While riding along with her Oliver!Avatar, Senkha is distractedly making music in both of their heads. Old folk dances, ballads, whatever comes to her mind. Their music.
Oliver has been killing for the past several hours. He's at home here in the murk, free to kill whatever he sees without needing to condemn himself over it. The music makes it strange, almost surreal. A happy jig crescendoes, and a demon's heart is torn from its chest. It doesn't seem to bother him; in fact, he enjoys the company.
Senkha isn't trying to control him by any stretch of the imagination, though her presence in his mind and body is noticeable, as is her pleasure at the muted sensation of running again, fighting again. It's all the benefits, none of the drawbacks. Some part of the back of her mind recalls the book lying on the table beside her, unread, but this is far more fun.
A cluster of imps tries to flee; they don't get far. The mud is black with rot and disease as it is, and it boils up to catch their feet. They cry as their bodies break away from their legs and fall into the rot, and his blade devours them greedily. He takes a pause, holding the sword out and allowing a pulse of silvery-blue light to travel down the hilt and into his arm. He lowers the sword, and with a clearer head asks, "Ain't got nuthin' better ta do?"
"Plenty of books that need reading and practice I could be doing, though I've no idea if the latter works unless I've got someone else to try it with. Besides, I like feeling like I'm running again." Senkha hesitates, drawing back some. "Though I can leave you be, if you'd rather."
"Ah'd be out doin' this all week if'n y'wasn't there remindin' me yuh's there," he admits with a bit of humor. "Ah should come home."
There's a clear sense of pleasure from her at this. "I'm here, waiting. Come on back...maybe we can have a sandwich or something."
"Won't be long."
Senkha doesn't withdraw entirely, but enough that she can get a feel for her own body before he arrives.
Macglynn leaves Gatha to do as he pleases and heads inside.
Senkha is flexing her fingers somewhat mechanically, trying to get feeling back into them like she's been asleep for a long time. She smiles as Oliver walks in. "Hey."
Macglynn grins back at her. He's completely bloodspattered and a mess. "Hey."
Senkha chuckles, taking in Oliver's bloodied appearance. "Look at you; you're all covered in blood, but you haven't been this happy in ages."'
Macglynn says: Yeah, well, nuthin' out there's stronger'n me.
Macglynn is referring to the forest, not the world.
Senkha says: And you've been going out and fighting almost every day. Light, you haven't looked so...well. Not alive, but -well-...since I met you, last year.
Senkha leans forward, resting her chin on her hands. "This place is really good for you."
Macglynn reaches his hand up and lifts the back of his hair. He turns slightly so the back of his neck is exposed to her, revealing a large black blotch surrounded by several tinier black blotches. Mold! "It really ain't, t'be honest," he says.
Senkha says: Gah! Here, bring me a knife from the kitchen and I can get rid of that for you.
Macglynn says: Whu- do Ah look lahk -cheese-?
Senkha says: Well, you -are- growing mold. How else would you get rid of it?
Macglynn says: ...
Macglynn says: Ah don't recall nobody cuttin' off their fungus toe.
Macglynn frowns.
Senkha's cheeks flush somewhat. "Sorry. Just...well. If you're fine with it, I'm fine with it. I just don't want it to eat away at your skin, that's all."
Macglynn sighs, turning around and dragging a knife off the kitchen table. He walks over to her, hands it to her, and drops down to the floor at her side. "Don't use th' knife agin."
Macglynn froooowns.
Senkha turns and lifts Oliver's hair gently. "If I was going to, I'd throw it in the fire first and burn off any diseases." She begins to gently scrape the mold off the back of his neck, letting it fall to the floor.
Senkha says: Do you like it here?
Macglynn has the expression of a man that's lost all dignity. "Ah do."
Senkha says: I'm glad. I didn't want this to just be for me, you know. I...I know you'd have stayed behind and fought, if you'd had a choice, but I know I'm not the only one who needed a break.
Macglynn says: ... No. Ah gotta learn when it's tahm t' step down.
Senkha nods, scraping off the last of the mold and setting the knife aside. "I think we both do. You know, I think the trial was supposed to be today."
Macglynn says: Hm. Wunner ha' that went.
Macglynn looks at his comm.
Oliver contemplates asking.
Senkha also looks at Oliver's comm, as if not sure what to do. "I don't know. Part of me is concerned. But part of me...well. If it didn't go well, I don't want to know, because that means going back."
Macglynn says: ... But whut'd that make us?
Macglynn says: Light, Ah hate this.
Macglynn turns his comm on.
[guild discussion about trial, in which nothing is revealed!]
Senkha leans over, listening carefully. Her own comm is up in the bedside table, still turned off and gaining dust. "Why's Wil hiding?"
Macglynn says: Oh, Ah reckon 'e got picked out by Delihams.
Senkha says: Oh.
Senkha says: ...yeah, really glad we're -here- and not there.
Macglynn says: Ah guess there wun' even a verdict.
Macglynn says: So. Yeah, screw it, ain't worryin' about it.
Macglynn says: Ah jes' hope they stays safe, is all.
Senkha says: Me too. I hope they realize they can come here, if they need to. Just because...well, I mean. Taking a sabbatical doesn't mean that I want everyone ever to leave me alone forever. Just that...that responsibility can take a flying leap.
Macglynn says: It's a big 'nuff place.
Senkha says: It is. And we could use the company, as long as they don't bring a lot of their issues with them.
The thought of company is messing with Senkha's zen. She's partly happy, but the other part is sliding down into that funk she was in for the weeks between when she woke up and when they reached Surwich.
Macglynn says: Y'know, let's jus' let 'em come if'n they really want. But we won't go invahtin' nobody.
Senkha says: They probably all think that I want them to stay as far away as possible. Light, I wish I'd left on a better note. I wish it hadn't been so...so contentious.
Macglynn says: Can't help whut's been done. Best jus' let yerself recover na'.
Senkha nods, pressing her lips together. She's quiet a moment, mulling this over, before remarking, "I was practicing today. I had a theory about how my mind works and how I can use it in the future, not just to heal people, but to keep them safe as well."
Macglynn says: Show me.
Senkha nods and reaches over, picking up the knife again. "Okay, now, when I say...try and cut my arm open," she tells Oliver. She then closes her eyes, furrowing her brow like she used to when she first began all these crazy mind things. After a moment there seems to be an almost invisible shimmer of her skin. She hands the knife to Oliver, eyes still closed. "Give it a try."
Macglynn takes the knife and looks up at Senkha's face and her expression of deep concentration. He looks back at her arm and holds the knife's blade against her skin. In a quick movement, he cuts.
Senkha's skin bends under the pressure of the blade, as if it's just being pressed there, but doesn't break. "Harder," she says, brow furrowing further.
Macglynn presses the knife's edge harder into her skin, cutting warily slow now.
Senkha 's skin breaks, but not nearly as much as it should for the pressure Oliver is putting on the blade. She hisses in pain and opens her eyes to look at the scratch, but when she sees it, she looks pleased. "Ha!"
Macglynn drops the knife as her skin breaks, giving a grunt of pain himself. "Tell me ha' y'did that. An' here- lemme git a cloth fer that." He starts to stand up.
Senkha says: It's alright.
Macglynn stops. "Y'sure?"
Senkha closes her eyes again, the scratch sealing itself. "I thought about the wards I have up on my mind, and I wondered if I could push them -outwards- as a means of protecting myself. And...I think I just did."
Macglynn says: ... Hey, Ah got a stupid question.
Senkha says: Okay.
Their bond is open, so she'd already know it before he asks: If you can use your brain to affect physical bodies, can you LIFT STUFF WITH YOUR MIND?
Macglynn says: Uh. Well. So y'kin make yer brain 'fect real, physical stuff, raht?
Macglynn says: Lahk yer body.
Senkha says: ...I've never tried to lift something with my mind, no. Hmm.
Macglynn says: Y- ah, yeah.
Macglynn gets over it. "Y'should try."
Senkha glances back over at the knife, now slightly stained with her blood. She touches it with a finger and then closes her eyes, brow furrowing. A moment later, she rises off of her own chair. The knife stays put.
Macglynn 's eyes go wide.
Macglynn says: Where'n th' blue hell'd y'learn ta do that?!
Senkha opens her eyes and looks over at the knife. "Oh, I felt sure tha-- AGH!" She drops back into the chair with a loud clank and a groan of pain.
Macglynn stands, putting his hands to his shoulders to straighten her up. "Light y'was a foot in th' air!"
Senkha says: I was just...I was trying to lift the knife. It didn't work.
Macglynn says: Senkha. If y'kin do that, would y'need that?
Macglynn gestures to the cane.
Senkha says: I'll always need that, if only to remind me--
To have you with me always.
Senkha says: But. Hrm.
Senkha says: ...Light, I don't know. I didn't even realize I could do that.
Macglynn gives a faint laugh. "As if y'got th' Light in yah."
Senkha doesn't respond to this, at least not outwardly. She closes her eyes again, trying to lift the knife with her mind once more and holding onto the chair as she does so, to prevent anymore mishaps.
The idea of having the Light in her is suddenly terrifying--if she -does- have the Light in her, what if she hurts him?
These powers of yours don't hurt me. This is no Light.
Macglynn watches.
Senkha finally manages to lift the knife barely off the table...just enough that it shifts noticeably, though not high up in the air. She's shaking and, once this is accomplished, opens her eyes and gasps for breath, as if exhausted. The knife falls with a clunk.
She's not sure if this is a comfort or makes her more afraid.
Macglynn bends to wrap his arms around her. "A'rite. Aaa'rite, think yer done wi' that."
Senkha leans against Oliver and breathes heavily, still shaking. "I did it," she says quietly. "Light, I did it. I did it."
Macglynn runs his hand over her back as she shakes in his arms. "Yeah. Y'did. Whut next, th' house?"
Senkha shakes her head, laughing weakly. "I think that'd take a lot more work...so many more things that could come apart and break. It was...I had to get -inside- the knife and that was bizarre. Have you ever felt what it's like to be a knife?"
Macglynn says: Uh.
Senkha says: ...that was a stupid question.
Macglynn says: Yeah, Ah ain't sure ha' t' answer that one.
Senkha says: I think. That I am done practicing for the night.
Senkha nods.
Macglynn says: Ah think that's a wise choice. Y'need a lift upstairs?
Senkha says: Maybe. In a bit. I'm not sleepy, just...feel like I ran all the way from Northrend.
Senkha laughs softly and seems content to just be held by Oliver, even in this awkward position.
Macglynn finds it just a bit too awkward and rights himself. He pulls the nearby chair over beside her and sits instead.
Macglynn says: Ah kin tell.
Senkha suddenly gives a laugh of disbelief. "I can't believe I -did- that! Light, there's just so much...so much untapped potential. I've never even thought about it before now."
Macglynn says: Y'gotta fahnd yerself someone whut knows ha' ter teach yah. Someone ain't busy thirty-eight hours a day.
By that, he pretty much just means, Not Marius.
Senkha says: ...that'll be easy.
She gathered.
Macglynn says: Will it.
Senkha says: No. I was being sarcastic.
Macglynn says: Seems ta me there's a number 'a people with a skillset lahk yers.
Senkha wrinkles her nose and shakes her head. "A lot of priests have similar skills, but most everyone else I know who's got any sort of...well. This thing. They're either evil or...hnn. There's no really polite way to put it other than 'idiots.'"
Macglynn says: Well look harder!
Macglynn says: ... After vacation.
Senkha says: After vacation, yes.
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