Merlin and the Enchantress

Tue Sep 25, 2018 7:12 pm

Queen of the Damned

Artist: Nujabes - Song: Imaginary Folklore

Once again Claire walked the streets of her home country. Bucharest was where she spent most of her time, but today she'd ventured out to Alexandria, a much smaller city that was close by. There wasn't really much reason for her to have come here other than she felt inclined to, but that had never been enough to stop her from doing something in the past. Plus, after making the short journey she'd found herself thoroughly enjoying the cozier vibes this smaller city was giving off. She had been surrounded by a lot of action lately, so it was nice to leave that commotion behind for a time. Usually when Claire decided to go on a walk it was because she was bored, and today was no different. There wasn't enough going on for her liking. Things needed to be stirred up, just a tad.

She continued to make her way down the small side streets that littered the city, on the prowl for anything -or anyone- that could bring a bit of excitement to her day. She'd come across a few promising prospects a few times now, but in the end she'd decided against pursuing them. Too bland. They didn't pass inspection when she really got interested. One of the downsides of having high standards was that many times there was no one at all to meet them.

Before she gave up hope entirely she convinced herself to explore for another ten or fifteen minutes. If something presented itself that would be delightful, but if not she wouldn't lose any sleep over it. She could exert her efforts in a plethora of alternate avenues, this was just her first choice. It was always invigorating to interact with new people, especially when they had a particularly unique feeling. In fact, she was beginning to pick something like that up right now. It was a calm sensation, removed from much of the chaos she so commonly felt in those around her. Of course, she couldn't form a detailed assessment just yet. She needed more to work with, and there was only ever one way to accomplish that. Track them down.

She set off in the direction from which she sensed this unique and interesting aura, turning down yet another small alley that she could see lead to a more populated hub, most likely centered around commerce. She'd intended to stay in the less populated areas, but plans always changed at a moments notice. She certainly wasn't about to let this opportunity slip away from her. No, there was something about this person that set them apart from the vast majority of the population, and whenever that was the case Claire always reacted in the same way. Both her curiosity and hunger drove her towards the source of these emotions, and so she heeded their call.

Mon Dec 24, 2018 12:31 pm

FALLEN HERO

There's nothing quite like the inside of your own mind. Some people, faced with the most depraved depths of hell, would tread forward without hesitation. Yet, even for them, many times the vilest circumstance to approach was not the demons around you, but the demons within you. For Merlin, who'd experienced the worst out there, it wasn't that different.

The vigilante lifestyle was exciting and liberating; no-one to answer to, no-one to look out for. Live for the people, without being tied down by their laws. In a way, it was a bit of a superiority-complex ridden profession. Merlin wasn't a very boastful person. He was laid-back and generous, living a nomadic lifestyle where he aims was to help people in need as he traveled around the world--and that's exactly what he did. It was a fulfilling way of life, and the prime method of distraction from parts of himself he didn't want to confront. But you can't run away from everything forever. Especially if what you're running from is yourself.

The tribulations Merlin was currently struggling with were relatively simple, with little impact to the world around him; however, for a crusader of good such as himself, it was the most damning: cognitive dissonance. Merlin, true to his heart, did his best to pursue goodness, everywhere he went, in everything he did. But to just one man, "good" was a relative term. As a vigilante, more often than not, he acted as the judge, jury, and executioner. His hands weren't clean, but he justified his actions in the name of good, and acted only one what his own eyes saw. Merlin may have acted on evil on his own terms, but he wasn't naive. Well, maybe he was. It was hard, trying to tell. He needed some perspective.

The blonde sat on the floor, his back resting on the wall of a narrow alleyway. It wasn't a very attractive resting area, but staying in the dark helped to calm him down. For someone with his moral alignment, it was an odd preference, probably inherited from the more torturous days of his life, locked away in some underground area with no light. He spent so much time in the shadows that they felt native to him, enough to help clear his head. Clearing his head didn't clear his heart, however; there was still this soreness in his chest. Merlin put his hands to his face, covering his eyes in his palms in frustration.

"What kind of hero am I, that just this much gets me down."

Sun Jan 13, 2019 3:31 pm

Queen of the Damned

Artist: Nujabes - Song: Imaginary Folklore

It was not more than a moment before Claire was in range to read much more from the emotional energy than she had originally picked up. She could sense that the person she was after wasn't exactly in the best place, perhaps mentally as well as emotionally, which would only serve to make her job that much easier. She continued to follow the energy all the way to its source, which eventually caused her to turn down a small alleyway she wouldn't have set foot in normally. She saw him as soon as she rounded the corner, a young man with light hair and a slender frame. She looked over him momentarily before she approached him, both confirming more of what she thought about the ideas she'd formed due to the emotional energy he gave off, as well as comparing the look of the person to the feeling of the energy. Contrast was always interesting to her, and it did certainly exist here. She could sense pride and uncertainty, wisdom and foolishness, love and contempt. The mix was interesting, unique, exquisite. This was someone who could serve her well, if only guided in the right direction. Guidance, after all, was her specialty.

She approached the young man slowly, her high heels clicking as she neared him. His hands still covered his face, and so she knelt down next to him, before placing her hand on his shoulder. The closer she got to him, the more potently she expected he would feel her aura. The aura was not something that she did consciously, it was simply one of the effects her power had all on its own. When others were around her it gave them a certain feeling. It was hard to describe the feeling, although it was most assuredly a pleasant one. It felt happy, but distant at the same time, and at times there was a small twinge of sorrow or regret. It was not an overwhelming sensation, quite the opposite, its effect was so subtle that it could sometimes go unnoticed. Perhaps the best thing to call it would be nostalgia.

Claire did not know why this was the feeling that her aura gave off, but she expected it was because it put humans into an emotionally receptive state, with the added benefit of being the most advantageous mix of emotions for her to feed on. There was a decent amount of variance and depth to those emotions, and that meant that she would get her fill much more easily. She stopped directly in front of him, knelt down, and placed her hand on his shoulder. If he reacted as she expected he would, by revealing his face, then she would move her hand slightly, resting it gently under his chin and aiming his own face towards hers. She would then give the warmest smile she was capable of, her amber eyes glowing warmly, her bright and full red lips parted wide to reveal the shining, perfectly white smile that lay behind them. She would then speak in a low and inviting voice.

"Have you lost your way young man?"

Tue Jan 15, 2019 12:43 am

FALLEN HERO

A hand and presence snapped Merlin from his depressive mulling. The young man jolted a bit in surprise, both from the sudden hand and the realisation that he was stuck so far in his own mind, he failed to notice someone approaching him. The jolt wasn't necessarily out of fright, though it was true that Merlin held some baseline skepticism and wariness to people. The boy was normally calm and collected, but his experiences in the past made him hardly trusting at his core, even though at surface and in action he usually gave people the benefit of the doubt. He'd keep his skepticism and wariness solely in his heart, never on his face; though, to someone like Claire, there'd be no difference. She'd certainly understand immediately what he was feeling, as if he really was wearing his heart on his sleeve.

Speaking of, his reaction was indeed as she predicted, the response being his hands removed from his face. From there, she'd get a good look at the clear, exceptionally pale skin of his, a strong base palette to bring the shine out of his incandescent ocean-blue eyes. Merlin was already 20 by now, but his face still held its boyish charms, young to the point that it was a bit effeminate--a pretty boy, more or less.

The naturally warm, nostalgically approachable aura Claire exuded did serve well to soothe some of the blonde's anxiety, but given his addled state, it wouldn't do so entirely. Paired with her exceptional beauty, however, by no means was Merlin at odds with the woman. Even when her hands moved to his chin to perk his face up and directly at her, he didn't reject it as much as he normally would. If anything, the thing that abated Merlin the most was her wide smile; it was, poorly put, beautiful. Indescribably so, hence the poor means to describe her mentally. This sense of perfection was unsettling, frankly, especially to a normally skeptical individual.

Such that, in response to her question, he turned his head away from her, though the paleness of his face made the new found rosiness in his cheeks that much more visible. Perhaps in some embarrassment, he let out his silver tongue.

"Not at all, ma'am; just meditating in a back alley, like all the urchins do; if anything, ma'am, in such an uncouth area, isn't it you who's lost? A woman of your grace is either here by accident, or here on a prowl. If i'm to be your subject of interest, I'd hope it be for directions and not the latter."

Tue Jan 22, 2019 1:18 pm

Queen of the Damned

Artist: Nujabes - Song: Imaginary Folklore

Claire looked down at the young man as he continued to speak. She listened to what he had to say so that she could respond with what she deemed to be the best possible phrasing, but more intently than that she was paying attention to the way he reacted emotionally to her presence. She could tell that she'd flustered him slightly, and that was a good thing. It meant that she would have an advantage when it came to using her real power. She would hold off on that for now though, best not to dive into anything full fledged right out of the gate. Instead she would take her time and lure him in with her own natural charm, as well as the aura that surrounded her. He had turned his head before speaking, and so she could not now see directly into his eyes, yet that made little difference.

Based on what he'd said she could tell that this one was perceptive. Or perhaps it was just that he was naturally very cynical. That did seem to be what it was, from what she could tell. No matter, it was simple for her to win over even the most obstinate opponent. She paused for a moment, letting her smile fade somewhat, although not completely. She was now in a much more comfortable resting position, expression wise. She then began her reply.

"An urchin you say? Well you certainly look the part."

She looked him up and down reproachfully as she said this.

"I don't feel that this is the whole story however. Perhaps you could share more of it with me somewhere less... well, like this. Oh, and I can assure you that I'm not lost."

She gave him a rather interesting smile as she said this last sentence.

"This is my country after all."

With that she began to walk away. She used a bit of her emotional manipulation at this point to create something of a draw towards herself, then looked over her shoulder and spoke once more, smiling almost as wide as she had initially.

"If you'd be so kind as to follow?"

Mon Feb 18, 2019 3:31 am

FALLEN HERO

Merlin caught onto the slight drop in her expression, and recognising this had him feeling a bit crestfallen. But, catching himself regretful in this moment was odd--generally uncharacteristic of him. Either way, he maintained a cautious yet curious mindset. Such that, though he was still not completely receptive to her advances and dialogue, maybe a small joke would keep her lips curved up.

"Aye, I'm sure I do, ma'am; I quack and waddle like one."

Until he lifted his head a bit and caught her reproach. Sure. That's the sort of face people usually have with strangers in an alley.

"Do you quack and waddle?"

Oops. Maybe his snark was excessive this time. Oh well.

Actually, not oh well. She came with a smile, dropped it, then extended interests to hear more? Was this woman just kind-hearted, naively meddlesome, or conniving? Ah, there it was again. Cautious, but curious. Curious about her own curiosity. What compelled this woman to have any interest in what Merlin had to say at all?

"This is my country after all."

Uhhhhhhhhh? Yikes. Now Merlin had a lot more questions he wanted to ask. Actually, saying that made him way more cautious than ever. Even the subtle interests exposed by his cheeks faded away, in spite of the indescribable sensations calling for him to hither alongside her as she walked away. Merlin did stand up when she spoke to follow, but it certainly wasn't an action at her behest. Following was now the furthest thing the boy was keen on doing.

"Forgive my insolence from earlier, Your Majesty; that said, I don't think it would be appropriate for a person of my appearance to be hanging around someone of your stature."

The blonde bent forward in a polite bow, waiting--hoping, rather--for her dismissal. If she absolutely demanded him to follow, well, it wasn't the wisest thing to just decline a persistent invitation from the resident ruler of the land. Just, err, an unpleasant request in these circumstances.

Tue Feb 19, 2019 4:37 am

Queen of the Damned

Artist: Nujabes - Song: Imaginary Folklore

Claire let out a small laugh, however the magnitude of it was not something to be ignored. This was never something she'd consciously done, but there was something about that laugh that affected anyone around her. It always seemed to carry much further than it should have, and it was in no way a normal laugh. All who heard it would experience an even greater attraction than what she naturally gave off with her aura, and in fact, in most cases, it was even stronger than the emotional pull she utilized. A truly bewitching laugh.

"I can assure you that I don't, little ducky."

Still looking over her shoulder, Claire paused momentarily. She could see that this young man wasn't keen on following just yet. That surprised her, as generally there would be no resistance to her emotional pull, especially not one that was this strong. That didn't do anything but make her more interested in him however. She stopped dead in her tracks, giving him a look that was much more intrigued than seductive for the first time. This one was turning out to be more and more interesting.

Claire turned on her heels, ignoring the fact that she most likely could have just ordered him to follow her and have been obliged. That wasn't how she wanted to do this. She walked directly back to him, taking note of the fact that he was now bowing to her. That was certainly something she appreciated.

"I forgive you, little ducky, but I would very much appreciate it if you would come with me now. You don't need to concern yourself with anything else."

She said this as she stood immediately in front of him. She then placed both of her hands on his head, raising it slightly. She carefully considered what the best course of action here was, and then placed a light kiss on the young man's forehead.

"Will you do that for me?"

There was a considerable amount of compulsion laced within her previous words. It wasn't even something she'd done intentionally, but a majority of the time Claire's powers took effect without her even meaning for them to. In fact, she didn't even notice that she'd done it.

Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:56 pm

FALLEN HERO

The attractive force of her laugh definitely had Merlin entranced, but the vibes and unnaturalness of the interaction also birthed some discomfort. He felt himself drawn towards her in an affectionate manner, and also ever more cautious of her from not understanding the reasons for this attraction. It was inexplicable and confusing, and the cognitive dissonance furthered his vulnerability to the effects. Such that, her intrusively "interested" gaze wasn't quite noticed. Her seductive features were enough to distract him from the sudden shift. That, and, his bowed posture made it difficult to actually recognise the change in her face.

Not until his head was gently, albeit forcefully, lifted to meet her lips with his forehead. From there, the feelings of attraction grew, still with no explanation for him to generate. The walls around his heart were cracked by then, steadily shaving down to a crumble through the progression of their meeting. Enough, that, he'd finally respond favourably.

"Ah, sure... I mean, I guess it depends on where you want to take me, but, well--we'll see."

Thu Feb 28, 2019 2:08 am

Queen of the Damned

Artist: Nujabes - Song: Imaginary Folklore

With that she would take his hand, once more beginning to move, leading him behind her.

"Somewhere much nicer than this, where we can have some nice food, and relax much more easily. Don't you like to relax?"

She had already decided long ago that she would be turning this one into a Sueki. It was just too good of an opportunity to pass up. She enjoyed the energy he gave off, but more than that the uniqueness of his reactions was something she wanted to learn more about. Unless there were any more unforeseen objections, she would lead him back to the elegantly crafted and lavishly decorated castle that she called her home. She wondered if he had ever been anywhere as nice, but from the looks of him... he hadn't. It was not a long journey, and there would be a few interesting sights to see along the way, especially when they came to the bridge that led directly to her front door.

While they were in transit she began to speak to him once more.

"We'll have to get you something more presentable to wear if you're going to eat dinner with me though. I'm sure it won't be a problem. I might just have something lying around."

As they walked she would make an effort to keep her aura as consistent as possible. She knew from past experiences that too many changes in a short amount of times... damaged the goods, so to speak. That wasn't something she was trying to do here, so she kept it fairly mild. At the same time, she didn't lower the level of her output, and so it would most likely be quite effective, it's sweet embrace perhaps even becoming increasingly comforting.

That would be around the time they would come to the long, slender bridge that led to the gargantuan doors barring just anyone from entering her castle.

"Isn't it lovely?"

Merlin and the Enchantress

Merlin and the Enchantress

Re: Merlin and the Enchantress

Re: Merlin and the Enchantress

Re: Merlin and the Enchantress

Re: Merlin and the Enchantress

Re: Merlin and the Enchantress

Re: Merlin and the Enchantress

Re: Merlin and the Enchantress

Re: Merlin and the Enchantress