[Having put some friends to bed in the recovery position herself, Hange believes and listens to him. With some awkward fumbling, she rolls over onto her side - a much less likely position to choke on her own vomit.]
Mmmh...
[Yeah, she's gonna be gone within five minutes. In dreamland.]
[They're in Cabeswater, at the center of a clearing not all that different from Hange's garden. It's night here, too, but the stars are more visible than they are anywhere on Earth. The floor of the clearing is carpeted with flowers of such a pale blue that their petals seem to be glowing. The trees beyond them are pitch black, indistinct shapes against the glittering sky.
And there's Ronan, in the shape of a boy again, perched on a boulder by the clearing's edge. His body's hunched as he waits, giving him the look of a vulture.]
[She opens her eyes, rolls onto her back, looks to the night sky and stills, spellstruck, pinned like a butterfly, for a second or two. So beautiful. So beautiful.
Then she sits up. Slouches forwards, runs her fingers through the tiny plants overrunning their entry point.]
[did she even listen to him? she probably did. Hange glances up, the whites of her eyes near flashing in the dim. gently, she tries to pull up one of those bright, bright flowers. If she takes the root ball with her and perhaps a bit of dirt for moisture...]
[She scoops out a clump of them, dirt included, and puts the whole shebang in a breast pocket.]
Really? Just by wishing?
[She's immediately extending her will, envisioning it almost as a push against the surrounding landscape. She wants the ground to drop away beneath them, but won't let either of them fall; great branches are there to catch them. She wants to see the forest of giant trees. It's been so long since she's been home, and she's alone from the scouts here.]
[As soon as she wishes for it, it happens. The ground drops away, but neither of them fall, because they're perched on sturdy branches. Ronan doesn't react, as if he's been hanging out on this branch the whole time.]
[She's excited about this. Of course, it's easy to get Hange stoked. She raises her hands, it seems reflexive to do so. Suddenly water is rising beneath them. The ground was indistinct, not so important, before, but the waves are clear and edged with white foam where they roll over each other. The water surges higher and higher, smelling of salt.]
[Ronan looks down, watching the water rise. He's unconcerned. Curious, if anything. If it were him, this could be the start of a nightmare. But Hange seems to be enjoying herself.]
[she does seem to be enjoying herself, very much. Hange laughs as the water rises, then her expression settles into a mouth-open smile. Somehow it’s the look of a dog having a great time hanging its head out the car window.]
Ronan, come on!
[the water is about twenty feet below them now. Hange drops into it feet-first.]
[Ronan dives. There's an odd, weightless grace to him, like a petal in the wind. When he hits the water, it doesn't make a sound. He's less giddy about all this, obviously, but he doesn't mind indulging her. He's mostly a passenger here, anyway.]
[Ticklish bubbles spray around them both at the plunge. The water pushes them both to the surface very quickly, though - not much time to lose their breath at all. Immediately they're swept up in the current, bumping against trees and spinning with the wave motion. There's a deep liveliness to this water, a rough-and-tumble sense of play. It's not being careful with them, but it's playful, not mean, like being jostled like a pack of dogs. They're swept out to sea in a few minutes, water spreading behind and before, the sky still depthless black.
Which is not right. Hange paints it blue with a thought, fills it with clouds with a thought. The clouds are more fun when they're stained yellow and pink. There should be a sun if it's so light out. With the thought there is a sun, high up in the sky and veiled behind cloud one moment, shining down on them the next. Hange kicks to keep her head above water, but it's not trying to hold them down, and shrieks happily again. This is fun.]
[It is fun. Ronan enjoys the ride, though he can never fully relax when he's in someone else's mind. The danger might be imagined, but it feels very easy to lose himself in another's thoughts, to be like most dreams and vanish from memory.]
Did you forget why we're here?
[Ronan's floating on his back, on the surface of the water, arms folded behind his head as if he's laying across cushions instead of waves.]
[In his physical body, he would squirm and grimace if she clung to him like this. But here in the dream, he's pliant, remaining in her arms simply because she wants him there.]
Yeah. But you have to focus on what you want or you won't be able to take it with you. And the more you're thinking about other shit, the more likely you'll take the wrong thing.
It'll function however you want it to function. It doesn't even have to look like a spaceship. Everything about it will be exactly what you want it to be, as long as you can hold onto the idea of it and not let the fear in.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[Although she won't be paralyzed when she wakes, the way he usually is. Much less likely to drown in bile.]
Then just let go. You'll find me when you get there.
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Mmmh...
[Yeah, she's gonna be gone within five minutes. In dreamland.]
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And there's Ronan, in the shape of a boy again, perched on a boulder by the clearing's edge. His body's hunched as he waits, giving him the look of a vulture.]
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Then she sits up. Slouches forwards, runs her fingers through the tiny plants overrunning their entry point.]
Bright...
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Be careful. They're listening. Try to keep your intentions clear and focused.
[Ronan has hardly moved, merely watching Hange.]
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[did she even listen to him? she probably did. Hange glances up, the whites of her eyes near flashing in the dim. gently, she tries to pull up one of those bright, bright flowers. If she takes the root ball with her and perhaps a bit of dirt for moisture...]
And here you are...
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[She can pluck as many as she wants. Ronan certainly has, before.]
They're here because I'm here. This place will change when you want it to.
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Really? Just by wishing?
[She's immediately extending her will, envisioning it almost as a push against the surrounding landscape. She wants the ground to drop away beneath them, but won't let either of them fall; great branches are there to catch them. She wants to see the forest of giant trees. It's been so long since she's been home, and she's alone from the scouts here.]
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We're in your head, after all.
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[She's excited about this. Of course, it's easy to get Hange stoked. She raises her hands, it seems reflexive to do so. Suddenly water is rising beneath them. The ground was indistinct, not so important, before, but the waves are clear and edged with white foam where they roll over each other. The water surges higher and higher, smelling of salt.]
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Ronan, come on!
[the water is about twenty feet below them now. Hange drops into it feet-first.]
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Which is not right. Hange paints it blue with a thought, fills it with clouds with a thought. The clouds are more fun when they're stained yellow and pink. There should be a sun if it's so light out. With the thought there is a sun, high up in the sky and veiled behind cloud one moment, shining down on them the next. Hange kicks to keep her head above water, but it's not trying to hold them down, and shrieks happily again. This is fun.]
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Did you forget why we're here?
[Ronan's floating on his back, on the surface of the water, arms folded behind his head as if he's laying across cushions instead of waves.]
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[Yes, she did. An errant current spins Hange closer; she bumps against Ronan and then clings to him, so they can talk.]
Aren't you enjoying yourself?
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Yeah. But you have to focus on what you want or you won't be able to take it with you. And the more you're thinking about other shit, the more likely you'll take the wrong thing.
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What were we looking for again?
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[Hange was the one who requested it. Don't ask him.]
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[The current lets up. They drift aimlessly, the sun beating down on both their heads.]
An isolated area in which to conduct... experiments... a space ship...
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[Definitely not his area of expertise.]
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[Hange frowns. The water bobs them up and down. This poses a problem...]
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[Because that's how nightmares happen.]
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Hmm. This is a very big idea, isn't it? And what about you? Are you afraid?
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[Though it would be pretty unpleasant if this devolved into a nightmare. He's experiencing every sensation and emotion she feels, after all.]
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