Far Cry Thread #4: Allya’s mind-reading

//Next up we have Bex basically pressing me for this interaction and I finally caved and did it.

Allya’s mind reading and Jacob crap

 

Allya had been spending more time at Jacob's place than any other lately. Mostly cause John was either busy or she was out on patrol anyway so why not just crash there? But being in such close proximity to the man had her a little on edge since her...slip up a few days earlier. She remembered that she had hinted that they should probably end up working together to train Jacob how to keep her out of his mind, unless he desired it, and it would in turn, help Allya learn how to control whatever the hell her gift was shaping into. Hearing people's most intimate thoughts at all hours without end was starting to get annoying! She didn't want to hear Staci bitching about Jacob, or even herself and acting like a cut cat whenever she came near him. She liked him better when she COULDN'T hear him. Nor did she want to accidently throw her gift at Jacob again, since the man seemed to make a living on riling her. Not that she usually minded, but what had happened earlier, she was ashamed of.

So, that day, when she realized that there was nothing actually planned for the day and Jacob didn't seem busy, she approached him. "Hey. You busy?" She smirked as she looked up at him. "So, thought we could practice together. Cause it will help us both and your complaining helps the situation, like, not at all." She chuckled softly, for she had gotten quite braver with the man. "So, come on. You and me...gonna start this at least."

She smirked as she walked towards the veterans’ center, before turning to look at him. "You coming? Faster we start, the faster you can keep me out....so come on, Jacob." She resisted the urge to giggle.

 

"You gonna let me in there anytime soon?" Jacob’s face was pressed against the bars of the cage that cheeseburger was in staring over at the bear who sat all but ignoring his presence at the moment. 'So... Hungry... Why won't he stop talking and feed me' the bear complained head resting on its paws currently. A low growl was more so what Jacob heard and soon he moved to kneel in front of the cage, his fingers threading through the fence as he eyed the bear in thought for a moment. Maybe if he just waited one more day? What day even was it? Standing again he moved to pulled his phone from his back pocket to check when Allya's voice seeming came out of nowhere from his right. 'FUCK! Seriously!!?? What now!!!????' He immediately shot her an irritated look. Technically he was well, not with something that couldn't wait but she didn't NEED to know that. To late she clearly already did. "Who died and made you my boss?" He remarked sort of huffing before casting one last look back at Cheeseburger. "Later smokey" He muttered under his breath as he moved to from the side of the cage to follow her. 'It’s Cheeseburger..... ' The bear muttered almost sad sounding.

"Yeah no kidding. Wait, so does this involve you actually getting in my fucking head more? Why can't you just stay out and we call it a day?" He asked taking a few longer strides to catch up with her as his brow furrowed up a bit. Honestly part of why he'd been avoiding this whole thing. It made him uncomfortable. More uncomfortable than just her possibly hearing his thoughts on random occasions.

 

As she had approached, she had heard the bear's thoughts and her brow furrowed a bit. "He's hungry." She said over her shoulder as she turned to smirk back at Jacob's comment. "And no one died. Not yet anyway, you just like me hence why I can get away with it." She teased but paused and at the Bear's thoughts again. 'It's ok, I will help if I can.' she sent to the animal as she continued on her way.

"Because you complain about it all the time, like I can actually help it, Jacob and it's driving me nuts." She came to a stop as they entered the center and went to take up a seat on the sofa, turning to smirk back up at him and patted the spot beside her. "It's ok. I don't bite....unless you like that sort of thing." She giggled softly.

 

"Yeah well, when you fucking do shit on purpose" He shot back smartly. No he knew she didn't ALWAYS do shit on purpose but she HAD done shit on purpose before so that was what really bothered him. Rolling his eyes a bit as she all to giddily patted the spot beside her on the sofa he let out a sigh and moved to take a seat beside her simply raising an eyebrow at her final remark. Almost looking less than enthused. "I don't...." He remarked flatly before moving to sink back into the cushions with a rather bored expression on his face. "You didn't answer my question though. How much of this invoices you actually in my fucking head?" He repeated as he flipped open a pocketknife he'd pulled from the pocket of his jeans and started using it to dig under his nails.

 

"Well...maybe you should rile me so much then, huh?" She said just as smartly back at him. "Told you that was an accident. Stop bitching about it." Damn, she had sure gotten bolder with him and it showed. Made her darn near giggle. When he sat beside her, she leaned back against the other side of the sofa and got comfortable. "How much inside your head will I be? Until you can keep me out." She said simply. "But it isn't like imma do it without telling you how it might be countered. Think of your mind as a fortress, castle, whatever you want that keeps you safe. Then...imagine you building a wall made of the strongest material you know of...could be steel, bricks, whatever...around that place in your head and there is only ONE way in or out. You control that. Ok? That should work, but it will take time for you to learn how to do so, so we do it a lot, until you master it. Ready?" She asked as she gave him a few moments to take in what she had just said. Then, without warning, she simply reached out and 'touched' his mind.

'Come on Jacob...kick me out. You can do this.' It was so easy for her to reach his mind because she had already been inside of it many times. Knew the sound, the feel of his mind. It was odd, like greeting an old friend...only this time as she 'talked' to him instead of listening in, it was a little painful as she had never done it that way before. She had always just listened, but this was a learning curve for her too as she flowed lightly, and as gently as she could through his mind. Not wanting to hurt him as she had the boy before. 'Make the fortress, then the wall. Keep me out.' She tilted her head to the side as she tried not to go digging through his memories, but being this in tune with him, they came anyway.

 

For a moment he just studied her with a blank expression on his face. He already didn't like this and he actually felt himself growing a bit nervous. Teeth digging into his lower lip he cast his eyes away for a moment. What was the point maybe he should just.... Too late. That sensation in his head was there and her voice drifted in as if it came from within. "No... No I wasn't ready! Damn it!" He hissed wincing in pain as she spoke and he felt her moving deeper. Brushing over one memory she knew well but maybe not from his point of view.

'Stupid little bitch! How could he not tell me this was coming! Six months they'd been hooking up on and off and now he was standing there in the door of the church with that badge puffed out in his chest while his buddies arrested his brother. He'd JUST text him that morning asking if he knew anything. That bitch had said he had no IDEA YET HERE HE WAS!!!! Furthermore he'd flown the damn chopper that brought them here!! Just went to show snakes could be found even in your bed at night right? If he ever got his hands on that little bitch again he'd... '

'Onnnllyyyy yoouuuuu!!!!'

Letting out a yelp Jacob fought to focus now on anything but that memory or the feeling of Allya in his head. It hurt like hell but really all he could do and though he really wasn't sure what she meant by blocking someone out the way she'd described his mind did finally sort of slip into a sort of trance for a moment. That tune flooding nearly every nearby memory she could possibly brush up against to the point it was a bit distorted and outwardly he was looked, zoned. His breathing beginning to shallow out again slowly.

 

"You won't ever be ready if something like this happens, Jacob. Mind readers won't care, like I do. They will seek to scatter your mind simply cause they can." She said out loud in response to his protests. In all actuality, she didn't WANT to hurt him, didn't want to see his memories, even more so the ones that he kept hidden deeply inside his mind, but her gift had no control and she tried to learn how to navigate it, to bend it to her will, and that made that small throbbing sensation start just behind her eyes as she saw the memory of the day they had met. The confrontation at the church. So he and Staci were...? No, she didn't want to know. That wasn't her business, but her gift had other ideas as it played out for her to see.

Only when he thought of that song again, did things go screwy inside her own mind and she outwardly wince as that throbbing became suddenly a stabbing sensation. The song! That was his protection! She couldn't 'see' anything past it. 'Can you still hear me? Jacob?' She tried to push through that song, but the harder she tired, the more it hurt. She couldn't exactly get past that song....and it made her wonder. Why a song? Ok, this was good for a first time..as she slowly withdrew and came back with a soft gasp. Reaching out, she rested her hand atop one of his and gave his hand a light squeeze. "Jacob? You can come back now. That...that was amazing for a first time." She blinked constantly trying to clear her head as it still throbbed. "breathe a bit...then we try again." He was a fast learner if he got it this fast.

 

For a moment he didn't move, hardly even blinked and sat there looking rather tense as he stared down at the floor. Nearly tranced out by this point it wasn't until she'd physically touched him that he realized the throbbing was nothing more than a dull ache and she was no longer in his head but speaking out loud. Blinking a few times as he pulled himself out of it his eyes moved to study her almost lost looking for a moment before he slowly nodded. So that's how it worked then. Not that he'd been trying to do anything other than comfort himself internally yet somehow that had distorted things for her? Maybe that in itself was what she meant. The wall she spoke of. More or less it had to be right? Then again he supposed it meant something different for everyone seeing as the mind was a different place for every individual. "Ok, that.... Wasn't so bad I guess" He finally muttered taking a steady breath. Mentally not quite sure if he was simply talking himself up or if it really hadn't been. So far so good right? A little headache was the least rough part of it.

 

She noticed the look on his face right away and tilted her head a bit at it. Noting that he only seemed to 'come out of it' when she touched him. They would have to work on that. "Well, you did good for your first try, Jacob." She said with a small grin. "That is keeping me out as far as searching through your mind. That is the more difficult one to master, and though you did so very well, we have to get you to the point where you can keep me out without zoning out completely. If you do so, you will be no good in a fight. But that was good! That was damn good." She chuckled and shook her head a bit as if to clear it.

"Now, far as keeping me out for everyday thoughts, that's something different. Same concept but not as hard. Want to try?" She smirked at him gently, realizing her hand still rested a top his. "Though it could be good to refine together in hearing each other too." She paused and then her eyes seemed to light up. "What if...you could eventually talk back to me? In times of trouble or something, being able to communicate to each other could come in handy. What do you think?" She asked his honest opinion, looking at him with another smile.

 

Ok, well if it wasn't going to be as hard? His brow slightly furrowed and he seemed to think for a moment. "I um, I guess that would be cool?" He replied still not exactly sounding to enthused. However this was far newer ground to him than her and though it had him curious it also had him a bit hesitant. "So um, how do I.... How's keeping you from just overhearing different?" He asked eyes moving to study her for a moment as he slumped more against the arm rest of the sofa.

 

"You shouldn't have to focus as hard, in theory. As I am not literally diving into your brain and searching it. If you don't want me to hear your everyday thoughts...sarcastic and funny though they may be at times, don't fully focus on that song. Instead, act like your humming it to yourself lightly, but in your mind." She sighed softly and nodded, trying to teach herself as well how NOT to listen. Which was a bit hard because she had no idea how her gift even worked in the first place. "Ok...think of something...while softly 'humming' the song in your mind."

 

Nodding slowly he simply fell silent. Yeah, this part truthfully wasn't all too hard for he already technically did both of those things a lot. A moment later his mind was both drifting, and the melody could probably have been faintly heard if she'd listened even briefly. Thoughts of mainly his wolves. A sudden curiosity occurring to him. We're they responding to this as well? With how connected they were?

 

At first, she heard his thoughts like a tiny whisper in her mind, but slowly, ever so slowly, the song came through instead. She blinked and then grinned, giggling softly to herself as she pulled back from him and it was then that she blinked again. Wait! Was that it? her eyes furrowed a bit as she pictured that wall within her own mind that she had described earlier and suddenly...so suddenly it took her breath away...everything went SILENT!

"Oh my God!" She nearly bolted to standing but caught herself. It was so silent, all around her. She didn't like it.

 

Pulling from his thoughts as Allya seemed a mixture of emotions Jacob’s light blue hues moved to eye her curiously. "You good?" He asked a bit unsure whether what she was suddenly so excited about was a good or bad thing. Her time was certainly a confusing one. Had she been able to hear still? Or was it something she herself had just realized.

 

"I—I don’t know." She answered honestly. Her face a mixture of fear, surprise and a bit perplexed. "Everything is suddenly so...silent." She said softly, biting her lip. "I don't like it." She shook her head, trying to envision herself taking down that wall within her mind. "I can't hear anything. Not even the animals." She was beginning to panic a little as she tried to figure out how to undo what she had done to herself.

 

"Welcome to the way most of us perceive the world" Jacob stated a bit dully. Of course he didn't fully understand and he certainly didn't relate. Even with the wolves he basically had to choose to go us on what they were doing, seeing and hearing to an extent. Plus silence to him was serenity. At least to a point. He couldn't imagine having to constantly hear real voices. That could change that sounds of the birds and the fish to something he also wanted to be away from if he could do that.

 

"That's not funny...or helpful Jacob." She said a little frustrated. "It's not how I perceive the world. How can you stand it? It's so...silent!" She asked as she looked up at him, curious. "It's not like I constantly hear voices in my head, no. But actually able to feel that my brothers, for example, are alright. To be able to reach down that link and 'see' their glow pulsating within my minds eyes, to feel them if I think about them is comforting in a way." She tried to explain. "To know they are always there. I have only to look inside to find them...to hear your mind, for another example. Sure, you have had some interesting thoughts and again, really sorry I heard them at first, but knowing you are there is weirdly comforting too...and now I can't hear anything. I can't sense them. Or you and I don't like it." She hoped she wasn't doing badly in explaining. Most humans would never understand.

 

Jacob somewhat rolled his eyes and moved to cross his arms over his chest. No, he didn't understand at all. Not even slightly. As if he wanted to constantly be able to sense his own siblings for example. That didn't mean he didn't care of course but... He definitely didn't see how it would be comforting in any way either. To him it would feel intrusive to be so connected. Even for the reverse of that. He'd probably end up more irritated at them. "So what? You NEED that connection to feel whole?" He asked eyeing her now almost skeptically. Honestly her whole stink over this in his eyes was a bit.... Well pathetic. Went against everything he fought to believe himself. He didn't NEED his siblings and they didn't need him. He didn't NEED anyone and to do so was to be weak, and the weak never survive. Wouldn't survive in the new world.

 

"No!" She scowled back at his tone of voice and what she thought he was hinting at. "I don't NEED them with me 24/7 or desire them to know everything I do. I LIKE having them there, knowing they are there. Caring about people doesn't make you weak, Jacob. It makes you stronger." She tilted her head as she looked at him. REALLY looked at him. They were starting to wade into some touchy shit if they weren't careful and she wondered, should she? "That's not what you truly believe, is it?" She dared to ask. To cross that one little line into said territory. "I care about you, that doesn't make me weak. It means I'll stand by your side in a fight. Means I got your back, no matter what. Doesn't make you weaker, because I am adding my strength to yours...." She trailed off and sighed. Humans...some never got it. But it didn't mean she didn't care.

 

"And if we all died then what? What's strong about letting the world break you Allya? Nothing.... " He shot back rather quickly his expression turning a bit cold. Oh, boy had she managed to open a can of worms without even really trying to. Then again it seemed to be what she was SO good at. "Physically yes... We're pack animals. I won't argue that with you. But even the wolves know when to rid themselves of the weak and don't hesitate to do so. And they stay strong because of it" Jacob continued leaning forward a bit to stare into her eyes with this sort of cold vacant look. "I'm not saying I wouldn't care if my brothers died. But if me and one of them were stranded in the ocean. And they were bleeding and attracting sharks. I'd drown him.... And I wouldn't think twice about it" He added bluntly. "I don't NEED them to survive. I don't need them to be strong. And I don't need them to be content. And that's the key... Anyone who thinks otherwise won't last a second when the bombs start dropping. They'll be too busy trying to be a hero or crying for it to stop. Those people are weak and those people don't deserve to survive" He finished with an all to almost angry smug look on his face.

 

"If they all died, yes I'd be sad but that doesn't mean I would break, Jacob. I decide what breaks me, nothing else and I know I am strong enough to survive with or without them." She replied a little heartedly in response to his question. She was a lot tougher than people gave her credit for and just because she cared didn't mean she was weak. Though his mention of wolves made her want to laugh. He was trying to tell her about them...when her family quite literally were wolves? Really? They might not be the real deal but their mother had lived for years as part of an actual wolf pack so she taught her young everything they had taught her. Including that the weak set the pace. Though that is where animals and humans differ, for she had to agree with him when he mentioned what would happen if one of his brothers was hurt and attracting sharks. "Self-preservation is a very real thing, among all species, I'm not saying it's not or it's a bad thing. I'm saying that just because I decide to help or show emotion or whatever...does not make me weak. I know how to survive. I have done it many times on my own or with them at my side."

She sighed and shook her head. "But that's neither here nor there. I was merely stating how silent it was..." She looked up at Jacob and smirked a bit. "Now...shall we continue?"

 

His light hues studied her for a long moment, as if judging her response and deciding exactly whether or not he believed her whether he agreed or not. Still he'd gone silent against and simply shrugged as she decided to just change the subject. Might be better that way anyway, they didn't exactly see eye to eye... On a lot of things actually. "Yeah, I fucking guess" he muttered a bit half heatedly this time. So far it could have been worse and he'd fully managed. Granted he was wondering a bit if it was her going easy on his or if she just wasn't as good as she thought she was. "Wait... Can you?" He suddenly pointed out suddenly recalling what had prompted their small rather intense banter to begin with. His eyes now studied her a bit curiously. Well, if she got stuck in silence good riddance! What would he have to worry about anyway.

 

//it ends here. I actually think Bex herself got frustrated lmfao

//Jacob was so fun to infuriate her with BAHaHAHA

/end transcript 1:02 p.m.