Character Dream II

[Farm - Barn -> Outside]

Mazra looked at Min with slight annoyance. Oh, come on, I was being polite!

She quickly wiped away her scowl, though. Being angry in a dream was just silly. Besides, she at least seemed a little chattier than Seilaan, who was an awfully reserved type.

"Well," she said in response to what the scruffy girl had said, "I guess we're a little odd - though I can't imagine ever going in a bar. But, I mean, we're in a dream, right? There's not supposed to be any sense to things here."

She glanced briefly at the... non-conversation between Varris and Vince's wyvern. So the latter couldn't talk. That answered that question, at least. But wait - was Vince implying that Varris was actually speaking like a human, not just using some kind of translator? Now that would be odd.

Turning back to the other two, she gestured outside, through where the wall used to be. "So, Min, I was telling Seilaan and the doctor earlier that I think I shall go outside and see if I can affect the dream, or something. Try and... I don't know, poof some pasties into existence or something. Maybe even something a little more adventurous, while I've got the chance. I mean, who knows when we'll wake up?"

She turned towards the outside area of the farm, then raised one finger and turned back, realizing that she hadn't actually made her point. "Anyway, you can come too and see if you can, if you want."

[Farm – Exterior (Min, Varris, Vince, Mazra, Seilaan, Caleb)]

“He… can't speak?” Varris blinked, looked at Vince, then back at the other dragon, and then back at Vince again, with his head cocked in confusion and his tail twitching, rustling the grass beneath him. “That doesn't… Then how do you…?”

He stopped himself, casting the thought aside. Questioning the nature of Vince's reality would just cause them to go wildly off-topic, and he knew that Min wouldn't have the patience to stand around for that. Instead, he simply said, “Normally, nobody would think twice about a dragon talking. I suppose that particular aspect of our world just happens to be different where you come from.”

Min shook her head in response to the man's question. “This is the first time anything like this has ever happened to me. Honestly, I usually don't even have dreams. I just thought it was weird that with six people here, only one of us is nonhuman.”

She then turned back to Mazra and Seilaan. “Looks like your tea is rebelling against you, Seilaan,” she said, glancing at the floating tea tray, a faint smile crossing her face. “I won't waste your time. I can tell when someone's getting impatient, y'know?”

She peered off into the oppressive fog, squinting, but she still couldn't see anything beyond the trees. The gloomy weather would've been familiar, even welcoming, if it wasn't for all the damn fog weighing everything down. It was almost enough to make her miss Greyvale... almost.

“Anything could be out there,” she murmured, mostly to herself. Part of her said it was a risk. Part of her knew it was an opportunity. Min looked down and briefly locked eyes with Varris. As though reading her mind, he gave her a small nod. That's enough for me.

Min swallowed and took a deep breath. “I'll go with you, Mazra. Safety in numbers. It would be nice if someone else could come with, so it's not just the three of us.”

That, and being alone with Mazra wasn't exactly Min's idea of a good time, not that she'd say that out loud. It was petty, and she knew it was petty. She barely even knew Mazra. There wasn't any more reason to dislike her than there was to dislike the others. She just... bore an unfortunate resemblance to people that Min actually had a reason to hate.

edited 23rd Feb '16 4:30:46 PM by Collen

[Forest]

The Warden continued to brandish her sword. "A Goddess of Death? I do not believe you, and I trust you even less." She turned her back as best she could to the mist. "If you wish to follow us then I cannot stop you mist, but I will keep my eyes on you." She then turned her attention back towards Lauren. "If a supposed Goddess of Death is roaming this forest, then this is indeed a dangerous place. Be on your guard, and let us find your husband before it is too late." The Warden wasn't exactly the best at instilling confidence in others.

[Misery Manor]

Gabe opened his mouth, closed it, thought for a moment, then thought better of what he was about to say. His past wasn't important; he had put it behind him. At least, that's what he kept telling himself. "Sorry, you just got me... reflecting. Nothing important."

Then he cleared his throat, eagerly focusing on his present day. "Anyways, these days, I live in a city called Minneapolis. Have a day job at as a cosmetologist. It keeps me connected to the world, and helps to keep up appearances. Can't exactly put 'demon hunter' on a tax form, can we?" He forced a chuckle, still shaking off the pain of considering his distant past, but discussing his present life was helping distract him, and he was relaxing. "My boss is in on it, so she lets me keep flexible hours and fudges documents here in there in exchange for a small cut of my second job's profits and... well, I am actually quite a good cosmetologist, if I do say so myself." He smiled, motioning to his own exquisitely painted face as the only needed proof. "There's beauty in everyone, and I've gotten quite good at finding it and bringing out. Usually with more subtlety than, well," he tapped below his eyebrow, indicating his own glittering eye shadow. "Ah, if only I had my salon here now... you're a lovely woman, but I swear, I could make you want to see your sister just so you could watch her weep, absolutely weep with jealousy."

[Wasteland]

Celso nodded and said, "I have guesses." The shadow was the real dreamer, the child, a memory, innocence she sought to protect? Foolish, if so; mankind had fallen already. Innocence, though beautiful, was inherently brief. The shadow was a warrior, this was clear, no stranger to the extinguishing of life. Much like Celso himself, though, again, it seemed possible that unlike Celso, she regretted it. "But I may be wrong," he finished. "So my questions. Answer them, or do not, but remember any gaps you leave will be filled in by the imagination of a man who has survived over seventy years as the CEO of a multinational weapons corporation." He let the implications of that linger before he continued. "Who are you? What are you? What is your relation to young girl? Is this place," he motioned to the wasteland, "a reflection of a 'real' place, or an abstraction of your emotions? What do those creatures represent?" He emphasized the last word, clearly uninterested in the forms they took. "And a last I must politely insist you do not answer to any but yourself: do you fear them more, or yourself?"

edited 25th Feb '16 7:33:54 PM by KillerClowns

[Forest-Unknown}

In an isolated section of the forest, amidst the vine-chocked trees a shape darted from trunk to trunk, had anyone been nearby they might have mistaken it for an animal, but this was no beast. The being was vaguely mammalian, but with an almost reptilian air to it, its body, at least those parts visible beneath the thick cloth and rags it wore, was dull-black with a whitish, "freckled" pattern. A thick tail sprouted from a muscular torso, unencumbered but the rags on the rest of its body, the tail swayed gently over the ground, its tip endowed with a small barb. The being stood on columnar legs and had a moderately long neck leading up to a vaguely snake-like head. A short main of hairs sprouted from the back of its head and ran down the neck. The being eyed the surrounding forest, it bore more than a passing resemblance to the marshland the being, Salaam, knew as a youth. but it was very, fundamentally, different. Salaam wasn't sure were exactly he was, but he was intent to find out.

Farm

"I'm Caleb Andersas," he told Vince, "I was just doing my rounds when I ended up here. At first I though I had teleportosis, but no cases of that had ever been proven."

He then addressed Varris, "I know what you mean, the people here are really different, even from the few humans I know." He realized something else he said, "wait, did you say you were a dragon? You and your friend aren't associated with the Dragon's Daugters are you?"

edited 25th Feb '16 10:50:40 PM by Novis

[farm, inside barn - Vince, Seilaan, Min, Varris, Caleb, Mazra]

He nodded appreciatively, held his arm out to his wyvern so it could get to his shoulder, then headed further into the barn when Caleb turned to address Min. Vince took his bag of candied fruit out of his pocket. As he examined it for the next piece he wanted to eat, he extended two psychic arms to grab the tray and (attempt to) guide it back within Seilaan's reach. Upon deciding that he was going to try a candied cherry next, one of the arms let go of the tray to take the teapot and pour a cup, leaving only one to support the tray waiter-style. The free arm took the cup of tea and held it next to Vince when he reclaimed his previous seat, chewing away at the fruit as he watched the others make arrangements to set out.

Behind Vince and outside his eyeshot, the odd, tall man from before reappeared as soon as Seilaan looked back at the seated farmer, attempting to examine the tray from around Vince. The tall man pressed his hand against his neck in a futile attempt at keeping the blood from his slit throat from making a mess of the barn, as it gushed around his fingers and down his front, only for him to disappear entirely before he could fail, and let any actually reach any surfaces in the barn.

[Farm]

Damn it, this was not acceptable! But before Seilaan could do anything about the floating tray, Vince took care of it himself.

Well, that worked. She raised her teacup for another sip. And almost choked when she saw the tall, bloody man.

That sight gave her quite a turn, she had to admit, but at least she had managed to avoid any undignified choking or spitting. Now that would have been a nightmare, she noted wryly. "Does a very large person with red eyes, pale skin, shoulder-length dark hair, and extra fingers with blood gushing from a grievous neck injury sound familiar to any of you?" Her tone was inappropriately casual.

edited 26th Feb '16 10:26:57 PM by SnowyFoxes

[Wasteland]

"Make whatever assumptions you will. Your background is meaningless to me," Said the figure. "But I will answer what I can..." She turned and faced the horizon. "Who and what I am are are difficult questions, and I don't not posses the full answer. What I do know, is that I am not real, strictly speaking, but I am closer to the truth than she is. But then again, perhaps nothing around here is strictly real..." She said, sweeping her hand across the landscape.

"This place, this desert, is based on a true location. And these 'creatures,' as you call them, are based on people, real soldiers, though we don't see them as such." She turned to face Celso again. "The girl and I are two parts of a whole, and even this land, while it resembles a real place, is partially an abstraction. The difference is, she doesn't know any of this, and won't understand if you try to tell her." She shakes her head.

"And as for me..." She glanced over at place that had been a battlefield, moments ago. The faceless beings' blood was still wet and fresh, glistening atop the sand and dust. "Fear is, perhaps too strong a sentiment. But them? They cannot hurt me..."

Buildings materialized in the distance, like a mirage. A large city, surrounded by tall, beige walls and with towering smokestacks reaching into the sky, belching out streams of black clouds. "If you truly seek more answers, you will them there." Said the figure, pointing to the city. "Otherwise..." She pointed behind him, where a narrow, dirt path had appeared, leading back towards the thick fog.

Then she vanished, bursting into thin wisps of black smoke and rematerializing behind Miyuki, having lost her definition and returned to her prior, shadowy appearance. In the same moment, Miyuki lifted her head very slightly, and began to cautiously look around. "Are they gone?" She said, in barely a whisper.

[farm, inside barn - Vince, Seilaan, two wyverns]

The wyvern that was still on his shoulder had begun to study him, tasting his air with concern. Vince took the teacup out of his own psychic arm, took a sip to rinse the sugar from his mouth before setting the cup back in the psychic arm's palm, and smiled that odd, contented smile again. "Bet he looked like me, too." Abruptly, he swiveled himself around to face her. "Story time!"

"That was my late older brother, Kenos. We were the heirs to the lowest branch of the Onakali clan, the branch responsible for controlling the food supply of our city-state. By the time of our birth, the clan system as a whole was having some rather severe problems with inbreeding, hence his polydactyly and, less visibly, intellectual disability. Despite that, some fiascoes involving my youth made the higher branches pressure our parents into following tradition and making him the acting head of the branch, just because he was the eldest."

Vince paused for a moment to let that sink in. "We were able to make this work by making him a figurehead, which he was okay with. The actual work of policymaking was done mainly by me, our mother, my wife at the time, and his husband. We wrote all of his speeches and official discourses with other branches, and it became a sort of open secret that I was the one wielding most of the power in the branch.

Putting his elbow on his knee, he rested his face in his hand. "Now, this is where the blood comes in. Over the span of a year, Clan Onakali conducted a string of expensive, unsuccessful wars, which justifiably brewed unrest within the population and talks of overthrowing us. On top of that, we had unfavorable weather right around harvest time, but we still had enough food stored up to sustain the entire city-state for the whole winter if we were careful. However, the clanmembers from the higher branches panicked and took most of it out from under us, which, as you might guess, made a lot of people unhappy."

He hand-signaled for the wyvern to get off his shoulder, letting out an indignant sigh before continuing. "A group of peasants entered Kenos's home while he was sleeping, and assassinated him and his husband in their beds. Just to get my attention, because they assumed that he was a political tool to me, too. They graciously let me meet with them, obviously expecting me to be just slightly annoyed, so I told them to go fuck themselves and fled the country with my mother and wife." He shrugged, smirking. "Ten years later, the clan system was gone, so I guess it worked!"

edited 27th Feb '16 8:45:24 PM by CrystalGlacia

[Clinic/Henry]

Henry smirked at what Iveya told him. "Well good we're on the same page then." He said as he leaned back in the chair. "Now maybe I can rest up a bit before going out to find my wife. She'll probably be looking for me by now."

After Ritter left the room for tea for everyone Henry looked around the parlor. It mostly reminded him of his brother's place out in Oregon, with the look of not many visitors being around for a while.

As Henry leaned back further in the chair he started hearing a faint clicking noise. At first he thought it was a clock but as it started getting louder he no longer thought it was a clock but something else.

"Hey Ritter." He called out as the sound was getting faster in pace. "Do you do chemo out here?"

[Farm - Exterior (Mazra, Min, Varris)] The others inside should still be able to see what's going on (if they're looking), of course.

Apparently, no one else was interested in taking Min up on her offer. Although they hadn't spread out that much, so Mazra supposed that they could still watch.

"I don't really know what you mean," she told Min. "I mean, about safety in numbers. It's a dream." She still wasn't even entirely convinced this was all real, and not just the product of too many adventure stories mixed with a little fantasy. Though the whole misty forest setting seemed to argue against that. She'd never been anywhere like here, or even seen its like in fiction. Or at least most fiction, she supposed.

It was a little spooky here, though. She could concur on that much.

After giving the man with the strange glowing lines a brief glance - who were the 'Dragon's Daughters?' Lots of places that could go - she glanced over at Min again. "So, Min, who are you, exactly?" She wasn't sure how to elaborate any further without being rude, but what she really wanted to know was if the other girl really was the somewhat stereotypical street thief she looked like. That would be... kind of exciting, actually.

"Any right - right anyway, here I go," she continued. "Thinking of a meat pie. Nice, golden brown, smelling just..." She closed her eyes. After a moment, a distinctly food-y smell tickled her nostrils. "...like that."

She opened her eyes to see what had, to any of the others that were watching, just poofed into existence on the ground before her: a two-dimensional, crudely colored drawing of a small oval-shaped freshly made meat pie... which was still giving off realistic smells.

Mazra stamped her foot. "Oh, come ON!"

Blackwood (Elemental Guardians, Nick, Fawn, Half, Dark Caller)

Ashleigh listened as this being, apparently called Half, explained his situation. After he did so, she just barely saw him extend a black hand for her to shake. Oddly enough, when she shook it, she didn't feel much of anything. She tried squeezing harder, and thought she was missing his hand entirely, but her hand didn't fully close. Something was in the way, but she couldn't feel it. It was a strange sensation indeed.

"So, Half, was it?" Ashleigh asked him, sounding quite uncomfortable. "L-l-listen, I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about, except it sounds a bit like resurrection. Are you—some sort of copy of someone? Is that what you're saying? At any rate, you're right - the Dark Caller may know more about this than I do. Let's go talk to him now."

And so, she turned around and led Half to the oversized raven, clearing her throat before speaking. "Well Dark Caller, it seems as if someone else has joined us. This is Half, and... to be honest, I'm not completely sure what he is. He said something about somebody else in this dream world becoming him... honestly it's all Greek to me, but do you think you could help him out?"

Meanwhile, Fawn said that she wanted to go with Phoebe, as Misery Manor did indeed sound a bit dangerous. Phoebe smiled at this proposition - she was really beginning to like Fawn, more so than the other Elemental Guardians in fact.

"Sweet!" Phoebe cheered from Peggy's back. She then reached behind Peggy's pole and patted a spot on her back, right in between her wings. "Then climb on! Peggy's very gentle, and riding her is easy if you just grab her pole - just like a carousel horse! I have experience with horseback riding, so I usually just hold onto her mane like so."

"What about me then?" Ashleigh called to her. "Uh, tell you what. Why don't you and Fawn go on without me, and I'll catch up with you later. We should still be able to communicate between our Scanners. I'll, uh, watch over this being here for a while."

"Whoa, what the heck is that!?" Phoebe cried, just now seeing Half next to Ashleigh. "Is he from the Blackwood?"

"It's a long story. You should be going now before the Blackwood spreads further. I think I'll be fine here." I think. I hope. Knowing this place, I might go insane. At least I have my Mysteripets for company if nothing else...

And with that, Phoebe pulled on Peggy's mane, and she and Fawn were off, cantering back through the twisted trees of the Blackwood and into the foggy trees beyond.

Meanwhile, Gon and Yamiko were just about to leave for Misery Manor, when they saw Peggy leave with Phoebe and Fawn riding atop her. Ashleigh and Nick were still here, and a strange shadowy being had also shown up.

"Whoa hold up," Gon called out, forcing the space warrior Galaxeon to put him back down on the scarred ground. "Nick and Ashleigh, are you coming with us or what? And who's the black white-faced guy?"

"This is Half," Ashleigh explained. "He looks like he's from the Blackwood, but he's not. He's apparently the copy of someone else in this dream world - I have a hard time wrapping my head around it myself." She was clutching her curly ashy blond hair against her head with one hand as she spoke. "But he seems to be lost or something. I'll catch up with Phoebe as soon as I find out what's going on with him, and I'll bring Nick along too if he wants to come."

"Well Nick," said Yamiko, gesturing to a spot on the eastern dragon goddess Cerula's back for him to ride on, "are you coming with us or what? Just to let you know, Ashleigh says Misery Manor is dangerous, but I hear it can actually be quite therapeutic if there are awful things in your mind you want to confront. Like with me for example - I am suffering from a curse my great-grandmother placed upon me, and I'm destined to head to Misery Manor to confront her - I must defeat her in battle to break the curse. If you think you're up for that, you can come with us, but if not, I guess it's best to stick with Ashleigh. Hey Ashleigh, do you think Geisha can carry both you and Nick?"

Ashleigh shrugged. "I don't know. But I imagine the buoyant force of her Rising Waters technique should be enough at least."

Sorry, I don't have time to post the part where Phoebe and Fawn reach the park right now. I'll have to post that tomorrow or something. Just be patient, Daird...

Misery Manor (Sinistrina, Gabe)

Sinistrina found Gabe's story rather interesting. It definitely made sense that he was a cosmetologist, given his appearance, but it was kind of odd that he moonlighted as a demon hunter. In fact, though he explained that his boss was okay with hit, he still seemed uncomfortable with it somehow. But the final remark he made about her sister really interested her.

"You mean you could give me - a makeover?" Sinistrina wondered, eyes wide in surprise. "I would be most grateful if it were possible, as my complexion especially needs work. Given that I've had to subsist on scavenged bits of dead flesh, and mushrooms that feed off of said flesh, and potions made with ashes and dead wood, it is not too surprising." It was showing too, given the baggy, tired appearance of her eyes and the gaunt features of her face. A face that suddenly put on a meek smile. "Although, I have learned to make a most delicious mushroom tea in the process. And I just made some myself. Although..." and here her smile vanished, "I would advise you not to come in. Oh, and I also need to check on the two people inside the manor - make sure they haven't... passed away due to the manor's curse. Merely entering this manor causes powerful hallucinations, manifesting as a person's worst fears, a living nightmare of sorts. I alone, am immune to this curse^note she doesn't know yet that Gabe is too. If you value your sanity, I would ask you not to follow me, but if you would like to be haunted by your darkest secrets," and there was a glint in her blood-red eyes, "you may certainly come in."

With a small mysterious smile on her face, she turned around and waved her staff at the heavy front door, causing it to creak open. There looked to be a dark, heavy fog swirling around the abandoned foyer of the manor, through which one could barely glimpse some rotting, torn-up furniture inside and a cobweb-filled chandelier hanging lopsided from the ceiling. As she walked inside, the ancient floorboards creaked beneath her.

edited 27th Feb '16 11:52:40 PM by ladytanuki

Blackwood

Half followed Ashleigh and regarded the others, especially the raven-like Dark Caller. Two reacted to his presence, possibly spawn of Ashleigh, though only one bore any resemblance; he said "I have no quarrel with you." That might not always be the case, but it was true for now.

The Dark Caller was not as he hoped, but Half knew straight away that was no ordinary avian. "Perhaps a metaphor or simile is appropriate," he spoke mainly to the Caller, but addressed the others as well, "I trust you are all familiar with the caterpillar and butterfly organisms. There is a person here who is my 'caterpillar' form, while I am his 'butterfly' form. And yet I am here while he is somewhere else at the same time; before he is meant to metamorphosis into me." Half faced the Caller directly, "I thought you might know why."

(Because the Dark Caller can perceive thoughts, he should also know that Half originally thought the DC may have been the same species as his ancestor or predecessor, but now knows that's not the case.)

edited 28th Feb '16 3:25:00 AM by Novis

[Ritter Clinic]

Friedrich poked his head through the door. "What the hell is 'chemo?' Or did I not hear you correctly? Hey, where's that ticking coming from?" He put some runes on the clock hanging on the wall years ago because he hated ticking noises, so it couldn't be that. Besides, this was way too fast for any reasonable clock.

Better not be a bomb. He probably had enough magic to deal with it, but it wasn't exactly his idea of fun. To say the least.

"Oh...." Seilaan stared at Vince with an expression best described as shocked, but a discerning eye could determine that it was a polite kind of shock, the sort of emotion that a person is expressing when they're sure it's the appropriate reaction for a situation, but they're not quite feeling it at all. It was a tragic story of violence, to be sure, but Seilaan had ceased to be anywhere near flat-out horrified by such things long ago. She was worried it would make him disturbed or concerned if she didn't seem bothered enough. "I'm sorry I commented on the apparition, if it only brought back these kinds of memories." This, at least, was totally sincere. "I should have known, when I saw all that blood it can't have been..."

Her voice trailed off and she mechanically raised her teacup to her lips again. There was that strange feeling again, urging her to stop worrying so much, but this time, she pushed past it with a little more ease. Whatever had trying to lull her into apathy was getting weaker. Maybe it was connected to her patchy memory.

edited 28th Feb '16 4:31:45 AM by SnowyFoxes

Blackwood - Heading towards Orange Tree - Fawn and Phoebe plus carousal

Fawn hopped on the carousal horse then turned to everyone who was staying behind. "We'll meet again later. Good luck on your mission!" she said and held on to the pole tight as the two took off. On their way to the orange tree, Fawn decided now was a good time to ask more questions about the strange group now that she was one on one with one of them. "So, how did you and the others meet anyway? And what world are you from? Where I'm from people with magical powers only exist on tv shows, video games, or comic books." she said, clutching her camcorder close so she didn't accidentally drop it.

[Farm – Exterior (Min, Varris, Mazra)]

“Uh, yes, I am indeed a dragon,” said Varris, eyeing Caleb with a bemused expression, flicking his tongue out at him. “How kind of you to notice. I don't believe we've ever heard of the Dragon's Daughters, though. Judging by the nature of this dream world, I'd have to say they probably aren't from our universe.”

Min crossed her arms and gave Mazra a slight shrug. “Look, we don't know for sure if we can get hurt here or not. I don't want to wake up dead in the morning. If you're gonna take a risk, it might as well be calculated, right?”

She didn't answer Mazra's question immediately, opting to wait for Mazra to perform her little experiment. Min wasn't disappointed; she just barely stifled a bellow of laughter with her hand, and it instead came out as an undignified snort. She unconsciously glanced back over her shoulder at the barn, a small part of her mind hoping Seilaan hadn't heard it, but quickly looked back at Mazra again after her outburst.

“I'm guessing that's not what you wanted,” said Min, examining the “pie” with a small smile. “Why're you even trying food? Anything you eat here wouldn't even be real, and I'm guessing you could get a meat pie if you wanted when you woke up.”

“Anyway… you asked me who I was, right?” She spoke slowly, still trying to piece together an answer that wouldn't provoke the same judgmental look Mazra had given her before. “I'm a nobody, really. Just trying to survive however I can. Even if it's through… dubious methods. That's pretty much all I have going for me, though.”

Varris brushed against her leg lightly. “What about Inverse?”

Min sighed and shoved her hands in her jacket's pockets. She had been trying to avoid thinking about that, but now that Varris had brought it up… “Oh, right. I was the lead guitarist in a band once, with a couple of my friends.” Her only friends, come to think of it, but again she didn't feel like mentioning that. It wasn't like she needed Mazra's pity or anything. “We played a couple bars and clubs, stuff like that. Had a few fans, even released an album online. It was... nice while it lasted.”

Her breathing got a little funny for a second, but she refused to let her face show it, still smiling outwardly.

edited 28th Feb '16 11:35:37 AM by Collen

Blackwood -> Park (Phoebe, Fawn, Dragon's Daughters)

As Peggy cantered on out of the Blackwood and back into the fog, Fawn asked Phoebe some questions about her background - where she and her companions met, and what world they came from, and also mentioning TV and video games and such.

"We came from a virtual world called Mystrica!" Phoebe responded, glancing behind her at the curious camerawoman. "I guess you can say it's like a video game - that's what Gon keeps telling me anyway. It's actually a really neat place - there are all sorts of towns and other areas to explore, filled with interesting creatures. They even have robots to police the place. This brilliant inventor named Vi Willow created the place as some sort of wide-scale computer game, I think, except it's real. Every non-digital person there was originally from probably the same Earth as you're from - I'm from Kentucky specifically. I remember at school, my class took a field trip to Mystrica... but while we were there, the place got locked, so nobody could enter or leave the place. It also got a lot more dangerous, as some of the robots and other creatures started attacking Keepers - those are people who have Mystripets. It was weird - kinda reminded me of the plot of some sci-fi fantasy adventure thing."

"Anyway, Gon and Yamiko and Ashleigh and I, as well as Gon's sister Ari who immediately went missing, are the Elemental Guardians. We were chosen by the five goddesses of Mystrica to investigate a virus that was causing the lockdown of Mystrica, and were given one of these special limited-edition Mystripets that are like miniature versions of the goddesses, which each represent an element. Only ours could transform into the real goddesses! Basically we each had to meet up at Vi Willow's place and... well, we've been traveling mostly together ever since, trying to gather power from all over Mystrica to help stop the virus. Oh, and the virus is actually this virtual being called Virtualmon, so I guess that makes him the bad guy we have to stop. We were all just thrown into this adventure... Oh, and the rest of us are from all over the US, except for Ashleigh who is from Ireland. I think Gon and Ari are originally from Japan actually."

By the time Phoebe finished talking, the fog cleared... well somewhat. They were back in the park they had just come out of... from there, Phoebe remembered that there was a path leading from there to the orange tree garden. But before she could steer Peggy down that path, she saw a group of girls gathered there, ones who she had faintly remembered seeing in the orange tree garden. Apparently Peggy saw them too, as she came to an abrupt halt and then started trotting over to them. Once there, Phoebe dismounted and invited Fawn to do the same.

"Hey, you gals were at the orange tree earlier, right?" Phoebe called over to them, adjusting her pink cowgirl hat. "Sorry we had to leave so soon - I guess we overreacted to the orange situation. I'm Phoebe, and this here is Fawn, and that carousel unicorn there is Peggy, one of my Mystripets. ...Er well, they're kinda like virtual pets, except they're real...ish."

Behind her, Peggy gave a snort of dissatisfaction. "I may be a unicorn and a pegasus and a carousel horse, but I am very real, thank you." Her voice was very calm and melodic in nature. "Are you five lost or something?"

[Farm - Exterior (Mazra, Min, Varris)]

Mazra gave Min an irritated look. "Oh, sure, laugh it up!" she said, but it was mostly bluster. In reality, she wasn't really that upset. It had only been her first try, after all, and she could definitely see how the situation would look funny if it was happening to someone else.

She sat down on the ground and touched the soil with the fingers of her right hand. Somewhere along the line, a white glove had appeared on her left hand, though she wasn't particularly concerned about it at the moment. "I was trying a meat pie as a test," she said, looking up at Min and Varris. "I mean, as I said, it's a dream, so anything should be possible, but I don't want to try imagining it until I'm sure it would work." She scowled at the piece of paper. "Which I'm sure it will next time."

She still didn't know what to make of Min saying that this place might be dangerous. Come on, it was a dream! She didn't feel like starting an argument over it, though, so she said nothing. And it wasn't as if she was totally sure what was going on here, either.

Instead, she considered what else Min had said. She'd guessed some of that exactly - so she is a street thief! - but not the last bit. "Wow, you were in a band? I wasn't really expecting that."

She chewed her lip. "So, uh, tell me what happened?"

[Misery Manor]

Gabe looked slightly alarmed, but said, "I'll be coming with, actually. In my line of work, it pays to keep an eye on these sorts of things." With a flick of his wrists, and a puff of golden light and white feathers, Gabriel conjured forth his weapons of choice; a pair of hand fans, ruthlessly bladed, made of impossibly light and strong white metal. The one in his right hand was decorated with a stylized, golden rising sun, while the left-hand fan bore bore a golden crescent, pointed upwards as with his earrings. "If any of my nightmares want to pay me a visit, I'll just kill them again."

He had miscalculated gravely, as he was soon to discover. He was correct that his soul was already claimed by angels, for what little comfort that was worth. But the Manor — or, at least its dream-version — was still a threat to his mind and sanity. It might take longer than usual for his nightmares to manifest, and he might have a greater chance of escape than an ordinary human, but he would not leave unscathed. And they knew that Gabe feared nothing in battle; indeed, he found peace and purpose in the dance of blades and blood. So when they came, they would not give him battle. No, the Manor knew what Gabe feared, more than Gabe himself did.

That brief golden glint, too covered in fog to be distinct. Just the eerie light hitting some long-forgotten bauble? It was gone as soon as it appeared, and consciously, Gabe didn't even notice it.

[Ritter Clinic]

Iveya tilted her head at the noise. "What in the Void is that sound?" The Uelane weren't fond of clockwork, associating it with the hated Theocracy of Maur... plus, neither the southern deserts nor the northern jungles treated it very well. She looked over at Henry and said, "this 'chemo' sounds like it, I suppose? So what in the burned name of the Last Red King is that?" The suspicion Friedrich was treating it with was contagious, and she instinctively got into the defensive stance of a trained martial artist.

edited 28th Feb '16 7:01:36 PM by KillerClowns

Barn exterior (I'm assuming Min and Mazra haven't started traveling yet.)

Aren't from this universe. Caleb opened his mouth to object, but... "That would explain far to much, the other universes that is." He changed the subject, "they're good folk I met in this dream, helped me out with something."

He looked at the picture of the pie Mazra produced and briefly wondered if it was still edible. "At least you managed to make something actually appear intentionally. Someone I spoke to earlier said only subconsciouse thoughts would manifest here." In response he tried to imagine his slayer puppet again, and was slightly more successful. As in, a pile of cotton and felt showed up on the ground, "maybe I forgot to imagine the thread."

Perceiving Min's change in breath when she talked about her band, Caleb tensed when Mazra asked what happened.

[farm, inside barn - Vince, Seilaan, two wyverns]

That was a confused look, if he ever saw one. "I came to terms with it a long time ago. I'm talking several centuries. If Kenos showed up because the memories still hurt like how you think they do, I'd be more concerned about my ability as an immortal to accept death." As he spoke, the horse and foal from earlier padded past the group standing around outside, and headed in.

"His was exactly as I explained it- an intersection of politics and unfortunate circumstances. A turning point, that decided for me that any loyalty I may have had to Clan Onakali wasn't worth my life, or the lives of those I cared about."

The reason why Kenos showed up was obvious, to Vince at least. The last time they spoke, Seilaan mentioned some unfortunate conflicts between the treatment of family and the necessities of maintaining the state, specifically regarding her older brother. He was obviously a sore spot, but only after she had left did Vince come up with a solution, one that was baldly obvious- house arrest. If he can't interact with the public like a mature adult, without making unnecessary enemies, don't allow him that privilege. Parenting 101 doesn't cease to be relevant when your kids become legal adults.

Park - Phoebe, Fawn, Peggie, lost people

Fawn listened with an intrigued expression to Phoebe's story. Now it sounded like it was from an anime, but it was indeed real, it had to be for Fawn to have met her like this. "Wow, that sounds like such a fun adventure! Nothing that exciting happens where I'm from. I'm just a wannabe reporter from Chicago." she commented and blinked when Phoebe slowed down as they reached the park from before. The brunette was confused when she stepped off and saw more lost people wandering about. It all felt de ja vu and she stood next to Phoebe as she asked the group if they could help them.

[Blackwood-Park]

Nick did not waste any time following Phobe and the other out of the Blackwood. He couldn't imagine what would've happened if he stayed behind in that place; probably bad things. Things he didn't want to think about.

But they ended up back in the park. The same park he woke up to. The same park he found himself separated from his friends in.

At the very least, there were more people, so he didn't feel too creeped out by it now. But it still made him so confused as to why he suddenly dreamed about a park that was probably pulled straight out of Silent Hill.

He waved at the new strangers. "Name's Nick." he said, before turning around, "Now, if you guys excuse me...I'm going to find a bench."

With that, he walked away and sat on the nearest bench, still trying to sort everything out in his head.

[Farm – Exterior (Min, Varris, Mazra, Caleb)]

Min fidgeted, her eyes suddenly very focused on the meat pie on the ground. “Well, yeah. Chances are if you ever meet someone from Greyvale, they've been involved in something music-related at some point of their life. It's the only redeeming quality that garbage city has.”

“As for what happened to us… It was really a combination of a lot of things. Everything just sort of piled up toward the end.” She frowned, her brow furrowed. The words felt foreign on her tongue, like a strange language she had just begun to learn. Still, she continued, “One part of it was we didn't really know where to go next. We were all really into synth rock at the time, so we wanted to keep that sound, but we also didn't want to repeat ourselves. And we just couldn't agree on a good direction to go in. We scrapped... a lot of songs. I can't even remember all of them.”

By this point, Min had started to pace back and forth, rubbing the back of her neck. “There were also a lot of, y'know, interpersonal issues. Relationship drama, creative differences, and lots… lots of stress. And then our drummer's parents died, which… really sucked.”

Min forced herself to look Mazra in the eye, struggling to keep her voice steady. “We just kind of burned up in the end. And I haven't talked to any of them in person in nearly a year. So… yeah.”

edited 29th Feb '16 1:51:10 PM by Collen