Tender Lumplings Everywhere, Life's No Fun Without A Good Scare [Open to All]

[applesaucemod]

The woods are dark and deep, but not particularly lovely. If anything, they feel dangerous, as if something terrible might come lurching out from behind any given tree and tear into the nearest warm body. What that terrible thing might be is anyone's guess. A cat with hands? Slenderman? Stegosaurus? Actual cannibal Shia LaBeouf? All of the above in a horrible mob? It's anyone's guess. But every dreamer will be absolutely convinced that there is something unspeakable out there, and that it's after them.

The dreamers have two things on their side. The first is that there is actually nothing dangerous lurking in these woods (with the possible exception of other dreamers). The pervasive terror the dreamers are feeling is just that: a rift-given feeling, nothing more and nothing less. That snapping twig or rustle in the undergrowth is almost certainly just a squirrel or something else equally harmless.

The second is that no dreamer is alone. They all will be reunited with - or introduced to - their dæmons, a source of comfort in this dark, intimidating wilderness. However frightened the dreamers might be, at least they have someone with them who definitely doesn't want them dead.

[OOC: as ever, any and all are welcome! You don't have to be in the game to join the fun. Dreamers can remember or forget the events of the dream at the players' discretion. And the party only stops when you want it to; feel free to backtag forever.]

Comments

Re: Apologies to SailorPtah

[julianbashir]

Julian does not like the woods, he's decided. Or really, any woods. Being outdoors, especially at night, simply disagrees with him in general. He knows that there are people who use the Holo Deck to "get away from it all" and lie in hammocks in the sunshine by a river and go fishing and all that whatnot, but Julian can't possibly see why. The Holo Deck is for spies and gangsters and fancy suits and mysteries. This is too real to be enjoyed as a mysterious adventure though. He is afraid... he just wishes he remembered what it is that he is supposed to be afraid of. Julian is fairly sure this is some sort of nightmare, but he certainly is sworn off the outdoors for awhile. His clothes are damp and keep getting caught by branches and burrs and Julian is fairly sure there are spiders everywhere. But the fear of that unknown something or someone keeps driving him onward, Agamede a comforting silent presence by his side. At least they are together. He will keep her safe, and she will watch over him; Julian knows this somehow instinctively as if it has always been this way.

He is so caught up within his own head, his harsh breathing in his ears, that he doesn't hear the rustling of someone else coming through the woods until he nearly crashes into them, only Agamede's warning stopping him before he knocks the person over. "Sorry! So sorry! I didn't see you! Did I hurt you?" He isn't sure why he's apologizing, because after a quick thought he realizes this could very well be the person he is running from. But as he takes in the young woman next to him, he gets a feeling that she isn't. He isn't sure why, because he has learned the hard way (many times, because despite the fact that Julian is supposed to be a genius, he seems to make some pretty dumb mistakes over and over again) that sometimes the most unsuspecting looking/seeming people can be the most dangerous. They might take over your body, put you in a coma, trap you in a psychopathic game that wants to kill you... However this person seems to be running as well.

"Are they after you too?" he asks before realizing that it's a stupid thing to ask, considering he doesn't know if there even is a "they" or who this person is, just that he seems to feel that she can be trusted. Agamede brushes up against him and he bends to pick her up in his arms, stroking her and holding her against his chest. She wants him to keep running, find a place to hide, but her curiosity matches his own.

[interndana]

Dana startles at first when the man comes crashing almost right into her, and suddenly Teotimus feels very, very far away. He hurries back through the trees but he hasn't reached her yet by the time the man speaks.

"Oh," Dana replies, one hand over her heart. She can't quite catch her breath. "I, I'm all right." She thinks she's all right, or at least she's relieved that the man is probably not a danger to her. Not the kind of danger that has her running, anyway.

Teotimus drops onto her shoulder and peers out from behind her hair at the man and the fox in his arms. He wraps his tail around Dana's neck protectively. "Who are you?" he demands. "Are you real? Is she really yours," he indicates the fox with a jerk of his little head, "Or did you kill some other man and take her from him?"

Because this is what Dana fears, deep down, but is too afraid to say: that her double will come for her like she did before, in the sandstorm, only this time Dana will lose the fight and that other thing will take her place, take her Teo away. She shivers, and reaches a hand up into Teotimus' fur for comfort.

[julianbashir]

Before Julian can reply, he jumps back at the sudden appearance of the little...creature thing. Agamede snuggles deeper into Julian's chest, his fingers entwined in her fur, and she bristles at the thing.

"She's mine. She's... she is me," he backtracks with a frown. "I... am pretty sure I'm real, though I don't know if this place is. I don't remember coming here, or where here is, but I think I might be dreaming. I feel that this has happened before. Not... this exactly, not here, but..." he stops babbling and takes a breath. "Sorry! I really didn't mean to run into you. My name is Julian. I was... running. Not sure where. Away. Are you in danger too?"

[interndana]

Dana nods, and tries to calm her soul-self down. "Teo, he's like us, they're just as afraid as we are."

Teotimus curls his ears down and flicks his tail, and huffs a sigh. "I suppose so," he replies.

She turns her attention back to Julian. "I'm Dana," she says to him, "and I don't know, what's out there but I'm sure it's not good. I don't know if it's doubles or librarians or, or what, but it's probably not a good idea to stay in one place for too long. He's Teotimus," she adds, stroking the galago's fur. "Does yours have a name?"

[julianbashir]

"Sorry, yes. This is Agamede. Sorry. She's... we're both a bit," he sighs when Agamede nips at him gently, slowing his words a bit.

"I'm not sure how long we've been running, but I was trying to find a place with some coverage. High ground or a cave or something. Do they have caves in the woods? I'm not sure if hiding is even a good plan. I'm pretty sure there is no plan." He hesitates.

"Librarians? Is that something you've had problems with before?"