[004 ★ text]

[guiltapalooza]

You know what, I am so sick of this. Completely sick of this!! And look at me, repeating myself and using multiple exclamation points (two!) like a rebel. Because I am a rebel!

I'm tired of all these embarrassing personal incidents. When they aren't embarrassing, they're deeply horrifying and disturbing. I just want regular old test taking anxiety again! I want worrying about whether Anya is going to ask Giles if he has a new orgasm friend yet in public! And all that demon stuff, even that was familiar.

But here it's like, oh, here's that troll kid I'm friends with and he got his arm torn off. Here's me turning myself into a troll and going creepy stalker over Aradia. (Which by the way, oh Goddess am I sorry for and eternally mortified about.) Or here's me picking up the bloody scraps of the clothes of the double of someone I'm friends with!

And don't tell me I'm using too many of's there, I told you I'm a rebel today! I just want my test taking anxiety back, darn it. I'd even take worrying over when I'm going back to college, and that was a lot of worrying.

... Okay, whining done. End whining. In other news, who's still having wacky collar-induced sickness and power-tampering shenanigans? Cause frankly I'm finding this really worrying and I want to get to the bottom of this.

Comments

[guiltapalooza]

Oh! I was wondering. [She lets the lid to the trunk close with a thump, and is suddenly all over curiosity instead of wariness.]

This thing is really hitting you pretty hard, huh? Those are cool, though. Nifty when they aren't sewing you to the floor.

[madscientits]

"The bigger they are the harder they fall" as the saying goes. [She smirks. Usually, her abilities don't give her nearly this amount of grief, but considering how many and how strong they are, she's not too shocked that this is hitting her as hard as it is.]

But thank you, I think they're pretty nifty as well. If I had my weapon with me I'd be able to do even more with it too. When she and I are resonating, we can stitch someone to themselves, using cells and tissue and the like. [Why yes, that is some serious smugness coming through her voice.]

[guiltapalooza]

That's... somewhat creepy, but okay, creepy is appropriate here. [Yes, that does mean she still thinks Stein is creepy. She also likes her, but creepy.]

So how do you want to do this? Like soundproofing the room or like putting ear plugs in?

[madscientits]

Earplugs, I guess. So I can drown out my roommates' souls as well when they come back. Unless soundproofing would be easier for you? I don't want to have to put you out too much if I don't have to.

[guiltapalooza]

I've never done either of them before, so one isn't putting me out more than the other. I don't even know if it'll work, really-- don't get your hopes up.

[She settles cross-legged right there on the carpet, and pats the spot across from her.] Sit. We need to get our meditation on either way.

[madscientits]

[She slips her boots and her glasses off, sitting cross-legged across from Willow on the spot she patted.]

But if it doesn't work, you're not allowed to blame me for my poor meditation skill. Deal?

[guiltapalooza]

I would never, [she says with a slight smile, shifting her weight and getting comfortable.] Obviously any failure could never be traced back to you.

I need your hands, by the way. [Willow slips right into business, and holds out hers in the space between them.]

[madscientits]

[She hesitates for a moment before hovering her hands near Willow's. Even so, she doesn't want to be the first one to make contact though, just in case her soul decides to attack this poor girl like it did with the Signless.]

If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were setting us up to resonate.

[guiltapalooza]

[Pausing, Willow pulls her mind out of preparing-to-do-finnicky-new-magic mode and refocuses on her. She draws her hands back a little.]

What do you mean, resonating? I'm not too familiar with all this soul stuff that you do.

[madscientits]

Imagine your soul is you for a moment. You go out and meet another person you like, sometimes you're going to learn that other person is a boar and an idiot and decide you're not compatible. Other times, you're going to decide you like that other person and invite them over to your place, which usually means that unless they say something that makes them out to be an ass or you say something that offends their sensibilities, you're going to be able to resonate, or rather, in the case of this metaphor, you're going to have sex. [You asked, Willow :|]

It's a very similar situation, only with souls instead of bodies: It requires compatibility, consent, and usually two souls. Though in my soul's case, compatibility is a non-issue, and it's quite capable of resonating with itself. [Other than the slightly proud smile on her face as she talks about her soul's sluttiness and masturbatory prowess, Stein remains completely straight-faced. This is why she always loves explaining this to adults; she doesn't have to avoid the comparison like she does with kids.]

The reason this made me think of that is when we're young and still learning how to control our soul wavelengths, often what we do is meditate together, usually while holding hands or something like that. It keeps those who aren't used to it fairly calm for the most part, and makes it easier for them to make their souls connect.

[guiltapalooza]

[Willow listens intently, trying to deny any awkward at the sex metaphor. She might be an adult, but she's a relatively childish one in some respects. Still, this is interesting, and she likes learning these things.]

This probably isn't too dissimilar, I don't think? But it won't be nearly that intense. I mean... going on that level is serious stuff. I'm more just taking your soul out to coffee, if we're going with that metaphor.

If you need me to stop once we start, just let me know. This will be fairly delicate, but that also means I'll be easy to interrupt if you need to.

[madscientits]

[Stein smirks, though really she's pleased that Willow is willing to be so accommodating to someone who's never done this whole magic thing before. Though she's done similar, so Stein's not too worried.]

My soul's been around the block a few times; taking it out on a little coffee date won't kill it, Willow.

[guiltapalooza]

You're presuming I know where we're going for coffee. I don't. I'm pretty much making this up as I go along, so no getting complacent!

[It's a serious concern, though it's hard to take Willow seriously when she's pouting a bit.] Are you ready? [And she offers her hands up again.]

[madscientits]

[Stein, gently, to keep her soul from reaching out and attacking, reaches out and takes Willow's hands in hers with a smile.] Ready as I'll ever be.

[guiltapalooza]

I guess that means I have to be ready, too.

[A slight, wry smile. Willow's always ready to make fun of herself. But she's focusing now, and her first mental touch is light, as delicate as she'd said it would be. Mental magic is something she's used maliciously in the past, and it makes her tentative and careful about using it now.]

[madscientits]

[It felt a lot like resonating, so Stein was evidently right on the money with that, but she didn't want to break Willow's concentration either by mentioning that. She clears her mind, gently trying to sync up her wavelength with Willow's. She might not know magic, but she knew that having the same soul wavelength wouldn't hurt.]

if you want anything to go wrong, feel free XD

[guiltapalooza]

[Oh wow, this is a lot easier when the other person knows what they're doing. It's like suddenly everything lined up neatly in place for her. It hasn't done that since... Tara, which she is firmly not thinking about; she's just helpless against making the association.

Willow grows a bit more confident at seeing how smoothly Stein works with her, and starts to look around for whatever it is that keeps receiving the noise from everyones' souls. Maybe she can just turn the volume down to start off with, like on a pair of headphones...]

awkward's pretty wrong, right?

[madscientits]

[Maybe it's just because it is so similar, or maybe it's scientific curiosity - she's never done this with a witch before after all - or maybe it's simply the lack of control she's experiencing due to shenanigans, as Willow had put it, but Stein finds her soul's wavelength reaching out, gently changing slightly to match with Willow's. The familiar warmth as Stein's soul caresses the other woman's is comforting in its familiarity, and Willow probably feels the soothing nature of it all too.

And then, much like a headphone jack simply being ripped out in the middle of a song, Stein hears a fizzing, popping static - her soul pulls away quickly at that, far more focused on protecting its owner than finding companionship now - and then... She hears nothing. It scares her for a second, but then everyone's souls filter back in, still heard, but quieter.]

Keep going, I think you almost had it.

yes but Willow's not going to realize it's awkward until afterward xD

[guiltapalooza]

[Soothing, that's new and unexpected. Willow could frankly always use some soothing, given how prone she was to worrying. But then it's like a record scratch in her mind and she starts in place physically at the surprise.]

Oh-- um, okay, take two. Try to keep doing whatever that was, the thing that made it so smooth.

[Reaching out again tentatively, feeling her way back to that place she was before. She tries to get a better sense of what she's looking at before doing the "turning the volume down" again, which leads to the intimate feeling having more time to sink in.]

[madscientits]

[Stein frowned for a second, trying to decide if she should tell Willow what exactly that smooth thing was, but decided against it. At least now she actually had consent, even if it wasn't particularly informed. It had been so long since she resonated with anybody, and even longer since she's had sex that she didn't particularly care at the moment. She'd take what she could get.] Alright, whatever you say.

[Her soul wavelength reaches back out to stroke Willow's, more confident in her actions this time. Bolder, more dominant. Still soothing, but Stein's more obviously in control now, and her actions seem less accidental. Willow's soul is such a small little thing it doesn't take much for Stein's soul to completely envelop hers, holding it close in a comforting embrace.

The noise from all the other souls in the tower died out, and even Willow's soul dropped down to a low hum, barely a blip on Stein's radar if not for the feeling.]

Thank you, that's much better. [Her soul wavelength doesn't budge an inch though, more than content to stay as close to Willow's as possible.]

[guiltapalooza]

[That's slightly creepy, Stein, and you're only justifying Willow's impression of you as slightly creepy.

In fact, she's starting to get uncomfortable with this now, and a blush rises on her face. Curse being redheaded, because her skin is pale enough that it's completely obvious. Not that Willow has ever been able to hide her expressions. It might be a bad idea to drop her hands and break off connection completely without warning, though, so she holds on.]

Um... good! Super good. And maybe we can let go now because I'm thinking that maybe you weren't kidding with that whole metaphor earlier, and this starting to feel a lot less like coffee and maybe more like first base, which, wow, was not planning on first base. Or any base.

[And that's how you know she's embarrassed, because Willow's old enough now that she doesn't babble awkwardly at the drop of a hat anymore. Yet here it is, awkward babble.]

[madscientits]

[She chuckles under her breath. The babbling is kind of endearing, and it reminds her a bit of how Spirit acts, as if the hair didn't already serve as a reminder.

But she lets go of Willow's hands and her soul backs off as well.]

Sorry about that; your soul was coming onto mine, so I just assumed you wouldn't mind too much~

[guiltapalooza]

My soul was not coming onto you! [Oops, kind of indignant now. Her back straightens and she looks aghast.] My soul was-- was helping! There was nothing scandalous or indecent about it, and yes, I do mind.

I have my hermaphroditic alien and I am happy with him.

[madscientits]

[She's just snickering. Oh Willow, why do you amuse the crazy people so?]

No, you're right, there is nothing indecent about it. Resonating with someone you're not in a physical relationship with isn't cheating, my dear witch. Plenty of people keep it separate in my world. [Stein just. Can't think of too many examples right now.]

But let's talk about this alien of yours... [Now that she'd love to get her hands on. If only Stein knew that he was a troll; then she'd just file him under 'not if he were the last test subject on earth']

[guiltapalooza]

Oh no, I know exactly where this is going, and you can keep it to yourself. [She's literally jabbing a finger in the air at her now, frowning comically.] Both of it, you can keep both of it to yourself.

No dissecting my boyfriend-- I refuse on his behalf-- and also nothing even vaguely approximating cheating. I did that once and it was enough of a trainwreck for my entire lifetime.