Voice Testing Post

[use_everything]

Canon

A.

[You may find yourself facing large, heavy gates. Behind the bars, you can easily see the enormous, austere residence spread both tall and wide against a backdrop of a lake, stables and a small, private cemetery. The unbridled horse grazing, unhitched beside a carriage, by a liveried servant is in direct opposition to an obviously futuristic lightflier not far from it.

Even the guard that narrows to nervous attention holds both a sword and a strange, small device.]

And you are?

[The voice comes from behind.

Aral, for his part, neither looks, nor feels the part of the lord. Having taken the long way, treacherous and unmonitored paths and foothills back to the residence, he smells of sap, a chemical tinge of smoke and the exertion it took to get back. His green dress uniform had survived in all but the pressed edges, looking as if he'd intended the slight look of disarray and set jaw.

He lifts a hand, stilling the guard from comment on him, and focuses all of his attention on this newcomer.]

B.

[The Counts and Minsters poured out of the building first. The debates of the evening being traded in words so sharp that they might as well have been blows. Aral followed much more sedately, having taken a bit of time to brief his intelligence officer and leave orders for the evening.

It's by chance he stumbled across a stranger, enough out of place to inspire both caution and curiosity in equal measures.]

You seem lost.

Mask or Menace

C.

[It helped to liken the city to a space station. It had the bustle of a large hub.. the rowdy clash and wild fusion of fashions and cultures that defied any easy identification of a trend or perhaps some anthropological hint as to the people - and species... intelligent and alien, the very thought sent his mind into fits of fantasy and planning at once. It was like water, as far as he could tell. Formless, impossible to grip, but could fill the air around you and sweep one far away should he let it. There were colors and layers fitting the ghem Cetagandan... lack of modesty known to the Betans... the maliable gathering of anything adorned by a Jacksonian mindset...

And yet, nothing that fit anything else.

There was only one way to begin. Diplomatically.]

Might I ask a question?

OTHER

[Pick your poison, or let me know and I'll cater a starter to you.]

Comments

[keep_nothing]

It seems whoever assigns those out has a cruel sense of humor ...

[ She can't help the note of bitterness in her tone. ]

[dendarii]

[ Echoed across their link, Miles heartily agreeing - wait. ]

-- What did you get?

[keep_nothing]

[ She has to take a deep breath; she hadn't said it aloud yet, made Aral read it from her file before. Her left hand unconsciously rubs against her left thigh, on the area that can't feel it. ]

Nerve disruption. And a Power Reflection Field.

[dendarii]

[ Miles ... doesn't immediately recognize the significance of those, though the glance at her thigh is not one of surprise. Surely he's found out about what that particular injury is by not if not the details of how. ]

Those ... seem powerful? Have you tested them?

[keep_nothing]

No. And I won't use the first at all if I can help it.

[dendarii]

[ He hesitates. His mother had always used stunners exclusively, hadn't she? ]

Surely - surely the first is not the same as one of our nerve disruptors.

[keep_nothing]

[ That bitterness make a reappearance in her voice. ]

What other result is there from disrupting the nervous system?

[dendarii]

The stunners do the same thing. On a milder level. It could be something closer to that.

[keep_nothing]

Stunners have no lasting effects other than a headache. My power could kill someone. Or make them a vegetable, which is infinitely worse.

[dendarii]

[ Cordelia can likely hear Miles' agreement leaking over. He prefers stunners too - abhors killing in general, when he can avoid it - dammit, think of some way to make this better. ]

What about the other one then? It doesn't reflect all powers, obviously, or else the link wouldn't work.

[keep_nothing]

[ She lets out a breath. Calm down, Cordelia, no reason to get your son riled up about it too. ]

I don't know, honestly. I was under the impression I have to ... to activate it in some way.

[dendarii]

[ Why does it have her riled up? He knows the history of the failed Escobaran Invasion but hasn't made the connection yet. He's curious, confused. And ... well. If she's nervous about it, maybe he can help. He reaches out to take her hand gently. ]

Test it?

[keep_nothing]

[ Less Escobar and more her familiarity with the lasting effects on a friend—but she's getting better at shuffling her thoughts, burying that down deep and focusing on what Miles is saying. It helps that he takes her hand, directing her focus outward. ]

Test ... by reflecting it back at you? The link?

[dendarii]

[ Oh. The link. He puzzles over the suggestion, distracted himself. It could potentially be safer ... if Gregor weren't on the other side, potentially caught in any backlash. No, best not to touch it. ]

The - er, size manipulation. [ He hates to call it shrinking; it makes him feel rather more defeated by it. ] I've dragged Gregor along a few times by holding his hand. Should be safe enough to recover from.

[keep_nothing]

[ She gives Miles a look. He knows the one. It gets developed over the years he's known, earning the capitalized version of The Look. Thankfully this version of his mother hasn't developed it just yet so it's pretty mild. ]

Half of your body is in a cast, and you want me to test interrupting your changing of size? You are most definitely Aral's son.

[dendarii]

[ He can still see it though. This proto-Look. It's - fascinating, if not as effective. He manages a weak laugh. ]

You have all my pain. What's the worst that could happen?

[keep_nothing]

[ She can't deny his point there, not when she feels like she's creaking with every small movement. ]

I think I should somehow practice before putting it to a live demonstration though. How do you make yours happen?

[dendarii]

[ It's a strange, unpleasant experience for someone who doesn't live with it the way Miles. He's just as fascinated by the reverse. ]

Depends ... my teleportation is more of a concentrated effort. For the resizing, I have to strain to go up and relax to go down.

[keep_nothing]

Your teleportation?

[dendarii]

-- Oh, yes. That's the other one. Caveat being I have to follow plumbing fixtures and come out sopping wet at the other side.

[keep_nothing]

Those still seem loads better than my powers.

[dendarii]

Funny, I was going to say the reverse.

[keep_nothing]

I don't suppose there's a way to trade them, is there.

[dendarii]

Not that I'm aware of. Alas. I'd gladly swap.

[keep_nothing]

It was worth an ask.

[ She straightens up (with a slight wince at the deep aches it stirs) and takes another deep breath to finish calming herself down from a few moments ago, ready to concentrate on using this absurd power. ]

So you said it was a concentrated effort. Do you just focus on it, will it to happen?