Carmen beat Marisa into their room and thusly, won the window-bed.
Although, once Marisa thought it over, she was thankful she was closer to the exit.
"You had to give Rejal the single-bed room. . ."
"The thing at the front desk said the dog specifically had to be kept in the smaller room. I didn't think you'd like to sleep with it. . ."
"Goodness; you were actually thinking? This air is doing wonders for you, Cita!"
". . .Though I do agree with you, Mari," the spaniard continued, ignoring the drow. "Styx has been plenty of trouble. I mean, I know Rejal is lonely and all. . ."
"Lonely? She has us!"
"Sven."
"Ah.."
"Wiseguy."
"Ah..yea..him too.."
Carmen began fluffing her pillows while Marisa closed the room's blinds and curtains.
"We could search for them after we find --"
"If we didn't at least give it a try I think Rejal'd go off on her own for a look-see."
* * *
While Carmen and Marisa were just settling down into their beds, Rejal was already asleep while Styx rested at the foot of the bed.
It was not a peaceful slumber.
Rejalyn Athenlar had become accustomed to the frequent sitings of demons, hellminions, flames, and so on.
But never once prior had she had such a nightmare like the one she was having now.
Rejal had never dreamed of her own death before.
She was falling. . . Falling toward the Abyss. . . The Abyss opened its chasm-like walls as she fell toward it.
Closer. . .
Closer. . .
And then it swallowed her whole.
Rejal fell through the mists, and then impacted with the ground. The ground was soft - she went right through, straight down into muck. She tried to swim out, tried to climb out. . .couldn't.
She was stuck under layers of quicksand in the Abyss.
And then her air ran out.
* * *
But, if anyone was having a true nightmare, it was Marisa, who had fallen asleep even before her head hit her pillow.
"Pansies and posies and daisies and rosies! Pansies and posies and daisies and rosies! Pansies and posies and daisies and rosies. . ."
"Stop...singing.....stop the singing!!" Dream Marisa cried out.
The fluffy, white bunnies with beady, red eyes did not halt their singing, or their dancing. Yes, the bunnies were dancing. They had formed a chorus line and were kicking up their paws singing their happy song. . .
"Pansies and posies and daisies and rosies! Sugar cookies and candy canes! Baby birdies and choo-choo trains! Pansies and posies and daisies and rosies! Lalalalalaaaa!!"
"Noo..." Dream Marisa whispered. "Death by kawaiiness. . . NOOO! Not the fuzzy bunnies!!"
Dream Marisa unsheathed her sword. . .
But, as soon as it was unsheathed, the weapon became a pillow.
"Nooo!"
The fuzzy bunnies stopped their joyous kicking. Foam flew from their mouths as they snarled and roared. They began advancing.
Then, the pillow got a life of its own. It flew from her hands and soared up into the air. . .flying. . .
And then it dive-bombed her and hit her over the head.
* * *
"OOMPH!!" Marisa awoke as Carmen's pillow knocked her out of slumber.
The spaniard turned the tablelight on. "Do you KNOW how HARD it is to SLEEP when you're SCREAMING?!"
"But, Cita. . . The bunnies. . .they were so cute and fuzzy. . ."
Carmen sighed. "The bunnies again?! I thought they'd left you alone after we left Waterdeep that last time. . . Oh, fine. What did they do this time?"
"Well," Marisa said. "They actually learned how to chorus-line in harmony! And they sang a different song this time involving flowers, cookies, and trains!! It was awful! And when I tried to kill them, my sword became a pillow and beat me!"
Carmen snickered. "The bunnies are getting smarter. . "
"Were you dreaming, Cita?"
"As a matter of fact, I was," Carmen sighed sleepily. "You woke me up from a dream where I was in Calimport getting ready to fence some blond spaniard who said I knew him."
"Sounds familiar," mused the drow, yawning.
Carmen only grinned. "Sounds like a dead man," she said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some skinny blond male's posterior to outfence and hurt. . ." She rested back onto her pillow as Marisa turned out the light.
* * *
Rejal awoke in a sweat.
Styx had moved from the foot of the bed to the floor in a sitting position, with his head position beside her left arm. Rejal's hand reached down tentatively and stroked the great dane's head lovingly.
Styx let out a soft whine.
//Were you worried about me, Styxie?// Rejal wondered.
Styx stopped whining and lied down on the floor, stretching out.
//Of course I was worried,// Styx said. //You were moaning and moving around too much. That's not how you normally sleep. You're usually at peace.//
//Dou you ever dream, Styxie?//
//What is a dream?//
//It's like. . . Well, it's kind of hard to explain. . . You 'see' things in your sleep. . .images. . .scenes. . .//
//Perhaps I am blind as well as deaf, because I have never seen things as I slept?//
//No, no, Styx. You're not blind. Not everone dreams when they sleep. I have heard that those who have no worries or such do not dream. Are you content with life?// Rejal asked.
//Content?//
//Are you happy? Do you want anything to change? Are you worried about the future?//
//Future?//
//What is to come.//
//Oh. .no, I guess not. I have never thought of a 'future' before. I just live each day out and every morning I wake up again and live out another day and continue on.//
//So, you are truly happy?//
//As long as I am with you each day, I am happy.// Styx said.
Rejal smiled, "Oh, Styxie. . ." She reached out and gave him a hug.
Although, once Marisa thought it over, she was thankful she was closer to the exit.
"You had to give Rejal the single-bed room. . ."
"The thing at the front desk said the dog specifically had to be kept in the smaller room. I didn't think you'd like to sleep with it. . ."
"Goodness; you were actually thinking? This air is doing wonders for you, Cita!"
". . .Though I do agree with you, Mari," the spaniard continued, ignoring the drow. "Styx has been plenty of trouble. I mean, I know Rejal is lonely and all. . ."
"Lonely? She has us!"
"Sven."
"Ah.."
"Wiseguy."
"Ah..yea..him too.."
Carmen began fluffing her pillows while Marisa closed the room's blinds and curtains.
"We could search for them after we find --"
"If we didn't at least give it a try I think Rejal'd go off on her own for a look-see."
* * *
While Carmen and Marisa were just settling down into their beds, Rejal was already asleep while Styx rested at the foot of the bed.
It was not a peaceful slumber.
Rejalyn Athenlar had become accustomed to the frequent sitings of demons, hellminions, flames, and so on.
But never once prior had she had such a nightmare like the one she was having now.
Rejal had never dreamed of her own death before.
She was falling. . . Falling toward the Abyss. . . The Abyss opened its chasm-like walls as she fell toward it.
Closer. . .
Closer. . .
And then it swallowed her whole.
Rejal fell through the mists, and then impacted with the ground. The ground was soft - she went right through, straight down into muck. She tried to swim out, tried to climb out. . .couldn't.
She was stuck under layers of quicksand in the Abyss.
And then her air ran out.
* * *
But, if anyone was having a true nightmare, it was Marisa, who had fallen asleep even before her head hit her pillow.
"Pansies and posies and daisies and rosies! Pansies and posies and daisies and rosies! Pansies and posies and daisies and rosies. . ."
"Stop...singing.....stop the singing!!" Dream Marisa cried out.
The fluffy, white bunnies with beady, red eyes did not halt their singing, or their dancing. Yes, the bunnies were dancing. They had formed a chorus line and were kicking up their paws singing their happy song. . .
"Pansies and posies and daisies and rosies! Sugar cookies and candy canes! Baby birdies and choo-choo trains! Pansies and posies and daisies and rosies! Lalalalalaaaa!!"
"Noo..." Dream Marisa whispered. "Death by kawaiiness. . . NOOO! Not the fuzzy bunnies!!"
Dream Marisa unsheathed her sword. . .
But, as soon as it was unsheathed, the weapon became a pillow.
"Nooo!"
The fuzzy bunnies stopped their joyous kicking. Foam flew from their mouths as they snarled and roared. They began advancing.
Then, the pillow got a life of its own. It flew from her hands and soared up into the air. . .flying. . .
And then it dive-bombed her and hit her over the head.
* * *
"OOMPH!!" Marisa awoke as Carmen's pillow knocked her out of slumber.
The spaniard turned the tablelight on. "Do you KNOW how HARD it is to SLEEP when you're SCREAMING?!"
"But, Cita. . . The bunnies. . .they were so cute and fuzzy. . ."
Carmen sighed. "The bunnies again?! I thought they'd left you alone after we left Waterdeep that last time. . . Oh, fine. What did they do this time?"
"Well," Marisa said. "They actually learned how to chorus-line in harmony! And they sang a different song this time involving flowers, cookies, and trains!! It was awful! And when I tried to kill them, my sword became a pillow and beat me!"
Carmen snickered. "The bunnies are getting smarter. . "
"Were you dreaming, Cita?"
"As a matter of fact, I was," Carmen sighed sleepily. "You woke me up from a dream where I was in Calimport getting ready to fence some blond spaniard who said I knew him."
"Sounds familiar," mused the drow, yawning.
Carmen only grinned. "Sounds like a dead man," she said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some skinny blond male's posterior to outfence and hurt. . ." She rested back onto her pillow as Marisa turned out the light.
* * *
Rejal awoke in a sweat.
Styx had moved from the foot of the bed to the floor in a sitting position, with his head position beside her left arm. Rejal's hand reached down tentatively and stroked the great dane's head lovingly.
Styx let out a soft whine.
//Were you worried about me, Styxie?// Rejal wondered.
Styx stopped whining and lied down on the floor, stretching out.
//Of course I was worried,// Styx said. //You were moaning and moving around too much. That's not how you normally sleep. You're usually at peace.//
//Dou you ever dream, Styxie?//
//What is a dream?//
//It's like. . . Well, it's kind of hard to explain. . . You 'see' things in your sleep. . .images. . .scenes. . .//
//Perhaps I am blind as well as deaf, because I have never seen things as I slept?//
//No, no, Styx. You're not blind. Not everone dreams when they sleep. I have heard that those who have no worries or such do not dream. Are you content with life?// Rejal asked.
//Content?//
//Are you happy? Do you want anything to change? Are you worried about the future?//
//Future?//
//What is to come.//
//Oh. .no, I guess not. I have never thought of a 'future' before. I just live each day out and every morning I wake up again and live out another day and continue on.//
//So, you are truly happy?//
//As long as I am with you each day, I am happy.// Styx said.
Rejal smiled, "Oh, Styxie. . ." She reached out and gave him a hug.