"It's strange-" One corner of his mouth tugs up slightly- "My people have had powers for millennia, but no one has ever thought to rate and categorize them in such a way."
He looks up at her, expression a little wry. "I am somewhat... hobbled by the presence of Zhao Yunlan's energy. And at home, on the surface, my power is restricted by the Guardian Token. It seems that even as I was presumed dead, those who made the treaty between my people and the Haixingren and Yashouren feared me enough to write and bind specific limitations upon my power and my power alone into their accords." He supposes it's flattering in a way, but it's also been a great hindrance at times.
"Even when I returned after ten millennia the Token still binds me. Without it-" He tips his head slightly- "My power is theoretically unlimited, so long as I have access to dark energy. It's only one power, as with all of my people, but as my power is to learn I can learn and use any other power I am exposed to." Generally at a much higher level and with greater aptitude than whoever he's learned it from.
"I have," he admits, ducking his chin a little. "Though I've seen no need to use it thus far." He rarely touches the vast majority of the powers he's absorbed over the millennia, though he could enumerate all of them and draw upon any of them without thought should he need to.
"Of course," he assures her, looking back up quickly and blinking at her with that ridiculous deer in headlights look of innocence. "I would never interfere with your control other than in a dire emergency."
"I've never run into direct interference before." And the idea is- uneasy, like someone saying they can co-opt the eyes in her head. "Panacea back home could mutate my bugs until I couldn't sense them, and whatever the Admiral does to stifle things, of course. But not someone else also capable of controlling them."
"Certainly. Brian- Grue- my team's former leader, he can steal powers, but only for a few minutes. He's never used mine, but he only got that ability a few days before I died."
She touches the scar on her scalp again, lets herself rub her thumb along one end of it instead of suppressing the urge.
That leads to another few seconds of contemplation before he asks, "Would you like to work on learning to either prevent someone else gaining control of your swarm, or on wresting it back from them should they succeed initially?"
"Probably should," she acknowledges. "I- don't think I could handle that right now, though." The idea of touching someone else's control, or letting them touch hers.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
He looks up at her, expression a little wry. "I am somewhat... hobbled by the presence of Zhao Yunlan's energy. And at home, on the surface, my power is restricted by the Guardian Token. It seems that even as I was presumed dead, those who made the treaty between my people and the Haixingren and Yashouren feared me enough to write and bind specific limitations upon my power and my power alone into their accords." He supposes it's flattering in a way, but it's also been a great hindrance at times.
"Even when I returned after ten millennia the Token still binds me. Without it-" He tips his head slightly- "My power is theoretically unlimited, so long as I have access to dark energy. It's only one power, as with all of my people, but as my power is to learn I can learn and use any other power I am exposed to." Generally at a much higher level and with greater aptitude than whoever he's learned it from.
no subject
no subject
no subject
"Give a girl a little warning if you do."
no subject
no subject
no subject
"Do you think it is likely there would ever be anyone else in your own world who could possibly do such a thing?"
no subject
She touches the scar on her scalp again, lets herself rub her thumb along one end of it instead of suppressing the urge.
no subject
no subject
no subject