A Day Late and a Dollar Short

[applesaucemod]

As far as dreams go, this seems surprisingly...normal. True, the dreamers of Manhattan and beyond will find themselves stranded in the middle of the ocean on a fairly deserted rocky island, but it's nothing so unusual as the labyrinth from last time, and no one appears to have become an animal or reverted to an insane past (or future) version of themself. Besides, well, rocks and grass, there's nothing here but an abandoned lighthouse, the doors and windows broken, and the spare furniture worn by the weather. You can go up the spiral staircase to look at the view, but there's nothing to see but the endless ocean. One might almost think tonight was a night for simple socializing via the telepathic current.

As if anything to do with the rift is ever that simple, you silly bumpkin. How quickly each person realizes what is unusual about tonight's dream will depend in large part on their personality. Some might go the entire night without noticing (except from the distress of others, naturally), but some will find out the instant they open their mouths to converse with another dreamer. You see, each and every dreamer will be completely unable to tell a lie for as long as the dream lasts. The truth might be evaded by omission, but any attempt to say that which is untrue will result in the corresponding truth emerging instead.

Good thing it's just a dream and everyone's going to forget in the morning, right? Right??


[Mod note: As usual, players can choose to have their characters remember or forget anything that happens in the Dreaming. As per usual party rules, both members and non-members are welcome to play any character in this post, regardless of whether that character is currently in the game. Unlike usual, tonight's theme is not optional; all characters will be subject to the enforced truth-telling. Have fun!]

Comments

[fucking_ebay]

No, he obviously couldn't. And what lie was she trying to tell him that made her realize she couldn't? He looks away, not wanting to face her accusation because it's going to force him to admit something he doesn't want to, one way or another.

It's either face it or watch her walk away, though. Peter takes a faltering step after her, then curses and grits his teeth. Nothing for it. "I'm not!" he calls after her. Slightly more quietly, he elaborates. "I haven't fucked anyone else. Not for a month now."

Give the boy a trophy.

[essentiallyharmless]

Lucy comes to a halt, turning hesitantly back towards him. That surprises her, actually. For a moment she wonders if he's just trying to appease her, but then she remembers that he's presumably forced to tell the truth just as much as she is. Not that this news exactly makes her jump for joy. Big deal, he's not sleeping around. It doesn't mean anything. Right?

"You're gonna have to do better than that," she tells him after a few moments. Another tear spills as she says it, but she's reasonably collected now. It's like she's resigned herself to the worst possible outcome.

[fucking_ebay]

Again, can't she see how hard this is for him? How can she be so cruel? Peter huffs, sighs, draws a hand down his face, and very much does not look at Lucy as he says, "I want us to be exclusive."

[essentiallyharmless]

If he were to actually call her behavior cruel in this situation, there would be hell to pay.

She can't help but feel a pleasant twist in her stomach when he says that, though. It takes her a while to process the whole situation. He's not rejecting her desire to be exclusive or throwing her aside completely, in fact he's reciprocating it. It slowly starts to dawn on her that he really must care. How much is impossible to tell, and it's not like all her worries are cast aside just like that.

But at the moment she's too upset to push him for more or to walk away and be on her own. What she wants right now is comfort, so she steps towards him, reaching out for him. She wants to kiss him, but her movement is hesitant, searching, more of a meek request than a demand.

[fucking_ebay]

Peter is really not the right person to go to for comfort and displays of affection. For a second or two he gives her a look like he simply can't deal with what she's asking for, but he recovers enough to open his arms and take her into them.

"Fuck," he mutters into her hair as he awkwardly rubs her back. "Sorry."

[essentiallyharmless]

That fact that he does still give comfort and displays of affect, and even apologises, probably should prove he cares. It's difficult to really take it in for her though, to properly believe it. Particularly so soon as after that rather gross violation of privacy.

"You're still an asshole," she informs him, but this time it's accompanied by a wry laugh (if a rather teary one). More familiar, Lucy calling him out on his usual dickish behavior, even as she's burying her face against his chest.

[fucking_ebay]

He gives a wry laugh of his own. "I never doubted it."

Maybe self deprecation doesn't work so well when people know you really mean it.

[essentiallyharmless]

Well, Lucy really means it too. But him being an asshole doesn't stop her loving caring about him. Apparently Lucy tends to go for the assholes. Peter's still a huge step up from the genocidal maniac, though.

And it does occur to her that yes, he really has never doubted it, then. This does actually give her some sympathy for him, and she softens a little.

Part of her just wants to go ahead and admit how she feels, how important Peter is to her, now that he'll know she means it. It's unlikely they'll get another chance like this. But most of her is still just scared.

"The last time I fell in love, it ruined my life," she says quietly after a little while. It's not a proper admission of how she feels about Peter now, but it should certainly be a big enough hint. But what she's really trying to communicate is how terrified she is of dealing with all of this. How terrified she is to trust, when her trust is apparently worth so little.

[fucking_ebay]

He'd hope he's at least a bit better than the Master, yeah. He hasn't murdered one tenth of Lucy's species, for one thing. He kind of wants to put a stake through the bastard's heart when he thinks about the Master hitting her, for another.

"Last time I cared about a woman, I got her killed," he points out. It's not as though he's had a lot of positive experiences with committed relationships.

[essentiallyharmless]

"Bad job, us," she answers with a bitter smile. She actually meant to sarcastically say good job, but whatever works.

She sniffs a bit, reaching up to wipe her cheeks, and gently pull away. She still holds onto him a little, not ready to entirely give up the physical contact.

"If you trick me like that again, I don't think I can trust you anymore," she warns him levelly, looking up at him. She's starting to realise why he did it, that he's probably scared too, and jealous, but it doesn't make it anywhere near okay. She wants him to know this. She's not about to stop calling him on his shit now.

[fucking_ebay]

"I only did it because" I wanted to be sure "I didn't trust you." Uuuuugghhh. Peter clenches his jaw. Is it seriously not possible for him to go even two sentences without fucking this up? "I'm surprised you trust me at all," he adds, this time deliberately.

[essentiallyharmless]

Well, that certainly stings, and it's evident on her face. Really, how are they this fucked up? Never mind that they just summarised their abysmal dating history, so honestly, it could be worse.

"Well, I've never been very bright," she answers, and what was that about self deprecation actually being honesty?

[fucking_ebay]

Peter is not going to comment. Seriously, he's not going to fucking comment, because he'll either spit out something obnoxiously truthful in place of reassurances, or he'll actually reassure her by telling her how stupid he is or something. "I think I'm ready to be done with this honesty thing," he tells her instead.

[essentiallyharmless]

Lucy smiles and nods, then takes Peter's hand. "If it helps, I've always preferred assholes anyway. Much more interesting," she tells him. You know, while he knows she's telling the truth and everything. There are a lot worse things he could be than an asshole. He could be boring.

[fucking_ebay]

Peter grins and curls his fingers around hers. "Careful, I might" get ideas "keep doing what I'm doing."

...Close enough. Topic change! "Seriously, though, I told you we know the archangel Gabriel and you didn't bat an eye. Did you know something I didn't?"

[essentiallyharmless]

Lucy gives a shrug. "We were talking about more important things. And I'd already considered it, though he wouldn't admit it. Anyway, he's not from my universe, and it doesn't really mean we know much more about him. What else did he tell you?"

And honestly it's Peter who knows him, not Lucy. She's not even sure the affirmation that he's an archangel makes her more or less eager to get to know him...

[fucking_ebay]

More important things? Peter gapes at her. "Wow," he says, summing up all his feelings about Lucy's priorities in one semi-sarcastic word. "Just wow."

Sniffing, he tries to remember if Gabriel spilled any other juicy secrets before he clammed up. Sadly, not so much. "Apparently he chose to look like that," he says, recalling, "And he really was Loki, but that was just an identity he put on to hang out with the in-crowd."

[essentiallyharmless]

Lucy nods and makes notes about those things regarding Gabriel. Apparently Norse gods are the in crowd now? Alright.

"And don't wow me, I was" angry "scared." She pauses and makes a face. "I mean, that you'd" freak out "break up with me."

Lucy mentally swears, letting go of Peter's hand again, turning away in embarrassement. Sure, Peter doesn't want to break up, quite the opposite, but she'd be happy to maybe stop confessing her fears now. But apparently that's not going to happen.

[fucking_ebay]

Apparently. Also, Peter is never, ever going to admit that Loki was one of his favorites. Also, he should have asked about the horse thing, since he's never going to have as good an opportunity again.

"And that's more important than finding out one of our friends is in the Bible?" That's kind of a big deal, Lucy, come on. "...Fuck," he says thoughtfully, and kisses her on the back of the head since she's gone and turned away.

[essentiallyharmless]

Lucy can't help but smile a little, despite the embarrassement and annoyance at this dream. "Do you realise you use swearwords to comfort?" she asks, amused despite herself, and leans into him.

She sighs heavily. "How about we just don't talk until we wake up?" she suggests. Neither of them want to be this painfully honest.

[fucking_ebay]

He uses them for everything; they're versatile, okay? He chuckles into her hair in return and gives her shoulder a full-arm squeeze. "Yeah," he agrees. "That sounds like a good plan."

[essentiallyharmless]

Of course, not talking is kind of boring on such a boring island. Lucy looks around, wondering if there's anything besides rocks. She's seen a lighthouse in the distance, but that's about it.

"...We could have dream-sex again," she suggests. To celebrate their exclusivity. Also because the physicality is way easier than the emotional stuff. Presuming they kind find somewhere marginally private.

[fucking_ebay]

"Out here?" grins Peter. "Kinky."

Less kinky is the idea of sex on a bunch of uneven rocks. Beach sex would be great, except the beach here is an ugly, rocky thing like the rest of the island.

[essentiallyharmless]

"Hopefully we can find somewhere out of the way," she says with a smile, taking Peter's hand and pulling him with her. It's a dream, it probably won't be as bad as if they were having sex on actual rocks. And it's not like they haven't had sex in a few weird places already. It's part of the fun of neither of them being particularly shy or embarrassed about sex.

[fucking_ebay]

Peter bruised his arse pretty good on these dream rocks earlier. Of course, it stopped hurting immediately after he did it, so maybe 'bruised' isn't the word. "Crashing surf, seagulls, sand in awkward places -- that's downright romantic, for us." Truth. Apparently.