Talencia
Dreamless she had slept. He made sure of that. But now the body was rested, and it was time to wake her. Taking over her small body was surprisingly easy when she was sleeping. He sat up the new body and opened her eyes... and saw blackness. He poised, ready to stir her mind to wakefulness, and blinked those mortal eyelids. Why was it black? A small hand reached for her face, and he gently slid fingertips across her brow, her eyes, her cheeks. Nothing was there, but all was blackness! Startled, he withdrew suddenly, which shoved Rairne to the foreground, waking her immediately in an upright and shaking condition.
Gasping awake, she clutched the edge of whatever it was she was on. Too stunned to register what the object was, she simply clung, her heart beating at a fierce rate, feeling as if it would burst from her chest. What had happened? Was it a dream? Was what a dream? Mind reeling, she struggled to stop the crazy swirling of her thoughts.
There had been Finn-att. Strange enough to be a dream, but she could still recall the feel of human skin meeting horse-skin. It had been a very odd sensation for her to absorb. So that had to have been real, right? Her small face frowned as she focused on the next part. He had been telling her about.... Destruction. And having permission? The thoughts tumbled over one another, nearly senseless in their speed. Permission for what? Being here. But why? Because of another god. He had one. He did? But so did she. She did?
With another gasp, she clapped her left hand over the bandage on her right shoulder. The voice! She remembered the voice now! Her fingers tore at the bandage, ripping it from her arm as fast as she could one-handed, grunting with her urgency. When it finally came loose, she ruthlessly prodded it, running fingertips over its jagged suirface. Her exploration slowed, tracing the edge where it touched her skin. Suspiciously, she prodded it, then tugged lightly at it, not sure if she wanted to provoke a response or simply rid herself of it.
"Don't."
She froze, still clutching the stone. Her body trembled as her breath stilled, eyes sightlessly wide. "Who are you?" she whispered, fighting down the fright that on the streets was a sure killer. You couldn't act to survive if you were scared out of your wits, after all.
"Arctang." With her discovery of him, it was becoming much harder to communicate. It baffled and troubled him. He pressed harder, but it seemed she fought back. All that came out was an echo of what he'd said before. "Arctang."
She tried to clear her mind, shove the errant voice away. This couldn't be happening! Centaurs and gods in stones that talked in your head! This was madness! "No." It was a statement, a firm denial. "No. Go away." She shoved harder.
"Don't! Can't!"
It sounded fainter this time, more distant. Maybe she was winning? "Yes. Go away!" With all her will, she mentally repuidated the voice and what it embodied.
"Hurts!" For it did. Her rejection of him was paining him, raising his alarm. If she succeeded in getting rid of him, he didn't know what would happen. But it was nothing he wanted. "Stop!"
She paused, fists clenching tightly still on the edge of where she'd slept. What hurt, she wondered?
She had stopped pushing, and he rushed to try and convince her. "Pushing hurts!" He wanted to say more, but he couldcn't. She still had a barrier between them, holding him back.
Hesitation gave her time to consider this. She could hurt him, but he was in her. Maybe he was her? She shook her head in confusion. That didn't make sense. But otherwise how could he talk in her head? If he was a god, couldn't he just take what he wanted? Why did he need her?
"I need you." He made it sound as pleading as he could, as pitiful. Generally he didn't care much for mortal manipulation, but this was possibly his existence at stake! He would do whatever necessary, even wrap this little girl around his finger by tapping into her emotions and making her like him. Any way he could. "Please!"
She blinked. She hadn't heard that word directed at her in so long... she practically couldn't remember what it meant. But she knew it was nice, and it was begging and matched with his previous words... he needed her? She loosed her physical grip a bit, mentally loosening her hold as well. "Why do you need me?" she prodded the voice. Arctang, he had called himself.
Gasping awake, she clutched the edge of whatever it was she was on. Too stunned to register what the object was, she simply clung, her heart beating at a fierce rate, feeling as if it would burst from her chest. What had happened? Was it a dream? Was what a dream? Mind reeling, she struggled to stop the crazy swirling of her thoughts.
There had been Finn-att. Strange enough to be a dream, but she could still recall the feel of human skin meeting horse-skin. It had been a very odd sensation for her to absorb. So that had to have been real, right? Her small face frowned as she focused on the next part. He had been telling her about.... Destruction. And having permission? The thoughts tumbled over one another, nearly senseless in their speed. Permission for what? Being here. But why? Because of another god. He had one. He did? But so did she. She did?
With another gasp, she clapped her left hand over the bandage on her right shoulder. The voice! She remembered the voice now! Her fingers tore at the bandage, ripping it from her arm as fast as she could one-handed, grunting with her urgency. When it finally came loose, she ruthlessly prodded it, running fingertips over its jagged suirface. Her exploration slowed, tracing the edge where it touched her skin. Suspiciously, she prodded it, then tugged lightly at it, not sure if she wanted to provoke a response or simply rid herself of it.
"Don't."
She froze, still clutching the stone. Her body trembled as her breath stilled, eyes sightlessly wide. "Who are you?" she whispered, fighting down the fright that on the streets was a sure killer. You couldn't act to survive if you were scared out of your wits, after all.
"Arctang." With her discovery of him, it was becoming much harder to communicate. It baffled and troubled him. He pressed harder, but it seemed she fought back. All that came out was an echo of what he'd said before. "Arctang."
She tried to clear her mind, shove the errant voice away. This couldn't be happening! Centaurs and gods in stones that talked in your head! This was madness! "No." It was a statement, a firm denial. "No. Go away." She shoved harder.
"Don't! Can't!"
It sounded fainter this time, more distant. Maybe she was winning? "Yes. Go away!" With all her will, she mentally repuidated the voice and what it embodied.
"Hurts!" For it did. Her rejection of him was paining him, raising his alarm. If she succeeded in getting rid of him, he didn't know what would happen. But it was nothing he wanted. "Stop!"
She paused, fists clenching tightly still on the edge of where she'd slept. What hurt, she wondered?
She had stopped pushing, and he rushed to try and convince her. "Pushing hurts!" He wanted to say more, but he couldcn't. She still had a barrier between them, holding him back.
Hesitation gave her time to consider this. She could hurt him, but he was in her. Maybe he was her? She shook her head in confusion. That didn't make sense. But otherwise how could he talk in her head? If he was a god, couldn't he just take what he wanted? Why did he need her?
"I need you." He made it sound as pleading as he could, as pitiful. Generally he didn't care much for mortal manipulation, but this was possibly his existence at stake! He would do whatever necessary, even wrap this little girl around his finger by tapping into her emotions and making her like him. Any way he could. "Please!"
She blinked. She hadn't heard that word directed at her in so long... she practically couldn't remember what it meant. But she knew it was nice, and it was begging and matched with his previous words... he needed her? She loosed her physical grip a bit, mentally loosening her hold as well. "Why do you need me?" she prodded the voice. Arctang, he had called himself.
Talencia
Now that she loosened her choke-hold on his influence, he slowed his own panic and made himself think. He had to find a means to connect to her, so that she did not wish to get rid of him. He would have chewed his lip thoughtfully, had he control of a body. Instead, he slowly began to slip emotions through the barrier to the waiting child. First and most important was vulnerability. He let that seep through thoroughly, letting it taste of danger close by, mortal danger. Following that was of course fear. He measured it out carefully, not wanting to add too much. By now he was practically savoring the mathmatical preciseness of it, like an algebraic formula for host control.
Then he fed her his need, comingled with the fear. His need to be rescued, to be succored, to be looked after. Nevermind what he'd said earlier about taking care of her... at this point, he needed her to forget that, and now focus instead on his needs. He let this heady mixture of emotions build until when he finally spoke, it carried great weight. "It is only through you that I live. Without you, I will die."
Then he fed her his need, comingled with the fear. His need to be rescued, to be succored, to be looked after. Nevermind what he'd said earlier about taking care of her... at this point, he needed her to forget that, and now focus instead on his needs. He let this heady mixture of emotions build until when he finally spoke, it carried great weight. "It is only through you that I live. Without you, I will die."
Talencia
She released her grip on whatever she sat upon, scooting back tentatively until her back met something firm enough to lean against. She folded her legs in front of her and clasped her hands in her lap, waiting. He had talked, so she had no doubt that he would continue to talk. Otherwise why had he bothered in the first place?
Even so, her teeth worried at the inside of her lower lip. What would he say? As his purposely sent emotions began to flood through her, she instinctively tugged Baby from her waistband and clutched her tightly. By the time he spoke again, she was so tightly wound she nearly shot off her perch when he spoke finally.
Without her, he would die? This surprised her, but the tone of this inside voice was so laced with sincerity, she didn't linger much on her doubts. She pondered the situation, as best as her little girl mind could. He was stuck in her, quite literally. And apparently she was stuck with him. She couldn't very well KILL someone, now could she? Oh, she might have if really pushed to it, to save her own life on the streets. But she'd never really considered it, since how likely was it that a blind girl would manage to overpower anyone? Practically everyone was bigger, quicker, and most important, in possession of more senses than she.
But now she had a chance to actually help keep someone else alive. Thoughtfully she drew her knees up to her chest and pressed her Baby up there, while wrapping her arms around her legs. "Are you a part of me, then?" she asked in a small voice. Inwardly, she wondered if maybe she had it backwards. Could she be a part of him?
Even so, her teeth worried at the inside of her lower lip. What would he say? As his purposely sent emotions began to flood through her, she instinctively tugged Baby from her waistband and clutched her tightly. By the time he spoke again, she was so tightly wound she nearly shot off her perch when he spoke finally.
Without her, he would die? This surprised her, but the tone of this inside voice was so laced with sincerity, she didn't linger much on her doubts. She pondered the situation, as best as her little girl mind could. He was stuck in her, quite literally. And apparently she was stuck with him. She couldn't very well KILL someone, now could she? Oh, she might have if really pushed to it, to save her own life on the streets. But she'd never really considered it, since how likely was it that a blind girl would manage to overpower anyone? Practically everyone was bigger, quicker, and most important, in possession of more senses than she.
But now she had a chance to actually help keep someone else alive. Thoughtfully she drew her knees up to her chest and pressed her Baby up there, while wrapping her arms around her legs. "Are you a part of me, then?" she asked in a small voice. Inwardly, she wondered if maybe she had it backwards. Could she be a part of him?
Talencia
He nearly chortled with delight. It was working! "Yes, my brilliant darling, just so! We are part of each other now, and always will be." He flooded her with his warm approval and acceptance, a welcoming into himself that he wanted her to percieve, so that she was not afraid of being swallowed within him. That was the desired end result, of course, but if he could convince her to actually want it... oh so much the better!
"We cannot be seperated now, not by anyone or anything. You will never be alone again, and I shall live once more through you. I have been almost dead for so very long." He unthinkingly fed her a long string of numbers to represent his time stuck in the stone. He already knew the year, which he had plucked from one of her memories while she slept. Of course, he had thought it a bit odd that there had been no images to access to go with the voices and sounds in those memories, but he'd dismissed it as simply an anomaly. He of all gods should have known better than that. Perhaps he was losing his touch?
"We cannot be seperated now, not by anyone or anything. You will never be alone again, and I shall live once more through you. I have been almost dead for so very long." He unthinkingly fed her a long string of numbers to represent his time stuck in the stone. He already knew the year, which he had plucked from one of her memories while she slept. Of course, he had thought it a bit odd that there had been no images to access to go with the voices and sounds in those memories, but he'd dismissed it as simply an anomaly. He of all gods should have known better than that. Perhaps he was losing his touch?
Talencia
Yes, this had to be the right thing to do, right? She clasped either wrist in her thin little fingers, making odd faces as she thought. But just as she was concluding that she was rather glad not to be alone anymore, her brain went into overload, a string of very long numbers rattling through her skull. In fact, it was so overwhelming that she yelped and clapped both hands atop her head, as if afraid it might fly off in the torrent of numbers. it was like a silent shout, blaring to her mental ears.
When it finally trickled to a stop, she gasped, "What was that?!" Gingerly she took first one, then the other hand away from her head, ducking it down still as if afraid a piano might fall on her. Maybe having someone else inside her wasn't such a good idea after all....
When it finally trickled to a stop, she gasped, "What was that?!" Gingerly she took first one, then the other hand away from her head, ducking it down still as if afraid a piano might fall on her. Maybe having someone else inside her wasn't such a good idea after all....
Talencia
He observed her behavior with some puzzlement. "That? That was how long I've been in that stone, all alone." He tried to pour loneliness through their link, but she fended it off, still demanding a further explination. He tamped down his exasperation and would have rolled his eyes, if he'd had control of any at this point. "Centennials, decades, years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds! I remember all of it, every boring milisecond! Trapped in that stone that you managed to impale your arm on." Some of his asperity seeped through, but he couldn't help it. He was trying to be patient, really he was!
"I don't know how the others marked their time of imprisonment, but being the god of Numbers, that is how I passed the time... by counting every single possible way the amount of time I was there." He almost sounded waspish about it. He resented the necessity of being bound into the stone. Oh, he didn't resent being put in to survive, of course. No, part of him was rather irked by the mortals that made it all necessary, and now here he was, quibbling with yet another mortal who didn't seem to understand that the universes should revolve around the gods, not their brief and flickering lives.
With some effort, he brought himself under control. It wasn't like him to be so dark and brooding. Before the time of fading, he'd been quite a jovial and fun-loving being. Things had changed, though, and apparently so had he. Life wasn't a game anymore, at least not as much. It might be fun, after he became himself again. For now... he held back a sigh and consented to play this 'game' with his human host. "It was just numbers, though, darling. Forgive me for using so many. I won't do that again. I promise." He sweetened his tone with as much sincerity as he could muster, letting it drip with the golden honey of a promise made being a promise kept. Just a while longer he must tolerate, must cajole and cater to this young host. Soon, if he could just get her to agree... soon!
"I don't know how the others marked their time of imprisonment, but being the god of Numbers, that is how I passed the time... by counting every single possible way the amount of time I was there." He almost sounded waspish about it. He resented the necessity of being bound into the stone. Oh, he didn't resent being put in to survive, of course. No, part of him was rather irked by the mortals that made it all necessary, and now here he was, quibbling with yet another mortal who didn't seem to understand that the universes should revolve around the gods, not their brief and flickering lives.
With some effort, he brought himself under control. It wasn't like him to be so dark and brooding. Before the time of fading, he'd been quite a jovial and fun-loving being. Things had changed, though, and apparently so had he. Life wasn't a game anymore, at least not as much. It might be fun, after he became himself again. For now... he held back a sigh and consented to play this 'game' with his human host. "It was just numbers, though, darling. Forgive me for using so many. I won't do that again. I promise." He sweetened his tone with as much sincerity as he could muster, letting it drip with the golden honey of a promise made being a promise kept. Just a while longer he must tolerate, must cajole and cater to this young host. Soon, if he could just get her to agree... soon!
Talencia
She gathered her doll into her arms while she listened to his miniature tirade. Her fingers traced around the button eyes and what was left of the stitching of the nose. She ran them along the edge of the head, around and around three or four times, before sliding over the knotted and frayed yarn hair. She found the movement and the touch of her fingers on the doll soothing, reassuring, calming.
It seemed to her that this was still probably the right thing to do. He had been trapped, after all, right? And someone... someone very very long ago had told her... she remembered that they had told her that she must always help someone in trouble. That is was a good thing, and counted for something in the grand scheme of things. She frowned mightily, fingers stilling on the doll, as she tried to make the memory clearer, so she'd know who told her this. But it eluded her, fading away the harder she concentrated.
With a sigh she let it go and returned her mind to this current problem. She wasn't at all surprised to note that he mostly was nice when he wanted something from her. Wasn't the whole world like that? Except... maybe Finn-att. He hadn't seemed to want much of anything from her, but he'd been rather nice to her anyway.
This needed more thought. And maybe there were others who knew more about this, could tell her more. "I need to think," she told him firmly, and promptly closed him in with mental walls, fencing herself from him as best she could. He'd just have to stay put until she was sure of what was going on here.
It seemed to her that this was still probably the right thing to do. He had been trapped, after all, right? And someone... someone very very long ago had told her... she remembered that they had told her that she must always help someone in trouble. That is was a good thing, and counted for something in the grand scheme of things. She frowned mightily, fingers stilling on the doll, as she tried to make the memory clearer, so she'd know who told her this. But it eluded her, fading away the harder she concentrated.
With a sigh she let it go and returned her mind to this current problem. She wasn't at all surprised to note that he mostly was nice when he wanted something from her. Wasn't the whole world like that? Except... maybe Finn-att. He hadn't seemed to want much of anything from her, but he'd been rather nice to her anyway.
This needed more thought. And maybe there were others who knew more about this, could tell her more. "I need to think," she told him firmly, and promptly closed him in with mental walls, fencing herself from him as best she could. He'd just have to stay put until she was sure of what was going on here.
Talencia
Curiously he watched her thoughts wander to and fro, less impatient and more intrigued by how mortal minds worked. He'd never taken time before to examine the inner workings of the frail creatures. He had to admit, they knew how to live in the moment.
But just as it was getting interested, she slammed barriers up between them and shut him off from her mind. He peeked through chinks in the wall, but there was very little he was able to pick up from her now.
It seemed it was time to sit back and wait.
This was not at all how he'd planned it.
But just as it was getting interested, she slammed barriers up between them and shut him off from her mind. He peeked through chinks in the wall, but there was very little he was able to pick up from her now.
It seemed it was time to sit back and wait.
This was not at all how he'd planned it.
