"It isn't a matter of can be, in my experience. One may influence the other, even be entangled to the point of seemingly coming hand-in-hand, but they aren't the same. If one relies entirely on fear to obtain others' compliance, they will only retain such power so long as they inspire that fear. If one manages through other means -- actual respect, for example, and developing positive relationships -- that loyalty and aid will prove far more genuine, enthusiastic, and resilient." She was quiet enough as she said it, mind clearly enough on something of her own, rather than trying to scold Mal to any degree. She continued to run her hands over the foliage, searching for another that would change the immediate view around them. It had been just about nonstop earlier, though with somewhat repetitive, generic-to-Mallia scenes, so why was it so uncooperative now?
Flower, flower... come on, flowers, give her another scene! She's trying, but it just won't--
The garden became a forest, suddenly, as voices echoed through the trees. A horse's panicked sounds as it tried to flee quickly were overlaid by a man's yelling, something decidedly uncomplimentary about wicked spirits and killing them all as they fled, and nearby, an elf was on the ground, sitting against and behind a tree, holding the side of her abdomen, evidence of a fight all around the area. There was no way her injuries had been accidentally inflicted. There were also no conventional weapons in sight; the elf almost certainly hadn't been the aggressor here.
Past-Mallia herself was nearby, screaming back at the fleeing human, something about returning the favor if ever they dared come to harass them again, and then she quickly turned around to find the elf. The lady was pressing down again harder on her side, and though her hands were glowing, it evidently wasn't enough, or perhaps wasn't as quick, as was needed to solve this. Mallia ducked down to help her sit up against the tree, her hand glowing to join the elf's efforts, falling into crying as she did. "No no no no..."
"Shh. Shh. Focus! I need your wine...."
"I'll make it better," Past-Mallia said, failing at staying calm. The situation was pretty clear to her, and she wasn't handling it as well as the lady was.
"Molly!" The lady snapped, exasperated, "What's in the wine?"
"The--? There's berries and-- and--" She may not yet have been focused, but at least she'd been surprised somewhat out of crying for the moment.
The lady made a sound, wincing. "Make some, please. I need it!"
"I--" She was baffled and it showed, but as the lady asked again, she closed her eyes and drew a breath, concentrating and then pulling the cork out of a bottle she hadn't had in hand a moment ago. She did what she could to hold it up to the lady's mouth, and the lady turned her attention to it, not yet removing one of her hands from her abdomen. "Like this?"
The lady managed a nod, barely pausing for breath as she drank it down, and finished the entire thing in record time. "More," she managed, gasping for air. "I still need more, I can feel it...."
"Why would you--? Wine? Now?"
"What's in the wine?"
"Berries and water and-- and--" She brought the bottle up to see it, tilting it to pour the last few drops out onto her hand. The black liquid glowed faintly there in the shade of the trees, and in the bottle again as well as she absently turned it back upright.
"It's not the alcohol that I need," she said, attempting to sit up a little straighter again. "It's-- Oh!" Her eyes went wide as an unexpected little weight dropped onto her lap.
It was the scene's Mallia, leaning down as she turned to climb onto the lady's thighs, having shrank as she did. Her hands glowing, she reached around her to hug her. She looked to be what here now, a toddler? She'd given up that appearance of being an adult, and the elf lady could only manage a surprised little laugh at that, despite everything, as she brought her other arm up to curl it around the now-small fairy's back in a return hug, confused though she was by the move. "What are you--?"
"No more wine," the now-child said, closing her eyes tightly, burying her face against the lady. And sure enough, the bottle had entirely disappeared from view, as though it had never existed. To be fair, perhaps it never really had.
"Please, I need--" She trailed off there, blinking, and tried to look down.
The fairy didn't answer; the two were silent a little pause, the lady relaxing as she tried to figure out what was going on. She no longer looked as though she was in a dire condition, though she'd need to change her clothes once she got home.
"Mallia...? How are you doing this?" Her tone was quieter, but her voice was stronger.
The little fairy was barely audible there against her. "You didn't need wine. You needed its energy." There, in the translation -- its energy, its magic, its soul, its life.
The lady carefully took her hand away from her side, revealing... apparently nothing. She'd need to clean herself off now, of course, but she wasn't injured any longer. She double checked, rubbing the spot, surprised and impressed by this turn of events, and then pushed herself to sit more upright there against the tree. The now-tiny Mallia was promptly hugged up with both arms, her head kissed. "Thank you. I don't know how you did that, but thank you...."
Present-Mallia sighed, looking away from the scene as the lady in it carefully picked herself back up, still holding the tiny fairy. She resumed running her hands over the flowers, looking for another memory among them.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2023-09-02 07:51 am (UTC)Flower, flower... come on, flowers, give her another scene! She's trying, but it just won't--
The garden became a forest, suddenly, as voices echoed through the trees. A horse's panicked sounds as it tried to flee quickly were overlaid by a man's yelling, something decidedly uncomplimentary about wicked spirits and killing them all as they fled, and nearby, an elf was on the ground, sitting against and behind a tree, holding the side of her abdomen, evidence of a fight all around the area. There was no way her injuries had been accidentally inflicted. There were also no conventional weapons in sight; the elf almost certainly hadn't been the aggressor here.
Past-Mallia herself was nearby, screaming back at the fleeing human, something about returning the favor if ever they dared come to harass them again, and then she quickly turned around to find the elf. The lady was pressing down again harder on her side, and though her hands were glowing, it evidently wasn't enough, or perhaps wasn't as quick, as was needed to solve this. Mallia ducked down to help her sit up against the tree, her hand glowing to join the elf's efforts, falling into crying as she did. "No no no no..."
"Shh. Shh. Focus! I need your wine...."
"I'll make it better," Past-Mallia said, failing at staying calm. The situation was pretty clear to her, and she wasn't handling it as well as the lady was.
"Molly!" The lady snapped, exasperated, "What's in the wine?"
"The--? There's berries and-- and--" She may not yet have been focused, but at least she'd been surprised somewhat out of crying for the moment.
The lady made a sound, wincing. "Make some, please. I need it!"
"I--" She was baffled and it showed, but as the lady asked again, she closed her eyes and drew a breath, concentrating and then pulling the cork out of a bottle she hadn't had in hand a moment ago. She did what she could to hold it up to the lady's mouth, and the lady turned her attention to it, not yet removing one of her hands from her abdomen. "Like this?"
The lady managed a nod, barely pausing for breath as she drank it down, and finished the entire thing in record time. "More," she managed, gasping for air. "I still need more, I can feel it...."
"Why would you--? Wine? Now?"
"What's in the wine?"
"Berries and water and-- and--" She brought the bottle up to see it, tilting it to pour the last few drops out onto her hand. The black liquid glowed faintly there in the shade of the trees, and in the bottle again as well as she absently turned it back upright.
"It's not the alcohol that I need," she said, attempting to sit up a little straighter again. "It's-- Oh!" Her eyes went wide as an unexpected little weight dropped onto her lap.
It was the scene's Mallia, leaning down as she turned to climb onto the lady's thighs, having shrank as she did. Her hands glowing, she reached around her to hug her. She looked to be what here now, a toddler? She'd given up that appearance of being an adult, and the elf lady could only manage a surprised little laugh at that, despite everything, as she brought her other arm up to curl it around the now-small fairy's back in a return hug, confused though she was by the move. "What are you--?"
"No more wine," the now-child said, closing her eyes tightly, burying her face against the lady. And sure enough, the bottle had entirely disappeared from view, as though it had never existed. To be fair, perhaps it never really had.
"Please, I need--" She trailed off there, blinking, and tried to look down.
The fairy didn't answer; the two were silent a little pause, the lady relaxing as she tried to figure out what was going on. She no longer looked as though she was in a dire condition, though she'd need to change her clothes once she got home.
"Mallia...? How are you doing this?" Her tone was quieter, but her voice was stronger.
The little fairy was barely audible there against her. "You didn't need wine. You needed its energy." There, in the translation -- its energy, its magic, its soul, its life.
The lady carefully took her hand away from her side, revealing... apparently nothing. She'd need to clean herself off now, of course, but she wasn't injured any longer. She double checked, rubbing the spot, surprised and impressed by this turn of events, and then pushed herself to sit more upright there against the tree. The now-tiny Mallia was promptly hugged up with both arms, her head kissed. "Thank you. I don't know how you did that, but thank you...."
Present-Mallia sighed, looking away from the scene as the lady in it carefully picked herself back up, still holding the tiny fairy. She resumed running her hands over the flowers, looking for another memory among them.