Zhuge: to sleep, perchance to Dream

[grimandfatalistic]

Solas would be lying if he said he was not excited at the prospect of teaching someone to Dream. He had carefully studied a map of the city, and cross-referenced it with news articles (what a novelty!) to determine the very best location for Zhuge to learn.

He has enough lyrium. He has the right herbs. He has set up a small sleeping space very near to the building named Bramford, and he has contacted Master Zhuge to alert him to their location. He also sends along the suggestion of comfortable clothing; Solas himself is wearing his cream colored tunic, his trousers, and his footless boots. His staff is nearby, should he require it.

He is very excited. He has a fire to keep them warm, as the evening is a little chilly and sleep comes easier when one is warm and comfortable. When his avid student arrives, Solas looks up. His eyes reflect, as a cat's, the firelight in the dark.

He stands and begins to set wards. Solas has yet to see a giant spider or bear here in Darrow, but he would prefer caution. It is not carelessness that has kept him alive for so long.

"Do you have any questions before we begin?" he asks as he works.

Comments

[anticipate]

The exchange of knowledge is an act that Zhuge considers to be more intimate than any other. Sometimes, knowledge is shared in a manner that's both stark and direct — words, instructions, step by step along a well-worn path. And other times, to pass knowledge off is an act both intangible and unpredictable. Two souls journeying together at the mercy of the direction of the wind. It is the latter that Zhuge often likes best, and so the smile never quite leaves his lips today as he waits for the hour of his lesson.

He feels fortunate to have found an instructor who seems almost as pleased to impart this wisdom as Zhuge himself is to receive it.

To the meeting, Zhuge wears his most comfortable set of inner robes, pale against the darker concrete and brick of Darrow's alleyways. His pigeons, their feathers a matching pale cream, fly ahead of their master as Zhuge's steps echo down the street. Once at the site, Zhuge's eyes silently follow every last movement of Solas, mapping out the distinct setup of their sleeping space.

"The only question I have is what I need to know... to make sure I can do this a second time," Zhuge says, smile bright in his eyes as he bows deferentially. "But all else, I will like to explore in Dream."