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

[captain_mal]

"Stop!"

Mal has never been a particularly good one when it comes to following orders, especially when it's from persons he don't know nor cares to get to know in all honesty. So he doesn't suspect that just on account of the man looking like an angel that Mal is going to change his ways on that habit anytime soon. Hell, he's a sight more likely too -

Hmm... Well now, ain't that just the strangest thing?

The wet leaves crunch under his knees as Mal slips down to the ground, trying to reach out to Melanie. He doesn't just go grabbing her - he ain't a complete bèn dàn after all - knows if he were to going trying to force her to let him get a look at her arm that she's just going to continue freaking out on him which ain't at all what Mal wants, he's just trying to help her is all. Sure, her injury is mostly on his own account but that just makes it more his responsibility to check the damn thing, and right now that's all he's trying to get at. Be surprised how fast these wounds can bleed out or go bad, 'specially of some or even just a fragment of the bullet's lodged itself in there. If that's he case she's going to need some serious aid, and he don't mean some giant snake cutting off blood flow and a flaming sword to cauterization the wound as helpful as he's sure those sorts of tricks are when your injuries are from equally deceptive gimmicks they kind of which they keep employing though Mal has shown no patients for them.

Makes it even stranger that when the angel resorts to simply yelling commands at him - he's stronger than he looks, Mal will give him that much, that sort of blow should have knocked a man flat on his back and possibly left him there for a while to come - like after all his other mechanisms and con-acts this will be what finally gets Mal's attention.Yet like a child called out in a schoolroom Mal's hand stops halfway stretched out, hi fingers half curled out in offering to Melanie,just about as gentle as he could be when he really felt that wound needs attended to 'specially with such a slight, pale little thing probably ain't got much blood in her to lose. Weirder is how his other hand, sliding his pistol back in the holster in hopes it might help calm the girl's nerves somewhat seems to be just as stuck. Now that's notice it Mal finds he can't move a damn thing, every inch down to his damn toes are totally paralyzed.

Not just like he's gone still from the shock of being yelled at, nothing like that at all in fact, but he can't actually move a muscle, not for all he is worth, and he damn well strains near every one of them trying to get just about anywhere and the closest he comes is making some choked grunts, almost surprising in a way but it seems most of his face muscles work well enough.

"What the ruttin' hell have you done from me you bái​mù mā càode," Mal growls, and to say now that it might be a favor the girl can't understand him is something of an understatement, especially if Mal had any chance to unleash half of what is sitting right at the tip of his tongue. But before he went into the details over just what this man could go do and to who Mal wants some gorramn answers. Some kind of paralyzing drug, Mal suspects, but when he even had time to administer it how Mal missed such a thing, those are the real questions, ones he's betting he won't be hear much turthfullness on. "Best you cut the bullshit wèi​le Shén shèng​jié de pìyǎn seeing as you've got the costuming for it and all, angel." There's a real mocking sense to his smile and flirtations banter stuck on at the end, especially after all the rest of hadn't so much been spoken but growled, but just in case the stranger has any doubts what Mal's thoughts are on this whole act, well, there you have it.

And supposing he is some messenger from God than fine, have it your way old man, he's learned his lesson. Next time he doesn't try and help the kid, just lets them bleed out on the side of the road like a good Christian should.

[all_the_gifts]

Nikolaos is beyond outraged when Mal just blunders past him, and his neck twists to follow him as he starts toward Melanie. The girl stumbles backward a few paces, because despite Orisa's reassurances, she doesn't want her blood anywhere near a human, dream or no. Niko's jaws gape wide, ready to do what jabberwock jaws do… and then the captain stills, and Aziraphale tells him to stop. Niko pauses, his fangs a foot from Mal's back, then reluctantly withdraws with an angry huff of air that ruffles the man's shirt.

Melanie glances down at Mal's outstretched hand, frozen in place as if a spell has been cast (which, she supposes, it sort of has been), then shifts her focus to Aziraphale. The sword and wings are gone, and the second loss is disappointing, but he doesn't seem hurt so much as just bothered, and that is reassuring. She feels a little bereft when Orisa goes back to Aziraphale, but it's short lived because he picks her up, next, the wound on her arm healing in an instant, the blood gone as if it had never been there in the first place. She puts her arms around Aziraphale's neck, and Nikolaos lands on her stomach in the shape of a much smaller owl than before.

"He is an angel," Melanie says, looking down at Mal. It's not pleasant, seeing him locked in place down there, but she doesn't know what else Aziraphale could have done. Part of her wants to say more, to try and explain, but she's starting to wonder what the point would be. Nikolaos was right. He just doesn't listen. She frowns down at Mal, then turns to tuck her face into Aziraphale's neck. "Can we go?" she asks quietly. "I think we should go."

[bibliophale]

Aziraphale spares Mal a very nearly contemptuous glance at the mocking, too-familiar tone of 'angel' - only Crowley can call him that, thank you very much, and he's been known to punch people for the infraction - but it's hardly important now. The man is angry, that is no surprise - and Aziraphale doesn't like having to revoke anyone's bodily autonomy, but he wasn't really left with any other choice.

He hugs Melanie close, feeling an intense warmth for her in spite of everything around them, and letting that warmth spread a little to her. "Of course," he murmurs.

He shifts her to one arm, a rather difficult task when he is also supporting the weight of a large ball python and a very fluffy owl, and lowers one hand to make a dismissive, inconsequential gesture at the man behind him. He would never be so cruel as to let the man wait the dream out frozen like that - he'll make his own misery sure enough.

He releases Mal with the gesture, and in the next moment he, Melanie, and their companions are all gone.