The Fortress of Many Turnings [open]

[applesaucemod]

Welcome to Caerdroia. Though at first glance this world seems calm, even idyllic, closer inspection will reveal a startling lack of linearity. A doorway in one place can suddenly lead to another entirely, the locals going about their business seem totally unaware of your presence, and you may find reminders of home that are less than welcome -- and less than safe.

The countryside seems almost designed to set one at one's ease. Gentle, rolling hills overlook a town in the near distance, and herds of friendly cows cluster here and there (with unknown intent).

The Garden of Curiosities is a walled-off park. Inside, streams and paths wind through beautiful landscaping, and animals can be found on the loose everywhere. For the most part, these creatures are friendly (or at least indifferent) toward visitors, though their appearance might perturb. One might see an animal one has never encountered before, or one might find the garden inhabited by creatures from one's own world that are somehow changed, whether in size, color, or behavior. And, of course, one might find something rather more predatory has taken up residence….

The town hall never seems to be in the same place twice. Finding your way through the streets to any one particular building is an exercise in frustration, as the town seems to shift and change whenever part of it is out of your sight. The hall itself isn't much better once you get inside; stairwells have a habit of appearing on the ceiling, hallways turn into dead ends while your back is turned, and floors are liable to open up into fathomless pits.

The Labyrinth is where many journeys seem destined to end. The way out is, more often than not, the way in. Try to leave one part of Caerdroia, and the doorway might very well open into the labyrinth. And, like any good labyrinth, this one is home to a Minotaur. And, like any good Minotaur, this one would be more than happy to tear you to pieces.

[OOC: Once again, the shared dream is open to all characters, including those not currently in the game and those belonging to players who are not currently members. Once again, too, players are free to choose whether their characters see the dream for what it is, whether they are forced to abide by its rules, and whether they will remember this in the morning.]

Comments

[bluesuit_handy]

Andrew strolls dreamily through the countryside, something about the way the cows are following him niggling at the back of his mind. There's something important about them -- something about all those clanging bells round their necks....

It isn't until he crests a hill, though, that things click into place. Standing atop the crest and looking down at the town laid out before him, he takes in a sudden, sharp breath and puts a hand out to steady himself against a random bovine. "Oh, no. No. No, no. Not this, not again." He looks down at himself, then peers about sharply, as if expecting to see someone who shouldn't be here.

[modern_alpha]

Perhaps it has something to do with the large, chocolate-colored wolf following after them. These are not the streets of London, of this Biffy is absolutely sure. The cows, quite frankly, are making his stomach growl but even the most uncouth of the London Pack wouldn't be so rude as to eat someone else's livestock.

Well, maybe aside from Channing.

When the man speaks, Biffy tilts his head and sits up.

[bluesuit_handy]

Now, a wolf is right up there as something that shouldn't be here. It's not, however, what Andrew was expecting, and he looks right over the wolf's head once or twice, eyes trained at human head height. The dark patch in amongst the barnyard hues of the cattle, however, finally draws his attention downward.

"Oh!" he says. Then, "What? That's not -- that's different."

[wildmage_daine]

Daine is wandering amongst the cows, doling out ear scritches and producing a strangely never-ending supply of apples from her pockets. It isn't until Andrew crests the hill that she realizes he's here, too, and she grins up at his back, about to call out when his posture changes. Uh oh. Something's wrong.

Frowning, Daine wades through the herd of cattle, apologizing silently to the ones she hasn't greeted yet. "Andrew?" she says once she's close enough for him to hear her without her raising her voice. If there's trouble, she'd best not shout. "Is something wrong?"

[bluesuit_handy]

"Daine?" Andrew turns on the spot and gazes at her, mouth open, brow furrowing in confusion. This place, these cows, that town -- it all draws him back into a memory, and for a few moments he wasn't sure, despite having checked which body he's in, that he wasn't actually back in the moment he remembers. But then, C'rizz and Charley aren't here, not to mention --

Well, best not mention.

"We shouldn't be here," he replies, confused as much as he is troubled. "Here shouldn't be here, I don't think."

[fucking_ebay]

Peter had the fantastic luck to appear in the labyrinth right off the bat. He wandered about the unmarked passages for a little while, growing alternately more worried and more annoyed at not knowing where he was or how he'd got there, but it wasn't long before he heard something moving in the dark. For a moment or two he'd entertained the thought of being brave and going to seek it out...and then he heard the Minotaur roar, saw it come charging around a corner, and Peter was outta there.

Fortunately, Peter will find when he wakes that his sleep-teleporting does not extend to his real body tonight. Unfortunately, he has no idea where he is in this dream, and no idea where he's going. When he reappears in a flash of fire and smoke, therefor, he's liable to land anywhere, near (or on top of) anyone.

[has_a_horn]

[sorry, peter]

Gabriel is currently wandering around town hall, wondering just what the hell in going on here. He's aware that it's a dream, but the extent of the warped dimensions here makes him a little uncomfortable and a lot curious. He opens up a door only to walk into the hallway he was just in. When he turns around the door isn't there any more.

It's just about then that a fireball appears at his elbow. He backs away with a curse only to see that's it's Peter. "Oh, it's you. Thought the castle defenses were kicking in."

He's not going to bring up that whole drunken invading-his-apartment thing is he? That'd be awkward.

[fucking_ebay]

"Fuck," says Peter feelingly, shaken by his encounter with...seriously, had that been a fucking minotaur? It takes him a moment to realize who he's landed next to, but his response doesn't change much. "Fuck," he says again. It's a good, versatile word, and fuck if he knows how to start a conversation after what happened last time they talked.

No, screw that, he knows. "There's a fucking minotaur," he complains. "What the hell is this?"

The Parasol Protectorate

[modern_alpha]

The streets of the town are unfamiliar and Biffy finds himself assaulted with several new and strange scents all at once. This is not London. He's having a hard time, in fact, believing he is even on earth. Worse still, he's entering a new and possibly dangerous situation mid-shift, meaning that he won't have a single cravat or oxford shoe to his name. It's all much too rude and lacking in dignity.

And so he remains, a chocolate-colored wolf with oxblood stomach, padding through the streets.

[jennifer_strange]

This is weird. Jennifer's used to being given a wide berth when she's walking the beast, but being ignored entirely is a whole different bucket of lobsters. It's not as if the Quarkbeast is wearing its dog disguise, either; it's completely exposed, steel-tipped scales gleaming in the sunshine. Someone ought to be screaming, or at least scrambling out of the beast's way.

If she hadn't already been glancing around in increasing bewilderment, she might not have noticed the wolf at all. But she spots it, and stops in her tracks, her grip on the beast's leash tightening. She's not afraid of the wolf, exactly - if it tried to attack, she's certain the beast would make short work of it - but it's not normal, is it? A wolf in the streets?

[modern_alpha]

Biffy stares at the beast, trying to puzzle out what he could possibly be seeing. It's no wolf or vampire, that's for sure, and he can't quite say he thinks it's an automaton. Oh this is a very strange place indeed.

He sits, tail raised, but does not bare his neck in submission.

[wildmage_daine]

Daine is in the Garden of Curiosities, a big grin on her face. It's hard to feel unhappy when you're surrounded by friends, after all - even if some (okay, most) of them are creatures she's never met before. She's currently standing ankle-deep in one of the streams, her pant legs rolled up to just below her knees, and attempting to converse with a creature that looks something like an otter, but with more tentacles. Its accent is entirely unfamiliar, making it difficult to understand, but it certainly seems friendly enough.

[modern_alpha]

Perhaps a seemingly normal wolf will make for easier conversation. Still exploring, Biffy looks over at the girl and tilts his head the way any canine might.

He'd like some water but doesn't think he trusts this place.

[wildmage_daine]

She sees the wolf, and her grin widens. The troubling fact that she didn't feel its approach - and that she still doesn't feel the wolf's presence in her mind - is quickly dismissed in favor of simple pleasure at seeing a wolf again. She's missed them.

"Hullo," she offers, wobbling a little as she straightens (these rocks are slippery!). "Is there a whole pack here?" She can't help but look excited at the prospect, though she doesn't want to appear too eager. If the poor fellow's alone, the last thing she wants to do is rub it in.

[watchesthebeans]

From Aglet's perspective at floor level, the corridors of the town hall all look the same. He's already been turned around twice -- he thinks --- and has no idea where he is or where he's come from. So far, though, he's chalking that up to how confusing new places always are for him, not aware that this time, he really does have an excuse for being lost. Hand on the wall, he huddles behind a plinth, watching to be sure he's not being watched, then darts along the wall in the direction of the next hiding spot.

[has_a_horn]

As Gabriel turns another corner that he's sure he's already been past, Aglet will find himself being watched. At first Gabriel thinks what he sees is a mouse, but the mind he senses there is definitely human. He crouches down next to the potted plant the person is hiding behind and peeks around the side. "Hello?"

[watchesthebeans]

Aglet pauses to catch his breath behind the cover of the potted plant. Where he's going he doesn't know, but this hallway certainly isn't suitable. Where has Jennifer's room got to? He can hardly ask for directions; even if there were any Beans around he wouldn't approach them.

He's obviously not being as cautious as he really ought under the circumstances, as he has no idea the Bean -- a man, no less -- is there until he speaks up. Aglet lets out a little yelp as he spins on the spot. None of the Beans he's met so far have hurt him, but considering there are only two and Jennifer directly introduced him to the second, that's not very reassuring for interactions with Beans on the whole. Stumbling backwards, he tries to put the pot between himself and the man.

[jennifer_strange]

Jennifer and the beast have been wandering these godforsaken corridors for what feels like hours without making any kind of progress. So really, they've earned a break. Or a sulk. It's probably a bit of both.

To that end, Jennifer is sitting on the floor with her back against the wall, one hand loosely curled around the beast's leash. There's a bench only a few feet away, but the Quarkbeast is busily crunching on the wrought iron legs, and she's far too annoyed with this place to scold him. If anything, she feels a rush of spiteful pleasure as the beast finishes off the right legs and sends the bench listing to the floor. "Good boy," she murmurs.

[watchesthebeans]

Really, what were these Beans thinking, building a place with hardly anywhere to hide? Aglet is still quite a ways down the hall from Jennifer when he arrives behind another potted plant, with little to no cover between them. For a moment or two he doesn't recognize her, and the sound of a bench falling to the floor nearly startles him into going the other way.

It's lucky for him that he pauses to look more shrewdly at the Bean sitting against the wall. Relief sweeps over him as he recognizes her profile, and Aglet steps out from behind the pot.

"Jennifer!" he calls, cupping his hands to his mouth.

[talking_fishbone]

"This...is not Iceland." Hiccup glances around the strange gardens, trying to get his bearing. Definitely too green and verdant to be Berk, so where on earth is he?

[stronglikebear]

His bearing, eh?

There's a crashing in the trees nearby, and suddenly a young man comes shooting out of the plant cover and into a nearby stream. Scrambling up the opposite bank -- the one nearer Hiccup -- Yuri spots the other man and waves his arms frantically. "Run!"

[erratic_hematic]

"What THE-" Spike appears next to a big furry multi-limbed creature, gets startled, and falls backward. He's appeared in the Garden of Curiosities, but to him it's more a garden of demonic animals.

As he scoots away, the furry thing lopes forward, opens its mouth showing a row of menacing teeth. Spike puts up a hand in defense, only to have a long tongue wrap around his fingers. Guess it's friendly. But still gross. "EUGH."

[wildmage_daine]

The sounds of a two-legger in distress draws Daine's attention, and she soon appears from around a clump of ornamental shrubs. Whether she was more concerned for the two-legger or for whatever animal that had startled him is hard to judge, but it looks like everyone is getting along, here, and she grins.

"She likes you." He can probably tell, but still. "I'd tell you her name, but I can't pronounce it."

[antitimelord]

It is with a deep and abiding sense of shame that Zagreus finally allows himself to verbally berate the Garden of Curiosities. It's just that he finds it all rather detestable, especially the entire concept of landscaping, and he has a continual worry of encountering fishmen and giant snails. It's all very undignified, and he grumbles as much; which is about the time he recognizes the setting for what it is: a dream. It has to be, you see, because while conscious he has gotten very good at not talking to himself or his surroundings.

[erratic_hematic]

You've got a vampire watchin you be crazy, Zagreus. He's just sitting a little ways off under a tree. He's got the it's a dream explanation, so now he's just enjoying the show.

"The shrub say something nasty about your mum?"