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Post by DAVID CHANDLER on Jul 12, 2012 18:44:53 GMT -4
----------David was glad to see her beginning to relax, growing less wary of him as well as her brief traumatic experience in his mind fading into the past. When she ask him about the gangs he shifted to cross his arms and looked up at the sky as he often did when in thought. The Night Walkers and Pack were certainly out of the question. Though the Earth Circle was probably the safest group, they were selective with what species they allowed in, Telepaths not being one of them. She would be well looked after in the Alliance, but no doubt would be forced to fight, against the Night Walkers at that. It also would put her under the thumb of the Sangvene administration. Though the occupational duty side of him saw the benefit in that choice, his rational side which saw a little girl in need of safety quickly shut out that option. It only left one option aside from free roaming which she certainly was not cut out for.
----------He finally turned his eyes back towards her and nodded. "I believe so." He rose to his feet and brushed off some bits of dirt from the ground. Reaching down, he offered her a hand to help her to her feet. The barriers in his mind lessened to let his foremost thoughts through, the others toned to what he hoped were no more than whispers. 'I will tell you more about them on our way there, but it is best not to speak of them aloud where prying ears might hear.'
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Post by CARMINDY FROST on Jul 12, 2012 18:58:17 GMT -4
She took his hand, pulling herself up and going to pick up her bag and sling it over her shoulder while she ate a bit of the fish, nodding to him. It was strange to her to have someone directly talking to her using their thoughts, she'd never experienced that... It was funny because while David's speaking voices suited him, she almost liked his thinking voice better. It was slightly different, a bit quicker sounding than anything else. She wondered how quickly David could talk out loud.
She realized that this was going to take quite the amount of effort to keep herself from straying and focusing on the wrong thought, no matter how low he kept them. If she didn't keep her mind zoned in on what he was trying to tell her, she'd probably end up wandering off into that deep place of his mind again by accident. She pursed her lips, eyes just slightly wider at that. She still was completely over that ordeal, and actively listening to his thoughts again was a bit frightening. She didn't even realize how hard she was gripping his hand.
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Post by DAVID CHANDLER on Jul 12, 2012 19:34:17 GMT -4
----------The wind rustled through the trees, a warm summer breeze lightly tousling his dark brown hair. David lead the young girl through the woods, making his way slowly towards their destination. There was no hurry. The way was young and he needed time to be certain she was ready to be let into their care. Price was the hard one to convince and probably the most important as well. Though he welcomed most in, his trust and care was not as easily obtained, and as such it was wise to tread carefully through the first few weeks of being under his command.
----------A thought struck him as he thought over what to tell her of the gang and he laughed lightly. "I'm terribly sorry," David said, "My name is David. David Chandler. And yours?" Names were important things, especially in a place like Sangvene where ones identity was often all one had.
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Post by CARMINDY FROST on Jul 12, 2012 19:49:46 GMT -4
A smile twitched at the left corner of her mouth. An introduction would be nice wouldn't it? Though... this was all so backwards. She guessed most things at Sangvene were. Normally you'd introduce yourself first and then you'd spend time together, but it hadn't happened that way with either of the two friendly people she'd met. David or Heather.
While she and Heather hadn't told each other their last names, David had done so, so Carmindy felt it only polite to answer likewise. "Carmindy Frost." She paused, "Thanks for...helping me out. Probably wouldn't have been able to do any of that without you."
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Post by DAVID CHANDLER on Jul 12, 2012 22:25:27 GMT -4
----------Frost. It was an uncommon last name but quite lovely. He would have half expected her to be a water elemental by its implications. "No," he agreed with her when she commented on her lack of survival training. "No you wouldn't. But you will learn. Of this I am sure." She was a quick learner and he could see that she was not completely helpless, but in a place like Sangvene one needed to be more than not completely helpless. One needed to be resourceful, quick on the feet, and ready to defend or flee at a moment's notice.
----------David thought for a moment before lessening his mental barriers again. 'The gang's name is the Rebellion. Their name is fitting in that they defy the administration of Sangvene and are the most likely of all the gangs to plan a revolt or escape. Never the less they are also fiercely loyal to one another and welcoming to nearly anyone who wants to join so long as they are not seen as a threat. You should have no worries of this. Their home base is in the library which is where we are going.' He shut his eyes, pinching between them with his fingers as he tried to ignore the growing head ache. Focusing his thoughts was tiring and he was not sure how much longer he could keep it up.
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Post by CARMINDY FROST on Jul 12, 2012 22:57:49 GMT -4
The Rebellion. They didn't sound too bad. Maybe she'd make a friend or two and actually be able to have some semblance of safety there. Carmindy kind of liked the sound of it, and she was looking forward to seeing the Library. She loved books of any time, and maybe she'd be able to create a little sort of hidey-hole where she could keep her favorites from the shelves along with her paints. That would be lovely. Though... she thought with a bit of a sinking feeling... she was probably hoping for too much.
She could almost feel the headache all this was giving David, and her features softened considerably at that. She knew exactly how unpleasant those headaches could be, and she didn't want him to go through that... even if he was probably a great deal stronger than her and probably had a higher pain threshold, she didn't care. She hated seeing anyone in pain, especially when she was kind of to blame. Carmindy put a hand on his arm and said,
"You can stop all that effort for a bit, if you like. I don't mind dealing with your mind for a bit. It's not as loud and confusing as one of the ones I lived with."
She was, of course, referring to her father's mind. His was confusing and thunderous, it was more like an angry hornets' nest or a crashing, loud waterfall compared to David's beehive. He was always thinking immense, clever thoughts, sometimes seeming to have multiple thought processes, trains of thought, and voices all chattering above each other at the same time, and Carmindy hated it. That was the one she'd named Ego, and whenever Ego was about, Carmindy would hole herself up in her bedroom and read or paint with Mikkles curled around her feet to try and avoid the monstrous headache that would eventually ensue.
She also understood how tiring it could get, trying to control your mind. She was a Telepath, she assumed that her 'telepathic muscle', or her 'mind-muscle' was a bit stronger than a human's, and so she could last a bit longer under strong mental strain or effort... but she also knew what the fatigue felt like, and it was nasty. Not something she would like David to have to experience because he needed to explain something to her or spare her blundering feet from stumbling into his thought process again. Carmindy could wait until he felt a bit better, she could concentrate on something else... like a birdsong or the wind or the feel of the ground under her feet for a bit. Just as long as she didn't let her mind wander, she'd be fine for a little while.
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Post by DAVID CHANDLER on Jul 13, 2012 0:57:17 GMT -4
----------David opened his eyes as he felt her hand brush against his arm. Weakly smiling he nodded in appreciation. "Thankyou. My mind is only human." That was a phrase that fifteen years ago many men would think only a figure of speech as opposed to its current literal sense. To be only human, no more, no less, was something David held on to. He did not pine for the powers of the supernaturals nor did he allow himself to degrade to a being lacking morals and civility. As he let the barriers in his mind drop, a degree of relief came over him and it settled into the slight aching one feels after intense strain to any muscle.
----------Purposefully sending his thoughts her way he finished the last of what needed to be said in silence. 'The guards of Sangvene are ordered to kill members of the Rebellion they come across. Though I am a guard, I disagree with this strongly and will never do such a thing nor will I ever tell the administration the names of the members, but a word of wisdom: do not trust the other guards and certainly do not speak of your allegiance to the Rebellion around them or any members of the Alliance.' He returned his thoughts to their normal flow, neither forcing nor withholding.
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Post by CARMINDY FROST on Jul 13, 2012 1:55:37 GMT -4
Carmindy listened to that, nodding to let him know she understood before listening for the way his thoughts returned to his normal level and smiling at that, glad he could relax now. She turned her attention to listening to the wind and the birdsong, concentrating on other things to keep her mind away from that constant buzzing. She had been right, it wasn't half as bad as her father's. She could handle this...
Though, she was worried about how many people would be in the same vicinity when she reached the Library. She'd never done well with multiple voices in her head, and she found herself not looking forward to this. Mentally, she tried to steel herself for what would be coming, but she really didn't know what to expect. She didn't know the nature of any of the minds she'd be hearing and she didn't know how to block them out like David could.
"Can...can you teach me sometime... what you know about blocking your mind off?" She asked him shyly after a few minutes of silence.
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Post by DAVID CHANDLER on Jul 13, 2012 17:31:28 GMT -4
----------By his estimate David figured they had about five minutes more of walking until they emerged from the forest. He began running a few scenarios of what he could do once they reached the library through his head. Though the inmates trusted him not to hurt them or betray them they also had a certain level of distrust based upon his race, occupation, and discomforting closeness to the warden. He himself going to give a good word in for Carmindy was out of the question.
----------Her quiet question broke him out of his ponderings. Looking down at her he nodded in response. "I can see what I can do. Though it requires years of practice for a human, as a telepath you will likely catch on much faster." The practicality of teaching her was reasonable considering the number of people in the Rebellion. If two people was enough to make her head hurt, some defense was needed. He stopped in his walking and sat down by a large tree. "Take a seat." He gestured at the ground beside him where a large root provided a bench of sorts.
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Post by CARMINDY FROST on Jul 13, 2012 19:27:29 GMT -4
Carmindy smiled a bit, "Thanks." She then sat on the edge of the tree-root, resting her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands as she waited for David to sit as well. She wondered how fast she'd learn this. Would she pick it up in enough time before they got there? And what if somebody saw David with her? She knew that guards weren't really supposed to be fraternizing or anything with the inmates. She let her bag drop to rest by her feet and looked at him expectantly.
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Post by DAVID CHANDLER on Jul 15, 2012 16:21:04 GMT -4
----------For a moment he simply though, running the memories and facts through his mind, trying to cultivate a the most time-efficient teaching plan for the young inexperienced telepath. Settling down beside her, he put his legs out in front of him, crossing his arms, and leaning back with his weight primarily on the tree. "Let's see," he said half to himself.
----------Finally he spoke, his eyes turned towards the sky. "The mind... the mind is not a simple thing. It is a complex machine of thousands upon thousands of intricate parts. It is a maze with hundreds of turns and ups and downs. In every mind there is a heaven. In every mind there is a hell." He paused for a moment, contemplating his next words. "You have to think of the mind not as a pile of orderless memories mixed with emotions, dusted with unconscious dreams, buried under conscious thoughts. You likely try to see the order in the chaos of a person's mind when you step past the natural noise, as a way to understand. Is there always some method of organization even when it seems to be without reason on first sight?"
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Post by CARMINDY FROST on Jul 18, 2012 19:34:32 GMT -4
Carmindy frowned, thinking hard in silence for a while.
"I categorize a person's mind like a hallway... or a house. There's a basement and an attic, closets that I stuff things in that I don't want to look at... rooms with a bunch of thoughts banging around in them. I imagine myself walking through the house when I'm in their mind. Though sometimes the houses are more like streets...sometimes they're like big, vast, empty rooms, and sometimes they're bustling and busy and overcrowded. Sometimes there's parts of a person's mind that I didn't mean or didn't want to run into, those are always big drop offs... and sometimes I have to mentally shut doors because I don't want to see what's inside, but they always get open one way or another."
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Post by DAVID CHANDLER on Jul 18, 2012 19:51:40 GMT -4
----------David listened carefully, nodding in understanding throughout her reply and then thinking over what she had said. She had it down to a system of organization and that was a step in the right direction. Despite her lack of ability to block the thoughts, she was able to at least see them in a orderly fashion rather than letting them surround her in chaos. "I see," he said, almost just to fill the silence on his end as he contemplated what words to use next. Concepts were easy, it was turning them into language which frustrated most people and David was no exception.
----------Coming to a conclusion he continued to speak, instinctively using his hands to clarify his point visually. "To block off your telepathic powers, or at least centralize them to yourself, you have to centralize your focus to yourself. It is virtually impossible to completely block out everyone's mental noise in you are in a crowd of a hundred people, but if you can build a barrier within your own mind then whether it be one or a thousand minds, you will not hear them." He paused, thinking again. "Have you given much thought to how your own mind is organized?"
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Post by CARMINDY FROST on Jul 18, 2012 20:27:40 GMT -4
She thought again as he asked this, trying to remember. It wasn't often that she thought of how her mind was ordered... but...there was her journal. Would that help?
"I write my thoughts down..." She said, uncertain if that was an adequate answer. What was her mind like? It was quite disorganized and messy, kind of like her bedroom. Other people's thoughts were always bursting in uninvited. Carmindy's expression deepened a bit at that. She always hated it when Ego and Myself would burst in, especially Ego... he was so loud and obnoxious and he was always thinking strange, complicated thoughts that didn't belong in her head at all. Not like Myself's did either... hers were always so straightforward, whizzing by like dangerous arrows, always pointed and sharp. Sometimes, when Carmindy wasn't looking, it'd be some barbed insult, or some kind of thought that mentally bit into her. She always wrote those down, as to keep track of them, the headaches from Myself could last days if she wasn't careful.
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Post by DAVID CHANDLER on Jul 24, 2012 21:39:19 GMT -4
----------David sighed. A journal wasn't much help. Written thoughts of the conscious mind could not even scratch the surface of what the mind fully was. David turned his eyes back to the sky, watching the white clouds drift by against the blue expanse. For a moment he lose focus and his thoughts drifted to how incredibly blue the sky was before snapping back on topic. Where to start? He could always begin where he began. In any case he knew this would not be an easy task. A crash course in telepathy with a human as the instructor? He was hardly the most effective instructor for her.
----------He met her eyes and spoke, "The first thing you must know about your own mind is that it is just like mine in structure, except more complex due to your telepathy." He smiled, remembering having the opposite be told to him on account of the fact he was human. 'It is just like mine in structure, except less complex due to your humanity.' "You need to start by envisualizing your mind in whatever way you find the easiest to organize and picture whether it be a house, a box, a forest, or any other concept that comes to mind."
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