Dream Alone - DCA fic

[xt1me]

The title for this is solely because, when was trying to think of one, this song by Natewantstobattle came up on my playlist & it was too good of a coincidence to ignore. (It’s just for the title, the lyrics don’t really match) 

Technically this takes place any time after ep: 110 but while I allude to stuff that happened in 109 – 111 I don’t think I actually mention anything that happens after ep 59. 

 

♪

 

He recognised the room.

The crack along one wall that had been there since before they moved in.
The stain on the floor that never managed to come out from a spilled meal.
The blood splattered across the walls.

Outside the window, instead of the sounds of the Waterdeep streets, came noises of wooden wheels, screaming horses and the crackle of flames.
A sound of breaking stone that went scattering across the floor.

Paultin turned and fled out the door.

 

Snow.

Snow was everywhere.
A wide empty expanse of white as far as the eye could see.

Not flat, there were mounds scattered around that looked like things buried. From the smallest, peeking from the frozen covering, could just be seen a bell. Like one from a jesters ca-

“Nope!” Paultin backed up, “Nope, no, not doing this.”

Turning at a right angle he strode though fog. “This is a bullshit dream and I’m not going to be a part of it.”

There was a vague tug coming from somewhere. As if some instinct was guiding him in a certain direction in the blinding mist.

Paultin ignored it.

 

Another familiar room.

A long corridor with a high vaulted ceiling. A row of closed doors on one side and open windows on the other. A grey, colourless wasteland could be seen outside. Looking around there was no sign of where he came from. Like the last time he was here there was a set of open double doors, just barely hanging onto their hinges, on the far side of the hall.

For a long moment Paultin did nothing. But when nothing to materialised to torment him he moved towards the doors. The closed ones were sealed shut with no way of forcing them open. They didn’t even seem to have a lock. Reluctantly he made his way to the open doors.

His footsteps echoed strangely as he carefully went towards them.

The room beyond was empty.

Cautiously he entered.

“Hey, sorry to interrupt, I’m just a little lost,” he called out.

The rustle of wings came from all around as ravens flew about the desecrated room. Other then that is was empty. There was no sign of the figure of twigs he was expecting.

“Um,” he stood there uselessly as the birds settled again but nothing further happened.

“I don’t suppose you guys can get me home?” he asked the multiple eyes watching him. They made no sound.

“I guess she’s out?” he asked looking around. There were a few caws but nothing more.

“I’m gonna take that as a yes.” He sighed and lent against a wall, “I guess I’m just going to wait here then.”

Nothing continued to happen.

A few random birds flew about every now and again. Paultin hummed absentmindedly as he waited. He noticed a few of the ravens seemed to listen to him but the rest looked to be ignoring him for now.

His humming trailed off. He stood there a moment listening to the sound of a bunch of birds in a large empty room. Looking around he still couldn’t see any way to leave.

“Fuck it.” Paultin swung up his bagpipes and started to play. If there was any instrument that you could use fill a large gothic building with sound, and wasn’t an organ, it was the bagpipes. In deference to the atmosphere of the place he played a mournful funeral dirge. The beady eyes of the ravens watching weren’t as intimidating now he was treating them as an audience.

As the last sorrowful note echoed around the room Paultin frowned.

“Well, that was depressing as fuck.” He still felt the need to keep the music he played appropriate to the venue but he was kind of sick of felling miserable right now. It was a good thing not all funnel songs had to be sad.

 

Paultin smiled slightly around his mouthpiece as he watched some of the birds hopping around like they were dancing. He had been playing for a while now but he wasn’t really that tired yet. He was halfway through ‘Finnegan’s Wake’ when he noticed the figure in the middle of the room. Like a living birds nest in the shape of a woman it turned the empty dark hole where it’s face would be towards him. He almost lost the note he was on but he made his performance check well enough to finish the song.

The figure was suddenly directly in front of him. A guttural, whispering voice came from the hollow face speaking a language he didn’t know. He got the impressing she was asking what he was doing here.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to barge in,” he tried to explain, “I was dreaming and got a bit turned around and somehow ended up here. If you could just point me to the exit I’ll get out of your hair- er, twigs.”

Sticks woven into the shape of fingers reached out and stroked his face gently.

The figure was suddenly back in the center of the room. The whispered voice spoke again telling him how it was so rare for her to get visitors. Especially ones that brought such wonderful entertainment. She felt she should give a small gift before he left.

“That’s alright. I don’t want to put you out.”  Paultin knew scary powers liking you could get you in just as much trouble as when they don’t. “Really, what you gave me already is fine, I’ll just be on my way-”

The Raven Queen pointed to the glass-less ruined window. Not having much choice Paultin turned and looked out it.

Instead of a view of the Shadowfell there was a moving view of a somewhat familiar landscape. It was some place in Barovia. The view swooped and changed as if seen from the eyes of something that flew, sweeping across a field towards two figures.
Why was he being shown this?
There was no sound but the two looked like they were having fun under what passed for Barovien daylight. Where they on a picnic or something?

As they got nearer it slowly dawned on Paultin that he knew them.
It was Falkon and Escher.
Obviously they were from the slightly better timeline considering they were both alive. So that’s what happened to them. But why show him this? Falkon was just another in a long line of people that had ended up dead because of him. And Escher was just someone else he used to save his own skin. He hadn’t thought of them in ages. What did he care if there were alive now? He watched them as they silently laughed and chatted to one another, oblivious to any watchers. He watched them until the scene became blurry and difficult to see. Paultin blinked as he realised that it wasn’t the scene but tears that were making it hard to see. He turned away from the window. He didn’t know why it was effecting him so much to see one instance of previous mistakes undone. But he knew more than most how happiness could hurt.

He turned to the Raven Queen.

“Thanks.”

The figure nodded and pointed towards the doors. Handrew skittered in. Paultin didn’t react as the severed hand crawled up his body until it settled in on his shoulder.

“Hey, buddy.” The hand pointed a finger out the way he came. Paultin turned towards the Raven Queen and tried to think of what to say.

“Bye.”

With a storm of wings the birds perched around the room lunched into the air and surrounded the figure. Diving into the hole in her face the flock disappeared into it’s depths. The figure collapsed into a heap.

Paultin turned and walked out the door.

 

Opening his eyes Paultin stared up at the somewhat charred ceiling of his room. It was early enough that the sun was just barely peeking through the windows. From somewhere above he could hear Evelyn going about her morning exercises. She was singing some hymn or another. Hitting the notes with little more enthusiasm the accuracy.

He sighed.

Time for a drink.

 

♪

I like how the 2 times Paultin has guest stared in another game (other than the 'C' team or Nate DMing) it’s been some sort of astral shenanigans. I know it's really because of how it’s the easiest way to just drop a player in a random game but it gives me some interesting ideas for headcanons. Like how Vistani usually travel around but Paultin’s now stuck in Waterdeep so his mind is doing it instead. Either that or rescuing Evelyn from the Soulmonger with that Nate20 had lasting consciences.