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

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!]

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"I know you won't," Aggie says, sitting down in front of the leopard. "Only humans do that." And even then, she's not all that afraid of them. She's lost a lot of fear since she died.

If Daine was in her human shape (and it's probably just as well she isn't), she'd be frowning at that. Not that she's in any position to argue; two-leggers have done more harm to those she loves than any snow leopard ever could.

Has anyone here hurt you? she asks, tail lashing. If so, she'll have to pay them a visit.

"Not here." But that doesn't mean they won't. The ones who killed me aren't here. The thought is so fearful and angry as to be quite loud.

Daine wouldn't be able to hear a human's thoughts in real life, so she's surprised on several levels. Killed you? The girl looks solid enough, but when Daine stretches forward a little to sniff at her, she finds that the girl doesn't smell quite human. She smells like--Daine sniffs again, fascinated--like a thunderstorm without the rain.

"Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live," she parrots, lightning dancing around her edges.

Daine pulls back a little, startled by the lightning, though not as worried as she would be if it was real life and she wasn't being bombarded by happy vibes.

I've been hunted before, by some of the folk from my village. They thought I was mad. They hadn't been far wrong. She's not sure what this girl did to earn 'witch,' but she's appalled that hear that she was murdered for it. I'm sorry, Daine says with considerable feeling, wanting to move closer but for the lightning.

After a moment, Daine's gentle words bring Aggie back to earth and back to herself, though still melancholy and bitter. "They hated me, because I was different."

That was wrong of them. Now that the lightning has died down, Daine decides to risk moving closer. She rests a paw on the girl's shoulder, a little surprised by how solid she feels. I think being different's marvelous.

"I was only playing." It's barely a whisper. So what if her playmates had been dead? None of the other village children would have spoken to her. "I didn't hurt anyone."

Feeling very small indeed, Aggie reaches up to the soft paw.

Did you have the Gi--magic? she amends after it occurs to her that wherever the girl's from, they probably wouldn't call magic 'the gift' if they were in the habit of killing children for having it.

Aggie nods, because she supposes that that is the closest answer. It's better than calling it the Devil's work at least. "I could see people...even when they were dead."

Where I'm from, the dead go to another realm. They don't really hang about. She ducks her head so she can peer up into the girl's eyes. If the dead were still there, in your realm, I think it's good that you could talk to them. Better than being ignored, surely?

"They said I consorted with the devil." That she was foul and corrupt and would bring evil into a good town. "So they hanged me."

That's terrible! Daine's tail fluffs out (even more so than usual). She has plenty of experience with narrow-minded villagers, but the thought of killing a little girl who's only talking to dead folk is still appalling. At least when Daine was hunted, it was because she'd actually killed people ~~who deserved it~~.

She removes her paw from the girl's shoulder and curls around her on the floor, so the girl can lean back against her side, if she wants. I'm so sorry. That shouldn't've happened to you. She wishes she could actually face down the two-leggers who'd done it, because just saying she's sorry feels like an awfully small comfort.

"I hated them so much." Her voice seems far away, even as she sinks into the leopard's warm fur. "I wanted to hurt them the way they hurt me."

And she had, but even then she still feels alone and miserable. Like all her rage has done nothing.

Daine understands all too well. It doesn't help, does it? Her family had still been dead after she and the Pack took care of the bandits, and if Numair really had been executed, destroying the palace wouldn't have brought him back.

I think the only way--the only real way--to show up those that hurt you is to be happy in spite of them. Odd advice to give a dead person, perhaps, but being dead doesn't seem to have stopped her from existing, so why should it stop her from being happy once in a while?

"Where? How?" Aggie asks, as puzzled as Daine is about how a dead girl can go forth being happy the way that Daine suggests.

Well, look at you. You're still here, even if you are dead. She pushes her head under the girl's hand. Seems to me that you can do or be whatever you like, now. Who's going to stop you?

Automatically, Aggie pets the cat's big head, unafraid. "Am I going to stay here forever?"

I don't know, Daine says honestly, tickling the girl's face with the tip of her fluffy tail. Do you want to stay?

"I'll be safe here? If I stay?" No more stupid towns making fun of her either?

Daine settles herself a bit more comfortably, still curled around the little girl. Yes. If anyone tries to hurt you, they'll have to get through me, first.

Aggie stretches out a little and buries her face in the soft white fur, eyes closed.

"Promise?"

Promise, Daine replies, nuzzling the girl's hand.

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

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