Come As You Are // Open Post

[therealbrianna]

P.Y.T. [ Pretty Young Thing ]

(Taken during THAT mission that we do not speak of.)

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Waking the Dead 2.0 || Tuesday, April 18 || 8:00 PM

[takeitinstride]

[Liandrin lights the last candle and then moves to the center of the chamber. She sweeps a critical eye over her handiwork just once before lighting up a cigarette.

She and Brianna, that girl of Tala's, are going to start training together tonight. Given how Brianna discovered her powers, she's almost certain that things are going to be... interesting.

Leaning against one wall now, and waiting.]

[therealbrianna]

[ Brianna walks up the hallway leading to the Mastigos Hallow at the Arcanum. She gently rubs the palm of her hand with the thumb of the other, then interlocks her two hands just below her chest.

She's never been this nervous in a while. Except for well, her first few battle encounters. Eek.

Finally she reaches the door and knocks once. ]

Uhm... Good evening, Ma'am Lia?

[takeitinstride]

Good evening.

[Smiling, as she taps out the ash of her cigarette into an ashtray that's been floating around her general vicinity.]

Come in. You've eaten already, right?

[therealbrianna]

[ She walks in and before looking directly at Ma'am Lia, her eyes take in all the details of the Hallow. W O W.

Right, remember why you're here. ]

Uhm, yes I have and -- you can smoke here?!

[ That last part just slipped out. Uh oh. ]

[takeitinstride]

I say that you can.

[And nobody's going to challenge the Kaiser of Netsach, right?]

Go right ahead.

[therealbrianna]

Uhm...

[ Right. Most powerful woman in the world. ]

No that's okay, I can go straight to training, ma'am.

[takeitinstride]

Come now, we have all night anyway. Besides, I'm not done with mine yet.

[And she's holding her pack out in Brianna's direction. Might as well. She and 108 used to share packs all the time.]

[therealbrianna]

[ Well, she offered, so might as well! ]

Okay, thank you ma'am!

[ She proceeds to pick out a stick and light it up, then looks around. ]

This space is pretty amazing.

[takeitinstride]

It is, isn't it? Out of all of the Hallows, this space is the most malleable. It'll always adjust according to your needs... provided that you're strong enough, that is.

[Like her.]

[therealbrianna]

Oh!

[ She plays with the cigarette between her fingers.]

Yeah that's uhm, really cool in a uh.. mage-y way.

[ Aaaand this is one of the first few times in her life that she has absolutely nothing to say. ]

[takeitinstride]

[Mage-y way. Quietly amused over that.

...And now she's finishing her cigarette, sending the ashtray to Brianna's general direction, and straightening up.

She's comfortable with the silence, and good at making people feel like they don't need to worry about filling the space with words. Whenever Brianna's ready, she'll be ready.]

[therealbrianna]

[ She manages a small 'Thank you' and promptly kills her cigarette. Her mind is all over the place, wondering how exactly these sort of things go. ]

I think I'm all good to go!

[takeitinstride]

Excellent. Come and sit in front of me.

[She's moving back to the center of the room and sitting down on the floor. She waits until Brianna has joined her.]

The first step to Dreamwalking is focus. If you can't clear your mind and organize your thoughts, there's no way that you'll be able to deal with the Dreamscape.

[therealbrianna]

[ She follows Lia and does as she says. ]

Okay.

[ Waaay too many things up there, but she'll manage. ]

So... Do I close my eyes?

[takeitinstride]

It'll help, I think. Have you ever tried to meditate before? Done yoga?

[therealbrianna]

[ She perks up at the thought of something familiar. ]

Yeah I've done yoga! My mom drags me to her classes sometimes, but I actually enjoy it.

[takeitinstride]

Excellent. That might be a good jumping point for you.

[It's a good thing she knows how to do yoga herself.]

Just remember: keep your mind clear. Cut away everything that's unnecessary. It takes practice, but until you can do that, there's no point in continuing.

[therealbrianna]

[ She takes in all that ma'am Lia just said. She sits up and straightens her neck. ]

Okay.

[ Then, she breathes in, holding it for a bit while closing her eyes, then breathes out.

Let's do this.

She tries to momentarily detach herself from the issues she's faced with: her blademates that are leaving the estate, the talk with Hikaru, schooling... ]

[takeitinstride]

[And so the girl is capable of focus after all. Still, she isn't too surprise.

Lia herself is not closing her eyes just yet. She's willing herself to be still, watching Brianna - and also reaching gently into the girl's mind, scanning over her thoughts. A light touch, imperceptible. It'd be good to know what she's going to be dealing with for an indefinite period of time.

...Interesting.]

Feel free to tell me whatever you need to tell me. If we're going to be traveling companions through the Dreamscape, we need to trust each other.

[therealbrianna]

[ She's trying to keep her focus, and already she's feeling relaxed. Probably because the most powerful woman in the world also seems very trustworthy. ]

What kind of things, exactly? Like what's going on in my head?

[takeitinstride]

Yes. Those are important too, since Dreamwalkers usually find themselves dreaming about whatever or whoever they possess strong sympathetic ties to.

[Surely Aria and Gideon have explained what sympathy is to their students? Of course, if they haven't, that is fine.]

[therealbrianna]

Uhmm... [ She pouts slightly as she's formulating the words, but she ends up listing them down anyway. ]

There's this thing about some of my Blademates moving away, that Hikaru Secret, Eli's gift to me, school...

[ And... ]

...and revenge on the Fae.

[ That counts, right? Though she tries to keep it in the back burner, it's still one thing that riles her up. ]

[takeitinstride]

[Well. Let's focus on that first.]

Your revenge will come in due time, either by your hands or someone else's.

[Of course, Lia hopes that Brianna will be able to take part in it. Revenge is always sweeter when you dish it out yourself.]

[therealbrianna]

[ She slightly revels in the possibility - at the sound of that sweet revenge, but she hasn't forgotten what so many have told her and her blademates about enacting justice. ]

Yes ma'am, I'm trying my best to be patient. I think.. I think I'm learning a lot here at Netsach.

[takeitinstride]

Good. You'll be with us for a while as long as you stay smart out there.

[Stupidity, arrogance and a lack of preparation are the things that get Hunters killed. She knows Brianna doesn't quite fit the bill for any of that, but it needs to be said.]