14746/The Long Winter: part I

The Long Winter: part I
Date of Scene:	02 March 2023
Location:	Lucifer's Penthouse, Melville
Synopsis:	Tripping into the dream state of Mister Sinister, Phantasm and Lucifer get it done.
Cast of Characters:	Sinister, Lucifer, Phantasm (Drago)

---

Sinister has posed:
February did not want to relent to March, but inevitably it did. It did not however, let the weather go. Particularly cold is the weather outside, a sleety snowfall painting NYC in pristine white where it settles and slushy muck where traffic and feet churn it in with the dirt. For a short while, one might almost believe the city to be a pure place. For a moment. An instant. A second... perhaps.

It is relatively early evening, before the club opens downstairs and before 'evening occupations' can begin for the busy, or the hard working. Was it a phone call, or a written invite that was sent out? It might even have been both, that offered Nick a VIP access to the penthouse at Lux.

Sinister has fidgetty feet tonight, dressed in a black shirt with a black paisley embroidered waistcoat, a little old meets the new in the form of jeans at least. He's pacing in just socks, marching along the windowpanes that march from floor to ceiling, staring out at the city. He's been antsy all day, it will be noted.

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer is letting Nathaniel do his thing for the moment. Though he does keep an eye on the man every once in a while. He is, however, casually in the kitchen making sure the tea stays hot and the food stays warm. He's currently smoking on a cigarette as well and hopes that - eventually - the message he sent to Nick Drago will reach the man and prompt him to actually come to the Penthouse.

Again.

None the less, he fixies a cup of earl gray, with lemon, and walks it over to the pacing Nathaniel, offering it. "Here. Drink this. Take a few breaths. What's got you so nervous?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Of the potential ways the invite was extended, it is not necessary to clarify. It was extended and once again with little explanation beyond a come to the penthouse thing. And once again Nick takes the elevator up. The cold weather outside does not go unnoticed. A heavy set, secondhand, but warm and decent looking coat is worn. While it can be likely that Nick's hair is pulled back and secured, it's hard to see with the knit cap tugged down to become adjacent to the collar. As for what's underneath, well the coat is secured with just the pants legs peeking out from underneath the hem of the coat.

As the elevator doors ding open, Nick casts a glance around to make sure there aren't any men tied to chairs this time. "I got your message, but it was a bit unclear." This seems to be a pattern. "What's up?"

Sinister has posed:
Sinister takes the tea with an appreciative incline of the head and a small smile. "Nervous isn't quite the right word for it. Impatient springs to mind, as well as antsy? Seems legitimate." He's picked up a bit of modern slang it seems. "Frustrations mount, when you know you ought to be doing something, should be able to, and yet..." He starts, straightens and with a blink and a frown, looks over his shoulder toward the doors of the elevator. Cup brought to lips, there's a sip as it dings open. "He got your message, Lucifer..." said with a nod just as Nick emerges.

"That is /the/ most peculiar of feelings, I must say. You would be Nick, then?" Wait a second, that's odd.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Hearing Sinister speak out, Nick looks over to him and adjusts his steps to approach the located pair. Honestly the options of where they could be were slim so it didn't take long.

Sinister gets a curious look. He already knows him why is-

But if he forgot wouldn't he be able to just pi-

"Are you feeling okay, Nathaniel?"

Sinister has posed:
Sinister is more english than normal, if that's possible. The way he holds his cup and saucer, just so in front of his diaphragm is a bit much for the American Dream. He offers a small, thin-lipped smile at the affirmation and exhales long at the inquiry.

"That is why we called you. Apparently there are blessedly few individuals with any kinds of gifts of a metaphysical nature, that we trust, so I am told. You will have to forgive me; I have ahhh... misplaced a large portion of myself. Rather, an individual or individuals exploded some kind of psychic device in my head and most of me is displaced. I'm working on a very limited mind-space at the moment."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick's brows lift. "Exploded?" The years of vocal training becomes evident as the pitch of voice seems to slide up within one word. Conveying the uncertainty in a brief manner.

No. Not physically. Well. probably not. He's a shifter after all. Might be able to handle it. But then that would-

Maybe he means, suddenly activated?

"Do you mean a physical device or something else?"

Sinister has posed:
"I'm not entirely sure -what- I mean," Sinister replies, with a glance to Lucifer and then to the surface of his tea. He stirs the lemon around with soft 'tings' against the china for a couple, as if to collect the thoughts that coallesce. The spoon is set down with care.

"I have very little recollection of the events beyond what ws dredged from a... recording device in my own mind. I assume, a measure of mental defenses, in case of such an incident as this." He spreads his right hand against his chest, over his heart, assuming he has one. "I, myself, was safely esconced in a prison of my own making. Lucifer had to release me, the door only opened from the outside -- I would not presume to guess what I am usually like to engage with, but... suffice to say I am my once and former self?"

He actually looks to Lucifer there, for a measure of affirmation.

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer walks back over and then takes a soft breath in and out just for measure.

"I don't know how much this will make sense. But basically something happened in Nathaniel's mind and parts of him just....disappeared. I was able to enter his mind and I found the one version of him that was locked in a room. Let him out. Which is why Nathaniel is a bit more functional than he was before." A pause. "It was determined that we need to go to the Astral Plane to find whoever broke Nathaniel's mind, get the pieces back and put them together again." A smirk. "Maybe not in that order. But...my problem is...I don't know how to get to the Astral Plane. I was hoping you do."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick looks, unblinking to Sinister as he explains what has occurred. Mental defenses, blocks in the mind. Something one would probably want to go to a telepath for assistance with.

Which would be the one needing assistance. Well crap.

When Lucifer speaks, pale eyes look over to the handsome devil as he explains going into Sinister's mind.

Oh hey! Problem solved!

Except now they need to go into the Astral plane.

Nick considers the request, somewhat wishing he had access to all the knowledge in that book of his. But as far as he can tell thee are two variations of the Astral he can go to.

"Well, If you mean stepping into dreams, I can do that- but straying from the boundaries of dreams to the rest of the Astral is..." He pauses, "If I knew where Dr. Strange was at the moment I'd suggest asking him." But he hasn't seen him since he got invited to that school of his.

"Dreams are of an astral nature. The easiest way to trek there is to be dream like yourself. Which, I can make it to where you can. But there are rules to making that approach work."

Sinister has posed:
"Dream travel? You sound like a member of the Hermetic order of the Golden Dawn," Nathaniel observes, finishing his tea and actually settting it down on the kitchen counter, to resume pacing back and forth afterwards. "Which by the by, I do undertand the principles of. I even attended a seance or two in my time. Mostly, Victoria was partial to such things, though she did have such a delicate constitution. She could not stomach the drama..." he glances to Lucifer at that and smiles a smile that seems particularly happy. "I can't abide wishy-washy sensibilities like that, they're inherantly vapid."

There's a consideration though as he continues to pace on the spot, threatening to wear a rut in the rug. "I do beg your pardon, please. Go on."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer listens to Sinister and then glances back to Nick. He gives a sort of 'go on' gesture. Not saying much more at the moment since right now, the ball is in Nick's court if he can help them.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
The musician pauses and Sinister speaks up. The Hermetic order o- What? Herme...Hermes? Messenger? Speed? Psychopomp? Sleep?

And then there's the mention of seances which leans a lot heavier upon the Psychopomp possibility and th-

And Lucifer brings Nick back on topic. The wave seems a bit more hurrying but considering who Sinister appears to be to him, understandable he'd be more concerned.

Things seem a lot worse when it's people you know getting affected and not you.

Right. Back on topic.

"Well, to enter into a dream, I basically turn myself into that. And, anyone or thing, within a reasonable size, that I touch, I can loan some of that energy to and essentially turn them that way as well. But if I let go that effect goes away, and I can't guarantee where you'd end up if I did let go or if the dream being traversed collapses. So, rather than risk accidentally killing someone or losing them into the void, I have some ground rules for traveling. Top one is you don't lose contact with the guy who is making you physically capable of traversing it."

Sinister has posed:
"A reasonable ruling, if I do say so myself. Mind, you are speaking of the Devil, who has extra-dimensional talent in the means by which he can travel. But I? Given I think it would be my dream that I would be anchoring, it would be a sensible measure for me to be... lucid? I believe there are spirit boxes that can be used to facilitate the focus upon dreaming lucidity. I, myself don't recall having done such a thing, but I have extensive notes. From the confounded computer gadget that I accidentally... ah... crushed." He presses his lips firm.

"Fair warning, I am apparently immensely talented, but learning how to use such gifts as I possess is a work in progress. I can, it seems, inadvertantly crush things to pieces."

Well, that's good to know. "That is not to say I am ungifted intellectually. I am quite thoroughly well read and /that/ I have not forgotten. Merely the things experienced in the physical sense of learning, aside from such things as were catalogued and recorded by my usual self."

There is another pause. "I must press the urgency, or at least the very real danger I might present, unleashed and loose in the Astral plane. I believe I would be quite capable of killing a vast swath of people by accident, if suitably angered whilst there."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"If we're going into your dream we can make steps to trigger it into a lucid one once inside."

It's a pretty simple process once you get the hang of it. Although it helps to read the dream first before tipping off the dreamer to it being a dream. Some dreamers are not as receptive.

"While I'm sure he could 'probably' manage walking around once crossing over, I'm not 100 percent sure and definitely not keen on taking risks with friends' lives. I don't know, call it a quirk or something."

Giving a shrug, he looks back over to Lucifer. "I can take a form that won't be hindering. It's probably why one of the primary forms of a Phantasm appears to be a raven. I'll just do the shoulder thing and coach you through the rest of the process where necessary."

Sinister has posed:
Sinister nods with a slow exhale. "Is there anything then, that I need be doing, that might facilitate the process to actively begin? Must there be things you gather? Or that Lucifer gathers?" He looks over at the array of magical paraphenalia and artifacts that line the walls of Lux' penthouse, glancing from object to object but without lingering. His gaze travels all the way back.

"There is a minor problem you see, in that... I don't... sleep. It seems. Hypnosis or an extreme amount of ketamine might do the trick though."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick looks to Sinister as he prompts for suggestions to what he can do. " No gathering things required. Just dress comfortably for sleep, have a nice cup of chamomile and get-"

Wait.

What?

"...You don't sleep?"

Sinister has posed:
Sinister shakes his head slowly, with a sombre expression on his features. "I'm afraid not. I can close my eyes and switch off, but I'm not asleep. Contemplating my eyelids, as Lucifer likes to say." There's a pause, again. There's been a lot of those.

"I wish I could tell you why I don't, but it appears to be a consequence of the creation of myself as I am. My waking mind at the moment, cannot wrap itself around why I would ever want to do that, other than it dispenses of the need to take a break from work, If I gave myself that gift, it must have had a purpose."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer walks back over, with a gin and tonic in hand, exchanging it for the likely now empty cup of what was tea Nathaniel was drinking. "I do like to tell you that you work too much... but the creatures that we are... we do not sleep. I can force myself into a sleep state but even then it's very easy for me to be pulled from it." He says this much and then looks to Nick.

"Is that going to cause any issues for you? Us? Trying to do this...to help him? Otherwise...I agree to all the rules, and you know I don't mind you on my shoulder. So...when can we begin?" Though... he feels a certain way in the moment. 'Fixing' Nathaniel isn't the right term...but what happens to this more freely emotional, allowing disheveled looks part of Nathaniel when he puts him back together again?

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick is quiet, considering the situation. "...My ability centers around becoming and interacting with dreams. If we were able to induce him to a dream like state, then maybe but- I don't have any spells for forcing someone into that state."

Sinister's given a look, "Not yet at least. I could try writing one but I can't guarantee results. How much time do you think we've got?"

Sinister has posed:
"Aah, thank you my dearest," Sinister takes the gin and tonic with another pleasant smile and an incline of the head. A goodly swallow of the drink it had and he leans against the kitchen counter, tapping fingernails on the glass, for want of dispersing energy. The question has him sighing.

"I honestly couldn't say. It could be we have weeks, months... years even. But we could have but hours. And the longer the rest of me is there, the more likely it is that some other part of me is going to try and do something with the vaccuum. I really am quite a despicable collection of individuals some days."

Seeming to sense something, he looks at Lucifer with a bettled frown, eyebrows forming steeples above the bridge of his nose.

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer glances between Nick and Nathaniel for a moment. "I might have something that could put him into a sleep state. I just don't know how well it might work on someone who perpetually doesn't let themselves sleep." He thinks on it. "Though...I do think....sorry. There's so many times we lay down and.." he uses air quotes for, "sleep," and then, "but I almost think Nathaniel can actually put himself into a sleep state."

He looks up at the ceiling for a moment and then he smirks. "If you give me a day or so to see if I can find any information...or find anything I might be able to do."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick looks over to Lucifer as he suggests maybe having a means that already exists to bring about the dream state. "...Well alright. If you have access to an already established way to induce a dream state. By all means go for it. Once we got that we can head in."

Sinister has posed:
A couple of days, to work things out? That's doable, right? One hopes that is the case. You never know with the realm of the mind. Sinister's frown relaxes and he nods a couple of times, mostly to himself as he gazes at the floor someplace between everyone.

"Very well, as somnolocation tends to work better at night, we shall see you in say... two days hence?" This as he looks up sidelong to Nick, and yes, he does have a pocket watch which he pops open to check time, date and season upon. It's old and features the houses of parliament upon its etching along with a long scrubbed off dedication. "Say, nine o'clock of the evening?"

And provided that is agreed upon, after each has spoken their mind, the curtains may close and reopen upon that fateful night...

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Intermission: Let's go out to the lobby. Let's go out to the lobby. Let's go out to the looooBBBBBYYYYYYY, and have ourselves a snack.

Lucifer has posed:
Curtains rise on the night agreed upon. Lucifer is sitting on the L-shaped couch, smoking on a cigarette and sipping on a whiskey. On the table in front of him are three syringes, three small vials of different liquids (think the kind from a hospital), four books, a glass of murky looking liquid and a partridge in a pear tree. He looks contemplative, sips his cigarette, smokes his glass and just stares into...well some might say nothingness, but who knows with the Devil himself.

Sinister has posed:
At least tonight it isn't snowing. It's just bitterly cold as only a city on the Hudson river can be. Whatever Nathaniel did to prepare for tonight has left him looking like someone's dad. He has assembled for himself, an accoutrement collection that bespeaks warm, sleepy, cosy and all things somnolent. Fuzzy jumper in a blueish grey that's oversized, sweatpants, a blanket and a large, large mug of cocoa with marshmallows. He also has a smokey quartz crystal of unusual size which he's set a candle behind and has been arranging it with the care and attention to get the light to shine through the smoke in the middle.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick is- Well, getting situated. Of the three here, he's the only one who doesn't live here. And he's got a considerable commute when he can't use his powers to cheat and cut down on travel time. Still wearing the coat, it's hard to tell what the knit-capped musician wearing underneath it save for the pants peeking out from underneath the hem.

He looks over the assortment of items currently present, to the one drinking hot cocoa and then back to the items once more. "...So what's in these?"

Lucifer has posed:
"Midazolam, Diazepam, and Propofol. One of them ought to knock Nathaniel out good. If not, I've got some spells I can try to use on him... and this is some potent peyote tea. Just in case nothing else works." Lucifer grins then before he glances over to Nick once more. "Unless you've come up with any other ideas in the last couple days..." A smirk then. Something's gotta work right?

Sinister has posed:
"I just really wish that I remembered how I did it, put myself into a sleep state that is. But I don't. That has no notes." Sinister murmurs, fiddling with the cap of an industrial sized bottle of melatonin gummies. A dozen are fished out and put in his mouth to wash down with the cocoa, just to start him off with.

"You look considerably like you're about to either sell us a knock-off pocket watch, or flash us, Nick."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Maybe it was the comment from Sinister that prompted him. Or perhaps he was going to do it all along but Nick reaches up to his coat. He unbuttons a few spots to access the zipper underneath. The ZZZZZZT accompanies the brief movement that gives just enough room for a gloved hand to snake in. The slightest movement allows for a notebook that Lucifer has previously encountered to be seen before he slides it back into place. Another thing the movement does is give a glimpse to a tshirt collar. So, if the pants peeking out from underneath wasn't enough notice to him being dressed, that adds to the assurance that he is NOT a flasher.

"Jotted down some ideas," Nick explains, "But nothing tested. Hopefully one of your other approaches work."

Lucifer has posed:
"You keep that book away from me. That's all I'm sayin'..." Lucifer begins and then gives a little smirk. He stands from the couch and then gestures to Nathaniel. "Come along and lay down. Don't need you standing if any of this actually knocks you out. We'll give you a moment and then I'll see if there's nything I got that'll help." Offering at least this much before looking back to Nick. But silent for the moment.

Sinister has posed:
Sinister eyes the book, but doesn't seem to realize its significance. The glance is transferred to the speaker and he nods to Lucifer, tossing back the remains of his cocoa and swinging his legs up onto the couch, laying down with one bundled up blanket as a pillow and partial blindfold, as he allows it to flop over his eyes. "For what it's worth, I feel like a cocoon'd moth at the moment," muttered, he extends his right wrist out as a potential injection site, wrist upright. "I would suggest going for broke and giving me everything you have," he offers, even as he's reaching for the syringes to administer the drugs himself, with the practiced ease of a skilled doctor.

And back to laying down.

A minute or two ticks by. "Well, i can feel -something-..." he observes. "My eyelids feel mildly heavy..." and that is about all he manages to say before he is simply static where he lies.

Mind, he just had enough to tranquilize an entire herd of elephants and probably half a dozen rhinos, too.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick rolls his eyes at the devil. "Well, next time you come in contact with this book, just don't read the lyrics OUT LOUD unless you know what's going on with it.."

As Sinister suggest using everything, he watches as the man administers it, looking over to Lucifer. Drug measurements wasn't one of the locked away bits of knowledge, right?

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer chuckles. About to say something else when he notices that there is sudden silence from Nathaniel. He looks from the man laying on the couch and back to Nick. "So how do we know if he's dreaming or not? Do you have a way of finding out?"

Sinister has posed:
He didn't even make it to 'count backwards from ten' -- his regular self might almost be embarassed by that.

As it is, there might not be so much of a worry of working out whether he's dreaming or not. The decorations of the penthouse, the walls, even the lighting start to become muted and fuzzy, like they're being seen through a heat haze. Also, everything in the room that isn't bolted down and perhaps even them, themselves, starts floating from the floor by at least a foot. This in /includes/ Sinister himself.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick gives a bit of a half smile. Eyes closing for a moment.

For those who are still awake and observing, the musician's general appearance seems to shift, mirroring what was standing there earlier.

"I'd just know." Nick responds,

When the eyes open, the smile fades as he takes in the floating items. "...Or you could take that as a hint."

Shaking his head, he takes two quick steps before leaping up, flipping forward. As his body spins, it condenses inwards, becoming smaller, darker, and a tad more feathery. The bird lands upon Lucifer's shoulders.

"Ok dream travel speed refresher. Do not lose the bird. When stepping in or out of dreams, CLOSE your eyes and I'll guide you in verbally and let you know when it is okay to open your eyes. Also while Phantasmed, there's no sense of taste, touch, or smell. Don't panic. That's normal. Any questions?"

Lucifer has posed:
"Don't lose the bird. Don't open my eyes until I'm told. Loss of senses is normal. Okay. I got it." Lucifer repeats after Nick once the man is perched on his shoulders. He takes a breath, even though it's not needed, and then another just for safe keeping. "I'll do anything to help him." Not like that needed saying because...obviously...but he felt like saying it anyway.

This is going to be interesting. "Alright..." He closes his eyes and allows himself to be a bit light on his feet. "Eyes are closed. I'm ready."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
The purplish black raven bobs his head. There's a quiet pause.

It is hard to explain what may be going on from the perspective of a celestial, but within the quiet, the phantasm starts to feed some of his energy into Lucifer. Altering him, slightly. Eventually the previously listed senses would fade, leaving nothing but sight and hearing. If Lucifer's paying attention to instructions, the closed eyes are blocking the sight.

Phantasm waits a few moments, determining if there will be any potential issues from his charge. When satisfied, he speaks.

"Turn right and take two steps. "

Should Lucifer follow these instructions, the pair will soon slip from view in the penthouse and end up on the other end of the veil.

Sinister has posed:
It's possibly a good job that they can't in fact smell anything, because as they cross between here and there, the haziness of the room fades out entirely to a thick pea soup.

Pools of lantern light illuminate spheres that do little to penetrate the fog. The designs are wrought iron and painted black, the lamps themselves lit by a wick and parafin in a glass cabinet.

Beneath the feet are cobblestones, occasional piles of horse muck. The walls of hourses loom out of the dark like gravestones. The cry of a very sickly seagull can just be heard, along with the distant claxon of a foghorn.

Welcome to London in the midst of the industrial revolution. South east London. The Docklands, in a thick pea soup.

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer is keeping his eyes closed. Because he was told to. A right turn and then two steps forward taken. He'll stop then because he wasn't told where to walk next. But he can *feel* the change and his head tilts a little bit. "Just from the sounds around me, I can almost tell that we're in London. In a time far from the present in the past. Which will be really interesting when I can see again."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
As the scenery comes into place, Nick glances around the immediate area in which Lucifer stands. "You'd be correct." Nick allows while making sure that Lucifer is not standing IN an object first. Some concepts are best not introduced to newcomers in dream travel. "...Okay, it is safe to open your eyes now."

The bird glances around, "Another thing of note. While you can control your own actions and appearance, the dreamer has the most control over the environment. You can not alter what the dreamer created by will alone. You'll have to interact with it."

Sinister has posed:
The clipclop of hooves can be heard in the shadow and the wreath of obuscation. A black horse, pulling a hackney cab, rolls on past. There's initially no driver, just clothing where a person ought to be, but that detail fills out, at least partially. The individual looks like a wax doll that's been left in the heat, faceless and simply humanoid.

"Gerroffouttait!" Is yelled from a yawning portal of bright in the shadows and stinking smog, a drunkard summarily ejected from the confines of a tavern. Hanging beside the door is a painted sign of a horse head on a pike - it is however, made of metal and wood, decorated and painted in the manner of folk-lore. The caption reads 'the Nag's Head'.

The hackney cab rolls on past, the clipclops fading. Here and there, other humanoids appear in the dream; whores, vagabonds, dockworkers begrimed and with their dingy sleeves rolled up. Men in bowler hats. Women in brown and green dresses, faded from time.

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer slowly opens his eyes and takes in the sight before him. He was indeed right. London. Who could forget the pea soup fog that seemed to envelop the city no matter the time of day. He sniffs, only to remember he has no sense of smell at the moment. "Nag's Head." He reads the sign and then tries to remember if it has any signifigance.

"We ought to look for some place a Nathaniel Essex might be. Industrial revolution London was....1700s...and well into the 1800s. Hmm..." He says this aloud but also sort of to himself as he steps forward. Taking in those human but not that begin to appear and tries to gain his bearings on just WHERE in London they are. "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here..."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
The bird nods to Lucifer's suggestion. "You know him best." Phantasm responds, "As such I leave you to do the talking and what not until you need a lucid dreaming trigger. I'm mainly focused on making sure you get back after this."

Sinister has posed:
The Essex that was used to occasionally get drunk in the Nag's head, drowning his sorrows in the maudlin cup. Mind, he the interior of the pub is poorly defined. Stepping anywhere though, alters the landscape, pulls the footsteps as if by a will of their own and not by any desire on the part of the walker. A slow plod of the inevitable, drawing the dreamer presumably, to his ultimate fate.

The Docklands are a hodgepodge of districts, some of them simply loaded with barges, others with the crates and nets of cargo. A steamer sits heavy in the water, her cargo bleating pathetically in the night air.

Puddles litter the cobblestones, an unconscious body here and there also, down upon all the luck that was spent to get to the very bottom of life. And then, the sound of the river fades.

Great walls seem almost like a prison as they loom into view. Red brick and iron. Ten foot high, with spears upon their tops. The building hunkers to the landscape on an elevated rise like a slumbering behemoth, each sashed window seeming like an eye in the dark, bars on the windows. Bethlehem royal hospital for the insensed and feeble of mind.

Bedlam.

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer blinks once, then again. His attention going back to the Nag's Head sign. Of course! Sinister had reminicsed about going there a time or two from his days past and so he will turn and head towards the tavern.

"I think this place might be one spot we can check. If not, we might try to find him in some sort of....secret lab...or maybe his lab wasn't so secret here. I'm trying to remember."

But then the landscape changes. Gone is London and it's thick soup of polluted (and dangerous if real) air. Now they stand before brick walls on a rise. Barred windows. A sign that reads the name of an Asylum of such.

Well then.

"Alright. This is a little...unexpected...I guess we're going into this building now..." Which is where Lucifer heads. Trudging as he can towards the looming building to enter Bedlam as quick as he possibly can manage.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"In dreams, typically the structure with the most detail about it is the one to aim for. That's usually where the primary point of view is located." Phantasm offers as a tidbit. "So if you end up stuck, look for the details."

Watching the scenery change, the bird cocks his head, "Much the case for an...Efficient dreamer. Bare minimum on the unnecessary details."

As the pair crosses the threshold, the bird goes silent once more.

Sinister has posed:
It's bustling in here. The night brings out the sun-downers. But Bedlam housed not just the crazy and the downtrodden, but a good amount of those imprisoned for the sake of their sanity. Ordelies mill about, various staff attend the Tricotillomaniac, the hysterical, the individual who stares at the wall as if they've seen the very depths of the abyss. If detail is what was after, each of the 'victims' in here is extremely well remembered. Like photographs. Like they're real. A painfully thin young woman rocks in the corner, tugging at the sleeves of her drab tunic. And below, to holding cells. Maniacal laughter can be heard in one of the chambers, a whispering in tongues in another. There's a disturbing kind of greenish slime on the walls in places, stains of urination in others.

And laying on a bench, with a man in muddied finery, his great coat chalkdusted and with a measure of some noxious and unctious liquid upon it.

In his forties, back to the door. Essex.

"I will not. I will not. I will not."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer looks around, taking note of what he can and cannot make out in this place. Thanking whatever decided to strip certain senses when dream walking did just that. He doesn't think he'd like the smell of this place.

There doesn't seem to be a wall. Instead he just gets through the sea of people and finds Nathaniel on a bench, muddy and covered in some sort of viscous liquid. He rushes to the man's side and kneels there. "Oh my...Nathaniel...Nathaniel can you hear me?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
And so Nathaniel is approached by Lucifer and, by extension, the raven resting upon the devil's shoulder. While Lucifer speaks the bird remains quiet. The head turning to regard Sinister silently the only indication that the bird is alive in this dreamscape.

It observes, and judges. One needs to be sure what they're dealing with before trying to turn a dream into something else entirely, after all.

Sinister has posed:
"Mmmmnnn..." can't smell the alcohol, so it's a judgement of the eyes alone. Nathaniel's eyes crack open, but they don't really see, at leaSt not at first. They stare through, then swim to closer focus. "I hate this place. I keep coming back here, you know. Time and again, I close my eyes and here I am. At least there's other people. Isn't hell other people? Or... no. Wait a moment..."

Wincing, he sits upright slowly and rub at his face, looking at the Devil and the raven on his shoulder critically, but blearily.

"This is definitely new. Wait... I know that, don't I? We're... you're here to find me. Right?"

Lucifer has posed:
"So you're stuck here? In a sort of loop?" Lucifer asks while shifting back when Nathaniel sits up some. "Hell is...heh...that's a philisophical and literal question I don't know if I want to go into right now.."

He isn't sure of the rules here. Can he talk about how they're in a dream state? Should he ask if it's okay to?

Then that last statement and question from Nathaniel catches him and he nods. "You...something broke in your mind. You haven't been...you...for days now. So yes. I've come to find you. To save you..."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
There's not much time for Lucifer to debate about when it is the appropriate time to bring up the dream state. When Nathaniel starts to show some understanding to their purpose being there, the bird upon the shoulder gives a very notable nod. The beak parts ways, allowing for a voice to come from the corvid.

"It's not hell. But I suspect this is an area that represents a changing point in your life. Perhaps where an important decision took place or how you responded to a past event? Perhaps it's something you still need resolution to?"

Sinister has posed:
"I haven't been me. Well, I might argue that I never have been..." Nathaniel mutters, blinking heavily several times as if to clear sleep from his eyes and fog from his mind. As he does so, the details of the cell become clearer. Very spartan, only wooden furniture and relatively clean by the standards of Bedlam's holding pens. There's even some straw on the floor to absorb some of the rot. "Just a minute," he looks up under brows at the raven at that statement and lifts his right hand to his forehead, pressing index and ring finger against his 'third eye' -- meanwhile, the left hand lifts, spreads suppine, then turns slowly prone, fingers tightening around an invisible ball.

He is remarkably clearner afterwards as is the locale. Clinically sterilized of the muck and chattle of humanity? He dusts his sleeves off. "I think I had some practice at this kind of mental exercise when I was still..." back straightening, he offers a sheepish smile to Lucifer, then a somber look to Nick.

"I probably overdid the sedatives there for a bit. Improvement is happening. This is Bedlam. It was notorious and I had several stays here, before--" Pause "--I can't remember. Before whatever it was happened to me that culminated this crisis. Od's teeth..." irritated sounding, that was. He begins to pat his pockets though, outside, waistcoat, then breast inner. With a blink, he draws a letter out of that one, does not even open it, merely acts as if stung and flings it to the ground. "No. I will not."

Lucifer has posed:
"But you've become a decent you. Resolved. Careful. Intelligent." Lucifer pauses a moment. "Mine." The last word spoken a bit more softly. As things around them begin to change more. Cleaner. Clearer. He watches as Sinister rubs his forehead right where the 'third eye' or in his case his ruby diamond would be.

"Wait. You know you're on sedatives? That's a good sign. I think that's a good sign." He certainly was sounding more like Lucifer's Sinister the more they stay here and Sinister focuses on the dream state.

Though when he pulls out that letter and flings it to the ground, Lucifer raises a brow. He cannot help his curiosity and reaches to pick up the letter. "No you will not...what?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
The bird nods once more in confirmation to Lucifer assuming the note of sedatives is a good sign. "Lucid." The bird glances down to the letter thrown to the ground. The beak parts ways to ask about that but as Lucifer states exactly what he's wanting to know, the beak closes. Right. He's leading in this.

Sinister has posed:
Frustratingly, the letter just looks like scribblings. HOW DARE IT! Nathaniel shakes his head, slowly. "I don't want to," his voice gets softer with it and he sits back on the bench, looking ever so slightly defeated.

The letter clarifies itself then, becoming an invitation to meet. A simple note, not much more than a time and a place, located in the ruins of a fortification and mine in Kent. A place called Cheltham.

Lucid, but still not wholely in control, as country lanes in the dark, materialize around them. Sin is now sat on a crook-stile. The forest around is old growth, oaks and beech and ash and sycamore, some draped in ivy, others clawing the sky down with gnarled branches. The boundaries of the fort can be seen; the crook-stile fence crosses over the old retaining wall that surrounded the place.

An operating table under the auspices of a gaslamp on a pole and several blue orbs that do not look remotely like they fit this timeline, can be seen. And he is also there, on that operating table, beneath that blue light, staring up at the sky as he's strapped down by a dozen and more belts, a figure in a fine black coat and oriental trappings holding his hand aloft over Nathaniel's personage.

"I don't want to go."

Lucifer has posed:
"It's an invitation to a place called Cheltham." Lucifer explains and is about to speak further when their surroundings change again. Now they're in a forest of some sorts. Near a fort? Within a fort? Lucifer isn't really sure.

He then spots the operating table where another Nathaniel is strapped down. A figure beside the table, hand aloft, and Lucifer looks back to the Nathaniel sitting on the crook-stile. "You don't have to go. You don't have to meet anyone anywhere..."

He thinks Nathaniel is still speaking of the note, but he has a moment where he also wants to make sure. "Or..are you saying you don't want to come home? You need to come home, Nathaniel. Help me help you put yourself back together so you can come home. Waken from this dream world..."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Hearing Nathaniel's protests stating he doesn't want to go somewhere, the bird frowns. The very sight of the frown is unnatural. But being they were in a dream, quite possibly the most natural thing there is. The head tilts down, giving a slight nod. There have been similar dreams he's encountered. A lot of times leading to a trauma about to be revisited. Or something of great regret.

When the scene shifts to show another version of him on a slab with a man standing over him, he glances back to the dreamer. "Was this something that happened to you? Do you know who the one standing over you is?"

Sinister has posed:
The free Nathaniel's eyebrows steeple and he closes his eyes, shaking his head in denial and he turns... away from the sight, putting his head in both hands. A long, pained exhale punctuates an otherwise silent moment. "Please," it's such a soft wounded sound, "I want to stay."

But that said, the man on the crookstile lowers his hands, stares as they become transparent and looks up a last time at those in the dream as he vanishes.

"Overall, rather pathetic really." Essex' voice but from the slab. "I imagine the man has a variety of names, most ancient creatures do. A collection. Ah, now..." the straps are tightened, streams of energy are released from the stranger's outstretched hands, sinking into the strapped down doctor. "He can no more escape this than I could. Regret is a terrible thing to waste, I find. Besides which, it's not him that will be helpful in the end, it's me. I suppose, this is the crux point self that knows enough to assist. I doubt he'll return. I'll be with you in a moment, I have to become who I end up being."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer blinks, almost reaching out to grab the fading Nathaniel but he's gone before Lucifer can grasp at him. When that voice comes from the table, he turns towards the table and then steps towards it. "Ancient...creatures?" He asks this with a raised brow.

"What would you determine to be an ancient creature? Technically I'm one but that's just how existing from the beginning of time goes." He watches the man on the slab, continuing to approach it. "And just who are you becoming?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
The raven considers the one upon the table. "I understand having various personas." He allows, Sometimes in certain situations parts common to you are detriments, but even they have their uses. "Is this more or less what we're being introduced to? The various personas of you?"

Sinister has posed:
"In a manner of speaking," The Sin on the table replies before he's writhing in abject agony. All the energy pouring in electrifies his flesh, sinking predominantly into his head and orafaces, penetrating the eyes, ears, nose, mouth -- it goes on for a great length of time and also but a blink of an eye; the afterimage of it is what can be seen, transparent as Sinister is sitting up on the table, taking a hankerchief to daub at his newly sweat-glistening and inherently pale complexion. His hair is drenched, also.

"Definition of ancient is relative to the span of time, I do understand that. But by the standards of civilization, I imagine that there was a great big boring bit where nothing much was happening. This one, En Sabah-nur, I believe he's approximately four or five thousand years old. Certainly, he's one of the first natural mutations of the human condition." Dab, dab.

Lucifer is gazed at then. "I am becoming myself. This is not really -my- nightmare, but the one you contacted, I suppose. The reminent of self, locked up for the sake of maintaing sane order. You need help finding the rest of my mind, correct? It has been forcibly ejected and is... well, I can feel it, but it's dimension adjacent."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer sighs. "What in the nine levels of my domain are you talking about? Becoming yourself. You were yourself. But then something happened. Are you saying you ejected your mind out to avoid some sort of... self deprecation?" Even as he asks this he's been running over the rest of what Nathaniel said in his mind. He side eyes the raven on his shoulder the best we can. "I guess we're going dimension hopping..." He offers this and then looks back to the Nathaniel on the slab. "What would you say if I told you I love you?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
The bird tilts his head, "Locking him up? Is that really necessary?" The bird turns his head, looking back to the side eye. "Hey, I got you to the dream side of things. If we're talking non dream areas, we're in for a bit of walking. "

Sinister has posed:
Lucidity apparently was a little bit spotty. However, it's getting stronger by the moment.

"Lucifer, most of my mind has been forcibly ejected from my body. I understand that you're in my dream, trying to find a starting point and a position to find an aspect of me that can help, given that the only part remaining in my living vessel is the portion of myself I locked away from the rest of me, to stop myself going completely and utterly off the deep-end. But in order for that portion of me to be helpful, it had to be... well, I don't like to use the word 'exterminated' but it had to become me. That portion?" Looking briefly to Nick, he says this last bit quite gently "Is the last of my classic humanity. All the bits of myself I purged, in order to progress down the path I was on."

He glances around the dreamscape with a grimace and a shake of one hand later has the entire area rather more comfortable; a nondescript train station, apparently, except that there's steam trains and also modern bullet trains waiting at the various platorms. "I know, I know, very harry potter, hmm? sometimes analogous constructs work rather well."

A pause though. "And if you said that you loved me? Well, I would have to take your temperature to see if you were running a delirius fever." He says, deadpan, then quirks a little half-smile and winks "I love you, too."

Lucifer has posed:
"So I probably shouldn't try to dimension hop from within the dream world? Cause dimension hopping I can do...it's just dreamwalking I needed a little help with." Lucifer says this to Nick before looking to Sinister again.

"Okay. I follow most of that. So I need to find this alt dimension where your mind was ejected to, find it, and bring it back...to you? To our own dimension?" He's not sure how this could work, and knows he's going to need Nathaniel's help from this point forward but he's also not sure how much help Nathaniel is going to want to offer him. If he ejected the mind, would he want it back? Though then that last bit makes him smirk. "You're a loon, but I love you still."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
The raven considers the question. "That depends. If stuff goes wrong are you able to take us BACK to the Lux without killing or maiming either of us?"

Sinister has posed:
"To be clear, I did not reject my mind, I was attacked. From what little I can ascertain from... well..." Sinister waves his hand at the crook-stile. "A augmented mental assault. And I hasten to say that this might just be a distraction or worse, a trap." He looks to Nick at the question and considers it. Not his place to answer, but judging by the squint and head tilt, he's not altogether sure anyway.

Lucifer has posed:
"Ah. Right. I think there was a mentioning of that. The whole attack thing. Which is something else we'll have to try and figure out how it happened." Lucifer says this and then nods to Nick the Raven. "I'm pretty sure I can. If stuff goes wrong I can hop to wherever we need to go...but I am confident that if I am simply opening a portal to another dimension we'll be just fine. The only wild card is..." He motions to Nathaniel. "I don't know if you can come with us. We can try...if you want to come. Unless you need to stay here and continue working on...yourself."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick looks to Lucifer to the mention of bringing along Sinister to another dimension. But, not the actual Sinister but the psyche that is maintaining the very dream they're in.

The bird's frown deepens. "I can't say if it is possible or not possible. But I can state that I have never attempted to take along the central point of view that is fueling the dream I was traversing in into someone else's dream, much less the waking world. But there are dream worlds that are shared dreams. And there is also the possibility attempting to move the psyche elsewhere could result in a coma ."

The bird looks to Sinister and then back to Lucifer, "I won't tell you two what to choose but keep in mind the risk."

Sinister has posed:
As an individual who in nformal circumstances is extremely adept in the Astral plane and has copious amounts of experience there -- "I don't think that's a sensible plan. And I'm all for sensible, most days. I'm practically physically adverse to unplanned leaps, though..." Sinister thinks about that and clucks his tongue. "I've ended up in far mfore of them than I ever plan ffor." He clicks fingers, pointing at Nick. "Unlikely to be a permanent travesty in my case, but I have to be able to navigate the plane of mind in forder to be able to get back to myself. If I'm loose in a different dimension and something goes pear shaped, I'd be stuck."

He eyes Lucifer here. "The ends of the Universe scenario."

Lucifer has posed:
"No. No you're right. I'm not thinking this with a clear mind. We need to leave the dream. Then I can use the Nathaniel who's sleeping to gauge which dimension the mind was ejected into. Then we can recover it." Lucifer says this much and then steps close to Nathaniel here. "I'll get you all back together again, my love. It will be alright. I'm not losing you, not if I can help it. And when I find out who did this to you... no pun intended... but there will be hell to pay."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
When Lucifer adjusts his plan, the bird gives a firm nod. "I agree with this approach." Nick allows, "The more direct path is usually better."

Nick looks back over to Sinister, "Can you think of any other information we might need in order to better help you?"

Sinister has posed:
Sinister thinks on that, bringing an index finger up to tap at his lip, didactic. "I had been looking over inormation at my disposal, in mind -- information regarding alien technology that had been recovered from the Tartarus region of Antarctica at the time. Sometimes, bringing myself together in mind, is a good way of multitasking. It's a meditation technique that..." he drops the hand, waves it dismissively. "...all that is irrelevant. I had just noted that it seemed to be incomplete, or only half of the full machinery and was about to make notes when the blast happened. I remember -that- but not anything from the other side of where the rest of me got sucked off to. I suspect though, given our other information from previous experiences, that elemental planes might be possible. I fear though, it is myself that you face."

He gestures at one of the trains. "That ought to take you out of here. I don't know that I have a ticket for it right now, because I believe I am so far drugged that I might have actually put myself out for several hours."

Lucifer has posed:
"Well won't that be interesting." Lucifer comments that much before looking to the trains and then giving it a thought. "Trains. Or perhaps Nick has a way out. Since he's the guide that's been helping me stay here for so long. Whichever way gets us out of the dream will work." A sigh. "Facing you will be a trial...but it is one I am willing to face. We will see each other again. I promise."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
The bird hurms. "...So one of your personas might be wanting to become the dominant one?" Another thought comes to mind, "Or something placed there as a failsafe to prevent you from looking further?" He's not going to rule it out. He's got a partial access book in his own head.

The raven is quiet for a few moments, studying the path towards the trains. "When you're ready to head out, go in the direction he indicated." He instructs Lucifer, "I'll let you know when to close your eyes. Same rules as before."

Sinister has posed:
There's a small smile from Nathaniel, but a genuine one. He remains sitting on the bench at the station, whilst they walk off view, gazing instead at the emptiness. "I really do hate myself sometimes." His own closing comment.