Please Wake Me Up

[Bjorn]

"I've been there," Bjorn observes.  Thirty seconds later, he realizes that he's still in the bathroom.

Finishing his toiletries, he reaches through his Dream to the anchors of Philip, Tom, and Tim.  I've been to Fuji, he repeats.  Judging by past experiences, we'll be headed inside the mountain itself.

[Carthrat]

Sounds fun. It's... summer there, right? For what that's worth, these days.

[Bjorn]

Yup.  Forty degrees Celsius and a hundred percent humidity, Bjorn says cheerfully.  Maybe we'll be be lucky and there'll be a typhoon!

The temporal disparities seem to be coming back under control for the moment.  His perceptions more or less stabilized, Bjorn feels brave enough to try and attempt the stairs.

[Carthrat]

Cool beans. Hmm... y'know, we need to work out what we should ask Bigfire to do. If they're supposed to cover for us so we can do what we need to do without too many interruptions, they should probably start on that first.

[Halbarad]

And before I forget, I should mention something I overheard in the Dream last night. Does the name Charrel mean anything to you guys?

[Bjorn]

It takes Bjorn a few seconds (on one place of perception) to answer.  Once he's made it down the stairs, however, he replies, Charrel?  Not much.  He's dead, he's in the dream, he has some connection to the Wanderer -- might be the Wanderer, but I'm not sure on that.

[Carthrat]

Hum. We ran into him a while back, before we met you guys. In the Dream, of course. He was... snarky. And taking out some dragon.

[Bjorn]

'Taking out a dragon.'  The doorknob to the outside is easily mastered, which fills Bjorn with great confidence.  Walking towards the cafeteria, he asks, What does that represent, I wonder?

[Dracos]

I don't know him myself. Dracos belatedly adds.

Dracos

[Halbarad]

A memory of some sort, if the rest of what we saw holds true. One of the Brotherhood was fighting another one, and didn't do too well against it.

Tim sounds thoughtful. Alan was talking with one of the other Brothers before I talked with him about my abilities, and they were arguing about letting both Charrel and the Wanderer run around the Dream unopposed. They moved Pandora because of it - she was gone when Tom and I went back later, and I heard them talking about doing just that. I didn't press for details, since I don't think I was intended to hear in the first place, but I'm wondering if Relm might be in any danger - if it's something related to oracles.

[Bjorn]

If it's a danger, they'll tell Pythea, I'm sure, Bjorn replies.  But Pandora's return is a secret, for the moment, and an important one at that.  So they'll just as likely taking precautions to preserve that secret, rather than worrying about her safety.

[Halbarad]

Fair enough, Tim replies. Just figured it was better to give you the heads-up and let you make the call either way. All I know about Charrel is that he doesn't seem to be a friend of the Brotherhood.

[Brian]

As Bjorn reaches the cafeteria, Lazarus catches his eye -- and joins the network.  Good morning, he says.  I trust you are well rested?

[Bjorn]

Bjorn turns to face Lazarus, unintentionally revealing the blueish mist filling his otherwise empty eye sockets.  I think so, he replies.  The morning has been a bit disconcerting.

[Brian]

Lazarus peers at Bjorn's face closely.  You don't say, he sends, somewhat drily.  Well, I hate to bother you if you're practicing something new, but I did hope now that you'd had a day, at least, to settle in, we could discuss the town.