#dreaming

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The music wwas so wonderful, a flash of silver, the music grew louder... and the two women lounge, adoringly. Looking at the singer

Something decidedly Merish about him

Then... it slowly ends... they find themselves in a strange pearlescent hued oval of a chamber, lush and relaxed

Jessica blinks, reluctantly letting go of the music.....

"Oh..he stopped" Clem sighs, then shakes her head "Wait, what? Where are we ?"

"Um. In trouble, I think...."

"Hello, you were both so lonely, so longing,I knew I had picked correctly?"

He is handsome... and his voice is a thrum that sends pleasant shivers

Jessica blinks and shakes her head... only the Sidhe do that? "I... I'm not sure you did sir. Who are you? Where are we? Please."

"I am Calys...you are in my dwelling. And, your names? Clem..and Jessica? Did I hear right?"

"You did, sir."

"Your home, could you be more...specific? ' Clem says

Jessica tries to shake off the effect of the .... of Clays, and think clearly.

"Oh, I suppose you woudl think of it as a holding... you are not far, the trod only goes a few miles..'

"A few miles?!?" Jessica blinks. "Under.... are we underwater?"

"Oh course" Calys says

Jessica gives Clem an 'uh-oh' look. "Sir..." turning back "... thank you for your, um, invitation and hospitality but..."

Clem shares it

"But? "

He asks

"...... well, we're at a disadvantage here. We didn't -intend- to come. Are we, um, your.... guests indefinitely?"

"You are safe here. " he answers/not answers "And you do not want."

"Do not want, want for what?" Clem asks

"For love. here you do not want for love. Can you not feel it?"

And Jessica realizes her concerns about romance are...at rest. it is as if she knows someone loves her and it's enough.

Mom, dad... of course. Duff... well, who knows? She searches inside for that place that felt empty still. The Balefire...?

She feels a pull at that. Yes, that connection is still there.

Clem looks stunned, "I feel... it'so kay that.. the ache is gone"

Jessica shakes her head slowly. "I have to go back."

"Why?" Calys says "Let others take up your burdens. They would want you to be happy"

"I -want- to go back." She rephrases.

"Why would you want to?" Clem asks, "We can be happy here"

"My 'Fire.... Clem, your Farm. The FarmHold, Clem?"

"Mmm farm? Yes it's very lovely" Clem says looking dazed and content

"Clem, do you ever want to see it again? You're going to be Chief!"

"Chief? I'm not chief yet. and ... it's going to be... lonely if I go back. Here w're loved. And I know the love is there outside I'm.. I'vee never been content before" Clem says

"Is it real? Just... being here, that... fixes everything?" Jess doesn't seem sure herself.

"Well, ffeel it yourself" She says "Do you feel loved here?" And Yes, Jessica feels loved. There's no stress about finding mr. Right or even mr. Right now. Ther'es no worries there about loneliness

She nods. "I do."

"It's the magic of this place, " Cayls explains "The Pearl. It lets me go out now and then, so I can make others happy. You are safe here, you are loved"

"But...." Jessica struggles to form the thought. "We have... jobs to do. Duty. Right, Clem?"

"I guess..." She says and lounges

Jessica watches her friend drop to the cushions with some dismay. "Sir...." looking back to the ... um... looking back "... I...." She takes a breath, tries to think through the love to her 'Fire.

"... I need to go back. We both do. Thank you, and all... but.... personal is not the same as important. Clem and I... we have some things that are important to us."

The fire ...she has poured work into it. It is hard. Sometimes very hard but the hard is part of what makes it worthwhile

"don't want to go" Clem says

"But..no one every wants to leave" the singer says "Here, maybe if I show you..." He reaches for a chest and opens it "Look"

Jessica tries -not- to. "Clem... Clem, we have ... "

"... people. Clem, we have people, they need us. You have a Balefire waiting. Me too."