1325/The Third Dream

The Third Dream
Date of Scene:	13 January 2015
Location:	Terra Majora
Synopsis:	For the third time, the Union dives into Fairchild's dreams.
Cast of Characters:	12, 92, 134, 168, 183, 253, 331, 395, 570, Ayako Hasekawa
Tinyplot:	New Blood

---

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    Those who were made aware of the attempt into Fairchild's dreams will find it is pretty straightforward. Mordred has been through this before, and the Unionites have a mystical orb that flares to life now and then. Touching this brings them to... another place. A much different place. The realm of Elliana's Nightmares.

    It doesn't look very nightmarey today though. When the groups manifest together, it is on a large sailing ship, with a handsome man in his mid-twenties manning the wheel. He has garish dress, including a wide pirate hat and an eyepatch. Those who have been here before will recognize him a Wrathborn's human guise. "Yo ho ho! Welcome once more! I was beginning to wonder if you'd all forgotten about us in here. I'll be your escort again tonight... CAPTAIN Wrathborn, of the SS Nightmare!"

    Someone is in a good mood.

    The ship isn't all for show though. It appears that the dreamscape is much more vast this time, and the snakelike body that bears the various locales is made up entirely of water. The ship sails upon this water, that body surrounded by a starry void... and each little island possesses a fragment of memory or thought. Wrathborn adds, "I've taken the liberty of crossing out all the places ye've been."

    Crossing out refers to the large map on the table on deck, an animated map. It shows the massive snakelike body in a slow undulating motion, and the islands labelled. Crossed off already are THE TWIN TOWERS, THE BURNING MANOR, and THE CITY OF MURDER. Still labelled are THE WASTELAND, THE CITY OF SORROW, and THE TEMPLE. The massive GATE is also on the map, but not labelled.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber wasn't going to miss one of these for anything. Personal desire to help Elliana Fairchild aside, he wasn't going to let Nathan traipse around in her subconscious un-chaperoned due to his irresponsible obsessions. The hypocrisy of this personal stance is not lost on the half-angel and the irony is something he fully recognizes.

    "Wrathborn. You look... festive," Psyber says in a flat tone, looking at the man in his garrish dress and his unusual demeanor, "I have personal matters I need to discuss with you specifically, but I will arrange for another day to address that. For now, let's get moving," He adds with some finality.

    Apparently he doesn't recognize Elliana's subconscious as a No Smoking Area, because he takes one out of his jacket and lights it a moment later. He lets the crumpled cigarette hand in his lips as he looks at the map, tilting his head. He scowls a bit.

    "I vote for the Wasteland."

Mordred (12) has posed:
    Mordred is currently half asleep on one of the wooden beams supporting the sail of the ship, overlooking the deck in general. She is wearing Dream Psyber's Dream Coat, because Dream Logic and also shut up. The young teenage Servant has already considered hopping down, punching Wrathborn and taking command of the ship, but that'd probably be a horrible idea.

    Or a great one.
    Verdict's still out on that.

    "Don't care where, let's just get rolling already. C'mon snake, this is a dream, shove afterburners on this ship and let's go."

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    Kuklos ka Amalthea Schmendrick-Fortuna has her own reasons for being here. Though she's poked her head into Elliana's dreams before, now she has a much more direct motive into the matter aside from simple personal reasons, and this is why the unicorn is present.
    However dreams can be a treacherous place, and it means that she is nowhere close to unprepared. Decked out in chain, light plate, and surcoat, she can't help but... Furrow her brow a little at Wrathborn.
    "Dude... Talk like a pirate day uh... Kind of passed." She points out under her breath, rubbing at her eye over her new eyepatch.

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Well, this is something new! Ayako herself doesn't dream-let alone sleep, so entering a realm of nightmares is something novel for her. "Ehh? Well, thank you and nice to meet you CAPTAIN Wrathborn. You seem to have a very nice ship." Ayako smiles cheerfully at him from next to Psyber. Best to stay by someone who can fight! And at the same time be ready to defend Nathan from anything... nightmarish? She curtsies elegantly towards the captain. "I'm Ayako Hasekawa, a water spirit! Please call me Ayako."

    She looks back towards Psyber and Nathan. "Umm... as someone who doesn't really know what is going on, I'll defer to those that do." Ayako smiles a bit awkwardly at them both... and then resumes gazing at the water underneath the ship.

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    Nathan Hall is always looking a littole bit grim when he jumps into the mind of Elliana Fairchild, as well as a bit unsettled by the fall caused by this orb. He sure does have a purpose here, but his purpose is not especially pleasant. His eyes narrow at the map. Wasteland. Hmm. "I have no opposition to visiting the wasteland. It will likely provide precisely the sort of insight I am here to find. The Temple is a location that immediately provokes my substantial interest as well, and must be visited at some point, so I will suggest we take that in the next nightmare in which it appears. It does appear with regularly, correct?"

    He tilts his head at Wrathborn, narrowing his eyes in the only violation of his stoic unexpressiveness. There is a moment during which only Wrathborn would have the inhuman, long-term insight to pierce the stoicism and see that Nathan Hall is observing, and turning over in his mind, the implications of Wrathborn's enthusiastic embracing of human cultural memes. "Is there an occasion, or have you chosen this yourself?" He asks, in perhaps a meaningful way.

Sakura Haruno (134) has posed:
    Sakura likes to turn up for these things appropriately dressed, which is mostly to say that she's wearing pajamas underneath her light armor. It's hard to even tell, however. She hadn't been on one of these little excursions since running into Elliana's mental version of herself, an experience that had been quite awful enough for a while.

    Still, she's here for some of her own reasons, which include mostly keeping quiet. "I suppose the Wasteland works." She decides, after the conversation is mostly had, but she looked worryingly close to siding with Nathan.

Himei (331) has posed:
    Hmm. Himei stares at Wrathborn, then sighs and shakes her head. "I'd go for the City of Sorrows just because of young Elliana, but the Wasteland might be interesting. I don't think we've ever failed to learn something important in these locations. Where are all the nightmares of Fairchild going to Confederate War Councils in her underthings?"

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    In spite of warnings from Nathan some time ago that invading Elliana's dreams would be a risky business, she is most certainly not content to sit idly by whilst she knows someone - anyone - is having dreams related sojourns without her being present for them. It's likely not a coincidence at all, then, when at a specific moment an hour or so prior to the flashing of the orb, Mizuki would get an inkling that 'something important' would be happening. It was also not by chance that she again ended up in the shadow of Psyber, clad in a somewhat unusually austere gown (by her standards), and followed him - knowing or no - into the dream world. This is where she excels, you know? Or, to parse it another way -- when it comes to dream delving, she is simply the best there is. Probably. I suppose we'll see, tonight.

    Putting all that aside, though, she would soon arrive on the deck of the ship with the others, surveying Wrathborn with a quirk of her brow and, perhaps, a gentle twirl of her parasol. "Well, I can hardly forget something I never knew. At least, it wouldn't be -logical- if that were to happen -- I'll not claim that it could never be so." She wouldn't go through the whole process of formal introductions with the... er... swashbuckling dream guide, instead electing to simply bow her head and allow this to speak for her. She's quite a bit more interested in having some input on where their next destination is concerned, though, so she'll address that before moving on to anything else. "Er... hmmm. This 'City of Sorrow' certainly sounds appetizing. Ah, but as Psyber suggested, the Wasteland does as well..." Her eyes close briefly in contemplation, her cheek gently leaning into her closed palm. "Well. You all have been here more than I, so I shall let you decide. Today. Though I shall of course become vocal as I grow more comfortable."

    That's what being polite is like, for her.

    But with that she would close her umbrella and meander somewhere between Psyber and Ayako, giving them both her usual nods and smiles of greeting whilst trying to glean as much as she can about this plane from a cursory glance. She looks out over the 'ocean', if indeed it really is one, and beyond it attempt to spot any of the landmarks that she happened to notice on the graphic that Wrathborn shared with them. At present, she's mostly trying to gauge just how much similarity, if any, this place bears to her home, and how she might use that familiarity to her advantage. Otherwise she's perfectly content to lower her guard and enjoy the scenery (regardless of how unwise that likely is), at least until the time comes for some her to give some urgent response.

Kimiko Shinobu (570) has posed:
    Kimiko does not show up in pajamas, but she does appear somewhat sleepy. She's wearing a coat and scarf, which seems more appropriate to other climes than that typical to a pirate deck, but whatever. It's presently the clothing in which she finds herself most comfortable, so it's how she shows up, here.

    She has nothing in particular to add, voicing nothing concerning the next destination, trusting that to others. She spends her time watching--Wrathborn and Mordred, primarily.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    Wrathborn spins the wheel about, setting the ship in motion at last. It turns about and begins sailing... and Ayako can tell that something is 'off' about the water now. Mizuki probably has an easier time realizing that the 'motion' is entirely conceptual, but that isn't surprising. This entire landscape is really just a way for people to interpret matters.

    "What's wrong with enjoying myself a little?" Wrathborn answers, calling over his shoulder. "This is almost the only time I have that Lady Fairchild isn't watching... and with sapience comes boredom. There are a lot of new things to try! And I don't exactly have a body of my own to go out and do them with. So why can't I dress up? Hello, Ayako... and I think the other one is Mizuki? Miss Shinobu I didn't expect to see in here, but you're welcome to look around. She had a nightmare about you a few weeks ago, you know."

    As the Wasteland nears, Wrathborn explains, "Yes, the Temple is always here. Always empty, at least when I have looked in." He shifts as if uncomfortable. "But there are other nightmares. Less coherent ones, irrelevant ones... occasionally ones that deal with Confederate secrets. I mostly filter those out for you. Even if they might be insightful, they're not stable enough to really manifest like this anyway. Too many people here."

    The ship creaks as it runs aground, and spread out before the group is what looks like twisted, corrupted fields with rotting crops, and a city in the distance. Arnol's Watch. It looks like the Drasillum, the giant tree that Elliana uses as a base, has overgrown the fortress of the city, and the roots are crushing quite a few of the streets.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber gives Ayako a smile and a nod. He's cordial, if terse and pretty serious at this moment, "Ayako. Nice to see you," These incursions are always fairly high-tension for him due to personal relationships. In fact, on that note...

    He turns to Mizuki and gives her a pretty serious look that lacks his usual humor or good attitude, "Mizuki. Nice to see you." A pause, "I appreciate your help and I'm sure your skillset will be useful here, but I would be negligent not to warn you: You will feel a need to take certain authorial liberties or whims. Unless you are relatively certain of their success, I would ask you to exercise caution and restaint. This realm, for all its beauty, is incredibly dangerous and one wrong move could cause unknown damage." He gives her a slight smile, "Sorry to sound stern, but this particular matter is of immense importance to me."

    And then he looks back towards the approaching Wasteland. Some part of him, truthfully, wishes to revisit the Twin Towers and explore that realm more, but it also felt like it was tapped out of information for the moment. Wrathborn leaving it crossed outt cements this for him. As they pull in close, he says formally, "Thank you, Wrathborn."

    Psyber lets out a tired sigh and looks up at Mordred, "Nice coat, by the way." He calls to the errant teenage knight. He'd offer her a cigarette to complete the themed outfit, but he refrains. He does offer one to Amalthea, though. He has no idea if she smokes.

    Himei and Haruno get nods of his head and a, "Yo. Been a while since we were on a mission together," From him. He smiles at them both in a friendly manner too.

    But most of his attention returns to Arnol's Watch, overrun by the Drasillum, "Well. This is grim."

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Ayako smiles cheerfully at Mizuki as she moves her gaze from the 'water' and nods a greeting to her as well! "Mmm... dreams are definitely something interesting..." And then smiles another cheerful smile at Psyber. "Always nice to see you, too, Psyber." She smiles brightly at Wrathborn. "And I don't see anything wrong with dressing up!" Of course the water girl with the water clothes and extremely vast amount of outfits would say that.

    "Hmm... a temple... huh?" Ayako becomes quiet for a moment, and then blinks her eyes slowly when Psyber warns Mizuki about taking authorial liberties or whims. "Mmm... I suppse we are sort of... in her soul in a matter... huh? Best not to leave a mess..." And now she becomes extremely quiet with her amber gaze turned downwards at the deck of the ship, for some reason...?

Mordred (12) has posed:
    Psyber's words snap the Servant out of her boredom. "Forget dangerous for you or inconvenient for Psyber, you do anything here that even remotely threatens my master in the slightest way possible and I'm skewering you and throwing you out myself," Mordred rumbles from atop her perch towards Mizuki, before jumping down to stand by Psyber. "Love the coat by the way, thanks. Just wearing this one here because I wanted to see if I could dream shit up. You tell your grabby friends they can look but if they start touching it ain't gonna end well. This isn't a themepark." Well, for a given definition. It's fine if they play along and do stupid things, there's just obvious do's and don't's, and Mordred's already had to play clean up here, so she's not interested having to do it again.

    "Come on, let's go explore a tree-overrun city."

    Not that talking is boring, but.
    Okay yeah talking bores Mordred a lot.

    Let's go take a closer look.

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    Nathan makes an almost distasteful noise. "I am not here to spy on my opposing faction." He says. "Continue to filter the Confederate secrets as you like." And it really, honestly is true, even coming from him! His stoicism allows only for a small widening of the eyes as they approach Arnol's Watch. The librarian knows exactly where he needs to go first. As he seems to "process", he speaks up. "Psyber is correct. Utmost discretion. I am certain both our group and Elliana can pull through any unfortunate events, but the information here is valuable and we need caution to ensure our chance to see it."

    Nathan makes a wordless motion, inviting the others to take action, and descends himself. Psyber, and probably even Himei and Haruno, will be able to recognize that Tunnel-Vision Mode he's got again, immediately focused on something to the exclusion of almost all else. Without hesitation, Nathan makes a humble sort of leap off the bow of the ship and onto the ground, his mechanical wing-pack unfolding briefly and flaring out under his cloak to slow his descent before he clumsily lands, and begins marching forward very, very intently and seriously. Get to Arnol's Watch, that's the first part of this, so he's focused entirely on the city and hard-marching his way to it. A moral failure. There was the invasion of the Noble Quarter, there was the incident with Neuvina... Come on, Nathan, you can figure this one out...

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Mizuki would perk up at the mention of her name. "Ah! It's awfully nice to know that I'm remembered. Yes, I am Mizuki. Pleased to make your acquaintance, though we might've done so already through some other means. I'm sure neither of us can really say." Mizuki would soon turn from Wrathborn to get a glimpse of the 'Wasteland' proper, though, stopping just short of the boat's edge to just sit back and marvel. "Ah..." The girl takes a deep breath. "... I don't believe I'll have any regrets about coming here, no. When I read 'Wasteland', I had this stereotypical image of some horrid desert come to mind. But this place has some character! Quite a bit of it, really." Her free hand would fold behind her back. "I'll have you know, there is little I love more than ruins. All that wreckage of propriety, all those memories just beyond our temporal awareness... even if that is all a simulation here, it makes it no less delightful to muse on, truly."

    Then, Psyber. Mizuki's smile would slowly even into something a bit more sober. When his statement concludes, she would give a long, knowing nod. "That... seems to be something of a constant when it comes to any sort of psychology, really. Don't fret." She might give another quick glance back in Wrathborn's direction. "... and, as sarcastic or distracted as I may seem, I can assure you -- I will budge not an inch without counsel with your, Nathan, or another 'savvy' sort beforehand. It is my hope that I may be able to help you somehow, here, with my particular talents, but if there is one thing I understand as someone who appreciates the history," She would give a meaningful pause, "it's that it takes a careful, dedicated hand to build something up, and but the gentlest nudge from a reckless one to destroy it entirely. I would not wish to undo what you have been able to accomplish here. Mercifully, I am not that frivolous. Oh, though I did not at all believe you were accusing me of being so, of course." With that, her expression would morph back into a much lighter smile, and she would give a final, supplemental nod before disembarking.

     She would not wander very far afterwards, instead keeping close to the shore and giving a few more, periodic twirls of her parasol. She would continue to gaze about with the same interested, furtive glances as before, occasionally looking back to scan the rest of the group that she entered this realm with.

    For now, she's going to make staying put her way of demonstrating her sincerity to Psyber, though she might peek back at Ayako for a moment. She would open her mouth as if she were about to say something, but she would think better of it before the words have the opportunity to escape her mouth. Probably for the best that way.

Himei (331) has posed:
    Himei... fistbumps Psyber, and nods to Sakura. Mordred's concern has her speaking in a mild tone, "We aren't here to mess things up, and we'll make sure the newbies don't step out of line. I think Kimiko has been in the dreamscape before, anyway."

    Himei hops off the ship, landing on the ground and brushing herself off. "So... what was this one? Personal failure of a moral nature? What's that supposed to mean, anyway?" She frowns... "Is this what would happen if she considered /herself/ evil?"

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    Amalthea has a LOT of bad habits. Between the foul language and an addiction to tacos, a cigarette is the least among the list of the worst things she can do. Though she has long since toned back her antifreeze issues.
    By the time Wrathborn turns the SS Dreamskimmer about to run aground on rotting crops, Amalthea hops off the ship. A sudden burst of sparkles and rainbows from her ankles slows her descent to keep from breaking her legs on the way down, she is chewing on the cigarette, munching slowly; as the prime ingredients consist of dried leaves. It is not exactly tasty, but she just munches slowly as she casts her eye on the overgrown Arnol's Watch. Oh she would recognize the tree there, of course. "Well that looks inviting."

Kimiko Shinobu (570) has posed:
    Kimiko slowly blinks a few times, more out of apparent sleepiness than reaction to anything. Wrathborn's comment then has her attention--she gives a short nod acknowledgement as she's addressed, and then a quirked brow. "I haven't done anything to her, have I?"

    Has she? Well, there was...

    More importantly, people are descending. Kimiko will follow, shortly, though she first gives a nod to Himei. "I have."

Sakura Haruno (134) has posed:
    "Besides, it's best if we not start having any sort of fights here." Sakura doesn't seem too surprised at Mordred's outburst, in spite of not having spent that long around them, because they're something like four for four in having those sorts of outbursts now. At least this one's directed at someone Sakura herself is a bit wary of.

    "Mm. Well, I recognize the tree, of course.. but I admit I'm not certain what moral failure might have been involved." Sakura misses a lot of the forest for the tree in her analysis of Elliana, though. She'll hop off after Nathan, keeping an eye on his back since she's mildly convinced he won't be doing anything to keep himself safe.

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Ayako shakes her head quickly and then smiles softly. "A-anyway!" And then she notes Nathan already descending off the the ship! "I... What? Is... is Nathan always like this?" She quickly makes haste to jump off the ship and floats quickly after Nathan! "Don't go off on your own, Nathan!"

    After a brief moment, Ayako realizes she's floating without her broom! She quickly rummages around in her hat and takes out her broomstick and sits down sidesaddle on it. What? There are appreances to maintain!

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Before departing from the ship proper, Mizuki would also turn to study Mordred for a few moments. She's silent, at first, falling back on a more neutral expression so as not to seem quite so haughty in the presence of someone she believes might... not respond well to that attitude. After a deep breath and some time to consider her word choice, she would add: "I am here to observe. For less practical reasons than Nathan, perhaps, but certainly not ones that should threaten Miss Fairchild in any way, nor ones that should be a detriment to you, personally. I shall endeavor to show you as much in deed as we progress." She would give a short bow of her head. "... ah, and I very much doubt that you are one for pleasantry, but I don't believe I've ever met you before. It is good to make your acquaintance, Miss."

    Her smile is a bit forced, but it's passable. Mostly.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    Wrathborn frowns at the arguing. "You know, I'm standing right here." He sighs, tossing his eyepatch off and leaping down to join everyone on the ground. It can't really be called shore, because the boat is now in the middle of a field. "Mordred, I do appreciate your dedication here. If I haven't thanked you for that lately. Now then..."

    Wrathborn gestures as he starts to approach. "I don't really like this one. It's based on a lot of presumptions that aren't... necessarily true. I'll let you see what I mean. Once again, for those who are new to this place, I remind you that this is her fears, not necessarily her thoughts." He glances at Kimiko. "You said something to her once that bothered her. I wouldn't worry about it. I can't really figure out her mindset there, anyway."

    The city, on approach, is not exactly ruins. Sure, it is RUINED but... there are people there. Sort of. Scraping by, but there... like a war zone. It's pretty clear they're trying to stay out of sight, and the middle of the street, on approach, is dominated by a man impaled upon the sharp tip of a root, his blood drained by the Drasillum's root. He's still quite recognizable, but not as a native of this city. Most probably won't recognize him, but he is ETHAN BLOODSTONE to those who do know.

Mordred (12) has posed:
    What's that, Sakura? Mordred needs to have MORE outbursts, and they need to be completely unreasonable but AT LEAST not directed at her?
    Okay, sure.

    "MISS?" Green eyes trail off the sight of the war zone entirely. The battlefield, the giant tree, Bloodstone, it doesn't quite matter to the homunculus anymore in light of the minefield Mizuki just accidently walked into. Mordred frowns, and she looks fairly insulted. "That's sir. Or Saber. Or just Mordred. But not miss, and not lady, and not dear, and definitely not princess." Huff. Maybe one day someone'll manage to make her secure about that part of her identity, although that's pretty unlikely.

    Then to Wrathborn: "Don't push your luck, if you didn't fuck shit up in the first place I wouldn't need to be dedicated. Might not be here at all either, but that's aside the point."

    Well someone's a ray of sunshine tonight.

Sakura Haruno (134) has posed:
    "Alright, Saber-hime, calm down." Sakura says, evidently poking the bear a little bit to distract from a theoretical ally. This may be the same way she ended up getting Tsunade to throw heavy things at her for training, too.

    She's stepping up, though, towards the impaled man, starting to try to figure out if he's even alive at all, and if so, if she can remotely begin to try to get him off that root without killing him. She can hardly heal him mid-impalement, after all.

    "I don't suppose blood types matter that much in dreams." She muses to herself, wondering if that much would be influenced by Elliana's knowledge.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Okay, first and most important thing: Himei's fistbump is returned, locked, and then blown up in a suitably dorky fashion as Psyber tries to look like a cool guy. No one has done those handshakes since the nineties.

    Mordred gets a slap to the center of her back, "Glad you like it." And then he sticks his hands in his pockets, "How're things with you and your father, anyway? You back to bein' the good son?" He asks in a casual tone, exhaling a small amount of smoke. She already got two hugs last year, so he'll spare her the torture this time. Plus her mood seems to be Stabby, and that is a bad time to try.

    Mizuki gets a nod of his head and a grateful, "Thanks. I appreciate it." He then sighs heavily and walks over. The sight of a man impaled isn't so terrifying to him, mostly owing to his own propensity to be impaled on things in the line of duty. So he circles around the man a few times, letting out a shrill whistle not unlike a man calling a taxi, "Yo. You awake?"

    He'll let Haruno work, though. Instead he's mostly making his conjecturing guesses over the radio, "I'll need to see more of the dream to get a clear picture," Psyber says. He does kick one of the other roots a couple times to see what happens. He has no comment to the woman chewing a cigarette. He does, probably happily for Amalthea's note, smoke filterless cigarettes. Which means it's pretty all-natural.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Mizuki... practically winces at Wrathborn's next words. Her confidence in being here is rapidly deteriorating, and nothing of consequence has even happened yet. With something of a well-hidden sigh, she would turn to the nightmare creature and gingerly nod her head again. "... apologies." Not much else to say, there, really. But just as she's turning back around, just as she's about to take a breath, she's mentally propelled forward several centimeters by the earth shattering repetition of the word Mizuki had just uttered. She would turn to face her with a genuinely dumbstruck expression that Psyber -- or anyone who had known her before now, really -- might find absolutely hilarious in spite of themselves. Her eyes are bulging, and they're as bright as a pair of mingling supernovas.

    "I-I..." Her body is rigid, and for once, she has very few words. She didn't know if trying to broach conversation with Mordred would end well or not, but... well. -Well-. She swallows. "... I... am very sorry if I've offended you, somehow. I tend to default to certain honorifics, so I would be quite obliged if you'd not take it personally. I don't know how often we'll interact in the future, but I will certainly address you as 'Sir' in the future, if the situation demands." ... well, at least she... they... Mordred gave Mizuki their name with their little outburst. That's kind of a plus? "And again, it is... a pleasure to meet you, M-... -Sir- Mordred."

    Do -all- knights react this way if you don't address them properly? A mental image of Bedivere exploding in a similar manner comes to her mind, suddenly. Prrroobably not, but she'll... she'll be more careful in the future, at least. Though she doesn't have eardrums that could ring, she nevertheless gives her left one a rub to symbolically put this borderline traumatic few moments behind her.

    Sheezus.

    Then her eyes dart to Sakura. Oh -God-, now she's picturing Toreador Haruno and Bulldread. She's really conflicted as to whether she should laugh, run for her life, or thank Sakura for redirecting the 'Sir's' aggressions, but regardless, she'll just take this opportunity to inch of closer to the ruins, and further from the boat. She'll also be gravitating toward Ayako for a while for emotional support.

    ... n-not that she really needs 'emotional support' or anything! She's not -actually- scared. (Baka!)

    When she's had some time to calm down, she'll head over to Bloodstone's position as well, looking them over critically but not breathing a word. She has gotten herself in quite enough trouble with words for one evening.

Himei (331) has posed:
    Himei listens to the history of the man, and the arguing behind her, and frowns. "Saber's right," she says absently. "And try to get along for this. Fairchild might be our enemy, but we should probably remember that she has to live with this sort of thing just about every night."

    Himei starts walking around the root, pondering the situation. "Mordred, you have any insights Wrathborn can't give us?"

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Ayako pauses in her floating upon the sight of the man impaled on the sharp tip of a root. She gazes around slowly. The people that are living in this place aren't approaching the man... and she begins to float over to the impaled man. Although Sakura seems to have that situation under control.

    Best to let Sakura handle that then! Ayako floats a bit higher and takes a look around-while keeping an eye on Nathan just in case he does something Too Straightforward.

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    Well, Ethan looks like he has seen better days. Impaled and drained like that.
    "I think I vaguely remember this guy. Sucks to be him." Amalthea muses, amid chewing her cigarette thoughtfully.
    She motions at Psyber for another when she swallows because she is full of bad habits. Before looking around for a stick to poke Ethan with while the half-angel tries to engage him.
    You know. Just to see if he's awake and or alive.
    In the event of a lack of sticks she will poke him with her horn.

Kimiko Shinobu (570) has posed:
    Kimiko looks at Wrathborn, but doesn't voice anything more on that topic. She might have an idea of it, but it's probably not relevant to the current situation. Nor are Mordred's insecurities, though that does get another look from her. She might have more context there if she'd ever made close acquaintance with another Saber.

    A glance over those assembled, listening to the words being said, and she reaches a quick conclusion: There is not anything within her usual purview to worry over, withing this group. For that reason, she turns again, and begins walking into the city. If there is anything dangerous here, she'd like to trigger it sooner than later, and would rather it be on her than another. She doesn't imagine Haruno's work will take so long that she gets out of sight, or anything of that irresponsible nature.

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    Nathan continues his march. The man -- possibly a corpse, meant as a warning? -- is given a wide berth. Nathan recognizes him, and underneath that mask of stoicism, he's feeling disgusted, distressed, and intimidated, but the man himself simply keeps his blank look and makes a very soft worried sound. The others, the living among here, so fearfully.

    "Recall that she chose to." Is all the words Nathan leaves, to Himei this time. "I believe I have a 'hunch' regarding the narrative of this. I am going to go confirm, while you address this." And then he's pushing on. Unlike the locals, he steps through the streets directly, likely alongside Kimiko. He tries to get to a part of the Noble's Quarter that will let him get a good look at Steppenworth Manor, and perhaps approach if something provokes interest there. He'd like to see what remenants of the narrative there may be here, even if they do intimidate and disgust him.

    And then, of course, his primary goal: Determine a way of ascending the Drasillum, He can fly, but as always, he would rather not. That's the primary objective here, though, and he knows the way to where he needs to be.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    Getting Ethan down is a little bit of a struggle, but... horrifyingly, he DOES still seem to be alive. This is a dream, and the actual physics of doing so would have been impossible otherwise. It's doubtful that he'll give any useful information in the state he's in, though.

    Wrathborn calls out, "I'd ah... be careful in there," to Kimiko and Nathan. It's not an unreasonable statement, either! The townspeople are staring from hiding... the ones that have survived. It's not that surprising when a snarling, manlike being bursts from an alleyway, dressed in tattered rags of a guard uniform and with a twisted, bestial appearance. Thorny bone spires jut out at odd angles... odd enough that it's probably incredibly painful for him to move, let alone do the feral howling attack he's trying. It looks like the guards have been turned into some kind of beasts to hunt down the townspeople.

    Presuming Nathan lets Kimiko deal with that, he will indeed find Steppenworth manor in short order. Details will not be said here, let us just say it is incredibly gruesome and involves redecorating the insides of the manor.

    On the plus side, reviving Ethan, even if he's still unconscious, has gotten one of the children to be brave enough to approach the group.

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    While the others handle Ethan, Amalthea can't exactly do much. Sure she can try and shed a tear over him, but Sakura really has the medical attention handled, so she steps back, no longer poking him with whatever is on hand.
    It's the approach of the child that has her attention. And just like that, the unicorn scootches low, hands planting on her knees as she tilts her head. "Aye, child?" She asks in a soft voice, attempting to be as non-threatening as an armored unicorn-knight can be.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    The presence of a child does something to jolt Mizuki out of her current lull. There's... something very nostalgic about this scene. She has met far too many children who have been in such dismal circumstances, hanging on for dear life in a world that has fallen apart, principally because she has sought those troubled souls of her own volition. To 'save' them, as it were, and offer them respite in her home. Only... she hasn't done anything of the sort since her world merged, the intricacies of that would likely make the offer a trifle immoral in the presence of others, the child would likely not accept even if she should offer, and... otherwise, it just does not seem like a very good suggestion to put forward. Oh, and that's without considering that this person is the product of someone -else's- imagination, and that transfer would likely not go over well. Pity.

    Still, that won't stop Mizuki from approaching them. She would approach them with a soft sort of smile, stopping at what she hopes will be a comfortable distance and offering a quick curtsy gesture. Only when she concludes does she begin to realize how utterly wrong those behaviors may seem with the world around them in tatters, and she immediately tries to correct herself to a more appropriately somber set of mannerisms. This is, thankfully, reflected in her inflection. "Greetings. Please, try not to be afraid. Our group has some extremely capable individuals among its number, and we'll see to it that you will not be harmed. Or... harmed further, at the least." She contemplates asking them for their name, or where they'd come from, or another such simplistic query to ease them into a more earnest interrogation, but she decides against it for now. She would look to Psyber and others she knows to have visited this place previously for guidance, as well as Ayako whom she knows to be very good with children. As much as she would -like- to be the best person to handle this conversation, she probably isn't.

    Whilst waiting for a response from the child and further input from her companions, Mizuki would glance around the city to form a mental schema for the people living here. Conditions are... dismal, to say the least, and at first she obviously had not been expecting anyone to dwell here at all. She might finally be curious about the tree that dominates the landscape, too, giving a fleeting look in the direction of its bower before glancing back at the child, hopefully.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber isn't great with children. Slightly-damaged Magical Girls Aged 15-22, we're right in his wheelhouse, but children are not his strongsuit. And so Psyber will not go and deal with the small child approaching. He will, awkwardly, produce another cigarette and hand it to Amalthea so she can chew on it.

    Mizuki, shellshocked as she is, gets a slap on the back, "That's Mordred, eldest SON of King Arthur. You shouldn't forget that about her," Psyber says with a thumbs up to her. He smiles, "Just gotta make sure to mind your Ps and Qs on that matter. Even I can't get away with calling her Miss or anything like that."

    "I'll catch up with you guys," Psyber says, wings unfolding. He figures this place is best dealt with on multiple fronts, investigating from all angles. So he looks towards the top of that tree and then over to Mordred, "You want a ride?"

    If Mordred says yes, he'll carry her. She's saved the embarassment of something like piggyback or princess carry, instead being hoisted by her underarms. If Mordred says no, Psyber will just fly up solo.

Kimiko Shinobu (570) has posed:
    Kimiko, like Nathan, gives little outward reaction when encountering such things as corpses and monsters, as different as their internal reactions may be. For her part, when she first senses danger, her clothing is replaced in a literal flash, modern winter wear disappearing in favor of frills and long, fingerless gloves. As the former guard approaches, she makes a fist, summoning to hand a spike-tipped and double-headed axe, the handle nearly long enough to make a halberd.

    "Excuse me. I will deal with this."

    There may be some effective but less final solution to the obvious problem, but she shows no interest in pursuing such. She waits only long enough to be sure that the bestial creature is charging them before she steps forward and swings, timing an overhead slash to bring it down with enough force to cleave an armored soldier in two.

Mordred (12) has posed:
    If Bedivere is capable of that sort of outburst it will be one of the rare few times Mordred will actually respect him. Sadly it'll probably be a cold day in hell before that happens.

    A wide grin appears on the Servant's face, evidently quite happy with Mizuki's reaction. She'd push, try to make her even more uncomfortable, or try (and probably fail) to look scary (in no small part because Mordred's only five foot tall, that tends to not help). But then she comes under triple focus, and decides to brush the matter off since Mizuki did apologize.
    And really, what more can you ask for.

    First the pat from Psyber is met with a shrug. "S'fine. I mean, Bedivere's still a hardass and it's making it kinda hard, but I guess I'm not giving him a breather either. Can't change overnight."

    Then Haruna gets a bloodthirsty stare, completely shifting the aggro from Mizuki to Haruno if there was any left. An effective use of taunt, right there.

    Finally, the request for information is simply answered with: "Eh. She mentions him on and off. Positive tone, usually. One of the rare people from her past she does that to much. But she ain't really gone into details."

    And to defuse the matter, Psyber offers her a ride away. Mordred grins and hops onto Psyber's back, not at all embarassed by a piggyback. "Aww yeah, adventure! Let's go."

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Ayako floats after Nathan as he starts to actively push on past the impaled Ethan. And then startles when a snarling beast-like and bone thorny guard gusts out from an alleyway! But Kimiko seems to have this under control. And so Ayako quickly floats after Nathan to make sure he at least can stay safe while he's being so straightfoward.

Sakura Haruno (134) has posed:
    Sakura's response to the aggro is probably not very impressive, given that she's busy pulling a man down from being impaled and is so not paying sufficient attention to Mordred to be cowed. It's probably just as well, though.

    Once she's got him mostly stablized, she'll lift him up. It's not like she really wants to carry him around, mind, but she's hardly just going to leave him there to rot. So instead she's going to take him further into the tree as she starts to follow along after Nathan, vaguely, exiting stage up to get away from the children. She's bad with children, especially freaky nightmare children.

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    Nathan remains stock-still when the beastman approaches. That's not because he has any particular overwhelming power he intends to strike the man down with, but because of his rather absolute confidence in Kimiko's defense of him, simply watching closely and with utmost stoicism, taking in the details. Physical mutation. Deformity. Like Elliana's abuse of animals. And yet, this one is human. Not like the twisted, but more like the animals affected by Shajem influence.

    Nathan begins to guess that this nightmare features more of Elliana's efforts to spread her power among other people. This troubles Nathan /profoundly/. He will keep his distance while Kimiko does... Well, whatever she will do, to eliminate the threat, on his way to the manor. He very promptly decides to not investigate further, after seeing something in the window. He has control of his own emotions, but even Nathan Hall has his limits.

    No point in going back for the others, they have it under control and Nathan's in tunnel vision mode far too much to do that. For now, he focuses on the Drasillum. "We will ascend." He says, simply, to Kimiko and Ayako, and begins to stride forward. Then there's a glance, sidelong, to Ayako. "Might I trouble you for another ride?" Then another glance, to Kimiko. "I am certain you can handle your own ascent." If Ayako will permit, he's going to take another ride up with her, intending to direct her into the Drasillum's residence, where he recalls Fairchild is now living, from their meeting before, as well as hopefully lining up with Psyber and Mordred on their approach.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Mizuki's back is slapped.

    And again, she freezes as though she were a cat who had just seen a Grand Piano come crashing down in front of them. Her nerves were -already- shot, and she's never been that great with physical contact (she's incorporeal half the time, so go figure), so this likely gives the child a fairly amusing reprise of her earlier panick attack. It's slightly watered down this time, though, and her shock cures almost as soon as she sees that the hand belongs to Psyber. /Phew/. She's too relieved to pout, but she might still pucker her lips just faintly.

    When she does have time to loose her dramatic exhalation, though, she would reply to Psyber with a meek 'Right' and a series of nods. The mention of the word 'son' does get a tilt of her head, but her confusion is quickly relinquished. It... doesn't seem all that strange to her, really, and after a final triplet of nods she would resurrect her grin, hopefully in a way that will last this time. A woman who prefers to be referred to with masculine honorifics? That reminds her of someone else she knows, actually. She wouldn't say this out loud, but she actually finds the whole debacle novel and, dare she even think it, endearing. So after taking her turn to either creep (or gross) Mordred out with a genuine, radiant smile in her direction, she would look to the younger visitor with a sort of renewed vigor.

    She's too flighty to stay shellshocked for long, sorry.

Himei (331) has posed:
    Huh. Himei nods slowly at what Mordred says, but she's distracted soon after by the child. "Hey. Don't worry... we're just going to go look in the tree. But it might get dangerous, so you should probably get somewhere safe. Unless there's something you wanted to tell us?"

    Then Himei is struck by an awful, horrible idea.

    "Wrathborn, why don't you find this kid's parents and get him to safety?"

    Mostly, she wants to see how he reacts.

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Ayako smiles softly at Nathan and nods her head slowly. "Certainly, Nathan." In a moment, she scoots forward on her broomstick and sweeps downwards so that Nathan can take a seat on the broom in the more secure seat by the brush. Once Nathan takes a seat, she floats back up and lets him guide her to where he wants to go. After all, she has no clue at all.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    Kimiko... cleaves the former guard in two. He was strong enough to terrorize commoners, but let's be honest, Kimiko has dealt with far worse. The ichor splatters all over, and he slumps to the ground, dead. Some whispering starts in the town.

    It's the child who answers at all. "I don't think she'll like that..." is all he says, quiet and worried. He glances around, but then he's offered to the Nightmare being, who is giving Himei an incredulous look.

    "You all DO know that these people aren't... real, right?" Wrathborn says finally. "They'll vanish with the dawn. Or, well, her waking." He sighs, holding out his hand to the boy. "Come on, kid. We'll go play video games or something while they... see what Elliana is terrified of becoming."

Kimiko Shinobu (570) has posed:
    Kimiko looks down, letting the head of her axe fall. It's about what she expected, but she had to be ready to be surprised. The gore-splattered axe is dismissed as quickly as it appeared.

    "Hn," comes her response to Nathan, thoughtfully glancing up toward the destination. Yes, she should have little difficulty making her way up, now that she's transformed. Acrobatics are within a Puella Magi's powerset.

    She spares no words to the child, but begins making her way up.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    To those ascending, either by flight or climbing, it is... well, a dream. It goes MUCH faster than it should. Perhaps it is a little easier thanks to the efforts down below, because already the town looks a little healthier than before. Likely, these people have no hope at all, normally, and now they do. Perhaps this softens the blow of the Nightmare, when she wakes up... or maybe it will encourage her.

    Moving toward the residence is pretty easy... and of note, THIS dream has no sign of Mordred in it. Somewhat unusual, especially considering the important role that Mordred played last time. Nor are the others present!

    All that is here is one lone... creature. It can't /really/ be said to be Elliana, not with the decor of skulls mounted about(which look REALLY odd in the living room, but it is a dream), nor with the fact that she's stooped over, with her wings trailing along the ground and a writhing and scaled tail. Clawed hands and an incredibly bestial, almost draconic look are the dominant features of her body.

    She's just sitting, waiting, and flicks a forked tongue. "It was unsatisfying killing you all the first time. Why have you returned?"

    Well, at least she isn't attacking?

Kimiko Shinobu (570) has posed:
    Kimiko adopts a quizzical cant of the head.

    "You killed me?"

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "Oh god, my back!" Psyber says before flying Mordred up to the top of the tree. At least, you know, she seems comfortable. And he has a soft spot for her, so he'll allow it. He feels very silly about it all, though, and his wings flap heavily as he ascends with them both.

    Of course, they land and come to the woman herself. Psyber will let Mordred get off his back as they land before he says anything. Having a Saber on your back is not great for making speeches. It also gives him time to figure out what he wants to say. Not very much time, so what he does say is incredibly cliche.

    "Die, monster! You don't belong in this world!" Psyber says uncertainly, playing into the fact that Elliana probably, at least in his guess of how she views him, sees him as some sort of cliche and self-sacrificing hero archetype. It is her weird dream hyperbole, after all.

    Psyber draws a gun as he says this.

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    Nathan dismounts from the broom swiftly, and with a short, succinct "thank you" to Ayako. Then there's a short walk through the manor at the top of the tree, which Nathan takes with speed and determination. When he strides in, he feels both a deep sense of fear and a deep sense of vindication, and neither of these show on his face.

    "You know just as well as I do, why any phantom chooses to haunt the world. Unanswered questions and unfinished business." Nathan Hall speaks up, then strides forward, with an almost fearless walk that rather contradicts the deep, intense intimidation he feels at the idea of Elliana actually vindicating him in the end. "The first, before the second. Why. Explain. I know what you are like. No part of you, Shajem or human, would ever claim to dislike the opportunity to experience dramatic attention that transcends the boundaries of life and death. So take your chance." Hall knows her vanity, at least, will have survived... Whether or not this is a nightmarish mirror of Wrathborn or a potential future Elliana Fairchild perceives for herself. Hopefully he can squeeze a monologue out of her, for insight.

Mordred (12) has posed:
    "Are you saying I'm heavy?"

    There is definitely going to be painful blows and jabs against Psyber's back and shoulders as he flies if he doesn't handle that bomb quickly. But once they reach the top, and Elliana, she just hops off and finds a corner to idle in.

    "Oh. Oh, I get it. Is thia an Elliana who won and totally absorbed Wrathborn way back when? Man, that means she never had the great joy of my presence. Or maybe it's something else. I'unno. Oh well. S'outta my league, you kids have fun, I'm gonna watch."

    Unless she becomes needed, anyway.

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    We're flying we're flying, we're landing, we're landing, we're getting told we were killed before.
    Hold the phone.
    Amalthea has to pause on that one, head canting to an inquisitive angle as she arrives with the rest of everyone else, Elliana isapparently hardcore evil and Psyber draws iron.
    Amalthea however stays her blade. But she keeps up with the moment and goes with it, rather than against it.
    So be it.
    She has but one question for this Elliana.
    "Is this what your mother would have wanted for her little girl while sending her to live?"

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    With the child accounted for, Mizuki would summon her wings and, quickly as she can, ascend with the rest of the group. Once there, she would find... something quite unlike the Elliana that she remembered meeting. Granted, she does not at all claim to know her -well-, but even she can tell that this is a twisted quagmire of the person whose fears have brought this world into being. All of a sudden, Mizuki might feel a subtle... pang of pain that she can't entirely identify the source of. It's likely more of an enigma her than it is to her friends that she, too, has had nightmares of similar situations... and... that makes this situation a bit hard to swallow even without any proper context. Perhaps this is why, even considering all her horrific features and all the powers she likely has at her disposal, Mizuki finds it quite difficult to summon her sword.

    Still at a loss for words, the lady would have very little to say to 'Elliana', here. Still, she would still manage, "... what a peculiar way to meet you for a second time. Or perhaps it isn't 'you', but rather... ah, the technicalities don't matter. Still, I feel as if I'm going about this whole thing in a very subverted, roundabout..." Her thought train would peter off into nothingness as Nathan steps up, again wielding his silver tongue in a manner she used to believe she might've fancied herself capable of, many months prior. Idly, her arms fold behind her back, and she grows extremely quiet. It's a fairly neutral, calm quiet this time, though, and it seems the state she's lapsed into now is one reserved for the sort of 'distant analysis' she's so fond of. It's abundantly clear that she has no role in this tale, and, well... she, and everyone else, would be better served if she would take this opportunity to listen rather than speak where she knows naught.

    So that's precisely what she does. Watching, waiting, and forcing the situation before her eyes on to a metaphorical stage too distant to ever pose her harm. Ah, though she did want to ask...

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Ayako hops off of her broom a few moments after Nathan does. She snatches the broom back up in her hands and follows closely behind him until she catches up with him and then walks side-by-side with him. Her amber eyes blink slowly when she encounters Elliana and her head inclines to the side gently. Huh... Well, she certainly looks different in this nightmare.

    And... well, Ayako isn't as good at this improvized dramatics thing as everyone else! So she just moves her hands behind her back with her broom held horizontally as leans forward slightly as she watches.

Himei (331) has posed:
    Himei scoops up Sakura, but fortunately Himei is used to carrying awkward loads... though she still drops the mednin as soon as she can find a branch wide enough.

    This leaves Himei's arms free to... er... crack knuckles and look really, really apathetic. "I punch you." Her body shimmers, and she's in that dark gray and black uniform.

    She turns to the others and gives a shrug. "What? I didn't talk as much back when we met!"

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber wants to reinforce Nathan's point. And Elliana clearly views herself as an ultimate villain here. That means that Psyber wants to play into the setup that Nathan is doing. So, with the gun in his hand, he continues his speech, "I trusted you, Elliana! You used to be human! Look at you now!"

    Psyber throws the gun to the side, "Yeah, I'm back. And I'm going to keep coming back until you're defeated," Psyber shouts, charging in towards the Monster Elliana in the dream world. His hand coils into a fist and he swings it forward towards her.

    The Punch is easily telegraphed, predictable, dodgeable, and Psyber leaves himself WIDE open as he runs in to EVERY retaliation Elliana could make. If she takes the bait and just strikes him down, he will stay down and just listen, basically being ostensibly dead.

    After all, the main villain always strikes down a hero before the big speech.

Sakura Haruno (134) has posed:
    The mednin nods in thanks to Himei, having very carefully avoided kicking or any other uncouth behavior on her way up. No matter how much she wanted to.

    She's not really thrilled about the idea of making her actions those that Elliana would expect from her - she's seen the image that Elliana had had of her, after all. And she doesn't have a sword anymore. She'll pull out a knife, though, turning towards the monster and pausing just a moment to hope for some confirmation from the group. The only thing Sakura'd wanted to do was kill her, after all.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    Elliana... just starts to laugh! She doesn't actually recognize everyone, exactly, but the rest will get a role to fill in. "Charge in and attack. The same as always," she hisses. Literally hisses, in fact. She doesn't move, doesn't even try to move... because she's in the Drasillum, and the vinelike protrusions that whip out lash out at Psyber, tipped with vicious barbed spikes. It doesn't actually /hurt/ but they will 'damage' if they hit, so he can play his part just fine.

    Playing the role of the heroes like that is... perfect, really. A cackling laugh, and 'Elliana' threads her fingers together, though she narrows her eyes at some of those here. Ayako, Mizuki, Mordred... this incarnation doesn't know them well, and it's throwing her off slightly. Just slightly. "More allies? Then I will just slay them if need be. I can grant you that mercy. Why do you persist? This is MY world now... my place. It is MINE to punish as I will!"

    Punish. She draws that word out as she starts forward, eying her opponents. "Hmmm... punch me? Kill me? I suppose 'heroes' will do that. Throw away their lives for some perceived wrong. Humanity killed the world... now I will make them suffer, or give them a new identity."

    Sadly, that's all you're getting, because the dream doesn't actually include a battle here. Elliana flicks her eyes to each as the room begins to sag and melt, fading away bit by bit.

    "Kimiko Shinobu, so high and mighty. You dislike my truths? Then I discard them. IT was... freeing. Honor is such a shaky term, is it not?"

    "Nathan... oh Nathan, I offered you power, and you rejected it. I offered you 'friendship,' and..." She laughs, flicking tail. "Is this what you want? A villain to fight? So you can be RIGHTEOUS? Then I will welcome it."

    Psyber gets a level stare. "Mmm... so obsessed with bringing me into the light, aren't you? Does it make you uncomfortable now that you are bleeding to see the evil that I have? Welcoming the Shajem was the best thing that could have happened to me. If I cannot remake the world... I will punish it."

    She hisses at Mordred, and requires a pause, unable to entirely fit her into the narrative at first. "Your attempt to save me from myself was valiant, knight. So very valiant and futile. Do not forget who holds your leash. I am surprised you did not bring your father."

    Amalthea receives a level stare. "My mother died from the cruelty of man. She is no longer mine. I cast aside my humanity... and she was too soft. She can burn with the rest."

    Himei, next, gets a click of the jaw. "You... I wonder how you never fell to this hatred. No matter."

    Mizuki gets a level stare, then a shake of the head, "And you, do you really care what I do to these lesser creatures?"

    Sakura is next, and she cackles as the mednin readies her knife. "So vengeful. The healer ready to draw blood. I welcome it. You, of all people, understand hate, don't you?"

    Ayako is the one she knows least, so the water spirit takes another pause. "And what will you do here? They will die before you can help them, and you cannot hurt me. We both know this."

    The monologue was given, and perhaps not pretty. But there's... not much left now. Elliana's hissing cackle builds up again, before the entire dream shatters, dropping everyone onto the ship's deck.

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    "No, sorry. That's bullshit." Amalthea counters smoothly. Loppy ears flit as she tilts her head to the other side now- still not reaching for her blade. It's a time old ancient signal; a proverbial white flag of body language in exposing one's jugulars to be perceived as less of a threat, as she folds her hands under her chest.
    But the unicorn sucks on her teeth. "Your mother died in the act of giving her life so someone she trusted could take you to safety. She could have ran, she could have saved herself, she could have even left you behind if she so felt it. But you know what she did? She gave up everything all for your sake. And you're just... Going to cast her away? Say she can burn?"
    Now. Now, Amalthea scowls. "She did burn. So that you wouldn't have to. That's not softness, that's more strength than you could ever imagine; because no amount of human cruelty can measure up to the kindness humans are capable of."
    Up come her hands in a shrug. She's said her peace, before getting dumped back on the ship's deck.
    "Sometimes I hate this dream shit so much." Grumbled as she chews on her cigarette. ... And nudges Psyber for a third.

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    Nathan remains wordless. This is a bit of a rarity for him. But all throughout that speech, he was wide-eyed and intensely attentive, examining every inch of movement and analyzing every warble of tone variance. He can see the image forming in his mind. He speaks it on the radio, albeit a concise version with many of his more dangerous insights censored harshly from the assessment.

    He remains stock-still for some time, even long after the dream has shattered. Then he heaves a heavy sort of sigh, and plants both hands in the pockets of his robes. "This has been an informative investigation." He says. "It is best we conclude for the night, as I need to compile the information." He goes now to Psyber's side, if he's still on the ground, and offer his hand to his friend, to hoist him back up. As he does, he tilts his head at Wrathborn. "You said you do not like this place." He tilts his head, considering their guide and his more human changes. He considers trailing off, or saying 'never mind', for a moment, but figures this is more prudent, and so after a moment of consideration, he continues. His tone is flat as ever, abjectly devoid of hope and very simply factual, perhaps even apathetic in a way.

    "Does that mean you might not like to become that as well, Wrathborn?"

Sakura Haruno (134) has posed:
    Sakura looks a little bit uncomfortable with that response, slipping into silence for a few minutes as she lands back onto the deck, looking about as she sets the knife back into her pouch, listening in on Nathan and Wrathborn if she can, but contributing only minorly to the discussion. She hasn't changed her stance that much from when Elliana'd met her, after all, even if it's slightly less hate-based these days.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Mizuki would stop and think for a few moments, remaining still and quiet as before. Her eyes would alternate between being closed and shut until, finally, she folds her arms in front of herself and looks back to Elliana. "'Lesser' is a funny way to put it. I would say they are, perhaps, different, but not so much as I had once fancied. Nor do I think you are that different, really. You have power, yes, but it's my feeling that all the power and plenty in Creation and far, far beyond could never quell a mind that operates as yours, mine, and theirs do. It's not really my place to pass judgment, but I feel that you are cheating yourself by living this life. And that is precisely why I would call this world a nightmare. I believe, somewhere, you know that this is unsatisfactory, and that you will always lust for more. But this is all just speculation, really. Forgive my preconceptions."

    Her right arm would fall gently to her side, and her left hand would cradle her cheek. "As for whether I care...? Well. I don't view death as a 'robbery' or even a separation, exactly. I believe it would be a shame for their stories to end prematurely, and while I have equivalent interests myself in seeing them wax and wane, I see no reason not to act in the interest of their continued life and happiness. That solution, if we're treating 'happiness' as some arbitrary quantity, would be higher collectively if I did help than if I didn't. And I suppose, for one reason or another, I prefer to see that number higher rather than lower. Though, that's really enough about me, isn't it?"

    Her eyes would meander back to Elliana's. "This is but one choice you could make. You have many. Those choices compound into a sort of power in and of themselves, and if that is the case, you would lose very much of that power were you to choose this option. This closes so, so many more doors than it opens. Binding you to the ownership of a single world, saddling you with the responsibility... that occasional, inescapable guilt you might feel from time... though I suppose that depends more on the context in which the decision was made, and the current condition of your mind. I am under no delusions with regards to what I know; I know absolutely nothing. And yet, I still felt compelled to share at least this much."

    Her eyes might narrow faintly. "... this... path involves so much grief, and so much loss. I would view your loss of an ability to care as a one of the most high prices involved with this decision. But I suppose there is no use in lamenting our choices when they've been made, and there is no use speaking to you as you are. Here, you have passed a point of no return, and the words I could share will have no impact but to tease you with the phantom of thoughts you can no longer associate with. Still, I feel as though I've learned a great deal, somehow." A tiny, tiny smile begins to form on her face, and she bows her head toward the girl. Softly, she says, "Thank you."

Kimiko Shinobu (570) has posed:
    Kimiko slowly nods as this image of Elliana speaks, as if understanding something.

    Even when they return to the ship, she is not forthcoming on what, exactly, she understood. Rather, it seems she is now ready to leave, waiting only so long as others are speaking to Wrathborn.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    Amalthea is given a guarded look. "You're walking a very dangerous path, unicorn. But maybe it's one that needs to be walked. Be careful."

    Nathan's question gets the man to pause right when he's turning the wheel. He looks over his shoulder, then sighs. "I don't know. I'm not something that is sure about his identity, right now. A lot of people simplify the Shajem as the evil gods, and the Amethyne as the good gods. It's... not really like that at all. We just are. We have our natures. Mordred can tell you... I'm sure she can feel my brother inside her just raging to destroy and lash out. It's not really... hate. It just is. We CAN hate, but that isn't in our nature. It had to be taught."

    Wrathborn looks forward again to steer the ship toward 'home.' "My nature, before, was to twist and reveal the darkness within the light. It still is, I guess. At some point, we started our feud with our sisters, and then the humans... fixed that. I wasn't intelligent, so the details are blurry. Now I'm something else. I don't even know what. But I don't think I want to be that. I want something with more... purpose?"

Psyber (253) has posed:
    There is no retort from Psyber, who simply stares at the ground under him and sponges up Elliana's words.
    Psyber is nudged in the side with a foot several times. He speaks his answer into the ground, "No, I'm cutting you off. Lest and Ariel will have my ass in a sling if I get you into nicotine." Psyber mutters into the deck of the ship. When Nathan offers a hand, though, Psyber takes it an hops back to his feet, dusting himself off.

    Psyber takes out a wallet a moment later and then hands Nathan a crisp five-dollar bill, "You won tonight." Psyber says in a serious tone, sighing a bit as he slaps the cash into his friend's hand. And then he looks over at Wrathborn, tilting his head a bit.

    "You're becoming a very interesting individual. When do you want me to stop by?" He asks, wandering over to the Captain and slapping a hand down on his shoulder.