Post MoM AU, general post

[use_everything]

And then one day, it was over.

The memory of how it happened was hazy. Perhaps it was as simple as being ported out, perhaps there was a great experiment, bringing together physicists, chemists, alchemists and scientists to get something WORKING. But like the memories of that time, that other dimension, singular events come and go, like a dream, or an age past.

From the very start, however, there were changes.

Comments

[bothari]

[He had been prepared for the argument. He wasn't prepared for the emotion. It lanced through him, shuddering up his spine as if it was his.

Something went red around his eyes and his breath caught. He focuses on unclenching his fist, one finger at a time. For a moment, that was his world. Breathing. Index finger. Breathing. Middle. Breathing... The only feedback coming across the link to Miles is red and white noise.

He look over slowly at his ward.]

Why not?

[dendarii]

[ Miles continues to broadcast fear and misery loudly. If his father finds out - if there's any hint at all that he might possibly be mutated - He gulps in air, not even noticing the white noise coming from Bohari. ]

He'll ... he'll think I'm crazy. Or mutated. And I'd never get to see Gran'da again. Or ever leave.

[ Disappointment and overprotection seem worse than anything else in the world right now. ]

[bothari]

No. [It was simple, absolute. He knew better and that's all he had to say on the subject.

He took in a breath and broke it all, against his better judgement. It was against his own orders. But something black knew fear, knew despair and wore them like cloak and sharp claws. It wasn't something that should be anywhere near Miles. He needed to breathe.]

But fine. For now.

[dendarii]

[ Miles just shakes his head. Aral is still too imposing and distant of a figure for Miles to have the implicit trust required to talk to him directly about this. "For now" will have to work. Maybe if he can make the voices stop, he can pretend this isn't happening...

He scoots forward until he can just barely lean against Bothari. ]

Thank you.

[bothari]

[There's a low rumble that passes for a sigh from Bothari. He doesn't move away, just lets Miles rest there. Bothari sets his own hands calmly, without tremor, on his own knees.]

You need to promise to tell me if it gets worse.

[dendarii]

[ Miles considers that. Then he nods after a moment. ]

If I can't fix it. And it gets worse. I'll tell you.

[bothari]

[He squints at Miles, wary regard filtering across between them. He's going to have to watch what "fixing" attempts are too, isn't he?]

Your word.

[dendarii]

[ He sure is. Miles trying to fix a problem is often more dangerous than the solution ... For now, though, Miles lifts his chin and looks Bohari in the eyes/ ]

My word.

[bothari]

[It was an open promise, full of loops to squirm through and backtrack, which he knew Miles would do as sure as the sun rises or the moons cross the sky. But there's no point in arguing finer points.. not when he could use how sloppy an eight year old can get when they think they're being clever.]

Good. Are you going to be able to sleep?

[dendarii]

[ Miles slumps a bit in relief. The voices aren't quieter, exactly, but they aren't louder just yet. If he thinks about other things then he can sort of ignore them. And he is very tired. ]

I think so. Yeah.

[bothari]

[He stares at Miles a few moments, deciding if he should give the boy a good drink of whiskey from his flask anyway. Five minutes.

He stands back up with an assenting rumble and folds his arms, becoming a familiar specter at the door.]

[dendarii]

[ Bothari no. He doesn't need it today anyway; within a few minutes, that frenetic little buzz now in the back of Bothari's head dies down into silence. And Miles slips into a dreamless sleep. ]

[bothari]

[He stays a while, to make sure that it's sleep - real sleep. Even with the lulling in the back of his skull, there's an intensely paranoid part of the hulking man who didn't believe that the child couldn't have figured out in an hour how to fake that too.

With quiet that belays his size, he slips away to find Cordelia.]