NationStates Jolt Archive

There once was a time when I worried about Calculus and if Tom had his done. She laughed quietly to herself. Tom never had his homework done and he constantly had to look over her shoulder to scrabble to copy hers down.

How she missed those times. She had always wanted something more exciting, but now prayed for her dull boring life back. That was almost ions. She seemed to forget the smell of old pizza in her apartment or the smelly socks Tom wore.

But she would never forget the last time she had with him. One word or numerous couldn’t describe the feeling, but one helped, bliss.

Roxy sat by a pond in the Dreaming; it was her favorite. Maybe the infinite clear blue of it or just the reflection of her face brought ease into her life. She rubbed her extended belly.

A tear fell down her rosy cheeks and splatters on her belly. Just think what her parents would think. She missed them so much and even if she saw them and they realized it wouldn’t matter because she would get to see them again. Not that the Dreaming was horrible; she could create any scene she wanted to, but she was lacking the one person she could never recreate and that was Tom.

Her eyes started to drift and get heavy. She blinked several times and then slowly closed them.

She was back in her apartment. The same mess she had left. The apple setting on her counter top was still glowing red like only two days old, how strange. She walked around and plopped on her comfy couch. Then she saw he walk out. She jumped up, exposing an inch above her belt line and her belly. She quickly pulled the shirt down and ran to him. Tom!

Morpheus, the Sandman, the Oneiromancer.

Three names. Three titles.

Threes have always held a significance in the lore of the Endless. The former triumverate of Hell. The three sons of Calliope. The three moons of Earth II.

It too held a significant place in the Dreaming, for it had been nearly three centuries since the events of the last vortex. The Dreaming had since healed itself slowly but surely. Drawing the energies from the dreams of many from around the world and throughout history.

Morpheus walked through the garden of time with his older brother, Endless. Shrouded in a brown tunic, Destiny cut an unimposing figure, whereas Dream stood out amongst the green.

Destiny continued to read from his Tome of History as Dream walked alongside, always looking at the book and jotting simple notes in the ruled edge. Whenever they came to a fork, Endless pauses briefly, and chose one. Dream followed without word, and did not question as the other paths disappeared. Those would become alternate universes. It said so in the book.

Nor did he question why they did not leave any footprints in the garden, the lush forest and plain sands of time. It was simply because... and that was it.

However, he did have one question for his brother, and he asked it just as they came to a branch that folded out like the arms of an octopus - eight times.

"Tell me, Destiny... are the trials for my realm finally over?"

Destiny looked up at his younger brother, who stood taller by about 2 inches.

"We are the endless, and thus, nothing is ever endless, whether it be trials or tribulations."

"What shall it be for the next while?"

Destiny regarded his book, and then shook his head.

"Depending on the point of view... it will be both... and neither."

Dream paused. "How do you know this?"

Destiny reached over and showed the book to Dream. Inside it was written:

Dream paused. "How do you know this?"

Destiny nodded.

Dream nodded.

Dream disappeared from the garden deep in thought.

Destiny went back to his book, and walked down the north path.

Soon, the other paths vanished, into the warm still air.

Invite Only? WTF?

OOC: This thread is a sequel to the first Dreams thread, MacThovia. It's been restricted to ATG, Val and I simply to keep it easier to manage the storyline. Sorry.

IC:
Tom exited the kitchen of Roxy's apartment. He had managed to convince the landlord to allow him to stay, so long as he paid the bills. For some reason, this apartment had to remain in his possession. He didn't know why, but he did it anyway. He halted as he saw the apparition shimmering before him.

The plate of spagetti fell from his hands and smashed into pieces on the wooden floor. He stared at the apparition as tears welled to his eyes.

<<Roxy's apparition as Tom sees her now>> (http://www.3dshop.com/Gallery/Character/935C.jpg)

"Roxy?!" he cried in disbelief. He held out his arms, having completely forgotten the food now splattered on the floor. He ran toward her.

And he passed right through her...

Tom fell to the ground, crying pitifully. He looked up behind him at the apparition of Roxy, who stood there with a remorseful look on her face. Tears also flew down her cheeks.

"Why?" he asked, his heart clenching in its all-too-familiar vice of agony.

Roxy or her image just stared longingly into Tom's eyes.

Oh how I miss the days when we would just have staring contests. He would win of course.

She reached out and played with a strand of his hair.

It always seemed to fall in front of his eyes. Those eyes that hungered.

She did not actually touch his hair, but more like the wind came and brushed it out of his eyes.

Her eyes started to get wet, but she blinked it away. She would not cry in front of him. He was her foundation, but she wanted to show him that she could get by.

She rested both hands on her stomach. Her voice came out, sounding like she was talking to him on speakerphone. "Tom, I have so much to tell you."

How will he react?

"Tom, I am pregnant."

It was a good thing that Tom sat on the ground, unable to stand, for had he been standing, he'd have stumbled backwards in surprise at Roxy's revalation. His blue eyes stared at Roxy's face, which told no lies. Then he lowered his gaze to her hands softly caressing her stomach.

The breeze that had accommodated Roxy's touch to Tom's face had gone, but the effect still lingered. Strangely it felt like Roxy had actually touched him...

<<Tom's profile>> (http://www.stoned.com/jared/photos/requiem/0101.jpg)

Tom managed to get to his feet and look in wonder at the slight bulge in Roxy's stomach, now revealed by Roxy's hands holding her shirt upward.

"Oh Roxy..." he said softly as he reached out as if to touch her stomach. Of course, his hand didn't and merely passed through the apparition. He raised his eyes to Roxy's own. How he wanted to kiss her now, to tell her that he was there and would never leave her. His face grew stern, but in a soft way.

He had made up his mind. He was going back, one way or another...

"I'm coming for you Roxy..." he spoke softly as he raised a hand to caress the translucent skin of Roxy's cheek.

Wake up, Child, you must come back.

She blinked and looked once more at Tom. Her eyes pleading with him.

I want him to come back; please come back.

She glanced back behind her shoulder and nodded. It was time for her to go back, back to the dreaming.

"Tom, I love you." Then her appariation disappeared, much like the fog disappears under the sun's soft glow.

She would find a way back to him and her normal life. Even if it meant killing the Sandman, or destroying the dreamworld.

Afterall she was the vortex.

She opened her eyes and found herself sprawled out beside the pond. She sat up slowly and started into the pond. She would find the idea that is if it was the last thing she would ever do.

Are you telling the story of The Sandman comic books or something?

OOC: No, it's our own idea just hatched up. Valient brought in a character called the Sandman in Dreams but from what I understand, its different from the comics.

Tom watched sadly as Roxy faded into the evening sunlight. Tears flew down his face as he watched her go. The last thing he saw was her eyes pleading him to find her.

And he would. He didn't know how, or what he would have to sacrifice, but he would get Roxy back.

And the child... he said softly to himself. The thought lingered in his mind.

My own flesh and blood...my child...

Tom cleaned up the mess he had made earlier. He had lost his appetite now. He went to the bedroom and opened the closed, which now held his clothes hanging next to Roxy's own. He could even still smell her scent, and her perfume that seemed to linger in the room for all eternity. He didn't want to lose that smell either. It reminded him of his love for her.

Tom pulled on some jeans and a plain black teeshirt. He pulled out his black hiking boots and tied them on. He tucked his shirt in, and pulled on a black belt. Turning to the mirror he stared at himself in the mirror.

I have a job to protect my love...and now my child...God help anyone who gets in my way...

He picked a pair of dark shades and donned them. He had to admit he looked good.

Tom left the apartment, locking it behind himself and bent down and peeled the wallpaper back next to the door. Behind it, there was a small hole, just large enough for the key to be hidden. He placed it carefully inside and covered the hole once more. It appeared as if nothing had touched the paper. It was a trick Roxy had done a while ago, and had shown Tom about it.

Tom left the apartment complex and made his way to the Army store across the town. He dodged the traffic, preferring to travel by foot. Ten minutes later, he walked through the door and began to browse the items in the glass counters. He rested his eyes upon the combat knife and beckoned for the attendant to come to him.

"I'll take that."

His eyes rested on a few other items in the store as well. He chose those as well. He paid with his credit card and left the store, his items now in a small duffel bag.

I'm coming for you Sandman... he thought darkly to himself.

OOC: Sandman is obviously based on The Dreaming books, but this is an homage. I love those books. :D

IC:

Lucien the Librarian clucked his tongue as he picked up the final book that needed to be reshelved. It was a soft-cover book, red in cover with simple white text and a simpler graphic.

It was titled, "The Umbrella Assasins." The author was Daniel Chai, who apparently was the author of "The Omega Pulse."

He filed it behind the Pulse. Lucien's job was to track and tend to every book in the Dreaming's library...which contained every book either written, dreamt of, or considered by anyone who has ever lived. That of course was the case behind Daniel's books. The now-famous Canadian Journalist had dreamt of them during his fourth semester of school. He had even written part of it down on a strange websit called Nationstates.

The Library was enormous and it had taken him so much time to reorder the books after the events of the last vortex. But he had had millennia to manage it and now he was done.

After he had put down the book, he turned around to a presence he felt. It was Morpheus. He was reading a tome with a silver wreath around it.

It was called, "The art of loving woman and how to raise the money to do so" by a man named Ming Li.

"Good book, really. This really should have been in print."

Lucien nodded. "What do you want?"

"I need you to gather up my lieutenants and meet me at Fiddler's Green. Pumpkinhead, Corinthian and Matthew shall do. Please do so in two hours time."

Lucien slightly bowed. "It shall be done."

Morpheus handed the book to Lucien, and walked out of the library. Lucien took the book back to the M section and placed in its its rightful place.

She felt the "baby kick", which most doctors would say was a reflex, but she felt it and she knew her baby was growing and soon, so soon the baby would be here.

She looked around. How do you raise a child in the Dreaming?

She would not raise a baby here, where so many things are manipulated by a simple thought.

With that a small yellow rose bloomed before her eyes and then wilted away.
How can I live here, where everything dies before my eyes? Will Tom be long dead before I get the chance to see him?

She began to cry, clear salty tears ran down her face, leaving trails of wetness behind and sparkles in the light of the sun.

Her bare feet softly padded on top of the green grass that blanket the ground. She ran deeper into the forest.

Smack. Her head meet a large willow tree and she was out cold.

Black was all that she could see and then she saw a tear, a slit through the dreaming and she could see Tom.

She suddenly could see, she was sprawled on the forest ground and rubbing her head.

Ouch!

She found an answer to her question of getting out of here, but how to obtain it she did not know. She needed to find an opening to the other world.

I wonder if Feddler Green knows where it is?

She got up and made her way to his place. We shall see him soon enough.

She patted her belly and the infant inside settled down into rest.

Tom had paused at the streetlight, waiting for the traffic to stop so he could cross the street. That's when he saw it.

Roxy...just inside a small tear of the world...

He watched the semi-truck roll right past the small tear, it's massive weight rumbling the earth. The light turned red, and for a brief moment, traffic in all directions of the intersection had halted.

Tom immediately knew what he had to do and darted full speed toward the tear. Already, it had begun to repair itself and close up.

Tom dove through the tear just as it sealed right behind him. He rolled on the ground and right back up onto his feet.

He glanced around, searching.

But where was she? She had just been there?!

"Roxy!" he called out, a hint of concern in his voice.

Her heart fluttered. How strange. She felt warmth replace the cold spot. Her eyes began to well up with liquid. Could Tom be here? He must, I feel his presence.

She halted her steps and backtracked. She wanted to go back to the tree for she had regained her consciousness. The scenary had changed slightly.

She grew angry. Is he playing games with me?

She searched for the tree and could not find it. She dropped to her knees. She rested her head in her hands and soon they were wet with her emotions.

He is here, but now what do I do?

Tom straightened and drew his combat knife. He had to be ready. Something was not right.

"Oh, come now, Thomas. Is that really neccessary?"

He whirled at the sound of the voice - strangely alluring - and came face to face with...

With...

?

It was a woman of medium height, sitting in a chaise chair and smoking a thin cigarette on a holder. She eyed Tom with an amused glint in her eye, which annoyed Tom for some reason.

What he did not know was that he was not within the realm of the dreaming, but rather in the hold of Desire. It is unlikely that any portrait will ever do Desire justice, since to see her (or him) is to love him (or her),- passionately, painfully, to the exclusion of all else (unless she desired not, which of course is entirely up to her.) Desire smells almost subliminally of summer peaches, and casts two shadows:one black and sharp-edged, the other translucent and forever wavering, like a heat haze. Desire smiles in brief flashes, like sunlight glinting from a knife-edge. And there is much else that is knife-like about Desire. Never a possesion, always the possessor, with skin as pale as smoke, and eyes tawny and sharp as yelllow wine:

Tom did not quite know all of this, but was wary all the same.

"So... Tom. What brings you here?"

OOC: Val, I'm gonna take a little liberty with Desire.

IC:
Tom cocked his head to the side, eyeing the woman carefully. He didn't know who the hell she was, but he had a pretty good guess. She was a striking young woman, but in his heart he knew that appearances could be decieving.

"So... Tom. What brings you here?"

Tom didn't reply immediately, instead still trying to gauge her threat to him...and Roxy. Yet, something seemed all right with her, and so Tom replied softly, a hint of passion and love in his voice.

"I'm here to see someone and return a favor..."

Desire let out a puff of smoke as she got up from the chair and walked closer. She moved seductively, causing Tom to adjust his stance to a more defensive one. She caressed his cheek with her hand and spoke,

"Thomas, Thomas, Thomas. If you really think I'm going to believe that's the true reason you're here, then I'm afraid you're wrong. You do know who I am right?"

Tom merely looked back at her, not allowing himself to feel her caressing him. She was seductive yes, but Tom was equally resilient. She moved in closer. She suddenly morphed her body to become the exact image of Roxy. "Roxy" smiled seductively and pulled her shirt off and approached him, pressing her body into his. He instantly retreated, only to smack into a wall that had appeared out of nowhere. He glared at the woman, anger beginning to rise in his face.

"Back the fuck off, or I'll kill you."

She smiled broadly, "Ah yes, as I thought. You love her. What's her name?"

Desire returned to her normal physical state.

Thomas was taken back slightly, "Why does that concern you?" he snapped.

"Not that it matters. I know who she is as well. Roxy, aka Foxy originally of Reality," she looked at him momentarily, "I know this because your heart tells me so, Thomas. I can see your heart on fire, a inferno of passion, desire, and love."

She turned and walked away a small distance, continuing her speech as she did so, "Love...what a powerful feeling. I've watched many fall in love, and go to amazing lengths to maintain that connection they feel in their souls."

She turned to Thomas, "I see before me perhaps the most passionate man I have ever encountered. You really love this one Tom, and I admire that desire within yourself to maintain the love and take it to new heights!"

"But... when you take things to great heights, the chance of falling far are much greater. Tell me, Dear Tom..."

Desire took a long look at the combat knife in Tom's hand.

"What is it that you plan to do with that knife, hmm?"

Tom looked at the woman before him carefully. He still didn't trust her, especially not after her little stunt earlier.

"Do you know of Morpheus?"

Desire's eyes lit up at the name, "Yes, actually. He and I sometimes collaborate on...certain projects..."

Desire looked at him carefully, and suddenly her eyes widened, "Oh my...it seems he's crossed you in an ill manner..."

Tom confirmed her remark with his own,

"You're damn right..."

Roxy watched with wide eyes. She could see Tom and this woman Desire. Yet, she could not reach him. It was like clear forced field that held her back away from him and she could not see her.

She saw Desire's eyes light up as she saw Roxy. Wretched woman, she will not let him see me, but why. She does not know me, does she?

Roxy began to pound on the flexible shield and with all of her might could not even leave a mark.

She resorted to yelling and screaming, but they could not hear her, like she could hear him.

She closed her eyes. Please, all I want is to be able to touch him once again.

When she opened her eyes she was in a different spot. She was back in the room from when her angel fell in. She was wearing the same french maid outfit and now her belly was completely exposed. She sat there.

Why am I here?

"I am sick of your games Sandman. Show your face."

Pumpkinhead, Corinthian and Matthew stepped out into the lush greenery that ringed the simple dome made of ember, thrush and leaves. Lucien followed after, mumbling to himself about being forever dirty.

Matthew flapped his wings and cawwed a bit. Strangely enough, in the foilage that was Fiddler's Green, there were no ravens. It was not that Fiddler did not like ravens - after all, he did like Matthew well enough. But there were simply no ravens.

There were eagles, and storks, and kikus and heaven warblers. But no ravens.

Then again, Matthew was the only raven in the Dreaming.

Pumpkinhead pulled out his last ciggarette and put it into his crudely etched mouth. The Corinthian only stood and watched for him.

Morpheus. Soon enough, he did arrive, looking as sombre as ever.

The others did not address him immediately. They could tell he had other things on his mind. He turned to the dome and lowered his head. Suddenly, in a booming voice, Morpheus cried out to Fiddler's Green.

"Fiddler's Green, this is Morpheus. Please open your gates to me. I wish to talk with you."

"..."

Morpheus repeated his request once more, and then stopped and shook his head. Matthew flew up to his shoulder and cawwed softly.

"Green would never disobey you."

Morpheus nodded.

"Not willingly."

********

As Roxy looked wildly around, she did not notice a small figure come up from behind her.

"Ahem..."

The girl turned around and saw a beautiful woman who looked vaguely of goth fashions that so many girls at her old high school were friends with. She had long, wacy black hair and wore an ankh around her neck.

"Hmmm... you are here ahead of schedule. Destiny said you wouldn't arrive for another day or so..."

Roxy saw the woman, and although she was impressed by the woman's appeal she was not taken into it.

"How ironic that is. She know when I am showing up and then be totally unaware of my possibilities of flexing it. That should put a thorn in her side. So, why have you come, is Destiny too busy to say hi. What a shame." Sarcasm spilled out of her mouth, much like a hot gieser. She was tired of these games and well, her hormones were out of balance from the pregnancy.

She stepped around the woman as she be gaging her ability to fight back or run off.

Running was just not fun anymore. Besides it would be pointless.

Maybe I could use her to my advantage with some reversal.

"So, what can I do for you?"