Cures for Insomnia

[olive]

Date: March 13, 2010
Time Frame: 2 a.m.
Place: Gymnasium
Status:Open (to all insomniacs)

_____________________________

The light in the gym was dim and comforting. The daughter of King Balor placed a bare foot on the black gym mat and took another look around. Feeling the cost was clear, she removed her plain black cotton yukata. With no one to watch her, she didn’t mind doing her yoga exercises in the gym. Like most of the things she learned, she had learned about yoga from a book. Smoothing her hands over the sides of her black pants, she took a step further onto the mat’s surface. She lowered herself into a seated position and sat cross legged before she began to focus on her breathing. Taking a few moments to clear her mind, Princess Nuala closed her eyes and took a deep breath through her nostrils, before exhaling through her slightly open mouth. She reached over to her side and picked up a tiny audio device. She examined it closely and brought the ear buds to her ears.

She was hesitant: usually she would listen to her yoga tapes in her quarters and do her exercises there. She felt claustrophobic in her room right now, for she had just woken from another nightmare.

She had the tapes for a few weeks now, after putting in a request with Dr. Thomas Manning. Before that, it was a lengthy process in discovering just who was in charge of the correct forms; from there she had to go from department to department trying to discover who she should really be speaking to about requests for luxury items, like yoga tapes. After that, she waited patiently for a few weeks. Finally a small brown package was left in front of her door, which greeted her the morning after a near-sleepless night. The trouble she had with sleeping was what prompted her to start yoga in the first place.

She pressed “play” on the small black device, and clipped it to the strap of her baby-blue tank top. If these clothes had not been the accoutrements every yoga guru (with a published book) said to wear, she would have chosen something more covering. Dismissing the feeling of chilled air against her bare arms, she followed the instructions on the tape and moved into a side stretch. One leg she kept in its original place, while she brought the other to the side. She brought her opposite arm above her head, and stretched to the side, keeping her eyes closed and her breathing constant. Her other hand lay facing upwards, against the cool surface of the black mat. She mirrored the action with her other side, keeping her movements fluid and controlled.

“Now, keep your breathing constant, and get into a butterfly pose,” the woman’s wispy voice said into her ear. “Press the base of your feet together and sit up straight. Good. Now breath in and roll your shoulders back, and exhale. And again…good.”
When she first heard this woman’s voice, it made Nuala chuckle, silently to herself. The names of the poses were somewhat silly, in her opinion. Nevertheless, she was willing to try anything to dispel the nightmares she had been having.

Many of the emotions she felt from her brother somehow made it into her subconscious; terrible images and feelings ran through her dreams, and she didn’t want to sleep, knowing she had to face these nightmares.

Now the voice told her to get into child’s pose, followed by a smooth transition to her stomach and cobra. She was reminded to breath as she lifted her torso up and supported her upper body with her arms.

“Now, breath” the voice repeated.

[gyakusatsu]

A graceless yawn tumbled from the Necromancer's gaping mouth as he dragged his feet over the cold tile floor of the Bureau halls. It wasn't often he'd had trouble sleeping but he suspected that there may be a particularly heavy concentration of spirits in the air that night and their whispering always did make peaceful rest difficult to obtain.

His slippered feet shuffled lazily, his back hunched, shoulders drooped, eyelids sagged, even the lollipop hung precariously between his lips as if it were too tired to hold itself upright. Nevertheless, he couldn't get to sleep that night.

It was probably a good five minutes before the light caught his attention. The dim glow emanated warmly from the gymnasium doors and was so gentle that his tired, failing eyes took a while to realize it was there. Curiously, he crept to the doors and peaked inside to see what other person could possibly be active at this time of night. Perhaps Abe was secretly nocturnal, or the red Gorilla decided to do some midnight exercises. No matter, he looked anyway.

His sagging eyelids seemed to stand at attention for a moment as he took in the sight of the Elven Princess performing what looked to be yoga in the skimpiest outfit he'd ever seen on her. Her pale skin contrasted the dimly lit room like the light of a candle against thick, dark velvet and for a moment he thought his blindness was progressing further and into both eyes as the stark contrast made the room seem almost completely dark. After a bit of blinking he realized this to not be true and that it was simply the sheer pallor of her complexion.

For a few moments he watched her from the doorway in silence, appreciating the radiance and beauty of the view before suddenly becoming aware of a loud clang against the hard floor. In his distraction, his sucker had liberated itself from his lips and plummeted through the air to clap loudly against the cold floor where it promptly scattered into a dozen small shards of colored sugar. Rather surprised himself, he stuttered and dropped to his knees quickly to try and rectify the mess he'd made before anyone might unwittingly crush a few shards underfoot and find themselves with an unfortunately sticky gait.
At least that's what he told himself.
Really he was probably just embarrassed for having given himself away and potentially offending the Princess.

[olive]

Nuala was sitting in a lotus position, her hands facing towards the high ceiling when she heard the plastic-like clack echo through the almost empty room. Here golden eyes shot open in meek horror, and her hand shot behind her for the robe. For now, it didn’t really matter who had entered the room. She needed to cover herself. Only when the robe was securely fastened and her slippers were on her feet, did she look to see who was spying on her.

“Oh, Mr. Müller,” she murmured, her voice carrying a subtly tone of embarrassment. With the ear buds removed from her pointed ears, she took a few steps forward. Though, she retained a certain distance. “I did not expect anyone to be requiring the gymnasium so late at night. Please , do not let my presence deter you from utilizing the equipment.” She blinked, hoping the ochre-tinged blush in her cheeks was quelled—or hidden by the dim lighting.

Nervously she fidgeted, wringing her hands as she avoided making direct eye contact with the agent. She had only a few interactions with the necromancer, as he seemed to sleep a majority of the time. Noting her faux-pas, she brought her hands behind her back and looked up, holding her chin aloft in a regal manner.

“Do you…use…the gymnasium often? Your face is not one I see around the halls.” Her eyes scanned his expression, noting the tiredness in his face. She wondered if she looked as exhausted as he did. She certainly felt that way. “I was just…trying to meditate.”

[astalakio]

((OOC: I'm sorry to intrude, but perhaps I could throw Johann into the mix here? This seems to be the current active thread for the BPRD, easier than starting a new one and, well, Johann doesn't sleep so it makes sense. Anyway, I'll wait for Müller to post again so as to keep the posting order undisturbed.))

[olive]

(((OOC: Yes please. Anyone can join in the fun )))

[gyakusatsu]

The German was on all fours, brushing up invisible shards of lollipop even after having gathered all the pieces into a neat pile waiting to be swept up. He avoided the Princess' gaze as best he could, hiding the faint blush that had squirmed beneath his cheeks.
"Well uh...
I- Well you see I-...
I just...
I just saw the light and..."
Her soft voice rang sweetly in his ears and he turned his face up to see her, regal and beautiful as anyone could possibly expect.

“Do you…use…the gymnasium often? Your face is not one I see around the halls.”

Carefully, he rose to his feet, flinching slightly as he heard a crunch underfoot and realized that he had just become his own unlucky victim with the unpleasantly sticky gait.
"I-
I normally don't come in here...
You see I'd just noticed a light on and well..."
He shrugged and left the rest to imagination. He may have been good at speaking English but he was still a native German speaker and always found it best to hold one's tongue when at a loss of what to say next.
His haggard eyes rose to meet her gaze for just a moment, fully displaying his almost completely blind right eye and the dark, bruised flesh that framed each eye and made him see so thoroughly dead.
But this was just for a moment for, when he met her golden stare, he instantly lowered his head and looked away, suddenly very conscious of his appearance.
"I typically sleep a lot during the day...
You see my work demands a great deal of living energy and..."
He stopped short again, trailing off to prevent himself from revealing too many of the lurid details of his dark profession to the majestic being before him.
“I was just…trying to meditate.”

"Ah well...
I suppose I'll let you continue then...
Uhm...
Unless you need any help that is...
I happen to have a good number of magical pendants and I'd be more than willing to lend you one if you think it might help..."
His voice was terribly low now, his timid demeanor having settled into his vocal chords and refusing to leave.

[astalakio]

It was about this time that a clanking noise invaded the corridor. The noise of repeated metal on metal, and it grew in volume until the source was revealed.

Turning the corner, Johann stopped quickly in his tracks and simply stood to observe the two figures in the corridor outside (what he believed to be) the gymnasium. One of them he recognized, of course, as Princess Nuala. The other was not so familiar to him, but judging by his physical attributes (practically a corpse), Johann made the connection to one Christoph Müller, whose file he had read.

Johann was not accustomed to running into others during his not uncommon midnight strolls through the BPRD complex, so this was a pleasant surprise for him.

Moving again, he approached them, holding his hands clasped behind his back.
"Princess Nuala." He said as he neared,with a polite nod of his transparent dome.
"And Herr Müller, I believe. Good evening to you both."

He took a quick look around, as if searching for the reason the two of them were standing in the hall this late at night.
"Would it be correct for me to assume that the both of you are finding difficulty in sleeping?" He asked in his metallic tones.

[olive]

The Princess noted the necromancer’s facial features, but did not recoil at his appearance. Though she and her race were creatures of beauty, she knew better than to judge one’s character purely upon their appearance. However, when she mentioned the energy required for his abilities, she nodded in understanding. There was always a price to be paid for magic. When he offered his assistance, she thought for a moment, and quizzically tilted her head to one side.

“Magical pendants?” she said slowly, her tone inflecting ever so slightly at her last uttered syllable. “I would have to have a look at them before wearing them,” she continued, wary of the side effects. “I am only having trouble sleeping lately. I suffer from night terrors.” She blushed slightly at her confession. Somehow she felt weak to having this problem.

As a sound of metalic footsteps echoed through the open door, Nuala adjusted her gaze to the door, expecting more company to pass through the doorway.

“Good morning, Dr. Krauss,” Nuala replied softly. “I am uncertain of Mr. Müller’s condition, but you are correct in your assumptions about myself. I am…having far too many nightmares to sleep soundly. I was trying Yoga, a few minutes ago. And Mr. Müller suggested a magical pendent.” She then fell silent, her eyes moving between the two agents, unsure of how things would proceed. She had been --admittedly-- reclusive lately, and still felt alien when it came to the Bureau.

[gyakusatsu]

Muller stuttered timidly in response to the abrupt appearance of Agent Krauss.
"Ah- eh- G- guten nacht Herr Krauss. I-it's a pleasure finally meeting a man of such..."
His tongue seemed caught in his throat and he struggled for a word for a few seconds before finally discovering what he'd been looking for.
"...renown as yourself."

His gaze was now turned permanently downward as he spoke more to the stomach of Krauss' suit than anything else.

"I'm unfortunately rather sensitive to spiritual activity and a rather heavy concentration of it tonight has been keeping me from my rest."

He then turned to face the Princess only to drop his gaze from her eyes as well.
"W- you see- I- uhm...
I have protective charms and such and...
Well they're fairly good at calming the mind as well as putting spirits at ease..."
His voice seemed to trail off as he spoke, still having yet to recover from the embarrassment of being caught watching the Princess practice yoga.
"I also have a few dream catchers if you-..."

Overcome by his awkward persona, his voice was lost somewhere in the back of his throat for the fourth time that night.

[astalakio]

Johann pondered why the situation seemed so awkward between the three of them. Was it taboo to be caught up so late at night or, as the Princess had said, early in the morning?

He listened politely to the Princess' explaination of her lack of sleep,
"I am sorry to hear that."
and then turned to Müller for his, only for him to stutter over his words.

It was true that Johann was one of the more well-known members around the Bureau, but it was quite rare that he ever got such a reaction from another Agent. If he had still had a face, Johann would have smiled wisely at him. As it was, he didn't, so he gave a little bow of his dome instead.

"I'm unfortunately rather sensitive to spiritual activity and a rather heavy concentration of it tonight has been keeping me from my rest."
"Ah," Johann intejected, holding a hand to his chest. "I hope I am not the cause of such distress."
Being the spiritual entity he was, after all.

He doubted he was, in actuality, but the line was a friendly one and Johann somehow felt like it was up to him to keep the conversation lighthearted. Both these people before him seemed very tired, but were without sleep. That was something that he, thankfully, no longer had to face.

[olive]

“I think…” Nuala began, “at least having a look at your charms and pendants would not hurt. In the very least I can learn something this evening. It would be a fascinating diversion from our inability to sleep. Dr. Krauss, I would be honored if you joined us… so long as this is alright with Mr. Müller.” Nuala smiled at them both shyly, and gestured for the two agents to follow her out into the hall.

She began to lead the way down the hall and halted, before turning on her heels and returning to the gymnasium doors.

“You will have to lead the way, Mr. Müller. I do not know where I am going” she said apologetically. Her cheeks flushed a golden hue for a moment.

As they walked down the hall, she did her best to make pleasant conversation: “You appear to be well, Dr. Krauss, I hope this is a fair assumption on my part” and “Do tell me more about your abilities, Mr. Müller” slipped from her lips. She was determined to keep things jovial.

((OOC: sorry this is so sparse XD Let me know if moving them down the halls is not ok with either of you ))

[gyakusatsu]

Muller shook his head at the ghost's conjecture.
"N- No need to worry. I doubt that a single entity would have a strong enough effect on the spiritual static of an area so vast as the Bureau...
Even Professor Hartwood's aura of spiritual interference doesn't reach all the way to my room."
He left out the part about having specifically requested the room farthest from the walking ghost magnet.

“I think…
at least having a look at your charms and pendants would not hurt. In the very least I can learn something this evening. It would be a fascinating diversion from our inability to sleep. Dr. Krauss, I would be honored if you joined us… so long as this is alright with Mr. Müller.”
Christoph nodded to Nuala in agreement.
"Perhaps that would be an interesting activity to occupy our minds for the night."
He paused a moment and quickly nodded his head at Nuala's question.
"And of course, it would be my honor to have Dr. Krauss accompany us as well."
He bowed his head in the spirit's direction in an effort to be as amiable as he could.

“You will have to lead the way, Mr. Müller. I do not know where I am going”
Muller mumbled and nodded, not even sure what he himself was saying before walking ahead down the hall towards his own room.
"...Very well Your Highness. A-and you'll have to excuse the mess, I wasn't expecting any guests this evening so...
I haven't had much of an opportunity to clean up."
"Do tell me more about your abilities, Mr. Müller”
He was a bit surprised at the Princess' apparent interest in his abilities, given his profession.
"I-I'm afraid that the details of what I do may be a bit too lurid for your ears, Princess."
He fumbled shyly as he walked in front of them, fidgeting with the iron skull pendant he wore about his neck.
"Y- You see, Exorcism and Necromancy are hardly topics suitable for conversation in respectable company..."
He couldn't reason why a graceful creature of nobility like the Princess would ever deem Necromancy a topic of interest, particularly with it's terribly dark and taboo stigma

[astalakio]

Johann felt curious enough of the necromancer's dwelling (as much as it wasn't his business) to follow the two of them, the walking corpse and the and the elven princess, down the corridor. He hung back behind the two of them, allowing them to talk and contented to follow and listen for the most part.
Although at the Princess' question as to whether he was well, he did reply;
"Very well indeed, thank you. And I am saddenned to hear it is not so for yourself also. I'm sure nightmares are terrible things. With any luck Herr Müller will be able to help you."
He'd certainly had nightmares before, when he was 'human', but it seemed like an age ago now, and he could barely remember the sensation.

He was also interested to learn about Müller's expertise, as dark as both his persenel file and he himself proclaimed it to be. He had a vague understanding of necromancy, and knew more than he would have liked to about exorcism (during his time as a free-wandering spirit, many homeowners had attempted to exorcise him. And it was about at this time that he would decide it was time to move on).

"Surely the nature of the subject and the fact that nobody talks about it is exactly what would entice a curious young lady." Johann chipped in, at Müller's reluctance to speak. "Although curiousity did kill the cat, or so they say." He added.
"And if I am not mistaken, Princess Nuala is a creature of magic herself. For something in this world to be fully understood, we must study all sides of it, do you not think?"

[olive]

Her golden eyes flashed a look of anger at the suggestion that anything would be too lurid for her ears; but when Dr. Krauss spoke in defense of her curiosity, Nuala relaxed, taking a silent breath. She had only been offended, as she was not used to such comments. True, she was a princess, but she was far older than she looked in terms of human years. She had seen horrible things; in her dreams and through first-hand experience.

“Mr. Müller,” she began gently. “A woman, especially by the standards of your western world, cannot be shielded from the truth that exists around her.” Here she smiled sweetly and glanced over to Dr. Krauss. “We, magical beings—as we are called, have a different sense of good and evil. What you may call ‘black magic’ I cannot call by the same name.” She paused a moment, contemplating the direction their conversation was taking.

“If you are made uncomfortable at the prospect of answering my question, then that is another matter entirely. And I would respect that; it is not my desire to upset you… And if you wish, Mr. Müller, perhaps the good doctor, and myself can give you a few moments to straighten your quarters.” Nuala gave him a comforting smile before returning her line of sight to the path ahead of them.

She was now slightly embarrassed by the anger that washed over her. She was usually so calm, even when someone had made intentional offense. Perhaps it was the level of fatigue she felt; she hoped it was not her brother’s mental influence swaying her emotions.

(((OOC: I’ll let you decide when they’ve arrived, DH)))

[gyakusatsu]

Muller remained quiet as the other two spoke, listening well to their reasoning against his secrecy. He bowed his head and conceded to their reasoning sheepishly.
"Very well, If you so wish I will indulge you with details of my enterprise."
He cleares his throat a moment before beginning to speak in his low, soft voice.
"I learned occult techniques at a rather young age, and was generally successful in my endeavros from the start. You see I started after the passing of..."
His voice cracked here and he strained to hide the water condensing in his eyes...
"...my late sister...

But that's a story for another evening.

My practice generally consists of traditional necromancy and exorcism, though the Bureau makes more use of my insight into matters of undeath than anything else.

Though I prefer other options, I have knowledge enough to raise the dead. But that is a rather texing exercise, as it requires a great deal of life energy and often robs me of my own.

I can also commune with the deceased though I typically don't have to seek much help outside of Agatha's counsel."

He paused a moment to show them the shrunken witches head he carried about in his robes, she happened to be rather taciturn at the moment. He was glad for this even given her lack of a voice.

"Of course these abilities hardly sets me far apart from your own abilities Doctor."
He smiled at the glass dome that substituted the ghost's face.
"My less morbid practices demand a strong knowledge of most things occult as well as a substantial collection of the materials required.
My own communion with ethereal beings touches on far more than just the deceased.
I have had to deal with a good many demons, Fae, and malevolent entities. For this I've aqcuired many amulets, charms, pendants, and even an enchanted dagger."
He shuddered slightly at the thought of his own bladed tool and it's bloody purpose.
"The specific nature of the entity in question actually dictates the equipment required but by now I'm fairly confident in my collection's capabilities to handle any entities I may encounter."
He grinned to himself now, brushing his hand over the skull pendant hanging about his neck.
"And that is precisely why we've come to my room, which just so happens to be behind this door right here..."
He grins and gestures to the door as they approach. It's thick, iron exterior hardly betrayed the comfortable abode within.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I'll just be a moment."

The Necromancer vanished behind the immense, metal slab. He was absent for several minutes before reappearing at the portal, the metal block swung casually against the pristine walls, and hus arms flung wide in a welcoming gesture.
"Welcome to my dwelling, please take a seat if you wish, and feel free to make yourselves comfortable."

The walls within were painted pitch black, the soft carpet underfoot was a dark gray. At the center of the farthest wall sat a queen-sized bed draped in dark bedding like a shroud over a coffin. At the right side of his room loomed a large television facing a rather comfortable looking maroon couch.
A glass coffee table occupied the left end of his room and a door opened up beside his bed, giving full view of the mirror of his bathroom. Most of his wallspace was overtaken either by a large expanse of filled bookshelves or a good many posters depicting a variety of formulae and casting circles.

Immediately to the left of the entrance sat a welcoming bowl of Dum-dum brand lollipops.