Log:Burnished Knots

2020/05/19 Dialydd Phantom Aaliyah 1

The last thing you remember is falling asleep. The day had been enlightening. Meeting a movie star who's also a metahero. Finding out he's as clueless as most pups about romance. It was interesting to say the least. A bit sad as well.

But, in any case, you know you're dreaming. After all, you can see everything clearly and know you're not in anyone's mind right now. That's one of the weird things you've learned about blindness: if you're born blind, you

But, in any case, you know you're dreaming. After all, you can see everything clearly and know you're not in anyone's mind right now. That's one of the weird things you've learned about blindness: if you're born blind, you're still blind in dreams, but, if you weren't, you can still see in dreams.

Seems like you're heading down a street in, well, you think it's Colonial Bay, but bits of Toronto are mixed in as well. But, in any case, there's lots of little shops along this street selling everything from food to books to clothes to human souls it seems. Most of the denizenz seem pretty normal, but some of them are downright odd, like those drop deads gorgeous identical triplets outside a bar whose name slips your mind. The ones who told you 'Sorry kid, too young. Come back later.' and pointed you down the street.

After a while, you find yourself outside a shop named 'Burnished Knots' on the shop door in iridescent letters. A window display shows an orrery of Earth's solar system, but if you look at the globe of Earth, the continents are all wrong. A sign saying 'Dreaming/Aware' is flashing on the door.

The shop is lit with soft, indirect lighting save of 'pillars' of light that shine down on various small tables. On nearly all the tables are small to medium sized clockwork creations varying from the practical to the whimsical: clocks, watches, animals of a decided alien cast, even a clockwork back scratcher (you think). Interspersed among the clockwork are very well-crafted embroidery images, scarves and handkerchiefs.

And on a rack, near one side wall, is well made handcrafted clothing. Much of which has intricate geometric embroidery along the edges of the sleeves, necks, or hems.

A long glass and metal counter runs along the entire length of the back of the shop. A lifting section allows access behind to the shop's PDA. A set of 3 tall stools sits behind the counter as well. The counter itself is filled with bolts of embroidered and plain cloth, some expensive looking pocket watches, and small, delicate looking clockworks devices.

A set of Dutch doors, labelled 'Private', stands closed behind the counter area leading, one would think, to the back of the shop.

The interior of the shop is, well, surprisingly coherent for a dreamscape. Nothing seems out of the ordinary, well, expect for all the 'animal' clockwords seem to be six limbed creatures rather then four limbed like on Earth.

Even the chimes over the door simply give a soft srystalline ring rather than something odd.

A deep rich voice calls from the back room, "I'll be right out! Have a look around!" in what sounds like a young, Scandanavian accented voice.

There is one other customer in the shop right now, who, is the oddest thing in it (other than that shark/octopus tentacled 'fish' sitting on that table there). The customer is a shadowy outline of a man, not much unlike Phantom's look, save he's dressed in a long trenchcoat with a fedora hat pulled low over a face covered by a bandana. He glances at you then calls out in a sepulchral voice with a faint New York accent, "Be back later, kid! You've go a live one out here!" He steps away from the counter, picking up the shadowy gun that was laying on it and slipping into his trenchcoat. "Have a good day, kid," he murmure as he passes by you, his form wisping around the edges.

Travis studies the strange figure in surprise, kind of admiring the strange retro get up. He steps aside to make room, a bit confused. "Yeah, you too," he says politely. He looks back to the sharktopus on the counter. "Must be that late night horror scifi binging..." he mutters to himself.

The Dutch door marked 'Private' at the back opens fully and Dialydd steps through. He has a wooden case in his hands holding a shadowy gun tht looks like the one the guy who just left put away. The incredibly handsome youth glances around then sighs softly as he mutters to himself, "Well, I'll just save if for next time." You note that he's not speaking English but that you can understand him perfectly. Weird how dreams work sometimes.

He's dressed much like when you saw him before, but over this kilt, he's know wearing an open black silken robe. It doesn't really make him any less appealing, teasing more than concealing.

Dialydd looks at you then blinks, revealing his inner eyelids, before he recovers to say, "Welcome to Burnishes Knots," before he smiles and adds, "It's good to see you again!"

Travis's eyes widen. "I-it's you! But I'm not astral projecting. Am I?" he asks naively, not fully familiar with how Dreaming works in that regard. He's struck by a horrible thought. "Shick, were all those terrible dreams of my dad actually him in my head?" Just thinking about it causes Travis' clothes to shift and change, from the casual t-shirt and jeans to the casual version of the paramilitary style uniform he had to wear growing up under his father's command. A fitted black t-shirt and black tactical pants with side pockets, tucked into combat boots.

Dialydd smiles brightly as he murmurs in a soothing tone, "Yes, it's me. But yes, you are astrally projecting, in the same way all do: you are asleep and this is the Dreaming." He gesturs broadly. "Well, this is my shop in the Dreaming, specifically. But you know what I mean." His speech is much more casual than the first time you met him in Mohammed's dream.

"Just take a deep breath and relax. You are safe here."

"And I don't know? Where the dreams of your father him in your mind? Or just your mind making him in the Dreaming?" He grins. "Not very helpful, I know. But, well, things aren;t always logical here."

Travis takes a slow, deep breath, then realizes it isn't even really a real breath. Maybe he's sighing out in his bed right now, but he's unaware of it. "I don't know. I always thought I was just normally dreaming -of- him forcing me to train, practice, berating me. But he had a much stronger mind than mine, and a lot more experience. It could've been the real him. It only just suddenly occurred to me."

Dialydd nods as he closes the case holding the gun and sets it on the counter. "And have you had these dreams when he's not around?" inquires the alien youth after a moment. "And, if you don't mind, your father sounds likes, cha, don;t have the words for it...so, I'll use English: a pee-oh-ess."

Travis thinks for a moment. "I...never had a chance to really tell. I spent my whole life around him. I guess...lately I haven't had those sorts of dreams. But I've had some of him." They seem to have tapered off since they left their home dimension, he realizes. But he's also been with friends, which he hasn't really been able to say before. He looks to Dialydd, and can't help but smirk. "Oh yeah. A big POS. That doesn't even start to cover it. I don't stay with him anymore, though. So...things are better."

Dialydd gracefully shrugs as he says, "Then yes, I'd say it's likely he may have been in your dreams, but I cannot swear to it before the Lords. He sounds like a monster and you are well away from him so that is good."

He starts to lean on the counter then straightens as if remembering something. "But, is there anything I can help you with today? Or rather, tonight in your case since as you're asleep it's likely night where you are, yes?"

"Uh. Well, I didn't expect to run into you again like this. At least not so soon. I'd love to understand more about the Dreaming," Travis admits, then seems to think of something else. "Actually, maybe there's something you can help me with. Are you...are you a mental adept, like me? I ran across a person who's mind's been fractured. Their mind got separated from their body and I've been searching for them, but so far I can't seem to get through to them. It's like they've regressed to being a little kid."

Dialydd murmurs, "Cha, baji-naji, I'm not a mentalist per se, no. But neither am I a mage. I'm an odd sea wyvern who's neither one nor the other. Humans call people like me 'psychics' I've come to disoover." He then waves a graceful hand, his six fingers spread wide. "But I know about mental powers and mysticism, so, let's see if I can help."

He snags one of the stools behind the counter and effortlessly lifts it over the counter and sets it down by you. "Please, be seated," he murmurs as he scoots over a stool and sits himself.

"So, tell me more about this fractured mind/body. And I suppose the first question is: did they die? Since that's the major cause of mind and body separating."

Travis sits down on the stool, resting his hands on his knees and sitting a little hunched over. "Their body is still alive and being kept somewhere. But I don't think anyone knows what happened. This person astrally projects, sort of like I do, I think?"

Dialydd nods slightly as he listens then softly asks, "So, their astral cord got severed then? They cannot find their body?"

"I think so? They can't find their way on their own, that's for sure. I think." So Travis ISN'T so sure it's for sure is what he's saying.

Dialydd murmurs gently, "The reason an astrally projecting person can always find their body and return to it in an instant is becuase the astral cord is virtually indestrucible and is an undenaibloe link to themselves. If it's broken, one has, in the vast majirty of cases, only a limited time to return to their body or, well, they die." He waits for a moment then adds, "If the person's body is still whole, still capable of housing their spirit, then, yes, once guided back to it, they should be able to, cha, re-inhabit themselves." He holds up a hand, "But, there are no guarantees."

Travis gulps. "I didn't know that. How long? I think her body is still whole. But they said her spirit was missing or something."

Dialydd smiles slightly. "No, it's not 'missing', she's just lost. You stated you've interacted with her, yes? So, she hasn't passed on."

"I've interacted with like...a fragment of her," Travis rubs the back of his head. As he runs his hands over his hair, he starts to turn inky black, into his psionic self. "I looked like this at the time," Phantom explains. "Do you think it maybe scared her?"

The Dream Realm, the Dreaming, the Dreamlands, so many names around Colonial Bay is richly textured of late. For some reason, it's become more 'vibrant', more 'alive' over the past few months. Spirits of dream, spirits of the dead, are flocking to the area. Most stay just briefly, but some are sticking around.

This particular area seems like amostly Colonial Bay but with bits of others cities even alien ones minxed in as well. But, in any case, there's lots of little shops along this street selling everything from food to books to clothes to human souls it seems. Most of the denizenz seem pretty normal, but some of them are downright odd, like the raven spirits who are watching all. Tey fly down the street at your notice of them, staying just ahead as if guiding.

After a while, you find yourself outside a shop named 'Burnished Knots' on the shop door in iridescent letters. A window display shows an orrery of Earth's solar system, but if you look at the globe of Earth, the continents are all wrong, older than they should be, closer than they are now. A sign saying 'Dreaming/Aware' is flashing on the door.

Dialydd responds to Phantom. "Well, how would you feel about someone like you approaching a fragmented personality looking like you do, ser Phantom? Would it frighten you?"

"Me? No. Like that guy who was in your shop before me didn't scare me. But...maybe I'm weird," Phantom admits.

Dialydd smiles slightly. "Let me re=phrase...you said it was a fragment of her? What sort of fragment was it?"

Phantom is sitting on a stool inside Burnished Knots. He clasps his hands, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. "Hmmm. An 8 year old girl. But feral and living off the streets. She actually cut me," he says, unclasping his hands to look at his right palm, which looks fine. "When I snapped back to my body, I had a cut on my hand in the physical world."

Many of those coming here are summoned by one being or another. There -was- a large increase in raw spirits. Something to note though. Some spirits are spirits of the dead. Some are just... spirits. They have never been anything more or less. There are some that are like... the mental equivalent of dogs vs the spirits that might seem human. They are simpleminded and focused on the here and now entirely.

Those are the spirits whose power Aaliyah commands in battle. They are crafted by Osiris specifically for her to call upon for things such as that.

But they have been about and noticeable for the most part. But there are also spirits that she summons and asks favors of. Those can be just about -any- spirit. To facilitate easier communication, Aaliyah performed her ritual and translated into the spirit realm where she was on -their- turf. But.. one of her scout spirits flows over and urgently points.

This lets her drift that way, and seeing the /shop?/, she inclines her head, and then reaches a hand to knock on the door.

Dialydd murmurs, "Well, think about it: a young, near feral street child and you a stranger? Of course, she is giong to defend herself. It's only nat..." He trails off at the knock on his shop's door. "Cha, I wonder who that is?" he murmurs as he rises from his stool, lifts the moveable section of the counter and heads towards the door.

t"Just a moment, ser Phantom," he murmurs as he reaches the door.

As he eases it open, he murmurs in his deep rich voice, "Welcome to Burnished Knots! Please enter freely if you mean no harm." The speaker is a very tall, supernally handsome youth of alien mien. He is barely dressed by modern human standards in only a kilt-like cloth.

The room beyond the youth has none of the immartiality of a dream. It seems like a real place. Albeit one that sells odd, six liombed animal clockwrods amdong other items.

"Yeah, well, I didn't see the shiv until it was too late," Phantom admits. He sits up a bit straighter when Dialydd welcomes someone else to his shop.

In her wispy gauze coverings that have enough layers to -tease- as if they might be sheer, but they really aren't, Aaliyah steps inside. She peers pasy the host and offers a smile, "I mean no harm. You may trust in that." But she has a swirl of those spirits seeming to gather near her feet, following her like overeager puppies. It really is odd. But it's just her. She always has those guys around.

"I find it interesting that such a place as this would be... here of all places."

Dialydd bows to Aaliyah at the waist with his hand helde out to his sides plam topwards her. As he straightens, he murmurs with a gentle smile, "It is my home as well as my place of business, sera. When I dream, it comes with me...for the most part." After a moment, he adds, "Please, look around as you desire. I am Dee-all-lith neeBres teeEe-meer."

It occurs to you that he is not speaking English but you understand him clearly.

Phantom looks over as Dee welcomes the new guest. He's about to raise a hand to wave hello when suddenly he vanishes. Travis wakes up in his bed due to a loud bang that startles him. Maybe one of Evan's inventions exploded, so he goes to investigate.

"You have especially vivid dreams." explains Aaliyah as she strides further inside, her perception sweeping about. The odd thing is that she is here -physically-. She didn't separate her consciousness rom her body. She is not dreaming. She translated herself entirely, body and soul, over to this... realm. She also has power granted to her by many sources, several of the Egyptian pantheon, so things being weird are the norm for her.

Dialydd blinks, both his sets of eyelids showing for a moment, as Travis disappears then grins softly for a moment. His attention returns to Aaliyah as he murmurs, "Thank you, sera. As humans phrase it, I'm an exceptionally lucid dreamer. I's part of my Gifts."

The exceptionally tall young male looks down at you as he inquires, "And how my I aid you this, well, let's call it night?"

"Aid?" asks Aaliyah. Her serene expression faltering for the first time. She inclines her head and adds, "I found the presence of this place merely a curiosity. So I had to investigate. But I require no aid. It is my duty to offer aid to those who need it. But none are required to aid -me-. In fact, I insist that you do not try such."

Dialydd nods to you as you insist. "As you desire, sera. I'll try to restrain my natural inclinations. It's a habit and training I'm grown used to after all. My duty by choice, but as you desire no aid..." He gestures around the shop. "But, may I show you my shop? I made all the clothes and clockworks. Cha, well not from raw materials, but I'm the craftsperson who brought the patterns out."

HIs tone is gentle but not submissive.

"Well, I suppose I can allow you to suggest items then." Aaliyah says softly, "I do not tend to... change my look often. These wraps are a gift from Anubis, and they are protective..." she intones as she turns to regard the items in the shop. "But I have no eye for modern fashion at all."

The youth looks at you for a long moment, his gaze respectful neither lingering long nore predatory. He then murmurs, "Cha, yes, I can see that we cannot rpelace much. But, how about a walking robe? Among my people it is usually worn by males to avoid the gaze of non-relative females, but, cha, it may be a choice. I have a few if you would care to view them?"

"Robe?" asks Aaliyah. She's still not used to covering up so much. It is so hot in Egypt and all. But her immortality comes with the ability to ignore the elements for the most part. "Whatever you suggest." she states as she walks towards the items, "Please show them to methen."

Dialydd walks over to the rack of clothes against the wall. "As I stated, I do not have many..." He trails off as he takes out two black robes and one white robe. All three are cut quite generously with embroidered geometric patterns on all hems. Red designs on one black robe, green on anohter and the white one has gold embroidery.

As he shows you each of the robes, he murmurs, "Phantom, the man who was here before he awakened, presented me with a problem. He's encountered a woman whose astral cord snapped. Her spirit is trapped here while her body is kept alive in the physical world. She is confused and upset but hasn;t passed on to what lies next. Have you encountered such a problem before?"

Suddenly ignoring the robes now, Aaliyah narrows her eyes, "She lost a connection with her body you say." she remarks, "It seems that there -was- a reason I was brought here. The gods do tend to weave me about without telling me why. Part of my... well my job."

She'd been about to say penance, but nope. Not gonna say -that-! Instead, she asks, "Does your friend know the full true name of this person? If so, I may be able to -summon- her spirit to her body."

Dialydd raises an eyebrow for a moment then murmurs, "I wasn't certain the gods of humanity acted any longer." He then smiles gently. "But, it's good that they do. Phantom didn't mention a name to me. He's encountered her as a child. Perhaps a memory of who she once was."

He looks over where Phantom sat. "Hopefully he'll fall asleep again. And not wander to somewhere else. He's a mentalist in the physical I believe who can project astrally among other skills."

Nodding her head, Aaliyah moves over near where Phantom had been, settling down to wait. She has this thing. She can be super patient. I mean she helped create the legends of mummies. By lying around for centuries at a time.

"They act, but only indirectly. I am their agent, their invested vessel. They send me to act in their stead."

"The Lords of Orhan, the gods of my people, have been distant, recovering since they saved us from extinction a thousand and more years ago. Only in our minds and dreams do they speak now. But, we know they listen and watch," murmurs Dialydd as he sets the robes back on their hangers.

He notes your patience and murmurs, "Tea or water while you wait, sera?"

Inclining her head, Aaliyah shrugs, "I do enjoy tea. But... the modern world has ruined much of it. Please tell me that yours is... not a pre-packaged bag to dip into water?" she asks.

Dialydd laughs softly. "Oh, my grandfather and father would /never/ stand for that. Grandfather would come back from beyond the Gates to beat me for serving so poorly." He heads to the back of the shop. "Let me go prepare and bring the tea set back."

Smiling as she watches you now, Aaliyah nods her head, "Your grandfather was a wise man." She states as she merely waits with patience.

Travis trudges back from the lab in the waking world. It was Tessa messing with Evan's stuff, which turned into a whole thing. He eventually finds his way to his bed and after a while, falls back to sleep.

And when he returns, Aaliyah is sitting patiently in front of where Travis -had- been located earlier. If that's where he shows up again, she's there waiting to ask him about this spirit that is out of body.

While he cannot be seen by anyone, Dialydd still moves around his kitchen and gathers the supplies for tea. He heats up some water on his stovetop and while he waits prepares the tray with four cups and some snacks.

Phantom's shadowy psionic form materializes in the dream, rather close to where he was. Just...outside the store. He looks around before having deja vu and walking back into the store, not fully remembering his previous dream at the moment.

And when he walks in this time, there is a young/old woman there. Yeah. 25 going on 6 thousand I guess. Ageless. Okay enough about that. She stands and smiles, "You must be the friend of our host who knows a spirit separated from their body. I think that I might be able to help them."

As he hears the crystalline chimes over the door ring, Dialydd calls out in his deep rich voice from the back room. "Welcome to Burnished Knots! I'll be out in a few moments!"

Phantom is really getting some major deja vu, and he doesn't know exactly why. "What...?" he asks at first, confused by Aaliyah's words. "What host?"

Gesturing towards Dialydd, Aaliyah lifts her brows without speaking. She just smiles and ahs softly. "Dreams." is all she says after that.

Dialydd pokes his head out through the Dutch door to the back of the shop. "Good evening, ser Phantom, welcome back. You left quite abruptly. Did something awaken you?" He smiles brightly as he adds, "I'm preparing tea. I'll be out in a few minutes."

Phantom looks surprised at seeing Dialydd. "Hey, it's you! Wait...I was here before?" He looks a little confused for a moment, and things slowly come back to him. "Oh, right...something something...cords..."

"Please. Sit and be comfortable." offers Aaliyah as she gestures to a seat. "Perhaps you can tell me about a friend of yours. One who was projected astrally and is now trapped in spirit form, outside her body?" she asks. "I happen to be a Spirit specialist.." she remarks. Again, there are hazy almost translucent... barely visible spirits behaving like tiny puppies roiling about her feet as she just stands there.

"Oh. Right," Phantom says, still trying to get lucid in the dream. He's gotten here the old fashioned way rather than purposely astrally projecting. "Not a friend. Not someone I even know. Just a fractured mind I encountered. I was able to track down someone I think she's kind of dating." He sits down, feeling odd and eyeing the odd spirits. "They're not a spirit. I think? They were a living person who could astrally project their mind. And I guess something shattered them while they were here." That suddenly makes him think of something. "Can you like..actually die in the real world if something kills you on the astral plane?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Aaliyah states, "I think that every situation is potentially unique. But without a spirit... a ka, or as you might call it, a soul... nothing can live." Aaliyah says. She inclines her head and lifts her brows. "Does that make sense?"

Phantom squints a little. "Sort of..."

Dialydd comes from the back room carrying a tea set on a large ceramic tray. "It is very hard to kill a dreamer, ser Phantom. It is easier to kill one astrally projecting as the damage to the astral form carries to the physical and vice versa. And breaking the astral cord? Well, unless one ahd another way to find one's body, one had only a few hhours before one passes on. Unless one lingers due to luck or will as a ghost." As he sets down the tray, he adds, "Or so I have been taught."

"And yet, teachings include the caveat that for every rule, there -are- exceptions." offers Aaliyah. "So, each situation must be investigated fully. If you can remember when you awake to contact your friend here, I will make sure that he can reach me. We should discuss this in the waking world."

"Well, my shop in the physical realms is Burnish...I mean Copper Skeins," murmurs Dialydd as he pours hot water into the teapot to warm it. As he swirls the hot water around, he adds as he watches the water. "It is a public address on most search engines."

"Yeah, I was afraid of that," Phantom says at the warning about an astral death. He hadn't even realized he could get hurt until recently. As they make arrangements, Phantom suddenly wakes up again. Travis opens his eyes, though sees nothing. "Ugh....weird dreams."