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

[lovetheme]

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!))

Comments

[lostinmyway]

She follows him, walking instead of running. She's sure he isn't lying, because Neil is such a nice person, but...she doesn't know if he's telling her all of the truth right now.

[dr_awesome]

He keeps hurrying along, but even if he eventually goes out of sight, Grune will catch up to him fast, standing on the edge of a little drop, just above a stone outcropping of steps. At the foot of the stairs stands a dark-haired woman.

"Neil..."

Her tone is already warning, already worried, as she holds out a hand with a bottle clenched in it.

"These painkillers... I think they are yours."

[lostinmyway]

Grune takes her place beside him and looks between him and the woman below. "Oh, did you drop them?"

[dr_awesome]

Neil inhales sharply, glaring between the two of them, before he snatches the bottle up.

"Uh, thanks. We should get back to work-"

"Neil."

Her voice is gentler now.

"Why are you on them?"

[lostinmyway]

Grune waits to hear the answer. It would be rude to interrupt, especially someone who loves Neil a lot and is worried about him.

[dr_awesome]

"Ah..." Neil looks sheepish. "This is embarrassing, but uh... I ran into a wall the other day. Hit my head pretty hard."

It's a ridiculous excuse. No one should believe that, and it doesn't really look like Eva does either. But Neil knows how this goes. She asks a few questions, eventually lets him go, and doesn't bother to find out the truth.

Eva's hand slowly lowers, and she looks from Neil, to Grune.

"...There's no point in even trying, with him. He'll never tell me, will he?"

Neil freezes up.

[lostinmyway]

Grune immediately shakes her head. "Oh, no. It's very important to keep trying. Neil is just scared, that's all."

She looks to him. Isn't that right?

[dr_awesome]

He's never going to admit she's right. He can't. It just doesn't work like that.

"...Sure, I'm scared. Scared of looking like a weenie, or something, right?" He laughs quietly.

"So whatever. Try if you want, but uh... not a lot of point to it."

[lostinmyway]

Once again, Grune shakes her head. "No, that's not right."

It's all she says.

[dr_awesome]

"Not right? What is right in this place, anyways? None of it is real."

The scenery starts flickering, the sky darkening and the cliff between Eva and Neil growing larger.

[lostinmyway]

"That's not true. We're real," she tells Neil. "And so are our feelings."

Then she drops to one knee and reaches out her hand for Neil's friend to take.

[dr_awesome]

The woman reaches up, but she only drops farther. She looks at Neil with a terrified expression.

"Neil, please, don't do this-"

But another resounding crack, and both the woman and Neil scream. The woman starts plummeting down, and Neil drops down, sticking out his hand, but it's too late. She's gone, only swirling clouds remaining, darkening the sky.

[lostinmyway]

The moment Grune sees the other woman start to fall, she glances at Neil. Then she steps off the ledge to plunge after her.

Neil's friend looked so scared. She won't leave her to be scared by herself.

[dr_awesome]

"Grune, no!" Neil calls out, and his fingers brush against her wrist before she starts falling, the ground coming fast towards her before it blurs into blackness.

In another instant, Grune seems to stop her descent, floating in midair. The cliff has disappeared, and she's instead high up above the earth, hovering among the stars.

Neil's voice is faint, but muffled words can be heard somewhere below Grune.

[lostinmyway]

Grune hadn't been scared as she fell after the other woman; she knew everything would be all right. But when she stops and hangs in the air, she blinks a few times. My, that was sudden.

Neil sounds very worried, and so she calls out, "Hello, Neil! I'm up here. Are you down there?"

[dr_awesome]

Neil doesn't answer her, but his words become a little clearer.

"Maybe I should have been an astronaut like Johnny. I mean, at least he accomplished something with his dream-life. I... can't even think of anything to wish for. Besides her."

The stars look odd, flashing in different colours.

[lostinmyway]

The stars are so beautiful that, for a moment, she forgets that Neil is speaking. But then she remembers, and she calls out again, "Neil, you should come up here! It's very pretty!"