Sunshine
Dream League Member
The Ray of Hope
"I don't want to hurt you, but I will if you don't stop. ... Will you please stop?"
Posts: 136
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Post by Sunshine on Jun 17, 2011 1:15:51 GMT -8
Sunshine wanted to calm herself after hearing a direct answer from the girl. But the answer was much more unusual than expected, and this only made Sunshine more worried. Yet, she actually did calm herself as Dreamchild explained (or rambled, but Dreamchild was informative all the same). If she was trapped in a dream world, that would explain the nonsense around here.
When Dreamchild mentioned specific names, Sunshine smiled politely. "I don't know who you're talking about, but if they're your friends, I would love to meet them... Dreamchild." Sunshine blushed softly as she said the girl's name. It was a very cute name. "You can change your size, and fly?"
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Dreamchild
Dream League Admin
The Dream Come True
"Open your mind..."
Posts: 206
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Post by Dreamchild on Jun 17, 2011 1:16:08 GMT -8
When Sunshine said Dreamchild's name, Sunshine's highly unique accent was obvious. The teenager spoke with the grace of an English princess, yet it also had hints of a lovely belle from the American south. It was a very different accent, but it was entirely feminine and completely fitting for such a graceful, young woman.
Dreamchild shook her head humbly, accompanied by a soft chuckle. "Oh, no! In this world, if I know I can change size, I can. But I can't in the real world. No, in the real world, this is my best weapon." She tapped her largely exposed forehead with her right index finger, indicating that she was a psychic. "I can levitate, though." After a quick pause, Dreamchild cleared her throat.
"I think it'd be best if we left this world, and returned to the real one. That's where my friends are waiting, and they're just as worried about you as I was." Dreamchild smiled as friendly as she could, and she held up her right hand for Sunshine.
"But... you simply have to trust me."
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Sunshine
Dream League Member
The Ray of Hope
"I don't want to hurt you, but I will if you don't stop. ... Will you please stop?"
Posts: 136
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Post by Sunshine on Jun 17, 2011 1:16:43 GMT -8
As Dreamchild spoke, Sunshine noticed that the girl's accent was very different from anyone who lived in Eyvindria, but not to a fault. In fact, Sunshine liked it. Dreamchild's voice was extremely distinctive, and pleasantly so. Sunshine didn't think that Dreamchild felt the same way about Sunshine's own accent! Again, Dreamchild mentioned her friends who were apparently back in reality. Sunshine was happy to hear that she would soon go back to the real world, and Dreamchild offered her hand for trust, which was apparently crucial for waking up. Sunshine hesitated for just a few seconds; she ultimately grasped the girl's hand, and smiled to her face. Dreamchild's face was the last thing she saw before-- *** Back on the moist bed of grass in the forest, Sunshine's eyes fluttered open. Even something as mundane as yawning and stretching was an exercise of grace and elegance for the once-sleeping beauty. She moaned softly, almost melodically, as she sat upright and stretched. After stretching to satisfaction, her eyes struggled to stay open as she covered her mouth with her right hand to yawn. After a second, her eyes opened fully. She was still weak, and didn't want to risk breaking her legs by standing. She supported her torso by her arms, and her palms pressed against the ground. Ah, sweet dirt and grass! The Earth, Sunshine felt, was something that she so often took for granted. But not anymore, not after that accursed dream! She looked up to see an old man in a colorful, medieval-themed costume, his standoff-looking owl, and a top-hatted duck in a dapper, tasteful costume. Sunshine smiled up at her new acquaintances, a shy smile. She even blushed lightly, having to meet so many new faces after waking up from her prison of a dream. "Are you Paradox, Archimedes, and the Masked Mallard?" The Mallard was easy to recognize, because he was, well, a duck. With Paradox and Archimedes, she guessed; she guessed they were the old man and the owl, respectively. Sunshine smiled enough to reveal her pearly white teeth, and her eyes behind her mask crinkled sincerely. "Dreamchild told me about you."
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Dreamchild
Dream League Admin
The Dream Come True
"Open your mind..."
Posts: 206
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Post by Dreamchild on Jun 17, 2011 1:17:08 GMT -8
Dreamchild returned to her own body, in reality, after Sunshine successfully woke up from her unnatural sleep. The English superheroine opened her eyes and smiled in satisfaction. She stood up to her feet and watched Sunshine as she took her time to stretch and yawn. As Sunshine stretched, Dreamchild smiled proudly up to Paradox, Archimedes, and the Masked Mallard, although Sunshine was likely the primary attention at the time. Dreamchild was slightly weary from rummaging through another plane of existence, so she casually leaned her back against a large tree. She closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, and exhaled slowly. She would relax for just a minute.
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Post by Archimedes on Jun 17, 2011 1:17:34 GMT -8
All the while, as Dreamchild sat beside the mysterious young girl, Archimedes watched with incredulous curiosity, cocking one of his thick black eyebrows skeptically. He had simple knowledge of Dreamchild's powers, knowing that they had to do with so called "psychic" phenomena and manipulation of mental... something or others... whatever, the owl inwardly scoffed. He hadn't the faintest idea of just what she was doing right now, however. Could it really awaken the sleeping woman, when none of even Merlin's magic could do so?
Archimedes was quick to be corrected. The girl stirred from her sleep, moaning - she had awakened. Archimedes' yellow eyes widened and his eyebrows lifted, as he leaned forward in surprise. By jove... whatever Dreamchild had just done, it worked! The owl momentarily looked over at Merlin to see if he was as surprised as he was, and then finally looked over at Dreamchild, who seemed rather exhausted. As soon as he did, he realized just how flabbergasted he probably appeared... and quickly resumed his typical aloof appearance, eyebrows furrowed haughtily. He cleared his throat, hoping Dreamchild didn't notice his amazement.
The blonde beauty then addressed the group in a friendly manner, but Archimedes, supercilious as ever, did not return her greeting. He remained silent, just staring at her in his owl-like manner, preferring to let the others do the talking for now.
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Paradox
Dream League Member
"Impudent piece of crockery!"
Posts: 22
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Post by Paradox on Jun 17, 2011 1:17:57 GMT -8
Merlin was the world's most powerful wizard on the side of the law, but even he had never seen a little girl as unique as Dreamchild. He trusted that Dreamchild knew what she was doing, because of how somber she sounded and looked. Paradox could only wait and watch Dreamchild as she, apparently, entered the sleeping beauty's mind. Or did she enter the dream, and not the mind? Truthfully, as much as Merlin could see, Dreamchild simply touched the dreaming teenager's head and remained silent for an awkwardly long moment of silence. At least, it seemed long to the wizard. Paradox remained still and silent, only blinking when his eyes begged for occasional relief.
Then the beautiful maiden, without warning, moaned like a person suddenly awaking, and stretched. The wizard was so startled that his mouth hung open and his bespectacled eyes widened, staring in disbelief at the waking beauty. "Jehoshaphat!" Paradox exclaimed. By instinct, when he sensed that Archimedes looked to his face, he, too, looked into the owl's eyes. This was only brief; he looked back to the teenager when she referred to Dreamchild's three friends by their names, accurately!
Paradox calmed himself. He wanted to consult with Dreamchild after this mission, because he had many questions for her. But that would have to wait. Besides, if he tried to overwhelm Dreamchild with questions now, Archimedes would likely excoriate him.
Paradox's gaping mouth and wide eyes reverted to normal. He cleared his throat as he spoke. "Ah, yes, my dear. I am Paradox, and this is Archimedes." He shrugged the appropriate shoulder to give Archimedes a faint bounce, though his eyes remained on the teenager. Her eyes, even from his distance, exuded femininity and grace, and her voice was marvelous--to call it 'pleasant' would be a gross disservice. He was too distracted by the stranger to notice Dreamchild's obvious fatigue.
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The Masked Mallard
Dream League Member
Luck Of The Duck
The Gentleman's Crimefighter
Posts: 84
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Post by The Masked Mallard on Jun 17, 2011 1:18:23 GMT -8
Dreamchild had done it! Truly that girl had some miraculous abilities. The Masked Mallard couldn't resist a grin of approval as he looked on at the scene. The tense silence that had ensued after Dreamchild had sat down next to the strange girl had him worried at first. He didn't know if Dreamchild's endeavor would be successful or not.
Like his teammates, he watched the stranger awaken. He had to hand it to the mysterious girl. No one ever looked that good when they slept, or woke up for that matter. Then he turned his focus onto Dreamchild to see if she was alright. The avian didn't think he had ever seen her perform such a stunt before. She was leaning against a tree, her eyes closed as she breathed deeply. was she alright?"
The dulcet voice of the stranger grabbed his attention once more, causing him to turn in her direction. "Aye. I am the Masked Mallard. Can you stand?" He offered a hand to the (formerly) sleeping beauty, not wishing to be rude. If she had been here for a long enough time, then she might have trouble getting to her feet. And she wasn't making any attempts to stand. He was still concerned for Dreamchild, and had decided that he would assist her after seeing to the older blond.
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Sunshine
Dream League Member
The Ray of Hope
"I don't want to hurt you, but I will if you don't stop. ... Will you please stop?"
Posts: 136
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Post by Sunshine on Jun 17, 2011 1:19:03 GMT -8
Sunshine was immediately charmed by the gentlemanly-attired duck with a matching voice. She accepted his hand and she stood on her feet. As she rose beyond the duck's top hat, it was clear that she was a little above average for a human woman's height, definitely taller than Dreamchild. "Y-yes, I can," Sunshine answered with a smile that exuded warmth. "Thank you."
She looked to the old man and his bird, and then back to Dreamchild. "Thank you, all of you!"
Without warning, the woman rose into the air, above the ground. When she was high enough, she clicked her feet together and shot in the air, higher and higher, until she could see and feel the sun. She closed her eyes and stretched her arms out as though to hug the hot star. She inhaled the fresh air that surrounded her, and then she flipped back and descended the air, much like she did before, until she was back with her new friends. When she landed on the earth, almost exactly where she stood before, she spun like a dancer, and her gorgeous hair danced along with her. It splashed against her chest and slid down when she stopped spinning, and she locked her hands together and brought them up under her chin in a dainty manner.
"It feels wonderful to be out under the sun again!" she exclaimed as she twirled. "I missed it so much!"
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Dreamchild
Dream League Admin
The Dream Come True
"Open your mind..."
Posts: 206
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Post by Dreamchild on Jun 17, 2011 1:19:44 GMT -8
Dreamchild regained herself. She opened her eyes and stood up straight, smiling at the Masked Mallard when she saw him. She remained by the tree, though, as Sunshine took off into the air, first by merely ascending, but then she shot up like a rocket. Dreamchild's white hues enlarged in surprise, and, in awe, she watched Sunshine fly above the trees.
"Goodness!" she exclaimed when Sunshine flew very high--much higher than Dreamchild's own levitation would allow! She smiled in wonder as she watched Sunshine descend to the forest's floor, and she applauded, her gloved hands clapping loudly. "That was lovely!"
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Paradox
Dream League Member
"Impudent piece of crockery!"
Posts: 22
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Post by Paradox on Jun 17, 2011 1:20:28 GMT -8
Paradox watched the Masked Mallard help up Sunshine. His mustache drooped when the beautiful teenager as she took off in the air. His bespectacled eyes followed the flying maiden as well as he could, and the mouth behind his veil of a beard grinned widely. "Oh, look at that! She can fly! Ha! Ha-hah!" He laughed jovially and pointed to her as he watched. "Look at her go!"
When the teenager returned to the earth, Merlin smiled at her, and wrinkles formed at the corners of his eyes. "What's your name, and how did you get here?"
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Sunshine
Dream League Member
The Ray of Hope
"I don't want to hurt you, but I will if you don't stop. ... Will you please stop?"
Posts: 136
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Post by Sunshine on Jun 17, 2011 1:21:14 GMT -8
The teenager faced the old man with the glasses, and she brought her hands down to her abdomen. Her tone became more formal, but still retained femininity and grace. "My name? It's Sunshine." Her eyes become a little worried and her smile faded at that point. "I followed an old witch in this forest, and..."
She frowned and looked downward, struggling with conflicting thoughts. "I, I'm trying to remember."
Going by what Sunshine said, there was definitely another presence in the forest. At least, there was. Where was the witch now?
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Post by Archimedes on Jun 17, 2011 1:23:36 GMT -8
Archimedes continued to pretend to not be interested in the strangely-costumed young woman at all, but was unable to keep that act up, for long. Out of the corner of his yellow eyes, he thought he saw her lifted off of the ground, as if by magic... whipping his head towards her to see her more clearly, he was shocked and appalled to discover that she was, indeed, hovering. Flying, even. The owl's eyes bulged to even larger proportions than they normally were and his beak hung agape as he watched the absolutely ridiculous phenomena occurring before him. This human, this earthbound creature, was flying. FLYING. A sacred ability that was supposed to be limited to insects, bats, and above all, BIRDS.
Archimedes turned to look at Merlin's reaction to this bizarre sight, and he was acting as expected - pointing and laughing with childlike glee. Something about this just made Archimedes feel even worse... this entire time, the old fool was right. Man would fly, someday. In defeated exasperation, Archimedes wrapped his wings around his head as if having a migraine and groaned. "Ohh, nothing makes any sense at all, anymore!"
As more drudging and uninteresting talk ensued, Archimedes simply sat on Paradox's shoulder with his wings crossed across his chest indignantly - for some reason, outright upset about what he had just witnessed. A certain couple of words spoken by the blonde woman grabbed his attention, however - "an old witch." Archimedes perked up almost immediately, and shortly after, his eyes widened in realization.
"Merlin," Archimedes spoke to his companion with a hint of anxiety in his tone. "You don't suppose that she could be talking about-"
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Madam Mim
Dream League Member
The Magnificent, Marvelous, Mad Madam Mim!
Posts: 10
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Post by Madam Mim on Jun 17, 2011 1:25:31 GMT -8
The owl would have been abruptly cut off by a rather sinister sound - the high-pitched cackling of an insane-sounding old hag, that echoed all around the group as if coming from several places at once. Immediately following the raucous laughter, without warning, came a decent-sized explosion of bright, reddish-pink smoke, accompanied by an ear-splitting bang. As the smoke cleared... an old woman was revealed. A particularly grotesque-looking old woman; short and squat, her skin wrapped in wrinkles, with a shaggy mat of lavendar hair and two absolutely manic-looking green eyes. Paradox and Archimedes would know this unpleasant-looking character all too well.
"Well, well, well!" The old hag marched right over to the group - particularly, to Paradox - with a gleeful grin on her baggy face. "If it isn't the world's most powerful bungler, here to try and ruin my fun again with his goody-two-shoes ways!" Teasingly, the witch grabbed a hold of Merlin's large nose and shook it about, sending his glasses teetering across his face. Anybody could tell, from even a glance, that these two masters of magic knew each other well. "My," she added with a cheerfully sarcastic tone of voice as she made a playfully coy pose, "isn't it the most delightful coincidence that we found each other here in the 21st century? Hmm?" By the way she worded it, it was certainly no coincidence...
Oddly enough, she paid no attention to anybody else around her but Merlin, yet - and hadn't even noticed the young maiden, now wide awake and watching her.
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The Masked Mallard
Dream League Member
Luck Of The Duck
The Gentleman's Crimefighter
Posts: 84
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Post by The Masked Mallard on Jun 17, 2011 1:25:56 GMT -8
The Masked Mallard returned the sincere smile that the teen was giving him as he assisted her in standing. Then she did something that wasn't expecting. She flew.
"Well, I'll be." He chuckled warmly as his eyes followed the teen's ascent, holding one hand on his top hat to hold it in place as he craned his neck to follow her movement. Anyone who had been paying attention just then might have noticed that the Gentleman Crimefighter's accent slipped, becoming more noticeably twinged with a Scottish brogue. Even he didn't notice. "I wonder what else she can do?"
He had guessed that she might have been some sort of super-being if that costume was anything to go by. But was she friend, or foe? She seemed nice enough, but he reminded himself that they knew nothing about her. She introduced herself as Sunshine. The duck wanted to ask her more, but she claimed that she was trying to recall how she came to be here.
Like the others, he was taken aback by the strange cackle from out of nowhere, and the woman who shortly appeared in a puff of smoke. As she approached, the Masked Mallard immediately moved to protectively stand between her and Dreamchild and Sunshine, clutching his cane. She didn't seem to be very interested in them though, choosing to address Merlin instead. He looked between the sorcerer and the owl, then over at the newcomer before returning his gaze back to his two teammates. "Paradox, Archimedes, do you know this person?"
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Paradox
Dream League Member
"Impudent piece of crockery!"
Posts: 22
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Post by Paradox on Jun 17, 2011 1:26:38 GMT -8
Archimedes's reaction to a human (at least, she appeared human) flying was priceless! The wizard laughed at the owl's expense, but he didn't say a word to rub it in. The beautiful teenager referred to herself as Sunshine. What a pretty name; even though the Dream League had only known her for less than ten minutes, Sunshine was definitely a fitting name to a maiden with such a sunny disposition.
Alas, Sunshine mentioned a witch. Throughout history, there had been many witches, so Merlin tried to convince himself that, surely, it couldn't have been that witch! Archimedes obviously thought of the same person.
Unfortunately, it was Madam Mim. The old witch appeared theatrically, as always. The witch was obsessed with trying to best him at anything, especially magic. Already, Mim mistreated the wizard in front of everyone. The witch grabbed his nose and shook him wildly, and the wizard sputtered as his glasses loosened and nearly flung from his face. When Mim released his nose, he grabbed his glasses and glared angrily at the old hag. The mouth behind his beard tightened, his mustache was wild and unkempt from the shaking, and his eyes were narrowed. Merlin clenched his fists and addressed Mim with a tone of utter contempt.
"Coincidence? Pah! You must have known I was here, in this century!"
The Masked Mallard inquired if Paradox knew this person. He looked to the mallard without changing his expression, and nodded. "Yes, unfortunately. Her name is Mim, and she's from my time."
He returned his focus on Mim, still appearing quite angry. "Mim, what are you up to? Why are you here? Did you curse this young lady?" He gestured to behind Mim, to Sunshine, who was protected by the Masked Mallard.
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Sunshine
Dream League Member
The Ray of Hope
"I don't want to hurt you, but I will if you don't stop. ... Will you please stop?"
Posts: 136
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Post by Sunshine on Jun 17, 2011 1:27:19 GMT -8
Sunshine's ruby lips pursed and her eyes widened when a familiar cackle followed a smokey entrance. Sunshine's bemused expression shifted to strong displeasure. She waited for the opportunity to speak to the old hag. She was grateful to the Masked Mallard for standing between her and Dreamchild, ready to protect him. She even stood beside the Mallard and placed a hand on his shoulder, and smiled to him, just for a second, before continuing to look at the old hag with dislike.
"Yes, Paradox," Sunshine said with a voice, intending to be as loud and clear as she could, to surprise the witch. "It was her." She took a bold step forward and folded her arms on her chest, as her eyes remained on the evil witch. "But I'm awake now, because of my new friends. Because of... Dreamchild." She looked back to Dreamchild and smiled like a grateful friend.
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Dreamchild
Dream League Admin
The Dream Come True
"Open your mind..."
Posts: 206
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Post by Dreamchild on Jun 17, 2011 1:27:48 GMT -8
Like all of the Dream League, Dreamchild's smile faded by the time Sunshine mentioned a witch. Whether by choice or coincidence, another stranger revealed herself. There was an ominous, spooky cackle, followed by the puff of reddish-pink smoke. Dreamchild was unsettled by the cackle, but she calmed herself once the old woman revealed herself.
Dreamchild saw that the Masked Mallard moved closer to her, protectively. She stepped closer to him. She allowed the Masked Mallard to be in front of her, but she was still very close to him, almost as though they stood perfectly side-by-side, though Dreamchild was about an inch further back.
Dreamchild watched as the old woman obviously taunted Merlin, even going so far to grab his nose and shake him. How very rude! Dreamchild was already unimpressed with the woman's (total lack of) manners. She didn't even seem to notice anyone else but Paradox. She waited for the appropriate time to speak, and that time came when Sunshine described the Dream League as her new friends.
"Precisely," Dreamchild spoke up with her distinctive voice, directed to the witch. Her tone and face weren't hostile, but they weren't kind, either. "My name is Dreamchild, and I helped wake up Sunshine. If you are responsible for her curse, then you should be ashamed of yourself."
Dreamchild nodded proudly, as though she had just made the most offensive-yet-justified insult ever.
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Madam Mim
Dream League Member
The Magnificent, Marvelous, Mad Madam Mim!
Posts: 10
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Post by Madam Mim on Jun 17, 2011 1:38:02 GMT -8
The pudgy little witch, now revealed to be named Mim, grinned smugly at seeing the anger of her old rival. It was true - it was anything but a coincidence that she had appeared in the exact same time and place as the wizard in blue. The reason? She just enjoyed tormenting him, so! But as for her presence in the future, there was more to it than that.
Mim then took the time to examine those who accompanied Merlin. Archimedes, the owl, she was familiar with, and she smirked at the sight of him angrily puffing out his feathers towards her. The other two - a scruffy old duck in a top hat and a young blonde wench - they were strangers. Mim did enjoy meeting new people to "play" with; the more, the merrier!
"Ho ho," the witch cackled once again, "looks like you've rounded up a little ragtag posse of your own, here! How cute!" She stood back and examined all of the group at once, a hint of condescension in her snaggletoothed grin, as she placed her bony fists on her plump hips. She was clearly quite amused by the gang of superheroes (whom she knew not to be superheroes) glaring her down, rather than threatened. They were just small fry - even Merlin, the only magician who has ever come close to matching her power - especially now that she had... it.
As Mim's eyes scanned the group, however, a certain somebody standing among them caught her by surprise. "AAH!" she yelped and jumped about a foot or two into the air, clearly shocked and perhaps rather unhappy to see her standing there - it was Sunshine, that pesky flying girl that she had cast a permanent sleeping spell on to keep her out of her business. What on earth was she doing awake?! That sleeping spell she cast on her... it was supposed to be permanent!
However, she didn't display anger at all, as Dreamchild went on to explain that she was responsible for this. In fact, her disbelief settled with surprising quickness - a grin even began to creep across her wrinkled face... a somewhat more sinister grin than typical of her, so far. She placed her hands together in an almost calculating manner - she was definitely cooking up something in that maniacal noggin of hers. If this little girl could have managed to break such a powerful spell... Mim knew she was up against something special, today. This would be a most excellent challenge, indeed - one that she would quite enjoy winning, in the end.
"Broke a permanent sleeping spell all on your own, did you, my dearie?" she inquired with surprising calmness. "Very impressive, indeed! Oho, I can tell I'm going to have lots of fun with you." Mim's green eyes, narrowed intimidatingly, stared down Dreamchild - despite her collected demeanor, one might have gotten the impression that she was a bit sore at having her masterful spell being so easily broken. "Yes, it was little old me that did all that," she shamelessly confessed, closing her eyes and pointing to herself with outright pride. "Wasn't that spell something, though? If it weren't for Little Miss Dreamcatcher, there, that girl would have slept there for all eternity, 'till she was nothing but a pile of bones!" Mim cackled uproariously at that mental image, which seemed so utterly delightful within her head. This was followed by a disappointed sigh, however. "Terrible shame that won't happen, isn't it? But I know just the thing to make it all better... We're all going to play a little game: I'll just destroy each and every one of you, myself!"
As she made this proclamation, she grinned with almost childlike glee at the entire group, and her wild green eyes gleamed in a way that seemed to imply that she very well would attempt to do that. "Now won't that be fun? Ho ho, it'll be a cinch for me to win, too!" she giggled, talking as if it really were no more than a game. Mim then proceeded to lift one of her hands as, with a snap of her fingers and a bright spark of pink lightning, a bright object appeared within her hand. She wasn't actually holding it at all, however... whatever it was, it just floated above her palm, in mid-air. Upon closer inspection, it seemed to be... a large gem, of some sort. A sort of bright magenta in color, encased firmly in a golden ring, and glowing brilliantly.
Mim coolly glanced over at the magical ruby hovering within her hand. "And it's all thanks to this little-"
Now, it was Mim's turn to be interrupted. From seemingly out of nowhere, without warning, something leapt out of the darkness of the surrounding forest, into the clearing in which everybody stood. It was around the size of a human, but it was unable to tell whether it was a human or not - it moved with amazing, almost supernatural swiftness; and it was headed straight for Mim. The old witch, so engrossed in her own confidence, didn't even see it coming - but she was not actually attacked by the figure. The magical gem was the creature's target, at that moment - in the blink of an eye, the ruby had vanished from Mim's palm.
The witch shrieked and nearly fell back, her already huge eyes even wider with pure and utter shock. "What in the-" she stammered, before realization hit her. She lifted up her hand, within which, at one point, was a shimmering magical ruby... now, the ruby had vanished. Her bony jaw agape in confusion, Mim whipped her head around her until she found the culprit.
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She-Wolf
Dream League Admin
Child of the Forest
"I'm not afraid to die - and I'd do anything to get scum like you out of this city."
Posts: 75
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Post by She-Wolf on Jun 17, 2011 1:38:58 GMT -8
The creature's landing, several feet away from Mim, was as graceful as the great leap it had made just before. At that moment, the mystery being had stopped moving so fast as to be nearly invisible - it was revealed to all, now, to be a human. It appeared to be a young human - its gender was hard to tell with the intimidating tribal mask that covered it, but judging by the overall slender figure, it was a female who looked to be in her teens. She appeared as if she had come right out of the Pleistocene - she was dressed in animal skins and furs, all of them tattered and unkempt, and a necklace of fangs decorated her neckline. In her hand, she firmly clutched a large arrowhead knife that glinted in the sunlight, looking absolutely razor sharp. A pair of disc-shaped earrings became conspicuous as bright sunlight reflected off of them.
The Dream League, Sunshine and Mim would only have a second or so to take in all of these details, however - in an instant, the wild woman had bolted straight towards Mim again, with all the speed of a cheetah on the hunt. Her knife raised, it was clear that this time, her aim was to kill.
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Madam Mim
Dream League Member
The Magnificent, Marvelous, Mad Madam Mim!
Posts: 10
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Post by Madam Mim on Jun 17, 2011 1:39:15 GMT -8
With a yelp, Mim quickly managed to dodge this assault, but not by athletic means. She simply vanished, in a swirl of pink and purple fumes, just as the feral girl slashed her knife, with an audible and very sharp-sounding WHISH, at the very spot Mim was standing a moment ago. Mim appeared in another small cloud of smoke a few feet away, looking quite displeased with this interloper, her round face contorted with anger.
"Why, you little devil, you!" Mim answered the wolfish girl's attack with one of her own. Raising a single hand, within which a ball of bright pink lightning quickly formed, she flung that hand towards the girl in a pointing motion - accordingly, the orb of magic energy was speedily hurled towards her. The wild woman had made a sharp turn to try and attack again, but was quickly met with the magical attack. It made a direct hit - sparks flew as the mask, with an audible CLANG, flew off of the girl's face - which was briefly revealed to have been decorated by red painted markings - and she plummeted to the forest floor, leaves flying as she slid for a foot or two. There was more to Mim's attack than this, though - now surrounding the girl was a dome of translucent, pink magical energy. It was a force field, meant to temporarily (or not?) contain the girl.
"Hmph," Mim huffed as she swished her palms together in satisfaction. "I'll take care of you later, my little pest." Casually lifting a finger, Mim brought the fallen gem, which lay not far away on the leafy ground, back to her hand, as it floated obediently towards her and resumed glowing ethereally. Calmly, as if nothing at all had happened, Mim turned her attention back to the group before her. "Now, then, how about we beg-" Once again, Mim was interrupted by a sudden sound from the surrounding foliage. "Oh, now what is it?!"
Whatever had emerged this time was significantly larger, if the noises it made when crashing through the understory were any indication. Bursting forth from the forest was... an enormous, white wolf, around the size of a horse. Two of them, even - the second wolf emerged at almost the exact moment its partner did. Snarling ferociously, their huge fangs bared and drool flying off of their black lips, the two great canines set upon Mim, and it certainly looked like they would succeed where the human girl had failed.
Not if Mim had anything to say about it. Reacting much more quickly this time, she brought both hands forth this time, and bursts of pink lightning crackled forth from her palms and made impact with the two wolves, enveloping them in paralyzing magic energy. Yelping in pain, the beasts were thrown back a good distance, landing with deep thuds not far from where the girl was trapped in her magical prison. The two wolves did not rise up, unlike the girl had - either they were unconscious, or dead.
Mim cackled with delight - this really was a cinch! Taking care of Merlin and his newfound friends would be no trouble at all, if she handled these three so easily. Her confidence swelling to monumental proportions, Mim stood her ground before the Dream League members and Sunshine, grinning darkly. "You want some, next?"
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She-Wolf
Dream League Admin
Child of the Forest
"I'm not afraid to die - and I'd do anything to get scum like you out of this city."
Posts: 75
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Post by She-Wolf on Jun 17, 2011 1:39:34 GMT -8
The wild girl, grunting in pain, struggled to rise to her feet as she recovered from the witch's blow. As she came to her senses, she quickly discovered the side-effects of the spell cast on her, however - she was trapped, surrounded by nothing but transluscent pink magic that crackled with electricity. Even through this barrier, however, she could see what was happening around her - and the first thing she noticed was the two huge wolves lying motionless beside her... her brothers.
A mixture of helplessness and anger came onto the girl's facial features, and she whipped her head over to glance at the witch she had just tried to attack. It didn't take her long to figure everything out. Her expression twisted into all-out rage, at that moment - she bared her gritted teeth, revealing what looked like a set of fearsome-looking fangs. Her dark eyes nearly glowed with fury, and she screamed at Mim - a primal, un-contained yell, like the roar of a wild animal ready to attack. And attack she did - with all of her might, she attempted to break the force field that imprisoned her, shouting and grunting with pure unadulterated anger. Her blows resembled punches, from far away - but, in actuality, it looked rather like she was... slashing at the barrier. Indeed, she was - instead of finger nails, it appeared the girl had sizeable black claws, not unlike those of the wolves that lay next to her. As formidable as they appeared, they were not enough to set her free - but she relentlessly carried on, as if refusing to accept that she was now helpless and unable to take revenge on this witch for attacking her brothers and causing havoc in her forest home.
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The Masked Mallard
Dream League Member
Luck Of The Duck
The Gentleman's Crimefighter
Posts: 84
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Post by The Masked Mallard on Jun 17, 2011 1:39:48 GMT -8
It had not taken the Masked Mallard long to decide that he did not like this strange lavender-haired human. He was put in mind of a more off-balanced Magica DeSpell. Sunshine revealed that this was the same woman who had placed her into an enchanted slumber and the harridan's own words confirmed it. He still stood beside Dreamchild. When Mim eyeballed the young psychic after she made it known that it was she who had helped Sunshine, he moved forward, his cane poised as though he was ready to strike out at the witch.
"You'll do no such thing!" He shouted, prepared to stand and fight if necessary.
He listened as Mim prattled on before summoning a bright magenta hued gem. After that, everything seemed to happen in a blur. A creature shot out from of the nearby growth like a bullet fired from a gun. He hadn't even realized that Mim's gem had been snatched from her grasp. The creature, which turned out to resemble some sort of wild woman, tried to attack Mim with a knife, but was imprisoned in a forcefield. Two massive white wolves had then appeared and launched themselves at the witch, but were blasted back by Mim's powers. Now they lay motionless on the forest floor. As he watched this scene unfold, and heard Mim's gleeful cackling, the aged duck's hands clenched, shaking with fury. Monstrous hag! He didn't know who the dark-haired stranger was, but anyone who was an enemy of Mim's was a friend of their's.
Now their overconfident enemy returned to taunting them. His mind working fast, he considered the whole situation. Theoretically they all could gang up on her. It was five against one, after all. But none of them aside from Paradox and Archimedes knew what they were facing, and true to his pragmatic personality, he did not like going into situations he knew little about. It just wasn't his style. Hopefully his little ploy would grant the Dreamers more time to organize an attack or go on the defensive.
The Gentleman Crimefighter stepped to the forefront of the group, staring at Mim.
"Now, wait just a minute there... Madame Mim, was it? You like games, ye say? Well, it wouldn't be very much of a game if you destroyed us right off the bat. I imagine that wouldn't be very entertaining for you. I have an idea that might spice things up, but..." Suddenly pausing, he turned away, shaking his head. "Nah. I suppose you wouldn't be terribly interested in my proposal."
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Madam Mim
Dream League Member
The Magnificent, Marvelous, Mad Madam Mim!
Posts: 10
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Post by Madam Mim on Jun 17, 2011 1:40:18 GMT -8
"Eh?" Mim's confident smirk vanished, and she raised the brows above her wide green eyes as the old caped duck stepped forward, speaking in a nonchalant tone rather unfitting for the situation. What was he up to?
The word "games" immediately gave The Masked Mallard the undivided attention of the witch, who listened intently as he carried on. The attack-ready position she was in shifted to a more upright one, as she crossed her spindly arms in front of her plump chest. She was suspicious about this, but, regardless, she could never pass up a challenge - or a chance to make her games even more interesting.
The Masked Mallard assumed Mim would be uninterested - on the contrary, she was interested enough to put her assault on hold just to listen to his proposal. "Oh, no, no, do go on!" she urged him with animated hand movements, her smile and tone of voice now jarringly like that of a sweet old lady - a far cry from the vicious witch that was moments away from slaughtering them all.
Her demeanor soon became a bit darker, however. "It had better be good, though," she began to add, her smile quickly becoming far more sinister. "Or else I'll go ahead and destroy you anyway!" She finished this sentence with a soft cackle, clearly enjoying that idea.
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She-Wolf
Dream League Admin
Child of the Forest
"I'm not afraid to die - and I'd do anything to get scum like you out of this city."
Posts: 75
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Post by She-Wolf on Jun 17, 2011 1:40:37 GMT -8
The wild girl, meanwhile, had ceased her barrage on the barrier that currently imprisoned her (not before many vigorous attempts to free herself, however) - she had quickly figured out that there was no getting out of here, for now, at least. She had nearly worn herself out trying to break free, and her pants for breath could be faintly heard by the heroes several feet away. Despite her exhaustion, she appeared to be no calmer than before - her face was twisted with furious rage, her eyebrows curling above her gray eyes that glared at Mim with the utmost of contempt. Every now and then, her attention would shift to the wolves that lay motionless on the ground not far away, and a subtle change in facial expression, from hatred to concern and worry, became visible. She was not as worried about her own fate, however, so much as that of her lupine brothers.
As the Masked Mallard conversed with the old hag, the wolf girl locked her sharp gaze on the two with intrigue. She was curious about what the duck was planning... not that it concerned her much just why they were after the witch, and whether or not they would accomplish whatever it was they were trying to do. They, too, were trespassers in her forest home... still, they seemed to have less hostile intentions than the pink-haired hag. She trusted none of them, for now, and only wished to be set free so she could kill that old woman herself and run the other intruders out of her forest.
... All the same, the idea of the motley group defeating that witch wasn't such a bad one, to the girl. Perhaps it would free her, even. Whatever would happen, she simply watched, as that was all she could do, for now. How she hated feeling this helpless...
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Paradox
Dream League Member
"Impudent piece of crockery!"
Posts: 22
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Post by Paradox on Jun 17, 2011 1:43:27 GMT -8
The old wizard, , along with the owl, had obviously known the dangerous witch for a long time. No one could have a higher opinion of the heinous woman than Paradox, and his face showed it. Normally, the wizard was cranky at best, but always accommodating. Today, however, his face only expressed raw anger and frustration. When Mim mentioned Dreamchild, he instinctively stepped in her direction as though to protect her. Paradox, now closer to the Masked Mallard (another elder) and the psychic girl, watched as Mim materialized a fetching ruby in a ring. The wizard's face temporarily loosened, and he adjusted his glasses to examine the ruby from here he stood. "Mim, what is that?"
He didn't receive an answer, though. The ruby was snatched by an intruder who was faster than a striking snake. It looked like a another person from a different time era. Today was very hectic, indeed! The wizard could see why there were strange reports. The new person attacked the witch, but Mim was grossly advantaged: the stranger's mask was blown off, revealing a mysterious teenage girl's face, and Mim ultimately defeated the attacker, and trapped her in the confines of magic.
Paradox remembered how much he deplored the hag. He brought his index finger up, ready to give her an earful, but then two wolves appeared. Unfortunately, they were less successful than the trapped young woman, and were soon knocked out, or killed.
"Mim!" the wizard shouted from the top of his ancient lungs. "I've had quite enough of your--"
He was cut off by the Masked Mallard. The wizard ceased his outburst and watched as the elderly duck, now in the forefront, speak to Mim with surprisingly unexpected words. But Paradox quickly put two and two together; Mim was a sucker for games, especially games where she could cheat. So, the Mallard's quick thinking was invaluable: time was guaranteed to be bought. The wizard, ready to attack if he had to, exchanged looks from Mim to the Masked Mallard, depending on who spoke. He was concerned about the wolves and the trapped teenager, who were obviously against Mim, but they would have to wait until the immediate danger was stopped.
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Sunshine
Dream League Member
The Ray of Hope
"I don't want to hurt you, but I will if you don't stop. ... Will you please stop?"
Posts: 136
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Post by Sunshine on Jun 17, 2011 1:44:14 GMT -8
Sunshine watched the witch's antics with strong dislike. Amazingly, she was beautiful even when she was very angry. She watched with wide eyes and pursed lips as the stranger who attacked Mim had her mask destroyed, revealing a unique, dark-eyed face. Alas, the witch won easily, and the attack was imprisoned with no chance of escape (at the time). Then two enormous wolves tried to attack Mim, but they, too, were easily defeated. Sunshine was ready to do whatever it took to defeat Mim, and even brought up her slender yet powerful arms, in a fighting stance. The girl had to be saved, and the wolves had to be checked. But in order for those to happen, the witch had to be stopped now.
But the Masked Mallard stepped ahead and enticed Mim to what sounded like a game. Sunshine assumed that the duck knew exactly what he was doing, and so she lowered her hands and watched his conversation with the witch. She would spring into action if she had to, but she waited for now. She kept looking at the poor prisoner, though; every time she looked at the confined teenager, and the wolves, her face grew sadder and sadder.
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Dreamchild
Dream League Admin
The Dream Come True
"Open your mind..."
Posts: 206
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Post by Dreamchild on Jun 17, 2011 1:44:57 GMT -8
Dreamchild reacted similarly to her companions. She was surprised by how very dark the young woman's eyes were, the young woman who attacked Madam Mim, but her curiosity would have to wait for later. After imprisoning the young woman, and after taking out two large wolves--they were enormous, and they would probably be beautiful if they could be tamed--, Mim was still at large. There was no question about it: this old hag was the single most dangerous foe the Dream League had encountered up to this point. At least, Dreamchild thought so; Liquidator was very difficult to subdue, but he didn't have a ruby that seemed to--Alice! There's no time for such thoughts! Pay attention!
Dreamchild was intimidated, but that emotion was outweighed by anger. She hated the witch, and was prepared to charge into battle along with her companions, and their new friend, Sunshine. But the Masked Mallard took the lead and began to lure Madam Mim into some deal or game of some sort. Dreamchild remained calm as her waterfowl friend (who, honestly, treated her more respectfully than Duck Avenger) started to lure Mim with his words. Was he secretly a businessman, when he wasn't a superhero? Because he was really good. That's when Dreamchild made a quick mental comment, directed to the duck.
<<Mr. Mallard, I trust you. I'm sure you know what you're doing. But we'll always be by your side.>>
Even in this serious situation, with a prisoner and two wounded animals, Dreamchild's mental tone was polite and mannerly. Of course, there was still detectable uneasiness. Dreamchild took a second to look at Sunshine. Would this new friend be of help? She did fall victim to Mim's spell before, after all...
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The Masked Mallard
Dream League Member
Luck Of The Duck
The Gentleman's Crimefighter
Posts: 84
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Post by The Masked Mallard on Jun 17, 2011 1:45:45 GMT -8
The Masked Mallard wanted to think that he knew what he was doing, but truthfully he was just thinking on his feet. Whether he succeeded depended on whether or not the witch would take the bait. Hopefully it would buy them some time to figure out a more solid strategy.
<<Thank you, dear.>> He quickly thought back to his young friend Dreamchild. It was not his intention to be brusque with her -- he was actually quite fond of the girl -- but he didn't want to divert his attention away from the unpredictable and clearly dangerous Mim.
"Well, 'tis a game that I would always play in my homeland as a wee lad with my siblings. This is quite the perfect place for it too. Nice and wide." The whole time his tone was conversational, and he cast his eyes around at their wooded surroundings. "I was a fair hand at it too. I believe you would be quite good at it." The duck pointed his cane at her before going on to explain.
"What we would do is chose someone to be the seeker. You certainly have the makings of a fine seeker madame, if I may say so. You found all of us, after all!" A smile on his beak, he spread his arms, indicating the other Dreamers. "Anyways, the seeker must count up to twenty while the rest of the players find places to hide. As seeker, you can look for the others, but you also have to guard home base. You see, if we touch the home base, we're safe. So we have to try and make it back to home base without you spotting us. Well, what say you?" He looked expectantly at her.
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Madam Mim
Dream League Member
The Magnificent, Marvelous, Mad Madam Mim!
Posts: 10
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Post by Madam Mim on Jun 17, 2011 1:46:07 GMT -8
Mim gave the Masked Mallard her full and uninterrupted attention as he described the game to her, but her already rather short patience grew thinner as he went on about how he would play this as-of-yet unnamed game in his childhood. Her arms crossed, she tapped her fingers rhythmically across her arm as she scowled with impatience. "Yes, yes, get on with it already!" she shouted as he pointed his cane at her, uncrossing her arms to flail them about with energy that could not be contained for more than a handful of seconds
However, Mim grinned in delight as the Mallard complimented her seeking abilities. She was liking the sound of this game already - sounds like she'd be guaranteed to win! The witch cackled lightly as the old duck finished his explanation. "Ooh, that sounds delightful! But if you don't mind, I'd like to add a few rules of my own."
Mim's smile once again became just a touch more sinister, as she clasped her hands together as if plotting something. "Since you lot went ahead and interfered with my fun, I'm afraid I can't let you get off so easily, hehehe. So! If you win, you may take the girl and go. But if I win..." A manic gleam became visible in the hag's already maniacal-looking eyes. "I get to destroy all of you!"
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The Masked Mallard
Dream League Member
Luck Of The Duck
The Gentleman's Crimefighter
Posts: 84
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Post by The Masked Mallard on Jun 17, 2011 1:46:30 GMT -8
The Masked Mallard felt a flare of temper rise when Madame Mim rushed him as he was explaining the game. He didn't care for being interrupted. But he restrained his anger, settling for plastering a thin smile across his bill. He knew that for right now he needed to maintain his cool.
"Rules of your own?" The Mallard echoed when Mim made her proposal, his narrowed eyes the only cue to his uneasiness at what she had in mind. He decided to hear her out. He got the impression that even if he had protested, she wouldn't have paid very much attention to him anyways. Still, he couldn't help but think to himself, 'No wonder this harridan gets under Paradox's skin so much.' He listened to Mim before speaking.
"Before we agree to anything, what of her?" He jerked his head over at the impressed wolf-girl. "I want her on our team." The duck bluntly demanded.
If he knew his villains, he wasn't expecting the witch to keep her promise of letting them go free if the Dreamers won.
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