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I should've bought you a stack of books sooner. All I'm sayin' is, we have a lot of lost time to make up for.
[ she gives an amused little chuckle ]
Well, read that book I gave you and maybe you'll be similarly rewarded.
Well, read that book I gave you and maybe you'll be similarly rewarded.
[ At her movement, he snarls again and lifts a fist to strike her, but the spell is already attuned to him, has had decades to adapt to his unique make-up, and the effect is nearly instant when the pendant settles around his neck.
Pain blossoms behind his eyes first, and a scream is ripped from his throat in voice that isn't recognizably his. He staggers back, clutching his temples as it travels down his spine. Nausea and dizziness hit him next, a wave of it sends him crashing to his knees as bile creeps up his throat.
And then-- his body is freezing and it hurts, and it feels like his skin has been pulled taut over a drum. Every nerve screams and burns -- and then a numbness washes over him and for a long moment he feels like can't breathe--
But then his lungs suddenly draw air, and he pitches forward, catching himself and dropping to his elbows, stopping just short of getting a face full of dirt.
For at least a full minute he just breathes as the numbness leaves him (and how the fuck does numbness hurt, anyway? It's just his luck that it does). His limbs feel like liquid as he settles back to sit on the ground, and bleary eyes -- clear and green and most certainly his -- look up and find Maya.
When he speaks, he sounds almost drugged, voice thick and words slurred. ]
Maya? Wh' the fuck happened...?
Pain blossoms behind his eyes first, and a scream is ripped from his throat in voice that isn't recognizably his. He staggers back, clutching his temples as it travels down his spine. Nausea and dizziness hit him next, a wave of it sends him crashing to his knees as bile creeps up his throat.
And then-- his body is freezing and it hurts, and it feels like his skin has been pulled taut over a drum. Every nerve screams and burns -- and then a numbness washes over him and for a long moment he feels like can't breathe--
But then his lungs suddenly draw air, and he pitches forward, catching himself and dropping to his elbows, stopping just short of getting a face full of dirt.
For at least a full minute he just breathes as the numbness leaves him (and how the fuck does numbness hurt, anyway? It's just his luck that it does). His limbs feel like liquid as he settles back to sit on the ground, and bleary eyes -- clear and green and most certainly his -- look up and find Maya.
When he speaks, he sounds almost drugged, voice thick and words slurred. ]
Maya? Wh' the fuck happened...?
[ She barely notices the familiar strength rushing back into her body, the way it pushes aside the pain and her senses sharpen instantly. Her eyes are fixed on Peter, and she watches, helpless, as the demon in him is pushed down, down, somewhere deep and dark and forgotten.
Somewhere better left forgotten.
She crouches next to him, one hand on his shoulder, one on his chest. She pours healing magic into him almost desperately. Part of her feels responsible for this, and though she doesn't know if it will work, she wants to try and take some of the pain away. ]
Are you okay? What--- what do you remember?
Somewhere better left forgotten.
She crouches next to him, one hand on his shoulder, one on his chest. She pours healing magic into him almost desperately. Part of her feels responsible for this, and though she doesn't know if it will work, she wants to try and take some of the pain away. ]
Are you okay? What--- what do you remember?
[ He makes a face, somewhere between annoyed and resigned. ]
I'll try. Can I at least get something for trying?
I'll try. Can I at least get something for trying?
I guuuuuess.
[ she says it rather playfully, and leans over to plant a few kisses along his neck ]
[ she says it rather playfully, and leans over to plant a few kisses along his neck ]
[ He murmurs approvingly, a hand running lightly along her back, then he tries for a frown. ]
You're gonna turn me into a nerd. I've got an image to maintain, you know.
You're gonna turn me into a nerd. I've got an image to maintain, you know.
Hey, I happen to think reading is sexy, thank you very much.
'M fine.
[ The magic helps, but his body still feels heavy and sluggish, and everything is sort of dull and indistinct around the edges. The combined effect of her healing magic and the amulet's spell make him drowsy, and he slumps forward, head resting on her shoulder. ]
Stopped for water? Then-- [ He struggles, frowning. ] Think-- bandits...
[ From where he leans against Maya, he can see the sprawled out legs of one of the thieves' bodies. The sight doesn't trigger a memory as much as it does feelings, and he remembers anger-- satisfaction-- bloodlust--
He's frozen to the spot, and he keeps staring with wide eyes, and he doesn't realize it, but he's shaking all over. ]
Don't remember-- did I--?
[ The magic helps, but his body still feels heavy and sluggish, and everything is sort of dull and indistinct around the edges. The combined effect of her healing magic and the amulet's spell make him drowsy, and he slumps forward, head resting on her shoulder. ]
Stopped for water? Then-- [ He struggles, frowning. ] Think-- bandits...
[ From where he leans against Maya, he can see the sprawled out legs of one of the thieves' bodies. The sight doesn't trigger a memory as much as it does feelings, and he remembers anger-- satisfaction-- bloodlust--
He's frozen to the spot, and he keeps staring with wide eyes, and he doesn't realize it, but he's shaking all over. ]
Don't remember-- did I--?
[ He smirks and holds up a hand to count on his fingers-- ]
Oh, so that makes, like, you, that librarian on Xandar -- the lumpy one, not the hot one, -- and, like, my second grade teacher.
Oh, so that makes, like, you, that librarian on Xandar -- the lumpy one, not the hot one, -- and, like, my second grade teacher.
Sssh. [ She gathers him close and combs her fingers through his hair- she's not sure why, maybe because it seems like it would be soothing. ]
It's okay. It's fine. We're okay now and that's what matters.
It's okay. It's fine. We're okay now and that's what matters.
Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that everyone else's opinions were worth more than mine.
[ -- oh shit. ]
Well, I mean, they aren't. Of course they're not. But it's like, I have a reputation for being a badass who saved a planet and a galaxy, once, and badasses don't-- well, I mean, you do, because you're awesome, and--
[ He swallows. ]
I'm gonna just. Stop.
Well, I mean, they aren't. Of course they're not. But it's like, I have a reputation for being a badass who saved a planet and a galaxy, once, and badasses don't-- well, I mean, you do, because you're awesome, and--
[ He swallows. ]
I'm gonna just. Stop.
Yeah, this one's gonna come back to bite you.
And not the good kind of bite, either.
And not the good kind of bite, either.
[ In a small voice, ] I love you and think you're seriously awesome and please don't hit me?
[ She props herself up on an elbow and gives him a very long, very severe, appraising sort of look.
Aaand then she just laughs ]
God, you're acting like I'm asking you to cut your own arm off or something.
Aaand then she just laughs ]
God, you're acting like I'm asking you to cut your own arm off or something.
No, I'm not!
[ Yes, he is.
But one of the side effects of being taken away from Earth as a child and being subsequently raised by adults whose idea of a well-rounded education was "Piloting 101," "Emotional, Digital, and Physical Manipulation," and "Advanced Marksmanship" meant that his reading skills weren't great. Good enough to get him through easy stuff (and his translation chip helped a lot), but things like novels and poetry went way over his head. ]
[ Yes, he is.
But one of the side effects of being taken away from Earth as a child and being subsequently raised by adults whose idea of a well-rounded education was "Piloting 101," "Emotional, Digital, and Physical Manipulation," and "Advanced Marksmanship" meant that his reading skills weren't great. Good enough to get him through easy stuff (and his translation chip helped a lot), but things like novels and poetry went way over his head. ]
[ If he feels any offense at being treated like a child, he doesn't say, opting instead to cling to her -- because something happened, that much he knows, and flashes of emotions and feelings keep floating to the surface unbidden.
Panic threatens to bubble over (because there's a blank spot where the past few minutes should be, and his hands keep clenching into fists, and there's this residual urge to rip something--) but Maya's presence is reassuring, and her touch grounds him, keeps hysteria at bay.
After a while, he manages to calm down enough to ask, ] What happened?
Panic threatens to bubble over (because there's a blank spot where the past few minutes should be, and his hands keep clenching into fists, and there's this residual urge to rip something--) but Maya's presence is reassuring, and her touch grounds him, keeps hysteria at bay.
After a while, he manages to calm down enough to ask, ] What happened?
... Peter, I'm going to be honest with you. [ she said it before that it isn't in her nature to placate, and she doesn't have it in her to lie or dodge the subject. ] And the honest truth is that I don't know if you're in the right state of mind to hear what happened.
Yes you are.
Honestly and truly, what's the big deal?
Honestly and truly, what's the big deal?
I'm just, you know, not big on reading, unless it starts with, "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away," and it's scrolling across a screen.
[ There's a long moment where he lets her words sink in -- but he doesn't argue. He's not really feeling up to it, so she's at least right on that count.
And he trusts her judgement, anyway, trusts that she'll tell him in time, but it's not hard to parse out that he's done something extra shitty. He just can't figure out how he figures in with the acrid smell of burnt flesh.
He scrubs his face with his hands and sits up, focusing entirely on Maya to avoid looking at the bodies just visible from the corners of his eyes. Whatever's happened has left him feeling like he's been weighed down, and all he wants to do is sleep -- but so close to town, surrounded the bodies of four (weren't there five?) recently decommissioned bandits, isn't exactly an optimal position. ]
Need to keep moving. [ He doesn't realize the way his words are running together like he's only half awake. ] Gonna get caught.
And he trusts her judgement, anyway, trusts that she'll tell him in time, but it's not hard to parse out that he's done something extra shitty. He just can't figure out how he figures in with the acrid smell of burnt flesh.
He scrubs his face with his hands and sits up, focusing entirely on Maya to avoid looking at the bodies just visible from the corners of his eyes. Whatever's happened has left him feeling like he's been weighed down, and all he wants to do is sleep -- but so close to town, surrounded the bodies of four (weren't there five?) recently decommissioned bandits, isn't exactly an optimal position. ]
Need to keep moving. [ He doesn't realize the way his words are running together like he's only half awake. ] Gonna get caught.
You'll really like Ready Player One. I promise. It's got lots of action and cool technology and tons of 1980's Earth pop culture references.
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