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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Oct 3, 2015 21:54:08 GMT -5
"Yeah, I... I guess if there are stranger things out there, and with you by my side to testify for me, then I could at least try to make the best of this."
She followed Patrick's gaze, staring worriedly at Evan. "But yeah... we should probably figure out what's wrong with him first."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Oct 3, 2015 22:10:30 GMT -5
"Right right." Patrick nodded and poured himself a glass of water. "So first things first. We give Van the energy he needs to divinate, he checks out what's going on in Evan's brain... and if worst comes to worst, Van can shrink him and stick him in the pickle jar."
Not sure how I feel about that last idea, Van meekly offered. Especially considering how much calmer Evan seems to be.
Once he's had his fill, he'll just go right back to ranting and raving, Ray muttered. Just don't forget about the skills your other third has.
Patrick shrugged at nothing in particular. It was hard to tell if this would help Evan or not, but it was the best option they had.
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Ace's proposal seemed to do the trick. Even if the rest and food they had was very little, it was enough TLC to give Van the energy he needed. Now, primed and ready for his second attempt, Van assumed control of the body he shared and took a seat in front of Evan's prison bubble.
Surprisingly, when he approached, Evan did not roar or attack the barrier. He just sat on the carpet like a dog, still facing the water dish that he had almost completely drained, and casting Van quick glances accompanied by low growls.
Van slowly nodded. "I'm not here to hurt you, Evan. I'm here to help you. And if you keep calm, it'll only make it easier for both of us."
He raised his hand, summoning a yellow light. A divination circle ignited beneath him and Evan. The latter jumped onto all fours and snarled at the glowing pattern, but took no further action.
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Oct 3, 2015 22:15:28 GMT -5
For the time being, Ace stayed in the kitchen, giving Van and Evan their space and observing their progress as she washed dishes.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Oct 3, 2015 23:09:39 GMT -5
Van closed his eyes, yellow sparkles rising up around him and Evan, and through the barrier, a connection was forged between their minds. Evan cringed and growled, as if sensing this foreign presence, and his growls quickly grew into angry barks as he desperately, literally tried to shake Van out of his head. The mage struggled to work his way inside through Evan's resistance, but eventually he succeeded in his astral infiltration.
So I know already that you're mentally connected to a sort of collective consciousness... Van thought, projecting this for Evan to hear.
Voice... What voice...? Different... Familiar? No! Can't be different!
You know me, Evan. I'm your friend.
Friend? Evan? Different. Not us.
Who is "us?" Who exactly do you think you are?
NO! Can't be weak! Can't give in! Can't be different! Must be same! Must be one!
Van paused for a moment, considering the best way to approach this. This foreign mentality that controlled Evan was dead set on shutting Van out, seeing him as nothing more than an anomaly. An outsider and a potential threat. He might've gotten Evan to calm down with his peace offering of water, but clearly any sort of trust was a long way off.
What do you want?
Want... Need... Must live... Must survive... Must be one...
All you want is to ensure your people survive?
We are one... Perfect race... Must live... Must go... Must destroy what doesn't belong...
What would you say if I told you I wanted to help you?
Help? Help good... Different? Can't be different... Not one of us... Can't help what doesn't belong...
Van took a deep breath and inserted himself even deeper into Evan's mind. If an outside force was controlling him, surely he could make contact with the origin of that for-
EVAN!!!
In the real world, Van quite visibly jumped, startled by the sudden presence of another voice, one that he did not recognize in the slightest.
Evan, calm down! You're gonna hurt someone!
Nick, what're you doing?! Get him outta here!
You need to fight this, Evan. Don't let them control you. You're not one of them, Evan!
These voices... They all sounded like ordinary people... And whoever they were, not only did they want Evan to come to his senses as much as Patrick and Van did, but it sounded quite clearly like they knew what was going on.
He tried digging even deeper. He still desperately wanted to discover the driving force behind this pack mind.
Can't fight... Can't win... Weak... Pathetic... Different... Can't be different...!
Show no mercy. They are weak. They do not matter. We are what matters. Your family. Your people. Our survival must be ensured, and we will survive only as one.
We are one... We survive... We hunt... We kill... Together...
We are the vlyk. We are one. And we will live on.
He understood now. Van understood perfectly.
Evan... He tried once again to communicate with the human buried within. This is not who you are! You are not a... a "vlyk."
We are vlyk... We are one... Same... Can't be different...
No! Listen to me! You are Evan Anders! You are a human! The Keymaster! Your friends, your family, are the people of Summer Snow Valley!
Human...? Not us... Different... Weak...
Outside, as Van continued to mentally plead with Evan, his yellow light suddenly became intertwined with a pink one...
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Oct 4, 2015 16:21:19 GMT -5
Once she had put the dishes away, Ace stepped into the living room and continued to watch the two boys with piqued interest. Her inability to see what was going on in their connected minds irked her slightly, relegating her to a casual observer. On one hand, they both seemed remarkably calm, giving her hope that things were going well between them, but on the other, expressively, Van seemed a tad distressed while Evan had a stern face of resistance, making her think that while things had not yet escalated to any serious degree, tensions were still high enough to prevent any serious progress.
Then a pink light mixed in with the yellow light of Van's divination magic. Ace blinked in shock as she watched this, not quite certain what this would entail. Come to think of it, what did pink represent again? If she remembered correctly, pink was the color of enchantment, and enchantment was... Ray's thing.
"Oh, crap..."
Ace had no idea what was going on or if this was part of Patrick and Van's plan, but if Ray was involved, she already didn't like where it was going. She tentatively inched closer to the mage, poised to snap him out of his trance at the first sign of distress.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Oct 4, 2015 16:53:53 GMT -5
Evan, I know for a fact that there are many voices in your head trying to tell you who you are, Van sternly continued. You're listening to the wrong one!
Voices... Master... Must obey... Must follow... Must be one...
There is no vlyk, Evan! You're not helping your people! You're hurting the ones you swore to protect!
Protect... Fight... We are one... Same... Can't die... Must live... Must destroy what doesn't belong...!
Stop that! Listen to-!
There was a sudden shift in the atmosphere. A new presence seemed to have leached onto their connection. The chaotic thought processes that Van had worked so hard to get under control were somehow rearranging.
What...?
Thanks, Van. I can take it from here.
Ray, what the HELL are you doing?!
We know what's causing his hissy fit. Now all that's left to do is redirect his focus.
Excuse me, I was right in the middle of that, if you don't mind!
And how's that working out for ya, huh?
Ray, if you try what I think you're about to...!
Just focus on keeping me in here, Einstein; I can handle Evan myself.
With extreme precision, Ray's magic ensnared Evan's every thought. The frustrated rambling that pounded around in his brain fell silent as his captor twisted those thoughts as he saw fit.
The bond grew stronger.
His will became another's.
A new sense of purpose was formed.
The vlyk and the mage became one and the same.
Ray, don't... you... DARE...!
We are one, Ray's voice echoed in Evan's mind.
Must be one...
I am your master now.
Must follow... Must protect...
Together, we are strong. We are the greatest force any world has ever known. And we will live on.
Must live... Must survive... Together... Same...
Good boy. Satisfied with his good work, Ray retreated from Evan's mind, dragging Van along with him.
Ray, what're you-?! You can't just-! No! NO!!!
The bond between their conscious minds was severed. The two facets returned to their shared body, with Ray immediately seizing control, grinning maliciously at their feral companion.
Evan shook himself off, his nerves rattled by that surreal endeavor. He looked around, panting wildly, still mortified by his surroundings. Then his amber eyes landed on Ray and he froze up. He didn't look angry. He almost seemed... terrified.
Then, bafflingly, Evan lowered his head to the floor in a submissive bow, falling silent and flexing the muscles in his rear end as if trying to tuck an imaginary tail between his legs.
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Oct 4, 2015 17:04:52 GMT -5
Ace jumped slightly when the mage woke up, and was profoundly disappointed to discover, based on the eyes and smug grin, that Ray was in control. Needless to say, she was also quite shocked as she watched Evan bow submissively to Ray. She wasn't convinced that this was a means of curing him, and while it was somewhat relieving to see Evan so willing to cooperate with them, Ray's method of pacifying him seemed much less helpful and despicably more manipulative.
She glowered down at the mage, firmly prepared to give him a piece of her mind. "Ray... what did you do to him?"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Oct 4, 2015 17:27:20 GMT -5
Evan looked up slightly at the sound of Ace's voice and emitted a snarl, perhaps as a warning considering how close she was sitting next to Ray.
"Ah-ah..." Ray held up a finger and narrowed his eyes as if to scold Evan. The latter responded by huffing at Ace and returning to his submissive posture.
Ray smiled again and nodded. "See, there ya go! We finally got him to calm the f*** down! ACK-!"
And, of course, this comment was followed up by Van forcibly putting himself in control. As he mentally struggled with Ray, Van shouted, "Ray, I can't believe you would just...! Okay, you know what?! I'm sick of doing this! It's just too much strain for what amounts to pointless bickering!" He looked up at Ace, looking both frustrated and regretful. "If you'll excuse us, Ace, the three of us need to have a private conversation."
With that, the mage entered a meditative state as all three personalities were forced to retreat into their shared consciousness.
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Oct 4, 2015 17:38:06 GMT -5
Ace said nothing, still flabbergasted by what was going on around her. She decided to leave them to it. She trusted Patrick and Van to talk some sense into Ray.
...
Then again, she had to admit, even if it was rather underhanded, they did have Evan under control. It seemed like a step in the right direction, considering how violent he was otherwise...
But that was a call to make once she had the mage's attention again.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Oct 4, 2015 18:21:57 GMT -5
Within the mental plane, the three Rooke facets stood in a triangle, facing each other in anticipation of a heated, albeit less than painful conversation. Patrick looked nervous, sheepish, and perhaps somewhat hurt by the events that had transpired. Van was well past angry, and he was more than ready to make that anger known. Ray stood with crossed arms and a hard frown, surprisingly reflecting little more than smug indifference.
"Ray, you're unbelievable!" Van snapped. "How dare you take advantage of Evan's predicament!"
"I got him to calm down and stop going at our throats, didn't I?" Ray muttered in response, arching an eyebrow.
"So your solution is to trick him into believing you're his superior, playing off of this... this submissive mindset?!"
"What, would you rather have him keep following blind instinct? Running around the island, killing everything that didn't belong in his twisted world view?!"
"That's not my point, Ray! My point is I will NOT tolerate you controlling Evan in his current state for your own selfish ends!"
Ray groaned and smacked himself hard in the face. "Van, is it SO HARD for you to even consider that maybe... just maybe I did something without taking my own gain into consideration?!"
"Actually, yes. Yes it is."
"Guys...?"
Van and Ray turned their attention on their previously-ignored third party member. Patrick was slumped with shame and worry, eyes low and voice shaky.
"I... I'm not gonna lie... it feels wrong tricking Evan like this... b-but maybe we should face facts. We know this curse affects everyone on the island, and no one knows what causes it or how to stop it from happening. What are our chances of changing Ace's current appearance? Or turning Darien and Toby human again? Or undoing the effects of Beth's siren songs?"
Ray narrowed his eyes and nodded. Van kept quiet, genuinely awed by Patrick's reasoning.
"I mean... Van... what exactly is wrong with Evan? Can you explain what we saw in his head?"
"Well..." Van rubbed his arm. "I have reason to believe that this has something to do with Evan's ethereal connection with another Evan Anders from an alternate universe, and that this particular Evan is the one originally connected to this communal mind. The 'vlyk,' whatever that is..."
"And what are our chances of severing that connection?"
Van was overcome with a mortified expression. He could feel Ray's piercing gaze on him, challenging Van to admit that Ray was right. He could only sigh and continue, "To be fair... very little. This connection is a natural occurrence, even if it has led to unnatural behavior."
Patrick nodded sadly. "I'm not saying that we should control Evan like some kind of... magical familiar. I'm just saying that maybe this really is all we can do for him. If we can't cure the curse's effect on him, the least we can do is stop him from causing anymore harm."
"Finally, we're coming to our senses!" Ray declared, throwing his arms up in relief.
Van was taken aback. Sure, he was still somewhat appalled by Ray's unorthodox methods, but he was even more baffled by just how logical Patrick was behaving. "I... I can't believe I'm saying this, but... you make a fair point." He looked between his two other selves. "...Is this what the curse has done to us? The anger, the fight for control, the abuse of our power... Have we each become something we're not?"
"I think so, Van..." Patrick turned away, too ashamed to show his face anymore.
"So are we all in agreement, then?" Ray asked bluntly. "Do we keep Evan under our control?"
"For his sake and that of anyone he encounters, yes," Van answered. He was about to add a condition when Patrick beat him to the punch...
"Just as long as you don't sic him on anyone!"
"Square deal," Ray replied cooperatively.
Van took a deep breath. The deed was done. No point in dwelling too hard on it anymore. "Perhaps you should take over, Patrick. Ace has the easiest time talking to you, and I trust you to treat Evan fairly."
"Thanks, Van..." With his other selves' blessings, Patrick took control of their body and woke himself up. Once he was aware of his surroundings in the real world, he looked to Evan, who was staring at him inquisitively from behind his barrier, then turned to gaze sadly at Ace.
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Oct 4, 2015 18:52:35 GMT -5
Ace stared deep into Patrick's eyes, relieved to discover that they were in fact Patrick's eyes. Her gaze briefly flicked over to Evan, then back to her lover. "So...? What's going on...?"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Oct 4, 2015 19:01:09 GMT -5
Patrick sighed, stood up and banished the bubble that surrounded Evan, releasing him from his prison much to his spastic relief.
"I... We..." Patrick mumbled, not sure how to explain this. "We decided that... since there's really no chance of eliminating this mental connection Evan has that's causing him to act like this, then this is the best option we have. So long as he's under Ray's enchantment, he'll obey me. Y-You know I wouldn't take advantage of him, though. It's just... a way to keep everyone safe."
He turned away from Ace. "I know, it's not fair to him... but I don't want to see Evan get hurt anymore."
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Oct 4, 2015 19:06:26 GMT -5
Ace stood up along with Patrick, worriedly looking down at him and Evan. They way Patrick put it, he did make a good point; to be fair, she had pondered the same thing. Even if he wasn't looking at her, Ace nodded to Patrick. "I see... I... I guess it's enough for now that he's calm. And I know you'd never do anything to hurt him."
She wrapped an arm around Patrick and leaned her head against his. "He's safe with us. That's what matters."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Oct 4, 2015 19:17:06 GMT -5
"Yeah..." Patrick still had a difficult time shaking off the sense that he was manipulating his best friend, but his gut told him that it really was for the best.
Seeing Ace hug Patrick, Evan immediately got defensive, responding by unexpectedly leaping at Ace and tackling her off of Patrick, roaring at her all the while.
"EVAN, NO!" Patrick quickly got between the two, raising a hand against his friend. "No! One of us! Must not kill!"
Evan promptly backed off, looking back and forth between Patrick and Ace before resuming his submissive behavior.
"Good... Now... Before we head out, maybe we oughta put some clothes on you."
Thank God, Ray sighed. I'm getting sick of looking at his cotton and spandex sack of manhood.
"We'll be right back, Ace," Patrick murmured before gesturing at Evan to follow him. "Come."
At his order, Evan skulked down the hall after his new master, the two of them disappearing into Evan's bedroom.
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Oct 4, 2015 19:27:24 GMT -5
"AAH-!" Ace was of course startled by Evan's sudden regression, but Patrick just as quickly put him back in his place, and he did so in a very calm and nonviolent manner.
Yeah. This could definitely work out for the better.
Ace nodded as Patrick ushered Evan away, grateful that he had even considered getting Evan dressed. It was awkward enough that now they had no choice but to bring Evan along in their expedition, but it would've been infinitely more awkward to be constantly followed by a twenty-year-old in his underwear.
She took a deep breath, looking somewhat miffed. She had been looking forward to alone time with Patrick...
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