HERMAJESTY. . ``open

[hera]

her majesty's a pretty nice girl, but she doesn't have a lot to say.
her majesty's a pretty nice girl, but she changes from day to day.
i wanna tell her that i love her a lot, but i gotta get a bellyfull of wine.
her majesty's a pretty nice girl, someday i'm gonna make her mine.

Currently, Hera was searching for clues. Or rather, Areh, Hera's Dream World form, was searching for clues. At first, when Areh found herself in the Second Quarter, she was rather disappointed. It was just so dreadfully boring, being exactly the same as the school. She had wished, for a moment, that she had been transported to Demens, or that beautifully large castle, or even that weird forest or marble. Instead, she was stuck in a building she knew quite well, surrounded by familiar objects and places. However, after only about a minute, her Dream World personality was taking over, forgetting her initial disappointment and finding a new sense of excitement about the grand hall in which she now stood.

"Hmmm, a faint odor, possibly gasoline. Possibly arson. Maybe a bonfire." Areh muttered to herself, restlessly. She was moving around the vast expanse of a room very quickly, peering behind pillars and walking halfway up staircases before turning around and going back down. Apparantly, the thing she was looking for was at ground level, because going up just didn't feel quite right. Still, despite her speed, it would probably take Areh a while to explore the whole of the main entrance, and looking around willy-nilly might take even longer. Realizing this, the girl with the trench coat made her way to the center of the room. She sniffed the air curiously, catching that smell of fire again. Puzzled, she tapped her foot, hearing it echo around the hall. "Interesting. No one's here." Actually, it wasn't interesting anymore, really. Areh had been finding herself alone ever since she first entered Dream World. At least, she always started out alone. Then she would meet people along the way. She always worked better by herself, anyway, or, she liked working better by herself. You see, Areh and Hera looked almost identical, minus the trench (which Hera would never wear in the real world). Therefore, she became rather recognizable, while most people were the opposite. In the waking world, Hera was constantly aware that people seemed to know who she was, though she had never seen them before in her life. It was sort of aggravating.

But enough of that-- Areh was on to something. The wind had blown that smell on her face again, and at first she was upset that it showed no signs of change. Then she realized that the wind had to be blowing from somewhere. Facing it, she found herself staring at the door, which seemed to have blown open a crack. Or else someone had left it open. 'Aha!' She thought happily, walking resolutely, though cautiously towards the door. Areh was expecting something dangerous, potentially life-threatening, though she wasn't sure if she could die in this world. The thought of it sent a shiver of excitement through her spine. Her adrenaline was pumping as she peered through the crack in the door. In the next instant she had thrown the door fully open, staring down at the courtyard with disapproval. No one was there. Areh furrowed her brow, trying to assess what she was looking at. It was a fire, no doubt. However, it was unattended, and when she went to get a closer look, she could find no source of the blaze: no wood, no gas, no discarded lighter or match. "Interesting, interesting." She said outloud, the excitement rising in her again. Areh could never stop being excited it seemed.

However, nothing was happening. It was clear to Areh, she could sense it, that is, that she was meant to stay there. But for what? For whom? She looked around the deserted courtyard, peering into the oncoming gloom. Although the windows inside the building had projected the image of a bright, sunny day into Areh's mind, as soon as she stepped outside she found herself surrounded by twilight. That wasn't surprising thoughl things like that were always happenening here. "Hmmm... Well, there's nothing for it. I must wait." She decided, taking out a pad of paper and a pen that were always in her trench and feverishly writing down everything that had just occurred.

`tag open
`word count 686
`notes areh is pronounced era, if you were wondering.

[peteripswitch]

It had been there for a while, sitting in the shadows, as a Shadow, and watching the burning flames of the fire flicker across its almost featureless face. It assumed that if it sat there long enough, still and hidden, it would return to waking and to its life as a he and not an it. It hated it here. But at least the Second Square was tame today (or would it be more accurate to say tonight?). Unlike the First Square, which was daunting and vast. One was always more likely to run into The Guides there. Of course The Guides could appear here as well, although it had yet to to see them.

In the real world it was a boy, sixteen years old with mousy brown hair. Its name was Peter Ipswitch and it enjoyed reading and playing the violin. In this world, however, it was nothing. It was a Shadow. A capitalised Shadow but a Shadow nonetheless. Flittiing throught the Dream World in a haze of darkness, flinching at bright lights. The Shadow was flinching right now at the spitting orange embers that emerged from the neverending fire in front of it.

Something was coming. The Shadow could hear the sound of footsteps, the swish of fabric and quiet voice of someone muttering. A female. Not Jor, it could tell the voice of The Guides by now. It was a female voice the Shadow didn't recognise. Then, in the doorway that connected the school building (the school building of the Dream World) and the courtyard where it sat hidden, appeared a girl garbed in a long black trenchcoat. The Shadow recognised her, she was a student in the year above his own. It was a strange occurence to see a student with a Dream Form that so resembled their true appearance. No one would be able to tell from the Shadows appearance (or lack thereof) who it was in the real world. It had no face, and only the vague form of a humanoid figure.

The girl was speaking. To herself undoubtedly, in a strange detective-like manner. She reminded the Shadow of a comic book character; confident, headstrong and looking for some action. The Shadow watched the girl with curiosity gleaming the dark pinholes that represented its eyes. She was writing now with a sense of urgency on a pad of paper she had produced from that mass of a coat she wore. It was like she had a mission, like she had a purpose. But the Shadow knew there was no such purpose for its own self in the Dream World.

Suddenly a great spark of light was emitted from the fire, burning into the Shadow's very being. Instinctively, the Shadow convered its eyes with its arms, but there was no use, it was not made of flesh. In desperation the Shadow stood from its now derelict hinding place, the pain of the light forcing it to its feet. It seeked out a shadowy spot behind one of the courtyard's benches and, before it became too weak, sprinted towards the safe darkness, brushing past the girl as it did so.

[hera]

her majesty's a pretty nice girl, but she doesn't have a lot to say.
her majesty's a pretty nice girl, but she changes from day to day.
i wanna tell her that i love her a lot, but i gotta get a bellyfull of wine.
her majesty's a pretty nice girl, someday i'm gonna make her mine.

Certainly, Areh knew she was being watched. She had known it all along, every since she first stepped outside the building. Or, at least, that was what she was telling herself now, very excitedly. "Being watched. Certain." She said outloud as she wrote the words messily on the pad of paper, looking around excitedly as she did so. The growing dark made it dreadful to see in, so Areh took out her little pocket flashlight, another gift her trench would produce. Despite the bright, illuminating fire, Areh turned the flashlight on, shining it around into the night air. She never knew what could be lurking in even the brightest of lights, here in Dream World. Many people here were invisible. "See nothing." She said aloud, although she ceased to write in her notebook; she'd record it all later. "Trees, benches, grass, usual." She added, speaking loudly enough for her voice to carry a good distance. She was no longer worried about danger. Whatever was watching her just didn't feel dangerous.

Suddenly, a shadow passed by her. She couldn't see it, persay, but she could feel it. Or maybe she couldn't feel it, but she could hear it? Or was she smelling it? It was a curious feeling, to have all your senses backfire on you. For a moment she didn't know which way was up. Areh shined the light in the direction she thought the Shadow had gone to, and then she shone it the complete opposite direction. Where did it come from? Where did it go to? "Oi, I know you're there!" She shouted into the silent darkness, and not hearing even a whisper of a reply. "Hmm, interesting." She said, taking out the pad of paper and writing down her findings again. The flashlight was stuck in the crook of her elbow, held in place, and everytime she moved her arm to write, it would send out dancing rays of light that jumped from one place to the next. "Suspicion correct. Being watched. Dark figure. Possibly smoke. Maybe steam. Most likely some unknown compund found only in Dream World. Does not seem hostile." These notes she read aloud, back to herself. "Well, that sounds about right, doesn't... oh." She had turned around, prepared to talk to someone, and found herself utterly alone.

Often Areh was doing similar things. She constantly felt as if she had someone else there with her: a dog, maybe, or a bumbling fool who agreed with everything she said, or someone wise who wouldn't take any of her silly games. Generally speaking, a sidekick. Ever since she first arrived in Dream World she felt she had been missing someone. And all the mysteries she solved seemed to be missing person files, which seemed too big of a coincidence for Areh's detective mind. Still, she hadn't found anyone yet. Sometimes she felt she was doomed to work alone, eternally muttering nonsense to herself. Shaking these feelings off, Areh decided to take action, and began moving across the courtyard, shining her flashlight into the darkest of places, always expecting to see something.

`word count 516

[peteripswitch]

Why was this girl always talking as if to some invisible dictaphone? Like she was starring in a film noir set upon the gritty streets of old Chicago? The Shadow watched her intently. It always enjoyed watching people; even in the real world, when it was a real boy, it enjoyed watching. Never approaching, no never that. It was too shy, too timid, too scared even, to do such a thing. It feared being seen, yet it despised being invisible. It lived in the world of the In Betweens, as a shadow walking among the men of the world. Men that it would watch but never become because it was too afraid. It was a sorrowful existence, but of course the Shadow was also a sorrowful being.

The fire continued to burn, brighter than it had been a few moments ago. Ever since the girl had entered now the courtyard that the Shadow came to think of it. Perhaps her presence acted as a fuel to fire the magical flames. If that were the case then it didn't bode too well for the Shadow. Light was its enemy in this world, the Shadow thrived in the darkness; and so this were to persist then the Shadow needed to get away from here. But what was out there? What stood beyond this mostly tranquil area of the Dream World? Perhaps it would be better for the girl to go instead of itself. The girl could go and leave the Shadow to rest.

The Shadow lifted itself and walked--although floated would probably be a better term--towards the girl, choosing the route that lay furthest from the flames. It could tell that the girl wasn't stupid, she knew that it, or at least something, was present with her. Perhaps now was time to make itself known to her, and to ask her, kindly, to leave.

The Shadow opened what could only be described as its mouth and spoke up, with great effort, "Please go, you're bringing the flames and its hurting me".