IC Contact

[rebelarrow]

I'll call you back later.

TEXT | VOICE | VIDEO | ACTION

Comments

[helpdesk_hero]

I don't know. I mean, we know I can touch you without an issue, but that doesn't mean that you can overwhelm my powers while I try and touch others.

[rebelarrow]

The only reason you can touch me is because of the shield I place around your mind. It's the end goal that we're aiming for with your shield work.

It isn't simply a matter of you being able to touch me because I'm Psy.

[helpdesk_hero]

I presumed it was because of your own shields, protecting yourself from other people with telepathy.

That said, even with keeping my shields up to protect myself from psychometry, those same shields haven't prevented the other half of my powers.

[rebelarrow]

That does play a part. But that only means I have to raise two shields instead of one.

[helpdesk_hero]

Fair. I just... Wish I understood why my barriers were good enough for both of them.

[rebelarrow]

What do you mean?

[helpdesk_hero]

I can use the shielding techniques you taught me to keep the psychometry at bay when I touch things, but it doesn't keep my other power from triggering.

[rebelarrow]

I'm hardly an expert on these things, but it could be that we're building your shields too narrowly.

It could be something that shields don't work on, as the abilities differ too greatly from a typical Psy's.

If we were home, I would have contacts whom I could ask.

[Between Ashaya Aleine, the Shine Foundation, and/or the political might of Kaleb Krychek, he had no doubts this problem would be easily solved. But Aleine, Santos, and Kaleb aren't here, and he has no way of replicating their knowledge.]

[helpdesk_hero]

Building them too narrowly?

[It's moments like this that he wishes Judd didn't protect himself so well. How useful it might be to root around in the guy's skills to try and build better shields. But that would absolutely be cheating and not serve him in the long run. And, in some ways, it was nice to have to LEARN again.]

[rebelarrow]

I'm used to Psy mind patterns. The issue may be that I'm teaching you to build them like a Psy.

[If Judd's shields weren't taught to him by his Arrow instructors and predecessors, he would probably far more open to allowing David access into his mind. The way that he and the other Arrows of his generation were taught is something that no one should ever have to see again.]

[helpdesk_hero]

And I'm not a true telepath. I never was. Not even back home, even if my games truly were telepathic..

[rebelarrow]

Pure telepaths, among the Psy race, were extremely rare. Most had a sub-designation, or a secondary ability.

[helpdesk_hero]

I knew a guy growing up whose telepathic power was very... esoteric. If he 'tagged' someone by touching them, he put a psychic onus on them that made people run away from them.

[rebelarrow]

I could see that occurring. I've mentioned Nikita Duncan previously, though not by name--she is the viral transmitter.

There was another member on the former Psy Council rumored to be able to slip past any shield, no matter how strong they might be.

She's been missing for over a year now.

[He suspects his friend Kaleb had something to do with it. He doesn't lose any sleep over the possibility.

Tatiana Rika-Smythe was a horrible person. Everyone in the former council, barring Anthony Kyriakus, was a horrible person.

He's counting Kaleb in those numbers. He feels Kaleb would want it that way.]

[helpdesk_hero]

[Interesting. So esoteric telepaths like his world had weren't that strange elsewhere.]

I just wonder if I am even suited to being a proper telepath. I hate prying in people's minds. Someone else with my powers would use them quite freely.

[rebelarrow]

That was a generally agreed upon rule among the Psy, even in Silence. All Psy are taught the proper boundaries when using their abilities as children. One such boundary is you don't enter someone's mind without permission. You call or text first if your telepathy isn't strong enough to connect to the other mind. If you can initiate conversation, you "knock" first.

I've done it with you multiple times during our shielding sessions. Didn't you notice?

[helpdesk_hero]

My power never allowed me to make a DECISION about it, when I was a kid. It was just always there. Always violating. But yeah, I've noticed.

[rebelarrow]

Your case is different, I didn't mean to imply you were doing it purposefully.

[helpdesk_hero]

There was nothing I wanted more than to be in control. To not do all of this.

[rebelarrow]

I know.

[helpdesk_hero]

Is that... something you wished for?

[rebelarrow]

In a sense.

I have a rare designation. Pre-Silence, those with my designation would more often than not have a mental break and harm everyone they loved. I clung to my Silence and its violent dissonance triggers while dirtying my hands to ensure it fell.

[helpdesk_hero]

That's... complicated. You're a strong man.

[rebelarrow]

I have my brother to thank. Without him, I'd have lost my humanity a long time ago.

[helpdesk_hero]

I'm very sorry to hear that you would have, and very glad you didn't.