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Post by Kendra on Feb 24, 2011 14:47:21 GMT -6
David was about to accept the hand of the shadow-walker when the rustling sound in the bushes drew his attention. In a flash, his back was to his companions as he faced what he expected to be an oncoming threat. Instead, he was faced with... "Silvia?" he asked.
The girl looked from him, to the ghost, to the shadow-walker with wide eyes and an expression of near terror. Yet, something was off about it that David could not quite pinpoint. He shook his head. You're getting paranoid buddy. Of course she's scared. You're standing here talking to a ghost and a freaky shadow creature. Who wouldn't be scared? It's surprising she isn't already running away. But what is she doing here? David remembered her transfering to his school last year, but she'd only been there about a month before tranfering back. She'd seemed immune to his charm and was always so focused on her work, which just made her more memorable. That still didn't answer the question about what she was doing here.
David glanced behind him and tried to relay with his facial expressions that the other two should do their best to play it cool and appear... normal, but it was hard to relay that information without talking. He then turned back to Silvia. "It's okay Silvia," he said. "These are my friends. When did you transfer back here?" Maybe getting her thinking about something else would give Kiir a chance to disappear and Sparky a chance to get "solid" so maybe Silvia might think she'd just been seeing things.
"I... I came... to see the p-play..." she stuttered, blinking her eyes and the fear slowly dissipating into confusion. "Rebecca invited me. What are you doing?"
"We uh.. just went for a run and were gonna go... get some ice cream," David answered, thinking quickly. He remembered passing an ice cream parlour just before Joe split away from them.
"Oh, really?" Silvia said, her eyes lighting up. "Can I come?"
David hadn't expected that. He couldn't stop a startled expression from crossing his face before looking back at Sparky uncertainly.
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Silvia relaxed into her role easily now that she was sure David accepted her excuse for being there. She tried to keep a close eye on his odd companions though, without being too obvious. She'd had to act fast, before he'd slipped away with the shadow-walker and had resorted to hoping he remembered her from last year. She'd been unable to call in to Farli or Thomas to let them know she'd already found David, but that would have to wait now. The most important thing was keeping an eye on him and making sure he didn't try to go after the Snatcher alone.
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Ryugexu
Accomplished Bobbyer
Without Fear... I step forward.
Posts: 192
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Post by Ryugexu on Mar 1, 2011 3:12:28 GMT -6
When David turned back, it was as though the shadow-walker was never there. Yushira was standing casually, admiring a tree while David talked to his friend.... completely solid, as though living.
"Hi there." Yushira smiled, but a bit tensely, knowing they'd have to follow-through with David's lie.
"You look like you've seen a ghost, you alright? Anyways, um, I don't see why not. Really going for ice cream was David's idea - I'm kind of lactose intolerant, so I can't stand the stuff." Yushira tried to be friendly, but cracked a ghost joke in the meanwhile.
((Sorry I'm in derpy mood thanks to mindfuckery AMNESIA ;o; ))
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Post by Kendra on Mar 1, 2011 8:36:16 GMT -6
((Lol. Can't blame you. It's been forever since we posted on this thread thanks to my busy schedule. I had to reread the last couple pages before I could post.))
David practically paled himself at the ghost joke and glared at the shade. Sivila didn't seem to notice though.
"Cool," Silvia replied, smiling brightly. "I just need to call my sister real quick, okay?"
As she turned away to use the phone, David had to hope the look of relief wasn't too transparent on his face. Kiir was nowhere to be seen, and Sparky looked normal. Silvia had bought his story and they were in the clear. "That was close," he whispered to his companion, exchanging a nervous glance as he wondered how they were going to catch Joe now. The ice cream parlour would get them close to where they needed to start looking, but really they needed to find a way to get rid of Silvia first, or she might be put in harms way.
"Hey, sis!" Silvia said into her phone. She hoped Thomas had explained to Farli that he'd put her on the trail and she wasn't too confused by the call. "I just wanted to let you know I'm going to get ice cream with David and his friend. Is that okay?" There was a pause. "Yeah, you know the school play Rebecca invited me to? I told you I'd be over there." Another pause. "I knew you'd be busy, so I was gonna hang out in the park, but I bumped into David and he said I can go with him to get ice cream, so will you meet me there when you're done?"
Silvia turned around and smiled back at David again, giving him a thumbs-up sign. "Okay, great! See you then."
She stuck her phone in her pocket and stepped up beside David, looking excited. David still got that lurking feeling that something was off about the way she was acting though. He brushed it aside. Who was he kidding? She was probably just glad to have the chance to visit with old friends and would have lept on the opportunity to go somewhere with anybody rather than just sit around in the little park waiting for her sister. You need to get over your paranoia, man, he thought to himself. It's going to drive you crazy if you start seeing trouble everywhere. Besides, it's almost like you get to go on a little date... with a tag-a-long ghost and a hunt boring down on you, but still. Gotta look on the bright side, right? Thinking of it that way, David was able to let himself relax just a bit, the fear that had been building easing off and causing tense muscles to pop slightly as they settled back into comfortable readiness.
"So who's your friend?" she asked, bringing the young were from his thoughts with a start. All this time, and he still didn't know Sparky's name!
"Right, uh," he muttered, hoping the ghost would save him from stumbling over himself. "Silvia this is..."
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Ryugexu
Accomplished Bobbyer
Without Fear... I step forward.
Posts: 192
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Post by Ryugexu on Mar 1, 2011 13:38:38 GMT -6
"I'm Yushira." he quickly interrupted David, figuring David hadn't heard his name yet.
Yushira was uncomfortable, but a decent enough actor. "Sylvia - you're not from Japan, right? So where are you from?"
Yushira walked alongside the two, careful to not stand too close or too far away. After all, even with a seemingly solid appearance, touching him would probably be very cold.
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Post by Kendra on Mar 1, 2011 14:52:35 GMT -6
The three walked out of the park and into the city, heading toward the ice cream parlour. David was glad Yushira had engaged Silvia in conversation, as it gave him the opportunity to focus on looking for signs of the Snatcher. Just what should I be looking for, though? he thought. What kind of trail does a Snatcher leave? Ah, well. At least you know that odd scent... perhaps it will carry over even if it gets a new body. David also found himself glad that Silvia so willingly followed Yushira's conversational lead, as it gave him an opportunity to learn more about her. He'd been intrigued when she'd visited the school last year, but because her visit had been so short, he'd never really had an opportunity to get that close to her. All he knew were the rumors about her parents divorcing.
"Well, my father was Russian and my mother Japanese. She moved away to be with him in Russia and I've spent most of my life there. We visited Japan every year when I was little, but my mother died when I was only six and we stopped. It brought back too many unpleasant memories for Papa."
Silvia spoke about the events so smoothly, as if they hardly troubled her at all, which alone seemed to trouble David slightly. His own mother had died when he was little, and he still couldn't handle talking about her death. Perhaps that was because he had such a turbulant relationship with his father though. She at least seemed to care about her "Papa".
"What were you here for last year, then?" David asked. "You came to school for about a month- had your records transferred and everything- and then you just disappeared."
"Oh, that was my sister," Silvia answered smoothly. "She's always hated it in Russia and couldn't understand why Papa wouldn't let us come back to Japan. As soon as she was old enough, she left and got a job here. Then, when Papa died last year she offered to take custody of me. I was only here for a month, as you said, before my grandparents were awarded custody in Papa's will."
"Ah," David frowned, feeling as though he'd intruded. "I'm sorry."
"It's alright," Silvia replied. "I'm used to people asking. It doesn't bother me any."
She told the story with the ease of a well-practiced and familiar lie. Indeed, any good lie had a strong foundation in truth, and her's was more a lie of omission than anything else. Both her parents were dead, but they had both died long ago, murdered by Michael Rajalif. He had then captured her and kept her as his "pet". She was rescued by Thomas, though the were infestation had already taken its hold on her. He taught her how to keep it under control, and she in turn helped him hunt down rogue were's and find those who might be saved.
She had no sister, at least not anymore as her siblings had been murdered with her parents, and had only been sent here last year to scout for prospectives. She felt like a fool for missing David, but reminded herself that he had done quite well keeping it under wraps himself. There were virtually no signs for her to track him as a were. Really, she found herself impressed with his abilities, considering he'd received absolutely no help or guidance.
Her father had been Russian and her mother Japanese and they had visited Japan every year up until the year they'd been murdered. So there wasn't too much lie in her story. She'd simply failed to share some of the very important details.
David's feelings about the whole situation were mixed, as he felt sympathy toward Silvia and found himself falling into a sense of normality- walking with his friends to get some ice cream. It was almost as if everything that had happened at the hospital was nothing more than a dream or a distant memory. Yet, he could not allow himself to get too comfortable as he was still trying to make sure nobody was going to hunt him down after that "distant" incident.
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Ryugexu
Accomplished Bobbyer
Without Fear... I step forward.
Posts: 192
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Post by Ryugexu on Mar 2, 2011 1:11:26 GMT -6
Yushira's otherworldly knowledge filled in the blanks in her story. Sometimes it was nice to know history at a glance, but other times it wasn't. This was one of the times he wished he didn't know.
"I'm sorry for what happened. It must have been very hard to live through. You're pretty tough." He spoke sympathetically, "so I bet it's nice to be back here in Japan, right? I wanted to take my sister here so she could visit me, but there are... you know, difficulties." he shrugged and kept the conversation going, hoping that David could catch a lucky break, or that Kiir would do something useful.
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Post by Kendra on Mar 2, 2011 15:21:51 GMT -6
Silvia blushed slightly, not needing to feign flattery when Yushira complimented her for being tough. Of course, she'd seen what had been going on before she'd stepped out of her hiding place in the park and knew Yushira was a ghost who'd made a pact with a shadow-walker. For someone like that to consider her tough... but then, he didn't even know the half of what she'd really been through. He was just complimenting her for her composure after dealing with a death, a normal thing for a ghost to be sympathetic about. She found herself wondering if the organization had any intel on this Yushira already... but then, she typically stuck with the were's so she had no idea. She had a basic understanding of the other supernatural entities, but only enough that she could hold her own if coming across one by chance. Like now, she thought, with the Snatcher you're supposed to be focusing on. Snap out of it. You can't start getting comfortable now. This Snatcher already got the Doctor... Focus.
She smiled brightly at Yushira and nodded, keeping the conversation going to maintain her cover. "Oh, yes. It's nice to be here again. Especially this time of year, with all the blossoms in bloom." She took a deep breath, as if appreciating the fresh air. Inside she was analyzing the feedback, trying to pick up on any hints or traces that might point her in the right direction. A wolf's nose was it's greatest asset, aside from its teeth of course but those were only useful when she was actually in wolf form. Unfortunately the array of smells from the city were hard to interpret, and there was no way to be sure if any of those scents included the Snatcher's trail.
David was likewise focused on his nose, and Silvia could tell from his distant expression that he seemed to be picking up on something. As he lived here, he'd be more familiar with what smells were natural to the area and which were foreign. Had he caught something? He'd stopped following the conversation and seemed to be narrowing his gaze on a set of side streets. However, those streets were opposite the ice cream shop that was their destination.
David brought his attention back to his companions and realized that Silvia had been watching him. She seemed overly interested in where he'd been looking, but no she was probably just wondering why he'd stopped paying attention. He sifted through his memory to pick up on where the conversation had stalled as he started trying to think of how he could get rid of Silvia. There had been a faint scent of death down that alley, not nearly the same as the stench found in the dumpsters. He was fairly certain someone had been killed over there, which might lead to the Snatcher.
But where was the Snatcher going now? Was it attempting to blend with the crowd in its new body and exact its own escape? Was it now turning to hunt down the hunters? Or was it looking for Yushira, trying to catch up with it's lost companion?
"The blossoms are alright," David said, as they walked into the ice cream shop. "But I'm just glad its warmer. You can't enjoy ice cream when it's cold outside." He held the door open and motioned for Sylvia to walk inside first, attempting to be gentlemanly and more hoping to have a moment with her back turned so he could point the alley out to Yushira. He motioned with his head and mouthed the word "Joe" with a shrug, trying to indicate that there may be a clue over there.
Silvia caught the motion out of the corner of her eye and was now on high alert. David and Yushira would now surely try to come up with a plan to get rid of her so that they could go after the Snatcher. She had to keep them from doing that, hopefully hold them in the ice cream shop until Farli and Kierlam arrived. And make sure the Snatcher didn't get them while they were waiting. The Snatcher could be anywhere by now. She saw no sign of a figure resembling Dr. Hasao, but maybe it had switched bodies already. The ultimate goal was to keep David out of harms way and get the Snatcher. It would be a terrible idea for anyone to go blundering after the creature alone. So keeping her new companions in the ice cream shop had to be the plan.
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Ryugexu
Accomplished Bobbyer
Without Fear... I step forward.
Posts: 192
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Post by Ryugexu on Mar 2, 2011 18:04:14 GMT -6
Yushira smiled at David to show he understood the sign. "Oh, hey, you two get the icecream, I'm gonna go to the hotdog stand just around the corner." He said, "I mean, I can't do icecream but I'm kind of hungry. I'll rejoin you in a minute."
Yushira knew how to get there without the others knowing. He'd disappear from view after he walked out of view from the window, and he'd invisibly float across the road to reach where David had motioned to...
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Post by Kendra on Mar 3, 2011 14:09:59 GMT -6
Silvia had to stop herself from doing a double-take right then and there or chance losing her cover. If she acted "freaky" in any way, she was pretty sure David would not react well considering how much he'd already been through. She didn't need him trying to determine whether she was a good-guy or bad-guy in the middle of everything. Yet she could think of no sane way to get Yushira to stay with them without blowing her cover, especially since he'd said he was lactose intolerant and didn't want to get ice cream anyway. Crap, she thought to herself. There's nothing I can do to keep the group together. Yushira is going to go off by himself... but then, why did that really matter? Yushira was a ghost. He didn't have any body for the Snatcher to take. He was in no immediate danger. Perhaps it would be best to let him scout the area on his own while she kept David safe and waited for back-up. If Yushira did find the Snatcher, it certainly wouldn't expect anything amiss as it had already been traveling with the ghost. Such thoughts passed through her mind in the blink of an eye, and there was less than a second in which her face went rigid before she just smiled back at the two boys behind her and waved to Yushira. "Okay," she said. "See you in a bit then?" David nodded for his friend and winked at Yushira. "Yeah, see you in a bit, man. Too bad though. They sell frozen yogurt in here, too. But you can get some after your hotdog if you want. Later!" The door closed behind him as he left Yushira to go investigate, and led Silvia over to the counter to start ordering some ice cream. ((Unless you guys want me to start doing a back and forth between David and Silvia it's looking like we need Net to post again. ))
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Post by Netreemic on Mar 24, 2011 22:21:03 GMT -6
Circles. Jören hated being led in circles. Normally, it would be him leading trackers on a merry chase. But now he found himself being taken in one big. frigging. CIRCLE. With every right turn he had to kick the bicker into, the more he realized one particular blood stained alley was looming closer.
It was always best not to arrive to a crime scene with the murder victim. So he hopped off the cart and let the speeding ensemble shoot off down the street unguided. A car or a pedestrian accident would finish that business for him soon enough.
Turning down a side street, dodging people as he focused on the wavering tracking spell, he walked quickly to wrap up this damnable loop.
The thing about going in circles is that a lot of straight paths get crossed along the way. Like the road Farli and Kierlam were taking towards the dojo. Double checking their direction, they had frozen in the shadow of a shop awning as Dr. Hasao went zipping by. Farli sucked in a breath, eyes wide. It had been a long time since she had been that close to the undead. Gods above and below, she had nearly forgotten how they each had a distinctive flavor that gummed up the back of your throat.
And the biker was decidedly reanimated.
She felt hollow as the pair rounded the corner. Reanimation was one of the Corpse Theif’s more common tactics and Hasao’s proximity to one could only mean one thing: the doctor was lost to them. Kierlam brushed past her, a deep rumble vibrating his frame. She followed in his wake as he plowed through the sidewalk crowd. Farli wanted to advise caution but murder was clear in the set of his shoulders, his eyes and his crackling fists.
So they tracked him without trying to hide. They were always a bit behind, trailing behind the bike’s speed and then further distracted when the rider went careening into the road. The man was a hood ornament in a second flat. Nearly everyone swarmed to the edge of the sidewalk to gawk but one kept moving away and Kierlam caught the outline of Hasao disappearing between a pair of buildings.
[If more is needed before you guys can post, just lemme know. Also wasn't sure about the whole who knows who within the various bad-guy hunting groups. Would Farli and Kierlam know Silvia or is she more of an undercover agent deal?]
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Post by Kendra on Mar 28, 2011 9:53:46 GMT -6
[ I figured they may or may not know her personally, but they would at least know "of" her through the were-experts they called earlier. The phone call Silvia made to her "sister" was meant for Farli to let her know she found David by the school and was going with him into town. It's up to you how well they actually know each other. She could know Farli personally or have been given the number by Thomas to keep in touch with the others. So whether or not they know Silvia, they would at least know the agent Thomas had mentioned to them was with the were in the ice cream shop, or be very very confused by the random phone call. ]
As the door to the ice cream shop shut behind him, David was almost able to fall back into a sense of normalcy. It was as if the whoosh of wind and the ringing bell signaled a close to his crazy encounter. The door now separated him from all the weirdness as all connection to his strange day was now outside. He could almost pretend it hd never happened. He was just getting ice ceam with a friend from school.
"So what kind of ice cream would you like?" David asked. He found his place in the short line behind a couple with two little girls and glanced up at the menu. "Anything you want," he said. "My treat."
Silvia followed his gaze to the menu, but his words did not fully register in her mind. She was too distracted. What had David sensed down that alley? Was Yushira going to be alright? What about the group that had originally been hunting the Snatcher? Thomas had mentioned it taking the doctor and given her Farli's number. He hadn't given her any further details and probably was not privy to any, but those were both non-combatants. Who else was here and why had things gone so awry? She wanted so badly to ask David about his encounter at the hospital, but now was not the time. She had to make sure he didn't get in the way, and if she blew her cover he might freak. She couldn't let her distractions get the better of her. Thomas would be very disappointed, and the lives of the others tracking the Snatcher could be put in jeapordy.
She pulled herself from her reverie to find David staring at her with a raised eyebrow. "You alright?" he asked.
"Yes," she fumbled, trying to remember what he'd been asking her in the first place. "Sorry. Just... I have a lot on my mind. Um.. I like Rocky Road."
Something was clearly eating away at Silvia, but what could it be? Girls could get upset over such silly things. The girls at school were always gossiping about one another and sharing stories about their boyfriends. Some of them could be downright cruel. Since Silvia had only been there for such a short time last year, she would be seen as an outsider and might have become the brunt of someone's joke. Or maybe it had nothing to do with school. Maybe it was something to do with her sister. David had problems enough just trying to get along with his father, he had no idea what it was like to have siblings.
"Hey, whatevers wrong, you can talk to me, okay?" David offered. It was then his turn to place an order and he spoke with the man at the counter, getting a waffle bowl of Rocky Road for Silvia and another of mint chocolate chip for himself. He had almost convinced himself that this was just a normal outing on a normal day when some commotion outside drew his attention. It sounded like some kind of accident. Had something happened to Sparky, er.. Yushira?
If it were possible, Silvia's attention had been drawn by the noise even faster than his. Others in the parlour didn't seem to notice anything until a crowd started forming. David thought little of it. It was normal for him to catch wind of something faster than everyone else, but then why had Silvia reacted so quickly? David's paranoia started setting in once again as all the little things started falling into place. He had sensed someone watching him in the park, and then Silvia had appeared. She'd leapt on the opportunity to go with him and had seemed interested in the alley that had drawn his attention. And now she was acting very distant and distracted but had reacted to the noise outside faster than he had.
"What do you suppose is going on out there?" Silvia asked, peeling her eyes from the door to glance back at David. Her words sounded hollow, like she didn't really mean them, like she knew what was going on. He also recognized the familiar relaxed tension in her muscles, like someone trained and ready for a fight. David finally realized why something had felt so off about her. The faint wolfish musk that reached his nose was not his own, but hers. How could he have missed it? It even held a feminine tint to it.
"I think you know," David replied, his voice was calm and his body still, ready for whatever her reaction might be.
Silvia bristled at the change in David's tone. He'd figured it out. He knew, blast it all! She'd blown her cover just when everything seemed to be coming barreling down on them. It's alright, she thought. I was going to slip my cover eventually anyway. He needs someone who can explain things to him, help him get through this mess. I was just hoping this business with the Snatcher would get cleared up first. I just have to keep him from panicing.
"David..."
Her reaction had proven everything. How could he have been so stupid! But if she was with the hunter, then why did she have the musk of a werewolf? David was so confused. Nothing made sense anymore. It was as if his whole world had been turned upside down in one day. Should he run, or stay? Was she his friend, or his enemy? And what about Joe and Yushira? Who could he trust in this strange world of the supernatural. David took a cautious step back from her, scanning the ice cream parlour for all possible exits and keeping a wary ear trained the direction of the accident. What if she was just trying to hold him here long enough for someone to come along with silver bullets?
"David, please stay calm," Silvia had to think fast. He wasn't even really paying attention to her anymore. His eyes were scanning back and forth like a trapped animal looking for a way out. "I'm not your enemy. I'm here to help you get out of this mess, okay? It's too much to explain right now. You'll just have to trust me."
"Trust you?" David almost laughed, near panic evident in his eyes.
"David please," Silvia had to get through to him. "Your safest bet is to stay here with me. Your blood was used to trace you. How do you think you were found so fast? If I'd wanted to hurt you, you'd be dead already. If you run now, you could end up facing that Snatcher alone."
It was too much to take in all at once. It felt like a trap. He felt like he needed to run. But what if Silvia was right? Or what if she really was just trying to detain him until someone with silver bullets got there? He took a deep breath and only then realized that the racing of his heart had set fur tickling down his arms. If you don't calm down, you're going to change right in front of all these people, the thought almost made him laugh. Wouldn't that be a great way to wrap things up? Look ma, there's a werewolf eating icecream! Okay, calm down. Calm down. As long as nobody comes crashing through that door with a gun, you're going to be okay.
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Ryugexu
Accomplished Bobbyer
Without Fear... I step forward.
Posts: 192
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Post by Ryugexu on Apr 2, 2011 0:11:10 GMT -6
((Suddenly, a guy crashes through the door with a gun. Wut?))
Yushira shivered at the sight of the crash but he knew it was none of his business, so he did his best to ignore it. He couldn't help but feel bad for the man on the motorcycle.... Death was a horrible thing. It had a certain smell and left a texture in the air from the reaper's arrival that Yushira hated. After all, a soul that wanders the earth is always running from the reaper, much like a murderer runs from the law.
He scanned the area for the other supernaturals or 'suspicious figures' as he floated, nearly completely invisible in the night.
Kiir caught his attention quickly, pointing at Farli and Kierlam. After meeting eyes with Yushira, Kiir disappeared into Keirlam's shadow. Yushira floated along behind Farli, watching her movements closely and hoping she'd say something useful to her friend that he could use to understand the situation.
"Now tell me, what are your secrets?" Kiir hissed into Kierlam's soul as he reached into his chest and stroked it with his clawed hands.
((Kiir is generally attempting to manipulate Kierlam into showing him his current mission/status/intentions, and/or mindcrush and/or take control of him. It's your choice which and how well it works. It may be painful or not, depending on how smooth of a spell he weaved. The smoother, the less noticeable.))
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