forum "You can have me any way you want me. Quite literally." (Closed)

Started May 07, 2023 by @emilyevewrites group

tune

@Serpentess Nwalan/Larissa

(True, lmao!)
(Just came up with a new form for Nwalan. Female, 5’11”, 186 lbs, looks mostly human except for yellow blood and a large, claw-shaped spur poking out of the back of both ankles. She’s of the Morval race [one of my own, they’re Forestfolk like Goliathans are. I’ll reveal more later, lol]. She has flaming red hair, gold eyes, and naturally bright blue finger/toe nails)

A slender, athletic woman in a faded brown dress walked barefoot into town. Her long, red hair was tied in a neat ponytail, and her fair skin was practically flawless. She, surprisingly, had nothing in her hands. Though, one look at her curious, golden eyes would immediately explain that she wasn’t the average woman.

She inspected everything with fascination, and occasionally peeked into a few minds to learn more about the place. Unless they were telepaths as well, or accustomed to dealing with them, no one would even know of her intrusion, even if she went into the depths of someone’s mind, which she didn’t need to at the moment.

The town was called Jericho. It was an old town, that had a strange fascination with pilgrims. And, it housed Nevermore Academy, a private school for monstrous outcasts. Interesting…

Intrigued, she decided to visit this Nevermore Academy. She was an outcast herself, so why not? With a few more peeks into the minds of passing folks, she quickly learned how to navigate the town, and she came up to Nevermore Academy’s gates in no time.

(Niceeee! Also, I was trying to find the car she actually drives in the show and couldn't so I'm changing it. Pontiac Reference Image)

Larissa Weems was entirely too stressed. She'd been bent over an ungodly amount of paperwork the entire day, and it was only a week into the semester. Thankfully, most of it was busy work. Unfortunately, most of it was busy work. It all proved to be much too repetitive for Larissa's liking, so with a huff of exasperation, the principal pushed back from her desk, strode to the door, and snatched her coat.

She slipped her arms through the sleeves as she walked, setting a quick pace for herself in her high heels that only added to her already 6-foot-3-inch height. Her tall frame significantly dominated all those around her, and secretly, it was one of Larissa's deep-seated insecurities. But for now, she didn't let it bother her. She had one objective and one objective only: release her stress. Her go-to method of stress release wasn't attracting her too much today, so instead she decided to head for the town. She would sit in the Weathervane with a cup of coffee to warm her fingers and just think about anything but work. A solid enough plan, she thought.

She made her way to her car, a sky-blue 1960 Pontiac Ventura, and slipped inside. When she was behind the wheel, Larissa slipped a floral scarf out of her pocket to tie around her head before setting off. She just had to get off of the grounds for the moment, or she'd go crazy. And not in a good way.

As she was heading down Nevermore's driveway, she approached the gate. It opened automatically for her, and she noticed someone on the other side. A woman with fiery red hair and striking golden eyes. She definitely wasn't a normie. Larissa rolled the window down and pulled to a stop beside her.

"Excuse me," she greeted with her proper headmistress tone and smile. "Can I help you?"

(Lol. Ooh… that’s a nice one! I’m a sucker for old cars. And, the fact that my brother is an old car fanatic just contributes, lmao!)

She paused at the sight of an approaching machine. A… car? She wasn’t too sure. Things like ‘Electricity’ and ‘Technology’ were a foreign subject to her. She needed to more thoroughly read some local minds to understand everything around her.

The gate automatically opened, which fascinated her, then the car moved up to her. She inspected it for a moment, not understanding one bit of it, then focused on the woman inside. Instinctively, she read through the woman’s thoughts.

Larissa. Principal of Nevermore Academy. Stress. The need to get out of the Academy for a bit. Coffee.

“Greetings. I am Anoriel. I am new to town, and discovered this place. It be intriguing. Though, if you are going somewhere, I can wait. I have great patience,”she said, speaking with a soft voice and a strange accent.

(Cool beans! :))

Larissa watched the woman study her car before their eyes locked on each other’s. She smiled kindly as Anoriel spoke, though she wondered where the woman was from. She had a lovely accent Larissa had never heard before.

“I’m Larissa Weems,” she introduced herself, not realizing her mind had been read by the strange new woman and Anoriel already knew most of what she was about to say. “I’m the principal of Nevermore Academy. I was just heading out to the Weathervane for a quick cup of coffee, but I wouldn’t mind some company if you’d like to join me. I’d be happy to tell you more about Nevermore.”

Her smile seemed to fade from practiced to genuine as she spoke. The stiffness of her job had been getting to her recently, and Larissa really needed to let go and just enjoy a cup of Weathervane coffee with this new, interesting woman she’d met.

Anoriel nodded at her words, recognizing most of them. She then searched through Larissa’s memories, studying the Weathervane and its location.

“I can meet you there, if you wish?”she asked.

She noticed the change in Larissa’s smile and relaxed slightly. It was nice to see a genuine smile for once in a long time. It reminded her of Agatha, and how much she missed her. But, those were thoughts for another time.

For now, she just wanted to figure out how… cars? Yes, cars… worked. And, how best to join Larissa. And, what coffee was. From what it seemed like, coffee was some sort of drink. But, Anoriel had never encountered it before, similar to cars and electricity.

Larissa's smile faded into a confused expression. If this woman was new in town, as she said, then how would she know how to get to the Weathervane without even asking for directions first? It didn't make add up in Larissa's mind.

"You could ride with me," she suggested kindly. "Jericho is a bit of a hike, and I'm heading out that way already. I have the room, and I really wouldn't mind if you joined me."

Talking to this woman, for some reason, was oddly comforting. Larissa was thankful to have someone new to interact with. Someone she hadn't grown up seeing, like literally every other adult in Jericho, or their kids, or one of her own students. It was refreshing to see a new face.

Anoriel smiled shyly at Larissa’s confused expression. After a breif moment, she decided to give her a little hint.

I know where Weathervane is because you do, she said telepathically to Larissa.

She hesitated a moment, inspecting the car again in confusion. The windows seem a possible entryway, and there were seams on the side of the car, with a bar near each seam. They didn’t make sense though. Did one have to remove a chunk of the car and replace it just to get in? That didn’t seem practical. Then she looked back up at Larissa.

“How? This be the closest I have ever been to a… car,”she asked, the word feeling strange on her tongue.

She then comprehended Larissa’s words. She wanted her to go with, to join her. And, somehow, it seemed more a friendly request than a business request. A potential ally? Lovely!

Larissa noticed the woman's shy smile. It was rather cute. Though her eyes immediately widened as she heard a voice in her mind that was most certainly not her own. Her jaw dropped open, her mouth forming a red O with her lipstick.

"You… are a telepath," she murmured. "I've never met a telepath before. Only seers."

Again, Larissa noticed the woman's confusion, so she unbuckled her seatbelt, opened the car door, and stepped out. Her high heels settled on the gravel beneath her feet, and as she rose to her full height, the difference between them was much more pronounced. "Follow me," she said kindly, leading the way to the other side of the car and opening the door for her.

Though she was again confused herself. Anoriel hadn't been close to a car before? Where had she been before coming to Jericho? Then it truly dawned on her. This woman had been reading her mind. Larissa hesitated a moment. "So… your abilities. You can read other's minds and communicate without speaking?"

Anoriel tilted her head at Larissa’s reaction, her shy smile becoming a bit amused.

She chuckled at Larissa’s words, deciding not to mention that she was far more than a mere telepath. That detail could wait for later.

Larissa got out of the car, revealing her greater height. Though, Anoriel wasn’t fazed at all. She was quite used to it, considering that De’Tearion had always towered over her. Though, in another form, she had always towered over him.

Anoriel watched Larissa, realizing that the seams were doors. She then followed her, continuing to watch her every move. The bars were handles, and it was a very simple process of pulling the handle and the door opened. Such simplicity in such a deceivingly complex shell. Intriguing…

She moved to enter the car, then paused and grinned mischievously at Larissa’s question.

“Yes. Among many, many other things,”she cooed.

Then, Anoriel ducked into the car, fascinated by everything. She then realized something. It was a carriage! A more developed carriage! Brilliant!

Larissa noted the way Anoriel seemed amused with her reaction. She guessed that not many people knew off the bat that this woman was a telepath. How many other minds had she read before Larissa’s just to find the location of Nevermore?

She also noticed how the other woman was unfazed by her height. It was refreshing, since most people were unaccustomed to seeing a woman as tall as Larissa Weems and tended to stare.

The principal was aware of how Anoriel’s eyes studied her as she opened the doors and made her way around the car. This woman truly hadn’t seen a car up close before. How interesting. Larissa could only guess where she was from, and she knew that even then he chances of being correct were slim to none.

The woman’s response to her question made Larissa’s eyes widen yet again. Just what exactly could this woman do? But the way she spoke, that soft, alluring coo… Larissa immediately shook her head to focus and shut the car door.

With that, she made her way back around the car and slipped back into the driver’s seat. “As much as I’d like to ask what your other abilities are,” she began while clicking her seatbelt back into place, “I’m sure it will be one of many topics to come up over coffee at the Weathervane.” She glanced over at Anoriel again before she would shift the car into drive. “Ready then?”

Anoriel was reading Larissa’s thoughts the entire time they were interacting, studying her. She didn’t dive deep into the woman’s mind, not yet. She just wanted to see how Larissa was truly reacting. The results were… quite fascinating.

A soft, amused grin lingered on her face at all of Larissa’s visible reactions. Oh, if only she knew that Anoriel, that Nwalan, was more than she seemed. She wasn’t a native of Earth. Her homeworld wasn’t even close to Earth. Her race… well, technically, they weren’t even natives of the multiverse. She wondered how Larissa would react to those details, but they could wait.

Anoriel watched Larissa walk around the car, getting back into the driver’s seat. She then saw the seatbelt, and turned to replicate the process, putting her own seatbelt on.

“Indeed. I have much to tell you,”Anoriel said with a chuckle.

“I am,”she replied easily.

Larissa wasn't stupid, and she noticed Anoriel's little grin in turn. There were definitely things the woman wasn't telling her. Maybe she was even reading Larissa's mind now. And God only knew if she'd discovered Larissa's own abilities yet. All things the headmistress of Nevermore considered before shifting the car into drive and pulling away from the school she ran so rigorously.

As they drove along through the wooded scenery, Larissa willed her mind to stop turning over the documents on her desk and her unfinished work. She needed to think about something else. That's what this coffee run was supposed to be – a distraction. A little distraction before going back to her desk and slaving over paperwork for the next four hours.

But every few seconds, another little whisper would slip into her ear and worm its way into the front of her mind. Were the dates set for Parent's Weekend changed from last year? She shook her head slightly, promising herself she'd changed it. Another whisper. Have you spoken to Noble about Outreach Day opportunities for- The thought was cut off, but a flood of more waited. Has the Rave'N's theme been selected? What about the team rosters for the Edger Allan Poe Cup? Did Coach Vlad respond to your email about-

"May I ask one answer of you now," Larissa finally said, breaking the soft silence of the ride. "Just to get us through the trip. Why is it, Anoriel, that you've sought out Nevermore?"

Larissa wasn't stupid, and she noticed Anoriel's little grin in turn. There were definitely things the woman wasn't telling her. Maybe she was even reading Larissa's mind now. And God only knew if she'd discovered Larissa's own abilities yet. All things the headmistress of Nevermore considered before shifting the car into drive and pulling away from the school she ran so rigorously.

As they drove along through the wooded scenery, Larissa willed her mind to stop turning over the documents on her desk and her unfinished work. She needed to think about something else. That's what this coffee run was supposed to be – a distraction. A little distraction before going back to her desk and slaving over paperwork for the next four hours.

But every few seconds, another little whisper would slip into her ear and worm its way into the front of her mind. Were the dates set for Parent's Weekend changed from last year? She shook her head slightly, promising herself she'd changed it. Another whisper. Have you spoken to Noble about Outreach Day opportunities for- The thought was cut off, but a flood of more waited. Has the Rave'N's theme been selected? What about the team rosters for the Edger Allan Poe Cup? Did Coach Vlad respond to your email about-

The responsibilities weighed heavily on her, as always. But this time, Larissa had a companion.

"May I ask one answer of you now," Larissa finally said, breaking the soft silence of the ride. "Just to get us through the trip." Without waiting for an answer, she spoke again, "Why is it, Anoriel, that you've sought out Nevermore?"

Anoriel wasn’t yet aware of Larissa’s abilities, until she thought of them. That made her curious, but she decided to wait for now. She liked mysteries, and she suspected Larissa was a fun one.

Anoriel continued listening to Larissa’s thoughts, even as she admired the moving landscape. She was concerned about so many things, most of which Anoriel didn’t quite understand… yet. It was concerning. It was a reminder of what Anoriel had known before. De’Tearion… Agatha… So much stress and concern…

As Larissa spoke, Anoriel turned to her. Though, she hesitated at the question. De’Tearion… Agatha… She missed them so.

“Curiosity mostly. Loneliness as well,”she answered honestly, sadness creeping into her tone.

Larissa noticed Anoriel's hesitation, and for a moment, she wondered if she should have even said anything. If the other woman was more content to ride in the silence, who was Larissa to spoil that for her?

Her answer only troubled Larissa more. Curiosity had indeed brought many of her students to Nevermore. Family ties were another reason. But loneliness? The principal wondered if this woman had any other family. She certainly appeared to be traveling alone.

"Oh," Larissa managed to say. Her red lips formed the sound, then pressed together again as she thought about what to say. A moment passed before she added, "I'll gladly listen to whatever you want to tell me. But I don't want you to feel pressure to speak. Is there anything specifically that piqued your curiosity about Nevermore?"

Anoriel nearly answered Larissa’s thoughts, but decided to wait a moment and see what her physical reaction would be. She was glad she did, because Larissa was definitely turning out to be a fairly courteous individual. That was something she appreciated.

“The curiosity mainly pertains to Nevermore being full of ‘oddities’. This world seems to be full of barely more than humans. ‘Tis intriguing, and a bit concerning, that other creatures are rare here. My home… my former home… has a variety of creatures,”Anoriel explained.

She paused again, fighting a wave of sorrow. They came occasionally, and were often overwhelming. She wanted to avoid having a fit of sorrow in front of Larissa. It might scare her, and might risk her life if things escalated. Larissa was too interesting to lose so soon.

“To answer your unspoken question, I am alone. My… family… be gone. Dead. I have nothing left to go back to. Only memories… many sad…”she trailed off, her eyes tearing up.

Anoriel took a deep breath and bent down to hide the tears in her eyes. She repeated in her head one of the many mantras she used to keep herself calm. However, her body still flickered a little bit, bits and pieces of her becoming breifly distorted, as if she was a broken hologram. The flickering only lasted a few seconds, but it was long enough to be noticeable.

Anoriel then quickly wiped her eyes and straightened, composing herself almost instantly. She resumed her window watching, having no idea how to continue their conversation at the moment.

Larissa pursed her lips and nodded at Anoriel's words. She turned for a moment to face Anoriel, her eyes widened with curiosity. "May I ask what kind of creatures?" she said. The woman was genuinely curious about other misfits who would be able to come to the safety Nevermore could provide. Thanks to Larissa.

But her excited and curious light dimmed as Anoriel began to tear up. She'd forgotten about the girl's mind-reading abilities. Shit. "Oh," she murmured. "I'm… I'm so sorry…" Larissa reached over and gently put her hand on the girl's knee. However, she pulled back and put her hand on Anoriel's shoulder instead. The knee felt too… intimate.

Just as the headmistress glanced at the road to make sure she was still on track, she caught a flicker from the corner of her vision. She looked back in time to see Anoriel oddly flickering and almost glitching. Out of instinct, likely the wrong instinct but still an instinct, Larissa slammed her foot on the brake. The car came to a halting stop, and Larissa stared open-mouthed at the girl beside her.

"I'm sorry," she said, immediately apologetic. "But are you alright? I've never seen that… happen before."

Anoriel glanced at Larissa at her question, a chuckle bursting from her.

“Many. I can give you more detail later,”she promised.

“It… it be alright. You knew not of it until now,”she said quietly.

She flinched when Larissa touched her knee, startled. But, she quickly relaxed as Larissa readjusted her hand to her shoulder. She didn’t really care which spot she held, Anoriel just hadn’t expected her touch.

Then, Larissa slammed on the brakes. Anoriel reflexively slammed a hand into the dash and grabbed her headrest with the other. A strange squeal came from her and a large spur instantly grew out of the backside of her ankles.

When the car finally stopped, Anoriel wrapped both hands around her headrest, her body shaking as she tried to catch her breath from the startling stop. Unfortunately, the instincts of her current form was demanding she morph, and Anoriel couldn’t afford that to happen. So, she changed forms.

Anoriel abruptly vanished without a trace, and a man, a true human, reappeared in her place almost instantaneously. He was slightly shorter than Anoriel, with the same golden eyes, but with blue fingertips and cherry red hair that had bright blond streaks. He was well-dressed, though his clothes seemed more fitting for a medieval setting. He was also sitting in the exact same position that Anoriel had been.

He gasped for breath momentarily, then managed to somewhat compose himself. Then, he finally realized that Larissa had asked him something, and would undoubtedly be wanting answers about his new form. So, he straightened, a nervous chuckle escaping him, and turned to Larissa.

“Firstly, I am still Anoriel. Just in another form. Long story short, I am nowhere near human. I am also from another world. I am no native of this… Earth. Secondly, the flickering be normal. I am… well… grieving. And, my race has drastic physical reactions to strong emotions. I am actually still recovering from a particularly strong reaction that happened… a year ago? Six months? Three years? I know not. Time be confusing…”he said with a sigh.

He then watched Larissa warily, worried how she’d react. He didn’t want to scare her, but every inch of his being was well equipped to do just that.

Larissa’s stomach wrenched at the stop and Anoriel’s reactions. She closed her eyes and breathed heavily, trying to process everything. This was only supposed to be a brief stepping out of the office and now it had turned into… what had it turned into?

Her eyes fluttered open to check on her passenger only to discover her passenger was someone else. Her mouth dropped open, but she didn’t scream. Instead, she extended her fingers toward the man now sitting in her car. But she didn’t touch him. She only studied him and listened to his words.

“You… you’re a shapeshifter,” she murmured in awe. “A telepath and a shapeshifter… incredible.” She frowned slightly, sympathetic at his description of the grieving. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly.

After a beat of silence, Larissa laughed quietly. “Well, I suppose there’s something I’ve been keeping from you, unless you’ve already read my mind. In which case…”

Larissa inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. As she exhaled, her features changed. Her hair became longer and brunette, and her tall, broad form remained tall but narrowed a bit. When she opened her eyes, they were green instead. A grin appeared on her face, Larissa’s but not. “Surprise.”

“A bit more than that,”he said with a chuckle.

Nwalan then shrugged at her apology. An intrigued look came into his eyes at her words and he watched her morph. He then grinned.

“I knew the suspense would be worth it. Though, I will mention that I am like you not. I ‘morph’ not, I change bodies. I have my own unique body for every race I have met. This form is human. Anoriel’s form is a human-like race from my homeland,”he said.

He considered showing off a few more forms, but decided against it. He could do that later, when he had more room than this car currently had.

Larissa immediately wondered what he meant. He was a shapeshifter, a telepath… and that else could there be? What other abilities had she not been told of yet? How many? And what were they?

She caught his intrigued look, then his comment after. So he hadn’t gone through her mind too deeply, or he would have known of her own abilities. In a blink, Larissa shifted back to her normal self and listened to his explanation.

“I see,” she responded. “Would you still like to go to the Weathervane for a chat? Or would you like to go back to Nevermore and talk there? It’s entirely up to you.”

Nwalan heard her thoughts and grinned.

“Telepathy and shapeshifting are talents. Fragments of the puzzle,”he said with a chuckle.

Nwalan watched her morph back, still fascinated. He didn’t know many creatures that could so smoothly morph. The ones he knew were always in great pain, and screamed and cursed while they morphed.

“Well… you were wishing to get away from Nevermore. To have… coffee? Whatever that be… I wish not to interrupt you if you still wish to do that. Though, most of what I have to tell you be better done in private. Less likely to frighten others, despite how fun it would be,”Nwalan replied, chuckling mischievously at the end.