Part 1 - In Zwei Städten

[HoneyDog]

“Neither have I” says Karl. “I wonder if we can wake ourselves? I’m going to try.”

He begins to concentrate on that action.

[SunlessNick]

“I most certainly did not dream that. Perhaps she is sitting with the gentleman she was dancing with.”

Karl can sense that he couldn't have affected Elsie with his newfound ability - whatever the reason for her disappearance, he knows that it was not his doing.

“Neither have I” says Karl. “I wonder if we can wake ourselves? I’m going to try.”

He begins to concentrate on that action.

OOC,Karl's Dreamshaping: 14 Rolled 17.

For a moment, Karl feels his bed and blankets against his skin, but for the moment he remains in the Manticore's Feather.

Alex is able to find the man Elsie was dancing with. He is sitting in a booth with the woman he'd been dancing with before, the one who sought out Max - they are eating dinner together, and look for all the world as if they have been doing so for some time, despite having been on the vanished dance floor only a few minutes earlier.

"What do you mean a recurring event?" Helmut asks Karl. "You say we are dreaming?"

Max,In the wake of Karl saying this dream is a recurring event, your mind is flooded with memories of having been to this city, Hlanith, multiple times - and having seen Louis and Helmut fight over Friede several times as well - Louis even killing Helmut one time, although that obviously didn't last. You now have a Dreamshaping skill of 10% that you can use to work changes in the surrounding dream environment, the way Karl just did - although you also sense that you cannot directly affect another dreamer with it.

[Philulhu]

Alex walked up to the table and said abruptly, ”What happened to the girl you were dancing with? The dark-haired girl. What have you done with her?!”

He had his hands on the edge of the table, gripping hard so his knuckles turned white.

[HoneyDog]

Karl feels he is almost there, but can't quite make it.

He looks at Helmut.

"Do you not have the sensation that you have experienced this before? It would explain events at the Cafe Braun today, which you had no real understanding of."

[Mr. Handy]

"I remember now!" says Max. "I've been here in Hlanith before, multiple times. Louis and Helmut always fight over Friede. Once Louis even killed him, but he apparently didn't stay dead. I may be able to make changes too. Let's see if I can conjure up a lager." He concentrates, and one appears in front of him. He hoists it. "Prost!" He then tastes it.

OOC,Dreamshaping roll (10% skill) to make a lager appear: 0

[HoneyDog]

"Wunderbar!" Karl exclaims. "But why is it happening though? Sharing a dream is extraordinary enough, but for the events to mirror reality? I have never heard of such a thing. Helmut, do you have any explanation?

[SunlessNick]

Alex walked up to the table and said abruptly, ”What happened to the girl you were dancing with? The dark-haired girl. What have you done with her?!”

He had his hands on the edge of the table, gripping hard so his knuckles turned white.

"Dancing?" The man seems confused for a moment, then seems to collect himself. "I did nothing with her. She wanted a drink and went to the bar. Another man spoke to her there - he was dark, a Dotherite I think - there are coming into the city now. I presumed they were friends, and... well, I did not want to associate with one of them. I saw your other friend" - he points in the direction of Max - "had deserted Milaya, so I returned to the table to finish my dinner with her."

[SunlessNick]

"I remember now!" says Max. "I've been here in Hlanith before, multiple times. Louis and Helmut always fight over Friede Once Louis even killed him, but he apparently didn't stay dead."

"Wunderbar!" Karl exclaims. "But why is it happening though? Sharing a dream is extraordinary enough, but for the events to mirror reality? I have never heard of such a thing. Helmut, do you have any explanation?

"He's right!" Friede exclaims in response to Max's revelation. "I remember it."

Louis's face has turned somewhat ashen at the thought of having murdered someone.

"So... while we are awake, Louis and Friede are a couple, but she and I grew close in our dreams. And Louis and I subconsciously sensed it and became rivals? Is that what you are saying? Fascinating if it is true. After our meeting in Cafe Braun, I can confess now that I could not remember where I had seen either of you" - that part is directed at Louis and Friede - "I had gone there to see Karl, because I knew he drank there. But Karl, as to your question. Thoughts are carried by electrical impulses in the brain, so they could conceivably be affected by some mechanism. But I know of know of no physical phenomenon that could possibly allow our brains to interact with one another in this fashion. And why only us? Or is everyone here dreaming?"

[Philulhu]

"Dancing?" The man seems confused for a moment, then seems to collect himself. "I did nothing with her. She wanted a drink and went to the bar. Another man spoke to her there - he was dark, a Dotherite I think - there are coming into the city now. I presumed they were friends, and... well, I did not want to associate with one of them. I saw your other friend" - he points in the direction of Max - "had deserted Milaya, so I returned to the table to finish my dinner with her."

”A Dotherite?” snapped Alex. “What’s one of those?!”

[SunlessNick]

”A Dotherite?” snapped Alex. “What’s one of those?!”

"Men from the land of Dother," he replies, in a tone suggesting he thinks you should know that. "Some call them merchants, but they're a poor lot. No goods or worth to trade, the men are thieves and the women whores. They all crowd together near the docks. Maybe your girl went to service them."

The woman with him, recoils at that last outburst.

[Philulhu]

’You take that back or I’ll break your jaw!” snapped Alex, his colour rising. ”She’s not that kind of girl!’

[HoneyDog]

"I would imagine so" replies Karl to Helmut. "Though most are probably unaware of it."

"Perhaps now" he says to the group as a whole, "there will be no more need to quarrel, now that we understand the situation?"

[Mr. Handy]

"No, we don't," says Max, rising. "We need to tell Alex that too, before he ends up starting a fight." He approaches Alex. "Easy there, friend. You wouldn't like it if someone started a fight in your place - which almost happened recently."

[Philulhu]

Alex snapped a look at Max. ”This heinie called my friend a hure. He’s lucky he’s not taking his teeth home in his hat!”

[SunlessNick]

"Perhaps now" he says to the group as a whole, "there will be no more need to quarrel, now that we understand the situation?"

Helmut and Louis exchange a glance, before Helmut says "Yes, you are correct, my friend." Louis adds, "I only hope we remember this when we wake."

Friede wonders aloud whether she can conjure a drink the way Max did...

OOC,Rolled 24

... and scowls slightly when nothing happens.

[SunlessNick]

"Easy there, friend. You wouldn't like it if someone started a fight in your place - which almost happened recently."

Alex snapped a look at Max. ”This heinie called my friend a hure. He’s lucky he’s not taking his teeth home in his hat!”

"Entschuldigung," the man says. "You know her better than I. But I know no more of where she may have gone."

[Mr. Handy]

"I'm sorry," says Max, though he's relieved that it probably won't come to a fight, at least. With his glass jaw, he'd rather not get involved in one.

[Philulhu]

As much as Alex wanted to teach the guy a lesson, he allowed himself to be pulled away by Max.

He turned around. ”We need to find Elsie,’ he snapped. ”That arschloch reckons she she might have been taken down to the docks by these Dotherites - whatever they are!

[HoneyDog]

“Dotherites?” queries Karl. As it was he who manipulated their surroundings, he feels some sense of responsibility.

“Well, if the Fraulein requires our help, let us find these docks.”

He pauses for a moment.

“Wait a minute… docks? Do you mean the Westhafen?”

[Philulhu]

”Do you know any other docks?” said Alex sarcastically. “Finish your drinks. Let’s go!”