Good Dreams Are Made Of This

The dream-scene is a tavern, although not recognizably any of the ones in Alexandria. Dimly lit, low, and decorated in warm wood tones, there's a comfortable buzz around, but it is an indistinct susurrus of background noise. The polished wooden table at the center of the dream holds mugs and not much else, and Dolan is sitting in one of the chairs, in his typical shirt and trousers and boots, drinking from a wooden mug of something as he waits.

GAME: Magpie rolls will: (16)+6: 22

The door to the tavern swings open, and Magpie waddles into the 'tavern.' *Much* more of a waddle than usual, being that she's carrying a stack of thin wooden boxes tall enough to obscure her sight, with a large, half-distinct book resting on top. "I brought snacks!" she crows, proud of her dream-manipulation ability, as she sets her burden down beside a chair... then uses it to clamber up to the seat, grinning. "Okay so this is a *lot* better than last time, hey Dolan!"

The door wavers a moment, caught between open and closed as Auranar makes her way in. She's wearing a dress of bright pink that matches her hair, but the design keeps changing subtly. She smiles at Dolan and Magpie as she enters into the room, her expression warm and happy. She makes her way toward the table, and eventually sits down in one of the chairs, soothing her shifting skirts as she does so. The dress firms just long enough for her to do so, then resumes changing styles.

Dolan, for his part, is mostly distinct, his clothing very, very simple and with a country or farm look about it. The left side of his face is crystal clear, the right side a bit less so. The right side of his face is fuzzy and indistinct in places, although it is just a touch sharper than it was the last time Magpie saw him, and vivid scarred furrows and melted flesh replace where his eye should be.

He sits up when the other two arrive, that cheeky grin showing itself. "You made it! Brightest of days, both of you." He eyes the stack of boxes, the mug in his hand forgotten and fading out of existence. "What have you got , Magpie? Did you find anything?"

GAME: Dolan rolls will: (5)+10: 15

"Snacks, mostly! Hey Auranar, could you help me with these?" Magpie starts putting boxes on the table... until the pile gets too low, which point she hops down off her chair and starts passing them up to the sil. Once opened, they're full of baked goods of many varieties, the sweet ones marked with *vivid* colored icing, and the savory ones with shimmering herb sprinkles. The book, then, is hefted on the chair, and the gnome clambers up after.

"And a visual aid," she continues, slapping the book on an open spot on the table. "Because there wasn't any code in the book, but I have a problem, and I want opinions on how to handle it."

Auranar hastens to assist Magpie, loading the boxes into place and then sitting down again. She looks wide-eyed at the selection before picking out a vividly painted pastry and putting it in front of herself. "I wasn't sure I was going to make it since I don't have a totem, but it seems to have worked well enough." She smiles and picks up a fork that wasn't there before, poking it into the pastry and giving it a try. She makes a sound of approval and then looks at the book more seriously. "Yes, tell us more about the book Magpie."

Curiously, despite the lack of an eye on the right side of his face, Dolan seems to be able to see on that side just fine, and never gives it a second thought. "I can help other people, Auranar," he says, also eyeing the selection of pastries with delight. "They don't let me have stuff like this in the real. I'm dying for it but they won't let anything in." He is less finicky than Auranar, reaching for a vividly blue colored pastry and biting into it. "Thanks, Magpie. I owe you." Munch munch munch. "What's going on with the book?"

The blue are filled with custard and blueberry jam, and Auranar's yellow with lemon-curd and covered in powdered sugar. For herself, Magpie selects a bun dusted in silvery rosemary, and bites into what seems to be lamb mince in a gravy so thick it doesn't drip on the table. Ah, the stuff of dreams...

"So the book is *really useful,*" she says, scooting it further out among the feast, within reach of anyone who might want to pick it up. "It's called 'A Compilation of the Eternal,' and it's pretty much a biographical study on all major demons and devils summoned by arcanists. *Chosen* names, descriptions, personalities -- besides 'fiend, therefore ass' -- and *really* interesting, the connections *between each other.* Now I'm not a demon hunter by trade, but I figure information like that? *Super* handy to have."

Auranar nods in excitement, her fork laid down and forgotten - and thus promptly vanishing - as she leans forward and picks up the book. The exterior is exactly as Magpie remembers it, but when Auranar picks it up... "Wait... There's nothing inside!" She shows the interior to Magpie and Dolan. Indeed, if there's anything written there... it's not legible now. "Damn!"

She doesn't normally curse, but now certainly seems the time for it.

"Yeah. I can't read in dreams, either. Trust me, I tried." Monch. Dolan leans back in his chair, chewing through a mouthful of custard, blueberry jam, and pastry. "Do you have _any_ idea how headache-inducing memorizing the full Daeusite wedding rites is?" That is said with a laugh. "If you look Magpie up in the flesh, it'll be there, I bet."

"Anyway, yeah, that's absolutely crucial information and we should keep it. I know people who lock that stuff up and keep it safe." He doesn't explain. "Can I get a copy of that? A Compilation of the Eternal, you called it?"

"Yeah I tried half a dozen times before I gave up," Magpie mutters around her lamb, as Auranar flips through pages of squiggles and crudely drawn >:P faces. "So okay, that question pretty much answers what I want to do. I can copy it, sure! But it's going to take awhile, and it puts the *actual* study on hold. Because here's the twist--"

"There's a spell on the real book."

Licking gravy from her fingers, Magpie leans over, snatching up a red bun, breaking it open to reveal shards of dark chocolate studding the bread, and raspberry jam within. "And the spell? Turns that book into *something entirely different.* So the moment I set it off, we lose all the information in there right now unless we take the time to copy that, first."

Auranar lets out a little frustrated huff and places the book back down on the table before picking up her fork again and plonking it into the pastry. The stab might be a little more vicious than strictly necessary. She eats a little, enjoying the flavor and the novel experience of eating in her dreams. "A spell on the book that transforms it. Yes... It would be very wise to make a copy before activating such a spell. Either on purpose or on accident. Study can wait, and I can help Magpie! We can get it done twice as fast with both of us at it!"

Dolan polishes off his pastry and grabs another one, this one dusted with subtly sparkling fennel seeds. He bites into it, and it turns out to be something akin to a chicken pot pie, with chicken and vegetables in gravy and a flaky pastry. It's vivid enough that he has probably had this before, somewhere in the flesh world. He chews, thinking. "I guess it doesn't make much sense for me to try to help, although I've got the time," he sighs. "Not if there's only one copy. I can find out if the - if my contacts have a copy ." He quickly switches words. "I agree, we absolutely should make a copy before we trigger the spell. When you do, you might want to work in a circle," he warns. "Just in case. I might be able to find us a safe place to do that."

"Both of those are super excellent ideas!" Magpie chirps, grinning. "And yeah, my thinking was we make the copy, and hand it to you for your people, Dolan. It's not like I don't have piles of free time at the moment, we're at the part of the term where students have to get *taught* crap before they have to try and avoid *learning* about it."

Her grin turns to Auranar. "And I'd *love* the help, it's almost impossible keeping focus on tedious stuff when it's just me. You could join us too Dolan, if you're okay sitting for awhile!"

GAME: Auranar rolls Will: (5)+5: 10

"He'd have to be able to leave the temple, or at least us to bring him the book. Neither of which he is well enough to do." Auranar looks at Dolan, guilt spread easily to read upon her features.

There's no more words from her, but there's her voice eeking out through the room suddenly. "We can't go. I know we all want to, but if we go now then we put at risk everything that Dolan left for. He left so that we'd have a chance at the totems, and if we go now then Kol is there waiting for us! We have to... we have to wait until he's gone. Just until he leaves. If you could scry Dolan then when Kol is away you'll be able to scry him again."

GAME: Dolan rolls will: (16)+10: 26

Startled out of his focus on the matter of the book by the voice, Dolan blinks, and firmly pushes aside the image of green eyes, to focus on something much more important. "Auranar. Thank you. Yeah, that's why I went," he replies quietly, licking his fingers and reaching for Auranar's arm. "I went because I figured that he didn't give a shit about the camp, and I could get you in. I was right. It worked."

"Look. I'll fight again, Auranar. It's just going to take some time. I made it out to the altar the other day. I'll never take a nap in the grass for granted again." That cheeky grin flashes. "I'm still here, okay?" There's a glint in the line brown eye, something wicked, like someone planning a surprise. "No, I can't leave the temple yet, but it's a matter of time. It's getting way better."

Magpie blinks up at the ceiling as the sourceless voice speaks, looking from Auranar to Dolan, and back again, puzzlement writ large on her face. She opens her mouth once or twice, closing it before she can voice a thought, and settles on;

"Whassa Kol...? Is that what bad kids get on Winter Solstice to mark who the Krumps is supposed to take away?"

For a moment Auranar wears a totally horrified expression on her face, but Dolan reaches out and she's completely relieved. Her eyes shine with it, she reaches out and puts her hand on Dolan's and lets out a breath and relaxes a tension that she'd been holding onto this whole time. Ever since Verna had first scried Kol. "I'm so glad you're doing better. To be honest I thought you might hate me for saying that. Because... But thank you." He'd been hurt so much because of what she'd said, but he'd already forgiven her.

"He's the one that hurt Dolan, Magpie." She explains softly, coughing and trying to change the subject. "On which note, Andelena is putting together a group to go to the Vast and meet up in the dream. She'd like you there Magpie."

"Naw. I did it for a damned reason. I chose that. Can't forget that." Dolan squeezes Auranar's arm one more time and pulls his hand away, and firmly pushes the topic out of his mind for the moment. "It's about time," he mutters irascibly. "There's a whole bunch of shit going on that we're going to have to catch Magpie up on. I didn't get a chance to explain a lot. Might be better if you tell her some of this shit in the flesh, yeah? Just - do it as soon as you can. We're being called, and I'm in no damned shape to fight. I think the Knight knows that." Frustration colors his tone. "Look, there's more out there. What did the book say about Jal'goroth?"

Oh good, conflict solved without the need for antics to distract everyone. That makes things much easier.

Loosing a slow, relieved sigh, Magpie nods. "Out in the Vast? I mean... okay, that sounds like a plan, but yeah I'm a little lost. Still, sure! And--" Looking to Dolan, Magpie lifts a shoulder briefly.

"Honestly? Turns out Jal'goroth isn't much different from his like, in general. Um... Gelugon, it says, that's his type. Except it's noted that he serves a *much* bigger guy, V. And this is the weird part-- book made special mention that Jal'goroth was *super* helpful in putting the research together on devils in general?"

"You'll get there Dolan." Of this Auranar is now certain. She turns her attention firmly back to Magpie and her information on Jal'gorath. "Well, if he was helpful... It might have been to gain Kinkade's trust? Or to further his own ends. Or his master's. V? It's not terribly informative is it?"

GAME: Dolan rolls will: (10)+10: 20
GAME: Dolan rolls knowledge/the planes: (8)+11: 19

"V. V's the master of the shadows that were possessing the kittens," Dolan says quickly, and suddenly, his mug is in his hand. A calico kitten scampers abruptly across the tavern, but he firmly _ignores_ it, taking a long pull of his mug instead. "V's bound up with the lot in the camp, though I'm not exactly sure how. I do know that Dace Zinskas and a fellow named Seraquoix are probably the ones funding Zalgiman. If you want to stop Zalgiman, cut them off."

He shrugs at the mention of a gelugon. "Not familiar with that, they're not that common. I think those are the ice devils. Devils don't help their summoners unless it serves their ends. He's probably selling the others out, or going after Kinkade," he agrees. "It's sure as sunrise up to something, though."

"Well I mean, *I* wouldn't talk crap about my boss if I knew it'd come back on me," Magpie says with a shrug. "Stands to reason. Though if a devil was *that* helpful, I guess we'll have to put everything in that book to the proof before we start really trusting it. Hrn. Still worth the effort, though."

Unconsciously, the gnome lunges for the kitten, because Magpie must pet everything on both the cute and fluffy spectra, but it's gone before she can get her hands on it. "So yeah... Copy party, Vast field trip, Crimson Pen books for Dolan because Andie'd get a kick out of seeing them on his nightstand... Wow, my month is *busy* all of the sudden."

Even Auranar's attention is diverted by the calico for a moment, instinctively thinking that it's Hunter before she remembers that the kitten is back at home. Everyone's forgotten about the food, so it vanished at some point, and she sighs regretfully a moment. She shakes her head and refocuses on the conversation. "I doubt testing the information out is the best idea. We'd have to summon the devils and demons ourselves and that path leads only to trouble."

GAME: Dolan rolls will: (11)+10: 21

As Magpie finishes her comment, a quite muscular and quite nude Andelena appears in front of Dolan, the food entirely gone, the image cast in sharp detail, grinning wickedly down at him. It is not until summoning of devils and demons is mentioned that he snaps back to the present conversation, and blinks his lone brown eye at them. "I'm not summoning shit," he states firmly. "I know better than that. You don't truck with fiends if you've got the good sense Elhim gave a garden slug. They've had thousands of yeas to perfect their corruption, and you ain't gonna win against that for very long. Don't even think about it."

GAME: Magpie rolls will: (7)+6: 13

• WHUMP* Everything Magpie knows about social situations says, you don't stare at naked people. The only problem is, the person in question is apparently sitting on the table, so sacrifices must be made, and foreheads must meet wood. "That's not quite what I meant," she says, voice muffled slightly by proximity to surface. "More like if a plan is made based on information in there, and it turns out to be wrong, then the asshole was lying and the information's suspect. If not, then it's good, and probably worth distributing."

Reaching out, Magpie seems to be trying to summon another baked good, but manages to only clutch a fistful of yellow-green custard. One *hopes* it's custard, anyway.

"Hey uh, Dolan, mind putting your wife away for a sec? I promise I won't stay long."

Auranar immediately flushes, which is a feat given her dark complexion, but she manages just the same. "Oh my gods..." She turns even redder and shades her eyes with her hand. It... doesn't really help. The image of Andelena is burned into her eyes. "Dolan!"

There are things that she will never unsee. "Demons! Devils! What were we talking about?" Auranar is grasping at straws here. Trying and failing to think of something else. Anything else really.

GAME: Dolan rolls will: (4)+10: 14

"Yeah," Dolan's entire attention continues to be taken by the figure on the table. The mug in his hand gets emptied, and set down on the table. It's as if the other two fall away from his awareness as he stands and takes the figure by the hand. He says nothing else as the two of them wander off up an abruptly appearing set of stairs in the corner, their footfalls audible on the wood, the pair muttering back and forth to each other.

"Gods be good, they're each the size of my *head,*" Magpie mumbles, face glowing bright red.

Auranar stands up abruptly. "It's safe Magpie, and I for one don't want to find out if I will be dragged into... THAT with them when he..." She manages to turn the color of a ripe tomato and forcibly wakes herself up.

A few seconds later she's blinking into the darkness of her room, face in her hands.

-End