Lilly-Anthy in the Dreaming

[awesome_lilly]

The rope bridge is kind of rickety, but that's okay, because Anthy is perfectly content to swing in her hammock on one side of the cliff.
 
It's a nice day. Sunny. Bright. Humming with the serenades of angry elephants.

Comments

[anthy-rosebride.livejournal.com]

There's a white mare grazing to Anthy's right, and a pine marten curled beside her; a gray rat is watching contentedly from beneath the nearest bush, and a hawk circles lazily overhead.

"I didn't bring my surfboard," Anthy says sadly to the mare, who snorts.

[awesome_lilly]

And there is a Lilly, wandering past on what she thinks is the way she needs to go. She stops when she sees the purple-haired girl.

"Hi, Anthy. Why didn't you bring your surfboard?"

[anthy-rosebride.livejournal.com]

Anthy's waving hand glitters gold in the sun.

"I forgot."

The trumpeting in the distance has lost its angry edge. Now it's . . . jubilant.

"Careful," Anthy says. "Don't cross the bridge."

[awesome_lilly]

"Okay," Lilly says. She was never planning to cross it, but now she's curious.

"Um, why not?"

[anthy-rosebride.livejournal.com]

Anthy lowers her sunglasses to give Lilly a duh look.

"It's not strong enough to hold elephants."

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly returns the look.

"I'm not an elephant."

[anthy-rosebride.livejournal.com]

"The things chasing you will be," Anthy points out.

She tilts her head to study Lilly. "Besides, you could be. You'd match your eyes."

[awesome_lilly]

"My eyes are green, aren't they? And nothing's chasing me, that I know of..."

Lilly is using real logic, finally. Too bad she's starting with Anthy.

[anthy-rosebride.livejournal.com]

"You aren't running."

Anthy takes a sip of her milkshake. "Nothing can chase you if you aren't running."

She considers. "On the other hand, it can still slit your throat."

[awesome_lilly]

"...excellent point."

Lilly looks around.

"So. Where were you going to surf, anyway? Off the cliff?"

[anthy-rosebride.livejournal.com]

"I'm dreaming," Anthy says sensibly. "If I had a surfboard the ocean would show up, sooner or later."

[awesome_lilly]

"Well, why don't you have an ocean and wait for the surfboard to show up?" Lilly asks, also sensibly.

Because these are the two most sensible conversationalists in Milliways.

[anthy-rosebride.livejournal.com]

It says a lot about Milliways that that might not be sarcastic.

Anthy adjusts her sunglasses.

Blinking, she says, "Because I like sitting. Why are you in my dream?"

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly, suddenly, has a pair of pink rhinestoned sunglasses in her hand. They'd look familiar to Xander. They might even look familiar to Anthy. She puts them on.

"I don't know," she replies, shrugging. "I think your dream was on my way so I just stopped to say hi."



"Hi."

[anthy-rosebride.livejournal.com]

Anthy looks gravely at her.

"Hi."





"Did you know? If you find the Buddha in the road, you're supposed to kill him."

"It doesn't say anything about Ganesh."

Satisfied, she takes a long cool drink of milkshake.

[awesome_lilly]

"Kill the Buddha?"

Lilly blinks.

"But I thought he was like the Chinese Santa, all fat and jolly and 'I've got some enlightenment in my sack for you, small Chinese children.'"

[anthy-rosebride.livejournal.com]

"I don't think it would fit in a sack," Anthy says, after a moment of careful thought. "It's outside the sack, and you're inside."

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly nods, slowly.

"So, what you're saying is that the struggle to reach enlightenment is like the struggle to get out of the Buddha's sack?"

[anthy-rosebride.livejournal.com]

"Yes."

Anthy looks at her solemnly.

"Burlappy, and with too many elbows."

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly's face is grave.

"Fighting past like, forty-two elbows in a burlappy sack to find enlightenment? No wonder so many people stay in the sack. It would itch like mad to get enlightened, plus it would probably leave bruises."

[anthy-rosebride.livejournal.com]

"There are different sacks," Anthy says meditatively. "The highest is called Keter, the crown. Maybe there are fewer elbows there, and the burlap is thinner and less coarse."

[awesome_lilly]

"Yes, of course," Lilly says.

She blinks.

"Right. So, I think I have to keep going, I hope you find your skateboard, your elephants, your ocean, and enlightenment, although not necessarily in that order."

[anthy-rosebride.livejournal.com]

Anthy blinks back.

"I don't want enlightenment. It makes surfing harder."

Smiling cheerfully, she closes her eyes and relaxes in the sun.

"Good luck, Lilly. It's probably best not to die again."

Another sparkly wave.