Memory to Memory
It is somewhere between midnight and dawn, but the dream world has no record of time, only place, and this time, the world has resolved into the small outpost of Alexandria known as Wilderness Pointe. Dolan stands in the middle of the square, in this oddly quiet place. The markets are there but quiet, the Wayfarer Inn lit up inside the windows, faint music coming from within. It is cold, but without snow, and the sun westers towards evening.
Dolan himself is - interesting in this world, just a touch different. The long brown hair and mobile half of his face remains the same, his clothing a jerkin over harvest-gold shirt and leather trousers, but the right side of his face where the scars are in the real world renders just a touch differently. There is no eye where a right eye should be, only three clear, distinct furrows as if made by claw marks. The rest of the scarring, the acid melting, is indistinct, just a little fuzzy, although if one looks, one can see it. A scar that looks like a pair of healed fang-marks adorn the right side of his neck, and they are quite clear and vivid.
He turns towards the other being present, and looks around him. "Yeah. This is it. I need to remember what happened here."
At Dolan's side is a large blue-scaled sith-makar in white Daeus vestments. Symbol of the deity emblazoned large on his chest and a set of crystal limbs on his left side. The crystal limbs themselves are distinct and lovely, yet wholly a part of the sith-makar that wears them. He looks around Wilderness Pointe with some interest, but most of his attention is largely on Dolan. "Sssaa. Thisss one can not aid you in remembering, but thisss one will be here while you do." He offers his claws to Dolan; allowing the other man the choice of crystal or scale, or both.
hen one is touched by Chaos, one's perception of what even *is* weird can get a little... erratic. When one's dreams are usually less prosaic, and more shot through with colors and situations that are simply *impossible* in the real world, tripping over a root and falling onto one's face in the middle of a town square at midnight?
No, that's still pretty weird.
Hitting ground with the strangled squawk of one managing to push all the breath out of their lungs, Magpie flops over, staring balefully up at the night sky. "...Okay I'm-- ...hm. *Seventy-three percent sure* this isn't mine." Hands come up, the gnome patting herself down. "Okay. Everything's working fine, teeth not falling out, I'm *dressed* so I don't have to worry about giving a lecture on teleportation safety... Hells with it let's see where this goes."
Legs rock up, then down as the sorceress levers herself up into a sitting position, then standing... And only *then* does she looks around, and spot Dolan. Then pauses, peering at the Inquisitor with a puzzled frown. "...*Eighty-five percent sure* this isn't mine. You *are* Dolan, right? And uh..." Eyes move to the sith-makar, and a bright grin spreads across her face. "Hi! I'm not sure if we've met, but dreams are weird and my memory could be used to sift flour anyway so hello sir! Whose dream is this, and why am *I* here all of the sudden?"
Dolan just about jumps out of his skin as the gnome comes crash-landing full-tilt into the middle of the square, and his serious mien turns into a chuckle, the mobile half of his features lighting up with good-natured amusement. "Magpie, what in all the green garden hells are you doing here? The dream's mine, don't worry, though I ain't rightly sure how you got into it." He at least seems to recognize the gnome, and signals Zeke with a squeeze of the scaled claw to join him. "Just a minute. She doesn't need to see this." He walks over to her, offering a hand. It is pretty clear that he is not troubled or upset by the newcomer, only mildly puzzled. "You don't have one of those statues, do you?"
Zeke nods to Dolan, agreeing silently with what is largely not being said. He too is startled by the gnome's sudden appearance, and he follows Dolan over to where she is. "Peasce on your nessst. Thisss one doesss not believe we have met. Thisss one isss called Zeke." It is _not_ a typical name for a sith-makar. Not even by a little bit. "Ssstrange that we ssshould meet like thisss."
The question regarding the statues takes Magpie physically aback. "I mean, *yeah,* but that was a while ago! When there weren't werewolf assassins jumping out of the jakes to eat my face, I figured it was just supposed to be *there.* Thought about getting some wire and turning it into a bangle for my wand, but something about wrapping gold around Althea's neck seemed like a bad idea."
The offered hand is grabbed and given a fond shake, before her attention turns to Zeke. "Hello to you too, Zeke! I'm Magpie, and uh..." Eyes flick from Zeke's arm, to Dolan's face, and back. "...Suddenly wondering exactly *what* the dress code is, here. Anyway. So the statues are letting us, like, dream *together?* That's weird. Also awesome. I'm guessing there's something we need to see here?"
GAME: Dolan rolls will: (20)+10: 30 (CRITICAL SUCCESS)
There's something that I wanted to see here, yeah, but you don't need to, 'cause it's pretty-" Dolan trails off, scratching at the side of his hairline. "Yeah, I've been spending lots of time lately with these statues, and there's some stuff you ought to know." He looks around him one more time. "Yeah, we can dream together, and what's more, they let you _control_ it. So, we can learn stuff, explore places. Watch this."
He stares straight ahead, concentrating, and - the scenery around them _shifts_. Instead of a deserted street at night, it becomes a clear, bright day, on a cobblestoned street of Alexandria that Magpie will readily recognize as being near the Market District. On the corner is the busy pastry shop that Dolan showed her when they first met, the smells drifting from it absolutely delightful.
When he is done, he turns to her, and grins. "The statues are really powerful. In fact, they're artifacts. The werewolves are still out there, though, and they're still looking for them, so be _dead_ careful where you take it and who you show it to. Try this. Imagine yourself with a pastry from that shop in your hand."
Zeke hums to himself at the sudden change in venue, seemingly satisfied to allow Dolan to explain how the totems work. Self-consciously he touches his left arm, but it's a subtle movement, easy to miss in the hustle and bustle of the dream market place. The people that populate the area all seem vaguely familiar, but a close examination shows them to be fairly featureless. They all look the same really. Zeke finds this a little unsettling and sniffs the air only to find that they have no scent. Only the smell of the street itself and the various scents of the shops. "They do not sssmell." He comments to Dolan, disconcerted.
GAME: Magpie rolls will: (18)+6: 24 GAME: Magpie rolls will: (6)+6: 12
"...Okay I'm just going to say, Dolan, you made two mistakes. One, you left me hanging, and now I'm never not gonna wonder what it was going to be too." Magpie says, with a wry smile. "Two... you told me I can make my imagination into pseudoreality. What comes next? You are *entirely to blame.*"
And a steaming, frosted bun is in her hands, half the size of her head. "...I AM SOLD, GOOD SIR." Tearing the bun in half, she offers one half up to Zeke, presumably as an apology.
"Sorry if I made you uncomfortable. Dad says I don't have any screens between my brain and my mouth, and usually that's okay, but when I upset someone it's important they know I saw it, and didn't mean to." She opens her mouth to go on--
When she's body-tacked by what appears to be a large squirrel, its fur shining in all the colors of the rainbow. Chaos, as is her wont, ensues.
GAME: Dolan rolls will: (16)+10: 26 GAME: Zeke rolls Will: (6)+15: 21
"I'll tell you another time-" That is about all that Dolan manages to get out before the giant rodent-thing body-tackles Magpie to the cobblestones, and he is left to _stare_ in confusion at the rendering. It takes him a moment, but he reaches for Zeke's claw, and focuses on the squirrel, forcing it to bound off down the street and vanish from view, melting into nothingness as it does.
"That's the downside," he says, letting out a breath he doesn't realize he was holding. "Losing control of the dream makes bad shit happen. You wouldn't like what I was about to look at." A cheeky grin pulls at the mobile side of his face.
"You said they didn't smell, Zeke? They - usually don't, not most people, unless they didn't bathe." Curiosity now takes over. "Do you smell something I don't?"
Zeke considers a moment how to politely put the words that come to mind. He shifts from foot to foot and then finally just says it. "The People have a very acute sssenssse of sssmell. Soft-ssskinss... they have sscent, particularly in large crowdsss like thisss. Thisss one can sssmell you." He sniffs the air and shakes his head, then leans toward Magpie a little and sniffs her before pulling back and his tail shifts. "Ssshe ssmellsss too. Sssince thisss one hass never met her before, thisss one assssumess that her sscent isss the correct one."
"Vicious little *bastard,*" Magpie says wonderingly, as she levers herself up off the ground a *second* time. "Is that what that was? Cos I was just going to have him run by, but if it's gonna be like *that* he doesn't get any diamond acorns." Brushing off her robes with a huff, she turns back to the conversation.
"Yeah that makes perfect sense; you're never going to smell your own smell, you've been around it for so long your brain just edits that part out of what you're looking for. Have you ever tasted your own mouth? Like that."
And clearly she could bang on and on in this vein, but she reels herself back, clearing her throat. "Anyway... Quick question, Dolan, but important; was what you were gonna look at important?
GAME: Magpie rolls will: (11)+6: 17
Interestingly, Dolan doesn't seem to be particularly concerned with the blunt comments and explanations. "I serve the Knight's truth, Magpie. You can always be bluntly honest with me, and I'm not likely to take offense. You're honest, and that's one of my favorite things about you. I'm pretty blunt sometimes, too, and it'd be stupid of me to get mad when someone else was blunt to me. I called someone's grandmother an old bitch a while ago because she ignored the woman's birth and then wanted to make demands on how she got married." A half a grin accompanies that.
"That can happen," he warns seriously. "That was pretty mild compared to some of the shit that can happen when you lose control. But - yeah, it was kind of important, but only to me really. But there was something I wanted to ask you. Did you ever find Albus Kinkade's second book?"
He turns then to Zeke. "Huh. Maybe in a minute, but I wonder if you rendered the dream, if I'd smell what you smell."
The surroundings shift subtly, as if on a row boat. Changing back to the area where Magpie found Zeke and Dolan originally.
Zeke blinks at her own explanation and he sniffs the air again then shakes his head. "Thisss one can sssmell ssself. E-" He cuts himself off and ducks his head slightly, looking casually off to the side and then landing on Dolan. "Are you... Doing that? Changing where we are?"
"...No that was probably me," Magpie admits, clearing her throat. "The problem with mysteries is when you try to *not* think about it, you can't help but think about it. It's like telling someone *not* to think of a purple aurochs."
And immediately she claps her hands over her mouth, eyes darting left and right. But after a few panicked moments, when nothing seems to happen, she opens her hands. "Uh... yeah I found it, just a bit ago. Haven't read it, mostly because I want to find out who *destroyed* a book to *hide* another one. Fate of the world or not, *you don't do that.*"
GAME: Dolan rolls will: (6)+10: 16
Dolan looks around him again as the scenery subtly shifts back to Wilderness Pointe. He sighs, and casts a long look at Zeke. "No. I wasn't paying attention, I guess. I probably ought to."
He turns himself to face Magpie fully, even as he extends his hand to Zeke again. "Someone who doesn't want its contents known," he answers without hesitation. "Which means we'd best find out what they are. I can't come read it right now, but if you send a message to Zeke at the Temple of Daeus with what it says about Jal'goroth."
He tails off, looking around him thoughtfully, his attention taken by - something else. What is not clear.
Though Dolan does not notice him, there is a tall man with green eyes that certainly notices him. He breaks away from where he's been sequestered partially away from the crowd. People give way for him, moving aside as if some inner instinct tells them that they should. He reaches Dolan's side rather quickly, coming in on the side that Zeke stands on and though he offers him a glance he almost immediately dismisses him. "Hello amber-eye. It is good to see you again."
It's as if the low voice triggers something. Another memory perhaps. Or perhaps many memories. Suddenly Magpie and Zeke are in a stone room, and Dolan is chained to the wall, facing stone. He cries out as the man with green eyes beats him with a whip. The siren song of the whip cracking the only sound beside the noises coming from Dolan. Or maybe he's facing forward. Blood pouring down his chest as the man slides metal knives under his skin. Calmly. One at a time as Dolan tries his hardest not to make a sound. Not to move. Not do anything that might make this worse.
Zeke moves forward, crystal claw taking Dolan's hand. He doesn't ask first, for the first time in perhaps his entire life. He thrums low in his throat and holds the hand that's stretched high above Dolan's head. "You are not here. You are in the Dragonfather'sss Temple. Hisss holy alter. There isss only thisss one and Magpie. You are not alone." He ignores the presence of Kol. Ignores the knives, the blood. The unsteady illusion of memory played out in the dream.
"...Wait who's tha--"
The sudden change in scenery *would* cause Magpie to cry out, perhaps say something inventively nonsensical, but the crack of the whip stuns her into silence. Her eyes are wide as she watches Dolan put through torture after torture...
And steps forward. Reaching up, she closes a tiny hand around one of Dolan's fingers, on the other side of him from Zeke. "This is your dream," she says quietly. "I might be able to mess around, but... You decide what happens and what doesn't. What hurts and what doesn't. What's scary, and what isn't."
By the pinpricking of her pupils, and the waves of fear-smell emanating from the gnome, this is indeed *plenty scary.* But it's also clearly not her first time being surrounded by horror.
GAME: Dolan rolls will: (11)+10: 21 GAME: Zeke rolls Will: (2)+15: 17 GAME: Magpie rolls will: (10)+6: 16
It's messy. It doesn't happen immediately, and nothing moves or changes when Zeke speaks. It's not until Magpie joins in that the scenery begins to - move. Painfully. Away from the bloodstained stone walls, and towards a scene flooded with sunlight. If Magpie has ever been to the Temple of Daeus, she'll recognize it as the main courtyard before the altar.
Dolan collapses to the grass of the courtyard, breathing hard, and for just a minute, he shifts. Well, partly. Away from the bloodied man, and to the healed one, later, but still shirtless. On his back, they both can clearly see that the whip marks exist, framed by other scars and lighter-colored flesh such that the whole appearance is that of a stained-glass window, cracked where the whip-marks are, and wrought in scars. It is a chillingly macabre form of art, rendered in perfect detail.
Slowly, Dolan gets to his feet. "Fuck. I'm sorry. Didn't want you to see that."
The image of the Temple wavers, just a little.
"There issss no need to apologize Dolan." Zeke murmurs to the contrary, still thrumming. Focusing his own will on maintaining the presence of the temple around them. He frowns a little when it wavers and focuses more intently. This _is_ where they are. He knows it. The light pours in and he steps next to Dolan. "You are haunted by thesse memoriesss. Being sso doess not make one weak."
"...When we're in a little less malleable of a reality," Magpie says softly. "I got a story for you. Both of you, if you want. It's... I get it, is all. And it's my fault, and I'm sorry, just..."
Trailing off, the gnome takes a deep breath. "I should probably go. If nothing else... I think you deserve a while to make yourself a *really good dream.* And I don't wanna snoop. But I got a lot to talk to you about. You too Zeke, if you're curious. It starts with a wizard's soul in a book."
GAME: Dolan rolls will: (12)+10: 22
"Nah. I chose to do that. I just - I wanted to remember why. I let him." It takes a moment, but Dolan's clothes reform around him, this time a simple shirt and trousers that conceal all the scars and marks, and he dusts himself off. "Look, I've got a lot more to tell you too, about how these things work, and what we're doing about it. I'm in the Temple of Daeus Sunlord. Ask for Sunguard Zeke when you get there, he can help you find me. They won't let you bring anything in, though. Just read the book and come tell me what it says? I could use the company."
He turns then to Zeke. "Thank you. I didn't see what I wanted, but I remember why I did it now, and that's what I wanted. I wanted to get into the camp."
GAME: Magpie rolls will: (6)+6: 12 GAME: Zeke rolls Will: (13)+15: 28
Suddenly and violently the vision changes as it had with Dolan. There's a lodge in the mountains burning as snow falls, a small halfling rocking back and forth before the place, crying and babbling nonsesnical words that can not be understood. The vision shifts unsteadily like Dolan's had. Becoming a mass of madmen eating... They're eating one another. One of them grabs Magpie-
The area shifts subtly, becoming a stone room, but the people are still eating one another.
Zeke is there though, smacking the man backwards with his quarterstaff, his green eyes narrow. "FORGOTTEN!" He hisses, angry and terrified, but maintaining his will. He stands at Magpie's side, protecting her from the madmen as they eat one another, the horror of the scene making him sick, but he refuses to let it into his mind. Even the smell... the SMELL. "You are not alone Magpie! We are in the Dragonfather'sss temple! Remember thissss!"
GAME: Dolan rolls will: (11)+10: 21 GAME: Magpie rolls will: (16)+6: 22
"She wouldn't even say its name," Magpie says faintly, just barely audible above the sounds of burning, and screaming, and chewing. "And I kept getting it wrong. We were just supposed to be on vacation, but... We ended up needing to save them, in the middle of nowhere. And we could only save her. Everyone else..."
Those familiar with traumas can clearly understand that Magpie seems to be disassociating as hard as she can. Separate the feelings and the thoughts, be ready to act no matter how much you want to just curl up in a ball. "The point is... I get it, Dolan..."
The gnome flinches, as the cabin is exchanged for a stone building, but the cannibalistic melee goes on, fixing her eyes on a point far, far away from 'here.' "I get it."
Suddenly, the scene shifts around Dolan, and he _stares_ in horror at the cannibalistic melee breaking out. "Magpie, we're in the Temple! We're not there! FOCUS!" he shouts, willing as hard as he can for the stone room to go away, for them all to return to the temple.
It's only partly enough.
It's enough for the stone room to be replaced with grass and open air, but not enough to chase away the _smell_ of bloody meat. The lingering sounds of screaming. His own heart reflexively races in response, but he, too, forces it down.
"Yeah. I guess you do." Beat. "Come find me when everyone wakes up, all right. There's a lot more I've got to tell you." He turns to face her fully, and the flesh half of his face quirks in the beginnings of that old cheeky grin. "Zeke, will you let her bring me a pastry?"
GAME: Zeke rolls Will: (4)+15: 19
Zeke tries. He really does. He doesn't take them back to some terrible memory he has, but the smell combined with the thought of Dolan eating... It's just a little bit too much for the sith. He turns away just in time to prevent them from seeing him being violently ill. He collapses to his knees helplessly, closing his green eyes and whispering to himself. "Dragonfather'sss temple. Dragonfather'sss temple." The location doesn't waver an inch, but Zeke himself is withering before their eyes. Becoming practically skeletal and the smell just will _not_ leave.
GAME: Magpie rolls will: (10)+6: 16
"Yeah," Magpie says, shaking her head as she snaps out of her horrible reverie. "I'll see you guys in the real world. And I'll bring a nice tea, too. Something soothing."
And then Zeke starts to vomit his very soul, apparently, and Magpie sighs. "I really screwed this up... I'm so sorry. I'll just... I'll go. I'll go. Hang on."
Patting her robes down, she frowns, screws her eyes shut, and plunges a hand into her satchel, drawing out a huge wooden mallet, painted red and white, with golden stars on. Across one side is scrawled 'WAKEY WAKEY' in whitewash. Drawing in a deep breath, she tips her head back, then *SLAMS* it against the business end of the hammer... and vanishes.
GAME: Dolan rolls will: (16)+10: 26
Despite himself, despite the situation, Dolan can't help but laugh at Magpie's unconventional imagery and methods, even as he turns to Zeke, his very soul twisting with sympathy. "I'm sorry too," he mutters. "Enough is fucking enough. Let's go home."
With Magpie gone, he strides over to Zeke and grabs the skeletal thing by the shoulders, pushing down the twin pangs of guilt and sympathy. "Come on." With a mental *wrench*, he pulls them both over sideways, and into the real-
And snaps awake, staring at the ceiling with wide eyes.
-End