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 Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 11:57 pm
...How was thinking she was going to mess it up be the cause of her problem? She had been so proud of herself in the beginning, these thoughts (at least the ones of being stuck forever) didn't start until the second or third time she tried to get out with no avail. The little Undead girl clearly did not understand the power of thinking.
"...I'll try." As hesitant as she sounded, she really did mean it. Trying to change your thinking without having anything to show for it would be tough, but...if Riley said that was her problem, she'd try. If they weren't going to give up on her, she shouldn't give up on herself, either.
"But I...I should get going...class and all." She waved a reversed hand almost dismissively after freeing it from under Riley's claw. It wasn't until she went to wipe her eye again that she realized she was still holding onto Christof's scarf, and that was something she almost grudgingly held out to him to return. "H-here, thank you." She murmured, awkwardly getting back to her feet.
"I-it was nice to meet you, um, officially and...thank you so much-" Her sincerity was perfectly clear this time! "-But...I really do have to go so...I'll see you later?"
By this time, the girl was already backing up to let herself out; she didn't want to be rude, but her brain already hurt from so much excitement and thinking...and she still had class!
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Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 1:19 am
Christof nodded, accepting the scarf back to carefully rewind it around his mouth and neck, giving his friend a quiet wave. Almost immediately he turned his eyes to Riley, expression excited and hopeful. So you can do it, Mistress? We can build a body? Should I start gathering parts? Oh there aren't many places close by to look, there aren't many teenaged ghouls in the graveyard, unfortunately but i'm sure I know good places to look... he babbled eagerly into her head.
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Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 11:51 am
Although he couldn't know it, the babbling directly into her head was the last thing Riley needed right now. She forced herself not to wince in pain when the words came flooding in, and her eyes very slowly turned to Christof.
Yes. She tried to cut him off quickly. We can do it. You may begin gathering parts now. Choose wisely. In fact, have many choices, if you can - Malodore will want choices. You should probably get started on that now.
No, she wasn't trying to get him to leave. Not at aaaaall. Except maybe just a little. Christof's method of communication with her relied on being able to speak into her mind - and at the moment, she just didn't want to deal with it.
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Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 11:54 am
Cluelessly, the Igor perked up, eyes twinkling as he gave her a smart salute, barking back, Yes, Mistress! Right away! At least it seemed that had been enough of a fire in his gullet and he bowed to both of them before hurrying off. His shovel! He needed his shovel! Oooh but it was too early and... and he did have classes coming up soon but... well, maybe he could at least start riffling through what good parts he had to see if any were female. Usually he was good at only picking up male parts for himself, but sometimes things sneaked in.
Tonight, though, the collecting would begin.
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Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 4:47 pm
Whatever silent communication Christof and Riley had shared... well, Malodore obviously didn't know the details, but it saw the results as the patchwork hurried off with every sign of excitement. It shook its head, wryly. "Well, he certainly looks excited..." Though Christof wasn't the only one. This would be a fascinating project, truly fascinating, and it was even for a good cause. Splendid.
It did, however, pad over to the door, close it, and lock it before turning back to Riley. "Are you well? What did you find in there?" it asked, concern evident in its voice as it came back to the ithilid's side.
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Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 5:49 pm
Once Amrita and Christof had left, Riley took the chair as her own - lounging on it sideways, with her legs lifting to drape over the armrest. Her head rested on the opposite armrest, and she closed her eyes. The pointer finger and thumb of each hand rested on her temples, rubbing them gently.
I am not well. She responded, her voice still sounding inky and muted. It's like I just caught a cold, but in my mind. It's so.. Her voice trailed off, the sentence left unfinished. Whatever we do, we have to prioritize the freshness of Amrita's new brain. The poor thing is living in a haze, because of how rotted her current one is. Delving into it was like swimming towards a black chasm deep in the ocean. Except, now that I'm out, I still feel it.
Her eyes opened, and her hands dropped to rest on her stomach. Her problem is simple, but fixing it will take a great deal of time and effort. She is trapped in her body by her own self-degradation. She so strongly believes that she cannot get out, therefore, she cannot get out. This is compounded by how easily her brain allows her to remain murky in thought - I mean Jack help me, I almost didn't get out. I can easily see why this is a problem for her.
Her eyes drifted closed once more. I have every confidence that once we boost her faith in herself, she'll find it much easier to simply leave the body on her own. It will just require some.. lessons in self-confidence.
As she spoke, every so often her voice levels tottered in and out. It was almost as if one was turning the dial of a radio, trying to get the best reception.
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Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 7:25 pm
"Mmm. I see," Malodore said, still worried - its rigid beak, of course, was incapable of expressing concern, but the rest of the plague doctor's body language fairly screamed it. "How terrible, to have to dwell in such a state constantly, enough that... you're not even aware of it, because it has become normal." It shuddered slightly, the blades on its back clinking together lightly with the movement. And for it to have such an effect on Riley...
"Does this... happen often? When you enter the mind of another, I mean, does it leave you 'tasting' them after the fact?" it asked, quietly. It was curious, but it also thought keeping Riley 'talking' might help. It had no idea what to do when treating maladies of the mind.
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Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 7:53 pm
Her mind had a lot of.. muck. It tends to be clingy, when entered. That's actually why I asked for your help, earlier. Her eyes opened and focused on him. It would take a couple of hours for natural process to clear out all of the lingering effects of being in Amrita's mind - unless I entered another mind. It's very difficult to explain, and I hate to keep using these crude phrases when trying to demonstrate how my mind works, but.. it's kind of like a mind bath. She chuckled and shook her head. Exposure to a new brain destroys the lingering elements of a previous brain. Though. It's obviously a personal experience, being inside someone's mind. You can see Amrita was emotionally affected. She shrugged mildly. I won't be offended at all if you'd rather not. Honest.
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Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:39 pm
Malodore's beak opened slightly in a smile. "It is the doctor's duty to offer assistance where it is needed, is it not? I could never live with myself if aid was available through my actions and I did not give it." It sat down on the floor in front of the chair, cross-legged; Luce immediately hopped onto its lap and curled up. One hand strayed down to pet along the pup's spine as Malodore looked up at Riley, meeting her gaze without hesitation.
"Do what you need to do."
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Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 9:39 pm
As honest as she was about not being offended, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief at it's acceptance. She really didn't want to sit for hours and pick the gunk out of her head 'manually'. Her eyes followed as it sat in front of her, softening with affection, before they fluttered closed.
Okay. Close your eyes. She felt sure that she didn't have to warn it not to fight her this time around - she'd become comfortable with it's mind. It wouldn't feel as unnatural as the first time.
It took longer than usual for her to prepare herself, if only because of the claws of muck holding her mind back. Once she finally found, and touched, Malodore's mind, she visibly relaxed - she hadn't known how tense her muscles had been until they unwound and released. She moved at a snail's pace, merging her own mind into that of Malodore's while trying not to disturb it very much. She was simply requesting a moment's ease for her own mind, by placing it gently within that of another. Her own mind was cleared away of all the mental gunk Amrita had left behind, leaving her feeling a blissful sense of serenity.
She did not dare pry into any aspect of it's mind, nor did she open her own secrets up - the moment was simply meant for cleansing, and, without realizing it, enjoying her time with it here just as much as she enjoyed her time with it in any respect.
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Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 10:18 pm
Malodore closed its eyes obediently, then waited... it was an odd feeling, like Riley was talking to it only moreso. Like water trickling through cracks in a rock.
Much of she would find there was concern for her, though there were several processes working on other problems - Amrita's own issues foremost among those. There was also the faint prickle of the only other movement Malodore's body was engaged in, that of petting Luce; the undead (but not rotting, not in the least) mind did not have the petty distractions of breathing, digestion, or heartbeat regulation to worry about.
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Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 11:26 pm
Somehow, Riley had known. Once she had been allowed to blend her mind into the person she'd quite obviously fallen for, the pleasant constant sense of nothing but 'Malodore' would be addicting. It felt like wrapping up in a warm blanket on a cold day - and it would be very hard to leave. She knew that if she had no common sense, and relied on nothing but her whims to guide her, she would easily remain settled gently in it's mind until her heart stopped beating. It would be a lovely way to die.
Fully cleansed of the ill-effects of Amrita's mind, Riley found the strength to gently pull away. Just before the last of her own mind left, she sent it an affectionate brush.
She hadn't realized, until she'd returned to her own body, that she had curled up on her side. Her knees were pressed against herself, cuddled inwardly. It was a little disorienting to return to a change in position. Her eyes blinked open, before forming crescents in a content expression.
All better. She whispered fondly.
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Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2011 9:37 pm
Malodore felt faintly dizzy as it opened its eyes, but that sensation soon passed. "I am glad," it said, opening its beak in a slow smile. "I do not like to see you so distressed. It is unlike you."
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Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2011 9:44 pm
I don't like it very much, either. She said, though the words were immediately followed with a muted vibration - if it remembered the feeling, it would have connected it with that of a yawn. Her eyes fluttered closed, and her head tilted slightly into her hands as they rested against them like a pillow.
I think, if you don't mind, I'd like to rest here for a few minutes. Her voice vibrated again. Just a little rest. I promise. Then I'll go.
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Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2011 1:00 pm
"Naturalmente," Malodore murmured. "Would you rather the bed? I do have one."
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