Matthew Powell's Story

Landon stopped when he was hailed by the prissy dreamer. Was this guy for real? All Lan could do for a moment was gape with a glare for a solid minute, affronted that he'd even be accosted by such blithering idiocy. It was too early for this. Taking another swig from the flask and feeling the meager liquid left inside slosh around, he swiped a mean arm over his lips to clear it of droplets of alcohol.

"Aye, I'm the only one around, you twit," Landon said, his words interrupted by a rude burp. "We're miles from the nearest town. Nobody comes out here except lowlifes and dreamers." Landon made a curt gesture at the hills beyond where some of the bubbles still sat hovering inches above the rusty golden grass, his eyebrows bouncing at the kid like he was a moron.

"Tch. You're in the Dreaming, if that's what you mean," Landon scoffed. "Just don't try to wake up, 'cause you can't without that little star you got took from you. In fact, it's probably best if you get it back before 7 days, 'cause your body'll die without you in it."

Gawd, he was unbearably bored now and a headache was starting to vex him. He had to get to civilization and find some new drink to drown in. Preferably something good and deep like the blue bottle had been last night...but something he didn't have to pay for.

Sighing with a growl, and rubbing his fingers into his eyes and over his ginger beard, Landon did what he did best: abandon problems. With an extremely pathetic shrug, and a helpless curl of his lips, Landon said, "Good luck, kid. Hope you find what you're looking for--" Then he stopped, sobering slightly as he blinked at the coifed hair and the somewhat pricey attire. Wait... this kid was well taken care of, wasn't he?

"Do you got any money?" Lan gave him his most charming smile, unaware of the effect being lost by his droopy, leery eyelids and grubby teeth. Blue Poetry cost a lot, but even still, just a bit might get Lan another bottle of something.

His words hung in the air for several moments. Moments which to Matthew as dazed, and confused by the whole situation as he was seemed like an eternity. And an unpleasant one at that as the boy couldn't look away from the man's ugly glare. The man simply stood there slurping from his flask. The glare and the smell was enough to illicit Matthew's own glare. Well more like a half glare, half confused stare but that didn't matter. Clearly this bum was an unruly sort who always had a problem with something, and everything.

The man continued to answer most of Matt's questions rather rudely and the boy could almost feel his opinion of this stranger dropping like a boulder off a cliff every time he opened his mouth, it wasn't until the man mentioned his inevitable death in a worryingly unconcerned tone

"Wait Wait Wait! Did you say die? I'm too young to die! I've gotta get that..... thing back. Ugh but I have no idea where I'm going, how to get there, or anything! Damn what the heck am i going to do?"That was it. Any semblance of not freaking out were gone. Dying was not a pleasant prospect, and dying in some strange unfamiliar place like The Dreaming seemed even worse.

He barely paid any more attentio to the other man, at least until the drunk asked about money. Finally something he could work with! If there was one thing Matthew knew how to do it was to spend money to get what he needs.

"Money? Sure do. I'm um kinda loaded. Help me out a little bit and i can keep you drunk for weeks! So what do you say huh? Want to help me out a little bit or not?"

Drunk for weeks? That was all he needed to hear, honestly. With a fiendish chuckle, Landon wobbled over to the young man, grabbing him in an unsteady hug that had them both spinning briefly. "Good lad!" Lan roared in jubilation, his skinny arm around the boy's shoulders and pointing off to the distance west of the dreamer bubbles. "How about we get started then, eh? Onward to Craven's Hollow!" With a final crow and hearty slap on the kid's arm, Landon led the way on meandering feet through the tall grass and hilly forest.

It was a heavy hike back to civilization, the terrain changing in front of them from placid hills to craggy rocks and steep inclines. Whereas yesterday Landon had to climb down the sandy dunes to get to where he'd slept, now he was going downward again towards the town he left. Still, they weren't but half a mile away when the buildings came into sight. By that point, Landon's flask was empty and abandoned somewhere on the trail, and he was sobering up just enough to walk in a beeline to the nearest bar.

Craven's Hollow, although a small town, was at the center of a cross roads between the 6 cardinal directions, so it was bustling with activity. If not for the grip Landon had on the hand of his new best friend, the kid could have seriously been lost among the freakish denizens of the Dreaming. Representing every archetype that could be thought of, the citizens of this town were every shape and size imaginable. Most were humanoid but alien in their transformations and distortions of the human figure. Some were ethereally beautiful, offering the passing pair smiles as they disappeared in the crowds. Others were too hideous to look at straight, causing the instinctual fear inside to flare up with a 'fight or flight' muscle memory. All of them would have been better admired and loathed from afar but the particular pathway that Landon weaved, took them scrunched up close to other bodies, slithering through split-second openings as people went about their own business and walked their own paths.

Because of the clash of different cultures and classes, Craven's Hollow was known for its criminal element, being a cheap place to buy goods, both legal and illegal in the Dreaming. It was also known for its bar, Temperance, a four story establishment where anything and everything could happen. The different levels represented both payment grades and decadent opportunities, the higher you went, the more you were willing to shell out for the most deplorable entertainments. And booze. The booze got better the more stairs that were ascended.

"Let's have a drink before we head out," Lan panted as they broke through an opening in the crowd, right before the doors of the establishment. Adjusting his ratty coat and not letting go of the kid's wrist, Landon led him inside. Ground floor of Temperance was about what anyone would expect from a bar and there was something both medieval and modern about the atmosphere. Glowing neon lights whined in irritation against the back wall of the bar, casting all the bottles and glasses, and those sitting right at the bar, in a icy cold, blue light. It was daylight hours, so most everyone was out working for a living, except a couple of chaps sitting on stools, enjoying a lunch break. One of them, a fellow with whiskers or spines sticking out of the sides of his wide face, gave the new arrivals a grin and a wave, his exposed arms covered in bumpy red skin with black stripes.

Taking a stool, Landon gave the place a quick, alert glance around, before slapping the counter to hail the bartender. "Oi! Drinks over here! My mates paying!" Land gave the kid another grateful squeeze on the shoulder.

The bartender was a woman and at first, from behind, she looked human, bent over, restocking cleaned extra glasses beneath the bar for the evening shift. When she stood and turned, she was still plainly pretty and human looking, except for the thick, softly curling horns protruding from four different places on her head. The top two horns swept back over the back of her head, but the two right at the base of her skull, curled up in slightly different directions as they curled up by her ears. The front most horns dangled with jewelry while her ears remained unpierced. Black eyeliner encircled her dark brown eyes, while glasses sat on the bridge of her nose.

When she saw Landon and recognized him, the apathetic frown already on her face, deepened to actually displeasure. "No, Lan," she said in a slightly irritated monotone. "No freebies, no IOUs. I'm not in the mood to negotiate. And you can't pickpocket in here. You almost got me fired last time, you big jerk."

"Oi! It's not like that, Ezzie--"

"EzRA! No nicknames."

"Ezra, come on, I'm legit this time, I swear it," Landon said, hand to his chest as if half-pleading with her and half wounded by her accusations. By her penetrating stare, it was hard to know if she was moved by his theatrics. It was time to introduce the kid. "I have a patron with me today. My best friend whom I just met." Even with his arm around the boy's shoulders, patting the lad's chest as he mentally searched for a name, he finally looked to the kid for some assistance. After an awkward moment, he got that little help, "Matt," Landon said, emphasizing the word a little too much, obviously having heard it for the first time ever. "He's agreed to join me for a little schnozzle."

Ezra's dark eyes quickly moved between the two of them before she finally snapped, "What are you doing? That's not your friend. You don't have any friends. People dislike you as a matter of principle."

"Whatever," Landon sneered, adjusting his jacket in annoyance. "He's got money he's willing to give to me. That's all that matters, aye? You want me to buy something or not?"

Ezra rolled her eyes and suddenly her small finger was out, pointing in Lan's face, "No stealing."

"I'm nawt!"

"I mean it. I'll take you to the kitchen and cut your hand off just to save my own skin from my boss." She gave the boy an unconcerned look.

The man must have been running low on his favored moron juice as he got far too excited at Matthew's offer. He knew he could sway the man but he was really this desperate for a bit of alcohol? The stranger in his elation grabbed Matthew, the man's scent burning the very hair from his nostrils, he just had to pinch his nose between his fingers. He felt the man sway, disrupting his balance. At the first opportunity, he pushed him away with a smile upon his face. Both grateful to be distanced from the man and to have succeeded in putting distance between them. He tried to mirror the man's excitement but in a superb display of overacting ended up awkwardly throwing his fist into the air, while wearing an twisted, uncertain smirk.

"Sure thing! To craven's Hollow then!"

As they made the way to what Matt had hoped was proper civilization the young man soon found that the trip was far more...... physical than he had expected. This Craven's Hollow seemed many miles away, far more than what the privileged youth was ever used to. Matters only became more complicated as the ground shifted beneath his feet, before his very eyes, flat hills turned into rough surfaces, straight paths blocked by inclines and hills. He sighed as he walked, the volume increasing the more they ached, the high pitched whines he never meant to manifest them as indicating the intensity of his work free lifestyle.

AS his lungs came close to bursting, and his legs near collapse he cast a glance at the back of his um friend? No he was more of a guide Matt thought, and hopefully a temporary one. But still he wondered if he should try to make conversation? After all he was the only one around, and if he was going to be there for a while he might as well try to talk to someone. And though the boy had opened his mouth intending to speak he found no words came to mind? Just what the hell could Matt say? What did the two possibly have to talk about? Would this drunkard even be receptive to conversation? Then again if alcohol was on the line Matt had a feeling he could get the man to do just about anything. Maybe it was best just to say nothing? These two thoughts warred in his head constantly, and just as he had come to reconcile them they were at their destination. Craven's Hollow.

As they entered the town Matt barely noticed that he was being pulled forward. Instead his eyes were fixed on the strange creatures that populated this place. A myriad of emotions formed upon his face only to be replaced with another every few seconds. There were repulsive creatures, hideous beast men, woman that oozed slime, he was even sure that he spotted a man covered in eyes sporting multiple limbs. These creatures repulsed him but there were beautiful things here too. Some of the people here seemed from an actual dream, a good dream of course. People with unnatural beauty, shining woman like goddess or men with soulful eyes. He liked those ones the most. These were the kind of beings that inhabited the dreaming and of them all he got stuck with the bum?

At this point it was of little surprise that he was being led towards a bar. He watched as a horned girl walked up ready to serve only to be instantly displeased with the man. Apparently his name was Lan? Who knew?

He watched rolling his eyes more than once at the man desperately trying to convince the Erza girl that they were actually friends. Erza was of course amused, and unconvinced threatening to cut off the man's hand. From the look on her face Matt wasn't sure if she was joking or not but he was sure that he didn't really want to find out.

Not missing a beat Matt pulled out a crisp, hundred dollar bill, slapping it on the table with flair, and a smile. "Don't worry ma'am. I've got it covered." Turning to Lan he gave him an uncertain look."That's just for starters but lets make this quick yeah? I don't think times on our side here."

Ezra had a glass in her hand that she was about to fill with some alcohol from the tap but she stopped when she caught sight of the bill. Slapping her hand on it, she gave it merely a glance before holding it up and giving an irate look to both of the men. "What in the Light is this?" she demanded to know, hand on her hip. "I told you I'm not in the mood for games and I'm not! Either get some real money out now or you both need to leave."

She flicked the bill at Landon who scrunched up his face in consternation, grabbing the bill in both hands and looking at it. "Oh, no!" he breathed on a moan. Turning to Matt he said, "This is dreamers money! When you said you were loaded, I thought you meant you had money from the Dreaming!"

"He's a dreamer?" Ezra asked. "You're pilfering money for booze from a dreamer? For grim's sake, Lan! Just let the poor kid go back to sleep!"

"He can't," Landon said, giving her a grimace. "His light has been taken."

"Hm, tough break," she said with a cocked nod of her head. To the boy she said, "Listen, I don't know what you're doing and where you gotta go but you could do it without this mess," she pointed at Landon, " on your hands. That's all I'll say."

"Piss off," Lan sneered at her.

"Alright, time to go," Ezra said, all business once more. "You can't pay, then you can't stay."

"Please, Ezra, just take the paper money as a stand-in--I'll get you the money later--!"

"You've got 5 seconds to get out," she said.

She wasn't going to budge and with a reluctant curse murmured under his breath, Landon got off his stool and stomped out the door with the kid in tow. Outside, the street was as busy as it was before, creatures merely eying the odd pair as they passed. Shaking his coat and stretching his lips in aggravation, Landon finally turned to the kid with a shrug.

"Sorry, can't help you. No money, no deal," he said morosely. "Besides, she's right, you could do a whole lot better than me." Starting to turn and walk away, he shook his head and sighed, "Good luck, kid."

Only two thoughts laid in the boys mind as he produced the money. How fortunate it was that he apparently fell asleep with his wallet and how many drinks Lan could would gulp down before they finally ended up leaving.

"What in the Light is this?"

Those six little words. Those six words were all it took to absolutely and quite literally shatter all his worth. His money wasn't good? His money was always good! But not here apparently, of course not here in a world of dreams. He stood there a contorted and uneasy look on his face, simply staring at the useless paper wad in front of him.

Somehow managing to pull his eyes away from what used to be his money, he just gave lan an irritated look. Of course he didn't have dreaming money. He never knew this place existed until a few hours ago! The boy in his silence just let the not quite drunk lan drag him out of the establishment.

As Lan began to ever so casually and seemingly without a hint of remorse leave Matt there to die. Eventually in seven days but still the boy knew he was in mortal peril. Stuck in a strange place, with no idea where to go or how anything works in this strange fantasy world he somehow found himself in, and with absolutely no one to help him through it. Matt was sure he would die here.

People always said that before you died your entire life would flash before your eyes. Somehow Matt was sure he was seeing visions of his past even seven days before actually dying. It was..... surprisingly boring. It really wouldn't end like this. Would it?

No.

No Matt decided as Lan began to turn away. "Lan! N, No come back here! You can't just leave me here. I have no idea what I'm doing. my money's worthless and I don't know anyone else here! Can't you at least point me in the right direction or something?"

Nothing. Somehow Matt was actually surprised when lan didn't immediately react to his pleas. A burning desperation found a comfortable place at the back of the boys brain, and before he could stop it he opened his mouth once more.

"I demand you come back here and help me!" As the words came out, heavier than the usual words he spat. Stronger somehow. Stronger and deeper. The air felt different. Matt felt different an odd tingling at the tip of his tongue. he wasn't sure what of course, clueless as ever but he was sure something had happened.