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]

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.

[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.

[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.

[johnny_truant]

Johnny feels startled, shy, at the offer of a hand, but he takes it a moment later and allows himself to be led. Nova scampers alongside the Unicorn ahead of them.

He watches the multi-colored creatures flutter around him, alighting on his arms and fingers, periodically moving on only to be replaced by others. He keeps his thoughts light, trying not to imagine this as inside - part of an transcendent structural interior he can't begin to comprehend. Sunlight and abundant life keep it from feeling too much like the Navidson house, but he doubts his capacity to maintain that line of thought if he comes into contact with the TARDIS again in the real world.

He wants to say something. He wants to appear grateful and unafraid. "This is incredible," he says quietly, after a moment of consideration. "I wish I could... understand. Or appreciate it better."