applesaucedream | Here You Are, Stick Figure and a Busted Grin [Open to All]

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The first thing that the dreamers of Manhattan might notice is that the ground is a good deal closer than it normally is. The second thing they might notice is that their surroundings are larger than they might expect. The playground looks almost daunting. Of course, there are other ways for the dreamers to occupy themselves on this hot summer day: a charming fountain bubbles away a little distance from the playground. There's an ice cream stand with treats free for the taking. Beyond the paved area is a meadow, covered in wildflowers and dominated by a huge, sprawling tree, perfect for climbing.

It's all prime entertainment for children. So really, it's just as well that 'children' is what the dreamers will find themselves to be - once more, for those who had childhoods, or for the first time, for those who didn't.

Perhaps you'll remember everything: the Rift, Manhattan, the friends (and enemies) you've made since your arrival. Or perhaps you'll only remember who you were when you were young, and find this an opportunity to forge new friendships - or new (and probably pettier) animosities. Run around, get dirty, have a good time. ~~It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye.~~

[ooc: usual dream party rules apply. All are welcome, whether they've been apped to the game or not. Characters will remember or forget the events of the dream at the players' discretion. Mental and emotional regression is optional, but physical regression is mandatory: your character is in the body of a little kid - human, or human-ish - regardless of who or what they are in the waking world.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

This is a pretty great playground, and Peter has already done a lot of running and shrieking up and over and down and around to get the lay of the land. Now that he's explored, though, he's already getting bored of playing by himself. He could climb to the highest spire and be a dragon surveying his castle, or he could crawl into the lowest, darkest little hiding place and be a badger in its den, but if he doesn't have anyone there to see that he's being a dragon or a badger it won't be as much fun as he really thinks it should be.

That's alright, there are lots of other kids here. Peering over the railing of the high platform he's scaled, he spots someone down on the ground and calls out to them without the slightest hesitation or shyness. "Hey!" he shouts. "Hey, yoo! Wanna play tag?!"

[Peter's maybe five or six and does not remember a dang thing. Mmyep.]

She is very busy. Busy little Bee! That's what momma says.

This place is very pretty but it's not home, and she doesn't know any of the kids here. Other kids are scary and they never want to play games her way. So she's on her own, waiting until momma or granddaddy come to fetch her. They'll come, surely.

She's making a circle of pebbles. It has to be perfect and nice. Otherwise it's ruined and she has to start over.

Someone's talking to her! Oh no, oh no. She covers her head with her arms, curling into a little ball, then peeks out, looking up at him. What's tag? What should she say? Maybe if she doesn't say anything he'll go away.

[Bee's around 4 or 5]

"Hey!" shouts Peter again. Didn't she hear him? Maybe she didn't hear him, or maybe she thought he meant someone else even though there isn't anyone else right there. He'll try being louder so she knows he's talking to her. "Hey!! Dinnae you hear me? I asked do yoo wanna play tag!"

He's so loud! She curls up tighter, hiding her face. He sounds all funny, talking funny. Is he from somewhere far away? Maybe he's lonely, maybe he doesn't have any friends either.

"I don't know what that is," she says finally, meek and soft and still hiding.

He can't hear her too well, but he thinks she just said she didn't know what tag is. If she's going to talk that quiet he can't keep yelling at her from where he is -- he can but he wants to hear what she says and she's just not being loud enough for that -- so he comes thundering down the play structure, hopping down steps and swinging off a handy monkey bar to land hard on the gravel and come plodding over to where she's sitting all curled up.

"Tag," he says again. "I tag you and then I run away and you try ta tag me."

He frowns, because this isn't going the way he thought it would. "Why're you doing that?"

That sounds like no fun to her. Running after people sounds scary. And now he's coming over and asking her these tricky questions. She peeks up at him. "Cause..." She doesn't know why. She just is! "Cause I'm scared!" she squeaks finally, hiding her face again. "I don't want to run around. I just want to go home."

Peter just stands there for a bit, squinting down at her and trying to work out what this could mean. He glances around because maybe something else is scaring her, but no, it's just a playground. At last, he drops into a crouch beside her.

"Well, I'm not skeery," he says confidently.

Bee looks up at him again, considering this assertion. He's a lot better now that he's not shouting at her, that much is true. Finally, marginally bolstered, she uncurls herself a bit.

"I guess not," she mumbles. What does she do now? She's never been alone with a strange boy before. "My name's Bee," she ventures after a moment.

"I'm Peter," says Peter brightly, because this is a little more like how it normally goes. There's another half to the usual introduction, so he adds, "I'm five!"

He's not so quiet even now, really. He's not shouting...at least, not on purpose.

"Me too!" she admits, sitting up a little straighter. He's not so bad, even if he is bright and loud. She reaches a hand out to arrange her pebbles but falters, not sure if she should in front of other people. People think it's weird.

"I'm making them all nice," she says after a moment. She picks up a few more and puts them in place.

Peter leans forward and picks one up to look at it. He can't see anything special about it, and making pebbles nice doesn't sound very exciting next to tag. "How come?" he asks.

She lets out a distressed whimper when he picks up one of her pebbles, reaching a hand out to take it back. "Don't touch!" she pleads. "It's just 'cause - 'cause I like it better this way."

"Well, maybe we could, maybe we could make it home base," he suggests. "And when you touch the home base you're safe and no one can tag you." Then there'd be a reason for the rocks to be special, he thinks.

Bee frowns, not sure she likes the idea. If they have to keep running back to her rocks then they'll all get messed up. She eventually shakes her head vigorously and continues to work for a few moments, but he won't go away, she'll have to play tag with him probably.

Well maybe it won't be so bad. She looks around and points at a nearby tree. "What about that?" she asks, looking up at him.

Here You Are, Stick Figure and a Busted Grin [Open to All]

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oh lord I hope I can get this right

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