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

[antitimelord]

The chimaera pulls its heads sharply upright in surprise, then all of them look away, ears varyingly turned in disgruntlement. Who waves at a chimaera? Zagreus, however, looks unruffled, grins at Ianto manically, as pleasantly surprised as anyone who ever ran into an old friend at the beach. "If I built a castle here, it wouldn't be sand. Where's your standard issue animal companion? Out of red dragons, were they?" He doesn't comment on the shirt, though it's a near miss. "I do hope you got a rain check, at least. Fancy a game?"

[i_jones]

He is indiscriminately polite to alien and chimaera alike. It's his thing. Ianto shrugs and crosses his legs to sit, feeling Myfanwy coil tighter around his arm, one part amused and one part offended. Naturally he'd hoped for a towering red dragon stomping around the dreamscape, setting fire to the palm trees. "I've never been much for theme nights. Not here, anyway." Remember the old days? Good times. "I'm ace at word games," he warns. "Don't think it'd be fair."

[antitimelord]

Zagreus narrows his eyes, but doesn't question. Is he implying he didn't get one, or just being ancestrally glib? Well, it probably doesn't matter. Maybe he just misplaced it. "I think I have the advantage, but I've never let that stop me. Keeps the metaphor truer to life. Do you want to guess, or pick a word, then? Since you're so sure of yourself."

[i_jones]

"I'll have a go," he says quickly, drawing an immaculate gallows in the sand with his finger and then seven lines of disturbingly equal length beside it. "Alright." Myfawny slithers further up his arm, under his armpit, and he raises his shoulder a little to keep her from tickling, then tries to turn it into a stretch and a posture adjustment.

[antitimelord]

That is disturbing, enough so that Zagreus doesn't notice Ianto's shiftiness, diving into the consideration of his guess. The chimaera is less concerned with orderly lines and watches him closely. "No cheating, now. Standard rules. 'S.'"

[i_jones]

Ianto traces an R next to the gallows and then a head for the unfortunate stick figure doomed to death. "I never cheat." Next, he draws a stick figure near the base of the gallows, waving its wiggly little stick arms in the air in apparent glee.

[antitimelord]

He gets points for his level of commitment to the game's central motifs, sass aside. But that stick figure needs to calm down, game's barely started yet. "No? No cards up your sleeve? You can cheat at anything, if you really try. Or don't." Zagreus ponders his seven blank spaces. "No 'R.' 'I,' then."

[i_jones]

Maybe it's staging a protest - down with nooses. "Fair victory's best. Gives you moral high ground." You've subscribed to Ianto Tips, reply STOP to continue. He reluctantly puts the I in its place, rolling his neck and clearing his throat as Myfanwy uncoils from his arm and heads for his shoulderblade, slowly moving down his back. "I'd wake up screaming if you tried to peek for the answer. Good security."

_ _ _ _ I _ _

[antitimelord]

That gets a sharp look. Of all the trivial and petty reasons to violate someone's mind, cheating at Hangman would never be one of them. But perhaps it makes him feel a little better about the fact that he's playing a word game with Zagreus. "I'm a monster, but I'm nothing if I'm not honest. I suppose the real question is if anyone would find it worth noting, if you did. 'N,' then." Take no chances. Ianto is up to something. The chimaera shifts in place, watching Ianto's poorly concealed fidgets but not getting up to investigate just yet.

[i_jones]

Ianto rolls his eyes but fills in the N anyway. Yes, obviously it's a verb, well done. "Doubtful. The Doctor is..." He finds a pebble under the sand and places it at the end of the stick-observer's arm. "Distant. This time around." Behind him, Myfanwy is crawling down to the sand, or somewhere. He doesn't particularly care so long as she's not on him. "More to the point, it would end the game."

_ _ _ _ I N _

[antitimelord]

"Only this time?" That's not sympathy, that's judging your life choices. Judging the Doctor, too, though what position he's in to do so with regards to the concept of distance is complicated at best. But yes, more to the point, that would be game over, and no one wants that. What is the waking world? Boring. Hangman is preferable.

"'T.'" Still playing safe. That Ianto's a shady character who's learned from the best, a few times over.

[i_jones]

All of his Doctors were emotionally available to him, okay? They all were. They had healthy, sustainable relationships that were, well, actually ruined by Zagreus two times out of two, so don't even... don't even. Jealous much? Yeah. That's what he thought. Yeah.

Who needs to be awake with a cane when you can be dreaming with your bestie? Not Ianto, that's who. He frowns and adds the T to the growing corral of lost letters. Odd choice. He's adding a line to the stick figure head when Myfanwy slithers out from near his knee, her undulating body obscuring the stick figure onlookers.

"T?" She makes a huffy sort of scoffing noise. "Are you pretending to be clever?"

[antitimelord]

Zagreus watches the snake with a complete lack of surprise. He has no idea what the snake is on about, and feels no need to justify himself to something that doesn't have legs to stand on, literally. "Depends. Are you pretending to be venomous?" asks the chimaera. Zagreus conspicuously doesn't high-five it. It was a weak retort at best. But at least the creature's curiosity has been satisfied.

"Ianto, that animal has the worst manners. I'm surprised at you. 'A,' please."