There are Dragons Here. Really.

This is where the majority of dreaming threads will take place.

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Padraig
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There are Dragons Here. Really.

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Ymiden 2, Arc 719


He was sitting on soft sand with his bare feet in the water, on the shore of Lake Lovalus just a stone's throw from the home he shared with wife, children, parents or rather grandparents, and so many furred creatures that he'd lost count of them all. But Padraig was alone, rarity that it was, and this time it was by design. Or at least his dreaming state would have it that way.

It was just him, alone with a bucketful of garden slugs by his side, a wicker basket that he'd fill with his catch, and a pole in his hand. Gone for the moment was all the noisy and exhausting chaos that had been their lives of late. In fact it was so peaceful and quiet that he could hear the gentle lapping, the rise and fall of the waves against the pilings of a nearby dock, the snapping of white sails on fishing boats off near the horizon, and the cries of distant, hungry gulls circling those same boats.

It was a welcome reprieve, until it wasn't. It was always this way, ever since he'd returned from the Edge. Voices, muted and mysterious plagued his dreams, tugged at him, in truth, even when he was awake. But more so when he slept. There was no escaping them, and this time, though he thought he'd finally managed it, was no different. "Why do you think he's doing that?" one of them asked. Padraig knew the voice, though it was only in his dreams that he ever heard it so clearly. It was his imagination filling in the blanks. "To feed his family?" another one replied. This one was wearing a pair of spectacles, halfway up the bridge of it's snout.

And suddenly Padraig found himself standing behind the pair, looking back at himself there on the shore. As if inside a bubble or a specimen glass as if he was unaware of being watched, but all the easier to observe and study at the Dragon's' leisure. He more than most anyone knew that in spite of those who swore differently, dragon's were real. He'd met them firsthand, and what he knew for sure was that these weren't the mythical, sage but merry, lovable things of fairy tales. He'd seen them, experienced and been studied by them, off at the Edge. And what they were, was terrifying. Better they were left right were they were and never allowed a way into the world.

And yet he yearned to go back, to observe and learn more. Lately, the way things had gone and the way that they changed, he thought he might never have the chance. But here they were, and he was standing behind them while they studied him on the shore. To feed his family? The first one snorted and flame licked out of his snout. "He's no fisherman, and he's got a large family. Better he fills his basket at market, and claims it's his catch." Padraig resented that, but the dragon was probably right nonetheless. "Why are you watching me?" Padraig demanded, and at once, both dragon's turned in their seats to look at him. "Always watching, mumbling in my ear but saying nothing. Never stopping."

The second one pulled out a notebook from his topcoat pocket, along with a pencil. And with his tongue, he wet the point of his writing implement and gazed curious at Padraig over the wire frames of his spectacles. "And how does that make you feel?" the dragon asked curiously.
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Re: There are Dragons Here. Really.

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He was dreaming.

She knew it, because of her ability to travel Emea - a situation which had been rectified when she fixed her personal Dreamscape. But now, she needed to get him out of his, and so, she sat on a rock nearby and she watched him for a moment. He was dreaming of fishing. Faith couldn't hide the smile on her face as she saw that. She was sitting, watching him, and she looked down at the clothing she was in. What a strange thing imagination was, Faith thought. Evidently, her own dreaming state had put her in this, but she didn't change it. The purple dress she had made for the Ball she had attended with Tristan. A matching parasol and Faith lifted one small foot to see, as the long ballgown skirt fell away, a pair of entirely impractical, and not-at-all-foot-shaped shoes. "Shoe shaped dream-feet, here I come," Faith said with a smile.

But for the moment, she did not disturb Padraig. He was having a brief chance to be calm and rested and she would not deny him that. However, soon enough, the things which had bothered him since he got back from the Barriers, began again. It was constant for him and, Faith had more or less come to the conclusion that she needed to do something about it. So, they'd spoken and, as far as she could, she'd explained to him what she wanted to do. While he was awake, he'd been clear and yet there was a part of Faith who was loathe to disturb him here.

Still, once the creatures came, Faith stood up and walked over. "Rather uncomfortable, I'd imagine," she said, to the one who asked Padraig ... one of the Padraigs ... how this made him feel. Faith was dressed formally in a flowing ballgown, a parasol spinning behind her and she seemed rather taller than was her usual. That was the high heels of course. "Hello, you," she said to Padraig. It was tricky - he usually recognised her in his dreams, but not always. And either because of his sleeping mind - or hers - she looked a little different in this one.

Smiling at him, she tilted her head to the side and smiled. "I do not believe that he is a trained professional able to make a judgement about you, you know," Faith said, smiling slightly as she just ... quietly and calmly, had those inner voices quiet for him. "I was wondering, if you'd like to," she asked, sitting down next to him, "Come for a walk. There's a place I'd like to show you. A barrier, sort of. Not quite like the one that they're annoying you about, but a barrier between the realms of sleeping and waking." Calmly, silver eyes looked at him. "If you'd like to come with me, Professor, I'll show you a world like none you've ever seen. But, you need to know that, if you take this, there's no going back." Her lips lifted in a smile. "We'll walk together in dreams, my love, if you want. But first things first, Padraig. If you take my hand, you'll become lucid. Want to try?"

And so, in her purple ballgown, Faith smiled at the man she loved more than anyone as she held out her hand, palm upward, ready for him to take. And if he did, then she leaned forward and kissed him, gently. "You're dreaming. Stay here and dream with me?" As Faith whispered that she considered that it was a rather lovely way to pull someone into a lucid state.

Though, he probably wouldn't like it if she did it with anyone else.
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Padraig
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Uncomfortable, was right. But then Padraig hadn't enjoyed a comfortable sleep since he'd gotten back from the Edge. And yet, he was eager to return there again. But of course he recognized Faith in his dream. There was never a time when he dreamed, that she wasn't there at the fringes of his mind. Always, and many times she was front and center, right in the thick of it. He smiled, turning his frustrated gaze away from the dragon, which had become his inquisitor.

"I imagine not," he said when she spoke of professionalism and judgments. "At the least, they never fail to answer questions with more of their own." Just to torment him, maybe. Or maybe they had a different agenda in mind. He couldn't begin to guess what it might be. He only knew that they were there when he was awake, and he couldn't escape them even while slumbering. So there they were, him and Faith, sitting side by side. "I'd be glad to," he said when she asked for a walk.

Did she mean a barrier between Emea and the waking world, he asked? Even if he only knew what anyone else knew of Emea, those scholars who bothered to find out, it was one of those things that Padraig realized, Faith knew better than him. Along with her little chalk friend. No going back though. The thought brought a grin to his face and he shrugged. "That warning didn't stop me poking at another barrier and dropping right through." If he hadn't indulged in an over abundance of caution back then, he was less likely to now. Especially with Faith at his side. "Lead on then," he said.

He took Faith's hand then. Of course he'd never have expected it to happen with a kiss. Though he returned it in equal measure, and certainly didn't complain. And then he knew without a doubt that he was dreaming. But much more than that. "Of course," he said. "Of all my choices of dreaming partners, you will always be first, second and last." Certainly not the dragons. It was enough they tormented him by trial. He could do without them in the night.

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Re: There are Dragons Here. Really.

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Was it a barrier between Emea and the waking world? Faith considered it and mostly-nodded. "Sort of. Where you are right now, it's one side of that barrier. And rather like the one that caused these constant interruptions," Faith nodded to where the dragon-things (which were getting cuter by the minute, because she willed it so) were discussing his case, arguing over their notes. "Once we go through, there's no going back." But making him lucid, she believed, would be something towards maybe helping him sleep. That had been what she had done all the times before, but more and more Faith was convinced that it wasn't helping as much as she hoped. Also, he needed to be able to take care of himself. What if this whole Emea breaking thing was permanent? Or if it happened again, or meant that her own abilities changed? No. Faith was not prepared to take that risk with him. So, she kissed him and she smiled in pleasure as he became aware, and lucid in the dreaming.

"We will need to walk through it. It's a .. it's called the Veil. It's always there, but everyone sees it differently," she explained and she kept ahold of his hand as they stood up together. "I wore this dress to the very fancy ball that Tristan took me to." She lifted her skirt and showed him her shoes. "If these were my real feet, I'd be in so much pain. I swear that the Athart slave masters invented pointed toes and high-heel shoes." Faith was convinced and there was no telling her otherwise. They walked along the lake and there, in front of them, was the Spire. "I think it's there. We need to stay on the path, Padraig. We can explore what's out there another time, but if I lose you now, then you'll be lost." She smiled softly and looked at him. "And I plan on never losing you."

Along the winding path they went ~ oddly PB was nowhere in sight ~ and she kept firm hold of his hand. Here and there, off to their left or right, there were things. Things which were interesting or unusual, things which called to him - or made him curious. Things. Temptations.

But Faith kept a very firm grip on his hand.

"The more that you practice, the better you'll get at this," Faith said with a smile. "Now... oh, well, I should have known." There, in front of them, there was a door. Emblazoned over the top of it was the word "Library" ~ "This is it," she said and she smiled. Of course, it was what it was. "What I'd like to be absolutely sure on is that, once you step through here, there's no going back." None at all. She looked at him and her face showed her delight. "It's a whole new world to explore, Padraig. I think you're going to love it." Still holding his hand, she stepped backwards slightly. It had to be him, after all, who made the decision, who stepped through and became fully initiated. "The more you dream, the more powerful your ability gets, the more and more you can do to the Dreamscape. " She smiled slightly. "I can walk across the world, or escort people, like I am you. You're the only one I kiss though." She grinned. "Want to explore with me?"
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"Well that would be nice," Padraig agreed, smiling when Faith kissed him, and returning the gesture in kind. Causing the dragons to leave him in peace, that was, even if it was only while he was sleeping. They wouldn't go away completely, any more than they would completely leave him be. Others could deny it all that they wished, and it might just be wishful thinking on their part. They were wiser than they realized, Padraig knew. They were real, and he'd seen and experienced them. He wouldn't wish their presence on anyone, and certainly not on the world.

And it was another barrier that had been holding them away from Idalos. Though how long it might last was anyone's guess. But now, he was more aware of himself and the world, while sleeping, than he ever had been before. "I suppose we can be who we choose to be, here in Emea," he considered. That too was also a new experience. "But no, I'd rather not be lost. Though I never am. Not with you," he assured her as he took care to remain on the path. Of course as a scientist he was an explorer at heart. It wasn't easy to resist, after all. Temptations, and plenty of them.

"I'm sure," he said, and smiled as the door appeared in front of him. It would be a library. Or a lab or observatory. A workshop. Or all four at once. It could hardly have been anything else. Would he love it, he wondered? "Certainly the laws of nature will not necessarily apply here as they might elsewhere." Physics, that was. And then he grinned. Of course he wanted to walk the world with her, "and that's a promise I'll hold you to," he said, grinning again when told he was the only one she would kiss. A sentiment he returned wholeheartedly.

So this was his own dreamscape. A fitting one that suited him top to bottom, Padraig decided when he passed through the door with Faith. He couldn't have imagined it better if he'd tried. Shelves upon shelves upon shelves of books, all spiraling gently up and around a central rotunda, it's marble floors inlaid with mosaic tiles in blue, red, green, silver and gold. The place, more of a tower with books and shelves spiraling up to it's grand, stained glass dome. At each level, the rails opened up. On the first level was a reading and study area. On the second, an alchemy lab, the third an engineer's level and at the very top level was an observatory complete with star charts, several telescopes with which to view the night sky, and models of the universe with stars and planets dangling from silver thread.

And scampering here and there, everywhere, were workers and scholars of all makes, sizes and stripes. From a band of tunawa to the most giant of races, all toiling away in the name of science. Every once in a while, one of them would pause as they scampered by, giving a dip of the head and a greeting as they did. "Master Augustin, Mistress...Welcome." Padraig grinned and nudged Faith with his elbow. "Couldn't have designed this place better, had I been trying."
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He was never lost with her? Faith grinned and squeezed his hand. "Careful there, Professor. I'll have an emotion and have to count coins, or recite some multiplication tables or something." They both knew her tendency towards being factual, dealing with statements, not emotions. Even in the dreaming, it seemed. Still, she kept a firm hold of his hand, a very firm hold. He wasn't going anywhere and, for all that he said he'd be careful, Faith knew her husband. She never had to worry about his attention wandering to a pretty woman ~ although he wasn't immune to what he saw, he was fiercely loyal to her and their children ~ but an interesting rock formation, or a gadget-like tchotchky? She'd be glad that she had ahold of him should one of those appear. Otherwise, he'd be off up the path chasing after them.

And then, there was the door. Looking at the letters above it, Faith could only agree. What else would it be but a library? Padraig put his hand out and opened the door and Faith looked around in wonder and delight. So much knowledge, so much learning here but more than that - so many people. Every race, some she didn't know and that - just that - caused a smile to light her face. Science knew no boundaries, no prejudice for Padraig - it was people - all just people who were trying to learn and wanting to learn. She turned to look at her husband and she was beaming, tears sparkling in her eyes. "You are the most remarkable man, Padraig. You really are." To the people there, she smiled and said hello, and then she stopped and concentrated, just for a moment. On the desk that was his (she knew it was before she saw it), Faith put down a small, ornamental silver teapot. "That's a Brand." Faith hated the name, but it was what it was. "I can always find here, and I can always find you. That was the kiss." Having branded him, and this place, she spoke to him again, quite seriously.

"Alright, so this is your Dreamscape. Your subconscious made real. It remembers... oh, so many things." Faith put her hand out on to the desk and picked up the small name plaque she had made for him when he started working as a Professor. Turning it around, she smiled. "Even the hummingbird on the back. I've been doing this a while, so I can do things that you can't, yet. But we'll explore together. I used to dream a lot when I was a slave. PB was there. He was even more irreverent then."

She checked that he was clear, he was happy and knew what they were doing, that his Initiation had taken. When she was sure that it had, Faith smiled and pulled a book from the shelf. "It's a whole new world, Professor. And one we can explore together." Looking around she had to admit. "If I can ever drag you out of this place."
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Re: There are Dragons Here. Really.

A somewhat tame, surreal thread. A gentle initiation into dreamwalking.

I especially enjoy how Faith plays into the role of the more in-control party, the veteran dreamwalker. It makes Padraig shine in his own way, as he makes his way through his dream. Thankfully, away from the overly inquisitive dragon.

I hope to see more from the two of you!

Padraig

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Faith

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