Backdated to bone-flower clock liminal

[wolvering]

Tho—

[The would-be mental shout cuts off before the first syllable is even finished. There’s a brief pause, and then Pod’s actual voice comes back, and it’s all filtered away from baby Rose.]

Those spineless, mealy-mouthed, Hornet-hoofed, pustulant offspring of asps and dark mages! They can’t claim me! I belong to Kerras. I don’t—

Argh! Goddess curse them to never find rest nor hearth.

Comments

[itsananimalthing]

Door's open.

[And he's waiting with a hand mirror, nothing fancy, on a stick rather than with a handle. It looks like it belongs in a junk freighter ship rather like Riddick, sometimes. He's put whatever other project he was working on aside. He promises with a grin:]

I'll turn my back and everythin'.

[wolvering]

Good! You'd better.

[She sticks out her tongue briefly, laughing and full of teasing mischief, but then she grabs the mirror looks at Riddick pointedly.]

[itsananimalthing]

[He holds up his hands innocently, looking amused, and turns his back.]

Describe what you see, for me, at least, since I'm bein' so polite and all.

[wolvering]

Um, there's a woman--a Beast Healer by her dress, and she's sitting on a large cat. A lion, I think! We don't have those where I come from. One of her hands is outstretched upwards. There's a little thrush about to land on her fingers, and a raven. Looks like the raven is going to land on her shoulder, maybe? Oh, and that's a kestrel!

There's a woods dog like Kiga too, and a hog lying on the ground at her feet. And a foal too, about one or two days old, I'd say. There's something around her head too, I just can't--

[There's some rustling and then Pod gasps.] Antlers! Golden ones, and a sixteen point too.

[There's more rustling and a soft 'humph'.]

I'm still mad at them, even if they did acknowledge Kerras's claim on me. I've got my tunic back on, though.

[itsananimalthing]

Damn, kid, all I got was a scar with a number on it. Must really like you.

[He turns back around.]

Be mad all you want, though. They're doin' all this against our will, after all, no choice in the matter.

[wolvering]

Do you know which one got me? I know they represent different things, but I don't think anybody's talked about them in detail.

[She blushes.]

While I was listening, anyway.

[itsananimalthing]

The trumps most folks think were there were Emperor, Empress, and Strength. I'm gonna guess that a picture of a lot of animals ain't gonna be related to the first two.

[He regards her thoughtfully.]

You can't go back through the network, huh? Look over stuff from when you were infiltrated, or asleep?

[wolvering]

Uh-uh. I only just figured out how to make my voice go over the network a little while ago. You can do that? It would be useful!

[Pod perks up, looking very interested.]

[itsananimalthing]

[He can read between those lines, and he chuckles, heading back to the anvil to collect the blade he'd been sharpening when he'd invited her over.]

Siddown somewhere, I'll walk you through it. It's easy enough. The whole network's there for huntin' through, all the time, you just gotta know how to move through it to different points in time.

[wolvering]

[Pod is happy to plop down when directed, and leans forward excitedly to listen.]

That makes sense. How do you do that, though?

[itsananimalthing]

Well, easiest way to start off is to listen for somethin' that ain't happening right now. Think of a conversation you've had on the network before, and try to hear it. That'll get you started.

[As he speaks, he settles down again to get back to work, the rhythmic sound sharp but not unpleasant unless you actively dislike that sort of thing.]

[wolvering]

I haven’t had that many, but hmm… When I was upset about the Trumps making my overlays what they were, I talked to a lot of people.

[She goes quiet for a minute thinking over the conversation she’d had then with Phillip, and trying to remember exactly what was said. Hearing it though…]

Well, I’ve got a conversation in mind, but I guess I’m just not used to hearing things in my head. Maybe if I try harder…?

[She screws up her face in concentration, trying to force it.]

[itsananimalthing]

Hey, hey, take it slow. Don't strain somethin'. That ain't gonna help any.

[Another snick of stone on steel.]

Just listen, only listen in your head. Like for a memory, only a memory that's not all the way yours. It'll come to you.

[wolvering]

A memory that’s not all the way mine…

[Pod thinks that over for a few moments and then closes her eyes to focus again. She’s more relaxed this time, and approaches it almost like she wants to talk to the network, except trying to listen, and—]

Oh, I think I got it! But since I remember having that conversation, I should find one I didn’t participate in to make sure.

[She doesn’t even know where to begin looking, so she looks a Riddick for advice.]

[itsananimalthing]

[Riddick considers a moment, then comes up with an option for her.]

Not long after you came back and threw a fit about your new Trump mark, maybe a few hours after, Claudia popped up on the network askin' about people who wanted to learn how to make lightcycles. I answered, said I wanted to learn maintenance, since I already got one. Look for that. You got a time frame, you got a voice, and you got a subject. Oughta be enough.

[wolvering]

Okay! That sounds doable.

[She concentrates, and then concentrates some more, using the tactic she did before. After a long period of time, just when she's about to give up for a bit to take a rest, she 'hears' it.]

I got it!

[itsananimalthing]

There you go. Now you can catch up on stuff you missed, for whatever reason you missed it. It takes a while to get through all the conversations to find the one you want, but it's usually worth it. Unless Jules is involved, anyway.

[He's joking. Kind of. A little bit.]