[center][img]https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/357353496057610242/564662374775259137/crimsonred.png?width=240&height=301[/img][/center] [center]MP:07 FP:08[/center] The room pulsed. White light glimmered over the opaque shadows, dispelling them and revealing grey-blue stonework. Once again in five points K’nell had placed dream orbs, each hovering over a pedestal, whirring and pulsing their glow. In the center of the star, there was a great ripple of light, just as before, with K’nell standing in front of it. His fingers deftly slipped through the light, hooking ethereal threads and incorporeal strings. He pushed and pulled them, weaving them into a pattern hidden by the mind numbing light. The birth of Diana had pushed his project closer than he had expected, and he could feel things starting to fall into place. A tiny smile cracked his lips and he began to hum a melody, the grain of his voice giving it a veneer of experience and mystery all in one. He tugged a particularly stubborn strand, and reality seemed to shimmer around him for a moment. He paused and the sparkle of light fell back into the rhythmic pulse of the orbs. As his fingers worked his mind idled on different things, his vast army of crows feeding him endless streams of information. He made a curious face at some of the images and sounds the crows relayed, smiled at a few others, and threw in a few frowns for good measure. Snaking one hand out of the ripple of light, he waved it at nothing in particular and the images stopped flowing, leaving his mind alone with his own ponderings. There was so much to think about, and unlike eons ago, things happen much quicker than before, forcing him to prioritize his thoughts. He let his hands fall from the ripple of light and tapped his clean shaven chin, “[i]Prioritization.[/i]” He gave a single humorless ‘ha’ and returned his hands to the ripple, the room suddenly blooming with spots of every bit of color imaginable, plus a few new ones. “[i]Such a word is hardly known on Galbar[/i]” He mused as he tinkered, “[i]Then again, I’m hardly on Galbar.[/i]” “[i]Orvus,[/i]” He thought to himself, the images of his last encounter flashing by his mind. He nodded to himself, hoping that the god managed to figure out the true purpose of his gift, and not just the obvious one. His raised his brows and the image of Orvus shifted to that of Azura and her birds, images he knew very well despite never personally meeting her. His crows have heard many stories and opinions on the god… K’nell let his brow fall as he worked on a particularly hesitant thread of light. “[i]Oh, Azura,[/i]” he shook his head, “[i]A heart of gold, but then again, find me a god who doesn’t think their soul is silver and ideas as solid as diamond.[/i]” He looked at a mirror that leaned against the wall and smirked. “There’s a hypocrites’ smile,” He charmed before turning back to his work. He scrunched his brow as he worked; perhaps it was intrinsic to his sphere, a boon acquired from his specialty, but to him, there always seemed to be so many roads and so many strings --almost too many strings-- to only pull one and assume --He yanked a strand of wispy gold-- that it was the only or even the best string. He watched a cloud of glowing light pulse on the other side of the ripple, “[i]Or that the effects of a choice be so simple and clear.[/i]” “[i]Or perhaps,[/i]” He thought on, “[i]There is no other choice, or perhaps too few choices.[/i]” He thoughts turned to Ashalla, and then to Narzhak,“[i]That there is a certain complexity in the simplicity, or perhaps it really is all that simple.” He smiled, knowing very well that there buzzed a law that even a man of dreams knew to be true, that it is usually the simplest of answers that holds the answer. He cocked a brow, “[i]But at what point do you fall from humility in your choice, and are just plain proud.[/i]” “Then I suppose you could be too prudent as well, too invested in finding every option that you forget what you were talking about to begin with,” He said out loud to nothing at all. He pulled back from the ripple of light, the glowing sun a melody of color. He tucked a hand under his elbow and pinched his chin. “So I suppose, the answer to this equation is simple,” He watched the ripple, “You cannot have one without the other, and I suppose you’d have to find a certain balance to make sure that you know exactly what is what. But that is the beauty of the dream,” He smiled, “You [i]can[/i] have one without the other…” “Unless…” His eyes flickered with the light. “You want something else entirely…” A cheshire grin overtook his face. [i]WHOOM![/i] The ripple suddenly exploded with a rush, engulfing K’nell in all its splendor. As the flood of color overtook the palace, it grew dark and dim. Runes floated in its miasma as it curled into lines of wicked poetry. The great wonder of the dark tsunami shook the dreamscape… [hr] Limbo began to shake and the weavers that floated around it suddenly turned a scarlet red. With an explosive blast, a dark pillar of miasma erupted from the stone platform, rocketing to the sky. It slammed into the heavens with a tremendous force, blasting the night sky with a unsettling shiver. All around Galbar, the sleeping suddenly began to jerk, and began to scream, and began to cry. The realm of the sleeping broke into a chorus of horror, fit with an orchestra of shrieks and a symphony of anxious whimpers. … True nightmares have been born. [hr] ...The initial great wave of terror never seemed to touch those who bore the spiral… [hr] Diana suddenly stood up. Her umbrella slid off of her and thunked into the wet grass below. Her boots scuffed and she turned every which way, surrounded by a grove of trees -- a gentle river babbling nearby. Her sickly eyes seemed enticed and a smile stretched over her jagged teeth. Slowly her gaze fell to Karamir, the sleeping mortal jerking in his sleep, sweat beading at his temples. A giddy grin and a single clap erupted from Diana, the avatar nearly hopping in place. “Karamir!” She kicked the man out of his sleep, his eyes popping as they escaped horror. Karamir shot up into a sitting position, his hand lunging for a branch that lay nearby, only to pause when he realized there was no actual danger. [color=yellow] “Agh… wh-what!?”[/color] he demanded. “What, what,” Diana mocked with a wave of her hand, “Can’t break you from that, can I?” She shook her head and waved her arms, “But no, don’t you feel it?” She smiled wide, eyes shifting over his face, looking for signs of his nightmare. [color=yellow]“Whatever do you mean?”[/color] Karamir asked, recalling the lessons he had been repeatedly nagged and pestered about. “Oh dear, oh dear,” Diana scooted around Karamir, “Do mortals really not feel that? A new wing of the palace has been awakened. I can taste it in the air, I could feel it ‘oozing’ from you as you slept.” She closed her eyes as if picturing something, “The symphony was masterful, and you’re telling me you couldn’t even hear it?” Karamir scratched his head in confusion. [color=yellow]“That dream was the worst one yet, but you’ve been giving me nightmares ever since we met. There was something special about this one?”[/color] Diana’s jaw hung in astonishment, “Karamir, that’s probably the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me.” She hugged herself and smiled smugly, “To think you couldn’t even tell the difference.” [color=yellow]“So what does this mean, then?”[/color] he questioned. “It means I can go home, dear” Diana smiled wide, “And that-- well.” She thought for a moment, “It’s hard to explain, but since you’ve known me… I’ve had a small piece of myself that seemed to be missing, but I think I found it again, oh yes.” Well, that was concerning, for more reasons than one. [color=yellow]“Wait… go home? You’re leaving?”[/color] he asked her. Karamir did not relish the idea of her gaining what sounded like more power, but for some strange reason he also did not want her to leave. “Well leaving is a relative term,” Diana flicked her wrist about, “Leaving this boring slab of stone? Yes.” She closed her lips and hummed in thought, “Oh my, you’ll just love it. No more sunny days, or fluffy critters -- at least not the petting kind.” She shivered. [color=yellow]“Love what?”[/color] Diana blinked, “Home, Karamir, home. My, you’re a dense one.” Karamir raised an eyebrow. [color=yellow]“Are you saying you’re taking me somewhere?”[/color] “Of course,” Diana rolled her eyes, “We are friends, aren’t we? It would be strange to just… leave… you stranded.” She curled a finger and bit it in thought, as if tempted. Karamir looked around. He had already seen his fair share of dangers on this continent. From giant winged lizards to abominations of filth and metal. If left alone, his odds of survival were not great. [color=yellow]“This ‘home’ of yours… what is it?”[/color] "I always forget that you're a simpleton," Diana mused, "Somehow." She shook her head, "I come from the land of dreams, of course." She did a slight twirl, “Couldn’t you tell?” [color=yellow]“I know that, but [i]what is it?[/i]”[/color] Karamir pressed. [color=yellow]“Is it just endless horrors and nightmares? Is being there any different from being asleep?”[/color] “It’s whatever I want it to be, of course,” Diana stuck her chin up, “It’s really quite easy to understand when you think about it and yes, I’d say it’s much better actually being there rather than sleeping. Not from experience of course, but my own personal…” she mulled over her words and rotated her wrist, “I’m not sure, bias? Perhaps.” [color=yellow]“So what happens to me when I sleep - it would just be more of that?”[/color] “Oh my dear Karamir,” Diana pinched her brow but betrayed a toothy grin, “Your lack of eloquence is somehow as sharp as it is dull, or rather it must be because that stung. It’s not just merely pictures floating around in your head, or some sleeping side show, or maybe that’s all it is to you?” Her statement inflected a question and her eyes dug into him with an awaiting glare. [color=yellow]“I’m just trying to learn more about it, that’s all.”[/color] he answered, shrugging to offset his defensive tone. “Haven’t you learned anything from your dreams?” She asked with an almost sickening innocence that Karamir had grown to be cautious around. Karamir sighed. Getting a straight answer from her had always been difficult - so why should he expect it to be easier now? [color=yellow]“I’m trying to find out how it’s different from my dreams. If it’s just more nightmares, but far worse, or all the time, then that isn’t a life I want to live.”[/color] “Oh no, it’s much much better,” Daina clapped once, “Besides, what sort of life are you trying to live anyways? You squat by trees and grunt half the time, I could only imagine what life would have been like if you hadn’t met the likes of me, you know. Look at you, dashing clothes, nearly intelligible diction, and a worn weary eye to boot. I’d say it can only get better for you.” She crossed her arms. Karamir frowned. [color=yellow]“I think your definition of ‘better’ is different from most creatures.”[/color] “Oh foo, there you go with your nonsense again,” Diana folded her hands, “You can’t deny how great it has been having me around, and I’m just saying we can have much more fun, but in a much more civilized land.” Karamir squinted. [color=yellow]“More civilized? In what way?”[/color] After all, many of the things he witnessed in his dreams could hardly count as ‘civilized.’ “For one I can introduce you to the wonders of cleaning yourself regularly,” She kept her arms crossed, “Dances, orchestras, cooked food, all of that fun and fluff.” Karamir ruminated on the offer. He distrusted it, of course, yet he knew that staying here alone was a death sentence. And at least going with Diana would offer some change of pace from the seemingly endless wandering they had been going through previously. He removed his hat and ran a hand through his hair. How long had they been wandering? Countless winters had come and gone. He had been told he would live long, but long was not forever, and he needed to feel like he was making some sort of progress. He sighed. [color=yellow]“I will go… on the condition that I am allowed to safely leave whenever I want.”[/color] "Oh you silly man," Diana cackled, "Have I ever once said you can't leave?" [color=yellow]“I’ve never been in a position where I could [i]safely[/i] leave,”[/color] Karamir pointed out. [color=yellow]“When we first met it was at sea - there was nowhere else to go. And here… this land is dangerous, and you never gave me a weapon to defend myself.”[/color] "I gave you the best weapon of all: style and good friends," She nodded, "Now hup to! We have a home to return to." She put her hands on her hips, "Now just to remember which way it was." Karamir rose to his feet, and then his eyes widened in fear. [color=yellow]“Are we going to have to take another umbrella ride across the sea?”[/color] Diana tapped her chin, "Maybe! Oh I know how much you love those." She spun and spun as if looking for something, "But we do have a schedule to keep, somewhat." She knelt down and scooped up her umbrella. She stared at it for a while and tossed it idly in her hand. "I suppose we could fly." [color=yellow]”Wait…”[/color] Karamir began, before breaking off into silence. For a few seconds, he could only stare at her with his mouth agape. He clenched a fist, then unclenched it, before clenching it again. His face reddened, and it looked as though he might explode, but then he took a deep breath and appeared to calm down - though his hand remained closed. [color=yellow]”[i]That was an option?[/i]”[/color] he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Diana blinked, "Oh my, yes." Her lips cracked into a toothy grin, "Although as you can imagine, space is a little limited." Karamir opened his palm, and then slowly brought his hand up to meet his face. [color=yellow]“Why didn’t you do that in the first place?”[/color] he asked, his voice still quiet. "Oh I think you know me well enough by now," She said idly as she unfurled her umbrella with a [i]whoosh![/i] The brim of the umbrella seemed a lot wider than Karamir remembered and Diana flexed her fingers over the grip a few times, "Shall I be honest with you?" Karamir dropped his hand. [color=yellow]“Do you mean to imply that you have not been honest with me before?”[/color] he asked in an unusually dry tone. [color=yellow]“I am shocked. But please go on.”[/color] "Oh hush, I've never uttered a lie to you. I simply have a confession," She looked over at him and held out a hand. Karamir stared at her outstretched hand for a moment, and then reached out to take it. Gripping her palm was cold and somehow, sweaty? Or was it so dry that it felt that way, either way the discomfort spread up his arm like a creeping spider as her fingers creaked over his. But Karamir had grown used to such sensations, and he was unphased. "I've never flown before," She cackled as the two suddenly shot off of the ground, smashing through the canopy of the forest. Karamir’s grip tightened and his surprised yell was drowned out by the rushing wind, but this was not his first time flying, and after the initial surprise passed he was able to calm himself. As they jerked to a horizontal flight pattern, he saw a shimmer exit a hidden pocket of Diana's dress. The tiny orb slipped out, smacked him in the nose, and quickly disappeared as it plummeted to the ground. [color=yellow]”Agh!”[/color] he cried out, his voice suddenly nasally as drops of blood streamed from his fresh injury, landing in the forest below. Diana didn't seem to notice, or at least pretended not to as she started her little hum up again. This was going to be quite the journey. [Hider=Summary] Here we find a god (K'nell) musing over the choices of other gods while creating something in his arts and crafts room where he had made Diana. His solo convo goes on long enough that he forgets his topic and turns to explain the duality of dreams and nightmares and how you can have one without the other… that is if you just want dreams and nightmares (lol what. [Think about it]) So then he unleashes his new project upon Galbar… Nightmares. The world screams. Nightmares are real now, find them occasionally (or perhaps often, maybe hardly) in your box of dreams. Oh and then Diana is all like WOOHOO and wakes Karamir up from a horror of sleep and then he convinces him to come home with her (like stray dog) and then they decide to fly. The piggut orb is lost on DF. [/hider] [/hider] [hider=Might Summary] Starting 7 MP 8 FP 5mp spent on obtaining the Nightmare port Ending 2 MP 8 FP Other ports 2 / 5 misery 1 / 5 polymorphism [/hider]