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

Ravine. Tranquility: Babylon. (OTA)

[whip_poor_will]

For those who were born fortunate, this place could be paradise. After all, the hanging gardens were once considered a wonder of the world, before a time comes in which its existence can only be up for speculation. Water flows down man-made streams throughout the city, an elegant fountains. It doesn't take long to feel as though you are standing among a place outside of your own time -- perhaps even your own world.

The heat bearing down from the bright heavens can be either pleasant or stifling for some, but the people of this city fair just fine. Dressed in fringed garments of varied shapes and colors, the citizens bear a particular fashion of ancient times, wearing skirts secured by belts, sleeved dresses, shawls, and v-necks, many worn loosely on their skin. They pass by you, walking around as if you are an aspect of the scene -- and you very well may be. Your clothes and appearance may even be matched by theirs.

Colors adorning the city are just as vibrant, with particular images bearing the dragon-like mušḫuššu and the horned aurochs on glazed blue bricks.

While the language they speak is clearly not English, every so often the name 'Nabû-kudurri-uṣur' reaches your ears. No one stops to pay you any heed, however, as they continue their routine. It's clear between their clothes, bearing, and cleanliness that there is a separation of class, but as you are nearer to the gardens, the nobles and slaves become more noticeable.

Submerged to her chin in an oddly empty pool of crystalline blue water is a woman with long black hair, tied into braids and adorned with beads of gold. Green and life surrounds her, much like the rest of this stunning place, and she seems to be a peculiar presence. Probably because she actually notices you.

"I was wondering when you would show."

For once, amid the collection of a seemingly alien language, the words of a discernible tongue almost takes a while to register.

[toiletseat_girl]

[chalk this one up on the list of Places George Has Never Been Before. it's beautiful, there's no doubt about that and George's appearance matches the locals since her usual tshirt and jeans have been replaced with a belted skirt and a v-neck blouse.

she finds herself wandering the town, taking in all the sights she can. if she's going to be in a fantasy(?) world, she might as well enjoy it, right? she doesn't quite know what to do about the slaves, though. being about as American as you can get, slavery is abhorrent to her, but she knows there's not a damn thing she can do about it.

finally, she reaches the pool of water and the woman and finally, somebody notices her]

I, uh. Was sightseeing?

[whip_poor_will]

[Unfortunately, not much can be done for the slaves. Not when it's the sole life they have ever known. She would have been a slave herself, had her "talents" not landed her in a more conducive position. Although one could very well argue such a thing to be a form of slavery in itself. Depends on your cultural view, and this is not one that is going to favor more modernized perspectives.

[The corner of her lips pull back. She feels different; something she hadn't felt in a long time. The cool flow of water against her skin. The feeling of a warm freeze prickling the top of her head--

[The feeling of human touch, as she reaches out with uncovered hands to likely take George's as she was just reaching in.

[It's nothing forward. She simply wanted to see how real it all feels.]

I do not blame you; it has been a long time since it has been seen. Not that I needed to close my eyes to see it as I do now.

[What a strange thing, this dreaming. She almost forgot what it's like.]

[toiletseat_girl]

[such a piece of knowledge would make George sad. she felt like a slave enough during her time as a Reaper, she can't imagine it being the only thing she'd know

she watches the woman seem to take in her surroundings, really take them in as though she hadn't felt such things in hundreds of years

George can't help blushing when she's touched. she's not used to being touched by anyone for any reason]

'Cause you remember things from long ago?

[George is used to dreaming. even Reapers sleep now and then]

[whip_poor_will]

[In that light, Ravine would feel no different. Perhaps it is those long eons in servitude that she doesn't spend much time lamenting that which she has no power over, when there are threads that she can assume control over.

[After a moment, she smiles, before pulling her hand back and lowering it back into the pool. She is clothed in thin, shimmering fabrics, but not under nearly as many layers as she presents herself in the waking realm.]

In a manner of speaking, yes. Most memories tend to get muddied after many years, let alone millennia -- and yet this is exactly as I recall it.

[toiletseat_girl]

[George's time as a Reaper wasn't very fun. not only did she have to take souls of those about to die, she had to work a day job in order to afford things like food and a place to stay. she's never felt free, not since she died.

George is dressed to match the locals. it's not like anything she's ever known before, but it feels comfortable here]

Millennia? You're thousands of years old? I--can't imagine anything like that.

[whip_poor_will]

[The warmth and the feeling of sun on skin is something that is sorely lacking in the cold, dank, underground walls of that cave city. Even with the artificial lighting, Ravine knows that there is something to be desired, as nothing compares to the real thing.

[She would know, as she had not felt it in such a long time, where this dream proves itself to be fairly convincing.]

More or less. When you're dead, you tend to lose track of the years.

[toiletseat_girl]

[George misses the stars. not the stars set up at Hadrial, the real night sky full of stars. she always liked to look out of her window at the stars.

it is a very convincing dream. she would swear that she was really at this place, even though she knows better]

...I'm already figuring that out. Would you believe I can't remember if I had my nineteenth birthday or not?

[whip_poor_will]

[Sometimes, an illusion is just as important as the truth. This place was once real, at any rate. It exists in her memory. That's close enough, is it not?

[There is no trace of surprise on Ravine's expression at George's reply.]

Age becomes a trifling detail when you don't have to worry about the aging part anymore.

[In a way, there is comfort in that.

[At least, it is to Ravine.]

[sciencelizard]

For someone who's never really seen the sun, Alphys is beginning to be intimately familiar with how bright it all is. The heat doesn't bother her so much- Hotland was made of lava, after all- but she finds herself squinting even through her glasses, a clawed hand shielding her eyes as she goes.

This place is wholly unlike anywhere she's ever seen, or been- no place got this ornate underground, seeing as Asgore didn't bother to keep the castle from getting consumed by plants. It was almost nice not being fully drawn into the scene, either- no defenses about what she was doing here, no odd accusations about her lack of a human body, or clothing.

So it's fine, until she wanders into the gardens, plant life making her feel more at home, and Ravine speaks, causing her to shriek a little and recoil back.

"You can... s-see me?" A dumb question, from someone who just spoke to her, but she tries to recover, gripping her hands together to stop from touching things when she was being watched. "Nobody else uh, could. Before."

[whip_poor_will]

For someone like Alphys, the lack of regard for her presence might be a better blessing than being regarded as a strange outsider. Though, perhaps to some, she would be mistaken for a relative of the mušḫuššu, which was once revered as a sacred creature.

In the midst of Akkadian and Aramaic dialect shared among the locals, both Ravine and Alphys sharing the same English tongue stands out on its own. She lifts her chin a little above the water.

"Of course I do. I see plenty. Even things that no one else sees."

[sciencelizard]

She approaches the pool cautiously, still nervous, but trusting. Alphys knows she's seen this woman before, but trying to place her is a little complex with only half a face to go on. Still, she lets herself close, looking down into the water.

"Do you know... where we are?" She ventures, knowing this is no place she could possibly dream up. "Is this... your home?"

[whip_poor_will]

Perhaps lifting her head a little more will help the lizard woman put a memory to the face, although Ravine does look vaguely different from back then. While not entirely unclothed, she is wearing much less than she did back then. And there is more vigor in her skin, more life than before, in some way.

"It was, once. But it has not been in some time. This city is long dead."

Much like most of the world, really.

[sciencelizard]

It would be impossible to remember everyone she's spoken to over her year in Hadriel, but Alphys does her best to try. Still, in lieu of staring at her, Alphys tilts her head up again, looking towards the scenery once more.

"Do you... miss it? Do you think about it a lot?" She finds herself thinking about the Underground more often than she expected to, even if it still exists without her in it. "Was it, uh... g-good?"

[whip_poor_will]

"I suppose it crosses my mind sometimes, but I try not to dwell on the past for long. Still, it was about as good as one in my situation could have achieved."

It was either servitude to the king or a low slave. At least in this way, she managed a sort of usefulness in her living years.

[sciencelizard]

"Your... s-situation?" She continues looking at the scenery, before suddenly looking back towards Ravine, blushing a bit. "Sorry, uh-- you don't have to tell me. I'm the one who shouldn't, uhm, be here? You don't have to answer."

Alphys approaches the pond fully, sitting down cross-legged at it's shore, clasping her hands together. "It is beautiful though. I can see why you'd, uh, t-think about it."

[whip_poor_will]

"Yes," Ravine says, despite Alphys' regret and reluctance of having brought the subject up at all. "After all, I was brought here as a slave."

Although one could argue whether her life here had been that of a slave. It wasn't like she had a choice in where she went, who she served. He just happened to be with gold and crown.

She inclines her head, resting the back of it against the stone edge of the pool. "But, yes... It is gone now. Not even ruins anymore, but specks. Time does that to a thing. It was a beautiful empire once, however."

[puzzlingly]

The first thing that comes to Atem's mind when he finds himself in this place is how humid it is! Maybe not that much, but for someone like him, it definitely is. And while its beautiful architecture is impressive, he doesn't seem too surprised about it, it doesn't feel like home, but it does have that certain quality that reminds him of it.

What does seem to surprise him -- maybe even offend him -- is how these people are ignoringhim. One could think that the fact that a Pharaoh is walking among them would cause some kind of reaction, but no, it is not that, it is not his status what worries him. It's his state, more like it, the fact that no one seems to see him being there, that he maybe nothing but a ghost, is what bothers him.

Well, it is not like it is not true.

Atem wanders for so long until he finds the pool and the woman. When she speaks, he looks behind him, there is no one there. Huh, so she can see him? See him letting out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding. She can see him. Thank you, Ra. But not only that, he recognises that voice. Wait, he understood her, but her voice seems more important.

"Did I make you wait?"

[whip_poor_will]

On her part, she recognizes Atem immediately. Introductions are unnecessary for Ravine when she already knows, one-sided that it is.

She also knows when someone is more in their element here than others. Despite the passing phantoms of people long since gone from this fallen place, Atem might as well have been a citizen.

They were part of the same kingdom, at one point in history.

"I don't wait," she says with a pleasant murmur. "I have all the time in the world."

And then some, really.

[puzzlingly]

All right, she does't need to speak any further for him to remember the crypticness in that voice. He doesn't go as far as to pronounce her name, his eyes say it all, he recognized her, and she knows who she is, it would be redundant to say it plus... she also seems to know him.

They definitely know things, huh?

The young Pharaoh approaches, sits down at the edge of the pool, next to her.

"This is not Rushalimum." Not that he's ever been there either, but he remembers some stuff he probably had to read at some point and did not pay too much attention to anyway. That happens when you're too young to rule over a kingdom.

[whip_poor_will]

The vague manner of which she speaks is more or less unintentional, but it is also in part that she feels less compelled to explain herself. From the look on his face, he seems to understand already -- and there is no point in stating what they already know.

She drifts through the water, stopping to rest her back against the edge as she somewhat floats.

(On the plus side, she is clothed, though much less so than usual. She simply wanted to savor the memory of what it felt to be living once more.)

"It is not," she confirms, leaning her head over the pool's edge and staring at a familiar old sky. "There was a seige. Many of us were taken when we lost. Most into slavery."

Although Ravine's living self had been spared such a fate. And she is casual about this, more like she is reading a passage from a book than what one would assume to be a painful period in history. Her people did suffer greatly -- but they are no longer her people.

[puzzlingly]

"Are you a slave?"

He says, unaware if it might or not be tactless to ask. After all, why would it be? It is (was) not weird at all to be part of a war, but he might have been fortunate to be in the wining side... Until he was not. He, in fact, cannot remember a time without someone trying to get more power, more lands, more everything. Such was the life. The way she says it may show some detachment, but she mentioned it for a reason.

(Yeah... wet clothing leave little to the imagination... Please excuse him as he may or not be leering at her... Only for a moment before he looks away because, it's no like he hasn't seen that before, thank you very much!)

[whip_poor_will]

Fortunately, his assessment would be correct. Ravine doesn't have the sense to get offended. Perhaps she's forgotten what it would take to get there. Either way, she has heard much worse to take insult to such an obvious query.

"No." She shrugs a shoulder, the water rippling around her neck. It's a strange feeling. "I would have been, but my skills made me more useful to the court. I suppose one could argue that I was just a slave in nicer clothing."

It wasn't like she did honest work like any other of her people.

(Oops. In her defense, it probably won't be much better when she gets out.)

[puzzlingly]

And Atem might be thinking something alike along the way, she was taken in, perhaps in a nicer house, with nicer people (who probably just only saw her as worthy because of her power) but, did it truly make her not a slave?

"What happened to your home, didn't you see it coming?" It's an honest question with no ill intent. He's experienced, thanks to the Millennium Necklace, how that might work, but he's not expert.

(No, please stay there... and try not to become a prune.)

[whip_poor_will]

A fair question, from someone who has an idea on what she's capable of.

"I was a child. My visions had not fully developed until adulthood, and even then it was difficult to maintain in a mortal husk."

It wasn't until her death that she was able to harness her potential without risk of insanity. She didn't much care for that part of her 'gifts'.