Fantasy Lucid

[SilverFlight]

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Dreams.

Does anyone know what they really are? Is your brain just re-filing information you picked up that day? Or are they keys your past? To your strongest desires or deepest fears?
...Are they keys to other worlds?
Have you ever woken up after a bad dream and been even more tired than when you went to bed? Well, there’s a reason for that. Now, don’t be alarmed but…something was trying to steal your soul.

Carl Jung was a psychologist, and he had it pretty close to right: he described a mind state called the ‘collective unconscious’, a communal thought flow that he believed all human beings could tap into, most often only when they slept. I’m telling you now, this ‘state’ in the mind, its actually a place. Not a physical place no, but it’s still a place…and a home.

We Animi are the inhabitants of this place and we have the power to enter people’s dreams.
To the dreamers we’re mentors: We help them grow, change, face things inside themselves that they’ve kept locked away, but what we also do…is protect them.

Now, remember the soul-stealing? There are creatures in this place that aren’t exactly…friendly: we call them The Fiends. Their purpose? Its to erode the minds of the dreamers by feeding on their most primal, dark emotions in the dream, perpetuating a state of fear, hate or any destructive feeling they can find. If these creatures are allowed to keep visiting a dreamer, they begin to affect his or her waking mental state…and this leads to bad things: Dark thoughts, emotional outbursts… Eventually the dreamer slips into depression, or psychopathy. If things get really bad, the pressure might cause the dreamer to take his or her own life…or the lives of others.

If you want to know how we got here? I can’t tell you, I don’t know. I hardly know what we are…but if you’re asking why we do what we do…Well, simply put: because it’s right.

Page links

Lucid OOC Lore & Locations Characters Rules
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[SilverFlight]

Table of Contents
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The first night.....................................................................Page 1

 

[SilverFlight]

Active Characters
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Nyx - SilverFlight

Happenstance - SilverFlight

Atlan - Bolts

Al - zCrookedz

Sam - Lioness075

Karliah - DawnAntalios

Teoh - Tedronai

Eirene - Crucialstar

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[SilverFlight]

Nyx	Rank: Master

"And that," Nyx intoned in an solid, calm voice. "Gives us the conclusion of our annual refresher."
He stood at the front of a small auditorium, a space of floor separating him from the tiered seats that held the rest of the animi. His horse body was cached almost entirely behind the lectern which, like everything else in the room was egg-shell white. To the right of him were a set of windows, which he had imagined to reflect not the death-still night of outside the bastion but instead a pleasant meadow of fresh spring flowers. He could smell the clear mountain breeze and feel it touch the side of his face as is wafted through the room. Such was the power of the imaginal here. Not big changes but small, pleasant, all the more easy to do if one was a master.

He made them go through the routine of the refresher every year, regardless of rank or desire. He claimed it was important that they kept fresh in their minds even the smallest details of the fiends and how to face them. The dream world had been unusually quiet as of late. The Window lay still and quiet in its room, reflecting eager faces who were let down when day after day it refused to call them.
"So, what's the worst thing about a fiend in your opinion?" He stepped out now, thick hooves chiming against the stone floor, his ebony hide a loud defiance of the peaceful paleness of the classroom.

Happenstance	Rank: Rookie

"The fact that they're the subject of boring lectures like this?" Hap hadn't said it loudly, but in the silence it carried. She didn't seem too embarrassed as Nyx turned to her irritably, reclining in her seat with her hands behind her riotous hair. She gave a short glance around to see if anyone found it funny. The centaur clearly did not.

"The proud and the blissful might think that if one is virtuous and brave then one is immune to the influence of a fiend, so let me erase that misconception here." His voice grew colder, tapered with a hard edge that cut the still air. "There is not one single person here that is free from darkness, that doesn't have weakness, or malice. Fiends exist because they can find shadows in everyone, there is always something to feed on...If you're not aware of this going up against one..." Here he looked directly at Happenstance then, "you're dead."
Hap had a retort ready, but the weight of the words crushed her own back down in her throat. She sad nothing. Nyx broke the heavy atmosphere with a slightly more lively tone.
"The question still stands! Anyone?"

zCrookedz Lioness075 Bolts Collinbu98 DawnAntalios madame moiselle

 

[zCrookedz]

Name: Al	Rank: Master
Mood: Sleepy	Weapon: Guitar

Ah the lecture hall. Within stood Nyx before several handfuls of doe eyed Anima clinging to the words the centaur would speak during his annual refresher. Some listening to his every word and taking everything he says deeply to heart. The dangers of Fiends and the shadows of dreamers. How, even a single Fiend could end any one of us, were we not strong enough. The speeches, the preaching, the seemingly endless banter the Centaur had lectured over the years; it was honestly a little bit annoying. At least, those where the thoughts that always played through one particular Anima's head, who was noticeably absent from the lecture at the begining. The empty seat towards the front of the room with several other Masters stood as a testament to Al's defiance of listening to another borring lecture. Or, he had just slept in.

Al rolled over in the bed in his dorm and the scaly lid of his eyes began to lift slowly. He peaked towards the window, which he had changed to mimic that of a city he had seen in the archive once. The sounds of cars, people on the streets, even the smell of an alleyway; it was what Al called home. He took his sweet time rolling out of bed and slipping into his leather attire. Moving like a slug, he reached for his guitar that sat on a stand before the bed, and he smiled as he slung the purple instrument over his back. He left the room, slipping a hand into his pocket of his jacket and retrieving his pack of cigarettes. They really didn't do anything other than make Al look even more "bad ass", in his own words. The smoke didn't even make it past his hair before it just disapeared.

He reached the door to the lecture hall and pushed the door open, met with the sound of Nyx's voice asking a question about fiends. Al was half paying attention to the snark answer Hap gave, but he did have to admit it was rather good. He began making his way down the stair of the teared seats as Nyx laid into Hap about the remark. As he found his seat, he flashed Nyx a toothy grin as he began settling into the seat and Nyx repeated his question.
"Worst thing? Probably that they have to deal with brilliant Anima such as yourself Nyx, if they show their ugly mugs. Shadows or not, we still have one thing the beasties don't. Enough sense to outsmart them at every turn. We'll, most of us anyways. "
His comment obviously held the cocky attitude Al liked to hold onto, but also a slight bit of playful sarcasm aimed at Nyx at the beginning, and the second part aimed at Hap who he flashed a smile at. The lecture seat began to shift to allow Al's tail and taller stature to fit comfortably as he swung his guitar across his lap. He then looked back to Nyx before the centaur could retort against him as well.
"In all fairness, you did ask our opinion mate."
He flashed Nyx another sharp toothed smile as he picked at the strings of the electric guitar in a slightly audible woomp woomp noise.

 

[Lioness075]

Name: Sam	Rank: Journeyman
Mood: Seriously, Al?	Weapon: Raging ball of fur

Sam had not-so-dutifully nodded off by the time Nyx concluded his annual lecture of the exact same thing, never-changing, never-ending it sometime seemed. Jolting her head upright upon Nyx finishing, Sam was relieved when Happenstance spoke up, as this possibly saved Sam's nap from being called out. Not that many of the other animi around her cared enough to call her out on it. Frankly, if Nyx would just attempt to change things up every once in a while, he'd probably succeed in actually getting more animi to care enough to answer his questions. Despite his lecture always boring her to the point of taking cat naps, she did think of a good answer to his question.

While Happenstance's joke seemed to fly right over Sam's head casually, she couldn't ignore Al's answer. Frowning at it, Sam would've crossed her arms over her chest if she didn't need her front paws to help her sit upright in her seat. Rolling her eyes once Al finished speaking, Sam stood up on all fours in her seat, not quite effectively making herself any taller.
She spoke up in a tone that hinted at being a smarty-pants, "If you ask me," giving Al a look, "all of us are scared of the Fiends and telling a white lie to hide that truth only leads to fake self-confidence and the means to making a fatal mistake."
Taking a breath, she then looked at Nyx and added, "In response to your question, I'd say that the worst part about Fiends is that they can steal one's happiness. Once they steal enough of one's happiness, they can take away the will to live."

Quite satisfied with her answer and prompt response to Al, Sam then sat down with her small tail flickering about behind her. She proceeded to hold up one paw and lick at it before occasionally rubbing it over her head. It was a long-standing fact that Sam loved to study both animals and psychology in the Archives, thus leading to her confidence in understanding concepts that others may not consider.

 

[DawnAntalios]

Karliah	Rookie
Mood: Mixed emotions	Weapon: Her trusty pens and her notebook

When the lecture first started Karliah had serious difficulty to focus on the topic itself: the entire room and generally the people surrounding her were so mesmerizing and so cool that she could barely contain her fantasies in her mind which were now running amok. Dream-like images of adventure and untold mysteries were all swirling in her mind as her emerald eyes moved up and down, trying to process everything she was thinking about. That is, until Nyx spoke up.
To the girl the enigmatic figure was an awe-inspiring creature, though not necessarily because of his looks. Karliah treasured kindness and knowledge more than anything and the man was not short on either of those. Being a wise, patient teacher the girl quickly discovered that her undivided attention was on Nyx alone, drinking in all his words of wisdom which were boring to some, evidently due to the repetition of this stream of information. She, being a rookie, did not mind this at all. Knowing about the dreams and the dangers themselves made her even more interested in everything... and more scared as well at the same time.

A question was posed to all around and this made Karliah look around fearfully at the others. There was an other girl who gave a rather snarky remark about all this, something which Karliah did not condone - in her mind all this was dead serious and she presumed that it was the same for everyone else... but evidently it was not. This observation became even more evident when she saw an other, scaly figure entering the room, drawing her attention, shifting uncomfortable in her seat. As she looked at the rather frightening person she kept wondering how exactly could someone so brave be so... goofy at the same time. Though she respected the one she knew as 'Al' she was kind of scared to approach him directly - his strong personality made her shy and timid side emerge.
Listening to the replies of the adorable kitten made Karliah smile. Secretly, though she knew it was not probably the feline creature's real form (or at least that is what she assumed) she found her incredibly cute, something that allowed her to gather courage to speak up. She was both in awe and surprised at how knowledgeable the little feline was and how did she has such a professional attitude answering the question, despite Al's... interesting words. She decided to speak up now: if such a little thing could talk in front of everyone with such bravery then surely she could do it as well.
Taking a deep breath she focused. Her hand still trembling she raised it in the air as if she was in the school and waited few moments. Chaotic things were racing in her mind before she finally settled on the sentence she wanted to say.
"I...I...uh..." she began, stuttering as she gathered both her voice and her tenacity once more "I think... the darkness... the vast... endless malice within them... their untamed shadow... That... that is the most scary..."
She quickly retracted her hand from the air, feeling blush covering her cheeks. She knew it was perhaps a bit childish to be concerned about things like this but... that is what she could muster for now.

 

[Bolts]

Name: Atlan	Rank: Journeyman
Mood: Friendly	Weapon: Squirt gun

Atlan sat towards the middle of the seats. If there was anything that made him feel like home, it was being surrounded by a sea of people. Even if most of them were tired and bored. He himself, however, was far from it. Even though he had been known to be goofy as well as more relaxed than most, he still managed to climb up to a journeyman ranking for a reason. He took his studies seriously. Nyx going over the annual lesson was just another way for him to grow stronger as an animus. He held a pen to paper as he jotted down some notes he wanted to focus on more this year. Specifically when going over the smaller fiends. They were usually the first to come, but easily the first to go. Once the main lecture was coming to an end, he shut his notebook full of notes and pirate like doodles. He held a simple smile as he scanned over the rest of the animus in the room. They were such important beings in this world but they still needed to keep learning from the best. Once the question arose, he knew his answer pretty quick. Although he was eager to answer, he allowed some of the others to pitch their thoughts first.

He listened to some of the more arrogant answers, such as Master Al's and Hap's. They both had a name for themselves here for their own reasons. As if on queue, Nyx shut down Hap quickly while Al managed to get some retort out before backlash. He was plesantly suprised by the other two though. He had seen the kitten around from time to time but never really took the time to speak to her. The other one seemed fairly timid. He let out a small chuckle since it was refreshing to see people adventure out of their comfort zone. Once they finished their own thoughts on the fiends, he raised his own hand for a chance to speak. I would have to agree with the fuzzy land lover, sir. Taking a dreamers happiness causes a tidal wave of problems. They destroy the very thing that could potentially get rid of them. It takes just one small fiend to create a hurricane of dark thoughts. They grow just as quick as plague rats. Taking the fun out of a dreamers dream is the worst thing these creatures can do. He let himself sit back into his seat as he took a swig from his water tankard. Dispite his more serious answe, he continued to have a gleeful smile for all to view. Dark and gloom needed smiles and joy to fight it off.

 

[Collinbu98]

Name: Collin	Rank: Journeyman
Mood: Optimistic	Weapon: Dashing Good Looks

Collin was having a pretty good day. The Fiends were more quiet than usual, which meant Dreamers were safe, and for the past while Collin hadn't had to do much of anything, besides these lectures, which Collin really didn't mind all that much; it was important everyone at the Bastion stayed smart. Admittedly, though, Collin was definitely going through mission withdrawal. When you get that used to the constant adrenaline rush of fighting back Fiends in the search for the Dreamer, it made you all the more aware of just how boring everything else was.
Nonetheless, though, Collin listened through Nyx's refresher with as much attention as he could bear. It had been predictable, just as it always was, and by the end Collin was even more jittery than usual. His jacket, as a result, sped up to match his emotion, leaving Collin glad it didn't react with wind like a real jacket would, as otherwise it would be flapping up quite the storm and it would have seemed quite rude to be racking up all that noise in the middle of a lecture.
And of course, speak of the devil, just as Collin had the thought Hap piped up her rude response, followed in quick succession by Al and his late retort. They were just trying to be humorous, though, so Collin let out a polite chuckle after each one spoke. Then the kitten came up to spoke, and Collin almost burst into laughter at the ridiculous of the cute thing contrasting the serious lecture. Although, Collin supposed, the seriousness had pretty much gone out the door when Al and Hap took their turns with it. But Sam made some good points, and the shy rookie and Atlan had both built onto it well enough to regain the composure of the room.
Now Collin took it upon himself to decide it was starting to become too serious again, so he spoke up next, "Say what you will about their whole 'happiness stealing' thing, but I certainly have fun killing those Fiends." It hadn't come out quite as jokingly as Collin had wanted, but it certainly held it's own point. Collin liked the Fiends much better dead.

 

[madame moiselle]

Soryn

Location: the Bastion
Mood: bored, amused, impatient, interested
Rank: Rookie, almost Journeyman
Weapon: silver longsword
Interactions: Collinbu98 Bolts DawnAntalios zCrookedz Lioness075 SilverFlight

Every year, thought Soryn, head leaning on his hand on a propped up elbow, sighing. The Bastion was spectacularly aesthetic as usual, and Soryn took yet another moment to savor in the empowering sense of imagination and dreams, wafting from the windows. Soryn loved the way imagination ran rampant here, how anything was possible here in the dreamscape. The only limit, undoubtedly, was your imagination.
Soryn propped his black boots up on one of the auditorium seats, boredom evident in his posture. Every year, the Centaur gave an absolutely awe-inspiring (clearly you can hear the sarcasm in this sentence) speech, a refresher for all the Animi.
Usually, new Rookies treated this meeting as if it were the most important thing in the world. Soryn smirked as he remembered his first annual refresher, when he had just started out as a Rookie, when these refreshers were actually interesting. Bright-eyed with anticipation, focus on no one but Nyx, mentally prepared to digest every single little detail, no matter how irrelevant---the list goes on. Now, Soryn was still a Rookie, still level one, still at the very bottom of the status ladder. But he was almost there, almost to Journeyman. Soryn was surprised the Centaur hadn't promoted him yet, after all he's done, after all the effort he's put into it. Of course, there were a lot of things surprising about Nyx.
Finally, thought the young man, as the word Fiend entered the conversation. Something actually worth listening to. As the refresher went on, Soryn couldn't help but let out a chuckle at Happenstance's snarky answer to Nyx's question. Sharp as a tack, he thought, glancing at the spirited teen. Soryn didn't mind her; she had a vigor that he admired greatly. If she only tried harder, she could be beyond her current level, reasoned Soryn, reminded of her laziness. Apathy was something Soryn detested; if Animi no longer took any action against the dark forces of the dreamscape, Fiends would go wild; that much was obvious. Soryn wasn't trying to say Happenstance was apathetic when it came to fighting the malicious creatures, but when it came to ranks, he wished she would consider the concept of trying harder more often. Soryn was only saying this for Happenstance's sake; after all, they were friends.

And to absolutely no one's surprise, the newly appointed Master Al, came sauntering in with his signature toothy grin etched to his face, late for the refresher. Soryn knew too well of Al's cocky attitude. Despite having similar attributes, Soryn, like many others, loathed this particular attitude of his. True, the man was talented; both in music and magical abilities, however, it didn't stop Soryn from wondering how Al fell into the favor of getting promoted. While friends with Happenstance, Soryn and Al never got along well. "Yes," he murmured under his breath, upon hearing Al's comment on the Fiends. "Unfortunately, you're not one of them."

Soryn's attention switched from Al to a barely-visible Sam, in the form of a charming little kitten. Soryn never understood why Sam liked to take the form of animals so much; in his opinion, it wasn't very effective. But then again, he could be wrong. The cat was a rank higher than Soryn, and he had little chance to see the little feline in action, but he knew it would ensure entertainment. Soryn nodded thoughtfully to her answer, an intelligent one at last, He too, believed that Fiends did indeed rob the joy and happiness from the dreamscape, and more importantly, the dreamer. When there is no happiness, there is no will to live, thought Soryn pensively. Thinking it was an important note to write down, Soryn took out his notebook and owl pen, and began penning exactly what Sam had said.

Just as the blonde young man had finished writing, he noticed another hand up, clearly another answer to Nyx's question. This one belonged to a newbie, a timid-looking girl who looked terrified at the thought of even speaking up, Soryn had never seen her until now, but she seemed interesting enough. Soryn mentally reminded himself to introduce himself to her later, after this semi-interesting meeting was over. Her answer was hard to piece together, with all that stammering. Even Soryn wasn't as stuttery on his first refresher. Actually, it was quite the opposite; Soryn was bold, maybe too bold. Like Happenstance, really.

Another person spoke up, and it didn't take a genius to know that it was the sea-loving sea captain, Atlan. Another Journeyman, this one was all smiles. Soryn didn't mind the optmistic attitude; the Bastion needed more of those. Especially when someone like Nyx is in charge, thought Soryn, glancing at the stern-eyed Centaur. Atlan echoed the answer of Sam, obviously agreeing with her point, before taking another jolly swig of his water canteen, gleefully smiling. They're always growing, thought Soryn darkly. Always depraving. Makes you wonder if they'll ever stop. Of course, that question had a very obvious answer: no, they won't stop. But at least it meant there was purpose in what the Animi were doing.
If there was anyone who loved fighting off the bastard Fiends, it would be Soryn. Oh, and Collin. In fact, Collin had parroted this love when he spoke. Soryn could tell Collin meant it to come off as a little joke, but it didn't turn out that way.
I should say something, thought Soryn decidedly. Can't go without making some sort of a point.

"The Fiends are greedy, sneaky bastards," spoke up Soryn finally, his voice clear, echoing across the small auditorium, not bothering to put his hand up. "They corrupt the dreamscape and give the dreamer no peace. It's not only about stealing happiness, or the dreamers themselves---it's about the dreams in general. We're supposed to uphold and protect the dreams, and stop the Fiends from warping those dreams into nightmares. We've been trained to destroy those beasts, ever since we've first appeared in the dreamscape. And destroying them instantly makes all of our problems disappear. But---" Soryn took a pause as if to emphasize his point, "once our problems disappear, so does our purpose."

It was indeed an interesting opinion. When purpose is put into the picture, the Fiends become a whole other thing. Indeed, Fiends were problems that never seemed to go away. But at the same time, it could be a good thing. After all, good would be pointless without evil. All the same for the Animi; they would be pointless without the Fiends.

(Apologies for not answering quicker; my eyes needed to be well enough to use the computer ^^)



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[SilverFlight]

Nyx	Rank: Master

Nyx listened to the steady flow of answers. He flicked his gaze in annoyance at Al, more than a little worried the less-experienced members would pick up his lackadaisical attitude. It was bad enough Happenstance acted that way.
"Thank you Sam, you're right." He gave the kitten an approving nod. "There isn't a soul here who won't be shaken by the fiends more than once, if you're convinced that you aren't afraid? Well, then you obviously haven't met the worst ones." Here he gave a warning glance at Collin, one that said 'I hope you have a healthier respect for your enemy than that.'
"You and Atlan are also correct in this: stealing the dreamer's joy is an important element, with the goes their motivation and soon after their will to live."
When Kaliah spoke up, barely loud enough to hear he pointed directly at her. "Another excellent answer. Indeed one of the truly worst things about the monsters we face is their absolute, unquenchable need to attack the positive. The dreamer's shadow reflects the darkest part of themselves, the fiends try to drag them down to new depths. However Al here was right: The advantage we do have is being in control. We can outwit them using similar tactics that they use to trap the dreamer. They can't help their nature, their desire, so a well-placed trap can seal the fate of any fiend, Primal to Destructor class."
Nyx was attentive as Soryn gave the last answer, nodding at the thoughtful summary.
"Good work Soryn, however 'being out of purpose' is not entirely true if the fiend presence were to disappear. Our main job is to kill fiends yes, but we also help the dreamer overcome their shadows. The fiends are the most dangerous threats, however it is the shadow that in turns wounds the dreamer after the fiends have done their work. This cans still happen, fiends or no. So you see, we will never truly be purposeless. There will always be a need for guides in the dream."

Happenstance	Rank: Rookie

Hap pointed to Al as if to say 'This guy knows.' before stretching lazily in her chair.
She smiled at Sam when she spoke, Sam was one of the few in the class Hap wouldn't tease. She had a respect for the anima, her observant and honest nature.
She shared chuckles with Collin at some of the responses, but kept quiet when the kitten spoke. besides, she knew better than to judge Sam on appearances, inside she knew was a competent journeyman, who'd had the skill and drive to claim what Hap never did. Was afraid to?..she brushed off the thought.
Happenstance winked at Soryn after she had said her piece and got a reaction from him. She couldn't hide a snort of laughter at Soryn's gutsy retort towards the other master. She looked at Al to gauge his reaction.

"Right! That concludes the refresher everyone." Nyx called out. "Don't forget to hit the archive and pick up books on the subjects you are not familiar with! Next class will be tomorrow, the subject is 'speaking to the dreamer'. Dismissed!"
"Freedom!" Hap said gratefully, pushing up from her chair and flicking her animated hair behind her shoulders. She began making her way to Soryn. "Hey! Anyone who's interested, I'm making a mountain in my room this afternoon, thought we could get a little snowboarding in..." She trailed off as something began to happen...
Nyx reached for the notes he had left on the lectern when the world was dipped in blue light. He looked up to see his surroundings fade back to white, only to turn blue again. Then the signal sounded. A short keen like the sound of someone running their finger along the rim of a wine glass.
Hap's attention snapped to it.
"...The Window!"

Nyx wasted no time. He turned to the door, notes forgotten and lead the way briskly toward the Window's room. Other students followed, eager to be chosen or to get good seats by the screen to watch

Hap opened her arms when she reached Sam, offering to carry the journeyman's small form and avoid all the giant feet in the stampede to the Window room.

Nyx knew what they would find in the room: The blue light pulsing around the massive orb which would not longer be reflective, it would show a new world...a dream.
"Keys at the ready! Be prepared for anything," he cautioned, he would choose the team upon arrival. Pressing a hand to the styled ring about his own neck.
They burst into the room where two experienced journeymen were standing by the Window, hastily scribbling down notes.
The world they saw was normally projected as if through a fish-eye lens, following the curvature of the orb.
But the world this time was pitch black.
"Interesting." Nyx said in a way made Hap think it was more terrifying than interesting. Usually they saw something: a room, a scene...but there was nothing. Just an inky black that consumed the entire globe...

"This has never happened before." Hap said. And Nyx nodded. Hap began to wonder if going through the portal would lead to a world at all, or just dump them out between dreams, to drift in limbo from one to the other. She heard of some Animi who failed to get out of a dream before it ended...they went mad like that...
"I won't be choosing a team." Nyx said finally. "It will be anyone who volunteers to go. We haven't seen this before, in all honesty I don't know what we'll find on the other side..."

((This is a long post, I'm sorry))

zCrookedz Lioness075 DawnAntalios Bolts Collinbu98 madame moiselle

 

[Lioness075]

Name: Sam	Rank: Journeyman
Mood: Concerned	Weapon: Raging ball of fur!

Getting an approving nod and comment from Nyx, Sam beamed back at him and sat a bit taller. She always greatly appreciated it when her knowledge and understanding was acknowledged as important. Getting overlooked in a conversation left her feeling ignored and Sam hated that feeling.
As Nyx went on to address everyone, Sam listened intently. One could always learn from mistakes and sometimes learn from others' mistakes.
It was very true that the Fiends seemed to never stop seeking out the positive in a dreamer, only to quench it to the best of their ability. It was a struggle to always fight them because they had this inability to give up, and not in a good way.
Hearing Nyx say that Al was right, Sam huffed and even pouted a bit. Whether or not he gave a correct answer, he did so in a disrespectful manner. Not only that, but he was late to the lecture! Even Sam didn't entirely enjoy it, but she'd never be late to any kind of meeting. Anyone late probably didn't share much respect for the one offering the lecture to begin with. At least, that's how Sam felt about it.
Letting out a soft sigh, Sam refocused on Nyx's words in time to hear him mention traps. That was one thing Sam needed to work on. She was good at working through the dreamer to help them, but always failed to use any good traps. That, and her fighting with fiends themselves could get messy sometimes. She rarely would fail to beat a fiend, but it would be too long of a fight in the end. Perhaps she could practice her fighting skills before the Window gave her another mission.
Soryn had made some good points, despite offering them rather recklessly as Al had offered his own before. Al was definitely a bad influence, especially with his rank. Others would think they could act that way, too, and still rank up, but that's not how it works. At least, that's not how it should work. Sam still felt like Al didn't deserve his master rank. Nobody as disrespectful as him should get such a rank, not to Sam anyway.

Grinning when Nyx announced the refresher was concluded, Sam stood up on her seat and immediately leaned forward into a stretch accompanied by a yawn. She didn't even need to be reminded to check out the Archive. It sometimes felt like she lived there.
Noting the subject, 'Speaking to the Dreamer', Sam's heart raced for a moment, as she felt confident in such a subject. Still, perhaps she could read or reread some psychology books in advance. The counseling theories normally were very helpful in this scenario. Adler could be her best friend sometimes, despite being dead in the real world.
Hearing Happenstance shout out 'freedom', Sam giggled and got ready to fight her way out before hearing the signal. Everyone seemed to freeze in place briefly before the mad rush began to get to the Window room. Crap. It was moments like these that her form became a challenge in itself.
Bitting her lip, Sam moved to the edge of her seat to leap into the crowd, but paused when Happenstance appeared in front of her. More than thankful for her aid, Sam leapt into her arms with a smile.
"Thanks, Happenstance. These chaotic crowds never tend to bode well for me."
Unable to help herself, Sam even let out a purr.

Nodding at the key warning, Sam pawed lightly at her necklace before looking back up to survey the room.
Seeing the pitch black world beyond, Sam's heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. Folding her ears against her head, it was difficult to hide her fear. It was likely that just about everyone else, minus the brash Al, felt the same fear as she did anyways. No need to hide a feeling everyone should be sharing.
Hearing Nyx's remark only made Sam feel worse. It suggested that he'd never seen such a thing before, and that was not comforting.

Noting what Happenstance said and seeing Nyx mutely agree with her, Sam's fear only deepened. Perhaps the dreamer just suffered from one of the many mental health disorders she'd read about in the psychology books. Or...or maybe the dreamer was blind in the real world! That could explain it. Maybe it's all just dark because the dreamer doesn't see anything.
Relaxing at her own reasoning, Sam straightened up slightly in Happenstance's arms before looking at Nyx when he spoke. This was a challenge and no matter how she felt about it, Sam would never back down from one.
"I volunteer."
She spoke this confidently, though her voice wavered at the end. Logic or not, this still was disconcerting to witness and if Nyx didn't know what to expect, then nobody would know what to expect. The lack of knowledge to lead them into this dream was not something Sam was used to.

SilverFlight zCrookedz DawnAntalios Collinbu98 madame moiselle Bolts

 

[DawnAntalios]

Karliah	Rookie
Mood: Scared	Weapon: Her determination

When Karliah listened to the others speaking up, answering Nyx's question she felt a hint of remorse and a rather curious enthusiasm swelling within her. The other people were much braver in this aspect, she concluded, facing those demons took a lot of courage but their answers proved that they were not scared of the unknown. She could not help but chuckle at the man called Atlan and his funny speech, cock her head at Collin's courageous words... and to be in awe from how Soryn had explained something that she too felt to be very important to look into. The insight coming from others was marvelous... and scary. Sure, she understood that many of them were journeymen in hunting such creatures but still... she really felt out of place, knowing that the others were already so well versed in this art.

When Nyx pointed at her and actually spoke up concerning the truth of her words Karliah shrank in her seat. She did not enjoy attention at all and whilst it felt really good that her fears and her insights were approved she still felt a bit embarrassed. In her eye something like this was the greatest honor... and something she treasured very much.
"T-thank you.... Master Nyx..." she muttered only to herself, a wide smile appearing on her blush-ridden face. She did look at the other participants as Nyx finally closed the session, making the others rather happy about it. Truth be told, Karliah felt rather disappointed that the session ended so quickly as she was eager to learn more - but she also understood that this being a refresher meant that the others were probably bored to death already from hearing it again. Nevertheless, she decided to pack her things, stand up and head to her trusty seat she had picked in the library earlier for some more studying.

Or so she thought.

When Hap began to make her way towards them Karliah's eyes widened from surprise. She quickly realized that she was not the primary target of the girl but rather the other, more audible members and thus she relaxed a bit... but no sooner had she done that when the intense light illuminated which was seemingly the entire world. Once again her heart started racing as she watched Nyx racing out of the classroom, followed by the other students. Torn between being terrified and genuinely curious Karliah hesitated for a moment, watching the students pouring out from the room. Seeing how Hap raced away with the cute little Sam the girl huffed in defiance: if everyone was this determined to go then so did she need to! With her stuff in her hands she hurried after the others as swiftly as she could.

Finding a way through the sea of people was not the easiest task for sure but she managed... more or less. Being bumped left and right by the more aggressive runners Karliah whimpered slightly, trying to just get out of the massive crowd to see what exactly was happening. She knew not how but they finally ended up in the room in where the otherworldly magic was happening. Though she had a bit of a hard time seeing what exactly was going on she still managed to push forward enough to have a little peak.
And when she did her heart sank. Incredible darkness was which came through the window, something which made the girl shiver in fear and panic. She knew that not every shadow was of their enemy's but this still made her rather uncomfortable. When she heard Nyx speaking up that they knew not what they faced and Hap's shocked voice her mind began to race. What possibilities could be out there? What mysteries could this strange mind hold for them? What could they possibly discover if they ventured into a dream like that? All these strange, fearsome and intriguing questions made their way into her mind, not paying attention to where exactly she was going... until she heard Sam's voice, the cat-shaped journeyman volunteering for the journey.

Snapping out of the dream like delirium she shook her head - and to her horror she was no longer lost in the crowd. Somehow during her daydreaming she made her way not only to the front but right next to Hap and Sam no less. Worse than that, she actually found her arm raised high as if she was to answer a question. Realizing that she had unwillingly stepped forth and that she just literally motioned her intent the girl blushed once again... and forced words to come out from her mouth.
"I... I..." she began, glancing and Hap and Sam for courage, then quickly back at Nyx "I... I volunteer... as well... Master..." she concluded, trying to make her voice to be louder this time than before.


SilverFlight zCrookedz Lioness075 Collinbu98 madame moiselle Bolts

 

[madame moiselle]

Soryn

Location: the Window
Mood: curious, in awe, apprehensive
Rank: Rookie, almost Journeyman
Weapon: silver longsword
Interactions: zCrookedz DawnAntalios SilverFlight Lioness075 Collinbu98 Bolts

Despite being completely certain of his abilities, Soryn was still a Rookie. A Rookie with a lot to learn. He listened to Nyx as he congratulated each of them for their answers, but not without giving more advice and information. Sam had done well, and surprisingly, so had Al. The timid girl had gotten praises from Nyx, but Collin had earned a flinty stare from the Centaur with his answer. Soryn caught Hap's wink, and in return, he gave her a charming smile, remembering her small laugh at his witty response to Al's comment earlier. The young Rookie hadn't realized his remark was audible, but apparently, it had been. Soryn wondered if Al had heard it as well.
"Finally," said Soryn with enthusiasm, instantly getting up from his seat at Nyx's call for the end of the refresher. He smirked as he heard Happenstance's shout for freedom as he slipped on his navy-blue cape. He was in the middle of heading out before noticing Happenstance making her way towards him. Soryn couldn't help but grin at his friend's invitation to snowboard at her place. "Count me in," he responded, interest gleaming in his blue eyes, halfway through her suggestion.
Before Happenstance could finish however, the signal echoed across the auditorium, signaling something was happening with the Window. Soryn caught the sight of Nyx rushing out of the entrance, his hooved feet thundering on the marble floor. Animi of all shapes and sizes sped past Soryn, eager to get a front seat on what was happening. An instant later, Happenstance was no longer by Soryn's side either; she was out helping Sam, whose little body did not fare well in chaotic crowds like this.
Soryn didn't hesitate to dash to the Window's chamber. Soryn, try as he might, could not get a chance at the front, and his view of the Window was severely limited. Collective gasps reverberated across the area, and concerned murmurs followed soon after. Soryn had no idea what they were all gasping and murmurine about, and tried to get a glimpse of the orb, though it was all in vain. Frustrated, he pushed his way to the front, determined to see what was all the fuss.

The Window was a large, spotless orb, and gateway to the dreamscape of the dreamers. Usually, one would expect some sort of scene reflecting from the Window. However, this time, it was eerily different.
The Window was dipped in darkness, totally void of any sort of anything. Soryn's eyes widened as he gazed upon the blackness of the orb, his heartbeat picking up it's pace.

Happenstance is right, thought Soryn, hearing his friend's foreboding comment. This has never happened before.

Soryn leaned a little closer, curioisity getting the best of him. Darkness like that usually meant voidness was on the other side, or maybe something thrice as dangerous. But if there was anything Soryn had ever learned while being in the dreamscape, it was to expect the unexpected.

Now, Soryn wasn't one for gossip, but he had heard rumours and stories of certan Animi failing to leave the dreamscape before the dream ended. Most people would think those Animi would've died, but Animi don't die. Instead, they get trapped, most certainly for eternity, and anyone in their right mind would go mad in a situation like that.

Soryn's heart skipped a beat as Nyx called out for volunteers. At first, he hesitated, fear uncharacteristically taking control of him for a few moments. Then, at the sound of Sam and the timid girl's voices volunteering, he had made up his mind, doubts cast aside.

"I volunteer as well," responded Soryn rather confidently, despite the uncertainty churning inside.

(It's not as good as I want it to be, but I'm tired and it's night so...xP And it's okay SilverFlight , the bigger the better right?)


​

 

[Bolts]

Name: Atlan	Rank: Journeyman
Mood: Weary yet interested	Weapon: Rapier, squirt gun

Atlan leaned back in his chair more as Nyx started replying to everyone's input. It seemed there were many different kinds of anima among him. Those more confident in their ability, some more insightful, and some that just wanted to have a good time. It was nice to get a little refresher of who he was surrounded by everyday, he formed a pleasant smile. As the refresher was coming to a close, Atlan closed his leather bound journal. He wasn't sure if he was going to the archive right away today. It seemed that Hap had other things in mind that a few people were interested in, him included. Sitting for over an hour was the least adventurous thing he could think of, and skiing was just what he needed. Like everyone else, he rose from his seat and began making his way out the door. Just as he was about to step out, the world was cast in a dim blue. He heard the chime which everyone knew. Another dream! He said aloud to himself as entered the sea of Anima who were on their way to the Window.

He only made it about half way through the crowed when everyone stopped and gasped. Standing on his toes, he rose up to see what all the commotion was about. Once he saw the pitch black of the Window, his heart stopped for a moment. It's so dark... He said under his breath as he pushed the words out. He could feel the tension in the room as everyone was uncertain of what to do. At that time, he heard Nyx calling for volunteers. He could see a few already take the call, but many were still standing idle with fear. Atlan would be lying to himself if he wasn't even a little afraid, but that didn't matter. A dreamer needed help and that is what he aimed to do. With a hefty laugh, he started making his way through the crowed. Everyone needed to lighten up a little. He pushed his way to the front, while some moved out of the way for the smiling pirate. Set sail for the darkest of dreams, you can count me in! He announced. He turned to the others who had spoken up already. With a wide smile, he recognized them to be a few who had spoken up. Nothing like a little unknown to spark some interest, Ay!? He could tell there was some weariness to the slow forming group. If he could impart some brightness on them, he would try.

In his head, he wondered what this dream would have in store for them. Surely it was loaded with fiends of all types. That, he couldn't abide by. Especially now that they couldn't even see what the dream was about. How could the dream have gone this far in darkness without it showing up? Never the less, he was prepared for the worst. The dreamer was still inside there which meant they could still be saved. He placed a gloved hand over his heart, where he kept the reminders of lost dreamers he failed along the way. Don't worry, we are coming. He thought to himself with a pained smile. He looked to the crowed and placed his hands on his hips. Alright buckos! Who is ready to make these Fiends shark bait? He yelled, trying to get some others interested in the adventure before them.

 

[Collinbu98]

Name: Collin	Rank: Journeyman
Mood: Exhilarated	Weapon: A Whole Lot of Exhilerated Determination

For a moment, Collin was too caught up in his own words to pay much attention to Soryn as he spoke next, though Collin found himself suddenly very interested as Soryn made the outrageous claim that we needed the Fiends, so that we could have purpose. Honestly, if you only helped out a dreamer for a sense of purpose, you weren't doing it for the right reasons; Collin would happily become purposeless if it meant all the dreamers out their were finally resting in peace. But Collin didn't voice any of this; he didn't want to spark up an argument, and besides he had just spoke only a moment ago.
Instead, he shook off the words and turned to Nyx for his replies. Collin gave an embarrassed grin as the centaur shot his stern look at him, but otherwise Collin listened respectfully, if only because Collin knew in a moment he'd be dismissed to go have some fun. What exactly that fun would be, Collin wasn't sure, but it sounded like Hap had something in mind...
And then the alarm sounded, and Collin jumped to his feet. He was a fair distance away from the door, so Collin took a detour over to the wall, where he took a gravity breaking leap onto the wall, where he began speed-walking to the door; most other Animi weren't as spontaneous with exploiting the nature of the Bastion as Collin was, so he frequently used it to avoid all the cluttered traffic these refreshers usually brought. That, and it was just really fun to walk across the walls.
Thus, Collin found himself upon the first to arrive at the Window, and he gave an audible gasp when it finally took shape into nothing but an inky blackness. Collin stood paralyzed for just a moment as Nyx asked for volunteers and one by one most of the speakers from the refresher- even the new rookie girl- stepped forwards as volunteers. Then Collin snapped out of it as he found his voice. "Count me in," he said, his voice shaking from a combination of complete terror and overwhelming exhilaration.
Most people didn't really know this part of Collin, but he was actually terrified of Fiends, and more than most. And that, at the same time, is exactly the reason he hates them so completely, and he fights them so tirelessly. While most people run from what they fear, Collin always runs towards it, eager to prove himself above it. To Collin, fear was just your mind's version of a challenge, and the Fiends were the living embodiment of it. This dream was bound to have more Fiends than most, and that just had Collin all the more eager to prove himself stronger than them. "I'm going to kill every last one of those things!"

 

[zCrookedz]

Name: Al	Rank: Master
Mood: Curious	Weapon: Guitar

Al, still looking rather pleased with himself as he sat picking at various cords on his guitar, kept his eyes fixed on Nyx now waiting for the centaur to rebuttal against him. To his surprise however, the remark he waited on came from behind him and not before. Clasping onto the bridge of his guitar, he sat listening to the others and their responses. Many of them sounded serious, focused, and had the true air of sincerity to their answers. Man that was borring to listen to. Al nearly lost it on the first three answers. Between the talking house pet, the stuttering, and the pirate talk; Al was holding back the laughter the best he could. Nyx had gotten on to him on more than one occasion at laughing at the others, and Al didn't feel like being here longer than he had to.

Al liked Collin's answer, the boy was eager and just wanted to kill fiends. Simple, Al liked simple. But it was Soryn's answer that caused Al to turn his head and draw a serious gaze out of the corner of his eye. Al and Soryn had butted heads more than once with each other. Al's reptilian eyes focused in on Soryn out of the corner of his eye, turning to slits within his yellow irises. Thankfully, Nyx'x voice broke Al's train of thought and Al returned his attention to the front. He continued to pick at the stings on his guitar, as he listened to Nyx finally conclude his lecture. Thought he hadn't been there that long, he hadn't wanted to show up to begin with so it was long enough. Standing from his seat, which began shifting back to its original shape the second Al stood, Al chimed in on Hap's plan for some sort of mountain with some interest.

Unfortunately, the plans were cut short by a sound that Al both loathed, and loved. Al's purple scale became a deep royal purple under the new tint as the low chime began to sound and Anima all over began to rush from the room. Al, stood and watched before casually making his way out of the lecture hall. All around him Anima were running past heading for the window room, while Al took his time walking at a normal pace. True this was the first signal in some time of Fiend activity, but Al wasn't going to kill himself trying to get a good seat. He chuckled as he entered the window room, but the chuckle was cut off when his reptilian eyes locked onto the giant orb itself. There was no image? There was always an image when the window sounded the alarm? Al's brow furrowed as he began to push through Anima to get a better look. He vaguely recalled hearing Nyx say something, then others began to talk and he snapped out of his focus and concern to realize others were volunteering for this mission. Al's head went from one after another of volunteers, and as they each volunteered Al began to smile. After Collin spoke, Al reached for the metal tipped guitar pick around his neck.
"Good grief, talk about a rag tag group of Anima here. I suppose I should go and make sure none of them get themselves killed. I'm in."

 

[SilverFlight]

Happenstance	Rank: Rookie

Hap listened to the others around her call out, offering to go with Nyx. She could feel her pulse quicken, the anxiety begin to rise in her chest but it didn't reach the surface. So many of the other students had backed away at this point, leaving only a few, her friends among them. At length she sighed, hoping her fear wasn't as apparent as she felt it.
"Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt...I'm in too."
Nyx raised an eyebrow at that. He wasn't worried about her, but the unknown was certainly not something she faced willingly often. He looked at each volunteer in turn, making perfectly clear with his gaze that he could not guarantee what would happen.
"There we are then." He said finally. "Prep the room for our passage to the dreamscape!"
The two journeymen that had been in the room initially began shepherding those not going to the sides of the room, leaving only the eight standing there before the inky, black sphere.
Nyx turned to the other master, a stern look on his face. He poked a finger at Collin. "Watch him." He began, "and...don't do anything I wouldn't do."
Nyx knew that doing things Nyx wouldn't do occupied about 90% of Al's time, yet he hoped for this 10% he would be accommodating.
He turned to the orb, clutching the silver ring about his neck. Hap followed suit, touching a finger to the headphones around her neck. "Please let there actually be a dream on the other side of this..." She whispered softly, offering to lift Sam up to the orb as she reached for it.
They were given the clear and Nyx touched the Window with his other hand. Immediately the darkness surged into their entire view. The sensation was sort of like having gravity upended for a millisecond and then righted again. Hap waited as the dreamscape materialized around them. The atmosphere hung with a thick, near-tangible emotion. It made the hair on the back of her neck prickle. Their surroundings were still pitch black but the ground beneath their feet was solid, she hoped that was evidence that they were in a dream, and not trapped in the void between.
An unsettling sensation came over her then; as of yet she still couldn't see a thing, but she had the feeling something was moving close to her...and it wasn't the other animi.
The rustle of leather told her that Nyx had taken something out of his pocket. There was the click of a lighter and a radiant point of light flared up to her left...followed by the hiss of a thousand small bodies rushing to escape it.
Hap choked on a scream at what was in the tiny room they had entered: From wall to wall, floor to ceiling clung thousands upon thousands of tiny, sketchy shapes. They shied away from the light, their half-formed bodies blurring and breaking, but Hap caught the unmistakable twitching of rats. They made a tight circle around the animi, spitting and swiping but most not daring to touch them.
A million tiny points of yellow were now focused on the animi, beady eyes that watched and waited.
Hap felt one slide over her shoe and this time she did cry out: a shrill squeak of pure disgust.
"Oh...my..." She couldn't finish, instead a shiver racked her body and she suddenly looked ill. "So this was why we couldn't see anything..."

Nyx	Rank: Master

Nyx frowned deeply. "I've never seen so many fear fiends in one dream. This...is quite bad."
Now when some people say 'quite bad', they mean, it could likely get worse. Hap had spent long enough around Nyx to know that when he said it, things likely were about the worst he'd ever encountered. Hap gave a a small, involuntary whimper, Nyx however waded through the fiends with only a wrinkled nose. He shrank down, his horse body evaporating and instead becoming a pair of jeans, with two human legs protruding from the bottom.
"The protocol hasn't changed." He said firmly, "Step one: find the dreamer, once they are safe, then we take care of the fiends." As an experiment he stepped on one, crushing the thing mercilessly under his heel. When he lifted his foot the splotch of black wriggled and rose again to scurry off and hide among its comrades. Nyx made a thoughtful noise. "They're tapped into the dreamer fairly tightly, we'll need his or her help to kill them."

Nyx looked around for signs of the dreamer, but the room seemed nearly bare. There was a doorway to the left leading to a few more rooms, but everything was coated thickly in fear fiends. There was the shape of a ceiling light above them and a large, squarish blob against one wall. The only thing not covered in fiends was a pair of scraggly-bristled brooms.

- The dreamer is somewhere in this small room, which is mostly bare save for a blocky thing in the corner covered in fiends. - From the looks of it there might be a light that can be turned on, but its covered in fiends, as is the switch, the location of which is currently unknown. - Killing the fiends at this point is impossible because the dreamer is now aware of them and keeping them in the dream unconsciously. - The only things the fiends apparently have not covered are the brooms, they also don't seem to be all too fond of light, but the effect of light produced by the animi is weak compared to something they could use in the dream. Goals: 1. Figure out a way to move the fiends 2. Find the dreamer

 

[zCrookedz]

Name: Al	Rank: Master
Mood: Curious	Weapon: Guitar

Al gave the chain a tug from around his wrist as the rest of the Anima were shepherded away from the window. The chain puled free with ease, and then began wrapping itself around Al's arms. The pick still in hand, Al readied himself to make the leap into the dream, when Nyx's gaze caught his. Nyx's concern with Collin was not shared between the two. However, it wasn't often that Nyx asked Al for something, as Nyx knew it usually came with a price. But after gazing back at the pitch black window, Al gave Nyx a sharp grin. Al slapped Collin on the shoulder and chuckled as he winked at him.
"No worries Boss, but I charge by the hour for babysitting. Double after bed time."

Al turned back to the window, and following Nyx's lead took his free hand and touched the orb. The sensation of gravity being taken was always weird for Al. He had done hundreds of missions at this point, gone through three sets of tests for ranks, even jumped in to dreams just for the hell of it; and the sensation was still super weird. Luckily, it didn't last long and Al found himself standing in a pitch black room that almost seemed to be moving. He couldn't see anyone just yet, but after a moment, Nyx provided a light the illuminated the culprit of both the moving and the blackness. Fear Fiends covered every single square inch of the dreamer, something even Al had to admit to was absolutely disgusting. Al reached into the deep pocket of his leather jacket and fished around for a moment before he pulled his hand out with a silver lighter with a rooster on it. Flipping the metal lighter open, Al gave the wheel a click and a flame erupted out of it. It was much larger than a lighter should be able to emit, but still only enough to light up the immediate area around him.

Al's eyes fell on the brooms across the room and he squinted.
"Why ain't they on the brooms?"
Al took a few steps forward towards the brooms, fear fiends under his boots popping and squealing as he carelessly stepped on them. He reached for the broom and picked one up. The fiends were not climbing on them, maybe they didn't like them? All held the broom by the end and began to wave it to and fro over the mass of fiends, waving it over the boxy looking figure covered in fiends. He even went as far to slip his boot under a fiend close by, pop the little bugger up like a hacky sack, and smack the fiend across the room like a baseball. Al began laughing as the squealing little bastard soared across the room and disapeared into the others.
"Hey Nyx, think we can start a company softball league? We've got plenty of balls now."

 

[DawnAntalios]

Karliah	Rookie
Mood: Facing her worst nightmares	Weapon: Her faith

Karliah watched as others stepped forth one by one, all joining the group of volunteers, something that made the emerald eyed girl a bit more relieved. She feared that she might be one of the few who would dare and foolishly embark on this seemingly maddening journey yet it seemed that the people who had spoken up during the refresher were also intent to go in for a fight. She honestly knew not what to expect in the dream world, she had seen no such darkness before... and frankly before this she never really wanted to.

Hearing Nyx's instructions and words the girl nodded, her shaking hand reaching for her lucky medallion which served as her key to the dream. She felt the little token to be warmer to the touch than usual, only to realize why she felt like that: her entire body was not only shaking but was drained of heat, the representation of the gripping fear that held her heart in sway. She knew that this was no time for cowardice, not when they had so much to do... and indeed she found courage in this. Bravery came from unity. Unity meant banding together. Banding together meant hope... and hope is all what she could have hoped for at this point.

Taking a deep breath Karliah felt the world shift with her as she touched the foreboding orb and soon, when she opened her eyes, her darkest fears came to life. The perpetual darkness which lingered in the room was the exact thing she was so afraid of that she could imagine no worse punishment than this. Trembling in fear she felt a tiny bit more relieved when Nyx and Al actually conjured a small source of light, granting them some vision of the vermin they faced. Curiously enough the sight of endless rats did not frighten Karliah: though she possessed nothing but contempt towards the fiends she felt a bit sorry for them when they were crushed under foot by the others. Still, knowing that they were but an infestation that had to be purged she knew that such fate was unavoidable for the beasts... if only they were not in such a terrible, dark room...

She was snapped out by the terrified dreaming state by the voice of Al as he pointed out the brooms in the corner. Seemingly the vermin did not like to climb upon the strange items, something that made Karliah puzzled a bit. With Al suggesting to sweep away the fiends Karliah cocked her head: she could imagine the masters and the other boys doing that with the force required to clear the way but... she was uncertain that she herself would be able to do it... unless...

A strange, possibly silly idea popped in her mind. She knew she would probably be ridiculed for it but at this point she had to come up with something.
"M-Master Al... Master Nyx..." she began, blush on her face fortunately hidden by the darkness "I... I know it might sound weird but... but... what if... we light one of the brooms with Master Al's lighter? To... to use it like... a giant torch to light the way perhaps?"
She knew it was probably the last thing the dreamer expected to happen with those possessions but... if she had any hope of getting some light in this dark place then she would have to try it.

 

[Lioness075]

Name: Sam	Rank: Journeyman
Mood: Nervous	Weapon: Raging ball of fur!

Sam glanced up at Happenstance, noting the look in her eyes that did not seem to want to go along with her volunteering. Concern etched itself on Sam's face, as she briefly rubbed her head against one of Happenstance's arms. There were too many people here for Sam to feel comfortable talking about anything personal, but she knew that sometimes a small gesture could go a long way.

Hearing Nyx announce the preparations, Sam nodded with her ears sticking up and her head raised as high as her little neck could raise it. Showing confidence in such a small body could be seen as comical to some, but Sam had found over the years that her small size and confidence tended to inspire many dreamers.

While Nyx focused on Al and Collin, Sam looked back up at Happenstance and whispered, "Don't worry, you're not going in there alone."

Grateful for Happenstance's aid, Sam realized a moment before she touched the orb that this scene now likely looked like a reenactment of The Lion King.
Before she got the chance to laugh at this realization, her paw touched the orb and the disconcerting feeling of transporting to the dream left her dizzy. After they'd arrived, Sam's eyes attempted to adjust to the darkness, but this was no simple darkness for her to see through, cat or not.
It was impossible to not feel down in this atmosphere, though. The lack of light and ability to see clearly only fed her inner fear.
She felt safer while she was still in Happenstance's arms, but this didn't last long when they finally got faint light...and the fear Fiends were revealed en masse.

Looking away from the annoying Fiends, Sam started to take in the other aspects of this room, but not before a Fiend scampered over one of Happenstance's shoes, terrifying the teen. Startled by the sudden noise and reaction, Sam leapt from Happenstance's arms and landed lightly onto the ground. Just in time for Al's projectile Fiend to fly right past her.
Yelping, Sam dove behind Happenstance's legs before peeking out to make sure it was all clear again. Scowling at Al, Sam pranced back into sight and snapped, "Al, maybe you should try acting like your own rank for once. We have a dreamer beyond terrified and lost in here, and you're playing games like a child!"

Hearing Nyx note how bad this was, Sam nodded and began scanning the room for more information beyond the untouched brooms. There was some blob against one wall and Sam could only guess the dreamer might be there. At least, it was the only thing remotely resembling a human shape.

Hearing Karliah's suggestion to burn a broom for a torch, Sam added, "Hey, that's actually not such a bad idea. These Fiends hate the light and it'd create a rather bright light for us."
Looking over at the creepy blob, Sam suggested, "Perhaps we should make the torch and then bring it near that blob. I...I think that might be our dreamer. Or we're about to get into a fight."

 

[Collinbu98]

Name: Collin	Rank: Journeyman
Mood: Fiendish	Weapon: Broom

It seemed after Collin, Al was the only other volunteer, and Collin had no problems with that; Master Al was one of the funnest Masters to be around. Almost to spite the thought, though, Collin saw Nyx pointing at Collin and telling Al to keep an eye on him. Collin gave a sheepish grin at this, which persisted through Al's quip before finally Collin let out a snicker and reached for the orb.
Then they were entering the dream, and the only reassurance to Collin that they had gotten there was the ground beneath their feet. Collin was just about to try and see if he could conjure up some kind of light when Nyx did that for him, revealing a room covered corner to corner in Fiends. As Collin slowly took in just how many there were, his heart began to gradually pick up in tempo until finally it was pounding against his chest as Collin's fingers itched with anticipation. Never in all the time Collin had been an Animus had he seen so many Fiends in one place, and now he had a chance to kill every last one of them.
...but not quite yet, it seemed, as Nyx tried to take one out with a thick crunch only to have the thing pop back up again to run off with it's countless companions. Collin could wait, though, until after they rescued the Dreamer. But there was little chance of Collin giving up on this place before every last one of these Fiends was dead. Finally, though, Collin begrudgingly pulled himself away from the thought for a moment to focus on the task at hand as he examined the room. The obvious place to start was over by the brooms and the blob, where it seemed the others had already begun to move by the time Collin had regained focus.
Collin moved over to join them, purposefully stomping on as many Fiends as he could as he walked over. Al had already picked up a broom, and was now using it to batter the Fiends over by the blob, which Collin took immense satisfaction in watching. "Count me in; I could bash these things around all day," Collin replied to Al's softball comment with a grin, ignoring Sam's complaint as he casually strolled over to pick up his own broom.
First, Collin took one solid practice swing right at the sea of Fiends around them and sending them flying. Then, Collin slammed his broom with full force into the wall near the blob, shaking them off as best as he could. "I don't think we'll need the fire if we can knock enough of these suckers down. It might be good to make one anyways, though. The Dreamer's probably going to need something to lighten this place up." Collin then landed another smash against the wall, taking obvious relish at the crackling of the Fiends underneath his broom. Then Collin made a quick swipe directly over the blob, more carefully this time to avoid actually hitting the blob in case the blob itself was something he didn't want to hit.
It was that thought that made Collin pause his broom mid-sweep before he made another stroke. Shoot, if that blob did have the Dreamer under it, excessive violence probably wasn't the way to go, especially with this many Fear Fiends around. Now Collin was glad he hadn't directly hit the blob earlier. "Okay, ya, let's get the light. Fiend battering comes after the Dreamer," he sighed. That had essentially been the same thing Master Nyx and many of the others had said earlier, but Collin learned things at his own pace, and he had still been obsessing over the number of Fiends at the time anyways.

 

[Bolts]

Name: Atlan	Rank: Journeyman
Mood: Goofy yet terrified	Weapon: Rapier, squirt gun

Atlan watched as the last few joined in on the group. The pretty boy, the Master Al, and to his surprise Hap! He watched as they all gathered before the orb unlike the others who were far to scared to enter. He didn't blame them. The unknown was a scary thing that not everyone could handle. He took out his compass as the dolphin symbol started twirling in place, ready to port him over. He looked back at the crowds that watched them intently. AVAST YE, HEARTIES! Sing us a chantey till we return! He bellowed out with a grand smirk. Turning to the void, black, orb, he spoke softly to himself. We'll be faster than a Clipper. His dolphin compass spun wildly as the world around him became cast in black. Not a single thing could be seen before him but he hopped the others were close.

Hearing a click, he turned to the direction of the sound. In a flash, light emitted from Nyx causing the dark around them to scurry outside the light. Nearly in unison with Hap, he let out a loud blimey! As he unsheathed his blade. As he had mentioned in class, it always starts with the small ones... this was different though. All there was was small ones! Well this is a new one... He said in reference to the dream itself. Slowly, his eyes adjusted to the light, allowing him to see some objects around. He watched as Nyx squished a rat like Fiend only for it to reform and run away. It was fairly clear that this was not a simple clean up job. Just like the Master said, they would need the dreamer for this one. There were some challenges along the way. Finding the dreamer, not dying from a hoard of Fiends, and actually getting the dreamer to face their fears. Judging by the total black out of this dream, that wasn't going to be easy for any of the steps. Still, they needed to start somewhere. As the group scanned the room, many pointed out the brooms that refused to be covered by the rats. It was interesting for that to be the only type of object set here... other than the strange blob. That was just unsettling to him. Before he could lay a hand on one, they were both taken.

He listened in on the conversations and he had to admit there was the great idea of setting them aflame. Since it was part of the dreamers dream, should they set it on fire, it would be as if the dreamer created it. Everyone knew, even the rookies, that no power was greater than a dreamers. A dreamers light could send those rats running for days. Still, there was something in the back of his mind wondering why brooms were the only things not covered. If he had to guess, they were probably the opposite of fear. Some sort of happiness in an otherwise fearful zone. Did they like cleaning? or was it some sort of makeshift hockey stick? He couldn't tell without more context. Yet, lighting them both aflame right away seemed spontaneous. I know it might be Me over thinking once again. That and the fact I always wanted to go to a world like I read about. Anyone think of flying them? I mean, this Old Salt isn't saying burning is a bad idea. It's just the fact they are the only thing really available here. Let's not destroy them right away.

 

[SilverFlight]

Nyx	Rank: Master

Nyx examined the brooms while Al and Collin began slap-shotting the hapless fiends. The fact that they were the only items in the room the fiends wouldn't touch was something to keep in mind. Nyx watched the places where the brooms struck and found the fiends dodging out of the way. The amorphous blob at one side of the room could be seen for a short moment as something like a wooden chest.
However once the broom left the area the fiends leapt back onto it defensively.
"Seems like they have a thing for that box." Hap noted. Grateful for the comforting words Sam offered to her.
Nyx nodded in approval to Karliah's idea and brought his lighter to the tip of Collin's broom, then, thinking better of it, moved over to Al and lit that one instead.
"Its not that you're more unpredictable than Al is, its just, I know his unpredictability better." Nyx explained bluntly.
The fire jumped into the bristles and when it was held near the fiends they cleared off the chest all together and stood in the shadows, a collection of seething bodies.

Happenstance	Rank: Rookie

The chest was now free to be opened. Hap wordlessly volunteered, seeing as this was now the most-fiend-free part of the room. She lifted the lid cautiously.
Inside, huddled with knees up to his chest was a boy of about 14. His hair was short and dark, with a slight wave to it. He wore a black t-shirt under a red and black plaid shirt and a pair of simple, blue jeans.
Hap felt his influence on her, he wanted to see plain, normal things, people in plain clothes so she let the change happen, her hair taming itself into one shade of muted red.
His eyes widened when he saw the opened lid and the faces now peering in at him.
"Y-you're gonna let them in! Close it quick!" he seemed genuinely panicked. Hap knew that they needed to sooth him before they could begin taking care of the fiends.
"They're not coming in, they don't like the light...see?"
The boy looked, though the writhing shadows made him shiver.
Nyx, now that things were slightly stable turned to the rookies and journeymen. "We need to give him a meme, a suggestion that would let us get rid of the fiends. If we can convince him they can be killed, then we can kill them."
Nyx had covered memes at length in the classes, but the concept was a hard one to understand until one saw it in action. In truth Hap had actually just given him one, the fact that the fiends could not got into the light. If the dreamer hadn't believed her, it would give the vermin free reign to ignore their flames.
Hap began to muse. "What kills rats?.."
Suddenly the boy noticed the brooms in the hands of Collin and Al. He brightened a little, and as he did, so did the room.
"Hey! You found my brother's swords!"
As he began to recall things, the information materialized in Hap's mind, as it did with all the animi present:

This was a summer cabin, in the woods, at night. The boy's family used to come here often until his brother became ill and they stopped. His world after that was filled with fear. They moved, hoping to be closer to the specialists his brother needed, the boy was afraid of what was happening to his brother, afraid of going to a new school, being in a new place. He longed for older days, when his brother was healthy, and they played at the cabin. One of the dreamer's favorite games was to battle with a pair of old brooms, fighting imaginary monsters between the trees outside in the sunlight.

- The dreamer has been found, but he's frightened, you need to calm him down, then you can suggest the meme that would render the fiends vulnerable again. - The dreamer recognizes the brooms as his brother's make-shift swords - You now have information about the dreamer than can help you guide him through his dream Goals: 1. Calm the dreamer, perhaps by making him recall more good things about the place he is dreaming of. 2. Suggest a meme: find a way to make the dreamer believe the fiends can be defeated. 3. Find the dreamer's purpose: ask him questions about what he needs to do or what he wants. ((These instructions are detailed, the next dreams will have fewer specifics and you will have more freedom to transform the arc))

 

[zCrookedz]

Al

♩♫♪

• Rank: Master
• Armor: Leather Attire
• Weapon: Flute
• Mood: Inquisitive

Al batted a few more of the fiends into the mass of black before he heard Karliah speak up about the fire. Not a bad idea, the rats seemed to not like the brooms and light, setting them on fire made sense. Al stopped for a moment for Nyx to light his broom, giving Nyx a big sharped tooth grin at the mention of his predictability. Giving the lighted broom a few more swings over the area, Al noticed along with Nyx that the rats had scampered off from the mass to reveal a chest. Taking a few steps back to allow Hap and Nyx to open the chest, Al peered around Hap at the bow inside as she lifted the lid. He could feel the influence of the dreamer as the others must have as well, as Hap instantly began to shift into something more "normal". Al liked his form, not usually giving into dreamers influences if he didn't have to. But the boy was scarred enough as it was, and a giant purple dino-man might not help.

As Al gave into the influence, he felt the weird sensation of his body morphing into something alien. When it was all said and done, Al was no longer scaly and purple, but pinky and squishy with a normal smile. The smile however, was not as broad as it usually was. He shrugged it off, and went back to his fire lit broom. So far, this seemed pretty straight forward, except for the amount of fiends that were in the dream. That still made Al scratch his head. As Al continued to wave the broom around, he kept his ear open to the conversation with the boy, allowing the memories to fill his mind as they came. So this place was a camp huh?

Al turned back to the group and found Atlan. He walked a few steps closer before tossing the broom in the air.
"Oy, Cap'n Ship Shape. Hold this will ya?"
Al Turned looked back at the boy and reached for the guitar across his back. Without his light, the rats did not scatter away from him like they had before, but he still walked across them without so much as a glance. As Al removed the guitar from his back, the instrument seemed to just disappear into his hands and shrink in size. In actuality, the purple guitar the seemed to sparkle without any light, merely changed into flute that almost looked like a purply/silver metal. Al waved the flute around as he spoke.
"Camping is a ton of fun huh? One of my favorite things about camping, is stories by the campfire. And one of my most favorite stories, was the Pied Piper. Ever heard of him?"
Al lifted the flute to his lips and winked at the boy as he blow softly, and began to play a bit of up beat melody with the flute. He only played a few notes before he lowered the flute and squatted down beside the chest to look at the boy.
"How bout you? Any good camping stories?"

SilverFlight DawnAntalios Bolts