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Post by elizar on Nov 2, 2009 11:47:53 GMT -5
"What do you have in mind?" Sandra asked Bree. At the moment, she had no clue as of how to encourage Ian to talk while making him think that it was his idea to begin with.
Jonathan glanced back to see Elena, or at least the glamoured version of her, keeping an eye on him. Minnie was also nearby, hanging outside of the transformation zone while chatting with some of the other newbies, talking about the wonders of the place. If he hadn't known that she did bear one of the rings, he would have thought her to be taken in completely.
On the third floor, he saw him. Caesarion. He fought against the urge to run away frightened because that would just make everyone pay attention to him. Hoping that the esteemed leader did not notice a 'black hole' that was his mind, he wandered a bit off, looking for anything resembling a unicorn statue. That was what he had been told, the astrolabe was at some unicorn statue or something like that. You didn't get the whole truth from a ten year old even if she had tried her best.
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Post by Evangeline on Nov 3, 2009 16:20:04 GMT -5
"I'm thinking on that," Bree looked back towards the enclosure, "But in the meantime, I might bring in some "conversation-starters" and hope that'll get his attention."
Danae was out of sight, beyond the gate. Bree also looked over in that direction. "No matter what the purpose, she'll still feel somewhat guilty. I hope her mother can help her work it out."
Elena and Julian lounged about, allowing their overlapping glamors to hide the 'black hole' that was the barrier around Jonathan's mind. Their eyes went around the great hall. Caesarion seemed to be... "distracted" with a couple of females. Off to the left, there was another stairway, leading still another flight upwards. Where did that go off to?
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Post by elizar on Nov 3, 2009 16:32:24 GMT -5
Four floors? This house looks like it should only have three. Jonathan thought to himself as he looked up. He then continued upwards, hoping there were no guards or golems around to pounce on any trespasser.
"And we did get her into this." Sandra sighed as looking in the same direction as Bree.
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Post by Evangeline on Nov 3, 2009 21:02:03 GMT -5
Elena drifted closer to the stairwell to maintain the cover of the glamor, and then disappeared up the stairs behind him.
"I was younger than she was when I went into the Academy." Bree mused. "THAT was my rude awakening. And because of the way things were, I had even less choice about that than Danae. But we have to be there to help her work through it."
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Post by elizar on Nov 4, 2009 9:43:41 GMT -5
"At least you didn't have to yank a poor teen's chain in order to get him in chains." Sandra said. "She may feel like she betrayed him."
Jonathan was slightly jumpy and flinched as he heard someone had followed him up, when he saw that it was Elena, he relaxed. Without a word, he continued walking.
It didn't take him long to find the astrolabe. It seemed to be in view for everyone, knowing that no one could really handle it unless virgins. And they were probably somehow trained mentally not to touch it.
Jonathan felt a strong pull towards the astrolabe, he knelt in front of it. This wasn't like how he was trying to find some objects, it was something else entirely and he didn't know what.
He remembered something from when he was little. He had been watching a play. The animatronic puppet in it had been convincing for him when he was seven years old. "Feed me Seymour!" came up in his mind.
"I'm not supposed to sense something like this." Jonathan said low to Elena. "But I feel this pulsating power or something." And I want it. He added in his mind. He was sane enough to know that Elena didn't need to know that much.
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Post by Evangeline on Nov 4, 2009 19:05:20 GMT -5
"And it won't be enough to say "It was for his own good." Bree sighed and turned. "Only thing we can do is help her work through the feelings."
Elena, after so much time alive, was saavy enough to read between the lines. "It's there. Just don't let it suck you in. What's underneath is the real monster."
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Post by elizar on Nov 4, 2009 19:29:00 GMT -5
Jonathan frowned slightly as he realized Elena had him had. "Electrons are electrons, but power is not Power?" He asked. He had thought that no matter the source, there was no real difference in the magical powers on basic level.
"Anyway, here it is, neither of us are virgins, so what's the next step?"
"Think we should go talk with her and her mother now?" Sandra asked. "I have the feeling that Danae will be the easier of the three."
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Post by Evangeline on Nov 5, 2009 22:51:20 GMT -5
"This is the equivalent of a honey trap." Elena stated bluntly. "Once someone takes the lure, he doesn't have the power, the power has him. But the differences here are very subtle, and easy to mistake for the usual kind."
She paused and glanced back as another shadow advanced upstairs, but refrained from any "suspicious" attitude. Fortunately, it was only Cyrus.
"Let's." Bree nodded and set out. Danae was with her mother and Dmitri at the fuel bar, appearing to hold up a brave front though her mother hung close, understandably concerned. Bree greeted them with a conservative smile. "Hey, Danae."
"How's Ian now?" Danae asked.
"He's calmed down considerably." Bree answered, "But it'll take some time before he comes down from whatever they cast over him. It's a bit like drug withdrawal, and he'll go through some rough times before it gets better."
"And Liriel?"
"Much the same." Bree confirmed. "But she could be more problematic, with what was done to her body and mind. That'll be a matter for an expert user to deal with. Fortunately Annalise is here and she'll see what she can do."
"Good." Danae sighed. "I know it was for the best, but the look in Ian's eye when all that happened still bothers me."
"We would expect it to." the old Dauphin nodded.
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Post by elizar on Nov 6, 2009 6:05:18 GMT -5
"I would be worried if it hadn't affected you in some way." Sandra said. "The ability to sympathize with people is very important. Ian pulled your strings in the right manner and you reacted like everyone else should."
"I could handle it." Jonathan blurted out before he could stop himself. The sense of entitlement was almost too great for him. "I think I'm supposed to at least." He realized then, he was learning much more about himself, about what was wrong with him than anything else he had been told. He could sense immense power, he remembered also the faint feeling when he was in the ice age world.
But where did that mixed sense of pride and confidence come from?
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Post by Evangeline on Nov 6, 2009 13:39:44 GMT -5
"That scares me too." Danae shuddered. "For a second or two, I could SEE myself buying into it. God knows the hooks they sunk into his mind." She paused. "What are Annalise and the humans doing?"
"They'll see what they can do about Ms. Catgirl." Bree answered. "She could be an even bigger piece of work."
Elena recognized Jonathan's current attitude. "It's risky, but sometimes that's the only way to find things out. What else are you getting?"
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Post by elizar on Nov 6, 2009 15:33:15 GMT -5
"She was a real fighter." Sandra said. "At least Ian knew when to stop struggling physically, though he didn't stop verbally."
He looked at Elena and then turned back to the astrolabe. "I'm not a user, but by God I want that power even if I can't use it. I'm able to sense it, like a bomb ready to go and give everything it has to someone who deserves it. And I do." He looked back at Elena. "I'm not sure if I'm human."
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Post by Evangeline on Nov 7, 2009 16:19:51 GMT -5
"I could tell he's not stupid." Danae added. "The look in his eye told me that being overpowered was something he'd been through more than once. A LOT more than once. Maybe he was thinking that getting in with this cult would give him some pride back."
"Whatever it is, it's at the genetic level." Elena seemed calm, even uncommitted, at this moment. It was something that had to be worked through, and there was no short way around it.
Cyrus regarded both of them with an ARE-YOU-CRAZY look.
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Post by elizar on Nov 7, 2009 17:11:51 GMT -5
Jonathan looked back at Cyrus and sighed. "I'm sorry," He said. "But you know about my little 'problem' with users. I had been hoping to get some answers." He looked back at the astrolabe. "What's the next step, none of us are virgins so we can't just steal it in hope no one notices."
"And that he was told he was the right hand of the cultist probably gave him some of that." Sandra said. "The icon of the unity of Terra Humana and Terra Machina."
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Post by Evangeline on Nov 7, 2009 20:15:13 GMT -5
"Which is why Caesarion enourages all this debauchery here, except for a select few." Elena reminded them. "And why many of his proselytizers engage in "flirty fishing." That way, he doesn't have to have a round-the-clock guard on the bloody thing. Who can touch it?"
Cyrus scratched his head as he regarded the device. "Maybe if it was in a box or container..."
"Getting it INTO the box would be interesting." Elena looked down at it, "Let alone getting it loose from the floor." Indeed, it had been secured on a platform with metal bands, and the platform itself was securely bolted.
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Post by elizar on Nov 7, 2009 20:36:35 GMT -5
"We would need a crowbar or something similar, or someone who's a minotaur or something." Jonathan said and looked towards the stairs. "It should be easy enough to touch it indirectly once free, poke it with a stick to get it in a container."
Sandra went closer to Danae. "Ian has been through very rough times. He managed to escape his demons that were in Carverse, but didn't realize there were more over here, and failed to recognize them. He was alone during all that. But you, you have your mother, and she does want to help you.
"And I'm pretty sure that even if you would have been taken in by the duo's words, you wouldn't have gone right away, but to your mother, your protector and more importantly, your friend, to be sure of what you would do.
"Everyone makes mistakes sometimes, failing to realize the true motivations behind people. Today, even if it isn't afternoon yet, is a very good example of that."
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