01<@Ardweden> [Day: Saturday, September 11. Time: Probably morning?] 01<@Ardweden> [The lot of you decided to dreamwalk this fine hour. Upon doing so, Imp reported that one of his friends, Tony, may be in trouble. You guys ended up in a version of New York's Times Square and then Central Park in attempting to find him.] 01<@Ardweden> [While walking through the park, you noticed that the Raven was flying erratically... following the music (or the source of the arrows being fired at Raven) has led you to a couple of characters who identify as Puck and Toci - a satyr and a statue, respectively. You were just having a pleasant conversation with them when the GM so rudely ended the last session.] 01<@Ardweden> [So, we pick up where we left off! With Puck saying that nobody needed to tell him that Raven's bad news; he's seen it.] 01<@Ardweden> [Session Start!] What have you seen? 01<@Ardweden> [Puck says, "A little too much for my liking." He blows a low note on his pipes, then says, "Can't kill it anyway, far as we know."] 01<@Ardweden> [Toci nods, slowly (she seems to do everything slowly), in agreement.] 06* Imp looks completely frustrated. "That doesn't tell me anything!" 06* Susano-O looks surprised. "It can't have been that bad. Can it?" 01<@Ardweden> [Puck shrugs and starts playing a melody on his pipes, and Toci lets out a long sigh. "He's just sensitive." Which results in music stopping as pipes hit the back of Toci's head. She doesn't seem to have noticed as she continues, "The bird brings the worst experiences to innocent people."] 06* Hien blinks. "But... why would it do that?" 01<@Ardweden> [Toci shrugs, ever so slowly, while Puck retrieves his pipes. He's looking pretty cross, all of a sudden. And he was so cheerful before!] To wake them up. The little old lady explained this already. Are we sure it's not trying to kill them in their sleep? 06* Hien hangs her head. "I'm *really* confused now." Did it kill you? 06* Hien jerks her head back up and snorts out some smoke. "I thought I was going to die!" Did you? It wanted you to live. That's what we know. That's not what *we* know. That's what *you* think. You might be right, but I'm not sure I believe that yet. 06* Susano-O thins his lips, and looks at Toci. "What do you think?" 06* Kali frowns, her hand trying to inch towards her sword before stopping suddenly and flexing its fingers, moving away. "I...it's so hard to know anything for sure, these days..." 01<@Ardweden> [Toci was doing a good impression of the statue she is, but she turns her head to Susano-O at his direct question. "The bird is a menace and would be an enemy of mine... if we were anything approaching equal. What do you think?"] 01<@Ardweden> [Meanwhile, Puck picks sullenly at his pipes.] All I know is it didn't...feel right. And when the raven showed up, I knew for sure. But it didn't actively try to hurt me..." 06* Kali then glances at Puck for a moment. "Where's Robin? He hasn't said anything in this conversation..." You didn't feel right before he showed up he was trying to help. 01<@Ardweden> ["He ain't here," Puck tells Kali.] 06* Susano-O looks slightly confused. "Who is Robin?" 06* Hien headtilts at Imp. "Tonight, you mean?" 06* Kali sighs. "I know you have no reason to trust us and would probably still be hiding him. But we've got someone we need to help too. And if we keep doing this, we want to know if the Raven is actually helping the people we help..." No the first time? Nope, I felt fine *until* he showed up! 06* Kali then looks at Susano-O. "In a moment." She then turns back to Puck. "Please..." 06* Susano-O nods back, looking curious. 01<@Ardweden> [Puck stops picking at his pipes and looks at Kali, one bushy eyebrow raised. "Well, who're your friends then?"] Someone named Tony. Have you seen him? 01<@Ardweden> ["Toots, there are about a million Tonys in this world, and that's guessing conservatively. Sure, I probably saw *a* Tony or two, definitely the award, but I bet it's not the one you're talkin' about."] 06* Kali folds her arms across her chest and looks at him coldly. "Sorry. Next time I see him, I'll tell him to change his name for your convenience." 01<@Ardweden> ["Hey, don't take your frustrations out on me. He's probably somewhere around here. Now's when most people are asleep."] 06* Kali nods and glances at Imp. "This is your thing. You're probably better to describe him than I am." 06* Imp frowns. "I don't know how to describe him in this world." If it's like Nate, he may still look like himself. Or he *may* be the award. 06* Susano-O laughs, and nods to Kali. 06* Hien folds her arms across her chest and headtilts again. 01<@Ardweden> [Toci nods at Kali. "Entering dreams takes many forms. We find it best to have a close bond to recognize where we're going."] 06* Hien mutters, "Well, even if the raven is bringing bad news, I still don't think someone should *shoot* it." Well, I guess we'll 'ave a 'ard time finding him zen. 06* Kali backs off to the group (sans Joan since she already knows) and keeps her voice down, responding to Hien. "Funny you should mention that. That was Robin." 01<@Ardweden> [Puck starts playing an idle melody again, while Toci watches Kali retreat and talk to Hien.] 06* Hien blinks. "Oh?" she says softly. "The one who's not here anymore?" 06* Susano-O nods to Hien, then looks sharply at Kali. "So he's with them?" he says quietly. 06* Imp frowns a bit. 06* Hien taps her jaw with a clawed finger. "But... the Raven is still the best lead we have for finding Tony, right?" 06* Kali sighs. "Supposedly." She looks up at Susano-O. "Look, we can't even be sure of things from a dream perspective. As far as we know, this *is* their world. How would you feel about someone just randomly swallowing people and them never coming back?" He is. Let's go after him. 06* Kali raises her voice back up to normal pitch again, seeming disappointed. "It seems like it's really our only option..." 06* Hien looks at Kali and Susano-O. "Let's save Tony first and then work on figuring things out?" 06* Susano-O thinks about this, and nods a couple of times. "It's not great. But they know it's from sleep. It's different." He looks to Hien, and nods. "You're right, I think." 06* Imp teleports up spreading his wings trying to find the Raven 01<@Ardweden> [Imp finds easily enough where the Raven was, as there are a couple of feathers strewn on the ground due to some close calls with arrows. But he has no idea where the Raven went.] 06* Imp frowns. "I don't see Raven..." 01<@Ardweden> [Toci continues to stare at the party. Statue-like. But since she's actually alive, it may be a little disturbing.] Can you still feel the general direction where Tony is? 06* Imp frowns and tries. 06* Imp frowns more and glides down. "Don't know. Can't feel anything." 06* Hien 's ear-fins droop slightly. "Should we try retracing our steps a bit?" 06* Kali frowns and turns to Puck and the others. "Can you help?" 06* Susano-O looks at Toci, but swallows his question and waits to see the response. I don't know. I don't know, wish we knew how to find him 01<@Ardweden> ["Why is your friend in trouble?" Toci asks.] 06* Susano-O looks at the Imp, but then says, "I don't think I know, but..." He looks expectant. Someone is putting 'im in danger. I don't know. He's just... he might not wake up 01<@Ardweden> [Toci blinks, and Puck looks up, stopping with the music yet again.] 01<@Ardweden> ["Your friend..." Toci seems to be searching for the right words. "I think he'll be all right."] How? What makes you so sure? This doesn't seem like something we can just leave to chance. 01<@Ardweden> ["What makes *you* so sure?" Puck asks with a grin. "Dude's probably gonna live forever in a perfect world."] Zere's no such zing. 06* Kali frowns and whispers, hoarsely, "You want to keep him here..." 06* Hien takes a step back, her tail thrashing in the grass. 06* Susano-O looks at Kali, and then says to Puck, "He could tell us that himself. Without seeing him, we can't rest easy. That's how it is, with friends." 06* Imp blinks looking scared now. 01<@Ardweden> [Puck laughs at Susano-O's statement. "Yeah, yeah. We've all got friends. Which is why you should be friendly and help him out by not ruining shit for him."] 01<@Ardweden> ["That... is... what you plan to do. Isn't it?" Toci asks, somehow speaking even more slowly than before.] 06* Kali continues to speak hoarsely, almost trembling. "You...how can you decide that for someone else?" 06* Joan sighs. "Knew it would turn out like zis." 01<@Ardweden> ["How... can... you?" Toci responds, looking straight at Kali.] 06* Susano-O says in a reasonable tone, "We don't want to ruin anything. We just want to talk with him, so we can know. What does talking with him ruin?" 06* Kali 's trembling. Her lower arms keep reaching for the swords but her upper body seems to be fighting it. 01<@Ardweden> [Puck raises an eyebrow. "*Really*." He doesn't sound particularly convinced. "Just talk? That's all you wanna do?"] That's all we'll do. Talk. If he's in a wonderful place, what harm can it do to have him tell us that? 01<@Ardweden> [Puck looks at Toci, who's still staring at Kali. Now *he* rolls his eyes and says, "Fair 'nuff. You figure out where your friend is, and we'll be glad to go along and help you get to talk to him. But if you-" And he points at Imp. "Can't even figure out where to fuckin' start, that ain't none of our faults but yours."] 06* Imp frowns more as he slowly glides down to land on Hien's head. 06* Hien very gently lifts Imp off and sets him carefully on the ground. "There you go, assuming things again. What did I say about asking?" 06* Kali finally seems to get control of her arms, which fall limply to her sides. She turns to avoid gaze with Toci right now. 01<@Ardweden> ["Names," Toci suddenly says when Kali breaks her gaze. "I don't know most of yours."] 06* Susano-O looks at Kali, too. "Did you do introductions when you showed up?" I am myself. I don't need to give you anything if you're trying to hurt my friend. 01<@Ardweden> [Toci rolls her eyes, slowly. "Then I'll call you the smelly red one."] 06* Kali looks away from Susano-O and to the ground. Her mouth moves slightly, but any actual words are barely audible. 06* Hien raises a hand. "I'm Hien." 06* Susano-O watches Kali, and then after a beat, asks Toci, "Were there introductions?" 01<@Ardweden> [The statue nods to Hien. "Toci. A pleasure, I hope." The satyr does a little wave and says, "Puck." At that, Toci turns to Susano-O and says, "Yes."] 06* Kali wraps her arms around herself for a moment and finally manages to whisper. "Let's go..." I see. I am Tatehaya... 06* Susano-O glances at Kali. "Now?" 06* Imp frowns and looking over to Kali. "go where?" 01<@Ardweden> ["Tatehaya, then," Toci says. "I hope we can be friends."] Zat remains to be seen. I...anywhere. We can find him. 01<@Ardweden> ["Yes. It is just a hope."] 06* Kali shivers a bit at Toci's voice. 06* Imp nods and tries to focus again desperate for something. 06* Susano-O nods. "I hope so, as well. We'll have to take our acquaintance further later, I think. It seems we should be on our way for now." 06* Imp frowns shaking his head. 06* Kali shakes her head. "Not around here..." 06* Kali looks at Imp. "Think. Where would he be?" 06* Susano-O bows shallowly to Toci, and straightens once more. "We'll see you soon, I'm sure." I... I don't know I don't know where he'd be Don't just try to sense him. Think! He's your friend, isn't he? You said you knew he talked about New York... 01<@Ardweden> ["I'm sure," Toci says to Susano-O, and at Imp's words, Puck frowns. "Yeeeeah," he says, "this is getting a *little* uncomfortable - breakdowns ain't my thing. Good luck with that; I'll be in touch." And he disappears in a swirl of leaves.] 01<@Ardweden> [Toci, similarly, says, "I assume you don't want me around right now?"] 06* Joan shrugs. "You do not bozer me." 06* Kali sounds a bit frantic and doesn't quite hear Toci. I think our friends here could use some space, if you'd excuse us. 01<@Ardweden> [Toci nods. She closes her eyes and sinks, hands still folded, into the ground.] I don't know. I just.. look he doesn't talk much okay? I don't know 06* Hien blinks a bit at Toci's departure, then turns her attention back to Imp. 06* Kali breathes in deep after Toci disappears. And then her lower arm reaches for her sword and draws it swiftly before jabbing it hard into a nearby tree, sticking it there. 01<@Ardweden> [The tree rings as though Kali had struck a church bell.] 06* Susano-O starts, and winces. He keeps his voice low, in case Toci's still there. "But he doesn't have to talk for you to know things about him. Right? What he likes." 06* Kali whispers. "Liars." 06* Kali draws the sword back with her other lower arm, looks at the tree coldly, then resheathes it. 06* Susano-O looks at her, slightly concerned, then back at the Imp, trying to be patient. He likes fighting games? And he likes playing Eddy? Who's Eddy? The black dancing guy? The... what? 06* Susano-O looks pretty unsure what's going on there. So...the arcade, maybe? Or maybe he wants to be a game designer? 06* Kali seems a lot calmer than earlier now. Maybe. Does anything else come to mind? He's always quiet and says we shouldn't hurt Kali as much. 06* Kali frowns at that. A little. What....what did he talk about in New York? 06* Susano-O smiles, but leaves Kali to ask. He... had family here or something? Liked it. As a tourist? Is there anywhere he liked going? Or just seeing people? If... 06* Kali pauses for a moment. "If this is his dream world, then his family might be in here...and even if he's not there, they might know more about how to find him..." I think his family? Yeah. THat's a good place to start. Sounds good to me. 06* Susano-O nods. "Then let's try that." Okay. Let... Let's see if we can find them? Where do we go? 06* Kali nods. Her hands aren't twitching any more, that's probably a good sign. 06* Imp frowns. "This is the dream world. Let's... Let's see if we can find a directory or.. I don't know." He's looking downfallen. I think... We should just go. Talk to.... What's 'is name? Tony. Find out for ourzelves. In zee real world. 06* Susano-O nods. "He should be safe for now. Even if he's just getting tired now. It took a while for Nate to get that far." So he's not already stuck here? How do we know? Per'aps not. We don't know for sure. But we know what we did already. Why should Tony be different? 06* Kali closes her eyes. "We don't. But frantically spinning our heads when we don't know anything isn't going to get us anywhere except tired. Or worse." Yeah...Yeah you're right. I'll talk to him tomorrow. So we'll try again tomorrow night? We do. Once we know more. 06* Joan nods. Okay, then. 06* Kali rubs her head. "I...I wanted to believe in them so much. I really did..." 06* Imp looks a bit deflated even as he tries to puff himself up, his heart just isn't in it. 06* Hien reaches out and puts a hand on Kali's shoulder, but is silent. 06* Kali just stands there kind of numb. 06* Susano-O looks at Kali and Hien concernedly, but he's not touching anyone. "We'll find out more, either way." 01<@Ardweden> [Session End.]