Fantasy DreamWorlds

[Elfia Nightwing]

As Nina listened the group discuss the things called Nightmares. Although she tried to listen along, it just left her with a big headache. As Nicole adressed her, Nina turned to face her, cheeks growing red in embarrassment at the compliment. Her hands instantly went to the packpack to check on the seed. Yup still there.


" I... I one of the foster mother's said it was bad to be clingy.. That people don't like that." Nina frowned, glancing down at her feet, kicking up the sand like dirt." I... feel safe with you too.. And I've never felt that way with anyone but Pan before.." Laying her head on Nicole's chest." No one's ever said they needed me before..."

 

[DergTheDergon]

Nicole swam ever closer to the underwater tower, seeing Ryan quite far ahead of the group, already snooping around in front of the structure itself. She wrapped an arm around Nina to hopefully keep the girl safe, while she kept the other hand firmly on the hilt of her sword, realizing its significance now, this blade now her most prized possession. She'd always been fond of the weapon, but just thinking that it could potentially save her life and that of others in the group several times over just added to her treasuring of this persistent piece of metal. The ornate silver hilt, the deep blue sapphires and cherry red rubies adorning it, and the blade that seemed to shine in and reflect any light cast onto it had always seemed to suit Nicole... it was almost as if it was made especially for her and bound to her dream form somehow, but by whom? Or by what, was perhaps the better question. Either way, it was a bad idea to try and make sense of dreams especially in this time sensitive situation Nicole found herself in.


Nicole giggled softly seeing Nina's face turn red. Her smile widened, if even possible at this moment, when she saw that Nina was, seemingly unconsciously, checking for the seed inside her backpack. She was certainly the one to trust to keep it safe. Nicole nodded in understanding at Nina's comment regarding "being clingy", shaking her head a little and stroking the younger girl's hair affectionately. "I certainly don't mind, your foster mother wasn't right about everyone I assure you. No need to worry about that with me." Now it was Nicole's turn to blush as Nina said that she felt safe with Nicole, glad yet a little embarrassed to her those words within earshot of the group. Her smile dropped as a sad expression came over her face, Nina's continuing words yet another sign of a lack of self worth that must've been instilled in her all her life so far, by nearly everyone she interacted with. "Well," Nicole began after a short pause, "I'm saying I need you now. So chin up! Let's explore this tower, shall we?" With that, Nicole continued swimming forwards with Nina until the tower was looming right in front of the pair.


From this distance it was clear that Ryan was examining the tower walls closely, seeming to look for signs of a secret passage like explorers did in the movies. She was startled when it actually worked, barely able to keep from jumping in surprise due to Nina's reassuring grip on her. As the stones revealed an archway and Ryan disappeared through it without further ado, Nicole took a depp breath then began to swim forwards once again, only to stop in her tracks moments later as she took in the sigth before her. "My word.... how the bloody hell'd all this stuff get here? What does it mean?" Nicole scanned the massive pile of random objects from where she stood, looking for anything of particular note, and perhaps more importantly, any sign of nightmares or other dangers to watch out for.


@JayfeatherRaven @Elfia Nightwing

 

[thistle]

By the time he finished making a slow circuit of the tower Rori had returned to himself. His fingers skimmed inches above the color stained glass, trailing forgotten behind him. As expected there had been little success in finding an entrance. The cracks spider webbing through the surface suggested an opening if one hammered his fist against the walls, but that seemed unnecessary. And brutish.


It didn’t seem right to force their way inside. The sheer mass of items pressing through the walls only promised consequences anyways. Still, in terms of a formal door way – that remained out of sight.


As a finger began to tap the bow of his lip in thought a stream of bubbles appearing out of nowhere shivered around him. Swept by the shifting waters, the quivering pockets of air continued to travel higher and Rori glanced in the direction they came, eyes pulled to the sea floor.


The wreath of dirty blonde hair was the last he saw of Ryan as the boy, seeming to have made headway, disappeared inside. Rori descended as Nichole and Nina followed after, arriving before the newfound entrance.


A whistle loosed from him and sounded clear as a bell in the water. At any other time where they were not pressed for time and not in a world ready to collapse, Rori would have gladly paused to admire the craftsmanship. As an artist how could he not? The smooth underside of stone curving upward as one block fit seamlessly into the next, for instance. Or the carved keystone fashioned with what looked like delicate script and mimicked the current flow. And what matters of color could he describe it as? Perhaps...


Rori started forward, having realized his failure in the same instant, and glanced at the others who still remained outside. “Heading in?”


@Iomana @Mitchs98 @JayfeatherRaven

 

[Iomana]

NightMares, NightEssence, the Abyss-- there was an abundance of new information to take in and Anelie found herself too proud to even think of asking for it to be repeated. There was a small relief in that Nicole had a weapon capable of fending off the creature, or creatures if they were particularly unlucky, but that left the group with only one defense against them. If a swarm were to attack all at once Anelie didn't like their odds.


And there was also the fact to consider the amount of information Nicholas knew.... A sound of a whistle pulled the girl from her thoughts as her head whipped around, somewhat startled by the sudden noise. Upon seeing it was only Rori, and that the others had somehow managed to find a way to open a doorway, Anelie floated closer to the entrance, cautiously peeking in at the clutter. At the question posed to her she gave him a silent nod, lips pressed together in determination as she moved inside the tower.


@thistle

 

[JayfeatherRaven]

"According to legend," Nicholas began, unfazed by the spectacle before him even as he went through the opening of the Tower, "the Seed of the Ocean is buried right beneath this pile of junk." He gave the heap of random objects a kick, causing it to wobble precariously. "Shall we begin digging?" He asked with a smirk, pulling out a stuffed teddy bear with a torn ear out of the heap.


@Mitchs98 @thistle @DergTheDergon


-


Valora had just entered the Tower when she felt a sudden pain in her temples, causing her to bite back a wince. "Stop...stop that." She said to Nicholas with gritted teeth. He appeared to be nudging the stockpile none too gently with his foot, and a stab of pain sliced through Valora's head each time it swayed. "It's messing with my head." She explained when he looked over at her incredulously. Forcing herself to push through the throbbing pain, she strained to recall a particular wisp of memory in her mind. At the last moment, it slipped from her grasp, and a thud caused her to glance up at the top of the shaky pyramid. "What was that?" She asked curiously, the pain forgotten now that Nicholas had stopped abusing the stack of completely random thingamajigs.

 

[Elfia Nightwing]

As Nina seperated from Nicole, joining in the search for the seed she looked around the tower, mesmerized by all of the different trinkets. Clothes, jewelry, toys, even pieces of furniture were crammed inside the tower." I wonder what all of these stuff mean?" She murmured to herself. As she carefully pulled object after object from the mess, something glittering caught her attention. It was small, the color of the sun as it gleamed from the reflection of light. The thin metal chain seemed to have rusted but the pendant was still in perfect shape.


It was a locket, in the shape of s heart. Engraved on the front was only a pair of initals, M.P. Miranda Pemwall." What is this doing here?..." Nina asked, wonderstruck. The locket had been Miranda's most prized possession, never taking of her body until one day it had mysteriously disappeared. Like with all other things that went missing, Miranda instantly blamed Nina, convinced that she had stolen it from her. She pushed Nina down the stairs in a fit of fury, despite the girls protests of having no idea what the necklace went. "Nicole, what is all this stuff?" Nina asked, tightening her grip on the locket.


@JayfeatherRaven @DergTheDergon

 

[DergTheDergon]

Nicole glanced with curious eyes towards Nicholas as he began his rendition or where he believes the seed is, and she ended up scoffing at his smirk near the end. The story seemed ludicrous to Nicole, as why would something so precious to the world itself be buried under all these mundane things, seeming not to be belong in a Dreamworld in the first place? This "legend" was also being told by a man she had deemed entirely untrustworthy. Nicole sighed, looking around and examining the various piles of junk. The others had already begun looking, so why shouldn't Nicole? This was the Dreamworlds after all, and Nicole hadn't the slightest clue where else to look... it would take a long while to sort through all of this but what choice did they have? By this point Nina had seperated from her, seeming transfixed by the sight of all these seemingly mundane objects misplaced at the bottom of a dreamworld, so Nicole really had no excuse not to start looking. It felt a little degrading, sorting through this stuff was menial tasks, fir for her chamber maid but not herself. She wanted to find this seed however, so she approached the edge of the mountainous pile of assorted objects and got to work.


Nicole decided to make this bearable to herself by gravitating most towards parts of the pile and individual objects that caught her eye. She found herself moving, stacking and uncovering stuffed animals, dolls, toys, jewelry,musical instruments such as flutes and acoustic guitars, things of that sort. She began to notice a pattern... most of the things collected here seemed to be the type of objects quite likely to hold sentimental value for someone. There also seemed to be something odd going on with Valora as Nicholas disturbed a specific part of the mountain of things gathered here... glancing over to her as she told Nicholas in a pained voice to stop, it was clear that by simply moving around certain objects he was.. hurting her. Or at least, that's what it seemed. Perhaps these objects truly weren't mundane and all held some sort of hidden yet important meaning, perhaps even purpose. Deciding not to think about it too much, Nicole kept searching until she heard Nina's wonder-struck voice and glanced over in her direction, eyes widening with her own wonder. "Nina... you... recognize that locket, don't you? From the real world?" Nicole asked, dumbfounded, as her hands still idly sifted through the items.


Suddenly, one of her fingers lightly brushed something and she felt a momentary flash a pain in her temples. Yelping with the pain and holding her head for a moment, she looked down at the object, picking it up, her eyes gradually widening. What she held in her hands was an ornate silver bracelet, shining brightly as if it'd been polished recently, with the Arden family crest etched upon the center. It was unmistakable... it was handcrafted especially for Nicole's mother before her birth, and throughout her entire life she had never seen her without wearing it. It was very precious to her. So why on earth was it here, on not on her mother's wrist back in the real world?! " No... bloody way..." was all she could say fro a moment. "Where... where did all these things come from, have you any idea?" She stared towards Nicholas, who seemed to be the only one who'd know something of that sort, her gaze betraying her desperation for an answer.


@JayfeatherRaven @Elfia Nightwing

 

[thistle]

Despite giving the invitation from earlier Rori, for a reason he didn't understand himself, stalled by the doorway as Anelie brushed past to join the fray. It wasn’t as though he was opposed to rifling through the mountainous hodgepodge of items, for it was a start more than anything. At the very least it kept hands moving and minds distracted, which was more than any of them could ask for in this continual search for answers.


Absentminded, Rori watched a particularly curious exchange taking place between young Julian and Anelie, who were in relative distance of one another. Absolute concentration marked their features, Julian’s examining and careful, Anelie fleeting but efficient, as they shifted items to and fro. Their efforts were anything but credible, working with the intention of tearing down the clustered wall.


Nevertheless, it would have helped if Anelie knew she was replacing the same pile Julian was in the middle of dismissing. As the boy carefully plucked an item and set it forgotten behind him without a backward glance, Anelie was turning at the same time to pick from the same wreckage and replace it back onto the mountainside. With their backs almost facing one another the feat went entirely amiss. It was harmless and entirely worth watching at the same time.


Instead of waiting to see who would find out first, Rori exited the chamber and came to rest below the archway, collecting his thoughts and gazing outward. Below and stretching into the distance, weak fluttering starlight flickered along the ocean floor. Only a few hours ago they had lit up the bottom, radiant and glimmering like chips of diamond.


What met him now was only a fraction of its glory. During previous trips here he recalled watching from the distance as endless orbs of light fell from the tops of the waters and descended downward to nestle amongst the glow. Every time a star fell, the spiraling column had shivered in response, reverberating as though something had dropped inside…


Rori blinked, slow and with clarity. Gripped by an idea the artist dove back inside and returned an instant later, ignoring the perplexed looks. In his hand was an old fashioned laundry basket, hand woven and overwhelmingly plain. Something easy to spot from afar.


He released it over the side, not giving time for second guessing. As it coasted downward the floor brightened. Rori, marveling, peered closer, gripping the archway as he leaned over the edge. Expanding through the entire sea floor like a giant gossamer spider web, a network of lights weaved inside the stars, all interconnected and stretching infinitely into the distance.


Even at such a league Rori had a feeling that the stars continued to trail past the line of sight. Just as the thought finished crossing his mind, the basket touched the floor and vanished.


Nothing at first, and he waited with bated breath, patient, seeking. In one fluid motion the illumination receded inside itself, the entire ground fading into almost dull existence except for where the bin had touched it. There the light was concentrated, bright and pure, pulling from the rest of the sources like some type of drainage system. Before he had time to even respond the glowing ball shot off in a random direction, its path marked in blazing silver. Rori followed it until it burst half a league away, its location revealed by a faint hail of light and crystals.


The event finished all in the time it took for one to tip his hat in greeting. In half that time Rori was back inside and swiping up another random article. In the same motion he turned, he gave a quick, sure tap to Anelie’s shoulder. “Mind coming with me for a second? It won't take too long. What’s that in your hand?" he asked quizzically. Gripping the decorated cane and waving it in a dismissive manner, he added in the same breath, "Ah, doesn’t matter. It'll do.” Quickly, Rori headed back to the entrance and upon hearing the hurried footsteps of Anelie’s approach, swiveled around.


“Toss that for me and mark its progress, please,” he instructed, pointing at what she held. “Preferably around the same time I do.” Without waiting for a response Rori promptly sent the cane flying outward in the next instant.


@Iomana

 

[Mitchs98]

@ppls


Alisa Ann

While everyone else was heading inside, Alisa had stayed behind to study the outside of the tower. After all, it was entirely possible a clue was on the outside of tower. After a little bit of fruitless search she sighed, deeming what she thought was wrong. Not only that Rori soon came to hail for her and the rest of the stragglers. "Da! Coming!" She shouted back. She was still partially convinced there was a clue out here, but the risk of her being wrong was to great and she really didn't want to upset the rest of the group by delaying things. Swimming inside she gaped in awe at the literal mountain of objects before her. Where did they all come from? And from the looks of several of their faces they recognized some of the items? That was weird. How even?


Were they replicas or the real objects? Surely they couldn't be real, this was the DreamWorlds. Nothing from real life except people and imagined things were here, right? It didn't make sense to Alisa at all. Regardless she decided she should pick a side and start helping move junk, since apparently that was important for reasons she'd missed. Picking a side no one else was on she started moving things, figuring that'd be the most useful thing to do. Work the pile from diffferent angles and get done faster and all that. She had to admit the sheer size of the item mountain was impressive. She found herself wondering how and why everything was stacked relatively neatly here. Where had it came from?


The others were probably wondering something similar, she really didn't doubt it. It'd been one of her first thoughts upon seeing it after all. "What do vy guys think all this stuff is here for?" She finally decided to ask. Talking would help pass the time, after all.

 

[JayfeatherRaven]

Ever since Nicholas answered a few questions from the others, mostly Nicole, all of them began treating him like he was the walking 'Encyclopedia of the DreamWorlds, Never-Told Stories Included'. He didn't know everything, and he was under no obligation to inform them of every single detail he knew. He bit back an annoyed sigh and said tersely, just to avoid more questions, "These are memories. When you wish upon a star, you pay the price of one memory, and they get tossed here in the form of significant objects."


But even as he replied to their queries, there was one thing he didn't quite understand. He'd expected the Dreamers to at least have a basic knowledge of the Worlds, but right now all they showed were common Abilities and odd, stingy personalities. So either they were great actors, or they were really baffled by the whole logic of the Worlds. How could that be possible? The DREAM gas was supposed to single out the strongest so that they could do things more effectively. Had it backfired?


A cry of pain jolted him back to reality, where Valora was clutching her head, her face tightened into a grimace. Nick instinctively drew his leg back from the heap and squatted down to see what he had thoughtlessly booted. A strand of feathers poked out from the clutter of junk, and with a sharp tug Nicholas pulled the feathers out, revealing a violet dreamcatcher. It hung on a thin dark purple thread, which encircled the round wooden circle. Tightly woven patterns created the net within the circle, and below that were three wooden rings, replicas of the larger one above. Snow white feathers tinged with shades of blue, as soft as a dove's down were suspended under the rings, drifting in the water. But what drew Nick's attention was another ring, attached beneath the small one in the middle. The net inside this one was smaller because of the frame, but that only made it more intricate. Delicately spun and tied right in the center was a shard of glowing glass, cut and polished in such a way that it captured the most of the light no matter which way it turned.


"Here." He thrust the dreamcatcher towards Valora, pulling himself out of the weird trance he'd just fallen into. "I think this is what's hurting you."

 

[DergTheDergon]

Nicole listened to Nicholas' words, and once again was amazed by how they fit perfectly with what was going on, and somehow explained this illogical, strange world in a way that made sense. She also noticed something... off about his expression. It was almost as if he was flabbergasted by the obvious cluelessness about the Dreamworlds that Nicole and the others showed. Why would he think like that? Everyone here at one point in time had to have believed, like everyone else, that Dreams were a fabrication of one's mind. The only reason Nicole and the others knew of the Dream Police, for example, was because they made themselves known once they'd developed Dream Abilities. Besides, even though everyone here is quite aware that somehow, this place really is real in a way, and are able to manipulate the Worlds in some way or another, how could one possibly understand as much as Nicholas unless they actively endeavor to uncover the mysteries of this world, a feat Nicole doubted many people even thought of trying? She certainly hadn't thought it possible before now, such was the illogical nature of this world.


Nicole's reverie was then broken by a rather startling and disturbing thought, as she gazed at the eerily beautiful Dreamcatcher Nicholas had found. Apparently her mother had made a wish, which was why her bracelet was here.... but had Nicole herself made one? A faint whisper of a memory, just near the back of her mind, caused her head to ache dully and a thought, an image, of a person she'd entirely forgotten, appeared for only a fleeting moment, not detailed enough to even discern the person's eye color, hair color, or even gender. Frantically, she began plowing through the pile with new found gusto, placing items behind herself at a pace the others would probably think is unlike her, with how poised, careful and thoughtful she sought to remain at all times.


After a short while of this, she finally felt a massive throbbing pain in her head, for only a moment, as she barely touched a small object buried beneath several others. Finally digging through everything covering it, she took a deep breath before touching a wooden box, ornately carved. It was clearly a music box, and as she opened it, a tinkling melody began to play as memories flooded her mind. Images of a boy, 17 years old... well-kept brown hair, chiseled facial features, piercing blue eyes to match Nicole's own. The images were coupled with a feeling of warmth, of fondness... but also regret, heartache, anger... the latter feelings not directed towards him but, having to do with him. All the others would see was Nicole staring blankly at the tiny box in her hands as the melody played, then for quite a while after it stopped, tears beginning to well in her eyes as the details slowly came together.


His name was William. A regal name, a well kept appearance... though he was not wealthy. In fact, he was quite poor. This drove her parents to disapprove greatly of him, forcing her to stay at home and not allowing him to visit her once they'd found out about thier relationship. It was your standard Romeo and Juliet type of situation, though as mundane as it was it felt like the world was ending to poor 15-year old Nicole. As if that wasn't enough, she then remembered hearing from her father that William had died in a car accident. He said something akin to "you'll get over him, girl. You deserve far better anyway." That only made it hurt worse.


But how? How in the world did she possibly forget that painful experience, etched deeply into her mind? As if her body decided to answer her question for her, she found her hand sliding onto the hilt of the rapier at her hip. She instantly remembered wishing for the strength to weather her hardships, and for the ssurefire ability to protect those she loved, if she ever loved again. It all made sense now... this sword must've been how the wish was granted! And perhaps all those vivid memories were the price for such a priceless and powerful object. It wasn't just your average weapon, either... she felt strong and fearless wielding it... still, she felt a heaviness in her heart realizing that the price paid for that was entirely forgetting the only person she'd ever loved.


The music box faded, and standing there, fists clenched with her onslught of emoitons, Nicole took a while to calm down and come back to her senses. Once she did, she turned her gaze to the other dreamers, all her conflicting emotions clear as day in her eyes. "Well..." she spoke up softly, holding back more tears, "it goes without saying that all of you may have items of your own here... I'd advise against finding them though... you may sorely regret the wish you made...." with that she fell silent, and to occupy herself returned for searching for that seed, or perhaps in this situation it was appropriate to refer to it as a needle in a haystack of forgotten memories.


@everyone

 

[Iomana]

Wasting no time in beginning to sift through the pile of items that filled the tower, Anelie worked quietly, her mind filled with questions. What was the purpose of a tower filled with seemingly random objects? And how would they find the Seed? For some reason, she doubted it would be just laying around underneath one of these piles. Just as she was about to give up on this particular pile and move on, her fingers brushed against something and the flutterings of something brushed across her mind.


Pausing, her hand halted in place before stirring to life as she reached back into the clutter in front of her with renewed vigor. Hand grasping around the neck of something, Anelie gave it a careful tug and pulled out the mysterious object. A well-used instrument lay cradled in her arms, worn down by time but, at one point, it had obviously been lovingly cared for. It was her first violin, since when had...? Without a bow to play it, the instrument was near useless but, as she stared at the familiar polished wood an ache rose up within her and with it, a memory.


Her entire family sat in the living room, happiness evident in their faces. It was a time before her parents decided to put her through her rigorous training and there was an ease that surrounded them that definitely wasn't present now. Her father was at the piano, fingers moving along the keys with a grace that spoke of decades of practice as they coaxed forth a piece so beautiful it nearly brought tears to the eyes. Her mother sat in a chair nearby, accompanying the piano with her voice, as clear and crisp as a bell and though she held no musical instrument at the moment, her singing more than made up the difference. And then there was Anelie herself, much younger and holding the violing resting within her arms now. A bright grin spread across her face and her eyes sparkled merrily as she drew the bow across the violin, it was clear she hadn't been practicing for long but even in those off-key notes there still held the promise of potential.


So there was a time before her parents viewed her as only a legacy, a time where they truly loved her. There was such a warm feeling of happiness and contentment in the memory that she felt her eyes mist up and reached up to dab at them before anyone could notice, and the instrument faded from her hands. Amazing how one could cry even when surrounded by the waters of the Ocean. Feeling a tap on he shoulder, the girl tamped down on any remaining emotions that might show on her face and turned with an inquisitive look to find Rori beckoning her somewhere.


Following behind him until he stopped, she listened carefully to his instructions until one particular part hit her. Toss? By then he had already thrown the object in his hand and, with a surprised shout of, "Wait a moment, toss?!" in German, she whirled around, reaching blindly for a random object in the Tower, and, once grasping one, turned back, arm rearing back and throwing it as hard as she could. Her eyes remained locked on what she could now see what a doll of some sort as it sailed away and she spoke to him with the slightest huff in her tone. "A little more warning would be nice in the future."


@thistle

 

[Mitchs98]

Alisa Ann

Alisa nodded. Memories from wishing upon a star, huh? Kinda cool she guessed, she'd done it herself once or twice when she was a bit younger. From the looks of things several of their group had found a item important to them in some form or another. It made her wonder if she'd find something important to soon too. Infact at that point she started looking through things a bit more carefully, pretty much hoping to find something at that point. After carefully digging through some objects her hand clasped the arm of a teddy bear, sending a jolt of memories through her mind and shocking her enough to make her recoil from said stuffed animal alongisde a small shocked noise. Well, she guessed she found it?


Picking up the teddy bear she examined it closely, it sure did look familiar. Studying it curiously the memories came back to her. It was roughly three years ago when her parents were on a buisness trip in the US. They'd taken her by a fair for an entire day to spend with them. It'd been one of the most fun days in her life. The teddy bear itself came from one of those ring toss games. She'd tried her hardest to win it but no matter what she did she didn't get a single ring to stick. Her dad gave it a try and won it on the first try, ultimately giving it to her as a present.


She'd clung to that bear for the next two years until one day it just vanished, she wasn't sure where to but now she knew. After her brief happy flashback she found herself clinging to the bear, a happy smile on her face, until it slowly faded from her arms. Regardless, she found herself walking over to Rori and Anelie, curious as to what they hoped to accomplish. "Soo..what are vy doing?" She asked, peering off to where Rori was looking, a curious expression on her face.

 

[JayfeatherRaven]

"Oh, uh, thanks." Valora muttered, the headache dulling to a distant throb the minute she laid her eyes on the dreamcatcher. She didn't know how to react to Nick's awkward actions, but he looked expectantly at her, like he was expecting her to do something with the object. No matter how hard she racked her pounding head, she just couldn't remember where she'd seen this particular dreamcatcher before. But even as Nicole warned everyone with a shaky voice, Valora's hand was drawn towards the pristine feathers. The moment her fingertips came into contact with the fluffy plume, pain exploded behind her eyes and she was plunged headfirst into a vivid memory.


"What are you making?" A four-year old Julian glanced at Valora curiously as he climbed up on the chair, resting his schoolbag beside the desk. "This is a dreamcatcher." Valora said proudly, lifting up her half-finished piece of work. There was glue all over her hands, but she didn't mind as long as the purple dreamcatcher was fine. She wiped her sticky hands on the wet cloth and then reached for a box filled with colorful stones, finally choosing a shard of glass that looked pretty to put in the center. "Who are you making it for?" Julian asked. Valora only smiled mischievously. "A friend."


Fast-forward to one day later, Valora was standing in an empty park, the dreamcatcher clutched in her hand. Where was he? She thought, Didn't they promise to meet here every day after school? And they did, the boy with raven black hair, obsidian eyes and a smile that always looked sad no matter how hard Valora tried to make him laugh. She'd hoped that the dreamcatcher she made would finally earn a genuine smile from him. But she'd never know, because he never came.


The scene was so lucid in her mind she couldn't figure out how she'd forgotten it in the first place, but as the dreamcatcher faded from her trembling hands, she remembered. Her wish was granted in such a subtle way that she'd never noticed it until now, but now she was certain it was him. In the first and only time she'd wished on a star, she'd hoped for a protector who would watch over both her and her brother. Like all fleeting wishes, it had quickly slipped her mind, but it was on the very next day that Ryan Benson - someone that was way out of her league - came over and began speaking to her like they were old friends. And he had stuck by her side, even up to now. She looked over with renewed gratitude at the boy who'd been the result of her wish and smiled. He was still digging through the objects, trying to find a memory of his own. Perhaps he didn't even know that the stars had chosen him, but to Valora, he had done more than enough. Thank you. She thought to him, knowing that he couldn't hear her but doing it anyways, as she vowed to repay him if she ever could.


"Feeling better?" Nicholas asked, surprising her. There was mild concern on his face, and he still looked apologetic for causing her pain in the first place. Valora stared at him as the puzzle pieces fell into place in her mind. She finally knew why she'd felt deja vu when she'd first met him - which wasn't actually the first time. But didn't he recognize her? If he did, then why didn't he ever show any indication of it, except by handing her the dreamcatcher? Because...the boy in her lost memory - was him.


@JaidenLark

 

[Elfia Nightwing]

As Nina watched the sudden display of emotions, her mind wander back to the seemingly endless piles of junk. Could she really have a memory hidden somewhere in this mess? It was possible, but which Memory? Nina had so few good memories of her life that she tended to cherish them like treasure, to loose one? She couldn't even think of it. Almost mindlessly at this point, Nina's hands went back to work, shuffling through the endless pile of memories. Dolls, music boxes, a pair of earrings, Nina tossed them all aside gently, feeling a pang of grief through her chest. Maybe I really don't have any memories here... She thought to herself.


Suddenly, Nina's hand grasped something as she was lost in her thoughts, causing a bolt of pain to race across her head. She looked down, to see what she had touched only to find something she did not expect. It was a squeaky toy, shaped like a bone and bright florescent green. It seemed to have lost it's squeak as Nina squished it gently, only to be met with a puff of air of dust. "I...I don't.." Just as she tried of shift through her memories, one popped up, as if it had been buried away, desperate to break out.


She was such a pretty dog, long golden hair, wet nose, always happy to see Nina. Ginger. that was her name or at least that was what her tag said. Everyday, on her walk to school, on her walk home, Nina was stop and feed the lab scraps of her breakfast and lunch. It got to the point where after dinner, Nina would sneak out of the house carrying a plate of food for the pup. Nina could talk to Ginger about anything, Ginger became her life line, her best friend, her every thing. Then Miranda found out.


It was during summer break and Nina had worked all kids of odd jobs to finally afford a toy for Ginger, mowing lawns, working at the local library, Nina had even pick up after Miranda for 70 cents one day. Finally she had it, a bright green squeaky bone that was sure to make Ginger happy. Only, Ginger wasn't at her stop when Nina went to see her, only Miranda."I told mom about that dog you know, and some people from the pound came at took her, their probably gonna kill her 'cause that's what they do with mutts no one wants." Miranda gloated, laughing as Nina collapsed to her feet clutching the dog toy like a life line.


Nina cried so much those next few weeks, until suddenly she stopped, it was around that time the she had met Pan, and all of her loneliness was finally going away. "I...Forgot her...I-I....Ginger...I'm so sorry..." Nina whimpered as tears rolled down her cheeks again, clutching the toy tightly.

 

[JaidenLark]

Now that they'd stopped within the Tower, Ryan had stopped feeling like his intestines flipped inside out or like he was going to vomit up his lunch at any moment. At the thought of food, a question popped up in his mind. When was the last time he'd eaten? All the details of what he had done before falling asleep were suddenly as hard to remember as the specifics of a dream after he'd woken up.


Giving up on the mental struggle, Ryan settled against the grey-stoned wall, watching as the others began sifting through the pile of assortments. Especially Valora. He was just beginning to feel at ease for the first time in this bizarre place when Nick's heedless words sent a surge of anger through his veins. Ryan straightened at once and trained his gaze on the dark-haired boy, who seemed to be holding something in his hand, thrusting it in Valora's direction. What is he doing? Ryan thought with increased annoyance. He was about to speak up, to tell Nicholas to stop hurting Valora, but as he moved from his position a flash of black caught his eye. Momentarily distracted, he looked over at the flashlight that stuck out of a new pile, one which Nina had made while searching for her memories. The torch beckoned to him, and almost against his will, his legs brought him before the black torch.


With a reluctant hand, he wrapped his fingers around the handle and lifted the flashlight up. Wasn't there something else he was about to do? He thought absentmindedly, but that didn't matter. Nothing was important now except for the torch in his grasp. A memory desperately tried to resurface in his mind, and his head throbbed with the strain of remembering. In one fluid, practiced motion, he flipped the switch of the torch on, but no light flared from the lens. The memory of the movement tugged at him, more insistent this time, and he was pulled into a memory in the past.


Click. The light flickered then dwindled in his hand, plunging him into complete darkness. Almost immediately he felt his nyctophobia set in, as the shadows enveloped him and began playing nasty tricks on his mind. Sweat beaded on his forehead. No...not here...not now...Frantically, he flipped the switch off then on again, but it was no use. Of all the times for the battery to die out, it had to be now, in the middle of the forest, with the closest camper miles behind him. Even if someone caught up to him now, he couldn't let them know that he was afraid of the dark. It was too embarrassing. A seventeen year old athlete, scared of some stupid shadows? Unthinkable. But someone was bound to find him. His feet were glued to the ground and his insides felt like jelly. When his breathing grew rapid and jagged, he knew he was having a panic attack. Forcing his frozen hands to move, he thumped the flashlight against the palm of his other hand. "Argh! Work, you stupid torch!"


"Ryan, is that you?" A weak light shone from behind him, and the voice was like music to his ears. "I'm here!" He called, trying to keep his voice from cracking. "My flashlight is broken." The light and the person holding it neared, and Valora's concerned face came into view. "We can share mine." She said, and slipped her hand into his clammy one. The feeble light from her torch was brighter than any star that night as together, they trekked back to the campsite.


As the vision ended, Ryan was left with a glow that warmed him all the way to his heart. He let the flashlight disappear from his hands and glanced over to Valora with a goofy smile on his face, but it died the second he saw her staring at Nicholas with a look Ryan couldn't comprehend. Tearing his eyes away from her, Ryan turned to Rori and addressed him instead. "What are you up to now?" He asked, noticing that he was the only one who hadn't found a memory yet.


@JayfeatherRaven @thistle

 

[thistle]

“Doing so would have affected the results.” Rori replied. They watched as both items met the conclusion of their plummet, heading for the bed of stars that was already starting to dim. Thrown with such haste and resulting in a lower trajectory and sharper drop, the tumbling doll almost hit the floor at the same time as the cane. Such as it was the timing was nearly perfect.


Exactly like before an orb of light blossomed where each item landed, one a little further than the other. The blazing trail they left behind as they took off in opposite directions sent an after image burning in Rori's vision as each comet flew forth, firing off a hail of crystals like a silver fire cracker as they found their mark.


The spectacle lasted little more than a few seconds. Satisfied, Rori tied up the rest of his thoughts and went to finish the sentence that had surely left Anelie in some state of befuddlement. “Your reactions skills,” he said specifying, the dull glow resuming its place along the sea bottom. "There was a chance you might have moved slower if I hadn't asked for spontaneous action." Recalling the yelp of surprise she’d let out earlier, long artist fingers brushed against his mouth as if to discourage the smile that twitched into view. “Remarkable, by the way.”


The sound of foraging back inside the tower had slowed by now, the stillness broken every so often by the collapse of a random pile. Eyes large and wondering, Alisa joined them, followed by Ryan. Both were no longer sifting through the clutter, though Rori supposed it was not due to boredom. Whatever they had needed to find had been discovered.


Catching the relativity in their question he answered them both. “Acting on curiosity,” Rori replied, returning to the chamber and beginning to fill his arms with knick knacks, "though we'll see how far that gets me." Nicholas's latest details of this world had not been missed, his terse explanation echoing through the chamber. Though Rori didn’t have even the slightest idea as to where his particular item lay, it was worth scrounging through the pile while he explained his latest actions.


Reappearing and with his arms now full of trinkets, Rori started to toss them over one by one. “As you recall from earlier obtaining the first Seed was not as simple or as easy as we thought it would be. A trade of some sort was required in the end. In our case it was a sacri...a compromise, that was necessary." Rori didn't pay attention to what disappeared over the side. Binoculars. Embellished card stock. A shoe without its pair. Empty picture frames. "What if the other Worlds required something similar? Not a rule to be met per say but something in return." Starlight shot off in a dozen pathways as Rori heaved the rest over and dusted his hands. Still talking, his voice faded and grew while Rori went back inside and arrived, hugging a new stack.


"It could be in the form of a trade, like I said, or even meeting a challenge. From what I've gathered the Worlds seek a certain criteria before they can relinquish their Seeds. And as Nicholas pointed out, these items house our memories and are somehow tied to the stars down below. The two have a connection." A single chair leg was sent spinning, further out than the rest. "Whatever power these items still hold needs to be returned. In other words, in addition to re-obtaining our memories, the energy held in these artifacts must be given back to the stars to essentially reset this World."


Rori sent the complete armful hurtling over the edge as if to prove his point, and more starlight shot off in the background. "What we see in the end is the star and whatever energy is returned to it, combusting. The only explanation possible is like the others: The World simply can't sustain itself any longer and is too weak to support any matters of life that may still exist."


It sounded like complete madness and the returned looks of confusion weren't at all comforting. Perhaps shutting up and finding his item as the others had done would have been more beneficiary in the end.

 

[thistle]

Sand whispered against the side of his hands as Rori shoveled aside another stack of possessions. Disturbed, the tiny granules tinkered through the gaps and loose passages, pebbled feet rolling through the trinkets as they fell to the floor. Pretty soon he would have to dump this stack as well.


His previous plan hadn’t been entirely abandoned. Whenever the mound of objects grew too tall Rori would pause in his rummaging to drop them over the edge, providing entertainment for those who wished for distraction. Each time he returned beside Nicholas and Julian, Rori’s movements grew more meticulous. Rather than scooping aside handfuls at a time like before, there was a pause between each object, long enough to rest his fingertips to it briefly before moving on. It was a painstaking process but after noticing Julian’s methodic way of picking through with slow care, Rori had forced himself to be more mindful of what he brushed aside.


A paintbrush tumbled into view, knocked from whatever precarious ledge it had sat on earlier, and Rori tensed. Hesitant, he touched it long enough to note its solid surface, lingering as long as one does when testing a heated stove.


When nothing happened a quiet sigh left him and he dismissed it to the side to join the rest of the discarded items. Every brush and canvas, any rag that seemed to be stained with faded color, palette knife or used charcoal was regarded in the briefest of manners. Although beyond use, the artistic instruments he had grown so familiar with still made him flinch.


Preparing to stretch his legs if only to give a moment’s rest, Rori’s foot nudged against the mound he had been working on, and out toppled something that caused him to still.


Measuring from the tip of his pinky to the edge of his palm a black cord of yarn rested in the bed of sand, a metal clasp attached to one end. The thread was so tightly braided it might have been mistaken for silk. Tied the opposite end and the only reason why it had been worth glancing at were a pair of bells, formed of beaten copper and small enough to swallow. Profoundly simple as they were, the chime they had produced while falling was an appreciative peal, light and delicate like snow fall.


And terribly, terribly familiar.


Unquestioning, Rori reached out and felt pain burst inside his skull as the memory pulled him under.


“What’s this?” Rori frowned, leaning away unconsciously from the fist that dangled before him in the air.


There was a sigh, resigned and seeming to want to border on exasperation. “A considerable hour’s patience and a solution that will bypass any further sabotage.”


In the abandoned studio where only a teacher and his student remained, Rori let out an audible scoff, amused by the young man who continued to hold out his clenched fingers. “Take it,” the man urged for the umpteenth time, and resembled in that instant a parent who was dealing with a particularly stubborn child.


Appealing to his instructor’s wishes Rori obliged and offered his palm, fingers uncurling just as his companion dropped the item.


Willing to adhere, Rori held the object up by the metal fastener, clearly stumped, and gave the bells a flick that sent them ringing in surprise. “Not the most baffling thing you've done but this makes the top three at least,” he admitted, doing little to conceal his confusion.


The man with tawny colored eyes and endless patience swiveled back to his easel, content to take up his wooden paint palette and brush once more. “You know better than to sneak up on me while I’m working. Although I enjoy your company and the creations you share, I’d prefer if your entrances had more warning.” Without looking the tip of the bristled brush swiveled to a corner of the room where a stack of portraits lay. In some form or another it looked as though a stumble had happened to the entire set at one point in time, ranging from bold interruptions of color or jagged lines, marring the otherwise perfect illustrations.


"If you happen to undo that knot while we're still here, then you don't have to wear it," the man allowed, as if in an afterthought. "That's the best compromise I can offer." Settling more comfortably on the edge of the stool his instructor lapsed into the gentle silence he normally assumed while working, brush conducted into an immediate set of motion. Rori knew it meant he was not to be bothered and bending his head in determined fashion began to fumble at the trinket.


Try as he might unraveling the coil had all been but an impossible task. By the time his teacher announced he was finished Rori had only succeeded in sore, numbed fingers and a slightly bruised ego, frowning at the failure. Resigned, the charm had been hooked to the belt loop of whatever pants he’d worn that day and the days after, never failing to signal his position. Though it would have been just as simple to remove it, he had left it on without further question.


Rori surfaced from the memory, returning to the sound of ruffling and murmured conversation in the background, unspeaking. Through the ache that was already beginning to recede from his mind, the dim happenings of a smile appeared, small and hidden and bitter. "How cruel," he murmured and watched as the bells gave one last peal before disintegrating into his hand like ash. "Wherever I am you still continue to follow me."

 

[JayfeatherRaven]

All the others had found their memories, and only Julian was left. His hands sped up, and he went from carefully touching every object to barely grazing them before tossing them to the side. The thought of holding up everyone from finding the Seed filled him with dread, and with increased agitation he dug through the seemingly endless pile of stuff. When his fingers brushed the multicolored kite, he didn't wait for his memory to return, and instead he closed his eyes and let himself fall into his reminiscence.


"It's up, it's up!" Julian yelled excitedly. His right hand left the handle to point up at the sky, where his handmade kite was drifting in the air, white streamers billowing behind it. The ribbons were a last-minute addition to the kite, and though technically they were pretty much useless for flying, they made for a great view. "Well done." Valora said distractedly. She was sitting on the grass beside him, completely absorbed in the novel in her hands. Julian huffed in annoyance. "You didn't even look up!" Valora was uninterested in flying kites, and she'd never understood why her younger brother had spent hours on a piece of cloth that did nothing but drift in the air. But Julian alone believed in the magic of kites, which had a mind of their own as they glided, soared, and spun dazzlingly in the sky.


"It's getting late. We should go back." Valora said, closing her book and looking up at Julian. He was stiff from craning his neck so long, staring at the distant kite, and his hands were sore from gripping the handle nonstop. "Fine." He replied and began winding up the kite strings. The rainbow kite descended until the wind could lift it no more, and it hurtled towards the ground, spiraling out of control. If there was one thing about flying a kite that Julian hated most, it was landing. The kite would go limp and tumble down lifelessly, as if it had lost the courage to keep dancing in the wind. He ran over to where the kite had fallen and picked it up, brushing away the bits of dirt that had clung to the bright cloth. Valora took his hand in hers and led him back to where they lived together, and Julian said wistfully,"I wonder when Mommy and Daddy will take us home..." Valora shrugged. "Me too. But living in the orphanage is fun too, right? Maybe we'll find new foster parents!" Julian only pouted. "But it's different from having real parents who love you." Soon, they arrived at the two-storey building, where they lived along with all the orphans of Paris---





With a jerk of his head, Julian wrenched himself out of the memory, tears of realization pricking his eyes. "Lora!" He glared at his sister accusingly, flinging his kite to the ground where it vanished before it landed. Julian walked over to his sister with long, angry strides, obscuring Nicholas from her line of sight. "Why didn't you tell me?" He demanded, treading water furiously. He hadn't even explained himself, but the conflicted emotions on Valora's face told him that she knew exactly what he was talking about. "How could you hide this from me all this time?" A hurt tone crept into Julian's voice, and his mouth trembled. He was aware that his raised voice was drawing attention from the others, but that was the last thing on his mind at the moment. "I thought you said siblings don't keep secrets from one another."


He crossed his arms defiantly, tilting his chin up to keep the tears from spilling in frustration. Now, he looked Valora in the eyes, and found his older sister, the only person he ever trusted, struggling to form words.

 

[JayfeatherRaven]

So he'd found out. It would've happened sooner or later, but Valora didn't expect it to be so sudden, and in such a tricky situation. She'd always imagined on the day she revealed the truth, he would be all grown up, and they would discussing the matter in an calm, orderly fashion. But it seemed the Tower had beat her to it.


She was at a loss for words when her brother stared at her with mixed feelings: Shock, anger and betrayal all rolled into one. It was almost like that time they'd found where their parents where confined but she had refused to rescue them. But know that Julian knew the truth, would he still insist on saving them? His big brown eyes, murky with distrust but yet still holding a glimmer of hope, waited patiently for her answer.


"I...I'm so sorry, Julian. I never found the right time. I was going to tell you, trust me. But then all this happened and it just...slipped from my mind." Valora said, her voice apologetic.


-


"Our parents aren't our real parents- this just slipped from your mind?!" Julian exploded. Sure, he was angry at himself for not remembering such a thing, but Valora hiding this from him? That was unforgivable, no matter how sorry she seemed. "They're my parents, too. I deserved to know." A traitorous tear slipped down his cheek and he wiped it away with his sleeve hastily, sniffing loudly. How could she? He thought, feeling his heart break apart. He could never trust his sister again. But he still had one question, something he had to know.


"Why...?" He asked softly, his voice cracking. "Why did our parents- the real ones- leave us?" When his sister didn't reply in an instant, Julian turned around and left the Tower, his eyes red from his tears. He didn't want to hear her lies anymore.

 

[Iomana]

Watching with pure awe as the thrown items landed and set off a brilliant light show that would put any parade on the streets of Vienna to shame. As the light faded and Rori answered her question, Anelie managed to tear her eyes away from where the items landed and turned her head to look towards him. An eyebrow raised at the stifled smile and had she not known that at least he seemed decent, she would have assumed that he was laughing at her at her own expense. As it was she only sighed and said, "Thank you." In the back of her mind, the sight of his hands gave her pause, they were what would be considered pianist's hands-- the fingers long and perfect for making music. The musician mentally decided to ask him if he played any instruments later, although she had to admit that just because he had hands suited for an instrument didn't necessarily meant he played one. Though it really would be a shame if he didn't.


Her attention was pulled away as others joined them, all equally curious about what the other was doing. As he began to explain she listened in quietly, watching curiously as he moved and gathered items only to throw them as he did earlier. A small part of her felt saddened, these all held truly important memories for other people and even if they were part of his hypothesis to help the World out, she still felt a bit of sorrow.


On the other hand, his explanation, as convoluted as it sounded, did make some sense, but the girl found herself paling at something else. Rori was about to say something but seemed to cut himself off and change the wording at the last second. Was he about to say sacrifice? Pressing her lips together, the girl's fingers began to tap an agitated pattern against her thigh. What had they gone through to get the first Seed? From the sounds of it, it wasn't all too pleasant and she worried that it wouldn't be easy for this World either.


Soon, she drifted away from the group and began to sift through the piles again, more out of the feeling that she needed to be doing something rather than from any hope of actually finding the Seed. Something as important as that didn't seem to be the type of object to just lie around in wait while hoping to be found. She was interrupted again not long after by the sound of raised voices and turned to find the little boy facing his sister. Unable to help but feel like she was intruding on private family matters, the girl's blue eyes awkwardly shifted away as he stormed from the Tower. Wrestling against the wish to stay out of their business, she tentatively spoke up. "I, ah...understand this may be a bit... awkward but I really think that someone should go after him. Some of you were attacked by creatures, right? I'd rather he not be separated from the group..."

 

[DergTheDergon]

Nicole had simply been immersed in her thoughts, quietly sifting through the massive piles of memory-laden objects and trying to avoid bursting out crying during Rori's little experiment. However, She couldn't help but glance in his direction as the others voiced thier interest in or confusion concerning his act of throwing objects down towards the ocean floor. Or was it up towards the sky? Nicole decided to avoid a further headache and not think of such existential things at the moment. She was already struggling to maintain sanity whilst experiencing all the old, painful thoughts and emotions simply touching an old music box had stirred up in her. Staring wide-eyed as the starlight in the distance reacted to the objects Rori threw, she found her eyes then fixed on Rori, staring at him in awe due to the ingenious discovery he had just made. Simply by listening to Nicholas' rather vague explanation he came up with a hypothesis, then proved it. Nicole then questioned herself and wondered why she thought this strange and mostly inconsequential feat so fascinating. Shaking her head, she returned to, so far fruitlessly, sorting through the various and mountainous piles of things strewn about this massive structure. She began to question if this was truly what she should be doing, but the group had no other leads as of yet so she simply pushed the thoughts aside. Nicole then became aware of the, by now rather familiar, sound of Nina crying. Glancing over in her direction, she clutched what looked like an old squeaky toy for dogs,and hearing her tear-choked words it became clear that some wish had also caused Nina to forget someone important to her... dog or no, Nicole had no doubt that the returning memories of Ginger hurt Nina just as much as it hurt Nicole to remember her first love so suddenly, forgotten all those years ago.


Walking over to offer a gentle hand upon Nina's shoulder and a handkerchief to wipe her tears at the very least, Nicole then heard Julian's sudden outburst begin, finding herself staring in that direction. So many hurtful rememberings happening all at once... what sort of sick entity had decided the consequence of making a wish were the loss of one's own memories anyway? A vast majority of the former owners of the objects and memories gathered here would never get them back... but Nicole almost wished she'd never come here in the first place knowing a whole slew of ugly truths she was blind to before. Nicole felt as if most of the others here probably thought the same.


Nicole was suddenly snapped out of her spiraling thoughts by the quiet voice of Anelie echoing through the tower. Nicole looked backover to Nina, then all the others, saw that no one had taken up Anelie's suggestion yet, and suddenly felt a sense duty to do just that herself. As far as she knew, she had the only means of protecting Julian after all. Her hand subconsciously traveling to the hilt of her sword, Nicole nodded, eyes suddenly filled with determination, and said with a strangely unwavering voice despite the situation, "I will follow him, see if I can bring him back. If anyone else wishes to accompany me, be my guest." Nicole then went looking after the distraught Julian, after giving Nina a brief yet loving pat on the shoulder. "I shall return as soon as I've calmed the boy and convinced him to return." She spoke as if there was no way she could possibly fail, her hand still upon the hilt of her sword unknowingly. Beginning to walk out, her hand slipped from the hilt and she stopped in her tracks, slumping her shoulders and immediately feeling less daring. Staring perplexedly down at her hand, she tentatively replaced it back upon the hilt and finally understood. The wish seemed to have done all she asked, in a way... yet the cost.... it would take Nicole doing many good deeds with this weapon at her side to feel as if it was worth it. With such thoughts at the forefront of her mind, Nicole exited the tower and began to search for Julian determinedly.


@JayfeatherRaven

 

[thistle]

Distressed and laced raw with pain, the outburst centered in the middle of the room drew the attention of everyone present. It wasn’t so much the volume that prompted Rori to return to his feet and watch the exchange between the siblings, but rather the well of emotion that made Julian’s voice falter.


Since the moment of introductions, Valora’s younger brother had carried himself with nothing but quiet surety. Offering aid only when necessary Julian's conduct had proven successful on multiple accounts. Rori had witnessed this from the sidelines, finding a maturity and subtle wisdom that belied his young age. Though he was not always at the head of a discussion, his insightful nature had prevented him from being overshadowed by others and earned Julian a reputable presence within the group.


As it were, to witness that reserved image fracture before them was unexpected.


It was a swift, bitter procession. With familial ties being the heart of the argument there was nothing Rori could do but bear witness, remaining alongside the others in mutual disquiet. Even after Julian's eventual departure, strides swift and unforgiving, it felt as though even drawing a breath was too bold. Before there was enough time for the silence to stagnate, Anelie spoke up, breaking the stifling discomfort.


The solution was a sound one but that raised the question of whom? There lay of the crux in the matter. On one hand it only seemed obvious for Valora to hurry after her brother and amend the situation. But one glance in the girl's direction revealed she was currently wrestling with her own demons. Her eyes were distant and unfocused, as though viewing a film of memories only she could see.


While Valora continued to remain transfixed the rest of the world was set slowly back into motion as Nicole, spearheading the movement, set after Julian. She would be the only pair of eyes searching for a single child in a vast region, Rori realized. Reflexively, he moved to the exit. Though his personal relations with everyone here was anything but nonexistent, it didn't lessen the fact that keeping the group in distance of one another was significant. Under the pretense of searching for further clues outside the Tower, it would give him a bird's eye view of Nicole's and, potentially, Julian's whereabouts from afar.

 

[JayfeatherRaven]

Valora unfroze the instant her brother left the Tower. "Wait, Julian!" She hurried forward to chase after him, only to be stopped by a heavy hand on her shoulder. She ignored it, crying after Julian's receding figure. "Wait!" But her brother was already too far gone to hear her helpless pleas. Valora groaned frustratedly, "I'll go with you, Nicole." And hopefully get him to forgive me, too. She added silently. The grip on her shoulder tightened, and she spun around halfway to see Nicholas give a small shake of his head, his face showing the tiniest sign of sympathy. Valora was momentarily rendered speechless, surprised that he was able to portray this particular emotion. He always appeared either unfeeling or sadistic, but he was human, after all. "You should give him some time alone." He suggested, then turned to Nicole. "But if you insist on finding the boy who clearly doesn't want to be brought back just yet, then go ahead. I won't stop you." Nicholas stepped away from the doorway and smirked in satisfaction when he saw her reconsidering her bold actions, her hand hovering above her weapon.


Having made his point, Nick moved over to Rori, leaving Valora to wonder if she'd just caught a glimpse of the boy she'd once been friends with. She had barely begun sorting out her feelings when Julian started shouting at her, and she was still stuck between her feelings for both Ryan and Nick. The flashlight Ryan had singled out must have been the recollection of his memory, but Valora hadn't waited to see how he would react to it. Instead, she'd been trying to calm Julian down, and the next time she'd sought out Ryan, he was already listening in to Rori's idea, seeming completely unaffected by his regained memories. And he was the only one. None of the others had emerged from their flashbacks unscathed, and while Valora didn't have the time to inspect each of them closely, she knew from their expressions that the memories might've been something they'd rather have forgotten for good. 'Each DreamWorld requires a sacrifice.' Wasn't that Rori's new theory? But if they had given up enough, being emotionally battered and bruised, where was the Seed?


-


Turning a deaf ear to his words like Nicholas expected she would, Nicole headed out without waiting to see if anyone would follow. Like she always did. Nick shrugged to himself, unfazed by Nicole's denial. He turned to Rori, about to speak, but then he also went after her, much to Nicholas' exasperation. "So you're abandoning your original plan?" He called out to the artist, who paid him no heed. "Fine. It was bound to fail anyway." He muttered under his breath. And he doubted Julian would appreciate everyone scrambling after him after his outburst. Left with no other choice, Nicholas turned to the others, who were either still dazed from their flashbacks or standing futilely. "We can still keep searching for the Seed." He said to them. "It could be here somewhere." He said in a vain attempt to get them moving again.


@everyone

 

[Mitchs98]

Alisa Ann




Alisa nodded slowly to Rori's theory, really really wishing these people spoke Russian. She sort of understood it..at-least the basis of it. They had to trade something for the Seed, or in the case of the last Seed someone. Though..Pan wasn't technically real, did he count as a something? Alisa shook her head; she was getting far off track. Nevertheless she decided to walk over to the pile and throw a few things off for herself. Couldn't hurt, and if she picked the right item all for the better right? When nothing to interesting seemed to happen from her doing so she shrugged to herself. Randomly chucking items off into the abyss couldn't be the right answer, there had to be something more to it..otherwise someone would of found the Seed long before them. There had to be some kind of method to it, something more..intelligent..than tossing items until they found the right one. Maybe it really was under the pile of junk? Maybe..it was on top of it? It was possible, maybe she'd check.


Just as soon as she was Julian's outburst happened, causing her to pause her actions and watch the entire scene go down. She felt bad for him, though she felt there was more to it than what was said. Having foster parents didn't seem to horribly bad, at-least not enough to do what he did; not to her anyway. Shocking..sure, but to run off alone in such a dangerous situation? No way. She debated going along and helping find him, but once Rori, Valora, and Nicole had all left she decided against it. They'd find him, right now they had a Seed to find. "Da. Ya was just about to look." She replied when Nicholas told them to continue searching. With that she decided to go along with her idea, look around for the Seed at the top of the object. First idea wasn't always the solution. Floating up she started looking around for anything that looked remotely like a Seed.