Just a bit of dreamweaving... (for the000)

[gardenerofavalon]

There are scarce few things indeed that Merlin doesn't regularly see dreamed of. Whether mundane or fantastic, frightening or sensual, he's seen (and woven, and participated in) more dreams than most people could even imagine.

Still, occasionally there are things that catch him by surprise, or at least stand out for being rather more unusual than most. Such as, for example, a true near lack of dreams from a particular sleeper. That isn't something typical at all, let alone easily accomplished. Clearly, Merlin ought to do something about that!

He'll start out simple and subtle, though. Encourage the dreamer's subconscious to create a pleasant setting, then embellish things from there. Some flowers, perhaps...

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[gardenerofavalon]

Merlin's expression doesn't waver, but that remark does strike a bit of a nerve. Because really now, what kind of monster would claim that flowers are anything but beautiful? Hmph.

Still, though, his objective was something relaxing, and if a flowery meadow doesn't suffice, perhaps a calm seaside will. It works on the vast majority of people, after all, for a wide assortment of reasons.

But now it's his turn to raise an eyebrow at that remark.

"So that you might consult my expert opinion?" he replies, more than a hint of teasing in his tone. "Although, I suppose you do have a point, that you really can't appreciate the details unless examined up close..."

As he speaks he rises to his feet and steps toward the stranger, his long robes rustling, and hair glinting in the sunlight. The particularly observant might even note that flowers seem to bloom along his path.

"Come along, then." Without further warning he suddenly reaches out to grab the fellow by the back of his shirt. Anticipating resistance, Merlin locks down his control of the dream to briefly prevent him from moving, though flailing once he has a proper grip is certainly allowed.

In any case, Merlin reaches the shoreline remarkably quickly, in only a stride or two (dreams are wonderfully easy things to manipulate like that!) and without further ado swings him into the water. Don't worry though, he's nice enough to change his clothes into swimwear for him first!

... He's apparently also anticipating attempts at retaliation, as now his own outer robes and boots are gone, leaving merely his pants and tight-fitting sleeveless undershirt. For that matter, despite his seemingly slight build he's actually fairly well-muscled, so perhaps it wasn't just his control of the dream he was relying on just now...

[the000]

If this is his idea for him to relax, it's working poorly. Sandalphon's put at the edge when the man grabs the back of his shirt to drag him alone. He could have swatted him away, but looks like he's unable to move. He doesn't panic, considering releasing his true form briefly but not knowing if he's going to affect his sleeping body if he does.

"What are you d-" he snaps at him, struggling a little when he notices the water has moved closer and his clothes have changed into... something lighter? He's given no chance to check his new outfit (unfit for combat no doubt), as Merlin assumed, the young primarch has reached out to grab his long hair to drag him alongside him into the water...

It's too fast, perhaps, a fraction of a second where he can swing the man closer and secure his grip. The cold water splash doesn't awake or lulls his senses, he knows immediately it's not real water. The refreshing feeling that engulfs him sure feels nice, but there's a disconnection between the actual element and this dreamy substance. He would know. He's gotten the four primarch's elemental authority. The contact doesn't last long, less of a minute, seconds, and then six wings unfurl from his back, a pair brown, and four of different colors - red, blue, gold and lavender. The water doesn't weigh them to take off and fly out the sea, with the man in tow.

[gardenerofavalon]

Oh, dunking definitely isn't for relaxing, it's for cooling off hotheads! Though in this case, that might be wishful thinking. Ah well, it's still kinda fun.

The wings though... That is a bit of a surprise. How very interesting indeed. Interesting enough that, while Merlin probably could lock the fellow down and prevent him from moving again, well, perhaps he'll just wait and see where he takes this. For now.

Oddly enough though, the scent of flowers doesn't fade as they rise into the air--it still clings to Merlin himself, after all.

[the000]

Sandalphon looks a little disgruntled with his wet hair, but tries to cool off his ire. His wings meanwhile don't appear damp at all, unlike the rest of his body. He still can smell the flowers, and the scent look like if it comes from him, as if he were a close relative of the Rose Queen herself.

"I didn't mean the water, you idiot," he finally says, as he flies above the shoreline. "This sky gave you away, huh." He flies a little up, just to check his sight is as sharp as ever. He's right. He can't see even a hint of the cluster of islands faraway. "Where are you from?"

[gardenerofavalon]

No, no islands to be seen here, unless they're of the sort that's surrounded by water. Though as for those, there are some lovely reefs a little distance beyond the sandy shore.

"If you'd just wanted to fly around, you should have been more specific," Merlin replies in a bored tone. He's tempted to toy around in response to that question, but ultimately his own curiosity wins out, as an honest but incomplete answer is more likely to draw out more information.

"Avalon."

[the000]

Sandalphon chooses to ignore his useless remark and focuses on his actual answer. "Where is Avalon exactly?" He's not very familiar with the name. To be honest, he's unfamiliar with the names the skydellers use for the skydom except for the most important islands, but he's never heard about it.

He stops midflight and observes the empty pale blue sky. After a moment, he asks once more.

"Have you heard about Crimson Horizon?"

[gardenerofavalon]

"The reverse side of the world."

Clearly this other fellow isn't from Earth, as Merlin highly doubts anything of a clearly magical nature would be unaware of Avalon. Still, the reaction to this response ought to remove all doubt on that particular point.

But as for the other question...

"I can't say I've heard of that in particular, no."

And he's heard of a lot of things. Very little of importance escaped his observation from his tower.

[the000]

Reverse side? Sandalphon's expression clouds in confusion, furrowing both eyebrows at such a ridiculous tale. Unless he means the world of the Astrals, that may be a fancy description for it, but it doesn't think so.

"I see," he sighs, trying to make sense to this nonsense. It's not the first time someone from another world has appeared in the Skydom, but it is the first time it happens in his sleep. "If you're lost, I should escort you back." He's the Supreme Primarch, he has to guaranteed this world safety.

[gardenerofavalon]

"When you didn't even know where you were in the first place?"

Merlin lets out a laugh at that offer. Then, apparently tired of playing along for the moment, he alters the dream once more, and instead of being carried by the stranger, he's now sitting nearby. Yes, in midair. Dreams by their nature aren't necessarily sensible.

"Besides, if you're going to bother to sleep in the first place, you may as well make the most of it, hmm?"

[the000]

How did he do that? Is it because this place is mutable? Sandalphon muses, wondering if he could modify it. It's his head, isn't it? This is just a "dream"? He doesn't have experience with any of this, but isn't improvising one of the things he does best?

"Nonsense. You said it. I'm sleeping, and you are in my," he pauses, "Dream?" He looks mystified. "It seems you're thinking primal beasts need to sleep as skydwellers or astrals. We don't. Though resting sometimes is useful to stop us when we out control, or when our emotions are." Their emotions, he means. Emotions are dangerous to primal beasts, they can easily go out control and cause a disaster. Resting would allow them to stabilize and start over like a switch on and off. And because normally they cannot die, if one primal beast is too destructive, the only answer is to place them into slumber. Isn't he a good example about it? He frowns. Though he decided to slumber for another reason. Perhaps because he's hoped the fragments of memories of Lucifer's wings would resurface again.

[gardenerofavalon]

He most certainly can modify it however he pleases, yes. With the small exception that Merlin would naturally resist any attacks against his own person. But anything else is fair game, perhaps he ought to give it a try!

For the moment though, Merlin remains seated where he is, legs crossed, elbow propped up on one knee and chin resting in his hand, watching the stranger intently. Part of what he just said did indeed pique his interest, but for now, he gives no outward sign of his thoughts.

"Then, wouldn't that make having the chance to dream even more precious? A place where you can safely express those feelings to your heart's content, without affecting the waking world."

[the000]

Sandalphon is not in a hurry to modify the dream yet, or perhaps is lack of imagination. Either way, he simply keeps himself flying to meet him in the eye. What an irritating man. But his antics aren't enough to unleash his anger.

"What would be the point?" Sandalphon questions, lifting both eyebrows, "It's not real, isn't it? Why would I need to get lost in a short-lived fantasy." He looks perplexed. Perhaps skydwellers fancy this, right? But he's not sure why would they rather deluded themselves.

[gardenerofavalon]

For starters, he could just hover or float instead. Or even have a seat in midair like Merlin! Why put effort into flying when you don't even need to, after all?

"What would be the point in sleeping without dreaming?" Merlin counters. "Isn't that a bit of a waste of time?"

[the000]

He could do that, he could also do that awake. He likes the wings, though, it's part of him and they are pretty. Although he's not a show-off, he carries the wishes and will of many who trusted him in the end.

"Nonsense," Sandalphon snorts naturally, "Have you not heard what I just say? To Primal Beasts sleeping is a time out when their presence has become a hazard or isn't necessary for them to manifest." Though in his case, it's neither of that. Sandalphon clearly looks like someone who doesn't obey what others want him to do, and he isn't giving a vibe of violent, volatile emotions presently. He's just unwilling to divulge why he's resting. "I suppose you're not aware. It's-" He waves his hand and the scenery morphs. It's not his imagination. It's his memory. He's showing Merlin the world.

Sky has become a more vivid blue, endlessly embracing the horizon except for below. The ground is crimson and covered with an ominous fog that raises the alarm of doom. A barren land of chaos contrasted with the lovely sky. The sky isn't an empty spread of endless blue, there are islands floating. Some smaller ones, and some that might be continents.

"Look, visitor," he lazily points to a big island covered in gusts of winds, flying ships often land and take off. The outline of a giant woman framed by dragons appears embracing the place.

"Tiamat," he says and moves to the next island that looks blue as the sky as it's composed of a lot of water. Oceans. Lakes. Rivers. The image of a serpentine dragon that opens its jaws protectively flickers before it fades.

"Leviathan." Then to another island which is made of thick vegetation. It's a garden and a jungle island from start to finish. The fragrance of all flowers fill the air as a rose hair colored woman with a leaf-dress appears on it, she smiles at Merlin and Sandalphon and speaks up, her voice is like crystalline bells chiming.

"Yggdrasil," Sandalphon finishes, and shrugs off, the memory dissolves in whatever Merlin wants to paint for him next. "What could primal beasts be dreaming about? They have their role and function."

[gardenerofavalon]

Oho, so that's enough to finally provoke a reaction, is it? Merlin watches intently, and while the images and names he's show certainly provoke a few interesting thoughts, he keeps it all carefully to himself for the time being.

"Yet they do sleep, at times. No matter the reason for it, why not fill it with dreams? Surely it's time otherwise spent wasted."

[the000]

He still questions why. Because it's not necessary for them to dream, right? "What are dreams useful for?" Sandalphon asks. "I thought skydwellers dreamed because it represented hopes and aspirations." He drawls, eyes falling on Merlin. He isn't daft, he surely knows why primal beasts might be incapable of dreaming. Aspirations and hopes are impossible for beings with a fixed role.

Though this man has filled his mind with nonsense, it could be because he's a little more flexible than the others.

[gardenerofavalon]

"Hm..."

Merlin's expression turns thoughtful for a moment, as he looks over the stranger. Then, his expression suddenly brightens, and he speaks with a cheerful tone.

"You really don't know anything about dreams, do you?"

[the000]

"You-" Sandalphon's cheeks puff and they flush slightly. "Shut up." He's not embarrassed. What if he doesn't? It's not as if his damned business! "You're obsessed with dreams. What about you? What you dream about, oh great guru."

[gardenerofavalon]

And there's even more of a reaction. How terribly interesting! But that question... While it may be a painfully transparent and weak attempt at deflection, it's also an opening, an opportunity. And Merlin isn't going to let this chance pass by. So, he just grins broadly.

"Everything."

And with no further warning, the scenery shifts once again, offering glimpses of countless dreams. A peaceful cottage surrounded by well-tended gardens. A formless monster giving chase. A clandestine meeting between lovers. A king fighting to defend his people. The bone-chilling howls of hunting wolves. A lone figure gazing out of a window.

"You could say that the world of dreams is my home," Merlin says as he strolls past the flickering visions, his robes and staff (and the stranger's clothes) returned to normal, ethereal flowers blooming in his wake. "So naturally, I dream of whatever I please."

[the000]

Sandalphon says nothing when the images begin to pour, he simply watches quietly and confused. It doesn't look very interesting to him. Despite the speed of changes, he can keep up easily, perhaps because he's ought to pay attention in the "bigger picture" just as Lord Lucifer used to be. Perhaps because he's bored enough to listen to this man babble.

"These aren't yours, though," he says, not knowing why. But he doesn't see him as participant in those dreams. He doesn't look the type to dream about those kinds of things. "I didn't ask about your voyeuristic cheap thrills." Aren't dreams supposed to emerge from one's own mind without their choosing? So he's known from skydwellers.

[gardenerofavalon]

Merlin just shrugs at that.

"If you must know, unless you're speaking of visions, my dreams are those that I choose to visit."

Or cause, for that matter.

"I suppose things are a bit different for me than most, but that doesn't mean I think dreams are any less precious for it."

[the000]

"You know I asked about your dreams, since you're preachy about them to me," Sandalphon says, sitting on air, his wings folded back to his back.

"Unless you're saying you're incapable of dreaming." So why be so obnoxious about this to him? If he's in a similar situation. "I've a lot of things to do, you know. Those primal beasts I show you, protect a certain island, I oversee all of these."

[gardenerofavalon]

"And yet, here you were, sleeping, in the first place."

Merlin states it factually, but he raises an eyebrow at the stranger. Why make such a fuss about having things to do, when he was already sleeping away some of his time to begin with?

[the000]

"I had a reason, I don't feel like divulging to a stranger," Sandalphon answers dryly, without missing a beat. In short, this isn't his business. He switches the topic because it's close to a vulnerable spot.

It makes it about him.

"And you're still here," he points out, "Are you that lonely even someone like me would make desirable company?"

[gardenerofavalon]

"So, since you're sleeping anyway, why not take the chance to dream now?"

Merlin's not going to relent that easily.

Though, that question does make him blink... And then burst into laughter.

"Hardly! I just noticed some poor dreamless soul, and thought I might help out a bit."