|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 9:12 pm
"Try to remember," Xiu insisted patiently, momentarily forgetting that they were on a boat in the middle of a storm, "Why you're on the boat, where you're going...or maybe you're not sure? Something is wrong here, aniki." She was trying to urge him to realize that something was off here.
Where to move forward from here? "Nothing makes sense, does it? It's almost as if this is..." She trailed off then, not wanting to directly give him the answer in case it pulled him out of the dream. He would have to ease into the idea slowly.
But hopefully not so slow that another wave would come and destroy the boat. That...that would be bad.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 10:05 pm
"...I'm on a boat..." Murmured Shun, still trying to figure out the reasons why he was on a boat. Every now and then he glanced up to the area around them to make sure nothing dangerous was headed in their direction. But Xiu did have a point, it didn't really make a great deal of sense.
"Why the hell am I on a boat?"
Frowning, he grabbed a hold of the mast as the boat rocked pretty dangerously for a moment. Looking towards the Baku, he stared while she trailed off.
"Dream..." he finished. Wait. Was this all a dream? He looked around as if that would help him figure out the answer. Lightning flashed dangerously close to the ship as he realized this. As the electricity ripped through the air... so did the fabric of the world seemingly. Cracks began to form where the lightning was and slowly the world began to erode.
"Kuso, that's definitely not normal," hissed Shun. The cracks were slowly heading towards where the boat was, enveloping it. The dream seemed as though it'd be ending soon.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 10:35 pm
No, they were so close! As the dream began to shatter, the Baku paced anxiously on the deck of the ship. What tips had she been given when she had been learning this? She had her fair share of problems when she tried to remain sleeping when she began lucid. There was the method when you relaxed, and then there was...
"Aniki! Come with me!" Pulling him to a spot on the deck where there weren't too many obstructions, she let go and took a step back. "Now, close your eyes and spin on the spot." Now that Shun was aware that this was all a dream, she hoped that he wouldn't be too resistant to the idea.
She had to admit that it was rather silly though. It was a weird method to be sure, but apparently it was very effective compared to the relaxation technique. She wasn't entirely aware of why this was, but apparently the sense of spinning would discourage the brain from changing from a dreaming to a waking state.
Whatever the case, Xiu was willing to give this a go if it would help. "Just...keep spinning, and don't stop."(( >A> Annnd a link to this method, because it is srs weird and hard to explain, idk. XD ))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 11:40 pm
"Why the hell--" Shun started to say before the boat rocked again. Glancing back, he saw the cracks steadily making their way towards them. Gritting his teeth, he let out a breath and grumbled while he began to spin.
He felt incredibly ridiculous doing this.
Spinning in a circle in the middle of a storm while on a boat.
Even if it was just a dream
As he spun around, the cracks advance seemed to slow down. It seemed that they might even be stopping. However, they never quite came to a full halt.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 12:16 am
"Hold on to the dream," She encouraged, watching as the erosion began to slow, "Relax, and keep spinning." It looked like it was actually working somewhat! ...It also looked a little silly, but that was one comment that Xiu would keep to herself. She had to hide a smile behind her hand.
Now...maybe test just how lucid he was? "Keep your eyes closed. Can you...try to imagine a different scene?" The school, maybe? So long as they were on solid ground, Xiu didn't exactly mind where they ended up.
She wasn't sure if her request was too much to ask, but what he had managed already was a good start. It would just take a bit of practice--though by "bit", she really meant a week to a few months depending on how frequently he dreamed and how successful he was--but ultimately, he would have a good defense against dream invaders in the future. Invaders that...may have included her, but she liked to emphasis that she did what she did out of concern, and not the desire to steal personal secrets or devour his dreams. If a nightmare demon were ever to show up in Amityville, however...
Well, hopefully they would be prepared for that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 8:39 am
Listening to what Xiu had to say, Shun tried to do just that. He didn't know how this was going to work but he tried anyway. Since he didn't know what to whip up for the time being, he just tried to imagine the school grounds. Parts of the scenery began to shift. Mainly in that some dirt and grass appeared on the boat, starting from his feet and slowly spreading out. Though, they only lasted for maybe a second before crumbling away.
The boat had rocked, knocking him off balance and with that, the dream's erosion sped up by quite a bit.
Before long, he had awoken.
Staring up at the ceiling again, he placed a hand on his head, feeling pretty dazed again. It was a little jarring to go through all of this.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 10:17 am
Xiu clutched at her head, letting out a little groan as she pushed herself up into a sitting position. It was the first time she had jumped into someone's dreams so many times in a row, and the constant jumping in and out was starting to make her a little dizzy. It looked to her as if it was a bit dazing for Shun to go through as well, and she didn't want to overdo the first day.
"Are you alright?" She eyed him with some concern, but smiled after a moment. "You did really well! It's tough though, isn't it?" His last attempt had been a close one. Xiu had noticed the patches of grass forming at his feet, but it was unfortunate that he was thrown off balance. Maybe next time!
Arashi abruptly crawled into her lap, and the ghoul smiled. Looked like they didn't need the feline's help this time around. "Maybe...maybe that's enough for today, aniki?" It was ultimately his choice. Despite the fact they still had a full cup of tea that he could drink, the Baku thought he had already done very well for his first few attempts.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 12:12 pm
Shun waited until he had more of his wits about him before he attempted to say anything.
"Definitely.. different," he murmured while still rubbing his head a bit. Shaking his head to collect himself a little more, he looked over towards Xiu and the final cup. They still had one more shot, but he was getting worn down from the constant waking and sleeping.
"I think.. that should be good for today," he mumbled, "Try again some other time."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 10:03 pm
Nodding, she abruptly reached out and poured the tea back into the pot. She would have to make a fresh brew if Shun wanted to attempt this again. As she set everything back onto the tray, Xiu hummed thoughtfully. "If you want to practice on your own, it helps if you associate something with lucid dreaming. Like...like how some people tie a string around their finger to help them remember something." She paused to think for a moment before considering, "If you associated something like...like an object, then every time you see that thing, it'll remind you to question your surroundings."
But...maybe she shouldn't be talking all this right now. The Baku cast a faintly worried glance towards the reaper, creases forming between her brows. "But that doesn't matter right now. You did a good job today." She wasn't sure whether she should tell him to "get lots of rest" considering that he had just been sleeping for a couple of hours. So, instead, she told him, "Maybe you should take a short walk to clear your mind, a little? I remember how disoriented I was when I had to do this."
...Actually, she was still feeling a little queasy herself right now. She took a moment to rest her head on her knees, taking deep breaths as she tried to ease the dizziness. Without lifting her head, she spoke up in a meeker voice. "Aniki, about what happened when I entered your dream without permission..." Was she going to apologize again? ...Yes, probably. He really had seemed upset.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 10:13 pm
Listening to Xiu, Shun nodded slightly before crawling off the bed, blinking as a little bit of the side effects from his attempts were lingering. A walk sounded pretty damn good right about now. It should help clear his mind as well as get him feeling a little more energized. He had a couple more things to do tonight after all.
Before he could go and do that though, he turned towards the Baku, frowning as she brought up the invasion once more.
Placing his hands into his pockets, he just waited to see what she had to say, remaining silent in the meantime.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 10:42 pm
Oh boy, this was going to be awkward. When she looked up, she made a note to look in a random direction. "I...I really am sorry for what happened. I-I shouldn't have done it, though I promise I won't tell anything about what I saw. But..." Yes, there was a but, "I don't know if you just don't like it or if you're just not used to it...but here in Amity, there will always be people who worry about you. You may not want the concern, but...it's only natural to care about a friend, right? Mitsu, Lizzy..." Whether he liked it or not, he had made some friends in this school.
Okay, this was getting too cheesy and therapy-esque for Xiu. She suddenly broke her own serious expression by making a face, and then standing up on wobbly legs. Ugh, she would have to go out for a walk later too. The fresh air would do her wonders for her nausea, she was certain. "I...should probably go now. Um, practice lots, okay aniki?"
She picked up the tea tray in one hand, and scooped up Arashi with the other, letting the small feline jump onto her and curl around her shoulder. "Let me know if you're having any other problems, or if you need me to come by again to help? I've been a little worried ever since hearing that there's a new dream eater in school, but..." She trailed off. Hopefully that wouldn't pose as a problem to anyone.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 11:10 pm
Shun had been expecting something brief, not the mini speech Xiu had just given him. Giving her a sort of blank look during the time she spoke, he just let out a sigh once she had finished. Yes, he supposed it was now inevitable that people would end up worrying about him. It was something he still wasn't quite used to at this point. He wasn't really sure if he'd ever get used to it.
"I suppose," was all he said to everything she spoke of.
When she told him to practice often, he nodded quietly while watching her pack up her belongings.
"Will do," he murmured. He wasn't afraid of dream eaters. The Reaper had dealt with Nightmare demons in the past after all.
"See you around then," he said quietly before seeing her out.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
