The Tropical Vacation of Your Dreams

[applesaucemod]

The communal dreams of Manhattan have been downright pleasant lately, haven't they? Here's another sunny day for dreamers to enjoy in their sleep, though of course the tropical climate may prove just a little uncomfortable for northerners. The verdant jungle has its own sort of charm, though, teeming as it is with all sorts of exotic animals.

Make that very exotic animals.

Those who arrive close by any of the old buildings or fences will see that it's been a long time since the humans that made them disappeared. Everything here was once sleek, shiny, and state of the art. Now formerly electric fences stand bent and torn, automated SUVs sit rusting on their tracks or lie smashed to pieces where they were thrown by some enormous creature, and the jungle slowly works to reclaim a mildewy hotel and visitors' center.

Whether one finds oneself in the formless jungle that was once paddocks, in the aviary that would have housed a luxury resort, or even in the halls of what should by all rights be the most heavily fortified hotel in the world, one is always in danger here. The barriers that once separated human from dinosaur have long since fallen. Here dinosaurs have eked out a new ecosystem, the carnivores not particularly bothered about eating herbivores from entirely different epochs…or, for that matter, the funny little hairless apes that have appeared here on occasion. Here one is always in danger of running afoul of hungry tyrannosaurs, stampeding triceratops, or cunning deinonychus velociraptors (they're totally velociraptors, yup). Enjoy the eye-searing venom of that strangely undersized dilophosaurus, by the way, as well as the toxic bite of the swarms of compsognathus. Or maybe the dreamers will luck out, and the worst they'll encounter is an indifferent, bumbling brachiosaurus or an unassuming microceratops. Who here is ever that lucky, though?

Welcome to Jurassic Park.



[Mod note: Same drill as always. All players and characters are welcome, current members or no. Characters will remember or forget any and all dream events at players' discretion. Death in the dream does not result in real death.]

Comments

[sadie_doyle]

"No," Sadie insists, though she does waver a little as she watches those scant, precious drops of alcohol swirling around the bottom of the glass. Gritting her teeth, she turns her head away from the alluring sight. For good measure, she thrusts the glass away until she's holding it at arm's length and squeezes her eyes shut.

Her resolve holds firm for five entire seconds - a personal record. Then she lets out a sound not unlike a sob and brings the glass to her lips, knocking back the remains of her martini. It's only enough to give her a taste of what she's missing, and it's only her deeply rooted respect for alcohol-related glassware that stops her from hurling the empty receptacle aside in a fit of self-loathing.

"Oh, Frank," she wails, "what are we going to do?"

[frank_doyle]

"There, there, Sadie, my love." Frank pats her on the shoulder. "We mustn't give up. There's got to be booze SOMEWHERE on this scotchforsaken rock!"

He sets his jaw and sets out with intrepid steps toward the door. "Let's see if the dinosaurs know anytihng!"

[sadie_doyle]

Sadie presses her lips together, then resolutely follows her husband. "Perhaps we'll see a triceratops," she says as she takes his arm. "Ooh - or a tyrannosaur! Oh, no - a brachiosaurus! Ooh - or a deinonychus! Or, no - a stegosaurus! Oh, no - a compsognathus! Or, ooh! A pterodactyl!" She pauses for breath, spirits improving despite the lamentable lack of spirits in her glass. "Ooh - or a gallimimus! Or, ooh! A pteranodon!"

[frank_doyle]

"Sadie, Sadie," Frank touches her shoulder and gives her a light shake. "Slow down, dear. Perhaps we'll see all those, and more! But let's keep our eyes on the prize, shall we? The prize is gin!" He considers. "Or, you know, whatever." He leads her toward the door and places his hand on te heavy handle. "Now my dear, prepare yourself - for a door opening noise!!"

[sadie_doyle]

Sadie lets out a little "ah!" of delight as the door makes a respectable creak upon opening, then follows Frank out into the sunlight.

They've scarcely cleared the doors before she holds her martini glass aloft and cries, "Taxi!" It's an automatic gesture that she doesn't give much thought - until instead of the expected taxi cab pulling up to the curb, a triceratops lumbers up and gives the two of them an expectant look with one beady eye. "Look, darling!" she gasps, giving Frank's arm a squeeze. "It's almost as good as an elephant, wouldn't you say?"

[frank_doyle]

"Taxi!" shouts Frank in unison with his wife, of course. "Saaay," he remarks as the triceratops rumbles up. "Not bad at all! And first on your list, too."

He hefts himself up onto the beast and holds out a hand for Sadie. "Up we get! We'd best hurry, lest we get any soberer than we already are."

[sadie_doyle]

"Perhaps a tyrannosaur will be next!" Her excited smile collapses into a frown as she notes, "Though there's a disappointing lack of guns, as well." As safaris go, this one has been something of a disappointment.

Still, she accepts Frank's hand with good grace, and then gestures toward the horizon with her empty glass. "To the booze!" she declares, as if leading a charge. The triceratops obliges by trundling forward, and she lets out a little giggle as she lurches backward. Sobriety is a serious threat, but thankfully it's still a distant one.

[frank_doyle]

"To the booze indeed!" agrees Frank.

The triceratops lumbers onward at a pace slightly less frantic than the situation calls for; but, Frank is in no position to argue with the driver. And indeed, soon enough, it proves its worth!

"Why, look!" he cries, pointing. "She appears to be taking us to yonder hotel -- booze's natural habitat. It's always good when your cabbie knows the neighborhood. Atta girl." He gives her flank a sturdy pat. "Sadie my darling, we'll be smashed again in no time."

[sadie_doyle]

And the safari takes a turn for the drunker, and therefore better! "Oh, Frank, the anticipation is killing me!" There's a rumble from the triceratops that could be interpreted as concern, and she leans over precariously to peer down at it. "Don't worry, dinosaur below, it was merely hyperbole!"

It's not too long before the triceratops pulls up in front of the hotel, which probably used to be nice before it got shabby. Once Frank has helped her off of the dinosaur, she gestures toward the entrance. Her movements are distressingly steady; they really must hurry. "Quickly, darling!"

[frank_doyle]

"Quick as can be!" he confirms, making an effort to stagger a bit. Sure enough, the hotel is hotel-like -- and there's a BAR!

"Look, darling! No minibars for us... full size, adult action bottles!!" He vaults over the counter. "Wine... wine... wine... oh hell, darling, there's an awful lot of wine... AHA!" He alights upon his amber mistress: a single malt scotch. "Here we are. Ooh, and here. And this one too. And a few of these!" He straightens up and observes Sadie already knocking back a fifth of gin -- measured out from muscle memory. Mid-shelf, but it'll do.

He's about to suggest they be on their way, when GUNSHOTS occur from just above!

"Oh, my!" Frank's eyes travel toward the stairwell. "Whatever could that be? Ought we to... investigate?"

[sadie_doyle]

Oh, thank goodness! She has three bottles expertly clutched in one hand and two more in the hand that's already occupied by the martini glass when she hears the gunshot ring out from overhead, but she maintains her grip on the alcohol.

She's half-expecting to see a newly minted ghost appear, but when one doesn't, she inclines her head thoughtfully. "If we were to investigate," she ventures, "would that put too much of a damper on our current quest?" She gingerly waggles one of the bottles for emphasis.

[frank_doyle]

"Hmm! Probably!" Frank nods curtly, thinking thoughts with the sobering part of his brain. "Wait a moment! I'm thinking thoughts with the sobering part of my brain! That won't do at all. Your face is agreeing with me. You're right as usual, darling."

He pops open his single malt and knocks it back. "Much better!!" He thinks thoughts with the drunkening part of his brain. "Aha!! I know what let's do!" He thrusts a finger toward the open gun locker. "We'll take guns from that gun locker, no doubt the very same from which those guns that were just fired up above were taken!! And then we'll be on our merry way."

He smiles brightly.

[sadie_doyle]

"Franklin My Dear I Don't Give A Doyle," Sadie exclaims, "that's an excellent idea!" She sashays over to the gun locker. "We shall make this a proper safari, yet! Why, all we're missing are some suitably safari-themed hats!"

For the moment, though, her most pressing concern is her inability to wrangle a gun without sacrificing at least one of the bottles. She casts about for a bag of some kind, and lets out a triumphant little cry as she spies a gift shop across the way. A little rummaging, and she's rewarded with a canvas bag that seems sound. She lovingly settles her bottles inside, using a few novelty t-shirts to pad things out and keep them from rattling against one another. "Perfect!" she coos, heading back over to the gun locker. "Look, Frank! I'm sure I could fit more!"

[frank_doyle]

"Fantastic!" Frank scoops more bottles up into his arms, as well as a jar of olives, and settles them all into the treasure bag. He picks up two rifles and slings one over his shoulder. "With that, I think we're on our way!"

[sadie_doyle]

Sadie takes the other rifle with a purred, "Thank you, darling." Outside, their oversized steed awaits. Getting back on board is a bit more difficult thanks to their additional luggage and heightened drunkenness, but they manage.

"Next on our list: tyrannosaur!" Sadie declares. "I say we try to bag one. Feathers shall go everywhere!"

[frank_doyle]

"I like the way you think, my love!" Frank settles in with an arm around her waist and orders the triceratops onward. "Take us ... to a tyrannosaur!" he demands, patting the triceratops gently. "And Sadie... hand me the gin, if you would!"