Encounterlogs
Seamuss Odd Encounter Sr Leaf 250213
In a captivating turn of events at The Trove Barcade, Seamus finds himself succumbing to an overpowering sleepiness, leading to his abduction and imprisonment in a decrepit, cold cell. As he awakens, disoriented and alone, he quickly realizes the gravity of his situation, surrounded by the stench of neglect and the evidence of frequent use. Despite the dire circumstances, Seamus maintains a semblance of composure, leveraging his lighter and cigarettes to bring a flicker of warmth and semblance of normalcy to his dire setting. His efforts to understand his situation yields little, until a mysterious duo, a man and a woman, peer into his cell, negotiating his worth in a dispassionate exchange. The unsettling blend of detachment and eerie familiarity with which they treat him suggests a grim purpose behind his capture, leaving Seamus to ponder their motives and his own value in a twisted game he has yet to comprehend.
Elsewhere, Leaf finds herself ensnared in a dream that threatens the very essence of her being. Encircled by an inferno that decimates the ancient forest around her, she confronts a nightmare that blurs the lines between reality and illusion. Her ties to the natural world and its inhabitants render her desperate to save the dying forest, a task that proves Sisyphean as the fire voraciously consumes everything in its path. The situation takes a critical turn when she wills herself to fly, an act of defiance against the dream that entangles her. This act of resistance unravels the fabric of the dream, revealing the entity that seeks to bind and exploit her essence. Leaf's triumphant awakening mid-air, back in the familiarity of Haven's untouched forest, marks a narrow escape from a sinister force. Yet, the lingering visions of fire haunting her dreams suggest an ominous foresight or an unresolved threat that may still seek to breach the sanctity of her natural domain.
(Seamus's odd encounter(SRLeaf):SRLeaf)
[Wed Feb 12 2025]
At The Trove Barcade
This room is dominated by a sprawling, weathered bar. The bar's surface, polished to a high sheen, is inlaid with a mosaic of colorful sea glass, glinting in the dim, lantern-like lighting.
The walls, painted a deep, oceanic blue, are adorned with an eclectic assortment of nautical paraphernalia. Aged maps, and faded flags are interspersed with vintage arcade game marquees. The ceiling, draped with tattered sails and thick, knotted ropes, gives the impression of being below deck on a ship.
In the corners of the room, clusters of arcade games flicker and beep, their colorful screens casting a kaleidoscope of light onto the wooden floorboards. The air is filled with the clatter of pinball machines, the electronic melodies of video games, and the occasional thud of an axe hitting its target.
Behind the bar, a vast array of bottles is displayed, their contents ranging from craft beers to exotic rums. The bartenders, dressed in pirate garb, deftly mix cocktails, their movements punctuated by the clink of glass and the hiss of a freshly opened beer.
North/South: Restrooms
Northeast: Games
East: Axe Throwing
Southeast: Competitive Games
Down: Laser Tag
It is afternoon, about 20F(-6C) degrees, and there are a few dark grey clouds in the sky.
(Your target is abducted in their sleep, waking up alone in a locked room. They need to either escape or draw attention to them so their allies can come and provide assistance.
)
As the late afternoon in Haven turns to early evening. An overpowering sleepiness over takes Seamus as he sits at the bar, its unnatural. Maybe his drink was spiked when he wasn't looking. Maybe something else just as nefarious. He doesn't know how, or why. He doesn't even know if he walked out of Trove on his own two legs or if someone dragged him out.
All that Seamus becomes aware of is his new, dank and dim surroundings as he awakens on the slab in the cell he's in. The place smells musty and he's definitely alone as he has some time to gather his senses.
Seamus looks around and rubs his hands and faces with a decidedly tired look. "Wolves my ass," he mutters before fiddling around in his pockets to see what was taken from him. While searching he gives a shout, "Oy! Someone wanna tell me what is going on?"
The cell itself looks as though it has not been maintained in some time but has seen frequent use. It smells of urine and even has its very own designated pee corner for lack of a better option. Each feature of the cell may warrant a closer look, or panic could set in and prevent Seamus from trying to figure it out. His first instinct is to call out and in response there is deafening silence, a silence that vaguely breaks in the far distance as a heavy door slams far away and the heating system whines as it spins up only to fail to add any warmth to the room Seamus occupies.
"Right," Seamus says cranky as ever and pulls out his lighter and pack of smokes, lighting up quickly, muttering under his breath about proper manners. Nerves settling a little now that he has some warmth he starts to truly assess the situation, beyond the pee corner he spends time looking at the door and other aspects of the cell.
For the door, its solid as can be. The hinges are not visible on this side of the door. There is no handle to grab onto. No gap beneath. It's truly solid. The narrow window is too small to even fit ones head through and it looks out into the forest, though the concrete frame of it is crumbling and water damaged. Finally, in the pee corner a small crack low in the wall serves as a mouse hole for rodents to come and go and liquids to drain out of the cell.
While the examination of the cell is in progress there is still distant noises that echo through the building that comes off as industrial and moderately sized based on the noises alone.
Seamus wedges the cigarette in his mouth and continues to talk to himself. "Alright. Someone decides that the traveling investigator needs to be taken out of play, but not permanently." He takes a drag and puts his hand in his rain coat pocket. "Ransom? Nah. This place is a shit hole though, so not meant to be comfy. Holding? But for what crime?"
These questions don't get answered. Not so clearly at least. It takes till Seamus gets to the end of the cigarette his captors graciously let him keep before something outside changes. Foot steps arrive, its two sets, one loud like a pair of heels and the other deep like a pair of boots supporting a heavy frame. Suddenly a pair of male eyes look through the slot and a gruff voice says, "He's up." then the male eyes switch to female eyes, the long lashes and eye-liner come across as quite feminine and well done. "Handsome, in a boring sort of way." the woman comments to her companion as if Seamus is not going to hear it. But he does.
A soft chuckle from the woman comes from the slit. She has amusement in her eyes. "I prefer when they beg or make threats." commenting on the calmness of Seamus. She pulls her gaze away from the slit but she can be heard negotiating, "I'll do three thousand for this one." to which the guy tries to push her upwards, eventually they settle on an even Four thousand. Presumably dollars.
Returning, the eyes look in on Seamus and for the first time speak directly, "We're going to play, don't worry though. When I'm done you wont remember."
"That is what they all say," Seamus says with a grin, belying his true nervousness. All the smoking and posturing were nervous ticks. He was brave, not stupid and not knowing where he was or with whom he was with was not a pleasant situation. "Also you over paid. I wouldn't pay more that a nickel for a guy like me"
"You don't know what I'm going to use you for." The voice says, it's cocky and sweet all at the same time. In a way it might be alluring for a certain kind of fantasy. The pair leave then, walking off down the hall, something is mentioned by the guy about 'blood' and the woman responds affirmatively. Foreshadowing that the possible outcome of this is not going to be pleasant. Now Seamus is alone in the aged cell, unsupervised with the sound of nature out his window.
(Your target is attacked by a dream stalker who subjects them to their greatest fantasies in the dream world in order to keep their body passive while it's energies are fed upon. They need to, possibly with the help of allies entering their dreams, resist the temptation long enough for other allies to find them or for them to wake up.
)
As it gets dark in the forest south of Haven, Leaf keeps to herself moving through the bushes fearless of wildlife. Her eyes seem capable enough of keeping track of her surroundings even in the dark. Still she is wary, she might belong in nature but she is always at risk of wolves and other creatures taking her for a meal and not for a friend.
There is a flicker of the air, and a rustle in the leaves, as Leaf walks through the forest. The night around her grows thicker, and a crack in the air is shown. Her sensitive sense of smell immediately recognizes the smell: Smoke, and the glow of fire. It's rapidly approaching, like a stalking predator in the night.
Leaf pauses to sniff the air. She often smells things before she sees them and this time is no different. Her initial reaction is one of calm as there is often many campfires out in the woods which she tends to avoid unless she wants to steal food or people-watch. But the smoke is too thick and the glow of the fire catches her vision causing to her stand tall, wide-eyed as she tries to get an idea of what she's seeing.
All around Leaf, the very forest seems to crack with a building fire. The trees around her only grow thicker, and the pathways more dense. This forest feels old, ancient, and undisturbed... Save for the fire around her. She might very well no longer be in Haven, this feels more pristine than any other forest on earth. Up above a pair of moons shine down, casting dancing shadows.
The smell of smoke rapidly increases, and the sound of birds and small animals fleeing is heard in the canopy and the underbrush.
Leaf was born into existence in a dream and transitioned into Haven by chance. To her, a dream and the real world are the same thing and indistinguishable. The only oddity of two moons is that she has yet to see a second moon around Haven but for all she knows its normal. All thats ever mattered in her short existence is taking assuming a role as a guardian of the forest she finds herself in and being a friend to nature and those who dwell within.
The fire threatens all that. As it spreads around her her heart pounds and fear covers her expression. Her reaction to this threat isn't to run, its destroying a part of her by destroying these trees and homes of the denizens of the forest. She has to do something. She plucks a leaf from her hair and holds it out in her palm, she whispers nonsense under her breath that certainly isn't english. Trying to find some trace of the magic she's passably good at.
Immediately, it's utterly clear that there is magic. Magic all around her. Fire... No... Something else. There is certainly the idea of fire. Or rather: Someone is shouting, fire, really loudly, energy wise. It's an insidious whisper. Briefly, just briefly, Leaf sees her own body, chained in dark chains, on the forest floor. Asleep, almost. Something is lurking over it.
In the area around her, however, there is FIRE. Fire all around her. As she tries to draw on the natural energies around, she taps into the sheer agony of these ancient trees... they are dying, and the fire is not only consuming them, it's actively torturing them. Like hot needles, it bites into the wood.
Nevertheless, somehow, Leaf is able to draw a trickle, a hint of hope from the area around her.
Leaf experiences intense stress at how helpless the situation is and tears come to hear eyes to roll down her cheeks. It might be the first time she's cried in her existence. Her magic can't steel the trees against flames nor can it call rain to douse flames. She's not equipped to save anyone and the powerlessness of this makes the situation a nightmare. She's forced by the heat to begin retreating. Each step backwards breaks her heart.
A creak, and a CRASH! One of the trees topples. It's roots are dead, it's trunk, ancient and beautiful, turning to ash. The heat laps at the wood around her, but somehow, she, and only she is spared. The woods around Leaf bend towards her, and whispers come... from the canopy... no, the woods themselves.
"S-save us... please... don't leave us... Please!" It's not in english, it's instead a language... no, it's more of a feeling. Intention, that directly resonates within Leaf's mind.
Another flash to that 'sleeping' form: the creature bent over it is sniffing it. Frustration in it's eyes. Maybe it's looking for something within that form.
Back to the trees. Slowly, a circle of fire is forming around Leaf, angry, and predatory.
Leaf stoops to grab a handful of dirt to toss it uselessly at the flames. It's a drop of water in a desert. A useless gesture. She can't do anything to help. She continues to have tears roll down her cheeks without even realizing it. She continues to retreat from the flames instinctively preserving herself as the heat pushes her back. Finally she decides to cut her losses, to get away from this hell and abandon her 'friends' of the forest. She attempts to shift into the bird she often takes the form of so that she can fly away, but thats entirely up to the rules of the dream and that power too could be out of reach.
That seemed to do something.... A sense of surprise filters in from outside of this dream.
A flash to a creature, lurking over Leaf's form, still bound in those chains, but shifting... changing... a bird.
In the two-mooned reality, Leaf does not shift. But she willed herself to fly, so fly she can. It might be entirely un-natural feeling, but her un-shifted form could fly... if she is quick. The fire around her is rapidly closing in, so something has to be done, one way or the other.
Leaf can't swim but she has had some practice in the pond flapping her arms and this is exactly how she approaches her birdless flight in the dream, she tries to swim and go faster up and away from the flames licking at her. Threatening to consume her like its consuming the forest.
At this point its just desperation to survive, she wants it to end, this nightmare that she can't wake up from because for her. She's never woken up from a dream before she doesn't understand they are different from reality.
Somehow, Leaf manages to swim upward. Perhaps this prison, this dream, was designed to hold someone physical. Perhaps the entity that trapped her was un-prepared. Either way, she breaks towards the canopy...
A flash to a strange entity, screeching, and losing substance as a bird flies from its bonds. It reaches a claw up.... It tries to claw at Leaf.
Back in the dream, then. The fire, almost shaped like a claw... it is licking towards her swim-flying form. Like the fire, despite the dream-child's escape... is trying to collect its toll....
Leaf thrashes desperately at the air trying to swim through the air. She knows how to fly but not without wings and so its a desperate panic to escape. When it feels like she's not going to make it out of reach of the flames in time she closes her eyes tight as possible, trying to channel a prayer despite not knowing any deities or instead reach an inner power all aimed towards making this all stop..then she opens her eyes.
"No... NO! NOOOOO!" With a jolt, Leaf wakes up. Mid air, that is. In her bird-form. Only one moon. No fire. The forest of Haven, New England below her. The last flickers of a claw fade, and as she wakens, so does the nightmare thing that was trying to claw into her fade. Dark whispers fill her mind for a few brief moments.... then the sounds of the forest around her return.
It might be a day, it might be a week, perhaps longer, that Leaf, might have visions of that fire in her dreams. What that does to her, remains to be seen.
Leaf(Swallow) feels a sense of relief and freedom when she finds herself flapping wings and soaring into the night sky. When she notices the forest beneath her is untouched by flames and it was all just a strange vision she feels a sense of prophecy, that maybe she saw something that is going to happen or could happen if she doesn't do the job she has assigned herself as protector of nature.
Elsewhere, Leaf finds herself ensnared in a dream that threatens the very essence of her being. Encircled by an inferno that decimates the ancient forest around her, she confronts a nightmare that blurs the lines between reality and illusion. Her ties to the natural world and its inhabitants render her desperate to save the dying forest, a task that proves Sisyphean as the fire voraciously consumes everything in its path. The situation takes a critical turn when she wills herself to fly, an act of defiance against the dream that entangles her. This act of resistance unravels the fabric of the dream, revealing the entity that seeks to bind and exploit her essence. Leaf's triumphant awakening mid-air, back in the familiarity of Haven's untouched forest, marks a narrow escape from a sinister force. Yet, the lingering visions of fire haunting her dreams suggest an ominous foresight or an unresolved threat that may still seek to breach the sanctity of her natural domain.
(Seamus's odd encounter(SRLeaf):SRLeaf)
[Wed Feb 12 2025]
At The Trove Barcade
This room is dominated by a sprawling, weathered bar. The bar's surface, polished to a high sheen, is inlaid with a mosaic of colorful sea glass, glinting in the dim, lantern-like lighting.
The walls, painted a deep, oceanic blue, are adorned with an eclectic assortment of nautical paraphernalia. Aged maps, and faded flags are interspersed with vintage arcade game marquees. The ceiling, draped with tattered sails and thick, knotted ropes, gives the impression of being below deck on a ship.
In the corners of the room, clusters of arcade games flicker and beep, their colorful screens casting a kaleidoscope of light onto the wooden floorboards. The air is filled with the clatter of pinball machines, the electronic melodies of video games, and the occasional thud of an axe hitting its target.
Behind the bar, a vast array of bottles is displayed, their contents ranging from craft beers to exotic rums. The bartenders, dressed in pirate garb, deftly mix cocktails, their movements punctuated by the clink of glass and the hiss of a freshly opened beer.
North/South: Restrooms
Northeast: Games
East: Axe Throwing
Southeast: Competitive Games
Down: Laser Tag
It is afternoon, about 20F(-6C) degrees, and there are a few dark grey clouds in the sky.
(Your target is abducted in their sleep, waking up alone in a locked room. They need to either escape or draw attention to them so their allies can come and provide assistance.
)
As the late afternoon in Haven turns to early evening. An overpowering sleepiness over takes Seamus as he sits at the bar, its unnatural. Maybe his drink was spiked when he wasn't looking. Maybe something else just as nefarious. He doesn't know how, or why. He doesn't even know if he walked out of Trove on his own two legs or if someone dragged him out.
All that Seamus becomes aware of is his new, dank and dim surroundings as he awakens on the slab in the cell he's in. The place smells musty and he's definitely alone as he has some time to gather his senses.
Seamus looks around and rubs his hands and faces with a decidedly tired look. "Wolves my ass," he mutters before fiddling around in his pockets to see what was taken from him. While searching he gives a shout, "Oy! Someone wanna tell me what is going on?"
The cell itself looks as though it has not been maintained in some time but has seen frequent use. It smells of urine and even has its very own designated pee corner for lack of a better option. Each feature of the cell may warrant a closer look, or panic could set in and prevent Seamus from trying to figure it out. His first instinct is to call out and in response there is deafening silence, a silence that vaguely breaks in the far distance as a heavy door slams far away and the heating system whines as it spins up only to fail to add any warmth to the room Seamus occupies.
"Right," Seamus says cranky as ever and pulls out his lighter and pack of smokes, lighting up quickly, muttering under his breath about proper manners. Nerves settling a little now that he has some warmth he starts to truly assess the situation, beyond the pee corner he spends time looking at the door and other aspects of the cell.
For the door, its solid as can be. The hinges are not visible on this side of the door. There is no handle to grab onto. No gap beneath. It's truly solid. The narrow window is too small to even fit ones head through and it looks out into the forest, though the concrete frame of it is crumbling and water damaged. Finally, in the pee corner a small crack low in the wall serves as a mouse hole for rodents to come and go and liquids to drain out of the cell.
While the examination of the cell is in progress there is still distant noises that echo through the building that comes off as industrial and moderately sized based on the noises alone.
Seamus wedges the cigarette in his mouth and continues to talk to himself. "Alright. Someone decides that the traveling investigator needs to be taken out of play, but not permanently." He takes a drag and puts his hand in his rain coat pocket. "Ransom? Nah. This place is a shit hole though, so not meant to be comfy. Holding? But for what crime?"
These questions don't get answered. Not so clearly at least. It takes till Seamus gets to the end of the cigarette his captors graciously let him keep before something outside changes. Foot steps arrive, its two sets, one loud like a pair of heels and the other deep like a pair of boots supporting a heavy frame. Suddenly a pair of male eyes look through the slot and a gruff voice says, "He's up." then the male eyes switch to female eyes, the long lashes and eye-liner come across as quite feminine and well done. "Handsome, in a boring sort of way." the woman comments to her companion as if Seamus is not going to hear it. But he does.
A soft chuckle from the woman comes from the slit. She has amusement in her eyes. "I prefer when they beg or make threats." commenting on the calmness of Seamus. She pulls her gaze away from the slit but she can be heard negotiating, "I'll do three thousand for this one." to which the guy tries to push her upwards, eventually they settle on an even Four thousand. Presumably dollars.
Returning, the eyes look in on Seamus and for the first time speak directly, "We're going to play, don't worry though. When I'm done you wont remember."
"That is what they all say," Seamus says with a grin, belying his true nervousness. All the smoking and posturing were nervous ticks. He was brave, not stupid and not knowing where he was or with whom he was with was not a pleasant situation. "Also you over paid. I wouldn't pay more that a nickel for a guy like me"
"You don't know what I'm going to use you for." The voice says, it's cocky and sweet all at the same time. In a way it might be alluring for a certain kind of fantasy. The pair leave then, walking off down the hall, something is mentioned by the guy about 'blood' and the woman responds affirmatively. Foreshadowing that the possible outcome of this is not going to be pleasant. Now Seamus is alone in the aged cell, unsupervised with the sound of nature out his window.
(Your target is attacked by a dream stalker who subjects them to their greatest fantasies in the dream world in order to keep their body passive while it's energies are fed upon. They need to, possibly with the help of allies entering their dreams, resist the temptation long enough for other allies to find them or for them to wake up.
)
As it gets dark in the forest south of Haven, Leaf keeps to herself moving through the bushes fearless of wildlife. Her eyes seem capable enough of keeping track of her surroundings even in the dark. Still she is wary, she might belong in nature but she is always at risk of wolves and other creatures taking her for a meal and not for a friend.
There is a flicker of the air, and a rustle in the leaves, as Leaf walks through the forest. The night around her grows thicker, and a crack in the air is shown. Her sensitive sense of smell immediately recognizes the smell: Smoke, and the glow of fire. It's rapidly approaching, like a stalking predator in the night.
Leaf pauses to sniff the air. She often smells things before she sees them and this time is no different. Her initial reaction is one of calm as there is often many campfires out in the woods which she tends to avoid unless she wants to steal food or people-watch. But the smoke is too thick and the glow of the fire catches her vision causing to her stand tall, wide-eyed as she tries to get an idea of what she's seeing.
All around Leaf, the very forest seems to crack with a building fire. The trees around her only grow thicker, and the pathways more dense. This forest feels old, ancient, and undisturbed... Save for the fire around her. She might very well no longer be in Haven, this feels more pristine than any other forest on earth. Up above a pair of moons shine down, casting dancing shadows.
The smell of smoke rapidly increases, and the sound of birds and small animals fleeing is heard in the canopy and the underbrush.
Leaf was born into existence in a dream and transitioned into Haven by chance. To her, a dream and the real world are the same thing and indistinguishable. The only oddity of two moons is that she has yet to see a second moon around Haven but for all she knows its normal. All thats ever mattered in her short existence is taking assuming a role as a guardian of the forest she finds herself in and being a friend to nature and those who dwell within.
The fire threatens all that. As it spreads around her her heart pounds and fear covers her expression. Her reaction to this threat isn't to run, its destroying a part of her by destroying these trees and homes of the denizens of the forest. She has to do something. She plucks a leaf from her hair and holds it out in her palm, she whispers nonsense under her breath that certainly isn't english. Trying to find some trace of the magic she's passably good at.
Immediately, it's utterly clear that there is magic. Magic all around her. Fire... No... Something else. There is certainly the idea of fire. Or rather: Someone is shouting, fire, really loudly, energy wise. It's an insidious whisper. Briefly, just briefly, Leaf sees her own body, chained in dark chains, on the forest floor. Asleep, almost. Something is lurking over it.
In the area around her, however, there is FIRE. Fire all around her. As she tries to draw on the natural energies around, she taps into the sheer agony of these ancient trees... they are dying, and the fire is not only consuming them, it's actively torturing them. Like hot needles, it bites into the wood.
Nevertheless, somehow, Leaf is able to draw a trickle, a hint of hope from the area around her.
Leaf experiences intense stress at how helpless the situation is and tears come to hear eyes to roll down her cheeks. It might be the first time she's cried in her existence. Her magic can't steel the trees against flames nor can it call rain to douse flames. She's not equipped to save anyone and the powerlessness of this makes the situation a nightmare. She's forced by the heat to begin retreating. Each step backwards breaks her heart.
A creak, and a CRASH! One of the trees topples. It's roots are dead, it's trunk, ancient and beautiful, turning to ash. The heat laps at the wood around her, but somehow, she, and only she is spared. The woods around Leaf bend towards her, and whispers come... from the canopy... no, the woods themselves.
"S-save us... please... don't leave us... Please!" It's not in english, it's instead a language... no, it's more of a feeling. Intention, that directly resonates within Leaf's mind.
Another flash to that 'sleeping' form: the creature bent over it is sniffing it. Frustration in it's eyes. Maybe it's looking for something within that form.
Back to the trees. Slowly, a circle of fire is forming around Leaf, angry, and predatory.
Leaf stoops to grab a handful of dirt to toss it uselessly at the flames. It's a drop of water in a desert. A useless gesture. She can't do anything to help. She continues to have tears roll down her cheeks without even realizing it. She continues to retreat from the flames instinctively preserving herself as the heat pushes her back. Finally she decides to cut her losses, to get away from this hell and abandon her 'friends' of the forest. She attempts to shift into the bird she often takes the form of so that she can fly away, but thats entirely up to the rules of the dream and that power too could be out of reach.
That seemed to do something.... A sense of surprise filters in from outside of this dream.
A flash to a creature, lurking over Leaf's form, still bound in those chains, but shifting... changing... a bird.
In the two-mooned reality, Leaf does not shift. But she willed herself to fly, so fly she can. It might be entirely un-natural feeling, but her un-shifted form could fly... if she is quick. The fire around her is rapidly closing in, so something has to be done, one way or the other.
Leaf can't swim but she has had some practice in the pond flapping her arms and this is exactly how she approaches her birdless flight in the dream, she tries to swim and go faster up and away from the flames licking at her. Threatening to consume her like its consuming the forest.
At this point its just desperation to survive, she wants it to end, this nightmare that she can't wake up from because for her. She's never woken up from a dream before she doesn't understand they are different from reality.
Somehow, Leaf manages to swim upward. Perhaps this prison, this dream, was designed to hold someone physical. Perhaps the entity that trapped her was un-prepared. Either way, she breaks towards the canopy...
A flash to a strange entity, screeching, and losing substance as a bird flies from its bonds. It reaches a claw up.... It tries to claw at Leaf.
Back in the dream, then. The fire, almost shaped like a claw... it is licking towards her swim-flying form. Like the fire, despite the dream-child's escape... is trying to collect its toll....
Leaf thrashes desperately at the air trying to swim through the air. She knows how to fly but not without wings and so its a desperate panic to escape. When it feels like she's not going to make it out of reach of the flames in time she closes her eyes tight as possible, trying to channel a prayer despite not knowing any deities or instead reach an inner power all aimed towards making this all stop..then she opens her eyes.
"No... NO! NOOOOO!" With a jolt, Leaf wakes up. Mid air, that is. In her bird-form. Only one moon. No fire. The forest of Haven, New England below her. The last flickers of a claw fade, and as she wakens, so does the nightmare thing that was trying to claw into her fade. Dark whispers fill her mind for a few brief moments.... then the sounds of the forest around her return.
It might be a day, it might be a week, perhaps longer, that Leaf, might have visions of that fire in her dreams. What that does to her, remains to be seen.
Leaf(Swallow) feels a sense of relief and freedom when she finds herself flapping wings and soaring into the night sky. When she notices the forest beneath her is untouched by flames and it was all just a strange vision she feels a sense of prophecy, that maybe she saw something that is going to happen or could happen if she doesn't do the job she has assigned herself as protector of nature.