Solo [Grandfathered Thread] A Time to Dream

[Alric Wilmot]

Summer 55th of 512 AV Alric sat on his bed, yet to move. He had awoken late last night. Or perhaps he'd never slept. He couldn't remember. For the past three days all he could think about were the chunks of flesh missing from his father's torso. He had been sad and angry ever since, sometimes both at once. But now all he felt was a gnawing emptiness. It just wasn't right. It just wasn't fair. For so long all he had was his father. He didn't make friends easily as a boy. Many people thought him too strange. His vocabulary had been too large for his age, and his temperament was volatile. He argued with his elders, tried to make their children do the same. Only Alvin would ever debate with him. He was always treating Alric like an equal, even though Alric now knew he was but a troublesome child. He was always understanding. He let Wrenmae into his household, just because Alric had asked him to. How could he say no to his son? It had cost them, he knew, another mouth to feed was no laughing matter. Alric had been too young at the time to realize, but the Wilmot name had been dragged in the mud generations before. No one cared that he was a Wilmot. No one cared that they were poor and forgotten, where once they had been rich and well known. Nobody cared. And now, as he peered through the inn's cracked window onto the street below, it was much the same. No one knew that a great man was dead. Even if they did, they wouldn't care. Monsters still ran free across the land, killing good men, and no one cared. No one was doing anything about it! Alric felt ready to vomit. This was not how the world should be. But, to his dismay, that was how it was. All at once he had a new appreciation for his patron god. Reality was a burden that Illusions helped lift. He imagined Ionu had that in mind with the constant changes in Alvadas. He would have greatly appreciated a pink puddle right about now. That thought made him smile. It was a fond memory he had. He and his father had skipped along to Kinneas's house for a visit, splashing in different colored puddles. He would play with Kinneas, and Alvin would visit Evelyn. The Avian manor had burned down a long time ago, however. Evelyn Avian was dead. Kinneas had died in the Winter Crises. And now, his father had died as well. It seemed everyone was dying. Everyone but him. All at once his grief over his friend returned and grew. He remembered his laughter and excellent humor. Then he remembered his father. Silent, pensive, afraid to speak his mind. But he had been a great person. They both had been. And now they were dead. He slammed his fist into the wall, rage overtaking him again. Why was he still alive? What made him more qualified than either one of them? He did not know if there was a god of fate, but he cursed him all the same. He had never felt so terrible. It was a hole, a wide gaping hole that just consumed him every time he tried not to think. Yet every time he did, he was filled with anger unlike any he had experienced before. He had dismissed Ainsley and Bones a few hours after discovering what happened to his father's body. They had done their purpose, and it had been time to put them away. Ainsley did not take it so well, considering them friends. But Bones didn't seem to care. He had been paid, and that was all he needed. Alric had thought he saw some sort of regret in the odd man's eyes. But Alric didn't care. He needed to be alone now. Think about his life. What good was mastering everything if you were dead? It was obvious to him now, death awaited them all. Even the greatest of people died. Especially the greatest of people. He was tired, and confused. He just wished he could sleep again.He wanted a long, dream filled, sleep. It was only there, in his dreams, that his father was alive again. In the world of dreams and shifting thoughts. A world of illusion so real at the moment, that it didn't matter that it was a dream. He hadn't been sleeping he feared because of that first dream, the night he had learned of his father's fate. He had thought it a lie. He hated lies. But now, he almost yearned for it. What was so wrong with lies, again? He pinched the bridge of his nose. He needed to sleep, his mind was getting confused. But at a time like this, he only knew of one way to get him back into that world of dreams. He was, after all, an accomplished Hypnotist. With that thought in mind he moved to his bag on the floor and pulled out a dull mirror. It was plain, and rather old. But it would work all the same. One day he might buy a better one, but today was not that day. With a yawn he went back to his bed and sat, keeping his face in the mirror. He had done this before, so he felt rather confident. He sat in a comfortable position with his legs folded under him, and held out the mirror. He took in a deep breath, and let it go. He began relaxing each muscle, flexing and releasing starting with his face. A forced smile and release, a jaw exercise, and movement of the temple. He moved down to his neck, tipping and thrusting, rolling. He moved to his shoulders, his torso, his arms, his legs, his toes. All relaxed and ready. It was routine now, he had done it so often. Normally he had instructed his customers in these techniques, but he had done them enough himself to be rather adept at it. Relaxing the body was paramount in a successful trance. Hypnotism was a subtle thing, and it had to be used as such. Preparation and presentation were parts of the skill. If you attempted hypnosis on a tense and angry person, the best you'd do was direct the anger. If you wanted to stop that anger, you'd have to stop him from tensing up. If you wanted to hypnotize yourself, then you needed to remove as many obstacles as possible. Knowing that you were hypnotized weakened the effect. As he finished, he moved on to the meat of the process, the magic itself. He reached deep within himself, to feel his djed. As always, it felt as if he was plunging into a cold lake. He pulled it, and formed it about his eyes. he stared into the mirror and directed backwards, into his own mind. It was an odd sensation, like the echo in a cave. Slowly, he began to speak. "You, are relaxed now. Comfortable. Your mind is empty of all unneeded thought. Your father, your friends, all of them are gone now. Empty them from your mind." Alric twitched a bit. He could tell that it wasn't working. His jaw had tightened again. He relaxed it and continued. "Let a dark cloud hover above you. You are covered in gloom, and misery, thick like mud. The cloud, is your way to peace of mind. Its raining now, cleaning the mud off of you. One lump has fallen, that is your anger. Another clump has fallen. That is your sadness. Now slime is falling from your hair, that is your grief. Allow the rain to pour, and cleanse yourself of all emotion. Calm yourself, and remain so. Now, in the deepness part of your mind, you can see a door. That door is open. Behind it are your fears, your despair. An ugly misshapen beast, all shadow and mist. You need to shut that door. The beast will consume you if you don't shut that door. Your fears for the future, they are groundless. The future cannot be known, so to worry about it only feeds the beast. You have fed it enough. Now is the time to shut the door and starve it. Starve it, Alric. Shut away your fears." Alric took a deep breath as he felt his magic working. His apprehension of death was gone. His emotional turmoil, gone. He felt better, but the pain...the pain of loss still lingered. "Now, Alric, there is a hole within you. A hole you cannot fill. But that hole can grow back. All you need is rest. To sleep until it is filled once more, and dream of better things. The world has been harsh to you, I know. But it is time to sleep. Sleep and forget, just long enough to heal. The chasm within your soul is deep, for I have felt it too. But it will heal, in time. So sleep Alric. Dream sweet dreams, and let your soul be healed. Your eyes are heavy, too heavy to keep open. Let them fall. Let them no longer be a burden. Your limbs are limp, unable to move. Your mind is muddled, unable to think. In all things you are exhausted, and wish only to rest and recover. You must sleep until you regain your strength. Imagine a blanket, hovering over you. That blanket consists of happy memories and fulfilled dreams. It is made of warmth, and comfort and wants only to give you what you want. It wants to let you sleep and dream of better days. It is a powerful force, able to keep you from the monster in your closet. Wrap it about yourself and keep it close. Let your body grow limp, your mind wary. Feast on the dreams of your desires and sleep. Sleep until you are well again. Sleep until the pain goes away. Sleep the pain away, Alric. Sleep." Alric dropped the mirror. His body had begun to feel limp. He felt a warmth about his body as he fell face-first into his bed. The hard-packed straw was uncomfortable in the past. But now it seemed heavenly. His eye-lids drooped. His limbs fell and could not move. His mind became muddled. He was so very tired. All he could think of was his exhaustion. But, in the back of his mind, in the corner of his gut he could still feel the loss and anger. He had been unable to rid himself of it entirely. But now, now he would rest. He would sleep until his soul had mended. A few days, a week at most. But at the end, he would awake and be ready to return to Alvadas. He'd know what to do then. His emotions would have calmed, and he would be able to reassess his life. Death awaited all men, and his old goals and dreams now seemed childish. But all too soon sleep took him, and he found his dreams filled with such childish notions. Reality was harsh and cruel, and not one to coddle dreams. But here, in his sleep at least, his goals and dreams were kept alive. He slept soundly, awaiting the time he would awake, and reasses his goals. But for now, he slept...and slept...and slept.

[Eldritch]

Alric :

Skills
Hypnotism +3

Lores
-Placing yourself into a lengthy state of slumber

Notes :

Not sure I've ever heard of someone deliberately placing themselves into a coma by using hypnosis, so this is certainly creative.

If you have any comments/questions/concerns about your grade please PM me and we will work something out.

Keep on writing!