03-30-2023, 07:09 PM
Malik laughed, though warmth didn't touch his eyes. The imbalance was here, the chaos of this place. And he felt that deep hunger to act, to remove the disorder, to sanitize this place. An explosive blast would do he thought wryly. Scour and scrub away everything here until it was pristine. Purified.
But Ryker could be useful. Malik shuddered at the memory of the shadow thing trying to enter him, the way it lulled him, blinded him so that he could not tell if he was awake or asleep. The disgusting slime of it as it prised his jaw apart, the tendrils slipping down his throat. It revolted him. The two of them together could be better. And at the very least, Ryker could be bait, if necessary.
He looked around once more, feeling again with his network, before looking back at Ryker. "Ok. Shields. We've only begun to study them. They are made with spirit. The non-physical flavor or type of the power. People have different names for it. And women's power is invisible to us- at least the actual weaves or threads." He probed at Ryker's shield with spirit again, gently examining the "edges" of the klein bottle. The glass smooth barrier was invisible and self contained. He probed but couldn't find any seams or opening or discontinuities. "This shield is not maintained. It has been....wrapped up in such as a way as to let it exist on its own. When you tie off a weave, though, there is a knot, of sorts. I do know that. But I cannot feel the place or point that was done in this case. Maybe you can."
His smile darkened and he showed teeth. Absently, he swiped at the prickle of sweat on his brow. "I could use a hammer of spirit to strike the shield. I think if I use enough power, it might shatter the weave. But as I said, you might not like that." He hated being down here. It was too hot. He took a thread of water and tied it off into a ball and then examined it, his eyes narrowing. He pointed, though he wasn't sure Ryker could see. As he spoke, he felt like he and Ryker were in a closet. It felt strangely intimate. His voice lowered. No need to yell. "There. That is the tie off point. I would try to find that place where the shield is tied off. Yes, it's female power and you can't see it. But knots have loops." He gestured at his tie, wiping at his forehead again as he peered at the weave. The scale was something beyond sight, really beyond any description using physical terms. But it was a knot and he could sense the gaps, no matter how tight it was pulled. "Try to go for those gaps," he said softly. They should leave. It was getting hot in here. That sleepy tired was coming on him again.
And then he just watched Ryker, waiting for him to act. It seemed like forever that the man stood there. Through the fog, Malik wondered if he was even trying. He didn't seem to be moving. He had trouble focusing. Ryker was there....but it felt like it was the same picture of him, on repeat. The quiet lulled at him, the air warm and suffocating. His nose tickled but he didn't respond.
He felt hot and yet his back was cold, like he was on a slab. And he realized he couldn't see. He had no eyes, saw nothing, only the flickering flame of the Force that called to him hypnotically.
[[a shadow descended on Marcus again, from behind. Seemed to coalesce around his ears and then to his nostrils. He fell to the floor, head lolled to the side. Marcus only holds on to a single thread of the power.]]
But Ryker could be useful. Malik shuddered at the memory of the shadow thing trying to enter him, the way it lulled him, blinded him so that he could not tell if he was awake or asleep. The disgusting slime of it as it prised his jaw apart, the tendrils slipping down his throat. It revolted him. The two of them together could be better. And at the very least, Ryker could be bait, if necessary.
He looked around once more, feeling again with his network, before looking back at Ryker. "Ok. Shields. We've only begun to study them. They are made with spirit. The non-physical flavor or type of the power. People have different names for it. And women's power is invisible to us- at least the actual weaves or threads." He probed at Ryker's shield with spirit again, gently examining the "edges" of the klein bottle. The glass smooth barrier was invisible and self contained. He probed but couldn't find any seams or opening or discontinuities. "This shield is not maintained. It has been....wrapped up in such as a way as to let it exist on its own. When you tie off a weave, though, there is a knot, of sorts. I do know that. But I cannot feel the place or point that was done in this case. Maybe you can."
His smile darkened and he showed teeth. Absently, he swiped at the prickle of sweat on his brow. "I could use a hammer of spirit to strike the shield. I think if I use enough power, it might shatter the weave. But as I said, you might not like that." He hated being down here. It was too hot. He took a thread of water and tied it off into a ball and then examined it, his eyes narrowing. He pointed, though he wasn't sure Ryker could see. As he spoke, he felt like he and Ryker were in a closet. It felt strangely intimate. His voice lowered. No need to yell. "There. That is the tie off point. I would try to find that place where the shield is tied off. Yes, it's female power and you can't see it. But knots have loops." He gestured at his tie, wiping at his forehead again as he peered at the weave. The scale was something beyond sight, really beyond any description using physical terms. But it was a knot and he could sense the gaps, no matter how tight it was pulled. "Try to go for those gaps," he said softly. They should leave. It was getting hot in here. That sleepy tired was coming on him again.
And then he just watched Ryker, waiting for him to act. It seemed like forever that the man stood there. Through the fog, Malik wondered if he was even trying. He didn't seem to be moving. He had trouble focusing. Ryker was there....but it felt like it was the same picture of him, on repeat. The quiet lulled at him, the air warm and suffocating. His nose tickled but he didn't respond.
He felt hot and yet his back was cold, like he was on a slab. And he realized he couldn't see. He had no eyes, saw nothing, only the flickering flame of the Force that called to him hypnotically.
[[a shadow descended on Marcus again, from behind. Seemed to coalesce around his ears and then to his nostrils. He fell to the floor, head lolled to the side. Marcus only holds on to a single thread of the power.]]