Dreams and Nightmares

[Elessaria]

A dream is a place where a wish and a fear meet.
When the wish and the fear are exactly the same...
We call that a nightmare.


-Daniel Gregory Roberts

[Elessaria]

{07 Sept 16}
Seductive Shadows

There had been sudden danger in a place where she normally felt safe and abruptly Eless was snatched up and plunged into darkness.

I hate when I "wake" into a dream and it has already started.

The only thing that kept The Empath's fear and anxiety from paralyzing her was the familiar hand guiding her through the shadows -- larger and stronger than hers, comforting. Their mode of escape felt reminiscent of portal magic, yet not exactly the same. However their travel was very disconcerting and it hindered the other senses Eless normally relied on due to her night-blindness.

Where are we?

She could sense the growing panic seep through her empathac shielding, but she could not rein it in. Eless was rapidly losing her center and the harder she tried to smother her heightened emotions, the more they surged. They bled like small wounds; she could feel their effect on her savior and bit her lip in frustration. The tiny drop of blood she drew from her instinctual reaction only caused more distress to the pair.

Oh by all the gods and goddesses, I am an idiot!

Just as Eless was about to succumb to complete panic, both of them exited the shadows and stepped into the welcoming light. The petite mage gasped for air with a plaintive whimper. She was off kilter physically as well as emotionally due to the sudden nature, as well as the manner, of their escape. Blinking and swaying, the Empath struggled to ascertain their location, only to see her confusion mirrored. When her vision focused, she yelped as fear took control again at the unexpected sight.

I did not see that! It could not be! No!

"Eless! Eless! Stop!" he pleaded. "Elessaria! You are only making it worse!" The voice was familiar albeit a bit deeper and raspier than she was used to; his aura was clearly familiar even if it seemed a bit shadowy. She could feel him move closer. With her thoughts so muddled, it was difficult to think and feel coherently with them warring inside of her-- flight or to fight? "Eless," his voice less of a growl and more soothing while he was winning his own internal struggle. He knew her very well and remembered her need for tactile comfort; slowly he extended a hand to rest reassuringly on her shoulder. When the diminutive elfess' neither jumped nor punched him, he drew her closer and enveloped her in his strong arms. "Ssshhh..."

His warmth, the gentleness of his tone and his familiar scent all worked together to help her settle and begin to ground herself. She whispered against his chest, "I am so very sorry. Please forgive me. I should have known better."

Why do men have to wear armor of any type? It really is not very comfortable for hugging or snuggling.

Eless felt the gentle warmth of lips pressed to the crown of her head. "It's okay. You're safe. We're safe," he murmured against her golden strands. She dared to lift her chin to peek up timidly, the remorse for her reactions evident in the blue flames which flickered and flared erratically in her gaze. She could still feel her pulse skittering beneath her skin, but whether it was due to her earlier fear or now his proximity, she wasn't entirely sure.

Oh, this is even more dangerous than what we escaped, I think!

Eless could sense the tangle of heat and emotions radiating from him as easily as she drew breath, although her breathing seemed to have hitched when she felt his hand cup her cheek gently. "Stop... that look, please. It's killing me," he whispered as his gaze met hers. Reflexively her eyes closed, so she wouldn't cause him any more strain, or so she hoped. In spite of her eyes being closed, she could feel his head lowering as hers lifted with the heat so deliciously intense.
She managed to sigh out on a whisper, "If we... if we... we will forever be changed."

Savior or Sinner?

The sudden clap of thunder yanked her from her shadowy, sultry dreamscape. Elessaria sat up startled in her bed with Lyavain shifting to put his enormous head on his mistress' lap to comfort her as he always did.

---
~I'm so into you, I can barely breathe
And all I wanna do is to fall in deep
But close ain't close enough 'til we cross the line, hey yeah
So name a game to play, and I'll roll a dice, hey

Oh, baby, look what you started
The temperature's rising in here
Is this gonna happen?
Been waiting and waiting for you to make a move
(woo, oh, oh, oh)
Before I make a move
(woo, oh, oh, oh)

So, baby, come light me up, and maybe I'll let you on it
A little bit dangerous, but, baby, that's how I want it
A little less conversation and a little more "touch my body"
'Cause I'm so into you, into you, into you
Got everyone watchin' us, so, baby, let's keep it secret
A little bit scandalous, but, baby, don't let them see it
A little less conversation and a little more "touch my body"
'Cause I'm so into you, into you, into you, oh yeah~ (Ariana Grande's Into You)

[Elessaria]

{20 Sep 2016}
Summers of Hope

Elessaria turned her attention from the meal she was setting out beneath the shade of a cluster of palm trees when the chorus of laughter rang above the song of the ocean's waves lapping at the sandy shore. The petite elfess was contently humming and smiled. The little boy with tousled curls, bleached blond by the sun's rays, café au lait skin (also a gift from the sun) and hazel eyes that mirrored his father's (although his leaned more green), was darting in and out along the water's edge to collect even more shells to add to his ever expanding collection. Connar, tanned, relaxed and laughing, assisted with the mission as the waves splashed the pair. Eless stopped her contented humming and watched father and son for a few moments, breathing in deeply of the fresh breeze that had been slowly and steadily building. It teased the golden tendrils of her hair and fluttered the hem of her floral printed skirt while it heralded the arrival of a late afternoon storm. The diminutive elfess wondered if she should move their picnic indoors; however, since they all seemed to prefer the outdoors, she simply weighed down the corners of the large, brightly coloured blankets with some rocks from the toddler's collection. Some of the stones were chosen for their unusual shapes, others for the way crystals sparkled from within, and the ones Eless had chosen, were ones that had been painted in rainbow hues by a chubby, enthusiastic, little hand.

The pair radiated happiness, although the little lad's emotions were broadcast loud and clear due to his empathic gifts; he had yet to learn to shield them very well. Eless shook her head and chuckled, returning to set the casual table. There were an assortment of succulent fruits, thinly sliced cured meats, fresh bread and a variety of cheeses to fill bellies that were hungry from a day of play. Hopefully, all the activity would wear him out and he'd fall asleep at a decent hour. To finish the meal, there were delicate madeleines which they had baked together this morning, their delicate shapes a bit askew because the tiny hands were not yet skilled, but they would taste all the more delicious for the effort put into making them. As Eless placed her dainty hand to her brow and lifted her gaze to the sky to check on the clouds that were growing and beginning to block out large swaths of blue, she was startled by a panicked yelp and quickly shifted her gaze to the shoreline. She began to run in the direction of the yelp; however, Lyavain was a blur of white, stirred from his shady spot, and before she had traveled a couple yards, the guardian had joined father and son. These days everyone moved faster than The Empath-- even a tortoise.

The elven mage clamped down on her concern, yet still bit hard on the inside of her cheek until she saw Connar deftly pluck the child, who coughed, laughed and spit out salt water with his treasured shells still clasped tightly in his hands out of the water. The waves had been growing steadily stronger and rougher as the storm built faster over the sea. One unexpected surge had caught the little, sturdy adventurer unaware when he had bent over to pick up another shell. Once Connar had set him securely on his own two little feet, he crowed triumphantly, "Papa, that was fun!" Eless groaned both audibly and wearily, shaking her head. She had twice the mischief nowadays.

"Go wash up," father instructed son while Connar attempted (and failed) to hide his own grin, "It's time to eat." He added more quietly, "And before you make Maman faint or something."

"I heard that!" She scolded Connar and shook her head once more as the trio approached, trying to affect a stern demeanor and attempting to keep the corners of her lips from twitching and betraying her laughter. The toddler paused in his skipping to dump his pile of treasure by one corner of the blanket before he placed a small, sandy hand on the gentle swelling of his mother's abdomen. "Do not fret! Tout va bien!" he chirped confidently, before Lyavain padded forward to herd his charge inside to clean up.

Connar's hazel gaze met her eyes of blue flames as he slipped his strong arms about her. The flames danced brightly in the gaze she tilted up to his as she quipped, "He is just like..."

"His maman!"
"His papa!"

They both retorted simultaneously with merry laughter. "He is fearless and dare I say, reckless at times?" She added softly with a sigh as she rested her cheek against his chest to hear his heart beat.

"Like his mother?" Connar teased. "And this one?" he asked more gently as he tenderly placed a palm on her abdomen just like their son had done only moments earlier.

"We can only hope she doth have a bit more restraint, n'est-ce pas?" The only thing the Eless knew for certain was exactly what eyes this baby would have-- eyes of blue flame, like her mother and her half-brother whom they had never met. When she lifted her gaze once more, Le gardien de son cœur could easily read the concern that simmered within her expressive and unique eyes. He always could sense her concerns and emotions and even though he wasn't empathic. He cupped her cheek and placed a reassuring kiss to her forehead, "Du calme, cher. You should listen to our son. Tout va bien."

When she felt the warm wetness upon her cheeks, she wasn't entirely sure if her tears finally spilled free or if the gray clouds decided to release big, fat drops of rain.

-------
((This piece was inspired by Saturday night's play and this song: "Je Nous Veux" https://youtu.be/J7N6fseuI1g?list=PL7FB9F60BC3FAD833))

[Elessaria]

But dreams come through stone walls, light up dark rooms, or darken light ones, and their persons make their exits and their entrances as they please, and laugh at locksmiths.


Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, Carmilla

Next post coming soon!