Date of Scene: May 11, 2011
Characters in Scene (In Order of Appearance):
Lilith has been asked. Otherwise, she wouldn't be there. But she's standing sentinel in Angela's mind, at the corners. At the borders. She's waiting for anything to happen, a centre of peace and serenity amid the calm before the storm.
It's a museum-like room. Plush red velvet carpets, rich-grained wood floors, marble columns. Everything looks oversized, from the chairs that seem to be 10 feet tall, to the fireplace that Angela could easily walk into without ducking her head. Angela stands in the center of hte room, in a seriously over-done ball gown. It's soft rose-pink, with more ruffles than a potato chip. Her hair and shoes and make-up are all styled far too young for the adult 20something she actually is; there's a large satin ribbon in her hair, folded with the crisp corners of a 'look-how-awesome-of-a-bow'. She's trembling as the door behind her opens. Music drifts in, that stuffy live music of a chamber orchestra playing the same thing they've played for generations. A man walks in, in proportion to the rest of the overly large room.
Carefully, Lilith remains on the borders of the room. She doesn't allow herself to be taken in by the illusion, although it is an attractive one. There is some appeal. But already she understands what is happening, already she has some inkling of what to expect.
He walks over to Angela, towering over her. His frown is the same as her own, the disapproval in his green eyes all too familiar. He stalks a heartless circle around her once, eyes glaring at every detail. "Who did your hair," he demands. "I did," she replies, cihn starting to lower. He grabs at the hair bow to yank it off her head with an uncaring jerk.
Lilith, however, silently walks over with slow, calculated steps, and then, with a smooth motion, insinuates herself between the man and the girl. "I think you'd better give that bow back," she states, tilting her head back and looking perhaps surprisingly formidable. Of course, this is her domain too. The mind is her realm.
The man have lifted his other hand, palm facing him, in a move to back hand the much smaller Angela, when Lilith steps in. The dream and the dreamer both seem surprised by her, and each take a step back and away from Lilith.
Lilith keeps her composure. She doesn't make a move towards either, just stays in place between them. The silver peace sign earrings dangle and sparkle from her ears, catching the light just so.
Behind Lilith, Angela's lips part in wonder at the shiny earrings. The bright hopeful gleam is not something it seems she's ever seen before; she's held mesmerized. Meanwhile, the man recovers his composure and sneers at Lilith - Phobia's sneer. He advances. The room darkens. A chill washes over the area, trying to wrap itself around Lilith to claw at Angela. "This is not your business," he hisses.
However, Lilith isn't even remotely phased. She stands fast, and there is something distinctly peaceful about the aura around her. Even if the chill tries to wrap around her, it's not going to have an easy time of it. "I'm making it my business," she states unequivocally. Those earrings...in a funny way, they symbolise the woman's being so well.
Angela shuddered at the sound of the man's voice, and stepped closer to Lilith, closer to that warmth and peace and groove. It's as if the whole room were darkening and a single spot light was growing stronger around the two women. The man fades into the darkness that has turned into a thick black mass, swirling about the two. "You can't hide forver, Angela," the man's voice echos from the dark. "Imaginary friends can't protect you."
"She won't have to," Lilith counters, the hint of a smile playing across her face. She turns slightly, holding out a hand to the small Angela. "And imaginary enemies can't harm you, either."
Angela's eyes widen slightly, the fear that was settling in turning to awe as Lilith holds out her hand. Angela takes the offered hand, form growing into the adult sized Angela. The dress smooths out into a white version of the Phobia get up she normally wears. "He's not imaginary," Angela seems to question, while the blackness swirls behind her. Black on black, eyes gleam from the shadows, looking for a weakness.
"He's not, no." Lilith slowly nods her head. "But he's in your mind, and that is your realm." Her expression remains gentle, caring. The earrings still spin and sparkle. Probably why she chose them.
That line, that this is her realm, makes little sense to Angela. She begins to shake her head, trying to clear it, only to wake up with a start. Her eyes snap open, her mouth opens. But where normally there is mind-numbing terror, now there is nothing.
And nearby sits Lilith, who is completely awake, reading a book. It looks a bit funny, to see her in those dramatic robes, with a book in her lap, reading it quietly. She looks up and smiles. "Oh! Did you get some rest?"
Angela turns her head to look at Lilith, clearly wondering if she's still dreaming. She lays there, staring at her cell-mate, blinking, trying to sort out the lack of fear for a long long time before she finally manages to get out a muffled squeaky sort of, "I think so."
The book is closed and Lilith rises, her smile widening. "Good. I'll get you some tea and breakfast, if you like." She sets the book down in the chair where she was seated, clasping her hands in front of her.
Phobia nods as she sits up fully, running a hand across her eyes. "Yes, thank you," she adds, voice soft and unstrained.
With a little nod, Lilith glides out of the room and out of the holding area. She is gone for a short time, and then she returns with a tray of a modest breakfast, toast and eggs and tea, one of her relaxing teas that she brought with her.
Angela sat up and rubbed at her face and hair with the heels of her hands while Lilith was gone. Then, she looked around as the lights slowly grew brighter as the Tower adjusts for someone awake in the cell. When Lilith returns, Angela shifts so she can eat and drink, reaching for the tea before anything else. "Thank you," she says softly.
Lilith sets the tray down, smile widened from before, looking even more comfortable. "You're very welcome. Are you enjoying the tea? A friend of mine blended it together, he's so groovy. He raises all of the plants himself."
Angela nods, fingers coming up to dab lightly at a moist corner of her mouth. "Yes, very much so. I normally prefer Earl Grey, but this is suiting me quite thoroughly."
"I'm very glad." Lilith seats herself again, taking the book to set on the floor. She remains silent for a time, watching Angela eat and then turning away, gazing outside the room. She turns her head back, folding her hands in her lap.
Angela eats with the proper etiquette of the English aristocracy. Small bites, thoroughly chewed, and no motion to speak while food is being eaten. Every so often, she dabs at the corners of her mouth. When done, she carefully sets the tray aside, and shuffles back to more completley enjoy te tea. She regards Lilith, just as the other women turns her head back in her direction.
Lilith smiles a little wider, still not saying anything...but she looks content enough. There's still that exuding peacefulness from her...her earrings just the same as they were in the dream.
Angela's eyes catch sight of the earrings, and it gives her pause. "Am I still dreaming," she wonders aloud.
"No." Lilith tilts her head a little to the side. "You're awake. But I'd like to work with you about dreams...I think I could help you to control your dreams a bit more."
Phobia frowns darkly, though her eyes are curious and clear. "Control.. my dreams? Oh no. I normally just looked into someone else's." She sips her tea, loking away to hide her unease.
Lilith slowly nods her head, then stills herself again. She is so still sometimes. So serene. "It's not difficult to do. If I can work with you, we can make it easy for you to rest."
Angela sips her tea again, watcing Lilith. Long moments pass as she ponders before she finally nods.
Lilith lets that time pass between them, careful, gentle, and not intruding. She doesn't ask about the dream...she doesn't press the matter. But there is something, something in her gaze, something gleaming in her eyes.
Phobia finds herself drawn to that gleam, though she fights it. She falls to it, then retreats, falls, retreats, until at last she shakes her head and stands to get some distance and what she thinks is safety. "Where- where do we begin," she asks after long moments of inner struggle.
"Well," Lilith answers, "we have to begin at the beginning. And with most people, that's breathing. I'm going to teach you how to take cleansing breaths, to focus. Is that okay?"
Phobia blinks several times in rapid succession. "Cleansing... breaths," she repeats, tone filled with confusioned questions.
Lilith nods again. "You breathe in...hold your breath and count to ten...and then you slowly exhale." She demonstrates, breathing in, shoulders rising, and then after a few seconds, falling gradually again. "Like that."
Phobia blinks once more, shrugs, then breathes in and hold her breath. Like, HOLDS her breath. One can see her counting to herself, and the disbelieving, skeptic voice in her head is more than loud enough for any psychic to hear: 'One. Two. Thre...'
Lilith covers her mouth, chuckling softly. "It doesn't have to be exact. You don't have to hold it, per se...just...don't exhale, for a few seconds. Let yourself relax. Feel it."
Phobia exhales quickly, moving over to plop back down, and not wanting to admit she was getting light headed from holding her breath. This one is NOT in any kind of good physical shape. She sighs lightly, and runs a hand through her hair. "What am I doing here," she asks, more to herself than anyone else. "This is stupid."
"I know, it is, isn't it?" Lilith laughs again, pleasantly. She has a nice voice. No wonder she is well-liked at coffeehouses for her singing. "But it helps a lot if you try it. You can calm yourself down, focus...centre yourself."
Phobia gives Lilith a quirked glance out of the corner of an eye, while a light frown runs amuck on her lips. Rolling her eyes, she tries the breathing thing, again.
Lilith quiets and breathes in. "In..." She pauses. "And then out...slowly...your heart is beating slower. Your muscles are relaxing. Your body is coming to stillness. To peace."
Phobia glances over again, rolls her eyes, but breathes as directed. The good thing here is that as used as Phobia is to sucking down the fears of others, she seems to be easily suggested. Her eyes flutter closed.
"So nice...so nice..." Lilith's voice flows like honey around the room. She has trained well in this, guided many in meditation and mysticism...she even taught herself her more esoteric arts. Her voice is a guide.
With such a guide, Angela finds herself settled into a place she's never known: calm meditation.
The quiet surrounds them. It's so quiet. It's quiet in space, and only the faint hum of machinery can be heard. The occasional rush of the air supply in the vents. After some time, Lilith speaks again, voice hushed. "See? You did it."
Angela's reply: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz............ Her chin tips forward and her shoulders droop in a relaxed slumber.
Lilith just smiles to herself, folding her hands in her lap. She will stay there, on her usual vigil. Does she never sleep? Possibly not. She leans down to take up her book again, opening it precisely to the page she was on last, letting herself feel the ether around her.
