Red Pill

[innocent_insanity]

Who: Kurloz and Rhys
Tone: Edgy, just a tad creepy knowing these two
Rating: PG-15+ most likely due to subject matter
When: After the Shadow event 
Where: Dungeons 
What: Rhys made Kurloz an offer. Kurloz took some time to make a choice.

Kurloz wasn't too sure it was such a good idea for him to go through with this, but there he stood outside one Professor Rhys Rhydderch's office, staring at the door before lifting a hand to knock slowly. He desperately wished he'd worn his full-makeup today - if only for it to serve as something to hide his nerves behind. As it was, he stood there in his uniform that he was beginning to notice was getting a bit small (he made a mental note to Owl his mum about it later), satchel slung over a shoulder, his trusted quill and notebook ready for communication.

Comments

[grandhighwizard]

"Lesson one," the professor said, with that note of expected obedience in his voice, that authority that brooked no argument. "You don't stop. Not in here. When I ask something of you, you give it, when you have a thought, you finish it. Nothing goes past these walls, not in here, but you do not hold back, even if it's painful, even if it's terrifying. You can't control what you won't face, lad, and that is the stone cold motherfucking truth."

[innocent_insanity]

Kurloz's eyes widened and he nodded slowly, wariness back in his eyes. He didn't resume writing though, as if waiting to be told to continue.

[grandhighwizard]

"Don't make me tell you twice, Mr. Makara," Rhys said, eyes narrowing.

[innocent_insanity]

Those eyes were just too eerily similar to how the boggart-him had glared and Kurloz found himself swallowing hard, shaking his head before resuming writing.

i hear the screaming all over the place and then there's blood on my hands and somehow this here brother has his knowing on that this isn't his. i


i bite out my tongue to make it stop and even after it's in my hand the voice doesn't shut up. it just keeps right on going, killing and hurting more people than i can put in figures. my tongue just keeps right on growing back and no matter how many times i rip it out it won't stop.

then i usually wake up and need to take a calming draught or some shi thing.

Explanation done, he dropped his hand and quill to the side of the paper, staring at Rhys' face.

[grandhighwizard]

Nodding approvingly, the professor explained, "You will find, m'bach, that dreams are one of the most important expressions of a person's soul, the rawest expression of both their desires and their fears. Often, these two are connected so strongly that one cannot be untangled from the other. For example, with the dream you just related to me - would it have such power over you if it weren't appealing to some part inside of you? As humans, we are drawn to the dark just as much to the light, and it is the shadows that give the light shape and meaning."

He tilted his head to one side, and decided he would relate something of his own, to show Kurloz that he did understand. It was a risk, but it felt like the right thing to do now, the correct way to help bind this fascinating boy closer to him. "When I was a young man, perhaps a few years older than you, but not much, I had a recurring dream about my sister, whom I loved, and still do, very much. I dreamed that I took her down to the river that we used to play at as children, and I led her into the water, and then I drowned her - held her under the water as she struggled and cried and begged me to let her go. I could hear her, though she was under the water, in the way of dreams, and each time she pleaded, she took in more into her lungs, until she died, and then I carried her back to the big cauldron my mother used to mix the potions for the goats in the back barn, and I boiled the skin from her bones. Then I took the bones and put them in my trunk, and locked the trunk and swallowed the key."

"That dream terrified me. I would never want to hurt my sister, and yet I murdered her, quite serenely, night after night. But I could not simply dismiss it as a nightmare, something that would never happen. This dream was more powerful than the ordinary ones of being chased or falling, because there was a part of it that appealed to me, as well. My subconscious was telling me I had the desire to keep the people I loved close, as close as was humanly possible, and that went beyond the boundaries of life. Do you understand?"

[innocent_insanity]

Looking very much like the attentive pupil, Kurloz perked up a bit as Rhys began to recount his old dreams, eyes widening with a mixture of horror and fascination as the tale unfolded. Despite the disturbing quality of the dream though... Kurloz understood, especially when Rhys gave his explanation of the dream's meaning, and he found himself nodding relaxedly in response.

He had to ask though:

did you ever have a dream like that about any other person what was all close and stuff to you?

[grandhighwizard]

"Oh, yes," Rhys said quietly, though there hadn't been many. He'd never been close to many people, after all - those sorts of relationships never seemed to work out well for him, and over the years he'd learned to trust less and less. "Not the drowning. But something similar, yes."

[innocent_insanity]

Kurloz watched him closely for a while, not wanting to probe but still curious. He fiddled with the quill in his hand before dipping it in the ink and slowly writing out his next question:

are they always nightmares? when you're up and getting the dreams flowing about the folks you care about i mean.

if you don't mind me asking, sir.

[grandhighwizard]

"It depends on how you think of nightmares. If you mean, are the dreams always frightening, then no. If you mean, do conventionally 'bad' things happen in the dreams, then also, no. What do you consider a nightmare, Mr. Makara? Define it for me," Rhys told him.

[innocent_insanity]

the ones that wake this brother up in a cold sweat and too scared to go back to sleep in case he sees that shi stuff again.

Tapping the quill against the paper, he thought a moment longer before continuing:

its the stuff what keeps me thinking on it during the day and feeling more freaked out than usual. not all dreams with that bad stuff happening scares me, and some of the stuff that scares me doesn't seem all that bad when you stop and think about it.

[grandhighwizard]

"So you are judging a nightmare by how it makes you feel," Rhys said, and he nodded his approval. "But think on what we've been talking about. Why does one particular dream frighten you, and another doesn't? Can you always tell? Or does it come to you later, or not at all?"

[innocent_insanity]

Kurloz considered the question but in the end his answer was simple.

instincts. my brain just ups and sounds the alarms that what's going on isn't good and i don't know how it picks and chooses that stuff at all.

[grandhighwizard]

"Understanding this better will be key in your continuing education," the professor told the boy seriously. "This is your first assignment. This week, you will keep an account of all your dreams, both good and bad. When you wake from one, you must write it down immediately. Later, you may write a paragraph for each describing how the dream made you feel, and we will review and discuss it at our next session. If you would prefer to use drawings for this account, you may, but I hope I don't have to tell you to keep it separate from your school journal."

Rhys took out his wand then. "I will teach you the charm for automatic writing today, which should make it easier for dream recording in the middle of the night. Do you have any questions about this assignment?"

[innocent_insanity]

With the beginnings of a cheeky smile, Kurloz asked:

how many inches are you up and expecting from me, sir?

Shaking his head, he dropped the attitude and got out his wand, watching Rhys curiously and expectantly.

[grandhighwizard]

Rhys returned the amused look, arching an eyebrow. "As many as it takes, Mr. Makara, as ever." He would never punish a student for a joke ... unless it was a very bad one.

The big man demonstrated the motion, first, a sort of swooping curl, much like an embellished cursive loop, in writing. Then, "The incantation is Perscribo mentis. Make sure you have a quill and ink handy, or the charm either won't work, or will use whatever is nearby, including a classmate's supplies."

[innocent_insanity]

Kurloz watched attentively at the demonstration, practicing the wand movement first. He smiled at the mention of classmate's supplies, making note to try it out later next to some of the more annoying students.

He finally cast the spell and beamed when his quill dipped itself in the ink before standing poised on the paper. It began to write as he thought out:

now that is motherfucking awesome

uh

guess a brother needs to be more careful about what he thinks when up and casting that spell huh? :o(

He rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed at the slip-up.

[grandhighwizard]

"Never on my account, m'bach," Rhys said, with genial amusement. "Remember what I told you? I would expect you to show your respect for my position in ways other than not using crude language. Swearing is not something I'll object to, at least in here."

He examined the clown face with interest, though he hid it. There was another boy who used the same little faces, wasn't there? Ah, yes, the other Makara. Hm, the two boys did look a little alike, too, though they acted very differently. Perhaps they were related somehow? That seemed the most likely, considering.

[innocent_insanity]

He ducked his head and smiled shyly at that, rubbing the back of his head as he glanced up at Rhys.

yes sir.

should a brother get his move on and leave you in some right and proper quiet peace now?

[grandhighwizard]

The professor nodded, but gestured at the paper he'd given Kurloz. "Keep that. If you need to contact me outside of the classroom or office, you can use it," he explained. It wasn't an offer he made to any other student, but the Slytherin had protege potential. Perhaps it was too early to put so much on the boy ... but he was doing it nonetheless, and he wouldn't question his instincts now.

[innocent_insanity]

Kurloz blinked with surprise at that and found himself grinning widely.

thank you so fucking much! this here brother will take good motherfucking care of it!

It shouldn't have made him that happy but... there was something nice about knowing he could contact this strange professor to whom he had an equally strange connection to when necessary.

He took the page and slipped it between two books in his bag to keep it from getting crumpled, then tossed his book in followed by the ink bottle and quill.

[grandhighwizard]

"I'll expect you here next Tuesday at seven in the evening. I imagine our next lesson will be a little longer, so anticipate being out late," the professor instructed, though he smiled back at the boy's enthusiasm. Once more he was reminded of himself at that age.

This had the potential to be a great deal of fun.

[innocent_insanity]

Kurloz nodded enthusiastically and stood, flapping his hand in the sign for 'good bye' while mouthing the words, turning to show himself out.

No one could blame him for that little bounce in his step, really.