You Bought a What?

**Anubite25** · Mar 3rd, 2012 01:34 PM

Stripes pats poor, frightened Maggie on the head and gives her a gentle smile.

"Don't be scared Maggie, Otto just mean your power is special," Stripes tries to assure the kid.

Much to his surprise a thought does actually occur to him. He's never been the brightest of changelings but if Maggie didn't think her powers were strange then maybe she had unknowingly given Enzo a reason to want to capture her.

"Maggie? Anyone else know about your powers?" Stripes asks, wondering if he's onto something. "Like anyone back at foster home maybe? Or maybe the one that took you to that bad place knew about them?"

**Jag** · Mar 4th, 2012 08:19 AM

Maggie gives the Hunterheart a quizzical look, not exactly sure as to what he means. "Powers?" she asks with a little confusion in her voice. By the sound of it, she may not fully understand the extent of her abilities. "You mean being able to hear people's voices in my head?"

She tilts her head to one side, watching Stripes with some curiosity. "I once told this girl, but then she called me a freak...so I never told nobody after that..."

**Lesingnon** · Mar 4th, 2012 08:33 AM

The alleged mind-reading was...annoying. She wasn't touched by the Fae, of that much he was certain Even if there was something going on that he couldn't really put his finger on.; Would using code words or the like really do any good if she really could just pluck the actual meanings from Otto's thoughts? The small comfort was that he was pretty sure she hadn't been through is own thoughts. Hopefully that frown from earlier meant she'd tried and failed.

"Well, it's not like anybody has tried to turn her into some fairy-tale character."

Mar 4th, 2012 01:32 PM

It took a half second for Otto to catch Rick's meaning. "Not yet, but it came dangeriously close. Its all beyond what I'm even heard about and given where we found her..." Otto shrugs. "Not getting in touch with you seemed pretty reckless." Telepath in the freehold, that would raise some heckles. "An unhappy foster kid that can do that? It strikes me that its something we should look at, at the very least." Like getting her a decent home with people who, while different from her, were different in their own way and could help her cope with being different. Not to mention make sure no one grabs her and turns her into an enscrolled mind sifter.

**Anubite25** · Mar 4th, 2012 11:18 PM

Stripes had really thought he was on to something. But if Maggie hadn't told anyone else about her powers than it seemed unlikely that she was kidnapped for having them. Otto and King Pereg's talk was somewhat relieving though. As they pointed out, at least she hadn't been turned into a changeling.

But Otto's talk worried him. 'Something they should look at?' He made her sound less like a child and more like something they bought at a market. Granted they had but that wasn't the point. Stripes, gave Maggie's hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Not like Maggie's powers dangerous if she doesn't tell anyone though, right?" Stripes asks. "And she said she didn't tell anyone else about her powers before. Just need to make sure bad people don't get her right?"

It seemed so simple to the tiger, but then again a lot of things did. Chances are it wouldn't be that easy but he felt he had to say something.

**Jag** · Mar 5th, 2012 12:56 PM

Maggie listens to the exchange between the three men and pouts her lips. She crosses her arms in front of her chest and frowns as they continue talking about her as if she isn't standing in front of them. "Ehh, you know I'm right here, right?" she finally calls out. "I can hear you guys talking about me, like I'm some sort of freak..."

**Lesingnon** · Mar 5th, 2012 09:02 PM

All power could be dangerous; depending on the circumstance, the wielder. There was always the chance, the fear, that it could be misused. he'd have to be sure to teach Stripes that lesson at some point.

For now he simply crouched down to bring himself to eye-level with the girl, doing his best not to dwell on how dealing with little kids as totally not his strong point. "Well I was just expressing relief that you made it back alright from your ordeal. Try not to mind me too much, I'm not exactly a people person." And none of the skills he did excel at were really much use in keeping mortal children happy. "And you're not a freak, not by a long shot."

How he was going to manage to talk to the kid about...kid stuff, while talking to the Changelings about Fae stuff he didn't know.

Maybe he should just recommend to Otto that he see if Betony Rue would take her in.

Mar 5th, 2012 09:25 PM

Otto's lips twitched and he fought to supress a smirk. The image of a 'mighty dread lord' and his mantle kneeling before a little girl was rather amusing. He knew intellectually if this were Arcadia, it would not be a laughing matter. But in the world? With a pouty lip and crossed arms? All she needed to do is stomp her foot and she'd be Sherly Temple. "We just want to make sure you're safe and find someplace where you can be safe."

**Jag** · Mar 5th, 2012 09:39 PM

The frown on Maggie's brow slowly fades away, and she even manages to smile at Rick's words. "Ok, if you say so," she says and then gives Otto a wary look. The little girl remains quiet for a moment, but eventually she just says, "well you could find me a new home, that would be a safe place...right?"

**Anubite25** · Mar 5th, 2012 11:56 PM

Stripes has a big smile on his face, and is glad his fangs are only visible to the other changelings around since he didn't want to frighten Maggie.

"Yeah, must be someone we can trust that can watch her right?" Stripes agrees with Maggie.

Stripes finds himself wishing that he knew the Changelings of Sacramento a bit better as he looks from Otto to King Pereg and back again for their response. He's woefully unaware of anyone that might be able or willing to take in the young mind-reader.