Sophia's POV but Emyr heavily featured. Around January (birthday) this year, Adriano and Lalein fused to become one alter. His name is Emyr.
On March 22, 2025, Simon and I moved into his grandmother's house, which I will call Blacksmith.
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I was going through business conferences in Aeolus city, or at least something similar to it. Aeolus city is vaguely 1890s-1920s British and Germanic architecture; this dream took place in a nest of modern skyscrapers overlooking a vast blue sky and distant sunny great lake, much like Toronto.
I was socializing and blending in particularly well, but I had an agenda. Commingling with groups, I remember being in a conference hall set up like a small theatre, tan walls with a giant projector screen and rows of unfolded chairs. There was a group of women there, five friends, the ringleader of which made... Unsavory racial jokes about the others, who were a diverse range. I laughed it off with grace and diverted the conversation to how the five of them could cosplay the Muses from Hercules. The redhead girl beside me became sparkly and excited, going off about how they're all good singers and they can commit seriously to the bit. As she spoke, I watched the outfits of the muses manifest on their bodies, glittering linen togas with gold accents and metallic laurels. I smiled at her and told her, "Do it. You can absolutely make it happen."
I soon parted from them by keeping my hands busy, heading to a back corner to a dishwasher that was a perfect replica of the Sears Kenmore 1998 at Blacksmith where I live now. It was a steamy, unclean struggle, just like its real life counterpart. I guess mundane struggles do bleed into these things, huh?
It became clear I was part of "the help" in this section of the dream, which I innately knew as I navigated all these rich and hoity toity people. The women, realizing this, soon lost interest in me and disappeared - the redhead spared me an anxious backward glance, but I had already moved on from them. I kept my ears open as I served hot dishes as it was lunchtime.
I eventually rolled a serving cart up upstairs, on what must've been the 20th floor or higher. Some of the windows were cranked open on the facade facing the beautiful urban backdrop outside. I recall the men staring at me strangely when I sat down next to them after serving. The pair beside me sneered, but left me alone as I ate a much more modest meal from a takeout container. Once they started ignoring me, I freely eavesdropped on their conversation.
It became very clear the man next to me was boasting about his child slavery operation. He counted out numbers to his colleague, and mentioned, "At least one of them is A-grade stuff. I mean, she's a beauty compared to all the shit brats this shipment." I had a flash vision of a little girl with cornsilk hair and haggard eyes, no older than four or five.
Coolly, I listened as his colleague kissed his ass like no tomorrow. He went on about other mundane things, like meetings and quality inspections and coordinating with another faction of the operation. Having heard enough, I summoned Emyr.
Emyr came as a leaping shadow, movements like Adriano on the hunt, but blooming black smoke like Lalein. He perched on the window right outside, holding the ledge for leverage. As soon as he manifested, the businessmen in the room froze, and some of them shouted, "Oh my God, it's Him!"
The NPCs of this dream clearly recognized Emyr as leader and punisher. It felt like a perfect blend - like they recognized the dire vampire kingship of Adriano, with the mythical brutality of Lalein.
He raised a brow at me. "Bad timing?" he chuckled as the businessman swung to stare at me in incredulity.
I mulled over the witnesses. It may have served us better to have used a subtler approach, to have caused less alarm... but I ultimately hummed, "No, you know what, you're already here. You went through all the trouble, you might as well do it now."
It's important to note how mundane our conversation was. When we met eyes, we were both surprised to see each other because we had a lucid moment recognizing that this is a dream. There was a flush of mutual pleasure, since we don't typically lucid dream together. Very quickly we cleared our throats and righted ourselves. We had to stick to our plot!
It's also important to note that Emyr did not look like himself at the moment. He looked like... Well, shit, he looked like he was in bad drag. His eyebrows were blocked and painted in the wrong shape, too arched and too high like he was permanently surprised. He had a wig on that looked like paper mache texture, in the yellow silhouette of Meier Link's hair from Vampire Hunter D - Adriano's very original inspiration. His eyelashes had been bleached, the bases of them still black but the tips... frosted. Everything south of his jaw still looked like himself but boy, oh boy, that mug was cracked.
I sheepishly added, "Oh yeah, just... I don't think this is a good look for you, love."
He sheepishly replied, "I was trying something new to hide my identity. Suppose I'll eventually get better at this."
We had a quick mental exchange where I demanded why he didn't just will his appearance different with shadows, and he paused. He explained it doesn't work that way for him - what, did I think he was Sable with her potions? - but also stubbornly insisted that he wanted to experiment. I stifled a laugh at his expense. Did he think this would hide his obvious powers and infamous identity???
While we were having our chummy chat, which only happened in seconds, the business men beside us were still frozen like prey in front of a predator. Emyr reached into the window with a sliver of shadow. Like spaghettification, he drew the businessman outside, reconstituting him before our eyes. Horrified screams erupted when Emyr dangled the panicking man by the throat. Emyr winked at me before descending. He hopped on lily pads of shadow on the way down to soften the velocity so he didn't snap the man's neck before he was done with him. Soon, they disappeared from sight.
I got up, glancing at the room of horrified old men. I narrowed my eyes. "We'll be back for you," I told them before I sank into a waiting shadow.
The end of the dream was a montage. Emyr threatened the slaver. Took him to his banks and patiently had him reveal his information and security credentials. Sat him down in a cement interrogation room and had him write names of his colleagues. "Collaborate with me and I'll free you," Emyr wooed, sounding reasonable and sympathetic.
The shaking businessman complied too hastily, ready to give up everyone implicit in the slave trafficking ring. It was a shame that he was only upper middle management. He was not the ultimate leader, but certainly a power player. Emyr was disgusted to realize the church orphanages - much like the one Trace grew up in - was a front for this heinous operation. Rage prickled his nape but he kept his face neutral. He lulled the businessman into a false sense of security to ply all the information he needed.
At last, when all the important info was wrung dry, Emyr took the man to Aeolus drawing room underground.
He released his disguise, his long hair flowing freely in waves of ebony and gold. He went to the globe where he keeps his drinks and poured the man a brandy on ice. Emyr sat down next to him and gave him the drink, which the man took shakily and downed in big, inelegant gulps.
After a moment of peaceful silence, Emyr lunged for his throat. He bit the man in the neck and the man screamed.
"Why! Why?! I complied!" he groveled as he fell to the floor. Blood splattered onto the wood and the chaise. In the distance, Emyr could hear Marya grumble about the cleanup. "I-I gave up everyone for you! Please! Spare me!"
Emyr's face twitched in amusement. "Do you think that is repentance for all you've done? Do you realize how many children you've ruined for profit? In my city, in my kingdom?"
And there was a howl of terror from the slaver as Emyr descended, fangs glinting.
That's it! There was a tiny bit more on me towards the end but I woke up shortly after this and furiously noted the dream down. Emyr that was fun wasn't it? I hope we dream together again!
(I hear him laugh, "I'm sure we will.")
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