Event | Landfall | Dreaming

[ironwood]

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.

Comments

[hackingyoursensors]

In retrospect, it would. But right now, Dick is concentrating, filling his heart (and therefore the ring) with as much hope as possible.

And then the yellow is gone. Not gone forever-- Dick is pretty sure you can't actually kill fear-- but gone for now. He floats down to the floor of the corridor, completely exhausted. But when he sees a figure limping toward him, he pulls his last reserves of energy and runs toward it.

"Kyle? Kyle!"

[imaginate]

He looks up when called, and grins widely when he sees who it is.

'Hey, Half Pint. You sure did a number on that thing.'

Hope. He'd clung to the last vestiges of it, in his mother's house, alone with Parallax, and he'd been fortunate enough to have something concrete here to serve as an anchor. What if he hadn't been that lucky?

[hackingyoursensors]

Dick doesn't stop running until he's right in front of Kyle and wraps him in a hug.

"We did a number on it."

Okay he might be half-collapsed against Kyle in addition to hugging him. That really took a lot out of him.

[imaginate]

'We did, huh.'

He ruffles Dick's hair, his smile crooked, and gives it a few moments before he hugs back, and they both sink to their knees, leaning against the wall. The corridor changes: lights flicker on and the floor is much cleaner. The doors are all marked, brightly coloured labels. All cheerful.

[hackingyoursensors]

He's more than happy to sit down. And so, so incredibly happy that Kyle is back to normal. He grins his own lopsided grin.

"Man, you make it look so easy."

[imaginate]

'Hey, anytime you get sick of sitting on all those gargoyles, gimme a call. Blue ring would probably fit you.'

The last part is far more pensive than the rest of the sentence, and Kyle's expression shifts to match it. He studies Dick consideringly, and then wraps an arm around his shoulder.

[hackingyoursensors]

"Will I get an instruction manual next time?"

He's joking-- as cool as it would be, he's happy being himself and fighting in his own way.

"What's with the look?"

[imaginate]

'Be nice to me, and you will.'

He tilts his head, slightly. 'I've... never actually met a Blue Lantern.'

[hackingyoursensors]

Dick holds out his left hand so they can both see the ring.

"I've never even heard of a Blue Lantern. Where did this come from anyway? I'd definitely remember having an accessory like this."

[imaginate]

He squints at it, and then taps his forehead. 'This is my mind and-' Robin is hope. He shrugs, letting Dick fill in the rest of it. He'd told Damian the same once, but with Dick it was just. Clearer.

[hackingyoursensors]

Dick blinks, then it dawns on him.

"That's right! The archway! I had no idea it led into your mind, though."

He's not sure if it's weird or kind of cool.

"So what are Blue Lanterns? Faith? Hope?"

[imaginate]

'Neither of us did.'

He hadn't known it would lead him into the darkest corners of his own mind, either. Usually he had far more control over a dream landscape.

But it wasn't like Dick was new to blood, or death.

Quietly, Kyle answers, 'Hope.'

[hackingyoursensors]

Nudges Kyle lightly.

"Hey, we all have nightmares. Just glad I could wake you up, in a manner of speaking."

He looks at the ring, then back at Kyle.

"You think I'm hope?"

[imaginate]

He smiles, grateful. Then, 'You think you're not?'

While it's sidestepping the question, he's also levelling a sharp inquiry of his own to Dick. He knows Robin's the lighter half to Batman. The light to the shadow. (Probably why Kyle got along so well with them.)

[hackingyoursensors]

Dick shrugs. "Calling myself the embodiment of hope is a little much, don't you think?"

It's not that Dick is overly modest but that Bruce is... Bruce. He didn't exactly burst out into 'Wind Beneath My Wings.'

[imaginate]

'You don't have to embody hope, you just need to inspire it in others.'

Kyle, on the other hand, would be perfectly amenable to a rendition of the song, if he thought it appropriate. Especially at karaoke night.

[hackingyoursensors]

Dick let's that sink in-- he hasn't felt much like anyone's hope lately. More like some little rookie that's needed defending. He may have found his will, but his confidence is lagging behind.

He nudges Kyle again.

"So I inspire hope in you? Kind of cheesy, isn't it?"

He's touched, really.

[imaginate]

Kyle nudges him back, playfully, but there's a note of something much more serious in his expression.

'It's might seem like little, but applied in the right direction, hope can reignite a sun.' Lower, 'Or a Corps.'

He knows there's a large difference between this Dick and Nightwing. Kyle's used to the older one, to respecting him and being in awe of his experience. Dick, at home, never has to try, people simply follow him because of who he is. Maybe even more than Superman. Sometimes he's aware of how different they are, but this moment only serves to cement their similarities.

And Dick, in any universe, would rock a blue ring.

[hackingyoursensors]

Dick's quiet for a moment. There's not much to say to that. Will had always seemed so much more powerful than hope. Hope was a fragile little thing, so easily destroyed, so easily misleading. He knew this in ways he wouldn't wish on anyone else.

When Kyle mentions the Corps, Dick sobers. (Empty eyes, bodies of lanterns, river of blood-- no. No he's not going there. Not here.)

"Hope we won't have to reignite a sun, though. I don't think this ring is going back with me."

He smiles, small but genuine.

"But, hey, I can still be the nightlight to your nightlight in theory, right?"

[imaginate]

The landscape flickers to what Dick's thinking, and Kyle looks around, frowning, before he nods and smiles at Dick, letting more puns about nightlights slide for something more important. He couldn't change what Dick had seen, in his mind, that kind of thing didn't leave, but he could ease it for both of them as they carried it.

'Hey, let me show you something.'

He points to a door that's chained shut and gets up, intending to open it.

[hackingyoursensors]

He gets up and dusts himself off as he follows Kyle to the door. His first thought is that the chains are bad, but Kyle wouldn't do that to him.

Then the memory or dream must be really precious instead.

[imaginate]

The chains shift as Kyle attempts to find the handle, and the heavy door opens. There appears to be nothing in the room at first, only blinding white light. They enter, and the floor gives way under them to show that they're above a city. The source of the light is pulsing over it.

Once the door closes, the noise is deafening. It's not screaming, but it's clear whatever it is, it's in pain, and scared, radiating that throughout the room. Kyle pulls Dick close to him.

'C'mon. We're gonna go in.'

They were going to help. There was no other option.

[hackingyoursensors]

He hear the pain and fear in the noise. But, unlike last time, it doesn't take over. The Blue ring and Kyle's arm around his shoulder make him feel safe.

Whatever it is, it needs help. After his encounter with Parallax, Dick is completely unwilling to turn his back on anyone who's afraid.

"Where are we?"

[imaginate]

'Lantern!' someone calls out, preventing Kyle from replying. They turn to see Superman, J'onn, and Diana behind them. 'The Watchtower transporters are down, we were the only backup available.'

'Hal fought it before,' adds J'onn. 'The best way is to cut it off from all energy sources.'

Sure enough, the light is now an eye, with spinning arms, sucking up all the power in the city and causing a blackout. The sensation of pain and fear increase as the other Leaguers come closer. Kyle's grip on Dick's shoulder tightens. 'Look - just let us handle this!'

'This is no time to prove yourself!' J'onn scolds. 'He's right,' Diana adds. 'We're more experienced —'

'No time!' Kyle yells back, and he tugs Dick with him into the creature's core. 'Just trust us!'

The world spins, and everything turns red and yellow, swirling around them. Failure hisses around them, and images flash in quick succession. Everything beaten, broken, they're experiencing its memories. Kyle pulls Dick up to eye level, tense, and worried.

'Do you know what to do?'

[hackingyoursensors]

A small part of Dick's heart aches when he sees the Leaguers. They might not be the people he knew but they looked and acted so much alike.

But they're here on a mission. He and Kyle have to stop this. Save whoever's in pain. Inside the core, the sense of pain and fear get more intense. He sees Kyle's tension, but doesn't feel it. He feels oddly calm now, with the hurricane of emotions swirling around him. Like a beacon. The Blue glow strengthens around him as he tries to push his feelings of hope outward.

Failure? Yeah right.

"I do what I did before. Right?"