What's Stopping Us From Breathing Easy [Open to All]

[applesaucemod]

Dreamers of Manhattan, you've lucked out. Rather than finding yourselves in some kind of dystopian nightmare, you'll end up in a series of formal gardens on a lovely day, the air filled with birdsong and a cloud-scattered sky arching overhead. Some of the gardens look a bit wilder than others, in an artful sort of way, but it's clear that all of the gardens are well kept and frequently tended. Aside from each other, dreamers aren't likely to run into any creature larger than a rabbit. True, there are no actual exits - every doorway or arbor leads to another garden - but that's hardly a problem. It's beautiful, it's safe... what could go wrong?

Well, that depends on the dreamer's honesty. No uncomfortable truths will drop unbidden from anyone's mouths like last time, but the dreamers will find that any time they attempt to lie or prevaricate, they'll be beset by a sneezing fit. A tiny lie by omission might only prompt that uncomfortable feeling of an impending sneeze; a larger, more significant (or more stubborn) fib will lead to a sneeze attack so crippling that the dreamer might just need to sit down for a minute.

You could try to pass it off as allergies, if you could get the words out without making everything worse. But while telling the truth is not compulsory, lying is punishable - and pretty well obscured - by sneezes.

[OOC: Usual dream party rules apply. All are welcome to participate regardless of whether they've been apped in the game or not. Dreamers can remember or forget the events of the dream at the players' discretion.]

Comments

[antitimelord]

Oh no, she is taking away entirely the wrong information from this exchange, she is hearing a fable and asking how the animals can talk, and then scheming how next time maybe the crocodile could be put to safe use in crossing the river. Not even in the same universe as the point. Speaking of which, "It was circumstantial. If it hadn't been so convenient I would have just pitched him into something else. I had options." Regretfully, "I am not quite able to rip any holes in the boundaries of this universe. Currently."

[centralcore]

"What a pity," she say breezily. "Ripping holes in things was sort of a specialty of mine - or my facility, I suppose. Now I'll have to build from the ground up. Not like I haven't before, of course. Just usually not this drastic." She heaves a somewhat exaggerated sigh. "That's just how things go."

Distantly it occurs to her that she is making small talk. She should not be able to do this so naturally. It's been a long time since she had to.

She looks at Zagreus and wonders how difficult it would be to kill him with this body. Would it be worth it? Would she be able to gain anything from it? Would it be permanent?

Well, there's a thought. Sort of an experiment. How does death work, in dreams that aren't quite dreams?

"I don't suppose you'd mind holding still for a moment?" she says, and casts about for a sharp stick. "I have a little test I'd like to run. There'll be cake after, remember, I did promise."