<em>Those who have once been burned by fire will forever be wary of flames, yet still feel strangely attracted to them. And in the same way, those who have once been touched by the Gods will forever be aware of their presence. On the other hand... who is not attracted to the Goddess of Beauty? Somnatis stood up, pulled down his hood to the neck and bowed to Venus, eyes not able to look away. Somber as the visitation was, a slow smile was forming on his lips as he heard her query. "I am honored by your presence and attention, oh Fairest of All. And in all honesty, a little shocked that you think I can take on one of the most powerful deities there are. Not to mention that he is technically the God that governs those gifts I have been given... but that, perhaps, might be the very reason you choose to come to me with your challenge. Perhaps I might be able to help you, oh Luminescent one. Let me think."<br/><br/>As Somnatis spoke he was fidgeting with the medallion, which had found a new and additional power to its light as Venus had approached. Now its light was so strong that it shone straight through his hand, pulsating and creating an orb of light around the two of them, obscuring their profiles to anyone who might come close enough. "A human, even one with gifts beyond the mortal realm, does not send the Deity Of Sleep to his bed against his will. Or paint dreams in his dormant mind against his will. But with his will, now there is a different thing. I may have an idea for a reprieve for you from his attentions for a while, if you allow me a brief moment of contact to tie the right knots on the line to Hypnos, so to speak." And at that, Somnatis crossed his fingers for luck, stepped forward and embraced the Goddess Of Beauty. People had been turned to frogs for less, and his brief touch on her neck with his lips before he let go would have turned such frogs into something extra crispy. But Somnatis was just human, after all. What were the chances he could ever experience a moment this blissful again?<br/><br/>A caster of dreams, one who knows his business, does not simply wave a finger and say a spellword. No, he reaches out to the target through the customer who normally either is the target or knows them very well, like a little spider jumping from one branch to the next, then weaves together a few familiar pictures with a hope or desire or fear, and plants it like welcome mat in the targets mind where they go when they fall asleep. It is mostly reading and connecting then, and its effect depends on the caster's skills and strength. As with everything else in life. But with Venus in his arms for a moment, oh, Somnatis' strength grew like a branch into a tree, and her ability to create desire gave him a parched throat, troubled loins, and a veritable sledgehammer to crack into Hypnos' vast dreams. And after all, Venus was already in there, as Hypnos' greatest dream. <br/><br/>Somnatis let go of Venus, wistfully but smiling broadly. "With the aid of your presence I have given Hypnos a gift he might have thanked me for, after killing me that i... he will dream of you now. And as he sees you in his dream he will hear you invite him to sleep and dream of you. And so he will fall asleep and dream, and fall asleep IN his dream, and again and again like a cocoon within a cocoon. Who knows, by the time he does wake up again Hypnos just might be a little weary of chasing your image." Then the man looked positively bashful. "One does not ask a Goddess for payment. But if I was to, I would ask for... a kiss. As a memory of the occasion." Not that it was likely that Somnatis was going to forget this night, regardless. But a man can - dream.</em>