Part 2 - Dream a little dream

Part 2 - Dream a little dream

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Part 2 - Dream a little dream by The Dream (GM)
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The roof is the same, with the cats still laying on it, but as they open their eyes they each see the faint images of other cats, little more than whisps of smoke in the sunshine.

Some recognise these others. Cats who had once lived in Montgomery Close, and whose minds and spirits still visited the Meeting Place, even though the cats themselves had moved on. Some to new homes, others... much further. They are familiar visitors, but there is no point talking to them, for even in the Dream, their voices are silent, and they never give any indication that they can hear, or even see, the cats who exist in the here and now.

Beyond the roof, the world has changed. The Pizzeria, for instance, is now only dimly visible, bright glaring lights seen faintly through the forest which now surrounds ths Close.

Number 13, where Karl and Otto live, is a teutonic fortress, and even on this sunny afternoon, storm clouds circle above its mile-high turrets, and lightning flares incessantly, while the roar of the thunder almost drowns out the distant Priscilla's constant demands for attention.

Not far away from the shed, a path leads into the forest, through an opening among the densely packed trees. And from somewhere along that path comes a female human voice, singing softly.

"Pussy cat, pussy cat
Where have you been?
I've been to London
To look at the Queen.

Pussy cat, pussy cat
Could she do anything?
No, so now I journey
To visit the King."

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Antonio
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Bouncing up like shot from a cannon Antonio arches his back and yawns.

"Sweet dreams is made uh dis, who am ah' to disagree? I've travelled da wo'ld and da seven streets, every she-cat knows who ah' am now! Yeah, cats!" he sort of sings and then perks his ears to someone else's song.

"Yo, hey, hey! Right on! How much do ya' baaaad cats wanna bet dat be our fust trouble, uh, problem?" he purrs and struts over to the edge of the roof. "Let's dig movin', cats! Right on! Our destiny awaits!"

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by OGMO
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OGMO rises, tail drifting back behind her, and listens for a moment, waiting until everyone has made the transition.

"Perhaps, Puss," she replies to Tony. "But this Quest is Shadow Dancer's. I suspect our first challenge will be found within the metaphor of his home... or where our rat friend first overheard the Boggins, within the demesne of Priscilla."

She shrugs, back rippling. "But Dream is ever different, and not all challenges here are found upon the Paths intended."

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Antonio
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Antonio turns to look at OGMO, making big eyes.

"Gosh golly, goerl, ya' actually rap so's it makes sense in de Dream! Right on! As fo' de fust challenge, it be any sucka's guess, and Ah' doubt dey gots put dem in any specific o'der, sugar!" he tells her with a small grin and a wink.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Mister Pig (NPC)
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"A beautiful voice... " Mister Pig purrs, as he opens his eyes in the Dream, and looks around. "It might bear investigation, but so might my own house."

He stands, and stretches, and floats upwards, about three inches above the roof, hovering briefly before drifting down again. He starts towards the Climbing Tree, which is now fitted with a staircase.

"My house first, and then the voice."

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Syd
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Syd opens his eyes and looks around for a moment, taking it all in. He looks across the yard to his own home, and then to the sky overhead. He had fallen asleep sitting up again, and the transition to the dream world had happened so subtly it was a little unnerving. He leans curiously to one side, sniffing the air from where the voice came. Could it be Gemma or Evilynn? He had played with both girls in their dreams and inwardly hoped it was a friend and not some bizzare 'test'. Shadowdancers words pull him back briefly from the curious urge to know more, and he shakes his head, saying. " No, the girl singing to us first, then your house. We may have a friend lurking in the bushes to help in our endeavors." He leans again to one side, his keen blue eyes peering through the leaves as his soft velvet nose sniffs the scent of dreams...

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Miss Kitty
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The silent spirits surrounding Miss Kitty receive a moment of respect from the silver tabby as she weaves through the mystical apparitions. She glances toward the Evil Twins’ residence, looming dark in the night. She hisses, low and menacing before putting them behind her and turning toward the singing voice.

The tabby sits and tilts her head with ears perked. She peers down the path where the voice resides while listening to the others behind her. As Antonio comments on OGMO’s suddenly clear speech patterns, Miss Kitty turns surprised eyes to the larger female, but politeness keeps her from commenting. Or perhaps she simply doesn’t wish to acknowledge her usual lack of understanding.

Turning back to the direction of the melody, she voices her own opinion. “She has a very pretty voice. Let’s see the source first. This will be a long journey; we should not overlook a possibility.” And she, too, moves and descends the staircase.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by The Dream (GM)
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Stopping on the staircase, Mister Pig considers the words of those with him, "It is true, I suppose, that my house will always be there, while the singer might get tired of waiting for us. Very well, the voice it is!"

He continues to the bottom stair, and steps off, onto the earth. "The ground is warm." he comments, "And it feels as though I'm walking on a soft blanket."

With a spring in his step, he trots along the path, into the forest...

The path leads a short distance into the forest, before it opens into a circular clearing. An empty clearing. The ground is covered with small blue flowers, and shafts of sunlight shift and move about, lancing down through the canopy, which stirs in a gentle breeze.

From somewhere above, the singing continues...

"Pussy cat, pussy cat
So good that you came
The King will help you
To find a new name."

As the cats gather, there is still no sign of the singer.

And then, just above a low branch of one of the trees, a human mouth appears, the lips curved into a smile. "Hello." the mouth says, as a face appears around it - a young human girl, with long blonde hair and friendly eyes.

"The King of the Cats sends his greetings to you all. I'm here to answer your questions." More of her appears, sitting on the branch, with her legs dangling. She wears a blue dress, white socks, and shiny black shoes.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Leon
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Having been the last to finally close his eyes, Leon is the last to open them. He stands and stretches, his left ear flicks; here in the dream it is still whole and does not itch.

He simply follows where the other go for now. This is not really his quest, after all, the quest belongs to Shadow Dancer. He is merely he to lend aid if it should be required.

The appearance of the woman garners a strange look from Leon. His human, Debra, was fond of a story she watched one that box she liked to watch. A story where a large cat appeared in much the same way as this woman had just done.

Leon was not aware that he had a question, not of his own, so he waits to see who will ask the question they've come here to ask.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Antonio
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Antonio ponders. What question does he have? Let's see...

Are we there yet?

Can I have a slice of pizza?

Will it rain tonight?

How many toes have a dog got if you count half of them?

Does this fur make my butt look fat?

Any lady cat feeling lonely tonight?

In the end, he decides that none of those questions are quite appropriate, so he just grins right back at the appearing human female and looks over at Mister Pig in particular, since he is the one with a question for the King of Cats.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Miss Kitty
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Miss Kitty sniffs at a blue flower or two and then notices the shifting sunlight. Her head immediately drops as her tail goes up. With great precision, she suddenly leaps after a spot of light, only to find it not there when she arrives. Hmph.

The girl stops her singing and offers to answer questions. Miss Kitty tilts her head toward Mr. Pig. “The show is all yours, Shadow Dancer.”

She walks close to the cat in question and whispers in his ear, “Apparently the King already knows of your plight, if this girl is, indeed, his emissary.” She then turns around and plants herself next to Mr. Pig, wrapping her tail around her front paws.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by The Dream (GM)
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The girl drops down from the branch, light as a feather, and smiles encouragingly, as she waits.

Finally, Mister Pig sits, carefully coiling his tail across his toes, and ponders her words. Then, after an interval, for thought, he asks his questions...

"From your song, I understand, that the King of the Cats is aware of my predicament, and is able to help me. So... First, can you tell me how to find him, preferably the shortest way? Second, my friends have come with me, but I am wondering if they will be allowed to help me on the road?"

The girl nods, as she listens to the cat's questions, and then she answers them, "First, Mister Pig, there is no shortest road, as such. The road is always exactly as long as it needs to be to reach its destination, and not a single inch more or less. What you should consider is the challenges. You must face three challenges on the journey, which will test Mind and Body and Spirit, and only when you have bested those challenges can you reach the home of the King of the cats."

Her expression drops slightly, as she answers his next question, "A cat making the journey to face the King, must face the challenges, using only his, or her, own resources. This, like the challenges themselves, is a thing which is forced upon the King by the Rules of the Dreaming and the Waking worlds."

"What? Oh no!" had Mister Pig been a dog, he would have howled then, but the girl smiles at him, a gentle smile, and stage whispers conspiratorially, "Good friends are a resource, my dear Mister Pig. And one which offers help willingly."

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Mister Pig (NPC)
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Relaxing at that whispered hint, Mister Pig, looks at his good friends. Yes, they are here to help him. The journey will be easier with them at his side.

"Am I permitted another question? I mean, apart from that one... another significant question." The girl smiles and nods, "Just one more."

"Very well." the cat closes his eyes, thinking, not sleeping. Though he does keep them closed for a long time... Until, "What is the quickest way on to the road to see the King of the Cats?" A good question, he hopes.

"You're almost on it, Mister Pig. See?" She points, to where there is a second opening in the perimeter of the clearing. An opening which, mysteriously, nobody had noticed before.

A path leads away into the forest, beyond the second opening, paved with white stones, and somehow clear of fallen leaves, broken twigs, and other debris.

"There is your road."

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Syd
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Syd had entered the clearing soundlessly and unnoticed, no more than a shadow among shadows and had watched the conversation silently. As the little girl indicates the opening thru the trees to the road, he yawns indifferently. He had noticed it upon entering the glade, it just hadnt seemed so important as to mention to the others, considering we were dealing with a little girl who could hide better than a cat. THAT seemed quite important, but it also went unmentioned as he padded over to the road entrance and sniffed the air ahead for some clue as to what lay beyond the trees...

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Miss Kitty
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Miss Kitty beams with pride; who knew Mr. Pig could be so eloquent?

For a moment, she shares Shadow Dancer’s dismay at the barring of friends, but the girl puts it aright. Then, of course, Miss Kitty never doubted they’d be able to help. Not once. Nope.

Her head swings to the path to which the girl points and Miss Kitty almost frowns at the path that was there, but wasn’t. No, she had seen it. Certainly. Of course. Yup.

She doesn’t bother with the obviously troublesome questions of why she hadn’t pointed it out earlier. She slowly stands up with a long stretch of both front and back paws before walking around the girl’s ankles, purring slightly.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by The Dream (GM)
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The girl leans down to scratch Miss Kitty's head, right between her ears. "Remember, all of you, the journey will be difficult, but the reward for completing it will be well worth it."

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Antonio
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Having seen the path as clear as day from the moment they sat foot in the clearing, if not before, Antonio does not even look over at it. Of course it had been there all along, he simply has chosen not to look that way.

When Miss Kitty moves up to the girl, he looks at the occurrence and then, simply by accident while moving towards the path, ends up buffing his head again the leg of the girl and sits down to look up at her, since it he naturally meant to do it. Or did he?

"Me-ow!" he says to her.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by The Dream (GM)
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"I know you too. The King told me a lttle about each of you."

She reaches with her other hand, and rubs Antonio under the chin.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Antonio
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Antonio allows the girl to rub him under the chin, his favourite spot, and he purrs gently, kind of like a chainsaw cutting down a huge tree.

It sounds even worse when he is asleep in a hollow metal object, causing it to reverberate. The girl over at the pizza place says he purrs like the owner snores, but he is unclear on how she knows this.

Perhaps she has passed his house when he was asleep, or perhaps it was rumours, as most humans seem to like to talk a lot about all sort of things.

Either way, that is one reason he was given that name, he was told by her. Not that she knows that he understands her perfectly fine, but he is glad that he talks to her - and that she pets him, as well as feeds him.

Almost losing his dignity for a moment - as if he had any - Antonio rams the hand with his head, making it tricky at best for the girl in the dream to scratch him under the chin.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Leon
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There's still something about this that Leon does not trust, and why he doesn't know. But he'd seen the path and without waiting further he moves that way. He'd thought about rubbing up against the girls leg, but decides against it. He prefers his own human's legs over those of a stranger.

The cat sniffs the air once and then moves through the opening in the hedge and out of the clearing.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Miss Kitty
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Eyes close in pure pleasure at the girl’s scratching almost making Miss Kitty forget what she was attempting to ascertain. Almost. An eye opens just a touch to see Antonio taking some of the attention away from her, and she brushes up against the girl’s legs again. Her eyes keep on Antonio as he completely gets into the scratching. Hmph.

Miss Kitty gives the girl one last brush along her soft side before walking away towards the path with her head high in the air. She certainly wasn’t upset Antonio got some scratching. Of course not. Not her.

However, Miss Kitty is satisfied that Alice is who she is: a girl sent by the King of Cats to set them on their journey. Feeling safer, she nods toward Leon and steps to the right of the path, putting her nose and whispers down, sniffing at the path. She’ll wait until Mr. Pig is ready, but will remain ahead of him on the journey.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Syd
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Syd smiles as Leon and Miss Kitty join him at the opening, and looks back once to the little girl, watching her intently for a moment as if expecting her to disappear again. She is still lovingly grooming Antonio, so he looks back to Miss Kitty and asks, " Did you get her name?", already knowing she had. His grin never fades as he looks back to the 'road ahead' - scouting a safe passage and now worrying over unseen humans hiding in plain sight...

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Mister Pig (NPC)
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With a "Thanks for your help.", Mister Pig springs towards the new path, which may (or may not) have been there all along - it's hard to be certain of such things in the Dream.

Behind him he hears a shout of, "Good luck, cats, and be careful!"

The stones are warm beneath his paws, even here in the cool shade of the forest. Surely a positive sign, since warmth is, so often, associated with comfort and good things, at least to his mind. Somewhere overhead there are birds singing cheerfully, all unaware, or so it seems, of the deadly hunters who currently stalk the stone slabs of the forest path.

After walking some little way, perhaps twenty minutes or so, the way dips down, into a valley, and the air grows cooler, though the path itself stays warm. The light dims, and becomes more green, as the growth around them thickens. Mister Pig speaks, quietly, as the way descends, "The light almost makes me think that I'm under the sea, it's so dark and green. I can easily imagine fish, swimming among the trees."

As if to confirm this ridiculous fancy, the sound of running water reaches the ears of the cats.

"I'm glad that you, my friends, are with me." he adds, nervously.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Antonio
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When Mister Pig himself moves out, Antonio manages to pull himself away too, or rather, he makes the girl stop and with dignity wanders off after the others. The fact that he leaps and bounds with a happy grin after having wished the girl fare well is irrelevant.

So it the fact that he still ends up purring at random intervals even as they wander onwards.

After a while, when Mister Pig starts to talk about fish in the air and the sound of water reaches his ears, Antonio licks his lips at the thought of hunting fish the same way that he hunts birds and butterflies, only here the pray is no doubt fatter and slower, if he picks the right now.

"I's gots'ta be dirsty!" he exclaims and bounds ahead to find the source of the running water.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by OGMO
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OGMO flicks an ear in greeting to the girl. She was as close to cat as any human could be...which was still distant, but nevertheless worthy of respect. She tried hard.

On the realization of the second path, OGMO turns and starts walking down the center of it, head high, tail waving lazily behind her.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Syd
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" Fish birds?" Syd thinks, looking curiously to the branches of the trees as he imagines hunting a tuna fish that has the reflex of a bird. The sound of the running water brings a complete adverse reaction, and the stretch of his body goes low and crouched, his ears folding flat to his head. He looks about franticly for the exact source, wishing to avoid it if at all possible. Magic was very important in the land of Dream, and to get wet would be to lose the thing most needed to survive.

He sits into a half crouch as Puss In Boot bounds off to find the water. " Be careful you dont fall in!" he calls after his friend, and looks once more to the branches of the trees, now worried that a fish bird would include a 'water wind' to fly it on...

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by The Dream (GM)
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Falling in, as it turns out, is not a thing to worry about.

The path leads deeper into the valley, and the sound of water grows louder, until there is a narrow wooden bridge ahead, running across a shallow river, which bubbles and burbles around slippery, slimy stones. There is a faint mist in the air, just over the splashing water.

Above the river, there is a break in the trees, allowing the sun to shine down, producing a shimmering rainbow in the mist. Fat, lazy insects drone about in the sunlight above the water, their carapaces gleaming like exotic jewels.

In the centre of the bridge sits an old man in a rocking chair, whittling at a very small piece of wood with a very large knife. His hair is a dirty grey, and straggly, and it looks as though he hasn't shaved in some time. It's impossible to tell what colour his eyes are, or even where he's looking, exactly, as he wears spectacle which reflect a lot of light, making his eyes seem to flash and glow.

As the cats appear along the path, he puts down the wood, and picks up a green glass bottle, from under the chair. Drinking from it, he then carefully returns it to its original place.

The knife remains in his right hand the whole time.

He starts to whistle, quietly, and raises the knife, until the blade is vertical, the flat of it almost touching his ear.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Miss Kitty
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Miss Kitty whispers almost like a purr back to Syd, “Her name is Alice, like the girl who lives in the box in Jane’s room. She is who she is… she doesn’t seek to lie to us.”

Miss Kitty walks along with her nose and whispers out in front of her, she turns to Mr. Pig, “And I am glad to be on this adventure with you. Perhaps in this Dream, we will find some fish swimming in unlikely places.” She grins at her own preposterous idea, but she fancies anything is possible in this place.

Suddenly, Antonio darts away, chasing the melodic sounds of water. Her ears go back and her alarmed eyes turn to Leon, “Where does he think…?” She relaxes, remembering it’s the ginger tom she speaks of. Shaking her head, she half wants to bound after him and see what the fun is all about. But she feels obligated to stay near Mr. Pig and so she simply picks up the pace slightly.

Soon, an old man appears rocking in a chair, innocent and safe. Until he stands with the Sharpy near his ear. Miss Kitty hisses, “Antonio, think safe. Watch out.”

Miss Kitty slowly slinks forward to the end of the bridge, her tail low and her ears back. She gets a good look at him, before offering a greeting, “Hello, you should be careful of that Sharpy.”

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Syd
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Syd follows to the bridge, but stops a few yards short of it. He had seen teen-aged humans hold a blade like that once, and a moment later it was thrown. The rocking chair makes him uneasy as well. His own human family owned one and more than once he had the unfortunate pain of catching his tail beneath the rockers. Leaning into the wind, he sniffs the overpowering scent of dampness and shudders. His cold blue eyes pay close attention to the 'sharpy' never leaving it for a second as readies himself to leap out of the way...

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by OGMO
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OGMO steps forward, ears perking forward, and watches the old man for a moment. "Guardian of the Bridge, Dweller on the Threshold. What is this day's Toll?"

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by The Dream (GM)
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"Well look at what we have here." the old man says, ending with a gleeful laugh. "It's a whole bunch of cats, doubtless on their way to see the King."

He walks slowly forward, towards the end of the bridge where the cats wait. He stops about ten feet short of the end, and he still holds the knife close to his ear. His glasses flash, as he nods his head, "That's right, there is a toll, of sorts. But it'll be easy enough, for clever cats."

Pausing, he glances at the knife, "Yes... I'm getting to that part, now." His attention returns to the cats, and he smiles (albeit a most unfriendly smile).

"My name is Mr. Question, and this is my good friend, Mr. Sharp. We will ask you a single question... a riddle, if you will... If you can answer it correctly, you can pass by without worry, and go along with your journey. If you answer it incorrectly... well, then, Mr. Sharp will have a little discussion with you about what happens to stupid cats. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

Another glance at the gleaming blade, "I know. I'm just about to tell them."

"These are the rules. They're very simple. Because there are many of you, you can dicuss the question among yourselves... but as soon as any one of you says the exact words, 'We believe the that answer is... ', then the very next words we hear are what we will take as the answer, even if a different cat speaks them."

"Do you all understand?"

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by OGMO
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OGMO dips her head. "We believe that the answer is yes. We understand."

She starts walking forward.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by The Dream (GM)
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"What? No, wait, that wasn't the question, that was just part of the explanation." replies Mr. Question. "We'll ask the real question in a moment."

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by OGMO
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OGMO stops, twitching an ear, and looks up at him. "You would ask us a single question, and we would answer. These are your rules, and they are very simple. You have asked; we have answered." She smiles, letting her teeth glint. "Or shall our own Sharpies show us all what happens to stupid Dwellers who cannot count to One?" As she speaks, her teeth elongate, growing even sharper, becoming much like a saber tooth tiger's.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by The Dream (GM)
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"You would challenge us, about the rules of our own contest?" Mr. Question asks, his voice dropping to a rumbling growl, "Here, of all places? The place where we gain our strength?"

The knife in his hand seems to be larger now, and there is a sound filling the air, like the scraping of claws down a blackboard.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by OGMO
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OGMO stands unperturbed, her ears still foward, tail twitching lazily. "I have challenged nothing; I follow your rules. It is not my fault they are not to your liking. Perhaps next time you will speak more clearly."

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by The Dream (GM)
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Mr. Question's flashing spectacles keep their glassy gaze on OGMO, as the bridge creaks and sways around him. The scraping noise grows louder and more unpleasant, and now there seems to be a strange chanting mixed in with it...

The old human, if that's what he is, looks at the knife, and says, "No, Mr. Sharp, the Rules say we can't do that, not any more, and we will follow the Rules... ", and the chanting starts to fade again, though the horrid scraping continues.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Miss Kitty
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Miss Kitty stays alert at the end of the bridge as OGMO assumes leadership of the group and answers questions without consulting any of the others. With her normally oddly cryptic poetry abated for the moment, Miss Kitty can actually understand her. The little tabby’s head swings from side to side as the man and the lynxette battle with wit.

After two exchanges, Miss Kitty gets tired and relaxes her stance to sit down with her front paws tucked under her. She springs right back up when O seems to push her luck and the old man starts talking directly to the sharpy amidst the bridge threatening to fall apart and some odd talk-sing fading in and out.

“OGMO, the bridge might shatter,” she hisses, worried for the larger cat’s safety.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by OGMO
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"It...might," OGMO agrees, her tone calm. Her fur is beginning to fluff out, as if filled with static electricity. "That sort of thing sometimes happens, when a Dweller makes a mistake." Her tone makes it unclear whether she's still referring to the question of the Rules, or the simple fact of being on a bridge she wants to cross.

She takes a step forward, the paw touching down lightly, but with a resounding crash, as cracks spread out around it.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Mister Pig (NPC)
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"But if the bridge collapses... " Mister Pig says, a little nervously, "how will we follow the path to the King of the Cats?"

He almost loses half his lives, right there and then, when the bridge cracks beneath OGMO's paw.

"Perhaps it would be easier to let him set his riddle, which I'm sure we can answer, and then he has no cause to try and stop us passing."

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Leon
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Leon had watched the exchange between the old man and OGMO. Very interesting how she had jumped on the mistake of asking a question, and it was a question.

Should he stand by O-g or not?

The old man could have gotten confirmation of there understanding without asking a question. Instead of asking "Do you all understand?" he could have said something like "Tell me when you are ready to hear the question" or any number of other things.

For Leon the question was, What is the real test here? Did the old man make a mistake? or was this some other kind of test?

The conclusion he reached was that he should stand behind the decision of his companion and he moves up beside OGMO.

"I believe that we all heard the rules perfectly well." he says, looking up at the old man. "The question has been asked and answered. Was our answer Incorrect?" Leon looks around at his friends "I'm sure we all understood the rules, did we not?"

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Syd
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Syd moves to stand with Leon, nodding his head while warily keeping his clear blue eyes focused on the sharpy. " We understood. We answered." He says agreeably.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by The Dream (GM)
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Faced by the cats, all standing together, Mr. Question starts to look a little less sure of himself. "But... but... it wasn't the question. It was just part of the explanation." His voice starts to take on a definite whining quality.

The knife is back again, close to his ear, "No, Mr. Sharp. We have to explain it to them. It's the Rules." And then he moves his hand... slowly, painfully... as if struggling not to do it, until the knife is held horizontally in front of his mouth, and when he speaks again, his voice has a horrid metalic overtone, like the sound of a knife being worked against a whetstone...

"Shut up/ you old fool// Thanks to your stupidity/ they tricked us// We have to let them pass now// But that's the only cooperation we need give them// And we - "

Reaching up with his other hand, the man grips ths wrist of the hand holding the knife. With an effort which has him red faced and sweating, he manages to drag the knife away from his mouth, though it seems to put up a lot of resistance.

"Go! Get away from us!"

The bridge sways under his feet.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Syd
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That was all the consent Syd ever wanted. He didnt feel that he really needed to cross here to begin with, as we were dreaming now and he could have just as easily made his own bridge downstream. This was where the road followed however, and until he better understood the nature of the tests, it seemed prudent to follow the obvious. Running low and fast, he makes a mad scramble to get across the bridge...

Whats the risk here? Whatever it is I think I failed. Good Legs, no evens :(

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by The Dream (GM)
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Syd rushes forward, onto the swaying, creaking bridge, moving quickly and staying low...

The old man turns away, looking down at the water below, and uses both hands to drive the knife, hilt deep, into the wood of the rail...

The cat continues to run, past the ancient rocking chair, which sways violently where it stands. The bottle beneath the chair topples, spilling it's contents, and Syd gets a strong scent of beer as the bottle rolls over the edge of the bridge.

He makes it almost all the way across...

At the last second, he missteps on the erratically moving surface, and ends up rolling the last few feet, legs flailing madly, in an attempt to regain his footing.

Then he is laying on the stones of the path. And they aren't moving.

OOC: No risk, for a cat who walks across, carefully placing each step... but for a cat trying to run, roll Legs. There's no Risk, as such, but failing to get any Evens will result in a trip or a stumble. More embarrassing than dangerous. :)

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Syd
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Syd sits up on the other side of the water and shakes his head vigorously to clear the cobwebs. Looking back, his eyes are wide with amazement that he even survived the whole incident (even if his pride was a little bruised in the process). He shrugs it all off indifferently, adopting a casual aire about his stumble as he says to his friends, " Nothing to it, first one to do it. All you gotta do is cross the bridge." The bridge looks even more dangerous now, somehow worse for the wear of his crossing and he fleetingly wonders how we will get back across once it all falls into the water...

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Antonio
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"Here fishy, fishy!"

Antonio leaps out of a tree slightly off to the side of the bridge, bounces around and looks around frantically. This continues for a few moments and then he sighs and shakes his head.

"No flyin' fishes... Stupid dream," he mutters and then switches over into a cheerful mood again, skipping and leaping over towards the others.

"Yo, folks, whut's..." he starts and then catches sight of the tumbling Syd as he rolls to the other side. "Oh, dat looks likes fun! Right on!"

He sprints towards the bridge, glances over at the strange figure that stands there holding a knife, ad calls out, "Chea' up, it's some fine day! Slap mah fro!"

Then he is onto the bridge, running flat out like an orange lightning.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Miss Kitty
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The world gets crazier as O continues to defy the old man, who is not quite human and the other cats either protest her actions or agree with them. What really breaks the bridge, so to speak, is the Sharpy suddenly becoming vocal and the bridge swaying further while the knife stabs into the bridge’s railing.

Syd runs at top speed, tumbling to the other side with Tony chasing soon after. Miss Kitty gulps and delicately places a paw on the bridge proper. It sways, but no cracks break to swallow her up. Slowly, she makes her way across, veering as far away from the old man as possible.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by OGMO
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OGMO walks across the bridge slowly, letting her tail slide across the side of the rocking chair as she passes it. As she walks, her teeth gradually shrink, reaching their normal size as she steps off the bridge. She turns around and sits, curling her tail around her legs. She snorts softly, watching any others follow after.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Mister Pig (NPC)
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Mister Pig saunters forward, tail held high and curving gracefully into serpentine expressions of total calm.

At least that's the plan.

It actually turns into more of a panic-stricken dash across the creaking, buckling woodwork of the bridge, ending in a frantic scramble for a foothold, as he tumbles off the far end and lands, upside down, on the path.

He sits up, and starts to wash. Wetting a paw and wiping it across his face. "Meant to do that. Made it more exciting."

Meanwhile, Mr. Question seems distracted for a moment, looking up at the sky. Then he walks away from the knife, leaving it imbedded in the rail. As he moves away, the horrible metallic scratching rises in volume, but the man simply says "Shut up, I'm in charge here. Want me to drop you in the river?" and heads back to the chair.

The angry scraping sound drops to little more than a hiss.

Only Leon remains to cross now...

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Leon
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Leon calmly follows all of the others across the bridge seeming to pay no attention to the old man as he returns to his rocking chair in the middle of the bridge. He knows that they were able to take advantage of a slip, but he wasn't about to let anyone, especially the old man or the sharpy, get a hint of that.

Surely they would meet another test and next time...

When Leon finally reaches the other side of the bridge he winks at OGMO and continues walking down the path without stopping. As if he was not the one making everyone else wait he says, "Let's not dawdle. There's bound to be many more obstacle to maneuver." and he keeps moving at the same pace down the path, leading the way for the moment.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Miss Kitty
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Mister Pig inspires a need to giggle, but the little tabby refrains so as not to hurt the poor dear’s feelings. She nods her head at him, “Yes, it was most certainly more exciting. Bravo for you!”

Her eyebrow rises as the old man finishes his argument with the Sharpy and turns her back on the ephemeral creature to trot after Leon. “Hey, you were the last one to cross the bridge, you know.”

Then she changes course in the conversation, “Alice said there would be three challenges; let’s hope that was the first and we passed it with flying colors.”

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Antonio
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"Whut challenge? Ah' dun didn't see any flyin' fish," Antonio asks curiously with a grin aimed at her as he slides up next to Miss Kitty, hearing her mentioning Alice and challenges.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by The Dream (GM)
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Mister Pig also starts walking along the path again, and wonders aloud, "But did we pass that test, or simply bypass it?" Then, with a quick shake, he breaks into a trot, "Ah well, I expect we'll find out soon enough. If we made the wrong choice, it's too late to do anything about it now."

Eventually he slows, as he draws level with Leon.

The path rises higher, climbing away from the deep river valley, and the air grows lighter around them, losing its greenish tinge, as there is less vegetation overhead. The trees are thinning out as they ascend. Finally they reach the top of the slope, and the land descends again, lightly forested at first, but further down the trees give way to an open plain, where large animals can be seen moving. The plain stretches away to a distant range of mountains.

Oddly... or, at least, it would be odd anywhere else, the path does not descend with the land. Instead it continues to climb, on a nice gentle gradient, into the sky. The stones simply hover in the air.

Mister Pig tries stepping on one, and finds it still warm beneath his toes. It also supports his weight, sinking perhaps an inch, or so, before steadying again. When he steps off it again, it springs back into position.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Syd
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Syd stops, stretching his sleek black form with both front paws fully extended and his butt in the air. Settling into a comfortable sit, he raises one paw, flexes out his claws and then retracts, placing it carefully beside the other before whipping the tip of his tail once in irritation. " The least they could have done was make the path out of wood so we would would have something to sink our claws into." he mumbles, looking warily out toward the furthest floating stone in view and gauging its height from the ground...

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Mister Pig (NPC)
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"Maybe this is the second test?" Mister Pig wonders, somewhat hopefully, "A test to see if we're brave enough to walk into the sky."

In the distance, the farthest visible stones are obscured by the clouds... they certainly appear to be very high.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Leon
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Not one to worry over much about a danger before he knows what the danger is, Leon steps forward, "Or it could just be that the king's castle is currently in the clouds." The King of the Cats can, of course, have his home wherever he chooses.

Leon places his full weight onto the beginning of the floating path of stones and begins to move forward. There's no way to find out what will happen until it happens so there's no point in waiting.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by OGMO
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The Dream typed:Mister Pig also starts walking along the path again, and wonders aloud, "But did we pass that test, or simply bypass it?" Then, with a quick shake, he breaks into a trot, "Ah well, I expect we'll find out soon enough. If we made the wrong choice, it's too late to do anything about it now."
OGMO chuckles. "It is never too late," she replies.

She nods her agreement with Leon. "The Path continues onward - Challenge or no, we must also." She waits until he's moved forward before placing her own weight onto the first rock, moving as carefully as she can...though she makes her care look like regal unconcern for rushing about.

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Miss Kitty
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At Tony’s teasing, Miss Kitty pretends to be offended, “Flying Fish? That was no flying fish… that was an old man with a Sharpy and you should have been there while O stared the old man down. It was like some old fashioned duel. Flying fish… pfft.” Her nose rises high in the air for a moment before she pushes her head against his neck with a little purr to let him know she’s kidding.

The walk proves pleasant until they come to the Floating Steps of Death. Miss Kitty’s hair rises as she worries over plummeting to the dream earth below. She doesn’t move forward, instead waiting to see if the others fall or not.

There’s no use in all of them dying…

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Re: Part 2 - Dream a little dream by Antonio
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Antonio, not sure what old man and harpy or whatever that Miss Kitty goes on about, purrs a laughter at her mock offence and light nudges her before resuming a distance that shows proper respect, at least as far as Antonio goes.

When the floating steps finally are noticed by him - busy as he is looking at the ladies - he stop and lets out a cheerful meowl.

"Would ya' look at dat! Right on! Woohoo, dis be goin' t'be fun, fun, fun! Hoopla!"

As soon as Leon is out of the way, the ginger cat leaps out onto the first of the rocks, making quite a show out of it, apparently laughing as he jumps - and jumping with ease he is too.

Stopping to wait for Leon to clear the next he stops, looks backs, grins from ear to ear in joyful delirium and calls out...

"Me-ow!"

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