Tyler: Human
"...This can't be real..." Cried Tyler. She was standing in the corner of the room clutching her head, occasionally turning to stare with horror into the small mirror at the monster that was possessing her hair. Should she wake up Hudaryous again? Would he even do anything?
"Be not distressed, my lady; all is not lost!" Smiled the ugly hair face.
Tyler stepped towards the mirror and pulled at her golden hair. "Get out of my hair!!" She yelled, tears forming at the base of her eyes.
"I... I can't, my lady." She could feel her hair move slightly with every movement of the creature's mouth.
"What do you mean you can't??" Yelled Tyler at the reflection.
"Well... I chose you, my lady... I have nowhere else to go."
Tyler grabbed the small gun from the ground and threateningly raised it to the hair, making sure to aim clear away from her head.
"My lady, please." Said the creature in slight distress. "It's not worth it."
Tyler's hands were shaking as she tossed the gun back to the ground and pushed away from the mirror in disgust. "What does that even mean?? You chose me..?! I don't want to have some... creature... in my hair!!"
The hair looked hurt. "My lady, I am not a savage animal; I am a Bovase."
"Stop talking; are you even real?" She spat, nearly interrupting the thing. "Am... am I hallucinating??"
Tyler sat down on the mat and pulled at her hair, attempting to comb through it with her fingers. It wouldn't separate completely where the sleek monster body formed, which only made her try harder.
"Ma'am, -ouch- I assure you I am quite real." The thing was flinching in pain.
"That broccoli thing I ate, I think it's making me delirious..." Tyler dropped her head into her arms and rubbed her eyes. "Hudaryous... he said maybe I am allergic... I need to sleep..." She muttered in despair.
"...If I may, my lady, I can be of much service to you." Said her hair patiently. It's voice still had a hint of hurt in it.
"I want you gone! Get out of my hair!!" Yelled Tyler, pulling on her hair again.
The creature yelped in pain as she tried to separate the strands once again, pulling tightly.
Suddenly the gaping face disappeared and her hair dropped down limp.
She gasped in surprise, gaping at her formless hair. Tyler rushed to the mirror to inspect closer. Was it over?
Her hair had returned to normal and was flowing naturally down her back.
She ran her fingers through the hair. It was gone. Tyler scoffed in delighted disbelief. She examined the hair closer, eyes wide, pulling it in front of her and separating it over her shoulder.
No madam, I am still here. The sly voice was back and it shocked her slightly. Her hair was still limp across her breast. "Where... where did you go??"
I am still here, in your hair my lady. Explained the voice.
Tyler suddenly realized something that sickened her. This time the voice was not audible, but in her head.
"Are you inside my head??" Tyler was freaking out now. "You... you read my thoughts??" Tears bust to her eyes again. This night of horror seemingly had no end.
The creature sighed. Can I come back, my lady? Without you trying to tear me apart?
Tyler gritted her teeth through her sobbing. She didn't want to see the creature's ghastly face formed out of her hair again. But her frenzied fight against the thing was obviously going nowhere.
She thought about the word 'yes', answering the thing's question in her mind.
Her hair rose up again, the face appearing just as before.
So it CAN read my thoughts She thought with fright.
Tyler felt violated and shaken. Not even her own thoughts were safe now.
"My dear, will you give me a chance to explain myself without reacting so rashly?" Asked the hair, obviously flustered. "First of all, I am not some sort of monster or vile creature, although I understand from your memories that I maintain many characteristics that you associate with such offensive terms. I apologize for that, but there isn't much I can do about the way I look. Secondly, yes, I can hear your thoughts. In fact, I eat them."
Tyler's eyes grew wide and her heart skipped another beat. "You eat my thoughts??"
The creature formed a concerned frown out of her hair. "Your mind is consumed with fear of me, but I assure you I mean absolutely no harm. I wish to become a valuable asset in your life."
"You won't leave my hair and you EAT my thoughts!!" She repeated. "How does that make you a valuable asset in my life??" She was on the verge of screaming; her mind was racing at full speed as she tried to comprehend what was happening.
"Madam." The creature's voice was calm and controlled. "Please, be calm. I have no intention of doing anything that does not benefit you."
Tyler paused, suddenly fully aware of her emotions. Then, and to her surprise, she felt her hysteria start to fade. It was like all of her intense emotions were randomly draining away from her, leaving her with a clear mind.
Why had she been so afraid? If the thing had the power to harm her, it probably would have done something already. The hair had been nothing but polite and cordial to her actually.
And apparently the thing could disappear, so it would be like nothing even happened. There were probably a few plus sides as well; now she would never be alone! She would always have somebody to talk to when she needed it.
"That's better." Smiled the hair.
"I'm sorry..." She spouted, astonishment showing through her voice. She quickly wiped her face clear of tears. "I honestly don't know what came over me." She looked at the thing warmly though the mirror. "What are you called again?"
"I am a Bovase, but my name is Ishnook. And it is quite all right my lady; your strong emotions were to be expected. I only had to consume the fear and anxiety in you so that we could speak together more sensibly."
Then the realization of what had just happened hit her. "You... consumed my..." Suddenly a spike of anger raced through her veins as she put the pieces together. This creature was manipulating her! It had taken away her emotions to calm her! She gritted her teeth.
"Now, my lady, I am doing it for your own good... I was only trying to..." explained the Bovase nervously.
"STOP IT!" Commanded Tyler fiercely, pointing a finger at the reflection in the mirror. She was enraged. "You are already in my hair against my will, I will NOT allow you to control my thoughts and emotions against my will!"
"...Yes, my lady." Stammered the face.
Tyler inhaled sharply as the feeling of anxiety struck her once more. She paused a moment, looking at the ground and concentrating on calming her nerves. "...I can't believe this is happening to me!"
"Madam, I was only trying to help." The Bovase said softly. "Emotions are often a hinderance..."
Tyler took a deep breath and stretched her neck. She did need to keep a level head, as bazaar and terrifying as this situation was. Her head felt strange having her hair suspended by the creature. "Why are you in my hair, Bow...vase?"
"Please mistress, call me Ishnook." The Bovase twisted around and smiled at her.
Tyler cringed a little; the alien was still quite frightening to look at.
"I hope in time you grow accustomed to me." Said Ishnook, tilting its head to the side. "...And to answer your question," continued the Bovase, "I am in your hair because I needed a residence. I was on the verge of starvation... I could feel my life ending, I desperately needed a place where I could reside. You saved my life, my lady."
Tyler's mind began to race again as the creature continued.
"You see, my kind dwell in inanimate objects. Yes, yes, quite a bit like a ghost on your world, spirits or whatever they are, I suppose... well no, we don't 'haunt'... no, no a Bovase would never do that...no, dear me, I assure you we are quite different now that you think of it. These 'poltergeist' things you have on your planet look quite awful, my word."
Tyler's mind had begun to think about ghost stories she had heard as a child and it seemed like the Bovase was following her train of thought. She shook herself slightly. Having something read her thoughts was eerie.
"Yes do try to pay attention, mistress."
"But why are you in my hair?? Why don't you go live in the mat or something?" She gestured to the sleeping mat behind her.
Ishnook grimaced. "Ma'am, have you seen that mat?"
Tyler paused. The comment made her smile despite the circumstances. "Yes. I have to sleep in it."
"WE have to sleep in it my lady." Corrected Ishnook. Then he continued. "I chose to reside in your hair because it was evident to me that your hair is highly valuable to you."
Tyler clenched her fists, her anger picking up again. "...And why do you think I would want something to live uninvited in a thing that is highly valuable to me??" Tyler said irritably.
Ishnook sighed. "Madam, I understand that this is difficult to take in. But I assure you; I can be very valuable to you. I am here to serve you."
"Okay. How can you serve me?" Tyler asked tiredly, skeptical of the statement.
Ishnook twisted to the other side of Tyler's head. "Well, I consume your thoughts—"
"—And how is that supposed to be a good thing?" Tyler butt in rudely.
Ishnook thought for a moment. "...Your species and many others, for the most part, expect complete privacy when it comes to the mind. But to my species and a few others, your thoughts flow out from your head like warm breath in cold air. They are completely visible and easy to read, if you can sort though the jumble of it all.
"But when I eat them," continued the hair with a gentle smile, "your thoughts and feelings don't travel further than you and I."
Tyler frowned. She had never worried about anything reading her thoughts before. Although she had heard that some species had telekinetic abilities, she never thought anything would be trying to read her thoughts. "You were reading my memories before... do you eat my memories too?"
"Yes, anything you think, I eat. That includes emotions too, as you discovered earlier. Though emotions are much more than just thoughts, I understand this. The science gets a little sticky. But yes, thoughts, emotions, memories... the like, my lady."
Tyler's heart rate began to increase again.
Ishnook frowned, watching her thought process. "No, but don't you worry madam, you do not lose your thoughts and memories after they are consumed. by me. You have to understand that your mind can produce an infinite amount of a thought. I do not go into your head and extract the original thought, but instead eat the numerous copies that your brilliant mind produces with minimal effort."
Ishnook flipped it's hair-head to the other side of Tyler in excitement. "And that mistress, is one of many reasons why I chose you to be my host! As I examined you among your peers as you trekked across my planet's dry land, your thoughts and emotions were like a bright splash of exquisite paint across a bland canvas. I felt drawn to you. You were the best option from the group; I simply could not resist the rich flow of pure elegant thought that secreted from your beautiful mind."
Tyler was not sure if she should feel flattered or violated by Ishnook's words. Or maybe she should be distrusting; the creature seemed almost to be sucking up to her. "Well... thank you I guess." She frowned. "Wait, your home planet is Gnumus?"
"Indeed my lady, although we call it something different of course. And allow me tell you that the selections of hosts on the wasteland, or things for my kind to inhabit rather, are far from preferable. And that is me being polite on the subject." Ishnook huffed with exasperation. "Many a time I have been forced to take refuge in the flea bitten hide of a common livestock, we call them Huhve. Maybe you had seen them wandering aimlessly, the hideous beasts."
Tyler remembered the large hairy creatures that seemed to be grazing on the dust.
"Yes, those are the ones, filthy blights. One could hardly find them distinguishable from a sack of rocks when comparing brain activity. Those were dire days... although I do not mean to speak so negatively of my planet mistress. But our species have seen much better days on Gnumus in the past." It paused for a moment to look at her. "I would like to tell you more about my people's history, but for now I perceive that you are especially exhausted."
That was definitely true.
"And so we shall sleep." Insisted the hair.
Tyler was not particularly fond of the thought of sleeping with this alien, or having it live in her hair, or sleeping on the soiled mat, or even sleeping in this spaceship at all.
But she was drained. The day had been too long and far too eventful. Her body begged her to sleep.
"But while we are addressing the utility of having a servant Bovase my lady, I would like to inform you that I can also help you with simple tasks like falling asleep. Is that something you might want at this time, mistress?"
Tyler's eyes furled in suspicion. This creature wanted to put her to sleep?
"...I perceive that you do not trust me, my lady." The Bovase sighed. "I honestly don't blame you. But I don't
know what more to do or say to have you realize that I am no threat to you, all I desire is a place to stay and a healthy source of thought and emotion."
Tyler eyed the thing through the mirror again. Was she still being manipulated? Had the Bovase been manipulating her this entire time?
"Mistress, if I may." The Bovase paused to gather its thoughts. "I belong to a Bovase school of thought that believes in empowerment to the host. In other words, I whole heartedly believe, along with my peers, that the Bovase should be a servant to the host it inhabits." Ishnook's voice was sincere. "I swear on my subservient vows that it shall remain that way. I will be nothing more than a servant to you, and if so desired, a friend."
Tyler sighed.
"Sure." She said, shrugging her shoulders and rolling her eyes slightly. "You can put me to sleep. Or... whatever you were talking about before." She might as well get used to having the beast serve her, seeing as it refused to leave.
"Okay, my lady. I will wait until you are ready." The Bovase smiled kindly, then disappeared as her hair dropped limp once again.
Tyler examined her lifeless hair once again. She still didn't understand why this had happened to her. But maybe she could find a way to get rid of the Bovase after she got a good rest.
My lady, you do remember that I can read your thoughts still, right? Reminded the voice inside her head.
Tyler shivered and a feeling of despair washed over her. She walked to the far side of the room and gently turned the lights down, then she walked over to the mat in the corner to flop down onto it. I... will sleep now, thing. She said in her mind, trying out the telepathy again. Being so unnerved and shaken, she almost felt like she was asking permission from the Bovase to sleep.
Ishnook, my lady. Please call me Ishnook. I don't know of any sentient being that wishes to be called 'thing'. And, goodnight.
After his words, Tyler passed out instantly.