(9/22/01)
One would never really think that pastel nanoreactors would be possible. And yet, oddly enough, they seem to manage well enough in the depths of the brilliantly colorful mind of the little so-called princess Khiea. Isn't it fun how they can be so cute in an area that rings of memories, of feelings, that are almost unsettling? And yet any such emotion is distant and quiet, muted by a sort of blanket of calm. For the dream is peaceful today, moreso than usual, and full of a simple, sweet comfort. For Khiea is happy today, if not a bit reminiscant. And Khiea is sitting, in a dress of princess frill, looking quite a seven year old rather than how she ought to look in the waking world. And she watches the many, many briliant and pastel butterflies which flutter around her head and about the area. What? Butterflies are out of place in a realm like this, amidsts the reactors? Well, Khiea never cared much for logic.
Isn't the dream a grand place? Where you're consciously aware of yourself, while at the same time...able to look like whatever you please. Though it's a curious place at the same time. As Tifa seems to fade into existence, she does so as herself- with pale skin, black locks instead of blonde, and a long blue dress. Her eyes open, no real recognition of where she is at first...but she scans the area, and notices the now 7 year old Khiea. She thinks she might know where she is now.
"... My god, I went to sleep and woke up in Candyland." At least, that's the first thing Collin says, blinking at the surroundings about him, laying flat on his back. He stands, moving toward the path from amidst the stuffed animals while looking around-- then down at himself. His old travelling gear...? He was in his uniform before... Other... people? He raises a hand a bit, and makes a rather meek attempt at calling out, and in general. "Uhm... excuse me?"
Actually, one would be more tempted to wonder what a nanoreactor -is-. But, well, logic away! For from the very first moment that Dirah opens her eyes, she is extraordinarily tempted to just close them again. What on freaking -earth- is this? For a very Kislevi looking sort of woman has found herself awoken to this brightly colored realm, and this woman is looking just about as stunned as she is confused out of her mind. For Dirah.. Is not looking quite like a 'Miss Sigurd' at the moment. The Dirah that stands here is one of a truer apperance to her, with long, raven black hair and eyes of softest blue. And the pale skin that comes from the cloudy, sooty realm of Kislev. Dressed well enough in Kislev style, but wearing a rather sleeveless shirt--Ah, the simplicity of the so-called fashion Goddess!--Dirah looks.. Stunned. "I, um..." Glance. Glance. Wait.. Speaking and being confused isn't making this go away, "Did I.. Eat something really bad or something?" And a pause, "-Really- bad?" Oh, wait, there are other people here, isn't there? Dirah is too busy looking appalled to realize, apparently.
Candyland? What a very tempting idea! Perhaps someday Khiea should attempt to craft a dream more true to that sort of statement. And yet, this is about the point in which Khiea blinks, glancing away from the clouds of butterflies above her to look over at the newcomers. And she beams, shortly and simply, "Oh, hello! What a lot of visitors I have today.. I really wasn't expecting it!" And she scrambles to her feet, a messy little action while she tries, in vain, to not stumble over her own layers and layers of frilled dress. But when she actually does get to her feet, she manages just as clumsy a curtsy, "Miss.. Tifa? Oh, I'm so glad you came back! And.." Khiea looks around again. The other two look.. kind of familiar. But Khi simply can't put her finger on -names-. Especially for the very unhappy Kislevi woman. "Other people! Welcome-welcome!"
Tifa smiles at Khiea, "I almost didn't recognize you at first! How cute, is this how you were when you were younger, Princess?" she then hears voices. Ah, more people visiting? She turns to greet them, "Hello there," she says with a smile. Let's see...there's a strange looking guy in a uniform, and...Dirah?! It's just so...odd looking at Dirah and not seeing a tanned, silver haired, Sigurd lookalike. "....Dirah? Is that...you?"
Collin tugs at the collar of his duster and stares. Yes, it's true. Hell is decorated with pastels. The girl... she's familiar... a brief look around at the others-- he's never seen them before, to his knowledge... The Solarian's hand travels up to his head for a scratching, displacing his goggles to down around his neck. The names, though, begin to be recorded in his mind... association and all, you know.
Ah! How is it -odd- to look at Dirah and see her in her true glory of fashionableness? And yet, stunned beyond words, Dirah has to actually pause and very intentionally stop gaping, if just to realize that there are other people talking. Well, what do you know. And the conversation is making things seem even -more- warped. Um, a child in an outfit that would make the fashionable world cry, some guy in an odd outfit and a Kislevi kind of looking woman. Uh..huh. And she's calling the child a Princess, and.. Oh, wait. "Huh? Well, yes, but how do you know me...?" Dirah runs a hand through her hair then, and just.. Freezes. And stares at her very black bangs as if she had seen some sort of a ghost, "I, um.. All right.. Maybe I was drinking. A lot. I don't see what else..." Unless someone is playing a very, very bad joke. And yet, Dirah glances back up then, dropping her hand to her side.. And narrows her eyes at Tifa. Come to think of it, she looks rather familiar.., "Tif?" And she glances around, not recognizing the other two. "Well, this is.. I must admit, just a little confusing."
Khiea giggles rather cheerfully in response, nodding enthusiastically, "Thank you, Miss Tifa! Ah.. Well, actually this is how I'm supposed to look!" Khiea should probably explain a comment like that. But, as always, she simply smiles, leaving that comment as if it were simple, common sense. And she looks up at the black-haired, pale looking woman, and stares a little wide-eyed, "Did you call her.. Is that supposed to be Miss Dirah, Miss Tifa?" And she breaks into a small chime of giggles, "I think she certainly acts like her!" And yet.. There's another newcommer too, isn't there? Although he's being very quiet. And Khiea looks over to Collin, looking so confused and out of place. And she grants a little smile, "Hello to you, too. I'm so glad everyone came to visit! But.. Do I know you, Mister?" He does look ever so familiar!
"As you're...supposed to be?" that's one of the oddest things she's heard in a while, and as she's about to inquire about it, she begins rippling. "What? Oh, I must be waking up...i've had such a hard time sleeping lately...i'm sorry!" she then fades away, almost as fast as she appeared.
Collin blinks and shakes his head. "I... you look familiar..." he says with a tilt of his head. The young man looks a bit different himself, now, tanned, the scar on his head-- and an indescripable amount hidden under his clothes, at that. "... Miss Khiea?" he asks with an awkward blink, recalling the morning over on Fort Jasper. That... was certainly quite a long time ago, too. A brief look at Dirah, and a new blink. "Um... it's quite confusing for me, too. First time, I guess?" he attempts to joke.
And now.. Tifa is vanishing away into nothing? Dirah gives a sort of surprised choking noise, smothered into silence rather promptly, as she stares. And then just, very slowly, slides down to a sitting possition, her back against one of the nanoreactors, "All right.. This is getting a bit creepy now." And.. Okay, now people are using -more- names that Dirah is very sure apply to other people. "Err.. Hey, Did you just call her Khiea? Isn't.. Khiea a bit older?" Well... This leaves only one reasonable answer, "Oh, er, that must be another person, I suppose." And Dirah sigh as that, and asks, sounding ever so lost as she glances up to Collin, attempting so to joke, "Cute. But I fear I'm not in the mood for humor, what with people just vanishing and everything bright pink.. Do you have the -foggiest- clue what's going on?" Oh, unpleasant little twit, isn't she? And yet, at this point, she blinks, putting a hand to her forehead, "Then again, I'm really dizzy.." And, to boot, she's fading away, just as Tif did before, "Err.. What on earth?" And yet that's all the poor Kislevi manages out before she fades out completely. For, somewhere far away, Tif tripped and knocked over something when she was wandering about in her first waking minutes. Go figure.