☾ Ηεrετιcs αnd Drεαmεrs ☽

[LJCOMICS]

☾ Ηεrετιcs αnd Drεαmεrs ☽
Chαpτεr Ι: Τo Thε World of Drεαms

It's been hours since you've Awakened. Or it feels like it's been that long, at least. Truth be told, time passes very strangely here. You could swear you've seen the moon rise and fall at least four times, though it was a different color and size each time. It may have come and gone yet again, but you don't want to check; staring too long at the pulsing, undulation colors in the sky makes your head hurt. Nothing here seems to be good for your sanity. Not the strange buildings with nonsensical geometry, nor the creatures running about that resemble monsters you once imagined to live in your closet. Especially disturbing are the things that have been whispered in your ear by the person escorting you.

The person leading you along looks human, almost suspiciously so, and were there when you first opened your eyes to this psychedelic world. The only things thar are off about them are their outlandish clothes and large, threatening weapon they carry. It resembles a scythe, though it looks far too large and ornate to serve as farming equipment. This whole time they have been telling you strange things that you refuse to believe. This place, they call it Hyperion City, and it is the crown of the Astral World, a place where dreams are reality. It sounds too fantastic, too surreal. So incredible that you almost believe it. Then they tell you why you're here. You're one of them, a Dream Reaper. They don't divulge much more than that, as they seem to have arrived at their destination.

You're lead through a gate of shining crystals into a courtyard of trees and grass that belong in a painting rather than around you. The outlines of the scenic ponds waver and writhe, and their surfaces reflect something decidedly different from the unnerving sky above them. A short walk leads you to stand before a building that, despite straining your eyes like all the others, radiates majesty and familiarity. Above the massive double doors that seem to shimmer like a mirage are letters that spell out "ΑΚΑΔΕΜΙΑ ΠΡΩΜΕΘΕΑ". Stood on the steps before the building is a goddess. She shines with a silver aura of inhuman beauty, and her height and majesty are as intimidating as they are awe-inspiring. She seems to meet your gaze as she smiles lightly, her wings behind her stretching out.

"So many at once... interesting." She muses, before raising her melodic voice to reach you. "Welcome, neophytes, to the fabled ranks of Dream Reapers, and to the Akademia Promethea! I am your mistress, Clotho." She gives a light bow, before continuing. "I am sure many of you are alarmed and confused by your experience since awakening, but I shall do my best to accommodate you and ease your transition into our world. As your guides have already informed you, this is not the world you are familiar with. This is the Astral World, the world ruled secondarily by myself and my family, and primarily by the thoughts and feelings of every living human on Earth. This world is not bound by the same laws as the Waking World below it, but stands in defiance of them through imagination. And you, my dears, are the protectors of both world. You are Dream Reapers, those chosen to safeguard the worlds of Sleepers and Dreams from those which may threaten them. Do not be alarmed, as it is here, in this institution and under my guidance that you will learn to fulfill your sacred duty!" She gestures triumphantly to the building behind her, flaring her wings for dramatic effect. "But that will come later. For now, you must grow accustomed to what you are. I know that you lack memories, and with them your name. As such, I give you the gift of self."

From Clotho's hands flew numerous parchments, one of which flying directly to you. You catch it out of instinct and quickly unravel it. The page is blank, save for a single scrawl in thick, dark ink, reading "You are". Before you can make note that the sentence is incomplete, another word melts into being on the page; one that gives a certain measure of peace to your uneasy soul. You recognize it as a name, perhaps yours, perhaps not, but one to use all the same. Just as soon as the name is imprinted in your mind, the paper leaps from your hands and twists itself into a peculiar shape. It resembles an animal, one that you feel a curious connection to, as though you were tethered to it by your mind. The beast then dissolves into the air, and you turn your attention back to Clotho.

The goddess seems pleased as she says, "I hope you like your names as much as you like the other gifts you shall soon receive. As they shall be the gifts of identity, purpose, and nemesis. Alas, all of those things await inside. Follow me, my dears, to the study." She turns to enter the building, which appears more majestic the more she nears it, but then stops to note, "If you have difficulty navigating the building, all you have to do is put your mind to it." With a laugh like a flock of birds in flight, she enters the Academy, all of the escorts following after her.

You then notice the others in the courtyard. They resemble the escorts in their outrageous manner of dress, but you can empathize with the sheer confusion in their eyes. They look to you as well, noticing the others as they too were captivated by Clotho. The foliage sways in an ethereal breeze, and the sky twists and folds on itself as it has been doing since you arrived. The building's architecture warps and weaves as something that large and study rightly should not do. Crowds of impossible passerby gather at the gates to gawk at you and the others around you. Welcome to the Astral World, the World of Dreams.

[EquineEquinox]

The dark haired young man, shook his head at all that had taken place before him. His head throbbed lightly, but he attempted to force his mind to evaluate the situation that he was now in. He knew that whatever life he'd had before - if he'd ever had one, was something now forgotten. He knew he'd been given a new title, Aeschylus, and that that name had some sort of connection to a winged creature. In all the confusion, he could hardly make out what it truly was. Perhaps a bat or a crow. He glanced up at the others around him, but quickly tightened his eyes shut. This headache was making every sensory input a chore. Instead he briefly considered everything else he could, trying to ease his mind. This world listened to thoughts, and what he believed would become reality. At least that's how he interpreted what had been said.

Aeschylus couldn't help an odd feeling inside him, as if something that had just happened had somehow reminded him of the past. He knew this was impossible, his memory was all but gone, and yet he couldn't help but feel ever so lightly the very word that repeated in his head, with every throb he could make out a single word. Shame. Perhaps it was just an echo from the world around him, or something yet to come.

He shook his head quickly, and the repeated word faded away, and the pain he felt between his eyes began to ease. He opened his eyes properly, identifying each of the others that surrounded him. Two other men, and three women. Including himself, he counted even numbers of both. He took a few seconds only to glance at their odd clothing before looking down at himself. He found a grey trench coat on his shoulders, but its green trim made it look far too fancy for casual wear. he noticed his pants had a similar formal green stripe, almost seeming to shine lightly, and he realised soon enough that the material it was made from was some sort of velvet or silk. Nothing else he could think of immediately would cause that form of reflection. His black shoes, despite being a definite change in colour from the charcoal grey of his dress pants, seemed to almost seamlessly complete a progression of darkness in his clothing down his body. He flipped his trench coat open slightly to look at the shirt beneath. Buttoned up formally, white, and with no defining features, though it was adjourned with a tie in the same colour as the green trim of his coat.

He turned himself around slightly in confusion, trying to see if there was any difference with the back of his coat, leading to an odd display of spinning in a brief circle, but after returning to the direction he was first facing he considered it futile and simply stopped, letting the coat flow around him slightly before settling into its original position. He brushed himself off, not wanting to set an odd image before he'd even been acquainted with those around him, trying to make his unusual action seem as natural as possible. He closed his eyes once more and took a deep breath, just to reevaluate the situation one final time before making an approach to any of the others.

[vacancy]

Her entire being felt like a transient image floating through the ethereal world. Perhaps it was because the undulating radiance of the sky and the contorted scenery around her, or perhaps it was the unshakeable feeling that she was missing something very important. She tried to recall how she had fallen asleep in the first place, but nothing came to mind. In fact, she could not recall anything at all. Her strange escort’s brief explanation did not help at all only adding to her bewilderment. There were so many questions to ask. Where exactly was Hyperion City? Had she been a dream reaper all along, or did she only recently become one? She wanted to ask the being beside her, but before she could even get a word in they stopped in front of a strange, yet somehow nostalgic building.
Before her stood a majestic being that trumped everything she had seen thus far. The woman stood above the rest, exuding such beauty that she drew the attention of all those around her. Her voice was entrancing as she spoke, demanding the attention of all who could hear. The woman who introduced herself as Clotho explained more of the world around them before sending out parchments to her and five others.

‘A-u-d-r-i-a-n-a’. The letters sunk into the parchment one by one, just as it sunk into her brain. It was the first concrete thing in this new world she could grasp – a name. Audriana now had something to define her existence, and she felt a wave of relief as she whispered her name. The parchment transformed into yet another familiar thing – a cat. The cat leapt from her hand and disappeared before she could comprehend why it seemed so familiar. Clotho said a few more things before ushering them all into the building.

As they walked, Audriana eyed the five others, noting three men and two other women who appeared as if they had just come out of a fairy tale. She examined herself and realized that she too was dressed quite oddly. She was wearing a peach white dress covered partially in steel armor. She took a twirl and noticed that the black ribbon fastening her long blonde hair into a ponytail. It seemed odd to Audriana that she wasn’t even aware of her own appearance until that moment, and she still did not know what her own face looked like. There were no mirror her to glance at herself, and she decided to put her curiosity aside as they made their way to the study.

[Nocturn]

Thoughts
Speech
Narrative

The protector of both worlds… The words echoed in his mind. “I guess that makes sense” he whispered to himself, making sure to keep the others around him from hearing. Despite having no memory of a life before this place, he held an air of self-worth and self-confidence that reassured him that if anyone was good enough to be tasked with protecting these worlds, it was him. The entity that stood before him was beautiful, a holy man would call her an angel but then as he thought about it, he could very well be a holy man for all he knew. He was unsure of a lot of things, but the words of Clotho were like a song for the senses. Through all the confusion and the many questions that he had, everything she said seemed to put him at ease. She said a lot of things without actually explaining much, but it didn't seem to matter.

He held his hand out almost instinctively as a piece of parchment flew towards him, it darted through the air with an impossible sense of purpose and landed smoothly in his hand. As he inspected the paper between his fingers, he read the words ‘You are’. Oh brilliant, he thought to himself. Philosophical thinkers, maybe this place… his thoughts were cut short as another word etched itself on the paper; Aether. It seemed to fit, he was unsure why but it seemed as though it was chosen for and by him. Like placing an essential piece of the puzzle into his identity.

Aether looked around at the others that had received a parchment as well. They looked just as confused as he did and were dressed in similar clothes to that of himself and the escorts that they had woken up to. Just as he was about to approach them, the parchment twisted and contorted into the form of a legendary flaming bird which then turned quickly to ash and faded away. “Nice!” Aether let out a comment before he was able to quell his surprise. He noticed the same thing happened with the other initiates and took note of their reactions to the world they had found themselves in.

The one thing that the escorts had that really drew Aether’s attention was the incredibly large ornate weaponry that they all seemed to carry; the scythes. They are far too large to be used efficiently, and there is no way that these guys are farmers anyway. he thought to himself. But then, who’s to say how physics work in this place? He looked up at the architecture above him and made the point to himself that the building was twisted and contorted in a way that should, by any man’s definition, be impossible. “This is incredible” The world below was so limited but, if Clotho was to be believed, this place is limited only by imagination. There is no control. Only feelings and emotion.

Aether made his way over to the others and, addressing no-one in particular, greeted them. “Hey, apparently the name’s Aether. I guess we’ll be seeing a lot more of eachother”. With that he turned and followed Clotho into the academy that stood before him.

Regardless of what Aether had forgotten, this will be a new chapter. A new start.

[Fox of Spades]

He had opened his eyes hours ago to a strange world, and yet he had felt no fear. There was only curiosity for things that he knew were far from possible. The boy took in his surrounding, from the large moon that constantly changed in color to the twisted buildings that defied gravity. Maverick stared at it all with wide eyes and a single question that just wouldn't leave his head.

How?

He pondered on the question for a few moments before giving up on trying to understand. Instead he tried to remember the odd scenery. The contorted buildings, the weird color of the sky and the moon. The oh so familiar, but different... moon. The boy cocked his head to the side and something else managed to snag his attention, a patch of purple flowers that glistened an array of different colors and swayed from side to side in a graceful dance. He walked towards the patch of flowers without much thought and tripped on a rock. Maverick held out his hands instinctively in an attempt to soften his inevitable fall.

Thud.

A black top hat rolled away from him, it had various colorful buttons on it. He didn't recall owning such a hat. Then something else hit. Maverick didn't recall anything...not even his name. His memories were a blank slate. It should have been alarming, but for some reason his mind decided not to linger on such a thought. Instead his blue eyes locked onto the purple flowers that surrounded him. He propped himself up onto his elbows then sat forward. Everything is so odd, so pretty. A pleasing aroma played with his senses and he couldn't help but smile. Maverick reached out to his fallen top hat then pulled it onto his lap. He then plucked a few purple flowers and placed them within his top hat. He would have continued if not for a voice that caught his attention.

Oh yes, she had been speaking for some time now. She had introduced herself as Clotho, and she had called them neophytes?

Whatever that was he didn't know, it was around that time he was distracted by almost everything and as a result found himself in a patch of flowers not too far away from the others. Others? He had almost forgotten that he was not alone in the distorted world of many moons. There were others...just like him. Clotho continued to speak and this time he managed to listen even with his short attention span. I'm a dream reaper? A protector? Maverick couldn't stop himself from staring at everything with an awestruck expression.

She revealed wings, and he couldn't help but feel that wings were something humans should not have. Maverick looked up at the sky with shifting colors and thought that maybe logic no longer mattered. A goofy looking smile plastered itself to his face while his blue eyes shone with childlike curiosity, he placed his hat on his head. Purple flowers now strewn about the blond mess known as his hair. The boy eagerly hopped to his feet and walked over to join the others who were not too far away.

He stopped in his tracks and raised his head. Wait, she know's our names? Maverick watched as several pieces of paper fluttered in the air. One drifted about then landed into his hands. "You are..." he read slowly before new letters began to dance around the page. They were jumbled up at first, but after a few moments arranged themselves into something coherent. "Maverick." That was his name? It gave him a sense of freedom and oddly enough comfort. He had something to cling to now. His memories and thoughts were nothing but an incoherent mess, but now he had an important puzzle piece and that was enough to give him a sense of triumph and keep the goofy smile stuck on his face.

"I'm Maverick then?" He let out a chuckle. "I like the sound of that." He nodded and the piece of paper yanked itself out of his hands and into the air. It twisted itself into the form of something...an animal? It looked like a Lion, with an Eagle's head and wings. It looked like freedom, and the sight of the beast stirred something within him, an emotion he couldn't quite comprehend yet. The mishmash of a Lion and Eagle dissolved and Clotho continued to speak before leaving to enter the building.

That was when someone else broke the silence, and he called himself Aether. Maverick stared at the others for a moment and noticed their fanciful clothes, almost like the clothes Clotho and her companions had been wearing. He looked down only to see he was dressed similar to them. It amused him, how he had just noticed. He was still confused and his mind was still almost if not completely void of anything but his name.

He had nothing, so there was nothing to lose. Maverick smiled brightly at the others then focused on Aether. "You're probably right and nice to meet you, Aether." The boy brought his hand to his head and lifted his top hat slightly, causing violet petals to spread across his hair. "I'm Maverick." The name felt right. The boy smiled even brighter and began walking towards the academy.

What wonders await me there?

[kathichan1]

The girl sighed. As she and her guide had traversed to whatever destination they were heading to, they passed by forests of strange, undulating trees with colors and shapes she had never seen, rivers that flowed in all directions at once but was still curiously still, while shadows of unnamed and unthinkable beasts prowled in shadows of light. It had entranced the girl at first, but as they kept traveling through the seemingly endless road of swirling colors that made her head spin the girl slowly lost interest for the sights around her.

It was all so boring.

She gave her guide a quick once over. He had been there when she woke up minutes- hours?- before and had explained much about this world to her. She hasn't been paying much attention but did manage to catch some information that seemed to be important. Something about a Hyperion city, about dreams and about reality. What did catch her attention was that he said she was one of them, a Dream Reaper or whatever it was. This prompted a rather dubious brow to be raised before she tuned him out again, deeming the man to be a bit off in the head, to study the very large scythe he was holding in one hand. Now that was interesting to look at. Ornate and wickedly sharp, it seemed like it could easily cut in half the beasts that's slinked around them in a single twirl, and the girl suddenly hoped that perhaps the beasts would attack just so the eerie quietness filled only by her guide's droning would be broken by snarls and screams and ripping flesh and-

Her thoughts were cut short as her guide led her through a gate of shining crystal- when did that get there?- and into a courtyard, where a woman standing on the steps caught her eye immediately. She started to speak, and the girl was somehow compelled to listen, perhaps captivated by her aura or the unearthly feel she was exuding.

There was a lot of information given that seemed to be incredulous, but what caught the girl off guard was the statement that she had no memories- now that she thought about it, everything before her waking up was indeed blank. A sudden rustling brought her out of her thoughts again just in time for her to catch the paper neatly in her hands.

You are

She turned the parchment in curiousity, checking whether there was anything on the back. There wasn't, but when the parchment was turned over again once more another word had been etched into the paper.

You are Linceae

"Lin...ceae?" The girl tested out her new name, pleased with both the name and the soft, lilting tone of her own voice. The paper in her hand suddenly flew up and contorted, taking the shape of what looked like a large rabbit with the horns of a deer before it hopped off and disappeared.

Now that it was quiet once more, the newly dubbed Linceae was free to look around the courtyard. First thing she noted was that her guide was gone. Next, she noticed that she wasn't, in fact, alone. There looked to be a few other people who were jut as confused as she felt. They were all a bit taller than she was (so perhaps the guide from earlier wasnt a freak of nature- now that she mentioned it, where did he go off to?) also dressed quite strangely in a variety of outfits- but with a quick look at herself she could see that she herself wasn't much better with a pale colored and rather fluffy and lacy dress adorned with ribbons, stockings and dress shoes. Coupled her her pale skin and hair, it seemed to her that she was like an absence of color in an otherwise saturated canvas. But that just meant it would be easier to be painted over, wouldn't it?

Two of the other newly awakened 'neophytes', as the woman had called them, introduced themselves as she looked on with a small smile present on her face once more. She considered ignoring them and following straight after the 'Maverick' who had gone on into the building, but decided it wouldn't harm to introduce herself to potential future sources of entertainment.

"I'm Linceae," she told them. Then she flounced after where the woman and boy had gone, into the doorways of the impossible building that she would most likely be her home for quite a while.

[LJCOMICS]

The chaos within the building matched the exterior to a not wholly surprising degree. Much was visible within the school, despite its somewhat dreary atmosphere; the classical stone walls and tiled floor tinged purple by the stained glass of the ceiling. One could have difficulty telling if the school was larger or smaller than it appeared to be on the outside, but it was certain that it did not match its outward appearance. The air was musty and had a certain oppressive weight to it; as though it was somehow thicker than the air outdoors. An almost-silence permeated the building; only disturbed by a dully buzzing that could be faintly heard from any point. Light fixtures and decorations drifted across the walls of hallways that constricted and dilated like the bowels of some titanic beast. Doors noiselessly open and shut of their own free will at a rapid pace, fluttering like birds' wings. Like a termite's mound, the institution delved deeply into the ground, with the open stairwell opening up like an infinitely deep it. Stairways and walkways severed from their attachments and writhed like angry snakes, ensuring that downward progress was a futile effort. It was just as likely that the halls too often changed where they led of their own accord. The school building was much like an impossibly large creature in that its innards were in constant motion; undulating and pulsating arrhythmically with its gasping breaths and labored heartbeat.

[Frenetic Raptor]

What is truly meant by being Awakened? Is it the point where creation takes root and another is born of this world? Maybe it is a complex scenario where visual representations finally take form as reincarnations? Or this all could simply be a cruel hallucination, manifesting from the deepest recesses within one’s mind. For a youthful girl like her, belief in anything was possible. What else could really describe a moon with an apparent identity crisis? Like numbered sheep it continued to rise and fall, counting to infinity, or until one lost count. Accumulating nothing but a bothersome headache, she lowered her eyes at those that guided her safely along, seeking comfort in anything at all.

Gathering more questions than answers, she followed along, innocently enough, oblivious to what lurked beyond her intimidating escorts. The mischievous creatures that prowled about, from out of sight, stood not a chance with scythes at the ready. Or so she hoped. Maybe she wasn’t safe and she would have to answer to those very scythes herself. No matter what she took from this little venture, she would no doubt hold her suspicions towards each and every one of them. Those disturbing details that crawled into her ears, manipulative and undesired they were. Doing her best to take everything with a grain of salt, she kept her focus, unwilling to lose her head.

What of this Hyperion City? Was this really the place that could turn her dreams into reality? Her heart skipped a beat in anticipation. In anticipation of what exactly? In order for a dream to become a reality, there needed to be a dream for her to call her own. Distanced from her very own desires, she found herself desperately seeking for clarity amongst a blackened fog. What was there to hide? Were there even any memories to hide? Before she could lose herself completely, the answer had arrived before her.

I am a Dream Reaper? Like passing through the glimmering gates of purification, everything started to make sense. Not entirely perfect, but this was only the beginning. There stood the heavenly goddess herself, majestically presented before the lowly girl’s aspiring gaze. Holding a presence far greater than she had ever witnessed before, she remained in captivated silence as soothing words spoke with otherworldly experience. She was really one of them... someone with a monumental purpose. Protectors of two worlds conjoined. Just the mention of finding a sense of fulfillment meant more than anything.

With wings spread open, an honorable gift had been bestowed upon each and every one of the newly appointed Dream Reapers. Parchments floated through the air as if an enchantment had been cast upon the pages. Was this all accomplished simply by the powers of imagination? Anxious to find out what sort of gift rested within her hands, she took to reading swiftly, following suit. You are... Pareidolia? Her thoughts questioned at first, a hiccup of sorts to her overworking mind. “I am... Parei... dolia.” Her words delicately fluttered through the air.

Not realizing what she had released with the very mention of her name, she stared in fascination while the parchment took flight and transformed into a mythical hybrid, not quite familiar to her own inexperienced eyes. There appeared to be pieces of a lion, a goat, and possibly a snake all within its inconspicuous form. Making nothing else out but a vague idea, the Chimera dissipated from sight. She couldn’t believe it was only but mere hours ago that she wandered without direction like a lost child in the wilderness. She took to heart her newfound identity, purpose, and nemesis.

Focusing only on the beckoning of mistress Clotho to proceed inside the halls of the academy, Pareidolia failed to realize an opportunity severely overlooked. What appeared before her curious eyes were the appearances of those just like her, every outfit as fantastical as the next. These were individuals with unique personalities all to their own, despite their newfound roles. Maybe she could relate to them, no matter how outrageous that sounded. With peculiarity all around, she took to examining her own form of clothing. Nothing seemed any more abnormal than anything else she had seen. There was, of course, one object of intrigue that she found placed within her long flowing hair of hers. Amongst all of the pink, she discovered a butterfly clip. Its meaning remained entirely foreign to her; none to her surprise.

Overhearing the others initiating conversation in friendly greetings, she closed in on the rest, not desiring to fall behind. The names of Aether, Maverick, and Linceae were duly noted and put to memory. Already trailing the others, Pareidolia kept her words silent as she ventured inside, wishing to take the time necessary to carefully traverse all of the disorientating architectural features on full display.

[EquineEquinox]

Before he'd had any chance to do anything, he was already finding most of the others leaving. Not to be left behind, Aeschylus stumbled ahead in haste before straightening his stance and quickly attempting to catch up, approaching the looming academy. Despite all of his rush, he paused in front of the doorway, marvelling at the sheer magnificence of the architecture of this place. Every instinctual reaction he had was that it shouldn't be possible, yet deep down he felt almost as if it was perfectly possible, perfectly logical. Every corner and window, though not conventionally placed, never seemed in his eyes to be wasted, serving either a practical or aesthetic purpose. It only took a passing thought to remind him of the fact that he was falling behind, even now, and the last thing he wanted given his confusion was to be left alone. Despite that, he couldn't help his mind from wandering. Who exactly was the woman who'd addressed them at the start? What was she saying about gifts and those they were yet to receive?

The sound of footsteps reminded him he'd need to allow these questions to go unanswered, so he made his way into the building hastily. Within, however, he couldn't help but marvel at every detail of the architecture. Its nature appeared surreal, even though he had no memories of any place before that, other than the open outdoor spaces of this very world. Just like outside, everything seemed to be perfectly balanced. As odd as it appeared, he could see that every involved element had a deliberate place, even if it didn't link to what was immediately next to it there was always something he could find to make it work in his head. He hardly questioned whether this was just because he was expecting balance that he found such possibly non-existent patterns. The coloured shadows cast by the stained glass particularly interested him. Their colour seemed to contrast with much of the stone he saw in the building, leading to a suspicion that the inside could possibly have a different sustenance than the world outside. However, after only a few seconds of further observation he disregarded that idea. the moving decorations within were just as spectacular as the outside world and the visual exterior of the building itself.

Realising he was letting his thoughts get in the way of him keeping up with the group, and he hastily made his way to the others, his sudden haste leading to heavy footsteps that clattered on the ground around him. He made his way up beside the group, looking over his side briefly to ensure he was moving at roughly the same pace before he raised a hand up, attempting to look somewhat casual as he rested it behind his head and gave a nervous, yet lighthearted chuckle.

"Er, hey there! Perhaps I should introduce myself?" He started, his voice carrying with it a combination of weak social confidence and the embarrassment of his sudden arrival, “I should introduce myself, the sheet called me Aeschylus. That seems great, call me that for now – maybe I’ll think of a comfortable name to shorten it later.”
He found himself giving a slightly goofy smile, lowered his head forward for a brief moment before raising it up again, “and you all are? Aether, Maverick, Linceae…”
Aeschylus gave a pause between each of their names, nodding in each of their directions with the same silly smile he’d given just moments ago, “Haven’t got you two’s names yet, mind sharing them with the group? We’re all in this together aren’t we! Best we’re familiar,” He cheerily continued, before adding to the side – partially to himself, “to some extent at least. Too familiar too early might be pushing it, but then again I don’t see anything wrong with a bit of friendliness.”

He looked forward and down once more, thinking over what he’d just said, then nodding, almost as if to approve the words that had already come out of his mouth, and looking somewhat expectantly at the others, cheerily extending a hand forward to greet them – even though given what he’d just said the action seemed slightly late, he still couldn’t help but feel the need to do so.

[Fox of Spades]

The moment he had stepped inside he froze. Maverick stared at it all like an overwhelmed child, stuck in some fantasy. The doors opened and closed on their own as if being pulled and pushed by ghost children who had nothing else to do. The floor would open up at random places with stairs leading to who knows where...probably a dark chasm or abyss. The stairs above ground where no different, they shifted about constantly and Maverick had to wonder how Clotho navigated the school without ending up lost forever in the ever-shifting hallways filled with various doors.

"Wow," he had whispered without knowing. A part of him wanted to peek around and see what wonders awaited. The boy walked up towards a closed door and placed a hand on the cool doorknob. "I wonder what's behind this door?" He had asked before cocking his head to the side and giving his fellow dream reapers a childish grin. He twisted the knob and it made a heavy clunking sound. "It's really," he pulled back, "heavy...ngh!" Maverick brought his other hand to the knob and twisted and pulled. The door creaked and he wondered how long it had been since someone had pulled it open. The boy leaned back and hoped that his weight would be enough, the door made another noise before it flung open and knocked him onto his butt on the floor. "Ouch!" He yelped before he remembered that the others had probably seen his failed attempt.

"Ahahaha," he forced a laugh. "I mean that...was nothing!" He hopped to his feet, a slight flush evident on his cheeks. He shook it off and peered into the dark tunnel that had been hidden for who knows how long. Maverick poked his head inside only to feel a chill rush down his spine. There was nothing but complete darkness and the haunting whispers of the wind. He stepped back reluctantly, placed a hand on the doorknob and leaned onto the wooden door before it closed with a satisfying thump. "That was rather interesting." The boy spoke to himself before he scrambled to the other side of the room.

This time a Cuckoo clock was the focus of his ever-shifting attention. He stood on his tiptoes so he could get a better view of the time, however, his efforts were for nothing. The minute hand spun at a rapid pace and the hour hand was bent at such an odd angle that it had begun to look like a spiral. There was no use staring at it, the boy put on a sour expression and kicked at the ground in discontent. His eyes flitted about the place in search of something else to go look at, but he stopped when he heard someone break the heavy silence. He turned his head to stare at the person speaking. The person had remembered his name?

Maverick didn't know why but he gave Aeschylus a friendly smile and a slight wave. "Nice to meet you." He expected the man to stop after saying his name, but instead he decided to continue. He was trying to get people to lighten up? Maverick smiled brighter and decided that he liked Aeschylus.

"I agree with him." The boy said as he kept a cheery smile on his face. "If we're stuck together, we might as well be friends right?" He said it sincerely. Whatever they had to face, it would be easier to handle if they had each other right? Right? His heart sank.

Did I have people I cared about...before I wound up here?