(Broken Cycle) Poisoned Well

[James Turner]

Rhodes’ didn’t understand that because these were subconscious cries for pain made it worse. Couldn’t they feel it? It was more than pain, more than suffering. The words and memories were ripe with desperation, desperation he was all too familiar with, his memories trying to drag him back to his mad dash through the hedge but he had to keep focus and hold onto the other memory. Their voices were distant, a ringing filled his ears as they dropped their emotional bombs on him. They were right. He knew that of course, but it didn’t stop the caring.

As the dream was shattered, he felt his own heart break, felt the poisonous thoughts that caused one to lash out at others and cast them aside. They were all victims of circumstances outside their control, he couldn’t blame them for what happened. Not them, Not Bobby, not anyone, if there was a Gentry pulling the strings. James didn’t stand, his eyes closed as he pulled on the memory and let it filter through him.

Through the torrent of the dream the first thing he stabilized was the sun and it’s warmth. That was the keystone of the dream, that light, that warmth that would remind them of that one day of happiness, that one day of joy. To give them a beacon to run to, a light to guide them. He took another breath and focused as he pulled from his own memory to recreate it in painstaking detail but the important details were the emotional resonance of the dream. That echo of happiness, of joy, of one worry free day of freedom.

7 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-22 06:05:28	James Turner rolls 10 to Shape the Dream (10 Again)	10, 6, 8, 5, 8, 9, 1, 10, 1, 8, 9, 7	7 successes

“It needs glamour to hold it in place! Give them something that’s their own, give them a way back!” The sun had melted the tears on the Sovereigns cheeks letting them flow freely once more as they dropped to the ocean and were pulled away with the tide. His words were pleading, almost desperate as he kept pouring everything he had into the recreation. They had done the math as well as he had. Three lives for dozens was an easy trade, as was one for three if it had to be made.

[Rhodes]

No! We cannot give it to them! They have to do it themsellllveeesssssss......

Rhodes winces, a voice not quite his snarling defiance in his mind's eye. People barking orders never exacted much from him. He knew what holding a dream needed! If James wanted to create the dream, why didn't he use the glamour to do so?

He looks around the dream as it fades away. Give them something of their own...

The Dread Lord looks over to Sera. She was his hope.

Just because they have hope, it doesn't mean they don't have fear....

He raises the hand not clutching the staff. With an almost bored look, he snaps his fingers loudly.

[Seraphina]

John didn’t need to tell Sera what the Dream needed, what the Dreamers needed.

She knew. She might not be as skilled as Rhodes was, but she was no novice to this.

Lowering herself, she presses her hands to the ground, closing her eyes, and gives some of herself to the Dream, to the lost girls who would need it.

Remaining there for a moment, she breathes deeply, “I hope they are able to find some peace and comfort from this, that they know not all is lost.” Keeping her voice gentle, almost like trying to sooth a child. It wouldn’t bring them back; they would need to find that strength within themselves. But maybe this would be the hope they would need.

[Saber Sloth]

The Dream rumbles, the FearHorrorTerror slam into the Dread King's mind as do the DesireHungerWanting spear through Sera's as they supplies the Glamour, they feel the visceral thrill of being Hunted, while Hunting. The archytiple Leaden and Vernal Court Emotions suffuse the air, lasting an eon in a second before dissipating. The Darkling pulling through the muck to broadcast hope.

The sun filters through fluffy clouds, the streets of Sacramento bloom around them. Shadowy people walk around, stopping at various building and entering shops. The Lost will realize that this street is The street that that Huntsman road down when the cycle broke. But in this incandescent moment, the Keeper never found purchase, and never marked his territory.

Three Dreamers, faded, but present are laughing, tugging each other as they travel through the sunlit Sacramento street.

[James Turner]

He was nearly panting at the exertion of will having to search, remember, and create in such a small window. It took all his focus and he held it for them as they fed glamour into his creation so when he finally let go it held. It held and the clouds parted and the sun shown from the sky, their laughter caused a new round of tears to fall down his cheeks as he gave a bitter frown. His arms starting to tremble as an uncommon emotion stirred inside of him. His fists balled with rage, nails digging into the skin of his palms.

“You have them for now. I meant what I said. They’ll escape, they’ll always escape. You will hunt and hunt and hunt and always ALWAYS be found wanting! There will always be hope, always be something worth fighting for, worth dying for. They will leave you and you’ll be alone, like you’ve always been alone, like you’ll always be alone. You’ll never fill that void that she left behind no matter how hard you try.”

His voice wavered and shook as he cursed the empty air, voice growing cold the more he spoke. Eyes growing cold and focused, he embraced that cold, burning rage inside of him let it fill him and push him forward. Though the words he spoke to the Huntsman felt like they could apply to himself as well, perhaps he’d let his own truth bleed into his hatred, perhaps they were intertwined. But he had no time for self-reflection now.

He took a step back towards them while taking a long, if unnecessary, breath to regain his composure. “Next dream or is that it?” His voice was still shaky with the torrent of emotion that was running wild inside of him right now, he had leashed it but he didn’t think it would quiet until they were well and gone.

[Seraphina]

Sapphires close tightly against the onslaught of DesireHungerWanting piercing her. Her breath taken away by how intense it was.

When the sun came, her eyes open, and a smile spreads across her lips as she looks around. Slowly standing, she takes it in, nodding her head. Yes! This was perfect!

James’s words surprised her, but she found comfort in them and walks over to him. A hand was gently placed on his arm, “This is perfect, and they will find the hope they need in it. Thank you.” He really did give the Dreamers something to cling to, something to fight for.

A shrug, “We can take a look, see if there is any remaining poison, but it had always led to what this dream previously was. Though this street?” gesturing around, “Is where he had marked his territory, and I have to wonder if that’s his preferred place to hunt. That maybe that is where this all ends.” Maybe. She wasn’t sure.

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-28 17:45:25	Seraphina rolls 6 to Dream Poison?(Wits+Empy+Wyrd)-3 (10 Again)	2, 7, 3, 2, 4, 1	failure

[Rhodes]

Rhodes looked around unenthusuiasticly and sighed, looking at James as if he were a small child telling off the sky for raining.

For every one of us that escape, there are all those that don't.

He reached out, making sure the Huntsman's poison was gone.

5 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-03-01 13:26:40	Rhodes rolls 8 to Search for Dream Poison: Wits+Empathy+Wyrd-3 (10 Again)	6, 7, 8, 10, 9, 3, 9, 7, 8	5 successes

[Saber Sloth]

Sera reaches out and fails to find any signs of Poisoning, but it's Rhodes who knows the truth of its absence. Seared away and scoured. The Dream feels as if Poison had never tainted the sanctity of this place.

The Source of the Poison tainting the chained Dreamers was finally, finally gone.

And we're good to wrap folks! Y'all can post your last posts unless you want to do something more either in the Dream or in the waking world

[James Turner]

He was exhausted. They were dreaming and he felt so tired. His heart hurt most of all as he watched the scene unfold, feeling at his mantle around him for comfort. To remind him that they did the right thing, that they had done all that they could. He felt Sera touch his arm, he couldn’t help but flinch at the unexpected touch. He looked over at her with a frown, he was pale before but paler now as the color had all but drained out of him. He took a deep breath and nodded up at her, not able to bring himself to smile, his other hand coming to wipe off his eyes.

“Thank you.” He whispered softly which was as much as he could muster right now. “I hope you’re right about them and you might be right about where.” It would make sense, why would he leave his established territory unless they drew him out. He looked to Rhodes to give the all clear or next step; this was technically his area even if James had hijacked it slightly. They could have abandoned him, and he still would have tried.

“What’s next?”

Good to close unless there's more you guys want to do?

[Seraphina]

With the flinch, she withdrew her hand, “Sorry.” She says softly, stepping back. Not the reaction she had been expecting, but, they weren’t really close. So maybe she should have expected it. Concern overtakes her face, he was paler than normal. And she remembered how he had trouble sleeping, something she knew all too well. But nothing she could do here.

“I don’t know if I’m right or not, but we have to hope. And even the smallest light can bring a world of comfort when needed. But we can’t force them to find it, it’s something they’ll have to look for when they’re ready.” And sometimes that could take years. Each of them has to come to that point when they were ready, when they could finally find the strength to escape.

A shrug, “I would say looking closer at this area. See if he has anymore foot holds, see if we can drive him out if he does.” But that was that. “Though that’s a talk to have when we get back, when we’ve rested. At least for an evening.”

I'm good to close