An Imagination of Darkness [Klein, Liltotto]

That was better. Maybe a little more unpleasant, but better, certainly. Resting his hand on his chin as he continued taking in data, Klein simply allowed the white sensor to continue its push, ignoring the obvious fact that the device was being all but disintegrated with every passing moment it remained in that abyss. He could have pulled it out, attempted to save it, but no, this was a much better usage of those resources.

His attention didn't falter from the readouts for a long while. Minutes stretched slowly into hours, and all the while, the man's only focus was on the collection of data on what exactly this woman he'd acquired actually was. There was not a single facet of her body that he would not record, not one part of her he was intent on leaving a mystery by the time that his research was finished.

In the end, nearly 12 hours had passed by the time Klein was finished. He took in a deep breath, looking over some of the readouts even as he began the process of removing his sensors. The elaborate network of tendrils slowly but surely began to remove itself from Liltotto's body, his own hand only controlling the removal of the one which had linked itself into her brain. Of course, even now, he didn't imagine she would awaken any time soon. He'd kept the levels of suppressant fairly high, just to make sure she didn't wake up any time soon, and once he was positive everything was safely removed, he allowed the exam table to return to its usual place and form, away from the rest of the machinery.

"Alright, let's get you some rest..."

Despite his size, Klein was strong enough to carry a pretty lady, and even if he hadn't been on his own, he had more than enough spiritual ability to simply use the reishi in the air to make it a little easier. He carried his subject's form toward the room she'd been kept in, setting her on her bed and pulling the blankets over her to make certain she had at least something resembling a decent rest. As he left, he snapped his fingers, calling Flosshilde to his side as she stepped out of one of the lab's several sealed doors.

"I want to make sure there's more than enough food ready for her when she wakes up, understood? She'll be in bad shape recovering from that much sedative. Weihwasser too. Get more if we're running low. Put Wellgunde on production duty, it's not as if she's good for much of anything else apparently."

By the time the study was completed, her body emptied of those foreign coils, she had been reduced to a state where it was difficult to tell if she was waking or sleeping, half lidded eyes with an unfocused gaze looking off into nothing. Her breath was shallow, yet steady, her form lifted and manipulated from it's position with nothing in the way of protest - she may as well have been a vacant object. Some degree of her was still experiencing what horrific conditions her body and mind were subjected to, but it wasn't at a degree anyone would call a proper observer.

That instinct smothered by sedatives was the only thing maintaining any awareness, and now that the immediate sensation of danger had left her... All that kept her vaguely aware was slowly losing it's grip. By time she was put to lie down, her darkened eyes had slowly fluttered shut. There was no grief, no rage, nothing - she just was, as anything left melted away into unconsciousness.

----

At a point she could not recognize, what differentiated 'her' from the 'rest' had reconstituted enough for individual thought, be it a mere heartbeat's worth of time or a thousand years... It was all the same to her in this deep, timeless sea. Even so, it was difficult to not simply mistake herself for another current that ran within the concaves of her soul, that sensation of absolute stillness allowing the vestiges of her consciousness to drift about... That peace, she was reminded of.

She finally remembered the last time she felt such peace. It was the instance between lying within a shallow grave, all lost to her, not even having the ability to die a dignified death - a cruel turn of fate that forced her to resort to simply lie down, allow the agony of hunger to take hold, and wait until she was no more; it was the only death that felt to be in her hands, in her control. The moment where that torturous sensation faded into a warm nothingness, that space between life what she thought was death, was that sensation of peace...

...Was that really, 'peace'?

A familiar hand touched her form, the sensation of large bony digits being the only thing to remind herself she was not a mere current in this space, that she was far more than the stripped patterns of memory and emotion meant to spare the souls consumed the fate of Hell. That she was a precious gift, at least to one.

Starlight, The familiar sensation of warm intent from that far more ancient end of her soul reverberated in her very being, yet she did not fully stir; she heard, she understood, but she could not fully observe. A space of silence was held, until the other appeared to understand she would not reply, So such an experience has shaken you into stillness; you are of mortal mind and body, after all. This too, shall pass.

It felt as if she was brought close, a coiling presence surrounding her with the intent of comfort flooding her, Then remain here, until a stir breaks that stagnation. You will not fade, rest as you so desire.

When that deep silence took hold, time lost meaning once more... But she held close to that understanding presence, anchoring her - she was not a simple current, indistinguishable from the many...