Dreams of Doors and Roads [Gardens of Oneiromancy]

[Chaka]

Sam


Sam heads over to the counter and sits down, gracefully.


Of course, everything he does is graceful. Sometimes he has to remember not to.

 

[Hyrune]

To Sam


The counter gleams, as if freshly polished - well no, it's more than that. It looks new. It always looks new, from the salt-shakers to the off-white porcelain bowls of sugar cubes to the stainless steel napkin dispensers.


There's a sudden sense of rain, that damp, crackling sensation of earth after a Spring rainfall. Seán Whisper sweeps softly as his namesake into the space directly in front of you before leaning over with a strangely fluid motion which is still somehow mechanical enough to rival Monty. "Good morning, Sam Lightfoot."

 

[Yu Jie]

Nalani Appleblossom


Knitting her brows, Nalani stared curiously at the tiny eyes on the woman's stole for a moment. Her eyes were soon drawn lower, down towards the shifting blues of Aisling's dress. It reminded her of the ocean, somewhere south of Bali when the shallow ocean shelf gives way to the deep. The color mesmerized her for a while, tugging at her memories. It was the kind of blue she stared at while she stood by the railing of the yacht, idly watching the birdlike forms of flying fish racing next to her parent's vessel. She recalled the staccato splashing of the fish as they rose and dove repeatedly alongside the boat.


Finally realizing that she had been staring, Nalani raked her hair back nervously from her face and hazarded a tiny smile at Aisling. "Pardon me, Ais...erm...Mother. I wasn't expecting to see you here." The waving motion she made with her hand towards the empty seat across from her was equal parts grace and awkwardness. "Please, have a seat. I was just in here for a spot of breakfast."

 

[Hyrune]

To Nalani


Aisling will nod - somehow making the simple movement graceful - and smoothly seat herself in one fluid motion that suggests she's winding herself into it. It's oddly...appealing? The correct turn of phrase escapes you. "Thank you," she'll say quite simply.


Tabitha wordlessly deposits a frothy cappuccino in front of the woman before scurrying out of sight with barely disguised nervousness; you'll note how the waitress says nothing about how her ferret is helping itself to the sugar cubes. Taking one delicate draught of the rich coffee mix, Aisling will look outside for a moment before returning her attention to you. "How are you this morning?" Her voice is as rich as the coffee; hints of music, song, lurk around the edges of vowels and consonants like the fall of autumn leaves.

 

[Chaka]

Sam


Sam grins up at the Spring courtier. "Alright, mate. How's it going?"

 

[Hyrune]

To Sam


With skin touched by the roll of vague and translucent nimbostratus cloud and the rare, dull flash of lightning (still visible through his vanilla-white suit, however), one could hardly mistake the Airtouched for anything other than what he is. "We fare well this morning, Sam. Business is booming, as per usual." His hair - long and merely grey streaked with white; normal enough to need no Mask - is bound back into a simple ponytail with a bone-clip of some sort. Looks fancy. His eyes, of course, gleam pearlescently, as if coated in a thin sheet of nacre from edge to edge.


Unlike some Satraps you've met, he doesn't try to use his unsettling eyes to...well, unsettle. Jacob might, but Seán is above it. It's funny, though; the Elemental is old. Not ancient or anything, but old enough, and yet the mortals who see his Mask are still startled by his eyes, but what they see is "merely" the true, spring-blue of his irises, a sight you've never seen. Seán has not yet taken steps that would inevitably force mortals to glimpse his current state.


"Have you ordered?"

 

[Chaka]

Sam


Sam sighs. "Service with a smile, eh? I'll have a cup of coffee, black, and if you have anything more nourishing than ice-cream I'll have one of that, as well. I just don't feel right having ice-cream for breakfast."

 

[Hyrune]

To Sam


"Certainly," he'll reply, with an honest-to-God bow to boot. How Seán gets away with it, you'll never know (the locals think him either charming or eccentric, and nominally paying homage to the Emerald Cpurt as he does he'd have to do a damn sight more than bow before they'd call him out for it...), but he manages it with all the grace of a Fairest and none of the snobbery.


He'll sweep softly into the backroom without another word, leaving you to the soft clink of cutlery on plates and the lull of the radio.

 

[Yu Jie]

Nalani Appleblossom


Bits of the previous night's dreams wafted through Nalani's mind. With just the slightest twitch of annoyance, she mentally brushed the disturbing bits of the dream aside that still clung to her like annoying little wisps of sticky cobwebs. Instead, she made herself focus on the tiny little munching noises of ferret teeth on the hard sugar cube and on the rise and fall of Aisling's voice that always sounded faintly like scraps of music to her. Despite the slight distraction that creased her brow in just the slightest, she did notice how quickly Tabitha disappeared. I hope she remembers to bring me my order. Her stomach rumbled in assent.


Habit made her reach for a cigarette. Goodness knows how many times that tube of bliss became a substitute for food. Instead of lighting it though, Nalani merely tapped it lightly against the table. Glancing at the soft little rhythm, with her unpolished nails holding that slim cylinder of tobacco, the tiny sounds soothed her nerves. "Not bad." She forced a little laugh, timed perfectly to hide another little growl of protest from her belly at the lack of food. "I'm looking forward to breakfast though, as you can probably tell." Finally lifting her chin, she stared directly into Aisling's eyes, a small smile curving her lips. "And how about you, Aisling? How are you today?"


There. That sounded casual enough.

 

[Hyrune]

To Nalani


It's impossible to say, but you think she's raising an eyebrow; her mien makes it difficult to see anything but shadows and flickering lights beneath her hood. She's a Fairest to the bone though; the light seems to throw her fine features in profile, her lips upturned in an enigmatic smile.


"Mind your own business," the ferret responds with a particularly hard "crunch!", licking his little paws.


"Play nice, Eucalyptus." Aisling's tone is one of admonishment, but she allows the Hedge-Beast to scamper up her arm again, snaking around her neck to stare at you with beady yet somehow challenging black eyes. For her part, Aisling's smile becomes somewhat apologetic. "We apologise for disturbing you so early in the day, but I have come to lay your first task upon you as a fully-fledged member of the Family." She holds up a hand as if to halt any objections and you cannot help but notice the emerald rings on her thumb and forefinger. "Nothing too onerous, do not worry. We merely want to establish a...foothold in the affairs of this particular locale." As always, the Muse's voice is musical, yet for matters such as these her words do not carry farther than the table.


"We wish you to select at least one person in your life and establish the Pledge of Horn and Bone with them; beyond that, we ask no more than that you simply monitor their dreams and report any unusual behaviour."

 

[Yu Jie]

Nalani Appleblossom


And there it was. Nalani had been waiting for the reason for Aisling's sudden appearance. She exhaled softly, her eyes straying back to the tap-tap-tap of her cigarette against the surface of the table. Normally, the Pledge of Horn and Bone would be simple enough. But with her limited contact with others...Nalani, stop acting like you didn't grow up mingling with all sorts of people! It was quite funny how it was her mother's clipped voice that she often heard in her head at times like these, the exasperation at her sole daughter's propensity for keeping to herself seeping through her polished tones. She chewed on the inside of her lip. Mingling with people on a limited basis was one thing. Letting people in enough to make them a part of her life after was an entirely different thing altogether.


She tossed an amused glance at the ferret, trying to look confident as she hurriedly ran through the possibilities in her head. Definitely not Shelley, that's for sure. Jon's image immediately came to mind, with a mental kick in the head soon after. Even with her skills, there was no feasible way for her to make the pledge to him at his point, not without making him suspicious. He was too much of a loner like herself. Oh, but she did find herself curious about what someone like him saw in his dreams. Likely peaceful ones, she figured. Mrs. Morris was so nice that she didn't seem to need protecting at all. Her parents were never a possibility. Tempting as the thought was to be allowed even a little peek into their dreams, she couldn't get close enough to them to make the pledge. Not with her fetch still around. She bit down a little harder on her lip until she tasted just the faintest hint of blood.


Faces of the regular denizens of The Speakeasy flashed through her brain one by one. The name was a misguided marketing attempt at making the slightly run down bar seem a little classier. "The Easy," as everyone called it to the owner's chagrin, was always half-filled with locals who where there to socialize or find a little comfort in whatever drink caught their fancy. Duke, the burly guy that owned the place, was good about letting her play at least five nights a week. Then again, with her violin and the melancholy tunes that she sweetly coaxed out of it, the patrons of The Easy seemed to order a greater number of drinks as a whole. It kept her more or less steadily employed.


One face in particular stood out. Old Mr. Benjamin. Benny, he'd insist to everyone. Now there was one person that was always so popular with everyone. If he was deep enough in his cups, he'd go on and on in his spidery voice, waving that crooked, trembling finger of his, old stories of him and his beloved wife back in the late forties when they were so young. Mrs. Benjamin was long gone, but you wouldn't know it at times from the way Benny spoke about her. On the occasional day that he was quiet, he'd reply simply, "Didn't sleep so well." Nalani always had a soft spot for him, with his shuffling steps and that stoop in his walk that seemed to deepen in the time she'd been playing at The Easy; she and just about all of the cocktail waitresses at the bar adored him. With Benny she could manage to make the Pledge fairly easily enough. At least, that's what she hoped. She had never actually spoken to Benny for more than a few words at a time. Lucky for her, most of the other waitresses were quite chummy with him.


In a hushed, respectful tone, she replied to Aisling, "Of course, Mother. As you wish." She bowed her head slightly, glad that her first assignment for the family was finally here. "I already have someone in mind."

 

[Hyrune]

To Nalani


"Excellent." With yet another enigmatic smile, she'll take another sip from her cup and nod to herself. It strikes you that Aisling is rather like that sort of teacher everyone wants to teach their kids at first; motherly, gently, somewhat condescending but ultimately caring.


Meanwhile, Eucalyptus is sticking his tongue out at you, rather ruining the image.


"Now, if you'll excuse me, I do believe one of your motley-mates just walked in, and I'd rather get you all started more or less simultaneously. It's much more... efficient that way."


Tabitha seemingly appears behind the Muse as she rises gracefully from her seat, needlessly rearranging her shawls with a touch of her hands; for a moment, cursive writing swirls across her palms. She hands her cup to the waitress without another word, waving goodbye with an almost flippant gesture of her beringed right hand. You are, however, probably ignoring this, as more importantly Tabitha has arrived with your food.

 

[Yu Jie]

Nalani Appleblossom


She was planning on how to go about accomplishing her first task. She was also planning on saying hello to whichever one of her motley-mates that Aisling mentioned, but all Nalani could see right now was...


"Bacon!"


The grateful smile she gave Tabitha was nearly dazzling. Barely waiting for the waitress to take her hand away, she jammed her fork enthusiastically into the buttery pile of waffles. She was soon contentedly wolfing down a breakfast that would fill a man more than twice her size. With the meeting with Aisling behind her (one that went far better than she had expected), she concentrated on demolishing the contents of her plate, one syrupy bite after the other.

 

[Hyrune]

To Sam


A plate heaped high with Canadian bacon and waffles drenched in maple syrup deposits itself in front of you, courtesy of the Station's other waitress, Misty; a Beast Truefriend and Tabitha's motley-mate. The two are notoriously protective of one another, even amongst other survivors of Arcadia, though neither are so paranoid as to be openly hostile. Their relationship is occasionally a matter of Freehold gossip, but you don't know much more about them than that.


Misty is far more reticent than Tabitha, proof of which comes as she literally leaves the moment the plate touches the counter. But she could just be busy. You're (probably) more interested in Aisling tapping on your shoulder, regardless.

 

[Chaka]

Sam


With the bacon halfway to his mouth, Sam half-turns to look at Aisling behind him. "Can't a guy eat in - oh, hey Aisling. Always a pleasure."

 

[Hyrune]

To Sam


The shawled Muse bows her head ironically and helps herself to a seat beside you without asking, winding her way into position. Her clothes whisper on the leather. "Don't mind me," she'll say as if by way of apology in a tone that couldn't be any less apologetic. As always, she seems determined to focus on anything else except the conversation at hand; and you know she wants to talk to you about something, because Aisling is not about to engage in idle chit-chat with anyone, especially you.

 

[Chaka]

Sam


Sam continues to eat ravenously, pausing to watch the Fairest across the table from him. Never can say what she means...


Setting down his knife and fork for a moment, Sam smiles at her. "And what can I help my erstwhile mother with today?"

 

[Hyrune]

To Nalani


Tabitha returns with the bill, depositing it on the table with a respectful bow. It's funny, you've never really gotten to know her, despite her being a fellow Winter courtier. Her presence reminds you yet again that soon rulership will pass from the Court of the Silent Arrow to that of the Emerald Court next week. Your feelings are a little mixed; you can't help but wonder if you should feel something... more. You're a noble yourself now, after all. But this seasonal change will be just like any other, or so it seems.


The music changes; something soulful, charged with sorrow. The rest of the string section falls away as a lone violin takes up the tune for a solo finish but you're distracted by something else attached to your bill.

 

[Hyrune]

To Sam


Cradling the elegant curve of her chin in one, aged ivory coloured hand, Aisling affects a bored yet conflictingly amused expression with just a twitch of her lips. Without further preamble, she'll fill you in on the Family's request for you and your motley to acquire dreaming mortals to watch over.


"You needn't ensorcell them outright, of course," she says for a finish, fingers twisting along one twitching, worming tassel. "All we ask is you find one or more mortals who will agree - knowingly or otherwise - to let you watch over them as they sleep." The words are sweet, but her tone is all business.

 

[Yu Jie]

Nalani Appleblossom


"Thanks, Tabitha," she murmurs belatedly. She really should do something about the fact that beyond having a few acquaintances, she didn't really have anyone in her life. I'll have to make it a point to try and chat with Tabitha sometime. Reaching for the bill, Nalani notices something strange. She picks it up and takes a closer look.


Intelligence + Politics:


Results for 2 dice: 2 successes [ 9 0 ] (TN: 8)


Reroll: Results for 1 dice: 1 success [ 9 ] (TN: 8)

 

[Chaka]

Sam


Sam considers. "I'll see what I can do. I don't have very many points of contact with the muggles, Ash. You know that." He takes a swig of coffee. "That said, I'm sure I can work something out. The sooner the better, I assume?"

 

[Hyrune]

To Sam


"Before sunset." She drops the ultimatum into the gap of conversation like a soft pillow, her dreamy tone of voice returned in full. She slides off the seat as her annoying little rat of a companion makes a surprisingly rude gesture for a creature lacking in fully-distinguished digits. "Until we meet again." She tosses off the last remark over her shoulder with an airy little wave, her shoes clicking discordantly on the ground as she passes through the door.

 

[Chaka]

Sam


Sam takes a long swig of coffee as he watches her go. "Stone cold bitch. No wonder I like her."


Idly, he throws some money on the table. "Food was good as always. I'm afraid duty calls, though..."

 

[Hyrune]

To Nalani


Huh. Someone's written something on your bill. Tabitha? The ink is smudged; to be honest, it's hardly there at all. If you squint, turn your head sideways and hold it to the light, however, you can just about make out "Widow's".


The only "Widow's" you can think of is the Widow's Recluse, a small park between your place and the Docks. Tabitha has, conveniently, disappeared, but the Court of the Silent Arrow is all about secrecy...such as it is. Should you question it, or would that defeat the purpose?

 

[Hyrune]

To Sam


Seán's voice will snake insidiously from the back-room. "Looking forward to seeing you at the Revel next week, Mr. Lightfoot."


Amazing how even when he's shouting he manages to sound quiet. He's referring, of course, to the annual shindig the Spring Court throws every year to celebrate their return to power. A "quaint little get-together" with enough thumping bass to deafen a ward of newborns and enough liquor to repopulate it. The door beckons, a slight breeze catching at your hair.