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]

What are demo-whatsits? Daine asks as she twines around Stephen's legs like a giant house cat.

[stephen_bloom]

"Demolitions," he repeats, reaching down to stroke her ears. "She's good at blowing things up."

[wildmage_daine]

I know a girl named Maura who was good at blowing stuff up, Daine says as she leans against his leg. Did you know that flour explodes?

[stephen_bloom]

"Yep. For someone who doesn't talk much, Bang Bang is pretty informative," Steve answers, chuckling.

[wildmage_daine]

What do you do with your accomplices? Daine asks, blinking up at him curiously.

[stephen_bloom]

Stephen grins, shrugging.

"I'm a confidence artist...a kind of gentleman thief."

[wildmage_daine]

Thief? Daine steps back with a suspicious glare. She has a feeling he means something more along the lines of a charming pickpocket than a bandit, but her experience with bandits makes her inclined to disapprove of any brand of thievery.

[stephen_bloom]

Stephen shrugs, smiling.

"So I'm told. Aw, come on," he cajoles. "I don't take money with violence or anything. Gentleman thief, remember? I just sorta trick people into giving me their money."

[wildmage_daine]

Daine's not as upset as she might be in the waking world, but she still can't say she approves. Stealing is wrong, she says primly, tail lashing.

[stephen_bloom]

He shrugs.

"Maybe, but so is the rest of the world. Anyway, anyone rich enough for me to steal from didn't earn their money, either."

[wildmage_daine]

Daine lets out a rumbly sort of cough. That's no excuse. There's honest work you could be doing to earn coin.

[stephen_bloom]

"Hey, what I do is a lot of work and I'm good at it. It's like the marks don't get anything out of it. In the perfect con, everyone gets exactly what they want."

[wildmage_daine]

Honest work, Daine repeats, tail lashing. And I doubt the folk you steal from want you to take their money.

[stephen_bloom]

"Sorry. Honest work is for chumps. You think the system is fair to people who follow its rules? Please. It chews them up and spits them out. Anyway, I just do on a grander scale what everyone does. I learned that as a child. Most people who preach morality are the ones with the dirtiest secrets."

[wildmage_daine]

The happy vibes are no match for the insult Daine perceives--to herself, but more than that, to her friends. She snarls and bluffs a charge at Stephen, intending more to frighten than actually harm (though the temptation to knock him top over teakettle is awfully strong).

[stephen_bloom]

Unfortunately, Steve still sees this as merely a dream, so he starts, quite a bit, but nothing else.

"There's no need to be like that at me. It's not my fault! I'll prove it to you. I pulled my first con, when I was thirteen. I wasn't even trying to make money. I just was trying to get my little brother to talk to this girl he liked. I ended up with over thirty dollars, though. When our foster father found out, he slapped me and took the money. He pocketed it. You think he gave that money back? Hell, no, he didn't."

[wildmage_daine]

My heart bleeds buttermilk, Daine growls, entirely unsympathetic. That little story doesn't prove anything, and you've no business insulting folk who can provide for themselves without stealing. With that, she turns to stalk away.

[stephen_bloom]

"What? What insult?" he asks, a bit perplexed. He truly doesn't see why she's angry at him. He's not sure why he's defending himself, but he hopes she stays and at least listens a bit. "I feel sorry for most honest folk. They get worked to the bone for almost nothing. And what do they get out of it? Being considered honest? Sorry, I just don't get that. Unlike the people your good, honest folks work for? I don't actually hurt anyone, with what I do. You won't catch me working some poor, hungry soul into the ground, then pocketing all the money. Even my marks are generally no worse off, than before they met me."

[wildmage_daine]

Daine looks back at him over her shoulder, bafflement dulling her anger--but only a little. I don't know what sort of a realm you come from, she says, her tone implying that she doesn't much care to know, either, but where I'm from, things are different. Our work makes Tortall better--and safer!--and their majesties are good, kind people who don't deserve your scorn.

[stephen_bloom]

"It's called Earth. This Tortall must be some kind of fairyland, if the rich there don't exploit the poor. Okay, give me an example. What's this work you do that makes things better? Does it make things better for everyone?"

[wildmage_daine]

It's not a fairyland, it's real. Daine's tail lashes. And I should think that just about everyone is better off when we're not at war, and when folk aren't being eaten by monsters. That's what we've been doing: protecting folk from immortals and negotiating peace treaties with Carthak.

[stephen_bloom]

Steve shrugs.

"Still a lot different than where I'm from. If it's any comfort to you, though, if I ever get an opportunity and am able to keep someone from being eaten, I promise I will."