Board Thread:Short Stories and Fanfictions/@comment-2600:1014:B01B:CE04:F4F5:F583:9105:A86F-20190326005230/@comment-2604:2D80:4406:87AD:488A:FBB:4934:391E-20190330021635

(Valia’s viewpoint)

That was easier than I thought it would be, Valia thought as she lead the now- willing girl down the street. ''She seemed so stubborn but her current cooperation is all that matters. She will be very useful soon''. “Where are we going?” The girl asked. The slightest hint of suspicion backed up her voice, but it was mostly mild curiosity. That was good. Mild curiosity is so much easier to misdirect than suspicion. (Yes, I know, pretty much an exact quote of Tarina) “I’ll tell you when I know I can trust you,” I said, making it sound like a challenge. I’ve found that deluding people this way can lead to trust almost like a child trusts a parent. It is so much easier than any other way. Not everyone falls immediately, but sooner or later, they do. Which is why the Neverseen would be smart to add me to their ranks. Almost like a mesmer, but not quite. But no mesmer could match my power. “How do I earn trust?” She asked. I turned back, giving an award- worthy fake smile. This would be great. “By doing exactly as I say. You can do that, right?” I inquired, forcing her to do just that.

(Tailah’s viewpoint)

She gave an erie smile. A bit of doubt crossed through my mind, but it was shoved back. I could earn her trust. It seemed simple. She hasn’t asked me to do anything yet, so it wouldn’t be too bad. I resisted hacking, doing my best to ignore the rotting smell. After all, it was better to ignore it than to notice it. I nodded. “Whatever you need,” I promised. She smiled. “I’m going to need you to close your eyes for this part. There are a few things that I can promise, you won’t want to see.” My eyes shut before I could start to think otherwise. “Good. Please try not to trip, there are a few bumpy parts coming, and you’ll probably pull me down as well,” she asked, so I did my best. Stumbling a few times, but never falling, I shuffled my way through her path. I couldn’t fall if I wanted trust. That was a fact of life.

“We’re here. You can open your eyes now,” she announced, and my eyes snapped open, but the light was brighter than I thought it would be, and my eyes burned. I hadn’t realized how long my eyes were closed. I looked around for Valia, but she was nowhere to be seen.