Private Cat Got Your Tongue

[Giselle von Ascania]

Thrown off a ten story tall walker?

Alas, her questions on that fascinating subject would have to wait. They had some dreamwalking to do.

Upon his arrival in the depths of Miri’s slumbering consciousness, Kyell would suddenly find himself in the midst of a swamp. Dirty water came up to his knees, the submerged ground churned into soft mud. Trees and other plants were able to grow through the muck, and the sounds of insects and bog creatures could be heard in the background.

He had landed near a disheveled-looking Miri. She wore the scorched remnants of a flight suit splattered with mud, and appeared to have narrowly survived a shipwreck.

But at least she was happy to see him. “Kyell!” she exclaimed, sloshing through the marsh to reach him… or trying to. The distance between them seemed to lengthen the harder she tried. “Aw,” she muttered. “I can’t get to you. I hate it when that happens…”

She turned her head, her braided hair swinging like a rope as she glanced behind her. “Something’s chasing me. A man on fire. He's burning this place down... I can smell the smoke.” Facing Kyell, her expression was grave. “Do you think you can do something about it?”

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Odryn
Tag: Giselle von Ascania

Ugh, the beach was a lot better... he thought as he looked around and noticed he was standing in the middle of a swamp. But after a quick look to get his bearings, he focused on Miri, who seemed to be in a difficult situation. It made him worried instantly, even though deep down he knew it was just a dream. It simply felt too real to pretend it wasn't what it seemed to be.

<T> "Miri! Are you okay?" he tried to push himself through the dirty water to reach her but the more they moved, the further apart they seemed to be. No matter how hard he fought or how fast he moved, she wasn't getting any closer. What the... For some reason, this seemed to happen more often to her? He didn't really understand but dreams had a tendency of putting some things out of reach, even if it was something you desired.

She then turned around and what she explained only deepened his own fears — was this a nightmare after all? If so, he had to do something about it or this could turn into a one-way trip. <T> "I'll do my best, just... stay here and be safe, alright? I promise I'll be right back." He did his best to offer a comforting smile and reached for the hilt of his lightsaber before following the smoke he could smell and see rising above the trees.

Let's make this a happier dream...

 

[Giselle von Ascania]

“Oh, I’m fine! I just crashed my starfighter on a planet that doesn’t even have a name listed on my star map, and now I’m being chased!”

A nightmare for sure. But not one that was truly dangerous to Kyell. Miri wasn’t trying to fight back against his dreamwalking—this was simply a scenario her subconscious had generated. It was a dream, nothing more.

Kyell should've been able to manipulate the dreamscape as if it were clay. But instead, Kyell was opting to activate his lightsaber and run toward the flames. Miri’s eyes widened. “No, wait! There are no rules here—!”

Her pursuer arrived on the scene, bringing with him an inferno. The marshes went up in flames around them, swamp gasses feeding the blaze. Though she had called him a man on fire, the person which emerged from the burning landscape wasn’t actually on fire.

A young male Zeltron with maroon-colored skin and hair dyed dark, the fallen Jedi Knight Zaavik Perl stalked through the marsh, his lightsaber growling in his hand. Bleeding from a head injury and a broken nose, his corrupted sulphuric eyes smoldered with fury.

Miri seemed absolutely stricken with terror by his appearance, fumbling for her lightsaber. This entire scenario was one she had actually experienced as a young Padawan, dialed up to eleven by her fevered imagination.

Ignoring Kyell, the dream Zaavik was laser-focused on Miri. Nimble and quick, he was on her in seconds, slashing at her with his blade.

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Odryn
Tag: Giselle von Ascania

Kyell blankly stared at her for a moment — was she being sarcastic with him in a dream?

He looked behind him and after spotting the pursuer and flames he brought along, he had the answer to his question. She definitely wasn't entirely okay, and she wanted his help. But when he drew his weapon to confront this strange man, it felt as if he wasn't even being registered at all. Zaavik focused only on Miri, and with immense speed, he closed the distance to her to begin his assault.

Then he remembered.

In a nightmare, there was a risk to taking action, but he could reshape the dream as well, and take her into a new one. The problem was... he was still trying to figure out how to do it. Now in a slight panic because of Miri's troublesome situation, Kyell closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath while he focused on the connection between their minds, as well as his own imagination.

For a moment, he imagined the land around them stretching to force more distance between Zaavik and Miri, and in that same instant, he relocated himself between the two, <T> "Woah..." he blinked and acted just in time to catch the sweep that had been meant to strike Miri down.

While he continued to defend himself if Zaavik chose to attack, he focused again, but this time he tried to latch onto the excitement they had both felt meeting each other, and he hoped to force these positive memories into her mind. He wanted to get out of this crappy dream badly.

 

[Giselle von Ascania]

Like an NPC in a hologame whose script had been disrupted by a player’s actions, Zaavik was caught off guard by Kyell suddenly appearing in front of him. He attacked the Jedi as if he were an obstacle to be overcome before he could reach his real target.

“You could make it so that you beat him,” Miri said from somewhere behind Kyell. “Or you could have his lightsaber turn into a pool noodle. The possibilities are endless!”

Kyell seemed to finally understand that, for he was already forfeiting this dream entirely. The landscape warped as if he were altering reality, colors bleeding together and melting away. The swamp disappeared and the phantom of Zaavik vanished along with it.

Instead, Kyell brought them to the moment of their first meeting—with him hanging upside down from a tree, caught in a trap.

Miri couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, at least you can get yourself down this time.”

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Odryn
Tag: Giselle von Ascania

With her encouragement and advice, Kyell finally managed to alter the dream world around them — the swamps faded and so did the mysterious attacker, which helped them transition into an entirely different dream. He really hoped that it wouldn't be another nightmare, that it would be something-

Aaand he was upside down.

Kyell blinked and almost instantly recognized where he was - back on Odryn. Miri's laughter quickly drew his attention, and he'd look at her with another blank stare, <T> "I'm glad me hanging upside down is a fond memory of yours," he chuckled and figured it was time to play a small prank on her.

By altering the dream world again, he practically teleported behind her and suddenly placed his hands on her shoulders in an attempt to scare her a little <T> "Boo!" he telepathically added with a grin. Whether it started her or not, it was amusing enough to him to be able to do this

<T> "This is quite amazing. If it wasn't as risky, this would be an easy way to go through some interesting dreams."

 

[Giselle von Ascania]

Miri shrieked as he teleported behind her and startled her. “Oh, don’t do that. You’ll wake me up!” But she was giggling as she turned around and wrapped her arms around him.

“It’s great fun to experiment with it,” she said. “Like being the master of your own private little universe. Although, of course, you should be careful not to abuse it… and remember that it isn’t your dream.”

Their surroundings were already starting to shift again, the ruins of the Sanctum starting to fade away. “Whatever you alter, it usually won’t last for long,” Miri warned. “The dreamer’s mind will keep changing the rules. So stay on your toes…”

While the last of Odryn dissipated like a fog, Miri leaned forward to kiss Kyell.

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Miri's Dream
Tag: Giselle von Ascania

Kyell was grinning from ear to ear that his little trick worked, even if it could potentially wake her up. It settled into a softer smile though, when her arms wrapped around him. In return, he gently placed his hands at her hips, <T> "It's fun, but I'll be careful with it, and I definitely won't abuse it."

Outside of that little prank, of course.

While he listened and kept eye contact, the world around them began to fade. But while he focused on her, that would have happened even if the environment wasn't literally reshaping itself. <T> "Let's see where we go next..." he telepathically whispered before he pulled her just a little closer by the hips, and leaned into the kiss that took them into the next dream.

A part of him wanted to shape these dreams to show her something about his life, but it wouldn't likely last long enough, and this was still her dream. So instead, he focused on projecting his happiness and excitement into her mind, hoping it would at the very least prevent another nightmare. He'd rather have her wake up than another crazy encounter like the one before this little moment between them.

 

[Giselle von Ascania]

Everything in her dreams seemed more vivid. The danger was heightened, each sensation more intense than it had any right to be. The kiss sent a jolt through her, like she’d been electrified, and the world melted away.

Happiness and excitement, huh?...

The next thing she knew, she was lying on her back—but she hadn’t woken up yet. No, she was in her bed aboard the Conestoga… and Kyell was right there with her.

Right on top of her, in fact.

Embarrassment prompted her to break off the kiss. “Uh, I just—remember that this is all the fault of my subconscious,” she sputtered. “I’m not doing any of this intentionally…”

A knock on her bedroom door made her freeze, seized by the panic that comes with feeling exposed. It didn't matter that this was only a dream—some part of her brain still registered it as real. "Don't come in, I'm getting dressed!" she blurted, without even knowing who was knocking.

Despite being at least semi-aware, in many ways Miri was as much subject to the dream as the half-formed characters in it. She couldn't help but be swept up in the drama which her sleeping brain manifested. After all, these were all specters of her psyche.

“You should hide,” she urged Kyell in a whisper, as if he wasn’t capable of controlling the outcome of this scenario regardless of what happened next.

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Miri's Dream
Tag: Giselle von Ascania

With how intense and real the emotions felt in their kiss, Kyell almost forgot that they were actually in a dream. It was only when the world had completely changed around them, that he was reminded of it again... and in a rather interesting way. He suddenly found himself on top of Miri in her bed, one hand holding him up on the bed while he leaned down low into the kiss and caressed her cheek with the other hand.

When the kiss broke, he pushed himself up more and looked down at her, his face completely red - this was not something he had expected, but he wasn't bothered by it at all either. If this was something her subconscious created, he could only imagine how she felt and thought about him.

It was quite heartwarming and definitely exciting.

<T> "It's alright, I don't mind-" he paused as he heard knocking on the door, which sent him into a similar panic mode. So much so that he forgot he could just change all of this and listened to Miri instead. He rolled off the bed as quietly as he could and shifted over to a closet to hide inside.

Not even once in his life, had he expected that he of all people would find himself hiding in a girl's bedroom, but here he was. It didn't even matter that it was a dream. This felt so, so real.

 

[Giselle von Ascania]

There was a bit of a scramble as Kyell rushed to hide in the closet and Miri tried to compose herself. When the door slid open, she was sitting on the edge of her bed, trying to look natural.

Her expression crumpled when she saw who it was.

“Dad?”

“Hey sweetheart. I keep hearing voices. Did you leave the holo on or something?”

“No…”

Suspicion entered her father’s tone. “Don’t tell me Vaslav came by again. I told that boy not to visit you this late.”

“No. Vaslav is long gone, and I’m not a little girl anymore.” Miri sounded like she was on the verge of tears. “Dad… I’m going to find the one who did it. I promise. I’ll find them. I… I miss you so much…”

This dreamwalking lesson was getting far more personal than expected.

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Miri's Dream
Tag: Giselle von Ascania

It wasn't strange that the person knocking had been one of her parents, but the moment he heard it was her dad, Kyell felt something change very quickly. Miri hadn't told him much about her parents yet, outside her father being an archeologist who taught her a lot of different things, but what he felt told him so much more than any amount of words ever could. There was a pain that could only be attributed to loss, and quietly he began to piece things together.

Her father, the man she loved and respected so much, was no longer with her.

"Dad… I'm going to find the one who did it. I promise. I'll find them. I… I miss you so much…"

He heard these words and felt the pain as if he had just lost his own father — this was enough. Kyell couldn't let her go through this and focused all his efforts on pulling her out of her dreams, and back into the real world. He wasn't sure how strongly the sadness was going to linger, but it didn't matter.

The second he was able to pull her out, he shifted over on the towel and pulled her into a tight, comforting hug. <T> "Hey it's alright..." he muttered softly into her mind. <T> "I'm so sorry." Now he really felt terrible about not ending the dream sooner, but he tried his best to stay strong and supportive, just in case she needed it.

 

[Giselle von Ascania]

Shaken awake, Miri blinked in the sunlight. Her vision cleared, and she found Kyell leaning over her, his expression worried.

“Don’t apologize. I should’ve warned you,” she whispered, too raw for telepathy. “You may see things you shouldn’t. Private things…”

Wrapped up in his arms, she sighed. “You’re very sweet, you know that?” she murmured.

A beat passed. “Wait a second. Are we still dreaming?...”

Then she woke up—groggy, blinded by the brightness of the sun, and slightly sore from lying on a towel on the sand. Kyell was still holding her, but there was more of a weight to his grasp now. A physicality that the dream world couldn’t quite match.

<There.> She reached around and grabbed a handful of sand, feeling the hard grains against her palm. <You’ll get better at waking people up with practice.>

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Miri's Dream
Tag: Giselle von Ascania

Sunlight briefly blinded him as they transitioned back onto the beach, but at least that personal nightmare was over now. He held onto her and only pulled back enough to look into her eyes with a faint smile on his lips, <T> "Another reason to be careful with it, hm?" he asked, now truly realizing just how much went into a technique like this.

It further solidified that he was going to restrict its use heavily.

In response to her comment about him being sweet, he chuckled and eased up his grip a bit, <T> "Well, I care about you," he spoke with honesty before something struck them both. With that realization, they flashed out of the dream beach, and into the real one where he still held her in his arms, although a little more confused.

<T> "That... was trippy," he chuckled and finally let go so she could sit more comfortably after having laid down for so long. He himself stretched his arms and drew in a deep breath of fresh air. Right now, he figured bringing up her father wasn't a great idea, so he focused on a different plan he had.

<T> "Thanks for showing me though, that was incredible. But I do think it was enough of a dive into the mind for now..." he trailed off and turned his eyes to the water. <T> "Feel like going for a swim?"

 

[Giselle von Ascania]

<Swim?> Miri glanced out toward the ocean. The clear blue water certainly looked inviting. <Sure. Are we checking out those underwater ruins, then?>

Taking off her shirt, she glanced toward Kyell, sensing his curiosity. The things he left unsaid. She decided to clear the air and get a few things out in the open, just to avoid questions coming up later.

<My father was murdered at Tython,> she confessed. <I was there, but… I wasn’t with him when he died. I’ve been trying to find his killer.>

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Miri's Dream
Tag: Giselle von Ascania

<T> "Mhmm," he hummed as he got up to his feet and offered her a hand to pull herself up, <T> "Go for a swim, do some diving, and maybe we find something out there," he said with a grin, still trying not to get into a touchy subject. But after she took off her shirt and got ready for the swim, she managed to pick up on his apprehension.

The confession that followed hit hard, even though he had suspected something bad had happened to her father.

<T> "I'm so sorry for your loss, Miri," he said, turning to face her so it was clear he meant it. <T> "I hope you can find the killer, and if there's anything I can do to help with it, just let me know." His gaze shifted to the ocean and the waves crashing against the beach, but swiftly returned to her.

<T> "You don't have to go through it all alone anymore." He would understand if she preferred to close this chapter of her life on her own, but if she needed him or just wanted someone to stay with her through her search and maybe even the inevitable confrontation, he'd be there for her.

For now though, he figured some fun in the ocean would be a good distraction.

 

[Giselle von Ascania]

<T> "You don't have to go through it all alone anymore."

Miri stared at him, more moved by his words than she was willing to admit. Where did you come from, Kyell? she thought, as if she were unable to believe he was real. Iego? I found you hanging from a tree. Did you fall out of a clear blue sky?...

Her visible reaction was more understated. Miri took a step toward him and reached for his hand. There were no words to convey how she felt, so she didn’t try to talk. Giving him a small, shy smile of gratitude, she led him into the water.

Kyell Laysel​