applesaucemod: (Default)
The Big Applesauce Moderators ([personal profile] applesaucemod) wrote in [community profile] applesaucedream2016-06-04 03:14 pm

Step Right Up! [Open]

It might be winter in the waking world, but tonight, the dreamers will find themselves wrapped in the warmth of a blazing August afternoon. Here, it is summer - and what's more, the Carnival has come to town!

Whatever the dreamer's tastes, there should be something to amuse them. There are rides that tend towards the rickety, wooden end of the spectrum, a petting zoo occupied - for the most part - by tolerant farm animals, food stalls selling every kind of carnival faire you'd imagine, and an arcade full of rigged games. Inquisitive dreamers might find that some of the wares tend towards the esoteric, and some of the stalls might seem a little out of place, but it's all the sort of thing that might show up in a carnival somewhere. Look, no one's perfect.

Overall, though, it's a modest set-up. The once brightly colored canvas has been faded by the sun, and the paint is peeling in a few places. But the gentle wear lends everything an air of comfort (as opposed to an air of a lawsuit waiting to happen). Whether you're riding the ferris wheel, petting a goat, or trying to win a stuffed animal the size of a small child, the only harm the dreamers can expect is the kind they might dole out themselves.

 photo carnival_dream_zpskwfvxg87.jpg


[OOC: oh, you all know the drill by now.]
singthesong: (Travel)

[personal profile] singthesong 2016-06-27 08:42 pm (UTC)(link)
"I had thought of that!" The Balladeer agrees, sounding slightly uncertain. He isn't sure how to read Johnny's body language. "I meant to ask him about it, but I haven't seen him since - " His hesitation lasts a fraction of a second, before he smoothly goes on like it never happened. " - for a while."

He's hardly seen anyone since his episode who wasn't already witness to it. The thought of having to explain it all makes him feel ill, and he knows it's too much to hide. It leaks out from between his words like blood through tight fingers; no amount of false reassurances can quite contain it all. Yet another failure, he supposes, though he isn't sure on which end.

He smiles, the expression only slightly off-center. "I'm sure he could manage it. Easier on everyone that way." Neither of them would have to sneak around the other anymore. It's a big city, but the Riftie community is much smaller. They were never going to avoid contact forever, and he doesn't even care to try now.
johnny_truant: (Default)

[personal profile] johnny_truant 2016-07-02 02:55 am (UTC)(link)
"Yeah," says Johnny, mildly less awkward since the Balladeer seems willing to go along with this. This means they can pursue an acquaintanceship that isn't marked by aversion, polite though it's become.

"Well I'll ask him about it when we wake up," he says, relaxing a bit. He looks around the display as if finally taking note. "So, this dream seems kind of... low key, right? I mean it kinda seems like everyone is just... hanging out."

Which are ideal dream circumstances, for him. There's nothing here that would qualify as a house, and his mental state seems stable enough for now. That's good. Step one accomplished: hanging out with him probably isn't going to cause undue strain. As for the next step of actually asking if the Balladeer wants to hang out, he's still miles away from being that socially graceful.
singthesong: (Horizon)

[personal profile] singthesong 2016-07-18 01:08 am (UTC)(link)
"Yeah!" The Balladeer takes the subject change readily, slipping his hands idly into his pockets and following Johnny's gaze upwards. Colorful banners flap in the wind, and from this closer vantage he can see that the Ferris wheel is spinning slowly. Somewhere there's tinny music playing. "It's nice. I've never had a chance to really look around a place like this."

Does Johnny know why that is now? How much did Greta tell him? Well, regardless, they're not going to discuss that.

He's not really sure what Johnny's angling for here? Does he want to go explore the dream together? That seems like a natural thing to the Balladeer; they have just agreed to restart things between them. But he doesn't want to assume. "Do you know what's fun around here?" he asks instead. He knows Johnny's life hasn't been...well, the greatest, but he might've been to a fair sometime, right?
johnny_truant: (sweetiepie)

[personal profile] johnny_truant 2016-07-22 07:26 pm (UTC)(link)
"Um..." Johnny cracks a little smile as he looks around. "Only from cultural osmosis. Last time I went to a fair was... well, I don't really remember." He looks up at the Ferris wheel. "These always seem pretty chill though, if you don't mind heights."

He doesn't feel the need to go through the whole no-homo song and dance he might have instinctively done just a few months ago. Ferris wheel rides aren't inherently for dates, and he doesn't need to be a big insecure shit when he's trying to get to know someone. They could both probably use something chill right now. And a higher vantage point seems unusually tantalizing.

"You wanna?" He takes a few steps ahead and turns back to look at the Balladeer, shrugging, hands in his pockets.
singthesong: (Horizon)

[personal profile] singthesong 2016-08-11 04:49 am (UTC)(link)
Man, this dream turned out to be even cooler than he thought.

"Sure!" the Balladeer agrees readily, striding forward to join Johnny. He'll take any opportunity to finally conquer that Ferris wheel; Johnny's not even someone who's tried to kill him before. "I don't have any problem with heights. New York would be a bad place for that."

Even as they go on their way, he's still obviously interested in the rest of the fair. Not necessarily enough to stop - fun houses and cotton candy machines aren't much more than novelties - but his gaze isn't on Johnny as he speaks. "It was strange being surrounded by that much city at first. A little vertigo-inducing. But you get used to it." He was certainly never as badly off as someone like Greta. It's all just more modern than most of his experiences.
johnny_truant: (careful consideration)

[personal profile] johnny_truant 2016-08-16 03:58 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yeah, I bet." Johnny eyes him idly, watching him look around, constantly curious. "I grew up in LA, which has more sprawl. Everything is kinda claustrophobic in New York. But you get used to that, too."

No, not really. Is there even any point to pretending to be normal around the Balladeer? It's not like a lie; he just doesn't really feel like talking about his weird abstract claustrophobia.

Besides, it's not like open spaces are that much better.

He shrugs quickly, trying to shake all this bullshit off. Ferris wheel. Fun things. No need to get all weird and mopey.

The dream's rules seem relatively lax about paying for things or having tickets or whatever, which is good because Johnny's just been wandering around rather than gathering fair currency. Without having anything to offer they're welcomed into one of the little carriages.
singthesong: (Tracks)

[personal profile] singthesong 2016-08-17 01:21 am (UTC)(link)
"Oh, the West Coast."

The Balladeer hums appreciatively, as if he didn't already have some idea of it. Perhaps he really didn't. It sounds familiar, but he doubts he could've produced the factoid on his own. At the time he wasn't attending very much to the biographical details of Johnny's song. "I've never really been off the East Coast. I'd have liked to travel some more..."

Of course, the Rift stopped that. He shrugs, after climbing into the carriage and taking his seat. "But I guess I did get to see New York!" It's not hard to sound optimistic about that. Manhattan is the best place he's ever been by far. But they're here to talk about - well, nothing in particular, but probably not this. He leans out to watch as the fair grows smaller beneath them, knee bouncing a little. "The dreams aren't bad either. As much as that's worth. Not exactly getting to go anywhere else, but they all seem so real at the time..."