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 Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 9:48 pm
Malodore winced and tried to push back, an awkward shove. The wall came up, but... brick by brick, too slow! Too slow, and it couldn't lift bricks and push her at the same time and-
It fell over onto its side, half in reaction, half out of frustration. "I'll get it," it insisted, with a frustrated huff. "I just... need to think. Do it again."
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 9:54 pm
Actually. She murmured gently, once more pacified by how hard Malodore was trying. I think the problem is that you're thinking too hard. You're making it out to be a puzzle that needs to be solved, piece by piece, until the whole presents itself strong and true. That may be why your natural synapse rhythm is not being allowed to process at it's true rate.
Would an example help, she wondered? She pulled away, and furrowed her brows. Do you know how you react, when you are cut? Or burned? How fast your hand draws back, before you can even think of the pain or the reason? It is because your brain has the ability to react at alarming speeds. All you need to do.. is have the instinct. She reached out slowly, and gave it a fond kiss - hopefully not one it tried to block, as it was only out of comfort this time.
Now, if you imagine my thoughts as a knife. It comes for your head. How would your mind want to react? And as suddenly as she'd said it, her mind stabbed out into Malodore's brain - she tried, very hard, not to hurt it. There was simply some things that couldn't be done gently enough, however. Only the slightest of stings would come, which wasn't how she wanted to teach it.. but better this than nothing.
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 11:12 pm
The wall wasn't working, that much was obvious. But it had an idea, sudden, something so obvious and at the same time so... so natural to it that its beak opened slightly in a small smile. The kiss only strengthened its resolve...
And then she struck, a sting of pain making it hiss, and it reacted-
There was no wall this time, no painstaking brick-by-brick build, no pushback. Instead, it invited Riley in. Into a void, yawning and echoing and endless, with nothing to push against or break, because there was nothing there. The long void, the emptiness behind the mask, nothing but flickers of touch and sound. Yawning and swallowing and thick.
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 11:15 pm
It felt like falling into endless darkness.
She could hear herself screaming, somewhere, distantly, but there wasn't really anything she could do to stop it. Malodore was in control of her, keeping her in this place that had no beginning or end, and no way out.
Her entire body sagged against the plague doctor, as her consciousness lost touch with her physical being at the sudden shock of being out of control.
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 11:18 pm
SHUT.
DOWN.
EVERYTHING.
Malodore shattered the void with a sudden, desperate swipe and grabbed at Riley, both mentally and physically. "Riley! Mia cara!" It held her shoulders tightly and shook her, so suddenly panicked that the tips of its claws lightly pricked her skin. "Stai bene?!"
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 11:23 pm
Shattering a void after letting someone fall into it wasn't really it's best idea, either.
Riley was not released, because Malodore had yet to release her. Just as it was clutching at her lifeless body, so too did it still hold her conscious in it's mental grips. Luckily, it was safe there, and could inform the plague doctor - however, if it thought her voice was going to come from her body, it was clear from the lifeless lump in it's arms that that wasn't the case.
Ah. Not. Really. A childish, and very unfamiliar voice whispered in Malodore's mind. You kind of. Have me. Stuck.
Oh dear.
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 11:28 pm
... What. What.
Malodore looked around, wide-eyed with panic. It had no idea how to deal with this - its realm was the care of the physical body, not the mental or emotional! But something was talking in its head and where had it heard that before? It had to be Riley, even if the voice felt unfamiliar. Unless Andeon sounded like a young girl.
It focused, making itself shut its eyes, clutching Riley to its chest. You are... where? Stuck how? Help me...
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 11:30 pm
Riley could almost laugh, if she wasn't so frightened. Very quickly, she explained.
If you could. Just. Let me go please.
The voice sounded so gentle, so polite, so.. not at all Riley.
Stop trying to save me. Just relax. Breathe. Let go.
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 11:32 pm
Si - va bene... It forced itself to unclench its claws, to let her physical body droop to the bed; Luce jumped up and nosed worriedly at her cheek. Malodore gently pushed her away, then made itself close its eyes. Letting her go... surely it wouldn't doom her to the void. The void was a construct, not a real thing. Not now. It was something it had remembered and pulled up and used...
Wrapping its arms around itself for comfort, it let her go.
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 11:36 pm
A gulp of air hissed up through her tentacles as Riley's conscious flooded her the moment it was free to do so, and her eyes, red with bloodshot instead of hatred, snapped open quite suddenly. It wasn't hard for her to return, once Malodore had ceased holding her like a precious captive in it's mind. Once that first gulp of air filled her lungs, her eyes fluttered back closed, and she buried her face into the bed.
Her old, normal voice filled Malodore's mind now - and the difference between hearing someone's voice coming from out of your mind, as opposed to within, would suddenly seem very obvious.
Well. She chuckled weakly. That was terrifying.
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 11:39 pm
Malodore pulled her roughly into its arms and kissed her - inasmuch as it could do so, which consisted mostly of poking its beak gently against her cheeks. Mi dispiace, mi dispiace ...
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 11:49 pm
Riley didn't really move much, though the affection was welcome, and her face crunched up slightly in response. It's all right. No, really, I just wasn't expecting that. And.. and neither will Andeon, if you ever had to use it. Her eyes fluttered open, still red at the edges, and she looked up at it with an expression suffused with pride, not pain. Perhaps that is even better than any possibly penetrable shield. She lifted her hand, and the backs of her fingers brushed against the side of it's face. My brilliant doctor. She whispered reverently.
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 11:57 pm
Malodore heaved a sigh of relief and flopped over on its side, taking her with it so that they were curled as they'd been before, only horizontal this time. "I wasn't certain that would work... it worked too well, it seemed," it said, laughing shakily. "I suppose I had to find an idea that made sense to me. A wall is a thing built up over many years, bit by bit... but the void is fast and sudden and impossible."
"And," it added, a sharp satisfaction radiating from it, "it pleases me to use something meant to scare me as a means of protection."
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Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 12:23 am
Riley shuffled forward, fitting easily into the open space it provided within it's arms. Her eyes half-lidded, both pleased by how dangerous Malodore suddenly seemed, and thrilled at how much safer she felt for it. It filled her with renewed hope, and with hope came the surge of love she allowed herself to feel unhindered by worry or anxiety. It all but swallowed the headache and exhaustion the experience had left her with.
I'm glad you figured it out. She whispered, and buried her face against it's arm.
As if he suddenly knew now was a good time to beg for attention, right at her ear a tiny dog started barking madly. HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY.
Riley's hand lifted up lazily, wrapped itself around the muzzle of the pup, and all but pushed it off the bed.
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Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 10:15 pm
"Figured this out, perhaps, but it feels rather like hitting a fly with... with G, I suppose." Malodore frowned internally. "Is there a way to, ah. Maintain something less... punishingly effective? And how do I, ah, release someone or not hold them at all, simply keep them from getting in?"
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