Fantasy DreamWorlds

[AnEternalWinter]

"Chikushō!" Hiroshi cursed loudly as he tripped over an empty crate and stumbled down the street. The digits materializing randomly before his eyes didn't do anything to help him escape from the dark - shadows? Creatures? - chasing him down the Metropolis.


This was probably the worst idea he'd had since he leapt off a skyscraper in here to see if he would wake up. (He did not. And it hurt like hell.) But he always reassured himself with his quote: Curiousity killed the cat, but satisfaction bought him back. And this golden reminder was the only thing on his mind when he approached the swirling, dark void object, the only thing that appeared to be not made out of code in this computerized city. But he just had to touch it, to see if it was real. The whole ordeal turned ugly instantly, and the black blob formed itself into a sleek black bull with red eyes (and wicked horns) before charging straight towards the nosy cat.


In this case, Hiroshi Yoichiro. Now he had to run from the monster right behind him or risk getting impaled or crushed. Stupid, stupid! He chided himself as he barged through an abandoned building and turned into a gloomy alleyway. He sifted his fingers through the ever-growing curtain of code before him but only succeeded in obscuring his sight even further. With a spin that would have made any ballerina jealous, Hiroshi faced the bull and stared into its soulless eyes.


He was now half-blind from the symbols streaming before his eyes, and blinking only made things worse. They were calling to him, making his fingers itch to manipulate the very fabric of the world itself. Subcumbing to the temptation and knowing fully well that he couldn't outrun the bull forever, Hiroshi pulled a string of numbers that formed the null around him and twisted it into a red flag. He waved it wildly and saw the agaited bull stomp its front hoof against the concrete. Hiroshi stood his ground. The next rewrite would be much harder, and the timing would have to be just right. When the bull snorted and rushed towards him, Hiroshi frantically rearranged the numbers and letters drifting around him, his fingers moving faster than ever. Before the black bull could stop, its dark horns slammed into a thick cement wall that had appeared out of thin air.


Hiroshi didn't stop to see if it had worked. He was already darting away, weaving in and out of streets and alleys.


~


Still panting hard from his recent escape, Hiroshi leaned against a brick wall and tried to catch his breath, when suddenly a bright flash caused him to cover his eyes. By the time he'd dropped his arm, whatever had made the light was shining no more, and all he could see was some people leaping out of nowhere and into the empty plaza. What the heck...? Hiroshi thought, squinting at the figures with both curiousity and suspiscion.


@all

 

[JaidenLark]

Still fuming from Nick's dismissive manner, Ryan walked up next to the portal and peered into the giant swirl of unknown dimensions. He couldn't leave this world fast enough, especially when he realized after he'd courageously stepped forward to hold back the NightMares, he had only succeeded in knocking himself out, while the others had gone on to find the Seed. Even with his DreamLurk, he was useless. With an uncomfortable pit in his stomach from guilt and irritation, Ryan turned to glance at those who still hadn't left the Ocean yet.


There was Rori, the first person he had met since he arrived here in the dream, with his eyes closed in concentration. Then next there were two girls he didn't know very well - Nina and Anelie, he guessed. And then last but not least there was Julian. Ryan grinned at the kid. "You gotta fill me in on the details when we get over there, okay?" He lifted his hand in a small wave before plunging through the portal, never feeling more ready to leave this DreamWorld behind. Besides, he was starting to miss gravity.


@JayfeatherRaven

 

[Elfia Nightwing]

Nina nodded at Valora's warning, shifting slighting so her body continued to act as a sort of buffer to the two seeds." I know, but this was the best I could come up with in the short time." She explained, shifting from one foot to the next nervously. " But! I think it'll work for now."


As her fellow dreamers began towards the portal, Nina followed in suit, the two seeds bouncing happily against her body. "Ah! I almost forgot, Rori! Thanks for all the help during the fight." She smiled, skipping over to the young man. Although in her typically clumsy manner, Nina found her foot caught in the sand, barreling herself into the portal with a cry of disbelief.

 

[Spazzycat101]

Jaigh was sulking in her room-- formerly her parents' bedroom-- and listening to a sudden snowstorm claw at the house. Earlier, she and Chase had been out around the forest, cleaning up the traps that were set and putting them out of the snow's reach. Within a few hours of being gone, the sullen sky had decided to trap them in no less than a white-out.


Right now, with hair wet from snow dripping down her back, Jaigh was busy with nothing. Chase was curled up on the floor at the foot of the bed, which seemed clumsy for a dog as large as him, whining every few moments.


Jaigh, as she had often for the past few weeks, sat pondering the fact that there was nothing she had to oblige to anymore. She didn't have anyone to feed except herself (and Chase, a puppy-like whine reminded her), she didn't have anyone telling her what to do aside from the want for things to be normal.


Well too bad Jaigh, normal is too far gone. What's keeping you here?


Survival.


And what's paths point in that? You live one day for the next, which will be the same. Each day is the same now. What is making you repeat every day? What can't you leave?


Nothing. Nothing is keeping you here. Right now, here is horrible. Here is pointless. You could fall asleep forever and nobody could miss you.


Whine...


Chase is here. Chase would miss you. Chase needs to be fed, he needs to be taken care of. You can't do that if you spend all your time dreaming.


But dreams are so much better than this place... and Chase would be okay for a few hours, wouldn't he?


And with those thoughts, Jaigh fell into sleep.


For a startling moment, she was falling. Then, her back hit the dirt ground with a thud that sucked the breath from her lungs. When she opened her eyes, she saw a sky fragmented by trees' branches, and was shocked to see that there was no snow storm. In fact, there was no snow. The realization came to Jaigh like a small wave; she was dreaming. She hadn't realized, at first, at least.


Instantly, something felt off in the forest. It wasn't just the fact that it was a dream, she spend almost all her dreaming life in the world and she knew it well. Not like a map, but what to expect. She enjoyed when this world surprised her, sometimes it seemed as if it tried to.


But now it felt dry and still. When Jaigh looked around, a film of grey and brown was overtaking the once-green ferns and leaves. From her stupor at the dying world, she was shocked by the barking-- almost shouting-- that came up behind her. Jaigh was more or less tackled by Chase, and she momentarily forgot the disturbing emptiness and the rotting scent of the forest.


'You're gonna follow me eeeeeverywhere, ain'cha?'


Jaigh chuckled while she rubbed Chase's brown ears.


'I am very, very glad dogs can dream.'


After their miniature reunion, the two awkwardly looked around, reminded of the unnatural silence in the woods. It was like the air had stopped moving, like it was pushing against their movement. The air seemed to grow darker-- or was it already shadowy?-- and she gave a strained cough. The air grew thicker, darker, and almost too vicious to breathe. Jaigh though it was her mind tricking her when she saw something humanlike in shape rise from the smoke and try to clamp its black hands over her mouth. She backed away, almost squealing with fear, and pulled her German Shepard friend into a furry hug. Within moments was splayed out on concrete.


It shocked her that, for the first time, city air was more breathable than forest air.


After collecting herself (i.e. Sitting curled up on pavement with a dog for several minutes), Jaigh rearranged herself to sit cross-legged on the cement. The grains of gravely cement marked her palms and the stray bits of code flashing by annoyed her and occasionally tore through her hair, but at the very least, there was no nightmarish thing trying to drown her in smoke.

 

[JayfeatherRaven]

"Wait for me!" Julian called after Ryan. His arms flailed in the water as he tried to moved forward, but Nina beat him to the portal and disappeared with a short yelp. At her surprised face, Julian stifled a laugh and hung back to let the portal cool down before he went through. Now, only Anelie and Rori remained in the Ocean with him. He glanced curiously at the golden-haired girl beside him. In the whirlwind of events that had happened, he never found the time to actually meet the newcomer - who wasn't even new anymore. "Hello." Julian's lips lifted up in a hesitant smile. "We haven't properly met, have we?" The girl had really interesting grayish-blue eyes, he noticed, which seemed to glow in the fractured sunlight from above. He was about to say something more when he heard a wince from Rori. The older boy had be withholding the portal for a prolonged span now, and he was trembling with the effort. Julian reprimanded himself for not realizing this, ashamed of his own actions. They were supposed to be finding the Seeds and saving the DreamWorlds, and here he was, chatting with new friends! Muttering a quick, guilty apology to Rori, who didn't even seem to notice him with his eyes closed tightly, Julian slipped into the portal and allowed himself to be swept into the next World.


@Iomana @thistle

 

[thistle]

Rori couldn’t recall at what point he closed his eyes. All he remembered was pulling up the next doorway that signaled the group to gather close, and then suddenly the back of his eyelids was staring back at him.


He trusted everyone knew the way. At this point it should have been follow the leader. After all how hard was it to miss a swirling curtain of light?


One by one the bodies tipped through, and the artist braced himself, heels burying into the star choked ground as the metaphysical nail was set against his brow and hammered away.


Strangely, Nicole’s lasting remark surfaced to mind. She wasn’t too off the mark when it came to observations, though whether he pointed them out or not was entirely by choice. Though the next World remained in plain sight there were intermittent pauses, all without explanation due to his concentration. The only indication that told him they were making progress were the faint announcements of departure and the increasing vice on his skull.


So Rori focused on the pain, using it as a counter. At one point the portal wavered, responding to the growing fatigue, and the Dreamer worked hastily to push the frame back into place, stabilizing the edges, missing when the picture trembled.


It would have been nice to say it didn’t happen again but Nina’s startled yelp caused Rori to falter. A brief peek caught the extension of arms and the saucer sized eyes as the girl toppled forward, looking as if an invisible string had caught her at the ankles. It was enough to distract, the ungainly tumble sending his own mind into somersaults that wiped the wry tug off his lips.


By the time the doorway was reassembled, Rori had felt a second body follow through. There was only one other person left aside from himself and the Dreamer, grimacing, stepped close and found Anelie still watching the doorway with uncertainty.


She was the only one who had yet to portal through Worlds and making an effort, Rori strengthened the clarity of the picture, experiencing the cost almost instantly as his expression tightened. He took a breath, then gave the barest of nods toward the entrance when her large blue eyes turned his way. “Normally, people step on through," he said, taking the chance to catch his breath, "although one of us just proved there's no correct way of entering. As long as you make it to the other side, it's not too bad."


@Iomana

 

[Iomana]

Flinching as Nina tripped and fell through the portal and Julian followed soon afterwards, Anelie gave another look towards it. Everyone entered easily enough...like it was something they had grown used to. Although her unease still was present. It didn't look completely stable and, despite the trust the others displayed when they stepped through, and she couldn't stop a few worst case scenarios flashing through her mind.


Biting her lip as she stared at the portal, her eyes flared in surprise as the appearance of it changed and she turned to Rori. He seemed to be in pain, or at the least some form of discomfort, and as she took note of that a bit of guilt pricked at her. It didn't look like keeping this doorway open was painless to him yet here she was, dithering away with doubt when there wasn't much choice in the matter. She couldn't stay here or make him wait on her forever."Right...sorry." Tilting her head in acknowledgement, she returned her attention to the portal and straightened her shoulders, mentally steeling herself to step into the unknown. With that, she entered the portal.


@thistle

 

[JayfeatherRaven]

"You can stop hiding in there. I can see you." To those standing at the wrong angle, it may have seemed like Nicholas was talking to empty space, but in fact, he had caught sight of a boy slinking in a dark alleyway, regarding them and the portal with barely contained interest. He didn't seem to be armed or hostile, but Nicholas wasn't taking any chances. "Valora, Nicole, Ryan, over here! I found someone." As he waited for the others to approach, he gave the silent boy a closer scrutiny. His pastel skin hinted at an Asian heritage, and he had wide brown eyes that reminded Nicholas of Julian's, only a shade lighter. His hair was white - no, blond. It was so pale that it appeared white. Everything about the boy was fair and ivory, stark in contrast to the shadows around him. His eyes were consistently moving, watching everything around him, never dwelling on a place for more than a second. His fingers played with a red cloth that looked even more out of place than he did.


@AnEternalWinter @DergTheDergon @JaidenLark

 

[JayfeatherRaven]

The familiar yet jarring sensation flipped Julian's stomach inside out as he was sucked through the portal, dragged along the vacuum against his will. The whole ordeal should've been over in a couple of seconds, but just as Julian caught sight of his destination in the swirling tidbits of disturbed light, the scene rippled and evaporated. Then a sharp tug yanked him through another passage before releasing him into thin air. Once free from the portal's grasp, gravity took hold of Julian and he bumped down a flight of stairs, banging his shoulders repeatedly on the ridges before finally coming to a stop on the floor. Battered and bruised, he propped himself up gingerly and let his eyes wander back to the stray portal, which was suspended in a precarious position above the stairs. He gawped at the height he had fallen from and the staircase he had just rolled unceremoniously down. Why would Rori choose such a strange position to transport them to? He wondered, when someone else turned up from the portal, also about to tumble down the stairway.


@Mitchs98 @Elfia Nightwing

 

[AnEternalWinter]

Hiroshi's eyes darted around nervously as he weighed his choices - fight or flight? One minute he was lurking behind a corner, and the next he was like a deer caught in headlights, exposed and vulnerable. The ebony-haired boy had sharp eyes that surpassed Hiroshi's self-acclaimed hiding skills, and even now the boy was staring him down, observing him wordlessly, taking note of every single detail that could be useful in the future. It reminded Hiroshi strongly of a computer virus scan, where the slightest bit of irregular data could be enough to alert the system. Although finding a virus was great, Hiroshi wasn't sure he felt the same. His natural instinct was urging him to flee - if he could outrun a bull, a human should be easy enough. The people who had just emerged from the glowing panel were also beginning to approach, though none of them looked as intimidating as the boy. Except for the girl who held a scimitar with a wicked blade in her hand. Hiroshi gulped and took a step back. The other duo, a pretty girl and a blond boy didn't look unkind but at the same moment not exactly nice. And they all appeared to know each other. Hiroshi knew he needed to make his decision - now.


These people had arrived from an unnatural doorway, but they were also the first humans he had seen since he had entered the Metropolis. Maybe they knew what happened to the absent 'citizens'. Hiroshi's curiosity got the better of him (as always), so he walked out into the square to confront these people, now visible to all of them.


@JayfeatherRaven @others

 

[DergTheDergon]

Nicole closed her eyes tightly, her stomach feeling as if it was doing somersaults as her body- was that the right word? Soul? Mind? What part of her was even here? Reminding herself that dreams are not meant to be rationalized so deeply, Nicole focused her attentions on the odd sensation of being hurtled across... something equivalent to time and space, again she had to remind herself not to ponder it for fear of encroaching headaches. So, she felt herself fall a short distance and her feet hit what felt like solid ground. Opening her eyes slowly, she glanced around her surroundings, confirming that in fact, she had arrived in the metropolis. The place was rather normal-looking at the very first glance, though looking around in slightly more detail alerted her to the lines and paragraphs of computer code floating through the air unnaturally, and the other, well, dreamlike aspects to this world. Looking down, she realized she was gripping the hilt of the special rapier fastened to her dress on her left hip so tightly that the knuckles on her right hand had turned stark white. Releasing her grip now that her body wasn't experiencing the sensations of portal traveling, she turned on her heel and watched as, one by one, the others began to spill out.


First came Nicholas, whom Nicole simply acknowledged with a glance and a nod as she continued to collect herself, then Anelie and Valora, towards whom she smiled and waved at in greeting. Looking thoroughly about her surroundings, wandering around slightly while having no intention of straying very far from the portal, she then caught glimpse of something- no, someone- in the distance, sitting against a wall, barely visible among the dark. She grasped her blade, wary for a moment that a NightMare was watching the group as they materialized into this world, but the longer she looked the more... normal the being seemed. Squinting to see them more closely, and stepping towards them slightly in order to get a closer look, she realized she was staring at a white-haired boy, who was staring back. He seemed astonished at the sight before him, which was understandable seeing as she and two others had just stepped through a portal. Just as she turned and was about to bring the presence of the boy to the attention of the others, Nicole was distracted by Ryan stepping through. Perhaps it was best to wait until everyone was here? Either way, she kept her eye on the figure, still sitting against the wall. He was likely another dreamer, from the looks of things, but that didn't keep Nicole's suspicions from guarding her against the idea of approaching on her own.


At that moment, Anelie stepped through. Nicole then remembered that several of the others have yet to arrive, her one-track mind momentarily forgetting about the presence of the stranger. As the seconds ticked by, it seemed they were taking a while, and she couldn't help but think that something must have happened. She found herself anxiously staring into the abyss of the portal in hopes of seeing Rori in particular, knowing that he must be in a great deal of pain filtering all these people through time and space. As Anelie finally passed through, time almost seemed to slow as Nicole stared at the portal, no one else having arrived as of yet. Had something went wrong with Rori's portal? Was he going to be alright?


Nicole was then alerted that her thoughts were spiraling to the point of complete unawareness of her surroundings by Nicholas' voice, bringing her back to the present at least partially with reminding her about the figure trying to hide in the nearby alleyway. Choosing not to make light of the fact that she had noticed him but had entirely forgotten about him, Nicole nodded and began following Nicholas, glancing back at the portal anxiously every now and then. A much as she wanted to stay and see the others through, she couldn't directly assist Rori as far as she knew, so she found herself simply following Nicholas towards the alleyway. To her surprise, the boy chose this moment to reveal himself, stepping forward silently. He seemed to be waiting for someone else to make the first move, so Nicole figured she should get this figurative show on the road.


Nicole stepped in front of Nicholas, giving the boy a once over. She kept her posture non-hostile, seeing no reason to antagonize this lost and confused- seeming boy. "You there, what's your name?" She called out. "I am Nicole. You're a Dreamer too, yes? Perhaps you can help us then. As you can see there's something wrong with these worlds, and we need all the help we can get to save them. Perhaps Nicholas here could let you in on our endeavors?" She looked towards Nicholas, fora moment, and afterward found herself glancing back at the portal. "Oh dear, no one else yet..." she worriedly muttered. "I hope nothing went awry."


@AnEternalWinter @JayfeatherRaven @all the peeps!

 

[thistle]

Rori followed right behind Anelie as she complied. As far as he knew this was the only way to cross between realms, and though it got the job done, it wasn't the most pleasant way of travel. The suspension of gravity and churning darkness was disorienting at the very least and occasionally begged for the flailing of limbs, and for that reason he kept an eye on the girl as they sailed in the silent void.


To her credit she managed to make it through, a sway in her landing that was only customary after arriving through a portal.


Rori wobbled unsteadily a few feet behind, severing his ties to the doorway that made it blink shut, and caught the base of a lamp post. He swallowed thickly. If his mind didn’t burst first, then the chance of losing the contents of his stomach were bound to happen if this continued.


Sluggish, the Dreamer scanned the urban setting and found activity was underway already, headed by Nicholas who appeared to be seriously engaged with an abandoned alley. Rori would have made some flighty comment had he the breath, but the others were fixed on whatever had gathered Nicholas’s attention as well, making the artist focus more closely.


The haze of nausea made it difficult to read his expression, but the body language of the fair colored individual - strung tight and oriented more toward the gaping alley - revealed a good chance of bolting. Rori could only imagine what was going through his head as a ragtag group of strangers faced him. Aside from Anelie and Ryan, who appeared leagues healthier than before, the rest of them still sported the results of their scuffle from earlier.


Thankfully, Nicole was there to soften the encounter. Despite her confidence, she lacked the steel and brusque nature that accompanied the Nicholas standing beside her. If the nameless young man didn’t retreat, there was a chance to reason with him.


Rori allowed them to handle the situation. Furthest back from everyone present, he took the opportunity to make sure their party had arrived, but as his lips moved in silent count, it was evident things had not progressed as smoothly as planned.


Rori scanned for the missing three in futile effort and found them nowhere in sight. What his gaze landed on instead made the artist straighten as a girl with hair the color of a low burning fire materialized over his shoulder.


She hadn’t appeared to notice them yet as she sat perfectly content on the ground, her brows pinched in the slightest look of what he could only guess was annoyance or dissatisfaction, as if whatever continued to float overhead continued to pester her. Aside from the sleek, curved blade perched on her hip, the girl appeared non-threatening.


What was most remarkable was the animal fixed attentively at her side, the German Shepard's ears perked and its dark brown eyes sighting Rori with solemn curiosity.


For one wild second, Rori thought her to be Alisa. Given his latest feat had been more demanding than before, perhaps he had royally screwed up this time and somehow caused Father Time to spin his clock over Alisa’s head as she’d tumbled through.


A close second glance later - one that might as well been considered glaringly rude at that point - abated Rori’s fear the next second. Her features didn’t match the young Dreamer, and as of yet no member of their party sprouted the same thick auburn waves that adorned her skull. Perplexed and seeing there was little else to be done, Rori lifted a hand and wiggled his fingers in greeting.


@Spazzycat101


(@DergTheDergon Your tag, as promised. xD )

 

[JaidenLark]

Landing firmly on the asphalt concrete of the Metropolis, Ryan moved out of the portal's way and did a quick scan of his surroundings. Most of the Dreamers had arrived, though not exactly in the order of how they had entered the portal. Maybe the time funnel was different as they went through. Ryan glanced up at the permanent grey sky above him then at the vacant buildings. Usually, the Metropolis teemed with people of all ages, a beacon for all those who could dream. But ever since they started on this mission, the only people he had encountered were the Dreamers. All the lights that illuminated the World were diminished, leaving behind the eerie feeling of an apocalypse.


A call from Nicholas beckoned him towards a darker corner of the plaza, and Ryan spotted a boy who didn't seem to be a part of their squad before. Was it possible they had discovered yet another Dreamer? Perhaps the gas wasn't so effective after all...but yet it had succeeded in taking over more than ninety-nine percent of the population. Nicholas and Nicole were standing shoulder to shoulder as they confronted the boy, who looked shiftier than ever. Oh great, leave it to the two most menacing members of our team to scare away the new recruit! Ryan quickened his pace and put on a friendly smile as he neared the boy, hoping to prevent him from bolting before they could speak to him. I'll play the good cop. Ryan thought. Speaking out loud, he said to the boy, "Don't mind these two. They're a little...high-strung." He said while shooting the two a look that warned them not to mess things up. Nicole's sword gleamed threateningly, which did nothing to help the situation at hand. "I'm Ryan." Ryan said while sticking out a hand to shake instead, hoping to distract him and put him at ease.


@AnEternalWinter @DergTheDergon @JayfeatherRaven

 

[Iomana]

It looks like her initial gut instinct was right when it warned her against going into that doorway. Even though it did manage to transport her safely, she still found that the process with which that happened was terrible, like a bad roller coaster. Luckily enough, she managed not to fall flat on her face when she emerged on the other side, though she did take a moment to bend over, resting her hands on her knees with the softest of "ughs". As she straightened, her eyes scanned the area, taking in several surprising things at once.


There was a new boy with pale hair standing near Nicole, Nicholas, and Ryan. How odd, though it really shouldn't be surprising considering that she herself must have appeared just as suddenly to them. They were gathering quite the group, who knows how many other Dreamers might be out there. Returning her attention to the group, Anelie's lips pressed together in worry as she noted that a few were missing. With the Portal closing shut behind them it must have meant they came out, right? Maybe they had just gone off before she arrived...


She turned to Rori to ask about the success rate of his weird doorway and noticed his attention was focused away from the confrontation of what was looking to be their newest member. Following his line of sight, surprise grew on her features to find yet another person, a girl this time with a dog resting beside her. Her head whipped back and forth from the pale-haired boy to the girl with the dog, incredulous that they managed to find two new people at the same time. "Well aren't we lucky." she murmured to herself.


@everyone(??)

 

[JayfeatherRaven]

The first thing Valora resolved to do when she regained her balance was to find Julian, to see if he had also made it through the portal. Though she did not doubt any of Rori's abilities to cast them over here, dreams were always unpredictable, and even more so now that the very roots of the Worlds were unstable. She watched the hypnotizing swirl of the portal expectantly, straining to identify the silhouette every time someone dropped out. But again and again her hopes were dashed, and even though she was glad that others had made it through successfully, her heart was intent on seeing Julian safe. Only when it became clear that the portal had finished its duty and Rori stepped through did Valora begin to worry. Although Rori continued to leave the portal open for the delayed Dreamers to come through, he was already shifting his concentration to a red haired girl. She appeared to posses the same abilities as he did, accompanied by a dog who sat loyally beside her. If the girl agreed to help them, perhaps she would help lighten the load on Rori's shoulders when they needed to skip from one World to another.


But the damage already seemed to be done. Those absent were Nina, Alisa and Valora's brother, who were all fairly experienced when it came to dreams, but also concerningly young. How was it possible that Rori could have arrived at the designated destination but not them? Valora's brow creased with anxiety, her feelings mirroring the toil of emotions she had felt when Julian ran away, but this time even worse than before. Nina had the two Seeds, which were of utmost importance to their mission. They could not afford to lose any of them, and the same could be said for the three Dreamers.


Seeing that everyone was otherwise occupied with the newcomers, Valora turned to Anelie, who was the last to exit the portal. "Have you seen Julian?" She asked, distress clear in her voice. As she awaited the girl's answer she heard Nicholas calling to her from a cluster of people, but she chose only to wave and offer a distracted smile to the new boy, staying right where she stood.


@Iomana @ppl in the Metropolis

 

[Spazzycat101]

Jaigh's unconscious mind was anxiously stretching itself between speculating what the forest's ghoul actually was, and deciding what to do in the Metropolis. She didn't come here often, so it wasn't as if she knew her way around. In the forest Dream World, she knew what to do, what was to be done. There were things that gave her incentive to do something.


Dreams were becoming unpleasantly realistic.


Her uneasy contemplation was broken when a small half-growl rose up from Chase's throat. Both Jaigh and her friend had initially assumed, based on the deathlike conditions and complete lack of people in the forest, that the other dreamworlds. Might be similar. Perhaps not consistent with the misty murder-bent creatures, but at least with being unusual devoid of other humans. Therefore Chase's reaction to smelling the sudden odor of another person was unexpected to both dog and owner. Jaigh herself sprung up from her place on the ground, skittish at the possibility that her friend was greeting something other than a human. She was almost immediately embarrassed as her brawl-ready stance was greeted by a meek wave.


Social oops, right?


When she relaxed her body, as did Chase. He went from crouching beside her with a silent snarl on his face to lying down on the ground, less hostile but still wary. Jaigh's own expression turned to one of mixed relief and concern.


'Awfully big group here. How?'


She tried to make her observation and following question seem as unlike an interrogation as possible, although her confusion couldn't help but smother the effort. Jaigh's attention also noted that just about half of their rather large group was occupied with yet another thing around the corner of the building near which she stood.


'You guys got any idea why these places are so... dead? The forest is more grey than this place.'





@ pretty much everyone

 

[AnEternalWinter]

Hiroshi stared at Ryan's hand, unsure if he should have shook it. The girl, Nicole, had fired a series of questions at him, but the other than the first one, everything else she had said whistled right past his ears. "Hi..Hiroshi." He murmured, and his feet shuffled another step back. No, you wanted to speak to these people, remember? Swallowing uncomfortably, Hiroshi parted his mouth to speak. "I mean...my name is Hiroshi. W-what happened?" He managed to force out, though his voice was the tiniest of whispers. He wasn't confident in speaking English any more than his native tongue.


The boy who Nicole regarded as Nicholas was still glaring at him with dark obsidian eyes, which was an eye colour Hiroshi hadn't though possible. A scarlet blur behind him caught Hiroshi's eye, and he spotted a smiling girl who was waving in their general direction. Valora, Hiroshi guessed. She was the only person who hadn't approached at Nicholas' call, which Hiroshi accounted for something. A bright red scarf was on her neck, not unlike the flag Hiroshi had wrung around his wrists in discomfort. It was the red streak that had attracted his attention in the first place. Valora's warm smile was the most welcoming reaction he had seen since his encounter with - what did they call themselves? - the Dreamers. But what put Hiroshi at ease were her sincere brown eyes. It was like she was the only one who actually wanted to find him, even though she looked like she had other things on her mind at the same time.


Hiroshi lifted his hand and returned her wave with a shy smile. It was only until he dropped his hand to his side he noticed that the red flag was still trailing behind his wrist like a flamboyant banner. "Whoops." He muttered, flushing with embarrassment. What a way to make a good impression. Hastily, he sought out the lines of code in the fabric and dissolved the scarlet threads before it could draw anymore unwanted contemplation.


@JayfeatherRaven @DergTheDergon @JaidenLark

 

[DergTheDergon]

Nicole realized she was perhaps coming on a bit too strong after barely hearing Hiroshi's quiet utterance of his name. He seemed to be so unnerved by this situation that he didn't attempt to respond to her other questions, perhaps not fully grasping them in his anxiety, simply clarifying his earlier statement and asking his own question. Nicole saw the portal closing out of the corner of her eye and found herself smilingi n relief for a moment, gazing up Rori who had just appeared with a worried look on her face. Seeing Ryan walk up to the group out of the corner of her eye, Nicole glanced at him with narrowed eyes for a moment at his comment. High strung?! She was only trying to help. The nerve of this boy!


She then remembered that she'd been speaking with Hiroshi, and so turned towards him and spoke up again, gesturing towards Rori's location as she did so. "Ah, well you see, Hiroshi, we were transported here from another dreamworld by that boy over there. Each of us has fantastic abilities in our dreams, and you're likely to as well. Making portals between worlds is Rori's ability." Satisfied with her explanation, she looked back towards Nicholas, once again looking for his input for a moment before once again finding herself looking over to Rori to see if he was alright. He was looking at something closely. following his gaze and squinting a bit to see what was so interesting to catch his attention so, Nicole's eyes widened as she realized that 'something' was a someone! A girl, just sitting there, with a dog at her side.


Just how many Dreamers are there, Nicole wondered. At this rate, by the time they had only one more seed to gather they'd have a small army. The more the merrier, she supposed, especially in this rather urgent situation. Looking back towards Hiroshi, she followed his gaze over to Valora. He seemed to be staring at her, in the way a boy looks at a girl he finds attractive. At least, Nicole was pretty sure that's what was going on behind those captivated-seeming eyes of his. Nicole glanced incredulously down at the odd red flag he'd been wrapping around his wrists, but decided not to call attention to it. The boy already seemed fit to bolt due to her coming on so strongly.


@AnEternalWinter @JaidenLark @thistle @JayfeatherRaven

 

[thistle]

Rori regarded the girl with open interest, straightening against the lamp post to regain his bearings. It was hard to take someone seriously when they appeared ready to topple over and seeing as the German Shepard continued to eye them with close attention, he made an unconscious effort to at least appear alert.


By now it was hard not to acknowledge the pair of fresh faces that were present, attentions split based on relative location at this point. Rori, having the girl’s attention first, decided to address her. “We’ll just keep growing at this rate,” Rori agreed, vaguely aware that Ryan had begun to address the pale colored boy in the alley, “though we are short a few members.”


Not until the words left him did Rori experience the weight of the responsibility he held in his hands till now. Against his own will, Valora came into view as his eyes flicked her way. She was speaking in low, distressed tones to Anelie, already questioning Julian’s absence.


How foolish of him not to take Nicole’s suggestion of resting beforehand. With the Nightmares arriving at unpredictable hours and Metropolis full of crowded infrastructure that could easily hide three, tiny individuals, it was obvious of the risk he had put them in.


One manner of comfort was that the three had made it over. Assuredly. Rori had felt them appear on the other side as they'd stepped through.


He tried to recall the last image he had seen when Nina toppled through but found his memory still fogy. “It’d probably be better if you both heard what was going on. Keeps things moving, avoids overlapping conversation.” Looking in the general direction of the others Rori gave a brief ‘Hey’ and waved them over. “Luckily for you we have a fantastic narrator. Don’t be intimidated by the glare. He’s bound to crack a smile eventually.”


Waiting for everyone to relocate, including the boy with pale coloring, Rori’s attention returned to the girl, tilting his head with the most subtle of hopes. “By any chance, did you happen to run into a smaller group before arriving here? A trio – two girls and boy. One of the girls was carrying two back packs.”


@Spazzycat101 @JayfeatherRaven @JaidenLark @AnEternalWinter @DergTheDergon

 

[Spazzycat101]

Jaigh's sluggish attention bounced from person, trying. To keep up with each individual as they spoke. Her flickering eyes were almost the only thing that portrayed her struggle, alongside her vaguely reluctant expression and posture. She head one girl's small speech about the abilities accessible in dreams. Inside she felt a pang of 'duh,' until the conversation continued to jump from person to person. Jaigh was just about to voice to the large group (although she would have primarily addressed either the brown-haired boy or the one who approached her, as they seemed more amiable and talkative than their friends) that she understood the concept of jumping from world to world, but she wanted to know how they had gathered so many people from such abandoned places. Instead, the boy before her recalled the group and made note of a narrator, who certainly didn't seem as talkative as the other two. Involuntarily, Jaigh scoped out the girl gripping a rapier in her fist. She was armed, probably the most threatening of the... of the way too many people. Next, her eyes scoured the ground, measuring mentally how fast she could run with Chase, or if fleeing to a different world would be more effective.


Quickly, the red-head tried to squash her subconscious precautions, trying to put a little trust into these people. She didn't often interact with people, and didn't want to come on as afraid of other human beings.


Well, at least not as much as the other person who was foreign to the little posse seemed to be.


In answer to the last question she had been asked, Jaigh shrugged.


'Haven't seen anyone aside from you all in a while. Got here straight from the forest, didn't explore much. But I can imagine they can take care of themselves? After all,'


Jaigh paused here for an unenthusiastic display of jazz hands,


'In dreams, we've got those good ol' magical powers.'





@thistle @DergTheDergon @JayfeatherRaven @JaidenLark @AnEternalWinter

 

[Iomana]

First confusion, then a growing look of worry and concern spread across her face due to Valora's question. If she hadn't seen them then it was likely that they hadn't shown up at all. But if so, then where were they? She had just enough time to shake her head at the other before Rori called the others over, forming the two small, separate groups into one. She took a moment to eye the new boy but then returned to the conversation at hand. She'd have time to ask his name later but at this moment she was more worried about the missing members.


So far she had only seen Alisa's power. Those three were the youngest of the group and if NightMares should attack... They could barely hold them off with the entirety of the group's power, what if... She sighed quietly, eyes darkened and cast down in thought. "Yes, but these 'magical powers' can only go so far, especially if any NightMares show up." She spoke quietly as she responded to the newcomer with a voice that sounded almost as if she were talking to herself. "Not to mention our missing members are fairly young, and hold two important items with them... Well, you can see how we'd be a little worried."


@Spazzycat101

 

[JayfeatherRaven]

"I'll make this quick: The DreamWorlds are dying, if you hadn't noticed by now, and we're the only ones who can save it by collecting Seeds from each World before they collapse on themselves." Nicholas kept the summarization of their story so far as short as possible, partly because Hiroshi already looked like he was about to overload with information, and that he didn't bother to go into full detail each time they met someone new. "And so somewhere here came up with a cheesy name we call ourselves - Dreamers." He shot Hiroshi a bland smile. "If you do decide to join us -" Nick's speech was cut off by Rori, who was beckoning them over to where an unfamiliar girl and a canine sat. Nicholas shot him a scathing glare before returning his attention to the pale-haired boy. "Let's move over there. We still have a few others to introduce." As he began moving back to the centre of the square, certain that Hiroshi would follow, he continued to tell say,"That boy leaning against the street lamp is Rori, who has the ability to conjure portals. The girl who just arrived is Anelie, and the girl in the scarf is Valora." Nicholas' gaze lingered on her a second longer before continuing. "And...I have no idea who the girl with the dog is." He finished dryly. Three members of their team seemed to be absent, but Nick chose not to mention it to the new boy. No need to add more confusion to the mix. "A few of us are missing, but I'm sure we will run into them sooner or later."


Nicholas came to a stop before Rori. "I hope you have a good reason for interrupting my introduction to Hiroshi, our new recruit. And mind telling me who this is?" Nicholas eyed the redhead and the dog beside her warily.


-


Now almost everyone had a look of concern on their face, but no one was actually doing anything to locate the three missing Dreamers. Valora's frown deepened even further. "Ryan, were you with Julian when you went through the portal?" She asked, but then another thought occured to her, and she turned instead to the boy who was responsible for transporting them over. "Did you feel something...different when the three of them went through? If you were injured, then perhaps the portal wasn't as stable as we thought it was. Maybe the portal's connection went askew for a minute and they got thrown off course." It was a wild guess, but Valora couldn't bear to think anything bad had happened to the three. She waited anxiously for a reply from Rori, though she also felt slightly guilty for setting the blame on him. She knew how taxing it was to push a DreamAbility to its extent, and Rori had done more than most, chaffeuring them from one place to another.


@AnEternalWinter @thistle @JaidenLark

 

[Spazzycat101]

Jaigh took the opporotunity to introduce herself to the rest of the peculiar collection of Dreamers after their designated narrator told their little story.


'My name is Jaigh, and this is Chase,'


She gestured to the dog at her side, who was now acting as relaxed an welcoming as any other dog, panting with a wildly swinging tail that slapped the back of the red-head's legs.


'And you're right, the worlds are dying. They're practically abandoned, which is why I'm surprised that there are so many of you, and you even say there are three more. Any clue why they're dying, aside from the fact that some of the very hearts of the worlds are now missing?'


She followed up her little sarcastic quip with a raised eyebrow before continuing.


'The seeds might be the only thing keeping the worlds from imploding already. The air in the forest was absolutely unbreathable, so I assume you've been through there? I'm shocked to say, for the first time, that the city is more lively than the forest.'


Here, her half-serious expression turned to one of vague worry as she made her point. one more thought nagged at her, but she deserved it for another time. No sense in being a complete and total downer.


@ everyone

 

[JaidenLark]

Ryan found himself squirming when Valora's accusing gaze landed on him, even though he had nothing to hide. It was just that her serious brown eyes seemed capable of sensing even the tiniest silver of untruthfulness at that moment. "I swear the kid was right behind me when I went through the portal!" He insisted. Valora glowered at him for a second longer before turning her wrath on Rori, leaving Ryan to sigh in relief. But his solace was short-lived. Alisa, Julian and Nina were still out there, no doubt confused and scared out of their minds. Ryan listened distractedly as Valora interrogated the poor artist who was now the target of her fury, his mind on the newcomer instead. The boy had said his name with a slight accent, and now they knew he was called Hiroshi, which was undoubtedly a Japanese name. He was accepting the situation remarkably well for someone who had looked like cornered prey and stuttered when speaking his own name. Ryan decided right then and now that there was more than what met the eye to the pale boy, and instantly took a liking to him. Smiling, he nudged him and to avoid disturbing the main discussion, he lowered his voice, "How are you taking all of this in so far?"


@JayfeatherRaven @AnEternalWinter

 

[AnEternalWinter]

Hiroshi hurried after Nicholas, lengthening his strides to keep up with the older boy's brisk pace. He had delivered the whole plot in an almost offhand manner, as if he didn't actually care about the DreamWorlds that much. Hiroshi noticed that uncannily, Nicholas almost looked like he belonged in a decaying DreamWorld, with his dark and gloomy aura. There was something shady about his character that Hiroshi just couldn't put a finger on. And he also guessed that Nicole and some of the others felt the same about this, though he didn't dare to confront them straightforward. He knew for certain that now was not the time to arouse distrust between the Dreamers. After all, he was the newcomer - why would they side with him on anything? But there was one question he had to ask, "What's your last name?" He said, regarding Nicholas, trying his best to look like he was speaking out of sheer curiosity. It wasn't difficult - Hiroshi probably looked like that all the time.


He grew quiet when the girl - which Nicholas now confirmed as Valora - began speaking, her face etched with lines of worry. From the bits and snippets of the conversation, Valora was trying to find out where the three missing Dreamers were. To understand more of the situation, they would have to hear to what Rori had to say. But before he could open his mouth, the other girl - who was also new, it seemed - spoke up. Hiroshi listened to her carefully and realized that he knew the answers to her questions. "It's actually very simple." He said. "Nicholas, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the DreamWorlds are failing because they're abandoned." Hiroshi began to lift his hands as he spoke, growing more animated. "Each person's subconscious creates a part of the DreamWorlds. They make the DreamWorlds exist. So the Worlds operate normally and we get to dream in them. But when a bunch of people stop dreaming, the dreams start to crumble because there is no human subconscious to sustain them. We're the only ones holding the DreamWorlds together right now, but that also won't last long." Hiroshi glanced at Nicole. "That's why we have to find the Seeds, right? We need a place to replant them and then allow the DreamWorlds to grow in a new realm."


When he was met with silence, Hiroshi's gaze fell to the ground and he clamped his mouth shut. He'd blown his one chance of earning acceptance from the Dreamers. He just had to start ranting about his crazy theories. He closed his eyes and wished the ground would swallow him up and end his embarrassment.


He jumped when he was nudged by the blond haired boy who had suddenly appeared beside him, surprised that he was actually talking to him. "I-I'm fine, I guess." His stutter returning now that his confidence had run away. "But...shouldn't our priority be finding the Seeds right now? The three Dreamers would be in much bigger danger if the Metropolis decides to crumble."


@Spazzycat101 @JayfeatherRaven @JaidenLark @everyoneelse