songerein | So close, and still so far...

Entry tags:

So close, and still so far...

Who: Martel + YOU
Which: Open Interactive Dream
When: Some day before the music starts on the 25th
What: The "lost love" dream trend is a bit different when you are the lost love.
Warnings: Allusions to death by stabbing. Will add more if needed.

[You're out in a rural area, not a sign of civilization in sight. While you stand in a sunny field, around you are areas of thick forest. Nearby, and completely oblivious to you, Martel walks with a man who has long blue hair tied behind his back and wears some unique armor and a cape. He's been involved in dreams that were broadcast here before, both hers and Kratos'. While Martel is perfectly happy, he is completely awkward and blushing. He'll open his mouth as if he's about to speak, but after nothing comes out he shuts it and looks away in embarrassment. Martel just giggles when this happens; apparently she finds this failure completely charming.

Suddenly and with no warning, everything changes. A thick fog surrounds the area, leaving only Martel in sight. At the exact same moment, she recoils as though she were struck in the stomach. While you're only watching, you can feel a sharp pain in the same spot on your own body, as though you'd been stabbed. An instant later, she's being pulled violently into the trees by an unseen force that seems to be connected to her waist, and you're dragged right along with her. It's impossibly quick, and it only takes seconds before you've lost all sense of location.

As if it weren't confusing enough, Martel tries to reach out with her left hand, only for a ring she was wearing on her ring finger to slip off and disappear into the fog. You can also hear a voice crying out in anguish from the distance, most likely belonging to the man you saw just moments ago.

"Martel!!!"

You both continue to be pulled away, and no matter how long it actually takes, it feels like ages. Finally, you come to an abrupt halt somewhere deep within thick trees, still encompassed in opaque fog. You can still see Martel, and for what it's worth, she can notice you now. But for the moment, she's a bit distracted by what just happened.

She stares in the direction she thinks she came from with a devastated look on her face, tears streaming down her cheeks. She wobbles weakly for a moment before crumpling to the ground. If you pay attention, you may notice that on her left hand around where the ring had been, her skin seems to have started turning into a green crystalline substance. It's growing, but very slowly. It shouldn't be a huge problem any time soon in the dream. Martel hasn't noticed it, or if she has, there's absolutely no reaction. She's still focused on what once was.]

It's...all gone.....

[Maybe try to help her find the ring and/or the man? Or just talk her through it. She seems pretty hopeless at the moment.]

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[They haven't met in person, but Ira recognizes the name. Though unfortunately, it seems to be under the worst circumstances. Still, he comes up beside her, kneeling down.]

What's gone?

[She doesn't seem very surprised to realize someone is next to her. Chalk it up to the weirdness of dream logic. Martel keeps looking into the fog as she replies to him.]

Everything. Our past, present and future...even my ring. I...don't have anything.

I'm sorry.

[To lost so much, it is a lot.]

Is there any way I can help to get it back?

That would be nice.

[Her expression lightens just a bit; she might have been smiling were she not already so much in despair.]

But...it's not possible, is it. My life is already over...

[This isn't how she'd want to respond if she were awake. But she's not in a place where she can take charge of the dream.]

It may feel that way, but you are in a dream. I believe we can change things here.

[At least, he wants to hope. And maybe making her aware can help.]

[She is dead, and she knows it. But his words still catch her attention. She finally makes eye contact with him.]

Y...Yes. That's right...

[At the very least, she's recalling she's been in a world of dreams for the last year or so. As she continues, she now sounds fully confident and ready to believe there is a solution.]

What can we do?

Well, you probably know your dream better than I, so would there be a way to move forward, or perhaps backwards?

Or we try shifting it to something completely different.

[He laughs slightly.]

Dreams don't really have to make sense, do they?

They don't...?

[She stares almost blankly, tilting her head a bit. Martel obviously knows what he said, but it just doesn't want to form into something she can properly comprehend for some reason.]

I don't think I've ever had this dream, so I'm not sure what's supposed to happen next. I haven't tried changing any yet, either. But I'd gone a very long time without dreaming before I came here, so maybe I'm out of practice?

Or...all of this just sounds weird, doesn't it?

No more weirder than anything else I've encountered in this place.

[And he's had to keep an open mind.]

But there's no time like the present to practice. And if you don't know what happens next, well, that just makes it a blank canvas, doesn't it?

[It's still taking Martel a lot more brain power than normal to figure things out, and that's an area she can occasionally slip in usual circumstances.]

It does? ...I mean, yes! It does!

[Her moment of realization quickly turns back to confusion.]

But that's a bad thing, isn't it? Any sort of thing could happen...

Anything doesn't have to be bad though. There's a lot of potential for good.

[He tends to worry about things, so this is an important reminder for the both of them.]

What's a good thing you would like to happen?

[Typically Martel jumps to the positive by default, even when she really shouldn't. The tone of this dream has completely messed with her.

Once again, his comment gives her a surprising (to her) moment of clarity.]

Right! Um...

[She knows that she knows good things, why are they feeling so hard to come up with right now? The amount of time she has to think about it is pretty noticeable. In turn, her blurting out an answer also stands out.]

...Yuan! I should find Yuan.

Alright, then let's go find them. Do you know where they might be?

[A familiar place might help bring the dream under control a bit more.]

[She noticeably mellows again.]

No. He's...back where I was before. But he may not even still be there. He doesn't like to just wait for things.

It sounds like we'll have our work cut out looking for him then. But that would be a place to start.

This is your dream, so can you take us there?

[As the world shifts and distorts, Joshua finds himself inexplicably dragged along in Martel's dream, the scenes changing with disorienting speed. He tries to make sense of the surreal surroundings, his confusion evident in the furrow of his brow and the way his gaze darts around in a desperate attempt to grasp the twist in reality. His expression darkens further when he feels an echo of the sharp pain that Martel experienced in his own abdomen.]

[Still, he somehow manages to keep a sense of composure. He's grown used to the haphazard nature of crossing into others' dreams. This one, though, fills him with a sense of dread different than any he'd previously traversed.]

[Slowly, careful and gentle with his words, Joshua kneels next to this unfamiliar woman. He doesn't place even a finger on her, but he's close enough to grab onto if she needs help rising.]

My Lady, are you hurt?

[He may not know her, but (and perhaps 'so') he'll keep up propriety to its utmost. Maybe it will provide some sense of stability to this chaos.]

[The crystal encroaching on her finger doesn't escape his attention, but they have time to speak about it later. Her safety is more important.]

[Martel shows no signs of reacting to a new presence coming from nowhere. She doesn't seem to be able to look at him just yet, but does reply morosely.]

I don't know. Is it still pain once you're dead?

[Joshua hums thoughtfully. Any other time, and the question would make for a fine riddle, but given the circumstances, he doesn't voice that aloud. Instead, he gives her a few moments' pause. Something to show that he's giving her laments their due consideration.]

[And the dead her due respect.]

[He'd read somewhere that lost souls could wind up in Songerein; that the dreams of the dying were just as powerful as the dreams of the living. This is his first time speaking with someone with that experience, however, and he'll tread lightly.]

I don't see why not.

If death is the beginning of a journey, then surely pain is wont to cross paths with its newest traveler.

[Joshua offers Martel a hand to take. He avoids being intrusive, holding it just within the periphery of her gaze (or his best approximation of it).]

However, the Lady before me is no specter, and this sojourn will not claim her as such.

Provided my help is welcome, of course.

[If she were awake, Martel would be a bit more aware of her actual circumstances. She's been dead for a long time, and there's definitely been pain even if she couldn't physically feel things.

As it stands in this dream, though, she looks at Joshua when his hand is in her sights. For the moment, she just seems confused.]

I-I'm sorry, but...what would you be helping me with?

[It's asked as a purely curious question, as though she thinks she must have forgotten something. She might still use his assistance to stand, but she needs to figure out a reason why she should.]

[Joshua meets her confusion with patience and a small, but warm, smile.]

Out of this forest, for one. For another, it seems that you've lost something.

[From the sound of it, she's also lost someone, but he doesn't broach the topic. He trusts her to speak on it if she so desires.]

[His smile widens.]

Before all else, I would like to help you to your feet.

[Technically he's the one who lost her, but it's not very fun from her point of view either.

Martel is still obviously not sure about what's going on, but she takes his hand after a moment and shakily gets back up.]

Right. My ring...

[She glances at her left hand. The crystallization still isn't very prominent and is entirely overlooked by her. Her lips tremble a bit as another tear spills out.]

I should have been more careful.

[Joshua keeps steady as he slowly helps Martel up. Despite her full rise to her feet, he keeps her hand in a gentle grip, loose enough should she wish to move away, but present enough to continue providing support as she sees fit.]

[He offers her a somber smile.]

Pray do not chastise yourself so.

You weren't allowed the opportunity for care. It's hardly your fault.

[He nods, determined.]

There is hope. We can find it. Do you believe that?

[She thinks for a few moments, then tries to steel her expression, though her lips still quiver. Martel turns her gaze to Joshua, stopping just short of nodding herself.]

It's...it's still possible. Yes.

[It looks like she's not doubting herself, even if she's still very unsure of just how possible the ideal outcome really is.]

This fog does complicate things...

So long as you believe it is possible, I will give you my earnest effort, even through the fog.

[His countenance shifts positive--both to help bolster any uncertainty Martel may feel, and to accompany his next words.]

Before we continue, may I ask for your name?

[Martel gives him the ghost of a smile. This is usually a much easier expression for her to make. Leave it to a dream to prevent her from forcing on her preferred mask...]

Thank you.

Oh, of course. I'm Martel Yggdrasill.

Lady Yggdrasill.

[Joshua lowers himself to one knee, head craned low with respect as he bows.]

[It's a brief gesture (they have a ring to find, after all) and he rises back to his full stature quickly, but gracefully.]

I am Joshua Rosfield. It will be my pleasure to help you today.

[She lets out a noise very close to a chuckle, but it's hard to call it that given her general disposition at the moment. But Martel is almost genuinely smiling, at least.]

You don't have to be so formal with me. Just Martel is fine. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Rosfield.

How should we move forward from here?

[Almost is further than they were just a moment ago, and Joshua will take his victories wherever he can.]

[He shakes his head, first.]

If I am to call you by your first name, then I must insist you call me by mine.

[Then, he addresses the bigger issue.]

As for our heading, it will do us well to regain our bearings, then we continue from there.

[He calls forth a small mote of fire that launches into the air and hovers around them in slow circles.]

Is anything about this forest familiar to you?

[Martel nods.]

All right, Joshua.

[She takes some time to examine her surroundings, not that she really needs much. It's so foggy that the only reason she even knows it's a forest and not just a few trees is from the journey she took to get here.]

No, I'm afraid not. There's so little I can see, though.

[He hums in acknowledgement.]

That's all right.

[Joshua directs the orb of fire to hover lower to the ground, where its illumination will have more of an effect. Not much more, granted, but any light is an improvement.]

As confusing as it may be, this is still your dream. If you call forth a path, eventually it will open up to you. You have that control.

[Martel looks into the fog awkwardly, her eyes occasionally darting to another gray spot. She's kind of overwhelmed by this prospect, and it shows.]

But it would still be hard to follow it, wouldn't it? Because of the fog?

[She's trying to properly grasp the concept, really. She just has trouble changing all of her focus at once in a situation.]

[As Martel ponders aloud, Joshua stays silent so as not to interrupt her thoughts. It's only when she's finished that he nods and makes his suggestion.]

To a certain degree, yes.

While it may not be possible to clear the fog completely, you are nevertheless the master of your dream.

Try picking a single area and willing the fog to part for you. It needn't be large. I'll be right here to help.

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So close, and still so far...

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