I'll See You in My Dreams [WIDE-OPEN PARTY THREAD]

[applesaucemod]

Sometimes the rift only gives the denizens of Manhattan strange dreams. Sometimes, two people will find themselves together in the Dreaming. And other times? Other times, the Dreaming takes hold of dozens of people at once, throwing them all together into one shared mental space while they sleep.

Tonight is one of those nights -- what's more, the rift has outdone itself this time, telepathic tendrils reaching out through the rift into other universes to pull in even those who haven't been physically transported to this world...yet. You might meet a stranger from another world, or you might run into your next-door neighbor. You might notice right away that this isn't the waking world and that you are not alone, or you may drift through blissfully unaware that anything is out of the ordinary. You might not even remember this in the morning at all.

And that's probably going to be fortunate for at least a few people, because what you will notice is the overwhelming desire to get cozy with someone. It's chilly in this big house where you've found yourself, but luckily for you, there are beds, beanbags, and blankets galore, all of them just perfect for getting cuddly with your new friends. Consider yourself lucky that dream-world cameras can't upload photos to the real-world internet.


[It's a Dreaming party, and everyone is welcome! Tag a friend, tag a stranger, whatever! Everyone who's been pulled in will be feeling unusually friendly and cuddly, so get a-snuggling. Some characters (particularly those with strong telepathic defenses) may not be as strongly affected as others; the extent of the Dreaming's effect on each character is up to the mun's discretion.

Also, when we say everyone, we mean everyone. Non-members are welcome to tag into this post, so feel free to voice-test new characters here, and to invite friends who aren't in the game to come do some meeting and greeting. If you've come upon this post and aren't a member of this game, you are welcome to tag into this post.

For those who are familiar with the brbG parties, this is basically like that. Post a tag with your character's arrival and await replies. Time is bendy in here, so each character can have multiple replies/threads. Have fun!]

Comments

[wildmage_daine]

All right, Daine says agreeably, dropping onto all fours so she'll appear even smaller. What's your name?

[watchesthebeans]

"Aglet Bottlerack," replies Aglet proudly. He's warming up to this mouse. "You said you were Daine?" he asks, edging a little closer.

[wildmage_daine]

Veralidaine Sarrasri, Daine answers almost as proudly. It hadn't taken her long to realize that her last name carried no stigma, here, because no one really knew what it meant. She still knows, though, and it's been hard to keep from bracing herself against a scornful response. But that's a mouthful. Daine's easier.

[watchesthebeans]

Aglet's surname, on the other hand, denotes what passes for the upper classes among Borrowers. It's a lie, of course; his grandfather invented it to sound grand when he moved his family to a new house, but it's not like anyone has to know that. "Well, I'm just Aglet most of the time," he smiles. "I've never heard a name like yours," he admits. Then again, he could count all the people he's known in his life on his fingers and toes.

[wildmage_daine]

I've never heard one like yours, either. I don't think we have Borrowers where I'm from. Not in Tortall, at any rate. Daine tilts her head curiously, wondering if they're the sort of thing that might have been trapped beyond the barrier. Are you an immortal?

[watchesthebeans]

"Well, if you're a Bean, you wouldn't know," says Aglet. "I've never been seen by a Bean. Not even once."

He gives her a somewhat blank look. "What's an immortal?"

[wildmage_daine]

Maybe not, Daine says doubtfully, but I imagine the mice would've mentioned it if there were tiny two-leggers running about. Not least of all because to a mouse, they're not that tiny.

Immortals are things like unicorns and griffins. She'll just name-drop the nicer ones and leave out the spidrens and hurrocks and stormwings. Where I'm from, they used to be trapped in another realm, but mages have been tearing up the barrier and letting them through. Some of 'em look a bit like tiny humans. But none of them look so exactly like a tiny human as Aglet.

[watchesthebeans]

"You talk to mice?" And suddenly Aglet's glad he never learned to hunt, even if mice are dangerous (and, he's told, tasty). If he'd gone around killing mice, who knows what this mouse-person would do now?

Her explanation just confuses him more, but he tries not to show it. If this stuff is common knowledge, he doesn't want to look like a bumpkin. "Nah, I'm not one of those," he decides. If he was, he thinks, he'd probably know about it.

[wildmage_daine]

I can talk to any animal. I'm a wildmage. And she doesn't begrudge those who hunt--she used to be quite good at it, though she doesn't anymore. It's hard to kill and eat something once you've been it, and she's had close calls in deer shape before.

I didn't really think so, either, Daine admits. What sort of things do you borrow?

[watchesthebeans]

"Maybe you can tell them to stay away from our homes," mutters Aglet. He doesn't have much love for mice. Sitting down amongst the folds of blanket, he explains, "We borrow the things we need -- only things that won't be missed. Cloth, food, string, nails, buttons...I guess a lot of families used to get blotting paper for their floors, but now the Beans don't use that stuff anymore, so we can't get it."

[wildmage_daine]

She could, though she'd want to get the mice's perspective on things, too.

Do you give it back when you're done with it? Daine asks, not sure if just taking things counts as 'borrowing,' even if they are little things that won't be missed.

[watchesthebeans]

Aglet blinks. It's not an idea that has occurred to him.

"Why?" he asks, confused. "I don't think they'd even want it back."

[wildmage_daine]

Well, it's not quite borrowing if you're not giving it back, is it? Daine's not entirely sure she approves, nor is she willing to take the Borrower's word for it that what they 'borrow' isn't missed.

[watchesthebeans]

He's amused now -- she's really being very silly. "Of course it's borrowing -- that's what borrowing is. Anyway, that's what Beans are for."

[wildmage_daine]

She's about to explain that no, borrowing is when you use something for a little while and then return it, but then the last thing he said sinks in. ... You think the only reason two-leggers exist is so you can steal their things? she asks, incredulous.

[watchesthebeans]

"...It's probably not the only reason," says Aglet defensively. He's not stupid; he knows Beans do other things than (unwittingly) provide for Borrowers. "But it's got to be one of the big ones. I mean, why else do they make so much more than they need?"

[wildmage_daine]

Daine considers her response. Now that she thinks about it, his attitude is mostly surprising because it's one she's only seen coming from humans. She's run into plenty of folk who think nature's purpose is to be exploited. It's quite strange to see that attitude applied to humans (though less surprising that it's a tiny two-legger doing it, she supposes).

All creatures serve a purpose, but it's a bit silly to say their main purpose is to serve you. Tilting her head a little, she adds, What about Borrowers? Who benefits from having you around? It's an honest question. She rather suspects that some creatures might eat them if given half a chance, but doesn't want to upset Aglet by suggesting as much.

[watchesthebeans]

Aglet furrows his brow, the corners of his mouth drawing down. He doesn't much care for the question. "Other Borrowers, I suppose," he says, feeling argumentative. "But they do serve us -- and it's not like it hurts them."

Quite decent of her not to bring it up. The topic of cats is a particularly sore one for him.

[wildmage_daine]

Daine sits back on her haunches, unimpressed. How do you know it doesn't hurt them? Have you ever asked? That's how borrowing is meant to work: you ask someone if you can use something of theirs, and then when you're done with it, you give it back.

[watchesthebeans]

"I don't see what a mouse would know about borrowing," says Aglet crossly. "Of course I haven't asked a Bean -- what do you think happens to Borrowers who get seen by them?"

[wildmage_daine]

I'm not really a mouse, Daine reminds him, I'm only in mouse shape because it's smaller than my proper one. And I might not know much about being a Borrower, but I do know that if you're taking things that aren't yours with no mind to give them back, it's not borrowing, it's stealing. And Daine does not approve of thievery.

Maybe if you did ask a 'Bean' if you could have little things like buttons, they'd let you have them. She probably would, though she's irked enough with Aglet that she doesn't want to say as much.

[watchesthebeans]

"Well, I don't see what a Bean would know about borrowing!" Aglet snipes back. Stealing only happens when one Borrower takes from another -- or when one Bean takes from another, if he's being generous -- but Aglet knows better than to say so just now.

He glowers. "Or they'd set out traps."

[wildmage_daine]

Can't say I'd blame them, if all you're doing is taking their things, Daine sniffs. I suppose if you found out bugs were getting into your stores, you'd just let them have at it if they weren't taking much?

[watchesthebeans]

"We're not bugs!" Aglet feels his face grow hot. Why did he think a Bean would understand, even if she's pretending to be a mouse?

[wildmage_daine]

I didn't say you were! Daine snaps back, frustrated. There just aren't many other things that'd be Borrower-sized to you, are there? She makes herself take a few breaths before continuing in a calmer tone, All I'm saying is that you can't expect folk to thank you for stealing from them, no matter who--or how big--they are.