IdyllicDreamer
Dragon's Dream
Curiosity was always known to kill the cat.
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Fantasy The Underground [Private]
- Thread starter IdyllicDreamer
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IdyllicDreamer
Dragon's Dream
Allison Walsh
Damnit all. A simple phrase used so frequently in so many different ways. Right now it was like a lifeline, a mantra, chanted repeatedly through her head as the only thing grounding her to reality. At least, that was how it felt at the moment. Fingers digging into the hem of her skirt so tightly they were white, trembling just the slightest. Clinging to it like one might have their faith in a moment of terror, danger.
It was the closest she would likely come anyways, heart hammering painfully in her chest as she recounted the events of the day. The way it had all gone so wrong, so fast. It was all supposed to just be normal, another day here. With all the questionable things in the world, invasions of privacy, the police, the resistance... She had never been much trouble herself. A quiet soul, going with the flow each and every day. There was nothing in it all that she felt passionate about, they weren't hobbies and she never much thought herself able to change the world. Not particularly significant.
It all just had to go wrong though, she never should have been there. Never should have ended up here either. The resistance, but it may have been far better than the alternative. With the police, her mind simply would have been probed, where they would have found so much more. The spark of something more, that blast... Eyes clenching shut at the knowledge she had caused it. Her fault. She wasn't made for this, had never been involved with this...
What were they even going to do to her?
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Pokehulk
One Time Luck
Rian hated that he had to look inconspicuous. Some of the other members of the resistance got to have the long hair and thick sideburns. The too tight or too loose clothing and open-toed shoes. But he operated with the general public of the cities too often, not foraging in the forests behind.
His job was different. He found other people. Worked in and around the common folk, tried to decide if they were set up for the resistance. It was because his mind-blanking, commonly just called blanking, was strong. Many people in the resistance couldn't risk being near the police for long periods of time. Sure, they may be able to stay completely blank for fifteen or twenty minutes, but it didn't mean they could weave in and out of people and try to find others for days on end with very little thought at all.
He had found her. It was a good thing too, from the sight of her fear. He couldn't tell her much about where they were going. She wasn't set up to hold under probing if they were found. So he tried something simple. More simple than what worked for some people.
I can take you to where you'll be safe.
He knew the eyes of someone who found out something they shouldn't of. They were the easiest people to take to the resistance, because they had no other choice. They also were the most useful to the resistance, considering they knew something the police wanted no one to know. But the resistance wasn't picky. They'd take anyone looking for a different lot in life.
He led her through a chunk of fence at the very edge that had rusted enough with time to be pulled back and let people out. Even then he didn't say much. He didn't want to think about what he was waiting for, but there was a reason anyway. He waited till they were far enough away that if he killed her no one would hear her scream.
"Let's be clear. If you think about telling anyone about where I'm taking you, we have people who will find out, and we will kill you. Now I'm sure you have questions. Ask, and I'll answer what I can." His voice was surprisingly deep for seeming to be more the scholarly type, with his lanky frame and wire glasses. He held a low hanging branch back for her, handing it to her as he continued onward.
His job was different. He found other people. Worked in and around the common folk, tried to decide if they were set up for the resistance. It was because his mind-blanking, commonly just called blanking, was strong. Many people in the resistance couldn't risk being near the police for long periods of time. Sure, they may be able to stay completely blank for fifteen or twenty minutes, but it didn't mean they could weave in and out of people and try to find others for days on end with very little thought at all.
He had found her. It was a good thing too, from the sight of her fear. He couldn't tell her much about where they were going. She wasn't set up to hold under probing if they were found. So he tried something simple. More simple than what worked for some people.
I can take you to where you'll be safe.
He knew the eyes of someone who found out something they shouldn't of. They were the easiest people to take to the resistance, because they had no other choice. They also were the most useful to the resistance, considering they knew something the police wanted no one to know. But the resistance wasn't picky. They'd take anyone looking for a different lot in life.
He led her through a chunk of fence at the very edge that had rusted enough with time to be pulled back and let people out. Even then he didn't say much. He didn't want to think about what he was waiting for, but there was a reason anyway. He waited till they were far enough away that if he killed her no one would hear her scream.
"Let's be clear. If you think about telling anyone about where I'm taking you, we have people who will find out, and we will kill you. Now I'm sure you have questions. Ask, and I'll answer what I can." His voice was surprisingly deep for seeming to be more the scholarly type, with his lanky frame and wire glasses. He held a low hanging branch back for her, handing it to her as he continued onward.
IdyllicDreamer
Dragon's Dream
Allison Walsh
Such a simple phrase was all it had really taken for her to go along with it, to wrought with fear to really have much choice. There was nothing to suggest she should trust him, that this would be a safe course of action. What else was she to do though? Going home wasn't an option, her family would be in danger then. Hiding never worked, not for any of the stories she had heard time and time again. Damnit all. Another pass through her mind, though it would be cut off at his words. Something else rattling around in her brain as she felt her chest constrict. Killed.
"I..." Trailing off there for a puzzled moment she would just frown, glancing away in thought. Fingers unclenching from her skirt, the fabric a crumpled mess by this point where her hands had been. "I don't... Why are you helping me?" Where they were going, he probably wouldn't answer. Hadn't before, she had no reason to expect any different now. There were probably so many questions he couldn't have possibly answered rattling around in there, why. How, what was going to happen now. Actually, that one he might have known. She was afraid of the answer.
Up till a few hours ago, everything had been so normal, peaceful. Now chaos and uncertainty reigned supreme in her world. He could help her make it to a, probably, safer place but she doubted he could do much about the storm cascading through her mind.
"I'm Allison..., by the way."
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Pokehulk
One Time Luck
Rian reached out and shook her hand perfunctorily before letting go of the branch and continuing onward. There was no reason to spend too long studying her. If asked, Rian may have been able to characterize her as prettier than average, but he didn't give much thought to it. There was a lot more important things to worry about in this moment.
He talked as he led on. He had the steady hand and sure foot of someone who had made this journey a hundred times before despite their being no discernible path through the brush of forest. He didn't want to explain everything right away. She may be a plant. But they were much too far away for her thoughts to be read now.
"I am taking you to the resistance," he answered. He wasn't going to tell her where that was quite yet. Really, that was information she may have already guessed. The resistance was not something talked about, thought about, whenever possible, but still in the far corners of the city rumors stirred about a group of people who lived outside the fence and worked for the take down of the government. There was a lot of arguments as to whether or not this was for the common good.
He wished for not the first nor the last time that he could read minds. Blanking was a power in and of itself, but it was nothing like what the police had. He would be able to know whether or not it was safe to take her onward. Luckily, they had a ways to go before they would get to the home of the resistance. It was a long journey, and many of the resistance never made it. There were supply runs however, and one or two other people like him who made the journey to recruit others. Most of the discussion of physically attacking the government was still very much in the planning phases.
He talked as he led on. He had the steady hand and sure foot of someone who had made this journey a hundred times before despite their being no discernible path through the brush of forest. He didn't want to explain everything right away. She may be a plant. But they were much too far away for her thoughts to be read now.
"I am taking you to the resistance," he answered. He wasn't going to tell her where that was quite yet. Really, that was information she may have already guessed. The resistance was not something talked about, thought about, whenever possible, but still in the far corners of the city rumors stirred about a group of people who lived outside the fence and worked for the take down of the government. There was a lot of arguments as to whether or not this was for the common good.
He wished for not the first nor the last time that he could read minds. Blanking was a power in and of itself, but it was nothing like what the police had. He would be able to know whether or not it was safe to take her onward. Luckily, they had a ways to go before they would get to the home of the resistance. It was a long journey, and many of the resistance never made it. There were supply runs however, and one or two other people like him who made the journey to recruit others. Most of the discussion of physically attacking the government was still very much in the planning phases.
IdyllicDreamer
Dragon's Dream
Allison Walsh
In spite of the warning, threat, she followed him, shook his hand... Almost trusted him really. About as well as she could trust anyone right now. A shaky breath of sorts there, deeper into the forest. Entirely new terrain to her, used to the city. The smooth pavement, worked locations. Industrialization, everything made to try and keep it all running. Efficiency, nature rarely fit into that. She would have a little trouble keeping up, legs snagging things here and there though she tried to keep best to his path. With experience she would probably do far better, today was not a day of experience.
"Wait." Suddenly Allison would freeze in her steps, eyes on his back with a faint look of shock. One that had nothing to do with him being part of the resistance, taking her to said resistance... She had already assumed that much given their direction. It was something else, something a tad more unspoken. If she realized her shock was at something unsaid, it certainly didn't show.
"The resistance is actually planning on physically attacking the government?" Sure, the idea floated around that they might have been. A simple notion that no one put much stock into, most of the people she met just assumed the 'Resistance' was simply a group of people who didn't want to live under the governments thumbs. Harmless, for the most part. Rebels hiding out in the wild for their own carved out lives. Nothing serious, it was safer to think that.
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Pokehulk
One Time Luck
Rian struggled with how to respond to that. Of course they were, but she didn't need to know any details. There was too much that was classified. Even Rian, who knew practically everything, didn't know all of it. And that was with being the best blanker they had. They couldn't risk someone breaking through him and getting all the information at once.
"Yes," was what he settled on. It was a simple answer, not one that said anything she didn't know. He knew he should be having a conversation, pulling her forward, explaining things. That was sort of his job. That was his job if he were good at it. His job was to pull people from the city and recruit them. Or at least that was his main job, on paper.
But he wasn't the best at that part of his job. He didn't have the necessary people skills. But he did have the necessary blanking skills to do practically any job. That meant he had a lot of information he passed back and forth so no one would have the full story. Though he didn't know everything, he probably knew more than anyone else there.
But he had recently been told he needed to try harder. So that's what he was going to try to do here. Try to be good for once. "It's a long way off. What other questions do you have?"
"Yes," was what he settled on. It was a simple answer, not one that said anything she didn't know. He knew he should be having a conversation, pulling her forward, explaining things. That was sort of his job. That was his job if he were good at it. His job was to pull people from the city and recruit them. Or at least that was his main job, on paper.
But he wasn't the best at that part of his job. He didn't have the necessary people skills. But he did have the necessary blanking skills to do practically any job. That meant he had a lot of information he passed back and forth so no one would have the full story. Though he didn't know everything, he probably knew more than anyone else there.
But he had recently been told he needed to try harder. So that's what he was going to try to do here. Try to be good for once. "It's a long way off. What other questions do you have?"
IdyllicDreamer
Dragon's Dream
Allison Walsh
There were so many things wrong with this situation, she couldn't even begin to imagine actually being part of an assault on the government. Would people be hurt? Were they terrorists?? Unsettled thoughts would keep her in her stressed state, unsure of what she could possibly do in this situation right now. Why had her life become such a nightmare over such a simple occurrence. Had she just stayed calm, acted like nothing had happened... no one would have noticed her, she would have had time to slip away. It probably would have been fine. Yet instead she was here, out in the forests with a complete stranger. Focus on something else. At least he didn't seem to be enjoying this anymore than she did.
"It's okay, if you're not great with people." She started, reassure him, it was better than questions. Find some common... ground, or something. "I don't need you to flower it up or anything. It's not like I have anywhere else to go..." A thought striking her after she spoke, how naturally would it have been for someone to say that they were bad at part of their job? Not very, unless he were cracking a joke or something. That didn't seem very likely either. How much of that had he actually said? How much had he said to her at all?
This was all so messed up. If he figured it all out, if they all did... She was so screwed, if they knew what kept happening to her then there was no way she would ever be leaving alive.
"Can we stop? Please, please... just, I need... I need to catch my breath..." While they had been going for a long period of time, she wasn't exactly that out of breath. No, what she needed was to calm down. The crawling feeling up her spine, the horrible sensation as her anxiety built. No good could come from it.
Pokehulk
One Time Luck
((So sorry this took so long! Holidays killed me.))
Rian was shocked by what she said, but recovered very quickly. He had always been light on his feet. He supposed it must simply be that it was obvious he wasn't good with people. It wasn't as if no one noticed. People paid enough attention that if he was being honest he was on pretty slim ice when it came to his job.
But that didn't mean he wouldn't remember that she was astute. He was good at figuring out people's strengths and using them to the advantage of the resistance if not his own advantage. He would probably help them pick out her job after all.
He stopped when she asked to. He forgot sometimes how far it was, how much experience he had compared to someone who had never been in the forest.
He considered saying something, but remembered what she had said about not needing to flower up anything. There was nothing he needed to tell her, so there was no need to speak. He didn't realize just how little need to speak there truly was with her.
Rian was shocked by what she said, but recovered very quickly. He had always been light on his feet. He supposed it must simply be that it was obvious he wasn't good with people. It wasn't as if no one noticed. People paid enough attention that if he was being honest he was on pretty slim ice when it came to his job.
But that didn't mean he wouldn't remember that she was astute. He was good at figuring out people's strengths and using them to the advantage of the resistance if not his own advantage. He would probably help them pick out her job after all.
He stopped when she asked to. He forgot sometimes how far it was, how much experience he had compared to someone who had never been in the forest.
He considered saying something, but remembered what she had said about not needing to flower up anything. There was nothing he needed to tell her, so there was no need to speak. He didn't realize just how little need to speak there truly was with her.
IdyllicDreamer
Dragon's Dream
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[div class=PostieBox][div class=PostieBall][div class=PostieAvie][/div][/div][div class=PostieName]Allison Walsh[/div][div class=Credit]Created by IdyllicDreamer[/div]
She knew it, it was suspicious, a few little slip-ups already. Most never really noticed it, because aside from certain pieces of technology what she could do wasn't normal. It was easy to brush it off, assume she was intuitive, unless she overstepped. Unless she ended up not thinking before something came out, which... was what usually happened when she got too stressed. Fortunately, in the past, it had never really been this bad. Unfortunately, she wasn't just in the past right now. She was trapped in whatever her future was going to be, and it didn't seem to be getting any better.
"The... Resistance, the whole blanking thing... How do you do it?" He had to know, since he was apparently so good at it... When focusing on it, she supposed. What Allison wasn't thinking about was that most people didn't really talk about, or know, how the resistance managed to avoid detection. Considering most normal people didn't even like to talk, or think, about them. It was all so very dangerous, a slippery slope... Instead of thinking about that she was instead just wondering if maybe she could use the same principle to reverse it all, blank other peoples thoughts from her mind. Avoid hearing them when panicked. Not panicking would probably be better but, well, baby steps.
At least now she would be able to walk with him a little better, once they got moving again. Trying to actively switch between looking ahead and looking at him, it was important now to know when he was talking... Much more and she had no idea what they might do with her.
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[div class=PostieBox][div class=PostieBall][div class=PostieAvie][/div][/div][div class=PostieName]Allison Walsh[/div][div class=Credit]Created by IdyllicDreamer[/div]
She knew it, it was suspicious, a few little slip-ups already. Most never really noticed it, because aside from certain pieces of technology what she could do wasn't normal. It was easy to brush it off, assume she was intuitive, unless she overstepped. Unless she ended up not thinking before something came out, which... was what usually happened when she got too stressed. Fortunately, in the past, it had never really been this bad. Unfortunately, she wasn't just in the past right now. She was trapped in whatever her future was going to be, and it didn't seem to be getting any better.
"The... Resistance, the whole blanking thing... How do you do it?" He had to know, since he was apparently so good at it... When focusing on it, she supposed. What Allison wasn't thinking about was that most people didn't really talk about, or know, how the resistance managed to avoid detection. Considering most normal people didn't even like to talk, or think, about them. It was all so very dangerous, a slippery slope... Instead of thinking about that she was instead just wondering if maybe she could use the same principle to reverse it all, blank other peoples thoughts from her mind. Avoid hearing them when panicked. Not panicking would probably be better but, well, baby steps.
At least now she would be able to walk with him a little better, once they got moving again. Trying to actively switch between looking ahead and looking at him, it was important now to know when he was talking... Much more and she had no idea what they might do with her.
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Pokehulk
One Time Luck
Rian gave a little laugh. It wasn't meant to offend her. He didn't even realize it might. It was more just him responding to the fact that she seemed to think blanking could be taught in a minute or two while catching one's breath in the forest. As if he hadn't spent his entire teenage and adult life learning and relearning it with different types of thoughts, feelings, and knowledges. But at least she seemed interested in learning. That meant she could probably be an asset to the resistance, whether she really wanted to be or not.
"I can't teach it to you right here. People just starting need a very specific scenery to help with blanking." There were too many distractions out in the woods. As soon as an animal went scurrying through the underbrush she would be thinking about that. Luckily, the resistance was filled with makeshift places for people to learn blanking. He'd probably be the one to teach her. He did a lot of the lessons. But other people could help her just as easily, and they could see if she had any aptitude for it. That was impossible to tell until they started.
"Are you ready to keep going?" he asked. She seemed to have caught her breath, though he wasn't exactly sure she had ever lost it. He hadn't been able to figure out why they had stopped. He supposed she needed to think more than anything. Some people thought better while still, though blanking was easier while still as well. Both took concentration.
"I can't teach it to you right here. People just starting need a very specific scenery to help with blanking." There were too many distractions out in the woods. As soon as an animal went scurrying through the underbrush she would be thinking about that. Luckily, the resistance was filled with makeshift places for people to learn blanking. He'd probably be the one to teach her. He did a lot of the lessons. But other people could help her just as easily, and they could see if she had any aptitude for it. That was impossible to tell until they started.
"Are you ready to keep going?" he asked. She seemed to have caught her breath, though he wasn't exactly sure she had ever lost it. He hadn't been able to figure out why they had stopped. He supposed she needed to think more than anything. Some people thought better while still, though blanking was easier while still as well. Both took concentration.
IdyllicDreamer
Dragon's Dream
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[div class=PostieBox][div class=PostieBall][div class=PostieAvie][/div][/div][div class=PostieName]Allison Walsh[/div][div class=Credit]Created by IdyllicDreamer[/div]
There would be a soft sigh at that, non-informative really... Except that it would be a process, not something quick and certainly not something easy. So she would have to stay on her toes to keep up with it all. Allison was screwed, she knew it. Giving a small nod there, ready to get a move on there was so much to be done in it all. When they arrived at the facility, with more people...
"Even... if I can't learn it here, with all the... errr... Could you just tell me the technical parts of it..? I could just... think about it, as we walk..." It would be better than thinking about the situation anyways, or thinking about what would happen if she slipped up. Would they deem her too dangerous, or too valuable? One was certainly a bit more appealing to her than the other, but both had their own problems involved. At least the latter had more chance of her surviving this entire event...
"How much farther away is it, anyways?" Quite a distance had been implied, but it felt like they had been traveling for so long already... Maybe the trip from the compound to the city would be worse than anything else involved here. No that was an over-dramatization, this was going to be a nightmare all around she was sure. Fears playing off in her head, tickling at her thoughts much as she tried to keep it all together. The pause had only done so much good.
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[div class=PostieBox][div class=PostieBall][div class=PostieAvie][/div][/div][div class=PostieName]Allison Walsh[/div][div class=Credit]Created by IdyllicDreamer[/div]
There would be a soft sigh at that, non-informative really... Except that it would be a process, not something quick and certainly not something easy. So she would have to stay on her toes to keep up with it all. Allison was screwed, she knew it. Giving a small nod there, ready to get a move on there was so much to be done in it all. When they arrived at the facility, with more people...
"Even... if I can't learn it here, with all the... errr... Could you just tell me the technical parts of it..? I could just... think about it, as we walk..." It would be better than thinking about the situation anyways, or thinking about what would happen if she slipped up. Would they deem her too dangerous, or too valuable? One was certainly a bit more appealing to her than the other, but both had their own problems involved. At least the latter had more chance of her surviving this entire event...
"How much farther away is it, anyways?" Quite a distance had been implied, but it felt like they had been traveling for so long already... Maybe the trip from the compound to the city would be worse than anything else involved here. No that was an over-dramatization, this was going to be a nightmare all around she was sure. Fears playing off in her head, tickling at her thoughts much as she tried to keep it all together. The pause had only done so much good.
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