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Well, yes and no; a downside to traversing dreams was, when entering another's realm, he was somewhat subject to the laws, however relative, that were established within them. Some may pass through. He still decided to dodge a mortar and throw up a feather-cloaked arm to deflect the smoke he peered through. He had his suspicions before involving the 'lightning bolts' she spoke of, and was left pondering just how, exactly, Populus' better invention found its way into the hands of so many. The construct was different but he could recognize the idea of it.

Here, he held the sight he didn't in the real world, all through narrow corridors in akasha. He could spy the colored woman and, and cut his own firey trail of color, only reasserting the cranish appeal when placing a pair of hands on her shoulders. Hopefully he wasn't going to be clobbered. It came more as thought than voice. "Let's go, out of here.

Ash hadn't taken off quite yet. "It's been nice speaking with you, Draeval. Best wishes getting home. Populus will be coming to speak to you soon regarding this. Likely in morning, when we can see in this world again. I'll take my leave." And with that, black shadow wrapped over the form before it bled out and left nothing in its wake. The avatar was pointless there, at that point.

Philomela jerked when something actually touched her, and she looked up at Luci with wide, frightened eyes. "How?" How did they get out of here, how did he get here, he could take it however he wanted. She's not quite sure who this colorful stranger is, but he was the first thing to ever touch her in one of her dreams. The earth shook as a bomb exploded somewhere and Philomela cringed, "Hurry..." She definitely didn't want to see the outcome of this dream.

Had meant his mind wandering to talk to Luci, but when Ash spoke he would be gazed at again. His eyes had lulled back to a comforting orange color, but Ash couldn't see that now. "It has been a pleasure speaking with you Ash."

When Ash took his leave Draeval looked back into the barn a moment, they would be busy with Mela. But for now Drae could either go off and investigate something or he could relax. He wasn't sure which was the better plan and for now lingered.

"To our dream." And with that, the vibrant wing-cloak stretched out and folded over her, sweeping her into a moment of darkness that soon illuminated with every vivid color carried on the original figure. For a moment, he wasn't there--wasn't holding her. Instead, a sea of stars awaited, with swatches of dreamy color washing through. The heart of a nebula sprung to life around her, and the memory of a few shooting stars repeated their path, carving out lines in golden hues for pillars. Deep crimsons and violets rolled uncertainly, like living granite walls. An onyx balcony awaited, corners seeming to support shining stars that should have, must have been infinitely larger--though they still seemed grand in scale compared to the tiny motes they must have appeared as on earth.

It might take her a moment but, unless she rejected the idea, she was on the back of something like a flying phoe-cock, with wings narrowly brushing the stars seperated by endless expanse. She was unlikely to be near as small as she should have been either. The enormous bird went to land upon the stone-carved balcony, wings tucking in, lowering itself to allow her to step from it. Even to her temporary steed, the balcony was grandiose. In front, a rippling black curtain glimmered in stars, segregated by the colors elsewise glimmering around it.

The bird uprighted itself like a man again, stepping forward and brushing aside the veil without issue. Its wingish arm held it open, head turning to peer at her. "Go ahead. We won't let you get lost."

Inside, crystalline blue glimmered in the center, shining through other pigments in what appeared to be a fountain, each corner mounted with a bronze-casted animal head: Bull, eagle, goat, and man--if man were a head. It was, respective to their disproportionate sizes, still a stadium-sized affair. A few individuals seemed to wander it, vague in their definition until falling upon close study. A few worked on miscellanious slabs of beryl, attempting to scribe. Some loomed near the fountain, staring into it as if in a trance. A few animals even wandered the place.

The walls were the same magical granite appeal, but were interrupted by gold-trimmed mirror or perhaps windows, each staring out into endless forms of cosmos--along one wall, at least; over it stayed a sun. The opposite wall's mirrors were dark, overseen by a moon which stared at the wall across from it. The freckles refracted like light in an eye, shadows like an iris which moved and expected images beginning to roll through the star-speckled panes, few of which might have any meaning to Philomela. The moon may be dark to the world, but not everywhere--especially not in times of sheer memory.

Furnishings seemed to vary, and one back corner sported a grandiose, stardust-swept bed; couches and unidentifiable flora wrapped the fountain.

She looks a bit shaken. A voice rumbled through the room. What did you do to her? The accusation came with a tone of humor.

er, gonna edit that to be Luci, then Ash but it won't show in the chat

Philomela was grateful to be taken away from her terrible dream, and placed somewhere that seemed more like something out of her wildest fantasies. She's probably trying to look at everything all at once, and failing miserably, though she did look amusing jerking her head this way and that to take it all in.

Once they land and she climbs off, she's still looking around with wide eyes, though there was no fear this time, only curiosity. She'd watch the bird man move and she'd tilt her head at him, "Do I know you?" If nothing else, perhaps his voice was familiar to her.

She'll follow behind him to the bigger room, and in here there is even more to take in. She's rubber necking again, her mouth opened in an 'o' of surprise. "It's...so beautiful here..." She could feel her eyes welling up again, though this time it wasn't from sadness.

Then a voice spoke to her, and that one she did recognize. "Lord Pan? Where are you?" She'd turn, "It was the dream before this one that has me shaken...not this...man...? Here." She'd give the bird creature a little smile, still oblivious to the fact that it's Luci.

"Come now," He chimed; and here, it really did seem to chime. "Who else is so colorful?" He challenged. "Who is designated as the guide? Who?"

Ash's answer was far less playful. "I am here. The beauty you see is only due to my appreciation of luxury. You stand in my dream, or in my mind--far closer to me than any figure. If you need a figure by which to perceive me, I can present one."

Philomela squinted at Luci, as if she were trying to focus on him, "...Lord Hermes?" She seemed surprised, "You look...different." She'd move a little closer to him, taking his looks in more carefully. "Though I suppose if you looked like this back home, you would probably scare everyone out of their wits."

Ash is speaking then, and she'd look around, it was weird to hear him and not see anything. "It's much better than the last dream I was in. It's so grand and beautiful. Are we really among the stars or is that an illusion?" She's sticking close to Luci for now, just because she's unfamiliar with her surroundings and he's at least a little bit familiar.

"Whatever is most comfortable for you Lord Pan." She's quiet a moment, before she turns to Luci and gives him a half bow, "Thank you...for saving me from that dark dream and bringing me here."

"Ahh," the crane sounded almost bashful. "It was nothing." He dismissed her thanks. "I don't know. Miss Eudora seemed positively entranced the first time she saw me like this. Father in a more reflective state to his merits--now there is something to scare you!"

"Via!" It came as an abrupt scolding, urging the crane to tuck its head down. He quickly returned to his calm and unwavering tone. "The answer is yes, and yet it is no. My truest self lingers in a zone of space that, from earth, appears in the constellation Orion. That is where I hung myself. My dream reflects my location; however, we are not on the physical plane in this moment. It is a gateway between many planes, dreams, and reflections. I choose to call it akasha." More explanations would only be due with the proper question, as, frankly, there were surely enough already building.

"Ah...but Sister Eudora isn't quite the same as all the other regular people." She was still of the firm belief that Eudora was special because she'd been chosen. She'll bite her lip, "How does she fare anyway? Still well I hope?" She actually had no idea where Hermes had taken her.

The rest of it has her looking a little confused, "Scare me? Why would I be frightened of Lord Pan?" Ash is speaking again, and Philomela looks around once more. "Hung yourself?" She's confused on that, and she takes a minute to think about things, "So this place is sort of like the dream that I was in a moment ago? Real...and...not real at the same time." That was the best way she could think to describe it. "Still it is very beautiful. I'm glad that you allowed me to see such a special place." She's looking at where she's standing, and she turns a little red, "May I take a seat Lord?"

Via paused, and nodded. "Heavy with child, but well." He lowered his head. "I... ah... have other things to be doing." It sounded like a man remembering some forsaken duty. "If you need me, well... you know how it is, Father." And with that, colors wrapped into themselves and choked out of existence in that world. Hopefully the father references weren't entirely confusing to the girl, considering he was supposed to be Ash's father, if her greek lore told her correctly.

Philomela's question earned momentary silence, as if their quarter of the room had fallen into timeless stillness in spite of the motion in the background. "Take a seat where you like. If there is not one that you like, it can be created for you. ...I'm not near so attractive to human eye as I present. Let me leave it at that. Yes. You have the fundamental idea. Do not take it as so special. To me, it is a punishment I readily accept, though not without my share of comforts. That, and you were due to see it readily. He who's eye shows you the future is also capable of this place--him, and his benefactor. Some of what you have seen may have even come from here; others, from the sun itself."

Philomela nodded, "Fare well Lord Hermes." That last bit had her confused, "I...I thought he was your Father?" She'll take a seat on the ground where she happened to be standing, unless she'd been told to do otherwise. "Here is fine, unless you would prefer me to sit somewhere else."

"Who would punish you Lord?" She's only curious, hopefully she won't offend him. The rest of it has her surprised again, "My dark dreams come from here? Ah...I don't know...I suppose I shouldn't call them that. Not all of them are as dark and frightening as the one Lord Hermes plucked me from. A fair few of them are though...I think it makes me glad that I do not live in the future. It seems to be a terrifying place."

"At times, it could be considered that. The form his mind is in now was, however, influenced and forged by my action--at one point, he was another creature entirely. Contrary, however, is that much of my mind has also been sculpted by him. It's a complicated affair that is best left to mystery for you until now."

As she took seat on the ground, it might feel as though something brushed against her, rumbling like a large cat. But to turn, and look, would bring only a momentary shadow silhouette that seemed like it was never there. Behind her, however, were a variety of throw pillows like a small mountain, each in theme with the rest of the marvelous room. "The ground is no place for you... even if it is in the sky!" It was the idea of it.

"I punished myself before Zeus needed to take it upon himself. In that, he and I maintain a healthier relationship than others like myself. You could say that... while I am not among those who dwell in Olympus, I am not entirely unwelcomed there, unlike many who fell from grace. Consider myself among a guilty handful that contributed unintentionally to Deucalion's flood."

"As for the messages you receive, some do and some do not. The sun works on many levels, abiding within several more dimensions than earth itself runs upon; by that, there is an amount of the future that is seen before becoming. Some of your visions come by that power. The moon, also, draws on another level, though not as deep in power as the sun. By that, I review the past, and look into the world--though not on days that the earth decides to obstruct its path."

Er *for you, now

Philomela nodded, "Alright." She wouldn't press more, even if it was still really confusing for her. She would turn to pet the cat she thought was there, only to find nothing there at all. She'd blink a few times, "What was that?" The pillows are noticed though, and she'd shift to make herself comfortable leaning against them. "What's wrong with the ground?"

She'd listen carefully to his explanation, "I see...what is Olympus like? Is it in the stars like this?"

Her own dreams bring another around of questioning, "Dimensions?" She's tilting her head, "Do you think I was born with this gift Lord Pan? I've had it since I was young maybe...seven or eight? Before that I don't recall having anything. The visions and dreams became much stronger after I..." Her cheeks colored, and she trailed off. Perhaps he could get the gist of what she seemed too embarrassed to say.