Can't Stand the Distance, Can't Dream Alone [open to all]

[applesaucemod]

The sleeping rifties might have a difficult time realizing they're dreaming this evening, in part because tonight's dreams are atypically vivid, even compared to the rift's usual efforts. Perhaps that is because it's drawing so heavily from the memories of the dreamers, themselves, and using that information to recreate their home worlds in stunning detail. And that is the real reason the dreamers might not be eager to accept the unreality of the situation: the situation is one that many of them have been hoping for for months or even years. In their dreams tonight, the rifties are going home.

Perhaps they arrive in the same moment that they left. Perhaps months have passed at home, or they might even find themselves arriving before their departure point. But those are small details when compared to the overwhelming realization that they're back where they belong.

They're not alone. Many dreamers will find the rift has given them a companion for the return trip. Well, an uncomplicated return home is probably more than anyone could have hoped for, anyway. And for the unwitting visitor, perhaps another universal displacement will be easier to bear with the addition of a local guide.

[ooc: usual dream party rules apply; all are welcome, and dreamers can remember or forget the events of the dream at the players' discretion. Also at the players' discretion: when their character arrives in their 'home universe,' and how many (if any) locals they'd want to run into.]

Comments

[wildmage_daine]

Kitten lets out a little squawk of surprise as she's hoisted off the bed, but doesn't otherwise object to the strange treatment - at least not to Daine, who is obviously upset. Instead, she stretches her neck around Daine's mass of curls so she can give Peeta a baffled look and repeat her earlier cheeping sound - but with more emphasis, this time.

"Oh--I'm sorry," Daine says, turning back to Peeta without bothering to wipe her tears away. Her arms are full of baby dragon, anyway. Kitten squirms around so she can continue to stare at the newcomer, her gaze full of intelligence and curiosity. Her scales, for the moment, are a lively blue. "Kitten, this is Peeta. He's a very good friend of mine." That's probably enough of an explanation for the moment; all the stuff about other realms can wait until they find Numair.

Kitten lets out a low whistle, only marginally less confused (she thought she knew all of Daine's good friends), then stretches her neck forward to sniff in Peeta's general direction. After glancing between Daine and Peeta for a moment, she turns to Peeta and stretches out her forepaws with a chirp.

"I, um, would you like to hold her?" Daine asks, aware that Peeta might be spooked by creatures that are out of the ordinary. "You don't have to. I think she just wants a closer look at you, is all." Kitten nods in confirmation.

[peeta_mellark]

The dragon - Kitten - is surprisingly cute. Peeta knows that his view of her cuteness might be colored by the way Daine is reacting to her, but he also can't deny that Kitten's mannerisms (and the way she reacts right back to Daine) are adorable. There's a sweetness between the two of them that makes him smile.

He feels an internal twinge when Daine turns, revealing her tears. He can imagine what this must be like for her; he can easily imagine what it would be like for him, and Daine was gone from home longer than him. He gives her an understanding smile before turning his attention to Kitten and introductions.

"Hello. Nice to meet you."

Having spent so much time with Daine in the park, he grew used to the animals he met while with her having at least a passing interest in him, if for no other reason than the fact that he was with her. Still, he's a little surprised when Daine asks if he wants to hold Kitten. Taking a moment to quickly study the way Daine is doing it, he steps closer and holds out his arms.

"Sure," he says. "That would be okay." To be fair, he's just as curious about Kitten as she is about him.

[wildmage_daine]

Daine carefully shifts Kitten over to Peeta - an easy enough task, since Kitten's being more than cooperative - then, once her hands are free, mops at her face with her sleeve. Odd's bobs, she's already a mess. How badly is she going to fall apart when she sees Numair again? Giving her head a little shake, Daine silently resolves to focus on Kitten and Peeta for the moment.

Kitten, for her part, clutches onto Peeta's shirt with her forepaws and examines him closely. She studies his face for a few moments, trills quietly, then shifts her focus to the alien fabric his shirt is made of. Young as she is, her paws are as dexterous as human hands, and it's easy for her to pinch the fabric between her claws and fold it over itself, sniffing curiously. A trip through the rift hasn't dispelled the scents of baking, comforting and familiar, and her eyes narrow in a reptilian equivalent of a smile. She chirps, then reaches up and gently pats Peeta's cheek.

"She likes you," Daine supplies, rather needlessly. She offers the pair a watery smile, and then her gaze grows distant as the cat checks in. "Oh. Numair's in the palace--shall we?"

[peeta_mellark]

With only a little awkwardness at first, Peeta gently takes Kitten from Daine and lets her settle in his arms. This close, her skin - her scales - show a beautiful richness and dimension of color. She's not quite as heavy as he expected she would be, and he smiles at her the tiny wings folded against her body.

He returns her searching gaze and watches with curiosity as she inspects his shirt. It's a little surreal, and Peeta wonders again at the unusual things the rift has led him into. He has interacted with enough animals to stay still when Kitten reaches toward his face, and he smiles when she pats his cheek. "The feeling's mutual," he replies.

He glances at Daine in time to see her eyes focus again. He nods in response to her question, then glances down at Kitten. "Should I - what about Kitten?" He's pretty sure Kitten will be staying behind, but figures it better to ask rather than assume.

[wildmage_daine]

It's not as easy a question to answer as Daine would like it to be. Kitten hasn't the slightest idea what's going on aside from the fact that Daine is emotional and she's got a new friend, and it might very well be best to keep things that way - at least for the time being. She's certain that if she asked, Kitten would probably be content to just return to her nap.

On the other hand, Kitten will be finding out what happened sooner or later, and she probably won't appreciate having been kept in the dark once she does. Especially because there's a fair chance that any eventual traveling between realms will involve dragons. Kitten's almost certainly too young to initiate such a journey on her own, but surely it'll be easier to deal with other dragons if Daine can present herself as an appointed guardian of one of their young. She only got a brief look into the mind of Kit's ma, but that seems like the sort of thing a grown dragon would appreciate.

And, selfishly, Daine just doesn't want to leave her. She's had her fill of being without Kitten these past several months. If she had her druthers, she'd rather bring Kit along to the palace.

"She can come, too," Daine says, though she does reach out to take the dragon back. In warmer months, the dragon would walk the distance between the barracks and the palace; in winter, she much prefers being tucked into Daine's coat. "She's smart - I expect she'll understand what's going on about as well as we do. And she's going to have to hear the story eventually, so we might as well cut down on how many times we have to tell it."

It's an easy enough walk to the palace. A path has been trampled into the snow, and the cold temperatures have eliminated any threat of mud. Kitten notes the way Peeta's taking it all in and seems to play tour guide, leaving her head and one foreleg exposed so she can point to things and chatter or burble to Peeta about them. Even Daine isn't sure exactly what she's saying, but it's clear that she's taken an interest in him and wants him to feel welcome.

A quick word from Daine gets Peeta past the guards and into the palace proper. It's a large, sprawling structure, housing far more than just the royal family, but also their advisors and the various nobles who make up the court. There are kitchens, washrooms, libraries, healers, servants' quarters and classrooms and living quarters for the pages. But she knows the quickest route to Numair's room, and if any passers-by do double-takes at the sight of Daine with a strange young man about her own age, she deliberately ignores them.

Glancing over at Peeta, she ventures, "I don't suppose you've been in a castle before."

[peeta_mellark]

Having handed Kitten back over to Daine, Peeta follows the two out of the barracks. He isn't exactly dressed for the weather, but thankfully the walk is a short one. Kitten provides a welcome distraction from the cold, chattering away at him like a scaly toddler. Unable to understand her, he does his best to determine the things she points out. A few are genuinely interesting, and Peeta hums appreciatively for Kitten's benefit, making mental notes to check them out later. Given that he may be here a while, it's no bad thing to have something lined up to do.

He does his best to look nonthreatening as they approach the guards, but they barely give him more than a curious, passing glance after Daine speaks to them. Just the same, Peeta gives them a smile as he passes - first impressions, and all that. He weathers the curiosity of the few people they pass just as well.

"Not a castle, no," he says in reply to Daine. "We don't have royalty in Panem. But I've been in some large buildings and homes before. Different than this," he says, gesturing around them.

[wildmage_daine]

"It all seems short compared to Manhattan," she admits in an undertone as she leads Peeta up a flight of winding stairs. Then again, given the lack of elevators, that's just as well.

She falls silent as they approach Numair's room, her heart thudding in her chest. A not-so-small part of her is still angry with him for never finding her, even though that's such plain nonsense now that she's back. Nobody looked for her because nobody had time to even realize she was gone. She can hardly hold that against him. But there's no getting around the fact that she hasn't seen him in the better part of a year, and all frustrations aside, she's spent most of that time missing him desperately. This is any other day for him. What will seeing him again be like for her?

She probably would have hesitated outside the door, but Kitten - who she'd set down once they were back indoors - doesn't see any reason to. The dragon cheerfully whistles open the lock on Numair's door and shoves it open, trundling inside. Numair's at his desk poring over a scroll, but he turns toward the door when Kitten walks in and favors the dragon with an exasperated sigh.

"I'm sure I've explained knocking to you," he says without malice - Kitten chortles at him - before looking up at Daine. For her part, the girl can't even breathe, let alone speak. Her expression must be telling, though, because Numair's on his feet a moment later, dark eyes flicking briefly over her shoulder before settling back on her. "Magelet? Is something wrong? Wh--oof," he concludes abruptly as Daine surges forward and throws her arms around him. She actually succeeds in knocking the taller man back a pace, but he recovers himself quickly enough and returns the gesture automatically.

She's crying again, and she knows he must be fair confused, but she can't stop herself. He's real. She's home, and she buries her face against the familiar warmth of her best friend and sobs.

Numair gives her back a gentle, somewhat awkward pat, as if he's not entirely sure what to do with himself. And since Daine is currently unfit for conversation (for some reason, which he can't currently fathom but it must be a good one), he shifts his focus back to the strange young man accompanying her. His gaze is sharp and not a little suspicious; here's a possible explanation for his student's unusual behavior. Not that she's ever come crying to him over a boy before - thank all the listening gods - but he has to start somewhere. "I don't suppose this is anything to do with you," he says, frowning in preemptive disapproval.

[peeta_mellark]

"That's true," Peeta agrees. If anything, the architecture reminds him mostly of District 12, though he isn't about to say as much. Like the Capitol and Manhattan, Tortall is just different enough from the District to make the similarities stand out.

He senses Daine's hesitation before they even reach the door. The combination of nerves and anticipation she is giving off is overwhelming. Thanks to Kitten, however, neither of them have much time to prepare before the door is opened (Peeta gives Kitten an assessing look when he hears the door unlock and finds no one behind it). He hangs back a little - not enough to look like he's trying to avoid the room and the person in it, but enough to give Daine her space.

From where he is in the hallway, he has a clear view into the room. As such, he can see the shift in Numair's expression when he catches sight of Daine's face. Peeta can't see it, but he guess what she looks like, a guess that is borne out in the way she all but launches herself at Numair. Peeta doesn't miss the look Numair throws his way, either, and is therefore prepared for the question that follows it.

"No, not me," he replies, giving the man a gentle smile. "It has to do with you."

[wildmage_daine]

Numair's frown makes a slight shift into confused territory. He's been accused of obtuseness before, usually when he's absorbed in study, but he's reasonably certain he hasn't done anything to warrant this kind of reaction. Daine hasn't behaved this way since Carthak, when she thought he'd been executed. She can't possibly have gotten it into her head that he'd died again.

Kitten grips onto Daine's breeches and lets out a concerned run of burbly notes, and Numair digs a handkerchief out of his pocket. "Here," he offers, and Daine pulls back enough to take the scrap of cloth and obey his rather paternal, "blow." He keeps an arm curled around her, a little concerned by the way she's slumped against him, and uses his free hand to check his pocket for a vial of wakeflower, just in case.

"I'm sorry," Daine apologizes to the room at large, mopping the tears off her face. She hasn't missed the way he checked his pocket, and just the thought of him shoving that vial under her nose is enough incentive for her to pull herself together a little. "Numair, Kit, I've - we've been through something, me and Peeta, and it's going to sound mad, but I swear by the Goddess it's all true."

Numair gives her shoulder a little rub, then looks down his long nose at Peeta. "Well, I suppose you'd better come in and sit down," he says, not sounding especially enthusiastic about the idea. But if this 'Peeta' fellow plays a role in this ordeal that has Daine beside herself, he supposes it's better to keep the boy within easy reach.

[peeta_mellark]

There is sympathy in Peeta's eyes as he watches Daine, even as his gaze goes slightly distant. Seeing her reaction - and Numair's reaction to her state - he can't help but wonder what it would be like if the situation were reversed and Daine had been pulled into Panem with him.

Considering where he was when the rift pulled him away, it doesn't bear imagining (he isn't thinking about the dream arena where Daine died, he isn't). But if the rift somehow put them in the district, maybe before the Games even happened, how would everyone have reacted to their story? Within the space of a breath the possible reactions of his friends and family flash across his mind, each face and demeanor as clear as if the person were standing in front of him.

He quickly returns to the present, offering a supportive nod to Daine's assertion that their story is true. Unlike Panem, Tortall has magic. At least in Daine's world, traveling between realms isn't entirely unheard of, and Peeta suspects that will help lend credence to her claims.

He hopes it can do the same for the part he plays in the story. Numair's clear uncertainty about him is almost amusing; Peeta can all but feel the protectiveness radiating from the man as he steers Daine toward a chair.

[wildmage_daine]

Daine plops down into the offered chair, and Kitten clambers up into her lap. Odd's bobs, this is going to take some telling. She's distracted from the enormity of the tale she'll have to relate by the look that Numair gives Peeta as the latter settles himself in a chair, and her eyes narrow a little in preemptive annoyance. It was bad enough when Numair got all mother-bear over Kaddar having the audacity to speak with her; she won't have him huffing at Peeta, too. She casts a surreptitious glance beneath the table once Numair's seated himself, making note of where his shins are in case she needs to aim a kick in his direction.

"Well," Daine begins, absently running a hand down Kitten's side, "I suppose the first thing you ought to know is that there are a lot more realms than just the three. Peeta's from a different realm, and the one we both landed in was new for both of us. The city we lived in was called New York, and it was home to lots of displaced people from more realms than anyone could count." She glances toward Peeta, in case he cares to elaborate - or at least back her up, lest Numair decide she's just gone mad.

[peeta_mellark]

Peeta gives Daine an encouraging smile as she begins her explanation, nodding in support as she talks. "There were people from all sorts of very different realms," he adds when Daine glances his way, "with all different sorts of magic - or none at all, like my realm."

And there were some who weren't exactly people, but that's more detail than they probably need to get into right now. He looks to Daine to continue the story.