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Nov. 16th, 2010 04:33 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
esp_dragonFandom: Original
Summary:
The world of Torpin is open, dragging in Others from different worlds. The majority of them are monsters, prone to violence. There are some, however, that are not, and are able to live amongst the human population, if allowed to. Marland should know; he's one of them. His job is to hunt and stop the Others that seek only to destroy what's around them. On one job, a human Other drops through a portal, an event which Marland has never heard of happening before. And that's not the only thing different about the human...
Rating: M
Notes: Contains swearing.
Any questions or clarifications, just ask. (Unless it’s, you know, plot-related. XD)
As for the italics thing, I'm going for if the word's in caps, then chances are, it's supposed to be in italics. Similarly, if there's words encompassed by -' '- , then whatever's in between them should be italicised.
Genre: Urban fantasy
Word count: 1,715
Total word count: 33,111
Status: Work in Progress
Huh. That was a weird reaction to have. Normally it was the people who DIDN'T have magic that reacted like that. So, was he scared of himself, or was it the magic? "Something... bad."
Shodin nodded, then shrugged. "I don't really know how else to put it, or how I can narrow down that feeling." He hunched his shoulders, still not looking at him. "It felt as if - if I used my magic, I would lose something."
Marland regarded him, ears pricked forward. "Your memories?"
"Wh..." Shodin trailed off, eyes going distant. "Maybe?" He leaned on the back of the chair, sighing shakily. "That could certainly explain how it feels so important."
Marland tilted his head to the side, one ear flicking down before coming up again. "So, if you use your magic, you think you're going to lose your memories." It sounded like a big payment for using magic in Marland's opinion, but there would be a lot of people who would consider that to be nothing if they were able to do that. But if the memory taking got so far, the person wouldn't be able to remember how to do magic anymore, right?
"I... I'm not sure." Shodin shook his head. "It may not be that for definite. It could be the opposite: if I use my magic, I'll REMEMBER."
Marland looked at him doubtfully. That didn't seem to go with 'losing something', unless it was innocence and naïvety. Marland tried to imagine what Shodin would be like if he was more experienced about the world, wasn't so curious. He snorted. It was hard, because that was just so... NOT Shodin. Marland's ears twitched and his eyes narrowed at Shodin when he realised what he was trying to say.
"You're going to do magic, on the chance that you might get your memories back." All the while, having a - a BREAKDOWN. Marland jerked his head away, ears down, wondering about the tone harsh tone he just used - if he'd lost his memories, he would have been doing the same, he knew it.
Shodin inclined his head. "That, yes, but also because you need a partner."
Marland bared his teeth, wings extending some more. "I do not."
Shodin huffed, crossing his arms and looked up at him, glaring. "You need someone who watches your back, just in case."
"I am FINE hunting by myself." He'd done it all these years without having too many problems.
Shodin waved an arm towards Marland's bandage. "That says otherwise."
He ignored it. "I don't NEED to work with someone." He made enough money to live on, and when he was injured, he had enough money saved until the next time he was able to hunt. Working with someone wouldn't make a difference.
"Then what would have happened if I hadn't been there today?"
"I wouldn't have been so trapped, so I would have stood a better chance anyway," he snapped.
Shodin paused, wavering, before he shook his head and tried again. "If their way hadn't been blocked the way that it was, they could have come at you from all sides, Marland," he said quietly.
And Marland DID know that, but now it seemed like he was just arguing for the sake of arguing. He growled.
"You could have DIED today."
Marland rolled his head, snorting. "I could have died a long time ago." He knew that. He KNEW that he was living on a day-to-day basis, and sometimes, he wondered what the point was in continuing if he was going to end up having a brutal, bloody death anyway. Those moments didn't last long, being replaced quickly by thoughts of just living until the next day, and then the next, until whatever day he didn't.
They glared at each other, neither of them willing to back down. It was Marland who looked away first, wings folding back in at the same time. "You don't know how to control your magic right now anyway," he grumbled, ears twitching.
Shodin relaxed, a relieved smile gently surfacing. "But the only way I'll learn is through practicing, correct?"
"NOT here," Marland said hastily. Whatever Shodin had done, it wasn't something he wanted to test inside the flat. But… with the police on the lookout for him, where exactly COULD they go?
Shodin chuckled. "I doubt that I would get that far – my magic is barely formed before I begin to have those feelings."
"But… you did it in the fight." And he hadn't reacted so badly back then compared to how he had now, when he'd done more.
"I did," Shodin mused, pinky tapping on the table. "I wasn't thinking then; I merely reacted. There wasn't enough time for me to think or feel, and afterwards, I was distracted from that as well, with waiting for… Laris and Nav."
Marland tilted his head to the side, one ear following it. "So, the only way you can do magic is if you don't think about it?"
After a pause, Shodin nodded. "It seems like it's instinctual."
Or very well-learned. Marland sent him a flat look. "I'm not fighting you on the chance that you can use magic." Especially considering the damage Shodin might accidently do if he was panicked enough. It could START as a spar, but it might not end as one.
At that, Shodin laughed. "I wasn't going to suggest that. I think, I'd prefer to just practice just attempting to use magic for the moment. Until I can do that without panicking, I won't be trying anything more complicated."
That made sense. Marland doubted Shodin would get very far until he had to stop, and unless something really unexpected happened, nothing SHOULD make Shodin panic. If it did, Puzz would take over anyway, and he seemed to have a lot more control over their magic. Although…
"What happened to Puzz?"
Shodin blined, then sat there quietly, his brow creasing. "I'm not honestly sure," he said slowly. "I don't think I felt him when I was in danger, but my attention was elsewhere, obviously."
That was weird. Marland would have expected Puzz to have taken control straight away as soon as realised that Shodin was in danger. …Unless Puzz thought Shodin would have been all right since Marland was there. Or maybe Puzz wasn't as aware of what was happening to Shodin as he thought. Marland sighed. Too many options again. They probably wouldn't know even if they asked Puzz.
"You can't feel him now, then?"
Shodin frowned, his eyes to the floor. "No… I don't think I – ah, yes, I can." He became quiet again, mouthing something. While Shodin was busy, Marland glanced at the clock. And the chicken had been in some five minutes too long. Shouldn't make a difference – the oven hadn't been preheated.
Marland took it out and put it on a plate. He set it on the table, but not right next to Shodin, in case he –or Puzz- ended up hitting it. And if Shodin's food was ready, that meant his had been sitting for fifteen minutes.
He poked at his food with a fork. It was still steaming slightly, so it was still hot. He thought about it for a second, then started eating. It had been fine for him to eat a couple of minutes ago; it being a little bit cold wouldn't affect him badly.
Shodin took in a deep breath as Marland was about halfway done. Straightening up, Shodin put a hand to his forehead, looking bemused.
"That was certainly an… interesting experience."
Marland looked at him, ears turned towards him.
"Imagine trying to chase something down when you don't know what it looks like, can't see it, and you aren't physically moving," Shodin said as he slid the plate towards himself.
That did sound a little awkward.
"I'm fairly sure he was avoiding me." How the hell did you avoid someone when you shared the same head? Shodin quirked a smile at him. "I tried calling out to him, but he wouldn't answer, and I could FEEL that he was there."
One of Marland's wings twitched. That didn't make a lot of sense to him.
As Shodin chewed the chicken, the knife in his hand waved from side to side. He never seemed to be able to keep his fingers still.
"I think… what Paizinel said to him might have had something to do with it."
What Paizinel said? Marland tried to remember what she'd said to Puzz. She'd mostly panicked him, and he'd left after… oh. He'd retreated after Pai had asked him if Shodin knew him. If Puzz had reacted like that, then whatever relationship he and Shodin had together, it was normal for both of them, before the memory problems.
"Because you don't remember him?"
Shodin shrugged. "I don't know." A small pause. "I think so. He'd expected me to know him, and when he realised that I didn't..."
He hid and hadn't said a thing since.
"I guess we… were? Are? Very close."
Marland tilted his head forward. If you shared the same thoughts as someone, you had to be.
Shodin's movements slowed again, his eyes going distant. At least he'd put the cutlery down before he'd attempted to talk with Puzz again.
Marland dumped the packet in the bin when he finished with it, quickly cleaning the plate as well. Shodin hadn't moved. Cocking his head to the side, he considered his options: keep waiting, or do something. There wasn't any point in waiting, especially since he doubted Shodin would get an answer this time either.
So, was there anything he could do? He wasn't going to kill his brain any more with the bad films, so, what else? …When was the last time he'd taken a shower? Marland glanced down at his trousers. He hadn't really looked at it properly when he was putting on, and it had been quite a number of days since he'd used a different pair. The top of it was stained with dried droplets of his blood, while the bottom half was covered in watery mud.
Ears flicking down (had he been THAT distracted?), Marland headed to his bedroom to get a new change of clothes, before going to the bathroom.
* * *
Summary:
The world of Torpin is open, dragging in Others from different worlds. The majority of them are monsters, prone to violence. There are some, however, that are not, and are able to live amongst the human population, if allowed to. Marland should know; he's one of them. His job is to hunt and stop the Others that seek only to destroy what's around them. On one job, a human Other drops through a portal, an event which Marland has never heard of happening before. And that's not the only thing different about the human...
Rating: M
Notes: Contains swearing.
Any questions or clarifications, just ask. (Unless it’s, you know, plot-related. XD)
As for the italics thing, I'm going for if the word's in caps, then chances are, it's supposed to be in italics. Similarly, if there's words encompassed by -' '- , then whatever's in between them should be italicised.
Genre: Urban fantasy
Word count: 1,715
Total word count: 33,111
Status: Work in Progress
Huh. That was a weird reaction to have. Normally it was the people who DIDN'T have magic that reacted like that. So, was he scared of himself, or was it the magic? "Something... bad."
Shodin nodded, then shrugged. "I don't really know how else to put it, or how I can narrow down that feeling." He hunched his shoulders, still not looking at him. "It felt as if - if I used my magic, I would lose something."
Marland regarded him, ears pricked forward. "Your memories?"
"Wh..." Shodin trailed off, eyes going distant. "Maybe?" He leaned on the back of the chair, sighing shakily. "That could certainly explain how it feels so important."
Marland tilted his head to the side, one ear flicking down before coming up again. "So, if you use your magic, you think you're going to lose your memories." It sounded like a big payment for using magic in Marland's opinion, but there would be a lot of people who would consider that to be nothing if they were able to do that. But if the memory taking got so far, the person wouldn't be able to remember how to do magic anymore, right?
"I... I'm not sure." Shodin shook his head. "It may not be that for definite. It could be the opposite: if I use my magic, I'll REMEMBER."
Marland looked at him doubtfully. That didn't seem to go with 'losing something', unless it was innocence and naïvety. Marland tried to imagine what Shodin would be like if he was more experienced about the world, wasn't so curious. He snorted. It was hard, because that was just so... NOT Shodin. Marland's ears twitched and his eyes narrowed at Shodin when he realised what he was trying to say.
"You're going to do magic, on the chance that you might get your memories back." All the while, having a - a BREAKDOWN. Marland jerked his head away, ears down, wondering about the tone harsh tone he just used - if he'd lost his memories, he would have been doing the same, he knew it.
Shodin inclined his head. "That, yes, but also because you need a partner."
Marland bared his teeth, wings extending some more. "I do not."
Shodin huffed, crossing his arms and looked up at him, glaring. "You need someone who watches your back, just in case."
"I am FINE hunting by myself." He'd done it all these years without having too many problems.
Shodin waved an arm towards Marland's bandage. "That says otherwise."
He ignored it. "I don't NEED to work with someone." He made enough money to live on, and when he was injured, he had enough money saved until the next time he was able to hunt. Working with someone wouldn't make a difference.
"Then what would have happened if I hadn't been there today?"
"I wouldn't have been so trapped, so I would have stood a better chance anyway," he snapped.
Shodin paused, wavering, before he shook his head and tried again. "If their way hadn't been blocked the way that it was, they could have come at you from all sides, Marland," he said quietly.
And Marland DID know that, but now it seemed like he was just arguing for the sake of arguing. He growled.
"You could have DIED today."
Marland rolled his head, snorting. "I could have died a long time ago." He knew that. He KNEW that he was living on a day-to-day basis, and sometimes, he wondered what the point was in continuing if he was going to end up having a brutal, bloody death anyway. Those moments didn't last long, being replaced quickly by thoughts of just living until the next day, and then the next, until whatever day he didn't.
They glared at each other, neither of them willing to back down. It was Marland who looked away first, wings folding back in at the same time. "You don't know how to control your magic right now anyway," he grumbled, ears twitching.
Shodin relaxed, a relieved smile gently surfacing. "But the only way I'll learn is through practicing, correct?"
"NOT here," Marland said hastily. Whatever Shodin had done, it wasn't something he wanted to test inside the flat. But… with the police on the lookout for him, where exactly COULD they go?
Shodin chuckled. "I doubt that I would get that far – my magic is barely formed before I begin to have those feelings."
"But… you did it in the fight." And he hadn't reacted so badly back then compared to how he had now, when he'd done more.
"I did," Shodin mused, pinky tapping on the table. "I wasn't thinking then; I merely reacted. There wasn't enough time for me to think or feel, and afterwards, I was distracted from that as well, with waiting for… Laris and Nav."
Marland tilted his head to the side, one ear following it. "So, the only way you can do magic is if you don't think about it?"
After a pause, Shodin nodded. "It seems like it's instinctual."
Or very well-learned. Marland sent him a flat look. "I'm not fighting you on the chance that you can use magic." Especially considering the damage Shodin might accidently do if he was panicked enough. It could START as a spar, but it might not end as one.
At that, Shodin laughed. "I wasn't going to suggest that. I think, I'd prefer to just practice just attempting to use magic for the moment. Until I can do that without panicking, I won't be trying anything more complicated."
That made sense. Marland doubted Shodin would get very far until he had to stop, and unless something really unexpected happened, nothing SHOULD make Shodin panic. If it did, Puzz would take over anyway, and he seemed to have a lot more control over their magic. Although…
"What happened to Puzz?"
Shodin blined, then sat there quietly, his brow creasing. "I'm not honestly sure," he said slowly. "I don't think I felt him when I was in danger, but my attention was elsewhere, obviously."
That was weird. Marland would have expected Puzz to have taken control straight away as soon as realised that Shodin was in danger. …Unless Puzz thought Shodin would have been all right since Marland was there. Or maybe Puzz wasn't as aware of what was happening to Shodin as he thought. Marland sighed. Too many options again. They probably wouldn't know even if they asked Puzz.
"You can't feel him now, then?"
Shodin frowned, his eyes to the floor. "No… I don't think I – ah, yes, I can." He became quiet again, mouthing something. While Shodin was busy, Marland glanced at the clock. And the chicken had been in some five minutes too long. Shouldn't make a difference – the oven hadn't been preheated.
Marland took it out and put it on a plate. He set it on the table, but not right next to Shodin, in case he –or Puzz- ended up hitting it. And if Shodin's food was ready, that meant his had been sitting for fifteen minutes.
He poked at his food with a fork. It was still steaming slightly, so it was still hot. He thought about it for a second, then started eating. It had been fine for him to eat a couple of minutes ago; it being a little bit cold wouldn't affect him badly.
Shodin took in a deep breath as Marland was about halfway done. Straightening up, Shodin put a hand to his forehead, looking bemused.
"That was certainly an… interesting experience."
Marland looked at him, ears turned towards him.
"Imagine trying to chase something down when you don't know what it looks like, can't see it, and you aren't physically moving," Shodin said as he slid the plate towards himself.
That did sound a little awkward.
"I'm fairly sure he was avoiding me." How the hell did you avoid someone when you shared the same head? Shodin quirked a smile at him. "I tried calling out to him, but he wouldn't answer, and I could FEEL that he was there."
One of Marland's wings twitched. That didn't make a lot of sense to him.
As Shodin chewed the chicken, the knife in his hand waved from side to side. He never seemed to be able to keep his fingers still.
"I think… what Paizinel said to him might have had something to do with it."
What Paizinel said? Marland tried to remember what she'd said to Puzz. She'd mostly panicked him, and he'd left after… oh. He'd retreated after Pai had asked him if Shodin knew him. If Puzz had reacted like that, then whatever relationship he and Shodin had together, it was normal for both of them, before the memory problems.
"Because you don't remember him?"
Shodin shrugged. "I don't know." A small pause. "I think so. He'd expected me to know him, and when he realised that I didn't..."
He hid and hadn't said a thing since.
"I guess we… were? Are? Very close."
Marland tilted his head forward. If you shared the same thoughts as someone, you had to be.
Shodin's movements slowed again, his eyes going distant. At least he'd put the cutlery down before he'd attempted to talk with Puzz again.
Marland dumped the packet in the bin when he finished with it, quickly cleaning the plate as well. Shodin hadn't moved. Cocking his head to the side, he considered his options: keep waiting, or do something. There wasn't any point in waiting, especially since he doubted Shodin would get an answer this time either.
So, was there anything he could do? He wasn't going to kill his brain any more with the bad films, so, what else? …When was the last time he'd taken a shower? Marland glanced down at his trousers. He hadn't really looked at it properly when he was putting on, and it had been quite a number of days since he'd used a different pair. The top of it was stained with dried droplets of his blood, while the bottom half was covered in watery mud.
Ears flicking down (had he been THAT distracted?), Marland headed to his bedroom to get a new change of clothes, before going to the bathroom.
* * *