Once upon a dream... (4th Wall Event/TDM Combo platter)

[missrecalled_mods]

[((OOC note: This fourth wall is open to any character who would be game legal. If a character who posted here reserves or apps in September, these threads can be considered game canon as long as all involved agree. If a character doesn't app, for those in game already... wow that was a weird dream. Wait, what did you dream about again?))]


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For Jordan, still comatose after the magical mishap that had resulted in the first Misrecalled being summoned, it began with a dream. A dream so strong, that it had her stirring fitfully even in her current state; and eventually caused her to release an uncontrolled burst of magic.

For everyone else, unaware of what was coming, it began with falling asleep. Whether or not someone was tired before hand, whether they even could sleep, they simply fell asleep - or a reasonable facsimile - wherever they happened to be. Maybe they remembered falling asleep, maybe they didn't. But either way they suddenly found themselves in... a very strange place.

First all there was that they could see was a vast featureless plain in shining gold and silken draperies. But that was only a glimpse, for just by existing in this space, each dreamer warps it. Changes it. Not all at once, but bits, constantly changing between them and whomever they encounter. Each person brings with them bits of three places... where they had been last, a familiar place from memory, and whatever place they call home. But this is constantly changing and shifting, more so the more dreamers are present in any space. Before long, Bits of different landscapes, different environments, even different weather conditions will cover the landscape like some crazy patchwork quilt. Here a bit of a sunny, idyllic garden, there a section of shadowy, graffiti covered slum. To one side, a chunk of charming cobblestone streets under sunset tinged skies, to the other, a forest of towering trees, some of which seem to be moving. And glimpsed through the gaps between some of the odd terrain sections, some remainder of the poorly defined golden space, hung with colorful draperies could still be seen.

And the ground itself was not immune to the changes. While the ground on which they stood might seem stable enough, if someone walked more than a few paces in any direction, that could change. Solid ground could become shifting sand. Or water. Or a wall might suddenly appear to block their path. Doors might lead to places they definitely shouldn't or open to the edge of a sheer cliff. And if the complete lack of logic to the landscape wasn't enough of an indication that this was some sort of dream, then the unreadable signs would clinch it. Because any signs - or indeed, anything with writing on it that they didn't have on their person when they arrived - was covered with nothing but unreadable gibberish.

And it got even more surreal when a dreamer spotted anyone else in the dreamspace, or even looked at their own reflection - for each person appears in the dream in whatever way they see themselves. So someone with low self confidence might be short, someone with a huge ego might tower. If someone sees themselves as a horrible criminal who needs to repent, they might be in prison togs. If the change is dramatic enough people who know each other well might still fail to recognize each other within the dreaming.

Now normally such a bizarre dream might have been put down to stress, a meal that disagreed with them, or maybe indulging in some sort of illicit substance, but this clearly was no ordinary dream, if for no other reason than that in this dream, they weren't alone. The other people they encounter are not just figments of their imagination, and they too change the shared dream space.

Those already either on the Isle or in the kingdom of Auradon proper would find themselves all thrown together in the bizarre dreamworld. And that would have been strange enough. But more than the current populations of Auradon and the Isle could be found in this place. Maybe the faces where familiar. Maybe they weren't. But they definitely hadn't turned up in the physical world that was home to Ben and Mal. Yet anyway.

Given the extremely variable geography, exploring the area might be dangerous. At least as dangerous as anything in a dream could be. But investigating might help them find a way back to the physical world faster, for those who realize they are dreaming. Or they could just stand around and talk or complain about the latest bit of magical weirdness to happen to them and hope they woke up soon. Or they could go with it and enjoy the weird. It was their dream, after all. They could pretty much do what they liked. Or at least try to. Either way, they seemed stuck there for the present, for better or worse.

Comments

[mal_contented]

"She's proof. And I'm the mistake. I'll see myself out." She shook her head.

[elvendryad]

"The more the merrier! Please, we've far more than we could eat ourselves. And we'd love to hear your stories as well...."

"Who are you?" That might have gotten Mal's attention: something in Chell's tone wasn't as relaxed as he'd been so far.

....Not that this elf seemed to pick up on, anyhow. "A winemaker," he said cheerfully. "Co-host of this reunion. Tree-wrangler! Oh, how about--"

"No." The wooden knight took a step backward, away from him. "You're not that brother." He glanced back to Mal. "Something isn't right, here."

"Who else would I be?" He looked more amused -- and confused -- than anything.

The trees stirred again, shifting their roots to stand, readying to move as Chell took another step back....

[mal_contented]

She stiffened. Torn. Part of her felt obligated to turn and help. The other part of her wanted to get as far from here as she could.

[elvendryad]

"You're not him! I can't feel you!"

"....What?" Well, that had the elf baffled.

"Something isn't right." Chell took another step back again, turning his attention to the castle itself, looking up at that tower and then back down over it. "What is going on here?"

[mal_contented]

"UGH!" She stalked back. "I'm not actually helping you," she snapped at Chell. "I'm just here to beat the spit out of a villian."

[elvendryad]

He huffed a little, frustrated now himself. "This looks like that brother, but I don't feel him!"

The elf, for his part, didn't know what to make of this, and gestured as if giving up on dealing with him for now. "You're not even touching me!" He looked to Mal. "And what villain? What are either of you two talking about? The only thing wrong here is that it's been several centuries since there's last been a proper gathering of any sort!" He gestured to the castle's door, which was open behind him. "And now there is one!"

[mal_contented]

"Look, if you're not really who you're pretending to be just drop the act! I don't have patience for this!"

[elvendryad]

"What act?" Yep, he was going with exasperation; the only thing he was dropping was his humor, for now.

"He was open before," Chell said quietly, not looking at Mal due to not taking his eyes off the blond man there. "It was intoxicating."

"Are you friends, or not? You got past the forest somehow, so one would think, but--"

"I am the forest!" Well, sounding like a bad line or not, he was actually serious about that statement, and it showed, so there was that....

The guy rolled his eyes, lifting his hands briefly as if about to raise them in surrender. Yep, that's it, he's giving up on this ridiculousness, after that statement. Just does not know what to do with it. Chell wins. He sighed. He looked like he'd say something, and didn't, shaking his head to himself instead, at a loss.

[mal_contented]

She didn't trust the seeming surrender and was tensed for an incoming spell.

[elvendryad]

She could just be further confused, then, when he took his staff again, absently, from where it'd fallen against the crook of his arm... and, rolling his eyes, turned to walk right back into the castle. "Come in, don't come in, just don't damage anything. We only just finished cleaning the place up...."

Chell, still confused, gave her a glance... what now? He still didn't trust this... this... other figure? This situation?

"Something is very wrong here," he said, quiet. "I can feel you standing here, but not him."

[mal_contented]

She rolled her eyes at Chell. "This is a nightmare and you expect logic?" Of course now she was tempted to level the castle, just because she was told not to.

[elvendryad]

"I was more asleep before, and it made sense enough then," he protested. He didn't argue further, though, taking a step toward the castle again. He didn't look down as he clenched his left fist, and his shield's segments slid out from his forearm, more an absent expression of him being frustrated and upset by this situation overall than having anything to do with him expecting a physical attack....

Maybe she ought to take the lead?

[mal_contented]

That would not be a good idea... Chell probably would not like where she would lead, given how she was eyeing the structure.

[elvendryad]

Well, he was hesitating. On one hand, he wanted to know what in the world was going on here. On the other hand, he was disturbed enough by the lack of presence that the elf had had -- or that he hadn't had? -- that he was no longer all that eager to head right inside.

Another few seconds' pause, and he sighed heavily, finally turning to head out of the courtyard, back toward the forest. At least it was close by; he stopped there near the trees, eyeing them, then looked back to the castle. Turned back to the trees.... Apparently something else was wrong here as well, given his frown. "The forest doesn't feel right either...."

That shield of his was staying out, for now. Just on general principle.

[mal_contented]

"What part of nightmare did you miss? Or do you think I normally look like this?" she snarked.

[elvendryad]

"You can look how you want," he said, not even glancing back at her. He raised a hand, put it on a tree trunk... the tree moved to lean into it, but he only frowned more about whatever it was he was trying to figure out now.

[mal_contented]

She snorted. "And you think anyone chooses to look this unbalanced?"

[elvendryad]

He turned his head to peek back at her again at that, raising an eyebrow. "I've seen stranger." Consider who you're talking to, Mal. He might not have been all that asymmetrical, his shield aside, but....

[mal_contented]

"Ugh. You and Mallia are both irritating, you know that?"

[elvendryad]

"Who?" He returned his focus to the tree, half closing his eyes, trying to focus despite having just invited her to say more.

[mal_contented]

".... How... she showed me a memory of you. More than one. How could you not know who she is?!"

[elvendryad]

He shrugged a little, looking away from her. "I've been... asleep... for a very long time." The way he said it, he probably didn't mean sleep in the mundane sense.

Quieter, "What about her? If you say I know her... Who is she?"

[mal_contented]

"Annoying fairy, wears decent colours despite that, black and purple mostly." Her mom from the bizzaro dimension, but no need to say that bit.

[elvendryad]

"Black and purple?" Well, at least she'd gotten his attention away from whatever he was trying to do there with the tree. "....Maybe? ...But I didn't raise fairies...."

[mal_contented]

"Yeah pretty sure she was chillin' with the one who raised you." She rolled her eyes.