synopsychic | shortly after Jean's post

[It's not very hard to figure that this is the same person he's talked to about dragons following them. Oh boy.]

I don't think it's possible. If this is anything like all the other bonds, there's no way you can convince them about feelings you don't genuinely feel.

Look, it's going to be okay. The dragons are intelligent and will be fine with whatever comes along. They'll have us to support them, too.

Could I convince them if I feel the feeling all right, it's just not directed at them?

[There's a lot of fury and fright here, it's just not directed at Cynthia, but concerned with her wellbeing.]

They will be no more okay than anyone else!

[[Not too log after her post, there's a knock at the door to her room. While it was guardianship in name only to give Kitty greater freedom, Tachibana still took it seriously and had been doing what he could to look out for the child-Traveler. Which meant that when Kitty's roommate had located him and let him know his daughter was upset and hiding in her room, he dropped what he was doing and headed that direction. While he hadn't been paying much mind to the network chatter, he had noticed enough of it to be able to put the pieces together to guess what had happened...]]

Kitty? It's me. I'm coming in, okay?

[There is no answer, and he'll find the door locked. But after a lengthy pause in which she shifts back and quickly gets dressed - there just is a measure of comfort in being in the body closer to the one she was born in - there are steps and the door is unlocked.

Kitty doesn't exactly look like she's cried, but she certainly looks upset.

She just lets Tachibana in and then sits down on the bed, pulling her knees to her chin.]

[[He closes the door behind him before walking over to sit next to her, Garren hovering a half foot behind him before lighting on the bed, wobbling a bit for the softness]]

That was you on the network, wasn't it? Asking about a way to lie to the dragon you've bonded with.

Yeah.

[She reaches out to steady Garren, and then picks up a blanket to hide under, her ears flattening against her head (which is of course a lot less noticeable on her mask).]

I need to tell her that I hate her and don't want to see her any more, or something like that.

Tachibana was silent a moment, expression briefly distant before he looked back over. "Why not just tell her the truth? Instead of trying to hurt her like that."

"It's dangerous for both her and us if I tell her the truth. If people find out they' might give us trouble because we're from somewhere else and they might get into trouble because they try to follow us, or something." You just don't tell regular people. You just don't.

"It's different, when it's someone you've bonded with," Tachibana pointed out as Garren awkwardly toddled over on the soft, uneven bedding to peer up at her from under the bedding with a sad, worried expression. "Especially if they might follow."

"I don't WANT her to follow!"

That's the point. She doesn't want anyone to be abducted because of her, paracritter, metahuman, or whatever else.

Tachibana blinked. "Even if she would rather stay with you?" he asked, tone curious. "Worried about what might happen if she Travels as well?"

Kitty just stares at him for a long moment.

People don't understand, she knows that, but-

"I don't want her to be abducted, too!" Where to even start - "You've heard stories about Moebius, right?" Because that is touted as the worst thing that ever happened to the travellers where nobody disagrees that there are many sides to it, from what she's observed. "I don't want her to be dragged into travelling because me being bonded to her drew their attention! So if I can do anything to save her from that I'll do it."

Tachibana was quiet a moment. "I've heard a little, yeah," he finally nodded. "But something like that... shouldn't it be her choice? Just deciding for her, breaking that bond in a painful way..."

Garren put a clawed paw on Kitty's knee, peering up at her, attempting to sign.

Tachibana blinked once before smiling softly. "He says that he would rather face the worst dangers alongside his partner, then be left behind," he translated, Garren nodding emphatically before puffing up, putting on his brave face.

"She wouldn't understand what she's getting into. Half the people who already are travellers don't really understand what they've gotten into. So she might make an informed decision even if I tried to tell her what's going on.

And she might feel bad if she manages to get away and then maybe try to find me anyway and I don't want her to worry and get in trouble because of me.

And she's an adult." Which puts her into a different position from Garren because she doesn't need anyone to look out for her.

Edited 2017-09-11 17:44 (UTC)

"There's very little in life that anyone goes into, fully knowing what will happen," Tachibana pointed out. "And pushing her away might get her just to worry more. Someone changing how they act for a reason that you don't understand... it's only natural, to go after that person to find out what's wrong."

Garren nods again, pouting a little at the 'adult' comment. He's totally an adult! On his second partner!!

Sorry, Garren, you're sticking too close to Tachibana for her to not lump you in with 'dependent child'.

"...so to keep her from trying to find me I should tell her why she shouldn't? But wouldn't that make her even more worried?"

"You can't stop people from worrying. But at least this way, she'll know what's going on," Tachibana reasoned.

"But worrying can kill people!

Or worse." Not the worry itself, but what people might do because of it. "And not leaving clues might at least make it impossible for them to look in the right direction."

"It can, yeah," Tachibana nodded, expression growing a touch distant a brief moment. "And one of the biggest worries can come from someone you're close to suddenly changing and pushing you away. Not having the right direction just means that they'll search in all directions. If you want her to be safe... you need to tell her the truth."

"....I thought we weren't supposed to tell people in worlds that we're sent to what travelling is and such?" It's a last attempt, really, not strictly a concern.

He nodded. "But in cases like these, you can make an exception. When it came time to leave Garren's world, Kinji and I told him and Rodeo about Traveling, because we wanted them to be able to decide if they wanted to come with us. It wouldn't have been fair to them not to."

"They could decide?" She can't quite imagine that really being a thing. "So if I could talk her into not wanting to come she wouldn't have to?"

Another nod. "They could. I even went and talked with one of the Arcana to ask that they could," he confirmed. "...Though I'm not sure if you could right now, with how Liminal is," he added with a faint frown.

"There's probably a difference in asking if someone can come and if someone can stay." She'd definitely not ask an Arcana for either,out of distrust and on principle.

"A bit of one, yeah." After all, it was far more effort to bring someone with you than leave them behind.

..physically, anyway.

Asking if someone can come brings them to their attention and makes it more likely. Asking if someone can stay brings them to their attention and makes it more likely for them to come, too. As far as Kitty is concerned.

Her tail, hidden by the mask, twitches anxiously, but she nods eventually. "I'll talk to her and tell her why I'll have to go and why I can't hang around her any more."

shortly after Jean's post

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