• Closed • Slumbering Songs

[Seira Shiryu]

21st Saun, 722


It was snowing. Some of Seira's classmates stared out the window longingly at the fresh snow that covered the school yard in a beautiful cloak. Others grumbled quietly as they did their work. The teacher eyed them with a frown before sighing and going on with the history lesson. None of the other children wanted to focus on their studies when there was snow to play in.

Seira simply glanced at her sister and shook her head. Seri frowned in disapproval as she eyed the boy sitting next to her before turning back to Seira. Then she rolled her eyes, and turned back to her textbook. It amazed Seira that her classmates were so easily distracted. That was in part to do with the fact that even though they had been in Rharne for close to a season now, the concept of play remained a foreign one to her. Seira had seen plenty of people playing before but until her new mother had taken both her and Seri in and they all moved to Rharne, she had very rarely had the luxury of time to play. At the same time, Seira knew the value of being able to go to school at all. Before she had met Vivian Shiryu, school had been a luxury. Sure she and Seri had gone whenever they could...and had gotten in trouble many times when they had been caught out of school when they were supposed to be in it. But there were more important things in life than going to school, and only when those needs had been seen to and there had been time left over did Seira indulge in the chance to learn something new.

The bell rang for recess, and Seira's classmates bolted for the door. They clearly wanted to get as much play time as they could before they had to go back into the classroom. Seira and Seri hung back so they wouldn't get run over in the rush. As they walked through the door, the world shifted.

******************************************

The school yard was empty save for Seira and her sister, and the world was enveloped in white. Music filled the air, and the words of the song that Seira had written not that long ago drifted on the wind.

Keeper of my heart, guardian of my soul,
You are the one who never abandoned me.
First friend, best friend, the other half of my soul,
I will always love you.

Seira listened to the song as she watched her sister twirling in circles, her arms wide, and her mouth open as she tried to catch a glowing snowflake on her tongue. Seira grinned. Then she slowly reached down and scooped up enough snow to make a good sized snowball. Seri was so caught up in what she was doing that she was oblivious to Seira's movements. It was perfect. Seira launched her snowball, and it hit Seri in the middle of her chest. She was so surprised that she fell over backwards into the snow. Seira laughed.

Seri scowled at her, but Seira could tell that her twin wasn't really angry with her by the amusement in her eyes.

"This means war!" Seri cried as she rushed at Seira.

Seira was caught completely off guard. There was no time for her to dodge before she was sent flying backwards into a pile of snow that cushioned her fall. She scrambled to her feet with a laugh, and tossed another snowball at her twin. Then the war began in earnest.

[Woe]

21st of Saun

Woe was always taken with the freedom afforded to him by the Dreamscape, especially when traversing it in lucidity. Lately, he'd taken to assuming a form that he'd seen his mother wearing. It was interesting to see the difference in perspective he sensed when people saw him in that female form. And while assuming the dress, the appearance, and the body of a woman in the dreamworld sufficed to engender an understanding of how it felt to be perceived as such, it was a hardly a replacement for the true understanding of a lived experience as a woman, from birth to maturity. So Woe tried not to speak too much in this form, but only put on the airs that he thought were expected of one more feminine and matronly.

In a way, he was trying to portray his own mother in a way he wished she had been.

Unfortunately, reality more often than not disappointed.

So as she traveled the Galleries of Meeting, she found herself in junction between Vega Creede's hall, and that of Vivian Shiryu. Both of whom she'd met in time, but hadn't met the two girls who now traveled in paintings in a snow-field, in the middle of the gallery.

Woe understood what this was, it was showing him two people that they both knew. Perhaps children of theirs, or else nieces. She drifted toward the painting, and with a perfectly manicured hand, grazed the canvas, drawing herself into the painting as she transported herself through the dreamscape, into that far-flung one.

She knew she was entering another person's dreamscape. Whether it belonged to this young woman, or else someone close to them... He couldn't be sure. For all he knew, the dreamer was one of the snowballs being flung this way and that, or the verse in the songs they were singing, as much as it was likely to be one of them. Still, a note of caution played into her approach to the girls.

She wore a long black gown, and her black tresses fell to her midback. From her abdomen, a glowing tree sprung, its bald branches reaching out over her shoulders and around her arms. An inner glow ensconsced the roots of that tree, where it sprung from her abdomen.

She glanced at the two girls, who were now having their snowball war. And she smiled. "That's a lovely song you sing. And who might you be?"

[Seira Shiryu]

Seira paused in mid throw when someone spoke to them. As a result, she missed seeing the snowball that Seri had flung at her, and it hit her squarely in the chest. Seira ignored this as she turned to face the woman that had just spoken. She was beautiful in a way, with long black hair that fell to the middle of her back, and a long black gown. The woman also had a pretty smile. But she was also strange in a way as well. She had a glowing tree growing from her abdomen and the glow seemed to be centered around the tree's roots while its naked branches reached out over her shoulders and around her arms.

It was rude to stare, so Seira didn't even though she wanted to. Instead, she concentrated on what the woman had asked her.

"Thank you. That song is very important to me." Seira replied.

"I'm Seira Shiryu, and this is my twin, Seriel Shiryu." she added a trill later.

Seira hesitated for a trill before speaking again.

"Are you a new teacher here? We go to this school, and I've never seen you before."

She hesitated again, this time for a bit longer.

"Why do you have a tree growing out of you? Doesn't that hurt?" she asked.

Seira had to ask. She really did. It was nosy to ask questions of people, especially strangers. And asking questions of the wrong person could get you into a lot of trouble. Even so, she had to ask. She had never seen anyone with a tree growing out of them before. Was that something that happened often here in Rharne? Well, it couldn't be since she had never seen it before...unless it only happened in certain seasons or something, like the way a stag's antlers fell off in late Vhalar and grew back in Ashan. Seira really didn't think that she wanted a tree to start growing from her.

As Seira spoke, Seri moved up beside her and eyed the woman cautiously. Seira was very aware that strangers could be dangerous, but it was supposed to be different here. Besides, the teachers would come out of the school if something bad happened, right? They were safe here. That's what their mother said, and Seira wanted very much to believe her. And yet...it didn't get much stranger than having a tree growing out of your abdomen like that. Especially a glowing tree. Perhaps Seri was right to be cautious. Still...

"We haven't been going to this school very long though. Seriel and I moved to Rharne last season when our mother did. Before that, we lived in Rynmere. We met our mother there, and she was nice enough to take us in. I met her first. Some kids I know dragged me into a treasure hunt. I thought it was a silly game and I didn't really want to go along with it, but it turned out to be a real treasure hunt with real treasure and real bad guys. Vivian Shiryu joined us, and she saved me from the bad guys. She didn't have to, but she did. Then she took us in and became our mother later on, and we moved here."

Seri's eyes widened and she stared at Seira incredulously. Seira could understand why. Normally Seira would never tell a stranger so much about them. Or anyone they didn't trust completely for that matter. But she really wanted to know about the tree that was growing out of the woman, and she hoped that if she told the woman something about herself, then she might be more willing to tell them about the tree growing out of her. Having a tree growing out of you seemed like a really private thing, and as such it was probably something you wouldn't want to talk about with a stranger. Seira didn't think she would want to talk about it if it was happening to her. But an exchange of private information might make the woman more willing to talk about it.

[Woe]

Woe looked at the two twins, wondering if only one of them were present, or if twins could share a Dreamscape. He didn’t think so, twins were different people regardless of all the wild stories that got flung around about identicals sharing the same soul or mind or some such. They were very alike, certainly, but to share a Dreamscape? Even Jesine and Kielik hadn’t. But then, they weren’t identical either. Nevertheless, Woe thought that Seriel must be the construct, and Seira was the dreamer.

When she had it confirmed that they were indeed connected to one of the two whose crossroads she’d stood at, the painting of the two children, belonging to Vivian Shiryu, she nodded. “I’ve only just arrived at this school.” She informed Seira, truthfully.

“The tree… sometimes it hurts, but not in the way you’d think.” Woe was careful to use language that was less logical, or more dreamlike in logic, so as not to disturb the dream state of the girl in front of her. Although she considered the possibility of prompting Seira to lucidity, she wasn’t sure if this was such a good idea. It would be best if Vivian could be consulted on such a action, and Woe had no desire to step on a mother’s toes when it came to the development of her children.

Little did Woe know, this Seira was no child, but a grown woman. Albeit still very young.

As the tree growing out of Woe’s abdomen seemed to be a sticking point for the girl, she began changing her form, and the branches of the tree withdrew into her abdomen, until the cavity closed entirely. And with it, the glow disappeared as well. Now she was only in her gown, a very tall woman before the twin and her dream construct.

“Your mother sounds like an impressive person, and a great woman.” Woe said, “Perhaps we’ll get the chance to meet her on parent’s association day.”

Woe smiled down at Seira, and extended a hand to shake. “I’m Lady Scorpion, a new teacher in this school. I’m wondering if you can show me to your classroom?”

[Seira Shiryu]

The woman's answer to her question made sense, so Seira nodded, satisfied with what she had learned. Soon after that, both the tree and the glow around it began to disappear, seemingly withdrawing into the woman. That was both strange, and not at the same time. But Seira dismissed it entirely when the woman spoke about her mother.

"She really is. She's a Lightning Knight." Seira said with a smile.

And that was important. Lightning Knights did important things for Rharne. Seira didn't want to have to fight the way her mother sometimes did, but she wanted to help others as much as her mother did - just in different ways.

The woman introduced herself as Lady Scorpion, and Seira's eyes widened. Living on the streets of Rynmere as she and Seri had before their mother took them in, Seira was far from the nobility that ruled that land. But she did know that "Lady" was a title of nobility, and that meant that this woman was an Important person.

"Please forgive me, my Lady." she said softly as she stumbled through a curtsy of sorts, and blushed when she managed to mangle it.

Seri followed her lead, though her curtsy was better than Seira's own attempt. Still, she said nothing as she watched Lady Scorpion cautiously. The fact that Lady Scorpion was of the nobility made Seira nervous as well. It didn't pay to anger or offend a member of the nobility, and there was no knowing what might upset them.

Seira saw Lady Scorpion offer her her hand, which was both strange, and perfectly normal at the same time. It was what people did when meeting each other for the first time...and yet...it surprised Seira to see a Lady offer her hand to a commoner like herself. She was about to take it when the Lady's next question caught her off guard once more.

The world shifted. The scenery was the same as it had been. They were still in the snow covered school yard. But Seira and Seri were suddenly their normal nineteen arc old selves. She was still far shorter than the woman before her was, but it was no longer the difference between an adult and a child. Seira shook Lady Scorpion's hand politely.

"Seriel and I don't actually go to this school anymore. We graduated in 720 at the age of seventeen." Seira explained.

"But we can show you where our classroom was if you'd like?" she asked a trill later.

Seri didn't look happy that Seira had volunteered her to go along with showing a stranger their old classroom, but what else was Seira supposed to do? It would have been rude of her not to offer, and it would have looked strange if she were willing to do it and Seri was not.

"Do you like nicknames?" Seira asked with some hesitation.

Her eyes widened a bit at the fact that she had asked something like that. She certainly hadn't meant to. And yet...Scorpion was a rather disturbing name. Not that Seira would ever say such a thing. But a lot of people were scared of scorpions, kids especially. And if Lady Scorpion was going to be a teacher, then it might be better if she had a name that wouldn't scare some of her students. Not that Seira would ever say that either.

"Our old teacher had a nickname that she liked her former students to use when they visited the class after they graduated.

It didn't happen all that often, but from time to time a former student came back to the school to talk to a class about what they were doing now. Seira had always enjoyed those discussions.

[Woe]

Woe, or as she was making herself known here, Lady Scorpion, was fairly intrigued by the pair of what were seemingly twins. Were they truly both there, in each other’s dreamscape? Was it possible for twins to share a dreamscape? She knew that Kielik and Jesine had been twins, before they merged to form Unity. Before Unity itself had seemed to withdrawn from influencing the mortals of Idalos.

Was there a significance there, she wondered? It was worth exploring, and Lady Scorpion decided that this was the lesson she’d take away. To prove or disprove that twins often did or could share a dreamscape. If this was Seira’s as she took a more dominant lead among the two, or if Seri was merely a construct, representing the twin that she knew in waking life.

Again, Lady Scorpion knew little about Vivian Shiryu’s family life, or if she indeed had adopted twins. If one or both survived to this day.

Then the girl, Seira did something unexpected, after Lady Scorpion introduced herself. She curtsied, as if addressing someone important or noble. “Oh, Lady isn’t a noble title where I’m from.” Scorpion dismissed it. She didn’t explain why, however, as she still wished to maintain a dream-like logic within this space, so as not to risk bringing the girl to lucidity.

Or her twin, for that matter, if she truly did inhabit her sister’s dreamscape.

The world seemed to shift around the twins, and they seemed to turn into grown women in the space of a moment. No longer in their child-like forms. For a moment, Lady Scorpion worried that she’d inadvertently brought the daughters of Vivian to lucidy, or worse initiated them into Dreamwalking without meaning to.

However, as they continued to speak, it was clear that they were not entirely lucid still. They spoke distantly of the schoolyard, telling Scorpion that they hadn’t attended it for quite some time.

“Congratulations.” Lady Scorpion said with a slight smile, “Your mother must have been proud when you graduated.”

So saying, she allowed Seira to take her into the school, to give her a tour, as it were. Lady Scorpion listened to her ask the question, about nicknames, and she couldn’t hide the amusement from her face, as she grinned. “Nicknames are fun. The best ones are brief, and descriptive. Do either of you have nicknames?”

After waiting for them, either of them to answer, Lady Scorpion sighed, “You can give me a nickname, if you’d like. What would you call me, if not Lady Scorpion?”

Lady Scorpion could almost sense the apprehension of Seri, and the slight twinge of fear and uncertainty that her demeanor represented, invited something into the dreamworld, although Woe could barely feel it at present…

Off Topic

And then…

Seri’s uncertainty has opened up the dreamworld to a potential Nightmare! A fearful construct that may try to scare or harm the three dreamers. It is only watching for the moment, monitoring the cautious emanations arriving from Seri's uncertainty. Whether it takes grip over the dreamscape, or simply leaves is a matter I leave to you.

Feel free to continue with Seira and Seri’s interactions with Woe/Lady Scorpion, and then add a little note at the end with a progression for the encounter with the nightmare, drawing it close in with the dreamers, or doing whatever you wish to progress the plot.

[Seira Shiryu]

Seira nodded when Lady Scorpion explained that "Lady"wasn't a noble title where she came from. It made her wonder what kind of title it was, or whether her perhaps it wasn't a title at all. Seira supposed that her first name could be Lady, after all. That did seem weird to her, though. For that matter, having Scorpion as a last name was equally weird. It was more likely that "Lady" was a title of some sort, but not a noble one. And that thought made Seira wonder what titles were noble titles where she came from.

She didn't ask any of those questions though, and she was quickly distracted from the issue when Lady Scorpion asked if she and Seri had nicknames. At first, Seira wasn't certain how to answer that question. She didn't want to lie to Lady Scorpion, but the next logical question to that was what their nicknames were...and Seira wasn't about to tell her what Seri's nickname was. Then she remembered what her aunt had called them. Tiddles and Wink. That was a safe answer that didn't require her to lie, or risk being rude by refusing to tell Lady Scorpion that she and her mother called Seri Seri.

"Both of us have nicknames. Our aunt Vega calls me Wink, and my sister Tiddles." Seira said with a smile.

Seira liked the names that her aunt had given them. She wasn't entirely certain whether Vega had chosen the names because they had been children when they first met, or whether it was because they hadn't hit their growth spurt yet and they were tiny...especially in when compared to their aunt. But the names gave her a warm feeling inside. They were names shared among family, and family was important.

When Lady Scorpion asked what nickname she would give her, Seira paused to think. Nicknames often said something about the person they were given to. Like Tiddles and Wink did. But Seira didn't know Lady Scorpion well enough to give her a nickname like that. She didn't know the older woman at all, really. Seri was simply a shortened version of Seriel's name, and that was another way to give someone a nickname. But how would you shorten Scorpion into something nice for a name? Scorpi sounded stupid, and Pi or Pio didn't sound much better. Would Lady work? That was a title though, not part of Lady Scorpion's name. And calling someone by their title alone wasn't the same as giving them a nickname. It was too formal, not at all what a nickname should be. But what then?

Seira's train of thought was shattered when she suddenly felt as though she was being watched. Her eyes widened anxiously, and she looked around in an attempt to see who was watching them. But no one else was there. Not that she could see, at least. Seira realized that Seri felt that they were being watched too when her sister closed the distance between them, and began looking around warily. That meant that it wasn't just her.

"Do you feel that too?" Seira askd quietly, her voice tense and wary.

"I think we're being watched." she added a trill later.

As she spoke, the world grew darker all around them. It was as if the sun was being sealed away and the world was veiled in shadows. The temperature fell, giving the air an unmistakable chill.

"I feel it too." Seri told the other woman, wanting to make it clear that Seira wasn't reacting to something that wasn't there.

Seira glanced at her twin. From the sound of her voice, she could tell that Seri was afraid. It was obvious that she believed that whoever was watching them meant them harm...and it was hard to think otherwise. If they didn't mean them harm, then why watch from some hidden place rather than make themselves known to them? What Seira didn't know was whether the watcher meant them harm, or if they were after Lady Scorpion instead. Or both for that matter. She could tell by Seri's expression that she believed that she and Seira were the ones at risk though. And from the growing suspicion in her eyes, Seira could tell that Seri was thinking that Lady Scorpion might have something to do with it. While Seira realized that that might be a possibility, she was unwilling to jump to that conclusion without proof, unlike her twin. Instead, Seira kept trying to listen and look for any sign of where the intruder might be, and what their intentions might be.

ooc

The Nightmare is still watching, but is drawing closer in response to the increased nervous fear/tension.

[Woe]

She could see the confusion working upon Seira’s face, as the explanation was made that lady was not a noble title or honorific. She smiled down at Seira nevertheless, exuding a patience toward the young lady, leavened with a bit of understanding. She did understand the young woman, more than she knew perhaps.

“Wink, and Tiddles?” Scorpion couldn’t help but smile broadly at that. “Your aunt Vega? I think I’ve met her. If it’s the same Vega I know, she calls me Misery. You may call me Misery too, if you would.”

“The meaning of nicknames aren’t so important as the feeling with which they’re uttered. Sometimes, a name that could be considered flattering under certain circumstances, might be uttered by bullies or people trying to hurt you, as if in sarcasm. You understand? I’m sure Vega uses that name with nothing but love, so you should embrace it.”

But then, Seira did seem to understand that, and Scorpion was glad for it. The dreaming young woman then mentioned feeling strangely, as if she was being watched.

Sure enough, the nature of the dreamscape changed. Architecture surrounding, and the pristine nature they’d been walking through shifted into a dilapidated urban area. Scorpion recognized it immediately as Lowtown, having grown up there herself, as a slave.

Did Seira once come from Lowtown? Was she an urchin? Scorpion had taken her for a former noble’s daughter, as she understood that Vivian had been in some form. Whether earned or through birth. “You… You come from Lowtown, Miss Seira?”

A fear would’ve taken hold on Seira then, and Scorpion could feel it by dint of her intuition, and also the connection to Kuvarakh, whose aspect was terror itself.

Slowly, out of the wood work and doorways of those dilapidated tenements and hovels, people stricken by disaster, war, famine began pouring out. Their bodies walking corpses and making their way toward Seira and Scorpion and Seri.

Scorpion didn’t immediately dispel these Nightmarish apparitions, though she had the power. A morbid curiosity gripped her, and she wondered if this might shed some insight onto the girl whose dream she’d stumbled into.

However, as two figures became apparent at the head of the procession of corpses, she recognized them as Seira and Seri, with nels on their eyes, as if they’d been laid to rest. Before terror could overcome Seira, Scorpion laid a hand on her shoulder, and imparted Kuvarakh’s fearlessness into the girl. She would feel it then. The sensation that there was nothing to worry about, that everything would be fine in the end, and that whatever terrors she confronted she would be brave enough to face them.

Thus, the Nightmare retreated, back to where it came. Lowtown receded from the dreamscape, and they were back in the idyllic scene they’d occupied before. Scorpion sighed, realizing that she’d initiated the daughter of Vivian Shiryu. It wasn’t what she’d wanted, and she had tried to avoid it.

As she made Seira lucid, the apparition of Seri, who represented all of Seira’s waking concerns and hopes and also fears, disappeared from view, absorbed back into Seira, who now was as she appeared when awake.

She looked down on Seira, and began pulling a strand of black hair from her own head. Scorpion pulled it out, winding it like yarn around her own finger, until she had a veritable spool of hair to give the girl.

“Here, I’m sorry child. I didn’t intend to open you up to this perilous reality.” She smiled sadly, and then handed the cut of hair to Seira. “This will remain with you in your dreams. Should you have need of aid at any time, or wish for company, cast it into the open air. If I am able to send someone to you then, they will come to help teach you about this new world.”

“But now, Dawn is breaking. I think it’s time you woke, and had your breakfast.” Scorpion pat Seira on the head, stroking her hair affectionately. “Remember the spool of hair, it will not be with you when you wake, but as you dream. You are my initiate, my responsibility in this dream world. I will teach you how to navigate it, and protect yourself. I hope you’re ready for many lessons.”

So saying, Scorpion pushed lightly on Seira’s forehead, and she would feel herself falling backward, until she woke up in her own bed, having dreamt it all. The sense of utter fearlessness would persist a few hours, after her waking.

[Doran]

Woe:

Knowledge:
Dreamwalking: Finding dreamers related to those with whom you share a more or less loose bond.
Dreamwalking: The sensation of entering a different person's dreamscape is distinguishable from entering another part of one's own.
Dreamwalking: Somtimes it isn't certain whether the person perceived as a dreamer is a dreamer or a construct within another's dream.
Dreamwalking: Using dreamlike logic and flowing stream of conscious statements to not disrupt the dream state of another.
Dreamwalking: It's not typical that a Dreamwalker can make another lucid without meaning to.
Dreamwalking: Telling a person's lucidity by the cadence, intellectual distance, and quality of their thought process.
Dreamwalking: Sometimes a twinge of fear is all it takes to invite in a Nightmare from Emea.

Loot: -
Language -
Losses: -
Wealth: -
Injuries: -
Renown: -
Magic XP: -
Skill Review: Appropriate to level.
Points: 15

Seira:

Knowledge:
Dreamwalking: Initiation into dreamwalking involves becoming lucid, and also often physical contact with an experienced Dreamwalker.
Dreamwalking: Nightmares are apparitions that represent subconscious and waking fears.

Loot: You are a Dreamwalker now!
Language -
Losses: -
Wealth: -
Injuries: -
Renown: -
Magic XP: -
Skill Review: Appropriate to level.
Points: 15

- - -

Comments: When I started reading, I briefly wondered if I had ended up in the wrong thread. The school setting seemed quite ordinary at worst, but then I noticed that it was snowing even though the thread took place in Saun which made it clear that it had to be a dream!

The scene in the school yard was really well-written in my opinion. The song showcases the close relationship the twins have, and their snowball fight made me laugh!

Woe’s dream form surprised me. I found his reason for choosing a female form in the dreamworld interesting – in a way, he was trying to portray his own mother in a way he wished she had been. I also love the Galleries of Meeting. I’ve never seen a player describe things like that. Also, whether twins can share a dreamscape is an interesting question.

And Lady Scorpion is a great name for a teacher. I’d like to have a teacher with that name!

I love the moment when the twins turned into adults!

That being said, I wonder what Vivian will say when she realizes that Woe initiated one of her daughters into Dreamwalking!

Enjoy your rewards!