Not Alone in This Place? (Nimvahlis)

by **Atrina** on October 4th, 2010, 12:57 am

22nd of Fall, 510 AV. High-Noon.

Atrina's horns tingled as the sun poked out from behind a cloud. It was too warm to keep the hood of her cloak up like normal, and she felt isolated enough to reveal the unique make-up of her body. The docks received a lot of traffic, but everyone was too busy to notice a loiterer on the border between the dockyard and the city proper.

The ethaefal had made it a point to visit the ocean as often as she could. Every time she looked at the vast green-blue, her anxiety would spike. She would avoid people as best she could, afraid that she would break down into a fit of irrationality and panic.

But she was drawn there, despite the fear. Part of her mind, rash and brave was deep inside her, trying to force herself past the phobia and dive in head first. It was as if there were two different personalities inside her head. Just thinking such a thing made Atrina shiver. "Change is scary, Diary. I don't want to change, I don't think."

by **Nimvahlis** on October 4th, 2010, 3:07 am

Vexation. Disappointment. These emotions flitted through Nimvahlis' mind as he in turn flitted through the city of Zeltiva. Whatever scheme lay behind these emotions was lost among the eddying currents that swept through him- thoughts needed no rationalization in any case. Concepts and sensations sprang upon his nerves whenever they pleased and the Ethaefal had long since forsaken resistance. His mind lay prostrated to the irritation as it washed over him, coagulating his positivity and painting the city in hues of washed out reds and grays. What a bleak place indeed! Salt encrusted citizens scurried through the white washed stone structures, going about their equally dreary lives. It was a pathetic existence. Learning in such closed confines!

It did not matter that, had he come a day or even several bells later, Nimvahlis might have seen this city in a different light. What mattered was the energy it put off at this instant. The way his emotions ebbed and flowed with the external world was not for him to control. He felt the vibrations singing through the people and stone structures, a despondent hymn that he felt in the core of his soul. It was these small oscillations that set Nimvahlis off. A slight change in the mood of a place, a microscopic shift of paradigms, a mild tempering of the zeitgeist. This is what Nimvahlis felt in the pit of his stomach. He was a visceral creature to the utmost.

Mercury eyes scanned the cobbles below as Nim flew above the city, and he began spiraling down over the waters of the docks. He would waste no time within the confines of this place, just long enough to find his transit to Sahova and subsequently Callisto. The Amber Subject. He longed to return to her arms, to feel to warmth of her skin on his, to wrap her about his finger once more. The annoyances of his surrounding began to melt beneath the heat of Nimvahlis' thoughts, lust and anticipation seeping into his brain.

A gleam of light caught his eyes as he dropped lower, the silver strands coating his tail blowing like grass in the cold wind of his altitude. Horns. The unmistakable beauty of an Ethaefal stood below Nimvahlis, loitering on the docks by the bay. He descended upon her, silent as his delicate glass wings carried him closer to the ground behind her. His ears caught the last thoughts of some musing or another as he pulled up a few feet away from the female. Change. Nimvahlis did not announce himself with a hello, or a greeting of any other sort. Instead his calm, surreal voice spoke words of a different sort, "Fighting change is to fight the inevitable. Allow your mind to drop its defenses and accept what will indubitably come to pass. Ease your mind by allowing the tide to pass over you." Nim did not know this woman, but he was always aware of an opportunity.

Djed boiled and refined itself in his body, bubbling forth to inundate his tongue, his eyes, his skin, his very core. Nim reeked of magic. Awaiting. The ecstasy of expenditure had dispelled all thoughts of this poor city as he prepared himself to gaze through glass windows and into her soul.

by **Atrina** on October 4th, 2010, 4:18 am

Atrina was oblivious to Nimvahlis' approach. He mind had been off somewhere, a reprieve from the shaking and panic attacks that seemed to rack her. It didn't need to be physical to affect her either. The paranoia of humiliating herself among the masses of people was almost as debilitating as the fear she would be singled out as an outcast of this society.

His words tore her from this momentary peace and pushed her into the loud and fast world around her. It was an ungraceful transition, one that left her stumbling onto her backside with a squeal. Diary made it's way behind the Akvatari and flipped open to reveal her drawing. Atrina's eyes went wide, flipping between the stranger and her diary.

"I..I..uh." Her chest tightened, jaw clenched. Ribs seemed to jump as her breathing stuttered. "I-I.. Don't think.. I.. Understand."

Since Atrina had been in Zeltiva, she had talked to all of about three people, all of which had taken a considerable length of time to ready herself for in every confrontation. The panic and fear she was feeling now was to be expected from someone like her from being surprised, not to mention being separated from her only security.

by **Nimvahlis** on October 4th, 2010, 6:23 am

He stared at the Ethaefal before him with a clandestine smile. Magic was Nim's greatest pleasure, and greatest secret. He spun webs of influence in front of the very eyes of people each day and none knew the wiser. Nimvahlis kept everything in the open. It was there, yet invisible. Fulfillment raced through his veins as the djed flooded his core and brought new lenses to the world. The pleasure he felt was woven clearly into his voice, "I am called Nimvahlis, Subject."

"You do not understand because you have not been enlightened." The Akvatari before her, who could only be described as surreal and distant, now openly smiled. His attentions seemed to zero in on the woman before him, as if he was adjusting his mind to focus on her. The djed that had collected in him like drops of dew on a fern frond shook free. It seeped through him, prickling his skin and sending goosebumps up on his arms. Then he did the unexpected. His wings fluttered quickly, propelling him forward from his position just above the ground to the Ethaefal. His body darted forth, far quicker than she could run from, and his arms wrapped around her. Their bodies pressed together, his near bare chest against hers. Nimvahlis was hugging this female.

Yet what was occurring within Nim was entirely different from what a normal person would feel. Sensation wracked his nerves as his touch soaked in her aura. The colors of this Ethaefal meshed with his body and they became one. A shiver wracked his spine as black fear jolted through him, weaving intricate and hopelessly complex patterns within him. So lost was he within the structure that the bleak sun above became blotted out. Each time he tried to claw his way out, he simply slipped deeper into the pattern. Yet woven throughout it was a dimly shining green. Weak and hidden beneath the ink, yet still there. It was curiosity, driving him on to escape and explore despite the paralyzing sensations that threatened mental collapse at every slight. This was the abyss. A perfect mixture of fear and inquisitiveness that continued to torture as the days blended into each other.

Nimvahlis would fix her.

He allowed the djed to fall away, and a sigh escaped his lips as the sensations faded. It was a bittersweet moment, as the magic faded so too did his joy. Yet this woman's aura was forsaken. Nim's chin fell to rest on her shoulder, his wings mutely beating to keep him aloft and at her level. "I will help you. I will help your fear. You do not have to be afraid anymore." Nim's voice was calm, serene and alluring. Even as he had allowed the aura to fade, his body had began to weave his hypnotic cords. Was it truly salvation to escape one web and find another?

by **Atrina** on October 4th, 2010, 7:11 am

Atrina clenched in fear as he came forward. Too frozen she was, too even attempt to run. Her heart felt still, as if it had finally fluttered to a full halt as his embrace wrapped around her gentle body. She didn't want this, anything but this would be preferred. Why, why why?! She asked herself, her mind racing with confusion, wishes, her every fear realized in this moment. She'd been singled out. Someone noticed her, touched her terrible skin, saw her differences.

But she felt something else in this hug. Her entire reality since this knew consciousness had befallen her seemed to open up like a book. She felt as if he could read her fears, the crushing anxiety that forced her, night and day, to fear the people and things around her like a victim awaiting their demise. Her throat tightened; she felt vulnerable. This man felt like death - waiting and knowing - crushing down upon her very soul.

She coughed twice, gasping for breath as she squirmed in his grip. His words might have tasted like honey then, to the inverted tongue that was her pale ear. She gasped again and held her breath, trying to get enough air to talk. Her security still lay on the damp ground in front of her. It seemed to call for her as her eyes opened to see it.

"I don't want to be afraid," she said. The words surprised her, but no more than the instant calm she felt after she said them. Her body quit it's shaking, though her mind was still screaming to run and hide and pray he not find her again. She wished her terrible skin and ugly horns would leave her and let her blend in so she could find a moment away from him in the crowd.

But her body was soft. For the first time, she felt the silk cloak over her shoulders as it was, beautiful and light as it was. The ever present prickle of her goosebumps had seemed to lift in the warmth of his hug. Her heart shook with it's own conflict. The body and mind were out of sync, one wishing for isolation, the other wanting answers. Indecision made it weak.

Her arms slowly wrapped around Nimvahlis, stuttering as they went. She was crying now, tears rolling down her face. She returned the hug, burying her face into his shoulder.

"Why am I afraid," she asked, a half whisper that barely escaped her through the need to breathe.

by **Nimvahlis** on October 5th, 2010, 2:59 am

His voice cooed to the Ethaefal, "You are not as afraid as you believe." Silken threads of magic burst from Nimvahlis' skin, their invisible strands slipping through her skin to infect her body. As his comforting embrace turned hypnotic, the Akvatari loosed a contented sigh as the djed worked its way free of his body and infiltrated the subject's. She could not be sure when, but at some point a feeling of reassurance seeped into her brain. It was not powerful, but it tugged at her subconsciousness as the words he had spoken echoed in her mind. You are not as afraid as you believe. Yes, it was true. Though the reasons were unclear, the Ethaefal before Nimvahlis knew he spoke the truth.

His influence continued to flow to the woman as he held her close. Ever deeper the filaments dug, burrowing into her like beauteous worms. They coiled around her bones, reaching into her core. Ethereal silk snaked up her spine and spun a cocoon about her brain, drawing her irrevocably close to Nimvahlis. This was the height of intimacy for the hypnotist, his eyes wide and dilated as his skin tingled.

Break her and return to me.

"Had you been as frightened as you believed, would you have listened to my words? Would you have come to the water? Would you have accepted my embrace?" His arms slowly slid from the Ethaefal and he fluttered back a foot or so, gazing into her eyes like stars. "Within you is a strong soul, I know this. You forge ahead with what you call fear, but imagine what your existence would prove to be had you dropped this facade. Yes, facade! Your fear is nothing more than an illusion you have forced upon yourself to keep you safe. Yet I can teach you to be safe without the fear, to walk through life as if the world around you is nothing more than smoke and mirrors. Not every entity has this capacity, yet you do."

The threads that had wrapped around the Ethaefal's head pulsed, vibrating with the energy of her mind. Confidence swelled inside her breast at his words, gently beginning to disentangle the pieces of the girl's personality from the black pattern. It was not a strong emotion yet, easily able to be shaken off. Nimvahlis had time enough to weave his webs. Nimvahlis had eternity.

Rape her soul, and bring to me the shattered remains.

by **Atrina** on October 5th, 2010, 4:38 am

Atrina shivered with his magic-laced words. Her mind was clouding. These anxieties of her were losing their grip. It was almost a contingency that she instantly tightened up again; a fear under the fear, for change. What she knew was leaving, so of course she would be apprehensive.

But Nim made the change sound so attractive. It felt like he was crucifying the blanket of disability that was her phobias. She almost fell back when he released the embrace, reality's dim light finding itself back in her mind. The tiniest little inkling of doubt sprang to her mind and she remembered who she was. Atrina, the scared little woman who just didn't belong.

But his words.. They came to her, rhetorical questions soaked in mental aphrodisiac. Her mind begged for more of his promises with his smooth voice to speak them. She stared back into his eyes, unable to reply.

It was as if there were something, buried deep under the dense soil that was her mind's defense, screaming, beating against the restraints. It was begging to escape, and the slowly building confidence was digging it out.

"I want to be brave.." Her tears had stopped, the salty trails slowly fading away. He spoke of illusions to her, but she thought her paranoia helped see things they way they were. "I-.. I don't want to be afraid."

by **Nimvahlis** on October 6th, 2010, 1:19 am

"Then do not be." Nimvahlis fluttered closer to the woman, his fingers reaching out to her. His fingers gently stroked her jawline, sliding down to hold her chin in his hand. Nim was close now, his silver eyes boring into the Ethaefal's. The wind thrown by his winds caressed the girl's skin and stirred any stray strands of hair as he hovered near her. "My beautiful subject, I am your guardian. I am here to save you."

Scatter the ashes.

Safety vibrated along Nimvahlis' hypnotic cords, flushing the girl's body. The resonations flushed her body, filling her with their message. Safeguarded. Its frequency slipped into her mind, mixing with her natural brain waves to bring the new sensation. Nimvahlis would indeed bring salvation.

Something flashed across the woman's senses, a complex creation that raced from the Akvatari's mind to hers. She saw the cold docks around her, with tall shadows and harsh citizens. People looked upon the girl, judging her strange appearance. Some laughed, some pointed, some simply glared at her. Their ridicule and hatred filled her ears, and a loneliness prickled her skin. The girl was alone.

Yet another flashed shot across the connection. Nimvahlis was there, the girl wrapped in his arms. The cruel outside world had vanished- the people, the shadows, the pain, the fear. Everything had been banished by this man, and only they remained. Serenity and peace inundated the world about them, and for the first time in her life the woman heard silence. No judgment, no offense. Simply acceptance and love.

"My beautiful, beautiful subject. I am here now." His hand slowly slid back to the nape of her neck, pulling the girl the last few inches to Nim. As his lips parted and met hers, a wave of magic pulsed through her body. The ecstasy swept through her body, flushing heat into her pelvis. As the emotion meshed itself with the acceptance and safety that twirled about in her body, Nimvahlis kissed her.

by **Atrina** on October 6th, 2010, 4:36 am

[i]Atrina felt the light permeate her skin and find its way to her head. It was such a magical feeling, the fact alone that she could even allow a person to be this intimate with her. She hardly felt the effects of his magic working its way into her mind, forcing her inner self to take on the control she wanted it to have. The illusion of anxiety and paranoia had all but disappeared from her reality, crushed into an afterthought that beat on the cage that had been placed around it. She felt good. She felt right.

Relaxation shook with his hypnotism, and a smile came to her as his eyes peered into her soul's form. He felt so right until the break came. It was like breaking a bone, how deeply it pained her when the fear came back in an instant. She hated knowing they were watching. She was ugly, a disgusting mutation of their reality that never belonged in their world. She shrank back from him slightly, a physical begging for the high he had given her. Being held like that had felt better than anything, better than when she was just a wisp of a creature in another plane.

But, oh! When he gave it back to her, she couldn't have seen anything more beautiful. To be alone, nothing else, and him there, being intimate. Desires gave in and broke her mind. Her body betrayed her with warmth, even with the cold but delicate wind he was producing.

His words made her ears twitch with lusting. They were worth gold to her, delicate and perfect. His touch made her skin tingle and ache for more. She was like a torrent of emotion then. Her body was sure of itself, her heart fully approving, and her mind too dizzy on his magic to care that she was being kissed.

Reaction was instinctive; she returned the kiss with fervor. Her hips pushed forward into his - her legs itched for him, a sensation she hadn't known in this life or the previous. Places warmed themselves that hadn't known warmth until his influence was upon her, and she didn't want to let it go. Control was an afterthought, she was far too gone for such a trivial thing. Her bare feet pushed her into the kiss, eyes shut and hopeful. Fluttering heartbeats kept this feeling alive, the need to breathe no longer a need. Want and desire were one and the same, lust was all she had for him now.

He was perfecting her, and she didn't even know his name. But what matter is that, when it felt so damn good?

by **Nimvahlis** on October 8th, 2010, 6:46 pm

The ships would depart soon. Amongst the sailors and crewmen that swamped the docks, a voice called out. "Last call for Sahova! Last call!" The crew was finishing the loading of its cargo, and the captain who had beckoned any stragglers stumped back up the gangplank to oversee it. That was Nimvahlis' ship, he too would depart with it.

Nimvahlis pulled his mouth from hers, and he whispered seductively in the Ethaefal's ears. His voice sprouted more of the cords to snake and further enmesh her in his grand matrix of emotions. They weaved and knotted, bringing the thought of safety and truth with them. "My beautiful subject. When I am not here and you feel afraid, simply say my name, Nimvahlis. Let it remind you that it is all an illusion. Always remember that I am here to bring you safety, warmth, and light. Don't ever forget that. Say my name." Nim brushed back a bit of her hair, allowing the thoughts of what he had just said writhe into her mind. The hypnotic force slipped around whatever mental defenses she had, wrapping her in the heat of passion and divinity.

Like a changing current, his djed reoriented itself. Retracting the webs and cords from Atrina's mind, he ushered out her glowing soul. Viewing her with his eyes this time, colors bloomed from her form. The inky fear had retreated, fleeing in the face of Nim's hypnotic words and touch. Its utterly hopeless complexity had unraveled, revealing the roiling surface of emotions below. They burst from beneath, geysers of lambent, green curiosity and pure whites. Yet the fear was still there, the transformation incomplete. Yet the cage composed of blackness did not mesh with the rising tides of color. Rather, they lay in contention with each other, fighting for dominance of her soul.

Another smile broke across his face at his work, and he allowed the aura to fade. Gently, quietly, he reminded her, "Nimvahlis. Remember, my precious one. Meet me in Sahova on the next available ship." His gossamer wings threw sparks of sunlight as they fluttered, and suddenly Nimvahlis was gone. His quicksilver tail trailed behind him as he lifted into the sky and soared off with amazing celerity. He was gone.