Re: Inexorable Altercation [Round IV - Hezekiah]
06-09-2012, 10:08 PM
Originally posted on MSPA by SleepingOrange.
There were several seconds of silence as Annaliese concentrated, but nothing seemed to be coming of them aside from a general stabilization of the mutable place she and the queen were standing in. After a bit of screwed-face straining, she sighed and looked up at the Vorlon apologetically.
"Do you know anything about, you know, how to do this? You guys were supposed to be good at... Memories. That sort of thing. Right? And I'm just stuck in my own memories, so..."
The queen made a noncommittal noise.
"Look, if we're both stuck unconscious because I don't have any idea how to wake up, it's not like either of us can do much about–" she waved a hand. "Everything."
"It continues to astound me how little other species understand the true power of one's own mind and recollections, and how little they bother to try. I know you have learned only few meditation techniques, so..." She trailed off, thinking. "Focus on a specific event. Something very recent. Watching as– as the Sollipor blasted Gias with the memory converter."
Annaliese neither noticed the catch in the queen's voice nor knew what a Sollipor or a memory converter was, but she assumed it all referred to when the little bug man had fired all that energy around. Closing her eyes, because it seemed like one of those things you were supposed to do, she focused on the event, conjuring up what she'd seen as a spectator behind her own eyes, how it had felt to be subjugated, the rush of the queen's emotions that she'd caught secondhand...
Around her, though she couldn't see it, the scene reformed, replacing the chaotic forest boat cave castle they'd been standing in. The Vorlon Complex stood austere and ancient around them, and the drama played itself out in slow motion; some details were faint or even inaccurate, but others were stark and true. Bits of the edges of what could be seen were little more than colored smudges.
"Now open your eyes, but stay focused on the memory."
She did; everything wavered for a moment, but what little spellcasting Annaliese had proven to be capable of had taught her to concentrate on multiple things simultaneously a bit better than the average person. Well enough for these purposes, anyway.
"Step into yourself, and lose your identity as separate from the memory. Meld into it, and experience it as though it were the first time. As you were before, in your cabin."
Annaliese considered correcting her; witches live in cottages, after all. Still, it was probably a pointless distinction, and if there was anyone it was useless to posture for, it was someone who could see all of your memories. She stepped towards herself, feeling odd about it, and tried to fade into her own thoughts.
The two witches wavered a bit as Annaliese struggled to let go, struggled to stop overthinking things, but they eventually blended to one. The queen faded from sight as well, to allow the memory to proceed naturally.
Gias was destroyed, and so was the bug man, and Felix and Voitrach and much of the room. The memory beast stood where they had been, but... Annaliese hadn't noticed that the first time. She'd retreated to her own mind as soon as the converter's effects had touched her. Or maybe she'd just been blocking this out, but had still been there for it. That must have been it, because she watched the beast with a sense of fading deja vu; as she felt the transition begin, and closed her eyes to shut out the rush of air and light and sound, she'd entirely forgotten this wasn't the first time she'd lived through it.
She was in a cell, and looked around it, panicked. Her chest was heaving, her heart was pounding, her knife and broom fell from her hands for the umpteenth time since the battle had started. She slumped against a wall, hyperventillating, and threatened to slip into unconsciousness or catatonia. Perhaps she did, but only for a moment. Her eyes slammed open and–
And nothing changed, but everything did. She knew implictly and without explanation that she was no longer recalling anything, but was conscious and present in the battle's fourth round.
"Reliving the past up until it becomes the present is an excellent way to escape self-imposed mental loops, and even some that may be inflicted on you. Remember that, it may yet serve you well."
Annaliese looked up at the at-once hyperreal and obviously projected image of the queen.
"Be sharp. You must find your co-contestants without drawing the ire of 'the worst scum in the galaxy'."
And, indeed, she could hear the approach of several feet, unhurriedly moving outside her little room. She snatched up what she'd dropped, and without warning the feet stopped and the door snapped open, revealing the last face she wanted to see and one she personally considered a top contender for worst scum of whatever a galaxy was.
---
"It's not far now," muttered the old creature. He had long since tired of trying to converse much with Loran, who seemed much more interested in alternating between talking to himself and sullen silence.
"And where's Will? You said he'd be close to where we're going."
The once-conquerer was wise enough to tell when someone was talking to voices in his head. He certainly hadn't mentioned any wills himelf, in any case.
Felix shrugged. "He's been moving erratically. I think he may actually be behind us now."
"Then why didn't you–"
Greyve held up a vaguely-placating, firmly-stopping hand. "Even with Will's odd movements, we're still getting closer to each other. No reason to try changing course and losing the one source of information we have about this place." At that, he gestured towards the hobbling alien.
Felix nodded. "In any event, we're much closer to Annaliese now than to Will."
"Fine," grumbled Loran. "How close?"
"Oh, I'd saaay..."
There were several seconds of silence until Loran finally burst out, "Well?"
Felix held up a finger and took several more steps before stopping in front of one of the nearly-identical doors that littered the place.
"Here!"
There were several seconds of silence as Annaliese concentrated, but nothing seemed to be coming of them aside from a general stabilization of the mutable place she and the queen were standing in. After a bit of screwed-face straining, she sighed and looked up at the Vorlon apologetically.
"Do you know anything about, you know, how to do this? You guys were supposed to be good at... Memories. That sort of thing. Right? And I'm just stuck in my own memories, so..."
The queen made a noncommittal noise.
"Look, if we're both stuck unconscious because I don't have any idea how to wake up, it's not like either of us can do much about–" she waved a hand. "Everything."
"It continues to astound me how little other species understand the true power of one's own mind and recollections, and how little they bother to try. I know you have learned only few meditation techniques, so..." She trailed off, thinking. "Focus on a specific event. Something very recent. Watching as– as the Sollipor blasted Gias with the memory converter."
Annaliese neither noticed the catch in the queen's voice nor knew what a Sollipor or a memory converter was, but she assumed it all referred to when the little bug man had fired all that energy around. Closing her eyes, because it seemed like one of those things you were supposed to do, she focused on the event, conjuring up what she'd seen as a spectator behind her own eyes, how it had felt to be subjugated, the rush of the queen's emotions that she'd caught secondhand...
Around her, though she couldn't see it, the scene reformed, replacing the chaotic forest boat cave castle they'd been standing in. The Vorlon Complex stood austere and ancient around them, and the drama played itself out in slow motion; some details were faint or even inaccurate, but others were stark and true. Bits of the edges of what could be seen were little more than colored smudges.
"Now open your eyes, but stay focused on the memory."
She did; everything wavered for a moment, but what little spellcasting Annaliese had proven to be capable of had taught her to concentrate on multiple things simultaneously a bit better than the average person. Well enough for these purposes, anyway.
"Step into yourself, and lose your identity as separate from the memory. Meld into it, and experience it as though it were the first time. As you were before, in your cabin."
Annaliese considered correcting her; witches live in cottages, after all. Still, it was probably a pointless distinction, and if there was anyone it was useless to posture for, it was someone who could see all of your memories. She stepped towards herself, feeling odd about it, and tried to fade into her own thoughts.
The two witches wavered a bit as Annaliese struggled to let go, struggled to stop overthinking things, but they eventually blended to one. The queen faded from sight as well, to allow the memory to proceed naturally.
Gias was destroyed, and so was the bug man, and Felix and Voitrach and much of the room. The memory beast stood where they had been, but... Annaliese hadn't noticed that the first time. She'd retreated to her own mind as soon as the converter's effects had touched her. Or maybe she'd just been blocking this out, but had still been there for it. That must have been it, because she watched the beast with a sense of fading deja vu; as she felt the transition begin, and closed her eyes to shut out the rush of air and light and sound, she'd entirely forgotten this wasn't the first time she'd lived through it.
She was in a cell, and looked around it, panicked. Her chest was heaving, her heart was pounding, her knife and broom fell from her hands for the umpteenth time since the battle had started. She slumped against a wall, hyperventillating, and threatened to slip into unconsciousness or catatonia. Perhaps she did, but only for a moment. Her eyes slammed open and–
And nothing changed, but everything did. She knew implictly and without explanation that she was no longer recalling anything, but was conscious and present in the battle's fourth round.
"Reliving the past up until it becomes the present is an excellent way to escape self-imposed mental loops, and even some that may be inflicted on you. Remember that, it may yet serve you well."
Annaliese looked up at the at-once hyperreal and obviously projected image of the queen.
"Be sharp. You must find your co-contestants without drawing the ire of 'the worst scum in the galaxy'."
And, indeed, she could hear the approach of several feet, unhurriedly moving outside her little room. She snatched up what she'd dropped, and without warning the feet stopped and the door snapped open, revealing the last face she wanted to see and one she personally considered a top contender for worst scum of whatever a galaxy was.
---
"It's not far now," muttered the old creature. He had long since tired of trying to converse much with Loran, who seemed much more interested in alternating between talking to himself and sullen silence.
"And where's Will? You said he'd be close to where we're going."
The once-conquerer was wise enough to tell when someone was talking to voices in his head. He certainly hadn't mentioned any wills himelf, in any case.
Felix shrugged. "He's been moving erratically. I think he may actually be behind us now."
"Then why didn't you–"
Greyve held up a vaguely-placating, firmly-stopping hand. "Even with Will's odd movements, we're still getting closer to each other. No reason to try changing course and losing the one source of information we have about this place." At that, he gestured towards the hobbling alien.
Felix nodded. "In any event, we're much closer to Annaliese now than to Will."
"Fine," grumbled Loran. "How close?"
"Oh, I'd saaay..."
There were several seconds of silence until Loran finally burst out, "Well?"
Felix held up a finger and took several more steps before stopping in front of one of the nearly-identical doors that littered the place.
"Here!"