Nature Takes Its Course

[Raleigh]

Need any help across, Ellen?

[AmbushCat]

Ellen: ...I can manage this one, I believe.

*Ellen activates her cards as she starts across the gap. One of them shoots down and positions itself beneath the ball of her right foot, providing it with a flat surface. As she steps down, another card hovers in front of it and to the left, serving the same purpose for the other foot. Ellen walks across the gap in this manner, with each card moving forward and keeping pace with her as needed until she's safely across.*

*pinches the back of her hand; winces* No, not dreaming.

[Raleigh]

*Claps.* Nicely done. *He just walks across the gap as if it wasn't there.* You are getting quite proficient at all these paper manipulations.

[AmbushCat]

Ellen: *shrugs* ...It was just a matter of making sure that I could exert the right amount of force to keep myself walking and support my weight without tiring out. I practiced for a week over a pile of cushions to make sure I was doing it right.

*disconcerted* ...Just what in the stars have you been doing with your spare time?

Ellen: ... ... ... *opens her mouth to speak*

*holds up a hand, interrupting her* Never mind. I don't want to know.

[Raleigh]

Nothing wrong with her training. That is the best way to grow after all.

[AmbushCat]

Ellen: *counts off on her fingers* ...Physical fitness on Monday and Thursday afternoons, honing my paper manipulation on Tuesday and Friday afternoons, magic lessons at the SDM on Wednesday afternoons, free time on the weekends. ...The only real caveat is that my homework has to be done before I do anything, but that's still workable.

*mutters* Didn't I just get through saying...?

[Raleigh]

Have your siblings been training up as well? Do I need to send Ebony to light a fire under any of them, figuratively speaking of course?

[AmbushCat]

Ellen: ...For the most part, not really. The lessons you gave Eebon and Echo years ago helped, but... ...well, Echo pretty much mastered his shadow-port years ago, and Eebon's pushed her darkness manipulation and projectile-swallowing abilities as far as her mutation will let her for now. Ezekiel's still at the stage where he's having fun being Plastic Man Lite, so to speak, and getting that under control has priority over her magic. *licks her lips and holds out her hand* ...And Elk...

Musical chorus: PEPSI MAAAANNNN!

*Elk appears out of nowhere, slams a can of Wild Cherry Pepsi into his sister's hand, salutes her, then skateboards out of the forest as quickly as he arrived.*

Ellen: ...is Elk. *opens the can and sips from it*

*Acutus does a double-take, then turns her head towards Raleigh at an angle where Ellen can't see it, mouthing the words "What the actual $&*(®?"*

[Raleigh]

I suppose it is time for more lessons then. At least on different applications much like what I showed you with the paper earlier. *Blinks at Acutus.* What? Why are you freaking out over that? It is still less weird than encountering the original Pepsi Man. Or that tiny horse that was hocking Dr. Pepper about a year ago.

[AmbushCat]

*shakes her head* It's the fact that he even showed up here when he had no logical way of knowing that his sister would be thirsty that gets me. None of our intelligence showed that he had any sort of teleportation abilities, so how...?

Ellen: ...Don't question how Elk does things, Acutus, unless you're comfortable with your brain exploding. ...Which in your case amounts to becoming torsoless instead of headless, but the idea is still the same.

...That's still going to bother me for years, I just know it.

[Raleigh]

Rule of funny if you need an answer.

[AmbushCat]

*sighs angrily* You know what? Let's just keep going and get this over with. That's more than I can take. *storms up ahead to the steep incline she mentioned and bounds up to the top, waiting for them*

*Ellen turns to Raleigh and forms a " " face with her cards for a moment, expressing amusement that doesn't show up on her face.*

[Raleigh]

*Turns to her and forms a ' ' face in the air for a moment with a bit of magic with a grin.* Onward then, eh?

[AmbushCat]

*Ellen nods and walks up to the incline, ponders for a moment how to deal with it, then presses herself against it and proceeds to scale it the old-fashioned way.*

Not much further. It's starting to feel more and more wrong over there the more I stand here.

[Raleigh]

*Follows along with the others by simply jumping up.* Could be worse. It could feel purple.