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[mograidh]

[ Though smartphones haven't yet been invented in Brianna's time, she's quickly caught on to using this technology, impressed with the usefulness inherent in it. It's an easy way to communicate, keep in touch, and even to get to know other people. Having observed quite the spectrum of messages being exchanged over the network, she decides it might be fun, perhaps, to offer the chance to play a game. ]

I'm Brianna Randall, for those of you I haven't met yet. Many of you still, in fact. Which leads me to the reason for this post.

If anyone's interested in a fun little game of sorts, on the subject of psychology, I'll ask you a few questions and you respond when and if you feel like it. Traditionally, we would do this together at a dinner party, but it can still work like this.

[ She has no idea how many people might actually be interested, but it's always been a nice way to get to know others, at least. ]

Picture whatever comes to mind first when I ask you. Closing your eyes is optional, of course, but adds to the experience. [ She smiles a little, in her element. Things might not have been easy mentally for her when she'd first arrived, but she's settling in as well as anyone could. ]

I want you to imagine that you're in a forest with someone. Picture the person you're with. [ She'll pause here for a count of three seconds before continuing. ] You encounter an animal. Now, I want you to imagine that you reach a clearing.

When you're ready, tell me what you saw and who you were with, and I'll tell you what each answer represents. Symbolically speaking, of course.

Comments

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[nineteenfortyfive]

My daughter and a platypus.

[The smile gives Claire away. She's serious about the daughter part--not so much the animal. She's just playing around.]

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[skittering]

How would you know what it means?

❰ here's one (1) hooded gremlin, staring at the screen with narrowed eyes. ❱

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[momsboy]

Hello Brianna, I'm Peter Quill.

[ There's a blond man with what looks like a tan colored weasel clinging to his shoulders. ]

The game sounds fun, I think I'll give it a try.

[ Of course, when he actually does follow her instructions, his smile smile shifts into a sadder expression. He really didn't think this through. ]

Gamora, my girlfriend. And the animal is a raccoon.

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[iustise]

[Brianna. Brianna Randall. Claire's daughter. And Jamie's. Lord John is momentarily dumbstruck at the sight of her. Oh, but she does look so very much like her father. And here it is that he had spoken to her, entirely oblivious of that fact. Shaking his head, he offers her his best attempt at a response.

And of course, there is only one person that he sees when he shuts his eyes. One man. He should feel guilty, that it is not his wife, or his son. But it's been the same, ever since he's laid eyes upon him. It will probably be the same until he draws his dying breath.]

I can see a man by the name of James Fraser. [He offers her a gentle twist of a smile.] Perhaps the two of you are acquainted.

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[tealeafs]

[ Chizuru is so fascinated by this, and it's obvious from the curious look on her face as she answers with a video feed of her own. She can at least understand that the person you imagine would mean something, sure, since it'd say something about your relationship with them, maybe..

But.. the animal you see? Does it have to do with this mysterious psychology thing? ]

If it's a clearing, then.. a deer, probably? Does that really have some sort of meaning?

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[sanityinruins]

I'm Ye Zun.

[ The camera is focused on a traditional dressed Chinese man with long silver hair that he has gathered into a bun that's held in place by a craved bit of bone. He raises a cup at the camera and the quick smile he gives her is a bit on the charming side. ]

My brother and a spirit beast.

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[ragnarsson]

I don't know how much you'll be able to glean from such answers, but I've got nothing better to do at the moment.

[Ivar's got intense, ice-blue eyes that tend to grip the viewer. His sclera, strangely enough, are a faint blue tinge as well, a byproduct of his brittle bone syndrome.]

My father and a bjorn.

[He means bear, the word coming out thicker in the Norse accent.]

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[endlessflask]

[ What the hell, it's not like there's anything else going on. And this could be, if nothing else, at least mildly amusing.

It doesn't take him really long to picture everything, either.]

Okay. I'll bite. I'm with my best friend and ex-life partner, and the animal is a rabbit. A talking rabbit, if we're getting technical.

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[seventeenfortythree]

[ Oh, he'll play! He does as he's told and then opens his eyes. ]

I was wi' yer mam, and the animal was a bear.

[ Wonder what that means? He can't wait to find out. ]

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[madcuriosity]

Does such a thing really work, Miss Randall?

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[353]

El - that's my girlfriend - and... well, uh, I actually thought of a monster first. [ From his world. ] Does that count or does it have to be an animal?

[mograidh]

[ Though she realizes her mother is joking, Bree plays along in all seriousness. With her thumb and pointer finger, she cradles her chin, looking upward as if deep in thought. ]

That's very interesting. Dreaming of a platypus can represent chaos and confusion, or that you're adapting well or not well enough to a new environment. The fact that I was in the dream with you clearly means you're concerned about me being here. That's nothing new, mama.

[ She follows that up with a gentle smirk. ]

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[mograidh]

It's only symbolism, of course. Sometimes our dreams are a window into our unconscious or subconscious mind.

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[mograidh]

It's nice to meet you, Peter. [ She smiles softly at him, noting the small animal on his shoulders, but focusing first on what he's said. ]

A raccoon can symbolize disguise, deception, masking who you really are. It could mean you're hiding part of yourself from your girlfriend, perhaps. [ She says this gently, not wanting to presume anything; this is just an interpretation, after all. Nothing rooted in concrete facts. ]

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[mograidh]

[ It's quite a thing, that Jamie would be the one to surface in his mind; perhaps it's nothing at all beyond the fact that she reminds him of his friend. It's also a curious twist of fate that she'd run into a friend of her father's without realizing it at the time.

With a soft smile in return, she cocks her head a bit to the side. ]

I may know such a man. I'm told I look like him.

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[mograidh]

[ She's encouraged by the responses she's received so far; if nothing else, it's a good way to get to know more people. ]

Some people believe so. Our worries and thoughts carry into our dreams; sometimes certain objects, animals, or people might mean you're working out a problem or something is weighing on you. Sometimes a dream might tell you a bit about yourself. In this case, if you a saw a deer, it can represent innocence and good fortune.

[nineteenfortyfive]

[That she goes along with it makes Claire laugh, but it doesn't surprise her.]

You're just stating the facts that you know.

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[skittering]

❰ there's a long pause while he very clearly weighs whether or not his skepticism outweighs his intrigue.

then, a bit grudgingly: ❱

My friend and an owl.

[tealeafs]

Well.. Good fortune would be nice. I hope my imagination is right, then.

[ Chizuru smiles as she says it. Because dear god, the person she was thinking of and herself could really use some of that when she gets home. ]

What kind of animal would you imagine? Or does it not work for you, since you already know the meaning?

[iustise]

[He cannot help but raise an eyebrow slightly at that phrasing.]

You are told? Surely you have met the man by now...?

[A jest. Seeing as how he is her father. Even with the circumstances being as they had -- and John not even knowing the full of it -- they can't have skirted around each other all this time without at least coming face to face. Surely!

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[momsboy]

[ He listens and smiles at the explanation. There's a reason why he chose a raccoon, it has nothing to do with keeping secrets, but her theory is interesting. ]

Hmm...hiding uh? [ He doesn't sound offended, in fact, he gives the idea some thought. ] The raccoon I know is a bit of a liar but he's also terrible at it at the same time. As for her...We've already seen each other at our worst, so I don't think I would need to hide anything from Gamora.

What animal would you choose?

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[mograidh]

[ Polite and friendly, that's nice. Bree smiles back at him, accompanying that with a friendly nod. ] Nice to meet you. And for what you see: is there a particular...power or ability this spirit beast has?

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[mograidh]

[ His eyes are striking, she notes that immediately. And she also recognizes the word, bjorn, thanks in large part to her parents (namely, her father) immersing her in languages and the studies of humanities from a young age. ]

Bears represent protection, power, strength, and independence. Seeing a bear with your father... [ She trails off for a moment, because this is the part that's up to interpretation, and it may or may not be entirely accurate. ] ...it may mean that you feel you need to protect him from something in particular, or that your thoughts dwell on proving your strength and independence to him.

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[mograidh]

Well, rabbits can symbolize good luck and abundance. Given who you're with... [ She trails off, dragging the last word out a bit dramatically just to play it up a little more. ] ...this could mean you're hoping the ex-life partner won't remain an ex? A talking rabbit, specifically, might mean you're facing a difficult choice between the two of them.

[ She pauses to smirk a little, though. ]

A bit Alice in Wonderland.

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[mograidh]

Surprising, who you were with. [ She has to tease him, it's part of being a daughter. ] Both of those things make sense. Bears can symbolize strength and power, but also protection. You're worried about keeping us safe here, mama in particular.