ginger_firebird: (Mantis Speech)
ginger_firebird ([personal profile] ginger_firebird) wrote in [community profile] nexus_crossings2020-07-15 01:36 pm

Busking at the Fountain

Visitors to the fountain might see a somewhat unusual sight this day. Mantis is having a glorious sit next to the mist coming off of the water and has a leash wrapped around his wrist. On the other end of the leash is a catwing in a harness. It’s a happy little calico flapping his wings and batting at the water as Mantis watches. There’s a basket with long straps sitting by Mantis’ feet and from it he pulls out a bottle of water to drink from. The weather has been simply too hot for his liking, but Yaga needs his exercise.

Mantis sighs and wipes at the sweat pooling at the back of his neck. He’s dressed in the lightest cotton tank he could find and the most breathable linen pants, and still he’s overheating marvelously. The swimming heat does give him an idea, though, and he looks around him briefly before nodding. There were people in the Nexus who knew when their minds were being read. Surface thoughts that were easy enough to get through, but he’s also met those who have a profound level of influence and control.

So why not see where they are? One psychic to another. Mantis begins to hum quietly to himself, but sensitive ears and minds might be able to hear his hymn. It’s a mournful little melody born out of the remnants of childhood memories and he’s used it to amplify his powers for years. It was always meant to sink deep into a part of the brain that was easier to read, easier to control, but he’s not looking to make a puppet or even mess around all that much.

A question echoes and repeats along the notes of the music as it cycles back and forth along the vicinity around the fountain and perhaps even further: “Can you hear me? Do you know where I am? How alone are we in a place like this?”
tr1ckortreat: (making an entrance)

[personal profile] tr1ckortreat 2020-07-15 05:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Loki was also not immune to the current summer heat emanating throughout the Nexus and even though he was part frost giant, he was still prone to boiling in extreme heat. This is why he wasn't wearing his usual heavy black leather armour and instead was now donning a rather smart all black suit. The hymn though? He could hear Mantis' thoughts carried on the wind almost. Was the man asking a question? Why yes he was.

"I can hear you, Mantis. Also, that hymn. It's remarkably powerful and deep."

Truth be told it was rather mournful and reached right into Loki's soul, plucking at the fibres of his very being. Was it something that struck true with his own tortured past? Perhaps. This is why Loki and Mantis had almost clicked instantly as friends. They shared similar paths in life.

Walking up to where his masked friend was sitting with his catwing, the god offered Mantis a nod and a glance towards his feline friend. Tendrils of thought and emotion were tugging at Loki's gut, causing him to close his eyes for a moment, just trying to make sense of the flood of feelings he was now experiencing.
tr1ckortreat: (god of illusion)

[personal profile] tr1ckortreat 2020-07-15 06:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Mantis' last comment brought Loki out of his dream state as he snapped his eyes back open and noticed where he was. It felt like he was getting lost, hearing the hymn over and over, taking over his senses and threatening to overload his emotions. Since there was a lot of trauma buried beneath that Loki had been hiding ever since he had arrived to the Nexus. Swallowing hard, he exhaled softly and then felt the calming emotions soothing over the torrent of strong emotions.

"Indeed I am not. I may look human to most but I am Asgardian and a god. My magic allows me to also use mind control magic but I do not possess the ability that you have, Mantis. My forte is in illusion magic and summoning."

The little catwing had tried to run away when he noticed the rather tall and menacing man in the black suit. Poor thing. Loki had his own back home at his apartment no doubt clawing his furniture. It was a good thing he could use his magic to create new pieces.

"You say you almost killed several people with your mind magic? I can see how it would have such amplitude to do so. That hymn, it caused emotion to well up inside of me and--"

He paused and did not wish to bring up any unpleasant memories since they hurt. They hurt bad and this was neither the time nor the place to spill his emotional burdens onto Mantis.

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welcomingembrace: (curious girl)

[personal profile] welcomingembrace 2020-07-15 06:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Death definitely fit into the category of someone who had profound influence and control over her abilities. And so it is easy for her to realize that someone is projecting their surface thoughts out into the Nexus along with the music.

She twirls her umbrella and follows the music until she reaches the fountain. The catwing catches her attention with a small smile.

Dressed in black, and wearing a large ankh around her neck, Death stepped forward until she could face Mantis himself.

"Why do you think you are alone?" She speaks verbally. Her powers would be too much for him to be suddenly introduced to.
welcomingembrace: (look at life differently)

[personal profile] welcomingembrace 2020-07-16 11:18 pm (UTC)(link)
"That is the fascinating thing about the Nexus... each person is different. So of course the chances of meeting someone who has the same powers as you would be difficult." Death replies.

She smiles at how the catwing tries to grab her umbrella. So she twirls it in his face. And clicks her tongue at him.

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chiaro_oscuro: (8)

[personal profile] chiaro_oscuro 2020-07-15 06:43 pm (UTC)(link)
"Well, there's me, to begin with. Though the trick with the music...that one's new." Ben's met Cal, whose Force powers are something he's never seen before, so he's interested. What Mantis has may not be the Force, but the powers are similar. "That song you were humming got my attention, though I'm guessing it was meant to."

He wonders how similar and different his abilities and Mantis's are. Maybe, as he spends more time with other psychics, he'll learn.

It's a little strange, thinking of himself as a "psychic". In his universe, the Force is something much deeper than that, something intrinsically part of him and who he is. It's deeply bound to his galaxy and its history. He's glad it followed him to the Nexus. His powers are his identity. Not all, but they're what makes him who he is - for better and for worse. He's already decided that he and Mantis have things in common.

"I didn't realize you got one of those. They're friendly creatures. Mine is still getting settled."
chiaro_oscuro: (Default)

[personal profile] chiaro_oscuro 2020-07-17 12:20 am (UTC)(link)
"I...haven't used my powers to do that for a long while." Ben's not above a mind trick in the right situation, but he's sworn off reading minds without permission. It's something Ben doesn't want to do, but he worries it's something he could slip into in the wrong circumstances. From the sound of it Mantis's powers were in some ways usable on a larger scale, though as Sariss said Ben is to some degree an unknown element. His training was sabotaged. Even Palpatine must have been afraid of what he could become if he'd intentionally trained Ben badly. Now he's free to reach his full potential.

But controlling whole crowds is something Force-users can't do. Ben could implant suggestions into people who were vulnerable to that - and, he recognizes with a wince, his abilities were a natural fit for torture - but he couldn't psychically command crowds. Mind tricks couldn't be used on just anyone. Maybe that's a difference between Mantis's abilities and his.

"I have one, too - and an animal called a porg. It's a species from my home galaxy. They're cute, I'll admit, but they're a little on the annoying side."

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coffee_elf: (neutral)

[personal profile] coffee_elf 2020-07-15 07:07 pm (UTC)(link)
Frankly, Rondo is surprised he hasn't encountered this sooner. All the talk of humans with magic, let alone beings he's not even acquainted with yet, this kind of attempt at communication was bound to happen sooner or later. This is not to say he likes it. Broadcast telepathy, both with and without words, is a common skill among mages in his world, but this, this reaches deeper than simple communication. Even if the caster isn't attempting or intending to actually interfere with the brains of his listeners, the latent capability is there, and it strikes him as ominous.

Rondo is not visible, though he's close by, on the opposite side of one of the buildings adjacent to the fountain. He can only barely hear the audible hymn, but his ears and his brain are both highly-attuned to the kind of power Mantis is using.

"Are you in danger?" The return telepathy is sharp and dry, taciturn, but accompanied with texture and sensation--hot brick under the fingertips of a small left hand, the sun on the back of his head, the taste of the air, the scratch of a tag in his shirt as it rubs against his skin. A wash of transmitted sensation sent across deliberately. Whether it's a tactic meant to keep the stranger out of Rondo's deeper levels of thought, or a kind of challenge aimed at what he sees as an alien mage, is hard to say. Possibly a little of both.
coffee_elf: (Color)

[personal profile] coffee_elf 2020-07-17 01:58 am (UTC)(link)
Semantics, perhaps. Or cultural differences. Magic, to Arraka'arans, is a hereditary gift, a birthright, though not everyone can wield it. Probably if they compared notes, the methods of study they use would have some things in common. But they have a ways to go in their acquaintanceship before they get to that point.

He can feel the curiosity, senses some of the nuances in the communication, beyond words. This is not meant as aggression, clearly, although it strikes him as pushy and uncomfortable nonetheless. Like someone on the train who wants to have a friendly conversation but is standing far too close to do it.

"This would be considered impolite in my culture," his response comes, and he hasn't made any effort to move or to hide where he is, though the sensations still ripple across the lines of communication. The direction of the sunlight and the breeze may well help Mantis pinpoint which building he's behind.

"I mean, to reach out so widely and so deeply, without an emergency you need help with.
But everyone approaches things differently here.
" He's still wary, but not accusatory. "My name is Rondo."

The texture of the telepathy shifts, sensation giving way to sound--but this time it's not a sound that's present around him. Rather, it's a memory, the hum of insect wings between rocks and a light, fluttery scratch-scratch-chirp of something hunting them. "I just visit here. I live on my own home planet."
devilsphoenix: (Yana Fluff)

[personal profile] devilsphoenix 2020-07-17 01:17 am (UTC)(link)
Phenex is always listening, to everything. The sounds of the world; physical and beyond, are beautiful. The music doesn't fall on deaf ears but Phenex is resistant to calls of this nature. However, the angel listens until the song repeats.

A voice comes back to Mantis; high, ethereal and the language one unknown to humans, or most of them anyway. The haunting and sorrow filled dialect of Enochian used by the fallen angels. There are no words clear in the string of sounds per say but feelings. Unity, power, a sense of guardianship that come like their own siren call on the air to Mantis' ears and his alone. Such is the nature of contact with this angel. Some are lured by the voice, others hypnotized. Someone with a similar power might experience both or neither. The final notes are definitely a tug to come to the voice and escape loneliness.
devilsphoenix: (Yana Flowers)

[personal profile] devilsphoenix 2020-07-23 10:49 am (UTC)(link)
Phenex is glad to hear a response because they are curious about someone with this much strength.

"Someone who is always listening." The voice comes quiet and in Mantis' own language this time bu there's still just a peaceful, calm curiosity.

A long pause happens while Phenex works on pinpointing the exact place this person is standing. After all, this is close enough to a prayer that an angel can find it but different enough that it isn't quite instinctual. When the silence does break it is with the sound of feathers nearby and the smell of sulfur.

The angel that appears is tall, thin, with white hair, eyes and skin. The wings though are a riot of changing colors, that eventually people learn reflect the angel's mood. Phenex is wearing a deep purple outfit that could be a tailored robe or loose fitting dress. Gender cues are a mix so equivalent it's hard to say if this is a masculine or feminine presence. Though in general the whole presences is serene and passive.

"I am Phenex, one of many who are always listening." Even the voice seems absent of the ability to determine if this is a male or female.

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somekindofspaceuncle: (Almaz (Randy Crawford)) (born in a world where love survives)

[personal profile] somekindofspaceuncle 2020-07-19 07:16 am (UTC)(link)
Hiroki Shirogane hears him, in his mind. At first, he's on guard. He's ready to fight, ready to--

Before a sudden thought comes up, like a soap bubble. Mantis!

And then, he remembers everything.

He relaxes.

Hey, Mantis? Yani here. Where're you, sir? I'd love to meet you again. There's so much to talk about, you can't even begin to imagine. Please? Maybe in a bar. It all might be best said when piss drunk.
somekindofspaceuncle: (Almaz (Randy Crawford)) (born in a world where love survives)

[personal profile] somekindofspaceuncle 2020-07-23 06:28 am (UTC)(link)
Can one laugh a little in one's mind? Either way...

Patience! I'm not gonna disappear. Wait, no, I shouldn't say stuff like that, or I just might. Temporary existence and all.

He looks around, and will let Mantis see. Where is he? Well, Hiroki wasn't going anywhere in particular, he was just taking a walk, but right now, he's somewhere near The Yendi's Arms cafe, and he's going to wait there for him.

I was wondering how to thank you, if you were even real in the first place. Now I know you are, so the question remains.

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unapprovedtrash: (Default)

[personal profile] unapprovedtrash 2020-07-22 02:47 am (UTC)(link)
The melody goes unnoticed at first. Cal has his headphones on and is listening to his favorite song. It's a useful tool that song. He has it on endless repeat for the days when he just doesn't want to deal with an surprises from his psychometry. The deep thrumming beat blocks out almost everything. Focusing on that he can't hear or can barely hear the echoes of history that touch telepathy sends him. Just that deep beat and growling song and absolutely no memories and emotions that belong to the assorted citizenry of the Nexus.

He catches it though, when the music repeats in the quieter earlier part of the song. He pauses in his steps and pulls his headphones down. That wasn't his music player acting up, and it wasn't his psychometry, it doesn't have the same feel. It's someone else.

"You hear that BD?" he glances back at the tiny droid clinging to his back. BD trills inquisitively and tilts his head. Cal laughs softly and closes his eyes. It's a sad and haunting sort of sound. He hesitates a bit and tilts his head in one direction then the other. He's young and has incomplete training and honestly isn't that great at this sort of thing.

But... he picks a direction and walks. It's louder near the fountain. There. Maybe.

"If you feel alone," he speaks quietly an open friendly smile on his face, "I'm sure there's probably easier ways to find a new friend."
unapprovedtrash: (Default)

[personal profile] unapprovedtrash 2020-08-02 03:33 am (UTC)(link)
"I can see that now," he nods to his little catwing companion. BD trills curiously from his perch on Cal's shoulder, looking down at the tiny winged kitten. He's always curious of new things

"I almost missed it, I was kind of blasting my own music," he smiles and points to the now silent headphones handing around his neck, "So you managed to get me, just barely. It feels... similar to some things I can do but not quite I guess."

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mrhix: A large man in a hockey mask stares at you. (Default)

Ki ki ki, ma ma ma!

[personal profile] mrhix 2020-07-26 05:15 pm (UTC)(link)
Jason does not like being penetrated psychically.

His experience with manipulation has left a bad taste in his mouth.
Following the Hymn to its source he reacts to this attack on his mind by advancing on Mantis with full intent to kill him.

His machete bared to the cruel sun his every fiber writhing with hatred for the being that would dare creep thoughts into his own mind.

The Dream Demon fell for such an outrage and so would all others.
He would make the questions stop, forever.
mrhix: A large man in a hockey mask stares at you. (Default)

Ki ki ki, ma ma ma!

[personal profile] mrhix 2020-07-27 08:54 am (UTC)(link)
Actively attempting to read the surface thoughts of Jason gives Mantis almost nothing.
Without firing synapses the thoughts of Jason leave no psychic manifestation that is easily detectable.
Although he has a psychic presence it is muddled and hard to read without committing to a deep psychic dive which any competent practitioner of Telepathy would know can harbor its own set of dangers.

In the world outside of Jason's mind he looked up at the floating man with his cat and sweater.
For two seconds he contemplated his options, then reached down to the fountain, tore off a chunk of masonry the size of his own chest and threw it at Mantis as water leaked out from the fountain and pooled about his feet.

Jason was not pleased with the second invasion of his mind, he was not pleased at all.


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