Event Post: Dreamwalker the Second

[hadrielmods]

Who: All characters participating in the event
What: The event log for the second half of the Dreamwalker Part Two event
Where: All over the city!
When: October 23rd-29th
Warnings: All different kinds of dreams falling under Fear, Love, Confusion, and Tranquility

It was over - at least, it seemed to be. The dreams stopped, and maybe you were a little disappointed, or maybe you were just relieved. Maybe, though, you noticed that only four of the gods had been influencing you. Sure, that might have been it, but was there really a chance of that? So, just for a few days, you slept (or didn't sleep) normally.

Until it started again. Those deep, unavoidable sleeps, taking you into vivid and emotional dreams. This time, the other four gods are getting in on the act. Expect some nightmares,
some embarrassingly schmoopy dreams - or dreams that don't make sense, or dreams that leave you calm and centered. You can't force these dreams to be anything but what they are,
so you might as well give in and enjoy the ride. Maybe it won't be so bad.

And of course, there are visitors this time, too. Just when you thought it might be safe to have a candy-colored dream about your secret crush, well... turn around and they might be standing right there, wondering what the hell is going on. By now, people know what to expect, but that doesn't give them any better control over things. Let's hope there's no good blackmail material in these dreams.

► This log covers October 23rd-29th.
► 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 slept so terribly that you trip over a rock and die, please let us know here.

Comments

lup | open & closed | (late game TAZ spoilers abound)

[restinglichface]

[OOC: Plotting comments for Fear and Confusion. Hit me up on meyggy if you want to chat things over!]

Fear; OPEN

[The setting is simple. We open outside of a cozy, but attractive cottage set against a scenic hillside, trees splattered far off in the background. It's mid-morning, a single sun beating down above the small home, and standing at the front door is Lup. She looks the same as she did before losing her body in Hadriel, with those same sharp, elven features, her skin eternally smooth and youthful. The only signs of aging on her face are found in the tiny lines around her eyes, skin creased there from centuries upon centuries of laughing.

Without a word, she thrusts a small bouquet of wildflowers in your direction, then immediately runs her hands down the length of her pale blue dress, smoothing out the skirt before she's popping the collar of her red jacket she'd thrown over it. Flipping her long braid over her shoulder, the woman lifts arms and presents herself to you.] Well, how do I look? Give it to me straight.


Confusion; OPEN TO LUP'S CLOSE CR

[This is a memory, somehow without even being told you know this to be true.

You open your eyes and you're in a cafeteria, standing in the middle of a shuffling crowd of various humanoid figures. Humans, dwarves, elves, gnomes, tieflings; all types of differing races occupy this space. A towering dragonborn and a gnome slip onto the same bench with their lunch trays to eat together, as a pair of orc women stand near the entrance of the cafeteria, blocking the flow of traffic while exchanging research notes. The only commonality between all of the figures in the room is the color red. Some are dressed in red jackets, some are draped in red robes, but each person is distinctly wearing the color of this organization.

Eventually, Lup appears among the masses, dressed in the same red jacket, with her twin at her side, the two holding hands while they elbow their way through the crowd, their high-pitched laughter loud enough to be heard about the noise of the cafeteria.]

I can't believe anyone would look a this slop and call it food. Pretty sure they scraped that shit up off the bottom of that dump they call a pool.

[Another round of laughter before Lup is suddenly jostled, her skinny frame teetering forward before she rights herself again. She turns to find the culprit, an unfamiliar young woman, looking adorably embarrassed as she quickly stoops to fetch everything she'd dropped in the collision, currently reaching for a pen that was trying to roll away. Without missing a beat, Lup releases Taako's hand and follows, kneeling to the ground to pick up a book that had clattered by her feet. The elf rises with it and stares down at it's plain cover, flipping it over to find the backside just as equally undecorated. Boring.

She thrusts the book out to the other woman as she stands, Lup already raising up her free hand to quiet her when the stranger looks like she's about to apologize.] No sweat, sis. This one's free. [And with a quick grin and a wink, Lup turns back to Taako, her arm sliding into place around his waist, before they disappear into the crowd.]

Fear

[outofthefire]

[Laura has never seen an elf before. she's heard of them, thanks to Aren, but that's different from seeing one.

she takes in her surroundings. the little cottage, the scenic hillside, the trees in the background, it all seems idyllic to her. nothing at all like Twin Peaks.

then, suddenly there's a bouquet of wildflowers being shoved in Laura's direction. out of sheer reflex, Laura manages to grab hold of them and not let them fall. then, she's asked her opinion on how the elf looks. Laura could lie, but in this case she doesn't have to]

You look beautiful.

[restinglichface]

[Lup's smile widens at the compliment, her chin tipping upwards, her expression going smug.

Yeah, that's definitely the answer she was already expecting.

Still, she steps forward into Laura's personal space and fusses with her bangs, adjusting them, before moving back to admire her work with a grin.] That'll work. I guess I'll let myself be seen with you. [By her tone of voice, it's obvious she's teasing, though if Laura is perceptive enough, she may pick up on the slight nervousness laying there underneath. It's subtle and soft and Lup's good at hiding these less fun emotions, but within the dream, it seems more noticeable than in reality.

Without another word on what exactly was going on, Lup turns to climb the few steps upwards onto the porch of the small cottage, moving to the door and knocking three times against it. Within the moment, a man familiar to some in Hadriel opens the door, his expression fairly neutral, though he nods warmly to Lup when his eyes fall on her. When he speaks, his voice is soft. 'He's been waiting for you'. Lup rolls her eyes, gesturing for Laura to join them on the porch.]

Duh, that's why I'm here, Skeletor. [But the woman still slips forward to press a quick kiss against the man's cheek anyway.]

[outofthefire]

[as it should be.

personal space? what's that? Laura lets Lup fuss with her bangs and even gives a flirty smile]

I'm so glad I meet your approval. [her voice is light and teasing

and Laura's very good at reading people so yeah, she can detect the nervousness. she's going to wait to mention it, though, since they've just met.

Laura's never met the other man, but she's new. she's barely met anyone so far. he's obviously important to Lup, though, so she files that away for later. in the meantime, she joins them on the porch, smiling at both of them.]

Who's the lucky guy?

[restinglichface]

[Both Lup and the tall man's attention turn to Laura, Lup grinning at the other woman before reaching out to pluck the flowers from her grip.] This guy? [Lup jabs her thumb over her shoulder towards the man.] I'd say he's the second luckiest man in the entire planar system.

[The man makes a noise like he'd like to interrupt Lup to comment, but is too damn polite to actually do it.] The first being my man, natch. But this is Kravitz, my brother-in-law. My bro's hubby.

Krav, meet, uh--[Lup snaps her fingers with her free hand, as if that would help account for the name of a woman she's never met before.] Sorry, what's your name again, sis? I swear I just had it on the tip of my tongue.

[outofthefire]

[relinquishes her hold on the flowers] Second luckiest, huh?

[she laughs, but it's warm and friendly] I was gonna ask who the first luckiest is. It's nice to meet you, Kravitz.

[Laura smiles a little mischievously] I'm Laura. Laura Palmer.

[restinglichface]

Always gonna be second to my Barry, sorry. That's just fact. [Lup, naturally, doesn't look sorry at all, but she does press the flowers into Kravitz's chest, releasing her hold on them as he scrambles to catch them before they fall. Still, flowers secure, the man smiles softly to Laura and steps aside to give the pair room to enter the house., murmuring a quick, 'Pleasure'. He's used to Lup by now, her antics are as familiar as anything.

Lup waves Laura to follow her as she walks inside, making a beeline for the kitchen where her brother is seated at the table, a thin blanket wrapped around his shoulders. When he turns his head to two entering his kitchen, the sight is startling.

Lup and Taako are identical twins, down to the same, sharp noses and wide mouths. But Lup, despite her years, still looks youthful and wrinkle-free, an easy twenty-three or twenty-five if someone had to guess her age. But Taako's age shows so obviously in his face, his features still sharp, still attractively elven, but with deep lines against his once perfect skin, obvious shadows under his eyes, lips thinned. He glares at his sister, who immediately swoops down to press a sloppy kiss to his cheek, while he lifts a skinny, aged hand to bat her away.]

Sup, bro. This is my pal Laura. Thought you wouldn't mind the tag along today.

[outofthefire]

[Laura giggles at Lup's words. she's funny and pretty cool. Laura follows Lup into the house, flashing a smile at Kravitz as she does so.

Laura follows along to the kitchen, noticing the man at the table with the blanket around his shoulders.

she can definitely see the familial resemblance, but she's surprised to see the obvious differences in their appearances. she isn't sure what to make of it since she's never met elves before and doesn't know what could have caused such obvious differences. she recovers as quickly as she can and gives Taako a disarming smile]

Yes, I've been made very welcome here. It's nice to meet you.

Confusion b/c HURT ME

[storyseeker]

[This scene is way different from anything Elena's experienced, but it feels completely natural. That's dream logic for you. She's wearing a red hoodie herself, but whether that's because dream-her belongs here or if it's just a coincidence of wardrobe, she couldn't say.

She smiles when she sees Lup and wanders closer, interested in seeing what happens next but not sure she should try to interrupt.]

[restinglichface]

[Elena steps forward after Lup and the scene changes, shifting to another place entirely. The woman would find herself seated in an audience this time, front row, the packed auditorium excitedly murmuring around her. Up on stage, there's an empty podium with seven chairs lined up behind it. Lup's leaning casually back in one of the chairs next to her brother, and the other five are filled by both familiar and unfamiliar faces. The girl Elena had seen in the previous scene sitting a few down from Lup, looking down at her lap shyly.

An unseen speaker's voice fills the auditorium as the lights dim.

'Everything begins, and I mean that quite literally, with the light of Creation. Imagine the power to realize anything your mind can conceive of on any scale, and then imagine that power given tangible form. It’s not the being that created our existence, but it may very well be the tool that that being used...'

While the voice drones on about an Institute and a voyage, the Lup on stage huffs as if bored, shifting to stick a hand into her jacket before she pulls out a small piece of wrinkled paper. She swiftly crumbles it up and throws it over a few heads to bounce off of the other woman's shoulders, whose head immediately snaps before she looks to see Lup waving at her, a show of recognition from their brief interaction a few days prior.

A gnome with well-groomed facial hair steps forward to explain their journey, a two-month expedition into space and other realities, to see what life is like beyond their planet, but the focus seems so much more on Lup trying to break the other woman's shy composure on stage by making increasingly stupid faces her way behind her brother's back. Until that woman is suddenly called up to speak at the mic, which she does nervously, casting one last glance back at Lup before she taps the microphone and begins speaking.

'Well, uh, hi, my name is Lucretia. I will be the chronicler on this journey which... means I’m going to write down everything that happens up there.' A man in the audience pipes up with a rude 'That's it' and Lucretia shrugs before continuing. 'I’m uh, I’m a biographer by trade. You wouldn’t know my name but I’ve almost certainly ghost-written something that you’ve read and this--This just, this seems like um, this seems like a story worth telling well.' There's only a tepid sort of applause from the audience, but Lup gives Lucretia a too-loud hoot which makes the other woman jump, leaving Taako snorting in laughter at her side.]

[storyseeker]

[Oh, it's some kind of presentation. Maybe a school? This could be where Lup said she learned magic.

She drifts over, curious about what's being presented, and the speaker briefly draws her attention away from her friend. It sounds like a lot of metaphors, maybe in service to some kind of scammy MLM company, but they sound sincere. Given what she knows Lup and other people from her world are capable of, it's not hard to take it literally.

The tossed paper catches her attention, then, and Elena chuckles to herself. Is that woman someone important to Lup from home? Lucretia, she'll remember that name. She seems a lot less...boisterous than other people from Lup's world. A storyteller, though? Elena approves.]

fear yo, fuckin kill me

[pocketspa]

[For all of his magic, Taako's had a damn hard time figuring out what's been going on lately. Something with dreams, sure, but that only really becomes apparent during his waking hours; when he's asleep, everything fades together, maybe so used to nightmares and unrestful rest that he's given up trying to change it. Maybe he's just damn bad at recognizing when he's in a situation he can conttol with a little effort, or his subconcious is just not strong enough to resist. Whatever the circumstance, Lup's here, so what does he have to worry about? He's not alone.

He catches the flowers easily, eyeing her ensemble like he's pretending to take a really intense look at it.]

Mmmmm, I don't know if I'd go with that palette. Like, light blue and red? Either go pastels or don't, babe, but you gotta make that call.

[restinglichface]

[Like the adults they are, Lup sticks her tongue out at Taako at his totally unnecessary commentary on her color selection, but laughs anyway, too much amusement shining behind her expression for any real annoyance to stick.]

Yeah, only 'cause you couldn't pull it off this good, hun. Stick to your boring one-note color selections and I'll be the one making waves. Like ush.

[With her outfit in place, Lup steps forward to Taako's side, a hand moving to his lower back. It's slightly strange placement for them. The two are often touching--bumping hips, holding hands, arms slung around each other's waist or shoulders with ease after two centuries of togetherness--but this touch seems so much less about being connected than usual, Lup's palm flat against Taako's back, guiding him forward to the porch stairs.] So, I'm thinkin' we can pay Mags a visit after this. It's been awhile.

[pocketspa]

[It's when he moves that it starts to become apparent that something's wrong. He's about to chide her for not taking his hand, or his arm, but he's finding he needs it when she moves him, muscle memory grateful for the support. Matching her steps is a struggle, but he doesn't know why, and any moment of not knowing makes him feel like he's drowning.]

Uh, yeah, I guess. Not gonna be mad we're just bustin' in? I mean, who wouldn't wanna see us, right?

[He needs-- a moment away from her, just a minute to figure out what's going on without scaring her.]

Hey, uh, before we run, can I pee real quick? I swear I won't redo my whole look 17 more times. Promise.

[restinglichface]

Natch, [For each struggling step of Taako's, Lup says nothing of his pace, just carefully following along at his side. She's never been one to move slowly, everything about her is just bursts of endless energy and quick movement, but there's no teasing or commentary. She just keeps a careful hand pressed to her brother's back and helps him forward up the cottage steps to the front door, which Lup wastes no time in opening and walking in.

Whoever lives here must be a familiar friend or Lup really has started to give no fucks about breaking and entering since the Hunger's defeat.

Taako's request gets a slight look from his sister but she just walks him along the front entranceway towards the bathroom, finally letting her touch fall away once they're standing in front of the door.] Yeah right, I don't believe you for a second, but fine. Just call if you need help. I'm gonna grab some water and get pleasantries out of the way.

[pocketspa]

[It's a good thing this is a dream- or at least, god, Taako hopes it is- because he's actually starting to freak out a little now. Where the fuck are they? Why won't she leave his side? Why is everything so fucking careful-- why can't he remember, why can't he remember.

He gives a little wave, a two-fingered salute out of his periphery.]

I'm not gonna fall in, seriously. See you in 5.

[He slips in the door, holds onto the handle almost a moment longer than necessary once inside before addressing himself in the mirror.

Oh. Oh fuck.

Taako's damn good at appearence spells- ever since Wonderland, channeling that disguise spell had become second nature, and he knows he'll probably abuse that forever. Even now, the physical changes aren't ridiculous, but-- he knows. He's older. A lot older. He knows by the way he has to lean on the counter for balance, and gods, no wonder she was leading him around and worrying about his every step.

He feels the fear now, crawling up his ribcage and into his throat. She's... a lich, back home. She's not going to do this. Lup is never going to die and Taako's going to get older and older until--

He grips at his chest, over his heart, feeling it beat out of rhythm. How much time has passed? If he's this-- if he's like this, there's no way anyone from the ship is still alive. Magnus and Lucretia are human, barely gonna make it another hundred. Davenport and Merle are both longer-lived, but still won't make it to a full 500-600 year lifespan like he has unless something really stupid happens. Could be Barry? If he's hopping bodies with that vat- hell, maybe Lup is too, somehow- they could keep looking young. How is he going to keep this up? How is he not going to let her know he knows?

Taako wipes a few tears from his face, now, straightens up. He can feel the winkles on his face, how even with magic he can't make it sit like he used to. He feels trapped. More than that, he feels alone.

He takes a deep breath, makes his way out of the bathroom again, and finds his way towards wherever Lup's voice is coming from.]

See, told you, didn't even mess with my hair.

[restinglichface]

[There's a sense of incompleteness in the surroundings when Taako returns to the hallway, the inside of the cottage simple and clean, but slightly distorted. There are various pictures hanging along the wall on the path to the kitchen, but most of the images are too blurred to make any sense of, faces that seem familiar but are impossible to focus on.

But littered among the incomplete ones are a few that Taako would recognize and be able to see, pictures of him and Lup and all of their friends. There's a snapped image of Magnus and a taller-looking Angus grinning wildly at the camera, Angus almost as tall as the fighter, but still looking as dorky as ever. And there's at least five spread along the wall of the twins alone, all in increasingly ridiculous poses, like they were taken one right after another. There's another of Davenport and Merle, and one Carey and Killian, and so many other familiar faces from back home.

In the kitchen, Lup stands alone.

She doesn't know what's up exactly, but it doesn't matter how good Taako is at hiding his unease, even across the room she picks up on that distress the moment he steps into view, her gaze dropping to the tense line of his shoulders, the unsteady pacing of his gait. And she's moving to his side in an instant, a warm palm pressed to his back, guiding him forward into the kitchen to sit down at one of the chairs that's already been pulled out for him.]

Guess we're the first to arrive. Typical. [But she doesn't seem too put out by it. Once Taako's seated, she pulls up a chair next to him, still hovering at his side.] Gives us a little time to ourselves. Get the sappy shit out of the way.

[Her hand slips over his, her skin smooth and warm as ever, before Lup's leaning in close, voice lowering.] Hey, you okay? If this is too much, say the word and we're gone.

[pocketspa]

[He can't help but feel a little lighter as she touches him, trying to hold that connection, trying to hold anything. She notices, of course she does, but he can't just-- he can't just ask. The only thing worse than not remembering is having to draw attention to it, to make some sort of scene, and he entertains trying to cast detect thoughts for a second before smacking himself mentally out of it. Where has he gotten to where he can't even talk to his fucking sister? Why can't he just say something.]

No, it's fine, just--

[He can't stand it. He can feel his heart beating in his throat and he has to know, has to know he can hear it-- why is he afraid he won't be able to? Is he really worried everything's going to melt into static, that he's lost, incapable, that he's trapped in a body he can't use and needs to be saved and in the end he's alone he can't ask he needs to ask, fuck fuck fuck.

He turns his hands so he can hold hers tight. He has to know, before someone else shows up, before anyone else can possibly see him.]

Uh... this is gonna sound, like, super dumb, but what're we doing here again? Musta zoned while you were giving me the rundown.

fear

[closerift]

[ It looks like one of the places that she's seen in her traveling across Thedas, from a part of the Hinterlands, or maybe the Emerald Graves. Cecily admits a smile, one that grows when she's handed the bouquet. ]

The look is brilliant. [ She responds easily, tilting her head. ] But I didn't realize you were going anywhere.

[ Why would she need to? This scene seems too perfect to leave. ]

[restinglichface]

Going anywhere? [Lup shoots Cecily a wide smile, head tipping to the side curiously over at the other woman, braid swinging off of her shoulder. But then the elf laughs and jabs her thumb over her shoulder towards the small cottage they're standing in front of.]

Just having a little visit with my bro today. Remember? [Cecily, naturally, wouldn't, but it's clear that this dream!Lup had already planned this out in advance with her friend or they wouldn't even be here.] 'Sides, we both look freakin' hot, he'll want the chance to appraise our outfits and make up fake criticism for us to pretend to listen to.

[closerift]

Ah - Right. I'd forgotten. [ Somehow. Or... wait. ] Are you sure that's what's going on?

[ Something about this seems off, though... not malicious. ]

Well, I'll take his fake criticism in stride and use it to fake-reinvent myself. [ She replies, drawing herself up. ] I do always value style critique.

[restinglichface]

[Lup is usually easier at keeping her cool when she's being called on her shit. But with the nature of the dream and Cecily's startling forward question, she starts, uncertain. The slightest hint of unease in her expression.

Until it's gone and she's laughing again, waving the other woman's concern away.] Just play cool, chickadee. He won't like it if you stare too hard.

[Lup turns from the other woman to race up the stairs, knocking at the door, and motioning for Cecily to follow. The man who answers the door may or may not be a familiar face to the other woman, but Lup reacts to him kindly, sweeping in to press a fond kiss to his cheek, before she's holding out her hand for Cecily to deposit the flowers in.]

Sup, Krav. This is my pal, Cecily. Try to not drag her soul to the Astral Plane.

[closerift]

[ Cecily follows, returns the flowers, and raises her eyebrows at the stranger. ]

Is that something I'm in danger of? [ She questions lightly, and then laughs. ] I've actually gotten fond of my soul, so I'd love to hang on to it for now, if that's all right.

[ She doesn't feel as if she's in danger, so there's no indication of it in her face or her voice. ]

It's nice to meet you, ah - Krav.

[restinglichface]

[Krav, as the man is apparently called, turns his neutral stare on Cecily, the barest hint of a smile twisted at his mouth. For how brightly and animatedly Lup emotes, he looks like a statue in comparison, but it's just more subtle. He answers, "It's Kravitz, thank you. And no, I'd say not. Not today, at least."

Try not to worry too hard over that answer, Cecily.

Lup thrusts the flowers into Kravitz' chest and waves him out of the way, which he allows, stepping aside to let both women pass.]

Put 'em in a nice vase, will you? We're gonna go check up on your boy.

[The elf motions for Cecily to join her stepping inside, the inside of the cottage simple and slightly distorted. The dream seems incomplete here, some pictures along the wall too blurry to make sense of, while others display the twins or Taako and Kravitz or Lup and another man all in various combination. But Lup strides on down the hallway as if nothing is wrong, making a beeline to the back of her brother's home.] He's a nice guy. Puts up with a lot of shit from us.

[closerift]

[ The nature of the dream doesn't have her worrying about what Kravitz says at all, so she just nods and smiles, following after Lup as they move on through the house. Yes, it would be strange... if she noticed, but the pleasant warmth of the dream has her accept it all without much question. ]

He seems nice. [ From that milisecond's worth of interaction. ] How do you two know him?

[ Had that been mentioned? She can't remember. Cecily hums lightly to herself as they head down the hall. ]