"I didn't want to say anything if it was just me..." Michael says sheepishly. "I thought for sure my heart could be heard kicking into overdrive all the way down the hall."
"I guess we both just need to calm down...it's just hard to stay calm about sharing sleeping space with someone you love even if that's all it is is just sleeping. Hopefully. If we can both stop being nervous long enough to sleep," she said with an embarrassed smile.
She sat down on the mattress. "Is there a side you'd prefer?"
"Not that I know of." He says as he sits on the other side. "I always thought it was silly. I mean, you switch the way you're laying and the sides change too, so what's the point?"
She giggled. "I have no idea. I guess some people are just particular about it for some reason." She laid down and pulled the blankets over her, waiting for him to do the same before cuddling close to him.
"Well, as not conducive to sleep as this might be, at least for right now you'll know that you're not on your own."
"I never doubted that for a second." Michael replies as he wraps her hand in his own. "Not lately anyway."
She smiled. "Good. It's miserable being all alone. Because of you, I'm not anymore. I'm happy to be here with you. And I'm here for you even if it's just to keep you company."
"For tonight, for tomorrow, for until whenever." His face, which had been returning to a more normal color, starts to go red again. "Um... should we define what k-keeping me company means?"
Kitty smiled mischievously. "What would you like it to mean?"
The look of Kitty's face was not making this any easier.
"W-well I, um... sleep?"
"Michael...I....when I said it I meant it literally. Just being with you. Ummm.....that other stuff...it's scary. I don't know what I'm doing and it makes me feel embarrassed and a little bit terrified......But....I think it would be alright if it's you......but that doesn't mean we have to do anything right now! Ummm.....that wasn't what I meant. We're not in any rush or anything. Just....when we do get to that point, I won't mind that it's scary because it's not as scary with you. Umm....I'm babbling again," she said, her face having turned a similar shade of red to her hair.
"It's not like I would... know anymore than you... and I'd like to, just not because we're sleeping next to each other!"
"How about we both just shut up and go to sleep?"
"Yeah, you're right....you sound calmer.....you got stung again, didn't you?"
"If I did, I didn't feel it." Michael replies. "Or maybe I just realized it's getting late and we're both worrying about things instead of going to sleep."
"Plus, I have no idea if your family bugged my room or not." ;)
Kitty giggled. "If it's my family, they're probably more annoyed that we aren't doing anything. Just so you know, they'll almost certainly make things complicated when we go to visit them. They mean well, but they're just...well, you met them. You know what they're like."
She laid her head on his shoulder and yawned. "Goodnight, Michael. I'll try to get some sleep now."
"Goodnight, Kitty." Michael says as his eyelids start feeling heavy. Now that the nervous rush was gone, he knew sleep was unavoidable. "Night, Saffire..." He manages to mumble before the world of dreams claims him.
Ori managed to steer her paper airplane low enough for her to grab onto the top of a tree before it dissolved completely. Her leg hurt like mad.
::Khassar, hurry up already! I'm not sure how long I can keep hanging on like this!::
With a little help from the half-tengu she was able to get back down to the ground and healed.
"Alright, we have to follow this arrow. It will lead us to Oneiro, who as far as I can figure out is currently in the grips of some very powerful illusion."
She folded paper into the form of a tiger so she could ride it in order to catch up to Jeran and Oneiro more quickly.
The band finished playing through it's setlist.
"Thank you so much for coming everyone. From all of us in FAIN, we really appreciate your support. Unfortunately we can't keep playing all night, so I'm affraid that's all from us this time. As the saying goes, you don't have to go home, but you can't stay here. We look forward to playing for you again next time. Good night, everyone!"
"Professor Relkav!" she said a little out of breath as she finally caught up. "Look, I know it was loud, but it was just an argument, really. Ursula started yelling at us because she and I used to be friends, but she doesn't like that I like girls romantically. I don't know. I think she feels like I betrayed our friendship. That doesn't mean she has to say those nasty things or really excuse them, but it's why she's like that. Anyways, Vai got really mad at her for yelling at us and then yelled at her to apologize, but I guess she really startled Ursula with the teleporting because Ursula screamed and went all spiky. And then there was more yelling and Vai fell. So if you're going to give them detention then just do it, but you should probably give me detention too since I was part of the argument. So can we just finish this already? Vai really hurt her nose when she fell and she needs to go to the infirmary."
"Are you guys always this slow?" Jeran growled as Ori and Khassar finally caught up, still pinning a panicked Oneiro to keep him from running off again. "If I hadn't been here he'd have been done for by now!"
"Yes, well, I'm so sorry for getting attacked," she said sarcastically. "But we're here now."
She walked up to Oneiro and slapped him across the face. "Wake up! The only wolf here is Jeran and he's helping you, so just snap out of it already!"
Khassar casts Break Enchantment on Oneiro.
A few moments after Khasser casts his spell, Oneiro stops struggling, though he still looks pale and frightened. And in pain, that might be because Jeran is sitting on him.
"What... what happened?"
1d20+3+11+5
A few moments after Khasser casts his spell, Oneiro stops struggling, though he still looks pale and frightened. And in pain, that might be because Jeran is sitting on him.
"What... what happened?"
Jeran stands up and reaches out a hand to help Oneiro up.
"Magic messing with your head. You went tearing through the jungle yelling about how you were being chased by wolves that were trying to eat you. Weren't any wolves here but me and I sure as hell don't eat sentients let alone friends."
Jeran stands up and reaches out a hand to help Oneiro up.
"Magic messing with your head. You went tearing through the jungle yelling about how you were being chased by wolves that were trying to eat you. Weren't any wolves here but me and I sure as hell don't eat sentients let alone friends."
Oniero accpets the help up and wobbles for a moment.
"That was bad. I haven't seen wolves like that since I was kid. I see why you hate mind magic now at least..."
"Professor Relkav!" she said a little out of breath as she finally caught up. "Look, I know it was loud, but it was just an argument, really. Ursula started yelling at us because she and I used to be friends, but she doesn't like that I like girls romantically. I don't know. I think she feels like I betrayed our friendship. That doesn't mean she has to say those nasty things or really excuse them, but it's why she's like that. Anyways, Vai got really mad at her for yelling at us and then yelled at her to apologize, but I guess she really startled Ursula with the teleporting because Ursula screamed and went all spiky. And then there was more yelling and Vai fell. So if you're going to give them detention then just do it, but you should probably give me detention too since I was part of the argument. So can we just finish this already? Vai really hurt her nose when she fell and she needs to go to the infirmary."
Vakkler scowls. "I see. I've heard of such things. Well, there's not much I can do about an argument, but tread a bit lighter the next time. Tempers are dangerous things in this school. Good night, students."
Vakkler turns to go back inside, then appears to change his mind. He heads off.
Sadie breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against the wall. The run had made her head feel less fuzzy, but now her stomach felt quite sick.
"Whatever you want to say, Ursula, just can it," she snapped. "You've said your piece. Now go find your idiot brother."
She looked the other way as Ursula stomped off.
"C'mon, Vai. I'll walk you to the infirmary. Umm. I mean, if you don't mind."
Jeran stands up and reaches out a hand to help Oneiro up.
"Magic messing with your head. You went tearing through the jungle yelling about how you were being chased by wolves that were trying to eat you. Weren't any wolves here but me and I sure as hell don't eat sentients let alone friends."
Oniero accpets the help up and wobbles for a moment.
"That was bad. I haven't seen wolves like that since I was kid. I see why you hate mind magic now at least..."
"It's the worst. You can't even trust your own judgement."
"So, out of curiosity...how lost are we?"
"Not too badly. And I'm guessing the voice trying to mess with my head means we're on the right track. Anyone else have that fun experience?"
"It said it knew why I couldn't... couldn't sleep. It said I'd die before I went back. Then the wolves showed up..." Oniero shudders and resists the urge to look around.
"Not to be a downer, but there's a possibility that your other half is dead or dying. We don't know for sure. The sooner we sort all of this out the better the chances for a happy outcome, in my opinion. And never trust a disembodied voice. That's just good sense," she said crisply, trying to bury fears under intense practicality.
"Say Oneiro, it occcures to me that your name tranlates to divination through dreams. Is that correct? Is that somehow tied to this book and maybe how it works? The dream or the dreamer? One of those "The Sleeper Must Awaken" deals that you have to travel to the location in the physical world and can only find the book while dreaming in that location?"
"Well...that's actually a fairly good suggestion...but would it work for anyone? I mean, Oneiro can't sleep...that's why we're doing this...but I could probably do it since I'm also a paper mage...but I don' really feel right about taking a nap instead of supervising when I'm supposed to be the teacher here. Maybe it would work if Khassar was the one napping?"
Nala woke up because she had a cramp in her neck. She had fallen asleep while reading. Which would probably have been more uncomfortable if Ryuzo hadn't been curled up on the floor behind her. She blushed as she realized that she had been leaning back against him while she slept. Somehow she just didn't feel as scared of him when he was in mole form. She stood up and stretched her muscles and then realized with alarm that she could see clouds of steam coming from Ryuzo's nose as he breathed. And Vasya was burrowed under all of her blankets on the bed. It was cold.
"Ryuzo! Wake up! Trouble is coming!"
Sunday morning dawned clear and unseasonably cold. Frost formed on the windows and covered the gardens.
After spending about an hour cleaning up the after-effects of the after-party, Fei retired for the evening. As usual, he is up before sunrise to perform his morning katas and prayers to greet the dawn. What is unusual is the sudden cold-snap that has descended upon the region - there is quite a nip in the air when he steps outside. :)
The young monk dutifully completes his routine, bowing deeply to the sun as it crests the horizon and his breath is briefly illuminated by its golden light.
"I remember a fable from The Book of Calistra that seems similar. It went:
As above so below, two stayed behind, yet two had to go.
The two that stayed, each had their own parts to play.
One of land and one of air, did defend those in their care.
Until at last, it came to pass,
The enemy had no more with which to dare.
Woman and Man walked the path into Dreams, to find that which hadn't been seen.
To where their enemy bided.
Until at last, it came to pass,
Man and Woman united, even in dreams, could not be divided."
"I bloody hate prophecy. It never makes any sense until after the fact," she grumbled.
There is an uncomfortable muttering in the minds of everyone in the infirmary, or close to it. Kind of like having someone grumbling right in your ear and not being able to stop them. Covering ears does nothing to mute the sounds as they are telepathic.
Anyone checking on Phaezeriel finds the spiky cocoon no longer pulsing, but trembling chaotically.
Wyrd will hang around the party and help Fei with cleanup. Afterwards he will spend the night in the garden rather than his room. Waking he finds himself covered in a rime of ice. After shaking the ice off and resuming a smaller size, he heads back to the forge that he and Ehos found the previous day.
"You should have seen the pictures that went with it."
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Ryleh sends notes to Krays and Ephebe, Aananda, Keme, Vai, James and Fieri, Jim Rivets, Genosuke, and Enre to meet her at ten o'clock precisely in Aananda's laboratory to discuss strategy to deal with Nasima's problem.
She then goes to the infirmary to find out what is making those uncomfortable noises. Upon questioning the healers and receiving as much information as she had, she walks up to the cocoon.
::That's quite enough. Transform or desist. People have work to do. You're not helping.::
"You should have seen the pictures that went with it."
"I presume they were the sort of thing every curious adolescent would want to gaze at? I mean, we are talking the temple of Calistria and if I remember my history of religion class even a little, she's a lust deity is she not?"
"I presume they were the sort of thing every curious adolescent would want to gaze at? I mean, we are talking the temple of Calistria and if I remember my history of religion class even a little, she's a lust deity is she not?"
"Mostly, but she also is a deity of luck, trickery, revenge, and hidden knowledge."