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 Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 1:04 am
He fidgeted, still looking unthrilled by the concept of leaving as he hovered by the door, eyes glued to the carpet. His grip tightened on the doorknob. He nodded to Malodore, a stiff, jerking motion and his eyes didn't meet it's goggles. I... I will leave you two... to... your business, he thought carefully, although a bitter under thought bubbled up before he could stop it, I would just get in the way. Before he could think anything else to make matters worse, red faced still, he bowed deeply before practically rushing out the door, boots tucked under his arm.
He needed a walk. Cold air. His shovel. He needed to dig. It would make him feel better, get his mind off of things like Friends and Masters, just dig a nice hole, no where in particular, for the sake of digging. Good, hearty, honest work, building a hole.
With no confusing, worrying fiddly bits.
She didn't need him. Malodore had it covered. Malodore's hands were full. With her. None of his business, he shouldn't be over thinking, none of his business.
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Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 1:28 am
Perhaps things had not resolved themselves quite as well as Riley had convinced herself.
As the door shut, she wrapped her arms around herself for a moment, brushing away a nonexistent chill. Her eyes stared at the closed door as she tried to wrap her mind around exactly what had just happened.
I'm sorry. She finally whispered, turning around to look at Malodore. I don't know what he could have been thinking. I often don't. I didn't mean to cause an uncomfortable situation for you. Forgive me?
She dropped back down onto the pillow, curling her head under Malodore's beak. Her arms were still wrapped around herself, and her body was tense, still worrying about Christof. Out of all of us, I fear he is suffering the most lingering effects from our experience. I thought I could help him, but..
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Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 10:41 am
"I... am not entirely sure what just happened," Malodore said, entirely truthfully. "The way Christof thinks about the world... I'm not sure I understand it. Sometimes I stumble into an understanding, and..." It shrugged, a little helplessly. "Sometimes I do not."
It didn't have the upper body strength to lift up Riley for a proper embrace, but it did the best it could, laying down again as well and resting its head on her shoulder. "Emotional responses are not my forte."
... Part of it was surprised that Riley could not control her... no! No, it wasn't going to think that way. There had been a few Igors at the Casa, all under the dominion of the elder plague doctors. They had been tools. Everyone, including Malodore - Loreto - had thought of them as tools, just as non-plague doctors were patients or experiments or both at the same time. Putting everything into boxes made it easier to stay hidebound.
It had broken out of those boxes. It didn't want back in. Christof was a person, not a tool to be used... no matter what the patchwork itself might think. Malodore ground its beak in exasperation at itself.
Riley could clearly pick up on all of this, naturally, if she were listening.
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Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 2:54 am
For once, Riley was actually so deep within her own thoughts, that she failed to pick up anything freely open in Malodore's mind. Instead, she curled up in it's arms, and tried to unclench the muscles that had tensed with the current stress the situation had brought upon her.
I thought I had a handle on it. I really did. It's just.. this trip.. everything's changed. Everyone's changed. Her arms wound around Malodore, and her palms pressed against it's back. I've had enough of these thoughts. I wish to return to my dreams now. They were very pleasant.
She squeezed her eyes shut, and tried to force herself back to sleep. It usually worked, but this time gave her trouble.
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Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 7:33 pm
Malodore sighed and curled against Riley's side. It was so easy to forget, all curled up like this... or it had been, anyway. "Si," it said, quietly.
Though it did not go to sleep again; instead, it sat, and stroked her tentacles lightly (though it was careful to keep away from the central one). After a while, Luce hopped back up on the bed and curled up against its back. It listened to the rhythms of their breathing. So strange, to be so alive. To be so governed by the tick and tock of breath and beat.
And so it went, until morning.
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Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 1:38 am
The tense squeeze of her eyelids relaxed as Malodore stroked her tentacles, lulling her back into a thoughtless blissful calm. Within minutes, her breathing had slowed, and she was asleep at its side once more. She couldn't quite return to her dream, as hard as she tried - instead, she was plagued with other, more dangerous thoughts that had her tensing every so often, only to relax again. Her mind was locked up tight this night, even while lost deep in dreaming.
Still, nothing seemed to keep her suffering for long. It was the gentle, comforting caresses and constant presence that always seemed to bring her back to a peaceful sleep as the night passed them by.
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