The Knights Next Door

[+Sorana]

5 minutes ago, Eluvianii said:

He stopped and took a deep breath. And without even knowing anymore if he had a right to be relieved he said. "I'm glad that you're okay."

Shana only nodded, reached out for his sleeve. He really was here.

"I'm sorry, I burned the house down, and I never wanted to kill them Edwin, I lost control, just like I killed Rob, but I never wanted to."

She looked at him pleadingly.

"Don't go away. I won't hurt you."

Don't leave me alone, too.

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Maybe we could combine our dreams with those of the others. That everybody was trapped in their own at first, but then we end up in one place and "scare" her away. Like little islands that end up a larger one. Could be really cool when it comes to fighting together and growing together.

 

[I think I am here.]

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That’s a really good idea. If you guys are looking for Rob, he’s going to be stuck in a pit full of flames while his father and an evil clone of Shana watches him. That could be disturbing  

Fire. Fire and death. And laughter.

[+Sorana]

5 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

That’s a really good idea. If you guys are looking for Rob, he’s going to be stuck in a pit full of flames while his father and an evil clone of Shana watches him. That could be disturbing  

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Sure. I'll wait for Eluvianii to reply, then we can go and look for him.

Would that work for you Eluvianii?

@Eluvianii

[xinoehp512]

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Oh dear. This is not how I was expecting it to work at all...

 

[ShadowLord_Lith]

6 hours ago, xinoehp512 said:

 

 

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Yes, his entire life. Why?

 

[Sherlock Holmes]

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Imma just write Ax's dream out... as much as it hurts my heart...

Part one of two.

Ax glanced around. He was in a mostly-empty trailer park... no... He spun. He look see his aunt on the porch of one, talking with her children. He walked to her, and she looked at him. "Little girl," she said, "why do you think you have the right to make your own decisions? Why do you think you're a boy when you're not?" 

"I am a boy!" Emily shouted, afraid. "I'm a boy and there's nothing you can do about it so leave me alone and stop hurting me! You can't hurt me!" They could. She glanced down at her uncharacteristically thin, shaky forearms. There were bruises on them, and they throbbed. "I hate you! I hate you all... Leave me alone... Please..." Her aunt slowly stood up and took her arm, nails biting into her bruises and making her start crying before she stopped herself. If they saw her cry, it only encouraged them. 

Emily's aunt led her into the trailer, and then Emily was standing on a different porch, screaming. Her mother had walked into the middle of a field while she'd been asleep, and was holding a pistol up to her head. Emily jumped off the porch and landed on her knees, starting to cry as she looked up. A shot rang through the air, and Emily's mother fell to the ground in a spray of red. Emily managed to start running.

"MOM!" Ax shouted as he fell to his knees next to her. There was a hole in her head, and blood everywhere... he wanted to die with his mother, but the gun was gone. "Mom, don't leave me... You know that they all hate me... ma..." He sat back and buried his face in his hands, starting to cry. He hated crying. He hated his mother for making him cry.

[Bookish Ocelot]

 

 

1

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aaaaand cue the waterworks. 

Leona gets a dream of sadness and terror. 

Leona looked around and saw her old middle school. Jefferson Middle. Oh no. She watched as her old group of not-quite-friends approached. Her breath caught in her lungs. Not this. Anything but this. 

"Why did you do this? Why can't you just loosen up for once?" Alexis snapped. "If you would just CHILL." Leona's eyes widened and she stepped back against the lockers. "My boyfriend is in jail because of you!" Alexis followed up with a string of obscenities that would have made a sailor's ears bleed. 

Leona stuttered. "It was t-t- the right thing to do. You shouldn't have held that party at your house. Alcohol is illegal. We're fourteen." They weren't going to listen. She already knew how this ended. 

"Yeah, well," interjected one of Alexis' friends, Rose. "Nobody was making you do anything. You should just chill. What happened to friendship?" Leona didn't respond. Their friendship had been over when Alexis had tried to force Leona into getting a boyfriend. "If you just dated someone, maybe you'd see that you can be things other than a stuck-up prude." she had said.

"Friendship," Leona hissed, "ended back when you got me suspended for cheating. That I didn't do. Do you have any idea what that looks like on your record?" she felt her voice rising. 

"It's not a big deal. It ain't like you were going to end up at some great university. " Alexis stepped forwards and socked Leona in the face. Her binder and books fell to the floor. Stars swam in her vision. "Just" Alexis slapped her again. "Chill" Leona felt tears rolling down her cheeks. "Maybe next time, put your friends first." She lost consciousness and fell to the floor. The last thing she saw before her eyes closed was Alexis standing over her, laughing. 

[Sherlock Holmes]

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Part two!

Ax was somewhere else now. Standing in the middle of his Radiant friends. They made a ring around him and scowled at him. He wondered why, then looked down and saw that he was naked, but it wasn't his body, it was the body of him before, but grown up. They turned away from him one by one, and he hated himself for existing. He tried to fall onto his knees and curl up, but he couldn't, he stayed standing. He wanted to die. He hated himself.

And then Jace was there. 

Jace stared at him for a moment, then turned away. This time, Ax could move. He stumbled forward and got in front of Jace. "Jace, Jace, can you hear me? Stay with me?" Jace didn't speak. He tried walking around Ax, but Ax moved in front of him again. "Jace, please..." Ax started crying. 

"I'm gay, you liar," Jace snarled, and elbowed Ax in the face. Ax fell onto his knees. He was thin and weak. He wrapped his arms around Jace's legs and cried harder, burying his face in Jace's knees. Jace was taller than he should've been. 

"Please, I love you, please," Ax managed to say into Jace's knees. He looked up at Jace, but Jace's face was hard and cold and hating. 

"You," Jace kicked Ax in the ribs and made Ax hurt even more, "deserve," another kick, "more," yet another kick, "than," a punch in Ax's face, "this." He toppled Ax over and wrapped his fingers around Ax's throat, throttling him. Ax tried to say "please" again, but couldn't speak, only stare at how much Jace hated him.

Then Jace was gone. Everyone was gone, and Ax was alone on a highway, curled up, hating himself for being born wrong. He cried and cried and wanted to kill himself.

[Wyndlerunner]

"Well, if this isn't Tel'aran'rhiod, I don't know what is" James said as he walked down the strangely empty road. "I honestly would love it if you stopped making Wheel of Time references." The Nightwatcher said, her usual sass returning. "Although that is an apt comparison to make, it's far more likely that this dream is somewhat embedded in Shadesmar." she continued with a shudder, "otherwise Sha-thoexis wouldn't have been able to get here- too much of me for that to work."

After the Nightwatcher's largely technical explanation, James realized where they were- the house. Screams and shouts came from the backyard, and two figures emerged. Shana and Edwin. "Blood and Bloody Ashes!" James cursed "are you 2 alright?" as he ran towards them.

@Sorana @Eluvianii

[overlord stick]

Flid was still sitting there, weak. weak and pathetic. Weren't his powers supposed to make him strong? No, that's not how it worked, not how it ever worked. Failure, failure FAILURE. The powers weren't what made him strong. The others had powers because they were already strong. He was supposed to be stronger than this. He WOULD be stronger than this. You let me die. "No," Flid said, "I didn't let you die, I tried. I may have failed you then, but I won't fail anyone else." You failed. "Yes, I failed, but I'm stronger now. I will help others be stronger too." Flid stood up and walked over to the Nightmare, and it shied back. "If others fall around me, I will build them back up again, as I wish someone had for me." These words are accepted. The Nightmare screamed, then disappeared.

Edited May 14, 2019 by Emperor Stick

[ShadowLord_Lith]

Jason rocked himself back and forth, crying and trembling, muttering wits to himself that he'd forgotten years and years ago. He hasn't said then since he was seven. "Life before death, strength before weakness, Journey before destination..." He repeated those to himself, feeling overwhelmed and terrified. He had lost everyone... everyone had abandoned him. He didn't know if he could bear to try and start again, but... he knew he would. He always did... and that hurt so badly... He cried, hugging the shadowy pattern that he'd taken from the floor, holding it close. His childhood friend... he hasn't seen his spren in years, not since he was nine, when he'd made the spren leave him alone... he missed him terribly. 

[+Sorana]

31 minutes ago, Wyndlerunner said:

"Blood and Bloody Ashes!" James cursed "are you 2 alright?" as he ran towards them.

Shana whirled around.

"James."

She whispered.

"But I killed you. I killed them all. I'm a monster."

"Don't leave, I didn't want to. It was an accident, I never wanted to kill Rob."

[Wyndlerunner]

1 hour ago, Sorana said:

Shana whirled around.

"James."

She whispered.

"But I killed you. I killed them all. I'm a monster."

"Don't leave, I didn't want to. It was an accident, I never wanted to kill Rob."

James raised his hands above his head. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure you never killed me. I'm actually here by the way"

James looked at Shana, and felt a burst of extreme empathy for her. What had the poor girl gone through to be in such a state?

[+Sorana]

1 minute ago, Wyndlerunner said:

James raised his hands above his head. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure you never killed me. I'm actually here by the way"

James looked at Shana, and felt a burst of extreme empathy for her. What had the poor girl gone through to be in such a state?

"Where is here?"

she asked, her hand gently touching Mahad.

"That was me."

She added, gestured towards the graves.

"I first killed Rob and then the others. But it was an accident."

her voice broke, when she realized how lame it sounded.

[Bookish Ocelot]

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Well Leona woke up  

Leona jolted awake, sweat sticking her clothes to her skin. Her bretahing was heavy. What was that?

She looked at her watch. 3:30 am. She supposed that sleep would be impossible. Walking downstairs, she heard others crying out. She shuddered, then walked into the kitchen.  

[Wyndlerunner]

25 minutes ago, Sorana said:

"Where is here?"

she asked, her hand gently touching Mahad.

"That was me."

She added, gestured towards the graves.

"I first killed Rob and then the others. But it was an accident."

her voice broke, when she realized how lame it sounded.

"Well" James said, "as for where we are, The Nightwatcher seems to believe that somehow our consciousness was dragged into Shadesmar by the Unmade" he finished with a sigh. But just as quickly he looked at her, and took her hand. "Shana- you didn't kill them. You never would. Find out what you fight for, Shana, and you have the potential to be one of the noblest warriors among us." James smiled in what he hoped was a suitably non-romantic way.

[+Sorana]

29 minutes ago, BookishOcelot said:

Leona jolted awake, sweat sticking her clothes to her skin. Her bretahing was heavy. What was that?

She looked at her watch. 3:30 am. She supposed that sleep would be impossible. Walking downstairs, she heard others crying out. She shuddered, then walked into the kitchen.  

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You're an Elsecaller, right? The SR could bequite interesting right now. And dangerous...

================

"I'm fighting for you. For all of you."
she replied automatically.
"That's why I'm here. Dustbringer, it's my job to fight in your place."
Her fingers tightened around his. Shadesmar, that was this other realm. Maybe she should have listened better when it came to the theory behind having a spren.
"But Rob, I killed him."
Slowly a memory surfaced, Rob, burned, screamed, but also Rob lying in his bed, telling her that he wasn't angry.
"I almost killed him."
she amended quietly. Then looked at him again.
"Thank you for the tickets. I was so suprised, that you sneaked up on us, so embaressed,"
she blushed while speaking.
"That I never really thanked you."
For a moment she was silent, thought about her own words, about what he had said. A noble warrior. She looked over at Edwin, smiled at him as well.
"What you're trying to tell me, us, is that this fake, just like a dream? If that is the case, where are Ben and Rob and all the others? How can we find them, how can we know who else is trapped?"

@Wyndlerunner

@Eluvianii

Edited May 14, 2019 by Sorana

[Eluvianii]

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Whoops, sorry, timezones.

Edwin just stood there, listening. 

Shadesmar?

This wasn't real. He hadn't failed them. He looked behind, the bodies were still there but James' was now missing too.

He remembered what had happened mere minutes ago. Shana was pretty upset too. If the others were going through the same...

Maybe I didn't fail them but I will if I just let them go through... through that.

"What you're trying to tell me, us, is that this fake, just like a dream? If that is the case, where are Ben and Rob and all the others? How can we find them, how can we know who else is trapped?" that was Shana. She sounded determined.

"James, if the others are here we have to find them. I-I don't know how much I would have lasted without losing my mind. We can't let that happen." said Edwin, speaking finally.

[+Sorana]

2 minutes ago, Eluvianii said:

"James, if the others are here we have to find them. I-I don't know how much I would have lasted without losing my mind. We can't let that happen." said Edwin, speaking finally.

Shana nodded at his words.

"I don't know how to do it though."

She paused thought about what had happened.

"When I went here, I just tried to get away."

Her eyes moved over to the burning house, and she thought about it for a while, how to find the others.

"James, how did you find us? Can you repeat that?"

@Wyndlerunner

[Wyndlerunner]

25 minutes ago, Sorana said:

Shana nodded at his words.

"I don't know how to do it though."

She paused thought about what had happened.

"When I went here, I just tried to get away."

Her eyes moved over to the burning house, and she thought about it for a while, how to find the others.

"James, how did you find us? Can you repeat that?"

@Wyndlerunner

"I honestly don't know" James admitted, "but I think that focusing on finding the others might draw us to them" he concluded. "Did any of you swear an Ideal?" he added, curiously.

[+Sorana]

1 minute ago, Wyndlerunner said:

"I honestly don't know" James admitted, "but I think that focusing on finding the others might draw us to them" he concluded. "Did any of you swear an Ideal?" he added, curiously.

Shana laughed bitterly.

"I'm glad Mahad is still with me. That's more than I expected after today."

She looked at the flames again and paused. There was something, someone, several someones.

"Over there, in the flames. Can you see them? "

@Eluvianii

[Wyndlerunner]

Suddenly it hit James. "I know how I found you!" he exclaimed, "I'm a Bondsmith- I bring the knights together! I unite them!" 

@Sorana @Eluvianii

[overlord stick]

Flid looked around. This didn't feel like a normal dream, did it have something to do with that unmade thing the others had mentioned earlier? Flid thought he saw someone off in the distance, or rather, two someones. "Wait, is that- Hey!" Flid ran over to Shana and James as fast as he could.

[+Sorana]

1 minute ago, Emperor Stick said:

Flid looked around. This didn't feel like a normal dream, did it have something to do with that unmade thing the others had mentioned earlier? Flid thought he saw someone off in the distance, or rather, two someones. "Wait, is that- Hey!" Flid ran over to Shana and James as fast as he could.

"Flid. Are you alright?"

Shana exclaimed relieved. He was here. Rob and Ben had to be alright as well.

"I think you are right. Maybe it is you, that is drawing the others to you. It's what you do as a bondsmith."

She smiled at James, then added haltingly, because she feared who they would find there.

"Let's go to the flames?"

@Wyndlerunner

 

[Wyndlerunner]

2 minutes ago, Sorana said:

"Flid. Are you alright?"

Shana exclaimed relieved. He was here. Rob and Ben had to be alright as well.

"I think you are right. Maybe it is you, that is drawing the others to you. It's what you do as a bondsmith."

She smiled at James, then added haltingly, because she feared who they would find there.

"Let's go to the flames?"

@Wyndlerunner

 

James smiled grimly, and nodded. "Out of the frying pan, and into the fire"