Good Omens...And Bad: Prophecy in Theory and Practice, Lab Five

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Friday, October 6, Second Period

The room is arranged in a combined of big, extremely comfortable looking armchairs and piles of large, also comfortable looking cushions and pillows. The lights are dimmer than usual, there is the faintest hint of a scent, as if of fresh spring air, and very soft music is playing.

"First off, I want to remind everyone to hand in your take-home test from last week. And in honor of Homecoming, there will be no homework today.

We're veering from the printed syllabus a bit for today's class, because I want to match our labs a little better to the class lectures. On Monday, we discussed dream interpretation. Today, we're going to experiment a bit with our dreams.

Before we begin, I want to stress two things to you. First: this lab exercise is entirely voluntary. Anyone who feels uncomfortable participating need only speak up, and I will assign a different exercise. Second: you are completely safe. This room is protected from any outside interference, and the only...energies, so to speak, that will be able to access it are those that are connected to you personally. The source of your own sight, your own prophetic abilities. Nothing can hurt you, and I will be keeping a close watch on everyone.

Now, the exercise. I want you to get comfortable. Curl up in one of the chairs, find a place on the cushions, whatever you prefer. Count to one hundred, or recite Latin verbs, or whatever it is you usual do to calm your mind so that you can sleep. I'll help you along, so that once you're in a relaxed state, you'll be sure to fall asleep. You may not reach a dream state, but if you do, once you awaken I'd like you to write down anything you recall about the dreams you had in your journal. You won't be sharing these with the class, although you are more than welcome to come and see me next week if you have anything you'd like to talk about with me."

Anyone who decides to participate in the lab will find that the atmosphere of the room is incredibly relaxing, and very conducive to sleep. The naps will actually only last about twenty minutes, leaving plenty of class time afterwards for writing down notes or chatting with the other students.

[ooc: As the professor says, this is an entirely voluntary lab exercise. If your character is absolutely dead set against trying it, just let him know. Anyone not participating might be asked to help monitor the others. If you do dream, and you want something to happen, please ping me in the OOC thread so I know to keep watch on your character specifically. Please wait for OCD threads are up. Have at!]

Syllabus
Class Roster
Classes Linkdrop
Lab Partner List

Comments

Lab Exercise

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

You're feeling sleeeeeeepy.....

Re: Lab Exercise

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

Pippi finds a comfy place to sit and waits to see if her lab partner would like her to sit with him while he tries to have a dream.

Re: Lab Exercise

[likethegun]

Sam sat down next to Pippi and gave her a small smile. "Are you going to do the exercise?" he asked.

Re: Lab Exercise

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

"First I was going to see if you wanted to do it, and if you wanted me to sit with you while you tried." She said. "As I've never had profetic dreams on my own."

Which was a lie.

Re: Lab Exercise

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia stretched out on a big nest pile of cushions, setting her dream journal down well within easy reach.

Was she a bit nervous?

Well, yes. But Mr. Aziraphale promised there would be no outside influences or anything.

She wondered if Rambaldi counted.

Re: Lab Exercise

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe settled down near Nadia and got comfortable with her dream journal close by.

Re: Lab Exercise

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia wasn't exactly thrilled with the prospect of having one of those dreams like, in public, but on the other hand, one of her reasons for taking the class was learning to control it.

And she wasn't injured or sick or anything, so usually that would mean she wouldn't have one. This would be the test then, to see if she had one after all. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate in a sleepy way on the future.

It worked.

Too well. While she slept, her hand automatically picked up her pen and began to write a rather complex formula out on the page.

Re: Lab Exercise

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Aziraphale stopped at some point and said quietly to Phoebe, "It's so good to see you back, my dear. Can you stop for a few moments after class?"

Re: Lab Exercise

[demonbelthazor]

Bel refused to participate.

Re: Lab Exercise

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Aziraphale asked Bel if he would assist with keeping an eye on the students who were participating. Also, as an alternate exercise, he asked Bel to handwavily write a short explanation of what form of divination other than dreams he found most intriguing, and why.

Re: Lab Exercise

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Like Bel, Anders decided to opt out of this one.

Re: Lab Exercise

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Aziraphale also asked Anders to assist with watching the other students while they lazed out slept, and gave him the same assignment as Bel: write a brief explanation of the method of divination, other than dreams, that intrigues you the most.

Re: Lab Exercise

[dr-jwilsonmd.livejournal.com]

Another not lazing out sleeping student!

Anders caught the attention of two wee barnapkin origami duckies, who toddled up and perched upon his knee, looking at him.

Well, save for the whole, not having eyes bit. However, they did seem friendly enough.

Re: Lab Exercise

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

John looked over at his lab partner. "You skipping this one?"

Re: Lab Exercise

[lovechildblair.livejournal.com]

Blair got comfortable on a cushion and eventually stopped bouncing enough to nod off to sleep.

Re: Lab Exercise

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Aziraphale kept an eye on Blair while he dreamed. Although he didn't expect that the young man would have any trouble, one never knew for sure.

Re: Lab Exercise

[joxertehmighty.livejournal.com]

Joxer snored something horrible, once he fell asleep.

Re: Lab Exercise

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

After a few minutes, Aziraphale nudged Joxer toward REM sleep. Which would have the double advantage of sending him into dreaming, and halting the snoring.

Re: Lab Exercise

[daemonridden.livejournal.com]

Lyra settled down on a cushion, looking slightly uneasy. Pan crawled up to drape himself around her neck.

"We don't have to do this, you know," he whispered in her ear. "It's just a class."

"Yeah," she whispered back. "But this 'just a class' might be the key to reading the alethiometer again."

"I know," he sighed. "At least it feels... safe in here."

"It does, doesn't it?" Lyra trailed off as she slipped into a shallow slumber.


[ooc: and I'll reply with a dream later.]

Re: Lab Exercise

[daemonridden.livejournal.com]

Lyra's sleep gradually deepened, until she fell into the dreaming state.


Lyra stood in a field of snow, dressed in her normal school attire: a tartan skirt and button-up blouse. She shivered as a cold wind blew across her face, swirling her hair like a yellow banner.

She heard a noise behind her, and she turned around to see a woman holding a golden monkey in her arms.

Suddenly, she wasn't in the North anymore, she was in a cave, that cave in the hills of Tibet.

"Hello, Lyra," Mrs Coulter said, softly but with an air of menace beneath the velvety tones. Lyra said nothing.

"I've someone here to see you, Lyra." Mrs Coulter set the monkey down, and it circled around behind her, eyeing Pan greedily. A child stepped out from behind the woman. Its face and form were changeable; one moment it was Roger, the next, Tommy Makarios. Now it was Angelica, now one of the girls from Bolvanger.

Mrs Coulter had a knife in her hand; how had that happened? Lyra couldn't see where it came from. She stepped toward Lyra, her face somewhere between a hard, brutal cruelty and a cajoling sweetness. It was disconcerting to see.

"Lyra. You've got to stop. Stop it, Lyra." Mrs Coulter said firmly.

"What?" asked Lyra. "Stop what?"

"Stop this instant, or I shall have to take measures." Mrs Coulter lifted the knife.

"I don't know what you mean!" Lyra exclaimed. "Stop what?"

Mrs Coulter shook her head, almost sadly, and turned, drawing the shimmering silver blade across the other child's neck. Tony Makarios' liquid eyes widened in surprise, and then rolled into the back of his head as he collapsed in a bloody heap.

"Oh, God!" Lyra put her hand to her mouth, her vision becoming blurry with unshed tears.

"Now, Lyra." Mrs Coulter turned back to the girl. "Do you see? Do you see why you must stop?"

Lyra shook her head violently, angry tears running down her face. The knife in the woman's hand was now a cup, a steaming cup full of something that smelled like lavender and decay.

"Drink, Lyra. Drink this." Mrs Coulter held out the sup to Lyra, who stepped back.

"No," she said. She sobbed, once, and held her breath to stop more from coming. "I don't want it."

"Drink it!" Mrs Coulter followed Lyra until she was pressed up against the back of the cave with nowhere to go. "Lyra, drink."

"No! No, Mama, I don't want it!"


After about ten minutes of dreaming, Lyra's brow furrowed in her sleep. She turned her head, as if avoiding something. Pan's fur was standing on end, and he writhed away from Lyra's neck.

Re: Lab Exercise

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

Bridge settles down and tries to drift off to sleep.

Re: Lab Exercise

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Noticing that Bridge was giving the exercise a shot, Aziraphale made a mental note to keep a careful eye on him.

Re: Lab Exercise

[singasoloduet.livejournal.com]

Agnes settled down with some cushions and closed her eyes. She had a slight problem in that Perdita decided that it was a perfect time to start singing Sex Pistols again.

Re: Lab Exercise

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Aziraphale caught on after a bit there was something keeping Agnes from dropping off. He walked over, and softly said, "Do you need a little help, Miss Nitt?"

Re: Lab Exercise

[oatmanspatient.livejournal.com]

Marty quickly fell asleep where he had a dream about being a king.

Weird.