This is My Island in the Sun [Open to All]

[applesaucemod]

The Rift wouldn't say it's sorry for the fit it threw the other day, because the Rift never needs to apologize. It is (mostly) perfect, and all of its decisions are well reasoned and just. Obviously. But perhaps it has fallen into a bit of a post-tantrum sulk, because this dream is milder than one might expect. In fact, it's downright nice.

The dreamers will find themselves in an archipelago of small islands - most only a few acres in size - connected by narrow strips of sand or pebbles. The surrounding waters are calm. Little waves lap against the shorelines, and no rising tide will cut the islands off from one another. The islands themselves seem to have been lifted from every climate zone on Earth and several from beyond. Some are tropical, some colder and home to hardy conifers, some mossy and boulder-strewn, some covered in multicolored sand and odd, coral-like trees.

Most of the islands boast some kind of manmade or otherwise non-native structure, be it as small as a bench or as large as a pavilion, though there are no houses or shops to be seen. It's more like parkland, just civilized enough for a nice picnic. Some of the islands even have little grills, and a sufficiently motivated dreamer might be able to rustle up some hot dog or burger fixings if they poke around a bit.

And they'll have an extra pair of eyes to help with their searching, because their beloved dæmons have returned… again. Or perhaps they're being introduced for the first time. Regardless, it's the bi-annual dæmon dream party!

Comments

[etherthief]

"Iman Asadi," she replies, pulling her legs up, resting her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands. He's cute AND a nerd, holy shit, what a find. She'll want to follow up on the ship soon but not quite yet. "That's exactly what I mean to say. This is your first time, huh?"

Poor guy. But she'll worry about that later - it's hard to get down when they're in such a nice setting and his otter is pawing around adorably. Aqil considers her for a moment before hopping over and booping her on the head with his beak. An invitation to play if ever there was one though it's clear he also doesn't know how to embark on this mission.

[james_t]

"The first time anyone in a dream has told me that they're real." There was that strange dream he had a while back about getting stuck in some sort of sinking city. He still thinks about that one every now and then, because it had seemed so vivid. "The animals are new."

He looks over in time to see Carina jump up happily, then run away from the log. She runs back only long enough to nudge Aqil in the side with her nose before gamboling away again.

Kirk turns back to Iman with a smile on his face, but he pauses there for a moment, considering the possibilities. And, he finds, her face is a nice place to linger.

"I'm half convinced that you're behind all of this." It would be reasonable, that whatever brought him into this dream would want to meet him. Iman hasn't said that she's human. It could be that dreams are the realm in which she lives. Saying his suspicions outright is somewhat of a challenge. He'll gauge her reaction carefully.

[etherthief]

"Who, me?" Iman puts a hand to her breast, making a little show of mocking innocence, as though affronted by the suggestion. In fact she finds it oddly flattering. She grins and relaxes her posture again. "Would that I had the imagination or the willpower. The dreams are the rift's doing - sorta common, actually. I've met Aqil here before. Not here. Different setting." She waves a hand. Inconsequential.

"You do know about the rift, don't you?" she asks, realizing belatedly that it's entirely possible he does not. He did just reference a ship, like he was expecting to be on it - and she's heard there's a precedent for non-rifties getting pulled into the congregational dreams.

For his part Aqil is mostly focused on chasing after Carina, eventually landing lightly on her back and nudging at her with his beak again. Iman knows he's half-listening, just as curious as she is, but he is rather enjoying his ability to just innocuously dick around as well. Lucky little shit.

[james_t]

Carina wiggles out from under Aqil's claws while making a happy bubbling chirp. This is far more fun than the conversation going one between the other two. And anyway, Carina knows about most of this already. Nonetheless, she'll have to join them soon. She wants to meet Iman properly.

"The rift. Is that a who or a what?" Very clearly, the answer here is no, he doesn't know about the rift.

He leans forward a bit. He's interested now and wants to get into the possibilities. Iman is talking about the thing as if it's made choices. "And what would this...rift want with- Ag!" Carina runs away from Aqil once more, but this time she runs past the log and up the slope of Kirk's back until she can perch on his shoulders. He quirks an eyebrow in Iman's direction. "Pity she isn't a mink."

[etherthief]

Iman's grin broadens with every little display of cuteness from both otter and man, finally giggling at Jim's last remark. "I think this might suit you better," she says, head tilted in consideration.

"The rift is a what," ventures Aqil, Iman evidently having dallied a breath too long for his taste. "Possibly sentient spacetime event, pulls people in at random from all across the multiverse."

"Yes," says Iman, regarding the crow a little coolly. "It orchestrates these dreams, there's usually some kind of theme, like - buncha treehouses, or everyone has little talking animal selves." She makes an and here we are gesture with one hand. "Sometimes people get pulled in who haven't been taken yet. You, uh - you might want to be on the alert for that. Doesn't always happen, I guess, but..." She shrugs.

[james_t]

Kirk's smile falters a little and he pauses for thought. Carina doesn't seem as inclined to silence. "Taken?" she says, still relaxed around Kirk's shoulders. "That doesn't sound very good."

He lifts a hand to Carina, absently comforting her as he continues with her line of thought. He's still leaning forward a little, but now the posture seems more rigid than it had been before. "You mean. You mean more than the dreams. You mean taken out of where I'm supposed to be."

[etherthief]

Well, look who got all straight-faced. That's a good look for him too, Iman can't hide a little smile at it. She likes someone who can be a ridiculous otter one minute and a very serious otter the next. Never thought about it like that, but it works.

"Yeah," she says. "We all wind up in Manhattan, 2013. Earth." He looks human, speaks perfect American English, but one can't be too sure. "I came out of a universe similar but... pretty different. And people come from all over. People from the past, people from stories... and the future." She nods at him. "Something tells me that's more your end of the spectrum."

[james_t]

"2013!" Carina huffs. "You can't stay there. They haven't even made first contact." She melts down from Kirk's shoulder onto his lap and twists around once before settling down again. He sits up a little straighter. In an undertone she adds, "Would be fun to visit though, don't you think?"

"Ah-yes." He doesn't particularly like the idea of becoming trapped in the past, especially if it's alone. The idea of actually seeing the early twenty first century is exciting to him, but the last time, Spock had been along to experience it with him, and he'd had a first officer capable enough to get them home. He's not sure that he could manage it himself.

"First half of the 23rd century," He explains. "I captain a starship. The Enterprise." He can't keep a small smile from creeping onto his face at the name. "She's my ship, and she's where I belong."

[etherthief]

"Hot," she says matter-of-factly. So not only is he from a spaceship, he owns the spaceship. Or captains it. Whatever. That is neat. It is neat as hell.

"Well, hopefully you'll get to stay with her," she says, reaching out to pat his shoulder. "Watch where you steer. Maybe you can detect it before it happens. We're all trying to get out - could use some outside help, I'll bet." She smiles a little ruefully.

[james_t]

He leans back a fraction when she proclaims him (or maybe just the Enterprise?) hot. Meanwhile, Carina jumps from his lap up to hide behind his back.

"Ah-" He's not exactly sure how to respond to her, so he's very relieved when she continues with something that he knows how to react to.

"We've run into time...rifts I suppose you'd say. But nothing lately. If I remember this I'll run some scans. If there's something I can do from the other side, it's worth giving it a shot." He nods to her solidly, then pushes himself up and goes towards where he'd left his clothes. Suddenly he's feeling the desire to be just a little more covered. Exposed by his change in position, Carina stays where she is but not without fidgeting. He keeps up the conversation while he pulls his uniform back on. "Where were you, before you were pulled in?"

[etherthief]

Aw he's shy. Really shy. She barely touched him! Well, she pulls back a little, rests her head in her hand to watch him at a cocked angle. He's much more comfortable talking about the rift, which suits her needs just as well.

"A similar universe, to the rift's Manhattan, not to this one," she says with a vague gesture at the ocean. "Embarrassingly I... sort of got myself pulled in." She gives him a halfhearted grin. "Moving between universal plains was sort of a project of mine, been working on it for a long time, and as soon as I succeeded, I was stuck. Rift won't let me back out." She sighs, momentarily soured by the memory, and pushes it away. "But there's a lot of good people there, smart people, we're working on a way out."

[james_t]

"So you're a scientist." He smiles back at her though it's a little contrite. There's not much he can do to help her situation now, and he doesn't like the idea of having to help from her side of things. He can usually appreciate scientists, though, especially when they are studying things as interesting as dimensional rifts.

"He likes scientists." Carina adds, helpfully, maybe out of a need to smooth things over, but ultimately being about as awkward as Kirk had been.

For his part, Kirk doesn't acknowledge the statement with more than a nod. "Should I call you Doctor Asadi?" He's definitely not flippant with his question. If she has credentials, he'd like to acknowledge them.

He dresses, but doesn't bother with the boots. It might be more difficult to wear them on this sand anyway. As he carries them back Carina runs to meet him halfway and then stays at his feet the rest of the way.

[etherthief]

"Nah. Never got my doctorate." It's nice that he asked, though, and her smile softens. "Academia wasn't really my scene. I prefer being in the field."

She looks him over now that he's dressed and holy wow, look at that uniform. She barely suppresses a giggle. Fucking adorable.

"And should I call you Captain Kirk?" she asks.

[james_t]

"If you like. That is my title, but you're hardly part of my crew."

When he reaches her, he nods back to the rest of the island. "Care to explore while we-" When he looks down at her, he cuts himself off to examine her expression. Amusement doesn't really track with what she'd been talking about, so it must be something about him. He raises his eyebrows at her. "Something amusing, Ms. Asadi?"

[etherthief]

Too perceptive for his own good, this one. She lets a snicker escape, and Aqil cocks his head up to answer on her behalf.

"She thinks your clothes are hilarious," he deadpans.

"You're a feathery little shit," she says through increasingly poorly stifled giggles.