[open to all] Room full of people in your head

[applesaucemod]

The rift has gotten bored, and has decided it's time to bring people together for another dream party.

This time, when you find yourself within the dream, you'll be somewhere familiar. Perhaps somewhere you feel safe or at home, some place you miss, or were particularly happy at some point in your life. It might not be the same place every time you come back here, though.

There will also be a door where there didn't use to be one, even if there's no wall to surround it. If you go through this door, you will find yourself in endless simple corridor, lined with unmarked doors. And if you go through them, you'll pay a visit to someone else's room.


[There will monthly Dreaming party post like this. Same procedure as last time. Non-members welcome to tag in!]

Comments

[aly_brighteyes]

"Like I said," Aly replies softly. Her mind races, hunts for lies and games but, whatever the trick, this is Aunt Daine without a doubt. She can See the godhood and Wild Magic in her and her heart tells her much the same.

"Where I'm from, you're safe at home and grown."

[wildmage_daine]

Daine sighs, thinking it over. "If you're from the future," she muses, "maybe that just means I haven't made it home yet." Adjusting her grip on Kitten, she adds, "I don't s'pose I ever mentioned being stuck in another realm to you before?"

[aly_brighteyes]

Aly shakes her head, watching the young dragon in Daine's arms. "Only ever to the divine realms."

[wildmage_daine]

Frowning, Daine opens her mouth to mention that she hasn't been to the divine realms, either - but then she remembers the visions she had when she died. It was hardly the same as being stuck, but she supposes she has been there. Difference is, the two times she went to the divine realms, her body didn't go with her - and she was brought back home at once.

She's also not sure how to feel about the implication that she gets home and then never talks about New York again. Maybe no one's mentioned it to Aly, or she just forgot about it because she was so young - will be so young? Odd's bobs, this is more the TARDIS's or the Doctor's (or Andrew's) bag than hers.

"Well, I s'pose it's good that I'm home where you're from," she says bracingly. "I'd not like to be stuck in New York forever."

[aly_brighteyes]

Aly can't say either, as most of the time her family and her adoptive aunts and uncles tend to be fairly candid about which gods have been making sport of their lives. Often, over the dinner table. There are so many lessons that Daine has taught her about the gods that she can't imagine she'd not tell Aly about this sort of adventure.

"This is even stranger than what's normal for our family." And that is saying a great, great deal.

[wildmage_daine]

That earns her a more genuine smile. "It gets stranger still, believe me. You haven't even seen cars - or skyscrapers! Some of the things these two-leggers can do without magic are fair impressive." Not always in a good way, but still.

[aly_brighteyes]

"That's the only thing I know to look forward to anymore." Aly matches Daine's smile, feeling a little better for it.

After all, her patron god is a trickster.

[wildmage_daine]

"Sensible of you," Daine says approvingly, wrinkling her nose. Then she sobers a little. Perhaps she shouldn't be asking about things that are to happen in her future, but she's spent too much time fretting over how things were going in her absence to let this opportunity pass by.

"How are things at home? Is everyone all right?"

[aly_brighteyes]

"Da always said I was a sensible one." Aly gives Daine a playfully knowing smile, one that only hints at the mischief she's been up to.

"Oh, things are well. You're the famous Wild Mage and Mother is still harrying about and killing spidrens left and right. And I...have been traveling."

[wildmage_daine]

Daine grins back, in part because it's funny to think of the little girl she remembers being described as 'sensible.' No one's sensible at that age.

Her stomach drops at the word 'famous' - the last noteworthy thing she'd done was raze the Carthaki palace, and the last thing she wants is to be known for that - but then she remembers that she's older where (when?) Aly's come from. Surely folk aren't still talking about it over a decade later.

Or are they? Snowsdale gossips were always happy enough to harp on about Sarra's bastard long after her birth, after all.

"Not for Carthak, I hope," she says, brow furrowed. Eager to change the subject, she asks, "Traveling? Where to?"

[aly_brighteyes]

Aly flutters her eyelashes a moment, "But Aunt, Carthak is so lovely this time of year!"

She gives the declaration a perfectly timed beat before raising a hand. "No, I'm afraid not. Kyprioth sent me to the Copper Isles to employ my skills."

[wildmage_daine]

It's still strange hearing 'Aunt' come from a girl near enough to her own age, for all that she knows this is Aly. All this talk of Kyprioth might make her worry that she was being tricked, somehow, but she very much doubts the god could pull one over on Kitten.

"Skills?" Daine wonders which of her parents Aly takes after in that regard. The broken nose suggests she's been in a tussle, but she has her father's bearing - and if she was a squire, she'd be running errands for her knight master, not a god. "Have you gone into spywork?"

[aly_brighteyes]

"Say, rather, I was press-ganged and then seduced into well...The Copper Isles did need less time on their hands to spend mucking about with Tortall." Aly flaps it off with an impatient hand, as if serving as a rebellion's spymaster is no nevermind.

[wildmage_daine]

"Press-ganged?" Daine's eyebrows shoot up, despite Aly's flippant attitude. "Do your parents know what's happened? Mithros, they must be having fits!"

[aly_brighteyes]

"Well, that's Mother for you," Aly replies, hiding her true feelings out of reflex and no small part of regret.

"I did mean to tell her goodbye."

[wildmage_daine]

Daine tsks, readjusting her grip on Kitten so she reach for Aly. "Are you all right?" she asks, taking her niece's hand.

[aly_brighteyes]

"Of course I am," she promises. As Daine has guessed, she does take after her good old Da. "I'm good at hiding what I can do."

[wildmage_daine]

"I s'pose you have had some of the best teachers," Daine says with an encouraging smile. Anyone with George Cooper for a da and Sir Myles for a grandda must have a good idea of what they're doing as far as spywork is concerned.

Still, she can't quite dismiss the rather maternal fondness she has for her niece, or the worry that comes with it. "Be extra careful," she advises, aware that she's mother-henning a bit but unable to stop herself. "Especially if the gods are taking an interest."

[aly_brighteyes]

Aly bats her eyes sweetly before taking a seat on the floor of the hall. "Am I ever not careful?"

[wildmage_daine]

Daine plops down beside her, grinning. "I might not be the best person to ask, seeing as you were three last I saw you."

[aly_brighteyes]

"I promise you, I was a very clever three-year-old." It was the age or slightly before that that her Da had given Aly her first knife. It had been blunted, while she learned, but she had quickly graduated to full-fledged daggers.

[wildmage_daine]

"Clever isn't the same as careful," Daine points out, eyebrows raised. At that age, being clever just means you get into more mischief.

[aly_brighteyes]

Aly gave Daine that same mischievous smile, shrugging like a bird more than a two-legger. "With my Da, they're the same thing."