First--[Action]

[there_were_none]

[This...was very strange, as dreams went.

For one thing, more things actually made sense than not. There was a house, though not her own, a floor and doors that worked as expected, and so on. She didn't have her wings, but this was a dream; sometimes she didn't. It didn't trouble her much.

The house was full of odd things; she was upstairs,

Comments

[notsogreatwall]

[ Meiling misses flying already, but walking isn't so bad. It's a nice day, too! She's wearing a simple skirt and blouse fitting of the era, in dark colors and with cute stripes. Her hair is tied as it always is and, something she is particularly proud of, she has her hat back! That golden star perched atop the green cap reflects the sunlight as she walks right on past that house.

Smiling, she gives a casual wave -- not really paying much attention to who she is waving at, but more of just a simple "hi! nice day, isn't it?" sort of wave, as she keeps on trucking past~ ]

[there_were_none]

[Flandre was quite focused on a dandelion, the yellow flower just peeking through the grass, when some movement distracted her. She looked up.

...it took a moment to match the figure with a name. She looked a bit different, but--]

Meiling?

[notsogreatwall]

[ Meiling stopped and spun around on her heel. She closed her eyes as she smiled. ] That's the name! Hong Meil---

Ah, Meiling Lebeau--

No no, that doesn't sound right. [ Consternation aside, she steps over and leans down to look at the little girl. ] My, that's strange, you look and sound an awful lot like--

[ A moment of recognition.

Then of shock. ]

M-m-m-iss--

[there_were_none]

[More confused noises. Yes, this was Meiling...maybe. She sounded the same, and had the same hat and kind of looked the same, though her dress was all different.

...but, then again. Her dreams sometimes did that.]

You are Meiling!

[She toddles over to the fence without hesitation.]

[notsogreatwall]

I-I am! [ Back to wide-eyed concern. She hops that fence (not caring if "ladies" don't do that in skirts such as this and lands before Flandre. ] How long have you been here? Are you alright? Should you be in the sun? Are you hurt? Is your sister here? Where are your wings? [ Going a million miles a minute because there are just SO MANY THINGS wrong with this. ]

[there_were_none]

[Flandre weathers the barrage of questions just fine!

...though it's questionable as to whether she even listened to all of them, as she seems to answer just a few.]

It's a dream, Meiling.

[This explained...if not quite everything, a lot of things.]

I don't know where Remi is. Is she here too?

[notsogreatwall]

No, I don't know if the Mistress is here. [ Meiling shakes her head. This is just... yes, she knows she isn't in her OWN body, but just seeing Flandre without her iconic wings, well--

It just breaks her brain a bit.

She kneels down, trying to give the little lady a reassuring smile. ] It's not a dream, Flandre. Miss Patchouli is here, too, but no one else from the mansion. This place is called Mayfield, and it's dangerously real.

[there_were_none]

[A blink, an almost trill, and a shake of her head. There's just a mental roadblock this isn't getting past.]

Of course it's a dream. It makes sense, but doesn't.

[Her shoulderblades twitch together as if confirming that yes, there were no wings there.]

[notsogreatwall]

[ Oh, this isn't going to be easy. She sits down on the ground cross-legged, hands on her knees, completely unladylike but not giving any thought to it. ] Hrm. Why do you think it's a dream?

[there_were_none]

[After a moment, Flandre sits down too.]

My wings are gone. And the sky is blue, instead of a ceiling, and the sun doesn't hurt at all even though it's daytime and the house is all small and full of strange things.

[notsogreatwall]

Those things are all normal here, though. [ Meiling scratches her cheek. ] Well, normal for Mayfield, at least...

You just woke up here, right? That means the sun doesn't hurt you and your wings are gone because you're... different. This place changes us. [ She bites her lip a moment. Meiling holds up her right hand; the cast is gone, but there is a heavy-duty metal splint in place, wrapped tightly with clean bandages. There are bruises here and there, old and green and fading, but nowhere near the rate of recovery she's used to. ] It gives us human bodies, takes away our powers, all of that.

[there_were_none]

[Her frown only deepens as she listens, and her head tilts more and more to one side. Flandre is confused.]

Dreams do funny things, too--

[...!]

Meiling is hurt!

[She immediately hops right back up to grab onto that arm, not really aware of THAT WOULD HURT or knowing what she'd really...well, do once she got there.]

[notsogreatwall]

Yes, but-- [ Meiling winces, but doesn't pull that arm away. A little pain is nothing like the disorientation that Flandre must be going through. ] It's not that bad. A woman helped me a little with the pain the other day. There was a lot of fighting going on, but that's all over with. [ For now. ]

[there_were_none]

[Flandre is quiet a moment; fidgeting about, clawing ineffectually at the brace with too-weak fingers that were no longer armed with claws.

...that didn't seem right.]

Why?

[It was a question that asked for many answers. Why was Meiling still broken? Why was this dream so weird?]

[notsogreatwall]

Why... were we fighting? [ She straightens up. ] We had to. It was to keep a man from destroying the whole town and everyone in it. [ Meiling smiled a bit. ] I had my powers back for a full day. I could fly, and I was really tough, and I wouldn't let anything stop me!

[ Then she reaches up to pull off her cap, to look at the emblem solemnly. ] --this is all I have left, now.

[ A weak laugh. ] Well this, Miss Patchouli and now, I guess, you too.

[there_were_none]

[Flandre mutters quietly, peering over to look at the hat.

...there's something reflected in that shiny gold star.]

...who's that?

[She wiggles her head back and forth a bit at her own reflection, not understanding.]