Pantsu part 5: The Dreamening

[underwearfortomorrow]

[Dream]

[If you managed to fall into one of Eiji's more pleasant dreams you'll be met with a clear and peaceful night in what looks to be the middle of the Verdant forest. The trees give way to just enough sky to let the full moon shine through.]

[There's a small clearing and a camp set up. You'll find Eiji there tending to a fire and humming while he cooks a few skewered fish. Approach?]

[Nightmare]

[It starts out innocent enough. What you see around you is a small, somewhat weathered few floors of one of Union's towers. It's full of children, running and playing. It shouldn't take you long to realize it's an Orphanage.]

[Eiji is in one of the bigger rooms sitting with a bunch of kids. He's dressed oddly (By which he's dressed like a normal person in Union dresses like) and looks a few years younger. He's regaling them with stories about his grandfather.]

[It seems like a pretty nice dream until you start to smell smoke. Suddenly the place is over come with flames, kids are screaming, and Eiji is frantically trying to help but it starts to get too much. Everything is burning.]

[Locked to Rei]

[He'd been in and out of the strange Dream world a few times this week. He's not surprised to find himself back. While he knows its safer to stay with the trees, he aims to venture out to see if he can find anyone he knows.]


[Action: Real World.]

[Holy shit what the hell was going on. Aka Eiji just appeared back into his bed at the Shrine after a particularly nasty dreamwalk. Hina's startled awake- puffing up and trying to figure out what's going on.]

Comments

Dream.

[future_sight]

[Fish. Lakshmi knew that smell. Dreams could smell? Curious. The Liepard saunters toward the camp, surprised by who she sees.

Eiji, was it? She didn't come down to the shop very often, but she does seem to recognize this human. She isn't one to beg either, but berries aren't much her thing, and that fish smells heavenly...]

Dream.

[underwearfortomorrow]

[He looks up when he sees someone approach him out of the corner of his eye. He definitely expected a pokemon more than he did a person so he smiles. Hina fluffs up, but not in a hostile manner.]

Hello! Are you hungry?

Dream.

[future_sight]

[How very astute, she is in fact. Although she won't ask you to share, you have other mouths to feed. Company might not be bad, though, although she imagines her human will be about soon.]

Dream.

[underwearfortomorrow]

[He offers her a warm smiles.] There is plenty to go around.

[He reaches up to feed Hina some of her favorite seeds, which she chirps happily about! After which he will pick up one of the sticks skewered through a fish and blow on it. Once it's cool enough he will offer it to Lakshmi.]

Dream.

[future_sight]

[In that case, thank you for the meal.]

Eijikun?

[Oh, it's her human. Coming from around the trees, she looks surprised.]

Lakki, when did you get here?

Dream.

[underwearfortomorrow]

[Oh, it was Nozomi! He grins up at her.]

I imagine the smell of dinner had something to do with it!

Dream.

[future_sight]

Probably. We haven't had a lot to eat lately.

[Berries get really old after a while, no matter how good they initially taste.]

Nightmare.

[worldmother]

[Smoke. As Elly moved through the boundary between dreams, that was the first thing that assaulted her senses. The heavy, musky smell of smoke. That sent her in a full-tilt run toward the scent. Someone was in danger.

Putting a sleeve over her nose and mouth as she came across the scene, immediately recognizing Eiji. What was this? Running over, she immediately starts tearing cloth from her jacket.]

Water, over there! Wet it and tie it around your face. When we go in, stay close to me.

[underwearfortomorrow]

[He's not nearly as together as he usually seems. In fact he's frantic and very upset and periodically he's patting his clothes because they keep spontaneously igniting.]

[He's able to focus enough to take the cloth but he doesn't seem to actually recognize her yet.]

We have to go back for them. They'll all die.

[worldmother]

I know.

[Rip. Another bit of cloth, which she quickly wet and began tying around her face. Her voice was firm, authoritative, like she had done this before.]

That's why we're going in. Tie it tight, and stay close when we go in. I'm a fire type, so I might be able to help mitigate some of the pain from the heat.

[Well, she hadn't figured out if she could feel pain from others' dreams--she was going to find out now.]

[underwearfortomorrow]

[Yeah- and though Eiji appears every bit unawakened in this dream, he's still definitely an Ice-type. After a moment, he's able to put on a braver face. He nods and ties the cloth around his face.]

Let's go.

[worldmother]

[Elly charges in, making sure to keep at pace with Eiji]

Warning- upsetting content probably for the rest of the thread

[underwearfortomorrow]

[Eiji keeps up with her the best he can. Once they're in the room there are several small children all huddled and scared. Some of them in the corner, some of them trapped under rubble and debris. All of them are crying and calling out for Eiji.]

[He reaches for the closest one. The moment he does, the child bursts into flames.]

Save us! Why couldn't you save us?

Locked

[faithfulflame]

[Well, he will find someone that he knows! Eventually Eiji will stumble across someone he's very familiar with: His cousin.

Rei is sitting on a fallen log with a small group of Pokemon around her. Four familiar ones: Phobos, Deimos, Moeris and Casius...and one new one. A Gastly that seems to be hovering very closeby.

When she speaks, she doesn't even look at him, unconsciously feeling the connection between them and answering without a thought.]

Eiji? Is that you?

[underwearfortomorrow]

[Ah, even if he hadn't seen her first, the entourage is enough to tip him off to his cousin's presence. He smiles, thankful for a familiar face. He approaches.]

Mm. Have I stumbled upon one of your dreams? Or are you actually here, I wonder.

[faithfulflame]

I'm here. This isn't a dream. Unless it's yours.

[She rises, turning to face him with a relaxed smile.]

Are you hurt?

[underwearfortomorrow]

It isn't one of mine.

[He blinks, and then shakes his head.]

No, I've only just arrived. What about you?

[faithfulflame]

I've been through...two? Three dreams now? I've been in and out, really.

Have you...had any dreams yourself, lately?

[underwearfortomorrow]

Mm. I've seen a few.

[Also after waking back up the first time back at the Shrine Ankh nearly screeched him deaf.]

[He hesitates to answer her question.]

I have.

[Which means that it's likely Elly was privvy to some very personal memories of his. He should talk to her about it eventually but he...really doesn't want to talk about it at all.]

action;

[tsunbird]

[Ankh's been sort of chilling in the absence of most everyone, but he's by no means unaware of the tension going on around him. He realizes that Eiji's disappearance wasn't intentional or natural, but rather than look like he actually gives a shit by going after him, he just waits for him to return.]

[When he does, Ankh is perched out on the railing of the shrine like he's habitually started doing when he wakes up, inevitably before Eiji. The sudden reappearance of the colorfully-dressed vagrant startles him, as does Hina's sudden spook, and he hops off the railing to seek him.]

Ah, you're back.

action;

[underwearfortomorrow]

[Eiji's eyes are still adjusting to the dark of the Shrine when he hears Ankh. He turns his head sharply to stare at him and after a moment he slides out of bed to walk a few shaky paces towards him.]

I am?

[Is he? How could he be sure? It could be another dream for all he knew.]

Where did I go?

action;

[tsunbird]

[He watches the way he shakes when he walks and squints, frowning.]

I'm not going to catch you if you fall, idiot.

[He does slip into the room and cross the distance between them, though, reaching out to flick him in the forehead.]

Hell if I know. I woke up and you were gone. The girl, too.

action;

[underwearfortomorrow]

[He stumbles at that- more than he would normally but Eiji is kind of shaken up.]

I- so. We were actually gone? Body and all?

[What on earth?]

action;

[tsunbird]

[He is making such a face at you.]

No, I said 'you're back' because you were here the whole time.

action;

[underwearfortomorrow]

[Eiji rolls his eyes.]

How long have I been gone?