Is Your Love Strong Enough? Part 2 - Personal Interwoven Soulcatchers

[cityship]

Following you awakening and talking with a few of the members through the communication systems by way of the three kind people who had awakened her, Nezaitben realized how the crew was stuck in a terrible mess.

So many of them felt sad and depressed. Considering the entire ship, it wasn't too hard to see why. The next day, there had been an unusual amount of magical flowers spreading all over the ship. Nothing that damaged the controls (she might be naive in the way humanoids were, but Nezaitben was no fool either) but they were found in the most unexpected of places. Her own awakening area was now blooming in a flower paradise, the wooden palace standing proudly on top, the smell and pink cherry blossom strong enough to carry through most of the central city area where most people resided.

Yet the ship was still sad.

This would not do.

That night, or what passed as a night for in the ship, Nezaitben took to the 'sky', letting pieces of her own essence fall on top of the sleeping populace, or those that were not sleeping finding themselves feeling the need too. Enveloping the ship into a peaceful slumber, she searched their dreams. The powers granted to her by the pantheon of gods in her homeworld allowed Nezaitben to weave a series of dreamcatchers giving her the ability to see those whose hearts connected true.

These noble souls would do. Lead by example had always been her philosophy. She would give them a great gift - communication with each other in a single body, allowing them to share everything together. Their two soulcatchers were woven together that night into a single, grand ones, hanging in the garden's trees.

A few minutes later, the empty husks of the bodies that weren't being used showed up at her palace. With a smile, she welcomed them like her own children and began to dress them for their task.

That morning, some of the crewmen would wake up to a strange surprise...and that would just be the beginning of a long, strange misunderstanding and young gods trying too much to please everyone.

[OOC - Just a few rules. Keep in mind the listed rules. You can all start your own threads of waking up in the bodies of others. If you feel like leaving a 2nd post for other people to intact with them, start a reply to your own first post with OPEN header. That way everyone else will know where to post and if you don't feel like having an open interaction post right away, you won't have to!

There will also be another post for all the soulless characters to go around spreading joy and love, so look forward to that too!]

Comments

[hi_there_aliens]

The moment she said it, Daniel knew he was going to regret it immensely. There were times where he hated being right. The moment Vala slipped into the gutter, he was right there with her. Vala's mind came up with some interesting images (he didn't even think a person could bend that way), some just impossible, others intriguing. It brought up memories of what he'd been thinking when he'd been thinking of her legs-

Daniel flushed, Vala's cheeks heating. If he was sharing her thoughts to some degree, she could see into his. Stop thinking about the media library. Or shore leave-

Stop it, Daniel snapped, at both her and himself. Out of the gutter please. He started to fold his arms across his chest like a tactical vest, an unconscious habit of his. The mental danger signs went off in time just before he nearly brushed the bottom of her breasts. His face got even more red. This wasn't his body, he had no right. He dropped them back to his side. Productive, he had to do something productive. Treat this like a problem. Which wasn't hard because it was a pretty big problem. An academic matter, not a personal one, he corrected. Maybe he could try to block some of his thoughts from her. She'd actually been hurt by his rejection? So it wasn't just boredom. Unless she was really good at faking her own brain out, it seemed hard to stop yourself thinking something by telling yourself to stop it. That kind of thing just made you think of whatever it was even more. So apparently it had meant more to her than he thought.

Daniel couldn't resist throwing her own words back at her. "You did say I'd find all the hidden parts of you if I did." Not that he wanted to stay like this. He liked his body, myopia, allergies, dig calloused hands and all. "I didn't think pollen was capable of doing this kind of thing. I think we should find out who else is affected and work from there."

[valaunbound]

Blushing was not something Vala had any experience of, not in any situation. She briefly wondered if it was some kind of biological defence against blood rushing elsewhere in people who denied themselves any kind of erotic thought. She did enjoy his own contribution to the montage of images though, despite his reluctance. It was satisfying to know her efforts weren't entirely wasted, that his mind had taken him places she only wished she could.

"I think touching my breasts is the least of your worries Daniel," she chided. As revealing as this could be prove to be, and already was - she agreed that they had a big problem on their hands, and even Vala could set aside her more carnal urges. Although it was probably a little easier for her considering she wasn't the one wearing his body. She'd already had that pleasure back at Stargate Command and she hadn't had the inconvenience of the body owner watching over her every thought or action.

That inconvenience was rearing its head right now actually, she tried her hardest to deny that she'd been hurt in response to his thought process. She really did. But he was right, the more she thought about it, the more prevalent the feeling became.

"Well yes, I can only assume the old adage 'careful what you wish for' was devised by someone who'd been affected by mysterious space pollen then. I think finding you might be a priority too."

[hi_there_aliens]

"I wasn't touching your breasts," Daniel's response was instant and guilty. He almost touched her breasts. One word made all the difference. One word made him slightly less of a dick, since this was her body and all, but it didn't stop him being a guest to this- well, it wasn't a party, he couldn't think up what this was. It had something to do with getting distracted by Vala making fun of him blushing. Like she never did! Everyone did at some point. He might as well have invaded her home and started touching everything. It wasn't like he was used to having them or something!

And she liked where his mind was going along her gutter. Daniel wanted to hide his face in his hands. There was fantasy and then there was someone finding out about fantasy. Apparently she had experience wearing bodies around! Whether she was actually experienced in this kind of thing should be a relief, but it left him feeling just a little disturbed. She must get a kick out of this.

Experienced or not, Vala couldn't quite halt the agreement, that she had been hurt. Sorry. I didn't know, he thought back.

He tried to block himself after. Not that he exactly knew the first thing about psychics or mind shielding or anything, seeing as how that was more in the realm of sci-fi back home, but Daniel had to start somewhere with guesses. Trial and error. He tried to imagine himself alone in a room. Sound proof, one way door that he controlled, that sounded good. Can you hear me..? Daniel tried whispering.

"Well. I was back in my office last I checked. You don't think I'm wandering around, do you?"

[valaunbound]

"Let's get this straight right now. You're in my body Daniel, and we have no idea for how long..." it suddenly occurred to her that speaking this was a little unnecessary, she could just think it and it would be just as effective. 'Touching me is going to be unavoidable, unless you plan on walking around with your--my--our arms held out. You're not a dick and you have my permission to...'

Vala's thought processes were interrupted again, she was about to say touch her within reason, but decided she really didn't need to tell Daniel that. She knew full well he wasn't the sort to take liberties. And honestly besides a very quick necessary peek when she'd been to the toilet in Daniel's body - she hadn't taken any liberties despite how she would tell the story if questioned. She conveniently brushed past the apology - she wasn't prepared to go there with her thoughts and the quicker they moved on the better.

His room was clear initially, then it slowly seemed to get fainter. She knew what he was trying to do. That's not fair, I want to do that too. She didn't hear his question only his voice as if it were very distant.

Vala sprang to her feet, dusting down her ass on autopilot after lying on a concrete floor. She didn't really think about it. "Going and checking your lab seems like a good starting point."

[hi_there_aliens]

Let's not get to that point if we can help it. Daniel appreciated the gesture but it still didn't make it any less uncomfortable. He'd probably have a similar reaction to being stuck in Sam or Teal'c body, it wasn't his, he didn't belong here. Jack might have been just weird, not uncomfortable, but Daniel didn't even want to begin thinking what Jack would do in his body. Probably start by setting about destroying his reputation as an academic in the SGC the first chance he got. Or replace all his clothes, which, by the way, he happened to like. Daniel shuddered. Maybe he dodged a bullet.

Vala hadn't figured out how to stop rapid fire thinking at him, and why should she, it was her body in the first place. Although Daniel suspected that some of what she was thinking was something not intended for his eyes or ears, starting with how she'd taken a quick peek at his future body while she was in it.

Not exactly the surprise it should have been, considering she'd found herself dropped into an entirely different body. Maybe any body would have done. He couldn't fault the curiosity. Although it left him feeling just the tiniest bit exposed, but hey, Vala hadn't taken any more liberties than she had to.

At least it kind of worked. She knew he was thinking something, but not what it was. Progress.

Daniel stumbled when Vala decided to move. "Okay, but maybe one of us should do the walking. I can teach you what I just did if you want."

[valaunbound]

"Yes, and perhaps that should be me!" Vala didn't hesitate to reply with vehemently, his gangly attempts at trying to control her body made her feel like she was drugged, and there was definite irritation when he stumbled.

Beyond trying to locate Daniel's 'body'? she hadn't any further thoughts. There was no Sam here. If they'd been at the SGC, she would have been her first port of call. Now they were going to have to rely on a bunch of strangers to solve this. That wasn't a promising realisation.

She had grimaced slightly at the image of Daniel's fashion sense, replacing it rapidly with an image of a leather jacketed Daniel. Yes but that's better, you have to admit. The image was a silent version of the last time she'd seen him wearing it, in the warehouse. Holding his hands up in surrender telling her to come home and that he knew she wouldn't shoot.

"You better had teach me, and quickly." Although what she said and what she thought didn't match up, perhaps if Daniel knew what was in her mind he might begin to get to know her better. Trust her more. He was also probably going to discover that what she thought and what she said were often two very different things.

[hi_there_aliens]

"That's easier said, I'm not used to giving up control of basic body movement," Daniel, out of reflex, tried to take a step forward to compensate. Two steps forward and they nearly sent Vala's body to the ground. This didn't look good. Try as he might, giving up control of the body was hard, more so when this was all new and you didn't have the slightest idea how to: was it like flicking a switch, thinking to yourself, Daniel, give up control, or making a conscious effort? It wasn't like there was a manual. Every instinct told him he'd go tumbling to the ground for real if he did.

You mind not using mental air quotes when you refer to my body? He thought at her. Daniel's consciousness might not be in it, but his body was still him. With any luck, breathing, heart pumping, everything there but him.... unless his body died. He might be trapped here forever. No, don't think of that. They drove each other crazy on the good days.

His fashion sense was fine, but he did have to admit the leather jacket didn't look all that bad. It still made him look more like Jack than anyone else, but maybe that wasn't totally a bad thing. Sometimes. Maybe. Don't ever tell him I said that. Was there something wrong, this looked like a memory but no sound- it came on just then as Vala hovered around the memory. Daniel could only watch in silence as this future him actually disarmed himself with Vala pointing a loaded gun at him, talking her down and trusting her with his life.

So that's what she was thinking of every time she looked at him. Someone who got her, knew what she wanted, which was to fit in, belong. Why didn't he see it? He should know what it felt like, he only left everything behind recently, so why didn't he see it when it was in someone else?

"I... okay, imagine you're in a room. Sound proofed, only one way in and you control the door. That's how I did it," Daniel said after a long moment. Vala was a bundle of contradictions, but he was more willing to trust what she was thinking than what she said: it was harder to lie to yourself in your mind than it was when you put something in words. The option was there if she chose to use it. She didn't have to be kept in the dark. If she didn't want to use it, that was fine, but it wasn't fair to give her no other options. He wouldn't take advantage of her ignorance.

[valaunbound]

Perhaps if she were willing to relinquish control he might find it easier, but part of his struggle was definitely related to the fact she was fighting him, the other part probably because she used her hips much more than he was used to. One leg moves, the opposite hip rises. Vala went through the motions slowly, mentally talking him through it as if should be obvious. Because learning to control it was probably easier than him learning to sit back and just enjoy the ride as it were. Even Vala's stubborn nature told her that working in sync was likely to be more productive - and quicker.

You do know if we continue answering every single thought the other has, we'll never get anywhere don't you? Which was Vala's way of saying she was just as concerned about him as he was, but she'd really rather not consider him being dead or this being permanent thank you very much Daniel. And how was she going to tell Jack when he wasn't even here! Not that anything could make him look fifty something!

Right, so the room. Because she wasn't good with her emotions at all and what was the use of remembering belonging somewhere if it was all gone? It was history, and the sooner she recognised that the better. As far as life on Stacy was concerned, they had each other and that was it and even that was tenuous and underdeveloped because of their stupid time differences. Her thoughts were rapid in this respect, irritated and wanting to sweep over it like none of it mattered.

"Fine I'll practice the room, while you walk." It gave her something to focus on without getting distracted and he'd be busy focusing on the walking. Besides, she had experience of having no control. Seven years of it. Which had been a large part of her initial reluctance to let him be in charge. "Go!"

[hi_there_aliens]

He couldn't help it. Daniel couldn't shut his brain off (Jack didn't look fifty, he didn't even have any gray hairs yet) something Vala should be familiar with by now after shore leave. With Vala fighting him, Daniel trying to walk the way he normally did with the sense of length his own legs had, it was a recipe for disaster. Daniel planted her hand on the wall and stopped trying to walk. He'd love to let her do the walking. This was her own body after all, she was here first and knew it best, he just didn't know how to do it. Relinquish control.

Vala's mind was racing alongside his. Oh. Oh. The realization should have been faster all things considered, the whole connected thing, but it took a second. She had been a Goa'uld host. After her experience, off course she'd find this and giving up control to another terrible, and here he was, rambling on about how inconvenient learning to walk again was. Daniel bit his lower lip.

"It's okay, maybe you should take the reigns. You can practice at the same time."

[valaunbound]

It made sense to her that she should let go of the control, given she knew how from having no choice in the matter for so long. Now though, she had a choice. But Daniel was frustratingly considerate in that department and what would normally be private gratitude for that, wasn't so private. Thank you. The genuine emotion behind the thanks was palpable.

Once they finally made it back to Daniel's lab (which hadn't been without hiccup) they'd sent out the message via the omnicomm which Daniel's body had left behind where he'd slept, and then spent a good while fighting over control of the keyboard replying.

But there was no sign of Daniel.

"If Zouichi's suspicions are anything to go by, following the map co-ordinates sent out by Pinkie Pie two days ago might be an idea?"

[hi_there_aliens]

Daniel's response was immediate, protective, tinged with the constant hatred against the Goa'uld that he lived and breathed day in and day out. She always had a choice. Maybe not back when she was a host, he corrected, but right now, she did. It was her body, no one was going to make her give it up. As far as he could see, Daniel was the one along for the ride, like an unwanted guest who decided to take up residence on the couch for the next several weeks. Minus the part where he'd showed up on his own free will. And the whole couch thing. So maybe the comparison didn't work quite as well as it should, but the general idea was there.

The walk up to his lab wasn't completely smooth. Letting Vala take over was like someone carrying a completely helpless him. Several times, Daniel stumbled or took control of her eyes without thinking, tried to look around before remembering she was supposed to be in control for the most part. Sorry.

Now, they looked around the lab, and unless his body managed to thin itself out impossibly, he wasn't hiding in the sarcophagus. At least you don't have to worry about your body vanishing, Daniel piped up. Either wandered off, which was worrying, to say the least, or someone had taken him, which might somehow be the worse option.

"I agree, it could have started when she found the statue. Could we try and put a search out for my body?" Daniel couldn't help asking. Maybe not as high priority as finding Pinkie Pie, but the longer it went out there unaccounted for...

[valaunbound]

She might have mastered that hiding her thoughts in a room thing to a flimsy and unreliable extent by the time they'd reached the lab but emotions were impossible to mask, and it apparently worked both ways. Daniel's hatred for the Goa'uld was stronger even than her own. But she'd never lost anyone to them, only herself. Somehow that didn't seem as damaging or maybe she'd just got very adept at suppressing it, her own brain's self defence against sending her insane if she thought about it too much. Today was today, and yesterday was history. It was the only way she knew how.

Well at least there was no sign of a scuffle, whatever had happened to Daniel's body had happened without much trouble. That was promising wasn't it? In Vala's experience, this had only ever happened using the Ancient communication device, except that completely quelled the host body temporarily and left the body that the consciousness had left simply comatosed until they returned. Hopefully this was no different.

The only thing out of place here was a trail of flower petals leading out from the lab. "Well someone's moved you, or you moved yourself and just don't remember. Also I think I need..." Vala cringed, trying her hardest to not be amused. But yep she definitely needed to go, well he could feel her bladder too probably.

[hi_there_aliens]

Vala found a way to move on, and while Daniel's thoughts were more locked down than before, a flash of hope and respect for her flared up. Vala was a pain in the ass, but she was turning out to be one of the strongest people he'd ever met.

Not exactly promising, no. He didn't think there would be signs of a scuffle if his body was the equivalent of dead weight. Daniel couldn't suppress the mental wince. Considering what happened on Ra's ship and then the encounter with Apophis, it wasn't the best choice of words. He had to consciously resist the urge to poke around the lab one last time, as if this time his body might miraculously reappear.

So in no case, to Vala's experience, was the host body every anything but comatose. So if this was anything like it, someone had deliberately taken his body. Daniel didn't even want to think what for. It was better on his peace of mind if he did his best to ignore the hell out of his overactive and worried imagination.

"Are you serious?" Daniel could feel the urge like an gnat hovering around him, but somehow it wasn't nearly as pressing as it would be back in his own body. Maybe it was because Vala had the most control at the moment. It wasn't amusing, it was kind of embarrassing. It was one thing for guys to piss next to each other, but this wasn't nearly the same. The following pause was an awkward one. "You sure you can't wait?"

[valaunbound]

"'Til when?!" Was all she could manage in response to that incredulously. "Somehow I don't think this will all be resolved in half an hour Daniel, do you?" She didn't want to worry him anymore than he evidently already was about his body, but having them both dying to pee wasn't going to help matters along.

Besides if it bothered him that much, surely he could just go off to his little sound proof booth and close his eyes and ears? "Just pretend you're a gyny gyno... specialist Doctor for five minutes. Daniel I've given birth infront of a room full of strangers, this is nothing, trust me."

[hi_there_aliens]

"Gynecologist," Daniel said automatically. He tossed that suggestion off the table, because of all the other responsibilities and procedures that came with the occupation.

She was right, as much as he wished this over in under thirty minutes, it wasn't going to happen. It wasn't that bad. Everyone had these functions, Daniel told himself. He could do the equivalent of turning around and hopefully not die of embarrassment. He'd been so focused on getting thrown out of his body and into Vala's, a woman he'd been both thinking about a lot and trying not to think about, in more ways than one (and failing, apparently), that he hadn't thought about the more mundane functions, as in everything else he took for granted. Besides Vala had been through more of a public spectacle, so it was on him to get over it. Giving birth, something that looked excruciating as it was with unknown people staring at you?

It kind of put things into perspective. Just a little. There wasn't, as Daniel found, much of a decision. "Can we just get it over with then? Quickly?"

I'll be in my 'room', let me know when you're done, Daniel thought desperately. The hastily constructed, only once or twice tested mental room which probably wasn't that great.

[valaunbound]

For all her matter-of-factness and practicality regarding the task, Vala didn't particularly want Daniel to see (or feel - ew that made it sound even worse) her urinating either. She still hoped she could retain some level of sexual appeal after this, but the thought did cross her mind that any curiosity or enigma status that she might currently hold in his eyes could be completely undone in one fell swoop here.

Mind you, this entire experience threatened to undo that anyway, she thought pessimistically. She'd peed in buckets in some of the baser prison cells she'd had the pleasure of staying in though, not to mention the room full of Ori loyal midwives hovering at her opened legs that she'd already mentioned. This really was nothing, except for some reason it was. It mattered more than any of the other humiliations much to her aggravation.

Once in the bathroom she tentatively asked him if he was there in her mind before she even so much as undid a button. Daniel? And then her brain ran away with itself and hoped to god he wasn't one of those weirdos that was excited by this. Then she promptly hoped he hadn't heard that.

[hi_there_aliens]

He heard that much. Daniel bristled, unable to contain the disgust or the indignation. Gee, thanks Vala. No, he wasn't getting anything out of this other than embarrassment! Would she hurry up already?! Daniel, for the most part, was doing his best to do them both a favor and pretend this wasn't happening. And while he was less than impressed with the number of prisons and jails Vala had landed herself in, and how did you even get that many in the first place, Daniel wished she'd stop over thinking it and just get it over with. The more she over thought it and drew attention, the more embarrassed they both were going to get.

Daniel was perfectly fine with playing dumb right now. Preserve her dignity, preserve his as best as possible. He was doing his best to look the other way which was a lot harder than it sounded considering they shared the same head space.

[valaunbound]

Good. Neither was she, she qualified. His disgust was just too strong for him to mask, so she'd definitely heard that. A fact she was quietly grateful for, because at least she knew and Oh God, were they seriously having this conversation in her mind?

Vala closed her eyes, forcing the thread of thought from her mind and listened very carefully for any trace of his thoughts. When she heard nothing, she possibly did the quickest pants sliding and weeing she'd ever done in her entire life. Seriously, the way her pants only slid to the tops of her thighs, only barely missing the edge of the seat, it's a wonder she didn't manage to inadvertantly soak them.

And that would have been a whole other can of... maggots, snails? Shut up Vala, it doesn't matter! Especially not NOW!. In a flash she was all buttoned up and finished.

"I swear if you caught any of that, I'm killing you... When you're not in my body of course."

[hi_there_aliens]

Judging time when you were trying not to listen in on someone else's thoughts or feel what her body was doing wasn't easy, especially when you didn't have that much experience with the whole Star Trek thing mind sharing thing in the first place. Daniel couldn't avoid everything, or miss the faint grumbling and rambling Vala's mind did the entire time. The archaeologist counted a good three minutes out, give or take, because how long could a piss- bathroom break take? Although maybe he should add another minute just to be sure. You never could be too sure.

He cautiously settled back to how he was before. So far, so good, right? He only got the last part she was saying, something about killing him once she was free of him. "What?"

Daniel put on as much dignity as he thought he was capable of at the moment. It wasn't much. "Can we please get going?"

[valaunbound]

"Oh well excuse me for having normal biological needs!" Vala bristled sarcastically, more as a kneejerk reaction to her own embarrassment and haste to move on than his comment. It was just one more example of what Vala said and what she thought being two entirely different things. If she has the upper-hand in a situation she feels like she's in control, and she'll say anything to reinforce that or twist a situation that way.

Vala grabbed both their omnicomms with an irritated snap once they were back in Daniel's lab, still affected by the bathroom episode, but not admitting it even to herself. "Quite comfy in there are you? Because frankly I'm starting to think it's like having CCTV fitted inside my head."

He'd definitely relinquished all bodily control at this point, as she found her hand reaching towards a particularly fragile but easily pocketable and expensive looking artifact unhindered. She wasn't going to take it, her hands just gravitated towards shiny things instinctively, and it had been right there where the omnicomms were. She was simply appraising it...

[hi_there_aliens]

Now that the deed was done, for now, Daniel found it a little easier to move on now that massive embarrassment wasn't eminent. It was embarrassing all around, more so for Vala, but the sooner they got going, Daniel pointed out, the sooner they could forget they had to experience this, preferably by burying themselves in work.

"I don't want to be here anymore than you want me in here," he snapped. He tried to be understanding when it came to her discomfort. It wasn't like he go a sick thrill out of seeing every single thought and uh, need. "The sooner this gets solved, the sooner you're free of me."

He almost didn't notice her hand going towards the artifacts on the table. Daniel halted her hand out of instinct, reaching for it, only to find "his" own hand stopping, which was incredibly disorienting. He was never going to get used to this. "Don't even think about it."

[valaunbound]

For once she agreed with his 'bury yourself in work' tactic. Silently Vala acquiesced, considering the circumstances he was being surprisingly considerate. He was just as stuck with this as she was and if she trusted anyone on this ship to make any headway into solving it, it was Daniel. Well her and Daniel. Maybe she should try harder to set aside her irritation and show him just how well they worked together. Well at least she thought they worked well together, she just had a tendency to be a little more impatient in the research stage, that was all. But if it hadn't been for some of her snap decisions then... actually maybe it was the balance that was what actually worked.

Vala resolved to be calmer with this and just get on with the necessary. Until he assumed she was about to pocket the artifact. Although it had to be said, even she wasn't sure what she'd intended, it was extremely disconcerting to be caught in the act before you'd even decided on the act.

"I wasn't! Can't a girl even touch something without being branded a thief!?"