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Post by Alessandro Darko on Oct 20, 2007 1:01:20 GMT -5
He awoke with a start. His heart was racing rapidly. He could put up with this no longer as he felt his frustration running through his body. I can't handle this ANY longer. he thought forcefully. He threw off his covers and swung his legs out of bed, exposing his green and blue plaid pajama bottoms. He wore a white, long sleeved tee and threw on one of his robes. He knelt down under his bed, pulling out his Vega. He made his way to the window and pushed it open. He gave a backward glance to his dorm mates, making sure that they were asleep, and he made his way up onto the ledge. He carefully maneuvered his broom outside of the window and managed to mount it, not falling off the edge.
He felt the broom respond under him and pushed off of the window ledge, careful not to fly too far out from the castle walls. He hugged the stone wall as he flew in a circle around the tower in search of the window to the girls dormitory. He spotted it and ascended to be level with it.
He managed to get his wand out and flicked it at the window. "Lumos Maxima! He rasped, causing a brilliant flash of light to emit from his wand tip, reflecting a glare back at him from the surface of the girls dorm window. He was hoping that D'rorah was not lost in slumber and would notice the flash before her dorm mates would. He needed to talk to her right away, he needed her help.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Oct 20, 2007 6:18:06 GMT -5
D'rorah had been up late, as usual. Her dormmates had long ago drawn the curtains around their four posters and gone off to sleep, leaving her to her nightly prowl through texts written in various ancient languages. At present, she was focused on a tome of poorly-written Akkadian. Either the copier had been incredibly lazy or the original scribe had been some sort of epileptic who hadn't understood his own language. As she translated, she searched for any indication that this text might be more than it seemed. Anything which was so poorly written almost certainly had to have some purpose beyond its plain meaning.
She was just in the middle of a particularly trying passage when a bright flash of light filled the room. Puzzled, for she had no heard any rain or thunder, she made her way to the window and carefully opened it. As she looked outside, she noticed a figure on a broom. After a moment, she was able to identify the flier as Alessandro. She glanced back at her doormmates, afraid she might wake them if she wasn't careful.
She stepped up into the window and onto a ledge before closing the window behind her and muttering a quick soundproofing charm. "Exactly what are you attempting to do, besides draw the attention of every Shadow within a ten mile radius of Hogwart's, Mister Darko?" she called to him.
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Post by Alessandro Darko on Oct 20, 2007 16:42:03 GMT -5
He quietly waited for some sort of respone from inside. He prayed that the student to open the window would be D'rorah. He saw a dark figure move up to the glass and carefully pushed open the window. He let out a sigh of relief as it was in fact Dee who responded. She stared at him for a moment trying to discern his features and finally crawled out onto the ledge. Closing the window, she soundproofed it and called out to him.
Her voice sounded exactly what he had expected it to sound like. Annoyed and confused. He drew in closer to the ledge as he didn't want to speak loudly.
"Dee....I need your help. All of those times you've offered your aid, I waved you off, but now...." He said trailing off as if he had regretted not listening to her in the past. He gulped as he hoped she wouldn't deny his plea for help after all that she had been through. "I don't want to let what happened to me, happen again. I need you to train me...I don't want to be weak anymore." These were the words of a desperate soul, he would fall victim to nothing anymore. He wished to become strong in mind and body and conquer his fears and help defeat the shadows.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Oct 20, 2007 16:50:56 GMT -5
"Mister Darko, you are not weak. Your ability to withstand the power of that text for so long is a testimony to that fact. Of course, I will be quite happy to train you." She realized as she said it that he was reflecting a sentiment she had expressed during his possession. "When I made that statement the other day, I was goading the entity that had taken control of you in an attempt to weaken its hold."
She glanced around warily, wondering whether this rather odd exchange would draw the attention of creatures residing in the forest. "Perhaps we should select a better location for this conversation," she remarked quietly. "Could we perhaps move to one of the towers? We could fly over there together." She offered him a reassuring smile. "My help is always available to the members of our group, no matter what may happen to strain any interpersonal relationships we may have otherwise."
She looked down, assessing the grounds below and then turned and looked through the window, making certain none of her dormmates had awoken during their exchange. Without further preamble,she jumped from the ledge, transfiguring to her animagus form and taking flight for the west tower.
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Post by Alessandro Darko on Oct 20, 2007 17:08:35 GMT -5
It felt good to hear that D'rorah thought it strong of him to have resisted the text for as long as he did. Of course, he didn't realize that he was resisting anything until the last moment that he finally realized he was in danger. Her assuring comment about only trying to goad the entity out made sense to him, but he still couldn't help but feel that it was true.
He smiled as she agreed to help him. He was excited, for he could now move forwards and never fall victim again. He would be the one to save himself. Not that he wasn't greatful, but he would much rather defeat any situation quickly before it gets to the extent he would need outside help. Eying her slowly as she suggested they move thier conversation to the West Tower, he watched as she jumped off of the ledge and quickly transfigured herself into her animagus form, the sparrow.
He watched as she flitted off, and quickly went after her, zipping quietly through the air on his broom. His mind was racing with excitement. He was eager to regain control over his life. He yearned for sleep, but knew that he would still be plaged by nightmares he didn't take action and start training his mind.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Oct 20, 2007 17:22:41 GMT -5
D'rorah arrived in the West Tower shortly after Alessandro. After all, brooms flew much faster than most birds. She lit on the windowsill and transfigured back, seated on the sill as she considered Alessandro. "Muffliato. Now of course, I would typically consider the Room of Requirement a far more apt place for this sort of meeting," she remarked quietly, "but considering the hour, I thought it unwise to be seen in the corridors."
She listened for a moment to the owls as they hooted dolefully in the moonlight. It was a crisp, clear night, the sort of night which was perfect fertilizer for thoughtful contemplation of one's life. Such things however, were not on the agenda at present. She and Alessandro had quite a bit of work to do, as did they all. "So then, Mister Darko... considering your recent ordeal my first inclination is to begin with meditation, exercise to strengthen the mind. No doubt you have felt quite a bit weaker since the darkness was expelled. I understand all too well... after my own excursion to the Shadow Realm and the departure of Professor Kade, I have experienced my own difficulties," she remarked, offering him a glimpse of her own humanity. She knew that she typically exhibited a demeanor that was cold and unapproachable... she was coming to realize that it was important the other Lightfighters see her as an approachable human being... she would have to work on that, on being more sociable. They all had much to do together and it would not do for any of them to feel hesitant in approaching her for help... such hesitations could be disastrous.
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Post by Alessandro Darko on Oct 20, 2007 23:10:16 GMT -5
He had landed before her, and made his way into the owlery and leaned his broom up against the stone wall. He turned to face the window, seeing the sparrow land on the sil and morph back into her human shape. How cool... he thought, envious of her animagus abilities. She had seated herself on the sil and cast the muffliato charm before she began. She told him that the first course of action was to develop the mind through meditation. He nodded as he was hoping that she would start off with that.
He had been looking at one of the owls nearby as it preened itself on its perch when she had done something funny. She expressed empathy for his situation as she drew a parallelism to her own life. This sudden insight to her own life caught him off guard and he shot her a sideways glance with raised eyebrows.
"Yes...I do feel a bit weaker than usual..." he said. "It's the nightmares Dee...I know the darkness has gone....but I'm still seeing things. They're not the same. I know its just my mind taking the events that had happened and replaying them at night, but I want to control this better...." He explained.
"I need you to make me a deadly tool...Dee, I wish to be like you, you're strong of mind and will. Help me achieve what you know." He urged her.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Oct 20, 2007 23:26:00 GMT -5
"Of course, Mister Darko. We will teach you to control the thoughts better." She stepped from the windowsill gracefully. "I may not be as strong as you presume, Mister Darko. I am merely well-trained." She glanced around at the room, as though ascertaining that they were indeed alone. "Not knowing something to which you have never been exposed is no shame." She turned back to face him. "Come with me, Alessandro."
She led the way to an empty corner of the room, devoid of owls and all the mess that typically accompanied them, and took a seat. "Now then, you will begin spending an hour each day in meditation, learning to control your own thoughts. We will have a session at least once per week where I attempt to invade your mind." Her eyes narrowed slightly, as though a thought had suddenly occurred to her. "Have you had any training in legilimency or occlumency? Occlumency would be the ideal place to begin... and legilimency could prove helpful."
She reached out her hands and placed one on either side of her temple. "I will not hurt you, but I do intend to invade your mind. You are to stop me, by any mental means you find necessary," she instructed.
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Post by Alessandro Darko on Oct 20, 2007 23:55:32 GMT -5
He followed her to a secluded part of the room, a space a little more desirable as far as the clutter and mess was concerned. They sat down and she had begun to tell him what is to be practiced on a weekly basis. She mentioned occlumency and legilimency and asked if he had any practice in either. He knew what they were, but had never delved into those depths before. He did have a mind to ask her about occlumency, he wanted her to teach him.
"No, I've no expertise in either...but I am interested and willing to learn." He said sitting up right as she began to prepare herself for what she was about to do. She instructed him, as she placed both hands at his temples, to try and block her out of his mind by any mental means necessary. He was somewhat unprepared for this as she commenced the mental invasion.
"Right now-..." He didn't have time to finish as that familiar tingling sensation started at the center of his forehead. This time he felt a mental "push" as she tried to gain access to his mind.
"It feel's weird this time, Dee..." He said as he strained. He was unable to control the memories flashing before his eyes, yet he struggled to control them.
Age six, he was on the playground at school, he and a couple other kids were chasing a butterfly. One of them swatted it down, they all crouched over it. Alessandro's tears streamed down his face as he reached out to pick up the butterfly, and then as if by magic, it began to flutter its wings again.
He gulped and clenched his jaw as he struggled.
First night at Hogwarts, the Great Hall, his turn for sorting. He sat up on the stool with anxiety as he prayed he wasn't sorted into Slytherin. 'Please, please not that house' he begged the hat. 'Not Slytherin, eh? Then you'll do well in RAVENCLAW!' the hat cried.
He gasped for air as his eyes fluttered. His hands gripped the hay around him and squeezed it tight.
WALL OF FIRE, WALL OF FIRE, WALL OF FIRE! He tried to think of a wall of fire, blocking his thoughts, but another memory broke through.
A couple nights ago, in the room of requirements. Horrible screams, twisted sounds, so cold, so dark. He felt a searing pain in his back as he fell to the ground, twitching, feeling an enormous pressure escaping from deep within. Then a hideous voice:
"Naturam expellas furca, tamen usque recurret"
"Ahhh!" He thrust himself backwards breaking contact with D'rorah. "Please...I don't want to see that anymore...." He recoiled, bringing his knees to his chest. He closed his eyes and then let out a deep breath. "No....I need to go on...." He spoke firmly and retook his spot in front of Dee.
"Let's try again." He said with a look of fiery determination across his face. It was the look of someone tired of running from their fears, ready to fight.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Oct 21, 2007 0:04:15 GMT -5
"We have no pitchforks here, Mister Darko," she replied quietly as he resumed his seat in front of her. "The determination is there... you will become better with practice." Her eyes sought out his own, finding a fiery look of determination etched into his face. "You must push your emotions aside, clear your mind of them." She smirked and huffed with an air akin to self-deprecation. "Honestly, you do not believe my cold, unemotional demeanor is an accident, do you, Mister Darko? It was cultivated quite intentionally."
She reached out her hands once again, placing one at each side of his temple. "Push harder, Mister Darko. You will not hurt me." That was not entirely true, but worrying about such a thing would only hamper his ability to defend himself effectively. And, it was very unlikely that he would hurt her... more likely, he would find his way into her memories in his attempt to defend himself. Deciding not to worry about it at the moment, she began her attempt to enter his mind once again.
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Post by Alessandro Darko on Oct 21, 2007 0:16:20 GMT -5
"Clear my mind..." He repeated. She had instructed him to push his emotions aside and to clear his thoughts. Yet again, she provided insight to another fact for the way she is, revealing that her cold, and unapproachable exterior had been a product of her training, so as to remain level headed and perfectly in control. He closed his eyes and took in a breath, he waited a moment until his internal voice quieted down and he was able to stifle any random thought working its way to the surface. All he saw now was the back of his eyelids, blackness.
"Push harder, Mister Darko. You will not hurt me." Her words gave him the encouragement he needed. He created that same wall of fire in his head yet again, focusing on the intricate detail of every flame, every flicker. The color was vibrant and if he didn't know any better, he'd think it was real. He focused on this thought and allowed nothing else to cross his mind. He felt her again as the tingling sensation spread its way into his mind.
Push He concentrated hard and the fire grew brighter and stronger, flickering wildly inside his mind. He was starting to hear the crackle of the flames. He felt the pressure back off slightly, but then it pushed back harder than before.
"Ungh..." He let out a soft moan as he strained his face. His eyes were shut tight and his brow furrowed. His hands were gripping his knees as he sat indian style across from his mental assailant.
Out He thought as he forced the flames forward. The fire exploded everywhere in his mind, it was as if the entire inside of his head held a raging inferno.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Oct 21, 2007 0:31:57 GMT -5
D'rorah had attempted to ease her way into Alessandro's mind and had found the way barred. Thwarted, she redoubled her efforts and pushed again. And suddenly, she felt surrounded by flames. As he continued to push, she could feel him in her mind. The light and heat of the flames felt as though it seared her very nerve endings. A soft sound of pain emanated from her throat as she pulled back.
Unwilling to concede defeat, she pushed harder, attacking the wall she had found with more force. Her hands pressed into his temples as she fought to push her way through his defenses. And suddenly, she felt as though the flow of power was reversed. She could feel his mind in hers. Flashes of memories passed before her mind...
A young girl whose mind was relentlessly tortured by nightmares as she slept one night, reliving her father's memories of a youth during the Holocaust.
The night of her parent's deaths... watching their brutal murder... the images began to solidify in her mind as the fear and emotional anguish of the night took hold of her. D’rorah had curled up on the couch with one of many ancient texts she had been using in the course of her research with her mentor at Falstaff’s, Dr. Stein. She was quite absorbed in her reading when suddenly, without warning, the front door burst open and her parents had hurried inside. Before she could even ask what was happening, Isaac had used a full-body bind on his daughter and had pushed her into a nearby closet, admonishing her to be silent… as if she would have been able to make any sound while under the effects of the bind. Unfortunately, D’rorah’s hiding place in the closet afforded her a spectacular view of the sitting room.
Only a few seconds later, a group of men in dark robes had burst through the door of their New York apartment, shouting, demanding some sort of book and notes that Isaac had. When he refused to give them up, a battle ensued in the living room. Though Isaac and Shoshana had fought valiantly, there were simply too many of the men in dark robes for them to defeat… and their spells seemed to have no effect… Locked in place by the body bind, D’rorah was unable to rip her horrified gaze away as her parents were caught and the robed men began slowly torturing them both in an attempt to extract information. It seemed to go on for hours, her mind screaming and tears running down her face as she was forced to watch… slowly, brutally, tortuously, the men set about systematically tearing her parents… the only people she had ever truly loved… to pieces. There was hardly a surface left in the sitting room not sprayed with their blood when finally, mercifully, they both succumbed to death.
D’rorah had not been prepared when the effects of the body bind wore off as the life finally, mercifully, left her father’s mutilated and tortured body. Caught off-guard, her balance was thrown off and she stumbled.
The dark robed figures’ heads snapped up as they heard the movement. The largest one strode across the room and ripped open the door of the closet, yanking her out and physically throwing her against the wall. She could almost see stars as her head smacked against the wall. “Well, look what we have here…” his voice dripped with malice as he ran a bloody hand along her cheek. “Dark Phoenix is looking for you, little princess,” he added. Almost before she knew what was happening, her arms had been bound. The bindings seared into the flesh of her arms, the pain nearly excruciating… to this day, her arms were covered with scars from those bindings… almost from shoulder to wrist. Nothing had been able to alleviate the scarring…
She endured as she was bound and her robes were tattered and torn and the robed figures killed the last shred of her innocence. As they took their turns, she swallowed back screams of pain at their hateful thrusts. As she struggled, she felt a cold presence move over her mind, calling on her, trying to corrupt her… suddenly, she realized these were all wizards who had joined with shadows… they wanted her to corrupt, to move into the realm of shadows herself… to serve the Shadow Mage. As her world slowly faded to black, the memory ended.
As the memory ended, she finally recalled herself and where she was... what was happening. Pulling her hands back, she stood from her seat on the ground. "We should end for the night," she remarked quietly as she made her way towards the window once again. A single tear made a trail on her cheek in the moonlight as she stood there, gathering herself and refusing to face him. "You have done very well."
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Post by Alessandro Darko on Oct 21, 2007 0:58:12 GMT -5
He felt a spark of pride inside of him as he sensed that his defenses were working. He was pushing really hard, letting the fire inside of him flow perpetually, consuming the blackness in his mind. Not a single thought was allowed to break through. He heard her make a strange noise within her throat, it almost sounded like she stifled a small scream. He fingertips pressed harder against his temples as he felt she was pushing back harder. Every push she gave, he gave a shove back, and suddenly, something odd happened.
Images began to flit through his fiery wall. The flames parted somewhat as he began to see visions of a younger D'rorah, tortured by dreams of her parents memories.
He let out a gasp as his eyes flicked open staring directly at her. Her memories were now flashing before his very eyes.
The next thing he knew, he was reliving something he was familiar with. The night her parents were murdered. He could not break away from her thoughts as he watched her parent's brutally murdered by cloaked figures, obviously followers of the mage. He saw how she had no choice but to watch silently as she had been petrified.
Then the worst came, they found her, they violated her purity with anger and defiled her.
Pulling her hands back, she stood from her seat on the ground. "We should end for the night," she remarked quietly as she made her way towards the window once again. A single tear made a trail on her cheek in the moonlight as she stood there, gathering herself and refusing to face him. "You have done very well."
He breathed heavily as the images faded from his eyes. He stood up quickly, even as the room was spinning, he reached forward and caught her arm.
"D'rorah..." His voice was hoarse as he became emotional. "I've seen that....before...." He managed to get out. The creature inside of him had shown her memories to him as he was held captive in his own body. He was horrified at the atrocities that the forces of darkness were capable of doing to a little girl.
"I just wanted to...I just want you to know....that..." He pulled her into a fierce embrace, gripping her tightly. "I'm sorry." He whispered. Letting go, he faced her, seeing her pain had made a wet trail down one of her cheeks.
"We're going to win....we're going to defeat the shadows, Dee..." He said softly and solemnly as he finally felt a strong affinity for his House Prefect.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Oct 21, 2007 1:33:49 GMT -5
Feeling her arm caught, D'rorah nearly retaliated physically, her reflexes taut after reliving the memory. Though the tear had already escaped her eye, her face had resumed its normal, emotionless expression.
She listened to him speak and found herself suddenly in a tight embrace. When she finally extricated herself, her eyes were cold and distant. "Learn to control your emotions, Mister Darko, or they give others control over you. I agree, we will defeat them... once we learn to master ourselves... and discipline ourselves so that we have the advantage."
Her jaw tightened. She hadn't intended for him to see the memory and the last thing she needed now was his pity. She needed to be strong around all of the Elemental Masters and Shadow Warriors... she had betrayed far too much emotion to Alessandro already, as far as she was concerned. But then... something about having someone understand was reassuring. Her voice had softened appreciably when she spoke again. "I appreciate your concern, Mister Darko. And yes, we will defeat them... for all of the pain they have caused in the world."
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Post by Alessandro Darko on Oct 21, 2007 1:48:42 GMT -5
As D'rorah free'd herself from his tight embrace, he noticed her face resumed its all-purpose expression, completely stripped of emotion except for the glint of a tear on her cheek. She briskly spoke of him needing to control his emotions once more, and he cursed himself on the inside for surrenduring again to the way he felt. He couldn't help it, it was what he knew, to express himself. He was a caring individual and it hurt him to see people unhappy or in pain.
He nodded as she spoke and thought to himself that he would make it a priority to try and keep his emotions in check. In class, and everywhere else. He didn't know how well this would work out, but he was going to give it a try.
He noticed her voice soften as she repeated what she had said. It sounded much more appealing and encouraging. He stifled a smile as he felt the corners of his mouth twitch. He simply nodded again.
"Right." He said plainly. He looked up through the window and beheld the moon. It's waxy surface reflecting an etherial light down upon the sleeping world. He sighed as he gazed at it, wondering when things would begin to appear as the Lightfighters had the upper hand.
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