[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!))

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[dustless]

They shrug, point at her, and turn around. At worst, they can at least be looking inside through the glass.

Meanwhile, the door opens with the chime of an old-fashioned bell. A shadowy figure in a hat sticks his head out. "Ma'am? Are you alright?"

[lostinmyway]

"Oh, yes, I'm just fine," she assures him. She's a little wet, but that's okay. More importantly: "Do you have any storybooks?"

[dustless]

"All kinds of books here." He peers at the window. "Were you talking to a customer? Nobody can hear you through the window. It doesn't open."

[lostinmyway]

She shakes her head. "No, I was talking to my new friend."

She points at the child in the window.

[dustless]

The child shrinks back.

The man stares. "Ma'am...I...don't think your reflection is--are you sure you're alright? Do you have somewhere you're supposed to be?"

[lostinmyway]

"I'm just fine." She frowns at the man. "You shouldn't ignore them. You'll hurt their feelings."

[dustless]

Grune is right; they look devastated, curling on on themselves. The man just looks more and more bewildered, looking between her and the window.

"All I see is you," he says uncomfortably. He points one long finger around the area above the child's head. "There's your hair. And lower's your eyes, and there's that choker. See?" He smiles crookedly, nervously.

[lostinmyway]

Grune sighs. She supposes it's not his fault he doesn't know how to look properly.

"Thank you. Where are your storybooks?"

She glances back to smile at her friend. She'll be right back.

[dustless]

"...There's a door three shelves back. All the kids' books are in there." Hastily, he steps around her and crosses the street, giving an impression of looking nervously back despite lacking the eyes to do so.

The child is gone.

[lostinmyway]

She barely hears his answer.

"Oh? Hello?"

Where did her friend go?

She starts looking around, standing up on her toes and crouching down low.

[dustless]

There's only the echoing noise of the city, though it all sounds oddly far away, even with the rain falling and the cars growling and the people chattering all around her.

Audible through the door, the bookstore's shelves creak.

[lostinmyway]

It's a sound she might not catch normally, but right now, it seems very loud indeed.

"Hello?" she calls again.

Did her friend go inside?

[dustless]

The bookstore's door is hanging open, the bell chiming over and over again.

Lights inside flicker out one by one, though the patrons keep to their browsing without a care.

[lostinmyway]

"Oh!" Grune's expression lights up. "There you are!"

Now it's time to find a storybook to share.

[dustless]

It'll be tough to find storybooks in the dark.

Though if she looks around very carefully, she'll see a little form huddled against a bookshelf in the children's room, walls labelled in glowing letters that spell out nothing.

[lostinmyway]

When Grune walks into the children's area, at first, she bends close to the shelves to find a book to share. Hmm.... How High Is the Sky? That sounds like a very nice one.

As she looks about to find a place to sit down and read the book to her friend, she finds...oh dear. That child looks a little scared. She needs to go help them right away.

"Hello," she says softly as she steps closer to them. "Are you all right?"

[dustless]

"Why are you being so nice to me?" they ask in a voice that sounds like many at once.

They're shaking.

[lostinmyway]

She pauses, startled, not afraid. "Why wouldn't I be nice?"

Then she reaches out to rest a hand on their shoulder.

[dustless]

The sweater bubbles under her hand. * Feels like boiling glass.

I'm not real. I'm just pretend. You shouldn't be nice to a reflection. It's stupid. There's no reason to.

[lostinmyway]

Grune hadn't been expecting the child to feel like that, but it's all right. Everyone is different.

And so, if the child doesn't mind, she'll kneel down behind them and wrap her arms around them.

"That's not true. There's always a reason to be nice. Especially when someone is scared and alone."

She smiles, and her voice is so gentle. "It's all right. I won't leave you by yourself. We're friends now, and friends stay together."

[dustless]

They sniffle and choke and keep still except for their shifting clothes and skin.

I'm scared. I want to go home. I want to be real. I'm scared. I'm scared. I'm scared.

[lostinmyway]

"It's all right. I'm here. I won't leave you alone--I promise."

Promises are important. You shouldn't break a promise unless someone is going to get hurt.

"Why don't we go look for your home together?"

[dustless]

They cling to her. Maybe they're starting to believe her. Maybe. It's too dark to see their face.

It's gone. It's empty. It's broken. It's gone. Can't go back. Can't find it. It's gone.

[lostinmyway]

She settles her arms more comfortably around them, even attempting to draw them into her lap.

"Oh. I'm sorry." She's quiet for just a moment. Then: "Why don't you stay with me?"

[dustless]

The child feels so tiny against her.

What if I say yes and you forget me too?

The darkness is pressing in like walls.