Fantasy Lucid

[SilverFlight]

Happenstance	Rank: Rookie

Hap couldn't help but grin at Collin's antics and though she tried to sound cross, it didn't work. "Tone it down ya big goof. Can't you see the poor guy's overwhelmed enough already?" She turned back to Maddox with an apologetic smile. "You'll get used to him. We all have...for the most part."
She sat down beside him and took one of his feathered hands in hers, examining it carefully.
"This is a pretty cool change," she then did her best to answer his questions:
"You're in a place called the Morpheus Bastion. Its a home for the animus and anima and live here. That's including me, him..." she gestured to Collin, "...and now, you. I can't really say why you look like that. Most of the time we pull a form that feels the most comfortable, but Collin's right, you can change it when you learn to focus. As for why you're here..."
Hap paused for a moment, thinking of how best to explain. "I don't know if I can really tell you, we usually don't have any memory of who or what we were before...this, but we do all have one thing in common: We're really good at fighting monsters. Specifically the dark forces that invade dreams. We're dream guardians."
Hap knew the information would slowly filter into his memory, it was part of this place. Somehow you always managed to know what you were and what you needed to do. Nyx loved to go on about the collective subconscious, and how information is shared through it, sort of like a radio that was always on in the background of your mind. Now that she thought about the master...
"We should take him to Nyx." Hap said practically.

TheGrandPygmy Collinbu98 Lioness075 Bolts

 

[zCrookedz]

Al

♩♫♪

• Rank: Master
• Armor: Hawaiian vacation
• Weapon: Ukelele
• Mood: Chillax/pondering

Al glanced up at his palm tree and noticed two large green coconuts hanging above him. As Nyx began to come clean about his intentions within the library, which did not surprise Al at all, he gave the palm tree a solid think with his elbow. The two large fruit fell from the tree, but as the landed in Al's hand, they had already changed into two brown coconut drinks with little umbrellas. Al took advantage of the floating books and placed one of the drinks on it to float over to Nyx.

Al, drink in hand, began to lean backwards as if something was behind him to catch him where nothing of the sort existed. But sure enough, another palm sprouted from the ground and a rope hammock connected the two for Al to rest in as he sipped on the drink. His guitar, which he had spun around to his lap during the decent, had shrank into a small ukulele to match the beach motif.
Al sipped his coconut drink as he pondered Nyx's words and watched the lightning in the distance of their beach theme. Normally, Al wouldn't delve to deeply into the deeper meaning of the dreamscape so long as he could do,his job. But the golden figure in the dream had ruffled his scales a little more than the norm, so it required a little more attention.
"Hmmmm, we were in the dreamscape of a child Nyx. Its entirely possible the kids own imagery of his brother manifested like that. Maybe, that's just how he saw his brother?"

The subject of the fiends was more concerning to Al. While they had easily managed to defeat the fiends without to much issue, the shear number was as Nyx had put it "not right". Al could only think of one thing that might cause that many fiends to congregate like they had, and the thought was not a pleasant one.
"We both know that fiends like those are not the brightest. But do you think they could have been hiding from something? I know fiends are scared of me, but what if they were scarred of something big? Something that made them all hide in a dreamer like that?"

(Posting from phone. Edit, tags and cs will come later)
SilverFlight
Bolts DawnAntalios Tedronai deer Collinbu98
TheGrandPygmy
Lioness075

 

[Tedronai]

"We should take him to Nyx."

“I will see to that,” Teoh said, gliding into the throng. “You can make yourself useful by getting Atlan to the infirmary.”

Without waiting for any of the protests he knew would come he strode to the couch and placed a hand under the fledging Animus’ wing. “On your feet young man, let’s not dawdle. The Head Master will want to see you.” And I want to see him, he thought.

Teoh turned to room and saw that no-one had moved. He snorted hot jets from his nose, ending with a curl of dark smoke from each nostril. “Sam. Happenstance. Is Atlan’s leg going to heal itself? Collin, you may feel free to accompany them since you are such a strong proponent of teamwork.

“Oh, and Happenstance,” he said, once he saw her relax her guard. “Once Atlan is in capable hands you may come find me in my classroom. I have decided to accept your proposal; I am able to recognise a good idea when I hear one.”

He smiled inwardly, wondering if she’d ask and also pleased with himself for the retort to the young Journeyman's earlier barb. The idea had popped into his head as had the new Animus appeared in Bastion. A fortuitous event. A certain saying came to mind, but seeing Sam sitting before him he couldn’t bring himself to say it, even to himself. The saying remained true however, and he believed he had just found another way.

SilverFlight Bolts DawnAntalios deer Collinbu98 TheGrandPygmy Lioness075

 

[TheGrandPygmy]

Maddox jumped a bit when he saw the new person enter the room behind Happenstance. Collin she said his name was? Bastion? Died??? This guy wasn't making sense. There was no way he could be dead! Could he...? He thought for a moment and tried to recollect where he was before here. It was barely anything. He only remembered the feeling of someone gripping his hand. He also remembered it being warm, and there was a knife. He frowned a bit, maybe he really WAS dead. The new person who walked in was telling the truth he supposed. There was one thing he DID know however, and that was that he liked birds. Plus it wasn't like he CHOSE to be this way. Maybe he didn't want to change it!

"Oh my God he's on the ceiling...." he sighed softly. Maddox felt a little grateful to Happenstance for going more his speed with the whole thing. When she complemented him on his 'change' he smiled a bit, "Thank you....Morpheus Bastion. Hm...another nice name...." He kept listening, the more and more she talked the more this sounded like a grand mystery as well as an adventure. Dream guardians? He never even thought of the possibility of there being dream guardians. How would someone go into a dream?

Before he could ask, another figure walked in. A large lizard. Maddox wouldn't lie to himself and say he wasn't intimidated, but he tried not to show it too much. At his words, Maddox slowly rose to his feet. The talons he had instead of normal feet and toes seemed to be getting a bit easier to walk on. "So...I'm guessing this Nyx is the headmaster here?" he asked, grabbing his pocket watch from the chair.
Tedronai SilverFlight Bolts Collinbu98 Lioness075 DawnAntalios

 

[Lioness075]

Name: Sam	Rank: Journeyman
Mood: Excited	Weapon: Floof

At this point, Sam just sighed to herself. Teoh was never going to change and would always be like a pothole in the road. Happenstance didn't need to grow up in Sam's eyes. She already was grown up. Just because she still had some rebellious nature in her, did not mean she was still acting childish. She'd held her own in the Dream world and cared deeply for those around her. That was all a good Animus needed to Sam.

When Atlan joined their little 'party' and suggested a method of escaping Teoh, Sam leapt back to her paws and exclaimed, "Yes! I mean, uh, yes. We should definitely help you along. I will, er, help lead the way."

Hoping she sounded more confident than she really had, Sam padded along after Happenstance and the others. Hopefully, Teoh would take the hint and leave them be.

Sam had to suppress a smirk when Happenstance told Atlan to hobble faster. This was definitely far more ideal than Teoh's lecture and constant chastising.

Not too long after making their grand escape, the group discovered a new Animus. While the others took up a comforting presence, Sam's curiosity won her over. She'd never seen someone with a bird form such as this guy's and figured a new form of her own might help even more.
Bounding over to the couch, Sam's form shifted until she became a tiny gryphon. Unused to having her own set of wings, Sam didn't keep them neatly folded against her back properly and thus, she tripped over her own wing. Gasping lightly and tumbling head over claw, Sam soon ended up sitting on her rump with her wings flopping on either side of her.
Giggling at this, Sam then looked up at the new guy, Maddox, who was now only about five feet in front of her.
"Hey, I haven't met a brand new Animus in a long time! I really like your form, though I'll admit that I'm not very used to wings myself. Maybe you could give me a flying lesson sometime."

At the mention of taking Maddox to Nyx, Sam nodded.
"Yeah, probably a good idea. I'm sure he's a 'master' at handling newbies like Maddox here."
Snorting at her own pun, Sam's mood had definitely lightened up a bit since the lecture from Teoh.

Only for her mood to be dashed yet again by Teoh rejoining them all. How had he even found them? They left him in the Window Room and hadn't been followed, at least as far as Sam had been able to tell.
Sure enough, he chastised them as per usual. Scowling, Sam's head drooped while she aimlessly scratched at the floor. Well, moment effectively ruined. Good job, Teoh.
It wasn't like Atlan's leg was really that big of a deal. Likely, it had long since healed and he was just using it as an excuse for the group to escape Teoh. Sam disliked the Master so much that she rarely even called him by his proper rank.

Sam returned to the present when Maddox spoke up again. Hearing him call Collin by the name of Morpheus Bastion, she couldn't help but lightly laugh. Her mood rose slightly, as she responded in a light tone, "His name isn't Morpheus Bastion, silly. That's the name of this place. You're speaking to Collin, the guy who's chilling on the ceiling."

Scowling at the idea of Teoh taking the newbie to Nyx and filling his head with ridicule, Sam stood up and carefully folded her wings against her back. She then looked right at Maddox with a bit of determination in her eyes. She even gave a quick side glance to Happenstance, in the hope that she'd get the hint.
"Yes, Nyx is the Head Master here. He's in charge of the entire Bastion and all of us who live and work here. He's very kind and understanding, so he can help you feel accustomed, as well as properly welcomed here. He's currently in the Library, where one can learn about anything you could ever wish to learn about. If you'd like, Happenstance and I can help you get there. My name's Sam, by the way."

Collinbu98 SilverFlight zCrookedz DawnAntalios Bolts Tedronai TheGrandPygmy deer

 

[deer]

.

.

rank: journeyman | scenario: "oh, fishnets" | mood: concerned | tags: zCrookedz and SilverFlight​

As Eirene followed behind Al to find Nyx, a soft and quiet giggle escaped her lips as she thought of Al's flirtatious nature. Shaking her head, Eirene sighed, not minding his "out-of-the-box" personality compared to the rest of them. It was true, she wanted to be alone with Al, but not for reasons that would deem scandalous or taint her purity, but rather, she truly enjoyed hearing his music. His music was truly inspiring, it honestly brought her out of her darkest moments, but it wasn't as if she was going to give Al an even bigger ego than he had now and told him of his ability to soothe her soul little by little. Nevertheless, a small smile appeared on her lips as she swam through the Bastion, tailing behind Al. Eirene wondered if the sight of a mermaid following a dinosaur was humorous or not, but regardless, just imagining the scene from another perspective brought another soft giggle out of her.

However, as the travel was a bit longer than she thought, Al and Eirene walked in comfortable silence, it made her over-think more ideas and thoughts. Eirene ended up biting her lips when she thought about Al's perspective and his thoughts on her question on why the lot of them had the need to exploit each other. It was true, learning one's weakness and improving on their skills and talent was needed, but lending pointers and a helping hand was also another successful way of training as well. But, remembering Al's explanation that Master Teoh was Master Teoh and Happenstance was Happenstance, the difference in personality and a person's perspective was uncanny, but nevertheless, it did make them who they are. But, who was she to get between other's business despite the fact that she was a nosy body.

Soon, they arrived at the library and because Eirene was so lost in her own thought, she almost literally slammed into Al's back if he hadn't opened the door right away. But, as soon as Eirene floated into the room, her nose twitched as she smelled . . salt! Shaking her head as her eyes widened at the scene that laid before her, Eirene's mouth gaped open as she noticed Al's attire changing into a loose floral patterned shirt and pants along with some shades. Eirene, on the other hand, felt the heat beaming at her and couldn't handle the hotness any longer that she ended up making her own salt water pool near Al and Nyx, diving into the water to keep herself from becoming a fried fish. At seeing Nyx so lost in thought, Eirene furrowed her brows, wanting to release some of the tension he was facing.

At hearing Al's jokes, another laugh escaped her lips as she splashed her tail in the small salt water pool. At seeing the books hovering above Nyx as he walked back and forth, almost putting a dent in the sand, it was that moment when Nyx stopped and had taken notice of them. Furrowing her brows at Nyx's revelation of feeling as if a storm was brewing, Eirene looked above, seeing the darkened clouds as lightning struck. But, Eirene's attention was not on them for long as she watched Al's antics as she shook her head, sighing at his lavish idea of drinking coconut and small ukelele. But, at hearing Al's opinions on the Fiends being scared of something big and the imagery of the glowing boy was perhaps the Dreamer's idea of his brother, Eirene furrowed her brows in concentration.

After being quiet for so long, Eirene spoke up, voicing her own opinions, "What if. . that glowing boy . .and those Fiends that managed to cover the glass orb had something in common with each other? Whatever they were hiding or perhaps starting to brew. . the Dreamer's dream and the Dreamer himself could be our first clue as to what storm is brewing." She stated, not sure if she made sense, but decided to continue anyways, "Something. .concerns me the most. . the boy's words. . he wanted to be like . . us. . so what was he now? Is he a Fiend? Can Dreamers turn into Fiends? Can we turn into Fiends? Nyx. . if the boy is in a coma in reality, could that be his unconscious speaking and he's stuck . . in limbo? But. . how did he come into Raphael's dream?" There were so many questions and ideas that were storming into Eirene's mind, but the more she thought on the subject, the more confused she had gotten. "What can we do? Is he a friend or a foe? Will we be seeing him again? Or others like him?"

Feeling slightly frustrated, Eirene sighed before looking between Al and Nyx, wanting to get to the bottom of it, but also knowing. . no one knew of what was going on made Eirene feel that much worse. So, deciding to try to ease the concern and worry, she took a deep breathe, "If we worry ourselves tirelessly we won't be able to do our duty. . right? So, at least we know. . we must be on guard. . so for now. . how about a little break?" At those words, a small, scheming smile appeared on Eirene's lips as she used her fins to splash water on both Al and Nyx, hoping to ease some of the worry.

 

[Bolts]

Name: Atlan	Rank: Journeyman
Inner thought: I really need a new feather now	Weapon: That dashing smile

Once they got a sufficient ways away, Atlan began walking at a normal pace down the hallways. In the distance, he could hear a voice he hadn't noticed before. Without hesitation, he was left by Hap, Sam, and even Collin as he rushed by down a corner. He looked to Karliah with a sheepish grin. Well.. Uhh. thanks! Nice cover. I knew you would sell the injury well to Teoh. He said as he slipped his arm off of her shoulder. As he heard even more banter coming from the corner he thought it would be good to "fix" his leg. With a few pats here and some minor imagination, both is leg and pants were looking as good as new. There, all better thanks the the wonders of the "medical room". He said with a wink to Karliah. Guess we should go check on whatever is going on over there! With a quick grab of her wrist, Atlan again dragged her into the mass of the group.

The first thing he noticed as he rounded the wall was a new face. A bird like humanoid to be exact. Whoa! New face. Well it is about time. We could always use a new pair of sea legs. He announced with a hearty laugh. As he strode up to be closer with the group, he finally noticed Collin on the ceiling. See that everyday. He said with a joking tone before he took a small bow. This old sea-dog would be Atlan, pleasure to meet you! And this lovely lass would be Karliah. He said as he waved his hand towards her. As he stood there, he thought on the final bit of conversation he had heard before interrupting. Oh right, Nyx. Weren't we going to all get together or something? Before.. well.. everyone split off. I did want to learn a bit more on that dream. Pretty crazy if you ask me.
Collinbu98 SilverFlight zCrookedz DawnAntalios Tedronai TheGrandPygmy deer Lioness075

 

[SilverFlight]

Nyx	Rank: Master

Nyx stood in silence, mulling over the new theories about the boy.
"They're all good theories," he said finally, glancing at Al and Eirene, "but my gut tells me the golden boy was neither a manifestation of the dreamer nor a fiend. He was something...otherly...if that makes any sense. The fiends however...could they be running from something?" He parroted the question and slipped into quiet thought again.
"We know so little about them beyond how to kill them. Its possible. We always just assumed they drifted, because we know they can...Perhaps there is a place they collect outside of the dreamscape. Perhaps something is happening..."
Suddenly Nyx dismissed the books with a wave of his hand and they faded back into nothingness. The library slowly returned to its former appearance, quiet, and light, with potted plants in corners and bookshelves standing sentry about them.
"There are a lot of questions I don't have the answers to. We'll need to be extra vigilant when we go into the next dream. Keep your eyes open."
zCrookedz deer

Happenstance	Rank: Rookie

Happenstance nodded when Sam spoke of Nyx. "He's...not really human-looking either and..well, you'll see. 'Though they are of monstrous shape, yet note, their manners are more gentle-kind than of our human generation you shall find, many—nay, almost any'."
She then caught sight of Sam's new form and squealed.
"Aww! Sam! That is the cutest!!" She clasped her hands in front of her. "You're so fluffy!"
With the excitement of a new face, Collin's classic antics and Sam's amazing creativity she had almost forgotten about the bitter experience with...
The cold voice sounded behind her, shattering her good mood. She listened to him carefully, though trying her best to pretend she wasn't. When he gave orders to take care of Atlan Hap exchanged a knowing glance with Sam and stood, moving over to their dear pirate. She made a show of examining his leg.
"Oh, gee, would you look at that? Seems to me like Atlan's all better, guess we all have time to help bring Maddox to the head master."
When Teoh told her to come to his classroom it looked at though someone had just poured ice water down her back.
"Wha? But I didn't--I'm not doing extra classes!" It seemed her sharp comment had backfired, things needed to change. Disobeying a teacher wasn't exactly wise, but getting a second opinion was usually within the limits.
"You know what? I'll do it...if Nyx says I have to." Hap was many things, but compliant was not one of them. She would fight this every step of the way just to prove a point.
"Come on, let's go talk to him."


As they made their way along the corridor Hap tried her best to offer a general layout of the building.
"Over there's where the dorms are, you'll have your own room, and you can do anything you want to it. The classrooms are there, Nyx'll have to give you a primer before we, uh, take you to work. And here, is the library." She finished by opening the door.
Nyx was standing near the room's center and looked over his shoulder as the door opened.
He raised an eyebrow at the large group that piled inside, then both eyebrows shot even higher as he noticed Maddox.
"A new Animus!" He said, pleased, though he didn't smile. He strode over to them, and given that he was a centaur, towered over them when he reached them.
"Maddox, this is Nyx. And Al and Eirene." Hap introduced the small group in the room.
The head master took in the avian-like form before him. "You must be a bit overwhelmed," he offered.
"It may take a little time, but the answers you want will come to you. Take a deep breath and try to clear your mind."
Hap began to think back to when she first came to the bastion. She had been panicked and lost, but the master had said the same thing to her and slowly, she began to...know things. Things she hadn't known before, thoughts and concepts appearing in her mind, as if they had always been there. She wondered if this was what was happening to Maddox now.

Nyx looked over to the rookie as he waited.
"Fighting with Teoh again?"
Hap was caught off guard by the question. "No!" She lied...badly.
"What is it this time?"
Hap bit her lip and begrudgingly revealed the old dragon's idea for an extra class.
"Its a good idea."
"What?!"
"I think you need it, and it wouldn't hurt to spend more time with him, you might even find a way to coexist."
Hap could think of many better ways to spend her time than trying to 'coexist' with Teoh.
"Are you freakin' kidding me?"
Nyx looked at her seriously. "No. In fact, anyone else interested in this extra class should go too."
"Auugh!"
Hap decided to keep her mouth shut after that, in case it would earn her more of a punishment. Instead she went over to lean, dour and brooding against a bookshelf, muttering Shakespearean insults under her breath.
zCrookedz deer Lioness075 Bolts DawnAntalios TheGrandPygmy Collinbu98 Tedronai

 

[TheGrandPygmy]

Maddox quickly looked back and forth between the lizard man and Happenstance. At this point he was just accepting all of it. The strange place, the new people, it was slowly sinking in. More and more people were arriving, and each one seemed nice. He especially liked the small griffin who tripped over her wings. He smiled and scratched his head, "I probably know about as much as you. We'll probably have to teach each other," he chuckled. "It's nice to meet you though."

Soon two more people came in. One looked like a pirate! Maddox smiled even wider at the thought of hanging out with a pirate. The other girl looked really shy, so he gave her a small wave, "Hey. My name is Maddox. Nice to meet you all." He immediately closed his beak when Teoh and Happenstance started talking. It seemed there had been some sort of disagreement before he arrived and that was carrying over to this meeting. He didn't have much time to ponder it however, for he was already being led to this 'Nyx' person. The headmaster.

Before the full weight of it dawned on him, Happenstance began talking about where everything was. He could really do anything he wanted in his dorm? Since this place was the way it was, did that mean he could change the room into anything he wanted? The Brit smiled, "Sounds interesting...."
Maddox wondered what she meant by a 'primer' and 'work' but he supposed he'd find out soon enough. He gazed around the halls with a sense of wonder. These halls looked like they had so much history behind them. That many a grand thing had happened here. the more he gazed the more excited he seemed to get to find out more. well he supposed it was his time now, for they were at the library. Supposedly where this Nyx was.

As they entered Maddox gasped. This place was HUGE! Books were flying here and there and documents floated in mid air. But probably the most surprising thing he saw were the three figures in the room. One a mermaid with lovely scales, another guy that seemed to be a punk rocker human dinosaur, and finally a large centaur. His eyes were as wide as dinner plates. When he walked over Maddox looked up to him with a hard gulp. When Hap introduced them all, he finally said a simple, "Hi. N-Nice to meet you..." When Nyx said a bit overwhelmed, that was definitely an understatement. He wanted to blurt out all the questions he had, but when the centaur told him to close his eyes he slowly nodded and did so. After a few deep breaths, he cleared his head and drowned out all the voices speaking around him. Everything else seemed to fade away...

As he cleared his mind, thoughts came into his mind. The though of going into dreams, protecting the people who slept, and defeating these...monsters. He felt a deep sense of duty to help these people. He felt it like he was meant to do it, like he was born to. His watch came to his mind. He felt like he could use it to help the dreamer. To use it to enter their dreams and help. He felt like he could become anything his heart desired, and use it to change things around him. All these thoughts entered his mind one at at a time, and then stopped. Maddox opened his eyes knowing much more than he did before. But in many ways he was still confused. What he certainly knew was, he was a part of something BIG.
SilverFlight zCrookedz deer Lioness075 Bolts DawnAntalios Collinbu98 Tedronai

 

[zCrookedz]

Al

♩♫♪

• Rank: Master
• Armor: Leather
• Weapon: Guitar
• Mood: Exit, stage left

Al sat, swinging in his hammock and sipping on the coconut drink as he listened to Eirene's theory, and then Nyx's theory about their theories. The more Al sat and listened, the more a thought began to creep into his mind. It had been a thought he had since the beginning, but he had decided to go against his better judgment and not listen to it until now. As Eirene splashed water at him and Nyx, the thought finally broke free and he decided....that he just didn't really care all that much. He gave the coconut drink one last long pull before exhaling loudly and tossing it over into the sand.
"Well, whatever the case. So long as I can still slice Fiends in half, and look damn good doing it, I am a happy Anima."
At the wave of Nyx's hand, Al nearly fell on his tail as the palm tree's immediately begin to shrink away and the sand he had let his claws play in turned back into hard wooden floors. Al rose from the floor, his attire having changed back into its normal leather studded garbs, and his guitar back to the shimmering purple that it always had. As he dusted off a bit of sand from his pants, Al heard the door to the library open and a parade of familiar footsteps enter.

At the sight of the new anima, Al tilted his head a bit quizzingly at first, giving them a nod as Hap introduced Al to him. His form was a bit odd, but then again, who was Al to judge? He was a large purple scaled, sharp toothed, even sharper clawed, rock star with a guitar that changed at will. A semi-bird person actually seemed a bit more normal compared to him.
As Al listened to Hap and Nyx discuss something about extra classes, Al swung his guitar around and dragged his pick across the strings. The tone echoed through the library with no amplifier, another of Al's favorites tricks. He grinned at the crowd with little expression of remorse.
"Nyx, that sounds like the most absolutely BORING thing I have ever heard of. Luckily, as a Master, extra curricular classes are not my forte."

Al gave Nyx a defiant smirk as he walked around the group towards the door. He stopped for a moment besides the new Anima, and looked him over like he was sizing him up. But he did nothing but smile and continued walking after a quick remark to the newcomer.
"Welcome to the club bird boy."
Al gave the door to the library a nudge and headed out into the halls heading in the direction of the archive.

 

[DawnAntalios]

Karliah	Rookie
Mood: Relief/Curiosity	Weapon: Her blush

Feeling incredibly flustered Karliah's mind raced wildly as she was gently but firmly dragged over to the group of people at first with his fake limping as to initiate a conversation. Much to her relief though the tension between master Teoh and Hap was so great and the others were so wound up in everything that literally nobody seemed to notice her. Releasing a silent sigh of relief she scouted the others with her emerald eyes, looking curiously at everyone who had partaken in this little feud. Her gaze stopped at Hap as a wondering thought entered her mind. The girl was so young, she was a rookie like Karliah was - yet at the same time she looked stern and sharp tongued at the same time, completely the opposite of who she was. Curious - that is how she found the girl as she too helped Atlan to... "limp" away.

Once again, intent to just blend in and go with the flow the fair haired girl just went along with the rescuing plan of Hap, fleeing from the rather stern master with as much dignity as possible. Her mind raced as they finally reached to a point where they seemed to be out of reach of everyone who was an undesired presence for Hap and then Atlan raised to a proper stance, grinning at Karliah.
"I... am glad that it worked out. I guess..." she said, blushing, half whispering "Master Teoh seems just but... he is very scary... I would like to one day learn from him more...."
Her thoughts were interrupted by the ruckus around something... or someone. Her looked up, curiosity overtaking her shyness as she could make out someone... different than from previously. Once more, it was the brave captain who decided to lunge into action.
"A-atlan, wait! N-not like this quick..."

They arrived to the rather jolly scene where everyone greeted a new Animus who looked like an avian creature at this moment. Karliah had not seen many rookies as adorable as him but she was somehow a bit more confident knowing that their ranks of newbies were growing and that perhaps she could be of help of the guy too! It was then, however, when the newcomer waved at her and greeted her properly. Mustering up the courage to not actually hide behind Atlan's breeches like a little girl Karliah blushed and waved back with a smile.
"H-hi! I... am Karliah... it is nice to... meet you." she managed, letting out a nervous chuckle. "Welcome... to the Bastion...."
Everyone seemed to have a rather good time with the new Animus among the ranks of the journeymen crew and Karliah couldn't be happier for that. This was exactly what they needed after a long, grim mission. Sam's newest form seemed to make Hap jolly, Collin's dazzling entrance confusing Maddox which made her giggle. The light hearted nature of the conversations seemed to make the dreads of their previous adventure to dissipate for the moment which was not only healthy but gave her some reprieve as well. As the little group decided to introduce Maddox to Nyx Karliah suddenly had the urge to follow them, meeting with the centaur leader of the Bastion would have been a good idea. She also wanted some guidance from him secretly but placing everything else in focus was of priority now.
"Atlan..." she said, pulling his clothes gently "Come... let us follow the others..."

Not forcefully, only gently did Karliah pull Atlan along as Hap lead Maddox through the various places she had been introduced to too when she arrived here. Though, back then it was Nyx himself who almost had to pamper her on the first day. She blushed in shame as she remembered her first day. The brief, deteriorating pride and bravery which she arrived here vanished the moment she woke up and was so scared that she just wanted to hide in a corner. Since then she had learned how to talk to people normally again and how to get along with them for the most part though she was still very much scared to engage in conversations for the most part. She wanted to change and grow but alone she felt she could not... not yet. With guidance, however, she was confident she could do it.
They arrived at the point where Maddox was stopped in his tracks and both Nyx and Al greeted him properly to the Bastion as they always did. Halting her steps she edged slightly closer to Atlan, tugging his clothes.
"It... looks like they are welcoming him properly. S-should we go there too? T-talk to them? Is it... proper to do so?"
Bolts TheGrandPygmy ( SilverFlight zCrookedz )

 

[Dominaiscna]

Lux	Rank: Rookie
Mood: reminiscent, sorrowful	Weapon: Angelic tear

"We are such stuff as dreams are made on."

The sky is a pale blue, melting into purples, pinks, oranges and reds with the setting of the sun. Golden light filters down through a parting in the large clump of fluffy clouds, lighting up the stage of a child's play. The little girl is in a meadow of flowers, blooming with the kiss of spring and dancing to the music of the wind. A pair of finches sing their happy song to the young'un as a great, white unicorn gallops up to meet the child who squeals with excitement and reach out chubby and expectant hands. The mythical creature neighs softly, bowing his large head to meet that of the infant who lets out a little giggle that is filled with bountiful joy. A ripe apple sits in the tiny palm of her hand, offered out as a sign of friendship to the gentle beast.

She watches from afar as they begin a game of tag, rushing through the tall green grass, causing countless of butterflies and other insects to emerge from their hiding places and take to the skies. At first they don't notice the angelic figure who sits nearby, watching their playful behaviour. Her lips set in a gentle smile at their joy yet the icy blue eyes that follow their movements across the meadow hold a distant look of loss and sorrow. How beautiful was such a scene, a true display of innocence and purity, of the uncorrupted imagination, faith and dreams of a young child.

The shine of a tear glinted in the light as a small stream of silver trickled its way down one side of her face. Why could she not remember any of it? Why did she feel nothing as she watched them play? No sense of familiarity or anything? With slender fingers, she wiped at her cheeks as an involuntary sniffle escaped her, catching the attention of the dreamer and her companion who had been, until then, in a world of their own.

Lux could sense fear at first but soon that turned to curiosity as the little child made her way towards the sorrowful angel, followed closely by the great beast. There was only a short distance of a few feet between them when the little one piped up, "Pretty lady, why are you crying?"

The 'pretty lady' gently met the girl's gaze, a soft smile gracing her features as she tried to wipe the painful sadness out of her eyes. She shouldn't have stayed and risked being seen by the dreamer... but she could nothing to bring herself to leave. "I cry when I am happy, Anna." It was not a completely lie, afterall she did shed tears of joy at times. The reply spoke nothing of her true emotions.

"People cry when they are happy?" The little girl took a moment to try understand the strange phenomenon but seemed to not be able to get her head around it. She took a seat beside Lux, gazing at the anima with great curiosity. "Me and my mom only have each other. My mom is often crying when I wake up at night. Is that why?"

The angel gently placed a hand on the child's head filling her with peace and comfort. "I don't know..." These kinds of stories... she couldn't understand either, couldn't feel a link to at all. "But you must be there for your mother, Anna, for she needs you. You must be a good child and make those tears only that of joy." The little girl cocked her head to the side a bit before nodding at Lux. Though she wouldn't understand all that well at her age, the anima hoped Anna would remember her words.

The unicorn gently whinnied, obviously wanting some attention, causing the child to reach for her play mate again. Lux took this as her cue to leave and gently got up from her seat in the grass with her great wings trailing the ground as she started to walk away. Anna, having noticed her departing, chased after the anima, grabbing at her hand. "Wait, where are you going? Are you leaving?" Lux made no answer, but had paused in her step. Her eyes that were trained on the horizon gently flickered to the little girl. "If you go, will I see you again? You are my only friend and I don't want you to go away."

Gently she turned and knelt down before the girl so that their eyes were at the same level. A hand gently reached out, brushing back the child's pale brown hair from her clear hazel eyes. "I will not go away, Anna," she spoke gentle as a soft light seemed to radiate from her being, "I will always be with you. In the sun, in the moon, in the stars. In everything you do, I will be there. Always." Though she didn't really understand, the little girl nodded and wrapped her arms around the angel's neck, hugging her tight.

The hug took Lux by surprise and, for a moment, she was frozen but slowly she returned the hug with her arms around the small body of the dreamer. Letting go she stood up and started walking away again, her halo already beginning to glimmer and shine with a power as she prepared to return to the bastion. "Wait! What is your name?" The voice was already growing quieter and the world was starting to melt away, but Lux turned anyway, meeting the child's eyes one last time, a gentle smile on her lips.

"I am light."
There was a blinding flash. And she was gone.

The world darkened around her for a moment before her feet landed on cold floors and a long hooded cloak rested on her shoulders. Her eyes were rested on the Window, watching the Anna's dream fade from her view. The dream was ending. She could've sworn she heard the whimpering of the mother in the dreamscape and hoped Anna would remember her words.

 

[Lioness075]

Name: Sam	Rank: Journeyman
Mood: Annoyed	Weapon: Floof

Sam blushed at Happenstance's reaction to her new form, shyly pawing at the floor with her claws. She always got embarrassed when someone she respected complimented her.

Her embarrassment quickly washed away into annoyance when Happenstance made a show of examining Atlan's 'healed' leg. Making a face, Sam practically scowled at Happenstance's antics. Did she not understand when enough was enough?

Of course, this didn't aid in calming Teoh, who now had come up with the idea of giving Happenstance extra classes. While she made a big deal of it, Sam remained mute. Despite knowing how much Happenstance would hate such an idea, Sam actually agreed with Nyx when he said it would be a good idea. While Teoh was a notorious grump, he still had been around longer than Happenstance. He surely knew plenty compared to Happenstance. Anyways, learning was never a bad idea. Even if the teacher wasn't the kindest. Though, the mention of anyone being free to attend the class left a bad taste in Sam's mouth. She'd rather attend an extra class with Nyx than Teoh any day.

The introductions were pleasant and Sam grinned at Nyx's obvious delight at a new Animus. Still, the overlying concern about what had transpired recently soon wiped the grin off her beak.

Looking at Nyx now, Sam asked, "Master Nyx, is there any chance you have an inkling of what all transpired in that Dream? The golden child and the flood of fiends...it was a lot to take in."
SilverFlight zCrookedz Bolts Tedronai Collinbu98 TheGrandPygmy DawnAntalios deer Dominaiscna

 

[deer]

.

.

rank: journeyman | scenario: "the more the merrier" | mood: welcoming | tags: zCrookedz ,
SilverFlight , Lioness075 , DawnAntalios , Bolts , TheGrandPygmy , Collinbu98 , Dominaiscna , Tedronai​

Something otherly? It couldn't be, could it? But, nothing was ever impossible, especially at the Bastion. So, why couldn't another realm exist, right? Whatever else was happening, Eirene wanted to find more answers, after all, she had been researching on other methods to get rid of Fiends aside from the two options provided currently. Soon, the library returned to its former appearance as Eirene's make-shift saltwater pool disappeared as well. Once Eirene's attention was brought towards Al as she listened to his response to Nyx, she shook her head, sighing at Al. Of course, it would be Al to want to slice the fiends away while she would rather coerce the Fiends to leave, if not, wash them away as if she was cleansing the dream.

But, with a determined nod, Eirene made sure to keep her eyes open and keep herself on alert for anything that could give way to what was beginning to form as Nyx had warned. Though, Eirene was just happy she was able to lighten the mood a little with her playful splash. However, soon enough, it seems like their luck were changing even more as the others managed to make it into the library as well. But, at seeing an unfamiliar face, Eirene's eyes widened in surprise. With a small squeal of delight as Happenstance introduced the new member to them and Nyx and Al addressed him, Eirene waited her turn patiently before bombarding him. Seeing the nervous quip of the new member, Eirene's smile softened, liking the new Animi's appearance.

Looking around the room, Eirene waved to all of them, giving them a nod in greeting before turning her attention towards Maddox. "Hello, Maddox." She said softly though her tone was full of warmth and welcome. "As you know, I'm Eirene, your honorary fish maternal friend! If you ever need anyone to talk to, I am all ears! But, seeing as how everyone came with you, I'm sure they have helped you settle in so far?" Eirene asked, tilting her head to the side as she resisted the urge to hug him, or rather anyone in the room at this point. However, Eirene's ears perked at the mention of Nyx asking the others if they wanted extra classes and it would be good for all of them. But, at seeing Happenstance's reaction, another giggle escaped her lips before her attention went towards Sam as she asked her question about the glowing boy.

It was a good question and although the others hadn't been there to hear what was discussed earlier, perhaps an announcement should be spreaded around so no one would have to repeat themselves. But, Eirene's attention was drawn back to Maddox, "Don't worry, Maddox. . ." she began, though paused for a moment in thought, "is it alright if I called you Dox?" Eirene grinned before continuing, , "You will definitely fit right in! I have complete faith."

 

[Dominaiscna]

Lux	Rank: Rookie
Mood: calm, curious	Weapon: Stare of Fascination-ness

Lux stood in silence by the Window until the last glimmers of the dreams faded into nothingness, till the orb showed only blackness. She gently lay a soft hand on the smooth surface of the artifact as if she were trying to feel for the last traces of the dreamscape and of Anna. It came as no surprise when she felt nothing at her finger tips, no warmth could be found in the cold, dead glass.

Taking a deep breathe, the Anima turned from the Window, trying to quieten her mind and structure her thoughts as she left the room. In her first week at the Bastion, Lux found herself purposeless and lost, often wandering the vast hallways of her new home and simply going where her feet took her. With time, she'd taken to finding solace in the Archives where much of the vast information from the Waking world was stored for them to absorb. Much of her time was spent tucked away with many precious books cradled in her lap and now, she intended to return back to her sanctuary to continue her reading.

En route to the Archive, Lux had come to notice just how quiet the halls were and the general lack of animis in sight. It was strange for nobody to be out and about and the anima found herself looking for any signs of her companions as she seemed to glide over the cold stony floors. Soon she passed the hall that led to the library where Al had just passed through the door, undoubtedly with a place in mind due to the sureness of his step. Usually, she would've continued on her way, but the chattering coming from the slightly ajar door left behind by her scaly purple master caught the anima's attention and her usually restrained curiosity got the better of her.

Upon entering the great Library, Lux spotted almost all of the animis crowded around Nyx and another figure...one she was sure she'd never seen before. Hesitantly, the white-clothed female ventured closer to the group and her eyes beheld the unfamiliar bird-like Animus that was Maddox. Despite his generally captivating appearance, it was his wings that she was drawn to. As her pale blue eyes flickered to them, she felt her own fluttered restlessly beneath her cloak. His wings... how beautiful they were...

Curiously, Lux's attention flickered from person to person, trying to glean any information on the current situation from their words, but everyone's replies were all over the place so she gave up trying to decipher anything from the general chatter and would have to resort to asking for help. Looking around, the Anima spied, at the edges of the group, a rather grumpy looking Hap who seemed to be muttering curses under her breathe. From the way the other female angled herself away from Master Teoh, Lux could only imagine who had put her into such a bad mood.

Quietly, she made her way towards the Anima, the light she radiated dimming slightly to reflect her inner wishes of not drawing attention to herself. Generally, she was fine with approaching Happenstance. They weren't really chummy friends, but they seemed to get along well. Once she'd reached Hap, Lux addressed her fellow Anima in a soft and silvery voice, "Happenstance...sorry for my intrusion, but what is all this?" There was obviously curiosity in her tone but she tried to keep up her generally unreadable expression on her features as Lux observed the newcomer and the rest of their companions gathered around. Blue eyes glimmered in the light of the library, focused on this new Animus.

zCrookedz SilverFlight TheGrandPygmy Bolts Lioness075 Tedronai Collinbu98 DawnAntalios deer

 

[Bolts]

Name: Atlan	Rank: Journeyman
Mood: Chummy	Weapon: squirt gun and smile

As the group grew larger, they all found it better to find Nyx for not only introducing Maddox but also figuring out more of this strange dream. Always a pleasure meeting a new face, Maddox. Though, I guess we can change the face any time. He said with a hearty chuckle. As he lost himself in his own wit, he hadn't notice people already leaving through the halls. It was only Karliah who snapped him out. Wha? Oh.. Er.. Right! Let's head off then! He said as he was gently shoved along with the others. As he stepped just in the back of the group, he remembered his first days of the Bastion. Sure, there was the confusion and internal freak-outs but in a way, it felt like he had found something he had been searching for. He lost track of time as he simply stared at the back of Maddox's head, day dreaming of all his adventures. He really hopped the first few dreams would go good for him. Then the harder ones after. No one liked loosing the dreams. His thoughts took enough out of him to pap his chest where the internal pocket lay with all his sentimental items. Before he manage to step foot in the room where the others went into, he was tugged back by the shy girl. Of course we should! It's why we came as a group. Besides, we were all part of the solid black dream. If anything we should all be welcome if we are going to talk about it. Buuuut... If you need some time to muster up the courage then be my guest. I could tell you're not a group person. He said as he patted her back.

He took a few steps into the room where even more faces came into view. There was Al, the always lovely Eirene, Nyx, and last but not least Lux! Without even knowing much of what had already been spoken, he could tell Maddox had gone through the initial learning. Getting the basic ideas of what he should expect. Once he overheard Eirene speak of him fitting in, a huge grin spread on his face. He actually dug the bird look a little. Besides, he didn't have a parrot to go with the pirate theme. With a quick transformation, he turned himself into a raven like humanoid while still keeping the pirate clothing. Quickly, he hooked a winged arm over Maddox's shoulder. It especially helps if people go for a similar look to get acquainted! Like she said though, you got a lot of ears to speak to. Right now it seems we got some special news on our hands though. A strange dream and some golden light person. So its nice to see everyone here. Unwrapping his arm, he straightened a few feathers. Before the meat of the matter came underway, he tipped his hat to Lux. In all fairness, he hadn't really spoken with any of these classmates for more than some hellos and good byes. With how well they did in the dream though, it isn't hard to say they could be a team of some sort down the line. Turning his attention to Nyx now, he opened his beak. Yeah, like Sam mentioned. Of all the dreams I have been in, this was 10/10 in spookiness. Light person seemed pretty nice though.

zCrookedz SilverFlight TheGrandPygmy Lioness075 Tedronai Collinbu98 DawnAntalios deer Dominaiscna

 

[zCrookedz]

Al

♩♫♪

• Rank: Master
• Armor: Leather
• Weapon: Guitar
• Mood: Indifferent

Al continued out of the library and began walking around the halls of the Bastion with a sure footed purpose. Stuffing his hand into his pocket, he pulled out his carton of imaginary cigarettes and poped one in between his scally lips, already lit. As the smoke disapeared as it reached the top of his spiky hair, Al continued on not really paying attention to the few Anima that he passed somewhat lost in thought. Coming from where he had just been, one would think that he was lost in thought about the golden boy within the dream, or the numbers of fiends that he, Nyx, and Eireen had been discussing. But in truth, he was playing through tunes in his head that he was sorting out for when he arrived to the Archive.

After a somewhat decent walk to the center of the Bastion, Al arrived at the large white doors to the Archive and casually pushed them open without hesitation. Other than his dorm room, there were not a lot of places that Al could find solitude within the Bastion. The Archive was one of the few exceptions. As he entered, the blinding white room immediately began to shift and change before him as if he were walking into someones dream, he looked down and as per usual he became disembodied and was more of a consciousness floating around the room as he watched the memory take shape.

The Archive began to shift before Al into what looked like a garage. He knew this by the concrete floor beneath him,and yard equipment and power tools hanging on the walls. But instead of cars within the garage, were a set of drums, an electric guitar and a bass guitar all waiting for their musicians. As if on cue, Al could hear other voices and the door between the house and garage opened and four boys stepped into view. They were fairly average looking boys, at least from what Al had seen from past memories of other garage bands. They wasted no time discussing what they wanted to play, and after setting up their equipment, began to play a version, albeit slightly off tune, of Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd.

 

[TheGrandPygmy]

Not a few seconds after he opened his eyes, the mermaid rushed him and he jumped. Eirene she said her name was. She certainly seemed nice, and was very bubbly. After she slowed her cascade of words he spoke up with a thankful tone, "Thank you...and yeah I've been shown the gist of this place. But I don't have a room yet." At the mention of calling him Dox, he almost spoke up to say something but was quickly cut off by her next words. He couldn't help but smile a bit at her welcoming words, "Heheh. Thanks. I hope I can do well here. And sure, you can call me Dox."

Maddox felt a hand on his shoulder and looked over. Atlan had turned into a raven! Maddox almost asked how he did it, but he quickly remembered they could turn into anything they wanted here, or alter their appearance in any way. His smile widened, he kind of dug the look himself. He also found it a bit flattering someone would change to that form to help him feel more comfortable. "Golden light person?" He raised an eyebrow wondering what he meant.

"I probably shouldn't be the one to ask..." he thought. "I still barely know anything about going into dreams and such..." All he knew was he could do it. And his watch would help him. He knew WHY he had to do it. To defend the dreamer who's having the dream. But from what? That he didn't know either. He just decided not to talk too much. At this point it was better to listen than to speak. Behind him he heard a small voice talking to Happenstance, so he turned to see another face in the room. Maddox offered a small wave, then turned back to look at Nyx.
zCrookedz SilverFlight Bolts Lioness075 Tedronai Collinbu98 DawnAntalios deer Dominaiscna

 

[SilverFlight]

Nyx	Rank: Master

Nyx raised an eyebrow at Al's small quip. "Lucky for who though?" He retorted quietly at the master's back, a fraction of a smile playing on his thin mouth. The knowing look in Maddox's eyes broadened that smile. "You understand. So! It might be time to see what you can do."
Sam's question made him look down and regard her small, feathery form seriously for a moment.
"All I have are theories. Without more information, I'm not inclined to make conclusions yet, but if that was what I think it was. The golden boy was a spirit in transition from the physical world."
Hap could just about hear Nyx from her brooding spot by the bookcase. She perked up to listen.
"We have a strong theory that dreamers pass on, that their time in the physical world is limited, but when they pass they do not just disappear. Some likely become what we are, an individual consciousness living here in the Morpheus Bastion, protecting the physical world from what would harm it in this one, but, there are far more dreamers down in the physical world than there are animi, so they cannot all be coming here. I don't know if they choose, I don't know if they are forced or what entities govern the transition, but I suspect there is much more out there than we currently know about...That is all I can say for now."
He turned to look at Maddox again, the rare smile sticking around at Eirene hugged the new dream guardian.
Hap was relieved when Lux spoke to her, it was a welcome distraction. She related the dream they had been in, the fact that is was abnormally crawling with fear fiends, and their encounter with the ethereal boy bathed in golden light, that Nyx had said was definitely not part of the dreamer's creation.
"Its all weird." She finished, being in a better mood now she pushed off from the book case and made her way back over to the group, gesturing for Lux to come.
"I recommend," Said Nyx, moving slowly toward the door, "a training session in the classrooms. I'll create a dream scenario and I'd like you to accompany Maddox and guide him through the process."
Nyx had a knowing look that made Hap curious. "I will be the dreamer."
It wasn't an easy thing to do, it required a master's skill and a deep command over one's own mind, but she'd seen him do it before.
"To the classrooms then. I will need your help." He stopped by Karliah and rested a hand on her shoulder, "You too. Come with me."
"Great! When do we start?"
"Not you." Hap's heart plummeted to her toes. "Are. You. Kidding?"
"If Teoh wishes to train you alongside us in the dream I create that is fine, however if he desires a bit more control for this special training session that is granted too."
Hap looked as thought he'd just signed her death warrant. Nyx moved to the door without a glance back.

The classrooms were exactly as they had been left when the window had called them. Nyx headed the group. When they reached the one they had been in this morning Nyx stopped at the door, a similar doors lined the hallway on both sides.
"Whenever you are ready Maddox." Nyx said gently.
He cast his gaze around for Hap but found her nowhere. She had slipped away, determined to drag out the time before her punishment as long as she could.

Happenstance	Rank: Rookie

Hap ducked into the archive as soon as she had slipped the group, called by the music that Al had conjured up. She had a huge grin on her face. She loved Al's jam sessions, and right about now she needed both the distraction and the hiding place. She leaned just on the inside of the doorway, and as the song played she imagined stage lights. They appeared in a flash, lighting the musicians in a riot of colour. Hap listened, nodding along to the beat and cherishing the time here before Teoh found her again.

zCrookedz Lioness075 DawnAntalios Bolts Tedronai deer Dominaiscna Collinbu98 TheGrandPygmy

 

[DawnAntalios]

Karliah	Rookie
Mood: Curiosity	Weapon: Those big emerald eyes

The shred of courage which compelled her to move with Atlan in a pace to catch up with everybody quickly evaporated from Karliah as she remained behind almost everyone else as they were talking to Maddox and Nyx with a happy and excited tone. She felt as if her entire body and her legs were turned to stone, not allowing her to move or to partake in the jubilee. She silently let out a sigh as she watched other people come into the picture. The pleasant and outright happy sight of Eriene made Karliah smile a little which was immediately followed by her curious glances shot at Lux as she stepped close to Nyx.
"There... are so many..." she blinked to herself, a heavy blush overtaking her cheeks as she felt becoming even smaller. She had accustomed to talking to one or two people by this point but seeing an entire group of Animi here well... made her as frightened as the little hatchling in her nest when she first glances at the big world alone. She felt a rush of shame course through her body but still, her rooted position was not something she could break despite the encouraging words of Atlan as he himself joined the group soon enough.

She was about to finally make her move and scurry away silently when she heard Nyx speaking up. Curiosity now engulfing her mind she turned towards the enigmatic centaur and waited for his instructions of what their next step should be. The revelation about the golden spirit came to a surprise to Karliah but she had long accepted that there was more in this strange world than it met the eye so she was not scared about that particular topic. What did wake the unsettling feeling within her, however, was the training session the Master advised them to partake in. She had heard whispers about Nyx being able to simulate being a dreamer but she could never piece the picture together of how exactly could he do it. What if something went wrong? What if the demons or fiends began to attack? What if-

Her cloudy vision cleared up immediately when she felt a hand pressing her shoulder. Immediately jumping into a ready-looking position she looked up and for briefly her eyes met Nyx's. The blush immediately returned to her face as she heard the gentle command uttered by the centaur as she - in anxiety - saluted.
"Y-yes Master Nyx! Right... away!" was that she could muster up to say and then, faster than normally, she began following the lead of the hooved teacher. She felt a rush of embarrassment washing over her but this time she shook her head. If she was needed as well as the others she would do her best... even if she had not no idea how a training session like this would transpire. She mustered the courage to walk with dignity and finally they reached the familiar room of their studies. Seizing this moment of being among the first people to enter she sought out the perfect spot where she would still be able to watch the others while at the same time she could join in any time. When Nyx urged Maddox to tell them whenever he was ready Karliah tensed and watched with clarity in her eyes as everything fell into place around them. She hoped - nay, prayed - that she was ready, despite her shaking a bit from excitement.

SilverFlight zCrookedz Lioness075 Bolts Tedronai deer Dominaiscna Collinbu98 TheGrandPygmy

 

[zCrookedz]

Al

♩♫♪

• Rank: Master
• Armor: Leather
• Weapon: Guitar
• Mood: Indifferent

Al continued to watch the memory before him as the boys in the garage continued to play. They played several different songs, from the classic rock to the more modern rock. One of the boys even suggested something with a pop sound to it, but was quickly heckled by the others for his love of the pop star who sang it. They were friends, enjoying the music that brought them together in there safe place. The scene didn't really stir much within Al, he just continued to watch the small band, keeping a particular interest in the lead guitarist.

As he continued to watch, the memory looked as if it was fast forwarding. The boys began to grow up into preteen's and then teenagers. They added several other member's to the band, even lost a few of the original members. But the guitarist stayed the same, and soon the little group of boys, was a small band now with a vocalist and keyboard player. The lead guitarist, who was now much more of the leader of the band, had gotten scores better. Had he a body during this event, Al would have been leaning forward to view his progress with more interest.

The band was no longer in the garage, but in a studio behind a glass window. They were playing a song, but Al couldn't quite make out the sound or the vocals. Something was disrupting the memory, and it didn't take him long to find the source as a set of canned lights appeared and began shining down on the group. Al glanced around the Archive as he began to materialize once more, and found Hap standing by the door watching the scene before her. He was slightly perturbed by her sudden apearance. He had thought that the "extra class" would have given him the privacy he needed. None the less, Al sidled up next to Hap leaning against the wall staring at the scene before them that was now a mixture of memory and imagination.
"You know, for a rookie, you don't have much of a problem screwing up the dreamscape when something interests you. You're manipulating the can lights into the memory, not sure how the Archive will react if you manipulate memories."
As he spoke, he gestured to the can lights within the scene.

SilverFlight Lioness075 Bolts Tedronai deer Dominaiscna Collinbu98 TheGrandPygmy DawnAntalios

 

[Tedronai]

Teoh followed the procession led my Nyx from the library to the classroom. He was just swept along, lost in his own thoughts. He hadn’t expected Nyx to side with him when Happenstance had sought her second opinion. He still didn’t know what to make of it.

“Whenever you are ready Maddox”

His words snapped him out of his contemplation. “Headmaster, if I might make a suggestion?” The civility was an effort. Waiting for Nyx’s acknowledgement before continuing was a greater one. He did so regardless. It was proper.

“If you intend to play the role of the dreamer in this training exercise, perhaps I could take the role of the fiend?” He was sure some already saw him as one. “I believe such an experience would provide an excellent lesson for young Happenstance,”—he turned around to address her, only then realising she’d slipped away in the move—“just as soon as I find her.”

SilverFlight Lioness075 Bolts deer Dominaiscna Collinbu98 TheGrandPygmy DawnAntalios zCrookedz

 

[Dominaiscna]

Lux	Rank: Rookie
Mood: mildly concerned	Weapon: Ghost Smile

It was all quite confusing and interesting. Standing there listening to the other's give their theories, Lux couldn't help feel a little sad for missing the dream... she too was very curious with regards with the strange light boy and would've liked to have seen the phenomenon herself but... she was preoccupied. Again, her thoughts drifted to the little girl named Anna. She could only pray that life would not dim the pureness and light she saw in the child... but she couldn't protect her. Not out there in the real world. The living world.

A dull painful longing tugged at her chest, and she couldn't help look away from the others to the window momentarily... that is until the girl beside he began her explanation of what had happened. Grateful for the momentary distraction, she pushed all thoughts to the back of her mind.

As Lux remained by Happenstance, listening inquisitively to the Anima as she caught her up on what she had missed, she spied Atlan making his way towards the middle of the group, changing his appearance to that of a raven-like humanoid to match the new Animus named Maddox. She watched ever so slightly amused at the group's warm welcome from Eirene's friendly and kind nature to Atlan's chummy-ness. They made the atmosphere so very lively and it brought a faint smile to her face. One that faltered when the raven-headed animus unexpectedly turned towards her and tipped his hat in a greeting. Taken aback by his action, Lux was momentarily stuck not knowing what to do. Should she wave? or nod? or what? In the end, she gave up and gently dipped in the lightest of curtsies though the action felt very strange. Maddox, having seen Atlan's action, followed suit and she curtsied gracefully again, feeling all the more awkward. She couldn't imagine how strange they must have thought she was.

Thankfully Happenstance had just finished her summary of all that had happened and Lux turned her focus away from the group and back to her. "Thank you, Happenstance..." she started but then the other girl motioned for her to follow and join the others with her. Though she was hesitant, a warm feeling blossomed in her chest as she ventured closer to the rest of the Animis. She stood near the edge of the group with one hand absentmindedly fiddling with the gold adornments around her waist, finger tips idly tracing the cool metal as Nyx gave them instructions.

The idea of creating a practice dreamscape was good. Lux had never seen Nyx work his powers in such a way so she was rather excited... until he turned down Happenstance. The young girl seemed to deflate in front of her eyes. As the group moved towards the classrooms, she wanted to remain behind and perhaps reach out to the anima... but in the blink of an eye she was gone. Perhaps she needed some time to calm down... and hide from Master Teoh... so Lux would perhaps see how she was doing later.

She followed behind the group as they walked, nerves prickling up her spine as they got closer to the classroom. Lux was still a new anima so she intended to hang back, observe and learn from the more experienced Animis this time round.

SilverFlight Bolts zCrookedz Lioness075 deer TheGrandPygmy Collinbu98 DawnAntalios Tedronai

 

[TheGrandPygmy]

Maddox looked deeply confused at the explanation of the 'golden boy'. What in the world was this centaur TALKING about? He shook his head, he'd probably find out later. When Teoh spoke up, he tilted his head. A fiend? What was a fiend? Was that the thing he had to protect the dreamer from? He gulped, the notion of fiends didn't exactly sound the most welcoming. Though he'd go through with it to show he could.

"Whenever you're ready Maddox."
This was it he supposed. Time to recreate a dreamscape as they called it. It felt like only a couple minutes ago that Maddox arrived to the Bastian and now he was going to test his abilities in a dream. "Interesting turns of events..." he thought with a quiet sigh. He closely followed behind Nyx and tried to keep calm and not let his mind go too crazy. Instead, he let himself think about the orientation and what it would bring.

As they walked down the hall he wondered what sort of things Nyx could create in this simulation. What sort of things would he face? Maddox got a bit more excited thinking about it. He wanted to learn as much as he could about dreams and the things that happened there. He wanted to know more about why they went into dreams and what he could do to help dreamers. "Note to self," Maddox thought. "Ask people about their dreamworld adventures..." With a deep breath, and a quick look at his watch, he slowly pushed the door open and entered the classroom.

zCrookedz Lioness075 DawnAntalios Bolts Tedronai deer Dominaiscna Collinbu98 SilverFlight

 

[Bolts]

Name: Atlan	Rank: Journeyman
Mood: reflective	Weapon: Rapier

Hearing Nyx's input on the golden boy filled him with wonder. He had heard rumors of such things, and deep down, he felt his visions were a little to real. Sure, they only came in short snippets when he gazed up at stars for a while but it still felt different from being an Animus. He began having worried thoughts, however. If this theory turned out to be true... then what happened to the dreamers he let down? The few that just couldn't make it in time? Well, I hope we have more happy recruits like Maddox here! He joyfully smiled as he placed a hand over his heart where he kept a pocket full of trinkets of dreamers he had met along the way. Though he looked happy and pleasant on the outside, he couldn't help but feel a little pained deep down.

His minor sorrow came to a halt as things picked up in the group once more. Hearing a chance to train and get some extra lessons in sounded like a great idea! Especially when he got to see a new Animus' way of handling a dream. Sounds like a fun time! I'll tag along. Maybe be a support. He said as he gave a feathery thumbs up to newer ones, Maddox in particular. As they walked down the halls, he wondered what theme Nyx would go for. Having the power of a dreamer was amazing and he hoped to one day harness it. Maybe then he could truly turn the tide for dreamers. If anything, it would be sweet to have a Cowboy theme this time around.

As they came to the door, he could tell a few were nervous. Some in a good way while some were bad. With a quick wave of his winged arm, he formed a rapier and holster on his hip. A dream always had threats even if it looked normal. He waited there for the moment where he could continue seeing as it was Maddox who got to call when it started. Quickly after the avian fellow walked in, Atlan followed. Nothing like a lesson to keep the mind and body sharp. He muttered happily to himself.
zCrookedz SilverFlight TheGrandPygmy Lioness075 Tedronai Collinbu98 DawnAntalios deer Dominaiscna