ironwood: (Default)
ɪʀᴏɴᴡᴏᴏᴅ ᴇᴍᴘᴇʀᴏʀ ᴇsʜᴀɪ ([personal profile] ironwood) wrote in [community profile] tushanshu_logs2013-08-09 07:07 pm

Event | Landfall | Dreaming

Characters: Any and every!
Date: August 10th - 31, 2013
Location: The realm of Dreaming as accessed via Sinbrilee
Situation: Dreaming is but one of the three realms and here characters are subject to their fanciful thoughts.
Warnings/Rating: Please place content warnings in subject headers!

Sinbrilee | Dreaming | Death


Life. Dreaming. Death. Three realms overlaid upon one another and yet each distinctly their own. They dwell in Life and do so live upon the back of the great turtle as those of Sinbrilee did upon the shell of his sister. However, there stand numerous arches of marble throughout the ruined city that are inlaid with runes beyond understanding. Those that live and breathe which step through those whose runes glow with faint, iridescent light tread instead into the realm of Dreaming.

Here, there exists no single defining characteristic beyond the visitor's imagination. The landscape sculpts to their individual thoughts, the events to their dreams. From a drab gray nothing to the most brilliant of displays, the senses perceive all that they wish to perceive for all that nothing here truly exists. This far from Tu Vishan, the ability to shape their surroundings is all they have, for Sinbrilee's Dreaming does not have the energy to sustain powers, only the bodies of those that dwell here.

Should two parties near, then the Mesh begins. Dreams, you see, not only can be shared, but they strive to be. These visions sculpted into reality reach out for one another and blend. They begin an exchange akin to a linking of the minds, within which one visitor can learn the other's deepest thoughts. Their limitation is but compatibility, for two minds that cannot flow upon the same current cannot hold the Mesh.

Happiness or loss, the landscape and events play out memories and fancies with a most convincing air. The mood rises and falls with the tide of the visitor's mind, detached as they are from the soothing influence of a great turtle's mind. Nothing here, however, is real; 'constructs' simply fade if taken through the archways and even the greatest scientific minds or tools will reveal nothing of its source. This is an ancient magic of an ancient realm, long practised in concealing itself from any prying.

Note: Due to the fluid and highly individual nature of Dreaming, no official subheaders will be provided in the comments of this post. Feel free to post and thread however you like, so long as the rules of Dreaming are adhered to.
dustonmyfeet: (lost)

[personal profile] dustonmyfeet 2013-08-12 02:41 am (UTC)(link)
"They don't know I'm gone yet." Toph's small voice was firm on this point. Lightly her hands patted at the mud, making soft sucking sounds. Nearby, a pair of turtle-ducks quacked back and forth to one another. "They don't let me come down to the pond by myself. And earthbending's a secret."

Korra could probably hear the frown in Toph's voice. "You're not going to tell."

More statement than question. Even smaller Toph was fierce.
alphatar: (Sadly confused)

[personal profile] alphatar 2013-08-12 04:08 am (UTC)(link)
"Good thing you're not by yourself." Korra said with a grin when she heard and felt Toph pat the mud. Korra managed to get her feet completely covered in mud and chuckled when she moved her toes again.

"No, I'm not going to tell." she promised. Hearing the turtle ducks but not feeling them because they were in the water nearby was startling.

"Toph. Why can't we be outside?"
dustonmyfeet: (lady)

[personal profile] dustonmyfeet 2013-08-13 01:14 am (UTC)(link)
The answer comes before Toph can even say a word.

"Toph!!" The name echoes through the garden -- a man's voice, followed by another. "Toph!"

"Toph!" Now a woman's, slightly nearer. Footsteps emerge within the range of seismic sense -- though who knows how far away that is?

Toph scrambles to her feet, sliding in the loose mud. She recovers her balance, half-walking, half-crawling towards a large clump of reeds to hide.

Korra may want to do the same.
alphatar: (A little hurt)

[personal profile] alphatar 2013-08-13 01:33 am (UTC)(link)
The voices heard along with the footsteps felt jolt Korra away from the simply playing they were doing. Quickly she bended the mud off her feet and literally followed Toph's footsteps as she saw them and crouched behind her.

"Your parents." The words were carried along a silent breath. Less than a whisper. Ensuring that Toph wasn't found by them felt crucial, freedom from them keeping her locked away.

Just like Korra wanted her freedom from the compound.

"They're worried." Their footsteps became louder, Korra could feel their heart rate, faster than her own or Toph's.
Edited 2013-08-13 22:23 (UTC)
dustonmyfeet: (bone to pick)

[personal profile] dustonmyfeet 2013-08-13 11:24 pm (UTC)(link)
Even younger Toph had ears like a bat, picking up even the half-sound of Korra's voice among the cicadas.

"Not even my parents," was her mutter, crouching deeper into the reeds. A sharp gesture of her hand, and their footprints in the mud faded. "Guards. And my nurse."

She shut up as a man jogged past the pond -- though he barely gave it or the reeds a second glance.
alphatar: (Erm what?)

[personal profile] alphatar 2013-08-14 10:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Feeling the bending along with their footsteps left Korra trying to decided which way to turn her head. Then she realized that it didn’t matter, she could see them no matter what.

“What happens if they find us?” Korra said under her breath after the man had passed them. “Is it really that bad inside?”
dustonmyfeet: (helpless blind girl over here)

[personal profile] dustonmyfeet 2013-08-16 09:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Toph was quiet for a long moment, lips pressed together. Her body in the reeds did not relax.

"They take me back in." Another press of the lips. "People treat me just fine. But just because it's nice doesn't mean it's good."

Again a call rang out, this time from a direction behind them. Stirring from the reeds, she crept to the next clump, jockeying for a better position that wasn't as visible from all sides. The to the next. She was near to the bridge now, where the shore was much narrower, the side of the bank steeper. Hands and feet moved quickly, digging into the mud as Toph aimed for a shadowed location under the bridge.

Until the unstable earth slipped, sending her tumbling into the lily pad-laden water of the pond.
alphatar: (Stressed Worried Freaking Out)

[personal profile] alphatar 2013-08-17 11:54 pm (UTC)(link)
When she moved, Korra turned to her direction, the outline of each step she took was mapped out in her mind by the vibrations and Korra went to follow. The slick sound was sharp to her seismic sense, but the splash of water crashed around her ears because it was something she couldn’t see.

“Toph!” Korra shouted as she ran to where she had slipped and reached out, the water almost covered her toes.
dustonmyfeet: (helpless blind girl over here)

[personal profile] dustonmyfeet 2013-08-18 12:41 am (UTC)(link)
A shriek pierced through the air, but Korra's hands grasped nothing. The bank continued to get steeper just beyond Korra's toes, diving sharply downward. Toph thrashed in the the water, her splashing wild and uncoordinated. Now and then the sound was choked by a gasp as the girl went under, inhaling water into her lungs.

"Help!"
alphatar: (So stressed)

[personal profile] alphatar 2013-08-18 09:58 pm (UTC)(link)
When her hands closed around nothing but air, Korra leaped forward and dove into the water. Being completely blind, all Korra had to rely on was just her hearing. Even underwater, the sounds of thrashing about gave her Toph’s general direction and Korra swam straight towards her. Reaching out, Korra grabbed Toph and pulled her towards her, ensuring her hand was around her waist before she rose up through the depths.

Gasping for air once they broke the surface, Korra swam along her back to keep Toph’s head above water. It wasn’t until her hand slapped at the mud that she could see again, and Korra dragged Toph along the bank. Now that she could see, Korra began to bend, moving her hands to summon the water out from Toph’s lungs. It may have felt uncomfortable, but it needed to be done.

“Are you okay?”
dustonmyfeet: (lost)

[personal profile] dustonmyfeet 2013-08-22 03:14 am (UTC)(link)
Having water pulled out of your lungs, especially when trying to breathe, isn't pleasant. Toph hacks and rasps, curling inward on her side. The water is out of her lungs, but she still doesn't seem to feel as though she has enough air. Korra may feel the girl's body shiver as though not quite able to get warm. She doesn't seem to hear.

"Toph!!" There are people on the bank now, a man scrabbling to get down to them both -- likely one of the guards from earlier.
alphatar: (Hurt feelings)

[personal profile] alphatar 2013-08-22 03:41 am (UTC)(link)
Putting her arms around her, Korra pulled Toph onto her lap. She moved her hands to bend as much of the water out of her soaked clothes as she could. Warmth, Korra needed to provide warmth, but she didn't feel comfortable firebending. Not when she couldn't see the flames.

Seeing each footstep they took, Korra didn't move and she didn't loosen her hold around Toph. Moving her didn't feel right, not until Korra could feel that her heartbeat returned to a normal pace and her body was no longer shivering.
dustonmyfeet: (companionship)

[personal profile] dustonmyfeet 2013-08-22 05:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Both footsteps and voices began to fade even as they neared, sliding away to echoes. Toph is no longer even the slightest bit wet . . . though she still shivers against Korra, fingers balling around a handful of Korra's shirt. If Korra does look up, she'll find that the seismic sense has faded; she can see again.

Toph stays quiet, still, her breath and her heartbeat slowly pulling back under control as though coming awake from a bad dream.

Because in the end, that's what has transpired here: A dream pulled from memory, with an ending different from the first time it happened.
alphatar: (Curious Puzzled Listening)

[personal profile] alphatar 2013-08-22 06:42 pm (UTC)(link)
When the gray landscape replaced the darkness, her seismic sense gone, Korra knew it was the end of the dream. It had happened to a dream she had. Staying seated, Korra placed her cheek on top of Toph’s head when she felt her shirt being grabbed.

“That’s why you never wanted to learn how to swim, huh?” she asked quietly, patiently while kept her arms hugged around Toph.
dustonmyfeet: (sorrow)

[personal profile] dustonmyfeet 2013-08-30 09:25 pm (UTC)(link)
"Mom didn't let go of me." Toph's words were muffled; she didn't bring her head up. "For hours. She just kept holding me . . . so tight I almost couldn't breathe. I scared her. I scared them . . . so badly."
alphatar: (Katara hug)

[personal profile] alphatar 2013-09-01 05:44 am (UTC)(link)
“Scared me too.” Korra whispered, still shaken by not being able to see Toph and having to rely on just her hearing. She had to fight off her mental imagery that tried to form the scene. “Just don’t blame yourself, okay?’

Taking a deep, calming breath, Korra adjusted herself so Toph was completely in her lap and not touching any of the gray landscape. “The important thing is that you’re safe.”