Fleshed in Dreams (RP)

[Kiaya]

There are times in the lives of sentient beings that what is generally considered to be truth and reality is brought into question. Of course, there are many other times in which the accepted versions of the truth are never shadowed by doubt. We can only know what our senses tell us, and nothing more. The mind can accept lies and tricks just as easily as it can accept unshakable truths. As a result, few can claim to know the realtruth behind anyone or anything.

Kiaya is one of those little flukes in the world that creates the discrepancies between fact and fiction. Her past is something of a mystery even to her own mind. After years of wandering and pondering, she decided that she had to have been created by some strange twist of magick. Nothing else could explain away her condition. The only way to describe Kiaya has always been to call her a dream being...not that anyone aside from Kiaya herself has known enough about her to call her that.

Perhaps her condition should be explained. Typically in any story, you'd expect to see a description of the character in question. Unfortunately no such thing can be done for a creature like Kiaya. Her appearance fluctuates with the passage of thought, dreams, fears, and fantasy. Every aspect of who she is can be altered in the minds and perceptions of others. Naturally, this can lead to both awkward and amusing situations. An example seems to be in order. Everyone has heard the tale of Rupert the Bold, but few know the real story, so it's high time the truth be told.

The famed group of adventurers had gathered just outside a small town to await the appearance of the man selected to be their leader. They'd overheard this Rupert fellow boasting of his many deeds in the tavern and had recruited him to aid in their quest to slay the local monster. Rupert, being quite the coward when not under the influence of several tankards of ale, had voted to hide somewhere until the others had left. Fortunately for everyone involved, Kiaya happened upon the group before they became impatient enough to hunt down their leader. Here is an accurate account of what really happened.

"Oh! Pardon me," Kiaya blurted when she stumbled through some bushes and bumped into the back of one of the larger men in the group. That was not what any of the men saw or heard however. Instead, the man she bumped into felt a strong hand on his shoulder that turned him to look into the face of Rupert.

"Sorry I'm late fellas!" was what they all heard instead of a timid apology. After all, why on earth would Rupert apologize like that...and with a girlish voice as well? Kiaya would have tried to leave the group, but they were so adamant about beginning their noble journey, that no excuse either she or Rupert could fashion would work.

So it was that she got dragged along for a week long trudge through marshes and forests, camping in the rain on some nights, and dealing with insufferable amounts of biting insects and revolting rations of travelers' fare. Every groan or protest she made translated into some sort of jovial "Oh how I love the smell of deer crap in the morning!" remark that only served to endear her to the other adventurers.

Their quest finally came to an end at a dank little hole of a cave out of which a greatly oversized serpent slithered quite menacingly. Nearly every other man froze upon seeing the size of this 'snake' they'd decided to hunt down and kill, but it only had eyes for Kiaya/Rupert. What no living creature (except Kiaya at that point) had ever realized was that this serpent was deathly afraid of fennel, and tended to dwell on that fear most whenever adventurers showed up with intentions to kill it. Unfortunately for the serpent (but quite fortunately for the pack of adventurers who didn't relish the idea of becoming a midday meal), Kiaya's condition picked up on that fear.

While the adventurers watched 'Rupert' bravely jump forward brandishing a mighty sword, the serpent saw a man dressed as a cook step forward flinging fennel leaves at him. Of course neither of those things really happened. Kiaya was frozen by fear just as much as the others, and she was just as shocked when the serpent spasmed twice, then fell limp to the ground. The adventurers had already begun embellishing the story when they cut the head from the giant snake. Not that the story was boring on its own (how often do you get to see a snake get scared to death?), but like every story told by fishermen or hunters or adventurers, after a time, the animals grow into beasts, and the fights to overcome the creatures become longer and more daring and by all means more life-threatening.

When they returned to the town singing songs they'd composed in honor of Rupert the Bold's victory over the beast, Kiaya managed to slip away just as the real Rupert appeared. Now, what man in his right mind would deny that he'd led an expedition like that and defeated such a fierce monster? Certainly not a coward like Rupert.

Stories like this and others far more strange compose the life tale of the dream-being known as Kiaya, but they all mean very little to her. She walks a lonely road in search of the one who can see through the enchantments and help her find herself within the magick. All else means nothing.

'Can you see me?'

[Tarius]

Tarius rubbed his jaw, still red and painful from where she'd struck him. He knew she was athletic, but he had no idea she could hit so hard. Her words and actions had stung far more than her fist, of course. "What the hell are you doing?! Get away from me you sick half-breed freak!"

Really, what was up with her anyways? She sure wasn't acting that way the night before, smiling happily into his eyes as they danced on the lake shore. It had been a dream come true. He had always pined for her, and Sherri knew it, but until last night she'd had none of it. Half-elves were only half human in her eyes, worthy of nothing but contempt. That contempt was powerfully evident today, the small red swelling on Tarius's jaw proof of it.

He shook his head in anger. He'd never understand women. In the hours they spoke the previous night, she told him of all the secret dreams she'd been holding, of how her hatred for half-elves was just a facade to please her parents, that she wanted to run away with him forever. He'd bought every bit of it, not bothering to stop and wonder why his fantasies were coming true almost word-for-word. He had almost been inclined to think it a dream when he woke this morning, but there on the small table near his bed was the flyrhna flower she'd worn behind her ear as they had danced, the frail violet petals crinkled from handling, its sweet fragrance still hanging lightly in the air. No, it was real.

Tarius wandered deep into the forest near the village, his favorite escape when the humans saw fit to tease him. None of them could best him here. This was his territory, and they'd learned quickly not to follow him here. It was a place of solitude. He felt more at home here than in the stuffy house he lived. It did little to lift his gloom this day, his eyes seeing little other than the dirt and grass at his feet. So oblivious was he to his surroundings that he nearly crashed right into her. Blinking in surprise, he looked up to see Sherri standing there, right in the middle of the path, smiling at him. Smiling!

He glared at her with eyes slitted by anger and suspicion. "What do you want?"

[Kiaya]

Kiaya woke that morning somewhat rested. She had chosen to sleep in the underbrush of the forest rather than brave the nearby settlement. Due to her condition, that could cause all sorts of confusion. Even so, a young man, apparently half-elf and half-human had stumbled across her in the evening and had fallen prey to the dreams she embodied. He had seemed like such a nice person, but she could gather from the things the magick within and around her picked up that the girl he saw her portraying was one who did not share his intense feelings. In a way it had hurt her to dance through the night with him, knowing that his dreams were whispering all the sweet words he’d ever wished to hear in spite of the fairly obvious fact that reality would greet him in the morning. Of course, there was little she could do about it.

She was brushing the leaves and dirt from her clothes when that same young man, Tarius, stormed right into her. Naturally the magick kicked in, and in so doing provided her with a quick replay of the events that led to his irritation.

“What do you want?” he asked her smiling dream form. Beneath the layers of illusion, Kiaya shuddered, knowing what was to come. She tried to keep from speaking to hold back the tirade that he would experience, but she sensed that her silent smiling wasn’t going to make him any happier.

“I want to be on my way before I cause anymore trouble,” was what she ended up sighing in resignation, letting the magick contort her words and her voice as it always did. “Apparently I’ve caused enough as it is, and my presence here isn’t going to improve matters.”

“I wanted to see just how much you were going to cry.” Sherri’s smile turned into a leer as she continued. “It was so much fun playing with your dirty little half-breed heart. I didn’t think you’d believe me when I began, but you ended up eating out of my hands. Perhaps now you’ll know that you aren’t even worthy to lick the sand from my shoes.”

Kiaya cringed. It had actually come out worse than she’d expected. She only hoped that Tarius wouldn’t lash out physically at her, because she was ill equipped to handle an attack.

[Tarius]

He was plenty angry as it was. But with each word she spoke, his anger rose, transforming into a burning fury that consumed his mind. He had put up with this all his life. He had been teased into thinking that, just maybe, it might get better. And then this betrayal. No, it was too much. If she had hoped to cow him with her words, she had made a grave error.

He walked up to her slowly, stopping only when they were close enough that he could feel her breath. His eyes, hazed with rage, never left hers. He stood there for a moment just looking at her, hands clenching into fists and unclenching. Then, he seemed to calm, his hands relaxing and breathing returning to normal. But the look in his eyes didn't fade.

"You made a mistake coming here to gloat, bitch. This isn't your little village, filled with all your little friends. This land belongs to me." His own words seemed alien to him. It was as if someone else was speaking through his lips. A part of him was frightened, but the rest of him embraced the strength. "There's no one around to help you if I decide to do something cruel. There's no one nearby to hear you scream if I decide to take you right here, right now!"

Tarius grabbed her wrist forcefully, strong hand squeezing her hard -- too hard, as she yelped in pain and surprise. A dark grin crept onto his face as he saw her sneering face transforming into that of a frightened little girl. He kissed her aggressively, grabbing her when she tried to struggle and holding her still. He felt a surge of power, unfamiliar and intoxicating. At the same time, a sickening feeling passed through him, bile rising in his throat. He screamed at himself to stop, seeing already where this was going, what it would lead to. He struggled with himself for a moment before pushing her away with an angered yell, staggering backwards into a tree, leaning against it for support. This isn't me... this isn't who I am! "I won't let you turn me into a monster!"