View source for Dreams and Pathways Forward

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/07/11
|Location=Fluorgis - Watchtower
|Synopsis=Skoll wakes from a dream of the Espers, only to find that he isn't the only one with strange dreams. 
|Cast of Characters=Skoll Ulfang, Zia 
|pretty=yes
}}
:'''[[Narrator]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>Night.<br /><br />It's been a long time since dreams have drawn Skoll down into the depths of his own memories. Perhaps the recent loss of his powers is the cause, or maybe he's just uncomfortable, passed out on the couch at the Watchtower with the television still playing some video game's wait sequence on repeat. Then again, maybe there are other things trying to call out to him.<br /><br />The woods are quiet, the snow only having just fallen the previous night. He's young, still somewhere more boy than man. With a laugh, the younger version of himself plays with a small glowing rabbit, the true form of Carbuncle. The esper seems fond enough of the werewolf boy, bounding between him and his sister as the two offer out bits of carrot. It's a charming scene, but soon enough, it isn't just a memory.<br /><br />The sound of heavy pawsteps approach, and Hati's ears tuck. "I... I have to go." She whispers, then races into the trees. Why did she have to leave? He'd never understood it then, but the moment his father's form came out of the woods, setting eyes on his son, there would be that same feeling of shame again. <br /><br />"What do you think you're doing?" Odin asks, prowling forward. With one clawed hand, he plucks up the rabbit-Esper, scowling at it. "Is this what I've been teaching you? Is this what all your power is good for?" With a flick of his hand, the great wolf tosses Carbuncle into the woods, where the rabbit lands with a thump and a whimper, before fading back out into mist.<br /><br />"You can do better than that pathetic creature. Now, boy. Show me Fenrir." It's a tough task that his father has set, but the larger werewolf just folds his arms, looking expectant. Odin was not always the nicest of teachers, and he expected the best from his only son.

:'''[[Skoll Ulfang]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Awww, but Haaaa~tiiiiiii..." Skoll complains when the girl suddenly gets up, only barely noticing the way those ears tuck back. "You're such a spoil-sport." He follows this up with and turns his attention back towards Carbuncle and pulls the rabbit-esper into his lap and dangles the carrot above it. "You're not a spoil-sport, are you 'buncle?" Skoll chirps, smiling at the little thing and just 'ignoring' Hati as she runs off. Indeed, he just... doesn't know. He never noticed after all.<br /><br />But then Odin suddenly comes out and grabs hold of Carbuncle and plucks him up from his lap. "Hey!" Skoll complains and grabs for the little thing. But Odin already throws the little thing off into the distance, and the impact is enough for the young werewolf to lose that contact with the little one. Poof - it turns into mist, which has Skoll throw his dad an angry look. "You should pay the elders more respect! He blesses the hunt you know?" So Skoll claimed that Carbuncle had 'told' him. <br /><br />The young boy slowly gets up from his seated position and stumbles back a little from Odin, pouting. "Why? It takes a lot of mist for me to bring out Fenrir. There's no fight here - no hunt." Little young Skoll complains - being a bit more rebellious than normal seeing as his dad just hurt Carbuncle.

:'''[[Narrator]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>Odin's growl is the sort of thing that demands respect amongst the pack. It has even a greater effect when used on the young. Though Skoll often lived under his father's protection, that doesn't mean that his back-talk doesn't infuriate the older wolf any less. "Skoll. Your mother might tell you silly stories about how all the spirits are important, but in the real world, all that matters is strength." He balls one hand into a fist, tensing the muscles in his upper arm. "Strength is what it takes to protect your pack, and no silly 'rabbit' is going to protect them."<br /><br />Unlike many of the other wolves, Odin tends to prowl on all-fours rather than stand like a human. Even so, he still towers over many, his raw size and strength the obvious reason he has survived as pack leader for so very long. "You were destined to be the next alpha. If you aren't strong enough, then /everything/ you care for will be ripped from your claws. Do you /really/ think a spirit of little food animals is going to protect your pack?" His tail thumps, followed by a growl.<br /><br />"I don't want to hear any more complaints. Unless you think you're too weak to follow in my footsteps." To a child, it's hard to imagine that Odin might mean this as a threat. Then again, he has plenty of other females in his pack. Skoll's mother had lived in some measure of protection due to spawning such a blessed child, but there were others he could court favor with. "You wouldn't want to disappoint me, or your dear mother, would you?"

:'''[[Skoll Ulfang]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>Skoll instinctively shrinks upon hearing the beastly voice of his father - irritated with him. He ducks his head down a little and backs off a step. To him, the spirits are all important - they are family in a ways. They're part of him. But his father here promotes strength beyond that. It's his mother than gives him his desire for honor - but he's young and still being taught. This means that his father has far greater control of him at the moment. The young werewolf furrows his brow and tilts his head up. "/Fine then/." He growls.<br /><br />Slowly, the werewolf turns to follow the motions of his father, not wishing to turn his back on him. "I /am/ strong." Skoll protests. "And I want to be strong enough to protect my family." But the hunt is still important too! Without the hunt, there is no food. War doesn't bring food!<br /><br />The youth tilts his head away and looks a bit more upset when his father also comments on 'disappointing' him or his mother. "No, of course not father." The way he says 'father' is one that recognizes the man's power. Skoll lets out a deep sigh and steps back one more time.<br /><br />"Fine then." <br /><br />The little fuzzball draws a deep breath and closes his eyes, concentrating on the power that lies within him. Summoning, especially at this young an age, takes quite a bit out of him - especially in the concentration department.

:'''[[Narrator]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>This is where the dream goes wrong. In reality, the young Skoll would have gone on to summon Fenrir, much to the pleasure of his father. In this twisted version of the world, there is no such achievement. Instead, as he concentrates, the world begins to go dark around him. He wouldn't notice it at first, but soon enough, the cold would seep in. The world, his father, everything seems to have winked out of existance, leaving him in darkness. <br /><br />Rather than the Fenrir that he knows as a boy, the one that emerges from this darkness seems to twitch and shudder. Blood oozes from his mouth as the darkness licks at his limbs. At moments, it seems to flicker between the summon he knew as a boy, and the darker tainted one he forced from the ether as an adult. This one, doesn't obey his commands, though. This monster growls at him, shaking his head this way and that. <br /><br />Anger. It radiates off of the Esper. Could this have been when things changed? Is this the moment when his father's darkness became, in some small way, his own? Sure, the Gaudium Lords had added their own sort of darkness to his powers, twisting and tainting them, but he didn't /have/ to call Fenrir that day. He could have protected Carbuncle. <br /><br />Fenrir looms over him, looking even larger than his father's bulky form. "Never... again." He whispers in a pained voice, then swipes a clawed forepaw towards the boy.

:'''[[Skoll Ulfang]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>When the dark Fenrir appears - twisted even further than the one he knows, Skoll stumbles back in fear and lets out a childish yelp - the mist that forms the life-line in 'building' Fenrir before him continues to stream from him, making it hard for the youngster to even breathe. His heart beats fast in fear, and he is quick to start crying as it growls at him. Fenrir was the one he'd always had the greatest tie with - besides Carbuncle. They were wolf in spirit and mind both. <br /><br />So to have Fenrir angered at him - this twisted... it scares Skoll beyond belief. It pads closer to him, and Skoll shrinks back - young and inexperienced even in this dream. And then it speaks those words. Never... again. Skoll in fear, just brings his hands up towards his face in the hopes of stopping the glow and those claws from rending into his face. "NO!" He cries out! "FENRIR!" And he prepares for the blow, his body going rigid.

:'''[[Narrator]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>The hand swings down, but rather than bringing the pain that Skoll might expect, there is another growl and a rush of warmth that comes forward from the darkness. It lights the clearing around him, driving back the darkness. The clawed paw of Fenrir is caught, held tight in the jaws of a great Golden Wolf. Her ears are held back, body low, eyes intent as she stares down the Esper. Dark blood oozes across her muzzle, but when she releases the dark form before her, it shrinks back into Fenrir, who looks between her and the wolf-boy beside her. <br /><br />No, rather than a boy, the Skoll that sits on the ground behind her is the same as he is today. In this moment, the Golden Wolf stands as his protector as the Esper stares at him. Dark blood still stains her muzzle and neck, but it only makes her expression look that much more fierce. <br /><br />"We will not be bound by darkness any longer..." Fenrir snarls low, his wounded arm drawn in against his chest. From the darkness, other Espers appear. Carbuncle limps on an injured leg, the World serpent looms above them, and yet others remain half hidden in shadow. "If he wishes to use our power again, he must start at the beginning." Others echo in eerie voices: 'At the beginning...'<br /><br />"He will have to /earn/ our strength, without his dark magic, or the doors to our realm will be closed to him /forever/." With that, Fenrir and the others turn, for a moment flickering into their darker incarnations before returning back again. Then, they disappear into the darkness.<br /><br />What is left, is simply the small clearing, lit by the light of the Golden Wolf. "Are you alright?" Like before, her voice is a mix of every female voice he's ever known, as if they were all one and the same. She turns her head towards him, ears tucked down. 

:'''[[Skoll Ulfang]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>All of this is getting to be a bit much - it's all so disorienting. Skoll opens his right eye first, catching sight of the golden wolf. The sudden 'recognition' draws him immediately into adulthood within the dream. The werewolf opens his mouth and 'speaks a name' as if he recognizes her, but he can't even hear himself say her name. The bloodied and fierce wolf certainly looks impressive - and Skoll opens his other eye and lowers his hands down to his sides.<br /><br />His ears perk, listening to Fernrir speak. "Fenrir..." The werewolf whispers. "I never meant to..." But the apology is now far too late. The damage has been done. "Carbuncle... Midgarsormr..." He looks out into the shadows. "Phoenix? Shiva?" He attempts, but they don't even appear to him.<br /><br />The werewolf tilts his gaze back to the golden wolf, and then takes the Golden Wolf's paw in order to help himself stand. He feels like at this moment, he needs that support to do even something that simple in this dream. "Earn it... but how? It's been so long... Fenrir.." But the wolf already fades before him - disappearing into the darkness. Skoll's ears fold down sadly, and he looks at the Golden Wolf. "Thank you." To hear this many voices sounds weird. But this being a dream, Skoll accepts it readily. "I... I don't think I am." Skoll answers her.<br /><br />"They've been a part of me for all of my life." He explains, laying a hand to his chest. "And I don't remember the beginning." Is there even a place to dredge up such memories?

:'''[[Narrator]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Every journey starts with one step." The Golden Wolf nudges her head against his shoulder, the gesture wolfish and familiar. "You'll figure it out." Once, when the Gaudium Lords still held that chain around his heart, she could only appear distantly. Time and again, he would see her trapped, fighting for freedom, trying to reach him. Now, even amongst all this darkness, she is free. It is a small blessing that comes with the greater price of losing those Espers that he had once been able to call upon so freely.<br /><br />"But for now, you should think about getting up. Laying like that can't be comfortable." The wolf's muzzle smirks slightly.<br /><br />Wait, what?<br /><br />And then he's back in reality, back in a world where falling asleep on a couch is /really/ not a good idea. Ouch. Poor Skoll is likely to end up with a stiff neck. There's some silly program on television advertising some product that you /MUST BUY NOW/, including an overexcited announcer repeating himself over and over again. <br /><br />On the floor below, there's the sound of someone moving around. Since Percival is out, it must be Zia, and the fact that she's in the kitchen probably means doom and destruction for the world. If anyone could accidentally cause armageddon with food products, it would be her. 

:'''[[Skoll Ulfang]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>Skoll closes his eyes and lays his head carefully against the Golden Wolf. "You're finally here..." He whispers and reaches a hand out towards her, the realization starting to settle. But it's too late now. Those words - those simple words that alude to reality. "Laying?" He whispers when <br /><br />~ "MUST BUY MOOGLE POM POM NOW! MUST BUY MOOGLE POM POM NOW! Put it on your head! Put it on your chest! Rub it under your armpits! IT'S MOOGLE POM POM! IT'S MOOGLE POM POM!"<br /><br />Irritated, Skoll grabs for the remote, fumbles it for a moment, and then turns off the television. With a groan, he lays his head back against the edge of the couch, and then gets that twinge of pain that immediately has him shooting up. A controller was poking into his back. The werewolf grumbles and growls, grabbing the thing and then deposits it down to the side of the couch. His hair is a mess. He looks up tired - hearing some other sounds.<br /><br />Grumble grumble. The werewolf lets out a sight and slowly gets up. "Maan... she needs a better couch." He mutters and just starts to make his way downstairs towards the kitchen. Maybe he can salvage the food before Zia makes a 'protein shake'.

:'''[[Zia]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>It's nearly dawn, and while that might be concerning for other gargoyles, Zia doesn't exactly have the same sense of 'time' when it comes to it. Since the return of her crystal, she'd gone back on her 'daywalker' schedule, which means usually crashing out whenever she'd get too exhausted. Last night, it had been while sitting on the couch playing a game, and the wolf had done the gentlemanly thing of tucking her into bed before sacking out on the couch, possibly to some late night movie.<br /><br />In either case, the white gargoyle seems to be up now. Maybe that's what woke him? She doesn't seem to have been there long, since she's just searching one of the cabinets for a frying pan, looking a bit distracted. It's hard to tell just what she plans on making, since she's mostly just got a jug of milk out. <br /><br />*Clang* "Ow. Blasted pan." She mutters, rubbing at her fingers. Apparently, she'd started a cascade and squashed her talons beneath shifting pans. After a moment, the frying pan is revealed, and as she closes the cabinet, the Zia nearly jumps at the sight of him.<br /><br />"Ach." Frying pan waggle. "Yer nae supposed to sneak up on me ye know." He hadn't exactly been quiet, but anything is close to silence when compared to the noise she was making. Letting out a breath, Zia looks at the pan, and then slowly sets it down. Rubbing at her head, she squints towards him, still not quite awake, it seems. "Where were ye? Last Ah remember we were shootin Zombies 'n then..."<br /><br />And then she'd had a quite unsettling dream. 

:'''[[Skoll Ulfang]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>Skoll is leaning against the doorpost, arms crossed, smiling and smirking his way through the whole mess Zia is making. When she finally turns around, he shakes his head, raising his hands as if she were wielding some kind of 'weapon of mass destruction'. "Be careful with that fryingpan! Man, are you trying to start a new world war?" He teases and approaches her, holding one hand out towards her. "Gimme the pan and I'll make you some good stuff. What do we have in the fridge?" <br /><br />He ends up standing next to her by the time she's talking about where he was, trying to take the frying pan from her. "Well, we shot a bunch of zombies, and during a particularly long loadingscreen, you kinda fell asleep. Looked all cute and the like too!" Skoll points out. "So, I carried you off to your bed and tucked 'ya in." No worries, he didn't peek.<br /><br />"As for me - I was sleeping on the couch, like a good gentleman."

:'''[[Zia]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>It seems to take a moment before Zia realizes that the frying pan might be considered a lethal weapon by some. She lets him edge past her and take it, though, leaning against the little island in the center of the kitchen. Judging by the clock, the two of them had only been asleep a matter of a few hours, so it's no wonder that she's still a little sleepy. <br /><br />"Milk, eggs, think there's a loaf of bread around somewhere..." Zia replies, and then just about sticks her hand into the lunchmeat she'd taken out. "Oh, 'n there's this, too." What in the world had she been planning on making? "Ye worry aboot food, Ah need coffee." This, at least, is something that she's able to do with relative ease. Coffee and tea were hard to ruin, since it mostly just involved boiling water. She isn't quite so hopeless as to screw that up, either that or the safety on her electric coffee pot worked wonders.<br /><br />Flicking it on with one talon, she stiffles a yawn, her wings flexing a little behind her. "Probably could use goin' back te sleep, but Ah dinnae think Ah could jus now." So, instead, the white gargoyle flops herself down into one of the chairs in the small dining room. The fact that he'd had to take her to bed draws a faint bit of color on her cheeks, "Well, ye have m'thanks oh noble wolf. Wha would a lass do wi'out ye?" <br /><br />Yet, she still seems distracted. That is, until she plucks something out from the pocket of her robes and places it down onto the table. Even as the kettle whistles, she's more focused on the small star shape object than on what's going on around her. The question is, would Skoll even recognize a Wayfinder?

:'''[[Skoll Ulfang]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>Bread, eggs, and lunchmeat? Oh - and Milk.<br /><br />"What the heck do I do with that kind of..." Skoll complains about the lack of anything 'good' in the fridge. "Man, I need to do some shopping for you." Sometimes he forgets that Zia isn't very 'rich'. Neither is the werewolf, but then; when he says shopping, he means 'hunting'. The werewolf slumps his shoulders a bit, and then gets to work. He figures he can make some ham-and-eggs on bread. That should be good enough. He'll just skip on the bread. Rather not add any unneeded milk to it. <br /><br />The werewolf gets to work, heating the pan and putting the meat in, glancing aside now and again at Zia as she messes with her robes. He tilts his head when finally, something small comes out. "Something you brought from Atlantis?" He asks. Sure, Skoll has seen that kind of star-shaped object before, but he has never paid any attention to it. To him, it's just another form 'fruit' can take. <br /><br />"Well, without me, you wouldn't eat yummy Kobe beef?" He suggests instead.

:'''[[Zia]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Well, nae all of us can live on meat alone." Zia says absently, glancing over her shoulder towards the wolf as he starts cooking. "Ah'd have some bacon, but the vendor was out." She pauses, pondering at the state of the kitchen. "'Boot time Ah pick up a job from the 'Seekers again, try te at least pay m'share of things." Percival had connections through multiple groups, where-as she tended to work mostly through the Shard Seeker's job board. A lot of times, they were simple courier sort of assignments that no one else wanted, but for someone who could fly, she had an easy enough time traversing the World of Ruin.<br /><br />Her eyes are drawn back to the Wayfinder then, toying with the edge of it, as if she were wondering if it would disappear suddenly. Yet, when Skoll asks about it, it seems to confirm her thoughts. Could it /really/ have come out of her dreams? "Nae from Atlantis." It's hard to frame her mind around what she wants to say, and any way there is to say it sounds equally crazy. "Would... ye believe me if Ah told ye tha Ah brought this through from m'dreams?" The thought of Kobe beef ends up sidelined in exchange for the unexplainable.

:'''[[Skoll Ulfang]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>Skoll continues to fry the meat, but soon adds the eggs to the mix and lowers the fire on the frying-pan. He then tilts his head towards the girl again. "Oh I know. Not all of you have an Iron Stomach like me." He teases. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to give you bread to eat this with. Have some butter to smear on the bread maybe?" He offers. The werewolf then walks away from the pan - over to Zia and touches the wayfinder with a finger and 'pulls' it down a little so he can have a proper look at it.<br /><br />His ears then tilt a little. "Brought it through from your dreams?" He asks her, and glances up at her in confusion for a moment, before looking down at it again. "There's stories amongst my people of a world close to ours. The world of the sleeping - the world of the 'spirits'. I guess it isn't impossible... but..." The werewolf stops touching the little star-shaped thing. "Never seen it happen before. But - you know - I've seen weirder things."

:'''[[Zia]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Ah know it sounds crazy." Zia murmurs, but when she holds the Wayfinder in her hand, the images from that dream seem to flood back to her. "Ah heard a voice tha said so long as those ye care aboot carry tokens of this strange fruit, tha it makes some sort of unbreakable connection." But then, her mind wanders to the woman she'd seen on the beach. Her voice sounded so similar to the one that had whispered before, and hadn't she carried pieces of a broken Wayfinder with her? Were her friends truly gone forever? Perhaps it's best to leave that part out for now. "When Ah woke up, this was in m'hand. Ah've never seen one of these b'fore, or even heard of it."<br /><br />Even as she hesitates, it's clear that there's probably more to her strange dreams than she's letting on. It's not so much a matter of trust, as it is that she's not sure what to make of the visions, herself. How can you explain something you don't understand for yourself? "Yer goin'te burn the eggs." She notes quickly, using that moment as a change of subject. <br /><br />Zia leaves the Wayfinder on the table for now, pushing herself up. "Ah'm sure we've got some butter 'n preserves. Give me a moment." As she roots through the cabinets, eventually the white gargoyle manages to emerge with a container of peanut butter and smaller jar of jelly. The two gargoyles really /did/ need to do more shopping when it comes to food. The refrigerator looks like it belongs to a bachelor, with little except for condiments. Yet, she finds butter, too, juggling the three things on the way back to the table. <br /><br />"Have ye ever wondered about sorcerers... like tha old bat Merlin or the witch Mama Odie?" She asks, seemingly out of nowhere. "They seem te know so much aboot wha's goin on, 'n yet when it comes down te it, we're the ones tha get sent all over across the worlds on their quests." 

:'''[[Skoll Ulfang]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Crazy... maybe. It sounds like an artificial device of fate." Skoll points out, rubbing the back of his neck while looking at the thing. "Voices talking to you though? You have some interesting dreams." The werewolf flashes a quick uncomfortable smile. After all, if there were voices talking to Zia, and now she was bringing things from dreams... that was something odd. Who knows what this could mean. "Still. It's a very interesting concept." He touches her hand for a moment - just the back of it. "Better be careful who you give that to." <br /><br />That's when she comments about the eggs. "Yelp!" Skoll is quick to get back to the egg, and digs a spatula beneath the ham and egg and flips it over. Nope, perfect browning - but had Zia not warned him, that might have ended up badly. "Do me a favor and butter some of the bread for your eggs? I got this." Skoll notes and continues to keep an eye out on the eggs, wagging his tail in amusement. But then she goes and talks about sorcerers.<br /><br />"I don't know... back at the Gaudium Lords there was one thing we knew. Sorcerers often mean baaaaaad hoodoo for a world." She mentioned Odie. "It's rare for a sorcerer to be on the good side of things - I don't really know how they get all of that knowledge though."

:'''[[Zia]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>The white gargoyle hesitates for a moment as she watches Skoll peering at the Wayfinder. "This comin' from the wolf who's been driven by a myth aboot fate?" Zia raises a brow at him, tilting her head with some measure of amusement. For the longest time, she hadn't really put much stock in fate, but there are things that just seem to be connected somehow. Things have been set in motion, and clearly there are unseen forces pulling the strings.<br /><br />"It wasnae just a voice, though." Zia pulls her chair back out, settling down onto it. "Ah saw her, too. Or at least... Ah think it was her." At first, it had only been a voice, but then the blue-haired woman had sounded /so/ much like the voice she'd heard earlier. "It's easy fer ye te smile about it. It's a wee bit different when it's yer own dreams." Then again, Skoll had always had strange dreams, too. He'd dreampt about the Golden Wolf for years, and yet hadn't she seemed to know exactly how he was laying? Or was that just a trick of his imagination.<br /><br />When the toast pops, the girl takes it and begins to slather one with butter and the other with jam, idlely licking the knife after the fruity preserves are spread adequately. "It always seemed te me like they knew more aboot things than they let on. Yet, they sent us te do things rather than helpin the worlds themselves. Ah'd wonder if maybe they werenae just tuggin us around like puppets, if no' for the fact tha Merlin seems a bit batty 'n Mama Odie seems trustworthy enough. I jus..." She trails off then, shaking her head. Hrm.<br /><br />"Then again, Ah dinnae know tha Ah trust anythin the Gaudium Lords told ye. Maybe they warned ye away from sorcerers b'cause they might sense just wha sort of dark magic ye were under." She suggests, her eyes absently wandering to watch the sway of his tail.

:'''[[Skoll Ulfang]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>"It's not that I don't believe it." Skoll answers the girl, giving her a bit of an unusual look. "I'm just not entirely sure what to think about it." He finishes up the eggs and starts putting them onto plates - one for her, one for him - his without the bread. He then tilts his head a little as the girl continues to talk and settles into her seat. She'd 'seen her'? "Your dreams had you talking to someone? Maybe you /were/ wandering around in the realm of spirits then." Skoll notes. He had a strange dream himself, but right now - that seems normal compared to Zia.<br /><br />He didn't bring back any items after all.<br /><br />The thing about the Golden Wolf knowing how he was laying made sense if it was his own dream though. But Zia learned information she never had before. "Well, yeah. That it does. But I bet they know a lof of stuff themselves. Not to mention, maybe they don't want to be tempted to use their powers too much? ~ I don't know." Skoll sounds a bit exasperbated regarding sorcerers as he settles down next to her at the table with a fork and knife, and starts to eat off of his ham and eggs.<br /><br />"I don't trust them either. But I admit - I've seen some sorcerers that were bad news. In general, they had me see if they would be 'rivals', and then make me get rid of them if they were too much 'bad news'." Skoll explains. He doesn't sound the least happy about this admittal.

:'''[[Zia]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>"It's alright. If Ah hadnae experienced it for m'self, Ah wouldnae have thought it possible, either." Zia admits with a sigh, shaking her head. She flicks the edge of her talon against the Wayfinder, and then reaches for it again, tucking it back into the pouch at her side. Though some legends she knew of spoke of dream-walkers, she'd never known one that could create objects in reality. She does laugh a bit, though, offering him a smile. <br /><br />"There was this young woman trapped on a dark shore." Looking down at her eggs, Zia pokes at them with a fork. "She's waitin for her friends te come, but ... the Seeker said tha they cannae save her. Tha they made the choice te protect others rather than themselves." She hadn't said anything about the 'Seeker' up until now, but rather than giving more details, Zia just groans and pours herself a cup of coffee from the kettle. "Stupid bloody dreams." <br /><br />She finally starts to eat, still trying to put two and two together. Sitting next to him, the gargoyle leans her head against his shoulder briefly - a tiny display of affection from someone who is clearly still quite tired. While the crystal protected her from 'stone sleep', she still needed rest. <br /><br />If it were anyone else admitting to such dark deeds, then there might have been shock from Zia, but she knew the sort of hold the Gaudium Lords had on Skoll up until recently. Swallowing some of her eggs and lifting her head, Zia blows a few strands if hair from her eyes and reaches her other hand out to lay over his. "Yer free. Tha's all tha matters. Ye can make yer own fate now, rather than bein tugged along by their will." Even as she speaks the words, there's a hint of doubt. Would she and the others always be tugged along by something unseen? No. She'd made her choices /herself/. 

:'''[[Skoll Ulfang]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>The sound of his knife and fork touching the plate as he cuts into the meat and eggs remains a rythmic thing as Skoll listens patiently to the girl's explaination about the dream she had. It's actually one word that stands out to him, 'the dark shore'. A work he could have sworn to have heard once before, but can not recollect. A shame. "Protect others... rather than themselves." The werewolf whispers after her, looking at the eggs thoughtfully for a moment, before he gets back to eating them.<br /><br />When she leans in against him, he lowers his fork quietly onto the plate and then raises that hand up to a point behind Zia's head, gently massaging the girl's white hair and rubbing the area just behind her big gargoyle ears. She looks adorable like this.<br /><br />"You're right, I'm free now." He halts his hand near her ear as her hand comes to lay over it. But he isn't sure if he can make his own fate now, if he's tied to the Golden Wolf. He glances down to the girl, and then at the small remains of the egg and ham. "I dreamt about the Golden Wolf again..." He whispers. This was a recurring thing now - he'd mention it now and again. "And Fenrir... - the spirits say I have to go to the 'beginning'... but I don't know where the beginning is."

:'''[[Zia]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>"It'd be a hard choice te make." Zia admits in a soft tone, her fingers playing over his. She'd fought so hard to protect him, to protect the others she cares for, and leaving them behind seems like a cruel sort of fate. Yet, if it saved countless others, wouldn't it be selfish not to? Though some had come into all of this seeking to be adventurers and heroes, she had just been looking for simplier things: people to care about, who would care about her, and a place to belong. "Ah'd like te think Ah'm the sort of person who would protect others if it came down te it... but Ah dinnae want te let go, either." <br /><br />The sadness of the girl's fate had gotten into her. Were they really walking the same path that had lead her to that dark place? Sometimes dreams stay with you. With a sigh, Zia leans in to the touch behind her ear, murmuring softly, letting his touch sooth some of her worries. "Mrr.. Alright, yer official job is te do tha any time Ah'm feelin down. Ah'm sure it willnae linger wi' yer wolfish ministrations." With a chuckle, she opens her eyes and looks at him, her smile soft.<br /><br />Then, of course, he has to break that sweet moment by mentioning the 'Golden Wolf'. Her ear dips a bit beneath his touch. Sometimes, it's a strange thing to feel jealous of someone that may not even exist. Sure, there were moments when she felt insecure about things - first relationships are like that, but it's hard to fight against something you can't even see. It's a thought that's passed her mind now and again - that he might find his Wolf. What would happen to her, then?<br /><br />Pushing the thought from her mind, she just nods a bit, showing interest in the rest of his own dream. "Well... do ye remember which of the spirits it was tha ye first learned te call? Maybe tha's where ye should start?" Not that she knows anything about being a summoner, mind you.

:'''[[Skoll Ulfang]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>"My code of honor is similar; others before myself." Skoll points out. She might remember the way Skoll did things. Even in the Underworld, he'd put her protection - and Mercade's protection - before himself. He'd let Avira go - he hadn't chased that kiss - for the sake of the happiness of others. It'd hurt him, but with it a choice had been made. And while he remains good and close friends with Avira, that gate had been permanently shut. He'd told Zia once; 'Avira isn't my Golden Wolf'.<br /><br />He wonders if she remembers.<br /><br />The werewolf continues to gently rub behind the Gargoyle's ear, trying to soothe her mind further. He can tell the way she always gets a bit unhappy when he mentions the Golden Wolf; it's why he tries not to do it too often. Skoll isn't stupid. He's seen that reaction enough times for him to get a hint of what is going on within that pretty mind of hers. Or perhaps - her heart. The werewolf leans in and kisses the top of the girl's head - on her hair. He doesn't say anything to ease her mind however. Instead, he just rubs behind her ears in a circling pattern, trying to find a 'good spot'.<br /><br />"I don't really... but it was probably Carbuncle." He explains to the girl. She'd seen the little critter. The way it'd healed them in that big battle a while ago. It'd been a major turning point to have the blessing of that creature.

:'''[[Zia]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Sometimes, Ah wonder if it would be easier if we were the selfish sorts." Zia muses. It certainly wouldn't have gotten her into nearly as much trouble. Like Skoll, she'd shown her true nature time and again, by putting herself in harm's way for others. "A gargoyle's nature is te protect." She admits, ruefully, but then laughs again, finishing off the rest of her not-quite-breakfast.<br /><br />As he continues his ministrations behind her ears, Zia's eyes lid back half-shut again, propping her head on her hand. "Yer too good te me." The murmur is followed by a soft breath. "Ah'm sorry. Ah know Ah shouldnae be bothered by it. Ah worry." It's easy enough to figure out what might plague her mind, but at least she knows well enough that it's irrational. "So far as Ah'm concerned, yer my wolf, 'n tha's all tha matters." Leaning her head, Zia kisses against his palm, then opens her eyes again, the soothing touch having made her feel a bit drowsy.<br /><br />"Carbuncle? Ye mean the wee bunny?" After experiencing his power a time or two, Zia had grown to appreciate the little creature far more so than some of his other summons. Her free hand lifts from his to hunt her cup of coffee. "Maybe ye need te try te find some sort of shrine, or somethin. Try te make penance." She sips at her drink, seeming a bit uncertain, "Ah'm afraid Ah dinnae know much aboot such things, but there has'te be a way, somehow."

:'''[[Skoll Ulfang]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>Avira had experienced what would happen if Skoll was the selfish sort - if his darkness had overwhelmed it. It is not a good place to be. "I don't think so." Answers Skoll. He thinks back of how Hati had been before he'd drawn her back from the darkness. What his father had been like. To be selfish. Such a thing...<br /><br />Such a thing only ends up with sad people.<br /><br />"It is my duty to follow my code of honor." Skoll answers Zia. "Much like you, that means that it lies within my heart to protect. And besides - my nature means for me to protect my pack." His pack? That's a word he /very/ rarely ever says. Yet here he is, revealing that there is at least that concept to him. That somewhere within him, there are 'members' of his 'pack'.<br /><br />"Yeah well, it's not like many others would let me do this. Besides - you look cute like that." Skoll teases the girl - although not a single word is thought to be a lie. Still - with his charms and looks, it's probable that he could sway other hearts. Still - he's not. He's not going out there trying to catch maidens into his arms and the like. He just... protects.<br /><br />"Oh, your wolf now." Skoll leans his head in as he says this, letting her kiss his palm before returning that hand to the back of her ear. "Guess that makes you my gargoyle then." He follows this up with a little hum to pass into the next subject. "Aye, the 'wee bunny'." He teases her accent just a little. "A shrine though... maybe. I'll see if I can't find someone who knows about that kind of thing."

:'''[[Zia]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>Perhaps it's for the best that Zia hadn't seen that glimpse into a possible future. The world was a dark enough place without having to wonder over all the missed possibilities, regardless of darkness or light. "Ah know yer right, but it's a fair bit strange te go from hidin from the world, te protectin it. Ah'd say tha yer te blame, but Ah'm thankful for it." She'd only just begun to find her own strength, and so much of it lay with her ties to others.<br /><br />She cocks her head a faint bit, "Yer pack, then?" Curious, Zia's tail twitches, brushing along his, "So, just who is in this pack of yers, then? Ye've got me imaginin this army of wolves tha ye have at yer beck'n call." Her voice has a hint of humor to it, perhaps surprised by the very wolfish term from his lips.<br /><br />"Mmmhmm. My wolf." Maybe she had no right to lay any sort of claim on him, but he had been 'courting' her for a while now. "Ye see, there are a few things a lass can be selfish aboot. Unless yer changin yer mind aboot seeking m'favor." There's more amusement in her voice, and it comes through in the warm smile on her features. <br /><br />She draws back from his touch only reluctantly, gathering the dishes. The fact that she can't cook means she at least needs to handle something, even if it's just cleaning and fixing broken gadgets. With her spare hand, she strokes over one of his ears as she walks to the sink to wash up their plates. "We'll figure somethin out, we always do." <br /><br />That reminds her of something else she'd wanted to ask. He had a path he needed to start on, and so did she. "Speakin of figurin things out... have ye ever seen a great castle wi' strange towers goin' every which way?" It's not very descriptive. "Ah'm... supposed te meet someone there, but Ah havenae a clue where the bloody place is."

:'''[[Skoll Ulfang]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Well... I'm glad I dragged you out into the world. As much as it gets you into trouble - it also got you the friends that'll keep you safe." Skoll is very certain about this whole 'power of friends' thing. Or maybe it's just the fact that 'together people stand strong'. Still, were it not for Zia and Avira and the lot, he would be in deep doo-doo right now. So - take it as a 'he learned from experience' kind of thing.<br /><br />"Aye, me pack." He answers, freezing up for a moment as her tail touches agains the massive bush that is his own - relaxing shortly there-after. "Oh... who... who is in it?" Now he's getting a bit embarassed. "Well... it's a bit of a vague term." He mumbles and starts to blush. Who knows what he's thinking. It doesn't help that she teases about changing his mind about seeking her favor. "The... role of Alpha female... is yours." He whispers so quietly, it is almost impossible to hear. It's not common for the wolf to get embarassed like this. Maybe it's because he's tired. Still, it should be possible for Zia to hear.<br /><br />And off she goes, leaving a strong along his ears to keep him thinking for a moment. His ears go half-down, but not 'back'. He doesn't get up to help with the dishes for some reason. He just kind of sits there, staring at the egg and ham that is left. "Hrrm?" His ears then perk back up. "A castle with towers every which way?" He asks... before glancing away. "Ah... yes... /that place/." He mutters. "I know it."

:'''[[Zia]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Ah dinnae mind the trouble. It makes life interestin." Splashing water over the dishes, Zia begins to scrub them clean, stuffling a yawn in the process. As for the friends, well... that's another thing that had changed. Once, she thought she could survive just fine on her own. Now, she understands all too well how everyone is entertwined. In her dream, she'd gotten a glimpse of that.<br /><br />His stammering causes her to look up, placing the dishes out to dry. "Did Ah say somethin wrong?" She asks, ears tilting a little back against her white hair. At first, she just seems confused as to why he might be getting so flustered. Wiping her hands off, Zia walks back over, giving him a curious expression. "Alpha female?" Smirk. "Ah think Ah'd need te be yer mate first for tha." This doesn't seem to embarss her, though, her hand reaching up to ruffle through his hair, scratching behind one lupine ear. "Dinnae worry yourself, sweet wolf. Clan... pack, they're similar enough concepts. Ah wouldnae judge ye for whomever ye choose." <br /><br />She might have simply left things at that, content to retire downstairs again, but his words catch her, "Ye know where it is?" Blink. "Could ye tell me?" Maybe she could tell him that the dream wanted her to go there, but that seemed silly. 

:'''[[Skoll Ulfang]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>"No." Skoll answers her in regards to saying something wrong, and even shakes his head. He just goes a bit quiet after that. She calls him out on the title too. "That title... isn't just..." He mutters. He means that she's his 'first choice'. His 'only choice'. But it's a bit harder to tell her that. The little ruffle of his hair seems to snap him out of this little bout of embarassement however. And the little scritch behind his ear relaxes him - his shoulders visibly slumping and his head bobbing back a little.<br /><br />He ends up looking 'back' and 'up' towards her. "I have already chosen. But I am content with letting time see my choice through. Thanks to this..." He hooks his finger behind the crystal she wears and 'flicks' it up gently. "We have time... plenty of time." The werewolf then sits back down properly - seeing as he was almost balancing the chair on its hind legs there. "I think I could take you there. I think I heard someone refer to it as a place of 'Oblivion'." Although he can't remember where he heard that name in the least.<br /><br />"It's on one of the prongs of the crossroads just outside of Traverse Town." He explains.

:'''[[Zia]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>Slowly, Zia works her fingers through the strands of his hair, pulling them back from his face as he leans his head upwards. It's distracting enough that he doesn't finish his thought about the title, and instead she just smiles down at him, drowsily tracing patterns against his scalp. "Yer strange sometimes, my dear wolf. Then again, ye probably wouldnae be nearly as fun if ye no'." <br /><br />That said, she watches as he flicks the pendant at her neck, the faint glow shining brighter through the cracks that still show on the surface. Chosen? There's a part of her that sparks at the thought, but another that tells her to be careful. The heart is a fragile thing. "Well, Ah certainly would hope so." They had as much time as they were willing to fight for. There would always be trials to face, but it remains a matter of seeing it through.<br /><br />Her fingers finally fall from his hair when he mentions taking her to the castle, and in that instant, she freezes slightly. "Do ye... think ye can just take me most of the way?" It's not that a part of her doesn't /want/ him to come, but if this is some sort of trap, she doesn't want him dragged into it. "It's jus... tha this is somethin Ah feel like Ah need te do on m'own." Her words are gentle, almost pleading for him to understand. The dream had left her with more questions than answers, and this was perhaps the only way for her to figure out just what was going on.<br /><br />"Maybe ye could go check Traverse for any rumors aboot Carbuncle while Ah go check the place out?" She suggests.

:'''[[Skoll Ulfang]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Alone?" Skoll whispers, thinking back of the power of that castle. It's very possible that Zia might see terrible things about his past. Things that she might come to hate him for. His eyes show his uncertainty however. "I... yeah, I can. But Zia... be careful. That place is a threcherous place. It takes you back into your memories - and makes it difficult to tell what is real and what is not." He explains. "I don't know if it can do any harm, but it's not called 'Castle Oblivion' because it's a happy place to go." He explains to her. His eyes are seeking - as if he might read something from her eyes.<br /><br />The youth then closes his eyes and nods his head. "I can take you." He repeats himself. Something she should do on her own. There's things he should do on his own too - in Traverse Town? Maybe he should ask the Detectives for help. The werewolf lets out a sigh and gets up from his chair and walks around it to get at her side, laying a hand to her waist. "Let's see if I can't make you sleep while giving you some more attention behind your ear, hrrrm?" Skoll suggests. He knew that she was still tired.

:'''[[Zia]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>It's easy to read the danger in Skoll's voice, along with that dire warning that comes with it. "Ah'll be careful." Her words carry weight with them. If this 'Castle Oblivion' is really as bad as it sounds, then it may very well be a trap by some very clever individual. Then again, he had shown her so very much and she still didn't have all the answers. She had seen the connections between hearts, the Wayfinder's power to bring people together and the lost girl on the edge of darkness. What more had she missed between the clock's precious hours. "If Ah dinnae come back in two days, yer welcome te come in 'n drag m'sorry tail back, alright?" She allows this much.<br /><br />Though his eyes search her own, there is little but confusion to see there. The dream had shaken her just as the first one she'd had months ago had. It felt as if something had changed within her, and now she had a chance to find out just what was causing all of it. "Ah'll be fine." She whispers to him when he comes around. Stepping in closer to him, she lets the worst of her worries flit back into the night, offering a wry smile. "Only if ye come wi' me? Ah could certainly use a big cuddly wolf te protect me while Ah sleep." At the very least, it would certainly be more comfortable than the couch.

:'''[[Skoll Ulfang]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Two days." Skoll repeats after her with a stubborn tone to his voice. As if he will be counting the exact seconds. The werewolf reads that confusion all too clearly. Something is going on with Zia. And she is clearly sharing all that she knows. Still, something isn't quite sitting right about this with Skoll. "Alright..." He whispers uncertainly. And then she talks about a 'big cuddly wolf' to protect her while she sleeps.<br /><br />Strangely enough, he doesn't get embarassed by this. "Very well." He answers her and pulls her against him by the waist. "This /proud honorable and noble/ /werewolf/ will protect you while you sleep." He has to correct her on the whole big and cuddly thing. And the wolf. Okay, so he's big - but who is counting? "You'll have to find me a mirror though." He adds to that as he leads her out of the kitchen. It's likely that some cat will finish the last bit of egg and ham.