applesaucemod: (Default)
The Big Applesauce Moderators ([personal profile] applesaucemod) wrote in [community profile] applesaucedream2014-12-27 01:21 am

Better to Receive than to Give [open to all]

Somewhere in the cosmos, there is something bright, and young, and playful. Somewhere, this being watches over their little flock and does their best to make those people safe and happy. Somewhere, that godling and their flock celebrate the winter holidays in the happiest of dreams.

And somewhere closer at hand, a sleeping giant stirs.

The bright tapestry of dream threads gathered by Zephyr is suddenly yanked hard enough to pull it from its temporary mooring. Something entirely unlike the little godling reels in the dreamers so neatly gathered and packaged up for it, bringing its own toys back to their proper place and taking all the others it can with them. Unsatisfied, it reaches out again and again, dragging in dreamers from all across the multiverse. It will snare them, all of them, and then it will possess them completely.

Perhaps it's fitting that when the stolen dreamers arrive in this new shared mindscape, they'll find they've been designated the Rift's Christmas gifts to itself. Each might awaken inside a dark box, or cocooned in…is that tissue paper? When they claw their way out they'll be greeted by the sight of an enormous evergreen tree laden with twinkling lights and kitschy knickknacks looming overhead. Beyond the shadow of the tree the rest of the world -- that is, the living room -- is just as large. Or is it that the dreamers have just become very small? Giant packages wrapped in bright paper form an obstacle course, but the wooden floor of the room is wide open between the tree and the hearth where an enormous plate of cookies and glass of milk await a cataclysmic Santa Claus.

All in all, things are fairly normal as far as the rift's dream gatherings go…at least on the surface. The more telepathically sensitive among the dreamers may notice an undercurrent of something darker, more urgent, and more possessive than normal. The rift isn't just sampling the wares of other worlds tonight; this time it means to play for keeps.


[OOC: This is the second part of our crossover with [community profile] wethelost! Part one can be found here. Usual dream party rules apply: all players and characters are welcome regardless of whether they are currently in the game, and characters may remember or forget the events of the dream party at the discretion of their players.

For reference, characters of average human height are roughly four inches tall according to the scale of their current surroundings. There is an entire giant house beyond the living room; characters will find a kitchen and dining room on the same floor, a staircase outside the door of the living room that leads up to a second floor with two bedrooms and a bathroom, and another staircase off the kitchen that goes to an unfinished basement. Feel free to add details as needed!

This event takes place on evening of August 8th/morning of August 9th in Applesauce time, and December 31 in WtL time.]
deafscythe: (dreamwidth i have defeated you)

[personal profile] deafscythe 2015-01-17 01:42 pm (UTC)(link)
A blade cuts into the cat's tail.

Justin's really no competition (three years ago, maybe, but not now) but he's still not going to stand around and watch the creature torment his friend.

He steps back, left arm raised to make an attempt at blocking the cat's inevitable strike. The blade's still there, and if the cat hits him it will take a razor-sharp edge to its paw.
preuxchevalier: (double-facepalm)

[personal profile] preuxchevalier 2015-01-17 04:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Bertie is wholly unaware of his savior given his posish beneath the cat's paw. He's gotten a little of his wind back, but it's just serving to give him more voice to scream, "Go! Go! Let go!" The thing prodding at his wings only serves to intensify the panic running rampant through him. He'd told Mika to get out of the way to avoid dying, and here he is, about to be pulled apart by an angry entity he's just stabbed.

Not terribly manly tears are forming in his eyes as he continues to struggle against the Rift cat. He tries to kick up at the underside of its paw, beat the wing that's free against its leg. His heart is pounding fit to jump through his ribcage and the world has shrunk to just that paw on his chest and wing.
ofschrodinger: (White)

[personal profile] ofschrodinger 2015-01-17 10:06 pm (UTC)(link)
All that flapping gives the cat a vague desire to eat him, but that would be pointless and wasteful. He's much more interesting alive, and it dismisses the thought with only a little regret. Interesting that it should have begun to think of its own behavior in terms of bodily processes, though. It will have to investigate those impulses later.

For the second time in as many minutes it's surprised by pain it did not see coming. The tail in question whisks quickly out of Justin's reach; unfortunately for Bertie its reflex to spin in place and face its attacker means that for a moment it forgets where its feet are and puts more weight on him than it ought. The next moment, though, it's off him and facing the other way, hissing and batting at Justin without looking, the blade sinking into its sensitive paw pad and making it recoil. It is bleeding too much now. It must repair itself, but it must put a stop to this rebellion first. I would have preferred not to kill you, it comments darkly.
deafscythe: (I think the well is running dry!)

[personal profile] deafscythe 2015-01-18 01:08 am (UTC)(link)
"Ah, as if you're going to run away now." Justin grins, and slashes at the cat again, with a blade on the end of a long chain. It's as quick as a whip, but controlled as easily as any part of his body. He aims directly at the cat's face.

He's killed things this size before, brought down monsters and giants as easily as anything else. But not for a while, not since he lost his leg, and with his limited mobility he won't be able to get on the monster's back.
preuxchevalier: (double-facepalm)

[personal profile] preuxchevalier 2015-01-18 09:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Bertie's shouts are silenced once more when the cat puts its weight on his chest. He can practically feel his ribs cracking, and then it's off, whirling around while the winged gentleman rolls over onto his side and sobs in breathless relief. It's only a momentary reprieve, most likely, but he takes it to curl in on himself in a protective ball. He knows he should will his wings away, get up, and dash for safety, but he can't bring himself to do anything just at the moment. His head is still in full panic and hindering his ability to do anything apart from lie there.

It's not the most practical of responses, but it's the only one Bertie's capable of offering just now. He'd have to apologize to whomever got the cat off of him later. Much later.
ofschrodinger: (White)

[personal profile] ofschrodinger 2015-01-20 07:27 am (UTC)(link)
The cat's eyes squeeze shut on some imitation of instinct as the blade flicks across its face. It has underestimated the relative capabilities of their respective dream constructs, it realizes. To its surprise, it finds itself retreating, practically tripping over Bertie as it goes backwards, licking its paw and swiping at its own face to close its wounds with hasty gestures as it goes.

Your efforts are futile, it informs Justin despite all evidence to the contrary.
deafscythe: (Keeping secrets to save myself)

[personal profile] deafscythe 2015-01-21 03:10 am (UTC)(link)
He steps forward, slinging another blade. Apparently, the cat is weak to being stabbed in the face. And so Justin takes advantage of that, and slashes again and again.
ofschrodinger: (White)

[personal profile] ofschrodinger 2015-01-21 03:48 am (UTC)(link)
The cat's hind end butts up against the wall as it continues to try and fail to back out of range. Temporarily blinded and utterly infuriated, it finally gives up on healing its face and goes on the offensive, swatting at the little dreamer in front of it without bothering to retract its claws.
preuxchevalier: (good lord)

[personal profile] preuxchevalier 2015-01-22 08:24 pm (UTC)(link)
Bertie's being tripped over and just curls tighter into a feathery ball in response. If he stays still long enough, it will go away. If he stays still, completely still, long enough, no one will die. Except that really isn't at all how these things work. The gentleman peeks through his wings, pulling down pinion feathers.

That is Justin attacking a giant cat on Bertie's behalf. A giant cat that looks like it's going to his Justin now with claws almost as big as the guillotine. "Justin, the paw!" Bertie shrieks in warning. He can't get up to help, paralyzed with fear, but he can do that, at least.
deafscythe: (Promises strain)

[personal profile] deafscythe 2015-01-25 10:31 pm (UTC)(link)
Justin would have to be blind to miss that paw coming at him. But he'd have to be in much better shape than he is to dodge it. He tries to dive out of the way but not quite quickly enough, and the cat's paw catches him. He's thrown against a wall, bleeding from where a claw cut his hip down to the bone, and then some.

But then he's up again, spitting blood and slinging another blade at the cat's face.
ofschrodinger: (White)

[personal profile] ofschrodinger 2015-01-26 04:43 am (UTC)(link)
The cat tries again to back off, displeased with the measures to which it's been driven and preferring to heal itself and go back to fighting its true foe. It hardly manages to heal its damaged eyes, though, before Justin is back on the offensive despite his wounds.

STOP. The command is meant to ring in his head, but the cat does not bother to restrain the communication to only to Justin. Puffing itself up, it pounces, meaning to pin him to the floor, but it's growing clumsy with pain and with irritation at the unfamiliar sensation.
preuxchevalier: (i'm not pouting)

[personal profile] preuxchevalier 2015-01-27 04:27 am (UTC)(link)
Bertie cringes, folds in on himself as much as he can at the command. He knows he should get up, should run to help Justin. A true preux chevalier would defy the will of a monstrosity and throw himself to the hazard to defend a comrade. Justin's bleeding, he's a cripple and he's fighting a monster that's ten times his size, at least. And all Bertie can do is lie there feeling sick and terrified.

No. No! He won't. He refuses.

There isn't much Bertie can do for the actual state of his body with all of the hallmarks he's come to recognize as pure panic, but he can turn that to a purpose, something real to fight the cat and defend his friend. He doesn't have the strength or coordination to fly, to get to Justin fast enough to push him out of the way as he's done with Mika. Instead, Bertie simply gets up as far as he can and lurches at one of the cat's back legs - it helps being tripped over, perhaps, to be near a target. There's no real attack beyond that. It's only meant as a distraction.
deafscythe: (All those times before)

of course my email decided to send this one thread reply to my spam folder. thanks gmail

[personal profile] deafscythe 2015-01-31 03:16 am (UTC)(link)
A command like that is nearly impossible to ignore, it hits right up against everything that a Weapon is, and brings Justin stumbling to a halt. It's not a long pause, but it might just be enough. He does bring his arm up again, hoping to block with the edge of his blade in the cat's paw.

Bertie's heroic act of self-sacrifice goes essentially unseen, because Justin's too focused on the cat in front of him to pay much attention to the other man diving under its back paws.
ofschrodinger: (White)

wooo geemail

[personal profile] ofschrodinger 2015-02-04 04:26 am (UTC)(link)
The cat lands nearly atop Justin, the blade slicing into its paw but not preventing it from knocking him to the floor. Distracted by the feeling of something on its back leg, though, it makes the mistake of taking its attention back off him to turn and give a little kick meant to knock Bertie loose. Why do you want to be injured?! it demands to know. You're being needlessly --

What they're being needlessly is not explained, however, as a chunk of plastic from the ceiling falls nearly on top of the fighters and startles the cat into shutting up. There's no time for this, it mutters, turning back to Justin and trying to take hold of him with its mouth. Come here, you!
preuxchevalier: (double-facepalm)

You can go ahead and skip Bertie after this. He's pretty much in full panic attack mode now.

[personal profile] preuxchevalier 2015-02-04 05:55 am (UTC)(link)
Bertie lets go of the cat when the ceiling falls, crying out and half-flapping, half-stumbling away. He knows he should help save Justin. Justin who is apparently about to be eaten or mangled in the thing's jaws, but the world has narrowed too much now. He'd broken past the panic for a moment, but there are far too many things happening now, too much noise and sudden silence alternating.

The gentleman goes to his knees, covers his ears, shuts his eyes, and just tries to breathe as he folds his focus inward. It's not the most practical choice or one likely to end well for him what with chunks of ceiling coming down and giant cats scurrying about, but he doesn't have the breath or will to deal with any of that absolute nonsense.
deafscythe: (And savor the unknown)

[personal profile] deafscythe 2015-02-07 09:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Justin slashes out again as those teeth come towards him, trying to cut into the soft flesh of the cat's mouth. Hopefully, that will stop it long enough for him to aim for its throat. He knows how to slit a throat, even if the creature's too big to cleanly decapitate.
ofschrodinger: (White)

[personal profile] ofschrodinger 2015-02-12 02:54 am (UTC)(link)
The door is the next thing to fall. The cat doesn't seem surprised at the loud sound this time, but it is surprised when the dreamer it's hastily trying to grab up in its mouth turns out to be rather sharp. It's in too much of a hurry, too lacking in caution as the dream begins to fall apart around it. It reels back from the attack on its mouth, meaning to bat at Justin and knock him silly before trying again. Damn you!
deafscythe: (Promises strain)

[personal profile] deafscythe 2015-02-14 10:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Justin transforms completely, flesh and bone and fluff turning into solid metal and wood, human form into a guillotine. The headlock of his weapon form opens and then closes around the cat's paw. Locked. Then the blade comes down, heavy and impossibly sharp. If nothing goes wrong, the cat's going to have to recover from losing most of its paw.
ofschrodinger: (White)

[personal profile] ofschrodinger 2015-02-16 11:00 pm (UTC)(link)
The dreamer is...grabbing back? That seems oddly convenient for about a split second, and then the cat is howling as part of it is cut away by something that ought to be human-shaped but doesn't have the decency to stay that way. STAY HERE AND DIE, THEN! it yowls as it reels away, tripping over Bertie again but not bothering to try to pick him up in its haste to go elsewhere. It bounds away on three paws, leaving a trail of something that is decidedly not blood after it as it searches for less combative prey to snap up and take with it to the basement.
deafscythe: (Or simply close my eyes)

[personal profile] deafscythe 2015-02-17 01:27 am (UTC)(link)
Justin laughs, breathless and pleased as he watches the cat run off. He won. He won, despite his weakness and sickness and lack of practice. He feels like himself again, in a way that he hasn't in years. He's powerful again, capable, skilled.

He's standing tall and strong and Bertie's crumpled on the ground. Justin takes a step forward. There's a searing, overwhelming pain in his right hip, and he looks down to see blood and muscle and bone. But right now he's too high on adrenalin and recent victory to care about crippling pain.

"It's gone, Bertie! You can get up!"

Get up and look at him. See what he did. Be pleased with him, be proud of him.
preuxchevalier: (but... but...)

[personal profile] preuxchevalier 2015-02-17 10:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Bertie doesn't pay any attention to Justin. His voice doesn't even register in the chaos. The cat tripping over him hadn't registered, either. He'd just let it bowl him over in its struggle to get away as he'd shut down. His heart is still hammering away, trying to get out of him, finish off the cat's job of killing him. There's not enough air in the over-sized room, either.

Justin's movement does pull some reaction, though. It merits a sharp turn of Bertie's head toward the other man. The mangled man. The man who is going to die now because Bertie hadn't been able to do anything. There's something he should be doing now, but he can't remember what it is. Running? No. He wants to run, but where is there to go? Healing Justin? He's dead on his legs. He's going to die. Just another futile effort.

Bertie forces himself to sit up, to fall toward Justin, reaching out toward him. Futile or not, panicked or not, he has to try. Ienzo had died in his arms - well, on a slab, but it might as well have been in his arms - Bertie doesn't want to let anyone else do that.

If Justin grabs hold of Bertie's hand, he'll find some of his wounds being drawn out, but there's little Bertie can do for anything that's actually fatal.
deafscythe: (ah yes chatting)

[personal profile] deafscythe 2015-02-22 11:21 pm (UTC)(link)
There's nothing fatal, the cat's claw missed all the major organs and arteries (barely). It just hurts, pain in his side and down his leg, so overwhelming that when Bertie reaches out for him and Justin reaches back, he winds up on the floor with blood pooling around him. It might be too much, the shock of it might have killed a normal person, but Weapons are incredibly resilient.

"You're fine, Bertie. It's gone. I got rid of it."
divinefluff: (Sad fluff/verge of tears)

Shall we wrap it up?

[personal profile] divinefluff 2015-02-24 03:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Bertie doesn't have too much to say about that as he's beginning to bleed horribly and twitch in pain, but Zephyr does. The little god is in the house and they can see some of their flock, very badly wounded and needing a rescue. Zephyr scoops up both Bertie and Justin and peeps worriedly at them. This is the dream world, so they should be fine when they wake up, but it's still very distressing to see so much pain. They'll have to hope they forget this. Dreams can be forgotten.

Zephyr places the men in their thick ruff, soft fur soaking up the blood as they hurry to the next dreamer they need to rescue.