Dusty's hands when he would catch it, within was a similar itemized checklist and tally that they had seen on the clipboards when they had signed out their food.
Walker chuckled to himself as he watched Dusty becoming perplexed at his little gravity trick. "It shouldn't, I have the air particles within in a semi-perfect equilibrium just like I'm in. So it should stay roughly wherever you move it to before slowing down to a crawl." Walker explained as he continued to glide just ahead of Dusty.
"It'll last until we get home and move it above the table, or until my concentration on it is broken if I become too distracted." Walker said as he kicked up some leaves beneath him sending them into the air thanks to his tempest like gravity field - loose and light objects tended to do that if they weren't already attached to anything.
It wasn't too long until they had arrived back on their street and were only a stone-throw's distance from the house. "So... What is your opinion of this place so far? What's going through your head right now?" Walker asked after a while.
Walker chuckled to himself as he watched Dusty becoming perplexed at his little gravity trick. "It shouldn't, I have the air particles within in a semi-perfect equilibrium just like I'm in. So it should stay roughly wherever you move it to before slowing down to a crawl." Walker explained as he continued to glide just ahead of Dusty.
"It'll last until we get home and move it above the table, or until my concentration on it is broken if I become too distracted." Walker said as he kicked up some leaves beneath him sending them into the air thanks to his tempest like gravity field - loose and light objects tended to do that if they weren't already attached to anything.
It wasn't too long until they had arrived back on their street and were only a stone-throw's distance from the house. "So... What is your opinion of this place so far? What's going through your head right now?" Walker asked after a while.
Dusty pushed along the ball of food gently with one hand as he listened to Walker's explanation, using the other to grasp at the laminated inventory menu that floated over to him. He briefly startled when the thing just sproinged out in front of him into a flat sheet of paper without any visible folds. This guy's control of his powers was already so precise? He had a lot of catching up to do. "Distractions, huh? I don't think you're going to find any here," He said. "No bright lights, no fancy cars. Just a bunch of houses and sand..."
"As for what I think of this place right now...?" While he contemplated this, the corners of the plastic where he held it began to melt a little bit. He pinched the menu a little more thoughtfully.
"I guess I already just revealed it, kind of," He admitted. "Maybe this is me being paranoid, but for a neighborhood made by people who don't want us to use our Empowerments, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot to do here besides use them." Looking to their new house from a distance, his brow narrowed a bit. "Just how much are they watching us...?"
"As for what I think of this place right now...?" While he contemplated this, the corners of the plastic where he held it began to melt a little bit. He pinched the menu a little more thoughtfully.
"I guess I already just revealed it, kind of," He admitted. "Maybe this is me being paranoid, but for a neighborhood made by people who don't want us to use our Empowerments, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot to do here besides use them." Looking to their new house from a distance, his brow narrowed a bit. "Just how much are they watching us...?"
"Distractions take many forms, using my power is like... Have you ever heard the saying that to play a violin you need to be able to think about at least 9 different things all at the same time? It's a lot like that. It isn't impossible, I think I learned how to manage my Empowerment pretty well, but if I get distracted for even a moment everything begins to fall apart until I can refocus on what I need to do to make it work right." Walker explained as he made the ball suddenly expand, the items rearrange themselves and come back together into a neat ball once more. "Some things are easy, others not so much. It all depends on what I want to happen and how I choose to make it happen."
Walker wouldn't go into specifics about it, but even sometimes while he slept his powers would manage to find a way to get away from him.
"I don't think it's that. I was never explicitly told that I couldn't use my Empowerment. All I know is that this place is so far out of the way for a reason - so that if we do cause something to happen it would be isolated to being just here. That and maybe other people here would be powerful enough to prevent those kinds of things from happening." Walker said as he looked this way and that for any kind of surveillance.
"As far as I can tell, there isn't anything watching us. I haven't seen any signs of cameras, or sensors, or anything like that." Walk said as they made their way down their empty street and back up their driveway.
Walker would open the door and glide back inside, he spotted a couple of neighbors from across the street watching them for their living room window that had the blinds drawn - the couple made no attempt to hide what they were doing by being creeps like that.
Walker rolled his eyes and went all the way inside before pulling the ball of floating foodstuffs towards his outstretched hand. He caught it easily as it had homed in on his palm. He plucked items one by one from the spherical mass until everything had been laid out on the counter.
"See anything good on there that we missed?" Walker asked Dusty about the menu/list as he would pull items from across the small dining room into the kitchen and into shelves and cabinets for storage later on.
Walker wouldn't go into specifics about it, but even sometimes while he slept his powers would manage to find a way to get away from him.
"I don't think it's that. I was never explicitly told that I couldn't use my Empowerment. All I know is that this place is so far out of the way for a reason - so that if we do cause something to happen it would be isolated to being just here. That and maybe other people here would be powerful enough to prevent those kinds of things from happening." Walker said as he looked this way and that for any kind of surveillance.
"As far as I can tell, there isn't anything watching us. I haven't seen any signs of cameras, or sensors, or anything like that." Walk said as they made their way down their empty street and back up their driveway.
Walker would open the door and glide back inside, he spotted a couple of neighbors from across the street watching them for their living room window that had the blinds drawn - the couple made no attempt to hide what they were doing by being creeps like that.
Walker rolled his eyes and went all the way inside before pulling the ball of floating foodstuffs towards his outstretched hand. He caught it easily as it had homed in on his palm. He plucked items one by one from the spherical mass until everything had been laid out on the counter.
"See anything good on there that we missed?" Walker asked Dusty about the menu/list as he would pull items from across the small dining room into the kitchen and into shelves and cabinets for storage later on.