Dec 21 18:06:01 106 PA - Dream Vision has a purpose

From Chronicles

This flat is an airy one, with two double bedrooms, a decent sized kitchen and a reasonable bathroom. The flooring has been replaced with hard wood floor, worn but practical, throughout the whole apartment. The living-room has a lovely view across the city, hidden only when the wooden blinds are closed. The room itself has some small touches, like rugs, cushions and some furnishings. It has a small wooden desk below the window, piled high with papers, all marked with oil and grease stains. Beside it, a well worn leather chair squats and a tower created from books leans against a desk leg. Nearby, an ancient sofa is pushed back against a wall, the cushions suitably squidgy and soft. In front of it, a small coffee table has a small collection of mugs, books and other assorted chaos piled on it, surrounding a large plant that is thriving. In front of a warm, flame heater, a large sheep skin rug lies, looking welcoming and cosy. The kitchen appears to be mostly in order, with a bin that suggests the resident survives on a variety of take outs and yet cooks from scratch, and a sink that has a mixture of mugs and machine parts sitting beside it on the draining board. The most used item in the room is a coffee machine, permanently on the go. At one end, a growing collection of real cooking items contradict the take out boxes, suggesting that either one person with a split personality or two people live here. A small collection of herbs grows out of small pots there, thriving well despite the machine parts near by. Caliopa's bedroom has a double bed in the middle, with a patchwork throw over it. Her clothes are mostly stacked in shelves in the wardrobe, one lone dress amongst jeans, combats, t-shirts and sweaters. One pair of heels amongst the boots and trainers. Sage's bedroom is simple, neat and tidy. In one of the corners, a small replica of a stone garden is placed, the colour of the rocks matching the throw over the bed.

Weather at Wed Dec 21 18:06:01 106 PA (2.08C, 35.75F): It's cold. White, fluffy clouds seem to gang up into moody gray clouds. The wind is insufferably nippy and uncontrollable, persistent to no end.

The snow doesn't make for good runs, nor pregnancy for working in a garage so Caliopa is grounded. As evening sets in, she has pottered as much as she can, finishing small household fix ups during the day, and ending up on the couch. Finally, curled up with a book, a glass of milk and some of Sage's cookies, she is settled. At least for the moment. The book falls to her lap, Caliopa's cheek resting against a cushion and her eyes closing, the milk and cookies untouched.

Sleep is always good, especially for pregnant women - at least such is the assumption. One can then have bad dreams, or good dreams, and the intrusion that happens might not be understood as such until later. The world of course is one of Caliopa's choosing, but it tends to be a comfortable one normally. The garage, maybe? Alistair is there too, somehow popping out of thing air with a faint glow before that fades. "Cali?"

Caliopa's world is definitely the garage, a spread of machine parts across the floor and Caliopa, a definitely unpregnant, working Caliopa, in her coveralls, with oil smudged on her face as she looks up. The dream doesn't seem to make sense but still. "Ali." She greets him, a sunny smile lighting up her face. "Reckon my mind wants to get back to work."

"I know, you love your work. You just wouldn't be Cali without it" Alistair smiles, stepping close to her to hug her. "You're not bothered by me being here? I have a problem, and I'm going to need your help to solve it" he states the latter, "I'd rather talk about something else, but ... it is urgent."

A brief flicker of confusion crosses Caliopa's face but she returns the hug, putting the machine piece aside. "You're part of work, so..." The reality of the dream hasn't reached her yet, and Alistair is just another piece of furniture in the woman's dream life. "Are the accounts not balancin'? It ain't a problem, reckon we can look...Ain't sure why someone else'd be better..."

"No, Cali; um..." Alistair takes a breath, "I'm in your dream - remember how I said, I would showyou dreamvision? This is it ... so I'm in your dream. I meant to show you in more pleasant circumstances but ... something happened. I'm in a town, and I can't get out of it. There are a bunch of people in it that are running the town, and they took my stuff. Around the town there is something that prevents people from leaving, and the town itself teleports to a new location every two weeks. The people in charge rule through terror."

Caliopa's confusion is obvious, her forehead wrinkling as she considers this. "Dream vision. I don't..." Then the confusion clears and instantly worry brings a frown to her forehead. "Where is it? You reckon ... I ain't sure why you thought someone else'd be better, 'n' we'll be havin' that discussion right after you get home. Where is it 'n' what do I need to bring?"

"Better?" Alistair asks, showing a little confusion on his own. A moment later he reaches up to stroke her hair, "Don't come alone, it's a trap. They sent Dhauzimmer back with a note to make you worry and come rushing over so they can capture everyone who comes, too" he says quickly. "You'll need Mr. Leo so that we can all be certain that we can get back, and Miss Cel because I think she is ummune to them - at the least. The leaders- there are four of them, they're very dangerous. They killed a villager because I wouldn't give them my stuff" he seems rather sad at that, not to mention ashamed. "They use magic and psionics, and they have guns. I managed to organize most of the villagers to rally against them, but we have nothing to fight with. Well - I do, but they don't. And one of the leaders is keeping a demon that looks like a spider there, too. I'm not sure how to fight them."

"A trap." Caliopa frowns, turning her head into the dream touch, her face worried. "Who is Dhauzimmer? I'll tell Leonard, 'n' Celaeno, but I ain't sure... Sage perhaps too?" She is thinking hard, nibbling on her lower lip. "How do we get in or get you out?" The practicalities rise to the forefront.

"My horse!" Alistair replies, nodding his head. "You can just walk in, but you can't walk out, that's why I suggested Mr. Leo. He can open portals" he explains. "And you have to be really careful, one of them use some psi-stuff on me and completely stopped me ... I think we call it despair" he exhales and hms softly. "I don't know who else to bring, but anyone who can help would be good ... so, anyway, to get me out you need to get in. But there's close to a hundred villagers who are trapped there also, and we should help them if we can."

Caliopa frowns, the worry deepening on her face as she studies Alistair's face. "So it ain't like jus' walkin' out." She speaks slowly, analysing, her face thoughtful. "I'll ask. I ain't sure, I ain't real good at stuff like that but ... " Absently, her hand slides down to her stomach, resting there, as she nods. "I'll go there, 'n' tell them. Who is Dhauzimmer?"

"He's my horse" Alistair smiles, nodding to her. "I could fight them if it was just one or two, but fought and a demon, I can't do alone" he murmurs. "Thanks, you're awesome" he hugs her again, close - it might be in a dream but it should feel real enough. "I love you. Don't worry, I'm safe for now. I'll try to visit you again, if we can time things right I can start something so they don't notice you all coming."

Caliopa nods slowly, leaning into him, her arms around his waist. "Visit me later, I'll talk to them, I ain't leavin' you there. You got nappies to change." She makes the comment with a determination on her face that belies a sparkle in her eyes.

"I welcome my nappy-change needing overlord" Alistair jests softly with a smile, "And you be careful, too. It's a bit odd, ain't it? That you have to rescue me - not that I mind" his expression becomes a little more serious, "I have ninety five people there who are ready to follow me. The authorities know nothing of it. It is the perfect subversion, and they don't know I'm talking to you so, they will not expect you to be prepared but they -do- expect you to come."

Caliopa wraps her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. "I'll be prepared, 'n' look like I ain't as much as I can." The woman's face reflects the fear she feels, alongside the determination to rescue him, her brown eyes wide and startled looking. "I ain't sure this is real what you had in mind to be doin' the dream thing."

Alistair returns the gesture, caressing her back. "No, it wasn't ... I was definitely thinking other things" he blushes faintly, leaning in to steal a quick kiss - bot for her comfort and his. "I'm real glad I'm able to do it though, and I always wondered if you dream of your garage" he smiles.

"Ain't like I'm seein' it now." The comment is wistful, the amount she misses her garage obvious in her words, in the appearance of it. "Real lucky you can do it, else you'd be off..." She closes her eyes, leaning her cheek against his chest. "Figured you was jus' busy."

"When I come back, we can go to the garage and you can pick anything you want to fix - just let me do the heavy stuff and you can yell at me for doin' it wrong" Alistair offers. "Mmm, I was just doing my usual run down the path, looking around a bit, and I ran into that town. I was going to be back as soon as I can, I don't like to worry you" he explains, petting her hair and hugging her to him. "I'll never leave you."

"I... don't reckon I can do that, go down there 'n' not fix it up proper. Tryin' to find someone to take it. Wrote up a piece of paper makin' sure that if somethin' happens it goes to someone useful." She hugs him tightly, closing her eyes.

"You mean Madhaven?" Alistair asks, blinking his eyes - he doesn't like the idea of going there either and it shows a little, but "I'll be there with you, no matter what. Hey..." he leans a little to kiss on her forehead. "You know, this is your dream - you wanna dream up something to fix? I'll help you, or at least I'll stay and watch you fix it if you want. It ain't quite like the real thing, but it'll feel like it."

"Reckon it is best to be sure of things." She hugs him again, stepping back, her face thoughtful. "If you ain't like to get caught..." She is tempted, the pain of garage withdrawal obvious in the petite mechanic. She turns slightly, and a battered truck is there, the one she drove when she arrived in Kingsdale. The dream passes, and the truck is fixed...