12-12-2014, 01:27 PM
"Oh, you say it like that, like we're friends," she sighed wistfully.
"That was not a friendly greeting," Lex hissed back, clenching his fists. "Why are you here? Don't," he started as Atranellia began to stand up. "Don't get up."
"To help, naturally," she answered, standing up. "Ismat can't," she began, but was interrupted by Lex's arm changing into Ismat's long, lance-like blade.
"You think I need consent in a place like this?"
"Hmhmm, quick study," she said, sitting back down and facing the lake. "You're looking for your Spectres, but they're not looking for you. Myself, the exception," she explained, turning to face him at the end. "Are you surprised, really?"
"Not at all," Lex answered, lowering his arm as the blade turned to dust, but still remaining cautious. "Spectres are driven by their nature, even after being bound. Despite any wisdom they've gained from me, they'll go back to that drive if they ever see a chance," he told her calmly. "You're no exception; you just want to take me over. That's your drive." Atranellia laughed loudly for a moment before stifling it.
"Fear what you like," she relented, not willing to argue the point. "Regardless, I am here to help. Or will you find them alone?" Even though he wanted nothing to do with her, she seemed to know something that he didn't. Even if what she told him was a lie, or a trap, he had to hear it.
"How do I get my Spectres back?"
"At this moment, they're off dreaming," she answered him, crossing one slender leg over the other. "They lack lucidity, they think this is the waking world, and that they are free, truly."
"But they aren't," Lex countered, rolling up his sleeves, revealing ink. "They're still bound."
"They'll need reminding," she suggested. He was certain she was grinning beneath that mask. "You'll have to do to them what I did to you; once they are lucid, and they realize the truth, they can awaken. Although," she giggled. "There are some who would rather kill you than accept that this isn't real."
"I'm not concerned," he said quickly, brushing her off. "How do I find them?" In response, she rested a cupped hand on the table for a moment; as she pulled away, a small globe of light was revealed.
"You know this?" she asked.
"Omnilium," Lex nodded. "It can be shaped into anything."
"In the waking world, yes." Atranellia picked up the tiny orb between her thumb and middle finger, crushing it easily into a ball of paper -- an imitation, and nothing more. "Ideas are stronger, in this place. In the waking world, if you were lost on the way home, you could use omnilium to make a compass, or a map. In this place, you could use omnilium to be home, simply."
"I just have to want to find one," he nodded. As much as he didn't want to accept her word at first glance, it did make a certain degree of sense. He had wanted to find Tendo. But he couldn't do that here; it would take time, and concentration, to use his omnilium to find him. Time during which she could do whatever she liked. "Goodbye, then," he said quickly, walking away from the lake. Atranellia stayed seated, looking up from the lake, to the starry night sky.
"Don't be a stranger."
"That was not a friendly greeting," Lex hissed back, clenching his fists. "Why are you here? Don't," he started as Atranellia began to stand up. "Don't get up."
"To help, naturally," she answered, standing up. "Ismat can't," she began, but was interrupted by Lex's arm changing into Ismat's long, lance-like blade.
"You think I need consent in a place like this?"
"Hmhmm, quick study," she said, sitting back down and facing the lake. "You're looking for your Spectres, but they're not looking for you. Myself, the exception," she explained, turning to face him at the end. "Are you surprised, really?"
"Not at all," Lex answered, lowering his arm as the blade turned to dust, but still remaining cautious. "Spectres are driven by their nature, even after being bound. Despite any wisdom they've gained from me, they'll go back to that drive if they ever see a chance," he told her calmly. "You're no exception; you just want to take me over. That's your drive." Atranellia laughed loudly for a moment before stifling it.
"Fear what you like," she relented, not willing to argue the point. "Regardless, I am here to help. Or will you find them alone?" Even though he wanted nothing to do with her, she seemed to know something that he didn't. Even if what she told him was a lie, or a trap, he had to hear it.
"How do I get my Spectres back?"
"At this moment, they're off dreaming," she answered him, crossing one slender leg over the other. "They lack lucidity, they think this is the waking world, and that they are free, truly."
"But they aren't," Lex countered, rolling up his sleeves, revealing ink. "They're still bound."
"They'll need reminding," she suggested. He was certain she was grinning beneath that mask. "You'll have to do to them what I did to you; once they are lucid, and they realize the truth, they can awaken. Although," she giggled. "There are some who would rather kill you than accept that this isn't real."
"I'm not concerned," he said quickly, brushing her off. "How do I find them?" In response, she rested a cupped hand on the table for a moment; as she pulled away, a small globe of light was revealed.
"You know this?" she asked.
"Omnilium," Lex nodded. "It can be shaped into anything."
"In the waking world, yes." Atranellia picked up the tiny orb between her thumb and middle finger, crushing it easily into a ball of paper -- an imitation, and nothing more. "Ideas are stronger, in this place. In the waking world, if you were lost on the way home, you could use omnilium to make a compass, or a map. In this place, you could use omnilium to be home, simply."
"I just have to want to find one," he nodded. As much as he didn't want to accept her word at first glance, it did make a certain degree of sense. He had wanted to find Tendo. But he couldn't do that here; it would take time, and concentration, to use his omnilium to find him. Time during which she could do whatever she liked. "Goodbye, then," he said quickly, walking away from the lake. Atranellia stayed seated, looking up from the lake, to the starry night sky.
"Don't be a stranger."