Closed Just a touch of darkness (Matthew)

[Evalin]

Matthew's touch went nearly unnoticed, so deep was Evalin in thought that even physical contact escaped her. Though when she did she made no move to dissuade him. Physical contact was rare for the nuit, and in a way she found it amusing that anyone would touch her at all. This was Matthew after all, and while he was an enigma Evalin knew that unlike most others in this world what he did outwardly in speech or action rarely was done as a way to hide some ill intent. To say she trusted this man was wrong of course, but she did not hold up as strong a guard with him.

"As I suspected..." Evalin whispered as Matthew finished, looking at him but somehow still looking through him as her thoughts once more began to wrap about her, "This is... What I suspected but even so to hear it makes my soul tremble."

How close we were to losing everything to that man... It almost made her shiver, that realization at how close she had come to falling under the influence of another person AGAIN. This one even more powerful than the last, and surely his hold would have been more absolute.

"That means that he knew well what he was doing, and meant to put me under his control." She spoke aloud, completely to herself, "Be damned that man... He will pay."

Her attention came back to Matthew then and there was a new look in her eyes. A softening as a warmth in her own chest grew ever so slightly as a touch of gratitude reached her voice, "Thank you child. I am in your debt this day. While you realize it not you have saved me from repeating a terrible past mistake."

What was she to do then? She had already sworn to meet with Ignotus again before she left the city, and she did not wish to think of what he might do if she ignored him now when he was about to make contact with Caelum. Plus she still had to get his Chavi Key... But that would mean facing him again, and now knowing that all that she had suspected was actually true it only increased the dread which she felt at the prospect of being alone with him again. How do you fight something like this? How do you gain the advantage over someone who can bend your mind and emotions to their very will?

The answer lies before you even now. Tsenrika said, bringing Evalin's focus back to the person who stood right in front of her.

Evalin's eye's widened as she realized that, in fact, the tables had turned. Matthew! Oh dear Matthew, he was the trump card, the means which Evalin could use to turn the tides of this game. He was a hypnotist was he not? Perhaps He could aid her and enlighten her before the final bout with Ignotus began.

"Dear Matthew, my gratitude to you knows no bounds this day. I have many many things that I wish to discuss with you, but first I have a request. A request that I ask as one who now acknowledges your growth into a fine man, one who has earned my respect this night." Touching a hand to his chest once more Evalin looked up at him, her eyes searching and almost pleading, "I ask you now my student, if you would become my teacher and tell me all that you can about this magic of Hypnotism. How can I gain the power myself, and how would you defend yourself against those influences? And the trance you say... Please tell me everything you can about the trance for I fear someone very powerful is trying to bend my will to theirs, and that I could not bear to happen."

She once more found her attention captured by the ring of blue around his beautiful irises, and while more questions bubbled to her mind Evalin pushed them aside for now, "In exchange I will offer you answers to any questions you may have, just as before, whether they are the right OR the wrong questions. Share with me your knowledge and I will open my own up to you."


.

[Matthew]

It was interesting that she seemed to have a strong suspicion of whoever it was who had used the magic on her. From what he could tell, that wouldn't bode well at all. Whatever the case, it wasn't any of his business. While he was curious to see how events would unfold from here, Matthew knew better than to get into any sort of odd game between two beings capable of using magic. He was simply a prostitute, even if the constant sensation of Tanroa's faint presence tried to convince him otherwise. She was always there, lingering at the very edge of his mind. He had found it distracting when engaging in his nightly work. He had tried thinking of it as just a third person that was in the room, finding pleasure in the erotic show before them. The tactic hadn't worked.

There was someone that wished to control her? A man, apparently. Matthew wasn't familiar enough with anyone in Zeltiva to make an educated guess at who that might be. Part of him wondered if he should warn her. When it came to Hypnotists, Matthew felt it was a common mistake to believe Hypnotism was their greatest weapon. In order to become truly powerful with the magic, something completely non-magical was required. In order to be a master at the craft, the user would have to be a person that had a near-supernatural ability to understand any given mind that was put before them.

Hypnotists were dangerous not because of their magic, but because they were artists of the mind. A master of the magic would no doubt already be aware of at least a few strengths and weaknesses of Evalin's self. Further interaction would only reveal more. It appeared she was determined, though. Very determined.

A short and polite nod acknowledged her verbal show of gratitude. It sounded very foreign on her lips. The brief reflection of it in her eyes was just as foreign. It did not seem to fit her. Why was that? Matthew had barely advanced a single step along that path of thought before Evalin quickly yanked his attention elsewhere.

She was suddenly very flattering. He had no idea if it was genuine or not. Did it really matter? The real issue was the newest puzzle that he had been presented. Teaching her. He had not expected that. It was incredibly rare for him to even divulge that he had magical talent. Why had he done it now, then? Matthew lifted a single hand, tapping a finger against his lower lip in a slow and steady beat. When he finally answered, each word was spoken a bit more slowly than normal. There was a large amount of thought behind them. “I can share what I know and how I think you can learn the magic, though I do not know if it will work. I have seen Hypnotism used in many different ways, leading me to believe that the method of learning may be unique from person to person. I would at least be able to get you started in the right direction.”

He paused, mulling over his response a few ticks longer. She wished to make an exchange. What was something that Matthew was curious to learn from the Nuit? There were many things, many questions. He felt a large number of them paled in comparison to the knowledge she was requesting from him. Perhaps he could adjust her offer in a way that made it a bit more flexible.

“I can also give you my opinion on your other questions about Hypnotism. However, I can't help but wish for two pieces of knowledge. One will be up to you. You may give me any sort of knowledge that I do not know and that you feel is equal to the knowledge I am giving you. I will accept whatever it is you offer at face value.” He was rather certain she would accept those terms. He was curious to see if she would use them to her advantage and actually trade something that could be considered of lesser value. “As for the second part-”

It was the second part of the deal that he felt would be the most interesting bit. “-I would like for us to kiss.” Matthew passive expression wouldn't even twitch. If Evalin thought for a second that he was trying to make some sort of joke, once glance into his intense and focused stare would reveal that he was completely serious.

[Evalin]

It was all very simple. An exchange, and nothing more. Matthew knew things that Evalin needed to desperately learned, and so it only made sense that she would offer her own knowledge in return. After all there were many things that the Immortal could tell the Harlot if he only asked. The secrets to bending the elements, to viewing across the stars, and even shape ones own body. So much it was that she could offer, and so of course he would be interested in her vast knowledge. That was what Evalin though, and so she was not surprised to hear he was not satisfied with only one answer. The depth of the answers to which questions Evalin as asking were great, and so of course the nuit knew to expect an equally prized exchange of knowledge to come. What would she tell him though?

"Certainly that is all I ask," Evalin nodded in agreement to his thoughts of simply teaching her what he could, "Know I well the difficulties of passing on knowledge of arts such as this. Delicate it is, to say the least." She said this as one who had done just that some time ago, not just at the University in that very city but also on the Isle of Sahova as well. The passage of knowledge was rarely straight forward and it often depended on on how the individual interpreted what was being said.

She was still in thought over what she would tell him, so deep in fact that she almost missed the second part and looked up with a quizzical eye. The words he said sunk in slowly after a few ticks of aimless staring, then slowly as realization of the meaning of what was uttered began to dawn on her Evalin's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to... Say something? Deny the request? She wasn't sure for no words came out.

To say she was shocked would be liken to saying a hunted rabbit was terrified. It was so profound that for several ticks Evalin's mind could come up with nothing with which to respond and so she simply stared, jaw slightly ajar before the Immortal noticed this and snapped her mouth shut. Looking away quickly Evalin furrowed her brow, mind abuzz with thoughts, musings and wondering... What was this? What was his tactic? A Kiss? All the knowledge from more than 2 centuries of existence, and he demands a kiss from this wretched creature?

Perhaps it is a test. Tsenrika offered, but he was just as confused as his Master.

Pray tell what great secrets may be divined from a connection of lips? Evalin demanded, only glancing at Matthew as the silence stretched on, It is a ridiculous request, one that need not be honored or dignified with a response! but even as she thought this there was, still, a burning curiosity.

What was a kiss? What about it was so profound that it would be requested in exchange for magical knowledge? Could it be that... Was it possible that in all of her years Evalin had missed something profound. Could it be that a kiss was more powerful than she at first believed?

Without really meaning to Evalin touched her lips, her expression one of confused contemplation as she tried to work out this strange new puzzle. She knew that people kissed for various reasons. To greet one another, to show intimate affection, and to show forceful dominance. Which was Matthew trying to use against her, or was it there was a fourth use?

After a time Evalin finally looked bath at Matthew, still absently touching her lips as she looked him up and down suspiciously, "Why...? Why a kiss? Do you hope to discover something from it that you cannot with your sight?" by this she indicated his auristics, "Know I little of this kind of magic, or its purpose... I do not understand its purpose. None seek to kiss something like me without some reason."

Another pause and finally Evalin realized what she was doing and let her hand fall from her own face, clasping them firmly at her waist like she was trying to keep them from wandering any more. For once Evalin was not sure and confident in her stance and bearing, her eyes still searching in uncertainty those eyes that burned bright blue to her reads, trying desperately to understand something that completely escaped her grasp.

"If that is the price I have to pay however..." She said softly, biting her lip now a tick before continuing, "I will not deny the request. I do not understand or know how to... Do whatever it is you wish of me. So..." She cleared her thread, not because she had to but as an excuse to look away again, "If you wish for it you must lead this yourself. After which you will tell me what I have asked, and THEN I will give you the last part of your request."

Another tick and she sighed, her brows knitting together as she almost glared at Matthew, "Then let this be done and gotten over with. Take my lips if that is what you so desire!" She said this with a mixture of resentment, anger, frustration and, strangely enough, embarrassment.

Absently she twisted her fingers together, knotting them as she did not know what to do with herself, not until Matthew finished his business and got on with his request.

[Matthew]

Blue eyes stared back at her, unblinking and unwavering in their intensity. A flicker of nearby torchlight caught them for a brief tick, causing the dark blue ring surrounding each iris to shimmer in a sudden burst of color. He wasn't surprised to see that she appeared a bit shocked. He imagined that most Nuit were not often asked if they would share a kiss. The ones he had managed to ask had declined his offer, leaving a gap in the knowledge that he had gained over the seasons while working as a harlot. Did Nuit taste the same as others? Did they kiss the same? If he was ever to have a Nuit come to him a client, Matthew would prefer not to go into the interaction completely blind. There were also other reasons. Other purposes. The Harlot occassionally had those. He was sometimes as complex as people seemed to think he could be. Whatever the case, Evalin was still thinking. She was no doubt searching for what she thought was a hidden complexity in the request for a kiss. After all, why would someone ask something so basic from a Nuit?

He was patient. He would allow her the time that she needed to fully comprehend the idea.

As if sensing the idea that his request was utterly ridiculous, Matthew's face was there as evidence to the contrary. He looked as completely and utterly serious as he always did. He was still simply waiting. Waiting for this to progress. Waiting for her to ask the first and most obvious que-

Ah, there it was. The Harlot answered without hesitation. "There are multiple reasons. I have never kissed a Nuit before, which leaves a gap of knowledge in my current profession. I wish to fill it. What does a Nuit taste like? How does a Nuit feel about a gifted kiss? Is there a difference between kissing a Nuit and kissing any other corpse? That is merely a few of the questions that such a kiss would answer. Of course, there are other things. It can be used as a tool to teach. If you would allow, I could use Hypnotism to insert the idea of the shared kiss actually being a warm hug. Obviously it would be a false thought, allowing you to easily realize what was caused by magic. Perhaps you could focus upon this thought and use it to unlock the magic for yourself." The Harlot allowed her to continue speaking, waiting until she had finished and then nodding politely. "Do not linger on the thought of it too long. You complicate something that is very simple, Evalin. It may help to close your eyes at some point if you wish." He took a graceful step forward, closing the remaining space between them.

It really did turn out to be a simple affair. It was a soft and sweet thing, the soft hand of the Harlot cupping her cold cheek to gently tilt her head until it had reached the best angle. He would then lean down, smoothly and slowly, allowing the woman ample time to change her mind if she wished. If she did not, Evalin would find that it only lingered for all of a few ticks. Bright blue eyes stared at hers up until the last moment, fluttering closed as warm flesh lovingly brushed against her own. That was perhaps the true sign of Matthew's skill, even with such a simple gesture, even if it was something that Evalin was unable to understand or feel. There was intimacy in the kiss of the Harlot. Affection. Care. His lips lingered for just a breath and then were gone, the man straightening his back and letting his fingers fall slowly from her cheek. "And perhaps I simply wanted to." He merely presented the idea and let it linger in the air for her to consider.

Stepping back, Matthew called upon his magic, this process much more instinctive than when he used Auristics. He did not have to put conscious effort into distributing the Djed into his aura of influence, it merely seemed to seep into it in accordance with his will. He did not use it to influence Evalin yet. Not without her permission. "A hypnotic trance is something that a hypnotist can pull a target into as long as they have the permission of the target. I have only done it to one person and they described it as a tugging upon their mind that could be easily resisted. Once the trance is submitted to, it will suspend the target on the edge of a state that appears to be much like sleeping. It makes all hypnotic techniques much easier to use and much less taxing on Djed." He took a moment to make sure she was following along and then continued, voice clear and soft, meant only for Evalin to hear. "When it comes to defending against it, I am not entirely sure. My Auristics may allow me to see it but it would not allow me to know exactly what it was they were doing. If the Hypnotist is someone equal to or higher than myself when it comes to ability... there is a chance that there is nothing you can do. Simply being aware of it makes it so that you can resist certain techniques more effectively."

It was a question he hadn't really asked himself. When he had been manipulated by Hypnotism in the past, he hadn't felt that the intended effects were dangerous enough to warrant retaliation. "When interacting with a Hypnotist, I would suggest that you prepare before going in. Write down your goal on a piece of paper. Keep that piece of paper visible and your eyes focused on the goal. Discard all thoughts that exist outside of that goal."

Pausing yet again, Matthew thought back upon when he had learned Hypnotism before answering her final question. "As for learning it... I think it would be worthwhile to allow me to push a thought upon you, then for you to focus and meditate upon that thought. There is an aura that surrounds me, one that I can inject with thoughts or ideas that can then be pushed into those that are within that aura. Perhaps something similar to this method would work for you. I have also heard of staring into mirrors for days upon end, trying desperately to Hypnotise yourself until you suddenly stumble upon the secret. I learned by pinpointing a single foreign emotion within myself and coming to understand it. I then used my Auristics to watch my own aura, to endlessly try and replicate that foreign emotion within my aura... and then I was able to push it upon another." That was another reason for the kiss, though that reason would not be voiced. "That is something else you could perhaps replicate. Does this all make sense?"

If verbal permission was given, Matthew would gently reach out with a single brush of one lone thought. What a warm hug that was. True to his word, it would be a thought that was very easy to identify as magically placed.

[Evalin]

"That is utterly ridiculous..." Evalin said quietly as Matthew explained his reasoning, "We are what we are so there should be little question to taste, or to any of your other reasoning."

Despite her protest, however, Evalin found herself responding to Matithew's suggestions and squeezed her eyes tightly together, lips pressed thin as she braced herself for whatever it was that was about to happen. And then... It was upon her. She felt the touch on her cheek and struggled not to flinch away, holding her ground with as much force of will as she could muster. His lips were warm on hers, but where as she expected to be forcefully gripped behind the neck, bent backwards and made to accept some form of odd acts with tongue... Instead she found a gentle brush, a breath upon her lips as she felt eyes staring at her though her own were closed. This was so different from those other times. It wasn't harsh and quick, a passionate thing filled with some kind of carnal desire. It was gentle yet firm, almost inviting like a warm summers day for her frigid heart. Then just as quickly as it had begun it was over and Evalin was left standing there for a tick longer, eyes still closed.

It took a moment longer after he leaned back before those red eyes fluttered open once more, and as they did a hand came up to gingerly press her lips, wondering at what had just happened even as the warmth of the moment was quickly slipping away. When Matthew began speaking once more Evalin did not immediately give her full attention, lost as she was in thought until her sluggish mind finally remembered why they had kissed in the first place. Shaking her head Evalin let her hand drop to her side, blinking away the cloudiness of her thoughts to focus once more on the task at hand.

It was different than I expected...

The concept of the trance is simple in and of itself, but it follows a logic even more basic than we originally thought.

Evalin nodded slowly, though she had not meant the talk on the trance. She still had some musings of the kiss as her lips could still, just barely, feel the brush of Matthew's own and such a distraction it was that her thoughts were confusing themselves and blending in odd manner.

It is as I suspected, that never could we allow this man to have any kind of sway over us. He would, surely, use it to cast it even tighter chains about me than my old master did. That then left Evalin with a puzzle. How could she deal with this man in a way that would maintain a favorable relationship for Evalin, WITHOUT putting herself beneath his influence.

It left very few options for the immortal, but what was made clear to her was that she had to know more... She had to understand this magic better in order to defend against it. True it seemed that she had, unconsciously even, been protecting herself simply by suspecting this man's influence, but that did little to aid her when it came to preventing the influence entirely. Still... She was loathed to allow herself to be put under Matthew's influence simply for the sake of understanding. Did she really have a choice though?

After a time Evalin sighed and nodded, hands now moving to her neck where the rubbed, an unconscious sign of stress which Evalin could not help but feel given the entire situation. Looking up at Matthew the Immortal grimaced, "The concept of it all... I understand. It is much like with any magic. The manipulation of djed causes a change in the aura of the user which in turn causes a change in the aura of the person that the magic is being cast on. Thus one can affect another person's djed, alter their perceptions in a way and... Manipulate what they might think, or feel as easily as one may manipulate your own thoughts of feelings."

The theory was simple. How long had Evalin studied magic? How long had she experienced various forms of djed manipulation? How many times had she felt the influence of this magic herself? All of it should be simple for her, and yet it was not at all. Could she do it? Did she want to?

Her brow furrowed even more as her hands clasped in front of her, thoughts passing through her eyes as she fought a war of internal strife where neither side could gain any ground. Every fiber of her being screamed at Evalin to let it be. to not allow herself to be influenced by this magic, no matter who it was that wielded it. Yet still she knew she had to understand, and if she had to be influenced by this hateful magic by anyone, then would it not be far safer that that person be Matthew?

"Very well." Evalin said suddenly, "Use this magic upon me. Make it something obvious so that I might feel and understand what it requires to perform this vile art..."
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[Matthew]

While it was interesting to see how the Nuit reacted, Matthew was much more interested in how she tasted. Those brilliant blue hues steadily gazed at her still, apparently unchanged by the brief yet intimate touch they had shared. His tongue slipped out slowly, dragging across the length of each of his lips in turn, the Harlot simply taking a moment to consider. She tasted much like any other human did. It tasted like flesh, yet flesh that was cold and dead. He had felt the same thing beneath his fingers before. There was something else to it however, some other sensation that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Whatever the case, when it came to basic execution, the skills that he possessed could still be applied upon a Nuit. Anything beyond the basics would likely vary from person to person. Already he was starting to analyze the look upon Evalin's face, the motions of her body and the distance of her mind. He was studying them, adding them to a mental tome that was created for her and her alone. When it came to his profession, Matthew always gathered information first. Then he used that information to form a plan.

His tone was still soft and polite when he next spoke, making a perhaps unexpected offer out of the blue. "You appeared to like it, to some extent. I might very well be mistaken, but would you like another? There would be no cost attached. It would just be something for you to learn from, I suppose."

There was a calculating sort of intellect to his unwavering stare for just a moment, one that came and went within the span of a single tick. He did not need magic to make sure that Evalin would find her thoughts randomly wandering to Matthew at some point in the future. He did not do such things with the intent to put someone beneath his power, though. He did it simply to learn. To learn about attraction. To learn about lust. To learn about love. To understand the things that were beyond him, no matter how sacred they might be.

Then, just like that, they were back to business. The Harlot changed topics along with her, giving a sharp nod in response to her description of the magic. "That is an accurate description, I believe. I have experienced being able to give subliminal suggestions, as well as brief thoughts or quick feelings of emotion. I am sure there are further applications beyond those techniques but I would not be the one to tell you exactly what those are."

When her permission had been granted, the Harlot would once again prove to be a seemingly simple creature. There was no trick or twist to his offer, merely a gift of exactly what he had said he would give. It took a short moment of focus and concentration to find the Djed that was kept somewhere within himself, then another couple of ticks to call upon it so that it rushed through his veins and flooded out into the aura that surrounded him. He spoke, slow words that would slowly dance through the air and into her ears, dragging his influence along with them. "Did the kiss make you feel some sensation of warmth somewhere inside?" The foreign thought would soon follow, one that would seem like her own but then quickly identify itself as an intruder. Yes, it was quite a warm hug.

Would it help, he wondered? He was certainly going to find out.

[Evalin]

Of course she did not want another, why would she? A kiss was a pointless thing. A whim of a lie that was used to draw in and entice those who did not suspect its true dark nature. It was absurd to think that, having sampled it once Evalin would ever wish for another.... Right?

Shaking her head she focused instead on Matthew again, red eyes locking on his as she searched for the secret, to understand this vile magic that was the root of so much evil in the world. That was true, of this Evalin was certain, and yet she found herself so easily speaking with this man who knew that magic and used it as easily as she used her own. It was a terrible thing then that clashed with what she had always believed, yet she refused to let it make her wave in those most precious thoughts and grounded logical thinkings. Hypnotism, and those that used it, were evil. Matthew then must be as well. There was truly no other explanation.

Why then was she letting him do this! The thoughts then would circle around once more, fighting against one another as they were pushed on by the still fading warmth on her lips that reminded her of how she had let him talk her into an act that was so foreign to her. Thus here she was. Oh the irony of it all.

"No." was her first response, even as she felt the warmth budding up within her and the thought pass through her mind, a contrary as it affirmed the opposite of what was spoken. It made her brow furrow as a tickle in the back of her mind made her feel the wrongness of what she had just said. It had felt like a warm hug, that kiss as it was, had it not?

"There is a lie... Inside my mind." She whispered, one hand raising to press the tips of dark nails against her brow, as if she would like to rip out that thought with her bare hands, "Put there, by you? A kiss that feels as though it were a hug in my own recollection?"

But how did he do it? That, still, eluded her. was it like shielding in which your djed was pushed out from your body and forged to form a barrier? Or was it like reimancy when you fling res from the tips of your fingers before summoning the elements? Was it so simple to do as to call forth an idea, or thought, and imagine that thought pressed into the other person like one might drive a nail into a bored?

No, that was not what it felt like to her. It was more like... "A coaxing whisper that points to an idea that may or may not be your own." Evalin thought aloud, not really looking at Matthew any longer, "If it were like a spike driven into the chest then surely the one that cast it would not be able to hide their intent. Instead, this art is a subtle manipulation, just beneath the surface that uses..."

Again she paused, "Words? Suggestions?" Her focus once more was on Matthew as she pressed forward with contemplative eyes, enraptured now by the thrill of the search for knowledge, and for the time being her revulsion forgotten, "Tell me, does one need to give a verbal que to signal the change in thought or emotion? How does one send forth the suggestion? Sound, or motion?"