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 Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 10:47 pm
"A-anxious... deep worry, very... very worried. Why? Why should I be so..." The plague doctor shook its head as if dazed. "I don't know why, I... but... also... something else..."
It buried its head against the side of her neck. "Such love and care, mia cara... though that is normal, I think, when you hold me so..."
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Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 10:52 pm
Riley turned an impressive shade of purple when she felt Malodore bury it's head into her neck, but her own head lifted sharply as it hit her like a brick. Whoa. Wait a minute. Despite the fact that she was having an epiphany, her hand reached out to press gently against the back of it's head, in case it had any ideas of pulling away. It didn't seem like she wanted that to happen anytime soon.
Malodore, you're feeling everything I am feeling. I mean, you're feeling exactly everything I am feeling, at the exact moment I am feeling. It was exciting, and exhilarating, to know that it suddenly had this ability, and she chuckled as she brushed the side of her head against the top of the plague doctors.
Not entirely sure why, but a very interesting development. Is this new?
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Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 10:54 pm
The excitement and exhilaration crashed into it, and it lifted its head, struggling to maintain some semblance of rational thought. "I don't, I... I have spent a great deal of time alone, working on my wings, ever since we talked last and I showed you... I... there is only Luce and Dolce here..."
It was so, so hard to think!
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Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 11:01 pm
Well, there was only one thing she thought to do. She brushed the back of both of her hands against the side of it's head, before turning them and holding it's head carefully.
Let's see if I can sense anything. Her brows furrowed, and a tiny head butted repeatedly on her back, barely distracting her as she attempted to bury herself into Malodore's psyche.
She assumed the puppy was distracting her from getting in, because all she could sense was herself. She sighed in annoyance, except - she didn't.
Because she was in Malodore's mind.
What the..
Immediately withdrawing, her eyes were wide as saucers, and after a moment, she giggled.
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Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 11:05 pm
Malodore stared at her.
"Che cosa era che?"
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Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 11:09 pm
Riley let go of it's head, and leaned in to press her face against the tip of it's beak for just a moment, before pulling away.
I don't know how. And frankly, I don't even know why. But for some reason, my darling, you are becoming empathic. Which is.. ironic, somehow, being that you are dating a telepath.
And then she blinked.
Was.. was she the reason behind this?
Ah.. you can't.. actually read my mind though, can you? She thought something, to herself, but she thought it very loudly. She did not project, she simply thought.
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Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 11:17 pm
"Empathic? I..." It stared at her some more, then tilted its head to one side. "I can't... no? I don't think so? I don't know how I would begin to try to read anyone's mind! Or anyone's anything!"
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Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 11:27 pm
Riley closed her eyes, and sent soothing waves of comfort - only to cut herself short, and realize that, perhaps, she neednt even have to do such a thing. All she had to do was feel comforted. It would be yet another test for this new situation, at least.
So she settled Malodore gently in her arms, and was comforted by it's presence.
Well. At least I have not turned you into a mindflayer. Though I daresay I still don't understand exactly what has triggered this new development in you. But, I am.. severely impressed. Possibly jealous. But mostly just further attracted to you for having a mind capable of such adaptation.
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Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 11:30 pm
It began to relax almost at once, tilting its head the other direction. "I feel... comfort, but it... feels different then how you usually..." Its voice trailed off.
"I can... feel how you're feeling?" It glanced down at Ombra, and at Luce; its own cwn pup had come to the foot of the bed. She thumped her tail against the floor when it looked at her. "So the comfort I feel is... from you, but you're not... sending it to me?"
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Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 11:34 pm
That is exactly the case. You are collecting my emotions of your own volition, with no help from me whatsoever. It is remarkable. Though, I daresay, it could become a problem as well..
She remembered exactly how they had first come to notice this, and the fear crept back into her heart. She pushed it down as far as she could.
You might very well feel things that you don't want to feel. Perhaps some work on protection is in order.
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Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 11:39 pm
"Hm." Malodore straightened, then slid off of the bed and got to its feet. "I wonder..."
It took a step backwards, then blinked. All the odd emotional sensations that had been flooding over it faded away; within a few seconds, it was wholly itself, unaffected by anything outside of its own head. Then it stepped forward once more, and emotion curled around it.
"... I have to be close, I think." It stepped back and forth a few more times, experimentally, perking up a bit as it did so. It did so love experiments, even if they were impromptu.
In the end, it stood a few feet away from Riley, opening its beak in a smile. "What have you done to me, mia cara?" Its tone was teasing... and just a little bit awed.
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Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 11:44 pm
Riley's hands rose up instantly in a way that indicated innocence. I didn't do it! She quickly replied, though the amusement was in her voice as well. At least, I did nothing on purpose. I'm not infectious, am I? Her hands dropped, as she accessed her database of history for any recollections of something similar happening.
I've got nothing.. but I doubt there would be any knowledge of this kind of thing happening, even if it did. We don't.. we don't get..
Her cheeks turned a tinge of purple.
We don't fall in love.
At least, as far as she could tell, they never had.
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Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 8:52 am
"This sort of thing is definitely not a plague doctor... ah, thing. At least, I don't think it is. Could it, perhaps, be like what happened with Jericho?" It tilted its head once more. "But that was... is... a dragon thing, yes?"
It was still trying to wrap its brain around this. So... it was picking up on Riley's emotions without her meaning for it to do so. Very well. "Maybe it's just like that. Maybe it's only between you and myself?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 8:10 pm
And in a sudden flash of cold remembrance, Riley realized that the one rule she'd been ignoring this entire time had been more truthful than she'd ever come to expect from her kind.
Never get too close.
First Jericho. Now this. Riley was barging through the barriers of Illithidkind left and right, and there was no way to turn back now. All she could do was move forward. Take that next step.
I suppose you're right. The hazards of letting me in a few times too many, mm? Though I regret that with such new abilities, you'll probably have more to work on in terms of shielding. You don't want to feel everyone's emotions all the time. I can barely manage my own emotions - I can't imagine feeling others, as well.
That being said, she made an example of herself. She hadn't had to shield since she'd been at Amityville, but she'd been recently practicing out of sheer need.
Malodore would need that same defense. And it would need to know why.
Come here for a moment. She held her hand out to it. I need to tell you something.
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Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 8:22 pm
"The last time I saw you - saw anybody - was when I showed you my memories." And that had taken quite a while, many hours spent... well, Malodore wasn't sure what the term for it was. Mentally intertwined? In each other's heads? Her in its head, certainly. However it worked.
Maybe it had been just enough to be catching.
It took her hand and stepped forward, tentatively, but this time felt no emotion radiating from her form at all. "What is it?"
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