Slithering through the forest he felt his tentacles on the earthen ground pulling him slowly along the dew covered grass. It had been morning the sun hanging low on the horizon as he had made his way happily along. His thoughts on the latest victim that he had snagged in the forest from which he had now came. Matters could have gone better, he had thought, though he hadn't been entirely discouraged even if matters had been lacking something that he could not place his tentacles on.

His thoughts had been interrupted as one of his nodes had contacted him. Usually they had alerted him to students that had meet his criteria as the little diminutive little "children" that could get places that he couldn't as they used his prowess in telepathy to brush into the minds of students to learn of their likes, dislikes and about a little of their past that they shared with their creator.

Well today had been a little different, a warning that his node had issued. A warning? Aegir had found himself dwelling on the information his node had sent him about the new student. A musician, well that could be interesting seeing that he had normally sought them out anyway in part to get use to the dangerous weapons of their voices.

Jazz? He let him mind go oover that for a moment as his gaze flickered to the numerous buildings that made up the school. As he pondered this he had found himself creeping towards the campus as an unassuming illusion draped over his form.

As he passed by numerous students his attention had shifted to the gym, his edict memory telling him that the building wouldn't be in use for almost 2 hours. An idea had formed up in his cranium as he questioned his node through telepathy as he inquired about the whereabouts of the student now, finding that she had just been getting out of class. A small prodding to his node and the thing had dug into Ella's mind as it had retrieved the information for Aegir.

Dorm room number and her schedule for the day.

While she would clearly beat his nodes to her room given that they were roughly the size of a half dollar, not to mention that they were as slow as Aegir had been. Rather learning that her next class had been in the afternoon today that gave him plenty of time to act.

He had sent the node to her room generating an illusion of a flyer on the bulletin board in the hall just outside her door. First and foremost the node would give itself to hiding as Aegir channeled his abilities through it as he saw through the eyes of the node.

Using telekinesis he rapped on the door as he produced a knocking sound against it. He stood ready to suggest that she look towards the bulletin board in order to take in the flyer.

Tito Dejesus presents
Jazz Extravaganza
Where: The Gymnasium
When: August 8th, 10 am - 12 pm

Ella stretched at her window, yawning into the bright morning outside her room. The breeze was warm, the sky was blue, and even the strange nightmares she'd been having couldn't keep her mood from rising. Besides, her morning class had been fun, as she found every Sociology 101 to be interesting every day. Grinning she bopped her head to the side slowly, singing to herself.

"Did you sa~y that I've got a lot to learn?
Well don't think I'm trying not to learn,
Since this is the perfect spot to learn -
Oooh, teach me tonight~"

It was a good sign that she was in a Dinah Washington mood. Nothing she'd ever done ever came out anything but upbeat. Humming the tune as she turned back into her room, she pulled down the rather short skirt provided by the school, hiding the gray running shorts beneath them. She really wished they'd sent her at least one shirt the right size, all the ones they'd given her were at least one size too small. And God were they tight in the chest. She couldn't even wear a bra without getting indents in her skin from the underwire. Fortunately she had plenty of cammies, and the white one hid itself quite well under her uniform.

The knocking at her door elicited a curious turn in her humming and quick hop to the door, her hair swinging behind her as she opened it. "Hello? Hunh?" She blinked a few times in confusion, sticking her head into the hall. No one there. She could have swor-. Wait, what? She found her eyes drawn to a flyer pinned to the board across the hall, her humming trailing off as she read the words.

"Ohhh! Awesome! I've got just enough time to go see before my next class." She spun back into her room, leaving the door ajar as she slipped into her Mary Janes and snagged her bag from the chair. Back out the door, she quickly locked it, and half walked, half danced her way out into the school grounds. Gym gym gym, where oh where's the gym?

After a few minutes of wandering, and a shyly muttered question to another student, Ella found it. Already excited at the thought of hearing someone else perform, she opened the door and walked in.

Aegir had found that he had his work cut out for him given the particular vulnerability he had towards sounds, namely music. He had summoned up music once or twice as an illusionary effect and even that had affected him. But hadn't life been about testing his limits? And if the whole matter fell apart well it would unravel in his face.

He did have some time to prepare as Ella made her search for the gym. His node obviously retreating into the shadows of her hallway as it had been unable to keep up with her even if it did make a direct line to the gym. It's part had been done, it's ordeal had been ver as it's spy work had been done for it's dark parent.

But he had prepared for Ella as his compound mind went to work first on decorations and banners, a task that he had managed to do quite well, He had used his mind to formulate a table draped with a single white cloth that had housed refreshments. A stage illuminated the back of the gym where it had been set up near the doors of the place leading outward while he had generated the illusion of two dozen or so students milling about and generally having a good time as he slithered towards the stage itself.

As he went he generated the illusion of a band while draping his own mauve flesh with one that made him look Hispanic, long black hair peppered with a few strands of gray had been held in place by a simple hair band. His clothing had been faded as if the color itself had bled out of the garments that had adorned his body, mostly browns.

His gaze had flown to an old fashioned clock that had hung against the wall as if he had been checking the time while his mind had manifested an instrument to 'play'. Nearly 10, about five minutes to if he were to be precise. His mouth puckered up as he took center stage, All eyes appearing on him as he sounded the trumpet sounding a few notes through his music had been generated by illusions as well that had carried on the air.

His illusionary brown eyes closing briefly as he bleeted out a few sounds.

Ohhh! She could hear it already, those first strident notes of the trumpet, sending a thrill through her veins. Peeking through the doorway for a moment at first, she was mildly surprised to see so many people. Edging in, she made a beeline for a wall near the stage, grateful that everyone seemed enthralled with the bandleader. He looked the part, he even had that faintly rumpled air that all good musicians carried, in her opinion.

Putting her bag down behind her feet, she leaned against the wall, watching with a wide smile, and listening attentively, her feet already moving to the sounds, waiting for more. She'd have to remember not to start singing out loud if she knew the song. God, would that be embarrassing.

If she'd been paying better attention, she may have actually wondered at the undivided attention of the audience, or the timing of a performance in the middle of a day of classes. Unfortunately, Ella was rather short on good sense, as was rapidly becoming more and more apparent. But, for now, she had music, and everything else could be damned.

He had realized that his illusion hadn't been perfect. Like all times there had been room for improvement which he had chalked up mostly due to his creativity or rather lack of one.

His eyes fluttered opened the music that he "played" had bled into the air having it's affect on him as he stood there pretending to play. Truth be told he had been more or less enthralled to the sounds that he had generated though matters hadn't been as bad as they had been in the past. At least he could still maintain some control over his illusions so his concentration hadn't been all focused upon the music, at least that had been a small improvement over the past where he could do nothing at all unless he had found himself rooted to a spot, mesmerized by the sound. Maybe it had been because this had been an illusion or maybe he had grwn partially use to music, whatever the case he had known that he had troubles bringing his powers to bare. Normally hi mind would have filtered into her own but the music had blocked his concentration on that.

Instead he had found his eyes dipping to the floor as a few notes played out, his voice deep and resounding, had sang into a microphone on stage. His eyes shifted to her more than once during his performance though he had finished off his song first before addressing matters.

There had been a polite round of applause when he had finished his first tune of the night. "It seems that a celeb has decided to grace our presence," his rich voice said as he looked across the room at Ella standing there by the wall. Some of the students cast there glance in her direction as if following Tito's gaze.

If the illusion was imperfect, Ella didn't notice. It certainly helped that she didn't even consider the possibility of the entire scenario being a collection of images and sounds put directly into her mind. And besides, she was too busy moving along with the music of the trumpet, her toes tapping in time, her hands on the hem of her skirt to keep them from doing anything to attention grabbing. Her long blue-black hair swayed down her back as she moved her head to the music, a blithely happy smile plastered to her face. She seemed entirely oblivious to the glances cast her way, though it was easy to see her lips moving soundlessly in time with "Tito's" singing.

She clapped enthusiastically when the piece was finished, maybe a little too enthusiastically, compared to the clapping of the others. She coughed and folded her arms, sticking her hands under her arms sheepishly.

At mention of a celebrity, she looked up, excited. Blinking she followed the gaze of the audience, and looked to either side of herself, wondering who they-Oh God they were looking at her! Her voice sounded a bit breathless as she spoke up, waving both hands in front of herself frantically.

"Oh no, I'm no celebrity. You must have me mistaken with someone."

He smiled, dark brown eyes regarding her for a passing moment as if seizing her up, The music had stopped now leaving him a little shaken in the process of his own illusion and he had known what to expect. He found that he had been gazing upon her even as he invoked his own ability to read minds at once driving himself home into her brain as he had been so accustom to doing so that it had been natural to him.

"No need to be modest," his voice had been deep as he spoke out loud, his eyes sparkling with the false recognition that had fluttered through his mind since he had never heard her sing.

He gestured to her as he spoke to her very evident of the eyes that had been fluttering between them. "Why dontcha come up her an introduce yourself to your peers?"

Knowing all too well his own limitations he sought to lure her closer so that his slow speed wouldn't be much of a factor. Waiting to see or hear a response his brown eyes flickered to the clock on the wall then back not having realized that close to 10 minutes had elapsed since he began playing.

Had he been that out of it that his sense of time had been eclipsed during into nothingness with the onset of the music? He had imagined so and for the briefest of moments he had considered if he could actually hold up to real song.

Ella blushed bright red as the man refused to accept her explanation, her eyes turning to all the people staring at her, then looking at her feet and shuffling toward the stage shyly. She coughed and looked up, glancing at "Tito", then looking back to the crowd, deciding it was easier to just go along with it.

"I'm, uhm, Ella Schuur. I'm not famous or anything, but, well, I did use to sing in a few clubs back home. But, I never did anything more than that, so..."

She trailed off after the little speech, intensely uncomfortable to be in front of so many strangers, at least without a piano behind her, or a microphone to hide behind. Hopefully he'd let her go back to the wall now that she'd introduced herself. Though, she imagined it might be fun to give singing in front of a crowd a try again. It had been a while, not since Thom-. She stamped down on that thought, hard. No. You've been spending too much time dwelling on that, baby doll. You came here to move on, not mire in misery. Smiling shyly she looked up at the crowd of people, then back to "Tito", eyebrow raised curiously.

He had found himself drudging into her mind as she addressed the crowd, her thoughts had mirrored his plans in some way as he had been curious about the thoughts that had climbed up within his mind about resisting the lure that music had upon him.

But was it wise to give her that much power?

He had already contemplated that already. While it hadn't been wise well it had been his decision to make. He looked at her calmly, his brown eyes dangling upon her for a moment before addrssing her.

"That's how we've all made our breaks, a few numbers at dives and clubs. Why such magic just doesn't die out. Join me for a number seeing that you're up here. I'll play and you can sing, any number that you have in mind?:

He played a few notes apparently to loosen up his lips, then cast his gaze back on her when he had been through.

Ella grinned at his words, nodding in agreement. She blinked for a moment, thinking quickly.

Finally, with a nod, she moved around to get on the stage, walking to the microphone with a bit more spring in her step. She felt at home on a stage, and as soon as that microphone was nestled in her white gloved hand, she was almost another person, gone from shy to sultry, nervous to languid and relaxed, one hand atop the vacant mic stand, the other holding the microphone loosely at her side.

"Do you know Blue Skies, either the Fitzgerald, or Sinatra version?" she grinned mischievously, hoping he took the brave route and chose Sinatra. She just loved that trumpet solo near the end, and she wanted to see how well he pulled it off.

"Old Blue Eyes? Yeah I know the piece." He glanced at the band as if gathering theiraattention with his gaze. "You know the number?"

There was a few nods in response as he swept his eyes back towards her, trumpet on hand as he bobbed his head up and down to the rhythm of music that had begun to pump in against his ears, his right foot tapping gently on the stage as if in time with the beat though really the illusionary sound had already begun to get to him.

He began to play choosing to do his best as he tried in vain to ignore the pulsating rhythm that had begun to well up as he played.

Ella bounced on the balls of her feet as the band picked up the tune, her hips moving gently from side to side with the rhythm. She smiled lazily as "Tito" picked up the strident notes on his trumpet, then began singing in a clear, carrying voice, tone cheery and upbeat.

Bl~ue ski~ies, smilin' at me~
Nothin'~ but blue skies, do I see~

She paused to clap along with the bridge, pitching right back into singing, her hair flying about her as she got more into it.

Blue birds, singin' a song,
Nothin' but blue birds~, all day long~

Her head shook from side to side with abandon during the band bridge, eyes closed. Her tempo increased right along with theirs, her words flowing out like smooth quicksilver.

Never saw the sun shinin' so bri~ght,
Never saw things lookin' so ri~ght.

Noticin' the days, hurryin' by~
When you're in lo~ve, my ho~w the~y fl~y...

She dragged out the last lines, bleeding into the trumpet solo, sashaying aside to give "Tito" center stage, and all the attention, a giddy, happy feeling bubbling up inside her. God, she'd missed this.

Heaven had to be missing an angel given the sweetness of her voice that had the effects enchanting him as he thought that his illusion had dropped once or twice for mere milliaseconds at a time causing the gym to appear lifeless and barren in those few seconds that those illusions had been dropped.

Somehow he had managed to keep things together long enough to get through his solo though he didn't know how he had managed given the brake that had formed up in his concentration.

He had shivered once than twice not sure that he would make it, Brto moisten eathless he looked towards Ella as his tongue washed against his upper lip

He had found that he had been breathless and while that state had nothing to do with the way he spoke now through the use of telepathy. It had been this effect that had used ,aking the lips of himself or his puppets to move their mouths as his thoughts bled into their mind as he simulated speech in this method.

Ella swayed along with the music, waiting for the finale, when she could sing again. She had to admit, "Tito" was pretty damn good with tha-. Reality seemed to flicker for the barest fraction of a second, emptying the room of people, of anything but herself. No no no no, stop Ella, don't do this again. She closed her eyes and focused on the music, pushing away what she thought was another of her "episodes". The room was full of people, watching the band and her, listening to them. You're just nervous baby doll. Relax, relax.

As "Tito" came to the close of his solo and the band joined in, she opened her eyes and stepped back to the center of the stage, forcing herself to be confident and brassy, because the song demanded no less. She put the full weight of her voice behind the last few lines of the song, her body slowly arching backward as the tune ended on a high note.

Never saw the sun shinin' so bri~ght,
Never saw things lookin' so ri~ght.

Noticin' the days, hurryin' by~
When you're in lo~ve, oh ho~w the~y fl~y...

Blue days, a~ll of them go~ne
Noth~ing but blue ski~es
From now o~~~n

She kept her eyes closed as the band played the last few strident chords, moving the microphone in time, almost like she was conducting them. Finally on the last note, she opened her eyes and smiled at the crowd, bowing slightly.

Aegir as Tito had grinned though the ravages of music had made it difficult for him in maintaining his illusions. He had never heard anything quite angelic before as she sang out her tune, finding it nearly impossible to concentrate on anything else, Even if the music had been illusionary it still had been effective though to his credit things hadn't been as bad as they had been in the past.

His trumpet solo had been flawlessly played as he bleated out his illusionary tune. He had moved closer to center stage as he did so though his pace had been quite slow, only a few feet before he had stopped. Of course when Ella took center stage he had back up some though had been sure to stay with arm's, well tentacles reach of her in order to negate his slow speed.

He had thought about striking now, though if he did so he would be vulnerable. There had been no telling if his attacks would be off given the sounds that had washed over him and thus had decided that he would endure matters until the song had been over.

He had bobbed his head to the music in order to mask the shivers coursing over him, the sheer intoxication of the music had overcome him as he absorbed it into his mind through his ears. A smile had stretched onto his lips when the music finally came to an end, the illusionary crowd bursting into applause.

He had been impressed with the fact that he had did so well against adversity, his own hands came together in applause despite the trumpet that had been loosely held in his right hand.

"Thank you! Thank you!"

He had nearly called her by his name but hadn't as his mind reattached itself to her surface thoughts feeling so naked without having done so earlier though he couldn't since all his concentration had been on maintaining his illusion.

He had waited only a second or two longer before dropping his illusion. The crowds vanishing, the band doing likewise as the image of Tito had melted away displaying his true form. At once in time with this he had launched his tentacles against her in hopes that he had the element of surprise on his side as he had used those tentacles to restrain her.