[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

catmom reporting for duty

[regalduchess]

A. You're in a room, classy without being opulent; furnished in whites and creams, a splash of beige on a dustcover on the chair. Three kittens-- one black, one white, one orange-- play on the carpet. They're silent, though the entire dream entirely too muted and soft to be real.

B. Duchess pads through a jungle; large enough to turn her teeth into spikes and her claws into sharp, jagged points.

A panther, a white one, not meaning any harm, she stalks her prey-- you.

A!

[lostlegacy]

Sophie doesn't care that everything feels a little bit off here. She's been having bad dreams a lot lately--kittens are a very welcome break.

"Hi kitties!" Sophie calls out, hurrying forward with a hand outstretched to pet the nearest one.

[regalduchess]

The kittens clamber over themselves to get to her, still completely silent; as they get closer, Sophie will be able to hear mewing from the tiny kittens.

Duchess is up on the chair, taking the respite to nap.

[lostlegacy]

This is the best! Most of the time when she wants to pet kitties, they run away long before she's done. Not these ones, though!

"Hi!" She reaches out to pet the nearest one. Rei told her to be gentle, so she's going to do her best.

[regalduchess]

The white and orange kitten fight and clamber over each other to climb all over her feet, while the black one simply lets her pet him how she wishes; the other two fairly demand her attention.

[lostlegacy]

The liveliest kittens catch her attention first, and so they're the ones she plays with first. But she wants to pet all the kitties, so the black kitten isn't left out forever.

Kittens are great!

[regalduchess]

Sophie can continue to play with the kittens as long as she wants, or until they all faLl asleep if she outlasts them; the rest of the room stays fuzzy and out of focus.

...Oh yeah, I forgot to have Sophie reply to Duchess' intro post. Doing that!

[lostlegacy]

Eventually, Sophie winds up with a heap of sleepy kittens on her lap, which means she's quieted down as well. She keeps her hand resting on the black kitten's back as she finally looks around the room.

When she spots Duchess, she smiles. "Hi!"

[regalduchess]

Duchess is resting on the chair, eyes half-closed. When Sophie addresses her, she raises her head and smiles, but doesn't make any moves apart from that.

"Hello. Thank you for entertaining my children-- I trust they were not too much of a handful for you?" Or, as it seems, a lapful.

[lostlegacy]

She shakes her head enough to make her short hair whip about. "They were really great!"

[regalduchess]

Duchess smiles, paws kneading into the soft fabric of the chair. "I am pleased to hear that. How are you doing?"

[lostlegacy]

"Good," Sophie says and, as is the case with many children, completely forgets to ask Duchess the same question.

"What are your kids called?"

[regalduchess]

"That is good to hear, little one." She's well used to children passing over how her day was.

"The white one is Marie, the black one is Berlioz, and the orange one is Toulouse."

[lostlegacy]

To make sure she's got it, Sophie points at each kitten in turn. "Marie, Burly, and Too-Loose."

Yep. She's got it.

[regalduchess]

...Sure. She'll take it, and the children likely won't mind.

"How long have you been here, little one?"

[lostlegacy]

"I dunno."

She shrugs.

[regalduchess]

"Where are your parents, little one?"

(She really has to ask-- she's be worried sick if her children were missing.)

[lostlegacy]

She shrugs again, but listlessly.

"Mommy's in Luceti and Daddy's on the Legacy."

And she's here. But at least Gee Girl is here, too.

[regalduchess]

"You do not have parents with you right now?"

--well. She can...

"Would you like me to be your foster parent until they return?"

[lostlegacy]

"What's 'foster'?" Sophie asks with a bit of a frown.

[regalduchess]

"Like... hmm... a replacement, while the original is unavailable."

[lostlegacy]

Her head tilts a little. "Like Gee Girl?"

Can aunties be "foster" parents?

[regalduchess]

"...I suppose."

Oh dear, she does not know who Gee Girl is. But Sophie seems to view her fondly, so that's a good thing.

B.

[whataprettyname]

Chihiro knows that she's being followed, but every time she dares to look back, the path behind her is empty of anything. Even so, she can feel dread prickling on the back of her neck - or maybe that's just ordinary sweat, as she makes her way through the sweltering, humid jungle. But she still can't shake the sense that something big and dangerous is drawing closer and closer.

Finally, at a loss for what else to do, Chihiro turns sharply on her heel. She bows her head, clasps her hands in front of her, and calls out loud enough to startle birds from nearby trees. "P-Please don't eat me!"

[regalduchess]

Duchess has trouble adjusting to her new body. It's bigger, stronger, faster, though less agile-- she's run into a few branches and leaves that once upon a time she would have been able to duck under without an issue. So, rightfully assuming that the child would have been scared by her presence-- but scared out here, alone, she followed at a distance.

When the child calls out, she finally comes out from the shielding greenery. "No, no, of course not."

Her voice is deeper, more of a growl than a purr. So, she lightens it. "I would never. I am Duchess. You are-?"