Martyr
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I can never be held. Never again...
Posts: 30
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Post by Martyr on Jul 1, 2008 19:50:28 GMT
"Why can you not believe me?"
Salim’s smile immediately faded back into a guarded expression. Many reasons… echoed in her mind bitterly as her russet eyes everywhere besides the boy’s own. It felt as though those eyes could look right through her. Like she was an old, tattered book. And all of her fears, her ambitions, and her regrets were tearing away from the secluded spine if that made any sense whatsoever. “It’s something I’d rather not discuss.” The fear bubbling inside of her, Martyr realized how close she exactly was to Necros, and retreated backwards at the same moment that he had. It seemed funny, how respectful they acted towards one another, yet keeping a safe distance at the same time. Ironic, it seemed. “Not a people person either, I see.” It wasn’t a question. It wasn’t a snide remark. It was easy to tell because she normally acted the same way, physically toward the humans.
"I would prefer to keep that to myself for now Martyr. Perhaps once we get to know each other better, I will tell you."
Salim could respect his refusal, but what he had said was good enough for her. He never said he didn’t, he just didn’t want to tell her right now. Even if that could also cover up the fact that he could possibly have no powers, she didn’t think he wasn’t. But like she said, she wouldn’t question him. That’s when she repeated what he said in her mind, and blinked. “’Once we get to know each other better?’” She found herself repeating aloud. It sounded like he… wanted to see her again once they had parted ways from the alley. “I’m sorry, but I’m confused. What do you mean by that, exactly?”
"It would be a simple matter for you to use your gift to make a better life for yourself. Why do you not?"
She shuffled her feet, finding more interest in the floor for the second time that day. Hopefully he would giver her space as she had him. “As I mentioned earlier, I’d… I’m sorry, but I’d rather not talk about it. Not now.” It’s too painful…
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Necros
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Scourge of Human[/col
Knowledge is power. Power is corrupt. Study hard. Be evil.
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Post by Necros on Jul 1, 2008 20:42:39 GMT
"It’s something I’d rather not discuss.”
The faint smile on her lips disappeared as she spoke, with a trace of bitterness, along with a more pronounced sense of fear. She backed away from him as well. He nodded. "As you wish." In time, you will wish to discuss it. When she spoke again, his lips twitched, though whether up or down was hard to say. "That is one way of putting it." He looked her in the eyes. With more sunlight creeping its way into the alley, he could see that her eyes were not brown, but red, though not the same rich, bloody shade as his and Achema's. He noticed that she was avoiding his gaze, that it made her uncomfortable. As if she felt that he could read her like one of the books he sometimes immersed himself in, as if all her emotions and thoughts were on display for him to examine, like artifacts in a museum. He wondered he she would react when, given time, she would discover that she wasn't that far off.
"'Once we get to know each other better?' I’m sorry, but I’m confused. What do you mean by that, exactly?”
He allowed himself a smile then, one that spoke of warmth, reassurance, and companionship. Entirely false of course, but Martyr couldn't know that. "It is entirely possible we could run into each other again Martyr. But I'm sure you know that I meant I would like to set up a way for us to meet again in the future when one of us wishes to talk. There's something I like about you." He didn't mention it was her powers more than anything. His eyes flicked upward again, monitoring the sun's progress. He would have to depart soon. He looked at Martyr again as he waited for an answer to his question, which he soon received.
"As I mentioned earlier, I’d… I’m sorry, but I’d rather not talk about it. Not now.”
"I understand." Your pain is delicious. He resumed his meditation, waiting to see if she would continue the conversation again. Whatever she decided, it would soon be time for him to leave. He was intent on setting up a means for them to get in touch with each other first, however. He already had a way, but he wanted to see if she had an equally effective method before he would reveal his.
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Martyr
New Member
I can never be held. Never again...
Posts: 30
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Post by Martyr on Jul 1, 2008 21:33:31 GMT
"As you wish…”
“That is one way of putting it."
It was the way he said it that both released tension from her mind, yet racked her nerves all over again. Something she’d have to look into later on… But physically, her shoulders lowered slightly as she sighed, running a hand through her unruly hair, nodding with appreciation. Thank God. Just imagining the fear and shame that could’ve been brought up left her blood cold. Luckily, Necros didn’t seem one to pry, although looking into his eyes again reminded her otherwise. Casting away from them, Salim finally took in a few calming breaths before deciding with the bridge of his nose; a skill she had learned to avoid gazes of the regulars and yet still keep up with the conversation and her surroundings. Yet she felt… well, how was she to describe it? Content? Safe, if only slightly? Well, those were a few things she hadn’t felt in a long time. Not since—Stop. Just stop.
“It is entirely possible we could run into each other again Martyr. But I'm sure you know that I meant I would like to set up a way for us to meet again in the future when one of us wishes to talk. There's something I like about you."
And in that blank of thought, Martyr was able to take in everything Necros had said. Her body went rigid, and her eyes shot wide open into his. Everything about it seized her; it’s intention, his honesty to it, and his smile (that seemed completely out of character.) Something… he likes about me? Wh-Why? The idea of ‘friendship’ rose up like a fire, one that she had doused quickly. To rely on things like that… that was stupid. She couldn’t get over her head; she just met the boy, for heaven’s sake! “Really?” Salim cursed her vulnerability. She yearned to dam her emotions, but Necros’s words echoing in her head wasn’t aiding her endeavor. Far from it. If anything, he was making the situation all the more difficult. She didn’t know what she was supposed to feel.
"I understand."
“Thank you.” She finally uttered, looking away to see how long they had been there. It had been awhile, and soon she would have to go find food for lunch and dinner. “Well, I think I should be off. There’re a few things I need to do today.” Yeah, petty thieving and running sure ties up a schedule. “But… how are we going to meet up again?”
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Necros
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Knowledge is power. Power is corrupt. Study hard. Be evil.
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Post by Necros on Jul 1, 2008 22:58:12 GMT
Upon hearing his words, she relaxed, yet didn't relax at the same time. Her physical bearing grew more at ease: she didn't stand rigid as she had moments before, and she ran a hand through her hair in nervous relief. Inwardly, his tone soothed her, but because of that, also caused her to become even more wary. Smart girl. He watched as she took a couple of deep breaths and looked in his direction again, noting that she still couldn't bring herself to look into his eyes. Still, he could sense that she felt somewhat at peace, or something close to that. Calmer than she had been for quite a while, at any rate. He spoke, in a tone that indicated that he was used to this kind of treatment. He was, but it didn't really bother him. "You find me disconcerting." He sprinkled a hint of hurt onto the words for good measure.
Ah, there. Her body went stiff again, surprise and perhaps a touch of excitement filling her. Her eyes finally met his, wide with astonishment. She quickly got herself under control, and Necros might have given an imperceptible nod of approval had she not been there to see it. She was also incredulous, having a hard time coming to terms with his statement. It wasn't that surprising that she found it difficult to think another person would like her, given what he had gathered from her mind. It would be an interesting process to discover what had made her like this. Humans, no doubt, but he wanted specifics. She actually voiced her doubts, and he nodded in what might be considered a solemn fashion. "Yes. I never lie." He could tell that she didn't like this, didn't like that she was showing him her emotions so openly, but she was not as experienced as him at concealing her feelings. Few were. In time though, and if she proved worthy, he would teach her. She would never be able to hide them from him, but from the lesser humans, and all but the most perceptive empaths, she would be safe.
“Thank you. Well, I think I should be off. There’re a few things I need to do today. But… how are we going to meet up again?”
He accepted her thanks silently. He would have liked to follow her and observe what other business she had to attend to, but the entire reason that he wasn't going to talk with her longer was the blasted sun, which had now almost completely filled the alley with its cursed light. He was pressing himself into a corner, avoiding it as long as possible, though he made sure that none of his clothes touched the filthy walls. In response to her question he said, "Open your mind and do not be afraid." Reaching out with his mind, he gently probed at her own, waiting for her to grant him entrance to her thoughts. Once she had, he spoke to her. "One of my abilities is telepathy. You must train yourself to keep your mind open to me, so that I may contact you. If any other telepaths attempt to contact you or force entrance into your thoughts, close your mind to them. You will know when it is me. I'll always 'knock' first." Withdrawing from her mind, he neglected to mention that he reason he wouldn't just invite himself into her mind whenever he needed to was that he couldn't. She had to be willing to let him in first. This wasn't the case with all telepaths, and asking her to leave her mind open was a risk, since it would only make her more vulnerable to other those who could force their way in in the first place.
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Martyr
New Member
I can never be held. Never again...
Posts: 30
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Post by Martyr on Jul 2, 2008 0:05:54 GMT
"You find me disconcerting."
She bristled. “No.” Martyr protested a little too quickly. So much for keeping calm. Shaking her head vigorously with hands clenching at her sides, she tried to convince him otherwise. Her lips formed many answers. All of which were nipped in the bud. A ‘W’ – for why would you think that. Salim seemed to note that her question was stupid. So she proceeded with another ‘W’ – for what do you mean. Again, another stupid question. But Salim couldn’t bring herself to say that, either. Her last attempt was a sigh in her frustration. “I...” she managed. “I...” She tried to frown at Necros. She tried to smirk. All appearances sputtered to life and died instantaneously. Finally, she let out a snort without humor and explained, “I’m just… not used to this… this…” What was ‘this’ exactly? “I don’t even know what to call it.” Salim concluded with a mutter, rolling her eyes at herself.
Hearing his assurance actually calmed her down completely; how could she question further at his grave tone? That couldn’t be responded to either. At least, not without more sputtering or stuttering from her, and she didn’t want a repeat. “Well, thanks.” She responded softly, not knowing how else one could reply without being an idiot. She settled with an appreciative nod. This boy was unlike anything she had ever thought possible of. Unlike any hero or villain or whatever the heck he was; he was different. But… she kind of liked it.
"Open your mind and do not be afraid."
“I beg your—“ Pressure tugged at her mind, and she felt dizzy yet completely grounded as she heard Necros’ voice… from within her. "One of my abilities is telepathy. You must train yourself to keep your mind open to me, so that I may contact you. If any other telepaths attempt to contact you or force entrance into your thoughts, close your mind to them. You will know when it is me. I'll always 'knock' first." The entire time, all Salim could so was stare at him. Oh yes, this was certainly different. Granted, she knew what telepaths were, but had she ever experienced this? Well, now she had. Hearing his voice fade from her didn’t deter this wide-eyed expression until she glanced down at her hands, thousands of thoughts spinning in her head like a rampaging carousel. So, this was his power? Was there anything else? Or was this it? No, that couldn’t be it. He was still waiting until they got to know each other better, so there was more to come, no doubt. Her arms sprouted goose bumps with anticipation, and her smile was small, but completely genuine to how she was feeling now; nervously… happy. “So… are empath powers included with telepathy?”
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Necros
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Scourge of Human[/col
Knowledge is power. Power is corrupt. Study hard. Be evil.
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Post by Necros on Jul 7, 2008 22:23:28 GMT
Martyr instantly denied the validity of his statement concerning her unease. The response was quick and abrupt, so much so that even if he hadn't been an empath he would have been able to tell she was saying that to spare his feelings, a reaction many soft-hearted humans would have shared. She opened her mouth, and a strangled sound came out, only to be quickly cut off, as if she were trying to speak and couldn't find the right words. Of course, Necros knew that that was exactly what it was. When no coherent sentence was forthcoming, he said, "It is understandable. Most people react to me this way." The sprinkling of hurt was just a bit heavier this time. She finally found her voice then, which was accompanied by an exasperated snort after she had tried to make her face decide on an expression.
"I’m just… not used to this… this…I don’t even know what to call it.”
"I believe it's called a conversation." He poke politely, his tone neither condescending nor irritated, as it usually would have been. If he wanted to win Marty's trust, he couldn't treat her the way he normally treated other humans. She nodded at him, murmuring a thanks as he assured her that he was telling the truth when he said there was an element to her that he found pleasing. She was warming up to him, growing ever more relaxed; he could see it in her mind as clearly as if it had been imprinted on the inside of her skull. He treated her to a twitch of his pale lips in a vaguely upward direction, usually the closet he came to forming a smile. He could tell she was surprised when she felt his presence in her mind, but after he had withdrawn, despite staring with wide eyes at her hands and her thoughts and emotions whipping through her mind so quickly he could barely make sense of them, he could see that she had handled it rather well, for a human. Achema, on the other hand, had- No. Enough of that.
"So… are empath powers included with telepathy?”
He shook his head. "No, although I can understand the question. The powers, though separate, do have their similarities. Still, they are vastly different, if one knows enough about them and how they work." He neglected to mention that he possessed empathic powers in addition to his telepathic ones, though she had probably guessed that he had them, hence, her question. He had discreetly made his way into a corner of the alley now, where the last of the shadows had taken refuge from the daylight. "I suppose I should not keep you. I believe you said you have some business to take care of, as do I."
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Martyr
New Member
I can never be held. Never again...
Posts: 30
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Post by Martyr on Aug 5, 2008 23:17:15 GMT
"It is understandable. Most people react to me this way."
That was another hit to the redhead's guilt. Though this time, aside from a grimace she managed to keep stoic as she took everything that had happened within the last what, thirty minutes? Hour? Who knows. Through his offended-sounding reply, Martyr could relate. Everyday, from the time she had found out about her 'gift' - she'd play along with what Necros had said about her powers - people had treated her the same way Necros had stated if ever she exposed the slightest of them. "Because you're different." In what ways he was different, it was hard to specify, and if was more of a question than an answer.
When he put in the word she was looking for, she guessed, Martyr shrugged confusedly. "Yeah... A conversation." How a loss of any human contact can do for the memory; she had almost forgotten about that word. That's great. Not only is she unsure of what to do with her life, but she's growing more naive and dumbfounded of social actions. It was hard to decide if that was amusing or irritating. "Like you, I'm not a people person. But I guess I can't recall things I used to do if I haven't done them in a long time." Martyr concluded carefully, tapping her chin thoughtfully as she lingered on the subject. She remained silent as Necros answered her question, if in a slightly befuddling way. Bah, all these question are just leaving me more confused. Necros is a confusing person.
"I suppose I should not keep you. I believe you said you have some business to take care of, as do I."
"That I do." Salim agreed, silently thinking it was best to leave anyway, to go think about this Necros character and herself today. " I guess I'll be seeing you, or... " She tapped at her temple with her index finger half-jokingly as she finished, "Hearing you, I guess." She neared the mouth of the alley, glancing back at the swarm of city people, then back to Necros. "Bye." Salim found her foot sliding back further into the crowd. Upon contact, she was pushed in. Stumbling slightly over herself, she raised her arms to steady herself. Looking back to see if Necros saw that, she only found that she couldn't see him anymore.
Moving with the crowd, Salim finally took in a deep breathe. It felt as if she had held off air for an eternity; the alley is not really the freshest place to be caught in. Her lungs slightly burned from the effort. But they were quickly soothed by the large flush of fresh air. Half-heartedly smiling, if only to herself, she walked amongst the raging group. They all seemed to have somewhere to go. And that was not to mention the fact that they never seemed to stop. Some few actually bumped into her. Normally that would have bothered her to no end. But she couldn't help to be too distracted to care. The conversation exchange between the two gifted teenagers invade her thoughts for what to do that day. Necros... The name stuck in her mind like glue. You truly are an interesting person.
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Necros
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Scourge of Human[/col
Knowledge is power. Power is corrupt. Study hard. Be evil.
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Post by Necros on Aug 6, 2008 0:15:26 GMT
"Because you're different."
A carefully constructed smile, small and layered with bitterness, emerged upon his lips. "Yes." He wasn't hurt by that fact, unlike Martyr, whose old, buried emotions and thoughts screamed that she was. It would make sense that she could sympaythize with and understand how he supposedly felt. To what extent remained to be seen. Given enough time, he knew that he would be able to extract the information from her. For now, though, they would go their separate ways. The sun was seconds away from obliterating the small patch of shadows he stood in. She was feeling awkward; he could see it as well as feel it. Necros wasn't exactly socially inept; he was just reserved and secretive, and wanted to wipe out the human race. He could talk with people easily enough, he just didn't like to, and whenever he did, it was the other person that found the conversation unnerving.
"Like you, I'm not a people person. But I guess I can't recall things I used to do if I haven't done them in a long time."
He merely nodded. His wordplay was confusing her. But if he decided she would be a good addition to his forces, and if she accepted, she would learn to cope with it soon enough. And he would place certain "safeguards" to make sure she wouldn't be able to use that knowledge against him, if she ever saw reason to do so. Necros's subterfuge when he spoke was one of his main weapons. It could be a powerful tool for persuasion, since most people didn't have the intellect or logic to consider that what he was saying didn't necessarily mean what they thought it did. Plus, it was useful for messing people if he was insufferably bored.
"That I do. I guess I'll be seeing you, or...hearing you, I guess."
Again, a nod was his only response. He watched as she made her way out of the alley. In seconds, she had been swallowed by the crowd of pointless, babbling humans. Red and silver light pulsed softly, and then he was gone. No more than a second later, the last traces of shadow were banished from the alley. Nevermore rejoined him as he entered his house, for the raven had vanished from sight when Necros had made his way down from the roof of the building to speak with Martyr. ~Well? ~She shows promise. And there is something in her past that she keeps hidden. Once I get her to tell me what it is, turning her against Earth's inhabitants should be simple.[/i] He paused before speaking again. ~I didn't notice it at first Nevermore, but as I talked with her, all thoughts of Achema faded from my mind. Perhaps this girl can provide me with something else on which I can focus my mind. She can offer me a reprieve.
((End thread.))[/size][/color]
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