eachdraidh | seelie/hermione-net; video [backdated to the 20th*]

[Faolan is not normally one to address the network thus, but there has been a matter on his mind for some time now, and it has come to his attention that he needs to address it before anything worse should happen than already has. That is to say -- his mental connection with Bridei. And the fact that he has no control over it whatsoever. While he does not mind sharing in the little dragon's joys and triumphs, and even his moments of anguish (when they happen, though Bridei is overall a happy child, and even when he's upset he usually gets over it quickly). While he does not mind Bridei sharing himself, he minds sharing a great deal in the reverse. When they had come back from removing the curse from him, when he had experienced those awful things, Bridei had felt them too. And no child should go through things like that. It was bad enough Faolan had experienced such things, but not Bridei as well.

Of course, Faolan doesn't even know where to begin, who to ask about such things. And it isn't as though he can make a broad announcement about needing to know how to better shield his mind from a dragon when Bridei's true identity is being kept quiet for his own safety. It means he must choose his words very carefully. Luckily for Faolan, he has made a life of doing exactly that (among other things).]

I seek to know who among our numbers has skill in mind control and other such arts. Either in practicing or advising in them.

Your efforts will not go unrewarded.

[No one ever accused him of being a conversationalist.]

((*ooc note: backdated to right before ~~shit gets real~~ they start marching out to cathraon!))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Controlled?

[Faolan is suddenly all ears.]

Perhaps I have, in a way. I am curious to hear your tale, if you are willing to share it.

Well, it’s... it’s happened twice.

[ And this is why he’s hesitant to talk about it. The more it happens, the less reason for anyone to trust him, the less he trusts himself. But since it shouldn’t a problem for him anymore... ]

The first time was in my own world. There’s this goddess trying to take over the world, basically, and she sent ghosts after me and two of my friends. She wanted them because they’re strong demigods - sons of the Big Three and all - but me… I think she went for me just because she hates me.

[ Not that that’s… relevant. ]

They were like… Like, you didn’t even know they were there. You’d maybe feel a sudden chill, but that’s it. Once they were in your head, they just… They could take over, and make you do things, but you’d be thinking you wanted to do it, even if it’s not something you’d normally do.

The second time was some guy from the Unseelie Court, back when they stole the moon. I don’t know what he did, but I didn’t have a choice but to do what he said, and he tried to make me kill my friends. [ He has to take a breath after that, both to steady his voice and to shake off the memories of how it felt. ] They got through it before I could, thank the gods, but it was like they were playing tug of war with my mind.

[Back when they stole the moon. Faolan remembers that, and its long ago enough for him to know that he's speaking to someone who has been here for a fairly significant amount of time himself. That experience in and of itself bonds the pair of them together, for better or for worse.

He nods, taking in everything that the other has to say, filing it away for later and bringing up the more relevant points now.]

Someone from the Unseelie Court, you said. A person who still remains in this world? How did you combat it?

Yeah, he was Unseelie, [ Leo says, nodding, ] but I have no idea if he’s still around or not. I never caught his name. I just know he was huge, and could summon the skeletons to fight for him - kind of like Nico, I guess.

[ He hesitates to answer the second part, because… Well, because Leo doesn’t like to think about how easily he fell for it. ]

I… I didn’t, [ he finally admits, voice quiet and full of shame. ] I wasn’t strong enough to fight it, I was just… He put those thoughts in my head, and it was like someone flipped a switch. I did exactly what he wanted - attacked my best friends. The only reason I didn’t hurt either of them was because of Piper and her charmspeak. She kept saying over and over again that we were friends, that I didn’t really want to hurt them, and I believed it for a second, but that guy kept using his power on me, telling me not to believe it…

[ He shakes his head, fighting off the memory of Piper’s screams as he threw fire at her in that cave. ]

She got through, eventually. Piper may have never believed it, but she was always one of the strongest out of all of us. All she needed to do was say the right words, and she broke his hold.

[Privately, Faolan wonders whether this was Ganondorf that the boy speaks of, and thanks any gods he can think of that such a person had gone from this world when he did, before he had caused even more trouble than he had already.]

Charmspeak, you say. Was this an ability that she possessed from home, then?

Yeah, it’s… It’s a rare ability for the children of Aphrodite, [ Leo explains. ] Not all of them have it, but Piper does. It’s like… she can ask for something, and if she uses charmspeak, it’ll make you want to give her what she wants, even if you wouldn’t normally do it. And she’s good with it, too, so it’s hard to resist.

That’s how we got rid of the ghosts in our world. She used charmspeak to make them say a vow that they would leave us, and they wouldn’t possess us again. And it worked.

seelie/hermione-net; video [backdated to the 20th*]

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