Kaidan Alenko (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
not_a_whiner) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2014-03-04 02:50 pm
not_a_whiner) wrote in fandomhigh2014-03-04 02:50 pm
Handling Your Powers, Tuesday
"Welcome back from the trip," Kaidan greeted the kids as they came into the class. He sounded - and looked - a little tired. Which he was. He just didn't want it to affect his class. "Since we focused on the physical last time, I figured I could bring you guys in gentle this week."
"We're going to be doing some extended meditation exercises," he continued, "then we're going to sit down and everyone can share as much of their story as they want to. I'm using the word 'story' for a reason here - you can cover the last ten years or the last five days. One of the most important reasons we're here doing this thing is to learn from each other's experiences, figure out we're not alone in this crap."
He stepped past the desk. "Now let's get these tables out of the way..."
"We're going to be doing some extended meditation exercises," he continued, "then we're going to sit down and everyone can share as much of their story as they want to. I'm using the word 'story' for a reason here - you can cover the last ten years or the last five days. One of the most important reasons we're here doing this thing is to learn from each other's experiences, figure out we're not alone in this crap."
He stepped past the desk. "Now let's get these tables out of the way..."
Re: Discuss
"My mother was arrested when I was six," she said. "I was sold to an orphanage. One that funneled girls through for experiments. Five to eight, that was the ideal range. The best yield. They made us -- made me into some freakish thing."
She couldn't talk about what was inside of her, just yet; only Joker had even heard of that before. She drew a steadying breath and continued.
"They scrambled my mind, and so I did their bidding. Then Mother came and rescued me. Except ... I think she did it because I belonged to her, and they'd stolen her property. It wasn't love, or affection. And so she kept me locked away from people, because of my condition."
She nearly spat the word, but she continued, nonetheless. "And she used the experiments they'd done on me to try to create a Messiah, to make some kind of Frankenstein uber-person. She kept me sedated and restrained while she treated me with higher and higher doses. She convinced her cult that I was their savior; they would gather by the windows and watch, and light candles. Keep vigil while she worked on me."
That wasn't the end, but that was suddenly, abruptly, all she was willing to say. She bit her lip and waited for someone to comment, or to change the subject, or anything.
Re: Discuss
Re: Discuss
After a moment, she thought to say, "Thank you. And I'm sorry that you experienced it, as well."
Re: Discuss
The 'awake' parts had mostly involved physical torture. He didn't feel a need to share that with the class.
"I couldn't get out of the back of my head unless they let me, but I think maybe a lot of it was the same idea. Keep us passive, so that we could be put to use more easily if they had a call for it."
Re: Discuss
Re: Discuss
"For what it's worth now, after it all, I'm glad you had that much," he offered. "It means you're here, now, and... maybe things are going to be okay?"
Re: Discuss
"I'm sorry," he said. "I... know that's a useless stock phrase, but-- damn, I'm sorry."
Re: Discuss
She had escaped. She had been lucky. She needed to remember that, when the rest seemed so overwhelming.
"Thank you ... for this class," she said, hesitantly. "I ... it's nice to be able to talk about this. To know that I'm not ... alone."