|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 10:38 pm
It had already been a week since she found Shun sleeping on that bench and entered his dreams, but throughout the whole week, the memories of what she had seen in the reaper's dreams had never left her. The guilt--the fact that she had gone in without his permission--had been nagging at her too, but that wasn't what bothered her the most. It was the fact that Shun may have been having these nightmares for a long time that was bothering her. His younger self being abused by his father, his present-day self having his heart torn out...
The thought made the ghoul shudder.
As she saw him as a friend, Xiu wished that she could do something to help him, but what could she do? For a while, she had mulled over her options. She could try to eat his nightmare--as disgusting and sick as they made her feel--but as the last time had proven, the same scene would just materialize again.
In the end, she realized that this was not something that she could control. That power lied with Shun alone, and all she could go was teach him how to cope with it.
Scrolling through her contact list on her skelephone, she found the reaper's number and selected it. When the line when through, Xiu took a deep breath.
"...Aniki? It's Xiu." That was obvious enough. Who else would call him by that nickname? "Are...are you in, right now? I need to tell you something important. Oh! And...is it alright if I brought Arashi along with me?" She had already prepared the tea--a very concentrated brew that would instill sleepiness--ready to go. If Shun agreed to it, then his lessons on lucid dreaming would begin today.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 10:44 pm
"Hello? Yeah I'm here. And.... Sure, I guess."
Shun didn't know what was up there, but apparently it was important. Setting his phone down after having up, he picked his guitar back up and resumed playing. He had a couple more minutes before she'd arrive most likely. His hands had healed up enough for him to be playing again so he was taking the time while he had it.
Though, as he played to himself, he couldn't help but wonder what it was Xiu needed to talk about. Maybe it had something to do with her cat.. seeing how she asked to bring it along as well. Hopefully it wasn't like the critter was sick or something. He wasn't exactly a vet.
In other words, he was pretty oblivious to what was going to be going down tonight.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 11:20 pm
Once she had gotten his permission, Xiu quickly gathered up everything she needed. She set one of her teacups and the teapot full of her brew onto a small tray, which she picked up and carefully balanced on the palm of one hand. With her other hand, she scooped up the Storm Melonkit who had been watching her from the couch and settled him into the crook of her arm. That seemed to be everything she needed.
On the way to the reaper dorms, the Baku's heart was pounding loudly against her ribcage. In all honesty, she was kind of terrified by what Shun's reaction would be to her confession. Would he be angry with her? Would he even agree to accept her help? These were only two of the many questions that were floating around in her mind. By the time she reached the boil's room, she felt as if she was going to pass out from anxiety.
Lowering Arashi to the floor, she knocked on the door with her freed hand. "U-uh, aniki? It's me!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 11:34 pm
When he heard the knocking at his door followed up by Xiu's voice, Shun placed down the guitar and made his way to open it up. When he did, he nodded lightly to the girl in a silent greeting before letting her in.
The entrance of the baku got the attention of both Arkham and Bent-Tail. The latter had been sitting on the bed and when he saw her, he perked up and waved to the girl with his little paw. The former was not too far off on the ground. He just watched her carefully, critically, as he was trying to see who this girl was.
The organoid's head lowered a bit as he took a little more of a defensive stance.
"Settle down Arkham," commanded Shun before he turned his attention back towards Xiu, "So. What's this all about?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 12:02 am
Bent-Tail received a bright smile and a wave in return, while Xiu's response to Arkham was simply a wide-eyed stare. Well. She didn't remember Shun having another pet the last time she had been here, but that had been a while. Hoping that he wouldn't mind, the Baku set the tea tray down on the table, and then turned back to him. With Arashi sitting at her feet, tail lazily flicking back and forth, Xiu looked up at the reaper and took a deep breath.
"I...um. Remember that night when I found you on the bench, sleeping?" She clutched at the front of her dress nervously, her gaze flickering to and away from Shun. "How much do you remember about that nightmare?"
She didn't give him much time before she continued. "D-do you...do you remember your father hitting your younger self? How you were shackled to the wall? Do you recall having you...your...y-your heart...torn out? Or the figure that saved you?" She hesitated at that point, and then fell silent to wait for a reply. In the end, Xiu had confessed to what happened--what she had done--without outright saying it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 12:25 am
That stare. Why was she staring at him like this? This girl was also incredibly nervous from what he could tell. Arkham lowered his body a little more, letting out a low growl. His level of trust was steadily decreasing here.
"Arkham," hissed Shun, which got the mini to stop growling. Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to Xiu to see what she wanted. He wasn't expecting her to bring up the night he fell asleep on the bench outside. Furthermore, he didn't expect her to go into nightmares to that detail.
The Reaper's eyes narrowed as he regarded the Baku suspiciously. He didn't remember a great deal, but a few of the details she dropped did ring a bell.
"How do you know of this?" he asked lowly. A part of him already knew the answer. Baku were dream eaters. While he didn't quite know they could enter dreams in the way that she had, he figured they had to see what they were eating one way or another. Aside from that, he hadn't told anyone about any dreams he might have had.
The growling from Arkham resumed as he realized his master was unpleased with the girl.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 1:14 am
Was she frightened? Yes, yes she was. Shun was hard to read, but even Xiu could tell that he wasn't very happy right now. He had good reason to be upset as well--what she had seen was private...but that's why she was here. The least she could do to make up was to admit to the truth, and to offer a way to help deal with those kinds of nightmares.
"I...I've been getting a grasp on going into and exploring dreams." She explained softly, her tone meek. Without any warning, she pressed the palms of her hand to her thighs and bowed low. "I'm sorry. I...I know I shouldn't have, but you looked troubled. and...and it made me worried. You never express when things are bothering you..." She trailed off with a sigh, slowly straightening herself. Thanks to the dream though, she now knew why the reaper usually kept to himself.
Though she had kept her eyes glued to ground while she apologized, she raised them now, looking straight at the reaper. "But...that's not the only reason I'm here. I wanted to apologize, but if you'll accept my help...I also want to make it up to you." Xiu took a deep breath, and then gestured towards the tea that she had set down on the table. "I made a concentrated brew of the tea using the herbs that help with insomnia. A cup should be enough to make someone drowsy. Aniki, do you know what lucid dreaming is?"
While she was talking, she had basically tuned out everything around her, so she was unaware of Arkham's growling. However, the low sound had not gone unnoticed by Arashi, who had been sitting on the floor and grooming himself. He paused to eye the other mini warily, his tail giving a light twitch. When he realized what was going on, he did not jump in and growl or hiss back, but he simply stared. And stared. And stared some more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 8:48 am
After Xiu had explained herself, Shun was still not very pleased.
"I'm not some scareling who needs his hand held at night. Nightmares happen," he said lowly before glancing to the table where the tea had been set down, "I also don't have insomnia."
Frowning, he glanced back towards the Baku with her question on what lucid dreaming was.
"That's being aware in dreams right? Or something like that," he frowned, not really sure what she was trying to get at here. All in all, the Reaper was on the defensive right now. The nightmare she had seen was likely not entirely all that accurate but it probably reflected a few things about him that he didn't really want to share.
With the way things were going doing, Arkham was liking it less and less. It was obvious that his master was unhappy here and it was because of this girl. Briefly, he glanced to the cat that was staring at him but then his focus shifted over towards Xiu. It looked like he could pounce at any given moment with his current stance.
Off to the side, a set of squeaks could be heard. Was Bent-Tail trying to tell the organoid to settle down? Well if so, it wasn't working as usual as the other mini completely ignored him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 1:47 pm
"That...that's not what the tea will be used for in this case," She explained, giving a shake of her head, "That is...um, if you'll even agree to it." With how things were looking, Xiu wasn't entirely sure if the idea would even appeal to the reaper. Would he even be willing to accept her help in the first place? It was worth a try.
She gave a little nod as Shun told her what he knew of lucid dreaming. "Yes, it's...it's being aware in dreams, but it's not just that. It's the ability to know that everything around you is just a dream, but to still remain asleep despite that fact." That had been the hardest part for Xiu to learn--acknowledging that she was dreaming had been easy enough, but staying asleep have this realization had been almost impossible for her for the first little while.
"You...you can also control what happens in these dreams." The Baku paused to try to read Shun's expression now, and then she continued, "What happens is up to you. Your dream becomes somewhere that you can manipulate, and where you can do things that you can't in the waking world." Xiu could have used an example from his nightmare, but considering his reaction, she thought that maybe it was best to steer away from that.
She fell silent for a while as she let him mull over the thought and then, in a much softer and nervous voice, she asked, "...Is this something that you'd find useful? Something you'd like to lea--"
When she felt something nudge her leg, the little Baku jumped, only to realize that it was just Arashi. Before she could ask him what the matter was, she suddenly caught the sound of a series of squeaks, and her attention turned to Bent-Tail, and then to Arkham.
...Uh oh.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 2:48 pm
Crossing his arms as he listened to the Baku, Shun was silent for the most part as he took in what she had to say. His expression hadn't shifted a whole lot since she started to speak. Well, lucid dreaming did seem to be something that could be of use to him, but a part of him was still caught up that Xiu had invaded his space more or less.
Even so... he found that in a number of his nightmares, he felt more or less powerless. This could at least potentially change that... even if it's just in the dreamworld.
"It could be useful I suppose," he said. When Xiu's attention shifted to Arkham, so did his.
"Arkham, cut that out," he hissed to the organoid. Arkham perked up and looked over at the Reaper. The growling stopped, but the mini still seemed to be pretty tense.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 3:45 pm
"I...could teach it to you," Xiu offered slowly, her gaze still nervously fixated on Arkham, "But...it won't be easy. If anything, it might be pretty frustrating, and it'll take a while to grasp. " She was actually a little surprised to see that he seemed vaguely interested in the idea, but she had to warn him beforehand. It had taken her a long time to grasp lucid dreaming.
There was a pause as she considered how exactly she was going to teach it. "It...it would be easier to teach if I... um, followed you into the dream, but if you're uncomfortable with that, we can do it another way." Obviously, she wasn't sure if Shun wanted her there in his dreams after what happened.
The first way--going into the dream and reminding him herself that it was a dream and to stay focused--was usually an easier start. The other method simply involved Xiu giving Shun tips in the waking world and hoping that he was aware enough to remember and follow these tips in his dream.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 4:30 pm
Now that Arkham had settled down slightly, Shun looked to Xiu, still giving her a rather hard stare. Lucid dreaming was something he didn't expect to come by easily. It was something he hadn't been certain was possible. Then again, maybe it still wasn't. Xiu was a Baku after all so something like that should come easier to her.
"And what would that be?" he asked, regarding her alternate path, "If you think you can handle it, I suppose you're free to dive into my subconscious. But you probably won't like what you find there."
He wondered if it was possible for her to shift her views of him somehow though this. The Reaper had a feeling his mind wasn't the most sound thing around after all.
"But if I find that you've leaked anything you've found," he started lowly, figuring he wouldn't have to finish his sentence.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 4:50 pm
"The other way...it doesn't always work unless you're already a little bit aware of your dreams." She bit down on her lip, looking thoughtful, "You...you kind of have to be able to recognize sudden changes. U-um, for example..." She glanced around for something to use, and finally settled for just picking up Arashi and holding him up.
"Attention to detail. Maybe at first glance, Arashi's spots look like this, but when you turn away and look back, they're suddenly different. Something like that--being able to recognize things that don't make sense." It was hard, that was for certain. It seemed as if he was possibly be giving her permission to try the first method though, but even then, it would still be difficult to make sure that Shun became aware while still staying asleep.
At the warning, she immediately nodded her head to reassure him that she understood. The thought of sharing what she learned hadn't even crossed her mind. "I-I haven't told anyone, and I have no intention on telling anyone," Xiu promised, trying to keep her voice as firm as possible (though the slight stutter didn't help).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 4:56 pm
For a few moments, Shun eyed Xiu, watching her carefully. He was a little on edge at the moment, so it was a little harder for him to be trusting. Not that he was generally a completely trusting guy in the first place.
"Alright," he said while relaxing a bit, "Why are you offering this exactly, by the way? I realize you're a Baku, but wouldn't the presence of nightmares be more beneficial to you? And besides, these are just dreams."
Over all, the Reaper hadn't lost a great deal of sleep over his nightmares. At times he didn't sleep as well as he could have, but it wasn't being completely detrimental.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 5:13 pm
Xiu visibly shrunk at the question, her gaze immediately gluing itself to the floor again. "I...wanted to make up for it." She explained simply, the "it" obviously referring to the unannounced dream diving, "I wasn't sure what else I could do other then tell you the truth and offer to help somehow."
The question about the nightmares made her smile a little. Shaking her head, the corners of Xiu's lips quirked upwards in a kind of embarrassed smile. "I'm not a very good Baku. Eating nightmares tends to make me feel sick, so my diet usually consists of good dreams." Basically, she was a failure of a traditional Baku...but at least in a setting where the students were trying to learn to be scary, her strange habit might just be positive.
"Another plus about lucid dreaming would be that you would realize when someone invades your dream who should be there." There was a weak smile at this point. She wasn't just talking about herself, however--if she recalled correctly, there was another dream eater in the school, and she was sure that there were some in the upperclassmen groups that she wasn't aware of.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
