Far Side of the Aurora Borealis

[applesaucemod]

Congratulations, dreamers of Manhattan - you get to go to Oxford! It's probably not the Oxford with which any of the dreamers are familiar, though. This one is a bit… different.



The dreamers will find themselves in Jordan College, the oldest and grandest of all the colleges in this version of Oxford, a rambling structure that includes dining halls, libraries, classrooms, chapels, courtyards, a botanical garden, and an extensive network of cellars and tunnels beneath the ground. There are plenty of places to explore!

Sharp-eyed dreamers might notice some subtle architectural quirks. Doors look larger than they'd need to be for solely human use, and every staircase has a little ramp built in - not large enough for a wheelchair, but large enough for, say, a small, scampering animal.

And speaking of - the dreamers are a bit different here, too. Upon arrival, they will realize that they now possess dæmons: physical manifestations of their souls. Be gentle with them; they're undoubtedly confused by being suddenly made manifest. They come with all the side effects and complications inherent with dæmons. They can't travel more than a few yards from their person without it being painful for both parties… and it probably won't take the dreamers long to realize they shouldn't be touching one another's dæmons, what with the shared sensations and all. Still, it's a rare opportunity for the dreamers to chat with their own souls - and the souls of others.

What could possibly go wrong?



[Mod note: you know the drill. All players and characters are welcome, regardless of whether they're current members or not. Characters will remember or forget any and all dream events at players' discretion.]

Comments

[johnny_truant]

"Oh." Johnny frowns, wanting to ask for more details, at the same time sensing Gabriel's reluctance to go into it. He wrinkles his nose at the thought of Zagreus trying to be friends with anyone.

Any further commentary dies in his throat when Venia curls around Novatiana. He feels her mood shift abruptly, from nervous to - a really different kind of nervous. He feels it as though it came from his own head and heart. She's wheeled sharply from agitation at the bad memory to... what? Embarrassment? Excitement?

Is... is she attracted to Gabriel's giant genderless griffin?

Gabriel's knee comes to rest against his, and Johnny looks down at it blankly for a moment. Is this a come on? No, probably not, Gabriel's just relaxing, and Johnny's pretty sure even he wouldn't flirt at a time like this.

But even so, his body stiffens imperceptibly at the contact, he suddenly feels flushed and tense. Oh god, oh no. Shit. Shit.

"I, um..." Johnny struggles to focus on the question. Forces himself to look back up at Gabriel. "Yeah. I mean, no. I guess it might just be..." He can't maintain eye contact, now for discomfort rather than embarrassment. He curls over slightly, hugging himself without fully realizing it. "I think he likes me because I'm already so fucked up."

[watchesthebeans]

"Up! Up! Up!!"

"I'm trying! I'm trying! You're too heavy!"

A pair of small voices come from somewhere above and behind Biffy. Should he turn around quickly enough he'll find a magpie flying more or less straight at his head, though 'flying' would be describing it generously. She has something -- no, someone, someone tiny -- on her back, clinging to her feathers and feeling like he's pulling his own hair out every time he clenches his fists in response to a dip or twist. "Watch out!" yelps the tiny teenager riding the bird.

[theoldgirl]

"There is a difference," she replies perhaps a little too harshly, though her ire isn't directed at him. "But you would not have enough mind left to realize it." Johnny may be unstable and abused, but she saw nothing that would indicate he isn't fundamentally himself anymore. His kindness and his soul's innocuousness are proof of that.

Speaking of which, the sight of him burying his face in the little rabbit finally reminds her that he's radiating distress, and anger isn't what he needs from her right now. Her bearing becomes a little softer, and she rests a hand on his shoulder in a gesture she hopes is somewhat comforting. "I will do what I can to keep you safe, especially here in the telepathic current." With a small, sympathetic smile she adds, "And you are not falling apart. Human minds are very resilient, to a degree that is incredible even to me."

[theoldgirl]

It doesn't take long for that amused smile to return to the TARDIS' face, though she's also feeling genuinely fond of Cosima now. "I am largely beyond your comprehension, but that oughtn't to stop you trying," she says approvingly. "My kind was grown and engineered by the Doctor's race, and I have been travelling the universe with him for several millennia. We share a symbiotic bond." There's more she could say, but she has the feeling the girl needs a moment to absorb even just that and think of new questions.

The Unicorn, equally amused by Palinouros' excited display, lowers its head to sniff at the lemur and then nips his ear teasingly. "It is called Time," it says more or less in response to his comment about their smell. "You should come for a ride."

[peeta_mellark]

Drawn out of his revelation by the man's words, Peeta pries his astonished gaze from Nilakshi - his soul - to glance at Daine and Coromotto. It hadn't even occurred to him to touch Coromotto, but even with the man's warning, he finds himself curious. What exactly happens when you touch someone else's soul? He determines not to try it, unless he finds someone willing.

"Who are you?" Nilakshi asks.

[edgar_sawtelle]

They haven't walked far before Edgar can spot one of the conservatory walls. He decides to try to angle that way to see if there are any doors in the vicinity.

He glances as Tris from the corner of his eye. She doesn't look familiar, and he wonders if she's come through the Rift, too.

/Did you come through the Rift?/ he asks?

[sadie_doyle]

Sadie gives Daine a considering look, her expression suddenly a good deal more shrewd than it was a moment ago. Then, she offers a gracious smile. "Of course not, darling." As Augustine returns to her side, she continues, "I'm Sadie Doyle, this is my husband, Frank, and these two are Augustine and Gertrude."

[frank_doyle]

"Charmed, I'm sure," says Frank distractedly, and he's about to roll onward when something about the girl catches his eye, and he hesitates for a moment. "I say!" he says. "Would you look at that, Sadie! A demigoddess! Do we know her?"

[wildmage_daine]

Coromotto's ears flatten against his skull as Daine takes a startled step backwards. "I - I'm not…" she gives her head a little shake. Her Da's never acknowledged her. How could these people possibly know… but they don't know, not really. Not from the sounds of it, anyway. Coromotto presses himself against her leg, hackles raised, as Daine glances uneasily between the two Doyles. Can they see her magic, like Numair? Is that what this is about?

Sensing how taken aback Daine is, Coromotto takes a step forward. "We don't know what you mean," he says.

[peeta_mellark]

Neither does Peeta. He frowns in confusion, looking between the Doyles and Daine. Nilakshi rumbles softly and he leans against her leg a little.

"What's a demigoddess?" he asks. Then the way Daine and Coromotto are acting hits him. "Do you mean Daine?"

[sadie_doyle]

"Naturally," Augustine says. His tone is cheerful enough, but he keeps a wary eye on the wolf.

"Do forgive my husband's bluntness," Sadie says smoothly. "A demigoddess is someone with human and divine parentage." To Daine, she adds, "If you don't mine my asking, was it your mother or father on the immortal side of the equation?"

[frank_doyle]

Frank feels a little bit of a pout coming on at Sadie's subtle reprimand, but Gertrude shoves her snout in his hand and he feels better almost immediately. He glances down at Augustine, who is still watching the wolf, and then at Sadie, who is still watching the young people. He reaches out slooowly and gives Augustine a light tap on the tail, barely anything at all, really, then quickly withdraws his hand, grinning to himself.

[wildmage_daine]

Daine presses her lips together, blushing unhappily. It's no great secret that she never knew her Da growing up, but the fact that he's a god is something she tries to keep to herself. Now, she's torn between trying to keep it as private as she can, given the circumstances, and wanting to know how on earth the Doyles know. It's one thing to see her wild magic, quite another to know the source of it. Even Numair hadn't figured out that just by looking at her.

A low growl rumbles in her wolf's chest - too low for Daine to hear, but she can feel it through the leg he's leaning against. "Ma was human," he says, raising his lip enough for a gleam of sharp teeth to be clearly visible. "Da was never there."

[modern_alpha]

Both dhole and werewolf are initially seized by the instinct of chase, eat, nap before recovering the morality of their human minds.

"Oh goodness," Agniezska says, apparently as masterful as Alexia at the art of the understatement. She takes a running leap and bats at the magpie. "Get down there this instant!"

[priordivergence]

"No...I didn't see a rift." Maybe he means something metaphorical but there seems to be an emphasis, the suggestion that it's a proper name for something.

"I was trying to pass through a fence."

[has_a_horn]

When Johnny curls in on himself, Gabriel pulls himself back up from his relaxed posture, not really having expected a response like this. "Whoa, hey." Just how fucked up does Johnny think he is, Gabriel wonders, and how much of that is likely to be the truth? Even if that is Zagreus' interest in Johnny, it would have to be a very interesting sort of fucked up. He can't see Zagreus singling someone out just because they have self-esteem issues and a bad history.

He sets his hand at Johnny's shoulder and rubs his thumb there for a moment. Venia conducts a similar gesture, lowering their head to brush their beak against Nova's soft fur. "What do you mean?"

[johnny_truant]

Johnny hovers there for a moment, looking at his feet, letting himself focus on the pressure of Gabe's hand. He feels his throat tighten at the gesture, so needlessly affectionate, fuck, what did he do to deserve this?

"I'm broken," he murmurs, his voice quavering a little, telling, ready to betray him. "I knew I shouldn't have touched it, I knew it was going to destroy me but I couldn't help it, I took it home, I let it sit there and it fucking devoured me, and I... I..."

He's already been betrayed; there are tears on his face now and he hates them, he hates it so much, looking so fucking weak.

"I can't explain," he says, faint and tired. "There was a book about a house, and it got into me and it ate me from the inside and now I'm hollow and he likes it because he feels at home. In me. In my head."

Nonsense. He gives up. Nova's tense with this outpouring of emotion, turning in quick, agitated circles, pressing against Venia's beak.

[johnny_truant]

He allows himself to relax a little when she touches him. He meets her eyes. "Thank you," he murmurs.

He has a hard time believing her - he's deterioration personified - but the encouragement is good to hear nonetheless. And she seems like she ought to know. So maybe he can just take her word for it.

"Do you mind if we talk about something else?" he says hesitantly. Zagreus has already seized such control over so much of him, his attention, his life here - he has no desire to devote any more time to him.

Nova peeks up at the TARDIS shyly. "Can we... can we visit the butterflies?" she asks.

[has_a_horn]

Magic mind-altering books. That'd do it for Zagreus. Gabriel sighs, sad to see Johnny so upset. His explanation isn't exactly clear, but it's clear enough for him to know that it must have been a traumatic experience.

He scoots forward a bit, his hand moving from Johnny's shoulder to his hair, brushing it back before returning to his shoulder.

"You're not hollow. I could see, if you were, but Nova there is proof enough that you've got something good inside of you. Or something small and furry, at least." He tips his head to look Johnny in the face while Venia lets out another purr that turns into a hum, trying to calm down the little creature.

The corner of his mouth lifts into a semblance of a smile. "Broken things can be repaired. You can do that. And I can help, if you need it."

[johnny_truant]

Johnny is desperate to avoid eye contact, certain that he will really break down if he looks at Gabriel now. He doesn't deserve this kindness, and he knows if he voices that sentiment Gabriel will only deny it further, and that makes him feel all the more miserable, a fucking ouroboros of negative emotion.

Gabriel's final statement does resonate with him, though. He knows it's true. He almost did manage to repair himself a little, before he came here, before Zagreus knocked him back down. And for whatever goddamn reason, there are people who want to help him, have helped him. Powerful fuckin people. Nice people.

He's honestly not sure what to do with that.

Nova hesitates, then reaches up to give Venia a friendly little nudge before shifting away and back over to Johnny. She perches on Johnny's foot and looks up at Gabriel.

"He's having trouble talking right now," she says, "but he wants to thank you, for everything."

[theoldgirl]

The TARDIS doesn't mind a subject change; if they linger on Zagreus she'll only get more frustrated with the fact that she can't protect Johnny effectively at all. So instead she smiles down at the rabbit's somewhat surprising request.

"Well, let's see," she says. "Some shared dream constructs are more resistant to my influence than others. But I will try." And she does, tilting her head slightly and expanding her influence throughout the spacious room. The Unicorn mirrors her posture and its horn begins to emit a faint golden glow. After a few moments, the thick carpet is replaced by lush green grass, the shelves and walls disappear, and the ceiling gives way to a wide blue sky. Iridescent clouds of butterflies drift across the grass and the sky, resting on the flowers and dancing through the air. Almost immediately, they begin to settle on Johnny and adorn the Unicorn like garlands.

[johnny_truant]

"Whoa," breathes Johnny, stunned by the transformation. Zagreus is immediately, mercifully forgotten as the room shifts before his eyes and interior becomes blessed (if illusory) exterior, and daylight surrounds him. He breaks into a rare, happy grin. "Holy shit."

"That was AMAZING!" declares Nova, who immediately starts scurrying around in the grass. "It's all so real! TARDIS, you're... you're badass!"

Johnny is happy to let Nova be effusive on his behalf. He raises his arms slowly and watches the butterflies land on him.

[rae_of_sun]

Sunshine shrugs irritably. She only has so much patience for this ('this' meaning 'obnoxious strangers'). Not that she's been a model of civility, herself, but at least she tried to be nice - even did him a favor by stopping him from keeling over in sudden agony.

"Whatever." Technically, he only has two drunk socialites to say for it, but she doesn't foresee any good coming out of her sharing that tidbit, so she keeps it to herself. And she starts stepping back, a prelude to an exit. "Talk to her. You might be surprised." And that's about all the goodwill she has to spare, so she turns to leave, Modomnoc buzzing after her.

[theoldgirl]

At Johnny's and Nova's reaction, the TARDIS' smile grows wider and she feels herself relax as well. Being able to show him the healthy, peaceful butterfly room, the way it's supposed to be, is perhaps just as much a comfort to her as it is to him. It would be even better if he could come inside and experience the real thing, giving her the opportunity to sense his joy in return, but this does a lot to alleviate the shame and sorrow she felt earlier.

The Unicorn follows Nova's example and takes a few strides through the grass, both the butterflies in its mane and the ones on the flowers gently swaying with its movement without being disturbed. It lowers its head and noses after the rabbit, releasing an amused snort. "Thank you," it replies. "I am the best ship in the universe, Beloved always says."

The TARDIS, now crowned by a large morpho butterfly herself, holds out a hand to Johnny and offers, "Come along." They can wander over to the porch swing and sit for as long as he likes. Since she's controlling the entire scenery, the butterflies perched on him won't flee if he moves.

[watchesthebeans]

Synechdoche squawks in dismay and flaps wildly as the boy on her back lets out a shriek of his own, but a paw catches her on the tail and she rapidly loses altitude. She lands in an undignified flutter of ruffled feathers, and the little figure on her back is launched free to roll across the floor.