Cautiously, you walk the dawning

[define_belief]

It is a week after The Fischer Case, and Ariadne is cooking eggs in a friend's apartment in New York. She blinks and finds herself in another, completely unfamiliar kitchen, still frying eggs but on another completely unfamiliar stove. She is not so used to waking up in unexpected places out of nowhere that it doesn't startle her, causing her to

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[for_ireland]

Damien has seen several people arrive in his few months at the mansion, but never in the middle of cooking. He grins slightly as he slips into the kitchen and picks up the spatula, handing it to her.

"Aye, but it's a bit disorienting, like."

[define_belief]

"Fischer?" Ariadne asks before catching herself. Oh, it's a dream. She takes the spatula. Why is Fischer in her dreams?

[for_ireland]

Fischer?

She obviously has him confused with someone else.

Damien shrugs and holds out a hand.

"Don't know anybody by that name, I'm afraid. I called Damien O'Donovan. Welcome to the Mansion."

[define_belief]

"Oh I'm sorry, you just look a lot like. Someone. Never mind," Ariadne tries to get her bearings, and fishes around in her pocket for her totem. "Thank you."

If he's a projection, he's the most direct and communicative projection she's ever met. If he's sharing the dream with her, she wonders why she doesn't know him. She starts to worry. Maybe Fischer's people figured out what happened.

She finds her totem and sets it on the counter. She flicks it, expecting it to stand firmly upright, as it does in dreams. It falls right over.

"What is going on?"

[aperion_oneiros]

She might come upon Cobb later, in a corner of the main room, cleaning the catheters for a PASIV device, which stands on a table nearby... though it looks like a few parts have been replaced with some alien-looking odds and ends.

[define_belief]

"Cobb! You're here too?"

[aperion_oneiros]

He looks up, blinking a bit, but not entirely surprised somehow. "You found your way down here, too?" he asks.

[define_belief]

"Looks like. Still getting my head around it. Are any of the others here?" She's happy to see someone she knows, anyway. That it's her mentor is an added bonus. She hasn't noticed the PASIV yet.

[the_crat]

Should she wind up in the library, there is a crat laying on a large, open book. His eyes are half closed and he's considering taking a nap as the book he's reading isn't terribly interesting, though it is very comfortable.

He wouldn't say no to a bit of conversation though.

[define_belief]

Ariadne winds up in the library, and walks up to the crat as soon as she notices it. She slowly reaches out a hand in the manner experienced cat-people do to let strange cats (for that is what she supposes this animal is) sniff before touching.

"Hello, kitty," she greets. "Good book?"

[the_crat]

Echo blinks and looks up at the offered hand. He does give it a sniff and gives her hand a good rub of his cheeks so that it's a proper greeting before looking back down at the book and sighing.

"I'm afraid not miss," he says. "It's actually very dull. Not one I'd recommend."

[define_belief]

She snatches her hand to herself and jumps back a bit.

"Talking cat. This is a new one."

[in_summer_leaf]

If Ariadne should happen to step out onto the front porch, she will find Hisoka sitting on top of the porch railing. He is facing outwards, so that he can he can see the snowy front lawn, the lake, and the gently descending curves of the river valley far beyond the grounds.

He may look preoccupied, but in fact he would be pleased to have company.

[define_belief]

"Oh sorry, I didn't know anyone was out here," she sees what she perceives to be someone deep in thought. "I'll be quiet. Just wanted some air."

[in_summer_leaf]

Hisoka turns his head and replies, "Be welcome to the fresh air out here. It's very fresh." He grins.

[define_belief]

"I won't bother you? I'm new here. I don't really know how it works." But she is assured by his grin.

[blackjewelmale]

If Ariadne should venture into the library late in the afternoon, or early in the evening, she might come upon an older gent, moderately tall, with dark skin and golden eyes, sorting through several leather bound volumes...some of which might be hovering in mid-air. But once she approaches, the books will sink back onto the nearest table.

"Looking for something to read?" he asks, friendly, in a fatherly way.

[define_belief]

Ariadne wanders into the library, which is a good place to wander when in unfamiliar territory.

"Hi," she replies, unsure whether she just saw books move or whether it was a trick of the light. "I guess. Are you the librarian?"

[blackjewelmale]

"I'm not sure the house really needs a librarian, but it lets me putter about the place. It seems to appreciate the help," he says, glancing up at the shelves. "And with as many books as there are here, it could use some assistance."

[define_belief]

"The house...feels?" She is still learning.