giftedthom | (no subject)

::bites his lip against a cry at the intrusion, which is far less gentle than most Cheysuli are, and extends his own mind, pushing the violet Gift towards Thom::

::Is as gentle as he can manage about taking hold of it, which is not very. Impatience does not help.::

::bites his lip harder, drawing blood, and pushes the Gift further from him, trying to ignore the pain at Thom's not-very-gentle intrusion::

::Thom smiles at the familiarity, mostly oblivious to Brennan's discomfort, and offers a line of Brennan's magic back to him.::

::pulls his magic back to him, almost sobbing in relief when the first vestiges of the lir-link flare up in his mind. It's not enough to speak to Sleeta yet, but it distracts him from the pain::

::tugs the last of his Gift away and, somewhat reluctantly, surrenders Brennan's magic to him::

::the lir-link blazes back into life, and Brennan practically falls to his knees beside Sleeta, burying his face in her pelt and trying not to show exactly how much that just hurt him::

::Stands there for a minute, luxuriating in his returned (and healthier) power.

Then he comes back to himself, as it were, and orders:: Out.

::staggers to his feet, wiping the blood off his face and hoping that Thom doesn't notice it::

Right. Glad it worked.

::Thom doesn't notice. Lucky Brennan?::

::curtly:: As am I.

::as Brennan shakily turns to leave, Sleeta speaks up::

Children. Always so blind to what's right in front of them.

::Thom and Brennan both hear her.::

::thoroughly gobsmacked:: What.

::slowly turning::

You heard that, didn't you.

::firmly:: No. There was nothing to hear.

Now get out.

::Sleeta sounds amused and annoyed at the same time::

Denying it won't help, lir.

::flushes and shouts:: I don't want you here, damn you!

What - what the hell? We've got our own magic back, you shouldn't be in the link!

::looks down at Sleeta, wide-eyed:: What went wrong?

::the cat looks smug:: I cannot say. But the link encompasses all three of us.

Then the link is wrong. If you think I want to be lir-linked to that ku'reshtin -

Well, good; it's mutual.

I want nothing to do with either of you!

Then you'll get your wish.

::turns on his heel and goes to leave, stumbling slightly but refusing to look back, even when Sleeta protests::

Lir-

::acidly:: No, Sleeta. He wants us gone, we'll go. The lir-link will break when we leave this godsforsaken place, anyway.

And what do you think will happen to both of you? What happens when a warrior loses his lir?

::snaps:: He lives happily ever after.

Or dies forever after. It's the same thing in the end.

If death is my tahlmorra then I accept it. It's a damn sight better than hanging around as bitter, self-centred ku'reshtin whose own arrogance got himself killed!

::snorts:: And what do you call what you just said, if not arrogance?

Realism, perhaps? I won't deny I've got my fair share of arrogance, but at least I don't make other people miserable because of my own mistakes.

Yeah? Nice to know I don't count as people to you, Cat-man.

::balls up a fist and hits Brennan::

::recoils more because of the unexpectedness of the blow than because it really hurts, and reacts almost instinctively, grabbing Thom's arm and spinning him around, shoving him against the wall and holding him there with an arm against his throat::

::hissing:: Right now you're worse than Ihlini to me, and that's something I never thought I'd have to say.