Was It All Just A Dream? No...It Was A Nightmare

[Eryn Xaltyr]

Cool blue eyes stared up into amber as she took a half step back away from the man, the air thick around him causing her to struggle to breath. Despite backing away from the man she still bared her fangs and stopped herself from backing away further, she actually took a small step toward him and closed the distance between them further. Her skin was on fire and she trembled, but she refused to let this stranger win. He was somewhere important, somewhere he shouldn't be and while she couldn't exactly put a name to where they were she knew that she needed to get him out as quickly as possible.

Swallowing she glared up at the man, fangs bared in anger she clung to so as not to lose her nerve. "No." She stood firm in her place before the man, her petite form shaking under his overbearing presence as her skin was on fire one second and then chilled the next. "You aren't supposed to be here..." She suddenly looked away and took in the room around them, the urgency rising in her to get him out of there. Meeting his amber gaze once more she narrowed her eyes, her voice faltering as she dared to poke him in the chest with a single perfectly manicured nail.

"You don't belong here, leave...now."

 

[Disciple]

The man took another firm step forward, into her finger which dug into his crimson flesh with a pleasant pain brought about by pressure. Her defiance was admirable, if misguided. Lifting a hand to rest on her arm, he slides the smooth palm up her pale skin and towards her cheek, where he caresses her face with a lover's touch.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. I'm unlocking for you things you never knew about yourself." Around him, the library seemed to press in on her and her alone, as though responding to the orders of the intruder. "Now return to your bedchamber and allow me to work.", he whispers softly, authority weighing down the barely audible words.

If he was being honest with himself, she was quite a sight. But he had more important matters to attend to than ones of the flesh.

 

[Eryn Xaltyr]

She jumped at his touch, her skin tingling as she nearly drowned in his presence. For a moment her anger slipped away and she felt compelled to do as he bid, her finger that still rest against his chest sliding down until it fell away from him. Her eyes took on a glazed look, but just as she moved to step away from him a tremor shook her body and she returned to the present. The vacant expression vanished and she blinked in confusion, reflexively stepping away from the man as she slapped his hand away from her face. She hissed and the room shook, the ambient light dimming and taking on a dark red hue as a deep growl rumbled in her chest.

"No...I cannot...I won't."

Deep down she knew that they had met before and that crossing this dark man was a terrible idea, but when in a rage there was no stopping her. The room continued to tremble and from high above them a few books rained down around them, but she did not waver in her challenge of the man. She refused to bend to something so unnatural in the midst of her...was this her mind? Cool blue eyes darkened as slowly she pieced together where they were or where she suspected that they were, but how they had come to be in this place still escaped her.

"What are you doing here?"

 

[Disciple]

"I'm afraid you're taking us back to a place we've already been...", he replies enigmatically, unperturbed by the shifting environment and clearly still feeling utterly in control. "I've already told you why I'm here." Again, he moves a bit closer to her, his eyes boring into her with an edge of cold steel.

There was nothing outwardly threatening about the man, but everything about him screamed of a subtle wrongness. It was like looking at a knife on display, perhaps. Obviously it could be used to harm people, but it's use depended upon what it was being wielded against. For now, that thing was her.

Taking a slow breath as he invades her personal space further, the sharply attractive man gives a smile that bespoke the varied horrors he could inflict at a whim. "How easily this goes is up to you, but I'm doing you no harm." There was, curiously, an air of truth to that statement.

Still, he seemed to be working some sort of subtle manipulation on her, as he sought to focus her on his appearance. To draw her to his physical attractiveness; albeit not necessarily as a distraction.

 

[Eryn Xaltyr]

She swallowed once more as a light sheen of sweat glistened upon her pale skin, his words resonating with something familiar that was lurking at the edge of her mind. Her rage slipped away as he drew closer and the room calmed as everything returned to normal. His closeness was stifling, but when she actually attempted to move away she found herself rooted to the spot. Swallowing once more, cool blue eyes stared into amber as her personal space was overwhelmed. Her knees became weak, but she was unable to look away and she thanked the Gods that she remained on her feet.

"What...what are you unlocking?"

Her heart was beating so hard she was certain he could hear it and she was finding it harder to concentrate the longer she stared into his eyes. "I...know you..." Her words where soft, so soft she wasn't sure she had spoken at all. As the room seemed to fade away she forced herself to replay his words over and over again, his voice tugging at familiar strings until the realization of who he was struck her like sharp blow to the gut. She inhaled sharply, his scent filling her nostrils and befuddling her mind further as she forced herself to close her eyes.

"The jester...You're the jester..."

She cracked her eyes open just a tad as her mind processed his scent, her skin tingling oddly in response. He smelled old, older than some of the Elders back home, but there was more and she closed her eyes once more. Without realizing it she leaning in a breath closer, inhaling slowly. Death clung to him, but it didn't stink like she expected. His scent was deeper than she could reason and alluring, like fresh blood; there was a promise hidden just beneath the top layer, but she couldn't discern what exactly the promise was. Slowly she reopened her eyes and was surprised by her closeness, but she couldn't back away.

"You're Sith..."

 

[Disciple]

Beads of sweat erupted from her porcelain skin, catching his gaze with the small glints of reflected light from the mental libraries light fixtures - which was now back to normal. He was all but atop her as she remained rooted in place, puzzling out not only who he was but what it was he was actually trying to do. "A brighter tomorrow...", he says with a wicked grin that promised many things; things that bode well for him, and, presumably, her.

Lips dark enough to be near maroon curled upwards into a devilish smirk as she breathed deep of the ancient smell of countless atrocities, no doubt confirming what she'd feared this entire time. "Yes, little one.", he coos with a hand raised to stroke her cheek as one arm slips around her waist to draw her in yet closer.

While the touch was soft, almost caring, it lacked a certain something - genuine emotion. For him, this was all a means to an end, and he was going to manipulate her in any means he needed to so he could fully unlock within her the power she'd long suppressed. "And like that... you've caught.", he says with a musical tilt to his noble voice and a victorious smile. "And how does that knowledge make you feel...?"

 

[Eryn Xaltyr]

Her body tensed as though a bucket of cold water had been thrown upon her the moment his arm slipped around her waist. Reflexively her hands rose up and her palms connected with his chest, though she didn't make any attempts to get away just yet. Chest rising and falling rapidly as her heart threatened to break free of her rib cage she just stared up at him, her mouth dry. She licked her parched lips, but offered up no response to his question as she tried to puzzle out exactly what his statement about a brighter future had meant.

I'm the brightest in my class...I already hold a medical degree specializing in one field, I'm close to getting my second...My future is as bright as...

Cool blue eyes widened as her hazy mind put the last puzzle piece together and she involuntarily trembled in his grasp. He means to make me like him... It was the only logical answer and as that last puzzle piece slipped firmly into place, her eyes were suddenly sharp once more. Her cheeks burned as her temper flared accompanied by the knowledge that she was barely clothed. Growling she pushed against his chest, but was met by a solid wall of muscle. Realistically she couldn't hope to escape his grasp now, but this was her mind, there had to be something she could do. Fangs bared once more her hands curled and she slowly dug her nails into his flesh, defiance burning in her eyes.

"Rebellious..."

 

[Disciple]

His chest flared faintly with pain, and he half-snarled in apparent pleasure at the faint pinpricks her nails gave him. "Good.", he states firmly, great mental will reaching out into her mind and transforming it under his own power. It may be her head, but she was unconscious and didn't know how to control her mental faculties like he did.

The library was now her bedroom, and he released her and shoved her towards the bed before he disappeared from sight with a faint laugh. "My work is nearly complete. You'll thank me when I'm done." All exits from the room faded from view, and it was evident that if she hoped to stop him, she'd have to figure out what he was doing, and quick.

But in doing so, she'd only help him accomplish his goal. A catch 22 if ever there was one.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way, Eryn... it's up to you."

 

[Eryn Xaltyr]

Eryn didn't miss his reaction to her digging into his chest, but before she could think to react they were suddenly in her room and she was tossed upon her bed. Hissing in displeasure by his treatment she scrambled off the bed, only when she made to go after him she found that he had vanished. As the door to her room faded away she rushed towards it, snarling in response to his statement.

"Frak you!"

She grabbed for the doorknob, but her hand passed right through it and that only incited her rage further. He had manipulated her beautifully, lulled her right into his arms and now that she could see the steps to his dance clearing she was ready to make moves of her own; it was time he danced to her tune. Growling deep in her chest she clawed at the door, her nails digging into the fading wood until she was simply tearing into the wallpaper of her room.

"No!!"

She raged against the wall, dragging her nails down it repeatedly as she lost herself to something akin to her blood lust. With each swipe she tore into the wall, tearing her nails to shreds until her fingertips began to bleed. As she smeared her own blood down the wall, howling in anger and pain, something remarkable happened. She felt a wave of heat well up inside her body and then rush outward and as the heat escaped her body there was a blinding flash of light and she stumbled forward, falling to her knees in surprise.

 

[Disciple]

Disciple smiled, knowing she'd played right into his hand. As she fell through the wall, her hands healed themselves back to their pristine form from before; but she'd noticed she'd dropped into what appeared to be a country bar somewhere, with Disciple studying a pool table with a cue held in one hand.

'Hrming' to himself as he walks around the table, considering his shots, he looks up in amusement at her and motions to a cue holder nearby, obviously inviting her to join as he bends over the table and snaps a shot into the far corner pocket. Wearing well worn and faded jeans with a black button up top, he chuckles faintly as he continues to set up his next shot. Pausing, he rolls up his sleeves.

"Calm yet?"

Yeah, he was taunting her.

 

[Eryn Xaltyr]

For the moment Eryn ignored the man, slowly getting to her feet as she took in the bar they were now in. How did we get here? She felt certain that they were still in her mind and yet, this place was obviously of the man's design since this was as far from her preferred scene as possible. As she took in her surroundings she absently smoothed her hands over her nighty, only to find that she was now wearing a pair of super short jean shorts and a cut up shirt that had been made into a tank top and revealed all of her flat stomach. Resting upon her waist was a belt that served no purpose, except to be gaudy. The outfit she was dressed in was certainly not one of her choice and immediately her eyes snapped to the man, narrowing in displeasure.

She considered taking up a pool cue to strike him with, but the prickling of the hair on the back of her neck advised otherwise. Grumbling she said nothing and instead moved to grab a pool cue of her own, attempting to kill him with a simple glare alone. Finally, after watching him make another shot, she managed to find her voice though her rage was still seething.

"I'm going to kill you...This is fraking ridiculous!"

She was irate about everything that had happened thus far, but the icing on the cake was her current state of dress and she made that perfectly clear as she indicated her outfit. "You have no taste..."

 

[Disciple]

The murderous grin returned for a moment before he snapped off yet another shot before cursing - he'd missed the hole. He cocks his head to the side and chalks the cue, motioning for her to go. "You're stripes.", he says with every hint of amusement as he leans against the wall, thumb tucking into one of his belt loops lazily.

"Oh no, I've got plenty of taste... I want you to change it." Now he was apparently guiding her in controlling her thoughts; how odd. For Disciple, everything was going just as planned: it was, however, hard to remember a time when things weren't. "So, figure out what you'd like to be wearing and put it on."

It was all quite simple.. for him. It was going to be vastly more difficult for her. He hoped she'd learn to harness her emotion for power sooner, rather than later.

 

[Eryn Xaltyr]

"Excuse me?"

Pool cue now in hand she glared at the red man, cool blue clashing with amber as she tapped a foot in irritation. Grumbling she moved to the pool table and eyed the balls, her mind working out his comment. She wanted to tell herself he was just toying with her, playing a cruel game with her mind, but she knew that wasn't true. The setting of all their interactions was her mind and while she wasn't currently in control, she could be. He is trying to teach me...I hope... She glanced at the man, then back to the layout of the balls upon the table. Deciding to focus on the simpler things for the time being she walked around the table once, then twice, and finally stopped with her back to the man.

As she worked out her shot she leaned forward, giving the man a perfect view of her ass in the tiny pair of shorts she was currently wearing. She wasn't purposefully giving him such a perfect view, it just happened that her perfect shot put her in such a position. As she lined the shot up her mind wandered back to her real dilemma and with a crack of the cue against the ball, her shot went wide, completely off target. Grumbling she slowly straightened, narrowing her eyes as she moved to lean against the wall beside the man, tightly gripping her pool cue as she glared at the pool table, deep in thought.

 

[Disciple]

"Excuse you, huh? I guess you like what you're wearing then..." At the same moment, she bent over right in front of him, pale skin stretching her shorts in a way that would get most men's blood pumping. Waiting until she took her shot, he tapped her rear with the pool cue. "You're lucky I ain't lecherous. But if you keep up that style of play I imagine you'll spend more time being railed than learning to use the Force."

Shrugging, he stalks around the table like a predator eyeing it's game, amber eyes alight with a near murderous intent that was likely far too ingrained to be due to a mere game. Taking a snap shot and, through an atrociously lucky bounce, managing to get the ball in... he continues looking for his next shot. "Then again, what do I know? I'm just older than dirt."

Another shrug, another shot, and another ball in. He was on a roll.

 

[Eryn Xaltyr]

Eyes narrowed she just glared at the man, finally rolling her eyes. "Thank the Gods then that you aren't a dirty old man..." Smirking she closed her eyes and tilted her head back, leaning it against the cool wall behind her. This is my mind, I should be in total control...but I'm not... He is in control, but I can take that away in time... I just have to focus. Breathing slowly she ignored the sound of him hitting ball after ball, the sound of his boots upon the floor, everything fell away and all that remained was silence. Once the silence was firmly in place and she was confident that her concentration wouldn't be shattered, she imagined the exact outfit she wanted to be wearing. At first she did the simple task of visualizing it in her closet, but then she moved onto admiring her reflection in the full length mirror in her room.

The longer she visualized herself wearing the form fitting dress and amazing red heels, the more real it felt. Finally she opened her eyes, her senses flooding back as she slowly looked down at herself. Just like she had imagined she was dressed in one of her favorite outfits. Grinning, fangs framed beautifully by her full red lips, she flipped her hair over her shoulder and approached the pool table, heels clicking.

"This...is taste...Not that redneck disaster you had me in."

Proud of herself she did a little strut around the table, passing close behind the man as she used her own pool cue to tap him in the rear the same way he had done to her.

 

[Disciple]

Disciple actually stopped moving as he realized she'd retreated into her own little world within her mind, taking this all a step further as she finally realize what it was she needed to do. And, admittedly, he was curious as her outfit started to change - into a form hugging red and purple dress with heels the color of her lips. How interesting...

Smirking, the man simply raised a brow as he took another shot and missed, scratching in the process. He places one of his balls back on the table and sets up the cue ball for her. "So you went from cheap corner worker to slightly classy escort... hardly a jump." If he could fit more condescending dry humor into his tone... it would be a miracle.

His gaze hardened as she smacked him back, and a flame crackled momentarily within them as he eyed that strut she moved around with. She's going to be a handful.... "Go, woman."

 

[Eryn Xaltyr]

Eryn only smirked in response to his comment and tone; she'd struck a nerve. Without a word she moved around the table, once more eying the layout as she plotted out all her possible moves. He'd left her with very little room to maneuver, but if she could put just the right amount of spin on the ball then everything would work out. Finally she settled on her next move and so she began setting up her shot.

Once more she was bent over in a very compromising position, but this time she wasn't giving the man a view of her rear, instead he was getting a good look down the front of her dress. Either not concerned or unaware of exactly what she was giving the man a look at she focused on making the perfect shot. With yet another crack she hit the cue ball and unlike her previous shot, this one was right on target. Smirking she straightened and sauntered around the table, eyeing her next shot.

"Having fun?"

 

[Disciple]

Raising a brow, Disciple gives her a slick grin before the surroundings melt; the table melded with the floor, colors bled towards the ground and then surged upwards as he rebuilt the setting yet again. This time, they were in what appeared to be a CEO's office with a view overlooking a vast glacial plain being swept by a blizzard.

A desk sat in front of a bank of windows, while bookcases lined either wall and a turbolift door appeared behind her. There weren't too many ice planets, but it was obvious this one wasn't any of the more well known ones.
"Fun isn't something I'm too familiar with, at least no in a sense you'd know." A wicked smirk appeared for a little before Disciple walked around the desk and took a seat in the mid-backed chair. Wheeling himself forward to fold his hands on the desktop, his amber eyes dance with mirth as he studies her.

Making a faint noise of consideration, he gestures for her to sit. "The question is... are you?"

 

[Eryn Xaltyr]

Frowning she looks around her new surroundings, thoroughly flustered by the man's constant manipulation of their surroundings. Finally cool blue met amber once more and with a stubborn look in her eyes, she took a seat. Leaning back in the chair she made herself comfortable, drumming the perfectly manicured nails of one hand against the armrest of the chair.

"I suppose...though playing games with an intruder in my own mind certainly was never on my list of fun activities..."

Tilting her head back slightly in a somewhat insubordinate gesture, she folded her arms over her chest and stared straight at the man. To her it seemed like they were getting into far to many staring contests and she was certainly over it.

 

[Disciple]

With great reluctance, she danced to his tune, only to stick her chin in the air like a petulant child who didn't feel like eating their veggies while staring at him in a way that asked 'what you gonna do about it'. Disciple twiddled his thumbs a bit, a smug grin plastering itself upon his lean visage.

"Well, if you don't want me in control... take control yourself. This is all really very simple."

And to him, it really was.