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

[watchesthebeans]

"I traded sizes with Jennifer on accident once," replies Aglet. "She thinks it's because of the rift, but I never met any Beans before her, so I don't know if I could have done it before. I don't think I could."

Because if Borrowers could do that, he's sure his aunt would have told him about it. Puzzled, he asks, "What's the dreaming?"

[has_a_horn]

"It's like a dream, only more...communal. Plenty of real people walking around dreamland, yeah?" He nods to the scenery around them. "This place isn't real."

[watchesthebeans]

"We're dreaming right now?" Aglet looks around again, though mostly what he can see is wall and pot. "Oh. I guess that explains why I don't recognize any of this."

[has_a_horn]

"Welcome to the land of dreams, kid. This is...less interesting than it usually is." Especially since the most interesting thing in his vision right now is a potted plant. "One time we all turned into animals."

[watchesthebeans]

"Yeah, my dreams aren't usually like this," admits Aglet. "I mean, if I'm out in the open in a dream, there's usually someone trying to step on me."

[has_a_horn]

Gabriel chuckles, leaning up against the edge of the pot's saucer. "That a big concern for you?" Sorry, now he's just being an ass. He doesn't get to be taller than people very often, this is novel.

[watchesthebeans]

"Not usually? I mean, we always had it set up where we could stay in the walls most of the time." Oblivious Aglet is oblivious to your punnage, Gabriel. He's curious, though, about this strange Borrower who can get Bean-sized. "How come you were so big just now?"

[has_a_horn]

Might want to switch those two around, Aglet. "That's the default setting. I can only be this small because we're dreaming." Well, he could seem really small outside of the dreaming? But let's not get technical here.

"Where are you from, Lilliput? Blefuscu?" Yup, hitting hard with these cutting edge Jonathan Swift references.

[watchesthebeans]

Doesn't everyone harbor a little ethnocentrism, though?

"So you really are a Bean." If anything, Aglet looks more curious now. He's met so few people of any description in his life that meeting a new Borrower is an adventure, but meeting Beans is something he thought he'd never do at all. He just looks confused a moment later, though, not recognizing the names at all. He answers as best he can. "Second townhouse from the end. I'm a Bottlerack."

[has_a_horn]

"...right." He didn't really catch much meaning there. He's a bottle rack that lives in a townhouse? "I don't know about being a Bean. But you can call me Gabriel."

[watchesthebeans]

It probably wouldn't mean much to even another Borrower unless their family had come from the same house. "I'm Aglet," he says brightly, sticking his hand out for another round of shaking. That's what's done, isn't it? "And you've got to know more about it than I do."

[has_a_horn]

Alright then, more hand shaking. Sure. The kid's tiny and named after shoe-lace plastic. He's just going to go with it.

'Would you like to know more about it? This is just a dream, you could be...Bean sized, if you want." Well, Gabriel could make him human sized. Same difference.

[watchesthebeans]

Don't forget the surname, Gabriel, he's also named after a household storage device. It's all very dignified.

Aglet hesitates, remembering the last (and only) time he was Bean-sized. "I tried it for a few minutes when I traded with Jennifer," he says. "I knocked over her chair." And it was very traumatic.

[has_a_horn]

"Don' feel like trying it again?" He jerks his head up, indicating the world beyond the their little enclave behind the plant pot. "There's not much up there to knock over."

[watchesthebeans]

Aglet's been worried about the possibility it might happen again unexpectedly, and then he'll be stuck tromping around with Bean-size feet, stepping on things and knocking things over. If he practices now, though....

"Well...maybe it'd be alright. Since it's only a dream, I mean."

[has_a_horn]

"Alright, might want to come out in the open first. Don't want to end up with your foot in flora." Gabriel's just going to head out into the middle of the hall. He's assuming that Aglet will follow.

[watchesthebeans]

After a moment of hesitation, Aglet follows him out from behind the pot. He lingers near the wall, though, looking around for Beans and trying to decide if he's okay with striking out into the open. Seeing Gabriel walking in that direction and leaving him behind, though, he steels himself and takes a few steps out.

[has_a_horn]

When Aglet reaches him, Gabriel reaches out to clasp him on the shoulder. In the next moment, they're both human-sized once more. He keeps his hand at the kid's shoulder in case he's unsteadied by the change. "Alright?"

[watchesthebeans]

Every step out into the open goes against Aglet's instincts and lifelong practice, and he's sure they're going to get stepped on, or attacked by a herd of marauding kittens. He's already jumpy, therefor, when Gabriel takes him by the shoulder and quite suddenly makes him big.

"Oh," he says, staggering and ducking like he expects his head to hit the ceiling, even though it's quite far above them still. "Oh god, that was fast."