The Third Party [Julian]

by **Ophelia** on May 30th, 2011, 7:19 am

A tolling of the bells from the Surya Plaza indicated that it was precisely one bell after dusk when a loud knocking at Julian's door resounded. Julian would feel a twinge at first, shaking him from sleep, an indication of a waking state when he was not actually quite ready to awaken. But after his eyes had fluttered open, he would hear a voice in his head. It was most certainly his voice, his tone, that dulcet tone that conveyed his communication every day of his life, but the words, were not his.

Get the petch up, love!

If he did not respond immediately, he would hear Kila's words in his voice, chattering incessantly in his mind, yelling now, now, now, now, now. There was no subtelty at all in what she was doing, in how she was hypnotising him. He knew she had the power, why should she bother to conceal it from him? It was much more fun to irritate him, anyway. The longer Julian took and resisted the annoying buzz of chatter in his head, the more a feeling of compulsion would grow within him, telling him, goading him, into opening that door and letting in whatever lovely soul was on the other side of it.

When Julian opened the door, however long that may be, there was not some lovely soul revealed, despite the whispering voice in his mind's suggestion. Kila squealed and bounced forward, yelling "Julian love!", and landing two loud smacking kisses on his cheeks. She pushed past him into the room, and ran with a yell of joy, like a child, with a bounce onto his bed. She cocked her head at him, smiling deviously. "Care to join?" she murmured seductively, though the compulsion continued to yell at him STAY AWAY FROM ME YOU PERVE. Kila was acting like a small child, excited when they got what they wanted. Which was essentially what had happened when she had snagged Julian. A trilling laugh ran through her, and she looked up at Julian before clapping her hands together excitedly.

"Didja miss me, honey bun?" she cooed, grinning up at him. "Sleep well, even without my lovely warm body next to yours?" She threw herself back on the bed, lounging out over it, and rolled under the covers. "Oooo, well, this IS comfortable. I might join you one night." She sat up in bed, the covers wrapped around her, then suddenly her eyes locked straight onto Julian's.

Her voice had changed, and there was no twinkle in her eye. She was pure Kila now, there was no false giggling front. Her eyes were cold and narrowed, and her mouth was set strong, her entire body imposing despite the ridiculous position she was sitting in in his bed. "Well, hurry the petch up," she snapped, rolling her eyes at him. "I don't have all day."

When Julian looked confused, Kila sighed and elaborated, her voice condescending. "What, you think I just took you as an apprentice for the sake of it?" She shook her head, clearly conveying her belief that Julian was, in fact, an imbecile. "Try and hypnotise me, as best as you can. Throw me your best shot. I want to see what you can do." There would be many options to Julian now, including the possibility of hypnotising her into buggering off, or even better, stabbing herself. But clearly Kila was confident enough in her abilities that she did not feel any sort of threat from him. He was well and truly her apprentice.

by **Julian** on May 30th, 2011, 10:54 pm

Writhing in his bed, having slept in his clothing atop the covers, Julian only vaguely heard the knocking, but wasn't ready to fully open his eyes. Still mostly asleep, he brought his hand to his face and began rubbing his eyes and forehead in incredible discomfort, grimacing his disapproval. The edge of a disturbing dream had begun to fade into reality, which brought him both a sense of distant loss and tentative relief. The moment he heard his own voice in his head, calling him 'love', however, Julian's eyes flew open.

"Father?"

No. Just a reverie. It was Julian's voice inside his own head.

His inn room reappeared to him with everything in place: the desk, the two windows, the painted walls, the ceiling, all appearing in the cube around him. To his left was the door, which was closed and appeared to want nothing from him. The knocking had stopped, but Julian felt his compulsion to answer it. Immediately he thought of the blonde from the night before, Kila, and attributed this feeling entirely to her. He didn't attempt to resist it, deciding he would save his strength for later. Kila had already presented herself as a merciless woman, and Julian would have to remain wary of what she would have him do.

Rolling out of his bed, his loose black hair fell over his shoulders, untied and slightly wild from sleeping on it. As he walked toward the door he adjusted it lightly, or began to. As Kila's new voice entered his head with its persistent 'now now now now', he could only clutch at his temples, trying to eject the invading presence in his mind.

Now now now.

Julian reached for the door handle. Now now now now. He opened it without effect, calmly swinging it toward himself. His eyes were immediately on Kila in a cold, quiet glare. He knew should we standing there, even without her incredible lack of subtlety.

The woman bounded forward, kissing Julian's cheeks before he could even stop her. Blinking rapidly to regain himself, he turned and watched her throw herself onto his bed. The musician sighed and closed the door. Why even object? She was going to do whatever she wanted to regardless of what he thought about it. Quickly exasperated by her energy, facade or not, he turned away from the door and leaned against the wall. He folded his arms as he watched her make herself comfortable in his bed.

Care to join? she had asked in a sultry voice, but even as she did, his mind was assaulted by a vigorous hypnotic order to leave her the hell alone. He was so startled by it that he stumbled backward, but with his back against the wall already, he just momentarily tripped on his own feet. His arms uncrossed, he tried not to work his hands into fists. Julian would grow used to her humiliating him. He would not forgive being so carelessly used.

Kila asked him to hypnotize her, and of course a number of ideas sprang in his head. Hagiri was lying nearby. The door was unlocked. He might even try to coax her asleep, but these were all difficult notions to instill with his minor skill. She wanted to be caught off guard? That would be difficult to do with someone as experienced and skilled as she was. However, hypnotism was not necessarily about pure control. It was about charm, grace, and subtlety. A hypnotist couldn't be what he was if he didn't already have these things aside from his Djed.

Julian chose not to reply to her verbally, perhaps implying that he intended to refuse her. Crossing his arms again, however, he kept staring at her, his icy blue eyes locked on hers. Then, so very subtly, he reached up and gently scratched the side of his nose. It was a suggestive action, a gesture that many people would then do themselves even without hypnosis. But with a little subtle compulsion behind it, she might even comply without realizing what she was doing.

by **Ophelia** on June 7th, 2011, 7:58 am

Kila watched, amused. A smug smirk twitched on the corner of her lips, as if a laugh was threatening to break out. Julian clearly thought through everything, as his eyes darted around the room to see just how badly he could hypnotise Kila into hurting himself. He clearly thought he was being clever, Kila watched with an arrogant smirk. She was a step ahead of him - she was always a step ahead of him, always would be. She watched his glare, his tense stance, and knew with an uplifting certainty that she was getting to him. There was something just so fun about bugging Julian Meredith. He was so arrogant, so cold. It was a blessing that she, of all people, could get under his skin. She looked back at him with a smirk.

Their eyes were locked, and Kila knew that she couldn't look away. Julian seemed to rely on the power of his eyes, keeping them focused with an intensity that burned like ice between them. It was the mark of a novice hypnotist - not necessarily a bad one, but certainly a novice, that they required the assistance of eye contact to hypnotise with any lasting effect. She smirked, finding it amusing that she was teaching Julian of all people to better himself. Well, if she was to have a rival, she may at least train him to be a challenge. Distractedly, she looked over him, noticing his rigid stance, the burning eyes, the deep set of his mouth, so visibly showing strain and thought. There was a certain effort he put into his hypnotism, she noticed. It was not a natural thing, not yet. There was no real subtlety about it, she thought, as she lightly scratched her nose with her finger, examining him carefully.

A bark of laughter escaped her lips as she noticed Julian himself in the same action. Taking her hand away, she looked at her own finger, and reflected that Julian was perhaps a lot smarter than she gave him credit for. She nodded once, surprisingly approving. "Well, my dear," she cried, clapping her hands together excitedly. "I didn't expect you to do so well. You know to play to your strengths. You're too much of a weakling to really do anything worthwhile with your magic yet," she sent a wink here, her words condescending and insulting. "But I am glad you at least have grasped the importance of subtlety. Hypnotism is not about grand gestures - it's about manipulation and quiet movements in the dark of the night. You're not such an idiot as I thought after all!"

She jumped up quickly, grinning at him, stalking over to him like a predatory cat. Kila's eyes were burning, though not with Djed, but with joy at the game she played. "How often do you train hypnotism?" she asked, and she stood within a foot of Julian. Though she was shorter than he, she held a powerful presence in the room. "I want you to make an effort to do something small each day," she murmured, and there was a seductive quality in her voice. As she spoke, the merits of her suggestion rose deeper and deeper in Julian's mind, suggesting to him that he should practice each day, if he wanted to get good enough. Who knows, perhaps if he became as skilled as Kila, he could find out who she was...

With a snap, though, Kila's voice suddenly rang out again, and the slowly choking idea left Julian's mind - though there was a seed still implanted there, still suggesting to him the necessity of practice. It was something Julian knew already, but with Kila around, he thought it all the more. "Well, my lovely!" Kila cried, and she walked to the door. With a grand gesture, she swung the door open, and gestured for him to leave before her. A niggling reminder rose in his mind, a message to take Hagari, that a knife was always good protection - but of course, Julian would dismiss that as only common sense. "I am new in Lhavit, and you have been here a while! What say we take a stroll through the lovely town, you can give me a tour! I should so love to go on a date with an attractive man," she giggled here, and batted her eyelashes towards him. There was no serious attempt at seduction, though. It was more just to annoy him. "Perhaps..." Kila mused. "Perhaps the Surya Plaza to start? And then we can look at some of the other peaks." There was a strange emphasis on the word "peaks", and Julian would think that was a good idea, the suggestion a trace in his mind, leaving a lingering desire to take Kila to the peaks ... particularly the Dawn tower...

by **Julian** on June 9th, 2011, 10:27 am

It took. Every. Ounce. Of strength. Not to burst into a broad grin the moment he saw his little trick had worked. It even took the woman - this Kila, this master hypnotist - a moment or two to put it together. Julian was, without a doubt, an absolute novice. And he had fooled a master. In any practice, that was worth being proud of. It reinforced his belief in hypnotism as a practice. It wasn't just about power, but also subversion.

He watched as she walked up to him, making it imperative that he should practice hypnotism every day. That idea was obvious, and even necessary if he wanted to surpass her in skill. With just the slightest tone of her voice, she could implant any thought she wanted. Every fiber of him hated it, but he was completely at her mercy, and she could bring about his demise at any moment with some compulsory notion. It was by her mercy that this association with her continued amicably - or mostly amicably. So he would practice. But not because she told him to.

Or so he thought.

"I do a few small things, most days." He wouldn't specify what or why. If she knew he hypnotized himself to get across the Lhavit bridges, she would just take advantage of his fear and... ugh, he didn't even want to think of it.

As Kila suggested a tour, he sighed. This was insipid. This humiliation of being so easily toyed with by some childish, blonde madwoman was nearly unbearable. He had better things to be doing. What did she intend to use him for? "Fine," he muttered, moving across the room toward his desk. Whatever she had planned, he doubted it would be for his benefit. The idea of getting blood on his hands again was... it was unthinkable, but he'd feel safer if he brought Hagiri with him.

Now that he was faced away from her, he finally gave himself a congratulatory grin: He couldn't believe he'd successfully hypnotized her! Perhaps he had a chance of outsmarting her, after all.

Tucking the sheathed knife in his belt, Julian proceeded out of the room.

"What do you want from me?" he asked after locking his room, then walking with her down the hall. He ignored her tripe about some sort of tour. Fine, she could see the peaks. She could even see the Dawn tower if she wanted. Whatever he needed to do to get this over with. Julian rubbed at his jaw with one hand, irritated by the day old stubble that he hadn't had a chance to shave off thanks to her interruption. He didn't like having his hair down - it reminded him of Rowan, and regardless it tended to get in the way. Still, it seemed more fitting that he would wear a more unsavory appearance for an unsavory task. "This seems like an utter waste of time."

by **Ophelia** on June 12th, 2011, 11:14 am

Kila whistled as she waited outside of the door, tapping her foot and leaning alongside the door frame. Her body was framed seductively, but it seemed the elegance with which she held herself was unthought of, as if it were second nature to her. There was evidently some degree of training and composure to Kila. For such a bouncy hyperactive woman she certainly held herself with poise. And everything she did was calculated, including the way in which she spoke down to Julian. The way she rested along the wood, her white dress falling freely down from her limbs, a light blue cloak attached to her frame. The glint of a nose piercing subtly alluded to the darker side of this seemingly sweet, pale girl, who clearly had a history to go with her, a history that spoke of wealth and charm and a proper upbringing.

As Julian moved over to her after fastening his knife at his side - at her own insistence, Kila thought smugly - she used her arm to press herself into an upright position, her posture impeccable. Though what she had done so far was basic work, using her hypnotism as a toy and nothing more, she felt a giddy elation every time she bested or irritated the composed man before her. His dark eyes and long flowing hair spoke of an inner regality, and it was clear that he perfect composure was beginning to crack the more Kila prodded. Her father would be proud of her, when he spoke of this to him. Her eyes scanned over his appearance as they set out for a night on the town, and a trilling laugh bubbled forth from her lips. She shook Julian's questions away as she walked through the hallway, and offered her arm to Julian, who would feel an overwhelming desire to touch the smooth milky skin there. When he had clutched her arm like a lover, as Julian would feel the great longing to do so, she smiled up at him, and everything in her smile spoke of beauty and an alluring personality. This was a girl that Julian would certainly want to know.

"A waste of time?" she gasped, and it was clear she was 'affronted'. But Kila was an excessively skilled actress. "My dearest Julian, how could spending such quality time with each other be a waste of time? We both know how much you enjoy my company," she prodded him, a mischievous smile on her face. Despite some of Julian's own irritation at this domineering woman, he could not help but at least admire her skill and beauty in some way. She paused at the stairwell that would lead them down into the Shooting Star Inn foyer, where Julian would usually sit and play the cello gracefully for the patrons - as he was, too, expected to do tonight. She paused here, and turned to face Julian properly, her eyes looking into his. There was no hypnotic power there this time, instead the cold manipulative Kila reigned, the Kila that bullied Julian into being her 'apprentice', a position of mocking and condescension.

"I'm not going to let you get away with just making me scratch my nose, Julian Meredith." She curtsied sarcastically at him. "I understand you have work again tonight, or rather, this morning. You therefore have a task, because I have demanded you take me on a tour." Pointing an elegant finger down towards the restaurant, she continued. "You are to go to the head waiter and tell him you need the day off. You will need to make up a story - any story, I don't care. The only child of a great merchant family in Syliras, perhaps?" She sent a wink towards Julian, but there was no pause in her words. "Hypnotise him, boy, and get the night off. I'll be waiting here for you to come and escort me down the stairs when you have successfully done so." She shooed him down the stairs, but just before she disappeared, she plucked Hagiri from his belt. Winking at him, she blew him a kiss as she sat down on the top step. "Have fun, big boy!"

oocYou can write you attempt on hypnotising the head waiter. I'll write the response up in my next post as to whether or not you are successful. Good luck, kick ass.

by **Julian** on June 12th, 2011, 1:12 pm

Julian took a moment to take in the sight of Kila as he approached her. So quickly, she had become an object of loathing to him. That smug look on her face, that awful whistling, the tapping of her foot... all of it made his skin crawl. How he wanted her to just go away, disappear, and leave him be, but she wouldn't allow him his peace. He had to play her game, or face her wrath. How irritating. How vile.

Still... there was a poise to her. He could admire one thing, at least: she had class. Good posture, fine fashion taste. It reminded him a little of himself, actually. If she weren't such a conniving bitch he might consider buying her a drink. She was lovely, no doubt about that. He could have worse adversaries, considering.

The hypnotist in him was aware of Kila's gesture, and the power behind it, as she offered her arm. Giving in freely to her suggestion, he took it, trying to ignore the wash of relief that came over him as his hand touched her arm. She was so soft, and small. It would have been so easy to simply grab that arm... twist it...

Julian looked away as she spoke, writhing inside his skin. She revolted him, but he reminded himself again that it could be worse. Her tactic, at least, was... fascinating. As they neared the top to the stairs, Kila paused to look at him. Reluctantly, he looked back at her, and she spoke.

He stared at her coldly until she said one thing.

The only child of a great merchant family in Syliras. Julian's breath caught in his throat as his composure visibly broke. He froze completely - this was the final straw. Understandably, Julian had a lot of issues. His father, his wife, his unborn children. But that issue, his origins, that dramatic shift in his life, that was his oldest. Who the PETCH was this woman?! How did she know any of this?! Oh, and she wouldn't tell him either. No matter what he said. Or what he did to her. That was the worst part.

Still, he couldn't help himself. Couldn't stop the rage from boiling over. She had no right.

A breath finally escaped Julian - a monument to his last vestige of self control. It almost looked like a sob. It wasn't, but it had the same measure of desperation and helplessness. Without another warning, Julian lashed out at Kila, grabbing at her forearm. If she didn't pull away, he'd push her against the wall, slamming her back into it while his hand still painfully squeezed her forearm. "STOP it!!" he shouted at her face, not caring how many heads he turned downstairs. His fiery gray eyes locked on hers as he held her there, glaring at her with all the intensity of the frustration she was causing him. He was fine - just fine! - until she came along. Why did any of his past need to be used against him like this?! "Just... stop it." He let go of her, using his now-free hand to wipe away his long hair. "I'll do what you want, just... stop."

Julian drew away from her, resting his forehead in his palm. Shaking his head, he didn't look at her before heading down the stairs, ignoring whatever strange looks he might have caused. Spotting the head waiter, Julian headed straight for him. He would have to swallow his frustration and maintain a sense of poise and control if he was going to hypnotize him. Julian placed his hand gently on the waiter's shoulder to get his attention.

"Evening," Julian greeted, putting on an empty, brief smile. To add effect to his hypnosis, Julian spoke with a calm, low, and practiced tone. His noticeably whitish blue eyes settled on waiter's, and a new smirk returned to his lips: one of chagrin and embarrassment. "I know I usually play for the patrons around this time, but I'm afraid I can't tonight. One of my cello strings snapped this evening and I have to head out to buy more." It was a believable excuse - so believable that Julian almost worried that irony itself might force such an event to happen, which he very sorely dreaded. "Can't exactly play a cello with only three strings. You understand?" Julian added the cant of his head, smiling a little wider. It killed him to do it, after what Kila had just said to him, but he had to if this waiter was going to be convinced of anything.

He assumed the excuse would be plausible even without hypnotism. But, hopefully, as his eyes pierced the waiter's, it would be unquestionable.

by **Ophelia** on June 14th, 2011, 2:25 am

A squeak of shock escaped Kila when Julian snapped. It was not expected, not so soon, and although she was proud that she had managed to make him do so, she hadn't expected him to do it in this way. His body stiffened initially, causing a predatory grin of pride and success to bloom over her face, watching the pain move from his eyes to his expression, gradually taking a hold of every part of him until he couldn't escape it. She loved this, loved how she could affect him such with one sentence - and she hadn't even used hypnotism! Every part of her enjoyment was written all over her face for the world to see.

A breath of laughter began to bubble up through Kila's lips, like a fountain that has only just begun to produce water, the water not yet gained momentum, as she heard that sound of pure desperation and need to clutch onto something come from Julian. She grinned, loving him brought to such rawness under her sway, her influence, and she began to laugh - a girlish, giggling laugh, completely at odds with the seriousness of the situation. But all of a sudden, it cut off, like a choke in the middle of the night, the laughter never really gaining it's full potential, as Julian snapped completely. Julian moved, quicker than Kila had expected, grabbing her arm with a tight grip that would leave a handprint bruise, and shoving her back into the wall. A cry of pain echoed from her lips as she was slammed into the hard surface, her head snapping against the wall, her eyes wide with fear and suddenly, Kila was vulnerable. There was no trace of the manipulative woman who toyed with Julian's heartstrings anymore, there was only Kila, a frightened, diminuative little girl who was terrified at the abuse she was recieveing.

Kila flinched at the sound of his voice, shouting in her face, and she couldn't help but keep her eyes locked on his, the power in them, the pure potential of fury, keeping her a slave to his gaze. Her eyes, pure icy blue, were wide with an undisguised fear as she struggled against him, trying to push away. She couldn't let this happen, not again, and suddenly she regreted the lack of combat she had - she held Julian's Hagiri but didn't know how to use it - she couldn't stab him for then everything would be pointless - she couldn't protect herself - she couldn't - and then it was over. Julian sagged, suddenly the fight gone from him, and he released her. He looked again just like the world weary man he was, and he had no more of that possessive rage in his frame. But Kila knew men, she knew that the potential was still there. She just hadn't expected him to snap so soon and so violently. She had seriously underestimated him.

She leaned against the wall, gasping for breath, and neither Julian or her exchanged glances as he stepped away from her. He was still under her will, it seemed, despite her display of fear against him. She needed this time, while he was downstairs, to regain that poise and confidence she had had beforehand. She never showed that fear she had to anyone, not even her father, and she was excessively angry at herself. Now that she had shown him, Julian could pounce on her weakness at any given moment. She had to regain the upper hand.

* * * * *

Tarei had heard the shouting from upstairs, shouting which had only held for a moment before suddenly everything was quiet again. He had managed to assure the patrons eating breakfast there that everything was okay, that some of the patrons staying there were merely having a row, that he had his best men going upstairs to take care of it. He didn't, of course. The shouting had paused after mere moments, and though he kept sending worried glances upstairs again, there didn't really seem to be any point in stretching his manpower for something that seemed to have resolved itself. He hoped it had, anyway.

He had just returned to his post at the door, where he had his little stand with books and reciepts and the like, when he cast yet another look towards the stairs. However, this time he was greeted with the look of a haggard young man trudging through, the incredulous looks of patrons following him. He seemed to be making a beeline directly for him, and Tarei swallowed nervously. It was most likely the man involved in the dispute, for it had been a male voice yelling, and there was a dead, cold look about his eyes. Tarei was nervous just looking at him.

Tarei jumped, nervously, as he felt his hand descend upon his skin. His voice was calm, poised, and though his smile seemed dead, it was a smile nonetheless. He felt an utter compulsion to look into the man's eyes, and when he did, he saw embarrassment and shame at the lack of control he had displayed in his row. Tarei felt himself suddenly respect the cellist, whom he had never really spoken to but saw on a daily basis. He listened carefully, wondering if he should mention his willingness to cater to the man after his row, most likely with his significant other - for what else caused a man to become as angry as he had, besides women? - but the cellist continued to speak, dulcet tones explaining his deep regret for not being able to play.

Tarei found himself nodding along sympathetically to Julian's words, before he raised his own arm and clasped his fellow male's shoulders. "I understand," he said regretfully. He felt sorry for him, not only had he fought with his girlfriend, but he also had lost his other love, the cello for a night. "Course, my friend. Take the night off. Have a good night. Zintila knows you need it, after the row you just had." Tarei nodded at the man, a sympathetic smile on his face, before he gestured for him to move upstairs again. "Oh, and, I hope your girlfriend isn't too mad at you. Seemed like a rough argument she just had. Don't worry, with looks like yours, you'll be back in her bed in no time." Tarei sent a wink towards Julian, before he turned back to his books for the night's profits, suddenly wondering just why he had been so friendly with a man he barely knew.

by **Julian** on June 18th, 2011, 7:10 pm

She was human. That's what that look she gave him, what that terror in her eyes had revealed. Were he a more sinister man, that fear would have given him pleasure. She had violated one of his few principles, presuming to control him, and getting his payback by turning the tables should have brought him solace and satisfaction. Perhaps, in some dark corner of himself, it even did. But all he saw when porcelain face lost its composure was his dead wife - and the look she'd given him too many times.

It had been one of the first signs that he was becoming his father. Even becoming his grandfather, where this cycle of violence and lost tempers had presumably started. If Rowan's journals held any truth, anyway.

The mix of emotions served to more or less cancel each other out, leaving a residual nausea that Julian fought to suppress as he descended the stairs. After fooling the head waiter, it took every ounce of strength to follow through and maintain character with a broad, pathetic smile. Thank you for understanding, the smile had said - an added ounce of hypnotism just to cement in the lie. If he'd returned to his scowl and stormed off, he'd have left a seed of doubt. It wouldn't have come back to haunt him, really, not in any way that was significant. Merely, it was important to remain consistent in all things. Even at the behest of Kila, that had just been practice.

He'd nearly lost it when he'd called that woman his girlfriend. Julian had closed his eyes in near physical pain at the idea, but any intention of correcting the man was soon snuffed out. She is NOT... Rrgh... The thoughts began to form into words but never left his tongue. Fortunately, his displeasure at the idea served to look more like quieted tension from their "argument," and his facade was maintained.

Without even waiting for Kila to catch up, Julian left the head waiter and and pressed through the doors into the lively Surya Plaza. It might have been prudent to wait for her then, but Julian was just a little too annoyed to give her that pleasure. Forcing her to catch up with him would bring him much more satisfaction and serve toward quelling the turmoil in the pit of his stomach. Slipping into the slowly flowing crowds of Lhavit's night-loving patrons, he began making his way almost unconsciously toward the Dawn Tower.

OOCDidn't know what else to do! Sorry!

by **Ophelia** on June 20th, 2011, 7:03 am

Kila observed Julian's battle of wits with the waiter from her perch at the top of the stairs. Of course, it wasn't exceptionally difficult. The head waiter was distracted and busy, his mind not fully on one inconsequential man. Even as he spoke, she could see from his vantage that his eyes flickered between the door of the Inn and the bustling waiters, not really caring if the cellist didn't play for one night. It's not like he was a particularly essential component, either. The Shooting Star Inn had done just fine before this Syliran had begun his music at night, and it would continue to do well after he left. If he left that was. Julian was outstaying his welcome, it seemed.

It was with affront that she watched Julian storm out, a pained look on his face. Moving quickly away from the waiter, and ultimately, from Kila. The cold cruelty had made it's way back into her countenance. Julian's sudden outburst of violence had frightened her, after her time in Ravok. Ravok was a dangerous place, especially for a pretty woman like she - as she had well found out. But Julian seemed to regret it, in a way, though his irritation lingered. His brief explosion was easy to recover from, especially as he had moved away immediately after, giving her the space she needed to regain that poise she had perfected after many years.

Standing up, she hurried down the stairs, a hand pressed to her throat as if inconsolable. The waiters watched her run out the door into the Surya Plaza, clearly assuming she was Julian's lady, seeking to find him after the row they had just had. Well, they were partially right, though her nose scrunched at the thought of her being his lady. Disgusting. The night air was cool, though the Lhavitians seemed well acclimatised to it as they bustled to and fro in the large meeting place. That bastard Julian had not cared to wait for her. Scowling, she scanned the crowd, before she spotted Julian's tall frame moving away from her through the crowd, his thin long hair reminding her so much of Rowan. A quick breath, and she composed her frame again. She picked up her skirts, and ran after him. "Julian!" she called, seemingly desperate. "Don't leave me! I ... I love you!" With a pounce, she jumped onto Julian's frame, clinging to him in piggy back, resting her head along his shoulder. The Lhavitians around her shook her head at the foreigners. How improper. A grin settled on to her face as she gripped him, clearly raising his ire exponentially.

Once the Lhavitians had looked away - foreigners were all so interesting at first, but this show was over - she slipped from his back and grabbed his hand, tightly, interlacing their fingers. It seemed to be a gesture of love, and would look that way to anyone, with the way Kila was grinning at Julian, but her nails bit into his skin, rough. It was more to make sure he did not get away. Her step fell into his as they walked, and it was clear her earlier hypnosis still had an effect - they were heading towards the Tenten Peak, making their way easterly through the Plaza and the Zintia. As she walked, she spoke. Her face still remained calm, and she looked up at Julian as a lovestruck teen might, but her words were sinister - though her tone was too low for anyone close to have heard.

"Julian Meredith," she hissed. "Perhaps you have not realised it just yet, but I OWN you. I control you. You do not run away from me, and you do NOT attack me. You do NOT turn on me. I can cause you so much pain without even touching you, boy. Yes, boy." Her words were underlied with hypnosis, and though they would work exceptionally upon the helpless Julian, he knew he was being played. Kila was not exactly subtle about it. They arrived at one of the bridges, connecting the Zintia to the Tenten. Without waiting for Julian to talk, or to react in any way, she literally dragged him across the bridge. Her small frame, though thin, pulled him, tugged him, did whatever she could to get him across. The Dawn Tower rose in sight before them.

When they were finally across, she released his hand, disgusted. "SIT," she barked, and Julian had no choice but to sit, his legs buckling beneath him onto the ground. She stood above him, and surveyed him with such disdain. "You still do not know who I am, boy, do you?" There was such anger in her words. "Of course you don't. I wasn't important enough for you to notice, for anyone to notice. No one cared about me." Suddenly, with a high pitched screech filling Julian's ears, the image of Rowan's face, his father's face, filled his mind. It was Rowan as he would be now. He could no longer see the angry Kila in front of him, no longer see the bridges of Lhavit, could see nothing but his father. "Oh, but your father did, boy. Your father cared. And you ... you are going to end up just like him." With an ironic bark of laughter, she continued. "You don't even realise what a blessing that is! Julian Meredith, you are ignorant and foolish."

She bent before him, and her hand came up to grip his chin, her well groomed nails biting into his skin. The time for games had passed. "I want something. And you are helping me." There was no room for questions here, as her voice echoed in his mind. Helping me... helping me... "It's in the Dawn Tower. I want their magic staff. There's a staff there, and I need it. For my hypnotism. I need more power." More power ... more power ... "You are weak, and as a boy, you shied away from the opportunity for power. I got to take your place. But now? I want you to come with me." Come with me... come with me... "So that you can see what you could have had." Her grin was malevolent, and such hatred was directed at him. It was emotional torture. Once more, words echoed in his mind, but they were not words she had spoken.

I am not good enough. She got to take my place. I am unwanted.

The words were in Julian's voice.

by **Julian** on June 20th, 2011, 9:34 am

I love you! Kila’s already familiar shrill voice sounded above the Lhavitian crowds – Julian’s only warning. He had begun to pause and turn around just as the blonde suddenly leapt upon his back, throwing her arms around his neck. It caught him almost completely by surprise, but he had been made tense enough by her warning that he only stumbled forward about four or five steps, though he did very nearly topple over. He clutched at her arms in severe irritation, growling as his momentum faded and the weight of her began to pull him back. She didn’t seem to have any intent of letting Julian go, so he held her arms, if only to keep her from choking him, as she clung to his back.

Again he ignored the stares from the Lhavitian citygoers. They knew nothing of Julian’s struggle, past or present, and what they thought of him didn’t matter. By now, Julian had played in the Shooting Star and lived in Surya Plaza so long that his hairstyle and eastern fashion sense was recognizable by a few passing eyes. Even if they were looking, even if Julian cared for a modicum of their opinions, the annoyed look on his face, the heavy sigh, and the angered rolling of his eyes should have been enough to relay that he was as annoyed as they were appalled.

Of course, he didn’t bother to honor her obnoxious behavior with any sort of verbal response. Eventually she slid off, took his hand like a lover and strode beside him. He gasped in pain as she dug her fingernails into the back of his hand. Julian’s head snapped toward her, but she spoke before he began to protest. Her hypnotism pervaded his mind, and his attempt to resist it became a sharp headache. Or that may have been the sound of her voice. He didn’t care enough to draw the difference. Oh he wished Liara were alive to see this. That woman was nothing if not possessive. That would have been the cat fight of the century.

So he followed her, having no choice but to comply, and roll his eyes again. Yes, sure, fine, he was her little puppet. Whatever. Clearly she wanted something. Once she had it, he would leave. And he would find out who she was. And he’d find a way to get his dignity back from her, even if Hagiri had to extract it himself (Himself? Itself? …Whatever). “Yes, I get your point,” Julian grumbled. “If it pleases you, I’ll behave.” Every word was so abrasively sarcastic that they practically dripped with venom.

As they approached the bridge, Julian hesitated, but Kila didn’t slow down. “Wait…!” he called out without meaning to. He needed a moment! That… that pit of blackness terrified him, and this wasn’t a weakness he was willing to show her. No matter how powerful his pride, however, he couldn’t stomach it. He even forgot to be angry at Kila as she forced him across, his eyes focusing on the black emptiness below him. Even if he wanted to hypnotize himself as she was dragging him, he couldn’t gather the concentration to draw on his Djed for the effort. The beast in the chasm had him by the throat.

It was so mercifully quick that they were suddenly across. Before he could take the moment to recover, Kila gave him a new order that filled his mind. He sat. Julian’s knees hit the road and he sat on his feet. Still stricken by his inconvenient anxiety, his gray eyes remained on the road. He was too distraught to be angry at Kila, he simply obeyed her. A small part of him, buried deep somewhere in the back of his mind, remained fully aware of her audacity, and seethed. This woman would pay, if only Julian found an opportunity to make her.

Who… was she?! How did she know everything about him? Not just his life in Syliras, but Zeltiva, even Lhavit! Was she… one of Liara’s friends? That didn’t seem possible, but it somehow made sense. She dies, suddenly, and her husband disappears. Who wouldn’t want to investi—

Oh… Gods… Why had… why had that never occurred to him?!

That was exactly what happened to his mother, Evelyn. And his father, Rowan. She died, and he disappeared. But… Julian simply couldn’t stand to stay in Syliras! In this life that had meant nothing to him! With the ghost of his dead wife all around him in his apartment. The wife he never even… loved.

Julian couldn’t breathe. He closed his eyes as he hung his head, his loose, untied hair falling over his face. Kila’s words bewildered him. No, she had nothing to do with Liara, did she…? Important enough to notice? Her screech filled his ears, and the musician doubled forward, catching himself on his hands, groaning in real pain.

Then Rowan was there. Not really there, Julian knew. He knew. It wasn’t possible, he was dead. Julian was in Lhavit, dealing with some insufferable blonde woman in Lhavit. He knew this. But he couldn’t believe it as he looked at that all-too-familiar face. He wore an eyepatch and one of his sleeves was empty. He wore the same pressed velvet and lace that he had in Syliras: he looked like money. That one eye, the same grayish blue as Julian’s, was so… Gods, so piercing. They brimming with… with everything! Loathing, exhaustion, intelligence, desire. Julian stared at his father, mesmerized by the power in his gaze. But… it was different. The lines in his face… it wasn’t what Julian remembered. Rowan’s hair flowed over his shoulders… traced with gray! This was… aged! Was it a hypnotism trick?!

“St… stop…” he begged quietly. For all the hatred he had for his father, for all the confused sense of respect, there was only one thing Julian could feel as Rowan watched him: fear. That man had killed his mother, struck her, disassembled her, let her fall apart. And he’d loomed over the young Julian, tall and imposing, completely impossible to stand up to. Liara? Lhavit? Zeltiva? It was gone. Julian was a boy again, vulnerable and weak.

Kila knew him. She had known Rowan! But how? For what Julian could gather, Rowan didn’t even care much for women. Or even men, for that matter, only himself. What she said didn’t make sense… yet it was the only thing that made sense. “H-How… could you… know my…” Kila’s fingers gripped his chin and forced him to look up. He listened to her every word, intently, as they echoed in his head. Take… take his place? As a boy, he shied away? What was she talking about?

“Kila… why…” he whispered, barely having any control over his own voice. It cracked, and he even felt his eyes moisten. He had no control. She owned him. He would do what she asked him without even thinking of objecting. In this state, he couldn’t even be angry at her. He was simply… afraid. “Please… I don’t understand… how can…”

Julian fell again, this time pressing his forehead into the cobble of the road. He didn’t care who was watching, who saw. Couldn’t even process that they were there. Damnit, Julian was done with this! He’d grown up, lived his life! What point could there be to this?! What sort of connections did Rowan have that they’d come back to haunt Julian?! He shuddered, slowly breathing through his teeth against the ground. After a minute or two of attempting to rebuild his composure, Julian eventually rose his feet, stumbling a little in the effort. He pressed forehead into his hand, then swept back his hair. Sniffing, he rubbed at one of his eyes and looked down at Kila.

His own voice echoed in his head, just as it had before. It shocked him, but moreover it was confusing. What did he care what his father thought of him? It was Kila's influence on his own thoughts. He couldn't trust his own mind, but he knew that. It was just more clear now.

“I want to know.” He glared. “I want to know everything. When this is over. I will pay any price you ask.” Without even contemplating the way he would get his revenge on her, not that wouldn’t later when he was more clear-headed, Julian obeyed her commands and approached the Dawn Tower.

His legs stopped moving, and for a moment he was stuck in place. A question was itching on the end of his tongue ever since he'd seen that face, made unfamiliar with age. Rowan... Julian knew that's what his father would have looked like were he still alive. Kila claimed to know him. What if... what if she had something to do with his mother's death? Where did she go after Evelyn died? And... was Rowan with her?

Julian turned around. This was a question he needed to ask, no matter how strong Kila's hypnotic influence. It burned in throat as he tried to hold it in, more powerful than any emotion he could remember feeling. "Kila... before I go, before I do this, I have to know. Tell me... Is my father alive?"