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 Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 2:04 pm
Riley couldn't help but look back at Luce again when he found the errant fluff, and her eyes crinkled, clearly impressed. Such a cute little innocent thing wasn't the kind of creature she'd normally peg for being a hunting dog. She bent under the table slightly, reaching out with her hand to catch Luce's attention and bring her closer, before picking the pup up in one hand.
A symbol of new life. Riley echoed, holding the pup up eye to eye for a moment, before bring her back down to nuzzle her chin against her fur. I can see that.
Riley's eyes snapped up and looked directly at Malodore in a sharp, serious gaze. You are not allowed to tell anyone how much I enjoy cuddling Luce. She warned softly, if only to protect her public image. Her eyes softened, thoughtful as she held the pup to her chest. She does remind me that I need to find a good hunting companion, though. So far I have not found a minipet suitable to my needs.
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Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 2:14 pm
"I assure you, I am not inclined to useless gossip," Malodore said with a nod. "Though... if you are looking for a creature similar to Luce..." It gave her a furtive look. "You might try looking around the campus. I'm afraid I am sworn to secrecy as to the specifics, but if you are fortunate and canny - as I know you are - you could perhaps find one..."
Luce wriggled happily, though not so much as to make Riley think she wanted to be let down! Her tail thumped against Riley's side.
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Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 2:50 pm
Riley forced down a giggle as Luce squirmed on her, trying to adjust her hands to keep her from squirming right out. I'll keep my eyes open. Although I'd be just as happy with any breed of creature that can hunt as well as that, really. I try not to get too attached, however.. if I had one such as Luce, I might become too affectio- oh my bleeding Jack, Luce, why are you so cute. She'd interrupted herself in mid-sentence when Luce had squirmed herself sideways, and her tail started flickering against her face. Riley was helpless against her charms. No, having a pet as precious as Luce would be very, very bad for her image.
So tempting, though.
Well. Riley shifted Luce so that the pup rested against her chest, curled up in one arm once more, and tried to retain some semblance of seriousness. She failed, but she tried. We should probably think about secure containment units, if the samples are going to start becoming mobile like that.
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Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 7:50 pm
"Standard laboratory containment should work - I don't see them becoming powerful. As they become more ferocious in a Halloween-standard fashion, they also grow weaker. Possibly because their behavior is more familiar to us now." Malodore opened its beak in a smile. Nobody in Halloween Town really batted an eye at... oh, say, something gnawing on an ankle. It happened all the time.
"The distortion seems to be happening fastest with the toys, however. The elf-matter... since it was from a sentient being, now dead, and is only blood... well." The plague doctor shrugged. Blood didn't do much, even in Halloween.
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Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 9:03 pm
As sound as Malodore's comments were, Riley still looked warily on at the samples. She wasn't quite convinced they wouldn't be a problem later on.
Well, I'm glad to hear that the blood isn't reacting, at least. If there's anything in this pile with the most potential to come to life, it's organic DNA such as blood. I'd rather not see that happen. Though, she still thought the piece of bark from the tree was going to take root and plant itself soon, if it had the chance.
While absentmindly scratching under Luce's chin, she picked up her tweezers again and slid them straight through the fluff they'd returned to the table. She watched the tendrils grab at the tweezer, growing around it. I really want to take a look at the toy I left on the bed in my room soon.. I'm somehow a little more worried about my hazmutt right now, as I watch this.
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Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 9:16 pm
"Do you want to go and check? We can always reconvene - I will be observing the shift from JOY to FEAR. I think experimenting in the unstable state will produce erratic results. If the state is unstable, we can't have a proper control..." Malodore was peering at the other samples, each now contained in a clear cube.
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Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 11:07 pm
Her initial answer was immediate, and she only barely held it back as she re-thought about it. She looked as though she was going to say something, but her attention focused on Luce for a second, before she regrettably murmured in an overly quiet tone. I guess. She sounded ridiculously unhappy about it. With a slow reluctance, she finally let Luce down on the floor, and put the tweezers back on the table.
An overwhelming sense of distress seemed to be weighing heavily on her. She fiddled with the claws on one of her hands for a moment, before her chest heaved in a quick, silent sigh.
"So then. I suppose I'll just. Go." She was starting to get angry at herself for being so hesitant and unhappy about all of this. She had no one to blame but herself.
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Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 1:02 pm
Luce whined immediately, putting her paws back up on Riley with a distressed sound. Malodore turned, its tone perplexed. "Is something wrong?" Surely she couldn't be afraid of the prize she'd brought back from Christmas Town, but the plague doctor had no idea what else it could be.
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Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 9:39 pm
Riley looked down at Luce for a moment, before bending at the knee and reaching down to brush the backs of her fingers against her fur. She stood up straight again, and quickly began to shake her head.
No, Her response was quick, but hesitantly followed by a more cautious Yes. She rolled her eyes and ran one hand down the length of her face, while chiming in further with a questioning Maybe? I don't know. I should just- She gestured for the door, though whatever she was struggling with kept her from walking towards it.
Her eyes rose to meet Malodore's, and she finally took a few steps, looking as though she'd made her decision. She stopped when she was shoulder to shoulder with him, but remained facing the door. It was here that her struggle had truly come to an impasse.
Malodore. She murmured quietly, turning her head only slightly despite refusing to look directly at him. May I give you something, before I go?
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Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 8:42 pm
Malodore tilted its head to one side. "Of course you may." While its rigid beak couldn't exactly show concern, it was evident in its tone. What on earth had happened so suddenly to change her entire demeanor? It wanted to ask again, press the issue, but...
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Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 8:45 pm
There were a few steps to the process she'd chosen, that she knew were going to be uncomfortable. It had, perhaps, been why she was so hesitant. However, she was nothing if not stubborn, and she'd made her decision. She would follow through with it.
She took a step back, and then to the side, so that she stood toe to toe with Malodore. She lifted one hand to the rim of his hat, very slowly, so that he understood what she was doing, and nudged it just slightly to indicate that she wanted to remove it for the moment.
Do you trust me? It was the first, and foremost piece of information she needed to know - without trust, she knew she would fail, and it was pointless to put herself at risk for certain failure.
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Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 8:51 pm
"Yes," Malodore said, without hesitation - the declaration even startled him a little bit, but... well. Maybe you didn't go through holiday hell without forging bonds... "Absolutely. I wouldn't have told you about my... family... if I didn't," it added, wryly.
Though the question puzzled it... and, it had to admit, intrigued it as well. "Perché?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 9:06 pm
She took his instant answer as permission, and slowly removed his hat. Because I want to give you something, and if you didn't trust me, you.. could hurt me. Her eyes flickered away, looking nowhere in particular for a moment. I, ahh, my kind that is, we have a way of showing, I mean- Her cheeks inflamed a dark purple, and her eyes slit angrily. There was no time for hesitance.
What I want to give you. It's in the mind. Yours, specifically, of which you have complete control. Therefore, were I to enter, a lack of trust would.. hurt me.
Her eyes lifted and looked at him warily. She would instantly regret her next words, but she felt she owed it. You can.. say no, if you don't want it.
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Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 9:17 pm
Malodore tilted back just slightly as she slipped off its hat - but the action was a reflex, and it shook its head and corrected its posture right away. "I... like what you showed me before? All the knowledge and... everything? That vastness?"
Faint prickles of unease ran through its mind, but it shook them off. It was, if nothing else, an interesting experiment.
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Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 9:32 pm
Riley's eyes crinkled slightly at the edges, before she shook her head. I'm not going to show you anything, this time. Maybe another time, but that's, uhm, well it's different. She hedged at explaining the intimacy of a mind-share, and instead pushed up on her tiptoes and boldly let her forehead press against his. It was not an easy task, but she managed to do so without disturbing his beak.
Riley looked directly at him for a moment, before letting out an awkward chuckle. Okay then. Just.. try not to fight anything, so you don't hurt me. Just remember, you trust me. I would never do anything to harm you.
With that reassurance, and the sincere hope that it would work, she closed her eyes.
And.. nothing happened. At least, not at first.
Her chest heaved in a deep sigh, before she felt comfortable enough to enter his mind, and with a practiced action she gently stimulated the limbic system, but only for a moment. It was a light brush, and it would cause nothing more than a lovely, fluttery feeling of euphoria. To be stimulated further would be inappropriate - she had given him nothing more than a moment of a feeling, what her kind holds akin to the human action of kissing.
Remaining connected for a moment more, she took note of his reaction. Then, she subtly removed herself from his mind, and opened her eyes. Her head pulled away, and she put his hat back on his head.
Of course, as expected, she was a pleasant shade of eggplant - and notably at a loss for words.
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