A Standard Day?

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Erika nodded solemnly. ~I understand,~ she said quietly, then brightened a bit. ~Hey, am I fated for more fowl?~

With an interesting "ssplrfle!" noise, Locke burst out laughing in his mug, which made him start hacking, sputtering and sneezing. "Right up my nose," he groused good-naturedly, taking his much-abused handkerchief to blow his nose. "Yes, you can have more fowl, if Arturia doesn't mind."

~Do you?~ Erika asked of the Leader, purring.

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Arturia laughed and got up, padding silently over to the cooler box and opening it. Bending, she retrieved some more fowl and brought it back with her along with a couple extra 'napkins'. Setting it down, she shredded some more of the bird and set it on her plate.

"There you go, and here you go," she said, giving to Locke the new napkins. "Looks like you could use some new ones."

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"I could," Locke admitted, blowing his nose a final time and setting the napkin aside to send to the laundry. "I tend to hang on to my handkerchiefs for a while. Habit, I suppose."

~With all the nosebleeds you get, I'm not surprised it's habit,~ Erika said, nose in her meal.

Her person blushed, embarrassed.

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"Nosebleeds?" Arturia asked softly, making a mental note to order some more at a later date.

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The red on Locke's cheeks took a deeper shade. "Uh...." Making a mental note on when to speak to Erika about the fine art of knowing when to shut up, he began to explain. "Sometimes Minds, when pushing their boundaries, take physical consequences. Headaches, dizziness and fatigue are common consequences, but so are nosebleeds." He motioned with his handkerchief, and Arturia could see faded, repeatedly washed brown stains that could only be old blood. "I get the nosebleeds most often, and pain at my temples. It's ridiculous, really. I'm nearly twenty-seven and this still happens."

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"Oh..." she tilted her head a bit and considered. "I would then assume that there is nothing a doctor, or healer, could do for this, if it is just an after effect..." it wasn't really a question, though there was a certain upswing of her tone making it sound like she added a question there.

"Well, I wont ask for you to use your powers, Locke, but, even so, I will make sure there are plenty of handkerchiefs around for you to use."

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Locke touched her hand with his right, carefully keeping his fingers splayed. "Even if you didn't ask, I'd have to do it anyway," he said. "Half the messages I deliver involve teleportation, which is okay. Long-distance telepathy and teleportations are my specialty."

~But doing too much of that is bad,~ Erika reminded.

"Well, yes, but working long-distance isn't as bad as short-distance," Locke said for Arturia's sake.

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Her confusion showed a bit on her face, plainly displaying her lack of knowledge concerning Minds and Mind abilities. She bowed her head a bit, more from shame then anything. "Ah...I'm sorry. You see, while I am sure that there are Minds in Humontis, I have not really dealt with very many of them, so, their powers are a bit unknown to me."

After a pause: "So...it is easier to work at farther distances then nearer? I must say, that would be the first time I have heard of that before."

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"Every Mind has a different specialty," Locke said. "For me, it's long-distance communication and teleportation." He closed his right hand into a fist, and the dishes and mugs did a quick shuffle above the table before gently settling down. "I can do some minor up-close things too, as long as I don't push it. Mother can read and project emotions, while Father's just a telepath. My grandparents have turned their talents to making sure the farming gets done.

"There are Minds who can see the future or the past, some who can see anything in the present. Still others can touch an object and know who made it and why, and what it's made of. The possibilities are almost endless." He smiled with pride at his people's talents.

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"Wow..." she murmured, eyes on the dishes and then back to him.

"That's really quite amazing...oh! What is teleporting like?" she asked, curious.

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"Weird," Locke admitted. "On long-distance jumps, there's absolutely nothing in the space between spaces; no sound, no light, no scent, no sensation. The only thing I can see is the image in my mind of the place I have to go. If I don't have to go so far, it's like blinking. Suddenly I'm just there."

~It's the same for me, only I don't see anything, period,~ Erika put in.

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She was silent for a good while, seeming to turn this new information over and over again in her head. "Hmm...do you...do you think you could show me?" she asked cautiously.

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Locke looked at her thoughtfully. "Yes," he said at last, and stood. "Will you be all right for a moment, Erika?"

~Of course,~ the kitten answered, slightly indignant.

"All right then." Locke held out his left hand to his Leader. "Shall we?"

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Arturia smiled at Erika, reaching out to give her a little pat and scratch on the head, before slipping her hand into Locke's. "all right then, I'm ready, I think..." she murmured, nodding.

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Locke gave her a reassuring smile, closed his eyes and built an image in his mind, painstakingly clear, then closed his right hand.

Darkness. Nothingness.

Suddenly there were cobblestones under his thick-soled boots, the smells of a city, and a sky scattered with stars. There were some people about, and a man in a wagon going by, but it was quieter than usual thanks to the coming evening.

Locke turned to his passenger and grinned.

"Welcome to Illyamen, Lady Arturia."