"Come and dance the Macabre!" (nice to finally meet you Mr. Gaiman)
We had a strange dreaming last night in two parts, during the second part of which we met Neil Gaiman.
It was a strange set of dreams. In the beginning, it seemed like a fairly normal, if incredibly vivid and action packed dream. It was also in first person and we were all present, although I(Kent) was definitely fronting). Both of these things are fairly rare for us in dreams, and is one of the main thing that differentiates "normal" dreams and "special" dreams for us. The second part of the dreaming was more incredible than any dream I have ever had and I wonder, while knowing it was a dream, if it wasn't also real simultaneously.
Anyway, in the beginning, we were visiting a wizard friend of ours who was new to the whole wizard thing. He had found out he was a wizard recently when he inherited a mansion and a library of magic-books from his uncle, who had apparently been a very respected and envied wizard. Our friend had invited us, and several of his other friends over after he had gotten settled in and had begun learning magic and such, to show us all what he had been up to the past few months, and to share his success with his friends.
He threw a small party, but seemed a bit preoccupied with a sense of foreboding, and because of this, and his inexperience as a host, the party was a bit boring, aside from a few demonstrations he did of the magic he had been learning. Those at least, and the excellent food and drink, were well received, but eventually people began to get bored and leave in the slow filter that often happens in such circumstances.
Unfortunately, before everyone had left, and seemingly proving our friend's fears correct, another older, and more experienced wizard, who was jealous of our friend's uncle, decided to attack the mansion with some servants he had created and/or summoned so that he could lay claim to everything our friend had inherited. Our wizard friend realized what was going on, and helped as many of his guests escape before he fought back. We didn't leave though, and were supporting him with some of our native abilities, such as near invisibility and limited flight, which we have had in many other dreams. We gave our friend information about what his enemy's troops were doing and where, because he simply couldn't cover all of the area of the mansion with his limited understanding of magic.
It was very action filled at this point and I don't remember much of it for a while, except that we escaped through a secret tunnel and came out in a Place of Power that his great-grandfather had apparently discovered. It was sort of recessed into bluffs behind his back yard and his grandfather had built a structure on this magical site that was like a cross between a round Greek Temple and Stonehenge. It definitely fit with the overall feeling of the place, which was rather like a cross between an English noble's Country-House and a Roman villa, and the countryside around the house also seemed like a cross between English and Greek pastoral scenes I have seen painted and photographed.
Once we had re-closed the tunnel, my friend began tapping into the magical energy of the site that his grandfather had built, and while he was doing that I went and scouted the area by jumping up onto the top of the ring of columns that formed the outside of the structure.
This area seemed familiar, and tied to a particular location in the repetitive dream-geography that pervades our "special" dreams. Noticing this also made us realize we were dreaming, which is extremely rare for us, and I feel like if that happens again, given the relative consistency and repetition of the places where our "special" dreams take place, I might be able to find this place again. Anyway, back to the dream.
When we looked down, we saw the attacking Wizard beginning some sort of ritual to try to lay claim to the magical power of the land around the mansion. We were a bit worried and were about to tell our friend, but suddenly he attacked, and I watched from above as they began a long-range duel in which they fired beams of light that would burn through the ground and any sort of cover we took. I had to be careful, and I flew a bit out of the line of fire, while my friend dodged and I remembered he had some sort off magical amulet which threw such spells off-target most of the time.
I'm not really sure how but the conflict was suddenly resolved, and the two sides came to some kind of understanding(I think maybe I almost woke up but didn't so I missed a bit) and I wandered off to explore the landscape and at this point my dream moved into a different part.
Please play this while reading the next part. It sets a good tone, although I wish it had someone singing or reading the verses that accompanied the music later on in things.
The next part of the dream, I found myself separated from my friend and arriving at a very fancy party arranged down the slope at one end of the bluff. There was a grand double-staircase, made of many-hued, nearly translucent white marble set into the hillside, a lot like those ones you get in the yards of European mansions and palaces where the upper-crust has outdoor parties, only much much more impressive any way you looked at it. Anyway, I was greeted and welcomed by a butler of some kind who, though he didn't recognize me, bid me welcome and offered a coat for me to wear since I hadn't come dressed for the occasion. He was very helpful, despite my not having an invitation, saying that "for persons such as yourselves sir, it is unnecessary". I was impressed, not only because he had recognized that I was not alone, but that he had even managed to maintain his normal mode of talking without ever stumbling over pronouns or pluralities.
The party itself seemed like a fairly normal, albeit incredibly posh, spring dance, that I'd walked into, although it was odd that so many people seemed to recognize me and greet me. And then I started noticing that most of them had odd colours of skin that aren't normal for humans. Shades of green, blue, grey, and brown skin, all very naturey in tone and any number of shades.
I suddenly realized that I had wandered into a sort of party for the Fairie Court. I spoke to several of the Fae and most of them seemed to know me, and while they were surprised I was there, they realized I had just dreamed my way in, so they made sure that I was taken care of, saying it was an honour to be visited by a human in a dream, as it did not happen very often nowadays. When I asked what the reason for the party was I never got a straight answer, but I got the impression that it was in honour of some person or event.
I woke up temporarily at this point I think, because Christal had sent me a text message asking if she could call, but I decided she would understand that I was at a party in my dream, and I would just get back in touch with her later. I didn't actually remember this until just now when typing it all up because I didn't completely wake up and was immediately able to slip back into the same dream, appearing like coalescing mist and slightly surprising several people around me to whom I apologized saying "I'm sorry, just got a text message, but it wasn't important" which seemed to be either confusing or funny to the Fae, probably depending on whether they knew what text messaging was or not.
There was dancing going on, so I decided to dance with them, and wound up being partnered with several different and very interesting Folk as the dance swirled and partners changed constantly. Eventually we settled into a dance where we were partnered for a long while with a very beautiful female who looked almost completely human except for her pointed ears, sharp teeth, and a long flowing tail of hair that was black and flowing just like the hair on her head. She was vaguely predatory but she was very polite and just stunningly beautiful! I remember she winked at me several times, and I could tell she liked me, but was mostly just enjoying flirting with me, apparently not wanting anything more because I am a mortal.
As the dance wore-on, partners changed, music changed, I danced with lots of other Folk, it must have gone on for hours! I remember at least one of them was squat and furry, but cute. And then a new and particularly memorable piece of music began playing [see the youtube above] and someone, I think maybe the gorgeous one I danced with earlier, started chanting humorously, in time with the music. It didn't quite go with the music, but it caught on, and I recognized what the chanting was; they were chanting the "Danse Macabre" poem by Neil Gaiman in "The Graveyard Book" and the music was wild and classical and almost exactly like that piece of music which I don't think I've ever heard, but I seemed to randomly happen across today from a link on Neil Gaiman's website.
The chanting was done almost facetiously, since they weren't ghosts or skeletons, as the story goes in folklore, but also with a certain respect and appreciation and I kept catching sidelong glances from the dance area up to one of the landings of the grand double-staircase. At first I couldn't figure out why, but then, as the dance continued, and I was able to catch glances up at them, I realized that apparently the hosts were standing up there. There were lords and ladies, all dressed fantastically in the most amazing finery I have ever seen, looking oddly bemused as though something a bit humorous and simultaneously embarrassing and impressive were happening. I also noticed them all, even the High Lord and Lady, glancing sidelong at someone standing back a bit in their midst whom I couldn't see.
As the dance closed though, they began to break and climb the stairs to the top where each staircase met, and I noticed a man, a bit shorter than the rest of them, in a long black coat and with wild black hair, following more slowly than the rest and standing out as noticeably human. I immediately realized that it was Neil Gaiman, and had the impression that perhaps the party had been in his honour, and the spontaneous performance of the Danse Macabre was also for him, although it had not been planned so everyone was vaguely concerned that he wouldn't like it.
He seemed fine with it though, and I rushed up the stairs to speak with him, getting his attention near the top by grabbing his elbow insistently and continuing up the stairs next to him. He didn't recognize me as most everyone else had, but he did obviously notice that I was human and seemed a bit confused, like you sometimes get confused in a dream and I realized he was dreaming too. It didn't matter much to me though, and I told him I was an aspiring writer, who enjoyed his work, and that I was really happy to meet him there. I related how we have difficulty with motivation in actually writing, and asked if he didn't maybe have any advice about that. He furrowed his brow as though he wasn't at all expecting to meet a fan here(I don't blame him!), but asked if I knew how to email him at his blog and when I said yes, he said that if I did then he'd get back to me then, as he wasn't thinking entirely clearly just then.
I thanked him and said I would, then excused myself to go and thank our host and hostess, who seemed to be the stereotypical Elf Lord and Lady from mythology. Oberon and Titania are the names they are usually known by although those aren't their real names, and I simply called them "my Lord and Lady", and I thanked them for their impeccable hospitality and for the impeccable taste in music and dance (with a significant side look at Mr. Gaiman who seemed bemused himself at this point). They replied courteously and thanked me for attending, asking if I had any plan for where I was going next, and if I might not like to join them, for I seemed very humble, interesting, and respectful (with the implication that most mortals these days were not any of these in their eyes).
I apologized, and said that since I was dreaming I would most likely have to wake up soon, and I begged their pardon but I must go, before my alarm woke me suddenly and rudely parted me from their company. They found my humour quite funny apparently, and wished me well and thanked me for attending. I then bowed, promised to return if I found myself able, waved farewell, and dissolved into a mist, soaring up over the landscape and into the sky. At which point I awoke, moments before my alarm sounded.
This is one of those dreams where, while I know it was a dream, I feel like it was also something more. Particularly the second part. I'm seriously considering emailing Neil Gaiman and relating it to him, as well as asking him my question again, although ironically I now feel like I don't really need his advice. My muse has struck, and tonight I will be spending working on several writing ideas I've been mulling over for the past weeks and months. For the moment at least, I feel like doing nothing else, save for perhaps, practicing a few bits of magic that I've learned.
~Kent
It was a strange set of dreams. In the beginning, it seemed like a fairly normal, if incredibly vivid and action packed dream. It was also in first person and we were all present, although I(Kent) was definitely fronting). Both of these things are fairly rare for us in dreams, and is one of the main thing that differentiates "normal" dreams and "special" dreams for us. The second part of the dreaming was more incredible than any dream I have ever had and I wonder, while knowing it was a dream, if it wasn't also real simultaneously.
Anyway, in the beginning, we were visiting a wizard friend of ours who was new to the whole wizard thing. He had found out he was a wizard recently when he inherited a mansion and a library of magic-books from his uncle, who had apparently been a very respected and envied wizard. Our friend had invited us, and several of his other friends over after he had gotten settled in and had begun learning magic and such, to show us all what he had been up to the past few months, and to share his success with his friends.
He threw a small party, but seemed a bit preoccupied with a sense of foreboding, and because of this, and his inexperience as a host, the party was a bit boring, aside from a few demonstrations he did of the magic he had been learning. Those at least, and the excellent food and drink, were well received, but eventually people began to get bored and leave in the slow filter that often happens in such circumstances.
Unfortunately, before everyone had left, and seemingly proving our friend's fears correct, another older, and more experienced wizard, who was jealous of our friend's uncle, decided to attack the mansion with some servants he had created and/or summoned so that he could lay claim to everything our friend had inherited. Our wizard friend realized what was going on, and helped as many of his guests escape before he fought back. We didn't leave though, and were supporting him with some of our native abilities, such as near invisibility and limited flight, which we have had in many other dreams. We gave our friend information about what his enemy's troops were doing and where, because he simply couldn't cover all of the area of the mansion with his limited understanding of magic.
It was very action filled at this point and I don't remember much of it for a while, except that we escaped through a secret tunnel and came out in a Place of Power that his great-grandfather had apparently discovered. It was sort of recessed into bluffs behind his back yard and his grandfather had built a structure on this magical site that was like a cross between a round Greek Temple and Stonehenge. It definitely fit with the overall feeling of the place, which was rather like a cross between an English noble's Country-House and a Roman villa, and the countryside around the house also seemed like a cross between English and Greek pastoral scenes I have seen painted and photographed.
Once we had re-closed the tunnel, my friend began tapping into the magical energy of the site that his grandfather had built, and while he was doing that I went and scouted the area by jumping up onto the top of the ring of columns that formed the outside of the structure.
This area seemed familiar, and tied to a particular location in the repetitive dream-geography that pervades our "special" dreams. Noticing this also made us realize we were dreaming, which is extremely rare for us, and I feel like if that happens again, given the relative consistency and repetition of the places where our "special" dreams take place, I might be able to find this place again. Anyway, back to the dream.
When we looked down, we saw the attacking Wizard beginning some sort of ritual to try to lay claim to the magical power of the land around the mansion. We were a bit worried and were about to tell our friend, but suddenly he attacked, and I watched from above as they began a long-range duel in which they fired beams of light that would burn through the ground and any sort of cover we took. I had to be careful, and I flew a bit out of the line of fire, while my friend dodged and I remembered he had some sort off magical amulet which threw such spells off-target most of the time.
I'm not really sure how but the conflict was suddenly resolved, and the two sides came to some kind of understanding(I think maybe I almost woke up but didn't so I missed a bit) and I wandered off to explore the landscape and at this point my dream moved into a different part.
Please play this while reading the next part. It sets a good tone, although I wish it had someone singing or reading the verses that accompanied the music later on in things.
The next part of the dream, I found myself separated from my friend and arriving at a very fancy party arranged down the slope at one end of the bluff. There was a grand double-staircase, made of many-hued, nearly translucent white marble set into the hillside, a lot like those ones you get in the yards of European mansions and palaces where the upper-crust has outdoor parties, only much much more impressive any way you looked at it. Anyway, I was greeted and welcomed by a butler of some kind who, though he didn't recognize me, bid me welcome and offered a coat for me to wear since I hadn't come dressed for the occasion. He was very helpful, despite my not having an invitation, saying that "for persons such as yourselves sir, it is unnecessary". I was impressed, not only because he had recognized that I was not alone, but that he had even managed to maintain his normal mode of talking without ever stumbling over pronouns or pluralities.
The party itself seemed like a fairly normal, albeit incredibly posh, spring dance, that I'd walked into, although it was odd that so many people seemed to recognize me and greet me. And then I started noticing that most of them had odd colours of skin that aren't normal for humans. Shades of green, blue, grey, and brown skin, all very naturey in tone and any number of shades.
I suddenly realized that I had wandered into a sort of party for the Fairie Court. I spoke to several of the Fae and most of them seemed to know me, and while they were surprised I was there, they realized I had just dreamed my way in, so they made sure that I was taken care of, saying it was an honour to be visited by a human in a dream, as it did not happen very often nowadays. When I asked what the reason for the party was I never got a straight answer, but I got the impression that it was in honour of some person or event.
I woke up temporarily at this point I think, because Christal had sent me a text message asking if she could call, but I decided she would understand that I was at a party in my dream, and I would just get back in touch with her later. I didn't actually remember this until just now when typing it all up because I didn't completely wake up and was immediately able to slip back into the same dream, appearing like coalescing mist and slightly surprising several people around me to whom I apologized saying "I'm sorry, just got a text message, but it wasn't important" which seemed to be either confusing or funny to the Fae, probably depending on whether they knew what text messaging was or not.
There was dancing going on, so I decided to dance with them, and wound up being partnered with several different and very interesting Folk as the dance swirled and partners changed constantly. Eventually we settled into a dance where we were partnered for a long while with a very beautiful female who looked almost completely human except for her pointed ears, sharp teeth, and a long flowing tail of hair that was black and flowing just like the hair on her head. She was vaguely predatory but she was very polite and just stunningly beautiful! I remember she winked at me several times, and I could tell she liked me, but was mostly just enjoying flirting with me, apparently not wanting anything more because I am a mortal.
As the dance wore-on, partners changed, music changed, I danced with lots of other Folk, it must have gone on for hours! I remember at least one of them was squat and furry, but cute. And then a new and particularly memorable piece of music began playing [see the youtube above] and someone, I think maybe the gorgeous one I danced with earlier, started chanting humorously, in time with the music. It didn't quite go with the music, but it caught on, and I recognized what the chanting was; they were chanting the "Danse Macabre" poem by Neil Gaiman in "The Graveyard Book" and the music was wild and classical and almost exactly like that piece of music which I don't think I've ever heard, but I seemed to randomly happen across today from a link on Neil Gaiman's website.
The chanting was done almost facetiously, since they weren't ghosts or skeletons, as the story goes in folklore, but also with a certain respect and appreciation and I kept catching sidelong glances from the dance area up to one of the landings of the grand double-staircase. At first I couldn't figure out why, but then, as the dance continued, and I was able to catch glances up at them, I realized that apparently the hosts were standing up there. There were lords and ladies, all dressed fantastically in the most amazing finery I have ever seen, looking oddly bemused as though something a bit humorous and simultaneously embarrassing and impressive were happening. I also noticed them all, even the High Lord and Lady, glancing sidelong at someone standing back a bit in their midst whom I couldn't see.
As the dance closed though, they began to break and climb the stairs to the top where each staircase met, and I noticed a man, a bit shorter than the rest of them, in a long black coat and with wild black hair, following more slowly than the rest and standing out as noticeably human. I immediately realized that it was Neil Gaiman, and had the impression that perhaps the party had been in his honour, and the spontaneous performance of the Danse Macabre was also for him, although it had not been planned so everyone was vaguely concerned that he wouldn't like it.
He seemed fine with it though, and I rushed up the stairs to speak with him, getting his attention near the top by grabbing his elbow insistently and continuing up the stairs next to him. He didn't recognize me as most everyone else had, but he did obviously notice that I was human and seemed a bit confused, like you sometimes get confused in a dream and I realized he was dreaming too. It didn't matter much to me though, and I told him I was an aspiring writer, who enjoyed his work, and that I was really happy to meet him there. I related how we have difficulty with motivation in actually writing, and asked if he didn't maybe have any advice about that. He furrowed his brow as though he wasn't at all expecting to meet a fan here(I don't blame him!), but asked if I knew how to email him at his blog and when I said yes, he said that if I did then he'd get back to me then, as he wasn't thinking entirely clearly just then.
I thanked him and said I would, then excused myself to go and thank our host and hostess, who seemed to be the stereotypical Elf Lord and Lady from mythology. Oberon and Titania are the names they are usually known by although those aren't their real names, and I simply called them "my Lord and Lady", and I thanked them for their impeccable hospitality and for the impeccable taste in music and dance (with a significant side look at Mr. Gaiman who seemed bemused himself at this point). They replied courteously and thanked me for attending, asking if I had any plan for where I was going next, and if I might not like to join them, for I seemed very humble, interesting, and respectful (with the implication that most mortals these days were not any of these in their eyes).
I apologized, and said that since I was dreaming I would most likely have to wake up soon, and I begged their pardon but I must go, before my alarm woke me suddenly and rudely parted me from their company. They found my humour quite funny apparently, and wished me well and thanked me for attending. I then bowed, promised to return if I found myself able, waved farewell, and dissolved into a mist, soaring up over the landscape and into the sky. At which point I awoke, moments before my alarm sounded.
This is one of those dreams where, while I know it was a dream, I feel like it was also something more. Particularly the second part. I'm seriously considering emailing Neil Gaiman and relating it to him, as well as asking him my question again, although ironically I now feel like I don't really need his advice. My muse has struck, and tonight I will be spending working on several writing ideas I've been mulling over for the past weeks and months. For the moment at least, I feel like doing nothing else, save for perhaps, practicing a few bits of magic that I've learned.
~Kent