PossessingJuliana
From IMiA
Sean and Cassandra walk in the darkness seeking Juliana.
O'Donovan feels as though he is walking from the shore into the sea. There is a feeling of rising water. Warm water. Warm water against naked flesh. The smell of alcohol fills the air.
O'Donovan's sense of balance seems a bit off-almost as though he is drunk. His center of gravity seems off as well.
"Woah," says O'Donovan. "The sea... or is it blood?... I expected. But alcohol?" Cass can feel him shrug. "I guess it makes sense, for Juliana. Don't know that I've ever seen her where at least one of us didn't have something in his hand."
O'Donovan can almost see another figure before him. Also in the warm water. She's raven haired and bright eyed and beautiful in the extreme. She's quite naked. A half-emptied glass is in her hands.
Deirdre? "Hello?" Sean asks cautiously.
Cass is quiet as she steps, listening for a beat of a heart... but her hand tightens on his arm and she nods. Blood, salt, vinegar, wine, whiskey.... all components of what has them trapped in this place...
Cassandra feels herself stepping into warm water. She realizes that she no longer feels her clothing. There is an odor of alcohol about and a smell of..soap? She can feel tension in the air. Voices in the wind. Juliana yelling. Her voice slurred. Another woman's voice. Calm and consoling. An image then of a very pretty woman with dark hair. Princess Deirdre?
This is not what she seeks, this image of Deirdre and bathing. This is likely another dream, a potential future. Cass slows her tread to listen for the heart she seeks. Her hand comes to lie on Sean's where it rests on her arm.
The sensation of water fades as does the sensation of being naked. There Is still a smell of alcohol, but it is no longer so prevalent.
There is a sudden falling sensation and Cassandra can hear the crackling Of a fire in a nearby hearth. She can almost see Juliana asleep on a bed.
"Here," Cass says softly. "I think we are here." She takes Sean's hand into her left hand and clasps it, then she moves close to where Juliana lies and puts her right hand on the woman's shoulder.
Cassandra and O'Donovan find themselves in a set of rooms lit only by a fire in a hearth. There is a terrible feeling of weight about them now, as though they were being pulled to the floor. it is quite hard to move.
Juliana lies asleep on a bed. She is still dressed. The outfit is of bronze material, full skirted, With an unlaced green bodice that carries copper highlights through it's weave. Princess sleeves.
It's clear that whatever indefinable quality that makes Juliana who she is is absent from the sleeping form before Cassandra and O'Donovan.
The room suddenly spins. Cassandra is almost certain she feels a hand covering her own on Juliana's shoulder. She can almost hear Juliana's voice and feel the water again. Sean can briefly see that the naked princess now has a silver knife in her hand.
"Deirdre's got a knife?" Sean says, obviously puzzled. "Can you step into the Duchess's body?" he asks Cass. Cass looks askance at Sean. "Deirdre?" she mouths.
"I saw her for a second there..."
She focuses her attention on the body before her and attempts to simply slip in to it, as one might don clothing...
Sean watches closely, a mix of tension, anxiety, and curiosity playing across his face.
There is a blurring of vision and a sudden dizziness and disorientation as though the world had moved under their feet. Everything goes black.
Vision eventually returns. When it does, its clear that the point of view has changed. You can see the ceiling and seem to be lying on the bed.
Cass moves to sit up, looks around, and swings the borrowed legs off the bed.
-- Main.GingerStampley - 11 Jan 2005
