Stone Circle No Stable Dreams, Only Night Mares

Korei Julia had jolted up from her sleep. Panting, her chest heaving after she had suffered a nightmare. It was a terrible one, it had her shaking where she was. Slowly she got up, there was only one that she could trust. And so, in the middle of the night, the stars high up she went out to find her trusted friend.

"A-Alarian?" Korei murmured quietly, going to where he slept. "You awake now?"

@Alarian

He's dreaming — a good dream, for a change. He's at Broken Boulder; it's sunny and warm, and Paradise Garden is flourishing around him. To his right, Zamael; his brother looks happy, though there's something... off about it. Like the grin on his face has been carefully wrought and glued into place. A faint murmur from his left distracts him before he can puzzle it out. He doesn't need to turn to know who it is, and his heart skips a beat for some reason he can't understand. He turns too-eagerly to look, knowing in his heart that he'll see —
Lanawyn? He mumbles, shifting and stretching his limbs out. His eyes crack open as he flickers back to consciousness, and to his half-conscious brain Korei's golden gaze is close enough to orange that he almost sees it for a moment — but then he blinks, and he remembers his sister is dead, and his heart drops into his stomach. Oh — Korei. He pauses and swallows, noting something off in her expression even through the darkness. Are you okay?

The mention of the name she felt a pang in her chest. But once he had turned to her, she smiled a bit. Her tail even wagging a bit. Till he asked her if she was okay, and her smile dropped. "I had a bad dream..." she said, and her head and ears drooped, her tail sinking low to the ground. "I...I was wondering if you could..." she murmured something quietly after.

He rises slowly to a sitting position, stretching out his forelimbs a little more and wincing as the action stretches the scabs on his still-healing back. He frowns at Korei's words, concerned, but he can't quite make out the tail end of what she says. Hmmm? He inquires sleepily, drawing a paw across his bleary eye and yawning. What do you need? His tone is kind, obliging; he may be deadass tired, but he'll haul himself off the ground for Korei.

Korei sighed quietly at herself. She found herself thinking the idea of it was silly, cowardice. But, she would feel most comfortable if she went through with it...and so she asked. "Can you keep me company?" Korei asked Alarian, a bit nervous of even asking and her face feeling a bit warm.

It's not the request he'd expected, if only because it's so tame — he can't quite figure out what's making her nervous, but he can tell she is. He nods, yawning again. Of course I can keep you company, He murmurs, one ear flicking. Mind if I lay back down, though? He's sure he won't fall asleep — and even if he does, it's not like it's difficult to wake him up.

Korei went up next to him and laid down on her belly. "N-No...I don't mind" she answered, resting her muzzle on her forepaws. But she wouldn't be getting to sleep anytime soon. "Did I wake you up from a dream, Alarian?" she then asked. Korei felt she had, and was feeling a bit bad for having done so.

He shifts to lower himself back to the ground as Korei moves closer, fur brushing against hers when she settles next to him. He shrugs slightly at hearing her question. Yeah, but it's alright. Just a dream, nothing special, It's not as if it has any bearing on reality. He's found that dreams are just another way his mind can torture him anyway. Do you um, want to talk about your nightmare?

She sighed quietly at hearing that, so she had disrupted his dream. She wanted to ask if it was a good dream, but he was first to ask a question. Korei glanced away. "I...I dunno..." she answered, not really sure if she could talk about it without feeling scared again of it.

You don't have to if you don't want to, He mumbles, yawning a third time. His eyes water fiercely and his jaw pops a little, and he huffs slightly as the tension releases and his mouth closes again. Another yawn threatens him and he swallows hard, burying his face between his paws. Ughhhhh, I can't stop yawning. The words come muffled and exasperated, followed by another frustrated huff.

Korei Julia sighed quietly. And then, she too yawned as he yawned. She felt bad still, perhaps he had been really tired and she had just woken him up after a long day or something like that. "It was the cougar...the day it attacked us" she started, curling up with her tail in front of her face. 

She shook a bit. The dream happened time to time with Korei. "But I was all alone...no one was there to help me."

wrap up? <3 we need a new one soon!

He resists the urge to laugh when she yawns too; it must be contagious. All the humor leaves him with her next words, though, and he looks back up at her, frowning sympathetically. I'm sorry, He murmurs, touching his nose to her shoulder. That won't ever really happen, though — I promise. Maybe if he was thinking more clearly, he wouldn't make such a promise. Exhausted and addled as he is, he doesn't think twice about it; it seems perfectly reasonable, at least right now, to assume that he can just... never ever let her out of his sight. And he can protect her, right? He yawns again. Totally.

Korei whimpered as she laid there, shaking a bit. But Alarian was always there for her. And she always felt that he would never leave her side. As he promised, it brought that heart-warming smile and warmed her heart as well. Korei nestled her head onto her paws. "Thank you...Ali" she murmured as she began to fall asleep, feeling protected by him.