[IC] Lost in Dreams (Chandra)

[Rocket Man]

The dream is an odd one for Chandra, so used to having nightmares full of fire and screams in Hindi. And herself as a little girl .... she tries to force herself to notice the perspective before she wakes up, to see if she's in the dream as Chandra-girl, Chandra-woman, someone else entirely, or just watching from outside like the audience of a movie.

----

On Sunday, she does indeed attend Anglican services ("it goes with the study of the dialect") and tries to stay relatively inconspicuous. However, she does keep an eye out for either Haley or her roommate. If she doesn't see either, she asks So about her while chatting -- not mentioning that she accidentally stumbled into her room, just as someone Morgan happened to see and wonders if So knows.

Unless So has some idea of his own for how to spend the time, Morgan spends a lot of the time at her study area and in the library, catching up on the things Gopal already knows and she needs to. That includes, besides the relevant classes, further study on the cultures of Homeline, the Patrol and Centrum, parachronics, and -- after a moment's reflection -- anything current on dreams and dreaming that doesn't look like New Age frou-frou.

It'd almost be easier if I were a Hindu like Gopal, she thinks sourly. Then I could let myself think the gods were playing games with me ...

[ericthered]

Chandra tries to move her viewpoint, and finds that she appears to be something between an observer in a movie and a hovering camera she can control. She certainly can't see any body in her dream, unless... she tries to put it in, and dreams of herself sleeping on her bed in the room she and Gopal share.

Proper Anglican services aren't really available, but Chandra finds a service that's 'good enough'. or as good as she's going to get. It could be a lot better, but its close enough to help in the unfamiliar setting.

She runs into Haley Broam at the services (metaphorically). Haley appears to recognize Chandra. Chandra can't feel the sense right now.

[Rocket Man]

Chandra smiles shyly, aparrantly a little embarrassed at the recognition. After services (or during a significant break), she approaches Haley.

"May we start again? I'm afraid I didn't make the best first impression the other day." She reaches out a hand. "Chandra Gopal. And I promise I don't normally make a habit of trespass. Had it been my room violated, I'd have been less than pleased myself."

(OOC: Do you want a Diplomacy roll?)

[ericthered]

OCC: I made one off screen

Miss Broam seems a little surprised to find Chandra here, but is polite, though cold:
"It was very embarrassing for both of us. I accept your apology."

She makes an attempt to end the conversation by leaving the building.

[Rocket Man]

Outside, Chandra's expression doesn't change. Inside, she's smiling. This dance, she knows how to perform ... a slow, very formal waltz that can take weeks to complete before the stage of true acquaintanceship is reached. But because it does have rules, she's confident that eventually she and Holly can reach at least an accommodation.

That is, assuming both of them remain in this timeline long enough. Given her bizarre dreams and Holly's odd device, Chandra knows she can't really guarantee that.

Rather than interrupt her -- and set all progress back to zero -- Chandra leaves the area with the rest of the congregation (the better to keep her in sight a little longer) and texts the other three. "She was at services, appears to be heading (direction). Any chance some/all can pick up trail?"

--

That night (unless activities force a scene before there), Chandra tries to do something she hasn't attempted for a long time -- she deliberately tries to dream. More specifically, she tries to dream of Holly. She can't explain it, but she has the feeling that if she can encounter the odd woman on the "nightside," things might get a little clearer.

[ericthered]

No one is close, partially because Gopper and Smith are in the middle of pulling off some sort of prank. Chandra could follow Haley if she wanted though.

Her dreams that night are very vauge-- As soon as chandra tries to control them, they seem to melt into the fuzziness that is no dream at all.

[Rocket Man]

Originally Posted by ericthered

No one is close, partially because Gopper and Smith are in the middle of pulling off some sort of prank. Chandra could follow Haley if she wanted though.

If she can do so without being spotted or being obvious, she will. It's a big campus, plenty of reason for people to be going the same direction. But if she seems likely to get caught, she'll break off and head somewhere else .... she's just calmed the waters and doesn't want to raise suspicion again too quickly.

(Remind me -- is Chandra Morgan sleeping during the nights or the days? Also, she'll follow Gopal's lead in terms of nightwear, just in case someone enters the room while she's in bed.

One other question: How are the dorm rooms secured?)

[ericthered]

The dorm rooms are not secured at all, unless you count key latches.
Morgan sleeps from about 5 PM to 1 AM, while Gopal sleeps from 1AM to 9 AM (you can argue the exact boundry if you want, but that's the baseline).

Chandra follows Haley Broam from afar-- its fairly easy: Broam is a tiny woman, which makes her as distinctive as you can get in this sea of uniforms. Haley goes right back into the building you sleep in. (There are about 3,000 people here and there were more before, so there are several of these buildings).

OCC: yes, 3,000 new ICOP's a year is a lot, and a lot more than in IW. They have a sizable amount of territory to patrol and a world who's economy is focused on Interworld travel.

[Rocket Man]

Chandra suspects she's just heading back to her room, then -- but she tags along inconspicuously for a bit, just to be sure. If Haley goes anywhere else, she'll make a mental note of it. And if she feels the power surge start again, she'll pay close attention to it for later reference.

Otherwise, she'll continue the three-pronged attack:

1) The slow, deliberate (and very English) dance of courtesy designed to bring her and Haley gradually into each other's orbit in a socially acceptable manner.

2) The use of the boys to keep an eye on Haley and see what else she's doing and where else she's going, and when.

3) The nightly foray into dreams, whether of Haley, dinosaurs, oddly-charged batteries or something even more strange.

This is of course in the midst of continuing her classwork/acclimation and her conversations with the other Chandra ... and with So, who remains both interesting and an "outside" source on how the parachronic world works. On a whim, she asks him about Haley (not by name) during one of their chats, suspecting that the small cadet might be technical enough to be part of his circles.

[ericthered]

Two weeks go by.

Steering her dreams proves quite unwieldy, and more prone to stopping the dream than actually getting to see what she wants. Broam does not appear in them. Mostly they continue to be about large prehistoric creatures, and occasionally about events on the campus. One night she even sees Gopper and Smith sneaking into a staff building and going through documents-- as well as switching all the salt and sugar in the coffee room.

Broam continues to be quite cold and stand-offish, but Chandra thinks she can see the girl thaw just a little... sometimes.

The boys will mention when they see Broam, but don't seem too enthused about the plan, particularly as Chandra hasn't picked up the 'sense' again. Though Gopper does mention the possibility of just going through the room looking for the batteries.

The required sports programs are one thing Gopal is adamant about doing herself: they are required and Gopal feels she needs the practice. She does suggest that Morgan could stand to get in some physical training.

So knows exactly who Haley Broam is. In her classes she has the reputation of being simultaneously loud and quiet. She is a great student and outwardly looks very social, but So can't identify who any of her good friends are. No one seems to know much about her other than her drive, competence, and fiery temperament.

What does she mostly talk to her double about?

After two weeks, Morgan is leaving from her switch at night and sense the same 'waterfall' of energy-- once again from Broam's room.