[PRP] The key to success (Shiloh & Liam)

[Silverah]

It may not have been anything approaching a proper time step, but Shiloh's flailing seemed to satisfy the demands of the geas. With each thud of his foot against the table, the compulsion at the back of his mind lessened until it no longer pushed him at all.

"That was a little mean," said Sunny, her hand on the top of her father's chair.

Liam gave Shiloh a round of applause.

"Please," he said. "Have a seat. Have some more cocoa."

He took a sip from his own mug.

"So," said Liam. "The geas. It is a powerful tool against you, but it is also your best weapon over other members of the court. I would caution you to use it responsibly, though... what goes around has a way of coming around."

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Shiloh slowed in time with the fading of the urge. By the end of it, he was just standing there on the table, breathing a little rushed from all the movement. "A little? He huffed at Liam, cheeks ruddy with embarrassment, "That was such a jerk move."

Except, as he clambered off of the table with wobbly legs, he actually managed a laugh. He didn't take Liam to be such a sarcastic a*****e; it was sort of funny. He plopped back down on the couch, trying to catch his breath before going back in for the cocoa.

In all seriousness, he did plan on using it responsibility. The knowledge that Liam could have just as easily told him to hurt someone or do something he'd regret for the rest of his life weight heavily on him.

"I get it." He reached for the cocoa again, pleased when it had cooled enough to drink. It helped clear out the remnants of fog in his head. "I'm almost afraid to ask for any other teachin'." He admitted with a laugh, though he didn't mean it. Unless there was more tap dancing involved...

Silverah

 

[Silverah]

"Well," said Liam, and laughed. "We could start with shuffle-ball-changes."

"You haven't got the right shoes," said Sunny, "and Father will be cross if you scuff the floors."

Liam nodded. "As I believe I mentioned," he said, "my specialty is magical and magitechnical security. We could begin working on the basics of that discipline? Determine a course of study?"

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Shiloh laughed again, about to make a smarmy remark on why Liam even knew shuffle ball, except then he realized that being around for as long as he and Renard had probably led to many different hobbies. Still, he had to actually wonder if shuffle ball was really any fun.

"That works." He leaned forward, sitting on the edge of the sofa, mug still pressed to his lips even though he wasn't currently taking a sip. "I mean, that's what I came for 'n the first place."

To Sunny, he reassured them, "Don't worry. I ain't mussing up your pop's floor. Actually," He looked to Liam, "I had no idea you were her dad." He was taking it pretty well, though.

Silverah

 

[Silverah]

Sunny made a face. "He's Papa," she said, indicating Liam. "Father is Renard. He'll care if we mess up the floors."

Something in the kitchen began to beep.

"Bye, Shiloh," said Sunny, turned on her heels, and walked out of the room.

Liam smiled over at Shiloh. "What?" he asked. "Don't you see the resemblance?" (It was greater than before the remaking of the cage, if Shiloh had known Sunny then.) "She was always quick to deny it before."

He got up from his chair and went to survey the bookshelf. "Anyway... hmm, leant that one out..." He selected something and turned back to Shiloh. "Let's start with this."

He held the book out to Shiloh. An Introduction to Shield Theory. "Would you rather start with how to shield your mind? Or your body?"

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

"Oh," Shiloh blinked a few times as Sunny meandered off, "Cya 'round Ace..."

Liam's smile and his joking was a good enough distraction though, and he looked between him and the receding figure of Sunny a few times. "I... a little?" He had known Sunny before, but to him the resemblance was still a little vague. He tilted his head one way and then the other at Liam as he went to retrieve a book from the shelf. He set the cocoa down again preemptively.

When he handed said book over, Shiloh tried not to make a face. He took it of course, eyes glossing over the cover, but he already worried about slogging through the contents, dyslexia be damned. Didn't mean he wouldn't give it one hell of an effort though. "Umm..." He thought to himself, weighing the pros and cons of each. Of course, they would eventually get to both, but he was indecisive. "Body sounds like it'd come up more, but I feel like the s**t that can affect your mind would be more dangerous, so..." He flipped the book open to look at the inside, but he wasn't really reading so much as thumbing through pages.

"Mind? Unless you mind." He was attempting to throw some of the humor back Liam's way, and it showed with an innocent lopsided grin.

Silverah

 

[Silverah]

"Good pick," said Liam, and laughed. "So. Protecting your mind against intrusions. A lot of people get this wrong. The key to keeping someone from learning what you're really think is not to build a wall - it's to misdirect them."

He wrapped his hands confidently around his mug. "Think of something else, and only something else, and your secrets will always be safe."

"It's easier said than done, of course. Would you like to try?"

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

"Oh." Shiloh was expecting crazy spells and symbols and sigils and brimstone and s**t, but this sounded remarkably simple. Of course, magic seemed simple in theory almost all the time, but it was never that easy.

"Alright... alright. I can do this." He puffed up, mentally preparing himself for whatever Liam was going to throw at him. He just had to keep this thoughts jumped right? He just had to keep his focus all over the place, don't think about the important things, or the things you want to keep close to your head and your heart. "I can do this." He repeated, "Let's try."

Silverah

sleepy work tag goooo

 

[Silverah]

"As you wish," said Liam, his gaze fixed on Shiloh's face. His eyes had a keen, focused look in them. His lips formed a flat line.

And, inside Shiloh's head, there was the soft sensation of someone running their fingers through his hair.

And then, the fingers withdrew.

"You're unfocused. You're leaving things unguarded. I can go where I please," Liam admonished gently. "Think of one thing and one thing, only. Use it as a wall."

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Was it bad he found the sensation comforting more than intrusive?

His brow furrowed as the feeling left. "Damn, you can just peek into people's heads and s**t?" That was pretty scary; another ability he didn't really want, wouldn't ever want. But Liam was right--his thoughts were too jumbled, not focused enough.

It made sense in his head to think of a key--he was the key now--and a lock. Liam said not to build a wall, but to redirect, though it was easier said than done. He focused on that simple motion, that secure click sound a deadbolt made when it fell into place, and he focused on that. He had nothing to hide aside from his own self preservation. He'd open it back up on his own terms.

"Okay..." he said, not sure when his eyes had shut in concentration, but not acting to open them again.

Silverah

 

[Silverah]

"Well," said Liam, sounding fatigued. "It takes a significant amount of effort. I certainly don't make a habit of it. Not to mention it's generally considered very rude..."

He trailed off, eyes twinkling. "But we'll try again."

The sensation resumed, fingers drifting across the surface Shiloh's mind - but this time, they found purchase on the deadbolt. Turned it over, wonderingly. Tested its every surface.

And then formed picks and wrenches and began probing the lock.

"A compelling metaphor," said Liam, sounding strained.

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Shiloh noted how Liam sounded strained, but tried not to dwell on it; where the feeling before had felt calming, now it felt intrusive, and it made him wince despite the lack of pain. "Thought it'd be fitting," He admitted with a laugh, thoughts still steadily focused on the lock, steadily focused on the inner mechanisms that kept all the things that weren't his thoughts out.

And it wasn't perfect; it wobbled here and there as his thoughts drifted in fatigue, but he did his best to hold steady. "Figured I'm the key, right? Should have a knack for locks." He joked, but wondered if there'd be some truth in that statement.

Silverah

 

[Silverah]

"So it would seem," said Liam, knitting his fingers together. As his careful probing of Shiloh's mental lock continued, his expression flattened.

"Don't think of what's behind the lock," he advised. "Think only of the lock. Thinking about what's behind the lock will weaken it."

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

"Only the lock, right,"

The stainless steel and sheer impenetrability of it. A bead of sweat balled up on his forehead, threatening to roll down. He had no idea that this sort of thing would be taxing, but it was magic. He also wasn't sure if this would ever come up, but it would ******** damn it Beaumont, only focus on the lock.

He went back to doing so, but his attention was obviously wavering with inexperience. "Where'd you learn how to do that anyway?"

Silverah

 

[Silverah]

For a moment, Liam's press threatened to push through, to find the secrets hidden on the other side... and then he withdrew, leaning heavily back in his chair.

"Vivien taught me when we were together," he said, breathing shakily. "She had a natural gift for it. I can only just manage it, and only when I meet minimal resistance."

Melancholies