revenance_rpg | (no subject)

Who: Flynn and anyone else
What: When you haven't really dreamed in centuries, it can be a bit overwhelming
When: After Fourth Wall
Where: Traverse Town, first district
Warnings: none

It's bright, so bright.

What is this?

There's colour and sound, and for a moment Flynn blinks, staggering just slightly, a hand reaching out for something that's not there. When he opens his eyes he has to reach up to wipe away tears with his sleeve, blinking blearily as he attempts to take in what's going on.

He's sleeping, but this isn't like any dream he's had in ages.

He moves, slowly, testing his gait, testing where he's found himself. Reaching out, fingers brushing against a wall. There's no prickle of static, of a circuit completed. No panel, no godly connection to the world around him. Solid wall. He runs his fingers up the wall, feeling the cracks and rough surface. It feels so real it's startling.

He turns to look around again, scanning things critically. His eyes aren't watering quite as much, though he has to squint a little due to how brightly lit everything is. It's that orange-yellow of incandescent bulbs, a light wavelength that he's so completely unused to anymore...

Is this a dream? Would it be affecting him this much?

But where else would he be?

He begins to walk again, carefully fielding stairs, using his hands to seek out rails and walls while his vision attempts to adjust to this place. It's nothing like the blue-and-black reality of the Grid, or even the small amount of creature comfort he made for himself. It's... alive in the physical sense, not in the digital sense...

"Didn't think I had any dreams like this left in me," he says to no one in particular, managing a quiet laugh. "Better enjoy it while it lasts!"

And he continues patiently up the stairs, waiting to see what else this dream can do.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Getting used to strange creatures and people was a thing that happened in the Realm of Sleep. Xion wasn't the most outgoing of the group, but she was fairly used to seeing the others and their Spirits around. She returned Flynn's smile with a smaller one of her own. "Me neither. I think he just likes to meet new people."

For his part Barkley eagerly leaned forward to sniff the offered hand and offer a tentative lick.

"Well, there's nothing wrong with that." Flynn couldn't help but chuckle when the creature licked his hand. There was a warmth to it that was nostalgic... something real, dredged out of the static of memory. He stretched his fingers reaching up to carefully pet the creature's head. "So you're stuck in this dream too, little miss?"

Barkley gave a happy whine and leaned up into the pats. This new Person had earned his approval. Xion's smile widened a little at seeing him so content. "Yeah, I've been here a for a while. I'm Xion, and this is Barkley."

Demyx, meanwhile had decided it was totally unfair that Barkley was getting all the pats and was sitting close by looking very hard at the new Person. Just in case they, you know, happened to notice there was a cat here. ~~Silly Necho Cat.~~

"Well hello, Barkley," Flynn said, addressing the Meow Wow squarely with another round of pats and ear-scratches. Looking up at Xion he grinned. "Affectionate little guy, isn't he? And who's that?" The Necho Cat hadn't gone unnoticed, though being a cat Flynn was more willing to wait and see rather than take a swat to the hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Xion," he responded after a moment's consideration. It felt strange to say such a thing, really after so long... but he meant it. Even if it was a dream, there were still people. "What have you found interesting about this dream?"

"He likes most everybody, so he's happy when they like him hack." Xion returned the grin. Barkley gave a happy wriggle then went to nudge Demyx forward. Demyx responded by attempting to sniff the new Person's hand. As long as there were no sudden moves, there would be no swatting from him. "That's Demyx."

'It's nice to meet you too." Xion's expression sobered as she considered the question. Some of the interesting things (such as the fact she could exist independent of Sora and Roxas here) were touchy subjects. "All the different people are interesting, I think. And seeing worlds I hadn't been to before."

"I don't see why anyone wouldn't like him!" Flynn let Demyx take his time, as he wasn't really in a hurry himself. It was nice to talk to someone, even about light-hearted things. Part of him was surprised that he still could talk to people.

Ah, right. He'd been the only person who could go to the Grid, after all. This whole 'other worlds' thing was new to pretty much anyone. "Yeah, I bet it's pretty radical. How many worlds have you been to?"

"He barks a lot, and some people don't like that." Xion's smiled as Demyx, having decided Flynn was worthy of being allowed to pet him, gently nudged his hand as a hint. She wasn't good at small talk like this with people she didn't know. Having the Spirit's as a topic of conversation helped.

In Xion's case, being limited to one world was unusual. It sounded very limiting. She frowned in thought as she considered the number of worlds she'd seen. "I've been to six, but there's a lot more."

"Six?" It was almost hard to believe that there were six worlds, but even if one thought of every system as a world, how many computers were there? Six was a drop in the bucket, and that was just for digital frontiers. Flynn was more than sure she was talking about actual worlds away from the world that she might have called home, something further than the width of a laser beam away. His hand sought out the Necho Cat while his mind whirled, fingers carefully reaching behind its ears to gently scritch.

"That's something else. We'd say someone was well-travelled if they'd been to another country. You sure do get around, little lady." Though if she's been to all the worlds in this dream, it might be a good idea to get a heads-up on what else could come. "What other worlds are there around here?"

Demyx leaned up into the pats, glad to find that this Person was sensible. Persons who could take hints were much appreciated. Flynn was right in thinking that to Xion, each place had been a separate world. However, the worlds of her home were a bit different than those of his. Also, there was the fact that, in spite of Ienzo's help with reading, her vocabulary wasn't always what one would expect.

"Country?" Xion tilted her head to one side in confusion. That was something to look up later. She'd been asked a question, so she should answer it. "There are three other worlds: Twilight Town, The Mother of Invention, and Ponyville."