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

[has_a_horn]

"Not consciously, " He tells Peter, knowing that it's true. He keeps up influencing the scene, not wanting to throw the TARDIS off and have the same thing happen again. Being abruptly cut off from sensing her isn't exactly making him feel comforted. Quite the opposite, really.

He brushes some nonexistant dirt off of Peter's jacket in what he hopes is a reassuring gesture before turning to check in with the TARDIS. He has the strange and sudden urge to check her for fever, but that would be ridiculous even if they weren't in a dream. "Are you alright?"

[theoldgirl]

For a moment, the TARDIS looks at Gabriel as though she doesn't know whether to answer his question in the positive or negative. But then she pulls herself together, schools her features into something a little more contained, and nods faintly.

"I'm sorry," she says, addressing both of them equally, too shaken right now to remember her intense dislike of Peter. There's no telling what her powers could do to others if they went unchecked in the telepathic current, so for once he had every right to be scared. "On the real Caerdroia, I used the cow bells to relay part of a message to the Doctor, because I was barred from reaching him directly..." Somehow she feels the need to justify herself, to rationalize what happened to herself as well as to the others. But her explanation is disjointed and non-linear, partly due to her underlying distress, and partly because she can never tell which details of a story might be more important than others.

"The entire world is always the labyrinth; that is why it is so difficult to dismantle its dimensions, because removing one wall simply reveals another. But it was hidden behind projections taken from the minds of the Doctor and his companions. The cows weren't the only thing I influenced..." Recalling the whole thing in detail really isn't helping her composure, or her ability to think linearly. The sound of an incongruous cuckoo clock tower rings across the hills, much closer than the view of the town would suggest.

[fucking_ebay]

"I'd like to wake up now." Peter has recovered enough for the TARDIS's failure to criticize him to register. For all that he ends up scared every time he encounters her, there's something about this -- the cows, the maze, everything apparently being the maze -- that sets him on edge in a way that he feels all the more keenly now that there's no an immediately apparent crisis. His comment is partly a command to himself (not that it works), partly him simply informing Gabriel that he's really, really done with this.

[has_a_horn]

"Don't think I can make that happen." Sorry to say. Normally he might be able to, but as it is, he's having to hold off the TARDIS' influence and the strange properties of the dream itself. Reaching into Peter's mind and shoving him into wakefulness might mean loosing his grip on something else.

He's definitely interested in hearing the rest of this story from the TARDIS, but now isn't really the time. Instead of asking, he nods to her. "Maybe you should wake up." It would definitely help, having her not exerting so much influence. "Knowing the dreaming, this place isn't gonna be here the next time around. Take a break." He smiles, "Next time we can explore. Remember, you promised me space tours. I'm definitely holding you to that."

[theoldgirl]

The TARDIS might very well have continued rambling, getting sucked back into the memory and the associated emotions, but Gabriel's suggestion helpfully reminds her that leaving was what she had wanted to do in the first place. The overwrought part of her quails at the notion that she's being pushed away because she is a threat, or at least a considerable inconvenience, but that's irritatingly irrational and she does her best to ignore the feeling.

Besides, the rest of his words is sincere and reassuring enough; she can hear his fondness for her without even sensing his mind, and returns his smile a little shakily but gratefully. "I haven't forgotten," she reassures him, trying to focus on looking forward to their next meeting. "Take care, dear." She spares Peter an unreadable glance without saying anything, which is still better than any disparaging remark she could have made, and then retreats from the dream.

It's not as easy as usual, having to search for the right angles at which to escape the dream's twists and turns, like dragging her feet out of a swamp. But soon enough she's back to herself and waiting for the Doctor to wake up so she can find comfort there.

[fucking_ebay]

"Yes, you wake up," agrees Peter, not that his input was asked for or receives much notice. He'd still like to wake up himself, thank you very much, but failing that, the TARDIS leaving is always a good thing. More so when she's siccing evil cows on him, even.

When she goes, it's weird to watch. Peter sort of expected her to fade out, or walk away, but all that happens is she's there one moment and not the next. It's not even like she's disappeared, exactly; she's just...not there.