Melanie walked on in this featureless place. She hadn't found means to measure time in that place, so she didn't know how long. She was confused. The feeling that she might no longer get the opportunity to be with the people she had come to know caused her to feel something.
Distress.
"Calm down, child..."
"Who?" - Said Melanie, turning around.
She was sure the woman that now stood there was not there before. She was a short, black-haired, pale woman, seemingly in her twenties.
"Explain." - Said Melanie. This request seemed adequate; she wanted everything about her current situation to be explained to her; certainty and knowledge might ease the distress.
"This is your dreamscape. You... You are one whose psyche is not fully formed. So, when you dream, it might be somewhat featureless, I suppose. A dream, sweetie, is something that happens in your mind while you sleep. In reality, you are still in that room, and asleep, and you lost none of the people you came to know. You will return to reality as soon as you wake up, and you will do so as soon as you are well-rested enough to." - the woman said.
Melanie blinked. That seemed to be a suitable explanation.
"Why am I... dreaming?" - She asked.
"Because your mind needs to rest and to deal with the events of the previous day in its own way as well. However, since your mind has precious little to work with, I figured I might give you some help in... decorating your dreamscape."
With that, Melanie was now standing on a strange sort of place. It was both a playground and what looked like a toy store.
"I... find this more acceptable than where I was." - She said, slowly.
The woman nodded.
"I figured you would. There are other things to one's dreamscape, and it's rare for someone to visit the same dreamscape frequently. But I will help you build a good one in general for you. In time..."
"What do I do now?" - Said Melanie as she looked around at the place.
"We play, silly!" - Said the strange woman, changing into a child like Melanie.
"Can the inhabitants of this... dreamscape... change form like you did?" - asked Melanie.
Her companion giggled. "I'll tell you all about it while we play."
Melanie reflected. She would eventually be reunited with the people she had come to know, and had been told she would not be really separated from them at all. She had found that she would, seemingly, in a few hours, awaken. That seemed, thus, agreeable.
Melanie nodded.
"Tag! You're it!" - Said her companion as she poked Melanie and began running, giggling.
Melanie had already come into contact with what had been known as the game of tag. So, she proceeded to follow its rules.
She ran.
The girl and Melanie were now playing house, albeit in a more... free form... manner. Melanie had come to learn that one can bend the rules for games such as these.
It was agreeable.
Suddenly, Melanie felt a twinge of... something.
Uncertainty.
She looked to her right. They?
The little girl that was with her looked annoyed at first. She then got up and changed into the woman that had first met Melanie, and turned to Melanie's right.
"This dreamscape is not yours." - She said - "You will not come here. I forbid you. This girl is under my protection. And, if you feel you might go unpunished because I am bound by rules, not only I am allowed leeway in them, but I also have a friend that is not bound by any rules, and that just today destroyed an entire base of yours and everyone in it because she thought it would be funny. Ask yourselves if you are willing to cross me by coming here."
The presence vanished.
The woman sat by Melanie's side and put her on her lap, hugging her.
"Don't worry about them, sweetie. Where were we?"
Melanie relaxed and the two kept playing.
"Well." - Said the woman, smiling - "That's all most people know about both dreams and nightmares. You'll enter a dreamless sleep now. You do not need to fear it, your existence will remain perfectly intact."
Melanie nodded. She finally asked.
"Who are you?"
The woman paused. Then smiled.
"Neruite."
Moonscape
"I see you decided to tell the child your RPG name, Selene? The one your angel loves to use? Interesting choice."
"Does it matter where the names come from, Hermes?" - Said Selene.
"In the sense of their power, no. In the sense of how you present yourself, I would say yes. The gentle, even 'cute' goddess of sleep and dreams of an obscure RPG setting in Brazil. And the imagery you used was pictured by Lucas, even, for the goddess in question is not even expanded upon in the RPG setting in question..."
"Luna, Neruite and I are as Mercury and you. We are one, separated only in depiction and name. You know that. What is your point?"
"My point is you are modeling another version of you to be much more hands-on and much more willing to help people." - Said Hermes, smiling - "For such an ancient goddess, you are clearly changing over these past few days. Does it not worry you, 'Neruite'?"
"At first it did. However, I am using this 'guise' of Neruite precisely to retain my other self when needed, Hermes. Do not worry, though. Even if this catches on and gods begin taking on other forms to interact with humans more often, you will not become obsolete." - Neruite smirked.
"Oh, I'm not worried about that. Au contraire." - He smirked - "I'm quite enjoying seeing this change brought to our little system. I know there are rules and I follow the rules, but I really am enjoying seeing them made more and more flexible. Plus one cannot deny you obtained lots of credit with recent events."
"I am quite sorry, Hermes, but does that train of thought eventually arrive at a station?" - Said Selene.
Hermes chuckled.
"Sure: I am glad to see the rules being bent, for this gives me some leeway to do it myself, and I like it that you're becoming more and more willing to bend them to do good. The other point is as follows: You are changing, Selene, quite a bit. Getting closer and closer to humans, even if we discount the Celine Andrews in you. And I, for one, like it. Do I get to call you Neruite if I so wish?"
"Oh, shush." - Said Selene/Neruite, both smiling lightly and blushing.
