journal 🌿 first entry

[menancia]

Sender: Dohalim
To: Dreamwalkers
Subject: Journal Activity & Dreamotion Manifestation

[The following is written in slanted, elegant script, almost painfully neat— the mark of someone who takes great pride in their penmanship and thinks such things ought to leave a good impression.]

These journals we've been provided are truly remarkable. The ability to share written information without any delay is certainly possible where I come from, but such technology is limited to a comparatively small number of people, rather than accessible to all. The opportunities these offer are near endless, especially if they are truly available to all who find themselves here.

I'll admit, I also find the handwritten aspect of them to be quite charming. It offers the personal touch of sending a written letter without the inconvenience of having to wait for it to be delivered.

This entry is largely to see firsthand how the journals work and facilitate communication, but in the interest of the latter, I do have a question. For those who have already begun to develop their 'dreamotion' abilities, how have they expressed themselves? Do you find that they manifest in a way that reflects your personality or evoke something otherwise meaningful to you? I am quite curious to hear how this may vary between individuals.

Thank you for your time.

- Dohalim il Qaras

Comments

Sender: Zhao

[seemagicshit]

I can smack the shit out of things with blue fire. I think that's pretty handy.

[He is nothing if not direct and honest. Helpful though? Perhaps not.]

[menancia]

I see. Does blue fire have any personal significance to you, I have to wonder? I have heard that only the hottest of flames burn blue.

[seemagicshit]

Not sure? Yellow's more my color so it's interesting you bring that up. But I do work a lot with gas with cooking so there is a lot of blue there.

I have to kind of use my saber first to wind it up, so to speak. Maybe I'll be able to do it later by just thinking about it? Still working on that part.

Sender: Oriphi

[hearthwarming]

I really like these journals, too! Have you tried erasing your words with the other end of the feather yet? It erases what you wrote in case you make a mistake! It's a neat trick I discovered when I dropped my quill.

I'm not so sure yet, but I accidentally made some flowers bloom when I didn't mean to. Usually, I can only do that if I mean to...

By the way, your handwriting is really quite beautiful!

[menancia]

Yes, it's quite useful. Far more forgiving than standard ink. Less smearing, as well.

Flowers, you say? Do you have a close connection with nature?

My thanks for the compliment— you are very kind.

[hearthwarming]

Not to mention how quickly you can receive somebody's response! There isn't a limit on how many words you can write, either. What wonderful magic this is!

But yes, that's right. I've spent a lot of time out in nature, so I do feel very closely connected with it.

You're welcome! You must have worked very hard on it for it to be so nice.

Sender: Beatrix

[roseofmay]

[. . .]

I cannot believe it.

[No. Really. She can't believe it. It's right there in front of her and she can't believe it.

But she's also not about to thank him for his assistance.]

[menancia]

It does seem rather incredible, does it not?

I take it this is unheard of where you're from, as well.

[It's remarkable, honestly.]

[roseofmay]

The more sceptical I become, the more I am proven that my scepticism has no place here.

I do not keep a journal where I come from. Magic is not unheard of either, but this nonsense is not a part of it.

Sender: Jude

[spryite]

[The handwriting is very neat and clean, some may even call it 'girly'. But honestly, it's just perfectly legible and easy to read.]

I've been able to replicate basic artes I know using dreamotion, manipulating it feels very similar to spirit channelling from my home world. Dreamotion itself may be a lot like mana, though I do theorize that my personal understanding of the two concepts and how much I'm comparing them may be helping me learn better.

[menancia]

[Ah, a kindred spirit in careful penmanship!]

I have been making my own comparisons with similar abilities and the theory behind them from my own world. I agree, it does seem a sound way to move forward. Using the familiar as a basis for comparison can only help encourage further understanding.

When you say 'artes,' do you mean astral artes?

[spryite]

[Having already gotten used to the GHS (aka cellphones as normal people would call them) of Elympios, sending and receiving messages remotely is nothing new to Jude. But it really is a fascinating and unique aspect of these journals to require actual handwriting, they truly give the messages a very personal touch. Makes him curious to meet this "Dohalim il Qaras" (the name sounds kinda important though, is it just his gut feeling?), actually, especially due to a certain keyword.]

It's nice to hear that someone else thought of the same thing. Can you please let me know how well this method works for you, once you feel like you've tested it out to a satisfactory level? Many others seem to have trouble with dreamotion here, so if our hypothesis can hold water, then this could be a helpful tip to share with everyone.

I was referring to spirit artes, that's what they're called in my world. I've heard of someone else mention astral artes here, though. Would you happen to be from the same world as Alphen, M. Dohalim?

sender: Thoma

[burnbrighter]

These journals really are neat, aren't they? You can also draw little pictures! ▼・ᴥ・▼

[ Of course Thoma would figure out how to send other people dogs. ]

But back on topic - I've just arrived here myself, so I'm trying to get the hang of the abilities here. It's really quite fascinating! I had some luck in the dream realm that looked like a dollhouse. I was able to create a weapon!

[menancia]

Fascinating! That drawing— a cat, perhaps?

[... he doesn't spend a lot of time with animals beyond Hootle. All of the ranch business was better left to his companions.]

A weapon manifested through 'dreamotion' energy. The concept is certainly sound. Tell me, was it effective when used in combat? How was its consistency? I have to wonder if such a thing would waver or weaken as emotions shifted...

[burnbrighter]

It’s a dog, but close enough! I know my art skills leave something to be desired. U ´꓃ ` U

Oh, here let me go in order!

1. It was very effective against the dolls and a nightmare I happened to run across. In the case of the former, it seemed to soothe them, but it was able to hurt the latter.
2. It was functionally the same as the weapon I use in the real world, only it was made out of some kind of light! It was pretty sturdy and didn’t seem to falter in the time that I used it, but I guess that’s always possible!

I hope that helps! =＾• ⋏ •＾=
(That is a cat!)

[legbreakings]

To Dohalim il Qaras,

I too enjoy the formality and procedure of proper letters, though I find most of these conversations held are more written notes passed to another than full letters.

I'm glad we are given proper writing utensils here for communication, even if the quills take getting used to. I wish I could exchange mine for a decent calligraphy brush.

As for your question, I'm mostly attempting to regain my powers which have been hard to accesshere, and hope that dreamotion can help me with that.

Jiang Wanyin

[ Vague, on his powers, for he has not made much progress and doesn't like to admit to struggling. ]

[menancia]

I have noticed the informal nature of many of the messages being sent between various writers. It will take some getting used to, but I think I get the idea. Just looking through previous entries, it would seem the exchanges mimic spoken conversation rather than your standard missives.

What is the nature of the powers you are hoping to regain, if you don't mind my asking? Even where I come from, the various forms of astral artes are beyond counting, but I think that each of them could likely be replicated using the energy available here.

[Vague for how long, hmm?]

[legbreakings]

It does seem to mimic spoken conversation, yes. Fortunately with less ridiculousness and inappropriate foolishness than in the last place I had been. Maybe having your words put in proper writing encourages people to be more mature about their public conversations.

I'm a cultivator. I cultivate my own body's qi. I still have qi, obviously, for I am alive. But I struggle to cultivate it in this place. Imagine it like trying to scoop up water with a sieve.

[ The cultivation he does manage is actually him by chance managing to reach for dreamotion energy instead, but he only has tangential understanding of this right now. ]

Sender: Goro Akechi

[skews]

For myself, Dreamotion abilities have manifested best when I tap into my natural emotions, rather than forcing myself to feel something else.

[ That's something he had struggled with in Empatheias, likely due to the deception he still tried to wear. Here, he hides behind no such pretense. ]

That's to say, stick with what you know. Start there, and build on it.

[menancia]

Sound advice in any arena, I think. Building on what you know is a sure way to achieve success.

I'm also curious about their effects, either visual or practical. Could I perhaps entice you to share?

[skews]

As far as I am aware, those are entirely dependent upon the user. Mine takes on some unique properties.

[ Assuming that won't be enough to satisfy Dohalim's curiosity, Akechi then imprints an image upon the page of himself wielding a rapier made of Dreamotion energy. Just as he mentioned, it doesn't look much like a normal sword at all, but instead one with a strange, black light to it. Perhaps it's a reflection of himself, but he doesn't much care. He's found what works for him. ]

Despite being formed of magical energy, it feels just like a real weapon in my hand. Curious, isn't it?

sender: alphen

[refire]

Hey, Dohalim. The first time I tried to use those so-called dreamotion abilities everything was on fire. You probably understand the meaning behind that one without me needing to tell you.

[There's probably no surprises there. ]

Anyway I need to speak with you more. Is now a good time?

[menancia]

I'll admit, that isn't terribly surprising. For a man whose name became synonymous with the Blazing Sword, fire certainly makes sense. Similarly, my own abilities seem to manifest much like my artes back home.

What is it you wanted to talk about?

sender: Barok van Zieks

[discourtesies]

[Barok might not have normally answered the message, but the combination of his perceived debt to Dohalim and the subject at hand draw him to consider it. Eventually...]

In a moment of distress, I believe I managed to conjure a spectre of sorts; one I am accustomed to being haunted by figuratively, rather than literally. It disappeared almost immediately.

[menancia]

Interesting.
This spectre was familiar to you, then, on a personal level?
Memories become manifest, perhaps?