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* Glossaria and Zoya share breakfast with their guests. Halfway through, Zoya calls for a bottle of champagne in celebration of Tyl's surprise announcement: she and Jelarthna are engaged. As the Staff clear away the last of the dishes and brush crumbs from the table, Zoya has a word in Tyl's ear relating how Gloss somehow managed to sleepwalk into Zoya's bed last night, and the disturbing confrontation that followed earlier that morning. She asks Tyl if she might go through the poor girl's head and make sure there's nothing else sleeping in her subconscious.... Tyl: I would be happy to do so, although I admit to being a little... worn out. ::she turns to Zoya's apprentice:: Glossaria, would you mind accompanying me back to the School? This would be easier in more familiar surroundings. * Glossaria nods agreement, and quickly leaves the table to retrieve her cloak from her room. -- In Tyl's office -- * Glossaria lies back on the couch Tyl indicates, and obediently closes her eyes, trying to settle her thoughts. "I'm... sure you can see what the problem is, Mistress Tyl'gainia. Mistress Zoya dealt with my compulsion, but... I just don't seem to be rid of it all." Tyl: The what isn't important here, Gloss. I'm more interested in *why* it's there, and what it means, and why it happened and what can be done about it ::probing gently into Gloss's mind:: * Glossaria's head, as seen from the inside, tells the story plainly. Tyl could predict what Charoli must have found when she had invaded Gloss's mind: a neat, orderly garden-- carefully plowed earth, all precisely drawn up in labeled rows, with a little sign pointing towards the potting shed, and another towards the fertilizer. Charoli could have planted whatever seeds she liked in exactly the right place, buried everything in manure, and left with strict instructions not to weed. Tyl gazed at the aftermath. Gloss's neat little garden was grown WILD with huge mutant vines all tangled into each other (excess emotions and fantasies), grown over a small, evilly twisted tree that looked like it had been forcibly uprooted with dynamite (the compulsion). * Tyl prodded Gloss to awareness. "Glossaria, I would hate to prune your garden unless necessary... it's not polite." Glossaria: ::looking at the mess:: If you could just help me do a little weeding... or at least help me identify what's growing here so I would know whether to uproot it or try to control it... I... I'm at a loss with this, I feel so *confused* all the time. Tyl: Well, first things first... ::pulls the tree out of the garden:: let's get rid of this... we don't want it rotting here and polluting everything in the area. Tyl: Let's not cut any of these vines... we can prune them a bit, but they are part of you, and you don't want to root them out unless they're really bothering you. Glossaria: Pruning them back would be good... especially if it... ::biting her lip:: keeps me out of my Mistress's bed. Tyl: Okay ::looks over the plants, raising an eyebrow at one in particular:: here... this is the one that has the overwhelming desire to carry out your thoughts... ::points at the huge red blossoms:: Maybe you should start here. Glossaria: ::nods and stares into the heart of one fully opened bloom, blushing a deep crimson before nipping it off neatly with her fingers:: That one must have opened last night... ::peeks between the petals of a several other half-open flowers before nipping them in the bud as well:: Tyl: And this ::points to another vine, with deep purple flowers which exude a thick scent, like musky perfume:: This one seems to be all the ::glances at one, swallows hard, and looks away:: well... um... anyway... you might want to look at this one. Tyl: ::bends over and looks at some weeds, sickly green, with glistening thorns:: And I think we'll definitely want to uproot these... these violent tendencies. ::sighs:: violence does seem to be involved in everything she did... Glossaria: Mm? ::raises her eyebrows as she goes over to the other vine, closing her eyes as she inhales the heady perfume before looking into one of the trumpet-shaped blossoms:: Ah, this is my fantasies, then. ::Glossaria sets to work on the bloom-heavy plant, nipping some off quickly, reluctantly paring off others, and hesitating a moment before bypassing some others altogether. In one area, where there seem to be more blooms than stem for them to grown on, she rips them out by the double-handful, pausing to inhale their scent deeply and hold them to her face one last time before letting them fall to the ground with the others, hands trembling. As she works, she builds up quite a sweat and her breathing deepens, but it doesn't seem to be from the effort. Tyl: ::picks up one of the purple blossoms, peers into it, raises an eyebrow thoughtfully, checks to see if Gloss is looking, then tucks the blossom into her vest pocket:: Tyl: [gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "save that thought" eh?] Glossaria: ::She looks into one, hesitates a moment, and, with an impish smile, cuts it with a bit of the stem and carries it over to where Tyl is working.:: For you. ::the flower, picked on the edge of bursting into bloom, shows Tyl a rather flattering and provocative fantasy featuring herself:: Tyl: Oh... well, thank you (gee, now I feel guilty!) Glossaria: ::Gloss dons heavy gloves to go after the thornbushes, pruning them back strictly and tying them to a training-cage:: Tyl: ::looks in it and blushes:: Well now... I'm honored... Glossaria: ::Gloss smiles shyly, looking up from her careful pruning:: It's a thank-you for helping me. And, well, I thought it was only fair that you should know. Glossaria: ::goes back to the heavily scented vine, and ties it up to a trellis. With her pruning done, the plant still looks full of blooms, but doesn't seem quite as...uninhibited in its growth:: Tyl: ::tucks the blossom behind her ear:: Tyl: ::looks over some other plants, nodding and muttering to herself, then stops at one large plant, nearly three times as large as any of the other plants in the garden. The flowers are small, delicate, and a vivid shade of red with golden striations:: Gloss, honey... I think you should look at this... Glossaria: ::comes over to look:: What is it? Tyl: ::smiles and puts an arm around Gloss's shoulder:: I think you know... Glossaria: ::bends to sniff one small, perfect flower, closing her eyes at the heavenly scent:: Oh, my love... ::smiling, she ties some of the other plants near it back a little, to give it room to spread:: Glossaria: But... what's that? ::she points at a scraggly, wild-looking vine, half-buried by dead leaf mold from the other plants and obviously struggling. One sucker has started its way up the Vallel plant and seems to be doing well enough, and there's a sign of tiny fresh growth, but the rest of the plant has had it:: Tyl: ::examines the plant:: I'd say this is how you're thinking about yourself... ::sighs:: Glossaria: ...oh. ::looking rather downcast:: It... hasn't been a very good week... month. Tyl: ::sits down in the warm damp earth:: I think you've misunderstood something... your friends didn't reject you because they don't find you desirable... your friends love you very much. if they didn't, they'd have taken advantage of your confusion to sate themselves. Glossaria: I... ::nodding:: Mistress Zoya said that, too. But it's just... ::she bites her lip:: Vallel told me that, in selfish moments, he almost wishes I might have... done something too. Fallen with him, I guess you could say. And honestly, it's not for the same reasons, but I rather wish I had as well... ::she takes a deep breath before continuing:: Tyl: ::nods encouragingly, trailing one hand thoughtfully through the dark earth:: Glossaria: I love Vallel dearly. Well... I guess you can see that. ::blushing prettily as she glances back at the thriving plant:: But... ::she frowns, thinking how best to word it:: he's also the only man I've ever known, physically... as far as I know, the only one who's ever wanted me. I know I'm... strange-looking. I don't want to hurt Vallel. But I want to be... ::stops, and shakes her head:: I don't know how to solve this dilemma. Tyl: ::smiles:: Everyone wants to feel attractive... just the nature of being alive, I think... and you're not strange-looking. I think you're very cute, actually ::sighs:: I wish I had such a tiny waist. Glossaria: ::smiles a tad wryly:: This is nothing. If I'd reached maturity in my original form, I'd have almost no waist at all. Form follows form, in magic. ::ruefully blows a long, ragged green lock off her forehead:: But... ::shakes her head:: Actually, that's part of the problem. If I'd grown up human, I would have had ample opportunity for flirtation and ego-affirming encounters. But as it is... ::glances at the huge plant again, with the little raggedy sucker working its way up it, and her voice goes soft:: I owe a lot to Vallel. I don't know what would become of this if I lost him. ::spreading a hand to indicate her mental garden:: Tyl: ::laughs a little bitterly:: If you'd had a chance to grow up as a human, you might have had opportunities for someone to uproot your ego altogether and grind it under their heel and laugh at you while you stood there wondering what happened. Glossaria: ::cocking her head:: True. There is that possibility as well. Well... ::carefully, tenderly clearing away leaf mold from the tiny wild vine:: I suppose I'll simply have to care for what I have. ::looking up at Tyl:: I don't think Vallel fully believes me when I tell him it doesn't hurt me that he gave his body elsewhere. It's if he gave his heart...::glances at the plant again:: That would kill me, because I'm not even certain how I won it in the first place. Tyl: No, he probably doesn't. We're all so conditioned to believe that love and sex are supposed to go together than we frequently mistake one for the other. I understand just how he feels. I mean, we all *know* that Charoli made us do things that we wouldn't have done. I thought... I thought Jelarthna would turn away from me in disgust about what happened with Loraan. But he didn't. I think we're both pretty lucky. What a wonder... to have found two good, kind men in this world. Glossaria: ::smiles delightedly, her smile faltering a little as she becomes pensive:: I just hope Vallel understands that about himself, soon. I hate to see him torturing himself. Tyl: ::sighs:: I don't know what to do about him, really... he's having a hard time with it. ::harder:: Charoli viewed him as her personal toy... and I think she came really close to breaking him. All we can do is be supportive and there for him. Glossaria: ::nodding agreement, her tone matching Tyl's:: She never learned to care for her toys very well, did she? ::shakes her head:: At least... she's gone now, and for that I thank you, Mistress Tyl'gainia. ::hugging her lightly:: Tyl: You can just call me Tyl, if you want. I feel so old whenever someone tacks "Mistress" on in front of my name ::grins:: Glossaria: ::nods:: Tyl. ::smiling a little, her smile turning sour:: Force of habit. And yet another thing Charoli came very close to perverting past saving, for me. ::looks up just as a raven-- its feathers a pure, gleaming white-- flies overhead, clutching in his beak the memory of Zoya throwing the collar into the Dragonsmere:: Tyl: Well, let's finish clearing this up, and we'll all work on putting this away... some things can't be forgotten too quickly. ::shudders, rubbing at her arms:: Glossaria: ::nods:: Do you see anything else I might have missed? I spent quite some time in reflection this weekend, trying to piece together the events of the last week, but as you can see... it was rather... difficult to find things. Tyl: Well ::frowns:: you might want to consider putting up a fence. I hate to say it, dear, but everything in here is so easy to see, I'd not want you to put yourself at risk again. Glossaria: ::Her brow creases slightly in worry:: You really think so? I can't bear all the clutter that's built up this past week, I prefer things neat and organized. But... do you think you could help me? I'm afraid I'm not sure how to go about putting up a fence. Tyl: It's not a bad thing, really, but... think of it this way... if I was going to steal a specific book from the Tower library, wouldn't I be easily able to find it? The way your mind is organized, it's not going to be hard for someone to tamper with it. Other minds are sort of like trying to fight your way through a great big bramble bush or walking through a litter of kittens who are all trying to climb up your leg. Glossaria: ::an impish smile curls her lips:: You could find it if you could read my shorthand, yes, but... you'd have to get *in* to the Tower first. But... I can't very well...DISorganize my mind just to make it harder to read. I mean, I have to live here. *Can* I put up a fence? That would be like...::frowning a moment:: wards, wouldn't it? Can I do that, as a non-psionic? Tyl: ::smiles:: Exactly. I'd have to get into the Tower first... and that's what we're going to do for you... And I think most people have some psionic capability, and enclosing your mind isn't that difficult. Only a really good psionic can pick through it unless you let them. ::frowns:: I think Charoli got through Vallel's and my defenses when we were wounded at the Mayor's party. Glossaria: Oh! Perhaps I could... ::furrows her brow in thought, and after a moment, Tyl can make out the suggestion of high hedges carefully pruned into labyrinthine paths, surrounding the garden on all sides:: Tyl: See ::getting into full teacher mode:: the body's self-preservation instinct is pretty strong. When injured, our minds will automatically start the healing process, shutting down anything that it considers to be energy draining and unnecessary. And if we weren't paying careful attention, our defenses would have gone down. Glossaria: Ah, I see. ::behind Tyl, there's a faint sound of rustling leaves, and one of the translucent hedges grows a little taller and adds another kink to its length:: Tyl: Certainly we can do it that way. My own personal imagery is a little different, but however your mind best thinks of it ::shows Gloss a glimpse of a tall, silvery tower:: Glossaria: ::grins a little:: Now, now. Not *all* scholars live in ivory towers, you know. Tyl: ::smiles:: Not ivory... Iron. Glossaria: Oh... my. ::looks a little dubious, and turns to look at her ghostly hedges, starting to tinge a darker green as they become a more solid idea:: I... think I'd rather try it this way, first. I believe this should keep me fairly secure, unless the psionic is also a sage. Tyl: ::nods:: every psionic is different, as every mind is different. Whatever is easier for you to visualize... Glossaria: ::nods decisively, and the ground rumbles slightly as real hedges, luxuriantly green (with leaves that look suspiciously like leather, and pale, papery bark) thrust up quickly through the ground, taking the shape of her mental plan:: Glossaria: There. ::smiling happily and wiping a few drops of sweat from her forehead:: Tyl: ::looks over her shoulder a little nervously:: And, if you don't mind, I think I'll go, before you pen me in here... Glossaria: It's all right, I can show you the way out. I adapted it from the labyrinth-patterns of Aristolocus the Quizzical. Tyl: Righty... ::looks a little wary:: Thief's instincts, I guess. I like being able to plan my escape route... Glossaria: ::leading the way towards a leafy green archway:: I can show you if you like. I don't mind *you* coming in here, M-- Tyl. ::she colors a little:: Tyl: Well, lead on, McDuff ::smiles:: Glossaria: ::nods and sets out quickly with Tyl in tow, taking corners confidently, pausing only occasionally to study a leaf or branch that appears to be covered with tiny writing:: Glossaria: ::frowns a little bit:: I won't be getting people... stuck in here, will I? I don't much care for the thought of having someone else trapped in my head. Tyl: ::shakes her head:: I don't think so... it's only because I was already in here that i need your help to get out. Other people shouldn't be able to get in. But you'll want to visualize it again, if you get sick, or injured. Glossaria: Oh, you mean... it might smooth itself out again, if that happens? Tyl: ::nods:: it can. Tyl: But you'll find that it gets easier to do, each time you try. Glossaria: ::nodding:: I tried to use something for the walls that would maintain itself...::fingering a leaf:: These are all the mundane books I've read. ::pointing forward at the next turn, back at the garden now hidden from sight:: The magical ones are still in there. They don't...keep, anyway. Tyl: It looks very nice... I'm really very impressed. Vallel might be able to teach you some less passive defenses, if you get to feeling nervous... but this should be fine. Glossaria: ::smiling a little pinkly at the praise, and answering with a bit of a put-on accent:: "I'm a lover, not a fighter, ma'am." Tyl: ::pats her pocket absently:: I can just imagine... Glossaria: Mm? ::cocking her head questioningly:: Tyl: Oh ::blush:: Nothing... Glossaria: If there's anything you need, Tyl, I'd be happy to help. You've done so much for me here, you can't imagine...::gesturing again, now back and to her left, towards the garden:: I think I'll actually sleep dreamless tonight for once. Tyl: Well ::looks around as if there might be someone else listening:: You might show me the book this came out of ::reaches into her pocket and pulls out the purple flower:: Glossaria: ::raises her eyebrows interestedly at the flower and, without a trace of recrimination in her glance, leans forward to peer into it:: Oh, there are several like that. Jade Flute is my personal favorite, but I can put together a small study collection of pillow-books for you, if you like, and send them over to the school. ::smiling impishly again:: Wrapped in plain paper, if you prefer. Tyl: ::smiles a bit self-consciously:: Send them to the mansion... wrapped up. Glossaria: ::she nods briskly, and glances sidelong at Tyl:: I could send over a few for Jelarthna's perusal, as well, if you like. ::she blinks thoughtfully, a peculiar smile curving her lips as her eyes grow distant and dreamy for a long moment. She looks up as another raven passes overhead, this one black, carrying one of the large purple flowers in his beak. He caws and drops it into Gloss's hands, and she turns it over to Tyl.:: Like this.... ::The new blossom shows a hand slowly turning the pages of what looks like a pillow book-- each page displaying a rather explicit image of a well-built young elf and his elf-lady engaging in different positions. The woman in the pictures bears a suspiciously strong resemblance to Tyl.:: Tyl: ::turns the same shade of purple as the flower:: Um... Tyl: ::very quietly:: Yesbutdon'ttellhimIaskedyouto Glossaria: ::grins broadly:: Consider it an engagement gift. I'll tell him that's what it is, from me. I think he'll accept that at face value, don't you? Tyl: ::grins:: sure. Tyl: Actually ::smiles a bit nervously:: If you give them to us at the same time, we'd have an excuse to talk about it, don't you think? ::makes a careful study of a nearby leaf:: Glossaria: Certainly. And it *would* be easier to experiment, I imagine, if both of you were inspired to experiment at the same time. ::said very evenly and straightforwardly:: Tyl: Sometimes I envy you ::gives her a long look:: Glossaria: ::cocking her head:: For what reason? Tyl: You don't seem to have any... hang-ups about things like this. Glossaria: Hang-ups? About sex? ::blinking thoughtfully:: Hang-ups require emotionally distressful past experiences, or passed-on learning. My only experience has been with Vallel and has been for the most part extremely positive, and my learning comes from books, all of which have portrayed sex either romantically, clinically, or very positively. Tyl: ::grins:: Come on... let's get out of here... I'm starved... Glossaria: ::nods, and steps out into a clear, grassy area:: Here we are... Tyl: Ah! ::takes a deep breath and opens her eyes:: Oh! Look at this ::takes a real flower out from behind her ear:: Glossaria: ::accepts the flower and studies it, breathing in its fragrance:: Glossaria: It's beautiful... this was... mine? ::looking at Tyl with faint puzzlement:: How..? Tyl: ::shrugs:: I don't know... but it's very beautiful... I'd be honored to wear it. ::smiles:: Glossaria: ::grins somewhat hesitantly:: As long as it doesn't, um... change back in front of the wrong people. Tyl: I'm sure it'll be fine... Glossaria: ::blushes a little:: Well, then... I'd be honored for you to wear it, as well. Tyl: ::smiles:: Come on... lunch! Glossaria: ::nods and smiles happily, fading out as she starts to cross the grass, her corporeal self stirring and waking on Tyl's couch with a sigh. In a small, green corner of her mind, a scraggly, wild plant pushes new shoots up towards the sun.:: |
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