what does it mean when you drown in a dream

[lastofthekellys]

WHO: Kate Kelly
WHERE: The Fountain
WHEN: 15th July
OPEN TO: OTA
WARNINGS: Potential panic attack
STATUS: Open

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Kate wonders if her family has a touch of foresight. Ned predicted two deaths: Constable Lonigan, Justice Barry, both died as he said. She dreams of drowning and wonders. Wonders and then drinks, not that drinking helps her when she's already asleep and she opens her eyes underwater and thinks, Again?

There's light, which there isn't always, and a current that pushes her up, which never happens, and she kicks, kicks her way up.

(Is it her imagination or is she actually getting closer in this dream?)

There's weight on her back, pulling at her, digging into her shoulders, making it harder to move her arms. Her imagination or no, no, no, something always goes wrong, she always drowns and this is it, isn't it isn't it isn't it maybe she should just swallow water choke and wake up but that doesn't work she can't wake up she just has to kick and kick and kick and swim and oh God oh God she's actually drowning isn't she air air air air she needs air-

She reaches the surface, gasps, bobs back down, then kicks herself up again.

Air.

Coughing, spluttering, Kate swims over to the edge of the fountain. She takes a moment to haul herself over the edge, falls, but the fall isn't much. More of a roll until she hits the ground, struggles to all fours, all the while coughing up water fit to throw up.

She knows what she needs to it. Sit up, take stock. This isn't a dream, it's not. She needs to get her long, heavy hair out of the way to see, but she can't. All she can do is crouch, cough, and gasp in air.

Comments

[lastofthekellys]

"Well. I'm sorry for that, Mr Becket," Kate says, and for all her temper and previous unsheathed claws, this is genuine.

She's without her family: has been mostly without them for a couple years. But they are just a letter away. She can catch some trains. And there are friends in her show-troop, companions. She's not alone.

"I think a whole house would just make me feel... More alone. But people are different, I guess."

[rangerbecket]

"It makes sense. If you get used to having others around, it can feel real cold and lonely if you're suddenly by yourself. It's not something I've had a lot of myself."

It had always just been him and Yancy, even in the Shatterdome surrounded by everyone else. Without Yancy, he'll always feel alone even if he's surrounded by other people.

[lastofthekellys]

"Well. The world has all sorts, I suppose," she says, a little brightly through not quite understand. "Lots of men end up takin' off into the bush, happy as a lark out there. But it's not for me."

Still, there are other directions to shift the conversation. Far, far more useful than philosophical comments about companionship.

"You've been the town looks all abandoned. Did they take their tools, supplies with them? When the previous residents left?"

[rangerbecket]

"Some things are left," Raleigh says. "Kind of in shambles, like it's been a long time, but there's things to be used if you want to work at it. I've figured out a couple things in the time I've been here."

It requires effort, which isn't something that Raleigh is afraid of. He's always been a hard worker and this place draws that out of him more than most.

[lastofthekellys]

"There's always work for someone," Kate says, ruefully. Always. Even if it is for one's servants, except she knows her place in the world. Unless she married well enough to afford a maid, she will always be the servant, never the mistress.

If she went into service.

Which she has no intention of doing at this juncture.

"As long as there a pot and something to make fire, I'm sure I'll do just fine."

[rangerbecket]

"Same with me, only it's more about fishing line and repairing roofs," Raleigh says. "I spent about five years up in Alaska doing construction before I came here. I never thought it would become a valuable life skill."

And yet, he's really only held back by the lack of tools, not the skill to do the repairs these houses need. Raleigh is glad that if he did have to waste some time on the Kaiju wall, he got something out of it he could use now.