Fishy discovery (Open)

'Reading...m-...mind'

Alfred blinked at the girl, confusion written all over his face. Why did she sound like a bad radio? Well, no, not exactly like a bad radio, more like...like she was whispering and leaving out letters on purpose. Strange. Very, very strange indeed. She was staring at him with wide eyes and he couldn't help but give her a bewildered look in return. She was the one talking all funnily, not him. "Why are you looking at me like that...?" And why would she say he was reading her mind? That was impossible. It only happened in movies and comic books, not in real life.

"Flying wouldn't do you much good in a storm like this. You would be just more likely to get hit, I think." Alfred looked down at his hand in wonder. This morning he had managed to shatter, no, turn a mug into dust by simply flicking it lightly. The landlord would probably kill him for that hole he made in the wall. "Super strength would be kinda helpful though!"

'Calm down, Michelle, you can figure this out.' she thought, 'Maybe it's just my imagination that he's responding to the questions I'm asking myself… in my head.' she thought. Maybe it was just her nerves. But she wasn't going to say anything because she didn't want to lose her new friend
"…Nothin'" she said out loud.

"Maybe it could… It could be inconvenient at times too..." She subconscincly took a small step back. All this talk of powers was starting to scare her.

He tilted his head and stepped closer to Michelle, her voice sounding much clearer now. Oh, so it really was just the wind carrying away the sound. "What do you mean 'in your head'? I can hear you just fine!" He laughed. "Maybe you just don't realize that you're saying everything out loud?" He heard lonely people tended to talk to themselves and think that they never said anything out loud. Michelle didn't seem like a hermit though.

His smile turned a bit nervous at that. "Yeah...it could be hard to control...I guess?" Hard to control...dangerous...inconvenient...and maybe even random? He couldn't resist looking down at his hands again and flexing his fingers. He could have sworn he felt his muscles trembling in anticipation. He felt like he could grab a stone and squish it between his fingers without breaking sweat.

She took a little bit of a step back. It wasn't like the stories of her childhood were convincing her from the back of her memory that Alfred was some kind of spirit or something like that… that was totally not happening. Even though he had all the signs of it. Wait… Michelle had an idea. She thought as hard as she could 'Can you hear me now?' this time she was 100% positive that her mouth was closed and she was thinking this. If he responded... things were going to get very strange.

She looked at Alfred staring at his hands when she mentioned super strength and took another step back. This was getting strange… She suddenly heard many small cries for help and she turned around quickly. She just barely saw a fish store truck drive by, out of sight. Alfred wasn't the only one having problems here, or so it seemed.

He blinked. Why did she take a step back? Was he standing too close for comfort? He heard Brits had a pretty big personal space, but he didn't know Seychellians were the same. "Are you okay? Why are you moving away?" He was so confused.

He blinked again. "Erm, duh? You're only, like, two feet away from me. I'm not hearing impaired, you know." Alfred could have sworn the Michelle's lips didn't move an inch, but that was impossible. You couldn't talk with your mouth closed unless you were one of those freaky puppeteers.

"Um…I…" Michelle didn't know how to say it. Just saying 'you're reading my mind and it's scarin' me' might be just too weird. She had just met him and he seemed like a really good friend. She didn't want to ruin it. That would be a little depressing.

Her eyes widened. If he heard her then that meant that he could read minds. That is not normal. Maybe the toxic waste everyone is talking about gave everyone in America super powers and it's now normal to fly to work and talk with their minds… No…that's not it… But what is going on here?

"But I'm not..." How could he read her mind? That was insane! "Michelle, this isn't all that funny." He gave a forced chuckle, which came out even weaker than it was intended. He wasn't some...some kind of freak! Or one of those cheap fakes, telling people that they could read their mind and future and stuff.

Alfred stared at the wide-eyed girl in front of him with something akin to confusion on his face. Why did she look so scared? He sneaked a peak behind himself, wondering if there was an axe murderer there, ready to chop his head off. But there were none, which meant Michelle really was staring at him like that. Was this all part of her mind-reading joke? If so, he had to give it to her, she was a really good actress.

Oh god… He can read minds! "You did… You really did…" She was still in shock. She looked around the park to see a way out. The only way that she could get away was over the fountain. But it was probable she was going to fall in and get soaked if she did go that way. Maybe she was just over reacting to this. Alfred looked like he was new to this news too. He also looked fairly harmless too so he probably wasn't gonna kill her anytime soon… If ever.

She took a deep breath and calmed down. She had been hearing voices too. But that was because that she thought that she was going insane. What did they have in common that could cause this? Who's voice is Michelle hearing? What is going on?

He was starting to worry that the girl lost it. "Come on, I know it looks cool in the movies and comics, but people can't actually read minds in reality, you know." He felt like he was telling a child that Santa Claus didn't exist. But really, it would be cool if superpowers were real, but they weren't. Everyone knew that. Alfred knew that. He had long since given up on being an actual superhero.

Alfred stared at his Seychellian friend and even he, clueless and oblivious as he was, could plainly see horror, shock, and confusion spreading on her face. "Are you...sure you're okay?"

That can't be it. Her brain couldn't be making it up… could it? This storm was messing with her mind. "I know, I know, but I could have sworn…" She laughed nervously. 'Am I going crazy? I can't be… I don't want to. I want the dream I came here for.' she thought. There must be a way to prove to him what was happening. Somehow… She needed to sit down and think this out.

"Je vais bien…" she said as she walked over and sat on the edge of the fountain. Michelle used her hand to steady herself from falling over. 'Either I got brain damage from that table to the head or he's an evil spirit… Though he seems to nice to be evil… Maybe he's just a thick-headed changeling who doesn't know of his powers.' There had to be an explanation for all of this. There had to be.

This was getting creepy. It was almost like the girl was talking to him one moment and the next she was talking to herself as if he wasn't there. He followed her to the fountain, doubtful look on his face. "If you say so..." She didn't seem fine. Not at all.

And there she was, talking to herself once again. "Oi, I can hear you just fine. I'm not evil, especially not an evil ghost! I'm a Hero!" He huffed. Really, Michelle had the weirdest ideas. "And I'm definitely not a fairy." That was what changelings were, right? Fairies that took the place of humans.

Damn, this whole situation was simply weird. It was the kind of sitch you would remember and have the bizarre urge to laugh at the sheer weirdness of it.

Oh cod, he's doing it again. He's reading her mind. Michelle was sure of it. "This is very… strange… I…" Her mind went blank. She honestly didn't know what to say. 'What do I do?' Her mind was racing. She scooted about a half meter away from Alfred on the fountain edge. 'I wonder if he knows he's doing this…'

Michelle felt a little safer near the fountain. While thinking of something to do about this mind reading thing, Michelle moved her hand around in the water. It was surprisingly calming…

He was and always had been as stubborn as a mule. His stubbornness was one of the main reasons why never accepted objections and only followed his own rules. His stubbornness was also the reason why he couldn't believe that he was reading Michelle's mind. That and his rationality. Reading minds was impossible.

But Alfred had been watching the girl for the last few minutes and he could hear her voice without seeing her lips move. At first he thought he must have blinked at the wrong time all along, but even he couldn't believe something so ridiculous. The only explanation left was that he really was hearing her thoughts. "I...do you think it's possible? You know, hearing someone else's thoughts...?"

"I don't know… Usually I'd say 'no' but this is just weird." Michelle honestly didn't know how but Alfred apearently had unnatural abilities. Maybe things worked differently in the West and people just got powers. She shook her head. 'It honestly can't be THAT different from home.' No matter where Michelle was sure that people didn't just get super powers. "Anything strange happen to you like… sit on something radio active?"

While Michelle was running her hand through the water and looked around at the damage. That was a powerful storm. If she remembered lightning actually hit the building. She drew her hand from the water and felt her head, wondering if something had happened to her too.

"It is more than weird." What the hell was going on? He sure as hell hadn't been able to read thoughts yesterday. Or before that. Maybe it was Michelle who was projecting her thoughts on him, and not him reading them? But she looked so taken aback, that couldn't have been it...or could it?

"Err, no, I don't think so. Some toilets in school kinda seemed radioactive, but unless some giant mutant radioactive monster crapped in them, I don't think they really are." Or maybe he got bitten by a radioactive mind-reading monkey. Did things like that even exist?

Despite the circumstances Michelle couldn't help but burst out laughing. "A giant ratio-active monster! That's a good one!" She knew how serious this conversation was turning out but she was always a sucker for a good joke, wether intentional or not. "It'd be walking around the school, huh? That's not something you see everyday."

She blinked for a second. Mind reading isn't very common either. Maybe there really is a monster crawling around the school. 'Do I need to be on the watch my back everywhere?' She huffed quietly. The West sure is weird...

...Was it that funny? Sure, imagining a pile of ugly green goo pooping in the school toilets was a bit ridiculous, but Alfred had seen and thought up weirder things. The superheroes he drew needed new enemies every once a while, didn't they? Maybe he should show Michelle some of his sketches. He was sure she would find his chipmunkathron hilarious. "I'll show you my drawings one day, okay? They have tons of weird monsters in them! Not all of them are radioactive though, sorry."

Maybe he would draw her a radioactive mind-reading monkey too. Captain Starspangled would have a tough time dealing with that one.

She blinked a few times "You're an artist? What do you draw?" Some people draw different things and it reflects a lot on their personality. Some people draw whimsical cartoons while others draw detailed landscapes. Michelle wondered what kind of style he used. No matter what kind of style Alfred used she was sure he was pretty good.

In order to succeed in her studies Michelle needed to learn to draw fish. Sadly, that's the only thing she can draw. So unless Alfred wants to know exactly what a piranha looks like in startling detail, her drawing skills don't come in handy in daily life.

Alfred laughed. "An artist? Nah, that's a bit too much. I just like drawing stuff. Like comic books and heroes, ya know? I usually draw action scenes! Like, the Hero fighting against the giant monster, or flying, or lifting heavy things, or carrying his damsel, or just standing there looking all heroic!" The great power of boredom in class. In his opinion, Alfred did a great job of chasing it away while looking like he was taking notes or something.

"And you? Do you do somethin' like this? Drawing, singing, dancing?" Alfred actually liked all three, though his dancing abilities weren't exactly top notch. He only knew the jitterbug and the lindy hop.

"That's cool! Do you have a character you created yourself?" all famous characters were someone's creation at one time. Alfred was a very exuberant person and Michelle wanted to see if it showed in his creations.

She shook her head "Actually no. I work with and study fish at the local aquarium. It's really not that cool compared to some stuff other people do. I can draw a fish though if that's a consolation." Michelle knows that not many people are as interested in fish and marine life as she is. Besides, that's only her side thing, Michelle is mainly just a normal teen.

"Of course! His name is Star Spangled Man! But I made him when I was five." He smiled at her sheepishly. "So he isn't really a complicated character. But I draw other heroes too, you know, the famous ones like Superman and Spiderman and the Cap' and Iron Man and so on."

He tilted his head. "Why isn't it cool? I like fish. There are some really pretty ones out there. Like Nemo and his friends." That was a cute cartoon, he liked it. Actually, Alfred liked pretty much anything that was made by Pixar or Disney. And no, cartoons weren't for kids. "Do you like Disney?" He wondered for a brief moment if he was being too random but shrugged it off. Nah, he was always like this.

"That's very cool! I see you're very proud to be an American." She smiled "but… Who's the Cap'?" She laughed nervously. This is where growing up in the middle of the ocean makes thing awkward. Michelle really didn't know many of the famous things of the West so ever since she's moved here she's pretended to understand and nod. But It's not like this one character somehow is the symbol of America and she was being super obliviously stupid.

"I do! But only a few of the movies were translated into my native language so I've only seen a few. I saw some in French though. Seychelles isn't really a big place. No one really thinks of translating all movies into Seychellois Creole and Michelle just recently became fluent in English. Fortunately, people care a lot more about France so she gets to see most things is that language.

((Being the stereotypical American girl I am, I found it hilarious to type that part about Captain America))

Alfred looked at her kinda incredulously. "Of course I am! America is the greatest country in the world! The very best!" Like, duh. Who wouldn't be proud to have come from the US? "I was even born on the 4th of July! I couldn't be more American if I tried!"

He goggled at Michelle, not quite believing his ears. "You...you don't know who the Cap' is?" He hadn't known people who had never heard of Captain America existed. Maybe those who had been born and died before WWII, but aside from them... "Captain America is the very first superhero ever! He was a scrawny kid who got chosen to be the first super soldier and he became all buff and super strong and he healed fast and he was faster than anyone and he's a super nice guy who rescues everyone and hates corruption and discrimination! He represents everything the United States stands for!" Alfred was gesticulating with his hands all along his speech, his entire being radiating the respect he felt for the hero. Alfred knew of course that Captain America never existed, but even if he was just a fictional character, he was still admirable at the very least. He was Alfred's number one superhero.

He smiled. "Yeah, Disney's awesome. I love most of their movies, except for the princess-y ones. Those are boring as hell."

"Wow, that is very patriotic." What a coincidence, and based on his appearance and personality he really couldn't be more of a stereotypical american. Maybe if his uncle was Uncle Sam and he was related to one of their founding fathers then he would be the most american boy in the world.

Michelle giggled a little "You really like him, don't you? He does seem like a very valiant and noble hero living the american dream. I can see why he's such an idol to you." She smiled.

"I have to agree with you there, but I liked Mulan." she nodded. Mulan was a pretty awesome hero in her book.

He laughed boisterously. "'Course it is! We should love our country, shouldn't we? Especially if it's as awesome as America!" He never understood why people liked to bash his country so much. Maybe they were jealous of their freedom? Who knew.

Alfred bobbed his head up and down enthusiastically. "He was a true hero who died to save the people of New York. He woke up a few years later of course, but he still sacrificed himself. That's what a true hero should do right? Save the day without caring for their own well being."

Mulan? Hmm, interesting. "I liked Mulan too! She wasn't all whiny and waiting for her Prince Charming to save her. She went ahead and saved an entire nation." He laughed. "Not that I have anything against damsels in distress. They're just much more boring than someone as awesome as Mulan."