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 Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2014 7:46 pm
The world was waking up. Spring, though noted on calendars as March twenty-first, was slow in arriving. Though the snow had faded, the chill in the air reminded those living in teh city that winter had yet to completely relinquish it's grasp.
The world had a soft hush of silence in the air as people went about their day, as if everyone and everything that lived in the area was waiting for a sign that the nightmare of frozen nights and deep snow were behind them for another year.
Granny didn't seem to mind, enjoying the quiet while she could. So many Dreamers had come to her shop lately, and now she had time to contemplate just what it might mean. At least, until someone else arrived on her doorstep on that clear blue morning.
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Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2014 8:55 pm
Aisling pushed her long hair out of her face and looked around at the area she was in. She knew there was a shop around here somewhere and she needed to go there. It was early in the morning but she needed to get there now. She hoped that the shop was open. She needed the shop to be open. Aisling was starting to think she was crazy. This nightmare kept plaguing her night after night and it was starting to feel more and more real. And it was making so she couldn't sleep. She shivered more and was glad it wasn't snowing she thought if it was snowing she might just freak out. This already felt weird enough and if there were elements of her dream in real life this would have made what she needed to do that much harder. It was taking all of her will power to go to this place and it wasn't even in a nice part of town. But this was where she had been told she needed to go. Hopefully Granny was there and could help her out with this nightmare. Maybe make it go away or become something else. Something nice like a dream. That would be perfect.
Aisling pulled her coat tight around herself and walked to the shop. She knocked on the door and prayed someone would be there who could help her out with this spirit or nightmare or whatever it was. "Excuse me Granny can you help me out? I'm having a problem and I heard that you could help with it." She crossed her fingers and waited. She looked at Granny and hoped that she could help her out. She had caught it in the dream catcher and held the thing in her hand. Clutching it tightly so she didn't drop it or throw it away. No telling what that would do to the nightmare in there.
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CrispyWonderMint Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2014 8:24 am
It seemed that the availability to Granny’s shop was eternal, though it was assumed that the old woman must sleep at some point. Today was no different, the familiar warm light glowing in the shop window, though the door was closed against the chill the clung to the early hour. Spring, it seemed, was just as sleepy as the sun and reluctant to wake. A mix of spices filled the air with a warm and spicy scent, and a familiar figure was moving about in the front are of the shop. It seemed to most people like a type of Neo-Pagain shop, or perhaps just a specialty store that specialized in dream-based items, though Dreamers such as Asling were learning that there was more to the shop, and Granny, than meets the eye.
She was waiting when Aisling called her name, hands folded together in front of her as she smiled at the frantic young woman. “Of course. Come in, please.” Gesturing with one of her thin hands, Granny nodded Asling, hoping to ease the buzzing frustration and panic that clung to her. She recognized the woman’s face, placing her name shortly after as her guest entered the shop.
“What do can I help you with?”
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Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 10:12 pm
Aisling saw the way that Granny looked at her. She smiled at that and relaxed as Granny said to come in. "Thank you Granny." She new that Granny was trying to calm her down so she took slow deep breaths to calm down. She clung to the dream catcher and waited as she looked at her. She breathed in the spiced air and calmed her racing heart. "It's this nightmare that has been haunting me. It's been getting worse and feeling more real each time. It used to be once every other week and now I am having it every single night. I don't know what to do. Granny can you please help me with it." She bit her lip as those words spilled out of her in a rush. She took a deep breath after saying all of that in one go.
She looked around the shop she liked it. There was a really nice air about it and the other things in the shop caught her eye. It gave her something else to focus on other than freaking out about the nightmare.
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CrispyWonderMint Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2014 5:44 pm
A troubled Dreamer, like many she had met. Nodding once, Granny listened with an intent look on her face as she watched Asling. In some ways, the young woman reminded her of herself, as other Dreamers did. The unknown was grabbing their dreams and rest up like a moth was snatched by the light of the flame.
“Stronger, you say.” Her gaze went to the catcher, held by trembling hands as her guest struggled to calm herself. Unfolding her hands, Granny took a step forward, tilting her head with the slightest motion to one side as her pale gaze returned to Asling's face. “Yours was the hunting dream, correct? Being chased?”
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Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2014 6:54 pm
Aisling bit her lip as Granny looked at her. She prayed Granny could help her with this dream. She wasn't sure how much longer she could take this nightmare. She no longer got much sleep and that was really starting to take a tole on her. She saw her nod and breathed out a sigh of relief. That was a good thing. She fidgeted as she waited to hear what Granny would say. She smiled and nodded. "Yeah it didn't feel that real when I first started to dream about it. But now it feels so real I have a hard time remembering it is just a nightmare. It feels too real." She shrugged. She held up the dream catcher for Granny when the woman looked at it.
Her hands still trembled but she tried to steady them. She watched as Granny walked forward and forced her breathing to slow down. She looked into Granny's face hoping. She nodded. "Yes it starts out so nice and magical then it becomes a horrible scary place. The night loses all the magic and just becomes dangerous. And I am running. And something is chasing me. I'm being hunted but I never know by what."
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CrispyWonderMint Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri May 09, 2014 5:25 pm
Though no longer facing Aisling directly, the young woman would still be able to sense that Granny was paying attention to every word she said. The catcher was laid out on the table as the old woman gathered a pair of needle-nose pliers, scissors, and a variety of beads. Before she set to work, however, Granny looked over at Aisling and shook her head, not at the woman's words so much as her exhaustion.
"Why don't you have a seat? I'll fix some tea." It seemed Granny wasn't worried about Aisling taking anything from the shop or another customer coming in, returning a few seconds later to continue her work at the desk, snipping the threads of the catcher away with a thoughtful frown.
"Tell me about this place, before you are being chased."
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Posted: Fri May 09, 2014 7:25 pm
When Granny faced away from her she tilted her head but knew the woman was still listening to her. She was pleased to know that Granny was listening to what she had to say and cared about it. It made her feel better to know that someone cared about what was going on with her. She laid the catcher down on the table and looked at Granny hoping the woman could do something to help her out with all this. She watched the woman gather things and smiled would those things help out? She looked at Granny when the woman looked at her. She was so tired and wanted to get some sleep. But sleep would mean the nightmare so no sleep.
She nodded her head and her knees buckled before she could even tell them to. Just too tired to stay standing anymore. Sleep was needed. But sleep was bad. "Tea would be lovely Granny thank you. I would love some tea it would taste good." She watched as Granny got up and went to go and get the tea. She was looking forward to the tea and closed her eyes for just a few moments to let them rest. She opened them up again as Granny walked back in. She smiled as she saw the thoughtful frown. She watched the threads get snipped and waited to see what would happen.
"Oh you want to know about the place in my nightmare before it turns into a nightmare?" She hummed softly and smiled. "Well it starts out as a cold night with a full moon. There is snow all around and it is crisp and fresh. Seems magical and precious. And there are stars winking down on me. It was all a wonderland and it wasn't cold. And the only sound that could be heard was the sound my footfalls made. But then a wolf howls and clouds cover the full moon. That's when everything changes and becomes the nightmare."
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CrispyWonderMint Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat May 10, 2014 9:18 pm
The mention of a snow-filled wonderland caused Granny's thoughts to settle into place, nodding at the mention of a dream turning into a nightmare.
“Nightmares can sneak up on a person even when they believe they are in the safety of an imagined place. Dreams are uncertain like that, and it seems your...companion...is too.” Realizing that Aisling wouldn't have much an idea of what she was saying even as the words came out of her mouth, Granny cleared her throat and shook her head.
“I'm getting ahead of myself. Aisling, what you are experiencing is very real to you because, in a sense, it is.” Her gaze went back to her guest, mulling over how best to explain the woman's new situation to her.
“What I mean by 'companion' is what is known as an Oneiroi – a dream spirit. Or, in your case, a nightmare. Something inside of you called that being to you, called it to the nightmare. That is why it seems so real to you; because it is no mere dream.” She paused long enough to lean down and open a drawer in her desk, removing an object with a delicate touch and laying it out a moment later on the desk with the rest of her supplies: a single white rose.
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Posted: Sat May 10, 2014 9:47 pm
Aisling watched Granny and wondered if her dream or actually nightmare meant anything or if it was just a bad this with no meaning. She listened to what Granny said and nodded her head. Yeah this one snuck up on her every time. Each time she went to sleep she hoped that time would be different but it never was. It was always the same. She stared at Granny though when the woman said companion. "What do you mean companion?" She was so confused now there was no companion just whatever the thing was that was chasing her and that was no companion.
She nodded when Granny said she was getting ahead of herself. Yes she was. Aisling wanted her answer but she would be patient and wait to get them. She would wait for Granny to explain to her what she meant. She nodded yes it was all so real. She had a hard time believing it was just a dream most nights and each night it got harder. "It is real? How so?" She bit her lip and just wanted to know what was going on. She looked at Granny and continued to wait. She saw that expression and just waited quietly she shouldn't have interrupted Granny at all.
And when Granny started to speak again she tilted her head an Oneiroi that sounded so strange was that the thing that chased her? A nightmare spirit why couldn't she have attracted a dream spirit? That sounded like it would be so nice. "Why would I call to a nightmare? So all of it for me is real does that mean if that thing caught me I would be in trouble?" She watched Granny get something out of a drawer. And when she saw what it was she smiled. "Oh that is such a pretty white rose but why did you pick that?"
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CrispyWonderMint Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat May 10, 2014 10:03 pm
“It is real in that something besides you exists in that dream. The Oneiroi needs your nightmare, the emotions and panic you feel in it, to survive. The more it gains strength, the stronger the nightmare will be as well, until it is finally able to leave you and your sleep returns to what it was before.” Counting out the beads once more, Granny began to measure out a length of cord, stopping to snip the thread and disappear into the back room. Aisling would be able to hear the faint clatter of dishware, and a couple of moments later, Granny would return with a cup of tea, ahnding it to her guest with a serious expression.
“Yes, something could happen to you if you are caught. It may not necessarily be the spirit, however. Most times, such things are created in your mind before they ever appear, though some may insert themselves into the dream that drew them. Not all nightmare spirits are evil or bad, however, so do not assume they wish to harm you merely for existing.” The old woman smiled then, her expression softening with the look of understanding she had.
“No one ever really knows why they were chosen. I've yet to meet a Dreamer who does.” At Aisling's question, she returned her attention to the project on her desk, slipping behind the worn wooden furntiture to continue her work by inserting the beads.
“A white rose is a symbol of silence,” she mused in response to Aisling's question. It wasn't a definite answer; she seemed to want her guest to figure out the connection on her own.
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Posted: Sat May 10, 2014 10:38 pm
"OH so that's what you mean." Aisling nodded her head that made sense to her. So since there was something else in there with her it was real. But then she frowned it needed her nightmares? That sounded scary sort of like it was feeding on her. She shivered and shook her head to not think like that. "What happens when it finally has enough strength to leave me? I mean I want to be able to sleep normally again I need to sleep. But is it ok for it to leave?" That sounded scary. The nightmare already was so strong how much stronger could it get? She wasn't sure she wanted an answer to that question. She watched Granny count the beads and measure cord. Then there was the sound of a snip when the cords were cut to the proper length.
She watched as Granny slipped into the back room and listened to the sounds that came from there. She accepted the tea gratefully and sipped it slowly. "Thank you so much." She continued to sip it as she watched Granny. Yeah that made sense she always knew she couldn't let herself be caught or something bad would happen. So it was either the spirit or something else. She had a feeling it was the spirit but wasn't sure. She tilted her head as Granny said not all nightmares were bad. That was very curious to know. "Ok I will trust you when you say not all are evil or wish to harm I understand though it is a bit hard to wrap my head around that idea." She smiled back and relaxed more seeing the expression Granny had on her face it made her feel so much better and calmed her.
Aislsing smiled as Granny said that well at least she wasn't the only one who had this problem and didn't know why they had been picked. "Makes me feel better to know I'm not alone with this at least." She laughed softly as she said that. She looked at the dreamcatcher and watched as it was lying there. She watched the beads getting onto it and smiled it was so pretty.
What an interesting symbol to pick. "Silence as in a frigid silence pertaining to the Oneiroi that is in my dream or is the white rose for something else?" She wondered if she was right and what it was all about.
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CrispyWonderMint Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu May 15, 2014 9:13 pm
It was a relief to see the young woman finally calming to a notable level. Smiling, Granny nodded and continued her work, measuring out spaces in the beads before reweaving the new cord back into the catcher. She could sense the spirit now, part of it caught in the web she created.
“They will eventually leave you,” she admitted. “What they will do then is up to them. I've heard some stay in our waking world, or perhaps visit. Many prefer the realm of dreams they were made from. They are as diverse as we are.” She paused, looking at the rose before spacing out the beads a little further mid-weave. At Aisling's question, the old woman's smile grew and brightened at the mention of the rose, turning mischievous. For a moment, Granny didn't seem nearly as old or fragile as she usually appeared.
“That is a surprise.”
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Posted: Thu May 15, 2014 10:14 pm
Aisling grinned at Granny as she continued to sip the tea the woman had brought her. It tasted so good and helped to soothe her nerves. She smiled back at Granny and sipped more tea. She watched as Granny worked on the catcher it was so interesting to see what the woman was doing. She wondered what it all meant. She watched the new chord being woven into the catcher it was so pretty. She really did wonder what this was going to do and what would happen as he spirit grew stronger.
She looked at Granny and nodded her head. "Ok. So this spirit will leave me when it is strong enough?" She listened as Granny continued to speak about the spirit. It would be amazing to be able to get a good night sleep again. She hadn't had that in a while. "I am curious to see what this spirit will be like when it is stronger. I wonder what the personality will be. I suppose I shall just have to wait and see." She nodded her head. And looked at Granny as she saw that bright mischievous smile. She tilted her head. "Oh a surprise?"
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CrispyWonderMint Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat May 17, 2014 10:30 am
Granny chuckled, sensing Aisling's interest and allowing it to grow as she worked, weaving the flower into the cord with the stem. For a moment, she let the silence continue, then nodded and raised her face to look at her guest once again.
“Indeed – a urprise. The Oneiroi feed on dreams; they need a dream as much as we do – or a nightmare, as the case may be. Something about that nightmare of yours drew it to you, but only they will know what that was unless they choose otherwise. But those dreams may also have a hitn for you if you look for them.” She shrugged a shoulder, the smile still warm as she knotted the cord of the dream catcher, ensuring that the rose would not fall free before approaching Aisling with the catcher in hand.
“You will fnd it is draining, I'm afrad. That won't stop until they are ready to leave on their own. You'll find it's not going to be possible to truly be rid of the catcher, either: a boogbag or purse has worked in the past when it comes to school or work. But trying to dispose of the catcher in hopes of being rid of the nightmare won't work either.”
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