Sleep did not always come easily, and it when it did come, it was not always restful.
Pia was lying on her bed, tossing and turning. Her body was covered in sweat, and she was talking incoherently in her sleep. “Oh, no...don't... you made my armadillo blue..”.

Pia's eyes opened. She had already forgotten her dream. Feeling dreadfully tired and sweaty, she kicked her covers away. As soon as her head once again hit the pillow, she fell asleep, more fitfully this time.

-------
Pia found herself in a familiar place. She was not aware she was dreaming, but the dream scenario was one that often appeared to her. She was in a tiny village, but the village was spread across several tiny islands, in a large lake. The water appeared as a mirror, with everything reflected perfectly. The sun was setting. Somewhere, she could hear a party, but she was just wandering around.
Passing by some sort of gazebo, she waved at her two pet rats, Tussi and Troll, who were busy playing the cello. She did not reflect upon the fact that both her pets had died many years ago, and that rodents are not known for playing music.

She walked over a bridge. Looking down on her reflection, she realized she was dressed in a simple, but elegant, black, strapless dress. She did not wear her glasses.

Suddenly, Pia heard a sound, like someone approaching..

Vanessa never slept anymore when she could help it; it was too easy for the island's inhabitants to attack in her sleep; it was easier to flee if she meditated instead. thus tonight as she did many night she ssat in her room legs crossed eyes closed; the sounds of sex obvious coming from Linnis' room, as it did every night.

----

It was a unique dream and Vanessa's avatar appeared on a small ferry holding a long staff of sort\. she was dressed in a full long black hooded cloak much in the vain of Karon the ferrymen. she slowly pushed the ferry to land hands tight on the staff before she'd finally reach land and step off; the water seemed undisturbed by her transport.

Removing the cloak she wore a simple long white gown fitting for the scenery of the dream . she walked a few feet noting the various pieces of the scenery trying to find the dreamer. Mice playing the cello she laughed softly. "Interesting, such a creative girl to have such a dream..."

she sighed softly still a bit upset occasionally that she was cursed to never have her own dreams.

Pia stared across the waters for a few moments. The sounds of the cello music echoed strangely across the waters, adding some almost unheard fragments of melody that made her feel some strange mixture of melancholy and a growing sense of excitement.

Pia's gaze was drawn in the direction of some pavilion on a nearby island, decorated with colored lanterns. As she was looking at it, she spotted a woman walking in her direction, the only other human being she had encountered yet.
The approaching woman seemed tall, and regal looking in her white dress. Was she looking for something?
Pia started to slowly walk towards the stranger.

She noted Pia slowly moving closer to her a smile was offered as she looked her over. seeing the aura around her that pure dreamwave did not have; a dreamer. she smiled softly.

"Hello there miss, Might I ask your name?"

she offered. Pia would notice instantly something different about this woman; something out of place as if she didn't belong there.

There was something odd about this stranger, but Pia could not quite understand what. To Pia, the other woman looked quite impressive, with her height, her unusual hair and her elegant dress.

"My name is Pia. I am here for..", Pia, still unaware she was dreaming, realized she did not know why she was here.
"Uh..I don't think it's important. What is your name, if I may ask?"

Pia curtsied as she asked the question, just because she felt like that was the proper thing to do.
The fabric of the dream rippled a little, and then resettled. The sounds of a flute and some drums were added to the music.

She listened to the change in the dream and smiled softly.

"You're a student of shokushu... hmm, alright then Pia, I'm Vanessa Trusdale; Dream Walker and you my dear friend... you're asleep and this is your dreamspace."

she smiled as she explained things quite bluntly snapping her fingers the dreamstuff that made up her avatar's clothing quickly shifted to that of her usual; a shrine maiden robe.

"Sorry about this sudden bit of a blow of information, take care of the shock and ask whatever you want."

Dreaming? Student at Shokushu?
Pia's brows furrowed and she pursed her lips, a typical sign that she was concentrating or trying to understand something. As she became aware of who, or rather where, she usually was, her clothes changed into her usual school uniform, and her glasses returned to her nose.

---
Back in reality, Pia's eyelids flickered, like she was about to wake. Instead it just shifted position, and uttered a few syllables of nonsense. Then her breathing returned to normal.
---

Pia looked around her with sudden comprehension.
"So, this is all a dream? That makes sense in a way. I guess this is why this place is so familiar. I must have dreamt of it before.."

"Sorry, I must be rambling", she said, her attention returning to Vanessa.
"Vanessa.. Trusdale.. Right? So, um, you are a sleepwalker? No, dream walker?"
Pia suddenly realized why Vanessa seemed so different.
"You don't usually belong here, do you?"

a moment or two passed as she took in what Pia had asked before shrugging slightly.

"Define belong... if you mean am I normally a part of your dream, then no I'm not but, if you mean do i belong in dreams, that I do; every dream of everything that exists is my home when i meditate or sleep."

she smiled gold eyes shimmering slightly as she looked at Pia softly smiling.

"Oh and I also promise you; I am human so no worries there."

she'd wink slightly at her laughing nervously.

"Wow that sounded suspicious even to me..."

"You are human, but you can be a part of the dreams of anyone?", Pia wondered. "How come you can do that?"
When awake, Pia liked to think of herself as a rational, skeptical being. Dreams, to her, where simply the stuff of the unconscious mind. Vanessa did not seem like a figment of her imagination. She had a very real, definite presence. Pia had to admit she was getting quite curious.

"I'm sorry. I do not mean to pry, if that is personal information to you. This is just a bit new to me, that is all", she added.

As they talked, the dream around them slowly shifted. Two cherry trees, maybe inspired by Vanessa's outfit appeared from nowhere and started to blossom.

"It's... complicated."

was all Vanessa could come up with. Truth was Vanessa herself still had trouble understanding it well enough. It was one of those forgotten human abilities that would have helped to keep rather than shun; perhaps this ability would have made humans less likely to be sex toys for the universe.

"And you're a very vivid dreamer have to admit"

"Thanks. Thank you. Nice of you to say that." Pia blushed a bit, not being used to praise. As Pia blushed, the skyline brightened a bit, the horizon getting a brush of matching, red light.

"Since you are a guest, so to speak, I guess I should offer some food or drink or something, but I'm kind off bad at dreaming up stuff on the fly."

Vanessa couldn't help but laugh softly at Pia's offer of food and drink. she'd gently shake her head at it before smiling softly.

"That's alright, food in dreams tends to taste weird to me anyway. as for dreaming stuff up on the fly, that takes practice; and the ability to recognise you're dreaming."

she'd look around softly sighing once more the cheerfulness in her voice gone when she spoke next.

"Hey at least you CAN dream right?"

"Huh? What do you mean? Can't you dream?" Pia asked.
"I thought everybody dreams at least once in a while, even if they can't remember it."

Responding to the regret in Vanessa's voice, the music of the dream turned slower with a hint of melancholy.
Even if Pia did not always remember her dreams, and many of the ones she did remember were nightmares, not being able to dream at all seemed like a great loss.

"Hmm.. I don't know if this sound stupid or not, but.. Err.. You can borrow mine if you want to. I mean, you can come over here and use my dreams. If you like them, that is. Not all of them are that good."

"Never have had a dream of my own. Never even had a choice honestly... Dream walker clan; While we're human we don't dream we wander other people's dreams, experience their subconsciouses and eventually live through eternity as either a good creature that wanders every plane of existence at will or a dark being that plagues dreams and devours them."

she sighed softly.

"Thanks for the offer though Pia, I'll make sure to remember where your dreams are. maybe we can meet in the waking world if you remember the dream... Since we're both students... I'm in the most infamous dorm in the school. room 300."

She knew so many knew of the great Linnis' dormatory or former dorm it was hard to tell as Vanessa hadn't seen the woman since she heard she became a head girl.

Truth to be told, Pia had no idea who lived in that room, nor its reputation. Being new, with a rather limited social network, most of the gossip amongst the student body passed her by.

"You know, I might just drop by and knock on your door one day. If I remember, that is. The.. infamous room 300, right? You know, if I don't remember, you can just drop by and remind me."
"I think I like you visiting me in my dreams." Pia mused. "Sometimes, I just get a bit lonely. Meeting someone new in my head, it's.. refreshing, in a way."

Pia was still quite curious about the dream walking part. "So, what kind of dreams do you like? I bet you must have seen all kinds of amazing stuff!"