losthunter | The Doors of our Heart

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The Doors of our Heart

Many thoughts about his latent magic had given Hunter a lot to think about in the past few days. He really wanted to find someone to help him learn more about his abilities. And maybe, help him to become stronger.

Kendra was gone, but that didn't mean there weren't ways to find her. Or at least find the people that were connected to her.

Hunter had spent a few days looking for the right door in the Nexus that would bring him the answers that he sought. And finally, he felt that he had found what he had been looking for.

But before entering into an unknown place, Hunter knew that he should have a couple of people come with him. He PINpointed a message to Jim first, since it was an adventure that he thought the restless captain would enjoy. Then he PINpointed a message to Faris, who had become his story-keeper in a fashion.

All that left was to wait for his guests, before the adventure could begin.

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Anyone willing to offer food with no strings attached has to be a decent person, in Jim's book. "Thank you," he says sincerely.

Of course, even once they find the shelter, they will have several hours to wait. But at least they're in good company.

Since Delian is returning to his music playing, Hunter decides that it is time for them to make their leave, and to find that shelter down the river. It is not a far walk to get to the old fishing shed.

And once they are inside, Hunter glances at Jim with a curious look. "I imagine that you have a lot of questions."

Faris will eventually need to rest, but for now he is perfectly fine with staying three-dimensional, tucking his hind paws under himself as he seats himself on the floor.

"Oh, always," Jim answers, taking a seat next to Faris. It's not incredibly spacious, but that's not new to him either. "Not sure any of us have the answers, but yeah."

Hunter sits next to Jim. The space is tight enough that he is still close to Faris at the same time.

"I am sure if you had any questions for Faris, this would be the best time to ask them."

"Sure, I can think of one," Jim says, looking over at the K'da. "You can change color?"

Faris isn't really capable of smiling like they can, but he tilts his head in mild amusement. "Not voluntarily. It is a biological adaptation to aid in concealment when under pressure, activated during times of stress such as combat."

"Adrenaline-based cloaking," Jim paraphrases, a little impressed. "Sounds handy."

"You know, I have often wondered if you abilities can be transferred to your host... like could you also conceal a person, if you are connected with them?"

"No," Faris answers, still sounding a little amused. But he understands their curiosity, and that such questions come simply from a lack of this knowledge. "No more than a human is able to share their ability to walk upon two legs. I can, however, aid my host in climbing or leaping greater distances upward by partly separating myself, grasping a ledge or protrusion, then pulling my host towards myself as I reattach to them."

"That's pretty nifty," Jim says, adding that to his mental data file on what he knows about the K'da so far. "Any other tricks you can do with a host?"

Faris nods his head, a gesture he picked up during his time with Hunter. "If my host presses their body against a wall of sufficient thinness, I can... 'lean through,' to observe conditions on the other side."

"Nifty and handy." Hunter has to add. Faris seems to be fine answering these questions. And it is nice, getting to know the K'da a little better.

"It always had amazed me that you can partly separate yourself from your host."

The way Faris sees it, there is a tactical disadvantage if his potential temporary hosts are unaware of his skills and abilities, and vice versa. There's no reason not to share. "Why does this surprise you?" he asks, tilting his head again.

[ooc: don't have Faris' login info at work and forgot his password, so Jim will have to fill in temporarily ;) ]

"It is just a weird feeling... when you are not used to it." Hunter explains.

[[no problems]

"Sure does," Jim agrees, recalling the strange sense of weight where Faris had done the same trick with him.

Faris concedes that. "There is often a period of adjustment with any new host, adapting to the physical sensations as well as the needs of the symbiont."

"I know that after you had spent some time with me, it was not such a weird feeling. But now, after not having that sensation for quite some time, it still was a little weird. But in a good way..."

"Does it feel different for you?" Jim asks, now curious about the K'da's side of it all. "Between hosts, I mean. Or with hosts that already have tattoos."

"Minor only," Faris answers after some contemplation. "Hunter is the only tattooed host I have had, and the nature of his markings may be responsible for the noticeable differences rather than their existence. Humans do feel different from Shontine hosts."

"It was during the time that I was a temporary host for Faris, that I had started to notice a slight... sensation difference to my own tattoos. The latent magic was making itself known..."

"You mean he might've triggered it somehow?" Jim is still very new to the whole magic thing, but that sounds significant to him.

"He might have. It is something else that I would like to ask Kendra."

Hunter folds his hands in his lap. "I never expected to be dealing with someone who was called a God in his day."

"I honestly believe it was his magic that created this fishing hut. It wasn't here before."

Jim chuckles a little bit. "We're in a hut that didn't exist, waiting for a tree that only appears at night, inside a magic painting of a door. Honestly, at this point I think it's better to just roll with it."

"I am glad that I am with two individuals who are very comfortable with rolling with it..." Hunter chuckled.

"Perhaps I might also ask a question," Faris says to the two of them. "We shall be here long enough that I must rest before we are to meet the young one. Is there a preference as to who will be my host for now?"

Jim is mildly surprised that he's asking, given how quickly the K'da leaped aboard him on the way out of the false oracle's room. But that was an emergency with little time to ask permission, so he supposes it isn't that weird. "I guess I don't mind either way." After all, Faris has been quite polite and respectful about his need to share.

Hunter is glad that Jim doesn't mind. There might be another situation where Faris might have to quickly change from one man to the other.

"Perhaps for now, since Jim is willing, stay with him. We don't know what I might have to face, to tap into my latent magic more."

"As you wish," Faris says, inclining his head. "I would not want to interfere with your markings' function."

Jim reaches out a hand, his nervousness overwritten by his curiosity of how the hell this even works, and watches in fascination as Faris flows seamlessly onto his skin, tickling slightly as the K'da spirals up his arm and wraps around his torso. "That is so weird."

Faris' head becomes visible around his collarbones. "Are you in discomfort?"

Jim shakes his head, and it is even weirder still to hear someone else's voice coming from his body, especially since its not even his mouth. "No, just that adjusting thing."

"We might as well rest a little, while we can. It is still a few hours until midnight." The bed in the fishing shack looks like it could only fit two people, as long as they were comfortable being in close quarters to each other.

It's a good thing they're shared even smaller spaces before, then. Under normal circumstances, Jim might suggest they take advantage of the mandatory closeness. But the side effects are still annoyingly in force, so he decides they'll just have to cuddle. Not such a terrible thing.

Jim moves to lie down and stops abruptly. "I'm not gonna squish you, right?" he asks, looking down towards his chest.

Faris' voice replies, slightly amused. "You cannot harm me, unless you also harm yourself. Do not worry, captain."

Hunter enjoys cuddling. So he will have no complaints.

"There were many nights that Faris slept on my body, while I slept in my bed."

Jim chuckles a little as he lies down, snuggling up comfortably to Hunter. "The ultimate cuddle."

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