This is where dreams - dreams, do you understand - come to life, come real. Not daydreams: dreams.

[glass_beddau]

[Wednesday            17th       479Thursday, September 18th (day 480)]
[The Abbey]
[In a late strange time]The air is cool, and still, and waiting to burn

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[hermia_sophia]

I want to keep hold of Alice's hand, but she will not let go of Carol, and as much as that unsettles me, we must keep moving forward.

But Chester's solid warmth in my arms reminds me that there are things in this world that are still real and unchanging, and so do Valmont and Glass walking near me, and the bit of Alice that is still herself. We will remain constant, even as the ground begins to shift under us.

The colors of the sky are beginning to swirl and blend, too, as we draw near the abbey, like a watercolor sunset and the northern lights all at once, even though I know that it is still morning. And yet it is darker and stranger than either of those - there is a deep heavy pulse of ominous color behind it all that speaks of wrongness.

Whatever it is that we must set right, it is here.

[chester_excolo]

This is one a those times I tell myself I hate, that next time I'll make a different choice , do something else, let someone else deal with it. Yeah. That never sticks. There's always some reason I gotta do it. One of them is my wizard. She's a good kid, an' I've no doubt she'll do her best to fix the problem we're facin'. She'll need my help for that. There's also Alice n' all those other people in town. So yeah, lots a reasons for me to be headin' into the swirling chaos of of an open rift between worlds. I c'n feel it pourin' out an' it makes me dizzy for a moment, makes my fur stand on end,I curl tighter into the crook of Hermia's arm, then peer out over it.

We're here. Now where's that damn hole?

[damien_dw]

Zann says she thinks my idea is a good one and so I change what I ask the compass to point at though the heading doesn't change by much so maybe it would have led us to the same place anyway. She also asked me to tell her anything I know about who might have caused the problem in the first place

[valmont_vicomte]

It's turned into another day, somehow. The journey here feels like its taken forever, and I remember that terrifying exhaustion of when I was a prince lost in the woods. We arrive near the abbey, and the sky is bleeding strange colours. A thick mist rolls over the cemetery, and my teeth chatter.

"Someone's coming," I say, as two figures draw near out of the mist. I rest my hand inside my jacket on my gun, and then relax as I see two familiar faces.

"Damien, Zann," I call out.

[tereixa_zann]

"It would have to be someone who can do stuff with dreams. Really powerful stuff, not just little things, like being aware that you are dreaming and being able to change stuff in your dreams. Maybe someone at the Abbey was trying something and it went wrong?"

"Maybe," and it's a sad thought, and I shake my head. "So a real oneiromancer," I say--lovely word, we had it on a poster once, "instead of just someone who's a lucid dreamer." Which is neat, I understand, but I don't think it's really rare; Xay does it, and I know Hux does sometimes too.

Alright, I'm gonna be honest; I don't like this, I really really don't. I keep thinking it should feel like an engine falling out of true, but it's not like that; it's like watching gears of smoke and mud and music try to mesh, and it leaves me queasy and giddy all at once.

"Damien, Zann," and the voice, something meant, it helps. The calliope music pipes up a little stronger, and I grin and wave

[hermia_sophia]

I don't know how long it has been - I hardly feel hungry or tired, but somehow I know that we have been walking for hours, even though the trip to the Abbey should only take a few minutes.

It is becoming harder and harder to keep my mind focused on what is ahead of me. The path keeps twisting off through the trees (there were no trees here!) and the ocean (what ocean?) keeps rising higher, sending chill waves over our feet as it laps over us.

Suddenly I see Valmont tense, and a second later so do I, when he says, "Someone's coming." My arms close tighter around Chester and my back stiffens as I angle forward, edging between Alice and whatever is out there in the mist.

But then he calls out their names, and even though they're not name I know, if Valmont knows these people enough to let down his guard, then I will trust them too, and the woman's cheerful call makes me smile a bit despite everything. "Hey, hon," I say brightly. "How's-- hey, Alice!" Stop and blink at that, for a second, and they've got that townie herbwitch and a

[docconstantine]

I am not sure how much time has passed. I'm tired, and none of this makes sense but I just keep on working, and doing what I can. Thank gods for coffee. Besides, it seems to give Nanshe a time to rest.

There seems to be some general plan to move towards the Abbey, so we do. And it seems others have had the same idea. Glad to see Hermia and Valmont and Alice and... well. Isn't that interesting? Smile and wave to both girls as Nanshe and Hermia talk magic with Syl and Damien. Spare a glance up the street to the tea shoppe, worried. I hope Wanda's okay, she has Rose and Ares there, but there's something else in the back of my head... something is out of sorts there too...

Find Tez's coin in my pocket and twirl it about my fingers, waiting to move, to help, to do something.

[valmont_vicomte]

People are discussing magic, and I'm glad they have a plan coming together, but I don't think I can contribute very much... I draw Alice and her - friend over to where Lucien's standing, fiddling with a coin.

"Welcome to another valuable Excolo experience," I say drily.

[docconstantine]

Valmont drifts over to where I am standing with Alice and her new friend. Something certainly off there, but I smile at them anyway. She liked me when she could see right into me.

"Welcome to another valuable Excolo experience,"

Snort at that, and I find I have to stifle myself from laughing out loud. Given how grave the situation is; laughter may not be the best medicine in this case.

"Sorry, shouldn't laugh... but at this point, I think that's all I have left in these situations. Glad to see so many people are okay..." I survey the little group, and I find I am relieved by it. "Besides gaining some new friends, everything alright with you and Hermia? Nothing too out of the ordinary?"

[glass_beddau]

Catch Valmont saying "Welcome to another valuable Excolo experience," to Lucien and catch back a sniff of amusement, wander over time to hear Lucien saying he oughtn't laugh.

"Might as well," I say mild. Consider saying something over even if he dies, he's a bloody poor record of having it stick, and think that might be a touch heavy. That and I can't place if Valmont knows how often he's in and out the grave. "And you, of late?"