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 Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 8:38 pm
The reminder of that day - it broke her shield for a moment, as her expression slashed with agony. She'd woken up crying from dreams spawned from it's memories on more than one occasion, and she was still not over it. She scrambled to think of something, anything else, and the one thing that came to her mind did not make things better.
But it did make things easier to hide.
Her shield flipped back on like a switch, and her eyes lifted up to Malodore, before collecting it back into her arms.
Okay. I will be brief. Someone from my hive has transferred into this school recently. I'm not sure if I have to tell you just how dangerous that is. For both of us.
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Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 8:45 pm
Malodore flinched at the sudden explosion of emotion - it was rather like being shouted at through an amplifying device, at very short range. But then the sudden pain was gone again, as if it had never been...
... This was very tiring.
Fortunately, or perhaps not, Riley's next statement sent a jolt of rather unpleasant adrenaline through the plague doctor's mind, solving the problem of it feeling tired. "Someone from your hive? Another illithid?" It had been told enough to know this was something to be feared. What Riley was doing was... well, rather like what Malodore itself had done, back in the Casa. Disobeying, breaking rules. Thoroughly. And, if caught, the repercussions would be severe.
Malodore swallowed hard. "What should I - we - do?" It interwove the fingers on one hand through her own, then stared at their joined hands blankly, as if it had never seen them before.
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Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 9:02 pm
Riley was also staring at their joined hands, though her eyes were blank, as if she wasn't looking at them at all. Her brow furrowed at the question, and she chuckled.
I don't actually have a clear answer for that question yet. She breathed out in an honest reply. I've been thinking about it. A lot. All the time, really. But all I have managed to come to terms with is that I'm not willing to lose you. At the same time, I am prepared to do anything to keep you safe. The white of her eyes focused, and then turned back up to look at it sternly. Anything.
She lifted it's claw in her hand, and brought it to her face, where her lips would be. She brushed the metallic appendage against her skin. I love you, Malodore. No matter what I may say, or do, in the future, don't ever doubt my love for you.
She pulled the hand away, and straightened up, returning to a fairly businesslike demeanor. So. There is one thing we can do, in hopes it will be enough for now. You need to work on your shielding, mm? If you're ever face to face with Andeon, I'd be rather amused to see him fail to get through to you as well as he might think he could. Her eyes thinned slightly in devious amusement.
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Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 9:23 pm
"Andeon..." Malodore's eyes narrowed behind its lenses. "I remember that name. Your trials... he was your opponent. The two of you nearly kill-"
It chopped off the end of the word, closing its beak with a sharp clack. It was not a physically strong creature, at all. It would be incredibly easy, child's play, for it to be entirely at an illithid's mercy. Andeon could snap its neck like a twig... though, at least at Amityville, it was probably safe. Or, at least, it would probably not dissipate entirely...
Now its stomach definitely hurt, as if it was wringing itself out. "I don't want you to be in danger," it said, quietly. "But I don't want to leave you, either... some way, some subterfuge. Mark me, perhaps; I could be useful, I could..."
It was babbling.
Its heart ached.
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Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 9:54 pm
Her fragile hold was crumbling, as it often did when she tried to hold her feelings back from Malodore, but she had to do it this time. She had to be stronger, she had to keep it from feeling just how terrified she was right now. And she had to help it be strong, too.
No. She responded with surprising force. You are my lost piece. You are all that was missing from me. I could never mark you. It would be like marking myself. And, reluctantly, she realized that losing it would be like losing a part of herself, as well. Her arms wrapped around it's waist, clutching it with a certain desperation.
We'll figure it out. I promise you. As long as I have you, I know I can overcome any obstacle. We need to just.. work on keeping him out of your mind. That's all. We've already come to discover you're adapting to a higher level of mental prowess. I have full faith that..
That what? What kind of mental shield would protect Malodore, precious, brilliant, and fragile, from Andeon's physical wrath?
.. that we can do this.
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Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 10:20 pm
Malodore took a deep breath, for the calming effect, and leaned into her embrace. "Mi fido di te," it said, quietly. "And we are not alone in this world. We have allies, do we not? Friends. Chosen family." It opened its beak in a shaky smile. "I've already defied my family. I suppose it's only fair I defy yours as well."
Another breath. "What must I do?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 10:35 pm
Riley's eyelids fluttered, threatening to close, as it watched Malodore breathe peace back into itself. Then, when it was done, she let them close, and bent her head in slightly. Though the movement stilled, her mind continued on, slipping easily into Malodore's mind and cradling the sensory output of the limbic system. Her kiss was long, and bittersweet. It felt more like she needed to feel this close, rather than the normal intention of simulating the feeling of kissing for Malodore. It was achingly intimate.
When she finally, regretfully, pulled away, she had a measured sense of peace returned to her. Her eyes remained closed, even as she spoke.
Do you remember the first time I kissed you? What I said to you then?
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Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 10:52 pm
"You said you'd do it again," Malodore said, wryly, and nuzzled at her cheek. "A promise well-kept, in my opinion... and, at the same time, never fulfilled as much as I'd like."
"... And you said to trust you. I can do that, yes." It lifted its head and met her gaze. "Tell me? Or show me. However it works."
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Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 10:59 pm
At first, the initial response to her question made her chuckle. As it continued, the slow realization that it was teasingly requesting more frequently had her dark as an eggplant. However, none of what it had remembered was what she had actually meant.
I. Ah. I will remember that. She murmured in a voice that could almost be considered shy, if it wasn't coming from Riley. But that wasn't actually what I meant. She took a small breath, and let it out in one last chuckle. But I will remember that. She repeated, before continuing onward.
What I said was that you could hurt me. If you didn't trust me, and I attempted to enter your brain, you had the power to hurt me. That is because every being is truly in control of their own minds - but whether or not they realize their power is where mastery of the mind comes into play.
She straightened her head, and her eyes hardened just slightly. You're not going to like this, but it's important. I want you to try and not let me kiss you. It doesn't involve anything special - you know I will be attempting to enter your mind, and you should simply focus on.. not letting it happen.
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Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 11:22 pm
Malodore blinked. "You want me to... huh." It sounded nonplussed. But it had promised to trust her, and if this was part of what it needed to do for her - for both of them - then it had to try.
Right. Not letting it happen. It sat ramrod straight, pulling itself away from her for a moment, closing its eyes tightly as it concentrated. Not... not kissing. No kissing.
Jack, it was hard to think about not kissing when the reward for failure was... kissing.
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Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 11:26 pm
And as soon as it even hinted at the thought of failure, and it's reward, it could feel her easily kissing it. When she pulled away, she set her head down against it's own and giggled a low, husked giggle.
Well, there's a bright side to all of this. I'm going to enjoy trying to teach you, until you're good at it.
She tried not to be so amused at the ease with which she slipped into it's mind the first time, and set her eyes to focus directly on it's own.
You must truly believe there is an intangible wall that will block me from entering your mind. You must feel this wall rising, like a hard curtain, and you must not want it to fail.
Her expression quirked slightly. I'm making this harder on you, by giving you reason to fail. But then again, I never said I would make anything easy. If you can lock me out, locking someone out that you don't want would be a breeze. She set her features, and prepared to enter once more.
Again.
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Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 11:39 pm
"No," Malodore said, holding one hand out between them. "I can't... not like this. It's too familiar, I can't... do something different. Hurt me."
"... but not too much," it added, quickly.
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Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 11:56 pm
Riley's eyes narrowed dangerously. She did not take too well to the idea of giving up after the first try - in any situation. Nor did she look particularly pleased about the idea of hurting Malodore. Even in this most dire of circumstances.
You should not be surprised to note that I am not fond of the word can't. Nor am I fond of giving up on something after one try. Her voice had an even tone, as if she was holding back. I am teaching you something important, and this is the best way to learn. It will be harder. But nothing is impossible.
Taking a deep breath, her eyes softened. I can't be easy on you, Malodore. Andeon would not be easy on you. And I don't think we have the proper amount of time to start you off at the beginner's course.
She could feel her stubbornness churning within her like a familiar flood, and paused. The next few words she said were choppy, and sounded like they could have been said through gritted teeth, if they were audible. I.. will.. compromise. For a few tries. I won't kiss you. I will just try to force myself into your mind. It doesn't hurt, but you'll know I'm there - and it's your job to get me out.
Compromise. She wanted to shudder at the mere idea. She remembered a time, long ago, when it was her way or the highway. Andeon had been so right - she had become soft.
She shoved the thought out of her mind and focused completely on Malodore, slipping her mind into it's own.
Begin. It would hear - in it's own voice.
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Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 9:45 pm
Malodore's gaze narrowed a bit too, and it lifted its chin, a coil of familiar defiance working through its mind - the feeling was familiar, though not the target. "I'm not giving up, just requesting a change of strate-"
Its beak snapped closed as Riley twisted its thoughts around, or so it seemed; her using its own mental timbre back on it was deeply disorienting and strange and even though it was Riley it did not want her doing that! A wall, a wall, it had to make a wall?
But the mental... feel... of the wall didn't come to it easily. It tried to slam something up, setting thoughts upon each other like building blocks, but it was one thing to visualize it and another to do it. The 'wall' crumbled like tissue.
"...... Again," it hissed through a tightly closed beak.
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Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 10:12 pm
Riley felt the wrong kind of resistance, but it was a start. Malodore was trying to lift up the wall before pushing her out, which was dangerous, but it was failing anyway. So she withdrew, blinking her eyes open before butting her forehead gently against it's own. Good, you're doing something. Now I want you to think of it differently. I felt you trying to slowly build protection, but you know how the mind works. You have studied it, you are aware of just how fast a neuron can fire in there. You have to be that fast. You have to let your mind work to it's full potential.
This time she slowly pushed in, but kept herself from entering it's mind fully. It would feel the pressure of her forced entry, but she was being cautious this time - for her own sake just as much as for Malodore's.
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