Maritime dreams - part three

[rubyrubyruby]

Maggie stands on the foredeck of a great and terrible ship. She is decked out in her Captain's finery, complete with her tricornered hat with the glorious feather, her hair in an official looking braide down her back. "Hello, Miriam. I wonder if you would have the time to assist with a dream search? We want to find s singing Narwhal. He has been plagueing Ruby and various others for quite a while now and it is time to find out what he wants. We have reason to believe that we can find him in the Dreaming, but would greatly appreciate guideance."

Maggie nods, "Thanks, Miriam. Give me a call back when you are ready, please?"

Maggie glances up and around, "Miriam will let us know when she is ready. She is down in Rebma and needed to get into dry-land clothing. We should prepare. I won't be sleeping in this getup." One hand glides down her side, indicating the uncomfortable-for-sleeping uniform she wears. "Ruby, do you have a good spot? Or should we go to the Dancer for this adventure?"
Ruby comes away from the railing where she was being overly critical about how the beast was docked. After a few nips at her knuckles from plantlife, she comes over to join Maggie. "We can do it 'ere, aboard ship. Put all our eggs in one omelet. If it works in un-snoozin tha Cap'ns, we'll know sooner when we nearby."

Maggie nods, "Good point. Okay. I'll... Oh, there she is now." She gets that oddly distant look typical of an incoming call.

Sidonie emerges from belowdecks in what have come to be her 'regular' clothes. Much less well-appointed than the much-ballyhooed outfit she wore to disembark. Back is the faded, comfortable linen shirt, the soft gray breeches, the well-worn boots. Her hair is loose from its usual prim coil, falling over her shoulders in a riotous, wavy tumble. She's in the process of taming it once more into a braid as she walks. Some keywords drift to her ears from Maggie and Ruby's direction> sleeping, adventure, snoozing... omelet? Ah, they'll get to dreaming soon. Good thing she's dressed comfortably!

Maggie smiles as Miriam swims into focus once more, "Hello again. Yes, we are about ready. Come on through. There are other particulars about the journey you should know. We are going to be looking for several of Ruby's captains who have... Well, we think that they might be lost in the Dreaming." Lifting her own hand, she adds, "Come on through."
Miriam appears suddenly, grasping Maggie's hand.
Miriam has arrived.

Welcome to the flagship of Fleet Triskelion. Head of the long-haul into deep shadow on a mission of mercy. After meandering around the Golden Circle picking up ships of provisions, equipment or just protection, the nearly 100 strong flotilla has been sailing through multiple realms.
The fleet is now mostly at anchor further out in open water. Some have come in to berth and be repaired of battle damage and also some barnacle scraping. The Beast (Ruby's ship) is where Miriam arrives via the Trump connection. The ship is docked in an actual Port that has a great vista of the ocean beyond it. Nearby, great white cliffs loom. Built into them is a massive Port of Begman reflection or derivation. It's smoggy, coggy and a place of great industry. It all skips hand-in-hand with an unfortunate amount of pollution.

Ruby is nearby, watching Maggie conduct the business of bringing Miriam aboard. There's a bit of a wide berth allowed for Maggie to do her thing. Ruby has a jacket over shoulder worn like a cloak, having gotten used to being unable to buckle it up until just recently. She's also wearing a hat with many corners. There's a certain amount of strain on her face as well, partially because they're in a horrible shadow.

Sidonie, dressed in clean deckhand's clothes and working on putting her wild hair into a braid, has walked up to stand next to Ruby. Watching Trump travel is still not old to her, so she watches wide-eyed.

Merrisol watches the goings-on with an alert and somewhat tense mein, from the stair rail leading to the foredeck. He is clothed in his typical adventure gear. As Miriam appears on deck, he offers her a smile and encouraging nod. She'll be in good hands... and moreover, /they/ will be in good hands.

Miriam has dressed for ship-board... sort of. It is a little pirate-y. She squeezes her friend's hand gently as she comes through, then is quiet as she looks around to see who else is here and hear more of what's going on. Those she knows are given smiles, of course.

Maggie squeezes Miriam's hand lightly, then releases it, "Welcome aboard. This is Captain Incarnate's ship. I was Captain in command while negotiations were handled ashore." Turning a bit, she addresses the others, "Please excuse me? I need to change." A smile is angled Miriam's way, "That will give you a chance to meet anyone you do not know." Turning, she heads for the stairs down, vanishing into the comparative gloom.

Ruby approaches and greets Miriam. "Glad you could come. Probably more dry than you used tah, but just as salty in tha air. I'm sure you know tha one..." She gestures to Merrisol. To Sidonie, she nods towards. "This is Doc Sidonie. Skilled surgeon an 'as a knack for not crumplin under pressure. She's been watchin over our troubled collection of Captains tha just can't wake up. We've had suspicions 'o why it be beyond tha mundane sorts 'o sleepin sickness." She trails off, allowing others to add more.

Merri meets Maggie's quick gaze as she slips away, and finds some reason to smirk. He moves forward as Ruby gestures around, and takes up position closer by. "I'll be keeping an eye on things above decks," he notes to Miriam, by way of excusing himself from the dream jaunt. She can probably understand why.

Sidonie smiles at Miriam in greeting, cheeks coloring just a bit at Ruby's praise. "Hello." She takes Ruby's cue to add more detail to their tale. "We took a dive to inspect the hulls. Many have been scratched up with an old language and doused with... magic? Fairy tale stories of the deep. Coming into contact with them has given us strange dreams as well, made us sleepy upon reading them." She glances at Merri, wondering why he won't join them, reminding herself to ask later.

Miriam gives a smile then to Sidonie, as they're introduced. "It's very nice t'meet you." she says, then to the group "I'll do what I can t'find out what's going on, and t'help them."

Ruby places her hands on her hips and cocks them at an angle. "Truth. Tha ship 'ulls 'ave been arranged in queue tah come intah drydock and get a good scrubbin. Some sort 'o divine ambergris, an them scratches mentioned we bet they done by tha 'orn. So tha gonna be taken care of. If you can bring us intah tha dreams 'o these sleepin lazybone Captains, tha'd be grand. I worry if we didn't 'ave a dream guide, we could get trapped, right? If you ready, I can lead us down inside tha 'ull where they all snorin, cocooned like cater-pillies."

Sidonie isn't exactly looking /forward/ to dreamwalking. She isn't quite clear abot what it is at all, so she is wary. But she bucks up just the same, nods her head to Ruby and Miriam, and straightens, ready to follow belowdecks to see the sleeping Captains.

Miriam gives a nod to Ruby as she listens, then she says "I'm ready t'go down t'see them. It'll make't easier t'find them. I can pull y'into my dream, and from there we'll go together t'see about theirs." She smiles again to Merrisol, and looks like she entirely understands why he'll stay up on deck for this.

Merrisol smiles tersely, bidding the slumber party, "Good hunting. If it looks like you all are oversleeping, I'll come in after you." A bit more of a grin, there, so maybe he's just kidding around. He watches the group depart for below, turns away to survey the procession of three Triskelion ships into the shipyard, and then there's a large red bird of wondrous sprays of fine plummage descending from out of nowhere to dance crazily on his shoulders. Waaugh, telegram attack!

Maggie ducks back up onto deck to see what the status is about. She is wearing a light t-shirt with a bouquet of flowers on the front and a pair of light green sweatpants. "Are we ready?" Glancing up at Merrisol, she takes note of the bird's arrival. Her smile warms greatly, then fades as she ducks below decks again to fall in line with the others. Timing! Hers is a little off.
Ruby bobs her head and tries to psyche herself up for the dreamwalking as well. Her bias against things she can't understand threatening to burble up and make her overly anxious or abrasive. "There's a brace 'o three. Six sleepyheads in total. They gotta be stricken with somethin sorcerous or strange if they can sleep through tha racket 'o this bloody beggy Port. Swear it be worse than tha inside 'o a forge. Least it'll be less noisy down below."
Ruby leads them down two levels from the main hatch and past the communal sleeping quarters. Past an erected set of hanging blankets to separate those sleeping when not on watch, the afflicated Captains slumber. Each allowed a hammock lined with a blanket, they grunt, groan and murmer in sleepwalking voices. Repeating snatches of fairy tales or benal play-by-plays about the day in the life of...mollusks and clownfish, it's a near consistent whisper or mumble. They're a bit musky, though an attempt has been made to see to their personal necessities such as feeding and sponging. They look capable of sleeping through a cataclysm.
"These are them. Cap'n 'Rummy' Rudges 'ere is tha one we poked an prodded tha most. Two nearby 'im are relatives. Tha other three 'ad tha bad luck 'o gettin Narwhal dream graffiti an whale dust or whatever on tha bottom 'o their boats, an so in tha same...boat." Haw.

As Captain Incarnate gives Miriam further details, Sidonie goes about checking on the slumbering captains, as she usually does at regular intervals. She occasionally nods at something Ruby says or hmms to herself when opening an eyelid and peering at a dilated, sleeping pupil. Yup, still out, still dreaming. No surprise there. Captain Rummy gets a pat on the shoulder. Poor guys.

Miriam is quiet as she follows the others down the stairs, looking at this and that as they pass by. Once they reach the sleeping captains, all her attention goes to them. She nods slightly as Ruby explains the six to her, and walks to each to study the men for a moment and listen to what they're mumbling as she studies any signs of magic.

RPG: Miriam declares that she has the Magic Sense (MAG-SE) gift.

Having that useful extra sense will definitely hint at things being beyond the norm here. While this ship was not affected as those that suffered scratches and ambergris, the half dozen Captains are all bearing traces of having been affected by mystical energy. A blanket of it is upon them as surely as the light linen draped over their dreaming forms. They don't rouse from Sidonie's inspection, which is consistent. Some may turn or grunt over the external stimuli, but they're in the grips of something that nutures this constant state of being unconscious.

Ruby murmers quietly, though it's a useless gesture considering they're not about to suddenly be awoken. "They slept through tha naval battle we 'ad. For at least 3 bloody hours there were cannonballs an screams an things goin tah 'ell. Bloody wild. Sounds like they not possessed, but compelled tah repeat what they 'earin or seein...elsewhere."
Sidonie nods her agreement. Not a peep from the sleeping captains during the battle. She straightens back up from her crouch and returns to stand closer to Ruby and Miriam. She looks between them expectantly, unsure of what the next step is.

Miriam mms quietly, not surprised as Ruby explains. She runs a hand lightly just above one of them, and says "They're draped in a film of magic. Once we understand it better, from their dreams, we might know better where t'look next."

It took Maggie just a bit longer to get to this place and when she slips into the room, there is just the faintest flush lingering on her cheeks. Whatever soft smile she wore fades as she gets reacquainted with the captains and their misery. As the smile wilts and dies, she tucks her hands into her pockets and moves to stand nearer Ruby than the captains themselves. Memories float up to hover behind her eyes, "Sorry I'm late."

Ruby watches from the furthest distance possible. Just at the edge of the curtain that partitions them away from the general sleeping quarters. "You know best." She welcomes Maggie with a nod and draws the curtain on the clothesline back into place for privacy. "Is it possible tah go an see what they see? I mean...their dream tha they locked intah. I dunno nothin about 'ow any 'o this works. I remember one time in Sukho we all went somewhere...an we were all different lookin an soundin but it was us. Bloody strange."

Miriam continues to study them as she answers Ruby. "We can find their dreams, assuming there's nothing locking us out've them. I'm not sure what would, though. Maggie mentioned a Narwhal? What's th'story there?" she asks then.

Cela Eno's shadow sidles into the room, preceding the woman, who casts the soft beam of her smile over the company. Only then does she take a step closer to peer at the occupied hammocks, already understanding the nature of the sleepers within. She wiggles a five-fingered hello for Captain Incarnate.

Maggie presses her lips together slightly then releases the pensive gesture, "The narwhal is a bard, as I understand it. He has been following Incarnate's ship on and off for about a year? Or so. Maybe longer. Anyway. I suspect that the creature incised the bottom of the ships and infused the scratchings with dream magic. Doc says that the inscriptions are a language." She nods toward where Sidonie is working with one of the captains. "Anyway. We need to..." Pausing as a new face glides into the room, she smiles, "Hello."

Ruby grunts as the group increases by another soul. Ah, the Reporter! Ruby gets all self-conscious and tries to add more info onto what Maggie offers. "Aye. Looks like a 'orned whale. Big. Freed it from ice in an inland cove a year ago. Thought it would swim off elsewhere an we'd be rid 'o it. Bloody thing 'as got a mouth tha runs for long than meself, so tah speak. I think it gots a bit 'o tha divine in it, or it just is one. There's been rumours over tha last year 'o ships gettin 'aunted by strange visions, noises outside tha 'ull 'o ships...but didn't think it was nuthin until it 'appened wide-spread through tha fleet. Guess it found us again. So I recently got strongly urged by tha Queen 'o Rebma tah find it an push it towards Rebma. First things first though, is these Captains. Their ships are worried about them an it drags morale down tha longer they out 'o action."

Miriam mms as Maggie explains about the Narwhal. She walks to another captain, to run her hand lightly just above him, too. She nods when Ruby explains its rescue. "Haunting your captains seems'n unkind way t'replay your kindness. Has anyone asked't why?" she asks then.

Cela flutters her hands to encourage more words from Maggie. For words are wonderful things! "Oh, go on go on, you are doing splendidly. Cela Eno, since we're at that point, however." She nods however as Ruby picks up the tale, scans the group once again, pausing on Sidonie for a familiar smile. And Miriam certainly gets a wide-eyed stare of wonder, which dissolves into an effusion of good will for all present. "Is this not a fine gathering of the feminine?" she hushes then, composing herself as though to preserve the solemnity.

Maggie licks her lips slightly, then shrugs, "I do not think that it realizes that it is haunting. I kind of think that it is giving a performance. Or recording Captain Incarnate's deeds for posterity. Or, perhaps asking for more aide." She smiles at Cela, "Captain Flame here, of the Dream Weaver. Or, Maggie, if we are not formal." Going back to Miriam's question, she slides a glance to Ruby, then back to Miriam, "Captain Merrisol has offered to talk to it, but we have not found it to do so. I think that Doc Sidonie might be able to as well. If we can free the captains here, that is our next goal."

Ruby makes a wincing face and shrugs up her shoulders. "Tha thing be 'arder tah track down than a person who owes money. It might already be in another shadow, or lurkin a few miles deep." She nods to Maggie. "Whatever magic it did, it be lingerin like a taint. But on this side 'o consciousness, our options be limited or nil."

Miriam thinks for a moment, then says "We shouldn't rush t'judge. It could be something else, if th'Narwhal's never seemed a threat." Then, because there are introductions being made, she says to Cela "It's good t'meet you. I'm Miriam, Princess of Tir-Na Nog'th and Rebma." She turns away from the captains then, and says "We can begin. I'm as familiar with them as I can be while they're not awake, t'find them there."

Sidonie beams Cela a smile of greeting in return. She stands quietly by Ruby, keeping a watchful eye on the sleepers, as she is unsure about how this procedure is actually performed. As for her actually talking to the Narwhal, she gives a hesitant nod, a bit unsure of herself in that regard, but game nevertheless. Miriam gets a nod from Sid. She's... ready, for whatever it is!

Cela gazes at Miriam, picking up on the princess's accent with interest. She glances at Maggie again, nodding with amusement, "If it turns out a mystical whale is truly trying to scoop me, I shall *laugh*. And what a fortuitously named vessel, Captain. Might I sail along, with and bear witness to the close of this mystery plague?" she asks Ruby, all polite appeal.

Maggie tilts her head a bit toward Cela but refrains from pointing out that they are not on her ship, but Ruby's. She figures that the reporter knows that. "Scoop you?" Her gaze slides to Ruby, then back, "I... Forgive me but I have not heard that idiom. What does it mean?" She steps back just a bit to allow Cela room to appeal to Ruby. Turning to Sidonie and Miriam, she nods, "I am also ready. Captain Incarnate can show us where to sleep." As though falling into that state was easy as pie!

Ruby shrugs off her jacket and snatches off her hat. They go somewhere less likely to be trod upon. This nearby hammock of unwakeable Captaincy should do nicely to hold garments. She considers Cela, her mouth moving in little twitches as she does some mental abacus flicking. "If it don't strain Miriam tah add another on this trip, I gots no reservations." She asks of the Princess, "Do we need tah drink anythin or get brained by a saucepan or anythin?" She goes to yank a well-packed duffle of linen from where bedding has been stacked. Egads, no mattress at all for this sleepover! Glamping it is not!

Sidonie nods along with Maggie on both counts. Unsure of what scooping someone means, and also that she's ready too. Super ready. Never readier for this frightening adventure into the unknown. She beams Miriam a nervous smile and turns to grab a pillow and bedding of her own.

Brained by a sauce pan? Miriam's eyebrows go up and her eyes widen a bit. "I suppose that depends on how hard't is, for you t'sleep. It's easy for me, of course. I can sleep anywhere. And more people's fine. I don't mind't. Just let me know where t'sit. As each've you drops off, I'll gather you into my dream."

Surely Cela knows which ship she's on... but one must admit it would have been poetical to be weaving dreams aboard the Dream Weaver? "I am honoured to be permitted to partake, Captain," she gestures in a show of appreciation that must be culturally Cibolan.. Taking her place alongside Sidonie, the journalist elucidates, "To scoop, is to exclusively report on a story, that is, ahead of all other agencies. Oh dear.. are there no potions to aid sleep?" She looks around hopefully.

Maggie nods to Cela, "Ah, I see. So you are a reporter. That is interesting. Have you met ... Oh, dear. What is her name? I have not met her myself, but she reports out of Arden and the inner villages from time to time." She snaps her fingers a few times as though that will aide recollection, "Ah, me. I can't remember. It will come to me." Turning, she also takes a pillow and some bedding, then seeks a place to curl up, "Probably while we are sleeping."

As for Miriam, as advertised she has absolutely no trouble falling asleep. She sits comfortably, closes her eyes, breathes slowly, and it out. Gotta hate people like that. And once each does finally drift off, however long it takes, they will find themselves in a moonlit land of silver, on a field filled with wildflowers in muted but shiny hues. Miriam is dressed here as she was when she came down from Tir, in a simple silver gown and matching slippers. Her silver hair hangs free.

Ruby flutters her eyes. She was probably going to drift into some mental rehash of an industrial nightmare, but is pleasantly shocked to find herself in this dreamy field. She stands up, a grand total of 5 foot, 2 inches. Her body type not-swole, more pear-shaped and heavier below the waist. Zero tattoos or scars. She immediately looks towards Miriam as a sailor might a lighthouse when in heavy fog. She wears a drab playsuit and a matching bandana.

While this is not Maggie's first rodeo beyond sleep, it takes her a while to actually drift off. She tosses, then turns, then sighs and pillows her head on her crossed arms. None of it helps, really. Rolling onto her side, she looks over at Miriam, then down at Ruby. Turning again, she finally finds a comfortable attitude and begins to doze. When she does fall into sleep only to manifest in Miriam's dream, she looks much as she always does, same height, same build, different clothing. She wears a comfortable pair of jeans and a flannel, her belt bedecked with shatterglass sword on one hip and a distinctive pistol on the other. Even her feet are clad in soft, functional boots. Looking around, she smiles at Miriam when she spots her, then wonders a bit over Ruby's chosen form. They both get a slightly sheepish smile as she walks closer, "H'llo."

Sidonie didn't fall asleep easily. She tossed, she turned, fluffed the pillow multiple times and flipped it over looking for a cool spot. She rested her head on the pillow and stared at the others as they drifted off. At one point her eyes met Maggie's, who seemed to be suffering the same affliction, and she flashed the Captain a sheepish smile. She did breathing exercises and shut eyes closed tightly, trying to ease her nerves by sheer force of will.
Once she finally drifts off, she's standing in the clearing in what looks like a Begman gentlewoman's costume, including a hoop skirt, corset, petticoats and lace, and lace-up boots with a dainty heel. Her hair is dyed blonde, in barrel curls arranged with velvet ribbon. On her head is a fetching fascinator with netting that covers half of her face. Perched on her nose is a pair of a pair of large glasses with tortoiseshell frames and thick beer-bottle lenses that make her eyes look enormous.
Oh no. "Hello," she says, staring down at her getup with a shocked look.

Cela is the last to make her way through the gossamer field -- as impatient as she was to fall asleep, curiosity also bade her to continually crack open an eyelid to check on the state of her slumber companions. As one by one they left her behind. Finally she had screwed up her mouth and shut down with such determination that it she quite simply wore her own self down. Joining the gathering now, she is all darkness among the silver, her shape soft and ill-defined, a velvet finish reflecting no light. Her eyes are round topaz with round black irises, a jaguar's watchful eyes. Lifting her arms, she studies her form with a quiet *tsk*. "Well. So sorry to keep you waiting," she murmurs.

Miriam smiles to each as they arrive. She sits comfortably on the silvered grass, patient. Clearly, she enjoys being here. "Hello." She reaches into a basket next to her that wasn't there before, and offers each what looks like some sort of nectarine, but a shimmering blue. If they take and try it, the fruit is not at all dense, having an almost fluffy consistency and a gentle sweetness. There is a small stone in the center. The last is hers, and she takes a bite before standing. "I've already tried to bring th'dreamers here, but they're stuck where they are. We'll have t'go to them."

Ruby walks on her insteps to try and appear taller as she moves towards Miriam. Her expression turns sulky, eyeing the others all drawn to Miriam's field of wildflowers. She's after one of those strange fruits, and prying at it with her fingers if she can. After Miriam's new info, she looks down at her sandals and sighs. "Okay."

Maggie walks nearer, her gaze flickering from one to the other, guaging her companions' appearances based on what she knows of them. Of all those within the dreaming, she finds Ruby's form most surprising though that may be due to her own internal misconceptions. Nodding once, she accepts the fruit. Looking at it, she takes a bite and is clearly pleased with the flavor. Swallowing, she ventures, "Does this," she continues holding up the fruit, "tie us to you, Miriam?" She is more than willing to eat the rest of it.

Sidonie reaches for a blue nectarine carefully, mindful of her skirts. She doesn't quite know what to do with them and pulls them out of the way with a bit of frustration when she bends down, lest they nudge Miriam in the face. She inspects the fruit curiously, then takes a bite, looking thoughtfully out at the others. Enormous bottle-glass eyes blink at Celaeno and Ruby's guises in particular. Maggie's comment makes her eyebrows shoot up almost comically, not having thought of that! Huge eyes look back down at the fruit with renewed interest.

Miriam seems simply to accept the appearance of each without comment, though Ruby's is of some interest to her. Maggie's question causes her to smile as she smooths her silver gown. "No, I just thought you'd like it. It's one of my favorites here. I can keep us together, so long as no one does any running off." With that, she leaves the basket behind and starts to lead them off. It's hard to say at what point the field vanishes, leaving them in the Dreamlands where things are strange. And dark. "Careful, and try to ignore anything that looks too interesting. Chaos has affected Dream, and there are... things out there."

Cela correctly identifies everyone present, even Ruby, with a gently pointed finger and a whisper of each of their names. "How fanciful," she sighs, moving along with the fruit palmed out of sight in the blackness of her fist. "A marvelous ability you have, Your Highness, and what a lovely sense of decor. Now tell me, can you do anything about this?" she smiles, or maybe not, as her expressions are difficult to trace. She doesn't even blink. "Everyone else has managed to make something of their dreamselves. Can you change me to look more like myself?"

Ruby takes a tentative bite of the fruit if others are willing to taste test. She bites into it as a buck-toothed rodent might, carving free a silver to moonch. Smacking her lips, she takes further bites and sticking close to the group. Her gait is more of a waddle in this shape. If she was wearing corduroy she'd sound like a miniature locomotive. She pipes up, and wonders overly loud of Cela's appearance, "Hey, why ~does~ she look like that?"

Maggie smiles at Miriam's generosity and kindness. Taking another bite, she savours it as she walks and tucks the pit into a pocket when she finishes the fruit, "Thank you again." Turning a glance back to the reporter, she blinks, "Penny Dreadful. That is the name of the reporter out of Arden. Though I suppose it could be a pseudonym." As Ruby speaks, Maggie's attention turns to her Captain friend. Though she does not voice it, she might be thinking 'ah, why indeed'...

With a swish of cumbersome skirts, Sidonie follows along with the group. She flips up the netting of her fascinator with a hrmph, so that it doesn't get in the way of fruit-munching. Her eyes stay on Ruby mostly, so curious about this shape she's in.

Miriam pauses to consider Cela for a moment. "A person's dream form's a very personal thing. Sometimes it's how we see ourselves. Sometimes it's about something impacting our minds or souls. Sometimes it reflects worries. I might be able t'change it, but it'd take a little time. I could teach you to change't yourself, but that'd take a little time, too. Better t'focus on getting to th'captains." She continues on, making sure they remains together as they traverse an odd landscape that has trouble keeping any particular form. Sometimes they're on grass of one sort or another, and sometimes they're on stone or metal. It's not a long trip, though. They weren't very far from their targets, after all.

Maggie pauses as the group does, though her thoughts turn inward rather than outward. Perhaps she is considering her dream form, or those of the others. Putting her own down to a lack of imagination for now, she half smiles and walks along when they start again, "Or, it might have something to do with one's family lineage, I would guess." But, it is only that and could be wrong.

Cela's willowy dreamform prowls along silently. "Penny Dreadful sounds absolutely allegorical. I vote pseudonym. How wise you are, princess," she responds to Miriam, thoughtful. "And how right. The sleep-afflicted are the goal here, not personal experimentation." Even just after saying that, she's swaying off to fall into step with Sidonie, and her topaz eyes study the woman's attire, rolling up and down, "You clean up nicely in dream, doctor. Do you often visit with Begma in your dreams, then?" Journalist, can't help interviewing.
Ruby keeps up without too much trouble. She's not going to stray in this place. "Kinda reminds me of walking through shadows." Another glance to the forms the others take, which has her subconsciously tugging up at her shoulder straps and scratching at the itchy material.

...The location of the six slumber-sequestered souls reveals itself to be someplace that appears bizarre and has a storybook quality to it. If anyone is familiar with the story of pinocchio, or an echo of it, the comparison will become more evident. As a child might imagine the inside of a whale might look like after being swallowed up in a fairy tale storybook, it is replicated here. A curved interior that is vaguely long, fleshy, devoid of anatomically correct innards and archways composed of wishbones. There's not an awful smell or oppressive humidity, though it's vaguely fishy. A bit squelchy underfoot, but devoid of the grotesque.
Up ahead is the glow of flickering firelight and voices in conversation. An assortment of male voices some of which are little frantic, and others hopeless and resigned.

"Thank you," Sidonie says cautiously. "I don't... I've never been," she says, a bit at a loss, and pulls a bit on her lacy collar. She studies Cela's form more closely. She tries to find the positive, "I rather like this. It's feline and streamlined, like a dark and mysterious dream..." her voice trails off as they come upon the whale interior. She lowers her glasses on her nose and squints out at the firelight up ahead. "I hear them," she murmurs, stating the obvious, and quickens her pace.

Maggie tries to take guard duty by shifting to the outside edge and rear of the group. This might be silly, but she does it anyway. It is easier for her to keep an eye on her companions and see anything sneaking closer to them from either side. Some of that wariness is lost when they enter the whale's imaginary innards. "Of all the places we have been in dream, Miriam, I fear that this is the one that will give me the willies." She also keeps her tone down for fear of startling those ahead.

"There are all kinds've factors." Miriam agrees with Maggie. "Lineage could easily be one." She's more focused on pulling them towards the sleepers though, and the last move into the group dream has an eyebrow lift as she looks around. "Well. This is... Well." There really aren't words for it, and a nod agrees with Maggie again. She indicates the firelight, and lets the others go first.

Cela keeps her blinkless gaze steady on Sidonie, drinking in every word. "..Thank you," she echoes back, so heartfelt. When the doctor forges ahead over the organic cave floor, the reporter stares after her, and then lets her attention drift up and around. "Oh. Oh.. oh... I am dizzy with the literariness of it all..." she gasps softly, her pace dwindling. Though if Maggie insists on holding the rear guard, she obligingly sways forth to join the others in arriving at the source of firelight.

Ruby pockets the remnants of her nectarine and pumps her arms to keep close to the others. Her bottom lip pushed so far up that it completely swallows the upper. Huff huff huff.

The six inhabitants of this whale chamber are mostly clustered around a small fire that's right in the middle of the floor. The wood appears to be the remnants of a longboat, mast, and some itty-bitty wooden doll legs protruding from the coals. The five of them turn to regard the new visitors, their previous discussion aborted and mouths hanging agape. They have the same visages of the slumbering Captains. The sixth, the splitting image of Captain Rum, is over by himself and one of the whalebone arches. He's wearing nothing but tattered pants and has wild looking hair. The very image of a cast-away, he's talking to his hat which has been bent and folded into a more oval shape. With the addition of strategically placed buttons, it has been fashioned into a dear and trusted companion whom he addresses as First Mate that sounds like Winston or Williamson.

Maggie does indeed insist on taking the rear until Miriam ushers them all forward. Defering to the Dream Mage, Maggie squelches across what appears to be whale innards overlayed with rib bones at incongrous intervals. Eyeing the men eyeing them, she straightens her spine and wishes that she had not changed before going to sleep. What is needed here is a Captain! Sliding a glance across to Ruby, she takes a half step forward. Her gaze returns to those gentlemen and her smile is as warm as it can be without losing that air of authority she claims, "Good day, gentlemen. If you are ready, we are here to take you out of here. Will you please come with us?"

After having cared for their sleeping, snoring forms for so long, Sidonie is delighted to finally see the Captains' faces awake and showing signs of life. Even crazy-looking Rummy. She huffs out a relieved breath to see they are well... relatively speaking. She holds back the impulse to yell out 'Captains!' and run over. Or sort of sway over, thanks to the corset and hoop skirt. Instead she just beams them a bright smile of greeting.

The consolation for having to walk through squishy whale innards is, of course, that it won't follow them out of Dream. So, Miriam just accepts the squishiness and walks along behind the rest. She waits for now, studying how the men interact with the women.

Cela is made utterly speechless for the nonce, whilst she spectates from the sidelines, this fantastical reunion. The state of each survivor observed, she naturally zeroes in on the nuttiest of the bunch, and gravitates towards Captain Rum after a time. She extends her arm to him, hand opening to reveal the undevoured nectarine to the castaway.

The Captains by the fire seem rather haggard. One might surmise that the longer each has been here, the more one becomes...frayed. Like Captain Castaway busily trying to tell a story off the top of his head to his hat. "...And the moral...the moral of the story is...I...Uuuuuuh, aaaaaah...Don't anything that rolls under the table?! How's that! I...I can come up with something better. Just don't interrupt with your own. Please, don't tell me another, I'll do it!" He turns to regard Cela, and is frozen in place by her appearance. Except his arm, which lashes forward to snag the offering.
The five exchange a glance and get to their feet, some not believing their eyes or ears. There is a babble of questions and demands from each. It's a mess of voices all vying to be the first to get attention. "Please, yes!" "Make it stop! Make the damn thing stop!" "This is hallucination you fools." One of them recognizes Maggie as she's got a reputation that is attached to Minos. "Captain Flame! Oh Goddess, did you fall asleep? I have to get back to my ship, my crew! It means to drive us insane I think, and we can't get out. Can't get past the teeth that way...and the tail is where you came from...I think." "Can't wake up, whale won't let me. Can't wake up..." "It's going to damn well tell another story soon, I can feel it. Why won't it listen to us?!" "Can you kill us maybe?!" Clearly there is a plethora of emotional states.

Ruby isn't getting too close to crazy or the cacophony of the babbling and desperate Captains. She hangs back and peers around the others which are much braver and inquisitive. She mews, "They've been shipwrecked too long and gone bonkers. Crazier than a sack of weasels."

Maggie clears her throat, hands lifting in a calm down or placating way, "Gentlemen. Yes, I am Captain Flame. Captain Incarnate..." She pauses and shoots Ruby a quickly quizical glance, then continues, "... has asked us to bring you to safety. Your ships and crew, as the good doctor here has said, are fine. We have brought Princess Miriam with us to assist. She is an accomplished Dream Mage and a personal friend. So. Relax, please. I am n ot sure what she needs to know to bring everyone to safety, but come. You have endured enough." She tries to find the one asking for death as a way out of this misery. That one, if found, is given a warm smile of encouragement. "Once you all are safe, we will find this whale and make him stop." It almost sounds like a promise.

Cela squats down to observe Rum with fascination, tilting her head to listen to the ambient yammering. "Do you imagine there really is a trick to them waking, an appropos, literal escape from the mouth of the whale? Cannot they simply..." with the blunt sound of fingers snapping, she stresses, "...be made to wake from this dream prison?"
Miriam frowns just a little, when the men are asked to follow. She says quietly "I don't think it'll be that easy. They can't just come with out out've here. They're enchanted. I doubt they can wake so easily. We have t'learn more about th'spell, so it can be broken." She sounds sorry, but it is what it is.

"How do we learn more about the spell?" Sidonie looks to Mirian with the question. "They said /it/ was going to tell another story soon." She turns to the Captains. "The Narwhal tells you stories here as well? Have you been inside the whale the whole time, or does the scene change?" She looks at Rummy owlishly. "Is he worse off because he's been here longest?"

The cluster of five marooned Captains realize talking over each other is going nowhere fast. After a moment of curses and significant glances, a pecking order is eventually established, and responses come with better clarity. Two of their number shiver uncontrollably at the hint of rescue. Relief on some faces that everything hasn't gone to pieces in the real world. A red-haired salty dog, whom was one of the most droll or disbelieving of the cluster, drolls, "Did you all come from the mouth as well? Was the only time anything changes around here. Light through the teeth when another happy cohort comes to join our ranks in this hell. Wish we got some proper warning before it happens, but never know when more people such as yourself show."

There's a dull hoot and sounds like people moving furniture. The whale itself is starting to speak and the voice rumbles through its own frame. The Captain's almost groan in unison and their eyes roll in resignation and despair. "Oh Gods, here we go again. He's about to dose us again with a new one. Listen to that...clearing his throat. Getting ready. I hope you've enjoyed your capacity to think straight while it lasted."

Captain Rum bites into the fruit and flinches away from Cela's snapping fingers. With half a mouth of food, he clucks his tongue to imitate the sound, chews, and mouths. "Is that code?! I've tried my own, but nothing works! I've tried to be creative...it's worn me down. It fills me with the stories, I copy them and try to make them better for Winston here. I'm trying, but I was never any good!"

Maggie sighs, frowning, "Right. I had hoped it would be easy this time." Her nose twitches a little and she glances to Sidonie, "Well. We can see it in action, but I had hoped not to make these gentlemen go through it again. I can sniff them, sniff around here, and see what my Pathian senses tell me about the spell. That might help." Though her glance back to Miriam is not entirely calm. There is a sense of irony there, actually. stepping forward, she addresses the captains once more, "We came through dream, lead by Princess Miriam. We will get you out, but we have to understand the spell in order to break it." Her eyes lift away from the poor souls when she hears the furniture moving sounds, "And here we go." Looking back, she smiles at the men in a long swoop that includes all of them in turn, "For this story, just relax. We will experience it and try to understand how this works. Once we have another breather, we may have questions for you." Her manner is very much 'don't worry. we've got this.' Then she puts word to deed and begins sniffing. Long, deep sniffs and short, rapid sniffs. Sort of like a bloodhound seeking a scent to track among a myriad others.

Miriam replies to Sidonie "By trying t'find th'Narwhal, once we've learned what we can here. To determine whether it's behind this. And'f it isn't, maybe it knows what is." She nods to Maggie's words, then adds then to the captains. "I'm sorry there's nothing we can do for you right now, besides say you're not alone and sit with you for this story. Have faith, though. We'll save you."

Cela does look immediately interested to hear one of these infamous stories that has everyone so entranced. Entranced or on edge. While investigation of the metaphoric cavity continues, her eye orbs roll, pinpointing Rum's hat friend with the button face. She declares to the captain, "Why Rum, poor dear, so the very fine Winston Williamson is your sounding board for stories! I do applaud your effort... but I expect a master storyteller can spot plagiarism of his works no matter how much you try to polish them." All critique aside, Cela is now beginning to shift nervously in anticipation of the spiel.

Sidonie's lets out an incredulous laugh at the whale's rumbling over and through them. She whirls around, as if looking for the source of the voice, but knowing that it's ahead of them toward the mouth. Her eyes are wide with glee at getting to understand it! "It's asking if you have any stories to tell before it starts on its own about... shrimp. A great deal of shrimp." Grinning, she whirls back to look at the Captains, but her words are directed at the being. "Shall we speak? Will you take a moment before your story to talk with us?"

(Pause and Resume)

A rumbly vibration runs along the area from head to tail. The six Captains don't look at all happy with the idea of enduring another round from the blabbermouth whale. They look like they've been asked to eat live squid. Captain Rum squints his eyes really tight and grits his teeth. From one of the Captains there is a blurt of sudden parroting as whatever that whale-quake was is filtered through him. He groans and rapid-yammers, "10,000 other fellow shrimp in the swarm...10,000 other shriiiimp...swimming around, swimming around...9,999 shrimp in the....FRIG, WHALE!" It's followed by the next Captain shivering and then gripped by the same. "Hey Guapo, what's that on your tail. Dude just wait till I'm closer and I'll...WHALE!" "Wierzbowski? Wierzbowski?!" And another one in sequence is taken in and has to blurt, "Pa-pa-pa-pufferfish, pa-pa-pa-pufferfish, ma ma ma...Lookout, whale!" "I always loved you, Gilberto...hold onto my antenna!"
The rumble stops, and there's a questioning woooOOOOoooo? A feeling like 9,995 others were ready to keep rolling out, but there's curiosity of something...not the norm going on. The Captain's snap out of their fugue and blink rapidly. Some gibber.

Ruby sidles away from the throng of folks to huddle over near one of the bone arches. She shrieks when she notes etchings start to creep up along the curved structural bone up to the central spine that runs the length of the storytime whale's impossible interior.

"Oh /no/..." Sidonie groans in dismay when the ground starts to shake shrimp story starts. She gapes at the poor captains as they shake and blurt out the story and starts to go to the closest one on impulse, maybe to at least hold his hand. She is interrupted by Ruby's shriek. "Captain! What is it!" he exclaims and hurries over, only to see the etchings appear. She stumbles back as her head cranes to follow their creep along the rib and spine. "Blimey," she whispers, eyes quickly trailing, translating."

Maggie's eyes open in horror as she sees what 'sitting through it once more' really means. "Good grief," is muttered. She does step forward, a hand resting on Captain Rum's shoulder while the other seeks the next in line. Her attention darts to Ruby, then Sidonie and up along the arch of the whalebone, "Okay, Doc. Do your stuff." Though spoken aloud, it is in a hushed voice so as not to distract the woman. While Sidonie is thus employed, Maggie looks down to Ruby, "You okay there, Captain?" Her eyes are focused on Incarnate, but the question could be for any of the others as well. Then, quietly, "As we surmised, there is a lot of divine magic here. It is a dream, but whether it is a controled dream or not I cannot say. Princess Miriam might be able to tell us that once we are safely out."

Ruby watches the etchings move up towards the center of the arches like they were on conveyor belts. When they reach the top, they stop just before the spine that travels the length from tail to teeth. She shakes her head. "I don't understand any of this. I don't want to either."

Sidonie reads the scratchings for a moment or two, then shakes her head. "It's the same story..." She rests both hands at the back of her neck and looks down, teeth grit in concentration, as she thinks /really hard/ about this. She then nods to herself, snaps her fingers a few times as if prompting her brain to get going with its idea. "Maybe I can communicate with it." A hand reaches behind her to pull a hairpin from her blonde, coiffed mane. Not a terribly sharp one, but enough to maybe gently scratch on the bone. "In its own language. Help me. What should I tell it?" she asks to the group.

Nope, not liking this. Miriam's keeping quiet for the moment, trying to understand as much of all this as she can for later discussion and disection, and trying to determine whether they can simple wake from in here, or must first leave this dream. When the etching start though, she frowns and says to the others who came with her "We're leaving." If they can. "Follow me." If the trap isn't already complete, anyway.

Sidonie holds the hairpin aloft, looking around herself for a free spot to start scratching. "That is, if I can find someplace to write?"

Maggie glances over to Miriam, her teeth worrying her lower lip, "Leaving?" She looks up and around at the writings, then down to Sidonie to catch her mid-ponder. "I think... maybe... the narwhal, if this is indeed his dream, might be looking for new material. What if you try to ask it to meet us in Rebma? There are a bunch of stories in the Archives. Maybe we can get Her Majesty's permission to share them with the bard? I mean... the question asked was whether we wanted to tell a story before he started, right? Though, maybe the stories told are alegories. Darmak and Jalad at Tanagra springs to mind."

Ruby widens her eyes at Sidonie, half-way turning towards Miriam as she offers the option to retreat. "What? What do you mean? Tell it to let everyone go. Tell them I'm going to kick it in the uni-horn next I see it. Okay, maybe not that!" Maggie's suggestion has her bob her head quickly at that idea instead. "Distract it with somethin then. Make somethin up if you 'ave tah.
The five tense looking Captains may not have been invited, but they're having a quick conversation about what they should do. "Please don't leave without us! I don't know how you tracked us down, but we can't stay here much longer or we'll end up like Rummy, and worse! I'll pay you your weight in gold. I'll empty my chest of wealth if I ever see my ship again!"

Sidonie finds a spot where the first etchings stopped and gets to scratching, starting from as high up as she can reach, then working down toward the ground. Not too hard, lest the creature be hurt, but enough so that the pin-strokes be felt. She reads aloud as she writes. "Great Bard. Please let us go, we are suffering. Let us go, and we'll give you stories. Meet us in Rebma and we will tell you of Darmak and Jalad at Tanagra and other tales..." She squints in concentration. Very useful, these glasses, as she has to see at such short range.

Miriam still doesn't like this, but the others seem to want to stay. She looks at eah, then sighs quietly. "I'm concerned that th'writing is the spell that trapped th'others here." She relents though, and spends a moment thinking of something to say to distract their 'host', then comes up with belting out a song: "Narwhal, Narwhal, swimming in the ocean, causing a commotion, cuz they are so awesome!"

Maggie inhales, then smiles at Miriam, "Yeah. I get that. I do. What if... Do you think that you could take the Captains out, then come back for us? Or do you think that we need to break the spell before these gentlemen can leave?" She turns to watch Sidonie at her work but motions for the Captains to move toward Miriam if they can. Maggie, herself, stays where she is for now.

Cela has fallen into observation ever since the rumbling and the spouting of inane shrimp melodrama. Her focus begins to narrow on Sidonie as the woman reveals a preternatural knack for cross-species linguistics. There's a glimmer of sincere envy in her expression as she steadies herself and approaches the metaphysical rib bone to watch the scribbling take form. "Can we not tell that story here and now, if that is the bargain that might free all these trapped souls?" she wonders, then startles at the loud singing from the princess. "...I fear some of us are already in the midst of mental breakdown," she whispers, also loudly.

As more material is fed to the creature, it seems to have the effect of keeping their host from bothering the Captains with being mouthpieces. Captain Rum pries open one eyelid and looks around himself, absolutely astounded. He pats Winston gently.

Ruby refrains from kicking the nearest wall 'o whale. She doesn't exactly feels amazingly swole and physically impressive at the moment anyways. "Wish I could get it in a choke hold." Squinting at what Sidonie is scratching, she can't make out anything legible, and so leaves her to it and focuses on herself. Specifically how to survive the situation. Ruby swishes over to Cela and considers what she may be getting at. "Tradin tales for freedom?"

"It's paying attention," Sidonie says softly. She keeps writing, and in the same tone she used before, she dictates as she writes, keeping one ear trained on what the others feed her. "Set us free and we'll tell you about our Princes and Princesses, and their stories of old. All the stories and gossip you could ever want, if you let us all go. Just open your mouth and we can leave. Meet us in Rebma and we'll feed you stories." There's a rounded, repetitive way she says the words, a bit awkward as they are translations of words in scratchings. She takes a brief moment to glance up at Ruby, who is growiing impatient. But please don't kick the whale!

When asked about taking the captains out, Miriam can only shrug. She really doesn't know whether the enchantment laid over them will prevent it. Meanwhile, she continues singing the Narwhal song because it might be annoying, but it also might be working. Just one example of all the songs and stories out there that they can share.

The five other Captains cluster closer to Miriam at Maggie's urging. They aren't familiar with the words to the song, and just linger there, dreading coming under the influence of tale telling once more.

Cela had offered her suggestion, but she doesn't force the issue. She tips a nod and a shrug to Ruby, and then another look of concern at Miriam. "Which way did we come in? I am going to go see if there is truly a mouth on the other end," she says to the captain. The dark patch that is her goes slinking off away from the glow of the fire. "What is the harm? It's only a dream."

(Pause and Resume)

The etchings that Sidonie makes take up a finite amount of space on the material. When a certain amount has been accumulated, it is pushed upwards towards the partially visible spinal column. At the top, it traffic jams with the scratchings already there. What happens next is odd, because it uses the arch as an onramp to the spine...and transfers, spiraling in a slow revolution and starts moving towards the supposed head section of the creature.

Miriam completes her Narwhal song, and follows it with "There is plenty more of that, if you just come talk to us in the waking world. Lots and lots of songs and stories." Meanwhile, she lets anyone cluster nearby her who wants to, and returns to studying this dream and the enchantments that might be about it.

Maggie chews her lower lip slightly as she watches to see what might be. A faint frown settles between her brows at... something. Or maybe many somethings. As some of the captains move to gather around Miriam, she takes a headcount and comes up short. Cela is missing. Dang it. "We need to enforce the buddy system. No one wanders off alone. Miriam, can you bring all of us out of this no matter where we roam? Or do we need to be close by?" Her tone indicates which option she believes to be true but there is always hope, right? "Does anyone have Cela's trump?" Meanwhile, she edges closer to Captain Rum and Winston.

Cela's suggestion finally regists in Sidonie's distracted brain. "Somebody feed me a story?" says says, sounding urgent. "I'm running things out to say, and I'm afraid it'll start talking about the shrimp again if I don't keep it distracted," she says, slowing her carving to make time. Not to mention she does not actually remember any fairy tales or legends. She lets her gaze stray up to the scratchings travelling up the creature's spine.

The hollow reverberations within the whale, the voices and whatnot, overlay the distant, cyclical roar of the ocean, as though the dream critter's ear was pressed against a conch shell. As the moments ebb and flow, so too does the impression of lapping waves upon cartilaginous bulk. Like the whale is not cruising at depth or resting comically on the sea floor, as fanciful faerie tale depictions have suggested of these situations. Like it is resting as a mammal should, at sea level, blowhole exposed and a-whistlin'.
Captain Rum frowns in confusion. "Symbols...but no sound." He's nearly on all fours as he scampers to stand directly beneath an arch to watch the conveyor-belt procession of esoterica. He balances Winston on his head and ties a makeshift chinstrap in place.

Ruby frowns as she watches the etchings swirling in and out of sight as they slowly march to where the latest visitors came from. She has a brain hiccup and yammers to Sidonie, "Uh...I dunno. Write about 'ow you took charge 'o tha ship durin tha battle...tha's gotta be distractin. Tha fightin...tha risk takin...Better than bloody shrimp." Just then, she tunes in to the sounds from outside the hide of this strange creature in such a strange place. She goes to press her ear against the blubbery inside between two arches.

Miriam says to Maggie "Ultimately, any've us should just be able to wake up, though I'd like to see if there's anything that keeps us from leaving. For us, it's still just a dream. They can't because've the enchantment." she adds, of the captains. "It's better t'say together in case've unpleasant surprises, though. Or in case anyone needs help waking." She pauses, and purses her lips for a moment as she looks around them.

Maggie nods somberly, her gaze following Captain Rum for a moment before turning to Miriam and Ruby, "I've learned a thing or two in my time out in Shadow. I can probably break this spell when the time comes." Lowering her voice, she adds, "We're not leaving them here. Or anyone else." Tilting her head toward Sidonie, she nods, "That is a good tale. The only one I could think of is an Alhambran tale about a man named Benny. I don't know if the sand would translate all that well. It is long, though, so can try if it is needed."

Sidonie scowls at Ruby's suggestion. She really doesn't want to recall the battle, because it makes her think about all the confusing things she now knows she knows, which without context or history can be very unsettling. But Sidonie does lots of things she doesn't feel ready for, be that doctoring, sailing, captaining, fighting, Dreaming... what's one more scary thing, right? With a long exhale, she begins to murmur as she scratches into whalebone. "Not long ago there was a formidable ship called the Beast, and its Captain was Incarnate. During a dangerous journey in Shadow, they faced a great foe, a terrible fleet with living saints on their prows..." she goes on in a soft voice.

More scratched symbols means more greedy acceptance. The Captains watch and shake their heads in confusion. The dreariest of their lot observing, "We've seen things appear on the bones...but they were already up there. On the thing's spine. But we never saw it move up there, I guess because we were totally out of it hearing the damn stories. This is different, but the same. I know what's gonna happen next. It's going toward the thing's godsdamn brain."
Sure enough, the more Sidonie adds, the more sections of spine fill until it's spiralling up the cavern of the whale's interior. Swirly-spirally-rotating like a biological drill-bit that fails to wound. The passing spine sections just keep getting replaced to move everything forward.

Ruby squints as she tries to listen for those waves again. She swears she heard something, but she isn't enjoying being so intimate with whale insides, even if they aren't super gorey. She moves away without a satisfied curiosity. She mews, "Worse comes to worse, I think I may try an punch it in the brain." At 5 foot, 2 inches, she's able to punch little.

Miriam thinks for a moment about what the captain says, then says to Sidonie "Scratch in our message, that if it ends the enchantment keeping th'men hostage and finds us in th'waking world, we will give't lots've songs and stories. That makes sure th'message gets to its brain. We can't be sure how much we say aloud is really absorbed."

Maggie crosses her arms over her chest, her gaze sliding from one to the other of her friends and the captains. When she sees Ruby move unhappily from the whale's side, she moves to join her. Leaning close and keeping her voice low, she murmers, "What did you hear? Want me to give it a try?" There is curiosity in her tone and a kind of commiserating air that avoids specificity.

Sidonie keeps on keepin' on, telling her story about the exciting battle against the Saintly fleet and the part where the First Mate of the Menestheses had a panic attack, leaving her at the help. It's interspersed with unsubtle hints that the story will end soon, and that they'll be able to hear its exciting conclusion if the enchantment is lifted and all the dreamers are released. "It'd be rather nice if you did let us go," she murmurs, repeating what she writes. "Imagine what more we could tell you about while out in the world..." Her eyes flick to the scrawlings moving on up that spine, and Ruby and Maggie commisserating. "I heard something about punching it in the brain? Is that a good idea? I don't think that's a good idea..." she says, obviously not writing THAT down.

Along with the muffled sound of the exterior waves, comes the crunch and rocky crumble that might pass for lightning in some parts. If lightning were made of matter and not energy. All in all, it is more of an echo of sound than a clear and present phenomenon for a cosmic narwhal to be too concerned over, particularly in the Dreaming.

Ruby offers a pint-sized shrug at the question. "I thought I heard something, from out there. Almost sounded like we were riding on a sailing ship rather something like Merrisol's submersible..." She trails off as there's a new sound from the front of the whale. There's suddenly gust of sea air sucking past everyone, and a glow of light down the interior corridor. And then a loud ~kkkkhhhssssshooomp~, and the frame of the whale shudders. Ruby opens and closes her mouth at the change in air pressure, after her ears had popped. Ruby turns towards the head section and sniffs. "Thats an ocean breeze?"

The section of spine above their heads jettisons forward, like a pneumatic press, shunting all that enscribed information forward extremely fast, immediately replaced by fresh ivory.
The shunted section was spun at a great spiraling speed just before it was lost from sight. A curled blur of ivory covered in sigils.

Maggie nods to Ruby, though her attention is suddenly distracted by the sound of almost-lightening. A name rises and is whispered so softly that it might not be heard by any here. Whirling, she aims for the whale's inner hide though the whoosh of air ruffling her hair stops her. Wild of eye she turns to stare forward, clearly uncertain which way to turn, "He's coming here. My beloved." And just like that, the stakes are higher for Captain Flame. Sorry, but there is one gentleman who ranks higher even than Captain Rum.
Privately, to Ruby, Maggie's lips form the name Sorensen though the whisper is just too soft to hear.

Sidonie slows her writing and perks her head up when she feels the breeze move and their foundations shudder. "What was that?" she calls out. The sight of a section of spine actually spinning and being shunted brain-ward makes her jaw drop. "It's just a dream," she reminds herself in a whisper. Doggedly, she keeps scratching. "... I must admit, the after we shot a cannon through the Headless' figurehead and it began its chase, I was sorely tempted to stick my fingers in my ears and dive below decks..." Her hand shakes a bit as it cramps, in fact her whole body shakes a bit from concentration on this strange language and tne tension of their circumstances. Maggie's mention of Merrisol's inminent arrival makes her shake her head silently in concern. Another soul in harm's way? She starts to pause now and then to shake out her hand, crack her knuckles.

Ruby frowns heavily in a gigantic pouty expression as she thinks. After a pregnant pause, she gestures and starts a pint-sized run towards the light and the source of fresh air. "They said a light appeared just before we did." She eyes the cluster of Captains, Rummy now joining their number at the periphery. "If that's your husband, then maybe he's just arrived. Even if this is a dream, if it's possible I want to have a look outside. Maybe there's a landmark or something we could use against a chart. Something to say where the whale thinks it just was, or is going. Some sort of clue."

After that unsettling rush of air and the winkle of light from the forward cavity of the bizarre dream dungeon, the salty tang of the open sea is accompanied by the splash and break of waves. And only shortly after that, comes the thump and snap of wood and sail... and then the breezy tootling of a calliope organ. Which is a perfectly acceptable combination under the circumstances.