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 Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 4:25 pm
"Oh. I guess that makes sense," Taryn nodded. Xiu had never claimed to be a psychic, after all, so it seemed reasonable to get lost in others' dreams as well. "Is it willful, or do you wake up inside them? Do dreams and reality feel... different?" She sometimes couldn't tell the difference, herself, which made for some relieving mornings.
"Whose dream was it? If I may ask..." the ghoul posed, which brought on a whole flood of other questions. "Do you... literally eat dreams? So they sustain you? Or is it just a consumption kind of thing?" The chimera got up and retrieved a pair of cookies, one for herself and one that she offered out to Xiu before sitting again.
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Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 11:52 pm
"It's willful," Xiu answered, "So I can typically choose whose dream I want to enter. I...haven't quite perfect the art of getting out of the dream willfully, though." Not yet, anyways. As it was right now, her ability was like a cat and a tall tree. The cat could climb up easily enough, but it couldn't get down by itself without a little help.
Whose dream? Xiu frowned thoughtfully, her expression suddenly becoming uncertain. Since she wasn't giving any details she wasn't sure if he would mind so much if she named him, but considering how secretive he was in general...
She grinned a little sheepishly. "One of the reapers here at Amityville. He likes keeping to himself most of the time, but he's a good guy." Xiu took the offered cookie with a smile and a thank you, nibbling on it slowly. "Mm, well...I guess I don't have to eat dreams at this point--it's not as if anything will happen to me if I stop."
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Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 9:43 am
A reaper here at Amityville? Taryn didn't know all of the reapers, of course, but she did know a few. Could it have been Joachim? Johan, perhaps, or even Roch himself? She was doubly curious now, but felt it would be impolite to ask again when Xiu was clearly not willing to call her friend out. Oh well. Maybe she'd know some day. What was it like to have a dream eaten, she wondered? Was it pleasant if it was a nightmare, or was there general unpleasantness involved?
The chimera nodded at Xiu's half-explanation of dream-eating. So they didn't do it to sustain themselves... was it a clan tradition? A hobby? Why had it begun in the first place? There would assuredly be some research done after tea time.
"That's interesting," she piped, figuring that some kind of interaction would keep things polite, "I wonder if I'll see you in my dreams some time." Although, if she did, who was to say she'd know the difference between a dream Xiu and the actual Xiu? "Chimera, um... we... ... we just are. No special diets, no wandering other realms. In fact I think I might be a little jealous." Taryn smiled to the baku. No real hard feelings!
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Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 6:58 pm
Xiu laughed, checking the time quickly before standing up to pour out the tea. The brew was ready now--she had been careful to watch the time to the exact minute. She continued to answer the Chimera as she head towards the kitchen area.
"Well, that depends--are you having nightmares? I usually only dive into dreams if someone volunteers themself or if they need a nightmare gone." She had learned her lesson early on that diving into a stranger's dream was not the best idea. The memory made her shudder slightly as she pulled out a pair of teacups, removed the strainer and tea leaves from the teapot, and managed to carry all of this back over to Taryn on a small tray.
Considering how the patterns on all the above objects matched, it became obvious that Xiu had just brought one of her tea sets with her. She carefully filled one of the cups and held it out to Taryn. "Please! Be careful though--it's hot."
Pouring another cup for herself, she sat back on the couch and grinned. "As for what you were saying before...nonsense. Chimeras are an amazing race! Dream eaters may be helpful in the dreaming world, but in the waking world?" She made a face.
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Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 7:33 pm
"Thank you," Taryn said softly, accepting the tea and gently blowing on it. Scalding a chimera's mouth was hard, but it could be damned embarrassing if it happened. She took a little sip and followed up with another nod. She hadn't drank much tea in her life, but this... this was good tea. It might have been just because it had been brewed in her own kitchen, but the ghoul was enamored.
"This is very good..." she complimented, giving another little nod, and then added a "Mmh! Hold on..." as she took another sip and stood. Taryn traveled to the counter and retrieved her tiny cakes, returning with the plate and setting them on the table in front of them; little orangey spongecakes, a miniature version of the sweet her grandmother always made her as a child. She demonstrated drizzling a little syrup on one, and took a bite quickly followed by some tea.
"You were right," she said, smiling and giving a little laugh. Good food, good, new friends, how could she ask for more? "Hmm. Anyway. Most species can be of some use in the physical world. To be of use in the dream world, to be able to manipulate or consume them, that's prettey unique. What do chimera do? Breathe fire? So do dragons, demons, various ghosts... You could win a fight, I'm sure you could." She had survived a huge one, after all. "but I can never control a dream."
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Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 4:06 pm
Xiu blushed, her tail giving a happy little wag at Taryn's reaction. "I'm pleased that it came out well! It's thanks to you, really!" All Xiu really did was pick out the herbs that the chimera seemed to like and make a blend. "You have a good nose, I think." She took a careful sip of her own cup of tea and smiled. She usually wasn't one for tea that had a slight spice to it, but this really was pretty good.
She perked up when Taryn went to retrieve the cakes. Tilting her head, she set down her cup of tea and watched the demonstration curiously. "I don't think I've had these before," She admitted as she reached out and mimicked the other ghoul's movements. Picking up the cake, she took a small bite, her eyes immediately lighting up. Xiu swallowed the bite before speaking, a smile on her face. "These are really good!" It didn't really come as a surprise to her, though--she had always had the conception that Taryn was a good baker, and this just proved her correct.
"Bakus aren't terribly unique either though," She sighed, though she was still smiling, "We're just a small sub-race of dream eater demons, really. It only just so happens that there are not many dream creatures here at Amityville." Whether that was a good or a bad thing, she didn't know.
"What kind of abilities do chimeras usually have, if I may ask? And honestly--I think the fire thing is kind of cool." She grinned, and then took another sip of her tea.
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Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 4:37 pm
"They're little pantespani," Taryn replied, nodding to Xiu, "A fancy name for an orangey sponge cake, really." A lot of the cuisine of her family seemed foreign to most others. This, she felt, was 'normal' enough to be shared. When Xiu complimented her she could only blush and smile. A good nose? Was that the goat or the lion in her... or perhaps even Abigail? She gave the snake a look for good measure.
"Oh! Um..." The ghoul was shocked back to reality by a question posed, and then shrugged. "Fire, usually, for my subclass, anyway. We can all breathe fire, and um-- I mean, FEARs are varied, just as much as anyone else. Some have poison, it's... all different. My family, though, we have fire and, um. Whatever FEAR..." Her parents had gotten much more reasonable FEARs, though. Who wanted a FEAR based on natural ability, when they could have hardened scales or disappear into flame? She's gotten the short end of the genetic stick, for sure.
"So... what's your FEAR?" Taryn asked then, smiling and sipping her tea. "Does it have to do with dreams too?"
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Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 5:43 pm
"Pantespani," Xiu echoed, tilting her head curiously, "The name is unfamiliar, but I'll remember them now! They're very good--thank you for making them." She took another bite, pleased by the flavour. Was this a family recipe, perhaps?
Hmm. "Have you ever had mooncakes before? Or sweet rice cakes?" She had her own family recipes that she could turn to if the ghoul wanted to try something new as well. She would have to go shopping for all of the ingredients and wait until her arm was better, but once that was done, Xiu certainly didn't mind making the sweets for her new friend!
She nodded in understanding--to be honest, the baku found breathing fire to be a pretty impressive ability! Outside of a dream, bakus were typically useless and frail things (though Xiu was making an effort to change that now). When she was asked about her FEAR, she perked up.
"Oh! It only lasts a few seconds, but it's kind of...an illusion?" She hadn't had many chances to use it, unfortunately (or perhaps that was a fortunate thing). "It's kind of a...a waking nightmare for the target."
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Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 5:52 pm
Taryn gave yet another soft nod, her mouth full of cake, and made sure to chew and swallow before speaking. "Mooncakes? ...no, I don't think I've had either. Are they cultural?"
Everyone had different family traditions. She and Nefertari had even had a dish in common, albeit by different names. Xiu, though... she dressed in a particular way that smacked of some kind of colorful heritage. Moon cakes...
"Aha!" was her only response to Xiu's explanation. "So kind of, huh?" Her natural ability was either consuming or controlling dreams... and her FEAR was creating them? That was related for sure. That... made Taryn feel a bit better, actually. "I'd hate to fight against you. I can't stand nightmares when I'm asleep, and to actually live one..." The ghoul gave a little shudder as she took another bite of cake. Xiu was more naturally frightening than she'd thought!
"Hey, has the baking club started yet?" She hadn't missed it, had she?! What a disappointment that would be...
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Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 6:03 pm
"They are. Maybe I could make you some after I'm healed up?" Since there were a vast variety of both mooncakes and rice cakes, she figured that making a few mini ones of each flavour would be a good idea. It would probably be like a box of mixed chocolates where Taryn would like some and dislike some others. Though just to be sure..."Is there anything you can't eat? I know my friends can't have chocolate."
She smiled, putting down her teacup again so that she could wave her hand in a dismissive manner. "Don't worry--I tend to avoid using that particular FEAR if I'm having a friendly spar with anyone. I, um..." Xiu looked a little sheepish, "I mean, I don't actually want to scar anyone." Considering that the waking nightmare was pulled out of the mind of her target, the fear that they witnessed was very personal and very real to them. That was not something Xiu wanted to inflict on other Halloweeners.
When the conversation turned to the baking club, Xiu was quick to shake her head, looking apologetic. "No--I'm sorry! Junko and I are still waiting for it to be approved, unfortunately." Once it was approved, however, Xiu made a note to send word to everyone who had signed up.
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Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2011 9:44 am
Taryn smiled broadly and nodded. "Maybe you could teach me?" Collecting recipes had become a hobby since arriving at Amityville, and while cookbooks were some help with traditional Halloween recipes, she had yet to find any cultural stashes to further broaden her horizons. Baking club would be good for that too, she thought. Everyone had something to share. "Oh, no, no allergies or anything. I'm part goat, don't'cha know..."
What an odd turn of phrase. ...she kind of liked it.
The ghoul only offered a dismissive hand wave in return at the comment on the club itself. "Oh, don't worry. I'd hoped I hadn't missed it is all! I'm looking forward to it. The book club and the movie club are fun and all, but I'm really looking forward to baking."
The usual awkwardness and discomfort that came with social interaction for Taryn was almost entirely gone. How Xiu had managed that was a mysterious feat in and of itself, but the chimera wasn't complaining. It was nice to be able to sit down and have polite conversation without worrying about making fool of herself.
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Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2011 2:16 pm
Xiu brightened up at the idea, the gears in her mind starting to turn. She and Shun had made some of the mooncakes before, and they had turned out really well, so why not ask the ghoul to do the same? "Maybe I can invite you over sometime, and we'll make them together?" Baking with others was always a lot of fun, after all! She hadn't yet had a chance to bake with Taryn either--this had to be amended.
"I'm really happy to hear that you're looking forward to the club," Xiu grinned, being completely truthful, "I'm still a little nervous, but it should be fine with Junko there. Have you met her before?" Her eyes widened slightly as she realized that her new friend may have never met the club's other co-president.
Yet another thing to be amended, if the two had never met.
Xiu felt a lot more relaxed than she could remember being for a long time. As she sipped her tea, she glanced over towards the other ghoul and smiled. "Thank you for inviting me today."
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Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 9:32 am
"Yesss, I think that'd be fun," Taryn smiled over her cup, holding it daintily and feeling something like a proper ghoul. Tea time had to become habit, she decided. This was far too relaxed to give up...
"Junko? No, I only saw her at the sign-ups," the chimera then responded, sounding a bit disappointed, "She's the ghoul with the long black hair, correct?" There was always a possibility that things had gone terribly misunderstood and the ghoul she remembered actually had nothing to with Junko. She could just hope. Maybe the real Junko also had long black hair? Either way, Taryn's train of thought was interrupted by a sudden moment of sincerity. No one else had been invited into her room for any period of time, but she was feeling now that she had made the right decision. Social awkwardness had flown out the window. There were only two ghouls, chatting over tea and cakes.
"Thank you for coming..." The chimera turned a bit redder and shrank somewhat into herself, smiling sweetly.
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Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 6:56 pm
"As soon as I'm better and you have the time," She promised, nodding cheerfully, "I'll invite you over and we can make some. Maybe we could turn it into another tea time if we manage to finish early." Like Taryn, Xiu felt that this needed to be a more regular occurrence from now on. Why hadn't they done this long ago?
The baku nodded in confirmation, and then grinned. "That's okay--I'll introduce you two sometime, okay? Probably during baking club, once I get that started up." She made a note to speak to one of the staff members later that week to ask what the status of the club was. Everyone was probably still hung up about the field trip--she was too, to some extent--but that made it all the more important to get up a club that would help people relax and have fun.
Xiu returned the smile, raising her cup to her lips to take another sip. "I wouldn't have missed it for the world. So! If I may ask, what another kinds of things do you know how to bake? I'm sure you have a lot of experience with different sweets..."
Oh yes, they definitely needed to do this more.
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