♈ Aradia: Investigate.

[psych0p0mps]

[All right, enough of all these distactions. It's time to try out an idea that's popped into her head a couple of different times during the last year.]

[Filtered to Trustworthy Telepaths]

Hello. Would any of you like to help me with an experiment real quick? It involves the wigglers.


((ooc: durp placeholder, goin' to woooork))

Comments

Trustworthy telepaths filter

[inafadingcrown]

The...wigglers? [Galadriel does not understand your strange alien slang.]

[psych0p0mps]

Oh - the children, I mean. I wanted to see if they remember anything about where they've been all this time.

[inafadingcrown]

Oh, I see. [She glances over at little Finrod, who is playing beside her. And probably making little horse noises that can be heard in the background.]

I believe I may know what you would propose, but do continue.

[psych0p0mps]

That's pretty much it, actually. I have a couple of different wigglers, and I know they're not the same species, but if I brought them over, do you think you could read their memories or something?

[inafadingcrown]

I could. [A pause as she considers] They are quite young. It would require a delicate touch.

You could read mine, Naneth [Ah, the blind trust of child. Galadriel still sounds hesitant when she answers.] Thank you, my love.

[psych0p0mps]

Ah... you got one, too, Galadriel? I was wondering what that sound was. Anyway, I trust you won't hurt them. Where do you want to meet?

[inafadingcrown]

Ah, I said I could. I have not yet said I would be willing to do so.

First, I would have you tell me of these children. I trust they have given you no reason to believe that they might be particularly sensitive to such things. [She's accidentally made an adult topple to the floor here. She's a little more careful than she used to be.]

[psych0p0mps]

Oh. Uh. [dsksdkal embarrassed] Okay.

One of them's mine and Sollux's. He's full troll, and uh... probably psionic? Since both of us are. He might be more sensitive since he's a lowblood, but I don't know if that crosses species or not. The other one's half-human, half-troll, and on that one I have no idea whatsoever.

[inafadingcrown]

[Don't be embarrassed, Aradia. She just takes this very seriously.]

May I ask you to explain what you mean by "psionic" and "lowblood?"

I am willing to make an attempt, but it will be a cautious one. My son would also be a good candidate; he has only the small measure of my skill typical of my kind, but enough, I think, that he could inform me quickly were I to cause him distress.

[psych0p0mps]

Psionics are basically psychic powers. Sollux and I are both telekinetic and can hear the voices of the dying or dead, respectively. And lowbloods - trolls lower on the hemospectrum - tend to be more susceptible to psychic attacks. At least from our own kind.

And... that might not be a bad idea. Considering that he can actually talk to inform you.

Trustworthy Telepaths filter

[spongetastic]

The what?

[psych0p0mps]

The wigglers. Children, that is. Specifically the ones who have been and gone before.

[spongetastic]

I'm familiar with them.

[psych0p0mps]

Okay. So I got this idea a while ago - nobody knows where they go when they're not here, and it's someplace that lets them age, apparently, which is more than we can say for ourselves. So I thought, maybe if someone could read their memories, we could find out more about where they went and how they got there.

[spongetastic]

I never thought about that. But you know, they are just kids. Whoever probed their minds would have to be careful.

[psych0p0mps]

Huh? [... oh.] Wait, you don't think it'll hurt them, do you? I mean, if you're just looking.

[Then again it's not like she knows how telepathy works dfskal;fjkdsl]

[spongetastic]

To be honest, I'm not sure. I've never tried reading a child's mind before.

[psych0p0mps]

Hm. [Thinks for a moment.] I don't know. Do you feel like you wanna try?

[spongetastic]

I guess I can give it a try, if the parent is willing.

Trustworthy Telepath Filter

[ruined_jaw]

The wigglers? You mean the kids most everyon's got?

What sort of experiment did ya have in mind?

[psych0p0mps]

Yeah, those. I wanted to find out where they go in between years, so I was hoping by reading their memories we might find out. Everybody seems worried they'll hurt them, though.

[ruined_jaw]

Yeah, reading kids can be tricky business, even if you're the world's most powerful telepath. Their brain's are still developing, so messing about with them can be dangerous. That's not even taking the fact that it's ultimately the castle who gives them to us into consideration. Historically, the castle doesn't like it when people get nosy about it's inner workings.

[psych0p0mps]

Oh... I hadn't thought of that. [Remembering that time when one of the Doctors made psychic contact with it directly, and it gave him a huge migraine...] Do you think they're maybe linked to the castle?

[ruined_jaw]

Seems likely. It may be our DNA that goes into making them, and who's to say the castle doesn't do that specifically so we get attached to them, but at the end of the day, they're still a creation of the castle. It'd make sense for 'em to have some kind of connection to it.

[psych0p0mps]

And by extension, it's as likely to hurt you as it is to hurt them.