Zoen Leed's Story

“To one holding this letter,
I know not who you are, but if you are reading this letter then I believe it right to assist you in discovering my fate and, who knows, perhaps in adding a new page to a strange and ghastly story I have become involved in.
Let me tell you first and foremost that this letter is far from a suicide note, for though I distance myself from the world of the waking and, perhaps, by extension the living – it is not my intention to leave it permanently. Though the chances are slim, I still hope to reawaken with new clarity in my mind. Until this happens I have little to contribute in this regard to you, but I will tell you what I know, starting from the beginning.
My name is Dr. William Connover and I am an oneirologist, in other words someone involved in the study of dreams and the process of dreaming. My research has permeated all aspects of my life up to this moment and, unfortunately, in time it may have also adversely affected my family. Three months ago, my daughter, Tatiana Connover, who had been helping me with my research into the phenomenon of lucid dreaming, unexplainably died in her sleep. As terrible as this tragedy was however, the story that brought me where I am right now, and likely brought you here where I left this letter, is not solely about my daughter’s death.
You may have noticed the increasing frequency of deaths among children, with the circumstances quite baffling yet possessing one common element – all those children died in their sleep. This coincidence was not initially taken by me as part of a greater pattern, yet I began gathering notes on all those cases, their absolute majority discarded due to the supposed “peaceful” nature of the children’s deaths. Having studied the cases I have come to a conclusion, that the last world they had been to prior to their demise was that of dreams. It is based on this assumption that I believe this very dreamworld to be the holding place of the key to what has really been going on.
Thankfully my research enabled me to find a way of inducing a lucid dream in an individual regardless of their innate capabilities to enter one. A combination of sound frequencies and ingested sedatives provides the necessary bio-chemical stimulation. I shall not go into details of this particular discovery, though you may refer to my journal for information if you find it imperative. Suffice to say, I have become the first test subject of the finalized formula. With any luck, I am presently asleep and already exploring the dreamscape, seeking clues to this troubling case.
Losing my beloved daughter was devastating. I may not be able to reverse it, but I know I cannot rest without trying to bring closure to the issue. More children are likely dying and I must make my contribution to putting an end to it. I know not if I will or can be successful, but I enter the lucid dream with resolve, hope and determination. And should I fail, I hope your luck turns out better than mine.
Farewell, and good luck,
Dr. William Connover”

He could remember writing those words. His handwriting was steady, methodical – that of a man who made a decision and was not going to turn from it. He remembered the medicine he took, the cool water washing it down into his throat. Then the headphones he put on his head beginning to emanate the first notes of an infinite loop he’d programmed into his computer. A blend of sounds, some those of a single continuous note, others pulsing and throbbing, slowly sinking into the background before being captured by his sense of hearing again and emerging on the surface. But all of it had sunk into the depth of his mind before sending it far and beyond, where it would be encased in a far different body under a far different name.

Zoen’s awakening was a nostalgic thing, though the feeling of return was not without a subtle hint of change stemming both from prolonged absence of sensations in this vessel and from the changes inevitably brought about by the passing of time. Yet he had obtained control of himself very soon. Perhaps lucid dreaming was like controlling a familiar form of transportation. With some support the skill could be rejuvenated and utilized again without much of a problem. Such was the case of Zoen Leed as well. The young man has been standing outside one of the empty buildings of Eludrest. He had the time to consider various things such as the differences he felt about himself, the position his Inner Self must’ve been in prior to his return here. Had the figure of the man with shimmering golden bangs obscuring his eyes been seated right here all this time as if in silent contemplation? Had he been missing from here altogether until the dreamer returned?

But, all those undoubtedly fascinating thoughts considered the man needed to move along. Lingering in one spot for long was counter-productive, especially one quite as empty. So seeing things around him clearly despite the obfuscating bangs over his eyes he moved along at a steady yet somewhat casual place, heeding all that was happening around him. He chose a direction somewhat on a whim and somewhat on the feeling that the dreamscape tended to present the necessary location to one who took the effort to move. His hands were held in his pockets as he headed onwards, a slight smile on his face. This adventure really did hold quite some endearing nostalgia to it…

They were lost. There was no question about that. Nozihar angrily reflected on how they got here. Rahizon had pointed in the wrong direction! That had to be it. Nozihar spared a moment to glare at the ever grinning face of his companion. That stupid green dumb-ass! Didn’t even know where Tinker Tocker was. ‘Why did you point in this direction anyway if you don’t know where Tinker Tocker is?!’ Nozihar was yelling, unable to hide his frustration from the green apparition any longer.

’It is not my fault you took a wrong turn halfway there.’

The creatures static filled voice drifted off along with the echoes. Nozihar was quiet. He hadn’t taken a wrong turn did he? And if he did, why didn’t Razihon warn him? Hmm? He nodded to himself before vocalizing his thoughts. ’Why didn’t you warn me then?!’ The creature merely shrugged an infuriating shrug in answer. Nozihar wondered for a moment why he was so upset, getting lost was usually an adventure, filled with new places to see and explore. But this particular detour had taken them close to Eludrest City. He hated Eludrest City. Creepy place, filled with the regrets and sadness of those who were once like him. Nozihar shook his head to try and erase the memory of his visit there. He wasn’t even sure if what he saw was real or not and he didn’t particularly care either. It was scary. That was what mattered.

’Someone is approaching.’

Razihon had turned and looked in the direction of a blond man coming in their direction. His hair covered his eyes and he seemed to be smiling. Nozihar frowned as he watched the man. He couldn’t be sure if the man had noticed him from this distance and it didn’t matter. He was coming from Eludrest City, that fact alone was enough to arouse both interest and suspicion. No one would go there if they were a good person, right? Right! And bad people needed to be taught a lesson. Nozihar nodded to himself once more before forming an ethereal snake out of thin air, the artificial creature the same hue and pattern as Razihon before launching it in the direction of the now approaching man. This was sure to scare the man away from Eludrest City from now on. Razihon turned back to Nozihar before adding his opinion to the chaos that was now erupting around the pair.

’I would suggest diplomacy first.’

Nozihar could only shout back at the Appiration, ‘Shut up! I’m only gonna scare him! Now leave me alone!’ A slight shrug was the only answer Razihon had to that particular suggestion.

An apple lay on top of a bundle of many other apples in an old merchant's stall. Different from all the other apples next to her, this certain apple glowed its lusciousness in the busy Marketplace and beckoned a fifteen-year-old girl to come closer. "I am the best apple in this season's harvest," the apple seemed to tell her. "Look at how shiny I am! How valuable I must look!"

The girl dressed in a top-laced dress and pointed hat took the bait and went over to the merchant's stall, taking the shiny apple. "Ah! You have a good eye, my dear. That apple was picked at exactly midnight during the Midsummer Night's Harvest. Imagine that!" said the merchant. "You know what they say about apples like that...magical powers and whatnot. My own papa told me one bite could make you remember things long forgotten," he added in a low whisper, hoping to coax his customer with the curiosity of the unknown.

But the merchant was unsure if his strategy worked; he couldn't see the girl's face which was hooded by her hat while she looked studied the Midsummer Night's apple in her palm with deep interest. "I know," was all she said.

Coran---for that was the old merchant's name---eyed the girl cautiously. He could swear he's seen this girl somewhere before...Pale skin. White hair with hints of daylight. And the pointed top hat...But his thoughts were interrupted when the girl suddenly took a bite at his apple, considering it sold. Grinning at his first sale after hours of dormancy in his stall, he said, "That'd be ten silver coins, Miss. Miss---"

Coran stopped and his tanned face turned as pale as the girl's. The girl had finally looked up at him, grinning, and he recognized her immediately. The little ball of silver that whirled near her was a dead give away.

She was Flue, the Silver Witch and as such, he will allow her to take the apple no charge in exchange of his life. Coran nodded in agreement although no words were spoken. He had known Flue for years, as a merchant girl much like him who toiled in this very Marketplace a couple years ago and recently as a notorious theif in the Dream Realm as soon as her soul sphere grew enough to harm.

Flue took another bite, teasing Coran how easily she stole his prized item for the day. At least it was just the apple, Coran consoled himself. It could have been worse. He let out a sigh of relief when the Silver Witch left him in one piece and one less apple in his stall.



Flue walked through the buzzing Marketplace with ease. She was once a local in these streets, specifically the Marketplace. Avoiding bumps from strangers going the opposite ways and disregarding the tempting calls of experienced merchants who had nothing worthwhile to offer her were two skills she mastered during her years as a mere merchant.

But that was a few years ago. Now, she was the Silver Witch.

The years gone by has done very little to change the old Marketplace. It still thrived in the long road at the heart of Tinker Tocker, the Dream Realm's very own City of Commerce. The street remained cramped with stalls in both sides of the street and customers in all parts of the Realm flocked in and out causing much traffic.

Last time Flue was here, she was distraught---and thrilled at the same time---for having absolutely nothing left to steal in Tinker Tocker because she has already collected everything worth taking. It was then she decided to move from city to city and hunt for riskier treasures. Now, however, things were different. Flue had noticed the increasing surplus of people in the Realm but she never bothered to wonder why. All she cares about is treasure, and where there's new people, there's bound to be something new to steal.

During her stay in Mechanoid Paranoia, a certain conversation piqued her interest. From what little she heard---for the strangers had been whispering---it seems there is a man walking around in the Dream Realm with an important letter in his person---a letter that contained a valuable secret!

The Silver Witch had jumped at this. Almost always, a valuable secret lead to a valuable item. The secret itself is a treasure find, and from the apprehensive looks of the strangers when she asked about it, it is a very valuable secret, indeed.

When the men couldn't provide her with any other useful information, Flue left Mechanoid Paranoia to look for more clues about the man with the letter. Surely, someone here has met him. Everybody comes by the City of Commerce.

Hence, Flue's return to Tinker Tocker.

He’s been walking for some time through the city, though not quite doubting the path he had chosen. Dormant memories were awakening one by one, though not in the form of easily envisioned images – rather it was like a gut instinct rising from a long slumber. He welcomed it. With his goals it would be important to regain the proper skills of navigation. He would stop every now and then to talk to one figure or another. The shapes of Inner Selves, forgotten or not, varied wildly. He’d seen a strange feline creature with shifting swirly patterns upon its coat; he’d seen a young male with stag-horns; he’d even seen a being not unlike a crayon drawing, completely flat and moving by shifting across a flat surface. Contemplations concerning their counterparts in the waking world were quite exhilarating yet he had to move on further. Sooner or later, he believed, his feet will end up taking him to a livelier place, where the Inner Selves wouldn’t be quite so dormant. All those he’d encountered so far were responsive to outside stimuli, but seemed to return to a stagnant state as soon as he ceased interaction. That could well explain lack of particularly useful facts to hear from them.

It was no wonder that a sudden “livelier” encounter wasn’t initially noticed by him. The one accompanied by a strange green companion had all the chances to surprise Zoen, the latter having been walking for some time with nothing but the conversations he’d shared with the residents of Eludrest and his own steady (though casual) advance occupying his mind. When an ethereal construct shaped much like a snake suddenly passed through his chest, flying through and behind his back, he stopped, though not quite due to fear but rather a sudden unexpected contact. The angle of his head shifted very slightly, indicating that his eyes were now in front of him and not lowered to the ground. His smile was reduced to half its original size due to the shock, but was still present as he looked ahead at the one who must’ve launched the snake.

“My-my. Wasn’t that a strange greeting? Waving with your hand and saying “hello” is far more universal.” He mused in a casual tone, his reaction wildly playing down the aforementioned “greeting” from the one in front of him. One might have thought such a comment would be due if the stranger had made an eccentric twirl and a bow, then done a backflip, concluded by standing on his hands and clapping his feet enthusiastically. Launching a green snake through someone probably required a far less laid-back response. Nonetheless, Zoen was still looking at him with his smile, his eyes still concealed by his slightly shimmering blonde hair. “Boy, what are you called in this world? Does your friend have a name as well?” He questioned in a friendly manner.

Nohizar frowned before bringing his thumb up to his mouth to softly chew on the nail. This wasn’t supposed to happen. This wasn’t right. This man barely seemed startled and that was a stretch of the imagination on Nohizar’s part. No this wasn’t right at all. Slight fear suddenly showed in Nohizar’s eyes, what if he was like him, only far more powerful? What if he had signed his own death warrant just now? What if…

’My-my. Wasn’t that a strange greeting? Waving with your hand and saying “hello” is far more universal.’

Nohizar blinked at the man’s reaction. Was it just him or was he still smiling? Yes, he was most definitely smiling. But why? It had to be a trick. To lure Nohizar into a false sense of security. That’s what adults always did. Talk and talk to get him to do things that they wanted, but never caring about what he wanted. Nohizar shook his head. He wouldn’t nod and smile as the adults tricked him. He’d show him. He’d show…

’Boy, what are you called in this world? Does your friend have a name as well?’

Nohizar blinked once more, his mouth slightly open in surprise. ’Very charming.’ Razihon’s voice cut through the slowly lengthening silence between the three like a knife would cut a particularly soft butter. Nohizar nodded to himself once more. Razihon was right. It wouldn’t do to let the adult keep the initiative. He had to seize control. With only a slight pause after Razihon’s words Nohizar stood up straight. His mouth once more contorted into a smirk of confidence that was only slightly marred by the discomfort he felt. His voice came out loud but slightly higher in pitch than it would usually be as he addressed the man.

’M-my name is Nohizar!’ Yes good, don’t show him your discomfort. Instead make him fear you. Nohizar nodded to himself once again, as his confidence grew. 'And I am the king of the expanse plain! Ruler of the city you are trespassing in!’ He gestured towards Razihon, as the rest of his discomfort disappeared the more he talked himself up to the stranger. ’And this is Razihon, first of my creations and one of the greatest warriors in this land’ Razihon could only chuckle at the introduction, but kept his silence. ’And what is your name, stranger?’ Nohizar finally added, puffing up his chest in a way that would only be considered a sign of confidence in cartoons.

“Oh?” There was a slight pause after Nohizar voiced his introduction of both himself and his companion. And while the blonde-haired man was certainly pleased that he managed to find out their names, something was quite obviously off. It has been a long time since he’d been here in this world, that is for sure, but he was still certain that this abandoned city had no conceivable sovereign among the Inner Selves dwelling it. “Hmmm… You say that, but from what I remember, this area doesn’t really have a ruler, or a king…” He murmured thoughtfully with his hand brought up to his chin. For a mere moment he seemed to be in contemplation over the fact he’d just voiced, though perhaps discreetly observing Nohizar’s reaction, but soon he laughed softly.

“I see, I see. Well of course, it is only fitting that this place would have found its sovereign, isn’t it? My name is Zoen Leed. Feel free to call me Zoen and I hope you will accept my apologies for trespassing.” So he spoke with an elegant bow in the direction of the “king” and his “great warrior”. As he stood straight again his smile was, as before, the only obvious feature on his face. After taking in the response of those two he’d encountered, whether verbal or otherwise, Zoen continued to speak. “To be honest, I wasn’t counting on remaining here in this city much longer. I was in fact heading somewhere with more people where I could hunt on clues about a certain something. Surely one of you must know the quickest way to get there?” He tilted his head slightly, though this still didn’t make his bangs obscure his eyes any less.

With all that said, Zoen had his reasons to assume that those two could prove somewhat helpful as companions if anything else. In retrospect the object that had passed through him was likely a construct born of this boy’s Sphere. Under different circumstances letting his guard down while walking would’ve probably been a very bad idea, so Zoen was secretly glad that he took no damage as the attack wasn’t intended to do him harm. For now perhaps playing along with the game of a trespasser and a self-proclaimed king with his warrior would be a much better idea. After all, do games not end up teaching children valuable lessons every now and then?

“Of course if it is bothersome I can go and find my own way to Tinker Tocker.” He concluded, shrugging his shoulders slightly and looking straight ahead at the boy. It was his move now – would he keep up his self-proclaimed title now? Furthermore, would he remain here or would he head onwards? Did he just find a potential ally heading in the same direction, or…? The answers hinged on Nohizar’s response…

The boy screamed, his throat tearing to burning shreds from the sheer force behind the pained cry. He writhed, twisting and twisting, but was held down somehow. They had to get him under control. He was too loud, too crazy. He was disturbing the other patients, and would probably hurt himself. They had to inject him with the sedative, with their gleaming needles and gloved hands. He was sick, but not physically. The rest would help him, they said. But as that boy’s screams slowly died out, and his body became limp, he knew that he wouldn’t wake up again. He was right.

Walking, walking, walking, walking.

Some would say that such a lack of purpose was strange for any sort of being. For Siran, however, that was all he knew. There was nothing for him, just a constant, restless part of him that urged him to continue, to move forward. He had no interests, and although the world of dreams was brimming with many, many strange things, none of them appealed to him.

He drifted, a ghostly background figure. Silent, always silent, and with him he carried nothing. Not even a presence. His mind was still, but his body was always moving, always moving.

Soon, though, Siran began to seek something. He knew not what he looked for, but it was precious. Predictably, he did not find it, as he couldn’t find what he didn’t know, but that changed quickly.

Life.

He had found it in a city, in two, no, three figures. The others were lifeless. These were different, these pulsed. There was a boy, with green hair. And a man, a clever man. And then there was another being, Siran didn’t know what it was. This made him curious. Curiosity had always been a strong driving factor.

As he drifted closer, Siran hesitated. Would he, a lifeless creature, be permitted to speak these bright beings? Was he even allowed to do something like that? To talk, to communicate, was that even within the realm of his abilities? Was he even capable of interacting with another life form? Exchanging thoughts and feelings in such a way as to further each other’s understanding?

Ah. The pale boy stopped in his tracks. He wanted to understand, he wanted it where he had never wanted anything otherwise. But he knew it wasn’t possible; he would have nothing to contribute, to give to these blessed people. Siran’s face became carefully blank, moreso than usual, as he turned around, away from the life he had sought.

Walking, walking, walking, walking.

“Hmmm… You say that, but from what I remember, this area doesn’t really have a ruler, or a king…”

Nozihar’s heart was beating in his chest loud as thunder. So loud that he felt it might just jump straight out and take a hike. Nozihar couldn’t even remember the last time his heart drowned out all other sound. In fact, he was sure it had never happened to him in this world. This man wasn’t buying it. He wasn’t going to believe what he said. Nozihar looked to Rahizon for support, only to find the apparition was focused on something in the distance.

“I see, I see. Well of course, it is only fitting that this place would have found its sovereign, isn’t it? My name is Zoen Leed. Feel free to call me Zoen and I hope you will accept my apologies for trespassing.”

He bought it. Of course he did. Nozihar’s regal appearance could only elicit a response like this. He nodded to as much to himself as to Zoen in recognition of his introduction. With a slightly more confident smirk than before he continued to listen, as any good king would, to the man as he explained his current predicament while Razihon seemed more focused on something in the far distance.

“Of course if it is bothersome I can go and find my own way to Tinker Tocker.”

Nozihar nearly jumped at this suggestion. He liked this man. He wasn’t just going to let him walk off. With his confidence now at maximum Nozihar stuck out his chest and said in his most regal voice: ”N-no! It’s not bothersome at all, in fact, it just so happens that we were heading towards Tinker Tocker ourselves.” ”Before you got lost, that is.” Rahizon added, whatever had demanded his attention in the distance seemed to have moved off. ”I know what way to go… though I suggest we move fast, we may not be alone here anymore.” He added, his static filled voice sounding more startled and lower in pitch than usual. ”Y-yeah! So, if you’d like, you can come along with us.” Nozihar added, his royal lineage as quickly forgotten as it was adopted as he prepared to set off in the direction of Tinker Tocker.

Zoen’s smile grew a bit as he realized that things were going smoothly with this newly encountered monarch, who was somewhat likely to actually be a boy looking for some company. Incidentially Zoen’s own thoughts on the matter went along with the principle of “the more – the merrier”, a fact that he didn’t hesitate to voice without losing a respectful tone. “I thank you sincerely, King Nohizar. I shall gladly accompany you and make myself as useful as I can be.” Such was his response. “I imagine your valiant knight knows the way?” He began walking towards the two of them, though at a slow enough pace to let one of them take point and lead ahead. Despite the Dreamworld’s tendency to guide travellers where they intended to go, someone knowing the way was no less acceptable under the circumstances.

“I know what way to go… though I suggest we move fast, we may not be alone here anymore.” The green-haired boy’s companion had warned in a somewhat wary tone. Zoen turned his head a bit, as if trying to sight whatever had caused Rahizon to sound so alarmed. Was there another non-dormant lucid dreamer around here? Was he or she hostile? The snake that had gone through him earlier was a mercifully peaceful reminder of the need to pay more attention and Zoen wasn’t about to prove unable to learn from his mistakes. Following a mere minute of looking around he shrugged his shoulders as it seemed nothing was going to prevent them from moving along. “Well, unless there’s malevolent intent behind it, I doubt we should be overly troubled. Even though the more of us there are the more fun the company. A king should have many subjects after all, isn’t that right?” The way his smile looked it was almost as though he had winked at Nohizar when he said it, but of course due to his bangs it was left unseen.

He put a hand in his pocket, his fingertips brushing against an object with the familiar texture of a paper envelope. It was an object that had formed unexpectedly upon his awakening in the world. Though he could clearly remember having written it prior to falling asleep and leaving it on the desk in his study over in the world of the waking, the fact that a direct copy of it had emerged in the Dreamworld came as a surprise. But then again, with the way his lucid dream started it was probably to be expected that any number of anomalies would be encountered here. The presence of this unexpected symbol of his commitment and his goal was a somewhat reassuring thing and it caused him to laugh to himself softly, even though if one was to see his eyes they would realize the laugh was in fact at least slightly bittersweet.

He would continue walking by Nohizar’s and Rahizon’s side, taking in his surroundings and going far less deep into his thoughts this time around. In fact with his hand conveniently hidden in his pocket he would make slight movements with his fingertips, causing a barely visible golden string to stretch itself between some of the buildings across the street behind their backs, forming a tripwire of sorts around the height of a person’s ankles. Such use of his Soul Sphere was used without an announcement, though he expected that anyone tripping over the string would alert their party well enough. If anything, it would serve as an early warning as Zoen wasn’t truly planning to dismiss the warnings of Nohizar’s mysterious companion. Not bothering to maintain those subtle traps for long however he would simply allow them to vanish as soon as they distanced from them and would form another one somewhat nearer.

Far from being a silent operator however the man also didn’t avoid making conversation. “Have you been here long? And, if I may ask, what might you be looking for in Tinker Tocker?” Came the “conversation-starter” from him some five minutes into their trek through the deserted streets of Eludrest. It was worth noting that he was addressing both Nohizar and Razihon equally, seemingly making no distinction between the dreamer and the dreamer's construct, whether due to not knowing of their position or due to having an even interest in them both.

Nohizar smiled brightly when Zoen agreed to accompany them to Tinker Tocker. This meant he finally had someone to talk to! Razihon made a terrible conversationalist after all. "Razihon does know the way! Of course, I do too, but it’s fine for him to take the lead here, so we can talk!” Nohizar kept smiling as he walked, looking at Zoen with more than a little wonder and adoration in his eyes. He noticed quickly how Zoen walked, hands in his pockets. That was so cool! Nohizar lowered his hat in an incredibly unsubtle attempt to mimic Zoen’s hair as he put his own hands in his pockets as he walked. He already had a thousand questions coursing in his mind, all of which he would be sure to try and ask during their journey to Tinker Tocker… but which one to ask first? So many options, so many things to learn.

But before Nohizar could get to his own questions, Zoen asked one of his own. “Have you been here long? And, if I may ask, what might you be looking for in Tinker Tocker?” Nohizar was caught a little off guard when Zoen showed interest in him, but the feeling only lasted a moment before he smiled once more, relishing the opportunity to talk about himself. ”Oh, I’ve been here for such a long time you wouldn’t believe it!” In his excitement Nohizar forgot about emulating Zoen and moved his hands from his pockets to run a little ahead and spread his arms. ”I’ve been here so long I’ve seen almost everything and know almost every rock personally!” He was laying it on a little thick, but Zoen didn’t know that did he? ”And we’re headed to Tinker Tocker because Razihon says he some business there, but he says its private, so I can’t say much.” He looked a little apologetically, hoping Zoen wouldn’t get angry at him for keeping a secret.

Having answered Zoen’s questions, it was finally time for Nohizar to ask some of his own. As he launched his barrage of questions (which he would keep up until they reached Tinker Tocker) he barely gave Zoen time to respond to each one. ”So where are you from?”, ”How old are you?”, ”Can you make cool things with your powers too?” He asked, even as he created a little bird that flew off and disappeared but a few moments later. As they moved closer and closer to Tinker Tocker his line of questioning changed. "Have you ever seen the engineers of Tinker Tocker? They're so creepy!", "What about those moving gear things? I heard they all move together to move something even bigger! Have you ever seen what they move?"

Meanwhile, Razihon remained quiet, silently thankful for Nohizar’s sudden onset of motor mouth and kept his distance from the other two, making sure Nohizar was between himself and Zoen at all times, while still remaining in sight and capable of leading the pair. Only when they arrived at Tinker Tocker did the strange being approach them once again, his static voice somewhat impatient as he spoke. ”We have arrived. I’m sorry for the suddenness of our departure, but we have other, private, business to take care off here… so we will take our leave.”

Razihon’s voice startled Nohizar a little, and he looked more than a little sad that they had to leave their new friend already. ”I’m sorry too… but if you’re staying here for a while we should hang out again! It’s been really fun!” An innocent smile spread across his features as he and Razihon walked into the city and then one of the side streets and quickly disappeared from view.

“Oh? Fascinating. Perhaps you could share some of your great knowledge then?” Whether or not such a question would inadvertently corner Nohizar, or at least put the true extent of what he knew to the test, Zoen did ask something more precise the next moment. “For instance, have you been noticing something different about their dwellers? Their movement? Their numbers?” Though asked in a casual tone there was a somewhat greater urgency embedded into the questions and Zoen listened very carefully to the answers, though not without an understanding of the need to separate the exaggerations from what could be valuable truths or at least rumors which could be used to get closer to the aforementioned truths.

Regardless of the response, the older man was by no means interrogating Nohizar and took the time to properly answer the green-haired boy’s questions in turn. One had to admit that the boy’s curiosity seemed to provide nigh-infinite fuel for conversation as they walked. “Where I am from… Hmmm… Let’s see… Well, I actually started off right here, so you could say I’m from Eludrest based on that. I’m a bit over twenty years of age…” Their stroll was fairly calm with nothing triggering Zoen’s tripwires along the way. Incidentally, the blonde man’s response to Nohizar’s question pertaining to what his powers could make was to point behind them at one of the faintly glimmering string stretching across the street some distance behind them. Even with Zoen directly pointing it out it wasn’t easy to spot. Perhaps in part due to realizing this he proceeded to clap his hands together then spread his palms. “I’m not certain, but would you consider this cool?” He suggested with a smile, shimmering golden strings suspended between his fingers as he moved his hands apart. It was much like something that could be tied into a string figure with some motions of one’s digits, but he merely kept them the way they were. At the end of this brief demonstration he moved his palms back together, the strings disappearing as if they were never there in the first place.

Just as Nohizar began mentioning the engineers of Tinker Tocker and other things peculiar about their destination, said destination seemingly began manifesting all around them. Zoen’s hunch about the dreamworld responding to one’s intention to get somewhere, rather than one’s exact knowledge of the layout and topography was apparently correct. With that in mind, perhaps what had stopped Nohizar from reaching Tinker Tocker was a less clear understanding of his destination than what was required? Or perhaps their unified desire to get there was stronger than that of a single boy. One way or other, the streets around them gradually grew more bustling, the architecture changed to incorporate those weird cogs and ticking gears that Nohizar had mentioned. Zoen, unbeknownst to his new acquaintance, was watching everything from beneath his bangs and commented upon the changing landscape as they proceeded. “Truth be told, it’s been a long time since I’ve been here. So I don’t remember what it’s supposed to be like…”

But one way or other they were beyond a doubt in Tinker Tocker for no other place upon the dreamscape sported the complex machinery embedded into their very surroundings. It must’ve taken the inhabitants some time to get used to the ticking, but it sounded surprisingly unified and even somewhat melodious. To Zoen the machine seemed well-oiled enough to cause no concern… Though perhaps the mechanical city would reveal some errors in the way the Dreamworld has been operating recently after all. “Perhaps looking into their motions is a good idea. Thank you, King Nohizar.” He commented with a smile. Unfortunately at that point Nohizar’s ghostly companion informed that they had to take care of their business now, meaning that for some time they would part ways. “I understand. Hopefully you will be successful in your endeavors. Until we meet again, both of you.” He waved as the two ran off before turning his head towards the bustling city. He would likely be able to do a lot of things here should he so desire. The Inner Selves here likely weren’t dormant, meaning he could count on more individuals to interact with.

Placing his hands in his pocket, once again touching upon the reassuringly tangible letter in one of them, Zoen proceeded to walk through the city no longer accompanied, for now listening to his surroundings. Places did tend to change as one walked the dreamworld with an intention to go somewhere. Now do people with information you can use show up quite so easily, he wondered to himself…?

Even given his reasons for having entered a lucid dream, Zoen wasn’t beyond making the most of finally being in a place incomparably more dynamic than the quiet, near-deserted streets of Eludrest. The dream was still co-operating with his intentions – there was no shortage of individuals to whom he could speak. One more vivid than the other, guided by minds of dreamers and whatever laws stood behind dreaming beyond the control of dreamers, they had vastly different reactions and things to tell the blonde-haired man with the golden sash and he listened. The value of the rumors they shared… that was already another story. Most seemed to be far more focused on whatever preoccupied their own minds from places they’ve been to, to how outrageous the prices in the market were. Zoen tapped his chin in contemplation concerning the latter – what could determine one’s riches in a world of dreams?

As he asked more and more beings capable of speech, he gradually moved closer to the center of Tinker Tocker, somewhat melodious ticking surrounding him along with the less organized murmur of those presently in the city. Having been given food for thought and an opportunity to socialize with a varying degree of success, it was no less than an entire hour later, at least if an estimation based on his sense of time was to be believed, that Zoen stopped for a bit to weight the amount of new information he’d received… But no, he was quite certain that nothing new had been told to him and in terms of his investigation he was mostly where he had begun. Unfortunate, but not enough to discourage him. At least not yet.

He thought for a bit – perhaps it would pay to reconsider the wording of his questions? “Have you seen anything strange happen lately?” That was one of the questions he had tried asking. In response to it he would mostly receive answers far too different to make any useful information out of them. The world of dreams shifts and accommodates strange things by nature – a hundred different people would see a hundred different things, figuratively or literally. Alternatively he would occasionally ask if they had seen a certain Persona. To this question the answer was always the same short "No".

After the curious but inconclusive investigation Zoen paused somewhere in the city-center, observing the crowd from beneath the slightly glowing bangs. Unbeknownst to those around him and, in fact, to Zoen himself as he hadn’t bothered to look into a mirror, underneath the strands of hair in his eyes gradually shifted a golden pattern of lines forming an ornament not unlike a gilded kaleidoscope. Perhaps the pattern shifted following the rhythm of his thoughts, perhaps it was slowly synching with the ticking of the town’s cogs and gears.

Taking the opportunity granted by his pause, he leaned his back against one of the buildings overlooking the city center and reached out his hand, his fingers tracing lines in the air until they became tangible – he once again created a quartet of his golden strings, their ends unseen yet tethered somewhere as the strings were ajangle. He slid his fingers down the visible length of the strings and produced a musical sound akin to a mixture of a violin and a singing voice. The ticking resonating through the city was like a metronome as he began to play the strings, new musical notes escaping from under the caress of his hands. He had noticed this subtle change to his Pulse back when he had awoken in Eludrest for the first time after so long. But only now he took his time to explore its capabilities some more. There was no rush at the moment. Why not support the rampant thoughts with a soothing melody? Besides, who knows, perhaps the dream would work with him a bit more and bring to him someone who could tell him what he wanted to hear, much as the unexpected encounter with the King and his brave Warrior before. Thus he reasoned to himself with a half-smile as he played…

This ability was certainly something he could get used to. He played for some time, a somewhat idle use of his ability, but if a Dreamer couldn’t choose how to use their power, what good would it be? Changing the tune and switching between melodies, trying things from improvising with his mind alone to replicating some of the songs he’d heard in the waking world. For a bit he probably turned into something like a background figure and those who would walk past him had a chance to take him for merely another part of the dream brought forth by someone’s whimsical fantasies and placed right there at the square to entertain those around him with music. It gave some interesting opportunities to study those around him without directly calling upon them with speech. In a way he enjoyed the new perspective.

Though proceeding merely with his quiet contemplation and the indulgence of a sudden creative vibe was tempting, he wouldn’t let it go for too long. And by sheer coincidence no sooner had he considered tending to other business that the aforementioned business manifested itself quite prominently in relative vicinity. Even in the world of dreams the sudden destruction of a building produced an appropriate amount of fear from those closer to the place of the incident and bewilderment from those further away, rendering them ever eager to discover the source of the commotion. He was no different from the latter and so he let the strings vanish and walked swiftly towards one of the side streets from which the rumbling seemed to have come.

While certainly not indifferent to the plight of others, Zoen wasn’t exactly a hero and so he showed up only in time to witness the aftermath of what must’ve happened here. Stone rubble, debris and several dislodged cogs from the walls of a collapsed building, and a veil of slowly settling dust partially obscuring one’s view. There were certainly onlookers expressing various degrees of concern, curiosity and from some – even excitement. Some were asking if anyone was wounded, some were asking if anyone had seen the building collapse. Zoen peered past the gawking and murmuring residents of Tinker Tocker then finally moved forward, gently shifting some of those in his way aside. The crowd wasn’t particularly dense despite the loud collapse of the building.

And so it happened that while Zoen Leed didn’t see this event unfold from the very beginning, he did, upon closer examination, notice at least one familiar silhouette before his eyes obscurred by the blonde bangs – and that was one of the self-proclaimed King of the Realm he’d first found himself in. “King Nohizar? Are you alright?” He called out upon recognizing the young Persona, not yet able to verify his exact condition or that of those near him just from looking ahead due to all the dust, but gradually moving further along and beginning to make out more details of the “scene”. As he proceeded he would also look upwards every now and then to be sure that no more debris would rain down from any adjacent buildings. Was it him, or was there an observer on the roof of one of the buildings...? Regardless, for now he ignored this other onlooker and simply continued onwards. Nohizar and whoever else might've gotten caught up in this incident could require some aid.

He was busy attempting to process the boy's comment about the armour being heavy, which he couldn't understand as it had never occurred to him that it could be heavy, when they were disrupted by loud crumbling caused by one of the nearby towers breaking away from its structure. ”Quick, we have to help her!” he heard the boy say as he ran in the direction of the falling figure amidst the rumble. Martellus stared up at the brickwork trailing alongside the, he assumed, girl for a fraction of a heartbeat before his heavy footfalls cracked the cobbled street beneath him as he ran after the boy.

He saw green and black wisps of smoke billowing outward before the boy, and shaping themselves into a great hand that reached up towards the girl in an attempt to slow her decent. As he'd been moving towards the destruction he'd gently let his pulse build in his right hand till he broke the potential energy forming it into a flail which he struck out with as hard as he could. Its barbed end was thrown high above him with the chain rippling out as it made to shape its length to his desires, the brickwork nearest the girl becoming faint powder as the metal ripped through it like a hot knife through butter.

He pulling the weapon back till the head of the fail was gripped tightly in his other hand before absorbing the weapon back into himself, and reforming it into a large oval tower shield. He looked at the girl slowly falling above, the boy next to him and back to the shield before growling slightly "Hopefully, this won't get us killed." He grumbled to himself as he began to charge as much of his pulse into the shield as he could, causing it to expand over him and the two others in order to deflect any stray rubble as the girl almost reached the ground.

His vision became slightly obscured as bricks and stone piled up around him, hiding the boy from his side though he was presumably still under the relative safety shield. Though he could just about make out a voice coming from beyond the wreckage he wasn't able to discern the words.

Quinera was not happy. Her new friend had just fallen from the building. Or the building had fallen away from her. Buildings didn't do that. Someone must've done it to her buildings and that is not allowed. Nope, nope, nope. The jester went onto high alert, growling loudly, making sure that anyone who was listening knew of her annoyance and her anger. Her eyes scanned the surrounding buildings for the idiot who had decided to mess with her Tinker Tocker. No one she could see right now. But those two had gone after Eri...Those two had to be dealt with. They could hurt her and that was NOT allowed. Quinn was the one who had to look after her little friend. It was her job now. The jester had tried to grab her friend when she had fallen but just missed. Just be a tiny amount. And then those two turn up and play hero? No. No, that was not allowed. They were doing very well until the building had crumbled.

The jester stood on a nearby building, observing the group of people gathered there. Huh, people. They were so annoying. Just so...urgh. A little flare of frustration buold up inside the young woman and she snarled loudly, causing a few people to look up in confusion. The jester blended into the grayish buildings with a quick thought and change back once those curious people had looked away. Good.

Eri was still down there. She needed to go find her before something happened. But that would mean having to go down and be around all those people. All those people who probably wouldn't be too happy to see her. Quinn bit her lip hard and tasted a tang of copper as she bit down too hard. What was she going to do? She couldn't stay up here forever, that much was obvious. But really, she didn't want to go down. She just wanted her new friend back up here. Decisions, decisions. Quinera started to wring her hands, eyes flitting from place to place. She had to make her move, she had to do something quickly. Quick, quick, quick. Another stab of frustation shot through her already tense mind and the young woman threw up her hands with a scream. Why couldn't she just decide? It wasn't hard, not at all. But she was scared to go down. Just too scared of the new people and the changes and different. She didn't like different. Not at all. But then the frustration and fear disappeared as a thread of confidence and mischief played its game with her mind.

She wouldn't be scared. She would be scary.

The jester readied herself, confident. She had done this before. There was just more people this time. Most of which would run once they had seen her. No problem. Quinera threw herself off the building, seeping in the shoked gasps, whispers and fear that started to come off the crowd once they had noticed her. She was The Jester and she was not playing games. The young woman gripped onto a ridge on the building opposite and flew off, reading herself to land beside her friend. However, she never got the chance to land as a bright light suddenly filled her vision.

Erixianti's eyes widened as she slowly processed what was happening. The roof crumbled beneath her feet and she was barely able to catch sight of Quinn, whose face was twisted in an expression of pure horror and shock. The small girl's locks tumbled after her as her frame fell through the gap between the buildings and gravity took over. Her mind was racing, yet not one of the thoughts were coherent or made sense. Indeed, for the tiny, petite doll was overtaken with fear and the terrifying emotion made it impossible for her to think properly. Her bear gripped her arms tightly as the two of them descended at an increasingly rapid pace.

She squeezed her eyes shut, not even able to release a single scream on her way down. Yet before she felt the impact of the harsh ground, something soft wove around her body. Trembling from head to toe, she could not bring herself to open her eyes. Whatever was beneath her had cushioned her fall but the shock of what had transpired was still racking through her body. She heard a yell from up above her, the screech definitely sounded of the jester, who seemed to be readying herself to follow Erixianti down.

She felt her bear pat her cheeks and one of her eyes was forced open as a padded paw tugged at her eyelid. Her vision was a bit blurry at first, but she caught a whisper of green, a blurry figure of a young looking, green-haired youth visible out of the corner of her eye. There was also a glint of something metallic and shiny but it seemed she would not have time to look around to better observe. She was barely able to register that as her bear frantically put its paws beneath her chin and forced her face upwards so that she caught sight of Quinera leaping off the edge of the roof downwards.

Something was very wrong.

The ground beneath her form seemed to heave as her surroundings began to distort and the flying debris even became blurry around the edges. With a sickening jolt, her mind began to register what was happening and Erixianti tried to stand in an effort to stop it. But it was futile, she was still too weak from her fall, and she would not be able to say anything in time. A blinding light began to fill the area as the jester nearly reached the intended target--and then the landscape was filled with a stark whiteness. A shockwave coursed through her body, shooting up her limbs and causing an uncomfortable feeling to settle in her gut. Her body felt like lead and it was difficult to move, to even remotely take a single step forwards.

The world around her was like a blank canvas and, as if being sketched by a child, wobbly lines shot out above her. They began to carve out the hesitant shapes, all misshapen and ghastly thin. She clutched at her bear tighter, yes, she knew what was happening. The dream world was reconstructing itself, as it was prone to do when a strong pulse of energy from a mind shot out. The question was, where were they going? In the rush of all the events, Erixianti wasn't sure if the figures she had seen before had been taken with them--but she was sure, at least, that Quinn was here with her. After all, her knight had to be! A guardian never left the side of the heroine, not when the adventure came along.

Her bear was fidgeting in her grasp--clearly discontent at what was transpiring. She tried to make silent, hushing gestures to calm it but it was to no avail. The structures continued to build themselves, much like scattered pieces of debris fitting together like disfigured pieces of a puzzle. What had been Tinker Tocker had all but faded and the visage of the landscape was constructing itself. As the blank space began to disappear and the setting warped into a more firm one, she made out the large shapes of torn, ripped teddy bears. Ah, that was why her bear was ill at ease.

She frowned as a grayish tinge took over the sky and broken, rotted objects appeared one-by-one. Each object resembled a disheveled toy, as if it had been carelessly tossed around and worn down to the absolute last threads. Dread filled her as she processed where the dream world had altered to.

'Mechanoid Paranoia...' The thought stole across her quickly and immediately, Erixianti tried to adjust herself. As soon as the name of the place crossed her, everything in the appearance finalized--disjointed robots and bits lying about.l Some meters from her lay Quinn, who was unconscious and sprawled about. She immediately ran over to her guardian, not paying attention to anyone else that might've been around her. Quinera had saved her, so she would stay and watch over her until the jester woke up. It was the least she could do. And honestly, she felt kind of lonely now that her first friend wasn't coherent. So the little doll curled up right on the ground next to her companion, staring into her face until the other woke up.

The reunion with his recent royal acquaintance was apparently delayed as today’s cataclysms of the dreamworld didn’t limit themselves to merely the collapse of a single building. Before Nohizar could respond to him, the light enveloped them all, Zoen only managing to cover up his eyes. Suddenly robbed of any stable patterns which he could perceive, he felt quite disoriented and imbalanced, stumbling with his hands outstretched to regain his stance or perhaps find some manner of solid surface on which he could lean. Surely enough, such surfaces were in the process of being created, as if scribbled from the white nothingness before him and the few who appeared to remain in the middle of the dreamscape as well. There seemed to be some individuals before him, but distance between them was hard to estimate. No space, no form, no shape – an unnatural state for a human mind, nauseating, discomforting and, on some level, intimidating. Finding himself unable to analyze what was happening at this moment, Zoen found that the only solution was to wait for the sudden changes to cease.

As they did, he stumbled to the side, the ground rushing beneath his feet almost painfully to his senses that were put through sudden unnatural stress. He didn’t fall for there was something solid in the direction he stumbled in, like a wall. Turning his head he saw his own hand pressed into its surface covered with an aged pattern the color of which was lost to decay. As he looked upwards he saw something somewhat startling. Over his head was looming a grotesque face with an elongated chin, a broad grin and squinted eyes. It appeared to be a jack-in-a-box. While the traditional toy was already a rather bizarre thing the gigantic broken equivalent staring down on him with its cracked porcelain grin and faded colors looked downright dreadful. It was enough in fact to cause him to take a few steps back on legs that were only beginning to grow steadier.

He looked around and saw that the broken jack-in-a-box was only part of a gallery of decorations that all seemed to be broken toys, ranging from terrifying to tragic looking – some horrific distortions of objects of playful imaginings, others mangled remains of that which may have brought children comfort at some point or perhaps was even a dear friend to some. This was surely a sad shift to go to from Tinker Tocker. What kind of tortured mind could have created this area in the dreamscape? Or was it a whole gathering of saddness...?

- Fascinating… - he murmured, though more thoughtfully than with excitement. This was no doubt a fascinating phenomenon, but his evaluation of it for the time being painted only a fairly bleak perspective. He didn’t seem to be on his own in this situation however, for still ahead of him was a group of individuals. Aside from the two he already knew, being the self-proclaimed royal and his loyal familiar, he saw several more. A large figure clad in armor, its silhouette had loomed over Nohizar’s even back when he approached the scene of the impending disaster. And then there were two girls, one in a jester’s suit and another holding a fidgeting bear in her arms.

- I’m sorry, but would anyone happen to know simply what happened just now and where we are now? – He asked as he began to step ahead casually, his hands raised and palms open just in case, mostly keeping in mind the defensiveness of the jester girl who seemed just about likely to snarl and throw herself at anyone she would consider a threat.

Ignore please.

Erixianti was shivering, holding her arms around herself as Quinera bolted upwards, ever peppy. Even with that haziness of just having awoken, the jester was so full of energy as she bounced around, casting her eyes around the place curiously. The doll-like girl remained rooted on the spot, however, as she had chosen a more observational stance and was probably the first of the two to realize that there were others lingering around nearby. Others that she did not even remotely recognize. Erixianti clutched her bear closer against her, the object wrestling now in her grip as she near suffocated it against her chest. Quinn paused in her actions as she looked around as she too noticed the other parties nearby.

The woman snarled threateningly and that same, foamy mist that accompanied the illusions back at Tinker Tocker began to form in the shape of a purple dragon. The smaller of the two watched as her savior stepped defensively in front of her and growled at the others who looked just as confused as she felt. From her position behind Quinera, she was able to get a good look at the strangers. One looked to be around her age with striking green hair, but a companion nearby to him had a rather disturbing smile upon its' face. She glanced away from the odd sight to the older man with the blond hair that covered over his eyes, arms held up in a non-offensive gesturing. She blinked, somehow feeling a little reassured that at least he was not going to make any sudden movements. The last one nearby was completely clad in armor and was most certainly the tallest of everyone. Not only that, but he looked to be the most fierce given his height and large build.

She felt a bit intimidated by all the oddities that had been gathered in one place and cast her eyes downwards. She heard a lilting voice from up above, judging by the tone, it was mature and controlled, so it could've only belonged to the older gentleman. "I’m sorry, but would anyone happen to know simply what happened just now and where we are now?" Her eyebrows furrowed, even she in all her explorations was unsure of where they were. Another snarl and very vicious, guttural noise from Quinn must've prompted another to speak and Erixianti peaked out from beneath her bangs to see who it was.

"I think it would be a good idea for us all to take a step back." It was the armor-clad figure, the fearsome one. "I for one mean none of you harm unless you wish me it, and from his act to save the girl neither does the young fellow with his green compatriot. And I would say that he has no desire to harm you as well. So let us talk." The tall one had gestured both to the boy and the man, Erixianti tilting her head in surprise. The soft weight that had cushioned her fall had been produced to the green-haired one? A blush coated her cheeks, privately, she felt more like a damsel in distress at this point than a proper princess. At least she wasn't adorning a pink dress or had blond hair, then she really would've fit the image.

Her bear had finally been able to struggle out of her tight hold and panted out loudly in relief, wriggling up to her shoulder instead and speaking the words that were on her mind. This voice was much the same breathlessness she had portrayed when first meeting Quinera. Hesitant yet faintly excited. "I-I think that would be a wise idea... but I don't have an idea either as to what has come to pass..." The bear trailed off, with it, the girl slumped with a vaguely defeated look. She had always prided herself on knowledge of the dream world and had certainly adventured around, but... Then it hit her slowly. That was right! She knew the places she had been so all she had to do was narrow it down to the places she hadn't and that would give her the answer!

Thrilled with her thought-process, her head shot up as a glint entered into her eyes, mind racing with thoughts. This couldn't have been the deserted area where inner selves went after being abandoned, she was pretty sure that place was a giant, decayed city. This place looked more like a children's nightmare... Her bottom lip jutted out a bit as she thought it over and then her bear spoke in jittery voice. "T-Though, perhaps, we may just be in..." The name was eluding her, she couldn't quite place it. What was it called again? She noticed the blank looks and hurried to finish her sentence so she wouldn't leave them hanging. "That is to say, I'm not exactly sure the name but I do know where we are. And it's not the safest of... places." She ended hesitantly as she took in what she was communicating. If they were indeed where she thought, then they would have to leave. Immediately.

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The Compendium sat alone in her cage, as she had grown accustomed to, as her life had become. Her face was blank as she focused on nothing in particular, mind racing with the many jumbled images of the dream plane and it's residents. She blinked slowly though was not even aware of the breath she inhaled as she did so. She was not really attentive of much of what she did anymore, so used to just reciting off facts and that was how her days progressed. The hope of leaving this mundane existence was just a barely lit ember in her chest now, much dimmed by the constant reminder that she couldn't ever leave. That she wouldn't escape.

As if in sync with her thoughts, that unsettling feeling came into her stomach and she jolted to attention, eyes wide and fear lighting up into her face. That discomfort, that terrible awful wrenching sensation in her gut whenever it... whenever her master approached her. The billowing hair behind the figure fanned out like pools of darkness behind the figure as it's faceless visage directed it's observations at her.

"Tell me, pet," The voice was dangerously smooth and sly and The Compendium flinched at it, as she always did. "Is all well in my world?" She trembled furiously as she immediately tensed, curling up into a ball in the farthest corner of her cage. She nodded her head as hastily as she could, hoping the thing would just leave her alone.

"Y-Yes, Master, the guardians are doing as you ordered and no Inner Selves are... acting out of sorts." The pause lasted only for a millisecond, only a breath, yet The Entity caught it and it seemed as if displeasure descended upon her.

"None? Then you will have nothing to fear when The Enforcer reports back to me later with news of his exploits?" A ghastly feeling knotted into her stomach and she swallowed. Intentionally, she had been trying to keep the news of what had just occurred in Tinker Tocker from her master but even in this short span of time after it had transpired, The Entity was already catching on to her lie. Still she forced a twist of a smile on her face, hoping the sheer panic did not show in her face.

"N-Not at all. As I said, nothing, nothing has happened--to my knowledge," The Entity seemed to ripple at her words but said nothing as it turned, leaving from her vicinity. All at once, she she collapsed in her ball in the corner. She hoped, oh she hoped she had just made the right decision.

"I think it would be a good idea for us all to take a step back." Spoke a dreamer whose Persona was clad in heavy armor that made it tower over the rest of them. "I for one mean none of you harm unless you wish me it, and from his act to save the girl neither does the young fellow with his green compatriot. And I would say that he has no desire to harm you as well. So let us talk."

It would appear that despite the imposing appearance the one beneath this armored shell was still quite reasonable. Zoen used this wonderful opportunity to mentally add credibility to the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover”.

“Fair enough.” He uttered, fully supporting the suggestion and lacking hostile intent. The blonde-haired man halted his advance, though still keeping his arms in sight, ready for the aforementioned talk.

Before he could make an input of his own, the young girl with the bear spoke up, though curiously this was done through her bear. With a slight smile Zoen noted to himself that the similarity between the detached familiars presented by this animated toy and Nohizar’s brave spectral knight might be worth looking into later on. She made comments concerning their whereabouts though proving to be as clueless in regards to the specifics of what brought them here.

“…I'm not exactly sure the name but I do know where we are. And it's not the safest of... places.” Such were her words and considering the threatening atmosphere of this location the blonde-haired man was inclined to agree, nodding thoughtfully.

Unfortunately for him, he couldn’t add much about the area. Although, thanks to the input of little Tatiana, Dr. Connover had made attempts to take notes of certain stable locations within the world of Dreams, his lasting inability to traverse it as a Persona left him without much information. Places this nightmarish weren’t often discussed between them however and he was quite certain that no sane person would deliberately make an attempt to go to such a place. Exploration was risky despite the additional information it could provide and he wasn’t about to dismiss the comment made by the girl with the teddy-bear. Her warning of the place being far from safe would not fall on deaf ears, so the thoughtful male spoke soon taking her evaluation in consideration.

“It would appear that even though we may not know where or why we are, we should only seek to discover this in the process of trying to leave this place. It may be risky to remain here.” He spoke in a soft though confident tone, observing each of those present despite his eyes being concealed. “The Dreamscape tends to shift when one intends to go somewhere. Therefore if we begin walking in the same direction with a similar intent we may have a much better chance of swiftly escaping the area. At least provided normal laws of the Dreamworld still apply…”

He paused. The thought of the common principle being unable to help them here was certainly unsettling, but he dismissed the faint concerns from the forefront of his thoughts. Harboring more doubts for the Dreamscape to potentially manifest wasn’t a good idea here at all.

“Now. I am certain we should all at least know each other’s names so long as we’re going to head out of here together, but unless anyone has any objections the introductions can be done while walking.”

This was his suggestion to those present. He paused to take in their reaction and give them a chance to comment. After all, his words were by no means a demand for authority or immediate compliance – merely the statement of his opinion backed by certain reasoning. The man with the golden sash looked to the two girls, or at least it would appear so by the direction in which his head was turned as the near-even curtain of slightly shimmering hair didn’t betray even a fraction of his glance.

“Are you hurt anywhere? Will you be able to proceed?” He asked politely. Considering their position during the incident there was a chance that some of them would require support.

Quinera pouted and placed her hands on her hips. She did not like this. Irritation shot through the jester who still stood in a protective stance. These people were too close. Too suffocating. They were talking and there were way too many of them. Eri on her own (and Mister Bear of course) were ok. She could handle that amount of social interaction. Also, the fact Eri herself didn't talk may have helped things along there. But there was blondie, mister armour, greenie and greenie's creepy smiley friend. And Erixianti, Mister Bear, Quinn and the voice.

Wait. What?

The jester cocked her head to the side in confusion. Yes, there was a whisper. She could hear a whisper. Someone or something whispering in her head. She couldn't make it out but the hissing sibilance was still there. She looked around at the people congregated.

"Who's whispering? What are you saying?" The jester demanded, a little desperation dripping into her voice. The whispers, they were grating on her nerves. The jester shook her head viciously but still they maintained their hissing. With an angry cry, the jester slammed her hands over her ears. The pain eliminated the whispers, killed them.

Good.

Hearing whispers was no fun anyways. But still the matter remained. These people wanted Quinn and Eri to go with them. She didn't trust them. Any of them. Not blondie or the two greenies or Mister armour. She and her new friend were fine here in this fun looking place. I mean, look at that bear! It was so cute! Sure, it was missing its head...and limbs might have...fallen off but still. It was so fluffy!

But her friend wanted to leave...and she did not want to be left behind. Nope, no matter how fun this place looked. A little bout of depression hit the jester and her shoulders slumped a little.

"I don't wanna go, but OK..." She muttered, looking back to see what Erixianti would do. It seemed the smaller of the two knew a little more about this place than she did and so Quinera decided she must know best.

Even if they didn't understand just how much fun this place looked.

The guy with the blonde hair turned to look at the duo. Well, Quinn assumed he was looking at them. His hair was all in the way. A flicker of irritation shot across her mind and almost on cue, a little whisper sounded. Quinera winced and dug her nails into her palms. There. Take that, stupid voices.

“Are you hurt anywhere? Will you be able to proceed?” Quinera looked down at herself and made a little face. She looked kinda dusty from her previous ground hugging and her clothes looked a tiny bit...tattered. But apart from the sore chest and now bleeding palms, she was relatively OK. The jester tried to meet the blonde's gaze but settled for just staring at the place she thought his eyes might be.

"I think we're good. I can take care of myself. And of Eri. And Mister Bear." The jester added thoughtfully, flashing a grin to her friend behind her. Quinera dropped her protective stance and took a few steps forward, eye darting around, taking every little thing in.

"And the name is Quinera or Quinn or The Jester. I don't reeeeally care which you use. And is the person whispering could knock it off, that would be fantastic." She growled, black inky shadows flickering around her wrist as she stamped her foot, glaring darkly.

The whispers replied.

"Who? Me?" Quinera's eyes bugged out and she replied by biting her lip. Hard. It hurt, yes, but the voice drained away.

So.

No talking to the voice. As apparently, the voice can talk back.

If Quinn was a normal person, she may have worried about this for a while. She may have even considered medical help. But the jester was not a normal person and neither of these options sprang to mind. Instead she grinned brightly; all previous worry, hostility and anger draining in the blink of an eye.

"So! What's everyone else called?"

Nohizar remained quiet for a while, not paying attention to any of his companions-by-chance, either by choice or by sheer exhaustion, it was difficult to tell which. So instead he remained quiet, smiling to himself as he reflected on his recent adventure. Only when Razihon broke the silence and filled it with his static filled voice, did he finally look up from his reflection. ”I do not know what they are so concerned about, I find this place quite charming.” Only now did Nohizar realize they had been talking, despite having heard and comprehended their words. He looked around and saw the strange Jester girl, Zoen and his new knight friend. With a second look around he observed his surroundings, taking in the strange and broken toys, the scenery that was almost like an homage to the lost dreams of lonely children. ”I don’t know… it looks pretty creepy. Toys aren’t meant to be broken, are they? They’re supposed to be cute and cuddley.” He said, his voice somewhat shaky, even as he got up to his feet.

Razihon merely shrugged in reaction, an infuriating shrug that usually meant the end of a conversation. Not this time, however. Instead he filled the silence between them with static. ”Don't be silly. Toys break. Toys break when they have known to much love from children. It is a natural effect. If anything, this place is an homage to the love children have for their toys and the sadness they felt when those same toys finally could take no more. I am fairly certain a place like this is perfectly safe, we should rest here for a while.” Nohizar blinked when Razihon seemed to ramble on and on instead of keeping his usual silence. The surprise at his friends sudden loquaciousness was so immense that he didn’t notice the sudden change in his friend’s smile, as if something savage had crept in there and was hiding itself, just out of sight. He was at a loss of words really, a strange reversal of their usual conundrum. One that might have warranted thought in a more suspicious mind, but Nohizar’s mind is anything but suspicious, so he merely said one word. ”Maybe…“

This time Razihon’s shrug did mean an end to the conversation and the green apparition wandered off to study a nearby teddy bear, leaving Nohizar to meet his new friends. With a smile and a sudden renewal of energy exclusive to the young he walked over with a wave. He spared a special wave and smile for Zoen, even as he greeted him. ”Hey Zoen! Why are you here? Speaking of which, how did you get here?” Without waiting for Zoen to respond he looked around again. With his second glance he noticed his new friend, uhm… Armour-guy, yeah that’s it, Armour-guy. He gave him an extra special energetic wave as well. He also noticed the strange Jester girl again, together with Princess. For equal measure he smiled and waved at them. He nodded once, mostly to himself, before he spoke, not having bothered to wait for Zoen’s reaction. He could multi-task, there were questions to be asked and introductions to be made!

”I’m Nohizar! And my friend is called Razihon!” He looked behind him and waved Razihon over, but the green spectre seemed more interested in studying some broken toys some ways away from the group, forcing Nohizar to continue the conversation by himself. ”Razihon says he likes this place, but I agree that it’s creepy. But I came here in a special way, just like everyone else I think! We must be here for a reason right? To slay a dragon or something! Look, we even have a knight and a princess here, that has to be it!” He pointed, perhaps rudely so, at Martellus and Erixianti.

Nohizar smiled with boundless excitement as he explained his own view on the situation. It was clear that his opinion on their current predicament was mostly fuelled by a wild imagination and wishful thinking. But that didn’t stop him. He was nearly hopping up and down with excitement, smiling blissfully at his new friends.

He watched the back and forth conversation of these other 'dreamers' with somewhat interest and confusion. He'd spent much of his time here alone without the comfort of others and being in such close proximity to them was beginning to unsettle him but he tried his best to bury such feelings. Though he half chuckled to himself, the sound lost in the depths of his armour, it was not as if any emotions would reach those around him.

The strange green creature, that the young boy was speaking too, was making some interesting points about the realm they currently found themselves in. And from what Martellus could discern this area was no more dangerous than the packed streets of Tinker Tocker, but much more peaceful. Which he greatly preferred. He shook his head slowly as the boy lean past his companion and waved, rather enthusiastically in his direction; to which he slowly raised then lowered his hand in greeting, feeling somewhat foolish in the act.

”I’m Nohizar! And my friend is called Razihon!” The boy called out in answer to the young girl's question before proceeding to ramble about their new location and purpose here. And the boys rather strange pointing towards the girl behind the jester and to himself just added to his confusion. He thought for a moment before speaking, the sight of the boy bouncing around as if he was about to explode distracting him from his train of thought.

"This land is much quieter than where we came from. I like that. It is much better for it. Though I am not sure as to why you find it creepy in all honestly" He sighed and shrugged his shoulder before continuing "But anyway, my name is Martellus and it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He bowed slowly, raising his right hand up to the forehead of his helmet in an honourary salute.

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