hadriel_logs | Event Log: Dreamwalker the Second

Entry tags:

Event Log: Dreamwalker the Second

Who: All characters participating in the event
What: The event log for the Dreamwalker part 2 event
Where: In your dreams
When: October 14th-20th (the second log will go up on Oct 23rd, please keep the two weeks of the event separate!)
Warnings: All different kinds of dreams falling under the umbrella of Delight, Rage, Sorrow, and Hope.

This time, the weird stuff doesn't happen when you're awake- as a matter of fact, your waking hours are the normal ones. That's because you're forced to sleep by some unknown entity, getting more and more exhausted by the moment as night falls. Better make sure you're always around a soft pillow.

Once asleep, it doesn't get any less weird- your dreams will be influenced by one of the four gods that make up the first week. Something to make you smile, something to make you angry- or something that reminds you of your deepest regret or most vulnerable hope, they're all things that you're dreaming about now for some reason, no matter how hard you may try to pull away from them.

To make matters more complicated, there are others intruding on your dreams who definitely don't belong there, and while they may seem like manifestations at first, it becomes clear that these others are actually the consciousness of other members of Hadriel, getting some top quality exposure to your angriest, happiest, most sorrowful moments. Hope it doesn't get awkward when you see them tomorrow...

► This log covers October 14th-20th.
► Feel free to make your own logs as well
► Please tag headers of threads with content warnings where they apply
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!
► If you die in dreams you don't die in real life, but if you somehow die in real life anyway, please let us know here.

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[It's an expression that Lup hasn't seen on her brother's face in far too long.

It's so startling that his twin, back in her real flesh-and-blood body, hangs back for a few moments longer than she normally might, just watching her brother move from person to person, touching them with a smile, socializing with friend and stranger alike. He looks so impossibly happy, she almost doesn't want to interrupt, as if her taking even the smallest step forward might shatter the illusion.

But Taako catches her eye and she knows she can't stand on the sidelines any longer. She goes to his side immediately, as if magnetized, giving the man's hip a playful bump before she's leaning in press a kiss to his cheek.] Nice dress, but I'm pretty sure that's mine.

[He laughs a little as she nudges him, eyes shut, grin wide. She's right to see the happiness in his step, the way he swings his hip back in time.]

Uh, not if it's on me, goofus.

[Said in the distinct tone of 'there's no way you're getting this back.']

What took you so long? Doesn't look like you did somethin' crazy with your hair or anything. I mean, I get it, letting me be the star of the show or whatever, but I almost had to leave and come find you. What a bummer that would've been.

[A hand comes up to touch her own hair, loose around her shoulders and a little wild, before Lup's peering down at her dream attire, which just so happens to be the same red robe she's been stuck in since burning her corporeal form. Oh yeah, she's definitely under-dressed for this shindig.

But seeing the brightness and ease of Taako's smile, Lup doesn't particularly care what she's wearing. Let him have his moment. Knowing all that the boys had been through since she'd been gone, they all kind of deserve it.]

Yeah, well, I can share the spotlight sometimes. [With him so close, Lup throws an arm around Taako's shoulder, turning so they both can look out at the party in progress.] So, what're we celebratin'? Anything good? This is a much better spread than the garbo we got served last time.

It's not sharing if I have to leave to fuckin' find you. That's stealing the main dude for your own entrance. I know your tricks.

[He leans into the touch, though, not shoving her back even as a joke. He wants her there, more than anyone else at this dumb place. It's gotta be her.]

And, y'know. Everybody's around. We've had worse excuses to get everybody super drunk and watch Mags start bench-pressing Ango. I haven't mentioned it to him yet, I'm holding it 'till he's a little more off his ass.

[He almost looks... a little pensive, for a moment, clearer in his emotions than Lup has probably ever seen him.]

It's just... been a long time. Since the whole gang was together. Not even just the IPRE, like... all of us.

Shit, you're onto me. Only took two hundred years to catch up.

[As Taako leans into her, Lup tips her head to bump lightly against his, attention on her brother while her gaze drifts around the various people mingling around this party. There's the usual crew, Merle and Magnus, up to their usual shenanigans, but also Barry, Davenport, and Lucretia as well, everyone looking completely happy, untroubled and light. Mingling and laughing and all dressed for the party. There's a certain sense of peace surrounding them all, the kind of which Lup hasn't felt since their beach year together.

Even if she hadn't come from a point in Taako's future where she'd seen the Hunger destroyed yet, Lup had been absolutely certain it was coming soon. And this is exactly the kind of party she'd like to see them all enjoy when the fighting is finally done.

Finally her gaze shifts back to Taako, her smile small but her happiness obvious by the gleam of her eye, the slight curve to her mouth. The love in her expression.]

You look happy, Taako. It's a surprisingly good look on you.

Catch up, bullshit, that's my trick you faker.

[He's still looking out to the group at large, too, taking in the scenery, watching people just enjoy themselves. It's been a long time-- well, can he ever really say it's been this light? Even on beach planet, there was the worry the Hunger was still coming. Even when they were kids, there was the fear of not knowing where they would be in a week's time, no safety of hearth and home. Maybe... that's what this is. He's found his home in people, and things, and memories, but there's never been that peace of knowing it'll always be there.

Taako's bad at permanence. He's bad at acceptance. But this is... something to fight for.]

Yeah well don't get used to it, I'll find something to be pissed about soon, promise.

[He laughs, but it doesn't carry the bitterness it has in the past. And Taako's not one to have these long conversations, these quiet asides, but thanks to the Gods, he's feeling a little more loose-lipped.]

Did you ever think we'd get here? Not like, physically, just... when we were kids. Do you think we'd have like... a real family. Like how a family was supposed to be.

[Lup laughs easily with her twin, giving him a gentle nudge to the side at his threatening promise. She of all people can read behind his words, can hear what he really means in his tone and through his body language, in the subtle shifts to his expression. There's the ease at which the two of them were perched there currently, watching their friends on the outer ring of this party, that says so much more than his words ever could.

Even still, his question surprises her.

She may have gone into this knowing full well it was a dream, but things had begun to shift within her mind over the course of the vision, making this feel so much realer than anything Lup's ever known. Maybe it's the very real weight of Taako against her that she hasn't actually felt in well over a dozen years that does it.]

No. [It's simple, but honest.] I mean, we always had family with each other and I never doubted one of us wouldn't score ourselves some crazy loaded husband who'd want to give us everything before he kicked the bucket. [That had been the fantasy when they were younger. Having the security of money, a stable roof over their head, and an extravagant closet everyone else in town would be endlessly envious of.] I wouldn't mind the riches, but this is just, so much better.

[She turns her gaze on her brother.] They're all fucking assholes and I love them all so damn much.

[He snorts a bit at her response, probably more honest than he could ever be. But she's right. He spent his time during his years alone wondering why he couldn't stop forming these connections, why he couldn't handle the crushing loneliness that permiated his life, why his heart ruled him so fully when all it had been was damaged.

It was this. He was reaching for this, all along, with some hope he never believed he had.]

Yeah, and now uh, we're both dating undead, unkillable dudes? So we really wanged that one up.

[He clings to her too, even if it's been a much shorter time for him since he held her hand. But every day is too long, and this feels so real, he's going to allow himself to have it.]

They just... took us, y'know? Both of our fucked up asses and decided this was worth something.

[That... they were worth something. That he was. Outside of Lup, outside of his quick tongue, outside of his talents.]

Messed up, really.

[Some days it's still overwhelming.

Even decades upon decades of having Barry and the rest of their family in their lives, some days it just feels so completely unreal, like Lup can't fully believe her life had taken this turn. That her family of only Taako for so long had expanded to include five other nerds overnight. And now there were even more joining the ranks of their family, like Angus and Kravitz, and there would probably be even more to come the longer they all lived. That feeling can be so enormous at times that even Lup feels a little dwarfed in comparison, like maybe all of this is just too much for her to take, like maybe it would be easier to just go back to it being Taako-and-Lup and leave the rest of the bozos behind.

But there always more good days than bad ones. And for every moment of feeling overwhelmed, there's a hundred thousand others where Lup feels so immensely loved and proud to be a part of their family. Barry's love in particular just wraps around her so securely even now, even when they're so far apart from each other, she can still feel him with her. A gentle, but always constant reminder of her worth.

So yeah. It's a lot. Maybe even too much at times, but Lup wouldn't trade her shitty, mismatched family for anyone.]

Maybe they deserve people less fucked up than us, but I'm not gonna complain. They signed up for this hotness and I'm not selfless enough to let any of them go. [She gives her brother a quick poke in the side.] Their fuck up is our gain.

[Lup may remember this group with little break, but Taako, in a way, is still recovering. Sure, ten years versus a hundred feels like nothing, but a few months vs ten years is everything when it comes to regaining his sense of self. He's spent so long thinking it was him on his own, meeting Magnus and Merle again was the outreach he never knew he needed. And it's only grown from there. Angus McDonald, who somehow against all odds he's come to really care for. Kravitz, who... god, where does he even start with Kravitz. Carey and Killian and their jokes and sparring, and finally remembering he had a family all along. It's still jarring, especially with Hadriel getting in the way. All of this is still a surprise. All of it is still so, so big.]

Oh please, everyone here is a fucking disaster in their own right. We're better than they deserve.

[He leans into her poke, sticking his tongue out playfully in her direction, especially since he just contradicted his last statement right in front of her.]

I'unno. It just, like... keeps happening. People keep liking us or something? Like, really liking us, not just like, our bullshit?

[Taako's eyes are drifting over the crowd, but Lup can probably see they're actually following Kravitz, just a little, Taako's face resting at a gentle smile when he sees the other man laugh at something in conversation and forgetting to keep talking from there on out.]

[Ten years versus a hundred may have felt like a blip of time to the two before, but Lup has a new appreciation for the world around her, for every single day that passes by. Here they both are, with hundreds upon hundreds of years left in their naturally long life spans, but so stuck on this tiny ten years span that had already gone by.

But Lup gets it. She understands completely, even if she got to live with her memories intact while her brother hadn't.

Taako, true to form, contradicts himself and leaves his sister laughing, Lup giving his shoulder a playful shove before curling right back up at his side again. She's not ready to let him go yet, even when they are cradled in this cocoon of safety, surrounded only by the people they love and trust most. Even if she spies Barry among the crowd, her heart aching to connect with him.]

I think you've finally turned into the biggest sap of us all. And I thought I'd gotten bad… [But Taako's gaze drifts to Kravitz, naturally, and Lup follows it, amusement tugging at her mouth. She doesn't quite know what to think of the man yet, but she has an idea of how deep her brother's feelings go, even if Taako might not be able to comprehend that far yet.]

Gods, you're the worst party date ever. [She tugs at the end of his hair.] Go talk to your guy. I'll try not to look too jealous you're leaving me for him. [Her tone is light, teasing.]

[He yelps, undignified and a little messy as he gives her a pout, but Lup can see the tips of his ears going red. Busted, buddy. Usually, he'd never be this open, be faster on the uptake, but the emotion and purpose of the dream are keeping him in a happier stasis. It means he really emotes when she messes with him, the shoving and laughter and open-faced movements when it was just the two of them.]

Shut up, I wasn't-- I was just looking at everyone! In general! You're queen sappy shit around here, don't even play.

[He looks down and away from her, pretending to adjust his bangs but really trying to stop the color spreading on his cheeks.]

He's just-- he's not my guy! He's just a guy. Don't think I forgot how you fuckin' looked at Barry for twenty fucking years before you made it official, god.

[So busted.

Lup rolls her eyes and huffs, all feigned irritation, but it's impossible for her to hide the sharp curve of her smile at just how open her brother's acting in this space. She's always been able to read him, even when he hadn't been emoting so visibly, but the way he was acting now, anyone just glancing over would be able to catch on to what was going on. It's so damn surprising to see out in public, but at the same time, it just warms Lup up straight to the very core of her being.

Her brother is so damn happy now and that just makes everything they'd ever been through worth it.]

This is so not about Barold and I. Nice try deflecting. An' I'm pretty sure Krav would be real offended if you told him he wasn't your guy. Dude's got it even worse than you do. Which is sayin' something cause you've got it bad.

Gonna put a ring on that or what?

[...okay, she may be taking it a little far just to get a reaction out of her brother, but this is too good an opportunity to pass up]

[He yelps a little, smacking at her arm with a hand drawn to his chest like an offended southern belle.]

Oh my god, Lup, fuck off, you and Barry never did that shit-- we've known each other like a year! Hell, him less 'cause that counts four months of cave purgatory. I didn't even fuckin' say boyfriend till two months ago.

[Even that's still foreign in his mouth, in his mind, in his heart.]

I'm not-- in love with the guy, he tried to kill me like six times, I'm still recovering. Duh.

[Taako smacks her and Lup's reaction is just to laugh, her delight in the whole situation shining in every inch of her expression. She loves this. Let her live here.

And really, Lup could continue, could poke and prod him into spilling a little more, could point out that he's the one who said the big 'L' word not her, but Lup just slips her arm around her brother's waist and keeps him close. Her head tips to rest against his, fitting in so perfectly at his side.]

Whatever. I know the truth. You boys'll figure it out eventually. For what it's worth, Taako? I like the guy. I mean, I still have like years of shit to give him to catch up with what Bar got, but def keep him. He's a good one.

[Later, Taako's gonna look back on this and think it was mostly embarrassing. To have an unknown lich show up and mess with his brain to make him all mushy and shit. At least it was just Lup who saw, or this could've gotten really weird. As it stands, he bonks his head down on top of hers, nudging his hip into the hug.]

Listen, I only pick good ones. You know that.

[Big fuckin' liar.]

Seems like he gets on with the crew, uh, at least a little. Ango likes 'mm, too, but that's not much of an accomplishment, Ango likes everyone.

[But it matters to him that they get along. As if somehow, someone would finally clash with him and it would break this thing they have, make him choose.

But he's not worried about that now. Now, he's just... happy they do.]

[Lup just grins, feeling far too bright and warm to tease back for once, even if it's so impossibly easy. It still feels amazing to know they've both managed to land great guys who care about their fucked up selves, but what's the point in overthinking their good fortune? She's happy and her brother's happy, so Lup's gonna hold onto that feeling and run with it.

So instead, she twines their fingers together and gives her twin a careful tug forward.] We really gonna spend the whole time watching this lame-o party from the outside in? Let's be real, it's not even much of a party without us.

C'mon, let's dazzle 'em, son.

[He laughs again, squeezing her fingers in his. This is good. This is... right, moreso than anything he's ever done has been. For once, in this fake space between real and dream, he can just... be secure. Be okay. Be happy, and loved.

He follows, steps in time, wondering why he ever thought they would never get here.]

Oh, I have got prestidigitation already ready, my dude. It's light show central up in here. They won't know what hit em.

[And for a night, for once in his goddamn life, Taako doesn't have to wake up scared.]

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Event Log: Dreamwalker the Second

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