Esme considered waiting out the night in this dream temple to watch and see how this woman's world shifted and changed. The smart option was to wake herself up and get out, but this was too unique. Most dreams were a hazy, hyperactive purging of a person's thoughts from the day. This was different. It was like there was no purging to be done, only an acceptance of all the vibrations and words and actions of the day.
And it had been so long since she had any little adventures. The guilt swelled and ebbed, exchanging itself for curiosity.
For a moment the statue of Teodinus loomed over her with a fiery golden light, and Esme stood and stepped back. There was something oppressive, she felt like she was being pushed out. Was this her own fear or the fear of the dreamer?
She was momentarily blinded by the glow as she turned and walked away down the aisle, not seeing Alina at first watching her from the threshold. Her heart lept into her throat as she nearly walked into the imposing woman, and stumbled back with a yelp.
She'd been followed. Esme stared at the woman with confusion.
"This is awfully curious; not only could you sense me, you followed me..."
Esme & Charlie Go Out
Re: Esme & Charlie Go Out
"You're not... part of my city, are you?" It was more question than accusation. Alina had been surprised before. But an awareness of her city gave with it an awareness of how it seemed to bend around her, if not the presence of mind to realise that that wasn't how the world should work, and this woman didn't bend. There were two objects in Alina's presence; the city, and the woman. It made sense to pay attention to the novel one.
Besides, she spoke as if she new something.
"We met today. In the park." The world bent with the memory and the park flashed around them for a moment, filled suddenly with the emotions she'd felt from the woman's glove, before the temple resolidified. The emotions were familiar... like her own emotions, that's what she'd thought. Was it this woman's city too? "I haven't seen you here before. Why are you here?"
Besides, she spoke as if she new something.
"We met today. In the park." The world bent with the memory and the park flashed around them for a moment, filled suddenly with the emotions she'd felt from the woman's glove, before the temple resolidified. The emotions were familiar... like her own emotions, that's what she'd thought. Was it this woman's city too? "I haven't seen you here before. Why are you here?"
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Esme
- Outsider
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2011 6:00 am
- Name: Esme Walquer
- Race: Human and one 4th Elven
Re: Esme & Charlie Go Out
The woman kept asking questions while Esme studied her face. Then the scenery abruptly shifted to their meeting at the park.
"Part of your city? I don't know what you mean by your city." Esme shook her curly head. "You're that guard -- Oh," Esme looked down at her gloved hand. "This must be yours then."
She didn't know why she was talking so candidly, perhaps that the woman was just as confused and yet equally aware gave her a sense of camaraderie. Or maybe she assumed that she wouldn't be remembered in the morning, as usual. Or maybe she'd finally lost it. She studied Alina's face with oddly calm eyes. She wanted to make sure she'd recognize the woman if she saw her the next day, so she could avoid her. This was where it should be scaring her the most, but she didn't flinch. This was a guard. A guard with a magic sense, a dangerous secret.
Then it occurred to her. She whispered under her breath, "Dear Teodinus, you may actually remember me in the morning..."
"Part of your city? I don't know what you mean by your city." Esme shook her curly head. "You're that guard -- Oh," Esme looked down at her gloved hand. "This must be yours then."
She didn't know why she was talking so candidly, perhaps that the woman was just as confused and yet equally aware gave her a sense of camaraderie. Or maybe she assumed that she wouldn't be remembered in the morning, as usual. Or maybe she'd finally lost it. She studied Alina's face with oddly calm eyes. She wanted to make sure she'd recognize the woman if she saw her the next day, so she could avoid her. This was where it should be scaring her the most, but she didn't flinch. This was a guard. A guard with a magic sense, a dangerous secret.
Then it occurred to her. She whispered under her breath, "Dear Teodinus, you may actually remember me in the morning..."
Re: Esme & Charlie Go Out
"Yes. That's mine." At least she remembered the glove, but it wasn't part of the city either. It didn't have feelings. But that was what it was for, wasn't it?
Nobody would call Alina bright, even in the real world and free from the illogical haze of dreams. But she had an essential canny quality that had got her into the guard in the first place and helped her keep her secret for so long. "Do you need my help with something? Or did you come to return it? I have yours, too." The glove appeared in her hand, carrying with it the memory of feelings. They slotted in quite well with her own feelings, not perfectly but quite well, and they shouldn't do that, should they? Alina knew that she was dangerously addicted to the feelings of others. She loved happiness, joy, triumph. But those things overwhelmed her own feelings. These were too similar, like her own memories. It unnerved her. The essential otherness wasn't strong enough, they weren't at such complete odds with her own experience, and that wasn't safe.
"My name's Alina," she said, not sure if she was reassuring herself or telling the other woman. "Alina Drey."
Nobody would call Alina bright, even in the real world and free from the illogical haze of dreams. But she had an essential canny quality that had got her into the guard in the first place and helped her keep her secret for so long. "Do you need my help with something? Or did you come to return it? I have yours, too." The glove appeared in her hand, carrying with it the memory of feelings. They slotted in quite well with her own feelings, not perfectly but quite well, and they shouldn't do that, should they? Alina knew that she was dangerously addicted to the feelings of others. She loved happiness, joy, triumph. But those things overwhelmed her own feelings. These were too similar, like her own memories. It unnerved her. The essential otherness wasn't strong enough, they weren't at such complete odds with her own experience, and that wasn't safe.
"My name's Alina," she said, not sure if she was reassuring herself or telling the other woman. "Alina Drey."
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Esme
- Outsider
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2011 6:00 am
- Name: Esme Walquer
- Race: Human and one 4th Elven
Re: Esme & Charlie Go Out
She wasn't entirely sure she should trust this woman, but she was willing to give her name and wasn't acting if Esme was doing anything wrong... she even seemed to want to help.
"Get a good look at my face. If you want your glove back, meet me in Memorial Park tomorrow, early afternoon."
She waited a moment, then woke herself up. Esme blinked in the darkness, laying in bed with Charlie curled up at her feet.
You are an idiot, Esme Walquer... she thought to herself.
"Get a good look at my face. If you want your glove back, meet me in Memorial Park tomorrow, early afternoon."
She waited a moment, then woke herself up. Esme blinked in the darkness, laying in bed with Charlie curled up at her feet.
You are an idiot, Esme Walquer... she thought to herself.
Re: Esme & Charlie Go Out
Alina nodded and walked away. A little while later, she woke up.
Memorial Park. Early afternoon. It struck her, as it usually did when she remembered her dreams, that dreaming was insane. That one was weird. And she'd behaved like a crazy person. She was so worked up over a stupid glove that she was imagining rendezvous to get it back now?
The City isn't about the glove. You have much bigger problems than that. Alina pushed the thought aside, got up, and got dressed. Once her uniform was on, she reached for the medallion she always wore nestled between shirt and armour, the one infused, to her empathic skin, with a feeling of extreme courage and conviction. Then she hesitated, her bare fingers pausing a centimetre above the metal.
Pick it up to put it on. That was all. She was just trying to put it on. Not an addict.
No. She was stronger than that. I'm stronger than this. Alina put her remaining glove on and handled the medallion with that, careful not to let it touch her skin. She was in control of her power. She was fine. Perfectly fine. Nothing to be concerned about. the dreams were just crazy dream stuff, and should be ignored.
Still, she found herself switching patrols with a colleague so that hers took her through the park in the afternoon. She wandered about aimlessly, the strange woman's glove in her hand, scanning faces and feeling like an idiot.
Memorial Park. Early afternoon. It struck her, as it usually did when she remembered her dreams, that dreaming was insane. That one was weird. And she'd behaved like a crazy person. She was so worked up over a stupid glove that she was imagining rendezvous to get it back now?
The City isn't about the glove. You have much bigger problems than that. Alina pushed the thought aside, got up, and got dressed. Once her uniform was on, she reached for the medallion she always wore nestled between shirt and armour, the one infused, to her empathic skin, with a feeling of extreme courage and conviction. Then she hesitated, her bare fingers pausing a centimetre above the metal.
Pick it up to put it on. That was all. She was just trying to put it on. Not an addict.
No. She was stronger than that. I'm stronger than this. Alina put her remaining glove on and handled the medallion with that, careful not to let it touch her skin. She was in control of her power. She was fine. Perfectly fine. Nothing to be concerned about. the dreams were just crazy dream stuff, and should be ignored.
Still, she found herself switching patrols with a colleague so that hers took her through the park in the afternoon. She wandered about aimlessly, the strange woman's glove in her hand, scanning faces and feeling like an idiot.