castle_perrault | [mingle] what's the dream and what's the reality?

Lately the castle's nights have been very clear and almost warm, even up so high among the clouds as they are. But regardless of the weather, they are generally peaceful nights, and few things seem to stir during them...apart from the castle's inhabitants, be it with late-night roving or with sleep. The dreams, by extension, are at least undisturbed...if maybe not always pleasant. That sort of thing tends to vary by the person, of course.

But now--and for several nights, consecutively--the castle residents may find their dreams starting to take on stranger shapes: memories they've never had, friends that don't usually arrive, strangers they've never seen. These odd impressions might cling and continue to confuse even upon waking, vivid as they were; was it really just a dream, or maybe something more...? Does that newcomer in your dream remember you there too, in the daytime?

Either way, there seems to be an strange energy in the air during these nights. And it's bringing dreams together.

((ooc: And here's the catch-all post for the dream-sharing event! Feel free to top-level with your character's dreams here, or thread around in others! The event should only last about a week, but backtagging is eternal c: The ooc planning post can be found here!))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"That can't be right," Chara insists.

They pause, their gaze flicking from the blond woman to the basket nearby. Chara lifts the blueberry pie and places it to one side, then pushes the basket towards the blond woman. "They're probably in there," they say.

Another pause. "Are you two... family?"

"Thanks." The pigtailed woman starts picking through the basket.

At Chara's question, Grune smiles happily. "Oh, yes, that's right."

The pigtailed woman, on the other hand, jerks her head up, then looks away with a blush across her cheeks. "No, not--not really. I mean, we just live in the same house."

She gestures off behind her, where a cosy single-storey home can be seen past the many, many gardens.

Grune doesn't seem offended, though. She smiles fondly and says, "This is Fenimore, and this is Stella."

Stella, the young woman with her hair in a bun, gives Chara a warm smile and a "hello."

"This is Walter" --she indicates the grumpy young man, who gives Chara a single nod-- "and over there is Norma. And you already know me and Sophie!"

She giggles.

Chara bites their lip, seeming almost amused at how flustered the pigtailed woman- Fenimore, Grune calls her- is. "I think I understand," they say. "I used to live in the same house as someone."

Still, they aren't very comfortable when Grune starts introducing everyone else, and they barely acknowledge the others with more than a brief look. It's a relief when it seems to be over.

"...You all seem so happy," they say. "Except perhaps for Walter."

"This is a waste of time," Walter complains.

"Walter...." Stella chides; now it's Walter's turn to look away, this time with a quiet "hmph."

"He's just shy," Grune explains to Chara.

That has Walter turning his head back to them, and quickly. "I'm not shy!"

"Of course you aren't, dear."

Grune shares a look with Chara. They know better, don't they?

Chara raises their eyebrows. Of course.

Once Walter isn't paying attention to them though, they'll scoot a bit closer to Grune, their expression growing more serious. They lean over and ask in an undertone, "What does he have to be shy about? Don't you all like him?"

Grune leans in as well, smiling at the chance to share a close moment with a new friend.

"Oh, yes. Walter and Fenimore and Norma sometimes argue a little, but I just know they all love each other deep down."

Fenimore is currently concentrating very hard on unwrapping the little bundles of cutlery. Walter snorts. And Stella sighs as she brings out a plate of sandwiches.

Chara isn't looking at the others when they're talking to Grune, but they still hear the sound of Walter's snort and Stella's sighing. They look down, taking a sudden, intent interest in the pattern on the picnic blanket.

Scarlet gingham. "Like something out of a picture book," they remark aloud. They grip the material in their fingertips and press two red squares together, forming a very, very, very rough heart shape.

"...How do you know?" they ask.

"Well," she says, "it's because even if they fight, they're still here. We're all doing our best every day and making a life together."

She reaches into the picnic basket and starts bringing out transparent plastic glasses in pastel colours.

Chara isn't sure what to say to that at first, and takes a moment to mull it over.

They eye the picnic basket as they do- they feel like they should be helping to unpack it, except they're not sure what's in it or where they'd have to put everything. So instead they're just sitting on the blanket, and they begin to wonder if everyone else is eyeing them and wondering why they're being so useless.

They wind up grabbing a green glass, just so it looks like they're doing something, and a question occurs to them.

"Isn't it better if you don't fight?" they ask.

"Hmm...."

She takes a moment to think; her hands stop moving. Then she says, "Sometimes, it's good to disagree. If you keep everything locked up inside, then that makes you unhappy. And it makes the people who love you unhappy, too. After all, it's hard to help someone if you don't know what's wrong."

She goes back to sorting through the cutlery.

"No..." Chara says. "But. There are some things. That nobody can help you with. Or that nobody will."

Chara places the glass to one side. It probably isn't where it's supposed to be. It's probably just going to be in the way for everybody else. They can't do anything right, can they?

Chara abruptly stands up. "I should go."

The others look startled. Grune does as well, but unlike the others, she stands up with them.

"Oh, my, but the picnic hasn't even started yet. Don't you want to have a nice meal with everyone?"

Chara shakes their head. They keep shaking it, even as they take a step back.

"No," they say. "No. I don't feel like eating." Their throat's all tight anyway, and they're not sure they even could.

[mingle] what's the dream and what's the reality?

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